The artful dodger

NO, this has nothing to do with the wily pickpocketing li’l ‘un of Dickens’ Oliver Twist.

Yes, this has everything to do with the craftily dodgy governor of Pampanga who acts more and more like a fork-tongued politician and less and less than a priest. ‘Tis indeed way past time to delete the reverential “Among” before his name as it has ceased to befit his person, much less his passions.

Gov. Eddie T Panlilio is afflicted with a foot-in-mouth disease arising from his predilection of issuing irrationalities which when exposed he belabors to rationalize with determined unreason.

Remember Panlilio’s “caretaker administration” tag of Acting Governor Yeng Guiao’s term some two weeks before the capitol turnover?

After Guiao gave him a piece of his mind solidly grounded on a mandate to serve until noon of June 30, Panlilio was reported to have said that what he meant was for Guiao to “take care of the administration of the province.”

When his letter directly impacted into Guiao that as a mere acting governor – and in the wake of Panlilio’s proclamation – he did not have the authority to push through with the then-scheduled bidding of some projects.

Bokya na, hihirit pa. As the tambay would have it.

A graver case of Panlilio’s proclivity for palusot is the current “blanket authority” issue.

On July 11, Panlilio shared the seat of Guiao at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and read this letter dated July 9 that he himself signed: “In order for me to effectively carry out my duties, I shall need full authority to enter into memorandum of agreement, contracts, deeds of donation, and any other transaction for the benefit of the province.

“To date, there are several non-governmental organizations and private individuals who are offering various help for our province. In this regard, may I request for the passage of a resolution granting me blanket authority to sign said contracts, memoranda, and/or deeds in order to facilitate the processing of said transactions. Enclosed is a draft of the proposed resolution for your consideration.”

Asked for his comments later, Guiao said he found the letter “irrational” as it struck at the very core of the sanggunian’s being: the check-and-balance democratic essential seriously imperiled.

Of course, media played this out.

Panlilio took to the offensive and – on CLTV36 – virtually took Guiao to task for: a) taking the issue to media; b) failure to understand his letter request – that the authority he wanted was only for donations, not for anything else.

Panlilio was wrong on the first count; on the second, either he did not understand his own letter or he lied through his teeth.

Guiao did not take the issue to media. Panlilio himself did, publicizing his letter before the sanggunian members and the media.

Any grader with the most rudiment knowledge of the English language will readily understand what Panlilio wrote which he is now convoluting.

If, indeed, all he meant for the blanket authority to cover were donations, then why were the specifics of “memorandum of agreement, contracts…” and the all-encompassing “…and any other transaction” included in his letter-request?

Panlilio’s enclosure of a “proposed resolution re blanket authority to sign” to his letter further cleared all doubts of his intention, to wit:

“Whereas, through a letter dated 09 July 2007, the Office of the Governor is requesting for the issuance of blanket authority to sign contracts, memoranda, and/or deeds in order to facilitate the processing of donations and all other transactions aimed at alleviating the needs of the Province;

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“RESOLVED, as it is hereby resolved that Hon. Eddie T. Panlilio, Governor, is hereby granted blanket authority to sign any and all contracts, memoranda, and/or deeds for the benefit of the Province.”

All the underscoring are mine to show greater clarity of the cluelessness, if not the patent lie, in Panlilio’s irrationalizations.

So what has happened to the trumpeted transparency of the Panlilio administration?

Just lying there. For anyone to see.

Sige, hirit pa.