Lesson 2: Political Aspect

Political Structure

Manila is divided into 6 congressional districts with 6 congressmen per district to represent their
constituents in the Legislative Branch of the national government. However, for administrative
convenience, the city is still subdivided into smallest administrative division known as barangay which is
headed by a chairperson called Barangay captain and seven barangay councilors or “ kagawad “. At
present, there are 897 barangays , 100 zones in 16 administrative districts in Manila. The cities chief
administrative is the mayor, the legal elected person by the people to administer the city. The mayor is
assisted by the vice-mayor who often serve as the head of the city council or group of electedcouncilors
and may function as chief operating officer. The other people who directly help the mayor maintain peace
and order in the city are the councilors. The councilors are elected to the local council to represent their
local community. At present there are 6 elected councilors per congressional districts.

Post-War Mayors of Manila

Manila was heavily damaged after World War II. For one month from Feb. 3 to March 3 of 1945,
the Japanese and American forces destroyed the once called paris of asia.But after 4 years, Manila rose
again and after the war , mayors were appointed in the city as administrators for the good citizens and to
manage the city.

Ex. Pres. Manuel Quezon appointed Jorge Vargas as the mayor of Manila in 1941.

Other appointed mayors of Manila were the following:

1. Arsenio Cruz Herrera (1901-1905)

2. Felix Roxas (1905-1917)
3. Justo Lukban (1917-1920)
4. Ramon Fernandez (1920-1923)
5. Eulogio A. Rodriguez Sr. (1923)
6. Miguel Romualdez (1924-1927)
7. Tomas Earnshaw (1927-1934)
8. Juan Posadas Jr. (1934-1940)
9. Eulogio A. Rodriguez Sr. (1940-1941)
10. Juan l. Nolasco (1941)
11. Jorge B. Vargas (1941-1942)
12. Leon G. Guinto Sr. (1942-1944)
13. Herminigildo Atienza (1944-1945)
14. Juan L. Nolasco (1945-1946)
15. Valeriano Fugoso (1946-1947)
16. Manuel dela Fuente (1948-1951)
 Manuel dela Fuente was defeated by Arsenio Lacson in 1951 on the first ever mayoral election
in Manila.

The other elected mayors of Manila were:

1. Antonio Villegas (1962-1971)

2. Ramon Bagatsing (1972-1986)
3. Mel Lopez (1986-1987) full term in 1988-1992)
4. Gregorio Ejercito (1987-1988)
5. Alfredo Lim (1992-1998; then 2007-2013)
6. Lito Atienza (1998-2007) and
7. Joseph Estrada

The First Election in Manila and Marco Era

The first elected mayor of Manila was Arsenio Lacson in 1951, because all mayors were appointed
before 1951. The city of Manila during this period was recuperating from the effect of World War II. This
period was also considered as “ The Golden Age “.

Mayor Lacson’s term was successful one in 1950’s. Then, he was replaced by Mayor Antonio Villegas as
mayor of the city in the 60’s. In the 70’s, Mayor Ramon Bagatsing succeed him. Mayor Bagatsing was the
longest serving mayor of the city for nearly entire decade of 70’s until the 1986 EDSA revolution.

The Big Three of Manila

Arsenio Lacson (1952-1962). He was the first manila mayor to be elected to three terms. A lawyer by
profession and an alumnus of UST. He joined the Law office of Sen. Vicente Francisco and later as
Depatment of Justice as assistant Atty.

Antonio Villegas (1962-1971). A writer of manybooks, as a mayor he provided free education and books
to studens constructed the Ospital ng Maynila, made Manila as a non-smoking city, solved the traffic
problem, built public parks and plated trees along the streets of Manila. He died on Nov. 16, 1984 at Reno,
Nevada, USA.

Ramon Bagatsing. (1971-1986). An Indian-Filipino and a person with disability who served the country as
a lawyer,policeman congressman, cabinet member, a soldier and a lay minister. He was known as “the
Incorruptible” for his clean record in public service and for his unwavering anti-graft and corruption
stance. He was a victim of the “ Plaza Miranda Bombing” incident. He loved the poor Manila, established
cooperatives, built schools, day-care centers and hospitals.
Manila Under the Fifth Republic

During this period, Germiliano Lopez was the OIC of the city appointed by Corazon Aquino, a
former Batasang Assemblyman from 1984-1986, and chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission.But
in 1988, he won the mayoral election in Manila and served up to 1992.

In 1992, National and local election, Alfredo Lim, a strong ally of the Aquino Administration and
Director of the Nattional Bureau of Investigation, became the mayor of Manila. His slogan was “Magaling
na Lider, Disiplinado”.Lim was known for his tough stance aagainst drug syndicates, other criminals and
prostitution.He also founded the city college of Manila which is known today as Universidad de Manila.
When Lim ran for presidency in 1998, his vice mayor Lito Atienza was elected as city mayor.

Mayor Lito Atienza, as an architure graduate from UST was known for renovating most of the
city’s plaza and projects that would benefit the populace. However, he was also known for selling public
school campuses to private entities. The Lucky Chinatown Mall and City Place Condo(Megaworld
Corporation now) stands used to be the site of two heritage schools: Jose Abad Santos High School and
Rajah Soliman High School. It was demolished despite protest from teachers and local activist. He was the
mayor of Manila for 3 terms.

In 2007, Lim ran against the son of the incumbent mayor and defeated Ali Atienza. When he
became the mayor, he immediately reversed all of Atienza’s projects claiming the projects made little
contribution to the improvements of the city. On July 17, 2008, Councilor Dennis Alcozera filed human
rights complaint before the Commission of Human Rights against Lim and other Manila officials. Twenty-
four manila officials who resigned because of the maltreatment of Lim’s police forces.

One of the cases that ruined the refutation of Mayor Lim was the bloody resolution of Manila
hostage crisis, one of the deadliest hostage crisis in the Philippines and graft and corruption.These
allegation were later followed by a complaint in 2012 by Isko Moreno and 28 other city councilors which
cited that Lim’s statement in a meeting were life threatening. In 2103 elections, Joseph Estrada won the
mayoral race despite not being residence of Manila.