Lito Lapid

Early life and education

Lapid was born in Porac, Pampanga on October 25, 1955. He is the fifth child out of nine children of Jose Songco Lapid and Eleuteria Mercado. He completed his elementary education at the Porac Central School in 1968 and secondary education at St. Catherine's Academy in Porac in 1972. He did not enroll for his tertiary education as he pursued acting.

Acting career

Lapid entered the film industry as a stuntman, and became an actor. He is the nephew of Jess Lapid and the cousin of Jess Lapid Jr. The movie "The Jess Lapid Story" got him noticed in the movie industry.

Political career

As provincial governor

In the 1992 general election he ran under the opposition block Nationalist People's Coalition as vice governor of Pampanga, and defeated the incumbent vice governor Cielo Macapagal-Salgado.

In 1995, he ran for governor of Pampanga under the same party against Governor Bren Guiao, who had the support of former President Corazon Aquino, and won. When he sought a second term in 1998, Lapid joined the administration party Lakas-NUCD. After the impeachment of President Joseph Estrada in 2000 and the second EDSA Revolution the following year, he ran again for his final term and won.

He decided to run as mayor of Angeles City, in the 2004 elections but abandoned his plans when he was encouraged to run as a senator.

In 2009, Lapid and his son Mark Lapid faced plunder charges for allegedly not remitting P500 million in quarrying fees while they were governor of Pampanga. Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez cleared Lito and Mark Lapid of the plunder charges in 2011, in what has been described as a "midnight order" signed a month before Gutierrez's resignation. Gutierrez resigned in April 2011 amid allegations of protecting former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her political allies.

Fertilizer fund scam

In 2014, the Ombudsman found Lapid liable for the purchase of P5 million in overpriced fertilizers, through funds allegedly diverted to the 2004 election campaign of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. According to the Ombudsman, the Pampanga provincial government under Lapid bought 3,880 liters of overpriced fertilizer at P1,250 per liter without public bidding, violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Government Procurement Act, and the Revised Penal Code. The Fertilizer Fund scam case was the eighth graft case filed against Lapid before the Ombudsman.

In 2015, Lapid was charged for graft over his alleged involvement in the 2004 Fertilizer Fund scam while he was governor of Pampanga. The case was dismissed in 2016 by the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court due to the "inordinate delay" in the investigation, but the Supreme Court reversed the dismissal in 2019.

Senate

During the 2004 Senatorial elections, then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo encouraged Lapid to run as a senator under the administration coalition K4. He accepted the offer and won the election where he placed eleventh. During his first term, he ran for mayor of Makati in 2007, but lost to incumbent Mayor Jejomar Binay; thus, he kept his Senate seat.

In May 2010, he was re-elected as senator, placing 11th in the overall ranking. He ran under the Lakas–CMD but subsequently left the party in 2012 and served until 2016 as an independent. He was chairman of the Senate Committee on Tourism and Cooperatives. As he was ineligible to seek another re-election to the Senate, Lapid ran for mayor of Angeles City in 2016, but lost to incumbent Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan Sr..

Lapid's office acknowledged that P5 million of his pork barrel was used in 2011 to purchase anti-dengue innoculants for Polillo, Quezon. The funds were allegedly misused as part of the pork barrel scam, since there were no reported cases of dengue fever in Polillo in 2011.

Lapid sought for a comeback to the Senate in 2019 and won, placing 7th overall. He earned his third nonconsecutive term.

Lapid was re-elected as senator in 2025 and was a part of the Administration Slate, Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas. He placed 11th overall.

Personal life

Lapid is married to Marissa Tadeo, with whom he has four children including Mark. Lapid also has a child with former supermodel Melanie Marquez and another, actress Ysabel Ortega with former singer, Michelle Ortega.

Electoral history

Filmography

Film

Television

References

References

1. (4 October 2018). "Lapid joins NPC; to run for Senate". SunStar Publishing Inc..
2. "CANDIDATE'S PROFILE: Manuel Mercado Lapid". GMA News.
3. "From Stuntman To Senator: Sen. Lito Lapid looks back at his beginnings". Philippine Star.
4. "Lito a hero to his own kind". Philippine Star.
5. Dolor, Danny. (July 24, 2011). "Jess Lapid at his peak".
6. (May 10, 1995). "Cory 'magic touch' wanes in Pampanga". Kamahalan Publishing Corp..
7. Cruz, Ailla Dela. (2024-10-21). "Fact check: Lito Lapid not disqualified from Senate race".
8. (2011-09-20). "Ex-Ombudsman let Lapids off plunder case before quitting her post". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
9. Orejas, Tonette. (2014-08-01). "Lapid found liable in fertilizer scam". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
10. (November 5, 2015). "Graft charges vs Lapid, 5 others for overpriced fertilizer".
11. Ong, Czarina Nicole O.. (December 28, 2017). "Sandiganbayan in 2016: High-profile cases resolved".
12. Nonato, Vince F.. (October 31, 2017). "Prosecutors appeal dismissal of graft case against Lapid".
13. Bonquin, Carolyn. (October 4, 2016). "Lito Lapid wins graft case due to Ombudsman's delay".
14. Villamiel, Andrei. (2024-07-22). "Probe into cost of new Senate building is reminder of senators' problematic corruption record".
15. (May 16, 2007). "Binay thrashes Lito Lapid in Makati, awaits proclamation".
16. Sapnu, Ric. (May 10, 2016). "Lapid loses by huge margin in Pampanga mayoralty race". [[The Philippine Star]].
17. (2013-07-26). "Lapid pork used in scam". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
18. Elemia, Camille. (October 15, 2018). "Lito Lapid seeks Senate comeback in 2019". [[Rappler]].
19. Patinio, Ferdinand. (May 22, 2019). "12 winning senators proclaimed". [[Philippine News Agency]].
20. "Comelec releases final senatorial ranking in the 2025 elections".
21. "Melanie Accepts Kris' Apology; Diana Zubiri & Vhong Navarro Going Steady". Newsflash.org.
22. "Meet Manuelito, the love child of Melanie Marquez and Lito Lapid". ABS-CBN News.
23. (August 3, 2016). "Meet Melanie Marquez' gorgeous daughter, Michelle". [[ABS-CBN Corporation]].
24. "Ysabel Ortega on dad Lito Lapid: "He's happy for me."". GMA Entertainment.
25. (May 7, 2018). "Ysabel Ortega Speaks Up About Relationship With Father Lito Lapid". Philippine News.
26. "WATCH: Ysabel Ortega in tears over not seeing dad Lito Lapid". ABS-CBN News.
27. PEP Troika. (January 31, 2024). "Bong Revilla, Robin Padilla, Lito Lapid, at Coco Martin magsasanib-puwersa sa pelikula". Philippine Entertainment Portal Inc..
28. Llemit, Kathleen A.. (February 2, 2024). "Coco Martin, Robin Padilla, Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid working on new film — report". Philstar Global Corp..
29. (December 7, 2022). "Coco Martin, Lovi Poe, Charo Santos to star in FPJ's 'Batang Quiapo'".