John Marvin "Yul Servo" Cruz Nieto (born February 22, 1977)[1][2] is a Filipino actor and politician who has served as the 28th Vice Mayor of Manila since 2022.
Early life
Nieto, nicknamed "Jon-Jon" as a child, was born in Bulacan and was raised in Binondo, Manila. Nieto's father Glenn Martin Romano Nieto, an architect by profession, used to own a tailoring shop and served as a city councilor from 1988 to 1995.[3][4] The second of eight children in a Manila middle-class family, Nieto studied and graduated from the Philippine College of Criminology to become a policeman but was pushed into acting by his maternal uncle.
Entertainment career
Servo entered show business in 2001. His stage name Yul Servo was chosen by director Maryo J. de los Reyes in homage to Russian actor Yul Brynner and Servo being the name of the head waiter in the restaurant de los Reyes frequented. He initially wanted his stage name as Ador Papa, after a famous swimmer, but agreed to the stage name given by the director. Servo started his career as a theater actor. Servo's notable films include Batang West Side (2001), Laman (2002), Naglalayag (2004), Torotot, and Brutus (2008). Several of Servo's notable acting accolades include winning the Best Actor award for Naglalayag at the 2004 Brussels Independent Film Festival, an international award-giving body based in Belgium.[5]
Although he was one of the actors who appeared on some of the programs of ABS-CBN, he is among the 70 representatives who voted "yes" to "kill" (reject) the franchise renewal of the said network, the largest in the Philippines.[7] A former heavy smoker himself and quitter, Servo is also the proponent of the Smoke-Free Environment Bill which aims to create more public places for people to be free from the dangers of second-hand smoke.[8]
Servo was later elected vice mayor of Manila in 2022 under the local party Asenso Manileño. He was the running mate of then-vice mayor Honey Lacuna, who was elected mayor.
As vice mayor, Servo highlighted the Manila City Council’s efforts to improve transparency by launching a website to access the city's ordinances and establishing a legislative team to develop new ordinances. During his tenure, the city council has approved 185 ordinances and 1,119 resolutions as of August 2024. He also emphasized his near-perfect attendance record, missing only one session as vice mayor due to late arrival on August 22, 2024.[9]
Controversies
In August 2024, members of the Manila City Council allied with former Mayor Isko Moreno filed an injunction against Servo, Majority Floor Leader Ernesto Isip Jr., Minority Floor Leader Philip Lacuna, and 19 other councilors allied with incumbent Mayor Honey Lacuna for allegedly conducting a session during recess on July 23, when the city government declared all work to be suspended in view of Typhoon Carina.[10] The Moreno allies who filed the suit condemned the meeting as being "illegal and secret", noting that ₱83 million city council funds were transferred to the office of the mayor during the meeting.[11] Servo belied the suit and said that the session was livestreamed.[11][12]
In September 2024, Manila Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Juliana Rae “Yanyan” Ibay filed with the Ombudsman a complaint against Servo and the city councilors for violation of the Local Government Code and the Sangguniang Kabataan Act of 2015. The case stemmed from her alleged illegal ouster as youth committee chairwoman during a ‘secret session.'[13]
Personal life
Outside acting and politics, Servo is an avid skateboarding fan and plays the skateboard.[14] Servo is good friends with fellow actor Piolo Pascual, who is also the godfather to four of Servo's children.[15]
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