Former ABS-CBN executive and actress Charo Santos immediately paid homage to acclaimed director Mike de Leon after the announcement of his death Thursday, 28 August.

In both her Instagram and Facebook page, Santos honored the director who megged her in two films, Itim and Kisapmata.

"Today, I lost a dear friend," she mused, acknowledging that "Mike was my very first mentor in the art and discipline of filmmaking."

"From him I learned everything, the rigor of preparing a shot list, the mounting of scenes, the rhythm of narrative, the editing, the discipline of sound, music, and mixing back when motion picture was shot on actual film," she wrote, noting that the director was a "perfectionist, a genius and a true master of cinema."

But despite all these, Santos wrote that "yet beyond his brilliance, Mike was my friend."

"He gave me trust, guidance, and unforgettable moments of collaboration. Through the years, he was unfailingly present at milestones and even in the most challenging seasons of my life. In my darkest hours, he was there, quiet, steady, kind. Ours was a bond that felt like soulmates in artistry, a connection built on respect and admiration," she recalled.

For Santos, de Leon's brilliance lies in the fact that "he gave us films that were not merely watched, but deeply felt, etched into who we are."

"Kisapmata, Batch ’81, Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising, Kakabakaba Ka Ba and Itim were never just films; they were mirrors, unflinching in their truth, forcing us to confront ourselves and the world we live in," she wrote.

Santos recalled the last time she spoke with the acclaimed director "as we were preparing a film together, its working title: Unfinished Business."

"He said, 'I don’t think I will live to finish this film because of my condition, so I don’t even want to start it.' Heartbreaking words from a man who had devoted his entire life to cinema and to truth," she recalled.

True enough, the movie's production came to be an "unfinished business" as the director died even before shooting commenced.

Capping her post, Santos wrote: "Mike’s departure feels like a scene cut too soon, an unfinished business. And yet, in truth, his work is complete. His films will forever illuminate our history, our fears, and our dreams."