Today’s Exactly100: Pepe

I can’t recall how the late Joey “Pepe” Smith, Pinoy Rock’s clown prince, ended up at our UP apartment sometime in the 90s. But it was an evening of laughter, with Pepe cracking jokes and telling stories from his wasted days as a rock icon. By 6 am, we got Pepe a cab. Before boarding he whispered that he didn’t have cab money. I gave the driver P100 plus tip. As the cab - a Kia Pride - roared past us, the lanky Pepe rolled down his front seat window, raised his fist, and shouted “rakenrol!” It was both funny and tragic. /Joey Salgado