'Padadalhan ko siya ng kilo-kilong hipon': How Mayor Duterte made peace with Ramon Bautista

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has already made peace with Ramon Bautista, a week after the comedian was declared persona non grata in a resolution by the city council.

 

Duterte, in fact, sent Bautista a handwritten note saying, "Ramon, Mabuhay Ka!" which the latter posted on Instagram.

 

How exactly did the conciliation come about?

 

It started when RockEd founder Gang Badoy, a friend of Bautista's, had a quick meeting with Duterte at the Davao City airport. After informing him of RockEd's project to build a park in Davao del Sur from recycled materials, Badoy broached the subject of Bautista with the mayor, telling him, "If you met under different circumstances, you'll really enjoy his company."

 

According to Badoy, Duterte replied: "Parang OK naman talaga siya, mahirap yung ginawa niya, mahirap mag-sorry." 

 

The mayor added, jokingly: "Ako nga, sa girls lang ako nag-so-sorry."

 

After the conversation, Badoy called up Bautista to tell him what had happened. Noticing her on the phone from a few meters away, Duterte asked, "Si Ramon ba 'yang kausap mo?"

 

Duterte then approached Badoy and proceeded to have a conversation with Bautista on speakerphone.

 

Bautista would later quote Duterte telling him: "Ramon, si Rodrigo ito." The two then made peace during the conversation.

 

A few moments after that, Badoy was on the way to the airport parking lot when Duterte called her attention again.

 

According to Badoy, the mayor joked: "Padadalhan ko si Ramon ng kilo-kilong hipon." It was in reference to the joke that Bautista had made during the Kadayawan Festival calling the women of Davao City "hipon," the Filipino word for shrimp which is also a pejorative term for people with attractive bodies but ugly faces, which got the comedian in trouble in the first place.

 

Instead, Badoy asked him if he would write a note to Bautista, which Duterte gladly did. — Jaemark Tordecilla, GMA News