Ex-Criminal Reforms Life, Smugglers' Island Town -- Filipino Mayor's Story Made Into New Movie

MANILA, Philippines - He led a street gang, dropped out of school, became a gambling lord and was jailed on murder charges.

Now Edward Hagedorn is a tough-guy mayor who has transformed his city from a smugglers' haven into the Philippines' safest and cleanest municipality.

For three years, Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan island, has been named the Philippines' best-run local government. Hagedorn has gained national fame for his violent past and present success and the Manila government holds him up as an example for other mayors.

Hagedorn's life sounds like a movie plot, and it is. The film, called "Hagedorn," opened recently to packed audiences in more than 90 theaters in Manila.

It's popularity hasn't been hurt by the choice of actors to play the mustachioed Hagedorn - Fernando Poe Jr., a handsome star considered the king of Philippine cinema.

Hagedorn, a born-again Christian, says he agreed to have his life put on film so young Filipinos can learn from it. "One can change if one really tries. All it takes is determination," he says.

Puerto Princesa and Palawan had a seedy reputation before Hagedorn took office in 1988. Because of its location on the western edge of the Philippines, about 355 miles southwest of Manila, it was one of the best places to run smuggling operations to neighboring countries.

Now, in Hagedorn's second term, the city of 100,000 has become a leading tourist destination. It is renowned for pristine waters, lush rain forests and the country's lowest crime rate - a dramatic contrast to the filth and high crime that overwhelm many Philippine cities.

The government's Department of Environment and Natural Resources even put a 12,350-acre national forest in Hagedorn's control after police under his supervision caught local department officials logging illegally.

"Many of the people who have broken the law here were my friends - some even relatives," he says. "But the law is the law in this city."

Hagedorn, 44, grew up in a Manila suburb and dropped out of school. With three other brothers in the same gang, he was involved in so many fights that his parents decided to move to remote Palawan to keep them out of trouble.

But Hagedorn and his brothers merely found new people to fight, including policemen and soldiers.

He cooked and sang in a small club in Puerto Princesa before he was lured into becoming an illegal gambling operator. At one point he abandoned his wife and children to live with a bar girl.

He was arrested and accused of murdering two policemen, one in a Wild West-style shootout, then cleared in both cases.

While awaiting sentencing for writing a bad check, he was invited to join a Christian group. A few days later, a fire at the city hall destroyed many records, including those for his case. His trial was canceled.

Hagedorn, who has not been linked to the fire, saw the blaze as divine intervention and became a fervent believer. Then he became a tough mayor.

Hagedorn waves off attempts to idolize him and claims no interest in national office. What he hopes is Puerto Princesa will be an example of what can be done to improve grim living conditions elsewhere in the country.

"My dream is that one day Filipinos can again look at their flag with pride and a sense of dedication," he says.