Jose "Lito" Livioko Atienza Jr. (; born August 10, 1941) is a Filipino politician. He served as a Party-list Representative for Buhay from 2013 to 2022, and was a House Deputy Speaker from 2020 to 2022. He served as the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2009 in the Administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and was 24th Mayor of Manila for three consecutive terms from 1998 to 2007. He unsuccessfully ran for vice president of the Philippines in the 2022 elections as the running mate of Senator Manny Pacquiao.
He has been hosting the drama anthology television series Maynila on GMA Network since 1999.
Early life and career
Atienza was born on August 10, 1941, in the San Andres Bukid district of Manila, four months before the outbreak of World War II. Atienza's father, Jose J. Atienza Sr., was a distinguished public servant to three Philippine presidents. An uncle, Hermenegildo Atienza, was a World War II guerrilla leader and after the war was appointed Military Mayor of Manila by Gen. Douglas MacArthur himself and one of the founders of the Liberal Party in 1946. Another uncle, Rigoberto Atienza, a World War II veteran, a victim of the Bataan Death March and former Philippine Army commanding general, became Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces in the 1960s during the term of President Diosdado Macapagal. A third uncle, Arturo, became a renowned lawyer. The four brothers were all members of the Hunters resistance against the Japanese occupation during World War II.
He took up his primary and secondary education from Ateneo de Manila University's Basic Education Unit and completed a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from the University of Santo Tomas. His interest and degree in architecture proved useful in rehabilitating and renewing the City of Manila, which had fallen to decay over years of unmanaged growth in population and the lack of an urban planning & community development.
Political career
Atienza started his political career in 1968 when he organized the Democratic Youth Movement. He was one of those who survived the Plaza Miranda bombing in 1971. After the 1971 elections, Atienza was hired by then Manila Mayor Ramon Bagatsing as chief information officer at the City Hall. He worked under Mayor Bagatsing for almost ten years.
During Martial Law, Atienza was arrested twice for exposing human rights abuses under the dictatorship regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. He remained with the opposition even if he was on constant threat of incarceration for opposing Marcos. Atienza was first elected as Member of Parliament in the then At-large Congressional District of Manila under the Batasang Pambansa in 1984 and served until Marcos was peacefully ousted during the People Power Revolution of 1986.
Under the administration of President Corazon Aquino, Atienza was appointed general manager of the National Housing Authority (Philippines) in 1988 and he promoted low-cost housing for teachers and police officers.
Together with former Manila police general Alfredo Lim running for mayor, Atienza ran for vice-mayor of Manila. The two defeated the incumbent slate of then-Mayor Gemiliano Lopez Jr. The tandem won a second term in 1995. When Lim ran for President of the Philippines in 1998, Atienza was elected mayor and took his oath of office on June 24, 1998. Atienza was again re-elected in 2001 and finally in 2004. During his term as mayor, numerous heritage buildings in Manila were demolished, notably the Jai Alai Building, which used to be the best Art Deco building in all of Asia before its demolition.