President Duterte is fond of tattoos just like his children, and has no qualms flaunting them in public.
The President recently showed off his collection of body art – a rose and a Guardian brotherhood symbol on his right arm – amid the challenge posed by Senator Antonio Trillanes for his son to show an alleged triad tattoo.
Duterte, in a press conference during a visit to a military camp in Cagayan de Oro last Saturday, took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeve to show his tattoos.
“It’s a rose,” the President said showing the long-stemmed red rose etched on his right arm.
“Dito ‘yung number ko ng Guardians, I don’t know what year is that. Guardians Brotherhood. Ito ‘yan,” he added, pointing to brotherhood symbol tattooed on his right arm and other tiny ink on his right hand.
Duterte even poked fun at his tattoos, asking his fellow Guardian, Senator Gregorio Honasan, to have their ink art “decoded.”
The President made the gesture as he brushed aside speculations his son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte has a tattoo that would incriminate him for criminal involvement.
“Ako anak ng Presidente ng Pilipinas, bigyan mo ng [I’m a son of the President of the Philippines and you will give me a] tattoo to recognize me? B*ll sh*t,” he said, referring to the alleged dragon tattoo that supposedly links the vice mayor to a Chinese triad.
Duterte claimed that the public should be more interested with the collection of tattoos of his two other children Davao City Mayor Sara and Sebastian. (Genalyn Kabiling)
