PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte visited Thursday night, November 1, the grave of his parents at the Roman Catholic Public Cemetery in his hometown Davao City.
Duterte flew back to Davao City to pay respects to his parents, Vicente and Soledad, shortly after his presiding over a post-disaster briefing held in Isabela.
Photos from his long-time aide, erstwhile Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go, showed the President seating in front of his parents' tomb.
In one of the photos, the President was seen looking down and holding his ears, apparently taking solemn time to honor his parents' memories.
During his briefing in Isabela, Duterte stressed everyone's "obligations to the dead."
"It's practically part of the culture but more than that, it's something that's very important for us to commune with our ancestors," he said.
Duterte usually visits his parent’s final resting place on All Saints’ Day and in other occasions.
In 2016, Duterte wept at his mother’s grave hours after partial vote count showed his insurmountable lead in the May 9, 2016 presidential elections.
The President, accompanied by his youngest son, Sebastian Duterte, also visited his parents' grave in 2017. (SunStar Philippines)