Gonzalo Monte-Manibog

Monty Manibog (born Gonzalo Montilla Manibog Jr.; 14 February 1930 – 12 August 2016), was a Filipino athlete who competed as a wrestler in the 1952 Summer Olympics. He later emigrated to the United States, served in the United States Army, became a lawyer in California, and was elected as a city councilmember for Monterey Park, California. He would go on to also be the city's mayor.

Early life Monty was son of Gonzalo Manibog, who was the first Filipino American to receive a law degree, earning it in 1917. He went on to attend the University of the Philippines. During the 1984 Summer Olympics he was an ambassador to Southeast Nations at the games. his law firm's office was located in the Temple-Beverly area. Monty was a proponent of the concept of there being a Chinatown like Filipino Town in Los Angeles, purchasing a building on the street his law firm's office was located in.

He was involved in various civic organizations, including the Cub Scouts, and organizing Philippine-American Friendship Day events. in this position he was involved in assisting with naturalization procedures. He was one of twenty Filipino Americans honored by Representative Matthew G. Martínez in 1990. The American Bar Association had awarded Monty a distinguished service award. He died at Cedar Sinai Hospital in 2016; he was survived by his wife Jean, five children, and eighteen grandchildren. A daughter, Lisa Manibog Lew Brennan, won the Binibining Pilipinas crown in 1982. A grand-daughter, Danae Manibog-Gatewood, succeeded in getting on the Philippines National Track and Field Team. A son, Dean-Carlos Manibog, was on the Philippine Olympic team during the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Political career In 1972, Manibog was first elected as a city council member for Monterey Park. He became the first Filipino American to become an elected official in Southern California when he was elected to Monterey Park City Council; remaining on the city council until 1988, he served as the city's mayor several times. In the 1974 election, Monty received the fifth most votes out of eight candidates for one of the three city council seats; in his candidacy statement he wrote that he was an advisor to the California's 29th congressional district.

He was elected as the city's mayor in 1976; he won the mayoral race with a majority of the vote. Monty served three terms as Monterey Park's mayor. He described himself as a moderate to conservative Democrat. In 1982, Monty made an attempt to run for the California's 59th State Assembly district, receiving third place in the Democratic primary behind Charles Calderon, and Joseph Montoya's senatorial aide Mike Duffy.

In the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, Monty was a write-in candidate; in running he was the first Filipino gubernatorial candidate in the mainland United States.