Thursday, December 04, 2008 Editorial: Learning curve
FOR Christmas, Vice Governor Joseller Guiao wishes more wisdom for Governor Eddie T. Panlilio.
He didn't specify what kind of wisdom, conventional or practical, political or priestly. What matters is it's the kind that will address squarely the affairs and issues affecting the province and its people.
That is Guiao's own way of saying the governor still has a lot to learn.
That may sound polite enough, if not condescending, given who the source of the earnest sentiment, the importance of which should be healthily appreciated from the standpoint of practical and civil politics.
But Guiao's wish may be too much of a good thing.
It would be difficult to imagine Panlilio coming terms with the rigors and requirements of nitty-gritty politics - flexibility, as Guiao put it - without compromising his - Panlilio's - principles. That would be out of character.
The state of affairs in the provincial government is what it is today ever since he took office because he, Panlilio, is what he is: a non-compromising agent of change in a leadership political position. In other words, an oddball in a world where oddity is costly.
In short, Panlilio is tripped by his own learning curve and, in the process, fails to get valuable wisdom where it matters and as quick as possible because politics is partly about making seat-of-the- pant decisions.
This is not to say that Panlilio hasn't grown in wisdom as governor or as a priest in political garb. The mere fact that he is challenging the prevailing convention and keeps asking questions is proof that he has both the original and derivative.
Only, he maybe growing too painfully slow in this area as to provide the kind of political leadership is expected of him.
That is essentially Guiao's beef in his wish. It would help if Guiao kept his fingers crossed as he did.
