The rift continues to deepen between former political allies — Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and former Mayor Honey Lacuna — as Domagoso publicly criticized the previous administration during his State of the City Address.
Mayor Domagoso accused Lacuna’s administration of leaving the city government with ₱10.2 billion in debts, including delayed infrastructure projects, suspended garbage collection contracts, and unreleased social benefits.
“Napakasimple ng arithmetic —kulang sila. Hindi sapat ang kinita para tustusan ang mga ginastos nila,” said Domagoso, addressing the Manila City Council.
The returning mayor also raised suspicions over significant withdrawals and cash advances made by some Lacuna-era officials during the 2025 midterm campaign season.
Domagoso implied the funds may have been used for vote-buying.
He declared that the local government unit (LGU) of Manila is now facing a “financial crisis.”
“The capital of the country is already in the financial ICU,” Domagoso said.
He also revealed that the new city administration cannot access the official Facebook page of the Manila Public Information Office, claiming the previous administration failed to hand over the login credentials.
Efforts are now underway to retrieve the account with the help of Meta.
As of writing, Honey Lacuna has not responded to Domagoso’s allegations. The two previously ran together as a tandem in the 2019 local elections.