Malaya (12.29.09)
“Were you happy during the Christmas season? ” Lito asks Manilans. “Masaya ang Makati, masaya ang Quezon City, masaya ang Pasay; ngunit, malungkot ang Maynila.”
by Ducky Paredes
Yesterday, Lito Atienza sent in his irrevocable resignation to Malacanang as Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources. He was in conference with his Usecs, Asecs, directors and other officers of the DENR as the press came straggling in for a hastily called press conference.
Why the resignation? Atienza explained that although the Supreme Court allowed cabinet officials running in the 2010 elections to keep their jobs until the campaign period began (in March, in the case of those going for a local position such as Mayor of Manila), Atienza explained that he had been among those who wrote the new electoral code in the then Batasang Pambansa in which all officials were considered resigned when they filed for their candidacies.
Besides, although he did not have to, he felt it was the right thing to do, rather than dividing his time and attention between the DENR and preparing for the campaign for Manila mayor. If he did not resign he would be doing both jobs – the DENR and preparing for his campaign – badly; besides, he was running to win.
Atienza said again: “Manila has deteriorated once again under the present local administration with its lack of vision and program of government. For three years, the Lim government has deprived Manileños of the right kind of life they deserve by removing and destroying what my administration worked hard for the people in nine years.”
Lito characterized the present state of Manila as dirty, dark streets and dreary and vowed to bring back a new, improved bay walk where Manilans rich and poor could enjoy the night air and the magnificent sunsets, To my surprise, the younger news reporters burst out in appreciative applause.
“Were you happy during the Christmas season? ” Lito asks Manilans. “Masaya ang Makati, masaya ang Quezon City, masaya ang Pasay; ngunit, malungkot ang Maynila.”
“Ang ibinigay naming tunay na pag-asa at liwanag ng kaunlaran sa Maynila ay muli na namang nagdilim sa mali at di-wastong pamamalakad. Noon, Maynila ang nangunguna at sinusundan. Ngayon, napag-iwanan na naman ang lungsod. Despite great opposition from residents, non-government organizations and the church, the Lim administration even railroaded an ordinance (8187) which allowed and ensured the permanent stay of “highly pollutive and extremely hazardous industries” in the capital, including the oil depots in Pandacan which placed the lives of Manileños in grave danger and made Manila the most polluted and toxic city in the world. I consider it the highest form of insensitivity against worldwide efforts to fight pollution and global warming.”
A reporter pointed out that although Atienza was up against two former Manila police chiefs, all of the other former police chiefs were for Atienza, who claimed then that even those at the precinct level were supporting his candidacy.
So, where was his place in the rankings at the moment in the mayoralty race? Atienza admits that Fred Lim, being the incumbent, is the man to beat which is all the more reason for his giving up his cabinet post – the better to prepare properly for the coming campaign. Atienza also pointed out that he had beat Lim before – in 2001 and was confident that he would do so again.
On the issue of the Pandacan oil depots, Lito has not changed his stand. He wants to run on that issue. He points out that the Supreme Court had backed him on getting the oil depots out of the city and that the Lim-dominated council rushed an ordinance that repealed his ordinance that would have forced the depots to leave Pandacan. He hints at money changing hands in order to fast-track the new ordinance and vowed to bring back his original local law — because protecting lives was the more important aspect of the debate on whether to keep the oil depots in the heart of Manila.
Clearly, Lito Atienza’s entry in the mayoralty sweepstakes in Manila will liven up the Manila elections. It will be a bruising battle between two mayors. What about Sonny Razon? Lito only says that Sonny was his Chief of Police in 2001 – a personal choice that he had a tough time selling to the appointing power, then President Joseph Estrada.
Atienza points out that there are certain things he learned during his time at the DENR that would make him a still better mayor this time around, For instance, he says that although the two water concessionaires promised, in the contracts they signed with the government, to build sewage treatment plants, only Manila Water had built the equivalent of 5% of its total commitment in its first ten years. At that rate, sewage treatment would commence in full after 200 years.
After pushing mightily, Lito got both concessionaire to promise full compliance sooner than they had originally planned, Manila Water by 2017 and Maynilad a few years later.
He sees Manila as having clean water in Manila Bay – maybe not in ten years but eventually — because a Manila with clean water in its bay and in the Pasig River will be the Manila that will bring in investors and tourists. A Manila that is getting dirtier and more putrid-smelling by the day will drive them all away.
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On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 25 November, at ceremonies held at Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City Judge Victoria Isabel Paredes, Executive Judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 124 of Caloocan City was awarded “Outstanding Gender-Sensitive Judge in the Philippines” in the second-ever Gender Justice Awards.
Vicky was cited for decisions applying the Anti-Rape Law of 1995 (R.A. 8353) and the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act (R.A. 7610). The way she conducted the hearings also showed gender-sensitivity in the courtrooms and the application of the rules of court intended to make Philippine courts gender-responsive.
My cousin Vicky has an enviable record of having little backlog on her caseload; she decides cases at the rate of 30 a month — a case a day
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hvp 12.28.09)
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