MANILA – Senator Christopher “Bong” Go admitted on Thursday that he is still in shock more than a week after entering the presidential race, and that he felt it is not yet time for him to proceed with his sudden decision.
Go remarked in a statement posted in social media that running for the top government position “was something I have never dreamed of.”
“Iniiwasan ko ang posisyon na ito (I avoided this position), but fate — as I said — has a way of turning things around. Nagdesisyon ang partido at si Pangulong Duterte (The party of President Duterte made a decision) and I accepted the challenge,” he said.
On November 13, Go withdrew his bid for the vice presidency under the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and subsequently filed his candidacy for president under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), an allied party of the ruling PDP-Laban.
Go stated that he continued to seek guidance from God and that the Presidency “is a matter of destiny” for him.
While he was flattered that he was being regarded for president by several camps, he admitted that he was simply human and wanted to be honest about his emotions.
He said he was prepared to run for vice president, but had to accept the PDP-Laban’s decision due to his fondness for President Rodrigo Duterte and his family.
“Naging kandidato na ako as vice president for about 40 days hanggang sa nangyari po ang hindi natin inaasahan. At dahil sa mahal ko at ayaw kong masaktan si Pangulong Duterte at ang kanyang pamilya ay kinailangan ko pong magpaubaya (I was a candidate for vice president for about 40 days until something unexpected happened. And because I love and do not want to hurt President Duterte and his family, I had to give in),” he said.
Go said his heart and mind had been “contradicting my own actions” in the past few days, and that his decision had been difficult for his family to accept.
“Tao lang po ako na nasasaktan at napapagod din. O baka dahil sadyang napakarumi at ganun kainit lang talaga ang pulitika. Talagang nagreresist po ang aking katawan, puso at isipan. Pati po ang aking pamilya ay nahihirapan (I’m just a person who gets hurt and also gets tired. Or maybe it’s because politics is so dirty and so heated. My body, heart and mind are really resisting. Even my family is having a hard time),” he added.
Despite having no political experience and coming from a non-political family, he considers himself fortunate to be a “probinsyano” who has been given the opportunity to serve his country and people.
He did confess, though, that it might not be his time to run for president yet, and that he did not want to add to Duterte’s problems any more.
“Pero sa ngayon, baka hindi ko pa po panahon. Ako yung taong handang magsakripisyo para wala nang maipit, masaktan at mamroblema. Ayoko na pong mahirapan si Pangulo at yung mga supporters natin. Mahal ko po si Pangulong Duterte. Matanda na rin po siya at ayaw ko siyang bigyan pa ng dagdag na problema (But for now, it may not be my time yet. I am the type of person who is willing to sacrifice so that no one will be caught in the middle, hurt, and have problems. I don’t want the President and our supporters to suffer anymore. I love President Duterte. He is also old and I don’t want to give him any more problems),” he said.
He stated he would leave his fate to God and promised to “serve selflessly and tirelessly” every day.
“I am willing to make the supreme sacrifice for the good of our country, and for the sake of unity among our supporters and leaders. Marami namang paraan upang makatulong sa ating kapwa Pilipino. Ako naman, kahit saan man ako ipadpad ng aking tadhana, patuloy po akong magseserbisyo. Kung anuman ang aking magiging desisyon, ipapasa-Diyos ko na lang ang lahat alang-alang sa kung ano ang makakabuti sa bayan (There are many ways to help our fellow Filipinos. As for me, wherever my destiny throws me, I will continue to serve. Whatever my decision maybe, I will hand it over to God — I will just leave it all for the sake of what is good for the people),” he added.
Go has yet to formally proclaim his withdrawal from the presidential race, although earlier admitted that he had not ruled out the possibility.
