Philippine Canadian Inquirer Issue #120

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JUNE 20, 2014

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Bill vs misleading cigarette labels OKd

In the Know: Crime incidence in PH dropping

Estrada, Revilla twit Palace: Where’s Abad?

Filipino-Canadians in Focus: Aprodicio and Eleanor Laquian

Celebrating Dads

KALAYAAN 2014

China building airstrip on reef in PH waters

BY MARLON RAMOS AND TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—The Philippines has protested China’s reclamation of land on a reef in the West Philippine ❱❱ PAGE 12 China building

The Filipino Canadian community from all over Ontario gathered to celebrate the 116th Philippine Independence Day at the Canadian Parliament in the Canada's capital city of Ottawa. More Independence Day photos on pages 44-45.

PHOTO FROM THE FACEBOOK PAGE OF SENATOR TOBIAS ENVERGA, JR.

Hold-departure order issued vs Estrada et al.

LEARNING WITH PURPOSE SINCE 1903 3 310.HIRE (4473)

Philippine Canadian Inquirer

No HDO yet for Enrile, Revilla and others

BY DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN AND TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES–The Sandigan-

bayan has issued an order prohibiting the travel abroad of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and 13 others while the antigraft court is trying plunder and graft cases against them

Sandiganbayan raffles off cases of Napoles and 3 senators PHOTO BY RAFFY LERMA

❱❱ PAGE 10 Hold-departure order

SPROTTSHAW.COM

❱❱ PAGE 8

m info@canadianinquirer.net A (888) 668-6059 facebook.com/ Philippine CanadianInquirer twitter: @philcaninquirer

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Philippine News

3 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

Gov’t earmarks P752M to fight coco pest

BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE GOVERNMENT is poised to spend P752.7 million to save an estimated 1.2-million coconut trees affected by scale insects believed to have originated from neighboring Indonesia.

Secretary Francis Pangilinan, President Aquino’s adviser on food security and agriculture modernization, yesterday said the Aspidiotus Rigidus, a species of scale insect, was here to stay.

There are efforts to bring the infestation “down to manageable levels” within the next six months.

“This pest will always be with us. What is strategic here is to bring it down to manageable levels so it would no longer threaten the other regions of the country,” Pangilinan said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

As of last month, he said, the government had spent P65.9 million to address the infestation.

But Pangilinan made it clear that “the evidence does not show that this is precisely where it came from,” referring to Indonesia. He said a government task force went to Indonesia and concluded that “biocontrol agents eventually are the key to manage this pest effectively.”

Three phases

The government strategy will involve three phases, spending P460 million from June to August, P204 million in the second phase and P88 million in the last.

Pangilinan said the approach would involve the “injection of insecticides, pruning and burning, the setting up of a scale insect laboratory to produce biocon agents, rehabilitation, surveillance and quarantine.”

Last week, President Aquino issued Executive Order No. 169 instituting “emergency measures to control and manage the spread and damage of the aspidiotus rigidus” in the country.

With the Philippines being a leading producer of coconut products, yield loss due to the infestation is projected at P33.6 billion in Regions IVA, V and IX. Pangilinan said the government was also concerned about the “social impact” of the scale pests on coconut farmers, who earn an average annual income of only P15,000.

“Our timetable is to be able to see significant results in the next six months.

Otherwise, well, the other side of the coin is, if we do not intervene, it can reach the Bicol region and the Zamboanga peninsula by the end of the year,” he said.

“So that is why failure here is not an option.” ■

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Philippine News

JUNE 20, 2014

FRIDAY 4

DOJ: Last of pork raps to be filed next week

BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE THIRD and last batch of pork barrel cases related to the alleged P10-billion scam allegedly perpetuated by Janet LimNapoles will be filed in the Office of the Ombudsman either on Friday or early next week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday said.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the third batch would cover “a little more” lawmakers than those charged in each of the first two batches.

Speaking to reporters before she faced the Commission on Appointments (CA) at the Senate where her ad interim appointment as justice secretary was eventually confirmed, De Lima said the new cases would not involve plunder but malversation.

The first batch of cases covered 39 respondents, of whom eight were former and incumbent lawmakers, including Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jing-

goy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. The second batch of cases had 34 respon- dents, seven of whom were former members of the House of Representatives.

De Lima said the National Bureau of Investigation was ready to file the new cases.

“That’s probably the last (we are going to file) for the 2007-2009 covered by the Commission on Audit (COA),” she said.

She was referring to the COA special audit report on the graft-ridden Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) that covered the last two years of the Arroyo administration.

Other non-Napoles NGOs

But De Lima said the cases would not be the last to be filed by the government on the PDAF scam because the InterAgency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAAGC) was still looking into other questionable pork barrel-funded projects that were implemented by other nongovernment organizations not operated by Napoles.

The DOJ-NBI is a member

of the IAAGC. Whistleblowers led by Benhur Luy claimed that 50 percent of a PDAF allocation went to the lawmaker, 35 percent to Napoles, 10 percent to the implementing agencies and 5 percent to the lawmakers’ chiefs of staff.

Last December, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the PDAF, a lumpsum fund that financed pet projects of senators and members of the House.

Mum on names

De Lima was mum though on the identities of those to be included in the new charges.

“I’m just being consistent on the stance of the Department of Justice-NBI. We can only name names and tell you who are to be charged at the time we will file the charges,” she added.

Considering the big number

of people to be charged in the pork barrel scam, De Lima supported Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales’ proposal for the Supreme Court to form two special courts (two divisions of the Sandiganbayan) to try the pork barrel cases.

“I think the Ombudsman was looking ahead, thinking ahead.

TIPID TAWAG

6

She’s anticipating there will be more cases to be filed in the PDAF scam ... for the sake of order and convenience and focused proceedings,” De Lima said.

She said Morales’ request was being considered by the high court, which the other day ordered the Sandiganbayan to comment on the proposal. ■

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Philippine News

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Philippine News

JUNE 20, 2014

FRIDAY 6

No arrest yet; Gigi seeks TRO

BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer THERE won’t be any arrest anytime soon, at least this week even as one of the indictees, Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, yesterday asked the high court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the Sandiganbayan from proceeding against her.

The Supreme Court yesterday directed the Sandiganbayan and others concerned to comment “within the nonextendible period of three days from notice” on the proposal for the creation of two special divisions of the antigraft court that would handle the plunder cases against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. and the others accused.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales had asked the high tribunal to form the special courts to “exclusively try and conduct continuous trial” of the cases involving the alleged

diversion of P10 billion in congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to ghost projects and kickbacks.

Morales wrote Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno on June 6— the day the Office of the Ombudsman filed the plunder charges in the Sandiganbayan— that the “national magnitude of these cases, the complexities of the issues involved, the number of accused and farreaching consequences of these cases” required the establishment of the special courts.

The Sandiganbayan is set to raffle the cases among its five divisions on Friday. Whichever division is chosen to handle the cases will then determine if it merits trial, and if it arrest warrants will be issued. Plunder is a nonbailable offense punishable by life imprisonment.

Revilla and Estrada and Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam, have announced plans to file a motion in the Supreme Court for the judicial determination of probable cause of their plunder case once the

Sandiganbayan has designated a court to hear their case.

Gigi’s 41-page petition

“Without necessarily giving due course to (Reyes’ petition), the court required respondent Ombudsman to comment on the petition within 10 days from notice,” Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te told reporters of the decision taken during its en banc session yesterday.

Reyes had asked the court to nullify two resolutions issued

by Morales, saying their issuance was done with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.

In her 81-page petition, Reyes, who served as chief of staff of Enrile from 2005 until her resignation last year, said the resolutions were based on the statements of Ruby Tuason, which were never furnished her in spite of her repeated requests so that she could disprove them.

Forged documents

Tuason, the social secretary

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Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes (in photo) asked the high court to issue a TRO to stop the Sandiganbayan from proceeding against her.

PHOTO FROM ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

of former President Joseph Estrada, was granted immunity by the Ombudsman after she told authorities she personally handed PDAF kickbacks from Napoles to lawmakers and their staff members and returned P40 million she had purportedly earned from the deals.

Reyes said Morales engaged in unfair and unequal enforcement of the laws by granting Tuason and other whistleblowers immunity from prosecution even if their statements showed they were among “the most guilty respondents.”

Reyes said Morales ignored the evidence she had submitted showing the documents presented against her were forged, false and fictitious.

The Ombudsman also relied

on the purported hearsay declarations of the whistle-blowers led by Benhur Luy who, Reyes said, mentioned hernamebut acknowledged they did not deal with her directly.

Reyes, likewise, said she was not given the chance to question the immunity that Morales had granted Tuason and the other whistle-blowers. She said that all these showed that Morales “disregarded (her) constitutional and statutory rights as well as vital and essential facts on record which show lack of probable cause to bind (her) over to trial.”

Unless the Ombudsman is stopped, Reyes said she would suffer grave and irreparable injury, pointing out that plunder is a nonbailable offense. ■

Philippine News

7 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

99.93% ‘unlike’ Bong’s speech, Palace gloats

BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer SOME NETIZENS cringed, others found it plain ridiculous.

Saying it had nothing more to add, Malacañang said yesterday it agreed with the “overwhelming trend” of “negative reactions” to Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.’s unusual privilege speech accompanied by a song number.

“The overwhelming trend is negative and we agree with our bosses,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma told reporters, citing data collated by the Palace’s “new media team.”

Coloma later furnished reporters copies of the new media team’s report. It showed that 99.93 percent of 2,751 social media accounts surveyed gave negative reactions to Revilla’s speech. He did not say whether the survey’s methodology was scientific.

Coloma rejected Revilla’s suggestion that the President was governing with “hatred” toward his political enemies.

“In all surveys among Filipinos, they expressed their trust in his leadership. And considering how high they have rated him, I don’t think it’s reasonable to arrive at that conclusion,” he said.

In an emotional privilege speech, Revilla on Monday said

Mr. Aquino should “lead this country, not with hatred, but with love.”

“Lead the country toward unity and not partisanship.

Push our nation’s interest and not political agenda,” said the senator, who was anticipating his arrest soon following the filing of plunder charges against him in the Sandiganbayan.

Also facing similar charges in connection with the pork barrel scam were Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada, businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, and five others.

Coloma shrugged off Revilla’s speech, saying “we prefer at this time to focus and devote our energies and efforts to doing our duties and to pursuing the reform programs of government.”

Unemployment rate down

He cited the National Economic Development Authority report showing that the unemployment rate dropped to 7 percent last April compared to 7.6 percent during the same period last year.

Underemployment was also down from 19.2 to 18.2 percent during the same time span.

“That is the kind of focus that we want to concentrate on and we believe that our energies are better spent in that manner,” Coloma said.

“This growth has brought about a total of 1.7 million additional employed persons.” ■

Justice Carpio debunks China’s historical claim

BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer PANATAG SHOAL (Scarborough Shoal) has always been part of the Philippines that from the 1960s to the 1980s, Philippine and American planes used it as an impact range during joint military exercises.

And, according to Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, China or any other country never protested the bombing runs on the shoal.

China is claiming the resource- rich shoal off Zambales province as part of its territory, seizing it after a two- month maritime standoff with the Philippines in 2012.

“If the Philippines can bomb a shoal repeatedly over decades without any protest from neighboring states, it must have sovereignty over [that] shoal,” Carpio said in a lecture at De La Salle University in Manila last Friday.

Carpio, who had been going around lecture circles questioning the legality of China’s claim to 90 percent of the 3.5-millionsquare-kilometer South China Sea, again took on China’s assertions in a lecture titled “Historical Facts, Historical Lies and Historical Rights in the West Philippine Sea.” He said China was arguing that its extensive claim was based on “historical facts and international law.”

But historical facts, Carpio said, have “no bearing whatsoever in the resolution of maritime disputes” under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

China also cannot invoke ancient conquests and maps under international law to claim territories, he said.

China’s own maps

PHOTO FROM GMANEWS.COM

Carpio showed copies of maps of China dating back to the 13th century and to the 1930s, made

by Chinese authorities or individuals and even foreigners, that showed the southernmost territory of China has always been Hainan Island and that Chinese territory never included the Spratly Islands in the middle of the South China Sea and Panatag Shoal in the West www.canadianinquirer.net

Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who had been going around lecture circles questioning the legality of China’s claim to 90 percent of the 3.5-millionsquare-kilometer South China Sea, again took on China’s assertions in a lecture titled “Historical Facts, Historical Lies and Historical Rights in the West Philippine Sea.” PHOTO FROM GMANEWS.COM

Philippine Sea. “There is not a single ancient map, whether made by Chinese or foreigners, showing that the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal were ever part of Chinese territory,” Carpio said.

He said China itself had been saying as late as 1932 that the southernmost part of Chinese territory was Hainan Island.

‘Gigantic fraud’

Carpio called China’s claim to almost the entire South China Sea, which Beijing calls “ninedash line,” a “gigantic historical fraud” because it claims that its southernmost territory is James Shoal, which is 90 kilometers from the coast of Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia—within Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone—and more than 1,700 km from China.

Under international law, a country’s territory extends up to only 370 km from its shores.

Carpio said Philippine maps from 1636 to 1940, or for 340 years, “consistently show Scarborough Shoal, whether named or unnamed, as part of the Philippines.”

Spain also ceded Scarborough Shoal to the United States under the 1900 Treaty of Washington, he said.

“In sum, China’s so-called historical facts to justify its ninedash line are glaringly inconsis-

tent with actual historical facts, based on China’s own historical maps, constitutions and official pronouncements,” Carpio said.

“China has no historical link whatsoever to Scarborough Shoal. The rocks of Scarborough Shoal were never bequeathed to the present generation of Chinese by their ancestors because their ancestors never owned those rocks in the first place,” he said.

Peaceful resolution

The Philippines has renewed its call for a peaceful resolution of the territorial disputes in the South China Sea at high level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Rangoon, Burma.

Speaking at one of the meetings yesterday, Foreign Undersecretary Evan Garcia, head of the Philippine delegation, said the recent provocative and unilateral actions by China infringed on the rights of Manila and other countries under the Unclos and also violated the 2002 Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. He also called for the early conclusion of a binding code of conduct between the Asean and China to prevent conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea from erupting into armed conflict. ■

Philippine News

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 8

Enrile seeks bail, cites age 90-yr-old also lists litany of ailments Publisher Alan Yong Editor Melissa Remulla-Briones editor@canadianinquirer.net Associate Editor Laarni de Paula laarni.liwanag@canadianinquirer.net Community News Editor Mary Ann Mandap maryann.mandap@canadianinquirer.net Correspondents Gigi Astudillo Angie Duarte Frances Grace Quiddaoen Ching Dee Socorro Newland Thessa Sandoval Bolet Arevalo Graphic Designer Victoria Yong Photographers Angelo Siglos Danvic Briones Solon Licas Operations and Marketing Head Laarni Liwanag (604) 551-3360 Advertising Sales Alice Yong (778) 889-3518 alice.yong@canadianinquirer.net Antonio Tampus (604) 460-9414 antonio.tampos@canadianinquirer.net PHILIPPINE PUBLISHING GROUP Editorial Assistant Phoebe Casin Graphic Designer Shanice Garcia Associate Publisher Lurisa Villanueva In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer digital edition Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 400-13955 Bridgeport Rd., Richmond, BC V6V 1J6 Canada Tel. No.: 1-888-668-6059 or 778-8893518 | Email: info@canadianinquirer. net, inquirerinc@gmail.com, sales@ canadianinquirer.net Philippine Canadian Inquirer is published weekly every Friday.

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Member

BY DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN AND TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer WITHIN AN hour of their plunder and graft cases being assigned to three divisions of the Sandiganbayan on Friday, Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. filed petitions asking the antigraft court to dismiss them.

The 90-year-old Enrile filed a 54-page petition arguing insufficient evidence against him, at the same time asking that he be granted bail should the trial proceed.

Plunder is a nonbailable offense.

To support his request for bail, Enrile cited his age and provided the Sandiganbayan with a litany of his various ailments through three medical certificates, all dated May 6, 2014, issued by his cardiologist, ophthalmologist and nephrologist who said the senator needed “frequent, regular monitoring and checkup.”

What’s next

Malacañang said the raffling off of the cases was the next logical step following the indictment of the respondents.

“The raffle is just a step in the entire process. It does not end there, neither does it determine anything. The determination happens during the trial,” said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte.

A professional PNP

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on Friday said the Philippine National Police (PNP) will discharge its duties “professionally” when the order is handed down to arrest the three senators.

Once the courts order the arrest of Enrile, Estrada, Revilla and their coaccused, then arrest warrants will be served by the PNP. “The PNP will act and perform professionally. This is not a time to embarrass anyone. This is not the time to strip anyone of their dignity,” Roxas said at a press conference at Camp Crame.

“The point here would be the institution’s credibility… The PNP will follow whatever the court directs it to do,” he said.

Petitions from indictees

Estrada filed a 37-page petition asking the special court to dismiss the case against him for lack of probable cause.

Revilla followed up the petition he filed last Tuesday wherein he asked the court to immediately set a date to hear his petition to dismiss the case. In the supplemental three-page petition he filed on Friday, Revilla asked that the hearing be set for next week, on June 19.

Enrile’s former chief of staff, Jessica “Gigi” Reyes, and Revilla’s chief of staff, Richard Cambe, also quickly filed peti-

Sandiganbayan Presiding Judge Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang reacts after drawing the plunder and graft cases of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile during the raffle of cases against the 38 indictees yesterday.

Thecases of Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla went to other divisions. Justice CabotajeTang is flanked by Justices Oscar C. Herrera Jr., (left) Second Division associate, and Roland B. Jurado, Fifth Division.

PHOTO FROM RAFFY LERMA

tions on Friday.

Reyes asked the Sandiganbayan to suspend acting on her case, including issuing an arrest warrant, asking the court to wait for the Supreme Court to act on her petition for a restraining order against the Ombudsman.

Cambe asked the antigraft court in a 50-page petition to suspend the proceedings until it has produced the complete records of the Ombudsman’s preliminary investigation, and also asked the court to determine probable cause first.

Expecting a ‘fair trial’

Estrada and Revilla on Friday said they expected a “fair trial” from the Sandiganbayan justices who will hear their cases, even though the justices may have been appointed by President Aquino.

“I hope and pray that the Sandiganbayan will dispose fair justice. They should be fair. In fair play, I think I will be acquitted of all the charges,” Estrada said in a phone-patch interview with reporters.

“Whether or not they have a debt of gratitude to P-Noy, I think they should exercise fair play,” he added.

Revilla, through his lawyer Joel Bodegon, also said he expected to get a fair trial.

“If we can’t expect a fair trial in the courts, we may just as well give up the practice of law,” Bodegon told reporters, also in a phone-patch interview.

Bodegon said they were not concerned that an Aquino appointee would be handling Revilla’s case.

“We, lawyers, rely on the strength of our own case, the evidence that we have, and the strength of our faith in the judicial system. Besides, in the course of a trial, if we find something irregular or improper, we have remedies available,” he said.

Enrile’s staff said he would not be issuing a statement.

Will not evade arrest

Estrada and Revilla reiterated that they would not evade arrest. Estrada assured the public that he would surrender once the arrest warrant is issued.

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Bodegon said they expected the antigraft court to rule first on their motions for the determination of probable cause and suspension of proceedings before deciding whether to issue an arrest warrant against his client.

“We have faith in the Sandiganbayan, that they would not be hasty in acting on the matter. They have 10 days under the rules to consider whether to issue a warrant. Add to the situation the fact that we have filed motions,” he said.

“When a motion is filed in court, the court is minded to consider it,” he said.

The Sandiganbayan raffled off the cases of Enrile, Estrada and Revilla to specific divisions, which will then issue the order to arrest them once they determine probable cause.

History of special divisions

Estrada welcomed the Supreme Court order to the Sandiganbayan to raffle off their cases.

“In special divisions, the justices will be handpicked. Even if you look at history, all special divisions convict the accused, from Yamashita’s time to Ninoy’s time to my father’s time,” he said.

Ousted President Joseph Estrada was convicted by the Sandiganbayan for plunder in 2007, but was pardoned almost immediately after by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

How to discharge duties

Roxas said it would also be up to the court to decide how the three senators can discharge their duties as lawmakers while in detention.

Laptops and other electronic and communication devices are not allowed inside police custodial centers as a matter of security.

Roxas said the PNP rules will also be applied to all detainees at the custodial center, including visitation rights.

He added that the rooms at the PNP custodial center do not have airconditioning. ■ With Nikko Dizon

9 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

www.canadianinquirer.net

Philippine News

Hold-departure order... in connection with the alleged misuse of the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

The court’s Fifth Division on Monday ordered the Bureau of Immigration to hold the departure from the country of Estrada and his coaccused, invoking its “inherent power to use all means necessary to carry its orders into effect, more specifically to preserve and maintain the effectiveness of its jurisdiction over the case and the persons of the accused… at all times.”

Estrada on Monday night shrugged off the issuance of the hold-departure order (HDO) against him. “I have no plans of leaving. It doesn’t matter,” Estrada curtly said by phone. “No problem with me.”

Earlier, Estrada declared that he would voluntarily surrender once the warrant for his arrest was issued. He had ruled out any out-of-the-country travels at this time, lest he be accused of trying to evade prosecution.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division and First Division, which are handling the consolidated PDAF-related cases also involving plunder and graft against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Revilla, respectively, have so far not issued any other hold-departure order.

The order on Monday covered principal accused Janet Lim-Napoles, her employee John Raymund de Asis and Estrada’s former deputy chief of staff Pauline Labayen who were charged with plunder along with Estrada.

Also included were Estrada’s coaccused in the multiple graft cases: Napoles, De Asis and Labayen; Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos; Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou ❰❰ 1

Bare of the Department of Budget and Management; former National Agribusiness Corp.

(Nabcor) president Allan Javellana; and former Nabcor executives Rhodora Mendoza, Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Victor Roman Cacal, Maria Ninez Guanizo and Romulo Relevo.

Estrada, said he had no contact with Labayen. “I don’t know where she is,” he said.

Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Roland Jurado chairs the Fifth Division while Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo is a member. A seat for a third member of the division is still vacant.

Enrile’s case will be handled by the Third Division chaired

by Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, the most junior member of the antigraft court whom President Aquino appointed last October.

The other Third Division members are Associate Justices Samuel Martires and Alex Quiroz.

Revilla’s case will be handled by the First Division headed by Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz, with Associate Justices Rodolfo Ponferrada and Rafael Lagos as members.

On Monday, Enrile filed another petition in the Sandiganbayan asking the court to review the Ombudsman’s decision and determine whether there was probable cause to file the case in the first place.

Napoles and her children, Jo Christine Napoles and James Christopher Napoles, likewise filed separate petitions on Monday asking the Sandiganbayan to determine probable cause first and in the meantime suspend the proceedings and defer issuing any arrest warrant against them.

The two Napoles children are among Enrile’s coaccused in the graft charges. ■

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 10

Sayyaf leader with $500K bounty captured

BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer GOVERNMENT SECURITY forces yesterday captured a leader of the Abu Sayyaf terror group who is wanted in the United States and has acknowledged receiving al-Qaida funds to finance bombings in the Philippines.

The United States offered in 2009 a $500,000 bounty for the killing or capture of Khair Mundos. US authorities said Mundos worked as a financier for the Abu Sayyaf.

Senior Supt. Roberto Fajardo, chief of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said Mundos was arrested by Army soldiers and police in the house of relatives in Parañaque City around 9:30 a.m. Fajardo, however, dismissed speculations that the Abu Sayyaf leader was in the capital to carry out bombings and disrupt today’s celebration of Independence Day. Fajardo said the Department of the Interior and Local Government had offered P1.2 million for Mundos’ arrest.

The reward was raised to P5 million after Mundos escaped in 2007.

“Mundos decided to flee to Metro Manila because authorities in Mindanao were hot on his trail,” Fajardo told the INQUIRER. “We were just serving the warrants of arrest on him. It just happened that we were able to capture him a day before Independence Day,” he said.

Fajardo said the arrest of Mundos, also known as Abu Ayman, was the result of surveillance work by the Intelligence Security Forces of the Armed Forces and the CIDG over two months.

The military and the police had been hunting Mundos for his alleged involvement in bombings and kidnappings in Mindanao.

Mundos is one of the highest ranking terrorist suspects to be captured in the country in recent years.

Sprung from jail

Mundos was captured in 2004 but escaped with dozens of terrorists from the Kidapawan City jail in February 2007.

“He was rescued by the Abu Sayyaf from jail,” Fajardo said.

Abu Sayyaf terrorists using www.canadianinquirer.net

In this photo released by the Philippine National Police Public Information Office (PNP-PIO) in Manila, members of the PNP-CIDG (Criminal Intelligence and Detection Group) take the fingerprints of Khair Mundos, a top commander of the Abu Sayyaf extremist group who is on the US list of most-wanted terrorists, following his capture near Manila’s international airport Wednesday, June 11, 2014.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

grenade launchers blasted their way into the jail before dawn, then pinned down a handful of guards with rifle fire while Mundos and the others fled.

“With the close coordination we had with the military, we were able to track him down in Parañaque,” Fajardo said.

Maj. Gen. Eduardo Año, head of the military’s intelligence service, described Mundos’ capture as a major blow to the Abu Sayyaf, where Mundos had served as a top commander, expert bombmaker, financial and logistical officer, trainer and planner of attacks.

“This is a big blow to their organization,” Año said. “They lost one of their leaders and they now feel insecure. We will try to get them one [by one]. We will not stop.”

Al-Qaida funding

The US state department says Mundos has been charged with money laundering and once acknowledged in custody that he arranged the transfer of alQaida funds to the Abu Sayyaf to finance bombings and other attacks in the Philippines.

Washington has declared the Abu Sayyaf a terrorist group and blames it for deadly attacks on American troops and civilians in Mindanao.

Mundos has led Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Basilan province and is known to have links with members of the Southeast Asian terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah.

A senior police official, who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to speak to reporters, said Mundos was a “notorious bomber” who was trained by the Jemaah Islamiyah.

“Mundos enjoyed the trust and confidence of the Jemaah Islamiyah, which trained him in bombmaking. He is also known to be a hardcore terrorist,” the official said.

Too hot in the south

Director Benjamin Magalong, CIDG chief, said Branch 17 of the Kidapawan City Regional Trial Court had issued warrants for the arrest of Mundos and several Abu Sayyaf bandits for murder and multiple attempted murder.

“It was getting too hot [in the south] so he came here while waiting for things to cool down,” Fajardo said.

Mundos did not resist arrest, according to another senior police official involved who asked not to be named.

Photos released by police after Mundos’ arrest showed him clean shaven and muscular.

Fajardo said police were looking into reports that other Abu Sayyaf terrorists had sought refuge in Metro Manila, staying with in-laws or other close relatives.

“Aggressive law enforcement operations are driving the Abu Sayyaf out of their hideouts in Mindanao. That’s why it’s possible that they have fled to Metro Manila. They are very mobile,” Fajardo said. ■

Philippine News

11 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

Bill vs misleading cigarette labels OKd

BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES–Don’t be fooled by any claim that the stick you’re smoking is of “low tar” content or an “ultra-light” cigarette.

Its tar and other toxic contents, regardless of amount, will accumulate in your lungs and may eventually kill you.

Under a law awaiting the signature of President Aquino, cigarette packs or tobacco packages will no longer carry labels such as “low tar,” “light,” “ultralight,” “mild,” “extra” and “ultra” that mislead a consumer into thinking the product is not harmful.

This is one of the key provisions of the proposed graphic health warning law that Congress approved before adjourning last week.

Its main aim is to have graphic health warnings on cigarette packs that warn of the “devastating effects” of smoking and passive smoking, and remove misleading claims that tend to convey the product is less harmful than it is.

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Under the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the Philippines has the duty to adopt and implement effective health warnings on tobacco products by September 2008.

Stiff penalties

Section 8 of the measure states that a year after the Department of Health issues the templates, no cigarette pack or package “shall bear any number or descriptor such as ‘low tar,’ ‘light,’ ‘ultra-light,’ or ‘mild,’ ‘extra,’ ‘ultra,’ and similar terms in any language that … misleads a consumer to believe that a tobacco product or variant is healthier, safer or less harmful.”

The proposed law imposes stiff penalties on manufacturers or retailers violating its provisions.

It defines graphic health warnings as photographic images printed on the package that “accurately depict the hazards of tobacco use and [are] accompanied by textual warning related to the picture.”

Picture and text

Local and foreign brands

“The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them,” the proposed law says.

It also aims to protect consumers from trade malpractices and from substandard tobacco products.

Once signed by the President, it will apply to tobacco products locally manufactured or imported and introduced in the Philippine market.

The warnings, consisting of picture and text, will be printed on 50 percent of the principal display surfaces of any tobacco package. They will occupy 50 percent of the front and back panels of the packaging.

They will be printed using current technology to come up with “vivid and realistic pictures,” and in a color “which contrasts conspicuously with the background of the package,” according to the measure.

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A maximum 12 templates of the warnings will be printed simultaneously, and rotated periodically for each brand family and each variant, so that every two years, the variations of the warnings will appear in the market with the same frequency.

additional penalty of P100,000 per day shall be imposed for each day the violation continues after the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has issued an order notifying the company of the infraction.

Penalties vs sellers

Fines up to P2M

The measure imposes individual fines on manufacturers, importers and distributors of tobacco products, as well as their agents, for violation of its provisions.

The penalty ranges from P500,000, on the first offense, to P1 million, on the second offense, to P2 million or imprisonment of not more than five years, or both, on the third offense.

“If the guilty officer is a foreign national, he shall be deported after service of sentence and/or payment of applicable fines … and permanently barred from reentering the Philippines,” the measure says.

The withdrawal from factory or importation of noncompliant tobacco packages constitutes one offense. An

The proposed law imposes a different set of fines on retailers or sellers, and their agents: P10,000 on the first offense; P50,000 on the second offense; and P100,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both, on the third offense.

Each day that noncompliant tobacco packages are found in the retail establishments after the compliance date constitutes one offense.

An additional penalty of P5,000 is imposed for each day the violation continues after the DTI has issued the order notifying the retailers of the infraction.

Authors of the measure acknowledged that graphic health warnings were shown to be more effective in conveying the truth about the dangers of smoking than text warnings. ■

Cardinal Tagle to crooks in gov’t: You’re thick-faced

BY TINA G. SANTOS Philippine Daily Inquirer “THE GOVERNMENT officials who steal public funds have the gall to do it, as they are thick-faced, insensitive, very brave,” Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said on Saturday, urging Catholics to help promote good government.

“But that is not the kind of bravery being asked of us,” Tagle said, addressing the Good Governance Forum for Lay Leaders at the Santuario de San Vicente de Paul Shrine in Quezon City.

The forum, which had the theme “We choose to be brave: Filipino lay leaders are today’s good governance advocates” and organized by the Diocese of Novaliches, was attended by lay leaders and good government advocates from 67 parishes in

the cities of Quezon and Caloocan.

The forum was held a week after three senators and 35 other people, including former members of the House of Representatives and former government officials, were indicted for plunder and graft in the Sandiganbayan over the P10billion pork barrel scam.

Among those charged was businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, who allegedly orchestrated the massive theft of public funds through fake foundations in connivance with lawmakers and heads of government agencies.

“Filipino lay leaders are today’s good governance advocates. Pro-God, procountry, proenvironment. That is where we should use our bravery,” Tagle said.

“Sometimes, we become cowards [and fail] to respond to calls for us to do what is good. But when it comes to doing fool-

ish or mischievous things, we’re very creative, very brave. That is not what is being asked of us,” he said.

Preparation for 2016

According to the forum organizers, the event was aimed at engaging lay leaders and good government advocates in electoral, community education, legislative and pastoral accompaniment in politics.

“We believe that evangelization in this sphere is of utmost importance, especially in preparation for the crucial 2016 elections,” the organizers said in a statement.

Massive graft and corruption, election-related killings, oppression and substandard social services have led to countless broken hearts and broken hopes, they said.

www.canadianinquirer.net

“In the Year of the Laity, the Church awakens to the call to ‘choose to be brave’ and is propelled to respond to a saintly mission and act heroically. With the Parish Pastoral Council leaders, Basic Ecclesiastical Community members and all Good Governance advocates from various ministries and organizations, we stand to claim a better Philippines today,” they said.

Tagle said lay people have a role in promoting good government.

Self-searching

Instead of blaming government officials for the controversies that hound the nation, Filipinos must look at themselves first, he said, adding that all citizens have an obligation to fulfill in improving the ❱❱ PAGE 14 Cardinal Tagle

Philippine News

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 12

China building...

Sea that can be used to build an airstrip or an offshore military base, in yet another provocative move by Beijing in the disputed waters, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday.

President Aquino raised the Chinese activity in Philippine waters at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Burma (Myanmar) on Sunday, the DFA said in a statement.

“The Philippines protested the Chinese reclamation on Mabini Reef (international name: Johnson South Reef ).

The Chinese side rejected the protest,” the DFA said.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines filed the protest on April 4, but Beijing rejected it on grounds that the reef was part of Chinese territory.

Asked if China was building an airstrip on the reef, Del Rosario said, “That’s one possibility.”

The Department of National Defense (DND) also reported the Chinese activity on Mabini Reef on Wednesday and demanded that Beijing put a stop to it.

“This activity contravenes the spirit of the [Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea] and is a security concern of all in the region,” DND spokesman Paul Galvez said, referring to the nonaggression and keeping of the status quo agreement that Asean and China signed in 2002.

“These provocative acts, which they should immediately stop, further disturb the fabric of regional peace and stability,” ❰❰ 1

Galvez said.

Discovered 6 months ago

Galvez said Philippine surveillance planes first detected China’s reclamation activity six months ago.

Philippine aircraft searching for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner in March also spotted the continuing reclamation on the reef by at least one Chinese ship backed by smaller vessels.

“We can confirm that there is an ongoing reclamation or earth-moving activities [there],” Galvez said.

“Is that a possible airfield?

We cannot speculate at this point,” he said.

“It has been getting bigger and bigger,” he added.

30-ha landmass

The government estimates that the reclamation has turned the submerged reef and a sandbar into a 30-hectare landmass that transformed the submerged coral outcrop into an islet, The Associated Press reported, quoting an unnamed government official.

The discovery of the reclamation, and the possibility of China building an airstrip on the reef, would likely raise alarm among rival claimant countries because it would bolster Beijing’s naval and air force mobility in a South China Sea region far from the Chinese mainland.

Mabini Reef, which the Chinese call Chigua Reef, is 300 kilometers away from Palawan province, well within the Philippines’ 370-km exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Also claimed by Vietnam

Vietnam is also claiming

Mabini Reef, but Beijing seized the reef and other coral outcrops in the area from Hanoi after a deadly naval skirmish in 1988.

There was no immediate comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Wednesday.

‘Renovation’

Last week, the Chinese press played down the reef reclamation and construction.

Quoting an unnamed source described as close to the construction, the Global Times reported China was merely “renovating the living facilities for troops stationed on the reef.”

In the statement issued Wednesday, the DFA said the Philippines asked the United Nations to “clarify Mabini Reef’s physical character” in its “memorial,” or brief, submitted to the United Nations Tribunal for the Convention on the Law of the Sea on March 30, which details the merits of its case against China in their territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea. The West Philippine Sea is part of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ EEZ, but China claims 90 percent of the 3.5-million square-kilometer South China Sea, including waters close to its neighbors’ shores.

Beijing has refused to take part in the arbitration, the case for which Manila filed in January last year in a bid to stop Chinese incursions into the West Philippine Sea. Rivals for territory

The Philippines has also

According to reports, China had been moving earth and materials to Johnson Reef in the Spratlys Islands over recent weeks and was reclaiming land in violation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, an informal code of conduct for the region.

PHOTO FROM SOLARNEWS.PH

asked the arbitral court to nullify China’s claim over almost the whole South China Sea. That extensive claim has set China against not only Vietnam and the Philippines, but also against Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan, which claim parts of the sea that are crisscrossed by sea-lanes where a third of annual cargo passes and where islands, islets, reefs and shoal are believed to be sitting on vast energy and mineral reserves.

China continues to assert “indisputable sovereignty” over the waters and has accused other claimant nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam, of undertaking provocative actions pending resolution of the dispute.

Tensions in the South China Sea have flared up recently following the Philippines’ arrest of Chinese fishermen caught poaching sea turtles at HasaHasa Shoal (Half Moon Shoal), 93 km off Palawan, and China moving a deepwater drilling rig near the Paracel Islands in the East Sea, within Vietnam’s EEZ, sparking confrontations between dozens of Chinese and Vietnamese ships.

‘Provocative’ actions

Disturbed by confrontations in the East Sea, US Secretary of State John Kerry phoned Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday and told him China’s installation of an oil rig and the deployment of vessels in the disputed waters were “provocative.”

The Chinese side responded by saying that words and actions by the United States had “emboldened” other claimants to take provocative actions in the sea.

“It is true that provocative actions have been seen in the South China Sea recently. But they are not taken by China. It is nothing but the wrong words and actions made by the US side on maritime issues that have emboldened some countries to take provocative actions,” Hua said in a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

Security analysts believe moving the drilling rig into the East Sea is China’s response to US President Barack Obama’s four-nation tour of Asia in April and his assurance to allies Japan and the Philippines that the United States would defend them if they were attacked. ■ With reports from AFP and AP

In the Know: Crime incidence in PH dropping Philippine Daily Inquirer CRIME INCIDENCE in the Philippines has been going down since 2010 but at a decelerating pace, according to the latest government data.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority-National Statistical Coordination Board, 324,083 crimes were recorded in 2010, down 35.53 percent from 502,665 in 2009.

Between 2010 and 2011, the total crime volume decreased 23.8 percent to 246,958. In

2012, 217,812 incidents of crimes were recorded, a drop of 11.8 percent from 2011.

Crime rate, which is the number of crimes committed per 100,000 population, follows the same trend, falling from 552 in 2009 to 350 in 2010, 262 in 2011 and 227 in 2012.

According to the Senate Economic Planning Office’s publication, “Crime Statistics: At a Glance,” crime solution efficiency increased from 13.32 percent in 2009 to 18.64 percent in 2010, 28.87 percent in 2011 and 36.67 percent in 2012.

Crimes in the Philippines are broken down into index crimes and nonindex crimes.

Index crimes are those having socioeconomic significance and occurring with sufficient regularity to be meaningful.

These crimes are against persons and against property. In particular, this category includes murder, physical injury, robbery, theft and rape.

All other crimes are considered nonindex.

In 2010, index crimes totaled 204,979 (86,036 against persons and 118,943 against www.canadianinquirer.net

property). The crimes against persons were broken down into 8,897 murders, 3,726 homicides, 68,538 physical injuries and 4,875 rape incidents. Crimes against property consisted of 36,121 robberies, 72,947 thefts, 8,656 car thefts and 1,219 cattlerustling incidents.

There were 156,882 index crimes in 2011, which consisted of 59,909 against persons and 96,973 against property. Index crimes against persons included 8,674 murders, 3,404 homicides, 42,984 physical injuries and 4,847 rape incidents.

Crimes against property consisted of 31,037 robberies, 56,349 thefts, 8,715 car thefts and 872 cases of cattle rustling.

In 2012, a total of 129,161 index crimes were reported, with 51,069 against persons and 78,092 against property.

There were 8,484 murders, 3,022 homicides, 34,825 physical injuries and 4,738 rape incidents. Crimes against property included 26,988 robberies, 43,606 thefts, 6,919 car thefts and 579 cattle rustling. ■ Inquirer Research

Philippine News

13 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

Binay may free allies–Cayetano

BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer CAN THE opposition senators indicted in the pork barrel scam rely on Vice President Jejomar Binay to save them should he become president in 2016?

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano thinks so, pointing to Binay’s purported silence over the alleged involvement, particularly of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, in the alleged multibillionpeso scam.

Cayetano, who is known to also have plans to run for president in 2016, criticized Binay for sticking it out with Estrada as his possible running mate even as the senator has been implicated in the pork barrel scam.

“Let’s not be naive... a president who wants to interfere from 2016 to 2022, and after that, can interfere. Of course, that’s an impeachable offense, if you can catch him,” Cayetano said in an interview on dzBB radio.

Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Estrada were charged with plunder in the Sandiganbayan antigraft court last week for allegedly amassing hundred of millions of pesos in kickbacks from their Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations or pork barrel.

Political vehicle

Enrile and Estrada belong to Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance, the Vice President’s main political vehicle for election in 2016.

Estrada, Revilla and Enrile, along with Janet Lim- Napoles and five other accused, could be arrested this week once the case is raffled off and warrants are issued by the antigraft court.

Cayetano wondered why Binay had not demanded any accountability from Estrada.

“If you’re a candidate for 2016, you would say that you would send even your own ally to jail. But it’s not happening in our country,” he said. “[Binay is] even saying that

he would make [ Estrada] his vice president,” he added.

Cayetano said the public should not “play blind” to the possibility that the choice of the next president would “have an effect on the case of the three [ senators].”

He said the arrest of the three senators “would even serve as a good example [ and] send a strong message to Congress, to the Senate, to the Cabinet that if you do something bad, you will go to jail.”

If Estrada becomes Binay’s running mate and goes on to win the vice presidency, Cayetano said the plunder case against him could still proceed. But if Estrada is convicted, the sentence cannot be carried out during his incumbency unless he is removed by impeachment, he said.

Over- politicizing issue

“But more than the legal aspect, the biggest question is the influence that a vice president can exert over the case,” Cayetano told the INQUIRER by phone.

“It would send the message

to prosecutors, to the justices of the Sandiganbayan that you shouldn’t touch [ him], especially if it happens that the sitting president is [ his] ally.”

But Binay’s spokesperson, Joey Salgado, said Senator Cayetano was over- politicizing the issue.

“Vice President Binay has already stated that the rule of law must prevail regardless of stature or political affiliation.

Should he be elected president by the people in 2016, he will respect the independence of the courts and will not interfere in its proceedings, nor will he extend a pardon if the courts decide that the evidence is strong enough to warrant conviction,” Salgado said.

He said the same treatment would be given to the other personalities who had been named in the affidavits of Janet Lim- Napoles, Benhur Luy and the other whistleblowers in the pork barrel scam.

Independence of courts

“For example, should Sena-

tor Cayetano or other legislators find themselves in a similar situation, they can rest assured that a President Binay will respect the independence of the courts,” Salgado said.

“I would like to reiterate the position of the Vice President that if the campaign for reform and accountability in government stops with the filing of the plunder cases against three senators who are not political allies, it will create the impression of being selective, and that political partisanship—not justice—is the sole motivation behind these charges,” Salgado said.

Given the supposed Binay factor, Cayetano joined calls for the creation of a special Sandiganbayan division to solely hear the pork barrel case. He said the Supreme Court should also allow live media coverage of the trial.

“It’s not true that the case cannot be finished within the next 500 to 600 days. There are still [around] 700 days before the [2016] election,” he said. ■

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Philippine News

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 14

Estrada, Revilla twit Palace: Where’s Abad?

BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES–Senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada on Monday twitted the administration for excluding allies of President Aquino from a new complaint to be filed in the Ombudsman over the P10billion pork barrel scam.

“What I’m looking for is Abad.

Where’s Abad? How about Alcala?” Revilla told reporters in a phone-patch interview, referring to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.

Revilla, Estrada and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, all from the opposition, have been indicted for plunder and graft in the Sandiganbayan for allegedly pocketing millions of pesos in kickbacks from phantom projects funded with their shares of the pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Revilla said it appeared the government was treating people implicated in the scandal differently.

Estrada observed that Director General Joel Villanueva of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), a former party-list nominee to the House of Representatives, seemed to be the administration’s “sacrificial lamb.”

“This is just tokenism,” Estrada told reporters in a phonepatch interview.

He said the exclusion of the administration’s other allies from the information smacked of “selective justice.”

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma on Monday said that President Aquino still trusted Villanueva despite the Tesda chief’s getting implicated in the pork barrel scam.

Coloma advised the public to just wait for the action of the Department of Justice on the third batch of cases to be brought against those responsible for the massive theft of public funds.

The Inquirer reported on Monday that the National Bureau of Investigation would file in the Office of the Ombudsman this week a complaint

for malversation against Sen. Gregorio Honasan II, Villanueva and eight former and current members of the House for misuse of the pork barrel from 2007 to 2009.

Also to be charged with malversation is businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam who is already facing plunder charges in the Sandiganbayan together with Revilla, Estrada and Enrile.

The others to be charged in the third batch of cases in the pork barrel scam are La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, former La Union Rep. Manuel Ortega, former Zamboanga Rep. Isidoro Real Jr., Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Abono Rep. Conrado Estrella III and former Abono Rep. Robert Raymund Estrella.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima did not comment Monday on the Inquirer report, saying only that she would meet with NBI officials Tuesday to discuss the date of the filing of the case.

“I can neither confirm [nor] deny that,” De Lima told reporters, reminding them of her policy of not identifying people to be charged before the filing of cases.

Of those to be charged, only Villanueva is a member of the President’s Liberal Party.

Except for Honasan, an independent, all have publicly denied any wrongdoing.

Honasan’s staff said on Monday that he would keep his silence on the matter.

Estrada said Abad should be included in the information as Napoles’ “mentor.”

He maintained that House Deputy Speaker Neptali Gonzales II should be included in the complaint.

‘Selective justice’

“I stand by my belief that there is selective justice,” Estrada said. “If you are lazy to gather ... evidence against those involved, especially the allies of the administration, nothing will happen.”

If the agents were just as determined to gather evidence, the President’s allies would end up being charged, too, Estrada said.

Estrada expressed puzzlement over why Villanueva would be the only administration ally to be charged.

“What kind of investigation is that? There are so many of them involved. For instance, Gonzales. His office implemented his own PDAF. How can that happen?” he said.

In a special audit of the PDAF from 2007 to 2009, the Commission on Audit said that lawmakers used local governments as conduits for their pork barrel. It found P426.5 million flawed transactions in Mandaluyong City involving the PDAF allocations of Gonzales.

Give Aquino a break

House leaders on Monday urged the besieged Cabinet members to give President Aquino a break from defending them and start fending for themselves.

“They should defend themselves and not rely on him. They presumably know the facts as well as their best defense,” Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said.

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said: “I pity the President for constantly defending his men in the pork barrel scam, which I find very unusual, because normally they should be the ones covering for the President.”

Romualdez suggested that Abad and Alcala spare the President further grief and stress by resigning or going on leave.

“These are very worthwile options they can take to keep their offices beyond reproach,” Romualdez said.

He also said the justice department and the Ombudsman should be “sensitive” to the public perception that the President is coddling his Cabinet, as mostly opposition members have been charged so far in the pork barrel scam.

“There should be no pussyfooting, otherwise selective prosecution will persist because only opposition lawmakers are being charged right now,” Romualdez said. ■ With reports from Christine O. Avendaño, Christian V. Esguerra and Gil C. Cabacungan

Cardinal Tagle... country and themselves.

Tagle urged the laity to do their part in promoting good government by letting themselves be governed by the personal values of fairness, empathy, stability and integrity.

“The word ‘govern’ means management and giving a sense of direction. Even not in politics, in our families, schools, businesses, church—all of us have, in a way, a role in upholding good governance. It is important that we learn good governance on the basis of our faith so that we can use it in governing our country,” Tagle said.

“We no longer know whom to trust. Everyone, individual or institution, promises to provide a better life. But these usually are broken promises,” he said.

“You do not know whom to trust anymore, and … we need good governance to restore the people’s trust in their fellowmen and in the institutions,” he said, adding that people and nations get paralyzed when trust is violated. ❰❰ 11

Choosing candidates

In order to achieve good governance, be it in the government, institutions or the church, Filipinos should vote in the 2016 elections for people with competence, professionalism and love for country, and those who will serve for the common good, Tagle said.

“One sign of good governance is competence,” he said. “Sadly, our system of governance does not totally depend on competence but on protection. Anyone, even incompetent, as long as he is a friend of the mayor,

gets the position. That’s why he busies himself not with his mission but with protection, connection and promotion. This should change.”

Tagle cited the importance of professionalism in running the national and local governments and organizations.

Without professionalism, “no policies are set in place,” he said. “Everything is internal arrangement, private arrangements, that’s why high-profile prisoners, including drug dealers, and their relatives go in and out of prison. What is the real procedure? Let us be professional.”

Good government, Tagle stressed, is promoting the good of all.

“If you love your country, you will not do anything that will put your country to shame,” he said.

Seeds of corruption

During the press conference on the the 51st International Eucharistic Conference last week, Tagle said the pork barrel scam was not just about corrupt politicians, but also about how parents planted the seeds of corruption in raising their children at home.

Instead of pointing the finger at a small group of people, everyone must engage in soulsearching and in communal examination of conscience to discern the status of the Filipino culture and how it can be “purified,” Tagle said.

“I just wish that we would set it in a wider context, not only of the politicians but also of the whole country and the whole Filipino culture,” he said. ■

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle urged the laity to do their part in promoting good government by letting themselves be governed by the personal values of fairness, empathy, stability and integrity.

PHOTO FROM CBCPNEWS.COM

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Philippine News

15 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

P-Noy ally to Binay: Resign from Cabinet

BY GIL C. CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer VICE PRESIDENT Jejomar Binay cannot “have his cake and eat it, too” by enjoying the benefits of being allied with the Aquino administration sitting in its Cabinet, while at the same time having the privilege of lambasting the ruling Liberal Party (LP).

“If he is a true ally of the Aquino administration, he should order his children and party mates to stop their attacks against Malacañang and President Aquino’s party mates. But if he is a true leader of the opposition, he should immediately resign from the Cabinet so that he could continue hitting the mistakes made by the Aquino administration and the Liberal Party,” Erice said.

“It is about time for Vice President Binay to show his true colors and stop (being a two-timer). Is he an ally of the administration or the head of the opposition?” Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice asked in a privilege speech.

Erice, an LP member, noted that Binay’s daughter, Makati City Rep. Abigail Binay, and his United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party were part of the LP-led majority bloc in the House of Representatives.

‘Two-faced’ attacks

Erice lashed out at the Vice President for his “two-faced” attacks against the LP which Binay, a former Makati City mayor, blamed for carrying out a demolition job to derail his bid for the presidency in 2016.

Erice challenged Binay to undergo a loyalty check by asking his family and allies to stop “maligning” the LP, which is being chaired by President Aquino, or quit his Cabinet post.

“The time has come for the Liberal Party to defend itself from the two-faced attacks of Vice President Binay and his UNA party mates. It is time to expose the Vice President for what he truly is—the epitome of the opportunistic ‘trapo’ (traditional politician) as best exemplified when he announced a ceasefire in the Zamboanga incident preempting and upstag-

In a privilege speech, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice challenged Vice President Jejomar Binay to undergo a loyalty check by asking his family and allies to stop “maligning” the Liberal Party, which is being chaired by President Aquino, or quit his Cabinet post.

PHOTO FROM PHILNEWS.PH

ing the President of the Philippines,” Erice said.

Erice was referring to attacks in Zamboanga City in September last year that was staged by a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) loyal to its founder, Nur Misuari.

Vice President Binay had tried to negotiate a truce between Misuari and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin at the height of the 18-day fighting, but the Vice President got flak for his failed attempt.

Sowing intrigues

In an interview with reporters shortly after Erice’s speech, Abigail Binay said that her father would not resign from the Cabinet just to please Erice.

She said that her father’s attacks against Malacañang were not directed against the President, who has been a longtime family friend.

Erice was irked by Binay’s allegation that LP officials were responsible for “sowing intrigue between him and the President” and charges made by his daughter-lawmaker and his UNA party mate, Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco, that the President’s party was responsible for the black propaganda against Binay.

White paper

Erice was referring to a “white paper” exposed by Binay’s daughter which details the alleged anomalous transactions implicating her in the pork barrel scam, specifically the use of her Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for political rallies and vermiculture projects in the Makati financial district.

According to Abigail Binay, the supposed “white paper” contends that from 2007 to 2009, her pork barrel was used to pay for political rallies and bused-in crowds, while in 2010 and 2011, there were supposed irregularities in vermiculture projects from her PDAF. Binay described these allegations as “impossible.”

She said she was not a member of Congress in May 2007 and there were no elections from May 2007 up to 2009 involving a Binay family member that would require a pro-Binay political rally.

The white paper alleged that from 2008 to 2009, the newly elected lawmaker allotted a total of P12.6 million in PDAF to Kasanib Foundation, a nongovernment organization (NGO) founded by her father.

In 2010, she allocated P15

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million to Gabay at Pag-asa ng Masa Foundation for livelihood projects of her constituents in the second district.

Abigail’s brother, Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Jun-Jun” Binay, supposedly received the fund on behalf of the city government through a city resolution.

In the same year, she also allegedly funneled P12 million to the National Livelihood Development Corp., a government corporation embroiled in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

The amount was for the “implementation of livelihood projects (vermiculture/composting training with backyard vegetables and herbs gardening),” the white paper said.

‘Not the LP’

Erice bristled at the accusation that the LP was behind the demolition job against the Binay clan.

“I wonder why they are always accusing the LP, whenever there are ‘negative reports’ about the Binays and UNA. We have no knowledge about the ‘white paper,’ we only knew of it when it came out in the papers and was addressed by the Binay family and UNA,” Erice said.

The lawmaker noted that

Abigail Binay had initially claimed the white paper was the handiwork of two brothers who held office at Bonifacio Global City.

Abigail Binay had said earlier that the brothers were “deeply entrenched in politics and mining.”

Erice noted that LP leaders themselves were victims of a demolition job as Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya were being linked to scandals “without any document or proof.”

Erice argued that it was “not denied” that Abigail Binay exceeded her PDAF allocations by P47 million in 2007, that P12.6 million of her 2008 and 2009 PDAF allocations were channeled to an NGO founded by the Vice President.

Erice said that at least P15 million of Abigail Binay’s PDAF in 2009 went to Gabay at PagAsa ng Masa Foundation, “one of the bogus organizations of Godofredo Roque whose operations are similar to the NGOs of Janet Lim-Napoles.”

‘Insulting the President’

Erice also chided Binay for shrewdly declaring that the President was not involved in the demolition job against his family.

“The suggestion is that the President is separate from, and not a part of, the Liberal Party.

They are insulting the President because both the government and the LP are being managed by the President,” Erice said.

Erice said that instead of accusing LP leaders of dragging the family in the pork barrel scam, the Binays should just explain these transactions documented in Commission on Audit reports.

Roxas is the president-onleave of the LP. ■

Opinion

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 16

THERE’S THE RUB

Glimmer of light

By Conrado De Quiros Philippine Daily Inquirer DANTE JIMENEZ, head of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), has an interesting idea. That is to help the authorities arrest Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla.

“We are now forming citizen arrest teams,” he says. “Just in case the Sandiganbayan issues warrants of arrest, the VACC will be posting teams where the three senators live. We want to give moral support to the police and send a message that we shouldn’t be afraid.”

They may however have to camp out there for quite a while, if not indeed end up waiting for Godot. The Sandiganbayan seems in no hurry to issue those arrest orders. “It doesn’t mean that the warrant will be issued within 10 days,” says Renato Bocar, Sandiganbayan executive clerk of court. “The documents and pieces of evidence are voluminous and the nature of the case is complicated. It might take more than 10 days before the justices are able to issue a warrant.”

Well, if that proves anything, it is only Parkinson’s Law, which states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

You give someone more than 10 days to finish a task, he will finish the task

in more than 10 days. You give him 10 days, he will finish the task in 10.

You give him one day, he will finish it in one. Indeed, it’s not inconceivable that you tell him “deadline yesterday,” and he will have finished the task yesterday (Monday).

What on earth is so complicated about the Napoles scam and the three senators’ complicity in it? The case has been talked about for a year now, it has gone through several Senate hearings, and it has gone through the Ombudsman’s scrutiny. What can the Sandiganbayan discover that’s so startling but has evaded the notice of those that went through it before? In these parts, time has never been on the side of justice, or common sense.

It has only been on the side of tender persuasion, of common transaction.

My sympathies are entirely with Jimenez’s group. They truly would be doing the world, or this country, an immense favor keeping vigil in the vicinity of the senators’ houses, waiting to pounce on them once the arrest order is issued. It would put pressure not just on the senators but on the Sandiganbayan and the law enforcers. About time the law was enforced.

How complicated is the Janet Napoles scam compared, for example, to the Enron scam in the United States?

That is about as complicated as arithmetic compared to nuclear physics.

Shortly after Enron’s founder Kenneth Lay and CEO Jeffrey Skilling were indicted for securities and accounting fraud, they were arrested. Skilling in February 2004 and Lay in July of that same year. There are pictures of them during their arrests, hands cuffed behind their backs, being led to a car by authorities dressed in, appropriately enough, business attire.

They went to trial in February 2006 and were convicted four

In these parts, time has never been on the side of justice, or common sense. It has only been on the side of tender persuasion, of common transaction. months later. Lay got 20-30 years of prison and Skilling 24 years, but which was reduced by 10 years. Lay himself never got to serve his sentence, dying from a heart attack shortly afterward. These were the heads of the seventh biggest company in the United States, dealing with hundreds of billions of dollars. Yet none of that meant anything at the end of the day. Justice was carried out, swiftly, firmly, inexorably.

I’m with the VACC in wanting to see the arrest of the senators as public as possible, as high profile as possible, as dramatic as possible. Quite apart from as soon as possible. It has two magnificent things to impart to the country.

Not the least of them is contributing to curb the culture of impunity. It won’t dispel it, but it will help hugely in that direction. The culture of impunity doesn’t just apply to murder, though that is the most heinous aspect of it.

It applies as well to all sorts of iniquity and perfidy, foremost of them corruption, foremost of them looting. It’s a culture that has made rape and pillage, murder and mayhem, riot from the widespread belief, reinforced by daily life, that the culprits, criminals, hell’s sundry spawn will get away with them.

Nothing cures that than the sight of the seemingly high and mighty, the seemingly untouchable, brought low by the hand of law, touched by the hand of justice. We missed an opportunity for that lesson to be taught, and learned, a decade and a half ago when Erap was delivered to a precinct and fingerprinted like a common criminal. The problem being that the person who delivered him there was an uncommon one. We have a second chance to do it right. We can’t afford to miss that chance again,

we can’t afford to bungle it again.

More than that, seeing the senators being handcuffed like the Enron officials should go a long way to pushing back the perception of law not as something impersonal, impartial, implacable, majestic, but as something malleable, tractable, negotiable, makukuha sa pakiusap.

You see Lay and Skilling handcuffed and dressed in prison uniform after they have been convicted of fraud, and that is the one thing that fills you, that is the one thing that awes you, the stern benignity of the law, the Olympian unyieldingness of justice.

The sight of it probably carried only a slight shock value for Americans, used as they are to the powerful and famous, in politics, in entertainment, in sports, being arrested, tried, and thrown in jail upon conviction. But it should shock us enough to impart a lesson to us. It should rock us violently out of our smugness, out of our cynicism, out of our willingness to “move on,” and give us to glimpse the true shape of law, the true form of justice.

To paraphrase Erap’s famous line, “walang kama-kamaganak, walang kai-kaibigan,” we’ll have “walang paki-pakiusap, walang palu-palusot.”

It’s a glimmer of light at the end of a long, long, tunnel. ■

Aquino Jr., Ramon Mitra Jr. plus independent constitutional convention delegates Teofisto Guingona Sr., Napoleon Rama and Jose Concepcion Jr. The now-frayed “conditional release” order, from the 5th Military Intelligence Group, before us reads: All were “arrested and detained for subversion… You are not allowed to leave the confines of the Greater Manila area unless specifically authorized… You are prohibited from talking in any local or foreign press interview.

Violation of these provisions would subject you to immediate arrest and confinement.”

People Power 1 was to scrub all that 14 dark years later. As President Aquino said, in his 2014 Independence Day speech in Naga City, Ninoy remains the classic example of the human rights victim.

Reparation will be drawn from the P10 billion that the government has allotted from recovered Marcos illgotten wealth for the victims. This is apart from the $2 billion (P88 billion) assigned by the US Hawaii District Court, in 1995, for 7,526 recognized members who lodged a class suit.

They got a second tranche payment.

We missed that first bus. With help

from the late Executive Secretary Jacobo Clave and human rights advocate Joker Arroyo, we managed to get an exit permit to serve in the United Nations in Rome and Bangkok. Now, we’ll skip the second bus.

In between, the US Federal Court (9th Circuit) slapped a $353,000 fine on Imelda and Ferdinand Jr. The court found they tried to secretly ship out paintings, from among court-contested holdings, for “a 25-percent, tax-free share.” Junior threatens to reenter Malacañang through the 2016 elections.

Is amnesia today’s response to Sen. Jose Diokno’s letter, written from prison in December 1972?

“I’ve been deprived of freedom, stripped of my dignity. A nonperson, I’m reduced to having to ask permission for such a simple pleasure, as to step outside my prison to feel the wind on my face and the warmth of the sun on my back.”

But “we can, even now, scrutinize our past; try to pinpoint what went wrong; determine what led to his madness,” he added. “And how, when it ends, we can make sure it need never happen again.”

Despite its long delayed start and modest reach, RA 10368 is an institutional cry: Nunca mas. “Never again.” ■

VIEWPOINT

Price tag

By Juan L. Mercado Philippine Daily Inquirer NO, thank you. We chucked a second chance under a new law that enables human rights victims to claim reparation.

We cheer those lodging long overdue claims under Republic Act No. 10368, we wrote in a letter to the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board, through its chair, retired general Lina C. Sarmiento. This is justice long denied.

For us, “it is enough that abuses inflicted by the Marcos dictatorship are documented for our grandchildren.”

President Aquino signed that bill into law on Feb. 25, 2013—the 27th anniversary of the People Power revolt that toppled the Marcos regime.

Staffing the commission on to drafting the operating rules took another year.

The new agency started processing claims May 12. There is, however, a “sunset clause.” The commission has a narrow window of only two years to complete this task.

RA 10368 is an institutional assertion against the drum-beat insistence of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a family chorus: “The ‘New Society’ was the most democratic phase

the country ever experienced.” That has been their line since they tiptoed back from Hawaiian exile with the dictator’s embalmed remains.

Nonsense, journalist Raissa Robles said in a paper delivered earlier at the Third World Studies Center in the University of the Philippines Diliman. “For each day (Marcos) was in power as dictator, there were 23 new victims. Or almost every hour of the 14 years he remained a dictator, nearly one citizen was killed or tortured.”

“How much for a blow on the head?” a claimant asked Inquirer columnist Ceres Doyo, who was also a victim. “To put monetary value on the suffering of the Marcos victims is adding insult to injury.”

Is there a price tag for the terror that petrified the spouses and children of those arrested under Proclamation No. 1081? What is the peso-and-centavo formula for the now-aging families of the 759 desaparecidos or the “disappeared” under the abandoned New Society?

Among them is Redemptorist Fr. Rudy Romano of Cebu, snatched by martial law agents. His remains were never found. Instead, his marker fronts the Mother of Perpetual Help Church, rarely seen because of flower shrubs. Historian Alfred McCoy cites

3,257 extrajudicial killings, 35,000 torture victims, and 70,000 incarcerated during the Marcos years.

“The name Philippines Free Press is not for sale,” publisher Teodoro Locsin Sr. told those casing the magazine’s printing plant, closed down by a dictator’s fiat. What does it profit a man if he peddles what is most human to gain brittle temporary power?

We were among the 22 Manilabased journalists detained in the first wave of arrests uncorked by Proclamation 1081. Some, like the late publisher Joaquin “Chino” Roces and

Is there a price tag for the terror that petrified the spouses and children of those arrested under Proclamation No. 1081? columnist Max Soliven were shoved into Fort Bonifacio. We were locked up in Camp Crame with then Daily Mirror, now Inquirer columnist Amando Doronila, Philippine News Service’s Manuel Almario, plus the late Luis Beltran of Evening News and Graphic’s Luis Mauricio.

That roundup included political leaders like the late senator Benigno

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Opinion

17 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

ANALYSIS

China’s ‘mobile territory,’ strategic weapon: Oil rig

By Amando Doronila Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PHILIPPINES last week fired off a new diplomatic protest against China after confirming Chinese land reclamation on McKennan (Hughes) Reef in the Spratly Islands, which is within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The protest followed disclosures by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in April that the new reclamation appeared to be similar to Chinese activities on Gavin (Gaven) Reefs and Calderon (Cuarteron) Reef, also in the Spratlys.

Del Rosario expressed concerned over China’s “aggressive expansion” in disputed waters in the South China Sea. In April, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) protested China’s land reclamation on Mabini Reef (Johnson South Reef ), expressing fear that the reclaimed land could be used for military purposes, particularly for building an airstrip.

DFA spokesperson Charles Jose said continuing land reclamation on Philippine-claimed reefs was proof of China’s “intent to project its territory in the South China Sea” despite being a signatory to the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Provocative “China’s provocative and unilateral actions have lent credence to the view that it is pursuing its aggressive agenda to advance its nine-dash-line position in the South China Sea,” Jose said, referring to China’s claim to 90 percent of the 3.5-millionsquare-kilometer South China Sea, including waters within the EEZs of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

The Philippines has challenged China’s “excessive” claim in the United Nations (UN) International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. It has asked the tribunal to clarify the claimants’ rights and obligations in the waters over which China claims “undisputable sovereignty.”

As the Philippines’ arbitration case awaits decision, however, Chinese land-grabbing in the Spratlys continues. China also has moved an oil rig to waters near the Paracel Islands and within Vietnam’s EEZ, triggering anti-China rioting in Vietnam.

The Philippines’ latest protest against China and its arbitration case in the UN tribunal focus on a pattern of actions indicating that China’s unilateral acts have been redrawing the territorial map of the South Chi-

na Sea on Beijing’s own terms.

The deployment of the oil rig to Vietnam-claimed territory in May marks an epochal leap forward in China’s land expansion, without resorting to full-scale military and human-wave invasion.

Mobile territory In an article in the Wall Street Journal on May 21, 2014, Andrew Browne

In the contest for control over the South China Sea and its resources, an article said, ‘China has always been careful to use legal constructs to justify its creeping advances, no matter how dubious they may appear to neighbors.’ wrote that when the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp. launched its first deep-water drilling rig, its chair called it “our mobile national territory and a strategic weapon.”

According to Browne, the novel legal concept put forward by Wang Yilin seemed far-fetched at the time.

“Was China, via the leader of a powerful enterprise that acts almost as a

branch of the Chinese government overseas, really claiming that an oil platform enjoyed sovereignty wherever it floats like an offshore island?”

Browne asked.

“The answer seems to be yes,” the article said. “The gigantic $1-billion rig was designed to roam across the South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety.

“And it is now parked, like a Chinese territorial outpost, protected by dozens of Chinese vessels and lowflying planes in the face of Vietnamese maritime resistance—and waves of attacks by rioters on Chineseowned factories on shore.”

In the contest for control over the South China Sea and its resources, the article said, “China has always been careful to use legal constructs to justify its creeping advances, no matter how dubious they may appear to neighbors.”

In response, the article said: “The US has been shifting its own focus to the legal domain. It is insistent that when it comes to maritime rights and access to resources, the law that truly matters is international law— and, above all, the Law of the Sea, a 1982 treaty under the auspices of the United Nations. In addition to the US Seventh Fleet and military de-

terrence, America’s most prominent counter to China’s assertiveness is a legal one. There’s one problem, though: The US Senate has not ratified the treaty, making America one of the few holdouts. 166 other countries, including China, have acceded to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which sets the global rules for the use of seas and oceans.”

Obama administration officials, according to the article, argue that the lack of ratification means little because the United States upholds the treaty provisions.

pels in the areas devastated by the typhoon, acknowledged as the strongest and most destructive weather disturbance ever in history.

“So far,” says Father Anton, “we were able to reach P23 million in net proceeds,” enough, he notes, to build 20-23 chapels in Samar and Leyte. In each area where a chapel is built, adds Father Anton, the structure will serve a “three-in-one” purpose, as a place for worship, for skills training and as an evacuation center strong enough to withstand a Category 5 typhoon.

“The chapel is God’s presence for the victims and a rallying point of the barrio community,” the priest adds.

Held last June 11 at the Manila Cathedral, “Rise!—Rebuilding from the Ruins” was a benefit concert featuring the ecclesiastical and religious works of “Mr. C” or Ryan Cayabyab, who was honored with an “Ecclesia et Pontifice” award from the local Church for his work in promoting the faith through music.

There is in fact a “clamor” for the staging of “Rise! Part 2” from the public and the artists who took part in the concert, Father Anton says. *** In that same column on “Rise!” I made mention of the standing ovation that greeted the performance of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio

“Chito” Cardinal Tagle, who sang the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi from Mr. C’s “Mass for Peace.”

It wasn’t just respect or loyalty that brought the audience to its feet.

Apparently, Father Anton says, describing the cardinal as the night’s “star performer” as well as the inspiration behind the whole project as chair of the Board of Caritas Manila, Cardinal Chito has long been an ardent music lover and singer.

“In San Jose Seminary during the 1980s,” Father Anton writes, “the Cardinal (who was then a seminarian) was the musical director of his class and of the whole Seminary community.”

In addition, Father Anton says the Cardinal “sings, reads musical notes, composes and conducts the choir.”

Well, it’s good to know the local church is led not just by a man wellversed in liturgy and spirituality, but also by a man of many parts—love of music and song being just one of his many valuable traits.

Cardinal Chito is also, apparently, a man of humility, who saw beyond his own stature and title and decided to join the other artists and contribute his share to raising funds for the Yolanda survivors, as well as to pay tribute to “Mr. C’s” many artistic achievements. Music is prayer, indeed! ■

Not the same But the article argues that this is not the same as being an active member of the group, helping shape its legislative agenda and subjecting itself to its mechanisms for resolving disputes.

The article points out that “Washington is in an awkward position of supporting the Philippines in a landmark arbitration action it has brought against China under the treaty, one that challenges the entire legal basis of China’s claims to the South China Sea—its nine-dash line that circles the area—while declining itself to be formally bound by the Law of the Sea. China has ignored the action.” ■

AT LARGE

The Internet is forever

By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer “ANGEL” is the name chosen by a transgender “talent” who earns by entertaining clients online with sexually suggestive “performances.”

There is nothing new about Angel’s revelations or performance. Indeed, news of cybersex transactions involving young Filipinos, male and female, with a global clientele has been circulating since the early 1990s.

What is new, though, is that the nudity (partial or full body) has been supplemented by more unsavory practices, such as defecating and urinating or worse, asking the performer to eat or drink the poo or urine. (And I’m sorry if I’ve just spoiled your breakfast!)

That clients have moved from cheap sexual thrills to more scatological fascination is an indication of the increasing boldness of clients and “talents” in this worldwide trade. Once again, we are confronted with the awful truth about the human condition: that no matter the extent of our technological advances, we still tend to use these for the basest, most reprehensible purposes.

One shocking finding, conveyed by a friend in the women’s movement, was that in many of the cybertransactions, the girls’ (still the majority of the victims) mothers were actively involved

as pimps and coaches. “Some mothers would even urge their daughters to show more flesh,” my friend said.

Apparently giving a measure of comfort to the mothers and daughters was that the young women were not being “touched,” that is, they did not have to engage in sex with their clients, and thus remained, technically, virgins. This, even as they were earning in dollars.

But I wonder what comfort the cash could bring them if they were forced to eat feces or lick urine while the fetishist enjoyed himself (most clients are male) to the hilt. *** What many forget, too, is that, as a movie character declared: “The Internet is forever.”

As many a celebrity has found, once a tweet, a blog, a video or picture is shared online, it remains there forever, or for as long as the Internet exists. No matter how zealously one erases one’s posts, or goes through sites that may contain them, a trace of it will always remain, “downloadable” anytime, anywhere, by anyone.

Imagine moving on from one’s cybersideline, marrying and bearing children and adopting the new identity of a solid citizen only to find your child discovering your past proclivities the first time he goes online.

How do you explain your mouthful

of poo to the child?

And the thing is, as Angel discloses, the performer who is asked to do all sorts of degrading practices doesn’t even get a fair share of the money earned by the website. And to keep performers like Angel hooked on the trade, their share of the money rises the longer they stay in the racket, and the more willing they are to cross the line of taste and decency.

Angel may eventually fulfill her ambition of earning a college diploma,

That clients have moved from cheap sexual thrills to more scatological fascination is an indication of the increasing boldness of clients and “talents” in this worldwide trade. but she may find her cyberadventures haunting her long after she needed to raise the money to finance her dream. *** Heard from Fr. Anton Pascual, executive director of Caritas Manila, the social action arm of the Archdiocese of Manila, reacting to Friday’s column on “Rise!” a benefit concert for the victims of Super Typhoon “Yolanda.”

“Rise” sought to raise funds for the construction of churches and cha-

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FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

18

Canada News

BY DEAN BEEBY The Canadian Press OTTAWA—Canadians have handed the Harper government a Top 10 list of the country’s greatest heroes, featuring some of the Conservative party’s greatest adversaries, past and present.

The list, compiled from online consultations in the run-up to Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, includes Pierre Trudeau, Jack Layton, David Suzuki and Lester B. Pearson.

About 12,000 Canadians participated in the online exercise, which began Dec. 11 and closed last month.

A five-part digital form included the question: Which Canadians have inspired you the most over the last 150 years?

The Canadian Heritage Department extracted a Top 10 list for an April 29 briefing note for the minister, Shelly Glover.

Only one clearly identifiable Conservative appears: Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, in eighth place.

The list was topped by former Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau, followed by marathon-of-hope runner Terry Fox; NDP leader Tommy Douglas; former Liberal prime min-

ister Lester B. Pearson; astronaut Chris Hadfield; environmental activist David Suzuki; NDP leader Jack Layton; Sir. John A.; hockey legend Wayne Gretzky; and Romeo Dallaire, the soldier and Liberal senator who recently announced his resignation.

The consultation also asked which of Canada’s accomplishments of the last 150 years “make you most proud to be a Canadian?”

Medicare topped that list, followed by peacekeeping, then the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms at No. 3.

The Conservative government, which has recently been buffeted by a series of Charter-based losses at the Supreme Court of Canada, did not

mark the 25th anniversary of the Charter in 2007, nor the 30th in 2012.

The rest of the accomplishments list, in order: contribution to the Second World War; the Canadarm; multiculturalism; contribution to the First World War; bilingualism; space exploration; and the Constitution Act of 1982.

The briefing note and related documents were obtained

by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. Glover said the exercise was simply to consult Canadians about how to celebrate 2017, adding “we have no intention of making a kind of final list.”

“Every community is going to have their own personal list. ... We will not be telling people whom they ought to be celebrating.”

“The consultations were not partisan in any way shape or form,” she said in an interview from her Winnipeg riding, noting for example that many Canadians do not regard Tommy Douglas as a New Democrat politician but simply as the father of medicare.

NEWS BRIEFS

FROM THE CANADIAN PRESS PHOTO FROM REDCROSS.CA

Harper gov’t Top 10 list for Cda’s 150th birthday cites Liberal, NDP icons

ALBERTA’S FLOOD OF FLOODS ONE YEAR LATER CALGARY—It has been one year since rain pounded the foothills of the southern Alberta Rockies—heavy, relentless rain more typical of a tropical storm than a late-spring shower.

In Canmore, more than 200 millimetres fell in 2 1/2 days, 10 times the amount of a typical rainfall that time of year. A torrent of floodwater from the headwaters of the Bow and Elbow rivers swept through streets and homes in such communities as Exshaw, Bragg Creek, High River and eventually through the heart of downtown Calgary and on to Medicine Hat. In the aftermath, there was hopelessness and despair. In the weeks that followed, there was resilience and determination. There’s still anger and there’s still fear, but much has been rebuilt.

QUEBEC JAIL WARNED ABOUT POSSIBLE ESCAPE ATTEMPT

❱❱ PAGE 23 Harper gov't

Brother of deceased radio station intern hopes new bill will prevent abuse

MONTREAL—Officials at a Quebec jail where three prisoners made a daring escape by helicopter were warned about a possible breakout attempt. Newly released court documents suggest that Quebec provincial police gave jail officials intelligence on a possible jail break conspiracy involving the three men.

The Canadian Press

NO TALKS ON DAY ONE OF B.C. TEACHERS' STRIKE

OTTAWA—The Harper government is taking a look at an NDP bill aimed at ending the exploitation of unpaid interns in Canada, but wouldn’t say Monday whether it plans to support the move or bring in legislation of

its own.

“We are currently reviewing the bill’s proposals and we won’t be able to comment until that review is complete,” a spokesman for Labour Minister Kellie Leitch said after the bill was introduced in the House of Commons.

If passed, the bill would cap the

number of hours an intern can work for federally regulated employers and grant interns the right to refuse dangerous work. It would also set conditions for the use of interns and provide protection from sexual harassment. ❱❱ PAGE 23 Brother of

VANCOUVER—Day one of a full-scale strike

by British Columbia's teachers has begun with much of the same finger pointing seen over several weeks of the bitter dispute. Union head Jim Iker stood with picketing teachers Tuesday morning and repeated complaints that all union proposals have been rejected by the government's bargaining agent.

Canada News

19 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

May home sales up from April and year ago, Canadian Real Estate Association says The Canadian Press OTTAWA—Canadian home sales picked up on May as buyers came back into the market helped by low mortgage rates, but economists cautioned against the momentum continuing.

The Canadian Real Estate Association said Monday that home sales through its Multiple Listing Service system were 5.9 per cent higher compared with April, the largest month-overmonth increase in nearly four years.

TD Bank economist Leslie Preston noted the combination of the bounce back from the frigid winter that froze the market and a recent decline in mortgage rates was “clearly a potent combination for May home sales.”

“Clearly pent-up demand for housing was building over

the winter months, and home sales could keep some of their current momentum for a few months yet as lenders continue to advertise very attractive mortgage rates,” Preston wrote in a note.

“However, employment growth is quite modest and house prices continue to outstrip gains in incomes, and TD expects that sales momentum will ebb later this year.”

The gain in sales on a monthover-month basis came as the number of newly listed homes increased 3.8 per cent from April to May. “In markets where supply had become tight, we expected sales to improve in tandem with listings,” CREA chief economist Gregory Klump said in statement.

“Had it not been for such a brutal winter that delayed the launch of the spring market, the improvement in new list-

ings and sales would likely have been more spread out over the past few months.”

Sales compared with a year ago were up 4.8 per cent, however, those gains were concentrated in Western Canada, while Quebec and Atlantic Canada were lower compared with May 2013.

The gains came as the national average price for a home sold in May was $416,584, up 7.1 per cent from the same month last year, pushed higher by gains in Toronto and Vancouver.

Excluding the Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto markets, the average price was $336,373, up 5.3 per cent from a year ago.

The Aggregate Composite MLS Home Price Index was up 4.98 per cent compared with a year ago.

BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic said the east-west split echoes economic and pop-

www.canadianinquirer.net

ulation growth.

“Canada’s housing market continues to look balanced and sturdy overall but big disparities persist below the surface.

“One reason policy makers might be a bit hesitant to act again soon is that strong price gains are confined to a few select markets, or even sub-markets, while a wide swath of the country (at least geographically) is seeing downright dreary conditions.”

Despite the strong monthover-month results, CREA trimmed its outlook for the year compared with a forecast in March.

The association is predicting sales would total 463,400 homes for the year, up 1.2 per

cent compared with 2013. The updated outlook compared with the March forecast for 463,700.

“The deferral of sales and listings reflects a delayed start to the spring home buying season, with combined sales for the period from March to May coming in largely as anticipated and at average levels,” the association said in its forecast.

“These deferrals are now likely to have been largely depleted, which suggests that the strength of sales momentum heading into the summer may be transient.” ■

World News

JUNE 20, 2014

FRIDAY 20

State media say China executes 13 people for terrorism, violent crimes in restive northwest The Associated Press BEIJING—China executed 13 people on Monday over terrorism and violent crimes in the far western region of Xinjiang, including three men accused in an attack that left at least 34 people dead, state media said.

The executions took place on the same day that a Xinjiang court sentenced three other people to death for planning a deadly car ramming at Beijing’s Tiananmen Gate last year that killed five people. The government has been waging a harsh crackdown after a series of deadly attacks blamed on Muslim separatists in the Xinjiang region.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the 13 executed people were convicted of crimes such as organizing, leading and participating in terrorism groups, arson, murder, burglary, and illegal manufacturing, storage and transporting of explosives.

The government says it faces grave terrorist threats from people seeking independence for Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur ethnic minority, and has vowed severe punishments.

Among those executed, three men organized an assault that killed 24 people last June in the town of Lukqun, Xinhua said. It said the attack targeted the local police sta-

tion, a SWAT team, a government office building and the living quarters for officials and their families, a housing construction site, a business administration office, as well as a hair salon and a hotel. Xinhua earlier reported that police had killed at least 10 of the attackers and that the three men were sentenced to death last September in a one-day trial.

Xinhua said a fourth person who was executed had detonated an explosive device at an illegal preaching site in June 2012, killing a child.

It did not provide any details of the remaining nine people.

Simmering ethnic tensions in Xinjiang have escalated in the past year, as assailants have begun to strike outside the region and at civilians, a departure from their previous targets of government offices, police stations or other symbols of rule by the ethnic Han Chinese majority.

Beijing says unrest among Uighurs is caused by extremist groups with ties to Islamic terror groups abroad, but has provided little direct evidence.

Uighur activists say public resentment against Beijing is fueled by an influx of Han settlers in the region, economic disenfranchisement and onerous restrictions on Uighur religious and cultural practices.

Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the German-based group World

Uyghur Congress, said Beijing has unjustly labeled disgruntled Uighurs as terrorists.

“China’s policy has caused extreme acts, and it is the only fight Uighur people in desperation are willing to wage with their lives,” Dilxat Raxit said.

A court in the Xinjiang regional capital of Urumqi sen-

tenced three other people to death Monday for planning the deadly car ramming, the first attack to strike Beijing in recent years.

The three were accused of providing funds to carry out the Oct. 28 attack, in which a car plowed through tourists and ended up in a fiery crash in the

heart of Beijing. It killed a Chinese visitor and a tourist from the Philippines, along with the vehicle’s driver, his wife and mother-in-law, according to Chinese authorities.

Five other people were given prison sentences, with four receiving terms of five to 20 years and one getting a life sentence, Xinhua said.

They had travelled to Beijing on Oct. 7, 2013, to deliver money to buy a jeep, gasoline, knives and other materials related to the attack, Xinhua said.

The eight were arrested within days of the incident.

Dilxat Raxit said the speedy trials were politically motivated and deprived the defendants of their legal rights.

The Tiananmen Gate attack was followed by similar incidents, including one on May 22 in which men driving off-road vehicles and throwing explosives plowed through a crowded market in Urumqi, killing 39 people. Police said four suspects were killed at the scene and a fifth was caught that evening in an area about 250 kilometres (150 miles) south of Urumqi.

Death sentences in China are automatically forwarded to the Supreme People’s Court for appeal but are rarely overturned.

While official figures are not released, China is believed to execute more prisoners than the rest of the world combined. ■

Papua New Guinea prime minister served with arrest warrant in fraud investigation

BY ROD MCGUIRK The Associated Press CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA— Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill avoided arrest over a multimillion dollar fraud case when a court on Monday halted an arrest warrant issued by the South Pacific country’s anti-corruption watchdog.

The warrant relates to allegations that O’Neill personally authorized the illegal payment

of about $30 million in government money to law firm Paul Paraka Lawyers, Investigation Task Force Sweep chairman Sam Koim said.

O’Neill previously has denied the allegations, arguing that a letter produced by the PNG opposition as evidence that he had authorized the payment was forged.

O’Neill’s office said in a statement late Monday that national Court of PNG had made an order preventing his arrest under the warrant.

“This continuing saga needs to be brought to an end, and in the correct way through the correct process of our legal system,” the statement said.

It is not immediately clear how the allegations will be resolved in light of the court order.

A senior officer at Port Moresby Police Headquarters said a letter signed by Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga requesting a formal record of interview was delivered to O’Neill on Monday. www.canadianinquirer.net

The officer, who declined to be named because of the political sensitivity of the case, said O’Neill was offered two potential appointment times on Monday, but failed to show up to either.

O’Neill was then asked to suggest a suitable time for the police interview, but had yet to reply, the officer said.

“If he doesn’t come in, we’ll be forced to bring him in,” the officer said before the court ruling.

O’Neill told Australia’s SBS

News that the warrant against him was politically motivated.

“There is a lot of political movement in the country,” he said.

The Investigation Task Force Sweep, which O’Neill created in 2011 as part of his anti-corruption drive, charged Paul Paraka Lawyers in October last year with offences including conspiracy to defraud, stealing by false pretense and money laundering.

The firm allegedly submitted fraudulent bills for legal work performed for the government. ■

World News

21 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

US sending more troops to Iraq and considering special forces to help counter insurgency

BY JULIE PACE AND LARA JAKES The Associated Press WASHINGTON—The U.S. is urgently deploying several hundred armed troops in and around Iraq and considering sending an additional contingent of special forces soldiers as Baghdad struggles to repel a rampant insurgency, even as the White House insists anew that America will not be dragged into another war.

President Barack Obama notified Congress Monday that up to 275 troops could be sent to Iraq to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the American Embassy in Baghdad. About 170 of those forces have already arrived and another 100 soldiers be on standby in a nearby country until they are needed, a U.S. official said.

While Obama has vowed to keep U.S. forces out of combat in Iraq, he said in his notification to Congress that the personnel moving into the region are equipped for direct fighting.

And separately, three U.S. officials said the White House was considering sending a contingent of special forces soldiers to Iraq. Their limited mission—which has not yet been approved—would focus on training and advising beleaguered Iraqi troops, many of whom have fled their posts across the nation’s north and

west as the al-Qaida-inspired insurgency has advanced in the worst threat to the country since American troops left in 2011.

The moves come at the White House wrestles with an array of options for helping Iraq repel a Sunni Muslim insurgency that has captured large swaths of territory collaring Baghdad, the capital of the Shiite-led government. In a rare move, U.S. officials reached out to Iran Monday to discuss ways the long-time foes might help stop the militants known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The conversations took place on the sidelines of separate nuclear negotiations taking place in Vienna, Austria. U.S. officials quickly tamped down speculation that the discussion might include military co-ordination or consultation, though Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview with Yahoo! News that the U.S. would “not rule out anything that would be constructive.”

Kerry stressed that any contacts with Iran would move “step-by-step.”

Taken together, the developments suggest a willingness

by Obama to send Americans into a collapsing security situation in order to quell the brutal fighting in Iraq before it morphs into outright war.

The White House said the forces authorized for support and security will assist with the

U.S. President Barack Obama notified Congress Monday that up to 275 troops could be sent to Iraq to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the American Embassy in Baghdad.

PHOTO BY SADIK GULEC / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

temporary relocation of some staff from the Baghdad embassy. The forces are entering Iraq with the consent of that country’s government, the White House said.

Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said the troops on standby could “provide airfield management, security, and logistics support, if required.” They could work with embassy security teams or operate as a stand-alone force as directed.

Officials would not say where the soldiers would be on stand-

by, but It is likely they would be in Kuwait, which was a major basing ground for U.S. troops during the Iraq war.

If the U.S. were to deploy an additional team of special forces, the mission would almost certainly be small. One U.S. official said it could be up to 100 special forces soldiers. It also could be authorized only as an advising and training mission— meaning the soldiers would work closely with Iraqi forces that are fighting the insurgency but would not officially be considered as combat troops.

The White House would not confirm that special operations forces were under consideration. But spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said that while Obama would not send troops back into combat, “he has asked his national security team to prepare a range of other options that could help support Iraqi security forces.”

It’s not clear how quickly the special forces could arrive in Iraq. It’s also unknown whether they would remain in Baghdad

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www.canadianinquirer.net

❱❱ PAGE 36 US sending

Immigration

JUNE 20, 2014

FRIDAY 22

Saskatoon couple continues to try and get adopted son residency in Canada The Canadian Press SASKATOON—Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says a Saskatoon couple could speed up the process of granting their adopted son in Pakistan permanent residency in Canada if they withdrew their appeal before the courts.

But the couple's lawyer says that Ritz, who is also member of Parliament for BattlefordsLloydminster, appears not to be familiar with the legal procedure.

Haidah Amirzadeh says if the appeal is withdrawn it would basically kill the application.

Waheeda and Ashfaq Afridi have spent three years trying to get the little boy named Ajjab to Canada.

He is the son of Waheeda's sister, who is a widow struggling to raise her six other children.

Saskatchewan officials have said they support the child coming to the province and are encouraging Ottawa to allow it.

Amirzadeh said the Afridi family submitted the applica-

tion to Ottawa before the federal government decided in 2013 to stop accepting adoptions from Pakistan.

Speaking to talk show "John Gormley Live'' earlier this week, Ritz said the federal government has received the signed letter of no objection from the province but it is only "the start of the process.''

When asked by Gormley whether Immigration Minister Chris Alexander could expedite the process if the appeal was discontinued and a new application was submit-

ted, Ritz answered "yes.''

"If your friend, the lawyer, wants to withdraw the appeal, things can change a little more dynamically than they have now,'' Ritz said.

Kevin Menard, communications specialist with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, said it would be inappropriate to comment on a matter currently before the courts.

"We will reach out to the province to seek written clarification on what their official stance is on Pakistan adoptions,'' Menard

said. "If a new application were submitted, the letter of no objection would have to overcome all legal concerns raised by the provinces when they decided to cease adoptions from Pakistan in July 2013.''

Waheeda Afridi, who has been a Canadian citizen for nearly a decade, has been living abroad to care for the boy since his birth in 2010.

Amirzadeh said Waheeda is in ill health and needs to return home to Saskatoon as soon as possible. ■

Canadians support fines for foreign worker program abuses, poll suggests

BY JULIAN BELTRAME The Canadian Press OTTAWA—A poll commissioned by the federal government suggests Canadians would support the controversial temporary foreign workers program if it didn’t take away jobs from Canadians— and firms were made to pay for abusing the system.

The telephone poll by Harris-Decima and obtained by The Canadian Press comes as Employment Minister Jason Kenney prepares to roll out a comprehensive reform of the program that has come under fire over the last year. The announcement is expected in days.

The poll suggests there’s support for reforming the system if the government can convince the public that only those jobs “Canadians don’t apply for” will be made available to foreign workers.

The sampling of 1,984 Canadians at the end of May was designed to take the public’s temperature on the controversial program, but also to ascertain in advance how Canadians would react if certain measures were adopted.

The survey is considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For instance, the survey asks

Canadians if they would support the program if it sought to meet shortages in certain regions, certain specific industries, or whether they favour excluding low-income jobs from the eligibility altogether.

Three in 10 respondents said there was no need for foreign workers in low-wage jobs.

One surprising question is whether Canadians would support allowing temporary foreign workers in the country to stay permanently, and even apply for citizenship. The poll found 46 per cent would approve and 31 per cent disapprove.

But while that has been recommended by some opposition MPs and even union leaders, Dan Kelly of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said his understanding is the government does not want to open the door for low-skilled workers.

One of the strongest responses was on fines, with 81 per cent saying abusers should be levied stiffer monetary penalties.

Kenney has already made it known he intends to increase fines. In response to a question in the House of Commons last week, the minister said he would introduce broad reforms “designed to prevent abuses, severely punish non-compliant employers and prevent distortions in certain regions or industries in the labour market.”

“We will ensure that Canadians always come first,” he added, “and if that means that employers have to pay a little more and be more active in recruiting and training Canadians, that is a good thing.”

Speculation on what the government intends to do has centred on the setting of a wage floor to discourage hiring low-skilled or entry-level workers, hike the fee on bringing in workers and even institute thresholds to keep foreign workers out of regions of high unemployment.

The program has become a political headache for the Harper government since news reports surfaced of Canadian workers being displaced, and that more and more firms were importing workers to fill lowskilled jobs even in areas of high unemployment.

Critics have also complained that the number of foreign workers has ballooned even as the unemployment rate remained stubbornly high. The latest government figures show there are about 386,000 foreign workers in the country, up from 100,000 in 2002.

The government has insisted there are job shortages in Canada, although the data shows the problem, to the extent it exists, is confined to a few resourcerich regions. Statistics Canada says the number of job vacancies as of March had fallen by www.canadianinquirer.net

17,000 to 206,000.

Still industry groups continue to complain they can’t get workers for certain jobs.

This week, the Canadian Meat Council said plants are operating at 77 per cent capacity because not enough Canadians are willing to work in packing plants and the government has made approvals for foreign workers more difficult.

Kelly said he fears some small firms won’t be able to find workers if the program is curtailed.

“All the signals I’m getting is the government is going to gut the program and there doesn’t appear to be any talking them out of that, and I find it deeply disheartening,” he said.

“I suspect at the more senior levels of the job market, for highly skilled professions, they largely will be OK. But employers that use the lower-skilled program will have their access all but dried up” except in regions of “very low unemployment, like parts of Alberta or

Saskatchewan.”

The poll questions suggest the government is looking for a way to keep the program, but in a way that will be politically palatable.

How serious the issue has become for the government is shown by the fact Canadians think the program is much bigger than it is. Asked to gauge the share of foreign workers in the labour force, respondents gave a “mean percentage” of 12 per cent, instead of the actual two per cent.

And a big majority—62 per cent—said firms “occasionally, frequently (or) all the time” abuse the program, with only 23 per cent saying they never or rarely abuse it.

Yet more than 57 per cent said they supported allowing firms to hire foreign workers for jobs “that qualified Canadians don’t apply for.” Even among those who opposed it, 58 per cent said the program should be reformed rather than abolished. ■

Immigration

23 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

Harper gov’t...

The government has yet to announce its budget and “overall theme and focus” for the 2017 celebrations. Glover would not provide a timeline.

But she said all events will be planned in partnership with provinces, communities and the private sector, include sharing costs.

A spokeswoman for Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Kate Purchase, declined comment on the high position of his father on the Top 10 list of heroes.

The briefing note warns the results of the online consultations cannot be viewed as representative of the entire population, because participants selfselected.

In the end, the exercise identified more than 1,100 “inspirational” Canadians and more than 600 accomplishments.

In February, Canadian Heritage took a sample of 1,540 responses from the first 5,000 questionnaires filed, adjusting ❰❰ 18

them to be regionally balanced based on population, and then produced the Top 10 lists.

The early sample was taken “so the results would not be skewed by publicity surrounding the Sochi Olympic Winter Games.”

Cabinet ministers have also held at least 20 roundtables since December, asking participants the same questions about heroes and accomplishments.

Those Top 10 lists looked very similar to those of the online survey—though there, Sir John A. did not make the grade.

A House of Commons committee in September 2012 pressed the government to start planning for the 150th birthday celebrations “as soon as possible,” noting the planning for Canada’s 1967 Centennial bash took eight years, launched by Progressive Conservative prime minister John Diefenbaker.

The 1967 celebrations cost about $750 million in today’s dollars. ■

Brother of...

“Our government is committed to keeping Canadian workplaces safe, fair and productive,” Leitch’s press secretary Andrew McGrath said in an email.

Matt Ferguson, whose 22-year-old brother Andy died in a head-on collision in 2011 after working excessive hours as an unpaid intern at an Edmonton radio station, called the bill a move in the right direction.

“I think this is a huge step forward and hopefully something positive can come out of this,” Ferguson told a news conference.

Ferguson said his brother died not because he was unpaid, but because he was forced to work for too long—a morning shift and then all night, with just five hours off over a 24-hour span.

The NDP bill is limited to federally regulated workplaces and would not affect interns working in businesses or government institutions regulated by the provinces.

But it’s better than having no protections at all, which is what currently exists, said NDP MP Andrew Cash, who co-sponsored the bill with fellow MP Laurin Liu. “There’s many employers that take this very seriously; there’s very good programs set up through universities and colleges,” said Cash.

“But it is a bit of a Wild West out there in that ... if you are working at an internship program, you’re at the whims of an employer who is not paying you. And sometimes that has turned, in some cases, tragic.”

The use of unpaid interns has been hotly debated both in Canada and the ❰❰ 18

United States, where some young people work for free—often for months at a time—in hopes of earning workplace experience or a full-time job.

Saskatchewan and Ontario recently cracked down on unpaid internships, and Alberta is under pressure to do the same.

Ontario, for example, considers interns to be employees that must be paid unless an employer meets strict conditions, or if the intern is a college or university student.

In British Columbia, unpaid internships are illegal unless the internship provides “hands-on” training as part of a formal educational program, or for certain professions such as law or engineering.

Several American states have also enacted tougher measures against unpaid internships. And Britain recently banned the practice outright.

Employers in the U.S. are also being taken to task under current laws designed to limit abuse of interns. Just last week, a class action lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles by a former intern for the Los Angeles Clippers, alleging that the NBA franchise violated U.S. labour laws by not paying its interns.

It is rare for a private member’s bill to become law.

But whether this bill gets through the House of Commons or not, the important thing is that people are talking about the issue, said Ferguson.

“The more people talk about it, that’s the only way that change will happen,” he said. “And maybe the government will feel more pressure to actually do something.” ■

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www.canadianinquirer.net

JUNE 20, 2014

FRIDAY 24

FILIPINO-CANADIANS IN FOCUS:

Aprodicio and Eleanor Laquian

BY MELISSA REMULLABRIONES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

29

THAT is how many times the Laquians have moved their household. Nairobi, Kenya, Santiago, Chile, Suva, Fiji in the South Pacific, Beijing, China and many cities in between—they have been there and have called it home. They made lovely memories in all of them, but had little or no roots.

The restless (by choice and by circumstance) can grow weary of impermanence too.

Until Canada.

Why Canada? Why did they stay? What did they find?

“Canada is a just and compassionate country where one can advance through one’s own merits and not on the patronage of politicians,” say FilipinoCanadians Aprodicio (Prod) and Eleanor Laquian.

Globetrotters Prod and Eleanor became Canadian citizens in 1983, and it is where they now lead very quiet lives—talking and arguing about what is happening all over the world, in Canada and the Philippines, reminiscing about where they have been, what they have done, the lives they have touched, the decisions they have made.

A typical day for them consists of listening to CBC Radio at 7 am, eating breakfast and reading the New York Times (plus a dozen newspapers). The afternoon would see them taking a stroll in the Pacific Spirit Regional Park, or listening to music (light classics, guitar music, popular songs of the 1950s, folk songs, Broadway hits, kundimans, harana songs). In the evening, they go out for dinner and then watch Jeopardy or some old movies and then talk to their children and grandchildren by phone or by Skype.

Prod and Eleanor Laquian.

A charmed life.

But it was not always so. Before Canada, before growing roots, they had to (literally) walk through the fire.

They both emerged scathed but strong.

The early years

Poverty could be romantic or skewed when viewed through the lens of time. But Prod remembers it like it was yesterday; it was as if he was not allowing himself to forget.

“I was born in a small barrio in Pampanga and we were dirt poor. My father was a tailor, my mother a seamstress and they had eight children,” says Prod.

On the other side of the social strata was Eleanor. Her father was a lawyer and her mother, a nurse, and this allowed her to enjoy middle class life.

However, the lives of the barrio boy and the city girl were destined to be changed forever

by World War II. Photos or films can never capture the real horrors of war. The stench of fear, grief, gunpowder, betrayal, hunger, death, destruction—the reality of it and the desperation and desolation it brings—can never be fully captured on a film roll.

Prod and Eleanor lived it.

Photo of the Laquian family taken at the Spanish Banks in Vancouver.

“We nearly starved in Pampanga and Eleanor’s family evacuated to Laguna where they owned land,” Prod says.

It was a terrible time to be alive, but those who lived to see the war’s end saw hope’s promise come true. They viewed life scarred but also with renewed vigor.

Prod recounts, “Our family moved to Manila after the War—we lived in squatter areas.” He and his family lived in a makeshift house called barongbarong, with the toilet a few feet away serving 20 or so families; noise and hunger were a constant, but so were the games and laughter of children who did not know they were poor.

Eleanor’s family had to contend with a tragedy after the War. In 1950, she lost her father. Her mother became the sole breadwinner, and she had to raise five kids. Eleanor and two of her siblings had to work so they can help their mother; they were barely in high school.

The Wall

Araullo High School—and its paper, The Wall—was where Prod and Eleanor’s lives somewhat intersected. Prod was The Wall’s literary editor in 1954, and Eleanor, 2 years his junior,

became its editor-in-chief in 1956.

They were both on its roster, which set the stage for a deeper connection, but romance would come much later.

Prod graduated and went to the University of the Philippines to take up Public Administration; Eleanor took up Journalism at Maryknoll College. He then got a Fulbright Scholarship and studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston in 1960; she had an offer to be an international recruit with the United Nations in Bangkok also in 1960 (merely two weeks after graduation).

“In 1961 while I was studying in Boston, I got a letter from our favourite teacher (the faculty adviser of The Wall) asking me if I knew that Eleanor was seriously thinking of marrying an American. She asked me to write to her and I did and we wrote to each other frequently.

In 1962, I was invited to attend a conference in Bangkok,” Prod says.

He met Eleanor that Friday, proposed to her on Saturday and they were in church on Sunday, demanding to be married. “[We were] trying to convince her parish priest to marry

us then but he made us wait for two weeks because he had to announce the banns,” Prod says with a twinkle in his eye.

They have now been married for 52 years.

“I always remind Prod to smile more often; he looks too serious. He always tells me to be patient and control my temper,” Eleanor says with an answering twinkle in the eye.

Indeed, Prod and Eleanor say they are opposites in many ways. Although they both love writing and traveling, Prod says Eleanor is very neat, well organized and an ardent activist; while he is messy, disorganized and more academic and intellectual.

“I write very fast, she is the toughest editor I have met (she can boil down ten pages of my writing into one page). She likes to use strong and colorful language. We also differ in our approaches to life. Eleanor is a fighter; she is confrontational, demanding and passionate. I am cool, patient, deliberate and accommodating. We agreed, therefore, not to fight but to complement each other’s strengths instead of dwelling on our weaknesses. This decision ❱❱ PAGE 33 Filipino-Canadians in

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FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

25

Celebrating Dads Parenting tips for Filipino dads raising millennial kids

BY THESSA SANDOVAL Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE FATHERS are often the disciplinarians in Filipino households. They are the ones who set the curfews and impose the dos and don’ts. Filipino fathers have the role of being the protector of the family, and when they tend to be a bit overprotective, it results in clashes with their millennial kids.

Even though the days of “luhod sa asin o munggo” (an old form of punishment to discipline kids in the Philippines) are gone, some Filipino dads still use the ways of their parents

or grandparents in disciplining their children, always comparing today’s generation with their generation and telling “noong panahon namin” stories.

Because of the generational gap, parenting today becomes more challenging to Filipino dads.

Every father has his own parenting style, but here are helpful tips from Couples of Christ Canada on how to raise good sons and daughters in the new millennium: 1. Understand that your children are living in a complex world. Most of them have access to good education, and advanced information is always readily available to them. However, their emotional growth

might not be able to keep up with their intellectual growth.

Have a more open mind and be patient with them.

2. Do not be too concerned with what other people will say.

Instead, focus on what is good for your children. Do not force them to conform to a certain image. Instead, allow them to make mistakes and help them discover their true selves.

3. Respect the individuality of your children. Stop comparing one child to the other. No two children are alike. Have the wisdom to raise each one differently while loving them equally.

4. Respect the dreams and hopes of your kids. Do not im-

pose your plans and dreams on your children. Guide them in building their own lives.

5. If you have daughters, keep in mind that you cannot expect girls of today’s generation to be submissive and passive. Girls of today are more articulate and they know what they want. They are more driven. Motivate them to succeed in their studies and careers.

6. Let your children express their feelings. Listen to what they have to say with your heart.

Practice two-way communication at home, and cultivate a friendship with your children.

There is really no one standard formula for successful parenting. What is most important is to always remember that parents are not the only ones who can teach their children about life. There are times that you can learn from your kids too, so learn from each other and as always, put God in the center of your relationship. ■

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Celebrating Dads

JUNE 20, 2014

FRIDAY 26

On Fatherhood

BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer I’VE ALWAYS adored the mockumentary ‘Modern Family.’

They portray families so unbelievable that it’s actually relatable. There’s something about its satire humor and heartwarming family values (yep, it’s there) that makes me look forward to the next episode every week.

Jay Pritchett, played by actor Ed O’Neill, said something from season one that I still remember ‘til now. At the end of the ‘Bike Thief’ episode, Jay said to the camera, “The key to being a good dad... Well, sometimes things work out just the way you want. Sometimes they don’t. But you gotta hang in there. Because when all is said and done, 90% of being a dad is just showing up.”

90% of being a dad is just showing up. Showing up on the day your wife gives birth, your kid’s first step, their first birthday, your daughter’s piano recital, your son’s basketball game, their graduation, their first heartbreak, the first time they bring a guy or girl home to meet the family, their wedding day... Just show up. Be there—100%.

But then again—what do I know? I’ll never be a dad. My own father tried his best to show up, to always be there, but providing for us often got in the way. Nonetheless, I appreciate the times he did make it. And he was there 100%.

I asked some people I know— sons, daughters, dads, wives, expecting parents, single moms— on what fatherhood means to them and I got various responses.

Newlyweds Joren and Kimberly Ignacio are looking forward to the birth of their first child and they’re both looking forward to the joy and challenges of being parents.

Kimberly wrote with Joren right beside her, “Fatherhood entails responsibility and commitment. It started the moment we found out we’re expecting.

For us, it’s not just hoping and trying to be the best parents, but also make sure to maintain a great relationship with your partner even when you already have a child. We have to remember that we have to be a spouse

first before a parent [because] a healthy marriage will help us raise a healthy family.”

Another newlywed couple and expectant parents are Mark and Riza Rivera. They shared, “While in this season of waiting and preparing for our little one, it’s also a season of reflecting about God’s fatherhood to us and the full extent of His love.

Fatherhood is a privilege to be entrusted with a life, no matter how incompetent we may be, and a responsibility to build a godly legacy. At our stage, it’s also the preparation of our hearts to have a Christ-led vision for a family.”

Missionary couple Regie and Evelyn Bacani is one of the couples I admire the most— and dare I say—hope to be like someday. During my stay in the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, they opened their home and their family to us students. Our hearts are forever grateful to their generosity and kindness.

For Ate Evelyn, a mother of three nearly perfect teenagers and a loving wife, fatherhood originated from God the Father.

“It means perfect love, it spells provision, protection, and purpose. Our experience with our earthly [fathers] will always lack but [that gap] is meant to bring us to the Heavenly Father. He is the one who loves every child—2 or 52—and then, that child, a husband, a father, or a daughter.”

For Kuya Regie, who have championed campus and community ministries—including their beautiful family—with his wife for decades, “fatherhood is taking the initiative to develop a loving relationship with your children and “discipling” them (according to Deuteronomy 6: 1-9) in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.” Campus Ministry Director Jomer Gallana and his wife Bituin are parents to two boys, Malaya and new baby Dakila.

Despite experiencing all sorts of challenges in their ministry work, nothing quite prepared Kuya Jomer for the wonderful journey that is fatherhood.

“Before I became a father, I cannot imagine bringing into this world a tiny human being I would be responsible for—to provide, protect, discipline, teach about God and life. It was,

I believe, such an impossible task; something that can only be done by faith,” Kuya Jomer shared.

“But nothing really prepared me for what I had to face as a father. Maybe I had a plan in my head on how to go about it but when you’re actually there, no how-to book would suffice.

Thus, Fatherhood made me—all the more—cling to my heavenly Father for help so I can raise my children God’s way. And I never thought that fatherhood will be God’s way to show me His Father heart,” Kuya Jomer wrote. “The love I felt for my sons made me realize how deep God’s love is for me. It is not based on their milestones or achievements but simply on who they are. It is overwhelming to know that God sees me the same way or so much more.

Thus, fatherhood to me was God’s best tool to grow me and prune me as a man and a Christian.”

Even four-year-old Malaya had something to say about fatherhood based on Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan’s children’s book “Meet my Super Dad.” “My Tatay (Jomer) is a Super Tatay because he plays with me, reads me stories, rides bike with me, gives me a bath, washes my butt, fights with me, helps me eat and more,” Malaya shared.

“I love my Super Tatay!”

For brothers Jebb and Paul, their father Yul (with their mom Lyn) created a lasting impression on them as growing men.

Paul, a graduating medical technology student, shared, www.canadianinquirer.net

“Fatherhood is not just being the leader of the family or the head overall but fatherhood is an attitude wherein a father will be able to hear, listen and pay attention on what his family members need, wants and the suggestion of ideas are free to all. Hindi man siya ang masunod (he may not have the final say), but the thing is he is willing to listen and participate in making decisions.”

His brother Jebb, a pharmacy major, showed his appreciation “for all the sacrifice, love, care and protection” their dad gave them.

“I’m so fortunate to have [him] as my Dad. I love him so much,” Jebb added.

When Francis’ father passed away in 2005, he was still in college, trying to figure out what’s in store for him. Today, he is now Engr. Francis Colendrino—a feat he said that would really honor his dad.

On fatherhood, Francis— also a Bible School graduate— shared, “Fatherhood is when your son (in my case) needs you and you are there most of the time. It is being there in the most special moments of his children: birthdays, circumcision day, sports fest, recognition day, graduation day and one of the most exciting parts of life, wedding day. [That was] the fatherhood I’ve experienced with my late dad. Now that he is not present in my daily life for 8 years and a half, there are still things/situations that I wished my father was there to give me an advice. But I believe he disciplined us so that we will be

ready when [certain] situations come up.”

Like many sons and daughter who lost a father (or any parent for that matter), Francis shared the struggle and triumph of overcoming the death of a loved one.

“It’s tough to lose a father but it’s an honour to live your life with one. I thank God for giving me a father with a good sense of humor and a strong cool attitude. I believe that is his experience with [my] Lolo and as much as possible, he wanted us to experience the good things he had back then,” he said.

College professor and father of two Jay Conejos believes that fatherhood “is both a responsibility and a privilege.”

More than that, Sir Jay believes that “Fatherhood is a glorious heritage from our Father God in heaven.”

For musician Ian Acosta, “Fatherhood is loving your child fiercely so that she may do the same.”

Son of an OFW dad and a father himself to almost twoyear-old Liam, Oliver Ocampo believes that fatherhood means “being the very best example of yourself to your kids. It’s full of hardship and sacrifice, pero bawi naman ‘pag nakikita mo ngiti ng anak mo.” (But it’s all worth it when you see your kid’s smile.)

For proud single moms Zarah Edralin and Karis Diaz, fatherhood is beyond gender. It is about embracing the responsibility and joy above and beyond ❱❱ PAGE 30 On Fatherhood

Celebrating Dads

27 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

She Calls Him Dada

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer SOME THINGS, we will never outgrow.

My own personal list includes: A good animated film. Disney classics? Bring ‘ em on! In this regard, I will never outgrow my favorite heroes and heroines, princes and princesses, and best-loved characters from my favorite books and movies.

Comic strips. I still thumb through the pages to head straight to the funnies of the morning newspaper; opting to read these first—some sort of buffer for another day of presumably bad news in the world of grown-ups.

Cotton Candy. Pink or blue.

Or pink AND blue. Candy Corn; the kind you get at theme parks.

Halloween candy. CANDY, period.

Theme parks. And fairs. Plus carnivals.

Shiny coins.

Shiny glass stones and marbles. Shiny jewels. Shiny anything.

Picking at scabs. Especially since we were always told “not to.” Gross? I suppose so . But undeniably irresistible and inexplicably fun.

The Crayola 64 Pack. With exotic colours like Carnation Pink, Periwinkle, Indigo , Wisteria and Raw Sienna. The sight of all the colours standing at attention; the distinct, familiar smell of wax and whatever usher in wave upon wave of nostalgia. And how can you ever outgrow the cute little sharpener built-in to the side of the box?

No way, no how. This shall forever remain a classic, timeless, ageless toy.

Paper dolls and pop-up books. These are art forms, in their own right.

Costumes. I adore them! I wear them every chance I get; Halloween or otherwise. My ongoing project? Maleficent, of course.

This list could go on, and we could lose ourselves on the topic of being young at heart; forever a child; nurturing a youthful spirit; and how to get to Neverland. We could; and oh, what fun that would be. But perhaps another day.

I will, however, add one more item to the list of things and such that I shall never out-

grow…

Being Daddy’s Little Girl. No matter how old and wrinkly I get.

No longer “Mama only”

I have always enjoyed a good relationship with my Dad; something for which I am forever grateful. And now that I, too, am a parent, with a daughter of my own, I am happy to see that my daughter also has a solid relationship with her Dad. Gone are the days when the adamant “Mama ONLY!” was the operative phrase: as in, “Mama only will carry me,” ”Mama only will put me to bed,” or ‘I want to go with Mama only!” The transition was a bit challenging for me, initially (for I have always been more attached to my daughter than I care to admit,) but understanding the value of the fatherdaughter bond has helped me to see this in a different light.

rity and honesty, avoiding hypocrisy and admitting his own shortcomings, so that she has a realistic and positive example of how to deal with the world.

He should try to model a reflective approach to life's big questions so that she can seek to do the same," he adds.

As we can surmise, it is therefore crucial for fathers to cultivate their relationship with their daughters; and this pro-

The father-daughter bond

Fact: A girl’s father is one of the most influential people in her life. Don’t take my word for it, please. There are countless studies to back this up.

From infancy to toddler stages, ‘tweener to teener years and well into adulthood, the relationship between a father and his daughter is of great import.

A healthy, strong relationship can spell the difference between a healthy, strong view a girl has of herself. And this bears significant impact on the overall course of her life.

My Andie is in her teen years, and I see how she looks to her Dad for guidance, and how her opinions of her Dad as a man, as a person, shape her opinions of other men, herself, and much of the world, in general.

A father's influence in his daughter's life shapes her selfesteem, self-image, confidence and opinions of men.

Michael Austin, associate professor of philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University and editor of Fatherhood - Philosophy for Everyone: The Dao of Daddy says that: “How Dad approaches life will serve as an example for his daughter to build off of in her own life, even if she chooses a different view of the world.”

"What matters in the fatherdaughter relationship is that Dad seeks to live a life of integwww.canadianinquirer.net

cess starts early on. From birth, actually.

Diaper Dads rule

These days, in most parts of the world, the task of parenting, from the get-go, is now shared with dads. A big chunk of today’s society advocates fathers as equal partners in care giving.

Gone are the days when moms were the only ones getting up for the dreaded 2 am feeding,

or the even more dreaded dirty diaper doodies— I mean, duties.

Diaper dads rule, and moms couldn’t be more thankful.

Dads are taking on the challenge of being as hands-on as they possibly can, and are perhaps realizing how awesome mothers are (smile!). From diapers and feedings, to bedtime, bath time, and calm-the-crying ❱❱ PAGE 28 She Calls

Celebrating Dads

JUNE 20, 2014

FRIDAY 28

She Calls... baby time, dads are more actively involved.

I will never forget as Andie was yanked out of my tummy (yes, I delivered via C-section, putting my Lamaze dreams to rest) in seeming unceremonious fashion, it was her Dada’s voice that soothed and comforted her cries of protest and anger. We had taken the time to make an audio tape, in which we spoke to her, told stories, laughed—that sort of thing—like the excited parents to be that we were. We played the recording regularly over my distended belly for the last few months of my pregnancy, not really sure that it would make a difference, but ecstatic to find out that it did. In utero, she knew the sound of our voices, and she recognized her Dada’s voice soon as she came into the world.

This early bonding between father and daughter is a crucial time, and defines the beginning stages of a very important relationship.

Austin says that: "Dads need to spend time with their infant daughter, taking care of her physical needs and supporting her Mom." He also adds that once his daughter enters toddler years, the bond can be strengthened during playtime. “It is essential that Dad gets down on the floor— on her level—and plays with her," Austin says.

And play with Andie at her level, Dada always did; often getting as grimy and grubby as she. The toddler years are also ❰❰ 27

a great time for dad to teach his daughter new things: explore the outdoors, develop an interest in music and art, or learn to ride a bike, maybe. I watched, as Andie and Dada went on short walks, looking for bugs, or spent hours doodling with finger paints and making a giant colourful, happy mess. To this day, Andie loves art and exploring.

When hormones go wild

As Andie entered and emerged from the tweener to the teener years, bonding has become a tad more complex than simply changing a dirty diaper, offering a comforting milk bottle, or building a tower of blocks. Dada is often befuddled—and frustrated—by mood swings and raging hormones. Blast those raging hormones!

It’s at this stage that many dads lift their hands in surrender, choosing to back off rather than engage in battles they don’t always understand. Austin advises that, during those often trying teen-tween years, “dads should focus on cultivating a trusting relationship so that their daughters feel secure talking with them about what's going on in their lives. When necessary, dads should apologize and ask for forgiveness, as this both shows respect and love to our daughters and heals the hurts that are inevitable in daily life together."

Instead of backing off, getting frustrated, or getting angry, dads are encouraged to continue working on developing

Father's Day photo collage card made by Andie for her Dada, Andrew.

a relationship based on mutual trust with his daughter. He must continue to show support, affection, and understanding, realizing that this is not an easy time for his daughter, either.

As she learns more about her own identity—who she is and the kind of person she wants to become—Austin stresses that “it's imperative that, no matter what, dads avoid the temptation to pull away or withdraw during this sometimes challenging stage of growing up."

Fathers are enjoined to offer verbal encouragement, whenever they can.

Daughters thrive on positive words from their dad, as much as they are crushed when they feel they’ve let daddy down.

The battle with hormones gone wild can more often than not be won by keeping lines of communication open, taking time to listen and listen some more to your daughter, being sensitive to her feelings and keen on what’s really going on (raging hormones can present quite a confusing situation, on the surface), and by taking a position of active involvement in her daily life (her hobbies and interests, for instance.) When a father is directly and actively involved in his teener-tweener daughter’s life, this helps lessen whatever insecurities she may be dealing with, and helps increase her confidence in herself and her abilities.

women live their lives.

Studies conducted by numerous family-oriented research groups have shown that daughters who have healthy and strong relationships with their fathers: • Have better grades in school • Feel better about themselves • Are more assertive without being aggressive • Feel more confident in relationships with men in general • Are more likely to be admitted to graduate school and get a degree Further, Austin points out that the in a majority of instances, the relationship a daughter has with her father bears weight on the type of men that women choose to date and even have long-term relationships with. The goal, of course, is for fathers to set a positive example, and help shape their daughter’s perspective of men in a positive way.

"He must, first and foremost, treat his daughter with respect and love. Whether or not he is married to or still together with his daughter's mom, showing respect to her mother is essential as well," Austin emphasizes.

"He must also value women as human beings, and not as persons to be used.

Daughters will see what their dads believe about women by how they value and respect women, or by how they fail to do so," he adds.

The mark of dad

Leaving a legacy

This involvement and perseverance pays off in ways that fathers (and mothers) will most definitely be thankful for.

The effect of the father-daughter bond is far-reaching, bearing impact well into years beyond the teens and tweens.

The mark a dad leaves on his daughter’s psyche is almost indelible in nature, and can be as destructive as it can be constructive. Sadly, ask any victim of abuse, and they will perhaps tell you of wounds so deep, they fester and often fail to scar.

This bond—or the lack thereof—generally helps set the course on which www.canadianinquirer.net

Developing and strengthening the father-daughter bond is vital in the early and middle years of a girls’ life.

Maintaining it is a lifelong process. The rewards, however, go way beyond a lifetime; for a good father-daughter bond can leave a legacy for generations to come.

Andie calls her father “Dada,” for she, too, has not outgrown him. And if she’s lucky, she never will. And if we’re all lucky—and work at it—her own daughters will enjoy what she has with her Dada, with whomever Andie chooses to be their father. ■

Celebrating Dads

29 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

Present-day dads, modern family heroes

BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer GONE WERE the days when fathers are strictly and literally the “pillars” of our home.

Today, they are not just a structure that makes the house sturdy. They are real, full of life and fun-to-be-with heroes who can take the role of moms while being awesome dads, all at the same time.

A typical dad would wake up in the morning, wear their coats on, and go straight to the kitchen where a hearty breakfast is waiting. He would sip his coffee while reading the newspaper, and then he would go straight to work.

But this was an old picture of a dad in what used to be an extremely patriarchal society.

Office work and any other work are strictly “for dads only.”

Fathers dominated the workplace while mothers stayed home attending to the kids’ needs and working 24/7 cleaning the house, doing the chores.

A woman’s parenting and housekeeping career used to be a social norm. There was even a time in history when women were not just discouraged but prohibited to take on work that are only exclusive to men.

While a mother’s role is more complicated to explain, a father’s role used to be a little complex than a mother’s role.

Dads used to describe their occupation using a single word— doctor, engineer, lawyer, teacher, farmer, janitor, fisherman, businessman, driver, seaman, technician, etc.

But today, a dad plays the role of a doctor, but a part time cook, laundry man, floor scrubber and carwash personnel at the same time. He may be an engineer but also a baby sitter and a driver of kids to school and back to the house; a technician but a part time daughter’s reading tutor and son’s basketball coach; and many other roles marked as “complicated” in the professional world.

But the most important shift is that, dads today have evolved

more men today have changed their ideas about fatherhood as more women dominate the professional workplace.

The changes in men and women’s roles created a shift in men’s disciplinarian and provider role to a much lighter role of being their children’s ultimate best friend.

In a more involved family model, Smiler pictures a modern day father as someone who has greater interests in being more fatherly to the children by attending to their daily needs, and being with them most of the time.

Stay-at-home family hero

to a more heroic role—saying goodbye to the professional world and becoming a “stay-athome” dad.

Equality brought forth dads’ heroic roles

As time went by, women have gained acceptance into the world of professional work, turning the tables from a patri-

archal to an egalitarian society where men and women are given equal treatment in the work place.

Psychologists believe that women’s fight for equality have caused the changing roles of fathers. Andrew Smiler, a development psychologist and an assistant professor at the Wake Forest University has noted how

dad:

the

new

As more moms leave the brooms, the dishes, the floor scrubs and the laundry at home to face paperwork, laptops and the professional environment, more dads are also forced to make that one heroic move—leave work and become what they call, the modern day “house husband.” ❱❱ PAGE 32 Present-day dads

For Ryan Agoncillo, it’s always Father’s Day

BY BAYANI SAN DIEGO, JR. Philippine Daily Inquirer IT IS a working Father’s Day for actor-TV host Ryan Agoncillo.

He will guest in the GMA 7 musical-variety show “Sunday All Stars” to promote his new Kapuso sitcom “Ismol Family.”

Several interviews are lined up after that.

After all that, he hopes to sit down to a quiet dinner with his family: Wife Judy Ann Santos and kids Yohan and Lucho.

It’s a packed calendar for Ryan, who will leave for Singapore with his wife and the rest of the “Eat Bulaga” team Monday.

When they return later in the week, he is giving the kids backto-back treats: “Stomp” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and “Rak of Aegis” at the Peta Theater.

Ryan says every day is Father’s Day for him because Judy Ann, herself a busy actress, makes him feel special 24/7.

In spite of her own hectic schedule, Judy Ann manages

Firm and fair

Family camping trip in Caliraya, Laguna (from left): Judy Ann, daughter Yohan, son Lucho and Ryan.

FACEBOOK PHOTO

to whip up gourmet meals that Ryan can bring to work.

“She wakes up at 4 a.m. to cook for us,” Ryan relates.

“That’s because when I have taping [for ‘Ismol Family’], I leave the house at 5:30 a.m.”

He proudly posts snapshots of his wife’s sumptuous culi-

nary creations on Instagram and Facebook, and has dubbed them “Dirty Breakfast.”

“We call one of her specialties Clint Eastwood Sandwich,” he says. “It’s made with chorizo, whole wheat bread and alfalfa.

It’s named after Dirty Harry because ‘It will make your day!’” www.canadianinquirer.net

It’s not exactly the healthiest of meals, but Ryan gets to burn the extra calories during rigorous triathlon workout sessions.

“We call it Dirty Breakfast because, straight from training, I would eat it even when I’m all sweaty and filthy. It’s that good.”

For Ryan, a perfect day is lounging at home with his family, doing absolutely nothing.

“I love time with the kids, even if we’re just sitting quietly in a room,” he says.

How would he rate himself as a father? “I think I’m doing a good job. I am not that strict; I am firm and fair,” he explains.

In “Ismol Family,” which premieres June 22, Ryan’s character lives with his mother-in-law (Carmi Martin) because his wife (Carla Abellana) works in Dubai.

“Carmi is a hoot and Carla is a breeze to work with,” the actor points out.

Fireworks are expected to fly between the in-laws in the new comedy show, but in real life, Ryan gets along swimmingly

with his mom-in-law, Carol Santos.

Mutual admiration

“We have a mutual admiration club,” Ryan quips. “Mommy Carol and I have a good relationship. She’s considerate. She gives us plenty of space. She would stay with us for a few days, just enough time to enjoy her grandchildren’s company. We recently spent a weekend in Batangas. We are building a beach house there.”

No wonder he’s working double time these days.

Apart from “Ismol Family” and “Eat Bulaga,” he also hosts the Kapuso game show “Picture! Picture!” which is set to wrap up soon.

“But there is talk of extending the show or coming back after a short break,” he says.

There is also a lot of buzz about reviving the TV5 show “Talentadong Pinoy.”

“Nothing’s definite. We’re exploring all possibilities. But it should be with the same team—not just for sentimental reasons, but for consistency,” he notes. ■

Celebrating Dads

JUNE 20, 2014

FRIDAY 30

On Fatherhood... your sexual orientation.

For Zarah, supermom and best friend to Kyle and Chloe, fatherhood is “not just for fathers, but for anyone who has been unselfish enough to give love to abandoned children.”

Karis, Shyle and Coraline’s ‘queen mommy,’ shared, “I am a fathering mother to my sweet kids. Fatherhood means a lot to me. It is for my children to have the security of my love and of our daddy God’s love. Also for them to be teachable, accountable, free to grow, and to teach children about the future.”

Also a dedicated and artsy Sunday school teacher, Karis added, “Future means fathers and fathering mothers like me should teach kids that there should only be one movement in our lives and that is to move forward, and to trust God’s chosen path for us.”

The son of an OFW, JR spends most of his days thousands of miles away from his parents, but the distance never kept his dad from being a mentor to him ❰❰ 26

and his two younger brothers.

“For me, [fatherhood] means not always giving those we protect what we want, but never blinking twice about what they need. It means doing everything a father can to keep everyone together. When it comes to mentoring, I definitely learned those from my dad.”

Soon-to-be doctor Theola Ocampo is also a daughter of OFWs in Riyadh, and for the past 10 years, she’s been living (mostly) on her own since she went back to the Philippines for college. But just like most parents, distance was never an issue when it comes to being there for their children.

“For the past 10yrs, my dad has missed celebrating birthdays, Christmases, New year and every holiday with me, only because he works abroad,” Theola shared. “However, despite the distance, he has never let me feel the absence. Not a week passes by when he doesn’t call (Yes—call! Do you know how much an international call costs?!) just to know if I’m eating right or getting enough

sleep. He would call to ask if I’d like some books [that] his client is giving away. He would call with the song the choir I once joined (my first and last) blaring in the background just to let me know he was watching. He would call even if he just did a few minutes ago.”

Being her best friend, I could

attest to this constant telephoning between her and her dad Tito Nick. I would even speak with him at times that he’d call and Theola and I are together.

He never misses a beat, he’s upto-date even with my affairs—a loving gesture of an extended family.

“It’s in the little things that

make me know he’s thinking of me miles away,” Theola continued. “My father is far from perfect but he shows his love in the best way that he can, in the best way he knows how. And where he is limited and lacking as a father, I’m blessed to know that my heavenly Father is more than able to fill the gaps.” ■

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FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

31

Entertainment

MISS B’S ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS

The house that “power” artists built - Part 1

BY BABES CASTRONEWLAND

IT ALL started with just a vision and commitment to uplift the local entertainment landscape in Canada. It sounded more like a dream that’s impossible to reach.

But kudos to the visionaries of B.C.’s premier talent development and management company, Powerhouse Station Entertainment (PSE). Thinking big became the motivating force in gathering a good number of Lower Mainland’s Filipino-descent stage performers/entertainers. These artists were further developed and showcased on Vancouver’s 1st Filipino-Canadian television variety program called, “FYE Vancouver,” aired 2 years ago on Shaw Multicultural Channel 116 every last Sunday of the month.

To-date, PSE has proudly produced world-class and award-winning homegrown artist performers. The following list is 1st of a 6-part series: Jerrica Santos. R&B Artist/ Singer/Songwriter/Polynesian Dancer, Jerrica is 2013 Variety’s Got Talent Winner. She is also 2012 PNE Star Showdown 1st Runner Up. She was top semifinalist at Season 2 of Canadian Idol and Canadian Karaoke World Champion. Jerrica’s singing style is mostly influ-

enced by Alicia Keys, Beyonce and Mariah Carey. She received her ARCT Royal Conservatory of Music Diploma in Piano.

She’s currently gearing up to becoming Canada’s New Electronic Dance Recording Sensation and promoting her music in Asia. Jerrica is scheduled to leave for the Philippines this summer to collaborate promotion of her 1st EDM single, “IIlluminate” with Element East Music-Viva Recording/Entertainment. Apart from music, Jerrica excels in the field of academe. She has a bachelor of science degree in Genetics from UBC tucked under her belt and was accepted at a scholarship in the UK to further her studies but opted out the last minute to pursue her career in music instead. And by how the stage is already set up for her, it looks like sky is the limit for this magnanimous and extremely talented young lady.

Russel Figueroa. Is a product of various amateur competitions in the Philippines who started at a very tender age of 12. He became the lead male vocalist of the first all-Filipino group named NTWINE that was hired to perform onboard Disney Cruise Lines in 2012.

Ntwine became a signed artist of Viva Records and has to their credit an album of the same name title. Known to many as the singing chef, Russel is also 2012 Canadian Grand Champion of a Filipino global cable-hosted talent competition named TFCkat. As part

Ana Jenessa Escabarte.

of his winning, he became the Canadian representative to Philippine premier television network ABS-CBN’s franchise called Pilipinas Got Talent held early last year in Manila. While in Vancouver, Russel honed his vocal techniques through rigid training under North America’s premier singing vocal coach, Spencer Welch. “It was a pricey undertaking but pretty much worth it,” Russel quips. He now performs almost on regular basis on TFC Canada’s various major events not only in Vancouver but all throughout Canada. And coaches aspiring young artists of PSE. Ana Jenessa Escabarte. She proudly holds the title of 2013 TFCkat Canada Grand Champion and the right to represent Filipino-Canadians to yet another international vocal competition franchise in the Philippines sometime in August-September hosted once again by premier television network ABS-CBN Channel 2.

Not known to many, Jenessa

Russel Figueroa.

Jerrica Santos.

is a nursing graduate from the Philippines prior to migrating to Canada to be with her mom along with her other 4 siblings; herself being the eldest.

She’s currently working on her B.C. nursing registration.

This singing nurse has a vocal range and power that can be likened as a cross between the style of Asia’s Nightingale, Ms. Lani Misalucha and another OPM recording stalwart, JAYA.

While preparing for her trip to the Philippines, she partners with male counterpart, Russel Figueroa, guesting in various singing engagements sponsored by TFCkat Canada, Filipino-Canadian Community and even non-Filipino hosted major events like those of Canadian-Chinese Community where they are now receiving great accolades and recognitions. (To be continued.)

Entertainment

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 32

This year’s PhilPop yields unlikely but intriguing new collaborations

BY ALLAN POLICARPIO Philippine Daily Inquirer LIKE ITS previous two editions, the lineup of songwriters and interpreters for the finals of this year’s Philippine Popular Music Festival (PhilPop) songwriting competition consists of fresh and familiar faces that represent different music genres—pop, rock, R&B, dance and hip-hop.

Top 12 entries

“Since we have a diverse mix of artists, there are also a lot of intriguing collaborations. It is exciting to see industry veterans working closely with young aspirants,” PhilPop executive director Ryan Cayabyab told the INQUIRER at a press con that introduced the interpreters of the Top 12 entries: Luigi D’Avola for Davey Langit’s “NGSB (No Girlfriend Since Break)”; Thor for Venelyn San Pedro’s “The Only One”; Aldrich Talonding and James Bucong for Toto Sorioso’s “Awit Mo’y Nandito Pa”; Nicole Asensio for Jude Gitamondoc and Therese Marie Villarante’s “Song on a Broken

String”; Nikki Gil for Soc Villanueva’s “Babalikan Mo Rin Ako”; Kris Lawrence for Daryl Ong’s “Torpe”; Kyla for Jungee Marcelo’s “Salbabida”; Kiana Valenciano for Mike Villegas’ “Dear Heart”; Clara Benin and Mcoy Fundales for Cecilia Bocobo and Isaac Joseph Garcia’s “Kung Akin ang Langit”; Tom Rodriguez for Toto Sorioso’s “Langit Umaawit”; Jay-R and Elmo Magalona for Q-York’s “Qrush on You”; and Duncan Ramos and Young JV for Allan Feliciano and Isaac Joseph Garcia’s “Hangout Lang.”

Cayabyab related that the finalists were asked to list down the names of artists who they felt could best perform their compositions. “Of course, as much as possible, we want to have the best singers. But because of schedule conflicts, some of them couldn’t join,” said Cayabyab, who urged TV networks and labels to “lend” some contract talents to PhilPop. “Some singers were reluctant because of the competition aspect. But we want to stress that the PhilPop isn’t really about that. This contest is for our industry. We want to push Fili-

pino music forward,” Cayabyab emphasized.

Unexpected

Still, the awarded composer said, he was pleased with the final lineup, which has some rather unexpected pairings.

“You may ask why Tom Rodriguez is included. Toto Sorioso’s ‘Langit Umaawit’ was originally for a female singer, but Tom’s pogi voice went well with the easy-listening ballad,” Cayabyab explained.

Cayabyab was likewise impressed with Valenciano’s rendition of Villegas’ “Dear Heart.”

“When I first heard the song, I couldn’t tell it was Kiana,” he said. “I thought she would sound sweet, much like a Disney princess, but her voice has an interesting edge to it.”

Rodriguez and Valenciano both admitted that there’s pressure on them to do well, especially since their performance could make or break the songwriters’ chances. But that wouldn’t stop them from relishing the experience, they said.

“I am honored to work with amazing songwriters and singers that I look up to,” Rodriguez

Cherie Gil denies rumors of misunderstanding with Ikaw Lamang production staff

BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA—After saying goodbye to her role in the ABS-CBN prime time series Ikaw Lamang, last Wednesday, actress Cherie Gil denies allegations of her misunderstanding with the shows’ production staff.

“I mean, it’s just, you know, ups and downs, roller-coaster, just the way soaps should be, the processes is always ganyan (like that),” Cherie Gil said in an interview with the Philippine Entertainment Porral.

The actress also added in the same interview that she did not

Cherie Gil. PHOTO FROM ABS-CBN.COM

have any “tampuhan” with the staff. “’Di naman smooth sailing.

Alam naman natin ‘yan na mahirap ang ating trabaho hanggang umaga, so nagkakaroon ng kaunting glitches, pero naayos.”

(It’s not smooth sailing. We

all know that the work is hard because it requires working ’till morning so there are some glitches, but we try to fix it.)

The denial was made after the show’s director Jose Javier Reyes was rumored to have posted something like this on Twitter: “Quoted from an actress in a teleserye: ‘I volunteered to write my own death scene so that I can just get the hell out of that show.’ IBA KA!” Meanwhile, Cherie Gil shuns away all the rumors after she posted on her Instagram, last June 11, saying “This is a truly happy set. Best team I’ve worked with on a soap #ikawlamang #happyhappy” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Toto Sorioso (left) and Tom Rodriguez.

PHOTO FROM INQUIRER.NET

said. “I’m going to do my best and hope it will be enough.”

Valenciano pointed out, “It’s all about the experience for me; not everyone is given this chance. Whether we win or not ... I’ll just enjoy myself.”

Sorioso, who has two entries in the Top 12, said that PhilPop 2014 could jump-start his career in songwriting. “It’s exciting and overwhelming to contribute to the music scene in my own little way,” he said.

“The competition allows us to meet other incredibly good musicians, and build networks.”

Refreshing

For veteran composers like Marcelo, who gave Daniel Padilla his hit song, “Nasa Iyo na ang Lahat,” joining competitions is a way of taking a break from routine. “Crafting songs refreshes my mind,” he said.

“Even if the prize was bubble gum, I’d still join.”

Happily, the winner of PhilPop 2014—which will be announced during the grand finals on July 26 at the Meralco Theater—will be taking home not a pack of gum, but a cash prize worth P1 million.

The Top 12 song entries will be featured in a compilation album to be released in CD format by Universal Records, and digital format on SPINNR. Cayabyab hopes this year’s contest will yield something as successful as last year’s winner, “Dati” (composed by Thyro Alfaro and Yumi Lacsamana), which enjoyed considerable radio airplay and notched over 23 million hits on YouTube. “I think we’re starting to find the listeners’ kiliti.” Cayabyab said.

“I hope Filipino musicians continue to write songs.” ■

Present-day dads...

In a society exposed and used to the patriarchal system, it is not impossible to expect more men to prefer working in the office leaving all the work at home including most of their job in child-raising to the mothers.

Since equalizing men and women’s role in the society took quite some time to materialize, it is somehow natural for men to build that sense of pride by sticking to the traditional “breadwinner role” of fathers.

But the changing environment also brought a complete change to men’s traditional roles.

As more women are forced to work outside the house, being what they call a “house husband” or a “stay-at-home” daddy becomes more acceptable in the society.

Recessions and unemployment among male workers ❰❰ 29

have placed an extra pressure on fathers, as they are forced to say goodbye to the professional world and take on the mothers’ roles.

But being a stay-at-home dad is not as tragic as some men, who are deeply inclined to stick with fathers’ traditional roles, usually think.

Studies showed that stay-athome fathers who have closer and positive relationship with their children are less likely to avoid breaking homes by initiating divorce. The more that a father is exposed to parenting, the more he values the importance of a complete and a happy family.

But the thing is whatever role—traditional or modern—a father may choose to take, his role of being the strong foundation of the family will always remain; he will always be the family’s modern-day hero. ■

Entertainment

33 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

Filipino-Canadians in... has made it possible for us to collaborate in writing and editing about 28 books and countless papers and journal articles.

“One important thing we both strongly believed in was social justice for the less fortunate.

“Making money was not a very high priority in our lives.

We wanted to earn enough to get our two children and three grandchildren through college and then just have enough left for a comfortable retirement.

We have always lived simply.

Happily, Eleanor is an excellent financial manager and we have achieved our financial goals,” Prod says. ❰❰ 26

A nomadic family life

The 1960s was a great time to be young, educated and driven, and Prod and Eleanor were at the pinnacle of their careers.

The two were fortunate to work for the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the United Nations (including the UN Population Fund for Prod; and Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Information Centre and World Health Organization for Eleanor).

These high-level jobs took them to many places.

“Eleanor became an expert on packing and moving household stuff. She used to brag that she could start a moving company and do well anytime,” Prod says. “Happily, despite this nomadism, our two kids grew up normal,” he adds.

Their eldest, George, was born in 1964. He is a Safety Specialist at Honeywell and is married to Brenda Jamer of Ottawa.

They have a daughter Maya, now 14, and live in Vancouver.

Helen, born in 1966, has an MBA from Boston University and is Deputy Controller of Rodman Insurance Company of Boston. She is married to Daniel Flagg of Boston and they have two children: Elizabeth, 16 and Jack, 13. They live in Boston.

Eleanor says, “We get to see them at least once a year. We are very proud of our three grandchildren—they are all healthy, normal, bright, good looking and excellent both in their studies and in sports.”

Politics

Prod and Eleanor also had their brief (thankfully) brush

with snakes from the snake pit through Philippine politics.

Ironically, their entry into it was borne of their desire to return to the Philippines for good. But too many “difficulties” got in the way.

Prod says, “In 1979-81, I was a visiting professor at De La Salle but political differences with some people in the Marcos government forced us to leave. In 1998-2000, I joined the Estrada administration but was fired because of speaking out against corruption.

“Our experience showed us that corruption in the Philippines is systemic and if you do not get involved in it, you will find it difficult to succeed. That is a sad reflection on the situation back home.”

Not being able to set up roots in the Philippines still remains their biggest regret.

In their two books, The Centennial President, an account of Joseph Estrada’s political victory in 1998, and The Erap Tragedy, Tales from the Snake Pit, the couple catalogued their political misadventures in what was an insider/outsider look at what happens behind Malacanang’s closed doors.

Their latest book, Seeking a Better Life Abroad, a Study of Filipinos in Canada, 1957-2007, is equally controversial. The seed for it was planted as early as 1969 when Prod and Eleanor first set foot on Canada (Prod was offered a job in Toronto).

They met many Filipino immigrants who told them harrowing stories of racism. These stories enraged Eleanor so much that she decided to write about Filipino immigration to Canada for her master’s thesis at UP’s School of Public Administration (she got her MA degree in 1973, graduating in absentia). These started her on this book and her crusade to champion the rights of the marginalized in Canada.

Eleanor says, “To suffer in silence is to punish yourself and the victim, not the wrong doer.

Always strive to make injustice visible because that is the best way to correct it.”

Interestingly, says Prod, the books that have earned the most royalties were two cookbooks written by Eleanor while she was learning how to cook in Canada: Filipino Cooking Here and Abroad and Filipino Cooking and Entertaining Here and Abroad both published by Na-

tional Book Store in Manila.

Word to the wise

People go to Prod and Eleanor to seek their wisdom and for the simple honour of being in their presence. Their depth of understanding, strength and respect for their kababayans have made them veritable pillars of the community. Nothing happens without them knowing; or without them participating, except that of late, they have chosen to be instead at the background. Here is their counsel.

To those aspiring to enter Canadian politics Make sure you enjoy the rough and tumble of politics. A political career is not for the introverted or the blushing rose.

Name recognition is the name of the game—pursue activities that will get your name in the limelight. At the same time, do not appear too ambitious as this turns people off. If possible, when throwing your hat in the political ring, make sure you are “drafted” by a group (preferably a civic one dedicated to the common good) instead of brashly volunteering yourself.

Join a group or movement early and move up, very few politicians become stars right away (unless you are part of a political family already). Network like your life depended on it, politics, as they say, is addition.

Most important of all, keep clean—politics is very rewarding but you can ruin your name and reputation very easily.

For community builders (or those who want to be community builders) Identify a cause or a group you really want to help. Join early. People appreciate the enthusiasm of volunteers. Be sure you have the talents and resources to be really of help. Do not go into community building to achieve an ambition (like politics), people can readily see what a person’s true motivations are. Be ready to devote your time, talents and resources. If possible, involve your spouse and family members in your community building efforts, otherwise, there will be conflicts. Most important of all, enjoy the community involvement and the experience.

[Also] remember that there are many ways to skin a cat.

Your ideas may not be the only solution to a problem nor is www.canadianinquirer.net

Prod and Eleanor during their wedding.

it the best one. Have an open mind, listen carefully and evaluate other ideas objectively before passing judgment on other people’s ideas.

For those who want a career in the academe Get a Ph.D., an MA is not good enough anymore. Write and publish articles and books because an academic career involves publish or perish.

Do original research based on gathering new data, not library research. Network, attend international conferences and deliver papers and meet with the luminaries in the academic world. Do not hesitate to write to other academics doing great work, you will be surprised how many of them are willing to help others. Get into a field you are really interested in and excited about—you cannot force yourself to be outstanding if your heart is not in it. Above all, be honest, do not fudge research data or say inaccurate things in your lectures. Lies will always come around and bite you.

For those who want a career in the music and the arts Let us face it, you either have true native talent or you don’t.

Education and training can only help so much. Even a Michelangelo cannot turn bad marble into a great statue. In this day and age, an excellent education is needed, even in the case of truly talented people. Once launched, however, a career in music and the arts requires as much exposure as possible.

Again, networking is necessary.

Link up with already known artists and performers. Serve your apprenticeship. If possible, pursue a special area, not just following or imitating others.

And, yes, be always ready for that lucky break so that when it comes, you will be ready.

For spouses The key is shared interests—

if both are not interested or passionately involved in an endeavour, there will be problems. It is important to grow and develop interests and talents together. The worst things happen when one spouse gets ahead and the other is left behind. Each individual must know his or her strengths and weaknesses and how such strengths and weaknesses are developed in a complementary way. It is a trite observation but communication is absolutely necessary. If a couple cannot discuss things, argue and fight and try to arrive at a resolution of differences, that marriage will not work. Love and respect for each other are the essential elements of a good marriage.

And, oh yes, the welfare of the children and grandchildren is a great common bond that can transcend individual differences.

Communication is vital to a marriage’s survival.

For husband and wife in challenging and exciting paths, always remember that you are each other’s keeper. Always support each other and always appear united in public even if you disagree with each other in private. ■ Prod and Eleanor Laquian were honoured with the Community Builder Award by the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS) during explorASIAN 2014 held on June 3, 2014. The books of Prod and Eleanor mentioned in this interview will be on sale at Again - Treasures Revisited located at 1868 West Broadway in Vancouver on June 27, 28 and 29 from 2-6pm (phone 604730-0222). All proceeds will go to the CARE-NET Project of the Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights (CDWCR).

Entertainment

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 34

‘Rehab’ song and red ties at open casting for Rob Ford musical

BY VICTORIA AHEARN The Canadian Press TORONTO—Dressed in suits with red ties and armed with monologues about smoking crack and songs including Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab,” hopeful stars of “Rob Ford The Musical: The Birth of a Ford Nation” put on their best impersonations of the embattled Toronto mayor Monday at an open casting call for the upcoming show.

“I have an uncanny resemblance,” Neil Sarel, a self-described “country boy” who runs a small vending machine company in Caledon, Ont., said of why he wanted to audition.

“When this was announced that they were doing a musical, all my friends were like, ‘You gotta go, you gotta go,’ so I was like, ‘You know what—why not?’ It could be a door that

opens another door to another door, right?”

Travis Hay of Toronto also hoped a resemblance to Ford would boost his chances.

“We both have the same triple chin, so that helps, and the hooded eyes,” said the intern at radio station KiSS 92.5, who put his own spin on “Rehab” during his audition, mixing in lines including “Listen, I’m not an addict” and “I’m not resigning” between musical phrases.

“The resemblance to Rob Ford, it’s fun. I mean, it’s a joke.

I have another buddy who looks like him, takes it very personally. I don’t, it’s fun.”

Brett McCaig and P. Joseph Regan are writing the book and lyrics while Anthony Bastianon is penning the music to the comical stage show, which is set to run at Toronto’s Historic Factory Theatre from Sept. 16 to Sept. 28.

With Ford’s life taking many unexpected turns, the latest being his treatment for an admitted alcohol problem, the creators said they’ve left the final few pages of the story blank as they wait to see what happens.

They insist the show isn’t about bashing the mayor, whose slew of antics range from admissions of trying crack cocaine and using drugs while in office, to being caught on multiple cellphone videos appearing intoxicated and uttering profanities on national TV. “Rob Ford is sometimes portrayed as just a two-dimensional character, but he really is a full three-dimensional character. He has a lot of sides to him.

What we’re trying to do in the show is show different sides of the whole story,” said Bastianon, who has written 10 original songs in the genres of pop, rock and country for the show.

Rob Ford.

“We hope the ‘Ford Nation’ comes and sees the show, because I think they’ll enjoy it as much as anyone else.”

Besides Rob Ford and brother Doug, other characters in the show include a police chief, the media, a prominent lawyer, novelist Margaret Atwood, a newspaper editor and a “spiritual guide” named Transgression (a.k.a. Tranny) who stands as “the voice of reason.” Creators say the cast members have to be able to sing, dance and act.

Monday’s open “colour-blind casting” for the roles of the Ford brothers and Tranny drew in a diverse group of professional and amateur actors of a wide range of ages and nationalities.

Toronto-based Amber-Kelly Mackereth didn’t let her gender deter her from trying out for

PHOTO FROM SHAUN MERRITT / FLICKR

the role of Ford.

“Bobby Ford, right here.

That’s right, check it,” she said as she shook her padded posterior. “If Rob Ford was a girl, I think it could work.”

Hopefuls showed up from as far away as Montreal and Ottawa, where Geoff Stone lives.

His monologue riffed on Ford’s myriad scandals while his audition song was his own original tune called “Drunken Stupor,” which the music producer/ singer-songwriter said will be on his upcoming album.

“I’m sorry for all the times that I lied, even when caught red-handed I still denied,” he sang before launching into the chorus: “I was probably in a drunken stupor, oops, I made a blooper, I’m a drug abuser and now it’s all over the news.” ■

DreamWorks Animation mixing fan favourites like ‘Shrek’ with newbies in YouTube channel launch

BY RYAN NAKASHIMA The Associated Press LOS ANGELES—When AwesomenessTV launched as a YouTube channel two years ago, it was a bet by veteran TV and movie producer Brian Robbins on the ability of teen and tween audiences to find videos they love to watch online.

On Monday, Robbins kicks off DreamWorks TV, another YouTube channel that represents one of the first attempts by Hollywood to mesh the polished look of movies with the chaos of content on the Internet.

The channel is aimed at 6 to 11 year olds and will have a mix of videos featuring characters familiar to DreamWorks Animation audiences—like “Shrek” and Po from “Kung Fu Panda”—alongside those who haven’t yet made it big—like cardboard cut-out news anchors from “The Report Card.”

The hope is that kids who

come to watch their favourite characters will get interested in new ones that might one day become just as valuable.

Robbins compared his channel to cable TV networks such as MTV and ESPN in the 1970s and ‘80s. What were once fledgling networks that no one watched have now become multibillion-dollar enterprises that are the bedrocks of major media companies.

“This is really about building the cable channel of tomorrow,” Robbins said in an interview.

“What we think is happening digitally is that the next generation of those brands will be born out of this digital revolution that’s going on.”

AwesomenessTV was one of the startup channels that received a small piece of the $100 million in seed funding that YouTube doled out to some 100 creators two years ago to develop original content for the online video platform.

PHOTO BY AGUILADEFUEGO / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Today, it is one of the few to have amassed an audience large enough to attract the attention of a major studio. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. bought AwesomenessTV in May 2013 for what could exceed $100 million if the channel operator continues to hit its earnings targets.

This March, The Walt Disney Co. said it would pay up to $950 million for rival YouTube channel operator Maker Studios, a price that makes the AwesomenessTV deal seem like a bargain.

The online platform will be a www.canadianinquirer.net

relatively inexpensive way to develop hits and to forget failures.

Birk Rawlings, head of animation at DreamWorks TV, said the network will debut more than a dozen new shows in the first few weeks, including “Jimmy Blue Shorts” and “Fifi Cat Therapist.” One live-action show will re-imagine the comic book character “Richie Rich,” one of the hundreds of characters DreamWorks acquired when it bought Classic Media in June 2012.

Executives will tweak the lineup based on audience feed-

back in the form of “likes,” repeat viewings and the amount of time people stick around.

The venture represents a great way for DreamWorks to try out new content and keep audiences engaged with their biggest franchises, said Peter Csathy, chief executive of Manatt Digital Media Ventures, an investor in YouTube channel network DanceOn. He said it’s fine if some quickly made programming doesn’t live up to the luscious imagery and vibrant animation of the DreamWorks brand.

“You don’t have to wait to see if you succeed after you put hundreds of millions of dollars into ‘Shrek,”‘ he said. “Now you can put in a fraction of that and throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks.” ■ Online:

DreamWorks TV: h t t p s : // w w w . y o u t u b e . com/channel/U CY26xU0avwTJ6F6TzUZVEw

FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

35

Lifestyle

Canada Philippine Fashion Week Year 2: Another week of Filipino style, culture, and philanthropy

BY THESSA SANDOVAL Philippine Canadian Inquirer TORONTO—From June 9 to 14, Toronto again welcomed renowned Philippine fashion icons, visionaries, and rising stars for the return of Canada Philippine Fashion Week (CPFW). CPFW’s 2nd year was indeed bigger, filled with spectacular showcase of Filipino talent and culture, all for a good cause.

CPFW Executive Director and Founder Jeff Rustia said that, years ago, Canada Philippine Fashion Week was just an idea in his head that he wrote down on a napkin. Now, CPFW has become a travel destination event in Toronto after having brought 33,000 visitors and generated 5.5 million dollars into the City last year. This year, it has won FEO’s “Best New Festival of the Year” 2014 award, and are now being endorsed by both the Philippine and Canadian governments.

However, CPFW is not just about glamour and high fashion. Rustia dedicates everything to his late son Kol, who

was born with Trisomy 13, a fatal genetic syndrome. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to Kol Hope Foundation for Children to help thousands of children with Trisomy-related disabilities.

Some of the world-class fashion designers who supported the cause were Francis Libiran, Avel Bacudio, Shanon Pamaong, and Noel Crisostomo. Upand-coming designers also took part in the event to show the world their promising talent.

Beautiful faces in the modeling industry, such as beauty queen Venus Raj, Asia’s Next Top Model runner-up Jodilly Pendre, and Philippine top models Karina Cabiling and Ria Bolivar, were also in attendance and graced the runway for charity.

The CPFW Model of the Year was also introduced this year, with 10 contestants (seven from Canada and three from the Philippines) who competed for the title. CPFW Male Models of the Year were Brodie Nero from Toronto and Manila-based LA Aguinaldo. The CPFW Female Model of the Year title was awarded to Carleton University student Anjelica Balatbat.

Talk show host Steven and Chris with friends.

Chanel Beckenlehner, Miss Universe Canada 2014.

Joana Almagro (designer) final walk with model.

Kim Gan (designer) with model.

The whole week of fashion and philanthropy ended with the Canada Philippine Fashion Ball at the Royal York Hotel on June 14, Saturday. Francis Libiran’s latest collection debuted during the event. According to Libiran, Philippine embroidery was his inspiration for his 50-piece col-

lection, but he gave it a modern twist to make the dresses wearable. The CPFW Showroom was also launched on the same day.

The pop-up boutique is a nonprofit initiative, which aims to promote designers from the Philippines and Canada in a retail environment. ■

RIGHT:(L-R) Ria Bolivar, Jodilly Pendre (Asia's Next Top Model runner-up 2014), Ron Clarin (Lexus Downtown Toronto), Venus Raj (Binibining Pilipinas 2010), Jasmine Maierhofer.

Chanel Beckenlehner, Miss Universe Canada 2014.

Jodilly Pendre (Asia’s Next Top Model runner-up).

Francis Libiran being interviewed by Thessa Sandoval.

PHOTOS BY SOLON LICAS

Lifestyle

Having mammogram may cut breast cancer deaths by 28% but women should consider potential harms

BY MARIA CHENG The Associated Press LONDON—In the latest major study to consider whether the dangers of mammograms outweigh the benefits, experts say the tests can reduce the chances of dying from breast cancer by nearly 30 per cent and that national screening programs should continue.

The debate over the value of mammograms has raged in recent years.

A British review in 2012 concluded that for every life mammograms save, about three other women are unnecessarily treated for a cancer that would never have threatened their lives. In February, a rigorous Canadian paper covering older methods of screening that followed women for more than two decades suggested mammograms don’t lower the risk of dying from breast cancer.

In the new observational study, researchers tracked all Norwegian women aged 50 to 79 between 1986 and 2009, just as a national screening program was getting underway.

Scientists used a model to estimate breast cancer death rates in women invited to get a mammogram as part of the government-funded program and in those who weren’t included yet.

They said about 76 per cent of women offered a mammogram actually got it.

The researchers estimated about 368 women need to be given a chance to have a mammogram to prevent one death from breast cancer and that screening reduces breast cancer deaths by about 28 per cent—similar to what many other studies about mammography have concluded.

The research was published online Tuesday in the British

journal, BMJ and was paid for by the Norwegian Research Council.

“Mammograms do provide some benefit, but the problem is the screening is so sensitive it captures tumors without malignant potential,” said Lars Vatten of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, one of the study’s authors.

Vatten said improved treatments for breast cancer were also lowering death rates in developed countries, making mammograms less important since even cancers caught later are sometimes still treatable.

He said the benefits of getting a mammogram justified ongoing national screening programs but that women should be given more information about the potential harms, like having unnecessary treatment including surgery and chemotherapy.

In many Western European countries, women are offered mammograms every other year from age 50 to 70. In the U.S., a governmentappointed task force recommends the screening start at 50 while the American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms from age 40.

“To tell women not to have a mammogram is probably an overreaction but we are becoming more certain screening has significant harms,” said Russell Harris of the University of North Carolina, who co-authored an accompanying editorial. He said the paper’s estimate that being offered a chance to get a mammogram reduces breast cancer deaths by almost 30 per cent was an overestimate because of the uncertainties in the model.

“Getting a mammogram is something that women should be given a choice about,” Harris said. “It’s reasonable to decide not to do it.” ■

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 36

The Surrey Night Market: A family friendly event THE SURREY Night Market will be an open air summer market for local residents to sell and enjoy a variety of local foods, services and goods. This night market will be a multicultural family friendly event for all the residents of Surrey and neighbouring cities.

The Surrey Night Market will also showcase a variety of local talent in the performing arts and create an environment that promotes both community spirit and inclusion across the board. Every night, local Bands, singers, and dancers will get an opportunity to perform on the stage for free.

The Surrey Night Market will be located across from the Agriplex Complex, within the Cloverdale Exhibition Grounds, at 17726 62 Avenue, Surrey, BC from July 5th to August 30th (weekends only), Fridays and Saturdays from 6 pm to 11 pm.

PHOTO FROM VANCITYBUZZ.COM

The Surrey Night Market will have 70+ food vendors from various nationalities and cultures. Attendees will get to sample Western, Chinese, Caribbean, Arabic, Philippines, Vietnamese, Fijian, African, Pakistani, Japanese, Mexican,

Italian, Latin American, Korean, First Nations, Greek, and Indian cuisines and dishes.

To discuss vendor opportunities, restrictions, obligations and rates, please e-mail surreynightmarket@gmail.com or call 604-805-3440. ■

as Republicans blaming him for the loss of a decade’s worth of gains in Iraq—and his antiwar Democratic political base, which is demanding that the U.S. stay out of the fight.

While the White House continues to review its options, Iran’s military leaders are starting to step into the beach.

The commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, Gen. Ghasem Soleimani, was in Iraq on Monday and consulting with the government there on how to stave off insurgents’ gains. Iraqi security officials said the U.S. government was notified in advance of the visit by Soleimani, whose forces are a secretive branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard that in the past has organized Shiite militias to target U.S. troops in Iraq and, more recently, was involved in helping Syria’s President Bashar Assad in his fight against Sunni rebels.

In fighting on Monday, the insurgents seized the strategic city of Tal Afar near the Syrian border, and an Iraqi army helicopter was shot down during clashes near the city of Fallujah west of Baghdad, killing the two-man crew, security officials said.

In the short term, the U.S. and Iran both want the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stabilized and the Sunni-led insurgency stopped. But in the long run, the United States would like to see an inclusive, representative democracy take hold in Iraq, while predominantly Shiite Iran is more focused on protecting Iraq’s Shiite population and bolstering its own position as a regional power against powerful Sunni Arab states in the Gulf.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said any discussion with Iran would concern ways that Iran could help press al-Maliki’s government to be more inclusive and treat all of Iraq’s religious and ethnic groups equally.

Any talks with Iran “would be to discuss the political component here and our interest in encouraging Iraqi leaders to act in a responsible, nonsectarian way,” she told reporters.

“Certainly a discussion of that is something that we would be open to.” ■

US sending... or be sent to the nation’s north, where the Sunni Muslim insurgency has captured large swaths of territory collaring Baghdad, the capital of the Shiite-led government.

The troops would fall under the authority of the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad and would not be authorized to engage in combat, another U.S. official said.

Their mission would be “nonoperational training” of both regular and counter terrorism units, which the military has in the past interpreted to mean training on military bases, the official said.

However, all U.S. troops are allowed to defend themselves in Iraq if they are under attack.

The three U.S. officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the plans by name.

Obama made the end of the war in Iraq one of his signature campaign issues, and has touted the U.S. military withdrawal in December 2011 as one of his top foreign policy successes.

But he has been caught over the past week between Iraqi officials pleading for help—as well ❰❰ 21

www.canadianinquirer.net

AP writers Matthew Lee, Lolita Baldor and Ken Dilanian contributed to this report.

37 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

www.canadianinquirer.net

Business

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 38

Property rights on marriage breakdown and death vary across Canada

BY MARGARET O’SULLIVAN CANADIANS ARE increasingly mobile within Canada.

Employees are transferred and move with their families to another province, couples decide to retire in a province with a more moderate climate, or seniors decide to move to be closer to their children and grandchildren. But in changing jobs, lifestyle and family connections, our legal “lives” are also changed. It is surprising how significantly the basic laws that govern property rights on marriage breakdown and death differ if we survey each province’s and territory’s regime. This fact is not well-known among most Canadians, and can lead to unexpected results.

In a recent presentation I made at the Annual International Estate Planning Institute in March in New York City, I had the opportunity to speak on this topic, and surveyed each Canadian jurisdiction. Here are a few highlights: Proprietary model. To divide family property, most Canadian jurisdictions use a “proprietary” model, which focuses on the division of specific assets (B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Yukon).

Generally, this model is considered more flexible, provides less certain outcomes, and is more narrow in scope in the type of assets divided.

Compensation model. This model divides the value of property built up during the relationship, not the property itself, with certain types of property excluded, such as gifts and i n -

heritances (Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, P.E.I., Northwest Territories, and Nunavut). Generally, this model is considered less flexible, produces more certain outcomes since a formula is used, and is broader in scope, since it typically also includes business assets, leading to a greater equalization of property.

Cohabiting spouses. Some provinces have extended a claim for division of property on breakdown of a relationship to certain cohabiting spouses, not just married ones (including B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories and Nunavut), based on specific conditions being met, including length of the cohabitation. The rights of common law spouses can change dramatically if a couple moves to another province or territory.

Death is not automatically a trigger. A dramatic difference is that death is not a triggering event for a property claim in all Canadian jurisdictions: Claims on death are not available in B.C., Alberta, P.E.I., Yukon (under pending Alberta legislation, death will be a triggering event for married spouses). Where a claim can be made, some limit it to married spouses only (Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Quebec unless the couple have entered into a “civil union”). Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut allow claims on death for certain cohabiting spouses.

Unexpected consequences in moving

Consider the result if a couple moves from Ontario to P.E.I. to retire, and one of them changes their will to exclude the other.

While resident in Ontario, the surviving spouse would have had a claim to equalization of their family property, which is not available in P.E.I., leaving the spouse in a far different situation than they may have expected.

Or consider a business owner who moves from Ontario with her common law spouse to Manitoba, and the relationship breaks down. Had the breakdown occurred in Ontario, there would be no statutory claim for property division, and in Manitoba there is.

Get expert help on property rights before moving

The overarching question is why is there not more harmonization and uniformity in Canada on certain fundamental issues relating to property division. Recent provincial updates of their legislation seem to reflect each province or territory still “doing its own thing,” which leads to disharmony, as well as unpredicted and unexpected results for the average person. And it also leads to the critical need before making that move to also understand the legal implications, and plan accordingly. ■ Courtesy Fundata Canada Inc. © 2014. Margaret O’Sullivan is the principal of the Torontobased trusts and estates law firm O’Sullivan Estate Lawyers.

This article is not intended as personalized advice.

www.canadianinquirer.net

PHOTO FROM NEWS.STORE-1.NET

Saputo won’t buy milk from B.C. farm where video showed cattle being abused The Canadian Press MONTREAL—DAIRY FOOD giant Saputo Inc. (TSX:SAP) is no longer accepting milk from Chilliwack Cattle Sales, a British Columbia farm where a number of employees were captured on video beating cattle, and says it is leading the charge for reform in animal treatment.

“Since Saputo learned of the animal abuse at the farm in British Columbia from which horrific images of cattle mistreatment were captured, the company has used its position as Canada’s largest milk processor to ensure the situation is being addressed and that such reprehensible behaviour . . . does not occur in the future,” Saputo said in a statement Monday.

The Montreal-based company said it has reached out to the province’s minister of agriculture as well as the B.C. Dairy Association, the B.C. Dairy Council and the B.C. Farm Industry Review Board.

“Saputo has taken the lead in bringing industry stakeholders together behind a common goal: to ensure immediate consequences for those involved and enforceable legal measures to prevent future animal abuse,” it said.

It said it also supports the recommendation of the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that the Canadi-

an Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle, published in 2009, be adopted into B.C. law.

In announcing its action, Saputo noted that it does not own or operate any dairy farms in British Columbia or anywhere else in Canada and, like all dairy processors in Canada, is required by law to purchase milk from provincial milk marketing boards.

“While we do not own the farms, we care deeply about the way the milk we sell is produced. We will not accept milk from the B.C. Milk Marketing Board supplied by this farm until we are fully satisfied that strict animal welfare practices are in place,” it said.

Chilliwack Cattle fired eight employees after the group Mercy for Animals Canada took the video to authorities. The SPCA has recommended criminal charges against them but to date no charges have been laid and nothing has been proven in court.

The farm’s owner, Jeff Kooyman, has described the video as “horrifying to watch” and said he didn’t know what got into the young men seen kicking, punching and beating the animals with pipes.

Kooyman has said the dairy operation— the country’s largest, with more then 3,500 animals— will put in security cameras that will be monitored and would work with the SPCA on better training for staff. ■

Sports/Horoscope

39 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

Dempsey scores early, Brooks’ delivers game winner late as US beats Ghana 2-1

BY JIM VERTUNO The Associated Press NATAL, BRAZIL—Clint Dempsey scored in the first minute and rookie substitute John Brooks scored a late game winner as the U.S. defeated Ghana 2-1 Monday in the World Cup opener for both.

The victory gave the Americans some revenge against the tiny West African county that knocked them out of the last two World Cups and put the U.S. and Germany on top of the Group G, with Ghana and Portugal at the bottom.

Dempsey’s goal came on a low shot just a half-minute into the match. Ghana dominated much the rest of the game, and Andre Ayew levelled in the 82nd minute.

Just four minutes later, Brooks—a 21-year-old defender who came on at halftime because Matt Besler was injured—scored off a corner from Graham Zusi. It was the first time an American sub had ever scored in the World Cup. “I said it to the bench minutes before, ‘We’re going to get some chances still,’” U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “So we are still in the game after the equalizer, we just need to kind of push and push and grind it out. That’s what they did. Here comes a set piece we trained over and over and over that stuff. And he puts it in, so well deserved.”

Dempsey’s goal made him the first U.S. player to score in three different World Cups and was the fastest ever scored by an American in the tournament.

Both goals were surprising. Dempsey’s showed the kind of technical flair seldom seen from a squad that typically scores through set pieces.

Brooks’ game winner came after a long stretch in which the Americans were desperately trying to survive waves of attacks from Ghana.

DaMarcus Beasley, who became the first American to play in four World Cups, started the buildup to Dempsey’s goal with a pass to Jermaine Jones, who fed it to Dempsey inside the penalty area.

With a nifty move to split defenders John Boye and Sulley Muntari, Dempsey sent the left-footed shot past goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey, where the ball bounced off the post and in.

Already ahead after the game had barely started, the Ameri-

cans looked well on their way to erasing eight years of frustration caused by Ghana.

The Black Stars regrouped at halftime, and the U.S. looked punchless on the attack after losing striker Jozy Altidore to an apparent hamstring injury in the 21st minute.

Ghana applied relentless pressure on U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard and finally drew even when captain Asamoah Gyan flicked a backheel pass to Ayew, who used the outside of his left foot for a powerful shot.

Ghana was still pressing when Brooks, 6-foot-3, soared over defenders to get his head on the ball. Brooks, who plays for Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga, appeared shocked to have scored, raising his hands to his head before falling to the ground to be mobbed by

Clint Dempsey.

PHOTO FROM 2O / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

his teammates.

“What I can say is it was a very tough game,” Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said. “Playing at this level any little mistake can cost you dearly. We didn’t deserve to get the first goal against us.” ■

HOROSCOPE ARIES

CANCER

LIBRA

CAPRICORN

(MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)

(JUNE 22 - JULY 22)

(SEPT 23 - OCT 22)

(DEC 22 - JAN 19)

Yesterday may have been a tough financial struggle but now is the best time to let go of all the worries.

Better deals are coming your way today. The stars are saying that you must invest on activities that will double your earnings. Manage your finances wisely by spending your extra funds on things that would multiply your savings.

TAURUS

A wonderful opportunity is waiting for you. But the thing called “fear” is stopping you from doing what you will. You can add a little charm to this day by freeing yourself from hesitations. Make this day better by believing that the universe will make a way to help you.

It’s about time that you realize how you have been pushing yourself too much lately. Remember that your mind and body deserves some rest from time to time.

You will be more productive if you find some time to relax and unwind. Have a break today and slow down a bit from living your life in the fast lane.

Today, friends will make you realize that you are not alone. No matter how you try to do things by yourself, you will eventually realize that you need the people around you to help you. Things will be a lot more productive for you if you will let your friends help you. No man is an island, dear, so open up.

LEO

SCORPIO

AQUARIUS

(JULY 23 - AUGUST 22)

(OCT 23 - NOV 21)

(JAN 20 - FEB 18)

(APRIL 20 - MAY 20) Tired of all the pressure in your work? Never let the loads of work, the busy schedule and the deadlines stress you. Learn to take things one step at a time. You will be lucky today if you learn how to “calm down” and “relax.” Good fortune awaits you, dear. So you better forget about the pressure.

GEMINI

Today, you will be faced with situations that will require major decisions. Be very careful. The way you think will shape your future and the future of the people around you. Before making a move, you must think hard and consider those who will be greatly affected.

Destiny is finding a way to let you know that now is the right time to stop searching. Lately, you have been searching for things that you do not really need.

Find time to appreciate the beauty around you and you will realize just how blessed you are. You are lucky because you already have everything.

You just have to open your eyes.

VIRGO (AUG 23 - SEPT 22)

(MAY 21 - JUNE 21) Someone is thinking about how good you have been lately. That person may not always express the gratitude but you are treated dearly in that person’s mind. Luck will come your way if you use this as a motivation to be good to a lot of people until all of them are inspired by your good deeds.

This might be a very challenging day for you. People will try to challenge your ideas and make you feel less important in your work. But remember that no matter how dark your days, you always have the power to brighten it up. Consider their words as a challenge for you to change what needs to be changed, but maintain your faith in yourself.

SAGITTARIUS

PISCES

(NOV 22 - DEC 21)

(FEB 19 - MAR 20)

You may have been waiting for that “right one,” the “right time” and the “right chance” for quite some time now and you are definitely near saying, “Is it really coming?” Well, tell yourself that it is.

Your stars are telling you to wait a little longer, because tomorrow is the perfect day for you.

Don’t forget that good things come to those who wait.

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You have been feeling so unsatisfied with the way things around you are happening. This may cause you a lot of trouble, Aquarius. The more you look at the things you lack, the more you push your luck away. Try spreading the good vibes in your environment by changing what you can and accepting what you can’t.

You have been trying so hard to be happy. But you fail to figure out what would really give you the bliss you have always been yearning for. Find some time today to talk to yourself. Ask yourself what your passions are, and start pursuing them. You don’t need to chase happiness. It will come your way, when you start doing not just what you will, but what you love.

Events

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 40

69TH Annual Steveston Festival Again – Treasures Revisited

By Steveston Community Society/ Salmon Festival

By Mel Tobias WHEN/WHERE: 2 to 6 p.m., June 27, 28 and 29 at 1868 W. Broadway, Vancouver, B.C.

Dancing on the Edge

MORE INFO: Canada Day special sale.

Everything will be 50% off. Call Mel Tobias 604-730-0222

WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m., June 22, Garry Point Park in Steveston MORE INFO: www.stevestonsalmonfest. ca/relatedevents

By Festival of Contemporary Dance WHEN/WHERE: July 3 – 12 at the following venues: Firehall Arts Centre, Chapel Arts, SFU Woodward’s Atrium, Portside Park & Hopbopshop TICKETS: $28/26/24 (regular/ student and senior/member) MORE INFO: Tickets & Passes on sale now: dancingontheedge.org | 604-689-0926.

YUKON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

NUNAVUT

2014 Free Trainings and Seminars

By Filipino Canadian Construction Society WHEN/WHERE: 6 to 8 p.m., various dates (see poster) at the Meeting Room, Multi-Cultural Helping House 4802 Fraser St., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Contact Ferdie Lontok 778-868-8759 or Buddy Villamin 604-355-9586

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Fiesta ng Bayan 6

ALBERTA SASKATCHEWAN

By the Filipino Association of Chilliwack WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 21, Corbould Street, Chilliwack, B.C. at the back of Chilliwack Cultural Center MORE INFO: Featuring Mutya ng FilAc

Free Community Workshops

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., July 2 to 3, New Westminster Public Library, 716-6th Ave. MORE INFO: Registration required. Call 604-438-8214 ext. 112. Classes are in English and Multilingual

MANITOBA

Pagdiriwang: Halina sa Richmond 2014

By Times tel Multicultural Heritage Festival

By City of Richmond in partnership with Vancouver Cantonese Opera WHEN/WHERE: noon to 5 p.m., June 28 and 29 at the Minoru Plaza outside the Richmond Cultural Centre 7700 Minoru Gate.

MORE INFO: call 604-764-8181 or visit www.multiculturalheritage.ca

www.canadianinquirer.net

WHEN/WHERE: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 21, Lansdowne Centre, Food Court 5300 No. 3 Road, Richmond, B.C. MORE INFO: Santacruzan parade and launch of Karaoke Family Feud plus a chance to win 1 in 4 Smartphones!

Events

41 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

Sign up for 2016 polls

By Philippine Consulate in Vancouver

CANADA EVENTS

WHEN/WHERE: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 21, Lansdowne Centre, Food Court 5300 No. 3 Road, Richmond, B.C.

View all events by scanning this QR code or visiting

http://bit.ly/ PCI-Events

MORE INFO: All qualified Filipino nationals are advised to bring copies of their passports so they can register as overseas voters for the 2016 national elections.

World of Dance Vancouver

By Paul Mitchell

Pinoy Picnic Potluck (Year 8)

WHEN/WHERE: 3 to 11 p.m., June 21 at Croatian Cultural Center MORE INFO: Tickets on sale now at https://wod.webconnex. com/2014vancouverticketing

By Pinoy Without Borders WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 22 at Snowowl, North Glenmore Park 7305 Crowchild Tr. S.W. Calgary, AB MORE INFO: All-Filipino food, games, bingo, chickahan and more.

Unveiling of Rizal Memorial

By Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba

NEWFOUNDLAND

WHEN/WHERE: 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dr. Jose Rizal Park, Sewa Crescent

QUEBEC

One Kapamilya Go!

By TFC

ONTARIO

WHEN/WHERE: 11 a.m. June 21, Heritage Court of Direct Energy Centre, Toronto MORE INFO: 20th anniversary of TFC. Watch Kapamilya stars like Vice Ganda, Angel Locsin, Maja Salvador, Xian Lim, Enrique Gil, Gary Valenciano and more. Tickets at Ticketmaster.ca

Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Show sa Toronto

By Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., June 28 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre www.canadianinquirer.net

To have your events featured on PCI, please email events@canadianinquirer.net

JUNE 20, 2014 FRIDAY 42

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FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

43

Travel

Winnipeg’s rivers and creeks offer a wilderness escape right in the city

BY STEVE LAMBERT The Canadian Press WINNIPEG—The deer raised its head and froze, silent and still amid the tall grass on the river shoreline, as two canoeists drifted by. For almost a minute, the animal kept a wary eye on the humans and did not move a muscle until they passed downstream.

It’s a scene played out in wilderness areas across Canada.

But this is roughly one kilometre from downtown Winnipeg, arguably the most paddlefriendly city in the country.

Four rivers cut through the Manitoba capital. There are countless access points, official and otherwise, that offer residents a quick journey from downtown office buildings or suburban homes to the lush green shorelines and wildlifefilled waterways.

“It’s great. You can go all of a sudden from a residential area to an escape,” said Charles Burchill, an enthusiast and instructor who, aided by his four canoes, has mapped out several dozen places in the city where people can drop in their canoe, kayak or paddle board.

The rivers offer a view of the city that is completely different from the bustling streets just a stone’s throw from the shoreline. In the river valleys, you take in green forests on the shore and hear the gurgling sound of the water. You’re likely to spot deer, eagles, pelicans, geese and other animals which follow the green belt shorelines from the countryside into the city centre.

You’ll also pass under small footbridges from which people fish, and larger bridges that connect major roads.

Each river has its own per-

Ice skating on the river in The Forks.

PHOTO FROM ASPERGERSGUY70 / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

sonality and offers a different experience. The Red, which comes from the south, is akin to a wide aquatic autobahn— a strong current means fast speeds downstream and there are often motorboats rushing by. It’s a busy river used by, among others, a rowing club just south of downtown.

The Assiniboine, coming from the west, usually has the fastest current. In two hours, it can bring you from the wilderness at city limits past parks, residential backyards and the provincial legislature, right into the heart of downtown.

The Seine—much smaller, narrower and shallower—offers a quieter, meandering ride through a green belt before emptying into the Red. It’s the Sunday drive of rivers and can take eight hours or more to navigate. It’s where you’re most likely to be within close range of animals on the shore or in the water, and wave to people out for a stroll along forested pathways.

“It is a really pretty river ... that is easy to paddle in both directions,” Burchill said.

“You sometimes have to deal

with beaver dams and the occasional downed tree.”

The fourth river—the Lasalle—lies almost entirely outside city limits and empties into the Red on Winnipeg’s southern edge. Its current can be quite strong, depending on the time of year, and it offers more wilderness than the other waterways.

And if all roads led to Rome, all rivers in Winnipeg lead to The Forks, the meeting of the Red and Assiniboine rivers that served as a gathering place for aboriginals long before Europeans arrived. The area is now a national historic site that bustles with people watching street performers or eating and drinking on restaurant patios.

Burchill has travelled by canoe to The Forks, carried it up a short series of steps and essentially parked it outside a patio for lunch. Few places in Canada offer such easy access from the water.

“That’s a great feature. It’s kind of fun to ... leave the canoe outside and sit on a patio and then you can just put the canoe back in the river and go back.”

The Assiniboine Riverwalk, with the Saint Boniface Cathedral in the background.

PHOTO FROM WPG GUY / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Local paddlers are hoping to enhance the city’s waterways by having more signage posted on riverbanks to highlight launch areas, some of which are just small public patches of grass between suburban homes. There’s also a push for signage along the waterways to highlight historical points of interest.

“We’re trying to organize something wider on the Red ... where people can actually get a better idea of where they can launch and of some of the history on the river,” said Chris Randall, president of the nonprofit advocacy group Paddle Manitoba.

For visitors to the city, there are a few shops that will rent canoes, all the associated gear and items such as trailers to let you drive your canoe to a launch point. Once in the river, you’ll see a greener, wilder side of the

city that motorists and pedestrians do not.

“It really is kind of a jewel that we have,” Burchill said. ■ If You Go...

• Charles Burchill has mapped out access points to Winnipeg’s rivers at http:// home.cc.umanitoba.ca/ 7/8burchil/pm_canoe/winnipeg_route.html.

• Paddle Manitoba offers free group outings for novice and experienced paddlers alike every Wednesday evening between May and September, starting in La Barriere Park, off Waverley Ave., five kilometres south of the Perimeter Highway.

• Canoes, kayaks and other equipment can be rented from stores such as Heartland Canoe (http://winnipegcanoerentals. com/) and Wilderness Supply (http://www.wildernesssupply. ca/).

Seen & Scenes

JUNE 20, 2014

ATENEO ALUMNI RAISE FUNDS FOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

FRIDAY 44

MS. B'S BIRTHDAY BASH

The Ateneo Alumni Association of B.C. (AAABC) held a spring dinnerdance at the Alan Emmott Centre in Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, B.C. to raise funds for their scholarship program. In photo are the AAABC officers (standing from L) Anja Echavez, president; Gino Echavez; Don Alinea; Alya Manansala; Angio Ledesma, vice president; Gabe Pedrosa; Carlo Ramirez; Homer Flores; (seated) Deputy Consul General (DCG) Anthony A.L. Mandap, Mrs. Mandap and Amado Mercado III. Photos by Poch Piezas

Juan Radio hosts celebrating Miss B’s birthday at Neptune Seafood Restaurant in Richmond, B.C. Catch Angel Jones on Mondays and Fridays; Lita Nuguid on Saturdays; and Ms. B daily on 96.1 FM.

CALGARY MARKS INDEPENDENCE DAY

JC de Vera with Fly Friendly Executive Resty Reyes after the former’s concert, “An Evening with the Hunk, the Diva, and the Best,” at Century Casino in Calgary.

DCG Mandap with Scholarship Fund Director GG Francisco.

Filipinos in Calgary marked the 116th Philippine Independence Day with three events organized by the Philippine Independence Day Organizing Committee of Calgary (PIOCC). First event was a benefit concert featuring Ms Joey Albert on June 8, followed by a two-day Independence Day celebration at the Pacific Place Mall NE on June 14 and 15. The event was highlighted by a parade participated in by Ms. Universe Canada Riza Santos. Photo shows BigMouth, a guest artist from the Philippines, who performed on the second day.

DCG and wife with AAABC past president and Conservative Party Nomination Candidate for Burnaby South Mike Calingo and wife Espie. At right is Amado Mercado III, AAABC board member.

FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY HELD AT VANCOUVER CITY HALL

Wacky Mabuhay shout-out from Mayor Robertson and Filipinos who attended the flag-raising event. Photo by Consul Melanie Diano

Vancouver City Mayor Gregor Robertson shares a light moment with six-yearold Naomi Cusi who sang the Canadian National Anthem during the flagraising ceremony. Photo by Charen Cusi

Consul General Neil Ferrer and members of the Vancouver City Council prepare to raise the flag during the 116th commemoration of Philippine Independence at city hall. Photo by Grace Cuenca

For photo submissions, please email info@canadianinquirer.net. www.canadianinquirer.net

Seen & Scenes

45 FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

FILIPINOS IN TORONTO CELEBRATE THE 116TH PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY

by Thessa Sandoval

Ms. B got warm birthday wishes from family and friends including Gigi Astudillo, Tosca Newland, ValMs. B’s family were on hand to bring her lie Pavino, and Marigold (Goldie) cheer on her special day.

Bugayong Castro.

PCG VANCOUVER HOLDS RECEPTION FOR DIPLOMATIC CORPS

After they cast their ballots to use one of their democratic rights as Canadians on June 12, Filipino-Canadians in Toronto flocked to the Philippine Consulate General Office to commemorate the day when their home country became a free, democratic nation. Filipinos from all over the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) came dressed in their best Filipiniana attire for a day of Kundiman, OPM, fashion show, arnis demonstration, and salu-salo.

The Philippine Independence Day celebration began with a prayer led by Rev. Fr. Ben Ebcas of Our Lady of The Assumption Parish, who then blessed the new Consulate General Office. The consuls in Toronto also delivered the official statements on Philippine Independence issued by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, and other government officials.

Representatives from the Toronto Fire Services and the Toronto Police also shared stories of the volunteer work they did after Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) devastated Tacloban, Leyte.

The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver during the Philippine National Day Reception for the BC Consular Corps. Photo by Angelo Siglos

Members of the BC consular corps pose for a group shot during the Philippine Independence Day reception hosted by Congen Neil Ferrer and wife, Miriam. . Photo by Angelo Siglos

Congen Neil Ferrer welcomes Malaysian Consul General Mohd Haniff Bin Abd Rahman. Photo by Angelo Siglos

REPRESENTATIVES FROM the Philippine Canadian Inquirer recently visited MTG Healthcare Academy, a Filipino-owned health care school in Calgary.

Photo shows MTG employees (from L) Tony Tucjang, Rochelle Galzote, Liza Zantua and Ferdi Zantua.

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FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

46

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FRIDAY 48