Gov. Lapid breaks silence on attacks

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Gov. Mark Lapid finally broke his silence yesterday on the public attacks against him, accusing his challenger in the May polls, provincial board member Lilia Pineda, and her running mate, Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao, of being ineffective in the provincial board.

"My opponents keep harping on my work habit and accomplishments. I challenge them to mention even a single major legislative measure of their own individual initiative which has been enacted into an ordinance," he said.

"The legislative records speak for themselves. Nowhere could you find any outstanding ordinance initiated by either the vice governor or Lilia Pineda," he added.

Lapid said Pineda never attended nor presided over any meeting of the provincial health board which she chairs.

"Her poor attendance was consistent," he said, adding that Pineda only attended 17 out of the provincial board’s 31 sessions in 2004, 12 out of 37 in 2005, and 17 out of 33 last year.

Meanwhile, Lapid said Guiao’s "endless mudslinging" is "nothing but (his and Pineda’s) desperate attempt to cover up their utterly dismal performance in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan."

"I think the vice governor is more interested in winning basketball games for his team than initiating important pieces of legislation," he said. Guiao is the coach of the Red Bull basketball team.

Last Friday, Guiao filed 20 counts of fraud, malversation of public funds, graft and corruption and violation of ethical standards for government officials and employees against Lapid, his father, Sen. Lito Lapid, and a number of provincial officials. – Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu