Parties clash over Filipino vote
By James Gonser
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i Democrats and Republicans argued yesterday over who speaks for Filipino American voters and whether offering big prizes to draw people to political rallies is insulting or simply part of ethnic politicking.
About 40 people of Filipino ancestry crowded into the Democratic Party headquarters to denounce Republican gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle and her running mate James "Duke" Aiona for "baiting" Filipino voters with a chance to win free trips to Las Vegas and the Philippines, television sets and microwave ovens at a rally in Waipahu last week.
"Some of my friends went to see if they were really giving something away," said Edith Pascua, president of Hawai'i's Filipino Democrats. "I feel it belittles our community to give things away to get people there and then say they support her. It says we can be bought."
A group of Lingle's Filipino supporters, headed by L & L Drive-In founder Eddie Flores Jr., held a press conference of their own two hours later to say they were "insulted" by allegations that Filipino voters could be so easily manipulated.
"Filipinos in Hawai'i are going to vote for the candidate that can offer us a future," Flores said.
Advertiser library photo • June 1, 2002
The Lingle campaign held a huge rally at Waipahu High School last Thursday, making it the largest event of the 2002 campaign in what is considered a traditional Democratic stronghold. Fliers were sent to area households several weeks ago, promising the opportunity to meet Lingle as well as a chance to win trips and appliances.
"Filipinos in Hawai'i are going to vote for the candidate that can offer us a future," said Eddie Flores Jr., one of Republican Linda Lingle's Filipino supporters.
"Last week more than 1,200 people, mostly Filipinos, turned out in Waipahu to talk story with Linda," Flores said. "I think that tells you that Filipinos want changes and are going to demand it on Nov. 5."
Flores said the gifts were simply door prizes and that such prizes were also offered by Democrats whom he supported in the past. He said the Waipahu event was typical of the boisterous political events held in the Philippines, which resemble huge parties.
Belinda Aquino, director of the Center for Phillipine Studies at the University of Hawai'i, said big political rallies with food, games and prizes are common in the Phillipines.
"It is part of the whole social milieu of the country they came from," she said.
But she also said she could see how some Filipinos would be offended by such a rally in Hawai'i.
"There will be people who will feel that way in the sense that it is almost like an attempt to bribe you for voting for somebody," Aquino said. "The more sophisticated voters may feel that way."
The Filipino Democrats who gathered yesterday said giving away prizes as an inducement to attend a rally is a return to old-style politics where politicians essentially bought people's votes.
"By luring our people to a rally with expensive prizes ... (Lingle) sets the stage for the media to assume that she has a huge following with the Filipinos," Democrat Elias Beniga said.
Lloyd Yonenaka, press secretary for Lingle, said the campaign typically gives out door prizes including bags, T-shirts and eight to 10 trips to Las Vegas. Yonenaka said the larger prizes were paid for by a Filipino coalition supporting Lingle.
"They wanted to participate and contribute to the campaign," Yonenaka said.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mazie Hirono said free food and door prizes are typical at political rallies, but expensive prizes raise concerns.
"People should know that she's doing a campaign with a lot of money that's very slick, a lot of promises to a lot of different groups, and she can't possibly keep all of theses promises to all theses groups," Hirono said. "When we have our rallies, it is the people from the community who are coming forward and saying, 'We support you, we believe in you, we believe that yours is the team that's going to help us.' "
Aquino said the fight over Filipino voters is to be expected in a tight political race. According to the 2000 census, there are about 225,000 Filipino and part-Filipino residents in Hawai'i, totaling about 22 percent of the population and making them the third-largest ethnic group, she said.
"In a close election this matters," Aquino said. "It becomes like a swing vote."
Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief Kevin Dayton contributed to this report. Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
