LITO LAPID admits he owes a lot to Coco Martin and “Ang Probinsyano” in reviving his acting career. “Kilala na ako ngayon ng mga bata, pati yung millennials,” he says. “Kahit saan ako magpunta, ang tawag nila sa’kin, Pinuno, na siyang tawag sa’kin sa ‘Probinsyano’. Dahil din sa show, nagawa ko uli yung stunts na ginagawa ko noong araw sa movies kong ‘Leon Guerrero’. Noong una, akala ko hindi ko na kaya, but si Coco, siya rin ang direktor ng show, sabi sa’kin, i-try mo lang. So ginawa ko, pinag-stunts niya ko sa tren, sa tulay, pinagbaging ako, pinakasakay uli ako sa kabayo, at na-realize ko, kaya ko pa naman pala. Binigyan pa ako ng ka-love team, si Angel Aquino, na nagustuhan naman ng viewers.”
But his character has to be killed recently because he is running for the senate in the May elections. “One week kinunan yung final episodes ko sa show, pati yung death scene ko. Nami-miss ko lahat ng mga kasama ko roon ngayon.”
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| Lito Lapid and Coco Martin |
Will he invite his co-stars there like Angel and Coco to help him in the campaign? “Lahat sila, nagsabing kung kailangan ko sila, sabihin ko lang daw. Gusto ko sana silang makasama sa kampanya, and I’m sure hindi naman sila tatanggi, pero nahihiya rin ako kasi hindi ko naman sila mababayaran. So kung sino na lang ang puede at kusang mag-volunteer later na sasama sa’kin, ganun na lang.”
Before the campaign started, he has also finished a new full length film. “Ang working title ko is ‘Lumang Bakal’, pero tiyak na mapapalitan pa. Maraming nagsa-suggest na gawin na lang Vendetta kasi kilalang-kilala ang vigilante group called Vendetta sa ‘Probinsyano’. The story was inspired by ‘Taken’. I play a retired army officer na ang anak, si Empress Schuck, was kidnapped by bad guys, at bilang ama, gagawin ko ang lahat para mabawi ko ang anak ko.”
Well, if Liam Neeson succeeded in cultivating a new career as an action star in his 60s, there’s no harm for Lito Lapid in trying the same route. As a public servant, Lito started his career as vice governor of Pampanga in 1992 when the province was badly hit by the Pinatubo eruption. In 1995, he ran as governor and won.
He pushed for the construction of the megadike that saved various towns from lahar and he was governor until 2004 when he ran for the senate and also won. He got a second term and served until 2016. Now, he’s running for another term.
