His youngest daughter wasn’t around to bid him farewell.
Still, about 500 immediate relatives and neighbors of former seaman Emmanuel Ponce were on hand to attend his funeral at the Queen City Gardens in Cebu City yesterday morning.
Embrelaince Therjoy “Ember” Ponce instead went with relatives of her late mother to Sorsogon province yesterday.
The 13-year-old Ember is scheduled to attend the burial of her mother and three siblings who were gunned down last Sunday by her father at their home in Palm View Village subdivision in barangay Tangke, Talisay City.
After shooting his wife and children, Emmanuel turned the gun on himself.
The burial of Ember’s mother Melinda and her siblings Ellaine Grace, Heather Joy and Emlin Bridge is reportedly scheduled on Tuesday.
Arrangements to have separate burials had to get the consent of Ember, who had first wanted to have all her family members together.
Emmanuel was buried after a requiem Mass in Mabolo Parish Church that was officiated by Msgr. Patricio Alcazaren.
After the Mass, Erwin Ponce, Emmanuel’s cousin, thanked his relatives and the local media for helping people to understand what had happened to the father.
“God forgive him and may his soul be accepted by Jesus Christ for eternal life,” Erwin said.
The remains of Melinda and the children were airlifted to Manila, then to Legazpi City and Sorsogon.
Erwin said he hopes that with the separate burials, Melinda’s relatives won’t think ill of Emmanuel.
He said their side of the family wanted to make peace with Melinda’s relatives.