CLARK FREEPORT – So what was former Pampanga Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio doing at the presidential table in Wednesday’s Regional Peace and Order Council meeting at the Oxford Hotel here?
“I am one of those who believe in the leadership of Among Ed,” came the reply of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas who asked Panlilio to join him at the place of honor, a seat away from him.
Roxas is LP president on-leave while Panlilio is official LP candidate for governor of Pampanga in 2013.
“If this is not early campaigning by Roxas, we don’t know what it is,” said a couple of Pampanga mayors who requested they not be identified “else suffer the full measure of vindictiveness of the Aquino regime.”
They added though that it would take more than Roxas, “even more than President Aquino and the whole LP” to make Panlilio “win even only half of Nanay’s votes in 2013.”
“An in-your-face insult on Gov. (Lilia) Pineda,” said veteran radio broadcaster Diosdado Pangilinan, who was at the RPOC meeting to cover the event.
“Among [Ed] has no personality whatsoever to be at that event in the first place. What was he doing there?” asked Pangilinan. “Binastos niya ang mga gobernador nang paupuin nya si Among sa presidential table, habang ang mga elected governors natin ay nakaupo lamang kasama ang audience.”
Pineda was seated with Governors Victor Yap of Tarlac and Aurelio Umali of Nueva Ecija along with other local officials and police officers facing the table where Roxas, Panlilio and DILG regional director Florida Dijan were seated.
“As if the mere presence of Panlilio were not enough to humiliate Gov. Pineda, Roxas reproached the police for the alleged “prevalence of jueteng” in the province,” said Pangilinan.
“This, right after the governor reported on the close coordination of the police and local governments that brought down the number of crimes in Pampanga.”
Roxas told police and local officials: “My ‘mystery shoppers,’ who are civilians, placed bets on jueteng and I have the pieces of paper to show that jueteng is still being played here.”
When Senior Supt. R’Win Pagkalinawan, Pampanga police director, denied reports that jueteng continued to be played in the province, Roxas snapped: “I’m giving you a chance to review your data.”
“I’m giving you one month (to eradicate jueteng),” Roxas reportedly told Pagkalinawan. “Kapag bumalik ako at meron pa, mas paniniwalaan ko ang mystery shopper ko.”
To Chief Supt. Edgardo Ladao, Central Luzon police director, who tried to make a distinction between the government-sanctioned small town lottery (STL) and jueteng, Roxas cut him short with: “It is not for you to say what is legal or not.”
“As Roxas’ mystery shopper reportedly placed his alleged jueteng bet in the City of San Fernando, he should have addressed his agitated ripostes to Mayor Oscar Rodriguez,” said Pangilinan.
“But then, he would not do that as Rodriguez is LP standard bearer in the city and the third district and everybody in the LP is as righteous as their president.”
Pangilinan said Roxas lacks respect to the elected officials of the region, while he himself was merely appointed to the position after former DILG secretary Jesse Robredo passed away.
“Ang ganitong klaseng tao na walang respeto ay hindi dapat binoboto. Paano pa kaya kung maging presidente pa siya?,” Pangilinan said.
