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VOL. 3 NO. 108
MARCH 28, 2014
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7
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School year starts in August for UP
Erwin Tulfo files P12-M libel suit vs PDI over pork story
Gasoline down, diesel up
Filipino-Canadian in Focus: Manny Yanga
A PCI Special: Mystery of Malaysia Flight 370
UN: 2013 extreme weather due to human induced climate change warming the Earth BY JOHN HEILPRIN The Associated Press
PORK PLUNDER Youth leaders from various universities press their demand for Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to file charges against suspected pork plunderers in the Sandiganbayan, almost six months after the Department of Justice filed the complaints. PHOTO BY MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
Malaysia jet crash remains a mystery BY ADAM GELLER AND KRISTEN GELINEAU The Associated Press OVER AN extraordinary 17 days and nights, until the moment Malaysia’s prime minister stepped to a lectern to deliver investigators’ sobering new findings, the fate of vanished Flight 370 hung on morbid conjecture and fragile hope. Many previous tragedies have transfixed us by revealing their power in cruel detail. But the disappearance of the Bei-
jing-bound Boeing 777 without warning or explanation captivated imaginations around the world in no small part because of the near vacuum of firm information or solid leads. Nothing solid, that is, until late Monday night, when Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that an analysis of the plane’s last-known signals to a satellite showed that it went down somewhere in the desolate waters of the southern Indian Ocean—and that all on board perished.
❱❱ PAGE 19 UN: 2013
Philippine Canadian Inquirer
facebook.com/ PhilippineCanadianInquirer
SLEX bus accident injures at least 45 people PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA OLIQUINO
❱❱ PAGE 9 Malaysia jet
GENEVA—The head of the U.N. weather agency said Monday that recent extreme weather patterns are “consistent” with human-induced climate change, citing key events that wreaked havoc in Asia, Europe, the U.S. and Pacific region last year. Michel Jarraud, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, said his agency’s annual assessment of the global climate shows how dramatically people and lands everywhere felt the impacts of extreme weather such as droughts, heat waves, floods and tropical cyclones.
❱❱ PAGE 12
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MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 2
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Philippine News
3 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
New power rates out; not low enough, say critics BY RIZA T. OLCHONDRA Philippine Daily Inquirer RECOMPUTED ELECTRICITY spot market prices in Luzon, including the franchise area of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), may drop nearly 80 percent lower than those originally billed to distribution utilities. However, this may not be low enough to spare consumers from the huge rate increases last December and January that stemmed from simultaneous shutdowns of power plants while the Malampaya gas pipeline was shuttered for scheduled maintenance. ERC order
Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), which operates the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), said on Tuesday that it had recalculated rates for November and December 2013, which resulted in proposed record rate hikes in Meralco bills in December 2013 and January 2014. In compliance with the Energy Regulatory Commission ( ERC) order of March 3, PEMC said it set the new spot market rates at P6.007 ( 76.35 percent lower) than the P25.404 per kWh for the billing month of December. For the billing month of January, the applicable PEMC rate was changed to P6.246 (77.98 percent lower) than the original P28.367 per kWh. The recalculated spot market rates, which PEMC and the ERC refer to as “regulated rates” as opposed to “market rates,” may not necessarily mean a
EXPERIENCED, TENACIOUS, EFFECTIVE.
refund for Meralco customers, officials said. P2.43 per kWh
However, it could at least result in a lower increase than the record P4.15 per kWh increase in generation and related charges that Meralco sought and that the ERC approved in December. The rate increase is covered by a temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court that ends next month. According to PEMC’s initial estimates, the original proposed increase of P4.15 per kWh for December may become roughly P2.43 per kWh and the original proposed hike of P5.33 per kWh for January may drop to P3.02 per kWh. However, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said it was Meralco that would have to compute how much its spot market exposure was for December and January, and then apply for its new proposed rates at the ERC. “We are waiting for the invoice that PEMC will submit to us and then we will come up with new rates based on recalculation. Then we have to inform and advise the ERC. The process dictates that we reflect whatever the order of the commission will be. Based on reports, it appears the rates are lower but as to the final figure we can’t give one yet,” Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said in a phone interview. PEMC president Melinda L. Ocampo said in a statement that PEMC would issue the WESM bills yesterday using the regulated prices, with the exception of Meralco’s November bill. “Thereafter, we will file our report to the ERC.”
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Meralco’s November bill is reflected in consumers’ December bills, which was the subject of the Supreme Court TRO. Significant reduction
ERC Executive Director Francis Saturnino Juan said in a text message, “Charge reduction of Meralco will be significant.” Juan cautioned, however, that the quasi-judicial body would have to wait for Meralco’s computation of the WESM impact on the pass-through generation charge and related taxes before making any further pronouncements or orders concerning price. The WESM price reduction may also have an impact on Meralco’s bills from bilateral supply contracts, Juan said. Meralco’s own power suppliers sometimes source power from the spot market to meet their contractual commitments. Bayan Muna expressed disappointment with the latest PEMC computation. Far from satisfying
Rep. Neri Colmenares said the recomputation was far from satisfying considering that there should have been no power rate increase in the first place because Meralco, the generation companies and other power players, according to him, had colluded to jack up the price of electricity.
Rep. Neri Colmenares said the recomputation was far from satisfying considering that there should have been no power rate increase in the first place because Meralco, the generation companies and other power players, according to him, had colluded to jack up the price
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of electricity. “In fact, aside from not increasing the power rates they should be penalized for their collusion and market manipulation,” he said. Colmenares said the recomputation was still subject to the final say of Meralco. “Meaning this computation can still be jacked up by Meralco, which is truly absurd. It is like asking a criminal what reward it wants,” he said. Voided
On March 11, the ERC voided its earlier approval of the staggered implementation of the P4.15 per kWh increase by nullifying WESM prices in December and January, and ordering spot-market administrators to recalculate their prices for the period. The ERC said the WESM prices last year seem to be “unjustified” and “not competitive,” considering the many plant outages and “under-offers” of power capacity during the supply period. The ERC also ordered PEMC to issue a new billing to Meralco seven days from March 11. Juan said the ERC had found basis to intervene in the market after determining that the WESM prices during the period could not qualify as reasonable, rational and competitive due to the confluence of factors accompanying the tight supply. ■
Philippine News
MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 4
UP Diliman profs, instructors vote to move start of school year to August BY JULIE M. AURELIO Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—A faculty body at the University of the Philippines Diliman on Monday approved a plan to shift the academic calendar, with the opening of classes now in August 2014. The Diliman University Council voted for the proposed shift, with 284 for the shift and 164 against it. Eight abstained from the voting. The council, composed of all assistant professors and full professors, held a special meeting to decide on the controversial change in the academic calendar, which has already been adopted by U.P.’s seven other constituent universities. The Diliman chancellor, Dr. Michael Tan presided the meeting on Monday morning, said
U.P. vice president for public affairs Dr. Prospero de Vera. De Vera was one of those who attended the special session, which lasted three hours at the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center. “It was a lengthy discussion. The voting was specific, whether to approve the shift of opening of classes to August 2014,” he said in an interview. A recent faculty referendum showed that 647 of the 954 regular faculty members are in favor of the shift, 499 of which want the implementation this year. Meanwhile, 281 out of 293 instructors voted for the proposed calendar, and 86 voted for the current calendar. Of the 281 instructors, 215 voted for the shift to be implemented this year, while 67 voted for it to be implemented next year. De Vera said the referendum was treated as an “opinion
poll,” after which the voting proceeded. The University Student Council, a student government in U.P. Diliman, also held a campus-wide consultation, which showed that 1,834 out of 2,728 students approving of the shift. Tan is poised to write the Board of Regents, the highest decision-making body in the university, to seek approval and authority to shift the calendar. The BOR is expected to take up the matter in a meeting on March 27. De Vera said this process was also observed by the chancellors of seven other constituent universities who had approved the shift – U.P. Manila, U.P. Los Banos, U.P. Baguio, U.P. Visayas, U.P. Mindanao, U.P. Open University and the U.P. College in Cebu. “The BOR approved the shift in those constituent universi-
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The Diliman University Council voted for the proposed shift, with 284 for the shift and 164 against it. Eight abstained from the voting. PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG
ties on a pilot basis, meaning, all possible problems with the schedule in each constituent university must be threshed out by the next school year in 2015,” the official explained. This means that all U.P. academic units, save for its secondary education programs, will open its classes in August this year. Under the new scheme, classes in U.P. campuses will open in
August, with the first semester ending in December. Classes for the second semester will resume in January and end in May, while the “summer term” will be from June to July. Once the BOR officially approves U.P. Diliman’s shift to the August-May schedule, it will be up to Tan and the executive council, which is composed of college deans, to formulate the new schedule. ■
Philippine News
5 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Tiamzons had ‘no guns; just 4 cats and 3 puppies’ when arrested BY MARLON RAMOS AND CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Is keeping cats and puppies a crime? Lawyers of Benito Tiamzon and his wife, Wilma, denied Monday that the two communist leaders were in possession of firearms and explosives when they were arrested in Cebu province last Saturday. “They had three puppies and four cats in their vehicle when they were arrested. Our question is, ‘How did the cats and puppies become firearms and explosives?’” lawyer Rachelle Pastores told reporters. “In the first place, the police already conducted an inventory after the arrest in Cebu, but they did not include the firearms, explosives and ammunition supposedly seized from (the Tiamzons),” Pastores added. Pastores and another lawyer walked out of the inquest proceeding of the criminal case the police filed against the couple, claiming the process presided over by government prosecutors in Camp Crame in Quezon City was invalid. Edre Olalia dismissed as an “afterthought” the case for illegal possession of firearms and explosives that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed against the Tiamzons and their five companions. “This case was just filed (on Monday) as an afterthought to justify their continued detention, particularly against the five persons who just happened to be with the Tiamzons at the time of the arrest,” Olalia told the Inquirer. Planting
The lawyer also accused the police of “planting” the four handguns, two grenades and several rounds of ammunition allegedly seized from the group. “If they were really captured with those firearms, why didn’t the police seek their inquest in Cebu after they were arrested on Saturday? Why did they fail to present and include in their report the guns and explosives supposedly confiscated from
the group?” Olalia asked. “They know they did not have a case, especially against the five. That’s why they rushed to file the case.” The military said Tiamzon, 63, is the chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which has been waging one of the longest-running Maoist insurgencies in the world, while his wife is the head of its finance committee. Tiamzon is also said to be the head of the CPP’s armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA). The couple were arrested by police and military personnel around 3 p.m. on Saturday in Barangay (village) Zaragosa, Aloguinsan town, along with five others—Nona Castillo, Joel Enano, Arlene Panea, Rex Villaflor and Jeosi Nepa. The military initially described the five as members of the CPP’s central committee, but later said they were actually “staff personnel” of the Tiamzons. Pastores said the couple’s lawyers were not informed by the CIDG that their clients would undergo inquest proceeding on Monday when they visited them at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame on Sunday. “We decided to leave the proceeding because it was highly irregular. We will not participate in a questionable process. We will not recognize this process,” Pastores told reporters. Pastores also questioned the authority of the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors who handled the proceeding, saying they had no jurisdiction over the case since the offense allegedly committed happened in Cebu. “The inquest proceeding is held immediately after a person is arrested. But this case was filed belatedly, beyond the allowable 36-hour period within which authorities should file a case against individuals arrested without warrant,” Pastores told reporters. “Unless there is a court order, DOJ prosecutors cannot just change the venue of the inquest. The lawyers were not informed that there would be an inquest against our clients,” she said.
Lawyers of Benito Tiamzon and his wife, Wilma, denied Monday that the two communist leaders were in possession of firearms and explosives when they were arrested in Cebu province last Saturday. PHOTO FROM INQUIRER.NET
No warrants for five
Pastores noted that only the Tiamzons were the subject of the warrant that the military and police used in arresting them and not the five other individuals. She said they raised their opposition with the DOJ panel of prosecutors, headed by Assistant State Prosecutor Niven Canlapan, but they “unilaterally” continued with the proceeding held on the second floor of the PNP multipurpose building in Camp Crame. “If the (CIDG) insists that there is a valid case for illegal possession of firearms, we will hold the police officers who presented these alleged illegal firearms liable criminally and administratively,” she said. “As far as we are concerned, the police presented nothing but pieces of planted evidence.” Part of defense
Sought for comment, Senior Supt. Roberto Fajardo, chief of the CIDG National Capital Region, played down Olalia’s claims, saying it was natural for the lawyers to defend their clients. “It’s part of their defense. As DOJ prosecutors, they have the authority to conduct inquest proceedings anywhere. But the trial will be held in Cebu,” Fajardo said. The husband and wife, tagged by the military as the “power couple” of the communist insurgency, remained defiant even after their arrest. Fight continues
“Tuloy ang laban (The fight continues),” shouted Tiamzon as he was led by policemen out of a building in Camp Crame where he and Wilma were presented to government prosecutors. In an orange prison shirt www.canadianinquirer.net
with his hands cuffed behind his back, Tiamzon appeared calm as members of the media mobbed him before he was escorted to a waiting PNP bus. Wilma, who looked frail and weak, took the chance to extend her congratulations to the NPA, which will celebrate its 45th founding anniversary on March 29. “The NPA is continuing to gain strength nationwide. The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) will never defeat the NPA,” she said in Filipino. In a handwritten statement in Filipino, the Tiamzon couple demanded their “immediate release from illegal and unjustified arrest.” They insisted that they were covered by the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig). “NDF (National Democratic Front) consultants like us play an important role in the peace negotiations. (Government chief negotiator) Alex Padilla should not claim that NDF consultants cannot carry out their role just because they have returned underground,” the couple said in a statement read by Cristina Palabay, secretary general of the human rights group Karapatan. Safe conduct passes
Pastores maintained that the Tiamzons were covered by Jasig, which the peace panels of the government and the NDF, the CPP’s political arm, signed in 1995. In fact, she said the couple both presented their safe conduct pass when police accosted them, but the arresting officers allegedly ignored and confiscated the cards. “The cards had not been returned to them,” she said.
Arrests proper
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the Tiamzons could not invoke immunity guarantees because there was no validation that they were covered by Jasig. Even if the couple were covered, the Jasig could not be implemented because of the stalled peace talks, De Lima said. She said the police and military did right in arresting the couple because they were covered with outstanding and valid arrest warrants for two cases. These included murder and frustrated murder charges filed against them in Northern Samar as well as multiple murder charges, this time involving the discovery of mass grave sites of communist members allegedly purged in the ’80s. Speaking to reporters, the justice secretary said that there was “failed verification” on the part of the government peace panel that checked whether the Tiamzons were indeed covered by Jasig. “Even then, assuming arguendo, that they are indeed Jasig-covered, they cannot invoke … safety and immunity guarantees because (the Jasig mechanism) presupposes the existence of peace negotiations and we all know that the peace negotiations have not yet resumed,” De Lima said. She added that Jasig does not shield those facing a criminal case. “The Jasig mechanism I suppose is not meant to undermine the criminal justice system.” She said the arrest warrants of the Tiamzons had not been nullified and went through the right process. “(S)o it can be implemented.” ■
Philippine News
MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 6
De Lima: Media payoffs to be probed BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO AND NANCY C. CARVAJAL Philippine Daily Inquirer NO SACRED COWS in the pork barrel investigations. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima stressed this following claims by a new set of whistleblowers that at least two broadcast journalists benefited from the diversion of more than P1 billion from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) by state-owned National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) to dubious nongovernment organizations (NGOs). “We will evaluate first the sworn statements of the Nabcor whistleblowers,” De Lima said in text messages to reporters. De Lima said she would have copies this week of the affidavits of former Nabcor officials Rhodora Mendoza and Vicente Cacal submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman alleging that upon instructions of 83 law-
makers the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture channeled P1.7 billion of their PDAF allocations to questionable NGOS from 2007 to 2009. Most of these NGOs were allegedly controlled by Janet LimNapoles, the alleged mastermind of the P10-billion racket that siphoned funds meant to ease rural poverty to kickbacks and ghost projects. Asked whether there would be no sacred cows in this investigation of alleged involvement of journalists, De Lima said, “Of course.” Mendoza and Cacal claimed Erwin Tulfo, a TV5 news anchor, and Carmelo del Prado Magdurulang, a GMA7 radio talk show host, were among the beneficiaries of the diversion of the pork barrel funds coursed through Nabcor and subsequently to ghost projects of bogus foundations. They said a check for P245,535 was issued to Tulfo on March 10, 2009, from a Nabcor account at United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB), Tektite
Branch, PSE Center, in Ortigas, Pasig City. Magdurulang allegedly received three checks in 2009 totaling to P245,535—all drawn from the same corporate account in UCPB. The checks were described in the accompanying vouchers as “advertising expenses,” according to the documents submitted to the Ombudsman and made available to the INQUIRER. Mendoza said a third broadcast journalist also received P2 million from Nabcor as payoff to stop criticism of the agency. However, she did not have documentation to support her claim against this journalist. She said she submitted the checks and accompanying documents to the Ombudsman because these were “questionable.” “I have no other motive but to show proof of irregularities at Nabcor,” Mendoza told the INQUIRER. She said she never had any personal contacts or transactions with the journalists. “I only
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dealt w i t h documents and I happened to question the payments because they were not accompanied by certificates of performance. It was not personal. It was just in the course of my job.” In a statement yesterday concerning Magdurulang, Mike Enriquez, consultant for radio operations of GMA, said: “GMA Network places strict and utmost importance on the professional and ethical conduct and behavior of all its employees, particularly those engaged in the field of news and public affairs in all platforms. Any and all information regarding any activity that runs counter to our core values and code of standard are taken very seriously. “In accordance with standard procedure, we will conduct a thorough investigation on any allegation of any violations. Due process will be ob-
MEDIA served and we will ensure that full sanctions will be applied if determined to be necessary. “In the meantime, we will continue to strictly adhere to the standards of professional and personal behavior as required by our standards of professional and personal behavior and by our core values.” In an official statement on the allegations against Tulfo, TV5 said: “The station has spoken with Mr. Tulfo, who denies that he has had business dealings with Nabcor, and that any involvement he has had with the said government office were all in the course of his job as a journalist, and did not involve any monetary or business consideration whatsoever. “TV5 stands by the statement of Mr. Tulfo, but will conduct its own internal inquiry into the matter.” ■
Philippine News
7 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
2 broadcasters got checks from Nabcor BY NANCY C. CARVAJAL Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PAYOFFS, in the guise of “advertising expenses,” included prominent broadcast journalists. Erwin Tulfo, a television news anchor, and Carmelo del Prado Magdurulang, a radio talk show host, were allegedly among the beneficiaries of the diversion of congressional allocations from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) coursed through stateowned National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) and subsequently to ghost projects of bogus foundations, according to checks and accompanying documents made available to the INQUIRER. Former Nabcor officials Rhodora Mendoza and Vic Cacal said that a check for P245,535 was issued to Tulfo on March 10, 2009, drawn from a Nabcor account at United Coconut Planters’ Bank (UCPB), Tektite Branch PSE Center, Ortigas, Pasig City. Three checks were separately issued to Magdurulang byNabcor in 2009—on April 27, May 14, July 6—totaling P245,535— all drawn from the same Corporate Account No. 001960008484 in UCPB, they said. The checks were described in the accompanying vouchers as “advertising expenses,” according to documents submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman and made available to the INQUIRER. Mendoza and Cacal have sent documents to the Office of the Ombudsman purporting to show that Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Edgardo Angara and 79 representatives coursed a total of P1.7 billion in PDAF allocations through Nabcor, which then channeled the monies to dubious nongovernment organizations (NGOs), during the period 2007 to 2009. The lawmakers have denied the charges. The Ombudsman is investigating 38 people, including Enrile, Estrada and Revilla, in connection with a complaint involving the alleged diversion of P10 billion in PDAF allotments to phantom projects and kickbacks.
Mendoza also told the INQUIRER that another prominent TV and radio personality received P2 million from Nabcor president Alan Javellana on the instruction of then Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap “as payoff to stop criticisms of a Nabcor project.” “Nabcor shoulders the under-the-table expenses of DA (Department of Agriculture) on the instructions of Secretary Yap,” Cacal said. Mendoza, Cacal and Javellana are among the 38 people under investigation in connection with the P10billion PDAF scam. Mendoza and Cacal have applied to become state witnesses. Cacal said that a DA project to build a total of 708 kilometers of farm-tomarket roads and 200 units of market-related infrastructure was the subject of the supposed “advertisement.” Tulfo and Magdurulang are known as hard-hitting broadcast personalities whose shows cater to assisting aggrieved listeners. Contacted by the INQUIRER, Tulfo denied he received money from Nabcor and said he did not enter into any transaction with Javellana. “Somebody could be using my name, I want to investigate who cashed the check and what bank,” Tulfo said in a telephone interview. Magdurulang, who uses Melo del Prado as his name in his broadcasts, said when reached by phone, “Strict masyado ang GMA diyan. Ayokong magsalita (GMA is strict. I don’t want to talk).” Then the phone went dead. “Except for a voucher that justified the processing of the payments, no other documents passed our desk to justify the expenses for media men,” Cacal told INQUIRER. Apart from the broadcasters, Nabcor also hired the services of such media outfits as MEDIAaffairs Inc. and Full Circle communications for the food terminal project of DA, Mendoza said. Mendoza said that an estimated P5 billion worth of projects came from the DA’s attached agencies, such as the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, Bureau of Soil and Water Management, and the Bureau of Posts Harvest Research and Extension. ■
Whistleblowers Mendoza and Cacal claimed Erwin Tulfo, a TV5 news anchor (shown in photo), and Carmelo del Prado Magdurulang, a GMA7 radio talk show host, were among the beneficiaries of the diversion of the pork barrel funds coursed through Nabcor and subsequently to ghost projects of bogus foundations. PHOTO FROM TV5.COM.PH
Erwin Tulfo files P12-M libel suit vs PDI over pork scam story BY JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES— News anchor Erwin Tulfo filed on Monday morning a libel charge in the Quezon City prosecutor’s office against the Philippine Daily Inquirer, seeking P12 million in damages for an article allegedly implicating him as a beneficiary in the diversion of congressional pork barrel allocations. Tulfo, TV5 news anchor, named as respondents in his libel complaint Inquirer editorin-chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc; managing editor Jose Ma. Nolasco; news editor Artemio Engracia Jr; and reporter Nancy Carvajal. A March 19 PDI article had named Tulfo and another radio news program anchor as recipients of parts of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) coursed through the stateowned National Agribusiness Corp (Nabcor). Speaking to reporters, Tulfo said that in filing the libel case he wanted to clear up things. While admitting that he had received in 2009 a check for P245,535 as payment of the premiums for 3-minute advertisements in his 2-hour program then aired over DZXLwww.canadianinquirer.net
Radio Mindanao Network (RMN), he said that there was nothing illegal in the transaction. He said that as a radio broadcaster then, the 3-minute commercials were for the Department of Agriculture and not specifically for Nabcor. “Maybe it was misinterpreted by the paper (PDI). The whistleblowers had to come up with something new, something that has not been said before, to be part of the witness protection program so maybe that is why they implicated media men,” Tulfo said. He added that he was inclined to forgive and forget if the paper would make the proper rectification of the March 19 article, “Payoffs to Media Bared.” “It is very damaging to my integrity. It is very important for my name to be cleared. My credibility and integrity as a media practitioner depends on it,” Tulfo stressed. In his four-page libel complaint, Tulfo claimed that there was deviation in the facts and that the article, which branded a legitimate deal as a “payoff,” made it appear that the transaction, evidenced by an advertising contract, vouchers, and a check, was illegal. He alleged, “The word of phrase used by news reporter Nancy C. Carvajal in her item as
‘in the guise of advertising expenses’ is a mere conclusion of facts and a complete departure from the accompanying documents. Thus, it falsely and maliciously conveyed to the minds of the readers that I acquired and got (sic) benefited from the people’s money known as the PDAF through fraudulent transaction while I was then serving as a radio broadcaster of DZXL-RMN from 2006 to 2009.” He further claimed, “To add insult to injury, my name is being dragged and carried out (sic) by other media and social networking services, which implicated Ms. Janet Lim-Napoles and other government officials.” Tulfo maintained that the assertions against him in the article were “baseless, damaging and products of an irresponsible reporting with prejudiced mind.” He claimed that the article maliciously imputed to him a crime and a circumstance causing him dishonor, discredit or contempt as a prominent TV news anchor and radio broadcaster as well as mental anguish, sleepless nights and public ridicule. He said that for the alleged damage to his reputation and emotional distress caused by the article he was entitled to a P12-million compensation. ■
Philippine News
MARCH 28, 2014 FRIDAY 8
By 2015, power crisis will be Oil prices mixed; blamed on P-Noy–Serge gasoline, kerosene rates cut, diesel prices to go up BY NORMAN BORDADORA Philippine Daily Inquirer
THE COUNTRY’S thin power reserves may be blamed on former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo only until the end of this year, Sen. Sergio Osmeña III said in a radio interview. “But next year, 2015, that’s already P-Noy’s fault because he should have done something in 2010 to alleviate any power problem in 2015,” Osmeña said over dzRH. “The solution to the power shortage isn’t immediate. It needs a lead time of four to five years because you can’t put up a power plant in one month or one year. It takes 39 to 56 months to build that type. This is the basic coal plant,” he added. Osmeña, chair of the Senate committee on energy, said putting up hydroelectric power plants would require a longer time. Osmeña hit the headlines after he told reporters that President Aquino was a good man but an awful manager. He made the remark in the context of the country’s dire power supply situation. Osmeña said then that he had asked Mr. Aquino to fire Energy
BY RIZA OLCHONDRA Philippine Daily Inquirer
Secretary Jericho Petilla but his advice had fallen on deaf ears. He wanted Petilla sacked after the Department of Energy failed to prevent the power shortage caused by the scheduled maintenance of Malampaya in late 2013. He described Petilla, a former governor of Leyte, as an able manager but one whose attention was divided between his job and his political interests. “[Many] people are really disappointed with the way things are being run by this adminis-
tration because they failed to accomplish many things that could have been done,” Osmeña said. “I told them, our chance might go to waste. We could have done this. We could have fixed this but you are too slow. Teka, teka. Puro teka, teka, kayo, [You’re always asking us to wait],” he added. The senator said that until now, not one public-private partnership project had been constructed. “I said energy was quite important. If you don’t do it today, it will not happen.” ■
SC urged to affirm legality of RH Law BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer WITH TEENAGE pregnancies on the rise, proponents of the reproductive health law yesterday urged the Supreme Court to decide on the petitions challenging the measure and to uphold its constitutionality. It has been a year since the tribunal issued a status quo ante order effectively stopping the implementation of the law, but available figures continue to support the need for such a measure, according to the Purple Ribbon for RH group. The Supreme Court is expected to deliberate on the petitions against the RH law on April 8 during its summer session in Baguio City. The Purple Ribbon group’s
lead convenor, former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, said more teenage girls were getting pregnant and experiencing complications arising from pregnancies. According to the latest data from the National Statistics Office, the number of teenagers giving birth rose to 207, 898 in 2010, up from 126,025 in 2000. The number of maternal deaths of women below 20 years old also increased from 94 to 168 from 2000 to 2010. Teenage pregnancies cause complications, especially for those from impoverished families. They may be kicked out of their homes by their families and forced to stop schooling, leaving them with little resources to care for their children. Pregnant adolescents are also more likely to have un-
safe abortions, according to theWorld Health Organization. If the RH law is implemented, these teenagers can be educated on the facts about their sexuality and reproductive health, Cabral told a press briefing. The RH law contains a provision mandating age-appropriate sexuality education in public schools. “The call of the Purple Ribbon campaign to the… Justices of the Supreme Court is to take into consideration the future of the youth and women and uphold the RH law,” Cabral said in a press briefing. According to Cabral, there has been little sex education for children because adults tend to think that children do not think about sex. Catholic church leaders also object to sexuality education. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Oil firms are implementing mixed adjustments in fuel products, citing international price movements. Petron and Shell will roll back gasoline prices by P0.45 per liter and kerosene prices by P0.10 per liter. The country’s leading oil players will raise diesel prices, however, by P0.10 per liter starting 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, March 25. PTT Philippines is cutting gasoline prices by P0.45 per liter and increasing diesel by P0.10 per liter from 12:01 a.m. March 25. Phoenix Petroleum is cutting gasoline prices by P0.45 per liter and increasing diesel by P0.10 per liter from 6 a.m. March 25. Other oil firms have not made official announcements but are expected to follow suit as nearly all fuel products sold in the Philippines are imported and are subject to similar price factors. Year-to-date, there is a net decrease of P0.50 per liter at most in gasoline prices while diesel will have had a net decrease of P1.25 per liter this week from March 18 onwards. A n a l y s t s said the depreciating peso failed to drive a solid increase in domestic prices as various oil price benchmarks in the world extend losses from two previous weeks amid
rising crude supplies and slowing demand. On Thursday last week, U.S. oil prices reportedly slid below $100 a barrel amid a stronger dollar on optimism the Federal Reserve interest rate hike would come sooner-than-expected. A combination of geopolitical events in Syria, Libya, and Nigeria, and recently Russia and Ukraine, have so far prevented any significant price slide. However, in the short term, analysts said the overall picture has been pointing to a downward trend. Analysts pointed to other factors: an overall slowness in Chinese economic expansion, coupled with perceptions of oversupply. Analysts cited a recent drop in the Chinese currency and falling metal (copper, iron ore) prices as indications of slower growh in China, which rivals the U.S. as the largest oil consumer in the world. ■
Philippine News
9 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Malaysia jet... It was a turning point of sorts in one of the most perplexing mysteries of modern times. Najib’s statement offered some resolution—the plane has surely crashed—but little else. No one has found the plane, or the passengers, or the answer to why all this happened in the first place. And solving those riddles involves a search that looms dauntingly across a vast expanse of unforgiving ocean at the bottom of the earth. The puzzle of Flight 370 has been complicated by a frustrating lack of hard facts since it vanished on a night flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8. Who could say what might have happened in the cockpit or the cabin—or who or what was responsible? Who knew where the plane had gone—up or down, north or south—or what had become of its 239 passengers and crew? Hungry for answers, officials and investigators, relatives and reporters focused their questions fruitlessly on the two Iranian passengers who boarded the plane with stolen passports; then on the oil slicks in the Gulf of Thailand; then on the rumours that a Uighur passenger might have harboured anti-Chinese motives; then on the pilot’s home flight simulator. The reluctance of Malaysian officials to reveal what they knew and sometimes to offer conflicting information only seemed to feed the doubts, even after many of the nefarious scenarios suggested early on were dismissed. And with limited evidence and not even a bit of confirmed wreckage, everyone from experts on aviation and terrorism to armchair travellers was left to speculate. It may have been hard to take rocker Courtney Love seriously when she posted a photo on Facebook showing an oil slick off the coast of Malaysia and ❰❰ 1
suggested that it revealed the location of the missing plane. But when a fake news story showed up online supposedly quoting Sarah Palin as saying she believed the plane had flown directly to heaven, its plausibility hinged not on the former Alaska governor, but on the fact that just about anybody could and seemingly did have an opinion on the flight’s fate. That’s probably because most people felt connected to it and, therefore, invested in it. As Australia’s opposition leader Bill Shorten put it, “There is something about a plane disappearing which links all the citizens of the globe. These people who disappeared on this flight could be any of us.” While many of the theories presented were well-informed speculation based on deep experience and thoughtful analysis, they all had one flaw or another, and could not dispel the void. With so little to go on, families of those aboard grasped at the clouds of uncertainty, which allowed them to maintain a sense, however shaky, that that the plane might possibly be found intact, their relatives found alive. “Dearest love, I hope you are able to get some rest where you are, and that they are feeding you,” Sarah Bajc wrote last week in a Facebook post to her boyfriend, Philip Wood, a native of Texas who was on board. “Any chance they include a glass of wine with dinner?” It was one of a heartbreaking string of love notes she sent out into the electronic ether, as she clung to the hope that her partner was still alive. A few days later: “Hi baby, It has been a lazy Sunday here. I cannot imagine what you must be going through.” Later still: “Good morning baby, how are you holding up? I’m doing my best to bring you hope and courage to continue the fight.” And fight the families did—
PHOTO BY CJMAC / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
for any scrap of information that might reveal their loved ones’ fate. Gut-wrenching grief, frustration and, eventually, rage bubbled over among some of the family members, who accused the Malaysian government of withholding information. Before a news briefing in Kuala Lumpur, two Chinese relatives of passengers held up a banner demanding the truth. “I want to see my son!” one of the women cried, before being carried away by security as she wept and screamed. And then, at last, came a break—or at least, what seemed like one. On March 20, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott stunned the world when he stood up during what had been a routine session of parliament, slipped on his glasses and began to read from a statement: “New and credible information has come to light in relation to the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean,” he began. “The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has received information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search.” The objects—two blurry, whitish blobs captured in a satellite image—were located in a patch of the Indian Ocean, near absolutely nothing. The closest
www.canadianinquirer.net
major body of land was Australia’s west coast, 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) away. The hunt was on in earnest. Military planes from Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand had already been searching the area and more planes from China and Japan were sent to help, while an Australian navy supply ship, the HMAS Success, scoured the waters, some of the roughest and remotest in the world. More potential clues began popping up: A civil aircraft taking part in the search on Saturday spotted several small objects floating in the water, including a wooden pallet surrounded by straps. Could it have been from the aircraft? Malaysia Airlines confirmed the flight did, indeed, have wooden pallets on board. But pallets are also commonly used in the shipping industry. A New Zealand military aircraft tried to find the objects for closer inspection, but found only clumps of seaweed. The sense that searchers were getting close grew when more satellite data emerged; China announced it had captured a large object within the search zone on one of its satellites, and France said it had satellite data that may have identified debris from the missing
plane. More objects of potential interest were spotted by the search planes crisscrossing the skies: a grey or green circular object and an orange rectangular object. A white, square object glimpsed through a break in the clouds. The U.S. sent a Towed Pinger Locator to the region in case a debris field was found, in the hopes it could locate the plane’s so-called black box. An Australian navy support vessel, the Ocean Shield, equipped with acoustic detection equipment, was also moving into the search zone. But except for analysts’ fresh conclusion based on satellite data that the flight had gone down, there are still no hard answers. And finding the jet remains far from a certainty. For Bajc, the woman who has all along refused to give up hope that her boyfriend is still alive, Malaysia’s fatalist announcement offered little resolution. “I need closure to be certain but cannot keep on with public efforts against all odds,” she wrote in an email. “I STILL feel his presence, so perhaps it was his soul all along.” ■ Associated Press writer Aritz Parra in Beijing contributed to this report.
Philippine News
SC turns down Bong Revilla plea for TRO in plunder case
PHOTO FROM GMANETWORK.COM
BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer SEN. RAMON “Bong” Revilla Jr. has asked the Supreme Court to stop the Office of the Ombudsman from investigating him on plunder charges but failed to get immediate relief. The Supreme Court’s Third Division, in a resolution handed down did not act on Revilla’s March 14 plea for a temporary restraining order (TRO) but asked the Ombudsman through its special panel of investigators, the National Bureau of Investigation, lawyer Levito Baligod and the Field Investigation Office to comment within 10 days on the senator’s petition for a review and prohibition of two Ombudsman orders for his investigation. Revilla’s camp welcomed the resolution, saying the Supreme Court had “found merit” in the senator’s petition. Joel Bodegon, Revilla’s lawyer, said in a statement that the Supreme Court order was a signal to the Ombudsman and the other respondents that “they cannot just derogate the individual’s constitutional right to due process and equal protection of the laws.” Pork barrel scam
Revilla, Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada are facing plunder charges in the Office of the Ombudsman together with more than 30 other former members of the House of Representatives and former heads of government agencies over the diversion of billions of pesos from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) over the last 10 years. The NBI brought the charges last year in a case that has become known as the pork barrel scam, as the PDAF is a pork
barrel that channels developmental funds to congressional districts. At the center of the scandal is businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, who allegedly siphoned off P10 billion from the PDAF into her bank accounts through dubious nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in connivance with senators and representatives to whom she paid hundreds of millions of pesos in kickbacks. Revilla, Enrile and Estrada have denied any wrongdoing and said they would answer the charges against them in court. Revilla, however, has been trying to stop his investigation and has brought a civil complaint against the witnesses who have testified to his role in the scam in the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in his home province of Cavite. He is accused of pocketing P224.5 million in kickbacks from phantom projects proposed by Napoles’ NGOs and financed with funds from his PDAF allocation. Defeat in Ombudsman
In ordering comments on Revilla’s petition, the Supreme Court Third Division also required the senator’s lawyer to submit in five days copies of the Ombudsman’s Jan. 28 and March 3 orders denying the senator’s petition to suspend the preliminary investigation of the charges against him and dismissing his complaint against the witnesses. The Ombudsman found Revilla’s complaint against the witnesses “an afterthought and ploy to delay the criminal proceedings” against him. Revilla’s suit in the Bacoor RTC, the Ombudsman said in the March 3 resolution, “has no bearing on the outcome of the criminal cases filed in the Office of the Ombudsman.” ■
MARCH 28, 2014 FRIDAY 10
World Bank OKs $300-M loan for PH education program Develop basic reading, math skills of grade school kids BY PAOLO G. MONTECILLO Philippine Daily Inquirer BASIC READING and mathematics skills of more than four million of the country’s poorest kids should improve as a result of a new World Bank-funded Department of Education project for grade school students. In a statement, the World Bank said its executive board approved a new $300-million loan to Learning, Equity, and Accountability Program Support or Leaps project. “Good reading and math skills are vital tools for learning and help children succeed in school and their future careers,” World Bank Philippines country director Motoo Konishi said. “These are skills that children need for understanding their lessons well, developing their problem solving capabilities and critical thinking, and achieving their full potential as human beings and citizens of the country.”
Leaps will then provide support for the training of grades one to three teachers and school principals in reading and math. Around 36,000 teachers and 12,000 principals and head teachers will receive training and will later serve as resource persons for their peers and colleagues in their respective schools. The project will also support government efforts to strengthen accountability and provide incentives for better performance. It will also invest resources to help improve the quality and availability of data related to the education of disadvantaged groups. Such data will help assess the extent of their access to basic education services. The project will be implemented in Regions V (Bicol), VIII (Eastern Visayas), IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), Cordillera Administrative Region, and Caraga, considered the five poorest regions in the Philippines. These regions have high drop-
out rates especially between Grades 1 and 2, low performance in reading and math, and a significant population from indigenous communities and other disadvantaged groups. Among the target beneficiaries of this project are teachers, public school students, students from indigenous communities, children with disabilities, children living in remote or difficult-to-access locations, and out-of-school youth. These five regions have 14,121 elementary and secondary schools; 116,587 school teachers; and approximately 4,038,780 students. According to Lynnette Perez, World Bank senior education specialist and project team leader, the Bank is supporting Leaps because it aims to provide better foundations for lifelong learning, a more efficient and effective education system, and will contribute to improving access and quality of education for indigenous groups, the disabled and out of school youths. ■
With the rest of the world, PH grieves with families of MH370 victims BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer AFTER MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak’s press conference on Monday evening, the Philippine government extended their sympathy to the loved ones of the people on board Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370. According to recently collected data by Inmarsat and UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), MH370 “ended in the southern part of the Indian Ocean”—miles away from a safe landing zone. In a text message to the members of the media, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said, “Our thoughts are with the families of all those aboard MH370 as they continue to www.canadianinquirer.net
hope for closure on this tragedy… [We are still hoping that] the continuing search for the missing plane will yield more concrete results.” The Beijing-bound plane left Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 8th with 12 all-Malaysian crew members on board and 227 passengers. Just minutes after it took off, radars showed that it took a sharp turn before losing contact with aviation authorities. The Chinese government continues to ask Malaysia and MAS for further details about the investigation. MAS’ released flight manifest showed that 152 of 227 passengers were Chinese. Despite using a “technology that has never been used before” in a similar investigation, there is still no concrete reason why
the plane—a 247-ton Boeing 777—diverted from its course. After PM Razak’s announcement on Monday night, people around the world took it to the World Wide Web to express their thoughts and prayers for the victims—and their families—of MH370. “Really sad to hear about d confirmation on MH370 .. Still had some hope.. RIP n may god give strength to the families..” @Rakulpreet “My condolences to the families of #MH370 flight and to the Malaysian government during this difficult…” – Filipina actress Isabel Oli @MissIsabelOli “Dear friend. From our hearts... We are deeply saddened by the tragic circumstances regarding MH370.” – Michael Learns to Rock @OfficialMLTR ■
Philippine News
11 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
After Lee, another big fish expected BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer BRACE YOURSELF for the capture of another big fish. President Aquino hinted at the impending arrest of yet another high-profile fugitive, more than two weeks after the arrest of housing developer Delfin Lee. Speaking on the sidelines of the Pinoy Music Festival in Manila, the President declined to divulge more details, but said the ongoing operation, if successful, would “surprise” the media. “You will be impressed with the caliber of those who would be arrested,” he said during an ambush interview. “I can promise you that you will be surprised, if the [operation] succeeds,” he added, noting that the outcome would
show “the ability [of ] our law enforcement entities.” With Lee now behind bars, the country’s top fugitives have been reduced to four—retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and his brother Mario, and former Dinagat Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. Each of them has a P2-million price on his head. Reynald “Jojo” Lim, brother of detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged mastermind of the P10-billion pork barrel scam, has a P5-million bounty. The President defended the Philippine National Police and his political ally, Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali, in connection with the capture of Lee, who is accused of syndicated estafa charges, a nonbailable offense. Lee, who is detained at the Pampanga provincial jail in the City of San Fernando, allegedly
defrauded the Pag-Ibig Fund of some P7 billion using bogus borrowers, who had lent their names and signatures to his company, Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp., in exchange for sums of up to P5,000. When the borrowers were unable to pay the loans, Globe Asiatique paid the amortization and sold the housing units to other buyers, resulting in double selling. Asked to explain the phone call made by Umali to PNP Director General Alan Purisima on the arrest of Lee, the President replied: “Perhaps, we should just thank [the police].” “As I say, the right answer to that is, ‘Where is Mr. Lee now?’ Arrested. So who blocked his arrest? Isn’t it that if someone influential, someone occupying a high position intervened, hewould not have been arrested. But he was and he’s now in jail, right?” he added.
Umali, treasurer of the ruling Liberal Party, came under fire for making the phone call, especially after Vice President Jejomar Binay alleged that influential people had tried to have Lee
released. Malacañang earlier said the President was “satisfied” with Umali’s explanation about the call when the two political allies exchanged text messages. ■
Summer starts this week Solons score lack of due but don’t call it that diligence in airport bidding BY DJ YAP Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Enjoy warm, sunny days ahead, as the weather bureau is poised to declare the official start of summer “most likely this week.” The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) is expecting the end of the northeast monsoon (hanging amihan), signaling the beginning of the dry season. The state agency does not actually use “summer” in its nomenclature, opting to use dry and wet to refer to the Philippines’ only two seasons. “Summer is used in midlatitude countries that have four seasons, like the United States,” forecaster Glaiza Escullar said. The dry season typically begins when the northeast monsoon, which ushers in freezing winds from Siberia, gradually weakens, replaced by warm and moist easterly winds from the Pacific Ocean. Air temperatures will be warm over most parts of Luzon, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao
in the coming days, according to Pagasa’s weekly outlook. The low pressure area (LPA), which developed into a tropical depression named “Caloy” and later weakened again into an LPA, left the country’s area of responsibility at about noon on Tuesday, Escullar said. Now cloud cluster
“The LPA is now just a cloud cluster,” she said. Tropical cyclones hitting the country in March are not unusual. In December, Pagasa’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Center predicted “zero or one tropical cyclone” hitting the country in January, March and April, with only a slim chance of it hitting in February, a historically storm-free month. Based on Pagasa’s 24-hour outlook, Eastern Visayas, Cagayan Valley, Bicol, and Aurora and Quezon provinces will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and isolated thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, it added. ■
Philippine Daily Inquirer SENATORS SERGIO Osmeña III and Antonio Trillanes IV have scored the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) prequalification bids and awards committee (PBAC) for overlooking pertinent information regarding the GMR- Megawide consortium, which submitted the highest bid for the renovation, expansion and 25year management of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA). The P17.5-billion project is under the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) program. Osmeña pointed out that the PBAC’s pre-qualification report on the bid of seven consortia consisted of merely two pages and “is not something that one can describe as the result of due diligence.” Science Undersecretary and PBAC head Jose Perpetuo Lotilla explained that a post-qualification review is in the rules precisely to verify the veracity and completeness of the documents submitted by the bidder. www.canadianinquirer.net
Three of four projects
In Congress, Cebuano representatives expressed concern over Megawide being awarded three of the four PPP projects it had bid for, the first of which was for the Department of Education that called for the completion of 7,146 classrooms by last month. Megawide originally asked for an extension of the deadline up to the end of this month but was reported to be seeking an extension up to December. Seventysix percent of the classrooms have not yet been completed as of the original deadline. Filinvest- Changi, which offered the next highest bid, called the PBAC’s attention to an apparent conflict of interest arising from the partnership of GMR with Malaysia Airports ( MAHB) of the First Philippine MAHB consortium. MAHB’s managing director sits on the board of directors of GMR’s airport affiliates. Proceed with the awarding
Amid the controversy, Megawide chief marketing officer Louie Ferrer urged the DOTC
to proceed with the awarding. However, Filinvest spokesperson Eleuterio Coronel said their company had written the PBAC on Jan. 2, 2014, about the issues involved before awarding is done. “We hope they are finished with the review so they can proceed with the bid. And in accordance with President Aquino’s daang matuwid (straight path) policy, we trust the PBAC will strictly follow the bidding rules, interpretation of which has been clarified in several pre-bid bulletins,” Coronel said. No final decision
He added that while the PBAC was undertaking the review, GMR Megawide should stop referring to Filinvest-Changi as a losing bidder in its statements and advertisements. “No final decision has been announced by the DOTC, the PBAC and the MCIAA,” Coronel said. “The bid rules call for disqualification of bidders who violate conflict of interest rules and for the PBAC to immediately proceed to post-qualify the next highest bidder.” ■
Philippine News
MARCH 28, 2014 FRIDAY 12
SLEX bus accident injures at least 45 people
Pope may visit storm victims–CBCP
BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer
BY JOCELYN R. UY Philippine Daily Inquirer
AN INNOCENT bus ride became a nightmare when a Southern Commuter Carrier (SCC) bus bound for Batangas carrying at least 48 passengers overturned along South Luzon Expressway in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. The incident happened Monday, March 24, at around 6:45 am. Traffic police and passengers reported that both tires on the right side of the bus came off the vehicle causing the bus to fall on its side, injuring almost all of its passengers. According to reports, the victims were brought to three different nearby hospitals: 21 to Biñan Doctors Hospital, 15 to Perpetual Help Medical Center, and 9 to San Jose Hospital and Trauma Center. A woman’s hand was severed due to injuries sustained in the accident, according to bus passenger Edgar Lagrimas. “Normal naman ang takbo ng bus, tapos biglang naputol iyung gulong niya sa likuran so nagturn turtle siya, iyung katabi ko nga naputol ang kamay niya,”
POPE FRANCIS may come to the Philippines in August to visit the victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” which ravaged a large swath of the Visayas late last year, according to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The papal visit could come after the sixth Asian Youth Day (AYD), which will be held in South Korea five months from now, according to Fr. Conegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth and head of the Filipino delegation to the AYD. Garganta said the Pope’s plan to visit Eastern Visayas was first revealed by Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum during his trip to Leyte late in January. Sarah announced the Pontiff’s intention to visit typhoonstricken areas in the region during a Mass he celebrated in a church in Palo, one of the worst-hit localities, according to the CBCP on its official news service, CBCP News. Should it push through, the government must speed up rehabilitation programs in the places devastated by Yolanda as the papal visit would again put the Philippines in the global
Chito Sibol, spokesman of SLEx, said an RRCG bus from Lipa City in Batangas lost one of its tires near Sta. Rosa, Laguna, at 6:20 a.m. on Monday causing the bus to turn on its side. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANNA OLIQUINO
Lagrimas told dzMM reporter Dennis Datu. The woman was rushed to San Jose Hospital and Trauma Center in Calamba, Laguna. The bus company will shoulder the medical expenses of all victims. Some passengers gave their account of the incident despite slight trauma and physical injuries. According to the passengers, the bus was neither overspeeding nor overloaded. Most of them accounted the bus’ poor condition and lack of maintenance as the cause of the accident.
Lloyd Martin Supillo, the bus conductor, is under the custody of the Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group. Authorities are still confirming if bus driver Sulpicio Marasigan was one of the 45 people rushed to three hospitals. Investigators are looking into intoxication as another cause of the accident, as they reportedly found illegal drugs and related paraphernalia, as well as empty liquor bottles inside the overturned bus. The bus is also reported to be a colorum unit due to an “RRCG Bus” label found on the back of the bus. ■
‘This is it’: MILF peace deal signing on Thursday BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES— “This is it.” “As far as what is possible without making false promises, this is it, and we continue to hope that the entire Bangsamoro will see it that way as well,” Teresita Quintos-Deles, the presidential adviser on the peace process, said on the eve of the signing of a peace agreement with the bigger Muslim insurgent movements in Mindanao. The stage is set for the signing Thursday of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), a five-page
document representing the final peace accord between the government and the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Deles is optimistic that the agreement with the MILF will lead to lasting peace in Mindanao. “I think we have a good enough platform to be able to say that, that this is giving it as far as it can go,” she told a Palace press briefing. 1,000 guests at signing
More than 1,000 guests are expected to witness the signing, with nearly 500 representatives of the MILF, led by its chair, Murad Ebrahim, also attending the affair. Malaysian Prime Minister
spotlight, Garganta said. “Perhaps, the presence of the Pope can pressure the government and many other sectors to really rise up to the demands and responsibilities to provide change or uplift the condition of the survivors,” said Garganta. The government would not want to be “placed in a difficult situation” if the Pope himself would see the snail-paced rehabilitation efforts in the places hit by the typhoon, which killed more than 6,000 people and left thousands of families homeless, he said. “The Pope’s visit would be a blessing to challenge the government and our leaders because the presence of international media may push people to make positive changes to the lives of the victims of the typhoon,” said Garganta. “We can only hope but if it happens, it will be a blessing for our people to see the Vicar of Christ, especially those who are still in pain and sorrow because of the typhoon and because not much improvement has taken place since the calamity struck,” he added. The last pope to visit the Philippines was Blessed John Paul II. In his second and last visit, John Paul celebrated the closing Mass of the 1995 World Youth Day in Manila, touted as the largest papal gathering in Roman Catholic history. ■
Najib Razak, whose country served as a third-party facilitator, has also been invited to witness the event. Deles said the signing is being held in the national capital, not in the MILF’s Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat or elsewhere, to avoid “a logistic problem.” “It’s easier for people to travel to Manila if you want people to come from all over,” she said. “Having it in Manila also makes it possible for other celebrations [elsewhere] to be held because when we beam it from Manila, then it reaches the entire country.” PH’s global contribution
Chief government negotia❱❱ PAGE 15 ‘This is’
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Pope Francis may come to the Philippines in August to visit the victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” PHOTO BY NENEO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Philippine News
13 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Ombudsman pins perjury rap on ‘Garci’ BY CYNTHIA D. BALANA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE OFFICE of the Ombudsman (OMB) finally indicted former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano for allegedly presenting spurious documents and lying under oath during a congressional hearing on the infamous “Hello Garci” scandal involving former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now a Pampanga representative, in 2004. The OMB found probable cause to charge Garcillano with perjury in a resolution approved on March 18 by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales. The case stemmed from the complaint filed in January 2012 by then party-list Representatives Neri Colmenares and Teddy Casiño (Bayan Muna) against Garcillano for allegedly falsely testifying under oath and presenting a spurious passport during a congressio-
nal joint committee hearing in December 2005. The “Hello Garci” controversy arose after audio recordings of a telephone conversation emerged in 2005. The conversation, presumed to have been between Garcillano, who was then a commissioner of the Commission on Elections, and Arroyo, a reelectionist presidential candidate, is thought to have occurred at the time the results of the 2004 elections were still being tallied. Transited in Singapore
Morales agreed that Garcillano made “a deliberate and willful assertion of a falsehood” during the congressional hearing when he testified that he never left the Philippines after the “Hello Garci” controversy broke. The Ombudsman resolution said that an Aug. 31, 2005, note verbale issued by the Singapore foreignministry confirmed that Garcillano “transited in Singapore on 14 July 2005 on board
a Learjet 35 with the registration number RP-C-1426” and “departed Singapore on 15 July 2005 onboard Singapore Airlines Flight SQ 320.” It said that Garcillano took his oath before Rep. Emmylou Talino-Santos, “a competent officer authorized to administer oaths,” at the start of the congressional hearing, as evidenced by the transcript of stenographic notes. The resolution said the OMB also found Garcillano to have violated the passport law when he presented a forged passport before the congressional hearing. It cited a laboratory examination report from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas dated March 20, 2006, that concluded that Garcillano’s passport did not conform to the standard. The passport was found to contain these signs of forgery: A smaller size booklet; variance in the paper and print used on the inside front and back covers; additional stitching along
The now infamous video of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was implicated in the “Hello Garci” scandal. PHOTO FROM EARLDORIMAN.BLOGSPOT.COM
the seam; presence of cuts and joints along the seam; presence of the text “Bisa-Visa” on the upper portion, and variance in the print quality of certain texts on page 32. Presumed forger
Garcillano, being in possession of the forged passport and the one to benefit from its presentation to the congressional joint committee, is “presumed
to be a forger,” the OMB said. However, it dismissed the charge of falsification by a public officer because the element of “taking advantage of [an] official position” was not present. Although he was a public officer, Garcillano acted “not by reason of his office, his position as Comelec commissioner not having anything to do with the issuance of a passport,” the OMB said. ■
Liquidation of Nabcor funds came too early BY NANCY C. CARVAJAL Philippine Daily Inquirer THEY JUST couldn’t wait. In violation of Commission on Audit (COA) rules, nongovernment organizations (NGOs) implicated in the P10billion pork barrel scam submitted liquidation reports that showed full project completion shortly after they received the first fund installment, according to a former official of the stateowned National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor). Vicente Cacal, former Nabcor general services chief, said the NGOs resorted to this approach to speed up the release of the rest of the funds. “They could not wait for the funds to be released in tranches, so they submitted to Nabcor documents that showed the whole project had been completed. We later found out that the projects had ghosts beneficiaries after Benhur Luy came forward and exposed their illegal activities,” Cacal said. Luy is the primary whistleblower in the pork barrel scam
allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles. Based on the findings of the COA, a copy of which was obtained by the INQUIRER, the schedule of fund releases, provided in the memorandum of agreement (MOA) among the foundations, Nabcor and the Department of Agriculture, was not followed. Schedule
The MOA stated that the release of funds should be on a staggered basis: • 15 percent upon the signing of the MOA. • 35 percent upon submission of the physical accomplishment report and disbursement. • 40 percent upon the completion of the total projects activities and submission of reports, approved and validated by Nabcor and the office of the legislator. • 10 percent upon submission of the terminal report. But actual releases were 15 percent upon the MOA signing and 85 percent upon the project “completion.”
Cacal said the most favored NGOs were Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. (SDPFFI) and Masaganang Ani para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (Mamfi)., both of which were formed by Napoles. Biggest porkers
SDPFFI and Mamfi were the recipients of the biggest pork barrel allocations from Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr.—a combined P392 million. Cacal said the full liquidation “seemed in order because it was accompanied by required documents based on the regulations of the Commission on Audit and as noted by the representatives of the senators.” Senators’ representatives
He identified the senators’ representatives as lawyer Richard Cambe for Revilla; Pauline Labayen for Estrada; and lawyer Jose Evangelista for Enrile. Cacal said Nabcor head Alan Javellana would specifically instruct the Nabcor staff to “fast track releases of (funds for the) Napoles NGOs because the www.canadianinquirer.net
projects had supposedly been completed, based on the documents submitted to us.” He said the liquidation reports were accompanied by a reimbursement report, an independent auditor’s report, a project accomplishment report and a list of beneficiaries. NGO auditors
Cacal named Susan Victorino and Noel Macha as the regular auditors of the Napoles NGOs. “Despite our reservations on the full release of the cost of PDAF-funded projects, we were forced to submit to the order of our head of agency,” Cacal said, referring to Javellana. He said there was no more need to follow the release of tranches in the proper order because the projects had been “fully completed,” with the certification issued by the offices of senators. ‘Preferential attention’
Cacal said the subsequent releases of funds were allowed under COA rules only after liquidation of earlier releases. “But the NGOs, particularly
those of Napoles and those chosen by the three senators, were always given preferential attention by the head of the agency,” he said. Berated
In one instance, Cacal said, Javellana even berated him for not acting immediately on the release of the P65-million allocation of Revilla’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), divided between Mamfi and SDPFFI. He said it was also around that time that he saw Cambe in the Nabcor office at Tektite Towers in Pasig City. Cacal has applied to become a state witness, along with Dennis Cunanan, director general of state-owned Technology Resource Center, and alleged Napoles bagman, Ruby Tuason. The INQUIRER was furnished original documents, vouchers, checks and pertinent records that detailed how billions of pesos worth of projects that passed through Nabcor were released by Cacal and Rhodora Mendoza, former Nabcor vice president for finance. ■
Philippine News
MARCH 28, 2014 FRIDAY 14
Media men in payoff may face bribe raps No special treatment for broadcasters tied to pork scam–Palace BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer JOURNALISTS FOUND to have benefited from the pork barrel scam face charges of direct bribery and malversation of public funds, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said. Two former officials of National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor), Rhodora Mendoza and Vicente Cacal, said in affidavits submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman that TV5 news anchor Erwin Tulfo and GMA 7 radio talk show host Carmelo del Prado Magdurulang received payoffs in the form of “advertising expenses” from pork funds that legislators channeled to phantom projects through the state-owned company from 2007 to 2009. Both journalists have denied taking money from Nabcor. Mike Enriquez, consultant for radio operations of GMA 7, issued a statement saying the network would thoroughly investigate the allegation against Magdurulang, also known as Melo del Prado, and would apply “full sanctions” if these would be found necessary. TV5 also issued a statement saying it had spoken with Tulfo, who denied that he has had business dealings with Nabcor and said that any involvement he had with the company had to do with his work as a journalist. “TV5 stands by the statement
of Mr. Tulfo but will conduct its own internal inquiry into the matter,” the network said. Public funds involved
De Lima, who said she would investigate the alleged involvement of journalists in the pork barrel scam, made it clear that “definitely” even journalists would be held liable, as public funds were involved in the diversion of P10 billion from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to ghost projects proposed by dubious nongovernment organizations (NGOs) owned by detained businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles. “If you’re a member of the media, you’re a private individual, you’re not a public official. But if it concerns public funds and you are in the company of public officials, you are part of it. You can be charged with such offenses as direct bribery and malversation of public funds, among others,” De Lima told reporters. She was asked about the liability of journalists found to have taken money from the racket allegedly masterminded by Napoles.
Department of Justice to look into all allegations and bring charges against all who would be found liable. “It certainly is interesting to know the extent of corruption that happened and the amount of information that Nabcor officials knew,” Lacierda told the INQUIRER in a text message. On Wednesday, De Lima said she would look into the sworn statements of Mendoza and Cacal, two new whistle-blowers in the pork barrel scam who claimed that 83 lawmakers instructed Nabcor to release P1.7 billion from the PDAF to Napoles’ NGOs. Mendoza and Cacal submitted their statements to the Office of the Ombudsman, which is investigating Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Napoles and more than 30 former members of the House of Representatives and former government officials over the pork barrel scam. Mendoza and Cacal also submitted cashed checks to show that Tulfo and Magdurulang benefited from projects financed from the PDAF through Nabcor.
No special treatment
Malacañang said journalists who would be linked to the pork barrel scam would get no special treatment from the government. Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said President Aquino had ordered the
The payoffs
They claimed that on March 10, 2009, a check for P245,535 was issued to Tulfo, drawn from a Nabcor account at the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) branch on Tektite Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
They said three checks for a total of P245,535 were issued to Magdurulang in 2009 and the funds were also drawn from the same Nabcor account at the UCPB Tektite branch. Mendoza also alleged that a third broadcast journalist received P2 million from Nabcor as payoff to stop criticism of the company but she had no documentation to support that claim. De Lima was to get copies of the affidavits of Mendoza and Cacal. She will meet with the two witnesses’ lawyer, Levito Baligod, today for a discussion of their admission into the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice. “I will first look into the allegations in the sworn statements, see how substantial, how plausible are the allega-
tions against the media personalities,” De Lima said. Entire media affected
She explained that an investigation of the allegations against Tulfo and Magdurulang was necessary, as the entire media had been affected by those charges. Asked whether the National Bureau of Investigation will conduct the investigation of the alleged media payoffs, De Lima said this would depend on the Office of the Ombudsman, which was now in possession of the affidavits of Mendoza and Cacal. She said the Ombudsman could either forward the documents to its Field Investigation Office or to the Anti-Graft Coordinating Council, one of whose members is the NBI. ■
Capa: Ready to tell all in Lee case BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer THE NEXT time they meet, it might be in a fullblown Senate inquiry shown live on national television. Senior Supt. Conrad Capa has been readying himself for a possible face-off with his boss, Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima, in a Senate investigation into the recent arrest of fugitive real estate magnate Delfin Lee. Purisima has drawn flak on social media for ordering Capa’s relief as head of Task Force
Tugis exactly a week after the group captured Lee, the alleged brains of a P7-billion housing scam. Capa had openly expressed his surprise and anger at his sudden deployment as deputy regional chief for operations of the Cebu regional police office. Purisima claimed the move was a “promotion.” Capa, who hosted a boodle fight for his subordinates on Monday night outside his office at Camp Crame, said he was ready to “tell all” about the controversy surrounding Lee’s arrest on March 6. Sen. Nancy Binay has filed a
Senate resolution to look into the supposed removal of Lee’s name from the PNP’s list of wanted persons. “The minute I lay my hand on that Bible to take my oath, I will not tell a lie. I’m ready to tell what I know,” the embattled PNP official told the INQUIRER. Realities of the service
“These are the realities of the service. This happens to some officers once in a while. It’s just unfortunate this happened to me,” Capa said. “I didn’t see this coming. I was shocked when I read the www.canadianinquirer.net
(relief ) order. But I’m OK now. I’m going to Cebu with a light heart,” he added. Asked if he and Purisima had already told all about what really transpired at Camp Crame on the night of Lee’s arrest, he said: “It could be taken up during the Senate investigation.” After Vice President Jejomar Binay reported that an “influential individual” had tried to block Lee’s arrest, Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali, an official of the ruling Liberal Party, came forward and admitted that he called up Purisima to inquire about the validity of Lee’s arrest.
Capa was Purisima’s chief intelligence officer when the PNP chief served as regional director of the Central Luzon and National Capital Region police offices from 2010 to 2013. “I’m so sad it has to come to this because we have a personal relationship. He was my direct boss for so long. I still respect and admire him. In God’s time, we will be more than friends again,” he said. Purisima has refused to be drawn into a verbal tussle with his subordinate, declining to comment on the accusations hurled by Capa. ■
Philippine News
15 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
‘This is...’ tor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer described the peace accord as the Philippines’ “global contribution to the pursuit of peace in our immediate neighborhood, the Southeast Asian region, and the rest of the world.” It comes nine years after “the last momentous agreement of this kind,” the one signed between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement, she noted. “Many other countries [that] face similar troubles are looking up to us to show the way or possible modalities by which they can also address their own domestic conflicts,” Ferrer said. “Our experience, our mechanisms, our approaches have become a rich source of inspiration to these countries that remain challenged by different sources of domestic hostility,” she said.
Court gets assets of ‘Jose Velarde’
❰❰ 12
Women’s track
Ferrer also said the CAB would be “the first such agreement to be signed by a woman,” referring to herself. Two other women from the government panel, Yasmin Busran-Lao and Zenonida Brosas, will also be signing the document. “Happy Women’s Month to everyone!” she said. “The point, however, is not simply that you have women in Track 1, but that this agreement is a partnership in many ways: A partnership between the Bangsamoro and the Philippine government, between and among peoples of different faiths and ethnicity, and between men and women. And together, we can make it all happen. Together, we can make peace, not war,” she said. Ferrer said the signing is “but a short station stop in this difficult but rewarding journey to build peace, development and meaningful autonomy for the Bangsamoro and the other people in the parts of Mindanao that will fall under the autonomous government.” “We cannot rest. We shall be moving on full-speed ahead towards full implementation,” she said. The final agreement—composed of all signed agreements between the government and the MILF, including the four annexes and addendum on the Bangsamoro waters and zones of joint cooperation—will form the basis for the drafting of the basic law for the Bangsamoro entity to be created for the Muslim minority in Mindanao. The basic law will be submitted to Congress for approval and “upheld in a plebiscite in the proposed core territory” to “formalize the entrenchment of the Bangsamoro political entity that will enjoy an enhanced political and fiscal autonomy,” according to a statement from Deles’ office. Pressure on communists
At the same Palace briefing, Deles said the signing of the final agreement with
BY CYNTHIA D. BALANA Philippine Daily Inquirer
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
the MILF “puts pressure” on the communist rebels to return to the negotiating table. “The signing of a peace agreement and the settlement of armed conflict with any other group that is in the same countries, certainly, exert certain pressures on any of the armed movement that is not yet moving along those lines,” she said. Deles said part of the pressure would come from the public that would ask: “If this can be done here, in what has certainly been a very difficult peace process, why can’t it happen with you as well?” “It puts pressure on us to deliver, but it puts pressure on other armed groups as well… to work in partnership with government to look for [a] solution that can work,” she added. Deles said the government remained open to resuming the stalled peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). But she said there should be “some inkling that [the NDFP] will reach a final settlement.”
A LOCAL bank has completed the surrender to the Sandiganbayan of all assets, including cash and stock certificates, in the name of “Jose Velarde” which the antigraft court had declared to belong to former president and nowManila Mayor Joseph Estrada. Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. (BDO) informed the Sandiganbayan of the turnover of the assets of Investment Management Account (IMA) number 101-78056-1 in the name of “Jose Velarde,” in compliance with the antigraft court’s forfeiture ruling issued on Jan. 28, 2008, and a subsequent Notice to Deliver on July 12, 2013. Among the assets turned over to the court since 2008 were cash in the trust fund amounting to P101.3 million; 450 million shares of stock of Waterfront Philippines Inc. registered in the name of The Wellex Group Inc.; 300 million Wellex shares of stock in the name of William T. Gatchalian; the originals of the promissory note and chattel mortgage pertaining to a P500-million loan by Wellex from the owner of the Velarde account.
Door remains open
“Under this government, those who are left out are those who want to be left out. So the door remains open to all fronts that [for] one to work together with government, it is still a call to partnership,” she said. Deles said President Aquino would be willing to meet with the CPP leadership in the same way that he met with Murad, the MILF chair, in Japan in 2011. She said the parallel peace track with the NDF had been difficult. “[It] has been going on for a far longer [period], has delivered so little, has delivered so little in terms of milestones in the peace process and has delivered nothing in terms of improving the lives of people on the ground,” she said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada aka ‘Jose Velarde.’ PHOTO FROM EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG
In a reply to the notice dated March 6, 2014, BDO legal officer Francisco Gerardo C. Llamas informed the Sandiganbayan the bank had terminated the IMA trust account following the transfer of the assets to the custody of the antigraft court. The court ordered the forfeiture and subsequent return of the assets to the state after it convicted Estrada of plunder on Sept. 12, 2007, and declared that the account actually belonged to him. ■
Opinion
MARCH 28, 2014 FRIDAY 16
THERE’S THE RUB
Two things By Conrado De Quiros Philippine Daily Inquirer THE FIRST is Miriam Santiago’s call on Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to start filing charges in the Sandiganbayan against the lawmakers implicated in the Janet Napoles scam. “It’s been six months now…. I think the public is getting jaded by these public revelations in the Senate probe (without) seeing any action. We cannot allow public interest to die. Plunder is just too important to the national economy.” I agree wholeheartedly. Of course Miriam has her own reasons for wanting the government to discover some urgency in advancing the case against the senators. There’s nothing she’d like better than to see Juan Ponce Enrile meted out a jail term within his or her lifetime, whichever comes last. But that doesn’t detract from the merit of her proposal. I’ve been saying the same thing for some time now. Where’s the point in holding all these Senate hearings if they don’t lead to anything anyway? The point of fighting corruption isn’t just to expose the corrupt, it is to punish them. The point of upholding justice isn’t just to embarrass the corrupt, it is to jail them.
It’s gotten a little more complicated these past weeks in light of new witnesses coming out of the woodwork, adding new offices and lawmakers to the list of those who participated in Napoles’ scam. Including Edgardo Angara in Dennis Cunanan’s account, including broadcast journalists Erwin Tulfo and Carmelo Magdurulang in Rhodora Mendoza’s and Vic Cacal’s account. While all this is praiseworthy—Mendoza and Cacal in particular have shown balls in naming media, particularly broadcast, practitioners, hitherto feared and avoided like the plague because of their retaliatory power—this has its downside as well. Chief of them is that the ever increasing number of the accused is also diffusing focus and scattering attention every which way. It’s almost enough to convince you it’s a ploy by the handlers of Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla, and Juan Ponce Enrile to draw attention away from them. Jinggoy did manage to draw the spotlight away from him last year by pointing at government. This time around, the new revelations could do the same thing, however completely unwittingly. The throwing of a couple of journalists into the fray could always lead to something bigger. As it is, the naming of Tulfo and Magdurulang alone,
quite apart from the third unnamed recipient of P2 million, is already explosive and could rivet public attention to it in days to come. All this threatens to keep unfinished business unfinished. Indeed, all this threatens to dull the senses by information overload. Miriam is right there, the public could get jaded. Even I sometimes get a feeling of saturation every time I look at the lead stories of news and see that they’re still about pork, and the three accused senators are still free.
To be capable of nobility in times of tragedy, and greed in times of normality, that is quite a contrast. The point is to have a sense of priority. The point is to have a sense of purpose. The point is to go back where we started. The point is to finish what we started before we embark on something else. The second thing is my wonderment at the paradox of Filipino behavior. The revelations about the involvement of all sorts of people in the pork scam over the last half year must make us wonder if corruption is the exception rather than the rule here. Certainly, it must make us wonder so about the con-
gressmen who figure preponderantly in the Commission on Audit’s report about those who abused or pocketed their Priority Development Assistance Fund. The only group I really feel bad about is the NGOs which, through no great fault of their own—they are more victims than perpetrators—have been made synonymous to fake. All this gives the impression that you give us Filipinos—including, or especially, our presumably respectable authority figures like generals, judges, and bishops—the slightest chance to profit from an immoral, or illegal, transaction, and we will take it. I’m reminded of that dialogue in “Catch-22” where Yossarian’s commanding officer lectures him about the evils of not doing the right thing. “Suppose,” he says tolerantly, “everyone thought the same way you do?” Yossarian replies: “Then I’d be a damn fool to think different.” That seems to be our philosophy too: Suppose everybody tries to rip off everybody else? Then I’d be a damn fool not to. Yet from the other end, a tragedy strikes and suddenly we become the most altruistic people in the world. We become the most selfless, the most generous, the most self-sacrificing people in the world. We become the
most high-minded, the most heroic, the most selfless people in the world. Look at the way we responded to “Ondoy,” “Pablo” and the Bohol earthquake. Look at the way we responded to “Yolanda,” when even the youth and the children volunteered to give of themselves, quite apart from give of what they owned, to help the starving, the grieving, the helpless and hopeless. To be capable of nobility in times of tragedy, and greed in times of normality, that is quite a contrast. To be capable of selflessness in bad times and selfishness in good times, that is quite a phenomenon. To be capable of people power when times are dire and lust for power—or wealth—when times are fine, that is quite a paradox. I myself think the key to it lies in that last line in the National Anthem which says, “Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo.” We’ve never lacked the ability to make the grand gesture, we’ve always lacked the ability to just do the right thing. We’ve never lacked the ability to show charity, we’ve always lacked the ability to show justice. We’ve never lacked the ability to transcend ourselves, we’ve always lacked the ability to sustain it. We’ve never lacked the ability to die for the country. We’ve always lacked the ability to live for it.. ■
ANALYSIS
Centrist bloc backs PH in row with China By Amando Doronila Philippine Daily Inquirer A BLOC of more than 60 democracies around the world has backed the Philippines’ effort to settle its maritime dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) peacefully by submitting it to the United Nations for arbitration. In a one-page resolution passed on March 19, the Brussels-based Centrist Democratic International (CDI) not only condemned in extraordinarily strong language “the forcible takeover and occupation of the Scarborough Islands (Panatag Shoal) in the [West Philippine Sea],” affirming that the territory is “possessed and occupied by the Philippines as part of its continental shelf and within its exclusive economic zone,” but also urged China to “pursue peaceful, lawful and internationally sanctioned rules on dispute resolution to remove rising tensions in the region.” The CDI executive board unanimously approved the resolution at its annual meeting in Brussels after it was introduced by former Sen. Edgardo Angara, a member of the CDI executive council. Angara described the resolution as “a positive response from the democratic world.” He said “more than 60 countries in the world (mainly Western democra-
cies in Europe) wanted China to pursue its territorial claims according to the rule and principles of international law.” Explaining the diplomatic implications of the resolution for the arbitration case lodged by the Philippines in the United Nations in January last year, Angara pointed out that “the UN [arbitration] tribunal is composed of all these nations [ruled by Centrist Democratic parties], and all these nations will be on our side.” ‘Positive, constructive’ “We’re always at the receiving end,” Angara said. “We react to what China [does] to us. For the first time, we have a positive, constructive international expression for our position.” While the resolution echoes the Philippines’ position on its dispute with China over the Panatag Shoal, it went beyond decorous diplomatic language when it denounced China’s “unilateral, forcible and violent takeover” of the rich fishing ground in the West Philippine Sea. The resolution called on other nations to register a similar objection, warning that history’s destructive wars began when democratic nations “stood silent in the face of unlawful occupations of other nations’ territories.” It said “the world should remem-
ber the lessons of past occupations by condemning territorial encroachments wherever they occur.” The resolution marked a rise in belligerent rhetorical exchanges between the Philippines and China since President Aquino, in an interview with The New York Times last month, called for global support for the Philippines in resisting Beijing’s assertive territorial claims in the South China Sea, draw-
The resolution called on other nations to register a similar objection, warning that history’s destructive wars began when democratic nations ‘stood silent in the face of unlawful occupations of other nations’ territories.’ ing a parallel to Western democracies’ failure to support Czechoslovakia against Hitler’s demands for annexation of Czech lands in 1938, in a policy of appeasement that paved the way for the outbreak of World War II. The Chinese foreign ministry rejected the Munich analogy, claiming that it is the Philippines that’s occupying Chinese islands in the South China Sea. The Philippine government has vigorously
www.canadianinquirer.net
rejected this interpretation of history. Arbitration process The rising animosity between Manila and Beijing comes as the UN arbitration tribunal prepares to open hearings on the Philippine petition at The Hague this month, seeking a judicial settlement of the dispute. Even as the arbitration process is now under way, China refuses to submit to it and has kept paramilitary ships stationed in the disputed area, harassing Philippine fishing vessels. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario fueled the debate over the Philippines’ bid for UN arbitrage intervention in the dispute with China in a keynote speech on Friday at the 2014 summit of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce on the theme “Asia’s Resurgence and America’s Role.” Del Rosario said: “America has been a Pacific power for more than a century. In keeping with the adage that trade follows the flag, American business has also had long-term presence all over the Asia-Pacific region. … By extending its security to the Western Pacific by promoting freer trade and investment flows, and fostering the ideals of democracy and open societies, the US provided certainty and confidence for Asia’s continued advance. As conveyed by the US secretary of state, the US
must continue building the regional and bilateral partnerships at the heart of a more stable, prosperous and democratic Asia so that the US can continue to grow and prosper in the 21st century. … “The source of this pressure is largely [the] actions being taken by China to assert what it believes to be its rightful interests more forcefully in the region … . The perception is that China’s economic and military powers have combined with rising nationalism. This resulted in setting China on a very different and difficult course with many of its neighbors, and with the US as well. “If this perception is valid, this will no doubt cast a shadow on China’s self-proclaimed ‘Peaceful Rise’ and will lead to the question, ‘Is China’s progress going to be at the expense of others?’ The Philippines certainly hopes not, but Beijing’s increasingly assertive behavior must be a cause of concern for everyone. “What is clear is that Beijing has embarked on a determined course to change the status quo all along its coastline, from the East China Sea down to the South China Sea. Analysts interpret China’s assertive actions as part of its expansionist strategy, as demonstrated, for example, by its nine-dash claim to support its position of indisputable sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea.” (To be continued). ■
Opinion
17 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
PUBLIC LIVES
Simple joys By Juan L. Mercado Philippine Daily Inquirer FOR ALMOST a decade after the hanging of the Filipino domestic helper Flor Contemplacion in Singapore, I stopped going there. I couldn’t forget the insensitivity and arrogance that marked the handling of her final moments. But time heals all wounds. And—irony of all ironies—my youngest daughter decided to study, work, and raise a family there. These days, I need only the slightest excuse to come for a visit. I have many old friends in this prosperous and well-managed city-state. More importantly, this is where my youngest grandchild, the lovely boy I called “X” (for Xavier) when he was born, lives with his parents. Tomorrow, the 24th of March, X turns two, and my wife and I flew in last Friday to spend a precious weekend with him. I guess it’s what retired grandparents do when they are not busy patrolling the malls, or taking naps in movie houses, or fussing over the mosquitoes in their gardens. Anything to ward off that torpid feeling of being left behind by a world that is no longer yours. I plead guilty to the mild reproach that the 14th-century Buddhist priest and poet Kenko (Essays in Idleness)
addresses to a man past his prime: “In his sunset years he dotes on his grandchildren, and prays for long life so that he may see them prosper.” I do want to see my grandchildren succeed in life, but I do not necessarily equate that with material prosperity. My simple hope is that they grow up to become fine specimens of humanity—sensitive to the beauty of things, useful to their society, generous, creative, and free. The great thing about being a grandparent is not just that you can enjoy your grandchildren when they are in a good mood and promptly hand them back to their parents when they begin to be restless. The real joy, for me, lies in being able to watch them grow and not feel the urge to shape or direct that growth— because you are certain their parents are already doing that. Released from the obligation to intervene, you find yourself simply marveling at the way the human species has evolved, and how differently the children of every generation think. I was only five when I entered Grade 1 in a public school, and people thought that was too early. I feel the same way about Xavier. I’m not entirely sure that he’s old enough to gain anything from attending a preschool
whose daily program follows a structured curriculum. I saw the weekly report of his teacher in subjects like “fun with languages,” vocabulary, numeracy, “gourmet moments,” “inquiry moments,” basic courtesy, singing and reading, and creative art and craft—and for a moment I thought it was a graduate program. The teacher said that, on his first week at school, Xavier would cup his ears with his hands during Mandarin
‘In his sunset years he dotes on his grandchildren, and prays for long life so that he may see them prosper.’ - 14th-century Buddhist priest and poet Kenko (Essays in Idleness) lessons. His mother had to talk to him not to do that. I assured her that it was just the little boy’s way of protesting sensory overload. For, indeed, until a language begins to make sense to him, it is merely noise. Yet, so pliant is the human brain that, in due time, it adjusts to almost any cognitive demand. And what I am seeing from casual observations of my three grandchildren is the cumulative wiring of a complex brain that is equipped for navigation in a global-
ized world. I have previously written (with apologies to readers who may find such columns indulgent) about my granddaughter Jacinta, who, when she was two, hardly spoke a word. I had begun to worry that she might be suffering from a linguistic disability. But, lo and behold, once she discovered the power of words, she began to replace the lyrics of children’s songs with her own. At three, she could read and write whole sentences, and use these as captions for her elaborate drawings. At four, she began recording her own songs in her father’s smartphone. But readers of my column would probably remember the many times I wrote about Julia, the oldest of our grandchildren. Now 13 and about to enter high school, she is articulate and artistic. Like most kids her age, she spends a lot of time on the computer. She watches animé and draws Manga-like characters that she casually shares with others in a website called “Deviant Art.” She adores Sherlock Holmes and loves to deploy her analytical skills in class debates. Her self-confidence is as impressive as her command of English (something I rue, because her Filipino is not half as good).
But there is a charming nonchalance about her that I didn’t quite expect in children of her age. She shows no interest in clothes, shoes, or material things. Yet she cried when her mother bought her an iPad. She hugged and kissed me when I came home from Tokyo recently laden with memorabilia from her favorite animé characters. She could not believe that I would go out of my way to look for this kind of stuff. But, noting how fascinated she had become with the Japanese language itself, I took her “bilin” (wish list) seriously. She came up to me the other day, and from out of the blue, she asked: “Lolo, what do parents expect from their children?” Her question startled me, and it took me a while to compose an answer. “Nothing for themselves, really,” I found myself saying. “I guess it is reward enough for parents to see that they are able to give their children every opportunity to develop their brains and talents. My parents did this for us; I expect my children to do this for their own children. I’d like to see you grow up into a fine person who is happy with herself, useful not just to her family but to other people as well, not just to her own country, but to all of humanity.” ■
LOOKING BACK
From Panacot to Panatag By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer LIKE MOST historians, I do research in libraries, archives, and museums but, believe it or not, sometimes I do research in antique shops. I remember looking through glass cases in the National Museum filled with Mingdynasty blue and white ceramics excavated with the San Diego shipwreck, then browsing through modern reproductions of the same in the museum shop. This was in the 1990s when, in nearby Ermita antique shops, you were allowed to handle authentic Mingdynasty ceramics that were selling cheaper than the reproductions! Since then I have learned that there is no better way to study ceramics than by handling pieces, and I’m grateful to have been guided through a survey of the Philippine archeological record by Kit Roxas in Makati, Venancio Magbuhos in Ermita, and the late F.C. Santamaria in Intramuros. Then, of course, there are regular lectures and handling sessions organized by the Oriental Ceramic Society of the Philippines. Excavated Chinese ceramics form an important part of the jigsaw puzzle that is Philippine prehistory, or the period before written records.
The late E. Arsenio Manuel used to say that I should have been an anthropologist rather than a historian. “Where history ends,” he challenged me, “anthropology begins.” Over the years, artifacts in antique shops have provided material for columns and lectures. The few small things I could afford to buy are brought to class for a show-and-tell session before students are told to write a short essay on: “What is the oldest thing you have held in your hand?” Old maps and books on the Philippines form part of my arsenal, and for this I have learned from a Glorietta shop which has a rather unimaginative name, Gallery of Prints, but an enviable stock of rare books, maps, prints and engravings of the Philippines from the 17th century to the early 20th century. In Bangkok there is a German-owned shop with an equally unimaginative name, Old Maps & Prints Co., that I visit regularly because it was there that a reduced version of the 18th-century map of the Philippines by the Jesuit Pedro Murillo Velarde was to be had for six figures in euros. Its price, like a diamond, was based on its perfect condition. Little wonder it was kept in an inner room and was shown to me after I had been offered a seat and
a cold drink. There are less than 30 extant copies of the full-sized map in the universe, making one worth over P1 million—if you can find one today. It is known by its kilometric title: Carta Hydrographica y Corographica de las Islas Filipinas Dedicada al Rey Nuestro Señor por el Mariscal d. Campo D. Fernando Valdes Tamon Cavall. O del Orden de Santiago, Gov. or y Cap.n General de dichas islas. Hechas pr el P.e. Pedro Murillo Velarde dla. Compa. de Jhs. Cath.co. de. Canones sobre los Mapas, y Relaciones mejores que han salido
Once obsolete, the Murillo Velarde map has become relevant overnight because it is the oldest Philippine map depicting the contested Scarborough Shoal that China claims as part of its territory through historic rights. y observaciones del Author… en Manila Ano 1734. (A hydrographic and chorographic map of the Philippine Islands dedicated to the Spanish King by Fernando Valdes Tamon, Captain General of the Philippines, made and annotated by Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde of the Society of Jesus in Manila in 1734).
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The Murillo Velarde map is not just a map that depicts the shape of the islands and their names; it is a sea chart that outlines several sailing routes, anchorages, etc. It also has an abridged history of the Philippines from Magellan to 1734, with important information on the natural resources of the Philippines. Although obsolete as a map today, it is significant because it was drawn by a Filipino artist, Francisco Suarez, and engraved by Nicolas de la Cruz Bagay, of whom we know very little. Suarez also drew a series of decorative panels that framed the map. Though not an integral part of the map, these vignettes depicted inhabitants of the Philippines and included plans of Cavite, Zamboanga, and Intramuros. The drawings may look naive today, but they have a particular charm and were faithfully engraved by De la Cruz Bagay. Father Murillo Velarde said of Filipino artists: “The Filipinos are extremely capable in any handicraft—there are excellent embroiderers, painters, silversmiths and engravers whose work has no equal in all the Indies, and could be considered elegant in Paris and Rome. I have seen paintings, drawings, and maps from pens more
beautiful, neater and handsomer than those taken from Paris.” When the British took Manila in 1762, part of their loot were the eight copper plates of the map engraved by De la Cruz Bagay. With these copper plates, some impressions were made in London after 1768, but since then the plates have disappeared and are probably in a private collection or tucked away in some museum. The Murillo Velarde map was the largest, most accurate, and most artistically crafted map of its time; it was repeatedly copied over the years by European map makers and became the basis of what the West knew about these far-off isles called the Philippines. Once obsolete, the Murillo Velarde map has become relevant overnight because it is the oldest Philippine map depicting the contested Scarborough Shoal that China claims as part of its territory through historic rights. Here you will find Scarborough under its native or Philippine name—not “Panatag” (Assured) but “Panacot” (Threat)—together with nearby island groups “Lumbay” (Sorrow) and “Galit” (Anger). Antiques are not just for museums. They can come in handy in our territorial dispute with China. ■
FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
18
Canada News
Harper, fellow G7 leaders to suspend G8 meetings until Russia ‘changes course’
NEWS BRIEFS
FROM THE CANADIAN PRESS
The Canadian Press THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS— Stephen Harper and his fellow G7 leaders say they are suspending their participation in the Group of Eight until Russia “changes course.” In a joint statement, the G7 nations say they will instead meet without Russia. The move is aimed at isolating Moscow as punishment for its annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. The G7 nations have issued the statement following today’s emergency meeting in the Netherlands. The leaders say they are ready to “intensity actions” against Russia if Moscow escalates the conflict further. Ukraine today told its remaining troops in the Crimean peninsula to leave the Black Sea region, formally annexed by Russia last week, because it’s too dangerous to remain. The gathering began at about 6:30
PM Stephen Harper and his fellow G7 leaders say they are suspending their participation in the Group of Eight until Russia “changes course.” PHOTO FROM PM.GC.CA
p.m. local time on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit, and went about a half hour longer than expected. U.S. President Barack Obama was the first to arrive and was greeted by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at his official residence. The G7 leaders joked and laughed together briefly before getting down to business—what to do about Russia’s aggression in eastern Europe amid the worst crisis for the region
since the Cold War. Earlier in the day, Harper said economic concerns will have to take a back seat as the West determines how to respond to Russian aggression. “Within the context of Canadian foreign policy, we will do what we can to maximize the commercial opportunities for our firms,” the prime minister told a roundtable with ❱❱ PAGE 39 Harper, fellow
Alberta, Ottawa announce funding deal to deal with specific job vacancies The Canadian Press EDMONTON—The Alberta government struck a deal with Ottawa on Friday that gives the province money and flexibility to train more people for specific jobs. Federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney says under a renewed labour market agreement, $23 million will go toward employer-driven training under the direction of the provincial government. “We want provinces to deliver this because they’re closer to the ground,” Kenney said in a legislature news conference alongside his provincial counterpart Thomas Lukaszuk. “They know who the players are. They understand the local and re-
gional job market subtleties much better than we do. “This agreement will be good for Albertans, good for the Alberta economy (and) good for taxpayers because they will be getting better bang for the buck from the training dollars we spend.” The $23 million is part of the current $33 million Canada Job Grant. Under the employer-driven program, the federal government would provide up to $10,000 per person for training costs, including tuition for short-duration training at community colleges, career colleges, trade union centres, and private trainers. Employers would be responsible for the final third for a maximum per person contribution of $15,000. The training can be done in class-
rooms, at the worksite or online. Lukaszuk said the money is crucial given the acute shortages in his province’s roaring petro-based economy. “This province right now is attracting approximately 130,000 people every year,” said Lukaszuk. “And yet we estimate that we will be short some 100,000 workers within the next 10 years. “That’s a problem that we must first solve domestically before we reach out to immigration as a primary supplement of workers.” There are about 220,000 job openings in Canada, a quarter of which are in Alberta. The job vacancy rate in Alberta has doubled in the last five years to six per cent. ■
NOVA SCOTIA NURSES TO DEFY BACK-TO-WORK LAW HALIFAX—The union president representing nurses at Nova Scotia’s largest health authority says they are ready to defy back-to-work legislation. Joan Jessome, president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, says the nurses will go on strike if Stephen McNeil’s Liberal government brings in such a law. HOUSING MARKET IN GOOD HEALTH: CONFERENCE BOARD OTTAWA—The Conference Board isn’t buying the notion that Canada’s housing market will suddenly crumble, saying the most likely outlook is for a modest decline nationally and in some specific markets. The Ottawa-based thinktank argues in a comprehensive new look at real estate in Canada that the conditions for a crash simply don’t exist, despite numerous reports that the market is overbuilt and overvalued. BC GOVERNMENT JUMPS INTO TRUCKERS STRIKE VANCOUVER—The B.C. government is poised to intervene in the truckers strike at Vancouver-area ports, with back to work legislation set to be introduced as early as today. The legislation is expected to include a 90day cooling off period. OILSANDS COMMUNITY NO CANCER HOTSPOT: STUDY EDMONTON— An Alberta government study hasn’t found any overall evidence of high cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan downstream from the oilsands. The study has found high levels of two forms of the disease in the community. By Bob Weber.
Canada News
19 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Russia bans entry to 13 Canadian lawmakers, officials in response to sanctions The Canadian Press OTTAWA—Russia on Monday slapped an entry ban on 13 Canadian lawmakers and officials, including House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer and government House leader Peter Van Loan, in retaliation for Canadian sanctions over Ukraine. Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the move a response to Canadian travel bans and economic sanctions imposed earlier on a number of Russian officials— ”unacceptable action by the Canadian side that has inflicted serious damage to bilateral relations,” the ministry said in a statement. The move follows Canada’s decision to act in unison with the U.S. to introduce sanctions targeting members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s entourage following Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. “Canadian officials named today by Russia aren’t oligarchs or threatening to annex parts of peaceful neighbours by military force,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Speaking from The Hague, where he is attending a nuclear security summit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird echoed Liberal MP Irwin Cotler in describing the sanctions as a “badge of honour.” “Any country who thinks that in the 21st century you can simply rewrite the borders of Europe is wrong, and it’s of deep concern,” Baird said. “None of the people listed today are threatening the territorial integrity or sovereignty of the Russian Federation. I think it also says we’ve certainly got the attention of those in the Kremlin.” Russian retaliation was bound to
come, said NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. “It’s a sign that we are heading into an era of much chillier relations, but it was predictable. And frankly, if that’s the price to pay to start sending a message to Putin, so be it.” Liberal MP Ralph Goodale called the Russian move “deeply insulting”, especially in targeting Scheer. “The Speaker embodies the rights and privileges of all MPs and indeed the very dignity of the whole House,” Goodale said. In addition to Scheer, Van Loan and Cotler, the Russians also banned Tory MPs Ted Opitz, James Bezan and Dean Allison, Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland and NDP MP Paul Dewar. Also named are Wayne Wouters, the clerk of the privy council; Jean-Francois Tremblay, deputy secretary to the cabinet; and Christine Hogan, assistant secretary to the cabinet. Sen. Raynell Andreychuk, a Conservative senator from Saskatchewan, is also on the list, along with Paul Grod, national president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. “I wear my exclusion from Russia as a badge of honour and am proud to be in such distinguished company,” Cotler said in a statement. Cotler said he was first banned from Russia 35 years ago for his efforts on behalf of Soviet-era dissidents. The Russians say the Canadian sanctions are unacceptable and have inflicted serious damage on relations between the two countries. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Russia remains open to “constructive” co-operation with Canada, but added that “we don’t need such co-operation more than Ottawa does.” ■ With files from The Associated Press
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UN: 2013... “Many of the extreme events of 2013 were consistent with what we would expect as a result of human-induced climate change,” he said. The U.N. agency called 2013 the sixthwarmest year on record. Thirteen of the 14 warmest years have occurred in the 21st century. A rise in sea levels is leading to increasing damage from storm surges and coastal flooding, as demonstrated by Typhoon Haiyan, Jarraud said. The typhoon in November killed at least 6,100 people and caused $13 billion in damage to the Philippines and Vietnam. Australia, meanwhile, had its hottest year on record and parts of central Asia and central Africa also notched record highs. Jarraud drew special attention to studies and climate modeling examining Australia’s recent heat waves, saying the high temperatures there would have been virtually impossible without the emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the burning of coal, oil and gas. He cited other costly weather disasters such as $22 billion damage from central European flooding in June, $10 billion in damage from Typhoon Fitow in China and Japan, and a $10 billion drought in much of China. ❰❰ 1
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Only a few places were cooler than normal. Among them was the central U.S. Jarraud also cited frigid polar air in parts of Europe and the southeast U.S., and the widest tornado ever observed over rural areas of central Oklahoma, as being among extreme weather events. There were 41 billion-dollar weather disasters in the world last year, the second highest number behind only 2010, according to insurance firm Aon Benfield, which tracks global disasters. Jarraud spoke as top climate scientists and representatives from about 100 governments with the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change met in Japan to complete their latest report on global warming’s impact. ■
World News
MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 20
In swift mass trial, Egypt sentences to death nearly 530 accused in police station attack BY MAGGIE MICHAEL The Associated Press CAIRO, EGYPT—An Egyptian court Monday sentenced to death nearly 530 suspected backers of ousted President Mohammed Morsi over a deadly attack on a police station, capping a swift, two-day mass trial in which defence attorneys were not allowed to present their case. It was the largest single batch of death sentences in the world in recent years, Amnesty International said. The U.S. State Department said it “defies logic” that so many people could get a fair trial in just two sessions. The verdicts by a court in the city of Minya are subject to appeal and are likely to be overturned. But the outcome stunned human rights activists and raised fears that the rule of law is be-
ing swept away in the crackdown waged by the militarybacked interim government against Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood since his overthrow last summer. The government is conducting a series of mass trials of Brotherhood supporters, some with hundreds of defendants. “It turns the judiciary in Egypt from a tool for achieving justice into an instrument for taking revenge,” said Mohammed Zarie, a Cairo-based human rights lawyer. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry brushed off the criticism, saying in a statement that the judiciary is “entirely independent and is not influenced in any way by the executive branch of government.” The government has branded the Brotherhood a terrorist group, a claim it denies. Some 16,000 people have been arrested since Morsi’s ouster, in-
cluding most of the group’s top leaders as well as large numbers swept up by police during proMorsi protests. A judicial official involved in Monday’s case told The Associated Press that the swift and harsh verdicts were meant as a deterrent. “Now no one would dare to think to attack a police station or a state institution after they saw death penalties falling on their group’s heads,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the case. He defended the mass trial, saying, “We are in exceptional circumstances. We don’t have time to summon each and every defendant, prove their presence and confirm who are their lawyers.” He said he expected an appeals court to overturn the verdicts and order a retrial be-
The verdicts by the court in the city of Minya is the largest single batch of death sentences in the world in recent years, according to Amnesty International. The U.S. State Department said it “defies logic” that so many people could get a fair trial in just two sessions. PHOTO FROM ARTICLE.WN.COM
cause defence lawyers were not given a chance to present their case—but he predicted a similar verdict. The 545 defendants were charged with murder, attempted murder, joining an outlawed group aiming at toppling the regime and stealing government weapons in connection with
the attack last August in the town of Matay, south of Cairo. The town’s deputy police chief, Mohammed al-Attar, was killed in the violence. The bloodshed was part of nationwide rioting sparked when security forces stormed ❱❱ PAGE 38 In swift
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World News
21 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Speeding commuter train derails, climbs escalator at Chicago airport station BY PRIYA SRIDHAR AND CARLA K. JOHNSON The Associated Press CHICAGO—An eight-car Chicago public-transit train jumped the tracks, skidded across a platform and scaled an escalator that leads to one of the nation’s busiest airports early Monday, injuring 32 people. Investigators had not drawn any conclusions into the cause of the derailment at the end of the Blue Line at O’Hare International Airport, but were looking into whether faulty brakes, signals or human error were factors, National Transportation Safety Board investigator Tim DePaepe said Monday. The Chicago Transit Authority train operator, who was still hospitalized, will be interviewed, DePaepe said, and investigators would examine her routine over the last few days. The timing of the crash—just before 3 a.m. Monday—helped avoid an enormous disaster,
as the underground Blue Line station is usually packed with travellers coming to and from Chicago. No one suffered lifethreatening injuries. The accident occurred almost six months after an unoccupied Blue Line train rumbled down a track for nearly a mile and struck another train headon at the other end of the line, which has recently started to undergo a four-year $429 million renovation. Denise Adams, a passenger on the train, described the impact to the Chicago Sun-Times. “I heard a ‘Boom!’ and when I got off the train, the train was all the way up the escalator,” she said. “It was a lot of panic.” Investigators will review video footage from a camera in the station and one that was mounted on the front of the train, DePaepe said. The train will remain at the scene until the NTSB has finished some of its investigators, after which crews will remove the train and fix the escalator that has “sig-
nificant damage.” Hours after the crash, the front of the first car could still be seen near the top of the escalator. While the station is shut down, the CTA was busing passengers to and from O’Hare to the next station on the line. The train appeared to have been going too fast as it approached the station and didn’t stop at a bumping post—a metal shock absorber at the end of the tracks. “Apparently (it) was travelling at a rate of speed that clearly was higher than a normal train would be,” CTA spokesman Brian Steele said. He also said it wasn’t clear how many people were on board at the time of the crash, but that it took place during what is “typically among our lowest ridership time,” Steele said. The injured were taken to area hospitals and Chicago Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago said Monday morning that most were able to walk away from the wreck unaided.
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Evonne Woloshyn, a spokeswoman at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, said seven people were treated for minor “whiplash-type” injuries after complaining of head and neck pain. Most were released Monday morning. Chicago’s 240-mile subway system, which had fallen into disrepair in recent decades, is known locally as the L and been an instantly recognizable backdrop in movies such as “The Blues Brothers.” Other lines have been renovated in recent years, including an overhaul on the south end of the Red Line that wrapped up in October. The Blue Line, which still has stations built in the late 1800s, was extended to O’Hare in the early 1980s. The current project is the biggest investment since the extension and will upgrade a 12.5-mile stretch in order to speed up travel times between O’Hare and the city’s downtown. The September accident,
which happened on the other end of the Blue Line, hurt dozens of people and prompted the CTA to make several safety changes. An NTSB report said that train was able to make its way through five stop mechanisms because a “master lever on the operator console had been left in a setting that allowed the train car brakes to recover and reset.” That allowed the train to start rolling over until it crashed into another train. Transit officials say there are more than 80,000 daily riders along the Blue Line O’Hare branch. ■ AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner contributed to this report from Chicago.
Immigration
MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 22
Immigrants being targetted by scammers posing as Canada Revenue agents The Canadian Press EDMONTON—Police in Edmonton say scammers claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency are targeting immigrants in the city, demanding money that’s apparently owed to the government. Detective Mo Banga says the scammers have been phoning people and telling them they have not filed their taxes properly, or have not registered themselves as alien immigrants. The victims are told to purchase prepaid Visa cards and then provide the caller with the information on the back of the card. Banga says people have paid out thousands of dollars to the scammers. Banga says the victims are also being threatened with fines, jail time and deportation. In one case, which happened at the
end of February, a couple fell victim to the scam and paid out $34,400. “The people will be apprehended sooner or later. However, chances of seeing that money are not that great,” said Banga. Police are asking people to be aware of the scam, including retailers. “In one case actually, the whole scam was averted because the store keeper was pretty inquisitive and asked all of these questions and convinced the complainant to go to the police station rather than buying these cards,” Banga explained. The EPS says about 40 people have come forward to report the scam, but believes there are many more victims out there. Police are asking anyone who receives a suspicious call to phone the CRA to confirm the request is legitimate. Police believe the suspects are operating out of Ontario. ■
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Preparing Newcomers for Life in Canada HONG KONG—Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander spoke to graduates of the Canadian Immigrant Integration Program (CIIP)–an initiative with a strong record of helping newcomers achieve success in Canada. Alexander spoke with graduates of the CIIP who told him about their achievements and how they hope that their experience in the CIIP will help them find jobs when they arrive in Canada. Graduates stated that the program has provided them with the tools they need to contribute fully to the Canadian economy and labour market. According to Alexander, “Our government is building an immigration system that is focused on economic growth and ensuring that all Canadians, including newcomers, are able to contribute actively to Canadian society. Programs like the CIIP help immigrants on the path to a successful life in Canada by providing key information on foreign credential recognition, the Canadian labour market and settlement issues. I look forward to seeing CIIP graduates when they settle in their new lives in Canada.” During his remarks, Alexander announced an additional investment in the CIIP of $1.9 million over the next six months, and highlighted the work that is underway with the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) to explore new ways of delivering overseas services. This funding will help more immigrants prepare for life in Canada. Some facts
More than 25,000 people have gone
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through the CIIP while they are still in their home country. A recent survey found that: • 72% of CIIP graduates who responded to the survey were employed within 12 months of arriving in Canada. • 93% of the respondents achieved credential assessment within six months of applying. • 69% of the respondents found employment in their field (2013). According to Denise Amyot, President & CEO of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges and Chair of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics, “CIIP continues to make a significant contribution towards the success of newcomers through the provision of pre-departure information and planning services that help immigrants prepare before they arrive in Canada. We're proud that CIIP has been recognized for its efforts and contributions to Canadian society and ACCC hopes to be able to deliver this valuable program for years to come." The CIIP is managed by the ACCC, which was recognized last month for its success with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada/Deloitte 2013 Public Sector Leadership Award. The gold honour was presented in recognition of the association’s work in developing and delivering the CIIP – which assists newcomers in 25 countries through offices located in the Philippines, China, India, and the United Kingdom. Since 2010, the government has invested over $18 million in the CIIP. For more information about this program, visit the ACCC website at http://www. accc.ca/xp/index.php/en. ■
Immigration
23 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
PANGARAP : SO, OUR JOURNEY BEGINS
So, Is the Virtual World, Your Oyster? BY BOLET AREVALO THE VIRTUAL WORLD IS THE WAY TO GO, AND YOU WILL GET THERE FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY BY LEARNING HOW TO SURF THE INTERNET. As a mom, I used to resent the fact that my kids were spending too much time on the internet. Many times I judged that to be aimless, and therefore, a waste of time. Besides, I was being protective that they do not chance upon censorable sites and unduly get exposed to virtual indecencies. Things seemed to worsen when they started learning all those computer games online. And I had to consistently watch that they did not abuse their time and their health. I sort of panicked when I heard the news of a boy who stayed online straight for more than 48 hours and died. That was a real scare. We have to live with the fact that, in watching over our children, we can only do so much. It seems almost impossible to ogre on them like a hawk for even a full 24 hours. You just need to trust that you had brought them up well and that you had continuously fed them with sound advice and words of wisdom. Eventually, you will realize that they will learn on their own, like when to stop staying up in front of that computer. I should say it was my children who patiently introduced me to computers. When I was learning to surf the internet, I started understanding my own children. Time just passed me by without realizing that I had spent three to five hours at the minimum doing that. And the kids started to get right back at me, “See Mom, no eating and no looking at the clock.” Gee, how true, and I was loving it. While we view the world wide web, or the internet for that matter, as a different world in itself, it is there to support us. Anything that is out there can build or destroy us. But when used responsibly, surfing the internet is a tool that makes this information instantly available to us without ever leaving our seats. By that, I was beginning
to wonder why, in some offices, employees are not given access to the internet as if their employees believe they will be like small kids who would spend their time gallivanting along the virtual highways. Also, I thought that I became a better mom or friend because I did not have to bother anybody with my trivial questions, or even the valid ones, because the internet almost always provides the answer to anything. Coming over to a developed country like Canada almost makes it inevitable for anybody to learn to use the computers and surf. Why, there are even classes that are held in community centers which any adult learner can attend for free. Teaching the use of the computer is also a popular task among new immigrants who want to volunteer for work to gain work experience. It is so heart-warming to see our parents and grandparents attending computer classes, and actually wanting to buy their own PCs, afraid that they cannot compete in time and availability among the younger ones for the use of the computer at home. To paraphrase a more cruel term, whether you like it or not, you will need to learn to use the computer and surf the internet if you want to compete for those jobs that are available out there. They say, only 20% of available jobs out there are advertised, and perhaps 90% of them can be viewed in job sites and company websites. Like me, you can enjoy your computer and make the most use of it too in your job search. The computer was invented to be a useful tool, and so was the Internet. Learning to surf the internet can open up a whole wide and new world to you and help you with anything, including finding a job. Only 20% of available jobs are advertised, and perhaps 90% of them are those you find when you surf the internet. Did you know that the Internet Technology Is 50 Years Old? That famous free encyclopedia on the internet, called Wikipedia, still is the most accessible source of quick and concise information about many things, including the
word “internet”. May I quote “The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private and public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries a vast array of information resources and services, most notably the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the infrastructure to support electronic mail. Most traditional communications media, such as telephone and television services, are reshaped or redefined using the technologies of the Internet, giving rise to services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and IPTV. Newspaper publishing has been reshaped into Web sites, blogging, and web feeds. The Internet has enabled or accelerated the creation of new forms of human interactions through instant messaging, Internet forums, and social networking sites. The origins of the Internet reach back to the 1960s when the United States funded research projects of its military agencies to build robust, fault-tolerant and distributed computer networks. This research and a period of civilian funding of a new U.S. backbone by the National Science Foundation spawned worldwide participation in the development of new networking technologies and led to the commercialization of an international network in the mid 1990s, and resulted in the following popularization of countless applications in virtually every aspect of modern human life . . .” Therefore, the internet is going 50 years. Yet, many of us are just learning to use it. Where have we been all this time? Well, I don’t mean those under 50 or 40 years old. I would surmise that if one is in his 20s or 30s, he must have been living all this time in the technology of the future and the virtual www.canadianinquirer.net
world of the internet. How lucky could one get! This is not to say that our folks from way, way back were not able to function effectively and efficiently during their own time because they did not have the internet. After all, they were the ones that laid the cornerstone that allowed these technological developments, and how amazing they would be. They, working from so limited resources, were able to hand us down this wonder we now call the internet. With this technology, we have been enabled. The world literally opened in the comforts of our home—networking, advertising, studying, connecting, shopping, and jobhopping. Some have surmised that the ease of getting into another job or business opportunity has literally made some workers less restless about their jobs because at a click of a mouse, they know they can find another that needs their skills. The opposite may also be true, just the same. But pretty soon, you learn that it is that same popularity of the internet that will be its own weakness when trying to put you in a job. As we mentioned, competition is so stiff that you hardly have the best luck in the world for your email or registered application to be noticed. Some job advertisers never get to read hundreds and thousands of resumes that literally come in by the seconds. On the other hand, I know of real success stories that started
with replying to an internet job posting. Maybe it's luck? The truth is, there are probably ways of doing it right. This will be the subject of the ensuing discussions. Suffice it to say, now that internet technology is here, use it to your advantage. The geniuses before us created this wonder of technology called the Internet out of the limited resources in their hands. We owe it to them and to ourselves to use this technology to optimize the opportunities we can gather from it. Finding a job through the Internet can be a challenge, but success stories from it are also as true and real. ■ 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 is a marketing communications practitioner and dabbles in writing as a personal passion. She is authorpublisher 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 and other online bookshops worldwide, and in National Book Store and Power Books in the Philippines. Please check out https://www.amazon.com/ author/boletarevalo
MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 24
FILIPINO-CANADIANS IN FOCUS:
Manny Yanga
BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer PEOPLE OFTEN say religion and politics don’t mix. But for Emmanuel “Manny” Yanga, the two sectors of society work together just fine. Leaving a life behind
Manny’s family moved to Canada on February 1994. “My only brother, a family doctor in Toronto, was instrumental for my family's migration in February 1994,” Manny recalled. His brother’s busy schedule between the hospital and family clinic made it difficult for him to look after their parents who also migrated to Canada in 1985, as well as visit Manny’s family in the Philippines. His hectic schedule moved him to ask Manny and his family to join him in Canada and stay with their parents. “So, in 1992 he phoned and asked if we can come over and be with our parents,” Manny shared. “It took us more than a year to fully decide… It was a real tough decision.” As an employee of a corporate giant for 18 years and with their children still attending school (two daughters, 9 and 14 years young at that time), the decision to move to a foreign land didn’t come easy. Manny knows greener and better pastures await them in Canada, but leaving their life in the Philippines wasn’t easy to do. Back then even Manny’s eldest son wasn’t ready to leave everything behind. “My eldest son, who works for television and the movies,
decided to be left behind when we came,” he said. “I should say [that’s] the best decision he made.” His eldest son became one of the most “sought-after scriptwriters for primetime shows and TV commercials.” Today, Manny’s proud to say that his son is now a very successful man. “He is currently the VicePresident of the company they established with his 4 colleagues in the business for other TV stations and corporate events of big companies as well for ads and movie commercials,” he beamed. Bigger challenges
Leaving the place where one grew up, fell in love, and built a life is never easy. In spite of homesickness, Manny and his family did their best to overcome the obstacles they faced in their new home. “The change in culture and climate were the differences that almost changed our plan and [we almost went back] to Manila a year after,” Manny confessed. The differences in culture and the extreme weather situations in Canada almost broke their will, but they together they stood and stayed. But there was a bigger challenge ahead. At some point after moving to Canada, their younger son decided to go back to the Philippines to take a pre-medical course for two years. “[It] made my wife worry because our two young daughters look up to my son for help going around Toronto,” he shared. Being far away from his son caused some distress, but thankfully—just two weeks be-
fore his son’s immigrant status expired—they got a call from him saying that he’s going back to Canada for good. “That was the turning point,” he pointed out. “I attributed it to our family prayers and my son’s love for his younger sisters and us—his parents… That drew him to come back to Canada for good.” Like most Filipino-Canadians, Manny still has relatives in the Philippines whom he misses terribly. However, when we asked him what he missed the most about his home country, Manny answered with a smile. “The things I missed most are the people, the sumptuous authentic Filipino food, the fresh fruits, and the beautiful and fascinating vacation resorts,” he answered. From faith to power
In his community, both in the Philippines and in Toronto, Manny is known as a man of faith. “Being very active way back in the Philippines, I was exposed to a lot of social, civic and religious organizations then,” he shared. “I was active then with Rotary Club of Cubao East as Club Secretary, Charter President of Manila Buklod-Bayan Lions Club and Manila Bisig-Bayan Lions Club in Mendiola and Morayta, Manila,” he enumerated. “At the same time, [I’m] an active leader of Couples for Christ Catholic Charismatic prayer group and the Knights of Columbus - Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Council in Antipolo where we hold monthly medical and dental services to poor kababayans in the community. [I was also]
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Manny Yanga.
a Euchristic Minister and a Lector-slash-Commentator at Sunday masses at the Antipolo Church Cathedral.” Now, after living for 20 years in Canada, he decided to run for local office. So, why the switch from church to politics? “Actually, it goes hand in hand,” he said about faith and public office. “When you meet people in the church, it's more likely almost always the very same people you'd come to serve in the community. In essence, it's doing the same kind of service just in a different country,” he continued. His faith led him to serve the people in his community as a member of the church. Now, Manny is campaigning to be a TCDSB Trustee of Ward 7 North York – Scarborough. As a Filipino, he wants to instill a specific Pinoy trait to his
community. “The Filipino trait I want to teach and remain in the hearts of all Filipinos is the bayanihan spirit,” he said. The bayanihan spirit—coupled by his strong faith—fuels Manny to do more and do better for his community. When asked about his campaign platform, he came up with a straightforward answer. “My campaign platform is pretty simple: To bring back and keep our Catholic faith, teachings, and culture in Catholic Schools,” he answered. “Our kids [should] learn the value of being a true, practicing Catholic. We need to uphold the basic teachings of the Catholic Church no matter what [the] circumstances may be,” he added. The elections for TCDSB Trustees will be on October 27, 2014. ■
FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
25
Mystery of Malaysia Flight 370 The Curious Case of MH370 BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer “MALAYSIAN PLANE mystery is like trying to solve a crime without a body, witness, motive,” read the title of article carried by the Associated Press on March 19, 2014, with regard to the befuddling disappearance of Malaysian Air Flight 370 on March 8, 2014. We all know the story: The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER, was en route from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport, when it lost contact with air traffic control less than an hour after take-off and seemed to vanish into thin air. Furthermore, its last contact with ground control indicated no problems or untoward incidents. The aircraft carried 12 crew members and 227 passengers from 15 nations, the majority of passengers being Chinese citizens. Satellite imagery which picked up the craft’s blips later on led experts to conclude that that the plane made a “sharp left, in a seeming effort to turn around, and was flying for another 6 hours after losing contact. Where the plane was headed, or what became of it and the passengers, remains unsolved. The plot has, unfortunately, neither thickened nor developed since then; with leads resulting in dead ends and a massive search—with the aid of countries from around the globe—across oceans turning up nothing, thus far. Meantime, families and friends of those on board remain in anguish over
The Air France 447’s Airbus’s vertical stabilizer, recovered. PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The last photo taken of the Boeing 777 9M-MRO of Malaysian Air, the missing aircraft flight 370, in 2011 at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
the uncertain and perplexing conditions surrounding the whereabouts of their loved ones. Anguish has turned into anger over what has been criticized as a lack of efficiency and transparency in dealing with the crisis on the part airline and of the Malaysian government. As can be expected, several theories have emerged, as the world waits with bated breath for the outcome of the strange turn of events. Experts, common folk, and crazies alike have all shared their two-cent’s worth. The thought of something so large, disappearing as though by some magician’s final act (in the presence of seemingly slight-of-hand-proof modern hi-tech gadgetry and equipment, at that) presents a conundrum that many have tried to explain away. Majority of these theories center on very believable scenarios: a crash due to mechanical failure or pilot suicide; an electrical fire resulting in failure of all communications gad-
gets, and causing all on board to pass out from smoke inhalation, thereby leaving the plane on auto pilot until it eventually crashed; a terrorist bombing, piracy, and/or a hijacking. The piracy or hijacking theory could also mean that the plane and those on board could have been flown to a yet unknown destination. Then there are those theories that are far out there; pushing the limits of credence and reason: • UFO and/or alien abduction, the biggest proponent of which is Forbidden Knowledge TV, a website dedicated to the publicizing of unreported and underreported extraterrestrial activity. This theory is based on footage supposedly captured and uploaded to YouTube by user DAHBOO7. A representative of FKTV says that radar readings in the clip “captured signals from what for now, can only be termed a UFO”. UFO experts have acknowledged the absence of any justifiable UFO activity in the area when the
Uruguayan Air crash site memorial, taken in February 2006. PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
plane disappeared, but also said that the “involvement of a UFO could not be ruled out.” • A conspiracy theory revolving around American national secrets leaker, Edward Snowden. This posits that the US government might have been behind the plane’s disappearance in order to gain control of some I.T. employees of Freescale Semiconductor on board the plane; to keep the Chinese from getting to them and to another passenger on the plane, an IBM executive. IBM was one of the companies
Snowden implicated in his information leaks as working with the NSA in the surveillance of China. • The Illuminati theory. Yes, there are those who believe that it is no coincidence that (according to Wikipedia) the missing plane is the 404th 777 produced by Boeing. This is further linked to an “HTTP 404 error”, which means “Not Found,” something that was very possibly orchestrated by the elusive and mystical Illuminati. ❱❱ PAGE 26 The Curious
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Mystery of Malaysia Flight 370
MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 26
The Curious... • A new Bermuda Triangle, or a Black Hole have both been blamed by some as responsible for the plane’s disappearance. • Then there are those politically motivated conspiracy theories, which say that either North Korea or China itself is behind the disappearance. Although the motives remain unclear. Indeed, there is a plethora of theories making the rounds of media, both social and mainstream. In the absence of solid answers, it is difficult to say beyond a shadow of a doubt which holds water, and which is simply hogwash. Two weeks into the disappearance, however, many are coming face-to-face with the possibility that this may very possibly go down as one of history’s greatest mysteries. And hopefully, it does not remain unsolved; a possibility with which few want to contend, but a possibility nonetheless. This is not the first time, however, that a plane has flown off the radar, leaving a trail of questions where blips used to be. Historical records reveal other mysterious aviation disappearances (from most to least recent): • Air France Flight 447: In 2009, this Air France Airbus A330 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. All 228 passengers and crew on board perished. The bodies of seventy four passengers were never recovered. It took five days for search and rescue teams to find the wreck; it took three years for investigators to report the cause of the crash: ice crystals had caused the autopilot to disconnect. • Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571: Forty-five passengers and crew were on board this plane to Santiago, Chile, when the craft met bad weather and crashed into the Andes. Twelve people were killed. Authorities were unable to locate the whereabouts of the plane for the next seventy-two days. Eight more survivors perished in a snow avalanche, while the sixteen who remained resorted to cannibalism to stay alive until they were found over two months after their plane vanished from the skies. The year was 1972. • Flying Tiger Line Flight 739: In 1962, A U.S. military flight departed from Guam with ninety personnel on board. The flight was bound for the Philippines, but ❰❰ 25
it never arrived. There was no distress call from the plane, and exhaustive military search operations involving more than 1,300 yielded not a single trace of wreckage. Fueling the mystery were reports from the crew of a Liberian tanker ship. The crew claimed to have seen an “intensely luminous” light in the sky at the estimated time of the flight. The U.S. Civil Aeronautics board finally ruled that it was “unable to determine the probable cause of the incident.” • The Bermuda Triangle: Also known as the “Devil’s Triangle,” several unexplained disappearances have been related to this notorious stretch of ocean between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. In 1948 and 1949, two British South American Airways passenger jets were reported to have vanished in the region, with more than fifty-one people combined vanishing with the aircrafts. In 1945, Flight 19, composed of five American bombers on a training mission over the triangle were also lost and never recovered. The search aircraft sent to investigate the disappearances likewise vanished with thirteen crew members on board. • British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian Star Dust: In 1947, this aircraft disappeared with eleven people on board. In 1998—over fifty years later—two Argentinean rock climbers stumbled upon engine wreckage in the Andes Mountains. An Argentine army expedition mobilized by authorities in 2000 later on found additional wreckage, and human remains, as well. Reports indicate that the plane went undiscovered because it was buried underneath snow, after the impact of its crash into Mount Tupangato caused an avalanche. • Amelia Earhart: Perhaps the most renowned aviation disappearance the world over is the case of aviation pioneer and pro pilot, Amelia Earhart. Earhart vanished in her twin-engine monoplane Electra over the Pacific Ocean in 1937, in what would have been a complete flight around the globe. Although a multimillion dollar search was launched, her plane was never found. Earhart was officially declared dead in 1939. Malaysian Air 370 is definitely somewhere; of that, there can be no doubt. Where that somewhere lies is another story, waiting to come to its conclusion. ■
A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation, a similar craft to the vanished Flying Tiger Line Flight 739. PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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Mystery of Malaysia Flight 370
27 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Could the ones responsible for MH370 be out of this world? BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer IT IS absolutely ridiculous and yet perfectly plausible. Loony yet believable. Could aliens be responsible for the mind-boggling disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370? More than two weeks since it vanished with 239 passengers and crew member on board from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, no significant findings have been found and the missing persons’ loved ones— together with the rest of the world—are hanging on to every news update flashed before their eyes. Without a trace
One of the biggest questions about this entire ordeal is how a 247-ton aircraft simply vanish into thin air just like that? With all the technological advancements created and continuously improved to increase air flight security, how could the authorities lose track of such a gargantuan plane? There are several theories that have bubbled up about MH370’s disappearance and what could have happened after air traffic control lost sight of it in mid-air. There’s terrorism, hijacking, suicide bombers, mid-air explosion or collision, plane crash, emergency landing, Edward Snowden, the Illuminati, and an incredibly cruel advertising strategy. And then there are the notso-easy-to-buy-into and more movie-ish theories like a new season of ‘Lost,’ the curse of the Bermuda Triangle, a rip in the seam of time and space continuum opening into an alternate universe, kidnapping for human experimentation, and then there’s alien abduction. Several articles surfaced online about how feasible each theory is upon compared to a massive 209-foot airplane equipped with state of the art facilities. Most theories did not hold up to the Boeing 777-200, saying that the black box could have survived any explosion or crash and transmit significant data up to 30 days after an incident; some of the passengers’ mobile phones were still ringing, as reported by some of their loved ones who tried to contact them, which is proof that at least their mobile phones survived any sort of fortuitous event; a mid-air explosion—
whether by mechanical failure or missile impact—will create debris and most airplane parts are buoyant, which means at some point within the past two or three weeks, rescuers and searchers should’ve have found something significant. Since Thursday, Australia, China, and even singer-actress Courtney Love reported sightings of debris, but failed to verify if these were indeed parts of the missing plane. With such tremendous odds against perfectly scientific and logical speculations about what really happened to MH370, more and more people are starting to believe that something not of this earth could have caused the (so far) inexplicable disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370. Not so ridiculous after all
I know, I know. The idea of an alien abduction alone seems profanely preposterous. I myself never believed in the presence of life outside earth and to be perfectly honest, I still don’t. But after reading more than my share of alien theories related to MH370 and other inexplicable mysteries from time immemorial, I think I’m beginning to understand why extraterrestrial involvement may not be so ridiculous after all.
Though satire news website National Report’s article about aliens being involved in the missing aircraft created a buzz online, some people still can’t quite wrap their fingers on the idea that aliens really have nothing to do with MH370. In fact, it may have stirred more interest in the paranormal that launched even more probing into the matter. A day after the plane disappeared, Forbidden Knowledge TV (FKTV) published an online article about the possible involvement of a UFO. FKTV is devoted to disseminating information
about alien activities on earth. According to the report, author Alexandra Bruce noted a YouTube video from uploader DAHBOO7. The video showed “two anomalies” about aircraft movements departing the airport as seen on radar playback. First, a round object appears on the left side of the radar playback. At first, the radar doesn’t recognize what the object is, hence the round image. Then all of a sudden, the round object turns into an airplane as reflected on radar. The newly transformed “plane” appeared to move “at least five times the speed of surrounding planes.” A few moments before MH370 disappeared on the said radar, the object in question—which is now being referred to as an unidentified flying object (UFO)—seemed to remain stationary at the edge of the screen, hovering in place. The second anomaly is about the uncharacteristic behavior of MH370 as shown on radar. Right about as MH370 crossed the Malaysian Peninsula, the plane showed signs of distress. According to the video and Bruce’s report, “the plane took three sharp turns: right, left, right at an altitude of 35,000 feet and at a speed of 473 knots.” After those turns, radar readings went from 35,000 feet to 0 and then completely vanished. The round-turned-airplane object, which “for now can only be termed as a UFO,” also vanished from the screen. More alien theories rising
The International Business Times reported about alien abductions theories creating a social media buzz about three days after the plane mysteriously fades into thin air. Author Kabita Maharana wrote, “Skepticism of a terror attack or hijack is looming big as no distress signal or communication was received from the crew,” which effectively rules out the possibility of a terrorist attack or a suicide bombing incident despite reports of two passengers who boarded the plane using stolen passports.
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The more logical suggestions were being debunked one by one by equally logical arguments, which in effect leaves nothing but the rather bizarre explanations about the whereabouts of MH370 that carried (or carries) 227 passengers and 12 members of the flight crew. The report capitalized on the fact that the plane disappeared while it “was flying at more than 35,000 feet… in good weather condition” which further made the theory of alien attack more plausible even to skeptics. Add to that the slightly alarming fact that powerful satellites going around the world failed to find any trace of the fated plane. A part of a report from UK’s The Daily Star said that extraterrestrials “saved the plane from crashing.” The Daily Star cited LightWeb News as a source where a “comprehensive announcement” showed MH370 aboard “an alien spaceship” after a reported “hydraulic failure.” However ridiculous or believable the reports may seem, perhaps when a Boeing 777 disappears without a trace for almost three weeks (and still counting), anyone and everyone will tend to believe any theory that offers a plausible explanation or a momentary relief from the clandestine. Despite the cliché’s fame, ignorance is not bliss—not in school, not in real life. In the case of the 239 lives aboard the plane and the countless family and friends awaiting their safe return, ignorance is the last thing they want. Everybody, including spectators, is hoping for a positive outcome amidst this seemingly desperate situation. ■ Disclaimer: I, the author, am merely stating theories available online after doing research. This article is by no means a way to belittle search and rescue efforts being conducted by 27 different countries nor am I creating a mockery of the missing persons’ (and their loved ones’) physical and psychological struggle through these trying times. With the rest of the world, the Philippine Canadian Inquirer hopes for the best and prays the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will soon end on a positive note.
Seen & Scenes
MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 28
MIGRANTE ALBERTA LAUDS COALITION FOR CONSULAR OFFICE
HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS REACH THE PHILIPPINES
Calgary, Alberta–Migrante Alberta commends the Coalition to Open a Consular Office in Alberta for a fruitful meeting with newly installed Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer over the weekend.
The members of the Caring Hearts Dentistry Society (CHDS) led by its Chairman Elena C. Agala and President Dr. Danilo Salcedo launched a remarkable undertaking as they successfully conducted a Dental Mission in the Philippines, specifically in the disaster-stricken areas in Bohol, Cebu City and Tacloban City.
Migrante Alberta, along with various Filipino-oriented support groups, received confirmation from the RP official that his office had sent recommendations to the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines to open an Alberta-based consular office. Ferrer said following budget deliberations and approval, the office will likely open up in 2015. Alberta is home to over 100,000 Filipinos, including permanent residents and temporary foreign workers. While there is a growing number of Filipinos in the province, the PH Consulate based in Vancouver cannot address the growing demands of Filipinos that needed its services. The BC based consular office alone serves approximately 200,000 to 250,000 Filipinos in Western Canada alone, including Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
This mission, funded primarily by the Society’s founding directors Dr. Danilo Salcedo, Dr. Gloria Samosa, Dr. Francisca Valdes and Ms. Elena Agala, were conducted in partnership with the Rotary World Help and the Rotary Club of Richmond Sunrise. This humanitarian program aims to help the needy and less fortunate to alleviate their sufferings brought about by the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake and typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines late last year. 4,500 patients were served by members of CHDS in three provinces of the Philippines from January 4 to 24, 2014 which included tooth extractions, dental fillings and tooth restoration. Approximate value in Philippine Currency for the services rendered is P4,025,000 (Four million twenty five thousand pesos) equivalent to C$100,625 (One hundred thousand six hundred twenty five Canadian dollars). The CHDS is a registered non-profit society that is purely civic and social in nature. It is a group of CanadianFilipino dentists and volunteers from Vancouver, British Columbia conducting international dental missions. The members of the 2014 Dental Mission to the Philippines are Elena Agala, Dr. Danilo Salcedo, Dr. Gloria Samosa, Dr. Francisca Valdes, Dr. Marietta Quiambao, Ghee Salcedo, Pacifico Alegro, Francisco Valdes, Steve Gable, Bonnie Gable, Ronald Mackenzie, Margaret Mackenzie, Michelle Ann Quiambao, Nancy Bantug, Jenny de Guzman, Minerva Tolentino, Mirjana Valdes, Andrew Milne, Sydney Harrison and Lorna Simms.
FRANCISCO “JOJO” QUIMPO FOR CONSERVATIVE NOMINATION - VANCOUVERKINGSWAY
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Community leader Jojo Quimpo was joined by Senator Tobias Enverga and wife Rosemer, and by his family, friends, supporters and the Vancouver media for the launch of his candidacy for nomination as the candidate for Vancover-Kingsway under the Conservative Party.
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Seen & Scenes
29 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
ROSE CHARITIES HAIYAN UPDATE Photos show the work being done by Rose Charities Canada on the Health Care Centers. Rose Charities has also started the construction of several fishing boats to be given to beneficiary-fishermen. Funding for the Haiyan projects has been donated by Canadians and the Filipinos in Canada. For more updates, please visit http://www. rosecanada.info/.
SENATOR ENVERGA IN VANCOUVER In a joint Filipino, Korean & Chinese reception in Vancouver and joined by Senator Yonah Martin and Minister Alice Wong, Senator Enverga reiterated the importance of unity in the community as well as the importance of partnership with different communities to achieve common goals and preserve common values. It is worth noting that Philippines and Korea’s relationship was bonded much closer after the Korean War.
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MARCH 28, 2014
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FRIDAY 30
Mystery of Malaysia Flight 370
31 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
What we know, and still don’t, on Malaysian plane crash as search enters 3rd week The Associated Press A SUMMARY of the questions answered, and still pending, about the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Monday announcement: What we know
The plane crashed: Najib said satellite data showed the flight “ended in the southern Indian
Ocean,” confirming that the Boeing 777 that disappeared more than two weeks ago went down in a remote corner of the ocean, “far from any possible landing sites.” Its last position: A British company calculated satellite data obtained from the remote area of the ocean, using analysis never before used in an aviation investigation of this kind, and pinpointed the last spot the flight was seen in the air was in the middle of the ocean west of Perth, Australia.
No survivors: Najib left little doubt that all 239 crew and passengers had perished in the crash; the father of an aviation engineer on the flight said, “we accept the news of the tragedy. It is fate.” Questions remain
Who and how: Malaysian authorities have not ruled out any possible explanation for what happened to the jet, but have said the evidence so far suggests it was deliberately
PHOTO BY SHAHRUL AZMAN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
turned back across Malaysia to the Strait of Malacca, with its communications systems disabled. They are unsure what happened next. Authorities are considering the possibilities including terrorism, sabotage, catastrophic mechanical failure or issues related to the mental health of the pilots or someone
else on board. What’s floating in the ocean: The prime minister didn’t address whether investigators had confirmed floating objects in the ocean and images captured by several countries’ search parties, including that of France and China, were debris from the plane. ■
Top eight theories: What possibly happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370? BY KATHERINE MARFALTEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer IT WAS March 8 when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished into thin air. But until now, its whereabouts remain a mystery to the families of the 239 passengers and crew, along with the rest of the world—who are all waiting in agony. Investigators, aviation experts and news agencies around the globe are all investigating, hoping to pinpoint what really transpired to the Malaysian plane. Countless of theories and logical hypotheses have surfaced, but all of them are flawed. Here is a look at the eight leading theories. 1. Pilot involvement
Pilots-suspects: Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53 has been a pilot for Malaysia Airlines since 1981, and was reportedly a fanatical supporter of Anwar Ibrahim, leader of the opposition party in Malaysia. Co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27 just started flying a 777. Both pilots, from what little is known of them, do not appear to have any psychological problems. Thus, the theory that the pilots killed themselves and committed mass murder did not
aeroplane sinks in the water, water will go inside because the door seals are not meant to seal water.” A SilkAir crash in 1997, and an EgyptAir crash in 1999 were believed to have been the results of deliberate actions by pilots. It was also found that in 2011, Flight 370’s co-pilot and another pilot invited two women boarding their aircraft to sit in the cockpit for an international flight. 2. Terrorists in action FACEBOOK PAGE OF CAPT ZAHARIE AHMAD SHAH
have the ring of truth; that is, until the black box is finally obtained and the last hours of the flight comes to light. According to reports, “the plane’s transponder stopped signaling its location to air-traffic controllers and other planes at the perfect moment: the handoff from Malaysia’s controllers to those in Vietnam.” It added that after the co-pilot told Malaysian controllers, “All right, good night,” no radio contact transpired again while the plane rapidly turned and kept flying for up to seven hours. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak believes that “the communication systems were manually switched off and the airliner was deliberately diverted” based on the evidence
presented. In their quest to find possible evidence linking to Malaysian Airlines Flight 370's sudden disappearance, Malaysian authorities have raided the homes of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid but found nothing that would pin them down as the ones responsible for the jet's disappearance. Terence Fan, an aviation expert at Singapore Management University, believes that the pilots’ suicide bid is possible. He said, “If that’s the case there might not be a lot of debris because the plane would have come down in relative structural integrity.” He added, “The aeroplane is not meant to float and if the www.canadianinquirer.net
Possible terrorists on board. This theory came out after it was discovered that two Iranians were on board—and were travelling on stolen passports. Though the investigators didn’t find any trace that the two suspected carriers of stolen passports—one, 18 and the other, 28—are connected to terror groups, they still found the hypothesis logical.
the plane not visible on radar? In its 19-year history, the Boeing 777 had just one crash— the Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco, which happened in 2013. 4. Fire
It was theorized that MH 370’s sudden disappearance from the radars could be possibly due to an electrical fire or a fire from hazardous cargo. The fires were believed to have shut down all communications equipment and prevented crewmembers and passengers from calling for help. What if the pilots were debilitated because of the smoke? Investigators pointed out a hole in this theory. If that were the case, they said, flight attendants and passengers would have had the time to try to enter the cockpit and take control of the plane. 5. Decompression
3. Sudden Catastrophe
The sudden catastrophe theory was first suspected by aviation experts—but as the investigation progresses, its possibility decreases. The typical scenarios: A bomb on board, or an engine failure. But the biggest question of aviation experts and investigators was: Why were pieces of
Aviation experts and investigators are also looking at the theory that the crewmembers and the passengers were killed due to a slow or sudden decompression, causing a loss of oxygen. But again—the flaw. Provided that the oxygen levels dropped, a loud, automated warning would have alerted the ❱❱ PAGE 38 Top eight
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Entertainment
MISS B’S ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS
Vancouver’s new acoustic jewel—Audrey Rose BY BABES NEWLAND
THE SCOPE of Filipino folk music’s resurgence during 1970’s were influenced by the likes of Freddie Aguilar, Asin, Florante, Joey Ayala, Heber Bartolome, Sampaguita, and Bayang Barrios, to name a few. Live music gigs and recordings back then were often played with acoustic percussion instruments because that’s what they had available. In some cases, singers/musicians couldn’t afford electronic instruments and the equipment required to amplify them. In this age of amplified bigbeat sound and high technology digital recording, upcoming local group AUDREY ROSE has chosen to keep their musical accompaniments to bare minimum. “Voice is my main instrument”, says lone female lead vocalist/group co-founder Audrey Rose. “My performances are mostly accompanied by ‘Rosy’, my acoustic guitar.” This dusky statuesque 20-year old singer/songwriter with a deep raspy voice also plays various instruments like piano and flute. Having moved to Canada with her family at age 13, Audrey started performing in music bars, restaurants and fundraisers in Squamish and other parts of Lower Mainland. She joined talent competitions to hone her stage presence, audience rapport and personality. Audrey’s best personal quote— “Life is music, music is life—always…” Amongst her musical influences are Lana del Rey, Lorde, Morcheeba, Jewel, Dido, Adelle, The Cure, Guns N Roses (where her parents culled her name from Axl Rose), Bonjovi, Scorpions, Poison, Dire Straits,
Brainard Orcullo, Audrey Rose Arellano and Jono Hilario. PHOTOS COURTESY OF KRISTER JANN CASTRO (WWW.KRISTERCASTROPHOTO.COM)
OMD, Heart and Queen. AUDREY ROSE plays jazzinfluenced indie ballads, pop rock, acoustic electronica. “My two co-vocalists/musicians are equally talented and committed to making our own brand of music,” says Audrey of percussionist/co-band member Brainard Orcullo; and of her keyboardist/lead guitarist Jono Hilario. “Brain” is a late bloomer musician. A passionate fulltime cook by profession, he didn’t get to realize he could dabble on drums and percussions until he came to Canada in 2005. Jono Hilario, on the other hand, is a hard-core indie-folk musician from Surrey, BC. Jono is also widely known for his unorthodox way of play-
ing percussive guitar, while the latter is seemingly laid down. This group first performed on big center stage in Vancouver at the recently concluded Canadian Tour of 90’s OPM recording greats, Wendy Cornejo and True Faith at the Edgewater Casino. Catch AUDREY ROSE perform live anew as opening act at the return engagement concert in Vancouver of Filipino-American Fusion Jazz Legend, BOY KATINDIG on April 12, 2014 at the same venue (Edgewater Casino) with special guest performance by Ms. Joey Albert. For concert ticket reservations and sponsorship, please call ELOISA (604) 3140648; DECK (778) 938-8361 and TONI (604) 783-1272. ■
Max’s Restaurant Celebrates its Commitment to the Planet on Earth Hour VANCOUVER CANADA— Global landmarks and millions of people across the world will switch off their lights on Earth Hour this coming Saturday, March 29th, 2014, and so will Max’s Restaurant Cuisine of the Philippines from 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm, to commemorate Max’s commitment to protecting the planet. Earth Hour started out as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia on March 31, 2007. It is a worldwide grassroots movement organized by WWF - World Wildlife Fund for Nature. WWF raises awareness of climate change and encourages all nations to share opportunities and challenges in creating a sustainable world through conservation of energy and resources. Over 2.2 million individuals and 2,000 businesses joined the very first event. And this year, Earth Hour 2014 will mark its 7th Year Campaign and Max’s Restaurant’s 2nd year of participation. “Since Max’s Vancouver opened its doors in May 2012, they have been environmentally conscious about what they do and use in the restaurant. They installed energy efficient hand dryers in the washrooms that also help reduce the use of paper towels. They took part in BC Hydro’s Candlelight Conservation Dinner in October 2013 and also started working with an Energy Advisor late last year to find alternative lighting fixtures that consume less
energy but still give the same amount of brightness to the place. It is important for Max’s to contribute to the environment no matter how small of an act it may be, and participating in Earth Hour is definitely no exception as Max’s try to help spread awareness to our fellow Filipinos here in British Columbia,” says Faye Nalicat, PR, Media & Community Relations O/B Max’s Restaurant Vancouver. This coming March 29th between 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, as part of Earth Hour Event, the restaurant invites its customers to enjoy an Appetizer Special for only $8.99 which includes Cauliflower Puffs, Sweet Potato Fries, Lumpiang Shanghai, Adobo Chicken Wings and Chicken Chicharon. Join Max’s between 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm for a Candlelight Dinner as we observe the inspirational hour. For more information on how to participate in Earth Hour and help make a difference, go to www.earthhour.org. Max’s Restaurant is located at 3546 Kingsway, Vancouver BC V5R 5L7. For any inquiries, please email: maxs.vancouver@maxschicken.com or call (604) 435-3505. ■
Entertainment
33 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Bruno Mars donates $100,000 to youth victims of super typhoon BY KATHERINE MARFAL-TEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer GRAMMY-WINNING singer-songwriter Bruno Mars’ recent visit to the Philippines was distinctively special. In 2011, he promised his fans that he would come back—and he did, as he arrived in Manila last March 21, Friday. But this year’s visit has taken a deeper meaning as he turned over a check worth $100,000 to Bantay Bata 163 of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. for the relief of super-typhoon “Yolanda” victims. Program Director Tina Monzon Palma, before calling up Mars on stage, said that the Fil-Am singer has truly inspired Filipino children during his visit in 2011. She said: “I would want to tell him that you turned the lives of the kids (around) when you visited us in 2011… The children are not here because most of them have come back to their homes, inspired to become better… They must be gradu-
ating from college now.” After the turnover, Mars noted, “I’m really excited to be back here in Manila.” He added, “One of the most special moments for me in my career, coming here a few years ago and performing with my whole Filipino family watching.” The turning over of the donation took place at Solaire Resort and Casino’s Eclipse Entertainment Lounge last March 21. Mars’ donations will be used to conduct feeding programs and medical missions for children. Post-traumatic stress debriefing will also be conducted to help children who were emotionally and mentally traumatized. It will be followed by disaster preparedness workshops to educate them with basic survival tips during natural disasters. Mars’ life and music
Mars grew up in a musical household. He was born Peter Gene Hernandez in October 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE OF BRUNO MARS
Filipino mother, Bernadette Bayot, and Puerto Rican/Eastern European father Peter Hernandez. Her mother, who was a singer and a hula dancer, died mid-2013 due to brain aneurysm. His father was also a musician. At a young age, he was exposed to various music genres, such as R&B and everything in between. Before his musical career took off in Los Angeles, he initially performed with the family band, and became famous for
www.canadianinquirer.net
his impressions of Elvis Presley. His one-night concert in Manila last March 22—though only lasted a little over an hour—was well-applauded. As he was about to perform his last song number, the huge screen behind him displayed the Philippine flag. He said, “Thank you guys so much, you have no idea how much this means to me—performing right here, being a Filipino, and seeing my people. I promised you all before, and I promise you all again—we’ll be back very, very soon.” ■
Entertainment
Kathryn Bernardo won’t commit yet BY KATHERINE MARFALTEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer DIFFERENCES IN religious beliefs may come between young stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. In a media gathering for her 18th birthday celebration, Bernardo, a member of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), admitted that she’s not open to dating a guy who does not share same religious beliefs as her. Prompting the media to ask, “What would happen to her blossoming friendship with her on-screen partner, Daniel Padilla, who is a Catholic?” She replied, “That is a long process. I’ve told him, but I’m not about to force him. I know DJ (Daniel’s nickname) believes in the existence of a higher being—that’s what’s important.” Though the “the Teen Queen” admitted that she cares for Daniel, she cleared that she’s not yet ready to commit to him. “Religion is one of the factors, but it’s mainly because we don’t want our love life to interfere with our careers right now,” she explained. Kathryn added that Daniel has once attended an INC service but failed to attend again. “We sometimes talk about differences in teachings between INC and the Catholic church. If one wills [to convert], madaling gawan ng paraan (it’s easy to
find a way). My dad, a Catholic, converted to be with my mom,” she said. Kathryn and Daniel were last seen in the hit drama series “Got to Believe.” In April, they will start working on a new movie, “She’s Dating a Gangster,” with director Cathy Garcia-Molina at the helm. Kathryn’s debut
On March 29, Kathryn will celebrate her 18th birthday at Blue Leaf Filipinas in Parañaque City. The theme will be “modern vintage.” “It fits my personality. I never wanted a princess or circus-themed party. I personally picked my ball gown, by Francis Libiran, and my after-party dress, by Vania Romoff. The program will be short. DJ has volunteered to be my escort. He will be my last dance. Papa (Teodoro) will be my first; my brother (Kevin Carlo), second,” she explained. Her gift to herself is a trip to Europe with her family. She is also arranging a trip to Korea with her friends from show business, which, according to her, is her ‘thank you’ gift to them. When asked if she’s ready to do more mature roles, now that she’s turning 18, she said, “It’s hard to say goodbye to characters like Chichay (“Got to Believe”), but I can’t stick to teenybopper roles. I won’t rush into things, either. One thing is for sure: no kissing scenes.” ■
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE OF KATHRYN BERNARDO
MARCH 28, 2014 FRIDAY 34
Bashers, beware of this Barretto BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer TEEN ACTRESS Julia Barretto was “depressed” when her teamup with Enrique Gil on the TV series “Mira Bella” drew negative comments on Twitter from loyal supporters of JulQuen, the actor’s screen tandem with fellow ABS-CBN contract artist Julia Montes. “There was no need for harsh words. I’m also human; I get hurt,” Barretto said. She and Gil play the lead characters in the new Kapamilya fantasy- drama series, which premieres March 24. Gil was last seen with Montes in the drama series “Muling Buksan ang Puso.” Barretto is done dwelling on that episode. “Casting Enrique and me together was a management move, but I’m happy with that because he is such a nice guy and a good actor.” On the bright side, it led her to an advocacy that she now supports: antibullying. She told the INQUIRER: “I’m lucky that I experienced this only in social media and not in school, although I think, either way, you get hurt. I hope to inspire teen-
Julia Barretto.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ABS-CBN
agers and help them handle such a situation. No one should give others the power to make them feel small.” She was 15 when she first encountered a basher. “Someone said something bad about my mom (former actress Marjorie Barretto). I thought, ‘But you don’t know my mom; how could you say that?’ Now, I just ignore them.” In “Mira Bella,” Barretto plays Mira, whose kind heart is eclipsed by her repulsive appearance. She will become the attractive Bella, desired by men, including Gil’s character Jeremy. “Taping has been really fun
so far. I am both excited and nervous because of this show. I waited a long time for this,” Barretto said. She just hopes viewers will appreciate the effort she puts into this endeavor. “Everything is new to me; every taping day, a learning experience. I’d rather not pressure myself into being good, as though I’ve been here for years. I’m allowing myself to improve with time.” “Mira Bella” also features Pokwang, John Lapus, Mika de la Cruz, Mylene Dizon, Gloria Diaz and James Blanco. The series is codirected by Erick Salud, Jerome Pobocan and Jojo Saguin. ■
Megan Young to star in an upcoming movie BY KATHERINE MARFALTEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer APART FROM being the most beautiful woman in the world, reigning Miss World Megan Young has still so much to offer. This was attested by debuting film director Ely Buendia in an interview with ABS-CBN News. He worked with Young in “Pusakal,” a segment in the upcoming feature “Bang Bang Alley.” The singer-songwriter said, “The main thing that I want people to focus on in this movie is how good of an actress she really is and I hope na ‘pag tapos na ‘yung duties niya as Miss World, bumalik siya sa acting dahil marami pa siyang puwedeng gawin.” (And I hope that after she finishes her duties in Miss World, she will come back to acting, because she can do a whole lot more) In “Pusakal,” the 24-year-old www.canadianinquirer.net
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE OF MEGAN YOUNG
beauty queen portrayed the role of Abbey, a troubled rich kid who hides out in the mountains after committing a crime. When asked to do a daring shower scene, Ely didn’t hear a single complaint from Megan. “Super down to earth and super nice. Whatever you asked her to do, she would do it without question and with conviction,” Buendia related. He added, “Megan has talent. She would take a minute before
[the cameras would start] rolling and she would become a totally different person... Hindi siya Miss World sa movie na ‘to.” (She’s not the Miss World in this movie). Megan worked on the movie before joining the Miss World pageant last year. The “Big Bang Alley” also stars Joel Torre, Art Acuña, Perla Bautista, Gabe Mercado, Bela Padilla, Jimmy Santos, Althea Vega and Jamie Wilson. It is set for release on April 9. ■
Entertainment
35 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
‘Divergent’ opens with $56 million, kicking off another young adult franchise for Lionsgate BY JAKE COYLE The Associated Press NEW YORK—To go with “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games,” Lionsgate now has a trio of young-adult franchises with the box-office leading “Divergent.” The teen science-fiction thriller starring Shailene Woodley debuted with $56 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The opening, while less than some anticipated, launches Lionsgate’s third franchise built on young-adult bestsellers. With an audience 59 per cent female and half under the age of 25, “Divergent” lured young moviegoers with dystopian drama and an upcoming star. “Divergent,” though, fell well short of its forerunners: “Twilight” opened with $69.6 million in 2008, and “The Hunger Games” began with $152.5 million in 2012. Richie Fay, president of domestic distribution for Lionsgate, called it “a great beginning for another franchise for the company.” A sequel is already in the works. “The key to the success of these franchises is finding the difference and marketing it,” said Fay. “It’s not easy. And I think we’re doing it better than anyone else right now, frankly.” In the rush to adapt popular young-adult fiction, Lionsgate has succeeded where many others have floundered. “Divergent,” made with a budget of $85 million from Veronica Roth’s bestsellers, follows less stellar results from youth-focused films like “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,” “Vampire Academy” and “Beautiful Creatures.” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, calls the “Divergent” debut a “three-peat” for Lionsgate in a challenging genre that defies “cookie-cutter, assembly line” development. “They make it look easy,” says Dergarabedian. “You’re chasing probably the most fickle audience in the world. They can change their minds on what’s cool in the blink of an eye.”
PHOTO FROM THEBOOKSMUGGLERS.COM
Disney’s Muppets sequel “Muppets Most Wanted,” with Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey, fared poorly, earning just $16.5 million over the weekend. “The Muppets,” opened notably better with $29.2 million in 2011, benefiting from the high-profile reboot starring and co-written by Jason Segal. Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney, acknowledged the result was disappointing and somewhat “head-scratching” considering advance tracking had suggested “Muppets Most Wanted” would draw bigger crowds. “There certainly was something in the last Muppets—not having anything available for fans for a while—that satisfied pent up demand that we didn’t have the benefit of this time around,” Hollis said. The family film market was also more competitive than expected, as 20th Century Fox’s animated “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” has held better than anticipated. In its third week of release, the film—tops at the box office last weekend—slid to third with $11.7 million. Studios often seek out late March release dates for family-friendly movies to benefit from spring break vacations. So “Muppets Most Wanted,” made for $50 million, could still eke out more at the box office. The surprise of the weekend was the strong performance of the independently released “God’s Not Dead,” made to appeal specifically to faith-based audiences. It came in fifth with $8.6 million, despite playing on just 780 screens.
The performance of “God’s Not Dead” further proves the strong faith-based market for movies, one historically underserved before the runaway success of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” Next week, Paramount Pictures’ “Noah,” directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Russell Crowe, will attempt to cross over to mainstream audiences with a Bible tale. Opening early in Mexico and South Korean, “Noah” got off to a strong start overseas, earning $14 million. Expanding from 66 to 304 screens, Wes Anderson’s European caper “The Grand Budapest Hotel” continued to pack theatres in limited release. It earned $6.5 million in its third week of release, with further expansion planned. And though the crowd-funding of the big-screen edition of cult TV show “Veronica Mars” drew much publicity for its successful Kickstarter campaign, the movie has proved only of interest to devoted fans. On 347 screens, it made just $144,000 for Warner Bros., bringing its two-week total to $2.9 million. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. “Divergent,” $56 million. 2. “Muppets Most Wanted,” $16.5 million ($1.5 million international). 3. “Mr. Peabody and Sherwww.canadianinquirer.net
PHOTO FROM THEMOVIEMASH.COM
man,” $11.7 million ($11.4 million international). 4. “300: Rise of an Empire,” $8.7 million ($21 million international). 5. “God’s Not Dead,” $8.6 million. 6. “Need for Speed,” $7.8 million ($29.2 million international). 7. “Grand Budapest Hotel,” $7 million ($9.6 million international). 8. “Non-Stop,” $6.3 million ($14 million international). 9. “The Lego Movie,” $4.1 million ($4.5 million international). 10. “The Single Mom’s Club,” $3.1 million. Estimated weekend ticket sales Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak: 1. “Need for Speed,” $29.2 million. 2. “300: Rise of an Empire,” $21 million. 3. “Noah,” $14 million.
4. “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” $11.4 million. 5. “Rio 2,” $10.4 million. 6. “Non-Stop,” $10 million. 7. “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” $9.6 million. 8. “Frozen,” $9 million. 9. “Fighting,” $6.6 million. 10. “Black Coal, Thin Ice,” $6.5 million. ■ Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
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Lifestyle
Gap widening between premiums paid in, benefits paid out for health insurance BY HELEN BRANSWELL The Canadian Press TORONTO—IF IT feels like you are paying more for and getting less from your extended health insurance, you are not mistaken. A new analysis shows that the gap between premiums paid in and benefits paid out has widened substantially in the past 20 years in the forprofit sector of the industry. In 2011, health insurers which operate on a for-profit basis retained $6.8 billion of the premiums they collected. In 1991, the amount was $1.2 billion. (Those figures were adjusted for inflation.) The discrepancy is highest in plans offered to small business owners and individuals who buy their own health insurance—in other words, the people without the clout or expertise to wrest the best deal from their health insurer. “If you’re running a fiveperson shop, and your insurance premiums are going up at a great rate, chances are you’re not going to know a whole lot about health insurance. And you’re going to be in real trouble negotiating against a huge insurer when it comes to the premiums,” said Michael Law, lead author of the analysis, which was published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. “I’ve talked to lots of small business owners about their experiences in benefits. And the consistent message that I hear from people is that most costs to a small employer of running their businesses go up maybe one to two per cent every year— except for benefits, which go up five, 10, 15 depending on what your plan experiences in any given year.” Law and his co-authors said the industry needs more regulation, with rules aimed at cre-
ating transparency and perhaps even limiting the proportion of premiums companies are allowed to retain. Or, they argued, governments could replace private extended health insurance with public drug and dental plans. The analysis only covers forprofit health insurers, which make up about 80 per cent of the Canadian market. There were simply no data available for the not-for-profit companies, said Law, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Health Services and Policy Research. Law and his co-authors based their analysis on industry data drawn from the annual reports of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. They twice asked the association for additional information; the first request was refused and the second drew no response. The organization was quick to issue a rebuttal to the journal article Monday. It called the report “misleading” because it did not factor in the not-forprofit sector and for including things like disability insurance, which are not health-care expenses but which are typically part of supplemental benefit packages employers purchase for their workers. “Long-term disability and all other forms of income replacement are not health insurance and are not subject to the same cost-driver trends as true health-care insurance,” Stephen Frank, vice-president for policy development and health, said in an emailed response to questions. “Generally, due to the complexity and costs of income replacement solutions, the margins are higher.” Law said he and his co-authors had no option but to include these kinds of benefits in the analysis, because the Cana-
dian Life and Health Insurance Association annual reports list them as health benefits. “They do not publish further breakdowns by the different types of benefits provided, so we could not analyze them separately,” he said. Frank acknowledged the for-profit sector’s gap between premiums and benefits cited in the paper was correct. When asked why for-profit insurers need to keep such a big portion of the premiums paid to them, he pointed to market volatility and the complexity of operating over 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions. “The market in Canada is increasingly risky from a financial perspective and is also becoming more and more complex to manage within. In an insured plan, the employer is paying for the risk of any unforeseen spike in costs that would be borne by the insurer (i.e., this is true insurance),” Frank said. Law said he cannot tell from publicly available data whether the extra money insurers are retaining is going to higher dividends for shareholders or higher administrative costs. But his paper noted that the gap between premiums and benefits has grown only marginally for plans held by large companies which self-insure. In those programs, the employer
pays any benefits claimed; the health plan company they contract with simply administers the plan. As well, the gap between premiums collected and benefits paid really started to widen after 1997, when changes in legislation allowed major mutual companies—in essence, insurance co-operatives—to transition to for-profit companies owned by shareholders. “There’s little question in my mind that this market is not functioning well for small employers and individuals,” said Law. Health economist Steven Lewis agreed. “If you set insurance up as a for-profit business, don’t expect the insurers to behave in any other way than as a profit maximizer,” Lewis said. “That’s the name of the game.”
Lewis, who has a consulting firm in Saskatoon, called the paper important and said it should garner the attention of policy makers, employers and individuals. He suggested it provides ammunition for the argument that medicare should be extended to cover things like drugs and dental care. “I think it’s increasingly clear that if you want the best value for money, you’re probably going to get it in a single payer public system for just about any service,” he said. Lewis noted that people who will argue the country cannot afford it may not be factoring into their calculations the billions that could be saved if employers and employees no longer needed to buy extended health programs, or the billions the companies offering those extended health programs are retaining. ■
Lifestyle
37 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Paris’ fashion week BY PAM PASTOR Philippine Daily Inquirer THE BEACH club is gonna be very Paris—sexy, fun, exciting, beautiful. Of course, there’s going to be pink there, it’s my favorite color,” said Paris Hilton in 2011 when she first flew to Manila for meetings with Century Properties’ creative and design team. The developer collaborated with the heiress and businesswoman in creating Paris Beach Club, the clubhouse of Azure Urban Resort Residences. Paris returned to Manila last week to launch the clubhouse she designed. And, just as she had predicted, her touch was visible in every room of the place. John Victor “Jigger” Antonio, chief operating officer of Century Properties, said, “Paris is an avid interior designer. I’ve been to her house, she toured me. She loves architecture and real estate .” Favorite parts
At the launch the other Thursday, Paris talked about her favorite parts of Paris Beach Club. “The lobby is beautiful. We have a really cute candy bar over there, we have ice cream. I love the hallways that light up in different colors, all my
favorite colors. I thought that was very modern and different. The third floor has a beautiful lounge where people can relax with drinks. The DJ booth is awesome and looks like a disco ball.” Paris’ love of beautiful things extends to fashion. “I love shopping, I’m an expert on that,” she said. Her passion for clothes was evident during the five days she spent in Manila, turning the city into her runway. Her multiple outfits here were noticed even by the foreign press. “I want to promote my project as much as possible, so I think it’s nice to do a lot of costume changes throughout the day,” she told Lifestyle in a one-on-one interview, sitting on a plush pink seat inside her club’s social lounge and wearing a beautiful black lace dress by Ronny Kobo. Just minutes before, for the press conference, she was wearing a pretty sparkly striped dress from Alice + Olivia. She told Lifestyle, “I love a lot of designers but my favorites are Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, I really like Alice + Olivia, Fendi and Christian Dior.” Paris may have worn outfits from her own wardrobe during her appearances here but for her series of shoots for Century Properties, she modeled creations by Filipino designers that were hand-
CPD Seminar: BC Provincial Nominee Program VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA— Ashton College is proud to announce that the first Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Seminar in our 2014 line up will happen on April 16, 2014. Centering on the BC Provincial Nominee Program as a topic, this panel discussion will feature four leading industry professionals in Immigration Consulting. Joining the panel are Francis Ng, Karolina Francis, Ron McKay, and Aireen Luney. The seminar will take place in the Library Square Conference Centre from 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM. The panel will be discussing the BC Provincial Nominee Program which is an economic immigration program designed to help B.C. meet its evolving labour market needs. This CPD seminar has been approved for 2.5 hours by ICCRC and The Law Society of British Columbia. The seminar costs $60.00 and will be available inclass as well as through live-stream. About
Ashton College is located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The college has been in operation since 1998, helping students gain practical skills and
Paris wears this crochet top on her tour around Manila.
picked for her by stylists Liz Uy and Kat Cruz-Villanueva. Best-dressed
Paris is no stranger to Filipino designers. For her previous shoots with Century Properties over two years ago, she wore pieces by Martin Bautista, Eric de los Santos and Rosanna Ocampo, all chosen by stylist Bea Constantino. Paris loved their designs so much that she tweeted, “Loving all the Filipino designers, so talented!” Earlier this year, Paris rocked the Grammy Awards’ red carpet by wearing a gorgeous white Albert Andrada gown, chosen for her by her stylist XtinaMilani of the Haus of Milani. According to the Washington Post, the high-neck embellished gown with sexy sheer panels “had the red carpet buzzing.” It also landed the
heiress on numerous best-dressed lists. In an interview with Lifestyle, Albert said, “That dress was part of my white and blue collection from two years ago. Last year, Haus of Milani saw my dresses online and asked me to send some. That was one of three dresses I sent.” Albert said he had no idea Paris was going to wear the gown until he woke up on the morning after the Grammys to numerous texts and calls from friends who had seen her wearing his creation. “It’s amazing. I’m really thankful. What flattered me the most was she was chosen best-dressed by most magazines.” Haus of Milani has found a gem in Albert. Albert said, “They said, ‘We want more of you.’ They are asking for a dress that I consider one of my masterpieces, but I want to bring it there myself. It’s a work of art. I cannot replace it.” ■
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Minister of Employment and Social Development
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Lifestyle
MARCH 28, 2014 FRIDAY 38
In swift... two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo and killed over 600 people. The state news agency and the judicial official said 528 defendants were found guilty and handed death sentences, while the rest were acquitted, though some officials put the number at 529 convicted. All but around 150 of the defendants were tried in absentia and will get retrials if captured. In the trial’s first session, on Saturday, the presiding judge, Said Youssef, angrily shouted down requests by defence lawyers for more time to review the prosecution’s case, Khaled elKoumi, a lawyer representing 10 of the defendants, told the AP. Dozens of lawyers reacted by chanting slogans against the judge. “We didn’t have the chance to say a word or to look at more than 3,000 pages of investigation to see what evidence they are talking about,” el-Koumi said. On Monday, police and special forces encircled the building and barred defence attorneys from attending, said one of the lawyers, Yasser Zidan. The judge ordered the measures because of the disruptions during the previous session, Minya police said. When the judge read the verdict, around 150 defendants, ❰❰ 20
held in a courtroom cage, as is customary in Egyptian trials, screamed, “You butcher!” a senior official involved in courtroom security said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The death sentences must first be approved by Egypt’s mufti, the country’s top Islamic official— a step that is usually a formality. Once that happens, expected on April 28, the defence lawyers can file an appeal with a court in Cairo. The Egyptian judicial official said the court did not need to establish that all those convicted were directly involved in the police official’s killing—only that they were involved in the attack on the station. He said the evidence included 20 video clips showing the crowd beating the deputy chief with iron poles and a doctor smashing his head with an oxygen canister. But one of those tried and sentenced in absentia, 21-yearold Sayyaf Gamal, said he was in Cairo at the time of the attack. Speaking by telephone from hiding, Gamal said the verdict is aimed at driving the Brotherhood into violence to justify an even heavier crackdown. “They want to explode the situation,” he said. In a statement, the Brother-
hood called the verdict “shocking” and an indication that “the corrupt judiciary is being utilized by the coup commanders ... to install a brutal regime.” On Tuesday, a group of 683 defendants is set to go on trial in Minya over an attack on another police station. Among the defendants are the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Badei, and other senior figures. “We are deeply concerned that the dozens of mass trials that are taking place ... are similarly riddled with due process violations and will also result in outrageous sentences,” said Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch. But with authorities casting the arrests of Brotherhood supporters as part of a fight against terrorism, some members of the public strongly back the crackdown. On Monday, an announcer on state radio praised the latest verdicts for bringing “swift justice.” Amin Fatouh, a Cairo resident, said: “Those who kill deserve death, just as the Qur’an says. These people have committed murder, and they must be killed in return.” ■
wanted to rob something of great value in the cargo; or they planned to load it with jet fuel and explosives and use it as a missile in the future. Again, all these scenarios had flaws. According to investigators and aviation experts, “a skilled pilot would have to land the plane at a small airport that normally doesn’t accommodate 777s.”
tity brought down Flight 370.
Associated Press Writer Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report from Cairo
Top eight... pilots to instruct the passengers to put on their oxygen masks and immediately descend below 10,000 feet (3,050 meters), where there is enough oxygen to breathe without aid. In 1999, golfer Payne Stewart’s business jet plane depressurized and killed its occupants. But if that was also the case for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, aviation experts said that the plane should have been visible on the radar as it should have kept flying automatically toward Beijing. ❰❰ 31
6. Hidden plane
Another theory surfaced that someone might have landed the plane at some remote airport to hide it from the world. Possible scenarios presented were: A group wanted to hostage the passengers, or they
7. Accidental shoot-down
History suggests that accidental shoot-down could be another possible scenario. In July 1988, the United States Navy missile cruiser USS Vincennes accidently blasted down an Iran Air flight, killing all 290 passengers and crew. In September 1983, a Korean Air Lines flight was likewise shot down by a Russian fighter jet. As of this writing, there is no evidence that a government en-
8. Cover-up
As the investigators and aviation experts continue to unmask the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of MH 370, they formed another theory: some countries are just covering up the plane’s likely whereabouts due to an alleged security risk. According to Jakarta-based independent aviation analysts Gerry Soejatman, it is bizarre that no one had detected the Malaysian plane on its radar, considering that the aircraft flew north across Asia, following one of two air corridors currently being searched. “It’s extremely difficult to comprehend that so many countries might have seen it and kept it under wraps,” he said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
Manila in shock over model Helena Belmonte’s death She was only 28
BY CHECHE V. MORAL Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA’S SOCIAL and fashion scene got a shock on Thursday when news spread that one of the city’s prettiest faces had died. Model Helena Belmonte, touted as one of Manila’s eligibles, fell to her death from her 28th-floor condominium in Pasig City in the early morning of Thursday. She turned 28 only last month. Those who had the chance to meet and spend time with the young woman, including us in Inquirer Lifestyle, knew her to be a bright, fun-loving person. Quite likable, she was bold and easy-going and never backed away from a challenge. “Bubbly” and “giggly” are words that are often used to describe her in remembrances. There was an outpouring of grief by friends and acquaintances on social media where they expressed their regret for the loss of a girl many saw grow up before their eyes. Helena, only daughter of former magazine executive Lorraine Belmonte, used to hang out after school at her mother’s Mega Magazine office, according to accounts. Pretty soon, she would be gracing the covers
Helena Belmonte.
of glossies. No one expected the tragic end of the model, who, just a day before she died, had posted an Instagram photo of herself getting her nails done. On the eve of her death, she even attended an event hosted by editor Liza Ilarde, her godmother. On her Facebook page, Ilarde posted a screen cap of her last phone chat with her goddaughter. Helena was inquiring about the dress code to her ninang’s event. Ilarde lamented that she didn’t get to see Helena that night. We had traveled on assignments abroad with Helena. On one trip to Macau, she was with us for a magazine cover shoot. The girl was no diva; she did her own makeup, styled her own wardrobe and was a breeze to work with, judging from her rapport with the photographer. She must have been only 21 or 22 then, the youngest in our group, and the only one who dared to bungee-jump off Macau Tower. She was the same vibrant girl on a trip to Tokyo, who cajoled us older girls in the media group to chaperone her clubbing. She relished a good meal and enjoyed the good life. Her vivacity and lovely smile will be sadly missed. ■
PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILTRENDS.COM
Lifestyle
39 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Harper, fellow... Dutch business representatives. “But,” he continued, “we will not shape our foreign policy to commercial interests.” When it comes to a global security crisis such as that unfolding in Ukraine, Harper said, “business people have to be aware that there may be risks to them and the government will take those risks, because at those points in times the government’s foreign and security policy priorities become paramount.” The remarks likely foreshadowed what Harper would say at the summit itself. The meeting came shortly after Russia announced a travel ban on 13 Canadian politicians and officials in retaliation for travel and economic sanctions Canada imposed earlier this month. The list is a mixed bag that includes the Speaker of the Commons, a cabinet minister, MPs noted for their support for human rights, a senator known for her work on Canadian-Ukrainian relations and the head of a ❰❰ 18
Ukrainian-Canadian organization. Some have recently travelled to Ukraine. The politicians are: Speaker Andrew Scheer; Peter Van Loan, the government House leader; Tory MPs Dean Allison, Ted Opitz, and James Bezan; Liberal MPs Irwin Cotler and Chrystia Freeland; NDP MP Paul Dewar; and Conservative Sen. Raynell Andreychuk. The officials are: Wayne Wouters, clerk of the Privy Council; Jean-Francois Tremblay, deputy secretary to the cabinet; and Christine Hogan, assistant secretary to the cabinet. Paul Grod, national president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, rounds out the list of the banned. “I was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1979,” Cotler tweeted. “I did not stop fighting for human rights then, nor will I stop now.” Harper is the only G7 leader who has personally witnessed the devastation in Kyiv and spoken face-to-face with Ukraine’s new leadership. Harper has called for a “complete reversal” of Russia’s an-
nexation of Crimea and has also warned long and loudly that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted amid the worst crisis for the region since the Cold War. He’s also expected to argue that Putin’s actions will spur similar brazen territory grabs if they go unpunished. Obama, meantime, is facing a test of his sway over the G7 as he attempts to convince his European allies to exert more pressure on Russia. Foreign policy experts say Harper and Obama would likely present a united front to their European colleagues on Russia. Europe, however, does far more trade with Russia and many European economies are still fragile following the 2008 global economic downturn. Some G7 members have therefore been more reticent about tougher economic sanctions against Moscow, although German Chancellor Angela Merkel has recently shifted towards the North American stance, reportedly fed up with false assurances Putin gave her about Crimea.
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PM Harper with other world leaders, including American President Barack Obama, at the G7 Summit. PHOTO FROM PM.GC.CA
“As long as the political environment for the G8 is not at hand, as is the case at the moment, there is no G8—neither as a concrete summit meeting or even as a format for meetings,” she said before the talks. White House officials have said Obama is prepared to launch widespread penalties against key sectors of Russia’s economy, including its energy industry, if Putin dares move into southeastern Ukraine. Russian troops are already
amassing on the southeastern border of Ukraine. There are concerns that Russia could use the unrest in the eastern reaches of the country, where there’s a large Russian minority, as a pretext for crossing the border. One observer—Ken Brill, former U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency— said while Putin might publicly shrug off an expulsion from the G8, it will privately “rankle” the Russian leader. ■
Business
MARCH 28, 2014 FRIDAY 40
Six tips for a successful retirement BY BRUCE LOEPPKY THE RETIREMENT landscape has rapidly changed in the last 10 to 15 years. No longer do you work 40 years, retire at age 65, and die at age 75. For one thing, life spans have lengthened considerably. For another, people are working longer. It’s no longer “freedom 55,” but rather “freedom 75.” This brings new financial challenges, primarily the question of how we plan so that we don’t outlive our money. I have six simple steps to enhance your chances for financial independence – for as long as you live – while avoiding the most common pitfalls. Parents of people in my generation or slightly older worked the standard 40 years, retired at 65 with the standard gold watch, and passed away at a fairly common 7 to 10 years after retirement in most cases. In the ’80s and ’90s, however, many pre-retirees began looking to escape the grind that much sooner – at age 55
to 60. But this coincided with the happy phenomenon of an average 10-year increase in life spans. Outliving your money
For most middle class people, this created the dual problem of a younger target retirement age (implying less time to save for that retirement during peak income-earning years) plus a longer life span (implying the need for more assets to sustain their lifestyle into retirement). For about a decade, this worked for some people. But a decade of poor investment returns during 2000-10 caused may people to reassess whether their early-retirement plan was feasible when stretched over an additional 20-plus years. People were forced to cut back on lifestyle expectations or return to work either part time or full time for a few years to meet the shortfall. Where does that put today’s pre-retirees (the Baby Boomers)? Forced retirement at age 65 is over, and employers are
finding that this group has a lot of knowledge and has a strong work ethic. The 70-year-olds today are generally in better shape than previous generations owing to healthier lifestyles and more exercise, which allows them to work further into retirement or travel longer. Carrying debt into retirement
Debt is another factor that has kept or will keep some seniors working well past 65. My parents’ generation almost always retired with the family home paid off and zero debt. This has changed as seniors bought million-dollar dream homes and recreational properties. So it’s not uncommon today for couples to retire and still have $200,000-$300,000 of debt that they are carrying into retirement. Low interest rates have also helped to fuel this unhealthy practice. However, interest rates change, and they won’t stay low forever. Having debt means you lose some control over your future.
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Retirees need cost/expense certainty, because your income is fixed and certain. My six tips retirement
for
a
better
As Baby Boomers approach retirement you can take steps
to ensure you are working only because you want to. That is financial independence. My simple steps towards financial independence and avoid common pitfalls are: ❱❱ PAGE 44 Six tips
Sports/Horoscope
41 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Jay rules Splendido golf
Top Lancer seeds tumble
BY MUSONG R. CASTILLO Philippine Daily Inquirer
BY MARC ANTHONY REYES Philippine Daily Inquirer
TAGAYTAY—Jay Bayron completed the biggest comeback in the ICTSI Tour yesterday while turning younger brother Rufino into a sorry footnote. Nine strokes down at the start of the day, the unassuming Jay Bayron closed out with a threeunder-par 69 and, coupled with a huge collapse by Rufino a flight behind, won the Splendido Classic here by a stroke over his brother and Clyde Mondilla. It was the biggest deficit overhauled in the young history of the circuit, and Jay made it possible by gunning down an eagle and three birdies in the back nine for a closing 32 and 281 overall, seven-under over the ravine-filled, windraked layout.
“I had no expectations before the start of the round,” Jay, the Philippine Open runner-up to American Berry Henson in 2011 at Wack Wack, said in Filipino. “Maybe this tournament was just for me. “I came out just to play my game, and sadly, Rufino collapsed,” added Jay. Rufino, who forged ahead by seven with a 65 in the third round, had a chance to forge a playoff but muffed a birdie try from 10 feet on the 18th to finish with a 79, which also allowed the bighitting Mondilla to claim a second place tie at 282 after a brilliant 67. Jay nailed his eagle 3 on the 11th following a big 4iron from 206 yards that landed pin-length off the cup. He then picked up another two shots in the next three holes before
capping his round with a birdie from close range on the par-5 18th. The event was organized by the Pilipinas golf Tournaments Inc. and sponsored by ICTSI with Nike Golf, Custom Clubmakers, Titleist, Cleveland, Pacsports, Srixon, Callaway, Sharp and FootJoy as official backers. It was a sorry windup for Rufino, who had three straight bogeys from No. 2 before closing out his first nine holes with double bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes for a 43. Rufino still had the lead going into the back nine but Jay caught fire in that fourhole stretch to salvage the win worth P270,000 out of the P1.5million kitty. Antonio Lascuña signed for a 73 to finish alone in fourth, with Elmer Salvador. ■
UPSETS ROCKED the Mitsubishi Lancer international junior tennis yesterday with the top seeds in both boys’ and girls’ singles tumbling out in the semifinals at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. Australia’s Harry Bourchier bowed out after a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 shocker from fourth seed Kang Ku-keon of South Korea, while Katie Boulter of Great Britain crumbled against third seed Kimberly Birrell of Australia 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3). Briton Rhett Purcell joined the upset spree by drubbing eighth seed Bogdan Bobrov of Russia, 6-0, 6-1, to gain a finals berth against Kang. The 17-year-old Kang, No. 32 in the world, surprised
Bourchier with a fastpaced game and sharp returns. But he will have his hands full against Purcell, the 18yearold who won back-to-back ITF events in Auckland and Christchurch. In girls’ action, the statuesque Birrell imposed herself against the top seed, who reached the semis with a string of shaky three-set victories. The 15-year-old Birrell, a semifinalist in the last Australian Open, raised her game a notch in the second set and won the battle of endurance in the deciding set. A quarterfinalist of similar ITF Grade 1 events in Thailand and Malaysia, Birrell will be the favorite in the final against 14th seed Gloria Liang of Canada, who ousted 15th pick Raveena Kingsley, 6-3, 6-4. ■
HOROSCOPE ARIES
CANCER
LIBRA
CAPRICORN
(MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)
(JUNE 22 - JULY 22)
(SEPT 23 - OCT 22)
(DEC 22 - JAN 19)
Memories welling up today could trigger a desire to get in touch with old friends, Aries, or relatives you haven’t seen in a long time. Some of these recollections could be bittersweet, bringing pain experienced in the past to the surface once more. Don’t hang on to these ancient grievances. Work them out in your mind and then let them go. You might experience a deep-seated relief.
Work on your own projects may be very much on your mind today, Cancer. They could involve studies of some kind or the arts. It’s possible that you may be considering innovative ways of earning extra money. All signs indicate that any enterprise begun or continued today is likely to succeed, so go to it. However, it’s important to give whatever you’re working on a lot of thought before presenting it.
A lot of paperwork, perhaps involving contracts, could lead to financial gain on the job, Libra. You could make or save some money for your employer, which could prove important. Expect some sort of acknowledgement or recognition for your efforts from superiors, which could lead to advancement or a possible raise. However, there may be some delay with regard to the latter. Don’t expect it right away.
You may have plans to get together with friends, and you’re probably looking forward to it. However, Capricorn, delays could get in the way, although you aren’t likely to let them stop you. Your concentration and perseverance are both higher than usual, so it isn’t likely that you’ll give up on anything you start today. Therefore, this is a good day to either begin or continue projects that mean a lot to you.
TAURUS
LEO
SCORPIO
AQUARIUS
(APRIL 20 - MAY 20)
(JULY 23 - AUGUST 22)
(OCT 23 - NOV 21)
(JAN 20 - FEB 18)
Business-oriented social events could take up a lot of your time today, Taurus. You could either be planning or attending them. If the latter, however, it could well be more than one. You’re feeling especially outgoing at this time, so you should make a good impression and possibly even make a few new friends. However, it’s also important to remember to take some time for yourself.
Long-term investments, especially those involving real estate, could pay off now, Leo. If you’ve been thinking of buying or selling a home, this is the time to do it. All signs indicate that your patience is likely to bear fruit, so at least one of your longtime goals should bring success right now. Also, if you’ve been considering investing some money in your house, start planning today.
Today you might want to put your innate business sense into making a success of a pet project of your own. This is a good idea, Scorpio, because all signs indicate that whatever you begin today, whether it’s for your employer or yourself, could well lead to success. You could, however, find yourself spending a little more money than you would normally care to. Don’t hold yourself back, but be careful!
Your hard work on the job may appear to be finally paying off, Aquarius, as all signs indicate that a raise, promotion, or other form of advancement is coming your way. Your ambition and concentration have led and will continue to lead to significant accomplishment, which isn’t likely to escape the notice of those above you in the hierarchy. Draw satisfaction from your achievements and continue as you are.
GEMINI
VIRGO
SAGITTARIUS
PISCES
(MAY 21 - JUNE 21)
(AUG 23 - SEPT 22)
(NOV 22 - DEC 21)
(FEB 19 - MAR 20)
Your innate charm and good manners have brought you good relationships with both co-workers and superiors, and today you might find that this has served you well, Gemini. Authority figures may seem a little intimidating, but hang on to your self-confidence. Hard work and dedication have also brought you some corporate kudos. It’s quite possible that you might hear of forthcoming career advancement.
Kicking ideas around with colleagues today could lead to planning social events and bringing important people together in order to ensure cooperation on ambitious projects. Your mind is especially business oriented today, so you’ll be operating very efficiently. However, remember the niceties. Express polite interest in those around you even if you don’t feel it.
New discoveries that capture your imagination could find you spending most of your day sequestered in your home and learning as much as you can. All indications are that you aren’t going to want to do much else, Sagittarius, but it’s important to remember to take breaks and get a little exercise throughout the day. Moving the body and shaking out the kinks in your muscles can get your mind going as well.
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Studying in solitude may appeal to you today, Pisces. A new interest has captured your imagination, so you may decide to sequester yourself at home or in the library to learn about it. Your concentration is high, as is your perseverance, so anything you begin today is likely to succeed. The downside is that you might strain your eyes or give yourself headaches trying to accomplish too much at once. Pace yourself.
FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
AS I SEE IT
42
Travel
The next Boracay BY NEAL H. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer IT WILL be officially summer a week from now, and Holy Week two weeks later when the annual exodus to the provinces and the resorts begins. Metro Manila will be half-deserted and traffic surprisingly light, the only time in the year this happens. Except that the Department of Public Works and Highways is doing so many road repairs that traffic may not be as light as expected. Anyway, the usual traffic jams will be transferred to the highways going to the provinces. Those fleeing the heat and the crowds of Metro Manila will be sweating it out on the highways as their cars crawl towards their destinations. The open spaces, fresh cool breeze, the trees and fields and nipa huts and carabaos, the beaches, the sand, surf, sea and sun will be like a distant paradise beckoning to the evacuees from the concrete jungle. The best known and most visited tourist destinations in the Philippines are Boracay island, Baguio, Bohol and Palawan. Which is why these places are crowded, especially Boracay. Boracay is like a honky-tonk with hotels, cottages and inns huddled side by side near the beaches and loudspeakers blaring rock and roll music, and the beaches so crowded with hu-
mans you feel as if you never left Edsa. Baguio is no longer the sparsely-populated mountain city with plenty of pine trees and with the cool breeze whistling through the treetops. Most of the pine trees are gone. I don’t know why city officials allowed this to happen. Baguio is not Baguio without the pine trees. The Inquirer is running a series of articles on the country’s outstanding tourism spots. What I am going to write about is not yet a tourist spot but I predict it soon will be. I predict it will be more popular than Boracay. Like Boracay, it has kilometers of white sand beaches and gentle waves. But unlike Boracay, it is very near Metro Manila. You don’t have to take a plane from Manila and then, after getting off the plane, transfer to a boat to be able to reach it—as you will have to in order to get to Boracay (where, you will be dismayed to learn, you will bump into the same people you are fleeing from in Metro Manila). What’s more, this place is not crowded. There are no hotels—yet. There is only one vacation house, owned by an Elizalde. The long stretch of white beach is all yours. You can pitch a tent on the beach or spread your sleeping bag there and light a bonfire on the sand. Or you can sleep on the sand under the swaying coconut palms or talisay trees. Anytime you wake up in the night, you will see lights bobbing on the
sea. They are the lights from the bancas of fishermen out at sea. When you wake up in the morning, you can have a breakfast of very fresh fish just brought in by fishermen, roasted on the hot coals of last night’s bonfire, and eaten with hot steaming rice and hot, strong, freshly-brewed coffee. Where is this paradise? How do we get there? I am referring to Bulalacao on the southern tip of Mindoro. Bulalacao is the Tagalog word for meteor. And Bulalacao is really like a bright jewel from heaven. You can get there two ways. One is by boat from the Batangas port direct to the Bulalacao beach. The other is by a 30-minute RoRo ride to Calapan City, the capital of Oriental Mindoro, and then overland to Bulalacao. The road is first-class concrete all the way. Along the way, you see authentic rural life in the Philippines—rolling fields of palay, nipa huts huddled in villages, swaying coconut palms and orchards of calamansi, oranges, and rambutan; banana plantations, trees, trees and more trees, carabaos with white cattle egrets perched on their backs, streams with water lilies waving their purple flowers, and a profusion of yellow sunflowers lining the road. You will pass through Naujan Lake, which is only slightly smaller than Laguna de Bay. Naujan Lake used to be the birthplace of that fish with silvery scales—banak I think is how it’s called. My wife, who is
Bulalacao located in the southernmost tip of Oriental Mindoro is endowed with natural resources ideal for tourism development. It has white sandy beach islands, coves and peninsulas declared as tourism zones and marine reserves. PHOTO FROM BULALACAO.COM
a native of Naujan, told me that in the past, when she was a little girl, the harvest of this fish was so plentiful that they could not sell them all. They had to bury the rest so they would not rot and stink up the place. There are other tourist spots along the way: a waterfalls, not far from Calapan; beaches right inside the city—one, already with resorts, is near the downtown area; the other is at the edge of the old abandoned airport. You go through coconut groves to the beach. Opposite the beach, within a strong swimmer’s reach, are two small islets, the bigger one with a coconut plantation. When the tide goes out, water rushes between these two islets with such force that it is dangerous to be caught in it. Do not venture here, even in a boat, when the tide is going out. Up in the mountains are the Mangyan villages. And the tamaraw reserve where the Bureau of Animal Industry is trying to breed the small version of the carabao found only in Mindoro.
After Bulalacao, the concrete road goes to Occidental Mindoro where there is a long coral reef that is a favorite diving site of scuba divers. North of Calapan is of course Puerto Galera which is already a popular tourist spot. It has a deep sheltered bay where yachts anchor. There are many small hotels and inns at Puerto Galera. The nightspots sometimes make Puerto sound like another honky-tonk. Puerto can be reached overland via Calapan. On the way, right beside the road, are two tall waterfalls. Or you can go directly to Puerto by boat from Batangas, or even from Manila; or by yacht from other countries. The beauty of the two Mindoros is their nearness to Metro Manila. Land and water transports are plentiful and readily available. The Mindoros have the potential to be popular tourist spots. I don’t know why the Department of Tourism is not promoting them. ■
Travel
43 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
Newfoundland zip line features ocean views, speeds up to 80 kilometres an hour BY SUE BAILEY The Canadian Press PETTY HARBOUR, N.L.—Rob Carter has a ready answer for anyone who thinks they might like to soar across a suspended cable at speeds of up to 80 km/h but is a bit leery. “We had an 86-year-old lady up here,” said the founder of North Atlantic Zip Lines as he gazed over gorgeous Petty Harbour, N.L., from the top of a wooden connector platform. “Truly inspirational. She did the whole course. “Our youngest age is eight years old.” Carter said the sensation of breezing along in a harness, double-hooked to the cable, is about as close to flying as you can get. His 10-line course is billed as the largest in Canada with lengths ranging from 90 to 750 metres, strung across heights of up to 75 metres. The minimum weight requirement is 70 pounds or 32 kilograms, and the maximum allowed is 250 pounds or 113 kilograms. Guests are instructed on how to slow their speed using a brake glove and what to do if they lose momentum and wind up stranded on the line. (Hint: a guide will retrieve you). Anyone who decides they want to end their tour after the first line can do so but will not receive a refund. “Typically we find it’s the fear of the unknown,” Carter said of the most typical concerns of first-time zip liners. The most
It’s a cross between parachuting and flying and it’s the ride of a lifetime.
Winter zip lining.
PHOTO FROM GOWESTERNNEWFOUNDLAND.COM
frequent visitors to the course are women aged 30 to 50, he added. “It’s not the heights. They’re not sure what to expect but once they get up here and they go across the first line, they’re totally comfortable and they’re off to the races.” Carter said there have been only a couple of minor mishaps since the course opened in June 2012, involving sprained ankles. Its unique setting, featuring spectacular ocean views from the eastern edge of the continent, has drawn visitors from across Canada and as far away as New Zealand and Alaska, Carter said. “It’s the only place in North America where you can actually zip and see icebergs and whales.” Spring and summer are the best times for that, and guests may also glimpse moose, coy-
PHOTO FROM NEWFOUNDLANDLABRADOR.COM
SCREENGRAB FROM YOUTUBE
otes, rabbits and eagles. Getting up to the first line involves about a 10-minute hike or there’s a tracked all-terrain vehicle reminiscent of a mini tank that’s a fun ride up. It’s a Scandinavian Hagglunds BV206 that Carter said can drive through pretty much anything. The entire tour usually takes about two-and-a-half hours, depending on the size of the group. Reservations are www.canadianinquirer.net
strongly recommended and are sometimes required weeks in advance in the busiest summer season. It’s also worth taking some time before or after zip lining to explore scenic Petty Harbour. Located about 20 minutes south of downtown St. John’s, it’s one of the most photogenic seaside towns in the province. Its bright homes, soaring cliffs and fishing vessels have been
the backdrop for several movies and television shoots including “Orca” and “Republic of Doyle.” If you go
For information about North Atlantic Zip Lines: www.zipthenorthatlantic. com or 709-368-8681. For tips on travel to Newfoundland and Labrador: www.newfoundlandlabrador. com ■
MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 44
Six tips... 1. Pay off debt. Reduce, or better yet eliminate, debt as you move to retirement. Debt is an extra weight you just don’t need as you age. 2. Don’t buy a huge monster home. As an older retired couple, you don’t need more house, you need less. Get a nice rancher or bungalow (no steps) or a townhouse or condo that needs little maintenance, and makes it easier for you to travel at a moment’s notice. 3. Build up assets. This means RRSPs, pension plans, TFSA and non-registered assets as you approach retirement so you can chose when to stop “the grind.” Sometimes our employer decides the matter for us, so be prepared for anything that comes your way. Having different pools of assets will give your more choices into retirement, and is more tax efficient as well. 4. Don’t lend money to adult children. If you do, make sure it’s a legal loan that pays interest. In my experience, though, adult children rarely repay loans to par❰❰ 40
ents. So if you decide to make an outright gift to one adult child while you’re alive, you should account for the gift in your will. For example, you would instruct an amount equal to the gift given to one child while you were alive would be deducted from the proceeds of your estate. 5. Make a budget. Don’t spend more than you earn. That inevitably leads to debt and that will reduce your future lifestyle. 6. Don’t count on inheritances. Given current longevity of both Baby Boomers and their parents, inheritances could come when you are very old or not at all if longterm care for your parents depletes most of their remaining nest egg. Look after your own nest egg first, and if you get a bequest, consider it a gift. Don’t include it in your retirement plans. ■ Courtesy Fundata Canada © 2014. Bruce Loeppky is a financial advisor in Surrey, BC. This article is not intended as personalized investment advice.
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MARCH 28, 2014
FRIDAY 46
Fil-Am nurse figures out perplexing Wheel puzzle; bags US$45000 in bonus round Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer
BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer A FILIPINO-AMERICAN nursing student from Daly City, California recently bagged the $45,000 jackpot after having correctly cracked the bonus round puzzle on American TV game show “Wheel of Fortune” on its March 19, 2014 episode. Viewers were left in awe as Emil De Leon correctly guessed the item with only two letter clues to go on: N and E. The puzzle phrase consisted of three words, with only the first two letters of the first word revealed as clues. “This looks tough to me… You’re a very good puzzle solver, but I don’t know. You have 10 seconds. Keep talking. Maybe the right thing will pop out. Good luck,” TV host Pat Sajak told De Leon, who was visibly nervous in the face of the challenge. All the sudden – and to everyone’s amazement – De Leon exclaimed, “new baby buggy!”, the correct answer. The audience went wild, as Sajak jokingly frisked the contestant to check if he was concealing anything that aided him with the guess. Sajak took to Twitter after the show; his tweets read: “(It was the) most amazing solve in my 30+ years on the show. No kidding,” and “What made last night’s
Editor Melissa Remulla-Briones editor@canadianinquirer.net Associate Editor Laarni de Paula
Screen grab of De Leon’s bonus round puzzle on Wheel of Fortune.
Graphic Designer Victoria Yong Photographers Angelo Siglos Danvic Briones Operations and Marketing Head Laarni de Paula (604) 551-3360 laarni.liwanag@canadianinquirer.net
Screen grab of Emil De Leon with host Pat Sajak, jokingly frisking the excited contestant.
solve amazing was the generic category. Could have been “new anything.” But ‘baby buggy?!’ Wow!” A nursing student at the NCP College of Nursing in San Francisco, De Leon said that he had recently studied a
course on pediatrics, and had babies on his mind when he correctly guessed the puzzle. De Leon was then invited to appear on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where he explained how he solved the puzzle. ■
NYC to host old fashioned Easter egg hunt with giant eggs and a high tech twist: an app BY BETH J. HARPAZ The Associated Press NEW YORK—New York City is getting ready for an old-fashioned Easter egg hunt with a 21st-century twist: The public will hunt for the eggs as part of an interactive contest using a smartphone app. Nearly 275 egg sculptures will be hidden around the city April 1-17 as part of The Faberge Big Egg Hunt. The eggs are about 2 1/2 feet tall (or about 3/4 metre) and were created by famous artists and designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Jeff Koons. A free downloadable smartphone application will allow the public to check in each time an egg is found. The eggs’ locations will remain secret until 10 people use the app to check in at an egg. At that point its location will appear on an interactive map, becoming public.
Correspondents Gigi Astudillo Angie Duarte Katherine Marfal Frances Grace Quiddaoen Ching Dee Socorro Newland
Participants will be eligible for prizes. Each egg is unique. In addition to Hilfiger and Koons, egg designers include architect Zaha Hadid, “Where’s Waldo” creator Martin Handford, artist Julian Schnabel, Lego brick artist Nathan Sawaya and fashion designers Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren. From April 18-25, all the eggs will be gathered for a free exhibit at Rockefeller Center. They’ll then be auctioned off by Sotheby’s and the online auctioneer Paddle8 to benefit Elephant Family, a conservation organization, and Studio in a School, a program that brings visual arts to underserved New York City kids. Twenty-four of the
eggs were made by students participating in Studio in a School programs. Mini-replica eggs and a children’s book about the hunt will be sold at Saks Fifth Avenue, pop-up locations around the city and online. London hosted a Big Egg Hunt in 2012, while Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Dublin hosted them in 2013. The original Faberge eggs were ornate bejeweled egg-shaped works of art made for the families of Russian czars in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the Faberge eggs, about the size of a real egg, opened up to reveal elaborate tiny treasures inside. Some are now displayed by museums around the world. ■
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47 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2014
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