Wacky Kiray, Boobsie, Pepita Curtis recall Ate Gay's courage, faith amid cancer battle

Comedians Wacky Kiray, Boobsie, and Pepita Curtis looked back on the courage, strength, and faith of their fellow comedian, the late Ate Gay, during his battle with cancer.

In an interview on “Fast Talk With Boy Abunda” on Friday, Wacky recalled how Ate Gay remained positive after revealing his cancer diagnosis to him.

"When she told me, 'Wacky, I have cancer,' I told him, 'Ate Gay, cancer is treatable. You have to stay positive in life even if you have cancer,'" he said in Filipino.

Wacky said he encouraged Ate Gay to hold on to his faith and believe that he could overcome his illness.

“You know how there’s this concept of 'mind over matter?' If you put your mind to work—and tap into your faith—you can overcome anything. He truly put up a fight,”

He also remembered how Ate Gay would spend time praying before performing at comedy shows at Hideout.

“When he has a set at Hideout, Tito Boy, there’s a large cross with an image of Jesus right before the entrance to the dressing room. Upon arriving, he offers a greeting, then heads over to stand in front of it. He spends the entire day there, Tito Boy, without even stepping onto the stage yet," he recalled.

"He was praying—just praying. And I was in the dressing room, and I said, ‘Lord, please grant what Ate Gay is praying for, because he is such a good person.'"

Meanwhile, Boobsie described Ate Gay as a brave fighter who refused to let his illness show.

She recalled how Ate Gay would downplay his condition, telling them that his cancer was just a lump.

“If it were someone else, someone who found out from their doctor that they might not even make it to 2026, most people would probably just give up, right? But with Ate Gay, you wouldn’t even know he’s ill,” Boobsie said.

“He keeps telling us, ‘It’s just a lump, it’s just a lump. You’ll see, it will disappear. Didn’t it disappear? My angel is different, though.' Because of the radiation she underwent, the lump was removed,” she added.

Per Boobsie, Ate Gay remained determined to stay strong throughout his battle with cancer, as he did not want his friends to see his weakness or feel sorry for him because of his condition.

Asked what she learned from Ate Gay's experience, Boobsie emphasized the importance of strengthening one's relationship with God.

For Pepita Curtis, Ate Gay was a fighter who maintained his confidence that he would recover and never allowed cancer to weaken his connection with God.

“I call him ‘Supermom,' he really is one. He’s a true fighter. He has this remarkable confidence that he will recover. And even though he developed cancer, it never hindered his connection with the One above,” Pepita shared.

Pepita also recalled her last meaningful interaction with Ate Gay before the latter's passing.

She shared that she had spent two months in the United Kingdom and had not spoken to Ate Gay during that period because of a misunderstanding between them.

“For about two months, we barely spoke because of a misunderstanding. When I returned in August, I thought she would ignore me. But she was actually the one who approached me first, which was something Ate Gay normally wouldn't do," said Pepita.

“Being the pioneer and the mother figure, we were usually the ones expected to approach her first. But this time, I was surprised because she was the one who initiated the conversation. She suddenly told me, ‘Hey, you've gained weight!’ I thought she wouldn't even acknowledge me. That's just how Ate Gay was. I practically grew up in comedy bars, and she was like a mother to me."

The two eventually talked and settled their misunderstanding. Pepita expressed gratitude that they were able to reconcile before Ate Gay passed away.

“We were able to talk things through and settle our misunderstanding. I really thanked the Lord because, before Ate Gay passed away, we were able to make amends. Despite not speaking for two months, we were on good terms when I returned to the Philippines, before she passed away.”

Born Gil Aducal Morales, Ate Gay passed away on November 1 after suffering a stroke on October 29. He was also diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in 2025.

Ate Gay fought a hard battle against cancer. In 2025, an anonymous donor helped cover the cost of his radiation therapy at Asian Hospital, while a fan lent him a nearby condo unit for convenience.

In November 2025, Ate Gay said he'd already "graduated" from radiation and chemotherapy.

Last month, he held a "living funeral" with his family and close friends.

—Jade Veronique Yap/CDC, GMA News