CBCP to Panlilio: Watch out, jueteng sharks could bite you

He may have the best intention of erasing Pampanga’s bad reputation of being the country's “Vatican of jueteng". Bishops, however, advised newly proclaimed governor Ed Panlilio on Sunday to remember that he will be running the province with people who could bite him back. Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) spokesman, said that while Panlilio’s entry to politics offered fresh hopes for Pampangueños, he still has to deal with other local officials who may have benefited from jueteng. “This is a very temporary euphoria. We’ll have to see his performance, if he would be able to eliminate jueteng. (His) intention is very good but performance is different," Quitorio said in a telephone interview. He said jueteng is already “embedded" in the lives of people in Pampanga, especially among government officials, thus eliminating it would be a big challenge for a political neophyte like Panlilio. Former CBCP President and Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz for his part said Panlilio has to be “very careful" of his choice of advisers because bad ones may “contaminate" his noble intentions. “These are the big impediments along his way. He has no single political party (so) everybody will ally with him. He may get his hands soiled," Cruz said in another telephone interview. Cruz, nevertheless believed that Panlilio is “not dumb" and thus could discern if some of his advisers are leading him astray. Panlilio was proclaimed Pampanga governor on Friday beating political giants Lilia Pineda and former governor Mark Lapid. He was suspended from his priestly duties after filing his candidacy for the gubernatorial post. - GMANews.TV