Lim’s boys ask Comelec to disqualify Atienza

The bitterly feuding Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and his "comebacking" predecessor, former Interior and Local Government Secterary Alfredo Lim, have taken their quarrel to a new front after the latter’s supporters filed disqualification proceedings against the incumbent city chief executive for alleged violation of Commission on Elections (Comelec) rules.

Atienza parried the accusations, formalized in a complaint before the Comelec, with a press statement branding the latest move of the Lim camp as "a desperate and futile attempt of a losing candidate."

The charges were purportedly lodged by Amando Tetangco, a Manila District I council candidate under Lim’s ticket.

Based on a statement issued by Lim’s group, after the filing of the seven counts of election offenses, Atienza virtually wined and dined barangay officials, tanods, youth leaders, other local elective officials, and even members of the press on several instances between Feb. 19 to Mar. 29. The total bill from restaurants, out-of-town hotels, and other venues reportedly amounted to around P2 million.

The Atienza camp, speaking through City Legal Officer Melchor Monsod, belittled the charges. "This clearly shows that they are politically bankrupt. First, they launch a smear campaign against Mayor Atienza alleging all kinds of imagined wrongdoing. When they realized that it was ineffective, they now filed this petition," he said.

The two rivals have long been using proxies to lash out at each other.

The Lim statement, quoting the 10-page petition for disqualification, said the gatherings were "disguised" as fellowship meetings, assemblies, leadership training seminars, and luncheons. The petition also charged Atienza with coercing City Hall employees into attending his political rally last April 10 and using barangay vehicles to promote his candidacy.

The Atienza camp responded by saying that "since the start of the campaign period, all they have done is engage in mudslinging," and warned their nemesis that "unprincipled politics" may backfire on them.

"At the end of the day, voters in Manila would still judge the candidates based on principles and performance and not on histrionics and innuendoes," Monsod was quoted as saying.

Monsod also took note of the fact that Tetangco is being assisted by lawyer Rafaelito Garayblas, among others, saying the legal counsel had long been serving as lawyer for Atienza’s accusers.