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US terror suspect thought killed in Mamasapano clash: army Manila, Philippines |AFP| Monday 3/9/2015 - Philippine troops have killed 56 Islamic militants including one described as “foreign-looking” who may be among terror suspects sought by the United States, the military said Monday.

The military launched the operation against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) last month in a marshy, farming region on Mindanao island, where Muslim rebels have for decades fought for independence.

“One of the cadavers is a foreign-looking guy,” said military spokesman Brigadier-General Joselito Kakilala, outlining the operation in an interview aired on ABS-CBN television.

The corpse’s features bear “similarities” to one of the United States’ “most wanted” Islamic militants, he said, refusing to identify the suspect.

Four soldiers were killed and 21 wounded in the raid, Kakilala said.

The raid followed a bloody antiterror operation in January that the Philippines says killed Malaysian militant Zulkifli bin Hir, one of Asia’s most wanted men, but also claimed the lives of 44 police commandos.

The BIFF and other rebels killed the commandos as the operation backfired, triggering a wave of outrage in the Philippines that has shaken the administration of President Benigno Aquino.

The fighting centres on the Liguasan marshlands of the south, where Filipino militant Abdel Basit Usman, one of the terror suspects sought by the US, survived the January 25 police raid.

The military said last week that aside from Usman, it was hunting four Indonesians and one See US TERROR SUSPECT, page 6 Protesters from different youth groups troop to the front of the US Embassy in Manila to condemn alleged involvement of the US government in the Mamasapano operation. The groups are demanding truth and accountability from the Aquino government regarding the bloody encounter in Mamasapano, which killed 44 PNP-SAF officers, 18 Moro rebels and 5 civilians.(MNS photo)

Was US involved in raid?

US role in disastrous Mamasapano bloodbath under scrutiny

By Joel GUINTO

Makabayan members march to Mendiola in Manila on Friday to call for President Aquino’s resignation in connection with the Mamasapano encounter. Thousands of students from state-run universities also walked out of their classes to join the protest to condemn the government’s alleged failure to address various issues like tuition fee and fuel price increases.(MNS photo)

Amid resignation calls, Aquino gets support from evangelical church leaders MANILA, Mar 9 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Monday received support from evangelical church leaders amid calls for him to resigned over the bloody Mamasapano operation last January 25.

During the prayer meeting at the Malacañan Palace grounds, Jesus is Lord (JIL) Church leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva urged Aquino on behalf of other evangelical church leaders not to quit his post.

“We are beseeching you to fulfill your duty, your constitutional duty to finish your term,” Villanueva told Aquino during the prayer gathering.

Villanueva also assured the President of “all-out support to protect the Constitution.”

Before this, the JIL leader read Bible verses on submitting to government authorities and warning against rebellion.

Villanueva’s son, Joel, its the See CHURCH SUPPORT page 6

Manila, Philippines |AFP| Sunday 3/8/2015 - A disastrous raid on alleged Islamic militants has ignited the worst political crisis yet for Philippine President Benigno Aquino – and questions about the extent of any US role in the operation are deepening his discomfort.

Some Philippine lawmakers are asking whether the US military played a leading role in the operation in January, which ended with 44 police commandos dead in a field in the country’s Muslim-majority south.

They point to reports that a US drone was overflying the area at the time, and said to be beaming back real-time images to US commanders as the fiasco unfolded.

Senate president Franklin Drilon, a powerful member of Aquino’s ruling Liberal Party, is one of at least five senators to have raised questions about what the United States knew.

“Did the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) know beforehand about this operation?” Drilon asked the head of the police commando unit Getulio Napeñas , who lost his job over the affair, in one hearing.

“Or any US armed forces personnel, did they know about this operation beforehand?”

Under the terms of an anti-terrorism training deployment, the US is not permitted to engage in combat in the Philippines.

A US government official told AFP that its troops helped evacuate casualties, but that the operation was “planned and executed

by Philippine authorities”, and declined to comment further.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, meanwhile, declined to give a direct answer when asked about any US role, speaking only in generalities about American help to Manila in suppressing militancy.

“With the United States, we have very close counter-terrorism cooperation,” del Rosario, who has See US INVOLVED, page 6

WWII Japan shipwreck salvage unlikely: Palace spokesman Relic found underwater by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen

Manila, Philippines |AFP| Saturday 3/7/2015 – The presumed wreck of one of Japan’s most famous World War II battleships whose discovery in the Philippines was announced by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen this week is unlikely to be salvaged, an official suggested Saturday.

The American billionaire said Wednesday his exploration team See SHIPWRECK, page 6

Rebels sign up to vote as PHL moves to save peace pact

It was at that gathering that then first lady Hillary Clinton declared: “Let it be that human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.”

But 20 years on, women are still “very much a minority” when it comes to holding political office, representing fewer than 30 percent of the world’s lawmakers, the report said.

Sultan Kudarat, Philippines |AFP| Saturday 3/7/2015 – Hundreds of Muslim rebels lined up in the Philippines Saturday to register as voters, keeping faith with a 2014 peace pact that was thrown into doubt after 44 policemen were killed in a botched terror raid.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, unarmed and wearing civilian clothes, had their photographs and fingerprints taken at a government building in the southern town of Sultan Kudarat to qualify for voter identification cards.

“They are all very eager to take part,” Von al Haq, spokesman for the 10,000-member MILF’s military wing told AFP. Some would be voting for the

See WOMEN’S EQUALITY, page 6

See REBELS, page 6

Actor Dingdong Dantes (center) marches with male representatives from different government agencies wearing stilettos during a solidarity walk for gender equality in Quezon City on Friday. The event aims to promote gender equality and women empowerment to mark International Women’s Month of March. (MNS photo)

Hillary Clinton says ‘not there yet’ on women’s equality New York, United States |AFP| Monday 3/9/2015 – Two women with global clout – Hillary Clinton and Melinda Gates – released a sweeping report on Monday showing that women are still far from winning equality in leadership positions.

The “No Ceilings” report is a review of progress made by women since the 1995 Beijing conference laid out a platform of action for achieving gender equality.

President Benigno S. Aquino III congratulates the newly installed PNP-SAF Director Chief Superintendent Moro Virgilio Lazo as PNP-SAF OIC P/CSupt. Noli Taliño (left) and PNP Deputy Chief for Operation, OIC Chief PDDG Leonardo Espina and DILG Sec. Mar Roxas look on during the Assumption of Command Ceremony of Philippine National Police-Special Action Force at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City on Wednesday (March 04). Lazo is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Maharlika” Class of 1984. (MNS photo)

Aquino: Napeñas fooled me on Mamasapano mission MANILA, Mar 9 (Mabuhay) – “The truth is, I was given the wrong information.”

President Benigno Aquino III made this statement on Monday as he enumerated errors supposedly committed by former Special Action Force (SAF) chief Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. that resulted in the high number of police fatalities in the January 25 Mamasapano clash with Moro rebels.

During a prayer gathering in Malacañang, Aquino said he was “fooled” by Napeñas during the operation.

“Maraming wishful thinking si Napeñas compared to reality. Malinaw na binola ako,” he said.

He also refused to take responsibility for the infamous operation, which left over 60 people killed including 44 police commandos.

“Kung ako ang may kasalanan dito, bakit di ko aakuin lahat?”

Aquino said.

The President also did not mention anything about the role of resigned Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima, his close friend, in the Mamasapano mission.

Forty-four SAF members were killed when the operation resulted in a clash with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its See AQUINO FOOLED page 6

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4 Filipinos abducted in Libya Manila, Philippines |AFP| Monday 3/9/2015 – Four Filipinos, an Austrian and four other foreigners were abducted in an attack on a Libyan oilfield last week, official sources said Monday, after an assault blamed on Islamic State jihadists.

Eight guards were killed in the surprise attack on the southern oilfield of Al-Ghani on Friday, the Libyan unit tasked with protecting oil installations has said.

The Libyan National Oil Company also said at the time that two foreigners – an Austrian and a Filipino who worked for a services company – were missing after the attack.

Austria’s foreign ministry, which had confirmed that one of its nationals was missing, said Monday that there were “reliable information” that they were “in the hands of IS terrorists”.

The ministry said in a statement that there were “no signs to indicate whether they are dead or alive”.

The missing Austrian, who is 39 years old, was named in unconfirmed Austrian media reports as Dalibor S., a father-of-two oil manager and former soldier from the northern city of Linz.

Philippines foreign department spokesman Charles Jose said Manila’s embassy in Tripoli had reported that four Filipinos and five foreigners had been snatched, including the Austrian, two Bangladeshis, a Czech national and a Ghanian.Still no sign of

abducted OFWs in Libya Meanwhile in Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said that there are still no leads on the whereabouts of four Filipinos abducted by militants in Libya.

“Hindi pa po natin malaman kung sino ang responsible at kung saan po ang apat nating kababayan,” said DFA Assistant Secretary Charles Jose.

Jose said the embassy in Tripoli is in contact with the OFW’s employer, the Value Added Oilfield Services (VAOS), to get information on the workers condition. However, the employer said it has not received any ransom demand.

The latest incident brings to seven the number of Filipino oilfield workers abducted in Libya. The first one involved the abduction of three Pinoy workers from Mabrouk oilfield, while the second incident happened in AlGhani where militants snatched a group including four OFWs. “Hindi po natin alam kung saan ang kanilang whereabouts. Wala po tayong leads kaya po talagang iniexert po ng embassy natin lahat ng effort para matunton ang kanilang kinalalagyan,” Jose said.

On Monday, a spokesman for the Austrian foreign ministry said Islamic State militants in Libya seized the group of foreigners at the al-Ghani oilfield, citing “secure information”.

“We know that they were not injured when they were transported

away from the al-Ghani oilfield,” the spokesman said, adding Austria had information the group was taken by Islamic State militants.

The DFA has renewed its call to remaining Filipino workers in Libya to avail of the government’s repatriation program.

“Kagaya po sa Al-Ghani, mayroon pa pong 52 other Filipinos na gusto po natin lahat sila ay mapabalik na,” he said.

So far, only 36 out of the 52 remaining OFWs in Al-Ghani availed of the government’s repatriation program.

“Inaasahan po namin na madadagdagan pa po ang numero. Tentatively, mayroon po tayong naka-schedule na repatriation bukas para sa nagsign up,” he said.

Alert Level 4, which means a total deployment ban and mandatory repatriation, is still in place in Libya.

Jose earlier said around 4,000 Filipinos still remain in Libya, mainly due to economic reasons.

The attack “underscore[s] the escalating threat to the safety and security of Filipino oil workers in Libyan oil fields which have been targeted by armed groups in recent weeks,” Jose told a news conference, adding that no demands had been issued.

A total of seven Filipinos have now been abducted in the North African state this year and the fate of another three seized in the Al-Mabruk oilfield early last month remains unknown.

‘Zero tolerance’ in new Saudi blitz on illegal labor Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |AFP| Monday 3/9/2015 – Saudi Arabia on Monday vowed “zero tolerance” against the illegal employment of migrants, more than a year after tens of thousands of foreigners were deported in an earlier crackdown.

The labour and interior ministries “confirm that the inspection campaigns aim to track violators of labour and residency”, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

“Violations will be met with zero tolerance,” it said, targeting those who allow the illegal employment of foreigners.

Companies whose staff are not properly registered, or who work for others, can be fined up to 100,000 riyals ($27,000) and face

other penalties including jail and deportation of the manager.

Individual violators, including religious pilgrims who overstay, will also be tracked down, SPA said. “They will be caught at their residences. Procedures will be implemented to penalize and deport them,” it said.

In 2013, Saudi Arabia said it deported more than 60,000 illegal foreign workers after a months-long amnesty to formalize their status or leave the kingdom.

Nearly a million migrants from various countries took advantage of the amnesty to leave voluntarily.

Another four million were able to find employers to sponsor them, a legal requirement in Saudi Arabia as in several other Gulf states.

Ethiopia said it repatriated more than 100,000 of its citizens following the crackdown, while official media in Sudan said in excess of 11,000 workers had returned voluntarily when the amnesty ended.

Millions of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia do everything from manual labor to management, but the government has been trying to boost employment of Saudi nationals.

At the end of 2012, official data said there were about 20 million Saudis out of a total population of around 29 million in the kingdom, the world’s biggest oil exporter.

Saudi unemployment was around 12 percent in the first half of last year, according to official data cited by Jadwa Investment.

Filipino beheaded in Saudi for killing boss Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | | Monday 3/9/2015 – Saudi Arabia on Monday beheaded a Filipino convicted of murdering his boss, bringing to 40 the number of executions this year.

In just over two months, Saudi Arabia has beheaded almost half the number of foreigners and Saudis executed during all of 2014, according to AFP tallies.

Joven Esteva was found guilty of stabbing the Saudi in the chest in 2007.

“The perpetrator had worked as a driver for him,” an interior ministry statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency said.

Authorities carried out the sentence against Esteva in Riyadh, adding to what Amnesty International calls an unprecedented pace of executions in the kingdom this year.

“It is with sadness that we confirm the execution of Joven Esteva at 9:00 am today, Saudi time, (0600 GMT) in

Riyadh,” foreign department spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement.

“Regrettably, despite efforts of the Philippine government, (the) family of the victim refused to grant forgiveness,” he said, without giving other details.

London-based Amnesty says the number of death sentences carried out so far this year in Saudi Arabia has been almost four times that for the same period in 2014.

The death penalty for murderers aims “to maintain security, serve justice, and implement the provisions of God,” the interior ministry says.

But human rights groups have expressed concern about the dangers of the innocent being sentenced to death.

Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Saudi Arabia’s version of Islamic sharia

law.

There have been around 80 executions annually in the kingdom since 2011, with 87 last year by AFP’s tally.

Saudi Arabia is among the world’s top executioners, according to Amnesty.

The kingdom beheaded another Filipino worker, Carlito Lana, on December 12 for shooting a Saudi man and then running him over with a car.

About 10 percent of Filipinos work overseas, attracted by the promise of salaries higher than they can earn at home. Their remittances are a vital support for the Philippines economy.

A Filipina accused of smuggling heroin into Indonesia in 2010 has also been sentenced to die.

Manila is seeking to have the impending execution by firing squad stopped by lodging an appeal to have her case reviewed by the judiciary there.

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MMDA, DOLE holding summer job program for youths MANILA, Mar 7 (Mabuhay) – Poor but deserving students can get to earn some money this dry season with an employment program of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Department of Labor and Employment.

The MMDA said the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) seeks to encourage employment for “financially challenged but deserving” students this year.

Applications will be accepted from March 23 to April 10, at the MMDA administrative service office.

Students wanting to avail of the SPES should be 17 to 25 years old and must present a certified photocopy of their birth and baptismal certificate.

High school graduates may also submit their certified photocopies of their Form 138 where they have at least a passing grade of 75.

Those in college must show their school registration class cards, with at least passing grades.

Out of school youths must have certifications of good moral character issued by the authorized barangay officials.

Also, they must show a certified photocopy of their latest income tax return for 2013, duly filed with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, if parents are employed and earning below P138,247 a year.

If parents are minimum wage earners, they must show a certificate of tax exemption issued by the BIR including affidavit of non-filing of income tax return. (MNS)

APEC business leaders pushing for infrastructure financing alternatives TAGAYTAY CITY, Mar 7 (Mabuhay) – Asia-Pacific business leaders are pushing for alternative ways of financing long-term infrastructure investments in the region, including tapping the capital markets.

Dr. Julius Caesar Parrenas, a member of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), said APEC member economies do not have enough financing particularly for long-term infrastructure projects.

“Most regions really depend on the banking sector; banks get very short term, medium term funds...They need insurance companies, the pension funds to really develop and to invest in infrastructures,” he said in a press briefing on the sidelines of APEC meetings here.

Parrenas thus underscored the importance of the development of the capital markets.

He noted that the region is still very much dependent on the banking sector as a source of financing, while more advanced markets have more diversity.

“You have the bond market, the debt market and then you have the equity market. So that if there is a crisis in one of them, then the others can step in to provide the financing and keep the economy going,” he added.

Parrenas said that institutional investors like insurance companies and pension funds park their money in the capital markets in order to invest in the long-term projects like infrastructure.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the bond market in the Philippines has started to grow.

Guinigundo said that while loans provided by the banks are still huge, the funding from the bond and securities markets is also growing.

“It is up for the proponent to securitize their exposure in the infrastructure projects. There is nothing that will prevent them from going into the bond market and source their funds,” he added.

More Filipinos pushed into poverty

by Haiyan, high rice prices Manila, Philippines |AFP| Friday 3/6/2015 - 12:47 GMT | 304 words Super typhoon Haiyan and surging rice prices pushed the number of Filipinos living in poverty to 25.8 percent in the first half of last year despite strong economic growth, official data released Friday showed.

The 1.2 percent rise was compared to the 24.6 percent of people in the Philippines who were considered poor a year earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority said in a statement.

The increase followed Haiyan which struck in November 2013, killing more than 7,350 people and ravaging an area as big as Portugal in the nation of around 100 million people.

The government agency deemed a family of five who lived off 8,778 pesos ($199.3) a month -- roughly $1.33 per person a day – to be poor.

Nevertheless the Philippines, one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, saw the average income of Filipinos rise by 6.4 percent in the first six months of 2014, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in the statement.

“The very high prices of food wiped out the gains in per capita income,” he added.

The areas ravaged by Haiyan saw the most substantial jumps in poverty levels, he said.

Notwithstanding the ravages of Haiyan, the Philippine economy expanded by 6.1 percent last year, second only to China among Asian economies according to the government.

The biggest rises in per capita income, percentage-wise, occurred amongst the poorest sections of the Philippines during this period, Balisacan said.

Massacre suspect Sajid Ampatuan released on P11.6-M bond

MANILA, Mar 9 (Mabuhay) – After posting a surety bond of P11.6 million, Andal Ampatuan Sr’s son Sajid has been ordered temporarily released by a Quezon City court - a first in the five-year trial.

In an order issued on Monday, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the QC RTC Branch 221 said Sajid’s bail request was “in order” and ordered the Quezon City Jail Annex in Taguig City to free the murder suspect.

“Accused Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, having posted the recommended bail of P200,000 each or in total of 11.6 million in the 58 cases undertaken by Travelers Insurance and Surety Corp... which the court finds in order, the same is hereby approved and he is allowed to be on temporary liberty upon the same bond,” said Solis-Reyes. Solis-Reyes issued the release order after denying the partial motion for resolution (MR) earlier filed by the prosecution to contest an order by the court granting Sajid’s bail request.

Sajid filed his surety bond last January 30, but the judge “held in abeyance” acting on it pending the resolution of the prosecution’s partial MR. The judge said the QC Jail Annex “is hereby directed to immediately release accused Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan from detention unless he is being held for some other lawful cause/s.”

In a separate order, Solis-Reyes also granted the prosecution’s request for the issuance of a hold departure order against Sajid.

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Obama in Selma: ‘Our march is not over’

By Jérôme Cartillier / Andrew Beatty

Selma, United States |AFP| Saturday 3/7/2015 – US President Barack Obama rallied a new generation of Americans to the spirit of the civil rights struggle on Saturday, warning their march for freedom “is not yet finished.”

In a forceful speech in Selma, Alabama on the 50th anniversary of the brutal repression of a peaceful protest, America’s first black president denounced new attempts to restrict voting rights.

And he paid stirring tribute to the sacrifice of a generation of activists who marched so that black Americans could enjoy civil rights and opened the road that eventually led him to the White House.

“We gather here to celebrate them,” he declared, standing on the spot where Alabama state troopers launched an assault on the marchers in scenes that shocked America.

“We gather here to honor the courage of ordinary Americans willing to endure billy clubs and the chastening rod, tear gas and the trampling hoof, men and women who despite the gush of blood and splintered bone would stay true to their North Star and keep marching toward justice.”

After the Selma march and others like it, then President Lyndon Johnson passed the Voting Rights Act that sought to prevent racist officials from excluding African Americans from the ballot.

That law, Obama said, is again under threat from state governments seeking to tighten voter registration rules in a bit to restrict the size of the franchise.

“How can that be?” he asked, noting that previous Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush – who was present for the speech – had renewed it.

“One hundred members of Congress have come here today to honor people who were willing to die for the right to protect it,” he declared.

“If we want to honor this day, let those hundred go back to Washington and gather four hundred more and together pledge to make it their mission to restore the law this year.

“That is how we honor this bridge,” he said, in front of a crowd estimated at 40,000, more than twice the population of what is still a very poor and mainly black town.

After the speech, Obama greeted civil rights veterans and he and Bush joined a 50-strong to group singing “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge—named after a Confederate general and Klu Klux Klan leader.

“What an extraordinary honor this has been, especially to have Sasha and Malia here,” Obama told the group, referring to his daughters, whom he has cited a members of the generation that must take the struggle forward.

The president and his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, paused halfway across the road bridge to hear Georgia lawmaker and Selma marcher Congressman John Lewis describe the events of the day.

Critics: Why pin blame on Napeñas MANILA, Mar 10 (Mabuhay) – Critics are challenging President Aquino to accept responsibility for the Mamasapano carnage instead of pinning the blame solely on relieved Special Action Force commander Getulio Napenas.

Senator JV Ejercito said he sees nothing wrong with the President taking responsibility for the anti-terror raid, which saw 44 SAF commandos killed by Moro fighters.

“I think first of all, as commander-in-chief, I don’t think [the President] should deny whatever happened. The mission had very good intentions to neutralize and capture the two terrorists. The President knew from the start about the mission. His people are trying to distance the President and the President as well is trying to point at Napenas solely,” he said.

The senator likened President Aquino’s situation to the one faced by US President Ronald Reagan during the Iran Contra affair.

Ejercito said Reagan accepted blame for the scandal even though he did not fully know all the details about the move to sell arms to Iran.

“Dito baligtad dahil alam naman natin from the start na alam ng Pangulo ang misyon. Ito ay may blessing. Yung chain of command nasira na sa simula pa lamang,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes described as “self-serving” the President’s speech that pinned the blame on Napenas.

He said the President “conveniently failed to explain” why suspended Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima was involved in the Mamasapano operation. He said Aquino also failed to explain why he himself did not inform his other officials of the sensitive operation.

The President on Monday refused to accept sole responsibility for the Mamasapano mission and blamed Napenas for disobeying his order to coordinate the operation properly with the Armed Forces.

He said Napenas could have aborted the mission after deviating from the operational plan but failed to do so, leading to the loss of lives.

He also blamed Napenas for his lack of professionalism and for sending wrong information about the progress of the mission, pointing out that SAF troopers were coming under heavy fire even as Napenas’ text messages showed lack of urgency to send more troops.

“Sinolo ni Napenas. Siya ang nag desisyon at may times na yung desisyon niya palpak. Pag alis niya sa akin nung January 9, lumalabas ngayon na wala siyang intensyon na tuparin yung utos ko sa kanyang mag-coordinate,” he said.

“Kung ako ang may kasalanan dito, bakit di ko aakuin lahat?” he added.

For his part, Ejercito said it is impossible for the President to say that he did not know what was happening when he was surrounded by top security officials, including the Armed Forces chief of staff and PNP officer-in-charge Leonardo Espina, on the day of the mission.

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OPINION

US university expels fraternity over race chant video

By Robert Macpherson

Washington, United States |AFP| Monday 3/9/2015 – The University of Oklahoma banned a major fraternity from its campus Monday over a YouTube video that shows some of its members singing a racist chant.

The video came to light over the weekend, just as Americans were marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma, Alabama civil rights marches.

The chant – sung to the tune of a nursery rhyme – used the racially charged N-word and refers to lynching in affirming that blacks shall never be members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, one of the biggest fraternity networks in the United States.

The fraternity’s national headquarters suspended its University of Oklahoma chapter and apologized for the “unacceptable” incident.

But officials at the university in the city of Norman went further, shutting down the Sigma Alpha Epsilon frat house and ordering its members to immediately go find other places to live.

“As far as I’m concerned, the house will not be back, not as long as I’m president,” university president David Boren told a press conference.

It also kicked off an investigation to confirm who among the 30,000 students who attend the university participated in the video.

Boren conceded, however, that the campus’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter has not been forthcoming with details.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s national headquarters in Illinois apologized for “the unacceptable and racist behavior of the individuals in the video.”

‘Won’t be tolerated’ “This type of racist behavior will not be tolerated and is not consistent with the values and morals of our fraternity,” it said in a statement.

The video went viral on social media after it was posted on YouTube on Sunday by Unheard Movement, an African American student group at the university.

Nine seconds long, it was apparently shot in a bus, with young men in tuxedos punching the air with their fists and a blonde woman hoisting a glass of wine.

It’s unknown when the video was taken.

Oklahoma City television station KOCO reported that some Sigma Alpha Epsilon members left the fraternity house overnight Sunday under police protection.

Vandals meanwhile turned spray paint onto the brick building. On the side, graffiti saying “Tear it down” was seen.

Several hundred students turned out early Monday for a protest, attended by Boren and members of the university’s beloved American football team.

Online, a crowdfunding appeal went out on Indiegogo for Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s longtime chef at the University of Oklahoma, who is African American.

“He is about to lose his job because of a bus full of racist kids,” said Blake Burkhart, a graduate of the university that is situated in the city of Norman.

With 15,000 members, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is one of the biggest fraternity networks in the United States, with more than 200 chapters on campuses nationwide.

Its history goes back to the mid-19th century when it was founded in the Deep South, before the Civil War, when slavery was commonplace.

Under scrutiny already In recent years it has come under scrutiny over alcohol-fueled initiation ceremonies, which it banned in 2014 under the glare of negative publicity.

News of the University of Oklahoma video came as President Barack Obama reminded Americans how the dark shadow of racism still hangs over the nation.

“We know the march is not yet over, the race is not yet won,” he said on Saturday by the Selma bridge where African Americans and police clashed in 1965.

Oklahoma as a state has a dark history of racism, adopting segregation within weeks of statehood in 1907 – and not repealing race laws before 1965.

Some contend it still has a ways to go.

“We need to face the fact that racial and religious bigotry continues to be every bit as much a part of this state as its nationally recognized football team,” wrote one white Oklahoman, Lyle Hamilton, on Facebook.

Singapore rejects criticism that caning is ‘torture’ Singapore, Singapore |AFP| Monday 3/9/2015 – Singapore on Monday defended a court order for two German men to be caned for spray-painting a metro train and trespassing into a high-security depot, rejecting claims the punishment amounts to torture.

A court in the city-state, which takes a hardline stance against vandalism, last week sentenced Andreas Von Knorre, 22, and Elton Hinz, 21, to nine months in prison and three strokes of the cane over the incident in November last year.

US-based Human Rights Watch has slammed Singapore’s continued use of caning – a punishment dating back to British colonial rule – as a “shameful recourse to using torture”.

But Singapore’s state prosecution arm said Monday the court’s decision showed that the Southeast Asian island nation was holding the two Germans to “the same standards as all others”.

“Singapore’s laws against vandalism are well known. Caning is a prescribed punishment for the offence of vandalism, and the law applies to any person who chooses to break it,” a spokeswoman for the Attorney-General’s Chambers told AFP. “Caning is not torture. It is carried out in Singapore under strict standards, monitored at all times by a doctor,” she added.

Von Knorre and Hinz were “vandals who broke the law for their own self-aggrandizement, without

consideration of the social costs, and the disruptions that their acts would cause to others,” she said.

In their final hearing, both men called their acts a “stupid mistake” and pleaded for mercy.

Court documents said they had broken into a suburban depot of state-linked metro operator SMRT on November 7 and 8.

On the second occasion, they spray-painted graffiti on a train carriage.

Under the law, those convicted of vandalism using an indelible substance face a minimum mandatory three strokes of the cane.

The punishment, which entails being whipped on the back of the thigh below the buttocks, is also imposed for serious crimes such as rape, gang robbery and rioting.

Singapore’s tough stance on vandalism became global news in 1994 when an American teenager, Michael Fay, was caned for damaging cars and public property.

In 2010 Swiss expatriate Oliver Fricker was sentenced to seven months in jail and three strokes of the cane after he used spray paint to vandalize a train at a depot.

Human Rights Watch said after the Germans were sentenced that “every day that Singapore keeps caning on its books is a dark day for the country’s international reputation.”

Malaysia PM ‘hopeful’ MH370 will be found, committed to search Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |AFP| Sunday 3/8/2015 – Malaysia’s prime minister said Sunday his nation remains committed to the so-far fruitless hunt for flight MH370 exactly one year after it went missing, and is hopeful the plane will be found.

Najib Razak’s comments came as Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the search in the southern Indian Ocean, which is being led by his country, could be widened if the current probe is unsuccessful.

“Together with our international partners, we have followed the little evidence that exists. Malaysia remains committed to the search, and hopeful that MH370 will be found,” Najib Razak said in a statement to mark the anniversary of the plane’s disappearance. The year-long hunt in the deep ocean at least 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) off Australia’s west coast where the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 is believed to have crashed has so far yielded no sign of the plane.

An independent team of investigators tasked with probing the mystery is to release an interim report on its findings on Sunday at 3.00 pm (0700 GMT) in Kuala Lumpur, the government said.

It remains unclear whether it will contain any new information on what might have caused the aircraft to disappear after veering from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing route on March 8 of last year with 239 passengers and crew aboard.

“No words can describe the pain the families of those on board are going through,” Najib said, calling the plane’s disappearance “without precedent”.

“The lack of answers and definitive proof – such as aircraft wreckage – has made this more difficult to bear.”

Malaysia Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya told relatives of the crew on the flight that the carrier’s management shares their ongoing grief.

“We remain hopeful that the search will help us

find the answers that we all seek,” Ahmad Jauhari told staff at a remembrance ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.

“Until then, as a family, we will continue to support to each other.”

Further search: Australian PM Investigators still lack any trace of the jet, including the “black box” data recorders considered most likely to yield clues.

More than 40 percent of a designated 60,000-square-kilometre (23,000-square-mile) zone believed to be the most likely location of the crash site has been scanned for wreckage using sophisticated sonar, but nothing related to MH370 has been found. The priority search is due to conclude in May, but Abbott said Sunday it could be extended further “as long as there are reasonable leads” as the next of kin needed answers.

“If we don’t succeed in this search, there is another search that we intend to make,” the Australian leader said in Sydney.

“We’ve got 60,000 square kilometers (23,000-square-mile) that is the subject of this search. If that’s unsuccessful, there’s another 60,000 square kilometers that we intend to search and, as I said, we are reasonably confident of finding the plane.”

Abbott did not give further details about where the proposed new probe would take place.

The independent investigative team was set up in the weeks after the plane’s disappearance under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements.

Its report is considered only an “interim” one due to the lack of hard evidence.

Malaysia’s Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai told AFP in an interview on Saturday that the hunt for MH370 would be sent “back to the drawing board” if the current search zone comes up empty.

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UTREACH Filipino artist goes big in Hollywood

By Hannah De Castro-Abinuman

Winston Quitasol may not be a name familiar to many. But a lot of people have seen his work. If you watched a Hollywood movie any time between 1992 to now, chances are, you’ve already seen at least one of the films he worked on. As a visual effects and lighting artist, Winston Quitasol has worked on various live action and animated films such as The Matrix Reloaded, Ironman 3, I Am Legend, Spiderman 2, The Aviator, Ghostrider, Tangled, Frozen, and most recently, in the academy award winner for best animated feature film - “Big Hero 6.”

In the fields of visual effects and digital animation, lighting is a significant element. It sets the mood

and creates depth and realism in a scene, both in live action and in digital animation. The lighting artist adds emotion to the scene by adding light to certain elements in the images. It is his duty to ensure that the visual effects and live-action elements blend seamlessly; as though they both exist in the same environment. Whether it is for a fully animated film or for enhancing a live action scene with the use of computer-generated-imagery (CGI), it is the lighting artist role to add the finishing touches to a project.

And this is the role of Winston Quitasol as a lighting and compositing artist. Indeed, an essential part of any movie. ”After watching Star Wars, I

Filipino-American artist, Winston Quitasol with his most recent project, Baymax and Hiro in the background

Big Hero 6 before and after photos showing lighting and animation effects done by Quitasol

knew I wanted to have a career in film,” said Quitasol when asked how he decided to go into his line of work. Years later, he studied Television, Radio and Film at the California State University of Long Beach. And he landed his first gig in film as a production assistant in the movie Ghost in 1990. He later on switched to visual effects and animation as a lighting and compositing artist. And now has more than 50 film and television credits to his resume.

Although he is now living his dream, it was not an easy road for Quitasol. His parents initially did not support his decision to try his luck in Hollywood.

He was born in the Philippines

but moved to the United States when he was 4 years old. And even though he was raised in the US, his parents still maintained their traditional Filipino values and principles. Just like most Filipinos, his parents wanted him to have a more traditional and stable job, like a doctor, lawyer or engineer. Luckily, Quitasol proved that he had what it takes to make it in the film industry.

“I had to work very hard to get to where I am today,” said Quitasol. In his journey to pursue his dream, he experienced a lot of road blocks. But Filipinos are very resilient. And this was very evident in Quitasol’s character.

He actually saved all his rejec-

tion letters to keep him motivated. Once in a while, he would read them in order to push himself to do better. Truly, he is an inspiration to anyone. “My advice to the Filipinos, and anyone who has a dream is to just go for it. But you also have to put in the work and get the right schooling,” said Quitasol.

Quitasol has been part of a multitude of praise-worthy projects. But from his long list of accolades, his favorites are “Spiderman 2” for live action, which, won an academy award for special effects. For animated short film, the Oscar winner, “Paperman.” And for animated full feature films, his favorites are “Frozen” and “Big Hero 6.”

2 Fil-Ams win in municipal elections in LA county

By Nimfa Rueda

LOS ANGELES – Two Filipino-Americans were re-elected to serve a four-year term on the city councils of Cerritos and Carson in Los Angeles County, according to semi-official results released Wednesday Mark Pulido, currently mayor of Cerritos, topped the city council elections for the second time. He drew the most votes ever recorded in the city’s election history when he was first elected to the council in 2011.

Pulido is also the first Fil-Am on the city council.

Elito Santarina, mayor pro tem of Carson, was re-elected to his fourth term on the city council.

Pulido is one of three Fil-Ams currently serving as city mayor in LA County, the most popu-

lous county in the US and home to an estimated half a million Fil-Ams. The two others are Duarte Mayor Tzeitel Paras-Caracci and Bellflower Mayor Sonny Santa Ines.

Other Fil-Ams on city councils in LA County include Artesia Mayor Pro Tem Victor Manalo, Walnut Councilmember Antonio Cartagena and Sierra Madre Councilmember Rachelle Arizmendi.

“I am humbled and honored for this opportunity to continue serving the residents of our beloved hometown community,” said Pulido after the semi-official results of the March 3 elections showed him leading the race. “We have accomplished a lot during my first term on the city council, but there is much work still to be done – especially

as we continue torecover from the recession.”

Santarina, a retired teacher who hails from Nueva Ecija, campaigned on his work advocating for seniors and youth groups and supporting anti-alcohol and anti-drug initiatives in the city.

“Let’s continue to work together in improving the safety, wellness, education , economic development, and civic engagement for Carson’s youth, families, neighborhoods, and future generations,” Santarina said.

Pulido, who is also the district director for Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), said his reelection campaign gave him the opportunity to engage the community in a conversation on how to keep the city moving forward.

Rhody Laigo, mother of Weekend Balita editor, 88 Rhody E. Laigo, 88, of Pleasanton, California, a mother of six, deaconess and a former school teacher back in the Philippines where she was born, has joined her Maker last Saturday, March 7, 2015.

Mrs. Laigo was an active member of the United Church of Christ in the Sunset District in San Francisco before she moved to Pleasanton, where she retired and lived with her son. A former real estate agent who ran her own real estate firm for years, Mrs. Laigo was also a land developer, a sales professional, a resource speaker and someone who knew English words you thought didn’t exist that you could hardly beat her in the game of Scrabble.

Mrs. Laigo immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Daly City, where she made new friends.

Married to the former Atty. Solomon P. Laigo, Mrs. Laigo is survived by her three sons, Solomon Jr., Reuben James and Rhony; daughters Avery and Jennifer (a sibling – Hildegarde – passed away in 2004); grandsons Aristotle, Ernesto Jr., VJ, Andrew and Neil Joseph; granddaughters Johanne, Shirley, Althea, Angelle and Karina; other great grandsons and granddaughters both here and in the Philippines.

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Roach slams reports of ‘armed guards’ at Pacquiao gym Macau, Macau | | Friday 3/6/2015 – Freddie Roach denied media reports published Friday that he had ordered armed guards to protect Manny Pacquiao at his Hollywood gym.

The UK’s Daily Mail newspaper reported that Roach had personally ordered security guards at his Wildcard gym in Los Angeles to carry guns “so people respect them” as Pacquiao trains in the build-up to his May 2 megafight with Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas.

But Roach, in Macau to supervise the corner of China’s Zou Shiming as he challenges for the IBF flyweight world title against Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand on Saturday, told AFP: “Yeah I heard something about that.

It’s not true.

“We have our normal security. To say they are armed and are patrolling outside the gym is bull _ _ _t.”

Roach’s gym, where he has trained 34 world champions in an illustrious career that has seen him inducted into boxing’s Hall of Fame, is renowned for being open to all so fans can catch glimpses of their favorite fighters.

But Roach said that the doors will be closed to media and fans during most of Pacquiao’s training sessions, so his opponents don’t get any clues to their preparations.

“Yes we will work with Manny in private to prepare for Floyd – that’s normal. But to say I’ve ordered armed security is absolute bull _ _ _t,” Roach said.

Philippines eightweight world champions and undefeated welterweight Floyd Mayweather will finally go gloveto-glove in May to decide who is the best fighter of their generation in a contest expected to break all records and generate in the region of $300 million dollars.

MayweatherPacquiao will be ‘great for the sport’

By Daniel Hick

Macau, Macau |AFP| Friday 3/6/2015 – The May 2 superfight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will be great for the sport of boxing, no matter what the outcome, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said on Friday.

Speaking ahead of the weigh-in for his charge Zou Shiming’s world title fight against IBF flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng on Saturday in Macau, Roach said he expected the boxing’s popularity to surge on the back of the huge interest in the fight.

Hall of Fame trainer Roach owns the famous Wildcard gym in Los Angeles where Philippines idol and eight-division world champion Pacquiao is currently in training for the Mayweather encounter. And Roach reckons it will be a very busy place after the two best fighters of a generation finally lock horns in Las Vegas in the richest fight of all time, expected to be worth more than $200 million.

“It’s going to generate a lot of interest in boxing,” Roach told AFP. “I can see a lot of people are going to be coming in after that fight,” added Roach. Not that Roach is short of work. Despite battling the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease, he will be in the corner for two other fighters on the Amnat-Zou undercard Saturday, junior middleweight Glen Tapia from the US and China’s junior welterweight Ik Yang. “I still have a lot of young boxers coming through,” said Roach, despite the rising popularity of competing sports such as mixed martial arts (MMA). “There’s a total of 22 kids on the team and six who have a chance of winning titles. And there’s also a little girl called Christy, 16 years old and (she has) won the nationals something like five times now. She might be the best fighter in the gym,” added the man who was last week voted US trainer of the year for the seventh time.

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LA Galaxy Foundation joins forces with American Heart Association to fight cardiovascular disease LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2015 – The LA Galaxy Foundation and the American Heart Association (AHA) have joined forces through a yearlong collaboration to fight cardiovascular disease.

The LA Galaxy Foundation’s support of $125,000 will help fund cardiovascular health initiatives aimed at engaging young people in healthy physical activity, providing blood pressure screenings to women, and helping congenital heart defect support groups.

Heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death among Americans, claiming the lives of approximately 787,000 men, women and children every year. The LA Galaxy family was personally affected by heart disease last year when Galaxy defender A. J. DeLaGarza lost his son Luca to a congenital heart defect only six days after he was born.

“We’re extremely proud and honored to help contribute to the lifesaving work of the American Heart Association,” said LA Galaxy Chris Klein. “This is an organization whose cause is very near to our club and we look forward to the working alongside AHA this year to help fight heart disease in our communities.”

The Galaxy’s sponsorship will also benefit the AHA’s lifesaving work, including funding innovative scientific research, bringing health education programs to children and adults in the community, setting science-based best practices for treating heart disease and stroke and advocating for policies that positively impact cardiovascular health.

“We are thrilled to work with the LA Galaxy Foundation and look forward to seeing the impact this collaboration will have on the heart health of our community,” said Tammy Rocker, American Heart Association Senior Vice President of Southern California. “Eighty percent of heart disease and stroke can be prevented, and strong, synergistic collaborations such as this are important as we work to empower Los Angeles to live healthier lives.”

Tomorrow, March 7, from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., the LA Galaxy Foundation will host the American Heart Association’s HeartChase at StubHub Center, with DeLaGarza and his wife scheduled to attend. The event will involve several teams competing in interactive games and challenges that will take them around StubHub Center for the chance to be named HeartChase champions. Top teams

will have the opportunity to meet DeLaGarza in a private meet and greet during the event.

Visit your local American Heart Association at www.heart.org/losangeles.

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATIONFounded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. By 2020, the American Heart Association strives to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20%, while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20%. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit www.heart. org.

LA GALAXY FOUNDATION-The LA Galaxy Foundation, the non-profit arm of the LA Galaxy, is dedicated to assisting the community in which the team lives, works, and plays. LA Galaxy players, coaches, alumni and staff spend countless hours giving back to the community at local schools, hospitals, fields, and events. The Foundation continually strives to aid organizations that meet its mission of supporting and creating education, health, and soccer-related activities and programs for youth in the greater Los Angeles area. For more information, please visit www. lagalaxy.com/community/foundation.

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SHIPWRECK

AQUINO FOOLED From page 1

breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). Napeñas was ordered relieved following the incident.

The clash occurred despite the peace agreement signed by the government with the MILF in

March last year.

The MILF, which said it was acting on self-defense, claimed it lost 18 of its men in the encounter. Five civilians were also reportedly killed in the incident.

(MNS)

WOMEN’S EQUALITY From page 1

About a fifth of ministers in Latin America and Africa are women, but they tend to run portfolios such as health, education or welfare and are left out of defense and financial ministries.

Women hold finance or budget cabinet posts in just 24 of 189 countries studied for the report.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has noted that five countries still have all-male parliaments, and eight countries do not have a single woman in cabinet.

The report was released at the start of a 12-day UN conference on women that will focus on women’s political power and their influence in economic decision-making. “Today, two decades later, it’s clear: We are not there yet. We still have a lot of work to do,” the former US secretary of state told an event to launch the report in New York.

Clinton, seen as the likely Democratic presidential frontrunner, also highlighted gains in health, education and legal reform that have in many countries allowed women to no longer be considered second-class citizens.

“There has never been a better time in history to be born female,” she said.

Blueprint for action

THE US ASIAN POST

On the business front, women CEOs in the top Fortune 500 companies were nowhere to be seen in 1995, and now represent five percent, according to the study. Women are increasingly taking their place on boards, with their share of seats ranging from eight percent in Portugal to 36 percent in Norway, far short of parity.

Describing herself as a “data geek”, Melinda Gates said the year-long project provided knowledge and power to identify gaps and learn from the areas where advancement was achieved.

“We have essentially what amounts to a blueprint for action,” she said. “Now is the time to act.” Clinton will attend the UN conference on Tuesday to address the “unfinished business” of the Beijing gathering amid some controversy over donations that the Clinton Foundation receives from countries with poor rights records.

The United Nations has set a goal of achieving gender equality by 2030.

The “No Ceilings Full Participation” report was compiled by the Clinton and Gates foundations, the Economist Intelligence Unit and the World Policy Center of the University of California in Los Angeles.

From page 1

had found the Musashi on the bed of the Sibuyan Sea in the central Philippines some 70 years after it was sunk by US forces in World War II. Excited historians have likened the discovery, if verified, to finding the wreck of the Titanic, the famed British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean after colliding with an iceberg in 1912.

President Benigno Aquino’s spokeswoman Abigail Valte said officials of the Philippines’ National Museum are contacting Allen and his team to “coordinate” on what to do with the wreck,

which Allen says lies a kilometre (0.6 miles) under water.

However, the Musashi will likely remain where it was found, she told government radio.

“There have been groups in the past that have also been looking for the Musashi and, in fact, a dozen sunken Japanese warships have already been found in various places in the Philippines,” she said.

“As to queries on whether it will be salvaged, the answer is no, these are not normally refloated.”

A 2009 act for the protection and conservation of national cultural heritage will apply to the

wreck, she said, describing the wreck as an “underwater archaeological site”.

Under the law all cultural properties belong to the state, and may not be sold nor exported except temporarily for exhibition or research.

Explorations are also banned without National Museum authorization and supervision. Violators can be jailed for up to 10 years if found guilty.

“We do have the relevant law that will apply to this particular case and, of course, we do intend to make sure that law is followed,” Valte said.

possible US involvement as they probe the affair. Both houses of parliament have launched inquiries into the raid, and those investigations have unsuccessfully sought to get specifics on US involvement.

In the hearings, broadcast live on television, authorities have declined to give a full explanation on the extent of any US role, citing security issues.

In one instance, Napeñas began detailing some of the US involvement, stating that American “counterparts” provided intelligence, training and maps.

But before he could elaborate, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who was at the hearing, quickly intervened to silence him.

“May I interject? May I just remind the officer that he is already dwelling on matters of diplomatic relations and military intelli-

gence,” she said.

In another hearing, Napeñas confirmed a US helicopter was brought in to evacuate the casualties, although authorities have refused to disclose where it came from. Philippine and US authorities have also said the severed finger from a corpse believed to be from the killed militant, Malaysian national Zulkifli bin Hir, was given to the FBI. The FBI said it did a DNA test on the finger, which showed it was likely from Zulkifli.

US military involvement in the Philippines is not unusual, as the two nations are longtime allies.

Until last month, the United States had a unit of about 500600 special forces in the southern Philippines that trained local troops to fight Islamic militants but was itself not allowed to be engaged in combat.

vote in national and local elections.

Other MILF members are expected to apply later, he added.

Muslim rebels have been battling for independence or autonomy in the southern islands of the mainly Catholic Philippines since the 1970s. The peace process was thrown into doubt on January 25 when MILF forces and other armed groups ambushed police commandos going after Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, one of the world’s most wanted Islamic militants. The fighting left 44 policemen dead and sparked a

public backlash, causing parliament to suspend debates on the proposed self-rule law. The MILF returned some of the dead commandos’ weapons and pledged to go after other militants sought by the Philippine courts, but rejected Aquino’s demand that it surrender those who took part in killings. Rebel leaders said they would impose their own sanctions on those found at fault.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have since said they will resume discussions on the bill that they said would likely pass by mid-June.

US INVOLVED From page 1

repeatedly said elsewhere that the operation was led by the Philippines, told AFP via text message. The pre-dawn raid by police commandos on a secluded farming village controlled by Muslim rebels in the south was meant to be a surprise attack to capture or kill two men on the US government’s global list of “most wanted terrorists”. Even though one of the alleged militants was reported killed, hundreds of rebels quickly outnumbered the police, trapping a big group in a cornfield and slaughtering the 44 commandos during a day-long battle.

National security silence The botched operation has seriously damaged Aquino, and also forced his national police chief to resign.

But many politicians, traditional media and netizens are broadening the net to encompass

REBELS From page 1

CHURCH SUPPORT From page 1

director-general of the Technical Education and Skills Develop-

ment Authority and is Aquino’s close pal. (MNS)

US TERROR SUSPECT From page 1

Arab who had bomb-making expertise.

In addition to the suspected militants killed in the operation, which is expected to end this week, four were arrested and some 33 wounded, Kakilala said.

“We also got their bomb factories,” he added.

The fighting has forced about 45,000 civilians to flee their homes, according to local officials.

The BIFF is now believed to number less than 300, but their leader, Ameril Umrakato, “remains very influential” in the area, he added.

first time, he added.

“This is part of our preparations to lead our own government,” he said, referring to a March 2014 agreement in which the MILF committed to end an armed rebellion that has claimed 120,000 lives.

As part of the deal, the MILF is to disarm and President Benigno Aquino is set to legislate an area of Muslim self-rule.

Rey Sumalipao, regional head of the government’s Commission on Elections, told AFP he expects about 1,500 members to register within the day to allow them to

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MOTORING Geneva Motor Show: Embracing the battery At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, there is clearly a bigger buzz among mainstream manufacturers about electric vehicles.

According to Mercedes-Benz executive Harald Kroger, who oversees the company’s e-drive vehicles, this growing interest could be because a battery-power breakthrough is on the horizon. The driving range of current electric vehicles is already improving but within 10 years, the distance a plug-in vehicle will be able to travel on a single charge will have doubled, he told Auto Express.

Mercedes demonstrated its latest plug-in hybrid concept at this year’s show, the V-ision-e. It’s a big sevenseat MPV that can travel 50km just on the batteries before its gas engine kicks in. If interest is there, it will go into production.

The company chose its luxury MPV for the hybrid treatment because the popularity of Tesla proves that there is serious interest in the premium sector for something with better environmental credentials.

Audi has taken this logic one step further, unveiling its first ever plug-in electric car, the R8 e-tron, a batterypowered version of its new flagship supercar. It delivers 456bhp to the rear wheels, can go from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds and although top speed is capped at 350km/h, it can travel for up to 444km between charges.

The R8 e-tron will also serve as a research and development vehicle, gathering data for the creation of an EV SUV. Audi is aiming for a spacious, high riding car for four with a 500km range.

Audi also believes significant battery technology improvements are near and that very soon electric will be a viable alternative to fossil fuel.

The current world leader in battery-powered cars based on sales is RenaultNissan, with 222,000 cars sold over the last four years: its CEO, Carlos Ghosn welcomed news that the market is about to heat up. “We don’t consider that other people making electric cars are competitors; we consider them allies,” said Ghosn. “Because today, the battle is not who is going to have the biggest share of the electric car business. It’s about how many companies are going to join in promoting zero-emission transportation.”

Car industry welcomes Google, Apple but battles loom (Geneva-AFP) – It could be the battle of the titans.

Auto giants at the Geneva Motor Show say they welcome the potential move of Silicon Valley players into their sector but experts warn of major disruptions.

Google has long made headlines with its plans for a self-driving car, but Apple is now also reportedly readying for a plunge into the industry to begin developing an electric car.

“This could surprise you, but I welcome with open arms the interest of Apple, Google and others in the auto industry,” Volkswagen head Martin Winterkorn said, adding he thought it would help garner interest for cars among new generations who grow up connected.

Fiat-Chrysler chief Sergio Marchionne agreed, saying the Californian giants’ arrival would be “exactly what this industry needed.”

Ditto for Renault-Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn.

“I’m absolutely not fearful or hostile” towards a possible arrival of Apple, he said at the motor show. “I consider that all the people who join the electric car are some kind of allies.”

Global car sales rose to record level in 2014

In China, there are now 91 vehicles for every 1,000 people. Though a record for the country, this car ownership rate is far behind those of Europe and North America.

As the Geneva Motor Show continues, the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) announced that vehicle sales to consumers and businesses combined climbed 3% in 2014 to over 88 million units.

In 2014, the number of motor vehicles sold worldwide hit an all-time record high of 88.2 million, showing a 3.1% increase over the previous year.

With close to 24 million cars sold, representing a 7% year-on-year uptick, China strengthened its lead as the world’s leading car market. A similar boom was seen in the US, where car sales increased 6% from the previous year.

Certain European countries saw an even more impressive year-on-year spike: vehicle sales were up 20% in both Spain and the UK. The French market was less dynamic, though there was a 0.5% rise in new vehicle sales, which totaled just over 2 million in the country during 2014.

On the other hand, vehicle sales plummeted in Brazil (-7%), Turkey (-10%), Russia (-15%) and Argentina (-36%).

According to the organization, there are now 174 cars in circulation per 1,000 people (compared to 170 in 2013), or a total of 1.2 billion cars. The US is still the territory with the highest car ownership rate, with 790 vehicles

per 1,000 people. The same figure is 565 in Europe, 544 in Japan and just 91 in China, where sales are expected to rise exponentially over the coming years.

Global automotive production also hit a new record level in 2014, as the world’s manufacturers produced 89.5 million units (+3%), all vehicle types combined. China was the source of one out of four cars produced worldwide (26%).

For 2015, the OICA expects vehicle sales will rise to a new record of 91 million units, propelled by another rise in China (+7%) and steady growth in Europe and the US (+2%), despite a strong decline in Russia (-11%).

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ENTERT

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INMENT

Gabby: My wife doesn’t get jealous Actor Gabby Concepcion denied reports that his wife, Genevieve Gonzales, is jealous of his onscreen partners.

Concepcion explained that his wife is used to him being paired with several women, as they met when he is already an actor. “Hindi naman siguro. Palagay ko inimbento lang. Hindi siya selosa talaga. Wala ngang selos ‘yun eh. Sana nga nagseselos eh kasi minsan hinahanap nating mga

lalaki ‘yung ganun,� he said. “Saka ‘yung wife ko nakilala ko noong nasa showbiz na ako. We were friends. In fact, kilala niya ‘yung mga past girlfriends ko na nasa showbiz din,� Concepcion added. Concepcion is paired with Lorna Tolentino in the movie, “Crazy Beautiful You,� which also stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.

According to Concepcion, he is surprised that his tandem with

Tolentino, dubbed as “GaLor,� still has followers. “Nagugulat nga kami ni L.T. kasi nangyari ‘yun nung teleserye namin, ‘yung “Dahil May Isang Ikaw�, and nagulat kami kasi noong nagsama-sama ‘yung ilan lang (na fans), ang pinakabata, 16 years old, and pinakamatanda, at that time ha, was 29 years old. Nagugulat kami pero meron pala sila. They’re out there,� he added. (MNS)

Sharon to mark comeback ‘sooner than expected’ Megastar Sharon Cuneta will be making her showbiz comeback “sooner than expected.�

In a Facebook post, the 49-yearold actress, without going into details, promised her fans that they will be seeing her “in just a few days.� “To my dearest Sharonians, you will be seeing me in just a few days. In fact, much sooner than you ever expected. I love you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unwavering support and yes, this is a surprise countdown!� she wrote.

The veteran actress is currently on a break after announcing her departure from TV5.

Last January, Cuneta vehemently denied that her comeback film will be based around the life of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind, Janet Lim Napoles. “No one has spoken to me about this, and so it is totally untrue. I already have a comeback project waiting, and with a company that has my full trust and respect,� she said at the time.

A report from Pep.ph published Saturday said that Cuneta will be returning to ABS-CBN, her home

Gabby Concepcion

Michael de Mesa makes theater comeback

Sharon Cuneta

network for 23 years.

The Kapamilya network has

yet to release an official statement. (MNS)

Richard, Maricar share relationship tips in website More than a year after their wedding, celebrity couple Maricar Reyes and Richard Poon have decided to put up their own website where they share tips about marriage.

Reyes said she and Poon created the website www.realtionshipmatters.ph to share how they handle their differences and how couples should invest on the things which they agree on. “Natuwa lang kami kasi maraming curious sa relationship namin and kung ano ‘yung mga natutu-

nan namin as a couple. Doon namin shine-share ang mga mistakes namin, doon namin sinusulat,� she said.

Just like other couples, Reyes said she and Poon also fight but they make sure to patch things up immediately. “Ang nakaka-amaze, lagi kaming nag-aaway pero after each away, masaya ‘yung pagkakabati,� she said.

Asked if she is the jealous type, Reyes said: “Siyempre kasama sa

MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST FOREVER.

Maricar Reyes

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trabaho [na maraming nagkakagusto sa kanya kasi singer siya]. Pati kami as actors, like ‘yung last show ko, may asawa ako sa show. Dapat alam namin ‘yung work at ‘yung personal. Dapat magkahiwalay.�

Poon and Reyes tied the knot on June 9, 2013. (MNS)

Although he continues to be visible on television with teleseryes like GMA Network’s “Indio� and “Innamorata� as well as in acclaimed films like Erik Matti’s “On The Job� and Joyce Bernal’s “10,000 Hours�, not too many are aware that Michael de Mesa has been shuttling back and forth to the country from the U.S., where he and wife Julie Reyes have been based for the last six years.

Despite remaining active in the business, the 54-year-old tried to live what he describes as “a quiet normal life�. However, he could not stay away from acting for long. “I really missed the work. I realized who I really was, where I really belong and I love what I’m doing. I love being an actor,� he said during the recent launch of 9 Works Theatrical’s production of the popular Broadway musical, “La Cage aux Folles�.

Based on the 1973 French play

by Jean Poiret that was also the basis for Mike Nichols’ 1996 comedy, “The Birdcage�, “La Cage aux Folles� literally means “the cage of mad women,� with folles being a slang term for effeminate homosexuals.

In this Tony award-winning musical by Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman, Michael plays the role of Georges, the owner of a popular nightclub in Saint-Tropez. The story focuses on his relationship with life partner Albin (Audie Gemora) who is the same club’s star attraction. “I’m excited because it’s my first time to work with Audie who I’ve known for the longest time. It has been my dream to work with him, which is why I grabbed this project right away when it was first offered to me,� Michael enthused.

Although the musical was first staged back in 1983, Michael said “La Cage aux Folles� is more relevant than ever. “The story is very now, what with same sex marriages, gay relationships happening a lot.

The whole musical is still a joy to watch with engaging songs and dazzling dance numbers so I think audiences will have a grand time watching this,� he enthused. “La Cage� is sort of a theater comeback for Michael, who is best remembered onstage for playing Edna Turnblad in Atlantis Production’s 2008 staging of “Hairspray�and last performed in De La Salle University’s restaging of “A Fire in The Soul: A Cantata� in 2012.

That same year, Michael was actually cast in Repertory Philippines’ “Boeing Boeing� but surprisingly dropped out along with sister Cherie Gil, who was origi-

Michael de Mesa

nally scheduled to play Mrs. Robinson in “The Graduate� also that season.

This year, Michael and Cherie are both back in theater. While he is given top billing in “La Cage aux Folles�, she is headlining PETA’s production of Anton Chekov’s “Arbol de Fuego�. “There was actually a role in that play that was also offered to me but I was already committed to doing this by then so I couldn’t do it. But Cherie and I have always been discussing theater as of late and maybe next year, we just might be able to do a project together, our first since we did ‘The Guys’ way back in 2004,� he revealed.

Asked why theater work is so appealing to him even though he’s already a sought-after performer in film and TV, Michael said there’s a certain fulfillment to being on stage. “For me, theater is an actor’s medium, film is a director’s medium while television is more of a corporate medium nowadays,� he pointed out.

Directed by Robbie Guevarra, “La Cage aux Folles� also stars Steven Silva, Missy Macuja Elizalde, Joni Galeste, JP Basco, Mara Celine Javier, Randi de Guzman, Carlos Deriada, Chesko Rodriguez, Dindo Divinagracia, Cheeno Macaraig, James Stacey and Rafa Siguion-Reyna.

The musical will be staged at the RCBC Plaza in Makati on March 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 2015, with Friday and Saturday galas at 8PM, selected Saturday matinees at 3:30PM, and Sunday matinees at 4PM. (MNS)

Julia confirms: Claudine will attend her debut Julia Barretto revealed that she continued to keep in touch with her aunt Claudine despite the Barretto family feud that continue to make headlines.

Julia said she and Claudine communicate with each other regularly. “The last time we talked, she called me yesterday or the other day. We talk. Never naman kami nag-away,� she said. “The public, they are making these stuff na ‘Julia making up with like this, like this or like

this.’ The truth is I never really got involved in any of the drama. Wala akong nakaaway.

That’s how they are putting it kasi out there,� she added.

According to Julia, her aunt Claudine will attend her debut on March 10. “She’s going to be there,� she said, smiling.

Meanwhile, if there’s one project of Claudine that she would like to remake, Julia would like to do “Anak,� which starred Vilma Santos as an OFW.

“If movie, definitely it’s ‘Anak’ and that’s my answer all the time kapag tinatanong sa akin,� she said.

Julia said it would be even better if she and Claudine could be part of that project if given the chance. (MNS)

Julia Barretto

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Less California pollution spells big gains for children’s lungs (Washington-AFP) – A study conducted over 20 years in the Los Angeles area showed that the region’s improving air quality has led to children having better functioning lungs, researchers said Wednesday.

The findings, which tracked 2,000 young people from age 11 to 15, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The scientists studied three cohorts of different children over two decades, who were asked to blow into a spirometer, which measures lung size and strength.

Lung growth was 10 percent greater in the cohort observed between 2007-2011 compared with those in the 1994-1998 group who were breathing a higher level of the harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

“We saw pretty substantial improvements in lung function development in our most recent cohort of children,” said lead author James Gauderman, professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Meanwhile, the percent of children with abnormally low lung function at age 15 fell from eight percent in the 1994-1998 group to 6.3 percent for the 19972001 group to 3.6 percent for the latest cohort.

Exposure to NO2 and another harmful pollutant, PM2.5 (particulate matter of diameter under 2.5 microns), decreased 40 percent for the third cohort compared with the first.

Lung development improved

despite varying factors, including tobacco exposure, different ethnicities and the presence of pets, the study said.

And lung development for children with asthma improved around twice as much as for other children. However even those without asthma had significant improvement in lung capacity, the researchers said.

“We expect that our results are relevant for areas outside southern California, since the pollutants we found most strongly linked to improved health – nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter – are elevated in any urban environment,” Gauderman said.

The benefits of breathing clean air when young last a lifetime, the study said.

Mediterranean diet dramatically reduces risk for heart disease: study (Relaxnews) – A ten-year study says that adults who abide by the Med diet could be 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease compared to those who don’t.

In fact, the Med diet was more protective against cardiac problems than exercise, which is known to have an excellent protective effect.

The study is the first to track the risk of heart disease during a 10-year span in the general population instead of just the middle aged.

“Our study shows that the Mediterranean diet is a beneficial intervention for all types of people – in both genders, in all age groups, and in both healthy people and those with health conditions,” says Ekavi Georgousopoulou, a Ph.D. candidate at Harokopio University in Athens, Greece.

A representative sample of over 2,500 Greek adults between the ages of 18 and 89 shared health information with the research team from 2001 to 2012.

They self-reported their medical records, lifestyle and dietary habits in the beginning, middle and end of the study.

Diets were scored as a way of marking adherence to the Med diet, and those who scored in the top third relative to the entire sample were 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease.

Each one-point increase on the scale that ranged from 1 to 55 represented a three percent drop in risk for heart disease, independent of other risk factors which include age, gender, family history, body mass index (BMI), smoking, hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Of the entire participant group, nearly 20 percent of the men and 12 percent of the women developed or died from heart disease.

This supports prior studies indicating that being male, old age, diabetes and inflammation are associated with heart disease.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and olive oil are part of the Mediterranean diet. ©Anna Hoychuk/shutterstock.com. “A Mediterranean menu” on Kitchenomics next page.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, olive oil and allows a glass of red wine.

“Because the Mediterranean diet is based on food groups that are quite common or easy to find, people around the world could easily adopt

this dietary pattern and help protect themselves against heart disease with very little cost,” says Georgousopoulou. The study will be presented on March 15 at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego, California in the US.

Losing just 30 minutes of sleep could promote weight gain: study Sleeping 30 minutes less than necessary can have long-term consequences for body weight and metabolism, according to a new study – even if you sleep in on weekends.

Previous research has indicated that not getting enough sleep leads to obesity and diabetes, but this marks the first time that as little as 30 minutes a day of sleep debt could contribute to weight gain and adversely affect blood sugar control.

“This reinforces earlier observations that sleep loss is additive and can have metabolic consequences,” says lead study author Professor Shahrad Taheri, a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, in Doha.

In the study, Professor Taheri and his research team worked with 522 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and recorded their height and weight at baseline to determine their Body Mass Index (BMI).

They measured participants’ waist circumference and assessed blood samples for insulin sensitivity on an empty stomach.

Participants were randomly placed into one of three groups, which included typical care, an exercise intervention or an intervention for both diet and exercise.

The participants kept sleep diaries for a week and calculated their weekday sleep debt.

At baseline, obesity was 72 percent

That sleep debt could be doing more than just making you tired, according to a new study, it could be causing you to put on weight.©Photographee.eu/shutterstock.com

more likely to be a condition among those who had a weekday sleep debt than amongst those who didn’t.

Six months later, a significant association between sleep debt and obesity and insulin resistance was present.

By the one-year mark, every 30

minutes of weekday sleep debt at baseline signified an increased risk of obesity and insulin resistance of 17 percent and 39 percent, respectively.

The research team presented their work on Thursday, March 5 at ENDO 2015, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego.

Los Angeles air quality has been improving over the last two decades. © Andrew Zarivny/ shutterstock.com

Feast-and-famine diet shows promise for longevity: study (Relaxnews) - High intensity interval training has hit the dinner table.

Fasting has been demonstrated to have health benefits, yet since it’s not possible to fast indefinitely, researchers suggest doing so intermittently for a long and healthy life.

“We found that intermittent fasting caused a slight increase to SIRT 3, a well-known gene that promotes longevity and is involved in protective cell responses,” says Michael Guo, a MD-PhD candidate at the University of Florida and Harvard Medical School.

The research team worked with 24 participants who alternated between eating just 25 percent of their daily caloric intake and 175 percent of it on a daily basis.

An average male participant would have eaten 650 calories on fasting days and 4,550 calories on feasting days in the double-blind clinical trial that took three weeks to complete.

Researchers measured changes in weight, blood pressure, heart rate, glucose levels, cholesterol, inflammation markers and genes involved in protective cell responses throughout the course of 10 weeks in totality.

Measuring these parameters again after the trial yielded an increase in beneficial sirtuin proteins activated by the gene SIRT 3-and also called SIRT 3, as well as SIRT 1.

An increase in these proteins in mice has been associated with a longer lifespan, according to Guo, who says they could become activated by an excess of free radicals in the body that results in a condition called oxidative stress.

In other words, the body’s response to stress is to create protective pathways, say the researchers, whose study was published in the journal Rejuvenation Research.

“The hypothesis is that if the body is intermittently exposed to low levels of oxidative stress, it can build a better response to it,” says Martin Wegman an MD-PhD candidate at the UF College of Medicine.

Next in order was to test this hypothesis by repeating the feast-then-famine diet with antioxidant supplements, which they did using vitamin C and vitamin E. Sure enough, some of the increases in sirtuin proteins disappeared, which supports other research indicating that antioxidants can counter the effects of exercise.

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KITCHENOMICS

Turkey and Onion Meatball Kebabs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

FAMILY FEATURES

hen al fresco entertaining calls for some flavorful inspiration, look to the fresh and abundant offerings of Mediterranean cuisine.

Inspired by its coastal origins, traditional Greek dishes feature a colorful collection of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and grilled fare. Whether you’re serving friends with a themed event or simply enjoying a homemade meal with the family, delicious Greek cuisine is perfect for sharing with those you love.

From raw to roasted, pickled to caramelized, the onion is one of the most versatile vegetables, and is commonly found among the many fresh flavors of this fare. Plus, when you cook with the mighty onion, you’re serving up a good source of vitamin C. The growers and shippers of the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee and the National Onion Association offer the following tips about onions: One large onion, diced equals about 1 cup fresh and 1/4 cup cooked.

Grill and saute onions over low to medium heat. This will bring out a savory, sweet, mellow flavor. High heat can cause the onion to taste bitter.

Store onions in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place with minimal exposure to light.

Keep peeled and cut onions in a sealed container in the refrigerator for seven to 10 days.

For more tips and ideas to add flavor to your outdoor celebrations, visit www.onions-usa.org and www.usaonions.com.

W

Lentil Salad with Marinated Onions, Roasted Tomatoes and Olives Servings: 6–8 2–3 medium tomatoes cut into eight wedges 1 (9.5-ounce) jar whole, pitted Greek olives, drained 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 8 thyme sprigs, leaves removed Sea salt 1 1/3 cups lentils 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 garlic cloves, pressed 1 medium cucumber, chopped 1 (12-ounce) jar artichoke hearts, sliced 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 3 tablespoons chives, chopped 2/3 cup crumbled feta 1 tablespoon lemon juice Fresh ground black pepper Preheat oven to 400°F. On medium-sized baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange tomatoes skin side down. Add drained olives to pan; drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and sea salt.

Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Cook lentils according to package directions, approximately 20 minutes.

While lentils are cooking, place red onion in small bowl.

Pour red wine vinegar over onions and sprinkle with sea salt.

Stir and let stand at room temperature while lentils are cooking.

When lentils finish cooking, drain if needed. In large bowl combine lentils, marinated red onion, garlic and remaining olive oil. Mix well and cool completely. When cool, combine rest of ingredients with lentils. Serve cold.

Servings: 6 large or 9 small kebabs 1 tablespoon cumin seed 1 cup plain yogurt 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon chopped chives 3/4 teaspoon honey 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 pound ground turkey 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut in thin wedges 1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch dices 12 cherry tomatoes Heat small pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds to toast. Stir frequently, for about 3 minutes or until seeds are fragrant and slightly browned. Remove seeds to spice grinder or mortar and pestle; grind to moderately fine powder.

In medium bowl, combine yogurt, cilantro, chives, honey, salt and 1 teaspoon ground toasted cumin. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

In second medium bowl, combine turkey, garlic, lemon zest, salt, cayenne and 1 teaspoon ground toasted cumin; mix gently but thoroughly. Shape into eighteen 1 1/2-inch meatballs.

Preheat grill. On metal skewers (or bamboo skewers soaked in water 30 minutes), thread meatball, onion wedge, pepper square and cherry tomato.

Repeat. Finish skewer with another meatball and onion wedge.

Grill until meatballs reach internal temperature of 160°F, turning as needed. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

For mini-skewers, use 2 meatballs, 2 onion wedges, 1 cherry tomato and 1 pepper square on each skewer.

Orange, Mint and Onion Salad Servings: 6 3 navel oranges 1/2 sweet yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn 1/4 cup black olives, oil cured, pitted Vinaigrette: 1/3 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup canola oil For salad, cut top and bottom off each orange so it sits flat on cutting surface. Remove peel and pith (white part) by taking sharp knife and running it down sides of orange from top to bottom, following shape of each orange. Slice oranges into rounds.

Arrange slices, overlapping each other slightly, on large platter. Scatter onion, mint and olives over oranges.

For vinaigrette, whisk vinegar with honey, mustard, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add oil while whisking constantly, until well combined.

Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and serve immediately.

Note: Any leftover dressing can be stored, tightly covered, in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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24 hours in Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA – I have been to this

coastline county seat of Santa Barbara County many times before and always enjoy going back.

There’s lots to explore – the beaches on the coast, the streets filled with curious shops and unique boutiques, history in one of the oldest missions in the country, and the inviting wineries that dot its borders. But when one has only 24 hours to explore such a rich destination, what does one prioritize? Where does one go? What does one do? more mission style; and the secWe arrived at the Belmond El ond batch of bungalows look more Encanto resort at around 4 p.m. I craftsman. had long wanted to visit this hideOur bungalow was definitely away that has been an icon since the latter, with lots of whites and the 1920s; and has recently been clean lines. Elegant linen and refurbished and renovated. The wicker furnishings are featured location, for one, is excellent. Nes- in the 800 – 1,100 square feet of tled on top of a hill, the El Encan- space, highlighted by the wooden to offers its visitors a grand view headboard hand-painted with of Santa Barbara and the Pacific cherry blossoms. In the bathroom, Ocean beyond. But even without I loved the extra deep tub and the looking too far, within the proper- heated tile floor. ty are sights to behold – 7 acres of We were welcomed by a botbeautifully-landscaped gardens – tle of champagne and a plate of camelias, rose bushes, tulip trees sweets, with a “Happy Birthday” – one could wonder if the exact lo- message. That’s when I realized cation of each bloom was planned. I mentioned to the concierge that The flora doesn’t give the aura of it was my husband’s birthday two manicured perfection. Highlight- weeks ago. By the second hour, ed by the canopy of wisteria vine, I was already loving the great, the whole look perfectly gives off attentive service the Belmond the relaxed feel. brand is known for.

Relaxation was what my husBy 5 p.m., my husband and band and I had in mind when I were on a couch in the lounge we planned this 24 hour mini- area, admiring the low sun glisgetaway. We had just finished tening over the blue waters of filming a national television ad. the Pacific, while sipping glasses And he had been dealing with the of prosecco and feasting on Italstress of putting things together ian charcuterie and sweet fresh and in order before the March 9th oysters dipped in heavenly Hog launch; while I was dealing with island sauce. the stress of (I really don’t know When it comes to dining, there what.) We thought we needed a are four places to explore in the break and a treat. That’s what we property – the Lounge which ofhoped the El Encanto would be. fers light dining and afternoon I booked the reservation with tea, the Dining Room and Terthe help of the accommodating race which offers innovative conVisa Signature concierge. We temporary California-coastal cuiknew it wasn’t the cheapest spot. sine, the Bar, and the Wine Room But we also know that in life, you which is mostly reserved for priusually get what you pay for, so vate functions. we had high expectations.

After an hour, we went back to After checking in, and getting the room to get Juno, my 7 year acquainted with our surround- old Yorkie. That’s another thing ings, we were escorted by a young about the El Encanto, they allow staff named Lake “We have just pets. I thought that since we were completed our renovation two treating ourselves, my loyal comyears ago, and now the 92 suites panion deserved a piece of the acand bungalows can be divided tion, too. into two kinds. The first kind We walked her around the looks more Spanish in design, grounds for about another hour,

exploring the spa and fitness areas. It was also an excuse for us to enjoy the balmy California early evening and to walk off the lounge nibbles in preparation for dinner.

By 7 p.m., the three of us walked back to our bungalow where we spent the next hour doing absolutely nothing. Okay... maybe checking social media while sipping more bubbles.

Dinner reservation was for 8 p.m. I ordered the Leo’s Signature Halibut Ceviche. Chef Leo Andres Ayala is the restaurant’s executive chef. Honestly, I found the dish a bit too sour. But I appreciated the large serving. That appetizer was enough for me.

Paired with their housemaid tortilla chips, I did not need to order a main course.

Lester, on the other hand, had an amazing cajun-spiced calamari with spicy aioli dip, for starter; and the local black cod with steamed mussels and clams, for his main course. It was to die for. The sauce was oozing with flavor. I could have dipped bread in

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I went back to take a picture, I could only see one left standing, seemingly soaking up the sun in the 73-degree weather.

A bit cold, especially for someone like me who grew up in the tropical islands of the Philippines, but the sight was enough to inspire me to try a dip in the infinityedge swimming pool View from the Terrace, at the Belmond El Encanto in San- that runs from 3 ½ – ta Barbara.

7 ft. deep. blissful. She always sleeps with Lester and I me; and to be more specific, on top played Scrabble while lounging of me, usually on top of my back. by the pool, occasionally taking But because she too, in her simple a dip in the heated water, that’s canine brain, might have appreci- infused with saline, to mimic that ated the sleeping-on-the-clouds- of saltwater. The effect is water feeling that the luxurious bedding that’s softer and smoother on the offered us, that night she comfort- skin than harsh chlorine. And beably slept on one of the four cor- cause we were so comfortable, we ners of the bed. must have spent about 3 hours I woke up at 8 a.m. Excited to in the pool area, only realizing at face the day, refreshed and reju- 2:30 p.m. that it was time to check venated and looking forward to out. Really appreciated the 3 p.m. doing absolutely nothing. I could late checkout afforded to Visa Sighave stayed on that nature card holders. bed for another few The world-famous and historic days. But since my Santa Barbara Mission compound stomach was also re- is just 5 minutes away from Sanminding me of the de- ta Barbara’s only Forbes Travellightful gastronomic Guide 5-star resort. And so it was adventure I experi- a natural thing to stop and take enced a few hours be- photos. We couldn’t stay long and fore, suggesting that even explore inside because of I should try more, I Juno. But the pleasant experience woke my husband up, capped off our 24 hours in Santa to join me for break- Barbara. fast. Juno had to setDriving back to Los Angeles, tle for the dog food I Lester and I agreed that it was packed, if you were the perfect way to spend 24 hours wondering. in paradise. The El Elcanto has But on the terrace, everything you need for a relaxJuno, the Yorkie, relaxes on the plush king-sized bed with hand-painted cherry blossoms on the wooden where the glorious ing and memorable short weeksun was peaking, I end trip in California. [END] headboard. was very proud of myit and would have been happilyJannelle So is credited for creself for ordering the French Toast ating, hosting and producing satisfied with that. I had wanted to order dessert; and that was my stuffed with fresh bananas and America’s first and only locallyplan when I stopped eating after Nutella. Thanks to another won- produced daily talk show for my appetizer; but sadly, I realized derful staff member, Nathan, who Filipinos, that ran for 8 ½ years there was really no more room in highly recommended it. I salivate under her leadership, making it now, when I think about it. If the longest-running Filipino talk my very contented tummy.

After two hours spent on din- you ever go, this is one dish you show outside of the Philippines. ner, while witnessing the moon should not miss. And can you take On her spare time, she loves to slowly rising, it was time to some home for me? travel. This new column will docAfter breakfast, it was time ument her sojourns as she shares go back to the room. I had just enough time to dip in the tub be- to walk the calories off. We went what she learns an discovers on fore I passed out and spent nine back to the room to fetch Juno her trips. Connect to her on Facehours sinking in the plush king- so we could explore more. I actu- book, Twitter and Instagram; or sized bed. Even Juno would agree ally saw 4 turtles perched on top email her at sojannelle77@gmail. that the sleeping experience was of a rock, in the pond. But when com.