MANILA – Senator Richard Gordon has "perished the thought" of a 2022 bid for public office, he said in an interview Friday, as he said he remains focused on the Blue Ribbon Committee’s probe on the government’s alleged anomalous deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.
Gordon also revealed that senator and presidential aspirant Manny Pacquiao was wooing him to be his running-mate as late as last night.
Gordon was asked, “Senator, first day of the filing of the COCs today. Are we going to see you there?” in an interview on ANC.
He answered, “You know, believe this or not, I have perished that thought at the moment, because I’m totally focused on this [Senate hearing].”
“People come here, somebody from Mr. Pacquiao came here yesterday--a good friend of mine, up to the last minute, he wanted me to be his vice president, sabi ko, wala sa isip ko ‘yan (I said, that’s not on my mind).”
“Ang nasa isip ko, itong imbestigasyon, and to tell you the truth I am really nahihirapan because my family, I’m under severe--I’m not under pressure from my wife and last night we talked about it again, talagang nahihirapan kami because itong mga ginagawa ay hindi na maganda sa ating bayan, at ang tagal-tagal na namin rin nagsisilbi,” he said.
(What’s on my mind is this investigation, and to tell you the truth I am really having a hard time because my family, I’m under severe----I’m not under pressure from my wife and last night we talked about it again, we’re really having a hard time because what’s happening in our country is not good, and we have been serving the public for a long time.)
In August, Gordon said he would either run for president, senator or Olongapo mayor in the upcoming 2022 national elections, or else retire from politics.
While he had earlier said that he was planning to run for president for the second time next year, he noted that he remains undecided "because family is a consideration."
Asked about the possibility of him running with another presidential candidate, Gordon, who leads the probe on government’s pandemic deals, said, “We haven’t talked yet, and we might talk anytime soon, and again I say, ayoko eh. Ayoko sana na ipasok yan dahil sasabihin na naman nung ibang tao dyan na ginagawa ko lang ito para sa pulitika.”
(Again I say, I don’t want to. I don’t want to get into that because someone might say I am only doing this for politics.)
“I’ve been in politics and I’ve always run on my own record and my record is clear. I stand by that. It’s a record of pride because my father and my mother raised me to be a good man. I try to be that. Sometimes I fail. But most of the time I’ve done it, and my record speaks for itself,” he said.
Prior to being a senator, Gordon served as Tourism secretary under then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Gordon has been a politician since the '80s, when he was elected as mayor of Olongapo City.
--ANC, 1 October 2021
Election, Richard Gordon, Red Cross, Halalan 2022, Senate, Blue Ribbon Committee