Manila mayoral bet courts freemasons’ support

Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing

Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing sought the support of the Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines, asking them to back his bid to be the next city mayor if they are also dissatisfied with Manila’s current condition.

Bagatsing was guest speaker at the installation of the new officers of the Macario R. Ramos Memorial Lodge 355, held Tuesday night at the New Plaridel Masonic Temple on San Marcelino Street in Ermita.

“[The freemasons] have seen the decay of the city, so I’m calling upon them, if they feel like it’s time to restore the glory of Manila, to be part of the solution,” said Bagatsing.

“It seems when you go around the city, all you see is chaos because of lack of consultation,” he said, adding that, if elected mayor, he would consult with members of the freemasons before passing city ordinances.

“I’m calling on them to help me even after the elections, not just [to win],” said Bagatsing, who in previous statements promised to revive historic districts such as Escolta, Binondo, Ermita, and Intramuros; and make Manila more “business-friendly” by resolving issues arising from the tax increases implemented by reelectionist Mayor Joseph Estrada.

While there was no collective endorsement of Bagatsing by the 70-80 freemasons gathered that night, the lodge’s newly installed Worshipful Master, Phillip John Grecia, said he considered the congressman to be a “strong contender.”

“Manila has been suffering for a long time now. Politicians keep promising the same things over and over, but we don’t see any progress,” Grecia said in an interview.

A researcher in the corporate planning department of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), Grecia said he personally felt  dissatisfied with Manila’s current and previous administrations.

Bagatsing, now on his third and final term representing the city’s fifth district, is in a three-cornered battle for City Hall with the reelectionist Estrada and predecessor Alfredo Lim. Amado’s father Ramon was the longest-serving Manila mayor who governed from 1971 to 1986.

“Where do I get the temerity to challenge a former President and one called ‘Dirty Harry?’” he said, referring to Estrada and Lim, respectively. [It’s from] people who have come to me and said, ‘Amado, if you don’t run for mayor, we won’t have any choice (and) will have to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. We’ve tried both. Our lives have not become better under either administration.”