President Rodrigo Duterte consults with Sen. Christopher Go. (Photo from the senator’s office)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Bong Go has maintained that he is not interested in running for the 2022 national elections, but has kept his options open after saying that the time would come for him to decide on that issue.
Go spoke to reporters on Friday — a day after President Rodrigo Duterte joked about his former aide having ambitions to become president — to insist anew that the Chief Executive was only joking.
“Nahiya nga ako sabi ko, ‘sir, boss, ‘wag mo akong tawagin na presidente kasi I am not interested po to run for president […] Now sa tanong mo, kung magbabago po ang isip ko, darating din po ang panahon na ‘yan kung kailangan nating magdesisyon,” Go said.
(I feel humbled and I told him sir, boss, don’t address me as president because I am not interested to run for president… Now for your question if I would change my mind, time will come if I would make my decision.)
“Kung ako lang po, ayaw ko po. Kung ako lang po, hindi po ako interesado. Kung ako lang po, magseserbisyo lang po ako […] Magpapabago lang po ng isipan ko, kung tumakbo po si Pangulong Duterte bilang bise-presidente,” he added.
(For me, I really don’t want. If I were to ask, I am not interested. I just want to render services… What would really change my mind if President Duterte would run as vice president.)
The senator also said that he is looking forward to finishing his term as a senator in 2025, stressing that he has not yet gotten over the fact that he became a legislator.
“Maraming salamat kay Pangulong Duterte pero ako po’y nakiusap na sa kanya, sabi ko ilayo po ako dyan […] I am not interested kasi hanggang 2025 pa po ang aking termino,” Go said.
(I thank President Duterte, but I am begging him please move me away from that… I am not interested because my term [as senator] is still until 2025.)
“Hindi ko pa nga po alam hanggang ngayon, na senador na ako eh. Magdadalawang taon na hindi pa pumapasok sa isipan ko na isa na akong senador,” he noted.
(Actually until now I still can’t believe I am a senator. It has been two years and still it didn’t reach my head that I am a senator.)
Duterte joked during a speech on Thursday that Go approached him to say that he has dreams of becoming the country’s president. Go immediately deflected the idea, saying that it was only a joke.
However, what is not a joke is some of PDP-Laban members’ belief that President Duterte can run again in the 2022 presidential polls as vice president — although the Chief Executive himself has insisted that he plans to retire to Davao the moment he steps out of office.
Aside from Go, another Duterte ally — her own daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio — has been rumored to run in 2022. However, both father and daughter shot down the idea despite tarpaulins and streamers urging Duterte-Carpio to run popping everywhere.