MANILA (UPDATE) - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday received well wishes from his family and allies, while the Communist Party of the Philippines belted out a different tune as he marked his 77th birthday.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio wished her father a happy birthday even though they could not meet in person as her campaign for the vice presidency is in full swing.

“To President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, happy birthday!” Duterte-Carpio said in an interview posted on her official Facebook account.

“I wish you good health and happiness,” she said.

When asked if she has dropped by to see her father, who is in Davao, the Lakas-CMD vice presidential aspirant said: “Wala… tungod kay naa ta’y mga rallies karong adlawa.”

(No… because we have campaign rallies today.)

The President’s decades-long aide and now Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go said words are not enough to express his gratitude to Duterte.

“Saludo po ako sa malasakit at pagmamahal na ipinaramdam mo. Kahit hindi pa tapos ang termino mo bilang Pangulo, alam kong hindi ka titigil sa pagseserbisyo sa ating kapwa Pilipino,” Go said in a Facebook post.

(I salute the concern and love you have shown. Even though your term as President is not yet finished, I know you will not stop in serving our fellow Filipinos.)

“Dalangin ko po ang iyong malusog na pangangatawan at ang iyong kaligayahan,” he added.

(I pray for your good health and happiness.)

"Miss ko na po kayo, my president!" said Duterte's former spokesman, Harry Roque, as he shared his birthday greeting on Facebook.

Another ally, Sen. Imee Marcos, said Duterte has the "love of the Filipino people", which she said is "the most enviable gift of all."

Marcos' brother, former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., is running for president in the May elections in tandem with Duterte-Carpio.

GREETINGS FROM PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS

"Happy 77th birthday Mr President. I wish you good health and peaceful life after noontime on June 30," Sen. Panfilo Lacson, another presidential aspirant, said for his part.

"We may have disagreed on several issues, even called each other out a few times, but I can never forget you were there for me in one of my difficult times in the distant past," he said referring to the time when he was still dealing with the “Kuratong Baleleng” rubout case.

Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who also hopes to succeed Duterte, gave his greetings, too.

"Ako'y bumabati sa ating Pangulo ng isang maligayang kaarawan. At nawa'y pagpalain siya ng Panginoon at bigyan ng malakas na pangangatawan at marami pang kaarawan ang darating," the retired boxing champ said.

Pacquiao and Duterte belong to the PDP-Laban, but are part of the party's rival factions. The former allies engaged in a word war last year over corruption in government and the administration's policy on the West Philippine Sea.

'LAST BIRTHDAY OUTSIDE PRISON'

The CPP, meanwhile, told Duterte to enjoy his 77th birthday because, according to them, this "might be his last outside a prison cell."

"In a few months, as soon as he steps down from his official term as Philippine President, the Filipino people will without a doubt demand that he be prosecuted for the countless crimes against humanity,” said Marco Valbuena, CPP's chief information officer.

“Whatever the outcome of the May elections, the Filipino people will surely raise their demand for Duterte to be immediately arrested and be made to face the International Criminal Court or local courts where charges can be filed,” Valbuena said in a statement.

In 2016, Duterte pushed for peace talks with the communist movement and even appointed Left-leaning personalities to his Cabinet.

But his relations with the group soured as the government lamented what it said to be continuing attacks against state troops by the New People's Army despite the peace talks. In 2019, Duterte terminate the negotiations.

“For six long years, the broad masses of the Filipino people suffered under Duterte’s campaign of mass murder, national treachery, militarist response to the pandemic which led to the destruction of jobs and livelihood and a steep dive on the economy,” Valbuena said.

The CPP said it wants the President to be held liable for allegedly "heightening [the] state [of] terrorism" in the Philippines, and for allegedly "failing to defend the country’s marine resources, for his subservience to foreign economic interests, and allowing both the US and Chinese forces to set up their military bases within the country’s sovereign territory."

Malacañang had said the President will celebrate his birthday quietly in his hometown Davao City.

• Duterte’s birthday wish: ‘Clean, fair, honest’ elections

"His birthday wish for this year is to have a clean, fair, and honest election in May 2022, as he has time and again underscored the importance of a peaceful transfer of power as part of his enduring legacy," Acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar said in a statement over the weekend.

Duterte has so far not endorsed any presidential aspirant.

"We join all our countrymen in wishing our beloved President Rodrigo Roa Duterte a happy 77th birthday," added Andanar.

Duterte's 76th birthday last year was marred with criticisms against the Philippine leader after a video circulated showing him doing an allegedly inappropriate gesture toward his house helper.

The video showed that while he was seated at a table, Duterte appeared to reach out toward the crotch of a woman who was approaching him, holding a cake.

Roque, Duterte's spokesman at that time, said there was no malice in the President's action.

• Palace says 'no malice' with Duterte's alleged inappropriate touching of maid

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