LOOK: Gab Chee Kee joins Parokya ni Edgar in gig after hospital discharge

MANILA, Philippines – A month after being discharged from the hospital due to complications caused by lymphoma, Parokya ni Edgar guitarist Gab Chee Kee returned onstage to perform with the band. 

Frontman Chito Miranda took to social media on Monday, April 24, to express his happiness in having his bandmate rocking out with them again. 

“Highlight,” he wrote, alongside a photo of Chee Kee playing an electric guitar. 

This serves as Chee Kee’s first public appearance since Miranda revealed in January that the guitarist had been hospitalized due to pneumonia, a complication brought on by his lymphoma. At the time, Miranda disclosed that Chee Kee had been transferred to the hospital’s intensive care unit, where he had been intubated for more than a week. 

In early March, Miranda updated fans that Chee Kee had been discharged from the hospital after having several major and minor operations during his two-month stay, and will now continue with his chemotherapy. 

On Monday, Miranda shared that Chee Kee joined them in performing their hits “Your Song” and “Halaga” during their latest gig, and assured fans that the guitarist was given permission by his doctor and was accompanied by a nurse the whole time. 

“As a friend, I was honestly worried, and wanted him to rest, and to simply enjoy the show from the sidelines,” the vocalist wrote. “As a bandmate, it was an overwhelming experience.” 

Miranda shared that he’s elated to see Chee Kee onstage again and hoped that this will be the beginning of the guitarist’s full recovery. 

“Sobrang saya lang ng feeling na naka-jam si Gab ulit. Nakakakilabot. Sabi ko nga, kung hindi niyo kami tinulungan, wala na siguro si Gab ngayon. (It makes me so happy to jam with Gab again. It gives me goosebumps. As I’ve said, if it wasn’t for your help, Gab would’ve not been around today.) Pero now, he’s slowly getting his strength back, and is on his way to making a full recovery,” he said. 

Since Miranda revealed Chee Kee’s diagnosis, both the music industry and fans came together to raise funds for the guitarist’s medical bills through gigs, auctions, and merchandise sales. 

“Mahaba pa ang laban, pero (It’s still a long battle but) we are slowly, but surely, winning,” Miranda ended his post. 

Fellow celebrities such as Gary Valenciano, Jugs Jugueta, and Iya Villania also left messages of support for Chee Kee’s recovery in the comments section. 

Chee Kee is one of the founding members of Parokya ni Edgar. The band came together in 1993 and has since been known for songs such as “The Yes Yes Show,” “Halaga,” “Mr. Suave,” “Harana,” and “Gitara.” – Rappler.com