Keempee de Leon recalled precious moments when he made peace with his father, veteran comedian and host Joey de Leon, after years of not talking with each other. Keempee said it happened on the set of Eat Bulaga! on Father’s Day.
“Last year lang ng Father’s Day, talagang sinadya ko talaga siya sa Eat Bulaga! na… humility ba? Ako na ‘yung nagpakumbaba? Although alam ko may kasalanan din ako dahil magulang is magulang e. Bali-baliktarin mo man ‘yan. Kahit sino may kasalanan, magulang mo pa rin, e. More than five years. Kasi na-depress din ako. Alam niyo naman ‘yun dahil sa work din… nawala tayo sa Bulaga. So, partly lahat ‘yun talagang nag-pile up sa akin. Nagkulong ako sa bahay. Hindi ako lumalabas. Hindi ako nagpakita sa pamilya ko. Kahit malapit kami ng ate ko (Cheenee de Leon), hindi ako nagpapakita. Wala. As in walang connection (Last year, on Father’s Day, I really went to see him in Eat Bulaga!. Is that humility? I humbled myself, yes. Although I know I also have my faults, but a parent is a parent. No matter which way you look at it. No matter whose fault it was, he is still a parent. It went on for more than five years. I got depressed, you see. As you know, it had to do with work. I lost the job. So everything just piled up. I locked myself in the house, I didn’t go out. I refused to see my family, even my elder sister whom I am close to. None. There was no communication).”
The actor, who is now making a comeback in an important role in the afternoon series Prinsesa ng City Jail directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng, said that he went through a depression.
“Dumating ako sa point na talagang ‘yung galit ko sa trabaho, sa tao, ‘yung mga nagtanggal sa akin… Kasi I was left hanging e. Wala akong idea kung bakit ako nawala. Humihingi ako ng sagot, wala. So, nandun talaga ‘yung… ‘yun talaga ‘yung nag-down talaga sa akin. Sinarili ko muna ‘yung buhay ko na... na-realize ko na pina-realize ng Diyos sa akin, ‘Ano ba ‘yung pagkakamali? Ano ba ‘yung tamang ginawa mo (I got to a point when I was so angry at everyone — everyone who let me go. You see, I was left hanging. I had no idea why I lost the job. I was asking for answers, but I got nothing. So that really made me slide. I kept to myself. I realized that God was making me reflect on what I had done — what did I do wrong? What did I do right)?’” he said.
One realization he encountered during this chapter of his life is to let go of his pride.
“Kailangan tanggalin ko ‘yung pride na ‘yon Kumbaga, ‘yan ‘yung isa sa pinakamakasalanang ugali ng tao na ayaw ng Diyos, e. So, tinanggal ko ‘yun. Kinain ko talaga yung pride ko… Sabi ko, ‘Lord, ako rin yung nahihirapan, e. Siyempre may edad na rin si Daddy. So, ayokong mas mahirapan pa yung kalooban niya. Sabi ko, ‘If it’s your will.’ Sabi ko, ‘Gagawin ko ito for You, not for me and for my dad (I really needed to let go of pride. That is one of the things God does not like about humans, after all. I really ate my pride. I prayed, Lord, I am also suffering from this. And Dad is not getting any younger, too. I don’t want him to feel bad anymore, so if it is Your will, I will do it for You, not for me or my father),” Keempee said.