Kapatid ni Rico Blanco na si Rey Blanco, pumanaw na

- Rey Blanco, the younger brother of singer-songwriter Rico Blanco, passed away at the age of 50

- Rivermaya drummer Mark Escueta announced the news on Instagram with a message saying “Paalam, kapatid”

- Rey, also known as Kuya King, will be laid to rest on May 20 after a funeral mass at Heaven’s Park in Biñan and interment at Everest Hills in Muntinlupa

- Rico Blanco had previously opened up about Rey’s condition and shared that they were very close

Rey Blanco, the younger brother of acclaimed Filipino singer-songwriter Rico Blanco, passed away on May 14 at the age of 50. The news was shared by Rivermaya drummer Mark Escueta through an Instagram post on Tuesday, where he wrote a brief but heartfelt tribute: “Paalam, kapatid.”

Known to many as “Kuya King,” Rey’s wake will be held at Heaven’s Park in Biñan, Laguna. According to details shared in Escueta’s post, the funeral mass will take place at 1 p.m. on May 20, followed by the interment at Everest Hills Memorial Park in Muntinlupa City.

Earlier this year, Rico Blanco had publicly shared his younger brother’s health condition. The two were very close, with Rico once describing Rey—who was just a year younger—as someone he treated like a twin. The music community and fans have extended their condolences to the Blanco family during this time of loss.

Months ago in January, Rico Rico Blanco took to social media to ask prayers for his brother, King. The OPM icon then revealed that King was suffering from cancer. He then humbly asked his followers to pray for his brother’s healing.

He said back in January: “This beautiful boy you see with me is my younger brother, King. Only a year apart, we did everything together growing up, like bestfriends, or even twins. We shared so many adventures and fought so many battles alongside each other. I love him so very dearly.

“A few weeks ago we received the terrible news that he has cancer. The signs all came too rapidly and seemingly out of nowhere, and by the time we got the full diagnosis, we were told he already has an advanced and very aggressive type of squamous cell carcinoma (sinus).

“His treatment started yesterday, and we are praying all our efforts are not too late.

“Weve also decided to share so we can humbly ask for your help - please pray for King’s strength and healing. Only heaven really knows whats best for my dear brother but we are keeping our hopes up. I cannot bear to imagine a world without him in it.”

“This is our toughest battle. Please, please help us win.”

Rico Blanco is a Pinoy singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, endorser, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame as one of the founding members, and served as the main songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist of the Filipino rock band Rivermaya from 1994 until 2007, and has been a solo artist since 2008. Rico’s songs and performances gained success and critical acclaim, earning himself a reputation of being one of the well-received local music icons in the Philippines.

Previously, Rico Blanco is mourning the death of his beloved pet dog, Sylvian. The OPM icon took to social media to share the unfortunate news. The singer-songwriter shared Sylvian’s photos, some of which display their lovely moments together. In the caption, Rico penned a heartfelt farewell message for Sylvian.

Earlier, Rico received tons of supportive messages on his Instagram. This came following the posts of Jam Villanueva, the ex-girlfriend of Anthony Jennings, which involved an alleged cheating incident concerning Maris Racal. In the comments, many were saying that Rico was marked safe, and there were those who keep on telling him that they love him. Rico has been keeping mum on the issue and has not uttered any word about his ex-girlfriend.

Source: KAMI.com.gh