“The promise of change for the better has delivered nothing but embarrassment before the rest of the world and suffering to a large number of Filipinos. We deserve better than this.”
That was the reaction of former Negros Occidental Governor Rafael Coscolluela today, March 12, to talk of a Senator Christopher “Bong” Go -President Rodrigo tandem in the May 2022 polls.
Duterte while in Dumaguete City Thursday said Go wants to run for president next year. There have also been proposals from different groups for Duterte to run for vice president.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said “both (Go and Duterte) are qualified to run for those positions.”
But Coscolluela said, “If people want more of the same misgovernance, oppression, abuse, extrajudicial killings, lack of transparency, unkept promises, cronyism, damaged institutions, strained international relations, subservience to China’s aggression, inept crisis management, and the failed anti-drugs and anti-corruption campaigns, then they can vote for this tandem.”
Coscolluela is co-convenor of the “Negros for Leni” movement that is calling on Vice President Leni Robredo to run for president in 2022.
Go, in a press statement Friday, March 12, reiterated that he is not interested in running for higher office in the upcoming 2022 national elections.
The senator said he would rather focus on fulfilling his mandate as a senator and his commitment to continue serving the Filipino people, especially amid the challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
While he welcomed a recent Pulse Asia poll which revealed that Filipino voters prefer a Go–Duterte tandem, the senator said this only shows that Filipinos are satisfied with the current administration and want continuity.
The PDP-LABAN recently released a resolution urging Duterte to consider running for vice president in 2022, citing the need for continuity in governance. Go said that if President Duterte is amenable to this, he may reconsider his stand on running in 2022.
When asked regarding the possibility of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte deciding to run for president, Go said that he will definitely support her the same way he supports her father.*