Aksyon Demokratiko on Wednesday said it was ready to support Manila Mayor Isko Moreno should he decide to run for president in the 2022 elections.
Ernest Ramel Jr., the party's secretary general, said that while they were also talking with other presidential aspirants, Moreno would be their priority for that position.
Aksyon Demokratiko was founded by former Sen. Raul Roco. Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto currently serves as its executive vice president.
"The mayor hasn't categorically said anything about running for president or vice president. But of course, when or if that happens, the party will surely back him up," he told CNN Philippines.
Last week, Moreno was supposed to take his oath as member of Aksyon Demokratiko, but it was postponed to a later date to allow the mayor to address vaccination issues in his city.
Ramel said that while Moreno has yet to take his oath, he is deemed a member of the party as he already signed the membership and the oath last Aug. 5.
Prior to joining Aksyon Demokratiko, Moreno served as vice chairman for political affairs of the National Unity Party, one of the parties seeking an alliance with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio's Hugpong ng Pagbabago. He resigned from NUP on Aug. 4.
"[Mayor Isko] has been saying that he won't be supporting anybody who's running just because maipapasa yung pwesto from one to another, just like parang it's a monarchy. And I think that positioning of the party doesn't jive with his personal stance, his principles," he said in a separate interview with ANC.
Moreno placed second to Duterte-Carpio in the list of preferred presidential candidates for next year's elections, according to the June 2021 Pulse Asia survey.
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