MOVIE and television director Wenn V. Deramas passed away on Monday due to a massive heart attack which may have been triggered by the death of his younger sister, according to his manager. He was 49.
Doctors at Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City declared Deramas dead at 6:15 a.m. after he suffered a heart attack at 2 a.m. His sister, Myra Ann, had died just hours earlier in the same hospital due to complications from diabetes.
鈥淭his could have been a reaction 鈥� to his sister鈥檚 passing. The doctors tried to revive her in front of Wenn,鈥� June Rufino told the Inquirer in a phone interview yesterday.
Deramas underwent an angioplasty following a stroke in November. 鈥淲e talked often but he never mentioned feeling any physical pain,鈥� Rufino said.
She recalled that at 4 a.m. yesterday, she received a call from Cory Vidanes, the chief operating officer of ABS-CBN where Deramas was a talent contract artist.
鈥淪he demanded that I go to the hospital immediately. He was being revived then,鈥� Rufino said. In the hospital with Vidanes was Vice Ganda, a comedian who was also the director鈥檚 friend.
Rufino added that Deramas had gone to the hospital at 9 p.m. on Sunday to check on his sister who died shortly.
She said she was in contact with Deramas鈥� sisters in the United States who had authorized her to make arrangements for the director鈥檚 wake and burial. Deramas鈥� remains will lie at the Arlington Memorial in Quezon City while the interment details will be announced later.
DERAMAS
鈥淲e鈥檝e been friends for as long as I can remember,鈥� Rufino said. 鈥淚 will miss the times when he would crack jokes and tease me because I was always the last one to understand them. He was a loving and caring friend,鈥� Rufino said.
Deramas first worked as a production assistant in the TV show 鈥淭atak Pilipino鈥� in 1990 before becoming a writer for 鈥淭eysi ng Tahanan鈥� and an executive producer of 鈥淐alvento Files.鈥� His film, 鈥淭he Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin鈥� which starred Vice Ganda, was the highest-grossing Filipino film in 2011 after earning P300 million at the box-office. In 2012, he surpassed his record with the Metro Manila Film Festival entry 鈥淪isterakas鈥� which earned P350 million.
Deramas also directed the successful 鈥淭anging Ina鈥� franchise that made comedienne Ai-Ai delas Alas a household name. His last film was the action comedy 鈥淏eauty and the Bestie鈥� starring Vice Ganda and Coco Martin.
Actress-TV host Kris Aquino, star of 鈥淪isterakas,鈥� posted this on Instagram account about Deramas: 鈥淗e made being a creative, ratings and box-office genius in both television and film seem effortless and easy.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 in utter shock as I鈥檝e just heard the sad news that director Wenn has passed on,鈥� said Dawn Zulueta who worked with Deramas in the 2010 teleserye remake of 鈥淢ula sa Puso.鈥� 鈥淚鈥檝e grown so fond of him. I loved his wry sense of humor. He always made me laugh鈥� Working with him always felt more like play. It was pure joy with Wenn.鈥�
Comedian Michael V, who worked with Deramas on the TV programs 鈥淩eady, Get Set, Go!鈥� and 鈥淭eysi ng Tahanan,鈥� sent his condolences to the director鈥檚 family. 鈥淚 will miss his infectious laugh,鈥� he said.
Anne Curtis said the 鈥渟addening news鈥� broke her heart. 鈥淧aalam 鈥橬ay. I miss you and love you so much Direk Wenn.鈥�
鈥淚sang napakalungkot na araw. Sagad hanggang buto ang lungkot. Paalam Direk Wenn. Mahal na mahal kita (A very sad day. A very deep-seated sadness. Goodbye Director Wenn. I love you very much,鈥� said Vice Ganda. This was followed by another post, a broken heart icon.
(E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)