Did US Federal agents provide info to Corpus?

Many are wondering whether law-enforcement agencies from the United States government really extended help to Philippine authorities in unearthing evidence of money-laundering against Senator Panfilo Lacson. Apparently, the answer is yes, based on what US Federal agents have been doing in similar drug-related money-laundering cases involving other nationals from other countries.

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Let me cite an example. There is a very recent criminal case in Mexico where a Mexican woman named Ivonne Sotto Vega, charged with money-laundering, is now languishing in jail. The woman was convicted based on evidence unearthed by United States Federal agents and submitted to Mexican authorities. This case was prominently featured in the front pages of major California dailies.

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A Fil-Am resident in California sent to me, through the Federal Express, a copy of the July 28 issue of The San Diego Union-Tribune, which carried the front-page story about Vega. According to the news story, US Federal agents trailed Vega, described as the "chief money launderer" for a drug cartel, for a long period of time, and eventually amassed evidence, consisting of bank documents, against her. The pieces of evidence were then turned over by the US government to Mexican authorities who, in turn, filed criminal charges against Vega.

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Quite interesting in the San Diego Union-Tribune front page story is its report on a "pricey house" owned by Vega located in Bonita, Eastlake, Chula Vista, California. This is the same place in the Bay Area where Lacson is said to own a multimillion-dollar house, based on the report of Col. Victor Corpus of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Lacson, though, claims that the house had already been sold to a buyer.

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One of the most prestigious and meaningful awards given out yearly to outstanding personages is the Mother Teresa Award, under the sponsorship of AY Foundation, in coordination with the Manila Jaycees. Through the past many years, Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco, chairman of AY Foundation, has been personally overseeing and monitoring the conduct of the Mother Teresa Award, which explains why the award has become so prestigious and truly coveted.

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This year, the awarding ceremonies will be held on Monday, August 27, at 10 o’clock in the morning, at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, with former President Corazon C. Aquino as guest of honor. Ambassador Yuchengco, I am sure, will be beaming with pride, realizing that Mother Teresa Award, the seed which he planted years ago through the AY Foundation, has become a beautiful, towering tree.

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Let me give space to some quotable quotes from Mother Teresa, utterances worth remembering and repeating:

* People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

* If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

* If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

* If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

* What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

* If you find serenity and happiness, there may be jealousy; be happy anyway.

* The good you do today, people often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.

* Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

* You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.

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I feel sad whenever the Good Samaritan Foundation has to turn down many of the requests for assistance coming from people in dire need of help. And we have to say no because the requests involve the expenditure of huge sums of money. The Good Samaritan Foundation’s resources are very minimal, mostly coming from kindhearted individuals whose hearts bleed for the less fortunate in life.

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So that the time of those requesting for help will not be wasted, and to save them the expense of going back and forth to the office of the Good Samaritan Foundation, the GS Foundation wishes to announce that help cannot be given to those suffering from life-threatening illnesses that require huge cost for medical treatment, such as kidney transplants, heart bypasses, major surgical operations, or dialysis. Assistance, at this moment, is limited to scholarships for talented indigent youngsters, wheelchairs and crutches and other mobility devices for the disabled, basic medicines for ailments that are not life-threatening, etc.

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Last year, the Good Samaritan Foundation sponsored the upkeep, rehabilitation and education of two indigent youngsters, Dennis Alcantara and Jerry Boy Orione, at the Cottolengo Filipino, a halfway house for special children, located at Gloria Vista Subdivision, Rolling Hills, San Rafael, Montalban. Dennis is a 15-year-old boy from Malasigue, Pangasinan, who had polio after early birth, while 15-year-old Jerry Boy is a mild mental retardate from Olongapo City.

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According to Rev. Fr. Bernardo Young-Tae Seo, FDP, president and executive director of Cottolengo, Dennis has already returned to his hometown in Pangasinan, and what he needs are rehabilitation services and a wheelchair. On the other hand, Jerry Boy will continue to be a sponsored child of the Good Samaritan Foundation.

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In the meantime, let me thank the following Christian-hearted individuals who lent a helping hand to the Good Samaritan Foundation:

* Mrs. P.L.D. of Quezon City, a lady with a heart of gold, who turned over P20,000 (CBC 0116062) in celebration of her natal day on August 10. Happy birthday, and God bless!

* Edward & Luisa Camacho of Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, US$100

* ARDANI Techno Services, Severina 18, Parañaque City, P2,000 (Metrobank 212451)

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Thoughts For Today:

God sprinkles tiny but wonderful seeds
of blessings on earth each day . . .
Catch and count them daily!

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No matter how softly you whisper a prayer,
God surely listens and understands.
He knows the hopes and fears you keep in your heart,
and when you trust in His love, miracles happen.

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My e-mail addresses: <[email protected]> and <[email protected]>