By Atty. Farah G. Decano

           

AS of this writing, presidential aspirant Senator Bong Go has yet to formally withdraw his candidacy for the highest post.  If we suspected that this move was upon the order of his long-time boss, President Rodrigo Duterte, it is because Senator Go has successfully managed to represent himself to the public as the personal alter ego of the former.

With Senator Go’s impending withdrawal, do we smell a united administration front with former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr as its standard bearer?  How is this possible when President Duterte himself has hinted on the former dictator’s namesake as nothing but a weak leader who was possibly hooked on cocaine?

President Duterte has proven many times that he does not mince words in his criticism against politicians who seemed unpalatable to him.  He even named them.  Senator Sonny Trillanes, Senator Leila de Lima, Senator Manny Pacquiao, and Senator Dick Gordon are examples of those who suffered the vitriolic presidential attacks.

The fact that he did not name this presidential candidate is telling of his possible change of position.  There have been times in the past that President Duterte took back his accusations of drug involvement against big political personalities on the pretext of misinformation.  It is possible, therefore, that he can withdraw his proclaimed aversion against this presidential aspirant.  The question is, what makes this presidential contender worthy of anonymity?

Another question that arises is about the motivation of President Duterte’s perceived directive for Senator Bong Go to withdraw from the race.  We observed that Senator Go is not among the top four (4) presidential contenders based on recent surveys.  His choice of president will most likely ensure that he won’t suffer incarceration similar to the fates of former presidents, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo.  Since his present understudy, Senator Go, has not been placing well in the surveys, President Duterte’s future is at risk.

Based on present circumstances, the withdrawal of Senator Bong Go opens many possibilities for the incumbent chief executive.  It does not only give President Duterte the chance to endorse a strong aspirant and, therefore, secure his after-presidency status, it also gives him more power as other presidential candidates scram for his support.  He may also bargain from them support for his daughter, Mayor Sara, as vice-president.  He may also delay announcing his choice until a possible clear winner emerges.  Ah, what shrewdness!

In the meantime, what happens to the political supporters of Senator Bong Go? Will they follow whosoever President Duterte indorses?  Can they be made to stay in limbo until Senator Go’s replacement is announced?  We understand that some want to affiliate with a presidential candidate as soon as possible for political survival.

This is the probable price of Senator Go’s impending withdrawal. Their sure cabal of leaders and followers will definitely be in chaos.  There are some who may be supportive of Senator Bong Go but may not be willing to help the unnamed weak and allegedly cocaine-puffing leader.  President Duterte surely does not want their supporters to transfer loyalty to the number one opposition leader, Leni Robredo.  His tactics, which are unorthodox and unpredictable in the national level, are also putting in jeopardy his credibility.  Who wants to gamble his/her name in support of a leader who frequently changes mind as a political strategy oblivious to whether this tendency endangers the survival of his own followers?

We know that, with all his astuteness, President Duterte has surely calculated the risk.  Abangan!

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