AN ECONOMIST’S GAME PLAN

Thriving in the private sector for most of his career, one wonders why Atty. Alex Lopez decided to run for public office only at this point in his life. The 63-year-old businessman will be up against four candidates for the mayoralty in the City of Manila, including incumbent Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna.

“I’ve always considered Manila to be my home,” the Tondo-born gentleman says simply, when asked about his decision to run as Manila mayor. “But most importantly, I’ve always kept the people of Manila in my heart. As a son of a politician from Manila, I grew up thinking of the welfare of Manileños.”

The politician that Lopez was referring to is his late father, former Manila Mayor Gemiliano “Mel” Lopez, who served as the capital city’s chief executive after the Edsa Revolution in 1986 until the end of former President Cory Aquino’s term in 1992. The younger Lopez, then in his late 20s to early 30s, was his father’s private secretary during the old man’s stint as mayor.

As his father’s right hand man, Lopez—who completed degrees in Economics and Law at the Ateneo de Manila University—didn’t only manage his father’s private affairs. The official profile provided to LEAGUE indicates that he had a huge influence .......