Isko Moreno undaunted by PDP-Laban backing Marcos, to continue campaigning directly to people

“Hindi ako threatened.”

This is what Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso had to say Wednesday after the Alfonso Cusi-wing faction of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) endorsed the candidacy of the son and namesake of the ousted dictator, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Moreno admitted though that the move may have likely made his campaign more difficult, but he pointed out that he is no stranger to adversities, his life being full of them – from being a scavenger, a pedicab driver, a “mere” high school graduate Manila city councilor, vice mayor and mayor before the start of the pandemic.

“Just to be fair to you, siyempre, lalong hihirap ang laban ko. Kasi mga pedigree na nga, sinamahan pa ng mga pedigree ulit, napakalalaking grupo sa pulitika. Siyempre kailangang maging tapat ako sa taongbayan, na kung sasamahan nila ako, sasama sila sa mahirap na laban, hind sa magaan na laban,” Moreno said in an interview at the sidelines of the turn-over ceremony of the newly-renovated Unibersidad de Manila Annex Building.

The 47-year-old city mayor was leading the ceremonial turn-over of the UDM’s Henry Sy Sr. Campus CMIT Bldg. at Carlos Palanca corner Helios Streets in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

READ: Cusi-led PDP-Laban wing endorses Bongbong Marcos for president

“Mas humirap ang laban ko. But just the same, remember, lahat ng aklat ng buhay ko, puro mahirap ang laban ko. Sa awa ng Diyos at salamat sa Diyos, nalagpasan ko lahat, nagtagumpay ako. Tingin ko naman, sa tulong ng Diyos at sa tulong ninyo, malalagpasan ko rin itong hamon sa buhay. Kaya lagi ko ngang sinasabi sa tao, huwag tayong susuko,” said Moreno.

The Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate said the new challenges brought by the recent development only motivates him to reach out directly to the people, to reach as many Filipinos as he can in as many places possible till May in order to get the most important endorsement of all – the votes of ordinary Filipinos.

“Tayo naman, tutuloy-tuloy tayo sa tao, tutuloy-tuloy tayo na humarap sa tao, dumiretso sa tao. Mas maraming kalsada, mas maraming townhall, mas maraming eyeball. The only challenge is geography. But it will continue,” he said.

READ: PDP-Laban: From fighting dictatorship to fighting each other

When asked about his thoughts on the endorsement of Marcos Jr. from a party formed in opposition to the Marcos Sr. dictatorship, Moreno said he will just leave it to the people to judge for themselves.

The PDP was founded by the late senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. in 1982 as an opposition party against the Marcos dictatorship. Laban on the other hand, was founded in 1978 by no less than then imprisoned Benigno Aquino Jr. also to fight the Marcos dictatorship. Laban was the political party of the Aquino-led opposition candidates in the Interim Batasan Pambansa elections in 1978.

“It’s not up for me to judge sa desisyon nila. But I agree with you, na ang partido na ito, ay totoo sa kasaysayan, binuo para labanan ang diktadurya. That is a fact. But to judge their decision today, hayaan ko na ang taongbayan ang maghusga kung iyon ba ay tama, yun ba’y makatwiran, or morally acceptable,” Moreno said.

“Because kung ang reason why it existed is to oppose the dictatorship noong araw, tapos ngayon kasama nila, hayaan ko na ang taongbayan ang maghusga,” he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Team Isko’s political and campaign strategist Lito Banayo criticized the decision of the Marcos-opposed PDP-Laban to endorse the presidential bid of Marcos Jr.

“How a PDP-Laban can now support the candidacy of the son of the nemesis of their party’s founding fathers is beyond any principled choice,” Banayo said.

Be that as it may, Moreno said he is still hoping for the endorsement of President Rodrigo Duterte, whose endorsement is not bound to that of PDP-Laban as the Palace clarified Tuesday.

“Katulad niyo, katulad ni Pangulong Duterte, pipilitin ko, aabutin ko sa abot ng aking makakaya, na kayo’y mapaliwanagan, makumbinse na tulungan ako. For the meantime, it’s just another day. Tomorrow, the day after that, until it’s May,” Moreno said.

“Sabi ko nga, basta tayo didiretso tayo sa taongbayan. Ano mang tigas ng bulalo, lalambot din ito,” said Moreno.