Security guards and household staff confirmed this to be the new mansion of Sen. Lapid at Friendship Plaza in Pampang, Angeles City where he plans to run for mayor in 2016.
PHOTO BY DING CERVANTES
ANGELES CITY- Sen. Lito Lapid has reportedly bought a P16 million “castle-like” house at Friendship Plaza in Barangay Pampang in this city amid his plans to run for mayor here in 2016. ormer Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo Lazatin confirmed to Punto Lapid’s mayoral plan, saying the senator himself had sought his support for this, during the house blessing last Saturday.
“I told him I would support him,” said Lazatin who lost in his mayoral bid against former ally incumbent Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan in the 2013 mayoral polls. Lazatin described Lapid’s new house as “like a castle” and that it even had a small swimming pool.
“He bought it from a Korean,” he added. Lazatin’s chief of staff Irish Calaguas said Lapid bought the house for P16 million and that the property could be no less than 1,000 square meters. “It really looks like a castle and has three storeys,” she noted.
Lazatin said that eight barangay chairpersons in this city attended Lapid’s house blessing. “I think Lapid will win 100 percent against Edong (Mayor Pamintuan),” he added.
Lazatin also said lawyer Willie Rivera, the chief legal counsel of detained Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee, is being eyed by Lapid as his vice mayoral bet. “Willie will also be his campaign manager,” he also said.
In 2003, Lapid also announced he was running for mayor of this city but then Pres. Arroyo persuaded him to run for senator instead in the 2004 polls. It wasn’t clear whether he had bought a house in this city in 2003.
After becoming governor and vice governor of Pampanga, Lapid ran for the Senate in 2004. He joined the coalition of his cabalen, then President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo called Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan para sa Kinabukasan (K-4).
In 2007, Lapid ran for Makati mayor but Jejomar Binay beat him by a wide margin. Lapid sought the post reportedly to bar the opposition then from holding anti-Arroyo protests in Makati.
Lapid ran anew for senator in 2010 under Lakas-Kampi-CMD and his last term ends in 2016. “I don’t know under which party he will run for mayor in 2016, but we all know how people change political parties these days,” Lazatin said, adding he expected Lapid to file before the Commission on Elections a new registration address here.
Lazatin said he himself would just support Lapid, as he has opted to retire from politics and instead concentrate on helping local farmers.
