Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has extended his support to fellow Senator Manny Pacquiao who would be fighting against WBA world welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas today, Sunday, August 22, at Las Vegas saying he will root for the Philippine boxing icon’s success in his match.

“Bilang Pilipino, I wish him luck sa kanyang laban. Good luck, Senator Manny, at isang karangalan para sa ating bayan at bandila kung manalo ka (As a Filipino, I wish him luck in his fight. Good luck, Sen. Manny, it is an honor for our country and our flag if you win),” Go said in an interview on Radio DWIZ.

“Magdarasal din kami ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na manalo siya sa kanyang laban ...Sana maging matagumpay siya at sana ‘di siya masaktan sa kanyang laban. Sana makapagdala siya ng isang malaking karangalan muli para sa ating bayan (President Duterte and I will pray for his victory. We hope he will be successful and he won’t be injured. I hope he can bring more glory for the nation),” said Go.

Go said he has opted to distanced himself on the political feud between President Duterte and Pacquiao, who is said to be keen on pursuing a presidential bid in the upcoming May 2022 national elections.

Both are stalwarts in the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban), but Go has been nominated by the faction of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi to be the party’s standard bearer in next year’s polls, along with Duterte as his tandem.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, has the support of fellow Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, one of the main founders of the ruling political party.

According to Go, he had spoken with Senators Pacquiao and Pimentel before the former flew to Las Vegas, US to clear the air and affirm their friendship both inside and outside work.

Go maintained that he had no intention of running for the presidency in 2022 and will leave it to more interested candidates.

“Bago pa umalis si Senator Manny Pacquiao ay nagkausap kami. Napag-usapan namin ‘yan ni Senator Pimentel na kami ay mga senators at kahit may paksyon sa PDP-Laban ay magkukumpare kami at mananatili ang aming pagkakaibigan (Even before Sen. Pacquiao left, we’ve talked. We were able to talk about it with Sen. Pimentel and even if there is a faction in PDP-Laban we are friends and that will remain),” shared Go.

“Kaya sinabihan ko sila noon na ‘please count me out’. I am not a threat dahil ‘di ako interesadong tumakbo bilang pangulo at makipagkumpetensya. Ibigay niyo na ‘yan sa mga may gusto (tumakbo bilang pangulo) (That’s why I told them before, please count me out. I am not a threat because I’m not interested to run for president and join the competition. Just give it to those who want to run for president),” he reiterated.

It could be recalled that Duterte and Pacquiao had a falling out last month after the latter disclosed the alleged multi-billion peso anomalies in the Departments of Health (DOH) and Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Duterte called Pacquiao “punch drunk” and raised the P2.2-billion tax evasion case against the latter during his address before the PDP-Laban party where he was ousted as president of PDP-Laban by the Cusi faction.