MANILA, Philippines — Patrick Garcia denied claims that he abandoned former girlfriend Jennylyn Mercado during her pregnancy with their son, saying the actress did not want him involved at the time.
Garcia addressed the issue in an interview with Ogie Diaz, which Diaz shared on his YouTube channel Tuesday, Sept. 29, as the actor discussed his relationship with his five children.
Garcia has four children with his wife, Nikka Martinez, and one son, Jazz, with Mercado. He said he has not seen Jazz since December 2017.
“With the four kids with my wife, syempre it’s easy kasi we live in one house. With Jazz, medyo challenge ‘yun,” Garcia said.
He claimed that he has tried to contact Mercado over the years but received no response. He said they last spoke over the phone in 2021, when Mercado contacted Martinez about her plans with actor Dennis Trillo to adopt Jazz.
Garcia said he agreed to the adoption and asked if he could continue seeing Jazz. According to him, Mercado agreed.
Garcia recalls Mercado’s pregnancy
Garcia said he initially felt afraid when he and Mercado learned about the pregnancy but decided to face the situation.
He said they publicly announced the pregnancy after Mercado underwent a medical checkup. Garcia also recalled that Mercado’s manager, Becky Aguila, advised them to make the announcement at a Makati court to demonstrate their “intent to get married.”
Garcia said rumors surrounding Mercado’s pregnancy later created tension between them.
During an interview with the late columnist Jobert Sucaldito, Garcia said the interviewer asked what he would do if he discovered that Mercado’s baby was not his.
Garcia said he initially refused to answer but eventually responded that he would still love and accept the child even if the child were not his.
He said the hypothetical answer caused a misunderstanding with Mercado, who questioned why he talked about the possibility that their child was not his.
“I don’t know how the conversation ended but it ended na hindi kami ok. Unresolved,” Garcia said.
Garcia says Mercado refused his help
Garcia said he later lost contact with Mercado and could no longer enter her home. He said he remained hopeful about their relationship until he learned that Mercado had entered a relationship with his friend, actor-broadcaster Andrei Felix.
Garcia said he still contacted Mercado and offered to accompany her to pregnancy checkups, but she refused.
He later traveled to the United States to rest and remained there when Mercado gave birth to Jazz in 2008. Garcia acknowledged that he did not contact Mercado when their son was born.
He also claimed that Jazz’s first name, Alexander, came from Felix’s first name.
Garcia said he had kept his account of the events private for 18 years despite criticism that he abandoned Mercado and their son.
“That’s not true,” Garcia said of the claim that he left Mercado.
He acknowledged that he did not remain present during Mercado’s pregnancy but said her decision, rather than his own, kept him away.
“This is the story I’ve been holding for 18 years,” Garcia said.
Garcia said he decided to discuss the issue after his eldest daughter, Michelle, told him that social media users repeatedly attacked her posts with comments about the actor allegedly abandoning Mercado and Jazz.
He said he wanted to address the issue and tell his side of the story because the criticism had also affected his family.
“For me, hindi ako masamang tao,” Garcia said.
