Lito: No rift with Mikey

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Re-elected Gov. Lito Lapid denied yesterday any rift this early with vice governor-elect Mikey Arroyo, and said he intends to finish his third and last term as governor.

Lapid, who garnered an unprecedented 501,238 votes or 92.2 percent of total votes cast, said he will not give up his position in exchange for a full-time job in the executive department.

But he said he is willing to volunteer for tasks which President Arroyo may assign him to do.

There are reports that Mikey would assume as acting governor because of Lapid’s possible 90-day suspension following his arraignment in the Sandiganbayan last April for alleged anomalies in the 1997 purchase of a 40-hectare land here.

"The people elected me to my post. I will not step down, I will not resign," Lapid said in Tagalog.

Fidel Arcenas, Lapid’s executive adviser, debunked reports that the governor’s suspension will be automatically enforced once the ban on the suspension of elective officials is lifted on June 13.

The Omnibus Election Code bars the suspension of elective officials during the election period from Jan. 2 to June 13. — Ding Cervantes