Romy Marquez is a veteran journalist, who has been bureau chief in the Philippines of a German newspaper chain. He also worked for a Japanese newspaper. Both Messrs. Lariosa and Marquez were honored by the Media Breakfast Club (MBC) of Los Angeles and awarded the MBC-Dean Jose S. Reyes Prize for Journalistic Excellence on Nov. 30, 2001, for their distinguished public service in journalism for a combined track record of more-than 60 years.

Lately Mr. Diaz has been hitting Mr. Marquez for the latter's articles on the Filipino Veterans' (FilVets') Lobby in which Mr. Diaz seems not to know his duties as the co-chair of the Media Committee of the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans' Equity (NAFVE). Perhaps he thinks that his duty in the NAFVE is to hurl proverbial chairs at the media. Mr. Diaz, a wannabe writer, has been trying so hard to be known also as a "journalist." Perhaps he (Diaz) thinks that real estate is a part of the Fourth Estate. What Mr. Marquez did was to post two "love letters" addressed to Mr. Diaz. Both letters were posted in the NaFFAA_forum@yahoogroups.com.

QUOTE. Dear Perry:

This is outside the realm of fairies and tales. This is reality, okay dude? What "Deep Throat" are you talking about? There's no "Deep Throat" in my story. Ano'ng "out of context"? Oh, for fairy's sake, you're dreaming fairies and tales again?

Read carefully (Basahin mong mabuti). Understand the story (Unawain mo ang istorya). Afterwards, make or state your educated reaction (Pagkatapos, ipahayag mo ang iyong may pinag-aralang reaksyon). It's that easy. (Ganuong kadali yun).

"It is a newspaper's duty to print the news and raise hell". That's a quotation from Wilbur F. Storey. And since this real-estate dude writes, lifts, copies and rewrites from Google, he can go look for him.

I have yet to read an original article from him, I mean not sourced from Google or Wikipedia. He tried one time and he referred to "yellow journalism" as "black journalism". Nagma-marunong bah? Nabisto tuloy!

Does he really understand? (Nakaka-intindi ba yan?) He's bogus, is he not? Thank me for referring to you as an "amateur internet poster" -- that's a compliment! Put it in your resume, in addition to being a real estate agent.

Seloso yata itong fairies na ito. Ako na naman ang nakita, hindi yung istorya. Lap it up, dude. Best regards,

Romy Marquez UNQUOTE.

Mr. Marquez followed up his online lecture to Mr. Diaz by posting this second "love letter:"

QUOTE. Hi Perry,

Thanks for confirming my story. All others in your latest posting are your opinions, which, of course, you are entitled to express. I am willing to use them in another story as a reaction from an amateur internet poster. I am so glad that, for the first time, you understood my story, though there are still some lapses in appreciating it.

As to your column, I believe it was the other way around. It's my paper that's giving it credibility. You won't even get noticed were it not for my paper. The Filipino community has its opinions about my paper. Those in the community who are con artists, crooks, scammers, etc. and who I have exposed in my paper naturally call my paper "trash".

The Philippine Village Voice is a modest 12-pager, tabloid-sized with very little advertisements. But you'd be surprised it carries and delivers a punch because of its well-written, fully-documented, original stories. Its kind of a resource paper, quoted for its A-1 content.

You're lucky Perry because, whether you admit it or not, that paper gives you exposure to intelligent and discriminating readers. I honestly can not say that of the other publications where your column appears.

Some people in San Diego steal copies of my paper exactly because of its content. And you can count with your fingers and toes the number of people who call it "trash" for the reason that it exposes them for what they really are.

We have here fake leaders, fake doctors, fake journalists, fake everything and not one of the papers -- except the Philippine Village Voice -- lifts a finger to tell the truth. That's the reason the paper commands a sizable following. Its adherence to the truth and the accurate-and-honest reporting of the truth have made the paper an outstanding source of information.

As to your "original" coinage, I am not going to dispute that. Somehow there must be a grain of truth in your claim that you coined some words.

I read somewhere, and I'm still looking for it, that you allowed your postings in the Internet to be published. You keep sending your PerryScope and e-balita posts to my other publications, namely, Diario Veritas and The District Times. I don't know if you know but those two newspapers have temporarily stopped publishing. The email addresses though are active.

I don't publish weekly; the paper comes out once a month. The items I selected from your Internet postings were those I consider general information, e.g., your opinions culled from published reports, not alone from Google but from other media. The reason I do that is to avoid questions from readers who might have first-hand information about the topic you're writing about.

You see, I don't like the situation where readers would challenge the authenticity of your sources, and I have no way of knowing too, because you are simply a guest writer in my paper. But then I believe I exercise a fair amount of editorial discretion in considering your articles for publication in my paper. That's doing you a favor Perry in your undertaking to make a name for yourself in the field of journalism.

I also try to avoid using your postings that deal with history. Obviously, you're not there when it happened. But you write your historical accounts as if you're there, not quoting sources or authorities. I take that as an attempt to conceal your sources of information which could in fact be corrupt. And a friend of yours, Bobby Reyes, has already pointed out serious lapses in your documentation.

I mention all these Perry to help you, honestly. I can see that you're pretty serious about promoting your opinions in the community. No questions about that but please be accurate, honest and truthful in your postings. Don't twist, slant or distort as what you've been trying on me and my stories. Best regards,

Romy Marquez UNQUOTE.

Perhaps, Professor Marquez has started the real education of Mr. Diaz in journalism in an online Journalism School of Hard Knocks.

But may I correct Mr. Marquez? Mr. Diaz is just an acquaintance and he is not my friend. Veteran journalist Pep Red Vasquez of San Francisco, CA, defined what an acquaintance and a friend are. Mr. Vasquez said that a man does not invite an acquaintance to his home and provide him with room and board. But a man does that to a friend. And you know what, every time I am in the Bay Area, Mr. Vasquez always offers me the guest bedroom of his residence for my use. He has not offered the same courtesy to Mr. Diaz, who is his (Vasquez's) acquaintance. # # #