(FILE PHOTO) Senator Bong Go (left) and President Rodrigo Duterte.
MANILA, Philippines — A possible tandem between Senator Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte in 2022 is bound to get the support of at least 90 percent of PDP-Laban members should the Chief Executive choose to run alongside his long-time aide in the coming polls, party vice-chairman Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said Tuesday.
“I think kung magdedesisyon si Presidente, example lang, sabihin ni Pangulo, ‘Sige, tatakbo ako nang bise presidente pero ang gusto kong ka-tandem ko si Bong Go,’ will the party accept that?… Sasabihin natin siguro mahina ang 90 percent na susuporta,” Cusi said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel when asked how much support will a possible Go-Duterte secure within the PDP-Laban.
(I think if the President will make a decision, if, for example, the President says ‘OK, I will run for vice president but I want a tandem Bong Go,’ will the party accept that?… Let’s say a 90-percent support will be considered low.)
“That is my personal belief, considering the clamor that I have seen when we were going around, based on that, 90 percent support would be quite low should President Duterte decides to run,” he added.
Nevertheless, Cusi said whoever Duterte chooses as his running mate will receive the same support from the party.
“Whoever the president decides to be his running mate, I’m sure the party will be supportive,” the energy chief said.
On Monday night, the President expressed his openness to join the vice presidential race in 2022 — this time, saying: “It’s not at all a bad idea. If there’s a space for me there, maybe.”
‘That’s no secret’
Cusi said PDP-Laban’s members in Cebu and other areas have called for a Go-Duterte tandem in 2022.
“Ang naging panawagan po doon is for Go-Duterte. So [gumawa] sila ng resolution, there was a resolution for Go-Duterte,” he said.
(The call there was for a Go-Duterte tandem. They even drafted a resolution for Go-Duterte).
“But in fairness kay Sen. Bong Go, sinabi po niya samin, wag ninyo akong isama diyan. Sabi ko naman ‘Di naman ako ang gumawa noon.’ That was a result of a consultative meeting in Visayas and that was an output and we have to report that. So, totoo po yun, nagkaroon po ng panawagan na ganoon,” he added.
(In fairness to Sen. Bong Go, he told us to leave him out of this. But I said: ‘It’s not me.’ That was a result of a consultative meeting in Visayas and that was an output and we have to report that. So, that’s true, there have been calls for a Go-Duterte tandem.)
Earlier, Duterte said Go dreams of becoming president. But the senator downplayed the President’s remark, saying it was just a casual joke.
In February, Go said he has no presidential ambition. However, it was the same case in 2018 when Duterte also teased him about having aspirations to be a senator, which Go vehemently denied.
Go ended up running for and eventually winning a Senate seat in 2019.
Asked if the PDP-Laban will field Go and Duterte as a tandem in 2022, Cusi said the party undergoes a process in choosing its standard bearer.
“But is it possible? It’s possible but will it happen, that is another story,” he added.
“Definitely what I will support is whatever the decision of the party will be, whoever is chosen by the party, I will support that, I will tow the party line, that is the guiding principle for him,” he added.