SEBASTIAN “Baste” Duterte, 27-year-old son of presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte, is suddenly stealing the hearts of netizens with his boyish appeal.
No doubt he is now a social media heartthrob. His video that showed him eating on the sidewalk in shorts and undershirt and later blowing kisses has gone viral. As of May 19, likes for his Facebook page has breached the 1 million mark.
But Baste has warned social media followers that he has no Twitter account. “Please do not be fooled by the Twitter account/s that claim to be me. I do not have a Twitter account,” he said in a post on Facebook.
The often quiet and soft-spoken guy said that many people have approached him for pictures or selfies. His concern is that security might soon restrict him from getting closer to them.
“Security, nandiyan naman talaga ‘yan. At ‘yung mga nagpapa-picture, [dumami]. Before this, wala naman. ‘Yun lang ang naiisip ko ngayon. Wala akong idea sa buhay ng anak ng president kasi hindi ko naman sila sinusubaybayan. Sana huwag lang restrictive,” said Baste in an interview on GMA News recently.
Baste, a single parent who stays with his two children, lives in a house next to his father’s house in Davao City.
An ordinary day would see him tending his junk shop business. He enjoys surfing.
“Gising ako, trabaho. I check the junk shop. Aalis minsan. Minsan wala akong ginagawa. Surf lang talaga. I spend most of my time sa dagat,” said Baste, who also loves to sing.
Baste describes his father as a disciplinarian when it comes to his nine grandchildren.
“Pinapalaro niya, tinitignan, tapos minsan kinakarga rin. He’s a typical person. ‘Pag nagalit, nagagalit talaga.
Typical ’90s kid, ‘yung mga sinisinturon,” Baste added.
He also revealed in an exclusive interview for “24 Oras” news program over GMA 7 that his father hit him with a belt when he was caught playing a real gun when he was 10.
Baste is the third and youngest son of incoming President Duterte by ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman. His siblings are eldest brother Paolo, newly-elected vice mayor of Davao City, and lawyer Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio, who won as new mayor of the same city.
President Duterte also has a 12-year-old daughter named Veronica by partner Cielito “Honeylet” Avancena.
Earlier, Baste said that he never wanted his father to run for president. But he changed his mind and supported him all the way.
“I am a citizen of Davao City. I want the whole country to experience what the people of Davao have experienced during the term of my father as mayor,” said Baste, in a report by “TV Patrol” news program aired over ABS-CBN.
Christine Villegas, follower of the future presidential son on social media, told the same news program that she really admires Baste.
“Genuine s’ya sa lahat ng tao sa buong Davao. Makikita mo ang pagmamahal n’ya sa ating lunsod,” Villegas said.
Asked if she has a crush on him, Villegas laughed and said: “Oo crush na crush.”