Le coup du maître (The master's stroke)

Le coup du maître (The master's stroke) Le coup du maître (The master's stroke) Libel laws in the Philippines and who's suing whom, Rotarians on the witness list one against the other having nothing to say, and more.  Le coup du maître (The master's stroke)  By Evan Iliadis former Rotarian member of the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. In October 2007, I brought to the attention of the RCT the issue of Matching Grants and donations fraud. The facts didn’t surprise anyone; most members already suspected that embezzlement was happening. However, what shocked them was the timing and the method of disclosure. At that time, the board of directors included Dave and Baby Collins, as well as Deo Uy, all of whom were accused of fraud in my allegations. Their discontent was conveyed in an email sent by President Luela Bantol on October 19, 2007, just days after the allegations surfaced on the RCT website. The Club has formed a Special Committee to review matters, including those concerning Matching Grants. Your concerns and grievances could have been properly addressed by this Special Committee. However, we want to inform you that the Club has carefully considered your accusations, which we acknowledge as legitimate concerns. However, the manner in which you raised these issues is deemed inappropriate.   Le coup du maître (The master's stroke) It is with deep regret that we must inform you that, for the reasons cited above, the Club is taking steps to terminate your membership. We assure you that this process will adhere to the provisions of the Standard Rotary Club Constitution and By-Laws enacted by Rotary International, ensuring that your side will always be heard. In simpler terms: “We appreciate what you said and welcomed your input, but we are troubled by the fact that you chose the club’s website to express it, which is why we are planning to remove you.”  Le coup du maître (The master's stroke) Did they follow the RI bylaws? Let me have a good laugh at that! The only notification I received was that the club intends to oust me, and nothing more since then! Thanks to my supporters and informants, I learned about this effort as soon as it happened. Just a few days before, between October 9th and 19th, 2007, the club terminated another Rotarian without due process, on the spot, and without giving him a chance to speak, solely on the orders of Derek Pyrah and the Collins.  Le coup du maître (The master's stroke Yes, you read that correctly. Derek Pyrah ordered the ousting, and it was executed with a single stroke of a pen—no questions asked. What did this Rotarian do wrong? After the revelations appeared on the website, he sent an email to someone at Interplast in Australia asking for information about Derek Pyrah. This individual informed Derek, who then confronted the head of the Rotarian’s club in a fit of anger. And he got his way, much to the shame of the Rotary Club. At the same time, he personally submitted an intimidation letter dated October 9th to the club, terrorizing the members, as I have previously explained. Le coup du maître (The master's stroke) As mentioned earlier, the trio chose to remain in hiding rather than answer questions, which would have only led to further lies to cover their previous deception. However, they did provide some information to a local news reporter. I have redacted the name of the reporter as it appears in the original email dated December 7th, 2007, but it will be disclosed in due time. The reversal of roles began in the earliest stages of the investigation. She, Baby Collins, responded to the accusation as if the Matching Grant money had been a reward for her hard work, believing she could do whatever she wanted with it. She claimed she returned the money to The Rotary Foundation (TRF) because the new set of officers might have stolen it. I sent a copy of this email—unmasked—to the TRF. My informants tell me that Rotary International (RI) has neither confirmed nor denied receipt of this amount.Le coup du maître (The master's stroke)   The individuals who were once considered crooks have now become the accusers, targeting one of the most respected Rotarians in the district, Luella Bantol. We are discussing a sum of $100,000, which is a small fortune in the Philippines. This money could have been instrumental in addressing emergency situations instead of being misused for building dry toilets. I made this email available to the club, but it seems they didn't take it seriously or utilized it effectively, which has led to the current situation. Derek Pyrah and the Colins—excluding Deo Uy, as he was merely a puppet in this story—tested the club's resolve several times using various clever techniques, such as threats and completely false statements. Without any response from the RCT, they felt encouraged to pursue their demolition plans, as I explained in my previous blog. As a reminder, after the failed attempts by the international Rotary organization during the District 3860 Discon in 2008 to undermine the RCT, they repeated their efforts during Discon 2009. This time, they used different methods, with the blessing and complicity of the District Governor in a particularly cynical and humiliating manner.  The photo you see below was taken from the district's website. They published it to embarrass Past President Luella Bantol and the RCT as a whole. The message is clear: the district has sided with the wrongdoers against the RCT.               You will have the opportunity to see more siding of this kind as soon as the next page loads on your screen. To add insult to injury, the text also originated from the same source, the district website bulletin from July 2009, DISTAS. The Collins signed their comment as members of the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. Are they? It’s possible the district forced the club to reinstate them. If that’s the case, how can they sit in this regular meeting room with their peers, knowing how undesirable they are? That’s not an issue for Baby Garcia Calipusan (that’s her real name). She has been accustomed to this since returning from the U.S. and knows what everyone thinks about her. Does she care? Not anymore, folks... Stay tuned—there will be more. Before you click to the next page, you need to understand the reasons behind the fearful behavior of the members of this club, instead of standing united against the abusers. Here’s why: The Rotary Club of Tagbilaran, like most clubs in the Third World, is not typically comprised solely of Rotarians. Out of 20 to 25 members, only a few are actually Rotarians, while the rest are just members. Very few understand the bylaws and regulations, and even fewer comprehend the mechanics of Matching Grants and the core principles of Rotary. Those who do understand often keep the others in the dark, allowing them to conduct their questionable business without interference. Most members are present just to be seen in their community, believing that being part of the elite is significant in a social system where one’s status is frequently assessed by the model of cellphone they own and display. The same goes for clothing, cars, and the exterior of their houses; the interior often doesn’t matter. Some have small businesses that survive by local standards, while others include a nurse, an overseas maid, and a few bank managers whose branches hope to gain business from wealthy members. Filipinos are kind-hearted people, but they struggle to deal with individuals like the Collins, who often appear guarded, or Baby Calipusan-Collins, or the rude and uneducated con artist Pyrah. Moreover, the controversial libel laws in the Philippines—specifically Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code—are designed to protect wrongdoers, as prosecutors have minimal requirements to establish probable cause to send a case to a judge. Being taken to court in the Philippines is perceived as shameful, subjecting defendants to public scrutiny and gossip throughout the town, where everyone knows each other. This is particularly true in Tagbilaran City. Adding to this is the financial burden of legal fees, which few can afford.    Many members leave the club after a while, as they aren't genuinely interested in being part of a social club. This involvement takes a toll on their personal lives and adds stress to their businesses. Furthermore, they do not perceive any benefits or positive changes in their lives. Instead, they witness a few privileged individuals—those connected to influential people in Manila and abroad—improving their situations. The Rotary Club (RC) of Tagbilaran is characterized by its dominantly foreign influence, not just from local members like the Collins family (including Baby Collins, who has never acquired Filipino citizenship for fear of losing her social standing) but also from the Village Aide Program and its associates. These individuals often use the club for self-aggrandizement back home. For example, Derek Pyrah brings dozens of tourist Rotarians from Australia, while John Dehnel represents England. Any used medical machines that are deemed useless in England typically end up in the Tagbilaran club. Computers that the Children's Hospital in Australia did not know how to dispose of due to lead contamination are also sent there. Derek acquired these machines, and then the Collins family distributed some to Evan for the school in Songculan. However, these donations stopped working after only a few months. Moreover, they established a laundry machine to wash the donation funds and the money from The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Matching Grants. I have already explained all of this in previous pages.. Le coup du maître (The master's stroke) No thanks, no more wine….    Next: The duel is about to begin. Now on sale ring side tickets get your pop corn hot dogs cotton candy, step right up ring side tickets front row seats. Place your bets now Rotarians, ladies and gentleman.   Previous page   Continue page 4