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THE past couple of days are certainly not the best of times for the Filipino American community. Scan through the pages of The Filipino Express and you will know what we mean.
In the nation’s capital, we have a kababayan who is considered the highest-ranking Filipino American in the White House who had to quit her job. Susan Ralston was caught in the middle of the scandal involving her White House boss, presidential adviser Karl Rove, and her former boss, lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Out west in California, a Filipino American medic with the US Navy was sentenced to 10 years in prison but will end up serving a year under a plea deal for helping kidnap an Iraqi grandfather who was later killed execution-style by an American squad.
On the homefront, the organization known for holding the Philippine Independence Day parade every year just held its election of officers. Holding an election per se is not bad, but every election within the Filipino American community is characterized by mudslinging and controversies. The net effect is that rather than unite the Filipinos here, these elections only serve to divide further the already fractious Filipino American community.
These three events may be unrelated and happened hundreds, even thousands, of miles apart from each other. But taken collectively, they can offer us insights into how people try to preserve their status and even advance their stature.
In Ralston’s case, she played along with the shenanigans going between a presidential adviser and a lobbyist. Perhaps afraid to fall out of the good graces of either of them, she forgot what is right and what is wrong.
In the Pinoy medic’s case, it’s also a case of self-preservation. Rather than incur the anger of his peers, he went along and aided the group in abducting and killing a hapless and admittedly innocent Iraqi.
As for the election, it is obvious what the root cause of the problem is: Ambition, vanity and power.
Indeed, these are not the best of times for the Filipino American community.
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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The director takes her seat and readies her crew. She reads from her cue card and tells everyone that the Gani Puertollano Act II, Scene I is about to begin. She tells everyone to remain silent while the actors take center stage.
This is what I believe taking place during the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) elections at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in New York.
Out of 101 registered member-organizations, 78 cast their votes. In the end, Puertollano, assured of at least 30 votes from New Jersey member-organizations, received a total of 43 votes to secure his re-election bid as president. His opponents – the unrelated Versozas – Wilson received 21 votes and Paul, 14.
While questions about the legitimacy of proxy votes for Puertollano were raised quietly in the corners of the Kalayaan Hall by members of the opposing camp, the results are a telling sign of what preparation is all about. And whoever is the master tactician behind Puertollano’s successful campaign has planned it well and deserves credit.
Some proxies may be challenged but a difference of 22 votes will unlikely change the outcome. To make a fuzz about this will only put nit-pickers in a bad light as whiners.
Even Puertollano’s report and his pitch in his speech on why he was running again was carefully crafted to stress his qualities of being “selfless, dedicated, focused and committed” and that he was not “in this for any awards” nor was he running for “any rewards.” In his speech, he said he was “in this because I am responsible, reliable and most of all, I am young, the youngest to hold this position. And as such, I am most willing to learn.”
That part alone, compared to the speeches of the other two candidates, if everyone in the audience captured the essence of what he was saying, set him apart from his opponents. He wasn’t pitching himself as the awards-conscious person but rather as someone who was committed to the cause of PIDCI.
The delivery of his speech may not be oozing with sincerity as it was obvious he was reading from a prepared speech, it was nonetheless convincing. The difficult part of all this is for him to know when to begin and end politics. When that distinction is not clear, whatever he had said become empty words that will affect his credibility.
I would have liked to hear him say some kind and gentler words of healing and uniting the different factions in the community offering himself, as one said, “a magnet of unity” or a “catalyst of change.” These may not be his choice of words but using the buzz words of his opponents is a first step towards a partnership that leads to unity.
Puertollano carries a load of responsibilities in his shoulders. And the first test is tomorrow: his first board meeting. At the moment, it may seem that there are current directors that may override his plans or decisions. But as long as there is a dialogue with whomever he considers is opposed to him, I don’t think it would be a hurdle.
As I may have said previously, leaders have special relationships with their followers and special responsibilities to them. When a leader beckons someone to follow, he or she asks to be responsible for an aspect of that person’s life.
Good leaders have a vision, better leaders share a vision; the best leaders invite others to join them in spreading this vision. Shared vision binds leaders and followers together in a way that little else can.
And tomorrow, at its first board meeting to elect the officers of the corporation, is a test case. I’ve heard of some suggestions challenging the standing of five board members following certain provisions of the by-laws. Apparently, those affected are Baby Bleza, Lita Pena, Paul Versoza, Lolita Gillberg, and Francis Sison.
Are these directors allied with Puertollano? If they are not, are they now targeted to be replaced through technicality? It is claimed that Bleza did not renew the membership of her Tanza Social Club and that in Saturday’s election, she voted as proxy for Cavite Association USA.
Lita Pena, it is claimed, even when she ran for the first time, was not the President of any organization and that up to now, she has not obtained any “verified in writing by an officer...” of any regular member organization.
Paul Versoza case is another one whose organization did not renew its membership with PIDCI. The renewal membership of FASUC and two other organizations were reportedly declined by the Membership Committee because their payment check renewal was paid with a business check instead of the check of an organization.
Lolita Gillberg’s organization, Association of Filipino American Accountants (AFAA-NY) did not renew its membership with PIDCI. It is claimed that she does not have “verified in writing” document that she is a member of that organization or any other current member organization.
Finally, Francis Sison’s organization, the Sta. Maria Ilocos Sur Association, did not renew its regular membership with PIDCI.
If indeed these board member’s organizations have not renewed their membership with PIDCI, what happens next? Will they be able to correct the deficiency? How will the by-laws be interpreted?
Will this be how Gani Puertollano Act Two begin?
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Chills in hosting a journalists’ forum
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HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Internet image of a huge billboard resting on the Metro rail in Manila in the Philippines that was toppled by super typhoon “Melinyo”at the start of the four-day 4th Global Networking Convention and 7th National NaFFAA Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii was the best argument for Hawaii to ban billboards.
Perhaps, the Philippines could likewise follow the environmental-friendly lead of Hawaii and three other states, which are billboard-free. Two states (Rhode Island and Oregon) have prohibited the construction of new billboards and a handful of communities have chosen to cap on the number of billboards that can be constructed.
It dawned on us that even if you are 101 percent sure that your elusive guests are already at the airport to board the plane bound to the ground zero of the conference site, you still could not be sure they could make it.
“As you may have known by now Congressman Francis “Chiz” Escudero was prevented by bad weather to take his flight to the United States yesterday to attend your conference. He was in the airport hoping the flight would not be cancelled despite the fact that typhoon “Milenyo” was battering the entire Luzon . But the airport operations were on a standstill yesterday, as a matter of fact electricity has not yet been restored to most parts of Luzon as of this moment.,” Escudero’s Chief of Staff, Atty. Roland P. Tan, greeted me in an email on Thursday, September 28.
Regrets only
“He asked me to formally write to you to extend his regrets. He was disappointed that this had to happen. He was so looking forward to your event and was very excited to meet you, the organizers and the Filipino communities in Hawaii to share with all of you his views about the situation in the Philippines, present and future. He hopes there will be other like opportunities for him soon.
“Please extend Congressman Escudero’s warm salutation to all the participants and his hope that you will have nothing but a successful event. Best regards.”
As soon as I turned off my laptop, my attention turned to three other guests – Mr. Conrad de Quiros, columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Former President Fidel V. Ramos and Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye.
As Mr. De Quiros texted me that he might not be able to make it because of the typhoon although he was already at the airport, it gave me a chill that Mr. Ramos, who is his co-passenger aboard the Philippine Airlines, would likely miss the conference, too. But when Conrad did not text back after about five hours, NPC-Phil. U.S.A. Director Marlon L. Pecson concluded that Messrs. De Quiros and Ramos took the flight since cell phone could not be activated aboard.
Thanks to the Internet
We were only able to breathe easier when we tracked down in the Internet the flight information of PR 100, indicating the arrival time the following day, although about six hours behind schedule.
But in the case of Secretary Bunye, I was able to relax when he texted me that he was already in the US Mainland that day.
The presence of Messrs. De Quiros and Bunye was more than enough to consider our Conference to Safeguard Filipino Media and Philippine Democracy a rousing success. As Mr. Ramos deferred to our guests whom he considered competent enough to discuss the matter of the unabated killings of Filipino journalists, political activists and clergies, he was content in holding a press conference with us after the conference.
Facing a hostile audience, Secretary Bunye was game enough to answer the biting criticisms against his boss – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – for failure to stop the killings of journalists, political activists and clergies.
Although Mr. Bunye struggled to defend Mrs. Arroyo, saying that, “The issue of the killings of journalists and political activists isn’t just a concern to the international community; it is a deep concern for President Arroyo and her government.” He added, “she condemns in the harshest possible terms these killings and aims to bring these to a stop once and for all.”
LOSE GMA!
But Mr. De Quiros was point-blank and quoted the National Union of Students of the Philippines placing the number of Filipino journalists killed at 86 from 1986 to present. “From 2001 to the present alone, which is GMA’s term, some 46 were killed. That is more than half the number of journalists killed since the country toppled down a dictatorship and restored democracy. ... According to Task Force Usig, the political killings from January 2001 to Sept. 16, 2006 number 755. That is a veritable bloodbath. The sheer number of alone must suggest method in madness. This is no sporadic killing, this is systematic mayhem.
“How to stop the killings?
“Hold forums, like this.
“Bring this matter to the attention of the international press and human rights community.
“The Filipino press community abroad, specifically one in the US, which is the biggest. And the larger community abroad, particularly the US .
“Fight the tangle of justification for the killings, specifically the ideology or culture of war and national security.
And finally? “Lose Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo!”
(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
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ILOILO CITY -- “Have we become a country of nabitin?” the economist-friend asked over coffee. “Nabitin” means “left hanging.” It connotes murky indecision that spawns open-ended problems by shutting out solutions.
His question had been sparked by a front page report that Malacañang flipped-flopped on nursing students retaking leakage-marred exams. Labor Secretary Arturo Brion groused that the Palace left “the issue hanging unresolved” by dumping the scam on the courts, the story said. The President has ample powers to meet the issue head on.
“It usually takes the Court of Appeals years to resolve a case,” Brion said. He should know, being a former Court of Appeals justice, respected for racking up a zero backlog of cases. Another name for executive impotence is nabitin.
“We’re a nation, overloaded with unfinished business,” agreed a lady demographer at the table. “Blame our ‘urong-sulong’ habit, which makes closure difficult.” “Urong” means to move backward and “sulong” is to advance.
The Supreme Court discovered that kleptomania in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) fractured the poll automation law, she recalled. From bid to contract, the Comelec pillaged a P1.3-billion award to 11-day-old Mega Pacific Consortium for 1,991 automatic counting machines vulnerable to fraud.
The Senate blue ribbon committee, chaired by the no-nonsense Sen. Joker Arroyo, reached the same conclusions in Report No. 44. It urged the commissioners to quit.
The Comelec ignored the Senate. It hasn’t recovered a single centavo from Mega Pacific, as ordered by the Court. In fact, it ladles out P3.9 million a year to maintain them.
This is grand larceny. And it guts a crucial democratic pillar: the vote. Hunkered down in Switzerland, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez defended her report that says no one, but no one, is guilty.
Is it “onli in da Pilipins” [only in the Philippines] where looting occurs without looters? the demographer wondered. Is Ms Gutierrez then a reincarnated Aniano Desierto? She certainly doesn’t remind you of that ombudsman of probity, Simeon Marcelo. And this nabitin could land us in the Guinness Book of Records.
“Whatever happened to former Chief Justice Hilario Davide’s proposals to reform a tattered Comelec?” asked an editor at the coffee clutch. No details were released. He proposed, among other things, that six persons of integrity replace tainted poll commissioners, as well as a ban on political dynasties and party-switching.
The President would implement the “doable,” Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said. That’s all. Were Davide’s proposals merely a photo-op for a President dodging electoral fraud charges? Nabitin.
“We suffer from short memories,” the foundation executive noted. “We’re always moving on to the next thing, as the headlines show. So, we never develop a vocabulary for continuity.”
It has been 20 years since former Sen. Benigno Aquino was gunned down on the Manila airport tarmac, she pointed out. “The masterminds haven’t been tracked down... A Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal, still padlocked by wrangling, symbolizes this failure.
Aquino was an international figure. Few knew Epitacio Ocariza Jr., last week’s 170th “salvage” [summary execution] victim of Cebu City’s vigilantes. Both Aquino and Ocariza -- or the 11 Kuratong Baleleng gang members rubbed out in May 1995 -- had the same right to God-given life. So did murdered journalists and activists. All of us come from the same clay. But those who order, or tolerate, summary executions, arrogate unto themselves what belongs only to the Author of Life. “Have you ever commanded the morning or guided the dawn to its place?” God asked Job. “Have you looked through the gates of death?”
In the Kuratong Baleleng summary executions, witnesses and families of victims, one by one filed those well-known nabitin instruments called affidavits of desistance. In Cebu, none of the 174 salvaging cases has been solved, embedding further a culture of impunity.
Do law enforcers bother if the victims are “naka-tsinelas” [ill shod]? “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them but to be indifferent to them,” George Bernard Shaw once wrote. “That is the essence of inhumanity.”
A breakdown in law enforcement leads to miscarriage of justice. It erodes trust in government which is the foundation of a nation. “We will not seek justice,” Ocariza’s younger sister Shiela wearily said. The family is convinced their brother will become just another dreary statistic under the present dispensation.
That coffee break resulted in notes on some notorious, now half-forgotten but unresolved issues. Taxpayers, for example, still shell out $155,000 daily for a 32-year-old mothballed Bataan nuclear plant that never generated a single watt of power. The Garci tapes on poll irregularities has dropped from the radar screen. So, has the search for former senator Gregorio Honasan who skipped town for involvement in coups. The notorious coconut levy has been buried in the Senate brawl with the Presidential Commission on Good Government.
“Obviously, we’ve merely skimmed this mess,” our economist friend noted.
In a 1936 House of Commons’ address, Winston Churchill flayed the government for going “on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all powerful for impotence.”
Filipinos could whittle down that superb peroration into one word: nabitin.
E-mail: juan_mercado@paci-fic.net.ph
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IT’S 2008. In last year’s congressional elections, the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo suffered an unprecedented rout.
With vengeance the record voters turnout delivered a smashing defeat with almost no exception to all the congressmen who voted against GMA’s last impeachment and who supported Charter Change through People’s (GMA’s) Initiative. The same thing happened in the senatorial elections, where almost all who ran for reelection were vindicated in their steady opposition against GMA by being reelected.
The entire nation is in a celebratory mood. There is great anticipation on the coming filing of the next impeachment case against Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The national sentiment on the legitimacy issue of the presidency is now clearly readable.
In the past election, the major forces of the churches, civil society, and the local officials towards the electoral execises had coalesced and to a man disseminated a list of the candidates and their voting records on the impeachment and charter change issues. Thus, the voters entered the voting booths with firm conviction on their choices.
At the same time, unable to bear the pressure, the entire members of the Commission on Elections were forced to resign. Although chosen on the basis of their political loyalties, the replacement could not move freely to manipulate the voting because of the extreme vigilance with which the nation guarded their ballots.
Let’s move back in time. It is 2007, to prevent the 2008 scenario, no elections are held. The charter change is rammed through. Through the coordinated actions of the GMA dominated House and the GMA-influenced Supreme Court, the amendment of the constitution pushed through by way of a constituent assembly without participation of the Senate. Thus, the upper house is now abolished. Legislators and local officials enjoy their supreme reward: term extension. GMA becomes the prime minister with presidential powers.
Let’s move again back in time. It is 2006. The present. The political stakes have reached their peak. For political survival, the paramount goal, the Filipino electorate cannot be allowed to have a truly democratic elections. At all costs, this cannot be allowed to happen.
The Commission on Elections must be protected. Public opinion no longer matters. The Ombudsman, a GMA loyalist to the core, Merceditas Gutierrez must find every single one of the election commissioners lily-white innocent of the sins attributed to them in their anomalous approval of the purchase of the voting machines from the Mega Pacific, inspite of a contrary finding by the Supreme Court. And inspite of an earlier resolution of the same Ombudsman agency justifying the filing of a case against the Comelec commissioners. A blatant shameless turn around.
Cases have been filed with the Supreme Court to counter the Ombudsman decision. A tiny winy ray of hope still remains in the hearts of the Filipinos that in the Supreme Court, the justices will see the light to disagree with the Ombudsman.
Otherwise, expect the 2007 and 2008 scenarios to come true.
But the administration has a formidable Plan B or back up, in case things go awry.
Since the 2004 presidential elections, the government has become heavily militarized.
In the light of the recent military-backed coup in Thailand, this militarization of the government is expected to continue and even intensify. Especially because of the uncanny similarities of situations obtaining in Thailand before the coup and in the Philippines presently.
The complaints of the military in Thailand against the ousted Prime Minister and the shopping list drawn up from time to time by Philippine military who have attempted to withdraw support from GMA seem like carbon copies of the same gripes.
This military back-up is the ultimate answer of GMA in case those opposing her lose patience and use the Thai model in regime change. Early this week, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Archbishop of Manila, spoke during his visit in the US that the poverty rate in the Philippines has reached 68 percent. This contrasts with the government’s figure of 50 percent, which is already very high. There’s no such problem in Thailand.
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Performing on a visitor’s visa could lead to lifetime ban
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MANY entertainers are under the mistaken belief that it’s “OK” to enter the U.S. (or Guam) and perform on a visitor’s visa. That is not the case. In fact, the Foreign Affairs Manual (which is the “Bible” of the Embassy on immigration laws) specifically states: “B visa status is not appropriate for a member of the entertainment profession (professional entertainer) who seeks to enter the United States temporarily to perform services.”
If you are coming to the U.S. to perform, you must get an entertainer (“O” or “P”) visa. If you perform on a visitor’s visa, you are violating your visitor’s status. If you represent to the Immigration Officer at the airport that you are only “visiting”, but you are actually intending to perform, you are committing fraud, which could possibly result in your visitor visa being cancelled, and your being barred for life from the U.S.
Many entertainers are approached or recruited by small-time U.S. producers, who simply do not want to go through the trouble or expense of obtaining entertainer visas. Indeed, obtaining an entertainer visa is time-consuming, and can cost thousands of dollars in filing fees alone. So, these producers, looking to cut corners and save money, assure the performers that it is “OK” to perform on a visitor’s visa.
Other unscrupulous small-time producers may tell the entertainer to enter the U.S. on a visitor’s visa and bring along a “minus-one,” (a CD with music only, similar to a karaoke soundtrack). The entertainer would then come to the producer’s nightclub, restaurant, or other business establishment and sit in the audience. The producer will then acknowledge the performer, and ask for them to just come on stage and sing a few songs to please their adoring fans. The star is supposed to pretend that he or she is surprised, and reluctantly goes on stage, singing to their minus-one soundtrack.
In other situations, the entertainer may already have an entertainer visa with one producer for a specific event. However, a different producer approaches the entertainer, offering them money to come to the other producer’s nightclub or restaurant and perform “on the side,” or “freelance.” In the meantime, the second producer (who never petitioned the entertainer) is putting out newspaper ads and flyers promoting the performance, and selling tickets for the event.
Rest assured, the Embassy and Department of Homeland Security will find out, either from the producer’s jealous competitors, or from word of mouth. So, when you arrive in the US and tell the Immigration Officer you’re “just visiting”, Immigration may already have a flyer of your concert at the inspection booth. Your visa will be cancelled and you will be sent right back to the Philippines. If not caught on this trip, it may be the next time you travel to the U.S. or when applying for another visa.
Remember, if you, as an entertainer, are caught by the Embassy or Department of Homeland Security, it is you who will suffer the consequences, not necessarily the producer. The producer may simply abandon you and look for the next talent to book. You are then left with a cancelled visitor’s visa, blacklisted, and perhaps forever barred from coming to the U.S.
Simply put, if a producer does not want to obtain an entertainer visa for you, you are taking a big chance with your own career and future, if you use your visitor’s visa to perform. Is it really worth it for the small talent fee being offered?
Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 25 years, and is an active member of the State Bar of California and New York, as well as the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Immigration Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has always excelled in school:Valedictorian in High School; Cum Laude at UCLA; and Law Degree Honors and academic scholar at Loyola Law School, which is one of the top law schools in California.
WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com
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(This is for informational purposes only, and reflects the firm’s opinions and views on general issues. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of a particular case. All immigration services are provided by an active member of the State Bar of California and/or by a person under the supervision of an active member of the State Bar. No prediction, warranty or guarantee can be made about the results of any case. Should you need or want legal advice, you should consult with and retain counsel of your own choice.)
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