Manila mayoral candidate Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso on Thursday, March 27, urged his supporters to just remain focused and to not engage in fights and mudslinging with the supporters of other candidates as the 45-day campaign period for local bets started on Friday, March 28.
In his Facebook Live, Domagoso reminded the public to remain calm as the race for the city's top seat is expected to heat up even more.
"Ito po ay personal kong pakisuyo sa inyong lahat: Wag po kayong makikipag away. Hayaan nyo na sila. Alam kong nasasaktan ang damdamin niyo sa mga paratang, akusasyon, o mga masasakit na salita na sinasabi ng ilang mga kandidato. Bagama't ganoon, wag po kayong papatol (This is my personal plea to all of you: Please do not engage in fights with the supporters of the other candidates. I know your feelings were hurt with all the allegations, accusations, and hurtful words of the other candidates. Despite all of these, I urge everyone to please exercise restraint)," Domagoso said.
"Ayokong magkaaway away kayo. Hindi naman po ito away, ito'y kompetisyon lamang ng mga kandidato. Kaya lang minsan, may mga kandidatong nanggigigil, eh wala na tayong magagawa doon. Pagkatao naman nila iyon, pero hindi tayo kailangan maging katulad ng mga ganung pulitiko (I don't want you to be enemies with them. This is not a war. This is just a competition among us candidates. However, there are times when candidates lose their cool, and we can't do anything about that. That's just who they are and we don't need to become like them)," he added.
Isko also urged his supporters to pray for the safety and peace of mind of other local bets in the city, including incumbent Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and Sam Versoza.
"Let's just stay focused on what matters most to our people. This is not about us as candidates. This is about the future of our kids, of ourselves, and of our city, the capital of the country. Let's just have a peaceful election. Honest, peaceful, and successful election for us," Domagoso stressed.
"At the end of the day, ang mangingibabaw ay hindi kaming mga kandidato. Ang mangingibabaw ay ang boses ng bawat botante sa lungsod ng maynila. The voice of the people is the voice of God (At the end of the day, what matters most is not us candidates. What matters most is the voice of each and every voter in the city of Manila. The voice of the people is the voice of God)," he added.
Domagoso kicked off his campaign on Friday with a city-wide motorcade and a proclamation rally in Moriones, Tondo.
According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the campaign period for local positions will run from March 28 until May 10, 2025.