Clear Filipino Centre Toronto's Finances, Whistleblowers Demand

Volume 1, Issue No. 8

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail. com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . . . .

Our latest as of Wednesday, September 4, 2019 

~ Cash, enormous cash, lies idle in the vaults of Filipino Centre Toronto - that's assuming it is safe and untouched since the organization sold its building for $5.9 million, bought an old one-story structure for $1.9 million to house its offices, and keep $4 million or what remains of the sale. Now, whistleblowers have renewed their demand for FCT to bare the contents of financial statements for the last three years. Would they be heeded?

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A THREE-YEAR-OLD UNANSWERED DEMAND

Open the Books, Whistleblowers Ask FCT

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant.” ― William O Douglas

TORONTO - Newly-infused with an unreported $100,000 grant money, the already cash-rich Filipino Centre Toronto continues to ignore pleas to open its books so members could determine its true financial health.

The FCT headed by Mary Ann San Juan, president, and Efren de Villa, board chair, has not been responsive to demands to clear the air of suspicion for not reporting on financial statements for the years 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Twenty-six members of FCT have renewed their petition demanding an independent external financial audit to which Ms. San Juan supposedly committed to doing during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 3, 2018.

Knowledgeable sources within FCT have furnished this reporter with a copy of what they called "petition letter to the FCT board" dated August 26, 2019.

As in the past, neither Ms. San Juan nor Mr. De Villa acknowledged questions sent to them by email last week.

"In ensuring the objectivity of the independent audit, we further ask that the membership be engaged through an agreed upon process to designate representatives that will be officially be (sic) involved in the selection of the third party auditor and in the definition of the scope and requirements of the independent external financial audit," the petitioners wrote to the FCT board. 

A member whose name appears on the list of petitioners, Ms. Maria CJ De Villa, publicly expressed her worries in an article published in one of the Filipino tabloids.

"It is highly unusual for an organization to operate without member-approved financial statements," she stated. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5YUCP0xqlQ).

"It is but alarming in this case where FCT is behind 3 years - 2016, 2017, and 2018. More especially so given the financial impact of the $5.9M sales of its old building in January 2017," she said.

Earlier efforts by whistleblowers and the media to bring FCT to show transparency - avowed by its chair Efren de Villa - have been met with a cold shoulder by FCT officials. (Video at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MDQoagXLlQ).

Ms. De Villa (no relation to Efren de Villa) said the unsuccessful attempts to review financial statements for approval by members could be traced to "a variety of reasons including incomplete and questionable information".

She noted that lesser-resourced organizations in the Filipino community have external audits on their books to maintain integrity, but "FCT is having difficulty to subject itself to one".

By community standards, FCT is enormously rich. It made good money (to the tune of $5.9 million) from the sale of its old building on Parliament St. in downtown Toronto. Soon after, it bought a one-story structure, now its present office, in Scarborough for $1.9-million. That means, FCT still has $4 million in its vault.

Not surprisingly following the sale, claimants and other creditors surfaced. Unofficial reports from whistleblowers claimed FCT paid them a total of $678,000 (or $698,000). (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZFXKzvQqYY).

Documents furnished this reporter indicated the name and amount of money that went to creditors, namely: “Vicki” – $300,000. "Vicki" is Dr. Victoria Santiago, a dentist, and a former FCT official; “RCJ” – $96,000. "RCJ" was Rosalinda Cerrudo-Javier (now deceased), former FCT president; “CRA” – $122,000. "CRA" is Canada Revenue Agency; “Wendy” – $30,000. "Wendy" is FCT secretary Wendy Arena; and “S and J Mechanicals” – $8,000. 

The 26 member-petitioners have reiterated their plea for FCT to respond "urgently" not later than Friday, September 6, 2019. They are: Edgardo Adan, Dr. Mario Andres, Perla Andres, Bay Bernabe, Daisy Bernabe, Ed Birondo, Evelyn Birondo, Noel Cruz, Maria CJ De Villa, Toots Evidente, Bobby Gabat, Camilla Jones, Cecile Kolmegies, Jolito Lonkines, Minda Lonkines, Frank Maralag, Rudy Naval, Myra Naval, Malou Parcero, Elisa Pardinas, Melodena Portugal, Teresa Sevilla, Rey Tolentino, Mercedes Tolentino, Frank Villanueva, and Luna Vince. (Copyright 2019. All Rights Reserved).