- Alfredo Lim
Alfredo Siojo Lim (born
December 21 ,1929 ) is the incumbent Mayor of theCity of Manila and a former senator of thePhilippines . A widower, he first served as mayor ofManila from 1992 to 1998 and returned to that post after winning in the 2007 mayoral election.Early life
Alfredo Lim was born in
Manila , and is of mixed Chinese and Filipino descent. [ [http://www.pathfinder.com/asiaweek/98/0410/nat3.html Lim's 'Bang-Bang' Theory] ; [http://www.naga.gov.ph/journal/2002/21AUG02.html Robredo keynotes biggest meeting of Tsinoy businessmen in Manila] ] He finished high school atFar Eastern University , graduating in 1948. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in 1951 and Bachelor of Laws in 1963, both at theUniversity of the East . He finished his Master's Degree in National Security Administration with honors, at the National Defense College of the Philippines, in 1981.After Graduation
Lim started his police career in the early 1950s. He was a distinguished police officer earning numerous commendations and awardsFact|date=April 2007. During the late 1980s, Lim helped defend the government of President Corazon Aquino from numerous threats from rightist elements. Lim's led Manila Policemen to retake government installations from military rebels in the 1987 coup attempt. After retiring from the police, Lim was appointed National Bureau of Investigation director. Lim effected numerous changes in the NBI. Lim lobbied for more funding and increases in the pay of agents and other employees. Due to the fact that regular agents had to be either Lawyers or accountants, nearly half of the agent force positions were vacant. There were few takers due to the pay offered. Lim then lobbied for the position of special investigator which was realized to complement the regular agents.
Political Life
Mayor of Manila (1992-1998)
In 1992, he beat six opponents in the election to become mayor of
Manila . As mayor, he worked on a strong law and order program which lessened crimeFact|date=April 2007. Lim also worked on some projects to improve the city's image which had been bad when he assumed office. He pushed reforms in the city government. He was re-elected in 1995.1998 Presidential Candidate
He ran a failed bid for the presidency as the Liberal Party nominee in the 1998 election, garnering 8.7% of the vote and finishing fifth in a field of eleven candidates. Sometime during the Estrada administration, Lim served as Secretary of Interior and Local Government. But his stint was cut short when Estrada left office in early 2001.
enator
He was elected Senator in the 2004 election. as a senator Lim introduced legislation to bring back mandatory ROTC, but this bill did not receive any co-sponsors.Effective
June 30 ,2007 , his position in the Senate, which he would have served untilJune 30 ,2010 , is currently vacant because he won for mayor inManila .Mayoralty Candidate in Manila
He ran for the mayorship in the
City of Manila in the 2007 elections with his running mate Manila Fifth District Rep.Joey Hizon . He won the said election againstArnold Atienza , the son of the previous mayor of Manila (Jose L. Atienza, Jr.).Mayor of Manila (2007-2010)
He took his oath of office on
June 30 ,2007 . Under the governance slogan "Linisin, Ibangon (ang) Maynila" (Clean, Uplift Manila, hence the acronym LIM), he is currently assisted by Manila vice mayorIsko Moreno , who beat Lim's running mateJoey Hizon . Moreno ran withDanny Lacuna , a former Manila vice mayor.Shortly after assuming office, Lim gave the go-signal for the removal of squatters in Quiapo, Manila's notorious “Little Vietnam”. The eviction will start of July 6, 2007, after a dialogue with imams (religious leaders) and village leaders who signified their approval, to clean the area of alleged killings and illegal drug activities. Meanwhile, Canadian Ambassador Peter Sutherland, said his government already had a number of programs for Muslims in Mindanao. Lim stated that "he would also make representations at the Supreme Court to see if a Sharia court could be established in the city, where 4,000 families lived in the Islamic Center alone". [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=75040 Inquirer.net, Manila mayor orders ‘Little Vietnam’ torn down] ] On July 13, 2007, Lim rejected the designation of Rosales as Manila police chief and ordered current MPD director Senior Superintendent Danilo Abarzosa to remain at his post. [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=76328 Inquiret.net, Lim: Acting Manila police chief stays] ]
PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon (July 16) asked Lim to recall his "open-Mendiola" policy to prevent militants from marching there. PNP would recommend having protesters take their rallies to freedom parks. Upon assuming his post last June 30, Lim ended the ban on Mendiola by his predecessor Jose Atienza Jr., later modifiying the policy by allowing rallies at Mendiola on weekends and holidays. Calderon warned that if Lim will not change his position, the PNP will enforce the "no permit, no rally" policy. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/51211/PNP-asks-Lim-Recall-open-Mendiola-policy GMA NEWS.TV, PNP asks Lim: Recall 'open-Mendiola policy'] ] Lim formally reopened (July 14) the portion of Avenida Street to traffic, some years after Atienza Jr. blocked it off in favor of pedestrians. There were no traffic lights or signs, or traffic aides to guide motorists, pedestrians and commuters (the new traffic scheme in the Sta. Cruz district in downtown Manila) except for concrete barriers of the MMDA. Neither were there pedestrian lanes or traffic signs urging motorists and drivers to slow down at intersections. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/51147/No-traffic-aides-lights-as-Avenida-reopened-to-traffic GMA NEWS.TV, No traffic aides, lights as Avenida reopened to traffic] ]
Lim also ordered the removal of all business establishments, including bars and restaurants, in the
Baywalk area alongRoxas Boulevard (also another Atienza project) in an attempt to make the area a "wholesome park for everyone", with an unobstructed view of the famed Manila sunset. Lim claims that many of these establishments have no business permits and were selling liquor, which is a violation of applicable city ordinances. [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=88095 ABS-CBNnews.com, No more bars, restos at Baywalk] ]On
December 17 ,2007 , Alfredo Lim toldMMDA ChairmanBayani Fernando not to conduct its sidewalk clearing operations in Manila since vendors were allowed to sell on sidewalks for humanitarian reasons. Lim stated: "I jokingly told Chairman Fernando that they are welcome anytime but I cannot guarantee their safety. Their problem is how they will get out." [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=102789 Abs-Cbn Interactive, Lim to BF: Enter Manila at your own risk] ]On
March 14 ,2008 , Alfredo Lim's son, Manny Lim, 44, a businessman, with 2 suspects were arrested in a hotel on Tomas Mapua Street by PDEA operatives during a buy-bust operation inBinondo . Manny had in his possession 100 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride orshabu worth P600,000. [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080315-124901/Mayor-Lims-son-arrested-on-drug-charge Inquirer.net, Mayor Lim’s son arrested on drug charge] ]Lim and
Reynato Puno , onJuly 9 , 2008, re-launched the Supreme Court’s "Justice on Wheels (JOW) Project", to improve access of justice to the poor. TheManila City Jail was built for only 1,000 inmates but is now crammed with 4,602. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/105990/Supreme-Court-moves-to-declog-Manila-jails-of-overstaying-inmates gmanews.tv, Supreme Court moves to declog Manila jails of overstaying inmates] ] [ [http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/thegoodnews/view.php?db=1&article=20080710-147513 inquirer.net, Mobile court resolves 20 cases in one day] ] [ [http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/news/courtnews%20flash/2008/07/07090801.php supremecourt.gov.ph, SC, Manila Gov’t Team Up in Increasing Access to Justice] ]Manila councilor Dennis Alcoreza, on
July 17 , 2008, filedhuman rights complaints before theCommission on Human Rights , against Lim, and otherManila officials. Alcoreza accused Lim of forced body removal off the slaughterhouse on July 11, and illegal dispersal of protest. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/107511/Councilor-files-raps-vs-Lim-Manila-execs-before-CHR gmanews.tv, Councilor files raps vs Lim, Manila execs before CHR] ] Meanwhile, 24 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's Manila Police Department (MPD) towards Alcoreza during the city government’s takeover of theTondo Vitas Slaughterhouse leased to Dealco Farms Inc. [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080715-148632/Manila-councilors-quit-committees-over-slaughterhouse-row Manila councilors quit newsinfo.inquirer.net, committees over slaughterhouse row] ]Resignation as President of PMP
Lim, on
August 20 , 2008, resigned as head of Joseph Estrada’sPwersa ng Masang Pilipino (Partido ng Masang Pilipino - PMP) following a PMP’s executive committee resolution removing him as president of the party. He was replaced byJoseph Estrada who is also the PMP chairman. [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=128823 abs-cbnnews.com, Lim resigns as PMP president] ] [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/topstories/topstories/view/20080820-155812/Mayor-Lim-resigns-from-Estrada-party newsinfo.inquirer.net, Mayor Lim resigns from Estrada party] ]References
The stem of the problem began when the city hall has discovered that the Vitas slaughterhouse has not remitted to the City of Manila for eight years, which has racked up a bill for over P46 millions and has not followed the lease contract condition to rehabilitate and modernize the slaughterhouse.
"What we want is that they have to pay their debts," Lim said at a no-holds-barred discussion of the issue held on Friday at the National Press Club.
The city, Lim said, has no no interest in claiming the Vitas Slaughterhouse, or any other business for that matter. The
External links
* [http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/lim_bio.htm Senate of the Philippines - Alfredo Lim biography]
* [http://www.i-site.ph/Databases/Congress/13thSenate/SALS/lim-SAL.html Alfredo Lim's Assets and Liabilities]
* [http://www.manilacityph.com/mayor.html Mayor of Manila 2007-present]
* [http://www.fredlim.com Alfredo S. Lim's Official Website]
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