FILE PHOTO: Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso speaking during his third state of the city address. Courtesy of Manila PIO
MANILA, Philippines — All presidential aspirants must undergo drug testing and it is better that it is conducted by government authorities, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said a day after President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that one of the those aspiring to be president is a cocaine user.
Moreno, a presidential aspirant himself, said on Friday that he has no qualms about submitting himself to drug testing, saying it should be required because it would be hard to fight a societal problem if the president is a part of it.
“When do you want, publicly? Why not? Kasi if a president will fight against drugs, as a matter of policy, then dapat talaga na kami rin,” Moreno told reporters in Calauan, Laguna.
“Ako, I don’t mind, anytime, lalo na, mas maganda nga kung ahensya ng gobyerno more than sa kusa, i-require lahat, okay lang ako,” he added.
(I don’t mind, anytime and it is better that it would be conducted by a government agency and it is a requirement to all, I’m ok with it.)
According to Moreno, he is not aware of Duterte’s revelations that one of the presidential aspirants — referred by the President as a “he” — was into cocaine. But he said that if the President said that the alleged drug user comes from a rich family, then it is certain that it is not him being alluded to.
“Di ko alam eh, basta ako naka-focus ako sa tao, sigurado ako, eh si Chayong ang si… ang nanay at tatay ko. Di ko alam eh. I cannot comment on something that I’m not privy,” he said.
“Ay hindi, labandera nanay ko eh, tatay ko estibador sa Pier eh, sa Pier 8 to be exact. Sabi ko nga sa’yo haciendero kami eh, may-ari kami ng bulubunduking umuusok pa,” Moreno said when asked if they were rich, referencing to the Smokey Mountain in Tondo, an area that used to be a landfill.
On Thursday, Duterte shook the country by claiming that one of the presidential aspirants is into cocaine, saying that he comes from a rich family, and is a weak leader compared to his father.
READ: Duterte claims a presidential aspirant does cocaine
READ: Duterte: There’s a cocaine user running for president
Many netizens believed that Duterte’s blind item were for former senator Bongbong Marcos, a presidential aspirant, but his camp said they never felt being alluded to.
READ: Marcos Jr.’s rep: ‘We don’t feel alluded to’ by Duterte’s cocaine user claim vs bet