Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon, inilahad ni Liza Soberano ang kanyang mahirap at mapait na karanasan noong siya ay lumalaki sa Amerika, kabilang ang nangyaring pang-aabuso, at paninirahan sa foster care.
Sa podcast na “Can I Come In?” na inilabas noong Agosto 14, sinabi ni Liza na lumaki siya sa piling ng “misguided” na mga magulang — isang amang sangkot sa paggawa ng ilegal na droga, at isang inang lulong sa crystal meth.
Ayon kay Liza, nakulong at na-deport ang kanyang ama sa Pilipinas matapos makasuhan ng iba’t ibang kaso, habang lalong lumala ang pagkalulong ng ina sa droga kahit buntis pa ito sa kanyang kapatid.
Isa sa mga pinakamatinding karanasan niya ay nang mapabilang sa isang insidente ng kidnapping, kung saan sinaktan siya ng boyfriend ng kanyang ina gamit ang isang baril matapos tumanggi ang aktres sa gusto ng partner ng ina na saktan ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid na lalaki.
‘Ang then the next thing i know it he hits me in the head with the bottom of a gun that was holding. He hits me in the head and then, next thing i know it my mom’s unning back to the car and she had bought batteries for a flashlight,’ pahayag ng aktres.
Pagkatapos makulong ang kanyang magulang at partner nito, napunta si Liza at ang kanyang kapatid sa iba’t ibang foster homes, kabilang na sa isang tahanan kung saan siya umano’y inabuso —pinakain ng maruming pagkain, pinatulog sa garahe, at pinakilos na parang hayop.
‘She started really abusing me, not just psychologically. The first instance was when I was eating spaghetti at the table and this is why I have a phobia of meatballs now. I was forced to eat one and I choked. She didn’t do anything and she just watched me,’ ani Liza
‘The next instance I remember was when their actual family dog took a shit on the carpet, and she called me to clean it up.’
‘I went over, planning to grab a brush or a toothbrush or something, and when I came back, she asked, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, in my little girl voice, ‘I’m cleaning it, like you asked me to.’
‘But she said, ‘No, I want you to use your tongue.’ I thought she was joking. until she grabbed the back of my head and forced me down onto the carpet,” pagbabalik-tanaw ni Liza,’ paglalahad pa ni Liza.
Nailigtas lamang sila ng kanyang kapatid nang magsagawa ng surprise visit ang isang social worker at natuklasan ang mga senyales ng pang-aabuso.
Sa huli, lumipat sila sa Pilipinas sa edad na 10 dahil sa hirap ng buhay.
Ibinahagi rin ng aktres ang hirap ng muling pakikitungo sa kanyang amang hindi niya halos nakasama noon, at kung paanong naapektuhan nito ang kanyang self-worth.
‘It was uncomfortable because he demanded so much from me as a daughter that I felt unmerited because he was not around.’
‘A lot was going on. A lot of fear. A lot of uncertainty and then out of nowhere this guy comes up to me and kisses me on the cheek and it’s my father. I just pushed him and I feel disgusted.’
‘He expected that we would act like we knew each other all this time but we just had conversations on the phone that would last like three minutes,’ pagpapatuloy ni Liza.
‘He didn’t know how to take it step by step and he just made me uncomfortable,’ dagdag pa ng dalaga.
Ang matapang na pagbubunyag ni Liza ay umani ng suporta at papuri mula sa publiko, na kinilala ang kanyang katapangan sa pagbabahagi ng kwento ng pagbangon mula sa mapait na nakaraan.
‘Hope (tunay niyang pangalan), I promise you I won’t ever let anyone make you feel inferior. Ever.’
‘Don’t let people hurt you. Don’t stay because you are afraid of rocking the boat. Love yourself first and life will get so much better,’ mensahe ni Liza sa kanyang sarili bilang pagtatapos ng podcast.
