Judge Upholds Guilty Verdict, Sentences Trump But No Jail Time

Volume 6, Issue No. 26

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of Romar Media Canada, 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 . . . . . .

 

The News UpFront: (TOP STORY) as of Friday, January 10, 2025 

~ A New York judge finalized on Friday Donald Trump's felony convictions on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal payment to a porn star he had sex with, an accusation he had repeatedly denied. Trump goes down in history as the only convicted felon to be president of the United states. 

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THE 45TH AND SOON-TO-BE 47TH U.S. PRESIDENT 

Donald Trump Is Sentenced 

Judge Juan Merchan Upholds Guilty Verdict

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

TORONTO - Donald Trump walks through history with an unparalleled record as the first-ever president-elect, and soon-to-be President of the United States, convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying his business records to conceal hush money payment to a porn star he had sex with, a charge he had consistently denied.

New York Judge Juan Merchan, formally upholding on Friday (January 10, 2025) the guilty verdict handed down last year by a New York grand jury, sentenced the 78-year-old Trump to "unconditional discharge" and released with no jail time.

Trump, the 45th US president, and on January 20 the 47th after winning the 2024 election against Vice President Kamala Harris, succeeds incumbent Joe Biden. 

He takes over the White House, the most powerful office in the world,  with a felony conviction to his name. Trump appeared in the New York court virtually from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved.)

Donald Trump's Expansionist Musings

Volume 6, Issue No. 25

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of Romar Media Canada, 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, January 8, 2025 

~ The convicted felon Donald Trump, elected US president in the November 2024 election and will assume office on January 20, 2025, has advanced his idea of Canada being the "51st state" of the United States and its Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, "governor of Canada." Trump has also cast his eyes on Greenland and Mexico and a takeover of the Panama Canal. Perhaps these musings are the modern-day remake of the 19th century belief embodied in "Manifest Destiny" of America's territorial expansion. 

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CANADA - THE 51ST STATE OF THE U.S.?

Justin Trudeau: Not So Fast, Donald!

'There Isn't a Snowball's Chance in Hell . . .'

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"The smaller the mind the greater the conceit." - Aesop

TORONTO - Donald Trump salivates at getting Canada the "51st state" of the United States. He has also cast covetous eyes on Greenland, Mexico and Panama, specifically the Panama Canal.

Perhaps these musings are the modern-day remake of the 19th century belief embodied in "Manifest Destiny" of America's colonialism and territorial expansion. 

(Background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_destiny)

His intention, amplified on social media accounts and multiple press statements, has caused so much consternation among leaders and citizens of those countries.

For one, Justin Trudeau, now the lame-duck Prime Minister of Canada after announcing he was stepping down until a new party leader is chosen, managed to stand up to Trump after the latter repeatedly mocked him as "governor of Canada".

"There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States," Trudeau tweeted on X on Tuesday (Jan. 7) afternoon. (Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ag-avnpItw).

"Not have a snowball's chance in hell" is an idiom meaning, according to the dictionary, "to be completely impossible or incredibly unlikely, to have no chance whatsoever."

In his musings, Trump said "Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State." Further, he wrote on Truth Social: "They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!"

Trudeau's mid-December visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida gave Trump reason to mock him again, saying: "It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada."

At that time, Trudeau took everything in stride. Not until yesterday, a day after he announced in a press conference in Ottawa that he was resigning as prime minister but will hold on to the office until a new party leader is chosen in March.

Assuming Trump's imperial aspirations come to fruition, the addition of Canada alone would have expanded the United States to the length and breadth of North America even more.

Not since the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 (which added 12 territories) had the original 13 colonies that made up the United States doubled its size. 

With the purchase of Florida from Spain in 1819, the annexation of Texas in 1845, the Mexican Cession of 1848 (adding California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and parts of Colorado and New Mexico), and the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, among others, the US has grown bigger.

For nearly half a century, the Philippines was a colony of the US. From Spain, the islands (along with Puerto Rico and Guam) were handed to the Americans after the US defeated the Spanish armada in the Battle of Manila Bay. The US paid Spain $20 million for the islands.

Trump's territorial ambitions have historical precedents. US presidents before him had initiated seizing lands either through conquests, annexation, cession, and other means. (More info at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_evolution_of_the_United_States).

On a personal note, I'm delighted to see Trudeau reacting strongly to Trump. Other Canadian officials, notably Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and former federal finance minister Chrystia Freeland, have rejected Trump's unrelenting teasing.

Whether it's a practical joke or not, I for one consider it an affront to Canadians and to their moral values considering that Trump is an adjudicated sexual offender (Donald Trump raped E. Jean Carroll even though he was found liable only for 'sexual abuse,' judge rules)

Donald Trump raped E. Jean Carroll even though he was found liable only ... Jacob Shamsian The jury didn't find Trump "raped" Carroll only because of a quirk in New York state law, according to the judge...

Trump's continuous taunt is an underestimation of our worth. It reduces us to mere adjuncts who could be easily subordinated by being bullied. (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved.)

Justin Trudeau Resigns as Canada Prime Minister

Volume 6, Issue No. 24

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of Romar Media Canada, 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 . . . . . .

 

The News UpFront: (TOP STORY) as of Monday, January 6, 2025 

~ Justin Pierre James Trudeau, the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada since Nov. 4, 2015, has announced he was resigning as leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Canada after a new party leader is chosen. Meanwhile, the House of Commons will be recessed until March.

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HE'LL STEP DOWN ONCE A NEW PARTY LEADER IS CHOSEN

Justin Trudeau, Canada Prime 

Minister Since 2015, Resigns

The Parliament Is Prorogued 'Till March 

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

TORONTO - Rocked by dissension within his Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau announced on Monday (Jan. 6) that he will resign as party leader and prime minister of Canada.

 "I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process," the 51-year-old politician said in the capital Ottawa.

Trudeau, son of the former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, had occupied the top government post since 2015 when he was sworn-in as Canada's 23rd prime minister. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ag-avnpItw).

His administration has faced challenges within the ranks of his cabinet ministers, the latest notably came from deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland who quit her post as finance minister in mid-December.

Trudeau has been repeatedly mocked by the convicted felon and president-elect Donald Trump, calling him "governor of Canada" and teasing Canada as the 51st state of the United States. (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved).

A Tribute to US President Jimmy Carter

Volume 6, Issue No. 23

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of Romar Media Canada, 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, January 3, 2025 

~ Jimmy Carter, at 100 the longest-lived president in American history, was the epitome of honour, dignity, humility, and altruism, according to our guest writer, Gus Mercado, a friend and colleague from California days who now lives and runs his telecom/IT company in Texas. He pays tribute to the 39th US president who passed on December 29, 2024 in his hometown of Plains, Georgia in this guest commentary he shares with Filipino communities in the US and Canada. 

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REMEMBERING THE SAINTLY JIMMY CARTER

Epitome of Honour, Dignity, Humility 

A Role Model for All National and World Leaders

By GUS MERCADO 

Chairman and CEO at Datalogix Texas Inc.

DALLAS, Texas - When Jimmy Carter was still alive, I was asked who in my view was the best past president of the United States. Without hesitation or fear of contradiction, I answered Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter who died last Sunday (December 29, 2024) at age 100, epitomized a life of honour, dignity, humility and altruism fully lived. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter).

He was a small town boy, Navy man, farmer, loving husband and father, governor, president, peacemaker, ang globally-renowned humanitarian.

His efforts to leave a better world did not end with his presidency in 1981. He went to troubled countries and brought peace, and provided support, comfort and hope to victims of poverty, genocide and famine.

Throughout the world, he was an apostle preaching human equality and advocating for building homes for the homeless, a passion that he spent many decades pursuing until the very end.

His saintly life is a beautiful example of love, leadership and sacrifice. It is a role model for all national and world leaders to emulate - a rare and elusive shining gem that we may never see again in our lifetime.

His all-consuming sense of humanity was devoted to human equality and dignity, rooted as it was in a deep, abiding, generous and passionate Christian faith. Jimmy Carter now belongs to the ages. (Gus Mercado, Dallas, Texas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gus-mercado-674a1b1/). (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved).