Veteran actor Bernardo Bernardo passes away at 73

Veteran actor Bernardo Bernardo has passed away on Thursday morning. He was 73.

"Our tito Bernardo Bernardo passed away this morning, thank you for all your prayers," his niece Susan Vecina Santos posted on Facebook.

While the exact details of his death were not disclosed, Bernardo in January asked for prayers as he revealed he had tumor in his pancreas.

"Given my history of clinical depression and anxiety attacks coupled with a potentially life-threatening growth in my pancreas, it feels like it’s about time to call for support from FB Prayer Warriors," Bernardo said.

"Last month, after a series of lab tests (including an ultrasound and CT Scan), my medical specialist friends at the UST hospital, a gastroenterologist and an oncologist, shared their findings: (in layman’s terms) my pancreas is swollen because of a tumor, possibly malignant, growing in the head of the pancreas. As it grows it begins to press on the bile duct and the pancreatic duct and with increasing pressure, the ducts eventually get pinched off," he added.

In the process, Bernardo has lost a lot of weight "at an alarming rate in such a short span of time", a result of him losing his appetite for food.

A University of Santo Tomas graduate, Bernardo had a Masters degree in Dramatic Arts at the University of California, as well as a degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix.

Bernardo took further studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art under a British Council grant.

The veteran stage actor received two Gawad Urian Awards, one as Best Actor for the "City After Dark" (1980), and Best Supporting Actor for "Imbisibol" (2015). He was also a nominee for Best Supporting Actor in Imbisibol at the 2016 Film Academy of the Philippines Awards.

He also appeared in Metro Manila Film Festival movie "Ang Larawan" (2017), and in "The Significant Other" where he joined Tom Rodriguez and Lovi Poe.

Bernardo's wake will be at St. Peter Chapels along Araneta Avenue, Quezon City.  Viewing begins tonight at 9pm.

—NB, GMA News