Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said anyone qualified has the right to run for the presidency but emphasized that he and President Rodrigo Duterte would rather focus on serving the Filipino people to overcome the pandemic.
“Alam n’yo, karapatan po ng bawat Pilipino ang tumakbo (You know every Filipino has the right to run). This is democracy. Karapatan po (nila) na tumakbo bilang Pangulo (They have the right to run for president),” said Go, referring to some personalities reportedly gunning for the post, during an interview right after he personally assisted typhoon victims in Legazpi City, Albay on Friday.
“Pero para sa amin ni Pangulong Duterte, ‘wag muna natin pag-usapan ang pulitika dahil nasa pandemya pa tayo. Importante malagpasan natin ang pandemyang ito. Baka wala na tayong pag-usapang pulitika ‘pag ‘di natin nalagpasan ang pandemyang ito (But for me and President Duterte, we would not rather talk about politics since we are in a pandemic. It’s important to overcome this pandemic. There might be no politics to talk about if we don’t overcome this pandemic),” he added.
As for proposals to defer the face-to-face campaigns, Go said it is the mandate of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to decide on the matter.
He emphasized that the integrity of the elections is of utmost importance.
“Ako naman po, trabaho ng Comelec ‘yan. Mandato ng Comelec paano nila patakbuhin ang eleksyon. Importante po malinis na eleksyon at bigyan ng pagkakataon ang bawat Pilipino na makaboto (For me, it’s Comelec’s job. It is its mandate how to run the elections. What’s important is the elections are clean and give every Filipino a chance to vote),” Go said.
He also urged Comelec to always consider and prioritize the health of Filipinos while preparing for the upcoming elections.
“Dapat po balansehin muna ng Comelec — lalo na pagdating sa kalusugan. Health first, buhay po muna ng Pilipino. Dapat sigurado silang protektado laban sa Covid-19 (The Comelec must strike a balance, especially when it comes to health. Health first, the lives of the Filipinos must come first. They should ensure that they are protected against Covid-19),” he added.
Earlier, the executive department said it is still too early to decide on the ban on face-to-face campaigning as the country still has not started its vaccination program.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the government must wait for the results of the vaccination program before deciding on the proposed ban on face-to-face elections campaign.
Go concurred, saying “Habang papalapit ng papalapit, may mga nadidiskubre naman tayo. Ito namang Covid-19, bago po ito, pinag-aaralan naman ng lahat. ‘Di lang ng gobyerno dito sa bansa, kasama na sa ibang bansa, pinag-aaralan nila habang tumatagal (While it draws near, we are discovering things. Covid-19 is new. We are studying all. Not only our government in the country but also other countries. They are studying while it becomes longer)”.
Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said face-to-face campaign activities for the upcoming 2022 elections may still be allowed, but health protocols must be observed.
Some lawmakers have suggested the conduct of physically distanced town hall meetings instead.
As for who he will vote for the president in the elections, Go said he will choose the person who can continue the legacy of Duterte and bring the country toward full recovery from the pandemic. (PNA)
