Alma Moreno. Image: screengrab from YouTube/Ogie Diaz
Alma Moreno admitted that the public’s reaction to her 2015 interview with Karen Davila affected her negatively, saying she only got over it after she realized she did not need to prove herself to anyone.
It can be recalled that the broadcaster interviewed Moreno when the latter was running for a senatorial position in 2015. The said interview immediately made headlines at the time after netizens pointed out how Moreno seemingly had a hard time answering Davila’s questions.
The actress-politician recalled this during a vlog with comedian-talent manager Ogie Diaz, who asked if she considered her then-candidacy as a “trauma.”
“Hindi, kasi ‘pag may dalahin ako, lagi akong nakakapit sa taas. Parang dumaan lang sa akin—nalungkot ako, nasaktan ako pero after no’n kailangan lumaban sa buhay e,” she said. “Hindi pwedeng [‘pag] nadapa ka o kung anong mangyari sa ‘yo ay hindi ka na babangon.”
(No, because when something weighs on me, I always hold on to Him. It will just pass by. I will be sad and hurt, but I will soldier on in life. You should not stay down after you stumble.)
When asked if she took to heart the bashing she got at the time, Moreno admitted, “Nung una dinamdam ko ‘yon. Syempre tao lang naman ako na normal na nasasaktan. Iniyak ko din ‘yon.” (At first, I felt hurt. I’m just a human who gets hurt. I cried over it.)
“Pero after no’n wala na—kailangan maging matibay ako e,” she added. “Sa lahat ng ayaw ko kahit nung araw—ayokong magself-pity.” (Then after that, I moved on because I needed to be strong. I hate wallowing in self-pity even before.)
Diaz brought up Moreno’s interview with Davila, which the actress then regarded as a “lesson” for her.
“Hangga’t maaari nga hind ko na inoopen ‘yon e. Hindi na namin pinag-uusapan,” she said, noting how she came to a point when she thought of finishing her studies because of the criticisms thrown at her. “Kaya lang, hindi ko para patunayan ‘yung sarili ko sa lahat. Hindi ako ‘yun.”
(As much as possible I don’t open up about it. We don’t talk about it… I do not need to prove myself to everyone. It’s not me.)
Moreno then stressed that even if she wasn’t able to finish her studies, she is content that her children did, and that they will not experience what their mom had been through.
“Kung ano ‘yung dinanas ko, ayokong madanas ng mga anak mo…kasi mahirap, masakit,” she stated. “Pero at least ngayon—tingnan mo ko—nandito pa rin ako. Lumalaban pa rin.”
(I do not want my kids to experience what I had been through because it was hard and painful… At least now—look at me—I’m still here, fighting.) /ra