MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday teased his longtime aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go about supposedly having aspirations for the presidency, noting how the neophyte legislator frequently visits fire victims.

“Maybe he wants to be President, kasi lahat ng sunog nandun siya (because he’s always visiting fire victims),” Duterte said in a speech before newly-appointed government officials.

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“Halata man masyado. Nauuna kapa sa… eh wala pang sunog nandun ka, nandun kana eh. Ikaw ata tiga-sindi. Nauna kapa dun sa bumbero. ‘Wag mo masyadong sobrahan baka mahalata,” he added.

(It’s pretty obvious. You’re ahead of the… you’re already there even there’s no fire yet. Maybe you’re the one igniting it. You arrive way before firefighters. Don’t do it too much or they might notice it.)

Go rose to political limelight from being Duterte’s special assistant. He earned a seat in the Senate and ranked third in the May 2019 midterm elections, preceded only by veteran Senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe.

Edited by KGA

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