Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go has made official his political plans for the 2019 elections.
Go, after saying that he will merely be a “janitor” in next year’s polls, on Monday filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Intramuros, Manila to vie for a seat in the Senate.
President Rodrigo Duterte accompanied Go in filing his COC. Also with Go at the Comelec was Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.
READ: Duterte escorts Go in filing COC at Comelec
Before filing his COC, Go has repeatedly said that he is not interested in politics.
READ: Go on 2019 plan: I’ll just be your ‘janitor’
“I’m not interested in running. There are many jealous persons in politics,” Go said before 2,000 village officials who took oath as members of Hugpong ng Pagbabago in Compostella Valley in July.
But things would be different now for Go, as he finally decided to run after “months of contemplation.”
“Today I have finally come up with a decision to run for public office,” he told reporters after filing his COC.
“Like my mentor, I would like to serve our countrymen” he added, referring to Duterte.
Go said he will help in the fight against corruption, criminality, and illegal drugs if he becomes a senator.
With the filing of his COC, will there be more tarps and billboards displaying Go’s face across the country?
Go did not give a definite answer, and insisted anew that it was his supporters who placed the tarpaulins and billboards.
To recall, critics slammed the proliferation of Go’s tarps and billboards along highways and overpasses way ahead of the campaign period. Go also received flak for attending events where items bearing his name and face were given away to audience.
“Sinabi ko pakitanggal na lang po at ibili niyo na lang nga mga plywood sa mga nasunugan at nabaha (I told them to just remove [it] and just buy [it] with plywood for victims of fire and flood),” he said.
According to Go, sought divine help before filing his COC.
“Bago po ako pumunta rito, dumaan muna ako sa simbahan sa San Miguel, dyan lang po sa Malacañang complex, at nagdasal po ako (Before I came here, I visited the church in San Miguel first, just within the Malacañang complex, and I prayed),” he said.
Go will run for senator under the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) chaired by Duterte. /kga
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