Arsenio Hilario Sison Lacson Sr. (December 26, 1912 – April 15, 1962) was a Filipino lawyer, journalist and politician who gained widespread attention as 1st to be elected and 17th Mayor of Manila from 1952 to 1962. An active executive likened by Time and The New York Times to New York City's Fiorello La Guardia, he was the first Manila mayor to be reelected to three terms. Nicknamed "Arsenic" and described as "a good man with a bad mouth", Lacson's fiery temperament became a trademark of his political and broadcasting career. He died suddenly from a stroke amidst talk that he was planning to run in the 1965 presidential election.
Early life
Lacson was born on December 26, 1912 in Talisay, Negros Occidental to Roman Ledesma Lacson, and his wife Rosario Sison, during a storm. He was named after Philippine showman and journalist Arsenio Luz, whom his father greatly admired, and his grandfather Hilario Lacson. He was related to Aniceto Lacson, the president of the short-lived Republic of Negros. His niece, Rose, later gained prominence as a controversial socialite in Australia.
A sickly lad, Lacson turned to athletics while a student at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree.
He became an amateur boxer while a student, accounting for his broken nose that later became a prominent feature of his profile.
Lacson studied law at the University of Santo Tomas. After graduating and passing the bar examinations in 1937, he joined the law office of future Senator Vicente Francisco, and later, the Department of Justice as an assistant attorney. Lacson also worked as a sportswriter before the outbreak of World War II.
Sporting career
Football
Lacson was part of the collegiate football team of the Ateneo de Manila University. He played at the halfback position or as defensive midfielder for the Ateneo squad. He was also part of the Philippine national football team and participated in tournaments such as the 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games.
World War II guerrilla
Lacson joined the armed resistance against the Japanese military which had invaded the Philippines in late 1941. He joined the Free Philippines underground movement, and acted as a lead scout during the Battle of Manila. Lacson also fought in the liberation of Baguio on April 26, 1945.
For his wartime service, Lacson received citations from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Sixth United States Army. Years later, when asked by Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi if he had learned Japanese during the war, Lacson responded, "I was too busy shooting at Japanese to learn any."
Journalism career
Lacson resumed his career in journalism after the war. He also had his own radio program called In This Corner, where he delivered social and political commentary. Lacson became popular as a result of his radio show, but also earned the ire of President Manuel Roxas, whom he nicknamed "Manny the Weep". In 1947, President Roxas ordered Lacson's suspension from the airwaves. The incident drew international attention after former US Interior Secretary Harold L. Ickes defended Roxas's action and in turn drew rebuke for such defense from the popular radio commentator Walter Winchell. Lacson also wrote columns together with editor José W. Diokno, and writers Teodoro Locsin Sr., and Phillip Buencamino in a newspaper they founded called Free Philippines.
Political career
House of Representatives
In the 1949 general elections, Lacson ran for and won a seat in the House of Representatives, representing the 2nd District of Manila, which then consisted of the districts of Binondo, Quiapo, San Nicolas and Santa Cruz. He was elected under the banner of the Nacionalista Party. During the two years he served in the House, Lacson was cited by the media assigned to cover Congress as among the "10 Most Useful Congressmen" for "his excellent display as a fiscalizer and a lawmaker".
Mayor of Manila
In 1951, the office of Manila mayor became an elective position following the amendment of its city charter. Representative Lacson successfully unseated incumbent Manila Mayor Manuel de la Fuente in the first ever mayoralty election in the city. He assumed the office of mayor on January 1, 1952, thus giving up his seat in the Congress. He was re-elected in 1955 and 1959. He immediately became known as a tough-minded reformist mayor, and in the 1950s, he and Zamboanga City Mayor Cesar Climaco were touted as exemplars of good local governance. Climaco, in fact, was praised as "The Arsenio H. Lacson of the South".