TARLAC CITY, Tarlac — Despite a snowballing support and the personal endorsement by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go on Monday maintained that he has no plans yet to run as senator in the 2019 mid-term elections.
“Wala pa po. Trabaho lang po muna ako (I have still no plans. I want to concentrate on my job),” Go said when asked by reporters in an ambush interview at the mass oath-taking of newly-elected barangay (village) officials of the Province of Tarlac at the Tarlac Christian College gymnasium in Barangay Culipat, Tarlac City.
Go made the statement after reporters told him that top officials of the province led by Governor Susan Yap and Tarlac (2nd District) Rep. Victor Yap were openly endorsing his candidacy before he arrived at the venue.
Go belied the notion that he attended the event to kick start his senatorial campaign in the province, saying that he was just invited as guest.
He added that it is still too early to delve on the 2019 elections and that he still had plenty of work for the President. He nevertheless expressed his gratitude to all local officials who are rooting for him to run.
“Naimbitahan lang po ako dito for oath-taking ng mga barangay officials. Matagal na rin po akong ‘di nakabalik dito sa Tarlac (I’m was just invited here for the oath-taking of village officials. It’s been a long before I was able to return here in Tarlac),” he said.
“Salamat po sa tiwala, nakakataba po ng puso. Pero masyado pang maaga para pag-usapan yan. Hindi po ako handang tumakbo, kasi araw-araw trabaho ang inaatupag ko. Marami pa po akong trabaho kay Pangulong Duterte (Thank you for the trust, it’s heartwarming. But it’s too early to talk about that. I’m not ready to run because of the workload I have to attend to everyday. I have a lot of work to do for President Duterte),” he added.
In the meantime, he took the opportunity to express his gratitude to the people of Tarlac who gave their support to Duterte during the campaign.
He also asked Tarlaqueños to continue supporting the President, particularly in the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality.
“Pasalamat na rin po sa lahat ng sumuporta sa ating Presidente at humihingi pa rin ako ng suporta para sa programa ng ating Pangulo laban sa droga, corruption at kriminalidad (I would like to thank all who supported our President and I’m still asking support for the programs of our President against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality),” Go said.
For the village officials allegedly involved in drugs, Duterte’s long-time aide urged them to mend their ways and warned that the administration will not waiver in its campaign to stamp out the drug menace.
“Ang DILG [Department of Interior and Local Government] naman po at mga kapulisan ay nakamanman sa kanila including the PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency]. Sana naman po tigilan na nila itong droga at wala pong pinipili ang gobyerno. Pag pumasok kayo dyan, nasa sa inyo na po yan. Lahat ng risk po andidyan na po pag pumasok kayo (The DILG and the police are monitoring them including PDEA. I only hope that they stop being involved in illegal drugs and our government will spare no one. If you get involved, it’s all up to you. All the risks are there when you get involved),” he said. (PNA)
