I strongly feel where our long-time good colleague, Congressman Joel Chua of Manila’s third district, is coming from.
Congressman Chua, who is secretary-general of our party, the Asenso Manileno, merely voiced out what all of us in the party have been actually feeling in recent days.
In his own words, he said: “We feel betrayed… Ang pangit, nakakahiya.” This is the mildest reaction one can issue in the wake of recent developments.
As one of the pillars of our beloved party, I am still in disbelief that something like this would ever happen, specially at a time when we have already successfully established our place in the history of Manila politics by having our first lady mayor in the person of Mayor Honey whose background as a lady doctor even plent more prestige to the position.
In addition, the Asenso Manileno also succeeded in sweeping clean all the elective posts in Manila during the 2022 elections, from the mayor, to the vice mayor, six Congressmen and 38 Councilors. This is such a feat that was only achieved under the active tutelage of Mayor Honey who led the party while Isko Moreno was preoccupied with his presidential run.
I believe that Rep. Chua’s reaction was also in shock to the reported decision of Isko Moreno to run for mayor after losing in the 2022 Presidential elections, “even if it means going up against his loyal partymate and ‘ate’ and in total disregard pf how all the partymates feel and think.
Rep. Chua is also totally justified in stating that the officers and members of the Asenso Manileno, feel betrayed by Moreno’s unilateral decision to run against Lacuna, who is not only a sitting partymate but moreso, a kond-hearted lady who has eversince treated him like true familly, as with other party members.
The Congressman pointed out that Moreno never called for a meeting to discuss the matter and decided all by himself without even getting the party’s consensus or voice on the issue. This has never happened in the past as the party always exercises democracy and treats all of its members’ opinions as highly important.
The feeling of betrayal was made even worse by the fact that way before his announcement that he would run, the party members, Mayor Honey included, have already been hearing rumors, coupled by social media posts tending to confirm the rumors.
All the while, Isko continued denying such rumors and repeatedly stated that she would never go against his ‘Ate Honey’ snd we all believed him, thinking he is a man of his word and knows debt of gratitude.
Even in his numerous interviews before and after the 2022 Presidential elections that he is retired from politics, win or lose. Well, we all know that he lost.
We in the Asenso Manileno party echo and totally agree with the pronouncements made by Rep. Chua: “Kasi mula nun, sinasabi nya sa amin na di siya tatakbo eh. Right from the very beginning ang sinasabi niya sa amin ‘wag kayo makikinig sa mga tsismis-tsismis . Lahat ‘yan, hindi totoo. Di kami maglalaban ni ‘Ate’.
“At ito, hindi naman ‘to sabi ko lang. Panoorin nyo lahat ng interview sa kanya (Moreno).’ Yan din ang sinasabi nya sa lahat ng interviews. Sabi niya gedli na lang siya, retiro na. So, ano nangyari? Lagi niya sinasabi, ang laway niya nasasanla.”
Just like Rep. Chua, we also hope that expressed hope that Moreno will still reconsider his decision because it is hurting the very party that nurtured him and helped him achieve his ambitions and rise from abject poverty.
This was mostly through the efforts of my bosom buddy, the late Vice Mayor Danny Lacuna, Honey’s father who also embraced Moreno as his own son. I would no longer mention my role as it would be self-serving.
Indeed, as stated by Rep. Chua, there are high emotions involved because we treated and still treat Isko as family up until now and political fighting and causing harm among ourselves had always been a no-no, simply because ‘we are family.’
In his intervew, Rep. Chua said: “Sa totoo lang until now, masakit sa amin ‘to dahil parang kapatid nga namin eh.. magkakapatid kami isipin mo, ilang pamilya na ang nagkagulo-gulo dahil dito, magkakapatid, mag-aasawa, magkakaibigan. Tapos ngayon kita mo sa (Manila City) council, nagkakagulo at nagaaway-away ang magkakaibigan, di ba? Di lang sa loob kundi pati sa labas. Ang pangit at nakakahiya.”
“Andaming tumatawag sa akin na mga national figures kino-confirm kung totoo. Sa totoo lang, ang dami kong binitiwang salita na hindi ‘yan mag-aaway dahil magkapatid ‘yang dalawa (Isko and Honey). Sa totoo lang, nahihiya po ko sa nangyari.”
Indeed, what Isko is doing is a source of major embarassment even on my part since I, too, tell those raising the possibility of Isko going up against Mayor Honey that Isko will never cross that line.
There is still time to redeem himself. I really hope he does the right thing does and not make my poor friend Danny turn in his grave.
