Alfredo Lim


Alfredo "Fred" Siojo Lim is a Filipino politician and retired police officer who served as a senator from 2004 to 2007. He also served as the Mayor of Manila twice: first from 1992 to 1998, and again from 2007 to 2013.
Prior to entering politics, Lim was a policeman for three decades. During the administration of President Corazon Aquino, he was appointed as the Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, serving from 1989 to 1992. In 1992, he was elected Mayor of Manila, serving for two consecutive terms. He then unsuccessfully ran for President in 1998. Two years later, in 2000, he was appointed by President Joseph Estrada as the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
In 2001, he ran again for mayor of Manila but lost to then-incumbent Lito Atienza. In the 2004 elections, he ran for senator and won. Three years into his tenure in the Senate, he resigned in order to run for mayor of Manila, which he won and served two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2013. He then lost the 2013 and 2016 mayoralty elections to former president Estrada. In 2019, both Lim and Estrada lost the mayoralty elections to Isko Moreno, who served as vice mayor during the two former mayors' respective terms.
Due to his tough stance against suspected criminals, Lim earned the nickname "Dirty Harry".

Early life and career

Lim was born on 21 December 1929 at the Emmanuel Community Hospital in Manuguit, Tondo, Manila, to Rosario Siojo, a Filipina with Chinese ancestry from the Siojo family of San Miguel, Bulacan. His father, From Antique go back to his hometown. When he was in pre-school, his mother remarried and left him at the Hospicio de San Jose. When he was in the third grade, he was put under the care of his maternal grandmother, Flora Valisno-Siojo. After his grandmother's death in 1943, he lived with his godmother, Dolores La’o-Conde.
He finished primary school as a salutatorian at the P. Gomez Elementary School in 1943. While in high school, Lim studied in four different schools. He spent his first year at the Bohol Institute of Technology and the next year at San Beda College. He then transferred to UST High School for his third year and then at the Far Eastern University, where he graduated in 1948. He earned a degree of business administration in 1951 and a Bachelor of Law in 1963 at the University of the East. In 1981, he finished his master's degree in national security administration with honours at the National Defense College of the Philippines and pursued a Doctor Of Philosophy in criminology. He graduated in 1998 from Philippine College Of Criminology.
When Lim began work in the police in the 1950s, one of his first accomplishments was arresting future senator Robert Barbers for illegal possession of firearms. Then Manila Vice Mayor James Barbers tried to negotiate with Lim to release Robert Barbers without charges, but Lim proceeded to file it anyway. A decorated police officer, Lim earned numerous commendations and awards. During the late 1980s, Lim helped defend the government of then-President Corazon Aquino from leftist elements, such as leading the retaking of government installations from military rebels during one of the 1987 coup attempts. After retiring from the police, Lim was appointed Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, where he lobbied for more funding and pay increases for agents and other employees. Since regular agents had to be fairly half of the force's positions were vacant, and there were few takers because of the low salary. Lim also lobbied for the position of special investigator which was realised to complement regular agents.

Political career

Mayor of Manila (1992-1998)

In 1992, Lim beat six opponents in the election to become mayor of Manila. As mayor, he worked on a strong law and order program which lessened crime. Lim 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. His slogan was "Magaling na Lider, Disiplinado."
Lim was re-elected in 1995. During his first two terms in office, he earned the nickname "Dirty Harry" for his tough anti-crime policies against suspected and convicted drug pushers and drug runners and the city's red light districts, among others. He founded the City College of Manila that would serve to complement Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. He resigned on 27 March 1998 to focus in his presidential campaign.

Presidential run and DILG Secretary (1998-2001)

He ran a failed bid for the presidency as the Liberal Party nominee in the 1998 election, garnering only 8.7% of the vote and finishing fifth in a field of eleven candidates.
In January 2000, his rival in the presidential election, President Joseph Estrada appointed him as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government. His stint was cut short when Estrada was ousted during the second EDSA Revolution the following year.

2001 mayoral elections

Lim ran against incumbent Jose Atienza, his former ally and vice-mayor, in 2001. However, he lost to Atienza by almost 80,000 votes.

Senator (2004-2007)

He was elected Senator in the 2004 election under PMP and the banner of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino. As a senator, Lim introduced legislation to bring back mandatory ROTC, but this bill did not receive any co-sponsors.

Return as mayor (2007-2013)

In 2007, Lim decided to give up his post as senator and ran again for Mayor of Manila. He defeated Atienza's son, Ali Atienza.
Shortly after assuming office, he adopted the slogan "Linisin, Ikarangal Maynila". He ended the ban on holding rallies at Mendiola initiated by his predecessor Jose Atienza Jr., later modifying it by allowing rallies to be held there on weekends and holidays.
On 16 July 2007, Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Calderon asked him to revoke his ban to prevent militants from marching there. PNP would recommend having protesters take their rallies to freedom parks. Calderon warned that if Lim will not change his position, the PNP will enforce the "no permit, no rally" policy. He ordered the removal of all business establishments, including bars and restaurants, in the Baywalk area along Roxas Boulevard in an attempt to make the area a "wholesome park for everyone", with an unobstructed view of the famed Manila sunset. He claimed that many of these establishments have no business permits and were selling liquor, which is a violation of applicable city ordinances.
In December 2007, he told MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando not to conduct its sidewalk clearing operations in Manila since vendors were allowed to sell on sidewalks for humanitarian reasons. He 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."
On 14 March 2008, Lim's son, Manny Lim and 2 suspects were arrested in a hotel on Tomas Mapua Street by PDEA operatives during a buy–bust operation in Binondo. Manny had in his possession 100 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P600,000.
On 17 July 2008, Councilor Dennis Alcoreza filed human rights complaints before the Commission on Human Rights, against Lim, and other Manila officials. Alcoreza accused Lim of a violent takeover of a slaughterhouse in Tondo on 11 July, and illegal dispersal of protest. Meanwhile, 24 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 towards Alcoreza during the city government's takeover of the slaughterhouse.
Lim resigned as head of Joseph Estrada's Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino in August 2008, following a PMP's executive committee resolution removing him as president of the party. He was replaced by Estrada, who is also the PMP chairman.
In October 2008, he made ROTC training mandatory for all students at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and City College of Manila, both city-owned colleges.
Lim ran for reelection in 2010, with Vice Mayor Isko Moreno as his running mate. Together, they defeated Lim's predecessor, Atienza, and his running mate, Councilor Bonjay Isip-Garcia. However, Atienza filed an electoral protest, citing discrepancies in the election returns and the consolidation and canvassing system. He later dropped his protest in January 2013.
On August 23, 2010, former police officer Rolando Mendoza hijacked a tourist bus full of tourists from Hong Kong in order to make demands on the government about a case against him at the Ombudsman that led to his dismissal from service. The government's failure to negotiate properly with Mendoza led to the killing of eight hostages and of Mendoza himself after almost ten hours of stand-off. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima was tasked to lead an investigation on the incident and determine whose negligence led to the tragedy. Her committee, the Incident Investigation and Review Committee, found out that there were lapses on Lim's part that led to the failed resolution of the hostage-drama, thereby recommending the filing of administrative and criminal cases against him and other officials. Malacañang, however, declared Lim's liability was neglect of duty and misconduct. But, according to a report conducted by the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo that was released on April 2013, he was found to have been "administratively liable" for the incident.
In 2013, he sought another term as mayor, with actor and Councilor Lou Veloso as his running mate but they were defeated by Estrada and Moreno, respectively.

Later career

On 2015, Lim returned to the radio airwaves as co-anchor of "Katapat at Karancho", 8TriMedia's morning commentary program aired on DZRJ-AM.
In the 2016 mayoral elections, Lim ran again as Manila mayor against the incumbent Joseph Estrada, who replaced him in 2013. He lost to Estrada by a margin of 2,800 votes.
Lim attempted another comeback as mayor and ran in the 2019 midterm elections, chasing another fifth non-consecutive term against Estrada again and his former vice-mayor and running mate Isko Moreno. However, Lim placed third and Moreno emerged as the winner in the three-way race of notable candidates.
Lim, when not under the banner of a national political party, has used the "Kapayapaan, Kaunlaran at Katarungan" label, the party he has founded in elections.

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