Frontrunner Bong Go admits Eleksyon 2025 bid not easy run

Senator Christoper “Bong” Go, who is currently leading the senatorial race, said on Monday that his re-election bid was not an easy one unlike his first attempt in 2019. 

Go admitted that he and other allies of the Duterte Family were at a disadvantage this midterm election. 

“Sa totoo lang po, mahirap po. Iba yung sitwasyon namin nung 2019 na administration. Ito sariling sikap kami, wala kaming entablado. Kami-kami mismo ang nagtutulungan sa motorcade, entablado, para sa aming sorties,” he told GMA Integrated News. 

(To be honest, this was challenging for us. Our situation was different during the administration in 2019. We worked on our own, we don’t have a stage. We are the ones helping each other in our motorcades and stages in our sorties.) 

“Ito, napaka-challenging sa akin ng kampanyang ito, ito ang pinakamahirap. Sariling kayod talaga ito. Pero sipag lang talaga po. Napaka-importante ang sinseridad sa serbisyo, with all sincerity and humility.”

(This campaign is very challenging for me, this is the most difficult. It is really my own work. But you just need hard work. Sincerity in service is very important, with all sincerity and humility.) 

Based on the partial and unofficial count of the Commission on Elections as of 11:04 p.m., Go garnered 25,551,308 votes. 

The other candidates under the “DuterTen” who made it to the “Magic 12” are re-electionist Ronald Dela Rosa, SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, and Camille Villar. 

With his expected return to the Senate for another term, Go thanked former president Rodrigo Duterte whom he described as his “mentor.” 

“Isa lang naman po ang pinaalala niya sa akin noon, alam niyo hindi siya nakikialam sa amin kung paano kami magtrabaho. Isa lang sinabi niya sa amin - just do what is right, gawin mo lang yung tama, unahin yung interest ng bayan, unahin yung interes ng Pilipino,” he said. “Salamat sa tiwala ninyo sa akin bilang isang probinsyano lamang na binigyan niyo ng pagkakataon na mag-serbisyo.” 

(He only reminded me of one thing, you know he doesn't interfere with us in how we work. He only told us one thing - just do what is right, do what is right, put the interest of the people first, put the interest of the Filipinos first. Thank you for your trust in me as a mere guy from the province whom you gave the opportunity to serve.) 

Go said that he would continue to push for health services just like the Malasakit Center program. 

“Referendum po ito sa amin bilang incumbent senator. Ito yung performance rating namin kung nagtrabaho ba kami sa loob anim na taon. Ito na yung panghuhusga sa amin kung ginawa ba namin ang aming tungkulin bilang isang senador,” he added. 

(This is a referendum on us as incumbent senators. This is our performance rating on whether we have worked for six years. This is our judgment on whether we have done our duty as a senator.) —RF, GMA Integrated News

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