Sara, Kitty greet dad on 81st birthday

MANILA, Philippines -- The daughters of former president Rodrigo Duterte greeted him as he celebrated his 81st birthday today, March 28. Duterte has been detained for a year at the International Criminal Court's Scheveningen Prison at The Hague for crimes against humanity in relation to his war on drugs. In a video message on Saturday, Vice President Sara Duterte thanked the parallel support groups, volunteers and the "millions of Filipinos" in the Philippines and abroad who have organized celebrations to honor him. "Your loyalty to him is a testament to a leadership that truly prioritized the safety and dignity of every Filipino family," Sara said. She also said that the defense of his rights as a Filipino was also a defense of the national sovereignty, urging everyone to be vigilant against the weaponization of the law and the unconstitutional intrusion of foreign bodies that sought to bypass Filipino courts. "Our justice system must remain independent, serving only the mandate of the Filipino people and never the interests of foreign powers," Sara said. Meanwhile, in a post on her official Instagram account, Veronica Duterte said that she would be "forever 12" years old whenever she would be with her father, whom she described as her "mirror." "I am right in front of you, like a mirror resembling in your character, bravery, grit, volition—but not even half your heart. I am just fine being in your shadow because I know no one can replace your heart," Veronica, also known as Kitty, said. Kitty also said that she now understood that loving him to the point of truly knowing him revealed that he is a "difficult person, but it’s either i love you or i don’t. i sacrifice for you or i don’t. i choose you or i don’t. i fight with you or i don’t. it’s always all or nothing," "Only now have I understood, now that i’m turning 22 and have put you first, through it all and above all," Kitty said. She said that her greatest gift that she could give to her father was to be " strong like you and strong for you." VIDEO FROM OVP COMMUNICATIONS

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