President Duterte closed the book yesterday on questions regarding Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher “Bong” Go’s involvement in the P16-billion purchase of two Philippine Navy frigates by declaring “there’s no misdeed.”
The President even ended up calling his trusted aide, Senator Go.
In a speech in Davao City, the President brought up the matter on graft and corruption, an issue that he said he will never tolerate and exonerated Go from the allegations that he intervened in the selection of the combat management system (CMS) for the frigates to be bought by the Philippines from South Korean firm Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).
Duterte belittled attempts by members of the Senate opposition to pin down Go in the alleged anomalous deal that was initiated in June 2013, then still under the previous administration.
“Wala talaga silang makuha. Naging popular tuloy si Bong Go. (They didn’t get anything from him. They only made Bong Go popular). Senator Go, where are you?” he said during the opening ceremony of the annual National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) celebration in Mindanao held at SMX Convention Center in Labang, Davao City.
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“Wala man ‘yang kasalanan, tingnan mo pina-testify sa court, eh wala. Tapos na ‘yun eh. O ngayon, akala siguro nila na pareho sa kanila ang orientation – pera (He didn’t commit any misdeeds, look, they even had him testify before the court, but came out with nothing. It’s done. Now, they probably thought they have the same orientation – money),” Duterte said.
The President said Go was able to answer point-by-point the issues thrown him, with the military at the receiving end of the criticisms eventually,
“Ito ngayon, lahat ng tao naghahanap (kay) Senator Go. (Now everyone’s looking for him). If you forget him, just remember ‘stop’ and Go. Stop, go,” he said.
The President said Go comes from a well-off clan that owns the largest printing press outside Manila.
Prior to this, it was only Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque who dismissed any supposed involvement of Go on the project, citing the pronouncements of former Navy flag officer-in-command Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado who said that the President’s special assistant never approached him to inquire about the project or made any form of communication to influence him in his decision-making.
