It’s been almost two decades since he was in a relationship with actress Jennylyn Mercado, but Patrick Garcia only chose to break his silence this month in an interview with Ogie Diaz’s vlog last September 29. Patrick opened up about what really happened in his previous relationship after his controversial breakup in 2008, after a year of dating. When they parted ways, Jennylyn was already pregnant with their son Alex Jazz, who is now 18 years old.
“So when she got pregnant, we found out together. I bought test kits, and then it was positive. So siyempre, nung nalaman naming positive, ako, medyo kabado. Medyo may halong takot kasi this was not planned, but (I was) ready to face it naman. So after that, sinabihan namin yung family namin. I told my family; she told hers. After that, we told our managers. This was within the first month of her pregnancy. So after that, after telling our managers, I remember we went to St. Luke's para magpa-ultrasound. And then, yun nga, buntis nga siya,” he recalled.
Patrick admitted he was excited when he first found out he was going to be a father. “For the first time, we heard yung heartbeat ng baby. And then sabi pa nga ng doktor, 'Uy, baka girl ito, kasi usually kapag malakas ang heartbeat, girl, ganun. So medyo may konting sense of excitement. I remember pa after going home from St. Luke's, Jen was thinking of girl names kasi akala nga namin girl. So within the timeframe of the first month of her pregnancy, doon din kami nag-announce. Nag-announce kami na buntis siya.”
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The couple first went public with their announcement in front of a Makati Regional Trail Court judge, which was done to give the impression that they had the intention to eventually get married as advised by Jen’s longtime manager Becky Aguila, according to Patrick.
"Nandoon kami because the announcement was real—yun kasi ang parang gusto ni Tita Becky na parang we had the intent of getting married. That's why we announced it in front of the judge. Pero yung intent of getting married kasi, parang may mga clauses yata si Jennylyn sa mga kontrata, endorsements, or something like that. So parang may intent kami to get married, pero hindi rin puwede kasi my sister [Chesca Garcia] was getting married at the same year. So may sukob, kaya hindi kami natuloy. Parang ayun yung ploy, ayun yung parang nag-ride on lang na lang ako doon. Pero the announcement was real."
It was after they went public with the news that their relationship started becoming challenging because of persistent rumors questioning the paternity of the baby.
“ After announcing, medyo naging magulo. This is entering the second month of her pregnancy. Medyo naging magulo kasi after announcing, ang raming tsismis. Kesyo, hindi raw sa akin. Kesyo nakita daw si Jen sa condo ng aktor, or I think mayroon din kay politician. Marami, you know how showbiz is. But to be fair, hindi ko nakita yung mismong write-up. Parang nakakarating lang sa amin yung mga tsismis na yon. Pero for me, part of show business. Yung, it's bothersome, pero ganito talaga yung show business. Parang, you know, it's not in my control, ‘di ba?”
Problems further arose after Patrick’s subsequent guesting on the now defunct showbiz talk show The Buzz where he answered questions about Jen’s pregnancy, which included a purely hypothetical question about what he would do if he found out he was not the father of the baby.
“Sabi (nung host), 'Pat, it's just a hypothetical question. Anong gagawin mo kung sakaling malaman mo na hindi pala sa iyo yung dinadala ni Jen?' So, para sa akin, para lang matapos yung interview, sinagot ko. Sabi ko, 'Mamahalin ko pa rin at tatanggapin yung bata kahit na hindi akin.’ Ayun yung naging sagot ko doon sa question na yun para matapos na. So that was aired for sure on a Sunday, The Buzz, and then hindi ko siya napanood. I don't know how it was edited. Basta, yun ang naging interview.
"Two days, I think, after it aired, may taping kami ni Jen. It was for QTV; it's a cooking show, yung cooking show sa QTV. Okay naman, nag-taping kami. And then after taping, umuwi siya; umuwi ako. Tapos, ayun na, yun yung away namin over the phone.
“Kinukuwestiyon daw noon ni Jennylyn kung bakit ganoon ang isinagot ni Patrick sa interview. So, nag-away kami. Yung mismong point ng pag-aaway namin was about that interview, kasi napanood daw ng side niya yung interview, bakit ko raw sinasabi yun. Sabi sa akin, 'Pat, bakit mo sinabing hindi sa iyo? That's unfair.' Sabi ko naman, 'No, wala akong sinasabing hindi sa akin. I just answered the question na anong gagawin ko kung hindi sa akin. Hypothetical lang, pero wala akong sinasabi na it's not mine.' Of course, there are some, you know, mga na-input pang ibang away, but yung main away was about that interview. So I don't know how the conversation ended, but I know it ended na hindi kami okay. Unresolved pa siya."
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The former child actor admitted that this was the start of when Jen would avoid his calls and reject him when he would visit her house, until he ended up watching her crying in an interview on StarTalk talking about him. He also recalled his disbelief when he found out she was already dating someone new.
"Then two weeks after that, it was confirmed to me by close friends na, indeed, si Andrei (Felix) at saka si Jennylyn were a couple. Parang hindi ko alam kung anong dapat maramdaman or dapat kong isipin. Kasi, parang after that interview sa Startalk, tapos hindi ko siya puwedeng matawagan, hindi ko siya puwedeng puntahan, tapos two weeks after, may bagong boyfriend na? Parang this is too crazy. Hindi ko siya ma-sense. Hindi ko siya ma-put together sa mind ko. Pero when I found out na sila na talaga, parang doon na ako bumitaw. Parang doon na ako hindi umasa na magiging kami pa. Parang, sige, kung ayaw mo na sa akin, I'll just have to accept. But I didn't stop there. I still wanted to get to talk to her."
Another important thing that Patrick wanted to make clear during his interview with Ogie was the fact that contrary to the public’s knowledge, he had never abandoned Jennylyn during her pregnancy.
“Sa mga bashers na bina-bash ako, they hate me so much because they're saying na iniwanan ko si Jen. No, that's not true! Hindi ko iniwanan si Jen. 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.
“But until this day, the words of Jen are haunting me, my family, and my daughter [Michelle]. People are hating on us too much, and I think it's unfair. 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."
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During the interview, the 45-year-old actor also expressed concern over the continued bashing his eldest daughter Michelle who is currently following her father’s path in showbiz, through her talent for dancing.
“Actually, one day, my daughter, si Michelle, went up to me and said, 'Daddy, I'm sad. Because every time there's good news about me, in the comment section, it's all bashing, and they're bashing me because of you. Daddy, why don't you tell your story? What really happened between you and your past?' Sabi ko sa kanya, 'Yeah, I can tell my story, but I cannot promise you na the bashing will stop, or could lessen, or it could worsen. Sabi niya sa akin, 'Daddy, it's okay, as long as they know the truth.”
Patrick married his non-showbiz wife Nikka Martinez in 2015. They have four children together. Jennylyn is married to actor Dennis Trillo in 2021.