Lapid to run for Pampanga governor anew

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines  – Sen. Lito Lapid formally announced here yesterday his plan to run anew for governor of this province.

This, as Gov. Eddie Panlilio has dared Lapid to explain to Kapampangans the “missing” P568 million in lahar quarry funds during his and his son Mark’s administrations.

Lapid called for a press conference to announce his bid for the governorship, which he served for three terms from 1995 to 2004.

Accompanying him was Lea Dizon whom he introduced as his vice gubernatorial running mate. Both of them are natives of Porac town, which is within President Arroyo’s second district.

While he could still run for a last term as senator, Lapid said he has realized that he felt “more comfortable being closer to the people.”

“The Senate is for legislation and there are good lawyers there. I am just a high school graduate,” he said in Tagalog.

Lapid said he expects to be named as the official administration gubernatorial candidate, although he doubts if his party could unite with the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino at the local level.

“I am the most senior Lakas member in the province,” he said.

Posters with the words “Ang Pagbabalik” were hanged at the conference site.

Panlilio and Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao have filed separate charges of plunder against the Lapids on allegations that they pocketed funds from lahar quarry operations.

Lapid appealed to the media to refrain from bringing up the quarry scam issue, saying the Ombudsman has already cleared him in a similar case.

Lapid said he and his son “did no one harm. We just wanted to be left alone serving the people.”

Reacting to Lapid’s announcement, Panlilio said, “It’s a welcome move. He has all the right to seek a return to the governorship.”

Panlilio though vowed to pursue the plunder charges he filed earlier this year against Lapid and his son Mark, who served as governor from 2004 to 2007.

The Lapids were accused of enriching themselves in office with the lahar quarry funds.

“I will definitely pursue the case either as a public official or a private citizen,” Panlilio said.

Lapid introduced Dizon, his running mate, as his “leading lady in politics.”

Dizon, daughter of a prominent family involved in local real estate, took up business management in the Universidad de Europeo and marketing in the University of Barcelona.

Lapid’s press conference initially turned out to be for his forthcoming movie with movie actor Ronnie Rickets and director Baldo Maro. Reporters were told to proceed to the restaurant venue here as early as 9 a.m. to await Lapid’s political declaration. By noon, however, movie writers were still tackling Lapid’s movie project.

Asked what his most notable achievement in the Senate was, Lapid cited a law which he co-authored providing the poor with free legal assistance.

Lapid said his son Mark has no plans to run in next year’s elections, as he seems “content” with his present post as head of the newly formed Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, formerly the Philippine Tourism Authority, which has a fixed term of six years.