Mahirap pero posible!

Today at 1 pm I listened to a lecture of Pampanga Governor (Father) Eddie Panlilio at SDA campus (DLS-CSB). He said that he loves music, and he shared to us that prior to his election as governor, in his spare time he just enjoys the computer (web) and he would download songs from Lime Wire (www.limewire.com) for his iPod. He has already downloaded around 7,000 songs.

He retold that before his election a group of people, a priest and some seminarians among them regretted the state of affairs that their province was in. And after series of meetings, and in the midst of this desperation, one seminarian turned to him and asked, “what about you?”

Becoming a candidate for governor was in response to a gaping need for moral resurgence in a despairing province, and in a more personal way, a deepening of my ministerial priesthood.
http://www.amonged.org

But as a governor now, it's different. He said,"Politics is good" and on good governance, "Mahirap, pero posible."

He is the first Pampanga governor to be subjected to a recall campaign. Rosve Henson, president of the Kapanalig at Kambilan Ning Memalen Pampanga Inc. (KAMBILAN), is the former election campaigner of gubernatorial candidate Lilia Pineda. KAMBILAN launched a recall campaign against him, citing loss of confidence in the governor’s leadership.

“Politically, people will reject it. And legally, it cannot prosper because there’s a pending protest against Panlilio,” Macalintal said.
http://barangayrp.wordpress.com

Listening to his personal testimony, "Among Ed" prefers to go back to his duties as a priest and he even asked his bishop that he be assigned to his hometown of Minalin, Pampanga, to serve his own town mates now that he is still strong and able.

While "Among Ed" has vowed to return to the priesthood at the end of his term in 2010, he would run for President “if that’s the will of God for me.”
http://kayanatin.com/blogs/panlilio-for-president-if-god-wills-it/

"Among Ed" recalled to us the story on receiving a brown paper gift bag with P500,000 (P1,000 bills in 5 bundles, P100,000 each) and simply confessed that "because as a priest, I should not lie." He then challenges us that not to tell a lie is not only priests' moral responsibility but everybody's responsibility.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Panlilio

He mentioned also to us about the "Lahar" turning from "Disgrasya" to "Grasya." Before he took office, the provincial government only collected an average of Php50,000 a day from the quarry fees that operators are required to pay for their hauling operations. Now, during his term, the provincial government averages P1 M a day in fees collection.
http://warrenaltan.multiply.com/

Pampanga even won the prestigious Gawad Galing Pook Award for its effective and efficient collection of Quarry taxes which can be attributed to Among Ed’s continuous efforts to promote good governance and ethical leadership in our country.
http://kayanatin.com/blogs/looking-for-president-change/

There is no doubt that his people are very religious, yet "jueteng" seems to be a normal day to day experience for them. "Jueteng Vatican, iyan po ang katawagan ngayon sa Pampanga." Nagsampa ako ng kaso sa Ombudsman laban kay Ginoong Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda sa paratang na salang pandarambong o plunder. Ang pagsasampa ko po ng kaso laban kay Mr. Pineda ay isa sa mga hakbang na ginagawa ng mga Kapampangan para sugpuin ang jueteng. Ang Pampanga Anti-Gambling Coalition, kung saan ako ay kabilang, ay nagsusumikap na tapusin ang sugal na apat na dekada nang nakaugat sa pulitika habang nagpapasasa sa taya ng mga mahihirap naming kababayan. Ang laban kontra sa jueteng ay bahagi ng ating mga pagsisikap for good governance. http://www.amonged.org

"Samahan po ninyo ako. This is not my personal crusade alone. This is a crusade of all decent Filipinos who will give everything of themselves to realize a dignified and dignifying country. As we desire leadership by example, so do we also desire justice by example."
http://www.amonged.org

Our advocacy for good governance and responsible citizenship is being implemented slowly but surely. To me good governance is leadership by example.
http://www.amonged.org

In Among Ed's statement last January 5, 2009 concerning his protesters, and dissenters who resorted to violence, he said "I assure these protesters that I shall maintain a position that upholds the Gospel value of non-violence, even when my own relatives have been attacked. But this will not prevent me from applying the full force of the law on those who choose to violate it. They can try me, but they will be found wanting."
http://kayanatin.com