Rabiya Mateo says she has new lead in finding her father: 'I have a good feeling about this'
Rabiya Mateo remains optimistic about finding her long-lost father, Syed Mohammed Abdullah Moqueet Hashmi, saying she has just received a new lead to his location.
In an interview shared by ABS-CBN News, the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 titleholder shared that someone recently provided her with details on a person that could be her dad—and she has a "good feeling" about it because the person's birthday matched that of her father.
"According doon sa details, may isang na raw siyang anak na lalake. Specific siya sa address. Mayroon din doong contact number. I called that number and may sumagot na Indian na babae. I said, 'I was looking for my dad, Syed Mohammed Hashmi, pero sabi ng babae hindi niya raw kilala, so let's see," Rabiya shared.
"Malalaman ko lang 'yun if puntahan ko talaga 'yung address. I have a good feeling about this," she added.
In a separate interview, the beauty queen said that in her head, she "would always want to look for him," but her efforts always turned out unsuccessful.
"Marami ring nagsasabi na for sure alam niya kasi sumali ka ng Miss Universe, ilang beses ko nang ni-name drop siya sa social media, sa mga media outlets. Sabi kasi nila baka ayaw talaga magpahanap," Rabiya said.
Despite the possible scenario, she said she's still determined to reunite with him.
When asked whether she harbors ill feelings towards her father, Rabiya stressed, "Wala, kasi never naman akong pinalaki ng mom ko na [may poot]. Wala naman siyang sinasabi na bad things about my dad. So sana makita ko siya kasi he's also getting old, so kung may maitutulong man ako sa kanya, I think this is the time."
Rabiya has been living without her Indian father since she was five years old.
"My mom is Filipina, and my dad is Indian by race, but an American citizen. I was only five years old when he abandoned us," she said in an exclusive interview with late entertainment journalist Ricky Lo.
Nevertheless, she still kept high regard for him. She is also thankful that her past hardships helped her grow into the woman she is today.
"I became a strong independent woman today because of the situation that happened in the past. But I never blamed you for it. I will continue to be a breadwinner to our family, a good daughter to Mama, and a good role model to Mokmok [brother]," Rabiya wrote in an Instagram post on the Father’s Day.
After concluding her Miss Universe journey in the Top 21, Rabiya entered the world of showbiz and signed a contract with GMA Network in November 2021, becoming one of the artists managed by Sparkle GMA Artist Center.
She made her acting debut in the Halloween special of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho before going on to star in Agimat ng Agila and Royal Blood.