On September 13, actor Aga Muhlach admitted he knows the secret that the King of Philippine Movies, Fernando Poe Jr., shared with the seasoned showbiz reporter Ethel Ramos.
At the wake of ‘Manay Ethel Ramos’ in the Nacional Chapels and Crematory (formerly Funeraria Nacional) on Araneta Avenue, which LionhearTV attended, Muhlach revealed how ‘Manay Ethel’ had told FPJ’s secret to him.
“Our secrets alam namin lahat ‘yan. Pati ‘yung kay FPJ, Tita Aster. Nasabi [niya] sa akin noon. Lahat. Ako lahat ng sikreto ko, alam niya.”
He also recounted how Ramos helped out his career as a young star, noting how the seasoned reporter shielded him from issues.
“Ngayon ko lang na-realize how big she is and she was, because the whole time she covered me, she shielded me from everything that was happening. Tita Ethel and I have this relationship that no one will ever know. What we talked about all the time, what we talked about, how we plan things. Lahat ng sakit dinaanan ko diyan. Ang hirap kung paano niya ko minold talaga, dahil matigas ang ulo ko talaga.”
Sadly, Muhlach was unable to see Ramos before she passed away.
“I refused to see her in her last years. Parang, my wife, would always tell me, ‘Bhie–[go] visit– [go] visit.’Â
“It’ll be hard for you guys to understand what we had for the 30 plus years together. Oh, my goodness.”
He also highlighted how he considered Ramos his ‘Nanay’ in showbiz.
“Salamat Tita Ethel for the protection.Â
“Sinabi sa akin ni Tita Ethel bago magpandemya, ‘Parang kaya mo na Aga, Fly, Fly.’Â Â
“But Tita Ethel, you would always be my Nanay ano. I will always be here, and I’ve always been there. And one thing that I can really say is I loved her when she was alive.”
Ramos, a Journalism degree holder from the University of Santo Tomas, was known to many celebrities and other showbiz reporters for her kindness. The ‘dean of entertainment writers’ passed away at 87.