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Vol. 3. No. 48 LOS ANGELES

A Balita Media Publication

Wednesday - Tuesday, August 20 - 26, 2014

Binay ready to face Aquino in 2016 MANILA, Aug 16 (Mabuhay) – Vice President Jejomar Binay said he is ready to square off with President Benigno Aquino III in 2016 should the Chief Executive decide to run for reelection.

“Opo,” Binay told reporters on Friday when asked if he would still run for the country’s highest post in case Aquino decides to run too in 2016.

He said it has always been his dream to become President. “2010 pa sabi ko naman sa inyo kayong mga media tanong ng tanong, sabi ko, ‘Opo, bata pa ako pinangarap ko na.’”

“Naghanda naman po ako rito, nakapag-aral naman ako. Pangalawa, ako naman ay dalawampu’t isang taong mayor. Kaya dadalhin ko sa pwesto ng pagkapangulo ang aking kahinatnan at kakayahan,” he said.

However, Binay thinks a battle between him and Aquino is far-fetched. He said he does not believe the President will seek a term extension through Charter change.

While he strongly disagrees with Aquino’s new stance on

Charter change, he lays the blame squarely on the President’s advisers.

“Ang pagkakatanda ko sabi ni Presidente magkukonsulta siya sa kaniyang mga bossing. Okay lang yun. Pero sana huwag siyang magpadala doon sa kaniyang makakausap na may mga interes at may mga problema sa kinabukasan,” he said.

“Saka pangalawa, sana itong pag-aamyenda ng Constitution na sinasabi ay huwag naman sanang mapunta na lalaki pa ang problema ng executive department at saka ng judiciary, ng Supreme Court,” he added.

Aquino on Wednesday said he was considering constitutional changes, including the adjustment of term limits for officials as well as clipping the powers of the Supreme Court.

The 1987 Constitution limits the President to a single six-year term.

Meanwhile, the vice president branded as “politically motivated” the accusation of Senator Antonio Trillanes that the building in See BINAY VS AQUINO, page 12

President Benigno S. Aquino III receives a warm welcome from the locals during the Inauguration of the Ninoy Aquino Bridge and its Connecting Road Networks in Barangay San Luis, Tuao, Cagayan on Monday (August 18, 2014). The newly constructed 360-meter Ninoy Aquino Bridge across the Chico River, costs P599.40 million, is connected to two other small bridges, the 40-meter Malummin and the 20-meterAngag bridge.

PHL brings home hundreds more workers from Libya

The ceremonial distribution of assault rifles to the Philippine Army and Philippine Navy Marine troops was held at the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Headquarters canopy at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Thursday (August 14). One of the major programs of the AFP Modernization is to upgrade the mission-essential capability requirements of the AFP in terms of firepower for the ground troops. The whole project will be delivered within the year and will be shipped in two batches. (MNS photo)

MANILA, August 16, 2014 (AFP) – More than 400 Filipino workers who fled conflict in Libya arrived in the Philippines late Saturday following a three-day mass evacuation by air and sea.

The group, including 10 children, were picked up from the Libyan ports of Benghazi and taken to Malta by ship on Thursday, where they caught a chartered flight to Manila.

“Our mission is to ensure the safety of Filipinos who are See PHL WORKERS, page 12

Pinoy Islamic militants pledge Pinoy nude artists wanted allegiance to IS jihadists MANILA, August 15, 2014 brutal jihadist group’s leader. in Malaysia (AFP) – Hardline Muslim guerrilMisry confirmed that a Youlas in the Philippines said Friday they have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, the extremist jihadists who now control large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Clips have been uploaded in recent weeks on the video sharing site YouTube showing both southern Philippines-based Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf rebels pledging support to the Islamic State (IS).

“We have an alliance with the Islamic State and Abu Bakr alBaghdadi,” BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama told AFP by telephone on Friday, referring to the

Tube video uploaded on Wednesday, showing a purported BIFF leader flanked by armed men reading a statement of support for the IS, had come from his group.

BIFF split in 2008 from the Philippines’ main Muslim rebel group, the 12,000-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The latter signed a peace agreement with President Benigno Aquino’s government last March.

BIFF, which is believed to have a few hundred fighters, has rejected the peace talks and pursued the decades-old armed campaign to establish an Islamic state in

KUALA LUMPUR, August 18, 2014 (AFP) – The organiser of a nudist sports festival has apologised for holding the event, which triggered outrage in Muslim-majority Malaysia and led to the arrest of eight people.

A video of the May gathering, called the “Nude Sport Games 2014”, first appeared on social media earlier this month and went viral.

It showed naked participants engaged in a range of activities including body painting, dancing, relay races and various other contests on a secluded Penang beach.

See JIHADISTS, page 12

See NUDE ARTISTS, page 12

PHL protests Chinese patrols over territory

MANILA, August 18, 2014 (AFP) – The Philippines said Monday it would protest to China about what it called Beijing’s increasing patrols in a disputed area of the South China Sea believed to hold vast oil and gas resources.

Foreign Department spokesman Charles Jose announced the protest a day after the airing of a television interview in which President Benigno Aquino raised the alarm over the Chinese vessels at Reed Bank.

“The frequent passage of Chinese vessels in Recto Bank is not an innocent exercise of freedom of navigation but is actually done as part of a pattern of illegitimate sovereign patrol in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, pursuant to China’s unilateral effort to change the status quo in the South China Sea,” Jose told reporters, referring to Reed Bank by its Filipino name.

He said Reed Bank was about 85 nautical miles (157 kilometers) from the western Philippine island of Palawan, making it well within the country’s internationally-recognized exclusive economic zone.

In contrast, Jose said the bank was 595 nautical miles from the See CHINESE PATROL, page 12

5-hour Pinoy film wins prestigious award MANILA, August 18, 2014 (AFP) – The Philippine director of an international award-winning movie returned home Monday to presidential accolades and the challenge of finding an audience for his five-hour film.

Lav Diaz, whose movie “From What Is Before” scooped the coveted Golden Leopard prize at the prestigious Locarno film festival in Switzerland at the weekend, said his victory was a boost for Philippine cinema.

“It’s good for the Filipino people. It’s good for Filipino cinema.

Our work is on par with other cin-

emas of the world,” he told AFP hours after returning.

Diaz, 55, whose black-andwhite film recounts the strange events that befall an isolated village in the Philippines in 1972 during the era of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, won the festival’s top prize while his lead actress Hazel Orencio won best actress.

Diaz said in the coming days he would be looking for venues to show the movie in its entirety and to distribute it both locally and abroad.

“That is the struggle of (nonSee PINOY FILM, page 12

Bangsamoro self-rule bill due on Monday MANILA, August 17, 2014 (AFP) – Philippine President Benigno Aquino will on Monday receive a completed draft bill to create a Muslim autonomous area, aimed at ending decades of fighting that has claimed thousands of lives, his spokesman said.

Receiving the draft bill would allow Aquino to quickly submit it to Congress so it could be quickly passed into law and implemented before the president’s term ends in mid-2016, Aquino’s spokesman Herminio Coloma said.

Aquino on Monday will be handed the draft forged by government negotiators and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),

the country’s main Muslim rebel group as part of the peace process, he told reporters.

“The president will prioritize and give his attention to this bill so it can be passed by Congress... as soon as possible in accordance to the roadmap and timetable,” he said.

Coloma said they wanted the law passed quickly so the election of the leaders of the Muslim selfrule area could be held alongside the 2016 national elections.

The 12,000-strong MILF has been fighting since the 1970s for an independent or autonomous homeland for the nation’s Muslim See BANGSAMORO, page 12

Palace reassures commuters MRT safe despite mishap MANILA, Aug 16 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Saturday reassured the riding public the Metro Rail Transit remains safe despite Wednesday’s mishap involving one of the rail system’s coaches in Pasay City.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya already indicated it is safe to ride the MRT-3.

“Ang determination nila ngaySee MRT SAFE, page 12

The Metro Rail Transit (MRT) train slams the barrier at the corner of EDSA and Taft Avenue Station on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 13, 2014) in Pasay City. (MNS photo)

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Bill grants 100% ownership to foreign investors in retail business MANILA, Aug 16 (Mabuhay) -Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao has filed a bill granting 100% ownership to foreign capitalists who will engage in retail business in the

country.

House Bill 4402 amends the Retail Trade Liberalization Law or Republic Act 8762 by removing the capital requirement provision of the

retail trade law that prohibits foreign investors from owning wholly retail business in the Philippines.

Aggabao said the bill seeks to address some of the perceived loopholes in the Retail Trade Liberalization Law, particularly in the capital requirement before a foreign entity may wholly own a retail establishment.

“It proposes to do away with these restrictions by removing the equipment and capitalization requirements in the Retail Trade Liberalization Law in order to provide a more attrac-

tive and favorable investment climate in the country,” Aggabao said.

Aggabao said from 2000 to 2009, foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail and wholesale sector combined was only one percent of the total FDI. Under the bill, foreign capitalists may be allowed to wholly own a retail business in the country with a paid up capital of .5 to .5 million.

Likewise, foreigners may wholly own enterprises specializing in high-end or luxury products with a paid-up capital of

only 0,000 per store.

The bill provides that foreign investors shall be required to maintain a full amount of their capital or the unsold amount of their capital in case any part of the capital is sold to a Filipino citizen or a local corporation when they cease operation in the country. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shall impose sanctions to foreign investors who fail to maintain the prescribed capital of their retail business.

(MNS)

NAIA to seek DOH help in expanding Ebola awareness campaign MANILA, Aug 16 (Mabuhay) – The Manila International Airport Authority will seek the help of the Department of Health in boosting an awareness campaign on the threat from the Ebola virus at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado said he wants the awareness campaign to be for government and non-govern-

ment personnel who have direct interaction with passengers.

“To the best we can and as far as allowable under government regulations, we are willing to support the Bureau of Human Quarantine to run an awareness campaign in NAIA,” Honrado said.

NAIA’s frontline personnel include airline and ground handling staff, Customs and immi-

gration officers, doctors, bridge operators, janitorial personnel and public relations staff.

Honrado maintained the call for an awareness campaign is not meant to alarm the public or airport workers.

“The intention is to keep everyone informed about Ebola and how they can do their jobs everyday without living in fear or anxiety,” he said.

A statement from the MIAA said the move is in line with the call of the World Health Organization to step up public awareness on Ebola.

MIAA said it has collaborated with the Bureau of Quarantine against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002. (MNS)

Embassy: 7,500 Saudibased Pinoys register to vote in 2016 MANILA, Aug 16 (Mabuhay) – At least 7,500 Filipinos in Saudi Arabia have registered so they can vote in the 2016 elections, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh reported over the weekend.

The embassy said 7,511 Filipinos had registered for overseas voting from the start of overseas voting registration last May 6 to August 13.

“Since the new procedures, every day we process about 400 new registrants for overseas voting. We have five encoders for OVR (overseas voting registration) working non-stop during working hours and we ask everyone’s patience as we work to ensure that everyone completes the registration procedure as quickly as possible,” Ambassador Ezzedin Tago said.

He said the high turnout is due to the Department of Foreign Affairs’ new initiative to include verification of voter’s registration status for those seeking passport renewal and other consular services.

Meanwhile, the Embassy said it will soon upload the application forms on the front page of its website.

This is for anyone who wants to download the form and complete it before going to the Embassy.

“Some information may not be readily known to the applicant, and would require that the applicants check with their records to enable them to complete the form,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Embassy reminded Filipinos in the Kingdom the registration for overseas voting will continue until October 31, 2015.

“Filipinos who previously registered but did not vote for two consecutive elections will need to undergo registration.

In addition, Filipinos now may register in the Riyadh even if they are voting in another country or in the Philippines,” it said. (MNS)

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Lawyer nixes AFP detention for Palparan MANILA, Aug 18 (Mabuhay) -- A private prosecutor in the kidnapping and serious illegal detention case of retired major general Jovito Palparan Jr. slammed the proposal to put the retired Army official under the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). ‘’Outrageous,’’ said Olalia of the proposal during an interview before the beginning of Palparan’s arraignment at the Malolos Regional Trial Court.

Olalia said Palparan, figuratively speaking, will just “return home’’ if he will be allowed to be placed under AFP custody.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV earlier proposed that Palparan be placed under AFP custody due to the supposed threats to the retired general’s life. ‘’To make sure that he is secure, it would be best that he is transferred to a detention facility of the AFP. This is also proper since the alleged crimes he committed were related to his functions as a commander in the Philippine Army,’’ the senator said.

But in an interview on the day of Palparan’s arrest, Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) chief Major General Eduardo Año said unlike some of his co-accused who are still active in the military, Palparan may not be taken into custody by the AFP since he is already a retired official.

The Malolos RTC earlier ordered that Palparan be transferred to the Bulacan Provincial Jail, but Palparan asked the court to allow him to stay under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) due to the threats to his life.

Palparan, tagged as ‘’berdugo’’ or butcher by militant groups, claimed that communist rebels are out to kill him, even as he denied allegations that he was behind the forced disappearances of several activists during his time in the military.

The retired major general arrived at the Malolos RTC Branch 14 on Monday morning for his arraignment. He faces the court for the first time since he was ordered arrested in 2011 for the disappearance of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in 2006.

Olalia said the prosecution will also block Palparan’s plea not to be detained at the Bulacan Provincial Jail. ‘’Hindi kami sumasang-ayon sa kanyang mga alegasyon na ang NBI lamang ang may kakayahan na i-secure siya at may banta sa kanya. Lahat ng iyan ay papabulaanan naming,’’ he said.

Palparan’s co-accused, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado Jr. and S/ Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, are also expected to face the court today for the last day of the presentation of their evidence. (MNS)

Senate to probe alleged payoffs in Maguindanao massacre case MANILA, Aug 18 (Mabuhay) – Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero intends to file a resolution to look into the alleged bribery of prosecutors involved in the Maguindanao massacre case and the kin of victims of the gruesome murders.

“Ang plano kong ihaing resolution na pinag-aaralan na namin ngayon ay ‘yung diumano suhulan sa DOJ (Department of Justice) at sa NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) kaugnay ng Ampatuan [Massacre],” the senator said in the weekly “Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel” on Monday.

“Tuwid na daan at ang walang kurap kung walang mahirap ang slogan ng administrayong ito, napakasama sa panlasa ang mga kwento o alingasngas tulad nito na lumalabas at tila hindi mawala-wala,” he pointed out.

Escudero said his staff is trying to reach the whistleblowers on the alleged payoffs. “Hopefully, this week, we will be able to contact the whistleblowers if they are willing to testify without need of a subpoena.”

The private and public prosecutors in multiple murder case are squabbling over allegations of bribery.

Prosecution witness Lakmodin Saliao, a long-time Ampatuan househelp, recently claimed that his former employer tasked him with handing over P50 million for their lawyer to distribute to the public prosecutors. Allegedly P20 million went to Justice Undersec-

retary Francisco Baraan III, the supervising DOJ official handling the massacre case.

Private prosecutor Nena Santos, who represents Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, also claimed to have been offered bribe money by the camp of the accused. Santos said she rejected the offer, and the money supposedly went instead to the public prosecutors.

The public prosecutors have denied Santos’ claims.

Earlier, Myrna Reblando, widow of slain Manila Bulletin reporter Alejandro Reblando, revealed that members of the Ampatuan clan tried to bribe her with P3 million to drop the case.

Some members of the Ampatuan clan and many others are facing multiple counts of murder for allegedly killing 58 individuals, including 32 journalists, in November 2009.

Among those arraigned were eight prominent members of the Ampatuan clan, including Andal Sr., who is a former governor of Maguindanao, and his sons, Andal Jr., Rizaldy, and Sajid.

The victims’ convoy was on its way to file the certificate of candidacy of Mangudadatu, when they were kidnapped, killed and subsequently buried in Ampautan Town. Among those killed were Mangudadatu’s wife, his two sisters, journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistaken as part of the convoy. (MNS)

DOH predicts Filipinos with HIV/ AIDS to hit 32,000 by end of 2014 MANILA, Aug 19 (Mabuhay) – By the end of 2014, the number of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the Philippines is projected to hit 32,379, according to the Department of Health.

During the Senate inquiry on six bills that will strengthen policies on HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment, DOH Assistant Secretary Enrique Tayag said the reported HIV cases has reached 19,330 since 1984 when the first Filipino HIV case was confirmed by the DOH. “The new HIV cases has actually increased by 532 percent from 2008 to 2013 and for January to June this year alone, the total reported cases hit 2,814,” Tayag told the Senate committee on health and demography chaired by Sen. Pia Cayetano.

Tayag said out of the 19,330 reported cases from 1984 to June 2014, a total of 1,766 are AIDS cases.

He said the number of persons who do not voluntarily undergo testing for HIV infection are included in the projected number of persons with HIV by end of this year.

Based on data presented by Tayag, the populations at risk to HIV infection are people who inject drugs (PWID), particularly in Cebu where HIV prevalence has increased from 0.40 percent in 2007 to an alarming 52.30 percent in 2013.

“HIV prevalence also increased from 0.30 to 3.50 percent among the males who have sex with males, followed by freelance female sex workers and female sex workers in registered entertainment establishments,” he said.

To minimize the spread of HIV infection, Tayag said the DOH has listed 75 priority areas for HIV intervention, including 53 in the Luzon, led by Angeles City and Caloocan; 12 in Visayas including Cebu City; and nine in Mindanao particularly in Davao City.

Tayag said the DOH has proposed a P308-million budget, including P11 million for the purchase of condoms, for 2015.

“There are 11,384 projected persons living with HIV who will need Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) by 2015,” Tayag said.

Under Senate Bill 1217, Sen. Grace Poe proposed the removal of the HIV and AIDS legal framework that conflicts with laws recently enacted, “thus restricting actions that are crucial to halt the spread of the epidemic.”

Retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. did not enter a plea when he arraigned, but the Bulacan court entered a “not guilty” plea for him on kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges over the disappearance of two women in Bulacan in 2006.

‘Not guilty’ plea entered for Palparan, retired general escorted to provincial jail MANILA, Aug 18 (Mabuhay) – A Bulacan court on Monday entered a “not guilty” plea for retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. on kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges over the disappearance of two women in Bulacan in 2006.

Palparan did not enter a plea when he was arraigned before the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 14. The retired general was also escorted to the Bulacan Provincial Jail.

Members of militant groups chanted slogans against Palparan as he was being escorted by police, military and National Bureau of Investigation operatives to the provincial jail.

The charges stemmed from the disappearance of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn

Cadapan and Karen Empeño in 2006.

Palparan was commander of the Army 7th Infantry Division based in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija when the abduction of the two students took place.

Palparan denied any involvement in the disappearance, and claimed that the two students were members of the communist New People’s Army.

When he was asked about the whereabouts of his co-accused, Master Sgt. Rizal Hilario, Palparan said that same: “Wala akong impormasyon sa kanya.”

Palparan was tagged as “the butcher” by communist rebels and militant groups for his relentless campaign against insurgency and alleged involvement in the cases of political killings.

In his brief stint as 8th Infantry Division commander, Palparan was credited for reducing the insurgency problem in Samar by 80 percent.

Palparan retired from the military in 2006, and won a seat in Congress through Bantay, the anti-communist party-list group.

He ran for the Senate in 2010 but failed to land in the top 12.

Palparan, considered one of the country’s “Big 5” fugitives, went into hiding in December 2011 after the Bulacan RTC issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with the disappearance of Cadapan and Empeño.

Malolos Judge Teodora Gonzalez on Monday also ordered that the pre-trial for the case against Palparan be held at 10 a.m. of September 1. (MNS)

Jinggoy seeks Sandiganbayan OK to conduct hearings MANILA, Aug 18 (Mabuhay) -- Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Monday made good his promise to ask the Sandiganbayan to allow him to conduct committee hearings while in detention facing plunder and graft charges in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam.

In his motion filed trough his lawyer Jose Flaminiano, Estrada said he wants to conduct hearings to expedite the lawmaking process. “Sen. Estrada has no intention of shirking from his duty as a aenator and as chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development. Neither would he allow himself to be the cause of any delay in enacting the priority bills,” the seven-page motion said.

In the motion’s prayer, Estrada left the decision to the court as to the location of the proposed hearings. “[Estrada respectfully prays that the committee] be allowed to conduct their hearings at the Camp Crame detention facility or such other place as the honorable court may find suitable and appropriate,” it said.

The motion stated that Estrada is a duly elected and incumbent senator of the country, and should thus be allowed to conduct committee meetings.

There are currently 168 bills pending before the labor committee, of those 12 are priority bills which require immediate review and action by the committee, the motion said.

In addition to the seven page motion, Estrada’s counsel attached a 40-page annex indicating all bills pending in the labor cmmittee.

The motion is set to be heard Friday, August 22.

Earlier, Estrada said that he also still files bills, even from within prison.

Estrada is currently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center, on allegations that he pocketed millions in government funds by supposedly diverting his Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations to bogus non-government organizations associated with alleged pork scam brains

Janet Lim-Napoles.

While in prison, Estrada said he has a new found appreciation of the problems of the country’s criminal justice system, adding that he has filed bills to decongest prisons. Estrada has been ordered suspended by the Sandiganbayan Fifth for 90 days in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam.

But the Senate has yet to implement the suspension orders against Estrada and his two coaccused colleagues – Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. – since the decision of the anti-graft court is not yet final.

(MNS)

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada with dad Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada (right).

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Aquino thinks he’s ‘prophet of righteousness’ – law dean MANILA, Aug 18 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III wants to clip the powers of the Judiciary because he thinks he is the “prophet of righteousness,” a law dean said Monday.

Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, dean of the San Beda College’s Graduate School of Law, said that the President believes the “mental fallacy” that “nobody else is righteous” and all others are corrupt.

“He does not want the Supreme Court to stand in the way because this man is so convinced that he is the prophet of righteousness so anybody else who doesn’t agree with him cannot be righteous,” the law dean said.

In the first place, he said there was even no judicial breach on the part of the high court.

“All that was being asked by the Supreme Court was whether or not DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program) was in accord with the constitution which is clearly a justiciable issue,” he said, pointing out that the issue was raised by the people to be acted upon by the court.

Fr. Aquino said the President simply does not want other people to stand in his path.

“And the Supreme Court, as an institution ordained by the constitution, can stand in his way if he does violated the Constitution. ‘Yan ang hindi matanggap ng ating Pangulo (That’s something that the President cannot accept),” he said.

Last week, during an exclusive interview with TV5, the President admitted that he was mulling over the issue of charter change, especially amid the alleged “judicial breach” that stemmed from the SC decision against DAP. The high court declared DAP partly unconstitutional last July. Two weeks after, the President assailed the decision and said that it negatively affected the Executive’s programs for the people.

The law dean, on the other hand, said that such actions make Aquino a “very dangerous” president. He said even former president Ferdinand Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left the Supreme Court to its own devices amid unfavorable decisions.

“The real purpose of separation of powers was to prevent one branch of government from being all powerful,” Fr. Aquino said. “It is to prevent a tyranny. It is to prevent a concentration of power on only one person or on only one branch.”

Nevertheless, Fr. Aquino said he still hopes the President would change his mind and start listening to “better” advisers.

He also dismissed Aquino’s claim that he continues to listen to the “voice of his bosses.” “’Yung dumarating sa kanya na boses ng boss nya ay boses ng mga nagsasalita sa kanya na gusto nilang protektahan ang sarili nilang interes,” Fr. Aquino said.

“In a democracy, people elect a president not to do what he is told by the people but to do what he thinks best. We choose a president who is capable of governing,” Fr. Aquino said.

The law dean also said that the situation reminded him of his experience as a professor.

“The students who learn fastest and the students who are willing to listen, the students who are willing to be taught are often the brightest. And that says a lot about the opposite,” he said.

Fr. Aquino said that for their part, the public should express their opposition to charter change and term extension and protect their rights enshrined in the Constitution.

(MNS)

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Former gov’t officials: No to term extension for president MANILA, Aug 18 (Mabuhay) -- The Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO) urged the administration not to pursue amendments to the Constitution at this time, reminding the President that such announcements in the past have had undesirable consequences.

In a statement, the group led by former Education Undersecretary Isagani Cruz said similar statements in the past were met with negative reactions and criticisms.

“Governance was disrupted, media became unduly adversarial, and the general public was

dismayed by fears of dictatorship. Surveys of public opinion all showed disapproval of those moves to extend the term limits of elected officials, either in the executive department or in the legislature,” the FSGO said.

While the general character of the Aquino administration is different from the previous ones, “the public’s distrust of self-serving moves to amend the Constitution remains strong and admirable,” the FSGO added.

“We strongly urge the administration not to pursue any amendments to the Constitution at this time, when genuine

reforms have been put in place in the government. We should not lose in two years what we worked so hard to achieve in the last four years,” the FSGO added.

President Aquino admitted that he is open to some amendments to the Constitution.

The Constitution was promulgated in 1987 during the presidency of Aquino’s mother, Cory Aquino. The latter was put in power by a mass uprising that ousted President Ferdinand Marcos from his position that he held for more than two decades.

(MNS)

Chiz vows to block Cha-cha moves in Senate MANILA, Aug 18 (Mabuhay) -- Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Monday added his voice to those opposing Charter change, even vowing to block such proposal if it reaches the Senate.

“Hindi ko papahintulutan mangyari o maganap ang pagamyenda sa Konstitusyon lalo na partikular kung ang pag-uusapan ay term extension o pag-aalis ng term limits,” Escudero said during the weekly press conference Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel.

Escudero made the statement a day after President Benigno Aquino III said in a television interview that he might consider extending his term if there is strong public clamor for it.

Escudero said so far, no senator has filed a resolution calling for amendments in the 1987 Constitution. He added that nothing

is concrete yet when it comes to pronouncements about plans in the 2016 elections.

“Lahat ng mga proklamasyon at pahayag tungkol sa eleksyon 2016 ay puro drawing lamang at kathang-isip pa lamang dahil napakalayo at napakatagal pa ng eleksyon. Positioning lamang ‘yan at ‘ika nga, porma lamang ‘yan,” he said.

Earlier, Vice President Jejomar Binay, who has been open about his plans of running for president in 2016, rejected the potential term extension, describing the move as “selfish” and “politically decisive.”

Former Senator Rene Saguisag, a close political ally of Aquino’s mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, echoed Binay, saying he will not support the incumbent President should he run

for reelection in 2016.

Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who was a Cabinet official during Mrs. Aquino’s term, has earlier said he believes President Aquino will not push for a term extension.

Likewise, Escudero claimed that Aquino’s supposed intention to extend his six-year term may be a plan to avert the “lame duck” tag.

“Lagi namang pinag-uusapan ang Cha-cha sa dulo ng termino para hindi ituring na lame duck ang Presidente,” he said.

“Ang Cha-cha dapat ginagawa ‘yan sa simula ng termino ng sinumang Pangulo para walang alinlangan, walang duda na ito ay para sa kapakanan ng lahat at hindi lamang ng iilang pulitiko o kandidato,” Escudero added.

(MNS)

Lawmaker thinks it will be good for Aquino to go ride MRT MANILA, Aug 18 (Mabuhay) – To know first-hand the suffering that his bosses go through taking the Metro Rail Transit, President Benigno Aquino III should one day ditch his car and ride the city commuter train, Isabela Representative Rodito Albano said on Monday.

This way, Albano explained, the President will, perhaps, wake up to the reality that a major fix really needs to be done to rectify “the messy state of affairs at the MRT” and exact accountability for the “dismal and totally unacceptable” management of the mass transit system.

As this developed, Kabataan paryty-list Representative Terry Ridon filed House Resolution No. 1387, calling on the Committee on Metro Manila Development “to conduct a thorough investigation, in aid of legislation, of the MRT 3 mishap that injured dozens of passengers, and other accidents and service disruptions that make MRT 3 perilous and inefficient, and likewise investigate maintenance procedures and services provided by MRTC and its maintenance contractors for possible criminal liabilities and gross neglect of duty.”

“The President should seriously look into this problem by taking a ride in the MRT to experience the deplorable conditions and disservice that punish his ‘bosses’ –

the hundreds of thousands of commuters, riding the Metro mass transit system daily,” Albano, a leader of the minority bloc, added.

“I recall he lined up once to renew his license at the Land Transportation Office, so maybe, he should try doing it again to get the feel of what ordinary people go through,” he said.

Following the spate of technical problems of the train service and the August 13 accident that saw a coach overshooting the train’s terminal track at Taft Station, Albano said it was “timely and proper for Malacanang to carry out a top-to-bottom reorganization at MRT and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).”

DOTC had announced it would release the result of its fact-finding on the incident by Tuesday.

Albano said that, despite the gravity of the incident, “there wasn’t even a slap on the wrist on those responsible for the safety and reliability of the MRT.” “President Aquino should prove that he is for the welfare of his bosses by seeing to it that he could exact accountability and punish the incompetents and laggards mismanaging the MRT. After all, it is the lives and welfare of the President’s bosses’ that are at stake,” he said.

Even before the August 13 accident, the President should have

realized that MRT was being “mismanaged” as proven by the misfortunes plaguing the mass transport system – from insufferable long queues, operational glitches and system disruptions due to power supply problems, and dilapidated, if not poorlymaintained equipment, according to the Isabela lawmaker.

“What has happened to the MRT since 2010 shows in bold relief the mismanagement of MRT and the apparent lack of a strategic and tactical plan to ensure that the this mass transit system in Metro Manila is able to sustain efficient, reliable, safe and affordable service to its hundreds of thousands of commuters daily,” Albano said.

In filing the resolution, Rep. Ridon said the “decrepit state of the MRT3 should be addressed... and officials involved in its operations held accountable for the poor maintenance of the train system that has led to multiple incidents.”

The incident has exposed the perennial threat to public safety that the beat-up state of the MRT 3 poses to half a million Filipinos who ride it every day, he said, adding that public funds to the tune of billions of pesos are being spent annually to subsidize the MRT3, yet the public still suffers from poor and perilous train service. (MNS)

ASEAN integration to have positive impact on youth MANILA, Aug 16 (Mabuhay) – The integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) will have a positive impact on youth, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg said Friday.

He made this statement while speaking before attendees of the first-ever “ASEAN Youth Dialogues” sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

Goldberg also told the 100 youth attendees present that they must address the challenges of the 21st century.

He added the challenges of today “by-and-large do not recognize borders. Responding requires joint effort.

“Thus, the concept of a peaceful, secure, and prosperous ASEAN community is a vision that resonates for the United States. The U.S. supports ASEAN’s economic integration goals and we aim to create dynamic, open economies with the establishment of an integrated ASEAN Economic Community by the end of 2015,” Goldberg pointed out.

“A peaceful, secure, and prosper-

ous Southeast Asia is good for the world, but it’s even more important for ASEAN’s citizens and governments,” he added.

The “ASEAN Youth Dialogues” was organized by five Filipino youth alumni of U.S. Department of State’s exchange programs and members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).

The former is a series of conferences aimed at engaging young leaders and students in discussions to help them better understand the implications of ASEAN’s upcoming integration.

With the support of U.S. Embassy Manila, and in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs-Foreign Service Institute, Ateneo De Manila University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and the Ayala Foundation Inc., the event was a success.

Keynote speakers included Department of Foreign Affairs- Office of ASEAN Affairs Executive Director Teresita Daza, who opened the forum with an introduction to ASEAN and ASEAN integration.

And former Department of Education Undersecretary Isagani

Cruz spoke about the effects of integration on the education sector.

Breakout sessions focused on the three pillars of the integration: political security, economic, and socio-cultural.

Speakers included Bantay.ph co-founder Happy Feraren, Agricool founder Cherie Atilano, and Anthropologist Clarissa Mijares of Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Project lead John Patrick Allanegui hopes that this initiative can encourage other collaborative efforts among youth to discuss ASEAN’s integration and other youth issues.

“The AYD seeks to provide the younger generation, particularly student leaders, with a better grasp of the impact of the integration to education and on other issues affecting the youth,” Allanegui said.

This year, four more ASEAN Youth Dialogues will be held: one at Ateneo de Davao University in Davao, one at St. Louis University in Baguio, and at two universities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

(MNS)

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UTREACH Santa Clarita Valley Fil-Ams to hold Mga Kwento Ni Lola Basyang musical play Sept. 6 The FilAm Association of SCV, Inc. is proud to present a musical play of “Mga Kwento Ni Lola Basyang” (The Stories of Grandmother Basyang), an Anthology of short stories by Philippine literature’s most iconic storyteller, author Severino Reyes.

The musical production will be held on September 6, a Saturday, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the historical Canyon Theater Guild, 24242 Main Street, Santa Clarita CA 91321.

Co-sponsored by Morton Manufacturing and AFC Corp, in cooperation with Kababayan LA18, “Mga Kwento Ni Lola Basyang” will feature value driven folktales showcasing local talents, singers, colorful costumes and unforgettable Filipino cultural dance numbers by the popular Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts.

“We are so delighted to bring

Lola Basyang, one of Philippines beloved Philippine literature’s storytellers. This play will entertain you, will teach values and will surely captivate you” said FilAm of SCV President, Zenaida Justiniano.

The evening will delight viewers with two fascinating and enchanting stories, Áng Sultan Saif” (The Sultan Saif), will be played by new stage actor, Joe Maglalang along with Dexter Tucay as Chamberlain Abdul and Art Rivera as Minister Lour and “Ang Mahiwagang Biyulin” (The Magical Violin), in which Rodrigo will be played by young up and coming stage actor Paolo Arguelles, with actor and singer Joseph Sese to play Mr. Ahab. The alluring Miss Zeny Benitez takes the loveable role of Lola Basyang. A colorful ensemble of various characters will be played by various mem-

bers of the association.

The play is being directed by experienced stage actor and director, Myra Miranda along with codirector Verna Arguelles, an experienced stage director. “Being able to translate these two timeless stories in a production play is such an honor. This is just another one of FilAm of SCV’s effort to continue to promote and preserve our beautiful and colorful Philippine heritage”, says director Myra Miranda.

Experience the magical journey! Seats are limited so we encourage you to reserve your tickets now. General admission ticket is $30 and reserved center stage VIP seats are for $50.

For ticket reservations, for ads and sponsorships on our play bill , please contact Zeny Justiniano at 661.294.0181 or Linda Crawford at 661.296.1234 .

California Condor recovery program spreads its wings SCE teams with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enhance the power pole aversion training that has excelled in helping save the endangered birds from extinction.

By Paul Netter

August 15, 2014 – They won’t win a beauty contest, but California condors are very impressive birds.

With wings sometimes spanning nearly 10 feet, they’re the largest flying birds in North America. They can soar as high as 15,000 feet and as fast as 55 mph and they sometimes travel 150 miles a day in search of a meal.

But, with a rapidly declining population, condors were also headed for extinction in the 1980s. In a bid to save them and with the country’s condor population down to a mere 22, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with its partners, launched the California Condor Recovery Program in 1982, taking the last one into captivity on Easter Sunday in 1987.

“California condors are both biologically and socially important,” said Kara Donohue, a senior biologist at Southern California Edison (SCE). “Biologically speaking, every organism plays a role in its ecosystem and by allowing a species to go extinct, we don’t know what type of chain reaction could occur.

Condors came close to extinction because of human activities, so we have a responsibility to try to help them recover.”

Fast forward to this summer and, thanks to the recovery program, Donohue and condor aficionados can worry much less about extinction. Now, instead of the 22 in 1987, there are 437 condors in the U.S. Those include 232 condors in the wild – 131 in California, 72 in Arizona/Utah and 29 in Baja California, Mexico – and 205 still in captivity in the program. Of those, there are 68 condors and three chicks flying free in Southern California.

One of the leading successes in achieving these numbers is power pole aversion training, especially since perching on power poles — along with lead poisoning and microtrash — are the leading threats to condors.

California condors lay only one egg per year, the lowest reproductive rate of any bird species.

The wildlife service, in a joint effort with SCE’s avian protection program and Transmission & Distribution unit, recently moved to take aversion training to the next level by installing more realistic-sized, 30-foot aversion poles near flight pens at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refugeand Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge.

In the two previous instances where poles were used in the wild, they were much smaller.

The aversion training, which the wildlife service started in 1994 over concerns about electrocutions, fatal collisions and power pole perchings after beginning the reintroduction of captivebred condors in 1992, involves placing a replica of a power pole in the birds’ flight pens.

Key to it all is that the pole is designed to deliver a mild but uncomfortable electric shock to condors that land on its crossarm, thus making them associate power poles with danger and avoiding them. To reinforce this, natural tree snags are placed nearby to reward condors landing on them with a positive perch, and best of all, no shock.

The results have been amazing.

No captive-bred condor has been electrocuted while perched on a power pole since the training’s inception and only one condor in Southern California has died in a mid-air collision (in 2001) with a power line, according to the wildlife service, which tracks the birds by transmitters and ID numbers attached to their wings.

“I think it’s a great aversion training technique,”

Tanduay Asian Rum expands distribution to additional retail outlets in California Avon, CT (August 18, 2014) – Tanduay Distillers, Inc., makers of the second-largestselling rum brand in the world, announces its partnership with California National Trading Inc. (CNT, Inc.), which will increase distribution in California and bring the awardwinning rum to several Asian supermarkets throughout the state.

This follows the decorated spirit’s first foray into CA with Seafood City, the popular food retailer specializing in Filipino products. With expanded distribution, the beloved Filipino rum will now be accessible in all major cities throughout Cal-

ifornia. Jeff Chen, President of CNT, Inc. and a veteran of the beverage alcohol industry, will oversee sales efforts for the brand in the state.

“The strength of Tanduay’s presence has grown exponentially since its introduction to the U.S. last July,” stated Whit Repp, Vice President of Marketing at Brand Action Team, Tanduay’s agency of record. “We are thrilled to have someone managing sales efforts for Tanduay Asian Rum who knows the California market first hand, and we are confident that his expertise will guide us effectively into new accounts.”

said Josh Felch, a biological science technician with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “A mild shock is much better than possible injury and likely death associated with condors perching on active power poles.”

However, chicks fledged in the wild do not get this training. This is where the 30-foot SCE poles installed just outside the release site flight pens come in.

“It is [chicks fledged in the wild] that we are targeting, as well as follow-up training for the other condors in the free-flying populations, with the establishment of these new mock power poles,” said Felch.

On consecutive days recently, Felch, SCE biologists Rachael Poston and Jeff Trow and utility field supervisor Mark Hubbard, oversaw a three-man line crew of Daniel Ocegueda, Joel Garibay and Julian Macias setting the poles at Bitter Creek and Hopper Mountain. The hot-wired poles are powered by a 12-volt electric fence charger popular in the agricultural industry.

Felch also said that condor releases have been moved to areas with fewer power lines and that utilities have also helped by sometimes relocating power lines underground and encasing overhead lines in insulated tree

the new releases.

Of course, the new 30-foot aversion pole is nearby, too, to assist the recovery plan’s goal of establishing two geographically distinct, selfsustaining populations, each with 150 birds in the wild and at least 15 breeding pairs, with a third population of condors retained in captivity.

While Felch is very pleased with the progress, he cautions that these numbers merely give California condors, which can live for 40 years or more, a chance to be downlisted from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. However, delisting the condor from the endangered and threatened lists is the ultimate goal and there is still work to be done there.

But Donohue loves that SCE is part of that work.

“These are the types of projects where Edison gets to take a break from its regular work and provide assistance to one of our partners that benefits both of us,” said Donohue. “It’s always great to get a chance to be involved in the pres-

wire, which improves visibility to condors.

The condors’ journey from breeding location to reintroduction begins at one of four captive breeding facilities: The Los Angeles Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho and the Oregon Zoo, where the birds are first introduced to pole aversion training.

From captive-breeding facilities, condors are taken to release location flight pens — Bitter Creek and Hopper Mountain are two of five and also include replica poles — where they can acclimate to their new surroundings and interact with condors perching or feeding nearby.

When condors are released, typically in the fall and at about 18 months old, they are freed in pairs to encourage socialization. And supplemental carrion – the staple of their diet – is placed near the release pen to lure other free-flying ervation of an endangered specondors in to feed and interact with cies like the California condor.”

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Pollution, whales prompt shipping slow-down in SoCal LOS ANGELES, August 12, 2014 (AFP) – Concerns about pollution and endangered whales in southern California have prompted six global shipping companies to try slower speeds in exchange for cash incentives, environmental groups said.

The companies agreed to slow down – from typical speeds of 14-16 knots down to 12 knots or less – in exchange for $2,500 each time they pass through the Santa Barbara Channel.

The program was announced this month by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, the Environmental Defense Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

“Reducing ship speeds to 12 knots or less reduces emissions of smogforming air pollutants that harm our health,” said Dave Van Mullem, Director, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.

Marine experts said the slower speeds could also save the lives of whales by cutting down on collisions that can be deadly.

Ship strikes play a role in the deaths of one to three whales per year on average, though environmentalists say more are likely killed by ships but never found.

“Slowing ships down reduces the likelihood that a ship strike on a whale will be fatal,” said Chris Mobley, Superintendent for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

About 2,500 container ships pass through the area each year.

The trial, announced August 4, began on July 1 and runs through October 31 “to coincide with the busiest whale season and the prime period for high levels of air pollution,” the groups’ statement said.

Companies involved so far include COSCO, Hapag Lloyd, K Line, Maersk Line, Matson, and United Arab Shipping Company.

It is modeled on another program under way at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, where 90 percent of shipping lines participate.

A study last month found that blue whales off the US west coast habitually return to the same areas to feed on krill each year, and these areas tend to be heavily used as shipping lanes.

The National Guard, America’s citizen soldiers

By Michael Mathes

WASHINGTON, August 18, 2014 (AFP) – The National Guard is a centuries-old militia network that has served crucial roles in several US security operations, testing its mettle in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as on riotplagued streets back home.

Its Missouri units deployed on Monday to help police in the heartland town of Ferguson, the latest hot spot where the citizen soldiers have been ordered in to help keep the peace and secure public safety.

Whether rushing to help the hurricane-battered US Gulf Coast in 2005, conducting counter-terrorism or peacekeeping operations abroad, or facing off with deadly consequences against unarmed anti-war demonstrators in 1970, the National Guard has

served important but often controversial roles.

Its roots pre-date the United States, tracing back to the 17th century regiments of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Such militias formed the bulk of men doing battle against British forces in the Revolutionary War, or US War of Independence. The state militias were further empowered under the US Constitution and their members served in large numbers in the Civil War, World War I and other conflicts. In 1933 Congress brought them under a nationalized system that formed the basis of a US military reserve force.

Today’s US Army and Air Force National Guard is 460,000 strong, mostly reservists—teachers, farmers, engineers and the like who commit to serving “one weekend a month and two weeks a year.”

THE US ASIAN POST

Orca protests bite into earnings of SeaWorld WASHINGTON, August 13, 2014 (AFP) – The campaign against theme park operator SeaWorld’s killer whale shows took a bite out of the company’s quarterly earnings Wednesday, sending its shares plunging by more than 30 percent.

SeaWorld Entertainment, which runs 11 popular parks in the United States, barely acknowledged the pressure over its captive orcas, which picked up after the national broadcast of the acclaimed documentary “Blackfish” last year.

But the company warned that the 5 percent fall in revenues in the first half would continue, for a possible 7 percent fall for the whole year, blaming tougher competition, a delay in a new attraction, and, obliquely, the controversy.

SeaWorld said it “believes attendance in the (second) quarter was impacted by demand pressures related to recent media attention surrounding proposed legislation in the state of California.”

That was a reference to the March proposal by a state lawmaker to ban the use of captive killer whales for entertainment, which aimed at SeaWorld’s San Diego park.

The politician who proposed the law cited “Blackfish”, which probed the impact of captivity on SeaWorld’s orcas and the fatal 2010 attack by one of them, Tilikum, on a trainer.

While the company has downplayed the impact of the orca campaign, its first-half performance compared poorly to that of Walt Disney Co, which operates theme parks like Disney World in the same markets.

Disney reported an 8.2 percent rise in income from its parks and resorts division for the same period, citing higher attendance and spending by guests.

SeaWorld’s shares sank nearly 31 percent to $19.45 in early trade Wednesday, putting them far below the $27 offering price when the company went public on April 19, 2013.

Chief executive Jim Atchison

said the company was “certainly disappointed” with the results but will step up marketing.

“Every business is going to have a rough patch,” he told analysts in a conference call.

“We will run more promotions to generate attendance.”

He noted that the popular travel website TripAdvisor named the company’s Discovery Cove park in Orlando its top amusement park for 2014. TripAdvisor meanwhile ranked SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego, both with orca shows, seventh and 17th respectively.

The quarterly report came two weeks after Southwest Airlines’ announcement that is ending a 26 year old joint marketing program with SeaWorld, one that had involved painting two of Southwest’s jets as SeaWorld’s famous first killer whale Shamu.

The airline cited “shifting priorities” for the change, but some suspected it related to the campaign for the killer whales, as some of the protests had targeted the airline.

Nurses fight gender bias in workers’ compensation Insurance: Nurses deserve protection from MRSA infections SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), whose members represent Californians hurt at work, today joined the California Nurses Association (C.N.A.) in calling for elimination of gender bias against female first responders in California workers compensation insurance through passage of AB 2616 (Skinner). “California recognizes that some jobs are so inherently dangerous that those workers should not have to prove that certain injuries were job related,” said CAAA Women’s Caucus Co-Chair Christel Schoenfelder. “First responders like firefighters and police officers who are required to protect the public are presumed to be injured on the job when they get cancer or an infectious disease. There is one group of first responders who do not receive this protection from dangerous conditions. These are hospital employees, 80% of whom are female. Like

police officers and firefighters, they are routinely exposed to conditions that can lead to major health problems.” AB 2616 intends to correct this gender imbalance by extending part of one of the fifteen exemptions that men enjoy – for MRSA skin infections, which are a major health problem in hospitals around the world.

“Nurses and other hospital employees are required to assume great risk, but unlike public safety officers we are not given the same legal protections when we get sick on the job,” said Redding Registered Nurse Kathryn Donahue, who traveled to the State Capitol to urge passage of AB 2616.

“MRSA is a virulent antibiotic-resistant staph infection. It’s a job hazard for nurses providing direct patient care in acute care hospitals. MRSA can kill you.

Just like police officers and firefighters, nurses put our lives on the line every day. We don’t know if the patient we

are treating has HIV, or MRSA, that we could be exposed to. We just do our job.”

One out of every six deaths in the US can be attributed to an infection acquired in a hospital. A first responder has an obligation to perform their duties in an emergency. Female workers are often forced to testify to personal details of their lives in an effort to deny claims. As female workers experience this, it has a chilling effect on the willingness of other female workers to come forth with their claims.

“If nurses or other hospital workers who provide direct patient care get MRSA, we have to prove that it didn’t come from any place but my work,” said Donahue.

“That’s an almost impossible burden to meet. It exposes nurses to invasive questioning about our personal lives – even our sexual lives – by insurers’ defense attorneys trying to defeat our claim for medical care and disability compensation.”

Schoenfelder said,

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How to stay healthy without eliminating tasty fare? Focus on proportions (Relaxnews) - Researchers at Vanderbilt University in the US have discovered what they call a “taste-health balance point” in a series of experiments, suggesting that suppressing devilish cravings for delicious but unhealthy foods will only ever be temporary.

Instead, they say, those who strive for healthy living will have more luck adhering to a nutritional regimen that takes into account the proportion of vice and virtue, emphasizing virtue and accepting vice in modera-

tion.

The solution “can help consumers who would otherwise choose vice over virtue to simultaneously increase consumption of healthy foods (virtues) and decrease consumption of unhealthy foods (vices) while still fulfilling taste goals: ‘Vice-virtue bundles,’” says Kelly L. Haws, associate professor of management at Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management.

The experimentation process indicated that most people can be satisfied on a diet in which

between one quarter and one half of the foods they eat are sinful, examples of which include French fries and doughnuts.

According to their paper, participants given meals adhering to “vice-virtue bundles” proportions found them equally tasty as meals of which three quarters consisted of vice foods.

Dieters should aim to increase portions of virtuous foods such as fruits and will likely find themselves satisfied with reduced portions of calorie-laden fare, according to the researchers.

How much salt is too much?

(Relaxnews) – Two large-scale studies published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine offer conflicting evidence about salt consumption.

In a combined effort by researchers at Harvard University and Tufts University, one study assessed salt consumption around the world and found that the average global intake is 3.95g, nearly double what the World Health Organization recommends.

Researchers believe this contributes to increasing occurrence of cardiovascular disease, and a cardiologist who was not involved in the study attributes the high intake to an acquired taste for salt in American and particularly central Asian diets where daily consumption topped 5g.

“These new findings inform the need for strong policies to reduce dietary sodium in the United States and across the world,” says lead researcher Dariush Mo-

zaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

Despite the prestige of the institutions involved, the results were criticized in an editorial, also published in the journal, for relying on assumptions.

“These provocative findings beg for a randomized, controlled outcome trial to compare reduced sodium intake with usual diet,” said Dr. Suzanne Oparil in her editorial. “In the absence of such a trial, the results argue against reduction of dietary sodium as an isolated public health recommen-

dation.”

Meanwhile, another study published the same day suggests that both high and low sodium diets could be dangerous to cardiovascular health, making the case against stocking the salt shaker in the attic for the time being.

Led by Dr. Salim Yusuf of McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, the team of researchers worked with a sample of over 100,000 participants, analyzing their urine for sodium and potassium excretions in order to estimate daily consumption levels.

Their findings indicate an association between a lower risk of death and cardiovascular problems for those whose estimated daily sodium intake is between 3g and 6g.

Overall, salt is probably not an enemy but intake should be observed as the international medical community continues to evolve on the subject.

Nobody’s perfect: Fewer cookies and more milk could be a long term plan for staying healthy without eliminating delicious foods. ©Ramon Antinolo/shutterstock.com

Are we too clean?

(Relaxnews) – Recent studies indicate that an obsession with cleanliness could be doing more harm than good. Is it time to part with some age-old conventions?

On the docket for this week’s 248th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) was research by Arizona State University citing concerns over the prevalence of two antibacterial compounds and the potential hazards they could pose to pregnant women.

Thought to be used in over 2,000 everyday cleaning products including conventional hand washing soap, the two compounds in question, called triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC), are difficult to avoid.

According to lead author Rolf Halden, PhD., a longtime opponent of the use of TCS and TCC, which were introduced in 1964 and 1957, respectively, the compounds’ health threats expand well beyond the health of pregnant women, contributing to the increasing problem

of antibacterial resistance.

Thanks in part to Halden’s work, the FDA has decided to investigate the compounds, giving soap manufacturers one year to prove their products are safe, or change their ingredients in a potentially time-consuming process due to their abundance on the market. “If you cut off the source of exposure, eventually triclosan and triclocarban would quickly be diluted out, but the truth is that we have universal use of these chemicals, and therefore also universal exposure,” said Halden.

Triclosan, for one, has been used in everything from toys to socks to yoga mats.

As news spreads about the potential health and environmental dangers of TCS and TCC, webpages are popping up highlighting products that are free of at least one of the compounds. For example, a list of triclosan-free cleaning agents can be found at soap.com/ html/sg/triclosan-free-liquid-handsoap.html.

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KITCHENOMICS FAMILY FEATURES

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ou can heighten the fun of every outdoor gathering with the right nibbles, noshes and refreshments. A fruitful al fresco experience involves lively conversation with good friends, easy finger foods and tasty, versatile drinks that fit the laid-back atmosphere. For the hosts who long for a successful backyard bash, consider serving palate-pleasing Moscato. This deliciously sweet wine varietal has become very popular as its approachable flavor profile is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Mix it up with fun flavors In addition to the classic peach taste of the Gallo Family Vineyards Original White Moscato, try the aromatic orange blossom notes of

their Pink Moscato or the yummy red berry finish of their Red Moscato.

Or, dust off your finest barware and make a splash by serving simple wine cocktails. Whether it’s a refreshing spin on a classic, like the Moscato-lini below, or your own recipe, Moscato’s fruit-forward flavors make it a great and unexpected base for cocktails.

Add a bit of flare To keep outdoor gatherings exciting, Gallo Family Vineyards offers these refreshing tips:  Label your food offerings for guests in a fun way by cutting a slit in wine corks and inserting a small card.  Help guests cool down by serving sweet wine cocktails on ice.  Give your guests a fun way to keep track of their drinks by painting the bottom of wine glasses with chalkboard paint. Guests can use chalk to write their names and draw pictures.

For other ideas to make outdoor entertaining a hit, visit www.GalloFamily.com.

Moscato Meatball Skewers Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Servings: 32 meatballs 2 pounds bulk spicy Italian sausage 1/2 cup Gallo Family Vineyards Red Moscato 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup diced cucumber 1 lemon 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped Parmesan cheese, optional Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together sausage and Moscato until combined. Using medium cookie scoop, form meatballs and place on baking sheet, evenly spaced. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in small bowl stir together all other ingredients to create yogurt sauce.

Thread meatballs onto skewers and serve alongside yogurt sauce. Garnish with additional cilantro and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Strawberry Pink Moscato Ice Pops Prep time: 15 minutes (plus at least 10 hours to freeze) Cook time: 1 minute Servings: 16 Fruity layer: 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 pound ripe strawberries, hulled 1 pinch of fine sea salt 8 fluid ounces Gallo Family Pink Moscato Creamy layer: 1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk 1 1/2 cups half and half 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon orange blossom water 1 pinch of fine sea salt To make fruity layer, combine sugar and water in small saucepan. Heat over low, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Add cooled syrup, strawberries and salt to jar of blender and puree until almost smooth, leaving bit of texture. Stir in pink moscato.

To make creamy layer, place everything into a 4-cup capacity measuring cup with a spout and whisk together until well combined.

To freeze, fill ice pop molds about one-fifth of way with either mixture (layers can be any size or amount you choose). Put in freezer until first layer is set enough to hold another layer, 60–90 minutes. Store mixtures in fridge between layers.

Remove and fill another one-fifth with opposite mixture.

Return to freezer until layer is set. Repeat until molds are filled to top, adding ice pop sticks in once third layer is added (adjust to type of ice pop mold).

After final layer is added, freeze at least another 6–8 hours before serving. To serve, run bottom of molds under hot water for few seconds, or until able to pull ice pop free from mold. (If using paper cup, just peel cup away.)

Note: If you don’t want layers, whisk mixtures together. You can also make each layer into its own ice pop, if you choose.

Blackberry Moscato Bellini Servings: 1 1/4 cup blackberries 1 tablespoon water 5 ounces chilled Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato 1 whole blackberry for garnish Combine blackberries and water in blender and puree until smooth. Strain through fine-mesh strainer, discarding seeds and solids. Fill bottom of chilled Champagne coupe with blackberry puree. Top with Moscato and garnish with fresh blackberry.

Moscato Moscow Mule Servings: 1 4 ounces ginger beer 3 ounces Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato 1 ounce lime juice 1 lime wheel 1 mint sprig for garnish Pour ginger beer, Moscato and lime juice into ice-filled copper mug. Garnish with lime wheel and mint sprig.

Moscato Mango Mojito Servings: 1 1 lime, cut into eighths 5 leaves basil, plus more for garnish 1/2 teaspoon demerara sugar 1 1/4 ounces Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato 1 ounce white rum 1 1/4 ounces mango puree or mango nectar Muddle lime, basil leaves, and sugar in bottom of cocktail shaker. Fill with ice; add Moscato, white rum and mango nectar. Shake and strain into ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with basil sprig.

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MOTORING Saleen muscles in on the electric car market

(Relaxnews) - One of America’s foremost performance car makers has turned its expertise to the Tesla Model S to create the Saleen FourSixteen.

At first glance, the changes to the stock electric executive sedan may appear cosmetic. But the tweaks to the outer shell all serve the same purpose: to help the car cut through the wind even more smoothly, while keeping the engine and brakes sufficiently cooled and the four wheels sufficiently planted.

Inside, the cabin has a very sporty feel too. The addition of racing seats, harnesses and a two-tone leather finish that extends to the dashboard all hint at the car’s capability. However, even here there is a little nod to practicality. The Saleen offers more in-dash storage space than a stock Tesla, as well as a cup holder and a drawer for charging smartphones.

But it’s under the hood where the biggest changes have been made. The car gets a three-phase,

four-pole AC induction motor that’s connected to a redeveloped drivetrain with a higher final gear ratio to increase acceleration. It also gets a clever locking differential and a stability control system to push the right amount of power to the right wheel so that the Tesla can corner as quickly and as confidently as it travels in a straight line.

And to make sure that the extra performance doesn’t compromise everyday ride quality, the suspension system is adjustable.

“Tesla has created an entirely new class of American automobile,” explained Steve Saleen about the company’s decision to spice up the Model S. “There are many similarities to this and how Ford created the ‘pony car’ class in 1964 with the Mustang, which is how these vehicles stand out from the rest of the pack.”

All of which means that customizing electric cars is set to become an automotive trend and one that Saleen is looking to spearhead.

The Saleen FourSixteen – Exterior. ©Saleen Automotive

In terms of the car’s vital statistics, Saleen isn’t yet prepared to go public with performance figures. All the company will say is that it will be faster off the line

Electric cars fail to rev up car-mad Germans

By Romain Fonsegrives

BERLIN, August 13, 2014 (AFP) – Germans are mad about cars and Germany is ranked the most fuel-efficient country on the planet, but when it comes to electric vehicles, Europe’s top economy is in the slow lane.

And moves by the government last week to try to jump-start public interest in the technology are unlikely to change much, experts say.

In 2009, Chancellor Angela Merkel set an ambitious target for one million electric cars to be on the road in Germany by 2020, and this in a country where some motorways are free of any speed limit.

“We’re confident that we’ll

reach that goal,” Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said as recently as last week when he launched a number of new electromobility initiatives.

But for Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, expert at the CAR Center for Automotive Research at Duisburg-Essen University, the target was totally unrealistic.

Merkel “might have just as easily said that we would have 100,000 cars driving on the moon by 2020,” he said.

According to CAR data, about 16,900 electric cars were in use in Germany in the first half of 2014, or four cars for every 10,000 standard fuel-driven ones.

As a comparison, the ratio in France is 10 electric cars for every 10,000.

Electric cars are already exempt from road tax for a period of 10 years, but that appears to have provided little incentive so far, so the government unveiled new draft legislation last week aimed at giving the sector a boost.

Under the initiatives, electric cars would be allowed to use inner-city bus lanes. They would also be able to park free of charge, and parking spaces close to recharging stations would be reserved exclusively for electric cars.

Scepticism remains However experts believe such initiatives do not go far enough, not least because they are in the hands of the municipal authorities.

“Lots of towns and cities re-

than the standard or performance versions of the Tesla Model S and that, thanks to the aerodynamic tweaks, it will have a longer range before it needs recharging.

The FourSixteen will cost $152,000 if delivered as a complete car. However, existing Tesla Model S owners can have their cars upgraded to the Saleen specification for less.

main sceptical,” not only about the idea of free parking, but also opening up bus lanes to electric cars, since that could slow down buses, said Stephan Articus of the Association of German Cities.

The head of the VDA auto industry association, Matthias Wissmann, believed the measures “aren’t enough and need to be followed up further with tax breaks for electric cars”.

The National Platform for Electromobility, an advisory panel for the government made up of representatives from industry, research, politics and unions, has long called for tax cuts for companies that have an electric car in their fleet.

So far, however, the governing coalition government has ruled

out any form of financial aid, including possible bonuses for private car drivers.

“The government is not acting because German carmakers aren’t sufficiently advanced in this technology,” said Valerie Wilms, transport spokeswoman for the ecologist opposition Greens.

“They don’t want to favour (foreign carmakers such as) Renault or Tesla over Mercedes,” Wilms said. Renault is a French company, and the US Tesla company has developed an electric sports car.

“The government must introduce incentives for people to buy electric cars,” as was the case in France or the United States.

“If they don’t, electromobility will remain a niche sector.”

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INMENT

Dingdong Dantes hailed International Youth Ambassador for Peace Dingdong Dantes has added another feather to his cap – this time as International Youth Ambassador for Peace.

Dingdong was bestowed the honor at the second International Youth Assembly held at the Cuneta Astrodome recently in an effort to “strengthen the youth, rebuild nations and promote peace.”

The 34-year old, who celebrated his birthday on Aug. 3, deemed the recognition “a great birthday pahabol,” taking to Instagram to

thank the United Peace Federation, and the Youth Federation for World Peace for the same.

With him at the ceremony was his ever-supportive girlfriend, actress Marian Rivera.

On Instagram, Marian posted, “Congratulations Mr. International Youth Ambassador for Peace! Masaya ako na nakasama mo ako para ma witness itong event na ito. Kakaproud ka.”

Dingdong was named commissioner-at-large by the National

Youth Commission some two months after earning his college diploma from West Negros University.

He has been active in advocacies focused on the youth sector via the YesPinoy Foundation, which he founded in 2009.

Some of the foundation’s projects include the rehabilitation of classrooms across the archipelago. They also give scholarship grants to deserving students.

(MNS)

Gretchen gets ‘kilig’ on working with John Lloyd Socialite actress Gretchen Barretto is set to sign a contract with ABS-CBN soon, which may include plans for a new TV series. “Mayroong pinag-uusapan pero hindi pa nila na email sa akin so I can not talk about anything yet right now,” she said.

“Sasabihin ko kapag tuloy na tuloy na. Kasi ang kasalanan ko parati palagi akong nagdadaldal tapos nauudlot. ‘Yung ‘Alta’ naudlot, ‘yung ‘Princess and I,’ hindi naudlot. So I will keep quiet for now,” she said.

But what is definite is that Barretto is part of the upcoming star-studded movie, “The Trial,” for ABS-CBN’s film arm Star Cinema, which she said may be released in September.

The movie stars John Lloyd Cruz, Richard Gomez and Jessy Mendiola, among others.

Barretto said it is a “dream come true” for her to work with Cruz.

“Kilig,” she said about Cruz.

“I’m really honored dahil sa career ko ngayon, at least I’m getting the chance to work with people that I really admire as far as, of course, their acting skills.”

Asked if she will have love

Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes

Bianca Gonzalez thanks bashers for bringing up reality TV fling

Gretchen Barretto

scenes with Cruz, Barretto replied: “Hindi naman ganoon.

Alam mo nabawasan na ako

ng ka-naughtyhan and he’s not my age, mahiya naman tayo.”

(MNS)

Mommy D on sex with boyfriend: No problem diyan!

MANILA, Aug 18 (Mabuhay) – It started at a karaoke bar on Valentine’s Day. In his first on-camera interview, 38-year-old seaman Michael Yamson recalled how he first met and fell in love with 65-year-old Dionisia Pacquiao or Mommy D, mother of Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani congressman Manny Pacquiao.

Early this year, the ship Yamson was working in docked in General Santos City for a few weeks.

On February 14, Yamson and his colleagues decided to visit a nearby karaoke bar where Mommy D and her companions also happened to spend the afternoon. He recalled initially not noticing Mommy D, until one of his crewmates pointed in her direction.

“Nakatingin lang ako, nakatitig lang talaga ako. Noong kumanta siya, palakpak lang kami nang palakpak,” Yamson said.

“Kumanta muna ako doon sa stage. Napapansin ko na rin pumapalakpak siya sa pagkanta na ‘yon. Pagkatapos ko, kumanta na siya ulit doon,” he said.

This encouraged him to ask for a photo with Mommy D, Yamson recalled.

“Naglakas-loob na ako, lumapit na ako doon sa isa niyang bodyguard. Sabi ko, ‘Puwede po ba mag-pa-picture kay Mommy D?’” he said.

Mommy D’s and his group happened to leave the karaoke bar at the same time. Explaining the photos taken inside were dark, Yamson said he and his crew mates asked for another picture where there was daylight.

While his friends were posing with Mommy D, Yamson rushed back inside the bar to grab a piece of paper. Here, he wrote his name and number.

“Sabi ko [kay Mommy D], ‘Ma’am, puwede po

makipagkamay sa’yo?’ Pagkamay ko sa kanya, kasama na ‘yung papel doon. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Alam ko naman ma’am hindi mo ibibigay ‘yung number mo, eh, so number ko na lang,’” he narrated.

Yamson saw Mommy D putting the piece of paper in her bag.

Twenty-four hours later, he received a text message from an unsaved number.

“Nagtanong siya sa akin, ‘Ikaw ba ang may ari ng number na ‘to?’

Doon nag-start. Noong tumawag siya sa akin, tuwang-tuwa ako noon. Mga 11:30 iyon ng gabi.

Iyon ang unang tawag,” Yamson said.

While it wasn’t a direct invitation, Mommy D told Yamson that she was visiting the same karaoke bar where they first met. He took this as a go-signal to make his intentions known to Mommy D. “Sa sobrang excited, nauna na ako sa lugar na ‘yon,” Yamson said. “Nauna akong dumating, matagal din akong naghintay doon, mga isa’t kalahating oras.”

In the following days, Yamson started to formally court Mommy D.

Social media-savvy TV host Bianca Gonzalez has addressed her bashers for bringing up her 2006 fling with actor Zanjoe Marudo. Bianca, who is set to marry basketball player JC Intal in December, thanked the bashers on her Facebook account late Thursday for reminding her that she had committed an act of infidelity on national television. The “Pinoy Big Brother” host was in a relationship with TV and commercial director Lino Cayetano when she surprisingly became a participant in the first celebrity edition of the reality show.

“To all my bashers posting here on my Facebook page, welcome! Para sa kalaaman ninyo, hindi makakasira sa akin ang issue ninyo na panlalandi ko sa PBB noon pang 2006 kay Zanjoe, habang boyfriend ko noon si Lino.

“Nasira na ako nun dati, pinagbayaran, at napagtagumpayan na rin. Matagal ko nang na-accept yan. Matagal na akong humingi ng sorry at napatawad nina Lino at Zanjoe, at matagal ko na ding napatawad ang sarili ko. Hindi naging madali, pero nalampasan ko din,” she said.

One of the most followed Filipino celebrities on social media, Bianca noted that she and the two men are now in committed relationships with their respective partners.

“Ngayon, may asawa na si Lino, may Bea na si Zanjoe, at may JC na ako,” Bianca she said.

Lino married fsormer Ateneo volleyball player Fille Cainglet in December, and she gave birth to their son in May. Zanjoe has been dating actress Bea Alonzo for three years. Bianca had been in a relationship with JC for three years before he surprised her with a dramatic marriage proposal in March. She said owning up to her indiscretion gave her the strength to move on and turn over a new leaf.

“Kapag in-accept mo talaga ang pagkakamali mo o ang kahinaan mo, mas madali mo itong malalampasan. Kaya muli, kung inaakala ninyong ikakasira ko ang pagbabalik ninyo ng issue na iyan, nagkakamali kayo. Muli, welcome kayo lagi dito sa page ko! I love bashers because they keep me grounded,” she said, prefacing her name with a peace sign. (MNS)

12

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PHL WORKERS From page 1

caught in dangerous situations abroad,” Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement following the largest single evacuation of Filipinos in Libya’s latest bout of conflict. “I saw a plane drop four rockets near where I worked,” Darrell Boncentron, a wooden rosary and cross draped on his neck, told AFP as he and 418 others stepped out of Manila airport.

The 26-year-old information technology worker said his workplace was transferred from Benghazi to the desert to shield the staff from harm just before the Philippines instructed all Filipinos in Libya to return home. The foreign department said a second chartered flight with 347 workers who had boarded the chartered ship at the port of Misrata was to arrive early Sunday.

This would bring the number of Filipinos repatriated from Libya since last month at the government expense’s to 2,727, the foreign department said.

Since mid-July, Libya has been rocked by deadly inter-militia fighting for control of key facilities including Tripoli’s international airport. Benghazi, its second city, has also seen battles between Islamists and the forces of a renegade general.

BINAY VS AQUINO From page 1

Makati constructed during his term as city mayor was overpriced.

“Basta yun ay politically-motivated.

Hindi ho totoong may kasalanang ginawa ang mga namumuno sa Makati sa

JIHADIST From page 1

the southern Philippines which was begun by the MILF. Abu Misry, described by the Philippine military as a BIFF spokesman, said his group had no plans to impose the radical IS brand of Islam in the Southeast Asian nation.

Beheadings, mass executions and the taking of child brides have marked the IS campaign across large parts of Iraq and Syria.

Abu Misry said his group had not sent any fighters from the Philippines to help the IS, nor was it recruiting people to join the IS. “But if they need our help, why not?” he added.

Colonel Dickson Hermoso, spokesman for a southern Philippines-based army division, described BIFF as a “terrorist” group engaged in extortion to finance its activities.

“There’s no evidence that Filipino fight-

A Filipino construction worker was abducted and then beheaded by unknown suspects in Benghazi in the first few days of violence there, and a Filipina nurse was later abducted and gang-raped in Tripoli.

The first incident triggered the Philippine government’s decision to try and repatriate all 13,000 Filipinos in Libya.

However, about 10,000 Filipinos remained there, and officials have conceded many were reluctant to leave due to bleak job prospects at home.

About 10 million Filipinos work overseas.

The chartered ship had left Libya halfempty on Thursday, even though Manila warned it would be its last evacuation ship.

“I was able to save some money, but it was dangerous in certain areas there,” said Christopher San Gabriel, 33, who spent 13 months at another information technology company in Benghazi.

He told AFP he would settle for work in the Philippines if he could find one that would match his monthly Libyan salary of about $700.

The Philippines also evacuated thousands of its nationals from Libya amid the 2011 violence that eventually toppled the dictator Moamer Kadhafi. paggawa nung building. In the first place, hindi po yun parking lang. Yun po ay gusali, tanggapan ng mga empleyado.”

He added that the Commission on Audit (COA) had already ruled that there was nothing anomalous about the construction.

(MNS) ers are being sent there (to Syria and Iraq),” Hermoso told AFP, while adding that both BIFF and IS followed an “extreme” brand of Islam.

A purported Abu Sayyaf video has also been uploaded on Youtube showing one of the group’s most senior leaders, Isnilon Hapilon, mentioning al-Baghdadi as he read out a statement that pledged allegiance to the IS. He was filmed linking arms with more than a dozen men, some with faces swathed in fabric, as they stood at a forest clearing to pray and listen to his statement.

Hapilon carries an $5 million reward on his head by the United States which considers his group a “foreign terror organisation” engaged in beheadings, bombings, and kidnappings.

Philippine military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala dismissed the video clips.

“This is propaganda and we will not give these terrorists the satisfaction by commenting,” Zagala told AFP.

NUDE ARTISTS From page 1

Co-organiser Albert Yam, who is in police custody, has publicly apologised for the “naturist event” in an open letter to the government of the state of Penang, the New Straits Times reported Monday.

“We will not do it again and please accept our deepest apologies for our misconduct, which has caused embarrassment to the country,” he said.

Yam, who is in his 40s, is a Malaysian who lives in neighbouring Singapore.

Five more Malaysians are in police custody, while two others have been released after their statements were taken, police said.

“We are still looking for another seven people, including from Myanmar and the

Philippines,” Penang district police chief Lai Fah Hin told AFP. Police are investigating participants for acts of public obscenity and “insulting the modesty” of others, charges that could result in five years in prison.

The gathering has been condemned by Muslim conservatives and non-Muslims alike, and triggered heated online exchanges between critics and supporters of the nudists.

In the video, a naked woman is seen riding horseback on a man, while in another, a nude woman crawls over three unclad men lying next to each other in the sand.

About 60 percent of Malaysia’s nearly 30 million people are Muslim ethnic Malays.

PINOY FILM From page 1

commercial) cinema,” he said, remarking that Hollywood had conditioned people to expect that movies should only be about two hours long.

But he said this was a misconception, adding that at Locarno, his movie was screened to a full-house thrice with the au-

dience staying to the end.

“They didn’t want the film to end,” he laughed. President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Herminio Coloma congratulated Diaz and Orenico, saying “once again, we have shown to the world that the Filipinos are undeniably talented”.

BANGSAMORO From page 1

minority in a conflict which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The group signed the peace agreement with the government in March where both sides would work to create an autonomous area in the southern Philippines which they consider their ancestral home.

However the process ran into difficulties

after the draft bill was submitted to Aquino for review in April by a joint commission of MILF and government representatives.

The president’s legal team later ordered a series of changes that frustrated the MILF, which last month accused the government of trying to renege on the terms of the peace agreement.

MRT SAFE

CHINESE PATROL

From page 1

From page 1

on, safe ang pagsakay sa MRT,” she said on government-run dzRB radio.

In the meantime, she said the DOTC is awaiting the results of a fact-finding investigation on Wednesday’s incident, likely on Tuesday next week.

She also said the safety of commuters taking the MRT remains a main concern of the Palace.

“Hopefully ma-meet ang deadline on Tuesday para na rin sa peace of mind ng sumasakay sa MRT,” she said.

Last Wednesday, an MRT coach breached the safety barrier of the MRT Taft Avenue station in Pasay City after it was derailed.

Nearly 40 people were injured.

Some groups had called for the suspension of the MRT, which links Quezon City to Pasay City via Epifanio delos Santos Avenue.

coast of China’s Hainan island.

A day earlier, Aquino expressed concern at the presence of Chinese government ships in the disputed waters, questioning how far China intended to push its claims.

In an interview with ABC-5 television network, transcripts of which were released by the presidential palace, Aquino said: “They want to claim what is ours.

How far will we let this go? Are we going to be content to just tell them, ‘Okay, you can go this far’”? “What are they doing there?

What studies are they doing? Hopefully this will not add to the tensions between the two of us,” Aquino said.

Defense Department spokesman Peter Paul Galvez has said the ships were “hydrological research vessels” since June and capable of mapping the ocean floor, adding they could remain at sea for over a month.

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