Actor Eddie Garcia to be honored in a Senate resolution – Sotto

A resolution honoring the life and work of the late Eddie Garcia would be filed in the Senate when Congress opens in July, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Friday.

“We are thinking of how to craft it so that it would befit him, and befit the Senate,” Sotto explained, adding that it was also likely that a resolution recommending that Garcia be made a national artist would also be filed.

Sotto said that he was a great admirer of Garcia, especially the latter's professionalism and compassion.

“‘Yung talent niya is given eh. His aura and his character are given. He’s the best character actor I can think of. Pero yung professionalism niya ‘yun ang something to be proud of. Never late, never absent,”  recounted the Senate President.

Sotto recalled how both Garcia and the late action king, Fernando Poe Jr., shared these traits.

“During our campaign, kailangan makipag-unahan ako. Grabe makipag-unahan si Eddie at si FPJ, parang si Gringo (Honasan) at Ping (Lacson)... Pag alas syete ang usapan, pag dumating ka ng 6:30 late ka dahil andun na yung dalawa. Ganoon din si Ronnie (Poe) at Eddie,” he said.

Sotto was Poe's campaign manager when the late actor ran for president in 2004. Garcia was their constant companion, a fixture in their sorties and motorcades.

“If our chopper is supposed to leave at 7 a.m., you have to be there by 6 a.m., 6:15 kung gusto mo sila kasabay dumating. If you arrive at around 6:30, andun na yung dalawa nagka-kape, tinatawanan ka dahil huli ka. Iba ang professionalism noon,” Sotto added.

Sotto said Garcia also always tried to make his co-actors comfortable.

“For so many times, narinig ko sa co-actors niya, he goes out of his way to make you feel better, to make you feel good, to make you confident. Aside from professionalism, isa sa matinding natutunan natin sa kanya e yung pagiging compassionate,” he said.

The Senate leader said he would pay his respects at Garcia's wake Friday night.

Garcia, 90, died Thursday, days after slipping into a coma. He had an accident while taping a GMA television program. — DVM, GMA News