Abstract:
The victory of Father Eduardo Panlilio is a major benchmark in Philippine history with a
Catholic priest defeating two strong traditional politicians in the governorship of Pampanga. The
study is guided by the objective of being able to derive a direct relationship between Panlilio's
victory and the nature of the Kapampangan political culture.
The framework used in this study is that elections are imperfect instruments but are still
significant means that the people choose their leaders according to their needs and views.
Though elections are elitist in nature, favoring the rule of the rich and the influential, what is
important in the end is a reform-oriented citizenry which are able to make real choices among
real political alternatives. Throughout history, the Kapampangans are seen as advocates of
change and reform against an oppressive and illegitimate status quo. During the May 2007
Election, the Kapampangans chose an alternative to traditional politics, with Panlilio winning the
elections. Such time ripened the change: the Kapampangans had become skeptic of the then
administration and the people believed that to move away from dirty politics is to revive the true
identity of the Kapampangans. With the Panlilio government, the Kapampangans saw
transparency and good governance.
The study was able to identify that there is a direct link between the political culture of the
Kapampangans and the victory of Panlilio as the governor. The Kapampangans sought change一
from a corrupt administration to a moral and transparent government. This phenomenon is a
reinforcement of the reformism that is deeply embedded in their political culture.
