Sen. Go says Pacquiao’s camp sought meeting, calls it a “renewal of friendship”
(Eagle News) — (Eagle News) – Presidential aspirant and senator Manny Pacquiao sought a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte which materialized on Nov. 9 in Malacanang where both leaders discussed “matters related to (the) people’s interest and Mindanao development.”
Pacquiao described the meeting with President Duterte as a “meeting between national leaders” to promote further the interest of the nation and the development of Mindanao from where they both hail.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go who was also at the meeting, said it was a “renewal of friendship” between the two leaders who had once traded barbs due to a political parting of ways.
Prior to the meeting, Pacquiao, the standard-bearer of the PDP-Laban faction under senator Aquilino Pimentel III, had been critical of the Duterte administration’s COVID-19 response, while President Duterte said the boxing champ still had a long way to go and needed to study more to gain more experience before he could lead the nation.
Pacquiao said he and President Duterte talked specifically about “infrastructure and (the) power industry” during the Nov. 9 meeting.
Go said it was Pacquiao’s camp who sought the meeting and that it was just “very quick.” “Nothing political” about it, he said,
“(It was a) very quick meeting requested by the camp of Sen Pacquiao. Kamustahan lang. Maikli na usapan, renewal of friendship. Walang politika,” he said in a message to reporters.
Go said what was important was that the President and Pacquiao had talked.
“Kami naman Manny, kaibigan naman kami and kumpare,” he said.
The meeting came about as interesting events unfolded in the Philippine political scene, particularly the withdrawal from the Davao City mayoralty race of the President’s daughter, Davao City mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Political analysts expect that Mayor Sara would be a substitute candidate for either the presidency or the vice-presidency as the ruling party, PDP-Laban, consolidates its ground in preparation for the 2022 national elections.
Prior to Sara’s withdrawal of her mayoralty bid, she had met with presidential candidate and former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in October.
After Mayor Sara Duterte’s withdrawal from the local race on Nov. 9, Senator Go, the vice-presidential bet of the PDP-Laban ruling party, made an emotional statement during an event in Antipolo City also on Nov. 9 that there might be changes in his VP bid.
He expressed his love for the Duterte family, particularly for President Duterte whom he regards as a father, and said he would follow his wishes and the party’s decision on the final slate of PDP-Laban.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) said national and local candidates have until Nov. 15, 2021 to make substitutions on their respective bids for the 2022 elections.
President Duterte, who had been a long-time mayor of Davao City, was also a substitute candidate in the May 2016 national elections, eventually winning the presidency in a landslide victory
(Eagle News Service)
