'Glee' singer Charice's dad killed in Philippines

[November 01, 2011]  MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- The estranged father of singer Charice Pempengco of the hit TV show "Glee" was stabbed to death in her hometown in the Philippines, leading the teen star Tuesday to pull out of a concert in Singapore.

The singer apologized to her fans for having to skip the show scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday so she could travel home to the Philippines.

"I am not going to be there to be part of David Foster and Friends concert," she said in a post Tuesday on Twitter. "I have to go back to the Philippines as soon as possible to be with my family."

Her father, 40-year-old construction worker Ricky Pempengco, had been at a small grocery store in San Pedro township south of Manila late Monday when he brushed against a drunk man who became angry and stabbed him with an ice pick in the chest and back, according to the Laguna province police chief, Senior Supt. Gilbert Cruz.

A manhunt has been launched for the suspect, with a 20,000 pesos ($470) award for information leading to his arrest. Cruz said the killing appeared random and there was no indication the suspect and victim had any prior grudges.

Charice had long been estranged from her father. Local media reported that Charice's mother left him when Charice and her younger brother were small children.

In another Twitter post Tuesday, Charice said she once had a "really great relationship" with her father before their family troubles began.

"I loved him and I will still love him," she wrote. "He's still my Dad after all."

The 19-year-old songstress, born Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco, is widely known throughout Asia from concerts and TV talent shows in the Philippines and South Korea.

She has said she would borrow bus fare to travel to amateur singing contests, and eventually broke into the American market when she was invited at age 15 to appear on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" after the show had seen a fan video of her on YouTube that went viral.

She also appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and has had a recurring role on "Glee" as the character Sunshine Corazon.

[Associated Press]

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