Veteran stage and TV actor Pen Medina has replaced Eddie Garcia as ‘Mother Ben’ in the upcoming drama-fantasy series on GMA-7, “Aso ni San Roque.”
Originally, the role of an elderly and motherly gay, was offered to Eddie Garcia but due to unforeseen health concerns, Garcia later requested the producers to give him a less time-demanding role, instead. Garcia will now portray the role of ‘Supremo,’ the leader of the aswangs.
As ‘Mother Ben,’ Pen Medina will be the adoptive ‘mother’ to the lead star Mona Louise Rey who stars as ‘Fatima,’ a blind girl who has a dog, ‘Anghel’ for a pal. Anghel is no ordinary canine; she is the incarnate of San Roque’s dog, which possesses a supernatural power to cure diseases.
Pen says he enjoys Mona’s very light and bubbly personality which masks the fact that the eight-year-old girl is actually suffering from Type 1 Diabetes. Pen very well understands her ordeal especially because the actor’s own son – his youngest – who is only ten years old is also suffering from the same disease.
