It has been a widespread controversy when Priest Ed panlilio ran for governor in the province of Pampanga, Philippines and won. Winning the gubernatorial race against the more formidable opponents whose political clout in the province have been so entrenched for the longest time is something to reckon with. You wouldn't expect somebody like a priest to be winning the election during that time.
Pampanga is noted for corruption and gambling. The province began earning more income when Panlilio started to clean up the ranks He started to pursue sources of income for the government from which the previous administration has some how diverted these supposed earning to their own pockets. This corruption runs in 100s of million of pesos and the people of Pampanga never had the chance to enjoy it. Case in point is the Pampanga quarry where the provinces earned more than 136 million in 7 months against practically insignificant income in years from the previous administration.
This courageous act of Panlilio expectedly brought the ire of his opponents in Pampanga. He may have offended the President when at one time he exposed that the some Palace official distributed $10,000.00 in cash placed in a bag supposedly a bribe from the President. Now, he is subjected to an election recount by the supreme court in response to the complaints lodged against him by his defeated opponents in the past election.
It is know in the Philippine election that nobody loses an election, there are only those who are cheated upon. Taking into Panlilio's account, he was accused of cheating the election because he won, despite the fact that his accusers are also thought of as gambling lords in the province.
I don't want to dwell with their political innuendos. What bothered me most is when his priestly superiors were against his plans to pursue politics. They say that it is not the way of priesthood to be in politics because they should be out there helping the poor and teaching religious morals. Is there no right given to priest to be of help to a community in distress? Panlillo is contemplating the run for the highest office, the presidency, it irritated them all the more.
I neither an avid supporter of Panlilio, nor would I vouch for him to be the next President. I am, however, inclined to believe that he should be the better option considering the fact that his background and his accomplishments in pampanga would tell me so, even in such a short stint. His experience is not so significant though if you want to gauge someone to become the next president, but this is a lot better compared to those who have been in the government for sometime and has proven to be inefficient.
The separation of church and state applies to the institution itself and not on the individual. The church hierarchy cannot stop someone like panlillo to conquer the challenged he deemed necessary to pursue his vocation as a man of God. He may have found that priesthood is limited in spiritual dealing while the fight is more of the physical. Prayer is so powerful, but there are things at hand which may probably be answer to your prayers already, which maybe though you can be fulfilled.
It is I believe everybody's prerogative whether to pursue priesthood or to help people in some other way. Priest in politics is no different to priest who would get married, or priest who has gone astray and molest kids. It would rather have the former and allow him to work efficiently than to have the latter have the Vatican cover his mess. It is common knowledge that a lot of priests are gays, nobody cares. And here comes a priest who is doing well, then they care to bring him down. Do we have a misguided standard of tolerating priests who are gays and sometimes accused of molesting and yet tolerated to the point of covering him up, and cant tolerate a priest who goes out of his way to the point of engaging into politics help the helpless.
It is utter hypocrisy for the Roman Catholic hierarchy to disavow Panlilio of his priestly duties if goes into politics. It is all the same service to man and service to God. We are likened to those Pharisees in the Bible times where they wont allow Jesus top heal during Sabbath day because it is against their religious practice.
The Philippines is in dire need of a reliable leader. To whom shall the Filipinos look upon for the new leader when in fact those who are in the running have already been and tried and tested for incompetence. Aside from Panlillo, I have found another one in Bayani Fernando who doesn't really care about wasting his political image just to get the work done. The only problem he has is his association to the current administration which is stinky.
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