Volume 3, Issue No. 4
OPINION/COMMENTARY
/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /
Our latest as of Monday, September 20, 2021
~ The audit demanded of Filipino Centre Toronto by concerned members and whistleblowers isn't about to take place soon as indicated in a published article that claimed the non-profit's top officials are very much against it. Reasons for such staunch opposition could be gleaned from the bombshell story by Toronto writer Cress Vasquez. One concerning aspect of his story is the obvious dragging of federal, provincial, and city officials who may be totally oblivious to internal political and monetary bickerings in the organization.
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MORE HONORED IN THE BREACH THAN IN THE OBSERVANCE
Filipino Centre Toronto's Transparency
Editor, The Filipino Web Channel
"Openness, transparency are among the few weapons the citizenry has to protect itself from the powerful and the corrupt." - Michael Moore
TORONTO - For the past three years at least, the leadership of Filipino Centre Toronto has brushed off repeated demands by concerned members to follow through with its publicly stated policy of openness and accountability.
But from the time FCT chairman Efren de Villa declared "we are transparent" in August 2018, the adjective "transparent" has taken the opposite meaning. "Opaque" for one, "hidden" for another. (Video and full story at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZFXKzvQqYY).
The boisterous FCT president Mary Ann San Juan (remember her jubilant CASH mantra?) was of no help in tearing down the wall of silence built around FCT since it sold its old building for $5.9 million, bought a fixer-upper in Scarborough for $1.9 million, and stashed $4 million somewhere we don't know.
The rejoicing shown by San Juan, De Villa, and the FCT family has masked the underpinnings of revulsion among concerned officials - such as Rey Tolentino, Raffy Fabregas, Evelyn Pagkalinawan, Luna Vince, and Marilou Parcero - who hastily resigned from the organization soon after the sale was consummated and monetary claims had surfaced. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlXLIrR8l0U).
A recent article by community writer Cress Vasquez may be the key to FCT's stonewalling, belying the purported transparency proclaimed proudly by De Villa to an audience that consisted of Members of Parliament like Ahmed Hussen, Salma Zahid, Jean Yip, and Gary Anandasangaree; Member of Provincial Parliament Mitzie Hunter; Toronto Mayor John Tory; Toronto Medical Officer of Health Eileen de Villa; and other current and retired officials.
(Related stories at: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/09/writer-claims-fct-doctored-financial.html and https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/07/fct-co-founder-resigns-but-vows-to.html).
Three items stand out in Vasquez's bombshell assertion published in some Toronto tabloids.
(See his original story at: https://www.atinitonews.com/2021/09/filipino-organization-hides-behind-toronto-mayor-john-tory-to-mask-taxable-salaries-678000-disbursements-omitted-in-financial-statements-lawyers-hired-to-intimidate-folks-who-ask-questions/).
One, the alleged "omission of large liabilities, payables, and taxable salaries in FCT’s financial statements, and the hiring of lawyers". Who omitted what? How much are they in dollar terms?
Two, monetary payments alleged to have been made to FCT officials - identified by Vasquez in his article as Efren de Villa, Frank Cruzet, and Philip Beloso - who are supposed to be volunteers. It's not clear if the FCT board knew of those outlays or if they are/were done on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. None of them has confirmed or denied the alleged payout.
Three, FCT officials, namely May Ann Juan, president; Efren de Villa, chairman; Theresa Lumanlan, vice president and chief financial officer; and Philip Beloso and Frank Cruzet, board members, are strongly opposed to an audit, according to Vasquez. The question that begs for an answer is "why"?
The audit demanded by concerned members and whistleblowers within FCT is critical in determining how the remaining $4 million proceeds from the building sale, and a grant of $100,000 in 2020, are being spent and how.
Recently, FCT put out $1 million ostensibly to refurbish its one-story quarters. If that is the case, then money left in the vault should be $3 million more or less.
Another important question that has not been satisfactorily answered is the $678,000 FCT paid to claimants who instantly surfaced after the old building in downtown Toronto was sold for $5.9 million in June 2017.
Vasquez, quoting from his reliable source, said Rosalinda C. Javier (now deceased), former FCT president, took over as treasurer in 2015 after which her husband, Felino Javier, "filed several vouchers for retroactive services in December 2016 to take advantage of the FCT’s impending sale on Jan. 31, 2017".
"The bulk of the $678,000 were for amounts owed to Linda Javier ($96,000) as Property Manager, Felino Javier ($122,000) as Maintenance Manager, although a cancelled check showed he was actually paid $131,457.04, Dr. Victoria Santiago-Liu ($300,000) for FCT loan repayments, and CRA ($124,000)," Vasquez wrote.
How much really went to Felino Javier, $122,000 or $131,457.04?
In fairness, San Juan has stated in December 2020 that "an audit would cost a lot more". She did not explain.
From what could be gathered, here's how the $678,000 was supposedly expended:
The claimants were nomenclatured and paid in this manner: "Vicki" - $300,000; "RCJ" - $96,000; "Felino" - $122,000; "CRA" - $122,000; "Wendy" - $30,000; and "S and J Mechanicals" - $8,000. There's a slight inconsistency in the CRA figure. Vasquez had it at $124,000; FCT documents showed a payment of $122,000. What is the correct amount?
Documents showed "Vicki" is Dr. Victoria Santiago, a dentist, and a former FCT official; "RCJ" was Rosalinda Cerrudo-Javier (deceased), former FCT president; "Felino" is Felino Javier, supposedly a volunteer handyman and husband of RCJ; "CRA" is Canada Revenue Agency; and "Wendy" is Wendy Arena, an FCT administrative assistant.
A controversial claim not found in Vasquez's story is the revelation last year by FCT member Maria CJ de Villa that legal expenses by FCT had risen spectacularly by 900 percent from $30,000 to $300,000.
"How did it balloon to $300,000 right after the sale of the building?" Ms. De Villa asks. (Full story at: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/09/from-30000-to-300000-how-did-it-balloon.html).
In reaction to her being quoted, Ms. De Villa wrote to this reporter on Monday afternoon, September 20, 2021. She says:
"I just read your blog. I have to make a correction regarding the legal fees. I have never ever mention (sic) to you or to Vasquez any amount for legal fees jumping 900 percent from $30,000 to $300,000. I left FCT in October 2015, therefore I have no knowledge of this.
"I don’t mind being quoted, if it was Felino’s payment of $131,457.04 because I saw the bank statement in Feb. 2018 along with Dr. Portugal.
"I don’t know where the information about legal fees came from, but it was not from me," Ms. De Villa concluded.
"We are transparent," proclaims Efren de Villa. That brings us to Shakespeare who says in Hamlet: " . . . it is a custom more honor'd in the breach than the observance". (Copyright 2021. All Rights Reserved).
