DIGOS CITY – Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go said his public appearances were not aimed at boosting his personality or chances at any elective position.
Go, who graced the groundbreaking for the PHP170-million new city hall building here on Thursday, said he was only representing President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I am not interested in running for (senator). For those who have started calling me senator, please, you can call me janitor because my job is all around,” Go said.
He said when not representing Duterte in public functions, he acts as trouble shooter and “bridge” for those trying to reach the President for any concern.
“That's my job since I started working for (Duterte) even when he was still mayor,” he said in a speech delivered in a mixture of Visayan, Filipino and English. “My job is to help, to follow up your requests to the President.”
Mayor Joseph Peñas said he was a witness to how Go works.
“I text or call him even at 3 a.m. and he will readily answer. He is very active in following up requests from us, those in the local government units,” Peñas said.
He said Go, who has been Duterte's trusted aide for about 20 years already, would go the extra mile to satisfy the request of LGUs, such as what he had experienced when he sought assistance for the new city hall project and the adjacent multi-purpose building, which had a separate funding.
“He is really hardworking in following up projects that we in the LGUs would seek from Malacañang,” Peñas added.
Go said he works without politics and accommodates those who seek his help.
“But there are some who are jealous like Trillanes,” he said, referring to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
Go said Trillanes had been criticizing him for his public appearances, without realizing that he was only representing the President.
“I was invited to Boracay by (Labor Secretary Silvestre) Bello and (Environment Secretary Roy) Cimatu. I accepted it so I can see the progress of Boracay's rehabilitation and report it to the President,” he said.
Go said he did not participate in the distribution of cash cards to the beneficiaries of the government aid during his visit there because he did not want the event to be politicized.
As to the distribution of some goods to residents, he said it was from the private sector.
“Those were given by the private sector, not from me,” Go said. (PNA)
