Lacson was the first elected mayor of Manila . He ran for Congress in 1949 and won. In 1951 he ran against the incumbent Manila mayor Manuel de la Fuente iand won by a landslide..He was mayor from January 1,1952, to April 15, 1962. The first elected mayor of Manila and the 13th chief executive of the city, Arsenio H. Lacson hailed from Talisay, Negros Occidental. He was born on December 26, 1912 to Tamon Lacson and Rosario Sison. After attending the Ateneo, he pursued law studies at the U.S.T. and became a newspaper columnist and radio commentator in the popular program "In This Corner". Lacson distinguished himself for his fearless exposes of graft and corruption in the government and the abuses of the American Army in Palawan and Olongapo. He was offered a high-ranking position in order to silence him but he refused, until he was finally barred from the radio by Pres. Manuel A. Roxas on October 4, 1947. In 1949, Lacson successfully ran for Congress and there served as a fiscalizer and the "nemesis of graft and corruption". For his brilliant performance he was selected one the "Ten Most Outstanding Congressmen" by the press. Two years later, he vied for the Manila mayor, Manuel de la Fuente. He won by a landslide and held this position for 11 years until his sudden death on April 15, 1962, after a heart atttack. Lacson was married to the former Luz Santiago.