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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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ANAKPAWIS Rep. Crispin Beltran has been declared dead by doctors at the Far Eastern University Hospital in Quezon City after falling from the rooftop of his home in Bulacan.
Dr. Arnold Corpus, emergency room doctor and attending physician to Beltran, said the former Kilusang Mayo Uno chairman died at exactly 11:48 a.m. The doctor said he suffered a cut at the right side of the head and broken ribs. Corpus said the head injuries proved fatal to the militant congressman. He was brought into the hospital at 9:42 a.m. Doctors tried to revive him for two hours and was resuscitated five times before the family decided to discontinue life support. Beltran’s daughter, Ofel Palleta, announced his death to reporters. Beltran lapsed into a coma at the hospital, after he developed a blood clot in the brain caused by the fall at around 6 a.m.
Ofel said his father went up to the roof of his home in Barangay Muzon and fell as he was on his way down 14 feet from the ground. The daughter said her father's face fell first to the ground as he was climbing down on a ladder. The incident took place around 6 a.m., she said.
Ofel said they initially brought her 75-year old father to the Caloocan Doctors' Hospital, where he was revived after a cardiac arrest.
"We decided to transfer him to the FEU (Far Eastern University) hospital, but along the way nag-[cardiac] arrest siya," Ofel said.
She said her father suffered four more cardiac arrests before his pupil dried up and was diagnosed as brain dead by doctors.
"Humihinga siya pag sinasaksakan ng gamot, kapag nire-resuscitate. This time, mukhang hindi na kaya," Ofel said.
RP loses veteran labor leader, staunch Arroyo critic From the streets to the corridors of Congress, Beltran never gave up on his aim of promoting the interest of workers.
The 75-year-old Beltran, born in Bacacay, Albay on January 7, 1933, was former chairman of the Kilusang Mayo Uno before he became representative of Anakpawis party-list. Beltran’s life was as challenging as the political struggles that he went through from the Marcos to the Arroyo administrations. He succumbed to severe head injuries on Tuesday, May 19, after a bad fall from the roof of his house in Bulacan province.
He was a political detainee during Martial Law. He was again detained under the Arroyo administration for more than 15 months from March 2006 to July 2007 through a hospital arrest at the Philippine Heart Center. Beltran was arrested on Feb. 25, 2006, a day after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of national emergency following a failed uprising against her government.
He was nabbed on charges of rebellion, with authorities enforcing an arrest warrant issued in 1982. That rebellion case, stemming from protest actions over the Bataan Export Processing Zone, was dismissed in 1986.
In June 2007, when he was granted temporary liberty, Beltran returned to the House of Representatives in a fighting mood. While at the plenary, Beltran, in a fiery privilege speech, assailed the Arroyo administration, and defended his right to speak against corruption, unmindful of his recurring heart problem, which often made his blood pressure shoot up.
“I am innocent of the rebellion charge against me. It’s neither a sin nor against the law to speak against graft and corruption and the killing of hundreds of innocent civilians," he said.
Sympathies pour in
Sympathies poured in for the family of the late lawmaker coming from Malacañang, both houses of Congress, and even the Philippine National Police.
In Malacañang, Presidential Management Staff head Cerge Remonde "mourned" the loss of a militant leader, and expressed sympathies to Beltran's loved ones. Remonde said the Cabinet learned of Beltran's death before noon, during its meeting in Bohol.
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US State Department revokes visas of Erap, Fuentebella, and others
linked in espionage case
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FORMER president Joseph Estrada may never see the United States ever again. According to reports, the US State Department has revoked the US visas of people connected with the first known case of espionage from within the White House involving naturalized FIlipino American Leandro Aragoncillo last year. But a close Estrada associate, whose visa was cancelled, estimates fifteen to twenty opposition figures suffered the cancellation of their visas, including former President Joseph Estrada and former House Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella.
In July 2007, a Federal Court in New Jersey sentenced Aragoncillo, a naturalized Filipino-American intelligence analyst who worked for US Vice-President Richard "Dick" Cheney, to ten years imprisonment. He was charged for stealing classified information about President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo and passing it on to known opposition leaders in the Philippines.
Former member of the Lower House Gilbert Remulla received a letter from the US Embassy in June last year informing him of the cancellation of his US visa. The letter cited the US Immigration and Nationality Act which "prohibits the issuance of a visa to anyone who seeks to engage in espionage against the US, as well as for sabotage and/or illegal export from the US of goods, technology and sensitive information." Remulla said he has appealed his case and reapplied for a visa but was told by a US consular official that Washington would have to review his application. In contrast, his children were granted visas valid for ten years.
The former 2nd district of Cavite representative said he may have been a recipient of a group e-mail sent by Aragoncillo, although he doesn't recall having read it. He added he does not know Aragoncillo personally and has never communicated with him, other than the possible group e-mail. Remulla protested the US action as being too arbitrary. Remulla chaired a House investigation into the "Hello Garci" scandal at the height of the impeachment move against President Arroyo in 2005.
President Estrada, Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and former Speaker Fuentebella, who were identified as Aragoncillo's co-conspirators in court filings on the case, denied their visas were cancelled. A Senate source, however, disclosed the visas of two staff members of Senator Lacson have been revoked.
President Estrada claimed his visa merely lapsed while he was in jail on plunder charges. He said he had gone to the US embassy last week to apply for a new visa and for fingerprinting. Estrada said he plans to visit the US in late June or after he travels to Beijing, China for the Olympics in August.
An Estrada associate whose visa had been cancelled, but asked not to be named, said had Presisent Estrada's visa been cancelled, the matter would have been moot since the Sandiganbayan had cancelled his passport during his plunder trial. The Estrada associate also said he had warned the former President not to attempt to step on US soil because he risks facing arrest in connection with the espionage case.
Other officials whose US visas were revoked include a congressman and a Metro Manila mayor identified with the opposition.
The US Embassy declined to comment on the issue, saying privacy regulations on an individual's visa status prevent them from disclosing any information. (MNS/ABSCBN- C. Drillon)
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CHICAGO – Since most of the fighters that Manny Pacquiao had faced recently were right-handers, the Filipino boxing sensation will have to adjust when he faces his fellow left-hander David Diaz.
Mr. Pacquiao’s trainer coach Freddie Roach, however, said that there is no cause for alarm at the joint press conference at Lalo’s Restaurant at 500 North LaSalle St., Chicago, to drum up visibility of the “Lethal Combination” on June 28 at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada where Diaz’ WBC lightweight belt is on the line.
Mr. Roach said, “I do not anticipate Manny having a problem fighting a southpaw. Manny will have to make adjustments.” He did not elaborate.
Pacquiao, the World Boxing Council super featherweight champion, said he had faced at least two southpaws in the past and this will be his third time that he will be facing a lefty.
Pacquiao, 29, said he plans “to learn more strategy” in facing a southpaw. “And both of us are southpaws. And it will be a good fight because this is the third time for me to fight a southpaw. I think it’s hard for both of us. But I will try to make people happy. It is a big honor for my country. I will do my best.”
For his part, Diaz, holder of the World Boxing Council lightweight champion, did not show any concern that he will also be facing a southpaw in Pacquiao. In his last two title bouts, Diaz, 31, both faced right-handers – Jose Armando Santa Cruz and Erik “El Terrible” Morales – and he beat both of them.
In his opening statement at the crowded press conference at the former Michael Jordan’s restaurant, the confident Mr. Diaz thanked God for getting him this far.
“This will be an all-out war between Manny and myself. Manny is a straight forward fighter as I am. We will both go at it. But the only thing that will happen is that I’m going to win the fight. And we will bring the (return) fight to Chicago and hopefully the Filipino people will forgive me for that. But I can not allow it (his belt to be lost). We’ve been in this situation before and somehow I had the victory and I don’t see why not.”
In an interview with this reporter, Diaz said if he beats Pacquiao and the return bout is in Chicago, their third fight can be held in the Philippines. Diaz predicts the fight will last the distance – 12 rounds. He said he does not mind being an underdog ‘which is part of the territory.” But he said he has beaten “a guy I am not supposed to beat (before). I expect to be 100 percent (healthy during the fight). As you see, (Manny) has been tearing everybody up in the scene. He is trying to take my title (away) and I am going to stop that.” Although, he does not like the “promotion” schedules because it is interfering with his work outs, Diaz said he is trying his best to do some workouts (in between).
From Chicago, Diaz and Pacquiao are due in San Francisco, California to hold another press conference and mix with the Mexican and Filipino population, like they did in Chicago, “before they get ready to rumble,” according to Bob Arum, Top Rank Promotions CEO.
For his part, Mr. Pacquiao did not make any predictions for the outcome of the fight, beyond saying, “I will do my best.”
Jim Strickland, Diaz’s manager, said the upcoming fight between Pacquiao and his ward, “is one terrific fight because both are in-your-face solid fighters, both are not backing out, trying to hit as hard as he can. They are not the type like Leroy Jones or (Floyd) Mayweather, or some great naturally gifted boxers. Manny is fast and strong. If Manny hits with three combinations, we are going to hit with four combinations. If he hits us hard, we will hit him harder. That’s our style and we thank Manny for giving us this opportunity.”
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