Jaja and Dindin Santiago's family releases statement on father's untimely death
Volleyball players Jaja and Dindin Santiago together with their siblings released a statement to address the death of their father.
“Our family wishes to express its gratitude to those who have supported us in our darkest hour after the sudden and tragic death of our father last Tuesday,” the statement read. “The wake is at the Samson Funeral Home in Imus, Cavite and he will be interred on Sunday. We are still trying to cope with this new reality and it is quite tough.”
After NU was aliminated by Ateneo in the step-ladder series for the right to challenge DLSU in the finals, Dindin received a message from her father not knowing that it would be the last time.
“Talagang ganon. Walang may gusto na matalo tayo. Ganun talaga. Tanggapin na lang natin. Bawi na lang tayo sa V-League ha?,” the message wrote as posted on Dindin’s Instagram account. “Kayo pa rin ang champion para sa akin.”
“Since the separation of our parents, we hardly had the opportunities to spend as much time with him as we had liked with him and now we will never get to have that chance again,” the statement continued. “We will always cherish the memories we had of him growing up and we know he has gone to a better place; far from any pain and suffering.We know he will always be there to guide us even if he is no longer here with us.”
The death of their father is still shrouded in mystery. All that is known it that he was gunned down on Tuesday by still unidentified people and later dumped on a river where his body was found.
“The law enforcement authorities are doing their best to find those responsible for ending our father’s life and all we can do now is pray that justice will be served swiftly against the perpetrators,” the statement read. “We were also told that our father was a hard-working ambulance driver in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija and while his untimely demise saddens us, we are seeking to find the strength and wisdom to come to terms with God’s plans for him and for our family.”
“In this light, we would like to request everyone to continue praying and keeping our family in your thoughts as we go through this very difficult period of our lives as well as respecting our privacy as we continue to mourn and grieve this shocking loss. In due time, our wounds will heal and we can move on stronger. That is how our father would have wanted it to be, so once again we prefer to hold our peace at this time.”
Aside from Jaja and Dindin, the statement also came from their siblings Axel Leonard, Diane Angeleen, Abigail Robelle and their mother Alma
