"I leave my fate to God, to the Dutertes and to the Filipino people."
Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go on Wednesday, July 7 issued this statement to reiterate his position that he is not interested in running for a higher position in the 2022 national elections.
Emerging from a meeting of the ruling Partido Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP)-Laban party in Malacanang, Go said there is still no decision on who would be listed in the slate of party candidates for the 2022 national elections despite calls from party leaders and members for President Duterte, party chairman, to run for vice president.
Go quoted party member, Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa, as supporting the candidacy of President Duterte for vice presidency to provide continuity to Duterte’s campaigns against anti-illegal drugs, criminality, corruption and his multi-billion-peso ‘’Build Build Build’’ program.
The senator from Davao likened Duterte as a doctor who knows how to cure his patient.
According to Go, the PDP-Laban officers were in agreement that
emphasis be placed on all efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic but no decision has been made yet on the slate of national candidates.
There might not be time for politicking if the pandemic is not contained, he said.
‘’Bakuna muna bago politics (vaccination first before politics),’’ he added.
Go, chairman of the Senate Health and Demography committee, said the President has his own pick for the senatorial slots but there are many interested to run for the Upper Chamber.
But the PDP-Laban slate could be filled up in the coming weeks or months as the October deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy approaches, Go explained.
There are many variables in the PDP-Laban presidential slate.
One of them is a Go-Duterte tandem.
But Go said he is tired but he needs to work for the benefit of the Filipino people.
Being a former Special Assistant to President Duterte, Go said the work of a President is very demanding and strength-sapping.
In decision-making processes, it is the usual ‘’damn if you do, damn if you don’t’’ syndrome, he explained.
After having served the Filipino people, Go he would go back to his ‘’comfort zone’’ and that is Davao.
He asked the party leadership to count him out and would plead that he should be considered last in the multitude of possible candidates.