Us asian post october 1, 2014 by Balita Media Inc

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Coleen breaks silence on ‘sex video’ See PAGE 10

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Vol. 4. No. 2 LOS ANGELES

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Wednesday - Tuesday, October 1 - 7, 2014

2 plunder raps filed vs. PNP chief MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – A second plunder complaint has been filed against Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima. The anti-crime group Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), led by Dante Jimenez, filed the complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday. The second complaint came a week after the consumer rights’ group Coalition of Filipino Consumers filed plunder, bribery, and graft charges against Purisima in connection with a mansion in Nueva Ecija and the renovation of the PNP chief’s official quarters inside Camp Crame. Purisima returned to the country after attending an anti-kidnapping seminar in Colombia. He arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 at 8:41 p.m. on board Ana Airlines Flight NH949 from Narita, Japan.

He quietly came out of the airport and avoided reporters. The PNP chief is facing plunder, graft and direct bribery charges at the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly misdeclaring his wealth in his statement of assets liabilities and net worth (SALN) and for receiving donations for construction work on his official residence inside Camp Crame. Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on Public Order, has invited Purisima to appear at the Senate and answer the allegations raised against him. Poe has also called on Purisima to take a leave of absence while investigations are being conducted. Former PNP chief and now rehab czar Panfilo Lacson believes Purisima should resign. The PNP spokesperson earlier said Purisima will answer the charges against him in a proper forum. (MNS)

Binay camp: We expected bigger ratings drop MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – An ally of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday said he is relieved that Binay suffered only a 10 percentage point drop in his chances of being elected president, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey. “Without seeing the regional breakdown, I am relieved. Sa totoo lang, I was expecting na mas malaki pa sa 10 percent ang ibabagsak namin. Nakita naman

natin talagang concentrated yung efforts ng paninira kay VP Binay,” Navotas congressman and United Nationalist Alliance interim president Toby Tiangco said. “If it was 10 percent I am relieved. Looking forward I would have to check the results later and look at what areas we went down and we will analyze kung bakit ganon but definitely yung paninira ay talagang tinamaan kami,” See BINAY CAMP, page 12

Cayetano, Trillanes dared to undergo lifestyle check MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim secretary general JV Bautista also dared Senators Alan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV to undergo a lifestyle check. “Just because you are part of the Blue Ribbon sub-committee investigating the Makati City Hall Building-2 does not make you a credible or honorable person, or reading Biblical passages make you any holier than anyone. Ang kaso, these people think they’re more popish than the pope, and speaking as though they are morally upright, eh sa totoo lang panakip butas nila itong telenobela sa Blue Ribbon sa kanilang PDAF, DAP, etcetera,” Bautista said. He said the senators should also be forthright about their supposed links to alleged pork barrel queen Janet Napoles. He said Vice President Jejo-

mar Binay already disclosed his own statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth for the sake of transparency. Cayetano and Trillanes have urged Binay to face the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee investigation on the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall building 2. Former Makati vicemayor Ernesto Mercado has accused Binay of pocketing millions of pesos in kickbacks from the building projects as well as other infrastructure projects in Makati. In his statement, Bautista said the Vice President has already expressed his willingness to undergo a lifestyle check. “Yun bang dalawang senador handa bang magpabuking ng kanilang totoong lifestyle? They should also be transparent and open, and show they have no skeletons in their closets,” he said. (MNS)

President Benigno S. Aquino III converses with Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima during the 34th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL) Conference in Pasay City held last May. A second plunder complaint has been filed against Purisima for “unexplained wealth.” (MNS Photo)

Grace Poe is top VP bet: survey MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – If vice-presidential elections were held today, Sen. Grace Poe would easily win if she decided to run. A Pulse Asia survey conducted last September 8-15 showed Poe leading the vice-presidential race with 31%, followed by Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero with 19%. Poe, daughter of the late actor Fernando Poe Jnr, has said she is not thinking of running for higher office in 2016 since she had just been elected senator in 2013.

Robredo (3%) and Manny Pangilinan (2%). A total of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above participated in the Pulse Asia survey. The survey has a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (i.e., Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a ± 6% error margin, also at 95% confidence level. (MNS)

PHL, US US launch joint exercises near China-claimed waters MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – Thousands of Filipino and American soldiers began annual war games on Monday near disputed waters in the South China Sea, testing the readiness of the two oldest security allies in the southeast Asian region to respond to any emergency. The Philippines has territorial disputes with China over the South China Sea, which is said to be rich in energy deposits and carries about $5 billion in ship-borne trade every year. The Spratlys in the South China Sea are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Nearly 5,000 US and Filipino troops will participate in the 11day annual exercise, to be held in Palawan, near the Spratlys, and in the northwest province of Zambales on the main island of Luzon, See PHIBLEX, page 12

Troops deploy after Abu Sayyaf threaten German hostages

President Benigno S. Aquino III arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Thursday (September 25) from his successful working visits to Spain, Belgium, France, Germany, and the United States. (MNS photo)

The recent Pulse Asia survey showed 10% of respondents would vote for Poe if she decided to run for president. The other potential vice-presidential candidates had less than 10% support from respondents. They are: Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (9%), Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (7%), Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jnr (6%), Vilma Santos (6%), Jinggoy Estrada (5%), Franklin Drilon (5%), Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jnr (3%), Leni

MANILA, September 28, 2014 (AFP) – The Philippines dispatched an estimated 1,000-plus extra soldiers to its troubled south on Sunday to strengthen security after Islamic militants threatened to kill one of two German hostages, the military said. A military statement said an army brigade, a unit that usually comprises between 800 to 1,500 troops, was flown to the remote Sulu island group, where the Abu Sayyaf militants are believed to be holding the two German tourists. Two other army battalions meanwhile deployed in nearby See ABU SAYYAF, page 12

PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 24, 2014) Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) attach a towing hook to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the Red Lions of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 15. Sterett is underway as part of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group in the Y.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eric Coffer/Released)

Muslim Mindanao gov: No ISIS presence in the region MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Mujiv Hataman dismissed reports that members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have gotten into the region. Hataman attributed the connection merely to bandit groups in the region identifying with the notorious jihadist group’s “line of thinking.” “Ang tingin ko rito nakikisakay lang dito sa uso-uso, dahil uso ang ISIS,” he said. “At walang additional security threat kung magpahayag na ‘sinusuportahan namin ang ISIS’ dahil ‘yung line of thinking nila pareho rin.” Hataman said the provincial

government is coordinating with its local counterparts and has so far gathered no information about the speculated presence of ISIS members. The Abu Sayyaf, which has aired its support for ISIS, are known to have forces in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan. Recently, a mosque in Marawi City brought out the ISIS flag to show its support to the group, it added. Earlier reports had quoted Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and former President Fidel V. Ramos as saying that ISIS was training at least 100 Filipinos. See NO ISIS, page 12

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PAGASA: 6 areas may be affected by Mayon ashfall in next 24 hrs

Earlier this month, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level at Mt. Mayon in the Bicol Region to “3,” meaning an eruption is possible within weeks. Photo: Tomas Tam, Wikipedia

MANILA, Sept 27 (Mabuhay) – Six areas in Albay province in Bicol may be affected by possible ash fall from restive Mayon Volcano in the next 24 hours, state weather agency PAGASA said. PAGASA said the effect will depend on altitude, wind speed and direction. For the period between 10 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday, the potentially affected areas include: Camalig Guinobatan Ligao Oas Polangui Libon For Saturday, PAGASA said these areas may have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with possible afternoon rain showers and thunderstorms. Earlier this month, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level at Mayon to “3,” meaning an eruption is possible within weeks. Albay officials had evacuated more than 11,000 families from the volcano’s danger zone, which extends to up to eight kilometers. (MNS)

More than 30 feared dead on Japan volcano By Kazuhiro Nogi

OTAKI, September 28, 2014 (AFP) – The first deaths were confirmed Sunday among more than 30 hikers feared killed near the peak of a Japanese volcano that erupted without warning, spewing ash, rocks and steam. Rescue workers battling rocketing levels of sulfurous gas found 31 people in “cardiac arrest” near the summit of 3,067-metre (10,121foot) Mount Ontake, which erupted around noon on Saturday, police and local officials said. The term is usually applied before doctors can certify death. Four of those found were brought down the volcano on Sunday where they were confirmed dead, broadcaster NHK reported. “According to the police, four people out of the 31 people who had been found in cardiac arrest near the peak were confirmed dead. All of them were men,” a station anchorman told viewers. The news appeared to confirm fears that there was little hope for those still on the volcano. Rescue efforts were called off mid-afternoon Sunday because the environment was becoming too dangerous for emergency workers, an official at the Nagano prefectural government told AFP.

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UNA not considering any bet other than Binay: JV Ejercito MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – Vice President Jejomar Binay remains to be the sole presidential bet of the opposition party United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) for the 2016 elections, amid plunder charges he is facing in connection with the alleged overpriced construction of Makati City Hall Building II, UNA member Sen. JV Ejercito said. “Sa ngayon, wala pa. Hindi pa namin napag-uusapan ang ganun,” Ejercito said in a forum in Manila on Monday, when asked if UNA has an alternative presidential bet in case the plunder complaint against Binay pending before the Office of the Ombudsman progresses. Ejercito likewise said that the UNA leadership has not yet discussed Binay’s possible running mate. “We do talk (about 2016 elections) but we have not discussed the possible running mate of Binay... Masyado pa maaga e. We still have two years to go (to decide),” Ejercito said at the Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel. He said UNA would probably complete and announce its line-up for 2016 elections by the middle of next year. “Politics has its time. It has to be a year or a year and a half (before elections),” Ejercito said. His half-brother, detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada, had earlier expressed, though in jest, his intention to be the running mate of Binay, saying that he thinks it was him being referred to by Binay as “MVP.” “I do not know what MVP stands for, but what I read in the papers is that si Vice President Binay wants Manny Pangilinan as his running mate...Pero sa akin lang, ang tingin ko ata dun sa MVP ay ‘yung Most Valuable Prisoner. Hindi ba ako ‘yun?” Estrada said. It has been reported that Binay discussed with business tycoon, Manny V. Pangilinan, also referred to as MVP, his intention to have the latter as his runningmate for 2016 elections but Pangilinan declined. Asked to comment on his brother’s statement, Ejercito said: “Hindi natin alam sa kanya, but as of now, wala pa talagang napag-uusapan.” Ejercito and Estrada’s rift deepened after the former signed a recommendation of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to file charges against the latter and two other senators, Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Bong Revilla

Jr., for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel fund scam said to be orchestrated by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles. Ejercito, meanwhile, hit the ongoing Blue Ribbon Sub-committee probe on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II and other alleged anomalous transactions of the Makati City government during the incumbency of Binay as mayor. “I stopped attending the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings. Masyado nang politically-charged e. Kapag siyempre naka-on na ang camera, iba ang nagiging aksyon ng ilang senators...It’s more of ‘in aid of election’ than ‘in aid of legislation,’” Ejercito said. He said it is better for the senators to let the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the issue and channel the Senate’s resources to hearing priority measures that would help improve the economy and address the looming power crisis. “Ang Ombudsman at COA naman talaga ang may real jurisdiction dito. At least their investigation would be based on evidence and not on political motivations,” Ejercito said. Binay, his son incumbent Makati Mayor Erwin “Junjun” Binay and 21 other officials of Makati City are facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged overpricing of the 11-storey Makati building. COA commissioner Grace Pulido-Tan had earlier said that the Commission will conduct an independent audit investigation on the alleged anomalous Makati building project. Meanwhile, Vice-President Jejomar Binay dropped his lead by 10 percentage points but continued to dominate all potential candidates in the 2016 presidential election, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey. The survey, conducted last September 8-15, showed Binay leading the pack with a commanding 31% of Filipinos saying they will vote for him as president if elections were held today. This is 10 percentage points lower than the 41% he got in the Pulse Asia survey last June 24 to July 2. The survey was conducted after the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee started an investigation into the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall building 2.

Vice-President Jejomar Binay dropped his lead by 10 percentage points but continued to dominate all potential candidates in the 2016 presidential election, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.

PAUNAWA NG HALALAN Ang Paunawa ay ibinibigay sa Espesyal na Halalang Munisipal na kasama sa Pambuong-Estadong Pangkalahatang Halalan na gaganapin sa Lungsod ng Artesia sa Martes, Nobyembre 4, 2014 para sa mga sumusunod na panukala: Panukala Y Dapat ba na ang Pampublikong Kaligtasan ng Artesia, Parke, at Pangkalahatang Ordinansang Serbisyo ng Lungsod ay pagtibayin na gumawa ng pangkalahatang layuning utility user tax sa rate na 4.9% para sa pagsingil na ginawa sa ilang utility services, upang magbigay ng pondo para sa layunin ng pangkalahatang pondo, kasama, walang limitasyon, para sa pag responde sa 9-1-1 , pag bawas sa insidente ng krimen/gang, at para sa kalapit na police patrols; pag papaunlad ng community center sa mga kabataan, after-school na libangan at programa para sa mga seniors; para sa kalapit na kalye, alleys, potholes sa bangketa at mga kalsada; at iba pang Pangkalahatang Serbisyo ng Lungsod?

Hindi

Ang botohan ay bukas sa gitna ng mga oras ng 7:00 AM at 8:00 PM. Gloria Considine Klerk ng Lungsod Petsa: Oktubre 1, 2014

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War games a precursor of EDCA, solon claims

MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – A new round of joint military exercises by Philippine and American forces in Palawan and Luzon is a “soft launch” for the activities planned under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), a progressive lawmaker claimed. Kabataan party-list Terry Ridon said the 2014 Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX), which began Monday, can only heighten tensions in West Philippine Sea, the center of territorial disputes between Manila and Beijing. “Organizers of the PHIBLEX themselves admit that the military exercises have nothing to do with China’s incursion in the West Philippine Sea. In other words, these US warships are not here to drive away China from Panatag Shoal. Yet what the US Navy fails to highlight is the threat their presence brings to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific Region,” Ridon said in a statement. Philippine and US forces will hold amphibious landing exercises from September 29 to October 10 in several areas in Palawan and Luzon, including Subic Bay, to bolster coordination among American and Filipino soldiers when it comes to regional issues and humanitarian disasters. Around 1,200 members of the Philippine Navy and 3,500 US Marines and sailors from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Commander, Task Force 76, are be involved in the latest round of the yearly military exercises. Among the activities under PHIBLEX are a command post exercise, field training, amphibious operations, ship-to-shore movement and combined arms training. EDCA is a 10-year defense agreement that allows for an enlarged rotational presence of American troops in the Philippines. Under the agreement, US military personnel will have access to designated Philippine military facilities, the right to construct facilities, and pre-position equipment, aircraft and vessels. Its legality is now being questioned by several petitioners before the Supreme Court, including members of the Makabayan bloc in the House and civil society groups. No noticeable benefits Ridon said the presence of American military equipment on Philippine shores for PHIBLEX is proof that the naval war games have signaled the start of EDCA. The US Marines have reportedly set up communication interception equipment, including a VSAT-Large satellite dish, and six tons of other communications equipment including walkie-talkies, computers and power generators in preparation for the joint military exercise. Two US Navy ships – USS Peleliu (LHA-5) and USS Germantown (LSD-42) – have also arrived in Subic Bay, Zambales on Saturday as part of the war games. Annual war games have not resulted in noticeable benefits for Filipino troops, according to the youth lawmaker. “For over three decades now, the US and the Philippines have conducted the annual war games supposedly to improve our nation’s military prowess. Yet our armed forces remain weak and out of step... [of] modernity. The promised benefits of the annual military exercises have yet to be seen, but now we have EDCA, which will allow for unhampered military presence in the country,” Ridon said. The Department of National Defense earlier said, during budget deliberations in the House of Representatives, it has not allotted any budget for projects under EDCA next year. No formal talks have been held regarding the agreed locations that US troops will be able to access under the military pact, the agency said. (MNS)

For editorial: Do you have a story tip, letter to the editor or suggestion? Please email info@usasianpost.com or mail your letter to: Editorial Department, The U.S Asian Post, Balita Media, Inc., 520 East Wilson Ave., Glendale, CA 91206. Submissions must include full name, mailing address and contact numbers. All contributions are subject to the paper’s editorial standards. For advertising, please email info@balita.com. The U.S Asian Post is a publication of Balita Media, Inc., the leading source of news and information for the Filipino American community, which also publishes Weekend Balita. Views and opinions expressed by contributing writers and syndication partners are solely theirs and do not necessarily reflect that of the publishers. All advertising materials are subject to the paper’s editorial standards and discretion. All rights reserved. Reprints of materials published in the newspaper should have the explicit permission of The U.S Asian Post.

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OPINION

‘4-day work week bad for gov’t employees, public’ MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – A group slammed the move of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to allow government agencies in Metro Manila to follow a 4-day work week scheme. Ferdinand Gaite, president of the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE), said the scheme needs more thorough study because it will have a great impact on the health and personal life of government employees. “May epekto ito sa trabaho, dahil dati 8 hours ang trabaho, ngayon magiging 10 hours a day. Ibig sabihin yung pag-stretch ng oras, may epekto sa productivity ng manggagawa. Kaya tinututulan namin ito,” Gaite said. “Parang one size fits all solution ata ito. Kasi dati solusyon daw ito para sa problema sa kuryente, ngayon, problema sa traffic. Hindi ito makakatulong. Talaga bang inaral thoroughly? Ano ba ang impact ng pagbabawas ng four to five days?” Under CSC’s Memorandum Circular No. 22, from the normal five-day work week, the scheme implements a new schedule: from Monday to Thursday or from Tuesday to Friday. Working hours are then increased to 10 hours a day, or from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. Gaite said reducing an agency’s number of work days per week will obviously affect the delivery of services to the public, even if the CSC has laid out supposed requirements before an agency can be allowed to implement the 4-day work week scheme. Gaite also argued that the CSC has no concrete proof yet that the 4-day work week scheme will solve Manila’s traffic problem. Militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno also criticized the government for allowing the scheme,

saying “increasing the number of working hours from eight to 11, will negatively affect workers’ health and violate workers’ rights.” “It also raised the dangers posed by the scheme to workers who are paid on a daily basis and are subject to a ‘no work, no pay’ policy,” it added. CSC chairman Francisco Duque III said an agency cannot yet implement the 4-day work week scheme without the approval of the CSC. He said agencies have to meet four requirements in order to be allowed to implement the work scheme. Duque said the first requirement is for the agency to provide the public with front line services that can be accessed through the internet. Second is the establishment of so-called “one-stop shops” where the public can still do government transactions. The third requirement is for an agency to have functional call centers where officers of the day are available to answer queries from people doing transactions with the government. Lastly, government agencies are also required to provide the CSC their baseline data on their respective overall performance rating, employee absenteeism rate, tardiness rate, employee satisfaction level, employee turnover rate, electrical consumption, and client satisfaction rating. Duque said the CSC might need about three months to determine if the 4-day work week scheme will be a success. He said in case an agency’s application for the scheme implementation is approved, it might still be required to provide a skeletal workforce on the fifth workday for one month so the public will know about the transition. (MNS)

Palace no comment on Binay drop, Roxas surge in presidential survey MANILA, Sept 29 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Monday refused to comment on the latest Pulse Asia survey showing a decrease in voter preference for Vice President Jejomar Binay and an increase for Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. “To all those asking on the Pulse Asia survey on the numbers of VP Binay and Sec. Mar, we will beg your indulgence and leave the analysis of the survey to the political parties, their spokespersons and to political analysts,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a text message to media. “While surveys on presidentiables is a matter of keen interest to the public, we remain committed on the president’s principles on good governance and the administration continues to attend to the

concerns of our countrymen,” he added. Malacañang has consistently distanced itself from issues pertaining to the 2016 national elections, saying that President Benigno Aquino III has more important things to attend to. It has repeatedly pointed out that the Aquino administration, at the moment, is focused on implementing reforms. While Binay has already announced his plan to run for president, Aquino and the Liberal Party have yet to name their standard bearer although many believe it will be Roxas. Roxas was Aquino’s running mate in the 2010 elections. He was supposed to run for president but gave way following the overwhelming support of the public for Aquino after the death of his mother, former president Corazon Aquino. (MNS)

Palace allays Mindanao prelate’s fears over ISIS threat MANILA, Sept 27 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Saturday allayed the fears of a Catholic bishop regarding the reported potential threat of some Filipinos being recruited to the militant Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS). Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the latest information from the Armed Forces of the Philippines indicates that while there can be “sympathizers,” there have been no ISIS members here so far. “Sa ISIS nakikita nila (military) na so far... walang nakikitang miyembro na narito... perhaps there can be sympathizers,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. Valte also assured bishops the government does not take the potential threat of ISIS lightly. “Ina-assure natin we do not take it lightly. Ayaw natin magkaroon ng karagdagang problema sa bansa,” she said.

Earlier, Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad expressed concern over reports that some Filipinos from Mindanao are allegedly undergoing training with the ISIS. Jumoad said he is worried what these supposed recruits will do once they return to the Philippines. “There is reason to be worried and the possibility is real,” he said. “I also hope our Muslim leaders will do something to neutralize this,” he added. Meanwhile, Valte reiterated President Benigno Aquino III’s assurance he will be personally overlooking the crafting of the details for security for Pope Francis when he visits the Philippines in January. “(W)e will be tightening every nook and cranny possible, we will be making sure the plans (are) in place,” she said. (MNS)

Intruder ran deep into White House: report

WASHINGTON, September 29, 2014 (AFP) – An intruder armed with a knife who jumped a fence and sprinted across the White House lawn, got much further into the presidential mansion than previously thought, a report said Monday. The Washington Post said the man rushed in through the front door of the White House and ran into the ceremonial East Room, one floor below the private residence of President Barack Obama and his family. The man, Texas native Omar Gonzalez, was eventually intercepted outside the Green Room, an ornamental chamber that overlooks the South Lawn of the White House – on the opposite side of the building from the main North doors, through which he entered. Obama and his daughters had left the White House minutes before the intrusion, by helicopter from the South Lawn, for the presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland. After the incident, on September 19, the Secret Service said in a statement that Gonzalez was “physically apprehended after entering the White House North Portico doors.” Another Secret Service spokesman was quoted as saying the man was stopped “just inside” the North Portico doors. There was no immediate comment from the US Secret Service about the latest Washington Post report. But the revelation comes on the heels of another embarrassing report for the Secret Service at the weekend. The Post revealed that it took the Secret Service five days before realizing a man had fired shots at the White House in 2011 while one of Obama’s daughters was inside. First Lady Michelle Obama was reported to be furious about the incident which took place when she

and her husband were out of town. In all, at least seven bullets struck the upstairs residence of the White House, fired from a car parked some 700 yards (meters) away across the South Lawn. The Secret Service has launched an investigation into the Gonzalez incident, which appeared to highlight deep failures of security by the elite presidential protection team around the White House.

Human-caused climate change blamed for some heat waves By Kerry Sheridan

WASHINGTON, September 29, 2014 (AFP) – Heat waves last year in Asia, Europe and Australia were influenced by human-caused climate change, but not all extreme weather events could be linked to global warming, scientists said Monday. A total of 16 extreme events – including rain, flood, droughts and storms – were analyzed in an annual report called, “Explaining Extreme Events of 2013 from a Climate Perspective,” published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. The events chosen for study do not represent the year as a whole, but rather those that had big impacts and were of scientific interest, said the peer-reviewed report, compiled by 92 scientists from around the globe. The most certain link between extreme weather and the burning of fossil fuels – which spew carbon dioxide and contribute to mounting levels of greenhouse gases – was seen in Australia. Five independent studies all found that human influence had substantially increased both the likelihood and severity of heat waves in that country.

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UTREACH Cargo forwarders remind clients to send boxes early LOS ANGELES – With delivery delays still in the horizon, five leading Filipino cargo forwarders are calling on customers to send their balikbayan boxes early to ensure that they would reach the intended beneficiaries in the Philippines in time for the holidays. Cristina Dalupan, executive director of the Philippine American Shippers Association, said the four leading cargo forwarders – Atlas Shippers International, Forex Cargo, LBC Cargo, Manila Forwarders, and Victory Cargo – are all wary of the factors that have caused long delays in delivery of balikbayan boxes to their intended beneficiaries in the Philippines. Joel P. Longares, president and CEO of Atlas Shippers International and one of the founders of PASA, said that despite the concerted efforts of government officials to solve the causes of the delays, problems persist that could further delay balikbayan box deliveries for the holiday season, which is considered the peak season for shipping. Longares said that cargo forwarders have made this request for years, “but this time, we ask our clients to give more time allowance and to take the call more

seriously in the wake of problems confronting the shipping industry in the Philippines.” “I must also continue to warn our valued customers to beware of false promises by some competitors that they can deliver boxes without delay because of ‘creative’ scheme of shipment. We have seen these “creative strategies” in the home mortgage industry a few years ago. Look where it brought us,” Longares said. JP Carino, president of Forex Cargo, asked for the customers’ continued cooperation and understanding in the wake of delays that are beyond the control of shippers. He also advised senders not to put perishable products and time-sensitive documents in their boxes. “I saw first-hand the problems of port congestion in the Port of Manila and the delays caused by the traffic bans imposed by the City of Manila and the Metro Manila Development Authority when I went to the Philippines recently, and I must say solutions are not yet in the horizon,” Carino said. “The days of the 24 to 30-day delivery is gone,” Carino said. “There are delays in nearly every phase of the shipping and

delivery process that are beyond our control.” Jong Solomon of LBC Cargo said they used to be able to deliver boxes anywhere in the Philippines under 35 days, “but with the DHS inspection, which could delay shipment by as much as three weeks, plus another one to two weeks delay due to port congestion and truck ban issues, deliveries now take as much as two months.” It really depends on whether the turnaround time in the Port of Manila would improve. The truck ban has been lifted temporarily so that may improve the situation a bit in the short term. If deliveries are diverted to other ports, the situation may improve. But with the Port of Manila still congested, and the domino effect it created with other nearby transshipping points such as Kaoshiung, Busan, and Singapore, we are probably looking at the situation normalizing past this Christmas,” Solomon added. He said customers should send their boxes before October 15 to give allowance for these delays. Roselle Arbolante, manager of Manila Forwarders, said the earliest the Manila port can be decongested would probably be

St. Vincent Medical Center to conduct medical outreach program at PHL Consulate Los Angeles, 25 September 2014 – A team from the St. Vincent Medical Center will conduct a medical outreach program at the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, every 1st Tuesday of the month for the last quarter of the year. The first outreach will be on 07 October 2014 from 9am to 12pm. The medical outreach team from St. Vincent will provide:

Free screenings: Body Fat Analysis/BMI, Glucose/Diabetes Screenings with Counseling, and Blood Pressure Free services: Mammogram screening referrals, information on Low-Cost/Free Health Insurance such as Medi-Cal, information on Covered California/Affordable Care Act, information on chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and

information on nutrition. The medical outreach program is under the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement forged between the Philippine Consulate and St. Vincent on 05 February 2013 as a demonstration of the Consulate’s commitment to provide services to the Filipino community in Los Angeles in cooperation with the St. Vincent Medical Center.

PHL Consulate General co-hosts launch of 9th Annual Asian Friendship Golf Tournament

Los Angeles, September 25, 2014 – The Philippine Consulate General co-hosted the launch of the 9th Annual Asian Friendship Golf Tournament at the Community Hall of the Philippine Consulate General on 24 September 2014. Consul General Leo HerreraLim welcomed the cooperation of the Asian American Chamber Association (AACA) composed of the Bangladesh, Cambodian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Mongolian, Pakistani, Singaporean, Thai Chambers and the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles (FACC-LA) in organizing the Asian Friendship Golf Tournament to be held at Santa Clarita Mountain Course on 20 October 2014.

Carson march tribute to Larry Itliong Oct.25 The City of Carson and various organizations will join the entire community in honoring the life’s work and legacy of Larry Itliong – a FilipinoAmerican labor leader and organizer. The tribute march will start at 9 a.m. from the USW-Local 675 Union Hall, located at 1200 E. 220th, Lot of the Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center located at 801 E. Carson Street in Carson. The event is open to the public and admission is free. The event will feature music, refreshments, inspirational messages and awards presented to the labor awardees. Larry Itliong was responsible for organizing immigrant farm workers and cannery workers for over 30 years. He helped establish the Alaska Cannery Workers Union.

Photo above shows Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim addressing the audience.

early next year. Arbolante said slow Customs processing has also contributed to the delay and the congestion. “I suggest customers start sending their boxes now, especially those bound for Visayas and Mindanao, if they want to be assured the boxes would arrive in time for the holidays,” Arbolante said. Eric Sycip, president of Victory Cargo, echoed Arbolante’s suggestion and said customers should start sending their boxes this September. “We don’t know what lies ahead. It’s better to be early than sorry,” he said. “Up until last year, senders can bring in their boxes in mid-November and we could still deliver them to Metro Manila and nearby provinces before Christmas. Customs processing is taking

sometimes up to two weeks and illegal operators have contributed to the delays.” PASA officials have made representations with the DHS to solve the inspection delays while traders, shippers and brokers are pressing the Philippine government to do something about the truck bans and the port congestion and to hasten customs processing. The DHS has promised to expedite processing and Philippine government officials are working to ease the truck ban, port congestion and processing of cargoes. But these efforts are not enough to solve the gargantuan problem, Longares said. “With the traditional rush in exports and imports intended for the holiday season, the situation can only worsen,” Longares said.

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California burns – and there’s worse to come By Michael Thurston

LOS ANGELES, September 26, 2014 (AFP) - Wildfires are nothing new in California. But in the third year of a historic drought, the tinder-dry western

US state is battling near-record numbers of blazes. And the normal fire season has only just begun. Nearly 7,500 firefighters are currently struggling to douse the so-called King Fire east of Sacra-

Gov. Brown bans plastic bag

Heal the Bay led fight to tackle plastic pollution, create green jobs SANTA MONICA, CA (Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014) – Sending a powerful message nationally that the plastic pollution plague can be abated, Gov. Jerry Brown today signed landmark legislation that bans the distribution of single-use plastic shopping bags at grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies statewide. SB 270, a bill authored by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) and Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), seeks to end the environmental and fiscal waste created by Californians’ use of 13 billion single-use plastic shopping bags each year. The measure takes effect in July 2015. Environmental group Heal the Bay led the legislative fight to enact a bag ban for more than seven years as part of its ongoing efforts to tackle plastic pollution in California waterways and neighborhoods. Heal the Bay played a central role in the drafting and enacting of similar bans in the city and county of Los Angeles, which created momentum for today’s statewide action. “After years of pushing hard on this issue, it’s extremely gratifying to see the state of California act forcefully and progressively to protect our environment,” said Kirsten James, Heal the Bay’s science and policy director for water quality and a key architect of the ban campaign. “For the small price of giving up a little convenience, we get the benefits of protected aquatic life, cleaner neighborhoods, and healthier rivers and coastal waters,” added Sarah Sikich, Heal the Bay’s coastal resources director, who has made numerous trips to Sacramento on behalf of a statewide ban. California municipalities spend nearly $25 million each year just to collect and dispose of plastic bag waste. Less than 5% of plastic grocery bags are recycled each year statewide, so the remainder clogs precious landfill, litters public spaces and harms animal life when the bags infiltrate waterways. Shoppers who forget their reusable bags have the option of purchasing a recycled paper bag or reusable grocery bag at checkout. Heavy-duty reusable bags are convenient, environmentally friendly alternatives that have been embraced by hundreds of millions of consumers around the world. SB 270 also had the crucial backing of the California Grocers Assn., the United Food and Commercial Workers union and the California Retailers Assn., whose members have sought a uniform and environmentally sound single-use bag policy statewide. California joins a long list of governments that have enacted progressive curbs on single-use plastic bags, including China, Ireland and Mexico City. Single-use bag policies can act as a gateway to get people thinking more sustainably in other areas of their lives, whether it’s skipping plastic water bottles or refusing drinking straws at restaurants. Heal the Bay will continue to work with its partners to pursue solutions to prevent plastic pollution and single-use products from clogging our waste-stream and oceans.

mento which has forced almost 3,000 people to evacuate as it rages across an area bigger than the city of Las Vegas. But while this is fairly typical for an ordinary year, it is far from the first of the season. “Already this year California responded to nearly 5,000 wildfires, where in an average year that number would be closer to 3,900,” said Daniel Berlant of California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire. “There has been a significant increase in fire activity due to the fact that conditions are so dry from the drought,” he told AFP, noting that “historically, California experiences its largest and most damaging wildfires in the fall months. “So we’re just now getting to the peak of fire season.” Blazes have been erupting for months. In May, thousands of residents had to leave their homes due to a surge of fires which triggered the partial evacuation of a military base and a tourist amusement park. In July and again in August

wildfires forced more than 13,000 evacuation orders near California’s landmark Yosemite National Park, disrupting vacations for some of the millions of tourists who visit every year from the United States and abroad. In all there have been 1,000 more wildfires than average, and 700 more than last year, which was already the worst for a decade, according to CalFire. “In our west, wildfire season now stretches most of the year,” President Barack Obama said in a speech on climate change to the UN General Assembly earlier this week. Reservoirs at historic lows Talk of climate change certainly rings true in California, which is baking in the third straight year of an intense drought – the worst for up to a century, according to Governor Jerry Brown. The drought has devastated farming in the Central Valley, known as the nation’s food basket, but which is struggling to grow crops and raise cattle on parched soil. Water reservoirs are at historic lows. They are typically filled

in the spring by melting snow from the Sierra Nevada mountain range. But last winter was one of the driest on record. Most of the fires so far this year have been in the north of the state. But as the summer ends firefighters in southern California are bracing for worse to come as the real season gets under way. After a whole summer virtually without rain, forests and canyons are as dry as they can get – just in time for the so-called Santa Ana winds which blow down from the desert in the fall and winter. “As we look into the next couple of months, unfortunately we do not see any significant rain... that means that conditions are only going to get drier,” said CalFire’s Berlant. “As we get into October that’s typically when we see Santa Ana wind events and so those strong winds, coupled with the already tinder-dry conditions, lead to an elevated fire danger,” he added. Other experts say much will depend on how soon the Santa Ana winds blow up, and how much rain falls in the critical next few months.

Wildlife numbers decimated by half over past four decades: WWF By Mariette Le Roux

PARIS, September 29, 2014 (AFP) – Wildlife numbers have plunged by more than half in just 40 years as Earth’s human population has nearly doubled, a survey of over 3,000 vertebrate species revealed on Tuesday. From 1970 to 2010, there was a 39-percent drop in numbers across a representative sample of land- and sea-dwelling species, while freshwater populations declined 76 percent, the green group WWF said in its 2014 Living Planet Report. Extrapolating from these figures, “the number of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish across the globe is, on average, about half the size it was 40

years ago,” it said. The 52-percent decrease confirmed mankind was chomping through Nature’s bounty much faster than the rate of replenishment, the WWF warned. The last Living Planet Report, in 2012, found a 28-percent drop in numbers from 1970-2008, but that was based on only 2,688 monitored species. The new report tracks the growth or decline of more than 10,000 populations of 3,038 species ranging from forest elephants to sharks, turtles and albatrosses. It stressed that humans were consuming natural resources at a rate that would require 1.5 Earths to sustain – cutting down trees faster than they mature and harvesting more fish than oceans

can replace. “We are using nature’s gifts as if we had more than just one Earth at our disposal,” WWF Director General Marco Lambertini said in the foreword to the biennial publication. “By taking more from our ecosystems and natural processes than can be replenished, we are jeopardizing our very future.” While agricultural yield per hectare has improved through better farming and irrigation methods, the sheer human population explosion has reduced per capita “biocapacity”, or available life-sustaining land. Human population numbers shot up from about 3.7 billion to nearly seven billion from 1970 to 2010.

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The age of personal DNA storage has arrived (Relaxnews) - On Friday, Santa Barbara-based GENiSYSS started an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign for its thumb-drivesized capsules to store DNA in a way that’s never been available to the public. Soon enough, your children and theirs alike will have a reference for understanding what predispositions have been passed forward. GENiSYSS says “pre exposure DNA,” which is recorded before years of living expose it to qualities in the environment and physical stresses that could spur mutations, is important to gather for treating a number of ailments that arise due to mutations. Storing your and your family’s DNA, they claim, could be used to prevent and treat any health problems that may arise in the future, in addition to other identity uses for which DNA data comes into play.

A pinprick produces the droplet of blood needed for DNA storage and each capsule has four to eight storage wells that protect the DNA at room temperature. It comes with access to a corresponding platform, upon which families can upload their DNA stats along with memories, photos, videos and important documents like the family tree. A child safety capsule, designed to attach to a parent’s keychain, can be pre-ordered for just $30 for delivery in December of this year. Family DNA for up to eight people can be stored in the same capsule or in a separate capsule for each member. The Family Vault package containing the software and eight capsules can be pre-ordered for $70 with free shipping within the US. For more information: https:// www.indiegogo.com/projects/genisyss-stores-dna-to-save-lives

Study highlights best exercise plan for overweight youth (Relaxnews) – Combining aerobic exercise and resistance training could be the answer for overweight teens, according to researchers from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine. “Adolescents who are overweight are typically advised to exercise more,” says Dr. Ron Sigal of the University of Calgary’s Institute for Public Health and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta. “But there is limited evidence on what type of exercise is best in order to lose fat.” In the study, 304 overweight teenagers in the greater Ottawa area of Canada between the ages of 14 and 18 were given the same four-week exercise and diet plan. After the initial intervention, they were divided at random into four exercise groups: resistance training with fixed and free-weights; aerobic training on treadmills, elliptical machines and free bikes; a combination of these two methods; and a fourth group that did nothing. Working with personal trainers, the three groups that exercised worked out four days per week for 22 weeks and all reduced their body fat similarly and effectively and much more than the diet-only control group, although the combined group fared the best. “Remarkably, among participants who completed at least 70 per cent of the prescribed exercise sessions, waist circumference decreased close to seven centimeters in those randomized to combined aerobic plus resistance exercise,” says coprincipal researcher Dr. Glen Kenny of the University of Ottawa.

A GENiSYSS personal DNA storage capsule. ©Courtesy of GENiSYSS

Teens can’t sleep early? Blame puberty (Relaxnews) – Everyone knows sleep is important for teenagers, but a new study says that ensuring they get enough of it could call for a later start to the school day. Due to naturally occurring advances in the body clock during puberty, it’s extremely difficult for most teens to fall asleep before 11PM, according to the study. Early school bells, say the researchers, are what’s depriving teens of sleep, leaving them cranky and lazy and which leads to tumbling grades and health problems. The paper cites numerous examples, including the US Air Force Academy, which deployed a later start time that resulted in improved grades. “Our ability to function optimally [and learn] varies with biological time rather than conventional social times,” say the researchers. During adolescence, the body clock is practically at war with the schedule of greater society.

A new study says teenagers’ body clocks make it tough to fall asleep early and even tougher to wake up for early school bells. ©Africa Studio/shutterstock.com

The researchers hope educators will come to understand that it’s the circadian rhythm unique to teenagers that keeps them in bed and not simply laziness and that a later start to the

school day could be the only way to combat chronic sleep deprivation. The paper was published in the journal Learning, Media and Technology.

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MOTORING Honda revs up for Paris with hot Civic Type-R

BMW ConnectedDrive Technology. After clocking up thousands of miles in Europe, BMWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self-driving cars are coming to Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roads. ÂŠBMW

BMWs self-driving cars heading to China (Relaxnews) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The luxury and executive car maker is taking its autonomous driving technology to the streets of Beijing and Shanghai in the hopes of developing its features for Chinese drivers. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self-driving cars have already clocked up thousands of kilometers on European roads â&#x20AC;&#x201C; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve even autonomously conquered the Nurburgring, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most challenging racetrack. But now, after five years of research, development and testing on its home turf, BMW is partnering with Baidu â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest search engine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to start testing autonomous driving technology on Chinese freeways too. Over the next two years BMW will be trying to understand the technological challenges that need to be overcome to make self-driving cars a reality for the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest car market. For example, a feature that is currently unique to Chinese road infrastructure is the multi-storey freeway. The com-

pany plans to build specific prototype vehicles for developing the solutions to these problems and will use Baiduâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mapping and cloud expertise to help guide them and keep them connected. Like most realistic car companies, BMW sees the immediate future of autonomous driving technology as a means of offering an automated co-pilot for taking the strain in specific driving situations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as in heavy traffic or when the driver is taken ill and is no longer able to control a vehicle. However, even in these very specific circumstances, a self-driving car would still need to be as capable, connected and aware as a human driver to be able to cope with the traffic conditions. Despite the very gradual approach that most car companies are taking with developing self-driving cars, Audi, Tesla and Nissan have all pledged to bring the next generation of autonomous driving technology to market before the end of the decade.

(Relaxnews) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Aimed at those that prize performance above style or subtlety Hondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest of hot hatches will face some stiff competition when it arrives in the French capital this week for the Paris Motor Show. Just like the SUV, the hot hatchback is very much en vogue, and buyers are currently spoiled for choice. Be it the VW Golf GTI, Renault Megan Renaultsport, Ford Focus ST or Seat Leon Cupra, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something to suit every keen driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sense of speed, style and practicality. So Hondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to have to do something special to grab attention. Therefore promising that the latest Civic will be the most extreme vehicle ever to carry a Type-R badge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a designation that

has appeared on everything from Hondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NSX Supercar to the current Civic over the past two decades â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is a fairly good start. As is the addition of huge, flared rearwheel arches and a raised rear spoiler. However, Honda is still leaving quite a lot to the imagination â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the company wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be drawn on final figures, such as 0-100km/h times, until it is officially unveiled on October 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but we do know that the car will be powered by a 2-liter turbocharged engine and that it will put out more than 278bhp. Extreme indeed. Keen drivers or anyone thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever driven an Astra VRX will know that putting more than 250bhp through the front wheels can result in some very interest-

ing handling characteristics, to put it mildly. Honda says that it will get around problems such as torque steer and understeer with a trick suspension set-up that will allow drivers to use more of the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power reserves more often. However, even when offered as a pocket rocket, a hot hatch has to be practical enough to complete the school run without inducing travel sickness in rear seat passengers and, to that end, as well as clever suspension, the Type R also has an intelligent damping system. This automatically adjusts front and rear damping forces to keep the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body in check and to ensure that it is comfortable when cruising and stiff and solid when going into a corner at high speed.

Civic Type R Concept. The carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance figures will be revealed on October 2 in Paris. ÂŠHonda

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KITCHENOMICS speed, beat in eggs, one at a time. Spoon cheese mixture into cups over fig mixture. Return to middle of oven for 18–20 minutes, till set. Remove from oven and cool in pan on wire rack. Chill in pan for 3 hours. To serve, carefully remove cheesecakes from pan and paper cups to serving plates. For topping, fan fig slices on top of cheesecakes. Combine caramel topping and liqueur; drizzle over cakes.

Fig, Lemon and Honey Cheesecake

FAMILY FEATURES

Caramel Fig Mini-Cheesecakes

Servings: 12 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or pecans 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 1/2 cups finely chopped, stemmed Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping 3 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur or orange juice 1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs Thinly sliced figs 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur or orange juice Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 12 (2 3/4inch) muffin cups with paper cups. Combine graham cracker crumbs, nuts and melted butter. Press firmly into bottoms of cups. Bake in middle of oven for 5 minutes, till fragrant. Remove from oven and reserve. In small saucepan, combine figs, caramel topping and liqueur. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute or until most of liquid is absorbed. Spoon figs over crusts and press firmly with back of spoon to even layer. In bowl with electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping bowl frequently. Beat in sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. On low

he highlight of many a holiday meal, desserts are adored by young and old alike. This year, complete your festive celebration with delightful desserts that feature California Dried Figs. Naturally sweet and available year round, figs easily add a touch of elegance to a variety of recipes. Dark purple Mission Figs have a soft, thin skin with a sweet, fruity taste, while Golden Figs are amber-colored with a firmer skin, welldeveloped seeds and a slightly nutty flavor. Both are interchangeable in most recipes.

Keeping holiday traditions California Dried Figs are the perfect ingredient to star in your holiday recipes, especially for Hanukkah and Christmas. Sliced and simmered with fresh lemon and honey and spooned over cheesecake or chopped and combined with a little hazelnut liqueur and caramel for a luscious bottom layer, figs add a stunning fruit accent to popular cheesecake desserts. No matter what you are celebrating, your family will love these “figgy” recipes. Besides the sweetness that figs bring to the table, California Dried Figs are a healthy ingredient rich in dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates and such essential minerals as potassium, iron and calcium. Learn more about Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice and Sun-Maid California Dried Figs at www.valleyfig.com.

Servings: 12 Crust: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 cup chopped, stemmed Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs Cheesecake: 1 1/2 pounds (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 large eggs 1 lemon, thinly sliced (for garnish) Sauce: 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water 1 cup sliced, stemmed Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. For crust, mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press into bottom of buttered 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8–10 minutes, till edges are golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with figs. For cheesecake, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium-low speed until smooth, scraping bowl as needed. Gradually beat in sugar, then sour cream, zest and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Scrap filling into pan over figs. Bake on middle rack

for 45–55 minutes, until almost set in center. Cool. Chill 4 hours or overnight. For sauce, in small saucepan, combine water, honey and lemon juice. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Add cornstarch solution and stir for a few seconds, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in figs. Cool. Chill until serving time. To serve, run thin knife around edge of cheesecake and remove side of pan. Cut into wedges and top each with sauce. Garnish with thin slices of lemon, if desired.

Cheesecake Mousse with Fig Orange Sauce Servings: 4 Fig-orange sauce: 1 cup sliced, stemmed Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs 2/3 cup orange juice 1/3 cup packed golden brown sugar 1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice Cheesecake mousse: 3 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup whipped heavy cream Topping and garnish: 1/2 cup crumbled shortbread cookies 1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans or almonds Sprigs of fresh mint, optional To make sauce, in small saucepan, combine figs and orange juice. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 4–5 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and simmer until liquid is syrupy, 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in orange liqueur and lemon juice. Chill until serving time. To make mousse, with wire whisk, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Gently whisk in 1/2 of whipped cream. With rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream. (Sauce and mousse can be held in refrigerator up to 1 day.) To serve, spoon mousse in bottom of 4 martini or champagne flutes. Smooth to even layer. Top with fig sauce. Sprinkle with crumbled cookies and nuts. Garnish with mint.

Fig and Goat Cheese Squares not pictured Servings: 30 2 cups stemmed Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs 1 cup water 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces 2 cups goat cheese, room temperature 2 large eggs Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. In medium saucepan, combine figs, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until figs are tender. Cool slightly. Place fig mixture in food processor or blender; process until smooth. Stir in chopped walnuts. Reserve. Combine flour, brown sugar and salt in bowl. Stir to combine. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture in prepared baking dish. Gently spread fig mixture over prepared crust. Beat goat cheese and eggs until smooth. Spread over fig mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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INMENT

Coleen breaks silence about sex video scandal

Coleen Garcia

Coleen Garcia has finally broken her silence about the sex video scandal. which allegedly involves her. Garcia said she is 100% sure that she is not the girl in the alleged scandal even though she has not seen the video yet. “That came out in the height of everything that was happening to Billy (Crawford) so dinedma ko na lang siya because there were so many other things that I needed to worry about,” she said referring

to her boyfriend’s drunken incident at a Taguig precinct early this month. “There were so many other things that I needed to fix. Alam ko naman na hindi totoo ‘yun so when I when heard about it, I really just heard about it. I didn’t click any links or anything. Sinabi ko na that’s impossible so I brushed it aside na kaagad,” she added. With all the intrigues where her name has been dragged, did she consider just leaving show

business? “There were so many times na sinabi ko sobra na ito pero never ko sinabi na I just want to walk away. Because para saan pa lahat ng pinagdaanan ko? I believe that there is nothing in life na sobrang great na hindi mo talaga kayang ipaglaban,” she said. Garcia believes “everything great is worth fighting for. If I give in to the struggles, then I’m going to lose something great.” (MNS)

Maja Salvador

Maja proud to work with A-list actors in new series

Following the phenomenal success of “The Legal Wife”, Maja Salvador said she is looking forward to yet another television series which promises a story that will surely capture the hearts of its audience. Salvador said she feels grateful that the ABS-CBN management continues to entrust to her projects with remarkable stories. “Excited na ako. May bago akong teleseryeng gagawin, kasama ko ang mga bigating mga artista na I’m very thankful na pinagkatiwalaan ako ng ABS-CBN. Kasi after ‘The Legal Wife’, parang isang magandang premyo ang ibinigay nila sa akin para gawin itong teleseryeng ito. Gusto ko man sabihin, pero [baka hindi pa pwede]. Sobrang excited ako kasi ang ganda ng kwento,” she said. Asked to share a bit about her role, the actress said: “Kung doon sa ‘The Legal Wife’ may Team Nicole and Team Monica, dito naman ipapakita dito kung paano ba talaga magmahal ang lalaki at paano ba dapat mahalin ang babae.” While she refused to divulge the actors whom she will be working with, Salvador said: “Sabi nga nila, kapag nag-shower si God ng blessing, todo-todo. I feel blessed po talaga na makatrabaho itong mga A-list na mga aktor talaga.” Last week, it was reported that Salvador will soon be doing a series with John Lloyd Cruz and Jericho Rosales. Currently with the working title “Bridges”, the soap will mark the second time Salvador and Rosales will co-star in a TV series. Cruz, whose last soap opera was “A Beautiful Affair” in 2013, previously worked with Salvador in the 2007 drama film “One More Chance”. Star Creatives has yet to announce other details about “Bridges”, including its director and target premiere date. (MNS)

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PHL seizes art from Marcos property

ABU SAYYAF

MANILA, September 30, 2014 (AFP) – Philippine authorities said they seized paintings Tuesday from a Manila property of former first lady Imelda Marcos as part of efforts to recover works by Picasso, Gauguin, Miro, Michelangelo and others. The raid came a day after a special court ruled that eight paintings owned by the widow of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos had been acquired with embezzled state funds and must be turned over to the government. Police and state lawyers raided the Marcos home in Manila’s San Juan district on Tuesday to enforce the court ruling, said Nick Suarez, spokesman for a state body pursuing the Marcoses’ allegedly ill-gotten wealth. “Paintings were seized, but we have yet to determine which ones or how many,” he said. The court also ordered authorities to search the other homes and offices of Marcos, 85, an elected member of the House of Representatives. The court ruling covered Pablo Picasso’s “Femme Couchee VI (Reclining Woman VI)”, Michelangelo’s “Madonna and Child”, and a still life by Paul Gauguin. The others are a Francisco de Goya portrait of the Marquesa de Santa Cruz, Pierre Bonnard’s “La Baignade Au Grand Temps”, Bernard Buffet’s “Vase of Red Chrysanthemums”, Joan Miro’s “L’Aube”, and one of

southern areas, it added. “This is a redeployment that is part of an ongoing plan which is anchored on our mandate to address internal and external security situations,” it said without elaborating. The reinforcements will allow Philippine Marines who have been fighting the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu as well as on Basilan, another southern island, “to concentrate on their main tasks”, northern Philippines military spokesman Major Calixto Cadano told AFP. He declined to disclose the exact number of troops sent to the south, citing operational security. One of the smaller units was flown to the south on Saturday, he added.

Camille Pissarro’s “Jardin de Kew” series. Suarez said he did not have estimates of the current value of the artworks. Imelda Marcos, a keen art collector, will appeal the court ruling on the eight paintings, said her lawyer Robert Sison. “The order is highly questionable. We will question that order,” he told AFP. Sison described the ruling as illegal since the paintings were not included in a forfeiture case that the government had earlier filed against the Marcoses, who ruled the Philippines for two decades. The Philippine Supreme Court ruled in the government’s favour on the forfeiture in 2003, a case that included $658 million in Swiss bank deposits. The government alleges the Marcos family plundered an estimated $10 billion from the nation’s coffers before a militarybacked “People’s Power” revolt in 1986 forced them into exile in Hawaii, where the dictator died three years later. The flamboyant former first lady symbolised the excesses of the Marcos years with her collection of 3,000 shoes and jewellery fit for European royalty. In all, the government is searching for 150 paintings including works by Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet and Michelangelo that the Marcos family allegedly amassed during their 20-year rule, according to the wealth recovery body’s chief Andres Bautista.

BINAY CAMP From page 1

he added. The Pulse Asia survey, conducted last September 8-15, showed Binay leading the pack of potential presidential bets with a commanding 31% of Filipinos saying they will vote for him as president if elections were held today. This is 10 percentage points lower than the 41% he got in the Pulse Asia survey last June 24 to July 2. The survey was conducted after the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee started an investigation into the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall building 2. The building started construction while Binay was still Makati mayor. In his interview, Tiangco said Binay expected his ratings to suffer because of the ongoing Senate investigation. He also said he expects the vice president to recover his ratings as the public realizes that the Senate probe is nothing but a ruse to fling mud at Binay. “The longer this investigation continues, the more people will realize that this is all politics and mudslinging,” he said. He said the same situation happened when three opposition senators were jailed

for the P10 billion pork barrel scam while administration allies linked to the scam escaped investigation. Tiangco said he does not expect Binay to recover the 10 percentage points immediately, nor will his camp try to regain the lost voter support in time for the next survey. Instead, the Binay camp will look at the long haul and try to regain people’s support slowly leading up to the 2016 election. “Matagal pa naman ang eleksyon, lampas isang taon. Hindi namin dapat hangarin na ma-recover bigla yung 10 percent na yan. Ma-recover namin 1 to 2 percent every quarter, ok na sa amin yan. Definitely, we should not even aim or dream of recovering it all at one time,” he said. Tiangco said he will also advise Binay against going to the Senate to explain his side in the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall building 2. He said doing so would mean Binay would have to keep coming back again and again to disprove allegations against him. “Kapag sinagot niya, wala nang katapusan. Ang gagawin nila maninira ulit and then sasagutin niya ulit. And how do you dispute a lie?” (MNS)

From page 1

PHIBLEX From page 1

just 100 miles (160 km) off Scarborough Shoal. The joint air and marine exercises “Philippine Bilateral Exercises,” or Phiblex, will focus more closely on maritime security and territorial defense operations as China continues to step up its presence and activities in the region. “We’re hoping to gain new techniques from the US marine corps,” Captain Reyson Talingdan, head of the public affairs of the Philippines’ 3rd Marine Brigade in Palawan, told reporters. “If they have new doctrines, we’ll be able to learn from them.” Two US amphibious ships, USS Peleliu and USS Germantown, are participating in the exercises. Besides simulating boat raids and beach assaults, they will feature aerial live fire, mechanized armor maneuvers and parachute drops. “The field training exercises will provide the Philippines and US marine units multiple opportunities to continue to improve their skills while sharing best practices and enhancing an already high level of cohesion,” the US embassy said in a state-

THE US ASIAN POST

The statement said all three units that were sent to the south had come from the northern Philippines where security officials said a long-running communist insurgency has largely petered out. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin had announced on Friday that, to “stop the Abu Sayyaf once and for all”, army troops will be dispatched to Sulu to help the marines there. Gazmin has announced the Philippines would not negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf over its demands for about $5.62 million in ransom for the Germans. He also downplayed alleged links between the group, which is blamed for the Philippines’ worst terror attacks, to Islamic State jihadists fighting in Iraq and Syria. ment. The military reported Beijing continued its reclamation work in four areas in the Spratlys despite the southwest monsoon. China has expanded its territory in the Gaven, Johnson South, Cuarteron and Chigua reefs in the Spratlys, reclaiming land to build islands to assert its claims. The Philippines has monitored the presence of more than 120 Chinese warships and fishing boats in the Spratlys in the first half of 2014, establishing firm control over disputed areas. China seized control of Scarborough Shoal, a rocky outcrop north of the Spratlys, in June 2012 after a three-month standoff with the Philippines, denying Filipino fishermen access to the rich fishing ground. In the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippines has also reported the presence of an increasing number of ships, from 11 in the last quarter of 2013 to 34 in the first quarter this year. The annual drills between Philippine and US forces are being held under the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT), part of a web of security alliances the United States built in the Asia-Pacific region during the Cold War. (MNS)

NO ISIS From page 1

The Armed Forces of the Philippines, which is investigating the reports, said it has yet to receive any verified information on any recruitment activities by ISIS in the Philippines. Aside from the Abu Sayyaf, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has a signed a peace deal with the government, has also pledged support to ISIS. Last Thursday, President Benigno Aquino III expressed the country’s intetion to assist in the United States’ campaign against the ISIS.

Meanwhile, the military will be sending additional troops to Mindanao in line with the threat that could be posed by ISIS. The 501st Infantry Brigade and its attached units from Northern Luzon will be assigned to Western Mindanao for additional forces in Sulu, while the 21st and 41st Infantry Battalions will be sent to Zamboanga Peninsula, the report said. The 501st Infantry Brigade was previously stationed to keep watch over the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, and Benguet, including Baguio City, it added. (MNS)