AZ Martinez opens up about growing up with abusive father

Trigger warning: domestic abuse, gun violence

AZ Martinez opened up about the abuse she and her mother, Bing, went through at the hands of her late father.

In an interview on Karen Davila’s YouTube channel, AZ shared that her parents separated when she was young. Her father was placed in a rehabilitation center due to alcoholism, later dying due to liver cirrhosis.

“Si Daddy, sobrang sobrang bait talaga siya, sobrang generous. Although na kapag may times na umiinom siya, nagiiba,” AZ said.

“Pero ‘pag sober na siya, sobrang sweet niya and sobrang protective niya talaga sa ‘kin. As in, ibang klaseng protective, he’s a very strict dad,” she added.

AZ said that growing up, she always saw her parents fighting.

“Si Daddy dumadating lasing, as in grabe talaga ‘yung away nila,” she said.

“And we would always go to police stations, to the point na nagtatawag na ng police sa house. And dinadala namin si daddy, nakikita ko siya nakasakay sa likod ng police car, ‘yung parang may kulungan sa likod pa,” she added.

She also said that there were guns in their home.

“Madami talaga pinagdaanan si Mommy na sobrang naapektuhan kami ng brother ko. Especially si mommy, seeing her like that,” AZ said. “Nagtatago kami sa kwarto naka-lock, mga ganun.”

Bing raised AZ as a single parent. She described it as “hard” as she was dealing with a lot of things emotionally and mentally as a battered wife for seven years.

She said that the last straw was when “binaril ako, lumusot lang po.”

“He was really high sa drugs.” 

She added that she left “to protect my children.”

“Kasi nakikita na nila ‘yung pinaka mahirap na eh, so ayoko ‘yung ma-retain ‘yan sa mind nila.”

AZ recalled one time when she covered her mother while a gun was pointed on her head. AZ and Bing said they don’t think he remembers what happened.

Despite all the abuse, AZ still has good memories of her dad.

“I know my dad kapag hindi siya lasing eh. So hindi ko siya mina-mind. I know na it’s just because of the alcohol,” she said.

Bing added, “Hindi ko naman na-brainwash sila kasi no matter what, Daddy nila ‘yan.”

Eventually, she and her husband became friends and she took care of him while he was in the hospital.

Bing shared a message for battered wives: “The best is forgiveness.” 

"Trust God, ask for strength.”

She said she moved forward by focusing on her children and herself to give them good lives.

AZ ended her "Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition" journey as the fourth Big Placer alongside her Kapamilya duo River Joseph. 

AZ and Ralph De Leon are starring in Le John's "Naiilang" music video, which will be released on Saturday. —Nika Roque/JCB, GMA Integrated News