Wednesday, March 05, 2008 Mercado: Sonny Lopez defuses a bomb By Ram Mercado First Person
HIS massive and burly frame hunched over the table like a prizefighter, his enormous fist clenched in striking stance, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) public affairs manager Angelo Lopez gave us a volume with his understatements.
No, he was not having problems in his job as chief public relations officer of the state-run firm, with sundry jobs of information dissemination, coordinating public events, and promoting the agenda of his chief, President and CEO Levy Laus.
But he is a man on the spot. What does one do when you are in the middle of a conflict between your boss and your friends?
The common perception, also reaching Sonny Lopez through confidential sources, was that the public affairs manager was not fighting tooth and nail for Mr. Laus in the face of a destabilization move against him.
It was also heard that Sonny has to show passion and aggression in defending his chief against the systematic smear attack on his administration.
That was the purpose of my lunch meeting with Sonny at the Shanghai restaurant last Sunday, to sound out my old buddy at the martial law-regime "Pampanga Eagle" weekly, and to hear from the old warrior himself.
He said he was in the hot pursuit of a solution to neutralize a smear job that locators at Clark Freeport were up against and called for Laus's ouster.
Sonny was quite incense at the report, "I am going to get to the bottom of this," he vowed. "It is extremely unfair to Mr. Laus and damaging to the CDC's image of stability."
Asked what he was going to do about it as CDC's chief PR man, Lopez said he would wage a personal campaign, first by a dialogue with individual officers of the Clark Investors and Locators Association (Cila), and concerned officials of the Employees Union, reportedly another source of negative propaganda against Laus.
For the past month, a series of news articles prejudicial to Laus had been coming out from an "alternative" paper.
The publications were calculated to discredit the CDC chief and, ultimately, create a rift between him and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Lopez, using his "Aksyon Central Luzon" television program, came to the defense of CDC head by presenting resource persons who enlightened the viewers on certain issues affecting the Clark Freeport. Purely, positively pro-Laus.
Last Sunday, Sonny, however, was dead set in finding a fast and dramatic solution to the alleged Cila involvement in a false ouster call and other disinformation.
It did not come as a surprise to me to read the Cila's absolute denial on their reported anti-Laus move.
Cila chairman Jeannie del Rosario, Pampanga woman business leader of Tsinoy origin assured Laus of continuous harmony and productive relations between the investors and the former.
I know Sonny Lopez has done a quiet and effective backroom job. A timely damage control, they call it in political dynamics.
This would not please Laus's built-in enemies at the freeport and those wishing him ill and failure in his administration.
These include some of Sonny's good friends and former political allies and patrons.
Sonny I have known close up since the martial law years. He is a strongly loyal man, a dependable friend, and a staunch believer in independent thinking.
He does not backstab rather would put his dagger direct in your heart, openly, brutally. His friends should not compromise their friendship with Sonny's profession.
"I am loyal to my job," he said when I cited that his chief's principal critics are also his Sonny's friends and former benefactors.
When he did a dramatic job of staging the Cila-Laus dialogue the other day, I know Sonny has come true to form as a highly principled worker. The test of loyalty is self-sacrifice.
Laus has won a round against his ingenuous foes who could be his PR man's political allies on the side. Sonny stood up for his first loyalty -- his sworn duties as CDC executive.
* * * * *
Pampanga Police Provincial Director Keith Ernald Singian would be nearing his tour of duty after his remarkable records.
Five new aspirants are gearing up to get a chance at the premier post. Fernandinos are batting for a local son Senior Superintendent Nicanor Targa, be medalled and multi-awarded police officer, now assigned at Clark Freeport Zone.
Targa is not actually angling for Singian's post but he is well qualified and fitted to assume a police director position in any vacancy in Region 3, according to Pampanga High School alumni officials who gave Targa an Outstanding Alumnus Award for his achievements in police work and law and order.
Pampang Governor Eddie Panlilio, look at the other aspirants wanting your endorsement.
