In an unprecedented move to finally resolve the problems surrounding the Filipino Multi-Purpose Centre (MPC), leaders of the Filipino Community and past presidents of the Philippine Community Council (PCC-NSW) met on 3rd July 2008 at a Filipino restaurant in Granville. They drafted and signed a letter addressed to Fr. Renato Paras and Fr. Raning Creta, asking the two priests to convene a special general meeting of the Philippine Australian Community Foundation, Inc. (PACFI). Fr. Paras is the original Settlor of the Trust Deed that created the PACFI while Fr. Creta is the incumbent Chaplain of the Filipino Community.
In the letter, community leaders expressed grave concern over the “state of affairs of the PACFI and its trust properties.” The letter further stated that investigations made on the foundation revealed “non-compliance with established rules and the legislation governing incorporated associations.”
Issues that need to be addressed
In particular, the issues that need to be addressed are the validity of amendments made to the original Trust Declaration, the validity of appointments of new trustees, and the validity of actions made by such new trustees. Other matters being questioned are lack of transparency and lack of consultation with stakeholders and members of the Filipino community prior to embarking on projects that entailed huge sums of money.
Signatories to the letter
Copies of the letter have been circulated to various Filipino stores for the purpose of gathering more signatures from members of the Filipino community. Among the early signatories are Malyn Andres Chun, Ernesto Soliman, Jimmy Lopez, Kate Andres, Ruben Amores, Robert Bock, Dino Crescini, and many more. The signature campaign is gathering momentum and is expected to reach thousands as copies of the letter are also being circulated via email. Veteran journalist Jaime K. Pimentel wrote his own open letter to Fr. Paras. The letter appears in page 8 of the August 2008 issue.
Mismanagement and Incompetence
For more than 18 years, members of the board of PACFI have collected over $1 million from the Filipino community. They have also received grants from the State government and have accepted the responsibility to build a Multi-Purpose Centre at the original site in Rooty Hill. They failed miserably! Instead, they sold the Rooty Hill property and even before they were able to collect payment from the buyer, they rushed to buy a new property in Schofields which Blacktown Council declared as being in a “high risk flood zone.”
Thus, they were compelled to borrow over $700,000 from Stacks Investment at a ridiculously high interest rate of 11 per cent. Their most recent borrowing was from Ms. Tess Lopez in the amount of $300,000.
There appears to be some mystery surrounding the signing of the Loan Agreement. Ms Lopez confirmed that the loan agreement already contained someone’s signature but the person was not physically present at the time of the actual signing. She said she saw the name but did not know what the person looked like or if the signature really belonged to that person.
Many members of the Filipino community have expressed disgust over the incompetence and mismanagement of the project by the MPC or PACFI Board of Trustees.
Will Fr. Paras, the original Settlor of the PACFI Trust Deed now succumb to public pressure being applied by members of the Filipino Community and finally convene a much long-awaited meeting?
Will he declare all positions vacant and call for an election? What actions must he undertake to save the incumbent trustees from embarrassment?
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