CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Gov. Eddie Panlilio has officially asked his religious superior Archbishop Paciano Aniceto to grant him dispensation from priesthood after he opted to seek reelection as governor in next year’s May polls.
Panlilio, now the official candidate of the Liberal Party (LP), filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) at about 9:15 p.m. on the deadline for filing last Tuesday at the provincial Commission on Elections (Comelec) here.
Asked by Punto Central Luzon why he filed his candidacy in the “last minute”, Panlilio said he was hoping that other persons would still accept the offer to run for governor.
He said that among those he had invited were San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez who opted to seek reelection, and Dr. Rey Espiritu of the local Couples for Christ Movement who said he was not cut out for politics.
Panlilio said he submitted to Aniceto last Tuesday a letter seeking dispensation from priesthood. This, he said, would mean more or less permanent disqualification from his priestly powers.
Earlier, Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Virgilio Pablo David said that the Vatican had already granted archdiocesan tribunals the power to grant dispensation to priests. The local tribunal, he said, is composed of Aniceto and two other members from the clergy.
“I will remain a priest because my ordination was divinely instituted, but then I will be deprived of my priestly powers, including the power to administer sacraments. If I opt to get married later, I could not even get married in church, although it can be done in civil courts,” he said.
Panlilio said, however, that the permanence of such dispensation remains “debatable”, as he cited the case of another Filipino priest who was reportedly granted dispensation but was later allowed anew to fully exercise priestly powers.
Local political observers have described the looming gubernatorial race scenario in this province as “déjà vu” as Panlilio will again run against former provincial board member Lilia Pineda.
In 2007, Panlilio, then the parish priest of Betis in Guagua, Pampanga, was temporarily suspended from priesthood after he accepted the plea of civil society groups to serve as a “third alternative” to “two evils” in the gubernatorial race. Pineda, who was candidate of the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) party, was associated with the illegal numbers game “jueteng”, and then reelectionist Gov. Mark Lapid, who was bet of the Lakas-CMD, was implicated in anomalies in lahar quarry sand operations.
Panlilio, who ran as independent, won by 1,147 votes against Pineda. Pineda’s electoral protest, which led to a recount of votes for governor, is expected to be decided upon anytime by the Comelec’s second division led by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer.
Pineda has declined to comment on the case, but said her candidacy for next year’s elections was intended to unite the entire Pampanga under her auspices to enable the province to fully develop. She said that Panlilio has alienated many local leaders by putting his trust only in his provincial administrator Vivian Dabu.
Mark’s father, Sen. Lito Lapid, earlier announced he too would run for governor, but he later filed his candidacy for senatorial reelection. His chief of staff Filmer Abrajano said Lapid’s change of mind was to give way to the request of Pres. Arroyo, a known ally and friend of Pineda.
Panlilio also announced that his vice gubernatorial running mate would be Marco Lazatin, a member of a wealthy clan in San Fernando and a known religious lay leader.
He downplayed criticisms that many of his supporters had left his camp amid conflicts with his provincial administrator, as he noted that unlike in 2007, he now has a political party with candidate at other levels of the local government.
Pineda, who is the official candidate of the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD, has Vice Gov. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao for vice governor. Guiao also earlier announced he would run for governor, but made known his readiness to give way to Pineda anytime.
Panlilio, now the official candidate of the Liberal Party (LP), filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) at about 9:15 p.m. on the deadline for filing last Tuesday at the provincial Commission on Elections (Comelec) here.
Asked by Punto Central Luzon why he filed his candidacy in the “last minute”, Panlilio said he was hoping that other persons would still accept the offer to run for governor.
He said that among those he had invited were San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez who opted to seek reelection, and Dr. Rey Espiritu of the local Couples for Christ Movement who said he was not cut out for politics.
Panlilio said he submitted to Aniceto last Tuesday a letter seeking dispensation from priesthood. This, he said, would mean more or less permanent disqualification from his priestly powers.
Earlier, Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Virgilio Pablo David said that the Vatican had already granted archdiocesan tribunals the power to grant dispensation to priests. The local tribunal, he said, is composed of Aniceto and two other members from the clergy.
“I will remain a priest because my ordination was divinely instituted, but then I will be deprived of my priestly powers, including the power to administer sacraments. If I opt to get married later, I could not even get married in church, although it can be done in civil courts,” he said.
Panlilio said, however, that the permanence of such dispensation remains “debatable”, as he cited the case of another Filipino priest who was reportedly granted dispensation but was later allowed anew to fully exercise priestly powers.
Local political observers have described the looming gubernatorial race scenario in this province as “déjà vu” as Panlilio will again run against former provincial board member Lilia Pineda.
In 2007, Panlilio, then the parish priest of Betis in Guagua, Pampanga, was temporarily suspended from priesthood after he accepted the plea of civil society groups to serve as a “third alternative” to “two evils” in the gubernatorial race. Pineda, who was candidate of the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) party, was associated with the illegal numbers game “jueteng”, and then reelectionist Gov. Mark Lapid, who was bet of the Lakas-CMD, was implicated in anomalies in lahar quarry sand operations.
Panlilio, who ran as independent, won by 1,147 votes against Pineda. Pineda’s electoral protest, which led to a recount of votes for governor, is expected to be decided upon anytime by the Comelec’s second division led by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer.
Pineda has declined to comment on the case, but said her candidacy for next year’s elections was intended to unite the entire Pampanga under her auspices to enable the province to fully develop. She said that Panlilio has alienated many local leaders by putting his trust only in his provincial administrator Vivian Dabu.
Mark’s father, Sen. Lito Lapid, earlier announced he too would run for governor, but he later filed his candidacy for senatorial reelection. His chief of staff Filmer Abrajano said Lapid’s change of mind was to give way to the request of Pres. Arroyo, a known ally and friend of Pineda.
Panlilio also announced that his vice gubernatorial running mate would be Marco Lazatin, a member of a wealthy clan in San Fernando and a known religious lay leader.
He downplayed criticisms that many of his supporters had left his camp amid conflicts with his provincial administrator, as he noted that unlike in 2007, he now has a political party with candidate at other levels of the local government.
Pineda, who is the official candidate of the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD, has Vice Gov. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao for vice governor. Guiao also earlier announced he would run for governor, but made known his readiness to give way to Pineda anytime.
