Lito Lapid

Manuel "Lito" Mercado Lapid (Tagalog: [manˈwel ˈlito ˈlapid]; born October 25, 1955) is a Filipino actor, director and politician serving as a Senator since 2019, and previously from 2004 to 2016. He started his political career in Pampanga, serving as vice governor from 1992 to 1995, and governor from 1995 to 2004.

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.

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.

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.

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.