Sorry, Magellan Is Not the Hero of Mactan, Says Vice Gov. Jolo Revilla

Cavite Vice Gov. Jolo Revilla on Tuesday apologized for a post on his verified Facebook account which said that Ferdinand Magellan won the Battle of Mactan, blaming the gaffe on an intern.

The Facebook image was meant to mark the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mactan, which was won by Lapu-Lapu. Magellan died in that battle. Revilla apologized specifically to the people of Cebu province where the island is located.

Lapu-Lapu, the rajah who drove away Spanish conquistadores led by Magellan, is highly regarded in the country. A few weeks back, rapper Ez-Mil was declared persona non-grata in Lapu Lapu City for a verse in his song "Panalo" that reversed the tide of battle in Mactan.

Revilla's original post was taken down but trust the internet to keep screenshots of the gaffe.

The Battle of Mactan is just one of the many historical milestones of the Philippines' quincentennial, the celebrations largely truncated due to the pandemic.

In the last few weeks, the Philippines marked 500 years since Magellan's arrival in the Philippines, 500 years since the first mass on Homonhon Island and 500 years of Christianity.

This story originally appeared on Reportr.world. Minor edits have been made by Esquiremag.ph editors.