FPRRD birthday celebration streches to 72 hours

The nationwide and global celebration of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s birthday will last until 30 March — a 72-hour affair that could potentially break a Guinness World Record, according to a co-convenor of the Return Duterte Movement.

Benito Ranque, co-convenor of the Return Duterte Movement, told the DAILY TRIBUNE that the 80th birthday celebration of “Tatay Digong” on Friday would continue through 30 March, spanning three days across different countries and time zones.

The celebration will continue in Tampa, Florida on Saturday (29 March) and Twin Lake, Michigan on Sunday (30 March), stretching the celebration to 72 hours — longer than the birthday of a 26-year-old German who set a Guinness World Record in 2014 by celebrating for 46 hours. That man flew from Auckland, New Zealand to Brisbane, Australia, and then to Honolulu, Hawaii to extend his birthday across time zones.

Ranque, however, lamented that while Sven Hagemeier celebrated his birthday by flying through multiple time zones, “Tatay Digong” spent his 80th birthday behind bars in a foreign land, facing trial for alleged crimes against humanity.

Aside from nationwide events, Duterte’s supporters around the world are holding peaceful gatherings in major cities including those in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

In the U.S., events are scheduled at Hermann Park in Houston, Times Square in New York City, and Washington, D.C., among other locations. In the Netherlands, supporters are expected to gather in front of the International Criminal Court building in The Hague.

“It’s ironic that Tatay Digong celebrated his birthday in prison, but the celebration itself lasted three days in different parts of the world,” Ranque said.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Hagemeier spent 13 hours and 10 minutes in the air, but his birthday celebration stretched to 46 hours thanks to the time gained by crossing the International Date Line.

Ranque said the nationwide and global tributes for Duterte’s 80th birthday were also held to seek divine intervention for the former president’s release and return to the Philippines.