A major Philippines daily published an apology yesterday, after it carried a story making fun of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's small physical stature.

An apology from the editors of the Philippines Daily Inquirer (PDI), carried on the front page of yesterday's issue said: "You're right. Shame on us. Our apologies for the politically incorrect description of the President Macapagal-Arroyo."

The PDI issued an apology after Arroyo's husband, Mike Arroyo, sent a letter to the newspaper complaining about a caricature alongside one of Monday's headline story. The tag line depicted the president as a 'pandak' the Filipino adjective for a squat person. "The Panday to battle the Pandak," the caricature's tag line said.

The caricature was a sidebar to a report on a supposed plan by a movie star Fernando Poe Junior's to run against the less than 1.5 metre-high Arroyo in the 2004 presidential elections.

Poe, recognised, as the "King of the Filipino Movies," is known for his role as a mythical blacksmith or 'Panday' who forges a sword out of a meteorite that he uses to battle evil creatures including hooded midgets.

Mike in his letter to the PDI said, "It is simply appaling to see a newspaper as respected as yours going extra personal in an obvious attempt to attract readers' attention for today's issue at the expense of President Arroyo. For a newspaper of your stature, shame on you.

Despite her imperfections, the fact remains that President Arroyo is the Chief Executive, who is entitled to all the respect from every Filipino."

The PDI in the past has been poking light-hearted fun at Arroyo and other Filipino presidents, but this is the first time that a formal letter has been issued by the presidential palace complaining about a story.