NO PUSHING
With mixed feelings, I am still trying to digest the recent admonition of Auxiliary Bishop Pablo David against those who are said to be pushing Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio to pursue his political plans despite the latter’s foremost desire to return to the priesthood.
For someone who has been so makulit in asking, nay, begging Among Ed to step down from the Capitol and go back to being a parish priest (for the sake of the Church, the province, the country and yes, himself), I was excited to read about it. The truth is, I even did an en mass e-mailing of that news article to the said “pushers”, hoping that since this time it is the Bishop himself who is telling them to wave goodbye to their political illusions for Among Ed, they would surely pay attention and think, being good Catholics as most of them are. Although, just to be super sure, I had my fingers especially crossed and used them to hit my Iphone’s Send E-mail button!
My initial glee was replaced with uncertainty when I had more time to think about the news report.
I thought: instead of pointing the gun, so to speak, at the “pushers”, why doesn’t Bishop Ambo just make Among Ed stop at feeding wild ideas on these poor, in tenterhooks, wide-eyed lot, and once and for all declare that he will no longer run for any public office because he will be returning to the priesthood as soon as his 3-year priestly leave / suspension (?) / term as governor is over? Priesthood is, after all, his “first love”, yes?
Of course, to the “pushers”, that might come out as brutal – like a bride jilted on her wedding day because her groom had ran off with the bride’s maid. But then, somebody tell me, what other choices are there, really?
Unless Among Ed immediately – as in yesterday – stop these hope-yielding stints below, the pushers and prodders will hold on to the belief that Among Ed will indeed run and they will follow his lead.
· Speak about his priesthood in nostalgic mode: “Priesthood is my first love, but I’m really enjoying what I am doing now”;
· Make tantalizing statements like, “I am passionate about governance,” “I am open to taking up the challenge,” “Open ako, noh, sa pagtakbo bilang presidente,”, “I would offer myself again for the province or the country…” , “My entry to the political arena was an answer to a need—the need for an alternative candidate that could govern the province with moral ascendancy. And I might consider running again next year if the same call arises,”
· Making “papogi” threats published by the national dailies that he would push for the prosecution of Pres. Arroyo for corruption; (which he would 2 days later retract at the local dailies which none of his “pushers” probably read);
· He is doing double time in roaming around the country (just like all the other Presidential aspirants) as if he is already on a nationwide campaign trail to make himself known and his presence felt; (note: Panlilio was even quoted to have admitted that because he is doing a lot of work in Manila, he had been failing to do his work properly by “not being aware of the current realities” of the incomplete DBM requirements that caused further delays in the approval of the 2009 provincial budget.)
Ultimately many times more qualified than Panlilio, Isabela Governor Grace Padaca had it so right when she refused to comment on her political plans despite the media prodding. She said she did not want to condition the minds of the voters.
Bishop Ambo, mind-conditioning is exactly what your dear brother-priest Ed is doing to the people, especially his supporters – the very same people who are “pushing” Gov. Ed only because he is pushing them to push him to pursue his political plans.
So yes, please, and hurry, Apung Ambo, do tell Gov. Ed: No pushing!
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