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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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US feds nab Filipino kidnap gang leader in LA
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NEW YORK, October 14, 2004 --- US federal agents arrested a Filipino dentist who is one of the five most wanted leaders of a kidnap-for-ransom-gang in the Philippines, reports said.
Hedelito Trinidad, alias Heddy, did not resist arrest when five members of the FBI went to his Los Angeles home last Thursday pretending to buy his van.
Trinidad is currently still under the custody of the FBI pending an extradition request from the Philippine government.
“We want him back here (Manila) as soon as possible to face a string of kidnapping charges,” an official of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (Naktaf) said in a press statement.
The Philippine police coordinated with FBI early this year after receiving a tip on Trinidad’s whereabout.
“The poster helped us a lot,” said a Philippine police, referring to the “Wanted for Kidnapping”, which Naktaf officials posted in public places in California.
The poster bears the names of the 20 wanted kidnappers and the corresponding bounties.
Trinidad, who is also known as “Eddie”, is number-three in the Philippines’ most wanted list of kidnappers, with an $15,000 dollar bounty on his head, official records show.
His exact whereabouts in LA, Philippine police added, was pinpointed through information provided by informants in West Covina, Calif. “and case build up” by operatives of Naktaf who were sent to LA.
“Trinidad was responding to an offer to purchase his van. An FBI agent acted as the buyer of the vehicle,” the officer said.
Brothers Harold and Rolando Fajardo, who each carry a P1 million reward, are Naktaf’s number-one and number-two most wanted, respectively.
The Fajardo brothers eluded arrest by Naktaf operatives in a raid of their safehouse in Tanauan town in Batangas, Philippines, on Feb. 25. A rifle, ammunition, illegal drugs and P54,000 case were seized from their hideout.
RP seeks return of
wanted kidnapper
The Philippine government is set to file on Wednesday a formal extradition request with the United States to get back Trinidad, police and justice department sources said.
“He is a big catch,” DILG Secretary Angelo Reyes said. “He was quite elusive but he was entrapped. The entrapment was beautiful.”
Reyes said Trinidad had always been on the run, but his captivity could be a key to alleviate kidnappings in the Philippines.
“Sometimes, he would go to Canada. Apparently, he got wind of our efforts to get him so he tried to lie low but through the information of the Filipino community there, we were able to get him,” Reyes said.
DILG officials said the government plans to give rewards to the five FBI agents who helped collar Trinidad.
“The FBI played a big role and we want to acknowledge their participation,” Reyes said. — with reports from MNS.
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NEW YORK, October 14, 2004 --- The US House and Senate are moving toward setting rules to standardize the documentation required to obtain a driver's license, and the data the license would have to contain.
Although the plan has received mixed reactions from critics and advocates, the Sept. 11 commission has recommended its implementation.
The Senate version of the intelligence bill includes an amendment, passed by unanimous consent on Oct. 1, that would let the secretary of homeland security decide what documents a state would have to require before issuing a driver's license, and would also specify the data that the license would have to include for it to meet federal standards.
The Senate’s provision may allow the secretary of homeland security to require fingerprints or eye prints in the license, as well as require use of the license, or an equivalent card issued by motor vehicle bureaus to nondrivers for identification purposes, for access to planes, trains and other modes of transportation.
However, the provision does not give the department the authority to force the states to meet the federal standards, but it would create enormous pressure on them to do so. After a transition period, the department could decide to accept only licenses issued under the rules as identification at airports.
As for the House, the provision, passed Oct. 8, would require the states to keep all driver's license information in a linked database, for quick access.
The House’s version also calls for “an integrated network of screening points that includes the nation's border security system, transportation system and critical infrastructure facilities that the secretary determines need to be protected against terrorist attack.”
The two versions will go to a House-Senate conference committee.
Critics say the plan would create a national identification card. But advocates say it would make it harder for terrorists to operate, as well as reduce the highway death toll by helping states identify applicants whose licenses had been revoked in other states.
Also, the civil liberty advocates said that the provision means Americans are going to to end up with a police state by allowing the secretary of homeland security to designate the sensitive areas and allowing the integration of screening system.
“If the requirement to show the identification card can be applied to any mode of transportation, that could eventually include subways or highways, and the result would be to require you to have some national ID card, essentially, in order to go from point A to point B,” said a legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.
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A Filipino-American supporter of presidential candidate John F. Kerry during one of the campaign trails.
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Cherry Hill, NEW JERSEY, October 14, 2004 --- While the drama and tension of the presidential debates swirled around war, the economy and health care, a number of Filipino-Americans gathered here on Friday night to evaluate the candidates’ platforms and records, as well as support Senator John F. Kerry.
Christian Baldia, who is working as a communications officer of Americans Overseas for Kerry, said: “Kerry is very eloquent and backed up his statements with facts. The president is on the defensive side. I’m not persuaded by the president’s defense on Iraq.”
With 5 to 7 million Americans overseas, including Filipino-Americans in the Philippines, Baldia said American overseas are swing voters.
“In the Philippines and other countries, we are getting voters to register more, Americans abroad are very important and should be tapped, and we are working to make them vote for Kerry,” said Baldia, who was a former Federal Reserve Board Money analyst.
Baldia and his fellow Filipino-Americans, most of them in their mid-20’s, partied, clapped their hands and cheered as Kerry opened a broad assault on Bush’s credibility, specifically in deceiving Americans that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
During the Friday’s debate, which was the last of the three presidential debates, Kerry criticized the president's decision to invade Iraq, saying, “If we'd used smart diplomacy, we could have saved $200 billion and an invasion of Iraq, and right now Osama bin Laden might be in jail or dead. That's the war on terror.”
As the candidates quarreled on abortion and right to life, jobs, education and environment, and other issues, Cara Arevalo, CEO of Georgetown, who sponsored the debate party, said Bush was inconsistent because he claimed to be pro-life by rejecting abortion.
“But he sends kids to war, contrary to what he stands for. He wants to save babies, yet he sends somebody’s child to war. How many people have died in a war which is not necessary,” she said.
“We’re headed towards a financial disaster if we do not support today’s critical and political affairs. The best part of the debate is that it shows how clear and decisive Kerry is,” said Arevalo, who was invited by Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry/Edwards campaign manager to participate in Democrats’ grassroots campaign.
Pro-life advocates who are millions, are enthused that Bush stressed the protection of lives in the second debate.
“I believe in the right of the unborn. Lives must be protected. I won’t vote for somebody who want to kill babies and supports abortion,” said Maria Lorenzo, a Filipina-American Catholic, who attended the debate party.
Kerry said that the nation has suffered a net job loss under Bush.
But Bush said 1.7 million jobs have so far been created in his term. He also said Kerry would have to raise taxes on middle-class Americans to pay for $2.2 trillion in new spending progams.
“That's just reality,” Bush insisted as he criticized Kerry for his inconsistencies. “I can see why people think he changes a lot,” Bush retorted, “because he does.”
The president pointed out that Kerry said he had voted for an $87-billion appropriation for Iraq and Afghanistan before he voted against it.
In the previous debate when Bush mentioned the Philippines where global campaign against terror is being held, he gained support from Filipino-Americans as Bush said he was helping the Philippines to win the war against terror.
“The role of the Philippines in international war on terror is very significant because the Philippines is being used as training ground of the terrorists. And you know, one of Osama Bin Laden's wife came from Mindanao. Whether we like it or not, the Philippines is part of this war. Majority of Filipino Americans support Bush. The historic relationship of the U.S. and the Philippines is still in the mind of President Bush,” said Ernesto Gange, chairperson of Pennsylvania Chapter of NationalFederation of Filipino-American Republicans, and founding chairman of International Network of Filipino Overseas
But Filipino-Americans Democrats said Filipinos should support Kerry because he represents the interests of immigrants, minorities and women.
“Kerry is the clear winner. He is calm, yet speaking with substance and his statements are based on facts,” said Marife Domingo, a Filipino American and a member of Asian American Coalition in N.J., who attended the debate party.
“Kerry has a lot of policies to help immigrants. He is pro-middle class and his values are closer to Asian Americans,” said Brad Baldia, president of ICON Philadelphia and a former White House intern, and one of the organizers of the debate party.
He said the votes of Asian-Americans for Kerry would help mend the broken immigration system by demanding comprehensive immigration reform that includes family reunification and legalization, which are being pushed by Kerry.
Immigrant communities, like ordinary Americans suffer from lack of health care services and benefits and many have no health insurance.
Baldia said 4 million Americans lost their health insurance under Bush administration.
“Asian-Americans tend to be Democratic. The Democrats represent the greatest diversity,” Baldia said.
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NEW YORK, October 14, 2004 --- The Philippine Consulate has commended a Filipino couple based in New York who returned $700,000 that had been deposited by mistake to their savings account by a Manhattan-based European bank.
Consul General Cecilia Rebong awarded on Oct. 8 a plaque of appreciation to Rowena and Melchor Bolivar, for their “honesty and moral example.”
Instead of profiting from the error, the couple wasted no time in calling the attention of their Manhattan bank, which apparently was not aware of the deposit glitch.
Rebong said that a new kind of “epidemic” has gripped the Filipino community in New York City, that is the "the epidemic of honesty which is fast turning thousands of Filipinos working or living in the Big Apple into paragons of integrity.”
The honesty of the Bolivars came in the heels of another display of Filipino honesty in New York’s recent memory --- Nestor Sulpico, a Filipino cab driver who returned precious jewelry a passenger had left in his cab.
For his honesty, Sulpico was feted by the New York Consulate and New York City officials led by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Rebong said she would not be surprised if other Bolivars and Sulpicos will surface in the near future.
“I do not know when and how the “epidemic” started. All I know is that we Filipinos are naturally God-fearing and it is probably in our system to always side with the good whenever tempted by evil,” Rebong said.
In a bright ceremony, Rebong honored the honest couple in a simple program at the Philippine Center.
The consul general gave the Bolivars a Letter of Commendation from Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, and a Certificate of Recognition from the Consulate.
Consulate officers and staff and some members of the Filipino media witnessed the event.
Edward Pollack, the Bolivars' employer for the past nine years, and another Filipino employee accompanied the couple to the consulate for the simple ceremonies.
As a token of appreciation, Pollack gave Melchor, his family driver, an expensive tie.
“I knew I had to return it, it didn't belong to me,” Bolivar said.
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MANILA --- Filipino inventor Pablo Planas has received numerous commendations from government officials and lawmakers for the patriotism he showed when huge foreign companies abroad offered to buy the exclusive rights of the gasoline-saving device he created.
Planas had turned down a multimillion-dollar package offered by a US-based company in exchange for buying the entire rights of his invention, the Khaos Super Turbo Charger (KSTC). He also turned down a migration ìtreatî for his family in exchange for the gadget’s blueprint.
Rep. Manuel Zamora of Compostela Valley said the House of Representatives considers Planas ìa true statesmanî when he refused to give in to the financial opportunity offered to him by countries like United States, Germany, Singapore and China.
Zamora was the first congressman who gave support to Planas after learning that the United States offered $10 million for the rights of the gasoline-saving gadget.
Reps. Crispin Remulla of Cavite, Benny Abante of Manila, Generoso Tulagan of Manila and Benasing Macarambon of Lanao del Norte also lauded Planas for thinking about the welfare of Filipinos.
The 67-year-old inventor said he did not accept the proposals from the foreign multinational companies because only foreigners would benefit from the worldwide distribution of his invention.
“No Filipino could afford this gadget in case the US and other countries buy the rights to the KSTC. As a former jeepney driver, I also know that Filipinos need this product more than the people in the First World countries,” Planas said.
Energy Secretary Vince Perez and Environment Secretary Mike Defensor said they would recommend the product to the proper markets within the Philippines.
Defensor said the government would support Planas for his invention, although he did not specify what kind of support.
When attached to a gasoline engine, the KSTC reduces a vehicleís fuel consumption by half. It also helps reduce smoke emissions by lowering the toxic fumes due to its 100 per cent efficient gas combustion. (MNS)
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