Presentation

1. SENATOR OF THE
PHILIPPINES
BONG GO

2. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Tesoro Go
Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Tesoro Go (Tagalog: [bɔŋ ˈɡɔ]; born
June 14, 1974) is a Filipino politician serving as a Senator since
2019. He previously served in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo
Duterte as Special Assistant to the President and Head of the
Presidential Management Staff from June 2016 to October
2018.[1][2] Go has served as the personal aide and special assistant to
Duterte since 1998, back when Duterte was still mayor of Davao
City.[3][4]
He also currently chairs the Senate committee on health and
demography

3. EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
• Go was born on June 14, 1974, to a Chinese Filipino family.[6][7] He is the son of
Davao-based businessman Desiderio Go[8] and Batangas-native Marichu Tesoro-
Go.[9] He is a grandson of August Tesoro, who founded one of the largest printing
companies in Davao City.[10]
• Go attended La Salle Green Hills during his high school years. He initially took up
a management degree in De La Salle University but transferred to and eventually
graduated from Ateneo de Davao University with a bachelor's degree in marketing

4. CAREER
• Duterte's aide (1998–present)
• Since 1998, Bong Go has served as executive assistant and personal aide for
then-Mayor of Davao City Rodrigo Duterte. Being in charge of both personal and
official matters, he has called himself as Duterte's all around 'utility man'.[13][14]
• During the 2016 election campaign season, Go was often described as the
"national photobomber" by the media, for being always in the photos at the side of
Duterte in his campaign sorties.[15] He is one of the key people in Duterte's
campaign for presidency. On October 15, 2015, Go filed Duterte's certificate of
candidacy on Duterte's behalf at the Comelec office in Manila, for a re-election bid
for the Davao City mayoralty post.

5. SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT (2016–
2018)
• Then President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on June 2, 2016, announced the appointment of
Christopher Go as the Special Assistant to the President and is tasked to provide general
supervision to the Presidential Management Staff.[17]
• During his time as Special Assistant to the President, his alleged involvement in
the Philippine Navy's ₱16 billion frigate deal was revealed by online news site Rappler.
Pertinent documents that linked Bong Go to the deal, detailing how he had interfered with
the process, violating several procurement laws when he endorsed a supplier outside the
bidding process were released to the public.[18] Bong Go denied the allegations, declaring
that he would resign if ever he was proven guilty and claimed that the media and his critics
are endangering national security.[19] Vice Admiral Mercado of the Philippine Navy, who
was allegedly sacked for questioning the frigate deal, has cleared Go of any involvement,
claiming that Go had never communicated with those who were involved in the
deal.[20] Duterte defended Go, saying that "he owns a yacht, therefore he doesn't need to
steal in the frigate deal".[21] The Malacañang also made their stand clear that Bong Go did
not intervene.[22] A probe by the Senate regarding the deal was made, but did no further
clarifications about Go's role on the deal
• During his time as Special Assistant to the President, he became known for selfies he posted online,
saying he values these images as part of his "personal collection".

6. SENATOR (2019–PRESENT)
• Bong Go made a formal bid for the Senate on October 15, 2018, when he filed his
certificate of candidacy accompanied by President Rodrigo Duterte and other
members of the president's Cabinet. Go's platform for his Senate bid includes
pledges to build healthcare and social service facilities dubbed as "Malasakit
Centers" across the Philippines as well as the repeal of the Juvenile Justice law
which sets the minimum age of criminal liability at 15 years old. Doubts about his
capability to conduct a nationwide campaign was countered by President Duterte,
noting that the Tesoros, Go's mother's family, own one of the largest printing firms
in Mindanao

7. • Even before his formal filing of candidacy, Go has already been subject of
allegations of premature campaigning.[28][29][30][31] In relief operations after a fire in
Manila, relief goods with "Ready Set Go" branding were distributed alongside
government relief goods provided by the Department of Social Welfare and
Development. Go has repeatedly denied that he was personally involved in the
production or distribution of any merchandise, once citing his supporters as
producing them without his consent[32] and on one occasion said that it was done
under the President's directive.[33] He also urged his supporters to stopped
"politicizing" their cause by using his name and likeness. Calls for tarpaulins
bearing his image to be removed had made the rounds in social media

8. • After the election, Go garnered roughly 21 million votes and was sworn into office
after placing 3rd overall, he officially took his seat in the Senate beginning his
term on June 30, 2019. On his first months in office, Go had filed several bills
including creating a Department of Disaster Resilience,[35] the postponement of
the 2020 Sangguniang Kabataan elections on the barangay level,[36] and a bill co-
authored with fellow Senator Manny Pacquiao pushing a death penalty back for
heinous crimes such as illegal drugs, plunder, rape, and murder

9. • In 2019, Go authored the Malasakit Center Act, which meant to serve as one-stop
for easy access to medical and financial assistance needed to receive health care
services.[38] Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Go proposed the Balik
Probinsya program, which meant to decongest the overcrowded Metro Manila
once the coronavirus pandemic is put under control.[39] The program was
institutionalized by President Duterte on May 6 via Executive Order No. 114

10. • On July 17, 2020, Go was involved in a controversy when a college student was
filed a subpoena order by the NBI after Bong Go complained of the student
sharing a post on social media possibly containing fake news which were against
the Senator.[42]
• On October 29, 2021, Go led the opening of the country's 146th Malasakit Center
at the Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center in Las Piñas City
— reaching a milestone for the said program being the 30th in Metro Manila and
the first in the city.