Arroyo’s sister prodded to run for Pampanga governor

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Now it’s presidential elder sister Cielo Macapagal-Salgado who is being urged to run for Pam-panga governor against administration candidate Gov. Lito Lapid.

Streamers are now all over this newly proclaimed city urging Mrs. Salgado to run anew, including one saying, "Tama na ang artista, ekonomista ang kailangan (Enough with an actor, we need an economist)."

The streamer obviously referred to Lapid whose popularity as an action star catapulted him to politics in 1995. Mrs. Salgado has a doctorate in economics.

Among the groups urging Mrs. Salgado to run are the Agusan Kapampangan, the Pro-Poor Movement and other non-government organizations.

She could not be immediately contacted for comment. But she is reportedly reluctant to vie for the gubernatorial post.

Meanwhile, provincial attorney Benalfre Galang said yesterday that Lapid is likely to pick presidential son Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo as his running mate, despite the announcement of incumbent Vice Gov. Clayton Olalia that he is seeking re-election under the Lakas-NUCD.

"But Lapid still wants the last word from President Arroyo on whether Mikey would be his running mate," Galang said.

Mikey said he is still holding consultations with various groups in Pampanga to help him decide on whether he would seek the vice gubernatorial post or not.

But observers said Mikey will likely run, noting that he recently vowed not to "turn my back" on Capampangans. At least 25 various groups have issued manifestos of support for Mikey’s vice gubernatorial bid.

Supporters of Mrs. Salgado want her to run under the Liberal Party, to which her late father, President Diosdado Macapagal, belonged.

She was vice governor during the term of the late Gov. Bren Guiao. In 1993, she decided to run for governor but lost to Guiao. In 1995, she again won as vice governor with Lapid as her running mate.

Mrs. Salgado is a half-sister of the President. She is the eldest of two children of the late President Macapagal by his first wife, Purita de la Rosa.

Meanwhile, Lapid said he is set to file a P5-million libel suit against Sun Star Pampanga which alleged in an article that he had demanded P3 million to P5 million from those who wanted him to run under the Lakas-NUCD.

"(The allegations are) purely malicious and baseless. We suspect that the stories were fabricated by disgruntled mayors in the Lakas-NUCD," Galang said.

Lapid recently declared that he wanted Candaba town declared a "free zone" in the coming elections to pave the way for the entry of his friend Jerry Pelayo who wants to run, under the Lakas-NUCD, against incumbent Mayor Ben Gatus.

In Angeles City, Lapid is also considering Barangay Cutcut barangay head Robin Nepomuceno as a mayoral candidate under the Lakas-NUCD, against incumbent Mayor Carmelo Lazatin who, despite being a Lakas-NUCD member, was known to have been supportive of former President Joseph Estrada.