SOCIAL Weather Stations and Pulse Asia surveys, two of the most known survey companies periodically conduct polling among countrywide respondents and queried whom they will likely vote among the declared senatorial candidates. And it seems Lito Lapid who wasn’t successful in his mayoral bid in Angeles City will be back in the senate in June 30 this year. He is now more popular than his showbiz colleagues, the likes of Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. who are also in the winning circle but Lapid leads the two on the surveys. It could be more interesting if Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa (no relation with the late actors Rogelio and Jaime De La Rosa) and the pambansang photo bomber Christoper “Bong” Go will make it to the upper house. Now Grace Poe, Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Imee Marcos and Nancy Binay will have leading men in their midst.
Manuel “Lito” Lapid’s life story can make a good movie. In the same manner the life story of his late uncle, Jess Lapid, was made into a movie. It was also in that movie “The Jess Lapid Story” produced by an independent filmmaker where Lito Lapid in a starring role zoomed to stardom. And from then on, there was no turning back for him. He made more than a dozen box office hits and even the name Leon Guerrero stuck in his persona.
And this time despite the wrinkles so evident despite the heavy makeup, the big scene in long running series “Ang Probinsiyano” where he betrothed Diana (Angel Aquino) and that lips to lips portion precisely won again many votes from the hoi poloi. He’s really damn lucky says Abel Cruz and John Manalili my friends who both have long wanting a smooch with Angel Aquino.
From the glitzy showbiz he parlayed into politics and chalked success after success. I should know, he was much loved by the people. I was there with him every election year he was involved. I accompanied him in his sorties to towns and cities in the Visayas and Mindanao. Vice governor, governor for nine years, senator of the republic for twelve years. Uninterrupted. And somehow that success changed greatly the simple and humble Lito Lapid. He was known in his hometown Porac, particularly to his childhood playmates as a kind and caring individual. The fellow grew up in a modest house at the back of the municipal building. He did all odd jobs just to earn few pesos in order to put food on the table. He has a lot of common sense but was very poor in academics in school. It was hardship all throughout. He struggled and persevered. But that is all behind him now.
RETRO: From the poor man’s house at the back of the municipio, he now owns a rich man mansion at the foot of a hill overlooking the town. His former house now a spitting distance in front of the town municipio has a high wall and an impregnable gate that no town mates can even peep. He now owns several houses in Metro Manila, Baguio and in the United States. ‘Hindi na siya maabot Tang Max’, his elder brother told me once while having a chat with him in Boracay. The two have falling out after a case was filed against Rey over a dispute of some disposable construction materials.
It was his Kuya Rey a movie camera man who somehow started him to showbiz. It was in their blood. Their father Jose, older brother of action star Jess Lapid, was so good on horses that he was then the leading stuntman of action pictures produced by Premiere Productions. He died so early and was not able to witness the success of his youngest. And of course the quarrels among the siblings.
Lito Lapid was a member of the SOS daredevil when he was spotted by Jess Chua, then an independent filmmaker and made him as a lead star of a movie. And movies after movies earned money in the box office, and later he was ranked as an action star sharing the marquees along with Fernando Poe Jr., Joseph Estrada, Ramon Revilla and many other popular actors. He became a leading man of many pretty actresses in the celluloid world. He himself produced dozens of box office movies and Leon Guerrero is one of the most popular.
If Chua gave Lapid his movie break, it was then Pampanga Governor Estelito Mendoza who ushered him to politics. Mendoza convinced Lapid to run in tandem with his cabalen, Dr. Rogelio Reyes who was to contest Guiao for governorship. Reyes lost, but Lapid won as vice governor and was presiding officer of the provincial board dominated by Guiao's allies. He must have impressed the Pampanga constituency that in the next election, he faced Guiao and garnered the biggest majority of votes on record. He won in every town with more than eighty percent of the votes, and counting was not yet over when Guiao called to congratulate.