Teen singer-songwriter Frankie Pangilinan, daughter of Sharon Cuneta and Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, recently penned an open letter to her father saying how much he meant to her, without any occasion that called for it.
Frankie shared the appreciation letter on Twitter on February 28. It made rounds on the microblogging platform at least 1,400 times and earned more than 18,000 likes.
In it, Frankie expresses her admiration for and gratitude to Kiko both as a father and a politician.
19-2.
padayon, dada ko.
nagmamahal,
kakie pic.twitter.com/5Obju4rJuv— kakie (@kakiewrites) February 28, 2020
The celebrity daughter, also a vocal social media personality, suddenly thought of her father while keeping warm overseas, she said. She’s currently staying in New York City.
Frankie said she only mustered to share these sentiments with her father now because of her misplaced “anxieties and fear of unease.”
“As the days drag on and the numbness lingers, and the worldly shadows begin to settle in my still-fresh adult brain, I find there are less and less words to describe how wholly and completely proud I am of you. I haven’t yet said it so loudly due to misplaced anxieties and fear of unease,” Frankie wrote.
She particularly thanked Kiko for teaching her the principles of strength and motivation in facing the “cruel world” today.
“You have never once wavered. You have never sacrificed even a portion of yourself and while I wish the burden was lighter, I have learned immensely from your resilience and continued dedication,” Frankie said.
The social media personality concluded the letter with a message of hope for her father.
“While to some it may appear futile, to you, it has never been worthless. You represent such hope for all Filipinos, even those who refused to or cannot yet see it. You are brave and honest and true, every single bit of you,” Frankie said.
This tweet touched many on local Twitter, saying that such father-daughter relationship is rare nowadays.
Wow! This young lady has been raised well. Her message to Kiko was one of those few positive things you rarely come across nowadays. You can feel daughter’s love & respect to her dad. Such an amazing father-daughter relationship. Very sweet and lots of love.🥰🤗 https://t.co/sEjZvUZaeo
— Batang Kayumanggi (@BataKayumanggi) February 28, 2020
‘I love you, kiklet’
The lawmaker later thanked Frankie for the unexpected sweet gesture.
Kiko responded by saying how much his daughter’s words meant to him. He also called Frankie by his pet name for her, “Kiklet.”
“Thank you for your kind words. Believe it or not i am made stronger, braver, more determined despite all the difficulties. My only wish is that i could do a lot more to help make things right in the country and the world you are to inherit. I love you my kiklet,” the senator said.
The opposition senator also shared that he’s doing his job for her and other children’s future as other parents would.
“I do this for you and all other children because someone has to look out for you and your future and that of all others. That’s what Parents ought to do, fight mightily for a better future for their children,” Pangilinan said.
Aside from having prominent figures Kiko and megastar Sharon as parents, Frankie also became known for her no-holds-barred takes on social media and on TV interviews.
She previously defended her parents against claims of President Rodrigo Duterte that Sharon wanted her husband out of the house. After a series of sarcastic tweets, Frankie posted photos of her parents in their house.
In 2018, the president also insulted Kiko, an opposition senator, for authoring the Juvenile Justice Law, blaming the legislation for the rising crimes committed by minors aged 15 years and below in the country.
