Fil-Am in Politics

Pinay lawyer wins primary, eyes history in Illinois Assembly

PINOY Newsmagazine/
Philippine News
February 2008

Text, Photos and Video by Ted Regencia

Chicago, IL -- A top Filipino-American real estate lawyer is eyeing history in Illinois, as she makes a run for a seat in the State Assembly.

Aurora Abella-Austriaco, ran unopposed during the Democratic Primary, garnering 9,875 votes, almost double the votes of the 16-year Republican incumbent she's facing in the November 4 general election.

Austriaco still faces an uphill battle since her district has been under Republican control for 118 years. But she expressed confidence that she will prevail, citing a "shift in demographics" and the voter's appetite for "change."

If elected, Austriaco will be the first ever Asian American state representative in Illinois, also known as the Land of Lincoln, for being the hometown of the Civil War-era President Abraham Lincoln. She will represent a district, which includes the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, where former first lady and New York Senator Hillary Clinton grew up.

One major hurdle for Austriaco is to appeal to the predominantly white and conservative constituency in her district.

"If you look at my sixteen years that I have done public service, it cuts across every organization, every racial boundary. I have represented mainstream organizations, and I have not had any problem. The fact that I am Asian, that has never been questioned in these leadership positions," she said in a recent interview.

Austriaco is the immediate past president of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association. Recently, she was elected secretary of the 22,000-strong Chicago Bar Association.

Austriaco said her heritage adds value to her brand of leadership. "I think the fact that I am a Filipino-American, obviously relates to the fact that, that is my heritage and I am very proud of it."

The Manila-born mother of two, vows to prioritize legislation promoting affordable healthcare, access to human services, education and strong family values.

"We are such a community of strong family values that we really value children, because they are our future leaders. We want to provide them good education," she stressed.

Austriaco also vowed "to work both aisles" in the Democratic-Republican divide at the assembly "to effect change." "I am engaged and I am always there, really connected to the community. Whatever organization I'm involved in, I am always there. I am not an absent leader," she added.

As a long-time real estate lawyer, she also vows to pass laws protecting those affected by the on-going real-estate and sub-prime mortgage mess.


"Foreclosure is a very real problem. We have lots of people that have been victims of foreclosure," she lamented. She said her leadership experience in the 22,000-strong Chicago Bar Association would help her craft legislation to fix the problem.

A member of the Maine Township Democratic Organization, Austriaco's candidacy has been endorsed by that group as well as by the Illinois AFL-CIO and Democratic leaders including Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. She is also backed by the Chicago chapter of the Asian American Action Fund and the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago.

Three years ago when she ran as a Trustee of the Maine Township, US Senator Barack Obama personally campaigned for her.

Austriaco is married to Dr. Jerome Austriaco and they have two daughters, Danielle and Isabelle.

As a teenager and freshman student at Miriam College, she along with her sisters came to Chicago to join her parents here. "I can't forget that day that we actually left, because on our way to the airport, was when [Ninoy] Aquino was assassinated," Austriaco said as she recollects that "life-changing" moment in her life.

Crime and Punishment

Feds hunt int'l drug ring fugitive
PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
January 2008

By Ted Regencia

Chicago, IL -- Federal authorities are in hot pursuit of an international drug ring member who may have fled to the Philippines.

This following a massive drug bust, which netted more than a dozen arrests, including a top member of Filipino gang in Chicago.

Carlo Panadero, 36, formerly of suburban Des Plaines, is now considered a fugitive and is "believed to be in the Philippines", the Department of Justice Northern District of Illinois said.

While refusing "to further discuss the case", Assistant US Attorney Randall Samborn indicated in a separate interview last December 14, that his office could decide to release a photograph of Panadero to help in his capture.

Panadero, and 20 other defendants, are charged with "conspiracy to possess and distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana and more than 500 grams of mixtures containing methamphetamine and quantities of Ecstasy or MDMA."

Specifically, Panadero aka "Chito" and "Ted", "a citizen of the Philippines and a lawful permanent US resident," is accused of being involved in the sale and delivery of 10,000 Ecstasy pills and marijuana, to undercover federal agents, between December 2003 and February 2004.

Panadero�s 27-year old brother, Carlos Jr. or "CJ", who is in federal custody, is also charged for helping in the negotiation of the drug sale. According to authorities, Carlos Jr. introduced the undercover agents to his brother and another suspect.

The operation, conducted by federal and local Chicago authorities, was the culmination of a four-year investigation into an international drug-trafficking network, authorities said.

The investigation originated from the DuPage County Sheriff's Department in 2003. Authorities first traced the origin of drug shipment to Canada. The drug shipment would then arrive in Chicago and distributed "by two separate crews with connections in Chinatown and with the Latin Kings street gang."

"This case demonstrates that law enforcement agencies won't just stop at county or international borders in their pursuit of international drug-trafficking organizations that invade our communities," the highly-respected US Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald declared. Fitzgerald was responsible in putting former Illinois Governor George Ryan to jail. He also prosecuted the CIA leak investigation.

Another suspect in custody is Ivan Myint, 38, formerly of Gurnee, who is charged separately in a pending federal case, the 150-page affidavit said. Myint is described as a member "Flip City Kings", the so-called Filipino-based faction of the Latin Kings street gang in Chicago.

Two years ago, Myint was also arrested and charged with a federal narcotics offense. With the assistance of his brother, Michael, who is also being charged, he reportedly fled to Mexico. Michael also reportedly stored 16,000 Ecstasy pills at his residence and later delivered them to another undercover agent. Michael also allegedly stored drug ledgers for his brother, Ivan.

Still, another suspect is Melvin Dumanlang, who reportedly acted as a lookout during a drug delivery. He also reportedly smuggled into the US drug samples from Canada.

At least 10 of the alleged co-conspirators appeared in court last December 6.

If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life without parole and fines up to $4 million.

2008 Presidential Elections

Obama, Huckabee win Iowa on message of change

PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News/Inquirer.net
January 2008

Text, Photos and Videos by Ted Regencia




Des Moines, IA -- For one night on January 3, the midwest state of Iowa became the epicenter of American politics, as voters participated in the traditional caucus, catapulting Senator Barack Obama and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to the top of the Democratic and Republican race for the White House.

Running on the message of change, Obama and Huckabee wrest Iowa from their better-known and well-financed rivals, such as New York Senator Hillary Clinton and multi-millionaire former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney. The first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucus, a rudimentary process of securing votes by hours of debate, deliberation, even horse-trading, and eventually show of hands, could create momentum for both candidates as they move the next states.

"They said, our sights were set too high. They said, this country was too divided, too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose. But on this January night, at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do," said Obama, who made history by becoming the first African American to ever win Iowa, a state that is 96 percent white.

"We are one nation, we are one people, and our time for change has come," added the junior US senator from Illinois, to rousing applause by supporters who packed downtown Des Moines' HyVee Hall.

Obama's Filipino-American supporters, a very rare sight in this state of vast farmlands, were visibly thrilled to witness a son of a Kenyan migrant, claim victory.

"I think it is just [an] amazing part of history. I think we are sending him off to the other states with great energy, and to show the rest of the United States that this is what we need and this is what we want," said Joy Esposito, a Filipino American native of San Diego and ten-year resident of Des Moines. Esposito's parents were born in Hawaii to Filipino immigrants.

"We are so happy to do this in Iowa," added Esposito. It was her second time to caucus and her first as a precinct captain for Obama. Esposito related how Obama's grassroots organization worked, knocking on doors and talking to friends and neighbors, by phone and over coffee, to discuss the merits of his candidacy.

As the votes were counted in Esposito's precinct, four of the eight voters who showed up eventually sided with Obama. Of the record-breaking 200,000 plus who voted Democratic, Obama got 38 percent of the votes, John Edwards got 30 percent and Clinton, 29 percent. About 100,000, many Christian Evangelicals, voted Republican, boosting Huckabee, a Baptist minister.

Another Obama supporter, Cherry Welch, a native of Butuan City, Philippines also expressed her excitement for being part of the caucus.

"I am really excited, and I think he can make a big change for our country, and we are ready for him," Welch, who is married to an Iowan, said. The 25-year resident of Iowa said Obama also won in her precinct. "It's a historic moment for Iowa," she quipped. Obama also won in her precinct.

Clinton's third place finish was particularly disappointing to her better-organized Filipino-American supporters here. Several gatherings had been organized by the community for the former first lady, a long-time supporter of the Filipino veterans issue. In one of their recent meetings, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, an early endorser of Clinton, showed up. LA has a significant Filipino population. National leaders in the Filipino community, such as Irene Natividad, Maria Luisa Haley and Janelle Cabrera also travelled to Iowa, as part of Clinton's outreach to the Asian community here.

In Chicago, a five and a half-hour drive east of Des Moines, Filipino American leaders, many affiliated with the local chapter of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), were openly supporting Clinton. They also travelled to next-door state of Iowa to volunteer and convince other Filipinos to vote for Hillary, a native of Illinois. While many NaFFAA officers volunteered for Clinton in their personal capacity, the organization DID NOT endorse any candidate.

At the Filipino Store in Des Moines, owners Dwight Roberts and wife Benilda's excitement for Hillary Clinton was apparent. Just hours before the caucus, Benilda, a native of Talibon, Bohol, a first-time caucus participant said she is supporting Clinton, "because she is a strong advocate on immigration." "She will help reunite Filipino families, and she is very supportive the veterans," she added. The Roberts' eight-year old daughter, Kimberly, also volunteered in the Kids for Hillary in Iowa, making posters and countdown signs, and attending rallies. The couple caucused in Indianola, Iowa.

The on-slaught of support for Obama, however, was too much for Clinton to overcome. Among 18 to 29 year-old voters, Obama secured over 50 percent of the votes, to Clinton's 10 percent. Among women, expected to be the natural base for Clinton, she was also defeated by Obama, 35 to 30 percent. Many Independents and Republicans also caucused Democratic, so they can vote for Obama.

Los Angeles Councilman Eric Garcetti, who represents the historic Filipino Town, said of Obama: "This is a phenomenal victory. I think this represents a point in our history that we will look back on and say, this is when the country began to be unified again and began to move in a direction that America deserves."

Garcetti, who flew in to Iowa to campaign for Obama, said he is "the natural candidate" for Filipino American voters because "he shares the experience of so many Filipino families." "He is somebody who understands the struggles that Filipino families, and families of color go through. He is the natural candidate for the Filipino community, not because simply of his background, but also because of his ideals."

Several caucuses and primaries are scheduled after Iowa, including New Hampshire on January 8. Major states such as California and Illinois are set to hold it's primary on February 5, the so-called "Super Duper Tuesday."

Filipino Achiever

Filipino journalist bags Global Media Award

PINOY Newsmagazine/
Philippine News
January 2008

Text, Photos and Video in Washington D.C. by Ted Regencia

Washington, D.C. -- A disturbing look on sex, media and children and a separate story on population explosion and its effects on the environment, won Philippine television reporter Melclaire Sy Delfin the 2007 Global Media Award from the Washington-based Population Institute (PI).

Delfin, of television network GMA 7 and its US affiliate GMA Pinoy TV, was cited for Best Individual Reporting for her articles "The Forbidden Games Filipino Children Play" and "When Wells Run Dry: A Tragedy Looming Large."

The lone Asian awardee shared the stage with a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, a radio show host from the African country of Cameroon, and nine other recipients, during a ceremony, December 5, at the Rayburn House of Representatives Office Building in the US capital.

"Being a journalist, my goal is always to provide accurate and complete information. So that my countrymen, the Filipinos, can make the right choices for themselves and for the country," Delfin said in a short remark after receiving the award.

"I am definitely honored by this award, especially that it comes from a very respected international organization," she said in a separate interview.

Former director of the Philippine Press Institute, now Washington-based executive of Global Media Ventures, Adlai Amor was also at the ceremony to congratulate Delfin.

"I am delighted that [she] won this award. It shows that Filipino journalists have what it takes to compete in the international stage. I hope other journalists will follow her path and will continue to make us Filipinos proud throughout the world," Amor said.

The Media and Family Planning
Coincidentally, a Filipino professor from the John Hopkins University was guest speaker at the event. Jose G. Rimon II, senior deputy director of the university's Bloomberg School of Public Health, stressed the crucial role of media in educating the populace about population control.

Using scientific findings, he pointed out that mass media is the most "cost effective" way of reaching its target audience, even as he stressed the important role of government in promoting reproductive health issues.

In the case of the Philippines, Rimon urged the government to do more to promote family planning. He said that despite economic growth the country now enjoys, poverty still persists because the economy cannot keep up with an even faster population growth.

Rimon said that while the Philippines share the same economic growth as neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, it has 18 million more people.

"The Philippines would never progress as long as their is no political will to address this issue. We have been left behind by most of our Asian neighbors. At one time we have been compared to Thailand, and they have surpassed us. And we were being compared to Vietnam, and Vietnam has surpassed us in this area. What else is there to compare," he said.

Despite the strong opposition of the highly-influential Catholic church to numerous family-planning methods, Rimon believes there's a way to find "common ground" to work together

"From my experience, if you talk to individual priests in the parish level, they do understand the issue. But sometimes they have to toe the line. But there's a lot of progressive thinking even within the Catholic church. It's not monolithic in this particular issue, so probably you just need to find a way so that some kind of common ground is found, and which politically everybody can work together," he said.

Private corporations and non-government organizations must also do more to encourage responsible family planning, Rimon added.

Population explosion
In the two articles Delfin wrote, she showed exactly how unrestrained population explosion affected the populace, as described by Rimon in his statistics.

In the story "The Forbidden Games Filipino Children Play," Delfin delves on "the shocking sexual precocity of Filipino children."

Because of lack of proper sex education, limited parental supervision due to poverty and family size, combined with continuous bombardment of images on television, the Internet and magazines, children have become exposed to risky sexual behaviors as told by the article.

Delfin reported how she witnessed children living in an impoverished area in Manila, simulating sexual acts.

"Most often, it is a taboo talking about it (sex) with children in many Filipino families. This leads children to explore it on their own, thinking it's just another game," Delfin wrote earlier in explaining her story to the Population Institute's Media Awards Committee, headed by a respected Indian journalist, Rahul Singh.

Meanwhile, Delfin's other piece, "When Wells Dry: A Tragedy Looming Large" looks at dwindling of natural resources amidst population growth and increased pollution and contamination.

The Population Institute, which handed out the award, is an international, educational, non-profit organization that seeks to voluntarily reduce excessive population growth, through universal access to family planning information, education and services.

While based in Washington D.C., it does not accept funding from the US government. Established in 1969, the Institute has members in 172. It is headed by Dr. Lawrence Smith Jr, president.

Investing in the Philippines

RP firm poised to sign deal with Chicago architectural outfit

PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
December 2007

Text and Photo by Ted Regencia

Chicago, IL -- A Chicago-based architectural company is poised to sign a deal that would allow Filipino architects to produce designs for their projects, Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) Executive Director Celeste Ilagan said.

"We are very positive that this trip will result to a number of contracts for this company in Chicago. This is one of the most productive legs of the trip," Ilagan said in an exclusive interview. Details of the deal remain sealed until the contract is finalized.

Ilagan was in Chicago for an investment mission promoting the Philippines as a location for Information Technology (IT) and IT-enabled services. While here, she also spoke at the "Bayanihan Sa Amerika" conference hosted by the Philippine Consulate last October 27 at the Sheraton Gateway Suites.

"Architectural and engineering design is among the areas, where we think the Filipinos will be able to serve the requirements of the US," Ilagan said.

At least four meetings with large design firms here in Chicago were held, and the companies have become "very interested with the value proposition of the Philippines", Ilagan added. "This one company that's with me in this delegation is very positive, and they are looking forward to coming back soon."

In the Philippines, IT-related industries including design as well as animation have thrived with expected 30 to 35 percent annual increase, and is projected to become a $12-billion industry by 2010.

Citing the success of luring the biggest call centers to the Philippines, Ilagan said that getting the first deal with an architectural firm in Chicago, "starts the ball rolling for the Philippines." Chicago is recognized as a pioneer in modern architectural design and home to the many highly-respected architectural firms.

As part of their sales pitch, Ilagan highlighted the availability of highly-trained Filipino architects who will do the work for Chicago-based firms.

"Simple drawings for example are done in the Philippines by architects, while here, probably they are [done by] draftsmen," Ilagan said. "The added benefit to that is, because they are architects, they know the whole system and sometimes they are even able to suggest modifications that will improve the design given to them by their clients."

In terms of skills, Ilagan said that Filipino architects are at par with their American counterparts. "Our workers are even more qualified because they are architects, they are registered and they are licensed. So they add more value to the work...so the work being done is accurate and the turnaround is efficient," she added.

To convince these companies, Ilagan also needed to "sell the country" as the ideal place for investment.

"To the investors, there is a wide range of opportunities to explore in the Philippines. From manufacturing to service-oriented activities. And it is not just taking our word for it, we invite them to visit because there are certain things that they hear about the Philippines, which are negative. But when they come to the Philippines, their perception of the country will totally change," Ilagan said.

One advantage is the availability of an educated, English-speaking manpower. She pointed out that the Philippines has a 35-million strong labor force, with 400,000 graduates every year including 85,000 in the field of IT, computer science and engineering.

Operating in the Philippines is also cost-efficient, with rental of business space at a minimum price, Ilagan said, while citing multi-year tax incentives and tax holidays given to large-scale investors.

Another advantage is the existence of broadband Internet connection that would enable companies to communicate efficiently, she said. She pointed out that companies such as HSBC, Dell computer company and the largest American call center Convergy's have relied on this IT infrastructure and connectivity. Convergy's, for example, now employs 11,000 in seven centers in Manila, Ilagan said.

As this developed, Philippine Trade Representative to Chicago Glenn Penaranda gave assurance that investors can operate in the Philippines free of red-tape and bureaucratic delays.

"We will not tolerate graft and corruption," Penaranda said during his presentation, to applause from delegates of the conference.

He offered the services of the Department of Trade and Industry, as a "one-stop action center" that would address the needs of investors, and guide them through the governmental processes before they can operate their business.

Penaranda also advised small and medium-scale investors, including Chicago-based Filipinos who are considering to invest in their hometowns to contact his office and ask about the "One Town, One Product" program, to maximize the productivity of their investments.

2008 Presidential Elections

NaFFAA's Loida stumps

for Hillary in Windy City
PINOY Newsmagazine/
Philippine News
December 2007

Text and Photos By Ted Regencia

Chicago, IL — “As a woman, I am calling all the women of America to rise up. We rise up this time, and get the first woman president elected to the White House,” Loida Nicolas-Lewis, former president of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) declared.

Lewis made the assertion in a one-on-one interview, before she spoke to an assembly of Chicago-based Filipino American supporters of New York Senator Hillary Clinton, who gathered in Chicago last November 20, to show their support for the presidential bid of the former First Lady.

While Clinton operatives try to play down the role of gender in the campaign trail, Lewis took the issue head-on saying, “America is still very sexist. There’s a lot of baggage in the American psyche, and one of them is the gender issue.”

Lewis even highlighted Hillary’s experience as wife of former President Bill Clinton. She said Hillary showed her “real strength” when she stuck with her husband during “the lowest, most scandalous, most painful part of their marriage life.”

“For me in a very personal way, that is really the yardstick by which I say, she can be president, because there are certain things that she sticks by,” Lewis added.

Lewis is a long-time supporter, contributor, and bundler for Hillary. In 1999, when Hillary was preparing to run for the Senate in New York, Lewis raised money and gathered other contributors in the Asian-American community.

She recalled that in 1999, she introduced Hillary before the NaFFAA national convention in New York City as “the future president of that United States.” “That was 1999, I predicted that already. From the very beginning, I have been there,” Lewis said.

Now, Lewis, a multi-millionaire lawyer and businesswoman, works as the chairman of the Asian Americans for Hillary in the state of New York.

“Every fundraising, I would bring 20 Filipinos, 40 Filipinos. And we are very visible. I want to show to her that she has a strong support in the Filipino community. Every fundraising in New York, there’s always a contingency of Filipinos. She’s been very appreciative of that,” Lewis stressed.

Hillary has strong ties to the Windy City. She was born in Chicago and raised in the nearby north suburb of Park Ridge. But the state of Illinois, including Chicago has become an “Obama country” since Barack Obama, the junior freshman senator declared his presidential ambition. Obama won a landslide in 2004.

Obama’s candidacy has changed the dynamics of the Democratic primary, giving front-runner Clinton a run for her money. But at least in the race to form a group of Filipino-American volunteers in Chicago, Hillary is now leading.

During her talk, Lewis admitted that she first hesitated to campaign here, in deference to her Filipino friends rooting for Obama. Eventually, she decided to make her pitch, saying Clinton is “the best candidate” and that she understands the issues important to the Filipino community.

“Hillary knows about the Filipino veterans from way back. Ever since, she has seen the injustice done to our Filipino World War II veterans,” Lewis said. “During her six years as senator of New York, every time the bill is introduced, she is a sponsor. She would always meet with us when we visit Congress.”

While Clinton is being criticized as a flip-flopper on the issue of immigration, she is in the best position to fix the broken system, Lewis pointed out.

“On one hand, she is right. We have to strengthen our laws, so that we don’t have invariably this problem of having illegals. But those who are here already in the United States, she is for amnesty. We have to recognize that they are here. That they are earning, they are contributing taxes. That’s one very important issue,” Lewis said.

Organized and hosted by Hillary-convert and community leader, Marlon Pecson, the pre-dominantly female crowd responded to Lewis message with enthusiasm, cheering her on as she delivered her pep talk. Later, Jelly Carandang, a Filipino American commissioner in the Village of Skokie, signed up volunteers to help in the Iowa Caucus on January 3.

Pecson, the host of the event said that he also believes Clinton is the most experienced and most winnable candidate in the race.

Couples for Christ Rift

Couples for Christ in the US splits up

PINOY Newsmagazine/GMANews.TV/Inquirer.net
August 2007

Text and Photos by Ted Regencia

CHICAGO, IL—In a struggle often described in biblical terms, the Couples For Christ (CfC), one of the biggest Catholic lay organizations in the Philippines, with membership in 160 countries, announced that it has split into two, with the larger segment remaining as CfC.

“It is with a heavy heart that I relay to you the Joint Statement of Frank Padilla and the CfC International Council declaring the split,” Ricky Cuenca, CfC USA Country Coordinator, said in a letter to CfC members in the US.

This developed as Cuenca urged dissenters “to stop all these negative emails, accusations and personal attacks on certain leaders and all other conduct unworthy of Christian leaders.
Like Joshua, today we crossed the river Jordan under the continuing guidance of the Lord,” Cuenca told the members of CfC. “Just like most of you, I had agonized and struggled with the conflict within CfC.”

Until the release of the letter dated August 16, the internal dissension was kept under wraps and discussed in hushed tones by the CfC members, including those in the Chicago area.

Under Padilla’s leadership, the splinter group will be known as Restoration Movement. It is also referred to as the “Easter Group.”

Padilla, a son of the late senator Ambrosio Padilla, is a founding members of CfC, established in the Philippines in 1981. After 26 years of service, he resigned last February as member of the seven-man CfC International Council, the governing body of the entire organization. He reportedly quit in protest against the CfC concentrating much of its resources on Gawad Kalinga (GK).

Padilla also questioned the legitimacy of the newly elected council, before officially leaving CfC last August 1.

Cuenca quickly re-aligned the CfC-USA Council, replacing those loyal to Padilla, who was overseeing the entire North America region until his resignation. Joe Duran was named national director.

In Chicago, Cuenca named Norman Canete to represent the Midwest in the CfC-USA Council. Canete will now face the task of keeping most of the members from further dissension, as erstwhile head Manny Hermano sided with Padilla in the dispute.

Cuenca himself admitted that he agonized over his decision to stay with CfC. “Just like many of you, I had suffered in pain and agony, seeking hope for reconciliation,” he said. “My direct, actual and personal experiences with both sides before, during and after the elections in Manila have also led me to this decision.”

But even Cuenca and Duran's leadership has now been questioned by the CfC-USA Council members they just replaced. That council, headed by Acting National Director Nani Almanza, insisted that they remain the legitimate governing body in the US.

"By Joe Duran and Ricky Cuenca's action, they have effectively brought the Philippine problem to the US," Almanza said. Six members of the Almanza-led council have refused to acknowledge the present CFC International Council, leading to their replacement.

Two Kingdoms
In his response to the announcement, Vincent Pineda, a member of CfC with his wife Tess, sounded resigned to the break-up.

“As in the Old Testament, the house of Israel was divided into the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah, so it is now with Couples For Christ,” Pineda said. “Who among us is with the House of Israel or the House of Judah doesn’t matter. Though the House of Israel was divided, both Kingdoms remained people of God - - brothers and sisters to one another.”

Cracks in the CfC leadership first surfaced when Padilla, along with two other CfC council members resigned in February. The resignation left four council members to administer the CfC until the June 22 election.

According to sources in the CfC-USA, before Padilla’s resignation, he and his allies questioned CfC’s emphasis on GK, which is accused of working with “anti-life corporations” as well as other religious groups like the Mormons. Padilla’s group reportedly viewed it as a distraction from the CFC goal of recruitment of more members.

One e-mail message circulating in different CfC online groups asked: “Are we building God’s Kingdom (GK) villages? [Or] are we building instead altars for foreign gods of some GK partners: wives of Solomon (Anti Life Corporations)?”

Because of GK (Gawad Kalinga housing for the poor project), the CfC "is veering away from the vision-mission and guiding Catholic principles of CfC." GK is also accused of "overstressing social action at the expense of evangelization, catechesis and spirituality."

In response, British national and GK volunteer Dylan Wilk wrote: “Compared to what some say about GK not bringing people to Christ, the areas where we see great numbers of people being evangelized to CfC are actually in the GK communities themselves.”

“If you visit any GK site, you will most likely see row after row of houses, most of which have CfC stickers on the doors. So far I have not seen that in any subdivision,” said Wilk, a millionaire businessman who donated his millions to GK. He is based in the Philippines and is married to the daughter of former GK head, Tony Meloto. Meloto himself resigned as GK head in an apparent move to diffuse tension within CfC. He remains a GK volunteer.

“Our CfC members and leaders have been living in their subdivisions for many years but have not succeeded in the massive evangelization of their neighbors that GK has done in the sites,” Wilk pointed out.

As one of the “seven pillars,” GK is under the supervision of CfC. GK promotes “discipleship of Christ” by helping the poor and providing them livelihood and decent shelter. The program has earned international recognition, as well as accolades for Meloto, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award and the the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s 2007 Person of the Year. However, GK also earned scorn as it was accused of overshadowing the work of CfC.

Meloto remained silent throughout the whole saga, even as his son-in-law Wilk continues to emphasize that it is through GK that “people see the Gospel being lived out (so) that they join CfC.”

“It is not the house, if you listen to the testimony of almost any beneficiary, they will tell you that what changed them was the great love shown by their CfC caretaker team on a daily basis,” Wilk wrote. “If every CfC member did this, we would already have seen GK777 fulfilled and 100,000s of new members in CFC. That would be ‘the power of we’ - God working through us as a Christian community.”

Final breakup
Meanwhile, internal strife continued to brew even as the June 22 election of the CfC International Council in Manila was concluded.

At issue was Padilla’s group wish for the remaining four members of the council not to seek re-election. It insisted the four were “part of the conflict,” and have “lost their moral ascendancy to govern…being unable to resolve things in the Lord.”

Padilla’s group stood firm that the newly elected council, which counts the original four as members, “does not have the mandate to govern.” It added that because of the council’s “disrespect to the bishops,” the CfC risks official Church recognition, including from the Vatican.

“The Council does not have the blessings of the Church, and so does not have the blessings of God,” the statement “in behalf of Frank Padilla,” said.

“In fact, the Council is the prime cause of our present difficulty with the Church hierarchy. The Council has endangered our relationship with our shepherds, and has threatened our very mission for Christ.”

This dispute eventually led to the breakup, when Padilla’s Restoration Movement formally announced separation from CfC in his July 30 and August 1 letters.

In an apparent last-ditch maneuver, however, Padilla reportedly tried to register his new group under the name CfC-Family Ministry with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission. That application was denied by the SEC, however.

Meanwhile Cuenca, as head of the U.S. delegation, said the development “gives a clear mandate for Couples for Christ USA to move on.” He added, “Although saddened by the Joint Statement of the split and its impact on the community, it may on the other hand be the best solution for greater transformation of the two groups, as a house divided will also have difficulty moving forward.”

Cuenca also defended the seven-man international council as “capable leaders, honed in the CfC culture and values. True to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, they are united, of one heart and of one mind.” He urged the members to “remain and stay within Couples for Christ.”

“Amidst the apparent confusion, do not worry. For while there is a universe of truths, with each side taking its own slice or portion of the truth, God knows the whole truth,” he said.

In Lipa City, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles issued a memorandum to all priests under his diocese. "The Archdiocese of Lipa recognizes only the one and original CfC; no other CfC groups, with other qualifications, may do apostolate in the Archdiocese," Arguelles said. "All GK projects within the Archdiocese will remain one of the seven pillars of the CfC," he added.

Brown's Chicken tragedy

Killer of two Pinoy teens gets life in prison
PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
August 2007

By Ted Regencia

Chicago, IL – Fourteen years after the grisly Brown’s Chicken massacre, which claimed the lives of two Filipino teenagers and five other victims, justice was served on Juan Luna.

Cook County Criminal Court Judge Vincent Gaughan on August 8, sentenced Luna, 33, to life in prison without parole.

Earlier, one of the jurors voted against the imposition of capital punishment against the convict. A unanimous vote is required to impose death penalty. That decision by the jury automatically requires the judge to impose the lesser sentence of life in prison.

Retiring Cook County State’s Attorney Richard Devine, the lead prosecutor, said he is gratified to hear that Luna “will spend the rest of his life in prison.”

“But we have to remember that there are victims who aren’t with us anymore,” Devine was quoted by Chicago Sun-Times as saying.

Luna’s lawyers are expected to file an appeal. But one of his defense attorneys, Clarence Burch said his client is “pretty settled in with the idea that he will be serving the rest of his life in jail, unless we prevail in the appeal.”

Luna sealed his fate on January 8, 1993, when he and an accomplice James Degorski robbed a Brown’s Chicken restaurant in the northwestern Chicago suburb of Palatine. Both were then high school students at the nearby Fremd High School.

What followed was a killing spree, one of the grisliest in Cook County history.

Luna and Degorski killed the two owners and five employees execution style. Aside from shooting the victims, they also reportedly used a knife from the restaurant to slice the owner's throats and stab the victims. They also used a mop to clean up the crime scene and poke the victims to make sure they were really dead.

The killers then split $1,900 taken from the restaurant. Later they reportedly got high on drugs and even bragged to their girlfriends that the killed seven people.

Police later recovered five bodies stuffed in a walk-in cooler and two more bodies in a freezer.

Two of the victims were Filipino teenagers Michael Castro, 16 and Rico Solis, 17, part-time cashiers and schoolmates of the killers. According to investigators both were singled out for particularly brutal treatment. Castro, a sprightly young guy and an honor student was shot seven times in the head, face and chest and stabbed in the abdomen. Solis, who was born in the Philippines, was also shot a number of times.

It took nine years, a tip from a friend of one of the suspects’ girlfriend, and a DNA match from partially-eaten chicken dinner at the crime scene, for police to get a big break from the cold case.

Luna, who was described to have violent streaks early on, had been questioned by police years earlier, but it did not lead to an arrest.

Finally, in 2002 the tipster came forward with the lead, and the arrests were made bolstered by the DNA match. Luna also made a taped confession following the arrest. He later recanted his statement claiming that it was coerced.

It took another five years to hold the trial in downtown Chicago with no less than the top Cook County prosecutor leading the case.

Last May, Luna, now married with one son, was found guilty of seven counts of first-degree murder. At the sentencing phase of the trial, however, one member of the jury voted against death penalty.

Notably, a few of the victims’ family members, including that of Castro sided with that juror.

"A kill for a kill, blood for blood, is not the right answer," Mary Jane Crow, sister of Michael Castro told reporters. "A crime, yes, has been committed. But revenge and justice are two different things."

A family member of another victim differed. "I do believe in the death penalty," said Diane Clayton, the mother of victim Marcus Nellsen. "I think that's what he [Luna] deserves.”

For now, the families of the victims only have partial closure. Degorski, the co-accused, is still in prison awaiting a separate trial. Hearing will start in early 2008.

Fil-Am seeks to topple top Chicago alderman

Dolar moves closer to making history in Chicago

PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
March 2007

Text and Photo by Ted Regencia

Chicago, IL -- A Filipino American community leader moves closer to making history in Chicago.

Naisy Dolar captured 28.3 percent of the votes in the city's 50th ward during the February 27 local elections, forcing the 34-year incumbent Bernard Stone into a run-off on April 17.

"We are a step closer to a whole new ward," declared Dolar to a cheering crowd of supporters on election night. "It's time for a change."

According to local election rules, a candidate needs 50 percent plus one of the total votes cast to be declared the winner. Absent a simple majority, the top two vote-getters will go into a second phase of balloting.

Stone got 48.3 percent of the votes, giving him an advantage in the race. As the 34-year incumbent and the city's vice mayor, he remains tough to beat. Stone, who is turning 80 this years, is also identified as a strong and long-time ally of the powerful Mayor Richard Daley, who just won re-election with an overwhelming majority.

A Dolar campaign insider, however, pointed out that 51.7 percent of the ward's voters did not support Stone's re-election bid, giving Dolar a window of opportunity for a come-from-behind victory. Still it remains an uphill battle.

"We have ignited the voters," said Dolar as she tried to inject optimism in her campaign. "We've got tenacity, we've got guts and fire and we will never give up."

Now, Dolar's task is to make her call for change resonate among the majority of voters in her ward. She also needs to convince the supporters of her two other opponents, David Brewer and Salman Aftab, to return to the polls and switch their allegiance to her. And with her decision to stay positive during the campaign, she may have secured enough goodwill to win their support.

To boost her effort to knock-off Stone, Dolar also needs to raise enough campaign cash.

In her appearance at the 24th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration last March 3, Dolar made that pitch to the largest gathering of Asian Americans in Chicago, while highlighting the need for the Asian Americans to be represented in the City Council.

In all of these, Dolar's grassroots campaign found an ally in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, two major dailies who endorsed her.

"It's rare for a first time candidate to sweep the endorsement of two major newspapers of the third largest city in the US," Dolar said in an exclusive interview. "It sends a strong message that the people believe in me as a new kind of leader. I am honored. It's awesome."

In backing the neophyte candidate the Tribune said, "She has a broad platform for improving her city and her community, and she's an energetic political newcomer. Dolar is endorsed."

The Tribune added that Stone "seems to have lost some of the drive for the job." "His opponents argue it's time for a change, and they're right," it added.

Calling her "energetic", rival publication Sun-Times declared, "The time is right for Naisy Dolar to become the first Asian-American alderman -- and, at 34, the Council's youngest member."

Asked what kind of leadership style she wants to bring to the city council, Dolar said, "I want to have a model ward, where people have a say as to how to better address the issues of the community. I will not be afraid to put the people's interests first."

On the week the endorsements were released, Dolar's leadership potential was already put to a test when a triple-murder case took place in her area, also known as West Rogers Park. A recent Christian refugee from Iran hacked his wife, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law to death.

"When I heard about it, I immediately checked with our [police] commanders," said Dolar, whose husband Ben is a Chicago police officer. "I feel extreme sympathy to the family."

She added the incident highlights "the need to address domestic violence" in her multi-ethnic community. "Many people deal with it, but do not talk about it. It's another example of why there is a need to bring in city resources to my ward to educate people."

Other legislative priorities include business development in her multi-ethnic community, as well as education, health and peace and order.

Obama eyes U.S. presidency

Filipino-Americans warm up to Obama's bid

PINOY Newsmagazine/
Inquirer.net/Philippines News
March 2007

Text and Photos by Ted Regencia

Springfield, IL -- US Senator Barack Obama formally kicked off his bid for president on February 10, preaching his message of hope and transformation to a crowd of 17,000 supporters.

“Let us begin this hard work together. Let us transform this nation,” he told his visibly jubilant audience who braved the near-zero temperature outside the Old State Capitol, just to witness what one observer dubbed “history in the making.”

Obama began his speech by saying, “praise and honor to God,” then he channeled the legacy of former President Abraham Lincoln, who like the senator served in the Illinois state legislature in Springfield before moving on to the White House.

“In the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America,” he declared to the cheering crowd.

Obama, a Democrat, cast himself as the heir of the Republican Lincoln, offering his brand of leadership in a time of war. It was during Lincoln’s presidency when the Civil War broke, followed by the freeing of African-American slaves, an historic event not lost in Obama’s address.

Balance between substance and inspiration
Among the throng of supporters who heard the call to action of the first African-American to run for the U.S. presidency were the young Filipino Americans like Justin Cajindos and Julien Abrea Baburka, both history and political science majors at the nearby University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

“It was a fantastic delivery, and I think that he made the right balance between substance and lofty inspiration,” said Cajindos of Hickory Hills, Illinois. His parents hail from Baguio City and Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya.

Cajindos said he has been “a long-time supporter” of Obama, first when he ran for the US Senate in 2004. In 2005, he worked as an intern in Obama’s office in Washington D.C.

Baburka added: “He comes from the diverse culture and he is also very charismatic, qualities that we are yearning for.” Baburka’s mother is a native of Southern Leyte in the Philippines.

Reporters from various Filipino-American media companies were also present to record the event for the Filipino readers and television viewers across the US. They traveled three hours south from Chicago, joining an estimated 530 other journalists covering the event from the US and around the world.

In Chicago Atty. Vanessa Vergara of the Filipino Civil Rights Advocates said “there isn't a formal, organized Fil-Am effort quite yet.” But Vergara and her lawyer husband have been supporting Obama ever since he was an Illinois state legislator, representing Chicago’s South Side. Last Sunday, February 11, Vergara attended a fundraiser for the senator.

Another Filipino American expected to work for Obama’s election is Atty. Aurora Abella-Austriaco, the first female and minority president of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers’ Association, an organization of more than 1,200 real estate attorneys throughout Illinois.

Obama and Austriaco, who was named one of Today’s Chicago Woman’s “100 Women Making a Difference” in 1997 and 2000, are on first-name basis. Obama personally campaigned for Austriaco when she latter ran, unsuccessfully, for a seat as Maine Township Trustee. Austriaco lives in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, hometown of Obama’s chief rival Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

As old as JFK
At the Springfield announcement, Obama also tried to dispel criticism that he lacks experience, "I know that I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change."

On the most controversial issue of the day, he urged “an end to this war in Iraq.” “I opposed this war from the start. I thought it was a tragic mistake,” he added, proposing to “bring our combat troops home by March of 2008.”

He also proposed a universal health care for all Americans and an end to dependence on foreign oil.

In a speech full of symbolism, he sought a page from former President John F. Kennedy’s playbook, talking about "a new generation” of leadership. Kennedy was Obama’s age when he won the presidency.

“Each and every time, a new generation has risen up and done what's needed to be done. Today we are called once more — and it is time for our generation to answer that call.”

He also made reference to the most prominent figure of the Civil Rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he quoted from the Prophet Amos, “Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said “it’s not a surprise” that Obama delivered an “extraordinary” speech. “He’s the embodiment of the diversity of this country and he has that unique ability to energize people. He has mass appeal,” Madigan said.

Not all are ready to join the movement dubbed by the media as Obama-mania, however. While enjoying a late afternoon lunch at a nearby pizza inn, a World War II veteran who fought in Europe, said he has “mixed feelings” about this candidate.

Earlier as Obama started his speech, a small crowd of anti-abortion protesters carrying signs "Life Yes, Obama No" shouted their disapproval of his candidacy. Volunteers manning the security prevented them from entering the rally grounds that was blocked by railings, but they managed to get the attention of the media.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged African-American woman, who refused to be identified, expressed her concern about his safety. “It would be nice to have an African-American president, but I am afraid that if he will get too far, they will hurt him,” she said, adding that a lot of people feel threatened by Obama’s rise to power.

Close-up on the candidate
Obama, 45, was born in Hawaii. His father was a black from Kenya and his mother, a white from Kansas. As a kid, he lived with his mother, Indonesian step-father, and half-sister in Jakarta before moving back to Hawaii, where he was raised by in white household by his grandparents.

After high school, he studied for two years at Occidental College near Los Angeles, California, before transferring to Columbia University in New York, where he majored in International Affairs.

After graduation, he moved to Chicago and worked as a community organizer in the city's South Side, receiving $13,000 a year. He later graduated from Harvard Law School, where he served as the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review. After law school, he returned to Chicago, where he met his wife Michelle.

In 1996, he ran for the Illinois Senate where he served for four terms. He worked to reform the death penalty system and helped enact new ethics legislation.

In 2000, he challenged another African-American, Congressman Bobby Rush. He lost that election, but later earned Rush’s backing to run for president.

In 2004, Obama launched his Senate campaign, which many political observers thought was not winnable. After clinching the nomination later that year, he delivered the keynote address at the Democratic Party convention, catapulting him to national prominence and his eventual run for president.

Immigration Reform

Filipino Americans join massive immigration rally

PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
June 2006

Text and Photo by Ted Regencia

Chicago, IL -- Despite the chilly weather and a threat of rain, about 40 Filipinos marched through the streets of Chicago on May 1 to show solidarity in the call for immigration reform.
The Filipino and Filipino American marchers, representing organizations such as the Committee on Pilipino Issues, Fellowship of Filipino Migrants (FFM) and Gabriela USA waved Philippine and United States flag, while chanting immigration reform slogans.

By police estimates, 400,000 people, predominantly from Chicago’s Latino population, joined the march.

The Filipino marchers assembled as early as 10 a.m. at Union Park in the city’s Westside, but only started to inch forward at around 12 noon. They finally reached Grant Park, the venue of the rally, at around 4 p.m.

Young FilAms sympathetic to the immigration cause also joined in, individually. Bryce Lusterio of Chicago came, bringing with him a large Philippine flag. Manuel Dinawanao and Arnold Margate, Chicago healthcare workers, originally from Dipolog, a city in northwestern Mindanao also showed up to register their support.

Others who did not join the march went directly to Grant Park. Aquilino “Pong” Javier, president of the National Association of Filipino-American United Methodists, got off early from work in downtown Chicago, to be with the Filipino group. Artist and writer Lani Montreal, who teaches at the City Colleges of Chicago, also came to see the day-long rally.

Immigration reform leaders Meanwhile, two emerging, young Filipino American leaders, Lawrence Benito and Marissa Graciosa of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) were fully engaged in keeping the whole march organized and peaceful. Benito is director of ICIRR’s Newcomer Initiatives, while Graciosa is the organization’s Immigrant Democracy Project coordinator.

While waiting for the arrival of the marchers, which came in waves, speakers led the crowd of a few thousands, in chanting in Spanish: "Si Se Puede" or in English, "It can be done."

Parents came with their children, many of them still in strollers, to witness the event. Teenagers came with their classmates, while office workers joined their colleagues to be at the venue.

Clearly outnumbered, the Filipino and Filipino American marchers made their presence known through the flags and an oversized red and blue banner of the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment. A member of Gabriela USA was garbed in a malong, a multi-functional garment worn by Maranao natives of Mindanao, with a megaphone on-hand.

Conspicuously absent were representatives from major Filipino organizations in Chicago such as the Filipino American Council for Greater Chicago, Philippine Week Committee, Philippine Indepen-dence Week Committee and the Council of Presidents. According to the organizers of the Filipino contingent, they sent invitations to the organizations. None of them showed up.

Among the speakers was Cardinal Francis George of the Chicago Archdiocese. In his blessing to the rallyists, Cardinal George said that the issue is not only about immigration, but also human rights as a whole. He called on political leaders to step up and pass a "comprehensive immigration reform legislation."

The rally ended peacefully at about 6 p.m. with no single incident of police arrest.

Unlike many undocumented Latinos who showed up at the march, Filipino individuals in the same circumstance, who may benefit from the reforms in immigration, also stayed home.

Nerissa Nabua of FFM said, the “next challenge” would be to “reach out” to the acknowledged leaders of these individuals.

As part of that its outreach program, FFM invited a respected Chicago immigration lawyer to talk to a group of out-of-status Filipinos and their supporters, following a community prayer for immigration reform, held May 6, at St. Henry church in Chicago.

Nabua said it is important that Filipinos be more proactive in the immigration reform efforts. But she added, “education and values formation” must also be imparted to them, for them to understand the issue first.

Community organizing In a separate interview, Benito said that he did not see a major backlash against immigration reform following the massive rally. On the contrary, more and more individuals and organizaitons are “finding their voices...and wanting it to be heard.”

“The rally in fact puts us on the frontpage, forcing the political leadership to consider the immigration reform as one of the most pressing issues of the day,” Benito said.

Benito also said that ICIRR will also continue to reach out to Filipino organizations to make them aware of the many benefits immigration reform will bring to their families, including a faster family-reunification process.

ICIRR is now working with the Catholic Campaign to reach out to Filipino organizations particularly in the suburb, the Cook, DuPage and Lake Counties.

Immigration Reform

Filipino groups brace for May 1 immigration rally
Arrest of Pinoy healthcare workers brings anxiety

PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
May 2006

By Ted Regencia

Chicago, IL -- Preparations are in high gear in the Filipino community for the May 1 immigration reform rally, Nerissa Nabua, of the Fellowship of Filipino Migrants (FFM) said.

As this developed, PINOY has learned that dozens of Filipino healthcare workers, were arrested and detained by immigration agents in Wisconsin.

According to a close relative of two of the detainees, the arrests were conducted third week of April, following a tip by a disgruntled individual, who also happens to be a Filipino.

The two arrestees, originally from a city in southern Philippines, were released April 25, after posting a $7,000 bond, raised by relatives and friends in Chicago. The fate of the other arrested Filipinos remain unknown.

The source, who asked not to be identified, described her relatives as being “in-shock” following the arrest and week-long detention.

Time for action
“Harassments" like this, should stir the Filipino community into action, said Nabua of FFM, a founding member of the Alliance of Filipino Americans to Protect Immigrants’ Rights (AFAPIR).

AFAPIR is leading a group of Filipinos to join in the May 1 rally, which organizers hope will attract as many as 500,000 people.

Last April 26, leaders of the group met to finalize their rally preparations. For the event, the AFAPIR delegation will wear uniform shirts and carry United States and Philippine flags, Nabua said. They will also bring whistles and play drums “Sinulog-style” to bring attention to their call for immigration reform.

Nabua is urging Filipino leaders from various organizations in Chicago, to join forces with AFAPIR in demanding for immigration reform.

She also urged individuals to join the rally, even as she conceded that many kababayans may be reluctant to show up and march, for fear of detention. Kababayans (countrymen) like Jun of Skokie, who quit his job as a sailor and jumped ship, to become a caregiver here; or Nesita of Chicago, who traded her job as a high school science teacher in Mindanao, for a healthcare position.

“We are sensitive to their concerns” Nabua said, as she hastened to add that those who can must join.

Close to home
Others like Andy (not his real name), a Niles-based artist, photojournalist, and blogger, is heeding the call of AFAPIR. Andy, from the Visayan-speaking region of the Philippines, is organizing his friends to join in the march.

“It’s time for us to be heard. This rally could be a historic moment,” Andy said.

For Andy and his friends, many of whom are also his townmates , the immigration issue hit close to home, following the arrest of their two townmates mentioned above.

The two were not the original target of the immigration agents, PINOY has learned. However, when the agents, who showed up at the house they co-rented, were unable to find their target, they turned to the two and demanded to see their immigrantion documents. When they could not present them, they were detained.

Report of the arrest spread like wildfire, sending a chilling effect especially among the migrant Filipino community in Chicago. Still, the same community quietly raised funds through personal appeal and “text brigades” to get their townmates out of detention.

Inhumane
Meanwhile, Nabua branded as “un-American, inhumane and un-democratic,” the bill passed by the US House.

The House version of the immigration bill seeks to deport all undocumented immigrants and brand as criminals those who help them.

Nabua and AFAPIR are backing the US Senate version of the originally sponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA).

“It’s a comprehensive bill that gives undocumented immigrants a long-term path to citizenship,” Nabua said. “This is a very progressive bill.”

Solid supporter
Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), is one of the staunchest supporter of the Senate immigration measure.

At a rally, April 1 in Chicago, Durbin, Assistant Minority Leader, urged Congress and President Bush to take a leadership role in the immigration issue.

In a speech to mostly Latino audience, Durbin said he supports “fair and tough immigration laws” while recalling the immigrant experience of his parents, who left Eastern Europe to come to America.

Durbin, recently cited by TIME Magazine as an outstanding lawmaker, said that he opposes amnesty for undocumented immigrants, but “believes people who work hard, contribute to our economy should have the opportunity to earn legal status.” Immigration laws, he said, should not “unfairly target our immigrant population.”

DREAM Act
During the same event, Durbin was honored by high school, college, and graduate students for his support of the DREAM Act, which allow states to provide in-state college tuition to undocumented students who grew up in the US, and would also provide a path for students to earn legal permanent residency.

One of the stories highlighted in the rally is that of Diana Mora, a top student, born in Mexico but was raised in Chicago. Diana graduated from a Chicago area high school with a GPA of 4.4. Although she was accepted to Northwestern University, she was denied access to financial aid, due to her immigration status.

There are also young and bright Filipino students in Chicago, who are facing the same ordeal, said Lawrence Benito, director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said. Benito, a Filipino American said that none of them wanted to tell their story to the public because “they are afraid.”

Flight 541 air mishap in the Philippines

Chicago court to hear Air Philippines lawsuit
PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
April 2006

By Ted Regencia

CHICAGO, IL — Family members of the victims of Air Philippines Flight 541 disaster, cleared a legal hurdle after a Chicago appeals court recently allowed their lawsuit to be heard through the courts here.

The First District Illinois Appellate Court affirmed Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kathy A. Flanagan’s earlier ruling, that the case against Illinois-based AAR Aircraft & Engine Group, which leased the ill-fated Boeing 737-200 to Air Philippines, must be tried in Illinois.

In connection with this development, PINOY Newsmagazine has learned that North Cotabato Manny Piñol, who lost three of his relatives in the accident, is arriving in Chicago on April 20 to personally meet with the legal team handling the case.

While in Chicago, Gov. Piñol will also appear in court and secure from Judge Flanagan a letter formally requesting the Philippine government to release the flight data recorder of the plane, which is a crucial piece of evidence of the accident.

Meanwhile, in a statement, lawyer Donald J. Nolan said: “We are now moving forward with the fight for justice for the victims of this tragic crash.” Nolan, a personal injury and wrongful death
litigator, is representing the families of 54 of the victims. He did not mention any amount of monetary compensation being sought by the families.

Flight 541, from Manila to Davao, crashed into a hill near Davao City on April 19, 2000, killing all 131 passengers and crew, including Gov. Piñol's sister-in-law, a niece and a nephew.

Nolan asserts that AAR should be held liable for the crash, for “carelessly leasing a defective plane way past its prime” to Air Philippines. “As a result over a hundred people died a horrible death.”

Nolan also said he “strongly believes” that the case should be tried in Illinois, because the defendants are based here.

AAR bought the 20-year old Boeing 737 aircraft in 1998, from Southwest Airlines. In 1999, AAR leased the plane to Air Philippines. AAR then sold it to another Illinois-based company, Fleet Business Credit’s Capital Leasing division, who then held the lease responsibilities. Fleet is named co-defendant.

PINOY contacted Chris Mason, a spokesman of AAR but he refused to comment saying, “It is the company’s policy not to comment on an on-going litigation.” Mason then referred this reporter to defense counsel, Gary Westerberg of Lord Bissel and Brook LLP. Westerberg, however, did not return the call.

Earlier, the defendants asked Judge Flanagan to transfer the hearing of the case to a court in the Philippines for convenience. Flanagan rejected their argument, leading the defendants to appeal the ruling.

However, the Appellate Court rejected the defendant’s motion, saying, it can only overrule Flanagan’s decision if it is proven that she “abused” her discretion.

The lawsuit further claims that the aircraft was delivered to Air Philippines without key records on safety and maintenance. It also accuses Air Philippines of hiring unqualified flight crews.

Nolan also claimed that the crash probe was halted “when the aircraft wreckage was buried and concrete poured over it shortly after the tragedy.” He said it should have been AAR’s responsibility to preserve all pieces of the aircraft wreckage.