Unprecedented national
spotlight on Filipino-Americans

AS Filipinos trooped to the polls in Philippine presidential elections on May 10, the persistent chatter about rampant fraud was not about what was happening in the country but what happened last Saturday night in Las Vegas.

"Manny Pacquiao wuz robbed, he was cheated!" was the overwhelming sentiment of Filipinos who believed that their boxing idol had decisively defeated World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, after knocking him down three times in the opening round of their HBO featured fight at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

Even though HBO commentators agreed with the point score of Judge John Stewart who gave Manny Pacquiao 115 points to 110 for Marquez, another judge, Guy Jutras, inexplicably scored it 114-110 in favor of Marquez.

The third judge, Burt Clements, scored it 113-113. But Clements had incorrectly given Pacquiao only a 10 to 7 advantage for the opening round, contrary to the standard rule followed by the other two judges that a three knockdown round required a 10-6 score. Had Clements followed the rule, Pacquiao would have gotten 113 to Marquez's 112 and he would now be the undisputed featherweight champion of the world.

Jutras' inexcusable scoring judgment, combined with Clements' error, resulted in Marquez salvaging a draw, allowing him to retain his boxing title.

But if the thousands of Filipinos who trooped to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to watch the fight were allowed to cast their votes, as they have done in "American Idol," Pacquiao would have won, hands down.

In fact, earlier in the week, Filipinos all over the US were allowed to vote in a tight contest between a Filipino-American and another contender in the "American Idol" contest on Fox TV. The overwhelming Filipino vote allowed Jasmine Trias, a 17-year old Filipino-American from Hawaii, to beat out African-American George Huff for a coveted spot in the final four.

This week, Jasmine will once again need the telephone call-in or text message votes of millions of Filipino-Americans, more than ever, to survive to the next week. This may be her toughest week as she sings disco against a formidable trio of divas in Fantasia Barrino, LaToya London and Diana DeGarmo. It may be her swan song. (LaToya, the odds-on favorite to win in the competition, was voted out on May 13, leaving Jasmine as one of the three finalists.--Ed.)

But unlike three weeks ago when Filipino-American votes were split with another Fil-Am from Hawaii, Camile Velasco, Jasmine has the FilAm votes all to herself and that is what has kept her in the running. And that may yet push her into the next week.

As I told my sons, who thought La Toya or Fantasia were actually more impressive, they just had to vote for Jasmine to support a kababayan ("What's that, dad?"), a fellow Filipino who was providing a positive image for our community.

But whether Jasmine makes it to the top or not, she already is a winner as it is already an incredible achievement for her and for Camile to have made it to the top 12 from a field of 72,000 contestants from all over the US who entered the 2004 "American Idol" competition.

Jasmine and Camile are role models for Filipinos, just like another Pinay, Jennifer Rosales, who two weeks ago shot an amazing 7-under par 65 on the final day to win the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship in Stockbridge, Georgia, a mainstay of the Ladies Professional Golfers Association (LPGA) tour. In winning her first LPGA tour, Jennifer joined Dorothy Delasin as Filipino American LPGA tour winners.

Another Pinay who made the news in the past month is Cheryl Diaz-Meyer of the Dallas Morning Herald, the 2004 winner of the Pulitzer Prize in photojournalism for her stirring photos of the war in Iraq.

But more than anyone else, the Filipino-American whose name was mentioned most prominently in the news is Major General Antonio M. Taguba, the now world-famous author of a scathing 53-page report detailing the sadistic abuse of Iraqis by US soldiers in the Army's Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Taguba's report details the barbaric abuses of American soldiers on Iraqis, including sodomy with a broomstick, premeditated beatings, sexual humiliation, and the use of military dogs to frighten and intimidate detainees. It also covers the unexplained deaths of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of their American guards. Taguba's report exposed an institution out of control, run by soldiers with virtually no training in operating a prison or interrogating prisoners.

In the course of the globally televised senate and house hearings in Washington DC held on May 6, Taguba's name was mentioned repeatedly, and mangled as often, by US generals, senators, congresspersons and a cabinet secretary.

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called him "General Tey-guhba". Others referred to him as "Tey-boogha". His name will become a household word after he testifies at a US Senate hearing on May 11 that will be telecast live by CNN and other news cable networks.

According to the Baltimore Sun profile of Taguba, his "blunt and forthright criticism of a department to which he's devoted his life comes as little surprise. Associates say he is deeply committed to the Army and to the idea of taking personal responsibility in matters of right and wrong," said the Sun.

The Sun reported that Taguba did not "mince words in pointing out what he viewed as 'egregious acts and grave breaches of international law,' knowing full well that he was accusing his own country of violating the Geneva Conventions."

Antonio Taguba was born October 31, 1950, in Sampaloc, Manila, immigrating to Hawaii with his family when he was 11. He learned "painful and personal stories of military abuse" from his father, Tomas Taguba, a WW II veteran who survived the Bataan death march and the Japanese POW prison camp in Capas.

Two star Major General Taguba is the second Filipino-American general in the US Army behind three star Lieutenant General Edward Soriano, Commander of the First Corps, US Army in Washington state.

Jasmine Trias, Camile Velasco, Jennifer Rosales, Dorothy Delasin, Cheryl Diaz-Meyer, Antonio Taguba and Edward Soriano are proud Americans but, like Manny Pacquiao, they were all born in the Philippines and are proud of their Filipino heritage.

Their positive exposure on the national stage in the first week of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month was serendipitous and is a fitting tribute to our heritage.

Rodel E. Rodis is a columnist of the Philippine News, an attorney in private practice, and a member of the San Francisco Community College Board. Send comments to rodel50@aol.com.