MANILA – Malacañang announced on Tuesday that the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) will conduct a series of meetings to discuss its next steps following Senator Christopher “Bong” Go’s withdrawal from the presidential run in the upcoming May 2022 elections.
Cabinet Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles remained silent on details, stating that it is prudent to await the PDP-Laban’s official statement on the matter.
“These are very new development kaya (that’s why) as far as PDP-Laban is concerned, alam ko magkakaroon ng mga series of meetings ang PDP-Laban para pag-usapan ito. At hintayin na lamang po natin yung any statement na ilalabas ng PDP-Laban tungkol diyan (I know there would a series of meetings to discuss this. Let’s just wait for the any statement to be released by the PDP-Laban),” he said in a Palace press briefing.
Go declared his withdrawal from the presidential race on Tuesday, citing resistance from his heart and head, as well as opposition from his family.
With Go’s withdrawal, the PDP-Laban now lacks a standard bearer for next year’s elections.
“In the past few days, I realized that my heart and my mind are contradicting my action. Talagang nagre-resist po ang aking katawan, puso at isipan. Tao lang po ako na nasasaktan at napapagod (My mind, heart, and body are resisting. I am only human who gets hurt and tired),” Go said in an interview with reporters in San Juan City.
Go originally filed for vice president under the Partido ng PDP-Laban, but then withdrew and ran for president under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), an allied party of the ruling PDP-Laban.
He also stated that his decision to withdraw was made to prevent being caught in the middle.
“Ayoko rin pong lalong maipit si Pangulong Duterte higit pa po sa tatay ang pagmamahal ko sa kanya. Matanda na po siya at marami na rin siyang naibigay para sa bayan, ayaw ko na pong dagdagan pa ang kanyang problema (I don’t want President Duterte to be caught in the middle because I regard him more than a father. He is already old and he has done so much for the country, I don’t want to add to his problems),” he added.
Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is running for vice president in tandem with a different presidential candidate, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Sara is running for vice president under Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).
The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Marcos’ political party, endorsed Sara’s candidacy, forming a Bongbong-Sara tandem in the 2022 national and local elections.
