Kim Chiu might have continued her affairs for the day, primarily her taping schedule for Love Thy Woman, after the horrifying shooting incident on Wednesday, March 4, she would later realize the extent of the trauma she experienced.
“I was scared,” a tearful Kim tells ABS-CBN News in this video. “Magtatrabaho ako, pupunta ako taping tapos magigising ako pinagbabaril ang kotse ko.”
Kim, who said it was the first time she heard real gunshots, could not find any reason or motive behind the attack, much less know what was actually transpiring. She said she was fortunate she decided to lie down in another area of the vehicle or she could have been hit.
“Hindi ko alam what’s happening. ‘Di ko alam kung may kaaway ako. Wala naman. It’s just a normal taping day for me na lumabas ako ng village. Tapos wala. Natutulog lang ako. Dapat magbabasa ako ng script pero inantok ako on the way paglabas ng village. Humiga ako. So kung ‘di inantok at tinuloy ko ang pagbasa ng script, siguro tinamaan na ako dito. I was scared,” she said.
After hearing the eight gunshots, she said she immediately approached her companions and asked what happened and if they were okay.
“Maliit lang ‘yung putok eh, as in manipis lang ‘yung tunog,” Kim recalled. “Tapos sabi ko ano ‘yun. Ano ‘yung nangyayari? Tapos pumunta ako sa driver ko, sa PA ko. Sabi nila nabaril ang kotse. Tiningnan ko sila kaagad, silang dalawa. ‘Okay ba kayo?’ Kasi ‘yung driver ko, ‘yung windshield niya butas ng bala. Sabi nila ‘Okay kami. Ikaw ka ba?’ Sabi ko ‘okay naman ako.’ Tapos hanggang sa umupo ako nakita ko ‘yung baril na bilog-bilog sa bintana.”
Kim said she first called her elder sister immediately after the incident.
“Tumawag ako sa ate ko. Tumawag ako na, ‘Uy, binaril ang kotse ko. Ang dami kong tinawagan. Kasi ‘di ko alam ang gagawin ko. Umupo ako sa sasakyan. Ang daming pulis sa labas. Hindi ko na alam. After that, nag-hang ako,” Kim noted.
But despite the trauma, Kim said she called another driver to pick her up to take her to the Love Thy Woman taping right away.
“Sinundo ako ng driver kong isa. Nagpasundo ako. Then instinct ko, pumunta akong taping. Nag-take ako ng dalawang eksena. Siguro adrenaline rush, ‘Taping tayo. Magtrabaho tayo,’” she said.
Kim broke down when she recalled that after doing those takes for the drama, people were flooding her with calls and messages asking her how she was.
“People were asking me kumusta ako. Hindi ko alam. Tinatanong ako ‘Kumusta ka?” Iniisip ako, ‘Oo nga ano, kumusta ako?,’” Kim tearfully related.
With the incident, Kim remarked, “Life is really precious kasi kahit wala kang sakit, wala kang kasamaan ng loob, kung natamaan ka ng bala, siguro wala ka na.”
She said the entire ABS-CBN family is behind her in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“I’m very happy. I’m very thankful na more than 100 messages ‘yung natanggap ko sa cell phone ko and sa tawag. Safe naman ako. Pasalamat ako na nag-alala sila sa akin. Sana makita na kung sino ang bumaril sa kotse ko,” Kim stressed.