El Shaddai, INC, Muslim group back Atienza for mayor

El Shaddai, INC, Muslim group back Atienza for mayor

By Sandy Araneta (The Philippine Star) Updated May 06, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – Former environment secretary Lito Atienza has been endorsed by the religious group Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) and El Shaddai, the former mayor’s camp said yesterday in a statement. Atienza was also endorsed by the Muslim community and got the unanimous support of the Parish Councils of Manila, as well as the solid backing of majority of the barangay chairmen, kagawads and tanods and pro-poor organizations.

The camp of Atienza also cited a gain of five percent of the votes. “It is widely known that the Iglesia ni Cristo has a wide follower in the city. With the endorsement of the group, Atienza gains another five percent solid votes,” the statement read.

The Atienza camp, quoting El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde, said that “Manila needs a pro-life mayor. Atienza is not only pro-life, but also pro-good government.” Msgr. Mel David, one of the spiritual advisers of Atienza, said the former mayor is pro-God.

PMAP president Ronald Lumbao said they endorsed Atienza because they believe that only Atienza has the genuine heart to help the poor. “His programs answer the needs of the poor community of Manila,” Lumbao said.

The Muslim community had also rallied behind the candidacy of Atienza as he has and will always keep Manila friendly to all regardless of religion and belief.

Meanwhile, a total of 650 out of the 897 barangay chairmen, and most of the kagawads and tanods said they have seen the difference on how the former mayor and the present mayor handled the city.

They said it is Atienza who has a genuine heart to help the people, specially the poor.

‘Will Lito Atienza win back City Hall to again give Manila back its life?’- from MALAYA by Ducky Paredes

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FORMER President Joseph Estrada, speaking at a Buhayin ang Maynila rally in San Andres endorsed former Mayor Lito Atienza as a reliable mayor, one who always had his constituents’ interests in mind. Erap added: “Like me, Lito has his heart for the poor. Hindi siya nang-iiwan, siya’y tunay na kaibigan, laging maaasahan.

“Alam ko ang pagkatao ni Lito. Subok na siya sa pagtulong sa mga mamamayan, lalo na sa mahihirap.”

Estrada pointed out that this was in contrast to the sitting mayor (Alfredo Lim) who “did not only abandon me. He even lied through his teeth in doing so.”

“Yang si Lim, nagsinungaling pa. May aasikasuhin lang daw siya, aawatin lang daw niya aang mga tao; yun pala, pupunta na sa Edsa. Hindi kagaya ni Atienza, hindi ako iniwan.”

I have always wondered how it happened that, while there was an Erap cabinet meeting going on in Malacañang, DILG Secretary Lim suddenly popped up at Gloria’s rally at the Edsa Shrine. The Erap Cabinet saw him on TV, trying to get on the good side of GMA. This was in 2001.

On the other hand, when Erap had to leave Malacañang, Mayor Lito Atienza was there for him, to the end.

Before that, Lim ran for president against Erap; yet, when Estrada took the presidency, Estrada appointed Lim to the DILG.

After EDSA Dos, despite abandoning President Erap when he was a cabinet secretary, Lim begged Erap for a place in the opposition ticket and Erap again took him in as a senatorial candidate. In fact, when Lim ran for mayor against Kim Atienza, Lito’s son, Erap gave Lim his full support.

Then, says Estrada, in July 2008, Lim “blatantly abused the human rights” of Manila councilor Dennis Alcoreza during the forcible takeover of the Tondo Vitas Slaughterhouse leased to Dealco Farms Inc. Twenty-four Manila city councilors resigned from their posts as members and heads of the different committees, prompting a reorganization. The councilors unanimously denounced the violent treatment by Lim and the Manila Police Department (MPD) towards Alcoreza, which included forcibly dragging the councilor through the streets.

Says Erap: “Kung magagawa niya yan sa isang konsehal, ano pa kaya sa maliliit na tao?”

In August 2008, Lim was removed as the president of Erap’s political party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, after which Lim resigned from the PMP.

Atienza and Estrada had been friends since the seventies and shared the advocacies of caring for the elderly and providing housing for the poor. Even when Atienza was a GMA Cabinet Member, the two remained as friends. Erap says that he never held that against Lito since Atienza never abused his position and never abandoned his friends, including Erap.

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“Today is the first day of the public trial of Alfredo Lim, for multiple offenses against the people of Manila.” This is how Atienza started his campaign to return as Mayor, after having to leave his post due to term limits, after his third term.

Lim’s crimes?

Ramming through the ordinance that allowed the oil depots to stay in Pandacan despite the “clear danger it poses to public safety” and a Supreme Court decision supporting an Atienza-era ordinance relocating them outside Manila.

Atienza explains: “All cities around the world have relocated oil depots out of city limits because of the grave danger they pose to the people. This is the only administration that insists on keeping then even if he endangers the lives of Manilans.”

After each “crime,” Atienza asked: “Guilty or not guilty?” And the crowd roared back: “Guilty!”

Another big issue is the hasty, below-market pricing of the city property where Century Park-Sheraton is located. This was sold in a rush sale yet, “City Hall has no money to provide services to the poor.” Lito points out that even Lim’s lawyer filed charges against the mayor and 20 councilors in connection with the transaction.

Lito also accused Lim of “oppressive policies against vendors” and for derailing a continuing program of setting aside city assets for low-cost housing for Manilans. Atienza said that he would expand housing schemes similar to those in the Baseco area.

Atienza’s goal is “Trabaho, Negosyo at Hanapbuhay para sa Lahat.”

His Buhayin ang Maynila has a specific program for Senior Citizens: “Mahal ko si Lolo, Mahal ko si Lola” which aims to make Manila a haven for the elderly.

There is a plan of improving sports facilities and youth participation that would develop world-class athletes as Lito helped Manny Pacquaio when the champ was just starting out in a Sampaloc gym many years ago.

A plan to improve Manila’s Art and Culture scene would give scholarships to poor and deserving talented Manilans A bigger budget would also be set aside for hospital for prompt and complete delivery of health services.

Lito Atienza also wants to make Manila to be the safest place in the Philippines where residents, businessmen and tourists can walk the streets without fear and enjoy all the good things that Manila has to offer.

Will Lito Atienza win back City Hall to again give Manila back its life? Buhayin ang Maynila.

ABS-CBN News: Atienza hits Lim for reversing his policies

Atienza hits Lim for reversing his policies

By Joel Caballero, ANC | 03/19/2010 7:22 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Former Environment Secretary Lito Atienza is seeking the mayoralty post in Manila once again.

In an interview in ANC’s Headstart, he alleged that incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim has no plans to develop the city, and has only occupied himself in putting up various restrictions throughout the city.

Atienza also lashed at Lim for stopping various programs under his administration.

“What Manila needs today is a genuine development plan that will provide opportunities for a healthy business climate, economic development, employment and the correct philosophy of governance. Di pwede yung bawal-bawal. Every time the mayor says bawal, it only adds to corruption because pag pinagbawal mo. Lagay dito, lagay doon,” Atienza said.

“What Manila needs today is a genuine development plan that will provide opportunities for a healthy business climate, economic development, employment and the correct philosophy of governance. You can’t keep saying this is illegal or that’s illegal. Every time the mayor says it’s illegal, it only adds to corruption because if you say it’s illegal, it will lead to bribes.”

Atienza claimed the city government lost a lot of revenue when Lim ordered the closure of bars, restaurants and other shops in Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard.

“It injected life in Malate, Ermita, Remedios, Intramuros, and all those parts in Manila boomed in development. High-rise buildings were put up, investments rolled in. Can you imagine all the employment and economic opportunities which were lost because of that one single act which I cannot understand?” Atienza said.

Pandacan oil depots

The former mayor also criticized Lim for allowing oil depots in Pandacan to stay. He believes the potential danger posed by the depots is discouraging businessmen from investing in the city.

“How can Manila now develop if you have a place where you have 300 million liters of gasoline at any given time and the age of terrorism is in our midst? You cannot afford to endanger properties and, of course, you are discouraging investments. No serious investor will go to that part of Metro Manila where you have an oil depot beside you,” Atienza said.

Atienza believes his relationship with Lim turned sour after Lim lost in his presidential bid in 1998.

“Maybe, out of bitterness. He lost and I won [as city mayor], and he told everybody: ‘Si Atienza, hindi ako sinuportahan’ (Atienza didn’t support me). That’s false,” Atienza said.

ANC’s Headstart tried to contact Mayor Lim but he was unavailable for comment.

Baywalk is a hot election issue

PROPOSED NEW ROXAS BOULEVARD BAYWALK PERSPECTIVE

If you wish to watch the sunset at the Manila Bay and enjoy the soothing sea breeze, you go to the promenade area along the seashore, now known as the Baywalk. Believe it or not, the Baywalk, one of the loveliest places in Manila, is getting to be a hot election issue in the nation’s capital city. It is a two-kilometer stretch along Roxas Boulevard between the United States Embassy and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Long before the official election campaign period starts, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and his immediate predecessor, former Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza, have been trading barbs on what to do with Baywalk.

During Atienza’s stint at City Hall, he had the long seaside strip widened with thick brown and yellow cement bricks. From a dark and neglected zone after sundown, it became a brightly-lit concourse that attracted commoners and elites alike. Restaurants, bars and open-air coffee shops sprouted there almost overnight. In the evening, live bands performed and entertained the crowd. Baywalk became a magnet for people from all walks of life looking for a convenient place where they could relax and be entertained with their kind of music—at an affordable price.

Adding to the vibrance of the Baywalk was  the nearby Rajah Sulayman Park, in front of the Malate Church, one the most beautiful parks in the city.

Even at daytime, especially in the early morning during weekends, the Baywalk overflowed with people, including entire families, to have their breakfast and do physical exercises, from jogging and brisk walking to aerobics and biking.

With the huge number of people flocking to Baywalk everyday, it became comparable to the famed Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii as a popular tourist destination.  Needless to say, the Baywalk was a  smash hit and the crown jewel of the city’s tourism..

But shortly after Lim sat for the second time as Manila mayor in 2007, he banned restaurants and cafes from operating at the Baywalk.  He justified this by saying he was heeding the complaints of residents and guests  in hotels and condominiums about the “loud noise” from the live bands. He also blamed these establishments for adding to the trash in the already polluted Manila Bay.

Lito Atienza, who was Manila mayor from 1998 to 2007, vows to revive Baywalk and bring back the eateries and singing joints there if he wins the mayoral race this year. He described the Baywalk as the “engine of development for Manila” and a recreation place for the poor. He rued that the place had lost its luster since Lim ordered the demolition of the “unwanted” structures  Lim has put more lampposts along Roxas Boulevard, but Atienza belittles this because Baywalk now has few visitors or is almost deserted at night.

“Look at what Lim did.  Instead of improving it, he removed it.  If the problem here is noise, he should have put a solution to it.  But to say that it is a center for prostitution and drug distribution, that’s a lie.” Atienza grumbled.

To independent observers, the Baywalk was a top tourist drawer, a showcase of how domestic tourism came alive and stimulated the economy.  With the influx of people to the Baywalk area, the restaurants, karaoke bars, souvenir shops,  shopping  stores, hotels and other business establishments along Roxas boulevard and adjacent streets such as those on Remedios, Pedro Gil and Padre Faura avenues benefited from the spillover of customers. They enjoyed an unprecedented boom.

The ex-mayor said the Baywalk was just one of  his urban renewal projects that Lim has discontinued or neglected.  He lamented that “Manila has deteriorated once again under the present local administration with its lack of vision.” He said that for three years, “Lim has deprived Manilenos of the right kind of life they deserve by removing and destroying what my administration did for the people in nine years.” Determined to arrest the decline of the city, Atienza is seeking to retake the mayor’s seat in the coming electons under the campaign battlecry “Buhayin ang Maynila” (Revive Manila).

Another major campaign issue raised by Atienza against the present city administration is the continued stay of the storage facilities of the country’s three largest oil firms in Pandacan. He accused Lim and his allies in the city council of railroading the approval of city ordinance 7177 allowing Chevron (formerly Caltex), Petron and Shell, as well as other heavy and medium-scale industries, to continue operating at the Pandacan oil depot despite warnings of possible accidents and terrorist attacks.

The new ordinance amended Ordinance 8027 promulgated during the time of Mayor Atienza which called for the removal of the oil depot from the Pandacan district, which was classified as a residential area. Thus, the classification of Pandacan was reverted to industrial.  Ordinance 7177 was issued in defiance of the Supreme Court’s decision which upheld the validity of Ordinance 8027. Lim said he signed the new ordinance so as not to deprive the city government of P100 million revenues from business license fees and real property tax collected yearly from the industries that are based there.

In effect, Atienza said, the controversial ordinance ensured “the permanent stay of highly pollutive and extremely hazardous industries which placed the lives of Manilenos in grave danger and made Manila the most polluted and toxic city of the world.”  He warned that an accident in the Pandacan depot could trigger an explosion that could cause damage to an area within a 14-kilometer radius.  He also considered the retention of the oil depots as the highest form of insensitivity in the light of worldwide efforts to combat pollution and global warming.  The depots, he said, must go to assure the safety of city residents.

“Manila is the inspiration of the country.  Manila is the microcosm of the country. I cannot take the very, very sorry state of the city now,” he said.

Atienza sees his candidacy as a response to the Manileños’ clamor for the return of his urban renewal and sustainable development projects. During his term as mayor, he implemented the “Buhayin ng Maynila) program by upgrading and renovating Manila’s decaying public facilities such as parks, markets and slaughterhouses. He carried out the reconstruction and beautification of public places such as the, Plaza Miranda, the Andres Bonifacio monument and the Binondo park. He also pursued the construction of the  linear park in Pandacan, the renovation of  Carriedo and R. Hidalgo streets in Sta. Cruz.  He upgraded the services of the city’s public libraries, schools and hospitals, including the Ospital ng Maynila and completed the construction of a brand new building  for the Pamantasan ng Maynila.

Lito Atienza claims that during his tenure, Manilans, especially the poor and marginalized sectors, experienced genuine progress. They enjoyed, among others, health  centers and hospitals with adequate equipment, facilities  and free medicines.

Perhaps as environment secretary and chairman of the Pasig Rehabilitation and Development Council,  Atienza will  be best remembered by Manilans for implementing the long-overdue dredging of

the heavily-silted Pasig. Had the mouth of Pasig not been widened from six to 10 meters, he said the flooding of vast areas of the metropolis caused by typhoon Ondoy in September and October would have been much worse because floodwaters had no chance of flowing out into the Manila Bay.

by Fel Maragay, Manila Standard Today

Manila mayoral bets sign peace accord

Manila mayoralty candidates Lito Atienza, Alfredo Lim and Avelino Razon Jr. raise their right hands as they recite the oath of covenant for a peaceful election.

MANILA, Philippines – Incumbent Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, former Environment Secretary Lito Atienza and former Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon Jr. yesterday signed a peace covenant for clean and honest elections during the May 2010 polls.

The signing of the peace covenant was done at 2 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Manila Police District headquarters along United Nations Avenue.

The event, called “Covenant Signing for HOPE 2010,” was initiated by National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Roberto Rosales in all Metro Manila cities to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful elections.

MPD director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay saw to it that the seating arrangement for the three mayoral bets would not put Atienza and Lim seating side by side, with the two seated between Magtibay and Rosales. Razon was seated beside Lim.

The signing ceremony was also witnessed by Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting coordinator for National Capital Region Monsignor Hernando Coronel and NCR regional election director lawyer Michael Dioneda who led in the oath of peace covenant among Manila candidates.

Meanwhile, a staff of Atienza distributed letters to the media after the signing which called on MPD officers to “be impartial and not to take sides during the entire campaign period.”

According to Atienza, his camp has been receiving reports the MPD mobile units have been escorting the personnel of the City Hall’s Department of Public Services, specifically along Road 10 Boulevard in Tondo, in the dismantling and removing materials of Atienza’s Buhayin ang Maynila team.

Manila policemen have also been harassing vendors in the Blumentritt area who openly expressed support for Atienza team, to the point of forcing them to use yellow tents identified with Lim, Atienza claimed.

He also said pedicab drivers were promised by some policemen that they would not be apprehended for traffic violations if they show their support for Lim.

“Many of our supporters were harassed and threatened by goons identified with Lim, and this will definitely not lead to a peaceful and orderly election,” Atienza said.

Razon echoed the same sentiments, but said the harassment stopped when he reported it to the media.

For his part, Lim said the accusations were all political propaganda. “Let the matter be investigated and let charges be filed if there is a violation of the Omnibus Election Code,” he told reporters.

MANILA: THE WAR OVER POSTERS

First Crack by Fel Maragay, Manila Standard Today, March 3, 2010

The rivalry between two leading candidates in the nation’s capital city—Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and former Mayor Lito Atienza—is becoming as intense as the scorching weather. It has come to a point where men from the camp of the incumbent mayor have allegedly resorted to tearing down Atienza’s campaign posters, including those pasted on the walls of private homes which is allowed under the Fair Election Practices Law.

As reported by some newspapers, one such ugly incident took place on Feb. 21, around 10 in the morning on H. Lopez corner Infanta streets in Balut, Tondo.

Another happened on Feb. 24, at 2 p.m. on Quezon Boulevard across Central Market. Personnel from the city government’s Department of Public Services, using dump trucks, were seen roaming around and entering private premises to remove the Atienza propaganda materials.

Subsequently, in one incident, Atienza’s followers confronted the culprits and a scuffle broke out. This prompted barangay officials concerned to ask Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales, director of the National Capital Region Office of the Philippine National Police, to intervene in the brewing trouble between the rival camps. Likewise, Arnold “Ali” Atienza, son and campaign manager of the former mayor, filed a complaint with Arturo Panaligan, director of the Civil Service Commission field office in Manila against certain DPS officials and personnel who were responsible for the illegal acts. However, DPS chief Francisco Baltazar countered that they only removed posters not installed in designated common poster areas and even accused Atienza’s followers of harassing them.

If Lim’s partisans had gone out of legal bounds by tearing down Atienza’s posters, even in places where these were compliant with law, that was a hostile, provocative and unwise move. Enraged followers of the challenger could retaliate by also scuttling Lim’s posters in their neighborhood. And that would have sparked a posters war.

If the sitting mayor had a hand in the illicit act aimed at reducing his opponent’s visibility in the propaganda front, that could backfire on the former because it could only bring him embarrassment and criticism. It would also create the impression that he is getting desperate in the face of his adversary’s claim that he is making inroads in his bid to recapture the city hall.

Some political pundits say that instead of destroying Atienza’s posters, Mayor Lim should start clearing Roxas Boulevard and other city avenues of the ubiquitous yellow streamers and pennants. These streamers started sprouting in the middle the streets when former President Corazon Aquino died in July. But up to now, they are still there. And people are wondering why.

Most of the streamers were destroyed and swept away by the winds when killer typhoon Ondoy unleashed its fury in September. But these were instantly replaced by brand new ones. In fact, the streamers appeared to have multiplied on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy Aquino Jr. on Nov. 27. The streamers were replenished when Cory Aquino’s birth anniversary was commemorated in January and the 24th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolt was observed last month.

The yellow streamers should have been pulled out from the streets days after Mrs. Aquino was buried. But this did not happen because the streamers served an important purpose other than keeping the memory of the late president alive. The Aquino family was still in mourning over her demise but the Corystas were already mulling the idea of fielding Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III as Liberal Party presidential candidate in place of Senator Mar Roxas who was then trailing behind other aspirants in the ratings charts. They were overwhelmed by the outpouring of public emotion over the loss of the beloved icon of democracy.

What else is the purpose of keeping the yellow streamers flowing across Roxas Boulevard and other streets of Manila but to send subliminal message to the passersby about the legacy of both Ninoy and Cory Aquino? This strategy is meant to sustain public support for the presidential candidacy of Noynoy who is billed as the logical heir and bearer of the legacy of his illustrious parents.

The yellow streamers are seen as intended to prop up Noynoy’s presidential bid and thus could perhaps be categorized as campaign materials, the continued display of which can be questioned by any of the protagonists in the presidential contest before election authorities. If nobody has taken this move, maybe it’s because the survey ratings of the Liberal Party standard bearer have since steadily declined. From a high of 60 percent last September, Noynoy’s score has plummeted to 27 to 32 percent putting him at a statistical

tie with his closest rival, Senator Manual Villar of the Nacionalista Party. Analysts say if Noynoy’s ratings have sharply gone down, it’s partly because the Cory euphoria has died down. Which goes without saying that the usefulness of the yellow streamers has been devalued.

At this juncture, it may be asked, who between Lim and Atienza is ahead of the mayoral race in Manila? By December, a survey purportedly showed that Lim had the upperhand in the fight. Political watchers say that if that was true, it was because the Atienza campaign machine was hardly moving at that time. After all, he was still preoccupied with his duties as secretary of environment and natural resources. On Dec. 28, he resigned his Cabinet post although there was a Supreme Court ruling that appointive public officials could remain in their posts— even if they had already filed their certificate of candidacy—until the official start of the campaign period for the local candidates on March 26.

Atienza said he did not want to divide his time between preparing for his campaign and discharging his responsibilities as a Cabinet member. His gesture was in stark contrast to that of his peers in Malacañang who clung to their positions for as long as they could. The reason was obvious: to take advantage of the funds and resources of their respective agencies to promote their candidacies.

Now we are being regaled with claims from the Atienza camp that the tide of the political battle in the premier city has turned around in his favor. But where is the empirical basis for this? We have yet to see a survey done by any credible research outfit to give us an idea of how Lim, Atienza and a third candidate, retired police general Avelino Razon, are faring.

But perhaps a concrete gauge of their campaign is going is how they are able to mobilize their supporters during rallies and other mass gatherings. In a show of force, the Atienza camp organized two huge rallies over the last two months, The first was held in the Port Area

in January in which Atienza’s followers overwhelmingly manifested their support for Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino standard bearer, former President Joseph Estrada. The second was in Plaza Miranda, Quiapo on Feb. 9 when the PMP national and local candidates in Metro Manila held a mammoth rally to mark the start of the poll campaign.

Then on Feb. 19, at the Century Park Sheraton Hotel in Malate, a fund-raising dinner was held for the benefit of members of Atienza’s Buhayin ang Maynila (Revive Manila) team. The hotel restaurant overflowed with leaders of street vendor groups and associations of small- and medium-sized enterprises, together with representatives of big business. There were 100 tables (of ten persons each) reserved for the occasion, but many other participants were unable to find seats in the jampacked dining hall.

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