Philippine Canadian Inquirer #364

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MARCH 29, 2019

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VOL. 3 NO. 364

SENATE SIGNS 2019 BUDGET WITH 'RESERVATIONS'

Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, show the documents containing the PHP3.757-trillion 2019 national budget during a press conference at the Senate in Pasay City on March 26, 2019. Sotto signed the proposed national budget with "reservations" due to some PHP75-billion worth of realignments made by the House of Representatives.

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Duterte wants 17-year-old suspect in Silawan slay re-arrested

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte on Tuesday, March 26, said he ordered the re-arrest of the 17-year-old main suspect in the brutal murder of Christine

Silawan, a Grade 9 student in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, In his speech in Koronadal City in South Cotabato, Duterte said he phoned the prosecutor who ordered the release of the perpetrator and told him to re-

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Philippine News

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MARCH 29, 2019

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DILG launches enhanced manual on disaster preparedness

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has launched an enhanced version of the “Operation L!sto Manual” that

contains minimum actions to be undertaken by local governments in preparation for the rainy season.

Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año said Operation “L!STO Disaster Preparedness Manual Volume 3” includes a preparedness guide for governors, which contains general and minimum

preparatory actions for provinces when preparing for disasters.

“We do not want to take the provincial governors out of the equation because as head of their respective provincial disaster risk reduction and management councils, they can help cities and municipalities in their disaster preparedness efforts,”

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Año said in a statement Monday.

The previous edition of the manual only focused on the preparedness checklist of city and municipal mayors, DILG field officers, chiefs of police of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

According to the DILG chief, another significant change in the manual is the authority given to local chief executives to conduct pre-emptive or mandatory evacuation when necessary, even if the local government unit (LGU) is still at the alpha or bravo alert level.

“Even if the LGU is only at the alpha or bravo alert level, the mayor could already carry out pre-emptive or mandatory evacuation based on his assessment of the prevailing situation on the ground,” Año said.

Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie are the three categories assigned to LGUs, based on how prone they are to typhoons, and each category has corresponding preparations and actions to be undertaken under Operation L!sto.

Charlie means the most critical areas, where the breadth of the storm is. These places are exposed to high risks and have the need for forced evacuation during strong typhoons.

Bravo alert is given to medium-risk areas located one to 50 km. away from Charlie areas. During typhoons, the declaration of evacuation in these areas will depend on the chief executive. Meanwhile, Alpha is for low-risk areas that are 51 to 100 km. away from Charlie areas.

Año noted that the improved L!sto Manual also has more detailed progressive actions on preparedness and response. The monitoring and coordinating functions were also emphasized and a more

comprehensive set of tools and policy guidelines on disaster preparedness were added.

“The new manual contains a set of critical preparedness actions categorized into Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie that were enhanced and further divided into four timeframes: upon alert, before, during, and after typhoons,” he explained.

The DILG, through the Local Government Academy (LGA), deemed it fit to revise the manuals guided by the National Disaster Preparedness Plan and based on the actual experiences of various stakeholders who were consulted in improving the manual.

“We updated the latest edition of the manual to capture the actions needed at various levels of preparedness, including a more comprehensive set of pre-hazard actions,” LGA Executive Director Thelma T. Vecina said.

The enhanced checklist for mayors also encourages them to invest in a partnership agreement with civil society organizations and private sector groups on the training of local DRRM staff and volunteers and in acquiring equipment for security, search and rescue and after clearing operations.

Año stressed that failure on the part of the local chief executive to comply with the manual, like physical presence during disasters, may lead to disciplinary action from the DILG. “The manual is a step-by-step guide for local execs during typhoons and all that they have to do is execute the detailed preparedness and critical actions specified in the document. If they fail to carry out such actions, they may face disciplinary actions from the DILG,” he added.

The manual was first developed and used when Typhoon Ruby hit the country in 2014. ■

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Philippine News

MARCH 29, 2019

PH, Cambodia hold 1st defense cooperation meeting

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BY PRIAM NEPOMUCENO Philippine News Agency MANILA — As part of efforts to boost defense ties, the Philippines and Cambodia held the Inaugural PhilippinesCambodia Joint Defense Cooperation Committee (JDCC) Meeting last March 11 to 14 in Phnom Penh.

The meeting facilitated the exchange of views on regional defense and security issues such as cyber security, counterterrorism and violent extremism, and peacekeeping operations, among others, Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement Tuesday.

The agenda also highlighted matters on the Philippines-Cambodia bilateral defense relations and finalized various engagement activities between the armed forces of both countries.

The meeting was co-chaired by Defense Undersecretary Ricardo A. David Jr. and General Neang Phat, Secretary of State of the Ministry of National Defense of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The conference was an offshoot of the 2017 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defense Cooperation between

the Philippines and Cambodia. Both officials expressed hope that the inaugural meeting was a step forward to further strengthen defense relations between the two countries.

Phat emphasized the importance of s s the first meeting as it marks the positive s development of bilateral relations between Manila and Phnom Penh.

“I believe the JDCC is really important for our parties to work together to develop our Defense Cooperation Program and Development Plan, and I believe that our troops and our people are fully committed to the meeting and to fulfill all the requirements,” Phat said.

Meanwhile, David conveyed his appreciation to the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, on behalf of the government and the people of the Philippines and Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, for the successful and fruitful conduct of the conference.

“We are pleased that we are able to advance our activities and engagements.

We hope that this will be sustained and BY FERDINAND PATINIO enhanced, to ensure a more meaningful Philippine News Agency contribution to regional peace and prosperity,” he added.

The second JDCC meeting will be MANILA — The Catholic Bishops’ Conheld in Manila next year. ■ ference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerant People (CBCPECMI) on Monday lauded the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between the Philippines and Japan, which provides for better protection on the recruitment and deployment of Filipino workers under a new specified skills residency in the host country.

“It is recommendable, very valuable and so helpful, the signing of memorandum of cooperation between our country and Japan for the welfare and well-being” said Bataan Bishop Ruperto Santos, chairman of the CBCP-ECMI, in a statement.

Through the MOC, Santos hopes that OFWs who will be hired will be truly guided in the process of recruitment and deployment, and would be protected from illegal recruitment.

“We, at the CBCP-ECMI, are grateful and appreciative with their caring efforts to promote and safeguard our OFWs. With hiring of ‘specified skilled workers’ is recognition of the qualifications of our OFWs as highly knowledgeable, trustworthy and dependable workers,” Santos added.

Last week, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Japanese Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita signed the labor cooperation pact in Tokyo to strengthen cooperation against illegal recruiters for the smooth facilitation of sending and accepting workers from Philippines.

The memorandum seeks to establish a basic partnership framework for the

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“proper operation of the system pertaining to foreign human resources” with the status of residence of “specified skilled worker,” who possess certain the expertise and skills in certain job categories.

The DOLE chief has estimated that Filipino workers would get at least 30 percent of the 350,000 available jobs to be opened by Japan to foreign workers effective April 11.

Among the specified skills include those in health care, building maintenance, food services, industrial machinery, electronics, food manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, construction, shipbuilding, fisheries and aquaculture, parts and tooling and aviation.

Under the agreement, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) will serve as the country’s premier agency responsible for the processing and accreditation of workers. On the other hand, the verification of skilled workers’ documents, coordination onsite and welfare concerns are under the supervision of Philippine Labor Overseas Labor Office (POLO) – Japan.

The necessary requirement to be hired as a specified skilled worker includes passing the skill level tests and Japanese proficiency, which will be administered by the Japan Foundation in the Philippines.

Workers, who will be hired as specified skilled workers, can stay in Japan for a maximum of five years under the Specified Skills No. 1 visa status and possible to receive Specified Skills No. 2 if the worker obtained a higher level of specialization.

As of June 2018, there are around 280,000 Filipinos residing and working in Japan, 34,003 of whom, are professional and highly-skilled workers. ■

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Philippine News

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MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

High time to create Department of Water: expert

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — A water management expert on Tuesday echoed calls for the establishment of a separate government agency focused on managing the country’s water supply to avert future shortages.

“Marami tayong agencies na involved in water and some of the works na dapat related sa tubig. Mayroong iba ay ‘di nagagawa, mayroong iba ay maraming gumagawa and it’s the same thing (We have a number of agencies involved in water and some of the works related to it. There are some who don’t accomplish what they are mandated and there are some who do redundant works,” Rodora Gamboa, executive director at the Maynilad Water Academy, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Gamboa said there is always the risk of confusion on who to hold accountable in cases of water crisis similar to what gripped parts of Metro Manila and Rizal province recently. “‘Pag mayroong krisis, nagpapasahan kung sino ang mananagot so unlike if we

have a Department of Water, isang departamento lang (When there is a crisis, they pass the blame on who is responsible, so unlike if we have a Department of Water, there is one department that could be accountable),” she added.

There are several calls to establish the agency after a series of water interruptions plagued Metro Manila in the past few weeks however no official discussion on the subject have yet been initiated.

Last week, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo dismissed the proposal to create a water department, which was previously suggested by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.

While the creation of a Department of Water is not yet on the pipeline, Gamboa suggested that the President issue an executive order (EO) that would strengthen the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).

The NWRB is a government agency mandated to coordinate and regulate all water-related activities in the country.

Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Karlos Nograles said a draft EO is being finalized and will soon be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte for his input and approval. ■

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Due to water shortage, Manila Water announces ‘voluntary, one-time bill waiver’

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer DUE TO the water issue experienced by thousands of its customers recently, Manila Water on Tuesday, March 26, announced that it will be implementing a “voluntary and one-time bill waiver” scheme.

In a press briefing, Manila Water president and chief executive officer (CEO) Ferdinand Dela Cruz said its customers won’t have to pay the minimum charge, which represents first 10 cubic meters used in a month, for their March consumption. The minimum charge amounts to P76 for lifeline or low-consuming customers and P656 for industrial customers.

“To help ease in some way the inconvenience we have caused — I know we could never fully pay back the inconvenience we have caused to our customers — and with inputs from both MWSS (Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System) Corporate Office and Regulatory Office, we are announcing a voluntary and one-time bill waiver scheme in March to be reflected in the April bill of our customers,” Dela Cruz said.

Dela Cruz said the minimum charge will be waived for “all” Manila Water customers, but those customers in villages that has absolutely no water service for at least seven continuous or broken days within March 6 to 31 will not have to pay anything in their March bills.

The Manila Water President did not forget to thank all their partners — such as Department of Environment and

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Natural Resources (DENR), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), among others – who assisted their customers during the water shortage situation.

Dela Cruz also shared developments on their service recovery efforts, saying that as of March 25, the concessionaire’s eight to 12-hour water availability at ground floor level has already reached 97 percent.

“From a high of 61 severely affected barangays, we are now down to eight barangays which are dependent on interim network solutions, static tanks or water tankers,” he said.

“Our supply deficit is down from 150MLD (million liters per day) to 107MLD but there are still small pockets, sitios or streets with intermittent no water situations resulting from operational adjustments and pressure management,” he added.

Manila Water’s move came after Bayan Muna Partylist filed a complaint against the concessionaire on Monday at the MWSS office over the water interruptions experienced by its consumers for weeks.

The group sought for compensation for the losses of the public and urged MWSS to review Manila Water’s recent water rate hike and conduct public hearings in every affected city.

In a statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros lauded Manila Waters voluntary and one-time bill waiver program, but stressed that there is “more that needs to be done in order to prevent this crisis from happening again.” ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

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Number of poll hotspots now 941: PNP

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The number of election hotspots in the country rose to 941 from 701 in February, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame, PNP chief, General Oscar Albayalde said based on the latest validated information, the election hotspots comprise 57.60 percent of the country’s 1,634 cities and municipalities.

Of this number, 131 towns and cities are classified as areas of concern (Category Yellow), 238 are classified as areas of immediate concern (Category Orange); 570 are categorized as areas of grave concern (Category Red), and two areas are now under control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) — Cotabato City and Daraga, Albay.

“With the recent declaration by Comelec of the entire Mindanao under the “Red” category of election hotspots, all 454 cities and municipalities of 27 provinces in the six regions of Mindanao are now listed as Election Areas of Grave Concern. Across the country, there are 570 areas under the “Red” category. As such, the Comelec may, upon further evaluation of the prevailing security situation, place any of these areas under its control,” Albayalde

told reporters in a press briefing on Monday.

The places tagged as areas of concern means that there was a history of election-related incidents there in the last two elections and intense political rivalry and that it had been previously declared under Comelec control.

Meanwhile, areas of immediate concern are those where there is serious armed threat posed by the New People’s Army (NPA), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and rogue elements of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other lawless elements.

Areas of grave concern exhibit the combined factors under the yellow and orange categories such that it may warrant the motu proprio declaration of Comelec control.

Under the law, the Comelec may place any political subdivision under its immediate and direct control and supervision if, among other things, there is a history of — or current — intense political rivalry among contending parties, as such rivalries could motivate people to engage in violent acts.

As of March 20, Albayalde said that 118 Red areas were identified in ARMM, 93 areas in Northern Mindanao, 73 areas in Caraga Region, 72 Zamboanga Peninsula, 49 areas

PNP Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde.

each in Davao Region and Soccsksargen, 45 areas in Eastern Visayas, 28 areas in Cordillera Amdinistrative Region, 21 areas in Bicol Region, five areas in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), four areas each in Central Luzon and Western Visayas, two in Cagayan Valley Region and one in Central Visayas.

He added there are no Red Areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Ilocos Region.

While stressing that more cops are stationed in Camp Crame, Albayalde said these are deployed to different critical areas where they are also tasked to be a part of special op-

JOEY O. RAZON / PNA

erations task groups headed by a senior officer.

“This is probably just to ensure the deployment of personnel there are enough. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is really violence in red areas or areas of grave concern, especially now, we all know that the BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law) plebiscite just concluded.

We want to ensure peaceful elections because we still do not know, there are some who opposed the BOL and I think this was considered by the validation committee,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Albayalde said focused police operations will be intensified against private armed groups, criminal gangs,

wanted persons, gun for hire groups and loose firearms as the campaign period for local level starts on Friday.

“Based on historical data of previous elections, election related incidents resulting from intense political rivalry are expected to escalate during this period,” he said.

Earlier, the PNP chief pointed out that aside from the mandated responsibilities of the PNP as a deputized agency of the Comelec, police law enforcement and public safety duties for election security operations is contained in the following 8-point SIDEPLAN: -Strict implementation of gun ban -Intensified focus law enforcement operations -Dismantling of private armed groups -Early preparation of security and contingency plans -Provide security to vulnerable candidates -Limited reshuffle of PNP personnel -Accounting of loose firearms -Neutralization of gun for hire and criminal gangs He also reminded the PNP personnel to ‘remain apolitical’ to ensure clean and honest elections.

“We will ensure to remain apolitical and to protect the will of the electorate by ensuring honest, orderly and peaceful elections in May,” he said. ■

BOC, PDEA foil P1.8-B shabu shipment

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency MANILA — A shipment, containing 276 kg. of shabu worth PHP1.8 billion and packed to appear like tea products, was intercepted by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) Friday night.

MICP District Collector, lawyer Erastus Sandino Austria, said the illegal drugs, declared as plastic resin, were found inside a 40-foot container van that arrived at the Manila North Harbor last March 17.

“When the container was inspected, Customs and PDEA found 12 sacks containing items wrapped in clear cellophane and sealed in foil packaging designed to look like tea products,” Austria said in a statement.

“Upon testing the sample of the subject substance, authorities were able to confirm that the items were shabu,” he added.

The shipment was allegedly consigned to Wealth Lotus Empire Corp.

The contents of the intercepted shipment will be inventoried, and the illegal drugs found were turned over to PDEA for proper handling and

investigation.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said the apprehension was a result of their close coordination with their counterparts from Vietnam.

“At 2 a.m. today (Friday), PDEA received information from our international counterparts from Vietnam that the container aboard a ship named Callao Bridge V145E from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam arrived in Manila. The said ship contained huge amounts of illegal drugs,” Aquino said.

Acting on the report, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service proceeded with the profiling of the subject container aboard the vessel www.canadianinquirer.net

and narrowed the suspicion towards one shipment.

Austria immediately ordered an X-ray examination, followed by the full physical examination of the container of the suspected shipment in the presence of representatives of the PDEA, and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Based on the report, the intercepted shipment of drugs was processed by customs broker Jane A. Castillo with business address at Sta. Lucia St., Intramuros, Manila.

The BOC official attributed the successful apprehension of the illegal drugs through strengthened linkages, proper coordination, intelligence

sharing and close partnership PDEA has with other agencies.

“The Bureau of Customs and PDEA remain vigilant in order to intercept such kind of shipments,” Aquino said.

With this, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said he will immediately revoke the customs accreditation of the involved consignee and customs broker, and appropriate charges will be filed against them.

He also ordered all District Collectors to be on alert and to examine all other similar items to ensure that our border is safe from the possible entry of illegal drugs. ■

Philippine News

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MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

Duterte not drug suspect coddler: Palace PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY Correspondent/Hosts Bea Kirstein T. Manalaysay Joanna Belle Deala Gianna Llanes Arianne Grace U. Lacanilao Violeta Arevelo Babes Newland Graphic Design Shanice Garcia Ginno Alcantara Arlnie Colleene Talain Singca Account Manager Kristopher Yong Director/Producer Boom Dayupay Photographers/Videographers Ginno Alcantara Maria Crizandra Baylon Sales Aireen De Asis Dennis Cruz Operations and Admin Victoria Yong Amelia Insigne Management Alan Yong Victoria Yong For photo submissions, please email editor@canadianinquirer.net For General Inquiries, please email info@canadianinquirer.net For Sales Inquiries, please email sales@canadianinquirer.net or contact 778-788-4998 Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 11951 Hammersmith Way, Suite 108 Richmond, B.C. V7A 5H9 Canada

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MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday denied former police official Eduardo Acierto’s claim that President Rodrigo R. Duterte could be protecting two Chinese men allegedly involved to illegal drugs.

Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo made this reaction as Acierto claimed that Duterte has been photographed with Chinese businessman Michael Yang and Allan Lim. “The President always accommodates anyone who wants to take picture with him. Kung iyon lang ang magiging basis niya, malabo iyon (It will be a very weak claim if that is his only basis),” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Acierto, a dismissed deputy director for administration of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Drug Enforcement Group (DEG), also accused Duterte and former PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa of rejecting an intelligence report about Yang’s supposed link to illegal drugs and blocking further investigation.

PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde has denied receiving an intelligence report from Acierto.

“First, since I assumed office as Chief PNP in April 2018, I do not remember having received any copy of an alleged report that identified presidential adviser Michael Yang as being involved in drug activities,” Albayalde said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

“I would like to categorically debunk allegations made by dismissed police Col. Eduardo Acierto that I failed to act accordingly to an intelligence report that he purportedly submitted when he was still in the service with the defunct

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

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Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force,” he added.

Panelo expressed belief that Acierto’s motive was to avenge after the latter was linked to illegal drugs.

“Obviously, the motive is — since he has been accused of involvement in drugs, he wants to get back, that’s why he is pointing fingers at whoever,” Panelo said.

He reiterated that Duterte will never tolerate anyone involved in illegal drugs.

“This President will not tolerate anyone regardless of the stature or relationship with him if he is involved in drugs.

He will never allow it. He is against it,” Panelo said.

Panelo said Duterte will not say anything without any basis as the latter defended Yang from Acierto’s allegations.

“Common sense will tell us that he (Yang) is not involved, according to the President, Ambassador Zhao slept in the

house of Michael Yang. And we all know that the Chinese government is against illegal drugs, and the Ambassador will never associate himself with anyone involved in drugs,” Panelo said.

“The fact alone that you are an Ambassador of China, and your government is against illegal drug industry, how can you be associating yourself with somebody you know to be involved in drugs?

Obviously, talagang hindi siya involved (he is not really involved). Bakit naman siya makikisama doon? (Why would he join him?),” he added.

Panelo said Duterte’s trust and confidence in Yang will remain unless there is a proof of his involvement in illegal drugs.

“There is an allegation and let the allegation be processed, investigated and then if there is a validation, then the Palace will make a move,” he said. ■

Duterte asks why critical ex-police officer ‘is still alive’

BY JIM GOMEZ The Associated Press MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday accused a dismissed police colonel, who had publicly criticized him and his deadly anti-drug campaign, of criminal involvement and said he wanted to know why the former officer “is still alive.”

In a late-night televised speech, Duterte condemned dismissed Senior Superintendent Eduardo Acierto, who told reporters over the weekend that the president had been repeatedly photographed with two Chinese men involved

in drug trafficking.

Duterte defended one of the two Chinese men, saying he had accompanied China’s premier on a visit to the Philippines and was a businessman who travelled to the country in 1999 to sell Chinese-made cellphones.

Acierto, a veteran anti-narcotics officer before his dismissal by an anti-graft agency last year, said he submitted a report to top police officials and Duterte’s office about the two Chinese to warn the president of their background. But he said he was never informed if the two were ever investigated.

“In my investigation, I discovered that our president ... is often accompanied by two people deeply involved in ille-

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gal drugs,” Acierto told a news conference late Sunday in Manila, adding that he was later accused by authorities in a criminal complaint of involvement in drug smuggling instead of the Chinese men.

Duterte said Acierto was the only police official who has made the allegations against the two men. He said Acierto was an “idiot” allegedly involved in corruption, drug smuggling, kidnappings of Chinese nationals and the killing of a South Korean man.

“Don’t ever believe specially this Acierto,” Duterte said in a speech in southern Koronadal city. “What if I ask the ❱❱ PAGE 11 Duterte asks

Philippine News

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

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Another NDF consultant, 2 others nabbed in Laguna raid

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — Authorities arrested another consultant of the National Democratic Front (NDF) and his two companions in raid in Laguna on March 24.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, said Francisco Fernandez, 71, was arrested in Barangay Calumpang in the town of Liliw around 5:16 a.m..

Fernandez has four standing arrest warrants over murder charges, one of which includes the killing of his wife.

“The operation that led to their arrest is part of our aggressive campaign against crime, terrorism and wanted persons. The subject of the operation, Francisco Fernandez, has standing arrest warrant for murder,” Albayalde told reporters.

Also nabbed were Cleofe Lagtapon, 66, reportedly a partner of Fernandez, who reportedly heads the Regional Deputy for Communications and Education of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in Negros provinces and Gee-Ann Perez, 20, a member of the NPA Regional Communications Staff in Negros Island.

“The arrest of the Two of the Most Wanted Persons (national level) holding key position of CPP-NPA-NDF specifically Kilusang Rehiyon Negros (KRN)

Committee will greatly affect the leadership aspect of the communist terrorists’ group,” he said.

“In addition, it shows genuine support and serious campaign to eliminate or neutralize the 50 long years existence of CPP-NDF-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) that brought terror and problems to the Filipino people and its government,” the PNP chief added.

Seized from the suspects were three handguns with ammunition, three hand grenades, various documents, cellular phones, a laptop, and several USBs (Universal Serial Bus).

The PNP chief said the arrested persons will also be charged for violation of Comelec Resolution 10429 in relation to the Omnibus Election Code; violation of RA 10591 (Illegal possession of firearms); and violation of RA 9516 (Illegal possession of explosives).

Albayalde said all the documents and other items seized from Fernandez will be turned over to the military to check on their intelligence value.

“The military intelligence will check on them. We also would like to find out if they have connections with some candidates based on the documents that would be extracted from the laptop and USBs,” Albayalde said.

For his part, Brig. Gen. Edward Carranza, director of the Police Regional Office 4-A (Calabarzon), confirmed that

PNA

Fernandez used to be a priest in Negros Island before he joined the NPA. “In the past, we had a lot of operations to get him but he would always evade arrest. There were several people arrested before but they were just look-a-like,” Carranza told reporters.

Carranza said Fernandez is currently confined at an Army hospital after he complained of chest pains after the ar-

Palace leaves Sandra Cam’s fate to Ombudsman

BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Malacañang on Monday said it would be up to the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate an allegation that Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board member Sandra Cam has amassed PHP500 million ill-gotten wealth.

“From what I understand, somebody has already filed a case in the Ombudsman. So that’s the Ombudsman call now,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a Palace press briefing.

Earlier, Lino Espinosa Jr. asked the Ombudsman to investigate Cam’s properties, including a resort in Barangay Pinamoghaan in San Fernando, Masbate.

Panelo said there is no need for the

Palace to initiate a probe against Cam, a former jueteng whistle-blower.

“Since, it’s already with the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman has the power to suspend, I think we will let it do the process,” Panelo said.

“We will not be duplicating any investigation, considering the fact that there is now a pending case with the Ombudsman,” he added.

In an interview with radio dzMM on Monday, Cam has denied that her properties are worth PHP500 million, saying the land used for the Pinamoghaan resort was bought in 1997.

She said the newly-constructed resort will reflect on her statement of assets and liabilities (SALN) for 2019.

Cam, who was appointed President Rordrigo Duterte to the PCSO in 2017, said she is ready to be investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

rest.

“He is an old man so we understand his situation. But the arrest warrants will be returned to the court that issued them,” said Carranza.

Fernandez also serves as spokesman for the NPA operating in Negros and the deputy secretary for the organization. ❱❱ PAGE 12 Another NDF

10

Philippine News

MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

No intel report on Michael Yang’s ‘drug links’

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency

ARMAN BAYLON / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Duterte wants... ❰❰ 1

verse the decision.

“Sabi ko i-recall mo ‘yang order ninyo of dismissal (I told him to recall their order of dismissal) and have the guy re-arrested,” the President said. “‘Di ako papayag ganunin ang bata. Binalatan mo ang bata, mahuli ka ilang days tapos palayain? Imposible ang hot pursuit na 24 hours lang (I won’t allow them to do that to the child. He skinned the child, he was arrested for a few days and later on he was released? It is impossible to have a hot pursuit within 24 hours only). Six days it’s still hot pursuit,” he added.

The teen suspect, who is Silawan’s ex-boyfriend, was released from the custody of Lapu-Lapu’s social welfare development office on Saturday, the same day Silawan was laid to rest.

It was the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office that ordered the release, stressing in its resolution that the warrantless arrest by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) last March 16 was invalid.

Under the Rules of Court, a warrantless arrest is only “lawful” when the suspect has committed or is actually committing a crime in the presence of a police officer.

The perpetrator can also be nabbed without a warrant an authority if “an offense has just been committed, and he has probable cause to believe based on personal knowledge of facts or circumstances that the person to be arrested has committed it.”

The NBI earlier said it will file a motion for reconsideration seeking to nullify the prosecutors’s ruling.

“Magfa-file kami ng motion for reconsideration dun sa ruling ng piskalya, kung puwede ireverse niya ‘yung desisyon niya kasi para sa amin sakop ‘yun(g pag-aresto) sa hot pursuit operation kaya justified ’yung warrantless arrest (We will file a motion for reconsideration on the ruling of the fiscal if they can reverse their decision because for us the arrest is still covered in the hot pursuit operation that is why the warrantless arrest is justified),” lawyer Tomas Enrile of NBI Region 7 told Dobol B sa News TV on Monday.

The lifeless body of Silawan, a Grade 9 student, was recovered in Barangay Bangkal, Lapu-Lapu City on March 11.

Her body was found half-naked with multiple stab wounds and her skull exposed because of her face being skinned. ■

MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde on Tuesday denied receiving an intelligence report from dismissed police Col. Eduardo Acierto which tagged Davao-based Chinese businessman and presidential economic adviser Michael Yang and a certain Allan Lim to the illegal drugs trade in the country.

“First, since I assumed office as Chief PNP in April 2018, I do not remember having received any copy of an alleged report that identified presidential adviser Michael Yang as being involved in drug activities.

I would like to categorically debunk allegations made by dismissed Police Col. Eduardo Acierto that I failed to act accordingly to an intelligence report that he purportedly submitted when he was still in the service with the defunct Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force,” Albayalde told reporters in a press briefing on Tuesday.

He said that if there was actionable information on such report at all, Acierto should have acted on it and launched operations even without clearance.

“The operation unit like PDEG (PNP Drug Enforcement Group), they have to inform or they usually inform the immediate superior. It involves crossing of boundaries or probably enforcement of other units. They report it the Chief PNP pero kapag ni-report niya na, dapat meron ka ng plano (You should already have a plan). Meron ka ng plano kung talagang may actionable infor-

www.canadianinquirer.net

mation at mabigat na ebidensiya ilalatag mo na lang kung papaano mo nalang gawin (You should have actionable information and adequate evidence and then you will tell your plan). If it is an (intelligence) information, (it will go to the) Directorate for Intelligence for validation. If validation, ipapasa sa (it will be passed to the) operating arm for active police operation,” he explained.

Acierto, who had been a member of the PNP anti-narcotics units for at least 18 years, said he prepared the report in August 2017 and submitted it to then PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director Aaron Aquino and police Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan.

Acierto was one of the government officials implicated in the PHP11-billion worth of smuggled drugs concealed in magnetic lifters which was found at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) as well as in a warehouse in Cavite.

The sacked police official went into hiding as he is now facing criminal complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and PDEA. “I can only speculate that Acierto could be doing all these indiscriminate allegations in a vain attempt to muddle the ongoing case resulting from his indictment in the PHP6.4-billion shabu smuggled inside magnetic lifters thru the Bureau of Customs,” Albayalde said.

The PNP chief said Acierto had all his chance during the Senate hearing to spill everything that he knows but he did not show up.

“My advice for him is to “man-up” and face the charges squarely rather than shoot from the hip with indiscrimi-

nate accusations,” he added.

Albayalde also said that as far the PNP is concerned, Yang is not included in any watch list or investigation of person with links to illegal drugs.

“That would be part of the validation to be conducted.

Kung talagang (If it is) based on allegation, as far as the PNP is concerned, wala po kaming (we do not have) information whatsoever on the alleged illegal activities of Michael Yang, kahit na yung sinasabi niyang (even about the one he mentioned, a certain) Mr. (Allan) Lim, wala kaming (we do not have) information on that,” the PNP chief noted.

Asked on the timing of Acierto’s allegations, Albayalde said he is not privy on whether this is a demolition job against dela Rosa, a senatorial candidate.

Albayalde, however, assured that the PNP is ready to provide security to Acierto after he claimed receiving death threats.

“If he has death threats, he can surface and tell us about it. Probably we can help him just like any other citizen,” he said. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

11

Beijing ignores ICC complaint vs. Xi

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA AND EJ ROQUE Philippine News Agency MANILA – Beijing will just ignore the case filed against Chinese President Xi Jinping by two former Philippine officials as it did not represent the view of the Philippines, Chargé d’Affaires Tan Qingsheng of the Chinese Embassy in Manila said.

Tan was reacting to the March 13, 2019 communication sent by former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

In their 17-page complaint, del Rosario and Carpio-Morales said Xi and other Chinese officials should be held accountable for crimes against humanity over China’s activities in the South China Sea, adding that these deprived Filipino fishermen of food and livelihood.

China has no plans of answering the complaint, Tan said.

“I’m sure what they have done or what they will do, will

not be able to represent the views of the Philippine government and people. Those actions will in no way stop the development of bilateral relations,” he said in an interview on Friday.

China is not a member of the ICC while the Philippines had withdrawn its membership from the Hague-based criminal court.

“On the issue of South China Sea, we are committed to the peace and stability (in the region) and we are committed in addressing our differences and disputes through our bilateral consultations and negotiation,” Tan added.

Won’t prosper

Malacañang on Saturday said while it respects del Rosario and Carpio-Morales’ decision to file a complaint against Xi at the ICC, it believes that the case will not prosper.

“As the President said, former Ombudsman Morales and former foreign affairs secretary del Rosario have the right to file the complaint against President Xi before the ICC. Whether or not the case will prosper is another matter. It could be dismissed because China is

not a member of the ICC, so is the Philippines,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo, also Chief Presidential legal counsel, said the filing of the complaint “may be a futile exercise” as the ICC has no jurisdiction over China.

He said del Rosario and Carpio-Morales are not authorized to lodge a complaint against China at the ICC on behalf of the Philippines.

“Even if they are so authorized, still since our position is that the ICC has never acquired jurisdiction over us, given that the Rome Statute never took effect as the requirement of publication in a newspaper of general circulation or in the Official Gazette was not complied with, which publication is a requirement in our jurisdiction before the said Rome Statute or any law for that matter becomes effective and enforceable,” he added.

Panelo said the complaint against Xi for environmental damage in the South China Sea is not included in the Rome Statute.

“Hence, even assuming that the Philippines was a State Party when the complaint was

Pinoys urged to elect proeducation candidates

BY MA. TERESA MONTEMAYOR Philippine News Agency MANILA — An education advocacy group on Monday urged education stakeholders to choose leaders who will prioritize education in their legislative agenda.

“There is a need for stakeholders across various sectors of society to be deliberate and coordinated with our efforts to push for reforms in education. However, it is crucial that we choose leaders who are going to advocate for these policies aligned with the Philippine long-term development plan,” Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) executive director Lovelaine Basillote said in policy forum in Makati City.

Basillote said having such leaders would impact the gov-

ernment’s long-term vision for national development, known as “AmBisyon Natin 2040.”

Under this platform, the education system must ensure that Filipino graduates acquire relevant competencies and develop values which would guarantee improved and quality life for all Filipinos.

Meanwhile, PBEd chair Ramon del Rosario noted that the Philippines has one of the highest unemployment rates in Asia, and Filipino graduates lack skills demanded by industries.

“Based on the latest data from the International Labor Organization, 21.7 percent of youth in the Philippines are not in education, employment or training as of 2017. This goes back to the poor learning that happens in our schools as evidenced by the National Achievement Test,” he said.

Del Rosario urged govern-

ment officials, industry leaders, civil society representatives and members of the academe who attended the forum to work together and have synchronized efforts to promote education reforms.

“Let us disabuse ourselves of the idea that we can go at it alone as our individual efforts are small in comparison to the enormity of what is demanded of us. We’ll be measured ultimately by our collective persistence and our ability to make inroads hand-in-hand,” he said.

Founded in 2006, PBEd is an advocacy group which conducts an annual assessment of the Philippine educational system to ensure it provides quality learning in the context of global economy.

It promotes greater industry participation of learners in standard setting and increased partnerships among government, industry, and academe. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping.

filed, there could be an issue as regards the jurisdiction of the ICC,” he said.

He added that critics of the administration may use the dismissal of the ICC case to further criticize President Duterte.

“The critics and detractors will have a field day criticizing the President in the event the case is dismissed by the ICC for lack of jurisdiction. They can claim that it was a mistake for the Philippine government to withdraw its membership from the Rome Statute as the ICC can no longer serve as a venue to prosecute President Xi for an alleged commission of crime

ALEXANDER KHITROV / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

against humanity,” he said.

Panelo said the Philippine government is engaged in a diplomatic negotiation, through a bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM), over the West Philippine Sea issue.

“We do not need the help or disturbance of a biased tribunal known to politically prosecute heads of state, the very reason why powerful countries like the United States, China, Russia, and Israel, to name only a few, have either withdrawn their membership as State Parties from the Rome Statute or declined to be members of the ICC,” he added. ■

Duterte asks... ❰❰ 8

military and the police, ‘Why is this son of a bitch still alive?’”

Acierto denied any wrongdoing.

The president mentioned Acierto while talking about his efforts to combat corruption, including corrupt policemen.

He also criticized and ridiculed opposition senatorial candidates running in mid-term elections in May. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino told The Associated Press on Monday that he received Acierto’s report and sent it to Duterte’s office, adding that both his office and that of the president took steps to validate the allegations against the two Chinese. He said the two were not on any list of drug suspects.

Aquino played down the photographs showing Duterte with the two Chinese men, saying officials often get approached by all sorts of people for group photographs without being

able to rapidly check their background. He questioned the credibility of Acierto, who he accused of being linked to drug smuggling.

Profiles of the two Chinese provided by Acierto to reporters said they were involved in the “manufacturing, financing, the importation, transhipment and local distribution of meth or shabu,” referring to the local name for methamphetamine, a stimulant.

Acierto said he initially welcomed Duterte’s passion to combat illegal drugs. But he said he later realized that the president’s deadly crackdown took a wrong approach by targeting mostly poor drug suspects instead of going after powerful drug lords and traffickers.

More than 5,000 drug suspects have been killed in what police say were gunbattles that ensued during drug raids under Duterte’s crackdown, alarming Western governments and human rights groups. ■

12

Philippine News

MARCH 29, 2019

Most Pinoys looking for senatorial bets who ‘will not be corrupt’ — SWS

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer MAJORITY OF Filipino voters are looking for a Senatorial candidate who “will not be corrupt,” according to a recent survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) released on Saturday, March 23.

The pollster asked its survey respondents the question, “Anu-ano pong mga katangian ang hinahanap ninyo sa isang kandidato sa pagka-Senador ng Pilipinas? Maaari po kayong magbigay ng hanggang tatlong sagot (What qualities are you looking for in a Senatorial candidate of the Philippines? You may give up to three answers).”

Among 1,440 respondents, 25 percent of them said they prefer a candidate who “will not be corrupt,” among other traits of a Senatorial bet.

Meanwhile, the second qual-

ity that voters are looking for a candidate is someone who has “concern for the poor” with 22 percent, while 21 percent said they prefer those who have “good personal characteristics,” and 21 percent said they choose someone who is “trustworthy.”

Completing the top five characteristics that Filipinos are looking for a Senatorial bet is someone who “has concern or helpful to those in need.”

In terms of area, Senatorial bets who will not be corrupt is most valued in Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, while majority of those in Metro Manila prefer supporting a trustworthy candidate.

Other qualities that are mentioned by the respondents are as follows: walks his talk/fulfills promises (14 percent), can give solutions to the problems of the country (nine percent), approachable (seven percent), has

good leadership qualities (six percent), knows how to listen and confer with other people (five percent), has faith in God (five percent), has political will (three percent), educated/intelligent/bright (three percent), brave (three percent), hard worker/diligent (three percent), has plans for the growth of the country (two percent), has done good things for the country (two percent) and fights for/loves the nation (two percent).

The SWS noted that “no list of answers was provided to prompt the respondents.”

This latest SWS survey was sponsored by Stratbase ADR Institute. It was done on December 16 to 19, 2019, using face-to-face interviews of survey respondents nationwide; 360 each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. A structured questionnaire with visuals was also used in the survey. ■

all members of the community themselves which include among others, families, barangays, LGU, churches, NGOs, police, etc.,” Albayalde said.

He noted as part of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict under Executive Order 70, and as a member of the Provincial Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) Committee, all Police Provincial Offices (PPOs)are ready and capable of responding to circumstances, needs and special concerns of former rebels who want to abandon the armed struggle and become productive members of society through provision of financial assistance and half-way houses by the DILG-DND, and other government agencies.

ously support the efforts of the PNP in bringing back to the bar of justice, those who were temporarily released for reasons in connection with the terminated peace talks,” Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP public affairs office chief, in a message to the Philippine News Agency Monday.

AFP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, in an interview over DWIZ Sunday, said the termination of peace talks by President Rodrigo Duterte last week has effectively negated the safe conduct passes issued to rebel consultants.

He said these individuals should immediately surrender themselves to authorities or be arrested openly.

Last week, authorities arrested Renante Gamara, a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front (NDF) for the National Capital Region and his companion, retired priest Arturo Joseph Balagat in Imus, Cavite.

The CPP-NPA is listed as terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union. ■

Another NDF... ❰❰ 9

Hernandez was among the NDF consultants who were temporarily released to take part in the peace negotiations between the government and communist leaders in Oslo, Norway in 2016.

Of the 23 NDFP consultants who were released, six have already been re-arrested including Hernandez.

Earlier, the PNP also arrested CPP key leaders Rafael Baylosis, Vicente Ladlad, Rey Claro Casamber and Renante Gamara over illegal possession of firearms.

Support for local peace talks

While stressing the need to further address insurgency following the scrapping of peace negotiations with the communist movement, the PNP remains fully supportive of the government’s move for localized peace talks.

“This policy of government to reach out the hand of friendship in a grand gesture of peace, augurs well to the communitypolicing mandate of the PNP based on the principle that local problems are best resolved in the community level by

AFP supports PNP

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), meanwhile, said that it is ready to assist the police in arresting individuals, who were earlier released to help in the negotiation process in the recently-terminated peace talks with the communist rebels.

“Meanwhile, we will vigor-

With reports from Priam F. Nepomuceno www.canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY

NCRPO denies Manila hotel ‘drugplanting’ incident

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Monday said it has yet to receive complaints in connection with a message circulating on social media regarding valet parking personnel of a hotel allegedly planting illegal drugs in the compartment of customers’ cars.

“We have investigated this matter, and found no record of this sort registered with the Manila Hotel or with us,” NCRPO head, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar told the Philippine News Agency in a text message when sought for a comment.

Eleazar, however, encouraged the alleged victim or his family, to come out and file a formal report about the incident for them to be able to investigate and take necessary actions.

Meanwhile, Col. Carlo Manuel, Manila Police District public information officer, said they have conducted validation and investigated the matter and have found no records of the complaint registered with the hotel.

“We will continue to conduct a deeper investigation until we find out the whole truth,” Manuel said.

According to the viral message, Manila Hotel valet park-

ing personnel and police officers are in cahoots to extort money from customers whose car compartments are found to be containing illegal drugs.

The parking personnel deliberately place illegal drugs inside the compartment of the cars of “target” customers.

They will then inform police personnel manning a checkpoint near the hotel who will then inspect the cars of the unsuspecting “target.”

The Manila Hotel management has denied such incident, noting that such malicious allegations first circulated in November last year.

“It has come to our attention that false allegations of drugs being planted in vehicles by a valet parking attendant, under the concessionaire that manages parking services at The Manila Hotel, are being recycled by unscrupulous individuals. These malicious allegations were circulated via Facebook Messenger and Viber last November 2018,” the hotel said in a statement Sunday.

“The police have since conducted a full investigation and concluded that this is fake news. We at The Manila Hotel value our integrity and service to the community,” it added.

The hotel also asked the public to be more discerning and responsible in assessing information obtained from social media. ■

NCRPO head, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.

PIO NCRPO / FACEBOOK

Philippine News

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

13

Why only 12 are elected every 3 years for the 24-member Senate?

BY SEVERINO SAMONTE Philippine News Agency MANILA — If you are voting for the first time in this year’s mid-term polls, then you may be among those wondering why the country is electing only 12 members of the Senate every three years, but there are actually 24 senators in attendance during the opening of Congress on the fourth Monday of July following the elections.

This is particularly true in the coming May 13 elections and those of the years 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016.

The answer is in the 1987 Constitution itself, particularly in the Transitory Provisions or Article XVIII whose Section 1 states: “The first election of members of the Congress under the Constitution shall be held on

the second Monday of May 1987.

The first local elections shall be held on a date to be determined by the President, which may be simultaneous with the election of the members of the Congress. It shall include the election of all members of the city or municipal councils in the Metropolitan Manila area.”

Section 2 of the same Transitory Provisions also says: “The senators, members of the House of Representatives, and the local officials first elected under this Constitution shall serve until noon of June 30, 1992.

“Of the senators elected in the election in 1992, the first 12 obtaining the highest number of votes shall serve for six years (full term) and the remaining 12 for three years.”

Under this setup, half of the 24 senators (Nos. 1 to 12) elected in May 1992 were retained until June 30, 1998, while the

other half (Nos. 13 to 24) were replaced in the 1995 polls.

In turn, the 12 senators who were elected in May 1995 stayed in the Senate for the next six years until 2001.

This has been the practice since 1995 with the election of a dozen senators every three years for a six-year term to replace the outgoing 12 Senate members.

The Transitory Provisions under Section 5 also paved the way for the synchronization of national and local elections by extending the six-year term of then President Corazon C. Aquino and Vice President Salvador H. Laurel, who were elected in the February 7, 1986 snap polls, by six months to noon of June 30, 1992.

The 12 senators who will be elected on May 13, 2019 will hold office for six years or until June 30, 2025.

They will be joining the 12

SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES / FACEBOOK

lawmakers who were elected in the May 10, 2016 polls, namely: Senators Franklin Drilon, Joel Villanueva, Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Manny Pacquiao, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Sherwin Gatchalian, Ralph Recto,

and Leila de Lima.

Incidentally, de Lima is in detention since February 2017 due to charges filed against her by the Department of Justice on allegations that she received money from drug dealers when she was Justice secretary during the Aquino administration. ■

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14

Canada News Refugee who sheltered Snowden hopes others who helped can join her in Canada

BY MICHELLE MCQUIGGE The Canadian Press

Their arrival brought an end to what her lawyer Robert Tibbo described as a saga dating back to 2013.

At that time, when Snowden fled to Hong Kong after divulging classified documents from the U.S. National Security Agency, Tibbo said Rodel and a handful of others banded together to help in the whistleblower’s early days as a fugitive.

The information Snowden leaked exposed the scope of massive government surveillance operations. He currently lives in Moscow and is wanted in the United States on charges related to the leaks.

Five other people in the “Angels” group represented by Tibbo — three adults and two children — remain in Hong Kong.

They had fled Sri Lanka years ago, and their applications for asylum in Hong Kong have been rejected.

Rodel, who went to Hong Kong after fleeing genderbased violence and human traf-

TORONTO — A newly arrived refugee who helped shelter whistleblower Edward Snowden in Hong Kong pleaded with Canadian officials on Tuesday to grant asylum to others who assisted the American fugitive years ago.

Vanessa Rodel said her excitement at now being in Canada with her seven-year-old daughter Keana was tempered by the knowledge that people with whom she still feels a strong bond have not been so lucky.

At a news conference in Toronto, held hours before she was to travel to Montreal and move into her new home, Rodel said her fellow members of the group that came to be known as The families that helped me in Hong Kong are facing retaliation.

Snowden’s “Guardian Angels” should be allowed to join her. gether,” she said. “We feel like dier who deserted the military.

“I don’t want them left bewe are family.”

Rodel said Kellapatha is Kehind,” she said of the group of The group gained notoriety ana’s father. five, who include in 2016 when Tibbo and three MontrealKeana’s father their existence based lawyers set up a group to and two halfwas revealed in raise money for his clients. They siblings. “I don’t Oliver Stone’s filed asylum applications on want to feel that The government of Canada has done film “Snowden,” their behalf, and collected about the right thing for Vanessa and her I forget about and Tibbo said $350,000 for their expenses daughter, but really what should have them because they have since in Hong Kong and in Canada, been done is all the families should I’m here now in faced political should they all arrive as privatehave been brought into Canada at Canada. They’re persecution in ly sponsored refugees. one time. still hoping they Hong Kong.

Tibbo called on Ottawa to excan come in CanThe so-called tend the same welcome Rodel ada to feel safe “Angels” have and Keana received to the rest and free.” been identi- of the group.

Rodel and Keana arrived in ficking in the Philippines, said fied as a couple from Sri Lanka “Canada needs to step forToronto on Monday afternoon, the group members all devel- named Supun Kellapatha and ward,” he said. “The governtwo months after the federal oped an unusually close bond.

Nadeeka Paththini, and their ment of Canada has done the government formally granted “When we are ... facing lots of two young children. The fifth is right thing for Vanessa and them refugee status. problems, we always stick to- Ajit Kumara, a Sri Lankan sol- her daughter, but really what

www.canadianinquirer.net

@SNOWDEN / TWITTER

should have been done is all the families should have been brought into Canada at one time.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has said the government cannot weigh in on private refugee cases or comment on individual situations.

But Ethan Cox, spokesman for advocacy group For the Refugees, questioned that claim.

“The government has the ability to intervene and expedite the processing of the private-sponsored refugee claims of the remaining five Snowden refugees,” Cox said. “That is what we are asking today is for the government of Justin Trudeau to finish the job.” ■

Canada News

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

15

SNC Lavalin backtracks on CEO’s comments surrounding potential job losses THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL — SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is walking back a statement by its CEO, who said last week he never cited the protection of 9,000 Canadian jobs as a reason the construction giant should be granted a remediation agreement.

Neil Bruce told The Canadian Press last Wednesday that if SNC-Lavalin is convicted of criminal charges and barred from bidding on federal contracts its workers would end up working for the Montrealbased company’s foreign rivals.

“We have never put forward anything that is purely an economic argument about jobs and why we think we qualify for a DPA (deferred prosecution agreement),” he said in an interview. “We put forward an argument in terms of the public interest.”

The charges stem from allegations the engineering firm paid millions of dollars in bribes to win government business in Libya between 2001 and 2011.

In a statement posted to its website Monday afternoon,

SNC-Lavalin says it never threatened the federal government.

“However, the company had made it very clear to the government through its advocacy campaign that the implementation of a remediation agreement — known as a deferred prosecution agreement — was the best way to protect and grow the almost 9,000 direct Canadian SNC-Lavalin jobs, as well as thousands of indirect jobs through its more than 5,000 suppliers across Canada.

The company still asserts this position.”

It added that an agreement is not “a get out of jail free card,” as a few commentators have stated.

“It is an internationally recognized tool for protecting innocent stakeholders from the criminal actions of a few bad actors in a company.”

SNC said countries around the world have made this tool available to their prosecution and that Canada was at a competitive disadvantage until it passed its own version of the DPA. “If the remediation agreement is not available to SNCLavalin, the company will con-

tinue to vigorously pursue a path that allows it to move forward and defend its innocent employees to the fullest as it moves forward through the Canadian court system.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly held up potential job losses as the main reason he and other top officials spoke with former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould about her decision not to intervene after federal prosecutors declined to negotiate a deferred prosecution agreement with SNC-Lavalin.

Wilson-Raybould, who resigned from cabinet last month, has suggested political considerations rather than jobs were behind the alleged pressuring by the Prime Minister’s Office to hammer out an agreement with the company.

Earlier Monday, Chile’s stateowned copper mining company said it has terminated its contract with SNC-Lavalin, accusing the construction giant of breaching its obligations.

Codelco said SNC-Lavalin failed to live up to its commitments under a US$260-million contract attached to one of the world’s largest open pit copper

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mine, citing quality issues and delays in subcontractor payments and project execution.

The contract, awarded in November 2016, included engineering, supply and construction of two new acid plants for a smelter at the Chuquicamata mine in northern Chile.

The announcement from Codelco comes after SNC-Lavalin slashed its profit forecast twice in two weeks earlier this year, stemming largely from problems with the project and plunging SNC’s share price to 10-year lows of around $34.

SNC-Lavalin announced last month it had agreed to settle a

dispute with the Chilean state miner through a fast-tracked arbitration process, which it expected would yield “significant recoveries in the future” on losses of about $350 million.

The project cancellation “likely means relations between the two companies have further soured” and could make clawing back any losses more “difficult” during arbitration, analyst Derek Spronck of RBC Dominion Securities said in a research note.

SNC-Lavalin did not respond immediately to requests for comment about the contract termination. ■

Trudeau sells housing plan in visit to hot real estate market in B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS MAPLE RIDGE, B.C. — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touted efforts by the Liberal government to help first-time homebuyers put more down on their mortgages during a visit to a region of the country Monday that is facing a housing squeeze.

In its budget last week, the government introduced measures that would allow Ottawa to pick up a portion of new homebuyers’ mortgage costs and it increased the amount they can borrow from their retirement savings for a down payment.

Housing has emerged as a major issue for many Canadians, especially young people who are trying to get into the real-estate market at a time

when prices are soaring in some major cities.

During a visit to Maple Ridge, B.C., Trudeau said the budget contains measures to help first-time buyers by allowing them to withdraw $35,000 from their RRSPs, up from $25,000, to help lower their borrowing costs.

It also brings in a meanstested incentive that would see the government pick up part of the costs of the mortgages of those eligible for the program to lower their monthly payments.

Trudeau said housing is also a concern for parents who are worried their adult children won’t be able to live in the neighbourhoods where they grew up.

“Owning a house is a big achievement. It’s where you raise a family and set down

roots. But far too many young people are worried that they won’t be able to reach that dream. Housing prices in the Lower Mainland are some of the highest in the country and rising.”

Trudeau said the government has also tried to spur new building and keep prices from rising through its national housing strategy to help increase supply.

“We just can’t treat the symptoms of sky-high housing prices,” he added. “We have to deal with the causes as well. When there aren’t enough properties on the market, more people are competing for the same places, which forces the costs up for buyers and renters.”

Last Tuesday’s budget also included $10 billion more for a program to fund the construction of new rental units — the www.canadianinquirer.net

third time the Liberals have expanded the program, which aims to create 42,500 units over 10 years and now carries a $50-billion price tag.

As well, Trudeau said Ottawa is helping the Canada Revenue Agency go after tax fraud and money laundering, which have also been blamed for driving up housing prices in British Columbia.

Trudeau later visited Vancouver Island where a byelection has been set for May 6 in the riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith. The prime minister strolled Nanaimo’s harbourfront with Liberal candidate Michelle Corfield, stopping to shake hands and speak with people as they went.

The byelection was called after New Democrat Sheila Malcolmson stepped down from her seat in the House of Com-

mons to successfully run for a seat in the provincial legislature.

Bob Chamberlin, a long-serving chief councillor of a First Nation based on Gilford Island in the Broughton Archipelago off northeastern Vancouver Island, has said he intends to seek the NDP candidacy in Nanaimo-Ladysmith.

Paul Manly, a researcher, filmmaker and communications specialist, is running for the Green party. He finished fourth in the riding in the 2015 general election, earning almost 20 per cent of the vote.

The Conservatives have selected financial manager John Hirst to run in the riding while Jennifer Clarke, who lost the nomination to Hirst, will represent the new People’s Party of Canada, led by Quebec MP Maxime Bernier. ■

16

Canada News

MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

B.C. judge orders RCMP to give Meng data on devices seized during arrest

BY CAMILLE BAINS The Canadian Press

Chinese importers have stopped buying Canadian canola seed: Industry group

BY ALEKSANDRA SAGAN The Canadian Press CHINESE COMPANIES have stopped buying canola seed from Canadian producers, leaving exporters trying to sell their supply to other markets.

The ongoing trade dispute that started earlier this month when China revoked the permit of a major Canadian exporter is also hitting canola farmers, who are grappling with lower prices and delayed shipments.

“Chinese buyers became uninterested in buying Canadian canola,” said Brian Innes, vicepresident of public affairs for the Canola Council of Canada.

The change from a market that accounts for about 40 per cent of Canada’s canola seed, oil and meal exports came after the formal notification that China blocked imports from one of

Canada’s largest grain producers, Richardson International Ltd., he said. The Chinese decision cited an alleged detection of hazardous organisms in the company’s product.

All of the council’s members that export canola from Canada to China have reported that Chinese importers are currently unwilling to purchase their product, Innes said. Council members include Viterra Inc., Louis Dreyfus Company, Cargill Ltd. and Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd. “What we understand is that the concern or the reluctance of Chinese buyers to purchase Canadian canola is not coming from their concern about the quality of our product,” he said, adding they’ve had no quality questions from other markets.

Innes said he can’t speculate ❱❱ PAGE 36 Chinese importers

they are provided to the court, along with the seized electronics.

“The seized devices and the RCMP copy and the RCMP backup shall not otherwise be unsealed or accessed without a further order of this court,” Holmes said in her written order.

The items were confiscated on Dec. 1 when Meng was taken into custody at the request of the United States, which is seeking her extradition on fraud charges.

Canada announced earlier this month that a hearing against Huawei’s chief financial

certified cheque to the court.

A lawyer for Meng and the Justice Department did not comment outside court on FriVANCOUVER — A judge has day. ordered the RCMP to provide Meng was not in court but copies of the content on seven her previous appearances have electronic devices to an execudrawn a number of spectators tive of Chinese tech giant Huaand extra sheriffs have been wei Technologies after they needed. were seized at Vancouver’s airHolmes asked the defence port during her arrest. and the Crown to come up with Justice Heather Holmes of suggestions on how to balance the British Columbia Supreme the public’s interest in the case Court said in an order issued and the demands it has put on after a brief hearing Friday that court staff trying to do their the RCMP must make copies regular duties. for Meng Wanzhou of data on “Her attendance seems to atan iPhone, an iPad, a Macbook tract an enormous amount of Air, a Huawei attention both phone, two SIM beforehand and cards and a flash the day of her atdrive. tendance,” she Holmes said a I imagine it may have been stressful said. for Ms. Meng herself. representative “It does place of the Mounties considerable must forward stress on the the electronics court’s resources to an examiner although people of the force’s technical crime officer can move forward but are entitled to be here,” she unit within three days so con- Justice Minister David Lametti said. “I imagine it may have tent can be extracted onto de- would ultimately decide wheth- been stressful for Ms. Meng vices provided by Meng. er Meng would be extradited to herself.”

She ordered the devices be face charges of bank fraud, wire Last week in New York, lawunsealed under the supervi- fraud and two counts of con- yers for Huawei entered not sion of one of Meng’s defence spiracy to commit both. guilty pleas on allegations the lawyers, who Holmes called a She has denied any wrongdo- company violated Iran trade “referee” in her written order, ing. sanctions. adding the lawyer would superMeng has been free on bail Prosecutors in the United vise the examiner’s work and since Dec. 11 and is living in one States have accused Huawai of be provided with a copy of the of her two multimillion-dollar using a Hong Kong front cominformation as well as a list of homes in Vancouver while pany to trade with Iran in violafiles for his client. wearing an electronic tracking tion of U.S. sanctions, alleging The examiner must then re- device and being monitored by Meng, the daughter of the comseal the seized devices and seal a security company. pany’s founder, lied to banks two copies of the data transShe and her husband provid- about those dealings. ferred for the RCMP on devices ed $7.5 million in cash for the Huawei is also accused in a it has provided, one as a backup, $10-million bail and the rest separate indictment of stealing Holmes said. was covered by four sureties, technology secrets. Meng and She ordered the RCMP to including three people who put the company have also denied keep the copies and a list of files up their homes as a deposit and any wrongdoing relating to in a secure exhibit locker until a fourth who brought a $50,000 those allegations. ■

www.canadianinquirer.net

Canada News

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

17

Sources say Trudeau rejected Wilson-Raybould’s conservative pick for high court

BY JOAN BRYDEN The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Jody Wilson-Raybould recommended in 2017 that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominate a conservative Manitoba judge to be chief justice of the Supreme Court, even though he wasn’t a sitting member of the top court and had been a vocal critic of its activism on Charter of Rights issues, The Canadian Press has learned.

Well-placed sources say the former justice minister’s choice for chief justice was a moment of “significant disagreement” with Trudeau, who has touted the Liberals as “the party of the charter” and whose late father, Pierre Trudeau, spearheaded the drive to enshrine the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the Constitution in 1982.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal discussions about a Supreme Court appointment, which are typically considered highly confidential.

For her part, Wilson-Raybould said Monday “there was no conflict between the PM and myself.”

In an email, she characterized the matter as part of the normal process of appointing a Supreme Court justice, which involves “typically CONFIDENTIAL conversations and communications — back and forths between the PM and the AG (attorney general) on potential candidates for appointment.”

She said she’s “not at liberty to comment” on the “veracity” of what the sources said occurred, adding, “Commentary/ reporting in this regard with respect to a SCC appointment(s) could compromise the integrity of the appointments process and potentially sitting justices.”

The issue suggests Trudeau may have had reasons unrelated to the SNC-Lavalin affair for moving Wilson-Raybould out of the prestigious Justice portfolio earlier this year — a cabinet shuffle that touched off a full-blown political crisis for the governing Liberals.

Wilson-Raybould has said she believes she was moved to Veterans Affairs as punishment for refusing to intervene to stop a criminal prosecution of the Montreal engineering giant on bribery charges related to contracts in Libya.

Trudeau has denied the SNC matter had anything to do with the decision.

She resigned a month later amid allegations she was improperly pressured by the Prime Minister’s Office to interfere in the SNC-Lavalin case, triggering a furor that has engulfed the Trudeau government ever since. The PMO refused to comment on the story Monday.

The issue, the sources say, arose after

ART BABYCH / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Beverley McLachlin announced in June 2017 her decision to retire that December after 28 years on the high court, including 17 as chief justice.

Her retirement meant the government would have to choose a new chief justice and find another bilingual judge from western or northern Canada to sit on the nine-member bench.

Trudeau created an independent, non-partisan advisory board, headed by former Conservative prime minister Kim Campbell, to identify qualified candidates to fill the western/northern vacancy and submit a short list of three to five names for consideration.

According to the sources, one of the names on the eventual list was Glenn Joyal, who had been appointed in 2011 by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper as chief justice of Manitoba’s Court of Queen’s Bench.

Wilson-Raybould then sent Trudeau a 60-plus-page memo arguing that Joyal should not only be added to the top court but should be named chief justice as well.

Only once before in Canadian history — in 1906, when Sir Wilfrid Laurier appointed his justice minister to the top judicial job — has a prime minister chosen a chief justice who was not already sitting on the Supreme Court.

Wilson-Raybould’s pick puzzled Trudeau but he became disturbed after doing some research into Joyal’s views on the charter, the sources said.

Joyal had criticized the judiciary for broadly interpreting charter rights and expanding them to apply to things not explicitly mentioned in the charter or, in his view, intended by provincial premiers when they agreed to enshrine a charter in the Constitution.

The Supreme Court’s liberal interpretation has led to things like legalization of same-sex marriage, the right of women to choose to have an abortion and the legalization of medical assistance in dying, among other things ? — developments Trudeau has celebrated.

In a January 2017 speech to the Canadian Constitution Foundation’s Law and Freedom Conference, Joyal echoed conservative arguments that the top court has usurped the supremacy of elected legislatures to determine social policy.

The charter, Joyal argued, was the result of a compromise between Pierre Trudeau and premiers, most of whom had originally opposed inclusion of a charter

in the Constitution. The compromise was intended to maintain a balance between the judiciary and the legislative branch of government, with provisions allowing governments to limit or override rights altogether in some circumstances.

Since then, judicial interpretation of the charter has ignored the intentions of the drafters and “led without question to a level of judicial potency that was not anticipated back in 1982,” Joyal said in the speech, a video of which is available on the foundation’s website. That, in turn, has resulted in a “less potent and less influential legislative branch that seldom has the final word.”

“With the ‘constitutionalizing’ of more and more political and social issues into fundamental rights, the Canadian judiciary has all but removed those issues, in a fairly permanent way, from the realm of future civic engagement and future political debate,” he said.

Joyal was particularly critical of the Supreme Court’s interpretation of section 7 of the charter ? — the section ❱❱ PAGE 19 Sources say

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18

MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

UK lawmakers seize Brexit agenda in bid to break deadlock

BY JILL LAWLESS AND LORNE COOK The Associated Press LONDON — British lawmakers seized a measure of control over the stalled Brexit process from Prime Minister Theresa May’s foundering government Monday, setting up a series of votes that could dramatically alter the course of the U.K.’s departure from the European Union.

The move came after May conceded that Parliament would defeat her twice-rejected divorce deal with the EU again if she put it to a third vote.

With Brexit delayed and the new departure date up in the air, the House of Commons voted to give itself temporary control of the parliamentary timetable starting on Wednesday so lawmakers can vote on alternatives to May’s withdrawal deal.

The government usually controls the scheduling of votes in

Parliament.

Lawmakers who backed Monday’s motion, which passed 329-302, hope the planned “indicative votes” will narrow the options down to one that can secure majority support. Possible options include a “soft Brexit” that maintains close economic ties with the EU or scrapping Britain’s departure altogether.

Three government ministers quit their posts so they could back the motion. Richard Harrington, who resigned as a junior business minister, accused the government of “playing roulette with the lives and livelihoods of the vast majority of people in this country” by failing to resolve Britain’s Brexit impasse.

The government said it was disappointed by the vote, claiming it “upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future.”

But it also conceded that the

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new votes might be a way to break the months-long Brexit gridlock. May said she would “engage constructively” with the results of the process, though she said she was skeptical that it would produce a decisive result.

The move raises the chances that Britain will tack toward a softer Brexit, and is likely to be welcomed by the EU. Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator, tweet that it was an “opportunity to build a cross-party co-operation leading to an enhanced political declaration & a closer future relationship!”

Earlier in the day, May acknowledged, “with great regret,” that her deal still lacked “sufficient support” to be approved as of Monday.

She said she hoped to hold a third vote on the agreement later this week and was working to build support for the deal, which sets out the terms of withdrawing from the EU and the outline of future relations with the bloc.

May warned opponents that continuing to reject the deal could lead to a “slow Brexit” that postpones the country’s departure indefinitely.

With the March 29 Brexit day set almost two years ago days away and the withdrawal agreement lacking Parliament’s approval, European leaders agreed to a postponement last week to avoid a chaotic cliffedge departure that would be disruptive for the world’s biggest trading bloc and deeply damaging for Britain.

However, the EU granted a shorter delay than May sought.

It said if Parliament approves the proposed divorce deal, the U.K. would leave the EU on May 22. If not, the government has until April 12 to tell the 27 remaining EU countries what it plans to do – leave without a deal, cancel Brexit or chart a path to a new option.

In agreeing to the postponement, European leaders hoped Britain’s deadlocked politicians would find a solution to the crisis. But the EU isn’t counting on it. The European Commission said Monday it had completed planning for a no-deal Brexit, calling that outcome “increaswww.canadianinquirer.net

UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

ingly likely.”

The EU said its members would be able to cope with a nodeal departure, although more remained to be done on ensuring an open border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.’s Northern Ireland — something both sides have agreed to. Checkpoints there were a source of tension and a target during the decades of sectarian violence before Northern Ireland’s 1998 peace accord.

An EU official said the bloc was in “in intense discussions with the Irish authorities about these matters.”

May stands little chance of getting the deal she struck with the EU approved unless she can win over Brexit-backing lawmakers in her Conservative Party and its Northern Irish ally, the Democratic Unionist Party. The DUP said Monday that the party’s “position remains unchanged.”

May has come under intense pressure to quit the prime minister’s post as the price of winning support for the deal.

At a meeting Sunday at the prime minister’s country retreat, Chequers, prominent Brexiteers told May they might back the deal — if she agreed to step down so a new leader could take charge of the next phase of negotiations, which will settle Britain’s future relations with the EU. Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who attended the meeting and is likely to be

THERESA MAY / FACEBOOK

a contender in any future Conservative leadership race, accused the government of lacking “gumption” and chickening out on delivering Brexit.

Britain’s bestselling newspaper, The Sun, put a call on its front page for the prime minister to resign under the headline “Time’s up, Theresa.”

May is hanging on, hoping she can persuade Brexit-backing lawmakers that rejecting her deal means Britain may never leave the EU. She told lawmakers that Britain would not leave the EU without a deal unless Parliament — which has already rejected the idea — voted for it.

Opponents of Brexit feel the political tide may be turning in their favour. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through London on Saturday calling for a new referendum on whether to leave the EU or remain.

But with the deadline for a Brexit decision less than three weeks away, British politicians remain divided, and increasingly despairing about the country’s political gridlock.

“Brexit is like the Death Star of politics,” Conservative legislator George Freeman said. “I always feared it would be like this. It’s destroying and soaking up all the prime minister’s room for manoeuvr and political goodwill.

“I’ve never known this country so divided, so angry and in such a dangerous state,” he said. ■

World News

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

Sources say... ❰❰ 17

which guarantees everyone the right to life, liberty and security of the person and under which the top court struck down Canada’s abortion law and the prohibition on medically assisted death.

The court’s liberal interpretation of that section “has become, particularly in recent years, the single most fertile source for the discovery of new rights and the de facto constitutionalization of political and social issues,” he said.

Trudeau rejected WilsonRaybould’s advice. He ended up appointing Sheila Martin, a judge on the appeal courts of Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, to fill the vacant western Canadian seat on the bench. Sitting Supreme Court Justice Richard Wagner was elevated to the role of chief justice.

Shortly after Trudeau told Wilson-Raybould he did not support her choice, the sources said Joyal withdrew his name from consideration.

In a statement Monday, Joyal makes no mention of the for-

mer minister, saying he submitted an application for consideration for the Supreme Court in 2017, only to be forced to withdraw his name for personal reasons related to his wife’s health.

“I fear that someone is using my previous candidacy to the Supreme Court of Canada to further an agenda unrelated to the appointment process,” Joyal said. “This is wrong.”

Wilson-Raybould’s advocacy of Joyal for the top judicial job may not come as a total surprise to some Liberals, who’ve privately noted what they consider her conservative, restrictive approach to charter rights in a number of bills, including those dealing with assisted dying, impaired driving and genetic discrimination.

Jane Philpott, as health minister at the time, was jointly responsible with Wilson-Raybould for the assisted dying legislation. She quit the cabinet earlier this month in solidarity with Wilson-Raybould, saying she no longer had confidence in the government’s handling of the SNC-Lavalin affair. ■

19

Venezuela says Russian planes land for military co-operation

BY CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA The Associated Press

day went to Venezuela’s main airport, just outside Caracas, but did not see Russian planes.

In January, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim CARACAS, VENEZUELA — president, saying Maduro’s reRussian aircraft arrived in Caelection last year was rigged. racas this weekend as part of Maduro alleges that Guaido is ongoing military co-operation a collaborator in a U.S.-directbetween the two allies, a Vened plot to overezuelan official throw him. said Sunday.

Last week, U.S. Russian miliand Russian oftary officials are ficials met in visiting to disThe reports could not be independently confirmed.

Rome to discuss cuss equipment Venezuela, but maintenance remained split and training, and on how to restrategy, the official said on condition of ano- Syria, where Russia supports solve the crisis.

Russia says it is concerned nymity because of the sensitiv- President Bashar Assad.

Javier Mayorca, a Venezu- that the U.S. is considering miliity of the matter.

In December, Russia sent elan journalist, tweeted that a tary intervention in Venezuela. two Tu-160 strategic bombers Russian cargo plane with mili- The U.S. says it is focusing on to Venezuela for several days in tary equipment also arrived in economic and diplomatic efforts to oust Maduro, though a demonstration of support for Caracas on Saturday.

Venezuelan President Nicolas The reports could not be in- President Donald Trump has Maduro, who has rejected de- dependently confirmed. Asso- said “all options are on the tamands from the United States ciated Press journalists on Sun- ble.” ■ and dozens of other countries that he resign.

Flightradar24, a flight-tracking site, showed the flight path Saturday of what it listed as a Russian air force plane, apparently headed to Caracas while flying across the Caribbean.

The Ilyushin IL-62 passenger jet had flown from Moscow via

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20

World News

MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

Banning of manifesto raises free Trump welcomes speech debate in N. Zealand Mueller’s findings, but says he’s been abused

BY NICK PERRY The Associated Press DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND — New Zealanders are debating the limits of free speech after their chief censor banned the 74-page manifesto written and released by the man accused of slaughtering 50 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch.

The ban, issued Saturday, means anybody caught with the document on their computer could face up to 10 years in prison, while anyone caught sending it could face 14 years.

Some say the ban goes too far and risks lending both the document and the gunman mystique.

At the same time, many local media organizations are debating whether to even name the Australian man charged with murder in the March 15 attacks, 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant, after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed she would never mention him by name.

In some ways, Tarrant’s manifesto provides the greatest insight into his character and thinking, with neighbours and those he met in a gym in the sleepy seaside town of Dunedin recalling nothing particularly remarkable about him.

Chief Censor David Shanks said Tarrant’s manifesto contains justifications for acts of tremendous cruelty like killing children and encourages acts of terrorism, even outlining specific places to target and methods to carry out attacks.

He said that in banning the document, he and his staff worried about drawing more attention to it. But in the end, he said, they decided they needed to treat it the same way as propaganda from groups like the Islamic State, which they have also banned.

Shanks had earlier placed a similar ban on the 17-minute livestream video the killer filmed from a camera mounted on his helmet during the shootings. He said researchers and journalists could apply for exemptions from both bans.

But while free speech advocates haven’t questioned ban-

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK The Associated Press

Governor-General of New Zealand, Dame Patsy Reddy, lays flowers for the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings at Hagley Park.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, NEW ZEALAND - FLORAL TRIBUTES AT HAGLEY PARK, CC BY-SA 4.0

ning the graphic video, they said banning the manifesto is a step too far.

“People are more confident of each other and their leaders when there is no room left for conspiracy theories, when nothing is hidden,” said Stephen Franks, a constitutional lawyer and spokesman for the Free Speech Coalition. “The damage and risks are greater from suppressing these things than they are from trusting people to form their own conclusions and to see evil or madness for what it is.”

Franks said he had no interest in reading the manifesto until it was banned. He now is curious because it is “forbidden fruit,” he said, and he worries others may feel the same way.

He said the ban makes no sense when New Zealanders remain free to read Adolf Hitler’s autobiography, “Mein Kampf.”

Ardern told Parliament last week that she wouldn’t give the gunman anything he wanted.

“He sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety,” she said. “And that is why you will never hear me mention his name.”

She said people should instead remember the names of the victims.

Some media organizations appear to be taking up her call.

News website Stuff on Saturday published an 1,800-word profile on Tarrant without once naming him.

“Our view at the moment is

that we’re dialing back on naming him, unless it’s pertinent or important,” said Mark Stevens, the editorial director at Stuff.

The New Zealand Herald also published a profile on Tarrant with an accompanying editorial that mentions Ardern’s stance.

The editorial says, “Our piece keeps the mention of his name to a minimum.”

News organizations fear Tarrant will use his trial as a soapbox to promote his white nationalist views, especially after he fired his lawyer and said he’d represent himself.

But Danish journalist Claus Blok Thomsen, who works for the Politiken newspaper and covered the trial of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, said there are dangers in censoring Tarrant. He said that during the Breivik trial, many media outlets, including his own, were careful to report only what happened in court without discussing Breivik’s far-right ideology.

He said it was an approach favoured by intellectuals and so-called experts, but when he interviewed the families of the victims, he found many of them were angry.

“They said when we start to censor ourselves, we just make him into a martyr,” Thomsen said. “We are not able to learn how mad this guy was, what his thinking was, until everything is out in the light.” ❱❱ PAGE 30 Banning of

www.canadianinquirer.net

WASHINGTON — House Democrats pressed the Justice Department to provide the full report from special counsel Robert Mueller even as Republicans gleefully called for them to “move on” from the Russia investigation. President Donald Trump accused those responsible for launching Mueller’s probe of “treasonous things against our country” and said they “certainly will be looked into.”

Trump said the release of Mueller’s full report “wouldn’t bother me at all,” and Democrats quickly put that statement to the test, demanding that his administration hand over the entire document and not just Sunday’s four-page summary from Attorney General William Barr.

Six House Democratic committee chairmen wrote to Barr that his summary is “not sufficient” and asked to be given Mueller’s full report by April 2.

They also want to begin receiving the underlying evidence the same day. The information is “urgently needed by our committees to perform their duties under the Constitution,” they wrote, implying that the information would be subpoenaed if it is not turned over by the deadline.

Barr said in his letter to Congress that Mueller did not find that Trump’s campaign “conspired or co-ordinated” with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election — knocking down arguments from Democrats who have long claimed there was evidence of such collusion.

But he also said Mueller reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed the federal investigation, instead setting out “evidence on both sides” of the question and stating that “while this report does not conclude the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.” Absent a recommendation from Muel-

ler, Barr stepped in and decided there wasn’t sufficient evidence to establish that the president obstructed justice. Democrats said Barr’s judgment is not the final word.

“All I’m interested in is them releasing the full report, the full Mueller report,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Despite Mueller’s refusal to exonerate Trump, his spokesmen and leading congressional Republicans all claimed total vindication for the president anyway. Questioned by reporters, Trump said he welcomed Mueller’s results but complained he had been abused by the investigation occurring at all and taking too long.

“We can never let this happen to another president again,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there that have done some very evil things, very bad things, I would say treasonous things against our country.”

“Those people will certainly be looked at. I’ve been looking at them for a long time. And I’m saying, why haven’t they been looked at? They lied to Congress. Many of them you know who they are.”

He didn’t name names, but Trump has spent months railing against former Justice Department officials, including former FBI Director James Comey, accusing them of an illegal witch hunt for the purpose of delegitimizing his presidency. He has also falsely claimed that the investigation was based on memos compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele, and even blamed former Sen. John McCain, who died last year, for passing the memos to the FBI. The investigation began months before the FBI saw the dossier — and the FBI already had a copy by the time McCain turned it in.

On Monday, after a series of evening strategy meetings, Democrats vowed to continue their multiple investigations into Trump, perhaps with shifted focus. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, the California Democrat ❱❱ PAGE 22 Trump welcomes

World News

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

21

Avenatti hit with Nike extortion claims, other charges

BY BRIAN MELLEY AND LARRY NEUMEISTER The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — A year ago, Michael Avenatti’s star was rising as the combative, mediasavvy lawyer representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her legal battles against President Donald Trump.

He hammered the president as a regular fixture on cable news and baited and bashed critics on Twitter while flirting with his own run for the White House.

Those days seemed like a distant memory as Avenatti was arrested Monday and federal prosecutors on both coasts announced charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life.

Avenatti tried to shake down Nike for as much as $25 million by using his prominent position to threaten the company with bad publicity, federal prosecutors said. He was also accused of stealing a client’s settlement

money to pay his own expenses and filing fake tax returns to get $4 million in loans from a Mississippi bank to fund a lavish lifestyle.

He was arrested at a New York law firm where he had gone to meet with Nike executives. It was just minutes after he tweeted that he planned to hold a news conference Tuesday to “disclose a major high school/college basketball scandal perpetrated by @Nike that we have uncovered.”

“When lawyers use their law licenses as weapons, as a guise to extort payments for themselves, they are no longer acting as attorneys. They are acting as criminals,” said Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. attorney in New York.

Prosecutors in New York said their investigation began only last week while California investigators had been building a tax case against Avenatti for more than a year.

The allegations “paint an ugly picture of lawless conduct and greed,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna in Los Angeles. Avenatti

describes himself on Twitter as “fighter for good,” but the accusations describe “a corrupt lawyer who instead fights for his own selfish interests.”

Avenatti, 48, was ordered released on $300,000 bond after a brief court appearance Monday evening in New York. He did not enter a plea. Emerging from the courthouse, he said he expected to be cleared of the charges.

“For the entirety of my career, I have fought against the powerful. Powerful people and powerful corporations. I will never stop fighting that good fight,” he said. “I am highly confident that when all the evidence is laid bare in connection with these cases, when it is all known, when due process occurs, that I will be fully exonerated and justice will be done.”

Avenatti’s fame from the Daniels case made him a leading figure in the anti-Trump movement, with relentless cable news appearances, a hardpunching style and a knack for obtaining information about others’ wrongdoing.

Michael Avenatti.

JSTONE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

His sharp reversal of fortune led critics to hit back on Twitter. Donald Trump Jr., whom Avenatti inaccurately predicted would be charged in the investigation into ties between his father’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, gloated.

“Good news for my friend @ MichaelAvenatti, if you plead fast enough, you might just get to share a cell with Michael Cohen!” he wrote, referring to the former Trump lawyer set to go to prison next month for crimes that include orchestrating hush-money payments to Daniels. Trump Jr. mocked

Avenatti by ending with the lawyer’s trademark hashtag #basta, an Italian word meaning “enough.”

Prosecutors said Avenatti and a co-conspirator initially approached Nike on behalf of a client who coached an Amateur Athletic Union basketball program sponsored by the company in California.

They claimed to have evidence of misconduct by Nike employees and threatened to hold a news conference last week on the eve of a company’s ❱❱ PAGE 23 Avenatti hit

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22

World News

MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

Trump didn’t co-ordinate with Russia in 2016, report declares

BY ERIC TUCKER, MICHAEL BALSAMO, CHAD DAY, AND JULIE PACE The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller did not find evidence that President Donald Trump’s campaign “conspired or co-ordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice, Attorney General William Barr declared Sunday. That brought a hearty claim of vindication from Trump but set the stage for new rounds of political and legal fighting.

Trump, pleasure tinged with resentment after two years of investigations, declared “complete and total exoneration.

“It’s a shame that our country has had to go through this. To be honest, it’s a shame that your president has had to go through this,” he said.

But Democrats demanded to see the full Mueller report and insisted that even the summary by the president’s attorney general hardly put him in the clear.

Mueller’s conclusions, sum-

marized by Barr in a four-page letter to Congress, represented a victory for Trump on a key question that has hung over his presidency from the start: Did his campaign work with Russia to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton? That was further good news for the president on top of the Justice Department’s earlier announcement that Mueller had wrapped his investigation without new indictments.

It could deflate the hopes of Democrats in Congress and on the 2020 campaign trail that incriminating findings from Mueller would hobble the president.

But while Mueller was categorical in ruling out criminal collusion, he was far more circumspect on presidential obstruction of justice. Despite Trump’s claim of total exoneration, Mueller did not draw a conclusion one way or the other on whether he sought to stifle the Russia investigation through his actions including the firing of former FBI director James Comey.

According to Barr’s summary, Mueller set out “evidence on both sides of the question” and stated that “while this report does not conclude the presi-

dent committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”

Yet Barr, who was nominated

by Trump in December, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller in May 2017 and oversaw much of his work, went further in Trump’s favour.

Barr said he and Rosenstein had determined that Mueller’s evidence was insufficient to prove in court that Trump had committed obstruction of justice to hamper the probe. Barr has previously voiced a broad view of presidential powers, and in an unsolicited memo last June he cast doubt on whether the president could have obstructed justice through acts — like firing his FBI director — that he was legally empowered to take.

Barr said their decision was based on the evidence uncovered by Mueller and not affected by Justice Department legal opinions that say a sitting president cannot be indicted.

Mueller’s team examined a series of actions by the president in the last two years to determine if he intended obstruction. Those include his firing of Comey one week before Mueller’s appointment, his public

and private haranguing of thenAttorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation because of his work on the campaign, his request of Comey to end an investigation into Michael Flynn, the White House’s first national security adviser, and his drafting of an incomplete explanation about his oldest son’s meeting with a Russian lawyer during the campaign.

Sunday’s summary — and its suggestion that Mueller may have found evidence in support of obstruction — sets up a fight between Barr and Democrats, who called for the special counsel’s full report to be released and vowed to press on with their own investigations.

“Attorney General Barr’s letter raises as many questions as it answers,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

“Given Mr. Barr’s public record of bias against the special counsel’s inquiry, he is not a neutral observer and is not in a position to make objective determinations about the report,” they said. Trump’s own claim of complete exoneration “directly contradicts the words of Mr. Mueller and is not to be taken with any degree of credibility,” they added.

Trump was at his Florida estate when lawmakers received

hearing with Felix Sater, a Russian-born former business adviser to Trump who helped him negotiate an ultimately unsuccessful deal for a Trump Tower in Moscow, while the intelligence committee tries to get a look at Mueller’s report.

Pelosi, meanwhile, was scheduled to hold a press conference Tuesday on health care legislation, Democrats’ top campaign issue.

Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline, a member of Democratic leadership, said he has been encouraging colleagues to talk about those policy issues like health care and infrastructure.

“We need to talk about the work we are doing on these really important economic issues that matter in people’s lives,” Cicilline said. “We’re doing the work, but we need to be more

effective about sharing that” and not just responding to questions about corruption and Mueller’s investigation.

Democrats seem more likely to focus on those issues, and their ongoing investigations, than engaging in the talk of impeachment that has been amplified on Pelosi’s left flank. As the release of Mueller’s report loomed, she recently tried to scuttle that talk by saying she’s not for impeachment, for now.

But Mueller’s report hasn’t dissuaded some of Trump’s fiercest critics among the new Democratic lawmakers who helped flip the House from Republican control. By the end of the month, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is still planning to introduce her resolution calling for the Judiciary Committee to investigate grounds for Trump’s impeachment.

Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers called for Congress to move on.

“This is done with,” said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. “It is time for the country to move forward.”

Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 House Republican, said Democrats don’t want facts, “They just want to change the outcome of the 2016 election.”

At the same time, however, Republicans followed Trump’s lead in looking into how the investigation began. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham promised to “unpack the other side of the story” of the Russia investigation.

Graham, who spent the weekend with Trump in Florida, said his committee will probe the actions of the Justice Department. Still, he said the investi-

gation was legitimate and had to happen in order to answer questions about Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The South Carolina Republican also had a warning for Trump using his pardon power to help those who were ensnared

by Mueller’s investigation.

“If President Trump pardoned anybody in his orbit, it would not play well,” Graham said.

Among those whom Mueller charged during the course of his investigation were the president’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Five Trump aides pleaded guilty and a sixth, longtime confidant Roger Stone, is awaiting trial on charges that he lied to Congress and engaged in witness tampering. ■

A KATZ / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

❱❱ PAGE 33 Trump didn’t

Trump welcomes... ❰❰ 20

who has become a focus of Republicans’ post-Mueller ire, said he is “circumspect about how much more we will be able to find on issues that he thoroughly investigated,” but said Mueller’s conclusion would not affect his own committee’s counterintelligence probes.

“There may be other corrupt meetings between the Trump campaign and the Russians, there may be other profound financial conflicts of interest that are not mentioned in the Mueller report, and there may be unanswered questions even within what he did examine,” Schiff said.

Democrats also signalled that they will curtail some public focus, at least, from their investigations of Trump and try to keep attention on their policy goals. Schiff postponed an open

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23

Entertainment Avenatti hit... ❰❰ 21

quarterly earnings call and the start of the NCAA tournament. Avenatti told Nike the company could either pay them $15 million to $25 million to investigate the allegations, or pay him more than $22 million for his silence, the criminal complaint said.

Two people familiar with the investigation confirmed the unidentified co-conspirator was Mark Geragos, a Los Angeles criminal defence lawyer known for his work with celebrities. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was not made public by prosecutors.

Geragos, a CNN contributor, has a client list that has included Michael Jackson, Winona Ryder, Scott Peterson, Colin Kaepernick and most recently Jussie Smollett, the actor accused of fabricating a racist, anti-gay attack in Chicago. Geragos did not respond to messages seeking comment. Within hours, CNN cut ties with him.

While lawyers sometimes make demands to seek out-ofcourt settlements, it crosses the line to extortion if they threaten to go public with damaging information to get something of value or gain leverage in a civil dispute, attorney Neama Rahmani said.

“The Department of Justice historically has been very cautious when charging attorneys, so they likely have evidence that Avenatti seriously crossed this line,” said Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor.

Nike officials told investigators Avenatti claimed to know of rules violations by an amateur basketball team sponsored

by Nike. Executives immediately reported the threats to federal authorities.

The company “firmly believes in ethical and fair play, both in business and sports, and will continue to assist the prosecutors,” Nike said in a statement.

Avenatti rose to national prominence by representing Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, in a lawsuit to break a confidentiality

agreement to speak about her alleged affair with Trump. He also made headlines in recent weeks representing two women who accused R&B star R. Kelly of sexual abuse.

Daniels said she was “saddened but not shocked” by the arrest. She issued a statement Monday on Twitter saying she fired Avenatti a month ago after “discovering that he had dealt with me extremely dishonestly.” She said she would not elaborate.

While Avenatti’s lawsuit effectively tore up the gag order that threatened financial penalties if Daniels spoke about the case, a defamation lawsuit filed on her behalf against Trump backfired, and a court ordered her to pay the president’s $293,000 in legal fees.

Avenatti himself has been dogged with tax and financial troubles in recent years.

A U.S. bankruptcy court ordered his former firm to pay $10 million to a lawyer who claimed it had misstated its profits.

The bank fraud case involved $4 million in loans he got from The Peoples Bank in Biloxi, which prosecutors said he obtained by filing fraudulent tax returns claiming $14 million in income over three years.

However, he never filed tax returns those years, nor paid the $2.8 million he reported on the forms. In fact, he still owed more than $850,000 to the IRS at the time for previous income.

Mark Pearson, the assistant agent in charge of IRS criminal investigations in Los Angeles, said Avenatti’s crimes supported a $200,000-a-month lifestyle, a car racing venture and pricey homes in the wealthy Orange County communities of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.

Convictions on all charges carry up to 47 years in the New York case and 50 years in the California case, prosecutors said. ■ Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Jim Mustian in New York, Michael Balsamo in Washington and John Antczak in Los Angeles also contributed to this report.

Catriona Gray explains story behind broken Mikimoto crown

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer MISS UNIVERSE 2018 Catriona Gray has explained to her fans the story behind the breakage of her $250,000 USD Mikimoto Crown.

In a video posted last Tuesday, March 19 on the Miss Universe Facebook page captioned “The moment you’ve all been waiting for: The Story Behind The Broken Crown,” the 25-year-old Filipino-Australian elaborates that it was her excitement during her homecoming parade at the Araneta Center that caused part of the 500 diamonds of almost 30 carats, 120 South Sea and Ayoka pearls to fall apart.

The beauty queen stated, “So one of the things I love about the parade is that they have this moving band and they have the drums that makes me want to dance, so I end up dancing although I am not a very good dancer. But I have a confession.

The Mikimoto has seen better days as a result of my dancing.

I’m so sorry.” The Miss Uni-

The moment you've all been waiting for: The Story Behind the Broken Crown.

SCREENSHOT FROM @MISSUNIVERSE/TWITTER VIDEO

verse Twitter page was quick to answer to their own post on social media, saying, “Don’t worry, it will be fixed in no time.”

Prior to Catriona’s admitting to breaking the crown at the parade to the public, videos already circulated of the piece falling off and the beauty queen catching it with her arm. She then hands it to Miss Universe Organization manager Esther Swan, who was morbidly sur-

prised.

The Phoenix Mikimoto Crown is one of the prestigious pageant’s favorite prizes, named after its creator, Japanese jeweler Mikimoto. The design itself is inspired by the Fenghuang phoenix. There is no word yet whether or not the broken crown is the original or the replica, since a copy of the crown is usually used for public events. ■

Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers dies at age 76

BY NICK PERRY The Associated Press LONDON — Influential singer, songwriter and producer Scott Walker, whose hits with the Walker Brothers in the 1960s included “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore,” has died.

He was 76.

The record company 4AD announced the death today.

The company said he died Friday afternoon in London.

The Walker Brothers enjoyed a string of hits that also included “Make It Easy on Yourself.”

Scott Walker later went on to www.canadianinquirer.net

produce numerous songs, movie scores and a number of solo albums.

The Ohio-born Walker, who began his career as a session bass player, changed his name from Noel Scott Engel when he joined the Walker Brothers, also relocating to London.

The Walker Brothers were hugely popular in Britain at a time when the music scene was dominated by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

They also enjoyed hits in the United States.

He left the band to pursue a solo career when they were near their commercial peak.

As a solo artist, Walker re-

leased a number of well-received albums, and joined the Walker Brothers for a final album together in the 1980s.

He also produced numerous albums for other artists and was seen as an influential figure in the music world.

Thom Yorke of Radiohead tweeted his sadness at Walker’s death.

“He was a huge influence on Radiohead and myself, showing me how I could use my voice and words,” York said.

The record company says Walker is survived by partner Beverly, daughter Lee and granddaughter Emmi-Lee. ■

24

Entertainment

MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

Jaymee Joaquin: The cancer has come back

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer FORMER TV host and actress Jaymee Joaquin shared this news on Friday, March 22, to her fans and social media followers: she is diagnosed again with breast cancer, a disease she had beaten long ago.

“I’ve been mustering the courage and finding the right words to say what I’m gonna say but I guess there’s no easy way to go about this so here goes...

It’s confirmed. The cancer has come back,” Jaymee wrote on her post.

The former game show host refused to give further details about her condition; however, she is positive that she will be able to beat again her cancer which she said is “highly treat-

able with hormonal therapy and very manageable.”

“The recurrence was detected super early and medical team are [is] still doing more tests to make sure all bases are covered,” Jaymee shared.

She then asked again the public for their support, prayers, and well wishes as she battles breast cancer once again. The former TV host also told her fans that she will be inactive on social media for a while but will be back once she is ready to “inspire, uplift, and empower” everyone.

“This is gonna be an epic battle. And with God’s grace, my medical team, my loved ones and your support, I’m a WIN the second time around. Let’s keep the faith and hope for the best,” Jaymee said.

It was in 2016 when Jaymee

was first diagnosed with Stage 2A breast cancer and began her chemotherapy treatment in January 2017. She courageously underwent various medical processes until she officially became cancer-free in September 2017.

Jaymee, who is known for her “Kabagang” tagline, did not only become the face of ABSCBN’s Games Uplate Live that aired from 2006 to 2009. She also appeared in several Kapamilya television shows like Bora (2005) and Ligaw na Bulaklak (2008), and starred in some local movies like My Big Love and Tanging Ina Ninyong Lahat both in 2008.

Jaymee is now based in the United States (U.S) after she left the Philippine entertainment industry in 2010. ■ @JAYMEE_WINS / INSTAGRAM

Divine Lee Janine Tugonon models with announces pregnancy tennis superstar Venus Williams with second child

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer THIRTY-SEVEN-YEAR- OLD blogger/host Divine Lee has announced that she is expecting baby number two with husband Blake Go. Blake was the first to announce the news on his Instagram account last Monday, March 25, sharing a photo of the sonogram captioned, “Round 2!

Bazzy’s new playmate,” referring to their first child together; Basquiat Delfin L. Go nicknamed Baz, who will turn one in May. Divine shares Blake’s post on her Instagram stories, joking in Filipino, “He couldn’t wait. Blake just posted his ultrasound,” adding, “I wanted to post on April 1! To time it as the same time as the jokes [on the day].” She then explains, “So, I guess now you know why I didn’t go skiing,” citing the couple’s most recent snow trip to Niseko Hirafu Village, Japan, “or why I don’t carry Baz during his music classes… because there are flying stunts there,”

continuing to joke, “You know that my son has the weight of a two-year old.”

Cosmopolitan Magazine spoke to Divine for more details about her pregnancy, the socialite revealing that she’s 10 weeks in, but saying, “Like Bazzy, I think this one is a giant — measuring more than the usual size of a baby that is at 10 weeks.” She admits that the pregnancy was planned, laughing that she and Blake want four children by the age of 40, revealing, “We really wanted one after the other. I come from a super big family and Blake saw how fun it is to have so many siblings and [who are] close in age.” As for baby names, Divine, “I’m keen on naming the baby Banksy but I think I already got one with the artists names with Basquiat. Blake might not agree anymore!”

Divine and Blake got married in Cebu, where they are based now, in August 2017. The personality is most known for her talk shows Juicy!, Ang Latest, and Showbiz Police. ■

MISS UNIVERSE Philippines 2012 Janine Tugonon has hit another milestone in her international modelling career after being spotted posing with tennis superstar Venus Williams for the athlete’s activewear line, EleVen. In a post by the 29-year-old former beauty queen, she captions a sneak peek of the spread, saying, “Got to shoot with a legend, Venus Williams! Such a memorable shoot for me, went home that day very inspired and empowered!” Janina received numerous congratulatory comments, Filipino-Canadian actress Aida King even asking her if the champion tennis player was nice, which Janina simply exclaimed, “Very!”

University of Santo Tomas graduate Janine, who was also Miss Universe 2012 first runner-up, moved to New York after her stint in the international pageant. She became the first ever Filipina to be featured in Victoria’s Secret promotional material. With that, the Bataan native has modeled for international brands like Puma www.canadianinquirer.net

Got to shoot with a legend, Venus Williams! Such a memorable shoot for me, went home that day very inspired and empowered!

TUGONONJANINE / INSTAGRAM

Women, Tarte Cosmetics, Wells Fargo, Wallmart and Macy’s.

EleVen also featured her as one of their muses for their Caracas collection, which launched last February.

Prior to living in New York, Janine tried to find success in Los Angeles, California, where she attended acting and modeling workshops. In an interview with Elle magazine, she reveals that it was difficult to compete in the United States as she has received many closed doors being part of the “minority.” But,

in 2017, she signed with MSA Models and was even featured in photographer David Bellemere’s 2017 NU Muses Calendar.

With the amount of audience she garnered representing the Philippines, Janina has used her 220,000 following to advocate awareness of human trafficking. In honor of the National Human Trafficking hotline in the United States, she shares in a post, “Let’s end [human trafficking] in our lifetime! Shine a light on slavery today!” ■

Entertainment

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

25

Filipina teen brings standee of EXO’s D.O. to prom

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

R. KELLY / FACEBOOK

Dubai denies there were plans for R. Kelly concert

BY JON GAMBRELL AND MALAK HARB The Associated Press DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Dubai’s government on Sunday forcefully denied a claim by R&B singer R. Kelly that the artist had planned concerts in the sheikhdom after he had sought permission from an Illinois judge to travel here despite facing sexual-abuse charges.

In a rare statement, the government’s Dubai Media Office also denied claims by his lawyer in court that Kelly had plans to meet the sheikhdom’s ruling Al Maktoum family.

“Authorities in Dubai have not received any request for a performance by singer R. Kelly nor are there any venues that have been booked,” the statement said.

It added Kelly “has not been invited by the Dubai royal family for a performance.”

In an email to The Associated Press, Kelly’s lawyer Steven A. Greenberg responded saying: “Mr. Kelly had a signed contract with a legitimate promoter, and any information that was included in the motion to travel was from that contract. We did not say he was invited

by The royal family, but the contract did provide that he would make himself available to meet with them.”

Kelly was charged on Feb. 22 with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse for allegedly assaulting three girls and one adult woman, coming after the release of a documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.” He has denied ever abusing anyone.

In a court filing last week, Greenberg had said the singer needed to raise money as “he has struggled of late to pay his child support and other child related expenses.”

“Before he was arrested Mr. Kelly had signed a contract to perform between 3-5 shows in Dubai, UAE, in April 2019,” the court filing read. “He requests permission to travel to Dubai for the shows.

While there he is supposed to meet with

the royal family.”

The filing did not elaborate on where Kelly was allegedly supposed to perform. There was no immediately publicized event for which Kelly was known to be a performer, nor did anyone in the entertainment industry hear about one.

However, Dubai’s luxury nightclubs often host hip hop and other artists for days at a time to perform and be seen among the millionaires of this skyscraper-studded city that is home to the world’s tallest building. Rich families also pay for celebrities at their parties.

The UAE’s seven emirates are overseen by hereditary rulers who hold absolute power. Dubai’s ruler is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 69. His 36-year-old son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, serves as Dubai’s crown prince and is next in line to be ruler.

Dubai, home to the world’s largest manmade archipelago the Palm Jumeriah and an indoor ski slope in its desert climes, has long drawn celebrities craving both luxury and seclusion. Will Smith is a repeated visitor. Lindsay Lohan lives off and on in the sheikhdom. David Beckham, Shah Rukh Khan and others are believed to own property in Dubai.

Yet it also has drawn world leaders seeking to escape their own countries.

Pakistani Gen. Pervez Musharraf, facing criminal charges back home, fled to Dubai in 2016. Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra came to Dubai to avoid a criminal conviction in 2017, following in the footsteps of her brother, the ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with the UAE. However, the U.S. stations some 5,000 troops in the country and Dubai’s Jebel Ali port is the biggest port of call for the U.S. Navy outside of America. ■

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD PAREF Rosehill student Beatriz Pineda goes viral after taking her love for Korean Pop Group EXO’s member Do Kyungsoo, better known as D.O., to the next level; bringing a standee of the singer as her date to prom last Saturday, March 16.

The K-pop fan’s older sister Sofia initially shared the images of her little sister putting a white rose boutonniere on the standee, captioned, “Someone please get on her level,” in which more than a thousand netizens responded to.

The student from Ateneo explains her decision to bring D.O.’s standee, telling ABS-CBN News, “My friends and I decided to bring our brothers as our dates, but I didn’t have a brother. I didn’t want to invite someone because that would mean I would have to keep him entertained the whole night. So I came up with this crazy idea of bringing a Kyungsoo standee as my date because

I wouldn’t have to worry about keeping him entertained and I felt that I would be comfortable with him and I would be really be able to enjoy the night.”

As a result of her decision, Beatriz and her prom date were crowned prom king and queen near the end of the event, which was determined by her fellow students.

As of writing, Sofia’s post of Beatriz has received 1,342 retweets and 2,474 likes. Beatriz reacts, “I felt a little overwhelmed knowing that so many people saw my pictures. I saw other fan accounts on Twitter and Facebook tweeting and sharing so I was really surprised.”

When explaining her passion for K-pop music, the young music-lover shares, “EXO is what actually motivates me to really work harder and be a wellrounded student. I’m able to practice better time management because of them, since I get plan on the time I allot for them and for my studies.”

As an ode to their Filipino fans, EXO visited Manila twice last year for both their “Elyxion” and “Show Champion” tours. ■

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26

Lifestyle It’s pooch time! Creating un-paw-gettable memories with our paw-some furpals

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer 24 HOURS; 1,440 minutes; or 86,400 seconds — that is the amount of time we have in a day. These figures may sound huge to us that we think we really do have a lot of time in our hands, but little did we know, those numbers pass by so fast.

Some of us may not notice it because we are probably busy doing other stuff, not realizing that everything around us can change in the blink of an eye. I remember having a beautiful vase of rose at our window but then it withered long ago and now all I can see is the plain glass in a frame. Our living room used to be so messy with a lot of toys scattered around, but looking at it now, I find no trace of those things at all and I realized that no one in the house plays it anymore, not me nor my younger sibling.

And then I saw my dog. I noticed how big he has become; the once puppy who I can carry in my arms has grown up so much and too fast. Missing the early days, I have this thought in my mind that I want to turn the back the time, wishing I could have given more attention to my fur friend so I did not miss out so much of his growing up.

But nuff drama — this is not really the best time for that especially now that the world is celebrating one of the ‘greatest’ days in the calendar. Instead of being remorseful about what I was not able to do before, I looked at the bright side, think-

ing that I can use this day to start doing the things I wish I did sooner. As we celebrate International Puppies Day, here is a mutt-do list for our pooch so we can spend a lot of time to be together while they are still young. I believe that this list is not just for me though; paws and reflect too because you might as well need it or get something from it.

1. More walks

Exercising with dogs by walking can kill not just two, but many birds with one stone: we could not only have a good keep-fit session but also our pets. We also get to walk with them more and keep them off from getting bored at home. Instead of doing some crunches inside our room or going to the gym alone, let us grow the bond we have with our dog by roaming around the neighborhood.

2. More chit-chats

I’m one of those people that whenever they encounter problems, they prefer it to just keep it to themselves. As much as possible, I do not want my family to see how dramatic I can be so whenever I got to the point where I could not handle it anymore, I will hide at our terrace and let my emotions flow in silence. But moments later, I would notice a shadow at the door and there I see my dog sitting and staring at me.

At first, I do not intend to open up my problems to him because somehow I find it funny telling my feelings to someone who does not respond to whatever

I’m saying — but that’s what I thought. Dogs have their own unique way of responding to us whenever we talk to them.

My dog may have this confused look on his face but then I realized that maybe he actually understands how I feel as he responds to me through snuggling his head on my lap, placing his paw over my arm, and wagging his tail. We may not get a clear advice from them like those of what our friends or family will tell us, but we feel so much better once we hear a simple woof woof, arf arf, or ruff ruff sound from them; it feels like their barking is everything we need to hear.

3. More romp time

Admit it: every morning, the first thing that most of us do when we wake up is reach for our mobile phones. As soon as we turn off our alarm clock, we go straight to browsing Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and check for any new messages on our email — even before we could entirely open our eyes, we have already bogged ourselves down with our smartphones. We spend so much time in a day just by scrolling through the internet that we forget to allot time for our dog’s romp time.

Why don’t we all do this?

Let go of our phones and play more with our pets. Have fun throwing their favorite toys and watch them gracefully fetch it, teach them new tricks, play with a water hose, and a lot more. Doing such things will not only strengthen our bond

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JOANNA BELLE DEALA / PHILIPPINE CANADIAN INQUIRER

but I also believe it will make them more emotionally and physically healthy. We do not want to see our dogs looking sad and unproductive all day and every day, right?

4. Watch movies

Watching movies for me is one of the life’s greatest pleasures and enjoying it with my furpal makes everything better.

Just imagine how perfect it is to watch a film while you snuggle with your pet as you eat some popcorn. Seeing a movie with your pet is indeed a cool idea because one, you get to enjoy it without getting annoyed by someone who talks non-stop while the film is ongoing; and two, you do not have to explain every single detail to your seatmate who keeps asking questions about what is exactly happening in the movie.

5. Dress up

Almost every month there

are various occasions that everyone around the world is celebrating. Aside from food and activities, some of us spice up the occasion (like Halloween or Christmas) by dressing ourselves and our pets up in a way that we will be comfortable. Not only do we get to dress up ourselves but we can also wear matching outfits with our pooch. Why bother looking for a partner to wear couple shirts or a friend who is willing to sport same clothes as you when you can slay #twinning outfits with your dog?

6. Have a puppy party

Our family never forgets to throw a birthday party for our furbaby. Tons of food on the table? Party hats, balloons, banner, poppers, and a special cake? These are surely all present during that very special day.

In fact, you get to see these at ❱❱ PAGE 36 It’s pooch

Lifestyle

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

27

Biggest int’l pyromusical show in Clark wows thousands

BY LITO DELOS REYES Philippine News Agency CLARK FREEPORT, PAMPANGA – The 10th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition (PIPC) has wowed thousands of spectators since its first weekend show last February 23.

Touted to be the grandest and biggest international pyromusical competition, the annual event — which was moved from the SM Mall of Asia to SM City Clark — will be held until March 30.

SM Supermalls’ decision to move the competition to SM Clark is in full support of the ongoing Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

SM City Clark Mall manager Andrea Francesca Madlangbayan said the PIPC has entries from 10 countries, which take on a battle of breathtaking fireworks performances amid a symphony of sounds.

The contenders are Germany’s, Steffes-Ollig Feuerwerke; Belgium’s CBF Pyrotechnics; Portugal’s Pirotecnia Minhota; France’s Brezac Artifices; Finland’s Oy Pyroma; Viviano S.R.L. of Italy; United Kingdom’s Pyrotex Fireworx; Canada’s Fireworks Spectaculars; China’s Polaris Fireworks and Poland’s Surex Firma Rodzinna.

Last weekend, it was Canada’s turn to paint the night sky with bursting colors, with its very own “Fireworks Spectaculars.”

The contender from China likewise stunned the huge crowd.

During the opening day last month, the Philippines’ very own Platinum Fireworks Inc. took the sky and opened the festival with an amazing drone exhibition show. Belgium’s CBF Pyrotechnics then presented its entry that left the spectators in awe.

On March 2, Germany’s “Steffes-Ollihmg Feuerwerke” and Portugal’s “Pirotecni Minhota” treated the crowd with their tradition and mastery of skills in the sky.

Last March 9, Clark skyline witnessed the France’s “Brezac Artifices,” followed by a burst of vibrant colors by Finland’s Oy Pyroman.

Italy’s very own Viviano S.R.L. and last year’s champion, United Kingdom’s “Pyrotez Fireworx” battled it out last March 16.

China's Polaris Fireworks Display at the 10th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition.

PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL PYROMUSICAL COMPETITION (OFFICIAL)

Capping off the competition and to close a decade of giving the best pyromusical exhibition in the Philippines, March 30 promises to be the most spectacular display of colors and surprises with Poland’s Surex Firma Rodzinna and the Philippines’ own Platinum Fireworks Inc. in a grand finale like no other.

“The finale will be featur-

ing the Philippines and it will be the culmination of the biggest pyromusical in the world,” Madlangbayan said.

Aside from the pyro musical competition, the annual PIPC also highlights a photo contest, which features entries from amateur and professional photographers — wherein winners will receive special prizes from PIPC partners and sponsors. ■

More aging Americans are using pot to soothe what ails them

BY JOHN ROGERS The Associated Press LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. — The group of white-haired folks — some pushing walkers, others using canes — arrive right on time at the gates of Laguna Woods Village, an upscale retirement community in the picturesque hills that frame this Southern California suburb a few miles from Disneyland.

There they board a bus for a quick trip to a building that, save for the green Red Crossstyle sign in the window, resembles a trendy coffee bar. The people, mostly in their 70s and 80s, pass the next several hours enjoying a light lunch, playing a few games of bingo and selecting their next month’s supply of cannabis-infused products.

“It’s like the ultimate senior experience,” laughs 76-year-old retired beauty products distributor Ron Atkin as he sits down to watch the bingo at the back of the Bud and Bloom marijuana dispensary in Santa Ana. Most states now have legal medical marijuana, and 10 of them, including California, allow anyone 21 or older to use pot recreationally. The federal

government still outlaws the drug even as acceptance increases. The 2018 General Social Survey, an annual sampling of Americans’ views, found a record 61 per cent back legalization, and those 65 and older are increasingly supportive.

Indeed, many industry officials say the fastest-growing segment of their customer base is people like Atkin — aging baby boomers or even those a little older who are seeking to treat the aches and sleeplessness and other maladies of old age with the same herb that many of them once passed around at parties.

“I would say the average age of our customers is around 60, maybe even a little older,” said Kelty Richardson, a registered nurse with the Halos Health clinic in Boulder, Colorado, which provides medical examinations and sells physician-recommended cannabis through its online store.

Its medical director, Dr. Joseph Cohen, conducts “Cannabis 101” seminars at the nearby Balfour Senior Living community for residents who want to know which strains are best for easing arthritic pain or improving sleep.

Relatively little scientific study has verified the benefits of marijuana for specific problems. There’s evidence pot can relieve chronic pain in adults, according to a 2017 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, but the study also concluded that the lack of scientific information poses a risk to public health.

At Bud and Bloom, winners of the bingo games take home new vape pens, but Atkin isn’t really there for that. He’s been coming regularly for two years to buy cannabis-infused chocolate bars and sublingual drops to treat his painful spinal stenosis since the prescription opiates he had been taking quit working.

It was “desperation” that brought him here, he said, adding that his doctors didn’t suggest he try medical marijuana.

But they didn’t discourage him either.

The dispensary is filled with the 50 people from the bus as they peruse counters and coolers containing everything from gel caps to drops to cannabisinfused drinks, not to mention plenty of old-fashioned weed.

Adele Frascella, leaning on www.canadianinquirer.net

her cane, purchases a package of gummy candies she says helps keep her arthritic pain at bay.

“I don’t like to take an opioid,” said Frascella, 70.

Fashionably dressed with sparkling silver earrings, Frascella confirms with a smile that she was a pot smoker in her younger days.

“I used to do it when I was like 18, 19, 20,” she said. “And then I had a baby, got married and stopped.”

She took it up again a few years ago, even investing in a “volcano,” a pricey, high-tech version of the old-fashioned bong that Gizmodo calls “the ultimate stoner gadget.” But these days, like many other seniors, she prefers edibles to smoking.

Renee Lee, another baby boomer who smoked as a youth, got back into it more than a dozen years ago after the clinical psychologist underwent brain surgery and other medical procedures that she said had her taking “10 meds a day, four times a day.”

“And I wasn’t getting any better,” she said, adding that she asked her doctors if she might try medical marijuana as a last

resort. They said go ahead and she found it ended her pain.

In 2012 she founded the Rossmoor Medical Marijuana Club in her upscale San Francisco Bay Area retirement community.

“We started with 20 people, and we kept it really quiet for about a year and a half,” she said, noting that although California legalized medical cannabis in 1996, it was still seen in some quarters as an outlaw drug.

Her group has since grown to more than 1,000 members and puts on regular events, including lectures by pro-cannabis doctors and nurses.

People Lee’s age — 65 and over — are the fastest-growing segment of the marijuana-using population, said Dr. Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and aging at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He believes more studies on the drug’s effects on older people are needed. And while it may improve quality of life by relieving pain, anxiety and other problems, he said, careless, unsupervised use can cause trouble. ❱❱ PAGE 38 More aging

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Lifestyle

MARCH 29, 2019

What my DNA told me: Avoid fast food, eat vegetables

23andMe

If you pay $99 for a 23andMe ancestry report, you can spend $125 more for its health reports based on the same saliva sample.

Among the extras you get are several wellness reports, including one that predicts your “genetic weight” and offers other dietary insights. These findings are based on comparisons to data from other 23andMe customers.

After adjusting the default setting from European to East Asian descent, my report said I’m predisposed to weigh “about average.” For a 40-yearold, 5-foot-6 woman, the company defined average as 138 pounds. 23andMe notes that most its customers are of European descent, and that its data for other ethnicities is more limited.

The report then lists 10 habits associated with healthy weights

Famed Nova Scotia treasure hunter did it his way, reverend tells funeral

BY CANDICE CHOI The Associated Press NEW YORK — Avoid fast food, eat vegetables and exercise. It sounds like generic health advice, but they’re tips supposedly tailored to my DNA profile.

The suggestions come from 23andme, one of the companies offering to point you toward the optimal eating and exercise habits for your genetics. As with most dieting schemes, the idea is appealing because it implies there’s an elusive reason why you can’t get in shape — in this case, your genes.

But Isaac Kohane, a biomedical researcher at Harvard, said research in the field is still limited and that there’s little evidence any small effects from genetic variations can be translated into meaningful dietary advice.

“By and large, these are not giving a lot of value to the people who are purchasing them,” he said, adding that other factors play a far bigger role on health, such as how much we eat.

Still, it’s tempting to think your DNA holds clues to your ideal diet. To see what my genes might reveal, I tried two services, 23andMe and DNAFit.

FRIDAY

BY ALY THOMSON The Canadian Press

As with most dieting schemes, the idea is appealing because it implies there’s an elusive reason why you can’t get in shape — in this case, your genes.

for your DNA profile. For me, that included limiting red meat, avoiding fast food and exercising at least twice a week. Given how formulaic that sounded, I wondered how much results vary for others.

It turns out everyone gets the same 10 habits, since those are the ones 23andMe decided to survey people about. But the order in which they’re listed varies to indicate the magnitude of their supposed effect for you. Alisa Lehman, senior product scientist for 23andMe, said the top two habits for most people are limiting red meat and avoiding fast food, as they were for me.

Like many other nutrition studies, the findings do not establish cause-and-effect relationships, but are links the company makes between customers’ genes and the survey results.

Other wellness reports said I’m more likely to be lactose intolerant (check), to flush when drinking alcohol (check) and to consume less caffeine (check).

They were more interesting because of their specificity, but didn’t reveal anything surprising. Another report said my weight isn’t likely to be affected by my intake of saturated fat, which is commonly found in meat.

The only surprise was learning I have a genetic variant “common in elite power athletes.” When I followed the link, however, I saw about half of

customers have the same variant.

DNAFit

For $99.99, you get a saliva collection to produce reports on a variety of fitness and dietary traits. If you already have your DNA file from 23andMe, you can upload it to get instant results for $79.

DNAFit says its reports are based on the broader universe of scientific research about genes and diet.

Given the general fear of carbs among many dieters, I started with the “carbohydrate sensitivity” report. It started with an overview explaining the difference between complex carbs like brown rice and refined carbs like sugar that are digested more quickly.

After scrolling down, the report said I have a “very low” sensitivity, meaning I’m less susceptible than others to sugar highs and diabetes. Despite this carb tolerance, it suggested I limit refined carbs to 10 per cent of daily calories. Again, this sounded like fairly generic advice and made me wonder how much the recommendations vary for others.

Andrew Steele, head of product at DNAFit, said that depending on people’s sensitivity, the recommended limit for refined carbs ranges from 6 to 10 per cent of total calories.

For someone who eats 2,500 ❱❱ PAGE 38 What my

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MARTINS POINT, N.S. — An American man who dedicated his life to finding treasure on Nova Scotia’s Oak Island was remembered Monday as a larger-than-life figure who became a pillar in the community he made home for more than 50 years.

Roughly 120 people packed a small wood-panelled church in the coastal community of Martins Point for the funeral of Dan Blankenship.

Blankenship, a U.S. Army veteran who became fixated on the Oak Island mystery, died March 17 at age 95.

The service included a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” “He enjoyed his life,” said Rev. Ron Barkhouse of St. Mark’s Anglican Church, where Blankenship would often attend services.

“He had 95 years to do what he wanted to do.”

Blankenship was a staple on “The Curse of Oak Island,” a reality TV series on the History channel set on the 57-hectare island on Nova Scotia’s south shore.

David Eisnor, a longtime family friend, said during a eulogy that Blankenship was known around the world for being a treasure hunting legend, but he had many interests.

“His resume would include fisherman, scuba diver, armchair quarterback for his love of football, dancer and singer, fast food hamburger flipper, ice cream scooper, tour bus mechanic... and green thumb gardener, to name a few,” said Eisnor.

Blankenship became hooked on the story of Oak Island after reading a “Reader’s Digest” story in 1965 at his Florida home.

The Oak Island legend began in 1795 when curious teenage boys began digging at the site, thinking they might find a pirate’s buried treasure. Theories on who may have buried treasure on the island range from pirate Blackbeard to the

Knights Templar.

Eisnor said at the time, Blankenship asked his wife Jane to read the piece, hoping it would also pique her interest.

“She handed it back to him and said, ‘So what?’” said Eisnor, sparking a laughs from the crowd.

“Dan said to her, ‘Well number one, there’s treasure on Oak Island, and number two, I’m going to find it.’

“It’s a statement like that, in a nutshell, that summed up Dan’s unbridled determination for everything that he did.”

When Blankenship first arrived in Nova Scotia — leaving behind a successful contracting business in Miami, Fla. — he worked at the aptly-named Oak Island Motel, owned by Eisnor’s grandparents.

Eventually, Blankenship built a house on Oak Island to be closer to the elusive treasure. Eisnor described being a child and scribbling with colour pencils Blankenship used to draw diagrams of the money pit — where some believe the treasure is hidden.

Blankenship co-owned the island with a group of investors, including brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, who are doing the major work on site now.

Their search for treasure has been featured during the reality TV show’s six seasons.

Rick Lagina was among the mourners at Monday’s service.

In recent years, Blankenship enjoyed meeting fans who would come to the island for tours, driving to meet them at a museum on his golf cart wearing Bermuda shorts, knee-high socks, a button-up knit sweater and an Oak Island baseball cap.

He would always arrive early.

“Many summers Dan never missed a tour... The fans loved chatting with Dan, getting their picture taken with him. He enjoyed that,” said Eisnor, adding that Blankenship was the impetus for a new era in Oak Island’s story.

“A new generation of Oak Island enthusiasts are now intrigued with the very same mystery that brought Dan to Canada.” ■

29

Sports Kai Sotto bids PH basketball farewell to pursue NBA dream

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer SIXTEEN YEAR-OLD Philippine national team player Kai Soto, who stands 7-foot-2, has announced to basketball fans following his journey that he has decided to leave Manila to pursue his National Basketball Association (NBA) dreams, in the hopes of getting drafted by the year 2021 or 2022.

In a post on Instagram entitled “This is my message to all Filipino basketball fans,” shared last Monday, March 25, the Ateneo Blue Eaglet elaborated in Filipino, “My family and I have

decided. I’ll be leaving soon to start training full-time. I want to devote the next two to three years to single-mindedly focus on my goal of joining the NBA,” adding, “After a lot of effort by me and my Dad to assess all the opportunities presented to me, I strongly feel (with his advice and the advice of other experienced mentors) that leaving immediately to start my training and getting the right exposure will go a long way to help me realize my dream.”

In the same post, Kai reiterated, “I’ve thought about this a lot. I will train very hard and sacrifice and focus in the next few years so that one day soon,

you will be proud of me. I will do everything that I can, with the guidance of my Dad and Mom, to be the very best that I can be. This is for my future, the future of my family, and most especially, for the Batang Gilas, Gilas Pilipinas, and most of all, for the country!”

To conclude, Kai expressed his hope that everyone will “support and pray” for him, stating, “I will strive very hard never to let you down.”

Sotto, whose father Ervin is a former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) professional player, has created waves since his entry into high school, recently leading his team to a first

PH rugby teams gear up for SEA Games

BY JEAN MALANUM Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Philippine Rugby Football Union (PRFU) has lined up international tournaments for both the men’s and women’s teams in preparation for this year’s 30th Southeast Asian Games.

The men’s team is eyeing to defend the gold medal it won in Singapore two years ago, while the women’s squad is also keen to duplicate or surpass its bronze medal finish.

“2019 will be a big year for Philippine rugby with back-toback competitions both for the national men’s and women’s teams,” PRFU president Rick Santos said during the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Amelie Hotel in Malate, Manila.

“Our players have put their heart and soul into the game and we are all excited to see the results of our hard work with support from a more engaged local community,” he added.

The men’s team will see action at the HSBC Cathay Pacific World Series Qualifiers from April 5 to 7 in Hong Kong.

The Philippines and host Hong Kong are the only Asian teams among the 12 nations joining the prestigious qualifier that will decide which teams will be promoted to the 2019/2020 HSBC World Series where the top 15 countries in the world are competing.

The Philippine Volcanoes men’s team will also compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifying tournament in Incheon, South Korea in November.

The Lady Volcanoes, on the other hand, will participate in the Asia Rugby Women’s Championships in June followed by the Trophy Series in August.

They won two silver medals last year and have recently toured in Borneo where they played a highlevel competition and beat Singapore HPD, one of their arch-rivals in the coming SEA Games.

PRFU secretary general Ada Milby said the women’s program “is on track to continue growing year on year.”

“The women’s program only started in 2010 and we are very proud of how far the program has come in such a short time,” said Milby, the first female member of the World Rugby Council.

“World rugby and Asian rugby

have identified the women’s game as one of the biggest opportunities for the growth of the sport, so it will be exciting to see the continued growth of the women’s game over the next eight to 10 years in PRFU,” she added.

Meanwhile, over 1,000 children have benefitted from the Santos Knight Frank “Get Into Rugby” program aimed at preparing the next generation of rugby players.

Launched in 2013, the PRFU program encourages new participants especially from grassroots communities to be involved, through the “Try, Play and Stay” campaign.

Around 130 players, aged six to 16 years old, are taking part in the Santos Knight Frank Junior Rugby Festivals every month.

“Over the past decade, over 1,000 players were introduced to the many opportunities in the sport. Some of the homegrown kids include Lito Ramirez and Jonel Madrona, who now play for the national men’s team,” said Santos, who is chairman, CEO and founder of Santos Knight Frank, the country’s first fully-integrated real estate service provider. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

@KZSOTTO / INSTAGRAM

runner-up podium finish last University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season and being hailed as Juniors Most Valuable Player

(MVP). In the past, European clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona have expressed their desire in adding the young center to their roster. ■

Ilocano athletes qualify for Batang Pinoy national finals

BY CHERRY JOY GARMA Philippine News Agency LAOAG CITY — Studentathletes from Ilocos Norte province are set to compete in the Philippine Youth GamesBatang Pinoy national finals in Bacolod this October.

“Out of nine strong teams representing big provinces and cities in Luzon, Ilocos Norte team landed third in baseball (15-under) which qualified them to national finals,” said Gene Reginaldo, Schools Division of Ilocos Norte Education Program Supervisor for MAPEH (Math, Arts, Physical Education and Health), on Tuesday here.

Reginaldo said the qualified students won during the conduct of the Philippine Youth Games–Batang Pinoy 2019 Luzon Qualifying Leg on March 17-23, 2019 in Ilagan City, Isabela.

The baseball team B, composed of 15 years old and below, garnered third place or a bronze medal, while the province also won bronze medals in 3,000-meter and 800-m runs in athletics.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) spearheaded the Batang Pinoy, declared as a National Sports Development Program for children through Executive Order No. 44 and a National Community Sports Program through Executive Order No. 79.

The sports event has been an integral part of the national policy and program for sports development that effectively addresses the need for a comprehensive grassroots sports program.

It is held in cooperation with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and all local government units. ■

30

Business B.C. brings in tax credit to help spur liquefied natural gas investment THE CANADIAN PRESS VICTORIA — British Columbia is changing the province’s tax structure for liquefied natural gas projects with Finance Minister Carole James saying the government is aiming to encourage more development through a natural gas tax credit.

James introduced legislation Monday that she said meets the objectives set out a year ago by Premier John Horgan in a policy framework.

“British Columbians are counting on us to attract LNG investment that meets strict conditions: delivering jobs and financial benefits to B.C., creating economic partnerships with Indigenous peoples, and protecting our clean air, land and water,” she said in a statement. “This legislation completes the process of creating a fiscal framework that invites investment while supporting those conditions.”

Under the changes, the government would amend the Income Tax Act to implement the tax credit for LNG development. It would also repeal the

Liquefied Natural Gas Income Tax Act, which it says created barriers for investment and left the province open to footing the bill for special industry tax and regulatory protections.

However, the Green party said the government’s actions are hypocritical because they stray from its CleanBC plan to reduce carbon pollution.

In October, LNG Canada announced plans for a $40-billion project in Kitimat.

The government said the tax changes it is making will provide the fiscal framework needed for the project, which is expected to create 10,000 construction jobs and up to 950 permanent jobs in the processing terminal.

The new tax credit would go in effect on Jan. 1, 2020, to companies that qualify for it.

It would be calculated at three per cent of the cost of natural gas and could be used to reduce B.C.’s corporate income tax rate from 12 to nine per cent.

The Finance Ministry said the previous LNG income tax was removed because it created uncertainty and risk to investors but the natural gas tax

credit has been retained to encourage companies to pay provincial corporate income taxes.

It said qualifying corporations would be those with a principal business involving oil and gas exploration, development, refining marketing or liquefaction of natural gas.

Green party Leader Andrew Weaver said in a statement the government’s actions are pulling the province in two different directions.

“Continuing to push for LNG development is short sighted and works directly against CleanBC objectives,” he said.

“After years of criticizing the B.C. Liberals for their generous giveaway of our natural gas resources, the B.C. NDP have taken the giveaway to a whole new level. The legislation brought forward by this province is a generational sellout.”

Weaver, who is the lead author of four United Nations intergovernmental climate change reports, said investments in renewable energy infrastructure would invite innovative industries to the province.

Peter McCartney of the Wil-

build upper-body strength.

Tarrant was also a member of the Bruce Rifle Club, which has a shooting range down a dusty forest road that’s used mostly by hunters and loggers, about a 45-minute drive southwest of Dunedin near the rural town of Milton.

Dozens of boxes of bowling pins stacked in teetering towers and a few fluorescent vests are all there is inside a simple hut at the range. The club closed indefinitely last week after it emerged that Tarrant was a member.

But like much of his life in Dunedin, Tarrant was something of a ghost at the club.

Polite, low-key, helpful, nor-

mal. Club vice-president Scott Williams told the Otago Daily Times that Tarrant seemed “as normal as anyone else” and never mentioned anything about his white supremacist beliefs.

“I think we’re feeling a bit stunned and shocked and a bit betrayed, perhaps, that we’ve had this person in our club who has ended up doing these horrible things,” he told the newspaper.

Williams said Tarrant was always helping out around the club, including setting up and packing down the range. He said Tarrant used a hunting rifle and an AR-15, which wasn’t unusual.

Finance Minister Carole James.

CAROLE JAMES / FACEBOOK

derness Committee also criticized the legislation for not aligning with the CleanBC plan.

“Premier Horgan is talking out of both sides of his mouth on climate change,” McCartney said.

“British Columbians are all doing their part to cut carbon pollution while at the same time he’s giving $6 billion in tax breaks and subsidies to construct the most polluting project in the province.”

The Business Council of British Columbia, meanwhile, backed the government’s approach, saying the changes will allow the province to compete

in LNG markets around the world.

“If we as a province are purposeful and apply this same competitive lens to all our natural resource, technology and energy export sectors we can become the low carbon supplier of choice globally,” Greg D’Avignon, the council’s president and CEO, said in a news release.

“The resulting economic growth will create higher wage jobs, stronger communities and more government revenues to support the quality of life and services British Columbians expect.” ■

One of the few people who has publicly said he had concerns about Tarrant before the attacks is hunting guide Pete Breidahl. He said he complained in 2017 to a local police officer who monitors gun licenses about the disturbing behaviour of some members of the rifle club.

In a Facebook video and comments posted online, Breidahl said some club members had Confederate flags, wore camouflage clothing with rank insignia, vilified Muslims and had homicidal fantasies. He claimed to have met Tarrant, calling him “not right.” Police said they had no record of a complaint but were looking into Breidahl’s

claims.

In his manifesto, Tarrant claims he got approval for his attack from Breivik, who killed 77 people in Oslo and a nearby island in 2011. Breivik’s lawyer has said that’s very unlikely because his client has limited contact with the outside world from his prison cell.

Thomsen, the journalist, said the biggest fear he and other reporters had when they were covering Breivik was that he would inspire a copycat killer.

Now he’s travelled to Christchurch to learn more about what happened there.

“I think it’s safe to say that this is what we feared,” he said. ■

Banning of... ❰❰ 20

In his manifesto, Tarrant describes himself as being born into a working-class family and not being interested in university. He says he made some money investing, although in other internet posts he talks about getting an inheritance when his father died.

In Dunedin, about a five-hour drive south of Christchurch, Tarrant lived in a modest palegreen wooden apartment. His neighbours said they’d see him out running sometimes, but that he mostly kept to himself.

At the Anytime Fitness gym, those who knew him described him as polite and interested mainly in pumping weights that

www.canadianinquirer.net

Business

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

31

DA records P1.33-B It’s tax time! Do you know agri damage due the difference between to El Niño avoiding and evading taxes?

BY LILYBETH ISON Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday reported that the “weak” El Niño currently affecting the country has already brought about some PHP1.33 billion in damages to crops.

DA Undersecretary for Operations Ariel Cayanan, in an interview with the Philippine News Agency, said an estimated volume production loss of 78,348 metric tons (MT) was recorded from 70,353 hectares planted to palay and corn all over the country. The total number of farmers affected were 84,932.

For rice alone, Cayanan said the volume production loss was placed at 41,003 MT valued at PHP814.4 million planted to 54,924 hectares. The total number of farmers affected were 69,889 in 28 provinces nationwide.

On the other hand, damage to corn was placed at PHP512.31 million, which is equivalent to 37,345 MT in volume production. Areas affected were 15,043 hectares and involved 15,043 farmers in 13 corn producing provinces.

At present, Cayanan said a total of PHP18.3 million has been released by the DA for cloud seeding operations and water pumps, power sprayers, and shallow tube wells were also being distributed to farmers affected by the El Niño.

He said cloud seeding operations have already started on March 19 in Regions 2, 11, and 12 using the Philippine Air Force (PAF NOMAD aircraft.

The areas affected by the El Niño were the Cordillera Administrative Region (Ifugao, Kalinga), Ilocos Region (Pangasinan), Cagayan Valley (Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino), Central Luzon (Bulacan), Calabarzon (Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal), Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro), Bicol Region (Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Masbate), Western Visayas (Antique, Iloilo, Negros Occidental), Eastern Visayas (Leyte, Samar), Zamboanga Peninsula (Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte), Northern Mindanao (Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental), Davao Region (Davao del Sur), Soccsksargen (Cotabato), and BARMM (Maguindanao). ■

A three-hectare rice farm in Barangay Santa Isabel, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro is severely affected by El Niño. Farmer Renato Pastorfide, a government retiree, prays for strong early rains to save his farmland from totally drying up RENATO PASTORFIDE VIA PNA

BY SONIA B. DHALIWAL Assistant Professor, University of Guelph, The Canadian Press

how to achieve it.

Tax evasion versus tax avoidance

duction rate from 18 per cent in 2018 to 19 per cent effective Jan. 1, 2019, will result in overall corporate tax rate reductions.

Examples of other tax changes over the years, all of which are reflected in software updates by vendors like Turbotax or Taxprep, are the elimination of the fitness, arts and public transit tax credits and changes to Capital Cost Allowance rates and classes and dividend tax credit rates.

All such changes will be reflected in the current year’s tax software, used by most tax return preparers when preparing and filing a client’s tax return.

It’s critical to understand the TAX SEASON is upon us, and difference between tax avoidmany Canadians are flocking ance and tax evasion. Tax evato their tax advisers hoping for sion involves either not folmagical tips that will help them lowing or breaking the rules save some of their hard-earned of Canada’s Income Tax Act to money. avoid or minimize taxes, thus Recently I came across an old making it an illegal activity. study that was rather intriguExamples of tax evasion ing and a cause for concern would be failing to report, or at the same time. In this 1993 under-reporting income, or study, the authors reviewed taking excess deductions for exthe results of client satisfaction penses that may not have been surveys of 187 people who used incurred while earning income. local accounting firms. They The Canada Revenue Agency hoped to discover factors that (CRA) takes this very seriously. most determined how satisfied Tax avoidance, although not Easy to go from basic to customers were with their tax illegal, may still be subject to complex service providers. scrutiny by the CRA if the tax Interestingly, it does not Based on the survey results, reduction strategies taken are take much to go from a “basic” the No. 1 tax service factor not aligned with the spirit of tax situation, which typically ranked was... drum roll please the law. Canadians must be entails having employment ... how much money was spared aware that their tax advisers income, RRSP contributions, from the taxman. some investIf I was a gamment income bler I would not reported on T5s hesitate to go all and minimal tax in and bet that Everybody does it, rich or poor, and deductions, to a all do right, for nobody owes any 26 years later, it’s situation where public duty to pay more than the law quite likely that the expertise of a demands. many Canadians tax practitioner would still have becomes quite a strong positive necessary. correlation beThe “basic” situation mentween satisfaction level and the amount of can only save them money to a tioned above could become taxes saved. And so what’s odd certain extent and should pay complex if we simply add rental close attention to ensure that properties to the mix, espeabout that? Let me explain.

It’s no surprise that taxpay- no one, knowingly or unknow- cially foreign-owned rental ers would generally like to ingly, drifts them into tax eva- properties that may involve determining and calculating the minimize the amount of taxes sion territory. eligibility of foreign tax credits owing. Even tax courts have among other issues. recognized this phenomenon, Choosing a tax service The other aspect that taxpayevident in this quote from Jus- provider Income tax in Canada is leg- ers should keep in mind in their tice Learned Hand of the U.S. islated under the aforemen- quest to minimize taxes is to be Supreme Court in 1947: “Over and over again courts tioned Income Tax Act, and the wary of aggressive tax planners have said that there is nothing tax rules are not only complex who may consider or propose questionable actions that could sinister in so arranging one’s af- but also constantly changing.

When selecting a tax service result in tax evasion, a punishfairs so as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does it, provider, one of the criteria able crime.

One such example was the rich or poor, and all do right, should be to pick someone with for nobody owes any public up-to-date knowledge in the charitable donation tax shelter duty to pay more than the law field. For the most part, when scheme in which the Canada demands; taxes are enforced it comes to tax return prepara- Revenue Agency eventually exactions, not voluntary contri- tion, tax software will capture ended up denying Canadians butions. To demand more in the new rules and rate changes that more than $7 billion in tax credcome into effect from year to its. The CRA reassessments name of morals is mere cant.” resulted in interest charges If tax minimization, there- year.

For example, the increase in fore, is the desired, sought-after ❱❱ PAGE 33 It’s tax result, we need to understand the federal small business dewww.canadianinquirer.net

32

Technology In an AI era, lessons from dinosaurs help us adapt to the future of work

BY NADIA NAFFI The Canadian Press THE ANCESTORS of modern birds were the sole survivors of one of the most severe mass extinction events in the history of the world. Today, 10,000 known bird species exist, all of them the descendants of dinosaurs.

Polar adaptations, seed-based diets and even nest designs may have played roles in determining who lived and who died.

In the fourth industrial revolution era, enterprises and human workers are equally at risk of becoming extinct. This time, being proactive is essential and adaptability is the answer.

Stemming from my work on transforming passive bystanders into agents of change, I propose that understanding one’s own behaviours is key to adapting in the AI era.

Adapting to an AI era

The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution has started. The technology is maturing very rapidly. The question is no longer whether we use the technologies or not, but rather how to better collaborate with them.

Ambient technologies, such as Siri, Alexa or Cortana, are integrating seamlessly in our interactions. We walk into a room and interact with them to turn on the light, play a song, change the room temperature, keep track of a shopping list, book a ride to the airport or be reminded to take the right medication at the right time.

And this is only the beginning.

Emotion AI works on teaching robots how to feel empathy.

Google AI stories are about how AI is helping people solve problems. Experts race to predict how we will be living with AI in the near future.

More-than-human work

Disruptive technologies are advancing, demographics are shifting, customers are gaining power and the gig economy and global talent markets are rising.

This is shaping the future of work in all fields including education, cybersecurity, delivery, coaching, management, marketing and sales, health care, music and agriculture.

Human+ workers are individuals who work alongside machines to reach collaborative intelligence. They consolidate their individual knowledge, skills and experience with a set of tech-driven capabilities to enhance their performance.

Adaptability training

“Adapt or die” is a business mantra, and the adaptability of a workplace’s employees is their key to the future where many of the tasks cannot be imagined yet.

The next generation of employees will need to be trained as humans+ before they enter the job market, and the existing workforce will require continuous reskilling and upskilling.

Little has been done to reimagine the training and reskilling needed for the future workplace. This said, similar to

creativity (another in-demand soft skill) there is more to adaptability than meets the eye.

Adaptability is the capacity to adjust to new conditions and to thrive in new environments.

To adapt is a performance that goes beyond knowledge and skills. It requires an attitudinal change that will only happen if we revise our constructs, consider new perspectives and start to perceive technology as augmenting our own capabilities instead of replacing them.

Human vs. machine

Many associate AI with science fiction stories such as the Terminator franchise or Isaac Asimov’s Robot series, where technology’s prime goal is to control or even exterminate human existence.

Others are influenced by worldwide experts who relentlessly warn against AI and technological domination. Tesla founder Elon Musk has said on several occasions that AI is more dangerous than nuclear weapons and that it can become an immortal dictator.

Technology has eliminated jobs in the past and will eliminate others in the near future.

New jobs will require the current workforce to commit to lifelong learning.

Besides, AI’s ethical problems are yet to be addressed, and establishing an AI code of ethics is complicated. Since its inception in 2017, 1,130 citizens and 28 organizations have signed the Montreal Declaration for a Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence, a com-

www.canadianinquirer.net

mitment to the socially responsible development and implementation of AI that serves and benefits society.

Empathetic evolution

So can dinosaurs adapt? I say they can, but it will take an empathetic village.

Enterprises that expect their workforce to be ready for the future of work must learn fast.

They must adopt a proactive mindset and support their employees in their quest to belong to the future workplace. Mostly, they need to understand where resistance to change comes from in order to address it.

At the same time, enterprises need to close the digital divide between themselves and their workforces. Most importantly, they need to find ways to keep their people employed. The fear of being replaced can reinforce human dinosaurs’ unwillingness to change.

Team dynamics should function in an empathetic way to facilitate human/human and

human/machine collaborations and to support individual members in their adaptation process.

On an individual level, we need to develop our mental and emotional capacity and our knowledge and skills to embrace the human+ identity and attitude. And last, we need to want to adapt, which requires a change in how we view the world. Once we identify, analyze and address the core of our resistance to change, we can move to strategies to equip and empower us to deal with uncertainties and actively experiment with new possibilities.

To adapt, training to develop knowledge and skills are necessary but will not be enough. An empathetic and supportive environment and learning about oneself are also important. ■ This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site.

Technology

FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

33

Apple announces its long awaited streaming TV service

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE AND TALI ARBEL The Associated Press CUPERTINO, CALIF. — Apple announced a new streaming service, Apple TV Plus, which will house its original shows and movies and could compete with Netflix, Amazon and cable TV itself.

Apple is making the announcements at its Cupertino, California, headquarters, in a Monday event studded with celebrities including Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell. The iPhone has long been Apple’s marquee product and main money maker, but sales are starting to decline .

The company is pushing digital subscriptions as it searches for new growth.

The company also laid out the details of its news subscription service, Apple News Plus, and a new credit card.

The news service costs $10 a month and includes roughly 300 magazines and a handful of ma-

jor newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. Missing from the announcement were other major newspaper publishers, who have reportedly been wary of Apple’s terms. Apple says advertisers won’t track readers inside the app. That distinguishes it from Facebook and Google, the other major online news hubs.

The company also said it is launching a MasterCard credit card called Apple Card. It will integrate Apple Maps to show users where they spend money, but at the same time, Apple says it won’t know where you spend or where.

It won’t have any late fees or annual fees and offer 2 per cent cash back. Other cards also offer cash-back rewards.

But the biggest splash was its video service. Apple also noted Monday that its Apple TV app brings together different streaming services and traditional cable subscriptions.

Netflix, which didn’t show up during Apple’s presentation, turned “binge watching” into a worldwide phenomenon sever-

APPLE / WEBSITE

al years ago. Apple’s new video service is expected to have original TV shows and movies that reportedly cost it more than $1 billion — far less than Netflix and HBO spend every year.

Making must-have TV shows and movies that are watchable on any device has turned Netflix into a force in both Silicon Valley and Hollywood.

But Apple remained focused on making on gadgets: iPhones, iPads, computers and its Apple TV streaming box for TVs. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs began toying with the idea of

Trump didn’t... ❰❰ 22

the report. Barr’s chief of staff called Emmet Flood, the lead White House lawyer on the investigation, to brief him on the findings shortly before he sent it to Congress. Mueller submitted his report to Barr instead of directly to Congress and the public because, unlike independent counsels such as Ken Starr in the case of President Bill Clinton, his investigation operated under the close supervision of the Justice Department.

Mueller’s investigation ensnared nearly three dozen people, senior Trump campaign operatives among them. The probe illuminated Russia’s assault on the American political system, painted the Trump campaign as eager to exploit the release of hacked Democratic emails to hurt Hillary Clinton and exposed lies by Trump aides aimed at covering up their Russia-related contacts.

Thirty-four people, including six Trump aides and advisers, were charged in the investigation. Twenty-five are Russians accused of election

building a powerful TV business, but he couldn’t pull it off before his death in 2011. It has taken his successor, CEO Tim Cook, nearly eight years to draw up the script that the company will now try to execute.

“Apple is very late to this game,” eMarketer analyst Paul Verna said. “Netflix has become the gold standard in how to create and distribute content, using all the data they have about their viewers.”

Netflix’s prowess has attracted 139 million subscribers worldwide. But Apple will have

several other deep-pocketed competitors fighting for consumers’ dollars. Amazon has also become a formidable force in video streaming. Walt Disney Co. is launching its own service this year, armed with an imposing library that became more formidable with its purchase of 21st Century Fox’s films and TV series. AT&T is debuting another streaming service built around HBO. Apple has plenty of money to spend, though, with about $245 billion in cash and marketable securities. It must prove itself attractive to Hollywood even without a track record for supporting high-quality programming and then ensuring it gets widely seen.

As part of its efforts to make quick connections, Apple hired two longtime Sony television executives, Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, in 2017. They have signed up stars such as Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Sofia Coppola, who spoke during a video Monday. ■ Arbel reported from New York.

It’s tax... interference either through hacking into Democratic accounts or orchestrating a social media campaign to spread disinformation on the Internet.

Though Mueller did not find evidence that anyone associated with the Trump campaign co-ordinated with the Russian government, Barr’s summary notes “multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.”

That’s a likely reference not only to a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting at which Donald Trump. Jr. expected to receive damaging information on Clinton from a Kremlin-connected lawyer, as well as a conversation in London months earlier at which Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos was told Russia had “dirt” on Clinton in the form of thousands of stolen emails.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, said Congress needs to hear from Barr about his decision and see “all the underlying evidence.” He said on Twitter, “DOJ owes the public

more than just a brief synopsis and decision not to go any further in their work.”

Barr said that Mueller “thoroughly” investigated the question of whether the Trump campaign co-ordinated with Russia’s election interference, issuing more than 2,800 subpoenas, obtaining nearly 500 search warrants and interviewing 500 witnesses. Trump answered some questions in writing, but Mueller was not able to interview him in person.

Barr said Mueller also catalogued the president’s actions including “many” that took place in “public view,” a possible nod to Trump’s public attacks on investigators and witnesses.

In the letter, Barr said he concluded that none of Trump’s actions constituted a federal crime that prosecutors could prove in court. ■ Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire in New York, Deb Riechmann in Palm Beach, Florida, and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report. www.canadianinquirer.net

❰❰ 31

and hefty penalties on individuals who, whether on the recommendation of their tax service providers or on their own, participated in the tax sham — all to minimize taxes or maximize tax refunds.

Audit help

The final test of a good tax adviser is someone who will be there to assist you in case of a CRA audit. With the everchanging tax landscape and complexity of tax rules and calculations, defending the information provided on your tax return requires a good understanding of the tax rules and demonstrating precisely how they were followed.

Suffice to say that these additional services will in fact increase the cost of tax compliance. But knowing that your tax service provider will be there to support and assist you in case of a CRA audit can lead to substantial peace of mind.

Although paying taxes is a positive indicator because it signifies earnings, an inflow of

income and above all a contribution to society, come tax time the name of the game becomes tax minimization.

I doubt that paying taxes will ever be a joyous occasion for many Canadians, but we can certainly find comfort in the fact that we live in a great country. Many people have even risked their lives to come here, raise their families — and pay their taxes.

The taxes we pay allow us access to many benefits, both at an individual level and as a society as a whole. Many of us likely share the sentiment of the late U.S. Supreme Court justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes, when he said: “I hate paying taxes. But I love the civilization they give me.” ■ This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site.

MARCH 29, 2019

34

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HIRING FOR 8 TIM HORTON STORES IN VANCOUVER Food Service Supervisors, Bakers, and Food Counter Attendants Permanent/Full Time. 6 mos.to 2 yrs. experience Salary range $13.00 to $14.70 per hour + benefits Willing to work shifts; Spoken English knowledge Anyone who is authorized to work in Canada can apply.

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Electronic Technicians Needed Experience in Low Voltage Electrical System installation and Servicing Computers with Networking Email resume to suda@alarmboss.com Call 416-432-1902

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www.canadianinquirer.net

35

Travel Camiguin promotes Ottawa offers runners bevy of ‘mountain tourism’ race options along historic routes

BY JIGGER JERUSALEM Philippine News Agency MAMBAJAO, CAMIGUIN — This island province, known for its beaches and mountain trails, has launched another attraction that seeks to appeal to both outdoor enthusiasts and mountain trekkers.

The provincial government, the Department of Tourism-10 (DOT-10), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Region 10 (DENR10) launched Saturday (March 23) the “Climb Camiguin” campaign, which is aimed at showcasing Camiguin’s chains of volcanoes — especially Mt. Hibok-Hibok — as a destination for adventure-seekers.

Camiguin Gov. Maria Luisa Romualdo said “Climb Camiguin” seeks to promote the province as a prime destination for mountain tourism in the country.

“The province recognizes the potential of volcano tourism for driving the socioeconomic growth and development of the local community,” Romualdo said during the launching.

Mt. Hibok-Hibok and the adjacent Mt. Timpoong were recently declared by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Center for Biodiversity as an ASEAN heritage park.

Now officially known as the Mt. Timpoong-Mt. HibokHibok Natural Monument, the two volcanoes count as among the few protected areas in the country.

The mountain range is also home to some of the endemic species of flora and fauna found in this part of Mindanao.

Some of the similar sites in the Philippines include the Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park, Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park, Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, and the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

DOT-10 Director Marie Elaine Unchuan said the region’s protected areas — Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park, and the Mt. TimpoongMt. Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument — have inspired the agency to launch mountain tourism in Northern Mindanao.

Unchuan said the mountain tourism is the latest addition to the products that DOT-10 has introduced, which also include packages for farm tourism, dive tourism, faith tourism, and cultural tourism.

She said one of the concerns that the tourism department has considered before launching the project was on the crafting of legislation by local governments to protect the mountains in their areas.

“Legislations should be in place, and communities must be involved in this,” she said.

Gideon Lasco of the Philippine Mountaineering Today said development must not just focus on improving the lives of people, but also on preserving the natural resources of a tourism area like Camiguin.

“The need to protect the mountains is a very valid motivation to take care of the environment. But we who climb mountains, and all our friends, have the opportunity to promote a different kind of motivation to protect the mountains, and that is because we love them,” Lasco said.

Mambajao Mayor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo called on mountain climbers to help spread the word about Camiguin’s mountains to their respective families and communities.

“Wherever you go, please speak about Camiguin and be our spokespersons to promote Camiguin and help us in our conservation of this beautiful province,” Romualdo said. ■

BY NADIA NAFFI The Canadian Press OTTAWA — When Tracy DeWolfe was looking for a place to run her first marathon, she opted to do it not in her hometown of Halifax, but instead in the nation’s capital.

This year will be her fifth straight in Ottawa to run in the biggest event in the city’s racing calendar, flying in Friday morning before the race on May 26 and leaving mid-week.

So why head to Ottawa — the city that fun forgot?

DeWolfe has a list: the skillful organization of a full weekend of races, the scenic routes through the capital city’s neighbourhoods and historic sites, the relatively flat courses, and the lines of locals cheering on runners at every turn.

Between spring and fall, the Ottawa’s footrace calendar is so packed that organizers suggest Ottawa could be the capital of running in Canada — even when there isn’t a federal election on.

The calendar is anchored at one end with the Ottawa Race Weekend in May, the biggest event of its kind in the country. Its marathon has become a draw for those wanting to qualify for the fabled Boston Marathon, or run in a race in two provinces.

“The course is beautiful. You run through all of these little neighbourhoods that as a visitor, I would never go to. I would never know to go to those, necessarily,” DeWolfe says. “You run along the river, you get to go into Quebec, you run along the (Rideau) Canal, it’s a beautiful course.”

In September, there’s the Canada Army Run — another huge set of races that raise money for injured veterans. Besides the five-kilometre, 10-kilometre and half-marathon courses, the Army Run includes “challenges” to run those in combinations.

Below those top-tier races www.canadianinquirer.net

Rideau Canal.

are smaller events. April has the five-kilometre Emilie’s Run, a women-only event named for Emilie Mondor, a former Olympian runner who died in a car crash in 2006 near the national capital.

In early May is a growing craft-beer run, a 5K where the motivation to cross the finish line is a half-pint from Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Co., one of Eastern Ontario’s most venerable local breweries.

Early September is the Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run to support the Ottawa Humane Society, including a shorter routes for dogs and owners together.

And in November is the Cookie Run to support the local Girl Guides.

“Ottawa is probably the city with the most running events in Canada,” said John Halvorsen, race director for Ottawa Race Weekend and a former Olympic runner. “There’s always an event and that’s great for the runners.”

(Lest you think the locals only embrace running once winter has melted away, some local

PAUL BALCHIN / FLICKR, CC BY-NC 2.0

runners use the edge of the frozen Rideau Canal to train, and there’s a run in January whose motto tells participants to “Run fast or freeze.”)

Halvorsen says race organizers spend a lot of time on details — not just the swag that runners get before and after a run, which DeWolfe says is another nice draw for her, but also the routes. Many of the races take runners past Parliament, the National War Memorial, Rideau Hall — home to the Governor General — and 24 Sussex Drive, the prime minister’s traditional home.

“We prefer to try and run through the community, to engage the community and try and run past things you might want to see when you’re visiting Ottawa ... and creating that atmosphere has been a big focus for us,” Halvorsen says.

“I’m never going to Boston — I’m not fast enough,” DeWolfe says, about her hopes to run that city’s marathon, “but this is my chance to go somewhere big and enjoy the atmosphere and have a little vacation.” ■

36

Travel

MARCH 29, 2019

Chinese importers... ❰❰ 16

on where the reluctance is coming from.

At the time of the Richardson announcement, some suggested the move could be retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a top Chinese tech executive. In December, Canadian authorities arrested Huawei Technologies Co. Inc. senior executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the behest of the United States.

The council said canola exporters are now looking at other markets, including Japan, Mexico, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Europe.

“It’s very difficult to replace a market that takes as much as China takes,” said Innes. In 2018, canola seed exports to China were worth $2.8 billion, according to the council.

The most immediate problem though, Innes said, is a drop in price for the commodity, especially for farmers who still have unsold canola from last year’s crop.

“That canola is worth less now than it was a month ago.”

David Reid, 42, is a partner at

FRIDAY

It’s pooch... the family farm he grew up on in Cremona, Alta. — about 90 kilometres northwest of Calgary. Canola accounts for about 30 per cent of what the farm produces.

The farm sells to a company that exports the product to other places, like China, but after Richardson’s permit was revoked Reid said shipments slowed and he saw an immediate price drop for his product.

Prices fell by a dollar a bushel, he said, which he estimated to be a 12 per cent fall.

The price of the commodity also fell in futures contract trading since Wanzhou’s arrest.

The May canola futures contract was trading at $451.20 per tonne Friday afternoon — down nearly 3.8 per cent.

Reid is now holding on to more of his product in hopes the price will rise.

“We don’t know how long we might have to wait for the price to increase,” he said, adding that while it’s possible to store the product for a long time, bin space will become an issue by the fall when he’ll need room for the next canola crop.

He has already sold some product at the lower price, which hurts his bottom line.

“Everybody’s feeling it for sure,” he said of other canola farmers he knows.

Innes stressed that technical discussions between Canadian and Chinese scientific experts are continuing, and these talks are very important to resolve this disagreement.

Still, he believes the fundamentals of the canola trading relationship between the two countries are very strong.

“China has a need and a desire to have canola. They need healthy oil. They need protein to feed their animals,” he said.

“And we believe that the fundamental market demand in China will continue to be there.”

Alberta’s Premier Rachel Notley reiterated her call for the federal government to resolve the issue.

“If they are unsuccessful at doing that, then all Albertans will be looking to the federal government to supply relief to our canola industry,” she told reporters Friday after a campaign announcement — just as she said it would do to any other Canadian industry in jeopardy because of international actions beyond Canada’s borders.

“The farmers who work in it are very important to our economy nation-wide and if we cannot fix the diplomatic issues that led to this, then the federal government’s going to need to step up and offer support to that industry.”

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe echoed concerns over the reports in a statement and said the provincial government remains hopeful that the federal government will continue to engage with Chinese officials on a technical level.

“We have also requested that the federal government elevate their engagement to a diplomatic level to rectify this situation as soon as possible.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it an important issue on Friday when speaking with reporters.

“So, we’re going to roll up our sleeves and work with the Chinese officials to demonstrate that canola should continue to flow safely from Canada to China,” he said, adding the government is optimist it’ll be able to make headway this year. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

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our dog’s natal day because no one in the family (I’m serious), except our furbaby, has this grand birthday celebration. For sure many other pet owners out there are throwing a party like this for our dog’s special day. Some of us, perhaps, would even call our fellow hoomans and their little furfriends and invite them over.

Better organize that party, your pup will not be a puppy forever!

is always this second shadow that is constantly following us wherever we go, including the bathroom.

Instead of leaving our dogs at home, patiently waiting for us to return, why don’t we make them our travel companion as we discover out-of-the-way parts of the world. We just have to make sure that the places we are going to visit are pet-friendly ones where our beloved dogs are allowed and can have so much fun.

7. Go shopping

10. Recording memories

Women are often associated with malls and shopping bags because many of us would assume they love shopping and strolling around the mall. But what if not only most of them (and some men) have this hobby? What if our four-legged little buddies also aspire to be shopaholics? Curious to see?

Then I guess it is time for you to ease up yourself from deciding what dog stuff to buy and let your doggo do the choosing. Just remember to follow the mall’s pet-friendly policies which may require you to put a leash and diaper on your pet. Also, prepare your bank account because checking the price tag is not included in the dog-shopper package.

8. Join pup events

Apart from literally going outside the house and roaming around your neighborhood, I’m pretty sure we also like to do something different than our usual activities with our doggos. For example, a fun run or pet trade show where there is a picnic area for puppies, free drinks, souvenirs, tons of raffle prizes, and most importantly, we get to interact with other fur-las and their hoomans.

9. Go on trips

Each of us needs to enjoy a little sun on the beach or the picturesque view of popular tourist destinations once in a while as we have a moment from our jobs. Going on a vacation, as we all know, is one of the best ways to have some enjoyment and to keep our minds off things that stresses us out. But everything will surely be a lot of fun if we bring a companion with us.

Well, lucky for us because we do not have to look for a travel pal we can drag; even before we could plan this trip, there

It is a dream come true and major achievement unlocked for me to have a decent photo with my dog, because cross my heart, it is not and will never be an easy task for me to do so.

My pooch always gives me two choices whenever I attempt to take a photo with him: it is either I get a blurred photograph because he moves or walks away from me when I’m about to hit the capture button on my phone screen or not a blurred one but he flaunts his iconic do-this-again-and-I’ll-sendyou-to-hell pose while I smile widely on the other side, hoping that my wish of having a decent photo can finally come true.

Some pet owners may have also experienced this but we just cannot stop taking little moments of our dogs like the way they sit cutely on the floor, roll over on the couch wait for some belly rubs, lick their muzzle, do their mid-yawn, and many other amusing things our dogs do — like just breathing. Although we cannot help ourselves from taking shots of our dog’s quirks that bring joy in our lives, it is somehow challenging for some pet owners to capture the splitsecond actions of these precious goofy creatures.

We all know that our dear puppies won’t be forever young and small. Remember the saying for parents that “you will never have this day with your children again. Tomorrow they’ll be a little older than they were today?” This also applies to our dogs. So while they are still young and while we can easily bring them from one place to another, let us not throw away anymore an opportunity to build and cherish extraordinary moments with them. ■

37

Food Tame your spaghetti monster with this easy garlicky dish AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN THE LATE-NIGHT spaghetti monster will be tamed with this flavour-packed pasta that comes together quickly from pantry ingredients. The key here is making the most of the garlic.

We toasted a whopping 2 tablespoons of minced garlic in extra-virgin olive oil over low heat just until it cooked to a sweet and buttery pale golden brown. (Be careful not to let it go any darker or it will be harsh.)

Also, we cooked the spaghetti in just 2 quarts of salted water to ensure that the cooking water ended up loaded with starch; adding some of that starchy water back to the finished spaghetti gave our simple pantry sauce lots of body and texture.

Finally, adding a little minced raw garlic right at the end of the cooking time created a garlicky duality between the buttery sweetness of the toasted garlic

and the fire of the raw garlic.

This is endlessly adaptable, depending on what you have in your pantry. (No Parmesan?

Toast up some bread crumbs instead. No basil? Try parsley, or leave it out. If you’re really hungry, add a can of tuna at the end. And don’t forget about the variations that follow.)

Garlicky spaghetti with lemon and pine nuts

Servings: 4 Start to finish: 40 minutes

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes • 1 pound spaghetti • Salt and pepper • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice • 1 cup chopped fresh basil • 1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving • 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted Combine oil and 2 table-

spoons garlic in 8 inch nonstick skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden brown, 9 to 12 minutes. Off heat, stir in pepper flakes; set aside.

Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest and juice, reserved garlic-oil mixture, and reserved cooking water to pasta in pot. Stir until pasta is well coated with oil and no water remains in bottom of pot. Add basil, Parmesan, and pine nuts and toss to combine.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.

Variations: — Garlicky Spaghetti with Capers and Currants: Omit lemon zest, basil, and pine nuts. Reduce lemon juice to 1 tablespoon. Stir 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and minced; 3 tablespoons currants, minced;

and 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced, into pasta with lemon juice.

— Garlicky Spaghetti with Green Olives and Almonds: Omit lemon zest and reduce lemon juice to 1 tablespoon.

Stir 1 cup green olives, chopped fine, into pasta with lemon juice. Substitute Pecorino Romano for Parmesan and toasted sliced almonds for pine nuts.

— Garlicky Spaghetti with Clams: Omit lemon zest and pine nuts. Reduce lemon juice to 2 teaspoons. Stir 2 (6

1/2 ounce) cans whole clams, drained and chopped, and 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced, into pasta with lemon juice. Increase Parmesan to 3/4 cup and substitute 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for basil. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 720 calories; 271 calories from fat; 30 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 6 mg cholesterol; 426 mg sodium; 91 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 20 g protein.

Ditch the pan: Braising is a great way to add flavour to cod AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN YOU MAY be used to pan-searing thick-cut white fish fillets any time you take them home from the market and want a quick dinner, but it’s worth it to try a different technique.

Braising is a great way to add flavour to mild-tasting fish, it’s a mess-free alternative to cooking in oil in a skillet, and it doesn’t take much longer to execute with fish.

Using cherry tomatoes and making a white wine sauce in the pan made the dish fresh and bright — perfect for pristine white fish. Cooking the fillets among sauteed leeks imparted a subtle sweet flavour to the fish. To ensure the fish cooked

through gently and evenly, we turned down the heat and covered the skillet so the fish both simmered and steamed.

A pat of butter swirled into the resulting sauce contributed richness. Haddock, snapper, tilapia, bluefish, monkfish, and sea bass fillets are good substitutes for the cod.

pepper and bring to simmer.

Pat cod dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Nestle cod into skillet and spoon some vegetables and sauce over top. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 F, 10 to 12 minutes.

Carefully transfer cod to platter. Stir remaining 1 tablespoon butter into vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste, and spoon vegetables and sauce over cod. Serve. ■

Braised cod with leeks and cherry tomatoes

Servings: 4 Start to finish: 30 minutes

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin and washed thoroughly • Salt and pepper • 4 garlic cloves, minced • 12 ounces cherry tomatoes,

halved • 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth • 4 (6- to 8 ounce) skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick Melt 2 tablespoons butter in www.canadianinquirer.net

12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, wine, and 1/4 teaspoon

Nutrition information per serving: 372 calories; 95 calories from fat; 11 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 120 mg cholesterol; 443 mg sodium; 20 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 43 g protein.

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Food

MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

Rethinking pasta primavera to make it taste like spring AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN YOU’D NEVER know that pasta primavera, a pseudo-Italian dish that appears on virtually every chain restaurant menu, actually has roots in French haute cuisine.

The usual reproduction — a random jumble of produce tossed with noodles in a heavy, flavour-deadening cream sauce — tastes nothing like spring.

Surprisingly, when we dug up the original recipe from New York’s famed Le Cirque restaurant, our colleagues found it wasn’t all that inspiring either, despite taking about 2 hours to prepare and dirtying five pans.

First, the vegetables (which had been painstakingly blanched one by one) were bland. Second, the cream-, butter-, and cheese-enriched sauce dulled flavour and didn’t really unify the dish.

If we wanted a true springvegetable pasta — with a few thoughtfully chosen vegetables and a light, but full-bodied sauce that clung well to the noodles and brought the dish together — we’d have to start from the beginning.

Spring vegetable pasta

Servings: 4-6 Start to finish: 1 hour

• 1 1/2 pounds leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, sliced 1/2 inch thick, and washed thoroughly, plus 3 cups coarsely chopped dark green parts, washed thoroughly • 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, chopped coarse, and reserved; spears cut on bias into 1/2 inch lengths • 2 cups frozen peas, thawed • 4 cups vegetable broth • 1 cup water • 4 garlic cloves, minced • 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint • 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest • plus 2 tablespoons juice • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • Salt and pepper • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes • 1 pound campanelle (farfalle and penne are acceptable substitutes) • 1 cup dry white wine • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving Bring leek greens, asparagus trimmings, 1 cup peas, broth, water, and half of garlic to boil in large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer

gently for 10 minutes. While broth simmers, combine mint, chives, and lemon zest in bowl; set aside.

Strain broth through finemesh strainer into 8 cup liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible (you should have 5 cups broth; add water as needed to equal 5 cups). Discard solids and return broth to saucepan.

Cover and keep warm.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add leeks and pinch salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus spears

What my... ❰❰ 28

calories a day, that’s a range from 150 calories to 250 calories.

While that may not seem like a big difference, DNAFit notes cutting back from 10 to 6 per cent would mean a 40 per cent reduction. Still, the relatively tight range reinforces the idea that dietary advice would be largely consistent regardless of your genes.

Another report said my sensitivity to saturated fat is low, and suggested limiting it to 10 per cent of calories. DNAFit said the range for that recommendation is also 6 to 10 per cent.

Other reports were more nutrient specific. One said I have a raised need for omega-3, the

and cook until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add pepper flakes and remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 cup peas and continue to cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to bowl and set aside. Wipe out pot with paper towels.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 2 minutes.

When wine is fully absorbed, add warm broth and bring to

boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in Parmesan, lemon juice, vegetables, and half of herb mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately, passing extra Parmesan and remaining herb mixture separately. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 605 calories; 155 calories from fat; 17 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 4 mg cholesterol; 436 mg sodium; 88 g carbohydrate; 10 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 18 g protein.

More aging... cholesterol-lowering fatty acid.

Another said I have a raised risk for DNA damage from chargrilled meats and should limit them. (This advice was provided over an image of candle-lit steak.)

On the fitness side, the reports said I’m more prone to endurance activities than high intensity activities. I don’t know if I’ll take this into consideration if I start exercising.

Others have questioned the accuracy of the fitness reports, which rated one Olympic runner’s aerobic potential as “medium.”

DNAFit and 23andMe say knowing your genetic predisposition can motivate you to stick with diet or exercise routines.

You may also have specific reasons for wanting to try the services, particularly 23andMe, which most get for the ancestry tests and provides many other reports. But for me, the findings from both felt too broad to influence my habits.

One small note: DNAFit is based in the United Kingdom, so if you decide to try it, you may notice a small currency exchange fee on your credit card statement. ■ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.

The AP is solely responsible for all content. www.canadianinquirer.net

❰❰ 27

“We know that cannabis can cause side effects, particularly in older people,” he said. “They can get dizzy. It can even impair memory if the dose is too high or new ingredients are wrong.

And dizziness can lead to falls, which can be quite serious.”

Richardson said Colorado saw an uptick in hospital visits by older users soon after the state legalized cannabis in 2012. The problem, he said, was often caused by novices downing too many edibles.

That’s a lesson Dick Watts, 75, learned the hard way. The retired New Jersey roofing contractor who keeps a winter home at Laguna Woods Village began having trouble sleeping

through the night as he got into his 70s. He attended a seniors’ seminar where he learned marijuana might help, so he got a cannabis-infused candy bar.

He immediately ate the whole thing.

“Man, that was nearly lethal,” recalled Watts, laughing.

Now when he has trouble sleeping he takes just a small sliver of candy before bed. He said he wakes up clear-headed and refreshed.

“And I have it up on a shelf so my grandkids can’t get to it,” Watts said. ■ Associated Press Writer Krysta Fauria contributed to this story.

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FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019

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40

MARCH 29, 2019

FRIDAY

THANK YOU TO COMMUNITY GROUPS ACROSS CANADA FOR YOUR STRONG ADVOCACY!

INTERIM PATHWAY TO PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS March 4 – June 4 From March 4 – June 4 2019, caregivers and home support workers with one year of full-time Canadian work experience may be eligible to apply for permanent residence.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/ services/application/application-forms-guides/application-temporary-public-policy-caregiver.html

Jenny Kwan

Member of Parliament for Vancouver East “This Interim measure is a step in the right direction but there is still more work to do. Let’s continue to push for Landed Status Now!" - MP Jenny Kwan, NDP Critic for Immigraton, Refugees and Citzenship www.jennykwan.ndp.ca |jenny.kwan@parl.gc.ca | 604 - 775 -5800 |613 - 992 - 6030

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