Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso dismissed anew accusations that he is a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
"Straightforward, I am no communist. I do not believe in communism, I believe in democracy. I believe in certainty, I believe in equal opportunity. I believe na ikaw, kapag nagsikap ka, pwede mong gastusin, pwede mong pakinabangan ang lahat ng, (that you, if you persevere, you can spend , you can reap all) the fruits of your labor, you have the right to enjoy it," Domagoso said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
"You have the right to enjoy komersyo, pantay-pantay. In fact, ayoko too much control ng gobyerno sa komersyo (I do not want too much control of the government in commerce) That doesn’t apply to communism,” he added.
Photos of Domagoso along with CPP founding chairperson Jose Maria Sison circulated on social media and were claimed as an evidence of links between the two.
Domagoso earlier said these photos were altered by "spin masters".
The Manila mayor also reiterated his commitment to the democracy of the country and added he is willing to resume peace talks with the communists.
He pointed out that the government should not alienate anyone and to achieve peace.
“While at the same manner, remember, mamamayan mo rin itong mga ito, baka naligaw ito ng landas. ‘Di ba dapat ikinukumbinse mo ito, hindi mo sila ine-alienate? (they are also your citizens, maybe they are lost. Shouldn't you be convincing them and not alienating them?) Whether they disagree with you, or agree with you, you must govern and there is only one government — Philippine government,” he said.
Domagoso added "peace is a very expensive and hard-to-find word but we must seek for it because peace brings us better things." “Kailangan gobyerno, may tenga, nakikinig sa lahat ng sektor. Di ka makakapag-gobyerno kung kayo-kayo lang (The government needs to have ears, listening to all sectors. You can't govern if you are alone).