Monstrous Manila traffic jam

Traffic in Manila was tied up yesterday due to Manila Mayor Lito Atienza’s last "state-of-the-city" address at Rajah Sulaiman Park along scenic Roxas Boulevard, where he announced that he is fielding his son as the Liberal Party’s (LP) mayoralty candidate in the upcoming midterm elections in May.

Atienza’s second son, Arnold "Ali" Atienza heads the city government’s Inner-City Development program and is President Arroyo’s adviser on sports.

The closure of Roxas Boulevard for yesterday’s rally — which featured boxing champ Manny Pacquiao — tied up traffic mostly in the Malate district as vehicles were backed up for several kilometers in many directions.

Intersections were clogged bumper-to-bumper as motorists tried to find a way through. Many complained that the city government gave no traffic advisory the day before.

Police Senior Superintendent Elmer Jamias, of the Manila District Traffic Enforcement Office, said both lanes of Roxas Boulevard from Pedro Gil Street to Quirino Avenue were closed from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. yesterday.

"I have already deployed about 80 percent of our traffic personnel and we are getting support from the Manila Police District (MPD) to ensure an easy flow of traffic. But it just so happened that since it is a Thursday, a regular working day, we didn’t expect a volume of vehicles," said Jamias.

Senior Police Officer 3 Jose Cundangan partly attributed the jam to stubborn motorists who ignored detour signs.

As a result of the road closures, commuters were forced to walk to their destinations.

Atienza, who is ending his third and final term as mayor this year, is confident his son will win despite his youth.

"After holding consultations with various sectors in the youth, non-government organizations, barangay leaders, women, parishes (it showed that) there is unanimity. Ali will run for city mayor of Manila," the elder Atienza told thousands of supporters.

Atienza had initially eyed his eldest son, Kim, to be his successor. But the younger Atienza abandoned hopes of becoming mayor and instead started making his mark as a weatherman in a television station.

As for Ali’s running mate, they are still choosing from three possible contenders namely Deputy Mayor Don Bagatsing, Sixth District Councilor Greco Belgica and First District Congressman Ernesto "Banzai" Nieva.

But among the three possible vice mayoralty candidates, Bagatsing has the edge because he already had experienced campaigning citywide as Mayor Atienza’s running mate during the 2004 elections.

However, they would also consider the fact that his uncle Amado is reported to be interested to run for congressman under another political party. "In politics, families have to be united," the local chief executive said.

Bagatsing was Mayor Atienza’s running mate but lost to Vice Mayor Danilo Lacuna, who is also seeking the city’s premier post.

"The qualifications that I am looking for in all our candidates is that they should be totally committed to urban development plan of ‘Buhayin ang Maynila’ program," the elder Atienza said.

One of the biggest problems that Ali might face in this year’s election is his young age. At 34, political pundits speculate that his capability would be questioned on the campaign trail.

But his father and mentor said he believed that youth might be his son’s advantage. The elder Atienza further challenged opposing candidates to present their programs of government "and let us compete in an intelligent manner".