CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Candaba Mayor Gerry Pelayo remains convinced Pres. Arroyo just wants to spend more of her remaining presidential months being with her loyal “kabalens” and helping them. But for Gov. Eddie Panlilio, her continuing visits to this province’s second district remains part of various ploys mapped out to perpetuate herself in power.
Amid conflicting views interpreting her unusual number of visits to her political district in Pampanga, the President is again expected today in Sta. Rita town, her 21st sortie to the second district this year.
“No one knows her political plans, but I personally do not think she will run for Congress next year,” said Pelayo who is also spokesperson of the Pampanga Mayors’ League (PML) and the provincial Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi).
“Critics of her visits should see her sincerely enjoy mixing with her ‘kabalens’, talking to them and solving their problems in their towns. She just wants to spend more of her remaining time as president to be with people in her province,” Pelayo said in a telephone interview.
The regional office of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) initially reported last Monday that the presidential visit was supposed to cover Sta. Rita, Porac and Floridablanca, all within the second district. Changes made yesterday, however, limited the visit to only Sta. Rita whose mayor Yolanda Pineda is the wife of Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda, son of provincial member Lilia Pineda whose electoral protest against Gov. Eddie Panlilio has led to a recount of votes now going on in the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The PIA said that the President will first visit Baler in Aurora province before proceeding to Barangay San Basilio in Sta. Rita. No details on the visit were immediately available.
“For one thing, there is no more time for Charter change (Cha-cha),” Pelayo said amid speculations that the President would seek a congressional seat in next year’s elections to pave the way for Cha-cha that could install her as prime minister.
While this view was also held by Malacañang, Speaker Prospero Nograles said he is not yet giving up on moves to amend the Constitution and that efforts to convene a constituent assembly (Conass) have yet to be tackled in a multi-party caucus of congressmen.
Panlilio, who has linked the President to the recount of votes cast for governor in the last polls, insisted that Mrs. Arroyo’s sorties to her district is part of several scenarios already mapped out to perpetuate her in power.
“The group of lawyer Harry Roque made it clear it has already prepared cases against her as soon as she steps out of power,” he said.
He said it is possible that while the Constitution will not be amended before the 2010 polls to pave the way for the President to become prime minister, amending the Charter after the elections next year could be another of the scenarios already in place for her.
But Pelayo lamented Panlilio’s “propensity to doubt even people who are within his camp.”
“There’s his former lawyer Romulo Macalintal whom he recently dismissed because Macalintal is also lawyering for the President and the first gentleman. I have known Macalintal for years and in the case he was handling for Panlilio, he was very dedicated. I think Panlilio hurt his feelings,” he said.
Pelayo also noted that several other people who had supported his gubernatorial bid in 2007 have left his camp after their integrity were also doubted by Panlilio.
Amid conflicting views interpreting her unusual number of visits to her political district in Pampanga, the President is again expected today in Sta. Rita town, her 21st sortie to the second district this year.
“No one knows her political plans, but I personally do not think she will run for Congress next year,” said Pelayo who is also spokesperson of the Pampanga Mayors’ League (PML) and the provincial Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi).
“Critics of her visits should see her sincerely enjoy mixing with her ‘kabalens’, talking to them and solving their problems in their towns. She just wants to spend more of her remaining time as president to be with people in her province,” Pelayo said in a telephone interview.
The regional office of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) initially reported last Monday that the presidential visit was supposed to cover Sta. Rita, Porac and Floridablanca, all within the second district. Changes made yesterday, however, limited the visit to only Sta. Rita whose mayor Yolanda Pineda is the wife of Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda, son of provincial member Lilia Pineda whose electoral protest against Gov. Eddie Panlilio has led to a recount of votes now going on in the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The PIA said that the President will first visit Baler in Aurora province before proceeding to Barangay San Basilio in Sta. Rita. No details on the visit were immediately available.
“For one thing, there is no more time for Charter change (Cha-cha),” Pelayo said amid speculations that the President would seek a congressional seat in next year’s elections to pave the way for Cha-cha that could install her as prime minister.
While this view was also held by Malacañang, Speaker Prospero Nograles said he is not yet giving up on moves to amend the Constitution and that efforts to convene a constituent assembly (Conass) have yet to be tackled in a multi-party caucus of congressmen.
Panlilio, who has linked the President to the recount of votes cast for governor in the last polls, insisted that Mrs. Arroyo’s sorties to her district is part of several scenarios already mapped out to perpetuate her in power.
“The group of lawyer Harry Roque made it clear it has already prepared cases against her as soon as she steps out of power,” he said.
He said it is possible that while the Constitution will not be amended before the 2010 polls to pave the way for the President to become prime minister, amending the Charter after the elections next year could be another of the scenarios already in place for her.
But Pelayo lamented Panlilio’s “propensity to doubt even people who are within his camp.”
“There’s his former lawyer Romulo Macalintal whom he recently dismissed because Macalintal is also lawyering for the President and the first gentleman. I have known Macalintal for years and in the case he was handling for Panlilio, he was very dedicated. I think Panlilio hurt his feelings,” he said.
Pelayo also noted that several other people who had supported his gubernatorial bid in 2007 have left his camp after their integrity were also doubted by Panlilio.
