VICE President Sara Duterte wished her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, another year of good health as he celebrated his 81st birthday.
"For an 81-year-old, isa lang ang birthday wish natin lahat [we all have only one birthday wish]. And that is, he be given another year of good health sa atoang Ginoo (by our God)," she said in a media interview on March 28, 2026, at San Pedro Square in San Pedro Street, Davao City.
The Vice President said she was not able to greet her father on his birthday, as calls to him at the detention facility on weekends are not allowed, and he has not called her for a long time.
However, she said she feels reassured knowing that her brother, Congressman Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, is with the former president to visit him every day, massage him, and talk to him in Bisaya.
She also said she does not know if there was a special celebration inside the detention center.
In a video message on her father’s birthday, Sara called for vigilance against what she described as the “weaponization of the law” and the “intrusion of foreign bodies” allegedly seeking to bypass the country’s courts.
"But as we celebrate, we also stand firm. The defense of his rights is a defense of our national sovereignty," she stressed.
She then thanked the supporters of her family for remembering her father and their unending love and support. She said the loyalty of the people is a testament to the leadership that he prioritized.
Later that day, thousands of supporters joined the solidarity walk for the former president, marking his 81st birthday. During the event, supporters called for his release, chanting “Bring Him Home.”
Organizers said the gathering served as both a birthday tribute and an appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to release him.
The supporters marched from Roxas Avenue to Rizal Park in Davao City, drawing political allies, members of the Duterte family, and supporters from various parts of the country.
The program ended with prayers, songs, and renewed calls for the release of the former president.
Meanwhile, Duterte supporters also celebrated his birthday on Duterte Street in The Hague. Others marked the occasion in different parts of the country and abroad.
The Duterte patriarch marked his 81st birthday inside the detention center at the Hague Penitentiary Institution, also known as Scheveningen Prison, in the Netherlands. This is the second time he has celebrated his birthday in detention. RGP