Senator Bong Go fired back at former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday, challenging him to pursue the “real corrupt” instead of targeting him and former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The confrontation came after Trillanes filed a plunder complaint with the Ombudsman against Go and Duterte, claiming the senator’s family-owned company, CLTG Builders, received P7 billion worth of government infrastructure projects.
In a press conference on Tuesday, 21 October, Go stressed that he is not a contractor or a thief, calling the allegations “recycled” attempts to tarnish his reputation.
“Why don’t you file cases against your financiers? The contractors, you know them,” Go said in Filipino.
“That’s who you should be after, Trillanes. You don’t want to pursue them because they are your financiers. Don’t try to make yourself look clean here.”
Go reiterated his commitment to public service and integrity, saying he would focus on work rather than respond to what he described as baseless attacks.
“I have delicadeza. That is my guiding principle in life. Instead of wasting time on worthless slander, I will continue working,” he said.
During the press conference, Go also accused Trillanes of using diversionary tactics to shift public attention from real issues, including alleged corruption in flood control projects and other government infrastructure anomalies.
“I am one with the Filipinos in this crusade against corruption,” Go said. “Arrest the corrupt and the thieves. Seek the masterminds. This is about truth and justice, not personal attacks.”
The senator further claimed that the complaint is part of a “script or playbook,” and that issues raised against him were merely recycled to paint him in a negative light. To illustrate, he presented news articles he said demonstrated how previous accusations were being reused to undermine him.
Go concluded by asserting that his conscience is clear, in contrast to what he described as Trillanes’ “dirty conscience,” and urged authorities, including the Ombudsman, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), to pursue real accountability.
“Stop targeting me,” Go said. “If you’re serious, go after the real corrupt. That’s where justice should be.”