FILE PHOTO: Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Saturday vowed that if elected president, he will emulate the courage and bravery of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in his war against poverty, hunger and equality in the country.
“Sa awa ang Diyos at ng taong bayan, naging presidente ako, at maging vice president si Doc Willie (Ong), hindi ko naman iniisip na magka-giyera, basta hangga’t maari ayaw kong sumali tayo sa anumang klase ng giyera. Kasi ang gusto kong giyera, yung labanan nating yung hirap ng tao, yung hapdi ng sikmura, yung kapanatagan sa bawat buhay ng Pilipino. Yun ang giyerang gusto kong pasukin,” Moreno told reporters after a town hall meeting in San Miguel, Bulacan.
“And yung ginagawa ni Zelensky is worth emulating, bagay na gayahin ng mga lider. Na ang isang lider, hindi duwag, hindi nagtatago, hundi natatakot at sinasamahan ang kanyang mamamayan, at nauunawaan niya ang sitwasyon ng kanyang mamamayan. And ngayon, ang giyerang kinakaharap natin ay giyera ng kahirapan ng tao, pangamba ng tao, kasiguruhan ng tao, kinabukasan ng tao. yun ang giyerang kakaharapin ko naman, and I’ll be with you all the way,” Moreno said before more than a thousand supporters.
The 47-year-old presidential bet has vowed that if elected, he will pursue a “Life and Livelihood” economic policy that aims to address poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality and social injustice through an inclusive and equitable infrastructure development program as spelled out under his 10-point Bilis Kilos Economic Agenda.
To achieve this, the first two years of an ‘Isko Moreno presidency’ will focus on building facilities that will provide the minimum basic needs of the people – quality housing, education and health care, and creating jobs and livelihood opportunities.
Nevertheless, Moreno said that if the country’s sovereignty will be threatened under his administration, he will not shrink on his responsibilities to defend the Filipino people even in the face of insurmountable adversities.
“But just the same, nowadays, napaka-fluid ng sitwasyon, anything is possible. If I’m gonna be put into that situation, eto sisiguruhin ko sa inyo: I’ll be with you in the streets, hindi ko kayo iiwan, sasamahan ko kayo. And if that will give high risk to my safety, so be it,” the Manila city mayor who grew up in the slums of Tondo said.
“Mahirap magbuhat ng bangko, pero at the very least, iaalay ko ang buhay ko pumanatag lang kayo. Hindi ko man kaya mabigyan sa kasiguruhan sa seguridad – hindi natin alam kung sino ang papapsok sa ating bansa at kung anong uri ng gamit ang ipanlalaban sa atin – pero hindi tayo susuko,” said Moreno.
The Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate said putting one’s life on the line is all part of the occupational hazards in public service, just like the times he placed his life in the frontlines at the Philippine capital at the height of the pandemic and during calamities if only to reassure the people that the government is there for them.
“Pati pamilya ko ipinagparaya ko. Inayos natin yung problema ng pagkalito, pangamba at panganib. So, I’ll do the same. I’ll offer my life for you and your family and to the entire country,” Moreno said.
And Moreno said he will apply this bravery, courage and patriotism in his quest to address the perennial problems of poverty, hunger, unemployment and inequality once elected president.
“Hindi ako matapang, meron din akong karuwagan sa buhay, takot ako sa karayom, sa multo, sa heights. Pero may mga bagay naman akong hindi inaatrasan lalo na kung ikaw na ang involved bilang mamamayan. I’l be with you,” he said.
Given the chance, Moreno said among the first economic policies that his government will introduce is to cut the excise tax of petroleum products by 50 percent to bring down the cost of food production, especially rice, raise the income of farmers and fisherfolk, bring down the prices basic commodities and sustain food production.
To assure farmers of their income, government will buy the surplus produce of farmers at the right price, and issue clear guidelines about the strict importation of agricultural products to make sure that local producers can sell their products first before importation is made.
He also vowed to clamp down on smuggling of agriculture products to protect the interests of local producers, like the hog and chicken raisers in Bulacan, and rice and vegetable farmers all over the country.
Additional support to the agriculture sector includes providing risk-free capitals to farmers and fisherfolk; building more irrigation systems while improving the efficiency of existing ones; establishment of cold storage facilities across the country and in major production areas; and establishing the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, among others.
Under Moreno’s Economic Agenda, the government will be a major driver in the creation of better jobs and opportunities by providing various interventions and support to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which comprises the majority of businesses in the country and employs around 63 percent of the total workforce.
Besides building more housing, world-class hospitals, modern public schools, and inter-island linkages, Moreno’s accelerated infrastructure program also prioritizes building more power plants, both conventional and renewable, to ensure a stable and affordable supply of electricity to grow the economy and attract foreign investments, thus provide more jobs.
In the meantime, Moreno expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the people of Bulacan for their warm welcome and full support for Team Isko. “Ipinagpapasalamat ko sa mga Bulakenyo sa mainit na pagtanggap niyo sa amin ni Doc Willie,” he said.
From the town meeting in San Miguel to the motorcade going to Baliuag, Moreno was mobbed by thousands of wildly cheering crowds of Bulakenyos who jostled beside his float to touch him and shake his hands in overflowing endearment.
The former basurero who became a Manila councilor, Manila vice mayor and mayor would stop the motorcade a number of times whenever he sees an elderly or disabled person in the crowd. He will then step down the float to comfort these people like what he did in previous motorcades.
Team Isko will be barnstorming the provinces of Masbate, Sorsogon and Albay on Sunday until Tuesday next week. This will be the first time that Moreno and his running mate Dr. Willie Ong and Aksyon senatorial bets Dr. Carl Balita, Samira Ong, Jopet Sison and guest candidate John Castriciones will be having sorties in a “pink-yellow region.”
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