Mayoral candidate Atty. Alex Lopez on Thursday, March 31, condemned Asenso Manilenyo for the involvement of the name of his late father in the sale of Divisoria Public Market.
In a statement, Lopez said dragging the name of his father, former Manila Mayor Mel Lopez, in the issue “lowers the moral standard and is not suitable for a civilized society.”
“The people behind Asenso Manilenyo have tried to silence the critics to protect the current city administration. They also threatened to blacken the memories of the deceased loved ones of their critics,” he said.
Lopez also maintained that his father served as mayor from 1986 to 1992 and that many other administrations sat in the City of Manila, denying that it was his father who entered into a contract with a private company.
The City Government of Manila had earlier said that it was late mayor Lopez who entered into an agreement with a private company and handed over the management of the land, along with the Divisoria Public Market.
“It is sad to think that Asenso Manilenyo's statements are pure deception about the sale of Manila city properties. Other major cities, have never sold its assets to augment their budgets for COVID-19 response,” Lopez said.
“The sale of the Divisoria Public Market is used to salvage their slippery grip on power, with no regard to people honestly seeking livelihood,” he added.
On Monday, March 28, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domafoso also said it was not him who “exposed the city government in a very gravely disadvantageous situation.”
Lopez is among the candidates running for the position of Manila’s chief executive.