Lapid determined to run in Makati

Senator Lito Lapid is dead set on running for mayor in Makati City, where he hopes to establish a good working relationship with business leaders just like he did when he was governor of the province of Pampanga.

"I am 100 percent sure to run for Makati mayor," the senator said in a recent interview with mediamen.

The senator was quoted as saying that he was convinced by President Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to run for mayor in the country’s premier financial district against incumbent Jejomar Binay in the next local elections.

Lapid was asked to run against Binay to stop the anti-government rallies that take place in Makati City.

Binay, among the top leaders of the political opposition, has been known to grant rally permits to anti-Arroyo protesters even though the administration has been cracking down on demonstrations.

Lapid said he accepted the request of the First Family because many people in Makati want the "dictatorship" there to end as well as stop the rallies and protests, which he described as bad for business in Makati.

The former Pampanga governor said Makati City is a business center and not a place for protests that may disrupt economic growth.

Lapid disclosed that top business groups in Makati are supporting him because of his plan to "rationalize the very high taxes" in the central business district.

"The people in Makati are used to Pampanga leaders," Lapid said, referring to former Mayor Nemesio Yabut, a native of Macabebe.

The senator filed for residency in Makati last April 25 to prove that his intention to run for mayor is not a mere bluff. The senator has a house in Magallanes Subdivision.