Politics

Manila mayor presents Philippine presidential candidacy

Bangkok, Sep 22 (EFE).- Philippine actor turned politician Francisco Domagoso announced Wednesday his candidacy for the country’s presidency in elections scheduled for May 2022, in which he will compete with boxer Manny Pacquiao.

Domagoso, current mayor of Manila and better known under his artistic name Isko Moreno, presented his proposal during a ceremony in the Philippine capital, broadcast on his Facebook profile.

The mayor, 46, of humble origins and who became a film star in the 1990s, is the third candidate to announce that he will run for the presidency to replace Rodrigo Duterte, after Manny Pacquiao and former Police Chief Panfilo Lacson.

The mayor, since 2019, avoided going into details about his plans if he becomes president, although he said he intends to expand his response against the Covid-19 pandemic and projects focused on eradicating poverty.

“I may not be able to offer a perfect government, but together we can do better,” said the politician, accepting the nomination of the progressive party Aksyon Demokratiko (Democratic Action), accompanied by doctor Willie Ong as a vice presidential candidate.

During the general elections in the Philippines, the positions of President and Vice President are elected separately for a single term of six years.

Current president Rodrigo Duterte, an authoritarian leader who has built a reputation for relentlessness with his bloody war on drugs, announced in late August he would run for vice president.

Duterte is a favorite in the polls and some analysts suggest he could run with his daughter Sara, mayor of the city of Davao, as a candidate for the presidency, although she currently denies running for office. EFE

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