Actor Paolo Contis took to Instagram with a heartfelt message of gratitude—directed not to a co-star or a colleague, but to John Cabahug, the fiancé of his former partner Lian Paz.

In a touching post, Paolo shared a photo of a joyful moment spent with his children and used the occasion of John’s birthday to publicly express his appreciation.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for allowing Lian and my kids nung araw na ’to,” Paolo wrote. “Oo, hinintay ko talaga ang birthday mo to publicly express my gratitude to you.”

He also praised Lian for her strength and compassion through the years, acknowledging her role in raising their children with love and kindness. “You have always been kind and forgiving… Thank you for being strong and for how you nurtured the kids to have beautiful hearts.”

To John, he made a personal promise: “I will not waste this chance. Thank you for taking care of the kids. I promise to have constant communication sa inyong lahat.”