Sen. Bong Go Speaks on Criticisms vs. Former Pres. Duterte’s Drug War
BONG GO – The Senator cited that the war on drugs campaign of the Duterte administration got “standing ovation” and “claps” during the previous State of the Nation Address (SONA) as he defended the former President.
Among the many programs under the Duterte administration, undeniably, it is most popular for its war on drugs. The public already knew the stand of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte on the matter even before he secured the presidency through a landslide victory in 2016.
The presidential candidate Isko Moreno was the one who vowed for continuity of Duterte’s drug war but he failed to secure the post. He placed 4th in the 2022 presidential election results.
It has been more than a year now since former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte stepped down from the presidency. In March of this year, amid reports of resurgence of the illegal substance in Davao, Duterte’s youngest son, Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte, declared a war on drugs in his city.
In the upcoming 2025 Elections, former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is running for Davao City mayor and Baste will be his runningmate. However, amid the upcoming mayoral bid of Duterte, his administration’s war on drugs continue to receive criticisms. There are also ongoing investigations about the allegations surrounding his admin’s most popular campaign.
Recently, Senator Bong Go who is a close ally of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte spoke to defend the former Chief Executive’s drug war. He was the special assistant of Duterte during his term as the country’s president.
Based on a report on GMA News, Sen. Bong Go slammed the critics of the war on drugs of the Duterte administration by recalling the previous SONA of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. The Senator raised a question on why the former President is allegedly being blamed now when “everyone” clapped and were in “standing ovation” when he mentioned about the war on drugs in six (6) previous SONAs.
“Anim na SONA, tuwing binabanggit ni Pangulong Duterte ang war on drugs, nagpapalakpakan po ang lahat, standing ovation. Tapos bakit ngayon sinisisi? Bakit ngayon mag-isa na lang siya? Hindi ba kayo nakinabang?” he said.
Sen. Bong Go also denied the accusations that the war on drugs was implemented with a reward system. Based on the report, the Senator said that the former President supported the police authorities in whatever support they need so they could fulfill their jobs.
“Pero wala siyang sinabi na ‘patayin mo ‘to, patayin mo ‘yan.’ Wala pong reward system na umiiral sa kanyang opisina,” Sen. Bong Go said.