When a child speaks, you can't help but feel delighted with their charming innocence. But when they speak of pain and longing, it cuts even deeper. In "Saving Grace The Untold Story," the character Grace Banaag (Zia Grace), a young girl who has endured physical abuse from her own mother and stepdad, delivers lines so powerful and haunting that they don't just stir emotion, but also challenge one's moral compass. 

This Holy Week, as we take time to pause and reflect, Grace's words will surely strike with heavy truths. Sometimes, it's in the raw honesty of a child that we get much-needed wake-up calls, reminding us of lessons we often forget.

"Kapag hindi po ako umiyak, paano niya po malalaman na nasasaktan po ako?" 

Grace tells Anna (Julia Montes) that even pain needs to be heard. In this scene, she opens up about how her biological mother, Sarah (Jennica Garcia), would scold her for crying whenever she was hit. She questions why she always has to bottle up her feelings. To prove her point, she gently pinches Anna and asks if it hurts, and says that if it does, then it's only natural to cry. The little girl, scarred by abuse, teaches us that crying isn’t weakness; it’s a sign that you’re human, and that you’re hurting.

“Ang swerte n’yo nga po, may Nanay kayo na gustong bumawi sa inyo.”

Grace says this after witnessing Bobby (Junjun Quintana) raise his voice at his mother, Lucy (Sherry Lara), who is openly regretful for the times she failed him in the past. While Bobby is still clouded by anger, Grace, despite her own pain, reminds him of something many forget—not everyone gets a second chance at a mother’s love.

Grace teaches us that while hurt is valid, healing is also a choice, and sometimes, holding onto anger only wastes the time we still have to make things right. 

"Sino po ba ang nagsasabi ng tama at mali? Kakausapin ko po." 

Grace says this with a mix of innocence and frustration, unable to understand why people are painting her teacher Anna as the villain when she willingly left with Anna out of desperation to escape the physical abuse she endured at home. When people call Anna "bad" or a "kidnapper," the child wonders if that means it would've been better to leave her in the hands of those who were hurting her. Grace questions how society defines right and wrong, and whether we're truly listening to the voices of the children we claim to protect.

"Kapag sinabi ko po kay Mama na mag-sorry sa inyo, magiging okay na po ba?"

Grace says this after witnessing how differently Anna is treated by her own family. She observes how Anna's mother, Helena (Janice de Belen) and sister Princess (Majoy Apostol) always get to speak their minds, while Anna is constantly silenced. With childlike honesty, she asks what it would take for Helena and Princes to forgive. Sometimes, it takes the innocence of a child to ask the questions adults are too prideful to say out loud.

"Bakit nila ako nilagay sa sako? Bakit nila ako tinatapon, basura po ba ako? 'Yung nanay ko ba hindi ako mahal?"

With all the innocence and desperation of a child longing for freedom, Grace looks up at the sky and begs the birds to take her with them. Because unlike her home, the sky feels safe. And as if that isn’t already enough to get the tears flowing, Grace finally lets the pain pour out, asking why her own mother treats her like trash, why she’s stuffed into a sack after being beaten. No child should ever have to wonder if they’re worthy of love. Because real love does not hurt. Love must protect and make you feel safe. 

"Sabi ni Mama, binabantayan ako ni Papa, pero bakit parang nanonood lang siya?"

Grace was talking about her late father, someone she was told is watching over her from heaven. But even at her young age, the child wonders why no one saves her. It was one of the earliest moments that hinted at the abuse. May we learn to listen more closely to the quiet signs, and never hesitate to protect a child who might be silently crying for help.

Catch "Saving Grace The Untold Story," weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), TV5, and A2Z.