This is the best thing that I can characterize Mario Crespo, who "officially" goes around town under the assumed name of Mark Jimenez. He who quietly slipped back to the country just years ago as a rich Filipino expatriate who successfully ventured into diverse business interests in countries any ordinary Filipino would never register immediately in his mind. He who, upon his return in his country of origin (see accompanying article -- it is still under request --Webmaster), expanded his business empire to gobble up several firms and start new businesses that are subservient of his interests and that of his best friend, no other than Prexy Erap Estrada. He who seized the opportunity to gobble up a crusading newspaper which then was at the brink of extinction because his friend was mad at the editors and staffers who were only practicing their profession by exposing his (Erap's) being an "unwitting godfather" in a foreign-funded power project here in the Philippines.

But in recent memory, the past events in the Philippine press where we ordinary citizens alike went gaga over and got concerned with -- the economic strangling of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, another independent and crusading newspaper, and the asset sale of The Manila times -- have gone into naught because several issues have come along the way or sadya lamang nating binaon sa limot. It was like a thud of a flash when news broke out that Mark Jimenez, this businessperson who is a friend of Asiong Salonga and wanted here and in the States for a string of offenses against the people, has finally took over the ownership of The Manila Times through his son, Marcel Crespo, who is equally successful in his stewardship of his father's computer firms in Latin America. In doing so, he and his son, along with their business partners who are also protective of the Prexy's interests, have succeeded in dealing the death blows of the editorial integrity of The Manila Times which has endured and lasted since the pre-martial law years.

With this, some of our kababayan know of Mark Jimenez the crook as Mark Jimenez the philantrophist, what with a foundation which he set up for helping indigent people and at the same time assuming the name of "MJ", thus keeping his secret existence here in the metropolis.

But who is Mark Jimenez? Who is this man who suddenly took away the editorial integrity of a newspaper like The Manila Times? Just read on this article, and you will know this fugitive more than everyone would know...

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