F ilipino-American community leaders, especially those in Southern California, are urged to continue the eight-year (and counting) boycott of the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA). This author started the boycott of the NaFFAA in October 2000, after the NaFFAA national executive officers (NEOs) engineered the now-infamous Ballygate of an election scandal for the regional chairmanship in Southern California held on the last day of the 2000 national convention of the federation at the Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas. To date, a double amputee is said to have more remaining fingers and toes than the number of Southern California-based Filipino-American associations that joined the federation. The NaFFAA NEOs have refused also to release the financial records of the federation’s various national conventions and global-networking conferences.

Today, this writer sent the following reply to the invitation e-mailed by Ms. Maita Miyake, a member of the NaFFAA’s Region 9 Youth Committee. Here is the reply:

QUOTE.

D ear Ms. Maita

We thank you for your invitation but we have said before that until and unless the NaFFAA national leadership come up with financial statements for its national conventions and global conferences -- starting with the August 2002 convention in San Jose, CA, where its overall chairman, Ben Menor, was accused criminally and civilly of diverting city funds to fund the event -- we will boycott its activities. The NaFFAA cannot present itself as representing the Filipino-American community when it refuses to observe and practice the tenets of accountability and transparency.

Our website, the www.mabuhayradio.com, has documented the financial scams and scandals in the NaFFAA in its section called the NaFFAAgate  ( http://www.mabuhayradio.com/Sections/NafaaGate.html ) and here are the links to some of its exposes:

 Rodis Exemplifies the Arrogance, the Avarice and the Abusive Conduct of the NaFFAA Leadership

The Nightmare for Ben Menor and the NaFFAA Continues as Civil Trial Begins on Tuesday

 The “Embezzlement” Issues in the Menorgate/NaFFAAgate Scandals of San Jose

The NaFFAA (a Corrupt Organization) Cannot Wage an Anti-Corruption Campaign in the Philippines

The NaFFAA Is Bankrupt Not Only Financially But Also Intellectually

 The Barbarians at the NaFFAAgate

How Loida Lewis Got Dubbed “Snow White(wash)” and then “CinderLoida” in Ongoing NaFFAA Soap Opera

 The NaFFAA Is in Turmoil: Rodis Continues to Commit Political Suicide

 The Modern-day Makapilis in the Filipino-American Community

Incidentally, one of the chief NaFFAA Makapilis, Atty. Rodel Rodis, lost his election bid on Nov. 4, 2008, to retain his seat in the Board of Regents of the San Francisco Community College. His opponent principally pointed to our website's articles about the NaFFAAgate. The Rodis electoral debacle is proof positive that the Filipino-American community has rejected the NaFFAA as its representative, as Mr. Rodis continues to chair the NaFFAA chapter in Northern California.

As you may be able to read in the NaFFAAgate section, the undersigned writer has accused many of the NaFFAA founders and national executive officers (NEOs) -- including Mr. Macabenta -- of being crooks, as they have pocketed many of the federation's revenues and used them for personal gain. I have dared them to sue for libel since October 2000. So far, nobody has even sent a demand letter for a retraction because they know that truth is a defense against libel.

We urge most-respectfully the Honorable Consul General Mary Jo Bernardo Aragon and other Filipino diplomats to refuse the invitation to attend the said Dec. 2, 2008, event, least she and her staff be accused of condoning corruption in the NaFFAA and coddling its crooks. We urge all community leaders in Southern California to continue their boycott of the NaFFAA unless and until its recycled national leadership produce the requested financial statements, especially the financial documents for the August 2002 NaFFAA convention in San Jose, CA. We cannot afford to be seen and photographed rubbing elbows with crooks.

Finally we urge you, Ms. Maita, and your fellow young professionals Matteo Fernandez and Charina Carrera, to demand from Mr. Macabenta the requested financial statements and you know what to do if he refuses again to present them to you and the community. We cannot afford the continued denial of the NaFFAA NEOs of the financial scandals that have marred the federation. We have to insist for the NaFFAA to come clean, least American society will say again that Filipinos invented the "culture of corruption" and brought it with them to the United States. As some folks say, "NaFFAA-ka-lungkot talaga, Kuya Eddie."

Thank you for the attention and cooperation,

Mabuhay,

Bobby M. Reyes

Editor

www.mabuhayradio.com

and Founder-Chairman Emeritus

Media Breakfast Club of Los Angeles

Caution: The above-stated views and opinion of Bobby Reyes do not necessarily reflect his position as the Chancellor of the Knights of Rizal (Los Angeles chapter), a Director of the Cebu Brotherhood, Inc., and the Philippine-American National Association, Inc., and/or as the new Executive Director of the United Filipinos Against Corruption (UFAC) and/or as an Adviser of the Kalayaan 2009 Coordinating Council and/or as a member and/or past officer of some 42 Filipino-American associations.

BCC: Filipino-American organizations and the Filipino-American press

UNQUOTE.

In a message dated 11/27/2008 11:51:11 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, maita@3mcplus.com writes:

27 November 2008

Dear Kababayan,


National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA) Region 9 Engage!
NaFFAA LA to host dinner and meeting on December 2

Calling all leaders of the various community based Filipino-American organizations and associations in the greater Los Angeles area-- Alumni associations, Regional organizations, Civic organizations, Professional associations, Faith-based organizations ---  the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) Los Angeles Region is hosting a dinner meeting to discuss its vision, mission, goals and plans for the coming years.  The newly elected National Chair, and Filipinas Magazine publisher Greg Macabenta, will be the main speaker. Consul General Mary Jo Bernardo Aragon, Consulate General of the Philippines -Los Angeles will also be present to show support to the Filipino -American community through NaFFAA. NaFFAA Region 9 is headed by Socrates Inonog, Susan Dilkes and representing the young professionals sector are  Matteo Fernandez, as Chair, Charina Carrera as the Vice Chair and Maita Miyake as member.

The dinner & meeting will be held on December 2 from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm and is graciously hosted by Max's of Manila , (sic) Puente Hills Mall located at 1600 S Azusa Avenue, City of Industry, CA 91748. Tel no. 626 965 0032. We encourage the various leaders to come and participate to this momentous event as we discuss matters affecting us and how we can all collaborate as a team for the good of the whole Filipino-American community. Our community is the largest ethnic minority in the greater Los Angeles region. We have the number. We have the strength (sic) if we only act together. Now is the time to engage. Step up , (sic) be heard and make a difference!

Space is limited to. RSVP is required. Please call Maita Miyake 888.665.6968 ext 304 or email at maita@3MCplus.com. For more information about NaFFAA , please visit the website www.NaFFAA.org.


Please come.

Thank you very much.


The NaFFAA LA Team
headed by Socrates Inonog