Folly

THE PEOPLE of Pampanga are now seeing the folly of electing a priest for governor.
Strong words there, I cautioned my philosophy classmate Eustaquio – in one of our regular espresso encounters at Fiorgelato in SM City Pampanga. Still, I could not deny him my ear. So, present your case Filosofo Takyo.
Vowed to celibacy, without necessarily being celibate, Among Ed did not have the opportunity of a wedded domestic life.
That’s having everything to do with being a priest. So, what’s that got to do with being governor?
Everything, silly. Had he a wife and children, living in a house of their own, he would have had ample financial management skills that would have come in handy now that he’s governor.
I find your logic rather convoluted, please enlighten me.
Right on, moron. As padre de familia, a married Among Ed would have known how to earn his family’s daily keep...
Come on, now. Among Ed has shown great, no, make that super, skills in income-generation. Remember how he multiplied fifty times the quarry income from Mark Lapid’s ridiculously low of P20,000-plus per day to his spectacularly whopping P1 million daily.
Stop enthusing so much about your compadre. You’re getting obnoxiously obsequious. Let me finish. Among Ed as family breadwinner would give his salary to the wife, as is the wont of Filipino husbands. The wife, being both finance and budget minister of the house…
Aha, then it should be the wife who should be governor, she having the better know-how in financial matters. Oh-oh, I see parallelism here with the present capitol – the putative provincial administrator really presiding over financial and budgetary matters. Like what some people at the capitol had been long saying...
Disabuse your malicious mind, that is nowhere near where I am leading to. The father in Among Ed would have been badgered by the wife over the ever-shortage of funds to meet life’s necessities: like food on the table, schooling for the kids, house repairs, power and utilities bills, etcetera. Not to mention, some of life’s finer things, like indulging oneself in arts and culture, entertainment, leisure and travel.
So, an Among Ed constantly nagged by the wife would learn the rudiments of financial management and budgeting?
So didn’t you, or any husband worth his wedding ring for that matter?
So what’s that got to do with being governor?
You still can’t get it? Among Ed is clueless on how to use the money coming his way from the quarry industry. Why? Because he did not have a wife and a family that would have taught him how.
That simple?
Yes, but to the detriment of the Kapampangans who until now have to get their taste of the quarry income, be it in improved social and medical services, new roads and schoolbuildings, livelihood opportunities, etcetera.
So, you attribute these “shortcomings” to Among Ed’s being a priest?
To what else? And there’s still more. Like a true priest, Among Ed, preaches what he does not practice.
Now, that’s really, really unkind and personal. Qualify.
Are not Among Ed’s by-words “transparency” and “accountability”? So, did you find those virtues in the list of campaign donors and contributions Among Ed submitted – under oath – to the Comelec? Where is accountability in Among Ed’s placement of “consultants” or “interim committees” over the capitol’s offices?
Still, I would like to think that there was some good brought to the province by the governor’s being a priest.
Yes, the improved quarry income. It really takes a priest to do that.
Because a priest is a man of integrity, of honesty…
No, because a priest knows only how to collect money. Not content with the offertory, there have been some second and third collections lately.
Burn in hell, Takyo.