Even President Rodrigo Duterte appeared confused as to whether his long-time aide, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, would withdraw from next year’s presidential race.
Go announced Tuesday he will no longer seek the presidency because he did not want Duterte, whose daughter is running in tandem with another presidential aspirant, to be “trapped in the middle.
Two days later, Go has yet to formally withdraw his certificate of candidacy before the Commission on Elections.
“What is it really, Bong?” Duterte asked Go during a meeting of the government anti-insurgency task force in Zamboanga City. “Will you or will you not run?”
“You have made a lot of people sad than happy [with your decision to withdraw]. But we respect your decision, especially if it involves the family, then we cannot do anything about that,” the President added.
Go, who admitted he was conflicted from the start, admitted his family did not want him to run.
If he does not formalize his withdrawal, Go will run against several presidential contenders, including former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos who is running in tandem with Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
