Panlilio For President?

PAMPANGA ONLINE NEWS DIGEST March 26, 2009 ---------------------------------------------------------

PANLILIO EYES PRESIDENCY

PDI:

Reactions: The Church Leave priesthood first, Panlilio told Prelate to Panlilio: Don‘t risk sullying church's name Manila Archbishop says he won‘t back Panlilio‘s presidential bid Rosales: Church won't endorse clergymen running in 2010 Bishops to Panlilio: Don‘t expect endorsement Panlilio run worries two Catholic bishops CBCP HEAD: ‗Gov should leave priesthood if he runs‘

Retorts Panlilio: PDI: Panlilio not quitting priesthood

REACTIONS FROM THE HOMEFRONT (PAMPANGA) PUNTO!: YENG, ROSVE TELL PANLILIO-FOR-PRESIDENT PUSHER: ‘Ask Kapampangans, study his ways first’ GMANewsTV: Panlilio accused of using 2010 polls as ‗graceful exit‘ Sunstar.Pampanga: Panlilio ‗backers‘ urged to be ‗objective enough‘ PUNTO!: Informal survey on Panlilio for president: 5 out of 12 says no to Panlilio for President

Columnists / Analysts STAR: Pascual: ‗Among‘ for president? Dios co, mete cu abe! PDI: Doronila: Catholic hierarchy says no to Panlilio PDI: Tan: Father President? GMANews.TV: Analysts says Panlilio-Padaca not ripe for 2010 BWOnline: Macabenta: Among Ed for CEO of Chinatrust MSTOnline: Abaya: President Panlilio? PUNTO: Lacson: Panlilio with run

President Panlilio???

Panlilio eyes presidency Seeks run with Isabela gov; backers up By Tina Arceo-Dumlao Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 00:16:00 03/22/2009

MANILA, Philippines – This early, pledges from overseas are coming in for Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio. An elderly gentleman has expressed his intention to part with $100 from his budget for hypertension and diabetes medicine. A Filipino in New York is also putting in $100, and another is contributing $5. A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983 has pledged an initial $100. A contract worker in Jordan is investing $1,000. Pledges like these from ordinary Filipinos clamoring for good governance and willing to put their money where their mouth is are serving to encourage Panlilio to seriously consider seeking the presidency in 2010, with Isabela Governor Grace Padaca as his running mate.

―I am open to taking up the challenge,‖ Panlilio told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Saturday in an interview at the newspaper‘s main office in Makati City. The Catholic priest-on-leave said that while he was still in ―a period of discernment,‖ he had taken steps to get civil society groups, non-government organizations, and

even military officials together and gather support for a reform candidate. ―I will go for whoever will represent a genuine reform constituency,‖ he said. ―It does not necessarily have to be me. If there is a more appropriate candidate, why will I present myself? I look at my role now as more of one of the convenors of a genuine reform coalition.‖ Biggest issue: Corruption Panlilio said he had been telling various groups ―that we should have one reform candidate; otherwise, we will get a president that we do not like.‖ He said he had to help solidify a reform movement for 2010 because he believed that Filipinos were desperately seeking candidates who were not steeped in traditional politics and were willing to stamp out graft and corruption. ―Corruption is the biggest issue of the 2010 elections. People are tired of it and it is really the reason behind all of our problems,‖ he said. Panlilio said he had realized that he would face an uphill climb if he decided to run for president. But he said his spirits were buoyed by the expressions of support from diverse groups committed to devote not only time and effort but also money to his and Padaca‘s campaign. Big backer One such supporter is former Chinatrust Philippines president Joey A. Bermudez, who told the Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net, in a separate interview that he would actively campaign for Panlilio and Padaca and would help raise funds for their campaign. ―I will support them because they represent a different kind of politics. They are the right candidates because they are reform-minded and they have the actual hands-on experience in running their local governments,‖ said Bermudez, current president of the Management Association of the Philippines. ―They are not just mouthing off theories,‖ he said. Bermudez said he would not back any of the names being floated as possible presidential candidates because they were ―traditional politicians.‖ ―I would not put the future of the country in their hands,‖ said Bermudez, who was active in the late Raul Roco‘s campaign for the presidency in 2004.

―The 2010 election presents another opportunity for us to correct mistakes,‖ he said. Ifugao gov’s support Also supporting Panlilio is Ifugao Gov. Teodoro B. Baguilat Jr., who expressed the belief that a ―silent majority‖ would come out in 2010 to vote for a reform candidate. Baguilat, who may also seek reelection as governor in 2010, said he was taking a risk by supporting Panlilio. But he is convinced that it is the right thing for him to do. ―As corny or as cliché as it may sound, I am doing this for the country,‖ said Baguilat, who is actively gathering financial, technical and even moral support for Panlilio and Padaca. ―I am helping lay the groundwork for their campaign. The dynamics should work itself out later on,‖ he said, adding: ―I am really just tired of hearing people say that they are tired of corruption and yet do not do anything about it. Now, I am asking people to be part of the campaign and not just complain.‖ Baguilat, like Panlilio and Padaca, is a member of Kaya Natin!, a movement that seeks to propagate the gospel of good governance. Among the other members are Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City and Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Alternative to ‘trapo’ Early in 2007, Panlilio, then 53 and backed by a ragtag army of volunteers, campaigned for the governorship of Pampanga as an alternative to traditional politicians. He defeated the incumbent governor, Mark Lapid, and provincial board member Lilia Pineda, wife of alleged ―jueteng‖ lord Rodolfo ―Bong‖ Pineda. He won over Pineda by only 1,147 votes. Panlilio spent 26 years in the priesthood. He decided to cease performing priestly duties in March 2007 to run against Lapid and Pineda. Just a month after assuming office after the May 2007 elections, Panlilio was able to collect for Pampanga P29.4 million from quarry operations on volcanic ash from Mt.

Pinatubo. It took his predecessor one year to collect about the same amount. In October 2007, Panlilio told the media that he was handed a paper bag containing P500,000 right after a meeting between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and local officials in Malacañang. The distribution of money was suspected as a move by Malacañang to drum up support for the dismissal of an impeachment complaint against her. Recall election Panlilio, who was named the Inquirer Filipino of the Year for 2007, has lately faced a challenge. In October 2008, the group Kapanalig at Kambilan ning Memalen Pampanga Inc. filed a petition for a recall election to unseat him. The petition was anchored on four cases – the complaint of two workers terminated for alleged corruption in quarry fee collection; Panlilio‘s refusal to enforce an ordinance that would ease restrictions on quarry tax collections and increase mayors‘ access to these funds; a perjury case; and a case against Panlilio‘s decision to change the assignments of district hospital heads. But last February, a budget-deficient Commission on Elections ruled that the holding of a recall election might no longer be possible. With a report from Cyril L. Bonabente, Inquirer Research

“Open ako, noh, sa pagtakbo bilang presidente.”

REACTIONS… THE CHURCH Leave priesthood first, Panlilio told By Dona Pazzibugan, Tonette Orejas Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 17:07:00 03/22/2009 Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Politics

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio should leave the priesthood if he were to further his political career by running for president in 2010, a Catholic Church leader said. Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz reminded Panlilio, who has been on leave from his priestly duties while in office, that Universal Church Law forbid clerics from

assuming public office.

―How therefore could a priest be a politician at the same time after no less than two separate, official, and categorical Church prohibitions to be such?,‖ Cruz said in an interview. Cruz, a former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and an acknowledged expert on Canon Law, said that ―there is no such thing in the Church‖ as a "priest on leave." ―The insinuation of such a phrase is that the priest can be anybody or anything as long as he pleases, until such time when he finds it convenient, helpful or secure to minister as a priest again,‖ Cruz said. Cruz advised Panlilio to first secure a dispensation from all his clerical obligations ―definitively and permanently.‖ ―Then he is free to be and to do whatever he pleases. But to be a hyphenated priest-politician is a big anomaly in the Church and a dilemma, if not a scandal, for many lay people,‖ the prelate stressed. Meanwhile, San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, Panlilio‘s superior, said he disapproved the Pampanga governor running for the highest post in the land.

"The presidency is a very tempting position. The more a priest goes up the political ladder, the more detrimental it could be to his priesthood," Aniceto told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sunday. He said he was worried that the priesthood could be used for political ends. Aniceto's disapproval was expected. Two months before the May 2007 elections, he told some 100 lay people gathered in a meeting then that "priests are not of this world." "They fulfill Christ's prophecy by bringing souls to heaven," he said as he shot down

the plan of concerned Kapampangan (Pampanga natives) to field Panlilio as governor. Panlilio did run, saying the "extraordinary situation" faced by Kapampangan voters -that of choosing between candidates identified with the illegal numbers game jueteng and quarry irregularity -- necessitated a "moral force." He invoked a provision in the Canon law that allowed the clergy's intervention when public welfare was at risk. Amid calls for him to run with Isabela Governor Maria Gracia Cielo Padaca as vice president, Panlilio said he saw himself "more as a convenor" in the selection process for reform candidates. "Magbugo ku mu ngeni, aku ng kakasal da [I am just helping in the selection of the candidates but I am being chosen as the groom]," he told the Inquirer on Sunday. He said "the heart of the priesthood is to live the life of Jesus in the world."

Former Bulacan Representative Wilfrido Villarama, an ally of President Macapagal-Arroyo, said the tandem of Panlilio and Padaca would be a "big joke." "Governor Padaca with her sterling record in governance should be the one running for president and not the Inquirer man of the year, Panlilio, who has not proven any executive ability in running the province of Pampanga," said Villarama, whose mother is a Kapampangan. Villarama said Panlilio should return instead to the priesthood and "spare our country from disaster." Panlilio's clergy assignments were mostly spent in poor communities. He served as executive director of the archdiocese's Social Action Center of Pampanga during the aftermath of Mt. Pinatubo's eruption in the 1990s. He founded the Talete Panyulung ning Kapampangan Inc., which has been running for 20 years a Grameen-bank system that has so far helped some 20,000 people start microenterprises.

On Sunday when the Philippine Daily Inquirer published a story on the clamor for him to give the presidency a try, Panlilio said he was swamped with phone calls, text messages and emails expressing support. He said the reactions of Villarama were in "defense of traditional politics and corrupt system in the country." "I pray that [Villarama] would have the objectivity to assess what our administration has accomplished," he said.

HEADLINES

Leave priesthood first, Panlilio told By Helen Flores Updated March 23, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz urged Pampanga Gov. Eduardo Panlilio yesterday to leave the priesthood for good first if he intended to run for president in the May 2010 elections. Cruz, former president of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said Panlilio, who is on leave from the priesthood, should resign from the Church if he wanted to focus on his political career. Cruz said that the Roman Catholic Church is not inclined to support him in his bid to be the first clergyman to become Philippine president.

―He must first formally get out of the priesthood, officially and permanently, so that he would not drag the clergy and the Church into downright partisan politics,‖ Cruz said in an interview. Panlilio hinted last week that he might run in next year‘s presidential elections if it is the will of God and if there is a strong clamor for him to do so. ―If people will say that I can do it, if they will say I can make it, yes (I will run),‖

Panlilio said in an interview with Church-run Radio Veritas. Cruz, an expert in Canon Law, said by breaking cleanly from the priesthood Panlilio would evade the possibility of the Church being used in his campaign, just like what he did when he ran for Pampanga governor. The Church does not engage in partisan politics and the CBCP has never expressed its full support to Panlilio‘s political career even during his gubernatorial bid in Pampanga in the 2007 polls, Cruz said. Panlilio also said that in the event that he runs for president, he is eyeing Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca as his running mate. He said there are groups that are supporting his presidential bid next year while there are also some political parties that are pushing him to run either as vice president or senator. Cruz said Panlilio could not get the full support of Catholic voters if he runs for president. ―There is no Catholic vote as proven in his earlier run in Pampanga,‖ the bishop said. ―Even in Pampanga, which is a very Catholic province and with millions of voters, he only won by more than just a thousand votes,‖ Cruz noted. Panlilio won as governor of Pampanga in 2007 defeating Lilia Pineda, a known ally of President Arroyo by 1,147 votes. Panlilio is still facing a recall elections petition filed at the Commission on Elections by supporters of Pineda. Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Pangilinan expressed support to the plans of Panlilio to run for president. Pangilinan said in a statement that he welcomes Panlilio‘s statement that he was ―open to taking up the challenge‖ of building a reform constituency for the country.

―We welcome this development for the cause of political reforms in the country. We must seek alternatives to trapo (traditional) politics and politics as usual, and the initiatives of Panlilio and the Kaya Natin! Organization should be welcomed as we firm up efforts to provide genuine reforms in governance,‖ Pangilinan said. Pangilinan strongly urged various sectors to unite in building a reform coalition. Malacañang officials welcomed Panlilio‘s plan to run for president in 2010. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said more candidates would give voters wider latitude of choice for the future leaders of the country. ―We welcome the desire of Gov. Panlilio and Gov. Padaca to join the presidential race. The more candidates, the merrier,‖ he said. Remonde brushed aside calls for Cabinet officials, who are reportedly planning to run for senator, to resign to insulate their respective departments from politicking. He said the names of Cabinet officials that came out in the news only meant that the Arroyo administration has a ―deep bench‖ of senatorial candidates. Among the Cabinet officials mentioned as possible senatorial candidates are Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Tourism Secretary Joseph ―Ace‖ Durano, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, Health Secretary Frnacisco Duque III, and Presidential Adviser on Global Warming Heherson Alvarez. - With Christina Mendez, Paolo Romero

View previous articles from this author. Updated: 8:46 AM, March 23, 2009

Prelate to Panlilio: Don’t risk sullying church's name 03/23/2009 | 07:55 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Before throwing his hat into the presidential race in 2010, priest turned Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio should think of the risk of "shame" he may bring to the Catholic Church. The advice came Monday from a senior Catholic bishop who said Panlilio already divided the Church hierarchy when he ran for Pampanga governor in 2007. "At halimbawa maging presidente na, kung siya gumawa ng mabuti, mabuti naman. Pero kung gumawa ng masama, nagkamali o anuman, kadamay ang simbahan at kadamay ang kaparian," Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Oscar Cruz said in an interview on dwIZ radio. [Let's say he becomes President in 2010. If he does well, well and good. But if he screws up in his job, the entire Church will be put to shame] Panlilio is reportedly keen on running for President in 2010, and is eyeing as running mate Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, who gained fame for her crusade against corruption.

But Cruz pointed out Panlilio's foray into politics already divided the Catholic Church hierarchy, with some priests backing him and some turning their backs on him. The prelate also warned that Panlilio's entry into politics maybe an insult to young leaders who are qualified to lead but may be denied their chance. Cruz added that he has no problem with Padaca running for higher office in 2010, describing her as among the "matitinong tao (upright people)." GMANews.TV http://www.gmanews.tv/story/153795/Prelate-to-Panlilio-Dont-risk-sullying-churchs-name

Manila Archbishop says he won’t back Panlilio’s presidential bid Article posted March 23, 2009 - 03:40 PM

MANILA, Philippines — Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales of the archdiocese of Manila has said he would never endorse any priest who would eye for public office for the 2010 elections. "Ayaw ko makialam diyan sapagkat pulitika yan [I don't want to interfere because that's politics]," Rosales said in reaction to the announcement of priestturned-Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio that he is thinking about joining the presidential race in next year‘s polls.

Figure 1 Click photo for video link

Rosales made his comment in an interview on Church-run Radio Veritas. A national broadsheet on Sunday reported that Panlilio made known his openness to run for the presidency after a supposed influx of support from people seeking an alternative to the country's traditional politics. Rosales blamed the country's political system for Panlilio's inclination to run for the highest office, saying that the kind of politics in the country has pushed people to desire for change. ―Yan ay dahil na rin sa ang mga tao ay sawang-sawa na sa sistema [That (Panlilio‘s decision) has come about because the people are fed up with current (political) system]," Rosales said.

Aside from Rosales, Archbishop Osacar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese and Bishop Paciano Aniceto of Pampanga diocese cautioned Panlilio from aiming for the presidency. The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo had said earlier that the CBCP would not endorse any candidate in the coming polls. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV All Rights Reserved. 2006 © GMA Network Inc.

BREAKING NEWS

Rosales: Church won't endorse clergymen running in 2010 By Dennis Carcamo Updated March 23, 2009 10:40 AM

MANILA, Philippines – Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales announced today he would avoid endorsing any priest who chooses to run for public office. "Ayaw ko makialam dyan sapagkat pulitika yan (I won‘t meddle with endorsement because that is politics)," Gaudencio said in an interview with the Church-run Radio Veritas. The Manila Archbishop‘s statement came after Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, a priest on leave, earlier expressed his intention to run for higher office in the 2010 elections. Gaudencio said the decision of Panlilio and some members of the clergy to venture into politics is an indication that people want change in the system of governance. "Yan ay dahil na rin sa ang mga tao ay sawang-sawa na sa sistema (It is because

of the people becoming tired of the current system in the government)," Rosales said. http://www.philstar.com/ArticlePrinterFriendly.aspx?articleId=451222

Breaking News / Nation http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090324-195998/Bishops-to-Panlilio-Dont-expectendorsement

Bishops to Panlilio: Don’t expect endorsement By Thea Alberto INQUIRER.net Posted date: March 24, 2009

MANILA, Philippines—Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio should resign from the priesthood and not expect the endorsement of the country‘s Catholic bishops if he is bent on running for president in 2010. "This issue is not a matter of consensus. It is part of the Canon law. There are also no endorsements [by the bishops]," CBCP spokesman Monsignor Pepe Quitorio said Tuesday. However, Quitorio said the CBCP would ―campaign‖ for the attributes needed for good governance. Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz said Panlilio would find it hard to serve the church and government at the same time, since both need time and focus. Cruz said a typical day for a priest includes reading the bible and long prayer, which Panlilio might not be able to do should he become president. Cruz also wondered how Panlilio could unite the country when he has failed to unite the politicians in his province. "If what I hear about him is true, he may find it hard to govern a nation if his governance in Pampanga was [difficult]," said Cruz, noting reports that even the provincial board and local clergy do not support the governor.

Cruz admitted he is still for the presidency of Chief Justice Renato Puno. Panlilio earlier said he was open to running for presidency if there was public clamor.

Panlilio run worries two Catholic bishops Coalition launches gov’s bid for president By Tonette Orejas, Dona Pazzibugan, Nikko Dizon Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 01:22:00 03/23/2009 Filed Under: Elections, Eleksyon 2010, Politics, Churches (organisations), Local authorities

MANILA, Philippines—Two church leaders have raised their objections to Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, a Catholic priest, seeking the country‘s highest public office in the national elections next year. A coalition of private groups on Sunday launched a movement to urge Panlilio and Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca to run for president and vice president, respectively. It also launched a grass-roots fundraising campaign to support alternative leaders and politics. ―The more a priest goes up the political ladder, the more detrimental it could be to his priesthood,‖ said San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, Panlilio‘s immediate superior. Aniceto told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sunday that he was worried that the priesthood could be used for political ends. Panlilio, who is suspended from performing priestly duties, defeated two administration candidates in a close race for the governorship in Pampanga in 2007. He vowed to rid the home province of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of corruption mainly from alleged kickbacks from quarrying and ―jueteng,‖ an illegal numbers game. Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said Panlilio should leave the priesthood if he wanted to run for president.

Cruz reminded Panlilio that universal Church law forbade clerics from assuming public office. ―How, therefore, could a priest be a politician at the same time (when there are) no less than two separate, official and categorical Church prohibitions to be such?‖ Cruz said. Over the weekend, Panlilio told the Inquirer that he was open to the possibility of seeking the presidency with Padaca as his running mate. On Sunday when the Inquirer published a story on the clamor for him to give the presidency a try, Panlilio said he was swamped with phone calls, text messages and email expressing support. Get dispensation

Cruz, an acknowledged expert on canon law, said there was no such thing in the Church as a priest ―on leave.‖ He said Panlilio was merely ―suspended‖ as a priest, which means that he may not exercise his priestly ministries in the meantime. ―The problem with suspension is it just removed all the rights, but his obligations (as a priest) remain, until he goes back and when the archbishop receives him back,‖ Cruz said. He advised Panlilio to first get dispensation from all his clerical obligations ―definitively and permanently.‖ ―Then he is free to be and to do whatever he pleases. But to be a hyphenated priest-politician is a big anomaly in the Church and a dilemma, if not a scandal, for many lay people,‖ the prelate said. Cruz said Panlilio should leave the priesthood now ―so he would not drag the clergy and the Church into downright partisan politics‖ and ―so he will not shame, divide or demean the clergy and the Church with his official blunders and personal liabilities.‖

―Last and foremost, he will badly lose,‖ Cruz said. He pointed out that it was only Panlilio who went on temporary leave from priesthood, when members of the clergy in other countries had either asked for dispensation or were dismissed when they sought public office. Haiti, Paraguay precedents The archbishop cited the case of ousted Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a Catholic priest who was first elected president in 1990. He officially resigned from the priesthood in 1994 reportedly upon pressure from the Vatican. ―It is only in the Philippines where we have a governor who was suspended from being a priest,‖ Cruz said. In Paraguay, Fernando Lugo quit the cloth four years ago and run for president last year. His victory ousted the 61-year rule of the Colorado Party. Aniceto‘s disapproval of efforts to convince Panlilio to run for president was expected. Two months before the May 2007 elections, he told some 100 lay people gathered at a meeting that ―priests are not of this world.‖ ―They fulfill Christ‘s prophecy by bringing souls to heaven,‖ he said as he shot down the plan of concerned Pampanga residents to field Panlilio as a candidate for governor. Moral force Panlilio did run, saying the ―extraordinary situation‖ faced by Kapampangan voters—that of choosing between candidates identified with jueteng and quarrying irregularities— necessitated a ―moral force.‖ He invoked a provision in canon law that allowed the clergy‘s intervention when public welfare was at risk. For her part, the polio-stricken Padaca left her job as a broadcast journalist to end a political dynasty that had ruled Isabela province for decades. At a press conference in Manila, ―running priest‖ Robert Reyes called on the public to set aside ―one peso for change.‖ The funds to be raised by the yet unnamed coalition would be for the 2010 national campaign of ―alternative leaders‖ like Panlilio and Padaca, who the group said could rid the government of corruption and bring change to the country being nontraditional politicians.

Among the coalition members represented at Sunday‘s forum were Reyes‘ Kubol Pagasa Community, a group advocating reforms in government; Pakisama, an umbrella group of farmers‘ organizations; the Philippine Alliance of Ex-Seminarians (PAX); and Kaya Natin!, a movement promoting good governance. Replicate ―Let‘s replicate what happened in Pampanga, Isabela, and Naga on a national level,‖ said Ricardo Rico of PAX. Pakisama national chair Crispino Aguelo compared selecting government leaders with limited choices of food. ―We take what‘s on the table even if we don‘t like it. But why don‘t we cook the food that we really want to eat?‖ he said. Eirene Aguila of Kaya Natin! said the coalition was aware of the odds that it was up against, taking note of the clout, wealth and machinery of established political parties. Despite the odds, it appears that the two governors are willing to give the presidency and vice presidency a shot. ―Several times, they (Panlilio and Padaca) said that they were open to running (in 2010) … They just want to see if the people will support them,‖ Aguila said. From convenor to groom Panlilio said he saw himself ―more as a convenor‖ in the selection process for reformminded candidates. ―I am just helping in the selection of the candidates, but I am being chosen as the groom,‖ he told the Inquirer Sunday. He said ―the heart of the priesthood is to live the life of Jesus in the world.‖ Ed Malay, a spokesperson of former President Fidel Ramos, said at the forum that the Panlilio-Padaca 2010 movement came as a surprise to him. Malay said a Panlilio-Padaca tandem would change the complexion of the 2010 elections. ―People may be looking for change, an alternative to the usual political administration coming in term after term,‖ he said. Fighting chance Malay said the future of the Panlilio-Padaca movement would depend heavily on how organized the coalition would be and on its ability to reach the grassroots.

In a visit to the Inquirer offices in Makati City on Saturday with Panlilio, Ifugao Gov. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. acknowledged that the challenge to the movement was ―how to convince voters that (Panlilio and Padaca) have a fighting chance.‖ Panlilio said he was still in a process of discernment. He counted himself as among those unhappy with recent survey results showing traditional politicians (―trapo‖) as leading presidential aspirants. Panlilio said three ―signs‖ would help convince him to seek the presidency: if the clamor of groups snowballs; if he does not see any other candidate who will genuinely serve the country and not his or her interests and family; and the result of his own ―process of discernment.‖ ―If I decide to run and feel at ease, then to me, that‘s a sign. If I am confused, then it‘s a sign not to go for it,‖ Panlilio said. Sen. Francis ―Kiko‖ Pangilinan Sunday supported calls for Panlilio to form a coalition for the presidential election in 2010. ―We welcome this development for the cause of political reforms in the country. We must seek alternatives to ‗trapo‘ politics and politics as usual,‖ Pangilinan said in a statement. Malacañang sees no problem with Panlilio seeking the presidency. ―The more candidates, the better,‖ Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said on Radyo ng Bayan. ―It will give our people a wider latitude of choice for future leaders in our country.‖ With reports from Jeannette I. Andrade, Christine O. Avendaño and Christian V. Esguerra http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090323-195593/Panlilio-run-worriestwo-Catholic-bishops

CBCP HEAD

‘Gov should leave priesthood if he runs’ Lagdameo cites canon law By Nestor P. Burgos Jr. Inquirer Visayas First Posted 19:05:00 03/23/2009 Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Religions, Politics, Churches (organisations)

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo joined fellow bishops on Monday in calling on Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio to leave the priesthood if he runs for president in 2010. In a statement titled "On the Question of Political Leadership," Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of the Philippines, cited Canon 287, No. 2, of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (Decree 28.2), which forbids bishops, priests and religious from being actively involved in partisan politics.

"I presume that Governor Ed Panlilio, who is a priest, has been told about this and knows it. If he plans to run for [the] presidency, in view of the separation of the church and the state, it would be best for him to seek dispensation from the priesthood. And so he will be free to engage in partisan politics," said Lagdameo. Lagdameo said he was issuing the statement as archbishop of Jaro. In a telephone interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net), Lagdameo said "dispensation from the priesthood" would mean removing Panlilio's identity and authority as a priest, thereby making a lay person. Panlilio was suspended from performing priestly duties when he ran for governor in 2007. He defeated two administration candidates in a close contest. The governor earlier said he was open to running for president with Isabela Governor Grace Padaca as his running mate in next year's elections. In his statement, Lagdameo reiterated the church's non-involvement in partisan politics.

"The church does not support and endorse any political candidate. This applies also to Governor Panlilio," he said. But Lagdameo said Panlilio's openness to seek higher office also "sends a message about the country's political situation: that we badly need to address politically the many issues of graft and corruption in government, that apparently the present political leaders do not yet satisfactorily address and solve corruption in the country." Lagdameo said it would be up to civil society or members of the laity to identify and encourage potential and "non-trapo [traditional politicians]" leaders for political renewal.

Quoting Pope Benedict XVI , Lagdameo said: "A big part of the vocation of Christian lay people is their participation in politics in order to bring justice, honesty and defense of true and authentic values…of society." He said there are alternatives to the kind of political leadership at present. "I believe that our country is not lacking in people from civil society who have the gifts of authentic, credible, moral and patriotic leadership," said Lagdameo. Asked whether Panlilio would be a loss to the church in case he left the priesthood, Lagdameo said Panlilio's diocese already suffered a loss when he decided to run for governor and was suspended from office. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090323-195782/Gov-should-leavepriesthood-if-he-runs

Panlilio retorts: Panlilio not quitting priesthood Amid calls for 2010 run Inquirer Northern Luzon, Central Luzon Desk First Posted 17:03:00 03/23/2009 Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections, Politics

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines--Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio said on Monday he would not resign from the priesthood should he decide to run for president in 2010.

"I will insist on my right. That's how I love my priesthood," Panlilio said when sought for reactions to the suggestion of Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz that he should seek a definitive and permanent dispensation from the Vatican should he stay in politics.

"If [the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the Philippines] makes me quit and initiate it, okay lang (that's okay)," Panlilio said. San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, Panlilio's immediate superior, has yet to ask him to leave the priesthood. It was Aniceto who suspended the priest's ministry work in May 2007 when he ventured into politics. Panlilio said other canon lawyers did not have the same opinion as Cruz's. Panlilio was Cruz's secretary when the latter served as bishop of Pampanga until 1989. Panlilio clarified that he had yet to decide whether to heed calls for him to run for president. "I prefer to be a convenor," he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "I'm still hoping somebody can give it a try. He should be advocating and practicing good governance and eager to help in making a better Philippines for poor Filipinos." Like in the May 2007 polls, his fellow priests are divided over the plan to field him as a presidential candidate. He said local priests have not been totally one with him in that plan and clergy members close to him were scheduled to meet him on Monday night to discuss the issue. While Aniceto maintained his conservative stance that the Church and the State should remain separate, Pampanga Bishop Roberto Mallari said, "I will not campaign against Among [Father] Ed because I stand for what he stands for." But Mallari said he would prefer that lay leaders enter politics. "I'm praying that lay persons would come out and run for barangay and national positions," Mallari said on Radio Veritas on Monday. "We want [Panlilio] to return to the ministry pero siya pa rin ang magdedesisyon [it is still him who will decide]," Mallari said. Rosve Henson, president of the Kapanalig at Kambilan ning Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan), the group that sought to oust Panlilio through a recall petition in 2008, is opposed to plans to field the priest in the 2010 race.

"I think [Panlilio] should prove first that he can lead a local government unit like Pampanga, that he can unite the various sectors, that he can efficiently manage to run the affairs of government," Henson said. "He can't even control his own provincial administrator," Henson said, referring to lawyer Vivian Dabu. "How can he elevate his sights on the national arena with his substandard performance?" In Isabela, Gov. Grace Padaca said she was overwhelmed by a sudden surge of support generated by a movement that would field Panlilio and her as presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively, in 2010. But Padaca said she was more interested in seeing how Filipinos would respond to this idea of nontraditional politicians vying for the nation's two highest government positions. "I was at first overwhelmed, and could not help but ask, 'Why me?' But as these expressions of support are starting to mount, we can't help but take a second serious look at it. Right now, I'm interested to find out how our people would respond to this call in the coming days," Padaca said. She said she was grateful that she, along with Panlilio and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, was being considered by many sectors as among the new breed of leaders, expected to change the standards of governance in the country. "We just would like to say thank you that they think of us that way, but at the same time, respect what they want to do. One thing that we would want to point out is that this [idea] did not come from us; it was started by groups who are acting on their own," she said. Padaca was in Mindanao Monday to speak before graduates of the Notre Dame of Marbel University in Koronadal City and Davao Wisdom Academy in Davao City, two of the many invitations she has been getting from all over the country. She said groups from various sectors "hungry for change" have been volunteering. "These movements are clear manifestations of how hungry they are for stories of inspiration which could be the key to change in our country, not another People Power [revolt], not another revolution. We take the 2010 elections as one last chance to save our country," she said. Padaca, however, declined to say whether she was ready to run for vice president, expressing fear that her response would cause "mind conditioning" among voters. "[My answer] might only condition the minds of our people, very much like what surveys normally do. I would prefer that the response of the public be a natural one, where the forum of discourse [on whether a candidate should run] is free," she said.

Padaca said that lately, she has been "stepping on the brakes" before seriously taking on the challenge, mindful of the overwhelming task that would lie ahead if she decided to run for vice president. "What somewhat scares me lately is the thought that the Lord can make the impossible possible," Padaca said, referring to her election victory in 2004 that stopped the 40-year leadership of the Dy family in Isabela. "Let us just let things take their natural course. What we can do now, at least, is not let such kind of hope die among our people, and continue knocking on the hearts of others that there is hope for our country," she said. In Ilocos Sur, Sen. Francis Pangilinan on Monday welcomed the possible entry of Panlilio and Padaca in the 2010 races. "Welcome lahat (Everyone is welcome)," said Pangilinan, who earlier told reporters that he was considering to run for vice president in 2010. The senator, however, asked Panlilio and Padaca to work hard so people all over the country would be aware of their causes and so they could improve their standings in surveys. Reports from Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon; and Melvin Gascon, Leoncio Balbin Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090323-195760/Panlilio-not-quittingpriesthood

Bishop to Panlilio: Abandon presidential bid By Dennis Carcamo Updated March 25, 2009 02:57 PM

MANILA, Philippines -- An official of the Catholic Church today urged Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio to abandon his intention of running in the 2010 presidential race. Basilan bishop Martin Jumoad said Panlilio should opt to give the responsibility of running the country to lay people. "Ang maganda ibigay na lang sa iba (It would be better to bestow the responsibilty to others)," Jumoad said in an interview with the Church-run Radio Veritas. He also pointed out that priests could instead act as spiritual and moral advisers to people running the government. "Priest must only give advice," the bishop said.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=451878&publicationSubCategoryId=200

PAMPANGA: THE HOMEFRONT

Headlines

YENG, ROSVE TELL PANLILIO-FORPRESIDENT PUSHER ‘Ask Kapampangans, study his ways first’ By Ding Cervantes Mar 24, 2009

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao and the leader of a group that gathered over 220,000 signatures in a recall petition seeking Gov. Eddie Panlilio‘s ouster from his post urged yesterday those pushing for the governor as presidential candi-date in 2010 to first ask Kapam-pangans about his leadership and character. ―I appeal to them to study his ways from the start of his campaigning as governor to his performance as governor,‖ engineer Rosve Henson, president of the Kapanalig at Kambilan da reng Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan), said in an interview. On the other hand, Guiao challenged those pushing for Panlilio as president ―to be objective enough and examine the governor‘s accomplishments in the province.‖ ―He failed in all aspects because he failed to harmonize and involve local officials and he had isolated himself. His performance has been below par in

education, infrastructure development, health, among others aspects,‖ Guiao noted. Guiao urged people advocating Panlilio for president not only to ask Kapampangans but to examine the accomplishment record of Panlilio. ―To ask Kapampangans is to get their opinions, but to examine records is to be more objective,‖ he said. This, even as Fr. Resty Lumanlan, founder of the Kapampangan Coalition, Inc. (KCI) which supported Panlilio in his gubernatorial bid, expressed doubts that the governor, whom he noted to be a priest on leave, would be able to decide on whether to run or not for president based on ―God‘s will‖. ―How can he know God‘s will for himself when he does not even obey his superior in the Catholic Church?‖ he asked, referring to San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto who had opposed Panlilio‘s entry into politics. Henson‘s group garnered over 220,000 signatures of Pampanga folk supporting a recall petition which cited loss of confidence in Panlilio‘s leadership. The Commission on Elections, however, has not acted on the petition for lack of funds. ―People should look at how he handled people close to him and had staunchly campaigned for him, his relationships with local officials and other local leaders, and his management style,‖ he said. Almost all leaders who had campaigned for him and whom he later appointed to important posts at the provincial capitol have already resigned. Punto! sent Panlilio text messages seeking an interview, but he did not reply. Lumanlan noted that among KCI‘s criticism of the Panlilio administration was his retaining lawyer Vivian Dabu as provincial administrator. ―We maintained that she was problem No. 1 in his administration, but we were ignored,‖ he said. Conflict with Dabu was also cited by other campaign supporters of Panlilio for later resigning from important posts they were appointed to in the provincial government. Dabu has been perceived as Panlilio‘s major, if not lone adviser. Officials at the capitol said Dabu succeeded in advising Panlilio to remove a statue of the Immaculate Concepcion from the governor‘s office. The statue was first installed there in the 1970‘s. Dabu is said to belong to a ―born

again‖ Christian group. Guiao also noted that the governor‘s office had also planned to scrap First Friday Masses at the capitol and replace these with ―services‖ by the Jesus is Lord Fellowship, but this did not push through amid strong protests from employees. ―It‘s terribly wrong for people to think that Panlilio will not have his version of a first lady when he becomes president,‖ Guiao said, referring to the probability that Dabu would play a significant role in a Panlilio presidency. Guiao and Henson lamented that those who want Panlilio to be president are not from Pampanga. The Panlilio administration, however, has recently received awards. During the 1st Regional Cooperative Congress held last March 9 to 11 in Olongapo City, the provincial government received the best provincial cooperative award. Earlier this year, the Pampanga provincial government also was one of the 10 ―Galing Pook‖ awardees in Malacanang for its quarry tax collection system with P323 million revenues as of last December. But Guiao said the impressive quarry revenue accomplishment of the Panlilio administration was limited to his first year in office. ―Since then, quarry revenues have been plunging by as much as 40 percent,‖ he noted.

Panlilio accused of using 2010 polls as ‘graceful exit’ Article posted March 23, 2009 - 10:13 PM

MANILA, Philippines - A political ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has accused Governor Ed Panlilio of using the 2010 presidential elections as a ―graceful exit" from his ―failed" leadership of

Pampanga province. ―Bilang Kapampangan, bilang mayor, nakikita ko rito na nagbibiro lang si Gov. Panlilio at ito [presidential bid] ay isang graceful exit sa pagkagobernador niya," said Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo in an interview on local radio on Monday. [Speaking as a citizen and a mayor of Pampanga, I can see that Gov. Panlilio is just joking and his (presidential bid) is just a graceful exit from his being a governor.] In his almost two years in office, Panlilio hardly had any accomplishments except for "story telling," according to Pelayo. Pelayo, one of the signatories in the recall petition against Panlilio said that while he had nothing personal against the governor, the public should choose a candidate ―who has vision," and ―who is right [for the position]." As of Monday, Panlilio has remained undecided on whether he would seek a presidential post with Isabela Governor Gracia Cielo ―Grace" Padaca as his running mate in the 2010 polls. Panlilio said he was still thinking on whether he would pursue a presidential bid. "Patuloy pa rin ang ating discernment. Mas nakikita ko ang aking sarili bilang isang convenor ng reform constituency ng isang reformist presidential candidate." [I am still discerning whether to run, but I see myself more as a convenor of a reform constituency for a reformist presidential candidate.] According to Panlilio, he is now inclined to return to priesthood after his gubernatorial term. Panlilio took a leave from his priestly duties when he became governor. "Ang preference ko [My preference] even now is to go back (to priesthood). Ito ang first love ko [It is my first love]," he said. - AIE BALAGTAS SEE, GMANews.TV All Rights Reserved. 2006 © GMA Network Inc.

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/153908/Panlilio-accused-of-using-2010-polls-as-graceful-exit#

Published on Sun.Star Network Online (http://www.sunstar.com.ph

Panlilio 'backers' urged to be 'objective enough' March 25, 2009

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Vice-Governor Joseller "Yeng" Guiao told Governor Eddie Panlilio's supporters to be "objective enough" and look closely on what he has accomplished during his term of office. On Sunday, a coalition of private and civil society groups initiated a movement deemed to put Panlilio and co-Kaya Natin convener Isabela Governor Grace Padaca on the roster of candidates for president and vice president, respectively. The still unnamed coalition was formed for the 2010 national campaign of what members claimed as "alternative leaders" like Panlilio and Padaca, who they said could rid the government system of corruption and "evil" and bring change to the country as they were not "trapos" or traditional politicians. The coalition's members include running priest Robert Reyes's Kubol Pag-asa Community, a group advocating reforms in government; Pakisama, an umbrella group of farmers' organizations; the Philippine Alliance of Ex-Seminarians (PAX); and conveners of "Kaya Natin!", a movement promoting good governance.

"The governor has failed in almost all aspects of governance. The province is divided because he failed to unite local leaders. He has disharmonized the local government with many programs and projects in health, infrastructure, education, and delivery of basic services to people are left undone," Guiao said. He challenged the "Panlilio for President" backers to ask the Kapampangan people of their true sentiments and opinions and examine Panlilio's governance record closely to be more precise and objective, particularly for the last two years. Guiao noted that it was unfortunate those "urging" Panlilio to run for president are not from the province and might not really know the true situation in the governor's term. But Panlilio, in an earlier interview, said "nothing is really final yet" as he was in the "process of discernment" and was waiting for three vital "signs" before making his decision on his presidential Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/panlilio-backers-urged-beobjective-enough

Headlines

Informal survey on Panlilio for president Mar 24, 2009

An article in Philippine Daily Inquirer, which was written by Tina ArceoDumlao, March 22, states that Filipinos are clamoring for good governance and so there are people who are willing to put their money on encouraging Gov. Ed Panlilio to seriously consider seeking the presidency this 2010. Among Ed told the Inquirer in an interview that he is open to take up the challenge. ―I will go for whoever will represent a genuine reform constituency‖, he said. However, he also stated that it does not necessarily have to be him. ―If there is a more appropriate candidate, why will I present myself? I look at my role now as more of one of the convenors of a genuine reform coalition‖, he added. In line with this, different reactions from the citizens of Pampanga were gathered. Out of twelve there are seven citizens who disagreed in considering the governor to be the next president. Most of them said that Among Ed is not yet ready to lead the nation because in his own province he is rejected. ―Hindi ako payag na maging presidente siya, problema nga dito sa Pampanga hindi pa niya maayos‖, a policeman said. According to a barangay tanod who refused to give his name, he has the right to run as a president but he is not yet qualified to be a leader because he is still immature in field of politics. Individuals even said that the issue on the recall is still alive; he must first fix things about it before he dreams to live in the Malacanang. Likewise, there are also those who disagreed due to their concern to the suspended priest. Lourdes Santos, 52, said: ―Instead of joining politics,

Among Ed should just stay in the Church and preach the word of God, he does not deserve the messy life in politics.‖ In contrast, there are five out of twelve who agreed for Panlilio to run as president this 2010. Abner Aquino, 58, said that he would support Panlilio if ever he runs for presidency. ―For the first time, may matino nang manunungkulan sa ating bansa, alagad pa ng Panginoon‖, he said. Another reaction was ―walang problema kung tatakbo siya, transparent siya sa pera, hindi kurap si Among.‖ These people claimed that Gov. Ed Panlilio is better than all other officials. ―Kaya lang naman magulo dahil wala silang mahitang kupit kay Among‖, said one of the respondents. Whatever it is, the election is a year to go. It is still Among Ed who will decide, if he would run for presidency or not. And if such, reactions are not enough to make changes in the governance. Men are able to think and so men are able to decide if they will support him or not.

-By Gladys Mae G. Pamintuan (Intern)

COLUMNISTS POLITICAL ANALYSTS POSTSCRIPT/ PhilSTAR/ March 24, 2009/ Tuesday By Federico D. Pascual Jr.

‘Among’ for president? Dios co, mete cu abe! CLARK FIELD (PLDT/WeRoam) – Maybe I haven‘t been talking to the right people, but eight out of every 10 cabalen I have asked what they think of

Gov. Eddie ―Among Ed‖ Panlilio running for president respond with a big laugh. The sense I get, especially when I ask them why, is that it is grand delusion for the priest-turned-politician to dream of ruling this country of some 90 million when he cannot even run Pampanga. The only notable thing he has done since he slipped through as governor in 2007 (winning by a slim 1,147 votes) is to increase collections from the quarrying of lahar, a sandy deposit spread by the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. That is good, but not enough. Many other essential services the governor is expected to deliver with renewed vigor are in gridlock, because he is unable to make his fellow officials and civil servants move with every swing of his baton. It seems that the 55-year-old former parish priest of Betis lacks management and political skills, the essential oil that make the laggard bureaucracy move to better serve the people. *** DISTORTED IMAGE: Many of those itching to inflict Panlilio on the rest of the country are academicians and theoreticians from far away Manila who are quite removed from the realities of ground zero. In the real world, textbook lore, romanticism and musings from an ivory tower will not work. Neither will hypnotism.

For sure, Panlilio has many good qualities. But these are more appropriate for the priestly ministry for which he was ordained than for dabbling in public administration. Some of us in media – who are eternally searching for heroes and miracle workers -- have hypnotized ourselves and our audience that we have found in this priest an answer to corruption and all things wrong with traditional politics.

The same media must pause and refocus the image, correct the distorted reflection. *** WHERE’S THE MONEY?: Many Filipinos abroad reportedly have been pledging money -- the way supporters did during the campaign of Barack Obama – for Panlilio to spend in case he runs for president. Before the sparks of pledges ignite a forest fire, media should also ask Panlilio to produce first an audited accounting of the contributions he received when he ran for governor in 2007. That last time, according to some disillusioned donors, substantial amounts of money, some evidenced by cancelled checks, have not been properly reported to the Commission on Elections as required by law. Until the old ledger is cleared, prospective campaign donors should not dig into their pockets or whip out their checkbooks. *** CANON VIOLATED: In fairness to God, Panlilio should stop saying that he would run for president if it is His will. The governor would see the heavenly green light presumably by discernment. Problem is only he knows it. God should not be the excuse for hasty decisions or the fall guy for wrong judgment. In this day and age when God is not expected to talk to us from up there, Panlilio can do the logical thing: Consult his superiors in the Church, starting with Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of San Fernando (Pampanga). Unfortunately for him, Monsignor Aniceto has said time and again that Panlilio violated canon law by his running for and holding public office. ***

CBCP COLD: Another prelate, Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan, said that Panlilio must leave the priesthood for good if he wants to run for president in 2010. Cruz, former president of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of the Philippines, said the Catholic Church is not inclined to support Panlilio in case he tries to become the first clergyman to become president. Section 3 of Canon 285 of the Code of Canon law (1983) commands: “Clerics are forbidden to assume public offices which entail a participation in the exercise of civil power.” Panlilio has tried rationalizing his plunge into politics by saying that the extraordinary situation in Pampanga in 2007 required his running for governor. His superiors are not impressed, however. ePOSTSCRIPT: Read current and old POSTSCRIPTs at www.manilamail.com. Email feedback to [email protected]

Professor Clarita Carlos: anong political party ba ang susuporta sa dalawang ito? Kailangan mo ng

political group or political party sa likod mo. Oo nga sinusuportahan ka ng mga NGOs, pero di naman umuupo ang mga NGO na ‘yan sa congress eh. Courage most certainly is not enough. Good intentions is not enough. Being a moral person is not enough. Hindi natin pwedeng ilagay ang kamay natin sa isang kapunuan na magaaral pa lang… Hindi tayo pwede mag-experiment.

Analysis

Catholic hierarchy says no to Panlilio By Amando Doronila Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 01:55:00 03/25/2009

The movement launched by a nebulous civil society group, oozing with messianic ardor, to draft Pampanga province‘s Gov. Ed Panlilio for president in 2010 to save this country from the rapacity of the much-maligned ―traditional politicians‖ has roiled the Catholic Church over the very secular notion of separation of church and state in a republican polity. The furor was sparked by the statement of Panlilio that he was ―open to the possibility‖ of seeking the presidency in response to the civil society call.

The draft initiative seeks to make Panlilio run in 2010 with Isabela province‘s Gov. Grace Padaca as running mate. The movement has described this tandem as credible ―alternatives‖ to the widely reviled ―trapos‖ [traditional politicos; literally, dirt rags], stigmatized as responsible for the degradation of politics over more than 50 years of representative democracy in this country. It did not take much for Panlilio to succumb to, or to be titillated by, this flattery to consider himself as a much awaited messiah of Philippine politics. We have always been exposed to the notion since the 1986 People Power Revolution that our political salvation lies in military coups and soldiers with messianic complex, of the likes of Lt. Col. Gregorio Honasan, Navy Lt. Antonio Trillanes III, and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim — all failed coup makers. Now, the restless do-gooders in civil society, in a desperate search of alternatives outside the traditional political establishment and political elite, have narrowed their search to a member of the Catholic clergy as a political leader in times of crisis. This time the favored notion by civil society is if the trapos, and the soldiers have failed in reforming society, the man of the cloth might fill the leadership vacuum and become the inspired ―man of the hour.‖ Unfortunately for the promoters of this project in civil society, the Catholic hierarchy is not of the same mind. The Catholic hierarchy has been unsettled by the implications of this draft movement on the principle of separation of church and state. Panlilio, who ran for governor in 2007 on a reformist and anti-corruption platform, defeated two administration-backed candidates, one of whom was identified with the underground lottery ―jueteng‖ and the other with quarry syndicates in Pampanga. As governor, he wears two hats: that of a salaried public official and that of a priest on a vague status, considered by the hierarchy as ―on leave.‖ As such, he stands astride a blurred line separating secular and priestly functions, which has bred conflict of interest situations as a secular power and minister tending to the spiritual needs of his flock as well to their secular concerns. These conflicting demands have often been irreconcilable. For example, he was caught in a bind when he accepted cash handouts amounting to between P250,000 and P500,000 from Malacañang, distributed to congressmen, governors and mayors purportedly as assistance for their local projects, although the sums were actually intended to secure their support for a move to quash the impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Panlilio later tried to return the money but

Malacañang refused to accept it. As a power holder and a priest, Panlilio unwittingly appeared to put into practice the dual secular and spiritual status of Iranian ayatollahs in a theocratic state, in a polity that declares a constitutional separation between church and state. The susceptibility of Panlilio to the inveiglement of a movement to draft him for the presidency and the embarrassing contradictions of his dual role were too much for the Catholic bishops to tolerate. In what sounded like an ultimatum, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of the Philippines, read the riot act to Panlilio. In a statement titled, ―On the Question of Political Leadership,‖ Lagdameo minced no words in warning Panlilio to quit the priesthood if he runs for president in 2010. Lagdameo cited a decree of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, which forbids bishops, priests and religious from active involvement in partisan politics. Lagdameo said, ―I presume that Governor E. Panlilio, who is a priest, has been told about this and knows it. If he plans to run for the presidency, in view of the separation of the church and the state, it is best for him to seek dispensation from the priesthood. And so he will be free to engage in partisan politics.‖ Lagdameo explained that ―dispensation from the priesthood‖ would mean removing Panlilio‘s identity and authority as a priest. Panlilio was suspended from performing priestly duties when he ran for governor in 2007. Lagdameo also reiterated the Church‘s non-involvement in partisan politics. ―The Church does not support and endorse any political candidate,‖ Lagdameo said. ―This applies also to Governor Panlilio.‖ It would be up to civil society or members of the laity to identify and encourage potential and ―non-trapo‖ leaders for political renewal. He quoted Pope Benedict XVI who said, ―A big part of the vocation of Christian lay people is their participation in politics in order to bring justice, honesty and defense of true and authentic values of society.‖ Lagdameo said there were alternatives to the kind of political leadership at present. ―I believe that our country is not lacking in people from civil society who have the gifts of authentic, credible, moral and patriotic leadership,‖ he said. In plain words, the message is: The clergy is off limits as a recruitment ground for political leadership. The Church cannot be more emphatic than that. Fold your tents. Pinoy Kasi

Father President? By Michael Tan Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 01:57:00 03/25/2009

Filed Under: Elections, Eleksyon 2010, Churches (organisations), Politics, Personalities

Most Read There is no Philippine law that prevents Fr. Ed Panlilio from running for public office, unlike in Mexico, where the constitution prohibits members of the clergy from holding public office. Ironically, what could stop Panlilio from running is his own Catholic Church, which has been ambivalent about ―political‖ priests. Panlilio has in fact been suspended from ―priestly duties‖ since he became governor of Pampanga province. I use quotation marks for the word ―political‖ because the Catholic Church has actually been political for 2,000 years, with popes themselves wielding great political power, while cardinals and bishops have actively intervened to make, or break, kings and queens and presidents. In the last half century, the Vatican has set its sights on liberal priests. Up to 1980, canon law allowed priests to run if they had the permission of their bishops, but there were tensions here as well, especially if the bishops were conservative and the priests running for office were liberals. In 1980, Pope John Paul II mandated that priests should withdraw from electoral politics, and in 1983, a new canonical law went into effect with a broader prohibition on priests taking up ―public positions entailing participation in the exercise of civil authority.‖ Revolutionary priests Nicaragua came to my mind almost immediately when I first read about a possible Panlilio candidacy. The late 1960s and the entire 1970s were a time of political ferment for the Catholic Church in Latin America and the Philippines because of harsh dictatorships. It was during these difficult times that liberation theology gained a strong following among both the religious and lay Catholics (as well as some Protestants). Liberation theology borrowed from Marxism, pointing out the structural roots of poverty, from US imperialism to the greed and corruption of local landlords and capitalists. Liberation theology talked about a ―preferential option‖ for the poor. Many religious and lay people went to serve urban and rural poor communities, getting involved in community organizing and militant politics. The film ―Sister Stella L.,‖ whose 25th anniversary is being celebrated this year, was based on the lives of Catholic sisters in the Philippines who worked in urban poor communities, joining pickets and rallies and investigating human rights abuses, all amid a repressive martial law regime. Liberation theology was also strong in Nicaragua, which was ruled by the Somoza family for several decades. As in the Philippines, Catholic religious were among those who opposed the dictatorship. This included a Maryknoll priest, Fr. Miguel D‘Escoto, who headed the US-based Nicaraguan solidarity movement.

The Sandinistas overthrew Somoza in 1979 and the new government appointed Father Miguel foreign minister. He resisted his superiors‘ orders for him to give up his government position and stayed on as foreign minister until 1990, when the Sandinistas lost power in elections. In 2007, when the Sandinistas came back into power, he was appointed as government adviser by President Daniel Ortega. Father Miguel was not the type to mince words, calling Ronald Reagan a ―butcher‖ and George W. Bush a ―liar.‖ Last year, he became president of the UN General Assembly, and has taken a more diplomatic approach in his declarations. There were two other Nicaraguan priests, the brothers Ernesto and Fernando Cardenal, who clashed with their superiors, all the way up to the Pope. Ernesto, internationally respected as a poet and writer, was Nicaragua‘s minister of culture from 1979 to 1988. Fernando was minister of education and launched one of the most successful adult literacy programs in the world. Both did not step down from their posts, arguing that the new canonical law came into effect after they had been appointed to the Nicaraguan government. In 1983, when the Pope visited Nicaragua, there was tension when at one event, Ernesto Cardenal approached the Pope and knelt to kiss his ring. The Pope pulled back his hand and shook his finger at the priest. Monsignor President? Despite what seems to be a hardline Vatican stand, there‘s actually a Catholic bishop who ran for president and won. This is Fernando Lugo of Paraguay, who also has roots in liberation theology. He trained as a teacher, and then became an SVD (Society of the Divine Word) priest. He served as a missionary in Ecuador and then returned to Paraguay, only to be expelled by the Stroessner military regime because of his activism. He returned in 1987, two years before Stroessner was ousted, and stayed on to serve Paraguay. He was outspoken on issues of social justice, eventually becoming bishop of the diocese of San Pedro. In 2006, this ―Bishop of the Poor‖ decided to run for president and applied for laicization or a temporary leave from the priesthood, but his request was turned down because, his superiors said, bishops were not eligible for laicization. Lugo decided to run anyway and was suspended. He ran against a woman candidate of the conservative Colorado Party. Lugo won in the 2008 elections, breaking the Colorado Party‘s 62-year hold on Paraguayan politics. The Vatican has since granted Lugo‘s request for laicization. Lugo is one of several leftist presidents now in power in Latin America, refusing to accept any presidential salary because the money ―belongs to more humble people.‖ Jesuit congressman

I should mention one last case here, from the United States, where a Jesuit, Fr. Robert Drinan, was Massachusetts congressman from 1971 to 1980. He was a liberal Democrat and ran on an anti-Vietnam War platform, unseating a congressman who had held office for 14 terms. (You read right, 14 terms, not 14 years—the US has no limits on the number of terms you can hold office.) Drinan was outspoken, advocated Nixon‘s impeachment and pushed for government funding for family planning and abortion. But he gave up his post in 1980 after Pope John Paul II banned priests from running for office. Drinan remained active in teaching, and continued to speak out on political issues. He died in 2007. Should Father Ed run or not? I‘m ambivalent too. I respect the Kaya Natin team of alternative politicians but I worry about how effective Catholic priests can be, laicized or not. A recent article by Jonathan Chow, ―Different Standards, Different Faiths‖ on the website ―Religion, Politics and Globalization Project‖ (rpgp.berkeley.edu) looks at what seems to be a double standard, where Protestant ministers can run for public office without too many eyebrows being raised while people — from popes to bishops, Protestants or Catholics — hesitate when it comes to Catholic priests assuming public office. Chow notes that there is a difference between Catholic and Protestant clergy, the former having to obey the Vatican, which technically is a ―temporal state that is also a theocratic monarchy.‖ If Panlilio were to run, he would have to be very clear about his stand on a number of issues, from family planning to social justice, and if he has views different from the positions of the Vatican or the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of the Philippines, will he able to remain independent?

Vol. XXII, No. 166 Wednesday, March 25, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Opinion

Ad Lib By Greg B. Macabenta

Among Ed for CEO of Chinatrust Months before the last presidential elections, when the buzz was that the Lopez interests were seriously considering endorsing Noli de Castro, then a

senator, for the presidency, I ventured the opinion that, if this was true, the giant business complex, whose top brass know a good management person when they see one, must have had a very high regard for De Castro’s managerial ability, intelligence, financial know-how, and people skills. I then suggested that, if this was the case, why didn‘t the Lopezes consider De Castro for CEO of Benpres or, at least, president of ABS-CBN? Surely, I said, a person who was qualified to be president of the Philippines was more than qualified to run a vast corporate complex. On the other hand, I added, if De Castro was not good enough to run the Lopez empire, then why inflict him on the Filipino people? In fairness to Gabby Lopez and the rest of the enterprise, it was never really established that they were pushing De Castro for the presidency. However, it was no surprise that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo picked him for vice president. We all know why. The welfare of the country was farthest from her mind. She just wanted one more insurance policy for her campaign. Someone whose popularity with the masses could help neutralize the votes of Ronnie Poe and Loren Legarda. Since then, we have all had to pray that Arroyo‘s health is sustained until the next elections (or an upheaval that will see her replaced by a competent individual). Otherwise, good grief, we would end up with De Castro as president. At any rate, here we are again, sending out feelers for presidential candidates — to add to an already top-heavy list of wannabes, many of them with more press releases than substantive performance in their curriculum vitae. And jumping into the fray — or, at least, testing the waters — is Pampanga priestturned-governor Ed Panlilio. If you are to believe the press releases, there is a tsunami of support developing overseas and locally. Among those reportedly endorsing his candidacy is a certain Joey Bermudez, president of Chinatrust Philippines. I have no doubt that Among Ed has the best of intentions. It certainly took a lot of guts to take on the combined muscle and money of the Pinedas, the Lapids, and the Arroyos in Pampanga and trash them in the race for governor. There is also no doubt that he can claim the moral ascendancy that many of the current presidential hopefuls can only talk about in press releases. But unless someone can convince me that good intentions will translate into the ability to piece together a jigsaw puzzle of a battered economy, a Mafia-type hold on the rackets at the local and national level, poverty and joblessness, a brokendown bureaucracy, nonexistent health and social services, a wayward educational system, an ill-equipped military, self-serving legislation, a questionable judicial system, the quid pro quo of foreign relations, and the gargantuan problem of

managing the biggest enterprise in the country — government — I‘m not sure I would like to endorse the good crusader for president. Of course, I have the same reservations about many others who are (horrors!) ranking high in the SWS polls. But let‘s focus on the likes of Among Ed. Doesn‘t he remind us of a near-saintly presidential candidate who vanquished a near-satanic president and took over a government that had long suffered under a dictatorial yoke? I don‘t think anyone, including myself, ever doubted Cory Aquino‘s good intentions. But were those enough to bring our country out of the depths? Anecdotal evidence tells us that her good intentions were undercut by friends and relatives, and the most competent advisers and Cabinet members could not make up for her own inability to cope with the multifarious demands of the presidency. Mercifully, she made good her promise to step down after one term. Fidel V. Ramos, steeped in military discipline, skilled in political quid pro quo, and armed with a vision for the country won (I must say, again, mercifully) against another would-be president who came on the scene with fire and thunder: Miriam Defensor-Santiago. We now know what fate would have awaited the country had she become president. We also know what fate befell the country when Erap Estrada became president. And we know what has befallen our hapless people with Arroyo as president.

Now, Joey Bermudez and a host of well-intentioned folks think that Among Ed is qualified for president? Again, with due respect, I beg them to look at it this way: Would he qualify as CEO of the Ayala corporate empire? Would he be able to raise, like the Phoenix, an abandoned US naval base and transform it, with volunteer power, into an economic miracle, the way Dick Gordon did to Subic? Does he have the scalpel-sharp mind of a Diokno or a Recto? Does he have the leadership qualities of a Ramon Magsaysay? Can he handle foreign relations like Carlos P. Romulo? Does he have the business wizardry of Manny Pangilinan (not to mention the work ethic)? Bringing the standards to more esoteric and humane levels: Does he have the vision, the compassion, the humility, the salesmanship, the leadership qualities, the long track record, and the dogged consistency of Tony Meloto, the miracle man of Gawad Kalinga? The only question to which I‘m sure the answer will be "Yes" is: Will Among Ed try his very best to be a good president? I‘m sure he will. But trying doesn‘t mean succeeding.

Failure can also be so devastating for our people. Because, at that point, they will say, "Let‘s just settle for someone who‘s corrupt but manages to get our country moving slightly forward rather than not at all." That‘s what they‘re now saying about Marcos, after years under Arroyo. In America, there is now, among Fil-Am do-gooders, a call for a national conference at which likely presidential candidates — who are not cut from the same tradpol mold — will be short-listed. There is a note of desperation in the call. Indeed, the 2010 elections are not too far away. I think it‘s a good exercise, provided the promoters approach this with an open mind and a willingness to hold the prospective candidates to the highest standards of integrity, intelligence, managerial ability, people skills, vision and statesmanship. Plus a great love for our country and our people. Among Ed‘s name should certainly be added to the pool. But, better yet, I think we should just support him in his Quixotic campaign to give Pampangueños back their pride. That‘s a difficult enough task, as it is. Forget about the presidency. That should come in due time, if deserved. Hasn‘t anybody ever heard of the Peter Principle? [email protected] http://www.bworldonline.com/BW032509/content.php?id=141

President Panlilio? Anthonio C. Abaya My unsolicited advice to those who are pushing Pampanga Gov. Among Ed Panlilio and Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca to the presidential and vice-presidential race in 2010: Let us make haste slowly. Unless there is an overwhelming groundswell of support for Panlilio-Padaca in 20092010, as there was for Cory Aquino-Doy Laurel in 1986, their entry into presidential

politics will just further split the opposition to President Arroyo’s Lakas-Kampi-NPC mean machine, making it easier for the hated trapos and political dynasts to prevail. In the 2004 presidential elections, the reformist candidate was TV Evangelist Eddie Villanueva. Despite a massive pre-election rally in the Luneta that supposedly drew one million attendees, Villanueva won only 6 percent of the votes and trailed way behind President Arroyo, FPJ, the late Raul Roco and Ping Lacson. If FPJ, Roco, Lacson and Villanueva had joined together and backed only one opposition candidate, President Gloria would have been soundly defeated. But the oppositionists did not unite in 2004, and chances are that they will not unite in 2010. Despite all the noble sentiments that accompany the Panlilio-Padaca float, it will just further split the opposition and allow Gloria’s anointed one—Gilbert Teodoro, Noli de Castro, or GMA herself in a parliamentary system—to win handily. To be fair, Governor Panlilio has not himself declared that he is seeking the presidency. He said that he was still in “a period of discernment… I will go for whoever will represent a genuine reform constituency. It does not necessarily have to be me. If there is a more appropriate candidate, why will I present myself? I look at my role now as more of one of the convenors of a genuine reform coalition…” (Inquirer, March 22) However, it seems to be Governor Panlilio’s over-eager backers who are throwing caution to the wind and pushing him and Governor Padaca into presidential politics without much thought of the truth and consequences of their move. And who are these backers? According to the Inquirer of March 23, their backers belong to a yet unnamed coalition who want to push for “alternative leaders” like Panlilio and Padaca, who the group said could rid the government of corruption and bring change to the country, being nontraditional politicians. Some of the backers have been identified: Kubol Pag-asa Community of “running priest” Fr. Robert Reyes; Pakisama, an umbrella group of farmers’ organizations; Philippine Alliance of Ex-Seminarians (PAX); and Kaya Natin, an Ateneo de Manila Universitybased movement promoting good governance, led by Harvey Keh. Frankly, only Kaya Natin and Harvey Keh ring a bell, they being assiduous in sending emails daily in cyberspace. Can they pull it off? I doubt it, for reasons stated above. But let’s wait for the surveys of Pulse Asia and the Social Weather stations to see if Panlilio and Padaca are registering at all in people’s consciousness. This early in his willy nilly dip into presidential politics, Governor Panlilio—who is an ordained priest but is suspended from performing priestly duties—has to contend with negative feedbacks from his own home organization, the Roman Catholic Church.

Said San Fernando (Pampanga) Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, who is worried that the priesthood could be used for political ends: “The more a priest goes up the political ladder, the more it could be detrimental to his priesthood.” Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, an acknowledged expert on Church or canon law said Panlilio should leave the priesthood if he wanted to run for president, reminding Panlilio that universal Church law forbade clerics from assuming public office. “How can a priest be a politician at the same time [when there are] no less than two separate official and categorical Church prohibitions to be such?” Cruz advised Panlilio to first get dispensation from all his clerical obligations “definitely and permanently.” Cruz said Panlilio should leave the priesthood now “so he would not drag the clergy and the Church into downright partisan politics” and “so he will not shame, divide or demean the clergy and the Church with his official blunders and personal liabilities… Last and foremost, he will badly lose,” Cruz said. (Inquirer, March 23). Wow! Heavy! Why doesn’t the Running Priest Robert Reyes run instead? Does having a priest as president a solution to government corruption? The empirical evidence is No. In Haiti, Jean Bertrand Aristide, an ordained priest who was expelled from the Salesian order in 1988, was elected president twice, from 1994 to 1996, then from 2001 to 2004. Transparency International (www.transparency.org) has data on Haiti only from 2002 to the present. In its index of perception of corruption—the higher the number, the higher the perceived corruption—Haiti in 2002 was ranked 89th out of 102 countries; in 2003 131st out of 133 countries; in 2004 145th out of 145 countries. So, having a priest as president for three years did not help Haiti defeat corruption. If anything, corruption got even worse, and Haiti was adjudged the most corrupt country in the world during his last year as president. In Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, bishop of the diocese of San Pedro, won the presidential elections in April 2008. Pope Benedict XVI had rejected his resignation from the priesthood, but in July 2008, the Pope downgraded him to layman status so that he could assume the presidency. It is too early to conclude if having a bishop as president has helped Paraguay fight corruption. In 2008, Paraguay was ranked 138th out of 180 countries. (Haiti was 177th.) (Under our President Arroyo—who was put there by the Lord, according to herself—the Philippines sank like a stone in Transparency International’s perception of corruption index: From 77th out of 102 countries in 2002, to 98th out of 133 in 2003; to 102nd

out of 145 in 2004; to 117th out of 158 in 2005, to 121st out of 163 in 2006; to 131st out of 179 in 2007; and 141st out of 180 countries in 2008). Personal holiness, whether real or faked, has nothing to do with being effective in fighting corruption. The best and only way to fight corruption is to prosecute and jail those who are corrupt. It is as simple as that. How does Governor Panlilio fare by this rule of thumb? In my article Fr. Ed’s Pampanga, of Aug. 27, 2007, I heaped praises on Fr. Among Ed Panlilio for having collected P29.4 million in quarrying fees in his first month in office, compared to only P29 million collected by his predecessor Mark Lapid in an entire year. To my simple, non-legal mind, this was direct evidence of monkey business during the Lapids’ governorship (Mark had succeeded his own father Lito, now senator), and I had expected an investigation of the huge discrepancy and prosecution of those who stole about P325 million in quarrying fees every year. But apparently Governor Panlilio ordered no such investigation, and the plunderers have been allowed to carry on as if nothing monumentally corrupt had gone on. Governor Panlilio has to do better than that if he wants to convince us that as president he can rid the country of corruption and bring about a much needed moral change in our politics. Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and inacabaya.blogspot.com.

Opinion

Panlilio will run By Bong Lacson Mar 26, 2009 “MAGBUGO KU mu, ngeni aku nang kakasal da (I am just being the go-between (in the selection of the candidates) but now I am being chosen as the groom (the candidate)).‖

So said Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio in the newspaper that has long been prime pimping him to national prominence. In yesterday‘s Punto! Panlilio reiterated his ―preference‖ to play the role of convenor. This, he buttressed with the disclosure of his being part of a group of civic and religious leaders initiating primaries to select the ―reform candidates‖ for national positions in the 2010 polls. ―We‘re not starting with personalities,‖ Panlilio said of the proposed primaries. So, what‘s all the buzz about him eyeing the presidency – as bannered in his favorite paper – if not about his personality? Yeah, right. So, of the hostile reactions to his possible presidential run, Panlilio had this to say: ―It‘s a repeat of the 2007 elections on a larger scale this time.‖ Yeah, right again. Panlilio could well be saying this with the so-called primaries for the ―reform candidates‖ in mind. A repeat of 2007. When Panlilio was one of the convenors of a group of civil society and religious leaders self-tasked to select the ―moral alternative‖ in an election being contested by the so-called twin scourges of Pampanga – jueteng and the quarry plunderers. Yeah, right. A visioning of Pampanga freed of evil provided the base from which sprang all considerations of possible candidates with the moral backbone, integrity, and record of accomplishments. The names that came up the convenors‘ list: UP Professor Randy David, former Public Works Secretary and Manila North Tollways Corp. President Ping de Jesus, and Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rene Romero, being the most prominent. So what happened? Panlilio, the convenor, became the candidate. Panlilio, the bugo (gobetween), turned out to be the groom. A repeat of 2007. Yeah, right. Only Panlilio will meet the man-profile of the ―reform candidate‖ for president. The odds are heavily tilted to his favor. What with the country‘s most influential newspaper as his prime pimp.

“Lunto ya mu rin (The candidate will surface in time).‖ Again, Panlilio was quoted as saying. Linto ne. (He has already surfaced.) Panlilio himself said over Radio Veritas: ―If people will say that I can do it, if they will say I can make it, yes (I will run.)‖ So there. 2007 déjà vu. Panlilio will run for president. That is pre-destined, er, pre-determined. So Section 3 of Canon 285 of the Code of Canon law (1983) commands: ―Clerics are forbidden to assume public offices which entail a participation in the exercise of civil power.‖ So Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz carped: ―How therefore could a priest be a politician at the same time after no less than two separate, official, and categorical Church prohibitions to be such?‖ So the Canon Law doctor and former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines carped more: ―There is no such thing in the Church as a ‗priest on leave‘… The insinuation of such a phrase is that the priest can be anybody or anything as long as he pleases, until such time when he finds it convenient, helpful or secure to minister as a priest again.‖ And therefore, Cruz said, Panlilio should first secure a dispensation from all his clerical obligations ―definitively and permanently.‖ ―Then he is free to be and to do whatever he pleases. But to be a hyphenated priest-politician is a big anomaly in the Church and a dilemma, if not a scandal, for many lay people.‖ Capped the prelate in the media. So what? Canon Law failed to inhibit Panlilio from pursuing the governorship in 2007. Canon Law will fail not dissuade Panlilio from pursuing his higher political ambitions. So sanction him now? Panlilio himself said over TV Patrol he would protest and contest any move by the Church to defrock him should he persisted in his political persona. Yeah, right. For who would vote for Panlilio devoid of the honorific Among?

BLOGGERS Governor Ed Panlilio’s Temptation http://www.carloople.com/2009/03/23/governor-ed-panlilios-temptation/

I have been a staunch supporter of Governor Ed Panlilio since he declared his bid to run in Pampanga. I‘ve always taken his side when I‘d have discussions and debates with my friends. But after reading today‘s paper, I draw the line. He presented himself as a possible 2010 candidate in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer and that‘s when I knew that he‘s finally ―bitten the apple‖. The good priest-turned governor has finally succumbed to one of the most subtle and deceiving deadly sins - Pride. Deadly Sin – Pride Governor Ed, you are not the messiah of the Philippines. You have no training whatsoever as an economist, politician, diplomat, armed forces chief, or any of the skills needed to lead a country. What you are right now is a moral force that inspires and reminds people that we do need reforms and that we need to take a stand against corruption. If you believe that you are ―the ONE‖ and that you will be responsible for turning this country around, then listen harder to that voice in your conscience because it might be just pride and ego. If ever you do run, you‘re not relying on yourself to win on 2010, but rather on the institution and reputation of the Church. What about Pampanga? If you really want to stay in politics, why not focus on Pampanga first? Implement more reforms and policies that will enable your province to soar. Come up with programs that will generate employment, business, and tourism. Show the world that you are indeed a good leader and local government official. Prove your worth first before you set your sights on a higher position. And don‘t just talk about the Quarry issue. Everyone knew the problem there, you were the one who just acted on it. If you will anchor everything on that one achievement, then I don‘t think it will be enough for you to become President. As one of my bosses in work used to tell me - if there is one thing you cannot argue against, it is SUCCESS. Show them the numbers. Show them results. Show them that you can deliver and that you get the job done as a Governor. And show them that you can do it CONSISTENTLY.

You‘ve made so many enemies at the local level and you haven‘t resolved most of them yet. What more if you‘re the Chief Executive of the country? Your enemies will multiply by the thousands and your allies will dwindle to the hundreds. Do you have enough experience in the political arena to withstand that kind of pressure? There are so many problems that will arise once you take on the Presidency. I‘m sure most of the problems that you‘ll encounter will be firsts for you because of your lack of experience. Can you really lead this country with your current skill set? Can you really bring us out of debt instead of plunging us even deeper into economic turmoil? If your answer here is a big yes, then prove it with Pampanga! Taking Advantage of God and the Priesthood Is God really working through you? Or are you working God? Are you using the mantle of the Priesthood as a campaign gimmick to bolster your numbers to make up for the lack of experience? By simply being a priest, you have the natural trust of the people. I mean, who else to better endorse a candidate and increase his/her chances of winning than God Himself? By entering into politics as a Priest, you are taking advantage of that innate trust and ―holy credibility‖ that comes with the title of ―Father‖. In your interview, you said that you wanted more to become part of a movement that will look for a ―Reform Candidate‖. Maybe this is your true calling and not to actually become THAT candidate. Pray, and PRAY HARD Governor Panlilio, please pray, and pray hard for discernment and wisdom. Go on a 3-day silent retreat or something. Study the word and communicate with God so that when you do make your decision, you know that is is really God‘s will and not your pride or your ego talking. If you will really run in 2010, then do it the right way. Leave the priesthood for good and concentrate on your career as a politician. Stop using the Priesthood as a trump card in elections and focus on your achievements as a Governor. This will probably be your greatest temptation yet. It‘s not in the form of a seductive woman, money, influence, power, or even greed. It‘s the temptation that a lot of priests and pastors fall to - the temptation of believing that you are the next Jesus. Tags: 2010 Presidential Elections, Ed Panlilo

This entry was posted on Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at 2:55 pm and is filed under 2010 Presidential Elections, Ed Panlilio. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Naive Panlilio 2009 MARCH 22 by balatucan

Panlilio: Sure loser. Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio declared his intent to run for President in 2010 saying he will try to duplicate his miracle win in Pamapanga to the whole country. I admire Panlilio’s crusade for reform and the desire to transform politics in the Philippines. But I have been there Father. In 1992 I voted for Jovy Salonga and Nene Pimentel tandem yet they both lose. Fr. Panlilio’s principled politics is okay but it is not realistic now. Maybe we can achieve it in the next 50 years, gradually. Panlilio is no

match

to

the

well

oiled

machinery

of

established

parties

and

candidates. Pupulutin lang si Ed Panlilio sa kankungan along with his noble crusade. Then he will just be forgotten. Enter Sen. Kiko Pangilinan who said the 2010 elections is about new politics against trapo politics and not against administration and opposition. I find this as too naive. The country has been beaten black and blue by bad governance for the past ten years. One cannot simply shrug it off. There is bitterness out there and to

suggest its not about opposition and administration is very anti climactic and to some extent out of touch with reality. No reforms will come unless the people reform their bad election habits. Bad election habits are acquired by bad training and distorted values which our educational system failed to remedy. Change in our politics cannot happen overnight. Its a journey of a people. Unless the people are enlightened and say enough is enough then it will happen. But I dont think it is happening now. People are selfish right now that even a Panlilio candidacy cannot change that. Thats how I see things right now. The Panlilio-Padaca tandem is too good to be true. http://balatucan.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/naive-panlilio/

SMOKE POLITICS

PRIEST KING Posted by rom on March 21, 2009 at 8:20 pm. There is, of course, a long tradition of priest-kings throughout the world. A priest, after all, is supposed to be a direct link to god. What better king, therefore, than someone who is presumed to be in communication with the deity? But does Pampanga‘s Ed Panlilio have what it takes to be apriest king for this gloriously fractious country of ours when he can‘t even hold on to his Pampanga? Let‘s face it. Panlilio was saved by a ridiculously interventionist Comelec.

Look at the Comelec‘s reasoning when faced with the very popular Panlilio recall petition: We don’t have money for it, so even if we do approve the petition, we won’t be able to hold the recall elections. Ergo, we won’t even study the petition yet. This, despite the fact that the processing of recall petitions is essentially just about adding up numbers. More to the point, once the Comelec field officials have determined that there are enough signatures on the petition, approving the damned thing is practically a formality for the Comelec en banc. Still, the Comelec sat on its hands , allowing precious time to waste away. I bet that if the Comelec had processed the petition and, once approved, waited for the money to come from Congress, there could be a recall election in Pampanga before the May 9 deadline - seeing as how recall elections are barred one year prior to the next polls. Instead, the Comelec is now saying that there is no time to process the petition even tho the money is available. Well, it was Comelec that frittered away the time in the first place! Idiots. Be that as it may, it looks like Panlilio will definitely stay on as Pampanga governor despite the withdrawal of support of the very people who carried him to power on their shoulders, who now claim that they have found him to be incompetent, arrogant in his power, and arbitrary in his management of the province. Just as pro-impeachment people bewail the serial murders of the impeachment complaints against the Prez - saying that the impeachment complaints could have validated OR disproven the claims of lying, cheating, and stealing, pro-recall people now lament the fait accompli presented them by the Comelec. There is, in other words, no way now to determine whether the priest still enjoys the trust and confidence of the polity. And now he wants to be prez? We know for a fact that he carries about him the odour of sanctity; but this is the presidency. Do we not need someone who‘s qualifications go beyond just smelling good? http://smoke.ph/?p=548