Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna is officially throwing her hat in the mayoral race in the Philippine capital.

The city hall’s number two filed her certificate of candidacy on Wednesday, October 6. She will run under the banner of Asenso Manileño.

If she wins the mayoral race in 2022, she would be the first female mayor of the Philippine capital in history.

“Mga batang Maynila, samahan po ninyo ako. Gumawa po tayo ng kasaysayan sa Lungsod ng Maynila. Bigyan natin ang kapitolyo ng ating bansa ng isang pinuno na may puso ng isang ina, pagmamalasakit ng isang doktora,” Lacuna said in her speech after the filing.

(To the children of Manila, please join me. Let’s make history in the City of Manila. Let’s give our nation’s capital a leader with a mother’s heart and a doctor’s compassion.)

Lacuna already confirmed in September that she plans to succeed her ally, incumbent Mayor Isko Moreno, who filed his certificate of candidacy for president on Monday, October 4.

Lacuna has chosen Manila 3rd District Representative Yul Servo as her running mate.

The incumbent vice mayor knows the ins and outs of the Manila city government like the back of her hand.

Before she entered politics, the physician worked from 1995 to 2004 in the city health office. From 2004 to 2013, Lacuna served as a city councilor.

In 2016, she replicated a political milestone of her father – former vice mayor Danny Lacuna – after Honey became the number 2 of then-mayor Joseph Estrada in city hall.

In 2019, she changed allegiance, partnering with Moreno to secure reelection as vice mayor.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, her expertise in the medical field proved to be advantageous, as she became the bridge between Moreno and the health directors of Manila. – Rappler.com