Denying Panlilio

“IT IS NOT the general sentiment of the mayors but the move of a select few.”
With confidence bordering on arrogance, Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio thus dismissed proposed Ordinance 172 being pursued by the Pampanga Mayors League at the sangguniang panlalawigan.
Ordinance 172, entitled “An ordinance providing for the equitable distribution of shares of fees/taxes imposed by the Province of Pampanga for the extraction of quarry materials, and for other purposes,” primarily seeks the integration of the P150 administrative fee the capitol collects per truckful of sand with the actual P150 per truckload quarry tax. With the resultant P300 per truck shared on the sanctioned 30-30-40 percentages for the province, the municipality and the barangay hosting quarry operations.
With only Mayors Boking Morales of Mabalacat and Eddie Guerrero of Floridablanca manning the ramparts so to speak during the sanggunian hearings on Ordinance 172, it certainly appeared that Panlilio was right: “only but a select few” of Pampanga’s 21 mayors were batting for the ordinance.
The governor even seemed to have tried to butter up the “many other” mayors of towns without quarry revenues and buttress his argument against the ordinance by reasoning that they too deserved a share of the quarry pot. Which, by implication, the administrative fee very satisfactorily provided.
A flawed argument Panlilio held, the namesake of the late, lamented Latino Heat of the World Wrestling Federation said.
“Because we are blessed with sand, we have to share this with those who have not. Very well, San Fernando has San Miguel and other bottling companies, all those car dealerships, SM and Robinsons so it must part with a certain percentage of its income for sharing with all of us who have none of these firms. Macabebe and Masantol have fishponds; San Simon, a special economic zone; Mabalacat, Clark; so they all must share their income from their lucrative “assets” with those who have none.”
A most equitable sharing already edging towards Marxist grounds, if you ask me. But is it implementable?
Still, Panlilio had the sway of arguments with but Morales and Guerrero being the “select few” doing all the talking. That was until yesterday.
The PML issued Resolution 08S-2007, “…Expressing the collective support of all members of the Pampanga Mayors League for the passage and approval of proposed Ordinance 172…”
Invoking Section 138 of the Local Government Code of 1991, the resolution held the belief that the provincial capitol had “no legal basis for the collection of administrative fee” calling it “grossly disadvantageous” and demanded their right over the income accruing from the quarry operations in their areas.
“To sacrifice the rightful share of each municipality and barangay as provided for by law on the pretext that the province has to extend support to other municipalities without quarry operations is unjust and unjustifiable,” declared the resolution.
It added that the capitol could do this with its own 30 percent share.
All in all, it makes a total negation of Panlilio’s assertions.
So what does this resolution now make of Panlilio’s “select few”? I would not say a liar as he is a priest forever, per Melchizedek’s order. He might just be grossly misinformed, if not abjectly ignorant of political dynamics.
Still, I get reminded here by my good friend Rizal Policarpio’s favorite dig: Ang resolution ng PML ay isang mariing sampal sa mukha ng gubernador.