I have one question for my friend and colleague over at Filipino Voices. Cocoy wrote an entry entitled " The President Priest" which he asked Pampanga governor Ed Panlilio to go run for the presidency. He says Panlilio's "gift of discernment" could be used to solve the nation's problems. He also says that Panlilio could provide the "rallying point" for "deep thinkers and strategists" to come together and solve the people's problems. Sure.
Cocoy, if Panlilio can't even unite the fragmented political groups in Pampanga, asa pa tayo that he can do such a thing as president. Okey, so how would he lead a peace negotiation, by prayer? Would Panlilio be expected to pray over the peace negotiators from the MILF? How would Panlilio act before the atheistic members of the CPP-NPA-NDF? Would Panlilio lead them all to a prayer session before resuming peace talks?
How would Panlilio approach the Reproductive Health bill? Would he sign it? How about an abortion law? Would he sign it? Or, how about when Congress passes a law that bans prayers in Catholic schools, would Panlilio sign it?
How would he then talk with the leaders of the Iglesia Ni Kristo? Or Eli Soriano of the Dating Daan? How would he feel about the Hindus and the Buddhists living in this country? What if a Catholic institution or a Catholic corporation encounter graft charges? What then would be the position of Panlilio?
If, say, terrorists again bomb Mindanao and kidnap members of the civilian populace there and the only measure is a military strike which, obviously, would mean killing scores of people, what then? How would Panlilio decide on this? Will he wage war against the enemies of the state? Or, will he just ask everybody to just pray that we tide these things over?
Let's admit it---Panlilio's win as governor of Pampanga is, at best, an aberration. The reason is quite simple---at that time, the people faced both the devil and Beelshebub. A known big-time jueteng lord wants to be governor while a political scion of a discredited name also wants to continue his graft-filled governance. Faced with no better option, the people voted for Panlilio.
IN 2010, the people will be faced by so many options, better than Panlilio. Let me ask the handlers of Panlilio---are you friends or two-faced enemies of the governor? Why are you pushing him out of Pampanga politics where he's actually the best bet of the people there? You're pushing Panlilio to hell. Why, because you're disappointed of his performance and you want a sequel of the Macapagal-Lapid-Pineda triumvirate?
If Panlilio and his supporters really want to help the country, ask him to run again as governor. That way, he'll be able to destroy this triumvirate and continue on the reforms he already started in Pampanga.
Manong Ed---your mission is thwart the plans of the evil triumvirate of Macapagal-Lapid-Pineda. Do it. Run again as governor. Don't go for the presidency. Or maybe you're decision was made out of fear. You're afraid that the people might not vote for you anymore? Prove that your governance in that province is no fluke.
Well, I'd still vote for him.Simply beacuse he is not corrupt!!! Corruption is one of the main reason kung bakit mahirap ang bansa natin!!
ReplyDeleteokey. that's good. if we need just a guy who is not corrupt, then, why not Eddie Ilarde? Or Mr. Perlas of civil society? He's clean.
ReplyDeleteGovernance is not just attending to solving the corruption problem. It is more than that. Prove to me that Panlilio has the skills other than graft busting and I'll agree with you.
But, thanks anyway. I appreciate your views.
Mr.Mangubat, you may not mean it but all these you asked are "trick" questions. What you inadvertently did was to pose scenarios you expected "your stereotype" of a Catholic priest would be unnerved to face. But Among Ed is not your stereotypical priest. In fact, he has done a very atypical act that has already costed him his priestly privileges which is the act of running for public office the non-trapo way. On the contrary, for every question you asked, I can already imagine where each of the other presidentiables would typically base his decision which is simply how he can best return all the political favors he owe interest groups backing him.
ReplyDeletehi geoff,
ReplyDeletethat's precisely why I am very concerned about Manong Ed running for the presidency. The system has been so corrupted and so damaged that it would take not just one Manong Ed but hundreds, probably even thousands of Manong Eds to cure the sickness of our country.
What I'm really trying to say is this---Manong Ed's role is to be our inspiring leader, to be the heir apparent to the throne vacated by Cardinal Sin. That for me, is better for him to do rather than be president. He could both serve God and man by doing that.
Let Manong Ed be our moral guide, not the one who'll probably guide us to more uncertainty.
I don't understand how you see a thousand Manong (sic) Ed curing the sickness of this country when you cannot even trust just one of them to take a shot at the presidency. Mr. Mangubat, Among Ed is no Cardinal Sin (with all due respect to the late prelate.) The Cardinal did not run for president. And if he did, surely you would just attack him the same way you are now belittling Gov. Panlilio's credentials & that of his provincemates' (in one posting you referred to Pampanga as a "backward province.") Have a little "faith" in people who do, Sir :)
ReplyDeleteHi dan,
ReplyDeleteHonestly kapatid, I do have faith. That's the very purpose why I write under the name Patricio Mangubat because I believe that the potential of having a thousand Patricios is quite high. And the CyberPatriots society is proof positive that thousands even millions of Filipinos would rise up to repair their country.
However, leadership and governance are two different concepts kapatid. Ed wants to be our president, our leader. If he intends to be our foremost leader, he obviously has to have the right credentials. And part of our "assessment" so to speak, of his qualifications is his track record of service. Hindi naman natin dapat siya tignan bilang pari ngayon, since he intends to run as president--tignan natin siya tulad ng pagtingin natin sa ibang kandidato.
For example, binabatan ng ilan sa atin si Noli dahil sa kawalan ng academic credentials. Binabatan natin si Villar dahil sa kawalang kahiyaan, samantalang si Mar naman, binabanatan dahil trapo daw. Pero, ultimately, titignan natin eh kung me nagawa ba talaga sila sa bayan para sa pag-unlad.
Manong Ed will definitely undergo the same process, that of assessing his public service skills. HIndi lang dahil pari siya at mas malinis siya sa karamihan eh, okey na siyang maging pangulo.
By the way, what i meant is the onus of repairing our damaged democratic institutions lies on all of us, not just in one person.
I expect sana Manong Ed to lead these people towards true and genuine change.
On Manong Ed's performance as a governor of Pampanga, yes, I stand by what I wrote---Pampanga remains a "backward" province despite its enormous potentials. Why? Because the governance model is simply ineffective. Had Manong Ed concentrated on improving or enhancing that model, mas maganda sana.
Mr. Mangubat, I regret realizing too late what kind of a blogger you are. You namedrop, you pontificate and you unapologetically namecall people be them individuals or an entire province. And I am evidently not alone in this opinion judging by the comments incited by your (as you defend it) "as subjective as they can get" views (not to mention you are lazy to research on your facts as in the case of Vilma having an MA from UP.)
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't have stopped short of saying your opinions are bigoted--they truly are. Cross-checking on other blogs keep churning one after another of your past blunders (readers: just google "Pat Mangubat.")
But unlike you who won't even give Fr.Ed & other religious candidates the benefit of the doubt, I trust that your intentions are still pure (be them eccentric and callously stated.) Your passion and need for attention would still be put to better use someday after you're done failing as a political commentator.
I must admit that I am pissed because just when I thought I have found another good political blog to recommend to my friends (sans the grammars & plagiarisms), I realize there is more to why the blogger has to hide behind a pseudonym.
This is a blog that hopes to make "a thousand more Patricios"? The conceit! Well, you've just momentarily turned me into one and I say to you: Your turn to GET REAL--whoever the self-righteous, coward and lousy writer that you are (and tragically not too many would even take the trouble to tell you like it is.)
well, that's your opinion and I'm entitled to mine. And you need not resort to ad hominem attacks. Just simply answer my questions.
ReplyDelete1. What is the platform of Manong Ed? UNtil now, wala pa siyang binibigay o sinasabi.
2. What is the stand of Manong Ed on the Reproductive Health bill? Up to now, wala pa siyang sinasabi.
3. What is the stand of Manong Ed on the peace process? UNtil now, wala pa siyang sinasabi.
4. What is the stand of Manong Ed when it comes to graft and corruption if committed by Catholic institutions? Wala pa siyang sinasabi.
And you, just because hindi mo masagot ang mga tanong ko, resort to ad hominem attacks.
All I'm saying here is this---Pampaguenos need Manong Ed more than non-Pampaguenos. Hindi pa nga siya tumatagal as governor, patatakbuhin niyo na yung tao sa president? Ayusin niya muna ang Pampanga bago mangarap ng mas mataas na posisyon. Mas kailangan siya ng mga tao dun.
to all supporters of ed panlilio---mas makabubuti if tignan ninyo mabuti ang mga komento ng maraming tao tungkol ke manong ed. isipin ninyo, even Bishop Bacani and Archbishops Oscar Cruz said they'll not vote for him. What are they saying?
ReplyDeleteThey're discouraging Manong Ed to run because kailangan pa siya ng mga taga Pampanga. Kayo, sinasabi ninyong kaibigan kayo ni Manong Ed samantalang itinutulak ninyo siya sa pagkatalo. Wag naman. O baka naman, umaasa kayong kayo ang magpapatakbo sa bansa sa sandaling manalo siya?
Sabi nga eh, ang totoong kaibigan, hindi ka itutulak sa kapahamakan.