Isko Moreno says holding miting de avance in Tondo his way of showing gratitude to place of origin
Town Hall in Mambaling, Cebu City
MANILA, Philippines — Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Wednesday said holding Team Isko’s miting de avance in Moriones, Tondo this Saturday is his way of showing gratitude to neighbors, friends and residents in the area where he started his journey as a public servant.
“Utang ng loob ko sa mga tiga-Tondo kung nasaan man ako sa mundo ng public service. Doon ako nagsimula, doon ko tatapusin yung laban. I started there (as a councilor) and I’ll end (my presidential campaign) there. Yun man sukli ko na maibigay sa mga tiga-Tondo. Yun ang reason behind. Gusto ko man lang makita nila,” Moreno said told reporters on the sidelines of a town hall meeting in Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City.
The 47-year-old presidential candidate was reacting to a question by members of media why he chose Tondo to end his 90-day presidential campaign and what was the possible symbolism behind it.
Tondo is known for being one of the poorest and most underdeveloped areas of the country. Many of the city’s slums are found in this area and it is also the location of the notorious but now closed landfill, the infamous Smokey Mountain.
“Moriones kasi yun ang common eh. Madaling masakyan ng jeep yung northern part ng Tondo. Kung dito naman sa southern part ng Tondo, pwede mo naman lakarin yun pa-Zaragoza. Malapit yan sa sentro kasi, yung ginawa nating garden,” Moreno explained.
The charismatic local chief executive also said that his confidence of winning the presidential elections is still high due to his belief that there is a God, who comes first in all his undertakings.
“Bakit ako confident? May Diyos naman. ‘Di ba sabi nga Vox Populi, Vox Dei (The voice of the people is the voice of God). Now, if we don’t believe in something, huwag na rin tayong maniwala doon sa ibang leader ng bansa. Kumbaga basta ako yung lang ang akin. Ngayon, I’ll do my best and let God do the rest,” Moreno pointed out.
Town Hall in Mambaling, Cebu City
Moreno continued: “But remember wala akong magaang na buhay. Buong buhay ko ay hirap. Parang every step of the way, every ladder, meron kang madadaanang butas ng karayom. Kaya sanay na ako dun. Naniniwala ako that there is a great, vast, silent majority. Tahimik lang ang tao. Yung candle lighting last night (May 4) na-shock ako. Supposed to be sa Liwasan lang pero sumali iba-ibang bayan sa buong Pilipinas. Tapos ito pa maganda sa bahay ng mga tao nag-light up din sila ng candle para maliwanagan ang tao. So, I’m happy and grateful and we will continue. Kung may endorsement thank you very much. Kung wala naman tuloy lang walang tulugan.”
At the same time, Moreno said it is not too late for the public to put an end to the infighting between the Marcoses and Aquinos by voting for another candidate who will give them peace of mind by addressing the real problems confronting Filipinos – unemployment, high cost of electricity and fuel, rising prices of basic commodities, inequality and injustice, among others.
Moreno said such promise will also be done for the people of Cebu if they and the rest of the country elect him as the next president of the country.
“Mga kababayan yung nangyari sa Rockwell nagsigawan, awayan, iskandalo, sa isang mall ng pula at yellow pink it’s only a preview of what is going to happen. Pag nanalo ang pula, hindi patatahimikin ng dilaw. Pag nanalo ang dilaw maghihiganti sa pula, maghihiganti kay Duterte. Wala ng tigil ito, 1986 pa natin inasam yung pinangakong pagbabago sa atin. Ang tanong ko, nakamit nyo na ba ang pagbabago na pinaghirapan ng Pilipino sa rebolusyon na iyon?,” he said.
Moreno added: “Now, kung pagod na kayo sa away ng pula at dilaw available ako. Kung gusto nyo ng peace of mind, let just move on and face our problems available ako. Again, I’m offering everyone it’s not too late. Samahan ninyo akong tuldukan na natin ang away ng pula at dilaw. Let’s just move on and I’ll give you peace of mind and I will deliver what I have promise in the campaign. The same thing that I promise in Manila in the 2019 elections which sa akin man lang pananaw, I don’t know sa mga tiga-Maynila, ang lahat ng ipinangako naganap. Yung pinangako kong 10 taon kong gagawin nagawa ng tatlong taon. So, I’ll do the same thing.”
Moreno said with elections just five days away, Team Isko continue to rally their people on the ground and assure them that he and the rest of Aksyon Demokratiko candidates which include his running mate Dr. Willie Ong, senatorial bets Carl Balita, Samira Gutoc and Jopet Sison, and guest senatorial candidate John Castriciones of PDP-Laban, will continue fighting till the end to convince more people to vote for them.
Town Hall in Mambaling, Cebu City
“In between basta may kinakausap kami. I think they are doing the same thing. Yung commitment nire-reinforce, yung commitment talagang ginu-glue tapos may awa ang Diyos. Pero, tuloy-tuloy pa rin hanggang 11:59 p.m. ng Sabado, the same thing deretso sa tao,” he said.
The Aksyon. Demokratiko presidential bet also took the opportunity to thank the people of Mambaling for the warm reception they extended to him and the rest of his slate despite the short notice given to them about their visit to the area.
“So, I’m very grateful to Mambaling and Cebu City and Cebuanos that every time we go here whether it’s in the far-flung areas or highly-urbanized city mainit ang pagtanggap nila sa akin. Maraming salamat sa kanila,” Moreno said.
Moreno’s life has been an open book as he and his late Nanay Chayong lived as informal settler in the slums of Tondo, Manila.
Working as a “basurero,” the young Isko knew what it was to be dirt poor. But his being poor did not become a hindrance to his going to school and finishing high school.
After he became councilor in 1998, Moreno took the advice of his mentor and second father Vice Mayor Danny Lacuna and to finish college which he did six years later.
When he became mayor in 2019, Moreno’s major projects focused on mass housing for the poor of Manila, building modern and fully-equipped hospitals that are affordable and building public schools for the benefit of school children.
These, the Manila mayor accomplished amid the Covid-19 pandemic in which saw Mayor Isko giving boxes of ayuda to Manila residents, free Covid19 swab tests and continuous mass vaccination to both residents and non-residents of the city.
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