Cong. Amado Bagatsing, Uncle Of Actors Raymond And RK Bagatsing, Runs For Manila Mayor Vs. Erap & Fred Lim

REP. AMADO BAGATSING has been congressman of Manila’s District 5 for the past nine years, his second nine-year term. He thought he’d be resting from politics for a while but he’s now running for mayor of Manila. “Ang dami kasing tao mula sa iba’t ibang sektor, lalo na ang mga kasamahan ko sa KABAKA, which stands for Kabalikat ng Bayan sa Kaunlaran, na nakiusap sa aking tumakbo ako,” he says. “Kasi wala raw silang gusto sa dalawang kandidato, si Erap Estrada at si Fred Lim. Bigyan nyo naman kami ng alternatibo, sabi sa’kin. Ako raw ang tinig ng kabataan, kasi si Lim, 80 years old na at si Erap, 70 plus. Ako, nasa 60s pa lang. So ako’ng pinakabata sa amin. Nagulat ako dahil sa surveys, biglang ang taas ng rating ko.”

He has a showbiz connection since two of his nephews, actors Raymond and RK Bagatsing, are kids of his older brother, Boy Bagatsing. His dad is the late Manila mayor Ramon Bagatsing, who was a victim of the Plaza Miranda Bombing in 1971.


“I was only 21 then. Up to now, very vivid ang nangyari sa memory ko. My dad lost one of his legs. Natamaan din siya sa isang siko niya at sa pisngi. After the explosion, nilapitan ko ang ama ko, akala ko, patay na. E biglang umungol so dinala na namin sa ospital. Lahat nga senador na nandoon, sina Mitra, Osmena, Salonga at Ilarde, naging biktima. Total annihilation ng Liberal Party then ang gusto nilang gawin. Up to now, unsolved mystery pa rin kung sino ang gumawa.”

If he elected, he wants to preserve historical buildings in the Escolta area that some quarters without a sense of history now want to demolish, including the reconstruction of the Metropolitan Theatre. He wants to bring Manila back to its old glory by cleaning all markets and restaurants, reviving Intramuros and by making it a center of arts and culture with Roxas Blvd. as a hub for painters and musicians. His running mate as vice mayor is Ali Atienza, brother of Kuya Kim and son of former mayor Lito Atienza.