Actress Jackie Lou Blanco couldn't help but turn emotional remembering a traumatic experience.
It all started with her mom, Pilita Corrales, relating in an interview her experience being in an abusive relationship in the past.
According to Pilita, former partner Amado del Paraguay would often beat her when drunk.
"When he took one sip of alcohol, he became a different person," Pilita related.
Jackie was affected, of course.
She shared, "The longest kasi relationship that my mom had was with my Tito Amado. That was over ten years. Okay naman pero since I was a bit young pa, parang feeling ko - well, baka ako lang yung nag-impose sa sarili ko na parang feeling ko naging hadlang siya dun sa pagiging close ko sa mom ko."
"But he was okay naman with us. Wala naman akong problem with him. The only time I had a problem with him was when he physically hit my mom."
Though she didn't personally witness her mom getting hurt, Jackie heard about it.
"Which I think is even worse," she maintained.
She vividly recalled: "This was the room of my mom and this is my room and I could just... My mom, she's always a very positive person. Hindi siya masyadong hihingi ng tulong. Parang kaya ko itong lahat, di ba?"
"Narinig ko dun sa kwarto: 'Jackie, help me.' Hala sabi ko, 'Anong nangyayari?' Naririnig ko siya, so kumatok ako: 'Mom! Open the door!' Pagbukas ko ng pinto nandun yung mom ko. Nakahandusay siya sa sahig, black and blue," she added, breaking down.
"I was in my twenties pero... He left because I said: 'Get out!' First time kasi na I see my mom na hindi malakas. Talagang naka-ano siya dun sa floor... kasi he was kicking her..."
Pilita still had a show to do the next day and she made huge effort to hide her bruises.
"Pero after a while, she still took him back. Hindi ko naiintindihan yun so lumayas ako," Jackie revealed.
Though she said that in fairness to Amado, he really tried to make up for it.
"But I guess din sa kanilang dalawa it wasn't the same na. Siyempre, it was harder for us, (the) children."
Jackie admitted it left a huge scar in her being.
"One of the qualities of my mom that's admirable is yung, yes, of course, she's gone through so much in her life pero she has such a forgiving and an open heart na: 'Okay, I'll try again. You know, maybe it's gonna work this time.' Parang she loves life so much na: 'Okay lang, bakit ba, di ba?'"
Meanwhile, Pilita declared that motherhood is the "best thing" that ever happened to her, having Jackie and Ramon Christopher Gutierrez.
"Yun ang kanyang premyo pagkatapos ng lahat ng pinagdaanan niya," Jackie said.