Volume 3, Issue No. 12
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 Friday, November 12, 2021
~ A brief note from a good friend who was reacting to an earlier article sent me scurrying for meaning and significance of the first Filipino woman to win a seat in the House of Commons, Canada's legislature. Hard as I tried to grasp that historic triumph, the newly-elected 41-year-old did not seem to care. She has not responded to questions and refused an on-camera interview because, according to an aide, she was busy. Now, with my friend's permission, I'm taking a phrase from his comments (Empty Valdez or MP Valdez? Hopefully, the latter. We'll see.) to headline this story.
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RECHIE VALDEZ , FIRST FILIPINO WOMAN IN PARLIAMENT
Is She 'Empty' Valdez or MP Valdez?
By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Editor, The Filipino Web Channel
"Success is very intoxicating. It is very difficult to handle all the fame and adulation. It corrupts you. You start to believe that everybody around you is in awe of you, that everybody wants you, and that everybody is thinking of you all the time". - Ajith Kumar
TORONTO - Shortly after she emerged winner in her riding in the September 20, 2021 federal election, Rechie Valdez embarked on a wider campaign to gain recognition and acceptance as the self-described "voice" for the Filipino community in Canada's Parliament.
The 41-year-old's startling success necessitates dissemination throughout, not just within the confines of her suburban Mississauga-Streetsville district for, after all, her feat in breaking the so-called glass ceiling for women and people of color in Canada is remarkable.
Landing a seat in the 338-member House of Commons is no easy task; there are hurdles to be overcome especially for hard-driving minorities. So much so that in its 154-year history, only one Filipino Canadian - Dr. Rey Pagtakhan, now 86 years old - had prevailed to represent his Winnipeg-North riding in Manitoba province from 1988 to 2004.
Officially sworn in as Member of Parliament on October 26, 2021, Valdez takes a comparable distinction, her "very proud moment" as she calls it, being the first Filipino Canadian woman MP in the House of Commons which is set to convene on November 22 as the 44th Parliament.
Pagtakhan had blazed the trail for many aspiring Filipino lawmakers - most are actually practising attorneys - long before Valdez, a corporate banker supposedly, and a baker, came to be plucked from political anonymity by Liberal partisans looking for someone to replace the then incumbent MP who had decided not to seek reelection for medical reasons.
Apparently, she fit the bill well and was thus endorsed to the highest party officials who then threw their full support, even packaging her as a voice for the community. The result: she bested five other candidates in the riding with 23,698 votes or 47.3 percent as against her nearest rival who garnered 17,131 votes or 34.2 percent.
The avowed "voice" is also fast growing as the bonafide face of the Filipino community. Overnight, she's become the darling of the fun-driven, pleasure-seeking crowd, the sensational wonder woman who vaults from one social event to another either as an honored guest or as a guest speaker.
By and large, her victory celebration, which began on the night she won, isn't over yet. In nearly eight weeks after the election, Valdez is still very much euphoric at the sweet success of her latest gambit. From the comfort of working in corporate banking to being a struggling entrepreneur, she has reinvented herself via social media. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW_8DFPz9pw).
She's been shown smiling widely in many selfies, and like a moth to a flame, pictured and videotaped with people, political butterflies, real and faux community leaders in community events outside of her district. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct7g1EkCeFY).
If a picture is worth a thousand words, as the adage goes, there is no mistaking that Valdez is the quintessential Filipino - she loves the adulation, she likes the parties, she enjoys the photo ops, she adores the esteem her position brings, she delights at seeing crowds that exult her.
All these are on display in local tabloids, social media sites, and mainstream news outlets that chronicle her rise to a position of prominence. While she was preoccupied with how she would gain instant recognition, the "voice" that she had marketed herself as to the community appears to have gone out of the window.
Valdez the "voice" has been unexpectedly silent, meaning unspeaking, uncommunicative, quiet, still. mute, dumb, etc. But her face remains plastered all over, looking youthful and full of energy with her broad smile. (Related story at: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/09/rechie-valdez-makes-history-as-first.html).
Four days after she was declared victorious - that's September 24 - I emailed her 10 questions that would become the basis for a feature story I was planning to write. Usually, in most cases like hers, the response is immediate. I was wrong.
She answered back eleven days later (October 5) with the explanation that she has not received anything directly as she was transitioning to public life. She advised me to email her in her campaign office.
Upon learning that she will be sworn in on October 26, I suggested hitching a ride to Ottawa with her supporters so I could cover the ceremony. As a journalist, I had wished to record the moment in print and on video. However, her assistant, Ajay Rakhra, explained that because of restrictions due to COVID, it was not possible.
That was when I asked him to pass to Valdez a new set of eight questions. Up to this writing this Friday, November 12, or over two weeks after I emailed the questions, neither a courtesy reply nor an acknowledgment came from either Valdez or Rakhra.
I finally caught up with her at the early Christmas presentation at Seafood City Scarborough on Thursday, November 4. Once done with the usual pep talk, I tried to approach her while she was piling food on a paper plate at the private dining area. Then she huddled with Rakhra and her photographer, practically fencing her in.
"Are you Ajay?" I asked Rakhra, the assistant I had exchanged emails with. Then I identified myself as the journalist who had emailed the questions weeks ago but never got any answer. "She's been very busy, she's busy. In fact, after this, we're going to another event," he explained.
"Okay, that's fine," I said. "But don't ever say I didn't give her a chance to respond to questions or even make a comment now."
Altogether I emailed 18 questions needing her responses. Because of her non-reply, I keep asking myself: Did I pose dumb questions? Were my questions too difficult to answer? Or, is she just another run-of-the-mill politician who couldn't care less as long as the annual income of $185,800 is guaranteed?
Valdez's rite of passage is quite an expensive on-the-job training to shoulder for Canadian taxpayers like me. Just imagine the yearly 185K plus perks so she would learn the intricacies of lawmaking while at the same savouring the fruits of our labor.
As my friend said with a grin: "Empty Valdez or MP Valdez? Hopefully, the latter. We'll see". (Copyright 2021. All Rights Reserved).
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