NEARLY two weeks after the controversial exchange of words on social media, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte and the netizen had already apologized to one another.
Duterte said in a radio interview Friday, September 30 that the netizen who sent a private message on the mayor's Instagram account had already apologized.
Duterte, in response, also apologized.
"I am profoundly sorry if I caused you any form of harm or pain... Pero dili necessary nga mag-sorry ka. (But for me, it wasn’t necessary for you to say sorry.) I will take the blame. Wala gyud kaso sa akoa na (I don’t even mind at all)," the mayor said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
Duterte became the subject of criticism from netizens after he posted online a message from a private citizen complaining about the widespread water interruption.
The conversation was posted by Duterte on September 18 using his private Facebook account that shows a Dabawenyo questioning the city’s response to the water supply problem.
In a previous interview, he did not mean to insult or humiliate the citizen who messaged him after their controversial exchange on social media.
Duterte said he merely threw a question in response to the private citizen who questioned his response to the widespread water interruption crisis in the city.
The mayor revealed his action online was reported to the 8888 Citizens' Complaint Center.
"So nisumbong ang mga tao sa 8888 maong kinahanglan ko manubag. Actually nitubag nako (So there were some people who reported my action to the 8888 hotline, that’s why I need to respond to it. Actually, I already responded)," he said.
Although he said the netizen's apology eventually came, and that he did not expect the latter would reach out to him.
"Actually wala nako gina-expect ni, but nangayo siya'g pasaylo (I did not expect that she would apologize)," Duterte said, adding the netizen's action wasn't "necessary.”
The mayor, meanwhile, left a message to his detractors.
"Pero katong mga tao na (But for those people) who want to tell a different story, loslos ninyo (shame on you)," he said.
Duterte explained that Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc., which is building the bulk water supply system of Davao City, has moved its completion date a number of times, thus the city does not have enough water supply every time the Davao City Water District (DCWD) announces a supply interruption.
Apo Agua, in a recent report, said that the gradual operation of the bulk water is expected to start within the first quarter of 2023. RGL