CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio has not yet made up his mind on this next political plan. But this early, civic and business leaders in the province have started a search for his successor in a bid to prevent a possible vacuum in public governance reforms in the event he returns to the priesthood or runs for a national position.
Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, a staunch ally of Panlilio, confirmed this on Monday. The search, according to him, is currently informal and done individually.
He said he was privy to those efforts because numerous sectoral leaders have approached him to either seek his views on the local political situation or urge him to run as governor.
The search came as the names of Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo and Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda are floated as possible gubernatorial candidates.
“In their appraisal, and which I agreed with, there will really be a vacuum left if Among Ed (Panlilio) goes. By their reckoning, I can fill it up,” Rodriguez said.
“It will be a tall order for whoever will take over after Among Ed. He’s put in a lot of reforms. He increased quarry collections. There is no SOP (grease money to public officials in exchange for bagging public projects). His moral suasion is not lost. He’s a well-meaning, well-intentioned and still a principled man,” the mayor added.
Rodriguez said he has not yet made up his mind about a gubernatorial plan, preferring to get a third and last term as mayor through the May 2010 elections.
“Only the general interest will compel me to move. I told them, I’m not totally closed to the idea of running for governor,” he said.
Among local elective officials, it is only Rodriguez who has worked in the judiciary, completed four stints in Congress, served as provincial administrator and two terms as city mayor. He was chair of the justice committee that endorsed the impeachment complaint against former President Joseph Estrada, later serving as one of the prosecutors.
Panlilio said the search for his successor is a “natural thing that will happen since I’ve given the signal that I will go back to the priesthood or run for a national position.”
“I want to be part of [the search]. I cannot just leave Pampanga this way out of conscience and concern. I did a leap of faith in 2007 and it cost me my priesthood,” he added.
Panlilio urged Kapampangans to participate in the search and help campaign for the best candidate.
“I cannot or those at the capitol do the reforms alone. Civil society got bogged down by side issues. Some church leaders and the Kapampangan Coalition Inc. are quiet about jueteng for instance,” he said.
Fr. Resty Lumanlan, president of KCI, said his group has not started an official public search for Panlilio’s heir. “There are individual efforts and in my case I did proclaim it should be Oca [Rodriguez],” he said.
Businesswoman Lolita Hizon, a supporter-turned-critic of Panlilio, could not be sought for comments. She is on an Asia tour. Renato Romero, president of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon, did not reply when sought for updates.
Former Bulacan Rep. Willie Villarama, Hizon’s ally, doubted it if there is any civil society group that is interested in fielding a candidate again for 2010 to replace Panlilio.
“After our sad experience with [Panlilio], the so-called civil society probably will not be as active anymore,” he said.
“I for one will just stick to our Buhay party list. I predict the traditional political groups will fight each other if they fail to unite. The 2007 gubernatorial contest will just be part of Pampanga’s shining moment where you and I gave our best shot to make a difference. We won but unfortunately we did not know how to handle victory,” Villarama said.
Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, a staunch ally of Panlilio, confirmed this on Monday. The search, according to him, is currently informal and done individually.
He said he was privy to those efforts because numerous sectoral leaders have approached him to either seek his views on the local political situation or urge him to run as governor.
The search came as the names of Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo and Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda are floated as possible gubernatorial candidates.
“In their appraisal, and which I agreed with, there will really be a vacuum left if Among Ed (Panlilio) goes. By their reckoning, I can fill it up,” Rodriguez said.
“It will be a tall order for whoever will take over after Among Ed. He’s put in a lot of reforms. He increased quarry collections. There is no SOP (grease money to public officials in exchange for bagging public projects). His moral suasion is not lost. He’s a well-meaning, well-intentioned and still a principled man,” the mayor added.
Rodriguez said he has not yet made up his mind about a gubernatorial plan, preferring to get a third and last term as mayor through the May 2010 elections.
“Only the general interest will compel me to move. I told them, I’m not totally closed to the idea of running for governor,” he said.
Among local elective officials, it is only Rodriguez who has worked in the judiciary, completed four stints in Congress, served as provincial administrator and two terms as city mayor. He was chair of the justice committee that endorsed the impeachment complaint against former President Joseph Estrada, later serving as one of the prosecutors.
Panlilio said the search for his successor is a “natural thing that will happen since I’ve given the signal that I will go back to the priesthood or run for a national position.”
“I want to be part of [the search]. I cannot just leave Pampanga this way out of conscience and concern. I did a leap of faith in 2007 and it cost me my priesthood,” he added.
Panlilio urged Kapampangans to participate in the search and help campaign for the best candidate.
“I cannot or those at the capitol do the reforms alone. Civil society got bogged down by side issues. Some church leaders and the Kapampangan Coalition Inc. are quiet about jueteng for instance,” he said.
Fr. Resty Lumanlan, president of KCI, said his group has not started an official public search for Panlilio’s heir. “There are individual efforts and in my case I did proclaim it should be Oca [Rodriguez],” he said.
Businesswoman Lolita Hizon, a supporter-turned-critic of Panlilio, could not be sought for comments. She is on an Asia tour. Renato Romero, president of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon, did not reply when sought for updates.
Former Bulacan Rep. Willie Villarama, Hizon’s ally, doubted it if there is any civil society group that is interested in fielding a candidate again for 2010 to replace Panlilio.
“After our sad experience with [Panlilio], the so-called civil society probably will not be as active anymore,” he said.
“I for one will just stick to our Buhay party list. I predict the traditional political groups will fight each other if they fail to unite. The 2007 gubernatorial contest will just be part of Pampanga’s shining moment where you and I gave our best shot to make a difference. We won but unfortunately we did not know how to handle victory,” Villarama said.
