The question now is: What will happen to DCM (deputy chief of mission) Evan “The Sphinx” Garcia? (He is called the Sphinx because he rarely, if ever, returns phone calls from the community.) Some tsismosos think his wife, Minister Jocelyn Garcia, who is his commander in chief and is now in Manila, will have him recalled in the interest of family unity.

No, there is no truth to reports that the Filipino American community will elect outgoing Ambassador Albert del Rosario honorary president of an anti-Arroyo federation in the United States. Attempts to make him criticize the occupant in Malacanang have failed. His standard reply is “we have to move on.”.

So intense is the adulation for the ambassador that the dictionary is running out of adjectives to describe him and his achievements. He has been lauded, extolled, exalted, praised, idolized and treated like a movie star by the community. Starting early this month, the ambassador has been lavished with gifts, messages and despedida dinners, luncheons, breakfast and meriendas around the US. Besides the despedidas given by the Filipino American communities in San Francisco, New York and Washington D.C., the ambassador also had to call on top members of Congress, the Pentagon, the State Department and other US government agencies .to bid goodbye.

But in the Philippine embassy, the cliques are alive and well. Majority of the officials and staffers are said to be ready to stage a revolt in protest of the ambassador’s recall. Some are said to be sad and grieving over the envoy’s impending departure. But not all. Some rebel officials, who are being dubbed as Abu Sayyafs, have reportedly said it was “good riddance” for an envoy who is a “slave driver.” The white façade of the Philippine embassy hides the rivalries and heavy infightings that have occurred or are still occurring inside.

During the community despedida at the JW Marriott July 7, many of those present were in tears. Some were even enticing the ambassador to “defect” but the envoy stuck to his call “to move on.” He kept on appealing to Filipino Americans to help the Philippines and the Filipino people. Note: there was no mention of helping Arroyo, the “bullilit” President in Malacanang.

Now, people are asking if all the projects that the ambassador had launched will all die a natural death. Among them is the Ambassador’s tour of the Philippines this month. Many of the participants are said to have withdrawn their participation in protest.

But the ambassador, according to sources, appealed to them not to withdraw, adding that he will try to be present when they call on the President in Malacanang – if he is invited by President ‘bullilit.”. Some participants are said to be moving for the scrapping of the call in Malacanang in protest.

Then there is the ambassador’s project to hold frequent Open Houses for real estate developers from the Philippines who are trying to sell condoms¼oops, condominiums in Metro Manila.

@9PTCA = ***

The bad side of the Filipino character is once again being displayed in Prince Georges county. In the 26^th district of Maryland, a Filipina American has reportedly thrown her “saya” into the election dance floor after Kris Valderrama Lobo, daughter of former Maryland assembly delegate Dave Valderrama, announced her candidacy June 13. The Democratic primary is slated to be held in September and whoever wins the primary will surely become the delegate to the Maryland assembly. Tsismoso is still trying to obtain the full name of Kris’ opponent. All he knows at this stage is that she is married to an American and has the support of the Novo Ecijanos in Maryland. No, there is no truth to the rumor that Dave is also trying to woo the Laguna .organizations to support Kris. Kris, who hosts a TV program in Maryland, already has the full endorsements of former Gov. Parris Glendening, MD Senate President Mike Miller and PG County Executive Jack Johnson. Ranged against them are some six or seven black candidates.

Warning: If the two will stick to their positions, it will surely divide the Filipino American community. It will become reminiscent of the Valderrama-Nap Lechoco encounter. If the two will not reach a compromise by early next month, Jun Pedery might join the fray and throw his brief, er¼hat into the ring.

Talking about dual celebrations, tsismosos in town, probably with nothing to do, are now coming out with comparisons about the rival June 10 galas at the Washington DC JW Marriott hotel and the Crystal city shindig at the Crystal city Hyatt in Virginia. The first was sponsored by the Philippine Festival Committee and the second by the Migrant Heritage Commission.

Here are samples of comments in the Tsismoso grapevine:

The Marriott gala had less number of guests than the Hyatt. A MHC release said they had more than 1,200 guests in attendance. The Marriott gala, according to MHC, was for the elite, the noveau riche, and social climbers and pretenders. The Hyatt affair was for the down-to-earth descamisados, the hoi polloi, and the downtrodden.

Remember JJ Ebro, tsismoso’s favorite whipping boy in the Philippine embassy during the time of Ambassador Raul Rabe. Well, reports are that he is now a popular polo player in Middleburg, Virginia. “He is very popular in the community,” according to some tsismosos.

Pssttt¼ While the Filipino community was busy hosting dinners or luncheons for the departing ambassador all over the US, the small Filipino American media in DC ¼a total of five – has succeeded in wangling a free lunch from the ambassador at the popular Caf? Milano.