Lim, Atienza end feud, team up vs Erap

Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada

Two of the City of Manila’s political allies-turned-rivals have apparently ended their feud and joined forces in the hopes of defeating their common, more formidable enemy—incumbent Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada.

With just a little over a week before Election Day, former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who is eyeing a return to city hall, dropped his running mate and announced that he would be supporting the vice mayoral bid of fifth district Councilor Ali Atienza.

Councilor Ali Atienza

The young Atienza, one of the sons of Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, is the running mate of another mayoral candidate, fifth district Rep. Amado Bagatsing.

Speaking in a press conference held on Thursday at Aristocrat Restaurant on Roxas Boulevard, Lim said he would be talking to his running mate, first district Rep. Benjamin Asilo, within the day to ask him to withdraw his candidacy.

“If elected, I can assign [Asilo] to a high-ranking position. He can take his pick,” said Lim. He added that his decision was prompted by recent clamor from supporters for a Lim-Ali Atienza tandem.

In a meeting over the weekend, Lim said that he and Lito Atienza finalized the arrangement that he would support Ali’s candidacy also because surveys reflected that he was leading the vice mayoral race.

“In the meeting, [Ali was there] with his father whose advice he [would] surely follow,” said Lim.

A member of Lim’s staff who asked not to be named told the Inquirer that some of these surveys were conducted by the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, the political party headed by Estrada who is seeking reelection.

The Inquirer tried to reach the younger Atienza for comment but the councilor did not respond to calls and text messages at press time.

Asilo, meanwhile, said he was aware of Lim’s earlier announcement although he has yet to talk to his running mate.

“On my part, I don’t understand the announcement. We are running under a party so I believe [such decisions] should come from them. But I have no intention of withdrawing my candidacy,” he told the Inquirer.

Bagatsing’s camp, on the other hand, said that his tandem with the younger Atienza “remained solid” with the latter consistently attending sorties led by the congressman and his party, Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran (Kabaka).

In March, Lim endorsed Lito Atienza’s Buhay party-list because of their common goal “to bring back the old glory” of Manila. In return, the elder

Former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim

Atienza endorsed Lim’s mayoral bid.

The two ruled Manila together, Lim as mayor and Lito Atienza as vice mayor, from 1992 to 1998. It was also in 1992 that they became estranged with Lim accusing his former ally of undoing many of his reforms in the city.

In 1998, Lim ran for President while Atienza made his bid for Manila mayor, a race he won even as Lim lost.

They first faced off for the city’s top post in 2001, with Atienza emerging victorious. He served for three terms until 2007 while Lim went on to a seat in the Senate from 2004 to 2007, before reclaiming the mayoralty, serving between 2007 and 2013. With Inquirer Research