We’ve always had the Philippine version of an international recording artist.  Hagibis was our version of the The Village People.  Block buster movies had their Filipino counterpart though some were lost in translation.

Remember when hot pandesal was introduced in the Philippines?  Suddenly, those piping hot buns simmered in every street corner. Then there was lechon manok and chooks were roasted to a crispy-brown and sold on every block.  But the fad fizzled out as quickly as the chickens were slaughtered for gastric consumption.

If we see that someone – anyone is doing well, there’s the sudden rush to follow suit and jump on the bandwagon without even thinking of the ingredients for success and the dire consequences.

The attraction of course is the thought of instant success.  Filipinos tend to follow the smell of money and get-rich schemes.   But what’s good for the goose may not be good for the gander!  And sadly, some fail to even see the difference until they’ve been fried.

As I have done my Filipin-Oz Directory over the years, I have noticed the trends and shifts in careers.

The “Misis” can cook and suddenly everyone was opening up their own little carinderia, take-away, restaurant, catering.  And if the “Misis” can’t, then find one who can cook.  However, they fail to take into consideration the other factors of the hospitality industry.  One restaurant-owner would never win the ‘Miss Congeniality’ competition.

This time, I’ve noticed that the real estate  & financial markets have multiplied.  It’s been a while since Sabsy Palanca’s visit to Sydney which placed Bigornia on the real estate trail.  Now everybody wants a piece of the action.  Everybody seems to be selling a part of the Philippines.  If they keep going the way they are, there might not be anything left of the Philippines to sell.

Another trend I noticed, is that everybody wants to write and some even opting to be called a journalist.  The mere use of the word ‘journalist’ (or ‘journo’) to refer to a writer, author, publisher, or columnist only amplifies the ignorance of those who use it loosely and pompously.  We could of course, provide them some walls to write on.   Soon they’ll want to be called publicists.

While competition may be healthy, stealing ideas is not and passing them on as your own is a definite no, no!  Instead it is done in an underhanded manner – the royal ‘sulot’.   Some do not even have the imagination to compete healthily.

I’m not even sure whether I’m supposed to admire those on automatic copy mode for their guts to venture into the unknown or to feel anger for their greed, arrogance and incompetence.  Some just cruise along faking it without even getting anywhere.  The latter is absolutely frightening and I can’t help feel sorry for their poor, unsuspecting victims.  Then again, in sheer exasperation, we can simply laugh our heads off.

A group of Lasallites from the baby boomers era, have bonded together to form a non- profit organization called Center for Responsible Governance Philippines, Inc. with the sole purpose of improving the conditions in the Philippines.

The group also aims to eradicate the “culture of corruption” which exists in the Philippines. The newly formed group, dispersed throughout the world believes that corruption in the Philippines is a cultural problem. The culture itself is corrupt, therefore no matter who heads the government, that person and his/her cohorts, friends and gofers will, if not corrupt when taking office, will eventually become corrupt. The solution, therefore, is to change the culture.

A spokesperson for the group said: “We are hoping to change the perception of things and that it is not okay to be corrupt. Along with that change in perception could be a change in expectations. We’re willing to bet that over time, people will expect that their government officials and bureaucrats are first vetted, and determined to be uncorrupt and incorruptible, prior to their appointment or election to office.” “The culture is embedded in the very fiber of our society. We may not even achieve it in our lifetime, but we certainly are going to give it a try,” said Mr.Lumba, President of the group. Brother Armin Luistro FSC is the honorary chairman of the DLSP Center for Good Governance. Whilst the La Salle institution has not officially endorsed the group, Brother Luistro has promised to do what he can to assist the group.

A few ex-government officials, ex-cabinet undersecretaries have already pledged their support to the cause. Brother Ray Suplido, president of La Salle College in Bacolod, Aurora Pijuan, former Miss International, along with ex-government officials, ex-cabinet undersecretaries have pledged their support for the group.

The current officers include Cesar Lumba, President, Patrick Donato Pantaleon VP-Domestic, Ramon Franco, VP-International. The other trustees include: Randy Farin, David Laurel, Brother Ray Suplido, Philip Tangco, Jimmy Valera and Aquilino Alcantara.

While the founders are Lasallites, membership is not exclusive and is open to all who want to see a change in the Philippines.

The group realizes that it is an awesome, almost impossible, task. “We are prepared to spend the remainder of our twilight years to help change and stomp out the culture of corruption in our country,” said Mr. Lumba.

The group hopes that in time, an alternative culture of clean government will emerge in the Philippines. A government with integrity will dominate, surpass and suffocate the old culture of corruption and exploitation for the sake of the next generation. For further information contact Cesar Lumba at lumbacesar@gmail.com

As one delegate put it, “Considering that it was run by volunteers, it was excellent.”  Ms. Loida Nicolas-Lewis acclaimed some of the work that had been done as “having raised the bar.”  But of course, there was much more that could have been done given the time-frame and resources available and if only there were less gas emissions from the charlatans.  Mr. Diaz was even unsure whether to classify himself as one of the organizers. First he denied having had anything to do with the program but when reminded that his photo was in the souvenir program, he quickly retorted  “linagay lang nila” (they only put my photo in).

Three letters changed the course of the event – G_M_A!!  The confirmation of a special audience with the President Arroyo at Four Seasons Hotel pulled in attendees at the last minute and bus riders who went for the ride.

The convention kicked off in high gear with the Business Matching, dipped at the official opening, then gathered momentum throughout the day, reaching a climax at the Gala evening but closed with a whimper with the all too familiar, song and dance routines.  The key note speakers got rave reviews: Mr. Macabenta’s session on “The Impossible Dream” was most sought after and uplifting; Ambassador Chua and Mr. Murillo’s session was ‘cashingly’ engaging; Atty. Argel’s was informative; Ms. Lewis was enlightening; Dr. Dans was entertaining and energizing; Dr. Juanta’s was sensibly wise; Gen. Aglipay’s was comforting; and the youth session was an eye-opener.

Mr. Jethro Rumbayong, the  delegate from the United Arab Emirates will be remembered not only for having the longest name but for his poignant speech on the plight of Filipinos in the Middle East which grated in the very soul of every Filipino present.  Temperatures rose, nerves were frayed. Some saw red – some wore red – we all saw the red herring parade – and the conniption fits that left others red-faced and wondering. I specifically wanted to burst into a “Go San Beda fight!” cheer every time a red-one swished past me.  And let’s not forget, the trying ballerina who piqued with a larger than life attitude.  Some got stuck in the “O-zone” layer and by that I mean – zero, zilch, nada, nil!  They took the committee “chair” to literally mean exactly that – a chair to sit on - so they simply sat and watched in their catatonic state, absolutely clueless.  Others appeared at just the right time for those crucial kodak-moments.

For clarification, the performance of Angela Chua, a disabled, at the gala dinner was not part of the program.  It was hijacked! Prior to the event, father, Mr. Manolo Chua and spokesperson for the group, Mr. Pablo Ulmedo requested that Angela be allowed to sing at the gala dinner.  Despite the fact that the answer was an irrevocably “NO”, they proceeded to Sydney as a delegation. They arrived, manipulated their way, swapped tables and sneakily got into the program.  Who knows which part of “NO” they did not understand!  Some may think that denying the girl a slot in the show was simply cold and heartless.

However, the unplanned performance was most disconcerting and it simply was not the time and place for it.  We would have placed on a full show for her if needed however the group’s real intentions were blurred and to date, the dots still don’t connect.  Interestingly, Mr. Ulmedo took a spot in the business matching session to promote his business of microphones.

I was hoping to obtain an interview with Mr. Chua but only got to speak with Mr. Ulmedo who seemed to be the spokesperson of the entourage. He advised that Mr. Chua would return my call but that call never came.

Oh well, so be it.  After all there were others who were dis-abled, dis-engaged and dis-functional!
We can only hope that we’ve learned some lessons.  One, we really must drop the “puwede na” attitude.  Two,  we really must stop thinking in terms of “friendly favours” especially when it jeopardizes the quality and integrity of a project. You’re my friend” – so you’re in.  You’re in or you’re out! You commit or you don’t!  No mercy for those who simply want to ride on.  And I guess the silent overall sponsor was ….. “Guess”.  Guess, where we’re going next?  Guess, who is working?  Guess, what I’m thinking?

And…oops, before I forget, yes, Ms. Farmer and Ms. Chun were sighted hugging each other.  Ahhh….that’s climate change!!

Mr. Greg Macabenta, legendary ad man from the Philippines is included in the prestigious list and will be tackling the topic, “The Impossible Dream.”  Ironically, there is nothing impossible to the man!!

I was fortunate to have crossed paths with Greg at the Advertising & Marketing Associates (AMA) ad agency in the Philippines. It was better known in the industry then, as the Advertising and Marketing Academy.  He was the President and Creative Director and I was a Junior Account Executive.

Right there at the Sta. Mesa building, life’s lessons were absorbed which could not have been found in any textbook. Anyone who walked through those creative doors was guaranteed to be life-trained.  I was lucky enough to have been initiated into the advertising world by the man.

For him, I dared the stormy seas of Manila Bay; chased a boat and climbed overboard in mid ocean; waded through Manila’s swelling floods; and gate-crashed every restaurant in Greenhills, in one evening, to deliver some advertising material to a client.

I was introduced to the word “lamay” (wake), where the only bodies found the following morning sprawled on the office floor or on the cutting room floor, were ours.   Deadlines took on a new meaning.  It meant stay in line or you were dead!

We became only too familiar with small food outlets opened at all hours of the night to calm our hunger pangs.  One such outlet was “Pukyutan”, a tiny food outlet that catered for jeepney drivers around the Sta. Mesa, “Stop & Shop” area.  During our late night brainstorming or ‘beat the deadline’ sessions, that place became our only hope for nourishment and survival.  But right there, amidst the smoky, dimly lit rooms, the most creative campaigns were hatched.  Perhaps, we should go back and put a plaque that reads: “Right here is where a creative mind sat.”

Yes, those brainstorming sessions whether in or out of the office were riveting. Then again, creativity was never turned off! It simply flowed. The passion was infectious and the wit was contagious.  Every now and then, you would hear the sudden shrill of the “aha-moment” or someone bursting through the door with excitement, “I’ve got it!”

“Can’t” was a word not to be uttered unless you intended to walk out the door, never to return.  Neither were the phrases “I don’t know” nor “I will check” allowed without an instant rebuff. My personal favourite was “Ask the right question.”

Fresh from university, we had illusions of the glamour and glitz of the advertising industry.  Such notions were quickly stripped and replaced with hard work and discipline.  We were given a reality check and lowered back down-to-earth.  Just when we thought we had finished with assignments, projects, and what-nots, we spent Saturday mornings in the training room honing in on our skills which he believed we had.

Tough would have been an understatement.  However, Greg earned the respect of all simply because he practiced what he preached and did what he demanded of us.

He lived by his name …Macabenta….translated it means to make a sale!  The whole concept of advertising was wrapped around his name and he did live up to it!! Better still, he pushed us all to live up to it too.

Today, I am grateful.

——

When star wars is a common occurrence in the community, the Banag-Banag Association decided to engage in stars wars of the more entertaining kind.  Big congratulations to the Banag Banag team for putting on their theme party, a “Night with the Stars”. It was refreshing, stylish and definitely different! For Michelle Ramas, the president, it was not mission impossible.

The Geisha girl’s indecent proposal was simply too hard to refuse and yes, the viewing public demand a sequel with the Men in Black.  Never, say never!!

Like most people, he had not read the 212 page decision of the Philippine Anti-Graft Court (Sandigan Bayan) finding former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada guilty of plunder. If he had read the complete decision, he would have discovered the ironic connection between his problems with the SSS and the basis for the plunder verdict.  (For the transcripts, log on to http://www.manilamail.com).

It took six years for the Sandigan court to try the Estrada case, most of the delays caused by Estrada himself. At one point, he fired all his attorneys so that a mistrial could occur. But after the court provided him with new attorneys, which he promptly rejected, Estrada retained new counsel and proceeded with a strategy to run out the clock until his close personal friend, Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ), could win the presidency in the May 2004 elections and dismiss all the charges against him.

But when FPJ lost, Estrada had no choice but to finally deal with the prosecution’s case by seeking to undermine the credibility of the court and by claiming that the trial was “politically motivated” to justify his removal from office. Very little was done by his lawyers to debunk the voluminous evidence presented in court.

In the course of the trial despite innumerable delays, dozens of witnesses described how Estrada collected at least half a billion pesos in “jueteng” protection money which was regularly delivered in cash to his Polk Street mansion in San Juan in Metro Manila. It was like a mob scene from “The Sopranos”. But the most damning testimony against Estrada came from those he appointed to public office.

Carlos Arellano testified that he was a childhood friend of Estrada who appointed him chairman and president of the Social Security System (SSS) in 1998. On October 6, 1999, he received a call from Pres. Estrada instructing him to buy Belle Corporation stock. He hesitated to do so, he said, because that decision belonged to the SSS investment committee which selected the stocks to invest in for the millions of Filipinos who had contributed to it. However, after further prodding from Estrada, Arellano unilaterally authorized the purchase by SSS of P900-M (pesos) ($20-M) in Belle stocks on October 21, 1999, just 15 days after he was directed to do so.

Federico Pascual testified that he was the president of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in 1999, appointed by Estrada, when he was instructed to purchase Belle shares. He hesitated to do the president’s bidding, he said, because the Belle Corporation was involved in jai-alai and gambling and had a “speculative flavor”. But after receiving another call from Estrada on October 9, 1999, he went ahead and authorized the purchase by GSIS of P1.1-B (pesos) ($25-M) in Belle stock.

A close crony of Estrada, Jaime Dichaves, facilitated the transaction according to Belle Corporation executives who testified that they issued a cashier’s check to Dichaves in the amount of P189-M ($4-M) (International Exchange Bank Check No. 6000159271 dated November 5, 1999)  as his 10% commission for securing the purchase by SSS and GSIS of close to P2-B (pesos) ($45-M) in Belle stocks.

Bank executives then testified that Dichaves deposited the check into his account and issued a check in the same amount which he then deposited into the Equitable Bank bank account of “Jose Velarde”.  Dichaves deposited an additional amount of P74-M (pesos) into the same account.

Clarissa Ocampo, an Equitable Bank manager, testified that she personally witnessed Estrada sign his name as “Jose Velarde” in withdrawing funds from the Equitable Bank, an allegation that was openly admitted by Estrada himself. Bank executives testified that there were joint accounts in the bank of Jose Velarde and Loi Ejercito (Estrada’s legal wife).

Bank executives also testified that it was from this same Jose Velarde account that Estrada purchased the “Boracay Mansion” near Wack-Wack Golf Club for  P140-M (pesos) for the use of his favored mistress, Laarni Enriquez. The man who facilitated the purchase of this mansion was Jose LuisYulo who, because of this “housing” experience, was then appointed by Estrada to be his Secretary of Housing, replacing the very competent Karina Constantino-David.

The prosecution’s evidence was just too overwhelming that the Sandigan Bayan justices had no other choice but to find Estrada guilty of  lunder, beyond a reasonable doubt. Sifting through the testimonies of eyewitnesses, one concludes that Estrada never believed that he would ever have to account for his actions so he didn’t care who witnessed what he was doing. Transparency turned out not to be much of a virtue and stupidity not at all a viable defense.

But the Erap joke was on the people. When GSIS and SSS bought Belle stocks in 1999, they were priced at P3.14 a share. One year later, on December 29, 2000, their value had sunk dramatically to 60 centavos a share. Two years later, they had gone down to 40 centavos a share. Now they are virtually worthless. Two billion pesos of the people’s investments down the drain.

While I congratulate the Sandigan Bayan judges for finding Estrada guilty of plunder, my regret is that he was never charged for his possible role in the  abduction and murders of Salvador “Bubby” Dacer, Emmanuel Corbito and Edgar Bentain.

According to members of his family, Bubby Dacer was bawled out by Estrada in Malacanang in November of 1999 for conspiring with former President Fidel Ramos to undermine his presidency. Shortly after this presidential tongue-lashing, Dacer and his driver, Corbito, were abducted by members of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) headed by Gen. Panfilo Lacson and and then tortured and executed.

The PAOCTF soldiers who admitted killing Dacer and Corbito pointed to Col. Glenn Dumlao as their commanding officer. Before he fled to the US, Col. Dumlao pointed to Col. Cezar Mancao and Col. Michael Ray Aquino as the officers who gave him the orders. Before they could point their fingers as to who directed them, Mancao and Aquino fled to the US upon instructions of Lacson. If Lacson had been fingered by Mancao and Aquino, would he have pointed the finger to Estrada?

Edgar Bentain was a casino worker at the Casino Filipino located at the Heritage Hotel in Manila when he secretly released the videotape of Estrada playing high-stakes poker with his crony, Atong Ang. The videotape was then shown on TV to the embarrassment of Estrada who ordered an investigation into who leaked the videotape.

According to eyewitness Ador Mawanay’s sworn testimony on August 17, 2001, PAOCTF men abducted Bentain outside the casino and immersed him with cement inside a drum and dumped the drum with his corpse in a Pampanga river. The leader of the PAOCTF team, he said, was Col. Michael Ray Aquino. Mawanay identified Estrada’s son, Jude, as the man he saw give a black bag containing money to Aquino as payment for the killing of Bentain.

Estrada “suffered enough”?

Send comments to Rodel50@aol.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

(Rodel Rodis is a San Francisco-based attorney and regular columnist in Filipino American community newspapers. He is also president of the San Francisco Community College Board).

There are those who seem to know how to thug at our heart strings to pluck just enough Filipino sentiment.  Some grovel with the Plaza Miranda style of politics,”isang palakpak nga diyaan”, in the false hope of endearing them to the community at large.  With the major political parties involved this time, there seems to be an emotional rush as some idealists get intoxicated with a sense of patriotism.  Others are simply jumping on the bandwagon for their own agendas.  Together, they are inclined to think that putting an individual in the power seat will spell a marked difference for the Filipino.

I too, would like to see a Filipino in a position of significance and power but only if they are deserving of the post – not when it embarrasses the rest of us.  Besides the pride attached to an esteemed position should apply for any field of endeavour.

Hey, let’s get real!!  The big question remains – if one is elected, then what’s next?  A feel-good effect because a Filipino gets elected is simply pride by affiliation?  Empowerment should result from within – from what you know not whom you know.

The desire to run for office is not a novel idea.  Others have attempted and failed, while others secretly wish that some power from up above would simply transport and drop them onto the seat of glory.  It may be easy to point the finger of blame on the adages, “the tall poppy syndrome” or “the crab mentality” rather than looking at their own weaknesses for having missed the mark.  Those with political ambitions should perhaps take heed to the lessons of the past and see what has been done and what really needs to be done.

Already, Councilor Irene Broad has clinched a seat in Temora Shire Council. So okay, it’s a small town, but she got voted in by non-Filipinos and she’s still a Filipino making a difference. Now that’s a real win!!

If one is to examine more closely the paths of the Filipino achievers, it would be noted that they have crossed the demarcation line.  They have stopped cowering and wearing their “badge of honour”.  They are looking out – not looking in.

Of utmost importance is the fact that the Filipino who aims for a political seat must transcend all mental, language and cultural barriers.  To remain insular in their mode of thinking will simply lead to the same outcomes.  Some are deluded into believing that their sensurround world is all there is.  Yoo-hoo, in case some have not noticed, Blacktown may have a big number of Filipino residents, but there are Australians and other nationalities living in the area too.  So what’s in it for them too?

It is beyond comprehension how some have the audacity to think that they can when they can’t even speak.  How else will they communicate our needs, our wants, when the very intention for running is to champion our cause?

We recently conducted a community survey via the internet on political ambitions.  The survey results revealed that Filipino voters are more discriminating in their choice of candidate than we’d like to think them to be.  While the majority would like to see a Filipino in position, the vote clincher would depend on certain factors.  Of the character traits listed, trustworthiness and credibility rated of equal importance as the number one trait required. Intelligence was second (72%); communication skills ranked 3rd (66.7%).  The majority (62.5%) want specifics defined i.e.  What have they done and what can they really do?  In the end, character, not behaviour is what we should be on the lookout for.

I am more inclined at initiatives which provide not one, but all Filipinos to gain the much needed confidence they need to compete in their chosen field of endeavour – not just the battlers, posers and rattlers!  Information, education and communication are essential if we must be free of the “rigodon” mentality.

When we can stand side-by-side with any other nationality (and not for just the mere photo opportunity), without being subservient and without kowtowing, then we, as Filipinos are empowered with dignity.  Only then, have we arrived!