In her official Instagram account, Regine confirmed the death of her father.
"The leader of the band, Gerry Velasquez, has joined his creator today at 1:39 pm. Thank for praying for him when he was fighting for his life and for praying for the Velasquez family. God bless you all," Regine said.
Mr. Velasquez had reportedly been ill and was even hospitalized late last year for more than a month.
He also underwent surgery in 2012.
On Twitter, celebrities Jed Madela and Zsa Zsa Padilla expressed their grief over the death of Mr. Velasquez, who is well known in the industry for always being at her daughter's concerts and other showbiz functions.
"Rest in peace, Mang Gerry. My condolences to @reginevalcasid and her entire family. My prayers to all of you," Madela tweeted.
"RIP Mang Gerry. Our deepest condolences, @reginevalcasid @cacaimitra @ogiealcasid," Padilla said.
"Mang Gerry Velasquez we will miss u. To @cacaimitra @reginevalcasid we will pray for your family. Our deepest condolences. He will be missed," talent manager Angeli Pangilinan said.
In her Facebook page, Lea Salonga wrote: "Rest in peace, Mang Gerry. I will always remember you as a fixture by Reg's side at gigs from when we were young ones in the biz. Always present, forever supportive. I don't think of Reg without thinking of you. To Ogie and Regine, you are in our prayers and we send hugs to you and your family."
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
