~ It’s doubtful if the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto pursues foreign policy by actively partnering with rogues in the Filipino community. But it does in at least two instances. The latest is its participation in a community event sometime this week organized and led by a thief. The activity purports as a festival of sorts. The name… Read More »
~ The realization of the truth seems to be sinking in now. One indication is the commentary by an agitated blogger who took a swipe at the wife of an official for promoting herself to feed a craving for public attention. Her husband is spared even as he is equally guilty of parading himself, the spouse and their… Read More »
~ The fancy celebrations, the posh parties, the preposterous claims to fame – they all come together to lull Toronto’s Filipino community into a world of make-believe. One such event has winded up a bash with no president in attendance, and another is coming up with a promise to save millions worldwide. Toronto’s 200,000-strong community members must be… Read More »
~ The unfolding summer activities in Toronto would surely give way to the most ostentatious claims again. Numbers would be inflated like soaring balloons. It’s the season of the superlative events. No longer would it be a surprise to see one bash after another being labeled as “the most glamourous . . . “, “the greatest . .… Read More »
“In thy foul throat thou liest.” ― William Shakespeare, Richard III LONDON, England – Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, “Noynoy” to the Filipino masses, appeared to have sneaked out of Manila, flew across the Pacific Ocean, soared over the United States and landed in Toronto, Canada. The trip by commercial airlines spanning two continents normally take 16… Read More »
~ The fun and funny moments in Toronto’s Filipino community will roll soon as peacocks in human form take center stage in a grand celebration of anything and everything. It’s “halo-halo” and “chopsuey” put together in a fiesta combination recipe prepared and cooked to near-perfection by peacocks and fundraisers to bleed the pockets of the community. The arty-farty… Read More »
~ A feel of history – that’s how I view this day-long visit to the seaside resort city of Brighton, a relaxing one-and-a-hour train ride from London. The beach wasn’t far from the station. As soon as I took sight of the sea – the English Channel – my mind wandered to the time nearly 70 years ago… Read More »
~ The grand illusion comes out nice and clear with no less than a mutual admiration club lending its name to what amounts to pulling the wool over our eyes. If a recent announcement in Facebook by this fundraiser is given merit, the local media association has grown bigger that it has ever been. From a small community in… Read More »
She sobbed standing while her husband, his mouth and nose covered with sanitary mask, sat in silence, head bowed, as she expressed remorse for bilking at least 16 people – all from the Philippines who worked as caregivers – of their monies totalling nearly half-a-million dollars. The judge then sentenced the “pathological gambler” Rowena Villanueva 18 months in prison for… Read More »
TORONTO – A judge on Tuesday sentenced Rowena Villanueva, a 49-year-old “pathological gambler,” to 18 months in prison for defrauding at least 16 people the magistrate called “unsophisticated and of modest means” of close to half-a-million dollars in an investment scam. Villanueva stood weeping before Provincial Court Justice Ford Clements and offered to kneel before her victims in a dramatic display of… Read More »