' 1st
PiliPinas Debates 2022 on March 19, 2022 (right) and
Manny Pacquiao (left) during the closing moments of the 2nd
PiliPinas Debates 2022 on April 3, 2022
Abortion and contraception Moreno is categorically opposed to
abortion, reiterating his belief in the "sanctity of life". However, he is open for the government to provide other interventions that would help rape victims "move forward with their lives without harming their child". He is also open to the existing legality of "therapeutic abortion" in the country for medical necessity. Nevertheless, Moreno is in favor for people to freely choose whatever
contraception and
family planning method they prefer that can be offered by the state.
Age of criminal liability Moreno is against the lowering of the
age of criminal liability from age 15 to age 9.
Capital punishment Moreno is against the reinstatement of the
death penalty describing it as "cruel" as it affects wrongly sentenced prisoners.
Divorce Moreno said he approves the legalization of
divorce in the Philippines.
Economy Moreno supports the idea on giving financial assistance to
micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including 0% interest on loans in financial institutions. Moreno is an advocate of using advanced technology in the agriculture sector. Moreno proposes to create a Department of National Culture and History in the executive branch. He also supports countryside development by constructing a "tourism circuit" and is in favor of
digital transformation.
Education Moreno is in favor of amending the educational curriculum in the country by developing
tech-voc and agriculture courses in basic education, as well as enhancing the
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum. Moreno is also in favor of enhancing early childhood education and development, as well as improving the accessibility to the internet of students and teachers.
Fake news Moreno is in favor of legally penalizing
social media sites promoting
fake news,
disinformation, and
misinformation, reiterating his stance as "non-negotiable".
Ferdinand Marcos Moreno has said that he admired former President
Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. "at some point", specifically for being a "visionary" and for his infrastructure projects, but condemns his
links to corruption and
human rights abuses. He also believes that abusers during
martial law should be made accountable, and stands firm that
martial law must not happen again. Moreno also supports the annual commemoration of the
People Power Revolution.
Foreign policy Moreno expressed strong opinions on a foreign policy aligned with what he calls a "Filipino-first" policy, envisioning that the Philippines will forge contracts, organizations, and even trade agreements, for that matter, if it is only beneficial to Filipinos. Moreno agrees that the Philippines is not "militarily prepared" for an encounter with
China, and that order must be upheld such as the
Law of the Sea. He believes that the country's
defense secretary should come from the
navy, since the Philippines is an
archipelagic country. On the issue of the country's claim to the
West Philippine Sea occupied by Chinese forces, he believes that the Philippines' approach should be "fearless" in asserting the claim and should be responsive to the plight of Filipino fishermen, while at the same time should be "fair" and "sensible" in dealing with other countries also occupying the
South China Sea, especially in trade. Moreno has criticized the
United Nations (UN), questioning what they are doing in light of China's disregard of the
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Moreno asserted that China needs to accept a
2016 arbitration award of the Hague ruling that made clear the Philippines' entitlements, including where it can fish and exploit offshore oil and gas, also citing the
Velarde map as reference. However, he also expressed opinion in forming partnerships with other countries as well as to prepare in terms of joint trade with China. Moreno expressed support of the Philippines returning to the
International Criminal Court (ICC) if the move would "give a good impression to the world".
Freedom of Information Moreno is in favor that all government officials should be open to disclosing their
Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), including "their properties, belongings and their debts", being a public document. He also believes that the policy on Freedom of Information should be strengthened.
Health Moreno expressed the idea to invest in local human resources such as doctors and scientists to make locally made medicines, even a vaccine, in addressing the
COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Moreno supports boosting vaccinations and establishing additional
specialty hospitals in each of all 17 administrative regions. He also advocates for the establishment of the Cancer Center of the Philippines aiming to provide free medicines and medical procedures to indigents. Moreno is against the
legalization of
medical marijuana stating that the "government should fix its system first" since it will be subject to abuse, but would reconsider if "further studies from science will prove that marijuana is a more effective treatment than other medicines." Moreno supports the
vaping bill and the
regulation of electronic cigarettes to provide smokers with alternatives to traditional cigarettes. Moreno is also in favor of promoting and strengthening policies in
mental health. Additionally, Moreno believes that
PhilHealth will be better managed by financial experts. He also supports increasing wages and benefits of healthcare workers.
Maritime Moreno spoke strongly on re-evaluating the current setup of the
shipbuilding industry in the Philippines, criticizing it by saying that the brand new ships that are built overseas "enjoy tax incentives" but not the ships built by local shipbuilders which generate employment for the country.
OFW Moreno is in favor of entering bilateral labor agreement with other countries to ensure the welfare of both documented and undocumented
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW).
Party system Moreno pitched the need for the country to shift back to a
two-party system for "smooth-sailing governance". Moreno also prefers the election of two senators per
region for equal representation and expressed support for the continuation of the
party-list representation system but emphasized that there should be safeguards to avoid abuse and manipulation, preferably regionalized to distance away from the idea of
Imperial Manila. He also criticized that the party-list system is being used to exploit the poor and extend political dynasties.
Political dynasties Moreno bans family members to enter politics or any public office while he remains in a government office. He expressed that he is "not comfortable" with the existence of political dynasties and hoped to implement an anti-political dynasty law if he were to be elected president.
Political turncoatism Moreno is not against transferring from one political party to another whenever he sees fit. He has expressed that he does not mind being called a "political butterfly", stating he would rather leave a political party whenever the party loses
public trust and if his political principles does not coincide with the party's anymore. He added that "a public servant's loyalty should not lie with a political party, but rather to the people".
Pornography Moreno is in favor of legally penalizing
social media sites promoting
pornography.
War on drugs Moreno expressed that he would continue the Duterte administration's flagship
war on drugs but without
extrajudicial killings linked to it.
Women's rights Moreno supports
gender equality and
women empowerment. He is vocal about providing equal opportunities to women, regardless of social status, sexual preference, religious beliefs or political affiliations. He is also an advocate of
meritocracy and favors job promotions based on merits and credentials and not by political affiliations and gender as what he did in the
Manila City Hall during his term as mayor. Moreno had also given his vice mayor
Honey Lacuna, the first ever elected female vice mayor in the history of Manila, executive functions on a par with his mayoral duties. ==References==