No time for politics and election talks, says Bong Go as he remains focused on serving the country especially Filipinos in crisis situations

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go has again expressed his disinterest in running for a higher post in the upcoming 2022 elections. He also emphasized that he does not want to waste his time talking about the upcoming elections since he is busy with public service and focused on fulfilling his mandate as senator until his term ends in 2025.

"Hindi po ako interesado sa kahit anong higher position. Ako po ay senador hanggang 2025 po," Go said in an ambush interview right after he personally assisted 1,500 victims of Typhoon Ulysses in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

The Senator added that he would rather focus on serving Filipinos affected by the pandemic and other crisis situations, such as fires and natural disasters, rather than engage in election talks.

"Unang araw pa lamang ng aking proklamasyon, nangako po ako sa taumbayan, pupuntahan ko po kayo---nabahaan, nasunugan, pagputok ng bulkan, nalindol---ay pupuntahan ko po kayo kahit saan sulok kayo ng Pilipinas. 'Yan po ang aking pangako sa inyo," he said.

While he continues to express gratitude for the trust given to him by the President and the Filipino public, he said that his mind is set on being a voice for ordinary Filipinos in the Senate and in acting as a bridge for them to get the best service they deserve from the government.

"Hindi na po bago itong ginagawa ko dahil ang bisyo ko po ay magserbisyo. Umaga, tanghali, hapunan, sa panaginip, serbisyo lang po ang aking gustong gawin sa ating mga kababayan. Wala na po akong hihilingin pa sa Panginoon, ibabalik ko po ang serbisyo na para sa tao," he added.

Go also urged every Filipino to cooperate with government and join the bayanihan efforts to overcome the current pandemic as one nation, instead of engaging in partisan talks and political bickering.

"So, 'wag natin pag-usapan ang pulitika ngayon. Ilayo niyo po ako sa pulitika, nakikiusap po ako sa inyo. Hindi po ako interesado na tumakbo sa anumang mataas na position. Hayaan muna natin na magserbisyo tayo," he added.

"Focus muna tayo sa ating recovery para malampasan natin ang pandemyang ito kasi po kung mag-uusap tayo ng pulitika baka wala na tayong pulitika na pag-uusapan kung hindi natin malampasan itong krisis itong pandemya na hinaharap natin ngayon," he added.

Previously, Go emphasized that he, together with the rest of the Duterte Administration, remains focused on public service to ensure that no Filipino is being left behind towards the recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Serbisyo, serbisyo, serbisyo ang iniisip ko. Ang focus ko, mula noon hanggang ngayon, ay ang magserbisyo sa kapwa kong Pilipino. Please count me out sa usaping pulitika," he reiterated.

He also urged political leaders and supporters from all sides to prioritize the welfare of the Filipino people rather than their own interests.

"Ang importante ngayon ay patuloy tayo na nagtutulungan para sa ikabubuti ng mga kababayan nating naghihirap dulot ng pandemya. Dahil kung hindi natin malampasan ang krisis na ito, baka wala na tayong pulitika pang pag-uusapan pa," he said.

Go also earlier said that the country cannot afford to waste time on political bickering and partisan talks because fellow Filipinos need everyone's full attention to address the issues caused by COVID-19, such as access to quality health care, food security, jobs generation, and economic recovery, among others.

"Most immediate of these concerns is helping the government conduct a successful vaccine rollout which is one of my primordial concerns now as Chair of the Senate Committee on Health," he added.