MANILA, Philippines — “Please count me out po.”
Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go issued such a statement on Saturday when asked if he was gunning for a higher position in the 2022 national elections.
“Huwag niyo po ako isama dyan sa usapang election (Don’t include me when it comes to talks about the elections),” Go said during the Laging Handa online press briefing.
Go added that his focus now is addressing the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Importante po malampasan muna natin itong pandemya na ito, dahil kung hindi natin malalampasan itong pandemya na ito, wala na po tayong eleksyon na pagu-usapan,” he said.
It is important for us to address this pandemic first, because if we don’t, then we may not have an election to talk about.)
In a Pulse Asia survey released in December 2020, Go was among those named as possible contenders for the 2022 presidential race.
The leading contender was presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the survey results showed.
This is not the first time Go denied that he was gunning for higher office in the next elections.
In February 2020, President Duterte said Go may be aiming to be the next president. Go said Duterte was just joking.
But in 2018, Duterte similarly teased that Go was aspiring to be a senator, which Go vehemently denied.
In October 2018, however, a tearful Go emerged from the San Miguel Church in Malacañang announcing that he was running for senator, under Duterte’s party PDP-Laban.
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