PANLILIO, NOW A CERTIFIED 'TRAPO'

(Photo from amonged.org)

There is no doubt about it. He is now the new image of the conventional politicians. He might not know it yet or he might still deny it, but his political tactics are stinking all over the papers.Recently, Governor Eddie Panlilio scored on Rep. Mikey Arroyo and the Malacanang in relation to the issue of jueteng. He claimed that “jueteng’s influence has already infiltrated politics, the church, and even the government.”

Few days after, Panlilio gave a daring interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) short-of-saying that Sen. Lito Lapid has no more business running for Pampanga governor. Panlilio said that should the senator vie for the governorship comes 2010, it would be “too much,” adding that it would be a test of the Kapampangan’s “political maturity.”

Bravo…bravo…The governor is learning the ropes of conventional politics. Pin down your possible opponents even before the actual fight is there. Use the media and recycle old issues. Recycle, recycle, recycle. I hope he would know how to recycle biodegradables too so as to resolve the province’s growing concern on solid waste management.

I received an e-mail from one of Panlilio’s former supporter who said that they are withdrawing support from Mar Roxas because Panlilio was accommodated under the Liberal Party wing. It was said that Panlilio is being groomed by the Kaya Natin Group and LP as a senatoriable. But the senatorial seat is still elusive for Panlilio. He has a lot of mess to straighten up in his own turf. By the way, joining political parties is one of the dictum of conventional politics.Panlilio’s statement against Lapid can be seen as nothing but a cheap ploy to cover up Panlilio’s own failures as governor.

After two years in office, all that Panlilio had done was to sow discord and disunity among Kapampangans, alienating even his closest allies and advisers.Panlilio is so isolated from his own constituents and all the local political leaders, that he has to seek audience for his holier-than-thou pontifications outside the province.

Panlilio seems to be acting like a traditional politician, as lately he’s been engaged in this shooting frenzy. Being a minority governor who garnered only one third of the votes cast by a questionable margin in the last elections, he should be really wary of Lapid, if and when the senator decides to vie for the gubernatorial seat. After all, Lapid garnered not lower than 90 percent of votes cast in all three of his gubernatorial races.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Panlilio is starting to see ghosts where there are none. Perhaps for want of issues against Lapid he cited old cases against Lapid, all of which have been dismissed.

Panlilio should work on his own problems at the Capitol first instead of focusing his time in the media discrediting local and national leaders so as to boost his chances for reelection. But I will give a big hand for him now that he is already a CERTIFIED TRAPO.