Patrick Garcia breaks 18-year silence on Jennylyn Mercado's first pregnancy: 'I'm not evil'
After nearly 18 years of silence, Patrick Garcia has revealed his side of the story surrounding the circumstances of his ex Jennylyn Mercado's pregnancy with their son Alex Jazz.
In an interview on Ogie Diaz's YouTube vlog uploaded on Sept. 29, Garcia clarified details about the controversy that hounded him and Mercado after they announced Mercado's pregnancy almost two decades ago.
Although the two felt anxious about becoming parents as Mercado's pregnancy was unplanned, Garcia said they were both "ready to face it."
The couple intended to get married, even appearing before a judge at the Makati Regional Trial Court. But they could not push through on their planned date as Garcia's sister, Cheska Garcia, was already getting married in the same year. He said they didn't want to tempt the Filipino superstition "sukob," or the belief that bad luck would come for siblings who marry in the same year.
Following the pregnancy announcement, rumors began spreading about the baby's paternity.
"Kesyo hindi raw sa akin. Kesyo nakita daw si Jen sa condo ng aktor, or I think mayroon din kay politician," Garcia said, adding he didn't personally see the reports. He dismissed the rumors as part of show business, he said.
But then he was interviewed on the defunct Sunday talk show The Buzz, where he was asked hypothetically how he would react if Mercado's unborn child turned out to be someone else's.
Although he initially refused to answer the question, saying, "Pangit-pangit ng tanong," Garcia said he relented after being asked several times.
"Mamahalin ko pa rin at tatanggapin 'yung bata kahit na hindi akin," he eventually said.
This did not sit well with Mercado's camp, who allegedly confronted Garcia for implying that the baby was not his.
"Sabi ko naman, 'No, wala akong sinasabing hindi sa akin. I just answered the question na ano'ng gagawin ko kung hindi sa akin. Hypothetical lang, pero wala akong sinasabi na it's not mine,'" Garcia explained.
He then shared with Diaz a detail he said he'd been keeping to himself for 18 years.
According to him, his bashers were saying he left Mercado while she was pregnant.
"No, that's not true. Hindi ko iniwanan si Jen," Garcia said. "And sa ibang mga bashers na nagsasabi na I was never there for Jen sa pregnancy niya, that's true. I was never there for Jen during her pregnancy, not because I didn't want to be there, but because she didn't want me to be there. So ayun ang totoo. That's my story. This is the story I've been holding for 18 years na hindi ko sinasabi kasi, you know, baka makalimutan na lang. Baka, you know, move on na."
He said that people continue "hating on us too much, and I think it's unfair," since the hate has also supposedly spread to his family and his daughter Michelle.
"That's why I'm telling my story. For me, hindi ako masamang tao. I'm not evil. Ayun 'yung nangyari sa situation namin. Ayun talaga ang nangyari," Garcia said.
Mercado's camp reacts
A day after Garcia's interview, Aguila Entertainment, which manages Mercado, released an "Official statement on Patrick Garcia" on social media.
"Our artist, Jennylyn Mercado, will not comment or grant any interviews regarding Patrick Garcia's statements on Ogie Diaz's YouTube channel," the statement began.
"Everyone is entitled to share their story on whatever platform they choose. In this case, Jennylyn would rather not share her side of the story out of respect for the privacy and peace of mind of both her family and Patrick's," it continued.
Mercado also asked the public to stop bashing Garcia's family, especially his daughter Michelle.
"Rest assured that Jennylyn and her son, Jazz, are living a good and happy life with her husband, Dennis, daughter Dylan, and stepson Calix," the statement added. (Mercado has been married to actor Dennis Trillo since Nov. 15, 2021. Aside from Alex Jazz, they share Calix, Trillo's son with Carlene Aguilar, and their daughter Dylan.)
Mercado's manager, Becky Aguila, followed up the statement with one of her own on Facebook, writing as Mercado's "second mom," and not as her manager, she said.
Directly addressing Garcia, Aguila asked him why he had to resort to an interview when he could have reached out to Aguila, Mercado, and Trillo instead. She was hurt for Mercado, the manager added.
"Sa dami ng pagkukulang mo [kay] Jen lalo na kay Jazz, mas inintindi mo pa magpa-interview to protect your daughter from bashers at the expense of Jen and Jazz. Nakalimutan mo yata that she is the mother of your child," Aguila wrote.
"There are a lot of things you did to hurt her, and never niya kwinento 'yun sa iba bilang respeto sa iyo at tatay ka ng anak ninyo at para sa pamilya mo rin na nananahimik na. Pero lahat 'yun naalala ko," she continued.
Aguilar added, "'Yung truth mo maraming kulang at dagdag."
She then wrote, "I hope nakatulong nga ito sa daughter mo."
"All I can say is that you never deserved Jen's love in the first place. And you will never earn my respect," Aguila concluded.
On Instagram Stories on Sept. 30, Trillo also posted a cryptic message apparently aimed at Garcia.
"Hindi ako pabor sa bashing, pero salamat at naalala mo si Jazz dahil na-bash ang anak mo. Spread love, not hate," he wrote.
On Garcia's corner
In support of her husband of 11 years, Nikka Martinez-Garcia shared a text on Instagram Stories that says, "I won in this life. I fell in love with a good man and I'll never stop being grateful for that."
"A self-made man. A hardworking man. A gentle man and safe man. A man who takes care of me in all the ways that matter," it read.
She also wrote, "lavyew," tagging Garcia's IG handle.
Reposting her message, talent manager Noel Ferrer wrote, "This is exactly the Patrick I know. A good, self-made, hardworking, gentle, and safe man. I'm proud of the man, husband, and father you have become."
"Rooting for your family always," Ferrer added.
Garcia and Mercado went public with their relationship around early 2007. In January 2008, they announced they were expecting their first child. Just a month after the announcement, they broke up. Their son, Alex Jazz, was born in August 2008.
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