We Are Made Of Sterner Stuff

Perhaps, it would serve us all well if I let in these undesirables into our world of truth and reality. For these are the verities they should be partaking of and have a ball in the process. Inside the PinoyWatchDog.com, we have a set-up called “organization”, and the most maligned member of the staff, the subject of their wrath, Atty. Joel Bander, comes almost always in the crosshairs, because he is perceived to be the owner of the paper, and the rest of us–Rene Villaroman (Managing Editor), Diony Grava (Chief of Reporters) Larry Pelayo (Editorial Ombudsman) and myself (Executive Editor) are nothing but lapdogs of Atty. Bander. I happen to be the head of the organization, being the President of the publishing corporation (Tanod Bayan, Inc.) and I set the policies and administer the day to day affairs of the paper. Mr. Villaroman is in charge of the editorial operations, and Mr. Grava and Atty. Bander comprise the investigative team that ferrets out the news. Mr. Pelayo is charged with the quality control of the articles. Atty. Bander (Senior Columnist and Reporter) finances the printing of the paper. Until such time as the paper is financially viable, only then could he recoup his investments. Larry and I do not receive any salary or allowance in the meantime. Rene and Diony receive allowances. Contributed articles are paid in accordance with their importance and newsworthiness. By the way, Atty. Bander does not and cannot dictate what we write. We all agreed that we respect each other’s independence of mind.

Now, let’s take a look at the kind of manure being hurled at us, and in particular at Atty. Joel Bander. By now, people would be distancing themselves from us, considering we would be stinking all over the place. We know when we have the support of the community, and we know that Rotary International of Historic Filipinotown, Lions International, Order of the Knights of Rizal, Media and Business Club of Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce, SIPA and countless hometown associations, approve of our mission to let truth be known by our kababayans. See if our readers approve of these two posts by purported supporters of the shadowy creature called Diego Silang IV: 1.” PinoyWatchDog.com should change its name to PinoyLapDog.com. This is because its staff is composed of shameful and shameless Filipinos eager to do the bidding of its Caucasian colonial master, Joel Bander. Where is their moral integrity and intellectual honesty? The Filipino staff receive salaries from Joel Bander, which he earned by defrauding the Pinoy community, but where is the outrage? Why do this lapdog Pinoy staffmembers tolerate this from Joel Bander?” 2.”Mr. Grava anong masabi mo nito. I’m just not making up stories here, pomirma yong Boss mo. If your Boss is a scammer, you expect everyone to believe that PinoyWatchDog and associates is a clean dog. Sir, show me some proof that State Bar of California is only joking. Paano maniwala ang public sa inyo na hindi kayo kasangkot dito. Ang pera ng mga tao ang ginamit ni Bander para pasahuran ang empleyado ng PinoyWatchDog. Sagutin mo ito! Ang mga taong ito who associate with Joel Bander indirectly mga scammer din. Kong mayroon kayong mas mabigat pa ditong evidence, let the public knows.”

And so we will get the public be informed, as this is part of our mission, and to always keep things transparent and always at close scrutiny. For the eyes of our shadowy creatures: there is no court record that Atty. Joel Bander had been convicted in a criminal or civil case regarding “defrauding the Filipino community” Nor had there been any charges of Fraud, criminal or civil, filed in court against Atty. Joel Bander. It is true, however, that the California State Bar penalized Atty. Bander for failure to account in a proper manner, that as a result, his license to practice was suspended for three months. Nowhere in the State Bar of California decision mentioned that he “scammed, duped and defrauded” members of the Filipino community. What we are dealing with here, with this extraordinary impertinence, is blind fury. We ask these poor creatures to put up or shut up.

People must know that a good deed is always rewarded by a grateful community. Atty. Joel Bander, as of this moment, though he does not belong to our race, is receiving accolade and invitations to speak before a Filipino audience who approves of his journalistic fete of factual reporting, though with the collaboration of our veteran reporter Diony Grava. The Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown has invited him to be their guest speaker on this Thursday, requested to speak of his past and fruitful relations with the Filipino Veterans of WW II. The Order of the Knights of Rizal, Los Angeles Chapter, has extended him an open invitation to join the Order, and to be sponsored by the Chapter Commander, himself-Sir Henry von Seyfried. These are real and prestigious organizations, with real and prestigious members, who know how to give credit where it is due.

If only these shadowy creatures will suddenly develop bones and step out to the open, we will show them that the people of PinoyWatchDog.com are made of sterner stuff. We will provide them with all the civility in the books. If they persist, we would like them to know that their patroness, Mrs. Dolores Banaria Umayam, is now facing libel charges in court as of August 13, 2012, docketed as case no. BC490083. We are also in the process of filing theft charges against a  female and male suspects for stealing copies of PinoyWatchDog.com. The male happens to be a member of PPP-USA, co-sponsor of the failed ‘100 OFAUS,’ whose members are known to be docile water carriers of Darna. The press photographer boastfully admitted that he is one of those stealing the paper. The female thief was identified by six witnesses and the photographer was fingered by people from his own group. These days, you cannot afford to be too trustful of the people around you. But know this–only truth can seek you out.