Tuesday Vargas Remembers Ate Gay as a “Titan of Comedy” Who Turned Hardship Into Laughter
Tuesday Vargas paid an emotional tribute to the late comedian Ate Gay, whose real name is Gil Aducal Morales, as she looked back on their friendship and the impact the comedy icon had on her own career. In a heartfelt Facebook post, Tuesday recalled the comedian’s fighting spirit during the battle with cancer, as reported by ABS-CBN News.
“Sept 2025. Sabi ng lahat tapos na. Pero sa araw na yan ng picture natin, you looked so optimistic. We all believed kaya nating lumaban, and you did! For more than a year you fought a hard battle and yet you stayed soft and kind,” Tuesday wrote, referring to the photo of them together.
The comedian admitted she woke up feeling empty after the news. “Ate Gay wasn’t just a pioneer; she was an absolute titan of comedy,” she said. Tuesday shared that she started out in a Malate comedy bar at 19, and Ate Gay was one of the friendliest senior entertainers she met at the time. She added that seeing Ate Gay make it to television, films and concert stages made her believe she could do it too.
She also honored the late comedian’s famous “Mali” line, saying they all believed that the “malliiiiii” was very right. “She showed us how to turn hardship into laughter, how to command a room with grace and fierce resilience, and how to stay remarkably authentic no matter how high she climbed,” Tuesday wrote.
Other comedians also mourned the loss. Wacky Kiray described Ate Gay as very generous in giving advice to newcomers, while Pepita Curtis called the comedian her “supermom.” Amazing Peanut thanked his mentor, and Heart Evangelista, who earlier provided monthly financial help for the comedian’s treatment, shared an art card on Instagram, according to INQUIRER.net.
Ate Gay passed away on November 1. The comedian disclosed in September 2025 a diagnosis of mucoepidermoid squamous cell carcinoma, a rare type of cancer. Days earlier, the family announced that Ate Gay was in critical condition after suffering septic shock, acute respiratory failure secondary to pneumonia, and a stroke.
The comedy stage may feel quieter now, but for the performers who learned from Ate Gay, every punchline carries a piece of that legacy.
