Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio has presented himself as a possible contender for the presidency in 2010. Panlilio has apparently positioned himself as a reform candidate on a mission to rid this country of corruption.
It would be interesting to see a non-traditional candidate battle it out with the trapos (traditional politicians). But, while I can imagine him demolishing many of the possible candidates on the strength of image alone, I have some doubts if he can make it to Malacanang without crossing over to the dark side of old style traditional politics.
As a man of the cloth and a non-traditional politician, Panlilio already has the advantage of being perceived as being on the side of good. In fact, he got elected precisely because of that.
To his credit, the governor has succeeded in raising the provincial government’s collection from quarrying operations. However, beyond that, much of the publicity that has gone his way has been mostly negative such as the allegations of underperformance and the persistent efforts to have him recalled.
A friend of mine says it is best to examine not only the candidate’s vision but also his or her track record. In Panlilio’s case, I think he will have to come up with something really big to boost his own record as a public servant if he wants to be taken seriously as a presidential contender. Solving Pampanga’s jueteng problem may just do the trick. But, with just a little over a year before the elections, Panlilio may have to perform a miracle.
So what do you think? Does Panlilio have a fighting chance? The bigger question is: Does non-traditional politics have any chance at all under our present corrupt kumpadre system?
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