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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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Grace Ivy Tarongoy, wife of Filipino hostage Roberto Tarongoy, an accountant working for a Saudi Arabian company catering food to American troops in Iraq, appeals to the abductors of her husband as she meets reporters in Manila. (MNSwirephoto)
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NEW YORK, November 4, 2004 --- A 31-year-old undocumented Filipino worker was among the six people kidnapped on Monday in Iraq, according to a U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Manila.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials confirmed the abduction of Roberto Tarongoy, which came as Philippine authorities grappled with another hostage crisis in Afghanistan. And only four months ago, truck driver Angelo de la Cruz barely escaped a beheading in Iraq after the Arroyo administration capitulated to his kidnappers’ demands.
Tarongoy, who reportedly sneaked into the conflict-torn country despite the Philippine government ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), was seized in the Al Mansour district of Baghdad along with an American, a Nepalese and three Iraqis. Two of the Iraqis, however, have been released.
The spokesman said that the kidnappers allowed two Iraqis to go free and left them in Baghdad's Hay al-Amil area after they had been beaten up, blindfolded and had their hands tied with plastic cuffs. But Iraqi police believed that the two were freed because they were from the Fallujah area.
A Davao native, Tarongoy was an accountant working for a Saudi Arabian company that caters food to American troops in Iraq. He managed to leave for Iraq, DFA said, without having been registered with the Southern Mindanao office of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
There are also no records of his departure with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in the region.
According to OWWA-Southern Mindanao head Francis Domingo, Tarongoy likely slipped into the Middle Eastern country even after Pres. Arroyo imposed a ban of OFW deployments last July.
After the abduction, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Romulo said the Philippine government is now working closely with authorities in Baghdad and American officials to determine the fate of the hostages. Manila cannot act on its own, Romulo said, as other nationalities are involved.
“I have already instructed the Philippine embassy in Baghdad to take all appropriate measures to ascertain the condition of the Filipino and gather additional information on the situation, the abductors and their possible demands,” Romulo said. “Rest assured, the Philippine government is mobilizing its resources and is exerting all possible means to secure the safe release of Mr. Tarongoy.”
Tarongoy and the other hostages were snatched by masked assailants who stormed the offices of the Saudi Arabian Trading and Contracting Co. (SATCO) in the smart Mansour district, according to reports.
Last week, another Filipino, Angelito Nayan, was held hostage in Afghanistan where he works as an election volunteer for the United Nations.
Nayan and his two colleagues were abducted in Kabul with their militant captors demanding the removal of foreign presence in the country and for the US to free its Taliban-linked prisoners.
The deadline for the hostages’ execution supposedly lapsed on Nov. 2 after the hostage-takers belonging to a breakaway Taliban faction had it extended to allow more time for negotiations, a report said.
The Philippine government said officials were coordinating closely with UN authorities on the ground. There was no confirmation that the kidnappers from a group calling itself Jaishul Muslimeen (Army of Muslims) had been contacted, or the victims located.
Tarongoy abductors still unknown
Three days after Tarongoy was seized by gunmen in Iraq, Filipino officials in Baghdad admitted they still have no information about the identity of the group behind the abduction.
Radio reports quoted Philippine Charge d' Affaires to Baghdad Ricardo Endaya as saying that aside from the group's identity, the hostage-takers demand was also unknown.
Endaya assured that he and other Filipino officials in Iraq are coordinating with Iraqi and US military officials to establish the identity of the group.
“We received word that Iraqi and American officials have a list of possible suspects and we are doing our best to contact these officials,” Endaya said.
Wife issues appeal
Grace Ivy Tarongoy, wife of Robert Tarongoy, has issued an impassioned appeal to his captors to release her husband.
Grace Ivy has arrived on Wednesday in Manila from Davao City accompanied by Secretary Jesus Dureza, chairman of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO), and brought to an undisclosed place.
She was married to Tarongoy two years ago.
Tarongoy’s sister Beth said that his last telephone call to his family was on Oct. 31.
She said Labor and Employment Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas and local officials informed their family about Tarongoy's reported abduction in Iraq by armed militants.
Since the war in Iraq began, more than 160 foreigners have been abducted this year by militants with political demands or by criminals seeking ransom. At least 33 captives have been killed. --- Anthony D. Advincula contributed to this report.
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FIRST COUPLE, Pres. George W. Bush and wife Laura, celebrate victory on Wednesday at the White House.
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NEW YORK, November 4, 2004 --- Buoyed by optimism and faith that their lives will be better, Filipino-Americans were energized and felt a deep sense of affirmation with the victory and re-election of President George Bush.
“We feel very gratified that Asian-Americans have succeeded in re-electing President Bush. He is a firm leader who will help ensure a safe country and a safe world. He will promote a more vigorous economy, a pro-life and pro-family leader,” said Filipino-American Dr. Lupo Carlota, chairman of the National Asian American Republican Coalition (NAARC), who mobilized Filipinos and other Asian-American groups in Tennessee to deliver solid votes to Bush.
Bush was the clear winner on Wednesday in the U.S. elections as he gathered 259 electoral votes as reported by the Associated Press, against 252 electoral votes of Senator John Kerry. Fueled by strong backing of evangelical and conservative votes, Bush declared he won the elections after Kerry conceded Wednesday afternoon.
“A new term is a new opportunity. We have one country. One Constitution and one future that binds us,” said Bush in his victory speech.
The President also won the popular votes, garnering 51 percent against Kerry’s 48 percent votes or a wide margin of three and half million votes.
“America has spoken, I’m humbled by the trust and the confidence of my fellow citizens,” Bush said.
Kerry gave a concession speech calling for unity and healing. “ In America , it is vital that every vote counts, and that every vote be counted. But the outcome should be decided by voters , not by a protracted legal process,” said Kerry.
For Carlota, the victory of Bush means a new opportunity for Filipinos and Asian-Americans to participate in nation-building.
He said he was honored to be appointed as chairman of the sub-committee on health for Asia Pacific Islanders from 2001-2003.
He sees that more Asian-Americans will be appointed by Bush.
Prior to the elections, Bush so far appointed 206 Asian-Americans in government. With passion and determination, the Asian-American community hoped that Bush re-election would lead to greater diversity.
With the victory of Bush, Lupo also sees a stronger bilateral relation for the U.S. and the Philippines. “President Bush will help a secure and stable Philippines. We will remain a strong ally of the U.S.,” he said.
Lupo said they were preparing a victory party and celebrations in Washington, DC, for Filipino-Americans and other Asian-Americans Republicans. No exact date has been set yet.
Echoing the sentiments of other Filipino-American Republicans, Ernesto Gange, chairman of National Federation of Filipino-American Republicans in Pennsylvania, and founder of International Network of Filipino Overseas, said he was happy on the results of the recent elections.
“Our efforts have paid off and our prayers have been answered. President Bush is the right man to continue the job he has started. For the Philippines, this is a good news. Bush has invested a lot to cultivate historic relations between the us and the Philippines,” said Gange.
Quoting an independent survey, Gange said most Filipino-Americans, who are predominantly Catholics and members of other Christian sects, voted heavily for Bush.
“The biggest issue is abortion, we are Christian people, we don’t want abortion and we don’t want to kill babies and human beings,” said Gange.
Kerry openly supported abortion while Bush firmly declared his pro-life position in previous debates. Bush also opposed same-sex marriages.
There are over three million Filipinos in the U.S. Of that figure, a million of them are registered voters.
Other Filipinos are hoping Pres. Bush would push for legalization of illegal workers in America that would lead to immigration reform.
Filipinos who voted for Kerry believes Kerry has a strong pro-immigration positions and were disappointed by Kerry’s defeat.
“In the past four years, there were no major immigration reforms passed. With the Bush presidency, I doubt if there’s new immigration laws to be passed. Bush has a guest worker initiative, but he really didn’t push for it. Kerry supported immigration reform reform act that would grant undocumented aliens to become legal residents,” said immigration lawyer Reuben Seguritan, based in New York City.
“I’m disappointed. We really campaigned for Kerry. Asians came out for Kerry and new voters were for him There was a great response in Phildelphia and he won overwhelmingly in New Jersey. The problem was he didn’t reach out in middle states to talk about his religious values. Religion took a big part in the elections as well as moral values,” said businesswoman Cara Arevalo, who campaigned for Kerry in NJ.
But Paulo Blanco, chairman of Filipino-American Republican voters of South Bay California, based in Long Beach, the victory of President Bush means a lot to him.
“Bush has been a very strong supporter of Filipino veterans, a supporter of international trade and strong supporter of quality education, champion of freedom, fighter against terrorists and a friend of Filipino- Americans,” he said. “My hopes are: he would strengthen our national defense, provide more jobs and opportunities for all Americans.” Blanco has been a Republican since 1986.
For Filipino-American World War II Veteran, Joe Genito of Jersey City, his vote for Bush meant that he knew how to pay his loyalty.
Genito said the older George W. Bush, signed a bill that granted citizenship to thousands of Filipino veterans in 1990. The younger Bush, he said, signed health care benefits for Filipino American WW II veterans.
“We are hoping that President Bush will help us so that we could get equal benefits as veterans. We want Senate bill 68 and House Resolution 677 to be passed to grant pensions to both Filipino-Americans and Filipino veterans who fought during World War ll,” Genito said.
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NEW YORK, November 3, 2004 --- Carlos Sampayan Bulosan’s brief visit in New York City’s artist enclave at Greenwich Village was immortalized on Saturday when the Carlos Bulosan Heritage Center was launched at Queens Public Library – Elmhurst Branch in New York City.
At the same time, Queens Council member John Liu (20th District) signed a proclamation on behalf of the New York City Council, declaring Bulosan’s 90th birthday on Tuesday, Nov. 2nd, as Carlos S. Bulosan Day, “in recognition of his inestimable contributions as an important labor organizer and writer.”
A self-taught writer, who romanticized his semi-autobiographical novel, “America is in the Heart,” Bulosan succumbed to pneumonia and died a bachelor on Sept. 11, 1956 at the age of 41, leaving behind his invaluable writings that have taught many about the Filipino-American experience.
When Bulosan was in City, he befriended Greenwich Village literary giants Carl Sandburg, William Saroyan and John Dos Passos.
In the proclamation, it noted that Bulosan, who was born on Nov. 2nd 1914 in Binalonan, Pangasinan, in the Philippines, like other immigrants before and after him, came to the United States at the age of 15 on July 22, 1930, the height of Depression, “to work and chase his dream of a better life.”
With only three years of formal education in the Philippines, Bulosan worked as a migrant worker, following the crops from Washington State through California, but with a desire to learn, became self-taught and at one point read one book a day, seven days a week for two years.
Because of his intense reading habit, Bulosan became fluent in English and one of the first great English language Filipino writers, who focused on the struggles of the poor, racial discrimination and harsh labor conditions. He would write acclaimed novels, collections of short stories, articles and poetry collections.
Bulosan was commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to write an essay on the Four Freedoms. Bulosan's essay, "Freedom From Want" was published on the 23 March 1946 edition of Saturday Evening Post.
The launching of the Carlos Bulosan Heritage Center and the proclamation of the Carlos Bulosan Day in New York also served as the backdrop of the launching of the two books, which were found, after his death.
The books, edited by Prof. E. San Juan of St. Joseph’s College and chairman of the Philippine Forum, were “The Cry and Dedication” (Temple University Press, 1995, 305 pages, $32.95 in Amazon.com) and “On Becoming Filipino” (Temple University Press, 1995, 221 pages, $24.95, Amazon.com).
On the posthumously discovered “The Cry and Dedication”, Alan Wald of the University of Michigan said, “Bulosan was previously recognized as a prophetic writer, an artisan of lush and evocative prose who felicitously blended traditional class struggle and anti-racist traditions of the 1930’s with post World War II themes of national liberation in a colonized world.
“But the appearance of this nearly “lost” novel of guerilla warfare in the Philippines extends his achievement in fresh and unexpected way. With its Dantesque journey motif and Eliotic theme of sexual wounding, “The Cry and Dedication” recalls works as diverse as Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and Kenneth Patchen’s “The Journal of Albion Moonlight” at the same time it bears the mark of Philippine national culture.”
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NEW YORK, November 4, 2004 --- To honor the heroism of Filipino-American soldiers and their 1,000 comrades who died while in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to celebrate Veterans Day, a group of Filipino veterans will hold a two-day commemoration in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 11 and 12.
The American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV) will kick off the event with a gathering at Arlington National Cemetery, to be followed by a visit at the grave site of US Army Ranger Sgt. Niño Livaudais.
Family members of five Filipino-American soldiers — Capt. Dennis Pintor, Sgt. Joselito Villanueva, Sgt. Niño Livaudais, Spc. Edgar Daclan Jr. and Spc. Rel Ravago IV —are expected to offer their eulogies.
Capt. Pintor, a 1998 West Point graduate, was killed Oct. 12 when an improvised explosive went off in the roadside while he was riding in a lead vehicle of convoy in Baghdad. He was stationed in Iraq since March with the 20th Engineer Battalion B from Fort Hood, Texas.
Sgt. Villanueva was killed in a Sept. 27 ambush by a sniper's bullet in Balad, Iraq. Known to his colleagues as Sgt. V, he was on a routine patrol when his convoy saw a truck driven by a Iraqi civilian crash around 8:30 a.m. As Villanueva got out to help, a hidden sniper fatally shot him. He received a Purple Heart last April.
Spc. Ravago IV, 21, a member of the101st Airborne Division, was fatally shot along with Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry L. Wilson, 45, of Thomson, Ga. Initial reports said the pair had been dragged from their car by a mob and beaten with rocks, but Pentagon officials discounted that Monday and said the soldiers had been shot and robbed.
Spc. Daclan, an Army combat medic, was killed Sept. 10 when a hidden explosive device detonated near his unit in the central Iraqi city of Balad, north of Baghdad. A Department of Defense statement said Daclan's patrol was responding to indirect gunfire when a roadside bomb exploded. Born in Cebu City, Philippines, he was 8 when he and his family moved to the U.S. in 1993. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart awards.
Meanwhile, the Filipino veterans also will visit the gravesites of Filipino-American veterans of Korean, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and of World War II.
Also, the veterans will visit the National Museum of American History to see the “Price of Freedom: Americans at War” exhibit.
On the second day, Nov. 12, there will be a culminating dinner with other veterans of foreign wars at US Navy Yard Conference Center.
For more information about the Veterans Day activity, call Eric Lachica at (202) 246-1998.
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