Arnold Clavio Mourns the Passing of 'Arn-Arn'

Broadcast journalist Arnold Clavio mourns the passing of Danilo "Totong" Federez, the puppeteer and voice of his alter ego Arn-Arn.

Arn-Arn has long been seen on GMA-7's early morning program Unang Hirit. Totong passed away at the age of 62 on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. His family, friends, and colleagues are mourning the loss of the professional puppeteer. 

Totong had a stroke in 2017 so Arn-Arn was no longer able to appear on Unang Hirit. Cabinet Files reached out to Clavio, who had a long relationship with Federez, for a reaction on his friend’s passing.

"When I heard the sad news, it was like a part of me was lost. Totong is Arn-Arn's soul,” Clavio told Cabinet Files. 

"For many years, I witnessed how Totong took care of Arn-Arn as a real son. He gets angry when he saw you playing with the puppet. He treated Arn-Arn like family," Clavio said in Filipino.

“When I visited him at home in November 2019, for Jessica [KMJS]'s show, he was very sad. He convinced me that he was ready and able to return to Unang Hirit. I said, 'When your doctor gives you clearance, you'll be back right away.'

"But at that time, I saw the sadness in his eyes and felt the pain in his heart. I said goodbye to him with a forced smile because of the weight of my feelings. Totong is like the big brother that I never had. He was my protector," says Clavio.

When Cabinet Files asked about Arn-Arn's future due to Totong's death, Arnold said, “For Arn-Arn, he is just a part of the memory that once made us happy every morning. Goodbye."

From: PEP.ph