No, there is no truth to the rumor that the Philippine embassy has not yet finished counting the votes for the May 14 election in the US. An embassy mole says the Philippine government spent more dollars than the number of votes the consul generals in the US brought with them to the embassy for canvassing. He adds there is their truth to some tsismis that there were flying voters among the embassy staffers. Most of the votes received by the embassy, according to this mole, came from the Guantanamo terrorist prison in Cuba. No, the some 60 Filipinos who voted by mail are not inmates of the prison. They are only construction workers.

There is also no truth to reports that some unqualified observers were present during the counting, questioning each and every vote. So momentous was the DC results that there was full media coverage. Rodney J. Jaleco, contributing editor of the Manila Mail and ABS-CBN in Manila wrote about it (see elsewhere in this issue.) Tsismoso’s top agent-mole in the embassy reports that “Ambassador Willy C. Gaa was reluctant to pose for a picture voting. He also refused to say whom he voted for, but suspicion is that he voted for some GO (Genuine Opposition) candidates because the initial G is similar to the first letter of his family name.”

***
Guarding their votes so that no one could see whom they voted for were members of the defense attache’s office, according to embassy insiders. Reason: Some of them have reportedly voted for Honasan and Trillanes! There were also ballots that were invalidated because the instructions were so confusing, they said. Next time it was suggested that the Comelec issue instructions in Tagalog, Ilocano, Visayan, Ibanag, Itawis, Waray, Ilongo, Chavacano and Moro.

The funniest rumor is that an embassy staffer had the temerity to question the qualification of Agriculture Attache Vic Leviste to vote. This staffer, not Sonny Manghinang, reportedly said Vic is no longer a Filipino citizen because he has been in the US longer than his 30-year-old daughter. Asked what nationality Vic now has, the staffer, with a wink, said, “he is probably an American from the Philippines.”

***
Happy Independence and-Philippine Festival Month to all my loyal followers. It’s fiesta time in the Washington metropolitan area.

***
Congratulations to TOFA (pronounced as TU-FA) awardees recently announced by Nonoy Mendoza’s Filam Image. Among those known in the Washington D.C. area is Ambassador Albert del Rosario. Other nominees from the area have not yet confirmed their acceptance of the award,

***
My comments about Filipinos not helping other Filipinos has elicited a lot of comments from my constituents. “Totoo iyan! Tama ka! Ituloy mo ang mga expose’ tungkol sa masamang ugali natin! Ang daming crabs talaga sa community!”
These were among the comments Tsismoso got by word-of-mouth or through my email tsismoso@yahoo.com since I mentioned how some so-called snooty leaders have reacted to the call by Vellie for support. One email read: “I thought we have already discarded the bad traits when we left home and settled down in America. Hinde, pala. Buhay pa pala ang mga talangka, ang mga alimango! I hope the young generation will be able to redeem our race! Nakakahiya!’

One political leader has hinted to Tsismoso that she will come out with a long commentary about the lack of enthusiasm among Filipino Americans toward participating in political activities. She says that unlike the Koreans, Japanese and Chinese who are actively involved in political activities, Filipinos avoid such gatherings like the plague. “Ang gusto lang nila ay party ditto, party doon, sayawan ditto, sayawan doon.” This political activist says there were many, many times that she invited Filipinos to join non-partisan Asian American group meetings in Maryland and Virginia. Almost 100 percent, ang sagot sa akin ay ‘may compromiso ako’ or’hinde ako puede, birthday ni tatay’ and other outlandish reasons. And some of those who say they will be present never appear. They don’t even call to say they will not be coming."

***
One Tsismoso follower writes why many Filipinos now do not like to do business with their kababayans. A computer expert says: “Because of my sad experiences in the past, I would rather deal with other Asians or Americans when doing business. Some Pinoys are not only balasubas; they often delay or refuse to pay for my services. Not only that, they even go to the extent of destroying my name and my business!” One printer whom the Manila Mail wanted to deal with had told a litany of experiences he got from many Filipino clients. A Filipino American real estate agent vows never to deal with Pinoys. “I would rather deal with Hispanics and others. ”Maraming doblecara, walang palabra de honor," she said, adding, “After obtaining information from me about our rates and assuring me that they will give me the business, they give it to others!” “Never again,” complains a TNT who was assured by a lawyer that she would get a green card. It turned out that from the beginning she was not qualified to receive one.

My followers, don’t think that Tsismoso always thinks negatively about the behavior of some Filipinos. The cases cited above may mostly be an aberration rather than the rule. There are many redeeming factors about Filipinos in America. Many who experienced something good rarely talks about it lest their kabayans think he or she is ‘mayabang.’

***
One Filipino American who says he cares about the Filipino image in America is preparing some exposes about what he calls some shenanigans allegedly committed by his kababayans. Like Don Quixote, he says he is doing this to warn the community before they explode and cast a shadow over the entire community. He says there are so-called religious and socio-civic groups that have applied for tax exemption to raise funds or to obtain visas as religious workers. Others have noted recent reports about Filipino CPAs in Illinois, California, New Jersey and elsewhere who have been convicted or are being tried for alleged cheating on tax returns.