Bong Go says Arroyo urged Duterte to be ‘active’ in politics again during meeting

Former presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo share a light moment during a ceremony in Pampanga where the provincial government declared the former Davao City mayor an adopted son in this file photo taken on Jan. 26, 2023. INQUIRER file photo / Tonette Orejas

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Bong Go said Deputy House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo urged former President Rodrigo Duterte to be “active in politics” again.

Go said the talk happened during an “informal” gathering over the weekend attended by Duterte, Arroyo, and former Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

“Isang simpleng kamustahan at masayang pagkikita ang nangyari kasama ang mga pinunong naglingkod sa bayan sa iba’t ibang posisyon o kapasidad noong mga nakaraang administrasyon. Nagbalik-tanaw sila sa mga panahong nagkasama sila sa gobyerno,” said Go in a statement on Monday.

(A simple gathering and happy meeting happened with the leaders who served the people in different positions during the previous administrations. They reminisced about the times when they worked together in the government.)

“Sa nasabing pagkikita, kinukumbinsi din ni dating pangulong Arroyo si dating pangulong Duterte na maging aktibo muli sa pulitika,” he added.

(During the meeting, former president Arroyo convinced former president Duterte to become active in politics again.)

Duterte’s longtime aide did not detail what Duterte’s response was.

Go then stated that even if Arroyo, Duterte, Sotto, and Medialdea held different positions in the government, they shared one desire: to serve the people.

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