Hidilyn Diaz is the Philippines’ Olympic hero, two years after being accused of plotting against Duterte
- The weightlifter won the country’s first gold Olympic medal and has attributed her success particularly to her Chinese coach Gao Kaiwen
- Two years ago, she was named in the ‘matrix’ diagram of plotters released by former presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, who has rejected criticism over it
But with the 30-year-old ending her country’s almost century-long wait for an Olympic gold medal by winning the women’s 55kg class event and receiving accolades all round, senior Duterte aides have sought to distance themselves from that episode without offering any apologies.
It was only on Wednesday night that Duterte urged Diaz to “let bygones be bygones” during a Zoom call broadcast on state television. Congratulating Diaz on her performance, the president pledged to reward her with 3 million pesos (US$60,000) out of his own pocket, and told her to “forget” about “bad things” from the past.
“You already have the gold and it would be good for you to let bygones be bygones,” he said.
On Tuesday, newspapers across the country featured a tearful and ecstatic Diaz on their front pages, with her win overshadowing details of the final annual national address by Duterte, whose term ends next year.
