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PHL not engaged in Qatar espionage – DFA MANILA, May 26 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) denied on Monday that the Philippine government is engaged in espionage after a Filipino was sentenced to death in Qatar for allegedly committing the said offense.

Two other Filipinos charged for the same crime were meted life imprisonment by a lower court in Qatar.

“We categorically deny that we are engaged in espionage,” Foreign Affairs Spokesman Charles Jose told reporters in a text message.

The men, according to reports,

were charged with providing information “to intelligence officials in the Philippines about Qatar’s aircraft, weaponry, maintenance and servicing records, as well as specific details about the names, ranks and phone numbers of staff members.” Jose said the Philippine government has raised this issue in several high-level meetings with Qatari officials.

He did not provide the identity of the three Filipinos, but said the one sentenced to death was an employee of a state-owned company while the two others were technicians in a military base.

Their case is on appeal, while

representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Qatar have been communicating with the legal counsel of the accused and their relatives.

Philippine officials, Jose added, are conducting jail visits and facilitating the regular visits of the families of the accused Filipinos.

“Our Embassy in Doha has been tireless in its efforts to extend the necessary assistance to the Filipinos who are facing espionage charges in Qatar,” Jose said.

“We will continue to closely monitor this case and extend assistance to the accused Filipinos and their families.” (MNS)

Aquino to inspect upgraded Navy post near West Philippine Sea MANILA, May 26 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III will inspect an upgraded naval post tasked to defend Philippine interests in the West Philippine Sea, or the South China Sea, amid territorial issues with the country’s giant neighbor China, Malacañang announced Monday.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Aquino will witness the capability demonstration of the Naval Forces West (NFW) Command Center and the conceptual master plan of the Naval Station Carlito Cunanan (NSCC) in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on See NAVY, page 14

U.S. Navy CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters take off from the USS Bonhomme Richard during aviation operations exercises in the East China Sea, April 23, 2014. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam D. Wainwright

Obama vows to cut lines for foreigners at US airports COOPERSTOWN, May 22, 2014 (AFP) ─ President Barack Obama vowed Thursday to cut long and frustrating lines at customs for foreigners arriving at US airports in a bid to lure 100 million tourists a year by 2020.

Obama promised to maintain national security but ease the entry of travelers as he launched a new tourism push designed to create more American jobs.

Clogged entry points like New York’s John F. Kennedy airport and Dulles airport outside Washington often anger foreign tourists ─ especially at times of the day when flights from Europe or Asia arrive en masse.

Some tourists must wait for an hour or more to get into the country.

Before traveling to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, Obama met tourism chiefs to discuss how to boost the industry.

“I’ve directed my administra-

tion to work with airports, airlines, hotel groups, states and cities to do more to improve the traveler experience and to reduce wait times for folks entering into the United States, all without compromising our security,” he said.

Obama said that Dallas/Fort Worth airport and Chicago’s O’Hare airport had already cut waiting times to only a quarter of an hour for overseas tourists entering customs.

“You get off your plane, it takes you 15 minutes to get through if you’re an international traveler.

And that is a big deal,” the president said.

“If folks spend less time at the airport, they’re more likely to come back for a return trip.

“And when they go back home, they tell their friends, you know what? America was there to greet us.”

Obama vowed to automate See FOREIGNERS, page 14

Palace to Napoles: Lacierda refutes newspaper Finish affidavit first report on 3 Palace ‘bagmen’ May 26 (Mabuhay) their “Sexy” is a “very honest indibefore making demands – AMANILA, Malacañang spokesperson on vidual who goes to her work daily MANILA, May 24 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Saturday urged trader Janet Lim-Napoles to complete her affidavit detailing the P10-billion pork barrel scam she supposedly masterminded, before making demands and conditions such as immunity. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said it is time for Napoles to “put (her) money where (her) mouth is” as far as telling all on the scam is concerned.

“Siguro hintayin natin ang affidavit niya bago hiling; kesyo kondisyon na ganito o ganyan ... tapusin muna ang affidavit. In American colloquial language, you put your money where your mouth is,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. As of Friday, Napoles’ lawyer Stephen David was quoted as saying the affidavit is “90 to 95 percent complete,” and could be submitted to the Department of Justice as early as this coming Monday. David added that once they complete the affidavit, they will review it to ensure its accuracy. (MNS)

Thai coup leader cements grip, assumes law-making power

BY ANUSAK KONGLANG

President Barack Obama thanks deployed troops for their sacrifice at a rally in their honor during a surprise visit over Memorial Day weekend on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 25, 2014. White House photo by Pete Souza

Despite arrest of Filipinos in Qatar, the Philippine government denied that it is engaged in espionage after a Filipino was sentenced to death in Qatar for allegedly committing the said offense.

BANGKOK, May 24, 2014 (AFP) ─ Thailand’s military junta said Saturday it had disbanded the Senate and placed all lawmaking authority in the hands of the army chief, dramatically tightening its grip after a coup that has sparked Bangkok protests and drawn international condemnation.

The regime also confirmed it had detained former premier Yingluck Shinawatra and scores of other ousted government leaders See THAI COUP, page 14

Monday branded as “incorrect” a newspaper report identifying three women from the executive department as “bagmen” of a high-ranking administration official.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda questioned the Daily Tribune’s report about three “powerful ladies” in the Palace known as “Tres Marias” who are allegedly in charge of “fund-raising activities” for a high-ranking official.

The report, citing a source, identified the three as Rochelle Ahoro, supposedly the personal secretary of the official; Odette Ong, allegedly assistant secretary of administration and finance; and Mary Antoinette Lucile Ortile, assistant to the Executive Secretary.

The source was also quoted as saying that the “Sexy” being mentioned in the pork barrel scam investigation does not pertain to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada but to Ahoro because she is “more on the heavy side.”

Lacierda, however, said that

and who does not have any contact at all other than the environment where she is working [in].”

On the other hand, he said Ortile has been out of government for the “longest time.”

“She has not been working for the Palace or under the Executive Secretary... she has not been in government since so... the source perhaps should update the information. It’s definitely incorrect,” Lacierda said.

“So the fact that you have identified someone who’s no longer in government as a bag lady shows the quality of the source. We have a saying in law ‘falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus’ (false in one thing, false in everything),” he added.

Ong, for her part, likewise denied being “involved in unlawful undertakings and dishonest activities.”

“I strongly refute these baseless and unfounded claims,” she said in a press statement, adding she does not head the finance and administration department of the See LACIERDA, page 14

PhilHealth exec dismisses backlog allegations

MANILA, May 26 (Mabuhay) – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Monday denied allegations that the corporation owed 600 private hospitals a total of P600 million in certain backlogs.

Early last week, Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPi) president Rustico Jimenez made the allegation, saying that the release of reimbursements was taking at least six months.

PhilHealth president and CEO Alex Padilla, meanwhile, noted that the delay was attributed to connectivity problems due to the corporation’s implementation of a new system – the case-based payment system.

In a press briefing, Dr. Jennifer Raca, PhilHealth’s Benefits Development and Research OIC, explained that there was “miscommunication” between PhilHealth and PHAPi with regards to the definition of backlog.

“The claims processing turn around time for PhilHealth is 60 See PHILHEALTH, page 14

1-877-35-NOPAY 818-334-5445 (1-877-356-6729)

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Baligod: There is no Benhur list MANILA, May 26 (Mabuhay) − The former legal counsel of two whistleblowers in the alleged pork barrel scam on Monday said that contrary to media reports, there is no actual “Benhur list” of personalities who supposedly benefitted from the anomaly.

At a media forum, lawyer Levito Baligod said he culled the names of those involved in the multimillion peso anomaly through various interviews. Baligod used to be the counsel for whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas.

“There is no Benhur list. I was the one who compiled the list from interviews of the witnesses. Nakita ko may paulit ulit na nagrerelease sa [fake] NGOs [non-government organizations],” Baligod said.

“Ang mga kasama dun yung nakita ko yung paulit ulit na naglagay ng PDAF nila sa NGOs ni [Janet Lim] Napoles. Yung listahan ko na yun yung basis for filing the first batch of the cases,” he added.

Baligod was referring to businesswoman Napoles, the alleged pork scam brains that saw millions in government fund siphoned off to the pockets of several lawmakers and government officials. Napoles is in custody for a separate serious illegal detention case.

Baligod, the private respondent in the first batch of PDAF cases, said he compiled the list with the help of the daily transaction record that Luy kept.

“Ako mismo, ang naging treatment ko sa daily financial transaction, hiniwalay ko yung [mga pangalan na] may personal knowledge yung whistleblowers,” he said, adding that he was very meticulous in in-

At a media forum, lawyer Levito Baligod said he culled the names of those involved in the multimillion peso anomaly through various interviews and there is no “Benhur List.” Baligod used to be the counsel for whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas.

cluding names of officials that will potentially be charged for the scam.

“Pag sinabi nilang di nila nakita mismo, di na kasama yun. Pag sabihin na ‘kasama ako, nakita ko, ako naghanda ng pera’, di pa rin sapat yun. Kailangan PDAF related. Nasan ang SARO, ang implementation agency? Wala bang nag materialize na project? Tsaka sila kasama sa listahan,” Baligod said.

At present, Napoles is confined at the Ospital ng Makati after her uterus and ovaries were removed due to cysts.

Napoles faces facing plunder charges along with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla Jr., and several others regarding the P10-B pork barrel scam. (MNS)

CBCP head pushes rosary campaign for conversion of pork barrel scam ‘culprits’ MANILA, May 24 (Mabuhay) – The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Saturday urged Filipino faithful to pray an extra rosary from May 31 to August 15 for the “conversion” of personalities involved in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas also encouraged youths to receive communion frequently during these days to “offer prayers for the culprits.”

“I request all our Catholic faithful to pray an extra rosary from May 31, Feast of the Visitation until August 15, Solemnity of the Assumption, and offer it for the conversion of the culprits in the pork barrel scam, for the courage of the witnesses and the healing of our country,” Villegas said on his Facebook page Saturday morning.

He also said the youth and children should receive Holy Communion frequently during these days of prayer.

They should likewise “offer prayers for the culprits, the witnesses and our govern-

ment,” he added.

“Let us overcome evil by the power of good,” Villegas said.

A rosary, which recalls events in the lives of Jesus Christ and his mother Mary, involves meditating on five Mysteries. Praying the rosary usually includes sets of one Lord’s Prayer, 10 Hail Marys, and a Glory Be.The multibillion-peso pork barrel scam involved channeling some lawmakers Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations to fake nongovernment organizations allegedly created by trader Janet Napoles.

Lawmakers in the scam would reportedly get kickbacks. So far, at least three senators face plunder charges for the scam – minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. The three had denied involvement in the scam.

Pastoral guidance In a Pastoral Guidance on the pork barrel scam, Villegas signed, the CBCP also called for an impartial investigation, adding the Church cannot keep silent in the midst of this turmoil.

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PHL Independence Day event in Singapore scrapped SINGAPORE, May 27, 2014 (AFP) – A Philippine independence day celebration in Singapore has been cancelled, organisers said Tuesday, after plans for a public event generated online abuse and threats against Filipinos in the city-state.

“In view of all considerations in the search for equivalent suitable venues, the PIDC 2014 deemed it is best to cancel the event,” the Pilipino Independence Day Council (PIDC) said in a statement sent to AFP. The PIDC had initially announced a June 8 event outside a shopping complex along the Orchard Road shopping belt. It invited Singaporeans to join them in commemorating the 116th anniversary of the Philippines’ declaration of independence from Spain.

But police suggested alternative venues, citing “public order and safety concerns” following threats by an anti-immigration activist to hold a protest at the venue.

Th PIDC said other venues would not be able to cater to the expected large crowd and would not be as accessible to public transport.

Online commentators, mostly on anonymously-run local websites and Facebook pages, have heaped racial abuse on Filipinos particularly the PIDC over the planned event, saying the choice of a city centre venue was an example of foreigners overstepping their welcome.

Others called on the organisers to hold the event within the Philippine embassy grounds, while a few commentators threatened physical harm to participants if the

event was held on Orchard Road.

Gilbert Goh, an employment counsellor critical of the government’s immigration policy, had earlier threatened to hold a protest on Orchard Road on the same day as the Filipino event.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in April condemned the campaign against the Filipino event as “thuggish behaviour” and called the anonymous “trolls” a “disgrace to Singapore”.

In its statement the PIDC said it was satisfied with other events it had held this year, including a cultural sharing session at a primary school, a blood donation drive and a visit to a home for the elderly.

It said the events were “in line with this year’s theme of inclusiveness and reaching out to the local community as our way of

Yao Ming eyeing deal to buy Clippers ─ report LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2014 (AFP) ─ Retired Chinese superstar Yao Ming is lining up investors to make a bid for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers if embattled owner Donald Sterling has to sell, ESPN.com reported on Friday. Yao is just the latest celebrity to be linked to a potential Clippers bid since Sterling was engulfed in a scandal over racially charged remarks that became public in April. ESPN, citing unnamed sources, said that Yao and another former NBA player, Grant Hill, were working sepa-

rately to find investors to launch bids.

Celebrity gossip website TMZ and other US media outlets reported Friday that Sterling has surrendered control of the club to his estranged wife, Shelly, who is in talks with the league to sell the team.

The Clippers are valued at nearly $600 million by Forbes magazine and could fetch substantially more given the publicity surrounding the team and its location in a major US market.

Yao became an NBA star with

the Houston Rockets, who made him the first pick in the 2002 NBA draft. Although his size was his strength, the rigors of top-flight basketball proved too much for Yao’s massive 7 foot 6 inch (2.29 meter) frame and his career was marked by lengthy absences from the court due to a succession of mostly foot and leg injuries.

He announced his retirement in July of 2011 following a trailblazing career that made him China’s best-known athlete and helped spur the game’s growth all across Asia.

Baligod: No consent for Phil. Daily Inquirer to reveal all names in ‘pork’ scam MANILA, May 26 (Mabuhay) -- A former lawyer of Benhur Luy on Monday accused a major broadsheet of revealing too much information to the public from the whistleblower’s digital files without their consent, even if some information have yet to be validated.

Lawyer Levito Baligod said Luy’s parents had decided to allow the Philippine Daily Inquirer to copy the contents of their son’s hard drive on the P10-billion pork barrel fund scam last year because they thought the government investigation on it was going too slow.

“Siyempre normal sa isang pahayagan na humingi ng sapat na katibayan doon sa nirereklamo namin (kaya) nagbi-

gay ng pahintulot ang pamilya ni Benhur na ibahagi sa PDI ‘yung hard disk drive ni Benhur at kinopya nila,” the lawyer said. Baligod’s camp however claimed having no idea that the newspaper would end up revealing almost all the names in Luy’s files, including those involved as early as 2002 and those after 2009.

“Wala po kaming binigay na pahintulot na ilathala,” said Baligod. Baligod said the only names they wanted to be revealed so far are those of public officials dragged in the scam between 2007 and 2009, because their camp had already validated their involvement to corroborating government records.

“Sa lumabas sa PDI, wala

ako sa posisyon na sabihin na was it a faithful reproduction of the content of the drive?

Wala ako sa posisyon dahil ang binigyang pansin ko lang ay 2007 at 2009 entries. Ang lumabas sa PDI ay buong content na ata until 2012,” Baligod said.

Luy had already dropped Baligod as his legal counsel, complaining that the lawyer was not devoting enough time to him and his case.

Despite parting ways with Luy, Baligod remained as the lawyer of another pork barrel scam whistleblower Merlina Suñas, until last week when she likewise decided to end the lawyer’s services.

Luy is currently being legally represented by lead counsel lawyer Raji Mendoza.

expressing friendship and partnership between the Philippines and Singapore”.

Anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise in some segments of Singapore’s local population, with many complaining that foreigners compete with them for jobs, housing, medical care as well as space on public transport. This is despite a per capita income of $55,183, one of the highest in the world, and an unemployment rate of just over two percent.

Singaporeans make up just over 60 percent of the 5.4 million population, with its low fertility rate forcing the government to rely heavily on guest workers.

The Filipino community is estimated at more than 170,000, many of them professionals seen by some Singaporeans as rivals for jobs.

PHL, Indonesia sign ‘model’ border accord

MANILA, May 23, 2014 (AFP) – Indonesia and the Philippines on Friday signed a maritime border accord, hailing it as a model for peacefully settling increasingly tense territorial disputes in the region.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the agreement, the result of 20 years of negotiations, showed that the escalating rows in the South China Sea could be resolved without violence.

“This indeed is a model, a good example, that any disputes including maritime border tension can be resolved peacefully—not with the use of military might which (may) endanger stability and peace in our region,” Yudhoyono said after overseeing the signing with Philippine President Benigno Aquino at the presidential palace in Manila.

Tensions have flared in the South China Sea, which is believed to hold vast oil and gas deposits, with China embroiled in separate rows with Vietnam and the Philippines over disputed waters.

Deadly riots broke out in Vietnam last week after China deployed an oil rig in contested waters.

Aquino said the new agreement between Indonesia and the Philippines served as “solid proof of our steadfast commitment to uphold the rule of law and pursue the peaceful and equitable settlement of maritime concerns”.

Signed by the Indonesian and Philippine foreign ministers, the agreement delineates the boundaries of both nations’ overlapping exclusive economic zones in the Mindanao Sea, the Celebes Sea and the Philippine Sea. Under international law, countries have exclusive economic zones extending 200 nautical miles from their coasts that give them rights to resources in those waters. But these zones can overlap between neighbouring countries.

China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan have conflicting claims to parts of the South China Sea. The Philippines and Vietnam have repeatedly expressed concern and more recently anger at what they perceive as increasingly hostile Chinese efforts to assert China’s rule over the disputed areas.

China is also engaged in a worsening dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea that has severely damaged relations between Asia’s two biggest economies.

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GDP alone isn’t enough to measure sustainable growth – WEF panelists MANILA, May 23 (Mabuhay) – Governments, not just in Asia, should look beyond the gross domestic product (GDP) as a measure of sustainable growth, panelists at the World Economic Forum in Makati City said Friday.

A plethora of issues, which include social inclusion, employment, income inequality, and health, should be part of the barometer for inclusive growth, they said.

“For inclusive growth, we need to move beyond that (GDP) to other measures like health, education, employment, MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and so on,” Nandu Nandkishore, Nestle executive vice president, said during the WEF East Asia (WEF-EA) discussions on “Rethinking Economic Growth.”

GDP is a measure of goods and services a country produces in a given period, excluding transactions with other countries.

Output has its limitations, International Monetary Fund (IMF) deputy managing director Naoyuki Shinohara said. “GDP is a wonderful, delicate index that covers a whole range of economic indicators,” he said.

However, it does not measure transactions like household work, income distribution, environmental degradation and other externalities, the IMF official said.

“GDP has its own limitations, but is still an elegant instrument to measure how the economy is working,” Shinohara noted.

Growth should be equitable for all stakeholders, said Fu Jun, Peking University’s School of Government executive dean. “Growth is not only about efficiency, it’s also about equity, fairness,” he said.

To achieve inclusive growth, government must also take note of human well-being and good ecosystem for businesses, whether large-, medium- or small-scale, according to the panelists.

“You’re talking about health, education, employment, political freedom, social relationship, environmental quality and security,” Fu said.

“We need to have better ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the micro level, better calibrate role of state and governance in the macro level,” he added.

In the case of Europe, the IMF has implemented several programs for EU countries after the financial crisis in the region, Shinohara said.

“Issues of social inclusion, employment, income inequality [were included] in order to make the program successful,” he said.

“It is not just the GDP but other measures that we need to take into account in order to make economy’s growth sustainable,” he added.

(MNS)

‘Winner-take-all’ tack won’t solve Asia rows: US commander

MANILA, May 23, 2014 (AFP) - The US military’s commander in the Pacific called Friday for compromise in Asia’s worsening maritime territorial rows, cautioning against a “winner-take-all” strategy that some nations fear China is pursuing.

US Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Samuel Locklear said the region had become the world’s “most militarized” amid rapid economic growth, deepening the importance of dialogue to ensure the disputes did not lead to armed conflict.

“What’s going to underlie that most importantly is a commitment to the rule of law, a commitment to international forums to solve problems and to solve disputes,” Locklear told a World Economic Forum meeting in Manila.

“You can’t have a winner-take-all attitude. It will require compromise. It will require dialogue.”

Locklear was speaking about the various territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea that have endured for decades, but worsened in recent years amid perceived rising Chinese assertiveness.

China claims most of the South China Sea, even waters close to the shores of its neighbors and more than 1,000 kilometers from the nearest major Chinese landmass.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Taiwan, claim parts of the sea, which is home to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes and believed to contain huge deposits of oil and gas.

The disputes have for decades been regarded as a potential trigger for military conflict, and those concerns have risen amid the rising tensions between China and some of its neighbors, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam.

China sent a deep-water oil drilling rig into contested waters in the sea this month, sparking violent protests in Vietnam in which at least four Chinese were reported killed.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said on Wednesday that China’s decision to deploy the oil rig had “seriously threatened peace”.

Locklear also defended US efforts to build up security alliances in Asia, including with countries having territorial disputes with China, following criticism by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Locklear said these alliances, some going back to the end of World War II, had “generally underwritten security” in the region.

“Things that we’ve done here has helped our economy, has helped the global economy and I would say it has helped China as it had helped everybody in this region as well,” he said.

Xi voiced concern on Wednesday at a Chinese-run security forum in Shanghai over the United States deepening its military alliances in Asia, indicating China felt it was being targeted.

“To beef up an entrenched or military alliance targeted at a third party is not conducive to maintaining common security,” Xi told an Asian regional security forum in Shanghai.

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OPINION

With decisive rebuke, US eyes long haul in Thailand

BY SHAUN TANDON

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2014 (AFP) - In swiftly punishing Thailand’s military for seizing power, the United States is looking beyond short-term interests as it braces for prolonged strife in its oldest Asian ally.

Within hours after the army took control of Thailand on Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the coup as having “no justification” and urged the quick restoration of democracy and press freedom.

The United States suspended $3.5 million in defense assistance, or about a third of its total aid to Thailand, and canceled ongoing military exercises with the kingdom ─ a vital US ally for decades, including in the Vietnam War. Washington also scrapped planned visits by senior officials, as well as a US government-sponsored firearms training program for the Royal Thai Police that had been scheduled to start Monday.

The United States had repeatedly warned the Thai military to stay on the sidelines. But some experts say the army considers the domestic stakes too high to be constrained by international opinion.

Thailand’s two main political forces are widely seen as battling for influence to determine the shape of the kingdom following the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-serving monarch, who is widely revered but is 86 and has suffered ill health.

“I don’t think we have a lot of leverage, to be honest. Their political crisis is a once-in-a-century confrontation on who is going to be able to say what the order of power will be in the new Thailand after the succession,” said Ernie Bower, the Southeast Asia chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“But in the long run, I think that the Thai people will remember what our position was and what we stand for, even if we weren’t able to move the dial very much.”

Char ng different course than China Analysts warned of an immediate risk for Washington as the Thai military could further embrace China.

President Barack Obama has put a top priority on “pivoting” US power to Asia, building alliances amid concern in several nations over China’s rise.

Thailand, which historically has sought alliances with pre-eminent powers, has better relations with China than do many of its neighbors. China has not criticized the army takeover and was the first to recognize the last coup in 2006, leading to closer defense cooperation.

The United States suffered lasting damage to its reputation for supporting authoritarian regimes during the Cold War in a number of countries, including Argentina, Chile, Greece, Iran and several Central American nations.

But Washington has hardly shifted consistently in the opposite direction.

US officials last year went through linguistic acrobatics to avoid calling the Egyptian military’s takeover a coup, a designation that under domestic law requires aid suspension.

Kerry went so far last year as to say that the Egyptian army was “restoring democracy” by ousting elected president Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist whose performance in office had faced criticism.

US officials declined to compare decisions on Egypt and Thailand, saying only that Washington considered the two situations to be separate.

In Thailand, General Prayut Chan-O-Cha openly declared a coup, which “didn’t really leave a lot of wiggle room, but it does seem that Kerry’s statement was pretty harsh,” said Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

A harsher coup The quick US reaction comes amid predictions that the coup will be harsher than in 2006, when the army tossed out populist tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra as premier but his sister Yingluck Shinawatra swept to power democratically five years later.

“What the military learned in 2006 was, from their view, that they did not prescribe the right medicine. It was not strong enough to guarantee later outcomes,” said Thongchai Winichakul, a history professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who was a Thai student leader in the 1970s.

Thongchai said that international pressure could be more effective if coup supporters saw effects in Thailand beyond just cuts in military ties.

The coup “hurts their reputation, but the conservative royalist establishment is hoping that soon the international community will forget what happened,” he said.

Pinoys slightly less optimistic about the future – SWS

MANILA, May 26 (Mabuhay) – A new survey by pollster Social Weather Stations concluded that Filipinos were slightly less optimistic about their future in the first quarter of 2014, compared to last December.

The poll found that more respondents, 38 percent, expected the quality of their lives to improve, while 9 percent said they expect their lives to worsen. This accounted for a “high” net personal optimism score of +29 - lower than the “very high” +33 (41 percent optimists minus 8 percent pessimists) in December.

Also, of the respondents asked if their lives had changed in the last 12 months, 26 percent said their lives had improved, and 32 percent said their lives worsened. This comes to a net gainers score of a “fair” -6, a slight improvement from the “mediocre” -13 (23 percent gainers versus 37 percent losers) in December.

Meanwhile, 28 percent of respondents said they believe the economy would get better, while 19 percent said it would deteriorate. This meant a “high” net score of +9, slightly better than the +8 (30 percent optimistic against 21 percent pessimistic) in December.

The SWS considers net personal optimism scores of +30 and above as “very high,” and those from +20 to +29 as “high.” Scores of +10 to +19 are “fair,” +1 to +9 are “mediocre,” zero to -9 are “low” and -10 and below “very low.”

SWS considers net optimism scores of -30 and below as classified as “very low” and -20 to -29 as “low.”

Zero to -9 is considered “fair” with the SWS saying a “slightly negative score is already better than nor-

mal.” A score of -10 to -19 is “mediocre” while +1 to +9 is “high” and +10 and above is “very high.”

The SWS poll was taken from March 27 to 30, and used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide. Sampling error margins of ±3% for national and ±6% for area percentages applied to the survey.

NCR and net personal optimism The SWS blamed a downgrade in Metro Manila for the decrease in the overall net personal optimism.

In Metro Manila, net personal optimism fell by six points to a “high” 29 percent, the lowest since +25 in December 2009.

Net personal optimism in Balance Luzon fell by seven points to +32 but is still “very high.”

It went up two points in the Visayas for a “high” +24, and down three points in Mindanao to +26.

Socioeconomic class, the economy Net personal optimism saw an upgrade among the ABC socioeconomic classes with a again of 14 points to a “very high” +40.

It went up three points to a “high” +27 in Class E, but saw a six-point downgrade to a “high” +29 among the Class D or masa.

Meanwhile, the poll found that net optimism on the economy “barely changed.”

Net optimism about the economy saw an upgrade in Metro Manila by three points to a “very high” +10; and in Mindanao where it went up 10 points to a “very high” +14.

It went up three points to a “high” +7 in the Visayas, but went down in Balance Luzon by five points to a “high” +8.

Roar of support for pope in dusty streets of Amman

BY ELLA IDE

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Vice President for Operations

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AMMAN, May 24, 2014 (AFP) - The roar of crowds welcoming Pope Francis to Jordan echoed in the dust-filled streets surrounding Amman’s stadium on Saturday, where families waving Vatican flags chanted his name under the hot desert sun.

“It’s a great feeling. I am so happy. We’ve come all the way here ─ young and old, men, women and children ─ to see the pope. We need his blessing,” said Warda Khoury, 23, from the northeastern city of Mafraq. Touching down in the capital at lunchtime, at the start of his first tour of the Holy Land, the pope was met by two children dressed in traditional Jordanian costume who handed him bouquets of iris, the national flower of Jordan.

Well-wishers cried “Long live the pope” and waved Vatican flags as the small white car carrying the pontiff snaked in a motorcade across the city under the watchful eye of armed security guards, who handed out water to the crowds.

“Francis is a global phenomenon, it’s hugely exciting to be here to see him. Just his presence is a symbol of hope and the possibility of change,” said Bernadette, a 29-year-old housekeeper from the Philippines who lives in Amman.

As the crowd-loving pope entered the stadium on an open-topped jeep, he smiled and waved to the masses, his white skullcap flying off in the breeze.

Babies and toddlers were passed up to him for a quick blessing as balloons were released into the air and an Arabic pop song echoed through the stadium.

Thousands of people were packed into blue and

red chairs in front of a large altar, over which was draped with a yellow and white canopy and behind which hung posters of John Paul II and John XXIII, whom Francis canonized last month.

Youngsters wrapped in blue “PEACE” flags crowded near the big screens to get a better view, and chased after the pope’s jeep calling out “Francis! Francis!” Job Arts, who came to see the pontiff from Holland with his 15-year-old son, said it was “a unique chance to see someone who is inspiring a whole generation bring his message of peace and friendship to this region.”

“I don’t think he can change things, but he can make people think,” he said.

The pope had been greeted by a rousing Scottish bagpipes reel at the palace, where he met King Abdullah II and Queen Rania—a vocal campaigner for cross-cultural and interfaith dialogue—who matched the pope in white, with a dress with red flowers on the hem.

There, the pope gave his first speech of the trip, calling for religious freedom in a region ravaged by war and bloodshed, where a dwindling Christian population faces daily persecution.

Catholic mother-of-three Leen said his words were “hugely important. I fear for my children’s future if nothing is done to protect Christians here.”

But 18-year-old Laith, who works in a small corner shop near the palace and followed the pope’s speech on Twitter, said “he was right to call for peace, but how much really can a man in a white robe do to change things in our land?”

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UTREACH Gunman ‘not a danger’ pre-rampage: police

By Robyn BECK

SANTA BARBARA, May 25, 2014 (AFP) ─ A 22-year-old man who murdered six people in a violent rampage in California had previously convinced police he was not a threat to others.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said Sunday that authorities were alerted on April 30 to concerns about Elliot Rodger, who took his own life after Friday’s killing spree in the town of Isla Vista, outside of the University of California at Santa Barbara.

A mental health department official requested a welfare check on Rodger following the tip-off, and sheriff’s deputies subsequently visited the troubled man.

But police took no further action after Rodger explained to deputies that “it was a misunderstanding,” Brown told CNN. “He was able to convince them that he was not at that point a danger to himself or anyone else.”

Looking back, “we certainly, you know, wish that we could turn the clock back and maybe change some things,” Brown said in a separate interview on CBS television’s “Face the Nation.”

However, there were no grounds for placing Rodger on an involuntary hold, an order that allows authorities to commit individuals to a mental health facility for further observation, Brown said.

Rodger stabbed to death three men in his apartment, before going on a shooting spree nearby and killing two young women and

another young man.

Another 13 people were wounded in the attack, two of whom remain in serious condition.

Questions about how Rodger was free to carry out his bloody assault have swirled after it emerged he left several written manifestos and videos posted online explaining his motives, some of which were uploaded weeks before Friday’s rampage.

Rodger, who had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, wrote about his meeting with police in a 140-page manifesto-autobiography titled “My Twisted World.”

He said the police asked him if he had suicidal thoughts and he “tactfully told them it was all a misunderstanding, and they finally left.”

Cache of weapons, bullets Rodger, son of Hollywood director Peter Rodger, wrote that he feared the police would discover the cache of weapons and bullets hidden in his room and arrest him.

“If they had demanded to search my room... that would have ended everything.

For a few horrible seconds, I thought it was all over,” he wrote. “When they left, the biggest wave of relief swept over me. It was so scary.” It was not clear whether police had checked to see if Rodger owned any firearms when they visited him.

Had they done so, they would have discovered that Rodger had legally purchased three firearms.

Brown said the case would renew debate about the easy availability of firearms.

SCE crew works with Fontana officials to safely return a fallen young bird to its nest

By Paul Netter

Even birds of prey sometimes need help.

In this instance, it was a young red-tailed hawk on Monday that was probably trying to fly for the first time but had fallen and couldn’t return to its nest about 60 feet up on a transmission tower near Fontana’s Southridge community.

The Fontana Police Department, when notified by nearby residents of the hawk’s predicament, called Southern California Edison (SCE). The fire department responded first but quickly realized that returning the hawk to its nest was unsafe, leaving the job to an SCE crew.

“This time of year we often get these calls regarding a young bird that has fallen out of a nest on our facilities,” said Kara Donohue, an SCE senior biologist. This is a rather common occurrence with young birds almost ready to leave the nest.”

When Wayne Williams, an SCE Safety and Environmental specialist, arrived, Fontana animal services officer Jaime Simmons had already secured the hawk inside a compartment in her vehicle. They then, in consultation with Donohue and other SCE operations, explored their alternatives.

“In speaking with Kara, the best alternative was to reintroduce the hawk to its nest and its mother,” said Williams. But trying to return one to a nest was new for Mike Ward, a senior transmission patrolman, and John Egan, a lineman, who had been around hawks, but had never handled one before.

Before the attempt, they were lifted up to the nest in a bucket truck to inspect it. They found another young hawk in it and the mother, which flew out when they approached.

“We do a lot of climbing to wash insulators, so

Police warns of phone scam in Glendale

The Glendale Police Department would like to warn residents about a phone scam that has victimized many in our community and surrounding areas. Residents and business owners have received phone calls from individuals identifying themselves as law enforcement, federal agents or city employees informing them they need to purchase a “MoneyPak”, “Reloadit,” or other legitimate prepaid card with a specific amount and forward them the information to avoid being arrested.

The callers claim one of the following: The resident owes the IRS tax money and if not paid, an arrest warrant will be issued.

The resident has not paid their utility bill and if payment is not made, their utilities will be shut off immediately.

The resident did not report to Jury Duty and an arrest warrant is being issued unless the fine is paid.

The resident has a family member who has been arrested and if bail is not paid by phone, the family member will be jailed for a longer period of time.

I’ve been close to birds’ nests,” said Ward. “I kind of knew what to expect from the mother and how she would react.”

Based on this and hoping to keep the grounded hawk from panicking upon its return, the crew came up with a novel approach.

Ward and Egan tied and knotted a rope to a fivegallon bucket and placed the hawk inside with the lid put on lightly. They then were lifted up to a crossbar adjacent to the nest. Once there, they secured the bucket to the cross member, pulled the lid off and backed away. And what happened next couldn’t have gone better: The hawk hopped out of the bucket and back into its nest. The crew then quickly left, very pleased with the outcome.

“If we had just put the bird in the bucket, it would have probably panicked or tried to fly away again,” said Ward, of the process that took about 15 minutes. “But we put it in the bucket and turned it sideward and re-tied it to the steel tower and slowly opened the lid and backed away, allowing it to come out and hop back in the nest. “It went just as planned.” Williams agreed, saying, “From a personal perspective, it was very cool to see. The mother became alarmed and stood up on the cross rail and made that unmistakable hawk noise. And we opted to leave quickly. The whole idea was to minimally disturb the nest and the birds.”

Donohue, who works in SCE’s avian protection program and advises field crews on protecting birds in the utility’s service territory, was perhaps the most pleased, saying, “The best option is to get [the hawk] back up in the nest or at the least off the ground and try and perch it in the tower or nearby vegetation so no ground predators can get to it.

Former Balita editor David Casuco, 57, writes 30

Remembering happy times with our ‘Teddy Bear’

By Myrna Aquitania

The sad news on the sudden passing of our “Teddy Bear” David Casuco was not only shocking but numbing. Media colleague Lydia Solis (of Philippine News) and I shared Dave as our “huggable Teddy Bear” – a caring, charming and lovable friend.

Though I’ve never met his family, Dave would relate how happy he was whenever he went home to his family on weekends to bond with them, particularly his son, Justin, who he spoke of so lovingly; David Casuco, flanked by his best friends Myrna Aquitania He enjoyed playing with their and Lydia Solis of Philippine News (right). dog, cleaning him up and dog-sitting.

There were times when he would call that night. Unbelievably so, he had a me from the Greyhound station in Rose- good karaoke voice.

Unforgettable were our numerous mead, to ask if I could pick him up so we could have lunch in Chinatown or to his “happy hour” afternoons at the Cheesefavorite restaurant called Pista Sa Bar- cake Factory in Glendale. Dave loved rio in Eagle Rock, whom he called the the ambience there as well as the selecplace that served his “to die for” pancit tion of happy hour food along with his bihon and surely, we always had fun favorite mojito. There were times when we would go see a movie after savoring bonding whenever we were together.

Looking back, Dave strived to win the happy hour food and we would have the weekly “Biggest Loser” contest at ice cream or coffee before heading home.

Like my little kid brother, Dave was the Balita/US Asian Post office, where he was our outstanding editor. He had excited receiving the souvenir shirt I quite a sense of humor, which only a few gave him from Paris, which he liked of us knew; he had the ability to make wearing all the time, particularly when you laugh, particularly when he related he’s with me; he even bragged about it his stories of the ‘aswangs” who “fol- on his last “Thanksgiving” article.

Thanks for all the happy memories, lowed” him when he visited Siquijor.

Once, the three of us (Lydia, Dave Dave. We will forever treasure the great and I) went to watch a movie at a theatre friendship you’ve shown to all of us.

Our staff at the office of Balita Media nearby, and as soon as we sat on the comfy chairs inside the dark theatre, Dave Inc., will surely miss his unassuming started snoring, sleeping like a baby. Lyd- smile and charming personality. Dave ia and I looked at each other and allowed was also an editor of numerous Filipinohim to dream his time away because he American publications, including Caliwas probably tired, but we pinched him fornia Examiner and Ang Peryodiko. to get his attention and asked him to go Before coming to the U.S., Dave was a sports writer for Times Journal, a daily ahead with his quiet sleep.

On his birthday celebration last year newspaper in the Philippines.

Dave is survived by his wife, Susan, at the Kapistahan Restaurant on Temple, Dave had a blast singing Visayan son Justin and daughters Daphne and songs at the karaoke bar where it was Rose Anne. Memorial services will be packed with his friends greeting him announced soon.

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4,500 pirated DVDs confiscated from Pinoy store in Long Beach Co-owner arrested; Hundreds of pirated ABS-CBN TFC movies, teleserye DVDs seized LONG BEACH, CA, May 20, 2014 – The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and private industry investigators stormed recently into a Filipino store at the Santa Fe Center on Santa Fe Avenue in Long Beach, California after an investigation found out that the owners were selling and renting out pirated DVDs. A total of 4,500 pirated DVDs with a value of over US$90,000 were confiscated by LASD from F.L.B. Video Pinoy, together with a computer, external hard drives, a disc burner and a burner tower, among others, to duplicate DVDs illegally for rent or for sale at US$10 apiece. A fifth of the seized DVDs were films and TV shows from ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema and TFC. The said center on Santa Fe Avenue is a hub for Filipinos living in the City of Long Beach as it has an oriental supermarket, cargo and money remittance services, and restaurants serving Filipino and Asian food, among others. F.L.B. Video Pinoy, which is a retail store offering media and telecommunications-based subscription services and pirated DVDs, was benefitting from the traffic of Filipino customers that flows into the area.

“I would say that this is a midlevel distribution and manufacturing.

But we can’t be deceived by the small mom and pop type of shop because the amount of parts you can mass produce in a very short period of time is really incredible,” said Kris Buckner, president of Investigative Consultants (IC).

A Filipina described by investigators as a co-owner of the store was arrested during the raid while an arrest warrant was issued for the store’s owner, Fernando Legaspi Bernabe, who ran and lost for the Long Beach City Council four years ago. Both are facing felony charges.

The store has floor to ceiling metal shelves offering miscellaneous illegal DVDs including ABS-CBN titles for sale.

“You know it’s fake because the images on the cover are weird and there are typos in the print. Then when you open it, there’s a purple glow on the back of the DVDs,” explained LASD Deputy Chris Figueroa.

This is the third Filipino business raid this year for alleged DVD piracy in Southern California. ABS-CBN has partnered with law enforcement and investigators to step up its anti-piracy

campaigns throughout the world in 2014 to ensure that the content that is distributed, whether in DVD or digital form, is the best experience for its customers.

Moreover, the company combats piracy as it is a known to finance other criminal activities, including terrorism, and it also impacts detrimentally the industry workers and communities.

“It’s all over the U.S. and all over the world. Hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs due to the risks of counterfeiting and piracy. And with that, obviously we’re not able to fund schools and hospitals because we’re losing tax revenues that fund them,” said Sgt. Janice Munson of LASD COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services).

ABS-CBN has partnered with Los Angeles Regional Crimestoppers (www.LACrimeStoppers.org) and they will investigate anti-piracy tips reported anywhere in the US. For more information, visit http://abscbnantipiracy.wordpress.com/ (Reports from Nerissa Fernandez of ABS-CBN International & Steve Angeles of Balitang America).

(Clockwise from top left) LASD Deputy Chris Figueroa and Sgt. Janice Munson of LASD COPS explain how to spot pirated DVDs; LASD and private investigators raided F.L.B. Video Pinoy on Santa Fe Avenue in Long Beach, and seized thousands of pirated DVDs; TFC Balitang America reporter Steve Angeles talks with investigator Kris Buckner; among the seized items were a disc burner and a burner tower that were reproducing ABS-CBN Star Cinema movies. (Photos by NMFernandez/ABS-CBN TFC)

8th Historic Filipinotown 5K RUN June 14; new route, new challenge

BY ARTURO P. GARCIA

Los Angeles – The 8th Historic Filipinotown 5K RUN June 14, 2014 will take a different route after taking the TempleHoover Route for eight years.

This time, the 8th Historic Filipinotown 5K RUN will take the Bonnie Brae, Beverly to Robinson route and back.

It’s a different route but a new challenge Temple-Hoover did not have. It’s the forward slope and the reverse slope back that will test the 5K runner’s stamina and speed.

People will remember the same route was taken during the First 5K Run in 2006, The route was from Court Street to Roselake St to 3rd and Commonwealth St. and back.

And then in 2007, it was changed to Temple and Hoover until 2013.

The event started by the Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council (HFNC) in 2006 as a part of the Historic Filipino Town Festival in honor of the designation of Historic Filipinotown district by the Los Angeles City Council in 2002, will

be held on Saturday, June 14, 2014.

5K Run, A Filipino Independence Day Run Cecille Ramos, President of HFNC said, “ This is the first time that the HFT 5K Run will be held separately from the annual Historic Filipinotown Festival usually held every August or summer of the year. This time, the 5K run will be held in honor of the 116th Philippine Independence Day celebrated every June 12 every year.”

Ramos explained.

On June 12, 1898, the Philippine revolutionary government declared the Independence of the Philippines from colonizer Spain. That was the time before the American forces intervened and occupied Manila and started the occupation of the Philippines on August 13, 1898.

It took the Filipinos to initiate more than 300 revolts to finally raised a national revolution from August 23, 1896 to June 1898 to finally be free from colonialism. The Philippines became the first Asian nation to declare its independence and be free from a European colonizer. A MultiEthnc Community Sports Event According to the HFNC organizers, more than 6,000 runners have participated in the eight years of the 5K run from 2006.At least more than 800 runners participate annually at the 5K RUN.

One of Southern California’s leading Filipino-American bands is holding an album launch event this coming Friday, May 30, at Gerry’s Grill Artesia at 9 p.m.

Browndition album launch at Gerry’s Grill Artesia May 30

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One of Southern California’s leading FilipinoAmerican bands is holding an album launch event this coming Friday, May 30, at Gerry’s Grill Artesia at 9 p.m.

Browndition, a Los Angeles-based Filipino band known for their OPM pop music, is made up Kris Ivan Bacani (Vocals/Guitars), John Loveres (Vocals/Bass), John “Keisy” Hicban (Keyboards) and Jayson Vera Cruz (Drums).

Sponsored by Cerritos Mitsubishi and Pinoy Radio, Friday’s launch will have special guests Introvoys, and the lovely, Miss Antoinette Taus.

Browndition harnesses the talents of each of its members coming from different musical stages in their carreer and musical backgrounds, and communicating it through a wide variety of listeners.

Browndition’s music was born from gospel, RNB, and alternative genres, which were all infused to pop music with a Filipino taste.

Browndition was initiated by Bacani and Hicban in 2007 at a small apartment in West Covina. The similarities of their musical influences and genre paved the way for the formation of the band. In 2008, Browndition will never be the same with the addition of John Loveres (Vocals/Bass). The encounter took place at Bamboo Bistro West Covina where Kris and Keisy regularly play on the weekends. John met with the band and jammed a few...and the rest is history.

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Vinegar: the Expert recommends next superfood? conservative correction for senior vision problems

(Relaxnews) – Between the balsamic, sherry and red wine vinegars on our salads and the alcohol vinegars in our cleaning products, the applications for the acidic liquid are virtually endless.

But can vinegar be considered a health food?

A report published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in the Journal of Food Science shows that certain types of vinegar could actually offer significant health benefits.

According to the studies cited in the article, vinegar is rich in antioxidants, which could reduce accelerated aging and even slow the development of certain cancers or degenerative brain disorders. The

authors of the report also point to vinegar’s antibacterial properties, its ability to reduce the effects of diabetes, and its contribution to improved cardiovascular health and blood pressure. Vinegar is also said to help athletes recuperate after intense physical effort.

Finally, the report notes that individuals who consume certain types of vinegar on a daily basis have been shown to have lower appetites: a finding that could be applied when developing weight loss plans for obese patients.

The authors at the IFT nonetheless indicated that further research will be necessary to validate any claims regarding vinegar’s health benefits.

E-cigarettes attracting nonsmokers to nicotine, EU warns (Relaxnews) – A precious aid to many smokers in their efforts to quit, e-cigarettes are nonetheless likely to attract non-smokers and lead to higher rates of nicotine addiction, cautions the European Commission in its “Ecigarettes Myth Buster” report.

Electronic cigarettes encourage smoking behaviors, the EU’s governing body observes, citing recent studies suggesting that “e-cigarettes are increasingly used by non-smokers and young people.”

A French study carried out in 2013, for example, indicated that the number of Parisian students who had tried vaping had doubled during the year to reach 18 percent. And users become more likely to try out traditional tobacco products once they have tried out smoking behaviors and experienced a nicotine buzz through vaping.

Nonetheless, there is some evidence that e-cigarettes, the health effects of which are largely unknown, can help smokers to give up their bad habit.

Smokers looking to wean themselves off of nicotine with the device should start with an appropriately dosed e-liquid. The maximum strength authorized for sale is typically 20mg/ml.

Though most smokers will find they can quit with this dosage or a much lower one, very heavy smokers can obtain a prescription for a higher dosage from a doctor if needed.

(Relaxnews) – Just as fading vision can lead to accidents, seniors adjusting to recent vision interventions are likely to encounter difficulties finding their balance, says David B. Elliott, PhD, whose studies on senior optometry earned him the 2013 Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award.

Elderly patients often experience difficulties adjusting to large changes in spectacle prescription, says Elliott, making bifocals and other dual-purpose lenses more of a challenge than a convenience for new patients.

To reduce the chance of distorted peripheral vision caused by magnification, Elliott recommends that optometrists begin with a risk assessment when treating seniors, and cautions against aggressive treatment.

“Indeed, if a patient reports no problems with vision but simply requests a new frame, ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ is an appropriate clinical maxim,” says Elliott.

Progressive lenses or bifocals should be prescribed for seniors only when absolutely necessary, in his opinion, adding that optometrists would do best to avoid transitioning patients to them who have a history of falls or who have, until now, worn single vision lenses.

“Older frail people may have greater difficulty adapting to such changes and be at increased risk of falling during this adaptation period,” says Elliott.

While seniors are prone to falls

The ‘Meme’ collection uses tiny electrooculogram sensors to detect energy levels, eye strain and fatigue, meaning there is no need for unsightly cameras. JINS MEME screenshot video ©2014 YouTube, LLC

for many reasons, including muscle weakness and various disabilities associated with old age, vision problems are a leading cause, according to Elliott.

Given this statistic, researchers are surprised to find only a negligible reduction in falls for patients receiving both surgical and medical interventions for vision problems, suggesting that an initial risk assessment could be of greater importance than previ-

ously thought.

Healthy adults over age 65 are likely to fall at least once per year, and the risk increases exponentially with age.

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among elderly US citizens, according to the Center for Disease Control.

Elliott’s research appears in the June 2014 issue of The Journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

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MOTORING New Mercedes C-Class: A car for all reasons

(Relaxnews) – The new C-Class Estate is roomier, more practical, more economical and a whole lot more stylish than its predecessor and is the first ever car in Mercedes-Benz range to get its new Connect Me technology.

It means that owners won’t have to do anything as 20th century as actually going out to their car and getting inside it to check things like fuel level or to turn on the heating or air conditioning. The car’s built-in SIM means that the vehicle, and a host of its controls and settings, can be accessed remotely via a smartphone.

But the cool technological touches don’t end there. One of the main reasons for buying an estate or wagon rather than a hatchback or sedan is for the extra load space and Mercedes has a neat trick for solving that problem of not being able to open the tailgate because both hands are full of shopping or flat-pack furniture. Just get close and sweep a foot under the rear bumper and the tailgate will automatically open. Totally hands-free.

When the car goes on sale in September it will be offered with a choice of efficient yet potent gasoline or diesel engines (a plug-in diesel hybrid version will be coming in 2015) but whatever the specification, power is delivered to the rear wheels to im-

prove handling and remind the driver that as well as a practical car for everyday use, it’s also more than capable of putting a smile on your face.

The wagon shares the same chassis as the C-Class sedan (though extended at the rear) so it should be nimbler than its stance suggests and it shares the same exterior good looks. Mercedes’s design team has managed to integrate the estate’s load bay without breaking up the lines.

Inside, the cabin is bigger than that of the outgoing model and this will be most noticeable for rear-seat passengers who get more leg, head and shoulder room, while there’s also an extra 10 liters of space in the boot.

As for the driver and front passenger, they will be dazzled by the host of technological toys on show – it even has a head-up display. The car is packed with a number of active driver aid and infotainment features that the company used to reserve solely for the flagship S-Class.

As a result, the car’s so smart, it can monitor fatigue levels and politely encourage the driver to pull over and take a break. It will even suggest a suitable café, restaurant or hotel.

The C-Class Estate is available for pre-order and configuration now and will officially go on sale in September.

Suzuki recalls 180,000 GM-made cars NEW YORK, May 23, 2014 (AFP) ─ Japan’s Suzuki Motors on Friday recalled 180,000 cars made by General Motors’ Daewoo subsidiary, as the US automaker fights accusations it hid deadly problems in some cars.

Suzuki, a partner with GM in several markets, said the 20042008 model year Forenzas and Renos have headlight switches that can overheat and melt, with risk of fire.

Suzuki had the cars made by GM Daewoo, now named GM Korea, for export to the US market.

The budget cars are called Lacetti in South Korea.

The announcement comes after a recall beginning in February of more than 13 million vehicles by the US automaker, mostly in American and Canadian markets.

The company has admitted to having stalled for years addressing a faulty ignition problem in a number of US-made models that

would shut down a car’s electrical systems, including airbag deployment, while the car was still under power.

That problem has been tied to possibly hundreds of accidents and at least 13 deaths.

The company is under investigation by the Justice Department and by Congress for the delayed ignition recall, and was fined a record $35 million last week by the US safety regulator.

The company also faces multiple lawsuits from victims which analysts say could ultimately cost it billions of dollars in possible settlements.

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The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate The new car is bigger, more practical and fuel efficient than the outgoing model. ©Mercedes-Benz

US wins WTO case against China on luxury cars

By Shaun Tandon WASHINGTON, May 23, 2014 (AFP) – The WTO on Friday rejected Chinese tariffs on US-made luxury cars, handing Washington a victory on one of the growing number of disputes between the world’s two largest economies.

A World Trade Organization panel, responding to a US complaint, found that China was inconsistent with the global body’s rules when it imposed tariffs in December 2011 over alleged US dumping and subsidies.

China, the largest foreign market for US automakers after Canada, ended the tariffs in December 2013 as the WTO case progressed. But a US official said Washington insisted that the WTO formally rule against the measures to ensure they stay off the books. “The message is clear – China must follow the rules, just like other WTO members,” US Trade Representative Michael Froman told reporters, echoing a common message from President Barack Obama’s administration when responding to concerns about Beijing.

“Americans deserve to compete on a fair and level playing field, and we will never stop fighting to ensure that our trading partners

live up to the commitments they made in our international trade agreements,” Froman said.

China imposed the tariffs over what it said were unfair US practices amid a raft of trade disputes. But Froman noted that the United States had won in all three cases that had come to WTO resolution, the others concerning steel products and broiled chickens.

The WTO decision came at the end of an especially tense week between the two powers, with the United States on Monday for the first time indicting Chinese military officers for allegedly stealing trade secrets through hacking.

China in 2011 had imposed tariffs for alleged dumping – selling in a foreign market at below home-market prices – that ranged from 2.0 to 21.5 percent.

It also slapped tariffs of up to 12.9 percent for what it said were US subsidies.

Consumers in China, unlike those in some more developed Asian nations such as Japan and South Korea, have shown a strong appetite for cars from the United States as incomes grow.

In 2013, the United States sold $8.5 billion in cars to China, about 13 percent of global US auto exports. The US Trade Rep-

resentative’s office said that the duties in question affected more than half of US car exports to China.

The tariffs applied to cars from Detroit’s Big Three – General Motors, Chrysler and Ford Motor – and also to automobiles from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Honda that were manufactured in the United States.

US lawmakers, who frequently accuse China of using unfair trading practices to sell low-cost goods overseas, cast the WTO decision as a victory for ensuring the world’s largest developing economy abides by rules of the WTO, which it joined in 2001.

“It is laughable for China, the biggest dumping perpetrator in the world, to claim that US vehicle exports are being sold in China below the cost of production when they are obviously not,” said Senator Carl Levin, who represents the auto state of Michigan. China did not immediately react to Friday’s ruling. The state-run Xinhua news agency noted that the WTO did not agree with all US points and quoted a commerce ministry spokesman as saying in 2011 that US subsidies and dumping had “substantially harmed” China’s auto industry.

Volkswagen teases new Passat’s high-tech credentials (Relaxnews) – Lighter, more efficient and packed with technology, the new Passat could set a new benchmark in the family car segment when Lighter, more efficient and packed with technology, the new could set a new benchmark in the family car segment it officially Passat when it officially launches later this year. launches later this year. That’s what Volkswagen is driving at with the first official sketches and specifications relating to the eighth generation of the sedan, scheduled for its public unveiling at the Paris motor show this October. The new car promises more interior and luggage space than its predecessor, yet is somehow smaller than the outgoing model. Use of lightweight materials in the construction process has also led to a car that is 85kg lighter so as to cut down on fuel costs. VW claims that by putting the car on a diet it should be 20 percent more fuel efficient.

Other fuel-saving measures include offering the car as a plugin hybrid for the first time. The battery pack alone will be able to power the vehicle for 31 miles (50km) and when both drivetrains are working together, drivers should be able to get a range of 600 miles (965km) between refueling stops.

There’s also some power with environmental responsibility on offer. The 2015 Passat will be getting a four-cylinder, 2-liter twin-turbo diesel engine with 240PS and 500Nm of torque on tap, mated to a new seven-speed paddle change gearbox and 4Motion all-wheel drive system.

In terms of technology, the Passat will be the first VW to get the company’s new digital dashboard – a 12.3-inch configurable display, augmented by a driver’s head up display that will project the most relevant info directly on to the windshield.

It is also getting Park Assist for autonomously navigating the ins and outs of supermarket carparks and a 360° camera view option so that the driver can see right around the car when maneuvering in tight spaces.

A technology that will be making its world debut on the Passat is something called automatic Trailer Assist, which is designed to make driving, turning and reversing while towing easier.

Volkswagen will be releasing more details, including the first official photos of the new car, in July, before its in-the-flesh reveal in the French capital this autumn.

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The Mini Superleggera Vision: A British car in a tailored Italian suit (Relaxnews) – A show car that marries cutting-edge technology with centuries old craftsmanship, the Mini Superleggera Vision is what happens when an Italian coachbuilder is given free rein to reimagine a British icon.

Since BMW resurrected the Mini brand, the company has tried to stretch the car into different shapes, sizes and categories in order to extend its appeal, and sometimes with varying results.

However, there can be no questioning the decision to partner with Touring Superleggera, the legendary Milanese design studio and coachbuilder, on a special one-off lightweight roadster.

The result, revealed at this weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este classic car gathering, is a two-seater, open-top sports car, with a slightly extended wheelbase enclosed in a hand-shaped and formed aluminum body.

It is a car that pays homage to the history of the Mini and to British sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as to the work that Touring and other coachbuilders like it have been doing almost since the birth of the car itself.

“Mini and Touring both believe that proportions are the key factor of beauty, and share the same values of essentiality and innovation,” says Louis de Fabribeckers, head of design of Touring Superleggera.

He adds, “In this car all unnecessary equipment or decoration is sacrificed, as performance is gained through lightness and efficiency of the bodywork and interior. The Italian touch is in the proportions and the typical waistline.”

Under the hand-crafted skin and away from the premium quality leather of the interior is a 21st century all-electric drivetrain, the performance figures for which BMW isn’t providing. But that’s not surprising seeing as this car is focused almost 100 percent on looks.

This is the first Mini to officially get the Italian design treatment, however, it is the second time in two years that BMW has turned to an Italian design studio to create a stunning concept vehicle. Last year, the German carmaker partnered with Pininfarina to create the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé, a magnificent V12-engined luxury GT car compete with a fossilized wood interior.

The BMW Vision Gran Turismo. The virtual car gets a real-life launch. ©BMW AG

BMW debuts Gran Turismo car (Relaxnews) – A new dedicated track car, quite literally aimed at the PlayStation generation, the BMW Vision Gran Turismo can only be driven by players of the sixth installment of the leading racing simulator title.

However, just because it’s heading for a HD display rather than the Nurburgring, it doesn’t mean that BMW’s engineers haven’t taken the job of developing and testing the car anything other than extremely seriously.

So, it boasts an engine developed by the company’s ‘M’ division and capable of pumping out 549 virtual horsepower from its

six in-line cylinders. The engine is milked of all of this power thanks to a sequential six-speed transmission, operated by gearshift paddles on the steering wheel, while handling is taken care of thanks to a perfect 50:50 weight distribution and a curb weight of just 1180kg.

BMW’s virtual car is the latest to be revealed as part of the “Gran Turismo 6 PlayStation 3” game and follows similar virtual reveals from Mercedes Benz and Toyota and future cars from the likes of Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin which will be revealed soon.

To mark the title’s 15th anniversary in 2013, Gran Turismo’s creator Kazunori Yamauchi, approached a number of the world’s leading carmakers with the idea of creating special concept cars that would appear in the game via online updates.

As well as via the latest Gran Turismo update, BMW fans will be able to experience the car for themselves at BMW Welt in Munich. The company has set up a special racing seat surrounded by a three-screen display so that virtual test drivers of the new car get a truly lifelike, immersive experience.

GM Holden recalls nearly 46,000 vehicles in Australia, NZ

MINI Superleggera Vision. The car’s body is made from hand-shaped aluminum panels. ©Mini UK

WASHINGTON, May 26, 2014 (AFP) - A General Motors subsidiary said Monday it would recall nearly 46,000 cars in Australia and New Zealand.

GM Holden ordered the recall – of about 41,933 VF Commodore and WN Caprice in Australia and 3,744 in New Zealand – due to concerns the front-seat seatbelt mechanism could face potential “wear” problems.

The recall marks embattled

GM’s 30th so far this year.

GM’s Australian subsidiary “is investigating a potential safety issue with the wiring harness on front seats in certain model year 14 VF Commodore and WN Caprice vehicles,” GM spokesman Alan Adler said. “Safety is our first priority and we will contact our customers directly if any action is required after the local investigation is finalized.”

Adler said that no problems

were found on currently deployed vehicles and that the probe began after a plant submitted an “isolated report.”

Since the beginning of the year, the top US automaker has recalled more than 13 million cars and trucks in North America for manufacturing and safety problems, as it battles criticism that it hid for years faulty ignitions tied to numerous accidents and 13 deaths.

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INMENT

Lovi Poe speaks about infidelity, love ACTRESS Lovi Poe shared she will not tolerate infidelity.

This June, the actress will top bill “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real” opposite Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes and Diamond Star Maricel Soriano.

In the story, Lovi plays the role of Shiela, a young woman who hails from a conservative family in Cebu.

She will meet Dantes’ character and will fall in love with him, without knowing that he’s already married to another woman.

Lovi shared that she’s challenged by this role, as it is very different from how she is in real life.

She said Shiela is the type of woman who is very impulsive and will always go for what she wants even if it will hurt her.

“It’s very different (from the real me) because I’m a bit aggressive here. Mabilis siyang ma-in love.

She’s very passionate and very naive. Ang bilis niyang mahulog sa mga ganitong bagay,” she said.

The actress added: “Naniniwala kasi siya na once nahanap na niya yung gusto niya, yun talaga ang i-pursue niya. She has this attitude also that the things she can’t have, she likes. She’s always in the chase.”

In real life, Lovi said she’s very shy and is sometimes hesitant to approach people. She’s also not the type who will go after the guy.

“I can’t make the first move kahit gaano ko kagusto yung isang guy. Andoon lang ako sa isang tabi.

It takes even a long time for me to even say ‘I love you’,” she said.

When asked what she will do if she is in the shoes of her character, Lovi said she’s not a martyr and

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will leave the guy for good, even if they have children.

“In the long run, ikaw din naman ang mahihirapan. So why enter a relationship that will never last.

Kaya dapat ang babae marunong talaga tumayo sa sarili niyang mga paa para she can get out of the relationship kung ganoon man ang mangyari,” she said.

If “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real” has a complicated storyline, Lovi’s current romantic life is far from one.

She’s currently dating actor Rocco Nacino, who accompanied her during her two-week European vacation.

“Actually, biglaan yun kasi the real story is that I’m going to meet my sister in London, yun lang talaga. Since we’re there na, nag-ikot ikot na din kami,” she said.

The two went to Rome, The Vatican City, Amalfi Coast, the Island of Capri, Paris and London.

Lovi shared she needed this trip before doing the upcoming GMA-7 series. She also had enough time to get to know Nacino well. “(It was) super fun kasi nakapag reflect kami and we got to go to the Vatican City. Hindi lang siya para magsaya but para makapagdasal din kami.

Matagal na din kasi akong hindi nakapag vacation and kailangan ko yun as a reset button para ma-excite magtrabaho ulit and to prepare myself to this,” she said.

“He’s (Rocco) super funny and (nalaman ko na) magaling siyang tumawad. May painting akong gusto and sobrang mahal siya. Sa street siya ng Rome and andoon yung artist, nakuha niya ng half price at dalawa pa.”

Andi speaks up about Jake, Tom Taus For the first time, Andi Eigenmann finally opened up on rumors linking her to former child actor Tom Taus following reports that her special relationship with rumored boyfriend, Jake Ejercito, is on the rocks.

Speaking to reporters during the Mega Magazine event last Thursday, Eigenmann said she and Taus are childhood friends ─ which was confirmed earlier

by Taus’ sister, Antoinette.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids. Nag-hangout kami, we were reunited as friends. Nagkataon lang ‘yun.

It’s not that nangyayari siya Andi Eigenman regularly,” she said. Saying she and Taus only see each other during events, Eigenmann stressed, “Nagkataon lang ‘yun kasi sa events nagkikita kami.

I’m busy din. I don’t really have time to go out or hangout with my friends.”

Meanwhile, Eigenmann also addressed questions about the current status of her relationship with Ejercito after she posted their picture in Boracay during the Labor Day weekend. “I think with Jake, what you see is what you get na lang.

Follow niyo na lang kami pareho sa Instagram, tapos doon niyo makikita kung ano ang nangyayari sa amin,” she said.

Last month, Eigenmann herself confirmed that she is not on good terms with Ejercito. However, she also said at that time that she wants to patch things up with him.

The two have been romantically linked since 2011. Comparing their relationship to a “guessing game,” the 23-year-old actress said, “I was never really able to give a definite answer. But ‘yun nga I’ve always been [open] sa Instagram, sa Twitter.

Nakikita niyo naman kung ano ‘yung nangyayari. Hindi naman pwede na smooth lang forever, masaya lang kayo. May mga obstacles din ‘yan.”

The two, while often seen in public together, never confirmed being officially a couple, although Eigenmann has been vocal of her feelings for Ejercito, saying at one point that what they have is “real love.” Asked if Ejercito talked to her about Taus, the “Dyesebel” star said, “Jake knows that Tom is my friend, that I’ve known him ever since.” (MNS)

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KITCHENOMICS FAMILY FEATURES

H

ere comes the sun — and the fun of dining al fresco.

When it comes to summer fare, familiar favorites are always welcome, such as burgers on the grill, sandwiches, salad, lemonade and dessert. But if the tried-and-true choices are getting a little too familiar, maybe they need a makeover.

New al fresco favorites

chopped fresh herbs (such as thyme, parsley, basil, oregano or chives) 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and pepper Drain beets well.* Cut beets in half. Cut tomato slices into quarters.

For vinaigrette, whisk together oil, vinegar, herbs and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place tomatoes in large bowl. Toss with dressing. Gently toss in beets. Serve immediately or chill. *Reserve liquid for pink lemonade, if desired.

Herbed Beet & Tomato Salad Prep time: 20 minutes Servings: 4 1 jar (16 ounces) Aunt Nellie’s Sliced Pickled Beets 2 medium yellow tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil 1/4 cup white wine or rice vinegar 1 tablespoon finely

Fudgy Beet Brownies

These deliciously doable ideas start with time-saving, quality prepared products, such as Aunt Nellie’s jarred vegetables and READ classic bean salads, that provide real homemade flavors. Here’s how:  Elevate burgers from basic to sensational with Drive Hyundai Happy. a dollop of Red Cabbage, Onion & Bacon Jam, made with sweetand-sour red cabbage, sauteed onions and smoky bacon. in Retail Sales-District WE8 #  Need a new sandwich inspiration?

Mediterranean Bean & Pita-Wiches are a combination of 3 or 4 bean salad, vegetables, olives and feta cheese stuffed into whole grain pita pockets.  Trade the traditional greens or potato salad for Herbed Beet & Tomato Salad, an updated combo of colorful sweet-tangy pickled beets, gardenfresh yellow tomatoes and herb vinaigrette.  What’s for dessert? Try Fudgy Beet Brownies, which are made with Harvard beets to keep them extra moist and yummy.  Lemonade is always a welcome thirst quencher, especially if it’s pink.

Here’s the simple secret: Just stir pickled beet liquid into prepared /month lemonade — it’s pink in with MSRP $22,415 a wink. + tax Model# 27412F4P Cheers to a new twist on favorite al fresco fare. For 36 Months Close End Lease, 12k Miles Per Year, $3,499 Due At Lease Signing, $750 Lease Cash, $500 Valued additional recipes and Owner Coupon, $500 Military Rebate, $500 Boost Up Cash & $400 College Grad. Rebate. On Approved Credit. serving suggestions, visit www.auntnellies.com and www.readsalads.com.

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Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: Per package directions Servings: 24 brownies 1 jar (15.5 ounces) Aunt Nellie’s Harvard Beets, not drained 1 box dark or milk chocolate brownie mix (for 13-by-9-inch pan)* 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks Confectioners’ sugar (optional) Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray bottom of 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place beets in blender or food processor. Puree until smooth; set aside.

Combine brownie mix, oil, eggs and pureed beets in large mixing bowl; stir until well blended.

Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake as directed on package, checking after shortest recommended baking time. Remove from oven; cool. Lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. *Note: Package sizes may vary according to brand.

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ATHLETICS PHL lures NBA veteran Blatche for World Cup MANILA, May 27, 2014 (AFP) – The Philippines is planning to fast-track citizenship for American NBA veteran Andray Blatche in a bid to give its national team much-needed extraheight and class at this year’s World Cup. The Philippine Senate on Monday passed a bill to grant citizenship to the 6-foot, 11-inch (2.11-metre) Brooklyn Nets centre.

“Blatche is possibly the best center from the NBA that we can get who is willing to shun more lucrative offers now and in the future just to be part of our national team,” said Senator Edgardo Angara, who introduced the bill.

The bill will be sent to President Benigno Aquino’s office for final approval, according to Angara.

Presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said Tuesday Aquino had yet to address the issue and could not say if or when it would be approved.

However a press release issued by the Senate on Monday said the the passing of the bill had the effect of “clearing the way” for the eight-year NBA veteran to compete at the World Cup in Spain, which starts in August.

The Philippines is a basketball-crazy nation, a legacy of American colonial rule, but its top players are generally too short to be a force in international competition.

However the Philippines came second in last year’s FIBA Asia Championship to Iran, a result which gained the Southeast Asian nation a berth in the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.

In 2011, the Philippines naturalized American Marcus Douthit, a global journeyman, and he powered the Filipino squad to its surprise result in the Asian championships.

Averaging 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds a game

Andray Blatche, a key player of the Brooklyn Nets.

this season for the Nets, the 27-year Blatche is expected to play a leading role in the Philippine team alongside Douthit. They are the same height.

While the Filipinos put up a spirited fight in last year’s Asia championships, they were no match for the towering presence of Iran’s 7-foot, 2-inch-centre, Hamed Haddadi.

Ranked 34th in the world, the Philippines will face Argentina, Greece, Croatia, Senegal and Puerto Rico in Group B.

Donaire vs Vetyeka featherweight world title match May 31 Filipino boxer Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Featherweight Fury is among the top boxers that will see action in the Featherweight Fury – a championship event with three featherweight world title main event fights The Venetian Macao this Saturday, May 31 at the Cotai Arena.

The four-division world champion and 2012 Fighter of the Year Donaire will challenge

World Boxing Association (WBA) undisputed featherweight world champion Simpiwe “V12” Vetyeka.

The Donaire-Vetyeka title fight will be televised on the same day in the U.S. on HBO, beginning at 4 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will also include the world super middleweight title rematch between defending champion Carl Froch and top contender George Groves.

14

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LACIERDA

NAVY

From page 1

From page 1

Tuesday.

He said NFW, the Navy’s primary operational command securing the West Philippine Sea, is at the “forefront” of territorial defense operations in the Kalayaan Island Group.

“Its upgraded Command Center, equipped with secure communications equipment and a satellite-based vessel tracking system, will further bolster our defense capabilities and ensure stability in the area,” Laciera said in a news conference.

Lacierda said NSCC has been “slated for redevelopment,” which includes the rehabilitation of the pier, living quarters, and other support facilities.

“These efforts are in line with the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), through

which we hope to further improve our defense capacities,” he said.

Lacierda said the government will also commemorate during Tuesday’s event the sacrifice of Marine personnel who “bravely devoted themselves to protecting our territorial and maritime borders.” “We recognize their hard work and dedication, and in them find renewed inspiration to maintain our commitment to protect our national sovereignty,” he said.

The Philippine Navy is celebrating its 116th anniversary this week.

The Philippines is embroiled in a long-standing territorial dispute over parts of the South China Sea, where the country, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also have overlapping claims. (MNS)

FOREIGNERS From page 1

passport controls, add new staff at customs and bring in top talent from the private sector to find ways to make entry lines move faster.

Security and immigration bottlenecks have multiplied since the September 11 attacks in 2001 spurred new levels of checks and procedures.

Obama hopes to ensure that tourism figures, which hit 70 million visitors in 2013 reach 100 million a year by the beginning of the next decade.

The United States is currently the world’s second tourist biggest destination after France, according to the World Tourism Organization, and Obama says that gaining the top spot would create

jobs.

Obama asked his secretaries of commerce and homeland security, Penny Pritzker and Jeh Johnson, to “develop a national goal to improve the entry process and reduce wait times for international travelers to the United States, and action plans at the 15 largest airports for international arrivals,” a White House statement said.

In 2012, Obama set the goal of making the United States the world’s top tourism destination by, among other things, granting more visas to people from China and Brazil.

The administration says nearly eight million jobs in America are linked to tourism.

PHILHEALTH From page 1

days. (Which means that) hospitals have 60 days to submit their claims to PhilHealth,” Dr. Raca said. “If claims are filed beyond the prescribed 60 days or are incomplete and the claims are either Returned To the Hospital (RTH) or denied, it is part of being within the processing time,” she added. Dr. Raca said that if claims go past 60 day processing time, it is considered a backlog.

She also noted that while facilities had 60 days to submit claims, PhilHealth also had 60 days to

process the claims.

“Backlog is if (PhilHealth) has not yet processed or not made any decision (if the claims were either good, RTH, or denied) at the end of 60 days from receipt,” she said.

She stressed that as per investigation and reports from regional offices, PHAPi included RTH and denied claims as part of the PhilHealth’s backlogs. “As to the good claims (which are claim forms filled out properly) we are able to pay it within 60 days,” Dr. Raca assured.

Office of the President.

Ong said her function is limited to being the head of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President with a mandate to directly supervise the Internal House Affairs Office.

“My responsibility involves direct supervision of day-to-day operations related to official functions and uses of the presidential residences/offices which includes

among others, the Palace, Bonifacio Hall, and Baguio Mansion House. I don’t have any authority over any other office,” she said.

Lacierda also explained that Ong is in charge of the logistical concerns of the President’s activities inside the Palace.

“If there’s a meeting [in] the Palace, she [takes care of] preparations... if it goes beyond a certain number of hours that the re-

freshments are provided to those who are meeting the President.

This is the work of Ms. Ong,” he said.

Given the supposed inaccuracies in the report, the Palace official said this is just another attempt to “burn the house down.”

“The Palace stands ready to defend itself. We in the palace have committed ourselves to daang matuwid,” Lacierda said. (MNS)

waged a several-month campaign to oust Thailand’s civilian leaders.

Civil liberties have been curbed, media restrictions imposed, most of the constitution abrogated, and rival protesters from both sides of the political divide cleared from the capital.

King ‘acknowledges’ coup Political analysts view the coup as part of a long-running effort by a Bangkok-based power elite— aligned with the monarchy and military—to eliminate the political dominance of Yingluck’s elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin, a billionaire telecoms tycoon, shook up Thai politics by winning devotion among millions of rural poor with populist measures, catapulting him to prime minister in 2001 polls.

He was deposed in 2006 in a military coup, fleeing abroad two years later to avoid a corruption conviction, but his family and allies have continued his success at the ballot box.

The military said Saturday that Prayut had sent a letter regarding his takeover to the country’s revered king, Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The monarch, 86, commands great respect among his subjects, and his blessing is traditionally sought to legitimise Thailand’s recurring military takeovers.

The army said the king had “acknowledged” Prayut’s letter, but stopped short of describing the response as an endorsement.

The palace has yet to issue a statement on the crisis.

Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thai politics researcher at Japan’s Kyoto University, said the general’s assumption of law-making authority indicates a looming

“full-scale authoritarianism or military despotism.”

“By taking full control of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, and now the Senate, this shows the military is setting itself up as the sovereign,” he said.

Briefing the media for the first time since the coup, the military said Yingluck and other prominent figures had been taken in under a martial law provision allowing detentions of up to seven days without charge.

Yingluck detained It was not known whether any charges were being prepared, but military officials said the detainees were in no danger. “(Yingluck) is under detention, and she is fine,” Lieutenant General Thirachai Nakwanich, head of the military command for central Thailand including Bangkok, told AFP. A military official told AFP she was being held at an unspecified army barracks in Bangkok.

Anti-Thaksin forces—alleging corruption in Yingluck’s administration—have staged months of deadly Bangkok protests that led to at least 28 deaths and triggered counter-demonstrations by the pro-Thaksin “Red Shirt” movement.

Tensions spiralled in early May when a court ruling controversially stripped Yingluck of office, setting the stage for the coup.

The “Red Shirts” had earlier warned a coup could trigger civil war but are yet to mount a clear response.

However, for the second straight day, demonstrators gathered in at least two locations in central Bangkok to rail against the junta.

THAI COUP From page 1

and would hold them for up to a week as it corralled potential opponents to its takeover.

“The Senate is dismissed. Responsibility for any laws needing the approval of the parliament or Senate will instead be assumed by the leader of the (junta),” said an army bulletin on national television.

Late Saturday, the Pentagon cancelled an ongoing military exercise as well as planned visits by officials to the country.

“While we have enjoyed a long and productive military-to-military relationship with Thailand, our own democratic principles and US law require us to reconsider US military assistance and engagements,” spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement.

The cancellations came after Washington, which has led criticism of the coup, suspended $3.5 million (2.6 million euro) in military assistance to its ally ─ about one-third of its Thai aid.

Thailand’s fragile democracy has been repeatedly stunted by 19 actual or attempted coups since 1932.

Analysts called Saturday’s developments an ominous sign that the junta led by the army chief, General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, could be digging in for a longterm, pervasive takeover, as it had earlier said the Senate would be retained.

Sporadic protests flared in Bangkok for a second day, with hundreds of demonstrators defying a ban on political gatherings to denounce the coup, echoing international calls for the restoration of civilian rule.

Prayut seized control Thursday after anti-government forces had

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