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For the past 21 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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MANILA -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) disputed the Philippine military’s claim that the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group was responsible for the death of at least eight government troops four of which were found headless by villagers.
“It’s pure MILF.” Mohaguer Iqbal Chief Negotiator for the MILF said that no Abu Sayyaf rebel was involved during the nine-hour fight that ensued between the rebels and government troops in a village in Basilan.
“The soldiers entered into an area of the MILF without coordination so the fighting ensued,” Iqbal added. He also said that the MILF is filing a protest with the government due to the military’s violation of the truce agreement.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu also insisted that the clash, which is considered to be the bloodiest battle in months “is their fault because they intruded into our territory and our forces were alarmed and had to defend their positions.”
According to Philippine Marine spokesman Lt. Col. Ariel Caculian, the attack was “Very treacherous. It was an ambush and our vehicles were burned and destroyed.” Insisting that the Abu Sayyaf was involved in the fighting as they begin to move into a known MILF camp.
Caculian also said that the troops were checking on reports that abducted Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi was said to have been spotted in the area when the attack happened.
Bossi, a missionary from Milan was abducted June 10 by suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group. The MILF denied any involvement with the kidnapping.
In a separate statement earlier in the day, the MILF has condemned the beheading of ten of the 14 Marines killed in an encounter between the Moro rebels and the soldiers near Tipo-Tipo, Basilan Tuesday as it denied that the group was responsible for “this kind of act.”
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said Moro rebels are also “very much interested” to find out which group was behind the decapitation of the bodies.
“We are also very much interested in the investigation. Who did the mutilation of the bodies of the Marines? Because never in the history of the MILF that they did such a thing,” he said.
Earlier, the MILF admitted that it was behind the attack after the Marines entered an identified MILF area near Tipo-Tipo.
It, however, denied that Abu Sayyaf supported its forces during the clash, stressing that the MILF had long cut links to the bandit group, which is known for mutilating its victims.
Kabalu pointed out that the MILF forces had already left the area after the clash, leaving the bodies behind. “Maybe some groups or somebody came in and do the inhumane act against the Marines.”
He said this is one of the issues the Coordinating Committees for the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) has to settle when it conducts its investigation on the encounter.
He, however, assured that sanctions will be slapped against the MILF forces involved in the incident if the investigation proves that they were responsible for the beheading.
Kabalu also denied reports that the attack occurred as the Marines were on their way back to their camp after searching for kidnapped Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi.
He maintained the Moro rebels opened fire only after the soldiers entered their territory without prior notice. He added that the encounter should have been avoided if only the military observed the existing guidelines in the ceasefire agreement.
He assured that the ongoing peace talks between the MILF and the government will not be affected by the incident.(MNS)
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By Atty. Cristina A. Godinez
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The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) announced recently that the NCLEX testing for foreign nurses in Manila will begin August 23 at the international Pearson Professional Center, with the scheduling for the tests to start on July 13.
Passing the NCLEX test is a requirement for obtaining the license to practice nursing in the United States and its territories.
The NCLEX test is administered by the NCSBN, a not-for-profit organization composed of the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four US territories.
According to the NCSBN release, its Board of Directors decided to open the NCLEX test center in Manila “because of the deep commitment shown by the Philippine government to ensuring a secure test center.”
Despite being the largest number of foreign NCLEX test-takers, Filipino RNs had to travel abroad to take the exam either in the US or other previously designated international test sites.
Beginning January 2005, the NCLEX has authorized the establishment of international test sites in such places as London, in the UK; Hong Kong; Sydney, Australia; Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver in Canada; Frankfurt, Germany; Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Chennai in India; Mexico City; Taipei, Taiwan; Chiyoda-ku and Yokohama in Japan.
The Philippines had been conspicuously bypassed in the international test site designation, even as NCLEX statistics indicate that Philippine-educated RNs comprise more than 30 percent of first-time foreign NCLEX test takers since 2003.
The NCSBN explained that the Philippines was not able to meet the test site selection criteria which included national and test security issues.
Notwithstanding the nurse licensure scandal that rocked the Philippine nursing profession in June 2006, the Philippine government and groups such as the Philippine Nurses Association of America, relentlessly persuaded the NCSBN that an NCLEX test site must be set up in the Philippines. The NCSBN announced in February that it has decided to establish this year the much-awaited Manila test site.
NCLEX exam statistics ending March 2007 show that the Philippines still leads the top five nurse sending countries to the US which included India, South Korea, Canada and Cuba. Filipino nurses are estimated to constitute over 80 percent of the foreign-educated nurses in the US.
The NCSBN release also said, all international candidates are required to apply to the board of nursing in the state or territory where they wish to be licensed before registering for the NCLEX examination.
The NCLEX examination fee for all candidates is $200. Candidates who elect to take the NCLEX at an international site pay an additional $150 when they schedule their examination.
CRISTINA A. GODINEZ is a Manhattan-based attorney and is the lawyers’ representative of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), the national umbrella group of Filipino American organizations. For comments or questions, you may send an email to crisgodinez@lawyer.com or crisgodinez@yahoo.com.
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JERSEY CITY -- The Filipino American community in Jersey City marked a major history and rejoiced in an ebullient party to celebrate the lifetime appointment of Ed Toloza as chief assessor of the city.
“The City Council unanimously approved his appointment. Ed did a great job in the city. When he came to the U.S. in 1981, Ed immediately worked in the City Hall and started as a cashier. Everyone praised his work as he was promoted as chief assessor, “ said Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy in a ceremony at Fiesta Grill.
Toloza humbly but brilliantly promised to work hard and diligently. “I promise to build on the trust. I believe that public service is noble and necessary cause. I will redouble my efforts by upholding the strongest ethical standards,” said Toloza, who is the first Filipino American to hold the post.
Council president Mariano de Vega called Toloza his fellow knight at the Knights of Rizal. “You made me so proud,” he said.
Toloza took his oath of office presided by Healy in a solemn ceremony.Toloza’s wife Didi and three children graced the event.
Toloza graduated from Asia’s oldest Catholic, Pontifical University–The University of Sto Thomas in Manila in 1976. He took up a master’s degree in management at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. In 1981, He immigrated to the U.S. and immediately worked as a cashier at the City Hall. In 1983, he was promoted as an accountant then as an assistant municipal tax collector. In 1991, he was appointed as an assessor’s aide and promoted to assistant assessor in 1997.
Due to his competence, talent, hard work, and strong work ethics, he was chosen as the city’s chief assessor in 2002, and this year as a lifetime chief city assessor.
Toloza is an active community leader and a member of the Knights of Rizal. He is alo a member of Jersey City’s Toastmaster’s and Philippine American Friendship Day. He was named 10 outstanding Filipinos in New Jersey. He hails from Mexico town, Pampanga , Philippines.
“Wherever we are, Filipinos have a sense of duty and purpose to cultivate discipline. Filipinos are global citizens and we strive for the best. Let us help and support Ed Toloza,” said Philippine Consul Lindy Lachica.
Hundreds of Filipino Americans danced and swung their hips at the party at restaurant’s ballroom. They dined sumptuous dinner and popped bottles of wines to celebrate Toloza’s appointment. It was a testament to Filipino Americans vibrant contributions to the economic life of the city.
“I represent the area where Ed lives. I’ve known him for over 15 years and admire his discipline and work,” said councilman Bill Gaughan.
“We are proud of his accomplishments. I have known Ed for 20 years. He is very honest, dependable and full of integrity,” said Gani Morales, president of Topnotch electronics and member of Jersey City Filipino American Chamber of Commerce.
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A FILIPINO chief mechanic was found beaten to death inside an auto garage in Belleville, New Jersey, Thursday morning.
The badly beaten body of the 52-year old victim, Arnulfo Diroy, was discovered inside Tuloy-Kayo Auto Garage at 568 Franklin Avenue, near Chestnut, in Belleville, by a fellow employee.
The Belleville prosecutor’s office says the man appeared to be the victim of blunt force trauma, though the motive for his death remains a mystery. Police currently have no suspects.
Investigators say it is not clear how long the man had been dead.
Diroy migrated here in the US in 2005 and lived with his sister in nearby Nutley. His wife and children are in the Philippines.
According to his friends, Arnulfo was a kind and generous man who loves to party, They have no knowledge of anyone who wanted to harm him.
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