MANILA – Two days after Special Assistant to the President Christopher "Bong" Go filed his certificate of candidacy for senator, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday predicted that his former top aide will win in the 2019 mid-term elections.
“O ‘di nakita mo ngayon si Bong Go senador na. O totoo (You see, Bong Go is now a senator). He will win. He will win,” Duterte said in his speech during the concluding ceremonies of the 44th Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBCE) at the Manila Hotel.
Go’s name emerged as possible senatorial aspirant in February this year at the height of the Senate’s call for investigation on the Philippine Navy frigate deal.
Opposition senators asked Go to appear in the inquiry after he allegedly intervened in the deal which he vehemently denied.
Duterte then urged Go to use the Senate investigation as stepping stone to get a Senate seat.
Go took it as a joke that sparked noise, asking him to consider the President’s idea for him to run as senator.
“Kita mo. Nakita mo (You see) how fate play --- destiny of men are played. Hindi kilala ‘yan. Mas kilala ‘yung nagpatawag sa kanya. O tingnan mo ngayon. (He is not popular. Those who summoned him were more popular. So now you see.) You weigh the scales of their character,” Duterte said.
Go served as Duterte’s special assistant for more than 20 years. Duterte was mayor of Davao City for 23 years before his overwhelming victory in 2016 elections as the first President from Mindanao.
Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the senatorial candidates of the administration will have “very good” chance due to Duterte’s popularity.
“Given the popularity of the President, the chances of these senatorial candidates of the administration certainly are very good,” Panelo said in a Palace press briefing on Thursday.
Panelo, however, clarified the administration’s senatorial aspirants would not only rely on Duterte’s endorsement but on “their own credentials”.
He said the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) is still finalizing the administration's senatorial slate.
“It’s being finalized now. The PDP-Laban, allied with Hugpong (Hugpong ng Pagbabago). We will make the official announcement. Of course the announcement will be coming from the PDP-Laban and Hugpong,” he said.
Aside from Go, other former Cabinet members who filed their COCs for senator are Presidential Political Adviser Francis Tolentino, Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. (PNA)
