Lito Lapid and son had a falling out with the Arroyos?

You know something's not right when wannabe Makati mayor candidate Sen. Lito Lapid starts making parinig re his "regrets" na hindi siya sumali sa Opposition. Maybe he knows something or is anticipating some bad news na most of us are not aware of yet. He made these following statements reported on Feb. 22, 2007:

Clark Field, Pampanga --- "Ako, gusto ko talaga sa opo-sisyon. Mahirap sa administrasyon. Wala kang ginawa kundi sumalo. Pero baka pagkatapos na ng eleksyon," ayon kay Senator Manuelito ‘Lito’ Lapid na kilalang masugid na taga-suporta at tagasunod ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Ang tila may himig paghihinanakit na pahayag ni Lapid sa Malacañang ay inihayag nito sa harap ni Senador Panfilo "Ping" Lacson na du-malaw sa Pampanga kahapon, kaugnay sa umano’y lantarang ipinapakita ni Pa-ngulong Arroyo na pagkiling nito sa kandidatura ng asawa ng umano’y jueteng king na si Rodolfo ‘Bong’ Pineda, na si Lubao Mayor Lilia Pineda bilang gubernatorial candidate ng administrasyon laban sa kanyang anak na si Governor Mark Lapid.

Gayunpaman, sinabi ni Lapid na sa kasalukuyan ay hindi pa siya handang sumapi sa oposisyon, at posibleng gawin niya ito pagkatapos ng eleksyon.

Kahit dehado sa endorsement ni Mrs. Arroyo at posibleng ilaglag kapalit ni Pineda bilang gubernatorial candidate ng administrasyon sa ilalim ng partidong Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI), walang balak si Lapid na magmanikluhod o magmakaawa sa Malacañang.

Sa tagal ng panahon, naging tapat ang kanilang pamilya sa Malacañang, ayon kay Lapid kung kaya’t hahayaan nitong si Mrs. Arroyo ang magdesisyon sa gubernatorial race ng Pampanga.

Gusto mo na maging opposition? But only after the elections? Whatever. :rolleyes:

But I guess Mr. Lapid's instincts are correct re na ibabasura na sila ng mga arroyos, because the other shoe has finally dropped:

Lapids charged with graft
By: Joel de la Torre

March 03, 2007 06:29 PM Saturday

Pampanga Governor Mark Lapid
GRAFT charges were filed yesterday against Sen. Lito Lapid and his son, Pampanga Governor Mark Lapid, for alleged ghost road projects worth P11 million.

Also charged before the Office of the Ombudsman were 22 personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Pampanga vice governor Joseller “Yeng” Guiao, who filed the complaint, accused the Lapids of conspiring with DPWH employees to make it appear that five infrastructure projects in five barangays have been completed. Guaio said officials of these barangays claimed no road project was finished.

Guiao said the projects were “double-funded,” meaning that the money came from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of the senator and the development fund of the governor.

The vice governor said barangays Lourdes, Mandili, and Magumbali were purportedly given more than P4 million to finish road projects, which include rehabilitation of the Mandili and Magumbali farm-to-market roads. He said 29 other barangays were reportedly given funds for road projects from 2004 to 2005 but local officials said they did not receive the money.

The projects are covered with a memorandum of agreement between the provincial government and the DPWH.

Guiao said the senator and his son made it appear that they both shelled out money from their pork barrel and development funds when in truth, these projects were either non-existent or unfinished.

So I guess the wife of the jueteng lord (and GMA kumpare) Bong Pineda will become the next governor of Pampanga, eh? CHEERS!

More: Lilia Pineda first got into the media spotlight for bribing COMELEC officials (inside maam Arroyo's La Vista home) back in 2004.