| James Barbers | |||||||||||||||
| 1Namedata1: | Ramon Bagatsing | ||||||||||||||
| Predecessor1: | Atty. Martin B. Isidro, Sr. | ||||||||||||||
| Successor1: | Bambi M. Ocampo | ||||||||||||||
| Termstart1: | January 1, 1978 | ||||||||||||||
| Termend1: | March 26, 1986 | ||||||||||||||
| Office2: | District Director of Western Police District | ||||||||||||||
| Term2: | December 20, 1974 – 1978 Acting September 17 – December 20, 1974 | ||||||||||||||
| Predecessor2: | Gerardo G. Tamayo | ||||||||||||||
| Successor2: | PBGen. Pedro F. de la Paz | ||||||||||||||
| Birth Name: | James Guerrero Barbers | ||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 19 January 1924 | ||||||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, Philippines | ||||||||||||||
| Party: | KBL (1978–1987, 1991–92) | ||||||||||||||
| Otherparty: | Liberal (1988–1991) Nacionalista (1987) | ||||||||||||||
| Relatives: | Robert Barbers (nephew) | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Politician | ||||||||||||||
| Profession: | Police officer | ||||||||||||||
| Resting Place: | Loyola Memorial Park | ||||||||||||||
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James Guerrero Barbers (January 19, 1924 – July 13, 2019) is a Filipino police officer and politician.
He was born in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur to a Filipina mother and an American father who was a soldier from the Barbieri clan from Sicily, Italy, [1] Barbers had served in the police force and notably for Western Police District as police chief.[2] [3] He also served as Vice Mayor of Manila from 1978 until 1986.[4] He also served as Manila deputy police chief, with the rank of police colonel, by mid-1960s.[5] While he was the Manila police chief, he was chief security to then First Lady and Metro Manila governor Imelda Marcos. He was the uncle of Robert Barbers who was a police colonel, interior secretary and legislator.[6]
In July 1987, sources, particularly from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency reported that former Assemblyman Rafael Recto allegedly conspired with Barbers and a group of military officers in a coup plot against the Aquino administration. Both the two denied involvement.[7]
Barbers ran for senator under Kilusang Bagong Lipunan in 1992.[8] He also joined the said party during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos.
In 1987, Barbers (a retired police general; former vice mayor, WPD superintendent) ran for representative of the third district of Manila under the united opposition, NP–Grand Alliance for Democracy;[9] [10] but later lost to Leonardo Fugoso of the Liberal Party (LP)–Salonga Wing, prompting an electoral protest wherein he accused the board of canvassers of "hastily" proclaiming the winner.[11]
Later that year, Barbers was among those who later defected to the administration camp, and was later proclaimed by Jovito Salonga, then president of both the Senate and the LP, as their official candidate for vice mayor of Manila in the 1988 elections.[12]
In late March 1996, Barbers was elected member of the board of directors of BF Homes Inc., and also became the senior vice president. (Barbers is the uncle of Robert Barbers).[13]
He is married to Blanchie Barbers.[14]
Barbers died on July 13, 2019 at the age of 95.