(UPDATE) After battling complications from suffering a stroke in 2004, Paquito Diaz has passed away at 7:00pm on Thursday, March 3. He was 73.
Diaz's daughter, Joanna Diaz-Gallent sent a text message to ANC's Boyet Sison confirming the news. Sison tweeted "my friend Joanna Diaz-Gallent has confirmed that her father, veteran actor Paquito Diaz, has joined his creator. Rest in peace Tito Kits!"
Diaz will be remembered for his effective character role portrayals, most of which came from his antagonist parts in almost all of "Da King" Fernando Poe Jr's films. Moviegoers have always known him as the irreverent tough guy who always made life miserable for FPJ and other action stars like Rudy Fernandez, Phillip Salvador, Bong Revilla, Robin Padilla, and even Joseph Estrada in a career that spanned half a century.
His toughness is legendary and the cinema audience would never miss his unrelenting bravado, his incredible persona, and yes, his fearful demeanor that always pushed the lead star to the brink of helplessness. But of course, the script always commanded him to lose in the end.
And, yes, this script has been utterly mean to him, and done so much injustice to the real man—that softer, gentler side, given that he’s, in real life, a doting, responsible and caring father to two children who entered show biz, Joko and Cheska, and a loving husband to Nena, who had been on his side through the years.
Here we see the real Paquito, facing trials and sufferings like anyone else, and succumbing to the pitfalls of humanity, that is, the delicate nature of health.
In recent years, Paquito’s health had been failing since the 2004 film “Pakners,” incidentally the last film of FPJ and his, wherein he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. Since then we’d seen less and less of him, until public affairs programs from the different networks revealed an emaciated figure drawn out through years of illness.
On March 3, Paquito, 73, gave up the good fight and passed away.
According to reports, Paquito had been rushed to the Estevez Memorial Hospital in Daraga, Albay weeks ago due to another stroke and a serious bout with pneumonia and a sepsis infection. Diaz died in his home in Daraga, Albay one day after being discharged from the hospital.
He had been residing in Daraga since his abrupt retirement from showbiz in 2004.
Joko appeared on air earlier this month to reveal his dad’s deteroriating condition.
"Matagal ko nang hinanda ‘yong sarili ko. Pero siyempre noong natanggap ko na ‘yong balita medyo nahihirapan akong analyze-in ‘yong sitwasyon. Si daddy ko kasi ‘yon, siyempre iba kung papaano ako brining-up ng dad ko. I'm very proud of him," Joko said on the ABS-CBN showbiz news program “SNN”.
