Charice makes peace with family

MANILA, Philippines - There is nothing that a forgiving heart cannot heal.

Take the case of international singing sensation Charice and her aunt Russel Pempengco, who exchanged barbs a few hours after the singer’s estranged father Ricky Pempengco, 40, was stabbed to death Monday night.

“My Tita Russel and I are okay now. At the wake (of my father) last night, I lovingly requested my mom (Raquel) and my Tita Russel that we should all forgive one another, that we should all move on,” Charice told The STAR in a phone interview.

The 19-year-old singer added, “I am sad that I was not given a chance to be friends with my father. But my brother Carl and I still thank him that he is our father.”

Charice was only three years old when her parents lived their lives separately. Carl was barely one year old when it happened.

Charice, as part of moving on, did not want to retell anymore the “many sad experiences” they experienced when they were still living with their father.

“What’s important now is that my family and the sisters of my father are taking the steps to be friends again,” Charice said, sadly noting that it took the death of her father for this reconciliation.

Aside from Charice, her mother Raquel and brother Carl, Ricky is survived by his five elder sisters Rebecca, Mary Grace, Ruby, Riza and Russel.

Raquel, also in a telephone interview, was more than willing to bury the hatchet. “Enough had been said and done in the past. I am sad that Ricky met a tragic end. I only want to move on with happy memories,” she said in the vernacular.

Raquel also wished that her own mother, Tess Primeda, would stop from meddling in the issue. She said her mother sent words that Raquel had no right to claim the body of Ricky because they had been estranged for a long time. Later on, with close coordination with Russel, Raquel arranged for Ricky’s wake at the Divine Mercy Chapel in Tunasan, Muntinlupa City.

“Ipinagdarasal ko pong maging payapa na po an kalooban ni Nanay Tess,” Charice said.

Raquel also remembered how much her husband loved her in the past. Ricky, Raquel said Ricky did not look for another partner after their breakup. “But, of course, there were irreconcilable factors that led us to our separation.”

“I’m very thankful to Ate Russel because she took care of Ricky. She took care of Ricky very well after our separation,” Raquel added.

Charice was only three and half years old when he last saw her dad. “Because Mommy did not allow me to eat ice cream, my dad secretly took me out to an ice cream parlor one day to make me experience how it felt like to eat ice cream. I will never forget that,” Charice remembered.

It was also during that ice cream date between father and daughter that Ricky told Charice that he dreamt for her to become a soldier. “Because Daddy said I was a brave girl.”

In her father’s death, Charice now proved to be her father’s soldier of peace by making herself an instrument in healing the family squabble.

“The death of my father is like an ending to a chapter in the book. But it ended sadly, tragic. Our entire family is given a chance to start another chapter. And I pray that we begin and finish this chapter with everyone happy,” Charice said.

Ricky will be buried on Nov. 5, 2 p.m. at the Pasteur of Heaven Memorial Park in Brgy. Sala, Cabuyao, Laguna. The memorial lot was an investment made by Charice the first time she earned from her international TV guestings in 2008.