Yorme is back

SKETCHES

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

On May 22, a viral video showed a backhoe scooping up huge piles of garbage along C.M. Recto in Manila's Divisoria district. Online comments expressed thanks — not to the current city administration, but to incoming mayor Francisco Domagoso.

The returning "yorme," better known as Isko Moreno, was not the one behind the Divisoria cleanup. But he was happy to consider it as preparation of Manileños for his return.

Yorme Isko clobbered his incumbent rival and former vice mayor, Honey Lacuna-Pangan in the May 12 polls, garnering 529,507 votes against her 190,315.

Moreno visited The STAR office last Monday for our online show "Truth on the Line," during which he outlined his priorities for his return to city hall.

Cleaning up the city is foremost, and it isn't just because he used to be a scavenger eating pagpag or discarded leftover food in Manila in his childhood.

Cleaning up also means a return to ridding several streets and sidewalks in high-density areas of both human and non-human obstructions.

Moreno has just started giving media interviews again. He admitted avoiding interviews during the campaign to avoid a repeat of the flak that was generated by his comments on Leni Robredo during the 2022 presidential race.

For this year's elections, he endorsed and says he voted for Robredo's candidates Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan. Moreno endorsed his partymate, staunch anti-Duterte critic Antonio Trillanes for Caloocan mayor. But Moreno was also joined on stage by Vice President Sara Duterte and Imee Marcos. Later, Moreno endorsed pro-Duterte bets Camille Villar and Rodante Marcoleta. But he also pushed for Alyansa candidates including Benhur Abalos.