Cusi: Go may be perceived as Duterte’s ‘alalay,’ but he deserves respect

(FILE) Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go continues to defend local bills seeking to increase the bed capacity of several hospitals across the country Thursday, May 20. 2021. (Alex Nueva España/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Christopher “Bong” Go may be perceived as an “alalay” (aide) of President Rodrigo Duterte, but he deserves respect for his knowledge across the government.

So said PDP-Laban president and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi in justifying why the party chose to endorse Go to team up with the President for the 2022 national elections.

READ: PDP-Laban ‘endorses’ Bong Go-Rodrigo Duterte tandem for 2022 elections

“Bakit po si Bong Go? Maraming candidates po and they are all qualified. Ngayon ito lang kay Senator Bong Go, ang sinasabi namin po after evaluating everything, he is a person that has been exposed to the job of the president,” Cusi said in an interview with Teleradyo.

(Why Bong Go? There are many candidates and they are all qualified. With Senator Bong Go, what we’re saying is that he is a person who has been exposed to the job of the president.)

“He might be perceived [as] an alalay ni Pangulong Duterte ngayon, but I think we should give him respect for that because he doesn’t like to rise above the source,” he added.

Go was Special Assistant to the President before he was elected senator in 2019. But even after becoming a legislator, Go remained visible in Duterte’s official events, including the President’s weekly “Talk to the People.”

To further justify their choice, Cusi noted that Go is knowledgeable about all branches of the government.

“Number two, he has the knowledge of how the executive department in the government works. Number three, alam din po niya ang sa legislative. Number four, even sa judiciary alam na rin po niya lahat,” Cusi said.

(Number two, he has the knowledge of how the executive department in the government works. Number three, he also knows the legislative branch and even the judiciary.)

“So sinasabi po natin, in all areas of the government, siya po ang may magandang knowledge,” he added.

(What we’re saying is, in all areas of the government, he’s the one who has good knowledge.)

Earlier, PDP-Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag said that the Go-Duterte team is the “popular” and “logical” choice for the ruling party.

Meanwhile, the PDP-Laban wing led by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel is eyeing to nominate  Senator Manny Pacquiao as their standard-bearer for the upcoming polls.

/MUF