BY ALEX Y. VERGARA
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno is taking a giant leap, as he gears to cross the Pasig River from Manila City Hall to Malacañang Palace, when he formally announced his intention of becoming the country’s “Healing President” come 2022.
After news of Moreno’s presidential bid broke yesterday evening, he and running mate Dr. Willie Ong formally declared their intentions to run for president and vice president, respectively, earlier today at the Baseco compound in Manila. “I will be a healing president. I will not spend nights rambling on senseless thoughts that will get you agitated. I will be a healing president. While ours will be a government of national reconstruction, it will also be a government of national reconciliation, based on justice and rule of law,” Moreno said in his declaration speech.
“Sa ating administrasyon, competence not connection will be the sole guide. Pag may tao akong pumalya, you’re fired immediately. At kung ano mang anomalya, di ko po kukunsitihin. Pag ang mali, ‘di itinama, bayan ang papasan. False praises. The truth, not the trolls, wll set you free,” he added.
The development brings to a close months of speculation whether or not the popular mayor is joining the presidential race, after Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Manny Pacquaio declared their respective presidential bids earlier.
Moreno and Ong also promised to further focus on the country’s COVID-19 response, particularly on testing and early procurement of second-generation vaccines, practice inclusive governance, continue with the outgoing administration’s projects that work, particularly “Build, Build, Build,” honor the rule of law and agreements and treaties the Philippines signed with other countries.
“During the past months, people trooped to Manila asking for Remdesivir and Tocilizumab, two medicines that could save the sick on the brink of danger,” Moreno said in Filipino in his declaration address. “Many of them came all of the way from the provinces, rich or poor, begging us for these life-saving medicines to save their loved ones.”
Despite Manila’s modest funds and its considerable debt, Moreno took pride in the fact that the entire country considers his city a “pambasang parmasya” (national pharmacy).
“But what we had was the vision to stockpile essential drug and the virtue to give them to whoever needs them. This has been our pandemic motto with our beloved Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna: If the virus respects no political boundaries, then our compassion must not stop at the city boundaries. So what we had, we shared with them,” Moreno said.
On Manila’s open governance, which he plans to implement on a national level if elected president, the mayor said: “Whether it is vaccination, education, in Manila we don’t require you to present voter’s ID. A Manila zip code is not requisite for college enrollment or hospital admission. Dito po sa amin, sa panahon ng pandemya at kagipitan walang patakaran ‘No Manila ID, No Entry.’ That is what you call inclusive government.”
Moreno, who takes pride in his humble beginnings as a former basurero and pedicab driver who grew up in the slums of Baseco, also made obvious digs at President Duterte and his penchant for making off-the-cuff remarks.
“Lumaki akong busabos ngunit ‘di ako naging bastos,” he said. “Bagamat balot ako ng dumi sa katawan ni minsan di ko kailangan sabunin ang aking bibig. Ni minsan ‘di ako nagtampo sa Diyos. ‘Di ko siya minura. ‘Di ko sya tinalikuran. At ang kanyang mga alagad, ‘di ko inalipusta.”
But he claimed to harbor no ill will against anyone, including the president, who, in one of his evening addresses to the nation, took potshots at Moreno’s stint in showbiz in the ’90s. In his bid to be a healing president, Moreno said he chose Ong, a cardiologist, internist and healthcare advocate, to work with him to heal Philippine society of its “cancer.”
He also appealed to voters not to forget to vote for his partner in 2022 to avoid the prospect of another divided and bickering government. Like Moreno, Ong, who has a huge following on social media, ran but failed to secure a Senate seat in the 2019 senatorial race.
“Ang plano natin ay parang bandila ng Pilipinas na gagawin ang hibla at sinulid na manggagaling sa inyo,” he said, before introducing his running mate. “I will be a healing president. While ours will be a government of national reconstruction and reconciliation based on justice and rule of law. ’Di ko isisisi sa nakaraan ang ating kahirapan. Madaming leader na walang ginawa kun ’di saktan tayo. Maraming kanser sa lipunan, kailangan ng doktor na may puso talino at oras para sa tao.”
In a joint press conference after their formal declaration, Moreno also said that there won’t be any turning back on his decision to run for president. But he said he won’t stop communicating with his rivals for the presidency to heal any divisions and animosities between them.
“’Di ako titigil, tutal laway lang puhunan ko, na magkabati-bati na tayo,” he said. “I will continue to try [dahil] buhay ng mga Filipino ang pinagusapan. Mabuti na nasa isang bangka lang kami. Na magkasama kami ni Doc Willie”
“Ayoko gawin tsubibo ang buhay ng tao, na pinapaikot-ikot lang,” he added. “When you decide, you move at dapat bilisan na ang kilos. Tuloy na ito. Ayoko maging sawing boyfrined. Paasa. Hindi na tayo titigil.”
In an earlier interview with PeopleAsia, Moreno, who used to be a scavenger before entering showbiz, and later, public service, said: “It’s just that kasi lagi akong may hugot sa buhay, dati nga tira lang ng ibang tao ang kinakain ko, bakit pa ako matatakot dito (I’ve always had a well of experiences to draw from. I used to eat other people’s leftovers so what more should I be scared of)?”
