Katrina Aguila, CEO of Aguila Entertainment, has come to the defense of Jennylyn Mercado, whom she has long called her "Ate," after Patrick Garcia opened up about his past with the actress in an interview with Ogie Diaz.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Katrina looked back on the struggles Jennylyn went through as a young single mother after giving birth to her son with Patrick, Alex Jazz.
Aguila Entertainment, which manages both Jennylyn and her husband Dennis Trillo, also released an official statement on the issue. Katrina's mother, Becky Aguila, who is also Jennylyn's manager, slammed Patrick in an open letter on Facebook.
In the interview uploaded on Ogie Diaz's YouTube channel on September 29, Patrick told his side of the story about his 2008 breakup with Jennylyn, saying he had kept quiet about it for 18 years. He denied long-standing claims that he abandoned Jennylyn while she was pregnant, and said it was the actress who first distanced herself from him.
He said he decided to speak up because his daughter, Michelle, has been getting hate comments online because of him. Patrick also said he had been trying to reach out since 2018, but his messages went unanswered and his requests for visits were turned down.
On Wednesday, September 30, Aguila Entertainment said Jennylyn will not comment or grant interviews about Patrick's statements. The agency said the actress would rather keep her side of the story private out of respect for both families. It asked the public to stop bashing Patrick's family, especially Michelle. It also assured fans that Jennylyn and Jazz are living a happy life with Dennis, their daughter Dylan, and Dennis‘a son Calix.
In his own Facebook post, Dennis did not directly name Patrick and just said he is thankful that someone remembered Jazz. He ended by urging people to spread love, not hate.
Becky, for her part, said she was writing as Jennylyn's second mother rather than as her manager. She questioned why Patrick chose to go public, said his version of events left out some things and added others, and told him he never deserved Jennylyn's love.
Katrina, in an Instagram post, talked about Jennylyn's sacrifices. Katrina said the actress returned to work just a month after giving birth so she could provide for Jazz, and even went to the United States to look for work as a restaurant singer.
"A lot of you don't know this, but a month after giving birth, Jennylyn immediately went back to work," Katrina wrote. "She was so desperate to earn money for Jazz and her family that she even flew to the States to find work as a singer at different restaurants."
Katrina said she was still a teenager at the time, but she remembers clearly what Jennylyn went through.
"I was a teenager then, but I remember how hard she worked to provide a stable future for Jazz. She was a single mother. You could see that she was having a hard time, but she persevered. She is that strong of a person," she said.
She added that Jennylyn had faced many hardships since childhood, but worked hard to rise above them.
"Since she was a little girl, she already experienced so many hardships, but despite all that, she was able to survive and become a better person. She deserves all the love in the world. We love you, Jen," Katrina wrote.
Along with her message, Katrina posted throwback photos, including one taken 15 years ago, when she first took over her mother's talent agency. She revealed that Jennylyn was the very first artist who put her trust in her and stayed with the agency through good times and bad.
"Si Jen ang unang artista na nagtiwala sa akin. Hindi niya kami iniwan ni [Becky Aguila] through all our ups and downs," she wrote.
Katrina also explained that she used to call Jennylyn "Ate," but stopped because it felt odd now that she is the actress's manager.
"'Ate' ang tawag ko sa kanya noon. At present, hindi na, kasi ang weird na manager ako ngayon tapos may 'ate' pa rin," she said.
Still, Katrina credited Jennylyn for helping shape the person she is today.
"She guided me throughout my teenage years and became my protector. She showed me that love shouldn't be taken for granted, that it is meant to be shared with the people who matter, and to be strong despite all the problems that lie ahead. The learnings I got from her helped shape the person I am today," she said.
"That is why she is and will always be my ate. Love you, Ate Jen. From your Kittykat," she added.