"Alarmed" 

My email inbox is a happy home to a host of writings and news clippings on local Pampanga politics whose senders are both friends and foes. It is a small price to pay for being upfront with my views on priest-politician Gov. Ed Panlilio and his distorted version of “good governance”. So yesterday, I came across an article titled “Alarmed” by a certain Kiko Ortelano, apparently posted at KASAUP’s blog. For objectivity’s sake, I dedicate this week’s column in response to the claims of Ortelano and the few others with him.

KASAUP, for the curious, is an organization composed of former Kapampangan Marangal, Inc. (KMI) members. When the KMI leadership began to openly criticize Panlilio for keeping and giving too much power to Atty. Dabu as his administrator, the two summoned KMI local leaders and voila, KASAUP – an instant pro-Panlilio organization whose handpicked leaders can tolerate and even fawn over Dabu.

As expected, Ortelano’s article was in-sync with Panlilio’s good versus evil propaganda line, how everyone was attacking Panlilio because he is doing a fantastic job as the governor of Pampanga.

Below is a laundry list of Panlilio’s good deeds, as per Ortelano and my take on these, in parenthesis:

“Yes, Governor Panlilio is to blame for:

1. Stopping the corruption at the capitol. (If he stopped corruption, sino na ang nademanda nya? Bakit wala pang nakukulong, claim as he does that matindi ang corruption sa probinsya? Hindi yata pagsasabi ng totoo ito.)

2. Correcting the plunder of the province's mineral resources; specifically lahar, (Kapatid, on March 2, 2007, it was Vice Gov Yeng Guiao who filed before the Ombudsman charges versus then governor Mark Lapid (including 18 other government officials and quarry contractors as respondent) for P1B of uncollected quarry tax. Ano sinasabi mong inaayos ang plunder ng lahar?)

3. An official and real effort to stop illegal gambling specially jueteng, (Really? Why has not done anything about STL when he kept on accusing it as a front for jueteng? Has he developed a working program for the families of alleged collectors as he promised during the campaign? Nasaan na? He admits that he has at his disposal, since last year, some P29 million as shares for STL operations in the province. This is supposedly earmarked for a livelihood program for cabos and cobradors but even Panlilio himself is “apprehensive” of his own program, that the beneficiaries just might not avail. So, ok, the money remains “in the vault”. Besides, kung wala palang STL, wala ring budget for livelihood program for jueteng workers?)

4. Bringing the provincial government closer to the people (not necessarily local government officials) by way of the PAMISAUPAN Caravan, (Eh iyong mga hindi na mahintay ang pagbisita sa mga barangay nila para maka-avail ng serbisyo at pumupunta sa opisina ni Panlilio sa Kapitolyo, natutulungan nya? Bakit marami ang pinapapabalik-balik pero umuuwi rin naman na luhaan?)

5. Institutionalizing the assistance to deserving college students. (Matagal nang mayroong scholarship program ang mga gobernador ng Pampanga kaya institutionalized na ito bago pa umupo si Panlilio.)

6. Always respecting laws even when it means antagonizing other government officials, both local and national, (My foot!! Perjury in his COMELEC campaign contributions report, illegal dismissal of Capitol officials and workers, lying before the Blue Ribbon Committee on the issue of P500T cash gift that he received and spent in part and was to fully spend kung ‘di nga lang nabisto; his refusal to follow CSC order as in the case of Dr. Ed Ponio, implementation of Ordinance on Truckers even when the Provincial Board had overridden his veto, etc.)

Kabalen, you wrote, “Admittedly, there have been members of the governor's internal team who have gone the other way.” You make it seem as if their grievances are trivial and that their withdrawal of support to Gov. Ed was the most natural thing in the world, like it happens every day to any other leader. No, if you were one of these people who gave their all for Governor Panlilio and the Kapampangan Crusade to succeed, and if you experienced how painful it can be to be betrayed by the man you thought was God’s answer to the problems that beset our province, I doubt that even you won’t have a change of heart but not necessarily go “the other way”.

If Governor Panlilio is criticized from all corners of the province – especially by the original BALAS Boys, his resigned Confidence Team members, his former friends, allies and supporters -- it is primarily because of his own doing. If he proved true to his commitments and his promise to be fair and consultative and if he did not just consult and solely trusted Dabu in handling all the affairs of the Capitol and beyond, if he actually acted like he is THE GOVERNOR, this might not have happened.

“There may still be a few of those who stayed who are doing the province a disservice,” you wrote.

Indeed you are right and these are none other than Governor Eddie T. Panlilio and Atty. Vivian Dabu.