Jamaine Punzalan

Sen. Bong Go, May 1, 2025. Handout, Go/Facebook

Article (news)

RG Cruz

Marilyn Cahatol

ABS-CBN News

<div><iframe width="923" height="519" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/csf6GUjR5r0" title="LIVE: Sen. Bong Go holds press briefing" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>MANILA — Sen. Christopher Lawrence Bong Go said Tuesday the plunder and graft complaint filed by former senator Antonio Trillanes against him and former President Rodrigo Duterte was meant to divert public attention away from the real perpetrators of the flood control fiasco.The complaint alleged that Duterte and Go supposedly used their positions to channel P7 billion in government infrastructure projects to companies owned by the senator’s brother and father.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/21/trillanes-files-plunder-graft-complaints-against-go-duterte-1222">Trillanes files plunder, graft complaints against Go, Duterte</a></div>Go said Trillanes was “barking at the wrong tree.”“Kung seryoso ka talaga, bakit mo, bakit di mo kasuhan yung mga totoong mga corrupt talaga? Bakit di mo kasuhan yung mga financiers mo, yung mga contractor,” Go said, addressing Trillanes.“Ang layunin niya ay proteksyunan lang po ang kanyang mga financier at mga nasa likod ng black propaganda na ito… Isa po itong diversionary tactic para ilihis ang atensyon ng taong bayan sa tunay ng mga issue,” he said.Go rejected the allegations, saying: “Hindi po ako magnanakaw. Hindi po ako kontraktor.”“Senador po ako na nagseserbisyo lang po sa ating mga kababayan Pilipino. May delikadesa po ako. Yung prinsipyo ko po sa buhay, yan lang po ang pwede kong pangalagaan sa ngayon. Pangalan ko po at hinding-hindi ko sasayangin yan,” he said.He said the allegations were “rehashed.” “September of 2018, bago yung halalan, bago pa ako nag-file, unang tumakbo bilang senador, nag-ingay na siya noon. Siniraan na niya ako… Last year nung ako po ay tatakbo muli for re-election July 6 of 2024, same issue,” he said.The senator said he would “cooperate with the investigation and abide by its legal processes.”  “I have been expecting this complaint and now we are in the proper forum to prove the baselessness of his allegations. I now have the opportunity to answer him point by point before the Ombudsman and not on media anymore,” Go said.“The truth will be revealed and believe that justice and fairness shall prevail. I hope that the Ombudsman will be fair,” he added.  Trillanes earlier in the day said the evidence in his complaint included contracts from 2007 to 2018, obtained from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) while he was still a senator.The former senator said he previously filed a complaint with the Department of Justice last year but had reservations taking it to the Ombudsman during the tenure of former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, a Duterte appointee.Martires’ successor Jesus Crispin Remulla recently said the contractor couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya could have been protecting Go, citing joint ventures in 2017 between CLTG Builders, owned by Go&#x27;s father, and Discaya firms in the Davao Region. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/16/dpwh-to-start-probe-into-firm-linked-to-sen-bong-go-s-family-its-ties-to-discayas-1123">DPWH starts probe into firm linked to Sen. Bong Go&#x27;s family, its ties to Discayas</a></div>A 2018 investigative report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism found that CLTG Builders, owned by Go&#x27;s father, ranked among Davao City&#x27;s top 10 contractors from 2010 to 2017, receiving about P1.85 billion in government projects.The firm also secured an additional P2.7 billion through joint ventures with four other contractors, including Alfrego Builders, owned by Go&#x27;s half-brother, Alfredo Go.The report noted that CLTG was among the companies with the most delayed projects in the region.But Sen. Go urged bodies investigating infrastructure projects to “seek the truth, not the script, if there is any.”“Tumbukin nyo lang po ang katotohanan. Maniwala kayo o sa hindi. Pag inilihis nyo ang issue, magulo po ito. Magagalit po ang Pilipino. Magagalit ang Pilipino pag niloloko nyo ang ating mga kababayan sa katotohanan. Yung katotohanan lamang po, tumbukin nyo po,” Go said.&quot;I am one with our countrymen in this crusade and fight against corruption. Ikulong ang mga kurakot at mga magnanakaw. Kilala nyo naman yung mga buwaya. Napapangalanan na eh. Yung iba nagtatago lang talaga.”  <div> </div><div>TRILLANES: &#x27;FILE-AN NIYA AKO NG KASO&#x27; </div>Trillanes clapped back at Go’s accusation that he received campaign donations from government contractors. “Sige, siya yung senador, siya yung nasa pwesto. Nasa positon siya, mag-imbestiga, mag-gather ng ebidensiya. File-an niya ako ng kaso. Kasi nung ako senador, hindi lang ako nagbibintang. Talagang hinahanapan ko sila ng ebidensiya at fina-file ko sa korte at sa ICC (International Criminal Court),” Trillanes told DZMM Teleradyo.The former senator said that Duterte and Go’s camp failed before in finding evidence to indict him when Duterte was still in office.“Alam nilang wala yan. Kasi nung sila nga ang presidente, kinalkal na nila lahat na pwede nilang ikalkal against me, wala silang nakita,” he said.Trillanes stressed Go cannot address the actual issue presented in his complaint, challenging the senator to use his “rehashed” argument as his defense before the Ombudsman.“Yung sinasabi niya alibi na rehashed ito, sige yan ang ipaliwanag mo sa Ombudsman, na rehashed lang ito. Tingnan natin kung titindig yang depensa na yan. He cannot even address the issue,” he said.Trillanes, who failed to make a senatorial comeback in the 2022 elections, said that Go’s win in the 2025 senatorial race showed that “money is being used to win elections,” alleging Go of having a troll farm.“Ibig sabihin lang po nun, nadadaan sa pera ang ating eleksiyon. Mas marami siyang advertisement, marami siyang ibinibigay sa mga mayor, governor,” he said.“Hindi naman po dahil mas magaling siya sa akin, mas marami lang silang pera. At mas marami silang naloloko kasi may mga troll farm sila. They can spread fake news against their enemies, they can spread fake news na positive sa kanila. Pero tingnan niyo nga, pakinggan niyo lang siya, he cannot even defend himself properly.”

Sen. Christopher Lawrence Bong Go said the plunder and graft complaint filed by former senator Antonio Trillanes against him and former President Rodrigo Duterte was meant to divert public attention away from the real perpetrators of the flood control fiasco.

Sen. Christopher Lawrence Bong Go said the plunder and graft complaint filed by former senator Antonio Trillanes against him and former President Rodrigo Duterte was meant to divert public attention away from the real perpetrators of the flood control fiasco.

‘Hindi po ako magnanakaw’: Go says Trillanes graft, plunder complaint a ‘diversionary tactic’

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‘Hindi po ako magnanakaw’: Go says Trillanes graft, plunder complaint a ‘diversionary tactic’

RG Cruz,

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 21, 2025 03:48 PM PHT

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Updated Oct 21, 2025 06:55 PM PHT

Read More:

Bong Go

Trillanes

Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte

flood control

graft

plunder

corruption

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