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VOL. 6 NO. 322

FLAG DAY

Philippine flags fly high in front of the monument of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal at the Rizal Park in Manila on May 27, 2018, ahead of the national flag days from May 28 to June 12. During this period, Philippine flags are displayed in commemoration of the struggles and sacrifices of Filipino heroes who fought for the country's independence.

AVITO C. DALAN / PNA

War on drugs adheres to rule of law: Palace

BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA – Malacañang on Tuesday assured the public that government will continue to adhere to the rule of law while pursuing the relentless campaign against illegal drugs.

“We continue to adhere to the rule of law in our efforts to get rid the country of illegal drugs and protect the rights to life of our citizens and create an environment of peace and order,” Presiden-

tial Spokesperson Harry Roque said in his speech during the launching of #RealNumbersPH: Year 2 at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

As the government intensified efforts to provide accurate information and data, Roque urged the law enforcers to follow due process in the war against drugs that President Rodrigo R. Duterte started right after his inauguration in June 2016.

“We must likewise demand due pro-

8

Fearless journo recalls Marawi siege experience

15 Amid confusion, EU data privacy law goes into effect

❱❱ PAGE 11 War on

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❱❱ PAGE 32

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FRIDAY

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

PRRD insists to declare ‘entire’ Boracay as land reform area

BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday reiterated his plan to declare the “entire” Boracay Island as land reform area after its ongoing rehabilitation.

“I do not mean to lord it over but as I have promised, I will declare the entire island a land reform area,” Duterte said in a speech during the signing of the Ease of Doing Business Act in Malacañang.

Duterte said only the coastal area would be used by tourists while the land area would be given back to the natives of the world-famous resort island.

“I will leave that option to you to preserve the coastal area. I have no interest any interest there. I will just convey to you now that my predilection, if you want to call it, is to declare it a land reform area,” he said.

The President said he has no idea why Boracay became commercial when

in fact, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed a proclamation in 2006, classifying the island into forest land and agricultural land. In 2008, the Supreme Court upheld Arroyo’s proclamation, saying the petition had no legal basis to say that private entity can own land in Boracay.

“I have no idea why that part became commercial. I will leave it up to you decide. I said, carve out a few meters from the coastal. The (sea) waters, I will not touch on that,” he said.

Duterte has directed the Department of Agrarian Reform to start working on his plan to declare the island a land reform area.

The inter-agency task force has started the cleanup and rehabilitation of the 1,028-hectare island.

Early this year, Duterte described Boracay as a “cesspool” due to its sewage and garbage problem, prompting him to order a six-month closure to rehabilitate the island which started last April 26. ■

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Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

5

SWS: Less Filipinos believe life will get better in next 12 months

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE LATEST survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that fewer Filipinos expect their quality of life to get better in the coming 12 months.

The First Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey, released on Wednesday, May 23, found that 46 percent of adults were “expecting their personal quality of life to improve in the next 12 months (Optimists)” and six percent of them were expecting it to get worse (Pessimists) for a net personal optimism score of +40, which is classified by the SWS as “excellent.”

“This is 6 points below the record-high excellent +46 (49% Optimists, 3% Pessimists) in December 2017, and similar to the excellent +40 in June 2017,” the polling firm said.

According to the SWS, the net personal optimism has been excellent (+40 and above) since December 2015; however, it

dropped in March 2017 when it only got a rate of “very high” +36.

The net personal optimism, the SWS reported, stayed excellent in Mindanao and in Balance Luzon, although down by five points from +45 in December last year.

On the other hand, it fell by one grade from “excellent” to “very high” in Metro Manila, dropped by 12 points from +49 in December 2017.

It also stayed “very high” in the Visayas, despite an eightpoint decrease from September to December.

This March 2018 survey, conducted from March 23-27, 2018, used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide, with sampling error margins of plus-minus three percent for national percentages, and plus-minus six percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Optimism on PH economy

Meanwhile, the same survey

GLENDALE LAPASTORA / FLICKR

also showed that 42 percent of Filipinos were still optimistic that the Philippine economy in 2019 will improve, while 12 percent of them said that the economy “would deteriorate,” for a net optimism about the economy score of +31, classified as “excellent” by the polling firm.

“This is 11 points below the

Dela Rosa appointed first president of Anti-Crime Council of the Philippines

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE FORMER chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and now Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general was chosen to head the newly-formed multi-sectoral council Anti-Crime Council of the Philippines (ACCP).

BuCor chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was appointed as the first president of the ACCP, tasked to battle all forms of criminality, by Federation of Philippine Industries chair Jesus Lim Arranza during the first Anti-Illicit Trade Summit held at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City on Tuesday, May 29.

The newly-launched council is consisted of “government

enforcement agencies, private business, civic groups, the academe and other non-government organizations.” The body, however, is yet to publish a list of its members.

Personalities who attended the ceremonial launch were PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Director Filemon Ruiz, and former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

In a chance interview with reporters, dela Rosa assured that his responsibilities in the ACCP will not affect his work as the head of the BuCor. “Hindi naman, kumbaga (No, because) this is an extracurricular activity from my basic na trabaho talaga sa gobyerno (work in the government) as director general of BuCor, so ito naman (this one) is on the side,

so focused pa rin ako sa aking trabaho sa (I’m still focused on my work in the) BuCor,” dela Rosa was quoted as saying in a GMA report.

“May sarili akong problema sa (I have my own problem on) smuggling, smuggling of contrabands inside Bilibid, so ’yan ‘yung sarili naming problema sa loob (that is our own problem inside),” he added.

He further said that he might bring his “Oplan Tokhang” in the fight against smugglers.

Dela Rosa stepped down as PNP chief last month after being at the forefront of the administration’s war against illegal drugs for almost two years.

After he relinquished his post to Albayalde, he was assigned

by President Rodrigo Duterte to head the BuCor, which houses convicts in the country. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

excellent +42 (52% Optimistic about the Economy, 9% Pessimistic about the Economy, correctly rounded) in December 2017,” it said.

The net optimism about the economy has been “excellent” (+20 and above) since December 2015, reaching as high as +56 in June 2016.

It also remained “excellent”

in Mindanao, Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, and the Visayas, according to the SWS. The pollster said that the net optimism about the economy “refers to expectations about the general Philippine economy,” and is different from the net personal optimism which refers to expectations in personal quality of life. ■

Filipino nurse elected vice mayor in UK

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Danilo Favor, a nurse by profession has again made history with his election as deputy mayor of East Grinstead in Sussex, the Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom said.

Favor, a member of the Conservative Party, became the first Filipino to hold elective office in the UK after he was elected Councilor of East Grinstead in 2011 and was re-elected to a second term in 2015.

On Tuesday night, Ambassador to UK Antonio Manuel Lagdameo congratulated Favor.

The envoy said Favor, elected by members of the East Grinstead Town Council, will assist Town Mayor Rex Whittaker during Council meetings and in raising funds for various com-

munity charities.

Favor is a recipient of the Presidential Banaag Award for outstanding Filipino individuals and organizations overseas who have advanced the cause and promoted the interests of overseas Filipino communities.

An ophthalmic nurse practitioner at the Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Favor has lived in East Grinstead for 15 years.

He graduated in the Philippines with a degree in nursing and continued his ophthalmology nurse specialist studies at King’s College in London.

Favor also received a Community Service Award in 2014 from Mid-Sussex District Council for his active involvement in numerous community organizations. ■

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Philippine News

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

AI names De Lima as Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender

BY BEA KIRSTEIN T. MANALAYSAY Philippine Canadian Inquirer AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (AI) Philippines, a group advocating for human rights, recognized detained Senator Leila De Lima as the “Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender” on its first-ever Ignite Awards for Human Rights on May 28, Monday.

De Lima outdid other nominees for the individual category which included Senator Risa Hontiveros, Nymia Pimentel-Simbulan, and Leni Velasco.

The detained Senator said that she is “deeply humbled” for being chosen.

“It is with great honor to receive this latest accolade as recognition for my unwavering stance on human rights despite my continued unjust detention and political persecution,” De Lima said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Our shared goals and cooperation only proved that no tyrant can stop us.

No matter how influential and powerful those who violate our dignity and human rights are, our strong will and determina-

tion will always prevail; truth and justice and will always succeed,” she added.

Though the Senator, one of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s staunch critics is currently imprisoned in the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, she continues to receive various awards and recognition.

Her latest award is not her first from AI as the organization included her in its list of “Human Rights Defenders Under Threat.”

Time Magazine listed her as one of its 100 Most Influential People and Foreign Policy. A United States (US)-based publication also included De Lima in its list of Leading Global Leaders consecutively for years 2016 and 2017.

Fortune Magazine in April 2017 ranked her as the 39th out of 50 of the World’s Greatest Leaders.

De Lima is a former secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the former chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Her arrest came after being accused of allegedly protecting drug dealers inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was still the Justice Secretary. ■

Sereno asks SC more time to respond on show cause order

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The camp of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday filed a motion asking the Supreme Court (SC) to give her more time to respond on the show cause order in connection with the SC ruling on the quo warranto petition against her.

Lawyer Josalee Deinla, one of Sereno’s spokespersons, said they had asked the SC to give them 15 more days, or until June 9, to respond to the show cause order.

In its May 11 ruling, the High Court directed Sereno to show cause within 10 days from receipt of notice why she should not be sanctioned for violating the Code of Professional Responsibility and the Code of Judicial Conduct “for transgressing the sub judice rule and for casting aspersions and ill motives to the members of the Supreme Court.”

“When this petition for quo warranto was filed, respondent (Sereno) continuously refuses to recognize this Court’s (SC’s) jurisdiction. Instead of participating in the process and answering the charges against her truthfully to assist in the expeditious resolution of the matter, respondent opted to proceed to a nationwide campaign, conducting speeches and accepting interviews, discussing the merits of the case and making comments thereon to vilify the members of the Congress, cast aspersions on the impartiality of the members of the Court, degrade the faith of the people to the Judiciary, and falsely impute ill motives against the government that it is orchestrating the charges against her,” stated

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the 153-page decision, penned by Associate Justice Noel Tijam.

“It is well-nigh unthinkable for respondent to profess deprivation of due process when she herself chose to litigate her case before the media,” it added.

The SC stressed the bar on parties discussing their case in public as it explained that this rule, the sub judice, is even applied to lawyers and judges since it is mandated by the Code of Professional Responsibility and the Code of Judicial Conduct.

The SC said Sereno’s behavior of “disdain and contempt” towards some High Court justices, whom she dubbed as the “Biased 5” originally, and later “Biased 6,” “can no longer be tolerated.”

“She may be held liable for disbarment for violating the Canons of Professional Responsibility for violating the sub judice rule by repeatedly discussing the merits of the quo warranto petition in different fora and for casting aspersions and ill motives to the members of the Court even before a decision is made, designed to affect the results of the Court’s collegial vote and influence public opinion. This wrongful actuation exemplify a poor regard for the judicial system and may amount to conduct unbecoming of a Justice and a lawyer,” it reads.

“Once and for all, it should be stated that this is not a fight for democracy nor for judicial independence. This is an undertaking of the Court’s duty, as it is called for by the Republic, to judicially determine and settle the uncertainty in the qualification, or otherwise, of respondent to sit on the highest position in the Judiciary,” it added. ❱❱ PAGE 13 Sereno asks

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

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1,724 new lawyers to take oath Friday

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — A total of 1,724 new lawyers are set to take their oath on Friday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

Associate Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, chairperson of the 2017 SC Committee on the Bar exams, reminded the bar passers and guests to behave properly during the oath-taking ceremony on June 1 at 2:30 p.m..

“Any act that undermines the safe and orderly conduct of the Oath-Taking Ceremonies or disturbs the due decorum therefor shall be punished with direct contempt of court, and shall be dealt with summarily,” read the SC notice signed by Bersamin.

“In this regard, the Supreme Court Security Officials and Personnel are deputized to ensure the safe and orderly conduct of the Oath-Taking Ceremonies, and their duly designated personnel are expressly authorized to prevent or reprimand any violations of the orderly conduct of the Oath-Taking Ceremonies,” Bersamin added.

A total of 1,724 out of the 6,748 examinees who took the examinations passed, translating to a passing rate of 25.5 percent of the total examinees.

Bersamin said the number of examinees for 2017 was the highest so far as compared to the past two years.

He, however, noted that the percentage of passers this year is lower compared to 59.06 per-

PNA

cent or 3,747 out of 6,344 examinees who passed the 2016 Bar Examinations and 26.21 percent of 1,731 out of 6,605 examinees who passed the 2015 Bar Examinations.

Mark John Simondo, an alumnus of the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod topped the 2017 Bar Examinations, with a high score of 91.05 percent.

Simondo was followed by three other provincial law graduates — Christianne Mae Balili, of University of San Carlos in Cebu, in second place (90.80 percent); Camille Remoroza, of the Ateneo De Davao University, in third place (90.70 percent); and Ivanne D’laureil Hisoler, also from University of San Carlos, in fourth place (89.55 percent).

Meanwhile, San Beda Col-

lege-Manila alumna Monica Anne Yap garnered fifth place (89.45 percent). At sixth place is University of Santo Tomas (UST) law graduate Lorenzo Luigi Gayya (89.10 percent).

Another University of San Carlos graduate, Rheland Servacio, placed seventh (89 percent) while Krizza Fe Alcantara — Bagni of St. Mary’s University in Nueva Vizcaya placed eighth (88.90 percent).

UST alumni Klinton Torralba and Emma Ruby Aguilar got the ninth and tenth place, with a rating of 88.65 percent and 88.40 percent, respectively.

Lyan David Juanico and Lougenia Cariño, both from San Beda College — Manila, placed 11th and 12th; Arman Joseph Guzman, of UST, placed 13th; Jewelle Ann Lou Santos, of

Ateneo De Manila University, placed 14th; while Stephanie Claros, of University of San Jose — Recoletos in Cebu; Rhea Doll Gonzalo, of Xavier University in Cagayan De Oro City; and Nadia Christine Mendiguarin, of Saint Louis University in Baguio City, were tied at 15th place.

The other topnotchers, from 16th to 20th places respectively, were Eileen Carla Carpio, of San Beda University — Manila; Ella Mae Mendoza, of University of Cebu; Aecaya Christine Calero, of UST; Pretz Vernie Vinluan, of University of the Philippines; and Roniel Resurreccion, of Jose Rizal University.

The Bar Examinations are given annually in the course of one month, spread over four

Sundays at a designated venue under the supervision of the SC. It is the only professional licensure examinations which require the examinees to answer open-ended questions written in long hand. These questions, formulated by the bar examiners for each subject and selected personally by the Bar Committee Chair on the day of each examination, are formulated to test analytical ability, facility in expression in terms of written argument, comprehension of basic principles of law, and grasp of jurisprudence.

Due to the scope and difficulty, the bar examinations are regarded as the most prestigious professional licensure exam in the country. It is also the only licensure examination that is not administered by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).

The Bar Examinations are given only once every year at a designated venue under the supervision of the SC which designates an incumbent Justice to chair a committee consisting of eight examiners, one for each bar subject.

The exam covers Civil Law, Labor Law, Mercantile Law, Criminal Law, Political and International Law, Taxation, Remedial Law, and Legal and Judicial Ethics.

The Chair of the Annual Bar Examinations is given the discretion by the Supreme Court to choose the eight bar examiners who are considered as experts in their particular fields and, during the entire duration of the bar examinations, are bound by strict confidentiality. ■

Duterte to Jurado: I do not need you

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer ANOTHER GOVERNMENT official was sacked by President Rodrigo Duterte — this time it is Government Corporate Counsel Rudolf Philip Jurado.

Speaking during the signing of two laws in Malacañang, the President said, “May I call the Government Corporate Counsel now. Are you in this [room]?

Nandito ka (Are you here)? Kasi

kung nandito ka lumabas ka, p***** i** mo (Because if you are here, get out. You s** of a b****).”

“You are fired. I do not need you and maybe you do not need me,” he added.

The Chief Executive fired Jurado for allegedly granting a gambling franchise to the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (APECO), a task solely done by the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).

“Kung hindi ka pa naman g*** (What a fool). So you are just

like a PAGCOR operating an independent entity with the same powers na (that) you grant everything. Kung hindi ka t******** (What a fool),” Duterte said.

Jurado was earlier accused by officials in the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) of issuing a legal opinion which allows Apeco to issue online gambling permits outside the Aurora Economic Zone as long as it was within Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) territory. www.canadianinquirer.net

“When you are granted a franchise to conduct gambling in a certain facility, it does not include farming out that franchise to other cities and provinces,” the President said.

“Kasi pagka ganun (If that is the case) then you can ramble on, following your theory, you can ramble on to give permits beyond the shores of Luzon and you can do it in Siasi, Jolo,” he added.

In a statement, Jurado said he accepts the President’s deci-

sion.

“I accept and respect our President’s decision. As an appointee who serves under his pleasure, I am honored to have been given a chance to serve under his administration,” Jurado said.

Jurado, who once served as counsel to actor Robin Padilla, was appointed in the OGCC in April 2017. He replaced Ireneo Galicia, who was an appointee of former President Benigno Aquino III. ■

Philippine News

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JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

Fearless journo recalls Marawi siege experience

BY BEN CAL Philippine News Agency

Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer, Inc. Correspondents Katherine Padilla Joanna Belle Z. Deala RO-Angelica T. Equio Bea Kirstein T. Manalaysay Socorro Newland Bolet Arevalo Administration Head Victoria Yong Graphic Designer Shanice Garcia Photographers Vic Vargas For photo submissions, please email editor@canadianinquirer.net For General Inquiries, please email info@canadianinquirer.net For Sales Inquiries, please email sales@canadianinquirer.net Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 11951 Hammersmith Way, Suite 108 Richmond, B.C. V7A 5H9 Canada

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The views and opinions expressed in the articles (including opinions expressed in ads herein) are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editorial Team.

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Member

MANILA — As the nation marks with grief the first anniversary of the Marawi siege by pro-Islamic State Maute terrorists on Wednesday (May 23), journalist Benjie Liwanag recalled his daring coverage of the bloody fighting that lasted for five months, during which, he found himself in the line of fire a number of times, but cited prayers and faith in God as his savior during his war reportage.

Liwanag, defense reporter of radio station dzBB under TV network GMA, was one of the more than 80 journalists from various parts of the world who covered the war on terror waged by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) against more than 1,500 Maute terror group members that lay siege on Marawi City in southern Philippines on that fateful day of May 23, 2018.

The Marawi siege was preceded by a series of clashes between the military and the Maute terrorists to capture Isnilon Hapilon, the leader of the Islamic terror group, who was spotted in the Marawi.

During the fighting, the Maute terrorists attacked Camp Ranao and occupied several tall buildings, including the city hall and the Mindanao State University in Marawi.

In an interview, Liwanag said it was the second day of the fighting when he arrived in Marawi by car from Iligan City, where he and his driver, Joshua Otadoy, had to pass checkpoints put up by government forces on strategic areas going to Marawi.

Marawi City is about 850 kilometers south of Manila, in the province of Lanao del Sur in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Before they proceeded to Marawi, Liwanag and Otadoy donned their bullet proof vests and steel helmets for their protection since they were in a war zone, where stray bullets fly and zoom anytime of the day or night.

While approaching Marawi, they could hear the rattling sounds of gunfire from various calibers, including cannons and machine guns.

Liwanag immediately called dzBB in Quezon City to make his first on-thespot broadcast of the ongoing firefight.

He knew beforehand how dangerous and risky his assignment was but he was determined to fulfill his job as a reporter.

“I prayed to God, morning, noon and night to protect me from harm, and the Lord heard and answered my prayers Thank you, Lord!” he said.

“During the five-month Marawi siege,

Journalist Benjie Liwanag.

I covered the gun battles for four and a half months, my office gave me a weeklong leave twice to visit my family in Metro Manila, but continued to monitor the situation daily during my vacation so I would be updated of the latest news,” Liwanag said.

During the Marawi siege, Liwanag reported blow-by-blow accounts of the fighting live on radio and TV on real time, tailing government troops during heavy fighting, finding himself in the line of fire.

Adam Harvey, radio broadcaster for the Australian Broadcasting Company, was the first journalist wounded during the Marawi siege.

Harvey was wounded in the neck while covering the fighting. He was rushed to the hospital and was pronounced out of danger.

The war had practically ruined the once beautiful and scenic Marawi City.

However, rehabilitation of the city has been ongoing since its liberation from the terror attacks.

There were reports that foreign-looking terrorists have participated in the fighting, including some operating as snipers.

With today’s modern technology through the internet, people across the country and around the world were able to listen over the radio or saw the fighting including the “surgical airstrikes” by government forces against the Maute terrorists holed up in tall concrete buildings in Marawi City, on televisions, and mobile phones in real time, right in their living rooms.

Liwanag was no stranger covering the war. He covered the bloody Zamboanga siege mounted by elements of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 2013.

Other Manila-based journalists who likewise covered the Marawi siege were Manny Mogato of Reuters, a 2018 Pulit-

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zer winner in journalism, Jim Gomez of the Associated Press (AP), Sandra Aguinaldo, Jun Veneracion, Macky Pulido, and Emil Sumangil all of GMA 7.

Also on the front line were Chiara Zambrano, Jeff Canoy, George Cariño, and Rod Gagalac of ABS-CBN TV/DZMM radio and Ed Estabillo, to name a few.

During the five-month siege, most of Marawi City’s commercial area was destroyed.

The government’s counter offensives had resulted in the killing of two top terrorist leaders, Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute on Oct. 16 last year. The following day, President Rodrigo R. Duterte declared that Marawi City was “liberated from terrorists influence.”

Six days later or on Oct. 23, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana formally announced that the Marawi siege had ended. The five-month fighting had resulted in the killing of 974 Maute terrorists, and the capture of 12 militants, including one foreigner.

On the side of the government, 168 soldiers were killed, including 12, who were killed accidentally by friendly fire, and some 1,400 others were wounded.

Also during the same period, 87 civilians were killed, 40 of whom died due to various ailments.

With tears in his eyes, Liwanag emotionally recalled “how our soldiers made their great sacrifice by risking their lives in defending the country from terrorists’ attacks.”

“I salute our brave soldiers and I continue my prayers for them,” Liwanag said.

Like the raw courage of the soldiers, journalists – who covered the Marawi fighting – were unfazed in the face of the grave danger to their lives, as their mission was to broadcast and write for the world to know about the wicked truth of terrorism that continued to wreck mankind today. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

9

DOJ removes No redactions in Duterte Napoles from witness Cabinet’s 2017 SALNs: Roque protection program

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency

his or her participation.

Among the requirements of the law for a WPP applicant to qualify as state witness is that he or she must be the least guilty of MANILA — Justice Secretary the alleged crime committed.

Menardo Guevarra on Friday Former justice secretary Viterminated the provisional taliano Aguirre II confirmed coverage under the Witness Napoles’ admission into the Protection Program (WPP) of WPP after she executed on Feb. alleged pork barrel scam mas- 27 an affidavit that provided termind Janet Lim-Napoles. more details on the misuse of Guevarra has issued a letter the Priority Development Asto Napoles through her counsel, sistance Fund (PDAF). giving notice of the terminaNapoles had reportedly subtion of her provisional coverage mitted an affidavit implicating under the Witness Protection several lawmakers and former Security and Benefit Program executive officials, which re(WPSBP), effective May 25. portedly included former budNapoles was admitted to the get secretary Florencio Abad. program on Feb. 27, wherein the The affidavit of Napoles is DOJ granted her security pro- being reviewed by the justice tection for witdepartment for ness duty only for possible filing of a period not exadditional cases ceeding 90 days, against more Guevarra said. the Secretary government ofNapoles had of Justice ficials in relarequested to be has found tion to the PDAF admitted into the no reason to scam.

WPP of the DOJ extend further The DOJ, howdue to alleged Napoles’ ever, did not threats to her provisional release her affipersonal secucoverage davit due to conrity, specifically under WPP. fidentiality unrequesting proder RA 6981. tection by way of Napoles’ lawtransfer from her yer, Stephen Daplace of detenvid, earlier said tion at Camp Bagong Diwa. that she is open to becoming a “Considering the denial of state witness in the new PDAF Napoles’ urgent motion for cases being investigated by the transfer of custody to the DOJ DOJ. WPSBP by the 1st, 3rd and 5th Napoles is detained at a deDivisions of the Sandiganbay- tention facility in Camp Bagong an, the main purpose of which Diwa in Taguig City, after a legal Napoles had sought admission intervention of Solicitor Geninto WPSBP, has become moot eral Jose Calida paved the way and academic,” Guevarra said for her acquittal by the Court of in a statement.

Appeals in May last year.

“As there has been no furShe spent only two years at ther claim of threats to her per- the Correctional Institution sonal security inside the Camp for Women in Mandaluyong Bagong Diwa, the Secretary of City following a guilty verdict Justice has found no reason to meted out to her by a Makati extend further Napoles’ provi- City judge for the serious illegal sional coverage under WPP,” he detention of her cousin Benhur noted.

Luy, the primary whistleblower Under Republic Act No. 6981 in the scam. or the Witness Protection Act, Napoles has previously filed before a person is admitted into several petitions before the the WPP, he or she shall execute Supreme Court seeking to stop a sworn statement describing her indictment in the PDAF in detail the manner in which cases, but these were all disthe offense was committed and missed. ■

MANILA — The Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of members of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Cabinet had no redactions unlike last year’s, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made this assurance following the request of members of the media for copies of Cabinet officials’ SALNS. “The FOI (Freedom of Information) office I understand has already released the SALN of the other Cabinet members, and it’s no longer redacted unlike last year’s,” Roque said.

Roque, who joined Duterte’s Cabinet late last year, even said that he was willing to voluntarily provide members of the Malacañang Press Corps. (MPC) with copies of his own SALN. Last year, members of the Duterte Cabinet were under fire for making redactions on some items in their SALNs using a black marker.

A report published in the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) last September 2017 noted that

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TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

redacted details included real and personal properties, asset values, business interests, and liabilities.

The PCIJ described this practice as a “deviation” from the Duterte’s FOI executive order’s push for transparency”which he signed in July 2016.

Then Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, however, defended this blacking out of details, noting that they were concealed because of “security concerns.”

“There are some who may use the sensitive personal information and other data contained in the SALNs to harass people or commit fraud. We, therefore,

consider security concerns as valid issues,” Abella earlier said.

According to the FOI website, any Filipino citizen can make an FOI request for information, official records, public records, and, documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions – as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development.

There are no fees to make a request. But the agency may charge a reasonable fee for necessary costs, including costs of printing, delivery, reproduction and/or photocopying.

The standard processing time for a request is 15 working days. ■

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Philippine News

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

Marcos asks PET to junk Robredo plea on poll recount

BY MA. TERESA MONTEMAYOR Philippine News Agency MANILA — Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday asked the Supreme Court (SC) sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) to junk the motion for reconsideration filed by Vice President Leni Robredo seeking to uphold the 25 percent shading threshold in determining the validity of votes in the vice presidential race during the 2016 national elections.

Marcos, who went personally to the SC to file his 13-page comment/opposition, asked the tribunal to affirm its April 10 resolution denying Robredo’s motion and to junk her appeal praying for the recognition of votes shaded by at least 25 percent in the manual recount of vice presidential votes.

Apart from the dismissal of Robredo’s appeal, Marcos also asked for the confirmation of the 50-percent threshold and for the discontinuation and nullification of the instructions on segregation of ballots with threshold issues for “lack of basis and for unduly delaying the recount and revision proceedings.”

In his comment, Marcos said there was “no categorical declaration” in Comelec resolution No. 16-0600 that the 25-percent shading threshold was adopted by the poll body en banc “during the judicial recount and revision of ballots in election protest.”

“This is misleading. There is no categorical declaration in Comelec Resolution No. 160600 that the 25 percent shading threshold was adopted by the Comelec En Banc in determining the valid votes during

the judicial recount and revision of ballots in an election protest,” Marcos’ stated.

Citing Comelec executive director Jose Tolentino Jr., he said the Project Management Office and the Electoral Contests Adjudication Department of the commission have not provided guidelines on manual counting.

Marcos also pointed out that one of Robredo’s submitted evidence, the Random Manual Audit Guideline, states “human eyes are less perceptive than the vote counting machines.”

“Based on the foregoing, protestee Robredo is obviously deceiving this honorable tribunal (PET) by claiming in her motions that there was a Comelec Resolution mandating the applicability of the 25 percent shading threshold in the appreciation and segregation of votes during the judicial recount and revision of ballots in an election protest.”

Guidelines used by the Random Manual Audit Committee, he said, were intended “exclusively” for used by random manual audit teams in random manual audit activities.

The memorandum by Comelec commissioner Luie Guia to then SC clerk of court Felipa Anama was issued in response to the latter’s request with a copy of Smartmatic guidelines “used in the Random Manual Audit” and had “no mention” if the said guidelines were adopted by the Comelec for recounts in poll protests, Marcos added.

He further argued that using a 25-percent threshold in a manual recount was “absurd,” as the Random Manual Audit Report itself “admitted” its “impossibility” when human eyes, not machines, are determining the validity of votes.

“Based on the foregoing, pro-

testee Robredo is obviously deceiving this Honorable Tribunal by claiming in her Motions that there was a Comelec Resolution mandating the applicability of the 25-percent shading threshold in the appreciation and segregation of votes during the judicial recount and revision of ballots in an election protest,” read the comment.

He also said it was “wrong, premature and speculative” for Robredo to claim that the 50-percent threshold would influence the results of the manual recount in his three pilot provinces.

The former Senator also accused Robredo of unreasonably delaying the assertion of a right, since she only asked for the application of the 25-percent standard after the manual recount started.

Robredo camp not backing down

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo’s lead counsel lawyer Romulo Macalintal has expressed disbelief on former senator Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos’ persistence in requesting the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) to uphold the 50 percent threshold shading in the current ballot recount.

Macalintal, in a statement, said that “this move would result to disenfranchisement of millions of voters including those who voted for him in the 2016 vice presidential race.”

He explained that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) did not set a 50 percent threshold for the 2016 national and local elections.

He reiterated that Comelec has set a 25-percent shading threshold shading on September 6, 2016 as stated in Comelec En Banc resolution adopting

www.canadianinquirer.net

Bongbong Marcos .

Commissioner Luie Guia’s recommendation.

“The position of Mr. Marcos is a clear indication that he intends to take the protest towards his grand design, and at all cost, even to the extent of changing the rules of the game and putting to naught the voice of the innocent voters whose constitutional right of suffrage would be affected,” he said.

Last April 19, Robredo filed motion for reconsideration asked the PET to set aside its April 10 resolution denying her plea for the 25-percent threshold to be applied.

The threshold adopted by the Comelec is designed to scan every oval on the ballot and count as a valid vote those that contain appropriate marks based on pre-determined sharing threshold. Although the voters are told through the voter information to fully shade the ballots, the shading threshold was set at 25 percent of the oval space. Comelec said the purpose is to ensure that votes are not wasted due to inadequate shading.

In its five-page resolution dated April 10, the PET denied

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Robredo’s plea to direct the head revisors to apply the correct threshold percentage as set by the Comelec in the revision, recount and reappreciation of the ballots, in order to expedite the proceedings for lack of merit.

“Protestee’s (Robredo) claim that the Comelec, as purportedly confirmed by the Random Manual Audit Guidelines and Report, applies the 25 percent threshold percentage in determining a valid vote is inaccurate,” the PET said.

The PET started the recount last April 2 and said it could not determine yet when the recount would be finished.

Robredo won the vice presidential race in the May 2016 polls with 14,418,817 votes or 263,473 more than Marcos’ 14,155,344 votes. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

11

No need to probe Calida security agency’s gov’t contracts: DOJ

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday said there is no need to probe Solicitor General Jose Calida over the deals between his family’s security company and some government agencies since these underwent the required procurement process.

“I’m sure that the SolGen (Calida) can explain his statement from the viewpoint of the DOJ, what is important is that all procurement laws, rules and regulations were observed when it entered into these contracts,” Guevarra said in text message sent to Philippine News Agency (PNA) when sought for a comment.

“In the future, however, DOJ should exercise more circumspection,” he added.

Of the 10 government contracts bagged by the Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency, Inc.’s (VISAI), owned

by Calida’s family, two of these, worth PHP12.4 million, were with the Justice department.

The DOJ entered the contract with VISAI under former Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. Asked if the VISAI contracts with DOJ complied with the law and if there is internal in-

quiry into the contracts underway, Guevarra answered: “I still have to verify that, for now, I can only presume regularity in the performance of official duty. Not unless there’s a challenge to the validity of the contracts, there is no need for us to investigate.”

At the same time, Guevarra said for now, he is presuming that all the contracts were validly entered until proven otherwise.

“It’s a private security agency, not the OSG or the SolGen, who entered into the contracts with the DOJ. For now let’s presume that the contracts were validly entered into, unless it could be shown that procurement laws were violated,” Guevarra said.

Calida has earlier denied any wrongdoing in the charges filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the multi-million peso contracts bagged by his security agency with several government agencies since 2016.

The top government counsel said he did not violate the law, specifically Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees cited by complainant Jocelyn Nisperos, in filing the complaint due to the contracts of VISAI. Calida said he already resigned as VISAI chairman and

president on May 30, 2016, or before assuming as Solicitor General in July of the same year.

According to a general information sheet on VISAI as of September 2016, Calida owned 60 percent of the firm, while his wife and three children owned 10 percent each.

Calida took his oath as chief of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on June 30, 2016, along with other Cabinet members appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, says in Section 9 that in the event of a conflict of interest, a government official or employee “shall resign from his position in any private business enterprise within thirty (30) days from his assumption of office and/or divest himself of his shareholdings or interest within sixty (60) days from such assumption.”

Calida’s office said the OSG was “not the approving authority” for the said deals, which it said were won through public bidding and in accordance with law.

Reiterating the “no conflict of interest” line, the statement from Calida’s office slammed allegations of conflict of interest as “totally baseless and con-

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

cocted.”

It also said the notion that VISAI earned PHP150 million from its contracts was “misleading,” since the “bulk” of the contract price, it claimed, went to salaries and benefits of guards deployed, mandatory contributions to the Social Security System, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG, and administration costs.

“Clearly, after all of these are settled, only a small percentage is left as agency fee,” the statement said.

On Monday, Malacanang said Calida’s enemies are getting back at him for winning his quo warranto petition which led to the ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno as Chief Justice last May 11.

“Alam niyo naman kung bakit lumalabas yung mga pula na yan kay SolGen Calida. Nanalo

PCOO

kasi siya doon sa quo warranto petition niya. Binabawian siya ng mga kalaban niya. Yung mga nasaktan doon sa ruling na quo warranto (You know why these criticisms against SolGen Calida are coming out. It’s because he won his quo warranto petition. His enemies are trying to get back at him. Those who were affected by the ruling),” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.

Roque pointed out that Calida has acknowledged that he has stock ownership but he’s not exercising any management powers in the company.

However, the shares of which are still owned by his family.

Moreover, Roque said Calida has resigned from all of his corporate posts before he became Solicitor General. ■

War on... ❰❰ 1

cess to be accorded to policemen accused of alleged abuses,” Roque said.

Despite a marching order given by the President to policemen, Roque said Duterte has never tolerated abusive policemen.

“Never, never has the president said that abusive policemen should evade responsibility for their wrongful acts,” Roque said.

“The President demands this level of accountability because he knows at the end of the day, as President and CommanderIn-Chief, he becomes accountable for the action of everyone who serves with him in government,” he added.

Contrary to criticism, Roque said Duterte does not and will never condone illegal killings.

He said the President’s critics have politicized the war on drugs which the #RealNumbersPH showed has resulted in the death of 4,729 drug personalities and not 12,000 as claimed by human rights groups.

“It is, however, unfortunate that despite the #RealNumbersPH and overwhelming support of the people on the war against drugs, the critics of the administration have politicized the Philippines campaign against illegal drugs considering that our legal processes are effective and functioning well,” Roque said.

Roque said the drug war has

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

been bearing fruits with crime rate in Metro Manila under the Duterte administration recording its lowest for the month of May. He commended the different government agencies led by www.canadianinquirer.net

PCOO

the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) for their efforts to create #RealNumbersPH.

“The #RealNumbersPH is proof of the concerted efforts of the government in reporting impirical, truthful and updated information regarding the results of the anti-illegal drug campaign,” Roque said.

For his part, PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar said the #RealNumbersPH is the government’s platform to combat misinformation, disinformation and fake news.

“The #RealNumbersPH will guide us to our liberation from destructive drugs,” Andanar said in his speech. ■ To get the accurate information about war on drugs, Andanar has encouraged the public to visit www.facebook/realnumbersph.

12

Philippine News

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

DOLE’s Jing Paras accused of theft for allegedly stealing phone

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer LABOR UNDERSECRETARY Jacinto “Jing” Paras was accused by Akbayan party-list Representative Tomasito “Tom” Villarin of trying to steal his phone that worths P74,000.

Villarin filed a theft complaint against Paras before the Office of the Prosecutor in Quezon City. The media was only able to obtain a copy of it on Tuesday, May 29.

In his complaint, Villarin said he was attending a public hearing of the House of Representative’s Committee on Labor at the De Venecia Hall on March 20 when Paras talked to him.

He said although he did not know Paras personally, the latter greeted him, saying “Kayo pala ni Senator [Risa] Hontiveros ang magkasama.”

Villarin and Hontiveros both belong to Akbayan.

The lawmaker said while he engaged in a small talk, Paras

put his mobile phone on the top of his phone, an Iphone X, which was placed on top of Villarin’s table. Afterwards, Paras picked up both mobile phones from the table and left the hall.

Villarin stressed Paras went to Zulueta Hall on the 2nd floor of the same building. The complainant then realized that his phone was missing and tried to locate it.

When he was not able to find it, he asked a member of his staff to call his phone and after it rang for several times, his cellular phone was answered by one of the members of the Legislative Security Bureau (LSB).

The Akbayan party-list representative then sent a letter to Lt. Col. Isabelito Flores, Executive Director of the LSB, requesting a copy a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage to find out how his phone ended up in Zulueta Hall.

The CCTV footage, according to Villarin, clearly shows Paras was holding two cellular phones.

In a press conferrence, Villarin said that Paras might be attempting to get information that may be used against Hontiveros.

“Yes, possibly that’s the main motive why he wanted my phone, to get information,” he said.

Paras filed criminal charges of kidnapping, obstruction of justice, and abuse and exploitation of minors against Hontiveros for allegedly “harboring” underage witnesses in the case of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos.

He also said Hontiveros was liable for wiretapping when she presented a photo of the text exchange between former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and a certain “Cong Jing” during a privilege speech at the Senate last year.

Villarin stressed that if Paras did not take his phone intentionally, he could have answered the call and said “Sorry, nadampot ko lang (I accidentally picked it up),” but such thing did not happen.

Screengrab of a House CCTV footage.

Paras, reacting to this complaint, said the accusations against him were not true.

“Bakit ko naman nanakawin yung cellphone niya? [Isasangkalan] ko yung buong reputation ko at buhay para manakaw lang yung cellphone niya (Why would I steal his cellphone? I would put my reputation and life on the line just to steal his cellphone)?” Paras was quoted as saying in a GMA report.

He explained he was rushing to Zulueta Hall to attend the hearing of the Committee on Mindanao Affairs.

“Hindi ko alam na nadala ko yung cellphone niya (I did not

TOM VILLARIN

know I picked his cellphone up). I have moved to another room. So probably I have left it there pagkatapos nung nagsalita ako doon (after I spoke there). Nung paalis na ako, hindi ko alam na nadala ko pala yun, tapos pagkaalis ko, naiwan ko siguro doon [sa Zulueta Hall] (When I was about to leave the hall, I did not know I brought his phone, and when I went out of the room, I might have left it there),” Paras said.

Paras was a former member of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and also a former Negros Occidental representative. ■

Aussie nun seeks reversal of BI leave order

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The camp of Australian nun Sr. Patricia Fox filed a petition before the Department of Justice on Friday, seeking to reverse the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) decision to forfeit her missionary visa and ordered her to leave the country.

Fox appeared at the DOJ together with her lawyer, Kathy Panguban, where she filed a 24page petition for review asking the department, through Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, to overturn the BI’s leave order on May 17.

“The appeal that we filed before the Department of Justice under the rules this will stay the execution of the order of the Bureau of Immigration, therefore the missionary visa of Sr. Patricia Fox is still valid, pending, the decision of the Department of Justice,” Panguban told reporters after filing the

petition.

In its order, the BI dismissed Fox’s arguments that the bureau forfeited her visa without due process and that allegations that she engaged in political activities were not backed with solid evidence.

It reiterated that Fox acted beyond allowed activities under her visa by working outside Barangay Amihan in Quezon City, where she claimed she would render her missionary work when she applied for her visa.

The order likewise stressed that the strict rules on evidence do not apply to immigration cases, which are administrative proceedings requiring only the lowest quantum of evidence.

Though the BI order is final and executory, Panguban cited that under the BI’s Omnibus rules, it will only become final and executory if no appeal has been filed before the DOJ. “Based on the BI’s Omnibus Rules, the execution of the order will be stayed,” she explained. “Let’s wait for the deci-

sion of the DOJ.” With this, the lawyer appealed to the BI and the DOJ not to arrest Fox and have her deported.

“PI appeal to the BI to recognize its Omnibus rules and existing laws,” Panguban said.

For her part, Fox said she was grateful to her lawyers and her supporters, especially those who joined her at the DOJ. While her deportation case remains under appeal, Fox intends to continue with her missionary work as a human rights defender.

Meanwhile, Guevarra on Friday ordered the BI to comment on the petition filed by Fox seeking a reversal of the April ruling.

The BI has 10 days to submit its comment while Fox would be given five days to reply upon receipt of the copy of the comment. Both deadlines are nonextendable.

Guevarra said the DOJ “reserves the right to call such clarificatory hearings, as may be necessary, to arrive at a just www.canadianinquirer.net

resolution of this appeal.”

On Thursday, BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval explained that if the Australian nun chooses to stay in the country, another deportation proceeding will be conducted against her for not complying with the order to leave.

“The legal division will say she is noncompliant with the order to leave. She has to submit an affidavit on what happened.

And then they will see if she is guilty of the offense. If it would be proven that she is guilty, she would be deported,” Sandoval said in an interview, noting that there will be a hearing and she has to submit an affidavit.

The BI official said they will follow the decision of the DOJ, whatever it may be, after Fox’s camp said they will appeal the BI’s decision forfeiting the missionary visa issued to her.

“The order denying her Motion for Reconsideration (MR) is final and executory already.

If she will file before the DOJ, we do recognize that the DOJ

is a higher office. So whatever order they give us, we follow,” she said.

“The order is to leave on May 25. If she leaves the country and goes back as a tourist, she can enter for as long as she is not on the blacklist,” Sandoval said.

Another deportation proceeding could lead to blacklisting, she pointed out, adding that the Australian nun could apply for another visa but she has to leave and then return to the country.

“She has to leave the country because of visa forfeiture, (wherein) the alien is required to go out of the country. This is not the first incident of visa forfeiture. There were other cases before,” Sandoval said.

On April 16, Fox was apprehended by BI operatives pursuant to a mission order issued by Commissioner Jaime Morente for violating the conditions of her stay in the country by engaging in political activities and anti-government demonstrations. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

Magnificent 7 to seek impeachment of 8 SC justices in Sereno ouster

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer IF THE eight Supreme Court (SC) justices who voted in favor of the quo warranto petition against former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will not reverse their ruling, the opposition Magnificent Seven would file impeachment cases against them.

“If they recant and reconsider then there’s no case. They have traced their footsteps backward in order to see the light,” Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, leader of the group, said in a press briefing on Tuesday, May 22.

“But if they insist and persist on their unwarranted and unconstitutional decision, then we’re going to file the impeachment complaints individually and separately against the errant justices,” he added.

The High Court, voting 8-6 in a special en banc session on May 11, granted the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida, which sought to remove Sereno from her post as the head of the judiciary.

The justices who voted in favor of the petition were Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Samuel Martires, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., and Alexander Gesmundo.

“Justices of the Supreme Court cannot be allowed to be supreme even in their arbitrariness and malevolence. To let them escape scot-free is to condone injustice and oppression,” Lagman said.

“The only viable remedy and constitutional mode of holding justices accountable for their blunder is to remove them from office by impeachment,” he added.

Lagman, citing provisions of the Constitution, said that it is only by impeachment initiated by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate can an impeachable official be ousted from office.

“These clear provisions of the Constitution were ripped apart by the eight justices,” Lagman said.

Supreme Court of the Philippines.

The lawmaker explained that the magistrates were liable for culpable violation of the Constitution because they “arrogated the power and jurisdiction of the Congress to impeach the Chief Justice.”

“They repudiated the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for the appointment by the President of Chief Justice Sereno which is the sole prerogative of the JBC under Section 8(5) of Article VIII of the Constitution which expressly provides that the JBC ‘shall have the principal function of recommending appointees to the Judiciary’,” he said.

Lagman noted the justices were also guilty of betrayal of public trust when five of them refused to inhibit themselves from participating in the ruling of the quo warranto petition, given the fact that they have “publicly expressed their bias” against Sereno when they testified for her impeachment before the House Committee on Justice.

Lagman and his allies will file their complaint “most probably by second week or the end of the first week of June,” depending on whether the eight justices would reconsider their decision.

The six other lawmakers who formed the House Magnificent Seven opposition bloc are Tomasito Villarin (Akbayan Citizens’ Action party-list), Edgar Erice (Caloocan City, 2nd District), Teddy Baguilat Jr. (Ifugao), Gary Alejano (Magdalo party-list) and Emmanuel Billones (Capiz, 1st District), and

MIKE GONZALEZ/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Raul Daza (Samar).

The opposition lawmaker said the complaint that the group is going to file will definitely be sufficient in form and substance, thus the committee on justice “will be constrained to conduct the necessary deliberations and hearings.”

He also denied that this move will open floodgates of impeachment complaints from anyone who is against to any ruling of the SC. “We rejected the decision of the SC when they allowed the burial of Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. We also rejected the SC decision when they sustained the declaration of martial law and its extension but we never said we were going to file an impeachment case against those whose decisions we did not favor,” Lagman explained.

“So it is not true that just because we do not favor the decision we can opt to impeach them in this case it’s very patent the decisions was unconstitutional,” he added.

Villarin earlier announced his plan to file impeachment complaints against the eight justices behind Sereno’s ouster.

He expressed optimism that this move would be supported by his colleagues at the Lower Chamber.

“I believe that Congress, especially the House, would do its constitutional duty of protecting our Constitution, the Congress being the sole institution in which an impeachment complaint will be filed and heard,” Villarin said on May 17. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

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Sereno asks... ❰❰ 6

When “aggressive actions” are taken against the Judiciary as an institution and “clouds of doubt” cast upon the people’s faith in the administration of justice, the SC said it must “deal with it head on,” especially if coming from a lawyer.

The SC voted 8-6 to grant the quo warranto petition that sought to void Sereno’s 2012 appointment as chief justice, when she failed to submit her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), which set the requirement for applicants.

The JBC is the one tasked to screen applicants seeking positions within the judiciary, including the seat of chief justice.

The Court held that Sereno’s appointment as the 24th chief justice — the first female appointed to such post — was null and void.

The 57-year-old Sereno is the first Chief Justice to be removed through a quo warranto petition and should have stayed for 12 more years or until 2030 if the quo warranto petition had been rejected.

Appointed in 2012 by former president Benigno Aquino III, Sereno replaced the late former Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was ousted through impeachment in December 2011.

Sereno earlier insisted that the SC has no jurisdiction to hear and resolve the quo warranto petition, saying she can only be removed through impeachment proceedings with the Senate sitting as the impeachment court.

Sereno is also facing an impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Larry Gadon on four grounds — corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.

The complaint contains 27 acts of alleged offenses by the Chief Justice.

Sereno was charged in an impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives because of her failure to indicate her entire PHP30-million fee in the arbitration proceedings against the Philippine International Air Terminals Co., Inc. (Piatco) as government counsel in her SALN. The complaint also said Sereno committed corruption when she, among other things, used public funds to finance her “extravagant and lavish lifestyle” by ordering the purchase of a brand-new luxurious Toyota Land Cruiser 2017 model as her personal vehicle, amounting to more than PHP5 million; and stay in opulent hotels when attending conferences in the country and abroad. ■

US cancels RimPac invitation to China

BY RO-ANGELICA EQUIO Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE UNITED States (US) has scratched out China from the list of participants in the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RimPac) Exercise, the world’s largest international maritime warfare drill, due to the latter’s aggressive military buildup and its recent deployment of bombers on the islands and reefs of South China Sea. “As an initial response to China’s continued militarization of the South China Sea we have disinvited the Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise,” Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Christopher Logan said in a statement.

Logan also said that these actions of China is “a violation of the promise that President Xi made to the United States and the World not to militarize the Spratly Islands.”

He added, “We have strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-toair missile (SAM) systems, and electronic jammers to contested features in the Spratly Islands region of the South China Sea. China’s landing of [H-6K] bomber aircraft at Woody Island has also raised tensions.”

Furthermore, he said, “China’s continued militarization of disputed features in the South China Sea only serve to raise tensions and destabilize the region.” ■

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Philippine News

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

After Mahathir victory, will FVR make a comeback?

BY BEN CAL Philippine News Agency MANILA — Age doesn’t matter, as the saying goes.

This was demonstrated by Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad, who at 92 years old, was elected anew as Prime Minister of Malaysia 15 years after he stepped down from office.

Mahathir has established an unprecedented record as the world’s oldest elected leader by defeating former protege Najib Razak.

With Mahathir back in power, diehard supporters of Fidel V. Ramos, now 90 years old, have toyed with the idea of letting the former president stage a political comeback, according to journalist and book author Melandrew T. Velasco.

However, Ramos, who is popularly called by his initials “FVR”, was silent about it, Velasco said.

Velasco asks, will FVR make a political comeback? Only time will tell.

However, under the present Constitution, a president is elected only once for six years with no reelection.

Upon learning of Mahathir’s victory, FVR, a close friend of the new Malaysian Prime Minister, immediately sent a congratulatory message to Mahathir.

“We congratulate you as the champion of the ‘no-nons (no nonsense)’ and wish you and the people of Malaysia continued success in your aspiration for greater peace, prosperity, stability and development,” FVR wrote.

FVR said the election of Mahathir “is both a personal achievement as much as a clear manifestation of the trust and confidence in your integrity,

capability and expertise by the people you have worked with and served well through all these years and in various offices that you held.”

According to Ramos, the Philippines and Malaysia have nurtured a long history of close friendship and cooperation, as well as shared commitment to the noble principles of peace, sustainable development, universal brotherhood and democracy, together with other values “both our peoples cherish.”

“Through this relationship, opportunities for mutually beneficial economic, social, educational, cultural and security endeavors have widened. It is out ardent hope that, through your able leadership and strong support, these benefits will be sustained and expanded to further strengthen our people’s various linkages,” added FVR. BIMP EAGA, Malaysian relations

It may be recalled that during the Ramos presidency, the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) was established.

Ramos suggested to his counterparts in the ASEAN in October 1992 that its development was boosted by the final peace agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1996.

The Philippines has had a long-standing territorial claim over Sabah when Ramos ascended into office in 1992.

Because of this, and despite ASEAN, Philippine-Malaysian relations had become frosty, said former foreign affairs secretary Roberto Romulo.

Velasco said that the most significant trip that Romulo

President Rodrigo R. Duterte (center) poses with former President and Manila Mayor Joseph E. Estrada (left), former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd from left), former President and Special Envoy to China Fidel V. Ramos (2nd from right), and former President Benigno S. Aquino III (right).

REY BANIQUET / PPD

remembers was when he, his predecessor Raul Manglapus, and President Ramos went to Kuala Lumpur in January 1993 for a planned meeting with Mahathir, who was then Malaysian prime minister, over the sticky Sabah issue.

Arriving in the Malaysian capital before the meeting with Mahathir, the three huddled until four o’clock in the morning but were still at a loss on the Sabah issue.

Four-eyes meeting

In the car on the way to the arranged meeting with Mahathir, Ramos told Romulo to tell the Malaysian ambassador he wanted a four-eyes meeting with Mahathir.

“Do you know what a foureyes meeting is? A four-eyes meeting is just the President and Mahathir, nobody else.

Now in diplomacy, that is very rare,” Romulo said.

The four-eyes meeting on the Sabah issue took place, but Ramos never told Romulo exactly what he and Mahathir agreed

www.canadianinquirer.net

upon. What he knew was that, in a party thrown by the Prime Minister for the Philippine delegation the following night in his own house, the animosity had disappeared.

“The two of them sang and that was unusual because both could not sing. And that was the beginning of excellent relations between the Philippines and Malaysia, which was very bad under President Cory,” Velasco quoted Romulo as saying.

Much later, Ramos revealed that they both agreed to set aside the Sabah question while they worked for their mutual economic benefit in the ASEAN. After that, the AFTA idea and BIMP-EAGA sailed smoothly through the choppy waters of the region for the rest of the Ramos administration.

BIMP-EAGA was made into a common free trade area between the Sultanate of Brunei, the provinces of East and West Kalimantan and North Sulawesi in Eastern Indonesia, the states of Sabah and Sarawak

and Federal territory of Labuan in Eastern Malaysia, and the islands of Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines.

These components had been in fact natural trading partners before the advent of colonization in Southeast Asia.

BIMP-EAGA was neglected during the Estrada period, and was only revived by the Arroyo Administration after the Asian Development Bank (ADB) released an in-depth study that confirmed that the Ramos idea of a sub-regional special economic development zone of contiguous backdoor regions of the participating nations had strategic value, Velasco said.

Former Presidential Adviser on Mindanao and now Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jess Dureza is credited for working with his counterparts for the reopening of direct air-flights among the participating provinces to facilitate the free flow of goods, services and people in the territories covered. ■

15

Canada News ‘We are sorry:’ Alberta Tighten privacy, premier formally apologizes foreign funding rules to ‘60s Scoop survivors in Liberal voting bill: Electoral officer

BY DEAN BENNETT The Canadian Press EDMONTON — Premier Rachel Notley has formally apologized for Alberta’s role in the ‘60s Scoop, and although survivors say that doesn’t close the book on one of Canada’s darkest episodes, they say it does open a new chapter of reconciliation and healing.

“We are sorry,” Notley said in the legislature Monday as survivors sat in the gallery, some wiping away tears.

“For the loss of families, stability, of love, we are sorry. For the loss of identity, language and culture, we are sorry. For the loneliness, the anger, the confusion and the frustration, we are sorry.

“For the government practice that left you, Indigenous people, estranged from your families and your communities and your history, we are sorry. For this trauma, this pain, this suffering, alienation and sadness, we are sorry.

“To all of you, I am sorry.”

From the 1950s to the late 1980s, about 20,000 Indigenous children were seized from their birth families and relocated to non-Indigenous homes, stripping the children of their language, traditions and family ties.

The apprehensions peaked in the 1960s, giving rise to the term ‘60s Scoop.

Alberta becomes the second province to acknowledge its role and to seek to make amends. Former Manitoba premier Greg Selinger apologized on behalf of that province in 2015.

Alberta’s apology comes after a provincewide consultation during which, Notley said, some 800 survivors shared their stories. Many are still dealing with emotional trauma, which has been compared to that of resi-

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.

dential school survivors.

Notley said their experiences are heartbreaking.

“Children, kids, babies, toddlers, teens ripped from your families,” Notley said. “Parents, unable to see through the tears as they took your children away from you. Grandparents, forced aside as your families were destroyed.”

“It is no wonder that it is so hard for so many of you to trust again.”

One of the survivors, Suzanne Wilkinson, travelled from British Columbia to hear the apology.

She said the pain of that separation reverberates for generations. Even when family members reunite, some emotional wounds cannot be healed, she said.

“If you take all the children out of a family and all the children out of communities, it just rips the communities apart and they disintegrate.”

Sharon Gladue, another survivor, remembers a childhood in Saskatchewan living near a river, her father hunting for their food.

“We were happy. We had children to play with,” said Gladue.

She said that ended when

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case workers came and took the children away because the house didn’t have running water or electricity.

In the end, Gladue said, ‘60s Scoop children end up caught between two cultures, sometimes a stranger in both.

“It’s a catch-22,” said Gladue.

“When you’re trying to reconnect with your families, you sometimes get ostracized from those communities.”

Adam North Peigan, president of the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta, formally accepted the apology. He later told 200 supporters on the steps of the legislature that the work goes on.

“We were robbed of our culture. We were robbed of our language. We were robbed of our traditions and communities as well as our identity as Indigenous people,” said North Peigan.

“Today will mark the beginning of the road of reconciliation.”

In her speech to the legislature, Notley told survivors the province promises to work in the spirit of reconciliation and consultation in the future.

“Together we can help heal the wounds of the past.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

institutions, such as oversight by the federal privacy commissioner.

OTTAWA — The acting head of C-76 is an omnibus bill that Elections Canada is supporting would reverse a number of the Trudeau Liberals’ attempt changes the previous Conserat rewriting federal election vative government introduced, rules, but warns more needs to including restoring the use of be done to limit the influence of voter information cards as a foreign money at the ballot box. valid form of identification.

Acting chief electoral officer The bill would also limit Stephane Perrault said the gov- spending by parties and advoernment’s elections reform bill, cacy groups during the threeknown as C-76, would signifi- month period before an eleccantly modernize the way fed- tion is officially called. eral elections are run in Canada The Liberals hurried the bill and improve integrity in the to committee by limiting presystem. liminary debate in the House of But the legisCommons, drawlation didn’t go ing the ire of opfar enough in position parties some areas, he that want more said. Absent any The bill would time to debate changes, C-76 also limit the legislation. would leave a spending by The Liberals loophole allowparties and argue extening foreign funds advocacy sive debate isn’t to be used by, or groups during needed because passed between, the three-month 85 per cent of the advocacy groups period before bill contained trying to sway an election is measures recvoters. officially called. ommended by Perrault told a either Elections Commons comCanada, or the mittee studyprocedural and ing the legislaHouse affairs tion that there should be strict committee now studying C-76. wording in the bill to prevent Democratic Institutions foreign cash from influencing Minister Karina Gould told election outcomes. the committee the government He also said provisions in is open to amending the bill. the bill cracking down on hack- But she suggested proposals to ers trying to sway an election further tighten limits on thirdwere too narrow, and that they party spending, particularly if should lower the burden of they receive foreign donations, proof to capture cyber attacks could run into legal challenges. aimed at disrupting the vote or Perrault said he was confiundermining trust in the elec- dent that Elections Canada toral process. could have all the changes in And Perrault also told MPs place for the October 2019 fedon the procedure and House af- eral election, but that there fairs committee that they may would likely be room for imwant to look at whether parties provement in how the rules should have to meet the same were implemented for subsestandards that apply to federal quent federal campaigns. ■

16

Canada News

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

‘They’re back:’ Drug dealers Updated Canadatarget southern Alberta Israel free trade reserve when payments arrive deal includes new

chapter on gender, e-commerce

BY BILL GRAVELAND The Canadian Press STANDOFF, ALTA. — A lifeand-death battle against drug dealers is being waged on the sprawling Blood reserve in southwestern Alberta, as officials struggle to keep deadly opioids away from its most vulnerable residents.

Canada’s largest reserve has been on the front lines of a fentanyl epidemic that has plagued many parts of the country over the last four years.

Fentanyl, an opioid up to 100 times more powerful than heroin, is used as a painkiller for terminal cancer patients. But on the streets, the drug — also known as “beans” — emerged as an OxyContin replacement after that drug’s formula was changed.

Sixteen overdose deaths in the first three months of 2015 prompted the Blood band, which has about 10,000 members, to declare a state of emergency.

A second state of emergency was called after a rash of overdoses at the end of February when a batch of carfentil, described as 100 times more toxic than fentanyl, hit the community.

“We were ill-prepared for it.

EMS and the police had horrendous calls,” said Dr. Esther Tailfeathers, who was born and raised on the reserve.

“They’d come to a house and there would be five people who had overdosed and they were unresponsive and not breathing. In that weekend, we had 14 overdoses and luckily no one died.”

There were another 50 overdoses in Lethbridge that weekend.

“We haven’t seen another night like that,” Tailfeathers said. “But I’m sure it’s not the last night we’re going to see something like that.”

Tailfeathers said progress has been made with the introduction of naloxone and Suboxone, a non-addictive medication used to treat opioid addiction.

But drugs are still making

BY GIUSEPPE VALIANTE The Canadian Press

their way onto the reserve and, she said, dealers seem to know exactly when to strike.

“There are certain days when we’re going to see more overdoses, more violence related to drug dealing and more suicide attempts,” she said.

“Those are always related to a payment in the community — a day after welfare comes out or a day after child tax benefits, even (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped) and Canada Pension.”

Blood Tribe Police Chief Kyle Melting Tallow said several dealers have been banished only to set up shop in communities on the edge of the reserve.

He said they find drug mules, usually addicted band members, to carry fentanyl onto the First Nation and sell it when cash is available.

“They know when the money is in the community, so that’s when we see the trafficking go up in frequency.”

Addictions have been a problem for the Blood Tribe for generations.

“We do have a lot of addicted people. We do have a lot of people who are in vulnerable situations and some of them don’t know how to deal with certain things,” said Melting Tallow.

“We have dealers who come in from outside the community and take advantage of that.”

The CEO of the Blood Tribe Department of Health said additional community health staff, a harm reduction nurse

and a crisis prevention team have been added.

But despite increased awareness, some people are still getting “tricked” by whatever they’re buying, said Kevin Cowan.

“If it’s not fentanyl, it’s going to be something else. The drug addiction, the alcoholism, it all continues to happen,” said Cowan.

“We’re just saving lives now because of naloxone. Whereas two or three years ago, it wouldn’t have been 50 plus overdoses. It would have been 50 plus deaths.”

Rick Tailfeathers, a spokesman for the Blood Tribe, said the band is looking at mixing up the timing of payments to members so they don’t all happen on the same day.

“We’ve lost a lot of people through overdose fatalities. It was OK after 2015 — things improved and the overdoses were way down. But they’re back.”

He said the current addictions are more deadly than those in the past.

“There was alcoholism that was rampant in the ‘60s. But today you hear almost daily about overdoses and it’s fatal. That didn’t happen until just recently — I would say in the last four years,” Tailfeathers said.

“I don’t see any end in sight as long the addiction is there.

Fentanyl is highly addictive and most drug users are going to try and find it. It’s the big guys, the dealers, that need to be caught. ■’ www.canadianinquirer.net

MONTREAL — The updated and expanded Canadian-Israeli free trade deal includes a chapter on gender equality that is the first of its kind in the world, International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Monday.

Canada’s new trade deal with Israel also maintains a controversial article that recognizes merchandise from occupied territories such as the West Bank as products of Israel.

What’s unique to this trade agreement is the provision that places the chapter on gender equality under the scope of the dispute settlement mechanism of the larger agreement, Champagne said.

“We are writing international law today,” Champagne said to Israeli Minister of the Economy Eli Cohen, who travelled to Montreal to sign the deal.

“This is the only trade deal in the world with a chapter on gender that is subject to a dispute resolution.”

Champagne and Cohen were scheduled to officially sign the updated agreement later on Monday at a private ceremony in Montreal closed to the media.

Both governments need to ratify the deal before it enters into effect.

The original free trade deal between Canada and Israel came into force in January 1997, which governed the roughly $1.7 billion in two-way merchandise trade between the two countries in 2017.

Negotiations to update the agreement began under former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2014 and were concluded by the Trudeau Liberals.

The new deal maintains a provision that requires merchandise from areas such as the West Bank to be labelled as

products of Israel despite the fact Canada doesn’t recognize permanent Israeli control over that territory, which was occupied in 1967.

A Winnipeg man is challenging a decision made by the federal food inspection agency in 2017 that allowed two wines produced in the West Bank region to be sold in Canada with the label “Product of Israel.”

Under the trade agreement, “Israel” refers to any territory where the country’s customs laws are applied.

Champagne said the new trade deal is in line with international law.

“It’s a simple matter,” he said.

“In international trade law, the way a territory is defined is the physical territory where the customs law apply.

“We think the determination of Canadian food inspection agency is reasonable and acceptable.”

The decision to include a chapter on gender equality came at Canada’s behest.

Chapter 13 states both countries “acknowledge the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into the promotion of inclusive economic growth.”

Cohen told the audience “we will learn from you and implement this (gender chapter) in our future free trade agreements.”

“The agreement that we will sign later today (provides) free duties to more than 2,000 items in the food and agricultural sector,” Cohen added.

Moreover, the updated deal expands market access for both countries and includes new chapters on issues such as ecommerce, intellectual property and labour. ■

Canada News

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

17

Senate committee backs amendment giving provinces power to ban home grown pot

BY JOAN BRYDEN The Canadian Press OTTAWA — A Senate committee has passed more than two dozen amendments to the federal government’s cannabis legalization bill, including one that would allow provinces and territories to ban home-grown marijuana.

But the social affairs committee has refused to accept an amendment that would have prohibited home cultivation outright.

Bill C-45 would allow individuals to grow up to five plants in a single dwelling.

But Quebec and Manitoba have decided to prohibit home cultivation, setting up future legal challenges in which Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has said the federal legislation would prevail.

The Senate committee, which was conducting a clause-by-clause examination of the bill Monday, unanimously supported an amendment specifying that provincial and territorial governments have the authority to prohibit home-grown pot if they so choose.

Among committee members supporting the amendment was Independent Sen. Tony Dean, the sponsor of the C-45 in the Senate. That suggests the amendment has the government’s blessing.

However, the committee rejected, by a vote of 7-5, another amendment pro-

posed by Conservative Sen. Judith Seidman that would have imposed a blanket prohibition on home growing across the country.

Among the other amendments passed, the committee agreed that regulations flowing from the legislation must impose a maximum potency limit on cannabis products.

It also agreed that the House of Commons and Senate should be given 30 days to review regulations before they’re implemented and that anyone fined for violating the law should have up to 60 days to pay, rather than the original bill’s stipulation of 30 days.

As well, the committee passed an amendment specifying that a permanent resident who is sentenced to six months or less for breaking the law would not face an additional penalty of being found inadmissible to Canada and deported.

Most of the other amendments were technical in nature. Dean, the bill’s sponsor, proposed 29 amendments.

Just prior to the committee beginning its clause-by-clause examination, Toronto Liberal MP Bill Blair, the government’s point man on cannabis legalization, told senators that Bill C-45 is comprehensive, “thoughtfully designed” legislation that strikes a careful balance among diverse perspectives.

But Conservative Sen. Carolyn Stewart Olsen questioned that assertion,

given the number of amendments pro- or unforeseen circumstances. posed by Dean to correct “flaws” in the “Do you really think that an ongoing drafting of the bill. or a work in progress is applicable in this “I don’t see that that is thoughtful or area of extreme social change for the well designed,” she said. country? … I would have thought, if you Stewart Olsen also took issue with were going to do this, you would have Blair’sJoel_CanadianInquirer_print.pdf contention that legalization1 is 2017-10-05 monitored, you would have done your 3:45 PM going to be an evolving process, requir- studies, you would have done all of this ing ongoing monitoring, consultations groundwork before bringing in the legand modifications to adapt to changed islation.” ■

Alberta RCMP charge two people in complex multimillion dollar fraud case C

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Y

THE CANADIAN PRESS

CM

experts.

Arnold Breitkreutz, who is 70, and 67-year-old Susan Way, have been charged with fraud over $5,000 and theft over $5,000.

They are to appear in Calgary provincial court on Monday and have been ordered to surrender their passports and remain in Canada.

“This has been an extremely complex investigation involving substantial resources, interviews and time” Sgt. Doug Johnston said in a release Friday.

“We are pleased to be able to conclude this investigation with charges.”

Breitkreutz and Way have been released on bail with conditions that include not contacting certain investors and not dealing with land, money or securities of others. ■ MY

CALGARY — RCMP have arrested and charged two people in a multimilliondollar fraud case involving hundreds of investors in Alberta.

Investigators say two people in Calgary that operated a company called Base Finance Ltd. raised $27 million from investors in 2014 and 2015.

The RCMP Federal Serious & Organized Crime Financial Integrity Unit alleges investors were told the money was for mortgage lending, but the cash was instead payed out to other investors.

Mounties say they began the complex probe after getting a tip from the Alberta Securities Commission and received help from federal forensic accounting

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18

Canada News

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

Bell Aliant doubling pay phone prices in Atlantic Canada, from 25 to 50 cents

BY ALEX COOKE The Canadian Press HALIFAX — Bell Aliant is doubling the cost for pay phones in all four Atlantic provinces on Monday, bringing the region in line with the rest of the country.

Company spokeswoman Isabelle Boulet said in an email Sunday that the change — from 25 cents to 50 cents — is the first pay phone price increase in Atlantic Canada in more than 20 years, and that all other regions in the country have been paying the higher price since 2009.

She did not disclose the costs associated with keeping a pay phone running.

As more and more people abandon glass booths and metal buttons in favour of touch screens and SIM cards, the future of pay phones in Canada is looking grim, despite the price hike in the Atlantic provinces.

According to the 2017 Com-

munications Monitoring Report from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the number of pay phones in Canada dropped by almost 40 per cent in four years — from nearly 94,000 phones in 2012 to about 57,000 in 2016.

Meanwhile, national pay phone revenues have plummeted by 65 per cent: they brought in $22.2 million in 2016, a far cry from the $64 million they earned in 2012.

It’s a trend that doesn’t bode well for elderly Canadians, according to CARP spokesperson Bill VanGorder.

“More and more, we’re concentrating on cell phones and forgetting that such a large portion of our population depend on landlines, whether they’re private landlines or pay phones,” he said.

A 2017 survey by Statistics Canada of more than 19,000 people indicated that the over-

whelming majority (94 per cent) of 15-to-34-year-olds in Canada owned a smartphone in 2016.

Meantime, less than a fifth of people aged 75 or older owned a smartphone in 2016.

At the same time, census data from 2016 shows that the Atlantic provinces have the highest proportion of seniors in the country: almost one in five people from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador are 65 years of age or older.

VanGorder said it’s important for everyone, especially the high number of elderly Atlantic Canadians who may not own a cellphone, to be able to access a public phone in case of an emergency.

“I think it’s just an indication of something that’s happening in a lot of areas of communication technology at the moment,” he said of the declining number of pay phones.

“We’re forgetting an ex-

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tremely large seniors’ population who are not adopting, and can’t adopt these technologies.

We’re just leaving them by the wayside.”

He added that low-income Canadians may also be disproportionately affected by the disappearance of pay phones.

In her email, Boulet said Bell Aliant is committed to providing accessible public phones.

“While pay phone usage has declined significantly for many

years with the rapid growth of wireless communications, Bell Aliant continues to ensure pay phones are affordable and accessible, especially in high traffic locations such as shopping centres, airports and other transportation hubs, hospitals and other community facilities,” she wrote.

While the company doesn’t have regional figures, Bell said it operates around 50,000 pay phones across seven provinces. ■

World News

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

19

Power eludes Italy’s populists, angry over president’s veto

BY FRANCES D’EMILIO The Associated Press

“Good luck to anyone” who next gets tapped by Mattarella to be premier-designate, Giuseppe Conte, a law professor at the University of Florence, told reporter. He said he did best to try to give the country “a government of change.”

An irritated-looking Mattarella said he would reveal his next move “in a few hours.”

Italian media said the president would convene Carlo Cottarelli, an economist who assisted a former centre-left government, to the palace late Monday morning. Mattarella was expected to ask the former International Monetary Fund official to assemble and lead a government of “technocrats” until early elections.

But as analyst Wolfango Piccoli noted early Monday that such a government risks losing

ultimatum to Mattarella over his pick for economy minister, Paolo Savona. Mattarella told reporters he had approved all ROME — Italy’s president on of the coalition’s Cabinet candiSunday vetoed a euro-skeptic dates except that of Savona. choice for economy minister, “The designation of the foiling a bid by populists to economy minister always conform Italy’s next government stitutes an immediate message and increasing the prospects of trust or alarm” for financial of a quick return to the polls, 12 markets, Mattarella said, addweeks after national elections ing that he insisted on some produced a political impasse. someone who was not “supThe pair of rival populists porting a position expressed who had agreed to forge a govmore than once that could erning coalition together exprobably, or in fact inevitably, ploded in anger after President provoke Italy’s exit from the Sergio Mattarella announced at euro.” the Quirinal presidential palace Last week, the spread of that he was refusing to appoint points between Italy’s bonds a minister whose views could and benchmark German bonds rattle already nervous markets grew alarmingly, and Milan’s and drive up Italy’s already stock market suffered losses as staggeringly high debt. investors were spooked about Luigi Di Maio, who was dethe intentions of the populists. termined to see “The losses in his anti-estabthe stock marlishment 5-Star ket, day after day, Movement, Parburn resources liament’s largest The main risk is that the stand-off and the savings party, achieve will further embolden the 5-Star of our companies government Movement, and, especially, the and of those who power for the League. invest in them,” first time, raised Mattarella said. the spectre of a “And they pormove to impeach tend concrete Mattarella, who, as head of mandatory confidence votes in risks for the savings of our fellow state, must give his approval to each chamber of Parliament. citizens and for Italian families.” any new government.

The 5-Stars and the League toSavona, who served as indus“If we go to vote (again) and gether command just over half try minister in a government we win, and then we go back to the lawmakers’ seats. “This in the 1990s, has questioned the Quirinale and they tell us means that Italy will be left whether Italy at some point we can’t go into a government, with no effective government should ditch the euro as its offor this I say, we must put the backed by a clear political ma- ficial currency. president under accusation” in jority in Parliament until the Outgoing Economy Minister Parliament, Di Maio said in a end of the year,” said Piccoli, Pier Carlo Padoan contended phone call to a late-night talk co-president of Teneo Intelli- that the real problem wasn’t show. gence.

Savona, but the “clearly unsusRight-wing leader Matteo “The main risk is that the tainable” platform of a popuSalvini, who overcame rivalry stand-off will further embolden list government “that doesn’t with Di Maio to try to forge a the 5-Star Movement, and, es- rule out a Plan B: that is, in the coalition with him, told a rally pecially, the League. The two face of European pressures, one of his League party supporters populist parties will blame the must leave Europe.” after learning his pick for econ- ‘establishment’ for denying With the prospect of elections omy minister was rejected: “If them the right to govern,” Pic- possibly looming in a few weeks we’re not free to decide, better coli said. or months, Salvini might see a to go back to vote.” He added: Mattarella had previously boost in what already has been “we’re not a free country” but warned that if a political gov- steadily growing popularity, said have “limited sovereignty.” ernment failed to take shape, political analyst Maurizio MoliThe political novice and he would be forced to appoint a nari, who is La Stampa newspa5-Star supporter selected by Di non-political premier to guide per’s editor-in-chief.

Maio and Salvini to be premier the country to fresh elections Salvini was “much stronger” told reporters at the palace he before year’s end. in opposing Mattarella, posturhad tried his best but didn’t sucOn Sunday night, he said he ing that could expand his soverceed, four days after Mattarella would “dutifully” consider re- eignty-leaning base, Molinari formally gave him a mandate to quests by political parties for said. The League has triumphed try to form the government on early elections. in several recent regional elecbehalf of the populists.

Salvini had virtually given an tions since March 4. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

U.S. Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis.

MONICA KING/UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Mattis: US will confront China on militarization of islands

BY LOLITA C. BALDOR The Associated Press HONOLULU — The U.S. will continue to confront China’s militarization of manmade islands in the South China Sea, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday, arguing that Beijing hasn’t abided by its promise not to put weapons on the Spratly Islands.

Mattis said American ships are maintaining a “steady drumbeat” of naval operations around the disputed islands, adding that “only one country” seems to be bothered by the vessels’ routine activities.

“We are going out of our way to co-operate with Pacific nations, that’s the way we do business in the world,” Mattis told reporters travelling with him to a national security conference in Singapore. “But we are also going to confront what we believe is out of step with international law, out of step with international tribunals that have spoken on the issue.”

The United States has long been critical of China’s sweeping sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, disputed by several neighbouring governments. On Sunday, two U.S. warships sailed close to the Paracel Islands, which lie north of the Spratlys, the latest freedom of navigation operation designed to challenge Beijing’s claims.

China protested the manoeuvr.

But the latest spat comes amid unusual tension between the U.S. and China on trade and as President Donald Trump eyes a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

China is North Korea’s traditional ally and is wary of any shift in the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula. After North Korea threatened to withdraw from the summit last week, Trump attributed the “change in attitude” to the influence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who recently met with Kim. However,

by Tuesday the summit appeared back on track again, with Kim dispatching a top aide for talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York.

According to the U.S., the freedom of navigation missions are meant to underscore the rights of the U.S. and others to operate in international waters and airspace and to block efforts by any nation to unlawfully extend their boundaries or territorial rights. But Washington has signalled its displeasure in other ways, last week withdrawing an invitation for Beijing to participate in a large, multinational naval exercise in the Pacific later this summer.

China had participated in the exercise known as Rim of the Pacific in 2014 and 2016. ❱❱ PAGE 22 Mattis: US

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World News

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

Trump: No immigration deal EU wants new unless ‘real wall,’ good security Venezuela

election, prepares more sanctions

BY CATHERINE LUCEY The Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says he opposes any immigration legislation that doesn’t include “a real wall” along the Mexican border and “very strong border security,” and he’s questioning the need for judges to determine immigration claims.

Moderate House Republicans are pushing a deal that could lead to citizenship for young “Dreamer” immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally. But Trump told “Fox & Friends” in an interview that aired Thursday that unless a bill “includes a wall, and I mean a wall, a real wall, and unless it includes very strong border security, there’ll be no approvals from me.”

Trump said the United States had “the worst immigration laws in the entire world by far” and said he wanted a comprehensive deal that included all of his priorities. “I think it’s time to get the whole package,” he said.

Trump’s comments, taped Wednesday, came as immigration talks are underway among House Republicans, with moderates seeking a way for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants to stay permanently in the U.S. But conservatives say they have no interest in giving what they call “amnesty” to people who came illegally.

Moderates trying to force votes on the issue gained their

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

21st GOP signature Wednesday. With just four more, they should be able to overcome leadership objections and have votes on immigration bills in late June. House leaders plan a pivotal closed-door GOP immigration meeting on June 7.

Trump also took issue with the immigration court system, saying other countries have “security people” who “stand there and say you can’t come in” rather than judges who decide immigration claims.

“Whoever heard of a system where you put people through trials? … We’re going to change the system,” Trump said.

The administration is deal-

ing with an enormous number of immigration cases along the U.S.-Mexico border, as a sharp increase in deportation arrests under Trump has pushed the backlog above 650,000 cases.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who oversees immigration courts, has sought major changes to the long-clogged courts.

The Justice Department recently announced that more prosecutors and judges will be assigned to help whittle away at the caseload. And the administration has also introduced production quotas for immigration judges, raising concern among judges and attorneys that decisions may be unfairly rushed. ■

BRUSSELS — European leaders on Monday called for a new presidential election in Venezuela, saying they will “swiftly” levy a new round of sanctions targeting those close to President Nicolas Maduro.

Despite widespread calls for a return to democratic rule, Venezuela’s election showed the country was further straying from constitutional order, the European Union’s foreign ministers said.

The threat from the EU’s foreign ministers drew backlash from Maduro, who said that and any more sanctions will only further hurt Venezuelans.

“This is the European Union that arrogantly wants to put its nose in Venezuela’s business,” Maduro said. “Enough of this old colonialism.”

Maduro won a second, sixyear term May 20, which his closest challenger called illegitimate and Venezuela’s leading opposition parties boycotted as fraudulent.

The United States and a dozen neighbouring Latin American countries also rejected the vote, accusing Maduro’s government of banning leading opposition parties from participating and using mass bribery

to lure votes from the poor.

Venezuela was once one of Latin America’s wealthiest countries, sitting atop the world’s largest oil reserves.

Mismanagement and a recent drop in global oil prices have left it in a deepening economic and political crisis, marked by shortages of food and medicine and mass migration.

The United States has already sanctioned 70 Venezuela officials, including Maduro, accusing them of turning the once-democratic nation into an authoritarian regime.

European leaders have said that the election over a week ago was fatally flawed and wants to see it redone “in accordance with internationally recognized democratic standards.”

Any new sanctions from Europe will add to those already imposing economic and travel sanctions against Maduro and several of his lieutenants.

The EU’s foreign ministers said they will carefully craft sanctions targeting Venezuelan authorities, aimed at easing the plight of everyday Venezuelan people.

“The EU will act swiftly, according to established procedures, with the aim of imposing additional targeted and reversible restrictive measures, that do not harm the Venezuelan population,” they said. ■

Irish turn attention to parliament as abortion ban voted out

BY GREGORY KATZ The Associated Press DUBLIN — Attention is turning Sunday to Ireland’s parliament now that the country’s citizens have voted in landslide numbers to remove the abortion ban from its constitution.

It will be up to parliament to make new laws to govern abortions now that the public has rejected the constitution’s Eighth Amendment in a referendum Friday.

The nearly two-to-one vote ended a harsh anti-abortion regime enacted in 1983. It required doctors to regard the rights of a fetus, from the moment of conception, as equal to the rights of the mother.

In practice, it meant Irish women had to travel abroad for terminations.

The nationwide rejection of the amendment represented a growing tolerance on social issues in the traditionally Roman Catholic country.

Prime Minister Leo Varad-

kar hailed the vote as bringing a new era to Ireland.

He said it will be remembered as “the day Ireland stepped out from under the last of our shadows and into the light. The day we came of age as a country. The day we took our place among the nations of the world.”

His government will propose that abortions be permissible in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

It isn’t yet clear what strategy abortion opponents will use in parliament in light of the unexwww.canadianinquirer.net

pectedly large vote in favour of repeal.

Some expect a bruising fight in parliament, where there is strong opposition to reform in some quarters, but a more conciliatory debate is also possible.

The decisive outcome of the landmark referendum was cast as a historic victory for women’s rights. Exit polls indicated that the repeal was endorsed in urban and rural areas alike, with strong support from both men and women.

Backing for repeal was highest among young voters, including many who returned from jobs or universities in continental Europe to vote, but was also high among every age group except those 65 or older.

Since 1983, the Eighth Amendment had forced women seeking to terminate pregnancies to go abroad for abortions, bear children conceived through rape or incest, or take risky illegal measures at home. ■

World News

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

21

Embattled Spanish PM to face no confidence vote this week

BY ARITZ PARRA The Associated Press MADRID — Spain’s parliament agreed Monday to subject Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to a vote of no confidence this week in the wake of graft convictions of businesspeople and officials tied to his conservative Popular Party.

The lower house of Spain’s parliament, the Congress of Deputies, said it would hold a debate Thursday on whether Rajoy should be replaced by Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez and then vote on the opposition’s no-confidence motion Friday.

All major parties, except for the ruling People’s Party, are calling for Rajoy to step down, but the prime minister has fended off pressure until now. He has called the opposition’s campaign “opportunist”

and said that instability goes against the general interest of Spain’s people.

Sanchez has yet to enlist enough support to defeat Rajoy with an absolute majority of the 350 seats in the fragmented chamber. The Socialists have the backing of the far-left, antiestablishment Podemos party, but they would need votes from lawmakers with the probusiness Ciudadanos (Citizens) party or nationalist and separatist parties for their leader to supplant Rajoy.

Ciudadanos, a rising star in the centre-right of Spanish politics led by Albert Rivera, is refusing to support Sanchez and is seeking a new general election instead.

Recent polls have given Rivera, a young lawmaker from Catalonia, strong chances of placing first in an election, positioning him to become prime minister but without winning a

majority to form a government on its own.

Rivera, who until last week had supported Rajoy’s minority government, stepped up the pressure Monday on the conservative prime minister to step down even though Ciudadanos refuses to support the Socialist candidate.

“There is a minority government that is alone and holding on to power, with a prime minister that is not reacting,” Rivera told journalists.

Spain’s National Court last week convicted 29 people, including Popular Party supporters and elected officials, on charges of fraud, tax evasion and money laundering, among other crimes.

Among those convicted was Luis Barcenas, the long-time party treasurer and a close aide to Rajoy, who was sentenced to 33 years behind bars and a fine of 44 million euros ($51.1

www.canadianinquirer.net

million). Barcenas was due to enter a prison Monday after a National Court hearing.

The court had also fined the governing party 245,000 euros ($287,000) for benefiting between 1999 and 2005 from “an authentic and efficient system of institutional corruption” that provided PP officials with bribes from business owners in exchange for public infrastruc-

ture contracts.

Judges also found evidence that a slush fund helped finance the party and questioned the sincerity of Rajoy’s testimony denying knowledge of the scheme.

Neither PP, which is appealing the verdict, nor Rajoy were defendants in the case, but the prime minister had to testify as a witness. ■

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World News

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

3 days in jail for Not so easy: Trump’s trade YouTube stunt at a agenda hits stumbling blocks Disney resort

BY KEN THOMAS The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ORLANDO, FLA. — A media outlet reports an Arizona man has been sentenced to three days in jail after deputies say he falsely told guests at a Walt Disney World resort there was an active shooter on the property as part of a YouTube stunt.

Orlando television station WKMG reports that authorities found 22-year-old Dillion

Burch was telling that lie to guests at the Contemporary Resort so he could get their reactions for his YouTube channel.

Online court records show that Burch was facing disturbing the peace and disorderly intoxication records.

The television station says Burch pleaded no contest to the charges Tuesday and drew the three-day sentence.

No attorney was listed for him.

Mattis: US... ❰❰ 19

The Pentagon said the decision to disinvite the Chinese Navy was triggered by what it called strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jammers to contested areas in the Spratly Islands. It called on China to remove the systems.

China says it is within its rights to build up defences on islands in the South China Sea that it believes are its sovereign territory.

Mattis said other nations in the region are concerned about the weaponization of the islands and reefs, and they want to see continued freedom of navigation operations in the international waters.

“If you notice, there’s only one country that seems to take active steps to rebuff them or state their resentment of them,” Mattis said, referring to China.

In recent years, the U.S. had sought to stabilize military relations with China, but the militarization of the islands

has been a persistent point of conflict. Many nations fear that Beijing will use the construction on the islands to extend its military reach and potentially try to restrict navigation in the South China Sea. The revocation of the exercise invitation, however, could undermine historical arguments the U.S. has made urging China not to hold the two nations’ military relationship hostage to other broader issues — such as differences over Taiwan. Ousting China from the exercise could signal that joint activities, or the military relationship as a whole, are a reward.

Mattis is stopping in Hawaii on his way to the Singapore meeting so that he can attend the ceremony marking the change in leadership at U.S. Pacific Command.

U.S. Navy Adm. Philip Davidson will take over PACOM from Adm. Harry Harris during the change of command on Wednesday.

Harris has been nominated to become the next U.S. ambassador to South Korea. ■

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s hard-line views on trade, a staple of his message long before he entered politics, are beginning to collide with the cold realities of global geopolitics.

Trade talks on China and the North American Free Trade Agreement have hit stumbling blocks, posing a challenge for a president who vowed to make trade deals more equitable for the United States during his 2016 campaign and who famously tweeted that trade wars are “easy to win.”

Trump’s trade agenda — at least lately — has not been so easy.

After threatening China with $150 billion in tariffs, Trump’s administration has suspended plans to impose the tariffs for now and the president tweeted Wednesday that a “different structure” would be needed in the trade talks involving the world’s two largest economies.

The president has bemoaned the massive U.S. trade deficit with China — $337 billion last year — as evidence that Beijing has been complicit in abusive trading practices and outsmarted his predecessors.

Pointing to a pause in the trade dispute, the administration pointed to China’s plans to “significantly increase” its purchases of U.S. goods and services and make “meaningful increases” in U.S. exports of agriculture and energy products.

Financial markets, wary of a calamitous trade war, were relieved.

But Beijing did not agree to any specific dollar amounts, despite the Trump administration’s push to lower the U.S. trade deficit by at least $200 billion. And doubts remain about whether China will address allegations the Chinese engage in cybertheft of trade secrets, force U.S. companies to transfer some of their technology in exchange for market access or back away from its China 2025 plan to dominate emerging technologies.

“Chinese r laughing at us again. They have never delivwww.canadianinquirer.net

ered on 1 promise in the past.

Appeasement is the devils friend,” tweeted Dan DiMicco, a former Nucor steel chairman and trade adviser to Trump’s campaign and transition team, last Monday.

Separately, on Friday, the U.S. reached a deal on ZTE Corp. that will allow the Chinese telecommunications giant to remain in business. Under the deal, ZTE will oust its management team, hire American compliance offers and pay a fine — on top of the $1 billion it’s already paid for selling equipment to North Korea and Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. In return, the U.S. Commerce Department will lift a seven-year ban on ZTE buying components from U.S. companies. The ban, imposed this month, threatened to put ZTE out of business.

Trump said earlier that a resolution would help U.S. firms that supply ZTE with components, but members of Congress, including several Republicans, warned that the U.S. is being too lenient on a company that has violated U.S. sanctions.

“ZTE presents a national security threat to the United States — and nothing in this reported deal addresses that fundamental fact,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat. “If President Trump won’t put our security before Chinese jobs, Congress will act on a bipartisan basis to stop him.”

Trump’s team, meanwhile, has hit an impasse with Canada and Mexico on negotiations over NAFTA. The president has sought to overhaul NAFTA as a way of returning automobile production to the U.S. and reduce America’s trade deficit with Mexico.

But the talks are running into the complications of Mexican elections in July and the U.S. midterm elections in November along with a dispute over rules for car production.

Seeking leverage, Trump’s administration launched an investigation into whether tariffs might be necessary on car imports, based on national security concerns. The potential penalties could affect Mexico, Canada, Japan and the European Union.

The administration used a similar Commerce Department probe to impose tariffs in March on imported steel and aluminum.

But auto manufacturers said they didn’t push for the auto investigation, and members of Congress questioned the validity of the probe.

“The Honda Accord is not a threat to our national security,” said Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, hours after joining Trump for a bill signing at the White House. But he added that “taxing it with trade tariffs is a threat to the economic security of millions of hard-working American families.”

Stephen Moore, a former Trump campaign adviser and visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said Trump remains focused on how the trade policies affect the financial markets and economic growth.

But he expects the president to continue to press for a better deal with China.

“As a long-term strategy, I don’t see him backing down in his demands on China,” Moore said.

The trade talks with China have come against the backdrop of Trump’s efforts to hold a June summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which the president said Friday could get back on track after he nixed it a day earlier. His attempts to push Kim toward denuclearization have required the cooperation of China, something the president acknowledged to reporters earlier in the week.

The president said alongside South Korean President Moon Jae-in, prior to this week’s uncertainty over the Singapore summit, that he has a “much bigger picture” in mind as he considers China trade, a reminder that his trade policies are no longer a matter of campaign rhetoric.

“I’m also thinking about what they’re doing to help us with peace with North Korea. That’s a very important element,” Trump said. “So we’ll see how it all works out. But in the end, it will work out. Can’t tell you exactly how or why, but it always does.” ■

23

Entertainment Alden Richards’s manager speaks up about money allegations

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE PERSONAL manager of GMA’s Pambansang BaeAlden Richards finally broke his silence about allegations that he is getting money from his talent’s fans.

In a lengthy post on Instagram that bared all screenshots of the malicious accusation against him, Carlites de Guzman said that he had kept his mouth shut all this time about the issue, however, those people who are spreading lies about him are getting out of control.

“My patience is hanging by a thread and I am ready to face these people who hide behind dummies just to break me,” de Guzman said on Tuesday, May 22.

The talent manager stressed that although he was not born in a rich family, he maintained that he has worked his way up through hard work and determination with his family as his inspiration.

“Never did I use people to get to where I am now. It was fate brought by God that led me to discover and manage a talented young man but that business relationship turned into an unbreakable FRIENDship,” he explained.

“It NEVER went beyond that, contrary to what these malicious creatures are trying to imply,” he added.

De Guzman said that as manager, he always gives in to the request of fans, may it be Aldenonly fans club or ‘AlDub’s fans club. This act, he said, is his way

of giving back to the fans for supporting Alden all throughout his career.

“It is my way of sharing with them a piece of him. We owe it to them that he got this far and it is only proper to spend some time with them. But mind you, I didn’t get a single centavo from the fans,” the manager clarified.

De Guzman said that he has been wondering why people are putting blame on him when he did nothing wrong towards anybody.

“I always tried my best to do good and be fair to all. I had always remained on the sidelines.

I avoided the limelight and I let the actor shine on his own. I never took credit for what he has achieved but still, rocks were thrown at me,” de Guzman said.

“I firmly believe that nobody,

TWITTER

not even I, deserves anything like this,” he added.

The Kapuso actor’s manager then challenged those who tried to malign his reputation “to bring out proof of their libelous claims.”

“Stand up for what you think is true and I am ready to go on face to face and lay each other’s cards,” he ended.

As of writing, Alden has not yet issued any statement regarding this issue. ■

Love team GabRu is over

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

South Korean boy band BTS.

FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

BTS first K-pop band to top Billboard album charts THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — K-pop has finally hit the top.

The South Korean boy band BTS is now the first K-pop group to reach No. 1 on the Billboard top 200. “Love Yourself: Tear” sold 135,000 units for the week ending May 24, as tallied by Nielsen Music. According to Billboard, “Love Yourself: Tear”

is also the first primarily foreign language album to top the charts since Il Divo’s “Ancora” in 2006.

The seven-member group, also known as the Bangtan Boys, has a devoted core of fans known as “the army” and its appeal has been likened to Beatlemania in the 1960s. BTS is at the heart of a global trend known as “Hallyu,” or “Korean Wave.” Their albums include “Dark & Wild” and “2 Kool 4 Skool.” ■

KAPUSO ACTRESS and singer Gabbi Garcia confirmed that one of today’s most promising love teams, GabRu, has finally broken up.

Gabbi issued an official statement via Twitter on Tuesday, May 22, regarding the breakup of her love team with actor Ruru Madrid.

“I know some of you may have a hard time accepting what is currently on our plates right now, but please, more than anything, look at the brighter side that we get to grow not only as artists, but as individuals in our personal lives as well,” the 19-year-old actress said.

Gabbi said that she has learned a lot from previous years, may it be in terms of personal life or career. She noted that she got to know herself better on how to handle situations and how to manage emotions as well.

“Strength and self-worth, inwww.canadianinquirer.net

deed,” Gabbi said.

“For that, I would like to thank everybody who supported GabRu for the past four years. It has been a great journey filled with endless learnings and love.

Your presence and support were unquestionable, and I never felt alone all throughout the journey,” she added.

While some of their fans may not be okay with the breakup of the on-screen love team, Gabbi said that she still hoped for their understanding.

“I do hope we spread peace and positivity and remain happy for the success and future projects of each one. I hope that this clears the mind of everybody who’s asking about this,” the young actress said.

Gabbi’s statement came after she defended herself on social media from netizens who were blaming her for the split.

Responding to a now-deleted tweet, the “All I Need” singer said, “I just don’t see the point.

Why always put the blame on me?”

She then followed up with two more tweets, saying: “I remained loyal since 2014? Idk (I do not know) I just really don’t see the point.”

“Hanggang sa huli (Until the end), I remained loyal. Sooo can you guys chill? Lol,” she added.

On Monday, May 21, GMA Artist Center also released a statement regarding the split of the GabRu love team, stressing that it wants to give Ruru and Gabbi various projects that will enhance their full potential as artists.

“We want to explore various possibilities and for now, they will have individual projects,” it said.

“We fully support their careers and likewise assure their fans and followers that they will still be seen in different Kapuso programs,” it added.

Gabbi and Ruru’s love team began when they both starred in a rom-com series “Let The Love Begin” in 2015. The two artists were last seen working together in the show “Sherlock Jr.” ■

24

Entertainment

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

Jessica Sanchez on Jake Zyrus’ coming Kris Aquino surprises out: I’m happy to support him Mayor Herbert

Bautista on his birthday celebration

BY BEA KIRSTEIN T. MANALAYSAY Philippine Canadian Inquirer JAKE ZYRUS’S “Music & Me Concert” paved way for his reunion with the American Idol runner-up Jessica Sanchez, who was open to supporting him.

Jessica is one of Jake’s special guests who flew all the way from the United States of America (USA) just to join him this May 25.

“I’m a huge supporter of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community.

When I go back home, I’m going to Chicago and perform at Chicago Pride. It’s normal to me.

It didn’t affect me that much.

I’m just really happy to support him in his journey,” she told the entertainment press according to PUSH. For Jessica, Jakes’s transition from Charice Pempengco did not lessen his talent in singing.

“I can’t stop acknowledging Filipino talents out here. It’s insane! I’m proud of Jake coming out, of being himself. That’s a very hard thing to do – eyes watch you all the time. This is a real artist being himself,” she added.

Jake also praised Jessica for her influence globally. “SiJessica is well known. The fact ‘yung talent niya na-appreciate

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

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ng marami, ‘yun ang nakakaproud (that her talent is appreciated by many, that is something to be proud of ),” he said as Jessica is a fellow Filipino who penetrated the international music scene.

The very first time for the two musicians to perform together was in a benefit concert in New York City for the victims of the Typhoon Haiyan back in March 2014, when Jake was still Charice. They were joined by Jennifer Hudson, Plain White T’s, Pentatonix, Apl De Ap, Dante Basco and Robert Lopez.

Jessica will be staying in the country until June 13.

It was in 2012 when Jake, who

was Charice then started coming out of his closet, at that time identifying himself as a lesbian.

But last year, after deciding to change his name in his social media accounts, he has pursued a more masculine identity, undergoing top surgery and taking testosterone shots.

In an interview with Papermag last year, he said that he had no regrets when he was still Charice.

“I am always thankful for the life of Charice that I experienced and the music that I shared, but that obviously belongs to her, it’s not for me. I’m letting her go and be free,” he said. ■

Comcast v. Disney: a fight for Twenty First Century Fox THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHILADELPHIA — Comcast may make an offer for TwentyFirst Century Fox, potentially putting it in a head-to- head bidding war with Disney.

Comcast Corp. on Wednesday did not provide specific details on a bid, other than to say that it would be all cash and at a premium to the value of Disney’s current all-stock offer.

The Wall Street Journal and others reported earlier this

month that Comcast had $60 billion to challenge Disney.

Disney’s $52.4 billion bid would go a long way in allowing it to better compete with technology companies in the entertainment business. Any tie — up would put in its stable more Marvel superheros, as well as the studios that produced the Avatar movies, “The Simpsons” and “Modern Family.” Disney would control Fox’s cable and international TV businesses as well.

Comcast said Wednesday that it’s in the “advanced stag-

es” of preparing its bid. The Philadelphia company said the structure and terms of its offer would be at least as favourable as Disney’s.

A potential transaction with either Disney or Comcast would not include the Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox Broadcasting Company and certain other assets.

Comcast’s stock fell 2 per cent in premarket trading, while shares of the Walt Disney Co., based in Burbank, California, dipped slightly. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

AFTER THEY were seen together watching a film last week, the Queen of All Media now made a surprise appearance on the birthday celebration of his ex-boyfriend, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista.

Philippine Entertainment Portal (Pep.ph) on Thursday, May 24, reported that Kris Aquino went to a restaurant in Quezon City for Herbert’s surprise birthday party last night, which was organized by his high school friends.

According to the report, many were surprised by Kris’s visit; however, she did not stay for so long as she had to go back to the taping of her Star Cinema movie, “I Love You, Hater.”

Even though she was not able to spend more time with her ex on his birthday party, the actress and talk show host expressed a heart-warming message for Herbert, who turned 50 on May 12.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Kris admitted that four years ago, she and Herbert “reconnected” and “attempted a ‘relationship’,” but life and responsibilities got in their way.

“4 years after I’m proud of the choices we made because we both have children we love and are very proud of. And he did right by prioritizing them, (advanced congratulations for Saturday’s BLESSING),” Kris said.

“I won’t lie – it took a lot of patience on his part and a lot of acceptance on mine to reach where we are. Trust me when I say- it is possible to 1 day be chill about a broken heart- because without it I wouldn’t have received lasting friendship,” she added.

The actress told Herbert that being the best parents they can be “wins over everything else in this ever-changing, temporary world.”

“They say you can’t move on

to the next chapter of your life if you haven’t made peace with the last- I’m finally ready for the continuation of my life story,” Kris stressed.

The I Love You, Hater star said that she is still hoping that one day, there will be a “new character” whom she will introduce because, according to her, she “does still deserve a love story with a happily ever after.”

It can be recalled that Kris and Herbert were about to marry each other but their supposed wedding was canceled twice.

It was the actor-turned-politician who first backed out of their wedding, but proposed to Kris again on January 2017.

In an interview with People Asia Magazine in December last year, Kris revealed that she accepted the one-carat diamond ring Herbert gave to her while they were in Rome; however, their second-chance wedding was once again canceled when Kris decided to return the ring the following day.

“I returned it the next day because I said that we will always have responsibilities that came before he and I meet. And as long as our children are not done yet with their studies, I don’t think we have the freedom to be able to choose happiness,” she said.

“I returned the ring not because gusto kong iparamdam sa kanya kung anong pinaramdam niya sa akin (I want him to feel what he made me feel) three years before that. It was because nagising na ko (I woke up [to reality]),” she added.

Kris now maintained that she and Herbert are good friends, clarifying that nothing romantic is going between them. ■

Entertainment

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

25

Legal hurdles may make Weinstein’s prosecution an exception

BY ANDREW DALTON The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Harvey Weinstein’s arrest in New York Friday is a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement.

Yet as authorities work through dozens of cases against famous figures in entertainment and other industries brought on by the Weinstein-inspired wave that began in October, legal hurdles may make such prosecutions the exception.

While men including Kevin Spacey and Mario Batali remain under investigation, the next round of charges could well be against Weinstein again, who also is facing scrutiny from authorities in Los Angeles and London.

One expert said prosecutors in those jurisdictions are unlikely to stand down or shift priorities knowing that Weinstein is now charged with rape and another felony sexual assault in New York, where he pleaded not guilty Friday.

“You never know what’s going to happen with the case there,” said Stacey Honowitz, a longtime prosecutor of sex crimes in Broward County, Florida.

“We don’t go easy. Nobody’s going to drop the ball and let New York do it.”

She said it is more likely that authorities in other cities will be energized, and able to build off the charges.

“There’s always strength in numbers,” Honowitz said.

Stanley Goldman, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los

Angeles, said last month’s conviction of Bill Cosby’s for sexual assault dating to 2004 has likely been propelling prosecutors forward in other places.

“I think perhaps the Bill Cosby conviction really gave them hope that the atmosphere may have changed, in the older cases where this has been hard to prove, that maybe they’ve got more of a chance now,” Goldman said Friday.

Yet finding prosecutable #MeToo cases has proven difficult.

Los Angeles police said in December that they were investigating 27 entertainment figures, but none have yet resulted in arrests. And LA County prosecutors launched a task force in November to evaluate cases, but so far it has brought no charges.

The biggest obstacles by far are statutes of limitations, which have had special prominence amid the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements because so many of the incidents involve women working up the courage to come forward after years of silence.

Hundreds of women have alleged varying degrees of sexual misconduct from Oscarnominated writer and director James Toback, yet prosecutors declined in April to bring criminal charges against him in the five cases they reviewed, citing expired statutes of limitations in every case.

California, joining other states, recently eliminated its statute of limitations for rape, making the law a closer match

for the #MeToo era, but most cases from before the changes are unaffected.

Goldman said in the past the principle has been that it’s disruptive and unbalancing to society to go back and prosecute older crimes.

“If you’re dealing with Kevin Spacey,” Goldman said, describing the thinking, “it’s disruptive to pull somebody like that out of society after all these many years where people have worked for them, and are supported by them.”

That has been the case so far with several high profile cases presented to prosecutors, all of which emerged after Weinstein’s downfall.

Prosecutors declined to file charges against Roman Polanski over allegations by a woman who reported in October that the Oscar-winning director molested her when she was 10 years old in 1975. Polanski’s attorney has denied the allegations. Los Angeles prosecutors cited the statute of limitations, but still want Polanski to return to the United States to face sentencing in a case in which he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

A case against Hollywood agent Adam Venit, who actor Terry Crews alleged groped him at a party in February 2016, was also rejected. Crews did not report the incident until November 2017, and prosecutors said that was too late.

Earlier this week, prosecutors rejected charges in four cases it reviewed against talent agent Tyler Grasham, who has

Harvey Weinstein.

been accused of the sexual assault of men and boys as young as 15 in the film industry. Prosecutors cited the statute of limitation in two of the cases, a lack of evidence in one, and referred the fourth for possible misdemeanour prosecution.

Goldman said however the thinking around sexual crimes appears to be changing, and they are now being grouped with more serious crimes like murder.

In addition to Weinstein, there are several high-profile open cases that could still lead to criminal charges.

Authorities are still reviewing sexual assault allegations against Spacey, Los Angeles County district attorney’s spokesman Greg Risling said Friday. Sheriff’s investigators say the case dates to 1992, which could make prosecution

DENIS MAKARENKO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

difficult. London police reportedly were investigating two sexual assaults there. His former publicist has said Spacey is seeking unspecified treatment.

New York police are investigating Batali after a woman told “60 Minutes” that he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2005. The celebrity chef denies assaulting the woman, but he is already facing business ramifications — three of his Las Vegas restaurants will close in July and his business partners have said they are actively negotiating to buy him out.

Steven Seagal also remains under investigation after a woman said the action star sexually assaulted her at a casting session at a Beverly Hills hotel room in 2002, when she was 17 years old. The actor’s attorney says he adamantly denies the allegations. ■

Broadway’s box office booms, with grosses and attendance up THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — Broadway grosses hit another record high last season by pulling in $1.7 billion, fueled by fervent demand to see such draws as Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler and a grownup Harry Potter.

Data from the Broadway League, the national trade association for the industry, released Tuesday shows box of-

fice receipts were up 17.1 per cent over last season’s $1.45 billion.

Another good note in the financial windfall was that attendance was up, coming in a 13.79 million, an increase of 3.9 per cent at last season’s 13.27 million. That indicates some broadening of ticket-buyers, but mostly just higher prices pushing the yearly box-office records.

Broadway had a healthy clus-

ter of new powerhouse earners this season, including Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls,” the British import “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and Springsteen. They added to established megahits such as “Hamilton,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “Dear Evan Hansen.”

The season ended with several shows breaking individual theatre box-office records, including the revival of Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women,” www.canadianinquirer.net

which earned $940,362 for the eight show week at the Golden Theatre, and “Mean Girls,” which set a new milestone for an eight-performance week at the Golden Theatre with $1,565,923.

Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, in a statement said over 80 per cent of Broadway shows had an average paid admission of under $130 and 60 per cent had an average paid admission of less than $101.

A total of 33 shows opened during the season. There were seven new musicals, three musical revivals, 10 original plays, 10 play revivals and three special events. Last season saw 45 shows open.

The season — in a periodic quirk of the calendar, it was a 53-week season — began May 22, 2017, and ended Sunday.

The number of playing weeks — Broadway’s occupancy rate — was 1,624, up 2.8 per cent. ■

26

Lifestyle Quebec’s daycare model provides inspiration for provinces to develop their own

BY SIDHARTHA BANERJEE The Canadian Press MONTREAL — When it comes to affordable daycare, Quebec’s low-fee program is the envy of many a parent in other parts of Canada.

Under the much-vaunted but polarizing program introduced in 1997, the bulk of Quebec parents pay but a fraction of the astronomical amounts their counterparts shell out elsewhere.

Some pundits argue the Quebec model is too costly and fails to deliver, but others say the benefits of getting more women into the workforce and improving work-life balance help offset the annual $2.5 billion investment.

But how exportable is the made-in-Quebec solution?

One political scientist says Quebec’s lesson to other provinces is they should chart their own path and not wait for a federally driven daycare plan as some have in the past.

“When the federal government tried to implement a national program, it met a lot of resistance in the different provinces,” said Olivier Jacques, a post-doctoral student at McGill University and one of three authors of a recent study published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy that examined Quebec daycare.

“So maybe it’s better that each of the provinces does their own so they can make something sustainable.”

In 2005, the Liberals under

Paul Martin tried to implement a national childcare program, setting aside $5 billion and signing on with all 10 provinces before losing power to the Conservatives, who then eliminated the program.

Some detractors have been critical of Quebec’s universal approach and believe the province should have instead targeted certain segments of the population. But Jacques counters the wide appeal has allowed Quebec’s plan to persist.

“If a provincial government wants to make a program that will be politically robust and survive a change of government, they need to make sure the program will be broadly popular and covers most children and most parents,” he said.

One factor that favoured Quebec was that the political divide in the province along federalist and sovereigntist lines meant the absence of a true small-c conservative opposition — the very type of government that historically has cut such programs elsewhere, Jacques noted. The other is that activists and proponents insisted the province promote such a program.

In Ontario, where daycare is a hot-button issue in the current

election campaign, Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals are pushing free care for preschoolers aged two-and-a-half and older, until they reach kindergarten at a cost of $2.2 billion over three years. The Conservatives are pushing a tax rebate program at a cost of $389 million per year.

The New Democrats are proposing free child care for all families making less than $40,000 year and are aiming to have childcare costs average about $12 a day for those maki n g

more, drawing some similarities to Quebec. The price tag is around $11.4 billion over five years.

What’s clear is the costs will be an obstacle for any province.

Canada as a whole ranks near the bottom of OECD countries when it comes to childcare

www.canadianinquirer.net

spending — roughly 0.2 per cent of GDP — while Quebec vastly outspends the rest of the provinces on daycare by a margin of about five to one.

That’s where Jacques believes the federal government could help by easing the financial burdens on provinces to allow them to invest in affordable child care.

In 2017, the federal Liberal government announced plans to spend $7 billion over the next decade to help ease the burden of childcare costs, including up to 40,000 new subsidized spots nationwide by 2019.

Since the Parti Quebecois introduced $5-a-day subsidized daycare in Quebec 21 years

ago, the daily fee has increased a few times.

The Liberals also introduced a sliding scale three years ago, under which parents pay a base amount of about $8, and as much as nearly $22, depending on their income.

The most popular daycares are the non-profit, subsidized

centres known commonly as CPEs, which provide for trained educators and specific standards. But the number of spots — about 230,000 to date — are too few.

In a bid to shorten those long lists, the Liberals have favoured expanding the number of private daycare centres — for-profit entities where parents pay upfront costs of $40 or more and benefit from federal deductions and provincial tax credits to bring the daily costs close to the subsidized system.

The number of private daycare spots has boomed to 65,000 in less than a decade.

That’s where the competing daycare narratives collide, says Universite de Montreal economist Pierre Fortin: while the province has seen the economic benefits of accessible child care, it is struggling to maintain quality.

Fortin, himself a father of five, said the program has met one major goal of getting more women into the workforce.

That has helped absorb the program’s expenses through increased tax revenues and transfers to families.

The participation rate in the Quebec workforce of women between the ages of 20 and 44 stands at 87 per cent, compared to just 74 per cent in 1997. In a speech this year, Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz even credited the Quebec program for the percentage hike.

In the same speech, Poloz noted the rate nationally is ❱❱ PAGE 31 Quebec’s daycare

Lifestyle

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

27

The controversial rise of the eastern Metis: ‘Where were these people all this time?’

BY BRETT BUNDALE The Canadian Press HALIFAX — It was 1948 when her father told her. He was laying on the chesterfield in the living room of their Yarmouth, N.S., home, his body ravaged by tuberculosis.

“He had consumption and he knew he only had a few months to live,” recalls Mary Lou Parker. “He told me we had Indian blood in us, which made us Metis.”

The 12-year-old felt proud of her Indigenous roots. But she was warned never to reveal her “half-breed” heritage, as it was then called, for fear of being shunned.

So she kept it secret until years later, in a quest to explore her identity and gain recognition, she formed the Eastern Woodland Metis Nation Nova Scotia, using a term — Metis — usually associated with Western Canada.

Parker has since discovered there are many more people like her in Eastern Canada.

Her group — one of many eastern Metis groups to emerge in recent years — has grown exponentially, and now has 30,000 members.

But the sudden proliferation of self-reported Metis in Eastern Canada has emerged as a profoundly divisive debate.

Census data show the number of people who call themselves Metis soared nearly 150 per cent in Quebec and 125 per cent in Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2016, according to Statistics Canada. Dozens of new Metis organizations cropped up over the same period.

Many use identity cards that look much like Indian Status cards. Others have tried to claim Indigenous rights through the courts, fuelling a perception that the aboriginal newcomers are so-called rights grabbers.

“It’s one thing to say ‘I’m First Nation, this is part of my culture and I want to learn more about it,’” says Cheryl Maloney, a Mi’kmaw activist and Cape Breton University political science professor.

“But that’s not what they’re saying. They’re trying to be

viewed as Metis under the Constitution, and to have rights and benefits.”

Many critics reject outright that there is a distinct Metis identity in the Maritimes and Quebec.

People of mixed blood in the region either integrated into Indigenous communities or assimilated with European newcomers, unlike the distinct Metis People of Louis Riel in Western Canada.

“When you’re looking at the Maritimes and Quebec, the children of intermarriage were accepted by either party, in our case the Mi’kmaq or the Acadian,” Mi’kmaw elder and historian Daniel Paul says.

“There was no such thing as a Metis community here in this region.”

For those who consider themselves eastern Metis, the rejection of their identity is exclusionary and mean-spirited — a continuation of their oppressed status and the maltreatment mixed-raced people have faced for generations.

They argue that a distinct mixed-heritage people existed in the region with a shared history and culture, not simply Indigenous ancestry. But these interracial people were compelled to identify as white for fear of discrimination.

“We were forced to assimilate with white people, our identities stolen,” says Parker, the grand chief of the Eastern Woodland Metis. “Now we’re reclaiming our native heritage.”

The 82-year-old says she’s not looking for benefits — just recognition and inclusion.

“We’re not begging for money … we’re not after government hand outs,” she says. “We know who we are, we just want the recognition.”

For the Mi’kmaq people who have made significant sacrifices fighting for treaty rights, though, it’s troubling. They say Indigenous Peoples suffered enormously from efforts to assimilate them. This includes the Residential School system — what one federal bureaucrat called the “final solution to the Indian Problem.”

“We’ve gone through hell and back over the last many years with government and settlers,”

Metis leader Louis Riel.

says Allison Bernard, fisheries co-ordinator with the Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative from Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton.

Skepticism of self-reported Metis in the region is understandable given the experience of Indigenous people here, he says, pointing out that he was forced to defend his right to hunt in court after shooting a moose.

“Throughout history we resisted colonization and spoke out about the horrors against Indigenous Peoples,” says Jarvis Googoo, a non-practising lawyer in Halifax and a Mi’kmaw from We’koqma’q First Nation.

“Where were these Metis people all this time?”

Yet hiding Indigenous heritage was a matter of survival, says Karole Dumont, chief of the Council of the First Metis People of Canada.

“If you could pass off as white you did,” she says. “Being Indian or Metis was dirty and it was taboo.”

Metis families “hid in plain sight,” Dumont says, and while they didn’t “advertise” their Indigenous roots, they continued living as Metis in secret.

“Our grandparents and greatgrandparents did whatever they had to do to ensure that none of their kids ended up in residential schools.”

The debate over the eastern Metis movement was thrust www.canadianinquirer.net

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA

into the spotlight earlier this year when the East Coast Music Association pulled a Nova Scotia nominee from consideration for an Indigenous artist award.

At issue was the heritage of Cape Breton guitarist Maxim Cormier, who identifies as Acadian and Metis. His name was withdrawn from the Indigenous artist of the year category after questions surfaced about his background.

Dumont says revoking the nomination was “reckless and unfair.”

“The Metis people are the only people who have to lay out their pedigree and prove their identity in Canada.”

But Googoo says jobs, education and awards programs geared towards Indigenous Peoples are an important piece of reconciliation. He says having newly identified Metis flood those programs is a step backwards.

“It’s worsening the problem because these organizations think they’re doing their part for reconciliation.”

The nomination controversy is a microcosm of the maelstrom of debate surrounding the Eastern Metis.

American anthropologist Circe Sturm uses the term “race shifting” to describe white Americans identifying as Cherokee to “reclaim or create something they feel they have

lost” or “opt out of mainstream white society.”

Darryl Leroux, associate professor at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, draws parallels between the new Cherokee communities in the U.S. and Metis groups in Eastern Canada.

He questions whether having “an ancestor from the 1600s makes one Indigenous today,” especially when there are no cultural or historical attachments to the Aboriginal ancestry.

Leroux points out that his own genealogy includes Mohawk and Algonquin ancestors, but that doesn’t make him Indigenous, he says. Yet some of his relatives are claiming to be Metis — creating a rift in his family.

“Often there’s only one person in a family claiming Metis identity,” he says. “Even their kin are not on board with what they’re doing.”

In a journal article he cowrote with Alberta academic Adam Gaudry, “White Settler Revision and Making Metis Everywhere,” Leroux identifies a “tactical use of long-ago racial mixing to re-imagine a ‘Metis’ identity.”

Leroux notes the spikes in self-identified Metis populations followed court decisions recognizing treaty rights.

While fewer than a thousand Nova Scotians identified as Metis in the 1996 census, that number more than tripled to 3,135 after the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed Mi’kmaq treaty rights in the 1999 Marshall decision, according to Statistics Canada.

The population swelled again after the 2003 Powley decision, when the Supreme Court affirmed Metis have an Aboriginal right to hunt for food.

By the 2006 census, selfidentified Metis in Nova Scotia had once again more than doubled, reaching 23,315 by 2016.

The increase mirrors a similar trend in New Brunswick and Quebec.

“It cannot be a coincidence that it shifts following court decisions,” says Leroux, who cites evidence that some of the ❱❱ PAGE 28 The controversial

28

Lifestyle

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

The controversial... ❰❰ 27

From drones to phones, new tech is making gardening easier

BY DEAN FOSDICK The Associated Press NEW TECHNOLOGY is easing the way we garden, store equipment, monitor watering and re-shape landscapes. And some of those tasks can be done remotely, using phones or tablets.

The innovations extend well beyond downloading a few apps. New to the horticultural mix are 3-D modeling, GPS mapping, laser technology, drones, robotics, devices that can read the weather and moisture in the soil for precision planting and irrigation, and battery-powered and low- or no-emission equipment.

“We are seeing an uptick in landscape professionals using advanced technology to plan designs for clients,” said Missy Henriksen, vice-president of public affairs for the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

“Today, professionals are using drones to survey homeowner properties to get a birdseye view before and during the design-creation phase,” she said. “Drones can also help landscape companies save valuable operational and manpower time that can be used elsewhere on a project.”

Three-D modeling also helps streamline landscape design. It can provide a clear picture for homeowners of their property’s potential, Henriksen said.

Upgrades in battery technology have hastened the move

toward lighter, easier-to-carry garden tools.

“Cordless tools that use storage batteries offer the most flexibility and freedom to move around your yard because you don’t have to worry about cords getting in your way,” Henriksen said.

A number of companies build multi-purpose engines that are used to equip a variety of implements ranging from walkbehind and rider mowers to power washers, snowblowers and more.

At least two of these companies — Kohler and Briggs and Stratton — have introduced small engines that don’t require oil changes for the life of the engine. Simply check the dipstick and add oil as needed. No more tilting these walk-behind machines on their sides to drain the oil, spilling some around the driveway or onto your clothing in the process.

Other innovations have further simplified small engines by eliminating manual chokes and purge bulbs. Just pull the handle once to start.

Consumers want easy, and many of these innovations are boosting purchases, said Michelle Gross, a Briggs & Stratton marketing specialist.

“Our own surveys of consumers indicate that ease of maintenance continues to be in the top 10 purchase factors for walkbehind mowers,” Gross said.

“And the No. 1 thing people say they would like to improve after owning a lawnmower is the

sound level.”

Mowers equipped with Briggs & Stratton’s Quiet Power Technology make roughly 50 per cent less noise, meaning homeowners can do yard work any time of the day without disturbing neighbours, Gross said.

Efficient storage for lawn and garden equipment makes for less garage clutter and creates space for recreational items like kayaks and mountain bikes.

Another new Briggs & Stratton design allows lawnmowers to be folded in half and stored upright without causing fuel or oil leaks. It reduces their footprint by up to 70 per cent, Gross said.

Scotts, meanwhile, recently introduced a series of devices for precision irrigation. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates traditional irrigation systems waste as much as 50 per cent of their water by overwatering.

“Our goal is to give homeowners simple ways to use water more resourcefully and responsibly, and to make watering and caring for your lawn easier and more efficient,” said Josh Peoples, president and general manager of Scotts.

“From using a smartphone to monitor sprinklers and the moisture in plant soil to only watering in specific areas where plants need it, we’re committed to providing effortless ways to not only conserve water, but also to inspire people to grow, indoors or out.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

people now identifying as Metis were initially opposed to Indigenous treaty rights and even had ties to white supremacist groups.

Jean Teillet, lead counsel in the landmark Powley case, is the great-grandniece of Louis Riel and one of the country’s top Metis and First Nations rights lawyers.

Her argument — which the highest court in the land ultimately adopted — was that a rights-bearing Metis community must prove more than a genealogical connection to an Indigenous ancestor. The Metis Nation out west, for example, has an origin story, a name, kinship ties, language, traditions, symbols, territory and culture such as music, dance and food.

“This is not just about individuals who have what I call an ever-so-great Indian grandmama,” she says. “This is a historical people that came into being before Canada asserted itself on their territory.”

Teillet says the Metis claims of Eastern Canada appear to hinge on one key marker of membership — a genealogical connection — without any other evidence.

“Sometimes these people in Eastern Canada rest their entire claim on a 400-year-old connection to one First Nations woman,” she says. “There is nothing more there.”

Around 20 court cases have been launched by self-reported Metis in the region claiming Aboriginal rights. Each of them has failed, Teillet says.

In one decision, a judge said it would be “easier to nail Jell-O to the wall” than find evidence to support the claim, she says.

“I think they’re concocting a story out of thin air.”

But some researchers studying the phenomenon argue that there is empirical and archival evidence that supports the existence of eastern Metis.

Daphne Williamson, an aboriginal lawyer who works with the Nova Scotia Wampanoag community and Acadian Metis groups in the province, says the community didn’t disappear — it was disrupted and dispersed during the Acadian Expulsion.

Still, she argues that their identity, language, culture and sense of community persist to the present day.

Sebastien Malette, assistant

professor at Carleton University, says genealogical data shows southwest Nova Scotia had three communities: First Nations people, “pure blood” Acadian settlers, and the “sangmeles,” or mixed blood.

“The so-called pure Acadians of white descent didn’t want to marry the Acadians with Indian blood,” so a Metis people distinctive from the Acadian and the Mi’kmaq formed, Malette says.

“There can be an invisible community due to stigma,” he says. “They have a long history of being stigmatized due to their heritage and being told they don’t exist.”

Malette admits some eastern Metis may be motivated by hunting and fishing treaty rights. But he said the constitution of certain Metis groups have the stated objective of not interfering with Mi’kmaq rights.

“I certainly can’t vouch for everyone,” he says. “But there are many Metis who feel aligned with their Mi’kmaq roots and feel a friendship and a closeness to the First Nations and just want their identity recognized.”

Some of the Metis groups, though, have issued membership cards that look like Indian Status cards and are using them to receive benefits.

It’s a problem Metis activists acknowledge. But they argue it’s an isolated issue that doesn’t represent the vast majority of eastern Metis.

“People see the newly identified Metis as trying to cash in on a distant ancestry, but that’s wrong,” says Christian Boudreau, a director of l’Association des AcadiensMetis Souriquois. “I don’t agree with taking any benefits away from the Mi’kmaq.”

The federal government says it’s aware of concerns with the cards, and has received a number of inquiries on the issue.

“While these cards convey membership to an organization, they do not confer Indian Status, nor do they confer rights and benefits linked explicitly to Indian status,” Stephanie Palma, spokeswoman for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, said in an email.

“The government takes allegations and complaints related to the misuse of Indian Status cards very seriously.” ■

29

Sports Ravena slapped with 18-month FIBA ban for drug test failure

BY IVAN STEWART SALDAJENO Philippine News Agency MANILA — The real reason behind the sudden pullout of Kiefer Ravena from the PBA All-Star Week is now known.

The SBP confirmed on Monday night that the spitfire NLEX guard has been suspended by FIBA for 18 months due to a failed drug test.

In an emergency press conference at Launchpad just beside the TV5 Media Center in Mandaluyong, officials from the SBP led by president Al Panlilio, chairman emeritus Manny Pangilinan, and executive director Sonny Barrios said FIBA notified them that Ravena was tested positive for three substances that are considered

prohibited by the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA).

“These are banned substances based on the WADA list. This is not a prohibited drug,” clarified Panlilio.

Ravena was tested positive for the banned substances following two examinations on his urine sample last Feb. 25 during Gilas’ FIBA World Cup Qualifiers game against Japan at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

“Di po ako tinest nang dalawang beses. Sa isang testing lang po ako nakuhanan ng urine sample,” clarified Ravena, who later said the prohibited substances were “found in a pre-workout drink I took before the game.”

Ravena, who was supposed to play on Sunday night for the Visayas All-Stars at the PBA AllStar game in Iloilo, was notified by the SBP to fly back here for

the said presser.

The one-and-a-half-yearban started right on the day of his urine sample examination and will last until Aug. 24, 2019, which means he will be eligible to suit up for Gilas if the team makes the 2019 FIBA World Cup, which will start a week later in China.

“I take full responsibility for my actions, despite how painful and dreadful it is, in taking this pre-workout drink without analyzing and taking extra time to know what its ingredients are,” added Ravena.

On the other hand, as speculations arise on whether the FIBA ban will spill to the club leagues, Panlilio said, “We are communicating with FIBA seeking clarification in connection with Mr. Ravena’s playing for the NLEX PBA team. We

Kiefer Ravena.

will write a letter to clarify if we will have Kiefer playing for NLEX in the PBA.” He then assured, “The SBP is

CHOOKS-TO-GO PILIPINAS

doing its very best to help Kiefer in this situation and we’ll continue to work with FIBA to fix this issue.” ■

Rockets lament missed chances after losing to Warriors

BY KRISTIE RIEKEN The Associated Press HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets were up by 14 in the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors when they started missing from 3-point range.

They shot themselves all the way from prime position to advance to the NBA Finals to the end of a solid season.

James Harden was the first to miss. Eric Gordon soon bricked one, and P.J. Tucker did the same. It was miss after miss after miss as the cold streak stretched to nine by halftime.

There were 14 more in the third quarter in a surprising performance for a team that relied on the 3 all season. By the time Tucker connected with about 6 1/2 minutes left, the Rockets had missed an NBA-record 27 straight 3-pointers and the Warriors were on their way to a 101-92 victory.

Though Gordon believes the

result would have been different if Houston had Chris Paul for the last two games of the Western Conference finals, saying: “if he was out there, we’d have been playing on Thursday,” the rest of the Rockets agreed that even the nine-time All-Star probably couldn’t have changed things on a night their shooting was historically bad.

“It’s a grown man’s league,” Tucker said. “It doesn’t matter, next man up. You’ve got to play.

You’ve got to win. It doesn’t matter who plays, step up.”

The Rockets led the NBA by making an average of 15.3 3-pointers on their way to a franchise-record 65 wins in their second year in coach Mike D’Antoni’s high-octane offence.

They made it to the conference finals for the first time since 2015, but were unable to overcome their worst shooting game of the post-season.

Houston made just 7 of 44 attempts in Game 7 on Monday

night. Trevor Ariza was 0 for 9.

Harden missed his last 11 tries in a 2-for-13 night, and Gordon connected on just 2 of 12 attempts.

“The first half, just our energy defensively was different.

That created more opportunities for the 3 and they went in,” Harden said. “As a result of that, we got a double-digit lead going into halftime. Those same opportunities were there in the second half, we just didn’t make them. They made tough shots.

That’s it pretty much.”

It was a bitter end to a sweet year for Houston.

Harden turned in an MVPcalibre regular season to help the Rockets get the NBA’s top seed for the first time in franchise history. Many doubted that he would play well with Paul after the point guard was acquired in a trade with the Clippers. But the two meshed nicely and helped the Rockets to a 3-2 lead in the conference finals before Paul’s season endwww.canadianinquirer.net

ed with a hamstring injury in Game 5.

“They were devastated ... we thought we were so close,” D’Antoni said. “We had it. We thought we had it. We had the first half ... tip your hat to them, but at the same time guys gave everything they’ve got, so it’s normal to be devastated. I think they’re still proud of the work we did, but at the same time, it hurts.”

Now the Rockets have to figure out what it will take to get over the hump next year.

They have some big decisions to make with Paul, Ariza and centre Clint Capela eligible for free agency. Some believe Houston could make a run at LeBron James if he chooses to leave Cleveland, but the Rockets would have to make a lot of changes to their roster to be able to afford him.

D’Antoni didn’t want to get into what he thinks general manager Daryl Morey should do with the roster to improve

this off-season.

“It’s way too early. That’s Daryl’s department,” he said.

“I love each guy. So it’s hard to even be objective, me to be objective. That’s the upstairs.

That’s their job to be cold and objective, and do what they think is best for the team. Then once we get in the trenches, I’ll be happy with whoever we’ve got.”

But he knows the Warriors will continue to be the league’s benchmark and they’ll have to figure out a way to beat them if they hope to win a championship.

“Golden State has set the bar for the whole league, not just us. We know where we have to go,” he said. “We feel like we’re really close ... so I’m obviously optimistic because of the guys we’re dealing with, and they’re winners. You keep knocking on the door, and they’ll eventually open.” ■

30

Business For CEOs, $11.7 million a year is just middle of the pack

BY STAN CHOE The Associated Press NEW YORK — Chief executives at the biggest public companies got an 8.5 per cent raise last year, bringing the median pay package for CEOs to $11.7 million. Across the S&P 500, compensation for CEOs is often hundreds of times higher than typical workers.

The pay increase matches the bump that CEOs received in 2016, according to salary, stock and other compensation data analyzed by Equilar for The Associated Press.

For the first time, the government required companies to show in their annual proxy statements just how much more bosses make than the typical employee. The typical CEO made 164 times the median pay of their employees, according to Equilar’s analysis.

Because the government gave companies wide leeway in how they calculated the median pay of their workers, and because some industries rely heavily on part-time workers, the CEOto-worker pay ratios are imperfect and make comparisons difficult. Despite pushback, Congress forced companies to publish the data as a way to shine a spotlight on income inequality.

A debate has already ensued about the significance of this newly released data.

“High pay ratios send a dispiriting message to the workforce,” said Liz Shuler, secretary-treasurer of the AFLCIO, which has been calculating its own tally of CEO-to-worker pay ratios for years. “Companies are asking their workers to do more with less, at the same that CEO pay is on the rise.”

Detractors among business groups, academics and compensation consultants say the ratio can give a false impression. For example, some companies exclude some of their lower-paid foreign workers,

which regulations allow. And The top five companies with large part-time The highest-paid CEO in workforces will show much Equilar’s analysis was Hock Tan greater disparity between the of Broadcom, who made $103.2 CEO’s pay and median pay. million. The vast majority of At Yum Brands, CEO Greg Tan’s compensation came in the Creed’s pay of $12.3 million form of a stock grant, valued at was 1,358 times higher than $98.3 million. He’ll receive the the company median of $9,111. shares if the stock hits certain The employee who earned that performance targets over the amount, on an annualized ba- next four years. The company sis, was a part-time employee at said in a filing with regulators a Taco Bell restaurant. that the figure looks substanEven at United Rentals, tial, but the amount Tan earns where the median pay was will “only be exceptional if our $77,127 last year, it would take (stock returns relative to other The second-highest paid CEO was Leslie Moonves of CBS. a worker earning that amount companies) is exceptional.”

FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 166 years to match the $12.8 The second-highest paid CEO million in compensation that was Leslie Moonves of CBS. He phen Kaufer, at $43.2 million. particularly among their own CEO Michael Kneeland made made $68.4 million, including He received grants of options employees. But after publishlast year. a $20 million bonus. CBS stock and restricted stock valued at ing the numbers, the backlash So far, shareholders seem OK fell in 2017, but the company’s $42.1 million, and the com- wasn’t that big, said Melissa Buwith the pay packages for CEOs. board highlighted how CBS is pany said it does not expect to rek, a partner at Compensation At both Yum Brands and United producing more premium con- give him another stock grant as Advisory Partners.

Rentals, more than 95 per cent tent where it has an ownership long-term incentive compensa“I have clients in the Midof shareholders approved their stake, among other accom- tion until 2021. west, where they’re the largest CEOs’ pay for last year. Likely plishments. employer in town, and I would buoying that support was the No. 3 was W. Nicholas Howley CEOs make how much more? have thought those would get 31.1 per cent return for Yum at TransDigm, which designs This is the first year that com- more attention,” said DanBrands stock and the 62.8 per and produces aircraft compo- panies had to report the median iel Laddin, another partner at cent rise for United Rentals. nents. He earned $61 million, pay for their employees. Me- Compensation Advisory PartAcross the S&P 500, such including $51.2 million of pay- dian is the midpoint of the pay ners. “But no one seems to be votes on executive compensa- ments from the company on scale. Across the S&P 500, the getting too upset about it.” tion passed with similar ap- stock options he holds, as if they median compensation last year All the leeway companies proval ratings in 2016 and 2017, had earned dividends. Howley, was $70,244, according to Equi- had in calculating their ratios at 95 per cent, according to the a Transdigm co-founder, left lar. That’s higher than the aver- helped many to avoid being data compiled by Equilar. The his position as CEO last month. age pay for all U.S. workers, at an outlier, on either the high boards of directors who set He is now executive chairman. $47,792, because the S&P 500 is end or the low end, said Kelly CEO pay, meanfull of big, multi- Malafis, also a partner at Comwhile, say they national compa- pensation Advisory Partners. are tying more of nies. Last year’s The real value in these ratios their executives’ median pay for may come years from now, as compensation to The real value in these ratios may the U.S. is not yet investors and workers track how the compacome years from now, as investors available. how the ratios change over ny is performing, and workers track how the ratios Companies in time, said Ethan Rouen, an asand they need change over time. the pharmaceu- sistant professor at Harvard to pay the going tical, technol- Business School who studies rate to keep talogy and energy income inequality. ented executives. sectors were on It may not make much sense The AP’s CEO compensation Jeffrey Bewkes of Time War- the high end of the S&P 500 for to compare Yum Brands’ ratio study includes pay data for 339 ner was the fourth-highest worker pay. At Facebook, for with Facebook’s, but is each executives at S&P 500 compa- paid CEO at $49 million. Time example, the median compen- company’s ratio rising or falling nies who have served at least Warner rejiggered its compen- sation was $240,430. On the low through the years? In particutwo full consecutive fiscal years sation formulas for executives end were retailers and fast-food lar, will the figures get better or at their respective companies, following its deal to be acquired restaurant chains, which tend worse when the next economic which filed proxy statements by AT&T, which was announced to have more part-time work- downturn hits, whenever that between Jan. 1 and April 30. in 2016 but is still awaiting gov- ers. may be?

Some companies with highly ernment approval. Bewkes reComing into this year, many “I think five years down the paid CEOs did not fit these cri- ceived restricted stock valued companies had big concerns road,” he said, “this measure teria, such as Oracle, and were at $32 million. about the reaction to their will be more useful than it is excluded.

No. 5 was TripAdvisor’s Ste- CEO-to-worker pay ratios, right now.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Business

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

Hike in revenue collections enabled gov’t to spend sans deficit PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

month of April, with collections of PHP232.6 billion coming in 24 percent or PHP44.9 billion better than last year’s. This led MANILA — Finance Secretary to a PHP655.7 billion collection Carlos Dominguez III said Fri- for January to April, 17 percent day the impressive increase in or PHP97.6 billion better than revenues, particularly on tax the amount posted for the same collections by revenue agen- period in 2017. cies for the first four months of “Higher excise tax take due 2018 as a result of the effective to the implementation of the implementation of the Tax Re- TRAIN law as well as improved form for Acceleration and In- and correct valuation and tariff clusion (TRAIN) law, enabled classification drove the robust the government to sustain growth,” the BTr said. its aggressive Meanwhile, spending policy BOC collections without breachfor April regising the protered at PHP46.8 grammed budget billion for a dradeficit.

Tax revenue matic 50 percent Dominguez from January year-on-year said the governto April was growth, its highment did not impressively est since the start underspend as higher than of the Duterte erroneously last year’s administration. reported but collections January to April dramatically for the same BOC collection exceeded revperiod. is up 31 percent enue collections, over the last year which is why acto total PHP176.6 tual deficit was billion. kept below the Non-tax revprogrammed enues surged level. during the said period as well.

The Bureau of Treasury From January to April, BTr in(BTr) reported Wednesday that come amounted to PHP37.0 bilthe national government regis- lion, up 23 percent from a year tered a PHP105.9 billion deficit ago. Non-tax revenue from othfor January to April 2018 on the er offices amounted to PHP50.4 back of strong revenue collec- billion, up 32 percent year-ontions despite the surge in gov- year, the BTr said. ernment spending. The actual On the other hand, actual deficit is lower by PHP61.2 bil- spending for the same period lion than the PHP167.1 billion reached PHP1.033 trillion, or programmed deficit. a shortfall of only PHP3.0 bil“The reason we didn’t exceed lion as against the programmed our target deficit is because we spending of PHP1.036 trillion exceeded our total revenues by mostly because the governPHP58.2 billion as of the first ment saved PHP3.4 billion in four months of 2018. Tax rev- interest payments, which was enue from January to April was programmed at PHP123.8 bilimpressively higher than last lion, but actual payment was year’s collections for the same only PHP120.3 billion. period,” Dominguez said. “We “We didn’t hit our deficit tarhave to put this in the proper get not because we underspent, context.” but because of revenues. Total As of four months of 2018, spending is lower by PHP3.0 tax revenues amounted to billion mainly because of the PHP927.4 billion, higher by PHP3.4 billion interest savPHP58.2 billion than the target ings. Clearly, there is no underof PHP869.2 billion. spending as actual non-interest BTr data show that BIR was expenditure is higher than the able to sustain double-digit program by PHP400 Million,” year-on-year growth for the Dominguez said. ■

31

Measures in place to dampen effects of oil price hikes PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY MANILA — The Department of Finance (DOF) has assured the public that the government has put measures in place to help ease the impact of increasing oil prices.

In a statement Monday, finance undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua cited these social mitigation measures include the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) and fuel vouchers.

As part of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, the government shall provide PHP200 a month for this year, and PHP300 a month in 2019 and 2020 to 10 million target recipients of the UCT — 4.4 million are from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), 2.6 million are indigent social pension recipients. The rest are also poor but are not under any of the two programs.

Since the government now collects higher taxes due to TRAIN law, part of its revenue shall be disbursed to poorest Filipinos through the UCT to soften the effects of rising prices.

This year, the government will release PHP24 billion to UCT beneficiaries.

Chua mentioned that the Department of Social Welfare and Development has already released some PHP4.3 billion to 1.8 million beneficiaries through the Land Bank of the Philippines. Some 2.6 million beneficiaries are set to receive their cash subsidies in May and June.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua.

FACEBOOK

The DOF official said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is preparing the fuel vouchers for duly-franchised public utility vehicles (PUVs) that will cushion the impact of higher oil prices.

He added that the Department of Energy (DOE) had an agreement last March with oil companies such as Pilipinas Shell, Phoenix Petroleum, and Petron to give fuel discounts to PUV drivers.

DOE data showed that as of May 22, prices of oil products range from PHP41.40 to PHP47.48 for diesel, PHP50.85 to PHP60.85 for gasoline, and PHP47.26 to PHP57.01 for kerosene.

But Chua reiterated that the TRAIN law is not the main cause of increasing oil prices but it is the geopolitical conditions in the Middle East and other global economic factors.

Chua said the increased rates in excise taxes on petroleum

products may be suspended, “should the price of Dubai crude keep going up and the three-month average in the last quarter of this year hits USD80 per barrel”.

Last week, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a radio interview that President Rodrigo Duterte already directed the DOE to study the feasibility of sourcing cheaper fuel from non-Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries members such as Russia.

The Chief Executive likewise ordered the Department of Trade and Industry to closely monitor the local market and apprehend those violating the Price Act, particularly profiteers that are taking advantage of the current situation.

The Department of Labor and Employment will also be directed, upon the go-signal from Malacañan Palace, to discuss possible wage hikes. ■

program and the extended parental leave,” Fortin said.

Fortin says the Quebec program has stumbled in overall quality. On average, the subsidized CPEs get very positive reviews for a highly qualified staff and environment, but the privately owned daycares offer a lower level of quality.

That discrepancy was noted in a study released by the Observatoire des tous petits, a charitable foundation that

studies child development.

While the province’s subsidized educational childcare centres scored very well, the same couldn’t be said for privately held daycares or the other subsidized models.

“The right verdict to give is that we have a two-tier system,” Fortin said.

“One is spectacularly good but the other is spectacularly mediocre.” ■

Quebec’s daycare... ❰❰ 26

about 83 per cent.

The federal government committed to increasing women in the workforce in the budget last February through a number of measures, but did not provide a solution to the childcare quandary.

“All the research looking into the matter has concluded the main cause of increase in labour force participation has been the low-fee universal childcare www.canadianinquirer.net

32

Technology Amid confusion, EU data privacy law goes into effect

BY DANICA KIRKA The Associated Press LONDON — Lars Andersen’s business handles some of the most sensitive data there is — the names and phone numbers of children.

The owner of London-based My Nametags, which makes personalized nametags to iron into children’s clothing, says protecting that information is fundamental to his business, which operates in 130 countries.

But starting Friday, My Nametags and most other companies that collect or process the personal information of EU residents must take a number of extra precautions to comply with the new General Data Protection Regulation, which the EU calls the most sweeping change in data protection rules in a generation.

While the legislation has been applauded for tackling the thorny question of personal data privacy, the rollout is also causing confusion. Companies are trying to understand what level of protection different data needs, whether this could force them to change the way they do business and innovate, and how to manage the EU’s 28 national data regulators, who enforce the law.

“Once you try to codify the spirit (of the law) — then you get unintended consequences,” Andersen said. “There’s been a challenge for us: What actually do I have to do? There are a million sort of answers.”

That uncertainty, together with stiff penalties for violating the law, has convinced internet-based businesses such as Unroll.me, an inbox management firm, and gaming company Ragnarok Online to block EU users from their sites.

Pottery Barn, an arm of San Francisco-based housewares retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc., said it would no longer ship to EU addresses. The Los Angeles Times newspaper said it was temporarily putting its website off limits in most EU countries.

The implementation of GDPR has also made data protection an issue in contract negotiations as firms argue about how to divvy up responsibility for any data breach.

“Deals are being held up by data protection,” said Phil Lee, a partner in privacy security and information at Fieldfisher, a law firm with offices in 18 EU cities. “If something goes wrong, what happens?”

EU countries themselves aren’t quite ready for the new rules. Less than half of the 28 member states have adopted national laws to implement GDPR, though the laggards are expected to do so in the next few weeks, according to WilmerHale, an international law firm.

As with most EU-wide regulations, enforcement of the new data protection rules falls to national authorities. While the EU stresses that the law applies to everyone, one of the big outstanding questions is whether regulators will go after any entity that breaks the law or simply focus on data giants like

Google and Facebook.

Lawyers also say it isn’t yet clear how regulators will interpret the sometimes general language written into the law. For example, the law says processing of personal data must be “fair” and data should be held “no longer than necessary.”

“It’s time to put on your seatbelt and check your airbag,” said D. Reed Freeman Jr., a privacy and cybersecurity expert at WilmerHale. “It’s kind of like a lift-off with a rocket. It’s about to launch.”

Andersen of My Nametags said the law has already caused problems for his business.

He has been advised that the company website in the Netherlands has to be different from the one in the U.K. because the two countries are likely to apply the law differently, and has a dispute with a supplier over which of them is responsible for protecting certain data.

U.K. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has tried to ease concerns, saying the most important thing is for companies to try their best to comply with the law and work with authorities to correct any problems.

“We pride ourselves on being a fair and proportionate regulator and this will continue under the GDPR,” Denham said in a blog post. “Those who self-report, who engage with us to resolve issues and who can demonstrate effective accountability arrangements can expect this to be taken into account when we consider any regulatory action.”

www.canadianinquirer.net

NILS VERSEMANN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The new law comes at a time when advances in technology make data more valuable, and therefore raise the stakes in protecting it.

The ability to analyze everything from consumer purchases to medical records holds enormous potential, with suggestions that it will make us healthier, improve traffic flows and other good things for society. At the same time, it provides business with huge new opportunities for profit, with some experts putting the value of the global data economy at $3 trillion.

That potential is underscored by changes in the list of the world’s most valuable companies, which was once dominated by energy and industrial companies. Now Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook hold five of the six top spots.

“Data is the new soil,” said Adam Schlosser, the project lead for digital and trade flows at the World Economic Forum.

“It serves as a foundational element for growth.”

But with that potential comes concern that data can be used for private gain, threatening personal privacy rights.

Allegations that political consultant Cambridge Analytica used data harvested from Facebook accounts to help Donald Trump with the 2016 presidential election offered a tangible example of the fears highlighted by privacy campaigners.

Andersen fears that “dodgy operators” will continue to flout the rules, but he hopes publicity around GDPR will help demonstrate that he takes data protection seriously — that he recognizes the information behind those nametags decorated with cupcakes, unicorns and smiley faces is something to be safeguarded.

“In terms of pieces of data that you don’t want to go astray, your children’s information is kind of the core of that,” Andersen said. “In a way, that’s why we as a company have been successful — (by) trying to treat our customers as parents in the way I would want to be treated as a parent.” ■

Technology

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

33

Uber says it remains Bank breaches highlight committed to rise of cyber threats as new Toronto hub for self- exploitation strategies emerge driving car research

BY IAN BICKIS The Canadian Press

THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO — Uber Technologies Inc. says the Arizona research centre that conducted a fatal test of a self-diving car is being shut down but the company is “doubling down” on its efforts at engineering hubs in Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto.

Uber says it is “very committed” to the self-driving vehicle project and its Toronto engineering hub has several positions currently open, with others likely to be added.

It also aims to resume operations in Pittsburg this summer and it’s in conversations with state officials in California and the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento but it provided

less detail about its Toronto operation.

Uber previously suspended all of its autonomous vehicle operations following a fatal March accident, where one of its cars hit a 49-year-old woman who was crossing the street in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe.

At the time, Uber said it had been testing two self-driving vehicles in Toronto for months, but the automobiles had not been picking up passengers.

Toronto is only one of several Ontario cities that are hosting limited tests of increasingly autonomous vehicles being conducted by several companies in what’s being promoted as the next major step in automotive technology. ■

VAALAA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

APPARENT ATTEMPTS to extort two major Canadian banks highlight the increasing threat and variety of cyberattacks against major companies.

Attacks against BMO and CIBC-owned Simplii — that compromised the information of up to a combined 90,000 Canadians — made public Monday, appear to be the latest in a number of high-profile ransom attacks. The attacks have the banks in damage control mode, prompting them to assuage client concern about the safety of Canadian accounts.

CBC reported that it received a letter from someone who said they demanded a $1-million ransom from the targeted banks.

The banks would not confirm the CBC report Tuesday. BMO said only that a “threat” was made, but it has a policy of not making payments to fraudsters, while Simplii was similarly cryptic, saying only that fraudsters may have electronically accessed some data, but that its practice is not to pay ransom demands.

Both banks said they both took additional security measures after learning of the potential breach and would be directly contacting customers whose accounts may have been compromised. Royal Bank, Scotiabank and Toronto-Dominion Bank have said they have

no indication they have been affected.

The apparent extortion attempt against BMO and CIBC’s direct-banking brand Simplii comes after a string of other high-profile pay-for-data attempts.

Recent examples include a failed attempt at Uber to pay off hackers — only for the company to later reveal that some 815,000 Canadians had their information compromised as part of a global attack, and the infamous cyberattack on cheating website Ashley Madison, which did not comply with hackers’ demands to close the website, resulting in the exposure of personal information of millions of users.

Smaller organizations are also falling victim to hacking payment scams, including the University of Calgary, which paid $20,000 to have its computer systems unlocked after a ransomware attack in 2016.

The risks are clearly on the rise, said cybersecurity expert Satyamoorthy Kabilan at the Conference Board of Canada.

“In terms of cyber incidents overall, whether it’s breaches, whether it’s these sorts of attacks, whether it’s standard ransomware, that’s skyrocketing.”

However, the incident involving BMO and Simplii varies from more standard efforts to either use the data itself to profit or to try and sell it to third parties — which makes it harder for companies to set up defensive plans, said Kabilan.

“Understanding tactics actually gives us an advantage in terms of defending ourselves, but if those are constantly varying, it starts putting up a few more challenges.”

Companies, especially banks, need to keep improving security efforts but also plan for resiliency and being able to respond in the event of an attack, he said.

“Companies have to wake up to the fact that there is no such thing as 100 per cent security in the cyber world. It’s a question of when and how bad.”

BMO and Simplii did the right thing in being quick to assure customers that their money is safe and that they’re working diligently to improve security, said Barry Waite, chair of the communications department at Centennial College.

Both banks said they’d directly reach out to affected customers and are co-ordinating with officials to respond to the incident and protect clients.

Demonstrating the safety of banking services will become increasingly important as they roll out more digital products, said Waite.

The whole banking sector is looking to improve digital security in light of such threats, Scotiabank CFO Sean McGuckin said on a media conference call discussing its quarterly results.

“There’s a very open dialogue amongst financial institutions around cyber threats. So we are all quite open and learning and sharing from each other.” ■

Facebook to label election-related ‘issue ads’ in US

BY BARBARA ORTUTAY The Associated Press NEW YORK — Facebook is expanding its advertising disclosure requirements to cover all U.S. ads on polarized issues such as gun control and abortion rights, even if they don’t endorse a particular candidate.

Ads coming from specific

candidates have already included a disclosure label since October. Facebook has said it would require that of issue ads from outside parties, too, but it didn’t provide details until Thursday, when the expanded requirements took effect.

Such issue ads played prominently in Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. elections. Twitter and Google also have been working to prevent

elections interference, including by labeling political ads as such and requiring advertisers to disclose their funders.

Facebook says that when users click on the label on such an ad, they will be taken to a page with more information, including who paid for it and how many people saw it.

Defining what counts as an issue ad won’t be easy. While both education and immigrawww.canadianinquirer.net

tion can be political issues, for example, ads for a university or an immigration lawyer would not be considered political.

Facebook says it’s starting with a list of 20 issues, including immigration and foreign policy, and will target ads “with the goal of either influencing public debate, promoting a ballot measure or electing a candidate.”

Facebook has already said

it would require anyone who wants to buy issue ads in the U.S. to confirm their identity and location. Facebook said it is investing in more workers and technology to identify potential abuse. The company is urging users to report ads that have political content but are not labeled. Violators will be banned from running political ads, the company says. ■

JUNE 1, 2018

34

CANADA

NANNY/BABYSITTER

LOCATION: BRAMPTON Employer: Romelo Perez for 2 children (15 & 11 y.o.), Mon-Fri, $14/hr for 40 hrs/wk. 3 year-contract Requirements: LanguageEnglish. Education- Completion of secondary school (min.)

Experience- 1-2 yrs. child care/babysitting exp; criminal record check, in good health. Duties: Supervise and care for children, prepare and serve meals, assist with feeding, grooming, hygiene, homework and school projects. Perform light housekeeping & cleaning duties including wash/iron clothes and household linens.

Take children to and from school and appointments, travel with family if needed.

APPLY BY EMAIL: melo.perez@outlook.com

HIRING LUCKY SUPERMARKET 10628 King George Blvd, Surrey B.C is hiring all positions such as: store manager, grocery manager, produce manager, office administration, file maintenance clerk, head cashier, cook, BBQ chef, meat cutter, baker, bakery clerk, grocery clerk, frozen clerk, meat clerk, produce clerk, cashier, truck driver and kitchen helper.

Please email resume to: hrsurrey@luckysupermarket.ca

GENERAL LABOUR POSITION (Full Time o Permanente) (Mississauga) Refrigerated, Meat Processing Environment

Lunes hanggang Biyernes $17.93/Hour may kasamang benepisyo Isend ang resume sa rajdip.gidda@sargentfarms.ca o ibigay ng personal sa 3410 Semenyk Court, Mississauga.

www.canadianinquirer.net

35

Travel Hockey, curling make Las Recreationists change Vegas more than a gambling plans as Arizona mecca for Canadians forest areas close

BY ADINA BRESGE The Canadian Press LAS VEGAS — A warm getaway destination that offers live winter sports, Las Vegas now fits that bill for Western Canadians.

Sin City's desert climate combined with a new NHL team currently in the Stanley Cup final and regular world curling events just a short flight away are increasing traffic from Canada's most western provinces.

Canadians may love going to the arena to watch hockey and curling, but they don't necessarily love shovelling a path to the car and scraping the windshield to get there.

Hanging at the pool pre-game and going to the arena in shorts, or catching a Cirque du Soleil show and hitting the blackjack tables after? Canadians can get behind that during the dog days of winter.

“We saw incredible crowds travel from Western Canada all throughout the season,” Vegas Golden Knights chief marketing officer Brian Killingsworth said.

“What we've noticed in Western Canada, but even across all other hockey markets, teams circle this date, the Las Vegas date, as the destination trip.

That's the game they want to travel to with their fan base, their fan groups, their sponsors.

“We had probably some of the best representation of visiting team fans coming from the Western Canadian teams. As an aside, it was some of our bestperforming 50-50 raffles. It was significant.”

An average of 1.44 million Canadians travel to Las Vegas annually which is the most from any country, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton account for 54 per cent of Canada's direct air passen-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JONATHAN WEISS / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

gers to Vegas, according to the LVCVA, because of geographical proximity and several daily non-stop flights from those cities.

They were already going to Las Vegas for the gambling, shows and warmer weather.

The arrival of ice sports add to the inducements to go.

“Western Canada is just vital for Las Vegas,” said Lisa Motley, LVCVA's director of sports marketing and special events.

“While I'd like to tell you we programmed our winter sports around the Canadian market coming to visit, it's just kind of more of a bonus for us.”

Curlers and fans were tanning at The Orleans pool between draws during the men's world curling championship in April, while Calgary was slammed with snow the same week.

World championship event manager Jon Killoran said 75 to 80 per cent of tickets were sold to Canadians.

The World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling — a Ryder-Cup-style event featuring the world's best curlers — will be held at the Orleans Arena for the fourth time in six years in January, 2019.

“It's been extremely impor-

tant to have the Canadian fan embrace curling in Las Vegas as they have from the very start back in 2014 with the first Continental Cup,” Killoran said.

“The Canadian fan is the dominant reason that curling is succeeding here in Las Vegas.

“If people can come for the curling and can squeeze in a game with the Golden Knights at the same time, on that same trip, I think that becomes very attractive to a Canadian sports fan.”

An NFL team arriving in Las Vegas in 2020 will be yet another draw for Canadians, particularly in frosty December and January when the CFL is dormant. There are rumblings Las Vegas is also due for an NBA team.

“It's a true destination city,” Killingsworth said. “We'll always have that calling card.

“What I think is interesting now is it's turning into a sports and entertainment market. Not just an entertainment market.”

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ. — Campers, hikers and other recreationists will be barred from parts of a national forest in Arizona this summer, forcing many to change their outdoor plans for Memorial Day weekend.

Forest officials announced Friday that six large swaths of the Coconino National Forest would temporarily close to the public Wednesday as authorities work to prevent wildfires, the Arizona Daily Sun reported.

The forest closures will also shut down 10 Forest Service campgrounds and a number of trails and roads.

Brian and Dee Hill were among the campers at the Canyon Vista Campground on Monday. The Phoenix couple had intended to stay at the campground south of Flagstaff for a couple of weeks, but they were informed it will be shutting down.

“It was a little bit of a shock; we’re not sure where to go for Memorial Day now because everything is so crowded,” Brian Hill said.

If you go…

Vegas Golden Knights - www. nhl.com/goldenknights 2019 World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling, Jan. 17-20 - www.curling.ca/ tickets ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Coconino National Forest.

Ray Hemmele was riding his mountain bike in the Schultz Creek area on Monday. He plans to start biking on other trails as the closures go into effect.

“It’s a small price to pay,” Hemmele said. “I would rather have a forest to come recreate and ride in than have one that’s burned down.”

Employees of Flagstaff Bike Revolution have been telling customers to use the trails near Sedona when the Flagstaff-area ones close. The shop expects the closures to affect business, but store service manager Geoffrey Whittaker said it’s a “necessary evil.”

The concessionaire Recreation Resource Management operates several of the Forest Service campgrounds that will be closed. The company expects to take a hit as summer is its only profitable time of year, said Warren Meyer, the concessionaire’s president.

“We’ve been through this before. We’ll survive, but I worry about my folks,” Meyer said.

He said he is looking for other places for his employees to work while the campgrounds are closed. ■

36

Travel

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

Maui's Kapalua Bay Beach tops Dr. Beach's best beach list

BY BETH J. HARPAZ The Associated Press A CRESCENT-SHAPED beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui got the top slot Thursday on the list of best beaches issued annually by a Florida professor known as Dr. Beach.

Kapalua Bay Beach topped the list released by Stephen Leatherman, a coastal science professor at Florida International University in Miami.

And don't worry about that lava-spewing volcano impacting visits to the Kapalua beach.

The Kilauea volcano is on a different Hawaiian island, the Big Island.

Leatherman's list even has a second Hawaiian beach on the same island as the volcano, Hapuna Beach State Park, coming in eighth on the list. But Hapuna is on the opposite side of the Big Island.

The other beaches on the top 10 list are Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach on North Carolina's Outer Banks, coming in second, followed by Grayton Beach State Park in the Florida panhandle; Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York; Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mas-

sachusetts; Lighthouse Beach, Buxton, Outer Banks, North Carolina; Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin-Clearwater, Florida; then Hapuna on the Big Island, with Coronado Beach, San Diego, California, in ninth place and Kiawah Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, coming in 10th.

About that no. 1 beach…

Leatherman told The Associated Press that Kapalua is one of his “favourite beaches.

It's just an idyllic place to visit.

What's interesting is a lot of beaches are beautiful but can be dangerous because of big waves. This beach has two arms of (hardened) lava flows, ancient lava flows, which protect it. So it's a really calm waterway. You don't go there for surfing. You go there for swimming.

The water is warm year-round.”

Kapalua is also lined with palm trees, has white coral sand and colorful tropical fish, and is perfect for snorkeling. Leatherman says it's easy to reach from the main road by driving through a golf course, but parking is limited.

One small caveat on whether visitors to other parts of Hawaii will notice any ill effects

from the volcano: Depending on wind conditions, other areas of the Big Island and the other Hawaiian islands could experience volcanic smog, known as vog. Right now winds are blowing most of it offshore. Vog is not a new issue, by the way: The entire state has experienced vog on and off since 2008.

Criteria for the list

Leatherman has been compiling his annual list of top 10 beaches every year since 1991.

He uses 50 criteria to evaluate beaches, with the most important categories being water cleanliness, safety (meaning no rip currents or drownings) and management of the beach environment and its facili-

ties. He also looks for fine, soft sand, and gives extra points for beaches that prohibit smoking.

He doesn't collect water from every beach in test tubes himself, by the way, but he does use data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to grade the beaches on water quality.

Leatherman's list has its origins in a class he taught at the University of Maryland. A student was writing an article for a travel magazine and asked him to come up with a list of the 10 best beaches based on his expertise as a coastal scientist.

He began producing his official annual list in 1991 using his 50 criteria and his vast knowledge of U.S. ocean beaches. “I had visited every (ocean) beach in

the U.S. for a Department of Interior study ... so that gave me the background data set to work from,” he said.

His goal in producing the list each year, he says, “is to reward those beaches which maintain the high quality and the safety areas but also to encourage other beaches to do the same.” He looks for beaches that “balance nature with the built environment.”

But how come so many states with beloved beaches — in places like Maine, the DelMarva Peninsula, the Jersey shore, the Pacific Northwest and other coastal areas — never make the list, while the same names keep turning up year after year?

Leatherman says it's all about the math in his categories.

Beaches lose points for water that's too chilly, sand that's too coarse, condo towers instead of dunes, riptides and drownings, erosion and limited public access.

Leatherman adds that he doesn't make money from the list. He just finds “it interesting to do” and hopes that the standards he promotes will encourage other beaches “to do the right thing and improve their quality.” ■

Planning a Disney trip? Disney Parks Moms Panel can help

BY BETH J. HARPAZ The Associated Press IF YOU’RE contemplating a trip to a Disney park, you may be stressing out about the planning. How far in advance should you book? How does the FastPass work? Are restaurant reservations really necessary?

A good resource for getting advice is the Disney Parks Moms Panel. The 40 panelists provide customized, free answers to questions about Disney vacations (including parks, Disney Cruise Line, Disney resorts and more). Emailed questions are answered in about a week.

A member of the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Lindsey P. of Georgia, recently spoke to AP’s weekly travel podcast “Get

Outta Here!” (Disney identifies panelists only by first name, first initial of last name and home state.) Here are some excerpts from the podcast episode, edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: How far in advance should I book a Disney park trip?

A: The sweet spot for most guests is the seven- or eightmonth window. You can choose your home resort, make your hotel reservation then. When that six-month window comes around, you’ll be able to make your advance dining reservations for table service restaurants. When the 60 days before check-in window rolls around, you’ll be able to make your FastPass reservations.

Q: What does the FastPass do?

A: It allows guests to choose three attractions (rides) per day to book in advance. ... The

FastPass queue eliminates the wait.

Q: What’s the ideal number of days for a Disney World visit?

A: I like to go for five “sleeps” (overnights) as my kids call it. That allows us to get in one park (per day) for the four main parks. We also like to take a resort day to explore resort amenities, offerings and activities. ... But I’ve known guests from the U.K. that will stay up to two weeks. I’ve had friends go for a short weekend and concentrate on a couple of parks.

Q: What is the MagicBand?

A: It’s a wonderful piece of technology worn on the wrist ... a tiny device, waterproof, that will hold all your information.

It can serve as your room key, your FastPass, your tickets can be embedded in it.

Q: Is there a way to predict the www.canadianinquirer.net

MIA2YOU / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

parks’ busiest days and times?

A: I never schedule a vacation myself without checking the Undercovertourist.com crowd calendar. They have an uncanny knack to estimate a crowd level on scale of one to 10

... at whatever park you might want to visit on any given day.

You’ll see a red X by a park that expects a large crowd due to a festival or an event. ❱❱ PAGE 38 Planning a

37

Food How to make a juicy blueberry pie and keep your crust crisp AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN WE WANTED a pie that had a firm, juicy filling full of fresh blueberry flavour with still plump berries, and we also wanted a crisp, flaky crust.

To thicken the pie, we tried cornstarch as well as our gluten-free flour blend but preferred tapioca starch, which was subtle enough to allow the berry flavour to shine through.

Too much of it, though, created a congealed mess.

Cooking some of the blueberries down to a saucy consistency helped us reduce the amount of tapioca required, as did adding a peeled Granny Smith apple that we shredded on the large holes of a box grater.

Rich in pectin, the apple helped thicken the berries naturally. Since gluten-free pie crusts can easily turn soggy, we found that preheating a sheet pan in the oven and baking the pie on the lower rack helped keep the crust crisp. (We also offer a gluten-free flour blend).

It’s not safe to place a glass (Pyrex) pie plate on a preheated baking sheet. If you must use a glass pie plate, do not preheat the baking sheet; note, however, that your crust will not be as crisp. This pie is best served the day it is made.

Blueberry pie

Servings: 8 Start to finish: 3 hours

• 30 ounces (6 cups) blueberries • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and shredded • 5 1/4 ounces (3/4 cup) sugar • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice • Pinch salt • 1 recipe Double-Crust Pie Dough (recipe below) • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten Cook 3 cups blueberries in

medium saucepan over medium heat, mashing occasionally with potato masher to help release juices, until half of berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and measures 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Place shredded apple in clean kitchen towel and wring dry.

Combine apple, cooked berry mixture, remaining 3 cups uncooked berries, sugar, tapioca starch, lemon zest and juice, and salt in large bowl.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 F. Roll 1 disk of dough into 12-inch circle between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Remove top plastic, gently invert dough over 9-inch metal pie plate, and ease dough into plate; remove remaining plastic. Roll other disk of dough into 12-inch circle between 2 large sheets of plastic. Remove top plastic. Using 1 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut hole in centre of dough, then cut out 6 more holes, about 1 1/2 inches from hole in centre, evenly spaced around centre hole.

Spread blueberry mixture evenly into dough-lined pie plate. Gently invert top crust over filling and remove remaining plastic. Trim dough 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate, pinch dough edges together, and tuck under itself to be flush with edge of pie plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge using your fingers. Brush pie with egg white.

Place pie on preheated baking sheet and bake until crust is light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F, rotate baking sheet, and continue to bake until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes longer. Let pie cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 4 hours. Serve.

Double-crust Pie Dough

Makes enough for one 9-inch pie

Perfect pie dough has just the right balance of tenderness and structure. The former comes from fat, the latter from the long protein chains, called gluten, that form when flour mixes with water. Too little gluten and the dough won’t stick together; too much and the crust turns tough.

So presumably we would face mostly a structural issue with a gluten-free dough, since gluten-free flours are naturally low in protein. As our first step, we swapped in our gluten-free flour blend for the wheat flour in all the pie dough recipes the test kitchen has developed over the years. We produced workable doughs in every case, but an all-butter dough (which includes sour cream for tenderness) had the necessary richness to stand up to the starchiness of the gluten-free flour blend and was clearly the best starting point.

Although we weren’t surprised to find that the dough was still too soft and lacked structure, we were taken aback by how tough it was; on its own, the sour cream was not sufficient to tenderize a gluten-free dough. We solved the structural problem easily with the addition of a modest amount of xanthan gum, but flakiness and tenderness were still elusive.

In an effort to further tenderize our dough, we tested ingredients that are known to tenderize: baking soda, lemon juice, and vinegar. Vinegar was the clear winner, producing a pie crust that was not only tender, but also light and flaky. Like conventional recipes, this pie dough can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for two days; however, it is not sturdy enough to withstand freezing.

• 6 tablespoons ice water • 3 tablespoons sour cream • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar • 13 ounces (2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons) ATK Glutenwww.canadianinquirer.net

Free Flour Blend (recipe below) • 1 tablespoon sugar • 1 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and frozen for 10 to 15 minutes Combine ice water, sour cream, and vinegar together in bowl. Process flour blend, sugar, salt, and xanthan gum together in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds.

Scatter butter over top and pulse until crumbs look uniform and distinct pieces of but-

ter are no longer visible, 20 to 30 pulses.

Pour half of sour cream mixture over flour mixture and pulse to incorporate, about three pulses. Add remaining sour cream mixture and pulse until dough comes together in large pieces around blade, about 20 pulses.

Divide dough into two even pieces. Turn each piece of dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and flatten each into 5-inch disk. Wrap each piece tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before rolling out dough, ❱❱ PAGE 38 How to

38

Food

JUNE 1, 2018

FRIDAY

Tuscan Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings topped with marinara

BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press IT WAS my great good fortune recently to spend a week in Tuscany on a culinary tour, assisting a friend of mine with some cooking classes. Of course, I was as much a student as a teacher, and I learned a ton as we banged around from town to town. One of the recipes that especially impressed me was gnudi (in English, we’d say nude). These scrumptious little dumplings are built out of leftover ravioli filling — usually ricotta, spinach and cheese (pecorino or parmigiano-reggiano) — combined with a bit of egg and flour, rolled into a ball and poached, then served with a brown butter sage sauce. But why “nude”? Because basically they are ravioli that are stripped of the pasta with which they are generally clothed.

Although gnudi are very similar to the venerable Italian potato dumplings called gnocchi, they’re much easier to make and lighter in texture. If you have a little extra time on your hands, you can drain the ricotta in a sieve to remove excess water, then pat it dry — a step that concentrates the flavour and decreases the amount of flour

needed for the recipe. Here I’ve skipped that step to save time.

The dough will be quite wet, but with the help of a bit of flour coating, it will still be very easy to shape.

As mentioned, gnudi are usually served with a butter sauce flavoured with fresh sage. But I wanted to top my gnudi with something lighter, a sauce that would provide an acidic counterbalance to the natural sweetness of the dumplings. (The source of that sweetness? The milk sugar in the ricotta.) So I went with marinara. You can make your own or opt for your favourite store-bought version.

These dumplings can be cooked ahead, drained, chilled and refrigerated for two to three days. To revive them, simmer them for a few minutes in a pot of boiling water, then top the gnudi with the heated marinara. A glass of chianti — Tuscany’s justly celebrated signature wine — is the perfect beverage to drink with this dish. Saluti!

Tuscan Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings

Start to finish: 1 1/4 hours Servings: 4

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 8 ounces baby spinach

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta • 1 large egg, beaten lightly • 1/2 ounce grated ParmigianoReggiano, plus extra to garnish the finished dish • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 2 cups marinara sauce Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a large skillet heat the oil over high heat, add half the spinach and cook, stirring until it starts to wilt; add the second half with a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring until all of the spinach is wilted. Transfer the spinach to a strainer and let it cool. When it is cool enough to handle, working with a small handful at a time, squeeze the spinach with your hands to remove as much excess liquid as possible. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board, chop it fine and add it to a medium bowl along with the ricotta, egg, cheese, zest, salt and pepper.

Stir until combined well. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the flour over the top of the mixture and fold it in, folding just until the mixture is combined.

Lightly sprinkle some of the

Planning a... ❰❰ 36

Q: What are some advantages to staying at a Disney property versus off-site accommodations?

A: You get the option to use extra “magic hours” ... where a park may open an hour early or stay open an hour later. Those are only available to Walt Disney World hotel guests. And I don’t necessarily ever rent a car when I visit Walt Disney World because the transportation options are fairly seamless.

There’s a complimentary plush coach line back and forth to the airport. On resort property, the buses, the monorails are operating all hours of the day.

Q: Is it necessary to book restaurants ahead or can you wing it?

A: It depends on your family’s style. I have a friend who

remaining flour onto a small rimmed sheet pan and put the rest of the remaining flour into a pie plate or shallow dish.

Scoop heaping teaspoons of the dough onto the flour in the pie plate, coat your hands with flour and roll the mounds of dough into balls (the dough will be very soft). Transfer each ball after you have shaped it to the sheet pan. You should end up with about 36 balls.

In a saucepan heat the marinara over medium heat until it is hot. Working in two batches,

add the dumplings to the boiling water and simmer them until they float (this will only take a few minutes). Transfer them as they are done to pasta bowls, top each portion with some of the sauce and sprinkle it with cheese. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 314 calories; 142 calories from fat; 16 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 190 mg cholesterol; 565 mg sodium; 27 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 15 g protein.

How to... can only deal with table service reservations. She loves a guaranteed place to sit down with her family. My family likes to do one table service reservation a day, sometimes breakfast, sometimes dinner. We like to take lunch on the fly. If you decide not to make those table service reservations, the MyDisneyExperience mobile app lets you order food in advance with a credit card. You arrive at the restaurant, push “I’m here” and your tray is ready. ... It’s kind of like Uber Eats.

Q: How do you cope when kids have a meltdown in the park?

A: It happens. The four main theme parks offer baby care centres. You might say, ‘I don’t have a baby,’ but these areas offer an air-conditioned, quiet place to sit and take in a Disney cartoon

... and a store with sundries and snacks. Some of them have restrooms for potty training. It’s a place to rest, relax and recoup.

You can also take Disney transportation back to your room for a nap, then come back later for fireworks or a meal. ... Also know your family’s rhythm. If your kids are early risers, hop up, get that morning meal, head to the park. If your kids are late risers at home, that means you can have a more special lunch, engage in the afternoon parades.

Q: What do you think about using a travel agent to book a Disney visit?

A: I’ve used a travel agent myself. ... Figuring out which hotel, dining, reservations and the FastPass — a travel agent is well-versed in all those offerings. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

❰❰ 37

let it sit on counter to soften slightly, about 30 minutes. (Dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

The America’s Test Kitchen Gluten-free Flour Blend

Makes 42 ounces (about 9 1/3 cups) It is important to bring the mix to room temperature before using it in a recipe. Be sure to use potato starch, not potato flour. Tapioca starch is also sold as tapioca flour; they are interchangeable. See notes at right about shopping for rice flours and substitutes for potato starch and nonfat dry milk powder.

• 24 ounces (4 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup) white rice flour • 7 1/2 ounces (1 2/3 cups) brown rice flour • 7 ounces (1 1/3 cups) potato starch • 3 ounces (3/4 cup) tapioca starch • 3/4 ounce (3 tablespoons) nonfat milk powder Whisk all ingredients together in large bowl until well combined. Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 months. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 506 calories; 227 calories from fat; 26 g fat (15 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 63 mg cholesterol; 339 mg sodium; 70 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 34 g sugar; 6 g protein.

39

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018

Canadians confused about GM foods, support mandatory labelling: study

BY ADINA BRESGE The Canadian Press HALIFAX — The vast majority of Canadians believe genetically modified foods should have to be labelled at the grocery store, according to a new study, which a researcher says shows most consumers are confused about the science behind their dinner plates.

In a recent survey, researchers at a Halifax university found that nearly 90 per cent of Canadians expressed some degree of support for mandatory labelling of genetically modified ingredients, but most respondents were unsure whether they had purchased an engineered food product.

Participants were split about whether the health effects of GM foods are fully understood, according to the study, which reflects the lack of understanding among consumers, said Sylvain Charlebois, a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.

“Most Canadians are confused about the safety health effects of genetically modified foods in general,” Charlebois said. “That’s really the one thing that came out. If you compare different results … there were contradictions from one question to another.”

Before filling out the online questionnaire, the 1,046 people sampled to represent the Canadian market were informed that genetically modified foods refer to organisms that have been genetically altered in a way that would not occur naturally.

Charlebois said the technology has been around for more than two decades, and it’s estimated that more than threequarters of all food products sold in Canada contain at least one GM ingredient.

Most research into the safety of GM products, which has been largely funded by food producers and affirmed by independent analyses, has concluded that the technology has not been linked to health risks, said Charlebois.

In an effort to refute these findings, he said anti-GM groups have mobilized to wrest

control of the public narrative according to its website. fits of GM technology clearer to and “demonize” the technolGiven the cloud of controver- consumers. The technology is ogy. sy surrounding the technology, often used to extend a product’s At the centre of this “highly Charlebois said food producers shelf life or make it more resispolarized” issue, Charlebois have resisted federal regulation tant to external conditions, and said consumers have been left requiring labelling, fearing it could potentially make some not knowing who to believe, could deter consumers from foods cheaper, he said. or left out of the debate alto- buying GM products.

“By making this labelling rule gether.

But Charlebois believes GM mandatory, I would argue that “What’s driving policy right literacy could boost producers’ you’re actually giving a chance now is this fear of scaring con- profits, arguing that transpar- for consumers to befriend the sumers, and the science is pret- ency in packaging makes for technology,” he said. ty clear on this “We need to one. Based on look at the sowhat we know so cio-economics far, genetically of genetic modimodified seeds, With social media today, that’s fication and see crops or even annot acceptable anymore. People exactly if conimals, don’t pose deserve to know, and deserve to sumers are willa threat to conbe empowered. ing to pay for it.” sumer health,” As an examhe said. ple, Charlebois “I’m not sure pointed to the that consumers see the value happy customers. arrival of GM salmon in Canada in genetic engineering … and “(Most) products you find this year after U.S.-based Aquthat’s a big concern.” in the grocery store include aBounty Technologies, which Health Canada doesn’t re- some form of genetically engi- has a facility on P.E.I., brought quire labelling on GM food, say- neered ingredients, without the in the first shipment from Paning grocery items are assessed consumer’s consent,” he said. ama. according to safety and nutri- “With social media today, that’s The salmon contains genetic tional standards before they not acceptable anymore. People material from ocean pout and go to market. To date, the pub- deserve to know, and deserve to chinook salmon to help it reach lic health department has not be empowered.” adult size faster, according to turned down any applications Charlebois said GM labelling the company. for genetically modified foods, could make the economic beneOf all GM food categories, www.canadianinquirer.net

Dalhousie researchers found that fish and seafood aroused the most concern, with around 44 per cent of respondents saying they were either unlikely or very unlikely to purchase engineered ocean products.

While non-GM foods ranked highly among respondents’ top three concerns when purchasing food, according to the survey, it was beat by price.

Charlebois believes it’s possible consumers will be swayed more by price than a GM label.

“We’ve always seen genetically modified … foods through a food safety lens. I think we need to broaden that,” he said.

“My point is that (labelling) has nothing to do really with risk, it’s more of a socio-economic dilemma.”

The results of the survey — conducted by third-party data collector Qualtrics — were based on responses from 1,046 Canadians over the age of 18 over three days in May, and were considered accurate within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. ■

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JUNE 1, 2018

www.canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY