| President Panlilio?
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on March 23, 2009 For the Standard Today, March 24 issue My unsolicited advice to those who are pushing Pampanga Gov. Among Ed Panlilio and Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca into 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 2009-2010, 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 six percent of the votes and trailed way behind President Arroyo, FPJ, the late Raul Roco and Sen. 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, Gov. 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 Gov. Panlilio�s over-eager backers who are throwing caution to the wind and pushing him and Gov. 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, they being non-traditional 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 University-based 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, Gov. 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 instead run? Does having a priest as president automatically provide 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 (TI) (www.transparency.org) has data on Haiti only from 2002 to the present. In TI�s index of perception of corruption � the higher the number, the higher the perceived corruption � Haiti was ranked 89th out of 102 countries in 2002; 131st out of 133 countries in 2003; 145th out of 145 countries in 2004. 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 Aristide�s 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 in power 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 Gov. Panlilio fare by this rule of thumb? In my article Fr. Ed�s Pampanga, of August 27, 2007, I heaped praises on Gov. 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 had stolen about P325 million in quarrying fees every year. But apparently Gov. Panlilio ordered no such investigation, and the plunderers have been allowed to carry on as if nothing monumentally corrupt had taken place. Gov. 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. He has the next six or seven months to prove that he has what it takes to fight corruption. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in acabaya.blogspot.com. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. . OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �President Panlilio?� Hi Tony, Funny subject, no? Anyway, from our end, Gov. Panlilio wants to continue being a governor and "A Priest" too. Priest-Politico don't mix. The TV footage we saw, appears Gov/Father Panlilio has turned into a "Trapo", waving and smiling to people like one. Ambition and attraction to power is similar to the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The PRESIDENCY is a serious matter and plain ambition to power without 'any' ability to govern is dangerous and may turn out not unlike a corrupt one. Being honest and priestly is not enough. Keep trying . . . . and . . . .and . . . HOPING. Let's look for someone serious, knowlegeable and ready to die for the people - "the ordinary Juan de la Cruz" who matters. A MAGSAYSAY reborn, will do! Jose J. Regino, (by email), Zamboanga City, March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Toks, I think the oppositionSSSSS[stupes-boobooSSS) - are most successful in dividing themselves, ~ 'self destructing' ~ and committing another "hara kiri" in 2010! If you will run - away - to - from - anything, I will vote for you! Tony Oposa, MD, (by email), March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, How can Gov. Among Ed rid corruption in Pampanga [and quarry fees] when he and his staff were terrorized, and none was done about it? As president, he will have the Philippine Army and Constabulary at his beck and call. Or, do you doubt that it will make any difference? Ben Oteyza, (by email), March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I am glad that you brought up the question about why the Lapids have never been investigated for their nefarious quarry issues (which could just be tip of the iceberg). Maybe Gov Panlilio can shed light on this. But we can appreciate the reality that in only one month as governor, P129 million (actually, P29.4 million ACA) was added to the coffers of Pampanga, compared to the P29 million in one year (!) during Mark Lapid's governance. That is a lot of money! The way I see it, the Lapids are shameless, just like the others in high government positions who have enriched themselves while in office . I believe that the greatest obstacle to justice and to a greater extent the preservation of our values can be attributed to the executive pardon of Estrada, who while still president committed and was subsequently convicted of plunder, continues to strut like a peacock devoid of shame and remorse. Extend it a little further and we see the Marcoses in the lead of these shameless creatures, not to mention the many crops of congressmen, senators, government officials etc. Unfortunately, this is what we, citizens and taxpayers of this country have to live with - or is it because we didn't do what should have been done? In other countries, justice was swift. Filipinos that we are, we are softhearted, forgiving. with short memories. The Panlilio-Padaca movement seems to provide a glimmer of hope for change. Let us not keep comparing our lot with that of other countries. Cynicism is what keeps us trapped in the seeming hopeless and helpless situation we are all in. Gov Panlilio has not decided and understandably he needs time for discernment . If there is anyone who can be a good candidate for president, he is said to have expressed wishes to serve in whatever way he can. Certainly, we citizens and taxpayers know the rascals in government and we are not stupid as they would like to think. But beware of those who have mastered the art of using the media and who have become pathological liars to weave a tapestry of more lies. It�s time for CHANGE. Dr. Josie Banaag, (by email), March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I overheard sometime somewhere about a benevolent corruptor. Have you known a society where there is benevolent corruption going on? Ernie Dellosa, (by email), Sto. Tomas, Batangas, March 24, 2009 (Possibly in oil-rich countries in the Middle East, where the oil revenues are bottomless and the rulers are not accountable to anyone. Saudi Arabia would be the prime example, but there are others. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Ed PANLILIO for President, H. De VILLA for VP Though a priest, Gov. Ed Panlilio has shown his ability to govern and cut corruption in Pampanga. I think there is no better test of man�s fitness to run for president of the country than to survive the political intrigues and cut the head of corruption in its very hotbed, the home province of the most powerful woman in the country today. For vice president, I recommend Mrs. Henrietta de Villa, ex-Ambassador to the Vatican and currently the head of Namfrel and Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). A force to contend with in ensuring an honest and orderly election, both organizations can be headed by other qualified people. The important thing is not that the elections be free of cheating, etc. but that honest candidates can be elected to run the government, for a change. Then men of goodwill can rally to them and help save our country. Amado F. Cabaero, (by email), March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Kuya Tony C. Abaya, Gov. Panlilio has become a leader in Pampanga but he has important shortcomings. We need a leader who is "tough as cowhide, honest as a saint and sincere like a true mother". More power to you, Kuya Tony. Thanks. Leona Guera, (by email), Australia, March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Just today we opened the community publicly accessible. We previously invited you for a preview. Btw, I found you using the community because it tracks anything published on the web re Puno at least the latest 20 articles or blogs. You may view it without joining. Please see the link below. Tomorrow, we start promoting the community until the end of this month. Cheers, Alex Almeda, (by email), March 24, 2009 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 1:22 PM Subject: Puno ng Bayan To: Center for Good Governance <[email protected]> Hi Members, I have been around this group for a number of weeks. And it is very inspiring to see that we, Filipinos, continue to hope for a better country with different initiatives. The group name attracted me to this site. While we want a different leadership, I, personally, would want to see a particular potential candidate express his willingness to run for the highest position in our mother land. I have set up a community in the hope to introduce this potential candidate to the online community. My objective is to provide a choice, maybe a better choice, for all Filipinos. A choice that inspires hope to the people of the Philippines. After careful consideration, it is now available to public. The primary community is hosted by following this link: http://puno-ng-bayan.ning.com It is also intended to be the central hub of online communities bringing together all Filipinos from different social media. I hope that you find the community informative as it was intended to be. Please visit "Puno ng Bayan" at http://puno-ng-bayan.ning.com and Invite everyone who can benefit from the information available on the community. Best Regards, Alex Almeda "Be Part of Making Puno Run!" wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Panlilio-Padaca tandem is weak as of now. We from the NCR know these two figures because Isabela and Pangpanga are near...but what about Mindanao and the Visayas and the Bicol and Ilocos regions? They don't have the machinery to win...unless some outside force intervenes and gives a helping hand. The same for Teodoro who is known to be a nephew of Danding Cojuangco. His being a nephew actually has more of a negative effect than a positive one. Loren is worst, she is known all around RP to be the crying lady...we don't want a crier president and we don't want a gold digger to be president...she married an animal because of his power and fortune...she sucks....Bayani is a good guy....but again his popularity is not that vast. Binay the Barrack of Makati is also good...but not in popularity. Mar Roxas is using Corina, Mar is good, but if you match him with Corina they smell like rotten eggs. Erap has already stated that if the opposition will not unite, he will run. His magic is still strong, his MASA power very strong. He just has to get the right people to work with him. He did not steal any money from our Kaban....it was only WETENG MONEY that he gathered.....like all presidents do! If he only stayed in office.....the problems of Mindanao would have been finished! The Abu Sayaf and JI would have been pulverized. The only reason why the tobacco kid is supporting Gloria is because....he is afraid of his own wrong doings. Imagine selling vast lands at Fort Bonifacio, Andrew Air-Base, and a lot of other lands. The tobacco kid is a cousin of the former hitman Enrile. And Juan Ponce Enrile is now senate president? How did this come to be! I believe that an Erap-Lacson team would win!!! If they do...the Supreme Court could technical Erap's bid...but who is next.....Lacson of course will reverse all those technicalities......and all those hudlums in robes will be paraded at UP Diliman without any robes...including the old and slow man who was supposed to sign the "release order" of the Alabang Boys....but did not sign it....citing..."it's all over the papers...how can I sign it" Kung hindi pala dahil sa media....pipirma siya. Drop dead, old man. I know of a place in Mount Banahaw, somewhere in Quezon who prayed for Gloria's win...she has not given a single centavo for that poor community...but they are not complaining...they are constantly praying...I think their intentions are now different....Bahala na kayo mag isip kung ano yun. Rafael Alcuaz, (by email), March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I do not think that a President Panlilio would bring too much politics into the Church, there is much more danger that he would bring too much Church into politics. Religion and politics are too different matters as that they could match into one person's duties. Just look at the "God sent" GMA... [email protected], March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I think that thrusting Fr. Ed Panlilio into the presidency is a very naive idea and will probably result in greater disaster for this country. As you said, personal honesty is a very good trait in a leader; but, to be president requires a lot more than honesty. A president needs to lead and govern. While Fr. Panlilio can probably lead, the evidence in governing is not quite apparent. I am reminded of the Cory years when the country had a very honest and inspiring leader. Unfortunately, she did not know how to govern. She did not even know how to choose her cabinet, resulting inendless ideological squabbles that lead to frustrating inertia that brought an otherwise honest and dynamic personality like Jimmy Ongpin to commit suicide. The idea of having Fr, Panlilio is a romantic idea in the same manner that FPJ was propelled to the forefront of the presidential short list. I was very wary of the idea of an FPJ presidency just as I worry about the possibility of a Panlilio administration. It has the making of a leader that will neither be in control nor knowing exactly what to do. Let's look at other alternatives. Gus Cosio, (by email), March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi, Tony: Yes. Let us make haste slowly. While Among Ed is discerning whether or not to run, let us discern for ourselves whether Among Ed is the man we want for President. I have met Among Ed a number of times in the mid 90s when he was the Executive Director of SACOP (Social Action Center of Pampanga.) He was then extremely busy with the relocation of families displaced by Pinatubo. My friends and I went to see him to explore how we could collaborate with his work. He impressed me as a good man and a good priest. Should Among Ed decide to run, securing a dispensation and laicization from his bishop and the pope would not be a major problem. I can understand the concerns of Archbishops Aniceto and Cruz but my concern is a point you raised about what Among Ed has not done in the investigation, prosecution and punishment of wrongdoings in Pampanga. If I am not mistaken, priests are trained to be compassionate and forgiving of sinners. They are tasked to reconcile sinful men to God and the community. In the sacrament of reconciliation (confession?) when a penitent is truly sorry for his sins, the priest absolves him. Will not a priest, who is also a manager of men in human institutions, tend to overlook the civil and temporal liabilities of wrongdoers? What would he do when someone deviates from institutional culture and conventions? Would he apply the required sanctions swiftly, evenly and consistently to all regardless of person or position? If Among Ed will go for the jugular of these wrongdoers, I will vote for him should he decide to run - even if he rates low in surveys. Ric de Leon, (by email), March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Yes, I agree with you, Tony. Fr. Ed should have at least started some investigation into that anomaly. It was not enough to return the bagful of money to Malacanang. Rudy/Dr. Rodolfo Villarica, (by email), Quezon City, March 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hey, you are looking at it from the static-present-reality lens... You would have predicted Cory and Barack being defeated..... Pundits are invariably behind the curve.... Go down to humus or travel far to the East Coast and smell Panlilio's victory with the fresh scent of the Spirit! Everyone is excited... deja vu circa months going to February 1986, but it takes nanotech antenna to detect tremors of the Asian tsunami (Dec. 26, 2004) kind. Hernan Hormillosa, (by email), New York City, March 25, 2009 (According to the official Comelec count, the February 1986 snap election was won by Ferdinand Marcos. Cory Aquino was leading in the Namfrel count, but her lead was shrinking when the Namfrel count was discontinued after only 72 percent of the precincts had been tabulated. Cory Aquino was elevated to the presidency by a revolutionary process, not by an election. (About a week before the 2080 US elections, I wrote that Obama was the superior candidate not only in education, but also in intelligence, personality, eloquence, temperament and program of government. Look it up in my blog. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I personally believe that Gov Panlilio is a good guy but he is not yet 'ripe' for the highest office in our country. He really must show he could do the bigger job in the future by doing the smaller job first now like corruption, gambling etc.... and then maybe he can get the needed confidence and trust of the people to have a fighting chance, at the very least, in the future. 2010 is not the time yet. As to the bickering of the Catholic Church personalities due to several movements endorsing Gov Panlilio, all I can say is, you had your chance to stop him from running in the onset for Governor, and you didn't.. So eat dirt, fellas! You could be right, Tony, maybe a no-nonsense Revolutionary Government might just be the solution to all our world-known humiliating problems which all began way back from the Marcos era, EDSA revolution, ERAPtion and definitely, when SHE sat down. But I do hope, for our country's sake, if and whenever it happens, the people who will make up the so-called "GROUP" are 'untainted' people from all sectors so the Revolutionary Government could feel the pulse of the so-called ailments afflicting our country.. Only then can it work. Jose Genato, (by email), March 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Your comments are insightful. Hopefully someone can disseminate this to the general masses in a manner they can understand. I am not minimizing their intelligence, but the masses have been so brainwashed on the belief that the government owes them a living, they may not be receptive to your message, even as they know it's true.. These days any winner is expected to be a patron without any input from them. Precisely these crooked politicians pander to that distorted mindset, Just as they would also support Fr. Panlilio on the expectation that with the power of his position, they can just sit under the tree and Fr. Panlilio will make the fruit fall. Yes, we need leaders with morals but that presupposes that the whole population will get involved in changing the way things are done today. The only reason the present crooks get away with murder is that no one gives a damn. Not enough can see the big picture which probably indicates the decline in the literacy rate of the general population. We need a general population that can keep the government honest because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is not an indictment on anyone but a simple fact of life. Lynn Abad-Santos, (by email), Washington DC, March 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You wrote: 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. Following the logic of the last two paragraphs and the experience of two countries which had two priests as presidents, PGMA can secretly support Fr. Panlilio�s candidacy and even ensure his victory so that she will not be prosecuted after her term and at the same time further divide the opposition. If indeed running under the auspices of the incumbent administration is a kiss of death, then this is a seamless way of skirting that issue. In politics, there is always the art of the possible. Philip Reyes, (by email), March 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, While I agree with your assessment, I take what sociologist Alberto Melucci wrote about social movements: "..the movement is the message..." Panlilio or Padaca running with some semblance of civil society support, changes the tone, language, and character of the forthcoming elections. This is similar to Cory's campaign against Marcos. No one expected her to win against Marcos, but what the people wanted was the "political space" to organize, mobilize, and educate the people on the Marcos regime's sins. A "third way" is what we need now. The opposition you talk about is not really the opposition. They just represent elite cleavages. Panlilio/Padaca represent the real opposition. Some group that has a reformist and no hidden agenda. We need to change the political-economic-moral climate and language. I think people will rally around them. Mobilize and then later organize. If Obama did it, why not them? Hecky Villanueva, (by email), Tucson, Arizona, March 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, This is what I am telling my friends with regards to Gov. Among Ed Panlillio. Have you seen or heard how a priest is mad or paano ba magalit ang isang pare, in the vernacular? If the answer is in the most extremes that he will cause those corrupt to be put to a firing squad, then go for it (the Presidency). If not as what is the natural instinct of a priest is, then forget it. You are right, he should have acted to have that quarrying issue investigated so we would believe that he can solve corruption. But to me based on his interview that his big accomplishment was to raise the level of morality in Pampanga. Raising the moral values of the Filipinos is a long shot, if not next to impossible. Thanks and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), March 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Please allow me to react on the article �Leave priesthood first, Panlilio told� (PDI March 23). The article said �Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio should leave the priesthood if he were to further his political career by running for president in 2010.� This reminds us of Pope John Paul who insisted that the canon law forbids the priests "to assume public offices that involve ... the exercise of civil power." I find this very disturbing. Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council, 1991 (PCP-II) says that priests, religious men and women, and lay people, i.e., the Church �must involved in the area of politics when Gospel values are at stake.� Then why ask Gov. Panlilio to renounce his priesthood when he could be instrumental and in a better position as a priest in renewing the political landscape of this country according to the Gospel values? There is no doubt priests must uphold the teachings of the Church. In the past, many of them have played their roles as moral guardians especially during election period. While it is true that they should not involve themselves in partisan politics they should not also be indifferent with their duties to provide the moral compass for the people to elect only those candidates who uphold the teachings and ethos of the Catholic Church. They have done this for the nth time. They have taken seriously their moral and political duty to guide the flock in electing those who are authentic Christians to become public servants. They do this because they are cognizant of the fact that there are many politicians who are being Pharisaical in calling themselves as Christians. However, their efforts are in vain. Most of our people are stubborn and they do not listen to the admonitions of our priests. Our people still elect devious politicians who do not care for the needs of our countrymen and ignore the teachings of the Church. And as a consequence, these ruthless politicians do not only bring ruin and scandal in the government but also to the Church. Shall we allow this to happen again come 2010 elections? Must we in this country render unto Caesar that which is Caesar�s perpetually? Must we allow our lives to be shortchanged by the politicians who think nothing but their own self-interest? Must we allow these elected leaders to continue making a mockery of the Church and do things that run counter to the Gospel values? Let me describe Panlilio as a politician of God�s words. He brings the Gospel values in governance. He witnesses the Gospel values in politics. He evangelizes our political culture and intersperses it with the teachings of the Church. When he as a priest was allowed to run for the governorship, what should prohibit him to run for the presidency? Thank you. Very truly yours, Reginald B. Tamayo, (by email), Aparri, Cagayan, March 25, 2009 Member, Sangguniang Bayan, Aparri, Cagayan wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You do have a point there, Tony. But I keep wondering, who else after GMA? Noli ? Winnable yes, but suitable no. Lacson ? Legarda ? Roxas ? The winnables are tainted, the better ones have poor winnability. Teodoro? Well, unless you want two states within one. Panlilio is not the perfect alternative, but so far the best left as he is the opposite of the number of hopefuls whose morality and righteousness are seriously doubtful. A pair that offers some hope though dim in winning also are Gordon, Fernando, Padaca. From Among to Padaca there is one thing common : they are good only on their local levels. But they have emitted better signals. Personally, I'd go for Cebu's Tomas Osmena (except that he has failing health now) or Rodrigo Duterte of Davao (step aside, Dirty Harry !) . Outside of this group is the status quo -- currently mostly trapos, virtual dirty rotten scoundrels. but perhaps we may miss some quiet low-profile but principled among these, some little Obama who may not need a party's support because the people will give all. Maybe, Tony, you can help us do that search. You mentioned in your article that Lapid collected P29M in quarry taxes in a year compared to Ed Panlilio's P29M in a month. That's because of one being dishonest while the other is straight. You can therefore imagine if those at the BIR and BOC were to run the agencies as honestly as Among does in terms of collecting the right duties and taxes! But too bad though, because the earnings would be used to pay overpriced projects implemented by our "tongpats" specialists in government, right ? Either way we turn, the Filipino gets screwed. But certainly, Gov Panlilio shows us that there DOES exist such a person and who CAN be in government. Victor Ma�alac, (by email), March 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Sir Tony, From my little remembrance of my Constitution subject, there's nothing in the Philippine constitution that says a priest [active or not] cannot become President of the Philippines. The so-called "job requirements" for such a position is so broad, even my carpenter can run for president if he chose to, given that he's got more integrity and love for this country than current officials put together. With Fr. Ed as President, there's a lot of negative and positive about his governing skills but I totally agree with your earlier article regarding the collections for the quarrying. No investigation was done but I guess Fr. Ed left it to the facts and numbers as to who was the better man for the job. The collection rate alone spoke volumes and frankly - when did any investigation against corruption of officials ever thrive in this country? If ever, nothing was remotely reported by media, has anyone been jailed for it lately? Even rapists and murderers get presidential pardons, what more corrupt officials? As for the Church saying "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�.." - are they for REAL??? Hasn't the Church been dipping its fingers into partisan politics since the time of Rizal in this country??? As for "shaming, dividing or demeaning the clergy and the Church" is concerned - their recent decisions and indecisions on matters that matter most to the Filipinos like the Reproductive Health Bill, calling for the resignation of we-know-who after the Garci scandal and ZTE scandal, the death penalty, etc - hasn't the Church done enough [damage] already? They "influence" a lot of people using the pulpit as a soapbox to air their "statements" or "letters", yet do they call a spade a spade and listen to what majority of Filipinos are calling for? We have shepherds lost in their own quagmire of indecisions so who are they NOW to tell someone lke Fr. Ed to quit the priesthood if he wants to be in politics? The entire Church has been "in" politics and therefore they should all quit or keep quiet if they can't do anything realistically positive for this country and be the first to call for moral change in this government. They should be the first ones to show some form of unity, for goodness sake! Their tepid attitude and lukewarm responses to the signs of the times is just shameful. I am not "for" Fr. Ed but I appreciate the public service he has done so far which is what all those in public service should be doing and stop being politicians for once. The reason why a lot of "politicians" hate him so much, especially with the hate seeping from the house by the river - is because he showed the country what can be done if they put their heads and heart into what they're supposed to do - serve the public and do right by the people they serve.... unlike those in politics who expect people to serve them and go about telling people "I can do anything I want because I am President". Oh please.... politicians should just shut up and work. If Fr. Ed wants to run, maybe let him. At least he's one of the few candidates credible enough to be believed in as trustworthy and honest.... if there are still honest public servants left in this country. Best regards, Jenifer Aquino-Xavier, (by email), March 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, See attachment. This is my opinion on Panlilio for president. Arnold van Vugt, (by email), Cagayan de Oro City, March 25, 2009 Dutch resident of Mindanao PANLILIO FOR PRESIDENT � WHY NOT? According to Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, Ed Panlilio has to leave the priesthood if he wants to run for president. In my opinion, Panlilio cannot leave the priesthood: once a priest always a priest. Oscar Cruz is supposed to know that. He is talking too much as a canon lawyer. Whatever Canon Law says, orthodox Catholic theology says that a Catholic priest has the indelible mark of the sacrament of Holy Orders, like a Christian has the indelible mark of the sacrament of Baptism. No bishop or canon law can take this away from him. A priest may be suspended from the priesthood, which means that he cannot exercise his priestly functions, but he cannot be suspended from exercising his principal function as a priest. Cruz is correct in saying that in the Church there is no such thing as a priest �on leave�. Suspension may remove his rights but it will never remove his basic right to be a priest, and indeed, his obligation remains to be a priest regardless whether his bishop receives him back in his diocese, or not. According to Archbishop Cruz again, to be a priest-politician is a big anomaly in the Church and a dilemma, if not a scandal. He even says that partisan politics will shame, divide and demean the clergy and the Church with his official blunders and personal liabilities. What blunders and liabilities is he talking about? To me, it is outrageous for a bishop to say this. The essence of priesthood is to serve, to be a servant like Christ was a servant and He told his apostles to be servants like himself. What greater service can a priest give to the Church, the People of God, than to be a good and honest governor for the people of his province, or for that matter, if he decides to run for president, to be a good and honest president for the whole nation, the Filipino people? I agree, it is quite an ambition for him to aspire for the presidency but he is more justified to have that ambition than any of the so-called presidentiables who have expressed so far that ambition. Panlilio has a record of honesty, integrity and political will to fight the corruption and the deceit of the traditional politicians, including the president, and for that matter, he has the rightful ambition to defeat and replace a corrupt and dishonest president of the Philippines. Another Archbishop of the Church, Paciano Aniceto of Pampanga, is of the opinion that �priests are not of this world - they fulfill Christ�s prophecy of bringing souls to heaven�. The good bishop is entitled to his opinion. His idea has probably inspired some priests of his diocese to sign that infamous �recall petition� for Panlilio. But Ed has successfully defeated that petition and with that the corrupt officials and gambling lords of Pampanga. As a good priest of this world, he has assigned them to Hell where they belong. Let us ask the Lord that He may give Ed Panlilio the courage to follow his conscience rather than canon law, and fulfill his obligation to become a real servant of the people rather than a saver of souls. Let us mobilize all the support he needs to pursue his ambition to run for president and win in the coming presidential elections. (for comments e-mail: [email protected]) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, I admire Gov. Among Panlilio for his crusade against jueteng, his expose' of the GMA money bags and for his honest to goodness quarry collection. However, I am disturbed on the email below sent by his relative about the possibility of a Malacanang endorsement and quoting Press Sec. Remonde as if the Panlilio camp as saying that they would like Gov. Panlilio to be the standard bearer of the administration. In a column of former Sen. Ernesto Maceda, he mentioned about a powerful person who interceded for Panlilio with Comelec Chairman Melo regarding the recall election. Being identified with this immoral regime and his refusal to obey the Canon Law and the admonition of his immediate superior and the other Bishops will not bode well on Gov. Fr. Panlilio's presidential aspiration. Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City, March 25, 2009 GMANEWS.TV (Article posted March 24, 2009 - 02:29 p.m.) Malacanang may look at the possibility of adopting Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio as its standard bearer in the 2010 presidential elections, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Tuesday. "While that is improbable - it is not impossible. As I have said the President will support those who will continue her vision and those who have a proven track record in being the leader regardless of who he or she maybe as this point in time," Remonde said in a press briefing Tuesday. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Greetings, Tony, I like reading your analysis'. However, it seems to many of us the 'opposition' will just be the other side of the same TRAPO coin. What we really need is REAL CHANGE. You speak of going after the crooks in court - good luck. The Ombudsman is a do nothing lackey and DOJ is a sham. We just spent precious time and resources prosecuting Erap only to get him pardoned... DUH!!! Why would you want Panlilio wasting valuable time when there are so many more productive things he can focus on to improve life of Pilipinos. The important thing is to STOP further shenanigans. Panlilio has shown he has the GUTS to do this, with the TRAPO mayors and GMA's allies trying to move heaven and earth to get him recalled. Why is being a Catholic priest an issue but it is not for Protestants or other denominations? Harvey Keh said it right in his blog. Winnability is not an issue that should hold us back from putting up a TRUE REFORM candidate. Let the voters have the opportunity to decide if they really want to have INTEGRITY in government. If not, then they can have the TRAPO government they want, doesn't matter which side wins, it will be the same plunder all over again. Enrico Teves, (by email), Chicago, IL, March 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, You said: "Gov. 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. He has the next six or seven months to prove that he has what it takes to fight corruption." It is ironic that the simple answers were brilliantly and clearly provided by your observations in your March 9th column titled: Justice Slow-Mo. Most likely, Fr. Panlilio knew the futility fighting against the corrupt ruling class who are in denial and from day 1 of his administration embarked on unrelentless campaign of destabilization, threats and recalls. Fr. Panlilio got a full hand just personally and politically surviving all these distractions and serious machinations. Can you imagine the magnitude of efforts going against an entrenched gambling lord, the Pinedas and the provincial mafia king the Lapids, not to mention that both are personally and politically linked as GMA's buddies, allies and benefactors. One is reminded of the title to a song: You and Me Against the World. The movements spoused by Kaya Natin and other organizations are sparks of hope that hopefully the Philippines is not really a basket case. Sometime, somehow, there is a tipping point or a saturation level where citizens, however dumb they may be, will come into their senses and reject the permeating political and economic malaise brought by the concience-less, rapacious and voracious ruling class of trapos and dynasts. It happened when Sen Benigno Aquino was murdered. In a small way it happened again in Pampanga and Isabela. I would encourage Fr. Panlilio to run and keep the sparks alive, even he loses the next presidential elections. I would gladly spare say $100 or more with good conscience and eternal hope that he will keep our fighting spirits alive. Without Fr. Panlilio and all those small fringe group keeping our hopes alive, the only alternative is the complete and total political and economic enslavement of the country by the criminal-minded ruling class. "Some of the nationalistic fringe groups adopt the slogan: "TAMA NA, SOBRA NA!" This is the heart-rending, hopeless, saddest and probably defiant wails and pleadings of our poor abused countrymen. Are we going to ignore them? Mark Enriquez, (by email), Pomona, CA, March 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Nobody including Among Ed will automatically eliminate corruption in the Philippines as corruption in our country is well -entrenched and rooted in the bureaucracy and would take years before we could clean -up the system. Right now, the governor is paying a heavy price in his performance and was even subjected to recall movement in his attempt to clean up the mess in Pampanga. No thanks to the followers of Gloria. The best that could happen in case Among Ed and/or other well-meaning individuals win the presidency is the assurance that the corruption will be no longer emanating from the top of the heap. Arcy F. Sibal, (by email), Sta. Maria, Bulacan, March 28, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I read with interest the articles �Religion and politics according to Pope Benedict XVI� of Randy David (PDI 03/28/09) and �Panlilio bid new Church intervention� of Amando Doronilla (03/30/09). On the one hand, David said the interrelation between the Church and State �has caused confusion.� On the other hand, Doronilla stated �The bishops are in a quandary as well. They are acutely aware of the interventions of the Church hierarchy to curb the abuses of the regime of Ferdinand Marcos and the high-profile activist role of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin in the dictator�s overthrow in the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.� I wish to add my own opinion on the same issues. In the 1987 Constitution, there are two points to be understood as regards the separation between the Church and State. One is that there is no official religion of the State and two the State may not favor one religion over others. This is in accord with Pope Benedict�s words: �The state may not impose religion, yet it must guarantee religious freedom and harmony between the followers of different religions.� There is no constitutional provision that prohibits the clergy and the religious from partisan politics. Only the Church�s own teachings and laws bar them from participating. It would be seriously wrong then to say that Gov. Panlilio violates that provision of constitution on the separation of the Church and State. As a Catholic, I strongly believe that the Church is never partisan but that doesn�t change the fact that it has the moral duty to renew the political society in accordance with the Gospel values. The Church is duty-bound to proclaim the Gospel �to all creation� and that includes the political order. The Church, as the pope said, cannot replace the State but, in my opinion, it has to transform it in the light of the Gospel. The State is peppered with many social sins and most of them are probably committed by Catholic politicians. For the clergy to be silent, or ignore, and downplay about the social sins of the Catholic politicians would be equivalent to allowing themselves to become cooperators of the commission of such sins. Doronilla mentioned the interventions of the Church during the Marcos regime. The Church cannot simultaneously commit to renewing the political order in harmony with the Gospel values, while tolerating the Catholic politicians to attack the Church by their dishonesty and other unchristian ways. The bishops and the clergy are the voices of the Church and as such we expect them to continue to be our voices amidst the many injustices in our society. The Church has bred her own destroyers. They are not only destroying the nation within but also the Church. Just because there are few bad Catholic politicians it doesn�t mean of course that we have to paint the Church with broad and negative brush. About the alleged plan of Gov. Panlilio to run for the presidency, I share this excerpt from the Catechism on the Church and Politics by the CBCP: �Question: Is there any case when the Bishops can authoritatively order the lay faithful to vote for one particular and concrete option? Answer: Yes, there is and the case would certainly be extraordinary. This happens when a political action is clearly the only one demanded by the Gospel. An example is when a presidential candidate is clearly bent to destroy the Church and its mission of salvation and has all the resources to win, while hiding his malevolent intentions behind political promises. In this case the Church may authoritatively demand the faithful, even under the pain of sin, to vote against this particular candidate. But such situations are understandably very rare.� Thank you. Very truly yours, Reginald B. Tamayo, (by email), Aparri, Cagayan, March 30, 2009 Member, Sangguniang Bayan, Aparri, Cagayan wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, If there is one group responsible for the moral bankruptcy of the Filipinos, it is the religious group composed of cardinals, bishops, priests, nuns, pastors, and other church leaders. If they have been doing a good job, then all those who claim to be Christians should be following the Ten Commandments to the letter. There would be minimal graft and corruption, cheating and lying, etc. in the Philippines. But on the contrary, we are one of the most corrupt countries on planet Earth. The religious leaders in the Philippines are the biggest failures in our country. Governor Panlilio is part of this group. He should get part of the blame. Why does he not stick to being a priest? But if indeed he wants to stay in politics, he should resign from priesthood. Col (Ret.) Hector Tarzan Tarrazona, (by email), March 31, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sharing with you Joel Rocamora's open letter to Harvey Keh. Aurora Pijuan, (by email), April 01, 2009 Can Alternative Reform Candidates for President win in 2010? An Open Letter to Harvey S. Keh and other friends of reform Joel Rocamora, Institute for Popular Democracy, March 21, 2009 I understand why you and other friends of reform want "a God-fearing, morally-upright, effective and ethical leader for our country in 2010". The sins of the ruling Arroyo clique are so all-encompassing, so pervasive that our only possible response is moral outrage. But the distance between taking a stance for morality and electing a president cannot be shortened by choosing moral leaders as candidates. If we float candidates we must make sure they want to run and not feel like people are running after them. If we then launch a candidacy, we must make sure we have the capability to run a serious campaign, not coast on wings of hope and moral fervor. US$5 contributions from overseas Filipinos sounds nice, but to get your US$30 million target you have to get 6 million people to contribute! If you set unrealistic targets, you set yourself up for failure, and the people you inspire, for a hard fall. We all want a reform president in 2010. Repairing the damage from nine years of corrupt misgovernment by GMA will require leadership from a president who can use the powers of the presidency for reform. To elect such a president, all reformers have to work hard. To begin with, we have to come to an understanding about the nature of the electoral terrain in 2010. Even if the Comelec succeeds in modernizing ballot counting, election contests will remain substantially the same. The Philippine electoral terrain has been shaped by trapos for over a century. Results of national contests are determined by what some call "trench warfare", the struggle for support among local politicians, and the "air war" of competing TV and radio advertising. Because we do not have political parties with real programs, there are no issues in national elections. Our task as reformers will be to assert the importance of issues of reform in the 2010 elections. This can best be done by supporting a candidate who is competitive in both "trench warfare" and the "air war", who gets an edge over his rivals by building a new source of votes, people who want reform. The 2010 election will not be anything like February 1986 when the one-on-one fight between Marcos and Cory Aquino was as close to a fight between "good and evil" as we will ever get. In 2010, there will be at least three and possibly four serious candidates and a bunch of also runs. There will be temptation to take the politically debilitating "lesser evil" stance. As reformers, we should instead look for the candidate who is more likely than the others to organize reform if he wins. We should come in now and help to shape his campaign. Picking a reform candidate is not enough. We need to build a reform constituency which can do the following interrelated things: (1) Shape our candidate's campaign around the importance of reform, (2) Transform our reform constituency into a factor in the election by forcing other candidates to compete on the issue of reform, and by mobilizing serious numbers of voters. Ten million might be unrealistic, but five million added votes can win the election. (3) Sustain our reform constituency to support struggles for reform after the election. Even if our candidate wins, he will continue to need our support in pushing reform. I have several problems with your position, Harvey. (1) I agree with Gov. Panlilio �that we should have one reform candidate; otherwise, we will get a president that we do not like.� If you are serious about supporting Among Ed, you should not float other possible candidates. (2) You should make sure the people you float are interested. Governor Padaca and Mayor Robredo are both Liberal Party members who support Mar Roxas for president. Chief Justice Puno has said he is not interested; he is needed where he is. Among Ed's position is the wisest. �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.� The candidate is less important than the reform constituency. But to get our reforms close to reality, we need to elect a president. The sooner we decide on that candidate, the better. Floating many candidates will not get us closer to that decision.# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... Reactions to [email protected]. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |
 |
 |
| ON THE OTHER HAND |