ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Zamboanga City’s new mayor, Khymer Adan Olaso, on Tuesday, July 1, appointed former mayor and congressman Celso Lobregat as his executive secretary, a move that places one of the city’s most storied political figures back at the center of local governance.
Lobregat was known to have backed Olaso’s mayoral run against former House majority leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, one of the most trusted congressmen of House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Olaso, a former seafarer who previously represented Zamboanga’s 1st District in Congress, launched his mayoral bid on Lobregat’s advice.
The Dalipe political machine stumbled in the May elections. John Dalipe, the previous mayor and Mannix’s younger brother, opted to seek a congressional seat but was defeated by Jerry “Totong” Perez, a former barangay chairman.
Olaso took office with a promised anti-corruption campaign under his Limpio Ciudad (Clean City) program, which includes a reorganization of key posts in city government.
Late into his first day, he convened city hall’s department heads for a lengthy meeting focused on the implementation of government policies and the efficient delivery of basic services. The designation of Lobregat, an old hand, as executive secretary formed part of this broader campaign.
Now in his 70s, Lobregat carries the weight of a name that has long defined the city’s political landscape. The son of the late Maria Clara Lobregat – a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention, longtime congresswoman, and mayor – he has spent decades moving through the corridors of power, alternating between the House of Representatives and city hall.
His political résumé includes three terms as congressman from 1998 to 2004, followed by three consecutive terms as mayor until 2013. He then returned to Congress and served two more terms until his 2019 defeat to then-mayor Maria Isabelle “Beng” Climaco.
Climaco, Olaso’s running mate and now the vice mayor, was once Lobregat’s political rival, showing that in Zamboanga, political alliances remain fluid.
The Lobregat political lineage stretches even further. Celso’s grandfather, Pablo Lorenzo, helped draft the 1935 Constitution, served as Zamboanga mayor, and held a Cabinet post during the presidency of Elpidio Quirino.
Olaso began his first day in office by leading a cleanup drive at the city’s main public market on Magay Street, where he joined workers in clearing debris and scrubbing the area with water and soap.
The activity, seen as symbolic, formed part of his Limpio Ciudad initiative, which also aims to revitalize public spaces and promote environmental responsibility through cooperation between local government and the community.
Speaking in Chavacano, Olaso appealed to market vendors and occupants to work together in maintaining cleanliness.
“Ta pedi yo como un nuevo alcalde de ciudad, cuida kita con el de aton public market. Todo maga vivientes man ayudahan kita todo,” he said.
(As your new city mayor, I am asking you to take good care of our public market. Let us help one another.)
At the Zamboanga City Public Market, Olaso held a hose and sprayed water on the market grounds, with city officials looking on. He later walked through the aisles, inspecting stalls and speaking with vendors.
Olaso’s cleanup effort was met with approval from marketgoers and stallholders, some of whom welcomed the symbolic start of his anti-corruption and pro-governance campaign. – Rappler.com
