MANILA - Vice-presidential aspirant Sen. Francis Pangilinan on Friday said he hopes he can reconcile with Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III after the elections.

Sotto is married to Helen Gamboa, aunt of Pangilinan's wife, Sharon Cuneta. Cuneta earlier acknowledged "wounds" resulting from the competing bids of her husband and her uncle for the vice-presidency.

• With ‘heavy heart,’ Sharon Cuneta acknowledges rift as husband, uncle vie for VP

Pangilinan said he spoke with Sotto before his candidacy as Vice President Leni Robredo's running-mate was announced.

"I said I felt it best to tell him personally over the phone that the plans have changed and it was unexpected, but I felt that VP Leni had to be supported in this announcement and also in ensuring that there is a tandem, that she has a vice-presidential candidate," he said in an ANC Headstart interview.

"Masakit sa atin, masakit for Sharon (it's painful for us, painful for Sharon), but like you, I suppose, your family, you also have your share of conflicts, differences. Minsan nagiging masakit or emotional (sometimes it becomes painful or emotional), but we pray, we hope that after all is said and done that for the hurt that this has caused, we seek, we hope for reconciliation and forgiveness for the pain caused," he added.

However, Pangilinan made it clear that there was no quarrel with Sotto in that phone call.

"Hindi kami nag-away, walang ganun. Pero maliwanag that Sharon—siyempre, lahat nga ng pamilya, pag nagkaroon ng ganung rift, masakit siya," he said.

(We did not fight, nothing like that. But it was clear that Sharon—of course, in all families, when a rift like that occurs, it's painful.)

Pangilinan said Cuneta and Sotto are "in communication" with each other.

In her own post earlier this month, Cuneta asked the public for prayers for her family "through this trying period."