Historically, the mayoral contest in Manila has always been the hottest and most-watched election in the local front. What makes the coming electoral battle in the nation’s capital city doubly interesting is the fact that it will be a rematch between two arch-rivals, incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim and his immediate predecessor, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza.

Adding to the excitement of the fight is the entry of former presidential adviser on the peace process Avelino Razon, who also once served as director general of the National Police. Like Razon, Lim is a retired police general. They both had colorful stints as chief of the PNP’s Western Police District which has jurisdiction over Manila. Incidentally, Razon headed the WPD when Atienza was the mayor of Manila.

Although the whole city already knows that Atienza is running again for mayor, a position he had held for three consecutive terms, he has refrained from talking about his political plan. While in Manila, Quezon City and other places, the promotional streamers and posters of aspirants for mayor, vice mayor and councilor are on display everywhere, none of them carries the picture or name of Atienza.

Up to now, the environment czar keeps us guessing: Under what political party will he run? Despite his supposed expulsion from the Liberal Party as an offshoot of the bitter dispute between two LP factions, he still considers himself belonging to the same party. How can he turn his back on a party to which he has been a member for more than 50 years now? Upon the initiative of Atienza who heads one faction, leaders of the feuding factions have started unification talks. The prospects of talks succeeding, however, are dim. While Senator Noynoy Aquino, LP’s chosen standard-bearer, supports the unity effort, other party bigwigs continue to resist it. Partly, this is because the “readmission” of Atienza into the party would lead to some complications. They are already committed to support Mayor Lim, And they would not allow Lim to be dislodged by Atienza as the party’s official mayoral bet.

This would leave Atienza no other choice but to run under another party. Would it be the administration Lakas-Kampi? That is possible since eight LP congressmen from his faction have already affiliated with the Lakas-Kampi. But the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino-PDP Laban, headed by former President Joseph Estrada, has already chosen him to be its mayoral bet in Manila. Atienza has remained a close and trusted friend of Estrada’s since the former was ousted from power in 2001. But Atienza is also a staunch and loyal ally of President Gloria Arroyo since she assumed power as constitutional successor to Estrada.

Any of the following options could happen. Atienza may run for mayor under Lakas-Kampi. Or he may bolt the administration and defect to PMP-PDP Laban (also called United Opposition). Should he file his certificate of candidacy under the ruling party, he may be adopted by the PMP-PDP Laban. In other words, he can be the common candidate of the two parties.

Theoretically, that is possible, but is it practical? How will he deal with the presidential, vice presidential and senatorial candidates of the two opposing parties? To overcome these problems, perhaps he should run as an independent, free of any demand that may be imposed by any party. But an independent run also has its disadvantages, of course.

If you listen to hard-nosed politicians and political analysts, they will tell you that Atienza is a formidable candidate, the man to beat, whether he runs under Gloria’s party or Erap’s party. Radio stations report that in survey after survey, Atienza keeps on trouncing his opponents.

We have been told that despite Atienza’s absence from Manila’s city hall for more than two-and-a-half years, he continues to endear himself to his constituents who remember too well what his administration had done for their welfare and for the city’s progress and modernization. We have also been told that his political organization there remains very much intact. Just recently, he discreetly held a series of dinner meetings with the chairmen and other officials of barangays from all the city’s districts. This took place in a restaurant along Roxas Boulevard for six consecutive nights. Perhaps that was the most visible indication that it’s full steam ahead for his return bout with his arch rival.

While people are agog over Atienza’s political comeback, many are wondering why he prefers to go back to his old local government post rather than aspire for higher office. He has vast experience as politician and public servant—as organizer and president of a political party, former member of the now-defunct Batasang Pambanssa (National Assembly), mayor and administrator of the country’s most populous city and secretary of the Environment Department. Perhaps, nobody among other Cabinet members could hold a candle to him when it comes to credentials and achievements as a senior politician.

With his political stature. Atienza would have been well suited to run for president —worthy of the respect and support of administration allies. Compared to Atienza, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, the chosen Lakas-Kampi standard-bearer in the 2010 polls, looks like a novice. And perhaps, if somebody like Atienza were to step into the role that is now entrusted to Teodoro, the administration would have been spared of its present dilemma of how to boost his standing in the presidential ratings charts. And in all likelihood, the ruling party would have been more forceful and effective in fending off attempts by rival parties to raid its ranks in this season of political realignments and party-switching.

As Environment secretary, Atienza’s political background and management skills have proven useful in running the complex affairs of the department tasked with protecting and conserving the country’s vast natural resources and maintaining ecological balance.

Putting emphasis on stamping out corruption and bureaucratic red tape, Atienza adopted a one-strike policy whereby any regional executive director of the department is automatically relieved of his post for failing to implement department policies and regulations such as those intended to stamp out illegal logging, mining and quarrying at the first instance of violation. As an anti-graft and investment-friendly measure, he simplified the processing and approval of environment compliance certificates by delegating such authority to the regional directors and by shortening the process to 20 days where it used to take several months. This was hailed by local and foreign business groups as instrumental in reducing graft incidence at the department.

But his efforts to carry out the mandate of is department are being stymied by unscrupulous politicians who are trying to interfere in its functions in their whim to advance vested interests and assert their political clout. They were forcing him to disregard rules to accommodate their demands but at the expense of the general welfare. For standing his ground and resisting their questionable propositions, he put at risk his confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.

Displeased CA members threatened to move for the rejection of his appointment and get back at him for not playing along with them in the old game of horse-trading. But Atienza was unfazed by the consequences of his actions because, as he had frequently declared, what is more important is that the rule of law should prevail at all times. Indeed, if a leader bends the law according to the selfish caprices of certain individuals, that is a dangerous prescription for disorder and breakdown of justice and order.

Atienza implemented many “firsts” in the department. In a show of political will, he led the demolition of illegal fishpens and other aquastructures that had proliferated in Manila Bay, as one of the necessary measures to clean up this body of water, which has been so polluted it has become a giant sewer. He also initiated the dismantling of similar unwanted structures in Laguna Lake and Taal Lake that saw him incurring the ire of influential big-time fishing operators. But in return, he gained the full support of the marginalized, subsistence fishermen who have long been fighting for their right to full access to these fishing grounds and sources of livelihood.

Just last week, the environment chief imposed a multi-million peso fine on the Manila Water Co., Maynilad Water Services Inc. and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System for failing to install wastewater treatment facilities in their water concession areas despite the continued collection of sanitation fees from households. Likewise, it was through his prodding that “green courts” were established to effectively prosecute despoilers of the environment. He enforced the 40-year-old Supreme Court decision redefining the boundaries of the Zobel-De Ayala hacienda in Calatagan, Batangas to prevent the dislocation of farmers. He caused the government’s repossession of a prime Forbes ParJk property which was abandoned by the lessee with a P7-million unpaid rental.

These reforms and accomplishments did not go unrecognized. The Asia Research Center cited Atienza as top performing Cabinet official while the World Bank cited the Environment Department as the “most transparent and accountable government agency.”

f_maragay@yahoo.com