title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: An earlier teaser trailer of the film employed the title "Halloween 666: The Origin of Michael Myers", which according to Daniel Farrands, came before an official title had been decided, and that the trailer title was a combination of an earlier script titled "The Origin of Michael Myers" by another writer, and Farrands' original script titled "Halloween 666". At one point, executive producer Moustapha Akkad asked Farrands for a title, who suggested "The Curse of Michael Myers" due to the troubled production. Although Farrands's comment was in jest, Akkad took the name to heart and decided upon it. Farrands also added that this coincidentally made the subtitles similar to those in "The Pink Panther" films, which also used "Return", "Revenge", and "Curse" subtitles as "Halloween"s fourth, fifth and sixth films, respectively.


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" was released on September 29, 1995, in the United States, and brought in a $7,308,529 opening weekend gross, coming in second to serial killer thriller "Seven", being the first film in the series to be on par with "Halloween II"s opening weekend gross (both "Halloween 4" and "5" had earned under $7 million). The film went on to gross a total of $15,116,634 at the U.S. box office, from an estimated $5 million budget.


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: The film was not screened in advance for critics. It has a 9% approval rating and an average rating of 3.52/10, based on 35 reviews, on the internet review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The sites critical consensus states ""Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" trades the simple, brutal effectiveness of the original for convoluted mysticism, with disastrously dull results." On Metacritic, the film holds a 10/100 based on 13 reviews, signifying as "overwhelming dislike". It is the lowest rated Halloween film on both sites.


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: Daniel Kimmel of "Variety" called the film "tired" and "run-of-the-mill", while Mick LaSalle of the "San Francisco Chronicle" said the film lacked suspense and said that "not even the presence of the late, gloriously histrionic Donald Pleasence can liven things up," deeming it "bland", "deadening", and "by far the worst in the series."


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: Stephen Holden of "The New York Times" called the film's script "impossibly convoluted", and wrote that "shock effects are applied with such hamfisted regularity that they quickly backfire." Josh Hartl of "The Seattle Times" criticized the film's conventionality, writing: "instead of sending up the current glut of serial-killer movies, the filmmakers trot out the old slasher tactics." Jack Mathews of the "Los Angeles Times" similarly criticized the film's lack of originality, comparing it negatively to its predecessors.


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: Richard Harrington of "The Washington Post" also criticized the script, writing: "While director Joe Chapelle and writer Daniel Farrands took advantage of a clearance sale at the Horror Cliche Emporium, they forgot to stop in at Plots R Us." The "Time Out London" film guide deemed the film "A series of competently engineered shock moments jollied along by a jazzed-up version of John Carpenter's original electronic score: slicker than crude oil and just as unattractive."


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: The film was first released for home media on VHS and LaserDisc on October 7, 1996, from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. A DVD followed on October 10, 2000. In January 2010, the film was released for the first time on Blu-ray in Canada from Alliance Films alongside "" and "" with no bonus material. The film was released on Blu-ray and again on DVD in the United States on May 10, 2011, by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, once again with no bonus features.


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: Anchor Bay Entertainment and Shout! Factory once again released the film on Blu-ray on September 23, 2014, as a part of their 15-disc box set containing the entire series. This release also contained extensive bonus features, such as a commentary from writer Daniel Farrands and composer Alan Howarth, interviews with producers Malek Akkad and Paul Freeman, actresses Marian O'Brien, J. C. Brandy, and Danielle Harris, George P. Wilbur, makeup artists John Carl Buechler and Brad Hardin, as well as Howarth, in addition to deleted scenes and archival behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, and a tribute to Donald Pleasence. Lionsgate released yet another standalone Blu-ray on September 15, 2015, containing "The Producer's Cut", but without any of the bonus features featured on the 15-disc release. On October 4, 2022, Shout! Factory reissued both the theatrical and "Producer's Cut" editions on 4K UHD Blu-ray in a box set also featuring "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" and "Halloween: Resurrection".


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: While the film was initially released on VHS in Australia with a rating of MA15+, the DVD was not released until October 8, 2014, with no extras.


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" is notorious among "Halloween" fans for having multiple versions. The "Producer's Cut" is the best known; however, a Director's Cut also exists with footage cut by the MPAA. The theatrical version was the only version commercially available—with the Director and "Producer"s cuts existing as low-quality bootlegs—until the "Producer's Cut" was included in the official "Complete Collection" box set released by Scream Factory and Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2014.


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: The original cut of the film that screened for test audiences prior to the reshoots became known colloquially as "The Producer's Cut", and bootlegged copies of it surfaced among film collectors. This cut of "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" features numerous differences, ranging from different scores and musical cues to substantial shifts in plot, particularly regarding the film's conclusion. In a retrospective interview, Farrands noted that the finale in this cut of the film was sufficiently "creepy" and "Gothic," but conceded that it lacked intensity, which is largely what prompted Dimension Films to begin reshoots. "The Producer's Cut" of the film garnered a cult following, according to writer Farrands: "It's amazing the life that ["Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers"] has continued to have because there is this alternate version that has been, kind of in-the-vault all these years."


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: In the finale of "The Producer's Cut", Kara awakens at Smith's Grove Sanitarium on a concrete slab, surrounded by the cult's members, including Mrs. Blankenship, Wynn's secretary Dawn, the bus depot man, and Sheriff Holdt. Wynn conducts a ceremony in which Michael will kill Steven as a final sacrifice of innocent blood, after which the curse will pass on to Danny with Kara as his first sacrifice. Kara realizes that Steven is a product of incest between Jamie and Michael, and uses this to try to convince Michael not to kill the baby. Tommy holds Wynn hostage, forcing the cult to free Kara, and they run with the children through the sanitarium until they reach a locked gate. Tommy uses the power of the ancient runes to stop Michael in his tracks, and Loomis helps the group escape. Later, after telling the others he has unfinished business, Loomis walks back into the sanitarium to find Michael lying on the floor of the main hallway. Upon removing the mask, Loomis finds Dr. Wynn, with whom Michael switched clothes and then escaped. Wynn dies, but not before saying "It's your game now, Dr Loomis", and passing on the Thorn symbol, which appears on Loomis' wrist; realizing that he himself is now to act as the leader of the cult, Loomis screams in both despair and disgust (this is heard as ambient noise in the final frame of the theatrical cut).


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: Another substantial difference in "The Producer's Cut" is the death of Jamie Lloyd: she does not die at the beginning of the film, but survives being stabbed by Michael in the barn. She remains in a coma and is taken to the hospital, where Loomis and Wynn visit her. Midway through the film, a "Gothic" montage occurs, which reveals in fragmented detail the conception of Jamie's child among the cult. After the sequence, an unseen person, later revealed to be Wynn, shoots the unconscious Jamie in the head with a silenced pistol. Additionally, John's death scene in "The Producer's Cut" was shorter; in the theatrical cut, an additional shot (completed during the reshoots) was incorporated of his head graphically exploding from an electrical power surge. Other various transitional shots throughout "The Producer's Cut" version were extracted or truncated in the theatrical cut.


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: "The Producer's Cut" remained officially unreleased for nearly 20 years. It had its first public exhibition on October 27, 2013, at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. Screenwriter Farrands was present for a short Q&A, in which he stressed that there was still a major push in the works to get this version a proper release. He also said that the studio allowing this version to be screened in public for the first time, and the overwhelmingly positive response, were both huge steps in the right direction. Anchor Bay Media and Scream Factory gave "The Producer's Cut" its first official release on Blu-ray in September 2014 as part of their "Halloween: The Complete Collection" box set.


title: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

text: A few select scenes from the Producer's Cut can be seen in the television version of the film. The scenes were re-inserted to increase the running time of the film.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Hegseth is an Army National Guard officer and former executive director of political advocacy groups Vets For Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. The latter, a conservative advocacy group funded by the Koch brothers, advocates greater privatization of the Department of Veterans Affairs. He was considered to lead the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in the Trump administration, but in January 2017, David Shulkin was selected instead.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Hegseth has been active in conservative and Republican politics since his days as an undergraduate at Princeton University. In 2016, he emerged as a strong supporter and ally of Donald Trump's presidential candidacy, and served as an occasional advisor to Trump throughout the latter's presidency. He reportedly persuaded Trump to pardon three American soldiers accused or convicted of war crimes related to the shooting of non-combatants in Iraq. Hegseth, who was a platoon leader at Guantanamo Bay during his military service, defended the treatment of inmates detained there.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Hegseth was born on June 6, 1980, in Forest Lake, Minnesota. He attended Forest Lake Area High School and received his Bachelor of Arts at Princeton University in 2003. In 2013, he received a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: At Princeton, Hegseth was the publisher of "The Princeton Tory", a conservative student-run publication.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Following graduation from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth joined Bear Stearns as an equity capital markets analyst and was also commissioned as a reserve infantry officer into the U.S. Army National Guard. In 2004 his unit was called to Guantánamo Bay, where he served as an infantry platoon leader with the Minnesota National Guard. His unit was under the operational control of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Shortly after returning from Cuba, Hegseth volunteered to serve in Baghdad and Samarra, where he held the position of infantry platoon leader and, later in Samarra, as civil–military operations officer. During his time in Iraq, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and a second Army Commendation Medal.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: He returned to active duty in 2012 as a captain. He was deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard and acted as a senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul. Hegseth, a major, currently serves in the Individual Ready Reserve. He has been awarded two Bronze Stars for his service overseas.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Upon return from Iraq, Hegseth worked briefly at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. According to his LinkedIn page, Hegseth left the conservative think tank in 2007 to work at Vets For Freedom as executive director. His role included responding to the Federal Election Commission as "treasurer" of the organization. He worked at Vets for Freedom until 2012. The organization advocated a greater troop presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hegseth formed the political action committee MN PAC in 2012.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Hegseth was the executive director for Concerned Veterans for America, an advocacy group funded by the Koch brothers. The group advocated greater privatization of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). According to his LinkedIn page, he left the group in 2015.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Hegseth ran for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota in 2012. He withdrew from the race after the May 2012 convention, before the Republican primary election in August, both events in which Kurt Bills won the nomination.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: While Hegseth was its chief executive, Concerned Veterans for America hired his brother Philip to work for the non-profit and paid him $108,000 according to tax records from 2016 and 2017. Asked about it, Hegseth's lawyer said that Philip, a May 2015 university graduate, was qualified for the media relations job, and noted there is no prohibition against private entities hiring family members.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: An APM Reports analysis found that while Hegseth ran the MN PAC political action committee, one third of its $15,000 in funds were spent on Christmas parties for families and friends. Campaign finance laws in Minnesota do not prohibit such spending. Less than half of the PAC's resources was spent on candidates, and as of March 2018, the PAC had closed its account with the state board.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: During the 2016 Republican primaries, he initially backed Marco Rubio, then Ted Cruz, and ultimately Donald Trump. in the years since, Hegseth has emerged as a strong Trump supporter. As a Fox News personality, he frequently criticized the media and Democrats. He criticized Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Hegseth has appeared on Fox News Channel, as well as on CNN and MSNBC.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: On June 14, 2015, Hegseth accidentally hit a West Point drummer with an axe while filming a live TV segment in honor of Flag Day. According to the drummer, he sustained "only minor injuries." The "New York Daily News" reported that in a later segment, the drummer was "seen cheerfully speaking on camera as if the accident never took place."


title: Pete Hegseth

text: In May 2018, Hegseth mocked "The New York Times" for ostensibly not covering a story about the capture of five ISIS leaders, referring to the paper as the "failing "New York Times"" – but "The New York Times" had already filed a report on the story.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: In December 2018, Hegseth co-hosted Fox News Channel's "All-American New Year" with Fox Business Network's Kennedy, during which a pre-recorded telephone interview between him and President Trump was broadcast.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: In May 2019, it was reported that Trump was considering pardoning several US military service members who had been charged with war crimes, including a veteran set to stand trial for shooting indiscriminately at civilians, hitting a girl and an elderly man, as well as fatally stabbing a captured teenage Islamic State (ISIS) member while he was receiving medical treatment. "The Daily Beast" and CNN later reported that Hegseth had for months sought to convince Trump to pardon these individuals. At the same time, Hegseth was discussing these cases on Fox News without disclosing that he had advised Trump to pardon them. In November 2019, Trump pardoned three service members accused or convicted of war crimes. Shortly before Trump announced his decision, Hegseth suggested that Trump was about to take "imminent action" in the cases.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: In July 2019, Hegseth said that one of the Muslim members of Congress, Rashida Tlaib, had a "Hamas agenda".


title: Pete Hegseth

text: In August 2019, he lamented that "young kids voting" are worried about the adverse effects of climate change. Hegseth also criticized universities for teaching students about "environmentalism and radical environmentalism" rather than a "real threat" such as Islamic extremism.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: In January 2020, Hegseth expressed strong support for President Trump's decision to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. He also called on Trump to bomb the Iranian homeland, including cultural sites in Iran if they were storing weapons.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: In February 2020, amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Hegseth said that Democrats were "rooting for coronavirus to spread. They're rooting for it to grow. They're rooting for the problem to get worse."


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Hegseth suggested the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was made up by Democrats to help them in the 2022 midterm elections, saying "Count on a variant about every October, every two years."


title: Pete Hegseth

text: In June 2022 on a "Fox & Friends Weekend" segment Hegseth crossed out Harvard on his Diploma writing in "Critical Theory" and then marked "RETURN TO SENDER" across the central body as a protest of Harvard and other such universities. "People will say ‘this is just a stunt, you still have a degree’ and that's fine. I went, I got the degree, I walked to the classes and all that, but I hope this is a statement that as conservatives and patriots, if we love this country, we can't keep sending our kids and elevating them to universities that are poisoning their minds (against America) I may have survived it, but a lot of kids go there and buy into ‘critical theory university,' and that's how we get future leaders, Supreme Court Justices, Senators, others, who see America as an evil place. And Harvard is a factory for that kind of thinking" he said. Hegseth then declared his intention to return the diploma to Harvard.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Hegseth and his first wife, Meredith Schwarz, divorced in 2009. He married his second wife, Samantha Deering, in 2010; they have three children. In August 2017, while still married to Deering, Hegseth had a daughter with Fox executive producer Jennifer Rauchet, with whom he was having an extramarital relationship. He and Deering divorced in August 2017. Hegseth and Rauchet, who has three young children from her first marriage, married in August 2019.


title: Pete Hegseth

text: Hegseth wrote the foreword to the 2017 book "The Case Against the Establishment" () by Nick Adams and Dave Erickson. His own books include:


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Jonas Malheiro Savimbi (; 3 August 1934 – 22 February 2002) was an Angolan revolutionary politician and rebel military leader who founded and led the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). UNITA waged a guerrilla war against Portuguese colonial rule from 1966 to 1974, then confronted the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) during the Angolan Civil War. Savimbi was killed in a clash with government troops in 2002.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Savimbi was born in Munhango, Bié Province, a small town on the Benguela Railway, and raised in Chilesso, in the same province. Savimbi's father, Lote, was a stationmaster on Angola's Benguela railway line and a preacher of the Protestant "Igreja Evangélica Congregacional de Angola (Evangelical Congregational Church of Angola)", founded and maintained by American missionaries. Both his parents were members of the Bieno group of the Ovimbundu, the people who later served as Savimbi's major political base.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: In his early years, Savimbi was educated mainly in Protestant schools, but also attended Roman Catholic schools. At the age of 24 he received a scholarship to study in Portugal. There he finished his secondary studies, with the exception of the subject "political organization" that was compulsory during the regime established by António de Oliveira Salazar, so that he was unable to start studying medicine as originally intended.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Instead he became associated with students from Angola and other Portuguese colonies who were preparing themselves for anti-colonial resistance and had contacts with the clandestine Portuguese Communist Party. He knew Agostinho Neto, who was at that time studying medicine and who later went on to become president of the MPLA and Angola's first state President. Under increasing pressure from the Portuguese secret police (PIDE), Savimbi left Portugal for Switzerland with the assistance of Portuguese and French communists and other sympathizers, and eventually wound up in Lausanne. There he was able to obtain a new scholarship from American missionaries and studied social sciences. He then went on to the University at Fribourg for further studies.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: While there, probably in August 1960, he met Holden Roberto who was already a rising star in émigré circles. Roberto was a founding member of the UPA (União das Populações de Angola) and was already known for his efforts to promote Angolan independence at the United Nations. He tried to recruit Savimbi who seems to have been undecided whether to commit himself to the cause of Angolan independence at this point in his life.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: In late September 1960, Savimbi was asked to give a speech in Kampala, Uganda on behalf of the UDEAN (União Democrática dos Estudantes da Africa Negra), a student organization affiliated with the MPLA. At this meeting he met Tom Mboya who took him to Kenya to see Jomo Kenyatta. They both urged him to join the UPA. He told French interviewers “J’ai été convaincu par Kenyatta” ('I was convinced by Kenyatta'). He immediately wrote a letter to Roberto putting himself at his service, which was taken in person to New York by Mboya. Upon his return to Switzerland, Roberto telephoned him. They met in Léopoldville (Kinshasa) in December 1960, and left immediately for America. It was the first of many visits.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: There are considerable differences in the source material about the date of Savimbi's official induction into the UPA. Fred Bridgland, who wrote a much-cited biography of Savimbi, says that Savimbi was "inducted into the UPA" on February 1, 1961. Nonetheless, he may not have officially joined the UPA until late 1961.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: It certainly seems that Savimbi was not in the inner circle of UPA activists in early 1961. He took no part in planning the uprising of March 1961, nor did he participate in it.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Savimbi stayed in Léopoldville until the end of March 1961, then went to Switzerland to prepare for examinations. He may have failed, for he abandoned medical studies in Fribourg, and in December 1961 enrolled at Lausanne University in Law and International Politics.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: By September 1961, Africans from the Portuguese colonies studying abroad formed the UGEAN (União Geral dos Estudantes da Africa Negra Sob Dominacão Colonial Portuguesa) at a meeting in Rabat, Morocco. Again, this organization was affiliated with the MPLA.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Holden Roberto and the UPA wanted a student organization affiliated with their party. In December 1961, Roberto chaired a meeting at Camp Green Lane near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Savimbi attended this meeting and became one of a number of organizers who created the UNEA, (União Nacional dos Estudantes Angolanos) in March 1962 at Lucerne Switzerland. Savimbi was elected Secretary-General.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Savimbi participated in UPA activities while continuing to study in Switzerland. He traveled widely on behalf of the organization: to Yugoslavia for the first Non-Aligned Movement Summit in September 1961, with Holden Roberto, and on to New York for the United Nations meeting later that fall.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: In a very short time, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the UPA. It was he who encouraged the PDA (Partido Democrático de Angola) to join in a united front with the UPA, creating the FNLA (Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola) and when these parties formed the GRAE (Govêrno Revolucionário de Angola no Exílio) on April 3, 1962, Savimbi became Foreign Minister of this organization.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Savimbi sought a leadership position in the MPLA by joining the MPLA Youth in the early 1960s. He was rebuffed by the MPLA, and joined forces with the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) in 1964. The same year he conceived UNITA with Antonio da Costa Fernandes. Savimbi went to China for help and was promised arms and military training. Upon returning to Angola in 1966 he launched UNITA and began his career as an anti-Portuguese guerrilla fighter. He also fought the FNLA and MPLA, as the three resistance movements tried to position themselves to lead a post-colonial Angola. Portugal later released PIDE (Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado, a Portuguese security agency) archives revealing that Savimbi had signed a collaboration pact with Portuguese colonial authorities to fight the MPLA.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Following Angola's independence in 1975, Savimbi gradually drew the attention of powerful Chinese and, ultimately, American policymakers and intellectuals. Trained in China during the 1960s, Savimbi was a highly successful guerrilla fighter schooled in classic Maoist approaches to warfare, including baiting his enemies with multiple military fronts, some of which attacked and some of which consciously retreated. Like the People's Liberation Army of Mao Zedong, Savimbi mobilized important, although ethnically confined segments of the rural peasantry – overwhelmingly Ovimbundu – as part of his military tactics. From a military strategy standpoint, he can be considered one of the most effective guerrilla leaders of the 20th century.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: As the MPLA was supported by the Soviet bloc since 1974, and declared itself Marxist-Leninist in 1977, Savimbi renounced his earlier Maoist leanings and contacts with China, presenting himself on the international scene as a protagonist of anti-communism. The war between the MPLA and UNITA, whatever its internal reasons and dynamics, thus became part of the Cold War, with both Moscow and Washington viewing the conflict as important to the global balance of power.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: In 1985, with the backing of the Reagan administration and through the lobbying efforts of Paul Manafort and his firm Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly which was paid $600,000 each year from Savimbi beginning in 1985, Jack Abramoff and other U.S. conservatives organized the Democratic International in Savimbi's base in Jamba, in Cuando Cubango Province in southeastern Angola. Savimbi was strongly supported by the influential, conservative Heritage Foundation. Heritage foreign policy analyst Michael Johns and other conservatives visited regularly with Savimbi in his clandestine camps in Jamba and provided the rebel leader with ongoing political and military guidance in his war against the Angolan government.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Savimbi's U.S.-based supporters ultimately proved successful in convincing the Central Intelligence Agency to channel covert weapons and recruit guerrillas for Savimbi's war against Angola's Marxist government. During a visit to Washington, D.C. in 1986, Reagan invited Savimbi to meet with him at the White House. Following the meeting, Reagan spoke of UNITA winning "a victory that electrifies the world."


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Two years later, with the Angolan Civil War intensifying, Savimbi returned to Washington, where he praised the Heritage Foundation's work on UNITA's behalf.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Complementing his military skills, Savimbi also impressed many with his intellectual qualities. He spoke seven languages fluently including Portuguese, French, and English. In visits to foreign diplomats and in speeches before American audiences, he often cited classical Western political and social philosophy, ultimately becoming one of the most vocal anti-communists of the Third World.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Savimbi's biography describes him as "an incredible linguist. He spoke four European languages, including English although he had never lived in an English-speaking country. He was extremely well read. He was an extremely fine conversationalist and a very good listener." Savimbi also accused his political opponents of witchcraft. These contrasting images of Savimbi would play out throughout his life, with his enemies calling him a power-hungry warmonger, and his American and other allies calling him a critical figure in the West's bid to win the Cold War.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: As U.S. support began to flow liberally and leading U.S. conservatives championed his cause, Savimbi won major strategic advantages in the late 1980s, and again in the early 1990s, after having taken part unsuccessfully in the general elections of 1992. As a consequence, Moscow and Havana began to reevaluate their engagement in Angola, as Soviet and Cuban fatalities mounted and Savimbi's ground control increased.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: By 1989, UNITA held total control of several limited areas, but was able to develop significant guerrilla operations everywhere in Angola, with the exception of the coastal cities and Namibe Province. At the height of his military success, in 1989 and 1990, Savimbi was beginning to launch attacks on government and military targets in and around the country's capital, Luanda. Observers felt that the strategic balance in Angola had shifted and that Savimbi was positioning UNITA for a possible military victory.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Signaling the concern that the Soviet Union was placing on Savimbi's advance in Angola, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev raised the Angolan war with Reagan during numerous U.S.-Soviet summits. In addition to meeting with Reagan, Savimbi also met with Reagan's successor, George H. W. Bush, who promised Savimbi "all appropriate and effective assistance."


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: In January 1990 and again in February 1990, Savimbi was wounded in armed conflict with Angolan government troops. The injuries did not prevent him from again returning to Washington, where he met with his American supporters and President Bush in an effort to further increase US military assistance to UNITA. Savimbi's supporters warned that continued Soviet support for the MPLA was threatening broader global collaboration between Gorbachev and the US.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: In February 1992, Antonio da Costa Fernandes and Nzau Puna defected from UNITA, declaring publicly that Savimbi was not interested in a political test, but on preparing another war. Under military pressure from UNITA, the Angolan government negotiated a cease-fire with Savimbi, and Savimbi ran for president in the national elections of 1992. Foreign monitors claimed the election to be fair. But because neither Savimbi (40%) nor Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos (49%) obtained the 50 percent necessary to prevail, a run-off election was scheduled.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: In late October 1992, Savimbi dispatched UNITA Vice President Jeremias Chitunda and UNITA senior advisor Elias Salupeto Pena to Luanda to negotiate the details of the run-off election. On 2 November 1992 in Luanda, Chitunda and Pena's convoy was attacked by government forces and they were both pulled from their car and shot dead. Their bodies were taken by government authorities and never seen again. The MPLA offensive against UNITA and the FNLA has come to be known as the Halloween Massacre where over 10,000 of their voters were massacred nationwide by MPLA forces. Alleging governmental electoral fraud and questioning the government's commitment to peace, Savimbi withdrew from the run-off election and resumed fighting, mostly with foreign funds. UNITA again quickly advanced militarily, encircling the nation's capital of Luanda.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: In 1994, UNITA signed a new peace accord. Savimbi declined the vice-presidency that was offered to him and again renewed fighting in 1998. Savimbi also reportedly purged those within UNITA whom he saw as threats to his leadership or as questioning his strategic course. According to Fred Bridgland, Savimbi's foreign secretary Tito Chingunji and much of his family, possibly numbering more than 60, were murdered in 1991 after Savimbi suspected that Chingunji had been in secret, unapproved negotiations with the Angolan government during Chingunji's various diplomatic assignments in Europe and the United States. Savimbi denied his involvement in the Chingunji killing and blamed it on UNITA dissidents. According to Bridgland in his book "The War for Africa: Twelve Months that Transformed a Continent", in an earlier incident termed 'Red September', Savimbi oversaw the torture and killing of dozens of people, including many of his own officers, their wives and children, in a witchcraft ritual. Bridgland also stated that Aurora Katalayo (widow of UNITA leader Mateus Katalaoy, whom Savimbi had allegedly killed a few years earlier) and her four-year old son were burned alive, accused of witchcraft.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: After surviving more than six assassination attempts, and having been reported dead at least 17 times, Savimbi was killed on 22 February 2002, in a battle with Angolan government troops along riverbanks in the province of Moxico, his birthplace. In the firefight, Savimbi sustained 15 gunshot wounds to his head, throat, upper body and legs. While Savimbi returned fire, his wounds proved fatal; he died almost instantly.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Savimbi's somewhat mystical reputation for eluding the Angolan military and their Soviet and Cuban military advisors led many Angolans to question the validity of reports of his 2002 death until pictures of his bloodied and bullet-riddled body appeared on Angolan state television, and the United States State Department subsequently confirmed it, did the reports of his death in combat gain credence in the country. He was interred in Luena Main Cemetery in Luena, Moxico Province. On 3 January 2008, his tomb was vandalised and four members of the youth wing of the MPLA were charged and arrested. His body was exhumed and reburied publicly in 2019.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Savimbi was succeeded by António Dembo, who assumed UNITA’s leadership on an interim basis in February 2002. But Dembo had sustained wounds in the same attack that killed Savimbi, and he died from them ten days later and was succeeded by Paulo Lukamba. Six weeks after Savimbi's death, a ceasefire between UNITA and the MPLA was signed, but Angola remains deeply divided politically between MPLA and UNITA supporters. A parliamentary election in September 2008 resulted in an overwhelming majority for the MPLA, but its legitimacy was questioned by international observers.


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: In the years since Savimbi's death, his legacy has been a source of debate. "The mistake that Savimbi made, the historical, big mistake he made, was to reject (the election) and go back to war", Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at London-based Chatham House research institute said in February 2012. Africa expert Paula Roque, of the University of Oxford, says Savimbi was "a very charismatic man, a man who exuded power and leadership. We can't forget that for a large segment of the population, UNITA represented something."


title: Jonas Savimbi

text: Savimbi is a minor character in "", a video game that was released in 2012. Savimbi is voiced by Robert Wisdom. Three of Savimbi’s children took issue with Savimbi's representation in the game, claiming that he was portrayed as a "big halfwit who wanted to kill everybody". However, Activision, the publishers of "Black Ops II", argued that the game portrayed him as a "political leader and strategist". The lawsuit was rejected by a French court.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Religion in Canada encompasses a wide range of groups and beliefs. Christianity is the largest religion in Canada, with Catholicism being its largest denomination. Christians, representing 53.3% of the population in 2021, are followed by people having no religion at 34.6% of the total population. Other faiths include Islam (4.9%), Hinduism (2.3%), Sikhism (2.1%), Buddhism (1.0%), Judaism (0.9%), and Indigenous spirituality (0.2%).


title: Religion in Canada

text: Rates of religious adherence are steadily decreasing. The preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms refers to God. The monarch carries the title of "Defender of the Faith". However, Canada has no official religion, and support for religious pluralism and freedom of religion is an important part of Canada's political culture.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Before the European colonization, a wide diversity of Aboriginal religions and belief systems were largely animistic or shamanistic, including an intense tribal reverence for spirits and nature. The French colonization beginning in the 16th century established a Roman Catholic francophone population in New France, especially Acadia (later Lower Canada, now Nova Scotia and Quebec). British colonization brought waves of Anglicans and other Protestants to Upper Canada, now Ontario. The Russian Empire spread Eastern Orthodoxy to a small extent to the tribes in the far north and western coasts, particularly hyperborean nomadics like the Inuit; Orthodoxy would arrive on the mainland with immigrants from the Soviet Union, Eastern Bloc, Greece and elsewhere during the 20th century.


title: Religion in Canada

text: With Christianity in decline after having once been central and integral to Canadian culture and daily life, Canada has become a post-Christian, secular state despite the majority of Canadians claiming an affiliation with Christianity. The majority of Canadians consider religion to be unimportant in their daily lives, but still believe in God. The practice of religion is now generally considered a private matter throughout society and the state. On Sundays, between 15 and 25 percent of Catholic Canadians attend Mass (15 percent weekly attenders and another 9 percent monthly).


title: Religion in Canada

text: Canada today has no state religion, and the Government of Canada is officially committed to religious pluralism. While the Canadian government's official ties to religion, specifically Christianity are few, the Preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms makes reference to "the supremacy of God. The national anthem in both official languages also refers to God. Nevertheless, the rise of irreligion within the country and influx of non-Christian peoples has led to a greater separation of government and religion, demonstrated in forms like "Christmas holidays" being called "winter festivals" in public schools. Some religious schools are government-funded as per Section Twenty-nine of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Canada is a Commonwealth realm in which the head of state is shared with 14 other countries. As such, Canada follows the United Kingdom's succession laws for its monarch, which bar Roman Catholics from inheriting the throne. Within Canada, the monarch's title includes the phrases "By the Grace of God" and "Defender of the Faith."


title: Religion in Canada

text: Christmas and Easter are nationwide holidays, and while Jews, Muslims, and other religious groups are allowed to take their holy days off work, they do not share the same official recognition. In 1957, the Parliament declared Thanksgiving "a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."


title: Religion in Canada

text: There was an ongoing battle in the late 20th century to have religious garb accepted throughout Canadian society, mostly focused on Sikh turbans. The Canadian Armed Forces authorized the wearing of turbans in 1986, eventually the Royal Canadian Mounted Police followed in 1988 and eventually other federal government agencies accepted members wearing turbans.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Before the arrival of Europeans, the First Nations followed a wide array of mostly animistic religions and spirituality. The first Europeans to settle in great numbers in Canada were French Latin Rite Roman Catholics, including a large number of Jesuits who established several missions in North America. They were dedicated to converting the Natives; an effort that eventually proved successful.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The first large Protestant communities were formed in the Maritimes after they were conquered by the British. Unable to convince enough British immigrants to go to the region, the government decided to import continental Protestants from Germany and Switzerland to populate the region and counterbalance the Roman Catholic Acadians. This group was known as the Foreign Protestants. This effort proved successful and today the South Shore region of Nova Scotia is still largely Lutheran. After the Expulsion of the Acadians beginning in 1755 a large number of New England Planters settled on the vacated lands bringing with them their Congregationalist belief. During the 1770s, guided by Henry Alline, the New Light movement of the Great Awakening swept through the Atlantic region converting many of the Congregationalists to the new theology. After Alline's death many of these Newlights eventually became Baptists, thus making Maritime Canada the heartland of the Baptist movement in Canada.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The Quebec Act of 1774 acknowledged the rights of the Roman Catholic Church throughout Lower Canada in order to keep the French Canadians loyal to Britannic Crown. Roman Catholicism is still the main religion of French Canadians today.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The American Revolution beginning in 1765 brought a large influx of Protestants to Canada when United Empire Loyalists, fleeing the rebellious United States, moved in large numbers to Upper Canada and the Maritimes. They comprised a mix of Christian groups with a large number of Anglicans, but also many Presbyterians and Methodists.


title: Religion in Canada

text: While Anglicans consolidated their hold on the upper classes, workingmen and farmers responded to the Methodist revivals, often sponsored by visiting preachers from the United States. Typical was Rev. James Caughey, an American sent by the Wesleyan Methodist Church from the 1840s through 1864. He brought in the converts by the score, most notably in the revivals in Western Canada from 1851 to 1853. His technique combined restrained emotionalism with a clear call for personal commitment, coupled with follow-up action to organize support from converts. It was a time when the holiness movement caught fire, with the revitalized interest of men and women in Christian perfection. Caughey successfully bridged the gap between the style of earlier camp meetings and the needs of more sophisticated Methodist congregations in the emerging cities.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In the early nineteenth century in the Maritimes and Upper Canada, the Anglican Church held the same official position it did in England. This caused tension within English Canada, as much of the populace was not Anglican. Increasing immigration from Scotland created a very large Presbyterian community and they and other groups demanded equal rights. This was an important cause of the 1837 Rebellion in Upper Canada. With the arrival of responsible governments, the Anglican monopoly was ended.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In Lower Canada, the Roman Catholic Church was officially pre-eminent and had a central role in the colony's culture and politics. Unlike English Canada, French Canadian nationalism became very closely associated with Roman Catholicism. During this period, the Roman Catholic Church in the region became one of the most reactionary in the world. Known as Ultramontane Catholicism, the church adopted positions condemning all manifestations of liberalism.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In politics, those aligned with the Roman Catholic clergy in Quebec were known as "les bleus" (the blues). They formed a curious alliance with the staunchly monarchist and pro-British Anglicans of English Canada (often members of the Orange Order) to form the basis of the Canadian Conservative Party. The Reform Party, which later became the Liberal Party, was largely composed of the anti-clerical French Canadians, known as "les rouges" (the reds) and the non-Anglican Protestant groups. In those times, right before elections, parish priests would give sermons to their flock where they said things like ("the sky (heaven) is blue and hell is red").


title: Religion in Canada

text: In 1871, national census revealed 56.45% as Protestants, 42.80% as Roman Catholic, 0.05% as Pagans, 0.03% as Jewish, 0.02% as Mormons, 0.15% as irreligious and 0.49% as unspecified.


title: Religion in Canada

text: By the late nineteenth century, Protestant pluralism had taken hold in English Canada. While much of the elite were still Anglican, other groups, including the Methodists, had become very prominent as well. The schools and universities created at this time reflected this pluralism with major centres of learning being established for each faith. One, King's College, later the University of Toronto, was set up as a non-denominational school. The influence of the Orange Order was strong, especially among Irish Protestant immigrants, and comprised a powerful anti-Catholic force in Ontario politics; its influence faded away after 1920.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The late nineteenth century also saw the beginning of a large shift in Canadian immigration patterns. Large numbers of Irish and Southern European immigrants were creating new Roman Catholic communities in English Canada. Western Canada saw the arrival of significant Eastern Orthodox immigrants from Eastern Europe as well as Mormon and Pentecostal immigrants from the United States and Ireland.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In 1919–20 Canada's five major Protestant denominations (Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian) cooperatively undertook the "Forward Movement." The goal was to raise funds and to strengthen Christian spirituality in Canada. The movement invoked Anglophone nationalism by linking donations with the Victory Loan campaigns of the First World War, and stressed the need for funds to Canadianize immigrants. Centred in Ontario, the campaign was a clear financial success, raising over $11 million. However the campaign exposed deep divisions among Protestants, with the traditional Evangelists speaking of a personal relationship with God and the more liberal denominations emphasizing the Social Gospel and good works. Both factions (apart from the Anglicans) agreed on prohibition, which was demanded by the WCTU.


title: Religion in Canada

text: As of 1931, Roman Catholics were the largest religious body in Canada, with 4 million people. Following it were the United Church of Canada (including Methodists, Congregationalists and Presbyterians), with 2 million; the Anglican Church, with nearly 2 million; and the Presbyterian Church, with approximately 870,000. The Canada Year Book 1936 reported that "of the non-Christian sects, 155,614 or 1.50% were Jews, 24,087 or 0.23% were Confucians, 15,784 or 0.15% were Buddhists and 5,008 or 0.05% were pagans.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Domination of Canadian society by Protestant and Roman Catholic elements continued until well into the 20th century. Until the 1960s, most parts of Canada still had extensive Lord's Day laws that limited what one could do on a Sunday. The English Canadian elite were still dominated by Protestants, and Jews and Roman Catholics were often excluded. A slow process of liberalization began after the Second World War in English Canada. Overtly Christian laws were expunged, including those against homosexuality. Policies favouring Christian immigration were also abolished.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In 1951, a nationwide census was taken after incorporation of predominantly Protestant province of Newfoundland and Labrador.


title: Religion in Canada

text: According to statistics provided by Statistics Canada, Protestants held a slight majority in the country between 1871 and 1961. Despite Canada's large Roman Catholic population, this fact is confirmed by nine consecutive national censuses. By 1961, Roman Catholics overtook Protestants as the most numerous religious group, although—unlike Protestants—they never reached the absolute majority status (>50%).


title: Religion in Canada

text: The most overwhelming change was the Quiet Revolution in Quebec in the 1960s. Up through the 1950s, the province was one of the most traditional Roman Catholic areas in the world. Church attendance rates were high, and the schools were largely controlled by the Church. In the 1960s, the Catholic Church lost most of its influence in Quebec, and religiosity declined sharply. While the majority of Québécois are still professed Latin rite Roman Catholics, rates of church attendance have decreased dramatically. Since then, common-law relationships, abortion, and support for same-sex marriage are more common in Quebec than in the rest of Canada.


title: Religion in Canada

text: English Canada also underwent secularization. The United Church of Canada, the country's largest Protestant denomination, became one of the most liberal major Protestant churches in the world. Flatt argues that in the 1960s Canada's rapid cultural changes led the United Church to end its evangelical programs and change its identity. It made revolutionary changes in its evangelistic campaigns, educational programs, moral stances, and theological image. However, membership declined sharply as the United Church affirmed a commitment to gay rights including marriage and ordination, and to the ordination of women.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Meanwhile, a strong current of evangelical Protestantism emerged. The largest groups are found in the Atlantic provinces and Western Canada, particularly in Alberta, Southern Manitoba and the Southern interior and Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, also known as the "Canadian Bible Belt", as well as parts of Ontario outside the Greater Toronto Area. The social environment is more conservative, somewhat more in line with that of the Midwestern and Southern United States, and same-sex marriage, abortion, and common-law relationships are less widely accepted. The evangelical movement has grown sharply after 1960, and increasingly influences public policy. Nevertheless, the overall proportion of evangelicals in Canada remains considerably lower than in the United States, and the polarization much less intense. There are very few evangelicals in Quebec and in the largest urban areas, which are generally secular, although there are several congregations above 1000 members in most large cities.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The Canadian community is one of the earliest western communities of Baháʼís, at one point sharing a joint National Spiritual Assembly with the United States, and is a co-recipient of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan. The first North American woman to declare herself a Baháʼí was Kate C. Ives, of Canadian ancestry, though not living in Canada at the time. Moojan Momen, in reviewing "The Origins of the Baháʼí Community of Canada, 1898–1948" notes that "the Magee family... are credited with bringing the Baháʼí Faith to Canada. Edith Magee became a Baháʼí in 1898 in Chicago and returned to her home in London, Ontario, where four other female members of her family became Baháʼís. This predominance of women converts became a feature of the Canadian Baháʼí community..."


title: Religion in Canada

text: The majority of Canadian Christians attend church services infrequently. Cross-national surveys of religiosity rates such as the Pew Global Attitudes Project indicate that, on average, Canadian Christians are less observant than those of the United States but are still more overtly religious than their counterparts in Western Europe. In 2002, 30% of Canadians reported to Pew researchers that religion was "very important" to them. A 2005 Gallup poll showed that 28% of Canadians consider religion to be "very important" (55% of Americans and 19% of Britons say the same). Regional differences within Canada exist, however, with British Columbia and Quebec reporting especially low metrics of traditional religious observance, as well as a significant urban-rural divide, while Saskatchewan and rural Alberta saw high rates of religious attendance. The rates for weekly church attendance are contested, with estimates running as low as 11% as per the latest Ipsos-Reid poll and as high as 25% as per "Christianity Today" magazine. This American magazine reported that three polls conducted by Focus on the Family, Time Canada and the Vanier Institute of the Family showed church attendance increasing for the first time in a generation, with weekly attendance at 25 per cent. This number is similar to the statistics reported by premier Canadian sociologist of religion, Prof. Reginald Bibby of the University of Lethbridge, who has been studying Canadian religious patterns since 1975. Although lower than in the US, which has reported weekly church attendance at about 40% since the Second World War, weekly church attendance rates are higher than those in Northern Europe.


title: Religion in Canada

text: As well as the large churches – Roman Catholic, United, and Anglican, which together count more than half of the Canadian population as nominal adherents – Canada also has many smaller Christian groups, including Orthodox Christianity. The Egyptian population in Ontario and Quebec (Greater Toronto in particular) has seen a large influx of the Coptic Orthodox population in just a few decades. The relatively large Ukrainian population of Manitoba and Saskatchewan has produced many followers of the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, while southern Manitoba has been settled largely by Mennonites. The concentration of these smaller groups often varies greatly across the country. Baptists are especially numerous in the Maritimes. The Maritimes, prairie provinces, and southwestern Ontario have significant numbers of Lutherans. Southwest Ontario has seen large numbers of German and Russian immigrants, including many Mennonites and Hutterites, as well as a significant contingent of Dutch Reformed. Alberta has seen considerable immigration from the American plains, creating a significant Mormon minority in that province. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claimed to have 178,102 members (74,377 of whom in Alberta) at the end of 2007. And according to the Jehovah's Witnesses year report there are 111,963 active members (members who actively preach) in Canada.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Canada as a nation is becoming increasingly religiously diverse, especially in large urban centres such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, where minority groups and new immigrants who make up the growth in most religious groups congregate. Two significant trends become clear when the current religious landscape is examined closely. One is the loss of ‘secularized' Canadians as active and regular participants in the churches and denominations they grew up in, which were overwhelmingly Christian, while these churches remain a part of Canadians' cultural identity. The other is the increasing presence of ethnically diverse immigration within the religious makeup of the country.


title: Religion in Canada

text: As Mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics have experienced drastic losses over the past 30 years, others have been expanding rapidly: overall by 144% in ‘Eastern' religions during the 1981–1991 decade. Considering Canada's increasing reliance on immigration to bolster a low birth rate, the situation is only likely to continue to diversify. This increased influx of ethnic immigrants not only affects the types of religions represented in the Canadian context but also the increasingly multicultural and multilingual makeup of individual Christian denominations. From Chinese Anglican or Korean United Church communities, to the Lutheran focus on providing much needed services to immigrants new to the Canadian context and English language, immigration is making changes. Much as many Roman Catholics in Quebec ignore the Church's stance on birth control, abortion, or premarital sex, the churches do not dictate much of the daily lives of regular Canadians.


title: Religion in Canada

text: For some Protestant denominations, adapting to a new secular context has meant adjusting to their non-institutional roles in society by increasingly focusing on social justice. However the pull between conservative religious members and the more radical among the church members is complicated by the numbers of immigrant communities who may desire a church that fulfils a more ‘institutionally complete' role as a buffer in this new country over the current tension filled debates over same-sex marriage, ordination of women and homosexuals, or the role of women in the church. This of course will depend on the background of the immigrant population, as in the Hong Kong context where ordination of Florence Li Tim Oi happened long before women's ordination was ever raised on the Canadian Anglican church level.


title: Religion in Canada

text: As well a multicultural focus on the churches part may include non-Christian elements (such as the inclusion of a Buddhist priest in one incident) which are unwelcome to the transplanted religious community. Serving the needs and desires of different aspects of the Canadian and newly Canadian populations makes a difficult balancing act for the various mainline churches which are starved for money and active parishioners in a time when 16% of Canadians identify as non-religious and up to two-thirds of those who do identify with a denomination use the church only for its life-cycle rituals governing birth, marriage, and death. The church retains that hold in their parishioners' lives but not the commitment of time and energy necessary to support an aging institution.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Evangelical portions of the Protestant groups proclaim their growth as well but as Roger O'Tool notes they make up 7% of the Canadian population and seem to gain most of their growth from a higher birthrate. What is significant is the higher participation of their members in contrast to Mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics. This high commitment would seem to translate into the kind of political power evangelicals in the United States enjoy but despite Canada's historically Christian background as Beaman notes neatly "...[forming] the backdrop for social process" explicit religiosity appears to have not effectively moved the government towards legal discrimination against gay marriage.


title: Religion in Canada

text: There was a major religious revival in Toronto in the nineties known as the Toronto Blessing at a small Vineyard Church near the Toronto Pearson International Airport. This religious event was the largest tourist attraction to Toronto in 1994. This event was characterized by unusual religious ecstasy such as being slain in the Spirit, laughing uncontrollably, and other odd behaviour.


title: Religion in Canada

text: A 2015 study estimates some 43,000 believers in Christ from a Muslim background in Canada, most of whom belong to the evangelical tradition.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, a national evangelical alliance, member of the World Evangelical Alliance was founded in 1964 in Toronto. It brings together 43 Evangelical Christian denominations.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In mid-1870s Hutterites moved from Europe to the Dakota Territory in the United States to avoid military service and other persecutions. During World War I Hutterites suffered from persecutions in the United States because they are pacifist and refused military service. They then moved almost all of their communities to Canada in the Western provinces of Alberta and Manitoba in 1918. In the 1940s, there were 52 Hutterite colonies in Canada.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Today, more than 75% of the world's Hutterite colonies are located in Canada, mainly in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the rest being almost exclusively in the United States. The Hutterite population in North America is about 45,000 people.


title: Religion in Canada

text: First Mennonites arrived in Canada in 1786 from Pennsylvania, but following Mennonites arrived directly from Europe. The Mennonite Church Canada had about 35,000 members in 1998.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The Catholic Church in Canada, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, has the largest number of adherents to a religion in Canada, with 38.7% of Canadians (13.07 million) reported as Catholics in the 2011 National Household Survey, in 72 dioceses across the provinces and territories, served by about 8,000 priests. It was the first European faith in what is now Canada, arriving in 1497 when John Cabot landed on Newfoundland and raised the Venetian and Papal banners, claiming the land for his sponsor King Henry VII of England, while recognizing the religious authority of the Roman Catholic Church.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The entire Catholic Church in Canada is placed under the Primate of Canada which corresponds to the Archdiocese of Quebec and its bishop, the Primate of Canada. Actually, Gérald Cyprien Lacroix is the Primate of Canada. The Pope is represented in Canada by the Apostolic Nunciature in Canada (Ottawa).


title: Religion in Canada

text: Anglican Church of Canada is the only official church of the Anglican Communion in Canada. Across Canada there are approximately 1,700 individual churches or parishes, which are organized into 30 different dioceses, each led by a bishop. The national church office is known as General Synod. The Primate is the Archbishop Linda Nicholls, national pastoral leader.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has had a presence in Canada since its organization in New York State in 1830. Canada has been used as a refuge territory by members of the LDS Church to avoid enforcement of anti-polygamy laws by the United States government. The first LDS Church in Canada was established in 1895 in what would become Alberta; it was the first stake of the Church to be established outside the United States. The LDS Church has founded several communities in Alberta.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In the 2021 census sampling, about 0.2% of the population (equal to about 87,725 people) claimed to members of the LDS Church.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In 2021, the LDS Church claimed around 200,000 members in Canada; It has congregations in all Canadian provinces and territories and possess at least one temple in six of the ten provinces, including the oldest LDS temple outside the United States. Alberta is the province with the most members of the LDS Church in Canada, having approximately 40% of the total of Canadian LDS Church members and representing 2% of the total population of the province (the National Household survey of 2011 has Alberta with over 50% of the Canadian Mormons and 1.6% of the province's population), followed by Ontario and British Columbia.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Adherents of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Canada belong to several ecclesiastical jurisdictions. Historically, Eastern Orthodoxy was introduced to Canada during the course of 19th century, mainly through emigration of Christians from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Honouring such diverse heritage, Eastern Orthodoxy in Canada is traditionally organized in accordance with patrimonial jurisdictions of autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches, each of them having its own hierarchy with dioceses and parishes.


title: Religion in Canada

text: According to 2011 census data, there were 550,690 Orthodox Christians. The Greek Orthodox community constitutes the largest Eastern Orthodox community in Canada, with 220,255 adherents, followed by other communities: Russian Orthodox (25,245), Ukrainian Orthodox (23,845), Serbian Orthodox (22,780), Romanian Orthodox (7,090), Macedonian Orthodox (4,945), Bulgarian Orthodox (1,765), Antiochian Orthodox (1,220) and several other minor communities within Eastern Orthodoxy. A number of 207,480 adherents reported only as Christian Orthodox.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Adherents of Oriental Orthodox Christianity in Canada also belong to several ethnic communities and ecclesiastical jurisdictions. According to 2011 census data, Coptic Orthodox community constitutes the largest Oriental Orthodox community in Canada, with 16,255 adherents. It is followed by other communities: Armenian Orthodox (13,730), Ethiopian Orthodox (3,025), Syriac Orthodox (3,060) and several other minor communities within Oriental Orthodoxy.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Four years after Canada's founding in 1867, the 1871 Canadian Census found 13 Muslims among the population. The first Canadian mosque was constructed in Edmonton in 1938, when there were approximately 700 Muslims in the country. This building is now part of the museum at Fort Edmonton Park. The years after World War II saw a small increase in the Muslim population. However, Muslims were still a distinct minority. It was only with the removal of European immigration preferences in the late 1960s that Muslims began to arrive in significant numbers.


title: Religion in Canada

text: According to Canada's 2001 census, there were 579,740 Muslims in Canada, just under 2% of the population. In 2006, the Muslim population was estimated to be 0.8 million or about 2.6%. In 2010, the Pew Research Centre estimated there were about 0.9 million Muslims in Canada. In the 2011 National Housing Survey, Muslims constituted 3.2% of the population making them largest religious adherents after Christianity. Islam is the fastest growing religion in Canada. Sunni Islam is followed by the majority while there are significant numbers of Shia Muslims. Ahmadiyya also has a significant proportion with more than 25,000 Ahmadis living in Canada. There are also non-denominational Muslims.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In 2007, the CBC introduced a popular television sitcom called "Little Mosque on the Prairie", a contemporary reflection and critical commentary on attitudes towards Islam in Canada. In 2008, the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, visited the Baitun Nur Mosque, the largest mosque in Canada for its inaugural session with the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The Jewish community in Canada is almost as old as the nation itself. The earliest documentation of Jews in Canada are British Army records from the Seven Years' War from 1754. In 1760, General Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst attacked and won Montreal for the British. In his regiment there were several Jews, including four among his officer corps, most notably Lieutenant Aaron Hart who is considered the father of Canadian Jewry. In 1807, Ezekiel Hart was elected to the legislature of Lower Canada, becoming the first Jew in the British Empire to hold an official position. Hart was sworn in on a Hebrew Bible as opposed to a Christian Bible. The next day an objection was raised that Hart had not taken the oath in the manner required for sitting in the assembly – an oath of abjuration, which would have required Hart to swear "on the true faith of a Christian". Hart was expelled from the assembly, only to be re-elected two more times. In 1768, the first synagogue in Canada was built in Montreal, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal. In 1832, partly because of the work of Ezekiel Hart, a law was passed that guaranteed Jews the same political rights and freedoms as Christians.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The Jewish population saw a growth during the 1880s due to the pogroms of Russia and growing anti-Semitism. Between the years of 1880 and 1930 the Jewish population grew to 155,000. In 1872, Henry Nathan, Jr. became the first Jewish Member of Parliament, representing the Victoria, BC area in the newly created House of Commons. The First World War halted the flow of immigrants into Canada, and after the War there was a change in Canada's immigration policy to limit the immigration of people from "non-preferred nations", i.e., those not from the United Kingdom or otherwise White Anglo-Saxon Protestant nations. In June 1939 Canada and the United States were the last hope for 907 Jewish refugees aboard the steamship SS St. Louis which had been denied landing in Havana although the passengers had entry visas. The Canadian government ignored the protests of Canadian Jewish organizations. King said the crisis was not a "Canadian problem" and Blair added in a letter to O.D. Skelton, Undersecretary of State for External Affairs, dated June 16, 1939, "No country could open its doors wide enough to take in the hundreds of thousands of Jewish people who want to leave Europe: the line must be drawn somewhere." The ship finally had to return to Germany. During the Second World War almost twenty thousand Canadian Jews volunteered to fight overseas. Nearly 40,000 Holocaust survivors moved to Canada in the late 1940s to rebuild their lives.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Today the Canadian Jewish community is the fourth largest in the world and practices in both of the official languages of Canada. There is an increase in the number of people that use Hebrew, other than religious ceremonies, while there is a decline in the Yiddish language. Most of Canada's Jews live in Ontario and Quebec, with Toronto being the largest Jewish population centre. In 2009, anti-Semitic incidents jumped fivefold.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In 2018, there were 25,000 Druze living in Canada, and fewer than 5,000 of them live in the Greater Toronto Area. They are mostly of Lebanese and Syrian descent. Druze practice Druzism, a monotheistic religion encompasses aspects of Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Greek philosophy, among influences.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Hinduism is a minority religion followed by 2.3% of the population of the Canada. According to the 2021 census, there are 828,195 Hindus in Canada.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Hindus in Canada are generally Indian immigrants (mainly Punjabi and Haryanvi) from India who began arriving in British Columbia about 100 years ago and continue to immigrate today. There is a significant Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus in Canada who immigrated from Sri Lanka during the 1983 communal riots in Sri Lanka. There are also Nepali Hindus from Nepal and from Caribbean Hindus from Trinidad and Guyana. There are also Canadian converts to the various sects of Hinduism through the efforts of the Hare Krishna movement, the Gurus during the last 50 years, and other organizations.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The vast majority of Hindus reside in Ontario (primarily in Toronto, Scarborough, Brampton, Hamilton, Windsor and Ottawa), Quebec (primarily around the Montreal area) and British Columbia, (primarily around the Vancouver area).


title: Religion in Canada

text: Buddhism has been practised in Canada for more than a century and in recent years has grown dramatically. Buddhism arrived in Canada with the arrival of Chinese labourers in the territories during the 19th century. Modern Buddhism in Canada traces to Japanese immigration during the late 19th century. The first Japanese Buddhist temple in Canada was built at the Ishikawa Hotel in Vancouver in 1905. Over time, the Japanese Jōdo Shinshū branch of Buddhism became the prevalent form of Buddhism in Canada and established the largest Buddhist organization in Canada.


title: Religion in Canada

text: The first official Jain temple was established in Toronto in 1988. This temple served both the Digambar and Svetambara communities.


title: Religion in Canada

text: According to the 2011 census there were 468,670 Sikhs in Canada. Sikhs have been in Canada since at least 1897 and are the largest religious group among South Asian Canadians. British Columbia is the only jurisdiction outside of South Asia with Sikhism as the second most followed religion among the population.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Census data showed Modern Paganism grew by 281 per cent between 1991 and 2001, making it the fastest growing religion in Canada during that decade.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In Neo-Druid history a notable community was the Reformed Druids of North America, one of whose four founders was Canadian, which served both the US Druid community and the Canadian Druid community. Neo-Druidism largely spread in Canada through the Ancient Order of the Druids during the 19th century.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Irreligious Canadians include atheists, agnostics, and humanists. The surveys may also include those who are spiritual, deists, and pantheists. In 1991 they made up 12.3% of the Canadian population. In the 2001 census this number increased to 16.2% and increased again in 2011 to 23.9%. Some non-religious Canadians have formed associations, such as the Humanist Association of Canada, Toronto Secular Alliance or the Centre for Inquiry Canada, as well as a number of University Campus Groups.


title: Religion in Canada

text: According to the 2001 census, the major religions in Canada have the following median age. Canada has a median age of 37.3.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In the Canada 2011 National Household Survey (the 2011 census did not ask about religious affiliation but the survey sent to a subset of the population did), 69% of the Canadian population list Roman Catholicism or Protestantism or another Christian denomination as their religion, down 8% from the Canada 2001 Census, where 77% of the population listed a Christian religion. Representing two out of five Canadians, the Roman Catholic Church in Canada is by far the country's largest single denomination. Secularization has been growing since the 1960s. In 2011, 23.9% declared no religious affiliation, compared to 16.5% in 2001.


title: Religion in Canada

text: In recent years there have been substantial rises in non-Christian religions in Canada. From the 1991 to 2011, Islam grew by 316%, Hinduism 217%, Sikhism 209%, and Buddhism 124%. The growth of non-Christian religions expressed as a percentage of Canada's population rose from 4% in 1991 to 8% in 2011. In terms of the ratio of non-Christians to Christians, it rose from 19 Christians (95% of religious population) to 1 non-Christian (5% of religious population) in 1991 to 8 Christians (89%) to 1 non-Christian (11%) in 2011, a rise of 135% of the ratio of non-Christians to Christians, or a decline of 6.5% of Christians to non-Christians, in 20 years.


title: Religion in Canada

text: Includes Aboriginal spirituality, Pagan, Wicca, Unity – New Thought – Pantheist, Scientology, Rastafarian, New Age, Gnostic, Satanist, etc.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Francisco Moreno Domagoso (born October 24, 1974), popularly known by his stage name Isko Moreno or Isko Moreno Domagoso (), is a Filipino politician and actor who previously served as the 27th mayor of Manila from 2019 to 2022. Before heading the capital city of the Philippines, he first gained notability as an actor and television personality.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Born and raised in the slums of Tondo, Manila, Moreno spent his childhood in poverty and is widely known for his rags-to-riches story. After average success in show business, he entered politics in 1998, and ran for city councilor of Manila and was elected for three consecutive terms in topnotch victories. He then pursued higher education including some non-degree postgraduate education at Harvard Kennedy School and Oxford Saïd Business School. In 2007, he ran as vice mayor of Manila and was elected for three consecutive terms. In 2016, he was term-limited as vice mayor and unsuccessfully ran for senator in the 2016 senatorial elections. He placed 16th out of 50 candidates. He then served in the Duterte cabinet as social welfare undersecretary for a few months in 2018 before running and being elected mayor of Manila in a landslide victory against his former allies and known bigwigs Joseph Estrada and Alfredo Lim in the 2019 local elections becoming the youngest elected mayor in the history of Manila.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Widely regarded as one of the top performing local chief executives in the country, Moreno has described his leadership style as akin to that of his predecessor Alfredo Lim, citing their shared commitment in reducing crime and maintaining cleanliness of the capital. Moreno is also noted for his streetwise public image due to his use of colorful language coupled with Manila street slang. As a result, he was catapulted into prominence and is colloquially referred to as Yorme. His political career has been met with positive to mixed critical reception, with praise for his political will, efficiency, hands-on leadership, people skills, nonpartisanism on designations, and results-oriented performance, but criticism for his sporadic spontaneous outspoken remarks, over-the-top populist tendencies, and lack of permanence to a national political party, although he remained a constant member since the inception of Asenso Manileño, a local party he co-founded.


title: Isko Moreno

text: In September 2021, Moreno announced his bid for the Philippine presidency in the 2022 presidential election. He was unsuccessful in his bid and placed 4th out of 10 candidates in the presidential race count.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Having served in the government for 24 years, Moreno has received several awards and accolades for his works in public service. He is also widely credited for "restoring Manila to its former glory within a short period of time", despite disinformation against him by political rivals. He is generally known for his firm implementation of city-wide public services and programs, beautification of derelict historical sites, and spearheading the establishment of various city infrastructures. He announced retirement from politics after his one and only term as mayor ended on June 30, 2022.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Moreno is the only child of Visayan parents Joaquin Copias Domagoso (1930–1995), a stevedore at Manila's North Harbor, from San Jose, Antique, and Rosario Moreno (1946–2020) from Allen, Northern Samar, a housewife who sidelined as a laundrywoman and garlic peeler. Moreno's parents were not married when he was born and he has older half-siblings from his father's first family. Born and raised in the slums of Tondo, Manila where he was once nicknamed as "Scott", Moreno spent his childhood in poverty. At age 10, he found alternative sources of income including pushing a cart, garbage collecting, and going house-to-house to gather old newspapers and used bottles, then reselling them to a local junk dealer. He also drove a passenger pedicab and rummaged through restaurant garbage bins for leftover food, which his mother would recook for dinner. Moreno finished elementary at Rosauro Almario Elementary School while he finished high school at Tondo High School, both public schools in Tondo, Manila. From his savings, Moreno briefly enrolled in maritime engineering at the Philippine Maritime Institute in 1992, managing only to enroll for one semester every year, but dropped out when he entered the entertainment business after he was discovered by a talent scout in 1993 who encouraged him to audition for "That's Entertainment", a popular defunct teen variety show that was hosted by German Moreno (no relation), as a way for him to help his family alleviate poverty. Moreno subsequently got the part. He adopted the screen name "Isko Moreno" using his mother's surname who coincidentally happens to share the same surname of the late television presenter and talent manager who catapulted him to fame.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Then 18-year-old Moreno caught the attention of talent scout Wowie Roxas in 1993 while attending a funeral in Tondo and was then persuaded to join show business due to his matinee idol image rooted in his boyish features. His first exposure was when he had an extra role as a doorbell guy in an episode for the RPN 9 teen drama anthology, "Young Love, Sweet Love" previously hosted by German Moreno. He then auditioned for the seventh batch and subsequently became a part of the Monday group of "That's Entertainment", a daily variety show featuring German Moreno's stable of aspiring teenage actors, under the screen name Isko Moreno where he was once paired up with former child star Bamba whom eventually became his girlfriend briefly in real life. His big break came in when he was cast in a minor role in the 1993 romantic movie "May Minamahal" and became a leading man to Claudine Barretto in "Muntik na Kitang Minahal" a year later. He then starred in a variety of films and TV shows ranging from drama, romance, action, and comedy.


title: Isko Moreno

text: He later became known for his mature roles and modeling during his short stint in the "ST/titillating films" (erotic films) genre that was prevalent in the country during the 1990s and appeared in movies such as "Siya'y Nagdadalaga", "Exploitation", "Mga Babae sa Isla Azul" and "Misteryosa".


title: Isko Moreno

text: In 2004, he made a cameo appearance on his life story featured by "Maalaala Mo Kaya", the episode title called "Aklat", where Danilo Barrios portrayed him. In 2005, during his third term as a councilor of Manila, he returned to acting wherein he portrayed as a kind-hearted priest in the television drama series "Mga Anghel na Walang Langit". He also had a brief appearance in 2007 in the television drama series "Bakekang". The following year during his first term as vice mayor, Moreno had a supporting role in the afternoon soap opera "Ligaw na Bulaklak".


title: Isko Moreno

text: In 2014, he appeared in Japanese lifestyle variety show "Homecoming", where it was revealed that he is a godfather of then-AKB48 member, Sayaka Akimoto, according to photo documentations by Akimoto's Filipina mother, as the episode showed Akimoto traveling to the Philippines to explore her Filipino roots. He was visited and interviewed on the show by Akimoto, her mother, Akimoto's fellow AKB48 co-member Mariko Shinoda, and comedian Hiroshi.


title: Isko Moreno

text: In 2019, Moreno appeared in the film "" as Yorme, a former mayor of Balete, Batangas, and leader of a horse ranch as well as an old friend of the Philippine president. He also made a cameo appearance in the 24th anniversary special of "Bubble Gang".


title: Isko Moreno

text: A musical biographical film based on Moreno's life, "", was released on January 21, 2022, and was distributed by Viva Films. Raikko Mateo, McCoy de Leon, and Xian Lim portrayed Moreno in different times of his life, with Moreno also appearing as himself.


title: Isko Moreno

text: In November 2022, it was announced that Moreno will play the role of Ninoy Aquino in the Darryl Yap film "Martyr or Murderer", to be released in February 2023.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Moreno started his political career when he was elected and sworn in as councilor under the slate of then-Mayor Lito Atienza for Manila's first legislative district in 1998 at age 23, the youngest elected councilor in Manila's history at the time. Initially a decision done on a whim, he was re-elected in 2001 and 2004, topping the vote count of the former. His programs include the ""ISKOlar ng Bayan"" college scholarship program, the Isko Moreno Computer Learning Center (ISCOM), the "Botika ni Isko" which was the only pharmacy in the country installed within a public office, and the establishment of daycare centers in the first district. After receiving criticism from other members of the city council, his mentor, then-Vice Mayor Danilo "Danny" Lacuna, encouraged him to study while fulfilling his duties. In 2003, Moreno obtained his business administration degree from the International Academy of Management and Economics in Makati. He also took a crash course in Local Legislation and Local Finance at the National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman. He then completed bachelor in public administration at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila). He also attended non-degree programs, fellowships, and short courses in leadership and governance at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (Executive Education Program), and at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (Strategic Leadership Programme).


title: Isko Moreno

text: After his third and final term as city councilor, Moreno ran for vice mayor in 2007 under Asenso Manileño, a local party he co-founded with Danilo Lacuna, as the running mate of then outgoing vice mayor Lacuna. During his election campaign, he criticized what he called "black propaganda" by opponents who used photos of his past "sexy" acting career, but did not pursue any charges. Moreno eventually won the elections, beating his closest rival by about 80,000 votes; however, Lacuna lost to Senator Alfredo Lim, a former mayor himself. Moreno became the youngest elected vice mayor in the history of Manila at age 32. He studied law at Arellano University School of Law, but dropped in his second year when he was elected as vice mayor of Manila for the first time. He was re-elected in 2010, this time under Nacionalista Party and as the running mate of then-incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim of the Liberal Party. Both Lim and Moreno took part in the negotiation of the Manila hostage crisis until it was taken over by the police. Moreno had criticized the national government's urgency on the matter saying that the national government should have intervened early as it was already a national crisis level since foreign nationals were involved.


title: Isko Moreno

text: In 2011, Moreno was chosen to attend and sent to Washington D.C. under the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) sponsored by the US State Department, being the only Filipino participant on their batch.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Between 2012 and 2013, the Commission on Audit (COA) found that Moreno's office had 623 ghost employees. Cases filed against him were already dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman. Moreno believed that the allegations were headed and politically motivated by then-Mayor Lim which resulted in their falling-out. Moreno said that he was only the signatory to the disbursement of the city council's employees and that the Office of the City Treasurer was the one who disburses employee salaries. The Manila Regional Trial Court also ordered the reinstatement of Moreno's employees whom the court declared as unlawfully terminated by then-Mayor Lim. Judge Daniel Villanueva dismissed the then-mayor's allegations that some of the terminated workers could be ghost employees.


title: Isko Moreno

text: In May 2012, Joseph Estrada, the former president of the Philippines, announced his intention to run for mayor of Manila in the 2013 local election against then-incumbent Mayor Lim, but only for one term to give way for Moreno afterwards. Moreno, who was running for re-election as vice mayor in his third and last consecutive term, was chosen as Estrada's running mate. Estrada drove his famous "Jeep ni Erap" from San Juan to his new house at Altura, Santa Mesa, Manila to ceremonially launch his candidacy. He was joined by his wife, former senator Loi Ejercito and Moreno. Moreno then joined Estrada's party Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), which was then in coalition with PDP-Laban.


title: Isko Moreno

text: On February 16, 2013, months before election, Moreno and other five councilors were arrested and detained by the police due to alleged bingo operations held in a public place and lack of permit. Moreno denied that the bingo game was in a public place in Santa Cruz, Manila as they were in a private property and did not cause obstruction. Moreno believed that then-Mayor Lim was involved in his arrest which the latter denied. Moreno claimed that the bingo game was not illegal as there was no wager involved and that the cards were given for free. Moreno further explained that the bingo session was initiated for entertainment purposes in order to attract people to attend their consultation program. In his defense, Moreno said that there is no law that requires anyone to obtain a permit from the local government unit if the bingo games were intended purely for entertainment purposes especially when being done in a private and gated compound. The day before, Lim and Estrada signed a "Peace Covenant" to prevent any election-related violence in the city of Manila. Moreno and the other councilors were released a day later and the gambling charges were eventually dismissed by the Department of Justice due to lack of evidence and vague allegations on how the acts were committed. The police complainants also failed to cite a particular provision of the law that was violated. Moreno was successfully re-elected in May 2013, with Estrada beating Lim as the new mayor of Manila.


title: Isko Moreno

text: The Campaign Finance Office of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) later filed a complaint against Moreno in May 2017 for overspending in the 2013 elections claiming that Moreno exceeded expenditure limits by over P100,000 in his final vice mayoral bid. In his counter-affidavit which was received by COMELEC in October 2020, Moreno said his declared spending was a "simple and honest oversight" due to variances and unreconciled accounts and the sincere mistake was done in good faith. He later adjusted his expense report where the amended sum falls within campaign spending limits. Under Republic Act 7166, a candidate with political party support who is vying for neither the position of president or vice president, may spend only up to ₱3.00 per registered voter in his or her constituency. Several poll watchdogs have echoed support for Moreno and have long pushed for the revision of an outdated spending cap as they said that such law enacted in 1991 no longer reflected actual spending and that such action would make the disclosure of candidates and political parties more truthful. Under the poll body’s Rules of Procedure, preliminary investigations on election offenses must be terminated within 20 days after the receipt of counter-affidavits, after which a resolution should be made within five days. However, there has been no resolution on the case since then and it is highly unlikely to bring the case to court anymore as the COMELEC may be found guilty of "inordinate and oppressive delay." On their defense, the COMELEC said that the slow pace in the procedures is "usual" due to unclear delegation and delineation of functions.


title: Isko Moreno

text: In September 2014, five barangay chairpersons from Tondo filed a plunder complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Moreno and several other city officials in Manila for allegedly diverting real property tax shares amounting to ₱77 million to a "dummy" barangay in late 2013. Moreno responded that the accusations against him and the other officials were politically motivated. According to him, the so-called dummy barangay the complainants were referring to was Barangay 128 in Smokey Mountain. Moreno further explained that the funds they gave to Smokey Mountain, as well as the poor barangays in Parola and Baseco, were "floating funds" from uninhabited barangays in the city's piers and that such action was a "normal proceeding" since the time of former mayors Lito Atienza and Alfredo Lim. Moreno alleged that the complainants wanted to take a share from the funds but failed to properly request such. Moreno said that he and his co-defendants are willing to face the allegations but there has been no official report or publicly available update from the Office of the Ombudsman regarding the complaint.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Also during his tenure as vice mayor, Moreno was elected as the National President of the Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines (VMLP) from 2008 to 2016, and the 1st Vice President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) from 2014 to 2016. He was also the Chairman Emeritus of the Kaagapay ng Manileño Foundation from 2007 to 2010.


title: Isko Moreno

text: In 2015, a term-limited Vice Mayor Moreno announced that he would run for senator of the Philippines in 2016 after then-incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada decided to run for another term. He was named as part of the senatorial slate of presidential candidate and Senator Grace Poe's Partido Galing at Puso coalition and as an adopted senatorial candidate of Senator Bongbong Marcos, who was then running for vice president. He lost in his bid, placing 16th overall. He also received the biggest campaign contributions and donations by any senatorial candidate that year through pooled funds from different donors. Moreno declared and paid fully the obligated taxes out from his ₱50 million unused excess campaign donations as stated in his mandatory income tax return, which is not a violation in Philippine law, in compliance with the Commission on Elections Resolution No. 9991, Bureau of Internal Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 31-2019 and Revenue Regulation No. 7-2011. Apart from Moreno, other candidates who also declared excess campaign donations during that year were Grace Poe, Jejomar Binay, Rodrigo Duterte, Leni Robredo and Francis Escudero. Moreno is among the first few candidates who settled their obligations on excess campaign donations early. Among the candidates who had also declared excess campaign donations, Moreno's declaration was sensationalized six years later in 2022 by political rivals even though the Commission on Elections affirmed Moreno's response stating that "there are no rules requiring its disposition in any specific way", confirming Moreno did not violate any law and fully complied with its required taxation, as opposed to other candidates who still have unsettled obligations as per the publicly available report from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Moreno later stated that he believes the legislature should pass a corresponding law or new set of rules in the future that governs excess campaign donations for concrete clarifications and to achieve fair resolutions. His term as vice mayor of Manila ended on June 30, 2016, and was succeeded by Honey Lacuna, daughter of his mentor Danny Lacuna.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Moreno was appointed by then-President Rodrigo Duterte and served as an external peace consultant for the urban poor of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the Communist Party of the Philippines' (CPP) popular front, in its peace negotiations with the Duterte administration in 2016 and 2017. He attended the peace talks held in the Netherlands, Oslo, and Rome as an independent observer, along with members of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), before then-President Duterte formally terminated the peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDFP in late 2017. Aside from being external consultant and independent observer during the peace talks, Moreno denies further alleged communist ties which was also denied by CPP founder Jose Maria Sison.


title: Isko Moreno

text: In July 2017, then-President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Moreno as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the North Luzon Railways Corporation (NorthRail), a government-owned and controlled corporation. Moreno resigned from the post in October 2017, citing personal reasons.


title: Isko Moreno

text: In May 2018, Moreno was appointed by Duterte as undersecretary for Luzon affairs and special concerns at the Department of Social Welfare and Development. On October 11, 2018, he officially resigned from this post to run for mayor of Manila in the 2019 elections and challenge his former ally then-incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada, with then-incumbent Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna as his running mate. Moreno and Estrada had not been on speaking terms following Moreno's failed senatorial bid in 2016.


title: Isko Moreno

text: Moreno served as the 27th mayor of Manila (22nd person to hold the position), beginning his tenure in 2019. In the local elections, he garnered a historic win by defeating both his predecessors Alfredo Lim and then-incumbent mayor Joseph Estrada becoming the youngest mayor to be elected in the history of Manila at age 44. Moreno and Lim reconciled after the elections and remained in good terms until the latter's death in 2020. Moreno's first 100 days in office was met with positive response. Then-President Rodrigo Duterte also praised Moreno at one point saying "Moreno is better than him".


title: Isko Moreno

text: The local government of the City of Manila, under Moreno's administration, bagged its first-ever Good Financial Housekeeping recognition from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the year 2019.