Senator Lito Lapid for Mayor

Who is more powerful, the barangay chairman or the president of the Philippines?

Well, the president cannot become a president without being a resident first of the barangay. And being a resident, he/she should follow the rules of the barangay especially those being implemented by the chairman. Second, if the president has a dispute against fellow residents, the first resort should be the barangay especially the Lupon. Again, this implies that the barangay chairman has apower over the president.

In reality, though, the barangay chairmen in the Philippines are not aware of this. Which gives Senator Lito Lapid an edge. Lapid believes that the barangay chairmen are under the authority of the mayor so, without exhausting his term as a senator, he is now planning to run as mayor.

But Lapid has more reasons to run as mayor than govern barangay chairmen. First and foremost, the medium in the Senate is English. And this is a disadvantage to him coz he has to pay for an interpreter just to take part in the deliberations. Unless he plans to be the head of the Committee on Silence for ever and ever, amen?

Second, Lapid cannot go back to Pampanga as a governor. Unless he wants to steal the lollipop, err, turf, of his son Mark.

Third, Lapid has to follow the dictates of his lady-boss, Gloria. Just to enjoy the glory. Makati, where Lapid plans to run as mayor, is the kingdom of Binay, the president with questionable legitmacy's staunch dissenter. Gloria, based on the bees and spirits in the halls of Malacanang, has said to have mandated Lapid to go and multiply, err, occupy Makati thereby clip Binay's power.

Lastly, Lapid cannot perform his duties as a senator. Whether he likes it or not, he must go or be the laughingstock of the upper house. For the record, he was able to draft only sixteen bills since he took his oath as a SENATOR and not an AUDIENCE. The number and the names of bills together with their corresponding dates are as follows courtesy of the legislative tracking system of the Senate:

Bill Number Subject Date Passed
SBN 2258 ARNIS AS NATIONAL SPORT OF THE PHILIPPINES 6/5/2006
SBN 2253 OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL (BUREAUCRACY STREAMLINING) 5/29/2006
SBN 2239 STAPLE WIRES ON FOOD ITEMS PROHIBITION ACT OF 2006 4/3/2006
SBN 2230 FRANKING PRIVILEGE TO THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS OF OVERSEAS CONTRACT WORKERS 3/15/2006
SBN 2229 ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS ACT OF 2006 3/15/2006
SBN 2225 ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY REFORM ACT (AMENDMENTS) 3/13/2006
SBN 1727 AGOSTO - BUWAN NG WIKANG PAMBANSA 8/17/2004
SBN 1470 WORLD CUP FILIPINO ATHLETES INCLUSION IN RA 9064 COVERAGE 7/26/2004
SBN 1469 TEACHING OF DISASTER AWARENESS/MITIGATION IN PRIMARY/SECOND. 7/26/2004
SBN 1468 NATIONAL PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF MANGROVE FORESTS 7/26/2004
SBN 1466 SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE POOR ACT OF 2004 7/26/2004
SBN 1465 SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAM ACT OF 2004 7/26/2004
SBN 1464 MAXIMIZED FUNDING OF MASS-BASED SPORTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 7/26/2004
SBN 1463 MIGRANT WORKERS INSURANCE AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS 7/26/2004
SBN 1462 PROVIDING FOR A CALAMITY RESERVE FUND 7/26/2004