MANILA - Senator and vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos on Sunday refused to apologize about human rights atrocities during his father's Martial Law rule but came close to acknowledging it somehow.

Speaking before a crowd at the #PiliPinas Debates at the University of Santo Tomas, Marcos said there are human rights violations in every administration.

"I certainly acknowledge every human rights abuse in every administration. I think it is necessary that we do so or else we are to repeat the mistakes and abuses of the past," Marcos said.

However, Marcos added that in his almost three decades of service in the government; there had been no human rights abuse complaint against him.

"What I can say also to you is that in my 27 years of service, there has never been any suspicion, any accusation or even any allegation made against me that there were human rights abuses and non-recognition of people's civil rights in my time in government," he said.

However, two extrajudicial killings, one in 1985 and another in 1986, occurred in Ilocos Norte during the younger Marcos' term as governor, according to investigative journalist Raissa Robles.

Robles, who has launched a new book "Marcos Martial Law: Never Again," has criticized the younger Marcos for his constant denials of the torture cases and extrajudicial killings that happened during his father's regime.

She pointed out that at one point, Bongbong called these as "isolated cases."

"Noong 1985, governor na siya ng Ilocos (Norte)," Robles said. "Ang Commission on Human Rights, binigyan ako ng data. Ang ibinigay sa akin na data, from 1972 to 1986, there were only two instances of extrajudicial killings in Ilocos Norte - 1985 and 1986. Eh sino ang gobernador noon?"

Robles argued that Marcos must have known these instances of extrajudicial killings since he was governor of the province and was head of the peace and order council.

"Ibig sabihin, Ilocos Norte mismo, may dalawang extrajudicial killings. Hindi n'ya alam 'yun? Eh siya ang in-charge sa peace and order council as governor?" Robles asked.

She believes that Bongbong lied when he said he did not know these things.

"Nagisinungaling siya (na wala s’yang alam sa torture)," Robles said.

NO APOLOGY

Despite being pushed to issue an apology on the human rights abuses recorded during his father's term, the younger Marcos said he can only apologize for himself and not for anyone else.

"I will apologize for any wrongdoing I may have done, any mistake that may have caused anyone any pain or hardship but I can only apologize for myself. I cannot apologize for anyone else," Marcos said.