ACT DUMB

Gov. Ed Panlilio said that it hit him that politicians “get kinder” when election time draws near. It’s but natural for any person, not just politicos like himself, to put their better foot forward when they are after something.

Ito naman si Among oh, parang hindi tao na naghangad,nangarap o umibig.

I am certain that at some point of his life, he did his own share of wooing, and took efforts to look and act his best, make the best impression, especially if there were competitors vying for the sweet “yes” of the lucky lady.

When he was running for governor in 2007, his image makers worked wonderful miracles so he would look his kindest, nicest and cleanest.

Also, back then, I remember he was always naturally very kind to Jun and Lolita Hizon and their children - Darius (his chief security), Barangay Chair Jomar, Doll and the rest of the Hizon Clan in whose houses (4) he stayed during the campaign & after the election, the lady volunteers (Myrna Bituin, Tess Guanzon, Agnes Romero, Leleng Santiago, Tess Briones, Tootsie Herrera, Nina Saplala, Nina Tomen, Janet Mallari, Lilian Limjoco, among others), Rene Romero and all the other big financial backers - of course the Davids of Betis (Bishop Ambo, Atty. Dante David, Randy). The men I saw with him every evening - Marny Castro, Tatang Fer Caylao, the ex-seminarians and youth volunteers - Archie Reyes, Rop Syquia, Alex Pineda, Ave Laquindanum Patrick Guanzon, Noynoy Santiago, John Sambo, and many others.

Sadly, though, like most wooers who make promises of sun and moon, they fall short, and worst, renege.

KUDOS is in order to Atty. Vivian Dabu for finally getting her salaries. So all this time she is not getting her salary, she is a volunteer staff of the government? Double congratulations to her and Among Ed for probably avoiding possible legal repercussions for holding too much power despite the “volunteer” status. Or am I speaking too soon?

POINT IS, THERE IS NO POINT

What really is the point of the well-crafted July 1 PUNTO! story of Panlilio’s friend Ms. Tonette Orejas on “PRIEST in POLITICS: No graft in 2 years”?

That priests are able to resist temptations, they live simply and they are good at making sacrifices? Ok copy. But aren’t these some of the basic traits any priest, not just Among Ed, should have for them to actually become priests? And with his campaign line of moral, ethical and responsible leadership, the Capampangans were made only to expect as much and maybe even more.

That “Pwede pala!”, a graft-free government is doable, or that it is doable because the leader is a priest? Come on, pari nga sya eh. If there is any current government office in any part of this country that should be graft free, it is that one ran by a priest-governor. Why would he allow it?

But wait, why is the leadership standard limited to plain and simple living? Why not excellence, professionalism and effective governance?

CONDESCENDING: By implication, nakakalungkot itong mga realizations ni Among Ed sa dalawang taon niyang paglalaro sa Capitolio. It is a reflection of one or two things about the priest-politician: one, he feigns ignorance about the man’s nature at the expense of others. Two: he probably thinks all the employees of the Capitol are corrupt and inefficient that he is so amazed about the fact the “Pwede pala!” silang maging malinis at masipag.

Ano ba yan!

YOU MIGHT BE A DIE-HARD GOV. ED FAN IF...

You come up with an online survey on your website on whether controversial Provincial Administrator Atty. Dabu should be fired from her job but cancel the same survey just when everybody is checking the Yes answer because well, you didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

You unceasingly cite your favorite Bible story David versus Goliath when people ask how Gov. Ed plans to win the 2010 presidential election without the machinery, money, and the votes.

You question the credibility of a survey on presidential wannabes because results shows Gov. Ed’s name at the very end of the list getting a measly 0.2%.

You vehemently agree that Atty. Vivian Dabu is the ONLY person in Pampanga who can do the job of a Provincial Administrator, and nobody else!

You brag about the “achievements” of Gov. Ed but purposely do not read the local dailies in Pampanga showing the real score there because you believe that all the local journalists are paid publicists of the Lapids, Pinedas and Arroyos.

Grabbing every chance you get, you don’t forget to quote Gov Ed’s P1 million per day quarry tax collection but purposely forget to mention that it stopped being that a long, long time ago.

You feel sorry but hold grudges against the former confidence team members who has left Gov Ed’s side because of Atty. Dabu, thinking, “Oh those poor misguided, incompetent people, they just couldn’t keep up with the pressure.”

You think all the criticisms and bad news against Gov. Ed are untrue, fabricated, imagined and exaggerated because Gov Ed is oh so perfect!

Now, you really are a Gov Ed die-hard fan if…

You secretly accept a brown paper bag full of money from an unknown man while in Malacanang, if caught, hold a national press conference and ask the Office of the President to issue you an official receipt.

You tell the whole world that it seems you were bribed, but only after you spend some of it. Goodbye, evidence!

You are the governor but you are “not privy” to the provincial investment plans. AYOS!

Because you are so humble, you refuse to put your name on the government projects billboards but it’s perfectly alright to put a nice Borj Meneses’ photo shot of your smiling face on all of them.

You enter into a commitment via a dialogue with protesting BALAS employees but four days later forget all about it and ask, “Did I really say that? Show me the minutes!”

You insist on being a priest but you don’t want the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at your office, and if asked, just say “Oh, I now keep her in my room to get closer to her,” thinking the Mama Mary’s devotees will love that!

Knowing there will be a big rally of incensed truckers against a new Capitol policy, and you know they would definitely demand for a dialogue, you immediately call all the media people available to come to your office and then shut the door and have your bodyguards ready. When the rallyists come up, knock loudly because you just won’t open your double-locked door, go tell the media: “Oh look, they want to attack me!”

You agree to the Governor's move to have former PNP Provincial Director Keith Singian fired because he did not rush to the Governor's Office to "protect Panlilio" from the imaginary "attackers".

(To be continued)

TO the readers: Thanks for the emails and the wonderful ideas and keep them coming! You might also want to email me your own versions of “You might be a die-hard fan of Gov Ed if…”.

Panlilio = Lugo? IF ONLY

It is not surprising why some would want to compare Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio with Paraguay President Fernando Lugo.

For starters, they are both men of cloth, who more or less reneged against the Canon Law provision against priests holding public office and to be blunt, have traded the pulpit for politics.

Governor Ed was a parish priest while President Lugo was a bishop who was Paraguay’s Provincial Superior of the Divine Word community – basically the top gun of all SVD priests in his country.

While President Lugo realized his priestly vocation at age 19 after his touching experience as a training teacher in a religious rural community who longed for but did not have a priest, Among Ed at an early age wanted to become a priest because of, according to him, “mundane and capricious” reasons: “the priest always have delicious food.” “We always wanted to accompany the priest because his food was delicious, and he was rich. Kasi ang pari, misa lang ng konti, ang dami ng pera, at saka respetado  [When a priest hears even only a handful of mass, he receives money. A priest is respected]. Everywhere he goes, he gets the best place, he’s being listened to. Ganyan ang pari e [That’s how priests are].”* He must have been kidding, a joker that he can be at times.

While Bishop Lugo stayed with just one seminary for his spiritual formation, Among Ed moved from one seminary to another admittedly because he was an “idealist” and went through a “long discernment process” where he said, “’pag di ako nakuntento sa isa, lilipat ako”. So from Don Bosco Juniorate in Bacolor where he stayed for two years, he moved to Don Bosco Seminary in Canlubang, Laguna for a year, and then a year each for San Carlos Seminary and Immaculate Conception Seminary in Vigan. His longest stay was at St. Augustine Seminary where he stayed for 5 years, including pastoral work. He also studied at the Divine Word Theology in Tagaytay for his academic formation.

Soon after Lugo was ordained, he was sent to Ecuador for a 5-year mission work where he was exposed to Liberation Theology, a revolutionary Christian model of “church for the poor” and that it was every Christian’s mission to bring justice to the poor and oppressed through political activism. He brought back this teaching with him and practiced it in Paraguay which was then under the dictatorship of Gen. Stroessner. It did not take long before the local police persecuted Lugo as it took only 1 year before he was expelled from his country. He returned 5 years later where he continued his work for the poor. In 1994, he was ordained Bishop and was assigned at the poverty-stricken San Pedro Department where he used his position to help campesinos battle for agrarian reform, foreign control of their natural resources, state repression and brutality. He organized Civilian Resistance, a broad alliance of political parties and mass organizations against the abuses and corruption of the ruling Colorado regime. He was a well-loved leader and organizer at the grassroots level where he played an integral role in the Paraguayans' fight for a just and fair society, making him known and worthy of the title as the “Bishop of the Poor”.

Meanwhile, Among Ed’s record as a priest was somewhat different. He was a SACOP executive director for 15 years. While being so, he was involved in the social action programs of the institution, including but not limited to micro-lending, low-cost housing project and relief and rehabilitation operations for the victims of Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991. Among Ed also established the TPKI, a Grameen-bank style of micro-lending and financing, in which mission is to “help low-income Filipinos, particularly the people of Pampanga break out of poverty by providing them with financial and complementary services.” They have some nice programs and I particularly liked the concept of small group loans and the Boundary Hulog Program which is not unlike how any enterprising kabalen could get from any “daily hulog for a motorcycle” like Transcycle, only with TPKI there is less loan interest. No wisecrack, I liked the project so when I was a Congressman I was able to direct P5 million to this group and it's how I first met Among Ed. Second was when he said his last mass in Betis before filing his Certificate of Candidacy.

Another point of comparison is perhaps the dramatic campaign and heroic victory of Among Ed in the 2007 gubernatorial elections when he ran on the platform of good governance, moral leadership and transparency against the well-oiled economic and political machinery of the Lapids and Pinedas. As it was with Among Ed, it was the people of Paraguay, through their 100,000 signatures who finally convinced THE GOOD BISHOP to run and catapulted him to the presidency last April 2008 against the 62-year old ruling Colorado Party. It was a similar attempt of the people to take the first great leap to affect much-needed changes in the socio-political system in their country.

Similarly, there were strong reactions and apprehensions, even chastisement from various fronts especially the Church when these Catholic men of cloth – Among Ed and Fernando Lugo – chose politics over their priesthood. There were / are raging arguments coming from Canon Law experts that prompted the Catholic hierarchy to suspend Among Ed from his priestly duties as soon as he announced his intention to run for Governor and filed his candidacy.

But unlike Among Ed who deems himself a priest-on-leave which makes him a priest-politician (which to Archbishop Cruz is “an anomaly to the hierarcy”), the good ex-bishop Lugo was determined and decisive. As early as January 2005, he resigned as head of the diocese and asked for his laicization as he was getting more involved with his political and social activities outside of the church. His request for dispensation was denied because as per the Church laws, bishops could not be laicized. When he ran for President in 2008, he was “suspended from the discharge of the ordained ministry” but was not dismissed of his “clerical state” – once a priest always a priest. However, when he won the election, Pope Benedict XVI reversed the earlier decision and finally accepted the bishop’s request for laicization.

Another admirable fact about ex-bishop now President Lugo is this: he admitted that he had fathered a child with Viviana Carillo while he was still a bishop and assumed responsibility over his two-year old son. He necessarily nipped the scandal in the bud to protect his child from further pain. Well, priest or otherwise, isn’t that something any mature father should do, to not deny his child and to take responsibility for his deeds or misdeeds?

Ah, if only Among Ed was Fernando Lugo!

* from A shepherd inside the wolves’ den Conversations with “Among Ed” Panlilio by Levie Cequeña and Jayson Edward B. San Juan, The Lobbyist.biz, an online magazine.