From Dubai to son’s wake: Father mourns slain Batangas working student

SAN JOSE, Batangas — Michael Usi was working at a warehouse in Dubai when a series of messages from one of his children appeared on his phone. Busy with work, he did not immediately read them. 

It was only when he got back to his quarters that he read the messages that would change his life forever.

He immediately called his child and learned the devastating news: his second-born son, Charles Usi, a 22-year-old working student and aspiring singer, had been killed. 

Michael rushed back to the Philippines. At their modest home in Barangay Lumil, San Jose, Batangas, he found his son lying in a coffin, his dreams and promising future brutally cut short.

Beside Charles’ coffin lay the guitar he was carrying when the gunmen opened fire—its wooden frame also riddled with bullet holes. The instrument that once gave voice to his dreams now bears the scars of the same gunfire that silenced him forever. 

Charles was riding his motorcycle home from a singing performance in Lipa City on Sunday night when motorcycle-riding gunmen shot him in Barangay Banay-Banay 2nd, San Jose, Batangas.

Five gunshot wounds ended the life of the young musician. The suspects remain unidentified.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Michael struggled to contain his grief. His voice was subdued, but the pain of a father who had lost his child was unmistakable. 

Despite financial difficulties, Charles had remained determined to finish his studies, working hard to build a better future for himself and his family.

Michael said he went abroad to provide for his children’s education, hoping that the sacrifices he made overseas would give them opportunities he could not otherwise afford. 

Charles, in turn, used his talent to help pay for his schooling.

He sang in bars and coffee shops and often performed on the streets, gradually building a following in Batangas while juggling work and his studies. 

“Ako po ay nagagalak kasi ang aking anak ay masipag mag-aral. Tapos, at the same time, sinasabay niya po yung work niya bilang singer. Naggi-gig po siya para masuportahan po yung pag-aaral niya” Michael said.

His love for music also influenced his decision to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. He was already in his third year at Westmead International School in Batangas City. 

Charles was getting closer to achieving his ambitions when the bullets that killed him brought everything to an abrupt end.

Michael recalled how his son often spoke of lifting their family out of poverty and giving them a more comfortable life. 

“Tapos gusto niya akong pauwiin dito pagkatapos niyang makatapos. Uuwi na ako dito sa Pilipinas” Michael said, recalling their conversations about the future.

The father said Charles wanted him to return home once he had graduated, so they could finally be together again in the Philippines.

Now, instead of welcoming his son home after graduation, Michael has returned from abroad to mourn him.

At times, he tries to play Charles’ guitar, even though he admits he is not particularly skilled. He said his son had loved music and singing since childhood—a passion he believes Charles inherited from his grandfather, who was also a gifted singer. 

The second of five siblings, Charles was sociable, friendly and devoted to his family. His father said he could not understand why anyone would want to hurt his son.

“Wala po siyang nababanggit sa akin eh. Kahit nasa ibang bansa ako wala po siyang ano. Tsaka yung bata na ’yan ano eh, talagang, talagang palapansin po siya. Pala-bati. Tsaka kaya wala siyang kaaway talaga eh. Hindi ko lang alam kung bakit nangyari po sa kanya ’yan eh. Napakasakit talaga nang nangyari sa bata na ’yan,” Michael said. 

With the motive for the killing still unclear to him, Michael is left with questions that may never be answered unless the perpetrators are found.

His only plea now is for justice for his son, whose life was taken at just 22.

“Kung saan man kayo ngayon, kung nakikinig po kayo ngayon, sana po makonsensya po kayo sa ginawa niyo sa anak ko kasi ang anak ko’y meron pong pangarap at batang-bata pa po yung aking anak, 22 years old. Binawian niyo na po kaagad ng buhay. Kaya sana makonsensya po kayo,” Michael pleaded.

At the family’s modest home, where Charles’ remains lie in state, mourners continue to arrive—relatives, classmates, friends, co-workers and even fans who had come to know and admire the young singer. 

They gather to mourn a young man who fought to build a better future, pursuing his education against all odds by using his voice and singing talent to help pay for his studies—a dream brutally cut short before he could reap the fruits of his sacrifices.

For Michael, the guitar beside his son’s coffin is more than an instrument. It is a reminder of the music Charles loved, the future he hoped to build and the dreams he had promised to fulfill.

Those dreams will remain unfinished. His family and the people whose lives he touched are now left with one urgent plea: that those responsible for his killing be brought to justice.