An email obtained by PWD details Umayam’s order to trash copies of PinoyWatchDog.com
By PWD Investigative Team
Darna Umayam, the beleaguered chairperson of Philippine Children’s Charities, Inc. (PCCI) and organizer of the much-maligned 100 Outstanding Filipino Americans in the USA (100 OFAUSA), has ordered members of the Press Photographers of the Philippines-USA (PPP-USA) to steal copies of PinoyWatchDog.com newspapers on June 21 in anticipation of PWD’s publication of irregularities related to the conduct of the 100 OFAUSA dinner event held in July. Some officers and members of PPP-USA have long been perceived by PWD as avowed sympathizers of Ms. Umayam’s.
This revelation surfaced last week when PWD finally was able to obtain the e-mail dated June 21, 2012, which Ms. Umayan sent to officers of PPP-USA, which stated, Dear fellow PPP-USA:
I have emailed all awardees, because PinoyWatchDog is writing an article about the event, They asked me several questions and I answered them. Dionisio Grava is writing it. I warned Grava just to write on positive note. …
Just watch for the article to come out. If there is something negative, we collect newspaper and throw it in garbage. Let us help each other and do it.
This email was forwarded to then active members of the PPP, some of whose members have long been suspected by the PinoyWatchDog.com investigative team of also being active in the theft of the newspapers. Among those directed by Umayam to steal the newspapers and throw them away were long term Umayam supporters, including Vilma Hernandez, Irwin and Nita Jazmines, Bobby Crisostomo, Bobby Saddul, Sid Guerrero, Ding Carreon and Anthony Castillo. PWD received numerous reports of Crisostomo boasting of stealing the newspapers, as well as reports that Hernandez, Jazmines and Anthony Castillo were involved in the internet smear campaign against PWD after the exposes first appeared.
All of these PPP members were sent emails from the PWD Investigative Team seeking comment on their roles in stealing PWD newspapers. However, none of them have responded to these emails.
In PinoyWatchDog.com’s September 8, 2012, print edition numerous witnesses discussed personally observing Umayam stealing the newspapers. See http://www.pinoywatchdog.com/darna-umayam-caught-stealing/. While that article discussed that the PWD Investigative Team had seen the email, it had not, until recently, actually obtained a copy of the email that is now being shared with our readers.
On July 22, 2012, Umayam sent an email to PWD Sr. Columnist Joel Bander stating “I will not make an appeal to the community to stop stealing your Pinoywatchdog. I was about to do it to put a stop on all this. But you still continue to hit me below the belt. I will just do what I think is right.” In that same email exchange, Umayam stated “I won’t stop at nothing. The war has just begun.” See related story at http://www.pinoywatchdog.com/anti-semitic-rants-and-support-for-newspaper-thievery-from-darna-umayam/
Bander said that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has assigned two detectives to investigate further, and that he is contact with them. California Penal Code Section 490.7 makes it a crime to take more than 25 free newspapers if the purpose is to deprive others the opportunity to read or enjoy the newspaper. “Admittedly,” Bander said, “there are worse crimes out there, so we will be patient while the LAPD moves ahead with its investigation.”
Previous PWD investigations of Umayam revealed that she even stole the 501(c) (3) charity, Philippine Children’s Charities, from the Philippine Consulate’s 2009 Kalayaan Organizing Committee. http://www.pinoywatchdog.com/umayam-hijacked-pcci-non-profit-from-independence-day-committee/ There are also reports that Umayam has issued a financial statement to some of her ‘awardees’ but preliminary, unsubstantiated reports indicate bloated expenses. However, at press time PWD does not have a copy of this report.
“This email well demonstrates Umayam’s criminal mind” PWD Executive Editor Al Aquino said. “How can a community leader put in writing to steal a community paper because the articles are not positive about them? And the PPP, why didn’t those characters speak up when she announced her theft plans?”
Posted by PWD
on January 4, 2013. Filed under IN THE NEWS.
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