Moves on to foil Macapagal poll tiff

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Macapagal family is reportedly finding ways to avert a possible clash between Vice Gov. Mikey Arroyo and his uncle Arturo Macapagal in next year’s congressional race in the second district of Pampanga.

"They respect each other’s views in the family, and they are now discussing," said lawyer Noel Flores, spokesman of Mikey and barangay chairman of Balibago, Angeles City.

Flores, however, said Macapagal has sent "feelers" that he would give way to the presidential son.

"After all, Mikey had made known his plans (to run for congressman) a long time ago," he said.

Porac Vice Mayor Rey Lapid, a brother of Gov. Lito Lapid, has also bared his intention to run for congressmen in the second district.

Macapagal is a half-brother of President Arroyo. He and former Pampanga Vice Gov. Cielo Macapagal-Salgado were the late former President Diosdado Macapagal’s children by his first wife, while the President and Diosdado Macapagal Jr. were his children by Evangeline Macapagal whom he married after he was widowed.

Both Mikey and his uncle, together with the President, are registered voters in Lubao, the birthplace of the late president.

Meanwhile, provincial board member Mark Lapid, the governor’s son, is expected to formally announce today his bid to run for governor.

The elder Lapid is on his third and last term as governor and is reportedly planning to run for mayor of Angeles City, although some quarters have been prodding him to run for senator under the Lakas-CMD.

Lapid has claimed that the President has given her commitment to designate Mark as the Lakas-CMD’s official gubernatorial candidate.

But Rep. Oscar Rodriguez, who is also on his last term and who has made known his plans to also run for governor, has reportedly belied Lapid’s claim.

Rodriguez could not be immediately contacted yesterday, but in an earlier interview with The STAR, he said he was considering, as another option, to run for mayor of the City of San Fernando.

Should Rodriguez withdraw from the gubernatorial race, Mark Lapid would be pitted against fourth district Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc and second district Rep. Zenaida Ducut.

Bondoc and Ducut both belong to the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Ducut reportedly contributed over P1 million for the success of the First Capampangan Senior Citizens’ Congress at the Expo Pilipino last Saturday where the President announced her plans to run for president in next year’s elections.