Isko maintains he’s not Duterte’s secret bet, then borrows President’s clichés

Screenshot from Isko Moreno’s FB live

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno reiterated that he is not President Rodrigo Duterte’s alternate candidate, attempting to dispel fears that the administration was secretly supporting him.

In a press conference held on Friday, Moreno borrowed phrases repeatedly used by Duterte himself to make his point.

“Mamaya may magti-tweet ulit n’yan.  Alam mo, bawal ang drugs.  If I may borrow President Duterte’s (maxim), ‘My God, I hate drugs’.  Akala ko ‘yong drugs pang mahirap, pati pala ‘yong mga purist nagda-drugs,” he said jokingly.

(Later on, somebody will tweet that again.  You know, drugs are illegal.  If I may borrow President Duterte’s maxim, ‘My God, I hate drugs’.  I thought drugs are only for the poor, but it seems even the purists also use drugs.)

Moreno has said that anyone claiming to be a secret candidate may be high on drugs before. Just last week, Moreno made the same claim to insist he was not Duterte’s candidate.

As Moreno said earlier, he is not the administration’s pick, since he is running under the Aksyon Demokratiko banner.

He also maintained that he has not endorsed Senator Bong Go — a close ally of the administration who is running as PDP-Laban’s vice presidential bet — and chose instead online personality and physician Doc Willie Ong.

“Kasi tamang hinala ang tawag dyan eh.  ‘Yan ang epekto ng drugs sa tao.  Sa akin naman, I am not a candidate of the president, technically speaking.  Aksyon Demokratiko, Raul Roco,” Moreno explained.

(That is what you call jumping to quick assumptions.  That is how drugs affect people.  For me, I am not a candidate for the president, technically speaking.  I am with Aksyon Demokratiko, founded by Raul Roco.)

“Then hindi rin ako kandidato ng presidente, katatanong nga lang kanina, baka ‘yong anak daw eh tumakbo.  So ang presidente may kandidato, si Senator Bong Go, eh ang kandidato ko si Doc Willie,” he added.

(Then I am not the preferred candidate of the president, it was just asked earlier, maybe it’s the daughter who would run.  So the president has a candidate for vice president, Senator Bong Go, but my candidate is Doc Willie Ong.)

READ: Moreno a Duterte secret candidate? ‘Whoever says this is high on drugs’ 

Moreno’s response last October 1 was prompted by a report which claimed that the administration has lent Go’s staffers to assist him in the 2022 national elections.  The local executive’s camp has vehemently denied the accusations.

Earlier, fellow presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo claimed that they have always been the opposition, stressing that unity talks with other bets — including Moreno who she talked to — failed as there were differences in key issues.

READ: Robredo says talks with other bets convinced her to run for president 

READ: ‘We’re the real opposition,’ says Robredo on splitting votes with Isko Moreno 

Robredo also admitted that Moreno’s statements about a possible Marcos presidency were a factor in her decision.

READ: Isko questions Robredo’s rationale: Why run only to block the Marcoses?