Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte vehemently denied Wednesday (Aug. 25) night reports that she has been harboring a grudge against Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, who is regarded by many as President Rodrigo Duterte’s 'adopted son' for being very close to the chief executive.
Reacting to a political news website, the lady mayor rejected its report that she and her brothers are being kept at distance from their father and are required to get an appointment merely to see the President.
“This is not true. It seems the source talking does not know me,” she said.
“I do not hold a grudge against Senator Go with regard to his relationship with PRRD,” she stressed.
Quoting sources, the website’s source claimed making access to Duterte a little difficult to Mayor Duterte and her siblings is part of the alleged machinations of Senator Go and the president’s partner, Honeylet Avanceña.
“I am not the keeper of the President, he is allowed to have his friends as I am,” said Sara in a viber message to reporters.
She pointed out : “Why would I be furious about the need for an appointment to see the president, what matters is I see the President.” “Mababaw itong source na ito, (This source is shallow),” the Davao City chief executive stated, referring to the news website’s informant.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mayor Duterte posted on her Facebook account her personal view on reports that her father and Senator Go have intentions to run in tandem in the 2022 presidential polls, with President Duterte sliding as running mate of his former aide.
IN her post, she revealed breaking her silence on the issue when President Duterte had “personally confirmed” his decision to run for vice president.
It will be recalled that despite the popular belief that she will run for president, Mayor Duterte publicly announced she will not if her father will make good his vow to become vice president.
“The President, very recently, personally confirmed to me that he will run for Vice President and Senator Go as President. It was not a pleasant event,” she said.
This post had apparently triggered speculations that the presidential daughter and Go are no seeing eye to eye.
“I was left with two letters endorsed to me by the President for consideration - one note explained why I should endorse the Go Duterte tandem and the other suggested that I take Senator Go as my Vice President,” she said.
This prompted her to dare the Go-Duterte tandem to be candid and declare to the public their real intentions in 2022.
"I strongly suggest to the President and Senator Go to own up publicly their decison to run as a tandem. If they can confirm it privately, then I do not see the reason why the cannot be candid about it to the public," she stated.