Manila mayor declares Philippine presidential bid

NOEL CELIS / AFP POOL / AFP

Manila mayor, Francisco Domagoso, said on Wednesday he will run for the Philippine presidency in the 2022 election.

Francisco Domagoso, 47, better known by his celebrity screen name Isko Moreno during an initial career in show business, is the third politician to declare a presidential bid, and is one of the leading candidates in opinion polls.

"Accept my application as president of the Philippines," Domagoso to a news conference in a poor community in Manila. "I may not give you perfect government, but together we can make it better."

Domagoso, who grew up in the slums, was elected Manila mayor in 2019 after beating incumbent and deposed former President Joseph Estrada. He made an unsuccessful run for the senate in 2016.

As a first-term mayor in Manila, he launched a cleanup campaign in the capital, clearing busy thoroughfares once packed with street vendors.

As a kid, he scrapped for leftover food in restaurants and collected junk to help his parents. At a funeral, he was spotted by a talent scout that launched his career in show business as a matinee idol, before shifting to action and other roles in the 1990s.

Domagoso's running mate will be Willie Ong, a doctor whose Facebook page is followed by 16 million users, looking for free medical advice. Ong failed to secure a seat in the senate in 2019.

In the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately.

So far, former police chief Panfilo Lacson and world boxing icon Manny Pacquiao - both incumbent senators - have announced their candidacy for the presidency.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who cannot run for a second term, has confirmed he will seek the vice presidency, a move critics say is a play to retain power.

More from International

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • The Night Shift with Mark Lloyd

    8:00pm - 11:00pm

    Musicians and music, entertainers and entertainment, industry gossip and songs selected by you, get ready to bring your night time to life! Every evening from eight, Mark Lloyd brings you an energetic mix of local and international content and contests, featuring an array of celebrity interviews and entertaining anecdotes. Get involved in the show and pick your favourite jukebox hits, every night from 8pm - 11pm.

  • Nights on Dubai Eye 103.8

    11:00pm - 6:00am

    Dubai Eye complements the conversation with the music you love from the eighties, nineties and newer.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Flying Taxis

    It sounds like an episode of The Jetsons, but the sight of flying taxis whizzing around our cities could be much closer than you think.

  • Tough penalties for deliberate tax evasion

    The UAE has said that tougher penalties will come into force from 1st August for not keeping proper corporate tax records.