Weekend balita march 7, 2015 by Balita Media Inc

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VOL. XXIII, NO. 5

MARCH 7 - 13, 2015

THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FILIPINO-AMERICANS

Treason charges filed vs Aquino MANILA, Mar 5 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang is not concerned about the treason complaint filed by a former assemblyman against President Benigno Aquino III and several other officials over the government’s peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). In a text message on Thursday, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the accusations made by lawyer Homobono Adaza and Herman Tiu-Laurel did not have any solid basis. “Hindi natitinag ang determinasyon ng Pangulo na isulong ang prosesong pangkapayapaan sa kabila ng mga paratang na walang matibay na batayan,” Coloma said. On Wednesday, Adaza and Tiu-Laurel lodged a treason complaint against Aquino and members of the Philippine government’s peace panel with the Office of the

Ombudsman. The complainants accused Aquino of allowing the MILF, which they described as a “terrorist organization,” to have a “territory, more powers and more new institutions” through the comprehensive peace deal signed by the group and the Philippine government last year. They cited Article 114 of the Revised Penal Code, which states that an individual is guilty of treason when he or she “levies war against the Philippines or adheres to her enemies giving them aid or comfort within the Philippines or elsewhere.” Aside from Aquino, also named respondents in the complaint were peace adviser Teresita Deles, peace panel chairperson Miriam Ferrer, Senate President Franklin Drilon, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte See TREASON, page 3

Miriam: Treason complaint vs. Aquino, others baseless MANILA, Mar 5 (Mabuhay) – For Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, the treason complaint filed against President Benigno Aquino III and other ranking government officials stemming from the peace deal they signed with the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front would just be trashed by the court as it is baseless. Santiago, a former regional trial court judge, on Thursday said the complaint filed

by lawyer Homobono Adaza will definitely be junked by the court. “That [complaint] is baseless because they [respondents] are being punished for what seems to be a failure of judgment. They made the wrong judgment... That cannot be treason,” she said. According to her, treason is an overt act which shows a person has no loyalty left for See BASELESS, page 7

President Benigno S. Aquino III graces the Assumption of Command Ceremony of Philippine National Police-Special Action Force at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City on Wednesday (March 04). (MNS photo)

Homecare business in peril By Chito Parazo

Close to 80,000 elderly and developmentally-disabled Californians are facing the prospect of being displaced from their care homes any time this year because business owners are required to pay caregivers the mandated wage rate. While this may favor the employees, homecare business owners may be forced to close shop that may result in the loss of jobs to some 30,000 caregivers – most of whom are Filipino health providers – due to the skyrocketing cost of operating a six-bed facility for the elderly as well as for physically-challenged folks. Majority of the owners of these establishments have threatened to close shop in protest against what they termed as “unreasonable and unrealistic the $9 hourly wage rate, plus overtime benefits for live-in workers as mandated recently by the Department of Labor (DOL). Operators of the group called Residential Care facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) See HOMECARE PERIL, page 9 have expressed financial difficulties in

4,000 Filipinos still in Pacquiao more mindful of mistakes Los Angeles, United States | AFP| In his desire to end the fight in a convincLibya despite growing Thursday 3/5/2015 – Filipino boxing star ing fashion just to make the fans happy, danger: government Manny Pacquiao has matured a lot since his he went for the kill in the dying seconds Manila, Philippines |AFP| Thursday 3/5/2015 – Around 4,000 Filipinos remain in Libya despite the North African country’s perilous security situation, staying put for higher salaries in spite of the risks presented by rival armed groups to migrant workers, the Philippines said Thursday. Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told AFP “(The) reason for staying is mainly economic,” adding that “4,000 still remain”. Libya has been wracked by conflict for the past four years, with rival governments and powerful militias now battling for control of key cities and the country’s oil riches. Three Filipino oil workers are still missing and are believed to have been taken captive at work following an attack by gunmen in early February, Jose said. There were 13,000 Filipinos working in Libya when the Philippine government ordered mandatory repatriation in July 2014, he added. The government and private employers have since brought thousands of Filipinos home, but others have resisted, lured by salaries they could not expect in the Philippines. See FILIPINOS, page 7

six-round knockout loss to Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012. “He has learned a big lesson out of that. He became more cautious and has matured a lot as a fighter,” says Restituto “Buboy” Fernandez, a long-time associate and the assistant trainer for Pacquiao. Fernandez said Pacquiao was winning the fight and was about to finish off Marquez when he became hasty. “He is a fearless fighter inside the ring.

of the sixth round. And he paid dearly for it,” recalled Fernandez. Now, Fernandez says, Pacquiao has remained ferocious but is no longer a careless fighter. “His punches now are sharper and harder than before. We’ve been training together for years and I can say it based on actual experience,” said Fernandez, who suffered a cut on his mouth during See PACQUIAO, page 8

Manny Pacquiao does his daily routine of exercises at Griffith Park in Los Angeles as the Filipino pugilist is in deep training for the “fight of his life” against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Benny Uy

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Is bankruptcy the right thing to do? Ask yourself the following: Are you heavily in debt, with little prospect of relief in the near future? Have you had, or are your creditors threatening, a foreclosure on your home, a repossession of your car or other legal action to take your property? Have you experienced a dramatic drop in income? Are you frequently late paying bills? Do you only pay the minimum on your credit cards? from reality and assist you in identifying all Are you unable to make even the mini- of your options. You may even find out that mum payments? you have more options than you thought! Do you have to sacrifice basic necessiSo what happens, when your attorney ties to make ends meet? files a Bankruptcy on your behalf? 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You attorney time to consider various options, feel you are drowning, and financially, you including a possible loan modification, or probably are. amortizing delinquent payments through Your next step is to talk to a qualified a chapter 13 plan over five years, or both. bankruptcy attorney to assess your rights Bankruptcy will eliminate all unseand determine if bankruptcy is right for cured debt. This includes credit card debt, you. Bankruptcy is not for everyone, but medical bills, personal loans, judgments you need to be an informed consumer to resulting from car accidents, deficiencies make the right decision. Don’t you think on repossessed vehicles, Payday loans and it’s time to take a good hard look at your even some older income taxes, provided it own financial situation? meets very specific criteria. However, you Taking a close look at the bottom line will still be liable for debts on Child suptakes courage, but it’s a necessity. 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TREASON From page 1

Jr., as well as members of the MILF, including Murad Ebrahim, Mohagher Iqbal, Ghadzali Jaafar, and other John Does. Earlier in the day, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago also described the treason complaint as baseless “because they [respondents] are being punished for what seems to be a failure of judgment.” “They made the wrong judgment... That cannot be treason,” she said. According to her, treason is an overt act which shows a person has no loyalty left for the Philippines. She also said pushing for the peace process with the MILF is “too far away” from treason. “At most they can be charged

with poor judgment in office and in that way the remedy is political not legal. You cannot sue them in court, just boot them out of office,” she said. The government is pushing for the approval of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which was the result of the peace negotiation with the MILF. The proposed law aims to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and create a Bangsamoro political entity. For Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, the treason complaint filed against President Benigno Aquino III and other ranking government officials stemming from the peace deal they signed with the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front would just be trashed by the court as it is baseless.

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WWII Japanese ship found in PHL Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen finds battleship sank 70 years ago By Joel Guinto

French President Francois Hollande talks to a fisherman while showing his day’s catch during a visit in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Friday. Hollande visited a fishing community, which was devastated by Typhoon Yolanda, to highlight impacts of extreme weather and gather support in addressing climate change in preparation for the UN climate summit that France will host in December 2015. (MNS photo)

Manila, Philippines | | Wednesday 3/4/2015 – Billionaire and Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen said Wednesday he had found one of Japan’s biggest and most famous battleships on a Philippine seabed, some 70 years after American forces sank it during World War II. Excited historians likened the discovery, if verified, to finding the Titanic, as they hailed the American billionaire for his high-tech mission that apparently succeeded after so many failed search attempts by others. Allen posted photos and video online of parts of what he said was the battleship Musashi, found by his M/Y Octopus exploration vessel one kilometre (0.6 miles) deep on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea. “World War II battleship Musashi sank 1944 is found,” Allen announced in a Twitter post that has been re-tweeted close to 19,000 times. The discovery was the end of an eightyear search for the Musashi, backed by historical data from four countries and using “advanced technology” that surveyed the seabed, Allen said in a statement on his website. “I am honoured to play a part in finding this key vessel in naval history and honouring the memory of the incredible bravery of the men who served aboard her,” Allen said. Undersea footage on Allen’s website showed what were described as a valve, a catapult for planes, a gun turret and a starboard anchor. It also showed the space on the bow for the Japanese empire’s Chrysanthemum seal. This is a unique feature of the three biggest warships that Japan built during World War II, according to Kazushige

Todaka, director of the Kure Maritime Museum in Japan. ‘Destiny’ “I’m almost certain that what was discovered is the battleship Musashi,” he said, adding the find had huge historical importance. “There have been so many efforts over the years to locate Musashi, but they all failed. I feel like the warship might have been destined to show itself this year—the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II,” Todaka said. “With the memory of war slipping further and further from people’s minds, I hope this discovery will help make the public think about history.” Manolo Quezon, a prominent historian in the Philippines and the presidential communications undersecretary, also said the Musashi wreck would be a “major” historical find if verified. “This would be like finding the Titanic, because of the status of the ship and the interest on the ship,” Quezon told AFP. The Musashi was one of a trio of vessels built by Japan during the war that, at 263 metres (863 feet) each, were its biggest battleships ever. American warplanes sank the Musashi on October 24, 1944, at the height of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, regarded as the largest naval encounter of the war in which US and Australian forces defeated the Japanese. Dozens of Japanese warships that were sunk during World War II have since been found in the Philippines, with some of them now popular dive locations. The Sibuyan Sea where the Musashi was reportedly found is at the heart of the Philippines’ central Visayas islands, and is home to busy shipping lanes. Allen, 62, who founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, is the world’s 51st richest person with a net worth of $17.5 billion, according to Forbes Magazine.

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Enrile rejects house arrest MANILA, Mar 5 (Mabuhay) – Detained Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile is rejecting calls that he be placed under house arrest, saying he is ready to fight his accusers and prove his innocence in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam. Enrile’s son, former congressman Jack Enrile, said his father is in a “fighting mood” and wants to go back to detention in Camp Crame and work on his defense. “We had a conversation yesterday about house arrest and he himself said he does not want it. He wants to go back and go through the process, face his accusers, face the charges before him, answer them before the Filipino public and clear his name. That’s what he wants,” he said. “He may be advanced in age but he is still very, very sharp...This is the trial of his life and he has a few years to clear his name.” Enrile and his co-accused are facing plunder and graft charges for allegedly

pocketing P172.8 million in kickbacks from 2004 to 2010. Plunder is a nonbailable offense. Enrile has denied the charges, saying it was his then chief of staff Atty. Jessica “Gigi” Reyes who signed the documents allocating his pork barrel allocations to non-government organizations of Janet Lim Napoles. Last week, the former Senate President was rushed to the Makati Medical Center after contracting pneumonia. The younger Enrile said his father’s condition is steadily improving and he may be discharged within a week. “Infection is 50 percent of what it originally was...He was in good spirits, he was standing and walking about although not as strong as during his birthday.” The younger Enrile said his father is grateful to friends and supporters who are thinking of what’s best for him by pushing for his house arrest.

Lani feels ‘sweet happiness’ seeing Bong reunited with family Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado Revilla has expressed elation that her husband, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., was able to spend five hours with their family Tuesday at the hospital where their son, Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla, is confined for a gunshot wound. In a Facebook status posted Tuesday night, Lani thanked God for granting her family’s wish to see the Revilla patriarch again. “Lord, thank you for granting our wish. It was a joy to see Bong today. It is such sweet happiness to see my family together despite these trying times,” she said. The Sandiganbayan on Tuesday allowed the elder Revilla to visit his son at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center

in Muntinlupa City between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. that day. The lawmaker is currently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame in connection with plunder charges filed against him over the pork barrel scam. Jolo has been confined at the hospital since Saturday night after he sustained a gunshot wound to his chest. His family said the vice governor fired his gun by accident while cleaning it. A photo released by the Revillas showed the father and son were both in tears when they saw each other at the hospital. According to lawyer Raymond Fortun, the family’s spokesperson, Jolo apologized to his father for the incident.

Senator Bong Revilla (center) consoles his son, Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla, at the Asian Hospital on Tuesday. The elder Revilla was allowed by the court to visit his son who sustained a gunshot wound on Saturday. Also in the picture is Sen. Revilla’s wife, Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado (right).(MNS photo)

Jolo’s condition improves, Bong cancels furlough request MANILA, Mar 4 (Mabuhay) – Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. will not ask for another furlough after a latest CT scan showed improvement in the condition of his son, Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla. Atty. Raymond Fortun, the Revilla family’s spokesman, said the result of the latest CT Scan on Jolo “unofficially, was pretty encouraging.” “I cannot pinpoint what medical term it should be so I’ll just wait for the doctor’s say on it. But it was encouraging enough that Senator Revilla decided not to push through with his plan to ask the Sandiganbayan for another furlough,” Fortun said. “Senator Revilla felt that Jolo’s condition was not urgent enough to require his presence for today.” Fortun said the Revilla camp decided not to push through with another furlough request so the senator would not be accused of taking advantage of the situation. He said Jolo underwent another CT Scan Tuesday evening, earlier than the original schedule of Wednesday morning due to concerns regarding the distention of his abdomen. “It was a cause for concern among doctors. The medical term is acute abdominal distention where they noticed that Jolo’s umbilical button appeared to have turned over.” “The hospital will be coming up with an official medical bulletin on Jolo’s condition supposedly this morning, but I haven’t received it.” The Sandiganbayan allowed the senator to visit his son on Tuesday afternoon.

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More Filipinos pushed into poverty by Haiyan Manila, Philippines |AFP| Friday 3/6/2015 – Super typhoon Haiyan and surging rice prices pushed the number of Filipinos living in poverty to 25.8 percent in the first half of last year despite strong economic growth, official data released Friday showed. The 1.2 percent rise was compared to the 24.6 percent of people in the Philippines who were considered poor a year earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority said in a statement. The increase followed Haiyan which struck in November 2013, killing more than 7,350 people and ravaging an area as big as Portugal in the nation of around 100 million people. The government agency deemed a family of five who lived off 8,778 pesos ($199.3) a month -- roughly $1.33 per person a day – to be poor. Nevertheless the Philippines, one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, saw the average income of Filipinos rise by 6.4 percent in the first six months of 2014, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in the statement. “The very high prices of food wiped out the gains in per capita income,” he added. The areas ravaged by Haiyan saw the most substantial jumps in poverty levels, he said. Notwithstanding the ravages of Haiyan, the Philippine economy expanded by 6.1

percent last year, second only to China among Asian economies according to the government. The biggest rises in per capita income, percentage-wise, occurred amongst the poorest sections of the Philippines during this period, Balisacan said. However, the domestic price of rice, the staple cereal that accounts for 20 percent of the budget of low-income families, also shot up by 11.9 percent, he said. Lean harvests and less imports were to blame, pushing up the inflation rate and eroding per capita income gains, he added. The government is forecasting growth of between 7-8 percent this year, raising hopes it would make further inroads on reducing poverty. Meanwhil further south in Mindanao, some evacuees caught in the middle of the military’s all-out offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Maguindanao are suffering from various diseases such as diarrhea, fever, and coughs and colds, a television report said Thursday. The diseases are caused by lack of clean toilets and potable water. Data from the Integrated Provincial Health Office there said nearly 400 children aged five and below are suffering from coughs and colds. Five of them have been diagnosed with pneumonia. Aside from them, more than 20 children have diarrhea.

Residents use a thin pole to climb to the rooftops of their houses and battle another fire that hit Parola compound in Tondo, Manila on Tuesday. Two fires in succession struck the shanty area, rendering almost 10,000 families homeless. (MNS photo)

CBCP official: Parishes can help disseminate fire prevention tips MANILA, Mar 5 (Mabuhay) – Parishes can do their part to help prevent fires by disseminating fire prevention tips in the communities, a Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines official said Wednesday. CBCP public affairs committee executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano said this as he appealed to parishes to beef up their information and awareness campaigns related to Fire Prevention Month. “Bilang Simbahan mas maganda din na i-reiterate natin ang mga paalala na ito. Halimbawa sa ating mga announcements sa Misa. Pangalawa, kung meron tayong mga meeting sa pastoral council,” he said on Church-run Radyo Veritas.

“Sa mga ministry, maaring banggitin din natin ito. Aam mo, ang kulang dito minsan kaalaman eh. Dahil sa kakulangan ng kaalaman, nagkaroon ng negligence so nais natin na maiparating sa kanila ang kahalagahan ng pag-iingat sa mga bagay na ito,” he added. Data from the Bureau Fire Protection showed 615 fires had been recorded in January and February in Metro Manila alone. At least 18 people had been killed and 46 were injured. In several cases, an electrical short circuit was tagged as the cause of the fires. Earlier this week, a fire destroyed several houses at the Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila.(MNS)

Divorce: A painful process; Finding the right attorney that understands it is important The process of separation and divorce involves a lot of pain and anguish. The parties are feeling hurt and lost. They may feel that they are at the lowest point of their lives. They have invested a lot into a relationship of years, often decades but they have hit a wall when the realization sets in – that they are better off without each other than together. Whether you have been mulling the idea of divorce for years or when a single event triggers is best for them..he or she knows and feels it, it is a significant decision in one’s life. only the hurt and the betrayal. It is my job Ironically, many divorcing couples have to listen but too often, it is also to tell or spent more time and emotion contemplat- advice him/her on what is in their best or ing the decision to divorce than they did their children’s best interest. for their decision to marry. They now have I have to recognize when a client is the benefit of hindsight and experience. too volatile to make the right decision for They are no longer two naive, madly in themselves. I have to give them the big love individuals but now , more mature picture and get them to believe not only and reflective. in themselves again but also that there Despite all the mental preparation, the is a brighter, more promising tomorrow process make take on a surreal dimension. that awaits them. I truly believe this. And I have heard many clients describe the my job is not complete until I am able to events leading to their divorce to be like achieve this for my client. one of ‘slow motion’, where each step that If you are contemplating a divorce, leads to it – magnified and vivid. separation or an annulment. If you have Therefore, it is important to retain an issues of custody, support and rightful attorney who understands what you are go- property distribution. ing through. Clients come to me in various If you have issues of establishing paemotional stages. Some are still in a daze. ternity or adoption – it behooves you to Men who have never cried in public, weep know your rights and responsibilities, to openly in my presence. discuss your options and advantages , and Women, with lips quivering, recall the to seek counsel that not only is competent litany of hardships theyve gone through. but knows and has empathy s with what Often, with my training as an attorney, I you are going through. Contact our Law often take the role of counellor, therapist offices and schedule a consultation. and confidante. Attorney Miguel Inumerable is a I am a spirited advocate for my client graduate of UCLA Law School and – but I must often take a step back – and has more than 25 years experience see the complete picture – what my client serving the Filipino community. He is has gone through, where he/she is now bilingual in Tagalog and English. His and how can we not only resolve his or her areas of practice includes Family Law legal dilemma but make him/her a better (divorce, custody, support, restraining man/woman than the one who first came orders) Bankruptcy, Business Litigation, through my door. Immigration and Deportation, Probate Yes, often a client does not know what and Criminal and Regulatory Law.

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Pacquiao- Mayweather bout: A rallying event for Filipinos Boxing hero Manny Pacquiao whose bout with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand Arena on May 2 maybe the biggest fight of his life. True to form, the Filipino boxing icon exudes a solid confidence resulting from many rounds of squaring off with grizzled boxers of varied styles. The two megafighters are fighting maybe for different reasons. Mayweather, who holds an impeccable unbeaten record will not allow anybody to grab the honor and distinction away from him. And before an agreement was reach for the â&#x20AC;?fight he too is fighting for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;right reasonâ&#x20AC;? as of the century.â&#x20AC;? a prizefighter. He has set his eyes for the While some releases had it that the million right incentives to go through the Filipino boxing hero of many talents has rigors and danger of the 12-round event. The been quoted as seeing this skirmish with kitty is hefty and enough motivation for him, Mayweather as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a bout like any other fightâ&#x20AC;?, maybe. It took five years of taunting, bitter to those following him closely, the fight is word exchanges and skillful negotiations more than that to his countrymen.

On Pacquiaoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shoulders fall the nobler task of proving what the Filipinos are capable of doing. He symbolizes the tenacity and resilience of his race. The money factor which in many instance brought him in â&#x20AC;&#x153;troubleâ&#x20AC;? might not be the biggest consideration, as it sometimes bring in conflict with people whose job is to look for people who make too much and want the government to have a fair share from his blood, sweat and tear. The great fist extravaganza that will make Las Vegas come to life once more will bring to the fore once again Pacquiaoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sterling qualities that enabled him to be where he is right night now and with the world taking notice of a tiny county in the Pacific peopled by over a hundred million

inhabitants. The determined Pacquiao is the rallying figure in a county calamities love to visit and the whose inhabitants become adept at going with the punches. The small boxing real estate called the ring will become sort of stage to showcase what Filipinos are capable of doing, against all odds. In a short span of a little over 30 minutes, if the fight would last that long, millions of people around the world will witness how symbolically the guyâ&#x20AC;? from an obscure province in the Philippines would rally and lead his charge in one of the importance epochs of their existence. The May 2 fight is by no means just one of those bouts. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a make or break event for him and for what he symbolizes. Its going to be one like no other.

Legend Hagler hails â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;historicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mayweather-Pacquiao fight Hong Kong, China | | Friday 3/6/2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Boxing legend Marvin Haglerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fabled clash with Sugar Ray Leonard was the superfight of its day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but the massively anticipated showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will eclipse it, he says. Speaking with AFP during a visit to Hong Kong, the 60-year-old said the fight between the world famous welterweights in Las Vegas on May 2 would be the â&#x20AC;&#x153;biggest fight in historyâ&#x20AC;?, regardless of who wins.

The fight has echoes of Haglerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1987 showdown with Leonard, also staged in Las Vegas, which saw him lose on points in a decision which remains controversial to this day. Pacquiao and Mayweather are considered to be the best â&#x20AC;&#x153;pound-for-poundâ&#x20AC;? boxers of their generation and their $200 million clash will finally happen after years of failed negotiations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whether Pacquiao loses in the first round, whether he knocks out Mayweather

BASELESS

gencies. And one of the main insurgency group now is the MILF. They are a terrorist organization. As of now, there is no law favoring them...,â&#x20AC;? Adaza added. Among those named as respondents in the complaint were peace adviser Aquino, presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles, peace panel chairperson Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Senate President Franklin Drilon, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, MILF officials Murad Ebrahim, Mohagher Iqbal, and Ghadzali Jaafar.

From page 1

the Philippines. Asked if the complaint will be junked by the court, Santiago said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;yes, definitely.â&#x20AC;? After the filing the complaint, Adaza said Aquino and the MILF have committed two different acts of treason against the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are charging them with treason under Article 114 of the Revised Penal Code. Treason comes in several forms. First, any citizen of the country that wages war against the government of the Philippines, which includes Ibrahaim Murad, Mohagher Iqbal and also Ghazali Jaafar, they are the leaders of the MILF,â&#x20AC;? Adaza said. On the other hand, he said Aquino and other members of government committed treason because they have â&#x20AC;&#x153;given aid and comfortâ&#x20AC;? to the MILF. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The other definition is giving aid and comfort to the enemy... the MILF. We have been waging war against the various insur-

in the first round, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still going to be the biggest fight in history,â&#x20AC;? said Hagler. Mayweather, 38, has previously recalled watching the Hagler-Leonard clash. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I remember being a kid and saying there would never be another fight bigger than this,â&#x20AC;? he said in an interview before his 2007 fight against Oscar De la Hoya. The American, who has a 47-0 record with 26 knockouts, is homing in on the iconic 49-0 record of 1950s legend Rocky Marciano, who retired as an undefeated

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If You Bought an Airline Ticket between the U.S. and Asia, Australia, New Zealand, or the PaciďŹ c Islands, You Could Receive BeneďŹ ts from Class Action Settlements Settlements have been reached with eight airlines in a class action lawsuit involving the price of airline tickets. The Settling Defendants are: Air France; Cathay PaciďŹ c; Japan Airlines; Malaysian Airlines; Qantas; Singapore Airlines; Thai Airways; and Vietnam Airlines. The lawsuit continues against ďŹ ve Non-Settling Defendant airlines: Air New Zealand; All Nippon Airways (â&#x20AC;&#x153;ANAâ&#x20AC;?); China Airlines (Taiwan); EVA Airways; and Philippines Airlines. What is the case about? The lawsuit claims that the Defendants agreed to ďŹ x prices on tickets for transpaciďŹ c air travel. As a result, ticket purchasers may have paid more than was necessary. The Settling Defendants deny the allegations, and deny that they have any liability. The Defendant airlines also deny liability, although ANA has pled guilty to ďŹ xing the prices of certain discounted tickets. Am I included? You are included if: (1) you bought a ticket for air travel from one of 26 airlines; (2) the ticket included at least one ďŹ&#x201A;ight segment between the U.S. and Asia or Oceania; and (3) your purchase was made between January 1, 2000 and the present. A more complete description of eligibility requirements is available at the website or by calling the toll-free number. What do the Settlements provide? The Settling Defendants have agreed to pay $39,502,000 (the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Settlement Fundâ&#x20AC;?). Money will not be distributed yet, and will be distributed pursuant to a Plan of Allocation approved

by the Court. Additional information is available on the website below. Class Counsel will pursue the lawsuit against the Non-Settling Defendants. Class Counsel have not requested attorneysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fees and reimbursement of costs at this time but will do so in connection with the ďŹ nal approval hearing. For the current Settlements, Class Counsel will request up to one-third of the Settlement Fund plus up to $7,500 for each of the class representatives. Class Counsel has asked the Court to set aside an additional $3 million of the Settlement Fund to cover future expenses. How can I get beneďŹ ts? Submit a Claim Form online or by mail. The earliest deadline to ďŹ le a claim is September 19, 2015, but you will have until 120 days after the Settlements become ďŹ nal and effective to ďŹ le your claim. What are my rights? If you do nothing, you will be bound by the Settlements and the Courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decisions. If you want to keep your right to sue the Settling Defendants you must exclude yourself from the classes by April 17, 2015. If you stay in the classes, you may object to the Settlements by April 17, 2015. The Court will hold a hearing on May 22, 2015 to consider whether to approve the Settlements. You or your own lawyer may appear at the hearing at your own expense, but you do not have to attend. Please visit the website, www.AirlineSettlement.com for additional information, important documents, and case updates.

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Debtor too late to strip $70k 2nd mortgage Student loans & taxes catch up with senior Too late to strip 2nd mortgage I saw debtor about 4 years ago, and now she returns to consult on a new financial crisis. The first time I met her she was 58, now she is 62. Four years ago, she consulted with me regarding what she should do with a rental property which was upside down and losing money, and her own residence which was also been stripped. For $4,500 a month, she upside down. She bought her residence at should be living in a mansion. Instead, she the highest price possible when even your is paying through her nose to live basically, dog can qualify to buy a house with zero in a shoebox. I mean, why even keep this down. She bought the house with a first house, which makes no sense. She also said mortgage of $650K, and a 2nd mortgage of that she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the feeling of paying $70K. She bought the house for $720K. $4,500 for a very small old house. She For that price, even during the height of totally regrets buying it. Now someone is telling her to modify \the housing bubble, debtor should have bought a newer house with at least 2,000 the first and the second for a large fee. sq. ft. Instead, debtor made the mistake of Incredibly, she still believes that she can buying a very small 75-year-old house that significantly modify the first and the 2nd, is a little over 1,000 sq. ft. with nothing even though she paid another group of down, an ARM loan, and a 2nd mortgage. business people more than $12K to modify Four years ago, I told her to file a Chap- the 1st mortgage which was denied because ter 13, abandon the rental, and strip the 2nd her income was $150K a year as a medical mortgage on the residence of $70K. How- professional. You read that right, more than ever, I also told her that the first mortgage $12K for a denied LM. I asked her why she on her residence would be adjusting to a parted with a large sum for that transaction, higher mortgage payment in 4 years, at and she told me they had a very big office, which time, she will have difficulty paying and she was impressed with their big office. it. Had she followed my advise and gotten Apparently, my office was a lot smaller rid of the 2nd mortgage at the time I told than theirs so she trusted them who were her to, now she would be able to sell her not lawyers instead of me who actually was house free and clear of the 2nd mortgage. the lawyer with a license. She could now pocket the $70K of equity, Now at 62, she is looking to retire in which now exists if she decides to sell the 2 or 3 years. When she retires, her net residence today, 4 years hence. This is one income will be $4,000 a month. Although of those time travels back to the future, that income is good for retirement, how with the present being the future then. will she pay her mortgage of $4,500? She She did a short sale on the rental because now wants to strip the 2nd mortgage when the mortgage debt forgiveness program of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no longer possible because there is Obama was in effect. With the short sale some equity supporting the 2nd. She also of the rental the IRS did not consider the wants to short sale the residence without forgiven portion income. She did not file a a tax impact. But that option is no longer Chapter 13 to strip the 2nd on her residence. available effective 2015. There could be The problem is that the first mortgage is a short sale of the residence for something now $4,000 a month, and the 2nd is $500 less than the balance of the first mortgage, a month. She pays a total of $4,500 for a but the amount forgiven will become part tiny 75-year-old house that up to now has of her income this year. This year she no equity because the 2nd mortgage has not will still gross $130K a year. The amount

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forgiven in the short sale will be added to her income. If the amount forgiven is $80K, her income this year will be $210K, resulting probably in additional income tax liability of $30K. Again Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given her advise as to what she should do now which I will not disclose here because the approach is novel but it will handle both the first and the 2Ä&#x201C;Ä&#x2030; in a way that will be good for her. When she retires she will no longer owe the first and the second. With her $4K of retirement income, she should only allocate maximum $1,500 for house payment. Whether she will actually follow my legal advise remains to be seen. Student loans & taxes catch up with senior Client is 66. His income is $70K a year. His problem is that he owes income taxes of $28K for last year, $160K of student loans, and $50K of credit cards. The student loans payment is $2000 a month, which is the same as his mortgage payment. Credit cards require another $1,400 a month. His only child went to private college and he co-signed all her student loans. Son has graduated but is not able to get a job, so he cannot pay his student loans. Since client equally liable on sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student loans as a co-signer, creditor is now going after client for payment. At 66, how can client possibly pay off his sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student loans? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simply not possible. Relief is possible by separating the loans into categories and resolving each category by different methods. A Chapter 13 will take care of taxes and credit card debt. Client may qualify for a zero percent plan where he only pays off the taxes in 5 years without interest or penalty, and nothing is paid to credit cards. Initially, student loans will be paid in the same class as credit cards. Since credit cards get zero, student loans will also get zero. At the end of the payment plan taxes will be fully paid, credit cards will be discharged but student loans will remain. Therefore, it is necessary that student loans be resolved specifically with the objective of having them forgiven by creditor at the right time. The right time,

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being the year of BK discharge to avoid a tax liability for the forgiven part. Clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income position may change drastically if he loses part of his income, which will require a totally different approach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;GIVE UNTO THE LORD THE GLORY DUE TO HIS NAME; WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PSALM 29:2. Lawrence Bautista Yang is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has been in law practice for thirty years. He specializes in bankruptcy, business and civil litigation and has handled more than five thousand successful bankruptcy cases in California. He speaks Tagalog and looks forward to discussing your case with you personally. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S Fremont Ave, MAILSTOP 58, Building A-1 SUITE 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 OR at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789.

PACQUIAO From page 1

the punch mitts session at the Fortune Gym on Tuesday. Several times during the punch mitts session, Fernandez was dazed due to non-stop pounding from the Pinoy boxing superstar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was accidentally caught with his left upper cut. His punches were controlled but coming from someone like Manny Pacquiao, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d really be hurt,â&#x20AC;? Fernandez said. Fernandez believes that Pacquiaoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s barrage of powerful punches will eventually break down Floyd Mayweatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defense. The unbeaten welterweight Mayweather (47-0, 26KOs) faces eight-division champion Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38KOs) in Las Vegas on May 2 in the richest fight of all time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mayweather has not fought in his entire career a fighter with so much power, speed and a fearless heart like Manny Pacquiao. His defence would be shattered,â&#x20AC;? Fernandez said.

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Meal break or extra pay for employees working more than 12 hours (When meal waivers don’t apply) Some employees work 12-hour shifts, such as nurses, therapists, technicians, or even caregivers and domestic employees. They may find themselves working continuously without being provided their mandated breaks. Hourly employees are entitled to a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break for every 5 hours of work. Thus, those on a 12-hour shift are entitled to a second 30-minute meal break. If the meal break is missed. Twelve-hour shift employees may break is not provided as required by law, the employer shall pay the employee one voluntarily waive their right to one of additional hour of pay at the employee’s their two meal periods but only in writing. regular rate for each workday that the meal However, these 12-hour shift employees Westin Kierland pays housekeepers $76K in back wages, penalties PHOENIX – Westin Kierland Resort & Spa has paid 104 housekeepers and two job applicants more than $47,300 in back wages after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation uncovered wage and employment violations at the Scottsdale hotel. Westin Kierland failed to pay overtime wages for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. The resort also hired workers on H-2B visas and denied employment to local, qualified applicants in favor of foreign workers. In addition to back wages owed, the hotel has paid $29,081 in penalties for the willful nature of the violations found. Investigators with the division’s Phoenix District Office found that the employer routinely deducted 30 minutes for lunch breaks not taken by the housekeepers, and did not pay them for the time they worked before and after their shifts, resulting in more than $33,000 in unpaid overtime wages.

HOMECARE PERIL From page 1

complying with the DOL’s mandated $9 wage rate for caregivers, plus overtime pay in excess of a 40-hour work per week. These RCFE operators have recently formed an association called 6Beds.Org to help educate legislators and other elected officials, as well as the public, about the critical role the six-bed facility industry in the state’s healthcare structure, and to represent the interest of operators in the State Assembly, but recently failed to convince Sacramento about their plight. Worse, the California Department of Labor has been recently aggressive in conducting “lightning raids” on several board care facilities in Northern California to ensure that the wage rates for live-in caregivers are being implemented by employers, according to the group, with some RCFE operators in Contra Costa ending up being jailed or fined for non-payment of minimum wage and overtime benefits for their caregivers. According to Gina Wasdyke and Joy dela Torre, founders of 6Beds.Org, they will urge the labor department to draw up a different wage structure tailored exclusively for live-in healthcare workers, similar to the Companionship Law which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1974. The Companionship Law exempted live-in caregivers from being paid overtime since they only provide companionship service in a family home setting. Companionship services consist of providing meal preparation, bed-making, laundry and providing care for the elderly or developmentally disabled individual who cannot care for themselves because of advanced age or mental of physical infirmity. However, the companionship exemption was finally superseded by the Obama administration, according to the group, when it decided to lift the exemption and extend minimum wage and overtime protection to healthcare workers. The DOL said these workers should be covered under the Fair Labor Standard Acts (FLSA), the nation’s main wage and hour law. Both Wasdyke and De la Torre said that unlike the bigger facilities which can accommodate 50 or more patients, sixbed facilities are limited to just that – six patients. These facilities charge an average of $3,000 a month for private rooms and at least $2,000 for shared rooms. With the minimal amount that they generate, Wasdyke and De la Torre said there is no way that they may be able to pay their

caregivers an average of $4,000 a month plus overtime pay. Other operational costs include bills, mortgage, liability insurance, etc. Under the present situation, there is no way for operators to make a decent profit, Wasdyke said. She added that unless the DOL come up with a solution on how to address the wage and overtime rates of caregivers, they will be hard-pressed to continue operating their business under the present wage structure. The group will be holding a rally on March 17 in Sacramento to demand that the DOL consider a wage exempt for homecare live-in caregivers, they said, if not a different wage structure for the homecare industry. More than 13,000 board and care facilities have been licensed by the State of California this year. They pay an annual fee of $350, or about $4.5 million in annual fees that operators pay the state. Government data shows that 6 million of the 40 million Americans older than 65 need some form of assistance to live outside a nursing home . The same data estimate that the number will double to 12 million by 2030.

may be required by the employer to work beyond 12 hours. If so, how many breaks should they have? The Court of Appeal recently tried to resolve this question in the case of Gerard v. Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center. Here, the employees of the hospital usually worked 12–hour shifts, but from time to time they worked shifts longer than 12 hours. Hospital policy allowed employees who worked shifts longer than 10 hours to waive one of their two meal periods, even if their shifts lasted more than 12 hours. The employees all signed second meal period waivers, and occasionally worked shifts longer than 12 hours without being provided a second meal period. The employees contend that the hospital’s second meal period waiver policy violates the Labor Code, arguing that the Labor Code allows waivers only if the first period was not waived and the total hours worked is no more than 12 hours. The employer argued that it followed the law because the Industrial Wage Commission (IWC) created the Wage Order governing employees in the healthcare industry. This Wage Order allows employees working more than 8 hours in a workday to waive their right to one of their two meal periods. The employer then presented the written agreement that the employees signed waiving their meal period for work beyond

12 hours. The Court of Appeal ruled that the waiver signed by the employees does not apply if they work more than 12 hours during the shift. The Wage Order is partially invalid to the extent it allows employees to waive their second meal periods on shifts longer than 12 hours. The Labor Code does not authorize the IWC to enact wage orders inconsistent with the Labor Code. For employees who work beyond 12 hours per day, they must be provided another 30-minute meal period. If they are not provided this meal period, they must be paid an additional one-hour of their regular rate. Employees who work longer shifts at work must be mindful of this recent interpretation of the law, as this may mean extra money in their paycheck. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is trial attorney who has obtained several million dollar recoveries for his clients against insurance companies and employers. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, featured in the cover of Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Verdicts and Settlements, and is a member of the Million Dollar-Advocates Forum. He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center Washington, D.C. and the University of the Philippines. Visit his website at www.joesayaslaw.com or contact his office at (818) 291-0088 for a no-cost inquiry.]

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Considering bankruptcy? 5 questions to ask yourself Are you being harassed by your creditors day and night due to unpaid bills? If you are, you know that this is a pretty unpleasant experience. You may feel scared, angry or embarrassed about your situation. The prospect of debt relief through bankruptcy may sound appealing to you but you are not quite sure if this is really the way to go. Perhaps you have heard good things and bad things about bankruptcy and you need to learn more about it before your debt. You also need to look at the making a decision. types of debt you have. For example, if But just how can you tell when it’s time you are dealing with nothing but IRS taxes to make that move and declare bankruptcy? and they type of taxes you have cannot be Of course, situations vary and whether or wiped out in bankruptcy, you may have not bankruptcy is your best alternative will other options in solving your tax problems depend on the facts and circumstances of besides filing for bankruptcy. your case. But generally, the answer has to Generally speaking, however, here are a do with your ability to pay, which means few questions you should be asking yourthat you need to consider your income, self to help you assess whether it’s time for expenses, your assets and the amount of you to consider filing for bankruptcy: (1)

Are you struggling to pay even the minimum payments on your credit cards? (2) Have you started borrowing money just to be able to cover your basic living expenses such as rent or mortgage, food, gas, etc? (3) Have you lost track of how much you owe? (4) Are bill collectors calling you because you have accounts in collection? (5) Have creditors taken legal action against you such as filing a lawsuit, obtained a judgment and threatening to garnish your wages or levy your bank account? If you said “yes” to any or most of the above, you could be in a financial danger zone and you need to take action as soon as possible before your financial problems get worse. It may be time to face your financial reality instead of pretending that everything is “OK”. Perhaps you’ve been ignoring your pile of bills and the collection calls. But you’re only going to be able to do this for so long. Sooner or later, you need to face your creditors and do something to change your situation. I believe that bankruptcy should be a

last resort and that you need to exhaust all debt relief options before resorting to it. But I also believe that a lot of people put off the decision to file bankruptcy for too long that they needlessly suffer in debt when they could have acted sooner to rebuild their finances and their life. Since 1997, I have helped thousands of clients get out of debt. Let me help you determine if bankruptcy is right for your situation. If you are under a lot of financial stress and don’t know what to do, I’d like to help you figure out the best way to get your finances back in order again. Call us for a free consultation at Toll-Free 1-888752-8211. We have offices in Pasadena, Cerritos and Valencia. (None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped more than 5,000 clients in finding solutions to their debt problems. To schedule a free attorney consultation, please call RJB LAW OFFICES at TOLL FREE 1-888-752-8211).

Charges filed vs 2 Vietnamese, Canadian in hacking of billion email addresses Washington, United States |AFP| Friday 3/6/2015 – US authorities Friday unveiled charges against two Vietnamese nationals and one Canadian in connection with a computer fraud scheme to steal over one billion email addresses. The data breach was the largest in US history and was the subject of a 2011 congressional inquiry. Indictments in the case accuse two Vietnamese nationals of hacking into at least eight major email services from February 2009 to June 2012, stealing the email addresses that were then used for various spam and marketing schemes. The scheme netted at least $2 million from the marketing of various products and services, according to the US Justice Department. Those charged with hacking were Viet Quoc Nguyen, 28, and Giang Hoang Vu, 25, both Vietnamese nationals. The charges were unsealed following the arrest of David-Manuel Santos Da Silva, 33, of Montreal, Canada, who is accused of conspiracy to commit money laundering for helping Nguyen and Vu to generate revenue from the scheme and launder the proceeds. Da Silva was arrested last month at Fort Lauderdale International Airport and was

to be arraigned Friday in Atlanta. Vu was arrested in 2012 in the Netherlands and extradited to the United States in March 2014. Last month, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and is to be sentenced on April 21, officials said. Nguyen remains a fugitive. “This case reflects the cutting-edge problems posed by today’s cybercrime cases, where the hackers didn’t target just a single company; they infiltrated most of the country’s email distribution firms,” said Acting US Attorney John Horn in Atlanta. “And the scope of the intrusion is unnerving, in that the hackers didn’t stop after stealing the companies’ proprietary data – they then hijacked the companies’ own distribution platforms to send out bulk emails and reaped the profits from email traffic directed to specific websites.” According to investigators, Da Silva owned 21 Celsius Inc., a Canadian corporation that ran Marketbay.com, which he used to help generate revenue from the data thefts. Nguyen received a commission on sales generated from Internet traffic that he directed to websites promoting specific products, officials said.

Bridge jumper says sea lion saved him Sydney, Australia | | Wednesday 3/4/2015 – A man who jumped off San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to try to take his own life and was kept afloat by a sea lion said Wednesday suicide prevention was now his life’s work. Kevin Hines, in Australia to speak at several conferences, was a teenager struggling with mental illness and depression when he jumped off the famous bridge in 2000. He survived the fall, only to see what he thought was a shark beneath him. “I was freaking out in those waters. And I was thinking I didn’t die there and now I am going to die here in the water because of a creature of some sort,” he told AFP. “I really thought it was a shark and I thought it was going to take off a leg and I was panicking. “And then it just didn’t, it just kept circling beneath me. I remember floating atop the water and this thing just bumping me, bumping me up.” Hines later spoke to a man who had been on the bridge that day and who had seen that it was not a shark but a sea lion. “Everyone who looked down saw this creature circling in a clockwise motion beneath me. So they saw me laying atop the water and being bumped. “This thing beneath me didn’t stop or didn’t go away until I heard the boat behind me.” Hines believes another factor also helped save his life – a woman driving past saw his plunge and immediately reported it to a friend in the coastguard. He said without her call, the coastguard would not have known his exact location and would not have got to him before hypothermia or his injuries, including serious back problems, caused him to drown. “I’m one of less than one percent to have survived that fall,” he acknowledged. Many of the survivors never regain full mobility, as he has. “I’ve been given the gift of a second chance of life so many times,” he said. Hines, now 33, is a mental health advocate who speaks at events around the world in a bid to prevent suicides. “This is absolutely my life’s passion and my life’s work,” he said.

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Cooking with style

The regular Sunday morning cooking class held at the Williams-Sonoma store in Arcadia’s Woodfield Santa Anita Fashion Square came to an end last Sunday, when the more than a dozen cooking class participants said “hasta la vista” ( or ‘til we see you again) to Chef Ken Benjamin, who has truly demonstrated his expert cooking skills to all of us, where he brought not only the traditional style of cooking from his family but his own contemporary personal touch of cooking as well. Some of the topics we learned from his one-hour cooking demonstration classes include a lot of “how-to’s” such as: “How to de-bone poultry,” “How to prepare for a New Year’s Eve Party, “ “Valentine’s Party.” “Thanksgiving Turkey Treat,” “Comfort Food,” “Autumn Braising,” ‘Cooking with Cast-Iron,” “Knife Skills Techniques,” or learning to mix “Teas, Juices and Smoothies.” According to Chef Ken, he “enjoys working and creating new food ideas,” having been taught early on by his Mom. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Food & Nutrition from Cal Poly Pomona where he graduated in 1983. After graduation, he went on to pursue Culinary Arts (Chef Training) at the Los Angeles Trade Tech in 1984. Thus began his teaching career at the Azusa Adult School where for a Chef Ken Benjamin says he “enjoys working couple of years, he taught Cake Decorating and creating new food ideas,” having been and Baking. taught early on by his Mom. Ken has been teaching Cooking Tech- started in the 1990’s when he became a part nique Classes at Williams Sonoma since of a local comedy trio called “The Three 2006 though he has also been with the Local Boys.” Albertson’s Food Chain for the past 36 On his own, he has opened acts for Jo years. His remarkable Customer Service Koy, Wayne Brady and Damon Wayans. and innovative Barbecue Shop has earned His versatility includes recording four him quite a following in the community. albums and singing hits such as: Though we will miss Ken Benjamin’s “Rice, Rice Baby,” and “Me So HunCooking Technique classes in Arcadia, we gry.” will hopefully try to follow him wherever Making his transition into televihe may be transferred to. sion, Tabura has co-hosted “ Anthony On a related field, this writer and a Bourdain: No Resurrections,” and he colleague, Lydia Solis, were invited to has appeared on shows like:”Baywatch The Filipino Channel (TFC’s) “Lifestyle Hawaii.” He has also hosted “Wake Up Network” Cable Television’s first season Today,” on KHON TV 2 and has aplaunching of their new show called “Cook- peared on the Food Network’s “The Great ing Hawaian Style” with Lanai Tabura, as Food Truck Race,” thus, thrusting him in well as the second season announcement the national food scene and giving way of their talk show “On Your Marc” with to his “Cooking Hawaiian Style” show Marc Anthony Nicolas. which will now be seen on TFC’s “LifeLanai Tabura’s “Cooking Hawaiaan style Network,” Style” show will be airing every SaturIf you’re into learning cooking techday morning at 10 am PT on TFC’s “Life- niques like me and wish to follow Chef style Network.”. He is a DJ, comedian, Ken Benjamin, you can call the customer actor and a 25-year radio veteran who service at Williams Sonoma at: 1-800/840co-created Hawaii Island’s 98.5 radio sta- 2591 to see what store branch he will be tion and has also established the 99.1 radio teaching next and if you would like to know program”Hawaii No Ka Oi.” more about Lanai Tabura, you may log on Tabura’s prominence in entertainment to his website at: www.lanaitabura.com.

At the TFC reception of “Lifestyle Network” (from left) Beverly Desuasido, Executive Producer & Programming Acquisitions Specialist for Lifestyle Network, Marc Anthony Nicolas, Lanai Tabura, Keesa Ocampo Corporate Affairs Officer ABS-CBN International and Jun del Rosario, AVP, ABS-CBN International.

Also at the TFC reception were this writer, Lanai Tabura, Keesa Ocampo, Jun Del Rosario and Lydia Solis of Philippine News. PHOTOS: Ken Alcazar.

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California is a good choice for new immigrants I am still very bullish about our California real estate and job market How are you enjoying out weather? Don’t take it for granted. Towards the beginning of January, I was in Laguna beach with my kids and the weather was in the low 70’s. We saw a bunch of surfers, a few dolphins and a couple of migrating gray whales just being close to the beaches. I am shaking my head thinking why home prices in California will continue to rise. California has been a major “gateway” for immigrants to this country to the U.S. Census Bureau. California was it is home to the largest numbers of immi- home to 10.2 million immigrants in 2011, grants, Latinos, and Asians in the country. which is greater than the total population Today, more than 1 in 4 Californians is an of Michigan. immigrant (foreign-born), and more than 46.8% of immigrants (or 4.8 million half of Californians are Latino or Asian. people) in California were naturalized Immigrants and their adult children account U.S. citizens in 2011 (up from 31.2% in for roughly 1 in 4 of the state’s registered 1990) – meaning that they are eligible to voters. Latino and Asian entrepreneurs vote. (both foreign-born and native-born) own More than half of Californians are more than one-quarter of all businesses in Latino or Asian – and they vote. the state, while Latino and Asian consumers The Latino share of California’s popuaccount for nearly one-third of the state’s to- lation grew from 25.8% in 1990, to 32.4% tal purchasing power. Latino immigrants in in 2000, to 38.1% (or 14.4 million people) California experience pronounced upward in 2011. The Asian share of the populamobility over time in terms of mastering tion grew from 9.2% in 1990, to 10.9% English and owning their own homes. And in 2000, to 13.2% (or 5 million people) in most native born Californians have experi- 2011, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. enced wage gains from the presence of imIn California, 90.4% of children with migrants in the state’s labor market. These immigrant parents were U.S. citizens in hardworking Californians have formed 2009, according to data from the Urban the backbone of the California economy Institute. throughout the state’s history, and they will In 2009, 90.6% of children in Asian be a key ingredient to California’s economic families in California were U.S. citizens, as rebound. We should all be proud and keep were 93.3% of children in Latino families. up the great work we are all contributing 2012 purchasing power of Califorto California. nia’s Latinos totaled $310.5 billion – an More than one quarter of Californians increase of 353% since 1990. Asian buying is immigrants. power totaled $236.7 billion – an increase The foreign-born share of California’s of 448% since 1990, according to the Selig population rose from 21.7% in 1990, to Center for Economic Growth at the Univer26.2% in 2000, to 27% in 2011, according sity of Georgia.

California’s 566,573 Latino-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $80.3 billion and employed 458,922 people in 2007, the last year for which data is available. The state’s 508,969 Asian-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $181.3 billion and employed 905,957 people. Together, businesses owned by Latinos and Asians comprised more than one-quarter of all businesses in the state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2007 Survey of Business Owners. California’s immigrants move up the socioeconomic ladder over time – learning English, buying homes, and escaping poverty. A study by demographer Dowell Myers of the University of Southern California found that: The share of California’s foreign-born Latinos who reported being proficient in English as of 2000 rose from 33.4% of those who had been in the United States for less than 10 years to 73.5% among those who had been here for 30 years or longer. The share of foreign-born Latinos in California who owned their own homes as of 2005 rose from 16.4% of those who had been in the United States for less than 10 years to 64.6% among those who had lived here for 30 years or more. The share of California’s foreign-born Latinos who lived below the poverty line as of 2005 dropped from 28.7% of those who had been in the United States for less than 10 years to 11.8% among those who had been here for 30 years or more. The share of immigrants in Los Angeles County who owned their own homes as of 2005-2006 rose from 14.8% of those who had come to the United States within the previous 10 years to 63.4% of those who had lived here for more than 30

years—compared to a homeownership rate of 54.2% among the native-born, according to a study by Manuel Pastor and Rhonda Ortiz at the University of Southern California. Naturalized citizens excel educationally. In California, 33.2% of foreign-born persons who were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2011 had a bachelor’s or higher degree, compared to 17.4% of noncitizens. At the same time, only 24.9% of naturalized citizens lacked a high-school diploma, compared to 48.9% of noncitizens. The number of immigrants in California with a college degree increased by 51% between 2000 and 2011, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute. In California, 81% of children with immigrant parents were considered “English proficient” as of 2009, according to data from the Urban Institute. The English proficiency rate among Asian children in California was 86.4%, while for Latino children it was 83%, as of 2009. Living is California is a most likely choice for new immigrant, this family might have to rent first but sooner or later they will have to buy a home. California homes will always be in demand no matter what anyone says. There is a little bit of a negative migration for wealthier Californians due to some tax breaks being offer out of state, but rest assure these Californians leaving us either comes back to live or has never completely move out of the state. Most of the wealthy have second homes here in Sunny California, they might be residing out of state on Paper but most likely they are living here most of the time. Thanks for your inquiry about this topic. Please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance at 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@ verizon.net.

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Can I obtain a divorce if my spouse refuse to sign? There seems to be a misconception in the general public that you can only obtain a divorce in California if your spouse will sign the divorce papers. I get this question a lot from our family law clients. The fact is that California is a no fault state and you do not need your spouse’s signature in order to get a divorce. What is more important is being able to properly serve your spouse with the divorce petition and satisfy the jurisdictional requirement of the Court by showing that either you division of community property. or your spouse resided in the State for at The only time you may need your least 6 months prior to filing the petition spouse’s signature is if your spouse files and in the County for 3 months prior to a response to your divorce petition. This filing the petition. is called “contesting” the divorce. If your When you file a divorce petition, you divorce is contested by your spouse, you have to serve your spouse with the sum- can resolve the case either by “settlement” mons and petition. Your spouse then has or by “trial.” 30 days to file a response after being served However, you do not have to settle all with a divorce petition. the issues in the case at once. Under the If your spouse fails to file and serve you concept of divisible divorce, you can settle with a response, you can file a request for some of the issues and set the other issues default against your spouse after 30 days. which you and your spouse cannot agree You can also file a proposed judgment for on for trial. the court to approve. Our office try to resolve cases through The default procedure can be done even settlement because it is more cost effective if there are issues of property division, and the parties are usually happier with custody, visitation, and support. However, the outcome. the Court will still review your proposed In that situation, the parties may avoid judgment and property division to make the cost and uncertainty of going to trial by sure it conforms to the policy towards equal executing what is called a stipulated judgdivision of community property. ment which is in essence an agreement as Meaning, you have to propose a divi- to all the issues in the divorce case. sion of community property that is pretty For issues which you and your spouse much equal between the spouses. If your cannot agree on, you will have to go proposed property division is one sided through the litigation process which insuch as distributing all community property volves obtaining discovery, exchanging to you and giving all the community debts declarations of disclosures, and preparing to your spouse, the Court would probably the case for trial. not grant your judgment. Ultimately, you will obtain your divorce The Court would probably set a hear- at trial in addition to adjudication of the ing for you to explain why this is an equal distribution of community assets and debts

amongst other issues. It is in the best interest of the party to retain the representation of competent counsel who will assert his or her rights under the family code. Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

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OPINION

New SAF chief to troopers: I am back home

MANILA, Mar 3 (Mabuhay) – “I am so elated to be back home.” This is what newly-installed Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) acting Director Chief Supt. Moro Virgilio Lazo said on Wednesday during the assumption of command ceremony at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. Lazo said the unit has been close to his heart as it was his first assignment upon graduating. Lazo is not a stranger to the SAF family. Upon his graduation from the Philippine Military Academy in 1984, he joined the SAF and stayed there until 1989. He rejoined the elite police unit again from 2010 to 2013, this time as its chief of directorial staff. Lazo, who hails from Ilocos Norte, was a member of former Fidel V. Ramos’ Presidential Security Group. His first assignment was in May 1984 as a junior officer of SAF’s first Special Action Company. Prior to his impending appointment as SAF chief, Lazo served as the chief of the PNP’s Firearms and Explosive Office (FEO). Prior to that, he was the deputy regional director for administration and OIC of the Region 1 police. Meanwhile, Lazo said he has yet to receive information on who will replace him as FEO chief. (MNS)

Divided US Supreme Court again weighs fate of ‘Obamacare’ By Chantal Valery

Washington, United States |AFP| Wednesday 3/4/2015 – A sharply divided US Supreme Court weighed the future of “Obamacare” for a second time in three years Wednesday after a new challenge to the contentious healthcare reform. The law, President Barack Obama’s crowning domestic achievement, seeks to make health insurance available to a broad cross-section of Americans, for whom health care is often too expensive or otherwise inaccessible. In June 2012, the first time the Supreme Court considered a challenge to Obamacare, its conservative Chief Justice John Roberts helped save the measure by voting alongside the four more progressive justices. The president’s Republican foes have tried various tactics to repeal the law, but their latest challenge in the US high court focuses on the wording of a statute of the law that governs federal tax subsidies for people who sign up for Obamacare coverage. The narrow question before the court is whether some seven million people who signed up for Obamacare via the government’s website are actually entitled to tax subsidies that make the coverage affordable. Legal scholars say that a ruling against the tax credits provision would eviscerate the law so thoroughly that it would be tantamount to striking down the measure altogether. Predictably, the nine justices seemed to divide again roughly along partisan lines, although Roberts, who asked hard-hitting questions of both sides during the case three years ago, sat sphinx-like throughout Wednesday’s arguments, saying almost nothing. Judge Sonia Sotomayor, one of the more left-leaning members of the high court, warned that striking down the provision could lead to a “death spiral that this statute wanted to avoid.” ‘Never-ending saga’

Losing health tax credits will have repercussions nationwide, says APIAHF

WASHINGTON – Following Wednesday’s Supreme Court oral arguments in King v. Burwell, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) released the following statement highlighting the gross inequities that could result from this case. “The health and livelihood of families across the country is teetering in the balance of the Supreme Court’s decision,” said Iyanrick John, APIAHF senior policy analyst. “If the Court overturns the tax credits, families in up to 37 states will lose their health insurance coverage, and be left in the same position they were in before the Affordable Care Act – without health insurance and at risk.” At issue is whether the ACA’s tax credits are limited only to state-run health insurance Marketplaces. Up to 37 states relying on Healthcare.gov could be directly affected by the King case. If the Court limits the tax credits, millions of residents in these states will no longer have access to affordable coverage, undermining the main purpose of the ACA – to make health insurance attainable for everyone. On January 28, APIAHF filed an amicus brief that details stories from people who would suffer life-threatening consequences without coverage. Sione, a Tongan man living in Utah, used to skip his diabetes medication because he couldn’t afford them. With tax credits, he is able to afford both

health coverage and the cost of the medication. Losing his tax credits means losing the ability to afford his medication and losing control over his health. The brief details the lack of coverage options and lingering health disparities facing AAs and NHPIs that supported the ACA’s passage. APIAHF’s brief was jointly filed with the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Los Angeles and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, who together with APIAHF comprise Action for Health Justice. APIAHF has partnered with Action for Health Justice to ensure that AAs and NHPIs realize the benefits of the new health law. Sixty-three community and health organizations also signed onto the brief. APIAHF is nation’s oldest and largest health policy group working on behalf of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and has been working to make the ACA a reality since day one. The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Learn more at http://www.apiahf.org/.

‘The elderly are not aliens’: Pope Vatican City, Holy See | | Wednesday 3/4/2015 – Pope Francis urged his followers at his weekly prayer on Wednesday to show affection and respect for the elderly, saying they must not be treated as “aliens”. “It’s a mortal sin to discard our elderly,” said the pope, seen by his supporters as a champion of the poor and marginalized. “The elderly are not aliens, we are them, in a short or in a long while; we are inevitably them, although we choose not to think about it,” he told 12,000 followers gathered on Saint Peter’s Square. “A society where the elderly are discarded carries

within it the virus of death,” said the 78-year-old Argentinian pontiff. The pope said that while life expectancy has increased in recent decades, old age is treated like “an illness to be kept at arm’s length”. He warned his followers: “If we do not learn to look after and to respect our elderly, we will be treated in the same way.” Pope Francis, wearing the mantle of a humble advocate for the poor while defending Catholic orthodoxy, rose from modest beginnings to become, in 2013, the first Latin American leader of the 1.2 billion-strong Church.

MH370 families trapped in ‘black hole’ one year later By Dan Martin

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | | Wednesday 3/4/2015 – Chinese businessman Li Hua suffered a stroke, has considered suicide, and his wife has been hospitalised with heart trouble, all since their daughter went missing on flight MH370. A. Amirtham, a retired Malaysian clinic worker, suffers fainting spells and a lack of sleep and appetite over the disappearance of her only son Puspanathan. Li Jiuying is tormented by the loss of her big brother Li Guohai and the burden of lying to their elderly mother that he was not on the flight. The mother believes he is tied up with a business dispute. One year after the Malaysia Airlines jet vanished, next of kin are trapped inside what one describes as a “black hole” of emotional and often physical suffering. Li Hua, 58, who only recently recovered the full use of his left arm following last year’s stroke, used to be a fitness buff. “Now I just feel sick,” he said, chain-smoking. “I have thought of suicide but... why? I need to stay alive for my wife and fight for the truth.” ‘Nothing can be the same’ But the truth remains painfully elusive for families as the tragedy’s March 8 anniversary nears. In one of aviation’s most baffling mysteries, the Boeing 777 with 239 people aboard inexplicably detoured from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing route, heading west and south into the Indian Ocean and history. A year-long search in that ocean’s remote southern reaches – now focused on high-tech sonar scanning of the seabed – has found nothing. The vanishing act is not without some concrete outcomes. World aviation authorities last month mandated

minute-by-minute tracking of aircraft in distress, beginning globally next year, to prevent a recurrence. This week, Australia said it also was conducting trials, with Malaysia and Indonesia, of a system that increases the frequency with which planes are tracked over remote oceans. But all of that is little comfort now for MH370 families. They endured an emotional trial of false leads and dashed hopes during Malaysia’s chaotic initial response, which included its air force’s failure to act despite tracking the plane shortly after it diverted. Many are now incensed over the January 29 declaration that all on board were presumed dead and families should seek compensation. Next of kin fear the move means the Malaysian government and airline are poised to declare the matter closed without any resolution. “There is no closure for us,” said Grace Subathirai, a Malaysian attorney whose mother Anne Daisy was on board. “It has totally changed our lives. Nothing can ever be the same.” ‘Too painful’ Malaysian authorities have revealed no new information for months, and said in January the disappearance remains a mystery. The government and airline insist they are being transparent and are committed to the Australia-led search. Both declined interview requests. For many relatives, grief is compounded by the perceived callous attitude of the Malaysians and suspicions that the full truth is not being told. Among the hardest hit are families from China, whose nationals comprised two-thirds of the passengers. Many lost their sole offspring under China’s one-child policy.

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Emotionally distraught It must have been emotionally painful for jailed Senator Ramon â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bongâ&#x20AC;? Revilla to see his actor-turned-politician son â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joloâ&#x20AC;? lying in a hospital bed with a gunshot wound in the chest. It was good that Sen. Revilla was given permission by the court to be with his son for several hours. As of now, police could still not ascertain whether the wound was self inflicted or was caused by accidental shooting. Jolo, the current vice governor of Cavite, was rushed last week to the Asian Hospital and Medical Center ceiving â&#x20AC;&#x153;kickbacksâ&#x20AC;? from infra projects after he supposedly shot himself by acci- funded through his pork barrel allocations. dent while cleaning his .40 caliber Glock Police were said to be still investigatpistol inside their Ayala Alabang house in ing the incident as I write this column. Muntinglupa. Latest medical report about The Revilla family maintained that it Vice Governor Remulla showed that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was accidental. They told police that now in stable condition. He is however â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joloâ&#x20AC;? sustained a gunshot wound in still confined in the intensive care unit to the chest after he accidentally pulled monitor his blood output. the trigger of his pistol while cleanAlthough the Revilla family are claim- ing it inside their Ayala Alabang house. ing that it was â&#x20AC;&#x153;accidental shooting,â&#x20AC;? many What bothers me though is the fact that believed that the vice governor tried to being a vice governor of a big province commit suicide as a result of his apparent and a son of a senator, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joloâ&#x20AC;? is always depression over the incarceration of his under the watchful eyes of his close-in father for alleged involvement in the pork security men or bodyguards. With all the barrel scam. It must have been shame or bodyguards he has around him, how come helplessness, or perhaps even anger when the vice governor did not ask even one of his father was detained for allegedly re- them to clean his Glock pistol for him?

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my take: This is a clear case of attempted suicide. He is definitely suffering from an emotional breakdown as a result of the incarceration of his senator father. But while Jolo deals with his emotions, if not depression, President Noynoy, on the other hand, has also some medical problem of his own. According to a lot of Filipinos, the President has amnesia. He has problems remembering what he did or did not do. I just hope President Noynoy is not afflicted with Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or even dementia. If you may recall, the President said he does not remember being briefed truthfully by his loyal friend and former bodyguard, resigned PNP Chief Alan Purisima. As a result of his continued denial of his alleged involvement in the Mamasapano incident, the public, as well as the members of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s police force, have lost their trust and respect for President. To cite an example, the members of the PNPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Special Action Force (SAF) ignored the presence of President Noynoy during the recent turnover ceremonies for the newly appointed SAF Chief. It was reported in the media that when the acting SAF Commander acknowledged the presence of President Noynoy for the turnover rites

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at Camp Bagong Diwa, SAF troopers did not clap their hands nor cheer for the Chief Executive. They reportedly just watched in silence as President Noynoy made his way towards a podium to deliver his speech. It was strikingly different when the new SAF commander was introduced to the police commandos. They clapped enthusiastically in welcoming their new chief. The apparent â&#x20AC;&#x153;cold treatmentâ&#x20AC;? he got from the police troopers must have made the President nervous and uneasy that he decided to cancel a speech he was about to deliver in front of the members of SAF. This is only the beginning, Mr. President. More insults are coming your way unless you start being a man and admit responsibility on the Mamasapano incident. The Board of Inquiry (BOI) created by the Aquino administration to investigate the Mamasapano massacre will soon release its findings. As usual, its investigation report will not differ from what the Senate has said. The President has no culpability in the Mamasapano incident. Both of these hearings were conducted to appease public anger over the brutal slaying of 44 police commandos. This is just a waste of time and taxpayersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; money.

Shipping industry â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;taking burdenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of migrants at sea London, United Kingdom | | Wednesday 3/4/2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean is putting a â&#x20AC;&#x153;disproportionateâ&#x20AC;? burden on the shipping industry, threatening the tradition of maritime rescue, a UN-hosted conference heard on Wednesday. Peter Hinchliffe, secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping, told AFP that 800 private vessels were diverted to rescue some 40,000 migrants at sea in 2014 alone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way beyond the scale that was ever envisaged,â&#x20AC;? he said on the sidelines of the two-day London conference that brought together humanitarian, develop-

ment, labour and shipping organisations. Each time a ship is diverted for two or three days to disembark migrants, it costs the shipowner between $50,000 and $80,000, he said. The conference also heard about an emerging new tactic where smugglers pack crewless cargo ships with people and abandon them, as happened twice in January off the coast of Italy. Laurent Muschel, director of migration and asylum at the European Commission, said that the European Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s border agency Frontex was currently monitoring a dozen ships that might be used for such a purpose.

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The International Maritime Organisation, a UN agency, said that there was â&#x20AC;&#x153;particular concernâ&#x20AC;? about cargo ships being used to smuggle migrants. But Hinchliffe said the industry could not do much, saying it was up to the flag countries of the ships to stop them being used by people smugglers. So far 7,500 people set off in search of a better life in Europe this year, 370 of whom died, while there were 219,000 crossings and 3,500 deaths last year, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Critics have condemned Triton, the EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maritime patrol mission, as inad-

equate and merchant vessels often find themselves picking up hundreds of migrants clinging to leaky boats. There has long been a tradition that ships rescue distressed people at sea, and it became law under a 1982 UN Convention. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a real concern here that the well-established legal system which is based on the centuries-old tradition of rescue at sea is under threat,â&#x20AC;? said Koji Sekimizu, secretary general of the International Maritime Organization. Volker Turk, director of international protection at the UNHCR, agreed there had been a â&#x20AC;&#x153;disproportionate burdenâ&#x20AC;? on the industry.

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FOOD & DINING FAMILY FEATURES

t doesn’t take the Luck o’ the Irish to throw a great St. Patrick’s Day party. These tips and recipes will help you throw a festive celebration you’ll enjoy as much as your guests — including make-ahead corned beef and a minty-green cookie recipe both adults and little leprechauns will love.

“We’ve developed recipes that make the tastes of Ireland easy to create — from a simple Irish Soda Bread to a classic corned beef and cabbage recipe that can be made in a slow cooker,” said Mary Beth Harrington of the McCormick Kitchens. “And don’t forget the treats! Our Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect ending to a perfectly green party.” For more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, check out www.McCormick.com and visit McCormick Spice on Facebook and Pinterest.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Savory Irish Cheese Soda Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Servings: 3 dozen, or 36 (1 cookie) servings 2 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 eggs 1–1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Green Food Color 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Peppermint Extract 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, food color and peppermint extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10–12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Servings: 12 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons McCormick Caraway Seed 1 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Red Pepper, Ground 1/2 cup shredded Irish Cheddar cheese 2 eggs 1 1/4 cups buttermilk Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and seasonings in large bowl. Stir in cheese. Set aside. Mix eggs and buttermilk in medium bowl. Add to dry ingredients; stir until well blended. Spread in lightly grease 9-inch round cake pan. Bake 30–40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

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small red potatoes cups baby carrots small onion, quartered corned beef brisket (4 pounds), rinsed and trimmed 2 tablespoons McCormick Mixed Pickling Spice 1 teaspoon McCormick Minced Garlic 1/2 head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges Place potatoes, carrots and onion in slow cooker. Place corned beef brisket over vegetables. Sprinkle with pickling spice and minced garlic. Add enough water (about 8 cups) to just cover meat. Cover. Cook 7 hours on high. Add cabbage. Cover. Cook 1–2 hours on high or until cabbage is tender-crisp. Remove corned beef brisket to serving platter. Slice thinly across grain. Serve with vegetables. Tip: For best results, do not remove cover while cooking in slow cooker.

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Are Claudine and Marjorie on good terms again? Are feuding sisters Claudine and Marjorie Barretto on good terms anew? This was the question among fans of the former actresses after Claudine, on Instagram, shared photos of her and Marjorie’s sons together on Tuesday. The photos, which appear to have been taken inside the campus of Ateneo de Manila University, show Marjorie’s son Leon holding Claudine’s son Santino on his shoulder as they pose for the camera. In the photos’ captions, Claudine said, unedited: “With my 2Boys.Leon & Santino... My 2 blue eagles. Leon & Saint.i missed u soo much Leon! ... “I luv u so much.im so so happy to see u today Leon.Mama loves u so much!” Just last week, Claudine also posted a photo of her taping what appears to be a video message for Julia Barretto,

another of Marjorie’s four children, for the young actress’ debut on March 10. The rift between the sisters stems from Marjorie’s supporting the claims of Raymart Santiago, Claudine’s estranged husband, that she is mentally ill and has a history of drug abuse. Claudine and Marjorie’s other siblings, Gretchen and JJ, also attested to Santiago’s sworn statement in his legal feud with the actress. Over the past decade, Gretchen, Marjorie and Claudine – who are the youngest siblings of seven, in order – were estranged at different times due to conflicts within their family. Notably, Gretchen and Marjorie had a falling out over the former’s reported tiff with her sister’s husband Dennis Padilla in 2004. Claudine and their mother Inday supposedly sided with Marjorie, leaving Gretchen estranged. All four reconciled

Ellen Adarna is single again Here’s some good news for the guys: Sexy actress Ellen Adarna is single again. The “Pasion de Amor” star said she and her boyfriend of almost two years, businessman Raoul Olbes, broke up last September. “Obviously, ‘yung first week, nakakamiss, pero it’s better for us,” she said. “Kasi, if you think hindi na puwede, that’s the time you have to decide.” Adarna added: “Siguro, dumating ako dun sa point na I have to decide and ‘yun nga ‘yung decision. Wala na, break na. And may mga issues din kami na hindi na talaga naayos and mahirap na ayusin din. Alam naman niya kung ano ‘yung reason.” Opting not to detail what caused the breakup, Adarna continued, “’Tsaka sa personality ko kasi, if ayoko, ayoko talaga, at hindi mo ako mapipilit.” Olbes and Adarna, who have known each other for seven years, would have celebrated their second anniversary as a couple in August. Since their separation, Adarna said she and Olbes have decided not to communicate, “no calls or text,” explaining this is her way of easily moving on from the failed relationship. She said: “Kasi na-experience ko na dun

sa first boyfriend ko, for three years, after naming mag-break, super-cry talaga ako. Dinamdam ko talaga. Pero as time flies by, parang hindi na uso sa akin ‘yun. “Kapag ayoko na, ayoko na and walang iyak-iyak. Kailangan move on kaagad! And besides, hindi naman kasi magiging ganun if walang reasons. Kaya naman nag-e-end ang relationships because may dahilan. And alam naman namin pareho yung reasons kung bakit nag-end na yung relationship.” Adarna also cleared her co-star in “Pasion de Amor,” Ejay Falcon, as one of the rumored reasons behind the split. She did admit, however, that there are a few who have expressed interest in her romantically. “May mga nagpaparamdam, pero wala muna, iba ‘yung priorities ko right now,” she said, pointing out that “Pasion de Amor” has yet to premiere and will demand much of her time for filming. “Siguro, for now, I would like to concentrate on my career and ‘tsaka na ulit ‘yung love.” “And he (Olbes) knows naman na walang ibang party na involve kaya kami naghiwalay. If may darating, siguro datedate muna, wala munang commitment,” she said. (MNS)

Kyla eyes another shot at acting Singer Kyla has a lot of plans for career improvement now that she’s with ABSCBN. “I want to try acting. Gusto ko (lumabas sa) isang drama episode ng ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya,’” Kyla said. “Iba kasi siya, eh,” she said of the iconic drama anthology hosted by Charo Santos-Concio, and hope to portray the role of a young mom in the show one day. Kyla is not a newbie in the acting department, having had appeared in several GMA-7 dramas including “Villa Quintana.” Still, she believes she still has lots to offer as an actress, citing this as one of the reasons she transferred to ABS-CBN. “I want to explore and expand my horizon,” she said. She is also ready to make some adjustments now that she has a new network. “Bagong katrabaho, bagong environment, bagong studio,” she said with optimism. Kyla is set to appear today on ABS-CBN’s Sunday musical show “ASAP” and she is very much excited. “Kasi doon, bigayan ng best. Siyempre kailangang magbigay ka ng best,” she said. She admits to feeling a bit of pressure having to share the stage with some of the country’s most successful singing stars including “ASAP” regulars Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera and Zsa Zsa Padilla. “Siyempre may kasamang pressure kasi bagong mga katrabaho uli. Wala pa kasi kaming masyadong ano, kumbaga hindi pa kami nagba-bond, may mga ganoong factor. Hindi ko pa rin alam kung paano kapag naka-duet ko sila,” she said. She hopes to have a duet or production number with Sarah Geronimo, whom she once portrayed in an episode of GMA-7’s “Magpakailanman.” Kyla also has signed with Cornerstone Talent Management, the same team managing the careers of Yeng Constantino, Richard Poon, Sam Milby, Erik Santos, among others. Meanwhile, Kyla has snagged four nominations in the 2015 MYX Music Awards including Favorite Song, Favorite Music Video and Favorite Mellow Video for “Dito Na Lang”; as well as Favorite Female Artist. (MNS)

after three years. In 2010, Claudine and Gretchen’s earlier feud resurfaced due to issues related to their aborted co-starring stint in a TV series, and what was seen as a competition between them as actresses. The conflict eased a year later, with Claudine releasing a statement on her reconciliation with her older sister. However, with the latest conflicts involving Santiago, it remains to be seen whether Julia’s debut will manage to reunite the bickering sides of the family. (MNS)

Claudine Barretto

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Cedars-Sinai superbug infection affects nearly 70 patients Los Angeles, United States |AFP| Wednesday 3/4/2015 – The Cedars-Sinai Medical Center may have unwittingly infected nearly 70 patients with a treatmentresistant superbug, it said Wednesday, becoming the second Los Angeles hospital to issue an alert. The top hospital, known for treating Hollywood celebrities, said four patients were confirmed with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae bacteria (CRE), which was linked last month to two deaths at another Los Angeles hospital. In both cases – the other hospital involved was the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center – the infections were apparently transmitted via tainted surgi-

cal tools called duodenoscopes, used to diagnose and treat diseases of the pancreas and bile duct. “Despite the fact that Cedars-Sinai meticulously followed the disinfection procedure” recommended by the manufacturer, the hospital “has identified a total of four patients who had a CRE transmission,” said Cedars-Sinai. “Out of an abundance of caution,” it has sent out letters to a total of 68 patients who had had a duodenoscope procedure with that particular scope between August 2014 and February 2015, it said. Hospital officials said they are making home testing kits available to the at-risk patients to determine if they have been infected with the superbug. The raids targeted apartment complexes in the Irvine, Rancho Cucamonga, Rowland Heights and Walnut districts outside LA where the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says foreign clients are housed. The businesses, which advertised online, had names including “You Win USA Vacation Resort” and “USA Happy Baby Inc.”

US crackdown on Chinese ‘maternity tourism’ in LA

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Los Angeles, United States | | Tuesday 3/3/2015 – US investigators launched dawn raids Tuesday on dozens of Los Angeles locations suspected of offering “maternity tourism” services for mostly Chinese mothers wanting to give birth in the United States. The raids targeted apartment complexes in the Irvine, Rancho Cucamonga, Rowland Heights and Walnut districts outside LA where the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says foreign clients are housed. The businesses, which advertised online, had names including “You Win USA Vacation Resort” and “USA Happy Baby Inc.” “Such businesses provide travel and lodging services to pregnant foreign nationals interested in coming to the United States to give birth so their offspring will be American citizens,” ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said. When babies born in the US reach adulthood they can apply for visas for family members living abroad, ICE noted. Kice said the raids, in three dozen locations overall, aimed to gather “further evidence related to a variety of possible

criminal violations, including visa and tax fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy.” According to ICE, the maternity tourism businesses cater mostly to Chinese women who pay $15,000-$50,000 for the services, which can include getting social security numbers and US passports for their offspring. Kice added that investigators alleged that “the operators of the maternity tourism businesses coached clients to misrepresent the purpose of their visit in order to obtain tourist visas to enter the US.” “Business operators also instructed clients to wear loose clothing on their inbound flights and not carry baby paraphernalia in their luggage to avoid arousing suspicion when being inspected” by US customs officers. The fees paid cover lodging, transportation, and food, but do not include medical care. The women appear to pay cash for pre-natal visits and the actual delivery. The more expensive maternity tourism packages included recreational activities such as visits to Disneyland, shopping malls, “even an outing to a firing range,” it noted.

FASO goes Broadway on April 25 As a follow up to its very successful “Swing the Night Away!” show late last year, the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) goes Broadway on Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m. at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. “This will be a thrilling show since it will be the first time that FASO will perform an entire concert devoted to Broadway music,” said Luis “Louie” Ramos, vice president and arranger-inresidence of FASO, the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside the Philippines. “ ‘FASO Goes Broadway’ will honor and feature Filipino artists who have made it and performed on Broadway, including Joan Almedilla and Bonifacio ‘Bones’ Deoso,” Ramos added. “We are also featuring talented Filipino American performers who deserve to be getting major breaks. We would like to help promote these artists.” FASO, which is known for its wellreceived, highly entertaining and enjoyable concerts, promises another special, mustwatch evening. The orchestra, 50-member strong for this show, will treat the audience to songs from Broadway musical favorites including “Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Miserables” (“I Dreamed a Dream”) and

“My Fair Lady” (“I Could Have Danced All Night”). Under the baton of Robert “Bob” Shroder, FASO’s highly esteemed musical director and conductor, the orchestra will also perform musical theater songs composed for Asian characters, including “Love, Look Away” (“Flower Drum Song”) and “Sun and Moon” (“Miss Saigon”). “FASO Goes Broadway,” sponsored by Philippine Airlines and MoneyGram, will feature a special segment for beloved songs created for child performers, including “Do-Re-Mi” (“The Sound of Music”), “Tomorrow” (“Annie”) and “Where is Love?” (“Oliver!”). Almedilla starred as Kim in “Miss Saigon” on Broadway. Deoso also appeared in “Miss Saigon” plus “Les Miserables” and the “The King and I.” Other guest vocal performers include Giji Kocher (aka Djhoanna Garcia), Ninette Tenza, Isabella Ramos and Emily Ferrolino. Among the child performers are Chelsea Chiu who will sing “Tomorrow” and Joshua-Kai Dawson who will croon “Where is Love?”

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

One more time: Is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Medicare portabilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; necessary? I AM constrained to revisit this subject once more because of the confusion created among our Filipino-American population. The signature campaign has made them expect that their Medicare will soon be accepted by medical providers (doctors and hospitals) in the Philippines. If Medicare members who reside in Guam are allowed to enjoy their Medicare benefits in the Philippines, there is no reason why U.S. Congress would not allow Fil-Am Medicare members in the mainland to enjoy the same it took approximately 90 days for his bills to in the Philippines, the proponents argue. With be included in his monthly card statements. everything cheap in the Philippines, the U.S. Most plans reimburse bills payment, assumstands to gain in terms of sizable savings if ing theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re valid and justified, in less than 30 Medicare benefits are enjoyed in the Philip- days. Medicare members who are enrolled in pines. Furthermore, if â&#x20AC;&#x153;Medicare portabilityâ&#x20AC;? some Medicare Supplement Plans also enjoy comes to pass, the Philippines stands to gen- worldwide coverage for â&#x20AC;&#x153;medical emergenerate roughly $500M in revenue. This sounds cies.â&#x20AC;?. TRICARE (a health insurance plan like a win-win situation for everybody! for the military and their dependents) allow Resolve that U.S. Congress enact a law their members to enjoy their health benefits allowing Fil-Am Medicare members to enjoy anywhere in the world, subject to certain their benefits in the Philippines. This is the conditions. issue as defined by the proponents of the It is not beneficial. We do not want campaign. I submit to you that I cannot sup- Medicare to die because If Medicare dies, port the position of the AFFIRMATIVE on everybody loses. The leaks that siphon off the ground that it is not necessary, beneficial, the wellspring of life and healthĂ&#x201A; that is nor practicable. (Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get back to college Medicare are waste, fraud and abuse. The debate, ladies and gentlemen). Medicare model in the U.S. is one called It is not necessary. Medicare does not â&#x20AC;&#x153;fee for service.â&#x20AC;?. Everyone now agrees that pay for medical expenses outside the United this system invites waste, fraud and abuse. States. BUT, private health insurers approved Exporting the system outside the U.S. will by Medicare do. Medicare members who open the floodgates for more waste, more have Part A and Part B, not suffering from fraud, and more abuse. This is a catastrophe End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), and live that is neither beneficial to the U.S., to the in an area where a Medicare Advantage (Part Philippines, and ultimately to the Fil-Am C) Plan is offered, may enroll in oneĂ&#x201A; and Medicare member. enjoy the benefit of worldwide coverage for The proponents of the campaign want to â&#x20AC;&#x153;medical emergencies.â&#x20AC;? In other words, a plug the leaks by â&#x20AC;&#x153;accreditingâ&#x20AC;? only 3 hosFil-Am Medicare member who enrolls in pitals and only the doctors â&#x20AC;&#x153;affiliatedâ&#x20AC;? with a Medicare Advantage Plan is covered for them: namely, St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Medical Center, â&#x20AC;&#x153;medical emergenciesâ&#x20AC;? worldwide. If he Medical City and Chong Hua. Will this not meets one while in the Philippines, or else- limit the choice of Medicare members? What where for that matter, he just needs to secure if they want to consult with a doctor not afthe receipts and other documents and submit filiated with any of those mentioned, but are the same to the plan for reimbursement with equally reputable like UP-PGH, Manila when he comes back to the U.S. Last time I Doctorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Makati Medical, UST Medical looked, a friend used his plastic card to pay; Center, Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center,

Cut down on sugar: WHO (Relaxnews) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; New guidelines from the World Health Organization recommend people of all ages reduce â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;free sugarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; intake to less than 10% of daily energy intakes and warn of the health risks of hidden sweeteners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have solid evidence that keeping intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay,â&#x20AC;? said Dr Francesco Branca, Director of WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, of the new guidelines, published Wednesday. The term free sugar refers to the naturally occurring sugar in honey and

fruit juice as well as processed sugars like fructose, sucrose and of course table sugar. WHO guidelines actually recommend that both children and adults attempt to cut free sugar intake to under 5% or no more than 25g a day but also accept that due to the fact that much of the sugar consumed daily is hidden in foodstuffs as a preservative or flavoring, reducing intake below 10% could prove difficult. However the benefits are clear. Scientific evidence shows that adults who consume less free sugar have a lower body weight and that the same sugars are linked to childhood obesity and tooth decay.

Gout may lessen Alzheimer risk: study Paris, France |AFP| Wednesday 3/4/2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; People who suffer from gout can take comfort in one thing: they may be less likely to develop Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease, researchers said Wednesday. The same uric acid that can crystallize to cause gout, a form of arthritis, may protect against Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, they wrote in the online journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Testing a theory that antioxidant properties in uric acid may protect the brain, experts from the United States and Canada looked at the records of 3.7 million people over the age of 40 in a British database of medical charts. Researchers compared data on people with gout, and those without, who developed Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease in a follow-up period of about five years.

The researchers identified 309 new cases of Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s among 59,224 gout sufferers with an average age of 65, and 1,942 cases among 238,805 non-sufferers. This amounted to a 24 percent lower risk of Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease for people with a history of gout, after factoring in differences in age, gender, bodyweight, lifestyle and health. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our findings provide the first population-based evidence for the potential protective effect of gout on the risk of AD (Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease) and support the purported neuroprotective role of uric acid,â&#x20AC;? the authors said in a statement. Gout happens when excess uric acid builds up in the blood, causing crystals to form around the joints, inflicting extreme pain and swelling.

National Kidney and Transplant Institute, UERMMC, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, and the likes? What if they plan to reside in Cotabato City, Bacolod City, or Tuguegarao in the North? (If they have Medicare Part C, they may consult with any doctor and be admitted in any hospital for â&#x20AC;&#x153;medical emergency.â&#x20AC;? Incidentally, the Republicans have presented an alternative model Ă˘â&#x201A;Źâ&#x20AC;&#x153; the voucher system. Will the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Medicare portabilityâ&#x20AC;? proposal work better under this system? If so, why are we not making a stand and supporting it? Besides, the U.S. Congress today is Republican-led. Why limit the submission of signature documents to Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, both well known Democrats, and not include the likes of John

Boehner, Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan among the recipients? Surely, these legislators have some Fil-Am constituents, too. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not get embroiled in politics, here. Leo Monsalud hails from Sta. Cruz, Zambales. He studied for his MBA and Law at the University of the Philippines. He worked for United Laboratories, Inc. where his last position held was vice-president assigned as general manager of a division. He was a joint-venture partner of the San Miguel Corporation in an agri-business project. He holds CA license # 0G55218 and a Non-Resident license for Nevada. He is a Certified Insurance Agent for Covered California. Visit his website: www.healthremediesnadoptions. com.

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2BR / 1.5 BA, 2 story, laminate wood Ă&#x20AC;oor, living room, w/ aircon, washer & dryer, detached garage & 1 parking. Good location. SD reqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d. Bernie 310-9382607; 310-639-6464 x 110. ROOM -NORTH HILLS $600/mo. furnished, w/ BA, free utilities, cable & internet. Near Seafood market Nordhoff branch. Avail Feb. 20. Welcome students, caregivers & single female. Call 818-693-1358.

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BEDSPACER $325 Panorama City. Close to WalMart, Island PaciÂżc, Food4Less & bus line. Month to month. Call 818205-8655.

STUDIO $800/MO. Newly painted & clean, w/ laminate wood Ă&#x20AC;oor. Call Lillian at (818) 892-3621 or (818) 921-5213.

4 ROOMS FOR RENT Female only. From $350 to $500 free utilities. Canoga Park. Quiet area, parking. Near bus stop. Island PaciÂżc, Costco. 818-8009615.

APT. FOR RENT Hollywood. 1 BR $1,200; Single $1,000; Bachelor $850. Brand new hardwood Ă&#x20AC;r, intercom entry, a/c, TFC cable ready, gated parking, pool, near Sunset & Wilcox, no pets. Manager speak Tagalog. 323-462-3573.

ROOMS FOR RENT Northridge/Canoga Park. Furnished, free utilities, cable, internet, Filipino channel. Very clean & in quiet area. 1 Room $395/ mo., the other room $490/ mo. 818-477-2027.

ROOM FOR RENT Big bedroom, house in Mid-Wilshire area, furnished , closet, gated parking. Female pref'd. Close to transpo, church, groceries. (213) 382-5762 or leave a message.

FURNISHED ROOM Rancho Cucamonga, $480 month, includes all utilities, tv, internet, bathroom, laundry & kitchen use. Woman preferred. 909218-9267.

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PRAYER of ST. JUDE Most Holy Apostle, St. Jude faithful servant and friend of Jesus. The church honors and invokes you universally as the Patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me. Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you. To bring visible help, where help is almost despaired of. Come to our assistance in this great needs that we may receive the help of heaven in all our necessities, tribulations and sufferings particularly [please mention intention]...that I may praise God with you and with all the elect, forever. I promise, blessed St. Jude, to be ever

PRAYER FOR SAINT THERESE Oh Glorious Saint Therese, whom Almighty God has raised up to aid and counsel mankind, I invite your miraculous intercession. So powerful are you in obtaining every need of body and soul, Our Holy Mother Church proclaims you a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Prodigy of Miraclesâ&#x20AC;?. Now fervently beseech you to answer my petition: (mention here) and carry out your promise of doing good upon the Earth of letting fall from heaven a shower of roses. Henceforth, Dear Little Flower, I will fulÂżll your plea â&#x20AC;&#x153;to be made known everywhere and I will never cease to lead others to Jesus through you. Amen (Say prayer every day for 9 days. By 4th day, you will see a rose in a magazine, TV picture or receive roses. You can also get strong scent of roses in home even if no roses present. Must promise publication. Thank you Saint Therese. -JEFF

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank You for everything and conÂżrm once more that I never want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After the 3rd day the wish will be granted, no matter how difÂżcult it may be. Promise to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. Grateful Thanks -CARMEN

mindful of this great favor.To honor you as my most powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you, AMEN. -MINDA

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Honda Accord, Civic ranked as two most popular models in California in 2014 Accord #1 most popular car with Californians in 2014; CR-V most popular SUV in the state TORRANCE, Calif., Feb 19, 2015 – The Honda Accord and Civic were the two most popular vehicles with individual California car buyers in 2014, according to a Honda analysis of new-vehicle registration data from IHS Automotive. The Accord was California’s most popular vehicle with individual buyers in 2014, followed by Civic as the second most popular new vehicle.1 2014 was the second year in a row that a Honda vehicle earned the top spot in California, with Civic having taken the title in the Golden State in 2013.2 Among all new vehicle registrations, California car buyers purchased 71,578 Accords and 67,293 Civics in 2014, up 17.3

and 0.5 percent, respectively, when compared to 2013 results. What’s more, in 2014 some 34,980 CR-V sport-utility vehicles were purchased by Mac Almerol of Honda of car buyers in Hollywood. Call him at 1-866-630-0734 for special California, up deals. 9.8 percent in the state versus the previous year, making CR-V the most popular SUV in California in 2014. “California is a critical battleground for the auto industry, and it tends to set the tone for the country in terms of product and sales trends, so it’s great to see California

buyers choosing Honda over the competition in key product segments,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “We’re in a very strong position with core products like Accord, Civic and CR-V and we’re going to really fortify our light-truck lineup with the launch this spring of the all-new HR-V crossover and the summer arrival of the redesigned Pilot SUV.” On a national basis, the Accord, Civic, CR-V and Odyssey were the top retail sellers in their respective segments for the second consecutive year, according to new-vehicle registration data from IHS Automotive. Taken together, retail registrations of Accord, Civic and CR-V topped 1 million units in 2014, totaling 1,031,266. Excluding full-size pickups, no other trio of models across the industry top retail

registrations of more than one million units in a single year. National retail new vehicle registrations in 2014 for Honda’s three top sellers were 382,535 units for Accord, 317,025 for Civic, and 331,706 for CR-V. Approximately 98 percent of Honda brand new car registrations in America in 2014 were to individual retail car buyers. Isn’t it about time you yourself get a Honda? Or, better replace your Honda with a newer model. Come and see our kababayan Mac Almerol, one of the most veteran Filipino-American car specialists in the Southland today, at Honda of Hollywood. You can reach Mac toll free at 1-866630-0734. Better yet, test drive a new Honda today by coming down to Honda of Hollywood located at 6511 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038.

2015 Nissan Altima, Frontier and Pathfinder named ‘Most Popular’ on Edmunds.com NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Some say there’s more to life than popularity, but with Edmunds.com “Most Popular” awards, it seems to be rather important. Edmunds.com recently named the 2015 Nissan Altima “Most Popular Midsize Car,” the 2015 Nissan Frontier “Most Popular Compact Truck,” and the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder “Most Popular Midsize Traditional SUV.” These three vehicles stood among the top-three most-researched vehicles in their respective categories on the car research site Edmunds.com. Winners for each vehicle segment are selected based on the highest number of unique visitors to the model’s new-car research and inventory pages on the Edmunds.com desktop site. This year’s award looked at website traffic from the first 10 months of 2014. Around

18 million shoppers visit Edmunds.com for car-buying advice every month. “Winning an accolade like this is a testament to the true popularity of our vehicles,” said Fred Diaz, senior vice president, Nissan Sales & Marketing and Operations U.S.,

Nissan North America, Inc. “Based on customer research trends, winning this award shows that each of these three Nissan models continues to resonate well with new-vehicle shoppers.” Each solid fixtures in their respective segments, these three vehicles are Edmunds.com’s Most Popular for a second consecutive year. “Nissan products are really getting the attention of in-market car shoppers on our site,” said Edmunds.com CEO Avi Steinlauf. “Winning so many ‘Most Popular on Edmunds. com awards bodes well for the company’s

sales in 2015.” To view the complete 2015 Most Popular on Edmunds.com Awards recipients, please visit the Edmunds.com website at: http:// www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/most-popular-2015.html. If you want to find out more about Nissan Sentra, Murano, Altima, Rogue or Nissan Quest, get in touch with our kababayans Cristina Madlangbayan, Augusto Montemayor and Mariefe Alipio of Nissan of Van Nuys, each of whom are experts in helping customers choose the best Nissan vehicle for their use. You may reach them on their mobile phones at 818-943-5471 (for Augusto) and 818-442-1983 (for Marie). Nissan of Van Nuys is located at 5425 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91401.

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Toyota Camry and Corolla create excitement with special edition CHICAGO – Winds of change will blew into the Chicago Auto Show that was held starting Feb. 12. Toyota’s Camry mid-size sedan, the best-selling car in America for the past 13 years, and Corolla compact sedan, the world’s best-selling car of all time, debuted special edition models at the Chicago Auto Show. Camry Special Edition When redesigning the Camry for 2015, Toyota went bumper to bumper and floor to roof, changing or re-engineering nearly 2,000 parts. Only the roof remained unchanged, and it capped off the boldest Camry ever. Now, only one year after this major redesign, America’s best-selling car will offer the 2016 Camry Special Edition for owner’s looking for an extra dose of both aggressiveness and technology. Based on the youthful Camry SE, the limited production Camry will add sporty interior and exterior features. In addition to features found on the Camry SE, standard equipment on the Special Edition will include: * Unique 18-inch alloy wheels with machined face contrasted with gloss black painted accents * Power tilt/slide moonroof * Smoked tail lamp treatment * High contrast blue stitching on the seats, shift boot, and dash * Exclusive sport appearance seats trimmed with black SofTex bolsters and blue patterned inserts * Sport meter cluster with blue details and white background * Entune Audio Plus * Available Entune Premium Audio with Navigation and App Suite * Smart Key with Pushbutton Start * Qi Wireless Charging * Two exterior colors: Blizzard Pearl

and new Blue Streak Metallic * Floor mats with logo and unique exterior badge The Camry Special Edition will be powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Like all Toyota vehicles, the Camry Special Edition and will come standard with the Star Safety System. Production of the Camry Special Edition will be limited to approximately 12,000 units and will run from August 2015 to January 2016. Corolla Special Edition The iconic Toyota Corolla is the world’s best-selling name plate of all-time with over 40 million sold since 1966. With its all-new 11th generation introduced in

2014, the current Corolla is the roomiest and most fuel-efficient ever. Corolla has added more driving excitement with the launch of the 2016 Corolla Special Edition. Sporty styling features, inside and out, complement a spirited driving experience made possible with steering wheel paddle shifters, rear disc brakes and Sport Driving Mode along with an array of additional standard features. Based on the sporty Corolla S Plus grade, the 2016 Corolla Special Edition will turn heads as it adds: * Unique 17-inch alloy wheels with gloss black finish * Black interior with red contrast stitching * Red accented dash and door trim

* Smart Key System with pushbutton start * Three colors: exclusive Absolutely Red, Black Sand Pearl and Super White * Special Edition floor mats with logo and unique exterior badge * Toyota’s Entune Premium Audio with Navigation and App Suite and power tilt/ slide moonroof will be available as options. The Corolla Special Edition will be produced between August and December 2015 and will be limited to 8,000 units. But what’s good about buying either a Camry or a Corolla, or any Toyota vehicle now for that matter, you can get a lifetime oil change and tires for life if you purchase them from Hooman Toyota. That’s right folks, aside from free oil change and tires, other VIP treats are offered only at Toyota’s most popular car dealership in Long Beach. For details, call our kababayans Alfie Alberto and Arvin Aberilla now toll free at 1-800-519-2446 at be a VIP for life. Hooman Toyota is located at 4401 East Pacifi c Highway, Long Beach, CA 90804.

Toyota names first foreign VP in diversity push Tokyo, Japan | | Wednesday 3/4/2015 – Toyota said Wednesday it would appoint a foreigner to the post of executive vicepresident and promote a woman into its top ranks, both firsts for the Japanese firm in its nearly 80-year history. The world’s biggest automaker said the moves, part of a wider shuffle, were aimed at promoting diversity among its top management. The pair will join a handful of foreignborn executives in top posts at Japanese firms. Didier Leroy, 57, a Frenchman who now heads Toyota’s European business and formerly worked for Renault, will become an executive vice president as of April 1, the company said, the first non-Japanese to take the post. The promotion will put Leroy in a group of six vice presidents below chief executive Akio Toyoda. American Julie Hamp, 55, Toyota’s North America group vice president, will become the company’s first female managing officer, the automaker said. “By appointing talented people from affiliates outside Japan to executive positions, Toyota aims to foster innovation by enabling people from many different backgrounds to contribute and provide input,” a company statement said. Despite their globally recognized brands, most major firms in the country are headed by Japanese men. There are only a handful of foreign chief executives and traditionally maledominated corporations still tend to have relatively few women in their top ranks. Senior executives are often long-term company veterans who are promoted internally, frequently joining firms straight out of school. Among the exceptions are Carlos Ghosn, the French-Lebanese CEO of Japan’s number two automaker Nissan, and Canadian Sarah Casanova who heads McDonald’s Japan. This week Takeda Pharmaceutical said it would promote Frenchman Christophe Weber as president and chief executive. The conservative administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to strengthen corporate governance – including making firms take on more independent directors – and lure more women into the workforce.

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2015 Subaru Forester expands availability of award-winning Eyesight Driver Assist System Cherry Hill, N.J. – Subaru of America, Inc. last year introduced the fourth generation of the Forester SUV, it’s best-selling model, and for 2015 further enhances Forester’s value by making the award-winning EyeSight driver assist system available on more models and by reducing its MSRP from $1,295 to $795. The 2015 Forester earns the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating with EyeSight, which integrates Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Braking and Vehicle Lane Departure Warning. The system earned a “Superior” rating for front crash prevention from the IIHS. Since its introduction for 1998, Forester has won acclaim for safety, all-wheel drive performance, dependability and versatility. The new-generation Forester, with virtually the same footprint as the previous model, expands comfort, utility and safety. A new 250-horsepower 2.0-liter directinjection turbocharged 4-cylinder BOXER engine leads the line, which also includes models powered by a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder BOXER engine. All 2015 Forester models come standard with Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, a distinction from competitive models that come with front-wheel drive as standard and offer all-wheel drive as an extra-cost option. The 2015 Forester 2.5i achieves EPA fuel economy estimates of 24 mpg city / 32 mpg highway / 27 mpg combined (with Lineartronic continuously variable transmission). Those figures compare well with front-wheel drive competitors. The 2015 Forester 2.5i model is available in base, Premium, Limited and top-line Touring trims. The turbocharged Forester 2.0XT is offered in the Premium and Touring trims. The Forester’s four-wheel independent suspension system endows the vehicle with

agile handling and compliant ride quality. The 8.7 inches of ground clearance for all models is greater than for many crossovers and SUVs, yet the Forester maintains a comfortably low step-in height. The 2015 Forester continues the model’s tradition of offering outstanding value and extensive standard features. For 2015, the 2.5i base trim gains the rear vision camera and color multi-function display from the Premium trim, making the rear camera standard across the model line. The highline multi-function display also includes readouts for audio and Bluetooth® information, climate control, vehicle self-check and maintenance reminder and X-Mode and Hill Descent Control operation. High-line models offer more amenities than any previous Forester, including a power liftgate with automatic close and Keyless Access and Push-Button Start. The available navigation system features smartphone integration with Aha® Infotainment. The Touring trim comes standard with a 440-watt harman/kardon 8-speaker audio system, which adds HD Radio for 2015. The harman/kardon system is also available in the Limited trim in conjunction with the navigation option. Bold Design, Versatile Function The Forester preserves the optimal blend of SUV capability and car-like ride and handling that have made this compact SUV popular. The new-generation design combines evolutionary themes with sharply defined details. The “hawkeye” headlights and a hexagonal shape grille anchor the bold front-end design. The 2.0XT models feature an exclusive sport design front bumper, along with a one-piece mesh style grille and, on the 2.0XT Touring, chrome-rimmed fog light bezels. All 2015 Forester models feature black side cladding and body-color door handles, and all use an aluminum hood. On the Touring models, new chrome trim

accents the black side cladding for 2015. Comfort and Versatility The new-generation Forester grew just 1.4 in. longer and 0.6-in. wider on a 0.9inch longer wheelbase (now 103.9 inches). Yet thanks to Subaru’s mastery of efficient vehicle packaging, it offers notable gains in roominess over the previous version and retains the model’s hallmark maneuverability with a tight 34.8-ft. turning circle. The new-generation Forester had its largest interior gains in rear seat roominess and cargo capacity. It offers exemplary three-across rear seating comfort, which is not always a strong point in the segment. The wide-opening rear doors aid ingress/ egress, and also help make it easier to install a child seat, a task also eased by installing the tether anchors on the rear of the seatback. Maximum rear cargo area capacity with the standard 60/40 split rear seats folded is 74.7 cu. ft., which is large for the class. Performance and Economy The double-overhead-cam (DOHC) 2.5-liter BOXER engine in the Forester 2.5i models produces 170 horsepower and 174 lb.-ft. of peak torque. Matched to either the standard 6-speed manual transmission or the Lineartronic CVT, the 2.5-liter engine gives the Forester excellent response in everyday driving, with emphasis on low and mid-range torque. The CVT is standard on 2.5i Limited and Touring, and the 2.0XT models are

equipped with a high-torque version of the CVT featuring 6-speed and 8-speed manual shift modes with steering wheel paddle shifters. High-line CVT-equipped Forester models also feature standard Hill Descent Control and a new X-Mode, which provides extra control in certain driving conditions. The 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder BOXER engine in 2.0XT models uses a combination of direct fuel injection, high compression, Subaru Dual Active Valve Control System (D-AVCS) and turbocharging with an intercooler to achieve both high performance and high efficiency. The engine produces 250 horsepower at 5,600 rpm, accompanied by a broad torque curve that peaks at 258 lb.-ft. over a 2,000-4,800 rpm engine speed range. Both versions of the Lineartronic CVT use adaptive control. For more information about the new 2015 Forester or become a new member of the elite Subaru club, all you have to do is to come on down to Subaru Glendale and our kababayans Christian Marilla, Chris Garchitorena and Glenn Bergado will be more than happy to inform you why Subaru is becoming a favorite of Filipinos and the whole American market. Subaru of Glendale is located at 1308 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204. You can reach them at 1-855-230-1547 or you can visit their website www.subaruofglendale.net.

Seat crossover concept is the shape of things to come (Relaxnews) – At the Geneva Motor show on Tuesday, Spanish carmaker Seat took the wraps off the 20V20 a compact angular SUV which, the company claims, will act as a clear visual guide to its future design and styling direction. “The 20V20 shows our ambition”, said SEAT President Jürgen Stackmann during the company’s presentation. “It is our guiding star and the lighthouse for our development for the coming five-year period.” The 20V20 has much in common,

visually, with the Seat Leon and the family resemblance is no coincidence. The company’s cars have never been more popular and it is the Leon that drivers are gravitating towards more than any other model in the company range. The 20V20 is meant to be seen as the Leon’s bigger brother and although only a concept, during his presentation, Stackmann confirmed that the first compact SUV in Seat’s history would be coming to the Geneva Motor Show in 2016 as a ready-for-production model.

Geneva Motor Show: Outrageous off-roaders

As demand grows for crossovers and SUVs, so does the need for the well-heeled buyer to stand out from the crowd as some of the most startling concepts at this year’s Geneva Motor Show demonstrate. Mansory Sahara Edition Subtlety is not a word associated with Mansory, a tuning company that takes cars that are already expensive, exclusive and exotic and dials everything up to 11. When it’s not squeezing 1000bhp out of a Lamborghini or making limited edition iPhone cases, the Swiss firm focuses on SUVs. The Mansory Sahara Edition started out as a stock Mercedes G Wagon but the company has upped the engine to 838hp and lowered the ride height. It’s got a camouflage paint job and inside the leather seats carry falcon motifs including feathers. In the rear there’s only room for two as the company has put a fridge between the back seats. Kahn Design Flying Huntsman 110WB 6x6 British company Kahn Design also

started with a venerable modern-day offroad classic, the Land Rover Defender 110 but has binned the car’s original powerplant in favor of a 6.2-liter GMsourced V8. To make room for the bigger engine, the company had to make the front end of the car 400mm longer, but that’s nothing compared to the trickery at the rear. The Flying Huntsman 110 WB has three wheels, not two, on either side, and is a true 6x6, with power going to every wheel individually. Other changes over the stock Land Rover include a beautiful leather interior, a panoramic glass roof and the option of full armour plating. Mercedes-Benz G500 4x42 Concept But perhaps the most outrageous custom SUV is one that comes directly from the manufacturer. The Mercedes G500 4x42 could be the ultimate in off-road performance and on-road ostentation. Under its hood it has the same twin-turbo V8 that powers Mercedes’ current flagship supercar the AMG GT.

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Odyssey, Accord, Civic continue as America’s most popular vehicles in their segments Retail car buyers choose Odyssey more than any other minivan in America Final retail registrations for 2014 are now available, and, once again, four Honda models led the industry in retail registrations in their respective segments, according to Honda analysis of data from IHS Automotive. Repeating their 2013 performances, the Accord, Civic, CR-V and Odyssey were the top choices of individual U.S. car buyers in their respective segments in 20145. “Retail sales are simply a better yardstick for measuring real-world product appeal, and Honda’s focus on retail sales translates to higher resale value and lower lifetime ownership costs for our customers,” said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. “We’re looking to build on our retail sales momentum in the light truck category in the year ahead with innovative new products including the new Honda HR-V crossover and redesigned Pilot SUV.” Accord, CR-V, and Civic led retail

registrations in the three highest volume passenger vehicle segments in the U.S. Excluding full-size pickup trucks, Accord, CR-V and Civic rank first, third, and fourth, respectively in retail registrations in 2014. For the second year in a row, Accord, CR-V and Civic – Honda’s top three selling models – accounted for more than one million in registrations in 2014. Each of these three models achieved retail registrations of more than 300,000 units. Overall, the Honda brand set an all-time annual sales record with sales of 1.37 million units. Honda brand highlights, based on Honda’s analysis of IHS Automotive newvehicle registration data for 2014, include:

Excluding full-size pickups, the Accord, CR-V and Civic continue to hold three of the top four slots – first, third and fourth, respectively – in retail registrations in 2014. CR-V was America’s retail and outright best-selling SUV of 2014, and the bestselling SUV of the past decade. On a retail basis, CR-V registrations rose 10.5 percent to 331,706 units compared to 2013, giving CR-V a more than 80,000-unit lead over the #2 selling vehicle in the segment in 2014. Civic retail registrations of 317,025 units in 2014 led all compact cars, besting the nearest segment competitor by nearly 45,000 units. Odyssey retail registrations of 119,615

units continue to make it the top choice among retail minivan customers – with a 32 percent retail segment share. Meanwhile, if you want to belong to the select group of Honda owners, all you have to do is visit the Diamond Honda of Glendale and get in touch with our kababayans Tito Adriosula, Cruzella Clemente and Orly Roque, who are more than ready to serve you and find you your new Honda Hybrids or any other Honda vehicle and be assured of top fuel efficiency as well as safety and maintenance. These are just some of the reasons why Pinoys come to the dealership. Above all, at Diamond Honda of Glendale, customers are treated like Diamonds! That statement is backed up by General Manager Philip Keung, who has endeared himself to Filipino customers because of his professionalism and his recognition and vast understanding of Honda’s multi-ethnic market. “We rely on his wisdom and professional savvy all the time,” says Tito. Diamond Honda of Glendale is located at 138 S. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, CA 91205. Its toll-free number is 1.866.237.7092.

New Honda Civic breaks Nürburgring record Wednesday March 4 2015 (Relaxnews) – The new Honda Civic Type R hot hatchback, officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on Wednesday, is now also officially the world’s fastest front-wheel-drive car. As well as taking the wraps off the eagerly awaited 306bhp, 167mph (269km/h) car, Honda also revealed that in testing it had posted a lap time of just 7 minutes and 50.63 seconds when driven on the legendary German racetrack, shaving nearly four whole seconds off the current fastest time. In recent years, the 20.8km circuit has become the de-facto

proving ground for any car that wants to claim sporting credentials and in March 2014 a Seat Leon became the fastest frontwheel drive car ever to lap the circuit, setting a remarkable time of 7 minutes and 58.4 seconds. However, just two months later, spurred on by Seat’s achievement, Renault broke the record again with a tuned Megan, setting a time of 7 minutes and 54.3 seconds. But as well as obliterating the existing record, the Honda Civic Type R, which goes on sale this summer, priced from €40,000, may have just also thrown down the gauntlet to the competition.

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