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VOL. 1 NO. 100
JANUARY 31, 2014
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Bangayan is David Tan, papers show
PH to seize paintings from Imelda collection
Filipino-Canadian in Focus: Tayler Jotie
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Vhong Navarro has finally spoken
Quebec seniors’ fire: 14 dead and 18 missing as of Monday The Canadian Press
PLUNDER AND IMPEACHMENT A member of a militant peasant group carries a “shoulder-load” of documents to back up a complaint of plunder against President Aquino for the alleged misuse of P125 million in the Malampaya Fund. The case was filed in the Office of the Ombudsman. PHOTO BY MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
Wheel of torture: 10 cops relieved
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK.COM
❱❱ PAGE 19 Quebec seniors’
41 detainees maltreated at secret PNP facility BY CYNTHIA D. BALANA Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Ten Philippine National Police officers have been sacked following revelations they played a so-called “wheel of torture” game at a
secret detention facility to extract information from criminal suspects and also to have fun, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said on Tuesday. The CHR is looking into the alleged maltreatment of up to 41 detainees in
Filipina ‘Satanist’ nurse fined after posing with the dead and dying in Switzerland ❱❱ PAGE 8
❱❱ PAGE 7 Wheel of
L’ISLE-VERTE, QUE.—The official death toll from a fire that roared through a seniors’ residence last week climbed to 14 on Monday as emergency workers continued to comb through the rubble. Quebec provincial police also said 18 people were still missing and presumed dead. Police and firefighters used special machines that pump out hot air to a temperature above 300 C to melt thick ice coating the ruins. The work has been slow and painstaking, with workers being given periodic breaks as they brave bitterly cold temperatures and strong winds in L’IsleVerte in eastern Quebec. The fire broke out shortly after midnight Thursday and spread quickly
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Philippine News
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‘P-Noy meddled in CJ trial’ Revilla says President pleaded for Corona’s head BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer OVER BREAKFAST in his official residence, President Aquino appealed to Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. to vote to impeach then Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012, the senator said. At the resumption of Congress session following the holiday break, Revilla took the floor and lambasted the Aquino administration for plotting to undermine the opposition in the 2016 presidential election by linking him to the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam. The senator denied involvement in the purported racket, accused the whistleblowers of conniving with a syndicate in the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to mount the scam, and skewered the administration over a host of issues that he said digressed from the President’s daang matuwid, or reformist mantra. When many thought he was mouthing a rehash of old issues, Revilla dropped the bombshell toward the end, and raised the question of whether the President could meddle in a political exercise like Corona’s impeachment trial in the Senate. “Is it right for the President of the Republic to interfere with a legal process that is supposed to be independent?” he told a packed crowd, including several members of the Revilla clan led by his father, the wheelchair-bound former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr., who wept during the speech. Revilla said that then Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas personally drove him to the President’s residence, called Bahay Pangarap, or House of Dreams, inside the Malacañang compound in Manila from Cubao, Quezon City, home of the Araneta-Roxas family. Breakfast of pan de sal, cheese, egg, ham, dried beef, fried rice and fruits followed with Mr. Aquino and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad Jr., he said. “Mar Roxas led the discussion on why Chief Justice Corona should be impeached. Then before we were done, I was surprised by what the President told me: ‘ Pare, parang awa mo na, ibalato mo na sa akin ito. Kailangan sya ma- impeach (Pal, be considerate. Do it as a gesture of goodwill. He should be impeached),’” he said. Abad seconded, according to Revilla, by saying: “Let’s help each other, Senator.” Revilla said he was shocked and thought that the President was “dictating” on him but that he managed to tell his host: “Mr. President, I will do what is right. I believe that we should fight for what is right, and I will do what is right for the country.”
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“And the rest is history,” he said in his 53-minute privilege speech. “CJ Corona was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to be impeached.” Apprehensions
Revilla was among 20 senators who voted to convict Corona for dishonesty in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth in May 2012 following a highly charged trial. Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Joker Arroyo and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. voted to acquit Corona. Revilla said he was compelled to disclose his encounter with the President because of “strong apprehensions.” “If P-Noy could do this to CJ Corona, he could also influence the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan to rule against us,” he said of the plunder complaint he, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile, alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and 34 others were facing in the Ombudsman in connection with the scam. “And why not? The attempt to influence the Supreme Court to declare as constitutional the President’s pork barrel that we call the DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program) is big news. Aren’t the justices being threatened with impeachment, and wasn’t the DAP used in the impeachment? This has become habit-forming, Mr President,” he added. In a special audit, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported last year that P6.2 billion in pork barrel was transferred to 82 nongovernment organizations (NGOs) from 2007 to 2009, including at least eight that had links to Napoles. The funds were sourced from Revilla (P413.29 million), Enrile (P332.7 million), Estrada (P191.58 million) and Gregorio Honasan (P14.55 million), the COA said. Estrada likewise delivered a speech in September last year, disclosing that senators were allotted an additional pork barrel of at least P50 million each months after the Senate convicted Corona as “incentive.” Abad later confirmed that 20 senators received additional pork barrel amounting to P1.107 billion after Corona’s trial and that the fund was sourced from the DAP, a mechanism for impounding government savings. The constitutionality of the DAP has been raised in the Supreme Court. Breakfast at Palace
Revilla said the meeting with the President was initiated by Roxas, who was said to have invited him to the Cabinet secretary’s residence in Cubao before the conclusion of Corona’s trial. He did ❱❱ PAGE 7 ‘P-Noy meddled’
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Bong cries foul over pork raps vs elder Revilla BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer SEN. RAMON “Bong” Revilla Jr. decried whistle-blower Benhur Luy’s allegations that his f ather, retired Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr., also dealt with alleged pork barrel queen Janet Lim-Napoles. Revilla accused Malacañang of “cranking up” Luy to hurl the charges against his family after he divulged in a privilege speech on Monday President Aquino’s alleged attempt to influence his vote in the 2012 impeachment of then Chief Justice Renato Corona. “If indeed it’s true, why only now?” he told reporters. “As it is, it’s painful. I don’t know how he will take it. They should have not dragged my father into this.” The senator said his family was considering filing a case against Luy. He said he had yet to ask his father if he knew Napoles, but preferred that he would not read about the news item. “My father is old, sick and is in a wheelchair. They should have given him more
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respect. They’re heartless,” he said. Luy said the Revilla patriarch had been one of the early clients of Napoles, who allegedly ran the racket of converting P10 billion in pork barrel funds into kickbacks over 10 years beginning with the Arroyo administration. The elder Revilla channeled his P35million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation to local government units between 2003 and 2004 through Napoles’ JoChris Trading, Luy said. Revilla believes Malacañang ordered Luy to make the charges as a response to his privilege speech. “As they say, the best defense is offense,” he said. Revilla said Mr. Aquino should have been more forthright than merely claiming he met with some senators during Corona’s trial. “He would have earned more respect from me. Why was he there in the first place? He just let Secretary Mar (Roxas) do the explaining. So, was he just nodding all the time? Who is he, Boy Tango?” ■
Philippine News
JANUARY 31, 2014
FRIDAY 4
Did P-Noy commit an impeachable offense? BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer DID PRESIDENT Aquino commit an impeachable offense by meeting with senators in an alleged effort to influence the outcome of the impeachment trial of then Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012? Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. said the President’s action was “impeachable,” but fellow Sen. Ralph Recto thought otherwise. Revilla on Monday said he met with Mr. Aquino and quoted the President as asking him to vote for the conviction of Corona. Mr. Aquino admitted that he had also met with three other senators including Recto, who confirmed that he had sat down with the President at Bahay Pangarap. “I do believe it’s impeachable. The President should not have meddled in those things, especially with us senator-judges,” Revilla told reporters. Revilla yesterday challenged
the President and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas to face him in public to determine who was telling the truth. “Let’s look into each other’s eyes and may lightning strike whoever is lying,” he said. Recto said he did not see Mr. Aquino as meddling, claiming the meeting was “a political process in the Liberal Party with the President, so there [was] no reason for us not to talk about many things.” “I did speak with the President before regarding the impeachment—nothing new with that,” he said. “[But] I don’t think [there was] anything irregular [in that]. I told him I would do the right thing.” Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago floated the idea of a judicial review of the conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona in light of Revilla’s allegations. “I believe that the Supreme Court can give due course to a petition for review on certiorari, on the ground of extrinsic fraud, which was committed outside the narratives of the trial,” said Santiago, who was
“I do believe it’s impeachable. The President should not have meddled in those things, especially with us senator-judges,” Revilla told reporters. PHOTO FROM ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
one of the three senator-judges who voted to acquit Corona. “It is not a crime for the President to try to influence the outcome, because an impeachment trial is both legal and political in nature,” she said in a statement. As head of the Liberal Party, Mr. Aquino “has the right to as-
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sure his political survival,” she said. “If he bribed the senator judges to convict the accused, then he is guilty of bribery as prohibited by law and as a ground for his own impeachment under the Constitution,” Santiago said. Last September, Budget Sec-
retary Florencio Abad admitted that 20 senators were given a total of P1.107 billion in extra pork barrel within a month after they voted to convict Corona. This was after Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said that P50 million in additional pork was given as an “incentive” to each senator who voted for Corona’s ouster. “If evidence shows that Malacañang paid these amounts to the senator-judges as consideration for a guilty verdict, then the crime of bribery has been committed, both by the President and by the senators,” Santiago warned. Abad earlier claimed that the additional amount given to senators had been made available through the so-called Disbursment Acceleration Program (DAP), which is now being questioned in the Supreme Court. Said Santiago: “I hope the Supreme Court [would] give priority to petitions concerning the constitutionality of the DAP, to help settle the burning issue of bribery of an impeachment court.” ■
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Philippine News
JANUARY 31, 2014
FRIDAY 6
Abuse of Pinoy ‘illegals’ in Sabah probed BY MICHAEL LIM UBAC Philippine Daily Inquirer MALACAÑANG SUMMONED Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya over reports of alleged abuses against Filipinos in Sabah, Malaysia, following a nationwide crackdown on illegal migrants by the Malaysian authorities. Malaya, who happened to be in Manila, met with Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma to verify allegations of police brutality against overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including the rape of Filipino women by Malaysian jail guards in Sabah. Coloma vowed to investigate the alleged abuses of OFWs and Filipinos, particularly in Sabah, where the majority of undocumented Filipinos live. Sabah, one of the 13 states in the Malaysian federation, is closer to Tawi-tawi than to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. (The Philippines has a standing claim to Sabah based on the ownership of the North
Borneo territory by the Sultan of Sulu who ceded his sovereignty to the territory to the government of the Philippines in 1962.) Roundup of Pinoys
Malaysian immigration authorities started on Tuesday a crackdown of illegal immigrants, triggering the roundup of documented and undocumented OFWs. Reports of Filipinos being rounded up, thrown to overcrowded processing centers and jails, and forced to admit they were illegal workers have reached Malacañang. Some of the female migrant workers were sexually abused, according to the reports, but these have yet to be verified by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Coloma met with Malaya shortly after the secretary presided over a noontime briefing in Malacañang, where dzRH reporter Florante Rosales called Coloma’s attention to reports of abuses in the immigration crackdown in Malaysia.
Treated like criminals
Rosales’ brother, Florito, 41, posted a report of these abuses in his Facebook account. “I was among them, and I experienced the hardships experienced by jailed Filipinos here in Sabah. We were treated as if we were criminals,” said Florito who stressed that he was “fully documented… with a working visa.” Florito, an architect who is a project manager of a Malaysian construction company in Kota Kinabalu, the Sabah capital, sought his brother’s help because of the alleged inaction of the Philippine embassy in Malaysia over the mistreatment of the Filipinos. According to Florito, he happened to be inspecting a project in Sabah when Malaysian authorities rounded up all the workers, documented and undocumented, last Jan. 21. He said hewas slapped in both ears during the immigration “processing,” with Malaysian authorities allegedly forcing him and the others to admit that they were undocumented aliens.
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Malaysian immigration authorities started on Tuesday a crackdown of illegal immigrants, triggering the roundup of documented and undocumented OFWs. PHOTO FROM INQUIRER.NET
He said he was among the 311 jailed foreign workers who went through a hellish time in the hands of Malaysian authorities—chained, physically abused and bullied. Those rounded up were made to sleep on the floor of an overcrowded and pest-infested hall. Targeting Pinoys
He said the Malaysian au-
thorities were obviously targeting Filipinos. Malaysian authorities “don’t spare anyone—as long as you’re a Filipino, you’ll be arrested even if you have a (Filipino) passport,” he said. Florito said he was punched in the stomach three times after he attempted to send text messages to his family in the Philippines. ■
Philippine News
7 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Wheel of... ❰❰ 1
the PNP facility in Biñan, Laguna province, according to the com-
mission. Under the game, detainees— mostly suspected drug traffickers—were punched if the “torture wheel” stopped at “20 seconds Manny Pacman,” referring to a nickname of popular boxer Manny Pacquiao, or hung upside down if it stopped at a punishment called “30-second bat,” said Amnesty International, the London-based rights group. It called the practice despicable. “It’s horrible,” said CHR chair Loretta Ann Rosales of the revelation more than three decades after the Philippines emerged from the brutal era of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship. “They do it for fun, it’s like a game for entertainment,” Rosales said. “We’re trying to correct this mindset based on a human rights approach to policing but obviously it may take a lot of time.” Thousands of victims during the Marcos regime won a class action suit in 1992 in Hawaii against the Marcos estate for torture and other rights violations. Marcos was ousted in the peaceful 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution. Rosales, herself a torture victim during the Marcos regime, said that she had discussed the torture allegations with top PNP officials. President Aquino has pledged to take steps to prosecute violators of human rights in past years. Rights groups, however, say violations have continued with impunity under Aquino’s watch. Multicolored wheel
A picture of the multicolored wheel provided by the CHR showed several other torture selections, including “3 minutes zombies” and “30-second duck walk/ferris wheel” but it was not immediately clear how those punishments were carried out. “For police officers to use torture for fun is despicable,” Amnesty International’s Hazel Galang-Folli said in a statement. “These are abhorrent acts. Suspending officers is not enough. Errant police personnel and their commanding officers should be held accountable in a court of law,” she added. The group called on the Aqui-
‘P-Noy meddled’... no administration “to act immediately to put an end to routine torture.” Aquino’s communications secretary, Sonny Coloma, said: “We will await CHR’s findings and recommendations on this specific matter as it has the primary responsibility for protecting and promoting human rights.” Senior Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac, the PNP spokesman, said several officers had been taken into custody and an investigation was under way. CHR spokesman Marc Titus Cebreros said the officers had been summoned to its office in Biñan and told to submit their counteraffidavits within 10 days. The officers, who had been relieved of their posts, were identified as Chief Insp. Arnold Formento, SPO1 Alexander Asis, PO3 Freddie Ramos, PO2 Marc Julius Caesar, PO2 Aldwin Tibuc, PO2 Melmar Baybado Viray, PO1 Nelson Caribo, SPO2 Bernardino Artisen, PO2 Mateo Cailo and PO2 Renan Galang. 41 victims
Initial investigation by the CHR revealed the possibility of 41 alleged victims of torture and other forms of ill-treatment at the PNP provincial intelligence branch in Biñan. One of the victims was identified as Greg Montemayor, a detainee who was allegedly tortured sometime in June 2013 and again last Jan. 8. He was hit with a paddle and a baseball bat, his head banged and punched allegedly by respondents Caribo, Viray, Asis and Caesar. Another victim, Leody Camacho, who was arrested on Oct. 17, 2013, was tortured the same day and on Jan. 9, allegedly by the same four policemen who hit him with a steel bar, gun and baseball bat. Other victim-detainees were identified as Rowelito Almeda, Isiah Hadlocon, Jayvee Dimapilis, Neil Castillo, Mark Frederick Lim, Hector Domalaon, Dell Ramos Robertson, Leo Umali Romasanta, Kristofferson Climaco Cesar, Emilio Enesin, Catherine Viray and Jimmy Lectura. Most of them complained they were hit by police officers using a baseball bat. ■ With reports from AP, Nikko Dizon and Gil C. Cabacungan
not specify the date. He said he arrived around 8 a.m. and was informed that they would leave together in Roxas’ SUV for Malacañang, without their aides. Before driving out, the senator recalled that Roxas had the license plate of his SUV removed, and asked him to sit at the back. “Let’s take a look at this picture,” he said, pointing to a PowerPoint screen. “That’s the plate number that its owner removed from his car, and inserted it in the sun visor. That’s No. 6, which belongs to a Cabinet secretary. Now I bring to your attention to the driver who is also the owner of the said vehicle. He’s none other than DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) Secretary Mar Roxas, then DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communication) secretary,” he continued. He said he took the picture “using my own cell phone when Boy Pick-up, Secretary Mar Roxas, drove me from his home in Cubao going to Malacañang,” he added. He said he took the picture because he felt the turn of events was “weird.” ❰❰ 3
Palace confirms meeting
Revilla said that upon reaching the gate of Bahay Pangarap, Roxas looked out so the guard could see him and the vehicle was allowed entry. After the breakfast, Roxas dropped him off at a restaurant outside Malacañang because he was rushing “to pick up others,” he said. In a press conference last night, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said the President met with Revilla to express concern that pressure was being put on the senatorjudges to acquit Corona and asked Revilla to decide the case on the merits. Asked for comment by reporters, Roxas just shrugged and smiled, shaking his head before turning his back on them. Abad told GMA News the Revilla blast was “baseless.” Levito Baligod, counsel for the pork barrel whistle-blowers, said the speech was part of “show biz.” In his speech, Revilla said the administration, in a move to discredit potential presidential www.canadianinquirer.net
Malacañang Palace. PHOTO FROM ZAMBOANGA.COM
candidates in the 2016 elections, turned the whistle-blowers into state witnesses despite their admission they had forged documents. He said his harassment began after he rejected the President’s request to support his candidate for governor in Cavite. Contrary to the whistleblowers’ claims, Revilla said he did not sign documents endorsing dubious foundations as recipients of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). In his PowerPoint presentation, he presented two sets of signatures showing “clear as sunrise” that “documents that they’re using as evidence against me are not mine.” “I have nothing to do with this scam, those whistle-blowers, nor Janet Lim-Napoles. I have no dealings and transactions with them,” he said. Then Revilla trained his guns on the President’s policy of daang matuwid (straight path). He enumerated the alleged sins of the administration, from its supposed mishandling of the relief operations for victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” to the high power rate adjustment, to the planned fare increase in commuter trains, to the fake list of beneficiaries of the government’s conditional cash transfer program, among others. Feel the pain
He also mentioned the implication of the President’s sister Elena “Ballsy” Aquino-Cruz in alleged attempts to extort
$30 million from a Czech train manufacturer. “President Aquino, I’m sure you feel the pain arising from the implication of your sister and brother-in-law in an irregularity,” he said. Revilla also recalled that Mr. Aquino himself paid for the bail bond of administration ally Grace Padaca for the graft and malversation charges she was facing in the Sandiganbayan in 2012. “I’m not asking you to bail us out once the warrants are issued. My only appeal is that you treat us fairly, and presume us innocent until proven guilty,” he said. While concluding his speech, Revilla turned emotional and said that his family had been vilified in the “calibrated plan of piecemeal and serial revelations aimed to create a bandwagon of hatred.” He said his daughter discontinued her law studies because of allegations against him. “My father has long asked me to defend our family name. He kept telling me: ‘Speak up. The truth is on our side. Defend our honor and name,’” he said. “This is it, Dad. I’m fighting for truth; I’m fighting for our honor.” At this point, the Revilla patriarch, who was wheeled in front of the VIP box where the rest of the clan including the senator’s wife and children sat, was seen wiping away tears with his handkerchief. The senator hugged his father after his speech. ■
Philippine News
JANUARY 31, 2014 FRIDAY 8
Measles problem now stabilized—DOH BY KATHERINE MARFALTEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—The Department of Health (DOH) said that there’s no further reason for the public to worry about the recent measles outbreak in the country. “Based on our mathematical projections, the cases have already stabilized. [The number of cases] hasn’t shot
up unlike in November and December, which is good,” said Health Undersecretary Ted Herbosa. From January 1 to 11, 2014, DOH’s disease surveillance report listed the following statistics: • 1,163 suspected measles cases • 55 or 4.7 percent were classified as laboratory confirmed • Metro Manila has the most number of confirmed cases with 47 percent, followed by
CALABARZON with 42 percent, and Central Luzon with 11 percent • Those who were diagnosed with confirmed measles have age range of 1 month to 35 years old • Fifty-five percent were males • 21 percent were vaccinated against measles In line with its goals, the DOH made an appeal to parents to bring their children to health centers until Feb. 3.
Farmers join the multi-sectoral mobilization commemorating EDSA People Power I. PHOTO FROM KILUSANGMAGBUBUKID.WEEBLY.COM
P-Noy sued for Filipina ‘Satanist’ nurse fined plunder by militant after posing with the dead and peasant group dying in Switzerland BY CYNTHIA D. BALANA Philippine Daily Inquirer
BY KATHERINE MARFALTEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—A Filipina nurse dubbed as ‘Satanist’ by Swiss newspapers drew flak from netizens after posting her photos with the dead and dying pensioners of a nursing home in Saint Gallen, Switzerland on her Facebook account. Based on the reports from Huffington Post United Kingdom, the nurse named Blaze Finder (Facebook pseudonym Ghostinthedark Stania Blaze) made a poll for her 2,000 Facebook friends—asking if the people she posed with were dead or alive. Apart from the criticisms from netizens, the 37-year-old nurse shocked and saddened the Swiss Association of Nurses. In one of her interviews, she said that she was “harvesting souls.” A Swiss court charged her a fine equivalent to 120 days of pay, which is about £800 (roughly US $1,300, around P59,000). Nonchalant on the issue
On her Facebook page, she responded casually to one of the netizens who criticized her action, “I can put anything I want in my Facebook, it’s mine. People who doesn’t want what I post they can juz up and die
The 37-year-old nurse in one of her interviews, said that she was “harvesting souls.” PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE OF BLAZE FINDER
death is normal and people die all the time.” Meanwhile, relatives of the pensioners expressed their objections toward the photos posted on Binder’s Facebook account. “The images must instantly disappear from the internet,” 66-year-old Ruedi Forrer, son of one of the pensioners in Binder’s photos, said. It was made cleared by the Philippine Nurses Association of the United Kingdom that Binder is not a member of their organization. “The Philippine Nurses Association of the United Kingdom (PNA UK), as the official professional organization of Filipino Nurses in the UK, would like to make it clear that based on our official record of members, Blaze Binder is not a nurse member of the association,”
said Michael Duque, president of the PNA UK. Duque also emphasized that its international chapter in Switzerland also showed that Binder is not an active member of PNA there. “As nurses, our profession dictates that we act in the best interest of the patient at all times being their advocate and protector. It is clear that Binder has not internalized these basic tenets of the profession but has instead philosophically distorted the very foundation to which every nurse has been made to realize when she was given the confidence to look after an elderly patient in a retirement care home in Ebersol, Switzerland,” Duque said in a statement. As of posting, Binder’s Facebook account is now inaccessible to the public. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
THE MILITANT PEASANT group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) filed a complaint for plunder against President Aquino, two Cabinet officials and 10 others in connection with the alleged diversion of P125 million from the Malampaya Fund to bogus nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in 2011. In a 16-page complaint-affidavit with attached 70 pieces of documentary evidence, the KMP asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the release of part of the government share in the revenues from the operation of natural gas fields off Palawan province to finance non-energy related ghost projects. Also named respondents were Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes, along with three of their undersecretaries and seven private individuals, alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles and whistle-blower Benhur Luy. The filing of the complaint came on the eve of the 27th anniversary of the infamous Mendiola massacre of militant farmers marching on Malacañang in 1987 to demand that then President Corazon Aquino fulfill her campaign promise to carry out genuine agrarian reform. Thirteen of the marchers were shot and killed by soldiers. Nationwide protest marches by
KMP members are scheduled. The complaint, which also called for the preventive suspension of the respondents, alleged that the Malampaya Fund was used to finance the “preposterous” purchase of earthworms for various projects, such as organic farming. It said the President was being implicated for approving the release of the Malampaya Fund for “projects or purposes not in accord with the law.” The money was allegedly released by the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Agrarian Reform to projects of dubious NGOs controlled by Napoles. The complaint said that those projects were not related to development of energy resources in violation of Presidential Decree No. 910 which specified the use of the Malampaya Fund. “More importantly, those projects were never implemented. Thus, the millions of pesos released to the NGOs were squandered,” it added. “Obviously, Mr. Aquino and his political lieutenants colluded with fake NGOs to deliberately plunder the Malampaya Fund,” Rafael Mariano, KMP chair, said. It was the second plunder complaint against the President and Abad filed by the KMP. In October last year, the KMP also filed plunder charges against the President, Abad, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and six other ranking government officials in the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the pork barrel scam. ■
Philippine News
9 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Profit-first policy of state firm slammed BY GIL C. CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer LAWMAKERS ARE urging regulators to throw the book at the state-owned Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) for choosing profitability over public interest in refusing to help Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) cope with its supply shortage during the Malampaya shutdown. At the resumption of the House committee on energy’s probe of the alleged collusion among power industry players that led to the spike in power prices, PSALM president Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. said its 620-megawatt Malaya thermal power plant did not make an offer on the spot market during Malampaya’s shutdown from Nov. 11 to Dec. 10 last year. Ledesma said that selling power on the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) would hurt the firm’s bottom line and that the additional cost would just be passed on to consumers as part of the universal charge. He told lawmakers that when he was appointed in 2010, his marching orders were to improve PSALM’s financial records and to avoid pushing the debt-saddled firm into a deeper hole. PSALM was created as a result of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) 13 years ago to manage, privatize and dispose of all existing generation assets, liabilities, real estate and other resources of National Power Corp. Stop-gap measure
Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla said the Malaya plant was retained by government as a stop-gap measure in any supply shortfall. But because of its slow startup period (it needs 13 hours
before it can run), the government has used it for base-load supply. Petilla said the government had asked the Malaya plant to be prepared if there was no adequate supply during the maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya gas pipeline. “They (PSALM) actually bid [on the WESM] but it did not dispatch any power,” said Petilla. “We have a-must-offer rule for all power plants and somebody did not.” A number of power generating plants also shut down while the Malampaya gas pipeline was offline, creating a shortfall of almost half of the average 6,000MW that Meralco provides its customers. The shortfall forced Meralco to buy expensive supply on the WESM and to pass on the higher cost to its 5.3million customers. Puzzled
Petilla said he was puzzled why Meralco had sought a lower rate hike during Malampaya’s shutdown in 2010 when the power supply then was much lower than it was when it went off grid late last year. ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio said: “It appears that PSALM violated WESM rules in deciding not to make offers for Malaya’s available capacity. That’s a matter for ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) to deal within its capacity as market regulator.” Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said that PSALM should have set aside its profit motive and influenced the spot market by bidding at a much lower price than the other players to protect the public interest during the shortage in Meralco’s supply. Rather damning
“We are not asking you to take a loss but couldn’t you just make a bid lower than the oth-
Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said that PSALM should have set aside its profit motive and influenced the spot market by bidding at a much lower price than the other players to protect the public interest during the shortage in Meralco’s supply. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
ers and keep the losses reasonable?” Colmenares asked. He said the public was counting on PSALM and other state entities to temper the power price spike during the shutdown. Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said this was rather damning because PSALM was obligated by law to make an offer, no ifs, ands or buts. “It also raises the issue of whether PSALM could have been part of a collusive act. The concatenation of events theory behind the simultaneous outages is becoming less and less credible,” he said. Bello said PSALM should be included in the Department of Justice’s probe of the alleged collusion in the industry along with other power generators, Meralco and the ERC. “PSALM’s justification—it wished to avoid greater indebtedness by running Malaya at a loss—highlights another problematic provision of Epira, which allows stranded costs to be passed on to consumers through the universal charge,” Tinio said. Tinio said that this debate on
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whether Malaya should have run its power during the critical supply period “highlights the role that a government-run power plant can play in stabilizing electricity prices and protecting consumers from price spikes.” Lawmakers also scored the ERC, led by its chair Zenaida Cruz-Ducut, for dragging its feet in investigating whether market players had colluded to jack up power prices that led to Meralco’s petition to increase its rates by P4.15 per kilowatthour, a record increase. The ERC approved the increase but the Supreme Court last month issued a temporarily restraining order. In its preliminary report submitted to Congress, the ERC declined to provide details of its probe for fear of being accused of prejudging the case. In its report, the ERC noted that the supply situation from Oct. 26 to Dec. 25 last year was affected by “plant outages and non-offer by plants” that led to sky-high prices on WESM. ‘Whitewash’
Colmenares dismissed the
report as a prelude to a “whitewash” of the collusion. “The ERC failed in coming up with its long-delayed report and its findings are more of a coverup. It is not unreasonable to suspect that they would eventually say that there was no collusion or price manipulation,” he said. Colmenares said the investigation should be undertaken by other agencies, including the justice department since there were charges of crime in restraint of trade. “[The ERC] findings are non findings and they should be removed by President Aquino for dereliction of duty and their role as regulator,” he said. Colmenares noted that “Malaya is government-owned but it acted like a private company that is concerned with profits and not the people’s interest.” He said the power rate would have not gone up in Meralco’s franchise area if Malaya had provided its 610-MW capacity to the power utility. Bello also dismissed the ERC report, saying it was “disrespectful” to Congress because it failed to provide any new finding. ■
Philippine News
JANUARY 31, 2014 FRIDAY 10
Meralco accused of jacking up rates BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO AND JEROME ANING Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA ELECTRIC Co. (Meralco) engaged in anticompetition and price manipulation when it instructed a powergenerating firm to sell power at a high price because this would jack up the price on the electric spot market as transactions there moved by the hour, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said. Carpio made this observation while questioning Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares at the start of the oral arguments at the Supreme Court on Meralco’s staggered rate increase of P4.15 kilowatt-hour (kWh), the largest electricity rate increase ever in the country. Carpio based his questions on the comment submitted by Therma Mobile Inc. (TMO) the other day to the high court which had included it and three other power-generating companies as respondents in the petitions against the suspended Meralco power rate hike. In its comment, TMO said “Meralco would instruct (it) to bid at the offer price ceiling of P62 kilowatt hour (kWh) during Meralco’s off-peak period”.... “in the expectation of the TMO plant would not be dispatched.” “In following Meralco’s instructions, TMO was merely fulfilling its contractual obligations, believing in good faith that Meralco was acting as a prudent distribution utility operator without any motive other than to ensure supply to its customers and without any intention of causing a spike in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) spot market prices,” it said. Noting that TMO had been instructed to do this 25 times by Meralco, Carpio said there were two possibilities that may happen in this situation—either Meralco bought power at P62/kWh or somebody else did. How much should Meralco pass on this TMO price to consumers? Colmenares, the party-list congressman, said it should be P8.65/kWh as this was the supply agreement between Meralco and TMO. “Whether Meralco bought it
and sold it at P62 or whether it sold and not buy it at P62, it can only pass on P8.65 (to its customers),” Carpio said. “Let’s assume that in all 25 transactions, Meralco sold at P62 but did not buy [on the WESM], Meralco can pass it on P8.65 .... What’s the effect of selling it at P62 without buying several times. The effect on market price, it tends to go up,” Carpio said, with Colmenares agreeing. The senior associate justice said that even if Meralco was not a buyer and seller, “the tendency is for the price to go up because a genco (generating company) sees it at P62 and sells it at P62 or P61.” ‘Price manipulation’
Carpio then asked Colmenares about the effect if this happened every hour, which was how transactions happen on WESM. Without waiting for Colmenares to reply, Carpio said: “It tends to increase the price. That is still anticompetitive or still a price manipulation.” High court justices gave lawyers of the two petitioners against the power rate hike— the Makabayan bloc and the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reform (Nasecore)—the first crack in defending their case. Speaking for the Makabayan bloc, Colmenares and Carlos Isagani Zarate, a fellow Bayan Muna representative, asked the high court to stop “the largest electricity rate increase ever in the country.” Increase ‘hastily approved’
The two lawmakers accused the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) of committing grave abuse of discretion when it hastily approved the P4.15 rate hike despite “three highly irregular or unprecedented events, which should have stayed its approval as market abuse regulator.” The increase, when added to the generation charge of P5.6673/kWh, would have resulted in a power-generation charge of P9.1070/kWh without the staggered implementation. For a typical household using 200kWh a month, a one-time increase of P830 would have pushed its monthly bill from P2,212 to P3,041.48.
Meralco wanted to collect a P4.15/kWh rate adjustment from its 5.3 million customers to recover some P9.6 billion in power generation costs. Shutdowns
The rate increase stemmed from the shutdown of the Malampaya gas pipeline for maintenance operation from Nov. 11 to Dec. 10. A number of power generation plants also shut down during this time, creating a 45-percent shortfall in the average 6,000 megawatts that Meralco supplies to customers. The shortfall prompted Meralco to buy a more expensive supply from the WESM and to pass on the cost to its customers. The shutdown of the pipeline also forced plants that use the cheaper natural gas from Malampaya and supply power to Meralco to use more expensive fuel. The ERC approved a staggered rate increase to be collected in December, February and March. But last Dec. 23, the high tribunal issued a temporary restraining order, stopping Meralco from collecting the increase from 60 days. In his presentation, Colmenares said the ERC should not have approved the price increase last December because there was a simultaneous shutdowns of plants. At the same time, the power distribution company “through its contracted energy with Therma Mobile, made a P62 [per kWh] bid on the WESM, the highest possible bid, during the period of these simultaneous shutdowns, which not only increased the price of electricity Meralco itself bought on the WESM but also the electricity bought by distribution units in other provinces.” When power distributors place on the WESM a demand for a certain volume of power, power producers offer bids through the spot market’s Internet operations on an hourly basis. Highest bid
Under WESM rules, the highest bid for electricity that was sold becomes the clearing price, which in turn becomes the price of the entire market. www.canadianinquirer.net
Meralco wanted to collect a P4.15/kWh rate adjustment from its 5.3 million customers to recover some P9.6 billion in power generation costs. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
As a result, Meralco practically increased to P62/kWh the price of electricity it would buy through the WESM as generation charge, Colmenares said. He said the ERC agreed to pass on to consumers the generation charge, injuring consumers in other distribution units in the entire grid. Acts of manipulation
Colmenares said these were “acts of price manipulation” and violated Meralco’s duty under Section 4 of its franchise to supply electricity to its captive market “in the least cost manner.” He asked the high court to strike down the power rate increase because the ERC had committed grave abuse of discretion and “abandoned its role under the law and Constitution as market abuse regulator.” Meralco’s franchise area covers 31 cities and 80 municipalities in Metro Manila, the entire provinces of Bulacan, Rizal and Cavite; and parts of the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, Batangas and Pampanga. Quarter of PH population
The franchise area is home to 24.7 million people, roughly a quarter of the Philippine population. Also, about 50 percent of the country’s gross domestic product is generated within Meralco’s franchise area. Meralco’s customers account for 70 percent of the 72 billion kWh used annually in the country. Associate Justice Marvic Leonen asked Colmenares how the court could intervene given that the pricing of electricity was based on the law of supply and demand. Leonen also asked Colmenares whether the TMO case was
an anticompetitive behavior. The lawmaker said he would look into that and state this in a memorandum to the high court. Leonen underscored the need for the petitioners to address this because the petitioners were alleging that a large distribution firm had colluded with one generating firm. “I hope it would be clear what the court can do whether there was anticompetitive behavior,” he said. Indications of collusion
Colmenares said his group was not saying that there was collusion but maintained that there were “indications of collusion.” Other justices queried Colmenares and Leonard de Vera, Nasecore lawyer, on whether the rate hike, the prices on the WESM during the period leading to the increase, or ERC’s pass-on could just be the ones declared null and void by the court instead of provisions in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira), which is an output of the legislative branch. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said there were other provisions in the Epira that could serve as standards for the court to decide the case that should have been raised by the petitioners. Sledge hammer
Sereno compared the Makabayan bloc’s petition—which includes the invalidation of Sections 6 and 29 of Epira that state that generating companies are not to be treated as public utilities—to “using a sledge hammer when a surgeon scalpel could have sufficed.” ❱❱ PAGE 13 Meralco accused
Philippine News
11 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Philippines attempting to seize 150 missing paintings from Imelda Marcos collection The Associated Press MANILA, PHILIPPINES—The Philippine government is attempting to locate and seize more than 150 paintings that were owned by former first lady Imelda Marcos, but a lack of funds and other difficulties are hampering the search, an official said Monday. Andres Bautista said the list of paintings—including ones by Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Michelangelo—was compiled from various documents after a 1986 “people power” revolt ended dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ 20-year rule and sent his family into exile in Hawaii. During Marcos’ two decades in power, Imelda Marcos became known for excess, symbolized by her large shoe col-
lection. The family is accused of illegally amassing billions of dollars’ worth of wealth. Bautista, who heads the Presidential Commission on Good Government, the agency tasked with recovering the wealth, said it has registered a claim for the paintings with the Art Loss Register, the world’s largest private database of lost and stolen art. “We think that actually there are more paintings that are not in this list,” he told reporters. “We just don’t have the evidence to prove our case.” He said his agency had a budget of 106 million pesos ($2.3 million) last year, and “given our limited resources ... we don’t have the wherewithal” to track the paintings. Among the paintings not on the list is one by Claude Monet that was sold for $32 million
in 2010 by former Marcos aide Vilma Bautista, he said. The aide was sentenced this month by a New York court to up to six years’ imprisonment for conspiring to sell the art work and tax fraud. He said the Philippine government is initiating a lawsuit in New York to recover the proceeds of that sale and three other art works she attempted to sell. The two Bautistas are not related. Earlier this month, a Philippine anti-graft court ordered Imelda Marcos to relinquish more than $100,000 in jewelry after ruling it was ill-gotten. It was the third collection of Marcos jewelry that the government has acquired. The two other collections are estimated to be worth up to $8.4 million. The government has recov-
Imelda Marcos (pictured), sometimes described as the Marie Antoinetteish wife of the late despotic Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Andres Bautista said the list of paintings—including ones by Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Michelangelo—was compiled from various documents after a 1986 “people power” revolt. PHOTO FROM THELMAGAZINE.COM
ered 164 billion pesos ($3.7 billion) of Marcos’ alleged hidden wealth over the years and is targeting at least 50 billion pesos ($1.1 billion) more. Imelda Marcos has faced
some 900 civil and criminal cases in Philippine courts, but all but a handful have been dismissed for lack of evidence. The Marcoses have denied any wrongdoing. ■
Philippines, Muslim rebels clinch deal to end decades long insurgency, focus on implementation BY SEAN YOONG The Associated Press KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA—The Philippine government and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group completed talks Saturday on a deal to end four decades of fighting that has killed tens of thousands of people and helped foster Islamic extremism in Southeast Asia. The accord between Filipino negotiators and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front calls for Muslim self-rule in parts of the southern Philippines in exchange for the deactivation of the rebel force. Military presence in the proposed autonomous region would be restricted. Much now will depend on how the accord is enforced, in particular whether the 11,000-strong rebel forces are able to maintain security in areas that would come under their control. At least four other smaller Muslim rebel groups are still fighting Manila’s rule in the southern Mindanao region, and could act as spoilers. Officials from both sides an-
Philippine government and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group completed talks Saturday on a deal to end four decades of fighting. PHOTO BY KEITH KRISTOFFER BACONGCO / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
nounced the conclusion of talks in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, which has brokered the yearslong negotiations. The accord and three other pacts signed last year make up a final peace agreement that is to be signed in the Philippine capital, Manila, possibly next month, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said. “This will give the just and lasting peace that our brothers in Mindanao are seeking.” said Lacierda, referring to the vola-
tile southern region and homeland of minority Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation. Chief government negotiator Miriam Ferrer said that concluding the talks “marks the beginning of the bigger challenge ahead, which is the ... implementation.” Saturday’s accord has been the most significant progress made over 13 years of negotiations to tame a tenacious insurgency that has left more than www.canadianinquirer.net
120,000 people dead and derailed development in Muslimpopulated southern regions that are among the most destitute in the Philippines. The United States and other governments have supported the talks, worried that rebel strongholds could become breeding grounds for al-Qaidalinked extremists who have sought sanctuary in the region in the past. Under the peace deal, the Moro insurgents agreed to
end violence in exchange for broader autonomy. An existing five-province Muslim autonomous region is to be replaced by a more powerful, better-funded and potentially larger region to be called Bangsamoro. Despite the milestone, both the government and the rebels acknowledged that violence would not end overnight in a region that has long grappled with a volatile mix of crushing poverty, huge numbers of illegal firearms, clan wars and weak law enforcement. One rebel group vowed to keep fighting. “We will continue the struggle,” said Abu Misri, spokesman of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, which broke off from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front three years ago. “What we want is an Islamic state, an Islamic people, an Islamic constitution,” he told The Associated Press by telephone Saturday. Rebels from another group, the Moro National Liberation Front, took scores of hostages in September when they ❱❱ PAGE 38 Philippines, Muslim
Philippine News
JANUARY 31, 2014 FRIDAY 12
David Tan’s control of rice trade bared Trader used co-ops as fronts–De Lima BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer DAVIDSON BANGAYAN, aka David Tan, controls the importation of rice by financing farmers’ cooperatives that want to bid for import permits from the National Food Authority (NFA), Justice Secretary Leila de Lima told the Senate committee on agriculture. Speaking at the resumption of the committee’s investigation of the smuggling of rice into the Philippines, De Lima, quoting justice department witnesses, said Davidson Bangayan and David Tan, known in the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as the Goliath of rice smuggling in the country, were the same. “They know him as DT, for David Tan,” De Lima said. Subpoenaed to appear at the hearing, Bangayan showed up to answer the senators’ questions, but denied that he was David Tan. Bangayan also denied involvement in rice smuggling. “My name is Davidson Bangayan, and I am not David Tan,” he said at the start of the hearing. De Lima, whose department is investigating the alleged rice smuggling of David Tan in collusion with customs officials and employees, said two witnesses had come forward and submitted affidavits detailing Bangayan’s modus operandi. She said that one witness claimed that Bangayan, using
at least three coordinators, recruited farmers’ cooperatives to bid for rice importation permits from the NFA. According to the witness whom De Lima did not name, Bangayan paid for the cooperatives’ license fees, bonds, document form fees required by the NFA and the BOC, and shouldered the airfare and accommodation expenses of the cooperatives’ representatives while preparing for the bidding. “One day before the bidding, the recruits would troop to DT’s office in Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City. There, they would prepare the prequalifying bid documents,” De Lima said, quoting the witness. The recruits are promised incentives of P10 per bag once the cooperatives win the local or old stocks bidding. They get an extra P3 per bag incentive “once the deal is there,” she said. “For importation bidding, a P20 per bag incentive is promised to the winning cooperative. In exchange for all these benefits, the cooperatives will allow DT to use them as fronts during the biddings. DT will have the discretion in the sale and distribution of the imported rice,” she said.
going through customs without the permit being stamped “consumed,” and diverting excess rice intended for the government to the warehouses of traders. “If there are 10 truckloads of rice, five go to the NFA warehouse and the other five to the buyers. So there’s a diversion of rice,” De Lima said. She said that once the National Bureau of Investigation has built an airtight case, it would file charges against the people involved in rice smuggling in the Department of Justice for preliminary investigation. The hearing called by Sen. Cynthia Villar’s committee also heard that Bangayan’s own employee and lawyer had ties with Starcraft, the trading company that asked courts to stop the BOC from seizing tons of rice imported without permits. Villar told reporters after the hearing that she did not need to prove that Davidson Bangayan and David Tan were the same. But using findings by several Senate committees during the 2012 inquiry into rice smuggling, she said her committee managed to establish that Bangayan had indirect links to “possible” rice smuggling. Links to rice trade
Other strategies
The other witness, De Lima said, described other forms of smuggling, including declaring rice shipments as construction materials; recycling import permits if the rice shipments were
Questioning Bangayan during the hearing, Villar elicited admissions that he had a partner in rice trading and other commodities named Willy Sy and that he owned Okinoshima Recycling Inc., a scrap metal
Davidson Bangayan, aka David Tan, controls the importation of rice by financing farmers’ cooperatives that want to bid for import permits from the National Food Authority (NFA). PHOTO FROM UNTVWEB.COM
trading company. Witnesses in the Senate’s 2012 inquiry pointed to Sy as their “broker” in rice importation, and identified him as an employee of Okinoshima. “We also did some transactions,” Bangayan said, referring to Sy. Citing the January 2013 committee report on rice smuggling, Villar said Eugene Pioquinto and Brendel C. Daradal, incorporators of Starcraft International Trading Corp., had also pointed to Sy as their “broker.” “So you’d see that the broker of Starcraft is Mr. Sy, who is your employee,” Villar told Bangayan. Villar made a PowerPoint presentation showing the recommendations of the previous Senate inquiry, as well as diagrams of the relationships of rice traders with Sy.
Bangayan said he was “not connected” with Starcraft. He also said that Sy was “independent” and that he dealt with him on a per project basis. “We, on the committee on agriculture, are relying on the information given by our farmers. If we don’t divulge this, we’ll be accused of connivance,” Villar said. De Lima said that the NBI had also summoned Sy to its investigation of rice smuggling that had been prompted by the 2012 Senate inquiry. Sy has yet to appear for questioning, De Lima said. Don’t deny it
Irked by his insistence that he was not David Tan, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile reminded Bangayan that he had been impleaded as David Bangayan, aka ❱❱ PAGE 14 David Tan’s
New Sulu sultan still wants Sabah BY NIKKO DIZON Philippine Daily Inquirer
Sulu Sultan Esmail Kiram II also urged the Malaysian government “to rectify its wrongdoings to the Filipino people in the greatest Land grabbing in human history and admit the sultanate’s claim of sovereignty over North Borneo.” PHOTO FROM ISCENETV.COM
NEARLY A year after the Sulu Sultanate made a daring, bloody move to reclaim a part of Sabah from Malaysia, its new ruler vowed to pursue their fight for the land they call their own through peaceful avenues. In a press statement, Sulu Sultan Esmail Kiram II also urged the Malaysian government “to rectify its wrongdoings to the Filipino people in the greatest landgrabbing in human history www.canadianinquirer.net
and admit the sultanate’s claim of sovereignty over North Borneo.” Kiram is the younger brother of the late Jamalul Kiram III, who was the sultanate’s ruling leader when the sultanate engaged the Malaysian military in a three-month battle for a portion of Sabah on Borneo. In February last year, the Kirams’ younger brother, Agbimuddin, led some 200 followers of the sultanate in an incursion in Lahad Datu that triggered a bloody firefight. Agbimuddin’s whereabout remains unknown.
Jamalul Kiram died in October last year and was succeeded by Esmail. The new sultan also called on the Aquino administration to support the sultanate’s claim “over North Borneo by historic and moral obligations.” Kiram also called on the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conference to intercede in the issue. Abraham Idjirani, the sultanate’s spokesperson, told the INQUIRER by phone that the new sultan “wants to resolve the conflict peacefully.” ■
Philippine News
13 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Ex-cop tied to Dacer murder hits US ruling BY NANCY C. CARVAJAL Philippine Daily Inquirer FORMER POLICE intelligence officer Michael Ray Aquino is not paying the $4.2 million in damages that the daughters of murdered public relations agent Salvador “Bubby” Dacer won in a civil suit in the United States. Aquino said that the US court that awarded the damages to Dacer’s daughters had “no jurisdiction” in the Philippines. He also said that the decision of Judge William Alsup of US District Court for Northern California was “flawed.” “I never had the chance to defend myself because I did not receive any summons and I was barred [from reentering] the United States,” Aquino told the INQUIRER in a telephone interview. “The US District Court judge was misled and the lawyer of the complainantsmisrepresented himself,” Aquino said, but he did not elaborate on the point about the lawyer of Dacer’s daughters. Local court decision
“I think the judgment was flawed and the decision of the local [court to dismiss] the case should have been considered,” Aquino said.
Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, were abducted in Makati, the business district of Manila, on the morning of November 24, 2000 while on their way to the Manila Hotel. PHOTO FROM COCONUTER.BLOGSPOT.COM
In December 2012, Judge Carolino Sison of the Manila Regional Trial Court’s Branch 18 dismissed the charges against Aquino in the November 2000 murders of Dacer and the public relations agent’s driver, Emmanuel Corbito. But the four US-based daughters of the publicist—Carina Dacer, Sabina Reyes, Amparo Henson and Emily Hungerford— brought a wrongful death suit
Meralco accused... Justices Jose Perez and Bienvenido Reyes also asked whether it should be left to Congress to amend the Epira, considering that there were pending resolutions pushing for such a move. Colmenares said the relief that the petitioners wanted pertained to the exercise of grave abuse of discretion by the Department of Energy (DOE) and ERC that only the court can decide. Justice Presbitero Velasco asked if the principle of the rule of law was applied, should Meralco be penalized for merely complying with the passon rule, which has not yet been declared invalid. De Vera replied that Meralco also had a Congress-granted franchise that mandated the power firm to deliver electricity at the least cost. Both Leonen and Velasco also warned about factual allegations raised by the petitioners such as crossownership, oligopoly, price manipulation and anticompetitive behavior that the court could not examine because it was not a trier of facts. Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro asked if the new rules on the pass-on provision for generation cost, meant that the ERC could no longer determine if the increases were appropriate, reasonable or valid, especially if the cost ❰❰ 10
asked by a generation company was the same amount the distributor was charging its customers. De Vera pointed out that the provision only stated that the charges shall be “subject to verification” but consumers were not guaranteed whether verification “shall always” be conducted. The Supreme Court suspended the hearing at 7:30 p.m. after five hours, with Sereno setting the next hearing for Feb. 4 and 11 when counsels for Meralco and the ERC will present their arguments against the petitions opposing the power rate hike. Sereno instructed lawyers of the DOE, ERC, Philippine Electricity Market Corp., Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, Meralco and the impleaded generating companies to submit on or before Jan. 30 documents, such as power outlook reports, market regulations, supply agreements, minutes of meetings regarding shutdowns, outage schedules and list of stakeholders. The DOE and ERC were also asked to submit their reports on the alleged collusion, price manipulation and other anticompetitive behavior relating to the generation charges and power plant outages. ■
against Aquino, accusing him of authorizing and directing the killing of their father. According to the official court document, in November 2000 Dacer was called to Malacañang and berated for working for the impeachment of then President Joseph Estrada. Aquino ordered agents to investigate and steal documents from Dacer.
When Dacer lobbied against former defendant Panfilo Lacson’s appointment as chief of the Philippine National Police, Aquino was ordered to gather a group of operatives to silence the former. On Nov. 24, 2000, the court found, Dacer was abducted, interrogated and tortured based on Aquino’s instructions. He was then strangled with a wire and his body was burned in a ravine in Cavite province. Corbito was murdered along with him. On Dec. 24, at 11 a.m., Aquino sent a text message confirming that Dacer had been taken and gave instructions to “neutralize” him. On this basis, the Philippine Department of Justice recommended Aquino’s indictment for the murders of Dacer and Corbito, as he “was obviously stagemanaging the entire operation by cellular phone.” Arrested in US
In May 2001 Lacson, by then a senator, learned of a pending investigation of Aquino and advised him to flee to the United States, and he did, the court stated. Aquino was arrested in the United ❱❱ PAGE 15 Ex-cop tied
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Philippine News
JANUARY 31, 2014 FRIDAY 14
Pledges for Yolanda (Haiyan) victims drop in January BY KATHERINE MARFALTEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Two months after the devastating super typhoon hit the country, international pledges have just been coming in droplets. In November 2013, international communities gave a total of P23.798 billion ($538.978 million), but as of January 17, 2014, the Philippines received less than a quarter of the cash that at least 58 countries and groups promised. In an interview with Rappler, Budget Secretary Butch Abad said, “What we heard them say at the height of the ‘Yolanda’ relief operations versus what you see them now delivering by way of cash, there's a big disparity.”
Meanwhile, a United Nations (UN) official believes that countries tend to “forget,” citing what was also experienced in Haiti when it was devastated by a magnitude-7 earthquake in January 2010. UN figures said that two years after countries pledged $4.5 billion in aid, only 53% reached Haiti. “It is also possible that most of their funds have already been committed to other priorities toward the end of 2013,” Abad interpreted. “A lot of the fund-raising would have to be done at the start of this year, when new funds are available. So that may likely explain the huge disparity between what we read in the papers during the height of the relief operations,” Abad added. Rappler also reported that the disparity between the promised
Budget Secretary Butch Abad said, “What we heard them say at the height of the ‘Yolanda’ relief operations versus what you see them now delivering by way of cash, there’s a big disparity.” PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE OF SUPER TYPHOON RECOVERY
donations at the height of the ‘Haiyan’ disaster and the actual donations received at present was due to the fact that not all donations passed through the Philippine government as other
agencies can give directly to affected communities.
BOC even before the shipment ordered by a company named Bold Bidder arrived, prompting an incredulous Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to remark: “They’re that brilliant.” Importing rice without a permit is smuggling, Sevilla said. He confirmed the existence of a “tara system” in the BOC, under which containers are released without inspection in exchange for certain amounts. “I believe that’s happening now,” Sevilla said when asked to confirm that 6-meter containers and 12-meter containers are released without an inspection in exchange for P60,000 and P80,000, respectively.
“Yes, as far as writing a letter to the NFA,” Salazar said when asked by Cayetano if Starcraft was one of his clients. “But I never appeared in any case.” Cayetano, who is also a lawyer, said Salazar was “free to contract any client.” But he pointed out that both Bangayan and Starcraft “seemed to be using the same people with (the same) expertise.” “In case of a broker, you have the same broker. In the case of a lawyer, you have the same lawyer,” Cayetano told Bangayan. “Or it could be that you have a relationship with Starcraft.”
Statistics speak
Based on the statistics of the Philippines' Foreign Aid
Transparency Hub (FAITH), the international community pledged P2.8 billion ($63.418 million) in cash and P20.998 billion ($475.56 million) of non-cash items, but the Philippines only received 21.16% of the money pledged by various countries. That’s about P592.58 million ($12.337 million). In line with this, Ambassador Libran Cabactulan, the Philippines' permanent representative to the UN, urged donors to support the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) recovery program in Eastern Visayas. The Philippines still needs P360.9 billion ($8.17 billion) in a span of 4 years to rebuild the houses of the Yolanda (Haiyan) victims. ■ With report from Rappler
David Tan’s... David Tan, in an arbitration case in Singapore over a scrap metal deal. “You’re lying here. You should tell the truth otherwise you will be jailed today,” Enrile told Bangayan, showing copies of the case. “You’re involved in an arbitration case in Singapore. You can’t lie there. You’ll be jailed by Lee Kuan Yew,” he added. Jesus Arranza, chair and president of the Federation of Philippine Industries, confirmed Enrile’s information, saying that he was actually sued for libel by Bangayan for talking about details of the case on a radio program that he hosted with Enrile and former Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. The libel case was dismissed, he said. “I’m wondering because they’re saying they have the original document. I also have the original copy of the libel complaint,” Arranza told the committee. De Lima also confirmed that Bangayan admitted in a 2005 affidavit that he submitted in the libel case that he was also known as David Tan. ❰❰ 12
Issue settled
Newly appointed NBI Director Virgilio Mendez told the INQUIRER that the identity of
David Tan was no longer part of the NBI investigation of rice smuggling “because that issue has been settled.” Explaining, Mendez said David Tan and Davidson Bangayan were the same. “We are moving forward, we have established that Bangayan and Tan are the same. And now our job is to gather more evidence to link him there,” Mendez said. The NBI investigation’s priority now is to identify the rice smugglers, he said. He said a government task force would go after the rice smugglers and “unmask them.” “We will expose them and with the coordination of other government agencies, we hope to get them soon,” Mendez said. The senators heard that Starcraft has managed to secure orders from courts in Manila and Davao City stopping the customs bureau from seizing its shipments of rice imported without permits. TROs against seizure
Customs Commissioner John Sevilla said the BOC’s campaign against rice smuggling had been hobbled by the temporary restraining orders (TROs). Sevilla said a court in Lemery, Batangas province, issued an injunction against the
Salazar grilled
The senators also questioned Bangayan’s lawyer, Benito Salazar. Under questioning by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Salazar confirmed that Starcraft was one of his clients. Salazar refuted Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala’s statement that he appeared in court on Starcraft’s behalf in Davao City. He, however, admitted that he had once written to the NFA to clarify that Starcraft did not need a permit to import rice in connection with the country’s commitments to the World Trade Organization. www.canadianinquirer.net
‘Small world’
De Lima later told reporters that Bangayan, Sy, Salazar and Starcraft moved in a “small world.” Bangayan, who sat pokerfaced, admitted going into joint venture agreements with the cooperatives to import rice. He said funding the cooperatives to import rice was not illegal. “In industry practice, we have what we call consolidation,” he said. Bangayan said that in 2012, he took part in the importation of 1,900 tons of rice under the minimum access volume (MAV) program. “If the requirements for eligibility were scrutinized, you
couldn’t get through,” Bangayan said. Cayetano retorted: “That’s what they said in the pork barrel (scam), but it also got through… Sorry, Mr. Bangayan, we have to bring this up. In your case, you’re saying it’s legal for you to finance them, and then you share in their profit? To any of our secretaries, is this legal?” Villar said the Senate previously said that tapping cooperatives as fronts is illegal. Alcala said Bangayan needed to be a registered rice trader before he could import rice. “According to the records of the NFA, he is not a registered rice trader,” he said. Where’s NFA chief?
Former NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo was not called to the hearing. Sen. Grace Poe suggested that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who had threatened to kill rice smugglers if they entered his city, be invited to the Senate investigation. Reacting to reports of Poe’s suggestion, Duterte said he would appear before the Senate agriculture committee if called. “That’s better. I’m going to tell the Senate what I’ve been saying here,” Duterte said. “I was listening to the investigation,” he said. “Yes, of course, I will go.” ■
Philippine News
15 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Mexican drug ring has ‘hit’ list
Ex-cop tied... States in 2005 for illegal possession of classified documents. He pleaded guilty, was imprisoned for 76 months and subsequently extradited to the Philippines. He was arrested for the murder of Dacer but released on the basis of technicalities. Aquino filed a motion to dismiss the Dacers’ suit but his motion was denied. He last responded to the proceedings two years ago. ❰❰ 13
Prove up hearing
After a default prove up hearing on Tuesday, Alsup ordered Aquino, former chief of operations of the defunct Presidential AntiOrganized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) of the PNP under the administration of Estrada, to pay $4.2 million in punitive damages to the Dacer sisters. A prove up is a short hearing before a judge when a case is uncontested. In Aquino’s case, the proceedings went through in his absence because he could not be located by process servers, as he did not leave a forwarding address when he was deported from the United States in June 2011 after serving a jail sentence for espionage. On Feb. 1, 2013, a trial date was set and Aquino was advised to attend pretrial proceedings. The instructions were sent to the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila. Going to great lengths
Records showed that Aquino failed to attend eight hearings and also failed to provide the court and the Dacers an updated address. It was also found that he was no longer under Philippine government custody. On Tuesday, after “going to great lengths to accommodate Aquino,” the court finally entered judgment for “damages proven at trial.” Alsup also instructed the US Immigration and Citizenship Service to bar Aquino from entering the United States should he attempt to do so. Aquino, now chief of security at Solaire Resort Hotel in Pasay City, denied that he did not leave a forwarding address. He explained that when he was released from NBI custody, he signed release papers and wrote down forwarding addresses. “I left the NBI forwarding addresses and I am sure that if they received [the court] papers, they would have sent them to me,” Aquino said. No jurisdiction
He said the US court had no jurisdiction over the Dacer case because “it was supposed to happen here.” Aquino meant Dacer’s murder was a Philippine case and properly belonged to the jurisdiction of Philippine courts.
Besides Aquino, the Dacers also sued Estrada, now mayor of Manila; Lacson, now President Aquino’s overseer for the rehabilitation of communities destroyed by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in the Visayas last November; Reynaldo Tenorio, former head of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.; businessman Dante Tan, and Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao, a former PAOCTF officer who is now chief of the Public Safety Battalion of the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) police. ‘Excessive’ demand
The Dacer sisters originally demanded $120 million—$20 million in compensatory damages and $100 million in punitive damages—but they reduced their demand to $60 million. But Alsup found the Dacers’ claim “excessive” and “insufficient” in evidence, and reduced the damages to $4.2 million, to be equally divided among them. Rodel Rodis, the Dacers’ San Francisco based lawyer (and a columnist for INQUIRER.net), was disappointed at the reduction of the damages but said the sisters were “vindicated” by the decision. Don’t know anything
Estrada declined to comment when asked about the decision. “I have nothing to do with that. I don’t know anything about it,” Estrada said. “Why will I comment when I have nothing to do with that? I don’t want to comment because I might be misinterpreted again,” he said. Told that he was a defendant in the case, he said, “I don’t know anything about it so I cannot comment on it.” Asked if he felt vindicated, as he was not ordered to pay damages to the Dacers, Estrada replied, “Why should I be ordered to pay damages when I know nothing about that?” “Bubby Dacer [was] a good friend of mine, my compadre, that’s all,” he said.
BY NANCY C. CARVAJAL Philippine Daily Inquirer ASSASSINS HIRED by the Sinaloa Mexican drug cartel to eliminate its members who were arrested last month by the National Bureau of Investigation could already be in the country, according to a top bureau official. “We received reliable intelligence report about the supposed assassins, but we also have to validate them,” said NBI Director Virgilio Mendez. “Pending our own validation, we have alerted concerned agencies of the supposed assassins,” said Mendez, adding that the information came from a foreign antidrug law enforcement agency. He quoted foreign narcotics agents as saying that the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel that is alleged to be behind the illegal drug operation in a cock farm in Lipa, Batangas, that was busted in a Christmas Day raid, has been classified as the largest source of the illegal drugs that enter United States. Mendez said two of those arrested in the Christmas Day raid were Canadian citizens Barry Espadilla and James Riach. The two are facing murder, weapons and drug charges in Canada.
‘It doesn’t affect me’
Lacson, too, declined to comment, as the case, he said, was “something that does not affect” him. “Further, I do not wish to dignify Mr. Rodis’ propaganda against me by using the media as his outlet for a series of rehashed lies and fabricated stories that have no basis except perhaps the old vilification efforts directed against my reputation and honor by the past regime,” Lacson said in a text message. Asked whether he remains in contact with Aquino, Lacson replied in the affirmative. Asked whether Aquino was in the Philippines, he said, “He has nowhere to go except here.” Tenorio and Tan were not available for comment. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
He said the NBI is now conducting a separate investigation into how the two suspects managed to enter the country despite such records. Ruel Lasala, deputy director for NBI Investigative Services, said operations against other members of the Sinaloa drug cartel in the country is being intensified following the information obtained from local informants and foreign antinarcotics agents. Lasala added that security measures around the arrested suspects had been tightened in response to the threat against them. Eric Isidoro, supervising agent of the NBI antinarcotics section, showed the INQUIRER photos and names of the hired gunmen but said they were embargoed for publication. ■
Opinion
JANUARY 31, 2014 FRIDAY 16
THERE’S THE RUB
Shocking By Conrado De Quiros Philippine Daily Inquirer RESIGN OR be suspended. That’s what Malacañang has told ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) chair Zenaida Ducut. That was after Akbayan charged her with not doing her job, which is to protect the public. Indeed, of protecting instead Meralco and the power companies. Ducut, Akbayan said, “is guilty of gross neglect of duty by tacitly approving, without the barest hint of due process, the unprecedented generation charges Meralco sought to pass on to consumers.” It’s “stupefying” because Meralco’s November increase was the largest ever since the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) was passed in 2001. Why Ducut found nothing wrong with it, or even curious about it, only she can say. Additionally, Akbayan said, she did not inquire into the “abnormally expensive” prices of energy on the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM), whence Meralco obtained the power to make up for the shortfall after a breakdown in Malampaya and several power plants. Nor did she give notice about it but merely sprung it on an unsuspecting public.
There are problems however with what to do with her. She can’t be fired because the ERC is an independent body. And a suspension requires a procedure that takes time. Of course she can always resign, or be made to, out of delicadeza or peer pressure or public opinion. But it’s not the easiest thing to convince or compel someone to show delicadeza, who is lacking the barest hint, to borrow Akbayan’s phrase, of it. She vows to stay on. Just as well, Alan Peter Cayetano says, getting rid of Ducut won’t solve the problem of high power rates. “Even if you appoint a new ERC chair tomorrow, the same system, the same players, the same conditions will be there.” Well, it’s like Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s time when her favorite bishops were saying that removing her from office wouldn’t solve everything. True, but it would damn well solve a great many things. It does matter the world that the one person tasked with looking over the shoulders of Meralco and the power firms and looking after the welfare of electricity consumers is reasonably trustworthy and not patently not so. The ease with which Ducut took at face value the word of Meralco and the power firms—one, that they were totally unprepared for the simulta-
neous shutdown of the Malampaya gas facility and several power plants; two, that the prices set by WESM were perfectly reasonable even if they were high; and, three, that there were no other alternatives—smacks of criminal negligence. And criminal not just in the moral sense but in the legal one. Ducut’s defense is that the ERC in fact did not approve Meralco’s request for a rate increase, what it approved on Dec. 9 last year was Meralco’s request to stagger its collection of the increased amounts. But that is like the
The only thing worse than keeping her in power would be being powerless to get rid of her. Philippine National Police saying it did not really approve the traffic cops’ request to raise the tong on jeepney drivers, it merely approved their request to raise it on a staggered basis. When the real question is whether extorting from jeepney drivers is acceptable in the first place. You are the regulator of energy, and the question you ask when Meralco begs to stagger increased prices is whether the staggering is justified or not and not whether the higher prices are justified or not? True, getting rid of Ducut won’t solve
the bigger problem of how we do business in this country. Chiefly, why we protect the companies from their lack of foresight and punish the consumers instead. Why should the companies be free to make all the bad calls they want and just pass on the cost of those bad calls to the public? P-Noy himself took notice of this when he said, “Government never promised that (utility companies) will be shielded from their wrong decisions…. The shutdown of Malampaya is not an unusual event; it happens every two to three years.” You can’t make contingency plans as well for the other plants shutting down at about the same time, that’s your fault. Pay the Piper, pay the price. It’s still another matter, of course, to not just make the consumers pay for your imbecility but to go on to fleece them some more. Or it’s another matter to not just try to keep your profits after a bad call but to increase them even more. Again, P-Noy himself takes note of this: “Our impression is, there are people who really made a very significant profit from this situation. There is need to look into possible collusion and abuse of market power.” The Senate has its work cut out for it unearthing a conspiracybetween Meralco and the power suppliers. But let’s take things one by one and
start with Ducut. Her action, or lack of it, is criminal morally in that she could not have approved the increased prices willy-nilly at a worse time, when the country was reeling from the effects of “Yolanda.” Arguably, Tacloban and not Metro Manila took the brunt of it, but its psychological and physical effects on the rest of the nation were dire. The whole country had just gone on aidgiving and voluntarism mode when suddenly came Meralco and the power generators—with Ducut’s blessings— making a rival, and opportunistic, claim on resources. Talk about vultures. More than this, Ducut’s action, or lack of it, is criminal legally in that it comes from an official who ought never to have been an official at all, let alone the head of a sensitive office, let alone tasked with protecting the public. She herself is deeply embroiled in the pork scam, Benhur Luy identifying her as a major player in Janet Napoles’ operations. Expecting someone like that to protect the public is like expecting Imelda to not be Imeldific. The only thing worse than keeping her in power would be being powerless to get rid of her. That would really be, as Sean Connery’s James Bond said after electrocuting an assailant: Shocking. ■
AS I SEE IT
P35.2B for just one law in 2013 By Neal H. Cruz Philippine Daily Inquirer DO YOU know that we taxpayers spent P35.2 billion last year for just one insignificant law? That’s how much we spent for Congress, including the Commission on Appointments (CA) which is composed of senators and congressmen, and their pork barrel, which had not yet been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last year. In return, Congress last year passed only one minor law: the one-page Republic Act No. 10632, which suspended the 2013 Sangguniang Kabataan elections. For that one law, Filipino taxpayers spent P35.2 billion! That merits a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. This was revealed in a statement given to me by election lawyer Romulo Makalintal. “While Congress also passed the 2014 budget in 2013, the same should not even be considered an accomplishment since it is Congress’ obligation to pass [it]…,” Makalintal said. “As a matter of fact, the Constitution provides that if Congress fails to pass the budget law for a particular year, the budget for the preceding year is ‘deemed reenacted and shall remain in force and effect.’
“In year 2011, the Senate’s budget was P2.6 billion, HR (House of Representatives) with P8.3 billion, and the CA with P400 million. In 2012, the Senate’s budget was P2.9 billion, the HR P5.8 billion and the CA P500 million. Again, with this huge amount and their respective pork barrels, the years 2011 and 2012 did not likewise prove to be very significant years for Congress in terms of performance and accomplishment. It only came up with the reproductive health bill and the postponement of the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to synchronize with the 2013 national and local elections, as their major legislation.” Makalintal proposed the amendment of the Constitution to abolish Congress. Legislation can be enacted by the provincial boards which accurately know the needs of their constituents, he said. The huge savings that would be generated when Congress is abolished can be used to finance more urgent needs, like the rehabilitation of areas devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” he added. We do waste a lot of taxpayer money on Congress, but I will not go as far as to call for its abolition. Limiting its session time would be enough.
That’s what is done in other countries. Urgent bills are accumulated and then the legislature is called to a session, for a limited time, to act on these bills. The legislators are paid only when they attend the sessions, unlike here when they are paid for the whole year and even when they do not attend sessions. Not a bad idea. It would reduce absenteeism in Congress and save the people a lot of money. *** Meralco complains that it is being blamed for the increase in power rates. Don’t look at us, it says. We did not raise the rates, the power generators did. We only collect what the gen-
We only collect what the generators charge us. Everything goes to them, not a centavo remains with us. erators charge us. Everything goes to them, not a centavo remains with us. Meralco says the four major generation companies earned, for the first three quarters of 2013, a whopping P58.73 billion. Wow! That’s roughly P14 billion for each of them. And that’s only for the first three quarters. Imagine how much more would be added to their coffers with the im-
www.canadianinquirer.net
pending increase in power rates. Was there collusion among the power generators when they shut down at the same time during the Christmas season when demand for electricity was at its highest? That’s too much of a coincidence. The Senate and the Energy Regulatory Commission are investigating whether there was indeed collusion. It is not surprising why power generators are not happy with the existing Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), which offers contracted and lower energy prices. Power generators don’t earn from the WESM. In fact, it is the main reason they cited for their declining profits in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the same period in 2012. The announcement of one of the highest increases in power rates for December 2013 and January 2014 elicited a barrage of protests from consumers. Most put the blame on Meralco because it is the one that sends electricity bills and collects the payments. But clearly, generation charge is only a pass-through charge. As a distributor, Meralco only collects payments but does not earn from these. It immediately forwards the generation charge to the power generators.
Being one of Meralco’s sources of power, the WESM gets paid during the process. Meaning, Meralco does not get even a single peso for the trouble of collecting the generation charge—and being castigated for it. Power generators were not happy when energy regulators announced a temporary lower price cap on the WESM’s supply trades (P32,000 per megawatt-hour or P32 per kWh from the existing P62,000/MWh or P62/ kWh), simply because it would mean lower profits for them. Meralco is not earning from the lower price cap for excess energy available at the WESM. The generation charge is deregulated while the distribution charge— the only charge that goes to Meralco—is regulated and capped. Even without the all-time-high increase in generation charge last December, one power generator had a P25-billion net income in 2012. In 2013, another power generator posted an estimated P39 billion net income. And here’s information that most consumers don’t know: A huge chunk of their electricity bill—equivalent to more or less 60 percent of the entire bill—goes to power generators. Now you know who gets the lion’s share of the increase. ■
Opinion
17 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
VIEWPOINT
Whistle-blowers’ vindication? By Juan L. Mercado Philippine Daily Inquirer “YOU SHALL know the truth. And the truth shall make you mad.” That one-liner by scientist Aldous Huxley sums up the reaction of most people to the Inquirer’s selection of six whistle-blowers as the collective “Filipino of the Year” for 2013. Three days after the announcement, they linked former senator Ramon Revilla Sr. to the metastasizing pork barrel scam. The Inquirer accolade “honored Filipinos who’ve made the biggest positive impact on the life of the nation in the year just past.” Take a bow, Benhur Luy, Mary Ariene Baltazar, Merlina Suñas, Gertrudes Luy, Marina Sula and Simonette Briones. They were shown on the Inquirer front page wearing Witness Protection Program bulletproof vests. Luy, 32, is a long-haired former medical technologist who meticulously documented the pork barrel scam at the vortex of Congress’ most damaging scandal since it opened in 1907. To date, six senators, 24 congressmen and assorted officials and civilians face charges of swapping pork barrel funds for cuts ranging from 19 up to 60 percent of the allocations. Revilla Sr., who was born in 1927,
was not among those accused. But Luy again proved surgically precise. He told the Inquirer that between 2003 and 2004, Revilla Sr. funneled P35 million of his pork barrel allocation to local government units in Clarin, Misamis Oriental (P10 million); San Quintin, Pangasinan (P5 million); Porac, Pampanga (P5 million); Siniloan, Laguna (P5 million); San Juan, Leyte (P5 million); and Dawis, Bohol (P5 million). Luy said the company used in implementing the projects for the LGUs was Jo Chris Trading, “and we delivered Foliar Fertilizer.” Jo Chris is Napoles’ main trading firm named after her daughter. Luy added that he, Napoles, and her husband Jaime used to call on Revilla Sr. in his Senate office. In his privilege speech, Revilla Jr. said his signatures on documents held as evidence were forged. Luy said all letter-requests from the senator were original and the signatures there were “all his.” Like father, like son? All these focus attention on the hard slog by whistle-blowers of assorted repute, from mayhem to broader recognition. Are we finally heeding what the 9th International Anti-Corruption meeting in South Africa urged, that “governments must create an environment that encourages, instead of penalizes, citizens who denounce venality”?
Remember banker Clarissa Ocampo? She told the impeachment court that Joseph Estrada signed the notorious “Jose Velarde” account, which she refused to certify. Threats cascaded in. Auditor Heidi Mendoza resigned a cushy Asian Development Bank job to appear before Congress. There, she confirmed her documentation of the P510million theft by the military comptroller’s office. And Gen. Carlos Garcia ended up in the clink. A partisan Commission on Appointments refuses to confirm, up to now, her appointment as audit commissioner.
‘Governments must create an environment that encourages, instead of penalizes, citizens who denounce venality.’ Former Manila Chronicle columnist Primitivo Mijares was one of dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ chief propagandists. He later wrote a book on the “conjugal dictatorship” of Ferdinand and Imelda, and testified against them before the US Congress. He disappeared in 1977 en route to the Philippines. His 15-year-old son was later found murdered. “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down,” the Filipino axiom warns. In 1997, ensign Philip Pestaño bucked the misuse of Navy boats to haul illegal
lumber and drugs. He was found shot in his cabin. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales reinstituted murder charges and dismissed 10 officers. Marian School of Quezon City academic supervisor Antonio Calipjo Go exposed flawed textbooks. False charges were filed against him and some columnists smeared him. After Landbank’s Acsa Ramirez blew the whistle on tax scams, NBI agents shoved her into a police lineup, which then President Gloria Arroyo used for a photo op. We have no monopoly on this vice. In Russia, Judge Viktor Danilkin handed down a 6-year sentence on imprisoned oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky in a verdict he did not write. It was shoved down his throat by President Vladimir Putin’s aides. Filipinos recall “Deep Throat.” In 1972, this whistle-blower slipped to the Washington Post data on White House involvement in the Watergate scandal. The uproar led to jail terms for five White House officials. “I resign as president of the United States,” Richard Nixon wrote in a one-sentence letter. Vanity Fair magazine, 31 years later, reported that “Deep Throat” was former Federal Bureau of Investigation associate director Mark Felt. The Post’s executive editor during Watergate, Benja-
min Bradlee, confirmed the report. In August 2013, the Inquirer revealed that the “Deep Throat” behind its 1996 award-winning exposé on the graft-ridden pork barrel, then called the Countrywide Development Fund, was the late Marikina Rep. Romeo Candazo. On a paper napkin, Candazo illustrated to three Inquirer editors exactly how much, in the form of “standard” amounts, members of Congress and other officials got from projects funded with the pork barrel. Kickbacks were “SOP” (standard operating procedure) among legislators. They ranged from 19 to 52 percent of the cost of each project, which varied from dredging, riprapping, asphalting and concreting to construction of school buildings. Other sources of kickbacks that Candazo identified were public funds intended for medicines and textbooks. “He was the original whistle-blower on the pork scam.” “We say in this nation that we are looking for people with honesty, integrity, drive and dedication,” an anonymous whistle-blower blogged. “And then when we find such people, we take them out and whip them.” Here, inaction by those involved is buttressed by a culture of impunity. Jerusalem also crucified its Whistleblower. ■
and the MILF, assisted by selected third-parties and independent bodies, to work together on the multiple tracks that will ensure the transformation of MILF forces and conflict-affected communities from the harsh ways of war into the nurturance of partnership and cooperation—all these to unleash the unlimited potentials for the development of Mindanao, especially for the communities so long left behind.” This is the “long view” we should adopt even as we take time to celebrate the end of the negotiations before the government and the MILF iron out arrangements for the Bangsamoro entity. The point of the peace process, after all, is not just an end to conflict or the easing of tensions (even if these are worthy and important goals) but also the advancement of the “left-behind” communities. The Mindanao conflict has long been hampering national development and holding back the tremendous promise of Mindanao’s resources and people. Maybe this time that promise will finally be fulfilled. *** Be contemplative bishops for the poor, that was the message of new CBCP president, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, at the latest plenary assembly of the conference. Villegas called on the prelates to “al-
low our flock to transform us their pastors into contemplative shepherds of the people.” Transformation into contemplatives, said Villegas, would allow him and his fellow bishops to “truly serve and teach the flock in full freedom—freedom from seeking one’s ‘own interests, not those of Jesus Christ,’ freedom from the fascination of political or social gain, freedom from the insane and unreal attraction of popularity in the world.” But what struck me most in Villegas’ message was his description of what being contemplative would mean to the bishops personally: “to become truthfully honest, cheerfully loving and passionately zealous teachers of the flock, bishops serving the Lord in total freedom detached from vainglory.” I do hope and pray his brother bishops heed Archbishop Soc’s words. Just before reading his message, I heard over the radio that a few bishops had paid a call on former President Gloria Arroyo and issued a public appeal to release her from hospital arrest. This, even as she has yet to tell “the truth, and nothing but the truth” on all the charges lodged against her. I wonder what this falls under: pursuit of personal interests (or sympathies) as opposed to those of national good; fascination with political or social gain; or just vainglory? ■
AT LARGE
No alternative but peace By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer “IN A world looking for peaceful solutions to all troubles, we are grateful that we have found ours. Let us all seal it—and nurture it. The best is yet to come,” said Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita “Ging” Deles on the occasion of the signing of the Annex on Normalization. This is the last of the four Annexes to the Framework Agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Its signing completes the comprehensive peace agreement between the two entities, bringing to an end, as this paper’s reporter Nikko Dizon said, “four decades of fighting in central Mindanao that has killed tens of thousands of people and helped foster Islamic extremism in Southeast Asia.” By Deles’ admission, the attainment of this “major milestone of the peace process” was reached only after traveling down “a very difficult road.” As she recalled: “The crafting of each of the four annexes, together with the Addendum on Bangsamoro Waters, underwent painstaking deliberation by the two parties, backed up by thorough discussion and internal consensus-building on each side of the negoti-
ating table, and grounded on extensive consultations with concerned local government units, religious and civil society leaders, and communities especially in the conflict-affected areas.” Indeed, the “painstaking” effort to gather consensus from and consult with other parties was worth it, as the success of the peace agreement will hinge on not just the acceptance of the principals of both panels but also, and more important, on the acceptance of the Moro community and the rest of the Filipino people. And as the Zamboanga crisis early last year showed, the peace process is not and will not be accepted wholeheartedly by other parties—whatever their reasons. For Nur Misuari and his Moro National Liberation Front, the motivation was apparently his sentiments that he and his loyalists were ignored by the talks with the MILF, and their desire to be once more in the center of negotiations. *** But what are the reasons advanced by those who look upon this singular achievement as nothing remarkable and even dangerous? Some commentators still bring up, to this day and despite evidence to the contrary, that Christian Filipinos cannot “trust” Moros. And that those working for the fulfillment of the peace negotia-
tions are naïve at best, or at worst traitors to their country for “handing over” the nation’s interests to hostile forces. I want to know: What’s the alternative? What’s the alternative to peace? Would they prefer protracted negotiations that can only lead to frustration, leaving the MILF no alternative but to resort once more to armed violence? Others may have gotten so used to “bad news” from Mindanao that they
Would they prefer protracted negotiations that can only lead to frustration, leaving the MILF no alternative but to resort once more to armed violence? still cannot believe that the 40-year-old conflict, once so intransigent nobody considered it could ever end, IS at an end. *** Of course, the agreement will have to pass through the Philippine Congress which needs to enact the agreement into law. “In moving forward,” added Deles, “our legislators will take on the crucial role of enacting the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which the Bangsamoro Transition Commission is now drafting. There will be new arrangements and mechanisms set up for the government
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FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
18
Canada News NEWS BRIEFS
FROM THE CANADIAN PRESS
The Canadian Press MARKHAM, ONT.—Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. and its affiliate, Kia Canada Inc., have reached settlements with combined valued of almost $70 million in class action suits involving the fuel economy ratings of some of their vehicles. The deal offers lump sum payments and other options to current and former owners and lessees of some 130,000 model year 2011 to 2013 Hyundai vehicles and some 41,000 Kia vehicles from the same model years. The value of the Hyundai settlement is up to $46.65 million, while the Kia deal is worth up to $23 million, the companies said. Those who don’t take the one-time payments can remain in an existing reimbursement both Hyundai and Kia introduced after restating the fuel economy ratings of their vehicles in November 2012. At the time, Hyundai’s previously advertised fuel consumption figures for combined city/highway driving
PEOPLE TRY TO KEEP WARM AFTER PIPELINE BLAST
Those who don’t take the one-time payments can remain in an existing reimbursement both Hyundai and Kia introduced after restating the fuel economy ratings of their vehicles in November 2012. PHOTO FROM BESTSELLINGCARSBLOG.COM
were increased by between 0.2 and 0.8 of a litre per 100 kilometres. Figures for Kia were not immediately available. Michael Peerless of Siskinds LLP, the lead plaintiff lawyer involved in the settlement, praised the decision to settle. “Hyundai should be commended for doing the right thing and resolving this issue with its customers,” Peerless is quoted in a statement issued Monday by Hyundai. “The fact that a class member is
able to choose one of a variety of lump sum payments, or to remain in the reimbursement program, provides real benefits to this large class of customers.” At the time of the restatement, Hyundai and Kia both provided a reimbursement program to cover the additional fuel costs associated with the rating change—plus a 15 per cent premium in acknowledgment of the inconvenience to customers—for as ❱❱ PAGE 38 Hyundai aggress
Tories announce federal budget to come Feb. 11, well into Winter Olympics BY MARIA BABBAGE Philippine Canadian Inquirer OTTAWA—If there was any doubt the upcoming federal budget would be a low-key affair, the Harper Conservatives erased it Monday by announcing plans to deliver their new spending plan during the Winter Olympics. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said he’ll table the budget on Feb. 11, when many Canadians are likely to be focused on Sochi and hoping
for gold-medal performances from their would-be Olympic heroes. New Democrat Leader Tom Mulcair quickly accused the Conservatives of seeking to avoid public scrutiny of what he predicted would be a no-news, austerity-driven budget, bereft of plans or programs to help create jobs. “People need help now and the Conservatives should be acting now,” Mulcair said. “But it’s quite obvious that they’re holding everything in abeyance so that they can have a good-news
budget next year, try to claim— without ever having to measure it— that they’re heading for a balanced budget and announce all sorts of things.” The Conservatives are planning to post a surplus in 2015, just in time for the next election. The extra cash would allow them to pay for some long-promised election plums, including income splitting for tax purposes. Dropping this year’s budget in the ❱❱ PAGE 44 Tories announce
CALGARY—A natural gas pipeline explosion south of Winnipeg came at a bad time for not only the thousands unable to heat their homes during a frigid Prairie winter, but for a company that has been working to assure the public its proposed new oil pipelines will be safe. TransCanada has spent months meeting with communities along the route of its proposed Energy East pipeline, which would rework part of its cross-Canada natural gas mainline to carry oil from west to east. It expects to file a regulatory application this summer. PANEL EXPLORES BC, ALBERTA ENERGY INITIATIVES EDMONTON—A high-level B.C.-Alberta joint study group says it will flesh out not only ways to get Alberta crude to B.C. ports, but also the viability of getting oilsands equipment moved through B.C. ports to Alberta. The crossprovincial working group, in a new report, says getting more oilfield equipment moved from the ports through B.C.’s mountainous interior to the oilfields is an emerging issue. INQUEST INTO WOMAN’S DEATH AFTER ER DISCHARGE WINNIPEG—A woman whose mother died after being sent home in a cab from a Winnipeg hospital—only to collapse on her doorstep—is hoping an upcoming inquest will force hospitals to standardize their discharge policy so vulnerable people aren’t sent home alone at night. Dana Brenan’s mother, Heather, died a year ago from a blood clot that had travelled to her lungs. A standing hearing for the inquest into the 68-year-old’s death was held Monday but it could be months before the inquest begins hearing testimony. MAN GUILTY IN FATAL BEDROOM SHOOTING SASKATOON—A man has been found guilty of murdering his son’s mother and trying to murder her boyfriend as they were sleeping in their bedroom. A Court of Queen’s Bench judge said Monday that he did not believe George Allgood’s claim that a confession he gave to an undercover police officer was a lie.
PHOTO FROM BRINGMETHENEWS.COM
Hyundai aggress to $46.65M settlement in Canadian fuel efficiency class action
Canada News
19 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Quebec seniors’... through the 52-unit residence. Many of the elderly occupants had limited mobility and needed canes, wheelchairs or walkers to get around. One woman was reportedly blind. Some relatives who raced to the scene to help out said they saw their family members die as they pleaded for help from balconies. Provincial police say they have interviewed about 100 witnesses. No exact cause of the fire has yet been determined. A spokesman for Stephen Harper confirmed Monday the prime minister will attend a commemorative ceremony in L’Isle-Verte this Saturday. Mayor Ursule Theriault said Monday she was satisfied with a meeting she had with provincial Health Minister Rejean Hebert to guarantee the community’s needs would be met. Hebert said it is necessary to find the survivors of the blaze a permanent place to stay. “We’re working to relocate them permanently so they
Appeal Court upholds southern Alberta chiropractor’s sex assault
❰❰ 1
The Canadian Press A fire burns at a seniors’ home in L’Isle-Verte, about 240 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. PHOTO FROM BREAKFAST TELEVISION MONTREAL / 680NEWS.COM
aren’t moved several times,” said Hebert, who met with some survivors. In the hours following the fire, those who escaped were sent to either hospitals, other seniors’ residences or motels. About 20 health professionals are also making the rounds in L’Isle-Verte, talking to townsfolk to make sure they are OK. They will also be checking in with children in the local schools. “Children often show symptoms of problematic family situations so it’s important to
listen,” Hebert said. “I am appalled by what has happened,” said Hebert, who is a doctor with a specialty in geriatrics. “It’s a catastrophe that makes me relive Lac-Megantic. These are the sort of disasters we never like to see and which are extremely sad.” Last July, 47 people were killed in Lac-Megantic when a runaway train loaded with fuel derailed and exploded, devastating the town’s core. In Quebec City, Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard said there should be a public inquiry into the L’Isle-Verte tragedy. ■
MEDICINE HAT, ALTA.—The Alberta Court of Appeal has upheld a sexual assault conviction against a southern Alberta chiropractor. Dr. Gary Joseph Bourdon admitted he was treating a female patient with one hand while masturbating with the other in June 2011. He argued in his appeal that it couldn’t be a sexual assault because the two actions weren’t related to each other, but the Appeal Court didn’t buy it. Bourdon, who is 59, testified during his trial in 2012 that he watched pornography before treating his patient. The Medicine Hat, Alta., chiropractor also said his actions
were caused by extreme family and financial pressures. Bourdon was sentenced to 90 days in jail and continues to be on restrictions under the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors that requires him to have an approved female chaperone present when he treats female patients. In its written decision, the Appeal Court ruled Bourdon’s two actions were not mutually exclusive. “(Bourdon’s) own evidence shows that he knew that his patient did not consent to treatment with one hand while he masturbated with the other,” the court said. “Indeed, it was because he knew his patient did not consent to such treatment that he hid it from her.” ■
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World News
JANUARY 31, 2014
FRIDAY 20
Wealth gap: A guide to what it is, why it matters and why everyone seems to be focused on it BY CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER AND JOSH BOAK The Associated Press WASHINGTON—From the White House to the Vatican to the business elite in Davos, Switzerland, one issue keeps seizing the agenda: the growing gap between the very wealthy and everyone else. It’s “the defining challenge of our time,” says President Barack Obama, who will spotlight the issue in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. A Gallup poll finds two-thirds of Americans are unhappy with the nation’s distribution of wealth. Experts say it may be slowing the economy. Why has the issue suddenly galvanized attention? Here are questions and answers about the wealth gap—what it is and why it matters. Q. Hasn’t there always been a wide gulf between the richest people and the poorest? A. Yes. What’s new is the widening gap between the wealthiest and everyone else. Three decades ago, Americans’ income tended to grow at roughly similar rates, no matter how much you made. But since roughly 1980, income has grown most for the top earners. For the poorest 20 per cent of families, it’s dropped. Incomes for the highest-earning 1 per cent of Americans soared 31 per cent from 2009 through 2012, after adjusting for inflation, according to data compiled by Emmanuel Saez, an economist at University of California, Berkeley. For the rest of us, it inched up an average of 0.4 per cent. In 17 of 22 developed countries, income disparity widened in the past two decades, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Q. So who are the top 1 per cent in income? A. They’re bankers, lawyers, hedge fund managers, founders of successful companies, entertainers, senior managers and others. One trend: Corporate executives, doctors, and farmers made up smaller shares of the top 1 per cent in 2005 than in 1979. By contrast, the proportion of the wealthiest who work
in the financial and real estate industries has doubled. The top 1 per cent earned at least $394,000 in 2012. Through most of the post-World War II era, the top 1 per cent earned about 10 per cent of all income. By 2007, that figure had jumped to 23.5 per cent, the most since 1928. As of 2012, it was 22.5 per cent. Q. How has the middle class fared? A. Not well. Median household income peaked in 1999 at $56,080, adjusted for inflation. It fell to $51,017 by 2012. The percentage of American households with income within 50 per cent of the median—one way of measuring the middle class—fell from 50 per cent in 1970 to 42 per cent in 2010. Q. Does it matter if some people are much richer than others? A. Most economists say some inequality is needed to reward hard work, talent and innovation. But a wealth gap that’s too wide is usually unhealthy. It can slow economic growth, in part because richer Americans save more of their income than do others. Pay concentrated at the top is less likely to be spent. It can also trigger reckless borrowing. Before the 2008 financial crisis, middle class households struggled to keep up their spending even as their pay stagnated. To do so, they piled up debt. Swelling debt helped inflate the housing bubble and ignite the financial crisis. Experts note that the Great Depression and the Great Recession were both preceded by surging income gaps and heedless borrowing by middle class Americans. Q. Has it become harder for someone born poor to become rich? A. The evidence is mixed. Countries that have more equal income distributions, such as Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, tend to enjoy more social mobility. But a study released last week found that the United States isn’t any less mobile than it was in the 1970s. A child born in the poorest 20 per cent of families in 1986 had a 9 per cent chance of reaching the top 20 per cent as an adult, the study found—roughly the same odds as in 1971. Other research has shown that the United States isn’t as
The White House.
socially mobile as once thought. In a study of 22 countries, economist Miles Corak of the University of Ottawa found that the United States ranked 15th in social mobility. Only Italy and the Britain among wealthy countries ranked lower. By some measures, children in the United States are as likely to inherit their parents’ economic status as their height. Q. So why has income inequality worsened? A. There’s no simple answer. Globalization has created “superstars” and concentrated pay among corporate executives, Wall Street traders, popular entertainers and other financial elite. At the same time, factory workers now compete with 3 billion people in China, India, eastern Europe and elsewhere who weren’t working for multinational corporations 20 years ago. Many now make products for Apple, Intel, General Motors and others at low wages. This has depressed middle-class pay. And pay has risen much faster for college graduates than for high-school graduates. These trends have contributed to a “hollowed out” labour market, with more jobs at the higher and lower ends of the pay scale and fewer in the middle. Social factors contribute, too. Single-parent families are more likely to be poor than other families and less likely to ascend the income ladder. Finally, men and women with college degrees and high pay are more likely to marry each other and amplify income gaps. Q. Does wealth distribution follow a similar pattern? A. It’s even more pronounced. A Pew Research Center study www.canadianinquirer.net
found that the wealthiest 7 per cent of households grew 28 per cent richer from 2009 through 2011. For the bottom 93 per cent, collective wealth fell 4 per cent. That’s largely because wealthy households own far more stocks and other financial assets than others. By contrast, whatever wealth middle-class Americans have is mainly in their home equity. Since the Great Recession ended, stock-market averages have soared, setting records in 2013. Home values, though, remain far below their peaks reached in 2006. That divergence has benefited the richest and left others struggling. Q. Where do the 1 per cent live? A. Investor Warren Buffett famously lives in Omaha, Neb. Les Wexner, whose fashion empire includes Victoria’s Secret, is an Ohioan. But the wealthy mainly cluster around the largest cities. Of the 515 U.S. billionaires, 96 live around New York City, according to the intelligence firm Wealth-X. Los Angeles is home to 22, Chicago 21, San Francisco 20, Houston 14. Millionaires are more widely dispersed. Maryland has the highest concentration. Of all its households, 7.7 per cent have $1 million or more in financial assets. New Jersey, Connecticut, Hawaii and Alaska have the next-highest concentrations, according to a report from Phoenix Marketing International. Q. Is anything being done to narrow the wealth gap? A. President Barack Obama has made the issue a priority and wants the government to act to reduce the disparities. The president managed to restore higher tax rates on incomes above
$398,350 last year. And he’s pushed other steps that might narrow the gap slightly, such as a higher minimum wage. But congressional Republicans say those steps could hurt economic growth and have resisted most such measures. Q. Is everyone concerned about the wealth gap? A. Some conservative economists question much of the data. They note, for example, that Saez’s figures don’t include government benefits, such as Social Security or food stamps, or employer payments for health insurance, that benefit the less-than-rich. Yet the Congressional Budget Office did include government benefits and the effect of taxes in its own study and still found a sizable gap: For the top 1 per cent, income jumped 275 per cent, adjusted for inflation, from 1979 to 2007. For the middle 60 per cent of Americans, it grew less than 40 per cent. Q. So what do experts say is the best way to shrink the wealth gap? A. Most ideas break down along political lines. Liberal economists tend to support a higher minimum wage, greater access to pre-school and college education and more spending on roads, bridges and other infrastructure to help generate good-paying jobs. Most favour higher taxes on the wealthy to pay for such programs. Conservatives tend to back tax cuts, government deregulation and other steps they say will accelerate hiring and growth and raise living standards for everyone. They tend to focus on the need to advance income mobility. In a speech this month, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio acknowledged the enormous pay disparity between a fast food company’s cashier and its CEO. “The problem we face is not simply the gap in pay between them, but rather that too many of those cashiers are stuck in the same job for years on end,” Rubio said. ■ AP Business Writers Paul Wiseman in Washington and Bernard Condon in New York contributed to this report.
World News
21 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Highlights from President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address to Congress The Associated Press PRESIDENT BARACK Obama urged Congress to help restore opportunity for Americans but pledged to take action himself Tuesday in his fifth State of the Union address before Congress. Some highlights from Obama’s economic and other proposals:
asking the Treasury to create a bond called MyRA that can be offered through employers as a “starter” retirement account. Call for Congress to create automatic IRAs for all workers who don’t opt out. Obama has included this in previous budget requests but Congress hasn’t acted on it. Immigration
Minimum wage
An executive order to raise minimum wage paid by federal contractors to $10.10. He called on Congress to increase the federal minimum wage for all workers to $10.10. Last year, Obama asked Congress to raise the rate to $9 by the end of 2015, but Congress has not taken that step. Retirement security
Create a new savings account program to help people start saving for retirement. Obama is
Renew call for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration overhaul this year, including a path to citizenship for about 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Bipartisan legislation has passed the Senate, but the House prefers a piecemeal approach. House Republicans are meeting this week and are expected to outline their principles for an immigration overhaul. Climate and energy
Set new fuel efficiency stan-
dards for trucks. Introduce first-of-its-kind emissions limits on power plants. Work with states and communities on climate change resiliency and cutting pollution. Cut red tape to help states build factories that use natural gas. Propose new incentives for trucks that use alternative fuels like natural gas. Urge Congress to end tax benefits for the oil industry and use revenues to invest in advanced vehicles that use cleaner fuels. Taxes
Expand the earned-income tax credit, which helps boost the wages of low-income families through tax refunds. Some Republicans and conservative economists have called for similar expansion of the credit. Overhaul tax code to eliminate wasteful loopholes while lowering rates for businesses to incentivize hiring in the U.S.
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Healthcare
Encourage Americans without insurance to sign up through new exchanges by March 31 deadline. Urge Republicans to give up attempts to repeal Obama’s health care law. Education
Connect 15,000 schools and 20 million students with high-speed broadband in the next two years. Award grants to redesign winning high schools to prepare students for today’s job market. Improve access for low-income students and lower costs. Renew call to Congress to fund universal preschool. Jobs
Launch more high-tech manufacturing hubs, in addition to two that were launched this year. Direct Vice-President Joe Biden to lead review of federal job-training programs. Partner with leading U.S. companies to help long-term unemployed.
Afghanistan
Wind down war in Afghanistan by removing most troops and completing mission by end of this year. Work to negotiate security agreement with Afghanistan so small force can remain to train Afghan forces and pursue al-Qaida. Fighting terrorism
Limit use of drones in foreign countries. Overhaul U.S. surveillance programs to restore public confidence. Renew call for Congress to lift transfer restrictions so Guantanamo Bay prison can be closed. Iran
Pursue negotiations with Iran toward a long-term nuclear deal. Threaten to veto new sanctions that Congress passes during ongoing nuclear talks. Vow to push for more sanctions if talks with Iran don’t succeed. ■
Immigration
JANUARY 31, 2014
FRIDAY 22
PANGARAP: SO, OUR JOURNEY BEGINS
So, what are friends for? BY BOLET AREVALO
CERTAINLY, I would say that being welcomed by my good friend of twenty years or so upon my arrival was one the best things that ever happened to my family when we moved in. I shall forever keep that in my heart. It was good because I believe no matter how old, how strong, or how bold you are, the fear of the unknown will always be there. If you are the head of the family or head of the migrating team, you probably try to keep this fear inside you because we always have that streak of martyrdom in our veins that—as a leader—nobody should be discouraged or give up because of you. I would say I can offer two schools of thought about that. One, it is true that as a lead-
er courage and determination should be virtues that you should carry around with you or try rub on to everybody as much as possible. I can’t imagine a leader who’d be the first to run away from a challenge. A leader may not literally be at the head of the pack, but he should very well be the head of strength and maintain faithfulness to the cause. Two, a leader should not be afraid to show his own fears and doubts. However, a true leader seeks to conquer those with the help of the whole team. A true leader should not be afraid to show his own weakness, but he should also show that he can overcome and overcome even better if everybody pitches in. No matter how many friends we have—from back home or from your new country—you will soon realize that survival is still your own ballgame. Friends will be there at the beginning, in the middle, and at the finish line, but you’re the one who will run
the entire race together with the team you bring with you. Where you want to go, what you intend to do, or what you hope to accomplish will be your battle. As you run along, you will realize that even your closest of friends will only be at the sidelines. Some will be there to cheer you on, some to pick you up when you fall, and others to redirect you to another path. Whatever role they play, they will not measure up to the major role that you and your team need to play yourselves. Finding your first job may be through the kindness of a friend, but how long you will stay in that position or how you can move on to the next one will be all up to you. Can You See Clearly Where You Are Headed?
Time is of the essence. The sooner you can focus on what you want to achieve in your career, the better. Where have you been? How
far have you gone? Not necessarily in your job search, but also in your own discovery of the place you migrated into. When I was preparing to migrate, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Since I applied under the ‘skilled professionals’ category, I was definite about the skills and the competencies that I was bringing with me. I was thinking that since my application was approved, they were convinced that the skills I jotted down were employable. This is not to say that there was a mismatch—not at all. It’s just that when you come here,
there’s a tendency that you might turn into a child in a candy store—too excited and frazzled to know which candy to eat first. There will be candies that are new to you, candies that are all appetizing and offered to you at the same time. While I had own my dreams or wish list, I came to realize that my wish list was too short after all. There is so much that one can study, train for, or explore. The government makes them all available to you, all you need to do is decide immediately. ❱❱ PAGE 46 So, what
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Seen & Scenes
JANUARY 31, 2014
FRIDAY 24
JUANTV’S FACEBOOK CONTEST Winner of Sony Experia for Juan TV promotion on JuanTV’s Facebook contest. In photo are from left. Juan TV’s EVP Babes Castro Newland, President Peter Cheung, the winner Catherine Santos and Channel Juan’s Hashtag Pinoy Host Andre Endique.
MS. PHILIPPINES CANADA Caitlin Pantaleon, Miss Philippines Canada 2013, was interviewed at GMA’s Ryzza Mae Show recently. Caitlin is in the Philippines as part of her prize as Miss Philippines Canada, a Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation pageant. While in the Philippines, she has visited the ANCOP Villages, the Kapuso Foundation, an orphanage and several Philippine tourist destinations, and will have the opportunity to meet the President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III. St. Jamestown News Service, Romy Zetazate
WALK FOR MEMORIES Investor’s Group, here represented by Marco Goco (in photo with his wife), organized the well attended Walk for Memories for the benefit of the Alzeimers Society of BC which was held at the BCIT Aerospace Campus in Richmond BC last Sunday, January 26, 2014.
Signing of Dealership Agreement between Juan TV’s Gigi Astudillo and Willy Synconegui. Mr. Synconegui will be promoting Juan TV in BC, Alberta, Saskachewan and the Yukon.
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JANUARY 31, 2014
FRIDAY 26
FILIPINO-CANADIAN IN FOCUS
Journey to the Crown: Tayler Jotie BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer TAYLER JOTIE was just like any normal young woman— making a living, learning about life one day at a time—until a visit to the mall changed her life for good. A Day at the Mall
Would you believe that Tayler’s first hand at modeling was achieved with the help of her grandparents? “My Grandparents told me about the ‘Be the Face of Central City Mall’ Model Search in November (2013),” she recalled. “I entered (the contest and) was lucky to be in the Top 18. During the competition, I sang for the first time on stage and ended up winning the modeling contract for Central City Mall,” she beamed. But more than winning a modeling contract, she also gained the opportunity that thousands of young ladies are wishing for. “I was introduced to Ike Lalji, chairman & CEO of Miss World Canada. I was given the amazing opportunity to be sponsored by Miss World Canada is this year’s 2014 Pageant!” Tayler shared. Journey to the Crown
“Since November, I have been introduced to such an amazing group of people within the Miss World Canada Organization, as well as in the community,” Tayler said. Being part of a major beauty pageant entails perks as well as responsibilities, but Tayler is enjoying each opportunity as it comes. “It’s been such a great experience to meet new people every day, and to be a part of something like this,” she said. “In such a short period of time, I have been able to participate in Variety Children’s fundraisers & community events around the city.” As a candidate, a busy sched-
TOP PHOTO: PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLER JOTIE
BOTTOM PHOTO: PHOTO BY NORM LEE
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ule must be braved with a beautiful face and always pleasing personality. So, what’s keeping Tayler motivated? “When I learned how much good you can do (in helping) children around the world and to voice what you believe in, that’s exactly what inspired and motivated me to be a part of Miss World Canada,” she explained. “The feeling you get from helping others is nothing you can explain (and) to experience this is so rewarding,” Tayler smiled. While most contestants hire a “beauty pageant coach” to guide them through the process, Tayler chooses to learn by herself along the way. “I am learning this new world from scratch—not only to gain experience and teach myself along the way—but to also show every young girl that you can do anything you put your mind to,” she said. Tayler is keeping herself— and her mind—open to attend all events and she gets invited to. She prioritizes volunteer events for charities where she could pitch in and help out as much as she can. Physically, she practices yoga to keep her beauty queen body. “A few times a week I also do hot yoga to keep healthy and to stay in touch with my inner self,” she shared. Life goes on
Tayler shared that if she’s not a Miss World Canada candidate, she’d be a business liaison officer for an environmental corporation who dabbles in civic events and advocacies. “I would continue to work full time… as a business liaison, as well as attend numerous community events, primarily focused on anti-bullying,” she said. “Miss World Canada has shown me how important it is to help others in need. Even if I was not participating in the Miss World Canada 2014 Pageant, I truly believe that I would still be working towards voicing anti‐ bullying to people within my community,” she added. Learning more about Miss World Canada helped Tayler to
understand their slogan better, which is “beauty with a purpose.” She found out more about the different causes that Miss World is championing and she is more than excited to help out in any way that she possibly can. “I am a firm believer that every child should feel special & loved. This is why I want my voice to be heard about anti‐ bullying,” she said. “Growing up, I was a victim of bullying. (People) do not realize how many forms of bullying there are. I want to help stop children from being hurt physically and emotionally.” Holding a cause close to her heart, Tayler vows to learn from her life experiences—whether from her childhood or from Miss World Canada. “This is one of the lessons that I will take away from joining Miss World Canada—to speak for those who cannot.” She wants to encourage others—especially aspiring beauty queens—to pursue their dreams and push through the tough times, just like she did. “I truly think it is a privilege to mentor young girls and pass on the lessons I have learnt. I want to share my story with them that anything is possible to achieve that you want in life,” she shared. Tayler believes that nothing can stop a person from achieving his/her goals except the person himself/herself. “Nothing has to be hindered by where you come from, or how you were brought up, or how much money you have. It’s within, it’s your drive, it’s your confidence, your kindness—it’s you,” she said. “My advice to aspiring beauty queens would be to follow what you truly believe in and don’t feel like you must act or be a certain way to please others. Your true beauty from within will shine the most,” Tayler said, flashing her winning smile that radiated her beauty within. ■
FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
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Chinese New Year Gong Xi Fa Cai! Let’s Ring In the Year of the Horse! BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer
HORSE FAST-FACTS Ideal Jobs for the Horse person Hair stylist, Tour guide, Sales person, Athlete, Technician, Administrator, Chauffer, Inventor, Teacher, Reporter, Painter, Advertising executive, Poet.
THE HORSE gallops in on January 31, 2014, marking the start of the Chinese New Year. Gong Xi Fa Cai! To be exact, the year starts anew on the Chinese calendar with the new Moon on January 30 at 11:20 pm PST, but is listed as January 31 on most calendars. To be more exact, Chinese New 2014 heralds the Year of the Green Wood Horse. It marks the 31st number in the sixty-year cycle called Chia Wu and is described in Chinese tradition as "Horse in the Clouds." What does the Wood Horse have in store for us in the Chinese New Year aside from feasting, fireworks, and festive merriment? Good luck, high energy, and opportunity
Although the initial impression of the Horse doesn’t bear as much impact as the mention of the Dragon and Snake, it is a very special sign in its own right. The Horse is the sign that represents Yang, or male energy, one of the two primal forces of the universe. As an added bonus, of the five elements in Chinese astrology, Wood is the element that is most favorable for the Horse. This is a winning tandem (although we cannot quite give credit to “Lady” Luck, being a Yang sign, in this case), so expect the year to be filled with good fortune. The spirit of the Horse is closely associated with the character and nature of the Chinese people: constantly making relentless efforts towards selfimprovement. The Horse is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent, and able. The ancient Chinese referred to a productive and capable person as 'Qianli Ma', a horse that covers a thousand li a day (one li is equivalent to 500 meters). Opportunity abounds in the
Horoscope elements Lucky Numbers: 1, 3, 4, 8, 13, 14, 41, 43 Equivalent Western Sign: Gemini Element: Fire Lucky Colors: Red, brown, yellow, purple Unlucky Colors: Blue, white, golden Lucky Flowers: Calla lily, jasmine, marigold Yin/Yang: Yang Direction: South
Ye a r of the Horse. T h i n k things through, as needed, but do not hesitate to seize the opportune moment! A leap of boldness is required to lay hold of good things in store in 2014. This year is also a good one for socializing and strengthening your social connections. Compassion and optimism
Underdogs, rejoice—this is your year! The Chinese New Year of 2014 is marked by compassion, and the Horse will be attentive to our troubles and woes; especially those of the underdog and those who cannot fight for themselves. A kind-hearted nature characterizes 2014, true to the compassionate spirit. Good friends will lend us support in times of need, ready to help through difficult times just as we have helped them in times past. The year will also be infused with a spirit of optimism, which will allow us to cope with hardships—especially the financial
kind—and hold-out hope that prosperity and good fortune are soon on their way! From the Horse’s mouth
People born in the Year of the Horse are excellent communicators, finding unique ways to express themselves, and always wanting to be the center of attention in their community. Horse people are clever, kind to others, and like careers that are daring—even sometimes risky—in nature. Those born under this sign sometimes talk too much; and that comes straight from the Horse’s mouth. However, Horse babies are generally cheerful, keen and perceptive friends; and their tendency to talk your ear off is often forgiven. They are down-to-earth, with a definite streak of stubbornness. They are quiet talented, and enjoy entertainment and hamming it up for large crowds. They are the popular folk in the bunch, and active at work. They
Some prominent Horse personalities Rowan Atkinson, Ingmar Bergman, Sean Connery, Kevin Costner, Cindy Crawford, James Dean, Clint Eastwood, Britt Ekland, Linda Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, Harrison Ford, Bob Geldof, Gene Hackman, Rita Hayworth, Jimi Hendrix, Janet Jackson, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Raquel Welch, John Travolta, Michael York. Louisa May Alcott, Chopin, Davy Crockett, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Sandra Day O’Connor, Rembrandt, Teddy Roosevelt, Sir Isaac Newton, Cynthia Nixon, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford, Jason Biggs, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, Leonard Bernstein, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Rembrandt, Ashton Kutcher, Emma Watson, Josh Hartnett, Katie Holmes, Kristen Stewart, Kobe Bryant, Genghis Khan, Emperor Kangxi and Yongzheng of China’s Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) Horse Compatibility Compatible with: Tiger, Dog, Ram Less Compatible with: Pig, Monkey, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Ox, Rooster, Dragon Least Compatible with: Rat Positive traits Productive, enthusiastic, amusing, warm-hearted, talented, agreeable, industrious, generous, sociable, autonomous, strong minded, sexy, curious, persuasive and logical. Negative traits Defiant, condescending, unscrupulous, anxious, moody, excessively pragmatic, opportunistic, hard-nosed, selfserving and annoyingly insensitive. neither take failure lightly, nor easily. Wild Horses
The sign brings with it an element of unrestrained freedom and wild horses couldn’t stop a Horse person whose mind is set on something. Those
born in this year neither fare well when restrained, nor can they tolerate too much constraint. Despite their stubborn and driven nature, people born in ❱❱ PAGE 31 Gong Xi
ILLUSTRATION BY HIPOPOTAMUS_PIGGY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Chinese New Year
JANUARY 31, 2014
FRIDAY 28
On being ‘Tsinoy’ BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MY NAME is Ching Dee. My father is the offspring of two Chinese immigrants who moved to Datu Piang, Maguindanao. They grew tobacco locally and traded other goods in Manila actively. He lovingly remembers stories of his late father’s homecoming from Manila, which often means canned peaches and chocolates for him and his seven siblings. When my dad was old enough to start life on his own, he flew to Manila to try his luck. He worked as a construction worker and then became a foreman for a construction company. One day, while overseeing the development of a subdivision that their company is working on, he met a young woman. That’s how he met my mom— part Spanish (De los Santos and Del Cano in her lineage), partFilipina. When I was growing up, everybody thought we were rich just because of my last name— but we weren’t. We got by just fine, but we weren’t rich. When I was in first grade, my dad lost his job and he had to work as a company driver, which meant we were almost dirt poor. As a kid, I could barely understand what was happening, all I know is that we didn’t eat as well as we used to. As I got a little older, we were still struggling financially, but it didn’t show. I have my last name and others still thought we were rich because of three letters—a calming thought for a young girl. At least we were affluent, even if it’s just in someone else’s mind. Then I grew older and I got a little wiser. My last name is still with me and so is the stereotype. When people learn that I’m part Chinese, they would often ask, “may hardware kayo?” (“do you own a hardware store?”), “do you have a family business?”, “have you been to China?”, “do you know how to speak Chinese?” In fact, aside from the love of Chinese food (because who doesn’t?), visiting the Chinese cemetery every now and then, and insisting the term “Tsinoy” instead of the slightly (more) derogatory “Intsik,” my dad never enforced any Chinese tradition on me and my sister.
We did not attend a Chinese school, we don’t speak Chinese or observe feng shui, and we’re not forced to marry a man of reputable Chinese descent. My aunts (my dad’s only siblings who are still alive) all married Chinese men and raised Chinese kids and stayed in touch with their Chinese heritage, but not my dad. Not us. I often wondered why, but I never truly asked. From the looks of it, my dad just wants to be practical. Perhaps genetically, I am part-Chinese and part-Filipino, but in everything else I am purely Pinoy. Aside from playing Chinese garter when I was a kid and loving tikoy, I’m just about as Chinese as the next guy. But if we really think about it, the Philippines (and Filipinos) is teeming with Chinese influences—from food to fashion to tradition to literature.
PHOTO BY DIFUNTOMAN / WIKICOMMONS
PHOTO FROM BABBLE.COM
PHOTO BY TAKKK / WIKICOMMONS
PHOTO BY DIGBERTO / WIKICOMMONS
PHOTO BY D SHARON PRUITT / WIKICOMMONS
Chinese chow
When it comes to food, Chinese influences are undeniable. One of the most famous Chinese fares that we Filipinos have come to love and embrace as our own is pancit. We love it so much that almost every region—if not household—has its own version of pancit. There’s pancit habhab from Quezon Province, pancit malabon from—well—Malabon, pancit at dinuguan from Manila, and pancit bato or pancit bicol from Camarines province. No Filipino fanfare, fiesta, party, or gettogether is complete without a bilao of home-cooked pancit. We are also big fans of siomai, which is the Filipino interpretation of the Chinese shao mai or shu mai (siu mai), which is basically steamed pork dumplings encased in a soft wanton wrapper. With our love of flavor and sauces, we often accompanied siomai with toyomansi— soy sauce and calamansi. For an added kick, don’t forget that garlic and chili oil. Bus and train stations—and even malls—have siomai carts to answer every Pinoy’s siomai craving anytime. It is reasonably priced and adequately tasty. I personally remember how I survived on Papu’s siomai back in college when allowance was tight and I was miles away from home. Siopao is another Pinoy merienda staple that traced its
roots from the Hokkien baozi, which literally means “steamed buns.” Whether it’s asado or bola-bola, Pinoys are no stranger to this pillowy white bun generously filled with steaming sauce and meat. Today, fillings vary from chicken to chorizo and even vegan options. Filipinos also have a thing for eating on the go, so if Mexicans have the burrito and Vietnamese have their spring rolls, let’s thank the Chinese for bringing us lumpia. Granted it is also technically a spring roll, but in time Pinoys gave this humble pika food a twist or two. We have lumpiang sariwa (fresh lumpia) made from fresh vegetables like carrots, mungbean sprouts, and egg/flour wrapper; and then there’s lumpiang shanghai, fried spring rolls often filled with a delectable mixture of ground pork and seasonings. A staple in almost every Pinoy celebration, lumpiang shanghai will surely bring a smile to your face. www.canadianinquirer.net
Traditions and belief
Feng shui, according to Wikipedia, “is the Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing the human existence with the surrounding environment.” It is the science and art of orienting one’s home or workplace to invite good luck and send bad fortune out the door. A significant number of Filipinos believe in and observe feng shui when it comes to building and decorating their homes and offices, even when it comes to planning weddings and important events. Those who are rather affluent even hire feng shui experts to ensure that everything good surrounds them and everything bad stays outside. 2014 is the Year of the Wooden Horse. The belief in the Chinese zodiac is also prevalent to many Filipinos despite being a predominantly Roman Catholic country. Believers put their faith on God and also try to attract good luck by adorning
themselves and their houses with charms, like gem stones, crystals, and small statues. According to experts, this year will be good to those born in the year of the ox, tiger, rabbit, snake, goat, monkey, dog, and pig. But those born in the year of the rat, dragon, and horse better get a handful of charms to keep bad luck away. True to Chinese tradition, we Filipinos also love adding flare to festivities by using fireworks! Historically used to send messages and drive off evil spirits, today fireworks in the Philippines are mainly used to celebrate and usher in the new year. Whichever way you choose to celebrate (or not celebrate) the Chinese New Year on Friday, one thing is for sure: the Chinese community greatly influenced our country and our traditions in more ways than one. Xin nian kuai le (happy new year)! Gong xi fa cai (may you be prosperous)! ■
Chinese New Year
29 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Chinese New Year: A mouthwatering celebration BY KATHERINE MARFAL-TEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer WHEREVER YOU may be right now, surely you’re already feeling the Chinese New Year vibe as this festivity is celebrated around the world. Of course, the celebration wouldn’t be complete without Chinese dishes on the table. By now, people around the world are already busy preparing for fares that—according to Chinese culture— will bring happiness and prosperity all year round. The Chinese New Year is indeed a luscious celebration, so the Philippine Canadian Inquirer has compiled a list of the luckiest and most common dishes prepared during Chinese New Year. Nian gao, also known as year cake or Chinese New Year’s cake is the most popular treat during this festive season. This sweet treat is made from sticky or glutinous rice ground into flour. Accord-
ing to Chinese beliefs, nian gao brings good luck as it means "higher year.” Various flavors of nian gao are determined based on the sugar that was used. For example, white sugar produces white nian gao and brown sugar produces brown nian gao. Green pandan, purple ube, coconut, and other new and non-traditional flavors are also available. In the Philippines, nian gao is more known as “tikoy.” Filipinos usually dip tikoy slices beaten egg before frying it in oil. Long noodles are served during Chinese New Year to bring long life. As part of the Chinese tradition, noodles are eaten uncut to avoid bad luck. A wide variety of Chinese noodles can be prepared, such as wheat rice noodles, hand-pulled noodles and rice noodles. In the Philippines, the most popular Chinese noodles are pancit bihon and ❱❱ PAGE 30 Chinese New
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Chinese New Year
JANUARY 31, 2014
FRIDAY 30
Chinese New... pancit canton. A whole fish invites wealth and happiness when served and eaten during Chinese New Year according to the Chinese tradition. Apparently, the Chinese word for "fish" sounds like the word "surplus" as in a surplus of wealth. The fish must be served whole—with its head and tail intact—to avoid bad luck throughout the year. Round fruits will always be present at the dining table during the Chinese New Year. For example, mandarin oranges and tangerines are usually served because of their round shape and golden color. The Chinese believes that anything round brings good luck. In the Philippines, most FilChinese communities serve the native fruit ‘suha’ and pineapple as these two fruits symbolize prosperity. Dumplings such as shao mai, when served during Chinese New Year, will bring wealth and prosperity. It’s a ball of meaty goodness wrapped in a wanton wrapper that resembles a silver ingot or money. ❰❰ 29
Long noodles
Nian Gao
PHOTO FROM MYFAMILYMEALPLAN.COM
PHOTO BY AVLXYZ / FLICKR
In the Philippines, it is commonly known as “siomai,” which is best enjoyed when dipped in soy sauce and calamansi. Sugared fruits and vegetables, according to the Chinese culture, offered in a circular or octagonal shaped tray to guests will bring good luck to the host. Fruits like wintermelon, coconut, lotus seed, lotus root, water chestnut, and tangerine are considered lucky. Eight is also considered as the luckiest number according to the Chinese. Aside from nian gao, other
sweet delicacies are also traditionally served during Chinese New Year. Serving these sweet treats is said to bring a sweet life to the coming year. Peking dust, almond cookies, egg custard tarts, sesame seed balls, and five-spice peanuts are the most commonly served desserts during Chinese New Year. In the Philippines, hopia is the most popular sweet treat because of its round shape, which symbolizes good fortune. It is usually filled with a sweet paste of mungbean and comes in a variety flavors. ■
Stuffed snapper
PHOTO FROM CAROLBENTLEY.WORDPRESS.COM
Round fruits
PHOTO BY JOEL IGNACIO / FLICKR
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Tradition rules the foods of Chinese New Year, but geography gets a say, too BY MICHELE KAYAL The Associated Press NELSON CHO isn’t just Chinese-American. He’s ChineseCuban-Peruvian-American. Which means he grew up on the shredded beef dish ropa vieja, the fried chicken called chicharrones de pollo, and other Cuban specialties. “We ate mostly Cuban or Spanish growing up,” says 40-year-old Cho, whose family founded the Peruvian-Chinese restaurant Flor de Mayo in New York. Except for Chinese New Year, Cho says, when it was steamed oysters and roast pork all the way. “It was strictly traditional Chinese,” he says. Chinese New Year, celebrated this year on January 31, involves a litany of symbolic foods. Noodles are eaten for long life; clams, because they look like coins, are eaten for wealth; and fish, the Chinese word for which sounds similar to the word for “abundance,” symbolizes prosperity. “Food has always been very important for the Chinese, especially for the celebration of the new year,” says Yong Chen, an associate history professor at the University of California, Irvine. “Food is one of those commonalities that holds us together as Chinese.”
Many Americans think of Chinese food as a broad category of interchangeable dishes. But Chinese-Americans come from many different regions of China, each with a different cuisine. Many Chinese also come via Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and other parts of Asia, as well as Cuba and South America. Like many emigrants, they adopted the foods and flavours of the places they settled. When those families later came to the United States, they brought those dishes with them. The first Chinese came to the United States in the mid-19th century from the province of Canton (also known as Guangdong), and for nearly a century most of the Chinese food in America was Cantonese, says Chen, who has just written a book about Chinese food in America. It is a cuisine heavy on seafood and slow cooking. After an overhaul of immigration laws in 1965, Chen says, Chinese began arriving from the other countries where they had settled. And after China and the United States resumed full diplomatic relations in 1979, more people began arriving from Chinese provinces such as Sichuan and Hunan. While Sichuan fare with mouth-numbing peppercorns and elaborately prepared Hunan-style foods such as orange beef have become main-
stream, other variations on the cuisine are less known. Cho’s restaurant, Flor de Mayo, offers a Chinese side of the menu with dishes such as beef with snow peas and sweet-and-sour chicken, and a Peruvian side of the menu, where the steak dish lomo saltado and the fire-roasted chicken called pollo la brasa are popular. But just because the two cuisines are segregated doesn’t mean they don’t fraternize. Soy sauce is a key ingredient in the pollo la brasa, Cho says, and pork chops often come with fried rice. A Chinese lo mein noodle dish is made with roast pork or chicken—and fried plantain. Some of the culinary fusions so thoroughly altered dishes that they would be unrecognizable to Chinese in China, says Chen. For instance, he says, Korean-Chinese food is not a matter of simply adding kimchee to everything, but rather is a panoply of unique dishes. The signature dish of KoreanChinese cuisine is a noodle dish called jajangmyeon_ a plate of thick wheat noodles drenched in a pungent sauce of fermented black soybeans that often includes seafood, pork and julienned cucumber. Though this dish began as the Northern Chinese noodle-and-ground pork dish zha jiang mian, Chen says today it is thoroughly Korean.
At Rice Bowl 2 in Houston, Indonesian food occupies one side of the menu and Chinese food the other. But the Chinese food has a definite Indonesian flair. The omelet dish pu yung hai is similar to American egg foo yung, says owner Soentono Jie, but instead of brown gravy, it floats on a sea of sweet-and-sour tomato sauce. Sometimes peas are added. A mixed vegetable dish common in many American-Chinese restaurants becomes cap cai (pronounced chahp cheye) in Indonesian Chinese. But none of it, Jie says, looks anything like what you’d find in China. “The people coming from China to the U.S., they’re not familiar with my food,” says Jie, who was born in Indonesia, but is ethnically Chinese. He came to the United States in 1987. “People who are straight from China, they don’t come to my restaurant.” Jie and his family also celebrate Chinese New Year with
they do encounter failure. Horse-born people tend to be wasteful and lacking monetary constraint. “Budget” is not a part of their vocabulary, and they like to live the highlife; often moving in glamorous circles, while going after high-profile careers. They tend to be flamboyant, and live it up whenever they can. Those born in this year have a habit of sticking their nose into others’ business; as such, they sometimes fail to finish their own endeavours.
and out of love. Ever the charmer, there is never a shortage of people who will give in to the physical appeal of those born in this year. The Horse person enjoys the easy conquest, and loses interest quickly if the person pursued plays hard-to-get. As a result of this fickle nature, there is the belief in Chinese culture that those born under this sign do not make for good spouses. When a Horse person does manage to commit, however, it is possible for him or her to take the commitment seriously. Horse people are often disorderly with their domestic duties but are loving and spirited partners. A tip for those with a
Horse person for a partner: win them over with tenderness and affection. In general, Horse people must be cautious with affairs of the heart, seeking to gain maturity and experience before committing to a serious relationship.
traditional Chinese foods—that is, the foods that are traditionally Chinese in Indonesia. Though they have none of the symbolic foods, he says, the table groans with cap cai and noodle dishes. Andrew Huang, an engineer who is active in Houston’s Indonesian community, says he and his family also skip the symbolic new year foods, but make sea cucumber with chicken and potatoes with Chinese sausage. “I make regular dishes like what we have when we are in Indonesia,” Huang says. “Every family has their own different food.” ■
Gong Xi... the Horse year sometimes have interests that are shallow and lacking in substance, with no real depth to carry these pursuits to fruition. Their stubborn streak is accompanied by an impatient and generally hot-blooded character for everything outside of their daily work. They demonstrate endurance, but with a bad temper. Should you try to give them advice, be prepared for this to fall on deaf ears. People born under this sign are independent and rarely listen to your two-cents’ worth. Because they do not handle failure very well, a pessimistic attitude may develop when ❰❰ 27
Horsing around
A person born in the year of horse is quite the emotional adventurer, frequently falling in
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Betting on the Horse
As a business partner, and in terms of career, you can put your money on the Horse person. They make for very active business associates—though a touch unconventional in their methods and ideas—and are hardworking, goal-oriented people. They will do what they can to resolve problems, in-
stead of avoiding these. They have a productive imagination that complements their drive to succeed. Should you get into business with a Horse person, it is to your benefit to guide them into being more reserved in their decisions, as they tend to make promises rather haphazardly. Take special care with contracts and business commitments, because the Horse person likes to take risks, albeit calculated ones. The Horse person has the inherent potential to be an inspiring leader, but needs to learn self-restraint—especially with their words—when situations get out of hand. ■
FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
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Entertainment
Vhong Navarro files kidnapping case against Lee, Cornejo and others BY KATHERINE MARFALTEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer VHONG NAVARRO has finally spoken. In an interview with Sunday talk show “Buzz ng Bayan,” the actor-TV host couldn’t help but be emotional as he detailed the mauling incident that happened to him on January 22 inside a condominium unit in Bonifacio Global City. At the start of the interview, he narrated how he met Deniece Millet Cornejo, the girl who allegedly invited him to the condominium unit. Navarro said he first met Cornejo two years ago, but they only met again on January 17 through an invitation by the latter. The “It’s Showtime” host admitted that they became intimate while inside the condominium unit, but cleared that no sexual intercourse happened. Navarro cleared that he didn’t force Cornejo, adding that the latter also liked what happened to them. “I’m not a rapist. I don’t do drugs. I’m a God-fearing person. I love my family,” he added. Shortly after he left the place, Navarro said he received a text message from Cornejo, saying, ‘bad boy ka,’ (you’re a bad boy), which he answered with, “I’m
sorry. Bawi ako.” (I will make up for it). Navarro said Cornejo agreed to meet again on Jan. 22. “She even told me she’d cook dinner for me. It was also then when she began calling me sweetie. It was weird hearing her say that after she told me I was a bad boy,” he narrated. The mauling
When he arrived at Cornejo’s condo unit at 10:30 p.m., he knew then that something was wrong when she said, ‘Ikaw naman, binigla mo ako. ‘Di pa ako nakapaglinis.’ (You surprised me, I haven’t cleaned up.) I said, ‘Alam mo naman na pupunta ako dito.’ (You knew I was coming.) “It was at that time when three men came out and pointed a gun at me,” he recalled. “Cedric introduced himself then tied my hands and feet with duct tape. I was blindfolded and then the beating began.” In the same interview, the 37-year-old actor added that he was sexually harassed by the suspects, “Binaboy nila ako. Binaba nila yung pants ko. Binaboy nila ako sa ari ko at kinuhanan ako ng video.” (They molested me. They pulled down my pants. They molested me— my private parts—and took a video of me). The blotter
Navarro admitted that he
filed a blotter entry on Jan. 22, stating that he tried to rape a certain Deniece Millet Cornejo, 22, a resident of the condo unit. He stressed that he was blackmailed. Navarro narrated that he was allowed to go home so he could deposit the money to a certain account. The suspects first asked for P200,000 until it reached P2 million, as a repayment for the damage incurred to Cornejo and to her condominium unit, as well as an agreement to keep everybody mum about the incident. Kidnapping case
Immediately after the incident, Vhong Navarro filed a kidnapping case against Cedric Lee and five other men. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) then sent a subpoena to Cornejo, who failed to appear before the bureau on Jan. 27. NBI was not able to send a subpoena to Lee as they don’t know his address; they had hoped though that Cornejo will bring Lee with her. “They lost their chance to air their side in the investigation of the NBI,” NBI-National Capital Region assistant regional director Vicente de Guzman III said. NBI added that they will file the appropriate charges as soon as they finish the investigation. At the moment, the evidences on hand are the affidavit of Na-
Vhong Navarro in critical condition after being attacked by a group of men. PHOTO FROM ALLVOICES.COM
varro, three video recordings from CCTV cameras at the gate, the main door, and inside the elevator of Cornejo’s condominium building. Procedural lapses
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima believes that there were procedural lapses on the part of the Taguig Police. “These happened in that particular condo unit, so that is the supposed scene of the crime; how come it was not cordoned off and processed thoroughly? I’m going to ask the NBI to investigate this,” De Lima told reporters. De Lima added that the NBI
would also investigate if the scene where the crime allegedly happened was “contaminated.” Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is investigating the charges of alleged rape and the possible lapses committed by police officers who first recorded the incident. “The case is now being investigated by the Taguig PNP. The case was initially brought to the attention of the Southern Police District, where it was recorded and it was eventually forwarded to the Taguig City ❱❱ PAGE 34 Vhong Navarro
Entertainment
33 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Pinoy indie in India Mumbai romantic romp meant for mass audiences BY BAYANI SAN DIEGO JR. Philippine Daily Inquirer THINK BOLLYWOOD rom-com with a Filipino flavor. Or, Pinoy indie in India. Benito Bautista, the filmmaker behind the gritty drama “Boundary” and the lyrical documentary “Harana,” makes a 180-degree turn with “Mumbai Love,” a romantic romp partly shot in India. As in any project, Bautista and his team encountered not a few challenges. The biggest hurdle turned out to be synchronizing the schedules of the motley cast. “We had a mix of popular, independent and nonprofessional actors,” Bautista recalls. “It’s like having 12 adult children in different countries and asking them all to be present on your birthday.” Leading the cast are Solenn Heussaff, Kiko Matos, Martin Escudero, Raymond Bagatsing, Ronnie Lazaro, Angelina Kanapi, Jun Sabayton and Jason Gainza. Gathering the right ensemble is half the battle and Bautista relied on cowriter, coproducer and casting director Emma Francisco to manage the auditions and select the actors.
Bautista says Heussaff landed the lead role “partly by luck and partly by design.” He relates: “Emma sent Solenn the story treatment and invited her to audition. Solenn was excited about the story, and was at once nervous and thrilled to audition; it was her first time to do so.” The GMA 7 actress says she was drawn to her character, a free spirit who finds love, while visiting Mumbai, in a Filipino-Indian. She says she has long dreamt of traveling to India. Great experience
“We went to India twice,” Bautista says. “The first time for an ocular inspection and the second for the shoot. We stayed a total of 15 days.” Since Mumbai is the center of Bollywood, shooting entailed a few adjustments for Bautista’s team. “The film industry in Mumbai is governed by unions and politics, which add to the complexity and excitement. But, overall, it was great to experience Mumbai’s colors, culture, food, dance and people.” Wider audience
With this film, Bautista hopes to tap
PHOTO FROM INTERAKSYON.COM
a wider audience, including the Indian community in the Philippines. “I’m excited to see how the mass audience will respond to something that may be familiar and different at the same time,” he admits. “My worry is, I [could be] wrong about how I figured out and designed a cross-cultural rom-com for the masses. Either nobody gets it, or a good number will appreciate it.” Put simply, his foremost desire is for the film’s “message of open-mindedness” to resonate with everyone who watches the film, “for moviegoers to see themselves as part of a society that embraces diversity and tolerance.” The concept was suggested by executive producer Neil Jeswani of Capestone Pictures, Bautista volunteers. “He wanted a story that will [showcase] Indian culture in the Philippines,”
Bautista recounts. “He didn’t want it to be heavy on drama, though; he wanted it to be comedic, to reach more people.” After the Philippine release, Bautista plans to find an international distributor for the Southeast Asian and American markets. “We initially intended this film for local and global Pinoy audiences, and Indian-Pinoys,” he says. Bautista, an honoree in the INQUIRER Indie Bravo! Awards, looks forward to the day when the barrier between independent and commercial films will disappear. “We have a long way to go, but I am optimistic,” he asserts. “We are getting there in terms of production values, regional storytelling and global recognition. For as long as we have producers and audience members who believe in and support diverse voices and expressions in cinema, we will continue to grow.” ■
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Rica Peralejo remains healthy and active after giving birth BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, Philippines — Rica Peralejo, who gave birth to first-born Philip Nathaniel Peralejo Bonifacio on Friday, had a “light and fairly easy pregnancy,” her husband told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sunday. “It would be more accurate to call her blessed,” Rica’s hubby Joseph Bonifacio said in a text message. “She stayed healthy and stayed active the entire time, even during the early part of labor.” Rica delivered baby Philip Nathaniel
via Caesarian section, 2 p.m., on Friday at the St. Luke’s Global City in Taguig City. “He is a big baby! He was seven pounds and 11 ounces at birth,” Joseph shared. Rica, 32, or Regina Carla Peralejo in real life, tied the knot with Joseph, a Born-Again Christian pastor, in January 2010. “Welcome Philip Bo. Tata can’t express how he feels right now other than I love you so much even though you have done nothing and a hundred other thoughts that are all just good,” Joseph posted on his Instagram account on Friday. “You’re God’s gift to us.”
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Entertainment
JANUARY 31, 2014 FRIDAY 34
Angel Locsin shares ‘moving on’ tips BY KATHERINE MARFALTEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer
Luis kissing Angel in Dubai. PHOTO FROM LUIS’ INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
MANILA—Months after breaking up with Azkals player Phil Younghusband, actress Angel Locsin seemed to have moved on from that closed chapter of her life. In an interview with ABSCBN, she shared some tips on how to move on from a breakup. The starting point, according to her, is to avoid your former flame. “Huwag mong pansinin para makapag-move on. Iyon ang unang hakbang,” (Don’t pay them any attention, so you can both move on. That’s the first step) Locsin said. She added, “Pero sa akin kasi ang ma-a-advice ko lang talaga
Pres. Aquino leads ‘People of the Year’ awards night BY KATHERINE MARFALTEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—On January 21, President Benigno Aquino III led a star-studded awards ceremony to honor PeopleAsia’s “People of the Year.” Vice President Jejomar Binay, top government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and movers and shakers of business, entertainment, and civil society were also there to grace the event. PeopleAsia’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” was given to National Book Store founder Socorro “Nanay Coring” Ramos, 90. Aquino, in his speech, honored Ramos for her contribution to cultivate a love of reading and learning in Philippine society. “Her example shows all of us that true success is found not only in a thriving business, but also and more importantly, in the dedication and values that make it a mainstay of our society,” Aquino said. Among this year’s “People of the Year” are Miss World 2013 Megan Young, superstar Nora
diyan ay magdasal po tayo. Kasi mas alam ng Diyos kung ano ang magandang plano.” (But for me, my only advice is to really pray, because only God knows a better plan). “Hayaan ko na lang na Diyos ang magplano ng buhay ko at harapin kung ano ag ibibigay niya sa akin. Dahil hindi naman niya ako bibigyan ng hindi ko kakayanin,” (I will just let God plan my life and face whatever He will give me, because He will not give me what I cannot handle). Just recently, Locsin made a big buzz when she admitted on national television that she still loves her ex-boyfriend, actor-host Luis Manzano. But Locsin was quick to reiterate that Manzano did not cause her breakup with Younghusband. “Si Phil ilabas natin sa usa-
Vhong Navarro... police,” Deputy Director General Felipe Rojas, PNP deputy chief for administration, said. “If ever we found out that there were lapses on the part of the police officers, we will initiate appropriate actions,” he added. ❰❰ 32
Lee and Cornejo’s statements
PHOTO FROM PHILSTAR.COM
Aunor, Rizal Banking Commercial Corporation Chair Helen Yuchengco-Dee, five-time PBA “Coach of the Year” Chot Reyes, critically acclaimed film director Brillante Mendoza, “Prince of Indie” Coco Martin, Shell Philippines Country Chair and MAP Management “Man of the Year” Edgar Chua, ABS-CBN Channel Head Cory Vidanes, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla, pop diva Kuh Ledesma, fashion designer Criselda Lontok, pioneering prosthodontist Steve Mark Gan, education advocate Fr. Gerard Deveza, and Australian hotelier Thomas Meyer of Raffles and Fairmont Hotels. It was in 2004 when PeopleAsia started to recognize outstanding individuals in business, entertainment, and
civic advocacies. “In true PeopleAsia fashion, I see that we have also broken a little from tradition because we are not only joined by this year’s batch of awardees, but also by a particular group of people I have met with before,” President Aquino noted. People of the Year 2014 was sponsored by Raffles and Fairmont Makati, RCBC, Thai Airways, Rustan’s, G.A.O.C., Nars, Laura Mercier, L’Occitane, Starworld, Coca-Cola, Aboitiz, ICTSI, Cream Factory, House of Obagi, L’Oreal, Philex Mining, and The Philippine STAR. The event was hosted by Marc Nelson and Bianca Valerio. With reports from The Philippine Star www.canadianinquirer.net
pan pero masasabi ko honestly na wala kaming usap kahit text ni Luis (noong kami ni Phil) at masasabi ko minahal ko ‘yung tao (si Phil) talaga. Walang panlolokong involved. Siguro habang tumatagal parang narerealize mo ‘yung pagkakamali,” (Let take Phil out of the picture, but I can say honestly that Luis and I didn’t have any form of communication when I was still in a relationship with Phil and I can say that I really loved Phil. There was no betrayal involved. Maybe, as time passes by, you just realize your mistakes) she said. Angel Locsin will star in the upcoming teleserye of ABSCBN, “The Legal Wife,” which will premiere on January 27. She will be joined by Jericho Rosales, Maja Salvador, and JC De Vera. ■
In an interview with TV Patrol, alleged mastermind Cedric Lee and Deniece Millet Cornejo both denied Navarro’s accusations. Lee said he caught Navarro in the act of raping Cornejo that’s why they defended their friend by beating up the host-actor. He added that Navarro voluntarily offered to pay for the damages he incurred to Cornejo and to her condo unit. Meanwhile, Cornejo was firm that she is the victim, adding that she just wants to defend her reputation. It was not the first time that Lee was accused of mauling. Reports showed that triathlete David Bunevacz also filed a mauling case against him a few years ago. Reactions of Netizens
Following Vhong Navarro’s statements, netizens instantly flooded the social media to express their reactions. “DENIECE MILINETTE
CORNEJO, if u were really raped, you shld be the one askng and shouting for your justice NOT hiding” – JusticeForVhongX44 “Dapat pahawakan kay Honesto tong si Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo at Vhong Navarro e.” (‘Honesto’ should hold Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo, and Vhong Navarro) – Casi Burgos “We already heard the both sides, Vhong's side and Deniece/Cedric's side. Who's statement will you believe? #JusticeWillPrevail” – Shang Rodrigo “There are 4 sides of a story. Yung kay Vhong. Yung kay Deniece. Yung sa mga chismosa. At yung katotohanan,” (Vhong’s, Deniece’s, spectators’s, and the truth) – Banatero ng Bayan Vhong Navarro’s marriage to Bianca Lapuz was annulled in 2008; they have a son. He has another son from a former nonshowbiz girlfriend. He first rose to fame when he became a member of the dance group “Streetboys,” but his biggest break came when he starred in the movie “Mr. Suave” in 2003. The actor-host apologized to his non-showbiz girlfriend. He also thanked her for being with him during these trying times. He was scheduled to undergo a reconstructive surgery on Jan. 27. ■
Entertainment
35 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Stars line up to pay tribute to The Beatles, with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in attendance BY ANGELA CHARLTON The Associated Press LOS ANGELES—There’s an easy way to give pop music’s most performance-hardened stars a case of the butterflies: Ask them to perform in front of The Beatles. Many of today’s top artists gathered Monday night to honour The Beatles’ legacy, with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in attendance and late members John Lennon and George Harrison always in mind, at The Recording Academy’s taping of “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles.” John Legend and Alicia Keys sang “Let It Be.” Katy Perry performed “Yesterday,” while her boyfriend, John Mayer, teamed with Keith Urban on “Don’t Let Me Down.” And Brad Paisley and Pharrell Williams took on the challenge of “Here Comes the Sun,” a song well-known to millions of music fans. “We are honouring the most important band of all time, and trying to do justice to their song while two of them sit there,” Paisley said in an interview before his performance. “We
know, going in, we’re not going to sing like them, and we’re going to try to do our own thing with it. But ... there’s reasons why people get blasted when they cover Beatles songs in any situation. But here we are, we’re all doing that tonight. So, I guess it’s an even playing field in that sense.” It was until McCartney and Starr took the stage, turning what had been a fairly sedate affair into an arm-in-arm singa-long of hits “Hey, Jude,” “Sgt. Pepper” and “Yellow Submarine” that prompted movie stars and Grammy Award-winning musicians alike to sing along like giddy kids. The telecast will air Feb. 9, 50 years after The Fab Four made their first appearance in front of an American television audience on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” It was a historic moment with more than 73 million Americans tuning in, changing pop culture in profound ways. Even so, McCartney told the crowd he was hesitant to agree to commemorate it. “What can I say about this evening, it’s just amazing,” he said. “At first when I was asked to do the show, I was wondering if it was the right thing to do.
Was it seemly to tribute yourself? But I saw a couple of American guys who said to me, ‘You don’t understand the impact of that appearance on the show on America.’ I didn’t realize that.” Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich said the tribute event was more than a decade in the making and was produced at the Los Angeles Convention Center with archival footage from the band’s “Ed Sullivan” era as well as their psychedelic and hirsute, hipster periods. Maroon 5 kicked off the show by re-creating the opening moments of the Feb. 9, 1964, appearance with “All My Loving,” then “Ticket to Ride.” Keys and Legend faced each other as they sat at matching black baby grand pianos. Mayer and Urban traded guitar licks, as did Gary Clarke Jr. and Joe Walsh on “As My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics reunited to play “The Fool on the Hill.” Dave Grohl and Jeff Lynne hammered deep cut “Hey, Bulldog,” and Harrison’s son Dhani joined Lynne and Joe Walsh on his father’s classic “Something.” Stevie Wonder performed “We ❱❱ PAGE 36 Stars line
PHOTO FROM ROBINPADILLA.ORG
Robin Padilla planning gay film with BB Gandanghari BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer ACTOR ROBIN Padilla, whose contract with home network ABS-CBN expired in October, said he was renewing it soon, especially since the bosses agreed for him to coproduce his own projects. “I want to keep making action movies, and be given the freedom to work on materials of my choice,” Robin told the Philippine Daily Inquirer during the press con for the movie “Sa Ngalan ng Ama, Ina at ng mga Anak.” He coproduced the film with his wife, actress-host Mariel Rodriguez. “I’m not getting any younger,” said the 44-year-old actor. “I can no longer work for 28 hours straight. As for TV, I’d like to try father roles. I leave the rom-coms to the younger Padillas.” (Robin appeared in three Kapamilya shows—“Guns and Roses,” “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw” and “TodaMax”—after signing up in 2011.) He’d like Mariel to join him in ABS-CBN. She was last seen as host of the defunct game show, “Wil Time Big Time” on TV5. “I want to see her hosting a show again,” he said. In “Sa Ngalan,” Mariel plays Indang, wife to Robin’s character, Kuratong Baleleng crime boss Ongkoy. Wedding blues
BERLIN: the wax figures of the “Beatles” with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison - official opening of the waxworks “Madame Tussauds Berlin,” Berlin. PHOTO BY 360B / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
www.canadianinquirer.net
Robin married Mariel in Muslim rites in 2010. He said she earlier wished for a church wedding so they flew to the Vatican. He recounted, “We were rejected; she was hurt. That shook her faith.” He wouldn’t mind trying
again. “I’m only waiting for Mariel to tell me she’s ready. A church wedding is every woman’s dream.” Robin admitted, however, that he wasn’t prepared to have a child with Mariel. “I want to be her husband and her baby … I need her more than she needs me. Masyado akong radikal magisip at this point in my life; she keeps me on an even keel.” Gay film
They are going on a monthlong vacation in Stockholm in February. “It’s a religious pilgrimage. I’m planning to produce a film about gay marriage that will star BB (Gandanghari, his gay brother). The project has been stalled twice, so I plan to seek divine intervention. I am looking forward to the signs that I hope God will give us.” Asked if he was ready to see BB marry another man, Robin replied, “The family thinks of BB as a child. He didn’t grow up as BB, but as Rustom. The progress in our family [dynamics] has to be gradual. ’Wag naman sana niya kami gulatin.” Combat-ready
Robin said he’d like his son Ali, 12, to become a soldier. “I wanted to be one when I was young,” he explained. “That was why I trained all of my kids in combat (martial arts).” When his daughter Kylie was hospitalized recently, Robin cancelled all his show biz commitments to spend time with her. “When I learned it was because of migraine, I worried … she bumped her head during gymnastics [training] many times before. But she just needed rest.”
Entertainment
JANUARY 31, 2014 FRIDAY 36
Jude Law tells Bordeaux, Camembert, phone hacking trial Impressionism and Daft Punk? Duo’s he was unaware of Grammy wins boost French pride claim a relative sold stories to tabloid BY ANGELA CHARLTON The Associated Press
BY JILL LAWLESS The Associated Press LONDON—Jude Law has told Britain’s phone hacking trial that for years the media had an “unhealthy” amount of information about his private life. But the actor said he was unaware until he heard it in court Monday that a close family member allegedly sold stories about him to the tabloid press. Law appeared as a witness at the trial of two former editors of Rupert Murdoch’s nowdefunct News of the World tabloid—Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson—and five others on charges related to illegal eavesdropping. The defendants deny all the charges. The “Sherlock Holmes” star was for years a favourite of Britain’s tabloid press, which reveled in details of his relationships with designer Sadie Frost and actress Sienna Miller. Law said that his media profile rose after he was nominated for an Academy Award in 2001 for “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” From then on, he said, “there seemed to be an unhealthy amount of information” about him in the press, and he would often arrive at places with his
children to find photographers already there. Law, Frost and Miller are among scores of celebrities, politicians and others who have been paid compensation for phone hacking by Murdoch’s News Corp. Murdoch closed the News of the World in 2011 after details emerged of the scale of its snooping. But a defence lawyer suggested Monday that some of the information in 2005 News of the World stories alleging an affair between Law’s then-girlfriend Miller and actor Daniel Craig might have had another source—Law’s associates. “I didn’t know anyone around me was talking to the newspapers,” said the 41-year-old actor, who gave evidence for just over an hour at London’s Central Criminal Court. Coulson’s lawyer, Timothy Langdale, asked Law if he knew that a member of his immediate family had been giving information to the News of the World in exchange for money. “I was not aware of that,” Law said. Asked when he first heard of the allegation, Law said: “Today.” Law was shown the name of the family member on a piece of paper. It was not shown to the jury or journalists. ■
PARIS—They’re helmeted, mute and mysterious, and they’re suddenly the pride of France. Duo Daft Punk did something no other French music group has done: Brought home four Grammy Awards in one night. Congratulations poured in Monday from French media, tweeters and bloggers—and even the U.S. Embassy in Paris. “See, France is capable of winning!” said commentator JeanJacques Bourdin on BFM-TV. The multiple wins for the electronic music pioneers Sunday night were a rare bit of good news in France amid bleak reports on unemployment (stuck around 11 per cent) and the president’s personal life (complicated). The men behind the masks, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, kept their French accents carefully concealed at the Grammys. The two, who only appear in public behind helmets, left it to Pharrell Williams to accept their awards. While those in the French masses celebrate Daft Punk’s repeated trips to the podium at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, French officialdom has been strangely silent. Daft Punk’s work didn’t get a single nomination for the 2013 French music awards Victoire de la musique. Perhaps that’s because, as critic Pierre Siankowski put it, “We have a problem in France with the mainstream.” Something as universally popular as
Daft Punk arrives to the ‘Tron: Legacy’ World Premiere. PHOTO BY DFREE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
the never-get-it-out-of-yourhead “Get Lucky” isn’t seen as “real art.” That wasn’t a concern for the Recording Academy voters, who handed Daft Punk and Williams the trophy in every category they were nominated in at the Grammy Awards: Album of the year for “Random Access Memories.” Record of the year for funk-electronic anthem “Get Lucky.” Best pop duo or group performance. And best dance or electronica album. “Random Access Memories” also won for non-classical engineered album, an award that went to their engineer. Daft Punk, produced by Columbia Records in the U.S., broke into the global sound consciousness with their 1997 album “Homework” and its hit “Around the World.” They went on to win Grammys in 2007 for best dance recording and best electronic dance album. Then, they reached for something radical: live instruments.
Their combination of real musicians, R&B rhythms and electronic expertise is seen as the key to the success of “Random Access Memories.” Siankowski, the chief editor at pop culture weekly Les Inrockuptibles, isn’t afraid to be a fan, praising them for “intelligent music ... that goes against the grain.” And something about those helmets all over French TV on Monday looked familiar. Henri Guaino, speechwriter for ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy, couldn’t resist drawing a parallel with the helmeted man pictured in a gossip magazine this month sneaking out of the presidential palace on a motorcycle to meet his actress paramour. The magazine says the man was President Francois Hollande, a claim neither he nor the actress has denied. Guaino quipped on BFM that the images provided “good publicity” for Daft Punk. ■
The drummer performed three songs alone, including “Yellow Submarine” at the request of Grohl’s young daughter. McCartney took the stage next for five songs of his own before Starr returned for a finale that included a group singa-long of “Hey, Jude.” It was the first time the two had per-
formed together since 2010. “We were in a band. It’s called The Beatles,” Starr said near the end of the show. “And if we play, John and George are always with us. It’s always John, Paul, George and Ringo.”
Stars line... Can Work It Out” twice, asking for a retake after a slow start on his first attempt. “Fire me, sue me,” he joked with the crowd. Starr took the stage next and marveled at Wonder’s appearance: “I’ve got to tell you, what a thrill following Stevie Wonder.” ❰❰ 35
Jude Law.
PHOTO BY FEATUREFLASH / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
www.canadianinquirer.net
Michael Cidoni Lennox in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
37
Lifestyle
Cocktail Friends vs. Dinner Friends BY ANGELICA V. JONES Special to Philippine Canadian Inquirer LET'S FACE it—not all your "friends" are true friends. Being in the entertainment industry for 13 years now, I have made a lot of friends. My Facebook account says 2,171, to be exact. I also found that "friend" is a term we loosely throw around nowadays with social media making it so easy to make "friends" with a click of a button. True friendship is built on trust, compatibility, vulnerability, authenticity, and time. In the past, I’ve made grave mistakes of treating not-sodeserving acquaintances as true friends, and because of this common mistake, I realized that my vulnerability is a gift that I don't necessarily have to give to everyone, at least until they earned it. I’ve learned to compartmentalize my friendships to two categories for my own emotional safety and peace of mind.
I found this strategy helpful in terms of keeping my inner peace and self-respect without any guilt. The first category refers to your cocktail friends. The hiand-bye variety. We share kind gestures but no real depth. Sure, it's great to see and laugh with them, maybe have drinks and socialize with them at events. Personally, I learned not to fully trust this category with my life issues. I normally can't really hang out with this category of friends for too long for whatever reason—be it character flaws like a negative disposition or shallow personality. When I start to have a nagging feeling that I can't fully be real with them and the atmosphere or energy doesn't sit right, I know I'm at a "cocktail" party. The second category talks about your dinner friends. The anti-social that I am, I tend to put my friends in training through the wringer. My friends are tried and true, no judgment, friends who love you no matter what, accepts your craziness, keeps your vulnerable moments a secret, supportive, supportive, and supportive!
Hours seem like minutes and the effort to connect is almost, well, effortless. There's a positivity that is shared between true friends and hard reality checks are done out of love— not envy and competition. This is when my gut has no knee jerk reaction to run away. Being around this person feels like a warm blanket on a cold night. I feel safe and authentic. When do we transition out cocktail buddies to the dinner table, you ask? Only life's experience can tell you that. At the end of the day, I want to enjoy my friendships. So when filtering relationships, I ask myself the following questions: - Is it a give-and-take or just take-take-take? - Have they been tested with vulnerable moments and didn't falter? - Are they there only when it benefits them? - What is their emotional maturity like? - Do we genuinely get along? - How do they treat others and what do they say about others? - What is their spirit or en-
ergy like? Ultimately, time is the only way to really find out, but at least asking myself these questions and allowing myself to have boundaries helps me sift out the more obvious relationships to avoid emotional vampires and the likes. With all the social pressure, it is completely fine that not everyone and their momma need to be invited to dinner friend status. The dinner can be totally simple, small, and cozy. If you—for some reason—accidentally invited a cocktail friend to a dinner party, just learn from it. Move on and accept the boundaries that need to take place. Know that it's completely okay to honor yourself and choose who you want to be surrounded with. ■ Follow me on Twitter: @jonesvangel; Instagram: @angelvjones; and Facebook: facebook. com/angelicavjones
As we forgive those who trespass against us BY JIM KIERNAN Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE ACT and attitude of forgiveness is at the very core of Christian faith. On this point Christian teaching is consistent and inflexible. We cannot expect forgiveness if we do not forgive! For many there is confusion around the notion and practice of forgiveness. It does not mean we should forget injuries done to us. We do not condone those injuries and we may or may not reconcile with the offender even if we have forgiven. And let there be clarity on this point: for serious offenses,
perpetrators—even when forgiven—must face justice. What does it mean to forgive, then? When we forgive we choose to practice love by offering compassion and benevolence to someone who caused us grief. It is a gift we offer to those who have hurt us. When we forgive, we look to change the relationship between us and the offender. It is noteworthy that the offender may not even know about the act of our forgiveness and, if he does know, may not choose to accept it. This doesn’t matter because while forgiveness benefits everyone, it pri-
marily is a transformative act that benefits the forgiver. Scientific research has demonstrated that many good and powerful benefits accrue when we forgive. Our health improves. We thrive emotionally. We are less likely to be hostile, angry, hateful, anxious, or neurotic. We are likely to be more agreeable and happier. In our act of forgiveness, we nurture ourselves. Forgiveness directly benefits the one we forgive. The family member or friend from whom we are estranged is—in the act of forgiveness—freed from re❱❱ PAGE 39 As we
Lifestyle
JANUARY 31, 2014 FRIDAY 38
Whistler festival attracts visitors from around world to raise rainbow banner BY CAMILLE BAINS The Canadian Press WHISTLER, B.C.—When a group of skiers glides down a mountain carrying a giant rainbow banner that will be handed off to participants in the Whistler pride parade, the town will be buzzing with visitors from around the globe. One of the world’s top-rated ski resort communities will turn into party central during the annual gay ski festival as the municipality proclaims Pride Week and raises a rainbow flag to welcome gays from 25 countries. WinterPRIDE organizer Dean Nelson says about 3,000 people are expected at the sports, cultural and entertainment event that runs till Sunday. Besides taking to the hills, participants will have a chance to enjoy dogsledding, snowmobile tours, tubing, ziplining, cooking classes and dance parties featuring top DJs from Bar-
celona and San Francisco. The Mr. Gay Canada contest will also be held during the eight-day extravaganza, with the winner moving on to the world finals in Rome in August. Most of the fun seekers will make the trek from across Canada, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, but more participants than ever are arriving from Croatia and Lithuania this year, Nelson says. Many of them will have heard about the 22nd annual festival at the World Outgames in Antwerp, Belgium, where it was promoted last summer, he says. In 2010, WinterPRIDE organizers created Pride House at Whistler for gay athletes and the public during the Olympics, further raising the festival’s profile. “It was our initiative to raise awareness of homophobia in sport and that has really put Whistler out there as one of the ski resorts in the world that is inclusive and diverse,” Nelson says. “It was the first
Hyundai aggress... long as they owned or leased an affected vehicle. Affected owners and lessees are compensated based on their actual kilometres driven and the fuel costs for the region in which they live. “While customers have responded favourably to the original reimbursement program, today’s settlement is designed to provide them with an additional compensation option, again intended to make customers fully whole for Hyundai’s fuel economy ratings restatement,” said Faithlyn Hemmings, senior legal counsel at Hyundai Canada. Under the terms of the proposed settlement Monday, a lump sum payment will be provided as an option to the reimbursement program. While the agreements are valued at up to $46.65 million and $23 million respectively in ❰❰ 18
time in Olympic history where diversity was celebrated and homophobia was talked about. London picked up the idea with Pride House in 2012.” Nelson says representatives from the City of Toronto, Tourism Toronto, Tourism Ontario and Pride Toronto will also be at WinterPRIDE this year to talk up that city’s World Pride event, the first time it will be held in North America, as part of the annual Pride Toronto event this summer. WinterPRIDE, which began as a small gathering in 1992, has increasingly involved the wider Whistler community. “We work with local yoga studios and people do yoga retreats while their partner’s out skiing,” Nelson says. While the festival is open to lesbians, transgendered people and bisexuals, Nelson says it draws mostly gay men, although there are a few events for women, such as the WOW party—the Women of Winter Pride dance—on Saturday. Whistler Mayor Nancy Wil-
PHOTO FROM MYDAVIEVILLAGE.COM
helm-Morden says the resort town recognizes the value of diversity in its important tourism sector. “I know in speaking with people who come to WinterPRIDE from around the world that they do feel very welcome and safe,” says Wilhelm-Morden, who will be a judge at the Mr. Gay Canada finale and fashion show. The Whistler Chamber of Commerce runs an annual program for service-industry workers and it includes dealing with diverse groups such as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, she says. “We get people, young people especially, from all over the world who want to come
to Whistler and work in the service industry. They may be coming from countries that have a little bit of a different attitude toward the LGBT community than Canadians, and specifically Whistlerites do. So there is some sensitivity training that does occur, and it’s being expanded.” WinterPRIDE injected $4.8 million into the local economy last year, according to a study commissioned by the municipality, says Wilhelm-Morden, noting the inevitable millions of dollars in spin-off benefits for the rest of British Columbia. For Nelson, the festival is a chance for people who have not always felt accepted to come together and “just be ourselves.” ■
to decommission our forces.” He said their weapons will be “put beyond use” under an arrangement to be overseen by an International Decommissioning Body. Evan Jendruck from the IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre said the success of the new peace agreement hinges on the ability of the former Moro insurgents to put other armed groups under control. While the military would still have a presence in the new autonomous region, security would basically be in the hands of a Bangsamoro force composed of former insurgents. “Will MILF be able to fill the power vacuum? If they don’t do that, then the peace process won’t go forward,” Jendruck said. Iqbal said the peace process would not end with the signing of a peace accord. He said that a government-rebel council still
needed to complete drafting a law creating the new autonomous region. The legislation then needed to get approval from Philippine Congress, where it is expected to come under intense scrutiny. Despite the optimism, “let me caution ourselves this early that the final destination of this journey of peace is not within immediate reach yet,” Iqbal said. A preliminary peace accord that was about to be signed in Malaysia was turned down in 2008 by the Philippine Supreme Court, sparking rebel attacks on Christian communities that provoked a major military offensive and shattered a cease-fire. ■
Philippines, Muslim.. cash compensation plus other available options, the actual figure will depend on what options customers choose to take. The lump sum payments will vary by type of vehicle and will be reduced for any amounts already received through the existing reimbursement programs. For example, an individual owner who purchased a new 2012 Elantra would receive a lump sum payment of $361, minus any previous reimbursement payments. Both offers also allow drivers may also select other options, such as a dealership credit of 150 per cent of the lump sum cash payment amount or a credit of 200 per cent of the cash amount toward the purchase of a new vehicle. Courts in Ontario and Quebec are expected to review the agreement for approval later this year. ■
seized coastal communities in southern Zamboanga city after accusing the government of reneging on its commitments under a 1996 autonomy deal. Thousands of troops ended the 10-day uprising with a major offensive that killed more than 200 people, most of them insurgents. The accord Saturday outlined the gradual “decommissioning” of the rebel forces, some of whom could be absorbed into a regional security force. Another pact concluded involved the extent of control the proposed autonomous region would wield over resource-rich waters like the Sulu Sea. Chief rebel negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said the latest accord “is the most sensitive, emotional and, as far as I know, it entails a lot of sacrifices on the part of the (rebels) because to pay for real peace in Mindanao we have ❰❰ 11
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Associated Press writers Jim Gomez and Oliver Teves in Manila, Philippines and Chris Brummitt in Hanoi, Vietnam contributed to this report.
Lifestyle
39 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Booking.com, the biggest travel site you’ve never heard of, looks to grow brand BY MICHAEL OLIVEIRA The Canadian Press TORONTO—When Canadian Darren Huston was recruited to join the leadership team at the Priceline Group, he sheepishly had to admit he’d never heard of the biggest company in the group’s corporate stable. No, not Priceline, the travel bidding site popularized by the wacky ads starring fellow Canuck William Shatner. A n d n o t Kayak, the travel search engine that grew big enough that Google figured it should build a competitor. The biggest company in the group is Booking.com, a challenger to the likes of Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity that’s big overseas but little known on this side of the pond. “When I took on the role of CEO for Booking.com I was on the phone at a hockey game in Vancouver ... and I’d never heard of the company,” admitted Huston during a recent interview in Toronto, where he was launching an ad blitz designed to raise the travel company’s profile here. “Our brand awareness is quite low but our usage in Canada is actually quite high; we have more properties in Canada than any of our competitors and we have offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. “So we definitely have a presence here, but it’s an underground presence.” Huston, a Hope, B.C., native, was a senior vice president with Starbucks and
president of Microsoft Japan before taking on the Booking.com CEO role in the fall of 2011. Earlier this year he took over as president and CEO of the Priceline Group. The new ad campaign he returned home to promote is a funny take on the travelling challenge of “booking right.” A minute-long TV spot titled “Booking.yeah” shows anxious travellers nervously preparing to open the doors to their rental properties -which Huston notes are all real places that can be booked through the website—while an amusingly over-the-top voiceover grows increasingly enthusiastic and uses “booking” as a euphemistic adjective. “ You got it booking right,” “it doesn’t get any booking better than this,” and “look at the booking view, this is exactly what you booking needed” are a few of the commercial’s one-liners, which some will find puerile and others will find hilarious. Huston said the campaign was designed to make the Booking.com brand a bit more memorable, given that much of its business comes from consumers hitting the site through Google searches, not because they’re familiar with the company. “We were a blue link in Google, we were like a utility that was very effective but had no personality,” he said. “It’s like being the elephant behind the tree, you’re kind of hiding behind there growing not thinking anyone sees you, but over time they do see you and that’s the time to come out a little bit and say, ‘Hey, here’s what we’re all about.’” ■
As we... acting to our hostile judgment. They are empowered to move beyond the hurt that traps us in reciprocal animosity. We influence others to be good and to do good. In practicing forgiveness, we generate love and we are changed by love. In this way the practice of forgiveness widens our circle of influence. In living a consistently forgiving life, we become ❰❰ 37
a force of nature through which we empower others to work at their highest potential. They are liberated from the weakness—the prison—of our resentments. We are made whole and strong. In following the divine prescription of forgiveness, we heal and grow and connect. It betters all of us in this world and moves us towards eternal life. Blessed are the peacemakers. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
Business
JANUARY 31, 2014 FRIDAY 40
IMF backs expanded BSP powers BY PAOLO G. MONTECILLO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE INTERNATIONAL Monetary Fund (IMF) has noted the need to expand the central bank’s powers to include the ability to supervise shady transactions between banks and their affiliates within conglomerates. IMF Resident Representative Shanaka Jayaneth Peiris said the health of the local financial system was at risk given rising levels of corporate debt, which might lead to weaknesses if certain areas remained unchecked. “The Philippines is a clear case. Corporate leverage has increased. That’s a reason we should monitor it closely,” Peiris said. His comments come amid discussions over amendments to the current Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) charter. These amendments, currently pending in both houses of Congress, include giving the BSP authority to look into transactions between banks and their sister firms. Among t h e s e powers include the relaxation of deposit secrecy laws to allow BSP examiners to look into
corporate accounts. BSP Deputy Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. said most investigations led to a dead end because of the country’s strict deposit secrecy laws. Espenilla noted that there have been several instances where conglomerates borrowed from their affiliate banks, only for the same conglomerates to use the proceeds from the same loan to infuse fresh capital into the bank. “For instance, banks can grant loans and these can be deposited somewhere. Then the money is with drawn and infused in the bank. Was new capital created?” Espenilla asked. He said this practice of recycling funds, which are borrowed from depositors, might lead to instability in the financial sector if left unchecked. “That’s critical in most countries in the world. Central banks have those powers, to look at affiliated enterprises,” IMF’s Peiris said. “A lesson from the crisis is that there needs to be a regulator with powers to ensure financial stability to avoid regulatory gaps,” he said, referring to lending between institutions related to one another, including nonfinancial entities and banks. Last year, the IMF warned that a default by any major, highly leveraged conglomerate could lead to a significant increase in bad assets held by banks, jeopardizing their ability to meet the economy’s demand for cash. ■
PCTC Members and Business People met with Treasury President Tony Clement (6th from the right) and MP Dan Albas (4th from the right) in a Pre-Budget Roundtable discussion of Canada’s economy and Federal programs, last January 23, 2014.
Fil-Can Businesspeople Suggest Immigrant Incentives FILIPINO CANADIAN businesses proposed the expansion of current educational incentives to immigrants wanting to meet local career qualifications. Federal Treasury Board President Tony Clement met with businesspeople at a roundtable organized by Philippines Canada Trade Council (PCTC) on January 23, 2014. Minister Clement presented the current state and outlook for the Canadian economy as part of this pre-budget consultation. The state of Canada's economy fares best among the G7 nations, particularly in its man-
agement of debt. Suggestions for incentives included expanding the education grant for small businesses and allowing caregivers to access student loans. Business people argued that these incentives already exist, and that immigrants with skills are ready and willing to take on the training to improve their credentials. PCTC pushed for the proper utilization of talented immigrants in the job market. To minimize under-utilization, it suggests that immigrants be given a "reality check" at the source country, before embark-
ing with unsure job prospects. Minister Clement was accompanied by MP Dan Albas of Okanagan-Coquihalla. MP Albas answered questions pertaining to the provincial programs related to Federal transfer payments. PCTC is a non-profit association of Philippine Canadian business professionals with a mandate to increase trade between Canada and the Philippines. For more information, visit PCTCNET.ORG, or contact info@pctcnet.org. ■ Reported by Leo Valdes, President, PCTC
Flaherty says no doubt of balanced budget in 2015, but won’t promise it sooner The Canadian Press OTTAWA—Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says he’ll deliver a balanced budget in 2015 without raising taxes or cutting transfers to the provinces. But he’s not promising to balance this year’s budget, which is expected later this month. Flaherty says the date of the
upcoming budget will be announced later today, and says it will likely be a stopgap document, foreshadowing good news to come. The Harper government has long touted its economic stewardship as a key strength, something Flaherty says will be underscored in the next budget. The minister isn’t giving any hints as to what the document
might hold. He has, however, played down the idea that there might be some goodies coming, saying such spending will have to wait until after the books are balanced. It’s expected that a better balance sheet in 2015 will allow the government to pay for some long-promised campaign plums, including income splitting for tax purposes. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
PHOTO FROM BLOGS.WINDSORSTAR.COM
Sports/Horoscope
41 FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
Pacquiao-Bradley rematch set Top Sports Advisory for April 12 in Las Vegas The Canadian Press
The Associated Press NEW YORK—Nearly two years after Timothy Bradley defeated Manny Pacquiao in a disputed split decision, promoters announced Saturday the two will fight again on April 12. Pacquiao’s loss to Bradley on June 9, 2012, broke a 15-fight winning streak during which he was recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world along with Floyd Mayweather. Later that year, Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Pacquiao, making many think that Pacquiao’s age and outsidethe-ring activities- he’s a congressman in the Philippines, does extensive charity work and moonlights as an actor and
PHOTO FROM HBO
singer—had hurt his ability to box at a high level. In November, Pacquiao, 35, defeated Brandon Rios in a comeback fight in Macau. Bradley, 30, defended his welterweight championship twice since beating Pacquiao: a brutal brawl with Ruslan Provodnikov and a close decision over Marquez. Bradley abandoned his defensive style against Provodnikov and left the ring swollen and with a concussion. Bradley said
he slurred his speech for two months after the fight. Against Marquez, Bradley used his boxing skills to avoid the power that had caught Pacquiao, and won another close decision. Promoters Bob Arum and Todd duBoef of Top Rank and Michael Koncz of MP Promotions announced the fight, which will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View. Pacquiao is 55-5-2 with 38 knockouts. He has been lobbying for a fight with the undefeated Mayweather, but Mayweather says he will fight someone else—likely Britain’s Amir Khan or Argentina’s Marcos Maidana—in May. Bradley, from Palm Springs, Calif., is 31-0 with 12 KOs. ■
Canada aims to “maintain the gain” in Sochi
CALGARY—The goal is the same, but will be harder to achieve without the advantage of home ice and snow. Winning more medals than any other country is Canada’s objective at the 2014 Winter Olympic in Sochi, Russia, as it was four years ago in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C. Media watchdog blasts Sochi restrictions
SOCHI—An international journalism watchdog on Tuesday criticized Russian authorities for restricting news coverage of preparations for the Sochi Olympics. The New Yorkbased Committee to Protect Journalists detailed in a report how Russian and international journalists have been harassed
and prevented from covering sensitive stories in Sochi such as the abuse of migrant workers and environmental issues. Tiger Woods isn’t concerned about his round of 79 at Torrey Pines
SAN DIEGO—Tiger Woods says not to read too much into his 79 and early exit from Torrey Pines, and he’s right. Days like that are bound to happen even to the best players. So maybe he’s just catching up on lost time. Or it could be that Father Time is catching up with him. Baseball looking to pitchers extra protection
give
NEW YORK—Big league pitchers might feel safer on the mound this season. Major League Baseball has approved a protective cap for pitchers, hoping to reduce the effects of being hit in the head by line drives. ■
HOROSCOPE ARIES
CANCER
LIBRA
CAPRICORN
(MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)
(JUNE 22 - JULY 22)
(SEPT 23 - OCT 22)
(DEC 22 - JAN 19)
Today may start out being a very frustrating day, Aries. Be prepared! Some equipment with which you work might suddenly go out of order and it could take a while to get it fixed. A temporary separation from a romantic partner could also be disappointing. You may have a lot of physical energy for which you have little immediate outlet. Take a long walk.
Today you’re likely to be feeling especially passionate, sexy, and desirous of a romantic encounter, Cancer. You might even have a hot date scheduled. However, don’t be surprised if it has to be postponed for reasons beyond the control of either you or your partner. If you can’t do otherwise, you might try to sublimate those feelings through creative activities.
Money matters might be weighing on the mind of a close friend or lover and your advice could be sought. A creative project of some kind may require a larger expenditure of money, time, or other resources than you originally thought, and this could have you wondering if you’ll be able to continue with it. It might take a little corner cutting on your part.
Some good but surprising news about a group with which you may be affiliated could come your way today, Capricorn. Perhaps fundraising activities have been more successful than you thought, or perhaps recognition is coming your way. A lot of paperwork may have to be completed before this can be made to work for you, however. In the evening, go out with your friends and celebrate.
TAURUS
LEO
SCORPIO
AQUARIUS
(APRIL 20 - MAY 20)
(JULY 23 - AUGUST 22)
(OCT 23 - NOV 21)
(JAN 20 - FEB 18)
Your level of artistic inspiration is very high today, Taurus. Dreams or meditation may have brought up some spiritual insights and revelations for you, and you may have promptly forgotten them upon coming out of your dream or meditative state. This could prove very frustrating for you! Try writing them down even if you only remember snatches. This can actually bring them to the surface again.
A female visitor who might have a few problems might come to your door wanting advice and sympathy, Leo. She could have some other news that could come as a shock to you. A crisis on the job might make it necessary for you or your partner to spend most of the time today away from home and family. This could be frustrating, particularly if you have to cancel your plans.
You might have visitors, Scorpio, or even a hot date scheduled for tonight, but by mid-afternoon you might be feeling too tired to go through with it and wondering if you should cancel. It’s best to keep your activities low key. Have coffee and snacks at home instead of going out, and get the snacks from the store! Your evening is likely to be full of exciting and stimulating conversations.
Some upsetting news regarding money could throw you into a bit of a dither today, Aquarius. Perhaps a check you’ve been expecting hasn’t arrived on time, or maybe the bank has made a computer error regarding your account. It’s nothing that can’t be straightened out, though it’s going to be a pain making all of those phone calls. Basically, all should be going very well for you. This is only a temporary hindrance.
GEMINI
VIRGO
SAGITTARIUS
PISCES
(MAY 21 - JUNE 21)
(AUG 23 - SEPT 22)
(NOV 22 - DEC 21)
(FEB 19 - MAR 20)
A delivery of some kind that you were expecting to come from far away might be delayed, causing you to wonder if it might have been lost. It hasn’t, Gemini; it’s just delayed. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do but wait. Equipment you use on the job could go out of whack today, necessitating calling in a repairman. This could set your work back some and make you a bit antsy.
Tasks of any kind are all likely to seem like the labors of Hercules today, Virgo. Overwork and nerve strain could have you feeling a little bit under the weather today, and it might be a good idea for you to take some time alone to rest. If you can’t do that, at least try to take things easy. Some unexpected changes in your community might have your neighbors’ tongues wagging.
Deliveries you may be expecting could be delayed or held up. Today you might learn something shocking about a neighbor or relative, and gossip might spread very rapidly through your community. You could pay visits to a few people nearby, Sagittarius, or spend a lot of time on the phone trying to learn the truth. Don’t take anything you hear today at face value.
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A temporary setback with regard to your career might have you feeling a bit disoriented right now, Pisces. Modern equipment of some kind might be involved. Don’t make yourself crazy; this is only temporary and will be straightened out. Basically, you’re probably feeling quite optimistic for the future and not likely to change that energy any time soon.
FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
42
CANADA
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? Times Tel, the leading long distance provider primarily for the ethnic market, has a brand new addition to our Telemarketing department to fill with a group of strong, qualified, professional and sharp sales associates who will make outbound calls to existing customers! These positions are in Richmond, British Columbia. The ideal candidate should be enthusiastic and possess professionalism, great listening and closing skills. Must have a positive attitude and the availability to work from 11am until 7pm Mondays to Fridays and weekends. Basic computer skills, communication skills and phone skills are a must! Interested candidates please submit your resume with cover letter to hr@timestelecom.ca.
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FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2014
43
Travel
Yukon Yonder: Adventures in the Wild BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer “LARGER THAN life.” That’s Yukon’s travel slogan. But if you look up ‘Yukon’ online, you will find out that it is the smallest of the three federal territories in the westernmost region of Canada. Its capital is Whitehorse and it is home to Canada’s tallest mountain— Mount Logan at almost 6000m above sea level. Despite its size, Yukon is full of adventures that tickles the fancy of all sorts of travelers, be it the thrill-seeking type or the science nerd. According to TravelYukon. com, “more than 80 percent of Yukon is wilderness.” Though small in size, Yukon is home to legendary wilderness parks like Kluane, Tombstone, Herschel Island, Chilkoot, Ivvavik, Fishing Branch; as well as famous rivers like Alsek, Tatshenshini, Snake, Wind, Firth, and Yukon River—where the territory got its name. Unforgettable encounters
with all sorts of wildlife will keep your blood pumping. Encounters with caribous, wolves, and even grizzly bears are not for the faint-hearted. Endless activities await those who dare to escape to the rugged outdoors at Yukon: hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, dogsledding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing. If you prefer aquatic activities, Yukon is also amenable to water sports
like canoeing, fishing, rafting, and even get to experience unique-to-Yukon activities like the “Whitehorse fish ladder.” Families, groups of friends, and even solo travelers will surely enjoy the wonder of nature in Yukon. If you time your trip accordingly, you can witness Yukon’s festivities like the Yukon International Storytelling Festival, Frostbite Music Festival, Dawson Music Festival, Yukon Quest,
and Sourdough Rendezvous. Lastly, because of its location, the Aurora Borealis can be seen in all its glory from Yukon. Tourists from all over the globe flock to Yukon to see the Northern Lights and the best time to visit is from late August to midApril. In order to get the most out of your Yukon trip, book a tour package with reputable and trained professional guides. “Yukon Wild adventure com-
panies offer tours for groups, families, and independent travellers that will exceed expectations. Yukon Wild member operators are licensed under the Wilderness Tourism Licensing Act of the Yukon. These adventure experts also support eco-tourism best practices as outlined in Wilderness Tourism Association of the Yukon's code of conduct for operating wilderness tours.” – www. travelyukon.com ■
Experience rich and unique adventures in Aboriginal Canada BY MARGO PFEIFF The Canadian Tourism Commission EXPERIENCING CANADA from an Aboriginal perspective is a unique adventure that allows you to connect hands-on with the history, nature, culture and traditions of the First Nations. Bake bannock bread over an open fire, brew tea from native plants you picked yourself or create your own traditional drum. Sleep in a tipi on warm buffalo hides or hear stories from Inuit elders about a nomadic life lived on the tundra. Stay overnight in a First Nation’s community-owned lodge before seeking out sacred white
spirit bears in the world’s largest intact rainforest. Here’s a glimpse of First Nations-based adventures: Set sail on board Maple Leaf Adventures’ classic Canadian schooner to explore the southern archipelago of Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) off northern British Columbia’s coast. Voyage amid moss-draped rainforestislands to former villages such as SGaang Gwaii, a UNESCO World Heritage site where rare clusters of carved Haida mortuary poles tilt with age. Appreciate rich native art and traditions at the Haida Heritage Centre, then step back on board to savour meals that include the local prawns, crab and sea
asparagus you foraged yourself. Journey back a thousand years to live in a real tipi on sacred land a tBlackfoot Crossing Historical Park in the Bow River Valley near Calgary, AB. Take part in pow-wow dancing and singing, and sample traditional foods such as buffalo meat and Saskatoon berry soup. Gather around a campfire with members of the Blackfoot community, listening to elders’
legends and buffalo-hunt tales. Then bed down under the stars in your own tipi. Join international researchers in remote northern Labrador for a glimpse into an ancient hunter/ gatherer lifestyle at the Inuit Torngat Mountains Base Camp. Learn about climate change at the research station while interacting with Inuit youth and Parks Canada staff. Hike and cruise along iceberg-dotted fjords, on
the lookout for caribou, whales, polar bears and ancient archaeological sites. Hear Inuit elders’ stories around a beach campfire before sleeping beneath the midnight sun. Check into the luxurious longhouse-inspired Huron Wendat Heritage/Hotel-Musee Premiere Nations north of Québec City, QC, a unique hotel and museum operated by the local First Nations people. Learn to canoe on a river. Take part in a pow-wow and try to shoot a bow and arrow. Learn what it takes to be a shaman. Enjoy northern forest delicacies such as bison, pheasant, caribou, fiddleheads and home-smoked fish before settling into an Aboriginal-inspired spa treatment. ■
Business
JANUARY 31, 2014
FRIDAY 44
YAMANG PANGKINABUKASAN
Things you need to know about RRSPs MANY PEOPLE aware of Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) are one of the most popular investment vehicles for Canadians and make a contribution at RRSP season. The Survey done by BMO indicated that 43 percent of Canadians plan to contribute this year, but this, too, is down from 50 per cent in 2013. Contributing to an RRSP is one way to reduce the amount you owe at tax year however; household debt is at an all-time high. The most common reason for most people is after all their bills and expenses; they've just got no cash to spare for RRSPs. So paying down debt seems a top priority for many. According to Statistics Canada, Canadian households spend about $1.65 for every dollar earned. It’s reality when you have to pay your credit card bills with 29-per-cent interest.
But it doesn’t change the need to look at the long-term picture and save what you can. Old Age Security payments
and Canada Pension Plan benefits will together provide only a basic retirement income. Mostly the gap between a basic and a more comfortable retirement can be made up with an RRSP frequently. Since RRSP contributions are tax-deductible, significant upfront tax savings can result. For instance, a $5,000 contribution from someone with a taxable income of $60,000 generates tax savings of $1,450 to $1,919, depending on the province of residence. According to Fiscal Agents, amount in an RRSP at age 65, assuming an initial contribution of $2,000, sub-
sequent annual contributions of $2,000 and compound annual growth of six percent: • If started at age 25: $330,095 • If started at age 35 : $169,603 • If started at age 45 : $79,985 Start as soon as you have an income and file a tax return. Every individual who works, files a Canadian income tax return, a Canadian citizen and look forward secure retirement should consider having an RRSP. December 31 of the year you turn 71 year of age is last day you can make a contribution to your RRSP. In other words, it’s eligible for anyone under the age of 71 who has earned income to save for retirement. You can also contribute to an RRSP under which your spouse or common-law partner is the annuitant until the end of the year your spouse or common-law partner turns 71. For 2014, the maximum RRSP contribution limit is $24,270. Comparing to the last year 2013, $450 of RRSP contribution limit has been increased for this year. You can deduct
previous contributions from 1991 forward, if you did not deduct them for any other year and if they are not more than your deduction limit for 2014. Therefore, your RRSP contribution limit for 2014 may be more than $24,270. In an RRSP your money is tax-sheltered, so it can grow faster. In general, any income you earned in the RRSP is usually exempt from tax as long as the funds remain in the plan; you generally have to pay tax when you receive payments from the plan. ■ If you have any questions, book a free appointment with “YAMANG PANGKINABUKASAN” RRSP expert team. 778 554 1114 or ep8301@gmail.com For more information about this topic and other valuable financial information listen to our weekly radio program – “YAMANG PANGKINABUKASAN” every Saturday from 1:30pm to 2pm on JUAN Radio 96.1 FM, hosted by Surrinder Varpaul and Kuya Boy.
Torries announce... middle of the Olympics is a “triumph of politics over economic reality,” said former Liberal finance minister Ralph Goodale. “They obviously don’t want much attention (on) this budget, so bury it when people will be paying attention to other things.” A majority of Canadians are expected to follow the Olympics closely, albeit not as much as they did during the 2010 Games in Vancouver, suggests a new Harris-Decima poll provided to The Canadian Press. Women’s hockey, curling, skating and speedskating are among the events on the Sochi schedule for Feb. 11, with finals in snowboarding, cross-country and freestyle skiing. The Harper government has long touted its economic stewardship as a key strength, something Flaherty said would be underscored in the budget. But he offered no new hints as to what the document might hold. Flaherty has, however, played down the idea that there might ❰❰ 18
be some goodies coming, insisting such spending would have to wait until after the books are balanced. “I’m not going to spend a lot of money, but I’m not the only person who makes these decisions,” he said earlier in the day after a meeting with economists. But he said there may be more money down the road for programs like the Canada Job Grant, which the provinces have resisted, saying it would claw back existing federal funds for provincially run programs. “There will be room for more money in the government of Canada in the next several years because we’ve been careful and we’ve paid down the deficit and we’ll be in a position to have room to move on various issues.” But a spokesman for Employment Minister Jason Kenney said there would be no new money for the contentious skills training program. Flaherty also waved off suggestions that the books could end up balanced a year earlier
From the 2011 Canada Winter Games. PHOTO FROM HTTP://EPTERRANOVA.BLOGSPOT.COM/
than expected, but didn’t dismiss the idea entirely. The government takes a “substantial” $3-billion adjustment for risk, Flaherty said. But given the substantial cost of major floods in Alberta and New Brunswick this year, “we’re being prudent,” he added. Ottawa took a $3-billion hit from the Alberta floods alone, so Flaherty has built in a cushion in order to be able to respond to future unforeseen events. www.canadianinquirer.net
“We know we’re on track to balance in 2015-16, and we said when we ran the deficit, because of the great recession, we said we would balance in the medium term and we’ll balance in the medium term,” he said. “But we’re going to be cautious in the meantime.” The new budget will continue to focus on jobs and economic growth, he told the Commons. Royal Bank economist Craig Wright said he thinks it’s feasible that the Conservatives
could eliminate the deficit in the 2014-15 fiscal year, which begins in April. “We would not be shocked to see them come into balance that year if they chose to,” Wright said. Flaherty is projecting a deficit of $5.5 billion in the upcoming budget, along with $3 billion in reserves, Wright said. “Then you just need a small swing on any of these big measures—either revenue or expenditure— to get back in balance.” ■
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Metro-Vancouver Korean Community’s Outpouring of Support to the Filipino Community COQUITLAM, BC—The Honourable Yonah Martin held a media conference with Eunice Oh (Chair), Young-ran Chin (President) and Aekyung Woo (Director) of the Rose of Sharon Foundation on January 21, 2014 to discuss the successful fundraising campaign in support of the people of the Philippines in the typhoon devastated regions. On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines killing 6,201, injuring 27,665 and leaving 1,785 people missing. Today’s media conference focused on the fundraising efforts made by the Rose of Sharon Foundation for the Philippines Relief Fund. The Foundation was able to raise $40,301.83 (matched by the Government of Canada to double the impact) in a very short time, thanks to their dedicated members and volunteers and supporters. The funds were raised going door to door to businesses in Korea Town, canvassing outside Korean supermarkets; and through collections by the Korean Church Association, several other churches and community organizations. Eunice Oh estimates that more than $200,000 was raised by the larger community through other coordinating groups, in addition to the Foundation. As Irene Yatco, in listening to the success of the campaign, so aptly stated: “The strong outpouring of support from the Korean community shows the true spirit of friendship and charity.” The Rose of Sharon Foundation was founded in 2009 to raise funds to help charitable causes as well as volunteer at community events. The Foundation is based in Coquitlam, BC but serves the
Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editor Melissa Remulla-Briones editor@canadianinquirer.net Associate Editor Laarni de Paula Correspondents Gigi Astudillo Angie Duarte Katherine Marfal Frances Grace Quiddaoen Ching Dee Socorro Newland
(left to right): Senator Yonah Martin, Young-ran Chin, Eunice Oh, Amy Sundberg, Aekyung Woo and Irene Yatco
Photographers Angelo Siglos Danvic Briones Operations and Marketing Head Laarni de Paula (604) 551-3360 laarni.liwanag@canadianinquirer.net Advertising Sales Alice Yong (778) 889-3518 alice.yong@canadianinquirer.net Antonio Tampus (604) 460-9414 antonio.tampos@canadianinquirer.net PHILIPPINE PUBLISHING GROUP Editorial Assistant Phoebe Casin
(left to right): Eunice Oh, Aekyung Woo, Young-ran Chin, Amy Sundberg and Irene Yatco
entire metro-Van region. All of the money raised goes to charities, and all of the expenses of fundraising are absorbed
by the members and volunteers of the Foundation. 100% of the funds collected are re-distributed. ■
So, what... For someone who came somewhere in the last fighting chapter of her career, it was so heartening to realize that here, age is never an impediment to break new grounds and achieve because most companies do not impose any age to retire. Amazingly, you will feel so young—as if Pandora’s Box just opened up before you and suddenly, the world is your stage. Hold it—that in itself could present a problem. If you are not able to clearly define who you want to do when you arrive, the myriad of options will only confuse you and make things even more difficult to grasp. The possibilities that are before you are just that—mere possibilities. You have to fit into yourself or make yourself fit in and that should start with defining what you want and knowing exactly ❰❰ 22
Graphic Designer Victoria Yong
where you want go. For those who were still young when they migrated, it looks like there is plenty of time. But for those who are not as young as they used to be, then time is of the essence. It is not that you should hurry. The point is for you to focus on what you really want to achieve and immediately set sail towards it. Remember that as the clock ticks, your pension or RRSP ticks as well. The later you get into a job, the shorter your chances are of achieving the retirement that you envision. Once you move to a more progressive country, you will soon discover that it can be a land of great opportunities. The new things you can do or become may confuse you, so define and focus on what you really want and where you want to go. Time is of the essence. The faster you can do that, the better the impact on
your future and your retirement years. ■ Nobody ever said that our journey will be easy. But as I write and as you read, we share our strengths and we can hold to the promise that “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them,” Matthew 18:20. Bolet Arevalo is a marketing communications practitioner who also dabbles in writing. She is the author and publisher of the book The Most Practical Immigrating and Job Hunting Survival Guide: Proven simple steps to success without the fears and the doubts. The book is available in Amazon. com, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, the Reading Room, as well as National Book Store and Power Books in the Philippines. For more information, you can visit: https:// www.amazon.com/author/boletarevalo.
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Graphic Designer Shanice Garcia Associate Publisher Lurisa Villanueva In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer digital edition Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 400-13955 Bridgeport Rd., Richmond, BC V6V 1J6 Canada Tel. No.: 1-888-668-6059 or 778-8893518 | Email: info@canadianinquirer. net, inquirerinc@gmail.com, sales@ canadianinquirer.net Philippine Canadian Inquirer is published weekly every Friday. Copies are distributed free throughout Metro Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto. The views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editorial Team. Member
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