Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 2) — In a surprising twist, Kris Aquino thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for his remarks about her late mother.

In a Facebook post, the celebrity and entrepreneur addressed a sentence that Duterte latched on to his statements about former President Cory Aquino’s popularity.

“Maraming salamat po, Pangulong Duterte, dahil napangalanan ninyo ang mga kamay na may dugo sa pagpatay kay Ninoy Aquino,” she said.

[Translation: Thank you, President Duterte, because you named the person whose hands bore the blood of Ninoy Aquino.]

Duterte on Friday said that the late President owed her popularity to the death of her husband, former Senator Ninoy Aquino, who was assassinated on August 21, 1983.

It was highly suspected that the late strongman and then President Ferdinand Marcos had a hand in his death.

“Cory Aquino may be popular. She is popular today. Why? For losing the husband in the hands of Mr. Marcos,” Duterte said.

READ: Duterte: Cory Aquino was only popular because of Ninoy’s death

The younger Aquino brushed off the statement about her mother’s popularity.

“To everyone reacting to defend mom and her legacy, thank you, but my heart knows, she’s not affected by, nor offended about ‘popularity,” she said.