Amado Cortez in the hot seat

In San Jose, a 36-year-old Filipina who drove a school bus started her morning last Monday by firing her .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun at her fellow-drivers and co-employees at the Laidlaw bus service. She killed one of them and wounded three others.

Cathline Repunte, five-foot tall and weighing 105 lbs. entered the bus yard early in the morning and without warning, stalked and wordlessly fired at the people she found in her path. Who can explain such an unexplainable act?

Repunte was finally stopped by a rookie bus driver who enclosed the tiny woman in a bear hug. At the police station, Repunte remained unemotional, but she knew her rights, all right. She immediately asked for legal counsel.

Up to now, her co-employees are asking each other what triggered Repunte’s obvious fury. All they knew was that she was a quiet loner who had been working as a bus driver at Laidlaw since 1996.

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A powerhouse delegation of US-based dentists left for Manila to participate in the Philippine Dental Association’s annual convention in Manila.

Dr. Vicente de Ocampo, president of the National Association of Filipino Dentists in America, headed the group which included doctors Ric Gutierrez, Carlos Manlapaz, Musa Macapilis, Brendo and Pedro Caturay, Evelyn Lagda, Felix Valde, Epitacio Sison, Jun Amores, Pol Relos, Virginia Fabi and Angela Abalos.

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There’s a mini-revolt going on at the Philippine Consulate, with two career officials blaming Consul General Amado Cortez for the financial debacle and fraudulent letters sent to DFA as the aftermath of the Alay Sa Pangulo reception for Erap last year.

Consuls Leoncio Cardenas and Roberto Mascardo said that Cortez was responsible for sending the fraudulent letters with the specimen signatures of community leaders. The documents had the specimen signatures of Richard Kempis, Dr. Rick de Leon, Rene Pascual, Marico Enriquez, Alice Bulos, Chester Ajero, Helen Marte Bautista and Shirley Dimapilis.

The letters praised Gloria Sevilla for the success of the Estrada reception in San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel and blamed Cardenas for unpaid bills arising from the affair. All the steering committee members have denied signing the said letters.

Because of the ongoing mini-revolt at the Consulate, people are wondering why Cortez’ tenure was extended another month "for humanitarian reasons" by the DFA.