Senatorial candidates under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) ticket received a warm welcome from residents of Danao City, Cebu which is the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte’s father.
The President’s father, Vicente, was born in Danao City and served as its mayor in an acting capacity by virtue of an appointment by then President Sergio Osmeña from 1944 to 1946. He and his family eventually moved to Davao in 1949.
“Masaya po ako na nakabalik ako dito sa lugar kung saan nanggaling ang Pangulong Duterte, dito sa Danao City. Napakainit po ng pagtanggap ng mga kapwa (ko) Bisaya (I am happy to be able to return here where President Duterte came from, here in Danao City. The welcome extended by my co-Visayans is so warm),” Bong Go, former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) and now HNP senatorial bet, said in an interview before the formal start of the rally held at the Barangay Dungguan covered court.
Go even told the crowd that the President is fond of tracing his roots to this city. “Dito po galing si Pangulong Duterte (President Duterte came from here),” the former SAP said as he drew parallels between his family’s history and that of the President’s.
“President Duterte came from here.”
The former presidential aide noted that his family originated from Batangas, but like that of President Duterte, they too migrated to Davao.
Go, who served as the trusted aide of then Davao City mayor Duterte for more than 21 years, vowed to support the programs and policies of the present administration, particularly after Danao residents confirmed they were happy with the results of the reforms implemented by their “kababayan” (townmate) in Malacañang.
The senatorial bet vowed to continue the campaigns of the President, particularly against criminality, corrupt government officials, and personalities who are into illegal drugs.
He added that he would also push for improved access to quality medical care, particularly through the establishment of Malasakit Centers.
A program of the Duterte administration, the Malasakit Center makes it easier and faster for poor patients to avail of medical and financial assistance from the government by bringing together in one room, representatives of all concerned government agencies, such as the departments of health and social welfare, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and PhilHealth.
The Malasakit Center in Cebu City, located at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, is the first of such centers established in the country. At present, there are at least 34 Malasakit Centers serving the people in various areas of the country and several more are in the pipeline.
Go vowed to fight for a law that would enable the establishment of Malasakit Centers in more provinces in the country and ensure the continuity of the program even after the Duterte administration has ended its term.
“Pera po ninyo ito, ibinabalik lang sa inyo sa pamamagitan ng mabilis, maayos at maaasahang serbisyo para sa bawat Pilipino (This is the people’s money being returned to you through faster, easy and reliable services),” he said.
“This is the people’s money being returned to you.”
Led by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the HNP ticket has been going around Cebu, which has the most number of registered voters in the country, estimated at 3.4 million.
