GRANDMASTER ROLAND DANTES DIES IN MANILA
By Jay de Leon

On March 16, 2009, Roland Dantes expired at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines reportedly due to complications of gout (metabolical arthritis).  His right leg had been swollen for three days.

Roland Dantes was an arnis (Filipino Martial Arts) grandmaster and an actor. At one time, he was also a competitive body builder garnering places in international competition, and a law enforcement officer.

Roland Dantes was a student and close friend of Modern Arnis founder, Prof. Remy Presas. While he may have been identified with Modern Arnis and Remy Presas’sorganization in the Philippines, the International Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines (IMAFP), he was also a student, friend and colleague of many renown arnis grandmasters in the Philippines, such as Vic Sanchez, the late Benjamin Luna-Lema and many others.

Roland Dantes (left) with Godofredo Fajardo.  Both were
personal students and close friends of Prof. Remy Presas,
Founder of Modern Arnis.

Roland Dantes (right) training with the late Grandmaster
Benjamin Luna-Lema of Lightning Scientific Arnis.

In fact, Roland was acknowledged as an international ambassador of arnis, gracing many arnis seminars and events in the Philippines as well as all over the world.  I had the pleasure of attending many events with Roland Dantes, both here in the U.S. and the Philippines.  In addition to the arnis training, both my son Mitch and I enjoyed chatting and just hanging out with him.  We will miss him dearly.

Bobby Taboada (left) and Roland Dantes, seated.  Jay de Leon,
standing.  At the Palms Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2004.

Roland Dantes (right) with Bram Frank in the Philippines.
Bram was a Remy Presas senior student in the U.S.

Bambit Dulay, Dieter Knuttel, and Roland Dantes in Europe.
These three Modern Arnis masters were all direct students
of Prof. Remy Presas.

Roland Dantes (right) with Jay de Leon at the 3rd World FMA
Festival in Manila, Philippines in 2006, hosted by the
 International Modern Arnis Federation of the Phil. (IMAFP).

To Roland, rest in peace. We mourn your passing, but celebrate your life, your accomplishments and your friendship. Paalam, kapatid.

Copyright, Jay de Leon, 2009

Photo Gallery of the Wake and Funeral

Roland Dantes’s wake was held at the Marian Memorial Chapels on Marcos Highway in Antipolo City, Rizal, outside of Manila.    He was eventually laid to rest at the Heaven’s Gate Memorial Park, also in Antipolo City.

The outpouring of grief and support was incredible.  Relatives, friends, and colleagues from the martial arts, entertainment and body building community from the Philippines and Australia streamed in and out of the wake constantly.

All the photos of the wake are courtesy of Master Godofredo Fajardo.  All rights reserved.

Roland’s siblings, relatives and officiating priest.

Master Godofredo Fajardo with Roland’s sisters, Tita and Yvonne.

GM Vic Sanchez, GM Jerry de la Cruz, and Master Godofredo Fajardo,
first, second and third from the left.

Gallery of Modern Arnis Masters - Pepito Robas, Rodel Dagooc,
Bambit Dulay, Bobong Burbano and Godofredo Fajardo.

Peachie Saguin, Atty. Salvador Demaisip, Bobong Burbano, Prof. Armando
Soteco, Mrs. Rosemarie Presas, Bambit Dulay, and Godofredo Fajardo.

Prof. Armando Soteco, Henry “Bobong”Burbano (IMAFP
Commissioner for Bacolod, Negros), and Godofredo Fajardo.

Godofredo Fajardo and Maning Bonza, kung-fu sifu and FMA guro
with rankings in Modern Arnis and Kali Ilustrisimo.

Tino Ceberano addresses a group of mourners.

Guro Pani Nagen of IMAFP (in green shirt), GM Roberto Labaniego
of Lightning Scientific Arnis (standing, in black shirt with logo).

Godofredo Fajardo (extreme right) escorts group from Australia
including David Foggie (extreme left).

Roland’s friends from the entertainment industry arrive to pay
their respects--Amay Bisaya (actor and comedian) and Rusty
(actor and former bodybuilder).