JAKARTA (UPDATED) — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday downplayed the inverted Philippine flag displayed during the bilateral meeting between the Philippines and Canada, calling the gaffe an “honest mistake.”

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The inverted Philippine flag — which is usually used when the Philippines is at war — was seen behind Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"It was an honest mistake that had nothing to do with our protocol officers," DFA Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said in a statement.

“But the battle of the socks continued,” she added, referring to Marcos Jr. And Trudeau’s shared knack of wearing colored or printed socks.

Aside from the two heads of states, several Philippine officials and staff were present during the bilateral meeting.

Among these officials were House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.

It remains unclear why the error was not corrected shortly before the meeting.

The Philippines and Canada enjoy close bilateral relations, with nearly 1 million Filipinos residing in the North American country, data from the Canadian government showed.

Trudeau earlier invited Marcos Jr. to visit Canada next year in time for the Philippines and Canada’s 75th bilateral relations anniversary.

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