By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

(© 2009 Journal Group Link International)

C HICAGO, Illinois (JGLi) – The Filipino Press Group of Sydney is sending their “second wave of donations in the amount of AU$1,350 (US$1,205.41) for the families of fellow journalists who died in a massacre in Maguindanao” last month.

Jaime Pimentel, Radio Sandigan producer, e-mailed Louie Logarta, former president of the National Press Club of the Philippines, Tuesday (Dec. 29), copy furnished this reporter, saying that his colleague, Domingo “Nonoy” Perdon, publisher-editor of Philippine BAYANIHAN NEWS in Sydney, Australia, asked him to contact Mr. Logarta to remit AU$1,350 sent to him by Filipino community leader, Mrs. Cen Amores.

Mr. Pimentel said Mrs. Amores sent the donation “only yesterday, more than a week after I had officially closed our appeal for donations, which amounted to AU$1,330 (US$1,167).”

Jaime Pimentel said on her 60th birthday celebration last week, Mrs. Amores requested her guests at her birthday that instead of giving her gifts, she urged them “to make donations towards the Filipino Press Group of Sydney” for turnover to the survivors of the 31 journalists massacred last Nov. 23 in Maguindanao.

The “Cen Amores and Friends through the Filipino Press Group of Sydney” donation is going to be remitted “door-to-door” to Mr. Logarta, who will be receiving the donation on behalf of the NPCP.

The courier of the first donation, Mr. Renato Perdon, columnist and editor of the Filipino section of Bayanihan News, would no longer be available to deliver the donation personally to Mr. Logarta the second donation.

An acknowledgement letter from Mr. Logarta of receipt of the donation will be passed on to the “Cen Amores and Friends through the Filipino Press Group of Sydney.”

Mr. Logarta earlier turned over the first donation to Fely Santos, a member of the secretariat of the NPC, in Manila last week “for relatives of the Maguindanao massacre victims, the mediamen only.”

R esponding to the wholesale massacre of more than 30 news media people in Maguindanao, members of The Filipino Press Group of Sydney launched an appeal for funds “to help relieve some of the pain now experienced” by victims’ families five days after the Nov. 23 massacre.

“Nonoy” Perdon was earlier tasked by the group to deliver the funds raised to the NPCP.

Mr. Perdon asked this reporter to be re-connected with Mr. Logarta, who was his colleague when they were both covering the Manila police beat.

In an email to this reporter, Perdon, wrote earlier, “Your organization (NPC Phil.-U.S.A. in Chicago, Illinois) was inspirational for us (The Filipino Press Group of Sydney) here in Sydney.”

Earlier, the NPC Phil.-U.S.A. has also collected from among its members and friends that will be donated to the widow of Bong Reblando of the Manila Bulletin and one of the 31 massacred journalists. Mr. Reblando was a special guest of the Chicago-based press club in 2001.

In his email to Mr. Logarta, Mr. Pimentel said, “I am copy-furnishing colleague Joe Lariosa in Chicago, with whom our group would like to maintain close ties.” (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)

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