On Supporting Among Ed

When Fr. Ed Panlilio ran for Governor of Pampanga, I am one of those who silently criticize his move. My objection is simple. As a priest, I think he is already in a position to help change the lives of the people in his parish, albeit deeper. So there is no need for him to run.

And I maintain my position. I do not agree to priests or other religious leaders who run for public office. I think they are given already the special privilege to serve, and their work as such will and is never finish. They are already in a special position and people already listen to them. Why the need to run, then?

Also, being a priest (even when officially "on leave") could run in conflict with being a public official. In the case of Among Ed, is he also the governor of the people from other religion? Will he promote religious equality or will he use government resources to promote his catholic faith? How can he separate his political role from his religious bows?

But now that Among Ed is governor, I begin to imagine the impossible. If he was able to win in Pampanga, President GMA’s home province and believed to be Jueteng’s haven, he could win in the whole of the Philippines. Indeed, Among Ed could be President of this country!

Let us imagine deeper. Among Ed has proven his ability to mobilize people from Pampanga. He can do that again for a national campaign in 2010. The youth will be roused to campaign for him. He will be what Cory was more than 20 years ago. It doesn’t matter if he knows how to be President. What is important is that there is someone whom everyone can trust and look up to. It will be People Power once again at work.

There’ll be other people who will run in 2010 (Roxas, Villar, etc.). The catholic church could strip Among Ed of his priesthood yet they can endorse his candidacy. The church can also ask the other candidates to give way to Among Ed, such as how Cardinal Sin asked Vice President Laurel in 1986.

And if he becomes President, what can he do? Will he be another Cory and be swarmed and pulled into different directions by everyone including those with vested interests and those who may be well-meaning foreign educated people but with wrong and conflicting ideas on how to run a country? Or will he appoint a person, trusted by everybody, who will actually run the county for a clean six years?

Sadly, I do not have any meaningful direction in sight. The church is so divided and they would not endorse a priest. Other people would not give way to his candidacy. I remember MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando saying that the first order of business for some newly elected government official is to hire really good lawyers and, for years, fend off malicious accusations and legal hurdles, if he wants to do good. So, Among Ed’s legal and electoral challenges now are to be expected. Winning the governorship is just the start. We cannot even be sure if he will he survive his first term. His chances of doing the impossible the 2^nd time is nil.

So, should we support him?

For lack of any alternative thing to do, I would… even if I disagree to religious leaders running for public posts. I will support him even if I do not foresee any meaningful result in the future. I will be supporting him while deep inside me I know I am just plainly praying for a miracle. Miracles do happen, don't they?