Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Composite/File 

DAVAO CITY — Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte on Saturday said that he apologized to Sen. Imee Marcos for the things he said against her brother President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., including his call for resignation, but not to the President himself.

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In a post on his Facebook account, the younger Duterte said he only apologized because he felt sorry to the senator, who heard his negative statements during a prayer rally in Davao City last January 28 against the people's initiative campaign for charter change.

Imee Marcos was beside Vice President Sara Duterte during the prayer rally and sat through the Dutertes' tirades against the President.

"Madame Imee, linawin ko lang kasi ginagamit mo na sa drama mo diyan sa media. Humingi ako ng tawad dahil naawa ako sa 'yo, hindi dahil sa mga sinabi ko tungkol sa kapatid mo na presidente," he said in the post.

(Madame Imee, I want to make this clear because you are using it for media drama. I apologized because I felt bad for you, and not for what I said about your brother, who is president.)

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Mayor Duterte added he was dismayed when Marcos told the media recently about the mayor's apology, saying he forgave the senator once but did not specify the instance.

"Undangi kog gamit ana imong mga jamming. Gipa lampas na taka kausa pero banha gihapon kayka," he said.

(Itigil mo 'yang mga jamming mo. Pinalampas na kita noon isang beses pero ang ingay mo pa rin.)

Sen. Marcos has maintained close ties with Vice President Duterte and her family amid the apparent rift between the Dutertes and Marcoses.

On Friday, the senator met with former President Rodrigo Duterte after a Senate hearing in Davao City on the people’s initiative signature campaign. — Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News

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