Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. (Photo from the Manila Public Information Office)
MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno poked fun at social media trends asking him to withdraw his candidacy, and at Vice President Leni Robredo’s repeated call for unity, saying that such goals are impossible when Robredo herself dropped her own party.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Moreno joked that Robredo’s supporters who started the hashtag #WithdrawIsko are only trying to meddle with the withdrawal of his salary.
#WithdrawIsko trended after Robredo announced her presidential candidacy on Thursday. Turning serious, Moreno said that it is ironic that Robredo’s supporters would dissuade him from running when true democracy, which the opposition has been preaching, allows any eligible person to run for president.
“Matanong ko lang, karapatan ko rin naman tumakbo diba? Akala ko ba, nagra-rally sila ng demokrasya? Bakit, yung demokrasya ba, sila lang ang may-ari?” Moreno asked.
(I just want to ask, it’s also my right to run, correct? I thought they are rallying for democracy? Is democracy exclusive for them?)
“O yung demokrasya, pinapractice ng isang daang milyon mahigit na Pilipino,” he added.
(Or the democracy is being practiced by almost 100 million Filipinos?)
Moreno then called Robredo out for preaching unity this time, when she even left her own party — the Liberal Party (LP) — when she decided to run for president.
Robredo stated in her certificate of candidacy that she is an independent candidate.
“You cannot talk of unity, you yourself, hindi mo nga ma-unify ang sarili mo [you can’t even unify yourself],” Moreno said.
“You’re not even proud of your party. Oh my God. How can you… kung kaya mong iwanan ang mga kasama mo, paano pa kaya kaming mga 110 million Filipinos [if you can abandon your colleagues, how much more we 110 Filipinos]?” he added.
While social media was filled with photos using the color pink — seen as the new color that will be used by Robredo — there were also numerous calls for Moreno to take a step back and run as Robredo’s vice president instead, to form a strong opposition coalition.
READ: #LabanLeni2022, #WithdrawIsko trend on Twitter
READ: Social media tickled pink by Robredo’s decision
Moreno was also one of the presidential bets whom Robredo talked to before making a decision, as she was keen on creating a broad alliance to prevent President Rodrigo Duterte’s anointed candidate from winning.
However, talks failed as Moreno launched his own bid.
Still, Robredo said earlier that she is not yet giving up on possibly uniting voters who support the opposition, saying that her candidacy as an independent is symbolic that she is not running for the sake of LP.
READ: Robredo says running as independent is ‘symbolic way’ of showing inclusivity
This is the second tirade Moreno has launched against Robredo after she announced her candidacy. Earlier, the Manila mayor questioned the Vice President’s reasoning for making a presidential bid, asking why she is so fixated in just preventing the Marcoses’ return to power.
Moreno said that instead of just stopping the Marcoses, Robredo should run for the sake and welfare of the poor Filipinos.
Moreno’s statements came hours after Robredo said she was no longer concerned about splitting the opposition’s votes between her and Moreno, as they stand on different grounds.
This goes against Robredo’s considerations about whether she will run for president or not, which was to prevent a government similar to President Rodrigo Duterte’s, and stop the Marcoses from returning to Malacañang.
READ: Isko questions Robredo’s rationale: Why run only to block the Marcoses?