ANGELES CITY – Straight out of the horse’s mouth! Senator Lito Lapid debunked all speculations a day past Innocents’ Day and declared that he will run for mayor of this chartered city in the 2016 polls against incumbent Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.
“We called this meeting to confirm that I will run for mayor of Angeles,” Lapid said in the ernacular at the Angeles Fried Chicken restaurant here to a deafening applause from mostly former barangay officials, kagawads and at least seven incumbent village chiefs from barangays Sta. Teresita, Ninoy Aquino, Cutud, Salapungan, Sto. Domingo, Santa Trinidad and San Jose.
The senator also debunked accusations that he is not from the city. He said he took up residence in the city as early as 2004 when he bought a house at the L&S Subdivision in Barangay Sto. Domingo.
“Memangutang kupu kareng menungkulan taga keti nung ninu ila, metung man pu kareng kapitan kanitang 2004 ala man taga Angeles e (I asked around from people about the officials here and I found out not one of the [barangay] captains in 2004 were from Angeles),” Lapid said.
“Surian yo ngan pu (Why don’t you examine them?),” he asked as he pointed his seatmates at the presidential table – City Councilor Max Sangil who hails from Porac and ex-Mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin whom he said is from the City of San Fernando but his heart is in Angeles.
“I am also like them,” he said in Kapampangan. Lapid said he served Pampanga for 12 years – first as vice governor for three years and then as governor for three terms. He said at the height of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, he would often go to this city and help his friend who was then a barangay captain.
“Sinuyu naku pu labing adwang banwa mabilug a Kapampangan pwera ing Angeles (I served for 12 years the whole of Pampanga but not Angeles),” Lapid said. “And for another 12 years I served the whole Philippines as senator of the republic,” he added.
“And now I am asking myself should I retire? At least I did not taste defeat. I am still undefeated. The one in Makati is nothing because I just followed orders from my boss and just like what PNoy said, ‘kayo ang boss ko,’ I am also declaring that you are all my bosses,” Lapid said.
“I called this meeting to run for mayor of Angeles.” “They say that Lito Lapid is uneducated, he does not know how to write, he cannot speak English. But I got myself a good lawyer,” Lapid said pointing to Atty. Wily Rivera, who was also seated at the presidential table.
“That’s why I was able to pass a law, the free legal assistance for the poor. That is why now there is equal justice for both rich and poor alike,” Lapid said. “Andyang rugung dati yang magtindang yelu keta king Porac…(Even if he was just a mere ice vendor in Porac),” he added to another applause.
“They asked me to consider running for governor of Pampanga since I was also a former governor. But then I realized the incumbent governor is doing a good job, why should I contest that?” he continued. “Masanting no man pu gagawan deng Pineda obat makisiksikan kupa karela? (The Pinedas are doing a lot of good why should I force myself),” he said.
“Now here in Angeles, I was convinced by Tarzan (Lazatin) to run for mayor. He is my idol,” he said. “Who will refuse to run for mayor in Angeles? The Nepomuceno patriarch (referring to former mayor Francisco Nepomuceno) is my godfather and his children are like my own brothers (Balamu kapatad ko pu reng Nepomuceno),” Lapid said.
“That is why when they invited me to run for mayor who am I to refuse? Siguru pu ing batikus akwanan kuna mu alang-alang kekayu bang kanita sumerbisyu ku (Maybe I will just take all the criticisms just for your sake so that I can serve you),” he said.
