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Filipinos have generally accepted the Sandiganbayan’s conviction of ousted President Joseph “Erap” Estrada for plunder.

Now, the question people are asking is, after Erap, who? They want to know if it is possible for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to pursue cases against her own top officials who have been linked to graft and corruption and other serious graft charges in Senate investigations? It will be recalled that Estrada was formally charged after he was deposed by the second People Power revolution that grew out of a Senate investigation into his involvement in several anomalous transactions.

Jose Ma. Sison, Communist Party of the Philippines founder living in exile in the Netherlands since 1987, has been arrested by Dutch authorities in Utrecht Aug. 27 allegedly because he issued the orders to murder his political associates, Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara, in the Philippine several years ago. Reports are that the arrest was based on the filing of murder charges against him by Philippine authorities.

"The communist leader was suspected of giving orders, from the Netherlands, to murder his former political associates in the Philippines, Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara," the Dutch national prosecutor's office said in a statement quoted in an Agence France-Presse report.

Fewer Filipinos were hired abroad in the first four months of the year, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported.

Preliminary POEA data showed that from January to April, a total of 395,164 Filipino workers were deployed to various countries overseas.

The Hyatt 10 Cabinet secretaries and two bureau directors who resigned last year are no longer united in their opposition to the government, a Palace official said. This came after one of the Hyatt 10 members, former Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin, accepted an appointment to the board of Petron Corp., which is 40 percent owned by the government. But Boncodin said later she was still with the Hyatt 10 and that she still wants Arroyo out. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told the same forum that his prediction months ago that the Hyatt 10 would break up was coming true. In June, another Hyatt 10 member, former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rene Villa, joined the business delegation that accompanied the President to her state visit to Spain.

When Ambassador Willy C. Gaa, newly-appointed charge d’affaires and deputy chief of mission, landed in Washington D.C. and addressed his staff in the Philippine embassy July 26, he compared himself to a “marathon (long distance) runner carrying the torch” until his term ends or he is replaced. Well, the marathon runner has become a short distance runner.

In the space of less than two weeks, he became the new ambassador to the United States. “Ang lakas, ano,” quips an embassy Tsismoso. When Willy quietly arrived in town, there was not much fanfare or ceremonials. This is probably indicative of his low-key approach to diplomacy. But let no one mistake this for weakness, according to some tsismosos in the embassy. “ Ambassador wields a powerful bludgeon and is highly respected in the Department of Foreign Affairs because of his intelligence and honesty.

And he has the full support of President you know who and Max Soliven of the Philippine Star who first wrote about the firing of Del Rosario.” Meanwhile, some embassy rats say Max hated Del Rosario because he opposed his participation in the reception hosted by President Bush in the White House for President Arroyo during her visit to Washington D.C. two years ago.

WASHINGTON D.C. - The group of doctors who have urged Dr. Victor Lorica to resign as president of the Philippine Medical Association of Metropolitan Washington D.C. for violation of the association’s constitution said they are still waiting for a reply to the charges they have raised in the open letter they circulated July 24.

To commemorate 100 years of Filipino immigration to the United States, Hawaii was chosen as this year's site for the 4th Global Filipino Networking Convention and the 7th NaFFAA Empowerment Conference, from September 28 thru October 1. A highlight of this gathering, which is expected to draw hundreds of delegates from all over the world, is the premiere screening of 'Sandaan' (One Hundred), a one‑hour high definition documentary that explores the Filipino American story. Written and produced by noted filmmaker Sonny Izon, it recounts the challenges faced by Filipino immigrants and the impact they made in shaping American life.

The Balik Scientist Program (BSP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is still accepting applications under the short-term category for CY 2006. The Balik Scientist Program aims to accelerate the scientific, agro-industrial and economic development of the Philippines by inviting experts in the fields of science and technology who are Filipinos, or foreigners of Filipino descent, to share their expertise in the Philippines.

SPRINGFIELD, Virginia - Boots Anson Roa thanked the area Filipino community profusely for raising $1,800 at an event benefitting the Philippines Movie Welfare Fund (MOWELFUND). "Organizers joined forces with Manila Cafe in Springfield, Virginia July 30 for the fund raiser".

Thank you very much to those who came here, and those who couldn’t be here but sent checks for Mowelfund, she said. Boots is Mowelfund’s executive director. She also held fund raisers in San Francisco and New York, where Nora Aunor helped with her incredible star power, talagang malakas pa rin sa tao.

MANILA – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is raising its forecast for overseas Filipino workers’ remittances to 11 percent or $12 billion by the end 2006.

The previous projection was a growth of ten percent over last year’s actual of $10.7 billion. The BSP expects both exports and OFW inflows to be stronger than expected this year. Export growth was likewise raised to 10 percent from 8. In nominal terms this is $44 billion.

Grace Talusan’s short story, “Japanese Times,” was judged First Prize in The Ivy Terasaka Short Story Competition sponsored by Our Own Voice, a literary journal on the Internet. The story, which is based on her uncle’s childhood experience during World War II, will appear online in the July - August issue at http://www.ourownvoice.com. Second Prize went to Theresa Jaranilla of Los Angeles for her short story, “Uncle Alan.” Two stories were selected for Third Prize: “Tea of Daydreaming” by Criselda Yabes of Paris, France and “Cousin Bino” by Amalia Bueno of Waipahu, Hawaii.

A funny thing happened when I woke up this morning.  I had the strongest craving for hot 'pandesal' and 'Tome' Spanish sardines.  I took a quick shower and drove around the streets of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania knowing quite well that the nearest Filipino joint was either in Philadelphia or New Jersey and; depending on which place I chose to get the “pandesal,” the venture would consume anywhere between one to two hours.  I was not in the mood for traveling this early Sunday morning, so I settled for a plain bagel, cream cheese, and a black Grande.

For whatever reason the parents of Jocelyn Bolante named their son with a feminine-sounding name, it probably made Jocelyn the butt of jokes when he was growing up.  However, his nickname-'Joc-Joc' gave him a more macho-sounding personality. But with his recent problems with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), his moniker has taken a different meaning-a 'joke joke' or plainly speaking, a double loser.