PRRD: THE LIVING HERO

21 July 2025



To many of us, Rodrigo Roa Duterte is more than a former president.
He is Tatay.
A living hero.

Not because he was flawless,
but because he fought for us in ways no one else dared.
His legacy isn’t just the drug war,
or the bold fight against the oligarchs who fed on our nation’s wounds.
It’s not even just the highways, bridges, and ports of Build, Build, Build.

His greatest legacy is something deeper—
something that cannot be measured by steel, concrete, or numbers.

It’s US.
An awakened people.
A nation that learned to lift its head,
to stand its ground,
to call wrong by its name,
and to believe that leadership must be about service, not spectacle.

But now, our Tatay sits in a foreign cell,
thousands of miles from the soil he bled for.
We fight to bring him home alive—
and I know he feels our love, our loyalty, our fire.

Yet if we lean closer—
closer than the noise of politics and the shouts of the powerful—
we will hear his heart.

And it will say:

“Don’t just fight for me.
Fight the way I fought for you.”

This moment is bigger than one man.
Tatay showed us what courage looks like.
But courage isn’t inherited—it must be lived.

Now, it’s our turn to reclaim this nation.
To take it back from the few who hoard power for themselves.
To rebuild a government that fears God, serves the people, and works for the generations to come.

If we stop here,
if we fight only for Tatay and not for the dream he carried,
then we miss the point of his sacrifice.

Because Duterte’s life is not just a story of power—
it’s a reminder that greatness is found in ordinary people—
who choose to rise,
who choose to lead with grit,
who choose to love their country even when it’s inconvenient.

Tatay’s time showed us the way.
Our time has come to walk it.

So let’s fight—
not with hate, but with courage.
Not with vengeance, but with vision.
Not just for one man,
but for a nation that is aching to rise.

And maybe, just maybe,
that will be our true tribute to the man who first taught us to believe that…
the power will always belong to the people who refuse to kneel.

•••

BY ROB RANCES

Disclaimer: This piece is a personal reflection inspired by public events and sentiments. It is not intended to incite hatred, violence, or rebellion against any person, group, or government. All references are symbolic and represent the author’s perspective on leadership, accountability, and nation-building. The message encourages peaceful civic engagement, critical thinking, and unity under democratic principles, with respect to the rule of law.

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