Veteran actor Pepito Rodriguez passes away

Veteran actor Pepito Rodriguez has passed away.

His nephew, Hope Marco Neri Yutuc, confirmed his death via a Facebook post on Thursday, saying Pepito died of pneumonia while confined in the hospital. 

“Our beloved tito former actor of Sampaguita Pictures and matinee idol Pepito Rodriguez passed on [at] 4:05 this morning due to pneumonia wherein he was confined yesterday in the hospital,” he wrote.

Yutuc honored his uncle's memory, describing him as a soft-spoken, humble, and compassionate man. 

"We will miss you so much especially in seeing you always in our Rodriguez reunion," he said. 

“Tito Pepito we love you so much and so does your loyal fans because of how you lived on being a respected person, as a gentle man, soft spoken, humble, and one who's very compassionate to many. Prayers." 

On Facebook, Yutuc also shared an old video of himself and Pepito, and expressed how much Pepito loved and valued his fans. 

"We love you so much and you have shown so much love, respect & being compassionate to many especially to your fans who loves you so much too," he wrote in the caption. 

Pepito, born Jose Maria Rodriguez, is one of the stars of Sampaguita Pictures. He is the brother of the late veteran actor Ramil Rodriguez, who passed away in 2014.

He has starred in several films, such as “Mga Batang Bakasyonista,” “Gintong Alaala,” and“Sa Bilis Walang Kaparis,” among others.

In 2024, Pepito received the Iconic Movie Actor of Philippine Cinema award at the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards alongside Coco Martin, Robin Padilla, Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid, Roger Calvin, Eddie Gutierrez, and Dante Rivero. 

Our condolences to the Rodriguez family. 

—Jade Veronique Yap/CDC, GMA Integrated News