MANILA – Actress Claudine Barretto thanked her mom Inday, who has consistently defended her against bashers and even against her own sisters Gretchen and Marjorie.
In a letter she sent her mom last May 8, a copy of which was published in the June 2013 issue of Yes magazine, Claudine noted that her mom was always there for her.
“I don’t know where to start. I have so many things I want to thank you for & say. I am so blessed to have you as a mother. Thank you Mom for loving me and taking good care of me all these years. Thank you for being there when we need you & being my strength apart from God,” she said.
Claudine said that even if she were to live another life, she would still choose Mrs. Barretto to be her mother.
The actress also took the opportunity to apologize for the "many times" she hurt her mother.
“Thank you for holding my hand when I’m scared or hurt. Thanks for being a friend. I love you so much Mom. I thank you and Dad for giving me such a great childhood. I’m so sorry again for the many times I have hurt you,” she said.
Before ending the letter, Claudine said she will always try to live up to her promise of making her parents proud of her.
In April, Mrs. Barretto released a statement saying she had disowned her 43-year-old daughter Gretchen in favor of Claudine.
The feud between the Barretto sisters stemmed partly from allegations that Claudine was set out to "block" the showbiz career of Marjorie's daughter, Julia, although this was denied by Mrs. Barretto.
Subsequent statements made by two other Barretto siblings, Joaquin and Gia, brought up previous family issues, including one about Gretchen being the breadwinner of the family when she was just a teen.
While Gretchen refused to fight back despite the accusations made against her by her own mother and older sister Gia, Marjorie, for her part, said she doesn’t see their family feud ending soon.
Claudine has yet to break her silence about the controversy.
