Lapid changes residency amid talk on mayoral bid

ANGELES CITY , Philippines  â€“ Sen. Lito Lapid, whose term ends in 2016, has reportedly moved his official residence to Friendship Plaza Subdivision in Barangay Pampang here amid talk that he plans to run for mayor of this city in 2016.

Barangay Cutcut chairperson Cecile Nepomuceno told The STAR that Lapid had his new home in the subdivision blessed recently apparently to comply with the residency requirement for candidates for local elective posts.

In 2003, Lapid was also reported to have transferred his residency here as he was eyeing the city’s mayoral post, but then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo persuaded him to instead run for senator in the 2004 polls which he won.

At that time, Lapid also said that his highest political ambition was to become vice president.

Nepomuceno recently posted on her Facebook account her photo with Lapid in his new house at Friendship Plaza.

Nepomuceno, whose family is considered a political force in this city, could not immediately confirm Lapid’s plan to run for mayor, saying though that she made the assumption that his moving his official residence to this city strongly indicated this.

Lapid could not be contacted for comment yesterday, but in 2003 when he said he would run for Angeles City mayor, he was quoted as saying that he preferred executive work rather than legislative functions.

In 2007, Lapid ran for Makati City mayor but lost to Jejomar Binay by a wide margin.