Bong Go vows humility in 2025 Senate lead

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go topped the partial and unofficial results of the 2025 senatorial elections, attributing his strong showing to voters favoring action over political drama.

“My personal assessment, gusto lang po ng Pilipino na magtrabaho ‘yung pinili nila. Siguro ayaw nila ng gulo, gusto nilang nagta-trabaho ang mga leader na pinili nila,” Go told ANC. “So maybe, mensahe po ito na we should all buckle down to work. Trabaho muna tayo.”

Go described the campaign as his toughest yet, citing limited resources and the absence of then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s endorsement.

“Ang hirap po ng kampanya. Kumbaga, sariling sikap po. ‘Di na katulad dati, midterm noong 2019, n’andiyan po si dating Pangulong Duterte,” he said. “Ngayon po iba. Sa sariling kayod po ito.”

He said he traveled extensively and personally joined sorties without large rallies. “Wala kaming entablado... Eto, napaka-challenging sa akin itong kampanyang ito… pinaka-mahirap. Sariling kayod talaga ito para sa amin.”

Go acknowledged Duterte as a mentor but emphasized the former president let him work independently. “‘Hindi ako makikialam sa ‘yo, gawin mo lang ‘yung tama,’” Go quoted Duterte. “God is good, God is fair, pinagpapala ang nagpapakumbaba.”

He denied harboring presidential ambitions. “Wala akong ambisyon dahil Diyos lang nakakaalam... Trabaho lang po tayo,” he told TV5.

Referring to his reelection as a public verdict on his Senate work, Go said, “Ito po ‘yung pinaka-importanteng performance rating kung nagtrabaho ka ba sa loob ng anim na taon.”

He also expressed sadness over allies who failed to secure seats. “Ako po’y nalulungkot rin po sa ibang mga kasamahan ko... Lahat naman po Diyos lang po.”

Despite the results, Go said he remains focused on service, not politics. “Ako naman, hindi n’yo naman ako naging problema... Unahin ko talaga ang pagseserbisyo kesa sa pulitika.”

“Hindi po ako pulitiko na mangangako sa inyo. Gagawin ko lang po ang aking trabaho para sa Pilipino,” he added.