VICE presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio called for unity on Thursday, December 2, 2021, following the withdrawal of Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go from the presidential race in the 2022 elections.
"Now that Senator Bong Go has declared his withdrawal from the Presidential race and to quote him, 'for the sake of unity among our supporters and leaders', tuloy-tuloy na po tayo sa ating pagkakaisa kasama ang BBM-Sara Uniteam upang tayo ay magtagumpay sa ating hangarin para sa bansa (we will continue in our unity with the BBM-Sara Uniteam so that we can succeed in our aspiration for the country)," Duterte-Carpio said in a statement forwarded by her spokesperson Liloan, Cebu Mayor Christine Frasco.
(Now that Senator Bong Go has declared his withdrawal from the Presidential race and to quote him, "for the sake of unity among our supporters and leaders," we will continue in our unity with the BBM-Sara Uniteam so that we can succeed in our aspiration for the country.)
Go, the longtime aide of the mayor's father, President Rodrigo Duterte, announced his withdrawal from the 2022 presidential bid during the 158th birth anniversary celebration of Andres Bonifacio at the Pinaglabanan Shrine in San Juan City Tuesday, November 30.
The senator said he wanted to serve the country but realized it might not be the proper time yet.
He said his primary consideration for his decision are his family who were against his presidential candidacy and the President.
“In the past few days, I realized in my heart and my mind are contradicting my actions. Talagang nagre-resist po ang aking katawan, puso, at isipan. Tao lang po ako, nasasaktan at napapagod din (My body, heart and mind really resisted. I am only human who also gets hurt and tired),” Go said.
The senator said he was the one willing to make the “supreme sacrifice” for the good of the country and for the sake of unity among their supporters and leaders. He also affirmed his loyalty to the President.
Duterte-Carpio, meanwhile, renewed her call for unity to the supporters of the current administration.
"Matapos kong inilunsad ang aking kandidatura pagka Bise Presidente ng Pilipinas, nanawagan po ako sa lahat ng sumusuporta ng administrasyong Duterte na magkaisa sa ating layunin na ipatuloy at palawakin pa ang mga magagandang nasimulan ng aking ama," she said.
(After I launched my candidacy for vice president in the Philippines, I am calling on all supporters of the Duterte administration to unite in our aim to continue and expand the good programs of my father.)
"Nagpapasalamat po ako sa inyong pagdinig sa aking hiling (Thank you for listening to my request)," she added.
In a Facebook Live interview in Batangas, the mayor was personally asked about her reaction to Go's withdrawal.
She said, “Ang pagfa-file ng kandidatura po ng kandidatura at pagwi-withdraw is personal desisyon po iyan. Reresptuhin po natin kung ano ang desiyon ni Senator Bong Go.”
(The filing and withdrawal of candidacy is a personal decision. We will respect whatever Senator Bong Go’s decision is.)
Duterte-Carpio is the runningmate of former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in the 2022 poll.
The tandem is currently running under the Uniteam alliance composed of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).