Post-dialogue blahs

EVEN AS it failed to provide a common ground for the Governor and the Vice Governor upon which a new order at the Pampanga capitol could be established, the dialogue-that-was-not provided the Kapampangans a spectator sport of sorts that spawned more games of talk, talk, talk.
Wednesday evening, I was in Talking Points over Infomax 8 in the City of San Fernando along with the chairman of the Kapampangan Coalition, Inc. Rev. Fr. Resty Lumanlan, SVD and the chairman of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon, Rene Romero. Subject of course was the dialogue, but some vignettes – especially those told off-cam – about the man from the two once-but-now-for-nonce high-profile supporters of Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio made even more interesting side issues.
These are not told verbatim. But they are closest to the actual conversations we had.
Businessman Romero shared this exchange between him and Panlilio. Take this allegorically not literally, else you’d think the Governor is, himself, into gambling:
“Makataya na ku keni. Ikayu, e ko taya? (I have put my wager in this (the governorship). How about you, aren’t you betting?)”
“Bah, Among, siyempre makataya kami naman keka. (Of course, we are placing our bets on you.)”
“Kaybat nang sinambut, kinwa no ngan ding taya, pati na ding pinyambut. Tsaka na kami likwan. (After he won, he got all the bets plus the winnings and left us.)”
No personal agenda there on our part, Mister Rene qualified: “Any position in government, any business with government did not even enter our minds. We simply responded to his call of good governance, believing in his sincerity and holding on to his expressed policy of a government of consultation.”
So what happened to his consultative “policy”?
“It is well in placed at the capitol, practiced by the governor,” Mister Rene was quick to reply. And quicker yet: “So long as it is Ateneo that is being consulted. All other groups, whether from the civic society or the academe, amounting to nothing in the mind of the governor.”
Then, a text message: “Atty. Vivian Dabu is the source of all the trouble at the capitol.”
“It’s not Dabu, bobo.” So quoted I of a recent Zona Libre column. “It’s Panlilio, who wields the authority. Dabu being only an instrument of that authority. Nothing happens at the capitol without the governor’s imprimatur. The issue of ignorance of basic procedures is traceable to Panlilio allowing Dabu much leeway. A case in point was that memorandum from Panlilio written on a stationery of the provincial administrator with the second page written on the governor’s. Nakapatong ang administrador sa gobernador. (The administrator is on top of the governor.)”
“Intelligence and integrity, though she may well be in possession of these attributes, are not enough. The heart, the grace to serve, especially the lowly and the needy is factored in government. The recent strike of the Balas boys – the real heroes in the Panlilio administration – affirmed Dabu’s abject lack of what it takes to be in government service. Not only were the feelings of the Balas boys injured. They were insulted.” Now, that was Among Resty talking.
“So what can you say of Atty. Dabu reportedly holding multiple positions at the capitol?” It was the beautiful, intelligent and well-named co-host Atty. IQ Tuazon that asked.
“Dabu is superwoman.” So I thought aloud. It looked as though only Dabu had the capability to hold on to these positions – administrator, acting legal officer, procurement in-charge, head of transition team overseeing infra projects, whatever. This is an insult to everyone of us here, to all Kapampangans.
“She may be doing a good in all her assigned tasks. Like an ordinary housewife who has the know-how in handling the different needs of the house.” That was IQ.
I did not comment, fearful that I might get off track with that allegory of Dabu running the capitol like a housewife running a household. So where’s the husband, I would have asked. Damn, I did now.
I could not remember what Mister Rene said. It was something akin to the management principle of multi-tasks hastening the tasker to reach his/her level of incompetence.
“But she enjoys the full trust and confidence of the governor,” continued IQ.
“Public office is a public trust,” Among Resty now.”The governor has an accountability to the people.”
Over a sumptuous merienda-cena , Among Resty noted the subtlety of the insult Vice Gov. Yeng Guiao inflicted on the Governor with his gift of a Time magazine copy bearing the image of Nelson Mandela and featuring the secret of his leadership.
Given the display of temper of Panlilio towards Guiao during their exchanges, a more appropriate gift for my compadre would have been The Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun by Wess Roberts.