MANILA, Philippines — Despite a strong start as a moderate-leaning candidate, Manila City Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso ended his 90-day campaign on Saturday taking one step forward and two steps back as the fourth-placer in pre-election surveys after placing third in previous polls.
Moreno quickly established himself as a charismatic "alternative" candidate of sorts with lofty and popular promises of dealing with poverty and ushering in social justice.
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As a result, the swaggering first-term mayor of Manila maintained his standing as the top second-choice candidate among Filipino voters in the pre-election surveys by Pulse Asia.
Moreno managed to win over some pro-Duterte groups and personalities with his tough talk and his promise to continue President Rodrigo Duterte's programs. Shrugging off the seemingly insurmountable difference between the first and third place in the surveys, Moreno said he was after the people's endorsement anyway.
His Bilis Kilos economic agenda promised to focus on the regular Filipino’s life and livelihood by guiding the country out of the coronavirus pandemic and creating jobs by pushing for infrastructure and education.
Shots at Marcos
With the help of his political party Aksyon Demokratiko, Moreno was able to swiftly resurrect and call attention to the issue of Ferdinand Marcos Jr's unpaid P203 billion estate tax. It was Moreno’s camp that prodded the Bureau of Internal Revenue to admit that it demanded the Marcos family for its taxes, though the latter never did publicize the formal demand letter it supposedly sent.
In a series of letters to government offices, Moreno's camp went on the offensive against the son and namesake of the ousted dictator by bringing up the unpaid tax at public debates organized by the media and the Commission on Elections. Other candidates jumped on the issue not long after.
For his over one-hour MDA, Moreno spent more than 40 minutes taking jabs at Vice President Leni Robredo.
— Franco Luna (@francoIuna) May 7, 2022
Where he could have driven home the promise behind his Bilis Kilos Economic Agenda, he instead railed against unnamed oppressors from Ayala Avenue. @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/xOHeyjeCB8
Yet Moreno was careful not to speak too brashly of the former senator in public statements and interviews, preferring instead to go after Vice President Leni Robredo, the second-placer in surveys and the only woman running for president.
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The turning point for Moreno was a joint press conference with other survey laggards, where he challenged Robredo to withdraw from the presidential derby.
Moreno was the consistent third-placer in the pre-election surveys up until the last one in April, when he dropped to fourth place after being overtaken by Sen. Manny Pacquiao. All throughout, he was content to question the veracity of the surveys or deny them altogether, insisting instead that he was confident of the support of the "silent majority."
After that press conference, Moreno's camp was diminished resignations and defections from volunteers and allies who announced they were shifting support to Robredo.
During the home stretch of his campaign, Moreno secured more endorsements from Duterte supporters, including social media influencer Banat By and controversial pro-Duterte blogger Mocha Uson.
But fissures in his once-promising strategy continued to widen. Despite his popularity and his track record in the city government, it was clear that Manila was no longer Moreno territory.
Streaks of pink, red, and green — his rival’s colors — bled through the sea of white and blue during his miting de avance Saturday on Moriones Street in Tondo. Local children who attended the rally heckled the program with chants of "BBM ako!"
Lito Agustin, 52, told Philstar.com that while he had no regrets voting for Moreno when he ran for mayor, he would obey the Iglesia ni Cristo's endorsement of Marcos Jr.
Why Marcos and not Moreno? “That’s up to them, we just follow,” he said of INC church leaders. He also said he felt he made the right decision voting for in 2016. Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, is running alongside Marcos.
"We just want a peaceful and thriving Philippines for the regular people," he said in Filipino.
And so Moreno, or 'Yorme' as he is fondly called in the capital city, watched the most promising facets of his campaign fall apart and ended it by railing at the perceived elites in the Robredo campaign. He did not mention those in the Marcos-led UniTeam, the alliance formed by the country's biggest political parties and clans.
He spent more time talking about the Robredo campaign during his miting de avance rather than his own plans for the country if elected.
"It's saddening when the educated people look down on us, they treat us like we're not part of society, like they're the only ones with rights," he said, again taking oiffense at Robredo referring to the marginalized as the "laylayan", which means "fringes" in Filipino.
"Will we get anything from Malacañang? How long will our lives revolve around the yellows and the reds?" he said, referring to the campaign colors of Marcos and of the Liberal Party of which Robredo remains a member and chair.
"We already gave them a chance."