MANILA -- “Please be kind to my county.”

These were the supposed words uttered by former president Rodrigo Duterte to Chinese President Xi Jinping when the erstwhile Chief Executive visited the latter recently.

• Marcos, ex-president Duterte discuss China visit

According to Sen. JV Ejercito, it was President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. who shared some tidbits about Duterte’s meeting with Xi.

“Sabi ni PBBM ang sabi raw ni Xi Jinping na yung punta kasi ni presidente doon is for a purpose yung para sa mother niya na building so hindi naman daw masyadong seryoso,” Ejercito said.

“Hindi naman daw masyadong seryoso, ang sinabi lang daw ni President Duterte before they parted ways, kung naalala ko, please be kind to my country,” the senator told reporters.

The senator, however, failed to mention Xi’s response to Duterte.

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva when asked for the same information, confirmed this, as he described that the President shared such detail to senators during their dinner days ago.

Both Villanueva and Ejercito meantime acknowledged Duterte’s positive contribution to easing the tension between the Philippines and China.

Duterte is a close friend of Xi, they said.

Meanwhile, Ejercito joined the list of senators who believe that it’s necessary to include West Philippine Sea lessons in school curriculum.

“I would agree to include it (WPS lesson), halimbawa in Social Science or History para malaman, so that our youth would have that in mind that the West Philippine Sea is indeed ours,” Ejercito said.