MANILA’S FINEST HOODLUM

Tales from the Darkside of Alfredo Lim – part 1

By Luisa Bustamante – Smart Files

   Manila’s John Wayne, Django Kojak and Dirty Harry, These are just a sampling of the praises lavished by the media on former Western Police District(WPD) head and former Director of the NBI Mayor Alfredo Lim. Truly, Lim’s exploits and storied career have received fawning coverage by the media to whom he has obviously endeared himself. Just recently, a movie was even made depicting and extolling the supposed courage and devotion to duty of Manila’s ageless and bronzed warrior in uniform.

   But there exists a lesser known and perhaps more truthful side to this former chief of Manila’s finest, the name accorded to the WPD as the premier police unit in the country. It is the exact opposite of what has been touted by the media quarters sympathetic to him. A careful reading of Lim’s stint as a police officer reveals it is replete with reported cases of corruption, utter disregard for the law, abuse of authority and human rights violations including “salvaging,” shady deals and a reign of terror, all perpetrated by Lim and his cohorts.

   This is the other side of Lim. The dark side that rarely sees print, thanks in large measure to Lim’s uncanny ability to manipulate media.

   Lim’s supporters claim dedication and hard work as the two key elements of Lim’s steady rise to power. Lim’s own campaign slogan for his reelection pictures him as a “Man of Action.” But a great portion of Lim’s success can very well be attributed to Lim’s manipulation of the media to depict him as a no-nonesense,  honest to goodness police officer. He is a media creation who has spawned from the stories and articles which flowed from the pen of journalist friends. A good example of this is Lim’s 1968 “foiling” of an escape attempt of five prisoners in Precint 5 in Sta. Ana when Lim was still an obscure station commander. Lim made the prisoners believe that escape was possible, but only the convicts were to realize in the end that they were mere pawns in a drama staged to add impetus to the then still-fledging career of Lim. All the five escapees were killed in the event that was well covered by the media. The “foiling” of the escape then led to the promotion of Lim and that of his men.

The Manipulator of His Subordinates

   Lim is not only adept at media manipulation tactics, but is also well versed in the ways of soliciting loyalty and support from his colleagues and subordinates in the police force. A classic example of this is Lim’s signature campaign to bolster support for himself within the ranks of the WPS. Through his trusted lieutenant and muscleman, Col. J. Lagasca, Lim ordered all WPD officers to sign a prepared resolution supporting him in his clash with then EIID Commissioner Jose Almonte. This was during the time of Almonte’s investigation of the smuggling activities in Manila that were regarded to be the handiwork of WPD operatives closely identified with Lim.

   Gen. Lim also requested support from the other three police districts of Metro Manila. These police chiefs were Col. Edgar Dula Torres, who was recommended by Lim as the Northern Police District Superintendent; Col. Samson, a classmate at the National defense College of the Philippines and Gen. Manuel Roxas, who was promised a recommendation as the next superintendent of the WPD. Lim also requested Brig. Gen. Javier D. Carbonnel, Commander of the Metropolitan Citizen’s Military Training Command – MCMTC and Director of U.E. Knights Inc., to pass resolutions of support to his naked ambition to be appointed the first Director General of the then newly-created Philippine National Police.

Syndicated Crimes and Alfredo Lim

   The spheres of influence and interest of Alfredo Lim extend far beyond the legal limits of his office as Mayor of Manila. Lim and his men are also behind or protectors of almost all kinds of syndicated crimes in the city such as prostitution, illegal drugs, smuggling, illegal gambling, rice hoarding, etc.. the easy profits generated from these illegal activities have afforded Lim and his cohorts the needed funds to solidify their hold on power.

Patron of Manila’s Drug lords and Smugglers

   Lim’s supposed tough stand and iron fisted treatment of suspected drug lords and smugglers operating in the city is set against the backdrop of the painful reality that Lim is associated with some of the most powerful drug lords in Manila.

    Lim was the kumpadre and protector of the late Manuel Velasco, the leader of a big drug syndicate at Binondo, Manila. It was Velasco who allegedly helped two of Lim’s children through college during the earlier and leaner days when Lim was still a lowly policeman. Velasco was believed to have been arrested by law enforcers other than those under Lim. Velasco disappeared and Lim was supposed to have feared that he spilled the beans on Lim before he vanished.

   Lim was also widely-reputed to be the protector of Jose “Pepe” Oyson, once regarded as the number one drug lord in the country. It was an open secret that WPD men associated with Lim doubled as bodyguards of Oyson. Oyson was later killed under highly suspicious circumstances by operatives of Lim after being “invited” on orders of Lim. At that time other law enforcement agencies were hot on the trail of Oyson and his arrest was quite imminent. There were talks at that time that Lim decided to get to Oyson first to preclude the possibility of his revealing his ties with Lim the way Velasco might have done.

   And even closer to home, there is his own fresh and blood, his nephew, a certain Maynard Limcangco Siojo, who according to the paper is the number one drug pusher in Manila. Like Manuel velasco and “Pepe” Oyson, Siojo enjoys the protection of his uncle. Another relative reportedly into large-scale drug pushing who also enjoys Lim’s protection is his half-brother, Quentin. Quentin is allegedly very close to Joseph Estraded and was supposedly on of the vice-president’s financiers in the last elections.

   Apart from illegal drugs, Lim has likewise been linked to big-time smuggling. This was extensively reported on in Smart File Double issue 26&27 where his association with Sy Pio Lato’s smuggling syndicate was exposed. In this type of operation, Lim enlists the participation and aid of his band of trusted men. They engage what the local smuggling underworld has termed as escort services. This refers to the escorting of smuggled goods from the pier to the secret warehouses of big time smugglers. The duty of the escorts is to preclude or forestall apprehension by other law enforcers.

   In the past, protection and escort services extended by Lim’s men such as former Police Lt. Antonio Sapalo, Col. Romeo Maganto, and Col. Alladin Dimagmaliw resulted in several encounters between Lim’s men and operatives from the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau(EIIB). At times these encounters almost led to near “shoot-outs” arising from the adamant refusal of Lim’s men to turn over smuggled items to the apprehending authorities unless otherwise instructed by Lim himself. In fact because of Sapalo’s clear in

Fred Lim at work in Manila

volvement in these smuggling activities he was summarily dismissed from the service.