Usap-usapan ang open letter ni Leon Barretto para sa kaniyang amang si Dennis Padilla nitong Hunyo 26 matapos maibalita ang umano’y himutok nito nang hindi siya mabati ng mga anak na sina Julia, Leon, at Claudia noong Father’s Day.
Sa kaniyang Instagram post, inamin ni Leon na nagdadalawang-isip siya kung ibabahagi ba niya ang naturang open letter o hindi. Humingi siya ng paumanhin sa ama kung hindi niya ito nabati noong Father’s Day.
“Sorry if I wasn’t able to greet you a ‘Happy Father’s Day’. It’s always been an awkward day for us cause we never seem to know where we stand with you every year,” pag-amin ni Leon.
Sa lagpas 10 taon daw ay tila naaapektuhan si Leon sa bashing na natatanggap nila sa social media sa tuwing magpo-post si Dennis ng tungkol sa kanila. Tila nae-enjoy raw ni Dennis na nasasaktan ang kaniyang mga anak.
“Papa, why does it seem like you enjoy hurting your kids in public? Why do you keep posting cryptic posts about us and allow people to bash us on your own Instagram page?” tanong sa kaniya ni Leon.
Nasasaktan na umano si Leon sa tuwing nababash ang kaniyang mga kapatid na babae, dahil sa “false narratives” ng ama na nakabalandra sa kaniyang social media.
“I need you to know that I want nothing else but to move forward in the safest and healthiest manner possible. I want peace, papa. Can you please stop resorting to public shaming when things don’t go your way?”
Panghuli, sinabi ni Leon na mabati na niya ang ama ng “Happy Father’s Day” “from a place of gratitude and healing”.
Kaagad namang tumugon dito si Dennis sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang Instagram post, kalakip ang lumang litrato nila ni Leon.
“I am sorry leon… Miss ko lang kayo… God bless you more! Just want to know what false narrative I said in public? I (have) been reaching out to all of you for 15 years in private…” saad ni Dennis.
Sa isa pang hiwalay na IG post ay ibinahagi rin niya ang sulat-kamay na open letter.
Nasusulat, “To be your father is the greatest honor I have received. It allowed me to touch the grace of God even for a moment and to see my love made flesh.”
Ayon kay Dennis, marami siyang mga pagkakamaling nagawa sa buhay na pinagsisisihan na niya ngayon.
“I may not have been there for you but I always had you in my heart,” ani Dennis.
“Sometimes in life, there are things that we will never understand why it happened.”
“In the end, I regret all the moments I let slip by. I regret all the times I hid my feelings from you. If I could have but one wish, I would love to spend some time with you. After all, there is not much more to life than that (heart emoji).”
Samantala, wala pang tugon, reaksiyon, o pahayag ang mga anak ni Dennis o maging si Marjorie tungkol dito.
