Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has set his eyes on the presidency in 2022 and has resigned as member and vice chairman of the National Unity Party to prepare for it, a ranking NUP official disclosed Thursday, August 5.
Moreno has decided to join close friend and fellow Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig City as member of Aksyon Demokratiko.
The source said Moreno’s letter of resignation has been submitted to NUP Deputy Secretary General Reginald Velasco. It was addressed to Velasco and party secretrary general and Masbate Rep. Narciso Bravo.
Contacted for comment, Velasco confirmed the information but refused to give further details.
“We will have to meet to determine what action to take. If he has joined another party, then there is nothing else to be done but accept it,” the NUP source said.
“Mayor Moreno decided to give up his NUP membership rather than make us all the targets of reprisal from you know whom. We still need our projects for our constituents to be fully funded and implemented,” the source said.
“He was thinking about the welfare of the party. He just decided to resign and move to another party para hindi maapektuhan ang mga (to avoid affecting) governors and congressmen,” the NUP official explained.
He added: “Yorme (Moreno) made a political sacrifice to protect the party and perhaps, pursue his bid for either the presidency or the vice presidency.”
The NUP source explained that the city mayor may have been inspired by his good showing in political surveys conducted by two of the most credible polling firms in the country.
NUP is represented in the House of Representatives by 35 members. It also has at least a dozen governors.
The source explained that Moreno’s presence in the NUP was one reason why the coalition agreement with the Hugpong ng Pagbabago has not been formalized.
“But Mayor Sara’s (Duterte) indecisiveness about her plans for 2022 is the main reason why the agreement signing was stalled,” he disclosed.
Aksyon Demokratiko is a political party founded in 1998 by the late Senator Raul Roco who ran for president but lost to eventual winner, now former President Joseph Estrada.
Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo is reportedly the lone AD member in the Lower House.
Recently, Mayor Sotto represented the party in talks with Senator Panfilo Lacson and his uncle, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who have declared their team up for 2022 elections as president and vice president, respectively.