Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. The trial part 2.

The vengeance of hatemongers Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. The trial part 2.

By Evan Iliadis former Rotarian member of the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran  Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. The trial part 2.

With no more ammunition left and all signs pointing to the end of the guerrilla activity, I had planned to shut down the website and head to Disneyland. However, word came from Bohol that the gang was opening another front. 

This time, they were relying not on Rotary International for logistics, but on the legal system. The opportunity—or what they believed to be one—arose from an email sent by Luella "Baby" Bantol, the then-President of the club. To set the record straight and prevent the terminated members from still acting as Rotarians in good standing, she informed all the presidents in District 3860 of the following: (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

Is there anything wrong with that? Apparently not. I would say... almost. It's now time to respond to this person who was “shocked” to see my name included in this email. Indeed, it is surprising, and this individual does not understand why I did not join the other three in their complaint. As he put it, "Evan, you have been libeled as well. You should be mad at your club. I can't understand why you are against the group and sympathetic to the club and the President."

First, allow me to clarify my position. This individual has consistently used this situation to try to benefit himself, revealing himself to be a true merchant of the temple. He is not acting out of ideology or genuine concern; rather, he is seeking material profit by maneuvering from one side to the other. Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. The trial part 2.

Others in Australia have also seen the mail and commented on it, sending mixed signals that are clear enough for me not to pretend I did not receive it. Here is my response:
I understood that my membership had been terminated as soon as this happened—not from a notification from the club, but from others informing me. This club, along with others in the 3860 district, has never formally notified any member about their termination. They have systematically ignored the Rotary bylaws and procedures regarding member terminations. It was even worse during the tenures of David and Baby Collins as presidents. Not only did they fail to notify members of their termination, but they also allowed them to attend meetings under the pretense that they were still members.Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. The trial part 2.

As far as I am concerned, I didn't really care much about my membership. I wasn't living in the Philippines anymore, I had no plans to join a club here in France, and I did not pay my dues. Most importantly, I was in full disagreement with the organization's ethics and morals regarding the disclosure of wrongdoing by its members.

Remember, I began my crusade against the dishonest practices just a month after receiving the PHF award as a member in good standing of the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. I did not buy the award; it was paid for by the VAP (Very Active Participants) of the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran.  Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. The trial part 2.

You can now understand how little I cared about my membership, right? Furthermore, it came as a relief to me to express myself freely and share my story as I saw fit, rather than what Rotary and its members wanted to hear (or not hear, more accurately).

I have never linked my personal, professional, or spiritual interests with Rotary, making the separation easy and irrelevant. The termination of my membership had no negative impact on my life. In contrast, the Collins family suffered greatly because they tied their fortune and future to making money from Rotary, believing that this could continue indefinitely.

I promptly updated my status to “former Rotarian” when addressing Rotary and its members. I also began sending emails from a new address, "formerotarian@gmail.com.” Throughout this time, I have refrained from criticizing or discussing the club publicly and have avoided confrontational behavior with most members, except for collaborators and VAP followers, who received “special” reports.

Approximately two months ago, at the request of President Angelito Lechago, I addressed a technical issue on the website that I had previously been unaware of. I added a clear statement to the homepage stating that “The Rotary Club of Tagbilaran is not involved or associated in any way with this website,” among other clarifications.

Now, regarding what prompted Past President Luella Bantol to include my name in the email to the district about the termination of Collins and Deo Dioscoro: could it have been an attempt to avoid discrimination? That's quite laughable!

Allow me to clarify. PP Luella Bantol is not the actual author of this email. It was prepared by the club's attorney, who is familiar with the club’s strategy following my revelations and the failed assault the club faced from all over the district. Furthermore, from the international group that came to the rescue of the wrongdoers. This attorney, a club member, was the one who, back in October 2007—just days after my bombshell regarding the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran website—drafted an email under the direction of Derek Pyrah. This email “dissociated” the club from me, carefully avoiding the word “disapproving,” as requested by Pyrah.Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. The trial part 2.

Here is the letter

Derek Pyrah ensured that the information was sent to every single club in Australia by handling the task himself. Furthermore, the attorney instructed all club members to distance themselves from me and refrain from communicating with me—this included not even visiting the website. This left the members feeling even more terrorized and confused.

How can he explain that not a single member, including him, who had no doubt about the truthfulness and integrity of my accusations (which it was his responsibility as the auditing officer of the club to investigate in the first place), resorted to such a childish strategy? This ultimately led to a disaster for the club, jeopardizing the positive public image enjoyed by Victor and Luella Bantol in the community.

Bring the bottle please!

Coming soon: How the club's strategy to deal with the crooks failed. Instead of being the accusers, they ended up as the defendants. This trial is not just about money; it’s about vengeance. It’s about high-ranking Rotarians scapegoating others to save themselves. They chose PP Luella Bantol to be the scapegoat. Stay tuned—be patient, and you’ll learn more soon. Rotary Club of Tagbilaran. The trial part 2.

The trial: Continue to page 3 The trial: Back to page 1

Rotary's 4 ways test as tested in a court of law. Friends. Reading the transcripts of 3 witnesses, I am very pleased of the way the defense attorneys are handling the case, that it goes all the way to hell for the plaintiffs and their supporters , if any... Rotary's 4 ways test as tested in a court of law. Their (plaintiffs') lawyers have turned this case into unrelated events, like "what the VAP status is", "what was doing", "if is a Rotary or a "stand alone" (Derek's words) entity", "who send the anonymous letters and if they were read in the RCT regular meeting", and most important, if the witnesses "know a certain Evan Iliadis". It looks like the case is shifting from the defendant Luella Bantol and comes towards me. By the way, I'll be happy to be their guest. in this or any other case, any time they choose... Rotary's 4 ways test as tested in a court of law. They thought they can link the defendant to the anonymous letters, or to a conspiracy with me for a demolition job. Reading the transcripts, none has succeeded. Rotarian Attorney Butchi Zamora and Attorney Acosta have done a marvelous job, so did the defendant in avoiding the trap Collins tried to put her in, by designating 16 witness mostly Rotarians, just for the purpose of intimidation, hoping she will settle the case in their (Plaintiffs) terms, so humiliating and face loosing.. More of that on the web site in a few days . My older brother and best friend who has passed away now, was a prominent lawyer stationed in Greece and I was helping him with business litigation cases in the French speaking countries in Europe, said two things to remember: 1- “Never ask a witness a question if you don’t know what the answer will be”. 2- “Bring certain cases to the trial is an adventure difficult to predict the outcome. I have lost cases that I was considered 100% winnable and won others with the odds of winning being so small”. It is clear now, the accusers understood, that even with 36 witnesses will never be able to have a case, the defendant will not settle it in their terms, possibly many witness are unhappy to take the stand against  fellow Rotarian. They chose to control the damages by putting Collins on the stand, probably as a final witness and rest their case with a bang. But it won’t happen, he hasn’t more to say than the others. The plaintiffs began their case by bringing 3 Rotarians to the witness stand for a demonstration on their knowledge about the 4 ways test, Rotary bylaws and....if they know a certain Evan Iliadis.... Anything else? Nothing related to the accusations, just to waist court's time and harassing the defendant. Let's start with Maita Manglapus who was called to testify about the legality of informing the district clubs of the termination of a Rotarian. You think that's why they called her? Not really... Be fore we analyze her real motivations it's good to go through some of the highlights on her testimony, You'll have the opportunity to see the entire deposition I will be uploading on the server in a few days. below is a first installment, and please, let me know if any one has heard the reading of the 4 ways test in a court as asked by the defense attorney and answered by the witness. Club Presidents, Rotarians, be on notice. It is fair to all to be sued by your district for doing your job....Yes, I said the district, this witness is an Assistant Governor as there will be others Past AG and PP to testify against the defendant. Q. "Madam witness, the filing of this case against the defendant, who is a fellow Rotarian, do you believe it's fair to all concerned?" A.Yes sir. Q. Would it be beneficial to all concerned and lastly would it bring good will to all concerned? A. Yes sir Q. and how about the fact whether it could bring good will and friendship between the plaintiffs and the defendant? A. It depends of the turnout of this case sir. Then, attorney Zamora, a member of the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran invited her for a demonstration on her knowledge of rotary bylaws that she, as an Assistant Governor, should have foul knowledge Q. Madam witness, a notice of termination is not a personal act of the President but an act in accordance with the mandate of the board, is that correct? A. Yes sir. Q. So you will agree with me that this sending of the notice of termination is not a personal act of the defendant (Editor's note: PP Luella Bantol), but she made this one in her official capacity as a President because she was ordered as her actions was approved by the Board of Directors , is that correct? A. Yes sir, but the channel of sending the letter is of course first to the District governor. Q. In what particular provisions of the Rotary By-laws or constitution is that found, Madam witness? A. I am not familiar with that. Q. I believe we have here a copy of the constitution and the By-laws, please point in what particular provision is that found and I know you are very conversant of this being a past president of your club? A. Shall I read it? I cannot. Q. Ok. But you are a hundred % sure being being a the President that this provision is found in the constitution? A. Yes sir. ATTY ZAMORA: That's all your Honor. CLICK HERE to see the original transcripts of the testimony above on a pop up window within this page . or CLICK HERE to see it on a different page. Please excuse the quality of the scans, they were done on a type writer and not printed from a computer. As I stated above, you will soon have the opportunity to read the entire testimony containing about 50 pages where it was revealed what I always knew: Maita being " l'enfant cherie" du VAP didn't come to bring any essential testimony to the case. She brought two things: Her total ignorance on Rotary Laws, her unconditional commitment to the VILLAGE AIDE PROGRAM where she has been an admirer to Collins dry toilets "architecture" , her business oblige, as a construction materials dealer. Oh! I forgot one thing: She was also asked if she knows me and if she received e-mails from me!... Oh well, waist of time... who haven't receive mails from me.... ************** Is the VILLAGE AIDE PROGRAM a "Stand alone project"? And if it is, what this it means? In an attempt to confuse the members of the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran Derek Pyrah and Dave Collins invented this status as justification of being sole handlers of the Matching Grants money and donations. CLICK HERE to see Derek Pyrah mail now an exhibit in the trial. Have a good laugh... TRF attributes the MG to clubs, not to "stand alone" entities... Next in line is GRACE CAMPO former secretary of the RCT and now President of the ROTARY CLUB OF TUBIGON BOHOL PHILIPPINES. She testified in May of 2009. About what? I went through her 60 pages testimony several times without be able to find out what her testimony related to the case was about, other than praise the VILLAGE AIDE PROBLEM and, of course, if she knows a certain Evan Iliadis who is sending mails.... Of course she knows me!. She likes me so much, that in my last meeting in the RCT Aug 2007 she asked me several times and in the most anxious and sarcastic manner "when I was leaving?"...She had her reasons, I'll explain later. Grace's testimony was directed by the plaintiffs attorney towards an anonymous letter that a group of Rotarians in Australia mass mailed to the district alerting the RCT and the district about the VILLAGE AIDE PROGRAM misusing Matching Grants, individual and Rotary clubs donations, explaining in details how the scam was setup by Derek Pyrah and the Collins using the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran as the laundry machine. I Evan Iliadis, joined the group and officially AND namely informed the RCT asking a formal investigation on the allegations. Why Grace is making a taboo of the content of this anonymous letter? She knows very well what it was about. She said and recanted, as to whether this letter was read in the regular meeting or not. Apparently, they try to link PP Luella Bantol - the defendant - to this mail. Then, later on, Atty Zamora for the defendant went on to to ask whether the VAP was a Rotary Organization or a "Stand alone"entity.. It is important to mention that is now revealed, the RCT through a mail (That I haven't see it personally but it comes from Grace testimony) Luella Bantol went swiftly to cut off club's relationship with the VAP informing the managers members of the club the end of collaboration. Basically, she threw the towel... Let's read some excerpts of Grace testimony: CLICK HERE to see a few pages of the transcripts Next In a few days: The testimony of former Rotarian Cory Ann Verge, as controversial as the person is, part of the crowd of "philanthropist" organizations mashrooming in Bohol, hers not being an exception. She's the most pissed off of the fall of the VILLAGE AIDE PROGRAM. she has turned a camp built with donations from good people to a resort with payable activities , like wedding, family events and for what ever reason one wants to rent the place.More on that and her testimony coming soon.