Fr. Shay Cullen » Priest, Prophet or Politician

By Fr. Shay Cullen

Is he a prophet, priest, politician or a popular uncorrupted elected leader? These are the questions that run through everyone’s mind when they hear that Father Ed Panlilio, 54, a catholic priest on a leave of absence from regular priestly duties is now the elected governor of Pampanga Province in the Philippines. Father Ed, as he is affectionally called by the hundreds of thousands who supported his bid for election last May, won against the traditional dynastic families that have ruled for generations. It was a powerful message from the people who had almost despaired of finding an honest independent candidate to oppose the elite. The people want to end the corruption and the culture of vice that the traditional politicians had fostered. Father Ed Panlilio has been named Filipino of the Year 2007 by a leading Daily.

The Priest turned Governor has pledged to make the province the Capitol of the Poor. He was the former head of the Archdiocesan Social Action Center for many years and knew first hand the hardships of the poor. He tried unsuccessfully to counter the exploitation of the field workers of the rich and wealthy. He tried to save their impoverished children from the sex traffickers that feed young girls, some of them still children, into the sex industry of Angeles City beside the former US Clark Air Base that closed after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. The dirty business started up again after the Americans left and could not thrive as it does today without the permits and licenses issued by the ruling politicians and officials. Neither could it continue unless the rapists, traffickers and paedophiles enjoyed a de facto immunity from investigation and prosecution. It makes sense to the officials, why prosecute your own customers and scare others away?

Much as the majority of people of Pampanga are ashamed of it and want to close the dens of vice they cannot. These sex clubs and bars sell the bodies of young Filipinos to satisfy the lust and sexual perversions of the local and foreign sex tourists.

Governor Ed Panlilio is unable at present to do so. The sex business is controlled by a powerful political clique, a protected sex mafia. He defeated some of them in the elections and they are contesting his election and planning to issue a recall against Governor Panlilio next May after one year as required by law.

None of the clique is friendly to the governor other than Oscar Rodriguez, the mayor of San Fernando, the capitol of the Province. Fr. Ed has the tacit support of Archbishop Paciano Aniceto who celebrated mass for the Priest-Governor recently. No government officials attended.

Last October 2007, Governor Ed Panlilio angered the elite (many of them close to President Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang Palace), when he disclosed that bundles of cash in brown paper bags were handed out to the officials called to a meeting by President in the palace on the eve of a possible impeachment vote against her last October 2007. His aides were given half million pesos as were other governors and mayors.

It was revealed that congressmen got even bigger amounts. Governor Ed tried to give it back but was met with a denial that it had ever been given by the Palace. He testified about it at a senate hearing and is said to be responsible for the negative rating of a Pulse Asia poll that said the president is the most corrupt president ever in the Philippines worse than the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. But that is just an opinion as no one knows the extent of that plunder of the Philippine Treasury.

The priest turned governor has no need for any bribe money. He has made a spectacular success in governing honestly and with transparency. The collections from the provincial quarries have suddenly jumped from a measly 30 million pesos a year as declared by the former Governor Mark Lapid to an astounding 120 million pesos in the first six months of his administration. No wonder his defeated political opponents are infuriated. They were sure to win until Father Ed was persuaded to step into the breach and never having campaigned or been elected to any position, against all the odds, he won! The people have spoken. END

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Contact Fr. Shay Cullen at the Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines.
e-mail: preda@info.com.ph
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