Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Limlingan: The sword and the purse By DP Limlingan The Advocate
LIKE the green grass that refuses to wither during the rainy season, the issues surrounding the "father" and the "dads" of the Provincial Capitol simply would want to be put to a halt.
Cut the leaves of the grass and, in a moment or more, it will regenerate new foliage. We don't want to fan the flames of the apparent friction between the executive's appointees and our local legislators particularly our board members. But the issues won't stop.
Last week, another one was dragged into the limelight when Provincial Human Resources Management Officer Jesusa Goseco issued a document certifying that Lawyer Vivian Dabu and Lawyer Maria Elissa Velez were deemed confirmed as the provincial administrator and the provincial legal officer, respectively.
According to Goseco, she had done it on her own volition and not on the request of anyone who might be of concern. She grabbed the headline when the last week's issue of Sun.Star Pampanga showed Provincial Board (PB) Members Tars Halili and Nilo Caballa interviewing her on what seems to be an inquiry.
What's next?
Kapampangans, aside from regularly watching telenovelas, are closely watching what is going on under the roof of the provincial seat of government.
Another spark that might develop into a glowing ember is the non-recognition of our PB members to the two lawyer-appointees of Governor Ed Panlilio. Sources said that the PB is bent on taking a bold step of putting in black and white the denial of recognition of the confirmation of the appointments of Dabu and Velez. What aggravates the sour-turned-bitter relationship of the members of the local legislature and the two appointees is the act of the latter that some people say undermines or belittles the power of the PB. Collectively, PB members can spell a difference in the governance of Governor Ed.
The Provincial Executive might have the sword but not the purse. The sword, no matter how sharp and pointed it is for the sake of cutting the province's weeds of stagnancy in terms growth and development, is useless. The purse--less the sword--no matter how full it is with public finances, is likewise inutile.
Speaking of the purse and in a separate development, the leadership of Governor Ed scored well when in only about a month after assuming office, collections from quarry operations soared to a high P 29.4 million. He deserves a pat of recognition on his back for he has laid the foundation of disparity between the quarry collections then and the collections now, under his tutelage. His priorities from these funds are the public hospitals that are seemed to be "unhealthy" and will perhaps with their dilapidated state, provide more sickness rather than cure.
Given a chance for the purse to be filled up, we do hope that the sword will be put to good use for the general welfare. That is the essence of good governance as envisioned by the camp of Governor Ed when he metamorphosed from being a priest to being a candidate in the recent democratic electoral exercise and now the elected head of the province.
Before I end my column, a Regional Convention of the Liga ng mga Barangay would be held today, August 29 until 31 at the Clark Freeport. It will be the farewell for the last termers, a learning experience however for those who will regain their reelection bid this October, or maybe is just an avenue for the barangay national leadership to announce the postponement of the barangay elections? Speculations are becoming ripe that barangay leaders will enjoy another year of extension.
