Bong Go drops presidential bid in Eleksyon 2022

Senator Bong Go on Tuesday announced that he is withdrawing his candidacy for president in Eleksyon 2022.

This came almost a week after he admitted that he was still waiting for "a sign from God" on whether or not he should push through with his presidential bid.

In an ambush interview in San Juan City, Go explained that his family was not in favor of his presidential run. He also said he does not want to put President Rodrigo Duterte in a difficult situation.

“Ayoko rin pong lalong maipit si Pangulong Duterte. Higit pa po sa tatay ang pagmamahal ko sa kanya,” he said.

(I don’t want President Duterte to be put in the middle of a difficult situation. My love for him is more than the love for a father.)

Go reiterated his willingness to “make the supreme sacrifice for the good of our country and for the sake of unity” among their supporters.

“In the past few days, I realized that my heart and my mind are contradicting my actions. Talagang nagre-resist po ang aking katawan, puso, at isipan. Tao lang po ako, nasasaktan at napapagod din [My body, heart and mind are resisting. I am just a human. I get hurt and tired sometimes],” Go said.

“Sa ngayon po, ‘yun ang mga rason ko. That is why I am withdrawing from the race [For now, these are my reasons. That is why I am withdrawing from the race],” he added.

Go, meanwhile, told the presidential aspirants to prioritize the welfare of the country and the interest of the Filipinos. Before getting elected senator in 2019, Go served as special assistant to Duterte.

PDDS

Last November 13, Go filed his certificate of candidacy for president in the May 2022 elections under Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), a political party led by senatorial aspirant Greco Belgica.

In an interview with GMA News, Belgica said they had hoped Go would not drop his bid, and that they will be seeking audience with him.

“We have to think logically, we have to think practically and this decision, he did already, pero meron din naman kaming mga [nasa] isipan namin at mga dahilan so ‘yan po ang pag uusapan sa partido ngayon kasama si Sen. Bong Go at ang pangulo,” he said.

Belgica said they will also discuss the senatorial lineup with Go as he admitted that this would also be affected by the senator’s announcement.

“Is it really final or puwede pa nating pag-usapan? Because you know yung ating mga leader are, nandito kami. We are organized. We are all out. So it is just that sino ang presidential candidate natin if Sen. Bong Go will withdraw or maybe Sen. Bong Go will not withdraw,” he added.

Asked if PDDS is open to forging an alliance with presidential aspirant and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas’ (PFP) standard bearer, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Belgica said “everything is open right now.”

He added that the PDDS is already endorsing Marcos’ vice presidential candidate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

PDP-Laban

On the other hand, PDP-Laban president and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who has been pushing for Go’s presidential candidacy, said the ruling party understands the senator’s reason and decision.

“Siyempre masama ang loob, mabigat ang dinadala dahil nawalan kami ng ulo bagama’t nauunawaan nila ‘yun [desisyon]. Masakit ‘yun kasi we have been preparing for his run and looking forward in the May 2022 elections,” Cusi said in a separate interview.

(They have hard feelings about it because we lost the standard bearer even though they understand his decision. It’s hard to accept because we have been preparing for is run and looking forward in May 2022 elections.)

Cusi said it is possible for PDP-Laban to form an alliance with Lakas-CMD or  PFP but he said the candidate should believe in the  programs pushed by the ruling party.

“I’m going to have a meeting with national council of the PDP para pag-usapan po namin ang aming  (to discuss our) way forward,” he said.

So far, Cusi said there are no talks about alliances with other parties and President Duterte’s senatorial run will still push through.

Comelec

In a Viber message to reporters, Commission on Elections spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body’s law department can not accept any filings on Tuesday, November 30, since it is a holiday.

He also said Go can no longer be substituted as his case was a voluntary withdrawal.

The period of substitution for candidates in the 2022 elections who will voluntarily withdraw their candidacies ended on November 15.

To formalize any candidates’ withdrawal, Jimenez said they need to personally appear before the Comelec.   

Robredo

Presidential aspirant and Vice President Leni Robredo said Go's withdrawal from the presidential race is his right.

"Karapatan niya naman 'yon, karapatan niyang magdesisyon kung ayaw na niyang ituloy ang kanyang candidacy," she told reporters.

"Ako kami kasi ang lakad namin hindi naman relative to other candidates eh yung lakad namin tuloy-tuloy lang kami ah hindi naman kami apektado ng mga nagsa-substitute umaalis, sa amin klaro sa amin ano dapat naming gawin," she added.—KBK/RSJ, GMA News