They may be from the opposite ends of politics but there’s nothing that a good game can’t solve.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon was all praises for Special Assistant to the President Bong Go for being a “very good” player during the championship game between Malacañang PSC-Kamao and Senate Defender teams for the UNTV Cup.

While it was the Senate that emerged the champion, with a score of 86-64, Drilon said Go made the Senate team “suffer” in the first few minutes.

Go had also played basketball with then senator and now foreign affairs chief Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Manny Pacquiao, both Duterte allies.

“For the record, I must put my admiration for the playing ability of Secretary Bong Go. Talaga pong nagulat ako. Magaling talaga. He made us suffer for the first few minutes,” Drilon said in his speech during the session on Tuesday, March 13.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto took the chance to joke about the incident in the guise of interpellating Drilon.

“I heard the name of Bong Go who played for the Malacañang team, is that correct?” Recto said.

To which, Drilon said: “That’s correct. In fairness, he played very well.”

Recto mentioned the rumor of Go’s senatorial run in 2019 and asked, “Would you know the reason why Mr Bong Go is interested in running for the Senate?”

“So he could join the Senate Defenders basketball team,” Drilon jokingly replied, eliciting laughter from other senators and audience in the Session Hall.

Recto replied: “That is correct, Mr President.”

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, a party mate of Go in the ruling PDP-Laban, joined and joked: “Are we interested in importing?”

Go initially said he was not interested in running for senator. But after a while, he changed his tune and said his candidacy depends on his boss.

After the light exchange, the chamber unanimously adopted Senate Resolution No. 680, congratulating its basketball team for winning the championship.

The Senate team won P4 million, which Drilon said, would be distributed to their 3 chosen charities, Kythe Foundation, Inc, Tanghalang Mapagpala Immaculada Concepcion, and Pangarap Foundation Inc. The players, meanwhile, received P500,000. – Rappler.com