Filipino Web Magazine

Saturday, 8 August 2026

Filipino Patriotism Surges in Toronto Due to Alex Eala

Volume 8, Issue No. 6

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@aol.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . .

Our latest as of Saturday, August 8, 2026

~ Alexandra "Alex" Eala's visit to Toronto, Canada's largest city, to compete in the Canadian Open is indistinguishable from a family homecoming where the entire clan turns up to greet and shower its hospitality. The genuine show of affection is something unprecedented in the Filipino community. Alex is practically a unifying force, not through politics, but through a sport she grew up with.

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TENNIS IS HER DRIVING FORCE

Alex Eala Sparks Massive Show of Filipino Patriotism in Toronto

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"Men love their country, not because it is great, but because it is their own." - Seneca the Younger

TORONTO - Filipinos found a way to show their passion in a show of massive support for Alexandra "Alex" Eala, the tennis superstar who captivated a global audience through humility in victory.

For the 21-year-old Metro Manila-born athlete to achieve so many firsts at such a young age in a sport not as popular as basketball and boxing in the homeland defies rationalization.

The "Eala-mania" phenomenon that she triggered and rocked the tennis world is at best patriotism in the flesh. Alex showed it, not only by wrapping herself in the Philippine flag but in carrying the weight of the country she's representing.

Her actions and spoken words reflect an unmistakable love of country and what it all means - in the culture, in food, in history, in human relations.

She proudly showed the world what a Filipino is through the flower (sampaguita), the proverb (kapag lumago, hindi hihinto), the food (chicken adobo), the fruit (banana), and the garment (terno or Maria Clara gown for formal occasions).

No athlete has shown this much respect for her heritage. That she speaks Tagalog, English and Spanish all the more affirms a distinct Filipino identity shaped by historical antecedents. (Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HYXSChTpsE).

Alex Eala is a microcosm of the Philippines' rise from colonization by Spain and the United States who triumphed over adversity. Tennis is simply her medium to evoke those attributes.

In Toronto, she's afforded the chance to revitalize her play, winning back the Filipino diaspora that has been absorbed into the mainstream, to take a look again at their modest beginnings in the homeland.

Outside of the traditional community, people wonder how Filipinos could summon a huge following in so little time from within their own backyard. Well, the answer is in Alex Eala herself, not in the tennis.

Tennis is the instrument, the driving force, that permits them to spend time, money, and celebrate one of their own in the most visible manner possible. In this sense, she is a unifying force.

Alex Eala is correct in saying she feels very much at home whenever she competes because of the presence of hundreds of Filipinos cheering for her. Toronto is not an exception, though she has no relatives here.

"It's my first time here in Toronto, and this was such a memorable match. There were so many Filipinos in the crowd, and so many flags. I am eternally grateful," she says during a post-match press conference.

"Eala's popularity," according to CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) "has been driven by a massive Filipino diaspora, but also the vitality of her dramatic wins and charismatic interviews."

"I feel so much love . . . To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in . . . I'm so grateful that they made me feel like I'm home," she says.

Tuesday, 4 August 2026

Is Tess Cusipag Lying Again Through Her Teeth?

Volume 8, Issue No. 5

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Tuesday, August 4, 2026

~ The facts speak for themselves. But for the publisher of Balita tabloid, her version of facts is entirely different. And here we are, confronted again by the prospect of another lawsuit because she openly disregards the truth and spins the story to suit her dubious standing.

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She Claims Paying a Total

of $1.5-Million in Damages

BUT THE CHEQUES TELL A DIFFERENT STORY

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"I don't think you're going to pull the wool over anyone's eyes with all this macrame talk." - FayJay

TORONTO - The three-time loser and once imprisoned publisher of Balita, Teresita "Tess" Cusipag, has potentially opened herself, again, to another defamation lawsuit with a recent posting on Facebook.

" . . . Because I was the one with the money, the lawsuits payoff was shouldered by me alone. Almost 1.5M," she says. Those words are loaded with lies, e.g. "shouldered by me alone" and "Almost 1.5M".

For context, approximately one-and-a-half-million dollars or almost $1.5 million was the figure I used in my previous articles.

It represents the sum total of all the damages and costs of the three lawsuits she lost, including the latest one initiated by businesswoman Liwayway Miranda. In each of the suits, Ms. Cusipag was ordered by the courts to pay nearly half-a-million dollars to the plaintiffs.

The barefaced lie that serves to strengthen her "millionaire" status is the claim that she alone "shouldered" paying the aggregated amount.

One of her sons had written three cheques, with his name, address, and bank account imprinted on them, for damages, costs and interest totalling $414,714.86 incurred in another defamation suit.

Those three cheques by and from her son belie her declaration, meaning she did not actually pay the entire $1.5 million by herself.

But the equally significant part of her statement is the amount - $1.5-million - which implies she has already complied with the decision of Superior Court Judge R. Lee Akazaki and upheld by a panel of three justices of the Court of Appeal for Ontario to compensate Ms. Miranda.

That false assertion puts Ms. Miranda in a bind. For one, her lawyers who are also waiting to be paid would now cast aspersions on her because she insists not a dime has been remitted to her.

And here contradicting that is Ms. Cusipag publicly saying she's already paid a total of $1.5 million. Without her realizing it, she basically calls Ms. Miranda a liar.

If Ms. Cusipag's intent is to reclaim her sagging reputation as a "millionaire," then she flatly fails, and places herself in a vulnerable position.

Based on my own experience as a reporter for Balita for seven years, obfuscating the truth seemed to be one of the hallmarks of her influence as publisher and so-called editor of the tabloid.

While there, I had tried so hard to wean away the paper's editorial outlook from the kind of reporting that bordered on gossip and rumor-mongering.

Contrary to a wild statement she posted on Facebook attacking my person but deleted promptly, I owe Balita nothing. I owe Ms. Cusipag nothing.

On the other hand, it's Ms. Cusipag and Balita who owed me everything for the years I worked there as a reporter (with the fancy but meaningless title of associate editor) and columnist upon invitation by founder Ruben Cusipag.

If not for Canada Revenue Agency which conducted an audit, I would not have known that my tenure constituted employment which entitled me to pecuniary benefits that Ms. Cusipag hid and denied.

To this day, she would not admit to any wrongdoing even at that time she was sentenced to 21 days in prison for criminal contempt resulting from her attack on a judge of the Ontario Superior Court. She cried crocodile tears and led away. (Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9ykwazA-WE).

Her recent post declares, and I quote: "People all know that the law cases were not to my wrongdoings but for somebody whom I trusted to help but instead put us in a lot of trouble."

Out of respect for the late Ruben Cusipag who I considered a colleague, I am not to be lured by her into reacting to what he did and did not during his lifetime. Let me just say he was a journalist in the truest sense of the word.

His widow is a far cry from him. Her sense of values swings from people who applaud to people who admonish. I belong to the latter category because my own principles as a person and journalist do not tolerate wrongdoing by friend or foe.

If some people perceived me as waging personal battles they are wrong. Ideally, investigative journalism does not distinguish between a buddy and an adversary. It's the act, the misdeed, that's being uncovered, and why, by the person committing it.

When she is exposed, Ms. Cusipag's usual reaction is to launch into unproven personal attacks. That is borne out by five defamation lawsuits she, Balita and I (in some cases) had faced and lost.

The first two suits that also involved me had prevailed, much of it because of her poor choice of lawyers. The third by Ms. Miranda also succeeded for basically the same reason. (Copyright 2026. All Rights Reserved.)

Sunday, 2 August 2026

Glory Days of Balita Tabloid Are Gone

Volume 8, Issue No. 4

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Sunday, August 2, 2026

~ The glory days had run out on the Filipino community's thrice-adjudicated, thrice penalized and once jailed libeler who publishes a supermarket tabloid a judge said was used as bully pulpit to slam adversaries. The monetary cost of that conduct approximates $1.5-million in total. On the human level, the price is the loss of credibility, an essential ingredient in winning trust and respect in any newspaper.

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TERESITA 'TESS' CUSIPAG, ADJUDICATED LIBELER

Anatomy of a Defamation Suit

and a $0.5-Million Loss

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"Tale-bearers are as bad as the the tale-makers."

— Richard Brinsley Sheridan

TORONTO - The catastrophe that befell Teresita "Tess" Cusipag and Balita, the tabloid she publishes fortnightly and supposedly edits, is traceable to carelessness, ignorance, incompetence and stupidity.

For all the animus that fueled her long simmering conflict with businesswoman Liwayway Miranda, the unfortunate legal and financial outcome for her had been avoidable.

Unequipped with knowledge and training as a journalist (though she calls herself editor to fill the void by the death in 2013 of husband, journalist Ruben Cusipag), she stepped in a genre of journalism requiring an analytical mind and skills she doesn't possess.

Basically it's all bluster, bravado to a large extent, or "one that suggests an overbearing boldness," the dictionary says, "that comes from arrogance or from being in a position of power."

That was clear from the April 2025 decision of Superior Court Justice R. Lee Akazaki who found her liable for defaming Ms. Miranda and ordered to pay upwards of $350,000 in damages.

Her fate was sealed after a panel of three judges of the Court of Appeal for Ontario upheld the decision released in March this year. (Full story: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2026/07/balita-loses-appeal-ordered-to-pay.html).

In his judgement, Justice Akazaki says, and I quote: "Balita misused its position as a popular publication in the Filipino community as a bully pulpit to inflict harm to Ms. Miranda’s reputation."

Not only that. He took note of Ms. Cusipag's admission in court, and I quote again: "Apart from her evidence that she took over Balita from her husband, Ms. Cusipag did not provide any evidence of any training or background in journalism."

So, for her to go into serious journalism (as opposed to gossipy writing typical of Balita's entertainment reporting) would be to court disaster, and it did in Ms. Miranda's defamation suit.

Ms. Cusipag's situation is akin to that of an emperor without clothes where she pretends to be someone she's not. That idiom is "a way of pointing out that someone is not as powerful or impressive as claimed, or of exposing a lie or deception."

Balita is not exactly a no-nonsense periodical. For most of its contents, especially photos, Ms. Cusipag actively solicits from friends, supporters, and probably strangers on Facebook, her steady source of news and what have you.

Its bulk at 80 pages (which makes it a favourite wrapper in supermarkets), is not a guarantee of finding worthwhile information that broadens understanding of current issues in the community and lead to commonsense decisions.

Instead, we find the same faces on different occasions plastered for no reason other than being in a party marking a birthday, anniversary, christening, visits by politicians, performance by so-called celebrities, debuts in the community stage by social climbers, etcetera, etc.

Boasting of a supposedly robust wherewithal, Ms. Cusipag apparently didn't care much if she lost. She had relied on the say-so of Dominador "Jun" Saludares, a paralegal who was into real estate but eventually became her lawyer after he was called to the Bar sometime later. She was promoting him in Balita in conjunction with a shady group called Elite Crusaders. (Related story: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/03/so-called-elite-crusaders-raises-red.html).

Saludares had represented six Filipino temporary workers who escaped from their employers and sought asylum in Canada. To gain status they lied about Ms. Miranda, their recruiter, alleging she was engaged in human trafficking. (Related story: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2019/12/liwayway-miranda-aka-lily-hammer-gets.html).

(More of this story: https://www.minicounsel.ca/scj/2025/2331)

In December 2019, Crown prosecutors dropped all charges against Ms. Miranda for lack of evidence. But by then, the damage has been done on her business and reputation.

(Full story: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/01/who-in-toronto-is-real-swindler.html).

(Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JSfIOTN0uk)

Ms. Cusipag has apparently not realized the full extent of her loss to Ms. Miranda the moment she entrusted her fate to Saludares. (Related story: https://lawsocietytribunal.ca/document-html/2020-01-saludares-2018-12-17-pdf/ ).

In reality, he was the source of the defamatory words which Ms. Cusipag published in Balita in 2020 and repeated in 2022 to the effect that Ms. Miranda is the "summa cum laude of scammers." The republication in 2022 became the basis for Ms. Miranda's defamation suit.

Justice Akazaki took note of that. He said in his decision, and I quote him: "It turned out that the only source of her information was the paralegal, Mr. Saludares – the same Mr. Saludares who, now a lawyer, represented her and Balita at trial."

"In addition to reporting Mr. Saludares’ remarks without any attempt to verify them," Justice Akazaki stated, "Ms. Cusipag considered his words as licence to invent her own story."

Her recent statement on Facebook makes me wonder if she was referring to Saludares who caused her enormous misery. She wrote, and I quote verbatim: "Despite the so many problems that I encountered that were not my fault. People all know that the law cases were not to my wrongdoings but for somebody whom I trusted to help but instead put us in a lot of trouble."

A Toronto lawyer who advertised in Balita for years appeared to have joined the chorus in attacking Ms. Miranda. In his website, Atty. Henry Moyal sourced the Toronto Star for some information for his "Immigration Newsweek" blog entitled "Why do immigrant workers never learn their lesson?"

The commentary ran for years, until I called his attention last week (Monday, July 27, 2026) on why he had not updated his information inasmuch as the charges against Ms. Miranda had been dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court in April 2025 and upheld by the Court of Appeal for Ontario in March 2026.

Moyal did not respond to my questions. What happened next was the removal of the offending narrative from his website within minutes of receiving my email. There he wrote, and I quote the paragraphs that have been deleted:

"Just when you thought people would be more cautious, again this week, another million dollar scam no doubt was revealed to have occurred by recruitment agency Liwayway "Lily" Miranda and her company A&L Hammer Workforce Management Inc. in the Toronto Star.

"In the current case, Lily Miranda recruited Filipino workers to work at mushroom farms and in particular at Sharon Mushroom farm in Ontario. All workers were promised LMIA ( the labour marker opinion approval from Service Canada) but in fact no LMIA were received and no work permits were issued. There is currently litigation in court. The workers also paid lots of money for these promises but after working illegally for the farm they ended up with no LMIA, no work permit and no status.

"From the reports in the media Sharon Mushroom and Lily Miranda are denying culpability and washing their hands of any wrongdoing. Oh really? Such a notion is laughable and hopefully the presiding judge sees it the same way."

Why Atty. Moyal waded into the controversy is unclear. Since he had been a regular advertiser in Balita (at least during the time I was there as associate editor and columnist), he could have been swayed by what he read in the tabloid and wrote his comments.

But for all those years his commentaries ran in his website, he could have learned from Toronto Star (his original source of information) that Ms. Miranda had been cleared of the charges lodged by Crown prosecutors based on fake testimonies of six Filipino workers.

Meanwhile, Ms. Cusipag asserts in a recent Facebook post that, to quoter her, "the lawsuits payoff was shouldered by me alone. Almost 1.5M."