Media giant ABS-CBN on Monday apologized for airing a negative campaign ad of an opposition candidate against then Davao Mayor and presidential candidate President Rodrigo Duterte during the 2016 election.

In a Senate hearing on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, Senator Christopher Bong Go slammed the network and questioned it for authorizing to air the political ad which portrayed children and several snippets of Duterte saying negative comments and profanity.

It included his remarks on the rape-slay of an Australian nun and cursing Pope Francis in his speech.

"How did this become a political ad? What is your priority? Black propaganda? This is very troublesome. Media networks are supposed to be impartial," said Go, Duterte's former presidential aide.

Go added that the advertisement aimed to destroy Duterte's reputation during the campaign period.

"The president was hurt, he was treated like a pig. The president is not vindictive but someone clearly went overboard with the airing of this black propaganda," the senator said.

"If the opposing party worked together like this to overthrow one person, the president was right in fighting the elitists and oligarchy that is reigning in the country,' he added.

ABS-CBN President and Chief Executive Officer Carlo Katigbak apologized and clarified that the network does not have any political agenda against Duterte. .

Katgbak said the network has no political agenda against anyone and "will not have its own political agenda."

"We were sorry if we offended the President. That was not the intention of the network. We felt that we were just abiding by the laws and regulations that surround the airing of political ads," he added.

ABS-CBN's franchise will expire on March 31, 2020. Congressional approval is needed to extend it. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS