Former teen star turned actor and director Ricky Rivero has passed away at the age of 51.
Ricky’s boyfriend confirmed the news in a now-deleted Facebook post on Sunday, July 16.
“Good morning po sa inyong lahat. Maraming salamat po sa tumulong sa asawa ko na [si] Ricky. Ngayon wala na po si Ricky S Rivero namayapa na po,” the post read.
“Maraming salamat sa walang sawang tulong sa asawa ko,” his partner wrote.
He also shared a photo of them together in a separate post, where he thanked Ricky for his love through the years.
“Asawa pahinga kana wala kanang sakit na mararamdaman. Salamat sa isang taong pagsasama, isang taong [pag-aaway] isang taong kasiyahan. [M]adaming salamat sa lahat asawa. [M]ahal na mahal kita Ricky S Rivero,” he penned to his late boyfriend.
Actor-politician Herbert Bautista has also extended his condolences to Ricky’s family on Facebook.
“Malungkot na araw dahil sa pag-panaw ng isang kaibigan at kasamahan sa pelikula at telebisyon. Paalam, Ricky. Nakikiramay ang aming pamilya sa Salvador at Rivero Families,” Herbert wrote.
His post was accompanied by Ricky’s photo and the movie poster of Ninja Kids, a 1986 film they co-starred in.
Ricky suffered from a stroke last May and was confined at the Philippine Heart Center. The cause of his death has yet to be confirmed.
As per Philippine Entertainment Portal’s report, his burial is set to happen in Loyola Memorial Chapels on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. Ricky is planned to be cremated after his wake.
Ricky was a mainstay host of the youth-oriented show That’s Entertainment from 1986 to 1996.
Aside from playing roles in movies and TV series, Ricky was also known for directing shows such as the romance series Forevermore (2014) and Mula Sa Puso (2011), and the reboot of the fantasy series Kokey (2007).
