MANILA - The daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte expressed confidence Tuesday that no government funds were used in the distribution of shirts embellished with senatorial candidate Bong Go's face during a public assembly of barangay officials.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said Tuesday she is confident Go did not use public funds for the white polo shirts that were distributed as part of the first Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas National Assembly event kit.
"I'm sure if he is made to answer kung ano ang source ng funds niya for these t shirts, I’m sure it will not be from government funds," Duterte-Carpio told reporters.
"Kasi alam naman niya yun, ang tagal na niya sa politika. Probably, in-allow siya na mag-insert ng kanyang t-shirt doon but ang source ng fund, I can be very sure na hindi government 'yun,” she added.
(He's been in politics long enough to know that government funds should not be used. He was probably allowed to insert shirts in the kits but in terms of funding, I can be very sure that it did not come from the government.)
A longtime aide of the President, Go is among the candidates endorsed by Duterte-Carpio's regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago.
Opposition senatorial candidate Gary Alejano earlier alleged that Go used public funds for the shirts.
"Ang panawagan ko ay tigilan na ni Bong Go ang pag gamit sa mga kapitan at pondo ng gobyerno para sa personal niyang kampanya," Alejano said.
(I call on Bong Go to stop using barangay chairmen and government funds for his personal campaign.)
Go denied the allegation, saying he had "no idea" that his name and cartoonized face were emblazoned on the giveaways for the said event.
"Wala po kaming kinalaman sa sinasabing ipinamigay na souvenirs sa isang pagpupulong ng barangay officials," Go told ABS-CBN News.
(We were not involved in the supposed distribution of souvenirs in a barangay assembly.)
Duterte-Carpio meanwhile added that she is sure Go can provide the documentation of his campaign expenses, and vowed that none of the administration-backed candidates are using government funds for their campaigns.
"Hindi sila gumagamit ng pera sa government to put up rallies,” she said.
(They are not using government funds to put up rallies.)
-report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
Halalan 2019, 2019 elections, Bong Go, Sara Duterte, HNP, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, Gary Alejano