Christopher Go

Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Tesoro Go ([go]; born June 14, 1974) is a Filipino politician currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines since 2019, Go became known for serving as the personal aide of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for more than 21 years and counting. Go also held the post as Special Assistant to the President from June 2016 to October 2018.

After being elected as Senator, Go still assists Duterte as his aide and as his own personal political advisor in most of Duterte's activities but not as usual as before due to Go's legislation job in the Senate.

Go is the son of the Davao-based businessman Desiderio Go and Marichu Tesoro-Go.

Go was born on June 14, 1974. He is a grandson of August Tesoro, whose father founded one of the largest printing press in Davao City. Go attended De La Salle University and graduated with a Management degree. He is reported to have Chinese ancestry.

Duterte's personal aide (1998-present)

Since 1998, 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'.

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. He is one of the key people in Duterte's campaign for presidency. On October 15, 2015, Go, wearing a shirt which says No is No, 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. According to him, he called Aquilino Pimentel III, the president of Duterte's political party, PDP-Laban, to file his candidacy for president, that can help Duterte for possible substitution and provide hope for his fans. According to Pimentel, it had been decided that Martin Diño, the chairman of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), would file his candidacy as Pimentel was about to board a plane to Switzerland at that time.

Go served as a campaign sortie manager of Duterte. 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.

During his time as Special Assistant to the President, his alleged involvement in thePhilippine 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. 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. 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. Duterte defended Go, saying that "[he] owns a yacht, therefore he doesn't need to steal in the frigate deal". The Malacañang also made clear their stance that Bong Go did not intervene. 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 posts online, saying he values these images as part of his "personal collection". He came to wider public attention during the APEC Summit where Bong Go posted photos of himself with various world leaders attending the meeting. His selfies at the APEC summit inspired an internet meme with people superimposing his face on photos suggesting he had met a certain person or witnessed an event mostly for comical purposes.

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.

Even before the his formal filing of candidacy, Go has already been subject of allegations of premature campaigning. 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 and on one occasion said that it was done under the President's directive. He also urged his supporters to stopped "politicizing" their cause by using his name and likeness. Nonetheless, calls for tarpaulins bearing his image to be removed had made the rounds in social media.

After the election, Go garnered roughly 21 million votes and was sworn into office after placing 3rd overall, he officially took his rightful seat in the Senate beginning his term on June 30, 2019. Among his first priority projects was the creation of another water-resource government institution called the "Department of Water" which drew some flak from netizens, calling Go's proposal "non-sense".

On his first months in office, Go has already filed several bills including creating a Department of Disaster Resilience, the postponement of the 2020 Sangguniang Kabataan elections on the barangay level, and a bill co-authored with fellow Senator Manny Pacquiao pushing a death penalty back. On August 2019, Go went with President Rodrigo Duterte on his trip to China for a bilateral meeting of the two nations to discuss issues. He also did his act that made him an internet meme and brought him to prominence, Go took selfies again with President Xi Jinping and movie icon Jackie Chan.

Beyond politics, Bong Go is also an avid basketball fan and has participated in amateur leagues and guested in prominent local basketball events in the country. He usually spectates in the Philippine Basketball Association and joinedin the three-point shoot out competition of the 2018 PBA All-Star Week. Along with Senators Sonny Angara and Joel Villanueva, Go was featured in a three-point shoot out exhibition during the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup which was hosted in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Go also joined the roster of the Muntinlupa Cagers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. This move was objected by his critics as using the MPBL as a platform for his senatorial bid in 2019. Go defended the move saying he just wanted to promote basketball in the country and acknowledged his old age and the superior height of his opponents. He rarely played appearing in only one season with the team, to focus on his Senate job and on assisting Duterte as his political advisor.