Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso vowed on Wednesday to become the country’s “healing president” as he formally announced his run for the country’s top post in 2002 with health advocate Dr. Willie Ong as his running mate.

Domagoso, who made the announcement at the city’s Baseco Housing project, will be running under the Aksyon Demokratiko party.

“I will be a healing president. While ours will be a government of national reconstruction, it will also be a government of national reconciliation, based on justice and rule of law,” he said.

If given the chance to lead the country, Domagoso promised to apply an open governance policy by accepting suggestions from all sectors.

Saying he would be open to criticisms, he promised to listen to the public to craft better policies and provide improved services.

In the same event, Ong said he initially did not intend to run for any public office and even rejected the offer to run for the second highest post in the land, but was eventually convinced by Domagoso.

“Wala po talaga sa plano ito. Wala po sa plano. Handa lang na tayong manahimik, tumulong. Kaya lang maraming coincidence, pagkakataon na nangyari (This is not my plan. I was just here, silent and helping. But then, many coincidences happened),” Ong said.

Ong ran for a Senate seat in the 2019 mid-term polls but lost. He ranked 18th in the senatorial polls receiving over seven million votes.

The coronavirus pandemic and the current situation of the health system prompted Ong to decide and run for next year’s polls.

Once elected, he promised to improve the health system and the plight of health workers.

Domagoso said more announcements would be made in the days to come.

“I will release the platform of our governance. Yes, they are grand, but I assure you they are also granular. Many of them have been pilot tested in the city of Manila,” he said.