It was disclosed that even former close staffers, supporters, and leaders of incumbent Mayor Lito Atienza have switch to the camp of Mayor Mel Lopez in their bid to help save the capital city from serious financial problems and mismanagement. The group of former key Atienza leaders is led by no less than Dr. Andrew Buencamino, erstwhile chief of staff of the incumbent mayor.

Dr. Buencamino together with barangay federation president Jojo Beltran are now members of the Lopez team of youthful political tacticians currently handling the former mayor’s bid to recapture city hall. Also with the group is former city general services chief and acting city administrator Joey Silva.

The former ‘Atienza Boys’ noted that they find it difficult for the City of Manila to truly capture its old grandeur if the mayor is only obsessed with beautification projects. They believe that a structural reform of the City Hall bureaucracy should first be undertaken before a massive redevelopment can be undertaken.

Dr. Buencamino said that the way they see things at present, only former Mayor Lopez can truly bring back Manila to life because his ‘Tao Muna’ program is anchored on the strength of Manilans themselves.

On the ‘Tao Muna’ reform agenda of Lopez, delivery of basic services such as education and health care will be a top priority under his watch if given a fresh mandate by Manilans.

Lopez has earlier declared the failure of the incumbent mayor to properly recycle the four city-owned hospitals which have suffered acute lack of medical supplies and equipment. A recent simple water poisoning problem in Tondo has exposed the lack of capability of the four hospitals to respond to an epidemic as the poor victims have to be taken care of by national government hospitals such as the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, the former mayor lamented.