ANGEL THOUGHTS “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” Psalm 34;19

Last Father’s Day (Sunday) incidentally was my late mother’s birthday. As she was very proud of her adopted province (Pampanga) where her father, Dr. Gabriel Intengan, was a gentleman farmer with hundreds of mango trees and several hectares of rice lands, we write about an "extraordinary father" of the Church and his people.

My own children surely miss their father but they know he is with his true Father.

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During the May 2007 elections, it was a "David versus two Goliaths" contest n Pampanga, and it marked the first time in our history that an active priest of the Catholic church was running for an election.

Fr. Ed Panlilio, who was chosen to face the giants, was a well-loved parish priest of Minalin, a third class municipality which was unknown to the rest of the country. Called "Among Ed," he was steeped in community and social action work especially among the Aetas whose ancestral lands were inundated by lahar after the l992 Mt. Pinatubo eruption.

As the convenors of Among Ed’s campaign and now the core group of the NGO, Kapanangan Marangal, Inc., related in the Bulong Pulungan Forum at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza last week, they were desperate with the choice of gubernatorial candidates limited to two with alleged ties to the illegal numbers game jueteng and illegal quarrying. The two activities were prevalent in the province and filled the Kapangpangas who valued their honor with quiet rage.

So. a handful of young people including Rommel de Jesus, Nina Tomen, Averell Laquindanum, Danny Dizon, and Rene Galang searched for an alternative candidate among prominent provincemates–retired Justice Art Panganiban, Senator Kiko Panglinan, Prof. Randy David, former DPWH chief Jose de Jesus, ex-NEDA Dante Canlas, businessman Rene Romero, even broadcaster Jay Sonza. They turned down the offer for almost the same reasons: No funds. No appetite for politics.

Averell, one of those who could not accept that the contest would be limited to two people even thought of running himself just to offer people another choice. They were that panicked that guns, goons, and gold would again rule their the province.

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From their search emerged the name of Among Ed. After a initial shocked raction it became, "Why not? He’s a good man!" and they set out to convince the priest to run. Among Ed loved his ministry and planned to be a priest working with the poor for as long as he lived, but deep down in his heart, he, more than any of his brother priests, knew first-hand how insidious graft and corruption could be.

Fr. Marius Roque initially was against his friend running but he also plumbed his conscience and the Canon Law (287, paragraph 2) to help Among Ed decide. It turns out that the Canon Law forbids a member of the clergy for running for a public office, "unless the common good requires it."

Clearly, the common good required it, and after consultations and intensive prayers, Among Ed announced his candidacy after his last mass as the parish priest in Betis.

Before that historic and emotional mass, Among Ed kissed and caressed his priestly vestments for the last time. He would be "suspended" from his faculties as a priest and would no longer say mass and administer the sacraments (except in extreme emergencies) .

Hope was again alive for Kapangpangans and the salutation "Luid Ka!" (for Mabuhay, you’re worthy, you have honor, etc.) became the battle cry. Aglipayans, Catholics, Protestans, Jesus is Lord, Ang Dating Daan, and other denominations closed ranks behind Among Ed. In every barangay, volunteers signed up to be the coordinators and at Bulong Pulungan sa Sofitel, many of them were there.

Among Ed was later sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice Consuelo Y. Santiago after a hectic campaign. He estimates that they spent P4 million. And his prime opponent? Somethng close to a billion pesos! His volunteer lawyers included Romulo Makalintal, Pete Quadra, Sixto Brillantes, Vivian Dabu, Laila de Lima, Ed de Mesa, Dante David, Jun Canlas, and Ernesto Francisco.

The drama, the passion, sweat, tears, and joy of that campaign is captured in moving pictures and vignettes from participants and observers in a coffee table book, "Luid Ka!" published by the Kapangpangan Marangal Book Team composed of Nina, Averell, Dennis Dizon, Atty. Dante David, Albert Palomo, Fr. Raul delos Santos, Myrna Bituin, Michael Espino, Juliet Tayag, and volunteers Tonet Gomez, Remy Musngi,Karen Cortez, Jesse Tayag, Yeng Zapata and Ted Lapid.

I hope freedom-loving Filipinos here and abroad, especially Kabalens, will buy this book! I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down! Congratulations, book team! (It costs P2,500 and part of the proceeds go to the pro- good governance programs of Among Ed and the KMI.) Prominent Kabalens, I urge you to buy copies of the book and donate it to your schools in the province! Feel good about yourselves!

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Almost a year after his election, Among Ed still faces problems in his program of Good Governance and Good Citizenship. There is also an electoral protest lodged by his formidable opponent, Lilia Pineda.The fight was close but he was a clear victor with l,147 votes from the Magalang municipality. The murder of the first barangay chairman, Mario Nulud, who was the first to come out to support him, remains unsolved and jueteng is still going on, often in the guise of the legal Small Town Lottery.

But the good news is that for the first time since the Pinatubo eruptions, the areas which should have benefited from the lahar quarries are actually getting their rightful share from the provincial government. Transparency in provincial infrastructure and services is there and people now have hope and honor, which was what Among Ed wanted to give back to his people.

The worst that could be hurled at him (i.e., the rumor that he has AIDS because of his skin condition called "vitilago"; he fathered three children; has girlfriends, etc.) may be over, but the persecution goes on, as well as the rumored threats to his life.

But, the charismatic Among Ed flatly says he is ready to give his life in service to his people. There is nothing more he wants to do after his first term ends but to go back to his priestly life, but….he also knows he can only do so much in three years. What lies beyond 2010 , he leaves it to the Almighty.

Among Ed left us with the good news that lahar (to be quarried) will still be in Pampanga for several more generations, and there are findings that it contains at least ninety per cent pure silica, a high-value ingredient for the manufacture of glass!