Gov. Panlilio gets anti-corruption award from Malacanang

If Gov. Panlilio is not doing a good job cleaning up Pampanga, why would Malacanang award him this honor? What's the accusation of "nag-hahari-harian si Gov. Among" by Mikey Arroyo for?

Panlilio, who is battling a recall election petition filed by allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said the recognition was a “vindication.”

Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio receives a “Galing Pook” award for outstanding local government projects from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang on Thursday.

Here is the full report:

Pampanga gov gets anti-corruption award
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 20:19:00 02/12/2009

MANILA, Philippines -- Beleaguered Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio received a “Galing Pook” award for his administration’s efforts to stamp out the corruption that has robbed the province of millions of pesos in revenues from quarrying operations.

Panlilio, who is battling a recall election petition filed by allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said the recognition was a “vindication.”

The Catholic priest-on-leave received his award from Arroyo in Malacañang on Thursday. His Biyaya a Luluguran at Sisikapan Committee (Blessings are Treasured and Kept, Balas) is one of 10 “Galing Pook” awardees this year.

“For them to say that we are incompetent, [that] people [have] lost confidence in me, I feel vindicated,” Panlilio said after the ceremony.

Panlilio said he was “not bothered at all” by the efforts to push the recall election, and that he was willing to fight it out with his political opponents all the way up to the Supreme Court.

From P25 million yearly, Panlilio said revenues from quarrying operations over a one-year period shot up to P234 million during his watch.

“To me, this is very, very sweet. I’m very happy because this is the first time for the province to receive an award, and to receive it after only one year of being governor is sweet, sweet victory,” he said.

The 10 outstanding local government projects of “Galing Pook” for 2008 are:

1. Albay province -- Institutionalizing Disaster Preparedness and Management
2. Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato provinces -- Multi-Sectoral Alliance for Allah Valley landscape Planning and Management
3. Sanito village in Ipil town, Zamboanga Sibugay province -- Restoring Peace and Order Through a Barangay Local Government Code
4. Cotabato province -- Children Advocates for Peace
5. Marikina City -- Service Without Delay Through Centralized Warehousing
6. Pampanga Province -- Turning Sand to Cash
7. Quezon City -- Turning Payatas into a Model Waste Disposal Facility
8. San Carlos City, Negros Occidental -- Moving Towards a Sustainable City
9. San Fernando City, Pampanga -- Governance as a Shared Responsibility
10. Taguig City -- Condo Living for the Urban Poor