PILAR, Bataan (UPDATED)— Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Wednesday said he “does not care” about Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s political plans in the upcoming 2022 national elections.

This, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter withdrew her certificate of candidacy for reelection in her home city, sparking talk that she would run for a national post through substitution.

“Wala naman akong pakialam sa kung ano ang gusto nilang gawin sa pulitika nila,” Domogoso told reporters here when asked for his reaction.

(I don’t care about what they want to do with their politics.)

“Wala naman kami doon. Hindi naman kami kasali sa kanilang pulitika,” he said.

(We are not in that group. We are not part of their politics.)

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Domagoso said his vice presidential candidate Willie Ong, and their 3-member senatorial slate would rather focus on their "listening tour" ahead of the official campaign period in February.

"As we progress, nakakabuo kami ng economic plan... pag ipinatupad namin ay mararamdaman agad ng tao kasi umaksyon ang gobyerno, ginamit muna niya ang tenga niya at ginamit niya yung karanasan at kaisipan niya para bumuo ng programa at inimplement naman," he said.

(We are creating an economic plan as we progress... and when we implement it, the people will feel the government's actions because these programs will be crafted and will be implemented through listening and experience.)

Unlike other 2022 contenders, the Manila mayor's decision in running for president is steadfast, Ong told fisherfolk in Barangay Puerto Rivas Ibaba in Balanga.

"Kami September pa, nakapag-desisyon na (We have decided as early as September)," the vice presidential aspirant said.

"Hindi kami pabago-bago ng isip para handang-handa na kami sa Mayo (We are not indecisive that's why we are very prepared for May)."

Politicians should not underestimate voters' capacity to discern how certain aspirants have been mocking the country's election system, the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer said.

"I will let the people decide. Hayaan natin na taumbayan ang magdesisyon kasi alam naman ng taumbayan na tsinutsubibo ang buhay nila," he said.

"Don't underestimate ang kaisipan ng ating mamamayan. They know. They always know," he said.

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BATAAN-CAVITE INTERLINK BRIDGE

Among Domagoso's vows to Bataan's fisherfolk is the construction of a bridge that would connect the provinces of Bataan, Cavite and Batangas.

"We will continue Build, Build, Build," he said, referring to President Rodrigo Duterte's multi-billion peso infrastructure push.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) earlier said that the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge would cut travel time between the 2 provinces to 40 minutes from 5 hours.

The project is expected to cost P175.7 billion, but last year, the DPWH signed a P3-billion contract for the detailed engineering design of a planned 32-kilometer bridge over Manila Bay.

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"Mura lang 'yun kasi walang halagang maitutumbas ang kagaangang maibibigay sa bawat tao ng mga bagay na ginagawa ng gobyerno," Domagoso said.

(That's cheap because anything that will ease the public's life should be priceless for the government.)

"Kaya kahit gaano kamahal sa mata natin, sa kwentada natin, mura yan sa kapakinabangan ng tao," he said.

(That's why even if it is expensive in our view, in our computation it is cheap if the public can benefit from it.)

Vic Santos, a 63-year-old fisherman who also lived in Domagoso's hometown Tondo, said he appreciates the effort of the Manila mayor to spend time in their community. The Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer is the first presidential aspirant to have a dialogue with the fisherfolk of Pilar town, he said.

"Napakalaking halaga ho sa amin iyan, yung lalapitan kami bilang mamamayan ng Puerto Rivas na makakatulong sa lahat," Santos said.

The town of Pilar passed a municipal resolution proclaiming Domagoso as an adopted son of town where he once worked as a farmhand and a worker in a sand and gravel business.

The Aksyon Demokratiko slate is expected to travel to Subic and Laguna later this week to hold more dialogues with several sectors ahead of the 2022 national elections.

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