Guv: 'I'm not panicking, running away'

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- "I am not panicking. Look how relaxed we are," said Governor Eddie Panlilio.

He issued the statement amid reports that he "was in already in panic mode" because of the impending recall petition set to be filed against him by the Kapanalig at Kambilan Ning Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan) at the provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) here by the middle of this month.

Earlier, Kambilan President Rosve Henson reportedly said that Panlilio was "in panic mode" because of the more than 220,000 verified and validated signatures his group has gathered for the recall petition against the governor.

Earlier, Henson said they will file the petition on October 15 or earlier.

But Panlilio, over the weekend, reiterated his stand on the recall move against him, saying it is the constitutional right of Henson and his group to initiate and file such recall move. He said it as democratic process that he honors as this determine the state of his mandate as chief executive of the province.

In recent interviews with Sun.Star Pampanga, Panlilio said he was "calmly waiting" for the recall petition to be filed. "So, we will wait on October 15."

"This just shows that democracy is alive in Pampanga. This way, it is the people who will judge the mandate they gave me as a governor."

Panlilio also refuted reports that "he was again running away from the province's problems and seeking support elsewhere" on his current predicament.

The priest-turned- governor was in Iloilo two weeks ago for his continuing good governance talks. His detractors saw this as another stance to "run away" from the province's current state of affairs and seek the support of his colleagues regarding the looming recall elections before him.

His 'Kaya Natin' colleagues Harvey Keh of the Ateneo School of Government and Vice-Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija came to Pampanga last month to profess their support for the embattled governor.

Panlilio and the movement's other proponents have been going around school campuses to gain support for their good governance advocacies.

In September, Panlilio flew to the United States for a series of speaking engagements there upon the instance of Fil-Am group PamagCUSA which also financed his trip. He left behind a representative to attend a Provincial Board hearing on his request for a P13 million supplemental budget.

His detractors viewed these otherwise, saying "Panlilio was turning his back on the parochial problems of the province."

"No. We are not running away from the problems here in the Capitol. Like our other colleagues, I was invited by Fr. Gabby Reyes of Iloilo to talk on good governance, transparency and responsible citizenship before multi-sectoral groups in his place. Contrary to what my detractors say, I am not running away from issues here," the governor said.

Panlilio added: "We are facing all what they say are the problems in our province. We are still working and serving the people despite what other people are saying." (JTD)