'I feel betrayed': Honey Lacuna says on possible rivalry with Isko Moreno

MANILA, Philippines — “Betrayed” is how incumbent Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna described her feelings upon learning that former Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso intends to run for the mayoralty seat of the Philippines' capital.

Lacuna made the statement during an interview with OnePH’s “Sa Totoo Lang” on Monday, September 30. She said that Domagoso expressed his intention to run for Manila mayor, which will put them in direct competition for the post.

According to Lacuna, Domagoso had previously assured her and their party that he would retire from politics if he lost the presidential election and would not oppose Lacuna in the mayoralty race.

“Definitely, I feel betrayed, because when he bid farewell and ran for president, it was very clear to us, to our party, that if he didn't get lucky, he said he would retire,” Lacuna said.

When asked about the possibility of rekindling the “partnership” between Lacuna and Domagoso, the incumbent Manila Mayor declared that it is “impossible.”

“Wala po eh, very clear talaga ‘yon. In fact bago siya umalis ng Maynila, pinagbilinan pa niya kami ni Vice Mayor Yul Suervo,” Lacuna said.

On August 28, Lacuna and Suervo announced their reelection bid for Manila’s mayoral seat, running under the banner of “Asenso Manileño,” a local dominant party in Manila that currently holds 20 out of 36 councilor positions.

As of this writing, Domagoso has yet to formally announce his bid for the Manila mayoralty. However, in a Facebook post, he hinted that he has heard Manila's "cry."

Former partners

Prior to Domagoso’s presidential stint, he and Lacuna were running mates in the 2019 elections in Manila, where they both secured victory as the city’s mayor and vice mayor.

They ran under Aksyon Demokratiko, the party whose colors Domagoso carried until his bid for the Malacañang seat.

Domagoso went against his former partners, former Manila Mayors Joseph Estrada and Alfredo Lim, both of whom he had served as vice mayor.

In the 2019 elections, Domagoso bagged 357,925 votes compared to Estrada’s 210,605 and Lim’s 138,923.

Lacuna, meanwhile, garnered 394,766 votes, while second placer Amado Bagatsing received 267,286 votes.