Isko Moreno: Still trying to prove he’s more than a celebrity

Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno was a teenage garbage collector who became a celebrity after being discovered at a wake. His ambitions have since soared.   If it’s true what they say that celebrity is something you can spend, Moreno the artista invested his glamor capital in his political career, and was the most visible Manila politician during the city’s worst crisis in years, the Luneta bus tragedy in 2010 that claimed the lives of eight Hong Kong tourists.   Despite that political gauntlet, Moreno is still trying to live down his matinee idol past. Until now, he says that there are critics who tell him, “Artista ka lang,” “Pacute-cute ka lang,” or the more blunt, “Bobo ka.”   But he is now clearly more politician than artista. After serving three terms as councilor, he is currently on his second term as Vice Mayor of Manila.   Moreno admits that he has had lucky breaks, but he also pursued an education to make him a more credible and competent politician.   In an interview with GMA News reporter Sherrie Ann Torres for the GMA News TV program "Brigada," he admitted that when he first won a seat as councilor and became part of the Manila City Council (MCC), he knew nothing of lawmaking and the duties of a councilor. Who would’ve thought that 14 years later, after getting almost 80 percent of the votes, he now heads the MCC.   Definitely not those who have criticized him just for being another celebrity-turned-politician. Instead of getting mad, he got even by pursuing his studies. He says that former Manila Vice Mayor Danny Lacuña inspired him to finish his college degree and for this reason, among many others, he considers Lacuña a father figure.   He now has a degree in Public Administration from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila under his belt, and finished a crash course on Local Legislation and Local Finance at the University of the Philippines. Aside from these, he has also attended seminars on local governance and leadership held in the states of Washington, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, and Seattle.   During one of his trips to the States, inspiration struck the young politician. Today, the session hall of the Manila City Council runs on solar power because of Moreno’s insistence to convert the session hall after seeing rooms in the United States run on renewable energy.   It was an innovation resisted at first by some the members of the Manila city government. “Alam mo kasi, ‘pag bago, ang hirap unawain,” Moreno says, but now the city is able to cut down its monthly electricity expenses to one-tenth of what it used to spend.   He may have progressive aspirations, but Moreno has chosen a more familiar, traditional path in this stage of his political career, by hitching his wagon to former President Joseph Estrada. Moreno recently announced that he hopes to serve his third term as vice mayor of Manila alongside Estrada, who is expected to run for Manila mayor in the 2013 local elections.   Political analysts are quick to note how Moreno changes political parties every election season. During 2007, he ran with Danny Lacuña under the Nacionalista Party. In 2010, he ran with Alfredo Lim under the Liberal Party. This coming 2013, he will be cutting his ties with PNoy ally Lim and running under Erap’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.   Like that chance encounter at a wake, Moreno was never one to turn down a golden opportunity. -Ayrie Ching/HS, GMA News   "Brigada" airs Monday nights at 8:00 PM on GMA News TV Channel 11. Follow "Brigada" on Facebook and Twitter.