GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
Leon Barretto pens open letter to Dennis Padilla: 'Your words have the power to destroy your children, papa'
Leon Barretto, the 19-year-old son of Dennis Padilla and Marjorie Barretto, took to Instagram to post an open letter addressed to his father.
According to Leon, since social media is Dennis' "preferred way to reach" his children, he thought he might also try it by posting his message publicly.
"Sorry if I wasn't able to greet you a 'Happy Father's Day,'" Leon began. "It's always been an awkward day for us cause we never seem to know where we stand with you every year," he said.
Leon said that he has always envied people who never even have to "think twice" about greeting their Dads on Father's Day. He added that for the past 10 years, their relationship with Dennis has been rough, mainly when the actor talked about their "private matters" in press conferences, interviews, and social media.
"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? Did you think it does not pain all of us to not feel protected by their own father?" Leon said.
Leon also said that every time he and his sisters Julia and Claudia Barretto try to communicate with Dennis, he resorts to "shouting, cursing, and using hurtful words that traumatized" them.
"Is public sympathy really more important to you than your own children? Your words have the power to destroy your children papa," he wrote.
According to Leon, this letter is his way of stepping up to protect her sisters after watching them "get torn into pieces because of false narratives."
"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?" he added.
"I long for the day when I can greet you a 'Happy Father's Day' and know that it comes from a place of gratitude and healing," Leon concluded.
Marjorie and Dennis separated in 2007. They have three kids together, namely Julia, Claudia, and Leon.
Leon's open letter is in response to Dennis' now-deleted Instagram posts where he said that Julia, Claudia, and Leon forgot to greet him on Father's Day.
Mid-last year, Julia also opened up on her now-private vlog that she was "traumatized" from her past relationship with her dad.
—Hermes Joy Tunac/MGP, GMA News
