 Atienza's father, Jose J. Atienza Sr., was a distinguished public servant to three Philippine presidents.An uncle, Hermenegildo Atienza, was a World War II guerrilla leader and after the war was appointed Military Mayor of Manila by Gen. Douglas McArthur himself and one of the founders of the Liberal Party in 1946.Another uncle, Rigoberto Atienza, a World War II veteran, a victim of the Bataan Death March and former Philippine Army commanding general, became Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces in the 1960s during the term of President Diosdado Macapagal.