CANDABA, PAMPANGA—Gov. Eddie Panlilio went on with his usual schedule Sunday, seemingly unperturbed by the recall campaign against him.

Speaking toward the end of the Mass at the Virgen de Lourdes Parish in Barangay Talang here, Panlilio did not tackle the recall move by the Kapanalig at Kambilan ning Memalen Pampanga Inc. (Kambilan).

Panlilio usually spends his Sundays attending Masses or religious services of faith groups in the province. He stays around for consultations.

In the Mass, he explained to about 1,000 churchgoers the crusade for good governance and responsible citizenship that, he said, ordinary citizens must participate in.

“What we have been trying to do is put God in the center of politics, to serve the way God serves,” Panlilio, a Catholic priest on leave, said in Filipino.

The priest officiating the Mass allowed Panlilio to address churchgoers before he gave the final blessing ending the celebration.

“Some politicians forget that public office is for public service. So all of us should be working together to transform politics to make it serve the people,” Panlilio said.

He said doing good governance through honest leadership was difficult but not impossible.

“I did not receive even one centavo from the ‘jueteng’ lord,” Panlilio said.

He asked them to do their bit in the responsible citizenship program by not betting on the illegal numbers game “jueteng,” managing garbage properly and participating in community projects.

“We can strengthen each other’s efforts,” he said.

Asked why he did not touch the recall issue, Panlilio said: “We will address it when it is filed with the Comelec (Commission on Elections).”

An advisory sent by the group Kaya Natin! to media organizations on Sunday said Panlilio on Monday would issue in Quezon City a formal statement on the recall move against him.

In the consultations with barangay (village) officials and residents in Candaba and San Luis towns on Sunday, some brought up the recall issue but Panlilio declined to discuss this, encouraging them instead to bring up local issues and needs.

“Let’s think of ways to unite and bring reforms to our beloved province. I will admit I have differences with some local officials but these are not reasons for me to stop uniting with them,” he said.

His supporters belonging to the group Kasaup Inc. joined Panlilio in his consultations on Sunday.

Dr. Jose Mari Sandico, Kasaup chair, said his group has readied plans to deal with the recall move, mainly through a grassroots information campaign.

“We will not let a good leader go,” Sandico said.

Kambilan has started its campaign to gather 100,000 signatures from registered voters in the province to meet the first requirement of the recall petition.

Former Board Member Rosve Henson, Kambilan president, said the 5,000 volunteers of the group have been collecting signatures since the launch of the recall drive on Aug. 21.

Kasaup and the Kapampangan Coalition Inc. have vowed to stick with Panlilio. Among local civil society groups, only the Kapampangan Marangal Inc. has yet to make public its position.

The Pampanga Mayors’ League, on the other hand, expressed support for Kambilan’s recall campaign.

Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao and 13 provincial board members will bare their position on the issue next week, it was learned. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon