FROM THE PUBLISHER
			EDUARDO LEE

Can a black man become the next US President, or Canadian PM?

February 28, 2008, 07:20:26 PM

The meteoric rise of Barack Obama raises two intriguing questions for Americans and Canadians alike. The first question, “Can a black man become President of the U.S.?” is so easy to answer so let’s tackle this one first. Yes, Obama can make his run at history by being the first black U.S. President. Definitely! From his very first moment in the national spotlight –

his first keynote speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 – Barack Obama has attached himself to the notion of “audacity of hope,” a phrase he borrowed from his minister as the title of his second best-selling book.

And it’s certainly audacious for a U.S. Senator with a mere two years of service, of mixed-race parentage and with Hussein as his middle name, to run for President of the U.S., challenging the best-known and best-financed politicians, Hillary Clinton.

The whoosh of his candidacy, in the polls and in the amounts of money raised, has been audacious as well.

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Distractions prelude to emergency rule like Pakistan?

November 22, 2007, 06:08:32 AM

After the Mulroney-Schreiber-Harper cash gift affair has been deemed partially resolved through an ethics inquiry, scandalous affairs have been brewing in the Philippines. It began with Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio's expose of "cash gifts" to local government officials after a meeting in Malacañang. The nation was outraged by this blatant bribery attempt. Because it happened in the Palace, Filipinos could only surmise that whoever resided there had at least an inkling of what transpired.

Before this latest government corruption scandal even reached Senate inquiry level another bomb exploded - an actual blast in a crowded mall that left 11 dead and more than a hundred injured. Speculations suggested that the blast, purportedly an accident if the government investigators were to be believed, was mere distraction. Sen. Tony Trillanes was quick to react that the government was behind it.

Now that the country’s focus was divided on these two fronts, the government could only wish for more coverage on the blast than the bribery. And then, there was more.

Without even any facsimile of a closure with regards to the Glorietta blast, another “bomba” explodes - the executive clemency of deposed president Erap Estrada.

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Belmonte a dark horse in the 2010 presidential race?

October 23, 2007, 02:08:24 AM

The current tenant of Malacañang has still three years to go before she officially vacates the Palace, but the inner political circles are already ripe with speculations about who’s gonna be the next tenant. A guessing game, actually. Names being bandied around

as 2010 presidential contenders are Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas, Richard Gordon,Manuel Villar, Ping Lacson, and Chiz Escudero. All senators, all heavyweights, all with solid political base. But out of the blue, another persona came into the league of presidentiables. His name: SONNY BELMONTE.

I must confess I hardly know him, other than the fact that he ran uncontested in the May national elections and was re-elected Mayor of Quezon City for his third and last term. So I was naturally intrigued about meeting the hizzoner everybody was talking about.

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While the army fights the Abu Sayyafs, Gordon makes ‘fruit offensive’ in Sulu

September 26, 2007, 08:39:35 PM

I first heard of Senator Richard Gordon’s “Fruits of Hope” program when I was in Cebu City last month attending an international tourism convention. Dick’s project started as an image of fruits falling off trees in Sulu farm lands and lying on the ground for days and months on end until they rot.

“What a waste!” Dick exclaimed. And it’s all because the military and the Abu Sayyafs’ stronghold in Sulu are choking each other’s throat in an endless war that puts Sulu

food processing and distribution to a virtual halt. The fruit growers and pickers are too afraid to venture out and be caught in cross fires between the soldiers and the Muslim extremists.

It’s a great waste, really, considering that Sulu farms produce the best fruits in Mindanao and its waters yield the best tasting lobsters and other marine products in the country.

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My Canada includes all of its provinces plus Mississauga

August 23, 2007, 11:16:58 PM

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

1.Vancouver: 1.5 million people and two bridges. You do the math.
2.Your $400,000 Vancouver home is just 5 hours from downtown.
3.You can throw a rock and hit three Starbucks locations.
4.There's always some sort of deforestation protest going on.
5. Weed

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Imelda’s beauty secret finally revealed

July 24, 2007, 11:43:54 PM

FLAMBOYANT former First Lady Imelda Marcos, known for her extensive shoe collection and eye-popping diamond jewelry, said she has no beauty secrets except to see beauty in everything, even garbage.

“I do all the wrong things – I eat too much, I don’t exercise, I don’t sleep, but I always imbibe myself with everything that’s beautiful,” said Marcos, who turned 78 this month. “I see God everywhere and I see beauty in everything, even garbage.”

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For immigrants waiting for credentials accreditation, help is on the way

June 25, 2007, 07:20:26 AM

The Harper Tory government has remained silent on the topic since arriving in office more than a year ago, but finally it has given an indication of their plans to improve the recognition of foreign credentials.

Last May, federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley announced the first phase of the Conservatives’ new Foreign Credentials Referral Office. The new office will help people navigate the complex system of foreign credential recognition in Canada by providing:

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It’s all over but the shouting

May 25, 2007, 07:16:22 PM

I got my press credential a day before I left for Manila to cover the May 14 mid-term elections. The credential came in the form of “Accredited Foreign Media” issued by the Commission on Election (Comelec). I got mine easy unlike the foreign observers who had to go through the strict routine. It’s because I never gave up my Filipino citizenship despite living in Canada for over 30 years, and besides I went home for the sole purpose of helping my friends in their campaign for various positions in the local elections.

These are Jimmy Borres ’63, who was running for councilor in Quezon City and Vicente Quintana ’54 for councilor in Los Banos; Neil Nocon ’87 and Christian Ablan ‘2000 for for provincial board seats in Laguna and Ilocos Norte, respectively; Roque Ablan Jr. ’50 Ilocos Norte, Eduardo Zialcita ’68 (Paranaque), Jesus Crispin Remulla ’79 (Cavite), Martin Romualdez ’85 (Leyte), Roman Romulo ’86 (Pasig), Arnie Fuentebella ’94 (Camarines Sur), Gilbert Remulla ’89 (Cavite) – all for congressional seats in their respective districts, Vic Yap ‘84 for governor of Tarlac and Emilio Espinosa ‘47 for governor of Masbate; Dante Francis Ang II for party-list representative of Ahon Pinoy and Ruben Villareal for party-list rep of Agham.

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Stop sex trafficking of Filipino women and children

April 24, 2007, 07:53:47 PM

The Philippine Women Centre of Ontario will be hosting "Field", a performance by Alvin Erasga Tolentino, a highly-acclaimed Filipino-Canadian choreographer and contemporary dance artist to raise awareness of the Purple Rose Campaign (PRC), an international campaign to stop the sex trafficking of Filipino women and children.

The PRC has been launched in Canada, the United States, Australia, various countries in Europe and Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and the Philippines. In addition, Ninotchka Rosca, international spokesperson for the Purple Rose Campaign, writer and winner of the American Book Award, will be present for a post performance panel discussion on the issues of sex trafficking.

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Are US Democrats or Canada Liberals nicer to Pinoys?

March 25, 2007, 11:09:49 PM

There’s a notion prevailing among many Filipinos that US Democrats and Canada’s Liberals are kinder to us than the Republicans or Conservatives.

The recent rise in the political fortunes of Democrats who gained control of the US Congress has stirred gleeful expectations among some Filipinos. If a Democrat president replaces George Bush in the next election, the Philippines will have a friend at the White House, so the wish goes. If Liberal Stephane Dion wins over Conservative Stephen Harper in the 2007 election, the Philippines will have a friend at Parliament Hill, as the notion goes.

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