(FILE PHOTO) Manila Mayor Isko Moreno speaking on his third state of the city address. Courtesy of Manila PIO
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte sees Manila Mayor Isko Moreno as a “threat” to a “Duterte Dynasty” by 2022, the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives said Wednesday.
The Makabayan bloc made the remark amid the seeming word war between Duterte and Moreno. Duterte recently said he will strip a certain Metro Manila local government — which many speculate as Manila — of the power to distribute cash aid due to its supposed inefficiency.
“It is disgraceful that Pres. Duterte resorted to personal attacks against Mayor Isko not because the LGU chief has failed in his work, but because he is perceived by the president as a threat to his plan of having a Duterte Dynasty by 2022,” the Makabayan bloc said in a statement.
The Makabayan bloc is composed of Bayan Muna Partylist Reps. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Eufemia Cullamat, and Ferdinand Gaite; Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas; ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro; and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Jane Elago.
Many believe Duterte was referring to Moreno in his latest tirades especially after the President derided the unnamed LGU’s mayor for having photos of him wearing a “bikini” online. Moreno is the only Metro Manila mayor to portray sexy roles as a former actor.
Malacañang, however, has refused to identify the mayor who became the latest target of Duterte’s tirades.
Nonetheless, the Makabayan bloc said Duterte should be reminded that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) awarded the City of Manila with a certificate of recognition for its “efficient and timely” distribution of financial aid.
“If there is a ‘mayor’ who is disorganized in its aid distribution and pandemic response that is no one else but ‘Mayor Duterte’ himself,” the Makabayan bloc said.
“Isn’t it because of his leadership that the government failed to release more than P10-billion cash aid under Bayanihan 1 and 2? Isn’t it because of his ineptitude that our country has the world’s longest militarized lockdown? Isn’t because of their inefficiency that the vaccination rollout remains sluggish?” they added.
INQUIRER.net has reached out to the Palace for its comment on this story.