CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—In what is seen as his most explicit indictment of jueteng and corruption in the quarry industry, Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto on Friday called on the province’s more than a million voters to reject candidates involved in those irregularities.
“As leaders of the Church, we challenge all candidates running for any government position in Pampanga to categorically and truthfully declare in public they have not been—and will never be—involved in jueteng and forms of illegal gambling, indiscriminate and corrupt quarrying, vote-buying, any form of cheating in the elections, exorbitant campaigning, violence and extrajudicial killings, illegal drug business,” Aniceto said in a three-page pastoral statement.
The statement will be read in Masses in the province’s 90 parishes starting today (March 31).
Issued on the first day of the 45-day campaign period for local candidates, the statement expressed what so far was Aniceto’s most unequivocal position on issues in the May 14 elections.
“As far as I know, this is the first time in the diocese that this kind of statement has been made,” said Bishop Roberto Mallari in a phone interview.
In the last 15 years, Aniceto, 72, had consistently spoken out against jueteng and missing quarry taxes, but this was the first time his reflections tackled how these issues are now influencing Pampanga elections.
“This statement is in response to your clamor for us to speak up ...,” Aniceto said.
“In the light of current developments in Philippine politics, it is for very obvious reasons that the nation’s attention is focused on Pampanga because of well-based claims that now, more than ever, money is again becoming the very bone of contention over Kapampangan politics,” he said.
“We speak of money, either from jueteng or from questionable quarrying activities,” he said.
“The shady patrons who are engaged in illegal and immoral businesses and who have all the money to spend on elections are bound to take control over politics and governance if we do not do anything ...”
The statement did not name Board Member Lilia Pineda and Gov. Mark Lapid—two gubernatorial candidates linked to illegal gambling and quarrying.
Mallari said Aniceto’s rejection of candidates involved in jueteng and illegal quarrying should not be taken as an endorsement of a Catholic priest running for governor in the province.
“We thought of [the statement] before Fr. Ed decided to run for governor,” Mallari said, referring to Fr. Eddie Panlilio.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Pampanga Election
The 2007 local Election in Pampanga became very interesting with the entry of Fr. Ed Panlilio as the 3rd force in the Gobernatorial position. For the past two months we have been hearing Gov Mark Lapid and Board Member Lilia Pineda gunning for the top post of the province and both of them are equipped with money and political machinery.
Lilia Pineda and running mate Yeng Guiao have been accusing Mark Lapid of anomalies in the quarry dating back to his father Sen Lapid, who was then the governor of Pampanga. Pampanga's riches came from the quarry after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and yet it seems that Kapampangans are only getting less than half of the profit of the quarry. Where did the Lapid Family got the money in building their Mansion in Porac Pampanga? Did his movies earned a lot? We all knew that during the recent MMFF, his movie was ranked last in terms of earnings.
Even in Lubao where Lilia Pineda resides, the quarry is controlled by his son, Dennis Pineda, who is the mayor of that town. Everybody knows also that Bong Pineda is the gambling lord of the Philippines and yet no politician dares to accuse him because they are all benefitting from Jueteng or the illegal gambling in our country which deprives our people of their hard earned money. This coming election, her son Dennis is running for re-election and his wife is running for the mayoralty position in Sta Rita.
Most of the candidates right now have the picture or name of Lilia Pineda in their posters or streamers because they are getting their campaign funds from her. They have also benefitted from the Jueteng funds that is being distributed on a regular basis to local officials.
I love the challenge of Bishop Aniceto to the candidates of the local elections in Pampanga to "categorically and truthfully declare in public that they are not involved or were not involved or will not get involved in any illegalities such as Jueteng, Illegal quarrying, vote buying, cheating, violence, illegal drugs, or killings". I doubt if our candidates will do this...do you think Mark lapid and Lilia Pineda will follow the challenge of Bishop Aniceto? Or any of the candidates in any local post will heed to the challenge of Bishop Aniceto?
The entry of Fr. Ed Panlilio in the local election is big sacrifice on his part. Priesthood is a vocation. As a priest, giving up your ministries such as: officiating mass or dispensing sacraments is a very big sacrifice. All his life Fr. Ed have been dreaming of officiating a mass and now he is sacrificing it because of his love to the Kapampangans. He want the Kapampangan to have a choice....a leader that will have the moral ascendancy.
Yesterday on my our way to the church I saw all the flyers in our town posted in the main plaza and nearby surroundings. I found one poster of Fr Ed Panlilio printed in one cartolina. I spoke to my wife after the mass and told her that I'm donating some of our savings to the campaign of Fr. Ed Panlilio because we believe in him. We know that he is doing this sacrifice for our Kabalens. He is not doing this for his own personal reasons.
Kabalens, I urge you to support Fr. Ed Panlilio on his candidacy. Let's not sell our votes and souls to dirty politicians. Let's have the moral ascendancy and set a good example to our children. Our children are our future and let's pave the way for them....
Lilia Pineda and running mate Yeng Guiao have been accusing Mark Lapid of anomalies in the quarry dating back to his father Sen Lapid, who was then the governor of Pampanga. Pampanga's riches came from the quarry after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and yet it seems that Kapampangans are only getting less than half of the profit of the quarry. Where did the Lapid Family got the money in building their Mansion in Porac Pampanga? Did his movies earned a lot? We all knew that during the recent MMFF, his movie was ranked last in terms of earnings.
Even in Lubao where Lilia Pineda resides, the quarry is controlled by his son, Dennis Pineda, who is the mayor of that town. Everybody knows also that Bong Pineda is the gambling lord of the Philippines and yet no politician dares to accuse him because they are all benefitting from Jueteng or the illegal gambling in our country which deprives our people of their hard earned money. This coming election, her son Dennis is running for re-election and his wife is running for the mayoralty position in Sta Rita.
Most of the candidates right now have the picture or name of Lilia Pineda in their posters or streamers because they are getting their campaign funds from her. They have also benefitted from the Jueteng funds that is being distributed on a regular basis to local officials.
I love the challenge of Bishop Aniceto to the candidates of the local elections in Pampanga to "categorically and truthfully declare in public that they are not involved or were not involved or will not get involved in any illegalities such as Jueteng, Illegal quarrying, vote buying, cheating, violence, illegal drugs, or killings". I doubt if our candidates will do this...do you think Mark lapid and Lilia Pineda will follow the challenge of Bishop Aniceto? Or any of the candidates in any local post will heed to the challenge of Bishop Aniceto?
The entry of Fr. Ed Panlilio in the local election is big sacrifice on his part. Priesthood is a vocation. As a priest, giving up your ministries such as: officiating mass or dispensing sacraments is a very big sacrifice. All his life Fr. Ed have been dreaming of officiating a mass and now he is sacrificing it because of his love to the Kapampangans. He want the Kapampangan to have a choice....a leader that will have the moral ascendancy.
Yesterday on my our way to the church I saw all the flyers in our town posted in the main plaza and nearby surroundings. I found one poster of Fr Ed Panlilio printed in one cartolina. I spoke to my wife after the mass and told her that I'm donating some of our savings to the campaign of Fr. Ed Panlilio because we believe in him. We know that he is doing this sacrifice for our Kabalens. He is not doing this for his own personal reasons.
Kabalens, I urge you to support Fr. Ed Panlilio on his candidacy. Let's not sell our votes and souls to dirty politicians. Let's have the moral ascendancy and set a good example to our children. Our children are our future and let's pave the way for them....
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