President Duterte joined the world in greeting mothers on Mother’s Day and wished them “happy and contended lives.”
In a video message uploaded on social media, Duterte extended his warmest greetings not just to Filipino mothers but also to all mothers in the world.
“Sa lahat ng mga nanay sa Pilipinas, at sa buong mundo na lang, Happy Mother’s Day at I’d wish you a very happy and contented life,” he said. “Mabuhay kayong lahat mga nanay!” he added.
According to the President, he knows how a mother puts herself last in order to provide for her family. “I know how’s it to be a mother because may nanay ako at nakita ko ang hirap at ginhawa ginawa niya para sa pamilya niya,” he said.
Duterte is known to have the utmost respect for his mother Soledad and repeatedly expressed his desire to be “cremated” and his ashes placed beside her urn. She passed on Feb. 4, 2012 at the age of 95.
He added that his mother was the only one who stood by him.
In February this year, Duterte visited the tomb of his mother to commemorate her seventh death anniversary. Upon learning that he was leading the elections by a wide margin, he went to his mother’s grave and was seen crying.
Duterte added that it is his life’s biggest sorrow that Soledad did not see him become President. “My sorrow really is that makita lang naman niya sana ako naging Presidente,” Duterte said in a speech last April 2017.
“But, of course, alam ko na hindi rin siya maniwala. Eh pati nga ako eh kung manalo ako,” he added in jest.
Last year, Duterte said that people will not be hearing him spew expletives anymore after getting a dream visit from his beloved mother.
“So I had a dream two months ago and my mother appeared before me and said, ‘Hoy, g***. Tama na ‘yang pagmumura mo,'” he said. (Argyll Geducos)
