Isko Moreno defends self from 'anti-poor' tag

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, whose drive to bring back order to the city has received praise from various sectors, on Thursday denied that he is anti-poor.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Moreno described his leadership as a balancing act, stressing that he does not derive joy from arresting violators.

"Binabalanse ko ang pagpapatakbo ng gobyerno," he said.

"Taong-gobyerno na tayo ngayon," Moreno added. "Kailangan natin mamahala."

Moreno, a former scavenger, once again defended his campaign to rid streets and sidewalks of vendors so that pedestrians and vehicles could use them.

"One, that's not true," he said when asked to react to accusation that his campaign is "anti-poor," adding the vendors — at least the legal ones — were not necessarily removed but transferred to other areas.

"I challenge kahit sino. May vendor sa Ilaya, sa Tabora, Santo Cristo. Street vendors. Nandun sila, maayos naman. Ang balik ko sa kanila wala nang tong-pats (patong)," he said.

Moreno said what he is doing is nothing special as he is just performing the "normal" duties of a sitting mayor.

"Yung ginagawa ko normal na ginagawa ng isang mayor," he said.

"Yung ginagawa natin is a normal thing," Moreno added. "Ibinalik ko lang yung mindset na may gobyerno sa lungsod ng Maynila." —KBK, GMA News