The Filipino Express v27 Issue 14

Transcription

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Toprank.com
VOL. 27 w
NO. 14 w
NATIONAL EDITION w
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
APR 6 - APR 12, 2013 w
(201) 434-1114 w
$1.00
Bataan Day of Valor: Veteran leaders protest President Obama-US Army inaction on Equity claims
Filipino American WWII veterans and supporters join the Bataan Day of Valor wreathlaying ceremony with PH Embassy staff at the National WWII Memorial in Washington
DC, April 9, 2013.
WA S H I N G T O N D C
(April 9, 2013) - On the
anniversary of the Bataan Day of
Valor, elderly Filipino American
veteran leaders issued a public
statement to protest the Obama
Administration's inaction in
addressing the U.S. Army denials
of certification of military
service for thousands of their
comrades.
To m a rk t h e 7 1 s t
anniversary of the Bataan Day of
Valor in 1942, the veterans
joined an afternoon wreathlaying ceremony at the BataanCorregidor fountain in the
World War II National Memorial
w i t h P h i l i p p i n e E m b a s sy
officials and Filipino American
community supporters.
“We have waited and
waited for action from President
Obama. It has been six months
s i n c e O b a m a fo r m e d h i s
Interagency Working Group to
solve our Filipino veterans'
recognition problems. It seems
they are not working together.
Nothing has happened,” said
Celestino ALMEDA, 95,
spokesman of Washingtonbased American Coalition for
Filipino Veterans (ACFV).
“Our friend in the
White House, Cabinet Secretary
Chris LU resigned in January. He
was the head of the Interagency
Working Group. He has not been
replaced. No recommendations
have been made after two years
of our talks with the White
House staff, Defense Secretary
Panetta and VA Secretary
Shinseki,” Almeda added.
The coalition learned
Secretary Lu was frustrated by
the lack of cooperation and
unwillingness of the Army to
improve their half-century-old
recognition process of Filipino
WWII veterans to meet the spirit
and letter of the 2009 Filipino
Veterans Equity Compensation
law.
In the past three years,
the veterans' coalition had
requested Obama, as the
commander-in-chief, to issue an
executive order to the U.S. Army
to update their policies that
unfairly excluded from their
official 1948 list of names the
thousands of deserving Filipino
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Local Commission is the first in New Jersey and would serve as voice for immigrants' rights before Jersey City Government
Lavarro fights for immigrants’ rights with formation
of Immigrant Affairs Commission in Jersey City
Filipino American World War II veterans (L to R front: Ray Cabacar, Celestino Almeda
and Albert Bacani) appeal to President Obama to issue an executive order to recognize
the military service of their comrades whose names were not included in the 1948 U.S.
Army roster despite their official discharge papers and other Commonwealth
government documents in 1946. VFW color guards: Jay Cabacar, Jun Pedery and Rudy
Ines stand behind them at the National WWII Memorial in Washington DC, April 9,
2013. ACFV photo
Filipina caregiver, husband, sister
arrested for $350K theft of elderly ward
By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
(© 2013 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
C H I C A G O
(FAXX/jGLi) Cook County
authorities in Chicago, Illinois
arrested on Thursday (April
4) Filipina caregiver
Carmelita Pasamba, her
husband Edgardo Pasamba
and her sister, Jocelyn Vargas
B a k e r, f o r f i n a n c i a l
exploitation of a senior
citizen, Marshall F. Davies,
who lost more than $350,000
from them.
In a factual proffer
for setting bond, Cook County
State's Attorney Anita Alvarez
charged Carmelita Pasamba,
62, a certified nursing
assistant (CNA) with Class 1
felony of financial
exploitation of a senior
citizen; Jocelyn Vargas Baker,
46, also a CNA, with Class 2
felony offense theft of the
amount from $10,000 to
$100,000 range; and Edgardo
Pasamba, 63, of Class 3 felony
of financial exploitation of a
senior citizen. They are all
unemployed.
Carmelita Pasamba
must post $350,000 cash to
get out on bail; her sister,
Councilman-At-Large Lavarro
Jersey City, NJ, April 8,
2013 - Today, Councilman-AtLarge Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr.
called for the formation of an
advisory board to find
progressive policies to assist
Jersey City's immigrant
communities to leverage the
potential that they bring and
overcome the issues they face
in clu din g p a ssin g
comprehensive immigration
reform, protecting workers from
exploitation, and making sure
our immigration policies are just
a n d f a i r. T h e p r o p o s e d
Immigrant Affairs Commission
(the “Commission”) would be the
first of its kind in the state of New
Jersey, and will be introduced at
the next meeting of the Jersey
City Council.
Lavarro stated, “While
Congress is looking to improve
our nation's immigration laws,
there are things that we can do at
the local level to help ensure that
there's a pathway to citizenship,
workers are protected, and that
Jersey City's immigrant families
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Police chased against traffic flow that left 4 Filipinos dead?
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) Miami's suburban Opa-Locka
police are investigating reports
that its officer Sergio Perez may
have pursued a car driver even if
driving against traffic flow that
crashed head on with a minivan,
carrying four Filipinos, who all
died on the spot, last Wednesday
(April 3) at Interstate 95 (I-95) at
the boundary of Miami-Dade in
Florida.
A transcript of police
radio that day recorded Perez as
saying, “This guy [the driver,
SCENE AFTER CAR COLLISSION: These are what are left from a fiery collision between a Kia Sorento
minivan carrying four Filipinos who all died when a Chevy Suburban SUV, traveling in a wrong way,
collided with the minivan head on early Wednesday (April 3) morning on Interstate 95 (I-95) at the
Miami-Dade County boundary in Florida. The Filipinos who died were Dennis Ryan Rinon Ortiz, Lily
Marie Azarcon (Tuason), both employees of Philippine-based Ayala Land Company, Marie's friend,
Albertson Anthony Almase, 31, a Petty Officer 2nd Class of the U.S. Navy, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
and Almase's little sister, Kristina Almase, 26, a former resident of Cebu in the Philippines, who just
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relocated to Fort Lauderdale. (Photograb from sun-sentinel.com)
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
President Aquino vows effective implementation of the
Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Law under his helm
PILAR, Bataan -President Benigno S. Aquino III
announced on Tuesday the
government's effective
implementation of the Filipino
Law.
In his speech keynoting
the commemoration of the 71th
Araw ng Kagitingan rites at Mt.
Samat Shrine here, the Chief
Executive said that some 18,700
Filipino veterans were already
given their compensation
totaling to US$ 224 million as of
January this year.
"Nakatutok din po tayo
sa pagpapatupad ng Filipino
Law kung saan sinisigurong
nabibigyan ng buong
kompensasyon ang non-US
citizens, na aabot po sa siyam na
libong dolyar, at labinlimang
libong dolyar naman para sa
mga US citizens," the President
said.
"Nito pong Enero,
umabot na sa dalawandaan at
dalawampu't apat na milyong
dolyar ang naibahaging
kompensasyon para sa mahigit
labingwalong libo't pitongdaang
aplikasyong naaprubahan sa
ilalim ng batas na ito," he said.
The President,
President Benigno S. Aquino III, accompanied by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief
of Staff Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, troops the line upon arrival for the 71st Commemoration
of the "Araw ng Kagitingan" (Day of Valor) at the Dambana ng Kagitingan, Mt. Samat Shrine in
Pilar, Bataan on Tuesday (April 09, 2013). This year's theme is “Ang Beterano: Sigla at
Inspirasyon ng Kabataan Tungo sa Tuwid na Daan”. (MNS photo)
l i ke w i s e , n o t e d t h a t t h e
government continues to push
more initiatives for additional
pension benefits and
compensations and medical
services to veterans who fought
during the Second World War.
"Mula pa po noon,
nakatutok na sa kapakanan ng
ating mga beterano ang
Philippine Veterans Affairs
Office (PVAO). Kabilang po rito
ang pagsusulong sa
pagbabahagi ng kabuuang
b a y a d n g a t i n g To t a l
Administrative Disability (TAD)
pensions, kung saan bukod sa
iba pang benepisyo, ay
makatatanggap ng isanlibo't
pitongdaang piso kada buwan
ang mga beteranong nakaabot
na sa edad na pitumpung taong
gulang," he stressed.
"Pagdating naman po
sa serbisyong medikal, taontaon din nating pinapaigting ang
pagtuon sa kalusugan ng ating
mga kawal. Patuloy pong
nagsisilbi ang limandaan at
siyamnapu't siyam na
pampublikong ospital sa buong
bansa na accredited ng Veteran's
Memorial Medical Center
(VMMC) bilang regional or
provincial extension," he added.
The President
exhorted the Filipinos to adopt
the principles, ideals and deeds
of the country's war veterans
and keep peace at all times.
"Anumang banta sa
kapayapaan at kabuhayan sa
alinmang bansa ay maaring
magpalundo sa kalakhang
estabilidad ng buong mundo. Sa
madaling salita, nakasalalay sa
masusing ugnayan, sa
pagkakaisa, at sa iisang
direksyong pagsagwan ang
kolektibo nating kinabukasan,"
he said.
He also honored the
veterans who sacrificed their
lives during the World War II for
the Filipino nation to gain
freedom.
"Ngayon pong Araw ng
Kagitingan, isang bansa muli
tayong nagtitipon sa
makasaysayang pook na ito,
upang magbalik-tanaw at
bigyang-pugay ang kabayanihan
ng mga beteranong Pilipino at
A m e r i k a n o n g I k a l awa n g
Digmaang Pandaigdig. Sila po
ang libo-libong kawal na buongloob na hinaharang ang katawan
sa bala alang-alang sa bayan,"
the President said.
The President was
joined by Japanese Ambassador
Toshinao Urabe, United States
Ambassador Harry K. Thomas,
National Historical Commission
of the Philippines Chair Dr.
Maria Serena Diokno, Defense
Secretary Voltaire Gazmin,
among others during the
ceremonies which has for its
theme "Ang Beterano: Sigla at
Inspirasyon ng Kabataan Tungo
sa Tuwid na Daan."
The Day of Valor, also
known as Araw ng Kagitingan,
commemorates the heroism of
Filipinos and American Soldiers
when the Japanese occupied the
Philippines during World War II.
On April 9, 1942, the
troops of Bataan led by their
commander, Maj. Gen. Edward P.
King, Jr. surrendered to the
Japanese. The Filipino and
American soldiers were forced
to march 90 miles under the
heat of the sun from Bataan to
Camp O' Donell in Tarlac. Many
died even before they could
reach the Camp.
Araw ng Kagitingan: The Philippine Embassy in
Washington D.C. commemorated Araw ng Kagitingan with
a wreath-laying ceremony at the National World War II
Memorial on Tuesday, 9 April 2013. The ceremonies were
led by Charge d'Affaires Maria Andrelita S. Austria, Retired
Brig. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana of the Office of Veterans
Affairs, and Brig. Gen. Cesar B. Yano, Defense and Armed
Forces Attache. The ceremony was followed by the
screening at the Embassy of Donald Plata's "The Forgotten
Soldiers," a documentary on the Philippine Scouts.
Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim (eighth from left) of the Philippine Consulate of the Midwest and Illinois Secretary Jesse White (seventh from left) join
some of the Filipino World War II veterans and guests during the 71st Commemoration of Bataan Day: Day of Valor (Araw ng Kagitingan) held Monday, April
8, in Chicago, Illinois at the new address of the Philippine Consulate of Midwest at 122 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Others in photo from left
are Deputy Consul General Orontes V. Castro; Chicago City Mayor's Commissioner Samuel Miller, Jr., chair, City's Commission on Human Relations Advisory
Council on Veterans Affairs; retired Maj. Edwin H. Walker IV (USMC), Vice President, Maywood Bataan Day Organization (MBDO); retired Col. Emilio O.
Hidalgo, Commander, Filipino American Veterans Post 509; a representative of the American Legion; Fil Am vet Ricardo Caronongan; awardee Porfirio L.
Tabieros, Sr., who served as U.S. Army of USAFEE in the Philippines; Fil Am Director Eric Salcedo; Fil Am vet Dr. Crispin Echiverri; Former Fil Am Post
Commander Emil Garcera; Ms. Nettie Lasco, Director Matthew Abbot and another Fil Am vet. (FAXX/jGLi Photo by Joseph G. Lariosa)
WAR VETS URGED TO PERPETUATE
PERSONAL ORAL HISTORY
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi)
Filipino and American survivors
of Bataan Death March were
urged to perpetuate their
memories of World War II by
coming forward with their
experiences during the war while
they are still alive.
Illinois Secretary of State
Jesse White, who is also the State
Librarian and Archivist, told the
dwindling survivors of Bataan
Death March, who attended the
71st Commemoration of Bataan
Day: Day of Valor (Araw ng
Kagitingan) held Monday, April 8,
in Chicago, Illinois at the new
a d d re s s o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e
Consulate of Midwest at 122
South Michigan Avenue in
Chicago, the need to document
their sufferings in order to inspire
the next generations, who are not
aware of their sacrifices and
heroisms.
In brief remarks during
the annual observance of one of
the greatest sagas of World War II,
Secretary White said the
“Secretary of State is collecting
stories from military people. We
want you to share your stories to
us. We will provide your stories to
the Library of Congress. We will
cover as many stories of the
Armed Forces as we can.
“We thank you for your
giving spirit, your wonderful
work relationships you have done
d u r i n g t h e wa r a n d yo u r
wonderful friendships and
relationships.”
The two-sport athlete
he played baseball and basketball
while earning his Bachelor of
Science degree from Alabama
State College (now Alabama State
University) said two days before
he signed up with the Chicago
Cubs for spring training, he was
called into service, engrossing
himself into basic military
Philippine Embassy Photos
by Elmer G. Cato
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April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 3
DFA: No imminent threat
in Korean Peninsula
MANILA - The
Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA) said there is no imminent
threat despite the growing
tensions in Korea.
Assistant Secretary
Raul Hernandez, the DFA
spokesman said the situation in
South Korea, where about
40,000 Filipinos are based,
remain normal.
“The general situation
now in Seoul, in South Korea as a
whole, is normal, business as
usual and calm,” Hernandez
said.
Henandez said there
are no Filipinos yet who have
asked to be repatriated by the
embassy.
Aside from the
Filipinos, there area about
700,000 Chinese nationals,
4 0 0 , 0 0 0 Ko re a n - C h i n e s e ,
137,000 US nationals, 116,000
Vietnamese and about 60,000
Japanese are in South Korea.
“Nobody is leaving and
everybody is calm and they
b e l i e ve t h a t t h e re i s n o
imminent threat as far as the
situation there is concerned,” he
said.
He said the DFA is
continuously monitoring the
situation with international
agencies.
“The contingency plan
is based on intelligence report
and we have to do a solid
intelligence and assessment of
the situation and this is being
done by our embassy, in
coordination with the UN
command, with the South
Korean authorities, and also
with the US forces. We will not
move until we are able to have
that solid intelligence report,” he
said.
“What we have now is
that there is no movement of
troops in the border which
usually takes place before an
attack. That's why all our
international partners have told
us that as far as they are
concerned there is no imminent
threat or attack that is brewing
in that area,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Hernandez
stressed that the embassy is
ready to carry out its
contingency plan for Filipinos in
case violence breaks out.
“They are coordinating
very well with community
leaders and organizations para
paigtinging ang ating
contingency plan just in case
lumala ang tension. Handa po
ang ating embahada, in
coordination with the
community leaders, and other
stakeholders, to bring back our
people,” he said.
Miriam warns PH: Prepare
for 'nuclear winter’
MANILA -- Senator
Miriam Defensor Santiago, an
expert in international law,
warned the country of a
“nuclear winter” should the
ongoing tensions in the Korean
peninsula escalate further.
Santiago said the socalled “nuclear winter” creates
“dust clouds absorbing the
sunlight, dropping
temperatures, and damaging
agriculture in wide areas of our
country.”
Initially, a nuclear
weapons blast with the
Philippines a possible victim
will release a “fireball of
extremely high temperature,
Philippine environment could
be degraded for generations.”
Residual effects include severe
damage to health, such as
leukemia, congenital defects
and mental retardation, she
said.
But with nuclear
taboos compromised due to
countries already thinking of
striking back, the Philippines
should be ready instead with
analysis of laws that it could
bring to international courts
should it become a victim to the
standoff.
“Should armed
conflict arise, the Philippines
should be ready with analyses of
certain laws applicable in
armed conflict, notably human
rights conventions, the
Genocide Convention,
international humanitarian law,
the principle of neutrality, and
environmental law,” Santiago
said.
She said the shift is
now towards risk management.
Neutral state
Santiago said
countries have to respect the
integrity of neutral states like
the Philippines.
“North Korea would
fall under the duty to justify the
use of particularly destructive
weapons, if they seriously affect
neutral countries like the
Philippines. The consequences
entailed by unjustified use will
be governed by the law of state
responsibility,” she said.
She also noted the
country is protected by the
principles of environmental
law, such as the 1978 ENMOD
Convention or the Convention
on the prohibition of military or
any other hostile use of
environmental modification
techniques.
“This convention
prohibits the use of weapons
which have 'widespread, longlasting, or severe effects' on the
environment.”
She also noted there is
no treaty that would provide
rules in the use of nuclear
weapons in combat. “Present
treaties deal only with
manufacturing, testing,
possession, proliferation,
deployment, limitation, and
reduction of nuclear arms,” she
said.
While the UN General
Assembly has condemned
nuclear arms, there are no
resolutions adopted by all
members, she stressed.
Nonetheless, she said
that a nuclear strike hitting the
Philippines constitutes a grave
breach of humanitarian law.
“Hence, under
international law, North Korea
would assume the duty to pay
reparations, which can amount
to extreme proportions. In
addition, use of the atomic
bomb may qualify as war crimes
and as crimes against humanity,
under the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court,”
she said.
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 4
DFA chief's trip to tension-ridden
South Korea postponed
MANILA -- Department
o f Fo re i g n A f fa i r s ( D FA )
Secretary Albert del Rosario's
planned flight to South Korea
this weekend to check on the
contingency plans for Filipino
workers there has been
postponed, the DFA said on
Saturday.
DFA spokesman Raul
Hernandez also maintained
there is currently no indication
of an "imminent threat" from
North Korea, which had warned
of war on South Korea.
"The scheduled trip of
(Secretary) Del Rosario has
been postponed for a short
period to complete the
gathering of all necessary
information," Hernandez said
on his Twitter account .
Del Rosario was
scheduled to leave Saturday
midnight for Seoul and initially
planned to stay less than 24
hours.
Hernandez did not give
a timetable on when Del
Rosario's trip will push through.
Del Rosario's visit to
Korea sought to check on
contingency plans to ensure the
safety of some 42,000 Filipinos
there.
Bataan Day of
valor ...
From page 1
v eterans who honorably
served in the U.S. Army
Forces in Far East (USAFFE).
As U.S. nationals,
more than 240,000
Philippine Commonwealth
Army soldiers and guerrillas
fought under American
officers after they were
drafted by President Franklin
D. Roosevelt in his Military
Order of July 26, 1941. More
than 20,000 Filipino
veterans' claims for service
certification have been
rejected by the U.S. Army
over the past three years.
ACFV leaders in
major cities are concerned
their recent bills introduced
in the Senate and House will
o n ly p ro s p e r w i t h t h e
backing of Obama, especially
Albert del Rosario
He earlier indicated
that he would meet with the
South Korean Foreign vice
minister in charge of North
Korea to get a briefing on the
situation.
The information will
help guide the Philippine
government in preparing a
contingency plan to keep
Filipinos away from harm.
According to a Reuters
report on Saturday, North Korea
warns it could not guarantee the
safety of diplomats after next
Wednesday and has asked
embassies to consider moving
staff out of the country,
European diplomats said, amid
the Filipino Veterans Family
Reunification bills (S.461H.R.
966) introduced by Sen.
Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (DHI) as well the bills of Rep.
Heck Joe Heck (R-NV) and
Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)
dealing with the U.S. Army
recognition process (H.R.
481).
The coalition is
seeking congressional
hearings on these bills to
persuade the White House
and the U.S. Army to solve the
issue. Issuance of 20,000
immigration visas to the
adult sons and daughters of
U.S. citizen Filipino WWII
veterans under their
r e u n i f i c a t i o n b i l l m ay
depend upon U.S. Army
certification of their service,
according to Franco
ARCEBAL, 89, ACFV vicepresident for membership.
high tension on the Korean
peninsula.
The requests came on
the heels of declarations by the
secretive state that real conflict
was inevitable, because of
"hostile" U.S. troop exercises
with South Korea and U.N.
sanctions imposed over the
North's latest nuclear weapons
test.
They also followed
South Korean media reports
that the North, under its 30year-old leader Kim Jong-un,
had moved two missiles to the
country's east coast.
"The current question
was not whether, but when a
war would break out on the
peninsula," because of the
"increasing threat from the
United States", China's state
news agency, Xinhua, on Friday
quoted the North's Foreign
Ministry as saying.
It added that
diplomatic missions should
consider evacuation. North
Korea would provide safe
locations for diplomats in
accordance with international
conventions, Xinhua quoted the
ministry as saying in a
notification to embassies.
Intrusion of 2 unidentified aircraft highlights
need for military upgrade -- PHL military
MANILA -- The overflight by two unidentified aircraft,
at high speed and altitude, over
Pag-asa Island, highlights the
need for the Philippine military to
upgrade its equipment and
facilities.
"(The over-flight of two
unidentified aircraft) highlights
the need of the AFP to upgrade
itself so that it can at least have a
minimum credible deterrent,"
AFP Western Command head Maj.
Gen. Rustico Guerrero said.
He added he is hoping
the ongoing modernization
programs of the military will
address these needs so that
Philippine borders can be
protected.
Badly needed items by
the AFP include "space"
(surveillance) radars, modern
interceptor aircraft and naval
vessels with anti-ship and aircraft
capability.
Guerrero said they have
yet to identify the type of aircraft
that flew over Pag-asa Island last
April 4.
"We cannot ascertain its
type or the country where it
originated because it was flying
too fast and too high for our
ground-based monitoring units,"
he stressed.
Pag-asa island is part of
the Kalayaan Island Group over
which the Philippines exercises
t e r r i t o r i a l s o v e r e i g n t y,
j u r i s d i c t i o n a n d e f f e c t iv e
administration in accordance
with international law.
Both aircraft were
headed north and came over from
a southwest direction.
Protesters hold placards in front of anti-riot policemen during a protest calling for the pullout of
U.S. troops stationed in the Philippines outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila April 9, 2013.
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 5
Chinese fishing vessel does a Guardian, runs aground in Tubbataha
MANILA -- Nearly three
months after an incident involving
a US minesweeper, a Chinese
fishing vessel ran aground in
Tubbataha Reef shortly before
midnight Monday.
The incident involving
the Chinese fishing vessel with hull
number 63168 occurred at 11:40
p.m. Monday.
Initial information from
the Tubbataha Management Office
indicated the vessel ran aground
some 1.1 nautical miles east of the
ranger station.
Tubbataha Reef is a
World Heritage site and hugely
popular diving destination known
for the diversity of its marine life. It
is located in the middle of the Sulu
Sea, in the heart of the Philippine
archipelago.
Park rangers said the
Chinese vessel had at least 12 crew
members on board.
The Philippine Coast
Guard has sent a search and rescue
vessel (SARV-3503) to the area.
Meanwhile, Department
o f F o r e i g n A f f a i r s ( D FA )
spokesperson Raul Hernandez
said that they are still studying the
matter and the Coast Guard is
already investigating the incident.
Zhang Hua, spokesman
of the Chinese Embassy in the
Philippines, said in a text message
to reporters, "We noticed the
media reports and are verifying it."
Rising tide
PCG spokesperson
lieutenant commander Armand
Balilo said their immediate plan is
to have divers check the extent of
the grounding and see if the
Chinese vessel can be refloated
and towed to Puerto Princesa City,
about 12 hours away in the
Palawan mainland.
Balilo also said the
fishermen are still in the ship as of
press time. They will be brought to
the National Committee on Illegal
Entrants in Puerto Princesa City
for questioning.
“Obviously they're
within our territorial waters...
Alam naman natin na kung may naviolate ka na local laws, you'll be
within the jurisdiction of the area,”
he said.
Balilo said they are
monitoring the area in case the
rising tide pushes the grounded
ship off the reef.
“Mayroong possibility na
maka-angat itong barko from its
present position pag lumaki ang
tubig. Babantayan ito at
sasamahan papunta 'dun sa
Puerto Princesa,” Balilo said.
He added that the ship is
likely to be the average size of a
fisherman's boat usually seen in
Philippine territorial waters.
“Hindi pa natin napipicture kung gaano kalaki pero
malamang maliit lang ito. The
usual fishing boat na ginagamit ng
mga Chinese fishermen na
dumadaan sa area at 'dun sa ating
mga territories sa Northern
Luzon,” Balilo said.
Department of
Transportation and
Communications (DOTC)
secretary Jun Abaya said they have
yet to determine the cause of the
grounding.
“So far, hindi pa alam
kung ano ang kadahilanan at
kailangang makausap ang
grupong ito para malaman natin,”
he said in an interview on “News to
Go.”
Another USS Guardian
Monday night's incident
occurred barely three months
after the minesweeper USS
Guardian ran aground in
Tubbataha Reef last Jan. 17, and
eight days after the minesweeper
was extracted from the area.
Authorities said the USS
Guardian damaged 2,345.67
square meters of coral reefs, and
may fine the US government P58.4
million.
“ T a l a g a n g
nakakamangha na pagkatapos
lang ng USS Guardian, ito namang
mga (Chinese) ang pumasok 'dun,”
DOTC's Abaya said.
He added that the
fishermen may be detained for
illegal entry due to an
imprisonment clause on Republic
Act 10067 or the Tubbataha Reefs
Natural Park Act of 2009.
“Pwedeng i-detain po sila
dahil kung babasahin po natin ung
Tubbataha Preservation Act, may
possible imprisonment and
consequences ito bukod sa
pagbabayad, particularly 'yung
pumasok ka sa park mismo wihout
complying with the exemptions”
Abaya said.
US Navy turns over documents
on Tubbataha probe
MANILA -- The United
States Navy has turned over to a
Philippine team several pieces of
evidence and other relevant
documents, including the
supposedly faulty navigational
chart that allegedly caused the
grounding of a minesweeper in
Tubbataha.
In a statement, Foreign
Affairs Assistant Secretary Gilberto
Asuque said: “These maps and
documents are important to our
own independent investigation of
what caused the grounding of the
USS Guardian.”
He also said: “Aside from
determining what happened, these
materials will also help us identify
measures that should be taken to
prevent similar incidents.”
The Philippine Maritime
Casualty Investigating Te am
received the materials on April 4,
days before the salvage teams were
finally able to remove the USS
Guardian from the World Heritage
site.
The US Navy earlier
blamed a faulty navigational chart
for the cause of the incident.
Officials also responded
to specific queries raised by the
investigating team. “The MCIT, as
part of its investigation posed
technical and substantive queries
relevant to our independent
investigation. US Navy officials have
cooperated and the MCIT will
process and assess the materials
turned over to us and other
information we obtained,” Asuque
said.
The inquiry also aims to
identify new measures that may be
undertaken by the Philippines and
the US to prevent such grounding
from happening again in the future.
A Philippine coastguard tugboat sails past the USS Freedom (LCS-1) docked at the south harbor in
Manila April 9, 2013. The USS Freedom, commissioned in 2008, is the U.S. Navy's first littoral combat
u
Page 7
ship, according to a media release by the U.S. Embassy.
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 6
War vets urged to
perpetuate ...
From page 2
training, instead of baseball spring
training.
He rec a lled t ha t a s a
paratrooper in the U.S. Army's 101st
Airborne Division, when he was told to
exit from the aircraft, he was told to
count 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and then you
put your head back and look up and see
if your parachute's is okay. But some
jumpers called “southern jumpers” are
more dangerous and deadly due to the
speed of the aircraft and by counting
1,001, 1,002, when there is
malfunction and when it is a night
jump.
The founder of the
internationally known Jesse White
Tumbling Team to serve as a positive
alternative for children residing in and
around the Chicago area, Mr. White
dances tinikling (Filipino bamboo
dance) and favors Filipino delicacy,
among them chicken adobo.
Because of the rainy
weather, Philippine Consul General
Leo Herrera-Lim called off for the first
time the floral offering and wreath
laying at the foot of the BataanCorregidor Memorial Bridge at the
corner of State and Wacker Drive in the
heart of Chicago that was annually held
in collaboration with the Chicago of
Commission on Human Relations,
Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs
chaired by Commissioner Samuel
Miller, Jr., Filipino and American WW II
Veterans, the Filipino American
community and their American
friends.
During the ceremonies at
the Kalayaan Hall (Freedom Hall) at the
Philippine Consulate office, Consul
General Herrera-Lim opened with
welcome remarks after the invocation
Bataan Day of
valor ...
From page 1
v eterans who honorably
served in the U.S. Army
Forces in Far East (USAFFE).
As U.S. nationals,
more than 240,000
Philippine Commonwealth
Army soldiers and guerrillas
fought under American
officers after they were
drafted by President Franklin
D. Roosevelt in his Military
Order of July 26, 1941. More
than 20,000 Filipino
veterans' claims for service
certification have been
rejected by the U.S. Army
over the past three years.
ACFV leaders in
major cities are concerned
their recent bills introduced
in the Senate and House will
o n ly p ro s p e r w i t h t h e
backing of Obama, especially
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White (right, in rostrum) urged Filipino and American war veterans to document their experiences during the war so
they can be kept for posterity which could inspire succeeding generations during the 71st Commemoration of Bataan Day: Day of Valor (Araw ng
Kagitingan) held Monday, April 8, in Chicago, Illinois at the new address of the Philippine Consulate of Midwest. He cited an example on the
challenges of parachuting at night and the dangers that former paratroopers, like him, faced. Among those in photo from left are Filipino American
Director Eric Salcedo (seated, front row from left), Matthew Abbott, Director of Global & Economic Affairs of the office of U.S. Sen. Mark Stevens
Kirk (R-IL), Filipino American Cook County Court Judge Israel “Izzy” Disierto, Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim, Mrs. Fides Herrera-Lim. (FAXX/jGLi
Photo by Joseph G. Lariosa)
by Dr. Arcadio V. Pomer.
It was followed by
presentations and readings of letters,
greetings from United States
Senators Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and
Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL), who was
represented by Matthew Abbot,
Director of Global & Economic
Affairs; Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn;
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel;
Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan, represented by Filipino
American Director Eric Salcedo and
Ms. Nettie Lasco; Rep. Jan
Schakowsky, represented by Filipino
American Ms. Abbey Eusebio;
Maywood, Illinois Mayor Henderson
Yarbrough, Jr., whose message was
read for him by retired Maj. Edwin H.
Walker, USMC, Vice President,
Maywood Bataan Day Organization;
and Skokie, Illinois Mayor George
Van Dusen, whose message was read
for him by Skokie Commissioner
Angeles (Jelly) Carandang, chair of
Illinois National Federation of
Filipino American Associations.
Governor Quinn, Mayors
Emanuel, Yarbrough, Jr. and Dusen
declared Bataan Day celebrations in
the Filipino Veterans Family
Reunification bills (S.461H.R.
966) introduced by Sen.
Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (DHI) as well the bills of Rep.
Heck Joe Heck (R-NV) and
Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)
dealing with the U.S. Army
recognition process (H.R.
481).
The coalition is
seeking congressional
hearings on these bills to
persuade the White House
and the U.S. Army to solve the
issue. Issuance of 20,000
immigration visas to the
adult sons and daughters of
U.S. citizen Filipino WWII
veterans under their
r e u n i f i c a t i o n b i l l m ay
depend upon U.S. Army
certification of their service,
according to Franco
ARCEBAL, 89, ACFV vicepresident for membership.
Illinois and in their corresponding
cities. While Senators Durbin and
Kirk, Atty. Gen. Madigan, and Rep.
Schakowsky urged Americans to
honor the sacrifices of both the
Filipinos and Americans during
World War II.
Director Salcedo added,
“As a Filipino American growing up
here in the U.S., I heard stories from
my Mom and Dad, the horrors of
World War II. I thank you Filipino
Americans. I will not be here were it
not for you. The future that came
after you will always remember and
will never forget.”
For his part, Major Walker
invited the participants to attend the
annual Bataan Day Celebration, an
immovable commemoration set by
the U.S. Congress on the first Sunday
of September at the Veterans
Memorial, Maywood Park at lst
Avenue & Oak Street, Maywood. He
also mentioned the struggles of
Filipino veterans, among them in
attendance, was Col. Emilio O.
Hidalgo, 94, of Tanauan, Batangas, of
USAFFE and Commander of Filipino
American Veterans, who is still
fighting for recognition as a Bataan
Death March Prisoner of War.
Hidalgo also wants to correct the
surrender marker of American Col.
Jones on behalf of General King to
Japanese General Homma, which is
way off the fire hydrant, where he
was tied, while surrender
negotiation was in progress on April
9, 1942. He said the current
surrender marker in Balanga, Bataan
is three and a half hours away by
hiking from the Japanese Tent where
the surrender took place.
M r. W a l k e r s a i d ,
“Remember the price of freedom is
priceless. Remember Bataan.
Alalahanin natin ang Bataan!”
Highlight of the occasion
was the presentation of several war
service medals. Among the awardees
was Porfirio L. Tabieros, Sr., 90, a
USAFFEE member and native of
Penablanca, Cagayan in the
Philippines. Among his awards were
Philippine Defense Medal, Liberation
Medal, Philippine Independence
medal, WW II victory medal and
badge. As barangay captain (village
chief) and president of Association of
Barangay Captain of his hometown of
Iguig, Cagayan, Mr. Tabieros also
received the Philippine military civic
action medal from ConGen HerreraLim and wife, Fides Herrera-Lim and
Secretary Jesse White.
Another awardee was Dr.
Eugene E. Bleil, 92, of Detroit,
Michigan, of the U.S. Army Air Corps,
who was sent to Nichols Field in the
Philippines with the 17th Pursuit
Squadron. He wrote about his
experiences during WW II entitled,
“Consigned to Death Six Times:
Surviving Bataan, The Death March,
and Life as a POW.” He was awarded
Philippine Defense, Liberation,
Independence and WW II medals.
Mr. Bleil, however, could
not attend, the ceremonies, like Dr.
Lester I. Tenney, a Bataan Death
March survivor with the U.S. Army as
operator and later tank commander
in the 192nd Tank Battalion
Company B. Dr. Tenney was awarded
many military decorations for valor
and is presently living at Carlsbad,
California. Excerpts of his awardwinning book, “My Hitch in Hell,” are
on display at Smithsonian Museum in
the Museum of American History.
Posthumously awarded
was Everall D. Olson, 21, of Lebanon,
Kansas, a Staff Sergeant with the U.S.
Air Force in the Philippines during
WW II. He died as a Japanese
prisoner-of-war in Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija in the Philippines on Jan.
3, 1943.
Among those who
supported the event were Sinai
Medical Group/Sinai Health System,
Edilberto C. Ortiz, CPA, of E. C. Ortiz &
C o . L L P, m e m b e r s o f t h e
Preparatory/Planning Committee
for the 2013 Bataan Day and leaders
of Filipino American community
organizations.
(Lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 7
Chinese fishing
vessel does a ...
From page 5
According to Section
19 of the law, “No person or
entity shall enter, enjoy or
utilize any portion of the TRNP
and the resources therein for
whatever purpose without
prior permission from the
(Tubbataha Protected Area
Management Board) as herein
provided.”
Violators may be
penalized with imprisonment of
six months to a year and
P100,000 to P300,000 fine.
Meanwhile, erring
fisherfolks face penalties of one
to three years imprisonment
and a P500,000 fine.
Coast Guard quizzes Chinese
fishermen
Coast Guard Palawan
and Task Force Tubbataha head
Commodore Enrico Evangelista
said they will conduct an
inventory of the fishing vessel.
He said they will
particularly look for weapons
and illegal catch.
The Philippine Navy
scheduled an aerial inspection
in Tubbataha Reef but the flight
had to turn back due to thick
clouds and turbulence, World
Wide Fund for NaturePhilippines president Lory Tan
said.
"Overcast conditions
also inhibiting radio and
Inmarsat calls. No further
reports received from Chinese
grounding site as of 10:30 a.m.,"
Tan said. WWF is a member of
the Tubbataha management
board.
The last time
Philippine authorities
attempted to arrest Chinese
fishermen and seize poached
marine life, in April last year, an
international stand-off between
the Philippines and China at
Panatag Shoal near the
Zambales coast resulted in the
occupation by China of the
shoal, a situation that persists
one year later.
The Coast Guard is
h a v i n g p r o b l e m s
communicating with the 12
Chinese fishermen in
Tubbataha, and may need the
services of an interpreter.
Filipina
caregiver ...
From page 1
Jocelyn Baker, has to come up
with $200,000 cash bail; while
her husband, Edgardo Pasamba
has to post a $50,000 cash bail.
They are all detained in Cook
County jail.
The substantial bonds
were recommended “especially
in the light of their immigration
status.” Carmelita entered the
United States in 1977 on
Visitor/Working Visa from the
Philippines. She is not a U.S.
citizen and has never received
an extension for her visa.
Baker has no record of
legally entering the U.S. from the
Philippines and the
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) believes she
“is not legally in the U.S.”
Edgardo entered the U.S. in
1983 on a Visitor's Visa from the
Philippines but is a Green Card
holder.
It is very likely that if
they are convicted of their
offenses, they could be deported
to the Philippines after serving
out their sentence. Carmelita
faces a 15-year imprisonment.
Prosecutors based
their criminal charges against
the three defendants from the
proceedings of the citation to
recover assets filed by Cook
County Public Guardian Robert
F. Harris pending before
Probate Court Judge Lynne
Kawamoto of the Circuit Court
of Cook County. Originally
named respondents in this case
are Carmelita Pasamba, Jocelyn
Carmelita Pasamba
Edgardo Pasamba
Jocelyn Vargas Baker
Baker, Edgardo Pasamba,
Carmelita's daughter, Donabel
Copon and her son, Dennis
Pasamba, Atty. Alfonso Bascos,
Cindy Rubio and St. Joseph
Hospital, who are accused of
conspiring in siphoning off
more than $500,000 from Mr.
Davies, a 94-year-old retired
engineer from the City of
Chicago, who is residing at a
retirement home in Chicago's
north side.
James Burton, who is
prosecuting the probate case,
told this reporter the criminal
cases filed against Carmelita,
Baker and Edgardo Pasamba
“will not affect my case before
Judge Kawamoto.” Attorney
Burton added, “I am not sure
why they did not prosecute Mr.
Bascos and (Carmelita's) two
kids.”
The probate case will
have a status hearing on April
19 while the criminal case will
be heard on April 25 before the
Criminal Circuit Court at 26th
and California in Chicago.
Pasamba first met
Davies in January 2008 when he
was confined at St. Joseph
Hospital along Lakeshore Drive
in Chicago for hip injury. She
cared and befriended him.
When Davies was discharged
later that month, the hospital
recommended that he be
confined at a 24-hour home
health care but Davies chose
Pasamba to care for him.
Pasamba would take a
leave from the hospital and
asked her sister, Jocelyn Baker,
and her daughter, Donabel
Copon, to take care of Davies
round-the-clock.
executor Edgardo Pasamba in
the will.”
Assistant State
Prosecutors Sandra
Stavropoulos and Mary Louise
Ryan Norwell said between Jan.
2008 and July 2011, Pasamba
spent more than a quarter
million dollars of the victim's
money for herself and her
family, giving loans to herself
and family members, which
were never paid back,
purchasing new furniture,
rehabbing her home, buying
new electronics and a new
Mercedes-Benz motor vehicle.
On May 8, 2008, two weeks after
she became the victim's Power
of Attorney (POA), Pasamba
wrote a check to herself for
$30,000 from the victim's bank
account. A month later, on June
16, 2008, she gave herself
another $25,000. She called
these transactions “loans” and
used the money to remodel her
kitchen and basement.
On Oct. 10, 2008, Carmelita
acted as POA for the sale of the
victim's condominium, located
in Chicago, which the victim was
to receive $189,010.70.
Pasamba paid herself $50,000
DAVIES LIFE LONG BACHELOR
In March of that year,
Pasamba and her husband
Edgardo drove Davies, a lifelong
bachelor, to the office of
Attorney Alfonso Bascos at the
Rizal Center at 1332 West Irving
Park Road in Chicago's north
side. Pasamba asked Mr. Bascos
to make her a Power of Attorney
(POA) so she could be co-signer
to Davies checking and other
accounts. She also asked Bascos
to re-draw a will and trust that
gave her control over Davies'
assets.
Pasamba made her
husband Executor of the will
and Bascos was made "lawyer of
Chinese vessel
Near north islet
The Chinese fishing
vessel ran aground on the
eastern flank of the north islet,
said Tan.
Ta n s a i d W W F Philippines is monitoring the
area with a team from the
Department of Science and
Technology on Tuesday.
The USS Guardian ran
aground on the south islet, Tan
added.
cash out of the proceeds, which
she called “bonus.”
From Sept. 1, 2008 to
July 6, 2011, Pasamba paid
herself a salary of $5,500 per
month for her duties as POA, for
a total of $170,000. The
standard salary for a POA is a
minimum wage. Finally, during
a Guardianship action in
Probate Court , Pasamba
produced a document, which
was purportedly signed by the
victim's personal physician in
2008. This document stated the
victim was competent to make
his own decisions. The
physician, who diagnosed the
victim with dementia in 2007,
said that this document is a
forgery.
Between May 13, 2008
and Oct. 9, 2009, Pasamba, using
the victim's money, “loaned”
and gave cash advances and
“gifts” totaling $51,000 to her
sister, Baker, which Baker never
paid back. Baker was also
victim's caretaker during this
period of time.
In total, Pasamba spent
$350,000 of the victim's money
for her and her family's benefits
during the three and a half years
she was the victim's POA.
Pasamba hired her
husband, Edgardo, to be the
victim's driver.
On or about April 15,
2009, while Edgardo was the
victim's driver as well as his
Executor under the victim's will,
the victim purportedly sold his
2000 Buick motor vehicle to
Edgardo for $2,000. Edgardo
never paid the victim for the
motor vehicle.
(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 8
Aquino satisfaction rating bounces back up
MANILA -- The public's
satisfaction rating of President
Benigno Aquino III bounced back up
in the March 2013 Social Weather
Stations (SWS)-Business World
survey.
Vice President Jejomar
Binay also continued to enjoy
majority trust and approval ratings
from Filipinos.
A Social Weather StationsBusiness World survey showed that
Aquino's performance scores
increased to a net of +59 or "very
good," a four-point gain from
December 2012's +55 net score.
The March 19-22 SWS-BW
survey was higher compared to
Aquino's double-digit decline of +42
or "good" which he gained last May
2012.
T h e S W S - B W s u r vey
showed Aquino's satisfaction scores
increased "significantly" in Luzon
which saw a 13-point increase. His
satisfaction scores also increased 10
points in Mindanao. However,
Aquino's net scores declined 18
points in Visayas.
The March 19-22 SWS-BW
survey involved 1,200 adult
respondents nationwide with
sampling error margins of +/-3
percent for national and +/-6
percent for area percentages.
Pulse Asia survey
A Pulse Asia survey also
showed Aquino registering majority
approval (72 percent) and trust (75
percent) scores in its March 16 to 20
survey.
Meanwhile, Vice President
Jejomar Binay also scored majority
approval (76 percent) and trust (75
percent) scores, according to the
same Pulse Asia survey.
Between February and
March, Binay earned "significant
gains" in public approval with +6
percentage points.
Most Filipinos also
express approval (53 percent) and
trust (51 percent) for Senate
President Juan Ponce Enrile. House
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (33
percent and 30 percent) and Chief
Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno (32
percent and 29 percent) earned
relatively low approval and trust
scores.
Enrile (+7 percentage
points), Belmonte (+6 percentage
points), and Sereno (+6 percentage
points) had significant gains in their
approval scores, but disapproval and
distrust is "most pronounced"
toward Belmonte and Sereno (16
percent and 19 percent,
respectively), according to the same
Pulse Asia survey.
Only Aquino and Binay
enjoy majority approval ratings
across geographic areas and
socioeconomic classes.
Results of the Pulse Asia
survey showed that the Senate (57
percent, 55 percent), Supreme Court
(55 percent, 51 percent) and House
of Representatives (52 percent, 56
percent) enjoying majority approval
and trust scores, respectively.
The Pulse Asia survey was
conducted among 1,800 adults with
a +/2 percent error margin at the 95
percent confidence level. Prevailing
issues during the period of the
survey include the crisis in Sabah,
the Supreme Court's decision to
suspend the implementation of the
Reproductive Health bill for 120
days, the suicide of the UP Manila
freshman, among others.
President Aquino's alltime high public satisfaction rating
was at +67 in August 2012.
‘Strong support'
Malacañang attributed the
renewed jump in the President's
satisfaction ratings in two recent
surveys to the continued strong
support of the Filipino people to his
administration.
"Almost three years into
his term, public support for
President Aquino's leadership
remains at unprecedented highs.
Both the Social Weather Stations and
Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan surveys
consistently demonstrate sustained
levels of satisfaction ratings for the
President," presidential spokesman
Edwin Lacierda said on Monday.
"The results of these
surveys reflect the Filipino people's
abiding confidence in the President,
and their support for the reforms
that he continues to institute
throughout the country," he added.
The results encourage the
administration as it approaches its
mid-term.
"Encouraged by the
support of the public and guided by
the knowledge that the Philippines is
beginning to reap the fruits of
positive, meaningful change, we
continue our steady march towards
the realization of our collective
aspirations," Lacierda said.
Team PNoy laggards banking
on their leader's Midas touch
MANILA- Malacañang is
hoping that President Benigno
Aquino III's high satisfaction, trust
and approval ratings will be
enough to catapult the
administration's senatorial bets to
victory in next month's elections.
“So far, and based on the
s u r v e y s , i t ' s n i n e - t h r e e ,”
presidential spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda said at a briefing,
referring to last Social Weather
Station /BusinessWorld survey on
senatoriables showing that 12
administration bets made it to the
"Magic 12.”
“We hope that this trend
will continue,” Lacierda said.
“Isang buwan na lang ang natitira
[bago] eleksyon. Pero nakikita po
rito ang kumpyansa po ng ating
t a u m b aya n k ay Pa n g u l o n g
Aquino.”
Based on the results of
the SWS survey, which was
conducted March 19 to 22,
Aquino's ratings gained by four
points to a "very good" net +59,
with 74 percent satisfied and 15
percent dissatisfied, while Pulse
Asia's revealed that Aquino's
approval rating increased from 68
percent in February to 72 percent
last month.
In a statement, Lacierda
credited the Aquino
a d m i n i s t ra t i o n' s e f fo r t s i n
delivering basic services as reason
for the president's high ratings.
“Massive investments in
the people through social services,
health, and education; strategic
focusing of resources in key
sectors such as agriculture,
tourism, and infrastructure; and
the establishment of a culture of
integrity in governance have all
redounded to the renewal of the
people's trust in their leaders,” he
said.
Lacierda also said that
progress within the country has
been noticed by the international
community, citing in particular the
country's recent upgrade to
investment grade status by Fitch
Ratings a first in Philippine
history.
“Such widespread
support will be integral as the
Aquino administration pushes for
more reforms, which will allow us
to take greater strides along the
s t ra i gh t p a t h to e q u i t a b l e
progress,” he said.
Overseas voting for Filipinos in
Korea to proceed despite tension
MANILA -- Overseas
voting for more than 13,000
Filipinos working in South Korea
will proceed as scheduled despite
escalating tension in the Korean
peninsula, the Philippines'
election body said on Monday.
H o w e v e r, t h e
Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA) has no advice yet regarding
its contingency plan in case a war
breaks out between the North and
South Korea, Commission on
Elections (Comelec)
spokesperson James Jimenez said.
“ S o fa r, wa l a p a n g
ganoong advice sa amin, so tuloy
lang tayo, magkakaroon ng halalan
hanggang hindi nagbabago ang
klima doon, we will continue as
though everything is okay, and
keep coming to carry on that,”
Jimenez said. (So far, we will
proceed with overseas voting for
13,934 Filipino workers in South
Korea as long as the climate stays
the same.)
In case the scenario in
the Peninsula worsens, he poll
body will only follow what the
foreign affairs department tells
them to do, Jimenez added.
“Since the (elections) is
only an additional duty imposed
on DFA personnel, and if the DFA
personnel are told to get out of
there, wala na tayong magagawa,”
he said.
Asked what the Comelec
intend to do if the tension get
worse, Jimenez said that “overseas
voters will be diverted in an
specified country where they can
exercise their rights to suffrage.”
“Then we will have to
talk about where to divert our
voters there. But until that certain
things actually happen, overseas
elections are a week away, they
will actually start on Saturday,
tuloy-tuloy na iyon muna,” he said.
Even if a war breaks out
in Seoul, Filipinos will still cast
their ballots, just like in Mindanao,
where voters go to their polling
places despite mortar shelling.
“Hindi ko alam ang
atmosphere sa South Korea right
now, but I guess Filipinos will vote.
Dito nga sa Pilipinas,
nagpuputukan ang mga mortal,
bomoboto ang mga tao eh. We are
very hardy lot, and we are very
brave, and even more so for OFWs,”
he said.
“If is just tension in the
air, or if it is just a fear that
something might happen, I think
they will also vote anyway,” he
added.
Abolish party-list system - Miriam
MANILA -- Should
there be a chance to amend the
Constitution, Sen. Miriam
Defensor-Santiago said she
would abolish the party-list
system.
The senator said the
party-list system has become
useless, especially with the
recent ruling of the Supreme
Court that allows the
participation of sectors that are
not marginalized.
"I just don't think that
the party-list representatives
have been worth it," she told
reporters on Tuesday. "If there's
a move to change the Charter,
one of my first suggestions is to
abolish that system. It's not
working. Let's just have the
legislative districts. They're not
any better than other people."
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Page 9
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 9
Catholic groups to endorse
6-8 candidates in 2013 polls
MANILA -- An alliance
of Catholic organizations will be
endorsing six to eight senatorial
candidates in the 2013 elections
based on their stand on
controversial issues.
The coalition, dubbed
the "White Vote" movement, was
officially launched in Parañaque
City on Monday.
A m o n g t h e g ro u p s
included in the coalition initiated
by the Council of the Laity of the
Philippines are El Shaddai,
Couples for Christ Foundation
for Family and Life, Catholic
Women's League, Focolare
Movement, and Ang Lingkod ng
Panginoon.
El Shaddai head Bro.
Mike Velarde said that they are
thinking of endorsing six to eight
senatorial candidates in the 2013
polls.
He said the candidates
must be pro-family and pro-life.
He also said they will also base
their decision on the candidate's
position on the reproductive
health law, divorce, same-sex
marriage, and euthanasiaall of
which are being opposed by the
Catholic church.
Velarde said they will
announce the first batch of
candidates on Saturday, after
asking the bets some questions
through questionnaires and
interviews. He also said the
candidates they endorse may
reach 10.
Section 6, Article II of
the 1987 Philippine Constitution
states that "the separation of
Church and State shall be
inviolable."
But Velarde said that
the Church cannot separate itself
from politics because the Church
is composed of the people, which
also makes up the State.
An estimated 80
percent of the country's
population are baptized
Catholics.
Velarde was likewise
quoted as saying that they are not
dictating who Catholics should
vote for, saying they have the
right to choose.
Catholic vote?
But this has not stopped
the Catholic church from actively
campaigning against candidates
who have stands opposite their
own.
The Diocese of Bacolod
specifically came out with two
lists of senatorial candidatesone
labeled Team Patay and the other
Team Buhay.
The Team Patay roster
includes names of senatorial bets
and party-list groups who
supported the passage of the RH
Law while Team Buhay includes
candidates perceived to be prolife because they voted against
the then divisive bill.
Among those listed
under Team Patay are Aurora
Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny”
Angara, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy
Casiño, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano,
Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile, Sen.
Francis Escudero, Sen. Loren
Legarda, former Akbayan Rep.
Risa Hontiveros, and party-lists
Gabriela, Akbayan, Bayan Muna,
and Anak Pawis.
On the other hand,
those listed under Team Buhay
are: San Juan Rep. JV Estrada, Sen.
Gregorio Honasan, Zambales
Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, Sen. Koko
Pimentel, Sen. Antonio Trillanes,
former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia
Villar and party-list groups
Buhay and Ang Pamilya.
Some, however, argue
that a "Catholic vote" is nonexistent.
Among them is Sen.
Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who
cited the case of a former senator.
“In the past, the
Catholic Church campaigned
against Senator Juan Flavier
because as Health secretary, he
freely distributed condoms. But
Flavier won the elections. Thus,
the so-called Catholic vote is a
political myth,”
Political Ramon
Casiple, meanwhile, cited the
case of former President Joseph
Estrada, who won by landslide in
1998 despite some Church
officials campaigning against
him.
"There is none [Catholic
vote], definitely, if you are talking
of a national vote," he said in a
previous interview.
A rc h b i s h o p Ra m o n
Arguelles of the Archdiocese of
Lipa, however, had earlier argued
that there are still "Catholics who
vote the Catholic way.”
“If they are good
Catholics, they would vote people
who are promoting Catholic
values," he said.
Abolish partylist system
From page 8
Santiago said she
was blindsided by the SC's
decision on the matter,
which she believes implied
that the party-list system can
be used for "social
engineering."
" B o y, w e ' r e a l l
gobsmacked by that," she
said. "We all thought before
that the party-list system
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago
was an anti-poverty
measure. It has changed the
entire perspective."
Pangasinan mayor charged for beating rival's supporters
By Eva Visperas
(The Philippine Star)
DASOL, Pangasinan Criminal charges were filed
yesterday against the mayor of
this town and his four
companions for allegedly beating
five supporters of his opponent in
the mayoral race.
Mayor Noel Nacar and
his companions -- engineer
Amado Balaoing, Reynaldo
Balaoing, Romeo Verzosa and
Jesus Reyes -- were charged with
physical injuries, grave threats
and malicious mischief by
complainants Robert Canilang,
Archie Nomus, Roger Valderama,
Pedro Balatico and Robert
Naranja.
Benjamin delos Santos,
counsel for the complainants, told
journalists that the case was filed
by the Team Papagkaduwa Inc.
Dasol (Unity) to ensure that the
supporters of mayoral candidate
Eric Verzosa would get justice.
The incident on April 1,
reportedly stemmed from the
removal of posters of Team
Papagkaduwa by members of the
Liberal Party-United Nationalist
Alliance team in Barangay
Malimpin.
A volunteer group of
motorcycle riders campaigning
for Verzosa responded to the
report and proceeded to
Malimpin plaza where Nacar was
having his rally. However, trouble
broke out between the rival
groups, which reportedly
resulted in the beating of five
supporters of Verzosa by a group
allegedly led by Nacar.
Delos Santos said they
may also file “possible cases with
the Commission on Elections for
electoral offenses aside from
administrative charges before the
Ombudsman.”
Canilang said Nacar
berated and threatened to kill
them.
Delos Santos said four
policemen executed affidavits to
attest to the alleged incident.
In a phone interview
with The STAR, Nacar cried
harassment and said he also filed
charges yestedat against seven
persons, including the
complainants.
He said he could present
as many as 50 persons to testify
against his accusers.
But Nacar, president of the
Pangasinan Mayors' League,
could not recall the exact charges,
saying the papers were in his
lawyer's possession.
He said he would hold a
press conference today so his
constituents would know the
truth about the incident.
He said the Liga ng
Barangay in his town had passed a
resolution denouncing the
presence of the motorcycle-riding
supporters of Verzosa, son of
retired Philippine National Police
chief Jesus Verzosa.
Editorial & opinion
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 10
Because they can
Tubbataha Reef is in the middle of the Sulu
Sea, a body of water that is indisputably within
Philippine territory. To reach the marine park,
which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from the
West Philippine Sea, a fishing boat has to pass
through the Mindoro Strait, or past islands in
Palawan, or sail around the southwestern tip of
the province near Sabah before entering the Sulu
Sea.
It's bad enough when a US Navy
minesweeper, supposedly equipped with
sophisticated underwater detection equipment,
runs aground and destroys large tracts of the reef.
Some quarters have voiced suspicions that the
USS Guardian's sailors went on R&R even before
reaching shore and were caught either drunk or
napping when the ship struck the reef.
The US ship, at least, had Philippine
government clearance to be in the Sulu Sea.
What's a Chinese fishing vessel doing in
Tubbataha, so far away from its homeland? The
weather has been clear and fine for many weeks
so the vessel and its 12-man crew couldn't have
been swept inland by strong winds or tides late
Monday night when it struck the marine
sanctuary.
Unless Beijing is also including the Sulu
Sea and Palawan within its so-called nine-dash
line an area that covers nearly the entire South
China Sea, leaving other countries with enough
coastal areas only for beach resorts it should deal
decisively with its poachers. The new Chinese
leadership has reiterated the country's
commitment to peaceful development, vowing
that China will be a responsible player on the
world stage. Beijing can start in its own backyard,
where it can promote regional peace by telling its
people to stop poaching, especially corals, sea
turtles and other endangered marine species.
Philippine authorities, for their part,
should get serious about improving the country's
maritime patrol capability, especially along the
western seaboard. Priority should have been
given to protecting Tubbataha after the USS
Guardian disaster. Yet here we are, facing yet
another environmental disaster in the World
Heritage Site. Poachers intrude into our waters
because they can and we can't stop them.
Pathway to Citizenship is key to
genuine Immigration Reform
Providing a pathway to
citizenship to the 11 million
undocumented immigrants in the
country remains the most
contentious issue in immigration
reform. Republican Senator Ted
Cruz even termed it the "poison
pill" that will kill any efforts
towards passing a
reform bill. He contended that
even if the Senate passes the bill,
he thinks that the House will
never pass it.
The sentiment of
Senator Ted Cruz reflects the
stand of the majority of his
Republican base. According to
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Lito A. Gajilan, Jr.
Columnists: Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq.,
Juan L. Mercado, Jonathan Suarez, Joel Baclit
Correspondent: Contessa Bourbon
The opinions expressed by columnists are their
own and do not reflect the opinion of the paper
nor that of the publisher
Contact us:
Email: filexpress@aol.com
Phone: 201-434-1114 Fax 201-434-0880
involvement in the immigration
reform deal might hurt his
chances of becoming the GOP
presidential nominee in 2016.
According to political
observers, the chances that
Senator Rubio will walk away
from the reform legislation
proposed by the 'Gang of Eight'
which is composed of four
Democratic and four Republican
Senators is slim. Although
Senator Rubio's support to
provide a path to citizenship may
cost him the ire of primary
Republican voters, his
involvement is seen to win back
support of Latino voters who
withdrew support for the GOP for
its anti-immigrant position.
Recently, the 'Gang of
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Page 14
“MONEY ACROSS BORDERS”
Bernstein's reporting on the
Watergate break-in won the
1973 Pulitizer Prize for Public
Service Their reports led to US
President Richard Nixon's
resignation.
(Philippine Star)
Founded in 1986
him, the only way that a
reform bill can pass the House is
to abandon the 'path to
citizenship' for the
undocumented immigrant. It
should focus instead on securing
the border and streamlining the
immigration process.
Meanwhile, support for
providing a path to citizenship
for undocumented workers in
the country is growing with 6 out
of 10 Americans supporting it
based on a recent Washington
Post-ABC poll. Democratic
support reached an all-time high
of 73 percent.
The support within the
Republican Party, however,
remains low. The support is so
low among Republicans that
some say Senator Marc Rubio's
“Follow the smell of
money”. Investigative reporter
Amitabha Chowdhury worked
by that rule in his “Ananda Bazar
Patrika” exposes of murky
contracts in India. Chowdhury
won the 1961 Magsaysay Award
for Journalism.
Anna Politkovskaya
marshalled “accountability
reporting” in “Novaya Gazeta”
exposes of Vladimir Putin's
regime and maltreatment of
Chechen people. A bullet
smashed into this 48-year old
Russian journalist in 2006.
Bob Woodward and Carl
“Watchdog journalism”
can uproot
deep-rooted
malfeasance at national levels.
What if journalists “follow the
smell of money” across borders?
This April, the
International Consortium of
Investigative Journalists
completed a 15-month probe of
global tax havens. Led by former
Sydney Morning Post's Gerard
Ryl e , I C I J
marshaled 86
journalists in 46 countries,
including the Philippine Center
for Investigative Journalism.
ICIJ focused on a hard
drive, delivered mysteriously,
Agence France Presse reports.
Crammed into the
document were 120,000 offshore
companies and nearly 130,000
individuals. ICIJ implicated the
Azerbaijan president's family
and the French president's
former campaign treasurer, in
it's first release Easter week..
A PCIJ series pinpoints
three Filipinos who hold secret
offshore trusts in the Virgin
Islands: Ilocos Norte governor
“Imee” Marcos- Manotoc, Rep
.Joseph Victor 'JV' Ejercito and
Sen. Manuel. Villar Jr.
“ICIJ found more than
500 Philippine residents who
have links with offshore
trusts…Only half have public
profiles, of varying prominence”.
Others are business people who
work for foreign companies.
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Page 12
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 11
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
VERA FILES
Concerned citizens are
hauling the Malaysian
government to the United
Nations for human rights abuses
against Filipinos in Sabah, even
as they criticized the Philippine
government for lack of outrage
and action.
Concerned groups and
individuals are filing Monday
urgent appeals with the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights
Navanethem Pillay and UN High
Commissioner for Refugees
António Guterres, both based in
Geneva, Switzerland.
In their letters, the civil
society groups asked the two UN
Civil society takes Malaysia to UN for maltreatment of Filipinos in Sabah
agencies to “urgently intervene
so that Malaysia will respect the
human rights of the Filipinos in
Sabah, recognized under the
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.”
The signatories include
civil society groups led by the
Concerned Citizens Movement,
CenterLaw, Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan, and Anakbayan.
Among the individual
signatories are human rights
lawyer Harry Roque, activist nun
S r. M a r y J o h n M a n a n z a n ,
whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun”
Lozada, journalist Vergel Santos,
and political strategist Pastor
Saycon, who serves as adviser to
Jamalul Kiram III, one of the heirs
of the Sultan of Sulu.
They also asked the two
UN bodies “to express grave
concern on the massive and
gross human rights violations by
Malaysia against Filipinos in
Sabah” and to remind Malaysia to
“provide effective remedies and
compensation to the Filipino
victims of the massive and gross
human rights violations
committed against them by
Malaysian state agents.”
In the two 11-page
p e t i t i o n s , t h e s i g n a to r i e s
detailed the maltreatment of
Filipinos in Sabah starting Feb.
14, 2013, when “suspected
Filipino gunmen numbering
between 80 to 100 were
cornered in the Malaysian state
of Sabah on Borneo Island
triggering the start of the Sabah
standoff.”
T h e y q u o t e d f ro m
published media reports on the
abuses committed by Malaysian
authorities, citing, in particular,
the Philippine Daily Inquirer
account of the Filipina named
Amira Taradji, who arrived from
Sabah in Patikul, Sulu, with about
200 other refugees on March 8.
Taradji said she and her
family had to flee from Lahad
Datu because Malaysian police
raided their homes and arrested
men. Those who evaded arrest
waving their immigration papers
were reportedly killed.
“If you are lucky to reach the jail,
you will die of starvation because
they will not feed you,” Taradji
was quoted as saying.
The petitions also
quoted Mayor Hussin Amin of
Jolo, Sulu retelling the stories of
the survivors. “Our people are
treated like animals there,” he
said.
The signatories cited
specific violations of the
Universal Declaration on Human
Rights (UDHR) committed by
Malaysian state agents, among
them the right against
discrimination under Articles 2
and 7; the right to life, liberty and
security of person under Article
3; the right not to be subjected to
torture or to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or
punishment under Article 5;
right against arbitrary arrest,
detention or exile under Article
9; and right to a fair trial under
Article 10.
The trouble stems from
the 51-year-old ownership
dispute between the Philippines
and Malaysia over Sabah, which
covers an estimated 28,400
square miles rich in oil and
timber, about 20 kilometers
a w a y f r o m Ta w i - Ta w i i n
Southern Mindanao. Sabah
comprises 20 per cent of
Malaysian territory.
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Page 13
JGL Eye Overseas voters should get out and vote!
By Joseph G. Lariosa
W h e n Te a m P N o y
senatorial candidate Cynthia
Villar misspoke that the nursing
professionals are merely fit to
become “room nurses” or
caretakers, it should have been
an incentive for Overseas
Absentee Voters (OAV's) to show
up in full force to teach her a
lesson to think first before she
speaks out.
But the procrastination
of the Commission on Elections
(Comelec) to resolve the reenfranchisement of 238,557
OAV's, who failed to vote in 2007
and 2010, caused some OAV's to
mark time, instead of marching
forward.
This should be a good
news for the wife of outgoing
Sen. Manny Villar whose No. 6
position inside the Magic 12
appears entrenched if the latest
Pulse Asia survey is to take hold.
It was only on March 5,
2013 when the Comelec decided
in an en banc session to approve
Resolution No. 9653, allowing all
the 238,557 OAV's, who failed to
vote in 2007 ad 2010, to let them
vote in the May 13, 2013
elections by merely showing up
at the Post Embassy or consulate
to register and to sign the blank
“OVF No. 2A provided for that
purpose” from March 5 until the
May 13 election day.
By publishing the
resolution in two newspapers of
general circulation in the
Philippines, instead of selected
mainstream or ethnic
newspapers owned by Filipinos
overseas, it was wasteful
financial investment because
such paid legal notices are not
accessible to OAV's.
If only all the OAV's will
come forward by mailing their
ballots starting this coming April
13, 2013 that should reach the
Embassy or consulate in their
area on or before May 13 or by
showing up in person to vote on
the May 13 election day, the close
to one million votes of OAV's
could certainly make Ms. Villar
uncomfortable in her No. 6
ranking.
Despite her relative Mr.
Ray O. Villar's assurance to me
that “Cynthia went on television
to apologize for her mistake in
making statement about the
quality of some nursing
program” and believes “she had
been forgiven by the Nursing
Profession as evidence by her
recent poll standing,” Mrs. Villar
has still to be wary with OAV's,
who are not aware of her
apology.
Mr. Ray O. Villar is a
friend and a Chicago area
resident, who divides his time in
living in Sapi-an, Capiz in the
Philippines for a better part of
the year.
With the very short
notice, though, of the Comelec
resolution allowing the 238,557
OAV's to vote on May 13, I doubt
if 50 percent of them would turn
up to vote. The Comelec is only
expecting a maximum of 20
percent or 47,711 to exercise
their right to vote.
ONLY 12 SENATORS & 1
PARTY-LIST
REPRESENTATIVE TO BE
VOTED ON
And even if this 20
percent would show up, a lot of
these votes could still be
invalidated. For instance, if a
voter by mail will not affix his
right thumb mark on the ballot
coupon on the lower portion of
the ballot, his vote will not
counted. And so with the failure
in writing the name of the voter
and signing above it in the ballot
envelope. And if the ballot
arrives after May 13 at 7 p.m.
Philippine time (6 a.m. May 12,
2013 Central Time). Or if a voter
votes for more than 12 senators
and more than one Party-List
representatives, the ballot
would also be considered
spoiled. Or if the handwriting is
ineligible, it could be considered
stray ballot, too.
I suggest the Comelec
employ officials from the
Department of Foreign Affairs to
review the intricacies of writing
addresses outside the envelope
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Page 15
Osmeña's wealth
The same survey
companies that want us to
believe that we never had it so
good are at it again, this time
reporting yet another increase in
the popularity ratings of
President Noynoy Aquino and
other top government officials. If
it weren't for these survey
companies, we'd probably never
find that out, no matter how
many people we talk to in our
own, unscientific, unfunded
encounters with people from all
walks of life.
I'm not saying the
survey companies are wrong.
Just that they're incredibly
consistent.
These days, there's a lot
of talk about government
officials getting rich while in
office. But what's strange is that
the officials who are supposedly
enriching themselves are not
identified with the Aquino
administration.
In the spirit of
bipartisanship, I offer some
details from the statement of
assets, liabilities and net worth
of Aquino diehard and chief
Congress scourge Senator Sergio
Osmeña III. The Cebuano
senator with solid ties to both
Malacañang and the Lopez
family has been making a name
for himself lately for his
unrelenting pursuit of certain
big businessmen over and above
the enthusiasm shown by
regulators and other branches of
government.
Osmeña's net worth,
according to his SALN, rose by
P23,170,000 in one year, from
2011 to 2012, a figure that is
unprecedented in the Senate. In
2011, his SALN showed his net
worth at P82.3 million; the
following year, his net worth
rose to P105.47 million, an
increase of more than P1 million
monthly.
Going back a lot further,
Osmeña's declared net worth in
2003 was only P53.2 million.
Given the fact that a senator gets
a salary of P35,000 per month to
g o w i t h a l l owa n c e s f ro m
committee memberships, it is
possible for Osmeña to receive
P100,000 monthly, max.
Osmeña's private
sector investments give a clue to
the increase in his income.
Osmeña is the 93rd biggest
shareholder of Lopez Holdings
Inc., which owns 46.6 percent of
First Philippine Holdings Corp.,
which, in turn, owns 3.9 percent
of the Manila Electric Co.
Because the Lopez
family (to which Osmeña's
current wife Bettina belongs) is
heavily invested in the power
sector and in mining, it's
possible that the senator's
investments are the source of his
ever-increasing wealth. On the
other hand, Osmeña is also
chairman of the Senate
committee on Energy and the
Joint Congressional Power
Commission, which makes him
the de facto legislative
“regulator” of the industries he
and his wife's family are invested
in.
That's why Osmeña's
investigations into the accident
at the site of Philex Mining and
his silence on a similar incident
in a power company owned by
the Lopezes are real headscratchers. Who needs overseas
shell companies in tax havens
like the British Virgin Islands,
after all, if you can get rich on a
senator's measly pay and be
your family's protector and the
scourge of its competitors at the
same time?
***
On the other hand,
Senate candidate JV Estrada say
he is learning that being a top
c o n te n d e r i n t h e c o m i n g
elections is to become a magnet
for invented charges, just like the
one linking him to having
squirreled away a lot of money in
undeclared Virgin Islands
accounts. But then JV, the son of
Erap, is no stranger to how black
propaganda is used to bring
down political enemies, having
seen such moves employed
against his father when he was
President.
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Page 14
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 12
Lavarro fights for
immigrants’ ...
From page 1
are kept together. An Immigrant
Affairs Commission would help
us do just that.”
The immigrant
community makes up 38.4% of
J e r s ey C i t y ' s p o p u l a t i o n ,
amounting to almost 20% of
New Jersey's total immigrant
population. Despite these
numbers, however, Jersey City
government does not have a
dedicated entity to ensure that
the needs and concerns of the
immigrant community are
voiced and recognized let alone
addressed. Lavarro's proposal
to form a Commission would
seek to fill this gap serving as a
formal voice between Jersey
City's immigrant community
and city, state and Federal
government. In 2009, the New
Jersey Governor's Blue Ribbon
Panel on Immigrant Policy
recommended that
municipalities in the state form
such commissions. The
proposed ordinance also cites a
2008 study by the Eagleton
Institute for Politics, which
showed that immigrant
workers contributed at least
$47 billion to the state economy,
further commenting that the
state can ill-afford to alienate a
critical component of its labor
force, tax base, and business
community.
Under Lavarro's
proposal, the Commission
would be comprised of
dedicated community leaders
and advocates, who would
advise Jersey City government
on issues affecting immigrants
including: civil and human
rights, social services,
education, and business
development. The Commission
would also monitor current
and proposed laws at the local,
state and Federal levels to
ensure compliance and
minimize any effects that
would be harmful to
immigrants and Jersey City as a
whole. The Commission,
moreover, would also be
charged with recognizing the
contributions of immigrants to
the economic and cultural
vitality of Jersey City. Lavarro
plans for the Commission to
meet monthly to ensure public
participation. To fulfill its
duties, the Commission would
have broad powers to conduct
hearings and studies, as well as
issue policy statements.
Equally important
and complementary, Lavarro
introduced a resolution urging
Congress to enact
reform and a pathway to
citizenship, citing existing
complex problems with
insufficient numbers of visas
for workers to support the U.S.
labor force, arbitrary visa caps
creating backlogs and
separating families,
exploitation by employers
through wage and workplace
violations, and inadequate
government infrastructure to
support the immigrant
population.
Since joining the
Jersey City Council in a special
election in November 2011,
L ava r ro h a s c h a m p i o n e d
immigrant and workers' rights.
Last year, for example, Lavarro
sponsored and successfully
passed a law establishing a
living wage in Jersey City.
Additionally, just last February,
Lavarro spearheaded a
resolution to support in-state
tuition and financial aid for
undocumented students, also
known as DREAMers, wishing
to attend New Jersey's public
colleges and universities. The
Jersey City Council
unanimously approved the
measure, becoming the first
municipality in the state to
support what has become
known as tuition equity for
DREAMers.
Lavarro continued,
“Immigrants' rights are near
and dear to me, and there is a lot
of work to be done. Establishing
an Immigrant Affairs
Commission in Jersey City
moves us our communities
forward, and is just one way to
give immigrants a greater voice
in city, state, and Federal
affairs.”
“Money across
borders”
From page 10
Public officials must list
all assets in annual Statements
of Assets, Liabilities and Net
Worth. SALNs should include
those stashed abroad. The
Constitution clamps an
additional duty on legislators..
“Upon assumption of office, (
t h ey m u s t ) m a ke a f u l l
disclosure of their financial and
business interests.”
Imee is a beneficiary of
t h e S i n t ra Tr u s t . O t h e r
beneficiaries are her adult sons
with estranged husband Tomas
Manotoc: Ferdinand Richard,
Matthew Joseph; and Fernando
”Borgy” Martin.
" D o c u m e n t s u p to
2010, show that Imee had
interests in a company in which
the Sintra Trust was a beneficial
shareholder: ComCentre
Corporation. Formed in January
2002 in the Virgin Island, it is
still in operation..One Sintra
Trust document refers to a
United Overseas Bank account
Limited Singapore. Another
refers to an HSBC account at
HSBC. Imee's disclosure
statements do not list them.
Imee was named
investment adviser of the Sintra
Trust, in June 2005, according to
a document uncovered by ICIJ.
As investment adviser, she can
direct any financial institution in
the purchase, sale, liquidation,
and investment of trust assets.
Great, says former Sen.
Rene Saguisag, Discovery of
assets linked to Imee may help
enforce a $4.2 million judgment
made by a U.S. court against her
in 1991. This was for the 1977
murder of a Filipino student who
publicly questioned about her
government appointments. The
student was tortured by state
security forces under her
control.
Ferdinand and Imelda,
early in their rule, chose the
aliases of “William Saunders”
and “Jane Ryan” when they
opened secret Swiss bank
accounts. Among documents the
Marcoses abandoned when
they fled “People Power” were
accomplished “declaration/
specimen signatures” forms.
The couple signed with their real
names as well as pseudonyms.
Today's Sintra Trust
bears eerie resemblance to
shell Marcos foundations set up,
in the early 1970s,
in
Liechtenstein. Then as now, the
offshore entities were
established in well-known tax
havens that guaranteed secrecy.
“Before, the beneficiaries were
the Marcos couple and their
children,” PCIJ noted. “Now, it is
Imee and her children.”
Rep Ejercito ducked
documentation that he held a
directorship in the offshore Ice
Bell Properties Limited, formed
on July 8, 1999, when his father
was still president.. Nor did he
reveal it's worth or claim to have
listed that stash in SALN.
Instead, he pounced on
“timing”, .since he claimed to be
one of the leading contenders
among UNA senatorial
candidates.” “I have held high
respect to (sic) the PCIJ as an
institution”, he wrote. “I hope
that you will not allow yourself
to fall in (sic) the manipulative
efforts of desperate people in
(sic) dirty politics.”
Villar admitted to being
“ultimate shareholder” of
Awesome Dragon Holdings
Limited It's a dormant company
with a capital of just one US
dollar, he shrugged. He'd set it up
in 2007 “as a ready corporate
ve h i c l e fo r a ny s t ra te g i c
multinational business
opportunity that may become
available.”
After the second
release this April ICIJ plans
further publications in 2013.
“We have a lot more”. Because
it's so vast and it takes a long
time to understand," Ryle said.
Will more Filipinos surface?
The US
Court of
Appeals ( 9th circuit ) earlier
slammed $353.6-million
contempt judgment, against
them Imelda and Bongbong.
They tried to secretly ship out of
the US, paintings and other
artworks, from contested
holdings for a 25 percent tax free
share, the court found. That'd
sandbag an injunction against
tapping estate assets while the
j u r y d e l i b e ra t e d ,
“Contumacious conduct”, the US
magistrate fumed.. It “caused
direct harm” to martial law
victims. As journalists, "our job
is to inform the public about
something they didn't know”,
the ICIJ chair said. “What
people or authorities do
afterwards is up to them”.
(Email: juan_mercado77@yahoo.com )
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 13
Civil society
takes Malaysia ...
From page 11
Government figures
put the number of Filipinos
in Sabah at 800,000 although
non-government workers in
the area the figure could be
as high as 1.4 million.
Sabah (North
Borneo) originally belonged
to the Sultan of Brunei, who
then gave it to Sultan of Sulu
S a l a h u d - D i n K a ra m a t
Bakhtiar in 1658 as a reward
for helping quell a rebellion.
In 1878, Sulu Sultan Jamalul
Alam Kiram leased North
Borneo to the Hong Kongbased British North Borneo
Company of Baron Gustavos
von Overbeck and Alfred
Dent for 5,000 Malaysian
dollars a year.
In 1946, Overbeck
and Dent, without
permission from the Sultan,
transferred the territory to
the British government
when the company ceased
operations.
On Sept. 11, 1962,
Sultan of Sulu Mohammad
Esmail Kiram ceded to the
Philippine government full
s o v e r e i g n t y, t i t l e a n d
dominion over the territory.
President Diosdado
Macapagal filed the
Philippines' claim over
Sabah with the United
Kingdom.
In 1963, the British
government, again without
permission from the Sultan
of Sulu, transferred Sabah to
the newly formed
Federation of Malaysia.
Last Feb. 12, 2013,
some 200 men claiming to be
the Royal Sulu Sultanate
Army led Raja Muda
Agbimuddin Kiram, younger
brother of the selfproclaimed current Sultan of
Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III,
landed in Lahad Datu village
in the northeastern part of
Sabah.
The group said they
were asserting their right to
the land as they denounced
the maltreatment of
Filipinos by Malaysia.
Some 60 persons
have been reported to have
died in almost two months of
hostilities.
President Aquino
has called the action of
Kiram's men “foolhardy” and
said their objective was “a
hopeless cause.”
Even as the
Department of Foreign
Affairs expressed “grave
concern” over the
maltreatment of Filipinos by
M a l ay s i a n a u t h o r i t i e s ,
Aquino never even
condemned the abuses.
Diplomatic sources said
Aquino was even irked by
the DFA statement.
In many of his
speeches during the
standoff, Aquino sided with
Malaysian Prime Minister
Najib Razak's hardline policy
on Kiram's men and praised
Malaysia for its role as
broker in the peace talks
with the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front.
Last March 6, UN
Secretary-General Ban Kimoon expressed concern
over the situation in Sabah
and urged all parties to stop
the violence and start
dialogue for a peaceful
resolution.
He urged all parties
“to facilitate delivery of
humanitarian assistance and
a c t i n f u l l re s p e c t o f
international human rights
norms and standards.”
In response to the
UN call, Kiram III ordered his
forces in Lahad Datu to
enforce a unilateral
ceasefire. Malaysia rejected
the call while Malacañang
did not respond.
(VERA Files is put out by veteran
journalists taking a deeper look at
current issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”)
Brunei sultan sets state visit
to Manila for April 15-16
mostly as skilled workers.
The ties have been
maintained amid claims of both
countries in the oil- and gas-rich
South China Sea, particularly in
areas within their respective
continental shelf and exclusive
economic zone. Claims have also
been pressed by China, Malaysia,
Taiwan and Vietnam.
Haji Hassanal Bolkiah
The Sultan of Brunei,
Haji Hassanal Bolkiah
Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, will
visit the country next week to
boost ties with the Philippines,
according to the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA). The state
visit on April 15-16, the first
u n d e r t h e A q u i n o
administration, will also be an
opportunity to discuss Brunei's
chairmanship of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations this
year.
The DFA noted that the
two countries “enjoy close
relations” with Brunei as a
current member of the
International Monitoring Team
led by Malaysia, even as the
Southeast Asian neighbor hosts
some 21,000 Filipinos working
The DFA noted that
President Benigno S. C. Aquino III
undertook a state visit to Brunei
on June 1-2, 2011, and revisited
on Sept. 23, 2012, to attend the
wedding of the sultan's daughter,
Hajah Hafizah Surunul Bolkiah.
The Brunei sultan's
scheduled visit will follow the
second Philippines-Brunei Joint
Commission on Bilateral
Cooperation (JCBC) in Bandar
Seri Begawan last Sunday. “[T]he
Philippines and Brunei
Darussalam... identified key
areas to further enhance their
cooperation, such as in defense,
agriculture, energy, trade,
investments, business process
outsourcing, education, labor,
and health,” read a separate
statement from the DFA.
The Philippine
delegation was led by Foreign
Affairs Undersecretary for Policy
Evan P. Garcia. The first JCBC
meeting was held in 2004.
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 14
Pathway to
Citizenship ...
From page 10
Eight' announced that it has
completed its comprehensive
immigration reform bill. A
bipartisan group in the House
is also preparing its own
version of the bill. Both House
and Senate immigration plans
offer a path to citizenship.
The House version is
said to provide three paths to
citizenship. One path is
offered to young immigrants
or the so-called Dreamers
who were brought into this
country illegally when they
were still children and
agricultural workers who play
a critical role in the economy.
The second path is
offered to immigrants who
entered the country illegally
but whose family ties or
employment relationships
allow them to apply for legal
status. The barrier including
the three to ten year ban will
be waived or lifted. They will
be required to return to their
home countries to apply for
legal status and comply with
other requirements.
Osmeña’s wealth
From page 11
Now that JV is landing
in the top three in surveys for
the Senate, he is not surprised
at the attacks. These started,
he said, after Holy Week with
an advertisement claiming
that he was the top spender for
political ads.
This was followed by
a television report alleging
that he had supposedly
snubbed a niece during a
political rally.
JV now believes that
the reports of his having an
undeclared offshore account
for his businesses are yet
another ploy to link him to a
scandal. After three terms as
mayor and now as
congressman of San Juan,
these efforts have been
unsuccessful; at least his
detractors are being
consistent.
Unlike most other
members of so-called political
dynasties, JV has always
distinguished himself in
public service. Under his term
as mayor, San Juan's revenue
quadrupled to P1.1 billion,
from an annual income of
P300 million when he first
The third path is
offered to all other
undocumented immigrants
who may apply for
“provisional legal status” so
long as they have not
committed any crime and they
comply with requirements
such as they payment of fines
and learning English. Under
the House version, it is said
t ha t t he u n doc u m en ted
immigrants will have to wait
ten years to be issued their
green cards and wait another
five years to apply for
citizenship.
In order to fix the
broken immigration system,
the dilemma facing 11 million
undocumented immigrants
has to be addressed. Indeed,
the pathway to citizenship, no
matter how long or difficult, is
essential to genuine
immigration reform. This is
the reality that the GOP-run
House has to contend with
unless they want a remake of
the 2012 presidential
elections in 2016.
(Editor's Note: REUBEN S. SEGURITAN has
been practicing law for over 30 years. For
more information, you may log on to his
website at www.seguritan.com or call (212)
695-5281.)
assumed the mayorship in
2001.
JV won a seat in the
House of Representatives in
2010 when he completed
three terms as mayor of San
Juan. He was one of the
principal authors of the
landmark Kasambahay Law
and many other legislative
measures intended to
“nationalize” his success in
San Juan when he was its
mayor.
But JV has always
been a businessman, as well,
having put up mostly with his
mother Guia about 30
companies in the food and
real estate industries. “My
father wanted me to become a
successful businessman, but
circumstances forced me to
enter politics in 2001. My
father was a victim of a
conspiracy. I was tasked to
carry the torch of the family,
so to speak.”
JV has every reason to
liken the current demolition
job against him to the 2001
effort to oust his father from
office. The personalities
behind the attacks against his
father and now working
against him are practically the
same, he said.
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 15
Overseas voters
should ...
From page 11
before they are dropped in the
mail. Or let a DFA staff, who had
been assigned in countries
whose writings are rendered in
languages other than English.
My ballot was returned to sender
because my address has my
street address printed along
with my city address in one line,
causing a delay of the delivery.
If the turnout of OAV's
comes in bunches, it may lead
former Congresswoman Villar to
slip in her ranking and let other
candidates cringe like JV
Ejercito, who is ranked ninth by
the latest Pulse Asia survey
because of some derogatory
reports that he did not declare
his offshore overseas bank
account in his Statements of
Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
If OAV's can only vote
for local government candidates,
it is possible that more OAV'S
will warm up to get out to vote.
Perhaps, in the 2016
presidential elections, OAV's
should be given a chance to vote
for their respective governors,
congressmen, mayors, etc.
One local election that
is drawing interest among OAV's
is the mayoral elections in
Manila.
A friend of mine, Mr.
Fernando “Ronnie” M. Estrada of
San Jose, California, who visited
our friend, former President
Joseph “Erap” Estrada, in Metro
Manila last month told me the
former president has an edge
over re-electionist Mayor
Alfredo Lim.
Among the issues
against Lim is Lim's order on the
Manila police to keep distance
from Erap. This fatwa could
backfire against Mayor Lim
because it is like forcing a horse
to go the river but nobody can
force the horse to drink the
water. In this case, the police may
be forced to follow orders but
they cannot be forced to vote for
the Mr. Lim because of the secret
voting in a democracy. The police
can even campaign privately,
which is beyond the control of
the mayor.
“AYAW NI ERAP LALONG
MAGHIRAP ANG MAYNILA”
Mr. Ronnie Estrada told
me the former president wants
to carry a dignified campaign by
focusing on the issues. Among
his major issues are his fight for
urban renewal program and
conduct of transparency by
sticking to public bidding
instead of shady negotiated
transactions. “Ayaw ni Erap
Lalong Maghirap ang Maynila,”
(Erap does not want to let Manila
further down), my friend said.
As to the latest bingo
controversy that caused the
arrest of Erap's vice mayoral
running mate Isko Moreno, if
Erap asks me about it, I will say if
bingo is illegal, then, Vice Mayor
Moreno should accept his
mistake and pay the fine. In so
No link between PH-US war exercise
and North Korea, insists AFP
MEETING OF OLD BUDDIES: Fernando
“Ronnie” M. Estrada (right) of San Jose,
California pays a courtesy call on his old
friend, former President Joseph “Erap”
Estrada, in the latter's home in Metro Manila.
Erap told him he wants to run a dignified
campaign by pushing for urban renewal
program in order to win the votes of his native
Manilans. “Ayaw ni Erap Lalong Maghirap
ang Maynila,” (Erap does not want to let
Manila further down), Ronnie Estrada added.
(FAXX/jGLi Photo by Myles G. Galos)
doing, he can turn the table on
Mayor Lim to accept his own
mistake when the mayor hosted
his own bingo last Feb. 14
despite the mayor's own Jan. 26
memorandum declaring bingo
as gambling.
At the same time, Vice
Mayor Moreno can stick by his
accusations that he and others
were manhandled by the police
when they were violently
arrested.
Only by accepting ones
mistake and not repeating and
apologizing for it can politicians
really win the votes and the
public trust.
MANILA -- The
A r m e d Fo rc e s o f t h e
Philippines (AFP)
reiterated Saturday that the
ongoing joint military drills
with the United States was
not connected to or
directed at North Korea.
AFP deputy
spokesman Major
Emmanuel Garcia said the
Balikatan exercises, which
opened Friday, was planned
long before and focused on
humanitarian assistance
and development including
community health
e n g a g e m e n t s ,
infrastructure and road
repair and disaster
response.
"Balikatan is not
d i re c te d towa rd s n o r
against any nation," Garcia
said.
Top US and Filipino
military officials dismissed
any connection between
the military exercises and
the tension in the Korean
peninsula. US officials also
steered clear of media
queries if they would
redeploy to the Korean
peninsula their assets now
in the Philippines, if tension
escalates.
Garcia said the
exercises were being done
to "upgrade the skills and
knowledge of both
countries' soldiers, and
enhancing interoperability
of both militaries in
responding appropriately,
not only in combat but most
importantly to calamities
and disasters."
In a side interview
after the Balikatan
exercises opened Friday,
Foreign Affairs Secretary
said the Philippines would
render “assistance” to the
US under the terms of the
Mutual Defense Treaty
(MDT), but he declined to
provide details when asked
by reporters if the
“assistance” could include
allowing a temporary rebasing arrangement with
Washington, whose two
largest overseas military
bases were once hosted by
the Philippines, until 1991.
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 16
A Most Beautiful Church in the Philippines!
By Perri Cebedo
San Francisco-CA
April 10, 2013
A few days ago we
visited the town of Culion in
Palawan, aka the former Leper
Colony of the Philippines.
Culion is about 90
minutes by Banca from the
town of Coron in Palawan and
what we discovered in Culion
is probably the most beautiful
Church in the Philippines.
Here are select photos
of the Immaculate Conception
Church in Culion. The photos
are sequentially arranged so
that you may get the feeling
you are with us on this
amazing adventure. From a
great distance, the island of
Culion is but a small speck but
then as our banca approaches
the island, the historic town of
Culion with its Commonwealth
Eagle Seal comes into view.
T h e wa l l s o f t h e
Church were taken from the
old fortress built in 1740. Its
base and surrounding walls
were hewn from live corals
although concrete has been
poured in some areas.
The Maya Hotel was formerly a Home for the daughters of the Lepers, run by the
Sisters of St. Paul
u
Page 17
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 17
A most beautiful
Church ...
From page 16
In 1933, the Church
underwent reconstruction under
the supervision of Fr. Hugh
McNulty, SJ.
In 1978, Ben Amores, a
Patient, painted the ceiling with
the design of Fr. Javier Olazabal, SJ.
In 2003, Fr. Gabriel
Gonzales, SJ initiated the
restoration and renovation of the
Church in order to restore their
work and preserve its structural
integrity. This was done with the
generous support of the
Fundacion Anesvad.
Here is the author-photographer Perri with
host, Fr. Adriano Tapiador, SJ. Fr. Tapiador is
the President of Loyola College. At right is
Monina, wife of Perri. Not shown here is Fr.
Jody Magtoto, SJ who invited us to conduct a
Seminar in Culion on How to Motivate
Students to Achieve Academic Excellence (a
Free Public Seminar)!
The choir loft
EXPRESSWEEK
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 18
Hudson Toyota becomes Special Sponsor of PAFCOM
JERSEY CITY, New
Jersey, April 8, 2013 - The
Philippine-American
Friendship Committee, Inc.
(PAFCOM) today announced
that Hudson Toyota will
become a Special Sponsor of
PAFCOM for its activities for the
year 2013.
“We are enthusiastic
about forging a new
partnership with Hudson
Toyota,” said Edwin Solano,
2013 Overall Chair of PAFCOM.
“ H u d s o n Toyo t a w i l l b e
invaluable to our success and
will ensure that we continue to
stage one of the most
anticipated events in Jersey
City the Annual Grand Parade
and Festival held in the month
of June in celebration of the
long-standing friendship
between the peoples of the
Philippines and the United
States.”
The partnership
between the two groups was
made possible by Mr. Mario
Fernandes, Desk Manager of
Hudson Toyota and Jake Kahen,
General Manager of Hudson
Toyota.
Among the major
benefits as the exclusive car
dealership sponsor, Hudson
Toyota's name and logo will be
incorporated in all of PAFCOM's
media and advertising
materials; Hudson Toyota will
be given a sponsor table during
the Friendship Night and
Coronation Ball on June 1st at
the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
in Newark, NJ and will be given
the opportunity to choose the
Miss Hudson Toyota from
among the guests and muses
attending said event . In
addition, Hudson Toyota shall
be provided with a booth and
enough space for it to put on
display three (3) vehicles at the
Lincoln Park festival grounds
on June 23rd.
PAFCOM on the other
hand, shall receive a $5,000
sponsorship fee; 4 trucks to be
used during the June 23 rd
parade; a 2014 Toyota Camry
shall be sold at cost to PAFCOM
which will be raffled off by
PAFCOM on December 28,
2013; and $200 referral fee for
every car sold thru PAFCOM.
And the lucky golfer
who makes a “hole-in-one” at
the 2nd PAFCOM Tour - Barong
Invitational on June 29 shall be
awarded a brand new car by
Hudson Toyota.
About PAFCOM
The PhilippineAmerican Friendship
Committee, Inc. (PAFCOM) is a
tax-exempt, non-profit
organization comprised of
Filipino-American community
leaders from the tri-state area
(New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut). Established in
1990, The aims of the founders
of PAFCOM are: (1) to enhance a
better understanding of the
Filipino culture and activities
and be of service to the
community and the general
In a statement , the
Embassy said it is now accepting
applications from FilipinoAmericans between the age of 18
and 40 for the 2 n d FilipinoAmerican Youth Leaders Program
(FYLPro) that will take place in the
Philippines in July.
United States.”
A c c o r d i n g t o
Ambassador Cuisia, this year's
FYLPro intends to build on the
success of last year's program that
yielded a remarkable batch of
young Filipino-Americans who
continue to embark on different
advocacies to help promote
further progress in the Philippines
and to further engage the multifaceted Filipino-American
community.
The Embassy aid 10
Filipino-American youth leaders
will be selected for the program
that was initiated last year by
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and
Mrs. Victoria J. Cuisia in
cooperation with the Ayala
Foundation Inc. (AFI).
“ T h e f i r s t b a tc h o f
delegates have gone to undertake,
among others, political advocacy
initiatives, cultural and tourism
promotion programs, social
entrepreneurship activities,
education innovations, FilipinoAmerican heritage projects, voter
awareness and education, and
have even launched political
c a m p a i g n s o f t h e i r o w n ,”
Ambassador Cuisia said.
“We hope to attract more
young Filipino-American leaders
who we hope will be among the
movers and shakers among the
emerging generation of FilipinoAmericans,” Ambassador Cuisia
said. “The involvement of these
emerging leaders in the FilipinoAmerican community is expected
to further add vibrancy and
dynamism to the development of
the Philippines and to the FilipinoAmerican community in the
Among the qualifications
for the outstanding Filipino
American achievers and leaders
are the applicant's scholastic
achievements and other accolades,
l e a d e r s h i p s k i l l s ,
accomplishments, active
involvement in school, civic,
political, business and other
organizations as well as their
v i s i o n , i n n ova t ive n e s s a n d
commitment to making a
difference in the Philippines and
a n d s h owc a s e P h i li p p i n e
culture to mainstream America,
through decorated floats, folk
dances, arts and exhibits,
assortment of native dishes,
native and modern music,
community organizations,
businesses and Filipino
American talents. A crowd of up
to 30,000 people gather and
celebrate the annual PhilippineAmerican Friendship Day
celebration. Cora Reyes, a
consummate community leader
and servant, is the 2013 Grand
Marshal of PAFCOM.
About Hudson Toyota
Hudson Toyota is a
premier New Jersey Toyota
dealer providing new and used
Toyota vehicles as well as the
highest quality service and
parts.
As one of the top
Toyota dealers in New Jersey,
Hudson Toyota focuses on
customer satisfaction and
provides the highest quality
service from both its sales
professionals and its Toyota
service center technicians. At
Hudson Toyota, customers can
find the new Toyota Camry, used
Toyota Corolla and any other
SEARCH ON FOR OUTSTANDING FILAM YOUTH LEADERS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The
Philippine Embassy has embarked
on this year's search for
outstanding youth leaders who
will take part in an immersive
program that seeks to transform
them into effective advocates of
the Filipino-American cause here
in the United States.
public in order to gain for
themselves that recognition due
them as an ethnic group in the
United States of America and (2)
to enhance the integration of
Filipinos into mainstream
America by engaging in sociocultural, charitable and
educational undertakings.
PAFCOM's strength
and dedication towards the
community continues to attract
a diverse crowd of spectators
and participants to its festivities
each year. The annual parade
and festival, held in the month of
June, is an opportunity to share
within the Filipino-American
community.
First Secretary and
Consul Emil T. Fernandez, FYLPro
program coordinator, said the
chosen delegates will take part in
an immersive program in the
Philippines from 7 to 9 July and
will likewise participate in the 8th
Ambassadors, Consuls General
and Tourism Directors Tour
(ACGTDT) from 9 to 11 July.
Consul Fernandez said
the special FYLPro program will
afford them the opportunity to
meet and dialogue with the highest
officials and policymakers in the
Philippines, leaders of industry,
legislators, media, artists and
cultural experts, entrepreneurs
both traditional and social, as well
as innovators in different fields.
According to Consul
Fernandez, applicants should be
no younger than 18 years old or no
older than 40 years old by July 1.
They should be ready to travel by
this date (i.e. have a valid passport
for international travel). The
chosen participants are expected
to commit time, skills, and
resources to engage with the
Philippine Foreign Service posts in
the United States in ways which
would advance the causes and
interest of Filipinos and FilipinoAmericans.
T h e a p p l i cat i o n fo r m fo r t h e s e a rc h m ay b e a c c e s s e d at t h e fo l l o w i n g l i n k ,
http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org/uploads/pdfs/embassy/2013/2013-0315-FYLPro.docx, or interested
parties may contact the Philippine Foreign Service post in the US, which has jurisdiction over their place of residence.
The deadline for submission of applications is 30 April 2013. The names of the chosen delegates will be announced
on the website of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., www.philipineembassy-usa.org, on 15 May 2013.
Toyota they may be looking for.
And visit its service department
for the peace of mind of
knowing that your vehicle is
being serviced by its Toyota
certified technicians. Call
Hudson Toyota's friendly staff to
learn about its latest specials,
get details on any Toyota 599 Route 440, Jersey City,NJ 07305
vehicle, request a brochure, talk
about car financing or take a
New Sales: 866-633-2213
Toyota New Jersey test drive.
Used
Sales: 866-633-2213
Test out any of its new vehicle
Service: 866-606-4553
line-up including the Camry,
Corolla, Prius, Rav4, Matrix,
Tacoma or any of our new
General Manager: Jake Kahen
Toyota vehicles.
Desk Manager: Mario Fernandes
Signing Ceremony Between the
Philippine Consulate General
and the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA)
New York, April 8,
2013 - The public is invited
to attend a signing
ceremony between the
Philippine Consulate
General in New York and
the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration
(OSHA), US Department of
Labor (Boston, New York
and Philadelphia Regional
Offices) for an
Arrangement Establishing
an Alliance (AEA) on April
15, 3:00 pm, at the
Kalayaan Hall, Philippine
Center, 556 Fifth Avenue,
New York (between 45th
th
and 46 Streets).
The AEA is a joint
commitment between the
Philippine and US
government to protect
Philippine workers' rights
who are living and working
in the United States by
enhancing cooperation to
educate, train and inform
workers on their rights
under the Occupational
Safety and Health Act
(OSH Act), conducting
outreach missions,
promoting national
dialogues, sharing of
relevant information and
best practices on workers
and, in case of safety and
health violations, accepting
complaints by OSHA under
the grievance procedure of
the OSH Act.
Those wishing to
attend must confirm
participation via email at
mae.ermita@newyorkpcg.
org.
TO ADVERTISE,
PLEASE CALL
2 0 1 - 4 3 4 - 111 4
MORE NEWS
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 19
Police chased
against traffic ...
From page 1
Willie Dumel] is all over the
road. Now he's going against
traffic on I-95. We're going
northbound in the southbound
lanes." Police regulations strictly
prohibit officers from following
suspects when they go against
the flow of traffic, as such chases
are incredibly dangerous.
It was reported that an
Opa-locka City spokesperson
released a statement denying
that Perez followed Dumel into
opposing traffic, saying, "[Perez]
cut off the pursuit and did not
follow northbound the wrong
way." The department has since
placed Perez on administrative
leave while they investigate the
allegations.
Perez was involved in a
high-speed crash shortly before
he became an officer, according
to reports.
Dumel was traveling in
the wrong lanes when his 2013
Chevy Suburban SUV collided
head-on with the victims' 2013
Kia Sorento minivan.
It was reported that
Dumel sustained two broken
legs in the crash. But he is
expected to make a full recovery.
Dumel could testify to the
a c c u ra c y o f p o l i c e ra d i o
transcript.
While Albertson
Anthony Almase, 31, a U.S. Navy
officer, of Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, and Lily Marie Azarcon
(Tuason), 26, an employee of
Ayala Land Company of the
Philippines, were found to be
wearing seatbelts, it was not
known if the third fellow
passenger on board the mini
van, Almase's younger sister,
Christina Almase, 26, also of Fort
Lauderdale, and their mini van's
driver, Dennis Ryan Rinon Ortiz,
33, of Daly City, California, and
Dumel are not known if they
were having their seatbelts on.
All those on board the mini van
were killed, according to an
initial report received by the
reporter from Florida Highway
Patrol spokesman Jose Sanchez.
IN HIGH-VELOCITY CRASHES,
N O B O D Y I S S A F E
A Miami-Dade Medical
Examiner spokesperson said,
"In high-velocity crashes, no
matter what safety features
NO MORE ROOM IN THE CAR: Dennis Ryan Rinon Ortiz (second from left), 33, a U.S. citizen and
International Sales Director for Ayala's Alveo Land, and Lily Marie Azarcon (Tuason) (to Ortiz's left),
26, are all smiles in this photo taken last week in the office of Philippines Today in San Bruno,
California. They died last Wednesday (April 3) morning in a fiery car crash in Miami-Dade County in
Florida after attending a basketball game. Their three companions in the photo from Azarcon
(Tuason)'s left to right are Nikki Vargas, Josh Alfafara and Norman Henson. The latter three could no
longer fit in the Kia Sorento mini van, so, they stayed in their hotel rooms. At extreme left is their
host, Philippines Today columnist, Pep Vasquez, who is still in shock that the two others (Ortiz and
Azarcon (Tuason), beside him, are now gone. (FAXX/jGLi Photo by Kiana Cruz, daughter of Thelma
Cruz, Philippines Today's Vice President for Promotions and Operations)
PRESS RELEASE PHOTO: This was the press release photo that Dennis Ryan Rinon Ortiz (seated,
extreme left) was following up with Philippines Today for publication for this week on the day before
he and his subordinate associate, Lily Marie Azarcon (Tuason) (fourth from left, mid row) perished in
a fiery car collision Wednesday (April 3) morning at Miami-Dade boundary in Florida. Their three
other companions in that trip, Norman Henson (extreme right seated, front row), Nikki Vargas (to
Marie's right) and Josh Alfafara (second from left, last row) could not fit in the Kia Sorento mini van so
they failed to join them in watching a basketball game and survived. (FAXX/jGLi Photo by Angel
Cintron)
there are, you won't be able to
preserve life."
It was reported that a
memorial service will be held for
Azarcon (Tuason) on Tuesday at
2 p.m. at Florida Funeral Home &
Crematory at 1495 NW 17th
Avenue in Miami.
Two viewings at the
funeral home precede the
service from 6-9 p.m. Monday
and noon-2 p.m. Tuesday.
Cremation will take place after
the service and the remains will
be returned to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Ortiz's
viewing is scheduled Tuesday
and Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 9
p.m. at Duggan's Serra Mortuary
at 500 Westlake Avenue, Daly
City before his remains is flown
to the Philippines.
Albertson and
Christina Almase's viewing is
also scheduled Monday and
Tuesday, according to sketchy
reports.
Ortiz, a U.S. citizen, was
the International Sales Director
for Alveo Land, an Ayala Land
Company based in the
Philippines, selling
condominiums to Filipino
Americans. His subordinate
associate, Lily Marie Azarcon
(Tuason), 26, is a single mother
of an eight-year-old child, who
lives with her in the Philippines.
While her passport shows her
last name as Azarcon, her
business card shows Tuason as
Marketing of Philippines Today,
was devastated to learn of the
tragic accident of Ortiz group,
who held a meeting in the
Philippines Today office last
week before they flew to Florida.
her last name.
Albertson was a friend
Azarcon (Tuason) visited in
Florida, where she and her
superior, Mr. Ortiz, and their
three other colleagues, Norman
Henson, Nikki Vargas, Josh
A l fa fa ra , h a d d o n e s o m e
presentations.
Earlier, they made
condominium sales pitches in
Los Angeles and San Francisco,
California. They were supposed
to be back in San Francisco after
the Miami leg of their trip.
It was reported that
Ortiz, Azarcon (Tuason) and
three others were invited to
watch a basketball game
Tuesday (April 2) night but
because the mini van can only
accommodate four people,
Vargas, Henson and Alfafara
stayed in their hotel rooms so
Albertson and Christina Almase
could fit in the car.
When in San Francisco
Bay area, Ortiz's group usually
holds their meetings in the office
of Philippines Today, a weekly
hardcopy and online outlet, in
San Bruno, California. To return
the favor, the group is also one of
the biggest advertisers or one of
the biggest supporters of
Philippines Today. For this
campaign, Alveo Land is only
advertising in the Philippines
Today.
Marilyn King, Vice
President of Sales and
GROUP BIG ADVERTISER OF
PHILIPPINES TODAY
“Not in my wildest
dream that he (Ortiz) will be
gone in less than 12 hours (after
talking to him at 2 p.m. before
the crash),” a grieving Ms. King
told this reporter. “We always
check on these kids every now
and then to find out how are they
doing. It was a very close
relationship with this group.
They come always to Philippines
Today whenever they are in the
Bay Area because they have no
place to go when they want to
have a meeting. They always
stay at the Philippines Today
conference room, doing all the
works that they need to be
done.”
Ortiz used to be
Philippines Today's advertising
a c c o u n t exe c u t ive b e fo re
returning to the Philippines,
where he was hired by Ayala
Land for his familiarity with
market condition in the U.S.
Meanwhile, the Florida
H i g h way Pa t r o l a r e s t i l l
investigating what caused the
driver of Chevy Suburban
identified as Willie Dumel, 25, of
North Miami Beach, to take an
“improper right turn” on an Opalocka street corner. It attracted
police patrol car officer, Sergio
Perez, who turned on his
blinkers to give chase.
Perez also noticed Dumel tossed
outside his car a gun that was
later recovered.
When Dumel drove
north “the wrong way” on to the
southbound lanes of the
Interstate near the exit for Ives
Dairy Road, the patrol car
allegedly stopped to give chase.
A few seconds later the Kia
minivan, carrying the four
Filipinos, traveling southbound
of I-95 crashed head on with
Dumel's Chevy Suburban, killing
all the Filipinos on the scene.
Dumel survived the
collision and still managed to
limp away with broken bones.
A witness, Jeff
Kopelman, 56, told The Miami
Herald that, “I saw lights coming
this way and thought, this guy is
driving the wrong way. I had no
idea it was a pursuit. Then, two
seconds, and boom. It was a ball
of gray and fire, and then we saw
the SUV raise up, flip over and
over, and land on the side of the
road. We knew that something
very fatal had just happened.”
Dumel, who used other aliases
as “Frantz Deshonmes” and
“Reginald Franck,” is now in
custody at Broward Memorial
Hospital, where he is recovering.
Estrada still owes P307.6M - gov't lawyers
Kristine Jennifer E. Carreon.
By Cynthia D. Balana (PDI)
MANILA - Government
prosecutors have disclosed that former
President Joseph “Erap” Estrada has yet to
hand over P307,602,835 of the P734.99
million in ill-gotten wealth that the
Sandiganbayan Special Division ordered
forfeited in favor of the state following his
conviction for plunder in 2007.
Former President Joseph Estrada
Only P427.39 million of the
amount has been turned over, according to
a six-page comment filed by prosecutors
Deputy Special Prosecutor John I.C.
Turalba, Assistant Ombudsman Elvira C.
Chua and Assistant Special Prosecutor III
The forfeiture of Estrada's illgotten wealth was ordered by the court
based on its decision finding the former
president guilty of plunder beyond
reasonable doubt on Sept. 12, 2007.
The court ordered the
confiscation of P545,291,000 in “jueteng”
payola, as well as P200 million in the
account of the Erap Muslim Youth
Foundation (EMYF), P189.7 million in
deposits in the Jose Velarde bank account
which came from Estrada's commission in
the purchases of Belle Corp. shares by the
Government Service Insurance System and
Social Security System, and a house and lot
in New Manila, Quezon City, known as the
“Boracay Mansion.”The court was able to
establish that Estrada was the beneficial
owner of the Jose Velarde account then
being maintained at Equitable-PCI Bank.
EPCI Bank has since been acquired by
Banco de Oro-Unibank.
Of the P427.39 million that has
been garnished to date, P215.84 million
came from the proceeds of the EMYF;
P101.27 million and another P26,543.89
in cash from Investment Management
Account No. 101-78056-1 in the name of
Jose Velarde; and 450 million shares of
stock of Waterfront with an assessed
value of P110.25 million (at P0.245 per
share as of April 13, 2009).
To s e t t l e t h e b a l a n c e ,
p ro s e c u t o r s h ave p ro p o s e d t h e
confiscation of the remaining assets in
the Velarde account in Banco de Oro
consisting of some 300 million in Wellex
shares used as partial collateral by
businessman William Gatchalian for a
P500-million loan from Velarde.
“Considering therefore that
the assets already in the possession of the
honorable court is still insufficient in the
amount of P307,602,835.60, it is
requested that the balance be taken from
the loan payments reportedly made by
William Gatchalian as well as the delivery
to this honorable court of the 300 million
shares of Wellex,” the prosecution said in
their comment.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Joint venture bags road project
The Millennium
Challenge Account-Philippines
(MCA-P) has awarded the contract
for the longest segment of a Samar
road project funded through a grant
from the US government to a
Korean-Filipino joint venture.
Ma. Victoria E. Añonuevo,
MCA-P managing director and chief
executive officer, said via text last
week that MCA-P has awarded
Contract Package (CP) 4 of the
Secondary National Roads
Development Project (SNRDP) to
the joint venture of Hanjin Heavy
Industries and Construction
Company-Philippines, Inc. and
Yakal Construction.
“We signed the CP 4
contract last Monday with [Hanjin
and Yakal],” Ms. Añonuevo said.
“The approved project
cost in the contract was P2.2
billion,” said MCA-P
Communications Specialist and
Spokesperson Andy B. Saracho in a
separate text message.
Hanjin, according to its
We b s i te , i s a Ko re a - b a s e d
shipbuilding firm operating the
Subic Shipyard. HHIC mainly
produces large container ships,
tankers, and bulk carriers. Yakal
Construction is a contractor
engaged in the business of
constructing roads, bridges, ports,
and airports. It is based in Ormoc
City, Leyte.
The SNRDP is one of the
three anti-poverty projects funded
under the Philippine government's
five-year $434-million compact
with the Millennium Challenge
Corp. (MCC), a bilateral foreign aid
agency established by the US
Congress in 2004.
The MCC grant was
awarded to the Philippines in 2010.
The SNRDP seeks to
rehabilitate the 222-kilometer
Wright-Taft-Borongan-Guiuan
Road that traverses from Western to
Eastern Samar, two of the poorest
provinces in the country.
The project is broken up
into four segments for bidding and
enjoys a $214.4-million share in the
MCC grant. Last Jan. 8, the MCA-P
had bid out CP 4 of the SNRDP, the
longest segment of the road project.
It involves the rehabilitation of 79.5
kilometers of road and the
rehabilitation of eight bridges and
the replacement of nine others.
The contract duration is
1,095 days, and is expected to
commence by April 23.
The MCA-P had awarded
CP 1 and CP 3 of the SNRDP to two
joint ventures for P802 million and
P2.45 billion, respectively, in
September last year.
CP 1, which was put on
the auction block in July 2012, was
awarded to the consortium of DM
Consunji, Inc. and CM Panco
Construction, Inc. The contract was
the shortest segment on offer,
covering a 16.3-kilometer stretch of
road.
Meanwhile, CP 3, bid out
in June 2012, was awarded to the
consortium of Leyte-based MAC
Builders and Chinese company
Qingjian Group Co., Ltd. CP 3 covers
64.6 kilometers of road.
Last Feb. 28, the MCA-P
also formally bid out CP 2 of the
SNRDP, the last package offered up
for bidding. Four firms submitted
proposals for the segment. Ms.
Añonuevo said the bids are still
b e i n g e va l u a t e d . C P 2 w i l l
rehabilitate 63.8 kilometers of road.
-- Bettina Faye V. Roc
Two firms vie for PPP deal
Only two out of four
prequalified firms yesterday
submitted offers for the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport
(NAIA) Expressway Phase 2
project, set to be the third publicprivate partnership (PPP) deal to
be awarded by the Aquino
administration.
North Luzon
Expressway operator Manila
North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) and
San Miguel Corp.-led Optimal
Development Infrastructure, Inc.
submitted technical and financial
proposals to the Public Works
department for the P15.86-billion
project, while Ayala-led ACI
Consortium and IL&FS
Transportation Networks Ltd.
withdrew from the bidding.
“After thorough and
extensive review and evaluation of
the project, we regret to advise
that we have decided not to submit
the bids...,” Ayala Corp., said in a
letter read out by Public Works
Undersecretary Rafael C. Yabut.
The firm also issued a
disclosure confirming its
withdrawal from the auction.
Mr. Yabut, meanwhile,
said IL & FS had filed a “request for
withdrawal... in December [last
year].”
Mr. Yabut said MNTC
and Optimal's technical proposals
were ruled to be complete
y e s t e r d a y. T h e i r f i n a n c i a l
proposals, meanwhile, will be
opened on April 15. A notice of
award is expected to be issued on
May 14.
Officials of the four
firms were not immediately
available for comment.
“We want to see this
project realized by 2015 ... we
want to provide faster travel
especially from the main airport to
the venues of APEC (Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation) in 2015,”
Public Works Assistant Secretary
Maria Catalina E. Cabral said.
The country will host
the annual APEC Leaders' Summit
that year.
The NAIA Expressway
project involves the construction
of a 7.75-kilometer elevated road
that will connect the airport in
Pasay City to the Bagong Nayong
Pilipino Entertainment City in
Parañaque City.
Ms. Cabral said the
government would be spending
P2.2 billion for right-of-way. Staterun Philippine Amusement and
Gaming Corp., meanwhile, will
offer a P6-billion support fund to
the winning bidder.
A successful auction
would make the NAIA Expressway
project the third PPP deal to be
awarded by the Aquino
administration, whose
c e n t e r p i e c e i n f ra s t r u c t u r e
program has been hit by delays -blamed on the need for extensive
reviews -- since its launch in late
2010.
The P1.96-billion
Daang Hari-South Luzon
Expressway Link -- bagged by
Ayala Corp. in 2011 -- and the
P16.42-billion PPP School
Infrastructure Project Phase One - awarded to the Citicore Holdings
I nve s t m e n t , I n c . - M e g aw i d e
Construction Corp., Inc. and BF
Corp.-Riverbanks Development
Corp. consortiums last year -- are
so far the only PPP deals that have
been contracted. -- K. M. P.
Tubadeza
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 20
Korea fears to
weigh on trades
Worries over rising
tensions in the Korean peninsula
and nagging concerns over the
euro zone are expected to weigh
on investors' minds in this
shortened trading week,
analysts said over the weekend.
The Philippine Stock
Exchange index (PSEi) fell by
1.78% to 6,727.14 on Friday last
week from 6,847.47 last March
27 -- the last trading day before
Lenten break -- while the
broader all-share index barely
moved, edging down 0.91% to
4,195.96 from 4,234.31.
The benchmark index
closed in the red on four out of
five trading sessions last week as
investors scrambled to take
profit immediately after PSEi
posted its 24th peak for the year
at 6,847.47 last March 27 -boosted by the announcement
by Fitch Ratings that day that the
Philippines had finally bagged
for the first time its muchcoveted investment grade
status.
“The local market ran
out of fuel to surge past the 7,000
level…as external headwinds
from the Cyprus bailout crisis to
the North Korea nuke threats
overshadowed the euphoria on
the country's first investment
grade status,” said Abbygale M.
Estrella, analyst at AB Capital
Securities, Inc.
“Value turnover was
lower as investors stayed on the
sidelines amid escalating
geopolitical tensions that
threaten global markets,” Ms.
Estrella added.
“Market outlook for
the week will be consolidation
w i t h a d o w n w a r d b i a s ,”
Elizabeth S. Abadillo, analyst at
brokerage Angping & Associates
Securities, Inc., said in a text
message yesterday.
“Trading is expected to
b e t h i n d u e t o A ra w n g
Kagitingan,” Freya May B.
Natividad, analyst at online
brokerage 2TradeAsia.com, said
in an interview last Friday.
EYES ON EVENTS ABROAD
Investors are expected
to take trading cues from
overseas markets, another
analyst said. “Global
macroeconomic data, as well as
foreign fund flows, will
determine market movement
until first-quarter [Philippine
corporate] earnings come out,”
Miguel A. Agarao, analyst at
Wealth Securities, Inc., said via
text yesterday.
This week, investors
are expected to watch the
release of non-farm payroll data
in the United States and of
minutes of the Federal Open
Market Committee's March 1920 meeting, Ms. Estrella said.
She also noted that
North Korea's saber-rattling
“alone chopped off 100 points in
the DJIA (Dow Jones industrial
average)” last week, making this
issue “an imminent risk that
investors should prepare for.”
Any upward pressure
in the coming weeks will be from
expectations of first-quarter
Philippine gross domestic
product (GDP) growth data the
government is set to release late
next month, as well as firstquarter earning reports of listed
firms that will trickle in. “The
market will be sustained by the
first-quarter GDP and corporate
earnings results due this quarter
as we expect positive earnings
surprises from select sectors
(consumer and property) due to
t h e u p c o m i n g e l e c t i o n s ,”
investment management firm
BPI Asset Management, Inc. said
in a market report on Friday last
week.
Socioeconomic
Planning Secretary Arsenio M.
Balisacan had said last month
that first-quarter GDP may have
grown within the government's
6%-7% full-year target for 2013
on the back of election-linked
consumer spending.
Ms. Abadillo said that
stocks to watch out for this week
“will be banks and property.”
Initial support and
resistance levels for the PSEi this
week are expected at 6,600 and
6,900, respectively, BPI Asset
Management said in its report. -FJGDLF
Gov't checking cement, flour retail prices
The Government has
asked cement manufacturers
and flour retailers to explain
high prices.
“We will be sending
letters to cement producers to
ask them why their prices have
gone up. We have to ask them
the reason because it may be
that they consumed more coal,
which went up, but there might
be another reason,” said Trade
Undersecretary Zenaida C.
Maglaya in a briefing after the
meeting of the National Price
Coordinating Council (NPCC).
She added the firms
have to send in their reports
within the week.
Cement prices are at
P218-P220 per 40-kilogram
sack, higher than the suggested
retail price of P205-P210 per
sack.
The Trade department
is also investigating Eagle
Cement Corp. for increasing its
prices when it has an
agreement with the
government to sell lowerpriced cement.
The firm was
granted tax perks by the
government for its Bulacan
cement plant in November
2006.
u
Page 23
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 21
RP-Indonesia RO-RO ready to sail
A Philippine roll-on
roll-off vessel will start sailing to
Indonesia, the country's first RoRo service to ASEAN, mid this
year with the establishment of
the Davao-GenSan
(Philippines)-Bitung
(Indonesia) Ro-Ro route.
This came after leaders
of various private sector
organizations led by Philippine
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (PCCI) President Atty.
Miguel Varela and ASEAN
Business Advisory Council
(ABAC)-Philippines member Jay
Yuvallos met with Trade and
I n d u s t r y ( DT I ) S e c re t a r y
Gregory Domingo to discuss the
launching of the project which
will be highlighted with the
maiden voyage of the Super
Shuttle Ro-Ro from Davao City,
Philippines to Bitung, Indonesia.
"The private sector has
taken the lead in spearheading
the implementation of the
project through a bilateral
arrangement between the
business sector of the
Philippines and Indonesia," PCCI
President Varela said, reporting
that the Davao-Bitung Ro-Ro
project was made possible with
the signing of a Memorandum of
Cooperation between the Davao
City and Manado Chambers of
Commerce and Industry during
the Davao Investment Forum in
November last year. He said the
initiative is a milestone in
improving ASEAN connectivity
and in expanding trade, tourism
and investments in the BIMPE A G A
a r e a .
B a s e d o n a s t u dy
conducted by Research
Education and Institutional
Development (REID)
Foundation, there is a thriving
trade between Mindanao and
North Sulawesi that would
significantly benefit from the
project.
North Sulawesi's (Indonesia)
exports to the Philippines in
2 0 1 0 w e r e w o r t h
$6,844,728.42. The
commodities include crude
coconut oil, copra, desiccated
coconut, crude palm oil, coconut
charcoal and frozen fish. Its top
imports from the Philippines in
the same year had a combined
worth $147,932,133.56. These
comprised of capital goods, raw
materials and consumption
goods.
The study also noted
that the transport costs will be
reduced by about five to 10
percent compare on shipping
the commercial goods through
wooden vessels. The
transportation time will also be
cut from two-three days to at
least one 1 ½ day.
For his part, Domingo
welcomed the initiative and
assured the group of the
government's full support.
"Definitely we want to pursue a
m o re s t ra t e g i c e c o n o m i c
relationship with Indonesia,"
Domingo said, adding that
Davao City is a good location for
becoming the trans-shipment
hub in Asia.
Also present at the
meeting were Donald Dee, PCCI
Vice Chairman; Gil Gonzales,
representing ABAC member
Tessie Sy-Coson; Danilo Lim,
President, Davao City Chamber
of Commerce and Industry
(DCCCI); John Gaisano, DCCCI
Chairman; Bill Luz, National
Competitiveness Council (NCC)
Co-Chairman for Private Sector;
Meneleo Carlos, NCC Private
Sector Co-Champion for
Transport Infrastructure; Dr.
Henry Basilio, President, REID
Foundation and Chairman PCCI
C o m m i t te e fo r Tra n s p o r t
Infrastructure; Paul Rodriguez,
President, Asian Marine
Transport Corporation (AMTC);
Emma Mejares, Executive
Director, Export Development
Council (EDC) and Cora Curay
and Pierre Carlos Curay, Supply
Chain Management Association
of the Philippines (SCMAP).
On the part of the
government, Domingo was
joined by newly appointed DTI
U n d e r s e c re t a r y Po n c i a n o
Manalo, DOTC Undersecretary
Timmy Limcaoco, DTI-Bureau of
Export Trade Promotion (BETP)
Executive Director Senen
Perlada, DTI-BOI Executive
Director Pie Reyes and Randy
Arquiza of the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The group believes that
this initiative will be a milestone
in the implementation of the
ASEAN of the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC) 2015 which
President Aquino could report at
the ASEAN Leaders Summit in
Brunei Darussalam this month.
(BCM).
Page 22
April 6 - 12, 2013
Philippine Ports Authority income
6% higher as of February
MANILA - The
Government's income from port
operations grew by around 6%
as of February on higher
revenues from cargo-related fees
and lower expenses, Philippine
Ports Authority (PPA) data
showed.
PPA's net income went
up by 5.96% to P914.40 million
in the first two months of the
year from P863.00 million in the
same period last year.
PPA's revenues are
derived from fees from ship calls
(when a vessel docks at a port)
and cargo movement, as well as
remittances from private port
operators.
Port revenues rose by
3% to P1.37 billion.
Total cargo volume
went up by 7.67% to 27.30
million metric tons (MMT),
driven by foreign shipments.
Foreign cargoes jumped by
12.12% to 15.04 MMT while
domestic shipments increased
by 2.68% to 12.27 MMT.
The total volume of
containerized cargoes increased
by 1.91% to 822,029 Twentyfoot Equivalent Units (TEUs).
Pa s s e n g e r vo l u m e
increased by 3.58% to 7.89
million in the two-month period
from 7.62 million in the same
period last year, but still
“reflected the impact of
competition posed by airlines
offering budget fares,” PPA said.
Total ship calls or the
number vessels that docked at
port, dropped by 1.52% to
5 5 , 9 6 4 . P PA e x p e n s e s ,
meanwhile, dropped by 7% to
P482.03 million in January to
February.
Pasig zonal values raised
Real property owners
in five barangays in Pasig will
start paying higher taxes on the
sale or transfer of their assets
after the Department of Finance
(DoF) updated the zonal values
for the area.
Zonal values in five
barangays in Pasig City have
been adjusted to reflect the
present values of properties.
The DoF has issued
Department Order No. 49-2012
dated Dec. 17, which revises the
zonal values of the areas covered
by Revenue District Office (RDO)
43A-East Pasig.
The order, signed by
Finance Secretary Cesar V.
Purisima, was published in a
national newspaper yesterday.
RDO 43A is composed
of the following barangays:
Bagong Ilog, Kapitolyo, Oranbo,
Pineda, and San Antonio.
Bureau of Internal
Revenue (BIR) Deputy
Commissioner Nelson M. Aspe
said yesterday the updated zonal
values will be implemented 15
days after the publication of the
department order.
“We have no estimate,
though, as to by how much the
tax of the properties will
increase. It will depend on the
transactions,” said Mr. Aspe in a
phone interview.
Zonal values are used in
the computation of taxes on the
sale or transfer of a real property.
These values depend on whether
a piece of land is residential,
commercial, industrial,
agricultural, “general purpose”
or yet to be classified,
condominium and “vicinity” or
near a street or neighborhood.
The BIR compares the
zonal values with the assessor's
schedule of fair market values
and the selling price indicated on
the deed of sale or document of
transfer. The higher number is
used to compute the taxes -capital gains, creditable
expanded withholding,
documentary stamp, donor's or
estate tax -- on the transaction.
This is the fifth time that the DoF
Cesar V. Purisima
has updated the zonal values for
RDO 43A.
Values for these areas
were last revised in the year
2000.
The department order
set zonal values for residential
and commercial establishments,
including townhouses and
condominiums. It also updated
the list of condominiums in the
area as well as the names of
streets in the covered barangays.
For instance, a
residential condominium unit in
Valle Verde Mansion located
along Captain H.P. Javier Street in
Brgy. Oranbo is now valued at
P38,000 per square meter,
higher than the P25,000 per
square meter in the previous
valuation. A parking slot is also
valued at P22,800 per square
meter.
Commercial spaces in
Strata 2000 Building along F.
Ortigas, Jr. Avenue in Brgy. San
Antonio, meanwhile, are now
valued at P60,000 per square
meter versus the previous
valuation of P35,000 per square
meter.
Industrial lots in
Brixton Street, Brgy. Kapitolyo
are also now valued at P35,000
per square meter, higher than the
P15,000 per square meter rate in
the year 2000 zonal values.
Mr. Aspe said the values
were updated to “reflect the
present values of these
properties.”
“The update of zonal
values in all RDOs is ongoing, to
upgrade to current values,” he
added.
Demand from the US and Europe has boosted the country's coconut oil exports
Coconut oil exports up 88%
Coconut oil exports
nearly doubled in the first quarter
of the year on the back of
increasing demand from the
country's major markets.
Citing preliminary data,
United Coconut Associations of
the Philippines, Inc. (UCAP)
Executive Director Yvonne V.
Agustin said in a phone interview
last Friday that the volume of
coconut oil exports grew by 88%
to 320,000 metric tons (MT) in
the first quarter of 2013 from
170,000 MT in the same period
last year.
“Our coconut oil exports
increased because demand from
our major markets picked up,” Ms.
Agustin said. “The United States
and Europe, our major markets,
buy 80% of the country's total
coconut oil exports.”
In March alone, coconut
oil exports more than doubled to
143,000 MT from 64,000 MT in
the same period last year.
“Delayed deliveries in
February were finally shipped
last month and the average price
of coconut oil in the world market
was lower than that of palm
kernel oil,” Ms. Agustin said.
Palm kernel oil is a
substitute for coconut oil. UCAP
data showed that coconut oil cost
$813 per MT on the average last
month, 2.5% lower than that of
palm kernel oil which was priced
at $833 per MT.
This year, the coconut
oil export target is set at 900,000
MT, 2.7% lower than the 925,000
MT target last year. However the
target is higher by 5.6%
compared to the 852,000 MT of
coconut oil exported last year.
Ms. Agustin said last
ye a r ' s c o c o n u t o i l e x p o r t
performance provided “a low
basis for comparison.” She said
the normal coconut oil export
volume is 80,000 MT per month.
Asked about the
industry's chances of reaching
this year's target, Ms. Agustin said
“based on our data and if our
performance this year is
sustained, we will be able to
achieve our target or even exceed
it.”
The Philippines exports
three types of coconut oil: crude
coconut oil, cochin oil and RBD
(refined, bleached and
deodorized) oil, data from UCAP's
Web site showed.
Crude coconut oil is
extracted from copra or dried
coconut. Cochin oil is refined and
bleached coconut oil processed
from copra. It is used for
shampoos and soaps. RBD oil is
processed crude oil and is used
for food products.
Ms. Agustin said crude
coconut oil comprises 70% of
total coconut oil exports while
cochin and RBD oil account for
25% and 5%, respectively.
“The market for RBD oil
has been expanding,” Ms. Agustin
noted.
She said that aside from
the US, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan
and Bangladesh, other countries
are also ordering RBD oil from the
Philippines.
U C A P i s a p r iva t e
organization engaged in
gathering data pertinent to the
coconut industry, according to its
Web Site. It also provides a venue
fo r s t a ke h o l d e r s to s h a re
i n fo rm a t i o n re ga rdi n g t h e
coconut industry. Members of
UCAP are private and government
organizations involved in the
production, processing, trading
and policy-setting, such as the
Philippine Coconut Authority,
Philippine Oil Refiners
Association, Philippine Coconut
Research & Development
Foundation, Inc. and the United
Coconut Planters Bank among
others.
DA to spend P500M over 2 years
in support of hybrid rice farming
MANILA -- The
Department of Agriculture (DA)
will allocate P500 million in the
form of loans and farm input over
a two-year span to help out
hybrid rice farmers.
A c c o rd i n g t o
Agriculture Secretary Proceso
Alcala at the first Hybrid Rice
Congress, which was held in
Muñoz, Nueva Ecija last week,
P200 million will be spent this
year and P300 million in 2014.
Alcala said that in 2012,
the country was able to produce a
record harvest of 18 million
metric tons (MT) of rice without
having to subsidize hybrid seeds.
However, he added, the hybrid
rice sector is important to the
government's goal of achieving
self-sufficiency in rice this year
by producing 20 million MT of the
crop.
The government is
encouraging the use of hybrid
rice seeds to increase the
Philippines' average rice yield to
as much as 10 MT per hectare
from the current 3.5 MT per
hectare in the long term.
Agriculture Assistant
Secretary and National Rice
Program Coordinator Dante
Delima earlier said that the land
area devoted to the cultivation of
hybrid rice varieties will be
expanded from 146,000 hectares
in 2012 to 281,397 hectares this
year and 350,000 hectares in
2014.
Alcala also said that
while the government will not
resume providing seed subsidies
for hybrid rice farmers, it plans to
strengthen state institutions
such as the Philippine Rice
Research Institute (PhilRice) by
promoting the private and public
hybrids it develops through the
establishment of more
technology-demonstration farms
in rice-producing provinces.
Alcala also urged
encouraged hybrid rice farmers
to avail of the loans that are open
to them, such as production loans
of up to P50,000 per hectare
under the expanded P400million Sikat-Saka credit
program implemented jointly by
the DA and Land Bank of the
Philippines.
NFA surpasses palay procurement target
The National Food
Authority said it has bought
two million bags of palay from
first quarter harvests through
massive procurement
operations.
NFA data showed that
it has surpassed its palay
procurement targets during
the first quarter, buying a total
of 2,244,142 bags or 73 million
kilograms of rice which is 38.22
percent more than its target of
1,695,900 bags from the
January to March 2013 harvest.
Fo r J a n u a r y, t h e
agency bought a total of
591,575 bags or 19 million
kilograms of rice, a 114.09
percent accomplishment of its
518,500 bags target for the
month.
For February, the NFA
bought 683,219 bags or 22
million kilograms of rice or
139.92 percent more than the
488,300-bag target.
Last month, the
agency registered the biggest
procurement for the quarter,
buying a total of 1,069,348 bags
or 34 million kilograms of rice
which is 155.18 percent higher
than the targeted 689,100
b a g s . T h e N FA' s p a l a y
procurement from January to
March averaged at 56,281 bags
daily or 1.8 million kilograms of
rice.
NFA Administrator
Orlan Calayag credited the high
procurement volumes to the
innovative methods employed
by the agency's field offices and
the dedication of its personnel
to support the agriculture
department's Food Staples
Sufficiency Program (FSSP)
aimed at attaining rice selfsufficiency. “This is a clear
indicator that we are on our
way to self-sufficiency and that
u
Page 23
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 23
NFA surpasses ...
From page 22
our farmers have given their
renewed trust in the
government and the NFA and
support our initiatives to
wean the country away from
costly rice importations that
are detrimental to their own
plight,” Calayag said.
In previous years,
the NFA's actual procurement
did not even reach 50 percent
of monthly or annual targets.
At present, the NFA's total
inventory stands at
11,685,838 bags or 584,292
metric tons in total rice
equivalent, including local
rice stocks of 3,301,408 bags
and imported rice totaling
2,717,006.
Calayag said the
NFA's buffer stock is at a very
safe level, allowing the
agency to respond to
calamities and emergencies
such as the recent
devastation from typhoon
Pablo and the exodus of
Filipino workers and
migrants from Sabah to
Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi
(BASULTA). With enough
funds, Calayag is optimistic
the NFA will continue to
exceed its procurement
targets for the rest of the year.
The agency operates a total of
435 buying stations and
mobile procurement teams
nationwide.
M e a nw h i l e , r i c e
prices remained stable
during the first quarter,
averaging at P29.23 per
kilogram (wholesale) and
P31.02/kg (retail) for regular
milled rice (RMR); P32.34/kg
and P34.40/kg for well milled
rice (WMR); P36.74/kg and
P38.88/kg for premium rice;
and P40.93 and P44.22/kg
for the fancy varieties.
There are 13,580
active market outlets for NFA
rice nationwide.
On its part, the
Department of Agriculture
has began the review of its
rice sufficiency data, noting
that the expected record-high
palay production in 2012 is
“already enough” to cover
consumption requirements
of the 95.8 million Filipinos.
For his part, Dante
Delima, Department of
Agriculture assistant
secretary and National Rice
Program coordinator, said the
review is in line with the
latest population and per
capita consumption data
provided by the National
Statistics Office.
For 2012, Delima
said palay production is likely
to reach 18.03 to 18.05
million metric tons, higher
than the 17.98 million MT
forecast by the Bureau of
Agricultural Statistics.
Meanwhile, the total
population of the Philippines
as of May 10, 2010 was placed
around 92.337 million based
on the 2010 Census of
Population and Housing. The
census counts up to the
barangay level were made
official with the signing by
President Benigno Aquino III
of Proclamation No.362 in
March 2012.
With a 1.90 percent annual
growth rate, the country's
total population is now
estimated at around 95.8
million, with per capita rice
consumption placed at 115
kilos. At this rate, annual rice
consumption is pegged at
11.02 million MT, he added.
“If we compare the
population rate with our
production of 18.03 million
MT, minus the 351,763 MT
seed requirement for
planting, our total rice
equivalent at 65 percent
recovery rate is around
11.492 million MT… more
than enough to supply our
food requirement,” Delima
said.
At present, the
National Rice Program is
using 119 kilos per capita
under the rice self-sufficiency
roadmap. But even at current
consumption rate, Delima
said the country will still have
a surplus in rice production
as compared to the actual
population.
Coco agency wants 'no therapeutic claim'
tag removed from VCO products
MANILA -- The
Philippine Coconut Authority
(PCA) has asked the Department
of Agriculture's Bureau of
Agricultural and Fishery
Products Standards to allow
v i r g i n c o c o n u t o i l ( VC O )
producers to remove the phrase
“no therapeutic claim” from the
packaging of PCA-certified VCO
products.
PCA Administrator
Euclides G. Forbes suggested the
phrase “increases good
cholesterol HPL” instead.
The agency said that the
results of a study it
commissioned showed that VCO
intake significantly increases the
body's good cholesterol (highdensity lipoprotein, or HDL).
Research team leader Dr.
Christina Binag of the University
of Santo Tomas' Research Center
for Natural and Applied Sciences
said the four-month long study
involved 110 participants taking
three tablespoons of VCO every
day while 79 other participants
took a placebo similar to VCO.
According to the study,
regular bowel movements,
increased appetite and stamina,
better sleep and weight loss/gain
were the four most common
positive experiences reported by
the participants who took VCO.
Negative side effects included
soft stool, stomach aches,
sweating and nausea.
For the first 10 months
of 2012, the volume of VCO
exports rose by 39.07 percent to
5,790.28 MT from 4,163.35 MT in
2011 and the value by 25.61
percent to $23.58 million from
Gov’t checking ...
prices of pork which went up by
P10 per kilo.
“Pork prices have gone up
m a i n ly b e c a u s e d e m a n d i s
o u t s t r i p p i n g s u p p l y,” s a i d
Agriculture Assistant Secretary
Salvador S. Salacup during the
briefing.
The NPCC monitors
prices in the country to ensure
price stability. -- ENJD
From page 20
Regarding flour, “farm
gate prices have fallen by around
P40 but retail prices have not yet
gone down, so we have begun
writing retailers to ask why,” said
Ms. Maglaya.
The NPCC also met on
ENTERTAINMENT
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 24
Carmina Villaroel
Zoren Legaspi
Carmina hints Zoren may return to ABS-CBN
MANILA -- Actress
Carmina Villaroel revealed that
her husband Zoren Legaspi may
join her at the Kapamilya
network.
Villaroel stressed that
Legaspi has no exclusive
contract with other networks.
Curtain won't close on
famed Manila theater
The historic Philam
Life theater in Manila will be
preserved, real estate developer
SM Development Corp. on
Thursday said, amid uproar
over rumors of a planned
demolition.
"A l t h o u g h t h e
development plan is still in its
initial stage, SMDC stressed that
the complete theater including
all its elements and most
especially its acoustics will be
preserved," SMDC said.
The SM Group in a
bidding last year acquired the
property along UN Avenue in
Manila, which was previously
owned by the Philippine
American Life and General
Insurance Co.
Reports have since
floated the possibility that the
famed performance venue
Philam Life Theater will be
demolished in favor of a planned
condominium complex.
SM Development Corp.
said its top officials had met
w i t h O l iv i e r O c h a n i n e , a
Frenchman who is now the
music director of the Philippine
Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ochanine launched a
petition via online portal
Change.org late March, urging
SMDC to preserve the theater,
which he said is "one of the best
performance halls" in the
country.
"It has some of the best
acoustics for Manila's
orchestras, choirs, and solo
musical artists and its
destruction would be a gigantic
loss for Filipino culture and
heritage," Ochanine had said in
his petition.
SMDC chief executive
Henry Sy, Jr. in response noted
that his company is "fully aware
of our responsibility as
corporate citizens."
"In envisioning a
progressive, convenient ,
upscale yet affordable lifestyle
for Filipinos, we also value our
cultural heritage especially in
communities where we
operate," he added.
Sy noted, however, that
the hall may be "moved within
the complex to complement the
overall master plan of the
property."
But some netizens,
including tourist guide and
" c u l t u ra l a c t iv i s t " C a rl o s
Celdran remain suspicious.
[W]hat do they mean by "MOVE
the hall'?" Celdran said in a
Facebook post Thursday. He
added that aside from its
acoustics, the building's "look"
and "green frontage" should
also be preserved. "Still not
buying your (SM) press release
completely... I will save my bravo
for when I see the plans,"
Celdran said.
The Philam Life
Auditorium along UN Avenue in
Manila is 'one of the best
performance halls' in the
P h i l i p p i n e s , s ay s O l iv i e r
Ochanine, a Frenchman who is
now the music director …more
of the Philippine Philharmonic
Orchestra.
"Si Zoren naman ever
since wala siyang kontrata sa
mga stations. Lagi siyang per
show. So 'yun nga 'yung sinasabi
niya na pakalat-kalat siya dito,
pakalat-kalat siya diyan. So if
ever man na gagawa siya sa ABSCBN I guess it's fine kasi dati
naman ay nakagawa siya ng
'Agua Bendita,'" Villaroel said
when asked about speculations
that Legaspi will be moving
back to ABS-CBN.
Asked if they could also
do projects together, the actress
replied: "Sa ngayon wala pa kasi.
Ginagawa ko pa ang 'SIR'
(Showbiz Inside Report) at
ginagawa ko po ang 'May Isang
Pangarap.'"
No more babies
I n t h e i n t e r v i e w,
Villaroel also said that she it
seems unlikely that she and
Legaspi will try to add a baby to
their family. The couple have
twins, Cassie and Maverick, who
are now 12.
"Naku parang hindi na
yata. Baka hindi na, kasi medyo
malayo na ang age gap. Gusto ko
sana pero parang malayo na,"
the actress said. "I mean we are
not really trying pero kapag
dumating eh di sige open kami,
thank you, kung hindi okay lang
din."
Right now, Villaroel is
enjoying her time with her
children, who are very
supportive of her works as an
actress and as host of ABSCBN's "Showbiz Inside Report".
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 25
Maja slowly opens up about Gerald
MANILA - It seems that
Maja Salvador is slowly opening up
about her relationship with fellow
Kapamilya star Gerald Anderson.
In her official Instragram
account on Wednesday, Salvador
posted an underwater picture of
her and the actor with the caption:
“Hawak kamay di kita iiwan sa
paglakbay.”
Anderson also posted his
version of the photo in his own
account, and he captioned it with
the word “beautiful.”
Without disclosing where
they went for scuba diving, many of
Salvador's followers believe the
Kapamilya stars stayed in Batangas
during the holiday break.
It can also be seen in their
other pictures that they spent the
vacation with Anderson's best
friend, actor Rayver Cruz.
Just last month, Salvador
stressed that she and Anderson are
not yet an item but didn't deny that
they are seeing each other.
“Hindi pa [kami]. Agad
agad? Ayoko pangunahan. Sa akin
na lang muna. Siguro in time.
Huwag muna ngayon mag-share.
Sinagot niya naman 'di ba? Sinabi
naman niya na kinikilala namin
isa't-isa,” she had said.
In the said interview,
Salvador had admitted that she is
happy with Anderson, who has
been defending her against
intrigues.
“Aamin ko masaya naman
ako. Pero hanggang dun muna.
Ayoko muna magdetalye. Pero
sobrang salamat sa kanya kasi
nararamdaman ko na special ako
Maja Salvador
talaga sa kanya at ipinagtatanggol
niya ako kahit papaano,” she said.
For his part, Anderson
had also said that he regards
Salvador as someone "special."
“Like I said, wala po
akong itatago sa inyo. She's very
special to me, yes. Pero kumbaga,
sa akin na 'yon. Sa akin na 'yon," he
said.
It was in early January
when actress Kim Chiu expressed
regret over her "wasted"
f r i e n d s h i p w i t h S a l v a d o r,
following reports of a blooming
"relationship" between the
"Thelma" actress and Anderson.
Chiu and Anderson
broke up in 2010 amid
controversies surrounding their
relationship.
John Prats denies bullying Melai on set
MANILA - John Prats
denied allegations that he
bullied his fellow “Banana Split”
star Melai Cantiveros, causing
comedian Jason Francisco to
punch him in the face thrice last
March 21.
Prats said he never
bullied Cantiveros or anyone in
“Banana Split” because they
treat each other like family.
“We don't do that here
in 'Banana.' Tropa kasi kami eh.
Kapag tropa normal na
nagkakaroon ng asaran.
Tinanong ko siya 'Melai ikaw ba
napipikon ba?' Sabi niya hindi
talaga and lambing natin sa
bawat isa iyon eh,” he said.
Prats said even
Cantiveros herself was surprised
that Francisco attacked him.
“Sinabi niya na 'Kuya
John hindi ko talaga alam kung
saan nanggaling ang reaction ni
Jason na ganun.' Sobra daw
siyang na-shock kasi hindi pa
raw sila n a ka ka p a g -u sa p .
Dumalaw kasi si Jason that time
so tinanong ko, anong nangyari,
nag-away ba? Sabi niya 'Hindi
kuya galing ako sa van, nakita ko
siya papasok ng Music Museum.
Pagpasok ko hindi kami nagusap at all. He went straight to
you at ginawa na niya 'yun,'” he
shared.
P ra t s s a i d i t a l s o
bothers him that the incidents
which Francisco referred to as
“bullying” happened two years
ago when he was still part of the
show.
“Kung kahapon iyon or
during that time, maiinitindihan
ko. Pero two years ago iyon,
u m a l i s s i y a s a ' B a n a n a ,'
nagkatrabaho kami sa 'Happy
Yipee Yehey,' nag-'Angelito' pa
kami, saan siya nanggagaling?
Bakit ako?” he said referring to
the now defunct lunchtime show
and afternoon drama series,
which both featured Prats and
Francisco.
“Ako sa sarili ko alam
kong wala akong ginawa sa
kanya kaya nakakaharap ako ng
maayos sa kanya. That day after
the incident, nung tinawag siya
ni Jason Gainza, tinanong siya
bakit ginawa iyon, sabi niya,
'Hindi ko alam.' Nag-snap daw
siya. Sabi pa niya 'Kung gusto mo
balik ako diyan, gulpihin ako ni
Kuya John.' It's not about that.
It's not about getting even,” he
added.
Despite this, Prats said
he is still not sure if he's going to
file charges against Francisco.
“Parang gusto ko nang
magpatawad but 'yung half of me
parang ganun na lang ba?
Minsan kasi kapag sobrang
mabait ka, minsan naabuso ka.
Palalampasin mo na lang ba?
Magulo pa ngayon. But we are
still talking with the lawyers and
titignan namin kung anong
magandang options. Ayaw ko na
pag-usapan but I have to explain
my side,” he said.
Meanwhile, Francisco,
John Prats
in a separate interview, said he
only wishes to talk to Prats to
personally explain his side.
“Kaya ko tanggapin
lahat ng jokes, lahat ng pranks
basta huwag lang kay Melissa.
Parati ko nga sinasabi na iba ang
nakakatawa sa pinagtatawanan
talaga. Lagyan lang natin ng limit
at respeto kasi babae pa din
iyan,” he said.
“Bigyan mo ako ng
chance na makausap ka. Kilala
mo naman ako, hindi naman ako
ganyang tao. Alam natin sa isa't
isa kung bakit ko nagawa iyan.
Sana bigyan mo ako ng chance,”
he added.
Cantiveros, on the
other hand, refused to grant any
media interviews, saying she
only wants this issue to end
soon.
Sunshine adjusts
to new life, house
MANILA -- Nearly a
month after she left the
house she shared for years
with her husband, actor
Cesar Montano, actress
Sunshine Cruz is adjusting to
her new life and her new
home with her three
daughters.
Cruz left Montano
after the actor's alleged
affair with starlet Krista
Miller.
"Okay naman, okay
naman kami. Mas simple ang
bahay namin ngayon. Pero
happy naman kami," Cruz
said.
A f t e r
h i s
controversial split with
Montano, Cruz decided to
make a showbiz comeback
via ABS-CBN's hit series
"Dugong Buhay."
She also appeared
on the cover of the men's
magazine FHM.
Cruz believes that
now is the right time for her
to work again.
"Nakakatuwa lang
na itong offer na ito ay
dumating na perfect time, at
Sunshine Cruz
sino ako para humindi kasi
ang ganda ng timing, ang
sarap at malalaki na rin ang
kids ko," she said. "What is
three times a week na
nagtatrabaho ka nandiyan
naman ang father nila to take
care of them? So walang kaso
talaga."
"I feel honored and
blessed na sa dinami-dami
ng pwedeng i-consider for
this role eh I was chosen,"
she added.
"Dugong Buhay" will
air its pilot episode on
Monday, April 8.
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 26
'Boracay Bodies' host Phoemela Baranda
relishes return to reality show genre
MANILA -- Whether as
host or competitor, Phoemela
Baranda admits that she has
always been attracted by reality
shows.
In 2004, she and Ethel
Booba both competed and won a
series of tasks for the right to
replace Miriam Quiambao as the
new co-host of GMA's reality
series “Extra Challenge”. Four
years later, Phem, as she is fondly
known in the industry, became a
participant in ABS-CBN's “Pinoy
Fear Factor”, the local version of
the popular reality show, and flew
all the way to Buenos Aires,
Argentina to take part in the
show's series of challenges.
In 2011, she found
herself guest-hosting and
competing against fellow “Extra
Challenge” alums Ethel and
Miriam when they competed in
the first season of another ABSCBN reality show, “I Dare You”.
Fast forward to another
two years and reality bites Phem
once again as she has been tapped
to host TV5's newest reality
competition series, “Boracay
Bodies”. Here, the sought-after TV
host not only finds herself
frolicking in the one of the world's
most famous white sandy beaches
but also being envious of the
contestants who will compete for
the cool P1 million total grand
prize.
“Ang laki ng premyo so I
won't mind if TV5 asked me to
Phoemela Baranda
compete instead of just host,”
Phem told InterAksyon during the
recent press conference that
launched the series. “But even as a
host, I actually had a great time
with the show's cast as reality
shows have a way of bringing
people closer together as in our
case.”
R e f e r r i n g t o
participants Wendy Valdez, Luke
Jickain, Victor Silayan, Helga
Krapf, Brent Javier, Krista Miller
and Ethel Booba, Phem admitted
the seven straight days they shot
the series allowed all of them to
get to know each other better. If
anything, the week-long holiday
also reunited her with Ethel, her
co-host in “Extra Challenge”, and
allowed both of them to catch up
with each other and renew their
friendship.
Comedian Vice Ganda
Vice Ganda's Araneta
concert set on May 17
M A N I L A Comedian Vice Ganda
has confirmed the exact
date of his third major
concert.
In his Twitter
account, Ganda posted a
photo showing the date
of his upcoming show on
May 17 at the Araneta
Coliseum with a caption:
"Excited much!!!"
In a previous
interview, Ganda shared
his excitement to return
to Big Dome for a major
concert.
Ganda had his
first major concert
dubbed as "May NagText…Yung Totoo: Vice
Ganda sa Araneta!” at
Araneta Coliseum in
2010. The following
year, he held his second
solo concert also at the
Big Dome in Cubao,
Quezon City.
“Ethel and I have always
been friends, even back then. We
never had a problem with each
other on that show,” she noted.
Now in her 30s but still
possessing the whistlebait figure
that made her a top ramp and
commercial model and landed
her in the list of FHM Philippines'
100 Most Sexiest Women from
2003 to 2007, Phem admits that
she's not getting any younger and
would love to settle down soon.
After a stormy on-andoff relationship with rock
guitarist Ira Cruz (Passage,
Bamboo), Phem admits that she's
very happy now with her current
boyfriend, a professional
photographer who also happened
to be a friend from way back
before they decided to take their
relationship to another level.
As for her career, Phem
said she's now handled by Viva
Entertainment and hopes that her
new management can find her
more exciting projects like
“Boracay Bodies”. Although she is
more known as a host, Phem has
occasionally acted on film and
television and would like to get
more acting projects.
“Actually, I do have an
offer to star in an independent
film. Kaya lang may matindi
siyang love scene so I'm not sure
kung kakayanin ko. But yes, I'm
very open to acting again as it is
also something that I enjoy
doing,” she said.
Karylle shrugs off '
chopsuey' criticism
MANILA - Singer-actress
Karylle does not mind being
criticized that she has no particular
genre when it comes to music.
“A lot of people criticize
me -- chopsuey is what they call it. I
love dance [songs] and I love to be
mellow. I think that's just who I
am,” she said.
While admitting that
negative feedback also affect her,
Karylle said: “You learn to deal with
it especially siguro on Twitter, we
get criticized directly a lot. But a lot
of people have been open about
how they deal with it and that
makes it easier for me.”
Despite this, Karylle is
happy to be doing her share as the
the OPM music slowly makes its
way back in the charts.
Karylle shared that she
recently released a song which is
included in her album “Roadtrip.”
“I released [this album]
probably a year ago. It already
turned gold but since I produced it,
I'm trying to make the most out of
all the songs before I make a new
album. Tsaka I wrote all the songs
except for one. Sabi ko when you
write a song, it's like your baby, you
want to make sure it goes to
college,” she said.
Titled “Everything About
You,” Karylle said the song is about
“just being crazy in love and liking
somebody too much.”
“When I wrote this, it was
Karylle
a time na masyado kang perfect, I
love everything, your flaws and all.
And I discovered later on na it's not
supposed to be that way,” she said.
Asked if she was
referring to boyfriend Yael Yuzon
when she wrote the song, she said:
“I think, because I'm such a big
Taylor Swift fan, I'm not gonna go
that direction na I'm gonna tell you
what song is for whom.”
Karylle composed
almost all tracks in her latest
album.
SPORTS
April 6 - 12, 2013
Rigondeaux predicts exciting
fight with Donaire
Donaire
Mexico's Juan Francisco Estrada (L) fights against Brian Viloria of the U.S. during their WBO/WBA World Flyweight
Title match at Cotai Arena, inside Venetian Macao in Macau April 6, 2013. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
Viloria loses boxing titles
MANILA - Former
world flyweight champion
Brian “The Hawaiian Punch”
Viloria apologized to Filipino
fans after he lost his WBA and
WBO championships to
M ex i c o' s J u a n Fra n c i s c o
Estrada April 6 (Saturday)
night in Macau.
On his Twitter
account, Viloria said the loss
was a “tough pill to swallow,”
but commended his younger
Mexican foe for a well-fought
battle.
“My hats off to Estrada
for a great fight. He earned it
tonight. Time to rest, and
Page 27
hopefully we can go at it again,”
Viloria said. “Mexico, be proud
of your new champion.”
“To my Filipino fans, I
apologize for letting you down.
But I promise you, I will come
back from this setback, and
make you proud once again,”
he said.
M A N I L A - Cu b a n
boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux
said fight fans should expect an
exciting and interesting
showdown between him and
2012 Fighter of the Year
Nonito “The Filipino Flash”
Donaire.
Rigondeaux
He has also heard
about Donaire's criticism of his
short professional career, but
Rigondeaux insists the
Filipino's words mean nothing
to him.
“This will be a very
interesting fight,” Rigondeaux
said in an interview with
Boxing Scene. “I think it will be
exciting. A great fight.”
“I don't have any
problems with him. Nonito
might have said that I only
have nine fights, but I am a
champion,” said the Cuban. “He
can say I don't have a name,
but I have a belt.” Rigondeaux,
who has won two Olympic gold
medals, is treating the Donaire
fight as the most important
one of his career so far.
Rigondeaux knows
he is not Donaire's first choice
of opponent, as “The Filipino
Flash” preferred to fight
Mexican champion Abner
Mares.
“All of the fans can
expect the best of me on April
13th,” he said. “It is a very
important day, and I will give
the fans something to talk
about.”
Rigondeaux and
Donaire will battle in a title
unification fight on April 13 in
New York.
Japan's Yamanaka maintains
WBC bantamweight title
A referee separates
World Boxing Council
bantamweight
defending champion
Shinsuke
Japan's Shinsuke
Yamanaka defeated Malcolm
Tunacao of the Philippines by
technical knockout to defend his
World Boxing Council (WBC)
bantamweight title on Monday.
Yamanaka, 30, floored
the challenger twice in the third
round with a straight left.
And it was the same
straight left shot that knocked a
bloodied Tunacao to the canvas
one minute and 57 seconds into
the 12th, for the referee to top
the fight.
"I was ready to knock
him out, but my opponent was
also fighting pretty well. I went
for it in the end. I got married and
I have a child now, that made me
stronger," said Yamanaka.
"A title unification
match is always one of my
targets, so I welcome any title
matches against champions of
the WBA, IBF or WBO. I'm not
sure it was a nice fight today, but
I'm determined to show an
exciting fight next."
It was his third defence
of the title he won in November
2011, improving his unbeaten
record to 18 wins, including 13
KOs, and two draws.
Tu n a c a o , t h e t o p ranked challenger in the WBC,
saw his record reduced to 32
wins, including 20 KOs, against
three defeats and three draws.
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 28
Seven-time PBA Best Import Bobby Parks, Sr. Dies
MANILA - American
basketball player Bobby Parks,
Sr., the Philippine Basketball
Association's only seven-time
Best import awardee, has died
after a long battle with
laryngeal cancer. He was 51.
In early 2011 Parks
was appointed assistant
athletic director of NU and
rejoined the San Miguel
franchise in the PBA as an
assistant coach before taking
on the head coaching chores of
the conglomerate's ABL team.
Parks passed away
late Saturday afternoon at the
San Juan de Dios Hospital,
where he had been confined
for several months now after
his cancer, which he first beat
two years ago, suddenly
recurred.
Parks, whose son
Bobby Ray Jr. plays for the
National University Bulldogs
and is the reigning Most
Va l u a b l e P l a y e r o f t h e
Universities Athletics
Association of the Philippines,
was the coach of the San
Miguel Beermen in the Asean
Basketball League (ABL) but
was forced to take a leave of
absence last year after falling
ill again.
The six-foot three
Parks played for Memphis
State in college and was the
Atlanta Hawks' third-round
pick in the 1984 National
Basketball Association (NBA)
During his playing
days, Parks was a gifted scorer
who was quick and athletic
and was considered the
measuring stick against whom
other imports were compared.
He was so good that Shell
would use him as an import
even in conferences where the
maximum height for
reinforcements was six-footfive.
Bobby Parks and son Bobby Ray during an event hosted by National University in June 2012. (NPPA Images)
Draft. He never got to suit up
for the Hawks in the regular
season, and in 1987 he made
his debut on Philippine soil,
leading San Miguel Beer,
coached by current Talk 'N Text
coach Norman Black, to the
Reinforced Conference crown
via a 4-1 finals victory over
Hills Brothers Coffee.
But it was with Shell
that Parks would make his
EXPRESS SUDOKU
HOW TO PLAY: Place a number from 1 to 9 in each empty cell
so that each row, each column and each 3x3 block contains
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mark, suiting up for the
franchise from 1988 to 1998
and leading the team to three
PBA titles. He finished his PBA
career as the all-time leading
scorer among imports.
In 1989 Parks was the
center of controversy after
Shell tried to sign him up as its
head coach, a move that drew a
strong protest from local
coaches. Facing mounting
pressure, the Turbochargers
eventually had to recall their
appointment of Parks.
Parks teamed with
Benjie Paras and Ronnie
Magsanoc to form a deadly
triumvirate. In particular, he
and Paras were christened the
Paras-Parks Power Punch, and
in one game in 1989 the two
combined for 101 points, with
Parks scoring 51 and Paras 50.
But aside from his raw
talent, Parks was also known
for his outstanding work ethic
and humble demeanor off the
court that made him a fan
favorite.
As word of his passing
quickly spread, tributes began
to pour in for Parks on Twitter
from former teammates,
opponents and coaches, and
even current PBA players who
never played against him.
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 29
PBA players briefed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue
MANILA - The tax
bureau conducted a forum for
Philippine Basketball
Association (PBA) players at
its main office last April 8. A
total of 145 professional
basketball players from
different PBA teams attended
the briefing, the BIR said in a
statement.
B I R D e p u t y
Commissioner for
Operations Nelson M. Aspe
discussed with the players
their duties and obligations
as professional income
earners or taxpayers,
especially on the matter of
filing their returns and the
payment of their tax dues.
“Filing concerns
were raised. We told them
about the tax obligations of
professionals,” Mr. Aspe said
in a phone interview
yesterday.
“Aside from those, we
advised them to make their
tax payments via checks,
payable to the BIR's account,
so they can ensure their
payments go to us, into the
Treasury, and not to anyone
else,” he said.
The players were
also advised to hire
legitimate/accredited tax
practitioners to handle their
tax transactions with the BIR.
During the forum, tax
compliance issues, such as
the payment of withholding
taxes, were raised by players
and were addressed by the
agency.
Willie Miller of
Global Port Batang Pier asked
about professional basketball
player's expenses that may be
deducted from their
professional income.
The question of
whether gym fees and player
fines are deductible from the
players' taxable income was
also raised.
Answer to Issue 13 Sudoku Puzzle
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said.
Angelico T. Salud
PBA Commissioner
Angelico “Chito” T. Salud said
in the BIR statement that the
tax awareness campaign of
his organization seeks to
send the message the PBA is a
partner of the BIR in nationbuilding.
“PBA players are role
models and are ready to pay
their correct taxes,” Mr. Salud
He also added that
findings of non-compliance
are not deliberate on the part
of the players concerned but
born out of lack of awareness
or knowledge of tax matters.
BIR's Mr. Aspe said
that the forum was “a
milestone” for the bureau.
“We're glad to extend
our assistance through our
tax education drive. We hope
we can conduct briefings for
other groups so we can help
them understand the
process, address their issues,
and improve compliance,”
said the BIR official.
The BIR is the
government's main revenue
agency, accounting for about
70% of collections. It was
able to shore up P1.058
trillion last year, up by around
14.5% from 2011 but still P8
billion short of the P1.066trillion goal for the year.
It is mandated to
collect P1.253 trillion this
year, part of which will come
from the P33.96 billion in
incremental revenues
expected to be generated
from the passage of a new
“sin” tax law that took effect
at the start of the year.
The law raised excise
taxes on alcohol and tobacco
products.
Apart from this, the
bureau has also launched
several initiatives to improve
its collections, one of which is
a campaign to increase its
take from self-employed,
small business owners, and
professionals through the
expansion of its taxpayer
base and increasing average
payments across industries
and professions.
As of February, the
BIR has collected P169.26
billion in revenues. -- Bettina
Faye V. Roc
EXPRESS CROSSWORD
ACTION
CLASSIFIED
Rentals
Help Wanted
Jobs
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 30
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Looking for a nanny who
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April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 31
April 6 - 12, 2013
Page 32

The Filipino Express v27 Issue 14

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