“Tapat, totoo…. hindi korap, hindi manloloko, hindi mang-iiwan.”
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna vowed, during her proclamation rally before the Loreto Church and supporters, that these are guiding principles that she and the entire Asenso Manileño team will continue to carry out in governance.
She said: “Tatlong taon na ang nakaraan, dito sa lugar na ito tayo nagsimulang mangarap at unang gumawa ng kasaysayan. Ngayon, narito na naman tayo, na muling humaharap sa Diyos at sa inyo. Dito sa Sampaloc, kung saan unang minahal ng mga batang Sampaloc, ang kanilang konsehala, ang inyong doktora, ang ginawa ninyong kauna-unahang babaeng alkalde, ng lungsod ng Maynila.”
Lacuna, who heads the Asenso Manileño, once again declared by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as the ruling dominant party in Manila, was joined in the rally by incumbent Vice Mayor Yul Servo, five of the six incumbent Congressmen and majority of the members of the Manila City Council who are all running under her ticket. Filling up the six Congressional slates is comebacking first district Congressman Manny Lopez, son of former Mel Lopez, Jr.
The five incumbents who stayed on with Lacuna are Congressmen Rolan Valeriano (2nd district). Rep. Joel Chua (3rd district), Edward Maceda (4th district), Irwin Tieng (5th district) and Benny Abante (6th district).
“Sa harap mismo, ng simbahan ng Loreto, mangangako tayo na sa ating pamilya, walang iwanan! Dahil ang nang-iiwan sa pamilya, ay nang-iiwan sa sambayanan! Napakarami na nating nagawa at hindi tayo papayag na ang mga ito’y maliitin o insultuhin, ninuman. Hindi man perpekto, ang Maynila natin ay hindi dugyot. Ang Maynila natin ay puno ng pangako at pag-asa,” Lacuna said in front of the more than 12,000 supporters who filled the Earnshaw area along with the side streets of Sampaloc, where she led her entire slate’s campaign kick-off through a proclamation on Friday evening.
“Ang sabi ng mga mamamayan, hindi semento o ilaw ang hinahanap nila kundi trabaho. Ang sabi ni lolo’t lola, hindi lata ng gatas ang hinihingi nila kungdi benepisyo. At ang sabi ng mga vendor sa Divisoria, hindi permiso ang hinihiling nila kundi kapanatagan na hindi na muling babalik ang mga nangongotong sa kanila,” she stressed.
“Hindi natin hahayaan na sayangin ng mga taksil, ang lahat ng serbisyo at benepisyo na naibigay natin saating unang termino. Kasama ang Diyos at bayan bilang ating saksi, hinding-hindi ko kayo pababayaan. Lalong-lalo na, ni sa panaginip, ay hinding-hindi ko kayo iiwan… dahil tayo ay tapat. Hindi tayo korap. Tayo ay totoo, hindi tayo manloloko!” Lacuna emphatically said amid wild cheers from the huge crowd who held up banners of support and continuously chanted her name.
Over the weekend, Lacuna and Vice Mayor Yul Servo held a citywide motorcade where they and their party mates were warmly received by the residents with much revelry, while holding up home-made banners, handing flowers and mementos, having their pictures taken with her or merely shaking her hands.
