Filipino actress, ex-envoy recall encounters with Pope John Paul II

Even award-winning actress Boots Anson-Roa was left speechless in the presence of the late Pope John Paul II, who is set to be beatified on Sunday, May 1. In an interview aired on GMA News' "24 Oras," Anson-Roa recalled that when she first met Pope John Paul II in February 1981, he asked her how she was doing. Carried away by the audience, she only said, "Yes, sir." In another instance, Anson-Roa was annotating the pope's message for Radio Veritas when suddenly, she went blank while on air. "So pagdaan sa akin, wala na, natameme na naman ako." Anson-Roa said this was because of the vibe the former pope radiated. "Mararamdaman mo talaga yung vibe, yung energy niya," she said.

For former Vatican ambassador Tita de Villa, the impression Pope John Paul II left on her has yet to be diminished even today. "Ang epekto sa akin, di ako pwedeng maging masama. Nag-iingat tuloy ako ngayon. Kasi relic ako eh. Hinawakan ako, hinalikan ako. Hindi ko pwedeng ipahiya siya," she said in the same report. De Villa, whom Pope John Paul II called by her first name Henrietta, still keeps with her mementos, including pictures, from Pope John Paul II's 1981 visit to Manila. According to De Villa, Pope John Paul II left a message for the Filipino people through her. "The richness of your faith and the closeness of your families. He said tell Filipinos, wherever you go, whenever you see them, to protect and defend it," De Villa said. - KBK, GMA News