Us asian post june 26, 2013 by Balita Media Inc

Celebrating

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Marian Rivera Mother Lily, reconcile See ENTERTAINMENT 6

Vol. 2. No. 41

LOS ANGELES

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Wednesday - Tuesday, June 26 - July 2, 2013

Film reveals life of undocumented immigrant ‘Documented’ is about Jose Antonio Vargas, an ‘illegal’ in US =BY ROBERT MACPHERSON

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2013 (AFP) – Two years ago this weekend, Philippine-born journalist Jose Antonio Vargas came out publicly in the New York Times as an undocumented American, a term he prefers to the loaded phrase “illegal immigrant.” He was 12 years old in 1993 when his young mother put him on a flight in Manila to be raised by his grandparents in California, in the hope he could live the

American dream to the fullest. What happened since that Times essay is the subject of “Documented,” written, produced and directed by Vargas, 32, which got its world premiere Friday at the American Film Institute’s AFI Docs festival. “I’m still undocumented,” said Vargas, who shared a Pulitzer prize for breaking news when he was a reporter at the Washington Post, where only one trusted editor knew of his 24-7 dread of getting caught and deported.

“I’m a reporter at heart. I go by facts. But at the same time, I also live this,” he told AFP in a telephone interview Friday. “It’s been very interesting going around the country, talking to people who think they know what this (debate) is about, but really don’t. Our lives are up against tremendous amounts of misinformation and a lot of ignorance.” The timing of “Documented” couldn’t be better for the outgoing and outspoken Vargas, a regular See UNDOCUMENTED, page 6

Debris from PAF plane that crashed in Palawan found, pilots still missing

A U.S. Marine Corps crash, fire, and rescue team respond to a crashed Philippine Air Force North American OV-10 Bronco aircraft that swerved off the runway upon landing at Clark Air Base in Pampanga, Philippines on October 24, 2006. The Marines, attached to Marine Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Unit, Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, were in the Philippines participating in the bilateral training exercises Talon Vision ‘07 and Amphibious Landing Exercise ‘07, which were designed to enhance interoperability and professional relations between the U.S. and Philippine armed forces. (U.S. defenseimagery description)

MANILA, June 24 (Mabuhay) – The Philippine Air Force has confirmed that the OV-10 Bronco plane reported missing since Sunday night has crashed off Puerto Princesa airport in Palawan province. PAF spokesman Col. Miguel Okol said search operations are ongoing for the two pilots, after teams from the Navy and Coast Guard found debris including the OV-10’s cargo bay door at about 9 a.m. Monday. “What we can confirm (is that the OV-10) went down already,” Okol said. “That is something we know for sure.” The plane was one of two airSee PLANE CRASH, page 6

Aquino gov’t publishes two infographic maps of Manila City MANILA, June 24 (Mabuhay) – The Aquino government published two infographic maps with a special focus on Manila in celebration of the 442nd Foundation Day of the City of Manila, a Palace official said on Monday. “The Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) is joining the commemoration by publishing two infographic maps with a special focus on Manila: the first showcasing the city as

one of many pre-Hispanic polities throughout the islands that make up the Philippine archipelago and another chronicling the capitals of the Philippines – a story of departure and return to what the Spaniards once heralded as the Distinguished and Ever Loyal City,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement issued on Monday. Lacierda said the two infographic maps were published in See INFOGRAPHIC MAP, page 6

PHL first in Asia to destroy ivory tusks BY KARL MALAKUNAS

MANILA, June 21, 2013 (AFP) – The Philippines destroyed five tons of elephant tusks on Friday in a landmark event aimed at shedding its image as one of the world’s worst hotspots for illegal African ivory trading. The backhoe of a bulldozer began crushing hundreds of tusks in a wildlife bureau carpark, as the nation became the first in Asia to eliminate its multi-million-dollar stockpile. “This act is a strong statement to the rest of the world that the Philippines will not tolerate the illegal wildlife trade,” Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said. The five tons of ivory came from a total of about 13 tonnes seized by customs officers since the mid 1990s, with the two biggest hauls at Manila’s seaport and international airport in 2005 and 2009. The rest of the ivory, worth many millions of dollars on the black market, was stolen over the years. Most of it went missing while being kept by the customs bureau, a notoriously corrupt organisation

Happy Mother’s Day to my Mama, Emelie Salinas, who I haven’t seen in nearly 20 years. Soon, we will see each other – very soon. Mama told me how thankful she is to all my “mothers” who’ve treated like one of their own. Happy Mother’s Day, from my Mama and I, to all my “mothers…And on this day, and every day, let’s remember all the mothers and fathers who are separated from their children because of our broken immigration system. – Jose Antonio Vargas on his Facebook Page

BIR looking into dead people’s account

MANILA, June 24 (Mabuhay) – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has asked banks to submit records of deceased persons in the last five years to boost estate tax collections and see whether financial institutions connive with heirs to evade taxes. “We’re asking banks to give us the bank statements of those persons who died in the past several years. We want to know whether they are compliant or allowing the heirs of the deceased to withdraw money,” BIR commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares told reporters. “We will require them to submit the statement of accounts, if they don’t we will subpoena them,” she said. Henares noted bank secrecy laws are automatically lifted once

a person dies, allowing the government to look into the bank accounts of the deceased. Banks will be held criminally liable if found conniving with heirs of the dead in circumventing the law, she said. Under the Revenue Code, heirs are required to file an estate tax return within six months after a descendant has died so a transfer of property ownership may done. This covers properties valued at over P200,000. Some, however, skirt the law by withdrawing the accounts of the deceased without first declaring the incident of death. Department of Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said annual collections from estate tax See DEAD PEOPLE, page 6

Government to assist victims of ‘sex-for-fly’ scheme, says Palace MANILA, June 22 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang made an assurance on Saturday that the government is ready to extend assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who reportedly fell victim to a “sex-for-fly” scheme allegedly arranged by embassy personnel in the Middle East. As the government starts its investigation, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte

said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan that the Department of Foreign Affairs has already contacted OFWs who are willing to come forward and join the investigation. “Nakipag-ugnayan na ang DFA sa kanila. I understand that they have already met with Secretary del Rosario and handa naman tayong mag-provide kung anong assistance ang kanilang See SEX-FOR-FLY, page 6

SF Filipinos form immigrant rights task force in the Philippines, and a wildlife bureau officer is on the run after being charged with stealing about 700 kilograms. The Philippines was in March named by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as one of eight nations that was failing to do enough to tackle the illegal trade

in elephant ivory. The others were Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Thailand, and they were warned they could face international sanctions on wildlife trading if they failed to take action. The United Nations and conSee IVORY TUSKS, page 6

(NAFCON) created a “Filipino Immigrant Rights Task Force.” The new group aims to educate and organize the broader Filipino community and its supporters around the issue of “genuine comprehensive immigration reform.” The Task Force numbering more than fifty Filipinos from all over San Francisco, united on three months of plans including community forums, multi-media projects, and mass-actions. These projects aim to capture the atten-

tion of congressional representatives and the public with stories that tell the triumphs and struggles of undocumented Filipinos in the U.S. “By sharing these stories, our goal is to show the government and all of America that undocumented people in this country deserve dignity and justice. Immigration reform should be about protecting our rights and keeping our families together instead See SF FILIPINOS, page 6

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Relocation of 20,000 families in esteros a go - Palace

MANILA, June 24 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang said there is no more stopping the government’s plan to relocate close to 20,000 families living along waterways in Metro Manila. “Yes, we are going ahead with the plan. We have the budget for that,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said. He reiterated the need to move the families away from danger zones, citing the law that prohibits the building of structures along waterways. He added they have been exposed to diseases and danger especially during the rainy season. The government’s target is to relocate these families by the end of this year. “Our main concern is to move them away from these danger zones. There is no way that we build a structure on the same site. Those are danger zones. They have to be relocated,” Lacierda added. “We don’t want casualties during typhoon season to happen on a yearly basis. We want that eliminated totally. That’s the reason why we are moving them away from the esteros, or what we call the danger zones,” he added. He said the families will be given financial assistance to subsidize their rent while the permanent housing units are being built. Lacierda said the government is coming up with a system on how the financial assistance would be distributed. Informal settlers would be identified to differentiate them from “professional squatters” who would take advantage of the situation to make money. “Ina-identify ngayon kung sino talaga ang mga talagang informal settlers at kung sino ang mga professional squatters,” he said. Quoting DILG Undersecretary Francisco Fernandez, Lacierda said that of the 20,000 families, 500 have already moved out. In San Juan, there are 1,000 about to move out. Details are being finalized for the remaining families.

Revilla, Marcos teamup in 2016? MANILA, June 24 (Mabuhay) – Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. on Monday said it is too early to say whether he will indeed team up with Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for the 2016 presidential and vice presidential elections. But he added, “Anything is possible.” Revillla, whose party Lakas is considering him to be its standardbearer in 2016, told reporters in a phone interview that he was first asked about a possible Bong-Bongbong tandem when he visited Ilocos Norte, Marcos’s hometown. “I said, ‘Why not?’ Maaga pa naman,” he said. “Wala pa kaming napag-uusapan ni Sen. Bongbong,” Revilla added. Revilla has not made a decision on whether to run for president in 2016 or not. He, however, admitted that he is preparing for it. Asked how he is preparing, Revilla refused to give an exact answer, only saying that he has enough experience in public service to back him up. “I don’t want to be specific,” he said. “Alam ko kung ano ang mga dapat kong paghandaan at kung ano ang aking mga kakulangan.” (MNS)

Students wearing native costumes take part in a religious festival to celebrate the Feast of Saint John the Baptist in San Juan, Metro Manila June 24, 2013. Filipinos celebrated the annual religious festival of Saint John the Baptist by dousing of water onto residents, commuters and motorists, in keeping with the tradition of the sacrament of baptism as performed by Saint John. (MNS photo)

Taiwanese tourists returning to PHL MANILA, June 22 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Saturday welcomed reports of Taiwanese tourists returning to the Philippines, one month after tensions rose over a shooting incident in the Balintang Channel that left a Taiwanese fisherman dead. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on government-run dzRB: “Siguro nakita natin in the past few weeks, the temperature has considerably lessened with efforts we have been taking to address that particular situation.” Tension between the Philip-

pines and Taiwan rose last May following an incident between a Philippine surveillance vessel and a Taiwanese fishing boat at the Balintang Channel off northernmost part of Luzon last May 9. Taiwan had demanded an apology from the Philippines as well as talks on a fishery agreement. It also froze the hiring of new workers from the Philippines, and issued a travel alert discouraging Taiwanese from traveling to the country. But on Friday, Tourism Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon Jr. was quoted in a report of the

Manila Bulletin as saying tourist arrivals from Taiwan appeared to have normalized recently. Bengzon said the government expects tourist arrivals from Taiwan to return to normal levels once the travel advisory on the Philippines is lifted. He also said the Department of Tourism has prepared a “recover plan” to entice Taiwanese tourists to return to the Philippines. Valte, for her part, said, “It’s hard to resist coming here, especially nakita nila magandang tanawin sa atin.” (MNS)

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MANILA, June 24 (Mabuhay) – The plan to move the Pandacan oil depot in Manila away from the city is currently undergoing study at the Office of the President (OP) after a warehouse in Sta. Ana, Manila, a stone’s throw away from said oil depot, reportedly leaked oil and other fuel products into the Pasig river last Saturday. Residents around the area complained of difficulty in breathing due to the oil and gasoline spill which the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Office and authorities were able to contain on Sunday.

In a press briefing in Malacañang on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the Office of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa is undertaking the study after the issue was elevated to the Office of the President. He added the public will be informed of the results of said study when the OES finishes its probe. “Pinag-aaralan po yan ng Office of the Executive Secretary and we will let you know kung ano ang magiging resulta ng pag-aaral na yun,” Lacierda said. “The Office of the Executive Secretary is studying the matter,” he added. (MNS)

Apayao mayor, bodyguard killed in Ilocos Norte car crash MANILA, June 22 (Mabuhay) – A town mayor of Apayao province and her bodyguard were killed while her vice mayor and two others were hurt in a road accident in Ilocos Norte before dawn Saturday. Luna town mayor Betty Versola was dead on arrival at a hospital while her bodyguard Marlon Taclibon was killed on the spot, government-run dzRB radio reported. Vice Mayor Josephine Bangsil, Milette Agustin and an unidentified person were injured.

Bangsil was transferred to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City after suffering serious injuries. The victims were in a car that hit a tree in Barangay Pasaleng in Pagudpud town in Ilocos Norte. Citing information from an initial investigation, Ilocos regional police director Chief Supt. Ricardo Marquez said Versola’s driver tried to evade a carabao on the road around 1 a.m. but he lost control of the car and hit a tree. (MNS)

PHL negotiator Alex Padilla with communists resigns MANILA, June 25, 2013 (AFP) – The Philippines’ chief peace negotiator with communist insurgents said Tuesday he was resigning, citing his frustration over the continuing stalled talks. Alexander Padilla, head of the government panel negotiating with the National Democratic Front said he had tendered his resignation, adding that perhaps someone else could revive the peace process. “The talks have been at an impasse for some time now and maybe it needs a new face, a new plan,” he told AFP. His decision comes as rebels have stepped up attacks in the countryside. Asked if the insurgents wanted him out, Padilla said: “I don’t know if it is a two-way street but

definitely... we have not been moving.” In April, Padilla said that the talks with the communists had failed and that the hopes of achieving peace before President Benigno Aquino steps down in 2016 were gone. The Maoist rebels have been waging an armed rebellion to seize power since 1969 and more than 30,000 people have died in the conflict, according to the government. The military estimates the current guerilla strength at about 4,000 fighters, significantly down from more than 26,000 at its peak in the late 1980s. The government has been holding on-and-off again peace talks with the insurgents since the mid-1980s but the negotiations have frequently stalled

over rebel conditions like their demand that jailed comrades be freed. Padilla, a former human rights activist, had previously expressed frustration over the talks with the communist rebels. In recent weeks, the insurgents’ guerrilla arm, the New People’s Army, have also stepped up large-scale attacks. In the past two weeks, two soldiers and five tree plantation workers were killed by communist rebels in a town in the southern island of Mindanao while another NPA unit kidnapped five unarmed soldiers elsewhere on the island. Eight police commandos died last month when rebels ambushed them on Luzon, the country’s biggest island and home to the nation’s capital Manila.

Cause of death of 3 lawmakers who had stem cell treatment being verified MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) – The three unnamed lawmakers who were said to have died after undergoing stem cell therapy might not have possibly died because of this breakthrough treatment, according to a health official on Tuesday. Following the deaths of these lawmakers, doctors from the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) were alarmed as it was reported that there has been spread of unlicensed

clinics which offer illegal stem cell treatment in and out of the country. Health Secretary Enrique Ona said in a chance interview that although the treatment has not yet been confirmed by the Department of Health (DOH) as a standard, they were already “very sick” before they underwent the treatment. Ona said that it was “hard to tell” whether it was the stem cell therapy treatment that

cost the lawmakers’ lives or it was actually just a matter of their bodies’ giving in from its already poor condition. However, he reminded the public that if people did want to avail of stem cell therapy, they must go to licensed clinics that perform the treatment. “Clinics that perform stem cell therapy should have a license and should be approved by the Department of Health,” he said.

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US limits employer liability in discrimination suits WASHINGTON, June 24, 2013 (AFP) – The US Supreme Court ruled Monday that an employer can only be held responsible for workplace sexual or racial harassment if the perpetrator is the victim’s supervisor or manager. In a decision that the court’s liberal minority branded a setback for workers’ rights, the court ruled against a complaint brought by a black woman from Indiana that she had been racially abused by a white co-worker. The ruling effectively confirmed that an employer, in this case Ball State University, cannot be held liable for the behavior of someone who demeans a colleague of the same status in the workplace hierarchy. Writing the majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito, that

in order for a plaintiff to hold his or her employer responsible, the harasser must be a supervisor” or a person must be able to take “tangible employment action. This means someone able to make a “change in employment status, such as hiring, firing, failing to promote, reassignment with significantly different responsibilities, or a decision causing a significant change in benefits.” The case was brought by Maetta Vance, who worked for the catering department of Ball State University and alleged that her colleague Saundra Davis had “made her life hell” through workplace threats and racial abuse. Pleading the case before the court last year, her lawyer had argued that Davis had been a de facto superior in the

Gov’t to redouble efforts in fight against human trafficking MANILA, June 21 (Mabuhay) – The Philippine government will focus more on strong areas to finally stop human trafficking following the report of the US State Department recently that has also retained the country at Tier 2 ranking. In a press briefing in Malacañang on Friday, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that while the State Department mentioned inadequacies in the government’s fight against human trafficking there are also some positive observations. Among the gains of the Philippine government is the increase in the number of prosecutors handling human trafficking cases in the country, she said. “The year before the reporting year, it was 57; ngayon tinaasan na to 98, so isa ‘yan sa mga magagandang observations. We intend to exert more efforts on the positive areas and to likewise address the recommendations that were raised,” Valte said.

There are ten recommendations spelled out by the US State Department and the Interagency Council Against Trafficking intends to act on all of it, she added. In its 2013 Trafficking in Persons report, the US Department of State maintained the country’s Tier 2 status owing to inefficiencies in the justice system and complicity of law enforcers in curbing trafficking in persons. Being in Tier 2 means failure to fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of severe forms of trafficking as provided by the Trafficking Victims’ Protection Act of 2000, but are making significant efforts to achieve those standards. Having this ranking means the government sustained its levels of funding for the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking last year and has been continuing its efforts to implement anti-trafficking laws and policies. (MNS)

UNA exec questions Sandiganbayan bid of Mar ally MANILA, June 21 (Mabuhay) – An official of the United Nationalist Alliance is questioning why Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rafael Antonio M. Santos is vying for the post vacated by Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr. UNA secretary general Toby Tiangco said the sudden interest of Santos to be at the helm of the anti-graft court is quite bothersome given his political background and legal pedigree. “I have nothing personal against Usec. Santos but his political association may put the integrity of the Sandiganbayan on the line,” he said in a statement. Santos previously served as undersecretary of the Department of National Defense under Secretary Avelino Cruz from 2004 to 2006. Tiangco said Santos was a senior partner of Carpio, Villaraza and Cruz Law Offices, otherwise known as “The Firm” during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Secretary Mar Roxas later chose Santos to be his deputy in both the Department of Transportation

and Communications and the DILG. Santos earlier said his stint in the executive department will be an advantage, in the event that he is chosen as the new presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan. He said his desire to join the Judiciary has the blessing of Roxas. Tiangco said if ever Santos is appointed presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan, there is a big chance that cases pending in the Sandiganbayan may be unduly influenced. “Will he be an anti-graft advocate or perhaps still an ever helpful friend passive to the demands of his former partners?” asked Tiangco. He mentioned that former Makati Mayor Dra. Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay, has a pending case before the Sandiganbayan which has yet to be decided. “Is this the real agenda behind it?” asked Tiangco. “If we are serious in instituting the necessary reforms in the judicial system, we have to pick those who have unquestionable character and integrity to the Sandiganbayan,” he added. (MNS)

Aquino citers PRC role in bureaucratic reforms MANILA, June 21 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno S. Aquino III acknowledged the contribution of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in spearheading bureaucratic reforms and has considered the commission as a front liner in the fight against graft and corruption. In his message during the commission’s 40th anniversary celebration at the Manila Hotel Thursday, the President said integrity and professionalism were the major ingredients in good governance. The people trust public servants who are honest and professional, he said, adding that this is the reason why his administration carries out an inclusive governmental reform and continuous fight against graft. “Nasa frontline ng agendang ito ang Professional Regulation Commission. Napakahalaga ng papel at responsibilidad ninyo sa pagpapatibay sa kakayahan ng ating mga propesyunal. Hindi lang kayo nagbibigay ng pagsusulit o nagkakaloob ng lisenya’t sertipiko; nagsisiguro sa mahusay na pagtugon ng ating mga propesyunal sa kanilang tungkulin, at paggamit nito ayon sa kanilang kakayahan at katwiran,” the President said. The PRC can serve as an effective agent for social change because instead of being reactive, the commission could be proactive in assisting students select their professions. The commission is not new to controversies, he said. The PRC has faced numerous allegations such as exam leakages and corruption. But the President said the PRC must not let these menace overcome the regulatory body. “Pero hindi po tayo magpapatalo sa iilang naghahari-harian sa burukrasya; hindi natin sila hahayaang patuloy na makapaminsala sa ating

kapwa. Walang sinuman ang lisensyadong manloko. Papatunayan nating hindi mabubura ng ilang hudas sa sistema ang dangal at mandatong itinindig ng PRC sa loob ng apatnapung taong paglilingkod,” the President said. “Batid po nating habang pinapaunlad at pinapatibay ang kakayahan ng ahensya, lumalaki rin ang inyong ambag sa agenda natin ng malawakang reporma.” The PRC must shun bribery and must set and observe a high standard of service to the people, the President said. Giving professionals the licenses they deserve will make them more competitive, and productive members of society, he added. The public will also have more protection against malpractice if the PRC grant licenses to qualified professionals such as engineers and doctors because only those who have passed the examination will get the certification, the President said. At the same time, the President expressed his gratitude to the commission for participating in the government’s jobs and skills matching agenda aimed at creating more jobs especially among the ordinary people. He also acknowledged the PRC’s Career Guidance and Advocacy that assists students in choosing their future careers. The PRC was created as a national government agency by Presidential Decree No. 223 on June 22, 1973, by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Prior to that issuance, the commission was previously called the Office of the Board of Examiners created by Republic Act No. 546 on June 17, 1950, under the Civil Service Commission (CSC). The PRC became operational on January 4, 1974 with the assumption into office of the first set of appointed Commissioners and Associate Commissioners.(MNS)

Sotto: Unhappy senators may spoil Franklin Drilon’s bid MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) – Problems in the distribution of committee chairmanships to senators may affect the numbers of whoever is seeking the Senate presidency, Sen. Vicente Sotto III said on Tuesday. Sotto, a member of resigned Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s group, warned that senators who are not happy with their committees may shift alliances. And this has often happened in previous Congresses, he said.

Sotto said anything can happen between now and the opening of the next Congress, even if it is widely believed that Sen. Franklin Drilon will become Senate president with the support of the Liberal and Nacionalista Party senators, plus other winning candidates from the administration’s Team PNoy coalition. “Laging gano’n. Every Congress, every start of the Congress, ‘pag mayro’ng isa o dalawang hindi nagugustuhan ang committee

na ibinibigay sa kanila, papalag ‘yon,” the former senator told reporters. Asked if this means withdrawing support for whoever is seeking the Senate presidency, Sotto said, “Probably. Many things happen.” Whatever happens, Enrile’s group will remain united, Sotto added. He said they will vote for Enrile as Senate president, although they believe they will lose and thus become the minority group.

workplace, giving orders and assigning Vance demeaning or unpleasant tasks like cleaning toilets. The court was split over the ruling, and the liberal minority expressed concern that it would “hinder efforts to stamp out discrimination in the workplace because supervisors are comparatively few and employees are many.” But the majority decision disputed this, arguing: “This approach will not leave employees unprotected against harassment by co-workers who possess some authority to assign daily tasks. “In such cases, a victim can prevail simply by showing that the employer was negligent in permitting the harassment to occur.”

VP Binay too unaware of MidEast sex rings involving OFWs prior to reports MANILA, June 21 (Mabuhay) – The alleged sexual exploitation of Filipino workers in the Middle East at the hands of Philippine embassy and labor staff seemed to have been perpetrated in uttermost secrecy that Philippine officials in Manila were unaware of it until very recently. Echoing what Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario had earlier said, Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday said he too didn’t know anything about the alleged prostitution rings – despite the purported knowledge of senior foreign officials – prior to media reports on them. “Ako nga ngayon ko lang din nalaman ito, at ilang beses ako nagpupunta diyan sa Middle East,” said Binay, the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFW) concerns. He said his office would’ve acted on such reported exploitation immediately if only they knew about it. “In my capacity as presidential adviser on OFWs, wala naman hong napaabot sa amin na hindi inaksyunan,” Binay said. On Thursday, Del Rosario said he was unaware of reports of prostitution rings allegedly operated by Philippine embassy staffers even though they’ve been reportedly going on for years already. Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello, head of the House committee on overseas workers affairs, on Tuesday bared to the media that cases of sexual exploitation of distressed OFWs were perpetrated by embassy staffers in Jordan, Kuwait, and Syria. Binay called on to OFW organizations to report such issues so that these will be acted on. “Sana po naman inire-report po ninyo sa amin, kasi ito naman hong administrasyon ni (President Benigno Aquino III) pinakikita naman po sa inyo batay na rin sa nakaraang karanasan, naaaksiyunan naman ang mga ganyang problema,” he said. (MNS)

Kin of 14 Maguindanao massacre victims agree to settle with Ampatuans MANILA, June 24 (Mabuhay) – Families of some of the victims in the infamous November 2009 Maguindanao massacre have reportedly agreed to settle with members of the Ampatuan clan, the family linked to the gruesome carnage that left 58 people dead, a private prosecutor bared Monday. Laywer Harry Roque of the Center for International Law said 14 families of the victims, four of whom are represented by his law firm, signed a written authority last February for a “close associate of the Ampatuans” to negotiate a settlement with the accused individuals. “Under this scheme, the victims were to sign not just a waiver and quitclaim, but also an affidavit pinning the blame for the massacre to Governor Toto Mangudadatu,” Roque said, referring to the re-elected Maguindanao governor who lost his wife and two sisters to the massacre. Roque said the agreement was made without his knowledge. The 58 victims, majority of them journalists, were part of an electoral convoy that was supposed to file Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy for the 2010 elections when he first ran for governor. They were killed allegedly upon the orders of the Ampatuans, a known political family in Maguindanao. Mangudadatu, who was not part of the ill-fated convoy, won the 2010 gubernatorial race. He was re-elected in the recently concluded May 13 elections. When asked by GMA News Online, Roque refused to identify who among the victims’ kin agreed to the settlement. He said he learned about the settlement deal from one of his clients. Roque also said he would be visiting his clients in Mindanao on Wednesday to gather more information about the supposed agreement. Roque blames govt He also said the agreement has forced his camp to file a communication with the United Nations Human Rights Committee to complain about the Philippine government’s alleged failure to provide an “adequate remedy under domestic law and compensation” for the victims’ families. “Thus far, it’s been almost 4 years and there is still no end in sight to the criminal prosecution of the Ampatuans,” said Roque. The massacre – considered as the worst case of election-related violence in the country’s history — entered its 43rd month Sunday. “In fact, the Philippine government took almost 4 years just to file the information for the 58th victim, Reynaldo Momay. This should give us a clue on how long the criminal proceedings will take,” Roque said. Momay, who was from Midland Review, was the 58th victim of the massacre. He initially was not considered a victim in the killings, since only Momay’s dentures and not his remains were recovered at the crime site at Sitio Masalay in Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town. After an appeal from Momay’s daughter, the Department of Justice conducted a preliminary investiation on his case and decided to add him officially as a victim, bringing to 58 from the original 57 the number of murder cases lodged against the suspects. Compensation Roque clarified that the compensation his clients are seeking from the government was separate from the civil damages they are claiming from the suspects. “The compensation that is due to the victims is because it is the state itself that breached its obligation to protect and promote the right of the victims to live. This includes not just monetary compensation, but also all that may be required tor restore the emotional and psychological well being of the victims,” he said. The lawyer stressed that until now, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 has yet to grant his camp’s request that the government be compelled to provide “psychosocial support” for the families of the victims. “This has not been acted upon but has strangely, given rise to a petition filed by the accused to cite us in contempt allegedly for ‘prejudging’ the merits of the case,” he added. More than 100 suspects are already in police custody, while around 90 remain at large. It has been three years and a half since the murder trial. The suspects include prominent members of the Ampatuan clan, including patriarch Andal Sr., and his sons Andal Jr, Rizaldy, and Sajid. Andal Sr., Andal Jr. and Rizaldy have pleaded not guilty in the case. (MNS)

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Thousands of metro informal settlers will soon transfer to safer, decent homes, says Palace MANILA, June 24 (Mabuhay) – Thousands of families living in danger zones are willing to be relocated and the government is ready to assist their transfer to safer areas, a Palace official said on Monday. In a press briefing in Malacanang, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said around 4,000 families staying in Metro Manila’s danger zones have agreed to be relocated off-site and off city. “Some families have agreed, for instance, to be relocated off-site and off-city. There are about 4,000 structures that have already been constructed by NHA. There are around 4,000 families who are willing to be relocated. We are providing assistance to them,” Lacierda told reporters. The National Housing Authority (NHA) structures are being constructed right now and the government targets to relocate informal settlers at the end of the year, he said. The present government actions to address the concerns of informal settlers aren’t bandaid solutions, Lacierda said, noting that a superficial remedy is just giving them assistance without considering their long-term welfare. The Aquino administration has already programmed structures to be completed for these families and budget to support the project is not a concern, he added. The government targets to relocate around 20,000 families living in the esteros, Lacierda said, stressing that the President’s primary concern is the safety of these families. “We don’t want the casualties during typhoon season to happen on a yearly basis. We want that eliminated totally and that’s the reason why we’re moving them away from the esteros or what we call the danger zones,” he said. Allowing these families to live along esteros and waterways not only put them in danger but also expose them to health risks like dengue, leptospirosis and other illnesses, the Palace official said. The government has offered P18,000 for each estero family to rent a safer and decent dwelling to ensure their safety particularly at the onset of the typhoon season. (MNS)

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China outsmarted US in Snowden chess game: experts BY CAROL HUANG

BEIJING, June 24, 2013 (AFP) - China interceded to allow Edward Snowden’s dramatic flight from Hong Kong, calculating that infuriating the United States for now was necessary to prevent longer-term corrosion to their relationship, analysts and media said Monday. On a visit to New Delhi, US Secretary of State John Kerry said it was “deeply troubling” if requests for the former spy’s extradition had been ignored – and warned of consequences for Sino-US relations. Despite its fury, Washington has been on the defensive for weeks as Snowden stepped up a drip-feed of leaks from his Hong Kong bolthole, including allegations of extensive US snooping on targets in the city and mainland China. Beijing formally protested after the latest revelations came out at the weekend – just as Snowden was deserting Hong Kong. State media called Washington a “villain” for its alleged hacking, flagging up the irony that the United States has long portrayed itself as a victim of Chinese cyberespionage. The Hong Kong government insisted that its decision to let the 30-year-old Snowden fly out on Sunday was governed strictly by the law, after a provisional US arrest warrant purportedly failed to meet its judicial requirements. Breaking his long silence on the affair, Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying on Monday said “the people of Hong Kong expect Hong Kong to uphold its own laws”. In Beijing, the foreign ministry said the central government “always respects” Hong Kong’s relative autonomy but sidestepped the allegations that it orchestrated Snowden’s departure. The White House said it was “just not buying” explanations that the decision was simply a determination handed down by local Hong Kong authorities. “This was a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant, and that decision unquestionably has a negative impact on the US-China relationship,” spokesman Jay Carney said. For many observers, such a high-profile case – carrying the potential to destabilize Sino-US ties for years if Snowden had fought a lengthy legal battle in Hong Kong – must have provoked intense interest among the territory’s overseers. Hong Kong political analyst Johnny Lau said he believed that Chinese representatives “must have drained him in depth and exhausted him (for intelligence) before letting him go”. Lau argued that Hong Kong’s government was a pawn, with Beijing guiding the pieces. “Hong Kong is just part of a chess game. It was the same when it was part of Britain,” he told AFP.

Albert Ho, one of Hong Kong’s most respected prodemocracy lawmakers, revealed that he had been hired as Snowden’s lawyer and that he had relayed a message from a mystery intermediary several days ago. The intermediary did not specify whether he represented the government in Beijing or Hong Kong, but Ho said: “I have reasons to believe that... those who wanted him to leave represented Beijing authorities. “Bejing would not step forward to the front stage because it (would) affect Sino-US relations,” he told reporters. “So, it would operate behind the scenes to make Snowden go. The Hong Kong government may not have had any role other than not stopping him at the airport.” After arriving in Hong Kong on May 20, armed with laptops containing a wealth of information on National Security Agency (NSA) eavesdropping of private Internet users and cellphones around the world, Snowden explained his choice of destination in a newspaper interview. “My intention is to ask the courts and the people of Hong Kong to decide my fate. I have been given no reason to doubt your system,” he told the South China Morning Post. But something changed over the weekend, after the United States issued its arrest warrant with a view to instituting formal extradition proceedings. The former NSA contractor and CIA agent fetched up in Moscow where he was last believed to be in a transit area of the airport, and has asked Ecuador to grant him asylum. Aghast lawmakers in Washington expressed strong suspicion of Chinese as well as Russian meddling. “I had actually thought that China would see this as an opportunity to improve relations and extradite him to the United States,” Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein said on CBS television. “China clearly had a role in this, in my view.” Whatever the answer, newspapers in China and Hong Kong said Beijing had no interest in allowing Snowden’s fate to fester as the new government of President Xi Jinping looks to reboot its overarching relationship with the United States after a troubled period. The South China Morning Post declared in an editorial: “There could be no better outcome for our city and China.” Shen Dingli, an international relations professor at Fudan University in Shanghai, agreed that Beijing probably took the final decision on the Snowden case. “For such a vital national security interest, how can Hong Kong decide by itself? If we want to have good US-China relations, it benefits China” to have let Snowden leave, he said.

Revenge of Assange as WikiLeaks helps US leaker BY DANNY KEMP

LONDON, June 24, 2013 (AFP) – WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange has served the United States an ice-cold slice of revenge by assisting US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, as well as boosting the flagging profile of his own anti-secrecy website. The organisation says that it had a legal adviser on the plane Snowden is believed to have taken to Moscow from his bolthole in Hong Kong, and that it helped him seek asylum in Ecuador, in whose London embassy Assange has been staying for a year. Assange insisted on Monday that his motives were not about vengeance but about defending efforts to challenge what it says is an excessive US culture of secrecy and national security. “I have personal sympathy with Mr Snowden having lived through a very similar experience,” the 41-year-old Australian said in a conference call with journalists. “But the WikiLeaks organisation more broadly exists to defend the practical rights of whistleblowers to bring their information to the public.” Yet for a man like Assange who believes that US authorities have been trying to hunt him down for the past three years for leaking confidential information, there will be a deep satisfaction in helping Snowden avoid the same foe. The irony of helping Snowden seek asylum in Ecuador will not be lost on Assange, who sought refuge in the Ecuadoran mission to avoid claims of sexual assault in Sweden that he says are part of a conspiracy to get him to the United States. Assange said that while WikiLeaks was not actually involved in Snowden’s leaks that exposed a huge Internet surveillance programme by the US National Security Agency, it had helped fund his escape from Hong Kong. He linked his own fate not only with 30-year-old Snowden but with that of Bradley Manning, 25, the US soldier who is being tried on accusations of leaking the documents to WikiLeaks that were behind its first major information dumps in 2010. WikiLeaks has suffered a series of blows since then, ranging from the rape allegations that led to

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Sweden seeking Assange’s extradition from Britain that year, to the cutting of its funding, and a series of defections by key staff members. ‘One of the most important whistleblowers in history’ For Assange, the Snowden case gets WikiLeaks not just back in the public eye but also boosts its credentials after a hermit-like year sealed in Ecuador’s embassy next door to the famed Harrods department store. The organisation operates in a state of constant wariness. During one encounter with AFP, Assange insisted on conducting a large part of the conversation by writing feverishly on sheets of paper instead of talking, convinced that British and US intelligence services are listening in. Assange perhaps betrayed his own fears about the United States when just after remarking on Monday that he was in a “very similar situation just three years ago” to Snowden, he added the startling claim that “the kidnapping or incapacitating of Mr Snowden must have been considered” by US authorities. But WikiLeaks’ own secret-busting coups have tailed off since 2010. Back then it released a slew of US diplomatic cables and documents on the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts—but recent releases have been limited to emails by the security contractor Stratfor and a series of 1970s US State Department cables that were mostly already publicly available. His most recent venture was working on a political song with Puerto Rican band Calle 13. WikiLeaks however denies it is piggybacking on Snowden’s sudden high profile. Assange insisted that by defending both him and Bradley Manning the organisation is fighting against the “Obama administration’s war on whistleblowers.” WikiLeaks’ links with Snowden first emerged on June 11 when Assange said he had had “indirect communication with his people” but went no further. The group’s spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said that last week that he had personally delivered a message to the Icelandic government recommending that it should grant asylum to Snowden.

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PARIS, June 24, 2013 (AFP) – The first four of 12 satellites in a new constellation to provide affordable, high-speed Internet to people in nearly 180 “under-connected” countries, will be shot into space on Tuesday, the project’s developers said. The orbiters, part of a project dubbed O3b for the “other 3 billion” people with restricted Internet access, will be lifted by a Russian Soyuz rocket from Kourou in French Guiana at 1854 GMT. “We are very close to launching a network that has the potential to change lives in very tangible ways and that is a tremendous feeling,” O3b Networks chief technical officer Brian Holz said in a statement. The project was born from the frustrations of Internet pioneer Greg Wyler with the inadequacy of Rwanda’s telecommunications network, while travelling there in 2007. “Access to the Internet backbone is still severely lim-

ited in emerging markets,” Wyler said in unveiling the O3b venture in 2008 – promising multi-gigabit Internet speeds to countries “whether landlocked in Africa or isolated by water in the Pacific Islands”. “Only when emerging markets achieve affordable and ubiquitous access to the rest of the world will we observe locally generated content, widespread e-learning, telemedicine and many more enablers to social and economic growth, which reflect the true value of the Internet,” he said. Wyler’s plan was to bypass costly ground-based infrastructure like fibre-optics or cables by deploying a constellation of small satellites around the equator to serve as a spatial relay between users and the world wide web using only satellite dishes. Such a system would cover a region between the latitudes of 45 degrees North and 45 degrees South – the entire African continent, most of Latin America, the Middle East, southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

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UTREACH US Supreme Court sends back affirmative action case BY CHANTAL VALERY

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2013 (AFP) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The US Supreme Court elected not to rule on the constitutionality of using race in university admissions on Monday, instructing a lower court to look at the question again. Its decision left unchanged the principle of â&#x20AC;&#x153;affirmative action,â&#x20AC;? an enduring legacy of the 1960s civil rights movement intended to give African-Americans a leg up in applying for jobs and education. In the case before the court, Abigail Fisher, a white student denied admission to the University of Texas, alleged its use of race in deciding admissions violated her constitutional right to equal justice under the law. Writing the nearly unanimous decision laced with legal technicalities, Justice Anthony Kennedy said the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal in Texas â&#x20AC;&#x153;must assess whether the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favor was appropriate.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;There must still be a further judicial determination that the admissions process meets strict scrutiny in its implementation,â&#x20AC;? he added. The Court of Appeal had previously ruled in favor of

the prestigious state university, declaring that Fisher had not suffered discrimination as a result of an admission policy that favored racial minorities. Seven of the nine Supreme Court justices agreed to refer the case back to the Court of Appeal. One disagreed, while Justice Elena Kagan excused herself because of her prior support of affirmative action as US solicitor general. The Supreme Court last took up the controversial issue of affirmative action in 2003, reaffirming a 1978 decision that race-based quotas did not violate the Constitution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a win for the principles of opportunity, diversity, and equality,â&#x20AC;? the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a major civil rights organization, said Monday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, the Court added a wrinkle by sharpening the standard that universities must meet, requiring colleges to show there were no â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;available, workable raceneutralâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; alternatives available to them,â&#x20AC;? it added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Court sent the case back to the lower court to determine whether the University of Texas admissions policy meets this standard.â&#x20AC;? When she applied to attend the university, Fisherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Drones, fences, radar: Military â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;surgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for US-Mexico borderÂ BY IVAN COURONNE

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2013 (AFP) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Twenty thousand new border patrol agents, hundreds of miles of fencing, billions of dollars in drones, radar and sensors: US lawmakers are proposing a militaristic remedy to staunch illegal immigrant flow from Mexico. The Senate is expected Monday to greenlight the most important amendment yet to the landmark immigration bill, but the measure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; designed to placate Republican concerns about security â&#x20AC;&#x201C; would ensure that the border region is one of the most highly policed zones in the Western Hemisphere. Critics call the plan â&#x20AC;&#x153;border security on steroids,â&#x20AC;? while even the amendmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Republican author concedes the measures to clamp down on illegal crossings might be â&#x20AC;&#x153;overkill.â&#x20AC;? With the amendmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likely approval, the most sweeping immigration reform in nearly three decades is set for Senate passage. It then heads to the House of Representatives where it faces an uncertain fate, although optimists are hoping the bill becomes law this year. The goal: bring 11 million immigrants living illegally in the United States, most of them Mexican, out of the shadows with a 13-year-long pathway to citizenship; reform the work visa system in agriculture and high-technology fields; and institute electronic employment verification and comprehensive entry-exit tracking. But to boost chances for President Barack Obama to become the first US leader to enact major immigration reform since Ronald Reagan in 1986, his Democrats have increased concessions to Republicans to ensure that authorities can prevent a new wave of illegal immigrants. Under the compromise, crafted by Republican Senators Bob Corker and John Hoeven, the number of federal border agents will surge from about 18,000 today to 38,405, the equivalent of about 19 agents per mile (12 per kilometer) along the 1,954-mile (3,200-km) border. In 2002, there were just 10,000 assigned agents. Lawmakers supporting the deal want the 299 miles of existing anti-vehicle barriers on nontribal lands converted into more secure â&#x20AC;&#x153;pedestrian fencing.â&#x20AC;? They also want 50 new miles of fencing put in place, for a total of 700 miles of the high fencing.

Some of the fencing includes a stretch along the Rio Grande, which forms a 1,255-mile natural boundary between Mexico and the US state of Texas. The amendment details a beefed-up arsenal of equipment with a budget of $3.2 billion for four unmanned drone systems; 40 helicopters; 30 boats; 4,595 unattended ground sensors with seismic, imaging and infrared capability; and hundreds of fixed cameras and mobile surveillance systems. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hundreds of American communitiesâ&#x20AC;? militarized â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is it more than I would have recommended? Honestly, yes,â&#x20AC;? Senator John McCain, one of four Republicans who crafted the underlying bill along with four Democrats, told Fox News on Friday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to give people confidence.â&#x20AC;? In Washington, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;border surgeâ&#x20AC;? proposal is already being compared with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;surgeâ&#x20AC;? of US war troop reinforcements that president George W. Bush ordered to Iraq in 2007. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That military reference makes sense because it is going to militarize hundreds of American communities in the Southwest,â&#x20AC;? said veteran Senate Democrat Patrick Leahy. He sneered that the border security modification â&#x20AC;&#x153;reads like a Christmas wish list for Halliburton,â&#x20AC;? one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest defense and energy contractors. But the flood of protections was a primary condition some Republicans demanded for joining most of the 54 Democratic senators as they seek an overwhelming majority of 70 votes in the 100seat chamber to give the bill momentum heading to the House. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is about politics, not about the facts on the ground,â&#x20AC;? Doris Meissner, director of the US Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, told AFP. Apprehension numbers are at their lowest in 40 years, she noted, thanks in part to investments made since the September 11 attacks of 2001. But the Corker-Hoeven deal insists on dramatically ramping up the militaristic technology along the border, including use of the ominously named VADER radar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; first used to track insurgents in Afghanistan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to find people hiding in the desert. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost overkill,â&#x20AC;? Corker himself admitted.

Seven Southland residents face Bank fraud charges in identity theft scheme SANTA ANA, CA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Seven Los Angeles-area residents have been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud for allegedly participating in an identity theft scheme that targeted hundreds of JP Morgan Chase & Co. account holders across the nation and caused more than $1 million in losses. Six of the defendants were taken into custody earlier this week by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the United States Secret Service. The seventh defendant is a fugitive who is currently being sought by authorities. According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court on June 13, the defendants obtained confidential information belonging to Chase account holders, including birthdates and Social Security numbers. Armed with the stolen information, members of the organization posed as bank clients and withdrew money from the accounts of Chase customers, many of whom were elderly victims. The accused ringleader â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hardy Jones, 64, of South Los Angeles (zip code 90043) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was arrested Wednesday. During his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon, Jones was ordered held without bond and an arraignment was scheduled for him and the other defendants on July 8. The criminal complaint alleges that, after obtaining confidential information belonging to Chase clients, Jones directed â&#x20AC;&#x153;runnersâ&#x20AC;? to go to Chase branches to obtain money from victimsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; accounts. The runners received a cut as payment, typically one-fourth to one-third of the amount withdrawn. In addition to banks in the Los Angeles area, the criminal complaint describes unauthorized withdrawals at Chase branches in Illinois, Texas, and Wisconsin. When federal investigators executed a search warrant at Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; residence in March, they recovered numerous counterfeit driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s licenses, Social Security cards, and credit cards bearing the names of Chase account holders.

whose father and sister were among its alumniâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;was not among the top 10 percent of Texas high school graduates who are guaranteed places. Her legal team argued that she was denied second-tier admission in favor of other applicants with lower test scores and grades, who were accepted on the basis of racial preference for under-represented minorities. The universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s argument was that race was just one of many factors it considers when selecting new students. Fisher, who ultimately graduated from Louisiana State University, claimed in her court filing that she â&#x20AC;&#x153;suffered an injury that falls squarely within the language and spirit of the Constitutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guarantee of equal protection.â&#x20AC;? It alleged that the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s admission program â&#x20AC;&#x153;favors two groups, African-Americans and Hispanics, in one of the most ethnically diverse states in the United States.â&#x20AC;? Some 70 motions were filed with the Supreme Court in support of the University of Texas from colleges, human rights groups and businesses as well as by the US government, attesting to the caseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s importance.

Socalgas helps customers save 20 percent on monthly natural gas bills CARE Program offers discounts to low-income households, students, renters LOS ANGELES, June 20, 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; More low-income Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) customers are eligible to save 20 percent on their monthly natural gas bill and receive no-cost energy efficient home improvements as a result of updated income guidelines for the state-sponsored California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Energy Savings Assistance Program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;SoCalGas is committed to enrolling as many eligible customers as possible into our assistance programs,â&#x20AC;? said Rodger Schwecke, vice president of customer solutions for SoCalGas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Together with our community partners, we engage in continuous outreach to help ensure our customers know about the many assistance programs available to help them in difficult economic times.â&#x20AC;? The CARE program provides a 20-percent rate discount on the monthly natural gas bill for eligible households. Those who qualify and are approved within 90 days of starting new gas service will also receive a $15 discount on the Service Establishment Charge. The Energy Savings Assistance Program provides no-cost energy efficient home improvements to income-qualified renters and homeowners. Services include door weather-stripping and caulking to keep unwanted drafts out of the home; attic insulation to help the home stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter; low-flow showerheads that can save energy used to heat water; furnace replacement (owner occupied only); high-efficiency clothes washers and other minor home repairs. With an estimated 1.7 million customers eligible to participate across SoCalGasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 12-county service territory, SoCalGas has launched an awareness campaign entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Right Under Your Nose,â&#x20AC;? to help customers learn about the benefits of the CARE program. The campaign will be implemented across print, out-of-home and digital channels throughout Southern California and features attention-getting creative elements including a series of unique mustachioed portraits that exemplify the potential savings that many do not realize are available. SoCalGas customers may be automatically eligible if they or a household member currently receive benefits from any of the following programs: Medi-Cal/Medicaid, Healthy Families A & B, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), CalWORKs (TANF), Tribal TANF, Head Start Income Eligible (Tribal Only), The Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (BIA-GA), CalFresh/SNAP (Food Stamps), National School Lunch Program, Supplemental Security Income (NSLP), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

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guest on TV news and talk shows who also runs a website, DefineAmerican.com, which tackles immigration issues. Congress is grappling with root-and-branch legislation that would beef up security along the vast US-Mexican border in return for the regularization of the status of what American bureaucrats often call “illegal aliens.” At the same time, President Barack Obama’s administration has been deporting illegal immigrants at a furious pace: nearly 1.59 million during his first four years in office alone, according to the US Department of Homeland Security. Many of the 11 million undocumented persons in the United States – including 1.3 million from Asia, 800,000 from South America and 300,000 from Europe – have fingers crossed for the best-case outcome: full US citizenship. More than two years in the making, “Documented” was originally supposed to focus on the youthful citizenship activists known as DREAMers, but it grew to cover Vargas’s own adventures taking his story to average Americans. In a Michael Moore moment at a Mitt Romney presidential campaign event in Iowa, Vargas turns up with a sign declaring his undocumented status to the Republican hopeful’s hardcore conservative fans. One white middle-aged couple boasts how their daughter-inlaw had legally immigrated from Britain – adding, with no sign of irony, how a helpful US senator

the Presidential Museum and Library Website. “The two infographic maps portray Manila’s evolution from a Spanish conquest into a modern metropolis We encourage the Filipino people, Manileños in particular, to take part in this online observance by visiting the Presidential Museum and Library Website and its accompanying social media sites on Facebook and Tumblr,” he said. President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared June 24, which falls on a Monday,

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PLANE CRASH From page 1

craft – OV-10 #630 and OV-10 #139 – that went on a night proficiency flying mission Sunday, Okol said. “At about 7:30PM, OV-1 0 #630 lost contact w/ Palawan Tower and failed to land back while OV10 #139 landed safely after 53 minutes,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online, citing an official report received by PAF. Tracking device Okol said they have identified the aircraft’s “last known position” as it was equipped with a tracking device. “Actually, alam natin kung saan ‘yung last known position ng mishap aircraft, kasi ang aircraft natin is equipped with a tracking device so namo-monitor po ng punong himpilan at ng area command,” he said. He said the last known transmission of the plane was when it requested for “final approach” at Runway 27 at the Palawan airport 53 minutes after the first aircraft landed. He added that though the plane was also equipped with an ejection seat, he has yet to verify if there have been sighting of parachute use in the area.

greased the notoriously long and complicated process. But the emotional highlight comes when Vargas goes on Skype to reconnect with his mother, Emelie Salinas, who lives outside Manila. Together, over a dodgy Internet connection, they discuss his plight and how it came to be. For now, Vargas cannot go to the Philippines to visit her because he has no US passport – and thus no guarantee he will be allowed back into the country where he has built his life and made his name. She, in turn, cannot travel to the United States to see him, because getting a tourist visa is next to impossible for Filipinos and others from developing countries. She has already tried and been denied. “Can you imagine?” Vargas told AFP. “I have seen more of my mother in three months editing this film than I have in 20 years.” In the long run, Vargas – who got a standing ovation at Friday’s premiere from friends, relatives and former Post colleagues – hopes “Documented” can help reshape a debate that dwells obsessively on border security. “I would argue that immigration is the most controversial, yet least understood issue in America,” he said. “The question I (often) get asked is, ‘Why don’t you just make yourself legal?’ There isn’t a process for somebody like me to get legal. People don’t understand the process and the issue is so complex.” “What we have right now are the debris and the last known position palang po ang masasabi namin,” Okol said. Search for missing pilots In the text message, Okol said “rescue teams from the Philippine Navy of Naval Forces West and PCG Vessel 3503 are already at the vicinity conducting search and rescue (operations).” The Coast Guard has already deployed frogmen to the site off the eastern coast of Puerto Princesa where the plane was believed to have gone down to help search for the missing pilots, according to PCG Palawan district head Commodore Enrico Efren Evangelista, in a report from radio dzBB’s Palawan affiliate James Viernes Okol said the recovered debris appeared to have drifted northward.B Naval Forces West head Commodore Joseph Peña said they are concentrating their efforts in an area some 11 nautical miles east of the Puerto Princesa Airport where the two planes took off. “We’re trying to pinpoint the crash site,” Peña said. Local fishermen are also helping in the search for the pilots, Peña said.

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as a special (non-working day) in the city of Manila in celebration of its 442nd Foundation Day. The Chief Executive issued the declaration through Proclamation No. 604 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on June 14, to give the people of Manila the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies. Manila became the seat of the colonial government of Spain when it gained sovereignty over the Philippine Islands in 1565.

The seat of the Spanish government was situated within the fortified walls of Old Manila (now referred to as Intramuros, meaning within the walls). The walls were constructed to keep invading Chinese pirates and protect the city from native uprisings. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish governor-general of the Philippines, proclaimed Manila as the capital city of the country on June 24, 1571, calling it a “distinguished and ever loyal city.” (MNS)

lion to P1 billion amid a resurgent property market and low interest rates. “Given the increase in asset values, we believe that estate tax collections should be higher. We’ll be stepping up efforts to monitor

payments made by heirs of deceased persons,” he said. Only 29,198 estate tax returns were filed in 2007, 29,863 in 2008 and 26,811 in 2009, latest BIR data showed. (MNS)

cycle of killing,” Paje said. The executive director of the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency, Mary Rice, praised the Philippines for taking the lead in destroying its stockpiles. “This is a really significant event. It is the first time a consuming country and an Asian country has decided to dispose of its seized stockpiles,” Rice, who was in Manila to witness the event, told AFP. Rice said thousands of kilograms of seized ivory were sitting in storehouses in other cities around Asia and other parts of the world. Rice and other conservationists called for all Asian countries with stockpiles to emulate the Philippines. Some African nations have previously burnt ivory stockpiles. Kenya was the first in 1989, and most recently Gabon did last year. The UN and conservation groups warned in a major report in March that African elephants faced the worst crisis since global trade in ivory was banned almost

a quarter-century ago. Illicit trade in ivory has doubled since 2007 and more than tripled over the past 15 years, according to the report, which estimated that only about 420,000 to 650,000 elephants remain in Africa. About 25,000 African elephants were estimated to have been killed for their ivory in 2011, the report said, and conservationists believe last year was even worse. The Philippine efforts to destroy the tusks were complicated as the government backtracked on an initial plan to burn the tusks due to protests from environment groups about open-air fires. A second plan to crush them with a roller was also cancelled after it emerged the tusks were too tough. The third plan of crushing them with a backhoe, one-by-one, lasted throughout Friday. The government said the remnants of the tusks would then be burnt at an animal crematorium.

DEAD PEOPLE From page 1

had been very low except in 2012, when the amount collected surged 60 percent from a year earlier. The Finance chief wants to increase estate tax collections to P50 billion from the current P850 mil-

IVORY TUSKS From page 1

servation groups have warned the demand for ivory is leading to the slaughter of thousands of African elephants each year, and could eventually lead to their extinction. The Philippines was named because of its role as a transport hub for African ivory being smuggled into countries such as China, Vietnam and Thailand, where demand has skyrocketed in recent years. The ivory is highly sought after for statues, trinkets and other items to showcase wealth. Demand is also high in the Catholic Philippines, with the ivory used for religious icons. Paje said the destruction of the ivory was one part of the government’s action plan submitted to CITES since March to show it was trying to curb the trade. Another was the launch on Friday of a multi-government-agency taskforce focused solely on the ivory trade. “The Philippines will not be a party to this massacre (of African elephants) and a conduit for the

SEX-FOR-FLY From page 1

kailangan relative to the investigation that is on-going,” Valte said. “Of course, sinabi ni Secretary del Rosario sa kanila na ang mga identities nila siyempre, will remain confidential until such time na kailangan na silang iharap doon sa kanilang mga inaakusahan.” The DFA has already invited its consuls general and ambassadors in the Middle East to come home to take part in the inquiry. The Palace official also assured the public that the ongoing investigation will be fair and straightforward and everything will be

based on evidence presented. “At kung makita, base doon sa ebidensya, na talagang dapat merong maparusahan or meron may sala ay hindi tayo mag-aatubiling ibaba ang karampatang parusa sa kanila,” she said.Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello disclosed last week the alleged sex-for-fly scheme in the Middle East victimizing distressed OFWs. The legislator urged President Aquino to form a presidential investigating committee to look into the allegations. The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the DFA are conducting separate probes into the said allegations. (MNS)

Aquino says health services instrumental for country’s strong economic standing MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno S. Aquino III underscored the importance of providing for the Filipino people an improved, efficient and effective health program, saying a healthy nation was the key to the country’s strong economic showing since he assumed office. The President said in his speech keynoting the 115th Anniversary of the Department of Health (DOH) that thIs is the main reason why his administration had the improvement of the delivery of health sector services to all Filipinos on its topmost priority. He pointed out that since 2010, the budget of the DoH had been constantly upgraded from P28.68-billion in 2010 to P51.07-billion in 2013 in order for the Department to have funds to construct more modern hospitals and to increase the health coverages for more Filipinos. “Wala pa rin pong ibang susi para sa malusog na ekonomiya kundi ang pagkakaroon ng malusog na sambayanan. Kaya naman, simula nang tayo’y manungkulan, walang patid nating inaangat ang budget ng DOH. Mula sa 28.68 bilyong piso noong 2010, nasa 51.07 bilyong piso na po ito ngayong 2013. Nagawa nating itaas ng 78 percent ang budget ng DOH nang walang itinataas na buwis maliban sa Sin Tax,” the President said. “Sa kabila nito mulat tayong hangga’t hindi ito tumatawid at nararamdaman ng mga Pilipino, mananatiling datos lamang ang mga ito. Ang ginawa nating aksyon mula sa 57.2 milyon na ating dinatnan, umabot na po sa 79.1 milyong Pilipino ang enrolled sa PhilHealth,” he added. He stressed that “catastrophic diseases” such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and acute leukemia can now be treated for free under the Z Benefit Package which was launched last year while an expanded Z Benefit Package that will include heart ailment treatments such as coronary heart bypass was launched last February. “Ganyan po tayo kaseryoso sa ating sektor ng kalusugan,” the President noted. Under the DoH’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program, the President said 4,518 hospitals, rural health units and barangay health stations have already been put up and/or rehabilitated while 7,325 more health facilities will be upgraded to serve more Filipinos, especially those in remote areas where the chances of residents getting to see healthcare professional are nil. “Hindi tayo titigil hangga’t may mga kababayan pa rin tayong ni hindi nakakakita ng espesyalista sa tanangbuhay nila, kaya naman target nating i-upgrade at gawing mas moderno ang 7,325 na mga ospital, klinika, at pagamutan,” the President said.

SF FILIPINOS From page 1

of treating us like criminals. It should not be a crime to find work to support yourself and your family,” said Harold Butanas, an undocumented worker and a member of Migrante Northern California. utanas who shared his testimony with the participants of the Task Force launching, came to the U.S. in 2007 as a high-skilled welder and became a victim of human trafficking. Promised a 3-year job contract with at least $22/hour pay, his company announced that they were unable to employ him and sixty seven other Filipinos after working for just two months. In addition they only paid the workers $18/hr. Following Harold’s testimony, the task force discussed and united behind NAFCON’s “Principles and Demands on Genuine Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” before going on to making their plans of action. The document articulates as one main principle the need to address issues of “Forced Migration” as well as demands including legalization for all undocumented, ending deportations, reunification of families, and an end to human trafficking. “To us, no immigration reform is genuine unless it includes all the pieces in NAFCON’s principles and demands,” said Jun Cruz the alliances public information officer and one of the organizers of the event. ollowing the discussion, the dozens of participants broke out into three task force teams including event planning, education and outreach, and action. In the breakouts members of the task force first identified who would serve as leaders of each team and then brainstormed on what projects they would take on. For more information on the Filipino Immigrant Rights Task Force and NAFCON contact Jun Cruz at 415.333.6267 or emailjun@filipinocc.org.

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Anne Curtis wows Pechanga crowd in ‘unbelievable’ performance Her voice was ear-piercing to say the least, but Anne Curtis’ performance at Pechanga Resort & Casino in the City of Temecula was well-received by fans, many of whom traveled from as far as Los Angeles and had to endure hours of snarling traffic on the 91 and 15 freeways. It was a Father’s Day well spent, though there were more mothers and wives who saw Annebisyosa – a term coined from the Tagalog word “ambisyosa” which means ambitious – a fitting description for Anne’s courageous feat to hit the stage and sing, dance and throw out spills that impressed even the most critical scribes in the audience. Of course, the “tisay” in Anne, her pretty face, sultry figure and impressive costume changes had factored in. A regular patron of the Pechanga Theater even mentioned “I’ve seen a lot of shows at Pechanga, but Anne was even more entertaining than the real singers!” Adding to that is Anne’s humility – apologizing almost each time she belted out a song or making fun of her own singing – which endeared her more to her fans. Relatively unknown to many Filipino-Americans, who may or may not have Filipino channels on their cable TV, Anne’s rousing performance was both unbelievable and unforgettable. And the full house crowd was more than pleased, especially when she decided to come down from the stage and walked the aisles, let fans hug her and had her pictures taken with them. Indeed, her down-to-earth character more than made up for her “singing prowess.” Anne’s show was Pechanga Resort & Casino’s offering to the Filipino community as they celebrated their 115th anniversary of “Araw ng Kalayaan” or Philippine Independence Day, a welcome tribute to the large Filipino populace in Southern California, many of whom have been employed by

Pechanga Resort & Casino as managers, customer service personnel and manning casino tables. One of the managers, Assistant Food & Beverage Director Tony Canicosa, 49, supervises all restaurants at the casino. The former Las Vegas food and restaurant veteran, who helped open the restaurants of both the Mirage and Mandalay Bay in Sin City, “fled” the desert for the cooler temperatures at the Pechanga whose management Canicosa described as more “pro-workers” and more consistent and effective in keeping their employees’ welfare in mind. “We are happier and have better benefits here,” he said. Even the main entrances to the resort were adorned with decorations commemorating the Filipino holiday, like prints of the Philippine flag, and its colors, red, yellow and blue on Fiesta buntings, bursting from a giant yellow Philippine sun as the centerpiece. Inside the casino, a “Bahay Kubo” – a traditional Filipino nipa hut and other ethnic ornaments imbibed a Filipino themed celebration. Director of Asian Marketing at Pechanga Resort Casino Greg Leung said it was the second time that Pechanga decorated the hotel with a Philippine motif to help celebrate the country’s Independence Day that happens to fall on June 12th. Leung said Anne’s ticket sales, who performed on both Saturday and Sunday, were “very good,” while the past “Triple Threat” show of Piolo Pascual, Angeline Quinto and Pokwang just last March was a sold out performance. The Pechanga Theater has become a regular destination for Filipino artists, like Sharon Cuneta, Gary Valenciano, Sarah Geronimo and many other artists from Manila. The theater is an ideal venue

One of the two main gates of the Pechanga Resort & Casino where yellow, red and blue fiesta buntings as well as the sun with its eight rays just like the Philippine flag adorned the hotel entrances to commemorate the 115th Philippine Independence Day celebration.

Mabuhay says a nipa hut inside the casino, just one of the many decorations that Pechanga Casino & Resort used to welcome all its guests, be they Filipino or from other countries. This was the second year in a row where the hotel used the Philippine motif to celebrate Philipine Independence Day that falls on June 12.

Anne Curtis (right) and co-performer Nina during an interview with the local media.

Pechanga Resort & Casino personnel led by Director of Player Development William Anderson (rightmost) and Director of Asian Marketing Greg Leung (3rd from right) flanked by (from left) Public Relations Manager Ciara Green, Assistant Director of Food & Beverage Tony Canicosa, Executive Casino Hosts Marylou Bean and Dolores Salvador.

with state-of-the-art sound, and an intimate seating plan with comfortable chairs and an up-close view from every theater seat. When it comes to entertainment, Pechanga, versus other venues, proves effortless with free valet and selfparking for guests, complimentary casino/resort shuttles, gourmet and casual dining options on site, and some of the best nightclubs and lounges in the West Coast. Other upcoming entertainment at Pechanga Resort & Casino includes: • June 21 – Cyndi Lauper - $45, $44, $65 • June 22 – Annual BBQ Championships - $5.00 • June 28-30 – 18th Annual Pechanga Pow Wow – Free • July 5 – Comedian Jim Gaffigan -$40, $45, $55 • July 12 – Smokey Robinson • July 13 – 5th Annual Pechanga Microbrew Festival - $25 & 45 • July 13 - Karen Tong & Samuel Tai (Chinese concert) $48, $68, $98, $118 • July 27 - Byun Jin-Sub (Korean concert) - $65, $85 and $105 • August 4 – Diana Ross - $90, $100, $115 • August 9 – Chicago - $81, $91, $101 • August 11 – Chris Isaak - $50,

Anne Curtis on the floor and sings right in front of the audience after coming down from the stage.

$60, $70 • September 27 & 28 – Comedian Brian Regan - $60, $65, $75 Owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2003, Pechanga Resort & Casino offers the largest and most expansive resort/ casino experience anywhere in the western United States – providing an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. The Pechanga Casino has more than 3,000 of

the hottest slots and table games. The Pechanga Resort features world-class entertainment, 517 hotel rooms, dining, spa and championship golf at Journey at Pechanga. Open 24-hours. Guests must be 21 and older to enter the casino. For more information, call toll free 1-888-PECHANGA (1-888-734-4264) or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort & Casino on Facebook. com and on Twitter @PechangaCasino. Located at 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula, CA 92592.

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MOTORING India’s Tata Motors revamps ‘world’s cheapest car’

Workers wipe the low-cost Nano car manufactured by Tata of India during the 20th Indonesia International Motor Show 2012 in Jakarta on September 22, 2012. India’s top automaker Tata Motors unveiled a new version Wednesday. AFP PHOTO / Bay ISMOYO

(MUMBAI-AFP) – India’s top automaker Tata Motors unveiled a new version of what was once billed as the world’s cheapest car Wednesday, in a bid to reverse a slump in sales. The jellybean-shaped Nano, which sold for around $2,200 when its first edition went on the market in 2009, has seen sales drop by more than 27 percent in the last

year and Tata’s recently-retired supremo admitted the car had an image problem. The compressed natural gas(CNG)fuelled version of the Nano unveiled on Wednesday is expected to hit showrooms within the next 90 days, the company said. Tata Motors did not disclose the CNG Nano price, but said it would be announced soon.

“This (CNG) is the first major variant for the Nano since its launch,” auto analyst Mahantesh Sabarad of Fortune Equity Brokers said. Sabarad said the CNG version is being introduced to “give customers a better choice” but may take away its “affordability” tag. It was not immediately clear whether the Nano would retain its title as the world’s cheapest car. In an interview shortly before his retirement last December, the company’s long-time chairman Ratan Tata said it had been a mistake to market the Nano merely on its low-price, saying “various stigmas have been attached to it”. Sales of the part-plastic Nano fell 27.7 percent in the fiscal year to March 2013, to 53,847 units, according to company data. Since its launch, the Nano has had several small makeovers – including upgrades to its interior and a doubling of the warranty to four years. The unveiling of the CNG Nano – called E-Max – was part of a mega launch by Tata Motors at its factory in Pune where it also introduced new versions of its existing Nano, the hatchback Indica

and Sumo sport-utility vehicles. The enhanced Nano – with features like remote locking and sleeker interiors – will cost upward of 150,000 rupees ($2,580). In recent quarters, Tata Motors’ earnings have been boosted by the performance of its luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover, which have compensated for its weak domestic car sales. Automakers in India have witnessed an unprecedented seven straight months of lower car sales, due to a slowing economy and a rise in the cost of raw material. In May, Tata Motors’ total domestic passenger vehicle sales fell 45.69 percent at 11,134 units, from levels a year earlier. “The market has been bad in the past two months but since then there has been some improvements,” managing director Karl Slym told reporters on Wednesday, according to the Press Trust of India agency. Tata Motors bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Co in 2008 for $2.3 billion as part of plans to expand its reach beyond Asia. The deal vaulted Tata Motors from a commercial vehicle and small-car maker into a global player whose portfolio includes luxury brands.

Consumer Electronics Association to tackle driver distraction (Relaxnews) – The US-based Consumer Electronics Association is aiming to set industry safety benchmarks for in-car electronic devices. The newly formed Driver Device Interface Working Group will develop industry standards and best practices for consumer electronics products for use in cars, commercial vehicles, boats and aircraft. “We believe that safety is paramount in a moving vehicle. A driver’s highest priority should be safe driving and control of the vehicle at all times,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “Consumer electronics manufacturers have developed products like GPS and hands-free

Bluetooth that reduce the amount of time a driver must look away from the road. It makes sense to encourage development of these technologies rather than to try to regulate every possible distraction.” As such, the new group will develop personal electronic device recommendations and standards for safe user experiences and is calling on technology companies and consumer groups to take an active role in the process. A study from the University of Utah published this month highlights the risks The CEA will work with electronic device manufacturers to set new safety and usability standards for products such as smartphones. Photo: Peter Gudella/shutterstock.com that mobile devices, even those with incar settings, can cause. It found that even tionality lack effectiveness as although road, their concentration is split between smartphones with full hands-free func- the driver’s eyes remained fixed on the the driving conditions and interacting with devices. For example, dictating a test message or an email to a smartphone can be more dangerous than holding a phone to the ear and speaking while attempting to drive at the same time. “Interacting with the speech-totext system was the most cognitivel y distracting,” the report said. “This clearly suggests that the adoption of voice-based systems in the vehicle may have unintended consequences that adversely affect traffic safety.”

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Drop head gorgeous: Aston Martin launches Volante convertible

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante: The car’s external skin is 100% carbon fiber to save on weight yet add to strength and rigidity, all of which improve handling and performance.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante interior: The Volante features a swooping center console that runs between the front and rear seats.

(Relaxnews) – The first carbon-fiber bodied convertible in Aston Martin’s history, the Vanquish Volante manages to retain its hard-top counterpart’s performance figures while increasing the style. The $300,000 convertible version of the flagship Vanquish can go from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 4.1 seconds and on to an estimated top speed of 183mph (295km/h) and, thanks to its 6.0-litre V12 engine, power is always on tap at any speed and acceleration is prompt at any point from idle to redline. A super GT car rather than an out-and-

Luggage space is also rather generous for a car of this nature making it great for long weekends away or even for everyday use. This has been achieved by separating the roof ’s storage compartment from the trunk space. A number of convertibles, particularly those with metal rather than cloth retracting roofs, tend to lie flat in the trunk when retracted, taking up space that could have otherwise been used for suitcases and other loads. Inside it’s business as usual: cut-glass buttons with haptic feedback that vibrate to touch, a swooping center console and

out supercar, the Volante is designed for long, entertaining and exciting continental roadtrips rather than for setting new lap records at the local circuit – hence a six-speed automatic, rather than manual transmission – but that doesn’t mean that the car can’t hold its own against its competition. As with many flagship Astons, however, the emphasis of the Vanquish Volante is as much on comfort as it is on out-andout performance, and cabin space is such that rear-seat passengers will be able to avoid discomfort on longer journeys.

large-screen touch-sensitive infotainment display. Aston Martin has also introduced new trim designs for the Volante but with its Q branch bespoke arm up and running, the sky’s the limit as to what clients can specify in terms of wood veneers, leather and other internal and external features. Q branch and the options book notwithstanding, the standard car will cost £199,995 in the UK, €264,995 in continental Europe, $297,995 in the US and $323,974 in Dubai. The order book is open now and the first deliveries are expected towards the end of 2013.

Top driving tips from the three million mile man (Relaxnews) – In the same week that Ford confirmed that it is bringing back a host of physical knobs and switches to its car dashboards in order to reduce driver distractions, Irv Gordon, the current record holder for the longest distance traveled by a single driver in a single car gives his top tips for trouble-free motoring. As infotainment and telematics replace in-car entertainment and in-car creature comforts, more and more functions that were once accessed via a switch, button or knob have been replaced by touchscreen operations or voice commands. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, drivers are finding the screens less than intuitive and if anything more distracting for simple tasks such as adjusting the volume of the music or changing the radio channels – hence Ford’s decision to include switches alongside its screens from 2014 – but still appreciate infotainment systems such as Ford’s SYNC for accessing their phones hands-free and for checking emails and using GPS. However, Irv Gordon, who is set to become the first person to drive three mil-

lion miles in the same car -- a 1966 Volvo P1800 -- says that electronic devices have no place in a car when safe and distraction-free driving is required. “Make a rule that nothing requiring a battery charge reside in the front of the car. Cell phones, MP3 players, DVD players, etc. They are all potential distractions. Put them in the back or even in the trunk,” Gordon said. “In fact, make a rule that everyone put their gadgets away. Road trips are wonderful times to reconnect with family members and enjoy the beautiful views this nation offers.” Buckle up ”It’s the most important thing you and your family will do on a roadway.” Expect other drivers to make mistakes. ”Be observant of your fellow drivers. Don’t assume a car pulling up to a stop sign will stop until you see it stop. Allow five to six seconds of time between you and the car in front of you. If a car is tailgating you, try to let that car pass.” Take a break ”This is not NASCAR; it’s okay to take long breaks to stretch your legs, breathe

fresh air and review your maps. It keeps you more alert on the road,” Gordon says. Inspect your car every week ”Even the most mechanically challenged car owners can look for low fluid levels or deteriorating belts and hoses. Also look to see that the battery connections are tight and corrosion free. These are the most common sources of trouble on the road. And, walk around your car to ensure the blinkers, brake lights, etc., are in proper working condition.” Adjust the mirrors ”Rearview mirrors aren’t ‘vanity mirrors’ designed for admiring your hair or applying lipstick. Automotive engineers spent countless hours designing your car so that these mirrors would reduce blind spots when driving. Do the engineers a favor, and adjust your mirrors accordingly.” Ensure proper tire inflation ”There is a reason all service stations have air pumps and every mechanic has a tire gauge in his or her shirt pocket. Having your tires properly inflated is as important as having oil in your engine.” Don’t drive if you can’t stand the condi-

tions ”Is it too late in the night? Too rainy? Too snowy? Too hot? Too cold? When you’re driving, it’s not the time to be daring. If you haven’t gotten enough sleep, if the roads are too wet, or if anything else will inhibit your ability to drive safely, pull over at a rest stop or stay the night at a hotel. Maybe they’ll have a swimming pool and a complimentary breakfast.” When your car makes a funny noise, listen to it ”Don’t turn up the radio and hope that knocking noise goes away. It won’t. If your car develops a condition, take it in immediately. The longer you wait, the greater potential for danger.” Weatherize your car year-round ”Prepare for the climate you’ll be visiting and the season that is approaching, not just the one that’s going on now. Have a qualified mechanic check your tire inflation, treads, brake wear, fluids, etc., and let him or her know the type of weather in which you could be driving.”

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Talking cars have the X-factor (Relaxnews)– BMW’s Car-to-X technology allows cars and motorbikes to communicate with each other and with the world around them for greater autonomy, safety and efficiency. The technology enables vehicles to wirelessly communicate with each other and with elements of road infrastructure – just like devices on a home wi-fi network – and means that as well as reducing the risk of an accident at a hidden or busy junction, cars and their drivers can react to information about upcoming road conditions or changes in traffic flow. “The system evaluates all incoming data, such as the speed, distance from the intersection and direction of travel of other road users, along with information generated by the driver’s own vehicle.

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, June 26 - July 2, 2013

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Breast is best for getting ahead: study

Authors of a newly released study said breast milk contained so-called long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids or LCPUFA’s, which were essential for brain development. Photo: niderlander /shutterstock.com

(PARIS-AFP) – People breastfed as infants have a 24 percent better chance than their formula-fed counterparts of climbing the social ladder, said a study Tuesday.

Conversely, being fed mothers’ milk as a baby also reduced one’s chances of social demotion later in life by as much as 20 percent, said the findings published in the journal Archives of Disease in Child-

hood. “Our study adds to evidence on the health benefits of breast feeding by showing that there may be lifelong social benefits,” wrote the British research team. The researchers looked at data on 17,419 people born in Britain in 1958 and another 16,771 born in 1970 – comparing their social class at the age of 10 or 11 to that aged 33/34, and whether or not they had been breastfed. Social class was categorized on a fourpoint scale ranging from unskilled or semi-skilled to professional or managerial. In the 1958 group, 68 percent had been breastfed compared with only 36 percent in the 1970 group, said the study, which claims to be the largest yet to probe the relationship between breastfeeding and social mobility. The researchers gathered data during regular followups every few years and took into account a range of other potential factors such as brain development and emotional stress levels.

“Intellect and stress accounted for around a third (36%) of the total impact of breastfeeding: breastfeeding enhances brain development, which boosts intellect, which in turn increases upwards social mobility. Breastfed children also showed fewer signs of stress,” said a statement. The authors said breast milk contained so-called long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids or LCPUFA’s, which were essential for brain development. Previous studies, however, have suggested that LCPUFA’s alone may not improve cognitive growth The team said it was impossible to tell which was more beneficial to the child: the nutrients found in breast milk, the skin-go-skin contact and bonding between a nursing mother and her infant, or perhaps a combination of the two. Further research was needed, they said, to determine whether mothers who fed their infants formula could aid their longterm development by mimicking the skin contact between breastfeeding women and their offspring.

Lose weight, improve your memory: study (Relaxnews) – Not only is shedding excess weight good for overall health, a very small new study suggests that weight loss can also help improve memory and overall brain activity in women. That’s the conclusion from a study out of Umea University in Sweden in which scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) to monitor the brain activity of a group of 20 older, overweight women as they underwent a series of cognitive tests. What they found was that memory skills showed significant improvement after the subjects were put on a six-month diet and lost weight, a finding which shows that obesity-related impairments in memory function are reversible, authors say. Previous research has shown that obese people have impaired episodic memory, the memory of events that happen throughout one’s life. A 2010 study out of Northwestern Medicine in the US, for example, found that memory loss was proportional to

how much a woman weighs and even differs depending on whether or not subjects are pear or apple-shaped. The more weight she carried around her hips, or the more pear-shaped she was, the more pronounced the memory loss compared to women who carry excess fat around their waists, the study found. “The altered brain activity after weight loss suggests that the brain becomes more active while storing new memories and therefore needs fewer brain resources to recollect stored information,” said lead author Andreas Pettersson of the Swedish study. The latest findings were presented recently at the Endocrine Society’s 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The cognitive tests, meanwhile, involved pairing faces and names presented on a screen as researchers examined subjects’ brain activity on MRIs, a process known as “encoding.” The memory retrieval task involved pairing the face with the first letter of

Well-rested teens make healthier food choices: study

Sleepy teens are more likely to reach for junk food compared to those who get a full night’s sleep, says a new study. Photo: Piotr Marcinski/ Shutterstock.com

(Relaxnews) – Teenagers who get a full night’s sleep are more likely to reach for fruits and vegetables and eat less junk food than their sleepier counterparts, says a team of researchers in a newly released study. After examining the link between sleep duration and food choices in a national sample of more than 13,280 teenagers across the US, researchers at Stony Brook University in New York found that teens who reported sleeping less than seven hours per night were more likely to consume fast food two or more times a week. “Not only do sleepy teens on average eat more food that’s bad for them, they also eat less food that is good for them,” said lead researcher Lauren Hale. Of the 13,280 teens studied, 18 percent fell into the ‘short sleeper’ category defined as sleeping less than seven hours. Mid-range sleepers were defined as those who got between seven and eight hours a night, and recommended

sleepers got more than eight hours. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that adolescents get between nine to 10 hours of sleep a night. “Teenagers have a fair amount of control over their food and sleep, and the habits they form in adolescence can strongly impact their habits as adults,” added Stony Brook community health worker Allison Kruger, who pointed out that adolescence is a “critical developmental period between childhood and adulthood.” Findings were presented at an annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, SLEEP 2013. Researchers and experts also said that the results of the study point to the need for addressing sleep deficiency as part of obesity prevention programs. Meanwhile, another recently released study out of the US found that sleep deprivation could lead to increased risk for Type 2 diabetes. In a study out of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, researchers found that insulin sensitivity – the body’s ability to clear glucose from the bloodstream – significantly improved among male subjects after three nights of “catch-up” sleep in men with longterm weekday sleep restrictions. And a small study released out of Sweden earlier this year likewise concluded that fatigue can impair people’s food judgement, after finding that subjects who were sleep-deprived were more likely to reach for high-calorie foods and snacks.

Post-menopausal, overweight women showed improved memory skills after losing weight in a new study. Photo: Frances L Fruit/Shutterstock.com

their names. After weight loss, brain activity increased during the memory encoding exercises in regions important for identification and the matching of faces,

researchers said. Brain activity also decreased in areas responsible for impaired episodic memories, indicating more efficient retrieval.

Three hot fitness trends this summer (Relaxnews) – When it comes to fitness this summer, intensity is king. From Crossfit’s hellish WODs to toughing out mud-caked obstacle courses, here are the hottest fitness trends to watch – or participate in – this summer. Crossfit: This hot global trend is here to stay and only getting bigger, with CrossFit’s full product line and Reebokbacked annual competition on ESPN2 reinforcing the brand that much further. This summer Reebok CrossFit Games, July 22-28, in Los Angeles will welcome the world’s fittest, who have triumphed in regionals and sectionals around the world, to compete for the $250,000 grand prizes in grueling feats of skill and strength. This year’s CrossFit Open, an early qualifying stage for the Games, attracted nearly 140,000 participants around the globe. Indoor cycling studios: No matter what the weather, this summer will see more and more fitness fans getting their fix indoors. Top US-based indoor cycling chains (and rivals) SoulCycle and Flywheel are fast becoming national empires of sweat, with SoulCycle boasting 15 locations and Flywheel with 23 locations, including its only international studio in Dubai which just opened last year. Meanwhile, Europeans are pedaling in the pool, with indoor water cycling classes Aquabiking continuing to gain momentum and catching on outside the continent. Now New York City has its

first aqua-focused spinning city, Aqua Studio, founded by French expat Esther Gauthier. Obstacle races: Obstacle races like the wildly popular Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash race—where mud-caked participants run through a series of obstacles, including a gauntlet of flames or electrified barbed wire—are a soaring fitness trend and drawing in the former marathoning masses. Now big-name fitness companies are getting onboard and bringing events like the Reebok Spartan Race around the world. Watch: http://vimeo. com/61987651#at=0

Spartan Death Race

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KITCHENOMICS

FAMILY FEATURES

Sweet Sliders

Makes about 24 Sweet Sliders Cake Buns: 1 package (16 ounces) yellow cake mix Eggs, water and vegetable oil to prepare mix Brownie Patties: 1/2 cup all-purpose Ă&#x20AC;our 1/8 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon water 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 egg Toppings: Shredded coconut Leaf green icing color

Cool Watermelon Cheesecake Makes about 12 servings Crust: 1-1/4 cups (16 ounces) roasted salted pistachios 2 cups sweetened Ă&#x20AC;aked coconut 1/4 cup granulated sugar 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted Leaf green icing color Filling: 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon imitation clear vanilla 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 package (16 ounces) frozen whole strawberries, thawed, pureed and strained (about 1-1/2 cups) 1 envelope (1/4 ounce) unĂ&#x20AC;avored gelatin

No-taste red icing color 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided In food processor, pulse pistachios until coarsely ground. Add coconut, sugar, butter and icing color; pulse until well combined. Press into bottom and 3/4 up side of 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate while making Âżlling. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Add heavy cream and beat until combined. In small saucepan, bring strawberry juice just to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over top and whisk vigorously to dissolve completely, about 3 minutes. Pour into cream cheese mixture. Add icing color and beat until well combined. Beat in 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips. Pour into chilled crust. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

block. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adding patriotic Ă&#x20AC;air to your Independence Day celebration is easy with the right recipes and decorating accents,â&#x20AC;? said Nancy Siler, vice president of consumer affairs at Wilton. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Put your personal John Hancock on the party by turning traditional summertime foods into amazing sweet treats.â&#x20AC;? Try these dessert ideas from the Wilton test kitchen for a celebration that ends with a bang: Â&#x201E; Burgers with a Sweet Bite: Traditional burgers are a staple for summer parties; switch things up with Sweet Sliders and build your burgers with unexpected ingredients. Start with whoopie pies for the buns, add a brownie â&#x20AC;&#x153;patty,â&#x20AC;? roll yellow fruit candies into thin layers for cheese, and top it off with red and yellow Sparkle Gel for ketchup and mustard. Â&#x201E; Playful Twist on Summer Fruit: Make mouths water by serving up slices of delicious watermelon ... cheesecake! Strawberry cheesecake dotted with mini chocolate chips imitates the center of the fruit, and a pistachio and coconut crumble crust mimics the watermelon rind. Â&#x201E; Patriotic Treat Pops: For the grand Âżnale, nestle Red, White and Blue Treat Pops in a bowl of red Cinnamon Drops. Layer on the festive colors with vanilla cake, colored icing and starshaped sprinkles. Finish with stars and stripes Rocket Treat Pops Toppers or red, white and blue pinwheels. For more celebration ideas, visit www.wilton.com.

Add chocolate chips; stir until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. In large bowl, beat egg with electric mixer. Add chocolate mixture; mix well. Add Ă&#x20AC;our mixture; stir until just combined. Divide batter evenly between whoopie pie pan cavities, Âżlling about 1/3 full. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out nearly clean. Cool 10 minutes; loosen edges of brownies and remove from pan. Cool completely. For toppings, mix shredded coconut with leaf green icing color for lettuce. Roll yellow fruit candies into thin layers for cheese. Use red and yellow sparkle gels for ketchup and mustard. To assemble, top cake bun with a brownie patty. Add toppings and Âżnish with second cake bun.

ireworks donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be the only party element that makes guests ooh and ah during July 4th festivities. With colorful sweets that sparkle and a themed tablescape exploding with red, white and blue, your party is sure to be the best on the

Assorted fruit Ă&#x20AC;avored candies Red sparkle gel Yellow sparkle gel Preheat oven to 350Â°F. Prepare whoopie pie pan with vegetable pan spray. For buns, combine cake mix, eggs, water and oil in large bowl; mix according to package instructions. Fill prepared pan cavities 2/3 full with cake batter. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, or until tops of cake spring back when touched. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to cooling grid and cool completely. Repeat with remaining cake batter. For patties, combine Ă&#x20AC;our and salt in small bowl. In small saucepan, melt butter and sugar with water; stir until sugar is dissolved.

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PRAYERS PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me.

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ENTERT

THE US ASIAN POST

INMENT

Emotional Mother Lily, Marian Rivera in public reconciliation

Marian Rivera

Veteran film producer Lily Monteverde and actress Marian Rivera swiftly patched things up Thursday, after the Regal Films matriarch blamed her ward for the film outfit’s absence from the 39th Metro Manila Film Festival. Monteverde, who is fondly called “Mother Lily” in showbiz, bared her hurt over Regal Films’ failure to submit an entry to the annual film festival during a press conference for “My Lady Boss.”

Rivera co-stars with actor Richard Gutierrez in the romantic-comedy movie, which is a coproduction between Regal Films and GMA Films. The 73-year-old Monteverde addressed the media as well as Rivera, who was present at the press conference, as she related her “depression” over the recent turn of events. On Wednesday, Monteverde said the reason Regal Films was unable to submit an official entry to the 2013 MMFF was due

to Rivera’s alleged demand to be given a solo-starrer, instead of the film producer’s original plan to field a project co-starring the 28-year-old actress and Kapamilya star Judy Ann Santos. The film outfit’s annual “Shake, Rattle & Roll” installment, which has been part of the MMFF since 2005, is notably absent from the eight competing entries this year. Beginning her speech on Thursday, Monteverde said, “I’m a movie fan, at mahal na mahal ko ang industry, especially the entertainment press, sobrang mahal na mahal ko kayo. Even Marian, all my stars.” “This is a journey that I went through and, of course, there are ups and downs. Parang it’s like a round-the-clock, going up going down,” she said. She continued: “But for me, sometimes I feel, ‘What am I doing here?’ Parang feeling ko I have to do something because my life... I don’t know when will I end my life. That’s why also I want to have peace of mind, to be with everybody.” Early this year, Monteverde underwent an operation to remove a nodule in her lungs, which triggered concern for her well-being among her friends and colleagues in the film industry. Following the operation’s success, Monteverde in April happily resumed work, but said she has been cautious to avoid stress.

Daiana Menezes

Turning to Rivera, who was standing a few steps behind her during her speech, Monteverde said, “Of course, Marian, I just got hurt, but you are my daughter. Mahal ko kayong lahat. Hindi naman ako... I don’t take this opportunity to hurt people.” “This is only just... this is something I feel in my heart, na mahal na mahal ko kayo,” the film producer said. This year, Regal Films will be co-producing with Star Cinema and Skylight Films a horror movie titled “Pagpag,” starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. Turning emotional, Monteverde said she was deeply saddened that she couldn’t join this year’s MMFF. Unlike in previous editions of the film festival, where Regal Films had exclusive entries, it will be co-producing this year with Star Cinema and Skylight Films a horror movie titled “Pagpag,” which stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. “All these things that happened, to this festival, siyempre masyado akong nasaktan. I feel so depressed and I feel so sad that something... All the writers, they were calling me [to ask], ‘Mother, ba’t wala ka sa festival?’ So I was so depressed and I was so emotional na I must answer and reveal and tell the truth,” she said. Monteverde added: “I want to survive, that’s why sometimes I

issue post-dated checks! I’m a great pretender, I pretend that I’m rich, but it’s because I love the industry, mahal na mahal ko kayo.” Once again turning to face Rivera, the showbiz veteran said, “All this series of [misunderstanding] I have with you, Marian... You are my daughter, I don’t want to rock the boat, past is past. Let’s be together and let’s work harmoniously.” The actress then proceeded to embrace Monteverde. On Thursday, Santos’ manager, Alfie Lorenzo, likewise addressed Rivera’s alleged refusal to share a film with Santos, saying it was in fact the latter who passed up the project. The 35-year-old actress, according to Lorenzo, did not receive the script she had requested ahead of time. Speaking with reporters shortly after Monteverde’s speech, Rivera said she feels relieved that the situation has been clarified. “Siguro wala na lang akong sasabihin kasi maayos naman nang nasabi, naging malinaw na ang lahat. At masayang-masaya ako na naliwanagan ‘yung side ko, kasi siyempre mahirap para sa akin, hindi ko alam kung saan magsisimula,” she said. “At least hindi na rin sa akin nanggaling. Nanggaling na rin kay Mother, kay Ms. Roselle (Monteverde), tapos kay Tito Alfie, at least maayos na ang lahat at masaya ako,” Rivera said.

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Solenn Heussaff puts on new hat as composer Solenn Heussaff is adding “composer” to her long list of credentials as one of local showbiz’s most visible personalities. For her sophomore record set to be released in July under MCA Music, the 27-year-old model-singer said she composed songs for the first time. Heussaff said the first song she composed talks about “overconfident men,” while the second tackles societal pressures on

women. “I might change the title, but ‘yung isang song is about a guy na akala niya he’s the sh*t. I’m making fun of that kind of male specie,” she said. Asked where she drew inspiration to write a song on the subject, Heussaff candidly shared, “Marami akong guys na kilala na ganoon!” For the second song, which Heussaff said is “about a girl

Why Robin Padilla left sitcom ‘Toda Max’

Robin Padilla

For the first time, action star Robin Padilla broke his silence in connection with his puzzling absence from the ABSCBN sitcom “Toda Max.” Padilla said he did not just abandon the show as he sought the permission of ABS-CBN executive Cory Vidanes about his movie. Padilla said his current schedule doesn’t permit him to still tape for “Toda Max” since he is filming three movies at a time. “Sa mga oras na ito, tatlong pelikula po ang ginagawa natin. Sa abroad po ang taping.

who feels rejected from society,” the former VJ took inspiration from having met several women who deal with the issue. “Naka-meet na ako ng maraming girls, I’ve interviewed a lot of women who don’t feel comfortable within themselves dahil sa ibang tao, hindi dahil sa sarili nila,” she said. In addition to her two compositions, Heussaff said her second album will feature nine

other tracks, seven of which are new songs from different composers. The tracks, the actress added, will span different genres, including dance, house and reggae.Her collaborations with Original Filipino Music (OPM) icon Ely Buendia, Callalily frontman Kean Cipriano, and acoustic singer Miguel Escueta will also be among those featured in the record.

Solenn Heussaff

Shaina Magdayao is in no rush to find a boyfriend

Hindi naman po natin pilitin ACTRESS Shaina Magda- taking her time. sila Vhong (Navarro) at Anyao said she doesn’t feel pres“Nabigyan naman na tayo ng gel (Locsin) na mag advance sured to find a new boyfriend chance na ma-inlove, nagkataping dahil sa akin. Ako po right away. roon din naman ako ng time. So ay maayos na nagpaalam kay In the latest Star Cinema ngayon, hintay hintay lang. DaCory Vidanes,” he said. movie “Four Sisters and a dating din naman yung tamang Padilla clarified he will never Wedding,” among the mem- lalaki sa tamang time,” she said. leave “Toda Max” without a bers of the cast it’s only Shaina The actress added that her curvalid reason because the show who is currently single, as Toni rent schedule is not healthy for and his fellow actors are dear Gonzaga, Bea Alonzo and An- any relationship. She said that to him. gel Locsin are now happy with it’s not the right time yet for their respective relationships. “Ang ‘Toda Max’ ay mahal her to be in a relationship. Shaina said that she’s just Aside from the movie, she’s ko iyan. Naging medium ko also taping regularly for “Juan iyan para masabi ko yung mga dela Cruz” with Coco Martin bagay na nakatago sa puso ko and doing “ASAP” during the sa larangan ng komedya na weekends. But the actress said hindi masyado masakit. Diyan she’s “meeting friends” someko dinadaan ang aking pagigtimes. ing makabayan. Pati ang aking “Open naman tayo doon, mga t-shirt, diyan ko nilabas,” hindi naman natin sinasarahe said. do yun. One thing is for sure, Padilla said he hopes to reyung mga nagiging friends ko turn to the show once he is ngayon, they’re very decent done shooting his films. men. Masarap sila kausap and “Masyado po lang akong mabuti silang tao,” she said. maraming ginagawa ngayon. Shaina clarified that she’s not Shaina Magdayao Ako po ay wala na sa edad na puwede nating sabihin na hindi Ogie, Regine concert in Dubai cancelled na hanap-buhay kundi hanapAn upcoming concert of ce- count, Velasquez’s sister Cacai patay. Ngayon ay kailangan en- lebrity couple Ogie Alcasid and Mitra blamed the cancellations joyin ko ang asawa ko, ang mga Regine Velasquez in Dubai has on the promoters of the Dubai anak ko. Kung nagtatrabaho been cancelled. show. tayo, dapat balanse,” he said In her official Twitter ac“This is to inform everyone

exclusively dating anyone right now and she prefers someone who is not from show biz. “Na appreciate ko (yung time nila, pero) right now ayoko muna. With how things are going now in my life, pinagdadasal ko na sa wag nga muna dumating yun kasi gusto ko muna yakapin lahat ng blessings na dumadating sa buhay ko.” When asked about what she learned from her past relationships, Shaina said that good intentions will bring good karma in the end. “Kung malinis ang intention mo, wala ka naman gustong saktan, magiging maayos ang buhay mo. Yun ang pinagdadasal ko and so far naging okay naman ang buhay ko,” she said. She added: “Life happens. You just have to cope with it, deal with it.” “Four Sisters and a Wedding” will grace the big screens starting June 26. that the show Mr & Mrs A on July 5, 2013 in Dubai, will not be pushing thru. The promoter (Pulse International) did not meet our deadlines and requirements. Thank you,” Mitra said.

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