MANILA — A day after the brutal murder of her mother in September 2014, a devastated Cherry Pie Picache said she was unsure if she would ever be capable of forgiveness, and even called for the return of death penalty.

“Iba rin talaga ang Diyos,” she told ABS-CBN News’ Mario Dumaual at the time. “You talk about forgiveness, you talk about… Kasi anti-death penalty ako, e. But now, iniisip mo, ‘What drives people to commit all this violence?’ Lahat iyon ma-pu-put into test sa ’yo in times like this.”

Two weeks later, Michael Flores, who had been a helper of Picache’s mother Zenaida Sison for six months, was arrested, and confessed to killing the 75-year-old woman in a robbery attempt. He also admitted being under the influence of “shabu,” or methamphetamine hydrochloride, when he and two other companions carried out the crime.

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During Sison’s wake, Picache was asked whether she sees the possibility of forgiving her mother’s killer. Her answer: “I don’t know now. But you pray and you continue to pray, kasi wala kang kakapitan. Siya lang. Pero pasensiya. Ngayon, hindi buo sa puso ko na sagutin ang tanong mo.”

In the five years since her mother’s death, Picache’s journey of healing has included being a speaker in different organizations and parishes, she said in an interview on “Tonight with Boy Abunda” aired Wednesday.

Her topic: forgiveness.

“Ngayon ko napatunayan — God really took over. It’s really by his grace that I was able to do it. While I was walking when I was about to see him… Desidido ako pero ang ipinagdarasal ko, sana magawa ko. So I was really praying, ‘Please take over.’ Iba. Hindi ako makapaniwala,” she said.

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Picache was sharing her experience of recently coming face to face with Flores, who was convicted in December 2015 with the penalty of reclusion perpetua or imprisonment of up to 40 years.

The meeting will be shown in the documentary “Radical Love,” which will premiere on ABS-CBN on Sunday, July 7.

“Dinalhan ko siya ng pasalubong pa. Hindi ko akalain na magagawa ko pa na bigyan ko pa ng tinapay ‘yung taong pumatay sa mama ko. Buong-buo. Buong puso ko siyang pinapatawad,” she said.

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Now five years removed from the incident, Picache acknowledged that Flores was not himself when he committed the crime.

“Mas mahirap sa kanila. Kasi ngayon na nasa katinuan na sila ng pag-iisip, ngayon na they’re restored to their basic goodness and sanity, kahit sila mismo gusto nila kalimutan na may nagawa silang gano’n,” she said.

Picache added that she plans to regularly visit Flores, “para ma-restore both ‘yung healing namin, magtuloy-tuloy.”