Senator Bong Go withdrew his candidacy for vice president Saturday and will now run as president under a different party in the May 2022 elections.

Go, accompanied by President Rodrigo Duterte, went to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila on Saturday afternoon.

Duterte, according to Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, will return to the Comelec to file his certificate for candidacy for vice president.

“On Monday the President will return to the Comelec to file for his candidacy for vice president,” Andanar told reporters in an interview.

Duterte was the original vice presidential candidate of a PDP-Laban faction until he withdrew and named Go to replace him.

Go and Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa withdrew their certificates of

candidacy (COCs) for vice president and president under a faction of the PDP-Laban.

Go then filed his COC as president under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), replacing Grepor Belgica.

“SBG (Senator Bong Go) withdrew his candidacy for VIP and filed candidacy for President under PDDS,” Melvin Matibag, secretary general of a PDP-Laban faction, told reporters in a Viber message.

This will pit Duterte against his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who filed her certificate of candidacy for vice president through a representative under the Partido Federalismo

Duterte , when asked about his daughter, who filed her COC for vice president, he asked: “I don't know. Did she file?”

When told his daughter filed her COC, Duterte said he will return on Monday.

In an ambush interview, Go said he filed his candidacy based on the decision of Duterte and their party.

Asked if he was referring to Duterte-Carpio's decision to run for vice president as his reason, Go said: “Kasi po kandidato na po ako bilang vice president at may partido po ako. Sabi ko kailangan ko umiwas, umiwas po ako alang-alang kay Pangulong Duterte,” he said.

When asked if his tandem with Duterte would push through, Go said people should first wait for the President's decision. DMS