Hajji and Marco on ‘Hitmakers’ show minus Rico J

Hajji Alejandro (above photo) and Marco Sison

As Marco Sison and Hajji Alejandro prepare for an upcoming “Hitmakers” concert, they couldn’t help but think about their close friend, the late Rico J. Puno, “who never failed to bring the laughs whenever they were together onstage.”

“It still hasn’t sunk in, to be honest. We worked and toured together for years,” Marco said in an interview for “Hitmakers and Ai.” “The thought of performing without him makes me sad.”

“But knowing him, he wouldn’t want us to be sad. He was a joy to be with and wanted everyone around to be happy. We always poked fun at one another,” Marco recalled.

“And what he dished out, he could also take,” he added.

Hajji, meanwhile, jested that he may have already shed all his tears during Rico’s wake. Things will never be the same, he added, without Rico’s wit and cheeky humor.

“Rico was one of a kind. He was one of the best to banter with onstage. He was spontaneous, never scripted. Even if the joke itself wasn’t really funny, his delivery made up for it,” Hajji said.

“As they say, comedy is about timing. He always surprised us, always had a ready retort. You don’t see that often,” he added. —ALLAN POLICARPIO