Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Mercado: Golden Girl By Ram Mercado First Person
ALL the while I thought there is only one powerful woman in Pampanga--the Million Dollar Baby--but I am wrong.
One other power lady, the biggest financier of the Among Ed for Governor campaign, has surfaced. She is none other than the "golden girl" and aptly answers to the name Pampanga's Best.
I describe Lolita C. Hizon as the "golden girl" because she best exemplifies the Golden Rule. Whoever has gold, rules.
If the collective voice of the Provincial Board (PB) could not enforce its will on Governor Ed regarding the two Spicy Girls, the "golden girl" would have her way in all probabilities, except perhaps if the Padre would vow not to eat longganiza or tocino the rest of his life.
Should our cabalen wake up one morning to read the news of Governor Panlilio giving up the fight for his two choice appointees, give the credit to the powerful lady behind the altar, er... the throne.
The golden girl has pronounced the verdict: the Padre's appointees are not fit for the position(s) and they must sacrifice themselves for the province.
Between the golden girl and the Spicy Girls, it is not difficult to predict who the Among would choose. I can swear with the longest longganiza in town that the outcome is quite dim for the two women lawyers. Be that as it may, I rue this eventuality when it happens, as I despair the reprehensible quiet and timidity of women and gender groups for failing to come to the support of their kind.
Hizon's ober dictum on the fitness of Lawyer Vivian and Lawyer Aiza has given the Capitol gridlock a new twist, adds color to the conflict, while exposing the soft political underbelly of the new governor.
From now on, to turn the tide over a crucial issue, to compel the Governor to make a turnaround, or to soften him up on a personal commitment, one has only to convince and win the golden girl to your side to spell the difference.
Hizon's advice to the Padre carries much weight and wisdom. Pampanga's Best had been to politics herself and has practical working knowledge of governance: politics is the art of compromise.
The golden girl has been frank about the funds she put into the Among Ed campaign as she expressed disappointment over the Gov's failure to consult her on his appointees, thus putting him in a bind.
I have been coming strong in defending the Padre's appointees for the simple reason that the new governor must have his way in selecting persons who pass his criteria on integrity, competence and sincerity. He wants the two in his first team.
I would be doing the same for Lilia Pineda, for instance, if she was elected governor and some bitching board members, if ever, would question her right and privilege to appoint her provincial officials even with their background as "revisadores".
If the mere choice of accepting applicants for the housemaid position poses quite a problem to a cautious and vigilant family head, so much more would the selection for sensitive positions, as those that Mesdames Dabu and Velez seek, a risky choice.
Some housemaids are in cahoots with criminal syndicates, with not a few being suspects and accomplices in kidnap for ransom of their wards. The two lawyers, even if they had a dozen children between them, natural born, adoptive, or otherwise, would be the last persons on earth that will run away with the quarry collections, if that was the apprehension of the board members, among others.
As I last wrote, there are more than nine ways to kill a cat.
The latest method, as per the recent PB resolution, was to invoke morality in the qualification requirement.
So what if one of the Spicy Girls declared "single" as her marital status even if she had a child? The question did not ask whether she has an offspring. Being unmarried, she is, therefore "single." Or haven't they heard of guys who are childless bachelors?
On this score, the PB is treading on dangerous ground. If anyone among them would care, he or she could read medieval history and learn about the Spanish Inquisition's cruel techniques.
To be a skillful "governor", the Padre should stop playing tennis (his favorite sports) for a while and start basketball lessons. He can't beat Yeng one-on-one in the clay court but Yeng can demolish him in a game using team effort. The vice governor, as in a basketball game, can transform players in championship form. A tennis player like the Padre depends on individual skill and prowess to subdue the opponent.
I can foresee the Spicy Girls on their way to the shower quite soon than expected. Even if they pass the morality test imposed by SK philistines, they (board members) would have other tricks like subjecting them, for instance, to a pap smear or its equivalent.
As they often say, at the end of the day, the golden rule prevails: whoever has the gold, rules.
Make way for the Golden Girl.
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If Lolita Hizon was disappointed with the Spicy Girls for whatever reason, I am disappointed with the non-inclusion of hotshot lawyer Ricardo "Boy" Sagmit among the Outstanding Minaleño awardees for the year.
Lawyer Sagmit is a distinguished lawyer in the finest degree, a former Constitutional Convention delegate and lead member in the defense team of the Davide impeachment case. Surely he is a pride of Minalin town, shining with no less luster and fame as any of the most deserving awardees.
