PinoyWatchDog.com-11th-17thMarch2012 by Pinoy WatchDog

Eyes wide shut, It’s Binay in 2016

VOL. 1

NO. 11

•

20 PAGES

•

25K CIRCULATED IN LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTIES

Page 16

@PinoyWatchDog •

LIKE US

PinoyWatchDog

•

SATURDAY, mARCH 17, 2012

Saluting women and women’s causes Winsome hopefuls vie for Ms. Philippines USA crown on International Women’s Day Words and photos by Dionesio t’s a yearly event but that doesn’t mean we don’t honor them everyday. March 8 every year has been designated International Women’s Day and for that PWD takes this opportunity to reflect and appreciate the transitions and the expansion in status that the fairer sex

C. Grava

Words and photos by Dionesio

t was time to holler words of encouragement as the beat and the well-choreographed routine ratcheted up. A time to ogle at each broad smile, the studied gait and stance, the made-up countenance and whatever little things the judges might look and notch on some database that would make or break a candidate’s chance of winning.

C. Grava

Still the mind wanders. Was that attitude self-confidence or arrogance? With botox and lipo and other enhancements in vogue, would someone nature-endowed fare less in the scheme of things? And how will a stunner look years from now? But showtime it was and nearly two dozen of them were

BEIRNE’S COURT DECLARATION FULL OF ‘INACCURACIES, LIES’ Perjury Charges could be Looming. Turn to Page 17

From left: Angela Bartolome, Jerry Esguerra, Arturo Garcia and Fe Koons.

Attorney Joel Bander said that “the documentary evidence shows that Beirne is lying under oath about the conith still a looming contempt of court charges for tempt charges, and directly to the court that is considering his contempt charges.” Beirne is still potenover 200 alleged violations of a L.A. tially facing hundreds of thousands of dolSuperior Court Judge Order in con- EXPOSE lars in fines and a possible 3-year jail time nection with “misleading and deceptive advertising,” Atty James Beirne appears to have if convicted of the contempt of court charges, separate and committed perjury in declarations he signed and submitted to the apart from any perjury conviction that could arise. court on January 23, 2012. Turn to Page 3 By Rene Villaroman with PWD

Investigative Team

Go to

www.PinoyWatchDog.com

watch

Hear no evil at JC Corona’s uproarious impeachment trial

Aguirre III had had enough of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s legal lectures, so he covered his ears with his hands in the classic gesture of simians wishing to hear no evil--metaphorically speaking, of course. For that evolutionary behavior, Aguirre earned the ire of the Senate impeachment court, which forthwith cited him in contempt. “I charge this private prosecutor

with contempt of this impeachment court! I have evidence right here taken by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, and to say that nasaktan ang tenga ko (my ears hurt) should have been (a cause) for you to walk out of this impeachment court. But you cannot make those contemptuous gestures in front of a judge, and get away with it,” Santiago stormed.

Powerhouse Senate team ready for 2013 By Winston A. Marbella Correspondent

BINAY

ANILA – It is so easy to underestimate Vice President Jejomar Binay. In the flamboyant world of Philippine politics, the Vice President’s low-key, lowprofile style simply... well... underwhelms. That is why it is so easy to underestimate him.

When a Manila broadsheet broke the news recently that he was running for president in 2016, the Vice President was quick to explain that what he meant was that the presidency had crossed his mind, but that he still had to decide when the right time came. He said so again lately when the topic came up again. Turn to Page 16

EDITORIAL

Page 5

OFF HOURS

CORONA

Turn to Page 17

Eyes wide shut, It’s Binay in 2016

From Our Pen Balita Fires Journalist David Casuco for Telling the Truth

By Winston A. Marbella Correspondent

ANILA - On the day that the Supreme Court announced yet another batch of newly minted lawyers in a country already drowning in litigation, we had the real world of the legal trenches show us how life is fought in the backwaters. Private prosecutor Vitaliano

Turn to Page 15

Jessica Sanchez’s Performance of a Whitney Houston Hymn on ‘American Idol’ Goes Viral Page 11

Binay on governance: ‘Our greatest shame’ By Winston A. Marbella Correspondent

ANILA - On a lark, to try to define the man better, I sent Vice President Jejomar C. Binay a series of

EXCLUSIVE! questions to answer. He sent them back with his candid answers in a Turn to Page 16

PEOPLE

Dolores Petersen Presents A Night of Jazz Page 4

PinoyWatchDog.Com

Saturday, March 17, 2012

From Page 1

PinoyWatchDog.Com

Expose

Beirne’s Court Declaration Full of ‘Inaccuracies, Lies’

Attorney Beirne’s massive legal troubles stem from his advertising campaign, titled “Setting the Records Straight” which began coming out in the Balita Media Midweek and Weekend editions since December 2011 and ostensibly authored by the beleaguered attorney. That advertising campaign was started by the Balita-Beirne Group to distract the Filipino community from a widely read PinoyWatchDog.com expose’ that specifically documented the revelations of two former clients of Atty Beirne whose cases were grossly mismanaged. One case was in immigration, the other bankruptcy, In a taped interview with PinoyWatchDog.com, Reynaldo Villarica, recounted in November 2011, that Beirne’s law office had filed three different petitions in his behalf using three different companies, always being referred to the employer by Balita/Beirne operatives. The PWD Investigative Team learned that the first, employer was non-existent, including the fabricated address and phone numbers. Since that article in November Balita/Beirne has never even denied that the employer fabrication was a ‘scam’. “After those petitions were denied they hid everything from me,” Villarica said. Villarica had paid the law office of Atty James Beirne a sum of about $7000, never got any immigrant visa or refund. In that same article Gertrudes and Rick Pecaoco of Burbank, said, “The help and assistance that we perused in Beirne’s advertisements (published in Balita) were not met,” the couple told PinoyWatchDog.com. Gertrudes said: “Parang, he was just there to file it. But he didn’t care to be concerned of ano ba talaga ang gusto mo? How can I be there to help you? What do you want to do? He was not helpful. He was not concerned.” PinoyWatchDog.com has now learned that the federal bankruptcy judge and the assigned trustee called Attorney Beirne’s preparation of the Pe-

Recent Beirne declaration caught lying by his own letters.

caoco file “a mess”, and the attorney sent by the Beirne office even agreed. The federal judge dismissed Beirne’s ill-prepared bankruptcy petition on the spot,” Gertrudes said. “Dismissed ang kaso ko. Bali wala.” As for the refund? The couple only got refunded for the lien stripping, which was only one-third the estimated $10,000 they paid to Beirne.

started running the “Setting the Records Straight” advertisements claiming that Villarica and Pecaoco were “turned down by us 10 years ago because they were not qualified for the relief they sought.” Beirne has continued to make that claim for at least three months in the widely published open letters.

In the allegedly perjury-prone declaration of January 23, 2012, Beirne declared that “In early 2001 Reynaldo Villarica was turned down when he requested that I help Mr. Villarica find a new employer to ‘port’ Mr. Villarica’s immigration petition to.” Villarica said “I was never turned down, they are the ones keeping my case alive to justify the fees.” Allen, who has never publicly denied actually owning the Beirne law office, signed a February 6, 2003, letter stating in part, “We are currently processing a new petition on [Villarica’s] behalf. This can only be done with a new employer. “The letter indicates Beirne’s office is taking care of everything,” Attorney Bander said. “No turn down. That’s a lie. All the porting talk and activity came from Beirne’s office.” Another letter signed by Beirne to an Atty Setareh, dated September 25, 2006, where Beirne admits “We have worked for this client since March 2001, having filed three labor certifications and one RIR on behalf of three employers….” Bander said “March 2001 is pretty darn early 2001. Beirne’s own letters shows he was lying under oath in January 2012.” Bander concluded, “I guess the Balita/Beirne response will be to write about me, and not tell Filipinos or the Superior Court the truth.” This newly surfacing documents support the contentions of Villarica all along, and certainly seems to be spelling serious legal troubles for Atty James Bierne. Attorney Bander cautioned “perjury issues would be referred to the District Attorney after the contempt matter is concluded. It would not be any time soon.”

Setting the Record Straight Advertisement On December 17, 2011, Beirne

Beirne confirms to another attorney he represented Villarica since March 2001.

Allen confirms Beirne office found Villarica new employer, and they are handling everything.

PinoyWatchDog.Com

People

♪

Dolores Petersen Presents

A Night of

olores Petersen Presents A Night of Jazz at Hollywood Studio Bar and Grill introducing the three young promising talents Eric Baul,Trina Marana and Angel Bonilla. Musical director and keyboard Winston Raval, on Bass Jun Caberte, and on drums Paul Aguas. Don’t miss it! Hollywood Studio Bar and Grill. Continental cuisine, full bar 6122 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA, March 31, 7:30pm, for ticket information call 213.235.7673. Ticket prize $25. Free parking.

A sentimental jazz vocalist, Eric Baulis an up and coming jazz singer in Los Angeles. He captures his audience with his charming voice that he has developed with the guidance of world class musicians like, Mel Dangcil, Mon David, Winston Raval, and RicIckard. A husband and father, Eric Baul was the 2009 winner of the JazzPhil USA talent search. In 2011 he became a board member of the Jazz Society of the Philippines USA, Los Angeles branch. Aside from singing, Eric works as a registered civil engineer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works where he is also the current president of FAPWEA, the Filipino American Public Works Employees Association.

A demure jazz vocalist. Trina Marana has the ability to wow the crowd, with her soft soul full voice. She started singing at an early age and at age 17 she started singing at the band. Her voice earned her the 2011 Jazz-Phil 1st runner up. Her vocal techniques are incredibly unique, she was trained by the world class musicians like Ryan Cayabyab, Rick Ickard, Mel Dancil, and Winston Raval. She hopes to inspire people with her music. Because she believes that music is the food of our soul.

One of Los Angeles’ flourishing singers, Angel Bonilla is adored and admired within her growing circle in the music scene. She has a rare ability to effectively serenade and capture her audience’s attention with her strong stage presence. Born in the Philippines, Angel’s mother discovered at a very early age her passion for singing. Angel’s competitive journey included passing the challenges at the current popular TV show, XFactor where she was able to experience the rigorous training up until boot camp. She has also had a cameo acting role at Inception Jackass parody for Critic’s Choice Movie Award 2011. She also cultivated the reputation for being able to connect with her audience emotionally. Its Angel’s hope that her music will provide a new means for her to be able to give back for the community and inspire people.

Winston Raval started playing the piano at age 5, comes from a family of musicians. His mother was a music educator and his father was a lawyer/politician who loved to sing. He graduated from San Beda College then studied music composition at the UP College of Music in Diliman. He composed 23 original musicial scorings in films in the Philippines in which he won the Urian for Best Musical Scoring in the movie, “Ikaw Ay Akin” in 1978. In Richie Quirino’s book, Pinoy Jazz and Mabuhay Jazz, Quirino credits Raval as a pioneer in ethnic fusion jazz in the Philippines. Before he came to the US, Winston was an original founder of the ‘70s band , Boy Camara and The Afterbirth. Recently, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the 4th San Francisco Fil-Am Jazz Festival last year. An incredible talent, Winston is considered as one of the best Filipino jazz pianists here in the US and the Philippines. He has a jazz Youtube channel “WRavalJazz” where you can hear his music videos taken by his nephew Andrew Raval-Ros, a USC graduate in Film.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Special guest Adi Rodriguez has a strong affinity for the performing arts. During her secondary education, she won Best Secondary Actress, Best in Thematics, and Best Cast in LAUSD for short films that she wrote, directed, and produced. She also won dancing competitions for Ballroom Salsa, and competes at the amateur level with JonnyoDulay. And, to top it off, she is a singer, whose voice resembles a blend of Adele, Norah Jones, and Lady Gaga.

azz

Saturday, March 17, 2012

PinoyWatchDog.Com

Editorial

Balita Fires Journalist David Casuco for Telling the Truth

t came as no surprise to PinoyWatchDog.com that the management and owners of Balita Media fired its editor, David Casuco, following a confession he made at a press conference arranged by the Media and Business Club of Los Angeles last Wednesday. In an organization that values secrecy over openness, Mr. Casuco’s honesty had no room to blossom. Journalist Casuco knew what he was getting into when he decided to attend that press conference. He knew that the President and Executive Editor of PinoyWatchDog.com would make an announcement that would impact his patrons, the Balita/Beirne Group. He knew that Mr. Al Aquino would announce he would file a complaint with the State Bar of California in connection with Atty James Beirne’s hundreds of contempt of court violations. But he attended anyway, not heeding his bosses’ admonition that he would feel unwelcome in the hostile atmosphere of a PinoyWatchDog.com-run press conference. But he came, nonetheless, and was glad that the hostility was more imagined than real. Mr. Casuco even sat with his best friend, Larry Pelayo, our editorial ombudsman, and longtime friend and veteran reporter Mylah de Leon of Asian Journal. Today, David Casuco, a friend and an admired peer, is probably licking his wounds after having been unceremoniously asked to quit by the publisher of Balita Media because he committed the ultimate sin of telling the truth. Balita considered the truth to be ‘ratting’ on them. Opening a can of worms, so to speak, in a public forum for which everything would be recorded and any image presented could be replicated. And they were. Every word, every nuance of his face, every mumbled teary expression, indeed, were videotaped. Not only by PinoyWatchDog.com, but also by two other legitimate photojournalists who covered the event. It became a gut-wrenching decision for the editors of PinoyWatchDog.com whether to ignore the revelations completely or to publish them verbatim. At deadline time, we decided to do the latter. Because failing to do so would constitute self-censorship. We knew that our decision to publish David Casuco’s revelation could cause him his job. But we also have a responsibility to our readers to report a legitimate event. So, on the eleventh hour, we voted to use the story on the front page. By doing so, PinoyWatchDog. com upheld its primordial mission to print news that is true and documented. David Casuco has made a great sacrifice by choosing truth over lies, and in the pursuit of honesty, he lost his livelihood, temporarily. But we salute him and others who sacrifice everything for these principles of truth in journalism. It is the mark of God-fearing men. Sadly, there are others who do not uphold the principles of truth in journalism. Hence, while they may cast us as trouble-makers and instigators, we accept the title if that would be the cost of serving our community by publishing only the truth instead of slanted falsehoods that seek to promote scandalous enterprises. All hail David Cusuco for standing as a saint on the side of truth against the evil of lies. PinoyWatchDog.com

is published fortnightly by Tanod Bayan, Inc., mailing address at P.O. Box 91400, Los Angeles, California 90009, Telephone Number (213) 261-7467 and e-mail address at editor@pinoywatchdog.com

Alfonso Gaerlan Aquino Executive Editor

Joel Bander Senior Columnist

Rene Villaroman Managing Editor

Dionesio C. Grava Chief of Reporters

Larry Pelayo Editorial Ombudsman

Francis Johann Verdote Correspondent

Arturo Cariaga, Winston A. Marbella Manila Correspondents

Lay-out and Graphics by Web & SEO Strategist | Graphic Designer

Saint Casuco, Patron of Journalistic Integrity.

War Against Women

his guy Rush Limbaugh has been derided by a long list of levelheaded men and women as the principal source of hate and division and outrageous behavior in America for far too long. He is not an entertainer as claimed by his defenders, for there is nothing entertaining or enlightening about his program. It does not move the country forward one bit. It does nothing to add clarity or coherence to the political debate. His war against women is so blatantly vicious and hypocritical that one can only find it incomprehensible that any conservative worth his salt would want to be associated with him. This isn’t just a case of mere bad manners; it’s an insidious politics built around the crazed ravings of a very sick, creepy individual. It is worth remembering that he was a confessed drug addict who underwent extensive rehabilitation. Recently, Limbaugh attacked in his radio program a 30-year-old law student of Georgetown University, Miss Sandra Fluke, calling her in the process a “slut” and a “prostitute”, after she testified in support of the Obama administration’s requirement that health insurance plans cover contraceptives for women. She was advocating for free contraception as part of her college healthcare plan. Her presence testifying before a congressional committee obviously caught the ire of the explosive radio talk show host. Rush Limbaugh for the last 20 years has been the main antagonist of the progressives, credited with mobilizing support for the Republican sweep of Congress in 1994, the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1999 and the conservatives’ gain in the mid-term elections of 2010. For spewing incendiary language against those who dare dispute his claims and stand, Limbaugh is estimated to make 50 million dollars a year, a profit center for Premier Radio Networks, the company that syndicates his radio program. The program makes money both through ads and through fees paid by local radio stations. He is acclaimed as the lead man of the conservatives’ “four horsemen of the Apocalypse”. The others are Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. Together, they pollute the airwaves with their demented rants and ravings. Though Limbaugh has made a public apology for choosing to use inappropriate words against Miss Sandra Fluke, he has not

abetted in his war against women. So much so that his apology was considered by women’s advocacy group to be appalling and ridiculous, and not even close to believable. This time, women from both sides of the political divide, has decided to circle the wagon and are now determined to make the last stand to get Limbaugh off the air. The National Association of Women (NOW) is considering to get Miss Fluke to sue the radio talk show host for libel, slander or whatever else might be involved for the simple reason that she is not a public figure. Pro Bono legal service has been offered in abundance to the Georgetown University law student. As of this writing, Limbaugh’s radio program has lost more than 140 advertisers and counting, with 3 radio stations pulling out of his show. Not to be outdone, some 98 advertisers have made statements that they will not have anything to do with the likes of O’Reilly, Beck and Hannity. Whether this incident will result in the end of the Rush Limbaugh Show or create more civility in the discourse, remains to be the desirable. By the way.....the state of affairs in FACLA will remain a sore sight in the community as long as the legitimacy of the present Board of Directors is in question. The issue, according to Mr. Rizalino Manuel, is whether the five court-reinstated Directors, who are now also sitting as executive officers, were already legally vested to assume their seat in the Board on February 6, 2012, when the Statement of Decision of February 1, 2012 is not yet final and executory, having allowed a period of 10 days for the plaintiff to prepare and file a written judgment. However, on February 10, 2012, a Motion to Intervene was filed by Norma Salvaterra on behalf of the Coalition for a Better Community, thus preventing the court to issue a final judgment. According to Mr. Manuel, because of this anomalous situation, the lawyer of the five questionable directors wrote a letter to Mr. Adolfo Aguayon, threatening the four signers of the Motion to Intervene to better withdraw their claims or face stringent measures, but never in his letter did he address the question of whether or not the statement of decision of February 1, 2012 is final and executory. It is clear as daylight that these five court-reinstated Directors are nothing but squatters, illegally representing and acting on behalf of FACLA. To the public: what do you think? We need a people power.

Opinion

In my Measure, David Casuco is a Hero

n Wednesday following the publication of the previous issue of PinoyWatchDog.com, I met with David Casuco, Editor of Balita, and Ella Madrigal-Wagner, editor of Philippine Media over lunch at a fifties-style diner on Vermont Avenue. David and Ella are both old friends of mine and esteemed peers in the community journalism field. If there is a common thread that binds us together, it is our readiness to stick by our principles, first, and our love for food, second. There was a time when we considered, along with a few other writers, to form some sort of a foodies club. But for some reasons, that plan never got off the ground because of the nature of our jobs. Or, perhaps, it needed more push and more active leadership. But that would be a topic better left written in my food blog at www.cuisinerolosangeles.blogspot.com. I am writing this column specifically to honor David Casuco because in my mind and in my measure of a man, he is a rare hero in a profession that is scattered with an assortment of armchair journalists and publishers and half-baked journalist wannabes. By bucking prevailing practices at his publication and coming out with a revelation that his publisher had forced him twice to write something that was against his principles, forcing him to walk out of the job twice, Casuco engenders what I consider the highest virtue – that of editorial independence—in journalism. In

plain English, that would be the ability to tell your boss to go to hell if he dictates that you write something that goes against your high ethical precepts and journalistic professionalism. The fact that David chose to reveal his experiences during a public forum, aware of the possible consequences that it could bring him, made that act even doubly honorable and worthy of emulation by some of his peers who profess themselves to be real journalists. When I was working as a correspondent of the Asian Journal from 2007 until the summer of 2011, I had experienced subtle forms of censorship being practiced there. I remember one episode in June 2008 in which I had written a mildly expository article about a community leader that, in retrospect, despite Asian Journal’s tight controls over controversial stories, made it through the editorial desk, without being edited out. Upon publication of said article, the “affected” community leader called me on the phone and branded me with all sorts of epithets, meanwhile defending that person’s standing as a respected pillar in the community. A few days later, while driving back from Las Vegas, after covering a Pacquiao-Diaz fight at Mandalay Bay, I got a call from AJ Publisher Roger Oriel. I knew what was coming next. He talked about that article and the fact that “Filipinos here in the United States are different from those in the Philippines.” I took that to mean that Fil-Ams here are won’t

to file libel and defamation lawsuits against journalists as a way of shaking them down. Roger made me feel that what I did was unacceptable, and I understood. The Oriels had paid some good money to pacify some people in the past because an Asian Journal contributing writer had purportedly written a “manufactured” story and that came back and haunted them. You must understand that I was talking to Roger and trying to concentrate on driving on the Southbound I-15 at the same time. I told Roger in finality: “Roger, I was trying to do my little advocacy in that story. If it was against your rules, I am sorry, but I will respect your request as an Asian Journal employee. But it is against my principle to do so.”

Saturday, March 17. 2012

In my defense, I can claim that nothing in that story was even remotely libelous or defamatory. But, like I said, the Oriels were reacting like a couple of Pavlovian dogs, conditioned to the possibility that it would cost them dearly. In fact, to placate the feelings of that community leader, they asked a sub-editor to pen a glowing, but undeserved, feature article about that person and Asian Journal shamelessly published it on the front page. That, my friends, is the sad state of community journalism being foisted by some of these Fil-Am newspapers. Journalists like David are rare, and that distinction carries an even more paramount importance when you consider that David, apart from being an excellent writer with real, earned, newspapering experience, also possesses the qualities of a steadfast, truthful and ethical journalist. Mabuhay ka, David Casuco!

Reinventing Makati from street parliament

AKATI CITY - In the turbulent days of the pivotal Seventies, two human rights lawyers forged a comradeship in the parliament of the streets that was to last a lifetime and span two political careers that would converge, 40 years hence, in the fulfilment of one vision and two shared dreams. The two lawyers were Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and Jejomar C. Binay. Their lifelong dreams converged recently, not by coincidence but by a confluence of historical events, because once upon a time in their idealistic youth they shared a vision of hope for a country and its people. The younger man, Binay, now vice president, formally inaugurated and turned over to Pimentel, who has completed his constitutional term limits in the Senate, the leadership of the Pimentel Center for Local Governance at the University of Makati, which Binay had founded as a visionary local executive. It was a gift from a grateful protégé to a wise mentor, one still to reach the peak of a rising political career, the other bequeathing to another generation the wise counsel of an illustrious public servanthood. The Pimentel Center, lovingly dubbed by local government officials who have attended its innovative programs as the Institute of Integrity, was blessed by Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz and Bishop Deogracias Yniguez. But typical of the way Binay and Pimentel worked together espousing libertarian causes, the center has been in operation for almost a year, bringing its message of integrity in local governance to the far reaches of the archipelago. High and low Its graduates have included the rich and the lowly, famous and powerful men like Barangay Forbes Park Captain Jose Concepcion and a retired Overseas Filipino Worker like Narito Estuita, who has come home to serve his country in his twilight years. All are animated by the clarion call to bring integrity back to public service. The center is housed on the fourth floor of the main university building and boasts a formidable library on politics, biography and people-centered governance in the developing world. Value-driven politicians like Rep. Cynthia Villar, wife of Sen. Manny Villar, and retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno help form its glittering array of visiting professors. The blessing was capped by the launching of a book, Reinventing Makati: A Vision of VP Jejomar Binay, a collaborative effort of University of the Philippines professors and U/Mak faculty headed by its president, Prof. Tomas Lopez. Transforming a city The book details the transformation of Makati from a sleeepy municipality to one

of the world’s best-run cities, largely on the bold vision and administrative skills of Mr. Binay and the boost provided by the Pimentel-authored Local Government Code, which devolved central government powers to the grass roots. The decentralized concepts of government were forged largely in the hands-on experience of both Binay and Pimentel, who himself was mayor of Cagayan de Oro city before he was thrown in jail by the martial law regime for his advocacy of human rights. Addressing an enthusiastic crowd that included the country’s political glitterati past, present and future, Binay recalled how Pimentel had mentored him like a father by appointing him the first city mayor under President Corazon Aquino’s revolutionary government after the People Power Revolution in February 1986. Results-driven, hardnosed Binay built a reputation as a hard-nosed local executive whose resultsdriven populist orientation is examined in great detail in the book, which uses as framework another landmark book, Reinventing Government, by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler. Students of modern political science will find Reinventing Makati a good template for replicating one city’s success in transformation leadership. “This compilation of experiences and initiatives brings to the fore the compelling challenge for us and all government leaders and communities “especially on matters of transparency and accountability,” Pimentel wrote in the foreword. “(L)ocal governments work best when led by dedicated men and women who, in good conscience, apply the principles of good governance.” In seven months of work, the center has conducted seminars in ethics-driven governance for local government officials all over the country. It aims to reach most of 40,000 local government units over the long term. Changing of the guard Two years before Senator Pimentel’s last term at the Senate ended on June 30, 2010, then Makati Mayor Binay invited his political mentor to join the University of Makati as head of the institute. At noon of that day, Pimentel ended a sterling career in the Senate. On the same day, his protege was sworn into office as vice president. At the dedication of the Pimentel Institute at the University of Makati, a student, now vice president of the republic, paid tribute to the man who had mentored him well. Dreams of people-centered governance, forged in brotherly struggle in the streets four decades ago, became a vision fulfilled for a senator and a vice president: an institute dedicated to good governance in a university that serves the people of a city proud of its populist heritage---a student’s lasting gift to a beloved mentor.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

PinoyWatchDog.Com

The Original Sin of Chief Justice Renato Corona

By JJ Domingo

“I

know the legal justifications for your appointment, but what’s the moral justifi-

cation?” This was my question to Renato C. Corona, the most controversial Chief Justice the Philippines ever had, during a dinner-meeting with several bloggers at his Supreme Court office in Manila last Wednesday. The said meeting was organized by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado, editor of Blogwatch. “Well, modesty aside, if you see my qualifications, I think you’d agree that any president would appoint me, or at least consider appointing me, to the post,” he said. “Yes, I do agree with you, sir. But why, then, did you not wait for President Aquino to appoint Philippine Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona is emyou instead?” Well, you see, the Constitu- braced by his wife Maria Cristina as he waves to supporttion does not provide for an act- ers after delivering his speech during a court holiday at the Supreme Court in Manila December 14, 2011. The Philing Chief Justice.” But this doesn’t mean that ippine Congress impeached the country’s chief justice on Monday as allies of President Benigno Aquino lined up bedesignating an acting Chief Jus- hind his drive to root out corruption. Corona said he will tice is unconstitutional, isn’t it? not resign and will answer the impeachment charges in The Judiciary Act of 1948 states the Senate when trial begins next year. that in the event of a vacancy in the position of Chief Justice, the most sen- of the President-elect. This is supposed to ior of the associate justices shall assume the be common sense: In 1953, for instance, the position in an acting capacity, until the new great Manuel Moran, even though he badly chief magistrate is chosen. Indeed, Hilario wanted the post, refused out-going President Davide served in this capacity before he was Elpidio Quirino’s offer to be appointed to the appointed by President Joseph Estrada in Supreme Court because he thought any such appointments should be a decision of the then 1998. For me, however you look at it, Corona’s incoming President, Ramon Magsaysay. Arroyo’s father himself, Diosdado Macaappointment by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo two days after the election of President Be- pagal, knew how inappropriate midnight apnigno S. Aquino III should have been de- pointments are: He voided 350 such appointclared unconstitutional. The Constitution ments by his predecessor, Carlos P. Garcia, was clear in banning any presidential ap- within twenty-four hours of assuming the pointments two months before the current Presidency. The Supreme Court upheld him, president’s term ends; but Arroyo allies, cit- ruling that an out-going President “should ing ambiguity in the language of the Con- not do acts which he ought to know would stitution, asserted that his prohibition apply embarrass or obstruct the policies of his suconly in appointments to positions in the Ex- cessor.” But lawyers can always make what apecutive branch. Yet the living framers of the pears to be wrong right. The Corona-led Constitution insist that there is no such ambiguity, and that the ban also applies on mem- Supreme Court upheld the Chief Justice’s bers of the Judiciary. This is why, in 1998, midnight appointment, making it, at least Chief Justice Andres Narvasa refused to al- technically, legal. But making an act legal low out-going President Ramos to appoint a doesn’t make it right, which is why my quesreplacement for Associate Justice Ricardo J. tion was framed not on legalities but on the general wisdom of Corona’s midnight apFrancisco, who was then retiring. Obviously, the reason why the framers of pointment. “Yes, that’s the legal justification, but the Constitution enshrined the ban on midnight appointments is because they deem what makes it right?” I pressed the Chief that, in a transition period, the President is Justice. “How harmful is a vacancy in the merely a care-taker who must not do any- position of Chief Justice to the Judiciary that thing that would undermine the intentions a president had to appoint you immediately,

and only two days after the election of her successor?” “Well, you see, there was no big case in 2010,” he said. “But what if there were?” This answer implied that the Chief Justice is so important to the Supreme Court that a case could not be heard without him. I find this strange. Being merely primus inter pares, the Chief Justice’s only role is to preside over the hearing of a case. Without him, the most senior Associate Justice can preside. As Corona himself said that night, the Court is collegial, and the Chief Justice’s vote is only as important as his fellow justices’ vote. During that two-hour meeting, I found Chief Justice Corona very pleasant and unassuming. He doesn’t inspire the same gravitas other national leaders do, but he was articulate and obviously intelligent. We share the same passion for history, and he was kind enough to show his collection of enlarged photocopies of historical documents showing the extraordinary role his wife’s family, the Basas, played in Philippine history. I understand now why many Supreme Court employees are all out in supporting him. He is likeable. But I don’t think he was being truthful, or at least not completely. I don’t think he really believes that his midnight appointment is morally justifiable, which is why I chose not

7 to press the matter further. For me, the issue of Corona’s appointment is the crux of this whole controversy. The Supreme Court may have wrapped the said midnight appointment with all its elaborate technical legalese; but, from the perspective of the country’s general consensus of what is right and wrong- based on its political experience, jurisprudence and the intent of its Constitution-it was, at the very least, an act of grave imprudence and, at worst, a brazen attempt by a corrupt president to undermine her successor, thereby thwarting, for the third time, the people’s will. Like the other bloggers who were present last Wednesday, I’m willing to give Chief Justice Corona the benefit of the doubt with regards to corruption allegations. But one thing remains clear: Offered an appointment that was clearly against convention, against precedence, and against good faith; Corona, if he really is the morally-upright man he claims himself to be, should have chosen to refuse, thereby upholding delicadeza. But he chose otherwise. That, I think, was Corona’s original sin. JJ Domingo is a Manila-based political blogger and is the author of The Nutbox, where this article was first published. He had contributed to the Philippine Online Chronicle (POC).

Saturday, March 17, 2012

PinoyWatchDog.Com

Ana and the ‘King’

ust when the House prosecutors seem like they’re losing steam in building a strong case against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona… just when the senator-judges are beginning to doubt if there is even “clear and convincing” evidence to convict him… just when Corona went on a media blitz against President Benigno Aquino III and others whom he perceived as conspiring to oust him… and just when Corona’s invincibility seems beyond the reach of ordinary mortals, a young lady appeared on the scene. During the early days of the Corona impeachment trial, it was revealed in Corona’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) for 2003 and 2004 that he obtained a “cash advance” of P11 million from Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI), a corporation that has since been dissolved. That caught the attention of Ana Basa, a Las Vegas-based FilAm and daughter of the late Jose Ma. Basa III, one of five siblings who established the Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI) in 1961. One of the other siblings was the late Asuncion Basa Roco, the mother of Cristina Roco Corona. The buzz generated in the media about the “cash advance” in Corona’s SALNs prompted Ana to fly to the Philippines to talk to her aunt, Sister Flory Basa, the sole survivor of the Basa siblings. Sister Flory is a nun at the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Cavite. Family feud As it turns out, the heirs of the original BGEI stockholders are embroiled in a nasty dispute with Cristina for the past 20 years. The news about the P11-million “cash advance” to Corona – who is not a BGEI stockholder — triggered a series of events that could dethrone the “King of the Supremes.” Renato and Cristina Corona Days later, it was revealed at the impeachment trial that Corona withdrew a total of P32.6 million from three peso time deposit accounts with Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) on December 12, 2011, the day he was impeached by

the House of Representatives. Corona claimed that the money was not his but owned by BGEI. He said that he withdrew the money because he believed that PSBank was responsible for leaking the existence of the accounts, which also include five secret dollar accounts. But strangely, he opened a new account with the same branch and deposited the entire amount that he withdrew! Cristina then sent a text message to a media personality saying that the P32.6 million came from the proceeds of the sale of a piece of BGEI property to the City of Manila. But assuming that it’s true that the money belongs to BGEI, why did Corona — who didn’t have any financial interest in BGEI other than being married to Cristina — deposit the money in his personal accounts? Recently, it was reported in the news that in 1995, Ana’s father, who is Cristina’s uncle, Jose Ma. Basa III, filed an estafa case against Cristina for allegedly

Renato and Cristina Corona

failing to account for the rental income of BGEI. However, the court dismissed the case and Cristina sued her uncle for libel for putting out a public notice in the newspaper alleging that it maliciously put her in a bad light. The notice announced that Jose Ma. Basa III, claiming to be a majority stockholder of BGEI, had filed a

Feuding cousins Ana Basa and Cristina Corona

criminal case against Cristina for allegedly misappropriating rentals due BGEI. It is interesting to note that at the time Cristina was sued for estafa, Renato was working as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel to then President Fidel V. Ramos. In an interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), Ana said that the original stockholders of BGEI were her father Jose Ma. Basa III, Cristina’s mother Asuncion Basa Roco, Mario Basa, Sister Concepcion Basa, and Sister Flory Basa. Ana said that Cristina wrested control of BGEI when she became its administratrix in 1989. Since then, attempts by the stockholders to inspect the corporate books were denied by Cristina, thus keeping them completely in the dark about BGEI’s financial matters. “Justice in my lifetime” Ana said that in the past 20 plus years, the Corona couple heaped sufferings upon her parents and the rest of the BGEI stockholders. She said that they were constantly harassed by the Co ronas. “There were people sent to our house with guns, scaring my parents, and phone calls in the middle of the night because there were pending cases regarding this corporation,” she said. “Inapi kami talaga (We were really oppressed). If they can do (this) to their own blood relatives, what more to people out there who are old, are not politicians, are not rich and are not lawyers? My parents were just ordinary citizens, just being good citizens here in the Philippines and yet to have your own blood relatives cause this type of injustice is…” She was lost for words and started sobbing.

Ana’s father passed away without getting justice. Her mother, Raymunda is now 83 years old but would like to see justice. And so does Sister Flory who just turned 90. Her birthday wish was: “I want to see justice in my lifetime.” But with Corona enthroned as the country’s Chief Justice, can justice really be served? Ana said that she will continue to fight because she promised her father on his deathbed, “I would continue his fight for justice.” In an interview with Ted Failon of TV Patrol, Sister Flory said that she’s willing to testify at the impeachment trial of Corona. She said that the Coronas could keep the money, all she wanted is to see justice done. What goes around… Well, Ana and Sister Flory might finally see the light at the the tunnel. Last March 12, Corona’s lawyers started their presentation of Corona’s defense. But Corona’s defense panel has a dilemma. For Corona to avoid culpability, his defense lawyers have to prove that the P11 million “cash advance” and the P32.6 million he withdrew from PSBank on December 12, 2011 does not belong to him. If so, then Corona would have to return the monies to the rightful owners, the heirs of the Basa-Guidote clan. Indeed, Ana might fulfill her deathbed promise to her father and Sister Flory might get her birthday wish granted. And how about Corona? One thing for sure, he might be able to get away with betrayal of public trust but he can’t escape from the Law of Karma. As someone once said, “Nothing escapes the Law of Karma. You get from the world what you give to the world.” Yes, what goes around comes around. (PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

PinoyWatchDog.Com

Off Hours

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Jessica Sanchez’s Performance of a Whitney Houston Hymn on ‘American Idol’ Goes Viral Words and pictures by Rene Villaroman

alk about viral, and who comes to mind? Jessica Sanchez, the Filipino-Mexican ‘American Idol’ finalist who sang Whitney Houston’s iconic hymn “I Will Always Love You” last Wednesday and drew the only standing ovation of that evening and cemented her position as a strong contender for the championship crown. Judge Steven Tyler waxed emotional when he commented on Jessica’s performance, saying, “You may be the one. You just made 40 million cry.” I have a little secret to share with you regarding Jessica. I met her last August, during my high school reunion held at the Anchor Event Center in San Diego. I co-hosted that celebration with my niece, Georgette Copes, a broadcast journalist and Balitang America correspondent based in the Palm Springs area. Although born and raised in San Diego, Georgette, or Gorgeous, as I love to tease her, chooses to carve a name in broadcast journalism in the Coachella Valley and Temecula Valley areas of Southern California. Jessica was our special guest performer in that memory-filled reunion that was years in the making. The following day, a Sunday, she performed for us again during a fun-filled picnic in a regional park north of San Diego. The night before, after our event at the Anchor Event Center, Georgette and I drove her and her younger sister home about eight miles from where Georgette’s mom, Tessie Copes, lives. Jessica, from what I heard from her exchanges with her Aunt Georgette, was still in high school. She looked to

Jessica performing during the author’s high school reunion-picnic at a regional park in San Diego in August 2011.

me like a typical teenager who is doing very well in school. Her mother, who is related to Georgette’s mother, is from the town of Samal, Bataan, where I finished high school at the famous St. Catherine of Sienna Academy, the only private school I knew at the time that offered Spanish as regular subject two years in a row. More recently last month, I received a text from Georgette telling me that she would be in ‘American idol’ with her “niece” and I took that to be one

of her immediate nieces. It did not occur to me that she was taking about Jessica Sanchez, until I started paying attention to ‘American Idol’. And then it happened. The pieces fell into place, and the memories of that sultry August night came back, and I realized that Georgette was talking about Jessica Sanchez. To prove the veracity of my story, I am illustrating this article with pictures of Jessica which I took during our reunion picnic. Two weekends ago, Georgette called and told me that she

was contacted by her Balitang America producer in the Bay Area excited about Jessica Sanchez because she was already making waves among Pinoys over at the homeland, and ABSCBN wanted a story very badly. She told me that she needed to contact Fox Network to get their permission to interview Jessica. I was hoping I could join her when that interview does come about. But she did not call me back. I have no TFC in my TV, which did not allow me to monitor if she had done the interview and if

Balitang America had aired it. So I turned to what little I remember of my only meeting with Jessica and to the last bastion of information-seekers: Google. To my chagrin, there was nothing new or earth-shaking about Jessica that I could find in a Google search save for a hundred pages of You Tube postings of Jessica’s outstanding, standing ovation-deserving rendition of the Whitney Houston hymn “I Will Always Love You” and the glowing accolades that she received from the three American Idol judges. In fact, I was lucky to be home last Wednesday evening to watch that performance first hand, while every hair on my body was standing on its end because of pride, to the glowing praises that she solicited from the judges. “This is one of the hardest songs in the world to sing,” Randy Jackson told Sanchez. “Jessica Sanchez is legit. You were not only the best vocal of the night, but I think you are one of the best singers in the whole competition. This is one of the best singers in the whole country.” Judge Jennifer Lopez choked back tears when she said, “When you did the last three things and we were right there with you, I think you were even surprised in yourself. It was beautiful. You are so talented. God bless you.” Some people may say that Jessica’s rendition of the Whitney Houston hymn “was boring” because she did not do anything new to the song. But another commentator concluded “that’s the beauty of it. It was a song better left untouched. For a power singer as young and as talented and as unaffected as Jessica, it turned out really well.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

PinoyWatchDog.Com

By Oliver Carnay

Best Shorts Competition (www.BestShorts.net) is calling all filmmakers creating television pilots, all new media, public service announcements, animation, video blogging, short documentaries, web series, music videos, commercials, mobile advertising, podcasts, webcasts, webinars, among other categories as long as your entry is 57 minutes or less. The competition offers a number of prizes. Deadline is at the end of this month. Email info@ bestshorts.net to get entry forms or go to the above web site for more details. ********* This past Thursday (March 15) marks the 3rd death anniversary of one of my best friends, Lito Torres, a multi-awarded Filipino filmmaker, active volunteer and advocate of AIDS prevention, and a well-known event producer. As a director, his films: A Box of Cookies (2000), In the Company of Friends (2001), Mother’s Love (2002), Mannequin Hands (2003), Queen of Asia (2005), Cio Cio San (2006), Waiters (documentary, 2007), and Becoming A Man (unfinis d, 2008) have been selected in different film festivals around the world. Among the festivals he has been invited and won several awards were Palm Springs International Filmfest, Uptown Whittier Filmfest, San Francisco Facine Filmfest, Columbia University Arkipelago Filmfest, Cucalorus Filmfest of North Carolina, Santa Monica Moxie Filmfest, Cinemafest of L.A., Big Bear Lake International Filfmfest, Turin International Film Festival of Italy, Barcelona Film Festival of Spain, Asian Film Festival Smithsonian Museum, Washington D.C., Pride International Filmfest, Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Cinema Indio Film Festival, Toronto Asian Film Festival, Palm Springs International Short Film Festival, North Caro-

read this in the news: “NBC’s ambitious new drama series “Awake” opened last night with a 1.9/5 in adults 18-49 and 6.2 million viewers.” I wonder how they knew what age range watches television at a specific time of broadcast! Isn’t is strange you always see this kind of rating reviews?

lina International Film Festival, Asian Pacific Video and Film Festival, among others. Lito’s wasn’t able to finish his drama masterpiece “Michael Angelo,” a story about two brothers discovering the hard way and the evil that men do to each other, due to

AIDS Latino Project, AIDS Project Los Angeles, Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, among many others, held at the El Rey Theatre on Wilshire Blvd. A Tribute and Film Retrospective in his honor was presented at the Directors

Filipino couturier Angelo Santos (left) while working on Missy Pyles’ first Eco-Friendly gown worn at the recent Academy Awards.

his untimely demised. Lito was diagnosed with “nasopharyngeal cancer” (NPC) in March 2008 and lost his battle on March 15, 2009. In the Los Angeles community, Lito Torres is also well-known as the executive producer of numerous series of shows. In 1994, he formed the non-profit organization - A Company of Friends Entertainment Group (where I became one of the members), a group of Filipino professionals who have decided to make a difference in the issue of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome awareness and education. The group have specifically targeted their concern to the Asian community, but also wanted to reach out to the community at large. After the successful “Burst of Summer” swimwear fashion show in 1994 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium (which ran for a couple of years more), it was followed in 1995 with the “Search for the Best Celebrity Impersonator of California.” 1996 brought on the very successful “Best Male Exotic Dancer” contest, and in 1997, “A Night of A Hundred Gowns” was added to the line up of shows. All these benefited several organizations, including Bienestar:

L-R: Suzy Cameron (wife of James Cameron), actress Missy Pyle (“The Artist”), Birgit Muller (couture designer), Valentina Delfino (sketch designer), and couture designer Angelo Santos.

Guild of America during the 2009 Asian Pacific Video and Film Festival for his contributions to the annual festival and the Asian American community. ********** As I commemorate

Lito Torres (R.I.P., far right) with actors (L-R) Marc Newburger, Michael Fragale, and Josh Duhamel (now wife of singer Fergie). Torres directed Josh Duhamel’s first film debut “A Company of Friends.”

first ever Eco-gown worn and walked at this year’s Academy Award red carpet, held at the Hollywood & Highland Theatre (formerly Kodak Theatre). Missy Pyle (part of the ensemble cast of”The Artist”) wore a flowing Aqua gown made from organic silk, hand-dyed with natural mineral pigments and lined with recycled polyester gown designed by Valentina Delfino, patterned and sewed by Angelo Santos (and finished in a matter of four days!), together with Birgit Muller. Angelo and Birgit are team partners of worldwide hit tv soap “ T h e Bold

& The Beautiful,” who won the Emmys “Best Costume Designers” three years consecutively. Angelo has been working for the world-renowned television soap for 13 straight years. Angelo graduated with a degree in Nursing but pursued fashion design and pattern-making at FIDM, where he won the Bob Mackie Award. He was mentored by Jack Stitsworth, designer to the stars (Eliza-

Bebe Gandanghari, may bagong pasasabuging balita sa Papparazi!

beth Taylor, among others) and Dean of FIDM. Angelo’s creations has been displayed and bought at the famous Bullocks on Wilshire Blvd. before setting up his own couture salon in Beverly Hills until he was sought after by executives from “The Bold...” stationed at CBS Network (adjacent to The Grove on Fairfax Ave.). ********* Ai-Ai de las Alas, imbiyerna sa Head Security Guard ng ABS-CBN kaya di sinipot ang live promo guesting ng “Wacko Wacko” sa ASAP!

Lito’s passing, another dear friend, Angelo Santos (I’ve known this guy since 1980) is being recognized in Hollywood for his contribution in the fashion and tv industry. Filipino couturier Angelo Santos (who grew up in San Miguel, Tarlac, Philippines and ) will be honored with ‘Congressional Record of Achievement’ by the U.S. Congress, together with the team who won this year’s Red Carpet Green Dress third annual couture competition. This fresh news was relayed to him yesterday (March 13) by Suzy Cameron herself (wife of writer/director James Cameron - Titanic, Avatar, Aliens), who spearheaded the competition, leading to the

3-time Emmy winners Birgit Muller and Filipino couturier Angelo Santos, the team designers of tv soap hit “The Bold & The Beautiful.”

Samut-sari: This Saturday (March 17), ina-abangan ang first interview ni Bebe Gandanghari (dating Rustom Padilla) sa tv show na Papparazi (Channel 5) na i-interbyuhin ni Zoren Legaspi (current husband ni Carmina Villaroel na ex-wife ni BB). Matagal na naglagi ang kapatid ni Robin Padilla sa New York City at balitang magkakaroon ito ng bagong tv show sa TV5. Sikreto pa ang tv program na i-hohost nito pero huhulaan ko na ito kung ano -- may kinalaman siguro ito sa isang fashion reality show na kahawig ng show ng drag queen na si RuPaul sa Bravo network dito sa U.S. Aber nga, ano kaya ito? ...... Kasalukuyan pa ring masama ang loob ni Ai-Ai de las Alas sa Head ng Security ng ABS-CBN, ang mother network ng Queen of Comedy dahil sa pinaglakad ito ng malayo at hindi pinapasok ang van nito sa compound ng 2. Imbiyerna pa rin ang komedyana kahit na pinadalhan na siya ng bulaklak ng nakagalitan nito. Incidentally, may show si AiAi dito sa Los Angeles sa April 14 kasama ng dating mag-asawang Martin Nievera at Pops Fernandez. Isang magandang tema ng pang-aasar na naman ang ibibigay ni Ai-Ai sigurado sa dalawa at sa madlang people of Los Angeles. Kaya sugod na kayo sa opisina ng Starmedia Entertainment para kumuha ng tiket..... May problema kayo sa column ko, email nyo lang ako sa oliver@ iatalent.com ha, ne? Follow me on Twitter@olivercarnay / iatalent.com / HollywoodFLIP. com / Facebook.com/olivercarnay

PinoyWatchDog.Com Saturday, March 17, 2012

ntert inment & rts

Ella Mae Saison Brought Pista to By Francis Johann Verdote Correspondent

n her post-Valentine show last February 25, 2012, Manila’s Soul Diva, Ella Mae Saison, brought the word pista to Kapistahan Grill in Historic Filipinotown. Miss Saison’s show was to start at 8:00pm. Being the regular me, almost all the time, I came in an hour earlier than the time posted on the flyer. One reason I come early to events is I always wanted to avoid the hassle of finding a parking spot, especially in the Filipinotown area where parking is a game of hide-and-seek. More than that, I wanted to indulge myself with KG’s scrumptious tosilog before watching the performers and jot-

Kapistahan Grill

ting down notes. Also, I was hoping the show would start on time. But as typical and annoying as it was, the overwhelming notion of Filipino-Time dominated the first part of the post-Valentine show. The show did not start on time not because the performers were late, but because of the notion of Filipino-Time. The emcees, Ciamara Morales and Jamie Bacani, and front acts, Usher Turek and J.R. Magno, mingled with anxious audience at Kapistahan Grill, as they waited for the show to start. And Miss Saison and her band had been at Kapistahan Grill for hours polishing their set for the night. By having a Filipino-Time mentally, the Filipino audience

created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Someone might have said, “Filipino events almost always don’t start in time, so let’s go there a little later.” The by-product of this mentality was the event did not start on time because the seats are half-empty or half-full, depending on your point-of-view. Thus, the Filipino-American audience in the post-Valentine gig perpetuated the Filipino-Time myth. In the middle of me finishing my tosilog, Kuya Nalwin and

Maybe their anxieties were driven by the on-gong impeachment trial or the foiled anticipated fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather. Afterwards, everyone waited for Ella Mae’s set. During the break, all I heard at KG were drunken gibberish; it felt like watching someone speak in tongues on TV. The fiesta at Kapistahan began when Ella Mae Saison and her band walked up the stage. Boredom and dreariness disappeared

Ella Mae Saison with her band

The night’s hosts Ciamara (in red) and Jamie (in purple).

friends arrived at Kapistahan, and kept my stomach satisfied, my body intoxicated. I also had the chance to catch up with them. Enough of my frivolities, let us go back to Ella Mae Saison’s “Heart and Soul Serenade: A Post Valentine Show in KG.” At around 9pm, people of all ages slowly fill up Kapistahan Grill. Families find their reserved seats. By the length of the adjoined tables, customers were to order food enough for seven people, at least. Some adults and parents order beer. Some of them order wine. While the children, of course, get their glasses of water. The sound of people chattering grew louder and louder, as individuals find their friends among hungry and thirsty crowd. Ciamara and Jamie dissolved the aura of boredom and eagerness as they opened the show with Toxi Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart” and Madonna’s “Like A Prayer.” With their songs, the craving for an upbeat, feel-good vibe had been satiated. After a few more songs and some jokes, the hosts introduced the first opening act, J.R. Magno. Three songs went by and Usher Turek performed on stage. Both performers covered songs I had no recollection of what their titles were. While the front acts performed, peoples’ chattering slowly grew louder and louder again. I wasn’t exactly sure then if the alcohol has taken it’s toll or the crowd were so anxious to watch Ella Mae Saison’s performance.

into the night, as Ella Mae and her band brought some funky, soulful grooves and kicked away the audience’s blues. With every line or stanza they know, the crowd sang along to Ella Mae’s soothing voice. The bands rhythmic beats had infected the crowd, as well, as they chair danced by bobbing their shoulders up and down. Even though everyone enjoyed a night of R&B, soul, and some

felt honored knowing Ella Mae Saison sang to him/her on his/her birthday. The night ended with Ella Mae singing a few songs from Alicia Keys and Brand New Heavies. Also, Manila’s Soul Diva dedicated Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire” to Kapistahan Grill’s owner, Zaida. Some of the people began standing up when Ella Mae Saison and the band left the stage. I was

Singer Usher Turek with acoustic guitarist

acid jazz, they still seemed to be anticipating Ella Mae Saison’s “Till My Heartaches End.” Throughout her set of singing SWV’s “Weak,” Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” and Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You,” Ella Mae had the moment to stop awhile and sang “Happy Birthday” to an audience in the front seat. The birthday celebrant might have

not entirely sure if people were disappointed for not hearing “Till My Heartaches End,” but half of the seat emptied in an instant. I heard as I walked out with the crowd that there was another set. Maybe I left a set too early, but I think whether she sang her trademark song or not, her performance alone should outlast a single song in the audience’s memory.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Community

Healing Priest Celebrates 10th Anniversary Text and photo by Lydia V.

elebrate Easter Sunday at the St. Linus Catholic Church at 13915 Shoemaker Ave. Norwalk, CA on April 8, 2012 beginning at 5:30 AM with the Easter Procession and prayer of the Holy Rosary followed by an Easter Sunday Mass at 6:00 AM. Witness the memorable tradition of the “Salubong,” the meeting of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Mother Mary for the first time, after His resurrection from the dead. Experience the angels’ songs and their joyous anthems as they sing for the grieving Blessed Mother together with the St. Linus Liturgical Dancers, the St. Linus Filipino remote village of Elin. “There is no electricity,” says Fr. Suarez, “no running water, and the village is not accessible to motor vehicles. It is considered to be one of the poorest in our country, where no priest has had a desire to be assigned.” “We ask for prayers,” says Tess Marino, coordinator from Phoenix,

Arizona, “for Fr. Suarez and Fr. Shannon, that the Lord will bless them with countless spiritual fruits for their labor.” “It will be an evening of fun with Fr. Suarez and friends of MMP,” echoed contacts Sugar Ray (626) 991-4015 and Jeannia Parayna (626) 991-9184). Donation is $75 per person.

University of the East Association of America, Inc, Gears up for 2nd Global Reunion

OS ANGELES -- After the successful staging of its 1st global reunion in 2011 with hundreds of UE alumni from all over the globe in attendance, the University of the East Association of America, Inc. is gearing up for its 2nd Global Reunion. University of the East’s second global reunion returns with a bigger and better festivities and thrilling tours. The three-day event, to be held on May 25-27, 2012 in Manila, will have UE alumni bonding and re-bonding, renewing old friendships, and celebrating together each other’s triumphs and achievements. Following is the schedule of

“Salubong St. Linus Chuch 2012” An Easter Sunday Tradition

Solis

n May 12, 2012, healing priest Fr. Fernando Suarez commemorates the 10th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood with a gathering among friends and supporters of his ministry, Mary Mother of the Poor (MMP), at the Quiet Cannon, 901 Via San Clemente, Montebello, CA. Mary Mother of the Poor’s mission is to seek holiness in evangelizing and working with the poor through the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. MMP’s objectives are to relieve poverty; to coordinate health and social services; to advance and teach Catholic tenets; and to help youth develop their talent. Fr. Suarez and his associate Fr. Jeff Shannon have put up their own congregation called “Missionaries of Mary Mother of the Poor” under the Pastoral shepherding of Bishop Antonio Palang in the Vicariate of San Jose in Mindoro Occidental, “Home of the Indigenous Mangyans.” They are assigned to a very

PinoyWatchDog.Com

activities for the three-day, twonight get together:

Day 1 – Registration, continuing education that covers medicine, nursing, CPA and other topics. Day 2 – Campus visit, and a gala night Day 3 – Tours to Wack-Wack Golf & Country Club or to any of the following destinations: Bicol, Bohol, Davao, Boracay, or batangas. Registration is now ongoing. Fee of $230.00 includes lunch and dinner for May 25 and 26.

For more information, please contact any of the following: In the Philippines: Cezar Quiambao, Overall Chairman, University of the East, 2219 C.M. Recto Ave., Manila, Philippines, tel (632) 338-1515, Attn: Dr. Jess Tanchangco In U.S. and Canada: Oscar L. Jornacion, Overall Chairman, tel. (323) 333-7913, email: ojornacion@aol.com Santos Capistrano, Jr., President – UEAA, tel. (310) 409-8356, email: scapistrato@msn.com Cirilo Pinlac, Vice-President – UEAA, tel. (562) 509-0042, email: cirilopinlac@yahoo.com.

Choir, and an ensemble of musicians, as the Blessed Mother meets her Risen Son and the Easter Angel lifts her veil of mourning. Everyone is invited to a hearty Easter Sunday breakfast of “arroz caldo” (savory chicken porridge), “pan de sal” with “keso” (bread and cheese), “puto bungbong,” “putong puti,” and “kutsinta” (rice cakes), coffee and orange juice, immediately following the Easter Sunday Mass. Please share this invitation with your family and friends and celebrate our annual tradition of “SALUBONG AT ST. LINUS CHURCH 2012” in victory for our Redeemer’s resurrection.

Consular Outreach in National City, CA on 15 April 2012

team from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles will conduct a Consular Outreach Program in National City, California on 14 – 15 April 2012. The consular outreach program is being undertaken in cooperation with the Council of the Philippine American Organizations of San Diego County, Inc. (COPAO). The following consular services will be rendered:

• Applications for Electronic •

Passport (ePassport), to be returned to the applicant by mail. Applications for the retention and re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship pursuant to Republic Act 9225 or Dual

•

Citizenship Law. Oath-taking will be scheduled on the same day for qualified applicants. Applications for Report of Marriage & Birth will be accepted but these will be processed in Los Angeles and returned to the applicant by mail. Application for Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV)

STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT ONLY (by following the applicable scheduling steps below) AND WITH COMPLETED DOCUMENTS ONLY. NO WALK-IN APPLICANTS WILL BE ENTERTAINED. Interested parties are requested to visit www.philippineconsulatela.org for details of the Consulate Outreach Program in National City, CA.

Induction Ceremony of 2012 FACC-LA Officer’s Installation & New Members Recognition

herman Oaks, CA --- March 15, 2012 The FilipinoAmerican Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles announced the official results of the FACCLA election for 2012. Theexecutive officers are: Vic Mercado (President), Lydia Soriano (PresidentElect/ 1st Vice), Mary Ann Omega (2nd Vice President), Shirley Lumanog (Corresponding Secretary), Vangie Tabberrah (Recording Secretary) and Roy Tabberrah (Treasurer). The Chamber 2012 Board of Directors are: Bob Crowther, Paul

Kao, Susan Maranan, Lulu Mercado, Gladys Balallo, Gemma Bergstrom, Nick Delicana, and Mary Trinidad. To celebrate the 2012 FACCLA new officers and board of directors installation the organization will host their Induction Ceremony on Friday, March 30, 2012 at May Flower Seafood Restaurant (in the Function Room) located at 679 N. SpringSt., Los Angeles, CA 90012 from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. The event will feature live entertainment and is open to everyone. Deputy Consul General at Philippine Consulate General Daniel Espiritu have confirmed his attendance to grace

on this upcoming event. GENERAL TICKETS: $25.00 (includes 8 courses of dinner, dance and entertainment) at http://faccla2012inductionceremony.eventbrite.com/ For more details and to reserve your seats please contact: Lulu Mercado (818) 470-5556, Shirley Lumanog (818) 802-6888,and Lydia Soriano (562) 310-8144. PRESS/MEDIA R.S.V.P. MANDATORY: Lydia Soriano at Lfsoriano8@msmservicesinc. com or Steven Escobar at diversitynews@hotmail.com Event ponsors include Mayflower Restaurant (Host), World Wide Vital Marketing & Public

Relations (Marketing and Public Relations), Diversity News Printing Services (Graphic Design), Diversity News Magazine (Media). About The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce LA: The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles (FACC -LA), est. 2001 is a501c(6) nonprofit organization (TaxI.D.#54-2171511). The FACC-LA was founded in 2001 and continues to promote and further the interests of the Los Angeles business community. As part of the ongoing effort to grow the business community, FACCLA thrives and ensures maxi-

mum return of businessowner’s investment of time, energy and dollars. We further develop ways and means to advance the interests of businesses. We provide resources in the growth of existing local businesses and industries as well as providing assistance to new business owners and individuals offering services that will benefit and enhance the quality of life in our society. The chamber also supports and encourages local cultural and civic activities to improve and/ or expand the quality of life in the community. For more information visit www.FACC-SFV. org.

OPINION

PinoyWatchDog.Com

Why young atty allen is Guilty By Joel

ecently, I was asked via an intermediary sent by Balita Media to have PinoyWatchDog.com cease its adverse commentary about young atty allen suddenly fronting as the attorney taking over the three locations of the Balita/Beirne illicit legal empire based on the argument that he was ‘innocent.’ I responded that by seeking to proclaim his ‘innocence’ in taking over as the public face for the long practiced ‘scam’ on the Filipino community he was ‘guilty’, not innocent, because as a lawyer he cannot be ‘innocent’ when he ‘sells’ his legal license to be front for non-lawyers. We first saw young atty allen’s image in Balita in September 2011, appearing alongside Atty. Beirne in the Balita advertisements. PinoyWatchDog.com was silent --- we did not know anything he had done wrong at that point. It was my personal opinion to say nothing if there wasn’t anything to say. But following in the footsteps of the Balita/Beirne model certainly didn’t instill a sense of confidence that quality legal services were forthcoming. But without evidence of his wrongdoing it would then be unfair to place him in the public limelight. (Which is a key distinction at PinoyWatchDog.com --- we wait for and only report on facts.) Then, magically, after the cascade of over 200 contempt charges were brought against Atty. James Beirne indicating his certain eventual demise, young atty allen suddenly was in Balita full page ads with his own firm, three offices, just like Balita/Beirne, in Glendale, Cerritos and West Covina. Even the same phone numbers as Beirne. And while the Beirne ads were still running with the same address and phone numbers. Young atty allen’s handlers had not even bothered to pretend that this new law office façade was anything different than changing the marquee. As a new lawyer recently passing the bar exam young atty should know about Standard 9 of the California Rule of Professional Conduct 1-400, which states that ‘Firm names, trade names, fictitious names, or other professional designations used by a lawyer or law firm that differ materially from any other such designations used by the lawyer or law firm at the same time in the same community “ are presumed to be misleading and deceiving.’ Considering the ads were in the same newspaper, and had the same phone numbers and addresses as the Beirne law office, and follow the same format, young atty allen unquestionably violated Standard 9 and seems, sadly, destined to the same fate as Attorney Beirne. “There is no question of same time and same community,” leading trial Attorney Dennis Wilson recently said. “It is the same newspaper, same edition.” Balita Media newspapers are owned by Paul Allen’s parents, Anthony and Luchie Mendoza-Allen. PinoyWatchDog.com has published extensive reports that these non-

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Bander Senior Columnist

Click this deceiving young atty allen banner ad and arrive at...

...this unidentified person, probably just an actresss, violating lawyer advertising laws while boasting the Beirne Law Office.

lawyers illegally own these ‘law firms’ without even a peep of dispute from even Rhony Laigo, who usually is willing to make up and say anything. Nor have the Allens made a single comment that they are not the owners or in control of these law firm entities. Indeed, the intermediary expressed surprise that a non-lawyer could not own a law firm. But that is the sad culture of Balita/Beirne. But young atty allen’s guilty streak sadly continues. Balita’s web page now has a banner ad for ‘allen’s’ law office. But when you click on the banner ad where do you end up --- at the James Beirne web page, and a video of an unidentified woman claiming she was helped, like thousands of others, by Beirne’s legal prowess. However, this internet advertising still violates attorney advertising rules (The banner ad click through is available at PinoyWatchDog.com as Balita will hopefully now take it down that

they are advised of more ethic code violations. Indeed, it certainly was not young atty allen’s decision to put it up, he is not in charge of his own law office.) Of course, it is presumed this unidentified woman is just an actress, that Balita/Beirne are lying that she was a client, which will have to be found out through the court process, as obviously Rhony Laigo will not just say, this is her name, this is her bankruptcy petition. Please folks, prove me wrong. But instead, just expect more attacks on me unrelated to this canard on the community. Young atty allen is guilty for continuing to stand in front of this long-standing ‘scam’ on the community that a new admittee without any prior legal or bankruptcy experience can suddenly, and competently, run and handle any large scale, three location, bankruptcy office. He is further guilty for standing back and allowing his parent handlers to

continue to run unethical lawyer advertising using his name. If the Allens were truly good parents they would make sure that the young man worked for a few years with some competent attorneys to receive the initial critical experience necessary for any new, young attorney. Instead, they are more concerned about their own financial empire, as opposed to the public receiving quality legal services or the reputation of this young, previously untarnished, and previously unguilty young attorney.

The non-lawyer parent Allens are guilty of bringing their son into this devil’s den. But as a lawyer, with its entire attendant responsibilities, young atty allen cannot be considered ‘innocent’ any longer, particularly when he permits his image to be repeatedly used for illegal, unethical advertising, and he stands as the figure head of his parents’ illicit legal empire. If he were my son I would say ‘get a job at a reputable firm and learn how to practice law.’ I would not be trying to crush the messenger bringing bad tidings.

Go to

www.PinoyWatchDog.com watch

Saturday, March 17, 2012

From Page 1

PinoyWatchDog.Com

Currents

Winsome hopefuls vie for Ms. Philippines USA crown

out in front looking their best for us to appreciate. Venue was the chic Noypitz Bar and Restaurant in Glendale. Ms. Philippines USA was established only last year. The media launch on March 4 was its first venture into wider public consciousness. It was presented by ABS-CBN Foundation International, Lou Razon Couture, 24/7 Visa Debit/Remit Card and Pinoy Insider. Owners of 24/7 cards can safely and securely pay bills, remit money overseas and shop everywhere Visa Debit Cards are accepted. Or so goes the line. Its spokesperson, Antoinette Taus, was also the main provider of entertainment number for the evening. That is, in addition to the Miss Philippines USA contestants, each of them a vision of pulchritude and attired for the evening fashion show with designs by LA’s leading name in haute couture, Lou Razon. The panel of judges reportedly consisted of Pinky De Leon of Philippine movie fame, entertainer Sonny Madera, restaureteur Aline Belen and model Brendan Bayerbach. The candidates’ names are posted in the MP-USA Facebook page: Jayme Lenling, Claudine Abac, Alma Lasabac, Erene Therese, Jasmine Corbin, Joy Antonette Diaz, Kristina Bryant, Lauren M. Gilbertson, Marydaine Estrella, Victoria K. Abatay, Rizza-Belen Diaz, Evien Obracevic, EmmaLilita Hunter, Michelle Macasero, Polene Jessica Marasigan, Marie Louise Valdez, Bimbie Baldado, Aura Donna Garon, Sheila Padre and Nicole Advincula. Patrick Aguiluz, the young executive producer, later emailed responses to some of PinoyWatchDog.com’s questions: “We presently have 22 Delegates. One had to leave early (return to Vegas) so she was not able to attend the fashion show. Another was not able to make it.” Aguiluz also informed that his team is doing a nationwide search and that the delegates presented that evening were from Miami, Alabama, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Las Vegas and Southern

eve of the pageant, they will receive coaching and mentoring from former beauty queens. Finalists will have the option to advance to other pageants both domestic and international, with the support and assistance of Miss Philippines USA. This year’s Miss Philippines USA will receive over $20,000 in cash and prizes, record a commercial for ABS-CBN Foundation, receive a modeling contract, and become the ambassador of good will for the Fil-Am community for the entirety of her reign. Qualifications required of candidates:

TOP ROW, left to right: Sheila Padre, Victoria Abatay, Jamine Corbin, Emma Hunter, Jayme Lenling, Nicole Advincula, Joy Diaz, Lauren Gilbertson and Kristina Bryant. FRONT ROW, left to right: Jessica Marasigan, Evien Obracevic, Rizza-Belen Diaz, Bimbie Baldado, Aura Donna Garon, Michelle Macasero, Alma Cabasal, Louise Valdez, Claudine Abac, Eren Timario and Marydaine Estrela.

California. They are finalizing on the screening process and will end up with around 24 to 28 total delegates. Former beauty queen Miss Cher Calvin of KTLA 5 is slated to be the guest emcee for Miss Philippines USA in May, he said. Elsewhere PinoyWatchDog.com learned that a second screening would be held February 26. Razon, Aguiluz and Geo Sargent, the latter a pageant director, make up the executive team of MP-USA. The board of advisors is composed of Mary Felicity Aquino, Aline Catarina Belen and Brian Masayon. The MP-USA web site mentions “A Tradition of Beauty, Elegance and Culture” and a mission “to become recognized as the most prestigious, celebrated and respected Filipino Beauty Pageant in the United States.” Headquartered in W. Broadway, Glendale, they list their visions, to wit: • Develop the finest ambassadors of good will.

• Showcase local businesses to the Fil-Am community. • Enable former beauty queens to mentor and coach our candidates. • Promote fashion, art, culture and the Filipina beauty. • Donate portions of the event’s proceeds to a Foundation for Education. • Produce a high quality event that promotes and uplifts the Fil-Am Community. Contestants will be judged in three categories: evening gown, swimsuit and onstage interview. Special categories: Miss Con-

geniality, Miss Photogenic, Miss Popularity, Miss Sponsor, Best in National Costume and Best in Swimsuit. To ensure that each contestant is prepared to shine on the

1. Good moral character 2. Female of Filipino descent, 18-25 years of age 3. 5’ 5” height and above 4. Never been married, never had any children 5. Must reside in the United States 6. High school graduate Additionally, candidates must submit completed application forms and are required to attend all workshops, photo and video shoots, press conferences, guest appearances and other such activities.

Saturday, March 17, 2012 PinoyWatchDog.Com

Eyes wide shut, It’s Binay in 2016

From Page 1

He is taking it nice and easy, as in the old Frank Sinatra ditty. He is not officially running--yet---but he is making all the right moves and saying all the right things. (See exclusive interview by PinoyWatchdog in this issue.) He worries for the Overseas Filipino Worker. He worries about the economy. He rarely talks politics. He talks about jobs and poverty and bringing more food to the table--all the right gut issues in a country reeling in unemployment, grinding poverty, and children dying of malnutrition. In fact, his entire political career has been built on being easily underestimated, and that is easy to understand. Being high profile is visibly dangerous in a political game as volatile as the one we have in the Philippines. So Binay prefers to operate in stealth mode. That has always been the secret of his phenomenal success. But sometimes his eager followers let the cat out of the bag inadvertently. Zubiri’s zeal In Bacolod City recently to open a regional sports meet, former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri admitted to be among those running for senator next year under Binay’s United Alliance Party. Zubiri said the team was still a candidate short because they have yet to fill up the 13th position that will be vacated by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who has been elected a judge at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands shortly. Half of the 24 Senate seats will be elected in May 2013. Besides Zubiri, those who have reportedly accepted Binay’s invitation to run under his coalition are Senators Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, Gregorio Honasan, Aquilino Pimentel III and former Senators Richard Gordon and Ernesto Maceda. The powerhouse coalition also includes Rep. Jack Enrile of Cagayan province, San Juan City Mayor Jose Victor Ejercito and Rep. Mitos Magsaysay of Zambales province. Congressman Enrile is the son of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Mayor Ejercito is a sibling of Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada. Rep. Magsaysay is a popular opposition leader and a close ally of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Zubiri said that there were talks with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Rep. Cynthia Villar of Las Piñas City (Metro Manila) to join the team. For the 13th slot, Zubiri said it was reserved for another candidate from the Nacionalista Party of Sen. Manuel Villar, husband of Rep. Villar. Zubiri was in Bacolod as keynote speaker during the opening of the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet. He said that Binay’s United Alliance would include political parties and independent candidates who were not allied with President Aquino’s Liberal Party, indicating they were ready to chart a course independent of the President’s. In the 2010 presidential elections, Binay wore the color yellow, showing his support for Aquino’s

People Power constituency that he had inherited from his late mother, President Cory. In revealing their plans, Zubiri said that Binay had stressed that they were not to be oppositionists to the administration but rather “critical collaborators.” He described Binay as “the healing president,” taking a swipe at Aquino’s divisive leadership in sending former President Arroyo to jail and having the House impeach her appointee, Chief Justice Corona. Zubiri said he had made peace with Senator Pimentel, who replaced him at the Senate after he resigned amid allegations of cheating. “Koko and I have agreed not to fight each other for the benefit of Mindanao,” Zubiri said. They both come from Mindanao. He also said that while Escudero is perceived to be a close friend of President Aquino, the senator from Sorsogon had decided to run under Binay’s party because he was “not comfortable with other members of the Liberal Party.” Zubiri said that the administration party would likely field Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman.

Under the radar In the 2010 elections, the early presidential candidates, Senators Villar and Mar Roxas, floundered in midcourse. The reluctant candidate, Benigno S. Aquino III, seemed undecided until his mother’s untimely death turbo-charged his candidacy in August 2009. But the biggest surprise of all was the one pulled off by Jojo Binay. In the unpredictable world of Philippine politics, there is wisdom in staying under the radar until it is time to surface. More than anything else, a presidential campaign rests on perfect timing or, more precisely, constant acceleration, which is an eloquent demonstration of exquisite timing. The trick, as the last elections showed, depends not so much on a candidate’s inherent strength but on his relative superiority over his opponents at the decision point. In Aquino’s case, it happened right after his mother’s funeral. The more difficult trick to read was the surprise pulled off by the vice-presidential campaign. Binay was one of the original true believers of the Cory government. In fact, in his presidential campaign, Aquino found no incongruity in brazenly nurturing the support of Binay’s chief campaigner, Senator Escudero. Tipped off by a growing rift inside the Aquino organization provoked by Roxas’s reluctance to adopt the color yellow for his own campaign, Binay unabashedly sought people-power support by a perfectly timed campaign ad that showed him defiantly marching with Cory Aquino during the early days of the yellow revolution. Math to victory Philippine politics has always been a numbers game: Aside from the embarrassingly self-indulgent “What are we in power for?” one of the most enduring products of the Philippine experience has been the utterly pragmatic political

maxim, “Politics is addition.” Binay’s winning strategy was disarmingly based on the simple logic of numbers: He mobilized some 400 “sister cities” of Makati all over the country to harness the plurality needed to elect him vice president by some 800,000 votes. That meant on the average only 2,000 votes per sister city---simple arithmetic, so easy to do. The voters did not cross party lines to elect Binay as Aquino’s vice president over the equally qualified Senator Roxas simply because Binay‘s skin coloration indicated he had stayed more years under the blazing tropical sun working as a public servant. Makati as model The people chose Binay for a conscious reason: Aquino and Roxas were both lawmakers. Binay’s main campaign theme was that he had aggregated many years of proven executive ability: “This is how we are in Makati,” his thematic campaign ad proclaimed. ”I hope the whole country can be like Makati.” Then he rattled off a series of high-impact innovations in local governance that touched the lives of his constituents directly, including an increasingly growing segment of senior citizens. Binay’s campaign message struck a resonant chord not only because it was refreshingly simple but also because it was accurately based on a track record of sterling public service. Binay certainly knows how to run a city. Up from poverty The campaign message implied, in the low-key, low-profile Binay style, that he may also know something about running a country, just a little bit of something to make him squeeze past Mar Roxas: his proven executive ability. A legal-aid lawyer who unabashedly raised pigs to help his family rise from poverty, Binay was picked by Cory Aquino--figuratively sight unseen---to be officer-in-charge of the city government of Makati. Early on as a local executive, Binay understood the importance of education in levelling the playing field of opportunity for the poor. One of his very first actions was to put up a publicly funded chartered school that is now the emblematic University of Makati (See Long View Home: “Reinventing Makati.“). Sleeper In the bombastic world of Philippine politics, Binay feels as refreshing as an April shower on a summer’s day. The tropical sun burns you brown, but you stay comfortable in the gentle breeze. His political career is based on demonstrable performance. He is like the archetypal Colombo of the old detective movies, who sort of stumbles his way to a brilliant solution of an almost perfect crime by dint of hard work and good fortune. In the more flam ant world of James Bond movies, Binay is the sleeper hero who stays dormant until it is time to wake up. Then he springs to life with eyes wide shut. It is so deceptively simple to underestimate Jojo Binay.

EXCLUSIVE!

Binay on governance: ‘Our greatest shame’

From Page 1

few days. Some of those days were spent on the wing, running trouble-shooting errands for President Aquino while circling the globe. I decided to omit my questions to fit his answers to the limited space. As I had hoped, his candor gives us insights and lend context to the man. The quintessential Binay shines through, in his own words. Already, I might add, he is beginning to sound presidential, and the following comments look like the beginnings of a platform of governance for the presidential elections of 2016. ‘Unfinished business’ The 1986 EDSA Revolution restored democracy and gave the world a unique exercise of people power “that is finding echoes all around the Arab world,” Binay said. But “EDSA is just half the battle won.” The next half is fighting poverty. “EDSA remains unfinished business. “Unleashing the full potential of democracy requires alleviating poverty, if not eradicating it. Democracy is nothing if it does not also democratize wealth. “Democracy cannot thrive in a society whose population groans in abject poverty.” “That’s what most Filipinos are. They are poor. “That is our greatest shame.” ‘Services for poor’ “I am grateful to the President for giving me the opportunity to serve in two important areas of concern – housing and OFW affairs. It allows me to contribute to the welfare of our less privileged countrymen,” Binay said. “There is a lot to be done in these areas, but for people-oriented programs to be more effective, we could progress into a stage where other key services for the poor can be integrated. “I feel however that there is much more that I can do within this government and for this government. I share completely the President’s vision of rebuilding a new world from the ruins of the past administration, armed with the spirit of EDSA or People Power.” ‘Theft of values’ Binay identified priority programs that needed to be addressed: “First, the restoration of decency or morality to government and the country. The corruption of the previous administration was not just confined to the theft of money, it went further to the theft of values. No institution of this country was spared that corruption. “Before anything else, we need to make the people see that they have a government they can trust. At the most basic, we need to make the people see that they

have a government that is not out to lie, cheat and steal from them at every opportunity.... “Raising our people from penury requires a comprehensive program whose design cannot be limited to those who are positioned in government. “Every brilliant idea and strategy that comes from anywhere has to be considered, and anyone who has a positive contribution should be welcome, irrespective of affiliation and provenance. All worthy inputs should be synthesized into a coherent, unbiased, workable plan of action that leaves no stone unturned.” ‘Never again’ “The one gain we had from the EDSA was the restoration of democracy,” Binay said. “That may not seem such a big deal for those who were born after EDSA, who have no recollection of martial law. And that may not seem such a big deal for those who never suffered from martial law, who never risked their lives during martial law, who were never there until after martial law was over. “But for those of us who did, it was a big deal. It is a big deal. You look at life during martial law and after EDSA, and you will be looking at hell and heaven. “The way to maximize that gain, or even just conserve it, is first of all to continue to be vigilant of that freedom....” ‘Less poor’ “The second way to maximize, or conserve, it is to make the poor less poor. I go back to my proposition about poverty alleviation. Democracy means nothing if it does not also democratize the enjoyment of the earth’s bounties. ...” Binay continued: “The most important legacy of EDSA is the restoration of democracy. For those who went through the dark night of martial law, that is manna from heaven. That is something the current generation and the next ones ought to be reminded of again and again. ‘Blood, sweat, tears’ “They owe what blessings they enjoy now to the blood, sweat and tears of the past. Especially the blood: Many people died to keep the torch of freedom alive. “For the world, moreover, EDSA bequeathed the legacy of an exercise of people’s power that is unique. Specifically the massing of a throng in the streets to directly express their will, people emboldened by their outrage, people armed by their convictions. “Enough to defy the tanks, enough to risk life itself to end repression. As we can see, that is finding echoes all around the Arab world. That owes greatly to the Philippine experience. That owes greatly to EDSA....”

Saturday, March 17, 2012

From Page 1

Saluting women and women’s causes on International Women’s Day

has attained in the world stage. Originally called International Working Women’s Day, Wikipedia says that current-time focus ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political and social achievements. It’s not that the ancients had no share of women notables. For examples, there was Joan of Arc and Parisian women were already protesting during the French Revolution. They were already around at a time when many of today’s nations were not existing yet. Egypt had queens as sovereigns: Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra. Ditto with England (Eleanor of Aquitaine, Victoria and Elizabeth I). There was Queen Isabella I of Spain, Queen Catherine of France, Mary Queen of Scots, Catherine the Great of Russia and Liliuokalani, the last Monarch of Hawaii. In the homeland the Filipina Women’s Network has a list of our women greats in the time of the Katipuneros: Teresa Magbanua, Agueda Kahabagan, Marcela Agoncillo, Gregoria Montoyo, Glicera Villavicencio, Melchora Aquino, Gregoria De Jesus and Agueda Esteban. The US Coast Guard website has an entry about Philippine-born Florence Finch who managed to disguise her American features and managed to secure a job with the Japanese-controlled Philippine Liquid Fuel Distributing Union after Manila fell during World War II. “She was responsible for writing vouchers for the distribution of fuel. Working closely with the Philippine Underground, she was able to divert fuel supplies to the resistance as well as assist in arranging acts of sabotage against the Japanese occupation forces... assisted the prisoners as best they could, smuggling food and medicine to them.” The Japanese caught up with Ms. Finch’s activities and she was imprisoned and tortured. She was liberated by American forces on Feb. 10, 1945 and has been a New York resident ever since. She was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon, the Medal of Freedom and in 1995 the Coast Guard honored her ser-

From Page 1

PinoyWatchDog.Com

Part of AF3IRM’s International Women’s Day audience

vice by naming an administration building on a base on Sand Island, Hawaii, after her. Her place of birth also bestowed on Florence Ebersole Smith Finch the Philippine Defense Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic Campaign Medal and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Badge. Reflecting on its origin, a feminist organization called AF3IRM designated March 8 as the International Women Workers’ Day in Los Angeles and in other parts of the US. PWD was there to witness a local community event entitled “Celebrate the Working Woman” held at The Park’s Finest, a food place in West Temple Street. The evening program billed as “a night of art, poetry, music, food, love and community in honor of women’s work and working women” had an international flavor. That’s probably because the organization is transnational, Angela Bartolome, co-coordinator of AF3IRM LA Chapter, later explained. Ms. Bartolome is formerly from Bulacan but had been here since the 70s with her mom and siblings. Asked about the significance of the day, Angela said that “it makes us aware about issues of women.” Presently their group is undertaking a so-called purple rose cam-

paign to highlight the trafficking of women and women victims of domestic violence in the global as well as local scales. The role of women in society should be recognized, she averred. Media colleague Fe Koons is a founding member of Gabriela-Philippines, a pioneering advocate on women issues. She echoed Ms. Bartolome’s reflections on the significance of the celebration. Asked to compare today’s advocacy with that of the past, Ms. Koons said that whereas their group’s struggles were originally directed against the dictatorship during the Marcos era, the issues have since shifted to problems affecting women regardless of nationalities. One more thing, she added: more of the youth, students in colleges and universities are involved. The menfolks were likewise represented in the celebration. Arturo Garcia, who is also into Filipino veterans and other causes, was there to lend support because, he said, “even in capitalist states like the U.S. women’s rights are being questioned.” Garcia, who said he’s with Alliance Philippines, cited as example the recent brouhaha about radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh calling one woman a slut in his show. To recall, law student Sandra Fluke of

Georgetown University testified before Democratic members of congress on the need for the government to provide free contraception. Limbaugh was quoted saying, “Who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her?” Limbaugh answered his own question using that controversial word: slut. Also in that March 8 event was Jerry Esguerra who gave his group’s name as Bantay Pilipinas. BP, he said, was originally a cyber net political watchdog that has evolved into a real, physical organization with presence in Los Angeles and in Luzon, the National Capital Region, Visayas and Mindanao in the Philippines. Esguerra said that being progressive he supports the initiative of AF3IRM. “It is long overdue,” he said about the women cause. “How many millions are widowed by wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and even Mindanao. Then there’s the sex industry in the Philippines right now.” His remarks also touched on our overseas workers. “Not to diminish menial work,” he said, “but for professional women like doctors, teachers and others to work on menial jobs is a travesty. The system is unjust and the structure must be changed.” The “Celebrate the Working Woman” program also mentioned an all-female bicycle brigade/collectives prior to the event. The previous evening, March 7, another AF3IRM LA co- coordinator, Myra Duran, was featured on Feminist Magazine on KPFK radio 90.7 FM together with performers Cihuatl Ce and Janice Sapigao. It was all about supporting and recognizing the value of women around the world and all the work that they do, it was said. According to Wikipedia, the first International Women’s Day was observed on Feb. 28, 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Last year the Women’s Information Network had a two-day centenary celebration of International Women’s Day at the Radisson Hotel-Los Angeles Airport.

Hear no evil at JC Corona’s uproarious impeachment trial

Defiant ears “That’s true because my ears already hurt,” Aguirre shot back. Appearing remorseless, Aguirre further argued that he disagreed with Senator Santiago’s assertion that it was not usual for lawyers to withdraw, or amend, their complaints. “If my actuation has hurt somebody, I really did it purposely because my ears were hurting from her shrill voice. My point here is that even if we’re mere lawyers, we also deserve respect. If you demand respect, respect also these lawyers because human dignity has no equal,” Aguirre lectured in turn.

rience as a trial court judge. “We have a term —‘frivolous and sham’—that can be taken in its technical meaning. A frivolous claim refers to a motion or lawsuit motivated by intent merely to harass, delay or embarrass the opposition. The claim must have no arguable basis in law or in fact,” she said. “That’s what the law calls frivolous when you say ‘I don’t want to present evidence on eight, I only want to present evidence on five.’ Let me remind you gentlemen, the lawyer’s oath: I will do no falsehood, not promote or sue any groundless, false or unlawful suit or aid or consent to the same,” she said.

Long lenses Santiago had taken the floor twice to assail the prosecution over their withdrawal of five of eight articles of impeachment. In both instances, Aguirre was captured by television cameras covering his ears with both hands. Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III later told reporters that the senators would take up the penalty to be imposed on Aguirre in a caucus. “I don’t know if this is serious or not but it is being suggested by Senators Francis Escudero and Panfilo Lacson that we place Attorney Aguirre in a room in front of a television set playing the videotape of one of (Senator) Miriam’s privilege speeches ... with a request that Aguirre would not be allowed to cover his ears.”

‘Travesty’ “I am very concerned that the prosecution has been acting in bad faith all along because you tell so many things to media when you can file an official manifestation in this court. You insist you are already winning the court battle because you have proof beyond reasonable doubt. Good grief, that is contempt of court,” she said. “I was not born yesterday. We will be studied generations from now. This is a travesty. I request the secretariat to record in the journal that I said, ‘Wah!’” she said. Santiago repeated the expression two more times. After her lecture, Sotto said that Sen. Serge Osmeña had asked, “What’s the spelling of ‘Wah?’”

Frivolous, sham “I am terribly concerned that this might constitute unethical behavior in this trial court,” Santiago said, citing her storied expe-

Admonition After meeting in caucus, the senators decided to forgive and forget by giving the lawyer an “admonition” instead of an overnight

stay in Senate custody. Facetiously, several senators had suggested that Aguirre spend the night watching Senator Santiago’s mini-lectures on impeachment law and the Rules of Court. If one could find the courage to rise above the shrill senator’s alto soprano, the lecturettes are actually good material for law students and private prosecutors needing a refresher course in trial technique and the rules of evidence and procedure. But to subject lawyer Aguirre to those erudite lectures in his cell would have been cruel and unusual punishment. So the Senate is letting him get away with a symbolic slap in the wrist.

Personal advocacy Without waiting for his resignation from the prosecutors’ panel, the House impeachers were only too willing to let him go. Surely, even Aguirre knew he had done his clients--the House prosecutors---a disservice by tangling with a senator. While the public seemed generally divided over the episode (a split decision going by Twitter and Facebook reactions), Aguirre did not help the impeachment cause any by pursuing his personal advocacy against shrill voices. Growing even more unrepentant after hearing of his punishment while his dutiful wife packed his overnight bag, Aguirre said he was happy he had delivered his message emphatically. Aguirre had made a point against abusive judges publicly berating lawyers like him, no matter how grievous their lapses and ineptitude. Which raises an interesting side issue.

How far may lawyers push personal advocacies when litigating their cases? Stated another way for emphasis, may lawyers pursue personal advocacies at the expense of their client’s case? Aguirre says he has resigned from the prosecution panel and shall watch the rest of the trial on television. Did his behavior swing over judges to his client’s cause, or alienate others to the other side? We certainly hope not, because the senators have taken an oath to “do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws.” Emblematic The simian “hear-no-evil” gesture so graphically demonstrated by House private prosecutor Aguirre was more than a defensive move to protect his eardrums from the “shrill voice” of Senator Santiago. It was emblematic of the state of the prosecution’s case in the impeachment trial. Rather than a contemptuous gesture, Aguirre’s behavior was more an expression of frustration at the way the prosecution case had unraveled right before his eyes. Now lawyer Aguirre is famous. But the senators got it all wrong, his gesture was more an expression of exasperation over the way their case had gone down the tubes. They had mounted an audacious cavalry charge and taken the entire House to the precipice. But the charge had been so exhilarating they forgot to check the brakes (do horses have brakes?) and went over the cliff, more as a result of their unbridled exuberance than their ineptitude. Now the blazing saddles are riderless, and the horses are trotting toward a glorious sunset by their lonely selves.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

PinoyWatchDog.Com

Sports World

LA Derby Dolls: Super heroines of Historic Filipinotown Words and photos By Dionesio

ome said she was going 25-plus mph easy. I thought it could have been faster, the image a blur as the demon jammer whizzed by. Didn’t get her name but who does. Everyone of them are aliases, names like Smarty Pants, Haught Wheels, Windy City Rollers and so on and so forth. Basically it’s badass girls in hot pants and colored shirts uniform plowing through other badass girls of a different uniform. A fastpaced action initiated by jammers jamming to score points while the

C. Grava were looking to avenge two previous losses. They didn’t disappoint. The visitors were bullied into submission, 134 - 115. Disappointing, too, was the fact that only small point-and-shoot cameras are allowed inside. As a result photos taken and used here are less than respectable. A Resurgence Like me, perhaps, most people have never witnessed roller derby games before. I’ve heard that the Raquel Welch movie Kansas City Bomber was about it. There was also the Hell on Wheels, said to

Derby dolls are the stars at the Doll House

blockers block. How simple can that be? Contact sports? Go see football and the likes. What we have here is collision sports. One can just imagine the sores and aches and occasional bruises. Most amazing, they’re all chicks! Actually the players appeared to be enjoying in what they were doing -- falls and all. And the tightly packed crowd roared their loudest at every hit and spill, many obviously helped along by the abundance of beer in the vicinity. An abundance of security personnel was also around just in case. The venue: The Doll Factory located just a stone throw from the FACLA building in Historic Filipinotown. The encounter evening of March 10 was billed as a special exhibition bout between the Los Angeles Derby Dolls (LADD) and their perennial opponents, the San Diego Derby Dolls (SDDD). If it was an exhibition bout, I shudder at the thought of the real thing. LADD was hosting its four-day 3rd Annual March Radness Training Camp. Lucky camp attendees were to be selected to earn a skating spot on either team. A new player is called raw meat and that speaks much of the sport. In that game the LA Derbies

wrestling. The game faded from popular consciousness in 1973 and attempts to revive the sport in the 80’s and 90’s failed. In 2001 it got a second leash of life -- the term used was reinvented -- in Austin, Texas. The fakery and choreography of old were dropped and real contact became the in thing using consistent and enforced rules, safety standards and tournament structure of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Scott Gold, writing in the Los Angeles Times, reinforced that observation. Today’s version, he said, “still comes with the nutty outfits and stage personae, but

An L.A. Derby Doll obliges a young fan with an authograph.

be the true tale of an all-girl roller derby league in Texas. And there’s the recent Whip It! starring Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore. According to the authoritative Derby News Network, “in the 1930s up through the 1950s and later, classic roller derby was a basically legit and very popular

participants are hard-core athletes. Practices routinely stretch into the wee hours, run by drill sergeants who order up grueling drills of push-ups, leg lifts and distance skates.” Today, roller derby is said to be the most rapidly growing sport with over 500 women’s leagues

The Doll House also teems with vendors hawking food, drinks, art, accessories, etc. as well as of one familiar Historic Filipinotown habitue soliciting support for a cause.

of feminine beauty employing the force of velocity to crash through the opposition trying to retard her progress. In the Times story, Rick Fox, a chiropractor who is in the faculty at the Southern California University of Health Sciences and the league doctor of LA Derby Dolls, is quoted: “Broken bones. Gashes. Concussions. Dislocated shoulders. Blown-out knees. In one night two months ago we had a bruised liver and a possible fractured spine. They get knocked on their ass. And they love it.”

ers begin to roll forward. The jammers begin racing through the pack at the second whistle (double blast). The first jammer that gets through the pack without committing a penalty is the ‘lead jammer’. After the initial pass the jammer is eligible to start scoring points. A jammer receives one point for each player of the opposing team that he pass. The ‘lead jammer’ has the option to stop or call off the jam before the full 2 minutes is up if they so desire.

How It’s Played According to DNN, players on quad roller skates skate counter clockwise around an oval track. Games, referred to as bouts, consist of two 30-minute periods. Each period is divided into 2-minute long jams. Teams can have five players on the track during each jam consisting of a pivot, jammer and three blockers. Pivots wear a striped helmet cover and skate at the front of the pack; they set the pace and are the last line of defense. Blockers work to keep the pack in a tight formation as they work to defend the opposing team’s jammer while also trying to assist their jammer through the pack safely. They are largely responsible for the constant contact as they engage in checks and bumps. Jammers wear the star helmet cover and are positioned at the back of the pack. It is their job to work through the pack to score points by passing the opposing team’s skaters. A jam starts when the referee blows the whistle. At that command, the pivots and block-

Question: Why do the skaters use funny, fake names? Initially the alias or “derby name” was meant to complement the over-the-top spectacle envisioned by the Austin revival’s progenitors. The names have stuck even as modern roller derby quickly evolved toward pure competitive sport. However, a handful of skaters have elected to skate under their legal name often out of a desire to further emphasize the modern sport’s legitimacy. The L.A. Derby Dolls, formed in 2003 by Rebecca “Demolicious” Ninburg and Wendy “Thora Zeen” Templeton, is considered the West Coast’s premiere women’s banked-track, quad-skating roller derby league. Within the league are four teams constantly competing with each other for dominance: Fight Crew, Sirens, Tough Cookies and Varsity Brawlers. A fifth, the Ri-Ettes, is the All Stars team composed of the best LADD athletes in case visiting leagues want a confrontation in the oval.

An engagement results in a spill

sport. Through the 60s and into the 70s, theatricality and predetermined outcomes became more prevalent.” Its philosophy then was spectacle over sport just like pro

in 16 countries (all over North America, to Europe, Australia, and Brazil). The game can turn violent even during practice, it was said. And I thought of that hurling mass

In this photo grab, a San Diego player is seen pushing another skater out of the way.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

PinoyWatchDog.Com

One Can Smell Change By Jose Ma. Montelibano

noticed that I had written about the impeachment trial, the Chief Justice and the Judiciary in my last few articles. I know that the topic has been a hot one, but I also know I had wanted to write about other matters closer to my heart but passed them over for the impeachment trial. I think I gave in to a human desire to check on my readers’ responses – which are more if the subject matter is on the impeachment and less when it is about poverty, about hunger. There are facets of life that need even more attention than the impeachment of a Chief Justice whom I believe to be utterly unworthy to be the chief symbol of justice, of integrity and transparency. There are other cancers that have to be addressed, great challenges that should be welcomed; great opportunities that have to be embraced. Life goes on with or without Corona in the Supreme Court, though I admit the kind of life with Corona as Chief Justice will be very different than life without him in the Supreme Court. In the past few months, all economic forecasts and ratings on the Philippines have been very upbeat, not from the pronouncements of P-Noy’s finance and trade people, but from international agencies and economic experts. When I had been reading about modest growth rates, I had

also thought that the Philippines will not be rated so highly. The opposite is true, however, and the doomsday soothsayers who cry, “It’s the economy, stupid!” must be so disappointed that reputable international economic agencies and experts who owe P-Noy nothing are so optimistic about the immediate and long-term future of the Philippines. Where else can their positive outlook come except from a sincere effort from P-Noy to confront the corruption that has kept many a legitimate investor at bay? From the presidential campaign in 2009 and early 2010, because of the entry of Noynoy Aquino as a game changer candidate, volunteerism went on high gear. The spirit has not visibly dipped despite the impeachment trial, or despite the desperate attempts of P-Noy’s enemies to bring down his credibility, popularity, and envious trust rating. The trust rating, especially, is much higher than any of his most vociferous critics, whether in media or in politics. But I guess these critics, many of whom I suspect to be guns-for-hire, never had much credibility. Why else would they be guns-for-hire in the first place? And why else would volunteerism remain on such a high plane if Filipinos are not themselves feeling more hopeful – whatever difficulties they face today. There is an initiative called Pilipinas Natin that springs from Malacanang.

It is not an organization, it is not recruiting members, it is seeking out all Filipinos with a desire to help the country, and it is being received enthusiastically especially by the youth. Of course, there is, or will be, a strong political color that could arise. But it is the kind of politics that ideologues wish for, the kind of politics that seek to contribute, to build. The theme song is music to the ears of nationbuilders, to the ears of any administration, because it carries a simple challenge to every citizen – “Anong taya mo para sa bayan?” There is hope that political transformation will be fueled by the people themselves. With the thrust of P-Noy to clean up, more and more Filipinos are not waiting for other politicians and bureaucrats to take charge towards changing a most partisan and corrupt system. It may be because there is no bright light of a national legislator, no personality admired enough by members of both Houses of Congress, who could be P-Noy’s counterpart in the Legislative. In the Judiciary, the Chief Justice is the subject of distrust and even scorn from more than enough Filipinos. He does not inspire, he discourages. Yet, his position is the natural brightest light of trust and faith that would assure Filipinos of justice. Instead, he is on trial and even an often fumbling Prosecution cannot dismantle a population’s perception already so suspicious of his integrity and

President Aquino and Chief Justice Corona

convinced he has no transparency. As the Defense presents witnesses who are supposed to bring out the better side of the impeached and accused Chief Justice, more questions arise. Why would someone who buys properties from the Coronas worth a million pesos not have the title transferred to his name, even when it needed only P2,500 twenty-two years ago? Why would the Defense highlight a twenty-one million income for ten years yet remain totally silent on the expenses of Rene Corona? I heard a Defense lawyer in a talk show so smugly try his arithmetic on the audience, showing a questionable 11-million loan from a controversial family corporation and adding the 21-million ten-year income of the Chief Justice as roughly equivalent to the peso deposits he withdrew posthaste from PS Bank. As though in maintaining the lifestyle of Rene Corona as a Supreme

Court Justice and later as Chief Justice did not cost him anything. If the Prosecution had stumbled every so often, the Defense can be seen as guilty of sleight-of-hand or squid tactics out to confuse the truth. I can only say that with the Corona bank deposits, pesos and dollars, plus the intervention of the Supreme Court to stop the opening of foreign currency deposits, the Defense has adopted the a strategy to hide the most sensitive of controversial details instead of quickly revealing them. A people’s march to change and reform, a people’s wish to build a brighter future for themselves and their children, is being stoked by a President who is risking so much to make this happen. One way he is doing so is by questioning the fitness of the Chief Justice to continue serving as such. And this is tantamount to P-Noy telling his branch of government that he will do the same.