S an Diego, California-based multi-awarded journalist Romeo P. Marquez unwittingly started the latest phase in the “Nine-Year NaFFAA War” (and counting) for the heart and minds of the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations’ (NaFFAA) members.

By publishing this piece on Aug. 10, 2009, Will the NaFFAA Survive to Be the 'Voice' For Filipinos in America?, Mr. Marquez unwittingly triggered off what appears now to be the final battle in the “NaFFAA War of Attrition” that this writer began in May 2000 against the ruling clique of the federation.

The Filipino-American version of the Bottle, oops, “Battle of the Bulge” now looms as the decisive encounter that may culminate in the total victory of the NaFFAA reformers over the present national executive officers (NEOs) of the federation. It is the like the march of the Allied Forces to Berlin in 1944.

* Webmaster’s Note: Mr. Reyes intentionally chose “bottle” as part of the title of this article, as he wrote about some of the NaFFAA NEOs being alcoholics in this article, Greg Macabenta Has to Resign as National Chairman of the NaFFAA 

After Romy Marquez released his August 10^th article, Greg Macabenta and his forces launched an online blitzkrieg against him. Mr. Marquez was figuratively encircled by General Greg and his Gestapo-like minions like the way American Gen. Anthony McAuliffe’s regiment was surrounded by the Germans at the “Battle of the Bulge.” Like General McAuliffe, Romy Marquez answered, “Nuts,” to his adversaries’ demand to surrender, retract and apologize.

“You sunnabitch. You accuse people and then leave to them to defend themselves. Idiot. Let's talk about your own criminal record and how you were jailed for doing the craziest thing a purpoted (sic) newspaperman could ever do, which was to detail your sordid lovemaking with a poor defenseless woman. Screw you.  Greg”

N ow let’s get back to the NaFFAA’s “Battle of the Bulge.” Alfred Gilo, the Debonair of Dingras (Ilocos Norte) and former chairman of the NaFFAA chapter in Panama City (Florida), sent in this note: “The NaFFFA NEO-Nasi group is now defenseless in their bunker in Washington, DC.” It was easy to know what NEO meant, but “Nasi”? Apo Alfred said that “nasi” is the term in Pampanga for “cooked rice.” He said that the NaFFAA NEOs are like cooked rice, ready to be eaten (alive?) by the reformers in the federation.

Admiral Jesse’s Armada

By the way, there is no truth to the rumor that Romy Marquez’s fellow journalist, Jesse Jose, who retired from the U.S. Navy, has organized a naval armada to sail to Lake Michigan and support the reform group led by Apo “Gary” Gange’s “Truth Brigade.” Mr. Gange was reported to be preparing for a final showdown a la “High Noon” and/or the “Gunfight at the OK Corral” at the NaFFAA Midwest Conference on Sept. 4-6, 2009, at the Wyndham Hotel near the O’Hare Airport in Chicagoland. “Admiral Jose” says that his flotilla is anchored off Seattle (Washington) and he might have a difficulty sailing it to the Great Lakes. But he can send his equivalent of the “Navy Seals” as reinforcement for the “Truth Brigade” – as supported by Ms. Ceballos-led “Tooth Brigade” and Mr. Farrales-led “Bluetooth Truth Brigade” – in making the Wyndham Hotel the Filipino-American version of the Bastille. (To read again the “Brigades,” please click on this hyperlink, NaFFAA’s “The Good, the Bud and the Ungodly”.)

“Romeo-and-Juliets” Chitchat

This writer asked his literary mentor, Poet-pundit Fred Burce Bunao, why Mr. Macabenta hates so much Romy Marquez that the NaFFAA boss man would launch a public-relations blitzkrieg to paint Mr. Marquez a “womanizing idiot, if not a sunnab_tch,” etceteras, etc., when the San-Diegan writer does not even have a dog – male or female – as a pet?

Well, according to the poet-pundit’s purported “eyes and ears” in San Diego, Mr. Macabenta used to be a drinking buddy of Mr. Marquez and his boss (a certain Danny) at that time in the Philippine Mabuhay News. But things changed apparently when Mr. Macabenta’s alleged girlfriend started to flirt with Mr. Marquez. The friends became “mortal enemies” over a Juliet even as the bachelor Romeo (Marquez) denies that he could no longer accommodate an eighth girlfriend (Mr. Greg’s alleged lover), there being only 24/7 in a week. However, Mr. Bunao cautioned this writer that his alleged “ears” needed also a hearing aid and his “eyes” required thick lenses as they are also getting that old like him.