On May 14, the Manila Board of Canvassers proclaimed former president Joseph Estrada as the mayor of Manila, garnering 343,993 votes, or 52.72 percent of the total votes cast in Manila, against incumbent mayor Alfredo Lim, who received 308,544 votes, or 47.28 percent of votes. Estrada won by a difference of 35,449 votes.
The former president moved to Manila only last year, opting to reside in Sta. Mesa. He was formerly mayor of San Juan, and rose up the political ladder to become senator, vice president and president in 1998.
Estrada was convicted of plunder and perjury in a trial that saw him impeached from the presidency in 2001, and subsequently to enter into reclusion perpetua, although his successor, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, granted him executive clemency in 2007. Executive clemency counts as a pardon that grants the imprisoned all rights accorded free citizens.
Despite a public commitment not to run for elective office made back in 2007, Estrada managed to file a certificate of candidacy for the mayoral race concluded last month. The Sandiganbayan junked all appeals for Estrada’s disqualification from running under the grounds of his public commitment not to run due to the dispositive nature of the executive clemency granted him.
In an interview with The LaSallian, mayor-elect Joseph Estrada shares his plans for Manila, the Philippines’ capital city.
What are your economic and social plans for Manila?
Erap: Manila currently occupies the 36th spot out of 38 highly urbanized cities (see DILG website) in the DILG list of best governed local government units, which is a sad state of affairs considering the city’s status as the country’s capital. This translates to a fundamental breakdown in the management of a city that should represent the best of the country.
If the electorate chooses me to be their next leader, my first priority would be to rationalize the city’s current financial state. This translates to tracing the manner in which its funds and other resources have been misspent or else utilized for items other than those for which they were specifically earmarked, and then implementing a program of utilization that is focused and transparent. An important guide in this pursuit will be the most recent report issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) which lists – in great detail – its findings and recommendations on how Manila’s financial standing can be rehabilitated. (see PDI, Aug. 15, 2012, p. A25)
Rationalization will also be a backbone of the social programs I intend to implement in Manila. For example, it is ironic that the city has district hospitals, but that each one lacks even the most basic equipment and supplies to address the health needs of residents. In sum these edifices are little more than white elephants – structures that are hollow and serve no real purpose. Worse, the funds used to build them could have been put to better use by purchasing modern equipment and supplies for existing health facilities in the city.
What is Manila’s biggest challenge that the city needs to overcome?
Erap: A lack of direction. I believe this is the reason that while cities like San Juan and Valenzuela have made giant leaps forward despite having only recently been declared cities, Manila has declined proportionately. Its historical and cultural wealth notwithstanding, Manila appears to be headed on a downward spiral. It is this lack of direction that creates a sense of drift, as if there is no one really in charge. And if there is no one in charge, then it follows that no one knows where Manila is headed at this point.
What can you contribute to the city to make it more relevant in the years to come?
Erap: Manila’s relevance will never be lost. It will continue to play a significant role in Philippines contemporary history because of its cultural, social and historical significance. But like I said earlier, clear directions must be set for the city’s short and long-term goals. A leadership that dedicates itself to the achievement of these goals inspires a parallel commitment from the citizenry. There must be “URBAN RENEWAL.”
In my plan to provide more job opportunities to the people of Manila, I aim to promote tourism based on Manila’s cultural heritage to optimize its public markets and trade centers, to support the schools and universities – both public and private, to nurture the senior citizens, to create clean and green areas and install a disaster preparedness program, and of course, stop lawlessness to maintain peace and order at all times. Most especially, I plan to support and provide better opportunities for the students in Manila’s schools and universities. The youth of Manila will determine the city’s future. They must realize that and be given the right support systems to help them make a commitment for Manila.
What makes Manila unique from all the cities in this country? What makes it special for you?
Erap: There is a deeper sense of history and pride in our culture. Being one of the oldest cities in the country, aside from being home to centuries-old institutions such as the University of Sto. Tomas, Manila makes its residents uniquely proud of their history. When foreigners talk or think about Manila, they refer to the entire country. When Manila is called “UGLY”, it is the Philippines that appears “UGLY”.
What legacy would you like to leave Manila’s people?
Erap: I have said before, I intend to be at Manila’s helm for a single term only. There will be time to lay down the foundations of my most important plans and programs for the city. Foremost of this is to set up institutional mechanisms for fiscal transparency, globally competitive investment program, basic social services delivery, solid waste management and disaster preparedness, housing and peace and order. If I succeed, the vice-mayor and the city council will continue the programs and projects because the institutions will already be in place. I would have left a legacy of progress and development for my successors.
Likewise if I succeed in fostering a greater sense of community in the hearts of the people of Manila – the willingness to help their fellowmen and their city as a whole so that everyone can move forward – then I would have accomplished what I set out to do. I would have shown my family and the people of Manila that Erap is a son who honors the service of his father, Emilio – a public servant of the City of Manila for 30 years – and that the city occupies a very special place in his heart.
This interview appears beside Alfredo Lim’s answers in the February 2012 issue of The LaSallian and is especially, separately printed for this month’s issue.
