Arroyo’s sister not running versus Mikey

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Former Vice Gov. Cielo Macapagal-Salgado, a half-sister of President Arroyo, backed out of her plan to run for congresswoman in this province’s second district against her nephew Vice Gov. Mikey Arroyo.

"We got word she was filing her (certificate of) candidacy so we waited even past the midnight deadline but she did not show up," said lawyer Artemio Lambino, provincial officer of the Commission on Elections.

Mikey said he was not aware of his aunt’s political plan. "I want to keep our family intact as much as possible," he said, adding, "We love each other."

It was later that Mikey learned that Salgado did not file a certificate of candidacy after all.

Late Monday afternoon, Edgardo Margarejo, a long-time friend of the Macapagal family, said Salgado was planning to catch up with the midnight deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy to run for congresswoman in the second district.

Before news of Salgado’s supposed candidacy spread, her younger brother, Arturo Macapagal, had announced that he would run for congressman regardless of Mikey’s congressional bid in the second district.

But Arturo also backed out. He and Salgado are children of the late President Diosdado Macapagal with his first wife. After being widowed, the late president married former First Lady Eva Macaraig-Macapagal, mother of President Arroyo and Diosdado Jr.

Mikey, however, is not running unopposed. Porac Vice Mayor Rey Lapid, younger brother of Gov. Lito Lapid who is gunning for a Senate seat under the Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats), is running against him under the banner of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino.

Lapid said he tried to dissuade his brother from pitting himself against Mikey, but he failed.

Lapid’s 25-year-old son Mark, a provincial board member, is the Lakas-CMD’s official gubernatorial candidate with basketball coach Joseller "Yeng" Guiao as running mate.

Meanwhile, Rep. Oscar Rodriguez, who is on his third and last term as third district congressman, clarified that he is the official Lakas-CMD mayoral candidate in this capital town.

He, however, said that former Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo is still running against him after he turned down her offer to back out from the mayoralty race.

Domingo’s son, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo, also faced a similar problem after Lakas-CMD officials named San Fernando Mayor Rey Aquino as the party’s official congressional bet in the third district.