Isko Moreno believes voters bank on debates to know bet’s plans
FILE PHOTO: Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — “How important are debates?”
This is one of the questions asked to nine of 10 presidential candidates who appeared in the live debate hosted by CNN Philippines on Sunday, February 27.
One of the candidates who attended the debate was Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, who said debates are necessary for people to know the plans of a candidate for the country’s future.
“Sure, it’s not mandatory but participation says a lot about the candidate. It demonstrates their profound national commitment ahead of general elections on May 9,” Rico Hizon said, a Filipino broadcast journalist and currently the senior anchor and director for news content development at CNN Philippines.
Presidential debates allow candidates to present themselves and their plans after being elected, which is agreed upon by all candidates present, except for former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who chose to skip the debate due to a conflict of schedule.
Moreno likened viewers to recruiters that examine candidates as job seekers to the most important position in the country.
“Kayo po ngayon ang HR Department, kami po ay aplikante sa trabaho. Gusto mo naman bang mag-hire ng isang empleyado na hindi mo nakausap, hindi mo nakita?” Moreno said.
“You deserve to know what’s in our minds. What matters is marinig niyo mismo sa bibig namin ang tunay na layunin namin para mapataas ang pamumuhay ng isang tao (What matters is you can hear from our mouths our true goal to improve a person’s life).” he added.
When asked about why he decided to run for president, Moreno answered: “Itong pandemic, it teaches us a lot of lessons in life, even priorities in life. Sa’kin, ang importante kayo mga kababayan, pano kayo matatawid sa pandemyang ito, pano tayo makapagbibigay ng trabaho dun sa 4 na milyong trabahanteng nawalan ng trabaho, yung mga maliliit na negosyanteng nagsara, paano makaka-recover?”
He implied that a leader must be present at the most difficult times and should have a clear priority. This includes how to address the country’s persistent problems such as poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality, and social inequality.
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