The former spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) accused Senator Christopher 'Bong' Go on Monday of "controlling the decisions" of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Antonio Parlade Jr, who filed on Monday his Certificate of Candidacy for president, told reporters that this is why he cannot "align" with Go, who is also running for the presidency.
"I cannot align with Senator Bong Go. I'm sorry but kasama siya sa problema ng bayan natin," he said.
(I cannot align with Senator Bong Go. I’m sorry but he is part of the country’s problems.)
However, he clarified that he does not have a rift with the senator and long-time aide of Duterte, he just does not like how Go runs things.
"Wala akong rift kay Senator Bong Go, I just don't like the way he does things, including controlling the decisions of the president," he explained.
(I don’t have a rift with Senator Bong Go. I just don’t like the way he does things, including controlling the decisions of the president.)
According to Parlade, there are a lot of instances where Go controlled the president's decisions but refused to elaborate further on his accusation.
"You ask the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines, you ask the national army, you ask the secretary of national defense," he said.
Speculations recently came up that Duterte is being manipulated by the people around him, including Go, especially after he was left in the dark about Davao Mayor Sara Duterte's plan to run as vice president.
The president, however, refuted this.
"Dinidiktahan? Ako ang magdikta sa kanya. Hindi ako nagpapadikta, at ako siguro ang nagsasabi sa kanya kung ano ang what’s next ika nga," he said.
(Dictated? I’m the one dictating him. I don’t allow myself to get dictated, and I might be the one telling him what’s next, as they say.) gh
On this, Parlade said that is the president's "prerogative."
"That's okay, that's his prerogative, kung 'yan ang feeling niya," he said.
(That’s okay, that’s his prerogative if that’s what he feels.)
