Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte celebrated his 79th birthday on Thursday with his family in Davao City.
Among those who greeted the ex-President is his son, Cong. Paolo Duterte shared his birthday greetings on Facebook.
“Happy birthday to our father who raised us with wisdom and strength! We will always be inspired by your love and service for our country. Thank you for showing us what family is all about – supporting one another and staying together through it all,” he captioned his post of a photo of him with the former President.
Former Sen. Manny Villar also extended his greetings thru a post on Instagram.
“Happy birthday, Former President Duterte! Thank you for spending most of the 79 years of your life in pursuit of peace, order, and prosperity for the Filipinos. From one doting lolo to another, I wish you peace of mind and more time to spend with your family and apos. Maligayang kaarawan, Digong!” said Villar.
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‘Nothing personal’
Earlier this month, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also extended his greetings during his three-day visit to Germany when asked by Manila reporters about his reaction to the attacks leveled against him by the former President.
“So, like I told you many times before, it’s not personal for me. For me, it’s not easy, but I separate work from personal matters. So, I don’t see a problem there,” President Marcos said in a news release by the Presidential Communications Office.
One of the attacks was when the former President accused Marcos of seeking to extend his term through talks of charter change. The former president likewise accused Marcos of gallivanting overseas. Despite this, he said, he wishes Duterte a happy birthday.
“Well, yes. We will, of course, wish him a happy birthday, and many happy returns. And indeed, that is, you know us Filipinos, we respect such very important occasions like that,” President Marcos said.
