Landslide for Nanay

I HAVE said it once and I say it again: There is no way for Eddie Panlilio to win the governorship of Pampanga.
That was Ashley Manabat, astute political analyst when freed from his editing chores which has become oftener now with the untimely mothballing of Luzon Urban Beltway BANNER.
Yes, I remember Ashley declaring over Infomax TV – way before the filing of certificates of candidacy of the local bets – the impossibility of a Panlilio victory on May 10.
Ashley’s exegeses were founded on what he called the general dissatisfaction of the Kapampangan over Panlilio, arising from: 1) his failure to launch programs and projects truly beneficial to the constituency, most especially the poor; 2) the mirage that was the quarry collection – from P1 million a day to less than half which in turn gave rise to speculations of new scams; 3) the overlordship of still-putative (?) provincial administrator Atty. Vivian Dabu at the Capitol,
Other factors Ashley cited were: 1) Panlilio’s loss of his “confidence team” of Archie Reyes, Tess Briones, Atty. Aiza Velez, and 10 others; 2) the transformation of his once rabid supporters to ardent detractors, notably businessman Rene Romero and his group and Madame Lolita Hizon and her congregation; 3) the “rebellion” of the real heroes in that once spectacular rise in quarry collections – the quarrymen of Balas (Biyaya a Luluguran at Sisikapan).
So, how could Panlilio possibly win with all those minuses in the public perception of his character, his non-performance as well as in his support group? Ashley would ask.
The realities on the political ground are even more telling on Panlilio, so Ashley holds.
Mayors of towns won handily in 2007 by subsequent loser Gov. Mark Lapid are now uniformly gung-ho on Nanay Baby Pineda.
In Arayat, Chito Espino need not move the mountain for Nanay, the mountain has gone to her, so to speak, with the outpouring of support by the local electorate.
In Mexico, unopposed Teddy Tumang can make Nanay virtually unopposed too. Get the drift there?
In Apalit, Jun Tetangco with but a token, nay, a doped palooka of an opponent, promises no less than 85 percent of the vote for Nanay. And when and where Jun promises, he always delivers.
In Floridablanca, Eddie Guerrero has the zeal of a new convert, to the Nanay cause that is. Why, even his opponent Darwin Manalansan is campaigning for Nanay too.
The Tres Flores – Macabebe’s Bobong, Masantol’s Peter and Minalin’s Edgar – all able quarterbacks of the 2007 Lapid campaign are now all surging spearheads of the Nanay juggernaut.
And in Boking Morales’ Mabalacat, the burning desire of the electorate for a Nanay at the Capitol found spontaneous combustion everywhere she went, be it on motorcades or in rallies, around town or in the resettlement sites.
No burning ballots this time around then?
Forget the past, it is the present that matters now.
Go to the rest of Pampanga and Panlilio finds nothing but grief.
So he has Vice Mayor Norman Lacson in Magalang but Nanay has Lyndon Cunanan and Romy Pecson.
In Porac, he is totally shut out with the contenders Mayor Roger Santos, Vice Mayor Jing Capil and Carling de la Cruz all for Nanay.
Sta. Rita with Yolly Pineda and Lubao with her husband Dennis are family fiefdoms; Sasmuan with Nardo Velasco and Guagua with Ric Rivera, Pineda vassals.
All four of Bacolor’s mayoralty bets – Ron Dungca, Vice Mayor Diman Datu, Jomar Hizon, and Engr. Dinan Labung – carry the Nanay standards.
Even Mayor Oscar Rodriguez of the City of San Fernando is said to have been advised by well-meaning friends that his affiliation with Panlilio is putting fuel to Tiger’s sputtering tank. It has been observed that the Magsilbi Tamu Team is now doing the rounds minus him, Panlilio that is, not Oca.
Sta. Ana’s Omeng Concepcion’s heart belongs to Nanay too.
Outspoken for GMA as loquacious for Nanay is Candaba’s Jerry Pelayo.
Quiet Jay Sagum of San Luis may be more concerned with his wife Anna York’s fight with surging Rene Maglanque, but the leaders there are Nanay’s.
San Simon’s two ladies – Ms. Wrong, er, Wong and Ms. Dalisay share heart and mind with Pampanga’s foremost lady now, the latter even the same Baby moniker.
Whichever way one goes in Sto. Tomas – Mayor Lito Naguit or Reggie Mallari – one comes ever nearer to Nanay.
Yes, Ashley’s empirical data there find affirmation in the results of a Pulse Asia survey conducted in the 3rd district but can very easily serve as a microcosm of the whole province.
For Panlilio, 26 percent of the respondents trusted him while 42 percent did not, and 4 percent did not know him. That is a net rating of minus-16 percent.
For Nanay, 49 percent trusted her while 17 percent did not and 3 percent did not know her. That is a net rating of plus-32 percent.
Simple arithmetic shows there Nanay with a net margin of 48 percent over Panlilio. Which very easily translates to a 74-26 share of the electorate.
There’s your Nanay landslide on May 10.
Yeah, can’t help but agree with Ashley: There’s no way for Panlilio to win.