ACCUSATIONS 

In response to Governor Panlilio’s accusations that:

(1) I am defending political patronage and corrupt system in the country; and

(2) that I am not objective in looking at his administration’s supposed accomplishments in Pampanga as per Inquirer.net story, Leave priesthood first, Panlilio told, by Dona Pazzibugan and Tonette Orejas, posted date: March 22, 2009

Given the choice for president, Gov Ed Panlilio of Pampanga or Gov Grace Padaca of Isabela, I prefer the latter because of her outstanding record as an executive in her province compared to the mess the province of Pampanga is in today.

I am a trapo and a defender of the corrupt system dahil sa aking paniwalang ‘di hamak na mas qualified si Padaca kumpara kay Panlilio???

Malyari ku pu kayang pa-define kang Dabu-Panlilio governance-partnership nanu ing buri dang sabyan king TRAPO, GOOD GOVERNANCE, INTEGRITY, HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY, MORAL LEADERSHIP? [May I please ask the Dabu - Panlilio governance - partnership to define TRAPO, GOOD GOVERNANCE, INTEGRITY, HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY, MORAL LEADERSHIP?]

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I can only guess why he accuses me of the above. I wonder, is it because I am highly critical and vocal of his non-performance as governor? Perhaps because of my expressed support for the terminated BALAS Boys for their painstaking search for labor justice against his administration’s unfair dismissal and ill-treatment of the real heroes of increased quarry collection? Or maybe because I share the sentiments of the BALAS Boys, his resigned confidence team members, and the majority of the civil society in Pampanga led by Kapampangan Coalition Inc (KCI) Chair, Fr. Resty Lumanlan, SVD, that he should be disentangled with his Provincial Administrator Atty. Vivian Dabu? Or could it be because I advocate that he return to priesthood instead of vying for any more position in government?

Among Ed, e kayu pu mimiwa kanaku. Kaluguran da kayu. E yu pu  talaga linya ing pamangubyernu. E kayu pu basta maniwala kareng taung manulsul kekayu. Gagamitan kayu mu pu. [Among Ed, please don't be angry with me. I love you. Governance is really not your line. Please don't believe those who are egging on you. They are only using you.]

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Gov. Panlilio wants an objective assessment of what his governance has done for the province. Well, let’s be blatantly honest and objective shall we? And while we’re at it, let’s compare what he has done to that of Governor Padaca for Isabela since that was the point of my statement.

In his 632 days (90 weeks, 2 days) he highlights these two “accomplishments”(as per his March 23, 2009 very early morning interview with Arnold Clavio):

1) removal of commission and SOP on infrastructure projects;

2) increased quarry collection.

But hey, what’s this?

As of June 2008, he has yet to implement P718M worth of infrastructure projects of the province, as per DPWH Pampanga. A DPWH source said that 20% would be a kind estimate of what Panlilio may have already implemented since then. This is worth looking into, and if this is true, it is not an accomplishment at all.

There is no doubt that there is an increase in quarry collection. The question is how, and who are the real heroes of this accomplishment, the answer to which he persistently forgets to mention. Also, just for the record, here is a comparative table of quarry collections (SEE TABLE) during the time of the original BALAS BOYS, led by ex-seminarians he called “confidence team”.

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Panlilio’s PR office (Provincial Information Office) regularly disseminates information of Panlilio’s activities such as Pamisaupan, forums, meetings, courtesy calls, awarding ceremonies, scholarship, distribution of fingerlings, tree planting, among others. Nothing out of the ordinary or what any other governors before him may have already done.

Other than the Draft Executive Agenda issued for review to the media and Pampanga constituents (that was never finalized) two months after he assumed power in 2007, his administration has not presented, not even a blueprint, of the economic and development program of the province.

Is it not why he received a mouthful from Vice Gov. Yeng Guiao when he said that he was “not privy” to the development program of the province?

Meanwhile, Governor Padaca was given a Magsaysay Award in 2008 for her record in implementing significant program of governance that truly benefitted her people in matters of agriculture where, just to cite a few, the provincial government provides for P5 per kilo subsidy to the products of farmers, for health she enrolled 100,000 Isabelinos to PhilHealth, Ugnayang Barangay where 90% of all barangays in her province received financial assistance for their projects, among many others. All these she did because she worked very hard with the Provincial Council of Isabela.

Why couldn’t Panlilio do the same?

By working with Isabela’s PB, did she compromise her principles against graft and corruption? I think not!

But a 10-minute survey, much more, an in-depth one, of news in Pampanga since Panlilio became the governor of the province would easily prove my claim that Panlilio has not proven any executive ability in running the province of Pampanga.

Instead of being the governor, he passes both the nitty-gritty and general gubernatorial powers to his Provincial Administrator Atty. Dabu. By being so, I think he becomes nothing more than a figure-head and a paper-pusher at the Capitol and sign Executive Orders, payrolls, and other documents where Dabu tells him so. Sometimes, Dabu even goes beyond what already too much power that is granted to her by her governor.

Isn’t that why she managed to send the offensive letter to Mayor Oca Rodriguez effectively accusing him of illegal quarrying, and why Panlilio claim he does not know anything about it? Now, is that good governance? What would be the more objective way of looking at that!

Among Ed, makisabi ku pu: magbalik na kayu pu keng kapanyausan ning Apung Ginu.  [Among Ed, please return to your priestly calling.]