Gabby Eigenmann assures Andi won’t feel alone after Jaclyn Jose’s death

Touching on their close bond, Gabby Eigenmann is determined to make sure that his paternal half-sister Andi Eigenmenn won’t feel alone after her mother’s death, screen veteran Jaclyn Jose.

Gabby and Andi are half-siblings through the late screen veteran Mark Gil. His mother is Irene Celebre, a commercial model in the 1980s.

Gabby said his brotherly love for Andi goes way back to when they were young in an interview via entertainment journalist Allan Diones’ YouTube channel, saying he will stand by the latter’s side while they’re coming to terms with Jose being gone.

“Mahirap sabihin kung nag-sink in. Some could be days, some could be weeks, and some, it’s going to hit after a month,” he said. “Akala ko okay na ako kasi nag-taping ako. I had an option not to tape, but na-absorb ko ang nararamdaman ni Andi. I would never make her feel [alone]. She will never feel that way. I’ll make sure of that.”

(It’s hard to say if Jose’s death has sunk in. Some could take days, some could take weeks, and some, it’s going to hit after a month. I thought I was doing okay because I had taping. I had an opportunity not to tape, but I absorbed what Andi was feeling. I would never make her feel alone. She will never feel that way. I’ll make sure of that.)

The actor shared that Andi is still “coping” with her mother’s death and her emotions are “on and off” at the moment, as he noted that people go through different “levels of grief” when their loved one dies.

“When Andi was growing up, noong naghiwalay [sina Jaclyn Jose and Mark Gil], away bati, away bati, ako ‘yung tumatahan kay Andi. Ako ang humihiram kay Andi kay Tita Jane. Kapag may family gathering ang mga Eigenmann, I would stand up and hiramin ko si Andi,” added Gabby, looking back at his childhood with Andi while referring to the screen veteran using her name.

(When Andi was growing up and Jaclyn Jose and Mark Gil parted ways, there were on- and off-fights. I’m the one who comforted Andi. I would borrow Andi from Tita Jane. When the Eigenmanns would hold a gathering, I would stand up and borrow Andi.)

Gabby, however, clarified that Gil was “supportive” of Andi when she was still young but took note of Jose standing as a single mother during the “Agua Bendita” star’s younger days.

“Not that I was replacing my dad, ako ang pinaka-Kuya niya,” he said. “Close naman kaming magkakapatid, but mas napapansin ng iba na hands-on at overprotective ako kay Andi. Naging single mom talaga si Tita Jane kay Andi. I’m not saying my dad wasn’t supportive but hindi sila okay noong mga panahon na ‘yun.”

(Not that I was replacing my dad, but I really stood as her big brother. We’re all close, but many took note of me as a hands-on and overprotective brother of Andi. Tita Jane raised Andi as a single mother. I’m not saying my dad wasn’t supportive but they weren’t okay at the time.)

The actor, who didn’t expound on the string of events after Jose’s death, said he discovered the news through Andi who called him while crying.

“When Andi called me, she was crying. And the rest was history. I went straight to their house, and that’s how things went. When we gathered everyone’s emotions and talked to Andi, I picked her up then,” he said.

Jose will reportedly brought to her final resting place in Quezon City on March 10, with just some close friends and family members in attendance.