I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour, but heaven knows I'm miserable now

It was Saturday morning when I woke up to find a number of people asking me what happened to Peter of Davao City thrashcore band, As A Whole. Knowing what he's been through over the course of the past few months, I braced for the worst and tried my best to think that these people were referring to a previous attempt on his life.

That wasn't the case. On November 28, 2009, Peter Bautista or Jikko/Geeko as we've come to know him stepped forward and walked past the threshold of where life is said to begin and end. He was well aware of the implications of his actions, I suppose. At the very least, he knew or at least he was convinced that this was the only thing left for him to do. Whatever it is, he made his decision and whether or not we agree with it, it's something we're all going to have to live with.

Peter and I were good friends or at least I'd like to think we were. It all started when Paeng and I asked As A Whole to play this show we organized in 2007 which took the scattered parts of what was to be the current Davao City hardcore scene. A few weeks later, we started coordinating and putting things together under the banner of the City Of Thorns Crew following that memorable meet-up/planning session over at Honda Motors, Buhangin. Since then, Peter has been a fairly huge part of my life.

He's been a brother to me ever since. We occasionally fought and disagreed over things but that's not to discount the fact that he did help me out with so many things from family matters to issues with friends and the scene to helping my band come into its own.

Some may never know what would've driven him to this but to those close enough to see it unfold, we only wish him the best wherever he is.

Death is the day we stop dreaming and Pranaka, your spirit remains and keeps on moving. It moves with us and we'll carry that part of you in OUR dreams.

Sleep well, Peter. Your spirit is free.

I will never regret having met you, played and organized shows with you, sang on your record, helped your get your stuff out there in any way I can and everything else we've ever done as friends.

Thanks for everything, Peter. You will be missed.