A LEADER of the group supporting Mayor Sara Duterte considered the announcement of Senator Christopher Lawrence Go to withdraw from the presidential race a “brave move.”
Peter Laviña, co-convenor of the Sara All Philippines 2022, said he was saddened both for Go and Sen. Ronald dela Rosa as “they had to go through the difficulty to be put into their sorry situations of running and withdrawing.”
“Strong leadership is forged in fire. I know they (Go and dela Rosa) will learn lessons from this and come out stronger,” said Lavina, who once served as political adviser of then mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Lavina confirmed that he has since joined the group supporting the tandem of Mayor Duterte, who is running for vice president, and presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as he has become the co-convenor of Samahang Marcos-Sara Multisectoral Alliance.
On Tuesday morning, Go, long time assistant of President Duterte, read his statement saying that he was withdrawing from the presidential race even as he thanked his supporters for their trust in him and the President.
“Sa ngayon, handa po akong magsakripisyo alang-alang sa kapakanan ng ating bayan at ni Pangulong Duterte. Simpleng probinsyano lamang po ako na binigyan ng pagkakataong magsilbi sa taumbayan. Hindi ko inambisyon na maging presidente. Puro serbisyo lang po ako. Dahil ang bisyo ko po ay magserbisyo,” he said.
“Hindi rin po ako pulitiko. Hindi rin po ako nanggaling sa malaki o kilalang pamilya. Hindi ako nasanay sa madumi at mainit na klase nang pulitika. Marahil po’y hanggang dito lang po muna ako sa ngayon,” he added even as he pointed out that among the factors in his decision was his family.
Go anddela Rosa, beat the deadline of filing of candidacy for the May 2022 elections on October 8 when they filed for vice president and president, respectively, under the Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan Alfonso Cusi-wing.
On the deadline for substitution on November 15, Go and dela Rosa withdrew their CoCs with Go filing another one for President, this time under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan.
President Duterte, on the other hand, filed for a Senate seat.
The presidential daughter initially decided to seek reelection despite the call for her to run for President.
She eventually withdrew her candidacy for reelection and decided to run for vice president through the substitution process under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats.
The younger Duterte has also decided to forge an alliance with Marcos, one of the presidential candidates that her father has criticized.
