Isko Moreno starts Bicol sortie, skips CamSur

SORSOGON, Philippines — Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno yesterday started his campaign sorties in the Bicol region, which delivered 1.5 million votes for one of his rivals for the presidency, Vice President Leni Robredo in the 2016 elections. 

The Manila mayor held a motorcade and town hall meeting in the municipalities of Aroroy, Cawayan and Placer in Masbate. 

He will campaign in Sorsogon today and make a courtesy call on the provincial government. He will visit Albay tomorrow. 

It seems he will skip Bicol region’s most vote-rich province Camarines Sur, Robredo’s turf and home province of Aksyon Demokratiko founder the late senator Raul Roco.

Robredo handily won the vice presidential race in Camarines Sur, getting the lion’s share or 664,190 or over 60 percent of the 1,001,870 registered voters there in 2016.

In the Bicol region, Robredo only lost in Sorgoson, where then senator now Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero got 203,689 votes.

Bicol region delivered a total of 1,517,082 votes for Robredo in 2016, according to the congressional count based on the certificates of canvass.

Aksyon founder Roco was also an ally of Robredo’s late husband, former Naga city mayor and interior secretary Jesse Robredo, who died in a plane crash in 2012. Roco and the Robredos share Naga city as their hometown.

Roco ran in the 1998 and 2004 presidential elections but lost.