Former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan may not speak Kapampangan fully—that much he admitted during a campaign rally in Angeles City, Pampanga on Wednesday, April 23–but what he lacks in language, he more than makes up in his love for his father’s hometown, the Kapampangan cuisine, and the Kapampangan pride and posture.
While he’s not backed by a big political machinery in this campaign season, the former senator said he relies on the Kapampangan votes, which thrice sent him to the Senate and in 2007, made him the province’s top senator. “Dito sa Pampanga, tatlong beses na po akong nananalo bilang senador.
Dacal a salamat pu sa inyong naging tiwala. Tatlong beses ko ring sinuklian ang inyong tiwala ng tapat at totoong serbisyo,” he said.
“Lahat ng 19 na bayan dito sa Pampanga at ang tatlong syudad, tiniyak ko sa aking panunungkulan nabigyan natin lahat ng proyekto. Dapat sa pamamagitan ng tapat at totoong panunungkulan. Hindi ako naging pabaya sa ating calugurang cabalen. Bagamat mahigit 20 years na ako sa national politics, ni minsan, wala kayong narinig na ako ay nasangkot sa anumang kasong anomalya,” he added.
His father, Donato “Donny” Pangilinan Jr., hailed from Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, about an hour ride from where the former senator held a concert for his supporters and volunteers at the Tiangge Park in Angeles City.
A civil engineer by profession, the former senator remembered his “tatang” as someone who embodied the Kapampangan values—family-oriented, sociable, understanding, compassionate, dominant, strict, and affectionate.
He was also handsome, Pangilinan said, and always had his suit or vest on, no matter the occasion.
But the elder Pangilinan is one more thing, the former senator recalled—he was a problem solver. And if he was alive, he would have turned internet trolls into his supporters.
“Sigurado ako, kung nandito ang aking tatang, hindi niya aawayin itong mga basher. Iintindihin niya. I-fe-friend pa siguro niya. Iko-convert para maging botante natin,” he said.
Being a problem-solver, he believes, is something his father has passed on to him because even amid the political attacks, disinformation, trolling, and bashing, he is confident he can help address the country’s most pressing problem of food security.
In fact, so proud is he of his Kapampangan roots that his inability to say no to buro (fermented rice with seafood) and mustasa (mustard greens) brought social media trolling at its worst.
“Kaya siguro medyo nasaktan ako nung nagkaroon nung mga basher tungkol sa aking pagiging capampangan. Nasaktan kahit di pa nga ako nakakapagsalita ng diretsong capampangan, proud pa rin ako sa aking tatay. Proud pa rin ako sa pagiging capampangan,” he said.
His mother, Pangilinan said, was Tagalog, which was the reason he never learned to be fluent in Kapampangan and instead, only learned to understand it.
“Pero habang halos ala sa pagsasalita, nasa panlasa naman ang pagiging cabalen,” he added, sharing that even wife Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan is a Kapampangan on her mother side, having come from the Gamboas, Dizons, and Mercados of Sta. Ana town.
He even vividly remembers the time his father brought all nine Pangilinan brood to Pampanga to eat at Everybody’s along MacArthur Highway.
“At dyan din kami ‘pag tuwing mahal na araw, sa MacArthur highway ‘yung Everybody’s pag pumasok ka ngayon doon parang 1950s pa. Pero manyaman pa rin ang pagkain. Paborito namin: pritong hito, buro, batute, kamaru, morcon,” he recalled.
Now, with only 18 days before Election Day, Pangilinan hopes his cabalens can rally behind him and bring him back to the Senate.
“Pampanga, ngeni inyong anak. Hinihingi ang inyong tulong. Sopan nyo kami. Ibalik ninyo ang anak ng Pampanga sa Senado,” he asked.
