No dragon tattoo: Go bares back in Agusan
Look: Bong Go got no dragon tattoo. Photo from Bong Go
DAVAO CITY — Look, no tattoo.
Senatorial candidate and former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go on Wednesday took off his shirt at a campaign rally here to belie claims that he had a tattoo supposedly containing his code name as a member of a drug syndicate.
In episode 3 of the video “The Real Narcolist (Ang Totoong Narcolist),” which has been making the rounds of social media since last week, “Bikoy” — a man claiming to be a former drug syndicate member — alleged that Go received about P3 billion in drug money from the syndicate from 2010 to 2018.
He also said that Go used the code name “Tesorogolf-TSG-002,” which is supposedly tattooed on his back. Go’s middle name is Tesoro.
‘End all this talk’
“Let’s put an end to all this talk,” Go said, showing his bare back to reporters at a press conference in Prosperidad town, Agusan del Sur, where the administration-backed Hugpong ng Pagbabago held a campaign rally.
“Is it clear? This is my mark,” Go said, pointing to the number 34 emblazoned on the back of the red polo shirt he changed into after taking off his white shirt.
Go said he suspected that Bikoy was a drug lord.
The hooded figure in the video made similar claims against President Rodrigo Duterte’s son, Paolo, the former Davao City vice mayor, in episode 1 of the video, and implicated the President’s partner Honeylet Avanceña and their daughter, Veronica, in episode 2.
Paolo Duterte has refused to show his back and instead challenged his critics to get their own tattoo.
‘Black propaganda’
Reacting to Go’s stunt, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Malacañang had been “saying all along that (the video) is black propaganda.”
“There are people who believe it, hook, line and sinker. It’s now [been shown] that it’s not true. It’s never been true,” he said.
Asked what he would say to the President’s critics whom he had accused of being behind the videos, Panelo said: “None. They can do their worst, we will do our best.”
On whether Go’s action would affect Bikoy’s other allegations in the video, Panelo said the accusers should provide clear evidence.
“[T]hat’s why we have repeatedly [said] it’s black propaganda,” Panelo said. —Reports from Frinston Lim and Christine O. Avendaño
