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It
could be ominous that in Pampanga, home province of GMA, a
reluctant "man of the cloth," Father Ed Panlilio
- won the top secular post Governor - against the president's
two candidates: one a quarry prince, the other a jueteng queen.
Even
if the winning margin was by a whisker, the brave people of
Pampanga, chose the clear moral alternative to incumbent governor
- actor Mark Lapid (whose family regime cannot allegedly account
for P500 million of quarry payments) and Board Member Lilia
Pineda, whose husband (Bong) is largely known as Central Luzon's
jueteng king.
"Among
Ed," drenched in his own sweat in a ragged tee shirt
that had seen better days topped the gubernatorial polls by
the slimmest of 1,400 votes - that created a public explosion
of joy - far louder than that of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo
- that reverberated throughout the breath of the entire Philippines.
The
message of Pampanga was clear we do not have to choose between
two evils if there is a good alternative - even if it displeases
the president of this republic (in her own territory). The
bravery of the Pampangos put to shame the salivating opportunism
and the slavish puppetry of many other officials and supporters
in other provinces - who would jump off a speeding car - to
please the president. Some promised GMA a 12-0 senate victory
and spent the people's money to fulfill their selfish agenda.
In
a message of genuine people power that brought back memories
of another blameless candidate in Cory Aquino in 1986 (versus
Ferdinand the Evil), the sunburned, penniless "Among
Ed" proved to the whole world that when the "spirit
of voluntarism" exists among a critical mass of citizens,
one can win an election without the use of the four Gs of
"guns, goons, gold and Garci."
"Ing
pari yong hari" (the priest is king) - the Pampanga battle
cry is not harking back to theocracy but displays the unmistaken
bravery of the Pampanga folks to put an end to the image of
their province as "jueteng center" and a sample
of world-class corruption.
Father
Ed was the opposite of Lapid and Pineda: "I will not
make movies, I condemned illegal gambling. I have no family.
I am no longer a priest. I give myself in total service to
my people. I did not promise anything to them but myself.
I am theirs," the 53-year-old Don Bosconian priest (23
years in the priesthood) said as people focused on the future
of Pampanga as the "hub of commerce and culture"
in Central Luzon.
Governor
Ed of the large Panlilio clan, is not taking chances. He will
soon go on a crash-course on Local Governance and Budget at
the University of the Philippines in Diliman - the same course
completed by Lipa City mayor now governor-elect of Batangas
actress Vilma Santos-Recto.
The
incredible fortitude of the voters of Pampanga is especially
remarkable given the present climate of stiffing dissent in
this country characterized by extra judicial killings of media
and activists, libel cases and unconstitutional decrees to
meet rallies, investigations and attempts to thwart freedom
of choice and thought.
Businessmen,
students, crack election lawyers, farmers, fisher folks, urban
poor, academe, the middle class and even other religious denominations
of Protestants and the INK congregated around the new-found
hero - all extending help for free. Some taipans even shelled
out working capital funds because they knew what is good for
Pampanga is good for their business.
Without
enough money, the Brigada Panlilio worked on a mobile headquarters,
did man to man campaign, used the website, and text brigades
to bring the message of hope - not only to the province of
Pampanga - but hopefully to all the country as well. That
the age of corruption and patronage politics will come to
an end - and it is apropos that it should occur in the very
belly of the present dispensation - in the heart land of the
president's own home province.
Thirty
thousand core volunteers backed by thirty three lawyers made
sure the votes were counted and counted right. A rich businessman
who was offered a Board member slot in the Pineda ticket,
gave it up and joined the Panlilio caravan en route to the
oasis of political liberation. He has no regrets, he told
the Chronicle.
Every
black propaganda possible was thrown into the face of Fr.
Ed, who looked like a man bound for crucifixion even when
he was proclaimed Friday night as winner. They said Fr. Ed
had a child out of wedlock - the next days hundreds of people
wore a tag on their tee shirts" "I am the child
of Fr. Ed." - sending electric shocks into the opponents
who feared the beginning of their end had come.
The
wily spin masters in the Palace were quick to dilute the impact
of this great political embarrassment on the part of the president
by riding on Fr Ed's victory by ignoring its true meaning.
Thus the Custodian of Political Spin Gabby Claudio spoke:
"The will of the electorate, especially if spoken with
uncommon fervor and urgency, as in Pampanga, should override
any question or controversy on the separation of Church and
State."
The
real meaning of the political victory of Fr Ed over GMA's
bets there had been conveniently if severely lost in that
translation. But we should know better.
Governor
"Father" Ed Panlilio talked to his triumphant followers:
"My idea of a God is a God who acts in a community. Don't
drift away. Let's finish this crusade."
It
might as well be possible that the future will expose Governor
Ed as just another man with "feet of clay" and the
clout of government leadership and the moral sword of priestly
righteousness might not be enough to overturn the entrenched
tentacles of criminality, patronage politics of opportunism
and warlordism in Pampanga.
But
for now, the victory in Pampanga has a message to the whole
country that should also resonate in our very souls: that
whenever we are intimidated that we do not have any choice,
let us remember that there is a reservoir of courage found
in every man's heart wherever he may be.
Just
pray hard and discern what to do and unleash this virtue inherent
in every man of good will and unleash it in order to make
ourselves as powerful agents of change.
Now
we know, anything is possible, as we doff our hats to the
brave men and women of the republic of Pampanga! And our prayers
for Governor "Father" Panlilio!
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