MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:22 p.m.) — Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer and Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno said he would welcome President Rodrigo Duterte into his Senate slate with open arms, months after the tensions first flared between the two.
This comes after Duterte's close aide, Sen. Bong Go, announced his withdrawal from the 2022 presidential derby. Go has yet to formalize his withdrawal as presidential candidate of Pederalismo ng Dakilang Dakilang Samahan at the Commission on Elections.
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“I will personally vote for President Duterte for senator. And I will be grateful, honored, and humbled to have somebody like the president in our slate as an additional candidate for senator,” Moreno said during an ambush interview in Lapu-Lapu City.
Flip-flopping stance
Months after their verbal tussle where Moreno was described but not named, the presidential candidate described Duterte as being "very much capable of doing the job as a legislator." Moreno said this after saying he would vote for Duterte.
He also flip-flopped on his earlier stance against guest candidates. Where he once said that he wanted his Senate slate to support him, Moreno on Monday said he was willing to take on a fourth candidate.
"If before, I said I only had three senators so you only have nine problems, now I will say, you only have eight to think about because I have a fourth candidate, President Duterte," he said.
Asked why he would want Duterte in his senatorial slate, Moreno explained that as president, Duterte had many accomplishments, including his administration's flagship infrastructure project Build, Build, Build.
Moreno has long positioned himself as a moderate and has denied being a secret administration candidate. The Manila City chief on Monday went on to praise Duterte for initiating the three-day National Vaccination Drive.
“Let’s give credit where credit is due. President Duterte has so many accomplishments. And I believe that he can be an effective senator since through legislation, he can ensure that his legacy will be institutionalized,” said Moreno.
The two have had a complicated, up-and-down relationship over the Duterte administration.
Moreno had previously been supportive of the administration's programs and policies, including its "war on drugs" and dolomite white sand beach in Manila Bay.
However, he has also been a vocal critic of the administration's face shield rule in the city of Manila.
Political realignments are common during the election season. Aksyon Demokratiko itself admitted earlier that the party "had 4,000 more or less candidates jumping ship from different political parties nationwide."
'Never an opposition party'
In a statement issued later Monday, Aksyon Demokratiko chairperson Ernest Ramil said that the party stood behind its standard-bearer's pronouncement as it was never an opposition party.
"Aksyon has taken a centrist and objective stand on many issues and is not an opposition party per se," he said.
According to the party chair, the party found certain administration policies and programs to be "worth continuing" while others "can be improved, discontinued, or rectified."
“Aksyon is willing to work with anyone that supports Mayor Isko’s Bilis Kilos programs,” Ramil said.
As it currently stands, senatorial aspirants Samira Gutoc, Carl Balita, and Jopet Sison are all part of Moreno's slate ahead of the 2022 elections.