Duterte endorses Go for 2022 presidential race

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday endorsed his long-time aide Senator Bong Go for the 2022 presidential race.

"I am not into politicking. But let me just state for the record and in no uncertain terms that ang kandidato ko pagka-presidente ay si Bong Go [my candidate for president is Bong Go]," Duterte said during a meeting with national and regional task force to end local communist armed conflict in Mindoro.

"Si Bong, graduate ng La Salle. Kala nila, pipitsugin...aide, aide, aide. They are not able to see Bong's talent [Bong is a graduate of De La Salle University. They think he's unimportant...aide, aide, aide]," he added.

The President and Go are running for senator and president, respectively, under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), via substitution.

The President then praised Go for being good at math.

"Itong si Bong, makakita ng pera, percentage, hindi ito nagsusulat, ganoon lang [sa utak niya], ganoon kahusay ito [When Bong sees money, percentages, he doesn't need to write it down, he's that good]," he added.

The President's daughter, Davao City mayor Sara Duterte, is running for vice president in the 2022 polls under Lakas-CMD, but the president did not mention her bid during his Mindoro speech.

Duterte said he was running for senator so that rules in Congress will be followed.

He made the while discussing the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's inquiry on the Department of Health’s transfer of P42 billion funds to the DBM-PS for the procurement of face masks and face shields last year.

"'Yong iba, paupuin mo ng ilang araw tapos walang nangyari, binabastos mo 'yong tao eh. You know, when you do that, you issue several someones and you can only dispose one subject matter for one witness, hindi maganda. Kaya ako tatakbo," Duterte said.

"Sabihan ko sila na there are rules in Congress but there are fundamental laws, ganyan ang gobyerno," he added.

GMA News already reached out to the Senate panel regarding the matter but it has yet to respond as of posting time. —BM/NB, GMA News