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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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Fall of ‘friend’ in Albany elicits mixed reactions from NY FilAms
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NEW YORK– Governor Eliot Spitzer, still reeling from accusations that he had indulged himself with prostitutes, resigned his office on Wednesday morning in his Manhattan office. His resignation will take effect on Monday, March 17 with Lt. Governor David Paterson taking his post. Spitzer is the first governor of New York to be forced out of office in almost 100 years.
Spitzer made his brief announcement with his beleaguered wife Silda beside him.
“I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me,” he said. “To every New Yorker, and to all those who believed in what I tried to stand for, I sincerely apologize.”
“Over the course of my public life, I have insisted — I believe correctly — that people regardless of their position or power take responsibility for their conduct,” he added.
“I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason, I am resigning from the office of governor.”
The scandal that rocked the Spitzer household and the whole nation began with a simple tax inquiry on the governor's spending. A federal wiretap soon uncovered evidence that the governor had been doing business with a high-class prostitution ring called Emperor's Club VIP that was incidentally broken up by authorities some weeks back.
The wiretap identified Spitzer as 'Client No. 9', who had asked a brunette prostitute working for the Emperor's Club named Kristen to join him in a room inside the Mayflower hotel in Washington DC last February. Kristen was transported from New York to Washington the day Spitzer allegedly booked for a date. In doing so, the people involved violated a federal code called the Mann Act, which makes it illegal to transport people along State lines for the purpose of prostitution.
'Kristen' on Wednesday night talked to The New York Times and revealed her real identity as Ashley Alexandra Dupre, originally from New Jersey.
It was revealed that Spitzer booked a four-hour date with Kristen in Washington and spent $4,000. Kristen was branded as a three-diamond prostitute and charged $1,000 per hour.
Some Filipino-Americans in New York are saddened with the exit of the governor, whom they believe to be their' friend'. It can be recalled that Spitzer, earlier in his term, proposed a plan to issue driver's licenses t o illegal aliens in the State. The proposal was well received by pro-immigrant groups however, strong opposition from the State legislature and political allies forced Spitzer to withdraw the proposal.
FilAms also deemed him as sympathetic to the plight of the Sentosa 27 nurses.
"It is sad that he had to leave office because of a scandal like this. He is our best friend in Albany," said Julius Tabayoyong, a Fil Am pro-immigrant rights activist.
Ria Ong of Queens also expressed shock and sorrow with what transpired in the Spitzer saga: "He made a mistake as a human being. We are not in the position to judge him. For me, his outstanding public record weighs more than his personal sins."
On the other hand, Ivan Balasi, webmaster of the FIlipino- American music magazine Poptimes Magazine, offered a dissenting opinion: " Spitzer did the right thing when he relinquished his post as governor. He was a public prosecutor and even cracked down on prostitution rings during his Attorney General days. Publicly he condemns prostitution, but privately he advocates it. That is hypocrisy. If it happened in Vegas, it would have stayed in Vegas. But it happened in New York and he's the governor. It's a different story."
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NEW YORK– "Sonny Manlapaz said he loved me as a daughter and he would never let me go because I was the best waitress he had," a young Filipina worker told a gathering of supporters in Manhattan last Sunday at the community forum entitled "Working for Pennies, Seeking Justice". Holding back her tears, immigrant youth and Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan member Adriane Padilla recalled her ordeal working as a waitress for three years for her employers.
Padilla said that Sonny Manlapaz and Lilia Reyes, owners of a Filipino restaurant and bar formerly known as Barrio Fiesta in Queens, neglected their responsibilities to their employees.
"I didn't complain or demand minimum wage, overtime pay and other rights as a worker because I wasn't aware about these at that time," Padilla said.
To an audience of about 20 youth, workers and other supporters, Adriane told her story at the community forum last March 9, 2008. She said she was asked to work long shifts on weekends from 4 pm until 4 am, then had to come back to work again five hours later. In addition to serving, she and her co-workers mopped the floor, wiped the windows, cleaned the bathroom, washed the wine glasses and silverware, and stocked bottles of beer in the refrigerator.
Despite this grueling work, their employers paid them only $3 per hour, and the workers were asked to share their tips. Then, according to Padilla, the worst scenario happened. Manlapaz informed her that he would withhold her salary to offset his expenses. He promised to pay her, but did not give a definite date. Relying on that promise, Padilla worked without pay while constantly inquiring about her salary. About eight months later, Manlapaz finally denied his promise to pay her and instead offered to pay half of what he owed her.
"Rather than work for a man with no palabra de honor (word of honor), I left with my dignity, honor and self-respect intact," Padilla said.
The Justice for Adriane Campaign, initiated by the Filipino youth organization Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, demands Manlapaz and Reyes to: (1) Pay Adriane in unpaid wages, overtime pay and wage violations; (2) Issue an apology letter to Adriane; and (3) Respect the rights and dignity of all workers.
Ugnayan Spokesperson Joana Palomar spoke about the conditions in the Philippines that drive Filipino youth to migrate. "Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo claims that there are a lot of jobs available for the people despite the fact that there is massive unemployment in the country," Palomar said. "It is also not true that the Philippine economy is growing stronger. In fact, it continues to worsen and the hardest hit are the marginalized sectors, including the youth and students."
"The challenge is for the Filipino people in and outside of the Philippines to link arms to uphold and promote the rights and welfare of the Filipino people, and call for a leadership change to appease the suffering of the Filipino people," Palomar concluded.
New York University law students Carrie Johnson and Leila Azari talked about the labor rights of restaurant workers, including minimum wage, overtime pay, and other rights. Azari said that the minimum wage applies to everyone regardless of immigration status.
The participants engaged in a discussion about the next steps for the Justice for Adriane Campaign, and committed to sustaining the momentum.
Ugnayan will be holding house meetings to raise awareness about Adriane's case and the struggles of Filipino youth restaurant workers, educate the youth workers about their labor rights, and empower them so they can fight back regardless of their immigration status.
"My tatay (father) said that I shouldn't let anyone step on my principles," Padilla said. "So I ask you: If you have been taken advantage of for the longest time, would you forever seal your lips and let fear take over? Stand up and fight back!"
For photos of the forum & more information about the Justice for Adriane Campaign, please visit www.ugnayan.blogspot.com.
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PALATINE -- Stepfather knows best. Chicago’s suburban Palatine, Illinois police officers found this out when they ignored the plea of Rick Holmes to take his stepson, Louie B. Salisid, to the hospital instead of the police station more than a year ago.
Salisid, who was 36 at that time, was having a “mental breakdown” from a bipolar disorder when he attacked his stepfather who was dozing off in his reclining chair in the early afternoon of Oct. 25th, 2006.
Even while having a difficulty of breathing and with a bloodied face from the beating by his stepson, Holmes managed to call 9-1-1 emergency for assistance after his stepson stormed out of their house in Palatine.
When paramedics came, Holmes asked them to look for his stepson and asked them to take him to the hospital. However, the first responding Palatine officer, Dan Mesch, immediately took Salisid to the police station.
Mesch’s partner, Dan Weidman, assured Holmes that he will relay his request to Mesch to take his stepson to the hospital. Mesch testified before Judge John J. Scotillo of the Third Municipal District of the Circuit Court of Cook County in neighboring suburb of Rolling Meadows during the trial that he had just taken off the handcuffs from Salisid when Mesch told Salisid to sit down.
Mesch said he, then, saw Salisid, clinched his "fist and swung towards my face," hitting his nose and lip and breaking his nose bridge. Mesch added, Salisid "continued to throw punches and kicks towards me" when his fellow officer, Dan Weidman, walked in to assist in subduing Salisid.
But Holmes did not buy Mesch's story, saying that Salisid told him later that "after punching the cop in a holding
area of the Police station, Louie was handcuffed, dragged to a cell, thrown face down on a cot and a cop came in the cell, grabbed Louie by the hair and hit him twice about the eye." That was the reason, his stepson had a “black eye,” Holmes told this reporter.
Last Thursday, March 6th, Judge Scotillo found Salisid "in need of mental health services on an outpatient basis" for the next seven years from Oct. 25, 2006, the day Salisid was released from the hospital.
During the bench trial of the case last Oct. 18, 2007, Judge Scotillo found Salisid not guilty by reason of insanity of the charge of aggravated battery for attacking a police officer (Mesch), which is a felony.
On the same day, the domestic battery, Weidman initially filed on behalf of Holmes when Salisid "punched Holmes several times with a closed fist about the face causing cuts and bruises by the nose and mouth," was also dropped.
Holmes refused to press charges against Salisid because Holmes believes his stepson "was not in a right frame of mind" when Salisid attacked him in their home.
Last Thursday, Scotillo also ordered Salisid to follow the recommendations of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) treatment and medication management plan that will be administered by Salisid's psychiatric physician, Dr. Renato De Los Santos, who must provide the court Salisid's progress report every 90 days until Oct. 25, 2013. De los Santos must also "provide Salisid's report to Dr. Anderson Freeman of the IDHS and Keith Nelson."
The case dragged for several months because Holmes and his wife, Violeta (nee: Bolodo), mother of Louie, could not find another Visayan interpreter after the first interpreter, Geanette Ruiz, had become unavailable. Holmes blames the Cook County state attorney for dragging the case, by using the “lame excuse of not getting documentation until the day before several times.”
The hearing moved forward last Thursday, when a provincemate of Louie from his native Plaridel, Misamis Occidental, Ms. Linda Evangelista, a registered nurse, volunteered to act as his court interpreter.
In the Philippines, Louie was diagnosed as having bi-polar disorder. After the incident, Louie was diagnosed as having paranoia schizophrenia. Louie immigrated to the United States less than three years ago. He speaks Visaya and a "little English."
Louie now works as a part-time Line Server for Old Country Buffet restaurant at Rolling Meadows by filling up items on the buffet that is depleted. His mother works as a window clerk at the U.S. Postal Service in suburban Algonquin, Illinois.
Private defense Atty. David G. Pugh assisted Louie in his defense. Holmes and his wife, Violeta, said that now that the criminal case is over, they are on the prowl for a lawyer, who can assist them in filing a civil case against the Palatine police department for "incompetence, brutality and misconduct" of its police officers toward their son as they failed to observe protocol in handling cases of individual with abnormal states of mind, such as "restraining, instead of retaliating" plus "something for pain and suffering."
Holmes said, “if only the police allowed the paramedics, who were on the scene, to take Salisid to the hospital, me and my wife would be $50,000 richer (the amount that cost Palatine for police mishandling of the case). Louie would not have gotten beat up and would not have suffered nine months of pain due to the brain trauma and we would have a lot of time in our hands of not having to go to court for the last year and a half.”
They said they only have seven months left to file a civil case before the statute of limitation will lapse.
Mesch and Weidman did not return phone calls left on their voice mails by this reporter for comment. (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
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