Half-brother of 'apl.de.ap' shot dead

ANGELES CITY – A half-brother of well-known singer Allan Pineda, more popularly known as apl.de.ap as member of the Grammy award-winning group Black Eyed Peas, was gunned down here past midnight yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Pierre Bucsit, city police chief, said the victim, Joven Deala, 21, was shot in the head in his Fortuner sports utility vehicle parked in front of the apartment of his girlfriend in Barangay Ninoy Aquino at around 1 a.m.

The two were eating food they had bought from a fast food outlet inside the SUV when two men approached them, shot Deala and fled.

Bucsit said probers were looking into “many angles,” including reports that Deala’s girlfriend has a child with her estranged husband.

Bucsit could not exactly say how Deala was a half-brother of Pineda, but quoted relatives and local fans of the Black Eyed Peas singer that he acknowledged this in one of his visits here.

Pineda was born and grew up in Barangay Sapang Bato here until he migrated 23 years ago to the United States where he became a member of the Black Eyed Peas.

Since he became famous, he has returned several times to Sapang Bato where he has been giving financial help to poor families, especially to Amerasians like him.   – Ding Cervantes