Politicians should focus on the coronavirus pandemic, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said Thursday, when asked to address rumors that he might run for vice president in the 2022 elections.

"I have to be honest… lahat ng pulitiko gustong maging Presidente kaya ngayon maraming atat. Napansin mo ngayon, iyong ibang pulitiko mema. May masabi lang to be involved," he told ANC.

(All politicians want to be President. That's why many are impatient. You'll notice that some politicians say things just for the sake of saying something to be involved.)

"But let’s be fair to our people. There is a pandemic… We should continue focusing [on the] pandemic," he said.

Manila as of Wednesday had 880 active coronavirus infections, said the mayor.

Politics, he said, "shouldn’t be part of our hearts and minds these days."

"Mamaya na iyon (leave that for later)," he said.

No one is grooming Moreno to be their running mate in the next elections, he said earlier this week, as quoted by media reports.

ANC, Sept. 10, 2022