Rudy Santos

Belonging to an extremely poor family, during the 1970s and 1980s, Santos earned a living by appearing in freak shows.^[2] He was sometimes the main attraction in travelling fairs. According to a source, at one point in his life, he gained 20,000 pesos every night.^[3]

During the late 1980s, he retired himself into seclusion in Zamboanga City, plunging into ten years of extreme poverty.^[2] His wife and daughter joined him. He appeared in the television show Wish Ko Lang!. In the show, he was reunited with his wife, who served as a domestic helper in Manila. From the show, he gained a sari-sari store and a college scholarship for his daughter.^[3][4] In 2008, he was examined by a Filipino expert in separation of conjoined twins, and a removal surgery was deemed viable,^[2] but Santos ultimately rejected it, claiming that he had grown too attached to his twin during his life to have him removed.^[3]