A Money-Making Fest Gone Awry Due to Greed?

Volume 4, Issue No. 21

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, October 28, 2022 

~ Oh no. No, no, no, no. It's not a typo. The headline of this article is correct. Sure it sounds like the American medical drama on television but this one also involves humans and human interaction. Greed, that excessive desire for wealth, appears to have girdled some personalities in the Filipino community to such an extent as to betray trust, friendships and loyalty. And - if reports are accurate - all for a trifling sum of money.

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THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY'S CASH COW 

Greed's Anatomy

How Thousands of Dollars Changed Hands

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“Fraud is the daughter of greed.” ― Jonathan Gash

TORONTO - In real-life situations in this city's Filipino community, how much difference can $15,000 make?

The question may sound flimsy, but there's an underpinning of truth there, and if truth be told, that amount of money can do many things. Here are some that I can think of:

1. It can buy loyalty.

2. It can win friendships.

3. It can guarantee a seat of prominence in community events.

4. It can open doors to the lavish offices of politicians.

5. It can make one a VIP, if not a superstar.

6. It can change social status.

7. It can make one a prominent figure in friendly media.

8. It can command respect.

9. It can move mountains.

10. It can unmake potential adversaries.

Fifteen thousand dollars is not much of a huge sum to prompt any or all of the 10 possibilities listed above. True. If that applies to a person, entity, or both, that shows how miserly the person is and the situation he's in. Wicked, if I may add.

Even if we turn a blind eye, or stand deaf as a post, the reality is upon us. 

The buzz is that a pitiful-looking community player - let's call him MVT for most valuable trickster - has pulled off his latest caper by convincing a newborn not-for-profit (allegedly) corporation (let's designate it as NFP-2) to take care of a street festival planned for next year.

Debts and debtors have not been settled yet, after all, the other not-for-profit org (let's designate it as NFP-1) was wrestling to survive the unexpected failure of its much-hyped fiesta in Little Manila.

Prior to its staging, MVT and NFP-1 had the sweetest, even affectionate, (or, it appeared) partnership, most times coming to the defense of the other against critics and skeptics of their extravaganza.

In their idiotic podcasts listened to only by nonthinking associates, they poisoned the airwaves with their nonsensical conversation, usually laced with gossip and innuendoes, and on occasions, they resorted to diatribes.

NFP-1 is the place to find an assortment of pretenders, among them an unblushing, card-carrying "reporter" who obviously belongs to this distinct group called "pinabili ng suka, pagbalik journalist na!". Folks like her are dime a dozen in the local media circle.

It's no surprise that MVT felt comfortable with them because, at his core, he's also a phony. If one is looking for an example of the proverb "birds of a feather flock together," it's there sitting on the laps of MVT and NFP-1.

Maybe it was MVT's outward looks, his delusion of grandeur, and the promise of instant cash that had bewitched NFP-1 to partner with him. So, whatever their state of mind was, the people behind NFP-1 swallowed MVT's lies hook, line, and sinker.

NFP-1 reportedly invested a sizable sum - estimated at $85,000 (unverified) - and handed it to MVT. Of course, MVT  was ecstatic beyond belief. Two years of the pandemic had deprived him of the moolah he had been expecting from his questionable ventures.

In some ways, that money supposedly deepened their friendship. That's what NFP-1 thought. Wrongly! And now NFP-1 is paying for it.

As the weeks and days inched closer to the festival in August, the situation looked bleak. The public turnout was good, according to those who were there. And the vendors? Nobody would say.

Complaints, however, are starting to surface. Legitimate vendors who paid a princely sum for their booths had been practically eased out by transient vendors who secretly paid much less to MVT. Cash payments from the under-the-table deal allegedly went to MVT and were unrecorded.

Most apparent, the things MVT had promised NFP-1 did not materialize. In other words, NFP-1 was on the verge of losing an arm and a leg. That fate finally fell on NFP-1 as the festival wound up.

The coward that he is, MVT set off. He dumped NFP-1 and took NFP-2 in without notice as a matter of courtesy. Reports said NFP-1 learned of its firing by word of mouth or rumors that became plausible.

If news (unverified) were to be believed, NFP-2 is pouring in something to the tune of $100,000. Yes, from NFP-1's five figures to NFP-2's six figures. 

That meant the $15,000 difference between being a true friend and having a new friend of convenience for MVT.

So, it's that amount of money, reportedly, that doomed NFP-1. MVT has found another potential, and seemingly willing, victim. Well, it's too early to say whether NFP-2 would deliver. 

Right now, NFP-2's financial standing and ability to mount a lavish fiesta are under scrutiny. (Copyright 2022. All Rights Reserved).