Atienza son claims harassment by Manila city hall department heads

MANILA, Philippines - Concerned Manila residents yesterday called on the police and other government agencies to look into the alleged harassment of City Hall personnel who tore down and removed posters of former Manila mayor Lito Atienza.

The residents, led by Atienza’s son Ali, enumerated before mediamen several incidents involving personnel from the City Hall’s Department of Public Safety who almost figured into clashes with supporters of the former mayor and secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.      

The young Atienza said that on Monday men on board an Elf van (SHP-763) tore down and removed information posters of Atienza at the Tanbunting area along Aurora Boulevard. The men were reportedly personnel from the DPS, which is headed by former policeman Caloy Baltazar, a known ally of Mayor Alfredo Lim.   

The DPS men were warned by residents not to remove those posters since they were put on private properties and allowed by the house owners to show their support for Atienza, Ali said. However, the DPS men continued with the removal of the posters.

At around 10 a.m. along Honorio Lopez Blvd. in Tondo, another DPS truck (565) arrived and the men on board also removed Atienza posters, Ali said. The same was repeated along Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo past 2 p.m., Ali said.

DPS personnel and residents also clashed in Tondo yesterday when some irate residents broke the windshield of a DPS van. The residents observed that it was only Atienza’s posters that were being removed by the DPS men.

“I am only wondering why these DPS personnel are singling out the posters of my father,” Ali told mediamen.

The young Atienza said that the situation is not fair since Lim also has a lot of campaign materials posted in several places, and asked why Lim has not ordered the removal of his own posters and tarpaulins in Manila. 

Ali said they are now gathering more evidence for the filing of appropriate charges on the DPS personnel and Baltazar before the Civil Service Commission. He also called on the police to remain vigilant on the streets to thwart an impending clash of DPS men and residents that could lead to loss of lives and properties.

Lim, Atienza and former Palace adviser on the peace process Avelino Razon will slug it out for the mayoralty race on May 10. 

The STAR tried to get the reaction of Baltazar but was told he was not at his office attending to some commitments. – With Sandy Araneta