Desperate measures

DESTROY, in order to build.
Whoever was the wag that came up with that piece I have long forgotten. But he or she most certainly made an impression on the braintrust of Eddie Panlilio.
Destroy, in order to build makes the very foundation of the campaign of the priest to take over the Pampanga Capitol.
Destroy the opposition.
The first targets of destruction naturally comprised the principal obstacles to the objective of Panlilio: the sitting governor Mark Lapid, and the leading contender, Board Member Lilia “Baby” Pineda.
Bedeviled as the embodiment of the twin scourges of the province – corruption in the quarry collection for Lapid, illegal gambling for Pampanga’s favorite Baby – they were pictured as the very antithesis to the carefully cultivated goodness, nay, saintliness of Panlilio.
Thus was Panlilio packaged by his spinmeisters as the very personification of virtue. Thus was all goodness the Panlilio camp arrogated unto itself. Thus anyone not for Panlilio it consigned to the forces of darkness.
Destroy the media.
This was what one liquefied brain in the Panlilio campaign did to the Pampanga media, branding them as “bayaran” when the non-flattering issues of disobedience to Apu Ceto, and incessant rumors of peccadilloes by the sworn-to-God-as-celibate candidate saw print.
Destroy the masa.
The casique mentality obtaining in the Panlilio camp reared its most obnoxious head when it was heard as saying that the supporters of Baby Pineda were the mendicants and the unwashed who would sell their votes as easily as pawn their souls.
The characteristic effete snobbery of the local aristocracy that fans and farts the Panlilio campaign surfaced when aspersions were cast on the lowly kabos and kobradores for backstopping the Pineda campaign.
Destroy the teachers.
Panlilio himself is propagating as gospel truth – no matter if sourced only in text messages and thus totally bereft of even an iota of credible evidence – the sordid allegation that the public school teachers are being given money to cheat.
This is a total disrespect, nay, a blasphemy of a profession second only to the priesthood in nobility.
Destroy the priests.
“mga PARING nasa PAYOLA ni LILIA: (names of 11 priests, I withheld for their protection) ngeni KAPAMPANGAN, gets mu n bakit MAKANYAN la? ala lng PIALIWA kring aliwang manungkulan qng balen, mal l mu png bagya pero ASASALI L P MU RIN. Pls pass” Thus read a text message I received last Saturday.
The priests cited, err, slandered in the message are generally known as close to Baby Pineda though they have remained obedient to the guidelines issued by Apu Ceto to the clergy to stay non-partisan. The same guidelines being blatantly violated by priests rabidly pro-Panlilio, like campaigning from the pulpit – as happened in Magalang, Camba, Arayat and Cabetican, Bacolor; demanding from the faithful contributions to Panlilio’s campaign kitty, posting Panlilio’s posters in churches – as in St. Jude Village and San Agustin, SanFernando, etcetera.
Destroy. Destroy. Destroy. Far from being constructive to Panlilio, this orgy of destruction will in the end consume his campaign.
Destruction, far from being a pre-requisite to construction is – in the political game – an overt act of desperation. Desperate straits necessitate desperate measures.
Your slip is showing here. You ain’t leading. You ain’t winning. You’re losing. You’re deconstructing.



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