At our last Chapter Meeting we read your report about your activities as a Regional Commander (your letter dated October 16, 2006) and we were rather surprised at the any important things you have done for our Order in the past months.
This, however, cannot overcome the doubts that we in our Chapter (and in other European Chapters) have concerning your qualifications as a worthy Regional Commander, an appointment which, by the way, totally disregarded the recommendations of several European Chapters (Meeting in Schönau, April 2006). You very well know that there are a number of accusations and allegations against you, which have been uttered by committed, honest, worthy and honourable Knights and Rizalists who have no personal or selfish ambition.
The most serious ones are, firstly, your involvement in the “Filipino Muna” initiative, which we cannot regard as compatible with your “primary goal (…) to unite the European Knights and renew strong brotherhood”, as written in your letter mentioned above.
Under your predecessors as Regional Commanders there was never a distinction between Filipinos and Europeans as human beings and as Knights of Rizal, but you are the first Regional Commander in Europe to distinguish between the two, as you talk of “Filipino-European Knights” (letter dated 16-10-06). I have never heard of any “Filipino-American” or “Filipino-Canadian” Knights, i.e. Filipino and Non-Filipino Knights. They are all Knights of Rizal. So why do you distinguish and split the unity among Knights in Europe?
Considering this and your remarks concerning racial discrimination at the Freiburg Meeting a few years ago your statement “to unite the European Knights” seems rather doubtful, if not ridiculous. Your behaviour is open polarization instead of unification and extremely anti-Rizalian. None, at least in our Chapter and other Chapters in Europe we know of, has ever made such a distinction between Filipinos and Non-Filipinos as you do.
Secondly, your involvement in the editing of “Born to be a Hero” and “Huling Paalam ni Dr Jose Rizal” by Lino Paras, which smells very much like plagiarism.
And, thirdly, your long and overwhelming list of references, titles, positions, achievements and activities that you published some time ago, which we can hardly take for serious, but as a sign of ambition, which has nothing to do with José Rizal.
Finally, we deeply regret that information is passed very slowly, at very short notice or not at all, as e.g. in the case of the European Convention in Paris last autumn or of your trip to Litomerice.
Your remarks on the allegations and accusations that people tamper with your e-mails etc. for us do not sound convincing as an explanation or excuse, and your statement that you want to take legal action against those people does not seem helpful in this crisis of credibility.
If you really want “to unite the European Knights and renew strong brotherhood” and if your exclusive ambition is for the cause of Rizal and not for yourself, you should openly explain your position to all the accusations mentioned above and mentioned in various e-mails that you know very well about.
We are sure that you are very well aware that not all European Knights “hail(ed) the Regional Commander unanimously” (your letter dated Oct 16), and therefore such a refutation of all the charges against you is the precondition for a good, honest and fruitful cooperation between all Knights of Rizal in Europe (not just a few!) and their Regional Commander.
Great but empty words without any practical consequences do not help in any way, on the contrary.
José Rizal did not talk so much in great words and he was not keen on positions and titles, but he practised his ideas.
We therefore request you to answer our letter in a satisfactory and convincing way by February 4, 2007, either in a letter or perhaps at a meeting in Bonn (which is most central and therefore most convenient for all European Knights, and a meeting could well be organized by Sir ...), where many Knights could be present, because this is not just a problem for us. Thus you would comply with your words that it is your “nature to work more rather than talking too much”.
With Rizalian greetings and Non Omnis Moriar
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