Lying, still
THE CAT’S out of the bag.
Out of the brown paper bag given to Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio in Malacanang on Oct. 11, 2007 after a meeting of local officials with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Out of the same bag from which Panlilio drew P500,000 that he so gloriously waved before television cameras on Oct. 15, 2007 at the capitol, with his now storiedly Washingtonian: “I cannot tell a lie as a priest and I have to tell the truth as a public servant.” And when asked if the money was still intact, his reply: “The money is still intact, not a bill removed from the bag.”
Out of the same bag that took Panlilio before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigating alleged bribery arising from the Malacanang incident.
Out of the same bag that became a symbol of the governor’s honesty and integrity. Yeah, Honest Ed, it was I that first came out with the moniker in a news story published in the Inquirer.
This weekend, out of the same brown paper bag, it was Archimedes Reyes, resigned chief of staff of the governor and co-accused in the libel charges the Panlilio-Dabu tandem filed against the Balas Boys, that pulled a different cat.
Reyes, in Saturday’s Kapihan sa Rembrandt in Quezon City, revealed that
part of the P500,000 from the Palace was used to shoulder the expenses for a spiritual retreat in Tagaytay on Oct. 13-14, 2007 that he attended along with then provincial information officer Rommel de Jesus and social welfare program coordinator Roperlee Syquia.
He disclosed that it was De Jesus that mentioned having P20,000 from putative provincial administrator Atty. Vivian Dabu.
In Sunday’s Inquirer, the intrepid Tonette Orejas reported:
“Dabu confirmed taking out P10,000 from the stash of cash and handing this to De Jesus.
“By her account, this was how the event went: “Among Ed turned over the money (given at the Palace) to me on Friday morning (Oct. 12) through his secretary Marlene. When he called by lunch, he said Archie, Rommel and Rop needed cash for the retreat. I said it’s a holiday and I’m not in the office. I said the only money I have at that time in Clark was the money (he) handed to me. I suggested we borrow first from that and replace it later that day.
“(Panlilio) gave permission. That same afternoon, I went to the capitol, replenished the amount and put the entire money in the safe.
“Nothing was taken from the money after that. P500,000 pa rin.”
Reyes’ revelations, buttressed by the governor’s closest aide Dabu, gave the lie to Panlilio’s honesty. Even as Honest Ed was virtually telling the media and the Senate that the money was untouched and deposited in a safe, a portion of it, albeit a tiny one, had been pulled out and used, but replenished. All these not only with Panlilio’s knowledge but with his expressed permission.
“That put into question the transparency and honesty na ibinabandera niya (that he’s been brandishing)…There’s a cover-up here and he’s not being consistent.” So was quoted Rosve Henson, president of recall proponent Kapanalig at Kambilan Ning Memalen Pampanga Inc., as saying.
Even more direct and terse in his reaction was former Bulacan Rep. Willy Villarama, once close confidant of Panlilio now staunch critic: “This story proves that even priests do tell lies. The statement of Panlilio (under oath) in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing contradicts what we now read. The truth can never be hidden. There is a great God who is watching over us. Time for all liars to repent. Time for Panlilio and Dabu to resign graciously. Time for all civil society from all factions to recognize the heroic deeds of the Balas Boys and the confidence team in coming out for the truth. They are the real heroes.” Thus went Villarama’s text message circulating in Pampanga since Sunday morning.
For calling him “malaram (liar)” in one of the rallies at the capitol grounds, Panlilio took it upon himself to remind the half-Kapampangan Villarama that “lying means the discrepancy between what you know and what you say.”
Look who’s talking now? Villarama could well be sneering.
“Whether or not he replaced the money that same day, even that same hour does not hide the fact that Among Ed is a bold-faced liar.” That is, of course, using the very standards Panlilio impacted on Villarama on the matter of lying.
E ku malaram. I am not a liar. So many times have we heard that mantra from Panlilio that we are reminded of the boy who cried wolf.
Out of the brown paper bag given to Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio in Malacanang on Oct. 11, 2007 after a meeting of local officials with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Out of the same bag from which Panlilio drew P500,000 that he so gloriously waved before television cameras on Oct. 15, 2007 at the capitol, with his now storiedly Washingtonian: “I cannot tell a lie as a priest and I have to tell the truth as a public servant.” And when asked if the money was still intact, his reply: “The money is still intact, not a bill removed from the bag.”
Out of the same bag that took Panlilio before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigating alleged bribery arising from the Malacanang incident.
Out of the same bag that became a symbol of the governor’s honesty and integrity. Yeah, Honest Ed, it was I that first came out with the moniker in a news story published in the Inquirer.
This weekend, out of the same brown paper bag, it was Archimedes Reyes, resigned chief of staff of the governor and co-accused in the libel charges the Panlilio-Dabu tandem filed against the Balas Boys, that pulled a different cat.
Reyes, in Saturday’s Kapihan sa Rembrandt in Quezon City, revealed that
part of the P500,000 from the Palace was used to shoulder the expenses for a spiritual retreat in Tagaytay on Oct. 13-14, 2007 that he attended along with then provincial information officer Rommel de Jesus and social welfare program coordinator Roperlee Syquia.
He disclosed that it was De Jesus that mentioned having P20,000 from putative provincial administrator Atty. Vivian Dabu.
In Sunday’s Inquirer, the intrepid Tonette Orejas reported:
“Dabu confirmed taking out P10,000 from the stash of cash and handing this to De Jesus.
“By her account, this was how the event went: “Among Ed turned over the money (given at the Palace) to me on Friday morning (Oct. 12) through his secretary Marlene. When he called by lunch, he said Archie, Rommel and Rop needed cash for the retreat. I said it’s a holiday and I’m not in the office. I said the only money I have at that time in Clark was the money (he) handed to me. I suggested we borrow first from that and replace it later that day.
“(Panlilio) gave permission. That same afternoon, I went to the capitol, replenished the amount and put the entire money in the safe.
“Nothing was taken from the money after that. P500,000 pa rin.”
Reyes’ revelations, buttressed by the governor’s closest aide Dabu, gave the lie to Panlilio’s honesty. Even as Honest Ed was virtually telling the media and the Senate that the money was untouched and deposited in a safe, a portion of it, albeit a tiny one, had been pulled out and used, but replenished. All these not only with Panlilio’s knowledge but with his expressed permission.
“That put into question the transparency and honesty na ibinabandera niya (that he’s been brandishing)…There’s a cover-up here and he’s not being consistent.” So was quoted Rosve Henson, president of recall proponent Kapanalig at Kambilan Ning Memalen Pampanga Inc., as saying.
Even more direct and terse in his reaction was former Bulacan Rep. Willy Villarama, once close confidant of Panlilio now staunch critic: “This story proves that even priests do tell lies. The statement of Panlilio (under oath) in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing contradicts what we now read. The truth can never be hidden. There is a great God who is watching over us. Time for all liars to repent. Time for Panlilio and Dabu to resign graciously. Time for all civil society from all factions to recognize the heroic deeds of the Balas Boys and the confidence team in coming out for the truth. They are the real heroes.” Thus went Villarama’s text message circulating in Pampanga since Sunday morning.
For calling him “malaram (liar)” in one of the rallies at the capitol grounds, Panlilio took it upon himself to remind the half-Kapampangan Villarama that “lying means the discrepancy between what you know and what you say.”
Look who’s talking now? Villarama could well be sneering.
“Whether or not he replaced the money that same day, even that same hour does not hide the fact that Among Ed is a bold-faced liar.” That is, of course, using the very standards Panlilio impacted on Villarama on the matter of lying.
E ku malaram. I am not a liar. So many times have we heard that mantra from Panlilio that we are reminded of the boy who cried wolf.
posted by A.Caesar Z. Lacson at 10:43 AM
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