Manila mayoral bet Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso denied criticisms that he allegedly sold multiple facilities and assets of the capital city illegally and left the city government with overwhelming debt particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Hindi lang talaga ako pikon sa pulitika pero kakulong-kulong yung sinasabi nila, libelous ho yun. Binenta ko daw yung Universidad de Manila (UDM), eh andyan yung UDM oh nasa Lawton tsaka yung extension namin sa Sta. Cruz, hindi ba kadema-demanda yun? Pangalawa, yung binenta yung Quinta Market, diba kadema-demanda yun? Ayan oh andyan yung Quinta Market pinatatakbo ng mga vendor doon sa market (I'm not really easily hot-headed in politics, but what they're saying is so libelous. They say I sold UDM, well, there's the UDM in Lawton as well as our extension in Sta. Cruz. Isn't that a ground for lawsuit already? Secondly, when they said I sold Quinta Market, isn't that a ground for lawsuit as well? There's the Quinta Market being run by its vendors)," Domagoso said in a radio interview.

"These are the things na gusto mong ligawin ang taumbayan. You will throw everything against your opponent (These are the things that you do to shift the focus of the people against your rival. You will throw everything against your opponent)," he added.

The former mayor explained that he did not hide from the people of Manila, citing that his very first Executive Order during his tenure is having an "open governance" to promote transparency and fairness to its citizens.

Divisoria Mall

During the height of the pandemic, the national government was delegating the responsibility to local government units (LGUs) to find funding to address the crisis. Due to the slumping economy and closed businesses, the city was unable to pay or collect any taxes.

"Naghanap ng paraan ang Manila City government para matustusan ang laban sa pandemya. Inatasan nila ang Asset Management Committee ng Lungsod ng Maynila na suriin ang mga pag-aari ng lungsod at piliin ang hindi kapaki-pakinabang para makalikom ng pondo para magamit sa mga pangangailangan noong pandemya (The Manila City government has sought ways to finance the fight against the pandemic. They have tasked the Asset Management Committee of the City of Manila to review the city's assets and select those that are not profitable to raise funds to be used for needs during the pandemic)," Domagoso's party said.

"Napili ang Divisoria Mall dahil sa luma at hindi patas na kontrata na pinasok ng dating alkalde ng Maynila noong 1992 — P20 lang bawat sqm kada buwan ang renta sa loob ng 25 taon, kaya halos P3 milyon lamang ang kinikita ng lungsod kada taon. Noong 2016, minadaling pang i-renew ang kontra nito sa parehong presyo at pinayagan pa ang developer na magtayo ng mall at ilagay ang palengke sa basement (Divisoria Mall was chosen because of an old and unfair contract entered into by the former mayor of Manila in 1992 — the rent was only P20 per sqm per month for 25 years, so the city only earned about P3 million per year. In 2016, the contract was quickly renewed at the same price and the developer was even allowed to build a mall and put the market in the basement)," it added.

After the study and several hearings, the city council allowed then-Mayor Domagoso to sell the property on the best terms for the city. As a legal consent, they issued an authority resolution.

In the legal bidding, Festina Holdings, Inc. won and was asked not to remove the stallholders there.

"Ayon sa Commission on Audit, legal ang bentahan at dumaan ito sa tamang proseso. Hindi totoo na pinalayas ang mga tindero; pinayuhan lang sila na kung hindi magbabayad ng renta at business permit, saka lang sila mapapaalis. Nagrereklamo ang mga vendor dahil ayaw nila sa loob at gusto nilang magtinda sa mga kalsada, pero hindi ito pinayagan ng lungsod (According to the Commission on Audit, the sale was legal and went through the proper process. It is not true that the vendors were evicted; they were only advised that if they did not pay rent and business permits, they would be evicted. The vendors were complaining because they do not want to be inside the mall and instead, wanted to sell on the streets. But the city did not allow this)," the party said.

The pandemic response

Domagoso explained that this is just one of the moves his administration has made to support the 2 million residents of Manila during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"As a father, as a mother, bilang isang magulang, hindi mo ba gagawin ang lahat ng bagay mairaos lang ang iyong mga anak? That's the way I looked at it being a father of 2 million mouths at the heght of the pandemic As a father, as a mother, as a parent, wouldn't you do everything just to keep your children alive? That's the way I looked at it being a father of 2 million mouths at the height of the pandemic)," the mayoral aspirant said.

During the crisis, his administration has provided monthly food boxes to around 700,000 families for eight months; building the largest and first Manila Covid-19 Field Hospital in Luneta; and purchasing hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 medicines whose prices are staggeringly expensive such as Remdesivir, Monulpiravir, Tocilizumab and other medicines to save lives.

These are being given away for free to anyone in need, whether they are from Manila or not because only the city of Manila has them in the entire country.

In 2022, Domagoso was complained to the Ombudsman regarding these actions, but three years have passed and not a single charge was filed by the Ombudsman against him.

"Ito ang challenge ko sakanilang lahat: Of all the accusations na lahat ay napakinabangan naman ng taong bayan such as the food box, gamot, lahat ng uri ng pantawid nung pandemya, bakuna, Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Molnupiravir, and all other developments, bakit walang nag-akusa dito ng korapsyon. Nobody did. Whether yung babae o yung isang lalaking taga saan, walang nag-akusa ng korapsyon (This is my challenge to all of them: Of all the accusations wherein all Manileños and even non-Manileños have benefited from such as the food box, medicines, all kinds of pandemic remedies, vaccines, Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Molnupiravir, and all other pandemic response developments, why did no one accused me of corruption here. Nobody did. Whether it was the woman or that man from somewhere, no one accused anyone of corruption)," he stressed.

"May mga bagay sa pagggobyerno na tulad ng isang magulang, maasim man ang suka, kailangan mong inumin. That's the way to do it. Kailangan mong panindigan yung obligasyon mo sa taumbayan (There are things in governance wherein like a parent, even if the vinegar is sour, you have to drink it. That's the way to do it. You have to uphold your obligation to the people)," Domagoso noted.