Trigger warning: suicide, self-harm, abuse
"Emman did not die in vain."
Ito ang madamdaming pahayag ni Kim Atienza tungkol sa pagpanaw ng bunsong anak na si Emman Atienza.
Siyam na araw pa lamang ang nakalilipas mula nang pumanaw si Emman sa Los Angeles, California, noong October 22, 2025.
At bakas ang pighati ni Kim sa sinapit ng anak na 19 taong gulang lamang.
Pero matapang na humarap si Kim sa eksklusibong panayam sa kanya ng kasamahan sa GMA Integrated News na si Jessica Soho upang idetalye ang pagpanaw ni Emman.
Inilabas ang advance excerpt mula sa Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, Sabado ng gabi, November 1.
Kuha ang video sa bahay ng pamilya Atienza kunsaan nakalagak na rin ang cremated remains ni Emman.
Dito isinalaysay ni Kim ang huling mensaheng ipinaabot ni Emman sa mga magulang.
Read: Emman Atienza's cremated remains now at Atienza family home
KIM ATIENZA ON LAST MOMENTS OF EMMAN
Nasa Pilipinas daw noon si Kim, habang si Emman ay nasa Los Angeles, California, kunsaan nakabase ang dalaga.
Ang asawa ni Kim na si Felicia Hung Atienza ay nasa Florida, USA, naman noon.
October 20, o dalawang araw bago pumanaw si Emman, ay nagpadala ito ng mensahe kay Felicia.
"That day, two days before that, we knew that there was a problem," simulang salaysay ni Kim.
"Emman texted her mommy. Sabi niya, 'Mom, I'm in a... an emergency right now but worry not. There's no self-harm. But I need to go to a therapy center.'
"So, ayun ang message namin. So we knew there was something wrong. We tried calling her, hindi sumasagot.
"And then the next day we tried calling her again, hindi na naman sumasagot. So I knew.
"I was in the Philippines, Feli was in Florida. Mayroon siyang pickleball championship, e.
"Buti nasa America na siya [Feli] when that happened, 'no? But I was waiting here."
Hindi na raw nila muling nakausap pa si Emman.
Pagpapatuloy na lahad ni Kim: "And then on the second day, I woke up in the morning, may message si Feli. 'I have terrible, terrible news.' I knew already.
"Napaluhod ako, nanlambot ang tuhod ko. Sabi ko, 'Lord, eto na.' So I called Feli, and Feli said, 'Emman's gone.'
"Nanlambot ako, nanlamig ako.
"And ang nasa utak ko, 'Lord, dasal ko sa 'yo 'to araw-araw. Why?'"
Lumipad daw agad si Felicia mula Florida patungong Los Angeles. Si Kim ay nakalipad daw mula sa Pilipinas patungong Los Angeles makalipas ang dalawang araw.
"So, Emman is now in the Philippines, but right now I'm just grieving that Emman is lost," ani Kim.
Read: Emman Atienza’s past post on mental health resurfaces online
KIM ATIENZA ON DAUGHTER'S CAUSE OF DEATH
Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng publiko na mabilis na kumalat ang balita tungkol sa dahilan ng pagpanaw ni Emman.
Naiulat ito sa iba-ibang entertainment news outlets sa U.S., kunsaan public record at mabilis na nakakalap ninuman ang Medical Examiner-Coroner report.
Sa panayam ni Jessica kay Kim, direktang in-address ni Kim ang mga katanungang bumabalot sa pagpanaw ni Emman.
Bilang ama, ipinaliwanag ni Kim na araw-araw niyang dasal na huwag mangyari ang kinahinatnan ni Emman.
"I'd like to think that my daughter Emman did not die in vain. Nung namatay si Emman... kasi we know that Emman's sick.
"And she had a few attempts in the past.
"And my prayer to the Lord every single day was for this not to happen. For Emman to be safe, for Emman to be happy, for Emman to heal.
"Yet this happened."
Naiiyak pang sabi ni Kim sa isang punto ng interbyu: "Parang, 'Lord, kahit bigyan mo ako ng cancer, okay, e.'
"Titiisin ko yun, e. Madali ang ano, e... madali ang physical pain.
"Pero yung mamatayan ka ng anak... masakit. Hindi mo alam saan galing yung sakit, masakit lang. Masakit sa lahat."
Masakit daw para sa kanya bilang ama, pero ang tanging pinanghahawakan niya ay ang pananampalataya sa Diyos.
"I know that nothing happens as an accident. And I know that all things work out well.
"Everything's planned by the Lord. I know that this will... This, this is not in vain.
"Emman did not die in vain. May dahilan, at ang dahilan ay maganda. That gives me peace," paliwanag ni Kim.
Read: Emman Atienza recalls joys of childhood days before her passing
ON EMMAN STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION
Hindi raw inaasahan ni Kim na mangyayari ang sinapit ng anak dahil ang buong akala raw niya ay bumubuti ang kondisyon ni Emman.
"Emman, I thought, was very strong. But I didn't know that deep inside she was also suffering, 'no?
"Kasi she put up a very strong front, a very happy front, yet she was suffering and she was in pain, 'no?"
Sa puntong ito binanggit ni Jessica ang pagsasapubliko ni Emman tungkol sa pang-aabusong dinanas nito noong bata pa dahil sa isang kasambahay.
Kaugnay ito ng panayam kay Emman ni Toni Gonzaga noong November 24, 2024.
Inamin doon ni Emman na naka-develop siya ng paranoia dahil noong musmos pa siya ay madalas siyang maiwan sa kasambahay na tinerrorize daw siya.
Ikinulong daw siya sa cabinet kasama ng stuff toy, at tinakot daw siyang papatayin siya ng stuff toy na iyon.
Nalaman na lang daw ng mga magulang ni Emman ang tungkol dito nang "casually" naikuwento niya ito sa kanyang Grade 1 teacher.
Ipinarating daw iyon ng kanyang guro sa kanyang mga magulang.
Pero hindi pa rin daw ipinaalam ni Emman kina Kim at Felicia ang kabuuan ng kuwento ng dinanas niya noong bata hanggang sa noong nagte-therapy na siya kalaunan.
Sabi ni Kim sa panayam ng KMJS: "You know what, Jessica? We were keeping that secret because nalaman namin yung mga details na iyan in one of her attempts in the past.
"Meron siyang mga kinausap na therapist at sinabi ng mga psychologist na ito yung cause niya.
"Nagkaroon siya ng PTSD o Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at ang dahilan ay yun. At yun ang maraming bagay na kinuwento niya kay Toni Gonzaga.
"And we were keeping that secret because we wanted to protect her.
"Nagulat na lang kami noong biglang nilabas pala niya sa interview.
"Hindi lang kay Toni niya nilabas, e. She kept on talking about it openly with passion.
"In her TikTok, in her guesting, open siya, e."
Akala raw ni Kim ay senyales iyon na mas nadi-deal na ni Emman ang sakit na dinaanan nito.
"That's why we thought that she's okay. Because despite her pain, she was reaching out.
"And despite her pain, nagkukuwento siya, e. And that's a sign that you're okay.
"So we felt she was okay kasi ang advocacy niya, mental health. Ang advocacy niya, huwag made-depress.
"Yun pala, she was suffering.
"So, yung two years niya sa social media, kunsaan napakamaraming nakilala niya, marami siyang nailabas na ganyan that we were keeping secret as a family.
"But she was... she was really ano, e, nilalabas niya, e."
Read: Emman Atienza’s last Threads post shows pain from online hate
KIM ATIENZA ON MIXED REACTIONS ABOUT EMMAN'S DEATH
Aminado si Kim na hindi madaling makita sa social media ang iba-ibang komento ng netizens tungkol sa pagpanaw ng anak.
Pero pinipili raw niya tingnan ang kabutihang dulot nito.
"I can see that it's moving a lot of people, not only in the Philippines but worldwide.
"Alam mo ba yung anak ko, si Emman is, was in New York Times. She was in TMZ, Entertainment Tonight...
"And painfully I was reading all the comments. And all the... the articles.
"But what's good about her being written about was they wrote about what happened and they also wrote about what she stood for, which is a little kindness.
"Kumalat yun, e. 'A little kindness, a little kindness.'"
Iyon daw ang katangian ni Emman na mapapatotohanan ni Kim.
"Emman was so kind. Napakabait ng batang yun, sobra."
Alam ni Kim na nagsisimula pa lang ang pagdadalamhati niya sa pagpanaw ng anak.
Kaya kahit na "good" siya noong mga oras na kapanayam siya ni Jessica, sigurado raw siyang babalutin siya ng lungkot sa ibang pagkakataon.
"Pero grief kase comes in waves, e. Minsan biglang bumabagsak. Ngayon, okay ako.
"So, ayaw kong mag-isa dahil pag mag-isa ako, medyo parang mabigat.
"I look at social media because I get inspired. Sabi ng mga kaibigan ko, e, 'Huwag ka tumingin.'
"Yung mga comments, hindi ko binabasa, pero yung mga post, binabasa ko because I can see that Emman's death has touched a lot of lives.
"At nagugulat ako, e. Even Americans, even people from out of the country are making comments about Emman and about how she's touched their life."
Read: Emman Atienza death, ini-report ng international news outlets
ON WIFE FELICIA AND OTHER CHILDREN
Ayon pa kay Kim, siya ang emosyonal sa pamilya.
Ang asawang si Feli ay nilarawan niyang "very strong woman."
"Ang way of coping ni Feli, she's very busy taking care of mga details ng wake, sa pag-ayos ng bahay.
"Galing kami sa LA ng ilang araw, e. So that's what keeps her sane, and keeps her not grieving too much."
Ang anak daw nilang si Jose ang tumulong naman sa pag-aayos ng mga papeles sa LA.
"Doon na kasi nakatira sa Amerika yun, e. Jose's very strong. And Eliana is strong as well.
"I raised very strong kids."
Ipapalabas ang kabuuan ng panayam ni Jessica kay Kim sa KMJS sa Linggo ng gabi, November 2.
Depression is a serious issue. There are organizations who are ready to extend aid to those who are going through this condition.
Para sa nangangailangan ng tulong, maaring tumawag sa National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 1553, Landline (02) 7-989-8727 at mobile number 0966-351-4518.
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