Bong Go: Duterte just joking when he said I was a billionaire

President Rodrigo Duterte was only joking when he claimed that his former aide, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, was a billionaire.

Go made the assertion on Thursday following after official releases revealed that he had the second lowest net worth among senators, based on their Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs).

“Alam n’yo naman si Pangulo palagi namang nagbibiro nang ganun: Si Bong, bilyonaryo, parating nagbibiro. He was referring sa pamilya, ‘yung pamilya as a whole e may kaya naman ang pamilyang ito sa Davao. Alam naman po ‘yan sa Davao,” the senator told reporters when asked on the matter.

Last year, Duterte said Go was a billionaire when he defended him against allegations of interference in a Navy weapons deal.

"Who gave you idea he can intervene? Where is his signature?... Alam mo, hindi ako mag-yabang. Pero bilyonaryo ‘to, sa totoo lang… He seem to appear intervening because about money? The things that you are telling never happened," Duterte said at the time.

Based on the summary of the SALN released by the Senate, Go has a total net worth of P15,508,370.82, with P28,070,780.82 in  assets and P12,562,410. He emerged richer only than detained Sen. Leila de Lima

“Hindi po ako bilyonaryo. Ang sinasabi ni Presidente maari ‘yung pamilya 'pag binenta niya, lahat naman tayo may mga ari-arian ang pamilya, mga lolo, mga lola natin, mga nanay at tatay. Maaaring pag binenta. ‘Yung pamilya namin may printing press sa Davao, ‘yun po ang tinutukoy ng Pangulo,” Go said.

“Ako naman e 'yan po ang aking ari-arian, dineclare ko po ang lahat at ‘yan lang po ang inabot. 'Yan lang po ang aking assets minus liabilities.  Hindi po ako tumakbo bilang senador para makipag-payamanan dito. Kung ako ang second to the poorest, so be it,” he added.

Records from the Commission on Elections showed that Go spent the most in the recent elections. He spent P161,418,299.31 out of the P162,035,537.34 in donations that he received making him the biggest recipient of donations.

But he said that he even had to turn down many donors.

“Nung campaign ako po yung closest to the President, ako ‘yung pinakamaraming gustong tumulong. Sa totoo lang po ako na ang tumatanggi kasi ayoko pong  ma-compromise ang ating Pangulo, maraming hihinging pabor kasi nakatulong. Hindi po kami ganun ni Pangulo,” he said. —JST, GMA News