Life goes on for Eat Bulaga! family minus Kiko

MANILA, Philippines - Noontime show Eat Bulaga! resumed to its usual programming minutes after the death of master rapper Francis Magalona, one of the show's host, was announced Friday. This was how Francis or Kiko would have wanted it, the show's hosts said. "Francis Magalona passed away this 12 noon," a teary-eyed Vic Sotto said. "Marami siyang iniwang ala-ala sa atin dito sa Eat Bulaga pati na sa larangan ng musika. We will surely miss him pati na ang buong industriya [He left us a lot of memories not only here in 'Eat Bulaga' but in the music industry as well. We will surely miss him. The entire industry will miss him]," he added. Sotto then requested the people to pause for a moment of prayer for the eternal repose of the soul of Magalona. "Our condolences to Pia and family. Kiko we love you," Sotto ended while photographs of Magalona were flashed on screen and then they went on a commercial break. When the show returned, Allan K tried to break the somber atmosphere on the set by saying, "The show must go on." In an interview after the show, Joey de Leon said life goes on for Eat Bulaga! and its hosts. "Tuloy lang, tuloy lang ang buhay," De Leon told GMANews.TV. Ruby Rodriguez, in a separate interview, said that is what Magalona wanted them to do. "Walang gustong kumuha ng mic pero hindi ko makakalimutan yung kinuwento ni Kiko [No one wanted to get the microphone to return to the show but I told them what Kiko told me]," Rodriguez said. She said that when Magalona's mother, Tita Duran, died, he was on board the radio. "Ruby mabigat e [it is hard to accept], pero the show must go on, the show must go on for you people," Rodriguez recalled Magalona as telling her. She said it was in that story that the Eat Bulaga! hosts got their strength to continue with the show. During the show, a contestant won the P1-million jackpot prize. De Leon owed Windy’s win to Magalona. "Hoy, Kiko, andyan ka ba, Kiko? Nagbiro si Kiko! [Hey Kiko are you there? Kiko is playing with us!]" De Leon said. Both De Leon and Sotto were visibly holding back tears as the emotional contestant was jumping up and down with her win in the show's "Taktak Mo o Tatakbo" segment. "Ayan si Kiko nagpatigil niyan [Kiko made that stop]!" De Leon said referring to the roulette. The winner bagged a total cash price of P1,030,000 in the jackpot round. - GMANews.TV