Parsons Agliam Nabiula Jr. (August 22, 1958 – May 10, 2020), known professionally as Sonny Parsons, was a Filipino actor, singer, director and politician in the Philippines. He was a member of Hagibis, an all-male sing-and-dance group in the late 1970s to the early 1980s, who were coined as the Filipino version of the Village People. He was a councilor in Marikina, Metro Manila. He died on May 10, 2020, from a heart attack caused by heat stroke.
In the late 1970s to 1980s, Parsons was a member of the Manila sound group Hagibis together with Bernie Fineza, Mike Respall, Joji Garcia and Mon Picazo. Their hit songs included "Legs", "Babae", "Lalake" and "Katawan" (a theme song in Palibhasa Lalake, a Philippine TV sitcom series), among others. In 2001, Hagibis reunited and released one album under Star Records. He performed in a series of concerts at various venues such as in Hobbit House (Ermita), Hobbit East (Antipolo), Bodega City (Quezon Ave) and Cowboy Grill (Malate), among others.[citation needed] In 2011, he was a special guest in the Philippines leg of the greatest hits tour of Bobby Kimball (original lead singer of Toto).[2][3]
Acting career
In 1981, the Hagibis members made a film titled Legs, Katawan, Babae (lit.'Legs, Body, Woman') with Laarni Enriquez, Myrna Castillo and Jess Lapid, Jr., and directed by Tony Ferrer. When Hagibis split up in the 1980s, Parsons became an actor, director, and politician. He appeared in many action films in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He starred with Ronnie Ricketts in the 1989 action film UZI Brother 9mm which was directed by Francis 'Jun' Posadas. His first TV guest appearance was in the 1991 teleseryeAgila which starred Val Sotto, Aurora Sevilla and Roy Alvarez. He produced, directed, and starred in the film Bala Para sa Katarungan for Regal Films in 1997.
As a result of the July 2002 attempted robbery of Parsons' house, an autobiographical film he was in the middle of shooting titled Konsehal, Halal Kang Palaban (lit.'Councilor, You Were Elected a Fighter') had to be shelved, with its producer backing out due to the incident.[4]
Parsons was the founder and president of the Allied Forces of the Philippines Civilian Volunteers (AFPCIV), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) whose mission is focused on humanitarian response and anti-crime operations throughout the Philippines. On the morning of July 18, 2002, Parsons thwarted an attempted robbery by six men at his family home in Marikina, killing two of them and injuring another.[5][6] On May 29, 2004, Parsons' newly-bought car was alleged to have been used in the non-fatal bombing of the house of Barangay San Roque chairman Benjamin Cruz earlier that day, leading to Parsons being briefly arrested, though prosecutor Linda Conus immediately ordered him released for further investigation.[7][8]
Parsons was an advocate of responsible gun ownership and shared his expertise in tactical and defensive shooting. In his last years, he served as a consultant in the National Bureau of Investigations.[citation needed]
Parsons was also an active member of the Law Enforcers Riders Association of the Philippines.[9]
^Papa, Alcuin (July 19, 2002). "'Hagibis' singer kills 2 robbers". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2023. It was at around 6:30 a.m. when six armed men, who police said could be members of the Waray-Waray Bicolano group, barged into Parsons' home in SSS Village...
^"Promising stars in 'Coney Reyes on Camera'". Manila Standard. Standard Publications, Inc. January 23, 1988. p. 10. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021. Sonny Parsons and Susan Africa guest in today's episode [...] titled 'Kailan Bingi ang Puso?'. With [Coney] Reyes, they form a seemingly hopeless love triangle borne out of despair, loneliness and poverty.
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