MANILA--Otso Diretso senatorial candidate Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno on Wednesday thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for giving him the "free airtime" he needs during the campaign season, even though the exposure has come at the expense of being insulted on live television.

Diokno, along with other Otso Diretso bets, has been on the receiving end of Duterte's acerbic tongue as the President campaigns for administration-backed bets.

Duterte first said in a televised speech the opposition slate, which Diokno is a part of, would go "straight to hell". In succeeding televised events, Duterte turned his attention to Diokno by mocking his first name and saying he was no match for folk singer Freddie Aguilar who was running under the banner of the ruling party.

• 'Senate no karaoke bar': Diokno twits Duterte over Freddie Aguilar comparison

"Nagpapasalamat pa din ako kay Pangulo sa libreng airtime dahil alam naman natin na kulang na kulang tayo sa pondo para maglagay ng TV ads," Diokno told ABS-CBN News on the sidelines of an endorsement event in San Juan City.

(I thank the President for the free airtime because we all know that we don't have enough funds to put up TV ads.)

Despite a steady rise in pre-election surveys, Diokno continues to suffer from low voter awareness. He ranked 22nd to 27th in the latest Pulse Asia poll conducted from February 24 to 28, with 39 percent of respondents saying they were aware of his candidacy and 6.9 percent saying they would vote for him.

Duterte's frequent mention of his name in televised and public events could help improve his survey numbers, Diokno said.

"Sana naman araw-araw, oras-oras ay banggitin niya ako. Kahit na ganito [na negative] ay OK lang sa'kin," he said laughing.

(I hope he would mention me every day, every hour. Even if it's negative campaigning, I'm okay with it.)

"I want pa more. Gusto ko pa."

This was not the first time the De La Salle Univerisity College of Law founding dean took Duterte's jabs lightly.

Earlier this month, Diokno, dubbed the "#WokeLolo", responded to the President's insult by cracking a joke on Twitter.

• 'Wag mainit ulo, CHEL ka lang': Diokno cracks joke over Duterte insult