Gloria Arroyo encouraging ex-President Duterte to be ‘active’ again in politics — Bong Go

Former President and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is encouraging former President Rodrigo Duterte to be active again in politics, Senator Bong Go said Monday.

Go issued the statement after he posted pictures of the “informal” meeting among Arroyo, Duterte, former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea over the weekend.

“Isang simpleng kamustahan at masayang pagkikita ang nangyari kasama ang mga pinunong naglingkod sa bayan sa iba’t ibang posisyon o kapasidad noong mga nakaraang administrasyon. Nagbalik-tanaw sila sa mga panahong nagkasama sila sa gobyerno,” Go said.

[It was a simple gathering of past leaders during the last administration. They reminisced moments when they were together in government.]

“Sa nasabing pagkikita, kinukumbinsi din ni dating pangulong Arroyo si dating pangulong Duterte na maging aktibo muli sa pulitika,” he added.

[In the same gathering, former President Arroyo was convincing former President Duterte to be active again in politics.]

Arroyo and Duterte are political allies.

According to Go, Arroyo invited Duterte to an “informal” meeting through one of her staff members. The invitation coincided with Duterte’s visit in Manila. 

“Inanyayahan ni dating pangulong Gloria Arroyo, sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga staff, sa isang impormal na pagkikita si dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na nasa Maynila noong panahong iyon.  Nagkataong magkasama kami ni Tatay Digong noon matapos ko siyang samahan sa kanyang medical checkup sa hospital, gaya ng dati kong ginagawa sa kanya,” Go, who served as Duterte’s former aide, said.

[Former President Arroyo, through one of her staff, invited former President Rodrigo Duterte when he was here in Manila. It coincided with me being with Tatay Digong after I accompanied him for a medical checkup, the way I used to do.]

“[D]ahil bihira lang naman na pumunta sa Maynila sa ngayon si dating pangulong Duterte, sumabay na rin sa pagkikitang iyon, sa tulong ni dating executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, si dating Senate president Tito Sotto na gusto ring makamusta ng personal ang kanyang itinuturing na kaibigan na si Tatay Digong,” he added.

[Since former President Duterte rarely now goes to Manila, former Senate President Tito Sotto, through former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, also came to meet with Tatay Digong who he considers as his friend.]

GMA News Online has reached out to Arroyo’s camp to comment on Go’s statement but it has yet to respond as of posting time.

Apart from Duterte and Sotto, Arroyo also met with former Vice President Leni Robredo last week.

In a statement, Arroyo said she had a “social dinner” with Robredo and other mutual friends from Bicol.

"We chatted about Bicol politics,” she said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News