SENATOR Christopher ‘Bong’ Go’s withdrawal from the presidential race on Tuesday drew mixed reactions from lawmakers and fellow candidates.

Partido Reporma presidential bet Senator Panfilo Lacson wished Go luck in his future plans.

“I wish him luck. After all, he’s my colleague in the Senate. Kami kasi mayroon kaming unwritten rule, ano. Pagka kapwa mo senador, kapwa mo senador ‘yan, and you don’t—normally, hangga’t maiiwasan, you don’t speak ill of your colleagues in the Senate. So, good luck to Senator Bong Go, ano man ang kanyang plano sa buhay henceforth. Good luck sa kanya,” Lacson said in a press conference.

Meanwhile, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who is campaigning in Mindanao, said that he doesn’t believe that Go’s move is final.

“I just heard rumors about his withdrawal. I don’t think anything is final or formal yet. I respect the decisions of other candidates, but ang focus namin ngayon ay kung paano mapapaunlad ang pamumuhay ng ating mga kababayan lalong-lalo na ang mga mahirap. Andito ako sa Mindanao ngayon para makita ko ang tunay na kalagayan ng ating mga kababayang Mindanaoan.”

Bayan Muna Chairman and Makabayan senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares called Go’s move a desperation.

“The withdrawal of Sen. Bong Go from the presidential race is just a desperate Machiavellian attempt to salvage the crumbling Duterte-Marcos alliance. It was clear from the start that he had very little chance to win and that the President was just using him as leverage to get as many concessions as possible from Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Colmenares said in a statement.

Meanwhile, House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate said that Go’s withdrawal from the presidential race is not totally unexpected.

“Clearly, Sen. Go is just a pawn used by Duterte as a leverage to gain concessions—protection especially when his term ends—from the camp of Marcos Jr., especially now that he is already considered as a lameduck president,” said Zarate.

Go’s term as senator will end in 2025.