Aegis. Image: Handout photo
The death of Mercy Sunot left an irreplaceable hole in Aegis, as her raspy, high-pitched voice was a distinct element of their signature hits. Still, the OPM band wants to honor Sunot’s life by moving forward, noting it is what she wanted them to do.
Following Mercy’s death in November 2024, Aegis is down to its remaining members Juliet Sunot, Ken Sunot, Rey Abenoja, Stella Pabico, Rowena Adriano and Vilma Goloviogo. Despite this, there are no plans to replace her with someone else.
“Forever siya sa Aegis, walang mapapalitan (She will forever remain a member of Aegis. She will never be replaced),” Juliet said of Mercy during a press conference for the band’s “Halik sa Ulan” show.
Juliet admitted that Aegis has not been the same since Mercy’s death; however, she said it was a moment for them to find strength among themselves.
“Kung sinabing pilay [na ang Aegis], pilay na talaga noong nawala si Mercy. Nasanay na kami na kapag may concert, nandyan kaming lahat. Pilay kami pero mas lalo kaming magiging matatag,” she said, noting that it also became a reminder for the band to improve.
(When people say Aegis fell apart, it really fell apart when Mercy was gone. We’re used to performing in concerts as a complete unit. We are weak right now, but we shall become stronger.)
While Juliet and Kim were holding back tears throughout the media con, they became emotional while talking about not allowing pain and instead keep on going with their careers, which they noted is what Mercy would have wanted for Aegis to do.
“First time namin na wala si Ate [Mercy], kakayanin ko. Gagalingan ko pa. Challenge [siya] sa’kin (It’s my first time to do this without Ate Mercy. I’ll do my best. I’ll do better. This is a challenge for me),” Ken said.
According to Juliet, Mercy was receiving medical treatment in the US while they were planning the show, which will take place on Feb. 1 and 2 in Quezon City. “We wanted her to get better but talagang umalis na talaga siya sa amin ng tuluyan. Nasimulan na namin ‘to.”
“This is hard for us. Noong may sakit si Mercy, nand’un na siya sa US at nagpapagaling,” she continued. “While she was having her treatment in the US, naiiyak na po kami. Noong nalaman namin na wala na siya, halos hindi na po kami nakakanta.”
(We wanted her to get better but she left us. We have no choice but to pick up from where we left off. Mercy was in the US recovering during our planning stage. We were already emotional while she was undergoing treatment. When we found out that she died, it was hard for us to sing.)
Performing at a concert is what Mercy enjoyed doing, Juliet recalled. This is one of the reasons why they are determined to keep going with the show and to stay together as Aegis even as they grow old.
“Para kay Mercy ‘to. Pangarap niya ‘tong mag-concert ulit. Bago siya operahan, sabi niya gusto niyang sumama. Pero wala eh,” she said. “‘Yun ang gusto ni Mercy, tuloy pa rin po ang Aegis kahit ugod-ugod na kami. Siya nagsabi samin na walang iwanan.”
(This is for Mercy. Holding a concert again was her dream. She expressed her desire to join us before she was operated on. But we can’t do anything about what happened. This is what Mercy wanted, that Aegis keep on going even if we’re old. She told us that no one gets left behind.)
Aegis is known for their signature “sawi (brokenhearted)” tracks such as “Luha,” “Halik,” “Basang-Basa sa Ulan,” “Sayang” and “Sinta.” While their songs center on “hugot,” Abenoja pointed out that pain is universal which people of all ages can relate to.
“Ang maganda sa Aegis, love songs ang kinakanta, pang-sawi. Lahat nakakarelate, kahit ang mga batang may kaaway, ‘yung mga nagdadalaga, kahit ang mga matatanda,” he said. “Kapag nand’un ang love, ramdam mo pa rin siya. Kaya bagay na bagay siya kahit Valentine’s Day.”
(What’s good about Aegis’ songs is that they talk about love and being brokenhearted. Everyone can relate to them including kids with enemies, the maturing adolescents, and even those who are old. Love will always be felt. This is why our songs remain timeless even when played during Valentine’s Day.)