Dancing inmates to perform 'Thriller' tribute for Jackson

MANILA, Philippines - On Saturday afternoon, more than 1,400 orange-clad Cebu inmates who gained worldwide attention for an impressive “Thriller" performance on YouTube will pay their last respects to the late King of Pop. “Everyone’s sad," Byron Garcia, provincial security consultant of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), told GMANews.TV in a phone interview. “Malaki talaga si Michael Jackson sa programa namin. [Michael Jackson really played a big part in our program]," Garcia said. Ever since the "dancing inmates" were reported by international news organizations, Garcia said inquisitive tourists have been drawn to the CPDRC. Visitors have even gained a more optimistic perspective of Philippine prisoners. “Kung ‘di dahil sa kantang ‘Thriller’ ‘di magkakaroon ng global recognition ang mga inmate ng Cebu [If it weren’t for ‘Thriller’ the Cebu inmates wouldn’t have global recognition]." The CPDRC inmates perform every last Saturday of the month to almost 600 visitors for free. On June 27, they will stage a repeat of the Thriller dance routine that made them famous as a tribute to Jackson, who died Thursday in Los Angeles. The moonwalking pop star drove the growth of music videos, vaulting cable channel MTV into the mainstream after the network’s launch in 1981. His 1982 hit "Thriller" spawned a John Landis-directed music video that MTV played every hour. Fast-forward 25 years later and Garcia, who noticed that the inmates were bored with the usual morning exercise, sought the help of choreographer Vince Rosales and adapted Jackson’s iconic moves into a four-minute routine. Crisanto “Dodong" Niere, the Cebu inmate who impersonates Jackson in the routine, said he was saddened by his idol’s sudden death. "He is sad his idol died," an official from the CPDRC who spoke with Dodong told GMANews.TV. [See: Cebu inmate impersonator sad over Jackson’s death] The video has since generated more than 23 million views after it was posted in 2007 and has even been hailed by TIME Magazine as one of the best viral videos of that year. Garcia said the inmates’ popularity might gain another momentum as shocked fans continue to look online for anything that would remind them of Jackson. The YouTube video that made Cebu inmates a household name has become a virtual epitaph for Jackson, where fans post their condolences. But Jackson’s fans logging on to watch the dancing inmates appeared overwhelmed with joy, at least for a minute, after watching the 4-minute video. “Stunning," Vidya said before posting “R.I.P to the King." - Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV