• “Sana respetuhin ng mga kalaban sa pulitika ni Gov. Panlilio na ibinoto siya ng mga Kapampangan.  Huwag silang atat na maging gubernador, patapusin muna nila ang termino ni Among Ed”.  – Keh

Provincial Capitol, Pampanga – Humarap ang ilan sa miembro ng grupong Kaya Natin! sa media at nagpahayag ng suporta kay Gov. Eddie Panlilio nitong nakaraang araw sa Executive House dito sa Kapitolyo.

          Binigyang linaw nina Harvey Keh ng Ateneo School of Government at ni Mayor Sonia Lorenzo ng San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, kapwa miembro ng Kaya Natin! na ang pagpunta nila sa Pampanga ay hindi upang makialam kundi para suportahan si Gov. Panlilio at ang mga Kapampangan.

          “We cross barriers when it comes to good governance”, paliwanag ni Lorenzo.  “Kaming mga local executives ay nagtutulungan at nagbibigay ng suporta sa bawat isa”.  Binigyang diin nina Keh at Lorenzo, na kasama nina Gov. Grace Padaca ng Isabela, Gov. Teddy Baguilat ng Ifugao, at Mayor Jesse Robredo ng Naga City, susuportahan nila si Gov. Panlilio dahil nakikita nila itong huli na simbolo ng malinis na pamamahala.

          Pinaninindigan ng Kaya Natin! na ang recall petition laban kay Gov. Panlilio ay isinusulong lamang ng kanyang mga kalaban sa pulitika.  “Simple ang dahilan – sapagkat una, nasagasaan ni Gov. Panlilio ang mga medyo may nakukuha noon sa quarry at pangalawa, dahil nililinis ni Among Ed ang imahen ng Pampanga na jueteng vatican ng Pilipinas”, pahayag ni Keh.

          Sa kanyang pagpapatuloy, sinabi ni Keh na noong nakaraang May 2007 election ay hinangaan ng buong bansa ang mga Kapampangan dahil pinatunayan nila na buhay na buhay ang good governance sa Pampanga.  Ani Keh, “sa kagustuhan ninyong magkaroon ng matinong pamamahala ay inihalal ninyo ang isang kandidatong walang makinarya sa pulitika at walang pera”.  “Sana ay huwag po ninyong kakalimutan yon”, hamon ni Keh sa mga Kapampangan.

          Buong tiwala namang inihayag ni Among Ed na hindi siya naniniwalang matutuloy ang recall election.  “Kung matutuloy man, sabi ng gubernador, mananalo ako sapagkat higit na mas matalino ang mga bumoboto ngayon”.

          Dumalo at nagbigay din ng suporta kay Gov. Panlilio ang ilang miembro ng civil society tulad ng KASAUP na kinabibilangan ng mga municipal coordinators, at ilang kawani ng Kapitolyo tulad ng department heads at mga miembro ng BALAS na hindi naka-duty.

          Ang Kaya Natin! ay isang grupo na nagtataguyod ng good governance at ethical leadership.  Naniniwala ang mga miembro nito na para umangat ang Pilipinas, kailangan nito ng mga magagaling na lider na kakatawan sa tamang pagseserbisyo at malinis na pamamahala.  Itinataguyod ng Kaya Natin! sa pamamagitan ng pagbisita nina Gov. Panlilio, Gov. Padaca, Gov. Baguilat, Mayor Robredo, at Mayor Lorenzo sa mga iba’t ibang organisasyon at eskwelahan na malaki pa ang pag-asa ng ating bayan upang magkaroon ng mga modelong lingkod bayan. /PIO

• Leave a comment... (1)

Siyudad ng San Fernando- Inilunsad kamakailan ni Gob. Eddie T. Panlilio sa mga miyembro ng Kasaup, isang civil society group, ang Adopt-A-Scholar.  Ito ay naglalayon na maipagpatuloy ang pag-aaral ng mga iskolar ng probinsya na labis na nahihirapang mabayaran ang kanilang tuition fees dahil sa kawalan ng pondo.

Matatandaan na ipinagpatuloy ni Gob. Panlilio ang scholarship program ng nakaraang administrasyon na kung saan nagmungkahi siya ng pondong Php 30 milyon sa taong ito para mabigyan ng educational assistance ang mahigit 2,900 scholars. May tatlong klase ang mga iskolars. Ito ay ang mga nagtapos na valedictorian sa pampublikong paaralan na tatanggap ng Php 10,000 sa isang semestre; mga pangulo ng Provincial Youth Association (PYA) na tatanggap ng Php 7,000; at ang iba ay tatanggap ng Php 5,000 kada semestre.

Ang scholarship program ay isa sa mga nakalagay sa 2008 Annual Budget na isinumite noong Oktubre 16, 2007 na hindi pa pinopondohan ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).  Ito ay muling inihaing pondohan sa supplemental budget na isinumite ni Gob. Panlilio sa SP noong Abril 21, 2008.  Sa ngayon, ang pondo para sa scholarshiop program ay nakabinbin pa sa SP.

Sa “adopt-a-scholar”, ang bawat mamamayan ay hinihikayat na magtabi at mag-impok ng kanyang makakayanang halaga. Ang ilan naman na may kaya ay hinihimok na mag-adopt ng isang iskolar.  Ang nalikom na pondo ay ilalagay sa isang trust account na pamamahalaan ng Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).

Ang programang ito ay naaangkop sa adbokasiya ng administrasyon na “Pamisaupan, uling maulaga at paulaga ya ing tau” (Pagtutulungan, dahil mahalaga at pinahahalagahan ang tao).  Itinataas nito ang dangal ng tao sapagkat nahihikayat ang bawat isa na magbahagi o magbigay anuman ang estado sa buhay.

• Leave a comment... (1)

Siyudad ng San Fernando – Matapos ipahayag ng kapitolyo ang maaaring pansamantalang pagpapatigil ng quarry operation, nagkusang-loob na mag-alok ng tulong ang mga quarry operators upang maiwasan, kahit pansamantala lamang, ang pagpapatigil ng quarry operation dahil sa kawalan ng pondo.

Sa katunayan, simula pa noong Lunes, ika-1 ng Setyembre, ay nag-aalok na ang mga quarry operators ng kanilang donasyon magkaroon lamang ng pondong panggastos sa monitoring ang provincial government.

Ayon sa mga quarry operators, mas malaki ang magiging epekto sa kanilang kabuhayan ang kahit ilang araw na paghinto ng quarry operation sa probinsya. Matatandaang nagpahayag ng pangamba ang pangulo ng small scale quarry operators na si G. Michael Tapang, sa maaaring paglipat ng kanilang mga customers sa ibang lugar lalo na sa Tarlac na kung saan mas mura ang ibinabayad na extraction fee.

Hindi lamang ang mga quarry operators ang maaapektuhan ng napipintong pagpapatigil ng quarry operation kung hindi pati ang kanilang mga empleyado, ang mga haulers o truckers, at mga customers.  Liban dito, malaking kabawasan sa sahod ang magiging epekto nito sa mga checkers, ito man ay provincial o municipal. At ang mas lalong talo rito ay ang mga barangay at munisipyo na mawawalan ng kinikita na mula sa quarry operation.

Mayroon na ring nagpahayag sa mga miyembro ng civil society group na handa silang mag-alok ng kanilang oras upang magsilbi ng libre huwag lamang mapahinto ang quarry operation.

“Nawa sa pagpupunyagi at pagmamalasakit ng iba’t-ibang grupo, mga quarry operators, civil society group, provincial checkers at iba pang government employees ay maiiwasan na maipahinto ang quarry operation”, ani Gob. Panlilio.

• Leave a comment... (0)

City of San Fernando, Pampanga – From September 5 to 8, 2008, U.S.-based Kapampangans will give Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio an opportunity to dialogue with them regarding the present development of the partnership between the provincial government and the civil societies in pursuing the crusade for good governance and responsible citizenship, discussing as well the current issues and controversies that have been raised regarding his administration.

“We want to listen to Among Ed, and we also want him to listen to us,” said Josie Castro, a leader of the Pampanga Crusaders, USA Inc. (PamagcUSA), which sponsored the governor’s trip.  “We, too are stakeholders in the struggle for a new Pampanga,” she added.

Rev. Fr. Rodel Balagtas, Kapampangan parish priest of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, has generously offered his austere rectory to be the governor’s lodging for the duration of his stay in the U.S.

While in the U.S. the governor will also consult with potential benefactors in the matters of medical outreach programs, availability of scholarships and partnerships with community-based organizations.

After his arrival at Los Angeles, Gov. Panlilio will join his cabalens from the Club Minalin for an evening of discussion.  He expects to replicate this meeting with other municipality-based organizations later in order to discover how the expatriates can assist in the growth and development of their respective native towns.

On the next day, the governor will attend the first anniversary celebration of the PamagcUSA.  Bishop Pablo David is expected to celebrate the Eucharist with its leaders and members.  After his meeting with Los Angeles Bishop Oscar Solis, the governor will attend the Fil-Am Leadership Gathering.  His busy day will be capped with a meeting with the Pampanga Day Celebration Commission. 

September 7 is expected to be a grand day of dialogue, interaction and consultation for Gov. Panlilio with Kapampangans in California.  In the morning, he will speak before the United Pampanga League which is one of the more established organizations in the U.S.  Later, he will join the Kapampangan-American faithful at the Canonical Coronation of the Virgen De Los Remedios at the Cathedral of our Lady of Angels, also in Los Angeles.  This celebration will echo the annual coronation of the Patroness of the province, this year to be held in the City of San Fernando.  Following this religious event, he will mingle with local Kapampangans in a dinner, which is expected to be an opportunity for ordinary people to express their concerns to the Governor.

Before flying back home on September 8, he will also give a courtesy call to Consul General Mary Jo Aragon at the Philippine Consulate.

Gov. Panlilio is expected to arrive back in the Philippines on September 10, 2008. /PIO

• Leave a comment... (0)

Philippine Daily Inquirer

September 3, 2008

http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view/20080903-158311/Nakakahiya 

That most of the local officials of Pampanga province, especially the mayors and board members, are suddenly beside themselves with their non-negotiable demand for credible and clean leadership is not at all surprising. But their brazenness is still breathtaking. Simply put, their “campaign” is both shameful and shameless. In Filipino, “nakakahiya, walang hiya!”

We are referring to the petition purportedly initiated by Kapanalig at Kambilan ning Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan) for the recall of Gov. Eddie “Among Ed” Panlilio.

The petition, pushed by these same officials, is not unexpected and has partisanship written all over it. It is public knowledge that some of Panlilio’s political adversaries, from the time of his election, do not want him to finish his term. Right after his proclamation, they drove all over town waving their own version of the three R’s—recount, recall and requiem—like three swords of Damocles. Sure enough, a case for recount was filed shortly thereafter with the Commission on Elections by one of his rival candidates. (The Supreme Court forbade the recount while it deliberated on a related petition.) And the requiem? Panlilio himself has said that he has been told that a requiem (based on the Latin word for “rest,” and which in the Catholic Church’s lexicon refers to a Mass or service held especially for a deceased person) is being eyed by some of his enemies as a “last resort.”

Founded only last July, Kambilan can’t be the initiator of the recall drive; in fact, it can only be the front. This “non-profit and non-stock organization” is headed by the campaign manager of a losing candidate.

Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo’s statement that the Pampanga Mayors League will help gather the minimum 100,000 signatures needed for the recall petition gave Kambilan away: that is, it’s a skeleton that can’t come to life without the political networks of the very politicians unhappily watching Panlilio serve as Pampanga’s governor.

The recall petition is shameful and shameless because it is downright hypocritical. Pampanga today, despite being the home province of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, remains a “jueteng-free zone.” It remains, reportedly, the home base of the country’s most influential gambling lord. But Pampanga’s officials, except for Panlilio who is openly campaigning against this corrupting illegal numbers game, are not complaining. And they didn’t complain either when the province’s collection of lahar fees, prior to Panlilio’s term, was at unbelievable lows, amid talk that most of it was flowing into private pockets instead of provincial coffers. Neither did they care that the 2007 elections in Pampanga had been reduced, in the public mind, into a contest between jueteng interests and lahar money.

Disgusted and embarrassed by the prospect of having to vote “None of the Above,” conscientious Kapampangans looked for an alternative. They found a reluctant Father Panlilio who could not refuse because he had preached that the circumstances called for a strong moral stand for good governance, and they thought it was only he who had a fighting chance to win. The priest’s victory earned for the Kapampangans the nation’s admiration. It gave its people a new sense of pride, and Pampanga basked once again in a moment of glory. But most of all, it reassured all well-meaning Filipinos that there’s still hope for the country. Panlilio became the newest symbol of the Filipino people’s aspiration for a decent society.

Now that Panlilio has raised lahar collections from P2.41 million a month in 2006 to more than P17.57 million a month since June 2007, and insists on weeding out the underground lottery “jueteng,” Pampanga’s traditional politicians are scrambling to get him out. For a jumble of fuzzy reasons: loss of confidence in his leadership, gross negligence, perjury, failure to unify local officials, lack of clear directions and programs of actions, failure to deliver basic services, even non-attendance in meetings with the President. Well, the first time he went to such a meeting, he came home with a paper bag containing P500,000 and fell out of grace with Malacañang because he chose to tell the public about it.

The recall petition is not about good governance or transparency. It is about political opportunism and personal greed. At a time the Filipino nation is in desperate need of honest leaders, officials of the President’s province are doing everything to remove one. For shame.

• Leave a comment... (7)