Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Monday filed his certificate of candidacy for president in the 2022 elections, hoping to jump from city hall to Malacanang.
Moreno filed his candidacy for president accompanied by wife Diana Lynn Ditan. Running mate Willie Ong, a doctor with 16 millions followers on Facebook, was also present to file his certificate of candidacy for vice president.
The 46-year-old mayor said he chose Ong to be his running mate due to his expertise in the medical field and his desire to improve healthcare for Filipinos—two factors he said were instrumental in addressing COVID-19.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier threatened to clip aid distribution in the city due to photos of long queues and threw a "call boy" shade at him for his sexy film past, which he simply brushed off, saying "Hanapbuhay lang yan."
If elected, Moreno will be the second candidate to go from city mayor to president in one step after President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 and the second with a movie star past, after Joseph Estrada in 1998. Moreno defeated former President Estrada in the 2019 Manila mayoralty race after serving as vice mayor.
He will also be the second youngest person to clinch the seat at 47, just after former President Ramon Magsaysay who was inaugurated at 46 years old.
"To energize bureaucracy, I will be inviting millennials to join their government so they can put their talents in the service of their fellow countrymen," he said as he announced his presidential bid in urban poor neighborhood Baseco compound in Tondo.
Moreno was elected president of the Aksyon Demokratiko party, co-founded by former Sen. Raul Rocco iun 1997, where Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto is currently executive vice president.
"Nagkaroon kami ng maraming pagpupulong bago nila ako tinanggap at masaya ako na maraming alignments sa nais naming isulong sa Asenso Manileno, ang aking napapabilangang lokal na partido," Moreno said.
"Pangunahin dito ang pagsusulong sa MBN o minimum basic needs: pabahay, trabaho, pagkain, edukasyon at kalusugan para sa ating kababayan," he added.
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