Bong Go says ‘continuity’ priority when supporting bets

MANILA, Philippines — As the election season nears, Sen. Bong Go said he will consider and prioritize the continuity of President Duterte’s legacy in supporting and selecting the country’s next leaders and has urged Filipinos to do the same.

“It has never been more crucial for every Filipino to participate in our democratic process as we prepare for our next elections. The good news is that we have time to evaluate and consider who will lead our country for the next six years,” said Go.

“If you ask me, when it comes to selecting our next leaders, I prioritize continuity. The Duterte administration has raised the standard in terms of responsiveness to the needs of the Filipino people,” he added.

Go said that the next leader must possess the same amount of political will as that of President Duterte to keep the momentum going in terms of government responsiveness amid the current pandemic.

Having worked for the President for more than two decades, Go said that he has witnessed how Duterte’s love for Filipinos helped him in making sound policy judgments. The senator added that it has encouraged him to do the same, citing how he conceptualized the Malasakit Center in order to provide accessible medical assistance to struggling Filipinos.

“For one, it has exposed me to the stressful and demanding process Filipinos go through just to get government assistance for medical bills. Residents from neighboring provinces used to come to the Davao City Hall for medical assistance. The Commission on Audit, however, informed us that Davao City funds could not be used to assist residents from neighboring provinces,” Go recounted.

“But the President, who was the Davao City mayor at the time, could not bear to turn away fellow Filipinos seeking assistance in our province. These interactions inspired me to envision the one-stop shop for all medical-related assistance for our fellow Filipinos,” he added.