Davao City Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte during the Hakbang ng Maisug Leaders Forum at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City on Sunday (28 January 2024). MindaNews file photo by MANMAN DEJETO
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 18 June) — Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte challenged Dabawenyo Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to stand up and speak on the recent issues involving this city, such as drugs and the controversial bid to arrest fugitive Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
Duterte scored Go, a trusted aide of his father former President Rodrigo Duterte, for apparently keeping silent on the recent controversies that hit the city.
“Bong Go, you are my friend. We Dabawenyos voted for you. If I had known that this is what you would do, we would not have voted for you,” the mayor said in Cebuano during the Hakbang ng Maisug prayer rally in Angeles, Pampanga, which was aired on the new Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa Facebook page Monday evening.
The city mayor urged Go “to redeem himself… to stand-by with the Filipino people and to show his love for the country more than himself.”
“He has time to redeem himself… because kung gusto pa niyang tumakbong senador ulit (if he wants to seek reelection), he should show that he is one with the Dabawenyos in times like this,” Duterte said.
In just about a month, the city had seen several re-shuffling of police officers at the Davao City Police Office and the Police Regional Office – Region 11 (PRO-11) .
The reshuffling was due to the investigations conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) on the drug killings and the police operation to arrest Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).
Days after Duterte declared a war against illegal drugs last March 22 where he warned to kill drug suspects if they don’t stop or leave the city, the DCPO reported that seven drug suspects were killed during different police operations.
Last June 10, the police conducted simultaneous raids at the KOJC compound and the prayer mountain in this city and in Kitbog, Malungon, Sarangani to arrest Quiboloy, who is facing criminal charges of human trafficking, child abuse, and sexual abuse.
But Go appeared to have distanced himself from these issues affecting the city, according to the mayor.
Go, who graced the first Maisug rally held in Davao City last January, has yet to comment on Duterte’s expressed disappointment over his apparent silence on the issues in the locality.
The “Hakbang ng Maisug” rally, which literally translates to “Step of the Brave,” is a series of prayer rallies led by supporters of former President Duterte.
These rallies have been organized to protest against various political issues, including the proposed amendments to the 1987 Philippine Constitution through people’s initiative.
During Monday night’s Maisug rally in Angeles, Pampanga, the city mayor said that he is now more impressed with Senator Risa Hontiveros than Go for “standing her ground consistently as an opposition lawmaker.”
Hontiveros is a staunch critic of the Duterte and Marcos Jr. administrations.
Last March, she led the Senate hearing on the “reported cases of large-scale human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse of the KOJC under its leader Apollo Quiboloy.” The pastor snubbed the subpoenas for him to appear, which prompted the Senate to order his arrest. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
