COMMUNICATIONS Secretary Martin Andanar late Saturday paid tribute to the late senator and Manila mayor Alfredo Lim, whom he said will be remembered for his dedication to public service and ensuring public order.
Lim passed away at the age of 90 on August 8 due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim… He will be remembered for his dedication to public order and his long years of public service, particularly by the Manileños, for whom he had served as mayor, first from 1992 to 1998, and again from 2007 to 2013. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. We pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Mayor Lim,” Andanar said.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno also paid tribute to Lim, saying one of his main legacies is an orderly and safe city.
Moreno said the programs and projects by Lim during his stint as Manila mayor from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2007 to 2013 are still being used by his constituents to this day.
He cited the Sta. Ana Hospital, Ospital ng Sampaloc and the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center and the Universidad de Manila, which offers free college education to poor students as among the infrastructure projects built during Lim’s time as mayor.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III also paid tribute to Lim, saying: “He was a staunch advocate of peace and order as foundation for the progress of the people. He risked life and limb when called upon by his Commander-in-Chief. The nation salutes him for a life of service.”
Lim, apart from serving as mayor of Manila, also served as senator from 2004 to 2007 and secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government from 2000 to 2001.
He also headed the National Bureau of Investigations from 1989 to 1992 and previously served as a policeman.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, in a statement issued Saturday, said Lim would be remembered for his “tough stance against criminality and drugs” and his “legacy of law and order.”
“Up to now, we are still benefitting from the many programs and projects of our beloved mayor,” Moreno said, adding that after he beat Lim and former president Joseph Estrada in the 2019 mayoralty race, he immediately consulted with the former to ask his ideas on how to bring back the glory of Manila.
Moreno also lauded Lim for his tough stance against criminals, which earned him the moniker “Dirty Harry.” — With Ashzel Hachero and Raymond Africa
