Manila Mayor Francis “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Wednesday officially declared his presidential bid in the 2022 national elections with Dr. Willie Ong as his running mate, making it clear they don’t identify as administration nor opposition bets.
Moreno, a former actor who grew up in the slums of Tondo, acknowledged he doesn’t have an extensive educational background and he doesn’t come from a powerful political clan. Although he doesn’t have experience in a national position, he said his plans for the Philippines will be based on the programs and projects he has carried out in the country’s capital during his first term as mayor.
“I do not run on promises. I run on prototypes,” he said during their campaign launch in Tondo.
During his speech and press conference, the 46-year-old presidential hopeful slammed the government’s COVID-19 response and threw shade at Duterte’s foul language, but he did not give a straight answer if he is the candidate of the opposition.
“I can work with anybody, opposition, administrasyon. If we’re going to define ourselves based on political colors, ang makikinabang ay ang politiko lang,” he said.
Vice presidential aspirant Willie Ong formally transferred Saturday from Lakas – Christian Muslim Democrats to Aksyon Demokratiko, the party of his running mate Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
Ong is an internist and cardiologist with a massive following on social media. He first thrust himself into the political arena in the 2019 elections, when he ran for senator and placed 18th with 7.6 million votes.
Ong was a consultant of the Department of Health and had warned that there were risks involved in using the controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia that the DOH stopped administering in 2017 because of the risks it posed to people who have not had dengue.
Jeoff Solas 