The popular mayor of Manila, Isko Moreno, says he will run for president in next year’s Philippine elections, the latest aspirant to succeed the controversial Rodrigo Duterte. Moreno was a child scavenger before becoming an actor then entering politics.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, a child scavenger before becoming an actor then entering politics, told The Associated Press ahead of his public announcement that he would fight still-raging coronavirus outbreaks and long-entrenched poverty and promote democracy if he triumphs in the May 9 elections. He declared his bid in a speech at a public school in the slum area near where he grew up.
Two senators have declared their intent to run — international boxing star Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo Lacson, a former national police chief. At least seven other politicians have said they were considering either a presidential run or lower posts, including Vice President Leni Robredo, who leads the opposition; Duterte’s daughter, who is the mayor of their southern hometown city, and a son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Moreno said he picked a doctor instead of a political heavyweight as his running mate so his vice president could focus on the pandemic while he leads efforts for an economic rebound if they win.With the pandemic wreaking one of the worst recessions and setting unemployment and hunger to alarming levels in the Philippines, the Duterte administration’s often-criticized handling of the immense health crisis will likely become a major issue in the elections.
Human rights groups and other critics have expressed shock over Duterte’s move, which they said aims to shield him from domestic and international prosecution over his bloody anti-drugs crackdown, which has left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead.
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