Lakas to stand by Lapid amid row with mayors

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The national leadership of the administration Lakas party will stand by Gov. Mark Lapid and his local candidates in the 2007 polls even as several mayors, who recently joined the Kampi party, are fielding their own bets.

Bukidnon Rep. Jose Miguel Zubiri, Lakas secretary-general, said that while both his party and Kampi are pro-administration, the Lakas national leadership will support Lapid and his local candidates, citing the loyalty of the governor and his father, Sen. Lito Lapid, to Lakas.

The Lapids led a Lakas provincial caucus attended by thousands at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center here the other day. Only seven of 21 Pampanga mayors were around.

Last Nov. 16, Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao and 17 mayors staged a virtual coup against Lapid by bolting the provincial Lakas party chaired by Gov. Lapid and taking their oaths as members of Kampi, or the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino.

Four of the mayors, however, later clarified that they were not withdrawing their support for Lapid.

There were reports that the mayors who shifted to Kampi were dissatisfied with Lapid’s decision to field businessman Paul Laus as his gubernatorial running mate, instead of Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda, whose mother, Lilia, is a provincial board member.

Sen. Lapid, however, said his son earlier offered the vice gubernatorial candidacy to Pineda, who refused it.

"I have no quarrel with the Pinedas," he said, adding that he and his son would not abandon Laus even if President Arroyo asks them to do so.

He said he picked Laus for his "track record in the corporate industry," adding that the province "needs new leaders who can help propel (it) in trade and investment."

At the Lakas provincial caucus, the Lapids officially proclaimed Laus as the vice gubernatorial bet in the 2007 polls. They also announced mayoral candidates against incumbents who have joined Kampi.

Zubiri, however, said the President is likely to intervene to solve conflicts among local politicians.

"Nationwide, we can resolve about 80 percent of such conflicts," said Zubiri as he appealed for unity among pro-administration officials.

He said Lakas is working out an arrangement with the Kampi national leadership so that in cases of conflict, the principle of "equity of the incumbent" is respected.

Among the incumbent pro-administration mayors, only Lucas Arceo of Sto. Tomas, Digos Canlas of San Simon, Bong Flores of Minalin, Peter Flores of Masantol, Chito Espino of Arayat, Edgar Flores of Minalin, and Marino Morales of Mabalacat attended the Lakas caucus.

The Lapids proclaimed as their mayoral candidates Boy Baylon against Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo, Nestor Tolentino against Apalit Mayor Tirso Lacanilao, Romy Pecson against the candidate of outgoing Magalang Mayor Pastor Guiao, and Carlito de la Cruz against Porac Mayor Exequiel Gamboa.

The mayor-defectors said they would form a local party called Lakas Kapampangan which will field its own candidates in the 2007 elections.

Pelayo said neither the President nor her son, Rep. Mikey Arroyo, knew about their plans to abandon the Lakas provincial party. 

He denied that their decision to shift party affiliation was triggered by reports that Lapid had turned down Pineda, president of the Pampanga Mayors’ League, as his running mate.  

In a statement, Pelayo’s group said, "There is no turning back (on our political move)."  

There are nagging reports that they will support either Dennis Pineda or his mother as gubernatorial candidate, but nobody would confirm this.