WILL HE or will he not? But Senator Bong Go said President Rodrigo Duterte is considering running for a Senate seat in next year’s polls despite withdrawing as vice presidential bet of the ruling political party PDP-Laban.
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| President Duterte and Senator Bong Go listen to Sulu Governor Sakur Tan during a meeting in Davao City. |
Go said if Duterte wins, he will continue to prioritize the welfare of the Filipinos, especially the poor. “He is considering, pinag-aaralan niyang mabuti. Kung makakatulong ba sa bayan, he might. Kino-consider niya po 'yung pagtakbo (sa Senado),” Go, a former aide of Duterte, said.
He said Duterte is examining a number of factors
before deciding whether or not to run, but if it will help his candidates win,
he may go for it. “Siyempre tinitingnan din niya ‘yung slate ng administration
ng PDP-Laban. Kung makakatulong siya na mas maraming mananalo sa part ng
administration, iyon ang kino-consider niya,” Go said.
“And of course, 'yung pages-serbisyo sa bayan
bilang inyong Tatay Digong. Ito proven and tested na po ‘yung kanyang
pages-serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan hindi lang sa salita kundi sa gawa,” he
added.
Duterte’s PDP-Laban is now pushing him to run
for senator even though he backed out from the vice presidential race to allow
his daughter, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte to run for president with Go as her
running mate. But Sara rejected this and is seeking re-election instead.
Veteran journalist Ramon Tulfo has said that
PDP-Laban also wants Duterte to be the next Senate president if elected. And Go
said Duterte is more than qualified to be the Senate president, but he was
quick to say that “it is too early to discuss such possibilities, especially
since the Senate leadership is decided upon by a collegial body.”
“Masyado pang maaga sigurong pag-usapan 'yan
dahil hindi naman natin alam kung sino ang mananalo, who will compose the
majority. Kadalasan diyan ay pipiliin po ng majority. But, bilang former
president ay napakalaking bagay iyon sa kanyang leadership, nanggaling sa
pagka-presidente,” Go said.
“Siguro masasabi naman ni Pangulo na nabanggit
niya kung ano 'yung mga programa na makakatulong pa siya, na maipagpapatuloy
'yung mga programa na magaganda na nakakabenepisyo naman sa mga kababayan natin
ay isusulong niya rin po, dahil naging mambabatas na rin siya noon, naging
congressman na rin po siya at naging presiding officer rin po siya as vice
mayor, twice sa Davao,” he added.
Go also confirmed that PDP-Laban officials would
meet soon to finalize their official candidates. For his part, Go said he is
determined to run as vice presidential bet of the PDP-Laban. “Parati namang
nag-uusap ang PDP about that. Ako naman, sigurado na ako. Kandidato na po ako
at desidido na ako diyan. Consistent naman ako, always po akong consistent kung
ano po yung sinabi ko. So, 100% dito na ko bilang kandidato as vice president,”
he said.
He also assured that Duterte will continue to
work hard to promote and protect the welfare of the Filipino people. “Sa mga
kababayan natin, asahan n'yo po na kung sakaling magdesisyon po ang ating
Pangulo na tumakbo bilang Senador, asahan n'yo po uunahin niya siyempre kung
papaano siya makakatulong at makapagpatuloy na makapagserbisyo sa ating mga
kababayan at paano niya maisusulongbat ipagpatuloy 'yung mga programang
naumpisahan na po niya na hindi pa po natatapos, gusto niya pong tapusin.
Importante po sa kanya ngayon is malampasan muna natin itong pandemya, itong
krisis na ating kinakaharap, at makakatawid na po tayo sa ating normal na
pamumuhay,” Go said.
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| A front page of the Mindanao Examiner regional newspaper shows President Duterte posing with Sulu Governor Sakur Tan and his sons Vice Governor Toto Tan and Rep. Samier Tan. |
“Kaming lahat dito sa Sulu, mula sa mga mayors ng ibat-ibang munisipyo hanggang sa ating mga mamamayan ay buong-buo ang aming suporta kay Pangulong Duterte at Senador Bong Go. Iyan ang sinisigurado namin dito sa Sulu,” Tan told the Mindanao Examiner by phone from his office in Patikul town.
“Napakaraming tulong sa amin dito sa Sulu si Presidente Duterte at mahal na mahal namin ang Pangulo. At ganoon rin kay Senator Bong Go at dahil sa kanya ay may mga Malasakit Centers na kami dito sa Sulu na napapakinabangan ng lahat kung kaya’t malaki ang aming pasasalamat kay Presidente at kay Senator Bong Go,” he added.
Tan is a close political ally of Duterte and the
only governor in the Muslim autonomous region that supported Duterte’s
candidacy and campaign in the 2016 presidential elections where he rallied his
mayors and the Tausugs to vote for Duterte. (Mindanao Examiner)