“Wag natin ipanalangin…naku ’wag sasama sa mga indibidwal na ang layunin lang ay pabagsakin ang gobyerno. Kapag itong ating gobyerno ay bumagsak, sama- sama tayong lulubog dahil at the end of the day iisang bangka lang tayo.”
This was the appeal made by former Manila Mayor, now “Citizen” Isko Moreno, when he guested at the pilot forum of the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA) held at the Harbor View Restaurant near the Quirino Grandstand, where MACHRA president Itchie Cabayan and Vice President Andi Garcia served as moderators.
“Para na din sa kinabukasan ng anak natin…Let us help our country by not joining any efforts aimed at putting down the current government,” Moreno said, adding that if government fails, every Filipino will surely suffer.
There, Moreno called on leaders of the country to do their share in making the government succeed, saying even ordinary citizens can contribute.
“Pagsunod sa simpleng alituntunin, sa batas-trapiko, pagtupad ng mga tungkulin bilang mamamayan, malaking tulong na ‘yun sa liderato,” he said.
When pressed to comment on the first 100 days of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Moreno said that in his opinion, President Marcos is on the right track but that he is faced with too many challenges both internal and external.
“Ituring natin na ang pamumuno ng isang lider ay para tayong nasa isang bangka. Ang kapitan ay ang pangulo at tayong lahat ang tripulante. Siya ang may hawak ng timon, siya ang gagawa ng direksyon at tayo naman ay dapat gampanan ang kani-kaniyang responsibilidad bilang tripulante” he said.
According to Moreno, it is better for everyone to move on and acknowledge democracy when 31 million ‘of our fellow Filipinos’ chose Marcos in the past elections.
“Ayan, sinabi ko ‘fellow Filipinos. Ibig sabihn, mga kababayan, kadugo, kalahi pumili ng lider. ‘Yung halalan, nangyayari lang sa isang araw. Pag napili na, we have to get back to our lives and be good or better citizens. ‘Yun ay tulong na natin sa liderato,” Moreno stressed. (Baby Cuevas)
