AKSYON Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno raised his campaign messaging into a “class war,” describing the supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo as highbrow, elitist, bully and “matapobre.”
“Sila matapobre. Bully sila. And I will not allow bullies kasi ugaling-ugali yan ng matataas. Ugaling-ugali yan ng matataas na maliit ang pagtingin sa mga nasa ibaba. Yung mga nasa ibaba, tinitingnan nilang mababa talaga. O, ngayon nakahanap na sila ng katapat,” Moreno said during an ambush interview at the Angono municipal hall Thursday evening.
Moreno insisted that Robredo and her camp’s refusal to speak out on the issue of unification to which she was a participant only shows what kind of character they have. He said this is also the reason why many Filipinos don’t like them.
“Ayaw namin sa dilaw. Ayaw ng taong bayan sa dilaw. Kahit na mag-pink pa sila alam ng tao ang mga dilaw at pink puro matapobre. Ngayon nakahanap na sila ng katapat. Nilalabanan ko sila. Pero hindi ko sila kaaway kahit na iba-ibahin pa nya yung salita. Dapat ang tinanong ninyo hindi ba totoo ‘yung sinabi ni (Senator) Ping Lacson? Ni (former national security adviser) Secretary Norberto Gonzales at sinabi ko? Hindi nyo kami matutukso sa pera ninyo, kayong mga, what you call political oligarchs kasi mga matapobre kayo,” Moreno said with a tinge of emotion coming from someone who knew how it was to be dirt-poor.
Moreno, however, said he is not picking a fight when he called the camp of Robredo “bullies” as he was just stating facts about them.
“Hindi naman ako nakikipag-away eh, I’m just stating the facts na bully sila. Sila matapobre. Maliit ang tingin nila sa amin ‘di ba? Mataas ang pagtingin nila sa sarili nila kaya sila nanghihingi ng withdrawal ng iba nilang kalaban. So, wala namang away doon. We are just stating facts na ang mga pink bully at sila Leni matapobre. ‘Yun lang ‘yon. That’s my opinion, and that’s it,” Moreno told reporters here after he paid a courtesy call to Angono Mayor Jeri Mae Calderon.
“Basta sila matapobre. That’s it,” he added.
Moreno made the remarks in answer to reporters asking for his reaction to Robredo’s statement that she will not engage the Manila city mayor. The vice president said the 2022 national election is not only about her and the Manila mayor.
On Friday, the Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate slammed critics of his “free booking” quip, saying these highly opinionated individuals never understand the language of the streets used by ordinary people like himself, and even put a spin on the joke to suit their vested interests.
Once again, Moreno’s reply to reporters is tinged of class war.
“In the street, tanging ordinaryong Pilipino lamang ang makakaintindi sa lenguwahe namin. Yung mga mapag-mataas, matapobre, or yung feeling nila sila ang alta sociedad, will never understand the language o lenguwahe sa kalsada. We know ourselves. We know when and where to offend. And alam nila it’s joke time, it’s fun time and I am speaking their language,” Moreno said in an interview during a campaign sortie in Barangay Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City.
Moreno was referring to the criticisms he received from a couple of LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex) groups after kidding his LGBTQ supporters in an interview in Butuan City that his son Joaquin is “free for bookings.”
Moreno pointed out that these critics, especially those coming from supporters from his rival’s camps, are just finding ways to tweak the message – even if it was just a good-natured bantering between him and his allies – just to suit their vested interests.
“Yung nasa kabilang ilog, alam mo, kahit maghihilata ka sa kalye, kahit ano pa ang gawin mo, walang masasabing matino sa iyo,” Moreno said, stressing that what he is really doing is far different from what they want people to perceive about him.
“So ang masasabi ko lang sa kanila, good luck. Iba yung sinasabi nila sa ginagawa namin. Bisita kayo sa city hall, gawa na ang banyo doon. you’ll see. Basta tayo, nung sinabi ko, Mindanao, Visayas, Luzon; mayaman, middle class, mahirap; babae, lalaki, bakla, tomboy; pantay-pantay, we mean it. And we practice it,” Moreno said.
Under Moreno’s leadership, Manila is already a showcase of respect and protection of LGBTQ rights with his anti-discrimination ordinance and his promotion of equal opportunities to all productive members of society regardless of economic status, sexual orientation or preference.
Ordinance No. 8695, or the Manila LGBTQI Protection Ordinance, which aims to eliminate “any and all forms of discrimination against LGBTQI solely on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression” or SOGIE, was signed by Moreno on October 29, 2020.
Part of the Manila LGBTQI Protection Ordinance requires all businesses in the city to “provide gender-neutral toilets” for their permits to be approved or renewed. As Mayor Isko had said, city hall had already installed such facilities in its premises.
The young and charismatic presidential aspirant has assured that if elected president, members of the LGBTQ community would not just be protected, but would be part of his governance.
“I don’t like prejudice at wala dapat prejudice. I have high respect for people. Personal preference or personal life has nothing to do with governance. Sa Maynila, in our own little way, walang lalake, walang babae, walang bakla, walang tomboy, walang mahirap, walang middle class, walang mayaman, sa paningin ng gobyerno lahat sila pantay-pantay,” he told reporters in a campaign sortie in Marikina City last February 23.
Moreno said with the elections less than three weeks away, the latest developments will not change Team Isko’s strategy of going direct to the people through motorcades, town hall meetings and concert-rallies.
“Kaya pala galit na galit ang taong bayan sa mga dilaw. Kasi dati hindi ko makita ng maliwanag. Nina-navigate ko pa noon. Eh ngayon nakikita mo talaga, matapobre talaga. E sino ngayon ang magtatanggol sa mga ordinaryong pamilyang Pilipino kung pababayaan natin itong mga away nila? Kaya never akong nakipag-away sa kanila. I’m just stating facts. Simula ngayon, kalaban natin, mga kababayan kung kayo’y nakaranas ng pambu-bully, ng pagmamaliit ng mga nakatataas ng mga politikong ‘yan, samahan nyo ako, tapusin natin sila,” Moreno said. (Philip Reyes)
