Isko Moreno
Francisco "Isko" Moreno Domagoso is a Filipino politician, actor, host and entrepreneur who has served as the 29th mayor of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, since 2025. The president of Aksyon Demokratiko, he previously served as the 27th mayor from 2019 to 2022 and was the party's candidate for president in the 2022 election.
Born and raised in the slums of Tondo, Manila, Moreno spent his childhood in poverty. He rose to fame as a matinee idol in a minor role in May Minamahal, before transitioning to mature roles. He entered politics in 1998 after being elected to the Manila City Council where he served until 2007. At the same time, he pursued non-degree postgraduate education at Harvard Kennedy School and Oxford Saïd Business School on the advice of his mentor Danny Lacuna.
Moreno was elected vice mayor in 2007 and served three full terms under the mayoralties of Alfredo Lim and Joseph Estrada. Upon being term-limited, unsuccessfully ran for senator in the 2016 senatorial elections under Grace Poe's Senate slate, placing 16th out of 50 candidates. Following his loss, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed him as an undersecretary of social welfare. He would hold the position May to October 2018 before successfully running for mayor of Manila in the 2019 election, where he defeated his predecessors in a landslide victory, becoming the youngest mayor of Manila since the People Power Revolution.
During his first term, Moreno was regarded as one of the top-performing local chief executives in the Philippines; he has described his leadership style as akin to that of his predecessor Alfredo Lim, citing their shared commitment to reducing crime and maintaining the cleanliness of the capital. Moreno is also noted for his streetwise public image due to his use of colorful language coupled with Manila street slang. As a result, he is colloquially referred to as Yorme. His political career has been met with positive-to-mixed critical reception, gaining praise for his political will, efficiency, hands-on leadership, people skills, non-partisanism on designations, and results-oriented performance, but criticism for his sporadic spontaneous outspoken remarks, over-the-top populist tendencies, and lack of permanence to a national political party, although he remained a constant member since the inception of Asenso Manileño until 2024, a local party he co-founded.
In September 2021, Moreno announced his bid for the Philippine presidency in the 2022 presidential election, in which he finished fourth out of 10 candidates.
Having served in the government for 24 years, Moreno has received numerous recognitions for his public service. He is widely credited for "restoring Manila to its former glory within a short period of time", despite disinformation against him by political rivals. He is generally known for his firm implementation of city services, beautification of derelict historical sites, and leading the establishment of city infrastructure. He announced his first retirement from politics after his mayoral term ended on June 30, 2022, and ventured into business, content creation, and television hosting. In 2024, Moreno announced his return to politics, running once again for Mayor of Manila in the 2025 Philippine general election. He regained the mayoralty through a landslide victory, defeating erstwhile ally and incumbent Mayor Honey Lacuna.
Early life
Francisco Moreno Domagoso is the only child of Visayan parents Joaquin Copias Domagoso, a stevedore at Manila's North Harbor, from San Jose de Buenavista, Antique, and Rosario Moreno from Allen, Northern Samar, a housewife, laundrywoman and garlic peeler. Isko's parents were not married when he was born and he has older half-siblings from his father's first family. Born and raised in the slums of Tondo, Manila where he was once nicknamed as "Scott", Moreno spent his childhood in poverty: at age 10, he made a living as a waste picker, drove a passenger pedicab and rummaged through restaurant garbage bins for leftover food that his mother would recook for dinner. Moreno attended Rosauro Almario Elementary School and Tondo High School, both public schools in Tondo, Manila. From his savings, Moreno briefly enrolled in maritime engineering at the Philippine Maritime Institute in 1992, for one semester every year, but dropped out when he entered the entertainment business after he was discovered in 1993 by a talent scout who encouraged him to audition for That's Entertainment, a popular teen-variety show, as a way for him to relieve his family's poverty. Moreno subsequently got the part and adopted the screen name "Isko Moreno" using his mother's surname.Acting career
In 1993, when an 18-year-old Moreno was attending a wake of a neighbor, he was persuaded by a talent scout to join show business thanks to his matinee idol image and boyish features. His first acting job was an extra in an episode for the RPN teen drama show Young Love, Sweet Love, which was previously hosted by German Moreno. Isko auditioned for the seventh batch and became a part of the Monday group of German Moreno's daily variety show That's Entertainment, under the screen name Isko Moreno. He was once paired up with former child star Bamba during his early days in That's Entertainment. Moreno's big break came in when he was cast in a minor role in the 1993 romantic movie May Minamahal and became a leading man to Claudine Barretto in Muntik na Kitang Minahal a year later. He then starred in a variety of films and television shows in genres including drama, romance, action, and comedy.Moreno later became known for his "mature" roles and modeling during his short career in the "ST/titillating films" genre that was popular in the country during the 1990s and appeared in movies Siya'y Nagdadalaga, Exploitation, Mga Babae sa Isla Azul and Misteryosa.
In 2004, Moreno made a cameo appearance on his life story featured on Maalaala Mo Kaya, in the episode titled "Aklat", where he was portrayed by Danilo Barrios. In 2005, during his third term as a councilor of Manila, he returned to acting, portraying a kind-hearted priest in the television drama series Mga Anghel na Walang Langit, in a supporting role. He also had a brief appearance in 2007 in the television drama series Bakekang. The following year, during his first term as vice mayor, Moreno had a supporting role in the afternoon soap opera Ligaw na Bulaklak.
In 2014, he appeared in the Japanese lifestyle variety show Homecoming, where it was revealed that he is a godfather of then-AKB48 member, Sayaka Akimoto, according to photo documentations by Akimoto's Filipina mother, as the episode showed Akimoto traveling to the Philippines to explore her Filipino roots. He was visited and interviewed on the show by Akimoto, her mother, Akimoto's fellow AKB48 co-member Mariko Shinoda, and comedian Hiroshi.
In 2019, Moreno appeared in the film 3pol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon! as Yorme, a former mayor of Balete, Batangas, and leader of a horse ranch as well as an old friend of the Philippine president. He also made a cameo appearance in the 24th anniversary special of Bubble Gang.
A musical biographical film based on Moreno's life, Yorme: The Isko Domagoso Story, was released on January 21, 2022, and was distributed by Viva Films. Raikko Mateo, McCoy de Leon, and Xian Lim portrayed Moreno in different times of his life, with Moreno also appearing as himself.
In November 2022, it was announced that Moreno would play the role of former Senator Ninoy Aquino in the Darryl Yap film Martyr or Murderer, which was released on theaters on March 1, 2023. He returned again to acting in television by joining the Ruru Madrid-led action series Black Rider in 2024.
Early political career
Manila City Council (1998–2007)
Moreno started his political career in 1998 when he was elected and sworn in as councilor under then-Mayor Lito Atienza for Manila's first legislative district at age 23, the youngest-elected councilor in Manila's history at that time. Initially a decision made on a whim, he was re-elected in 2001 and 2004 in topnotch victories. His programs include the "ISKOlar ng Bayan" college scholarship program, the Isko Moreno Computer Learning Center, the "Botika ni Isko" which was the only pharmacy in the country installed within a public office, and the establishment of daycare centers in the first district. After receiving criticism from other members of the city council especially for being a high school graduate, his mentor, then-vice mayor Danny Lacuna, encouraged him to study while fulfilling his duties. In 2003, Moreno obtained a business administration degree from the International Academy of Management and Economics in Makati. He also took a crash course in local legislation and local finance at the National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman. He then completed bachelor in public administration at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. He also attended non-degree programs, fellowships, and short courses in leadership and governance at John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. It was also Lacuna who financed Moreno's studies.Vice mayor of Manila (2007–2016)
After his third and final term as city councilor, Moreno ran for vice mayor in 2007 under Asenso Manileño, a local party he co-founded with Danilo Lacuna in 2005, as the running mate of then outgoing vice mayor Lacuna. During his election campaign, he criticized what he called "black propaganda" by opponents who used photographs from his past "sexy" acting career but did not pursue any charges. Moreno eventually won the elections, beating his closest rival by about 80,000 votes; however, Lacuna lost to Senator and former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim of the Liberal Party. At 32, Moreno became one of the youngest-elected vice mayors in Manila's history. Moreno studied law at Arellano University School of Law but dropped in his second year when he was elected as vice mayor of Manila for the first time. He was re-elected in 2010, this time under Nacionalista Party and as the running mate of then-incumbent Mayor Lim. Both Lim and Moreno took part in the negotiation of the Manila hostage crisis until it was taken over by the police. Moreno had criticized the national government's urgency on the matter, saying the national government should have intervened early because foreign nationals were involved.Moreno also served as vice chairman of the Manila Historical and Heritage Commission. In 2011, Moreno was chosen to visit Washington, D.C., under the International Visitor Leadership Program sponsored by the US State Department, the only Filipino participant of their group.
Between 2012 and 2013, the Commission on Audit found Moreno's office had 623 ghost employees. Cases were filed against him but were dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman. Moreno said he believed the allegations were politically motivated and headed by Mayor Lim, which resulted in them falling out. Moreno said he was only the signatory of the disbursement of the city council's employees and that the Office of the City Treasurer disburses employee salaries. The Manila Regional Trial Court ordered the reinstatement of Moreno's employees, whom the court declared as unlawfully terminated by Lim. Judge Daniel Villanueva dismissed Lim's allegations that some of the terminated workers could be ghost employees.
In May 2012, Joseph Estrada, the 13th president of the Philippines, announced his intention to run for mayor of Manila in the 2013 local election against the incumbent mayor Lim, but only for one term to make way for Moreno afterwards. Moreno, who was running for re-election as vice mayor in his third-and-last consecutive term, was chosen as Estrada's running mate. Estrada drove his "Jeep ni Erap" from San Juan to his new house at Altura Street, Sampaloc, Manila, to ceremonially launch his candidacy. He was joined by his wife, former senator Loi Ejercito, and Moreno. Moreno then joined Estrada's party Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino and United Nationalist Alliance, which was then in coalition with PDP-Laban.
On February 16, 2013, months before the election, police arrested and detained Moreno and five other councilors due to alleged bingo operations held in a public place and a lack of permit. Moreno denied the bingo game was in a public place in Santa Cruz, Manila, because they were in a private property and did not cause obstruction. Moreno said he believed Mayor Lim was involved in his arrest but Lim refuted this. Moreno said the bingo game was not illegal because there was no wager involved and the cards were given for free. Moreno also said the bingo session was initiated for entertainment purposes to attract people to attend their consultation program. In his defense, Moreno said there is no law that requires anyone to obtain a permit from the local government unit if the bingo games were intended purely for entertainment purposes, especially when being done in a private, gated compound. The day before, Lim and Estrada signed a "peace covenant" to prevent election-related violence in Manila. Moreno and the other councilors were released a day later, and the gambling charges were eventually dismissed by the Department of Justice due to lack of evidence and vague allegations. The police complainants also failed to cite a particular provision of the law that was violated. Moreno was re-elected in May 2013, and Estrada defeated Lim to become the new mayor of Manila.
The Campaign Finance Office of the Commission on Elections filed a complaint against Moreno in May 2017 for overspending in the 2013 elections, saying Moreno exceeded expenditure limits by over in his final vice-mayoral bid. In his counter-affidavit that was received by COMELEC in October 2020, Moreno said his declared spending was a "simple and honest oversight" due to variances and un-reconciled accounts, and the mistake was in good faith. He later adjusted his expense report where the amended sum fell within campaign spending limits. Under Republic Act No. 7166, a candidate with political-party support who is standing for neither the positions of president or vice president may spend only up to ₱3.00 per registered voter in his or her constituency. Several poll watchdogs have echoed support for Moreno and have campaigned for the revision of an outdated spending cap because they said such law, which was enacted in 1991, no longer reflected actual spending, and that such action would make the disclosure of candidates and political parties more truthful. Under the poll body's Rules of Procedure, preliminary investigations on election offenses must be terminated within 20 days after the receipt of counter-affidavits, after which a resolution should be made within five days. However, there has been no resolution on the case since then and it is unlikely to bring the case to court because COMELEC may be found guilty of "inordinate and oppressive delay". In its defense, COMELEC said the slow pace of the procedures is "usual" due to unclear delegation and delineation of functions.
In September 2014, five barangay chairpersons from Tondo filed a plunder complaint against Moreno and several other city officials in Manila with the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly diverting real property tax shares amounting to ₱77 million to a "dummy" barangay in late 2013. Moreno said the accusations were politically motivated. According to him, the dummy barangay the complainants were referring to was Barangay 128 in Smokey Mountain. Moreno also said the funds they gave to Smokey Mountain, as well as the poor barangays in Parola and Baseco, were "floating funds" from uninhabited barangays in the city's piers, and that such action was a "normal proceeding" since the time of former mayors Lito Atienza and Alfredo Lim. Moreno alleged the complainants wanted to take a share of the funds but failed to properly request them. Moreno said he and his co-defendants were willing to face the allegations but there had been no official report or publicly available update from the Office of the Ombudsman regarding the complaint.
Also during his tenure as vice mayor, Moreno was elected the National President of the Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines from 2008 to 2016, and the first Vice President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines from 2014 to 2016. He was also the Chairman Emeritus of the Kaagapay ng Manileño Foundation from 2007 to 2010.