WE have often heard of wayward sons, even of errant daughters. Many a time, we associate their defiance to the grief of their mothers, but rarely do we conceive the anguish equally suffered by the fathers of these “prodigal” children. Anguish, to the best of intentions, takes on a plethora of (mis)interpretations and forms.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (Digong) may very well fall within the ambit of the misinterpreted anguish-stricken father figure. He is dad to four children (3 with his first wife and 1 with his current partner). Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, his youngest with his first wife, is touted to be the “wayward” son, not because he is a squanderer of some sort, but merely on account of the different career path that he chose to tread: surfing and television entertainment, until recently.
Compared with his elder siblings Cong. Paolo and VP Sara, little information was known about Baste until a public spat broke loose early in his father’s presidential term. “My youngest son is a jerk,” the fiercely candid Digong once said during an event for a government tax campaign.
The former president referred Sebastian as a “lover boy” and called him out for not spending ample time with his own family. Digong’s heart as a father may be tormented by Sebastian’s personal decisions with the way he lashed out at his son in public. Yet, we are still certain that to such an enormous degree, his love for this youngest son far outweighs his bar.