BUROL NI EDDIE GARCIA
BINIGYAN ng full military honors ng Philippine Army ang award-winning veteran actor na si Eddie Garcia sa huling lamay nito sa The Heritage Memorial Park, Taguig City nitong Linggo ng gabi.
Bukod sa longtime partner ni Manoy Eddie na si Lilibeth Romero, nasaksihan din ng mga kamag-anak at malalapit na kaibigan ng beteranong aktor at direktor ang 21-gun salute ceremony na nilahukan ng may 200 sundalo.
Ibinigay naman ng mga sundalo kay Lilibeth Romero ang bandera ng Pilipinas na sumisimbolo sa mga ginawang sakripisyo at ibinigay na karangalan sa bansa ng aktor.
Bago pa naging artista si Manoy, naging bahagi siya ng Philippine Scout troops na ipinadala sa Okinawa, Japan noong kasagsagan ng World War II.
Matapos ang ibinigay ng military honors ng Philippine Army, nagbigay naman ng eulogies ang pamilya ni Eddie, kabilang na nga ang kanyang partner na si Lilibeth.
Binalikan nito ang mga huling oras ni Eddie sa Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ng Makati Medical Center. Aniya, may mga pagkakataon daw na nais na niyang sabihin kay Manoy na magpahinga na, ngunit hindi niya ito itinutuloy.
At noong June 20 nga, Huwebes, ipinatawag siya ng nurse at bodyguard dahil bigla uling bumaba ang vital signs ng aktor. Dito na niya sinabihan ang aktor na magpahinga na at huwag na silang alalahanin. Pumanaw si Manoy noong June 20, 2019 ng hapon sa edad na 90.
Narito ang ilang bahagi ng eulogy ni Lilibeth: “I never realized that Eddie is this loved, this respected, and this popular. When I had him, I didn’t realize this because I looked at this [relationship] as man and woman living together.”
“I didn’t really idolize him like a hero, of course, I knew he was my protector. I thought he was my superman…
“To everybody who shared this, you appreciate what you have now. Well, I appreciated him, but you appreciate what you have now because when he’s lost and you don’t know when it will come and the sisi…
“Not really the sisi, it’s not able to say able you love him, or things like that, or say goodbye…I never said goodbye to him because I thought he was immortal.”
“And to the Philippine Army, this is the best recognition I have accepted for Eddie. Eddie wanted to be a soldier and with this recognition has served the family very well,” aniya pa.