“Ang buhat maoy pasultihon, dili ang sulti maoy pabuhaton.”
We need not identify the person of the one Davaoeno who said this. But we have quoted this only in our latest column. We believe however, that this statement applies to the ongoing talks of Davaoeno Presidential candidate Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go who in the past few days, had been issuing statements seemingly insinuating his desire to withdraw from his candidacy. In fact the other day he made it categorical in his statement that he is withdrawing because according to him, “It’s not yet my time.” He also mentioned that he did not consult his family on his decision to run and that it would be difficult if he goes against their opposition because “at the end of the day, ‘sila pa rin ang uuwi-an ko’.”
At one point in his interview with the media Go appeared very apologetic to his supporters and pleaded with them “ na matanda na po si Presidente Duterte at huwag na natin siya’ng pahirapan pa. Suportahan na lang natin siya. Alam ho ninyo mahal na mahal ko po ang Pangulo. Parang tatay ko na siya.”
Indeed the senator’s words were very touching. It only showed the level of the bond between the President and the senator. But is Senator Go really withdrawing from the race. According to the spokesman of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) a candidate especially for the Presidency, delivers his withdrawal has to personally appear at the said agency and execute the necessary documentary requirements in withdrawing his or her COC.
In his interview with the media Senator Go said that he will go to the COMELEC alone to withdraw his COC and he does not want any fanfare with the coterie of media people accompanying him because his withdrawal is no cause for celebration. Appropriate words indeed.
As of the writing of this column yesterday though, we have yet to see any post of Go going to the COMELEC to make good his statement. So, many could not help but ask, “Is the senator withdrawing or not” Or is this not just another of those strategies shrewdly crafted by the administration think tank to create some kind of confusion or perhaps sympathy? After all, the sanitization of the candidates’ list is still on-going and the final list is yet to be ironed out by the election body. People will have the answer when that time comes. And the wait is no longer very long.
We are however, quite perplexed with the way the Presidential candidate expresses his desire not to abandon the President in this crossroad of his life as a public servant. Why? Are the members of the President’s family abandoning him or incapable of taking care of him? Are the President’s children not honed up to walk on his political path? They surely are.
But of course Go’s loyalty and devotion to the President cannot be questioned. These are characteristics of a friend and confidant that many high ranking officials of the country and of the community envy the President.
We are even certain that Bong Go would be too willing to take a bullet for the President faster than any of his security officers if the situation demands.
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In the local election scene in Davao City especially for the council seats, it is already noticeable that the campaigning of those who have filed their candidacy is not so much focused on convincing the electorate to vote for them. Rather it is on seeking their assistance to create a noise that may goad either local political god Mayor and Vice Presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio, or President Duterte himself, to endorse him or her or much better to have them included in the official line-up of the ruling Party.
Most of the hopefuls are now meeting barangay captains and other village officials who are clearly Sara’s supporters although not necessarily loyal. They are hoping to get their commitment to perhaps “whisper” to the VP aspirant when she comes around. May be their “whispers” would earn them a ticket to the administration’s official council line-up. And already some of the well-oiled bets are now dipping their hands in their pockets to leave some advance largess for their prospective community leaders.
Now election time mana is starting to fall and the first among beneficiaries are already having their palms wide open.
Honest and clean elections? Oh our foot!
