MANILA, Philippines?Priest-turned-Governor Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga on Tuesday announced that he had decided to run for president in 2010.

?I have every intention to file my candidacy on or before [the deadline of] Nov. 30. I?m ready for all the consequences, including dispensation from priesthood,? Panlilio declared at the weekly forum arranged by the Catholic Media Network in Intramuros, Manila.

?Until today many people were not sure [whether] I will run. They only learned today; we are only announcing our decision today,? he said.

In Pampanga, reactions to Panlilio?s announcement ranged from approval to disdain. Fr. Raul de los Santos described the governor?s planned run as ?quixotic,? while businessman Renato Romero, a former supporter, said he was ?drunk with power.?

Panlilio said he believed running for president was God?s calling. ?When I decided to offer myself [as presidential candidate], I felt at peace. I?m doing this not for me, not for myself. I felt God wanted me to go on a higher service,? he said, adding:

?I have said time and again I have no political agenda. There have been groups telling me to run for the presidency and thought I would pray again. After a period of discernment, I said, yeah, God is calling me to run for the presidency.?

Panlilio was suspended from the priesthood when he sought and won the governorship of Pampanga in 2007, defeating Lilia Pineda, a close ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and the then incumbent, Gov. Mark Lapid.

As early as July 2007, Pineda filed a petition for a recount of the votes, which the Supreme Court granted last week.

Dispensation

According to Panlilio, he does not expect Church leaders to campaign for him because the Catholic Bishops? Conference of the Philippines does not endorse candidates.

He said he would formally request dispensation from the Church ?any time between next month and November.?

He reiterated that he would want to be reinstated in the priesthood should he lose in the 2010 presidential election: ?If they would accept me back, yes.?

?But the thing is, that could come later,? he added. ?What?s important is, this priesthood that I love so much I?m willing to give up for a greater love?and that is love for the country. For me, the heart of priesthood is accepting the love of God in working for other people, especially the poor.?

But Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said Panlilio should have sought dispensation from the Church as early as 2007.

?I hope he [seeks dispensation] because it?s the right thing to do,? Cruz said. ?He will be sparing Catholic voters ... and priests from being divided.?

Cruz said that while he wished Panlilio the best in his planned run, there was ?a good amount of doubt? about the governor making a difference in the presidential polls.

?This is because all indications, up to this time, are not objectively favorable for him as the choice of Filipino voters,? the archbishop said. ?In fact, in all probability, he would not even get a good number of votes from Pampanga.?

As for Panlilio?s plan to return to the priesthood if he is not elected president, Cruz had this comment: The moment a priest seeks dispensation, ?as a matter of principle, he is not allowed to be reinstated.?

A priest granted dispensation is released from his clerical obligations of celibacy and obedience to his bishop, and can no longer celebrate Mass and administer the sacraments.

Main thrusts

If elected, Panlilio said, his administration?s main thrusts would focus on people?s livelihood, malnutrition, corruption, food sufficiency and insurgency.

In reply to a question, he said that so far he was thinking of two persons as Cabinet members: Corazon ?Dinky? Soliman, Ms Arroyo?s former social welfare secretary, and lawyer Tony Lavinia of Ateneo de Manila University.

?We are not yet prepared. First things first,? he said.

Panlilio acknowledged that he had no political machinery and local support to speak of.

?That is to be expected at this point, but from now until [the election in] May is a long time. It?s more of a challenge for us to be organized and decided and come up with an effective campaign,? the governor said.

On a lighter note, when asked who would be his first lady should he be elected, Panlilio said: ?I have no plan to get a wife. Maybe one of my sisters [can serve as first lady].?

Extreme sacrifice

On the phone with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Ifugao Gov. Teodoro B. Baguilat Jr. said Panlilio?s move to leave the priesthood was a sign that he was serious in his quest for the presidency.

?Leaving the priesthood is an extreme sacrifice for him. But he is willing to sacrifice his vocation for the sake of the country,? said Baguilat, the lead convenor of Kilos Na!, which is behind the Among (Father) Ed for President Movement.

Baguilat said Panlilio had been thinking of leaving the priesthood as early as Easter Sunday, when he first thought of offering himself as a reform candidate for the 2010 presidential election.

The Ifugao governor added that while leaving the priesthood would be painful, Panlilio would be heartened by the thought that he would be continuing a vocation, this time as a public servant.

Kilos Na! continues to receive pledges and campaign contributions from ordinary folk who believe in Panlilio?s stand against graft and corruption, according to Baguilat.

What power?s like

Still, businessman Romero said Panlilio ?does not know what he is getting into.?

?He is drunk with power. He has tasted what it?s like to be in power. He does not want to let go of it,? Romero said in a text message sent to the Inquirer.

?I don?t believe he is sincere in his intentions. He?s justifying his running by saying he?s needed by the country. He is a great liar and con artist,? Romero said.

But Father De los Santos said: ?When [political] life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? To dream dreams may be madness. It?s also prophetic for Among Ed to see a vision of a changed Philippines.?

Another Pampanga priest said he would be ?very sad? should Panlilio seek dispensation.

?But I would trust his discernment,? said the priest, who asked not to be named in deference to the position of local Church leaders that Panlilio return to the priesthood after his term ends in 2010.

No corruption

The priest also said he would vote for Panlilio for president: ?For all the criticisms hurled at him, he can?t be accused of corruption.?

Panlilio?s immediate superior, Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, who has discouraged the governor from extending his political career, could not be reached for comment at press time. With reports from Tina Arceo-Dumlao in Manila; Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon; and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon