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Go ‘100% sure’ to run as VP in 2022 polls

Senator Bong Go

MANILA – Senator Christopher “Bong” Go dispelled rumors anew that he is clearing the way for another candidate to run in the 2022 elections, stressing that he is 100 percent committed to his decision to seek the vice presidency.

In an interview after the launch of the country’s 145th Malasakit Center at the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Quezon City on Oct. 25, Go was asked if a substitution for another candidate would be possible.

While the matter is for the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) to determine, Go said he already made the decision to run as vice president after President Rodrigo Duterte opted not to pursue his initial plan to seek the second highest position in the next year’s elections.

“At desisyon po ‘yon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at iginagalang ko po ‘yon (And that was the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte and I respect that) that is why I accepted the challenge,” Go said.

“So, depende na po ‘yon sa partido. Ako naman po ay 100 percent na po akong tatakbo… isa po akong public servant at ako po’y [nag-fi le na ng candidacy] (So, it’s up to the party. On my part, I am 100 percent sure to run. I am a public servant and I already fi led my candidacy),” he added.

Go said someone must step forward for the party and the whole administration to continue its programs and pursue further the positive change that Duterte has started.

Asked about Mayor Sara Duterte’s recent separate meetings with presidential aspirants Bongbong Marcos and Senator Ronald dela Rosa, Go said it is the prerogative of the presidential daughter and her party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, to meet with key leaders and possibly support certain candidates in the elections.

“That’s part of our democratic process at mayro’n po siyang partido. Kami rin po mayro’n din kaming partido, ‘yung PDPLaban, at nirerespeto namin ang isa’t isa (and she has political party. We have also our own party, and we respect each other),” Go said.

He said any help that Sara and Hugpong ng Pagbabago would extend to a candidate is big factor in the coming elections.

Go said had Sara decided to run for president, he would have given her his complete support. He did emphasize, though, that he respects her decision to instead run for the third term as Davao City mayor.

“Ginagalang ko po ang desisyon at pahayag ni Mayor Inday Sara Duterte (I respect the decision and statement of Mayor Inday Sara Duterte),” he added.

PHL still worst place to be amid pandemic, says Bloomberg report

MANILA - The Philippines is still tagged as the “worst place to be” during the global health crisis after it ranked last among 53 nations, according to a newly released Bloomberg report.

Bloomberg’s COVID Resilience Ranking indicated that the country gained the lowest overall resilience score, with 40.5.

In June, the country placed 52nd and dropped to 53rd in September, with a resilience score of 40.2, GMA News reported.

Malacañang had refuted the country’s September ranking, saying that the Bloomberg report did not include all the countries in the world in the survey.

“May 194 countries po sa mundo, 53 lang ang sinurvey. Hindi tayo huli sa buong mundo, huli lang tayo sa mga pinag-aralan (There are 194 countries in the world but only 53 were surveyed. We are not the last in the world, we just ranked last among those surveyed),” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

GMA News Online sought Roque’s comment on the latest report but has yet to get a response.

According to the Bloomberg article that featured the October report, the Philippines is among the “worst on vaccine coverage” as it recorded nearly 26% of its population were fully inoculated against COVID-19.

Further, it said the Philippines’ score was aff ected by the imposed restrictions on children in malls and other public spaces, and international travel.

It also noted the Philippines’ “conservative approach” in reopening the economy.

In addition, Philippines reopened more businesses such as gyms and cinemas but it is still lagging behind Asian neighbors such as Thailand and Indonesia which already allowed entry of tourists.

CA declares Mandaluyong’s riding in tandem ban unconstitutional

MANILA – The Court of Appeals (CA) has declared unconstitutional a series of local legislation passed by Mandaluyong City, collectively known as the Motorcycle Riding-in-Tandem Ordinances.

In a 26-page decision dated Sept. 28 and penned by Associate Justice Raymond Lauigan, the appellate court’s Fifth Division reversed and set aside the July 2020 decision of the Mandaluyong regional trial court (RTC) Branch 212 in the case fi led by Dino de Leon for violation of Ordinance 550,S-2014; 515,S-2015; and 694,S-2018.

In reversing the Mandaluyong RTC, the CA said the subject ordinances are “unconstitutional because they are oppressive and go beyond what is reasonably necessary for the accomplishment of the purpose that the City of Mandaluyong aspires.”

The ordinances, the court added, “arbitrarily limit the movement and mode of transportation of male back riders even though there is no direct link or available statistical data presented to show that motorcycle riding criminals are males”.

The CA also said there is failure to show that there are no other alternatives for the accomplishment of the purpose which are less intrusive of private rights and a failure to show that the subject ordinances are fair, not discriminatory, and not unreasonable.

The appellate court said the ordinances are “discriminatory both as to gender and as to the use of motorcycles as a mode of transportation and depended on broad generalizations”.

Marcos... (From page 1) should he decides to slide down from president to vice president,.

Senator Imee said her brother is eyeing bets with bailiwicks in Visayas and Mindanao to explain why they are considering Pacquiao, among others, as runningmate.

Pacquiao, however, said that like Marcos Jr., he is all set for his presidential run in tandem with Deputy Speaker and former Manila Mayor Jose Lito Atienza Jr. and would not slide down.

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso said he is willing to unite with fellow presidential aspirants Vice President Maria Leonor Leni Robredo and senators Panfi lo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao if it means discussing how to address the country’s problems, not just how to win the elections.

Domagoso made the statement amid speculations on Mayor Sara Duterte joining forces with presidential aspirant and former senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos.

“If we are going to unite on the issues at hand and challenges of our people, then I’m willing, but if we’re going to unite just to win because they wanted to win, medyo hindi ako masyadong ano dun, eh (I’m not sure),” Moreno said.

This developed as former Senator Marcos came under fi re anew for his claim that he graduated from the University of Oxford while his sister Imee was hit for alleged off shore accounts in the British Virgin Islands.

Contrary to earlier claims, the University of Oxford confi rmed that Marcos failed to complete his degree and did not graduate but secured a special diploma on political science.

Sen. Imee Marcos, meanwhile, admitted the off shore accounts but said they were education trust funds under her children’s names.

Marcos, eldest child of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, and her three sons were among the benefi ciaries of the Sintra Trust, fi nancial records of which were uncovered by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Records show that the accounts were formed in June 2002 in the British Virgin Islands.

According to the university’s Information Compliance Team, Marcos “did not complete his degree, but was awarded a Special Diploma in Social Studies in 1978.”

“We can confi rm that a Ferdinand Marcos matriculated at the University of Oxford in 1975 to read for a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. According to our records, he did not complete his degree, but was awarded a Special Diploma in Social Studies in 1978,” the university said in a statement.

It added that a special diploma is “not a full graduate Diploma.”

Marcos was reported to have earlier claimed in his Senate profi le and resume of having obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford.