AYUMI NAKANISHI / ANAKANISHI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Republican gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle spoke to an audience of 600 people last week at the "Talk Story with Linda Lingle" gathering at Kalakaua Middle School in Kalihi. From left, Lisa Fernandez and her 6-month-old son, Jacob, 3-year-old son, Justin, and brother, Lingle campaign attorney Nelson Befitel, were among the people attending the event.
Linda Lingle went to Kalihi last week, where the Filipino-American vote that could turn the tide in the gubernatorial election is up for grabs. Lingle courts Filipino votes
at gathering in KalihiAn opinion poll indicates
undecided Filipinos will be the key
in this year's electionBy Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.comLingle came away with the approval of some of the 600 people at Kalakaua Middle School on Thursday. The "Talk Story" event in Kalihi was sponsored by Lingle's campaign committee.
It wasn't the same four years ago when she faced Gov. Ben Cayetano, a Filipino American.
And this year, the Star-Bulletin/KITV 4 News poll indicates that a large number of Filipino-American voters are undecided if it comes down to a showdown between Lingle and current Democratic front-runner Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono.
Lingle's campaign attorney, Nelson Befitel, said, "Filipinos have the potential to be a swing vote in this election, and they are shifting to Linda Lingle because they believe her vision for a stronger economy, better public education and restoring trust in government is the way to make life better for Hawaii families."
Community leader Eddie Flores, owner of the L&L Drive Inn chain, said: "They (Filipino Americans) want a change. She will provide that change."
Merlyn Ibera, a 33-year care-home operator in Kalihi Valley who attended last Thursday's event, heard Lingle talk about problems operators are having with the state. "I think my vote is set on her," she said.
Befitel said Lingle understands the Filipino community, the third-largest ethnic group in the state.
At age 22, Linda Lingle moved to Molokai and rented a room from Befitel's parents, Felix and Cresencia. Felix worked as a pineapple plantation laborer, and Cresencia worked as a housekeeper at Molokai General Hospital. Lingle "watched my parents struggle" to care and provide a good education for their three children, said Befitel, who attended the University of Hawaii-Manoa and Arizona State University, where he obtained a law degree.
Attendees clapped and cheered as Lingle spoke about two major issues that affect a high number of people in the Filipino community: improving the care-home industry and obtaining federal benefits for Filipino World War II veterans.
But Democratic Party Chairwoman Lorraine Akiba said she found it ironic that "it's been the Bush administration that has been blocking recognition of Filipino veterans."
"It's almost hypocritical," she added.
It has been the Democrats, Congress and the state Legislature that have urged the Bush administration to change their position, she said.
Akiba also stressed that the Democratic Party helped deliver resources to build the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu.
Furthermore, "it's the result of the Democrats that we have the first Filipino-American governor in the U.S. history and the first Filipino American in the (state) Supreme Court justice," she added. "That could only happen under a Democratic leadership.
"I think if you look at the facts and the true track record that met the needs of the Filipino community ... it's been the Democrats."
Hirono said: "The Filipino community is one that I have a long-standing relationship with. I'm not trying to woo them just for the election."
