Charice seeks justice for murdered dad; suspect's kin may face raps

Almost immediately after returning to the country, international singing sensation Charice Pempengco sought justice for her father, who was fatally stabbed in Laguna province before midnight Monday. Charice went to the wake of her father Ricky Pempengco, 43, at the Divine Mercy Funeral Homes in Muntinlupa City before 1 a.m. Wednesday, radio dzBB’s Rodil Vega reported. “Gusto ko iparating ang mensahe ko, kung sino ang gumawa nito sa daddy ko na sana mabigyan ng justice... hindi lang para sa daddy ko pero para sa ibang tao rin," Charice said after arriving from Jakarta. Excerpts of the interview were aired on dzBB radio. (Whoever did this must be brought to justice. Justice must be served not just for my father but for everyone concerned.) A separate report on Unang Balita said Charice had to forgo the last leg of their concert in Singapore to be at her father's wake.
San Pedro, Laguna police head Superintendent Kirby Kraft said a task force has been formed to tack down the killer. In the interview on dzBB, Charice was quoted as saying that she still couldn't believe her father is gone, adding that while she and her father did not have time for bonding, they had a “great short relationship." She thanked those who had relayed their sympathies for the death of her father, even as she apologized for canceling her participation in a concert in Singapore. “I want to apologize for (canceling) my performance with David Foster. Gusto ko mag-sorry... family first," she said. A dzBB report said the wake of Ricky Pempengco was closed to the public as of early Wednesday. Before dawn Wednesday, Superintendent Kirby Kraft went to the wake and updated the Pempengco family on the case. He said three tracker teams are looking for suspect Angel Capili Jr., 35. The dzBB report quoted Kraft as saying they will make public photos of Capili to help people identify him. Capili was described as 5’4" to 5’5" tall, long-haired, and big bodied. In a separate interview on dwIZ radio, Kraft said police operatives may file charges against Capili within Wednesday. “Na-identify natin ang suspect, anytime in the day pwede ma-file ang kaso (We have identified the suspect. We expect to file charges against him anytime today)," he said. Citing initial police findings, Kraft said Capili and the elder Pempengco had an altercation in Laram village in San Pedro, Laguna around 8:30 p.m. Monday. Kraft said at least two eyewitnesses saw Capili approach and stab Pempengco past 11 p.m., while Pempengco was buying cigarettes from a store. “Sabi ni Ricky, ‘Bakit mo ako sinaksak, wala akong ginawa?’ Tumayo siya, nakita ng suspect na tumayo, ‘Nakatayo ka pa ha,’ at muli sinaksak," Kraft said. (Ricky even asked why the suspect stabbed him as he did nothing wrong. When Ricky stood up, Capili even taunted him and stabbed him again)," he said. Capili kin may face charges Meanwhile, Kraft said the relatives of Capili may face charges for alleged obstruction of justice. He said Capili’s wife had refused to cooperate, claiming she had not seen the suspect for one week. “She claimed she had not seen her husband for a week but an initial investigation showed the suspect had left the area Tuesday morning," he said. When asked if the acts of Capili’s wife could be considered an attempt at cover-up, Kraft said, “lumalabas na ganoon (it appears that way)." “We can lodge charges of obstruction of justice against them (Capili's kin) if we have enough evidence," he added. Kraft also said they may consider Capili’s mother a witness in the case, noting he had confessed the crime to her. “We talked to his mother on Tuesday. She said her son went to her shortly after the incident and asked for forgiveness," he said. When asked if police will initiate moves to make Capili’s mother a witness, he said, “depende sa nanay niya (it depends on her)." — LBG, GMA News