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Chicago, ILLINOIS --- When your mother says, "I love you," check it out. This rule of thumb that guides hard-nosed journalists to double check their sources for stories that are too good to be true appears have slipped by some Philippine newspapers, which are the chief source of most of their stories of overseas Filipino newspapers.
Bobby M. Reyes, an online community journalist (www.bobbyreyes.com ) from Los Angeles, California, pointed the breach of this journalists' cardinal rule when he alerted this reporter, who is also working with an upstart Chicago-based news agency, Journal List Press Exchange (JLPX), on June 5 to check the veracity of reports from some leading newspapers from Manila that a Filipina is in line to become the next astronaut or cosmonaut.
According to the Philippine Star article written by Joanne Rae Ramirez, which came out on February 28, 2004, it said: "Irene Mora, the first Filipino likely to conquer outer space, has been to "the edge of the earth" and loves it there. This year, she aims to go beyond it.
Irene, 31, flew on a space shuttle to the "edge of the earth" in 2000 as part of a research mission sponsored by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and in the darkness beheld "a sparkling diamond.""
On Dec. 14, 2003, the Philippine Daily Inquirer came out with an article written by Volt Contreras, which alleged that: "Mora is now studying Russian as she will be heading for the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City next year under a training program offered by Space Adventures of Arlington, Virginia.
"Space Adventures is the company that launched in 2000 the world's first "space tourist," Dennis Tito, an American."
A check by JLPX with the NASA's public affairs office yielded an email response on June 14 from Bobbie Ferguson, who said that "I do not have any information that Irene Mora was or is a NASA astronaut. She has not flown on the Space Shuttle in 2000."
An email message sent on June 6 to the Russian Cultural Centre and the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on how to get in touch with the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City resulted with a phone call from Russian Cultural Centre Director Natalie Batova, directing JLPX to get in touch with Space Adventures in Arlington, Virginia.
A check with the Space Adventures directed JLPX to Stacey Tearne, vice president of Crosby-Volmer International Communications, which handles the publicity of Space Adventures. Ms. Tearne wrote an email response on June 13 that said: "I do not know of a Capt. Irene Mora nor is she a Space Adventures' orbital client."
A news story published by the Manila Times on April 14, 2003, under the headline, "Filipina is world's best skydiver," said! Lt. Commander Irene Mora, a lady pilot from the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary Air Operation Wing, made the Philippines proud by winning the gold in the Friendship Airborne 2003 Skydiving Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
In winning the skydiving crown, Mora became the first-ever Filipina to win the prestigious crown in this death-defying event which drew participants from the best skydivers in the United States, Europe and Asia.
This story, however, appeared to have been confirmed by Dr. Frank Osanka, president of Friendship Airborne organization based at Racine, Wisconsin. Mr. Osanka wrote an email response as follows: "Thank you for your thoughtfulness in forwarding the piece on Ms. Irene Moro (sic). She is outstanding. Friendship Airborne hopes to be invited to jump again in the Philippines as we were in l998. Best wishes, Doc.
The JLPX initially contacted on June 5 retired Admiral Reuben Lista of the Philippine Coast Guard, who was vacationing in Las Vegas, Nevada at the time on a tip by Mr. Lista's tour guide and friend, Mr. Fernando "Ronnie" M. Estrada of San Jose, California. Mr. Lista directed JLPX to contact Admiral Joselito Aseniero of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary. An email reply from Capt. Harold Wolf of PCGA on June 7 said, "Your message has been forwarded to Adm. Aseniero." As of presstime, Admiral Aseniero has not yet responded to verify the veracity of news reports about Ms. Mora's "astronaut or cosmonaut" aspirations.
Last Thursday, June 17, a Ms. Mora called up JLPX, saying she was informed by Dr. Osanka that a media representative wanted to talk to her. The voice from the other line identified herself as Ms. Mora. As the voice was breaking, she said she was in Beijing and that she said "I could hardly hear you." She gave away her email address so she could understand what the media outlet wanted from her.
An email was sent to Ms. Mora on June 18, seeking comments that both US NASA and Space Adventures are dismissing press reports that she flew on NASA's Space Shuttle in 2000 and that the Space Adventures said she is not an orbital client. As of presstime, Ms. Mora has not responded to the email inquiry.
In its June 3-9 issue, the weekly Ang Panahon (Time) based in Daly City, California, published and edited by Greg Macabenta, ran a banner headline: "Doubts cast on First Filipina Cosmonaut." The paper also contacted Space Adventures and quoted Emeline Paat, a Filipina working with the company, informing Ang Panahon that Mora never actually trained with them or even visited.
Ang Panahon said Mora had called up the company (Space Adventures) several times, from early this year, to inquire about the company's space tourism program.
Bobby Reyes said that if Ms. Mora could not prove that she flew NASA's Space Shuttle in 2000 so she cannot be an astronaut nor is she heading to Russia so she can be a cosmonaut, she might as well call herself either "astronut" or "cosmonut."
Meanwhile, the numerous stories posted on the Internet about Ms. Mora's going to outer space are likely to be entered into the "hoax of fame" or become a famous bum steer (koryente), according to a JLPX staff.
As to reports that Ms. Mora renounced her US citizenship to become a Filipino, it is still a subject of investigation. (lariosajos@netscape.net)
 This is the picture of Ms. Irene Mora as posted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the Internet, which says, "THE FIRST Filipino most likely to orbit in space, pilot Irene Mora, will train in Russia. Posted: 2:38 AM (Manila Time) | Dec. 14, 2003 By Volt Contreras Inquirer News Service."
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