Panlilio unfazed by Mikey's gubernatorial bid

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines – Gov. Eddie Panlilio yesterday said he is considering running for re-election but stressed this option has nothing to do with the possibility of presidential son Rep. Mikey Arroyo seeking his position in next year’s elections.

Panlilio, in a telephone interview from Ifugao province, said re-election is one of the three options he is considering. The two others are presidential candidacy and return to priesthood.

He was declared on leave from his priestly ministry after he decided to run for governor in the 2007 elections. “I have cited re-election as one of my three options even before Congressman Mikey announced he was open to gubernatorial candidacy,” he said.

Asked to comment on Arroyo’s gubernatorial bid, Panlilio, an outspoken critic of the Arroyo administration, said, “He has all the right to seek that post. There is no legal impediment.”

But he said Arroyo would likely turn out to be an “absentee governor” if he wins. “He has a lot of other concerns outside the province,” he added, without elaborating.

Earlier, Arroyo said his first priority would be to seek a third and last term in the second district comprising his hometown of Lubao as well as Guagua, Sasmuan, Floridablanca, Sta. Rita, and Porac.

While saying that his mother, President Arroyo, has never talked to him about her reported plans to run for Congress in his district in next year’s polls, Rep. Arroyo said he would give way to his mother and run instead for governor.

Meanwhile, Panlilio said has yet to make up his mind on whether to accept or reject the proposal for him to run for president.

Earlier, he cited three factors that could make him decide on this, namely, the lack of any other acceptable presidential candidate, a groundswell of public support for his candidacy, and financial resources.While the present crop of presidentiables were unacceptable to him because of their affiliations, Panlilio said he has yet to observe enough public backing and financial resources needed for his candidacy.He noted that he ranked “very low” in a recent survey of presidentiables.