Bong Go on Senate run: It’s up to Duterte

Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go poses with the audience at the GoNegosyo 10th Filipina Entrepreneurship at the World Trade Center. Go says it is all up to President Rodrigo Duterte to allow him to run for the Senate in the 2019 polls. MPC Pool Photo

After declaring he will not run for the Senate, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go is now singing a different tune: his candidacy is now up to his boss, President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a chance interview with the press on Tuesday at the GoNegosyo 10th Filipina Entrepreneurship at the World Trade Center, Go said that it was too early to speculate whether he will run in the 2019 midterm elections next year.

He said he would rather focus on his work.

“Masyado pa pong maaga, nandito kami para sa GoNegosyo. Depende po kay Pangulo ang lahat. Thank you,” Go told reporters.

(It is too early to speculate, we are here at GoNegosyo. It is all up to the President.)

In a lengthy post on Facebook on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol said that Go could be the “bridge between the Senate and the Palace.”

Piñol said the Presidential aide should “seriously consider the endorsement” as he could end up in within the top five in the next year’s senatorial race.

“As a former politician myself, I believe in gut feel. This was the same gut feel I had when I and many other friends did our best to convince then Mayor Rody Duterte to take a stab at the Presidency because we felt that he was really winnable,” the secretary wrote.

“Bong Go is not just winnable. I believe he will be one of the favorites should he decide to run for the Senate,” he added.

This was not the first time Go was urged to run for senator.

In a speech in February, Duterte told Go to attend the Senate investigation on the Philippine Navy’s P15.7-billion frigate deal, saying it would be his aide’s “golden opportunity” to become a senator.

Two weeks later, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said he would prod Go to join the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) senatorial slate for the 2019 polls.

READ: Alvarez to prod Bong Go to run for senator

Go, who has been dubbed as selfie king for his selfies with ranking officials and world leaders, had repeatedly thumbed down such proposals.

He said he was not interested for any position in the government because he is committed to serving Duterte “til kingdom come.”

“I have dedicated my life to serving PRRD (Duterte) and I am committed to stand beside him till kingdom come,” he said in a statement. /je