VERONICA “Kitty” Duterte penned an emotional message to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who remains detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
In an Instagram post, Kitty shared a photo of a tattoo based on an old picture of her sitting on her father’s lap. She recalled that the photo was taken by her mother in 2017, when she was 13 years old and “still throwing a tantrum.”
“I was cranky and whining about not getting something I wanted, while munching on the fried peanuts we used to buy near City Hall,” she wrote. She said her father called her over, sat her on his lap, gave her a tight hug, and asked what was wrong using his familiar line, “How is the love of Papa?”
“I miss you, Papa. You are my love, my first and greatest love — always,” Kitty said.
She went on to express her devotion to the former president: “I love you and I love you. I always tell you that the lengths I’d go to for you are unfathomable. I have shown it and will keep doing so, loudly and proudly.”
Kitty ended her post with a message of longing: “You are always on my mind, Papa Rody. I sleep tight knowing we are under the same sky.”