DANILO D. Lim, a general who led separate coups against former Presidents Corazon C. Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 1989 and 2007, has died. He was 65.
Mr. Lim, who had been chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) since 2017, died of cardiac arrest on Jan. 6, the agency said in a statement.
He led efforts in alleviating problems confronting Manila, the capital and nearby cities by “going back to the basics,” it said. “Under his helm, Mr. Lim prioritized the welfare of employees by ensuring they receive accident insurance and other appropriate benefits.”
“MMDA Chairman Lim served the Duterte Administration with professionalism, competence and integrity,” presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque said in a separate statement.
Mr. Lim on Dec. 29 said he had tested positive for the coronavirus and would isolate himself after showing mild symptoms.
As a young captain in the 1980s, he joined the rebellion of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement against Cory Aquino by laying siege to the Makati financial district.
Less than two decades later, Brigadier General Lim under the same group joined the coup against Mrs. Arroyo by marching through the streets of Makati after walking out of their trial for rebellion.
They called for her ouster and laid siege to the Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati.
Mr. Lim, who ran and lost in the 2010 senatorial elections, also served as a deputy commissioner of the Customs bureau under ex-President Benigno S.C. Aquino. He resigned after less than two years in 2013 due to corruption at the agency.
He is survived by his wife Party-list Rep. Aloysia Tiongson-Lim and daughter Aika. — Norman P. Aquino