As we enjoy the comforts of our home and the warm embrace of people we love, there is one man who sits alone in a cell of a jail in a foreign land, all because he did what he believed was best for his country and his people.
Guilty or Innocent, hated or loved, the fact remains that Rodrigo Roa Duterte touched the lives of millions, including mine.
He stood by me during the lowest moments of my life and stood Godfather to two of my children.
He gave me, a rural political leader, the rare opportunity of serving the Filipino people as Secretary of Agriculture.
Say whatever you like to say, call him what you want but to me he is a friend – beyond politics and in spite of our disagreements on policies related to Agriculture.
As a friend, I mark this day, a full year since he was bundled up in a plane and brought to The Hauge, with a prayer that he remain strong for the people who love him.
