GENERAL SANTOS CITY , Philippines - Lakas-Kampi-CMD re-electionist Sen. Lito Lapid said he would not be like fellow celebrity politicians who have reportedly undergone a cosmetic makeover to look better in a media-driven campaign.
Lapid refused to talk about rumors that vice-presidential candidate and party mate Edu Manzano had gone under the knife to look several years younger.
But when pressed on the issue, Lapid told newsmen, “I can speak only for myself. What you see is what you get,” said the Pampanga actor-turned-politician best known for his “Leon Guerrero” movies.
Accompanied by his son, former Pampanga governor Mark Lapid, the senator earlier toured the city in a 15-vehicle motorcade, his campaign jingle blaring in the background.
Lapid currently ranks in the 5th and 6th spots in the surveys.
His fellow actors, Senators Ramon Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada, are slugging it out at the top.
“We are confident his ratings will go up as the campaign wears on,” Mark said.
Lapid is the author of the Free Legal Aid Act, which allows poor litigants to engage the services of top-notch lawyers who, in turn, will get paid in the form of tax rebates corresponding to the legal fee they would normally charge a client.
“For example, if his usual fee is P100,000, the amount will be included in his tax deductibles,” he said.