Thursday, June 26, 2008 Malig: 'Poli-signs' of the times By Jun A. Malig Cognition
PAST and ongoing politically related developments in Pampanga range from boring to comical to spectacular. If there's a popular line like "Only in the Philippines," there should also be a phrase to describe the sometimes, if not oftentimes, unique political landscape of the province.
Pampanga is the first province to elect a Catholic priest as its governor, 12 years after electing via landslide a popular actor who admitted in the campaign trails that he could not speak English and that he lacked formal schooling.
Only in Pampanga where we can find a town mayor, owing to several legal and technical factors, who has been given the opportunity to run and sit at the town hall's top post for six consecutive terms (18 years). Lousy legal offense or an ingenious defense? Nonetheless, it's a clear manifestation how odd our politico-legal system sometimes works.
While in some other provinces the mayors usually regard their governor as their leader, the mayors of Pampanga have their own leader in their own league. There was even an instance before the last elections when the mayors emphasized their "solidarity" by demanding assurance from the governor that their "graduating" members become official administration candidates for board members, in flagrant disregard for the equity of the incumbent rule. By not conceding to his sons' demand, the father eventually lost his "moral ascendancy" over them.
Only in Pampanga where many reelected and "come-backing" provincial legislators suddenly realize that it was wrong for the governor to have direct control in regulating the quarry industry and in the collection of quarry taxes. And they did it at a time when the collection greatly skyrocketed from the times when they allowed the governor to have full control over it.
It is also hard to understand why, despite the much improvement in the collection of quarry taxes, the people of Pampanga have yet to see quarry proceeds translate into concrete projects.
Technicalities? Too shallow a reason.
And while the previous governors did not have real hard times in having their proposed executive budgets approved, members of the Provincial Board, including the old hands in the chamber, seem to have found it difficult to approve even the intelligence fund of the governor's office. Sudden realization of past shortsightedness or political rainbow?
Only in Pampanga that the governor insists on having the provincial police director of his choice on the practically flawed premise that by having his way, he would succeed in eradicating illegal gambling. Does the governor need a lesson in Practical Politics 101? Perhaps.
The governor has decided to prosecute Bong Pineda, the husband of his closest rival in the last gubernatorial election, for plunder. A shot to the moon? A political move? An ala Don Quixote's offensive? Or a move based on valid reasons? We shall see.
A day after the governor filed a plunder case against Pineda, Elly Pamatong of Arayat town charged Panlilio with perjury in connection with the latter's "missing" campaign contributions in the last elections. Incidentally, Pamatong, who was among the six gubernatorial candidates in Pampanga in the May 14, 2007 elections, also filed criminal charges earlier against Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales for alleged "human rights violation," "international swindling," and teaching "immoral doctrines."
It was also amusing to learn that Pampanga mayors, who are all ultra supportive of PGMA's every action and decision, had to meet to discuss among themselves the appointment of former governor Mark Lapid to the Philippine Tourism Authority. The President appointed Lapid as acting general manager and CEO last June 2.
Sources in the meeting said that a relatively novice local executive in a swampy town in the 4th district, who once publicly pronounced his willingness to take a bullet for the sake of the President, questioned Lapid's appointment to the PTA.
Unfortunately, he was a lone voice in the league. It was learned that all the other mayors are not against the President's decision.
In fact, they respect it.
All these developments seem to show how dynamic, no matter how you define the word, the socio-political condition of Pampanga. We can also talk about backstabbing, mudslinging, "talangka mentality," and the like. But these are not really unique to Pampanga.
