APO Hiking Society member Danny Javier has passed away on Monday afternoon, multiple reports said.
The singer-songwriter is one-third of the iconic OPM trio, along with Jim Paredes and Boboy Garovillo, behind the hit songs and classics Batang Bata Ka Pa, Lumang Tugtugin, Awit ng Barkada, Yakap sa Dilim, among many others.
Justine Javier Long, Javier’s daughter confirmed the news on Facebook, revealing that her father died from “complications due to his prolonged illnesses.”
“In life, as in his death, our Pop never stopped fighting for what he loved, what he believed in and what he was passionate about. He left this world with his passion and his strength of will intact and we know he would not have it any other way,” she said.
The famiy has yet to issue a statement to the public. But on Monday afternoon, Garovillo took to social media to talk about his “loss of an old friend.”
He wrote: “Just feeling the loss of an old faithful friend who knew what love is although sometimes it just doesn’t show. My friends lives on in his music.”
Prior to this, Garavillo recently revealed in a media conference that Javier had been recovering from an illness.
“Danny is not well. He’s medyo may kahinaan, may karamdaman, so he is recovering,” he said.
Vocal group The CompanY also took to Facebook to send their condolences to Javier’s loved ones and thanked Javier for his contribution to OPM.
“The APO help built OPM to what it is now. Your legacies are cemented for the ages. Thank you for Danny,” they wrote.
Talent manager and producer Noel Ferrer acknowledged the passing of his friend in a social media post.
“Thank you Danny for being a good friend. Rest in peace,” he said.
It was in the beginning of 2010 when the group officially retired, after decades of building the OPM scene.
