A Classic Case of Having One's Priorities Bass Ackwards
July 21, 2009 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
[Hummed to the tune of the “Beverly Hillbillies” theme song . . .]
A Filipino priest, elected provincial governor in northern Philippines, said God has called him to run in the presidential race next year.
Gov. Eddie Panlilio, 55, who became the first Filipino priest to sit in public office, said he loves his priesthood very much, but he might be forced to leave it for the sake of the nation.
The priest-turned-politician is now very busy going around the country to complete their slate of candidates for the 2010 national elections. The governor, however, stressed his decision is not yet final since he still needs to feel the public pulse and acceptance of his candidacy.
Panlilio, who is suspended from performing priestly duties for entering politics, defeated two administration candidates in a close race for the governorship in Pampanga in 2007.
If elected, Panlilio said his administration would focus on the areas of livelihood, health, food security, and would address the problem of insurgency and corruption. (source)
See also here.
Your source is innacurate, Gov. Eddie Panlilio is actually the second Filipino priest to hold a public office, following Fr. Margarito Gonzaga who was elected mayor of Alburquerque, Bohol in 1971. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/167673/Panlilio-wants-to-become-RPs-first-priest-turned-president
And to be fair, Fr. Eddie Panlilio did receive a dispensation from Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of San Fernando, Pampanga, prior to his running for governor. It is also worth noting that the the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) did laud Fr. Panlilio's election, but only as an exception. http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=24162
As someone who is fairly familiar with politics in the Philippines (I was born and raised there, I still have a lot of family there, including some family members living in the province of Pampanga where Eddie Panlilio is governor) I can say that the fact that he was elected is more of a testimony of the people being fed up with the rampant graft and corruption in the government and have pinned their hopes on Eddie Panlilio as being someone that they can trust. He is probably not the most qualified to run for governor, but he is someone that the people of Pampanga hopes will address the problem of widespread corruption, not add to it.