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Singer believes dad's death not a case of EJK

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Aleta Nieva Nishimori, ABS-CBN News

Singer TJ Sarvida is sad beyond words with the passing of his father who was shot dead by a gunman in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday.&quot;Until now, I can&#x27;t believe my father is gone. Hindi pa siya nagsi-sink in. Hindi ko pa talaga alam kung anong pakiramdam ng nawalan,&quot; said Sarvida in a phone interview with ABS-CBN News.Sarvida is the vocalist of the band Crib and was part of the Takbo team of artists that urged former Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run for president.Sarvida&#x27;s father, Eleazar Sarvida, was shot by a masked gunman.<script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/tjsarvida/posts/10209516234955383" data-width="auto"> </div>Sarvida said his father dedicated his life to serving God as a follower of Jehovah&#x27;s Witness.&quot;Kilala po siya sa amin na mabuting tao,&quot; he said. &quot;Para sabihin na drug related ito, napaka-imposibleng mangyari. Hindi po yun totoo.&quot;A staunch supporter of Duterte, Sarvida said he would never have rallied behind Duterte during his presidential campaign if he or his father was involved in drugs.&quot;I feel na parang baka iniisip nyo na extrajudicial killing? Kung sangkot ang tatay ko sa droga, magka-campaign ba ako kay Duterte?&quot; he said.Duterte has been waging a <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/06/16/more-than-5800-killed-amid-war-on-drugs-pnp">war on illegal drugs</a> since assuming office in June.To Sarvida, his father&#x27;s death was homicide and not an extra-judicial killing.He said his father had just come home from a Jehovah&#x27;s Witness worship service when he and a tenant heard a gunshot followed by people running.Then they heard someone banging on their gate and saw a man wearing a mask and a cap demanding to be let in. The man threatened to shoot them if they didn&#x27;t open the gate, but Sarvida said his father refused.&quot;Biglang bumunot na lang bigla yung killer na naka-maskara at binaril si papa sa mukha at dibdib. Actually, tatlong putok po yun, yun lang ang tumama,&quot; he said.A witness has already given a statement to police.&quot;Naka-masakara, naka-sumbrero, pero malaking tao. May CCTV sa hara namin pero di namin alam kung gumagana or na-record or kung nagpa-function,&quot; he said.While the family is trying to come to terms with their loss, they also feel disappointed with some comments on social media.&quot;May nagko-comment sa Facebook na kinarma daw ako. Wag po natin bigyan ng kulay ang pagkamatay ng papa ko. Homicide lumalabas. Doon tumakbo yung criminal, gustong magtago sa bahay naming . . . pagtanggi niya, pinatay siya,&quot; he said.<script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209520281696549&amp;set=a.10200902947708585.1073741825.1011917841&amp;type=3" data-width="auto"> </div>He said that before his father was killed, the family had planned to spend time together for Christmas.&quot;Hindi kami nagse-celebrate ng Christmas pero nagusap kami na December 23 hanggang New Year lalabas kami, magkikita-kita kami kasama mga kapatid ko at mga apo. Nangyari naman po kaso wala na siya,&quot; he said.He added that his father only wanted one thing from his loved ones: to return to being a follower of Jehovah&#x27;s Witness.&quot;Isa lang gusto niyang mangyari, ang bumalik kami sa Saksi ni Jehova, bumalik sa Panginoon, ipangaral yung salita Niya. Yun ang gusto niyang mangyari,&quot; he said.And instead of exacting vengeance and justice, the family is leaving it up to God.&quot;Wala rin naman point kung hanapin ko siya. Naka-maskara siya, nakatakip mukha, maghanap tayo ng CCTV or i-cover nila yung crime o itago nila yung gunman. Wala na tayong magagawa diyan. It&#x27;s a very long process. Itutuloy pa rin namin yung magsampa ng kaso pero parang nakakapagod sa ngayon, kasi wala pa kaming lakas para magalit. Di pa nga namin alam kung anong nararamdaman namin,&quot; he said.To the gunman, Sarvida used Bible verse Luke 23:43 that his father always teaches them.&quot;Yan yung time na si Jesus Christ ay nakapako tapos sa may kanang kamay niya may nagsisisi. Sinabi niya &#x27;I tell you, this day I&#x27;ll see you in paradise.&#x27; Sarvida said.&quot;May chance pa siyang magbago. Sana makarating itong salita ng Diyos para ma-touch yung heart niya at mapigilan yung ginagawa niyang kasamaan.&quot;

A staunch supporter of Duterte, Sarvida said he would never have supported the president if he or his father was involved in drugs.

A staunch supporter of Duterte, Sarvida said he would never have supported the president if he or his father was involved in drugs.

Singer believes dad's death not a case of EJK

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Singer believes dad's death not a case of EJK

Aleta Nieva Nishimori,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 24, 2016 06:43 PM PHT

Read More:

TJ Sarvida

Eleazar Sarvida

war on drugs

mandaluyong

shooting incident

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