Isko Moreno: PH needs a president who is a crisis manager

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso tours parts of the Bicol region. (Photo from Isko Moreno’s Office)

MANILA, Philippines –  Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso said the country needs a president who is a crisis manager, a leader who is always at the forefront whether it is the war against COVID-19 or the people’s daily struggle against joblessness and the rising prices of food and fuel. 

“So, we are in a crisis and what we need kung ako ay boboto, hindi bilang kandidato, kung ako si Francisco Domagoso na isang botante at pipili ako ng presidente, ang pipiliin ko ay isang crisis manager. A crisis manager is always there, hindi uma-absent, hindi natatakot, hinaharap ang problema, nasa frontline,” Moreno told TV and radio anchor Alvin Elchico. 

“I get things done kaya nga Bilis Kilos. I get things done. Parang ina-almoranas ako sa kapagka ang isang bagay ay para bang ikinikibit-balikat na lang ng mga baha-bahagi ng gobyerno because especially in a crisis, we are in a crisis. (But) I don’t know with our viewers on how they perceive, di ko alam sa ating mga manonood kung anong tingin nila sa sitwasyon natin. Maaring mali ako o baka ako lang ang nakakakita nito,” Moreno said. 

Moreno was responding to Elchico’s question: “What differentiates him from the other nine candidates vying for the top position in the land” for the “Harapan 2022” presidential interviews which was aired Monday night on ABS-CBN Channel 2.  

“We are in a crisis, nasa krisis po tayo. Pandemya, pagtaas ng presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin, hindi sapat ang sweldo para ipambili ng may mapagharimunan sa pamilya. May kaguluhan sa mundo na maaaring makaapekto rin sa atin at baka may kaguluhan malapit lang, lagpas mo lang na kaunti ng Batanes, in the future,” Moreno pointed out. 

Moreno said just like the Ukrainian president who has shown courage and bravery in leading his men in defending their country against the assault of Russian forces, the Philippines should vote for a leader who will act as a crisis manager and immediately get things done, just like him. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in March 2020, Moreno as city mayor was at the forefront of ensuring Manila’s survival by procuring anti-viral drugs such as Tocilizumab, Baricitinib, Remdisivir and the oral drug Molnupiravir. 

Moreno later ordered the construction of the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital in a record 52 days, the renovation of the Bagong Ospital ng Maynila and the continuous delivery of food boxes for 700,000 families in the city under the local government unit’s Food Security Program (FSP). 

Moreno told Elchico 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. 

“You know the guy is worth emulating. I don’t know the nitty-gritty of the real situation but what matters most to us is that there is a president, the most powerful person in that country on the frontline while bullets are flying. And because of technological warfare that is available in the world, missiles pwedeng bumagsak anytime pero hindi nya inilantala yun. Ipinaramdam nya sa kanyang mga kababayan hindi sya a-absent, hindi sya iiwas, hindi sya matatakot, haharapin nya ang mga katanungan, at haharapin nya kasama ang taong bayan sa kanilang suliranin,” Moreno explained. 

“And this is the type of leader I want to be. And this is the kind of leadership na sana kayanin ko kasi yun ang gusto ko dahil buong buhay ko, pagdilat ko pa lang ng aking mata puro krisis na ang kinaharap ko. Salamat sa Diyos, salamat sa mga kakilala, kaibigan, sa nanay at tatay ko, nalagpasan ko ang lahat ng krisis na yun. Kaya kung kaya kong harapin, i-manage ang krisis na kinakaharap ng bawat Pilipino I think the pandemic crisis management of the City of Manila kayo na po ang humusga,” Moreno said. 

The local chief executive said Manila’s COVID-19 response may not be perfect, but the most important thing is that the city government was able to get things done and manage the crisis well. 

So, nagawa namin, naitawid natin ang tao. Hindi siya perpekto because there is no playbook in this kind of situation of pandemic. But modesty aside nairaos natin ang tao sa gutom, sa kapahamakan, at nakapaghanda. Yun naman ang kaya kung isukli sa tao. Now If that is what they need, I’m available, that I can do,” Moreno said. 

“Other than that, if you feel ang kailangan natin pagkakaisa, at ang pagkakaisa eh maisasaing natin ay yun po ang piliin ninyo,” he said. 

The Aksyon Demokratiko presidential bet warned the people about voting for someone who has no solutions to the woes affecting our country and is only there for his and his family’s personal gains. 

“I think it is my moral obligation na ipaalam sa iyo na mamulat ka lang. At the end of the day ikaw rin naman ang magde-desisyun pero kasi its mixed communication na e. So, nalilito na ang tao. So, kaya ako ang parang obligasyon ko, eto ang tingin ko sa sitwasyon natin at ito ang tingin kong kailangan natin. Hindi yung lip service or high sounding words because these words cannot solve ang hapdi ng sikmura mo, kapag hinihingal ka na dahil kailangan mo ng Remdisivir, Tocilizumab, Baracitinib, Molnupiravir, at Bexovid,” Moreno said. 

Moreno continued: “Kailangan mo ng oxygen, kailangan mo ng COVID hospital, kailangan mo ng Xray at CT scan.  Kailangan mong sumakay ng jeep para makapunta sa trabaho pero walang laman ang bulsa mo. You know these are real-life stories, these are the challenges. Ito ang hamon sa buhay ng ating mga kababayan that I can confront.” 

As spelled out in his 10-Point Bilis Kilos Economic Agenda, Moreno said his administration will pursue a “Life and Livelihood” economic policy that aims to address poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality and social injustice through an inclusive and equitable development program. 

The first two years of an “Isko Moreno presidency” will focus on building facilities that will provide the minimum basic needs of the people – stable jobs and livelihood,  decent housing, fully-equipped hospitals, modern school buildings – especially in far-flung provinces with low human development index (HDI). 

To further hasten human and economic growth, Moreno also vowed to strengthen physical, economic and digital linkages among growth centers and the rural economies, by building bridges across major islands of the Philippine archipelago, and build a national fiber optic backbone to boost the country’s communication capability and interconnectivity, among others. 

Moreno said such infrastructure investments will create millions of jobs and other livelihood opportunities for our people, and lead to the formation of more micro, small and medium industries (MSMEs), thus further creating more job opportunities.

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