DABAWENYO Senator Christopher “Bong” Go reiterated that his family’s business was established long before he entered public service and maintained that no member of his family has ever gained advantage from his role in government.
This comes as Go, along with Sens. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Joel Villanueva, authored Senate Bill No. 783, which seeks to disqualify relatives of public officials, up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity, from entering into contracts with the government.
“Kahit sino ang tanungin ninyo, mula pa noong sa Davao City pa lang ako nagtatrabaho hanggang ngayon, hindi nakakalapit ang mga kamag-anak ko sa akin — kahit sarili kong tatay at half-brother, para ilakad ang anumang kontrata sa gobyerno. Nag-warning na ako noon: ang sinumang gagamit sa pangalan ko, consider it denied na” Go firmly declared.
(Ask anyone—from the time I was still working in Davao City up to now—none of my relatives, not even my own father or half-brother, could approach me to lobby for any government contract. I already gave a warning before: anyone who uses my name, consider it denied.)
He reiterated that his family’s business predated his political career and has never derived any advantage from his government position.
“Uulitin ko ang sinabi ko noon: for the record, wala pa ako sa mundong ito ay meron ng lehitimo at maayos na negosyo ang aking pamilya. Pero ni minsan, ni piso, hindi nakinabang ang aking pamilya sa pagiging taong gobyerno ko,” Go stressed.
(I will repeat what I said before: for the record, even before I was born, my family already had a legitimate and respectable business. But never, not even once, not even a single peso, did my family benefit from my being in government.)
The senator has also brushed off renewed allegations linking him to supposed benefits from his family’s construction business, describing them as recycled and malicious.
“Malinis ang konsensya ko because I observe delicadeza noon pa man hanggang sa ngayon. Para sa isang simpleng probinsyanong katulad ko, iniingatan ko talaga ang pangalan ko,” Go said.
(My conscience is clear because I observe delicadeza from the very beginning until now. For a simple provincial man like me, I truly take care of my name.)
The measure is framed as an anti-conflict-of-interest safeguard aligned with the newly enacted Republic Act No. 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act.
“Ang panukalang ito ay layong ipagbawal na pumasok sa anumang kontrata ng gobyerno, mula national level hanggang sa local government unit level, ng mga kamag-anak ng gobyerno hanggang sa fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity,” Go said in a press release.
(This proposed measure seeks to prohibit relatives of government officials, up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity, from entering into any government contract — from the national level down to the local government unit level.)
The proposed law would cover transactions such as supply agreements, infrastructure projects, joint ventures, and public-private partnerships, with limited exemptions for arrangements deemed highly technical, proprietary, or confidential.
Go, born on June 14, 1974, in Davao City, is the son of businessman Desiderio Go and Marichu Tesoro-Go. His grandfather, August Tesoro, founded one of Davao’s largest printing businesses long before Bong Go entered public service. He completed his marketing degree at Ateneo de Davao University, transferring from De La Salle University. He began his political journey in 1998 as an aide to then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, later becoming the latter’s Special Assistant to the President and Head of the Presidential Management Staff from 2016 to 2018. He first won a Senate seat in 2019 and was re-elected in 2025, even topping the senatorial race. With PR