Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo’s search for her long-lost father brought both joy and heartbreak, as the latter reportedly refused to acknowledge the beauty queen-turned-actress as his daughter.
Rabiya was finally able to locate and speak with her Indian-American biological father, Syed Mohammed Hashmi, over the phone in late January 2025, PEP.ph reported.
According to the news outlet, the reunion of the Rabiya and her father, now a successful doctor in the U.S., did not go as she the hoped as the latter rejected her outright through their call.
“Don’t message me and my family. I don’t care about you. I want nothing to do with you,” PEP.ph quoted her father’s response to the actress.
Rabiya clarified that she only wanted to meet her father and had no intention of seeking financial support as she only revealed her career in the beauty pageant and showbiz industry after he rejected her.
She also reportedly tried to reach out to her half-sister, but her attempts were ignored after their father forbade any contact.
Despite the painful encounter, Mateo chose to understand his reaction, considering that her father had left them behind in the Philippines while studying medicine in the U.S., unbeknownst to his wife and children.
