Isko Moreno vows, if reelected, he will kick out Lacuna’s husband as city health officer

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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );MANILA, Philippines – If he is again elected as mayor, Isko Moreno promised to remove Manila City Health Officer Dr. Arnold Pangan, the husband of his ally-turned-rival incumbent Mayor Honey Lacuna.



“‘Yan ang unang regalo ko sa inyo. ‘Yan ang una kong tatanggalin,” Moreno said in a caucus in Pandacan, Manila on Tuesday night, April 8. (That will be my first gift to you.

He will be the first one to be removed.)Moreno criticized Arnold for making it harder for the elderly to access healthcare, saying the online reservation system he implemented at health centers excluded those without smartphones, internet access, or digital know-how.During his caucus, Moreno said that there were at least five members of the Lacuna family working in city hall.

Three are holding elective positions and two are in administrative positions. Honey Lacuna leads the family roster as mayor, her brother is 6th District Councilor Philip Lacuna, and her sister Leilani “Lei” Marie Lacuna is an ex-officio councilor and president of the Liga ng mga Barangay. Philip is seeking a reelection under his sister’s slate.

Aside from Arnold, Honey’s brother, Dennis Lacuna, also holds an administrative post as head of the Manila City Planning and Development Office. COUPLE. Manila City Health Officer Arnold Pangan shake hands with his wife Mayor Honey Lacuna during the launch of ‘School-based Health Information Dissemination on Fertility Awareness & Sexually-transmitted Infections’ campaign on October 1, 2019Section 79 of the Local Government Code of 1991 states that no person shall be appointed in the career service of the local government if they are related within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to the appointing or recommending authority.

Arnold and Dennis, however, have been holding administrative positions in the city hall for quite a while. They also previously worked with Moreno when he was the city mayor. Under Mayor Joseph Estrada, Dennis also served in the same post, while Arnold was the officer-in-charge of the city social welfare and development.

In his speech, Moreno also hinted at his role in the Lacunas’ political rise.“I’m happy for them that what Boss Danny wasn’t able to achieve — with just a bit of help from us in supporting them — they as siblings were able to accomplish this,” Moreno said in a mix of English and Filipino.The “Boss Danny” Moreno referred to was Danny Lacuna, Honey’s father and the former Manila vice mayor.

Moreno credits Danny as his political mentor.window.rapplerAds.

displayAd( "middle-2" );window.rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-2" );Moreno previously said that it was only “Boss Danny” who believed in him when he was still a councilor.

It was also Danny who encouraged him to study. Before entering politics, Isko was an actor. Then term-limited vice mayor Danny, in his bid for the mayoral post in 2007, picked Moreno as a running mate for vice mayor.

Danny lost, Moreno won. Danny died on August 13, 2023.In 2019, Moreno and Honey ran as a team and both won as mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

Their partnership flourished, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As vice mayor, Lacuna, a licensed physician, became Moreno’s key adviser on health matters, coordinating the city’s pandemic response.“Not once did I feel that I was only a spare tire,” Lacuna said of Moreno in 2022.

“He treated me as a sister and partner in all city government activities.”When Moreno pursued the presidency in 2022, he handpicked Lacuna as his successor for the mayoral seat. – Rappler.

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