Pasig City Vice Mayor Iyo Bernardo announced on Tuesday that he will challenge Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto for the city's highest post in the upcoming 2022 elections.
Bernardo, in an interview with ABS-CBN, said that he considers himself as an underdog in the mayoralty race, especially amid Sotto's overwhelming public support and numerous accomplishments.
"I am aware of that and I think that's part of the challenge," Bernardo said.
"I know that I will be an underdog in this campaign. I guess I will just leave my fate to the people and let them decide," he added.
Bernardo ran unopposed for vice mayor in 2019 with former Pasig City Mayor Bobby Eusebio as his partner.
Sotto won the midterm elections, ending the nearly 3-decade rule of the Eusebio dynasty in the city.
"I'm not here to criticize the current administration. I just want to offer an option doon sa mga kababayan natin (to our constituents)," he said.
The vice mayor said that he is going to be "a hands-on mayor" if ever he will be given the chance.
"I get to talk to each and every constituent, whoever I get to see. I do want to know how they are living, their living condition, if their living condition is conducive to them," Bernardo said.
"I also want to know how the city government can help in whatever capacity it can," he added.
Bernardo said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he saw that there is still a big gap between the rich and impoverished districts of the city, which is the 4th richest city in the country.
"I want to implement programs that will make changes... just to bridge the gap," he said.
Some of Bernardo's planned policies include the distribution of financial assistance to students, and tax incentives for businesses that are hiring Pasig residents.
The vice mayor said that Ian Sia, a lawyer and Pasig City councilor, will be his running mate.
Bernardo is confident that he has a chance to win in the 2022 election despite the more challenging political landscape the country now has.
"My edge is that people see me almost everyday... I've been here since 1997 and my lolo has tried to help as much people as possible from Pasig," Bernardo said.
"At the end of the day, it will be the voters who will decide if they want to try the programs that I want. If they want to see a mayor who goes around our loobans (alleys)," he said.
"But if they are satisfied already, there's no questions asked," the vice mayor said.
Bernardo is the grandson of the late Pasig Mayor Emiliano Caruncho Jr., and has been in office for 23 years. He started his political career in 1998 as a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) official and was eventually elected councilor and vice mayor.