MANILA – ABS-CBN has issued an apology following the airing of certain scenes in the TV series “A Soldier’s Heart” that have offended Butuanons.

In a statement released Thursday, the network said: “ABS-CBN would like to apologize to Agusan Del Norte Rep. Lawrence Fortun and the people of Butuan City if the scenes in the TV series ‘A Soldier’s Heart’ have offended them. While the incident portrayed in the series was fictitious, there was mention of the city name.”

“We would like to assure them that there was no deliberate intention to portray Butuan City negatively in the show. We acknowledge that Butuan is one of the most beautiful and peaceful cities in the country,” it added.

The apology was released after Fortun called out the network for supposedly depicting Butuan City as “a hub of extremism” and “a hotbed of chaos.”

Fortun said “the depiction is not only unrealistic, it is offensive because it is destroying the collective efforts of the people of Butuan to promote the Home of the Balangays as a tourist destination for history and culture and a hub of opportunities.”

In the pilot episode of the RCD Narratives production, IT expert Alex (Gerald Anderson) volunteers to aid the military by lending his knowledge to track the online activities of a rebel group, following a terror attack in Butuan City. Alex, however, gets caught in an ambush by rebel forces within the area.