The True Nature of Nora Aunor’s Relationship with Her Children

Were there unresolved issues between Nora and her children? I have a feeling they may not have been very close in recent years. After watching a few interviews with her children, something felt slightly off—their body language, the way they spoke about her passing—it all seemed a bit distant. I truly hope I’m wrong and that in the end, they found peace and forgiveness together. Nora may not have been a perfect mother, but I believe she had great empathy and compassion. I truly admire her for adopting children and giving them a chance at a better life.

Try looking for interviews the children did before (I can’t remember if Ate Guy ever did one). They clearly had some distance, although I didn’t notice anything major in the recent interviews following her death.

If I recall correctly, Lotlot was the one who took care of her siblings when Nora couldn’t. (I think both Matet and Ian have confirmed this, which is why Lotlot was able to do so). Ate Guy seemed warm and humble, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she was a perfect mother or person.

Still, I think that whatever issues and resentment they had, they may have been able to reconnect in the months/years before she passed away. Kung may samaan pa sila ng loob, they likely chose to let it go, because she was their mother.

There really was a distance between them. She chose John Rendez over them. They’re not on the same level as the Barrettos when it comes to family drama, so their conflict still retained some dignity. John Rendez reportedly consumed all of her income.

Read between the lines of what Lotlot said—”a treasure to the family but truly, she belonged more to the people than to us.” Maybe they grew up with Ate Guy always away for work, etc., and eventually got used to it, but of course, as children, you can’t escape the hurt that comes with that. I believe they worked through it over time, and clearly, they were closer to Christopher de Leon. Yes, they seemed closer to Christopher—when Lotlot remarried, only Christopher was there, not Nora.

As Sir Ricky Lee said—Nora Aunor was a genius. A true artist, inside and out. We all know how a genius’s mind can work. They have flaws. They’re not perfect. They can be eccentric, erratic. They may only care about certain things at certain times. She may not have been the best mother and was indeed a public figure—but she always stayed dedicated to her craft, especially to her fans.

I can only imagine how frustrating that must have been for Nora’s children. From a young age, they were thrust into the spotlight, faced with the public, and had to accept that their mother might not always be present for them. But watching their vlogs, they seem like a regular family. They go on road trips, gather on birthdays and holidays. They try to make the relationship work. Sometimes people are just made differently, and all we can do is try to understand them.

Based on interviews, she didn’t seem like the sweet and clingy type of mother. You know what I mean? According to one of her sons, as they grew older, they got along better. One of the sons even said they had to inform her in advance before visiting, because she didn’t like surprise visits.

Also, in the interviews, they seemed to accept that she truly belonged to the people. I was shocked that it was her fans who helped pay her medical bills (if what CF posted is true).

Nora once had an interview where she was asked why she adopted children. She said the children she adopted were suggested by others. She felt guilty saying no because it felt tragic, and she would still feel guilty if something bad happened to that child. She adopted them not because she wanted to be a mother, but out of pity and fear of what might happen.

Matet even said in a past interview that they had a hard time borrowing money from Nora, while she was generous to others. In her interview with Ogie D, Matet shared that it was originally Nora’s mother who adopted her and Lotlot. When her mother passed away, Nora took them in.

Ian, her only biological child, was the one who brought everyone together and treated each one as family. In fact, there were past rumors that Nora specifically wanted to adopt “mestizo” (mixed-race) children. I feel like there’s some truth to that based on the appearances of her adopted children. Either way, adopting a child is no small matter!!

I also wonder—if Nora adopted them before Christopher, it seemed like she was obsessed with mixed-race children. Lotlot was proven to be part American; I think Matet, Kiko, and Kenneth also have mixed heritage. I don’t know if it was just a coincidence that they were given to her, or maybe it was because they resembled Lotlot. A colleague once said you can’t really choose who you adopt—it’s more likely through an orphanage. I wonder if that’s true. Juday’s Yohan, Dolphy’s Nicole, and Claudine’s Sab were also given to them. So I guess maybe you can choose.

Matet hinted at Nora’s narcissistic tendencies in her interview with Ogie, and said they were protecting her by staying silent, because speaking up would ruin her kind public image. She specifically mentioned an event where Nora would belittle her and intentionally make her feel bad for not earning enough money.

She acknowledged that Lotlot was the one who held the siblings together. She was the mother figure, not Nora. Also, based on current interviews with the children, it sometimes seems that Nora was emotionally volatile. They said there was a house in Bicol, bought when her mother was still alive. Though we don’t know how big it was. Nora Aunor may not have left behind a vast fortune, but she left them the immortal legacy of the highest honor one can experience in this life.

I just watched KMJS, Jessica said she once had 20 homes. But there doesn’t seem to be a direct answer to what happened to all those properties. But Nora said she was very generous. Even when she gave her last peso without knowing who she would have to pay next week, she was always struggling to find money to pay. Please correct me if I’m wrong. 🙂