Duterte apologizes to Bacolod bishop for cussing pope

Bacolod City (CNN Philippines) — Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte paid a courtesy call to Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra on Wednesday (February 17) as the PDP-Laban standard bearer prepared to woo voters in the province.

Duterte also asked the Bishop for forgiveness for cussing the pope. Navarra, who welcomed Duterte, said the issue has died down.

Related: Duterte under fire for comment on Pope Francis

Navarra and Duterte also had a closed-door meeting while several supporters wait outside the Bishop's House and at the roadside.

Related: I will donate P1,000 to Caritas Davao per curse word, Duterte says

Alleged death threat

On the reported threat on his life, Duterte said it is not new since he had been receiving several threats before.

According to Chief Insp. Dianne Grace Catedral, public information officer of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), the chief security of Duterte coordinated with them regarding the alleged sighting earlier Wednesday of a hitman, who was said to be hired by a druglord in Iloilo City.

Although the report is still being validated, the police were directed to be on alert and security personnel were already deployed in fields, Catedral said.

The team of Duterte and his supporters paraded going to the SMX Convention Center, where he gave a speech and met with multisectoral leaders.