MANILA – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte claimed it was he who convinced Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to run for president after the latter quit his vice presidential candidacy following Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s decision to run for vice president.
“Umiiyak si Bong, sabi ko wag ka umiyak, bakit ka iiyak, bukas ang president, tumakbo ka. E bakit ka iiyak dahil lang anak ko sumingit bigla (Bong is crying, I said don’t cry, why are you crying, the race is open, run. Why are you crying just because my daughter came in suddenly),” Duterte said in an online interview with vlogger Byron Cristobal, known as Banat By, streamed on YouTube on Sunday night.
The President accompanied Go when the senator went to the Commission on Elections office in Intramuros, Manila on Saturday to file his certificate of candidacy to run for president in the 2022 national and local elections under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), an allied party of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
According to Duterte, he was surprised that Sara filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) to run for vice president under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) on Saturday, despite being the top candidate for president in recent polls.
“Nagtataka ako, siya ang No. 1 sa survey, kung bakit siya pumayag na tatakbo ng bise, siya ang mataas ang rating, bakit? (I wonder, she’s the No. 1 in the survey, why she agreed to run for vice, she has highest rating, why?),” Duterte said.
He stated that presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos might have influenced his daughter to run as vice president.
“Hindi ko naman siya sinisisi kasi di naman kami nag-usap. Yun desisyon nila ang ayaw ko na tatakbo. I’m sure yun pagtakbo ni Sara ay desisyon nila Bongbong (I’m not blaming her because we never talked. It’s their decision that she will run that I opposed. I’m sure Sara’s move to run was the decision of Bongbong’s camp),” Duterte said.
Duterte stated that he will make a declaration in “a matter of hours” that he “might” run (VP) as Go’s tandem.
He said he will support the presidential bid of his long-time top aide “as a matter of principle.”
“E wala itong ginawang hambog na kwento na kaya niya, pero alam ko sa taon na nagserbisyo siya sa akin, alam ko talagang honest. Wala ka talagang masilip (He never bragged that he can do it, but in the long years that he served to me, I know he is really honest. You cannot find fault),” Duterte said, referring to Go.
Duterte noted that he will reveal the reasons why he chose to support Go over Marcos or Manny Pacquiao, during the election campaign period.
He clarified that Pacquiao, who is also a presidential candidate, requested an audience during their meeting last week.
“Sabi nya na magsama tayo for the sake of Mindanao. Sabi ko (He said let’s join for the sake of Mindanao. I said), I am sorry, I cannot support you,” Duterte said.
“Hindi talaga ako magsuporta sa kanya, hindi rin ako magsuporta kay Marcos, wala ako, basta ako kay Bong, niloko nila eh (I won’t really support him [Pacquiao], I won’t support Marcos either, I don’t have any. I will only support Bong, they cheated him),” he added.
Duterte also stated that he never committed to support Marcos.
