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'Dirty Harry' returns as mayor
17/05/2007 14:50 - (SA)
Manila - Feared former Manila police chief Alfredo Lim, popularly known as "Dirty Harry" for his hardline approach to crime, has been elected mayor of the Philippine capital, it was announced on Thursday.
Lim was mayor of Manila nine years ago and earned his nickname after closing down strip joints, brothels and massage parlours in the city's popular red-light areas.
Lim's rival, Ali Atienza - the son of outgoing Manila mayor Jose "Lito" Atienza - conceded to Lim, saying that even the vote tally conducted by his camp showed Lim had an unbeatable lead of about 80 000 votes.
"I humbly accept his sportsmanship," said Lim, 78, adding that he was friends with both Atienzas.
Although the official vote count is not yet completed, Lim said his own count showed he had won, although neither Lim nor Atienza gave specific figures.
A blow for Arroyo
Lim said he would elaborate on his plans for Manila when he officially takes his post, in July.
Lim's victory is a blow to President Gloria Arroyo, who was a close ally to the Atienzas.
Lim was backed by Arroyo's arch-foe, deposed president Joseph Estrada, who is in detention facing graft charges.
Lim served as police chief of Metro Manila under former dictator Ferdinand Marcos and gained a reputation for being tough on criminals.
He later served as head of the justice department's investigation bureau before being elected mayor of Manila in 1992.
As mayor, he padlocked girlie bars and angered civil rights activists by marking the homes of alleged drug users, prompting accusations that he was abetting extra-judicial killings.
He made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1998, losing to Estrada, but was elected to the Senate in 2004.
- AFP
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