Raquel Pempengco slams Jake Zyrus after sexual abuse claims from his memoir resurface online
Warning: This article includes mentions of sexual abuse.
Raquel Pempengco, mother and former manager of Jake Zyrus, dismissed as "fake news" the claims of sexual abuse that were made in the artist's 2018 memoir as it resurfaced online.
Excerpts from the book went viral online as they were posted by a pageant page and social media personality Xian Gaza.
In the memoir, titled I am Jake, the singer detailed the alleged sexual abuse he experienced when he was six years old at the hands of his uncle.
After the claims received renewed attention online, Pempengco took to her Facebook page to make several cryptic remarks pertaining to Zyrus' memoir.
"Meron na namang fake news. Galing daw isang libro. Mga bashers, hindi updated 'yang libro na 'yan. Abangan niyo, ako ang mag-uupdate ng libro na yan. Sari sari na lang issue niyo," she said, but opted not to specify the book in question.
"Mga gumagawa ng kwento ang iba. Baka magulat kayo kapag ako ang nagkwento. Kaya tumigil na kayo sa kaka-fake news na yan. Mga salot ng lipunan," she added.
In a separate post, Pempengco filmed herself dancing as she reiterated how she doesn't care about the flak she is getting and urged her bashers not to believe in so-called fake news.
She later stressed that she would not entertain criticisms as she is prioritizing her mental peace.
In another post, Pempengco asserted that she was not aware of the book but that she "accepts" if she is being painted as an "evil queen."
"Kwento niyo 'yan malamang masama ako diyan. Pero hindi ko alam ang kwento na yan. Sanay na akong tawaging masama. Kung yan ba ikakasaya niyo. Tanggap ko na ang pangalan kong evil queen. Basta ako, alam ko ang sarili kong kwento pero di ko na isasalibro dahil ayoko nang may mapasama at madagdagan ang mga evil," she said.
Pempengco further wrote, "Nandiyan ka sa kinalalagyan mo dahil sa evil queen na 'to. Dahil sa masamang ina na 'to. Kahit ilang libro pa ilabas, hindi na maibabalik ang ikaw na mismo ang sumira. Sige pa, magalit pa kayo hanggang sa atakihin kayo."
Jake Zyrus' alleged sexual abuse experience
In Zyrus' memoir, he claimed that his uncle began sexually abusing him when he was just six years old. The first time it allegedly happened, his uncle asked him to come to his room to sleep, but as they laid in bed, he supposedly began to spoon Zyrus and began touching him all over.
"My uncle, supposedly my second father, asked me to touch his genitals. I refused to move and didn't talk. I just lay there stiffly, waiting for the nightmare to be over. I think that disappointed him. He gave up, and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that was it; that he would never touch me again. I was wrong," Zyrus shared.
"The sexual abuse happened again and again and again the entire year that we lived with him in my grandmother's house. The fact that my mother was never home during the day made it easy for him to assault me whenever he wanted," he continued.
According to Zyrus, he only told Pempengco about this 15 years later when she told him she was going to invite his uncle to their house in Tagaytay.
"This triggered my anger and the shift in my mood showed on my face. She asked me why I was being sullen when my uncle helped us so much in the past. Mommy wouldn't drop it so I finally said, 'He did something to me,'" the music artist said.
"She didn't believe me. She called my uncle up and asked if my accusations were true. Of course he denied it, so Mommy got mad at me instead. She told me I had a lot of nerve to be making up stories about the old man," he added.
Elsewhere in his book, Zyrus called Pempengco an "evil queen" and an "abusive mother" as he recalled the alleged physical and emotional abuse he allegedly experienced in his youth.
He also previously claimed his mother made fake accounts to send hate messages when he came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
While Pempengco expressed her disapproval of the claims, she said in a 2023 interview with showbiz reporter Morly Alinio that she is looking forward to reconciling with her son and that she’s been trying to reach out to him.
In 2018, Zyrus released his memoir, which tackled his rise in Hollywood, his turbulent childhood, and his transition.
In September of that year, he told The Philippine STAR that it was the perfect time to tell his story.
"Lahat kasi perfect timing. Hindi lang sa events na nangyari sa life ko, (pero dahil) may peace of mind na ako, masaya na ako. Ganun pala talaga no ’pag iniisip mo—when you’re really happy with who you are, mas magaan ’yung lahat. I made the book not for myself, kasi obviously pinagdaanan ko na siya, but for other people. Na ma-realize nila na survival book siya."
Zyrus has yet to comment on his mother's posts on her account as of writing.
If you think you, your friend, or your family member is experiencing child and/or sexual abuse, you may seek help from the Philippine Commission on Women, see the complete list of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) Hotlines here.
