Jackson death rocks House

MANILA, Philippines - Lawmakers have come together in an outpouring of grief Friday over the death of Michael Jackson, saying his music inspired them to try to "heal the world." House Speaker Prospero Nograles said Filipinos were lucky to have had the "privilege" to see Jackson perform live when the music icon included Manila in his 1996 world tour. "Today, I join the world in mourning the passing of Michael Jackson who left behind a legacy that made this world a better place to live in. He was one of my Concert King idols who transcended race and color and united the world of music. His sudden death is indeed shocking and saddening," Nograles said in a statement. House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo said his favorite Jackson song was "Heal the World," because "the lyrics find resonance with my advocacy and youthful dream to help make the world a better place to live in." A look back at the 80s Lawmakers who were young adults during the peak of Jackson's career in the 1980s said the music icon was a large influence on how they tried to act and look at the time. "Michael was a constant presence in my childhood and teen years," said Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño, adding that he also wore slim pants, white socks, and his dad's penny loafers for a while "until I decided it looked funny." Casiño said he couldn't afford to buy Jackson's records and merchandise, but used to dance along to "Beat It" and even memorized the choreography. For more "dance moments," Casino turned to "Rock with You." But for "heartbreaking, senti[mental] moments," it was "She's Out of My Life," he said. Muntinlupa Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon said Jackson "called us to look at the man in the mirror and heal the world." "Having grown up in the 80s, MJ had an impact in the life of my generation. He provided a soundtrack to our lives, especially in that period when we were growing up learning how to live and how to love," Biazon said. But another lawmaker, Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez, was not as eager to join the bandwagon of Jackson fans stricken by the King of Pop's death. "I opposed MJ's concert in 1996 due to moral controversies that engulfed him at the time," Golez said in a text message. After his lustrous musical career peaked in the 1980s and early 1990s, Jackson was later hounded by allegations of child molestation. Even though a court cleared him of child molestation charges in 2005, his lifestyle and eccentric behavior eventually took a toll on his image. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV