YEARENDER: Isko turns Manila upside down

(First of two parts)

MANILA, Philippines -- Actor-turned-politician Isko Moreno knew he faced tremendous odds when he ran for mayor of Manila in May against then mayor Joseph Estrada.

As a former city councilor, vice mayor and social welfare undersecretary, Moreno – whose real name is Francisco Domagoso – said he knows Manila’s ills like the back of his hand, but Estrada and former mayor Alfredo Lim were formidable rivals.

He described Estrada’s war chest as staggering while Lim’s campaign fund was greatly affected by his benefactors shifting to Moreno’s own camp.

Lim still commanded a great following, particularly in the fifth District, Moreno said.  

 “Running against the Goliaths of Manila’s politics is like treading the proverbial gauntlet. But it is all in the hands of the Manileños… they deserve better governance,” Moreno said during his campaign.

Moreno received 357,925 votes against Estrada’s 210,605 and Lim’s 138,923.

There were reports that Estrada was baffled by his loss in his own Barangay 571 and in vote-rich Parola and Baseco Compound.

His daughter Jericka, who ran for councilor in the fourth district, was also defeated.

The other members of Estrada’s family also lost in San Juan, Laguna and in the Senate.

Moreno’s running mate, re-electionist Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, garnered 394,766 compared to her closest rival and Estrada’s vice-mayoral candidate Amado Bagatsing, who got 267,286 votes.

History 

In 2013, Moreno agreed to Estrada’s request to set aside his plans to run for mayor. The former president promised to serve for only one term.

However, Estrada sought re-election in 2016 and convinced Moreno to make a failed run for senator.

Three years later, Moreno is the city’s 27th mayor and its youngest at 44.  

“We fetched him from San Juan. Now we will send him back to where he came from and tell him that enough is enough. We want Manila to be led by Manileños. Let’s all go to work,” Moreno said.

He said his dreams were simple when he was a scavenger, “just two square meals a day.”  

“I remember scavenging before and after class and sallying from house to house of my two closest friends whenever I feel hungry. I cannot forget that. Now that I was given an opportunity to help them I will make sure that all the programs of my governance will center on the poor,” Moreno said.

Of the people 

On his first day as mayor, Moreno ordered the arrest of two fake city hall collectors during a sting in Blumentritt Market.

The arrest exposed the extent of corruption not only in Blumentritt but in all markets and sidewalks of Manila, particularly Divisoria.

One of the suspects, Vilma Cortez, admitted making the rounds three times a day and collecting P20 to P30 each time from legitimate vendors and issuing collection tickets not sanctioned by the city government, according to Manila Police District-Special Mayor’s Reaction Team chief Major Rosalino Ibay.

Cortez questioned why she was being arrested, saying she was only an employee of a private firm that had a contract with city hall.

Moreno, who said millions of pesos were collected every day from the vendors, received a text message several days later from an “organizer” offering him P5 million a day just to allow them to continue their operations. 

The mayor, in a hastily called press conference, warned the group that they face jail time if they “try to defy his orders.”

A week later, Domagoso ordered the vendors to clear main roads such as Recto Avenue, Juan Luna and Solis streets but allowed them to sell their wares along streets perpendicular to these roads such as Ilaya and Tabora so long as they do not obstruct traffic and keep their areas free of garbage.

Next, he ordered the arrest of trip-cutting jeepney drivers and instructed the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau to comply with his “no take” policy on bribes. 

“The message was clear. There is now a government in the city and we are determined to impose the law. Make no mistake about it we will give back the street to the people. Your time is up,” Moreno said, referring to the vendors’ organizers.