Manila Mail Issue #6A

The Americans destroyed Manila in 1945, A2

FEBRUARY 11-17, 2015

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Fans miss ‘The Freak’

BY ELTON LUGAY Managing Editor SAN FRANCISCO—Despite being a no-show at the Giants FanFest last Saturday, Tim Lincecum – known to many as “The Freak” for his power pitch – remains top of mind among Filipino fans.

Damp weather didn’t stop the crowds from heading to AT&T Park for the meet and greet with the World Series champions.

“We’ve had few players that had

“

With players, you can’t really judge them on their previous year. Baseball will take you to the point where you have to make it or break it.”

some things to do,” San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Boche told Manila Mail.

“We do excuse players for a great reason and that’s between Timmy and us. But it’s a great feeling coming to a fan fest as world champs. I told the guys this morning that it’s something that never gets old. It’s amazing to me. I look at these guys and it’s incredible how they stay humble through all this. They’re coming to spring training and ready to work.”

FOREVER GIANTS: The Esguerra family takes a groupie with the World Series championship ‘triplets’.

Four-year old Kekoa (from left), Christine, Calista, Ed, Matthew and Rhiannon are all smiles.

GIANTS, A8

-TREVOR STUART

Northern California • Year 26 Issue 6 • February 11-17, 2015 • (650) 992-5474 • info@eManilaMail.com

Satorre vows no politics but active role in planning body

BY ELTON LUGAY Managing Editor

PHOTO BY GARY DE GUZMAN/ MANILA MAIL

“I HOPE to accomplish economic and social growth and development through the infrastructure progress of the city’s plan, and seeing to it that I actively participate in the deliberation.” -Satorre (right)

DALY CITY, Calif.—Sixteen years of work as budget officer and planning director at Malacañang Palace is not the only experience that qualifies longtime business owner Ray Satorre to the Daly City planning commission. An earlier sixyear stint in the same role makes him a veteran on board.

An economics graduate of the University of the Philippines, Satorre was first appointed to the planning commission by then Mayor Mike Guingona in 2003. Councilmember Guingona moved for Satorre’s current three-year term during the council’s January 12 meeting.

“I am excited to be serving the people of Daly City again, for this second time,”

Bringing Rizal to 69th Street in Queens

BY CRISTINA DC PASTOR TheFilAm.net Manila Mail News Partner NEW YORK—The spadework has begun. It may be a matter of time before 69th Street in Queens is renamed in honor of Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal.

This project, spearheaded by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations in New York (NaFFAA NY), was an-

nounced at its first conference held at NYU Palladium on January 31.

“It could be called Jose Rizal Street or Jose Rizal Way,” said NaFFAA NY President Steven Raga, who made the announcement. “It will be close to Krystal’s.” Krystal’s is a Filipino bakery and restaurant that is a popular hangout spot for FilAms. It sits at the corner of 69th Street and Roosevelt Avenue.

He said his organization has sounded out Council Member Jeremy Van Bramer, and his district office has asked for a “one pager on Jose Rizal’s importance to New Yorkers.”

Van Bramer, a Democrat, represents District 26, said to be one of New York’s “most ethnically diverse commuter towns.”

The area covers the immigrantpopulated neighborhoods of

RIZAL, B6

Filipino Reporter publisher, Bert Pelayo, 78

BY MANNY CABALLERO NEW YORK—The FilipinoAmerican community in the greater New York/New Jersey area, and the friends and staff of the Filipino Reporter are mourning the death of veteran reporter Libertito Pelayo, FR’s publisher and editorin-chief.

He was 78.

In announcing the passing of her husband from a New York hospital on Feb. 3, Dr. Linda R. Pelayo said, “Bert passed on peacefully at 12:53 a.m. after having been given Extreme Unction or Anointing of the Sick.”

Simply known in the commu-

nity as Bert, Mr. Pelayo, for the past 43 years had steered his newspaper into a respected source of news, opinion and relevant information about Filipinos in America and latest stories and developments in the Philippines.

Mr. Pelayo founded the Filipino Reporter in 1972 with the slogan “Fair, Fearless, Factual.”

Since then, he religiously observed his journalistic motto, which brought his weekly into its current stature.

The late publisher had always prided that for the last 43 years, the Filipino Reporter never failed to publish an issue every Friday.

PELAYO, A8

PHOTO BY TROI SANTOS

BERT PELAYO

Satorre told Manila Mail after his oathtaking February 3 at the city hall.

“I hope to accomplish economic and social growth and development through the infrastructure progress of the city’s plan, and seeing to it that I actively participate in the deliberation.”

The planning commission advises the city council on the city’s general plan and on the formulation and administration of its zoning map and ordinance. It also reviews specific development proposals.

Daly City’s Citizen of the Year awardee in 2011, Satorre is perhaps best remembered as the FilAm leader who courageously fought for the political rights of minorities in San Mateo County.

That year, he joined community activists Bradley Roxas, Joseph Otayde and Mario Panoringan along with two

Latino plaintiffs in a discrimination suit against San Mateo County. Assisted by the Asian Law Caucus, the FilAm activists alleged that the county was violating the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 with its at-large voting practice. In an atlarge election, county seats such as supervisor posts are won by top votegetters rather than any local district’s leader of choice.

San Mateo County settled on the discrimination suit, and district-based elections started this year in the county.

“After 2012, Measure B was passed by a majority of voters to rewrite and hard code the county charter to create district elections. The county finally capitulated and created a process for redistricting.

Asian and Latinos finally overcame the

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Marwan’s ties that bind:

From family to global terrorism

BY MARIA RESSA Rappler.com | Manila Mail News Partner MANILA, Philippines – One Indonesian was recruited by Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), trained with Filipinos in Pakistan, became a teacher in the Philippines in an MILF camp, and worked with alQaeda to arrange bombings in Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

The movements of Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi were being tracked by many intelligence services around the world: the Americans thought he was a low-level al-Qaeda operative; the Singaporeans labeled him a high-level Jemaah Islamiyah leader; and the Filipinos claimed he was MILF, one of the first times the Moro Islamic Liberation Front would be publicly linked to terrorism.

Al-Ghozi was key to about 30 near-simultaneous bombings of churches across Indonesia and 5 nearsimultaneous explosions in the Philippines, the worst killing 22 people in a Manila commuter train (now known as the Rizal Day bombings in December 2000).

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In 2002, authorities around the world didn’t know the role of Marwan in terror networks. Looking back, we can piece together the ties that bind him and his family to local and global terror plots.

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FEBRUARY 11-17, 2015

Aquino turns 55; how’d he celebrate before?

REYNALDO SANTOS JR Rappler.com Manila Mail Content Partner MANILA, Philippines – The country’s Chief Executive turns 55 on Sunday, February 8. On this day in 1960, Benigno Aquino III was born in Sampaloc, Manila to then Tarlac vice governor Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr and wife Corazon Aquino.

Since he turned 50 in 2010 – the same year he was elected to the presidency – his birthday celebrations have never escaped the public’s eye. Reports show he’s been having “working birthdays”, except in 2014 when he opted for a quiet, work-less weekend celebration.

Here’s how Aquino celebrated his birthdays in the last 5 years.

2010: 50TH BIR THD AY BIRTHD THDA Aquino opened his golden year while embarking on a journey toward the presidency. His 50th birthday fell on a Monday, just a day before the campaign period for the national candidates of the 2010 elections kicked off.

The days leading to the elections were hectic for Aquino, even on his birthday. He celebrated his big day with students of Payatas C Elementary School in Quezon City, where he distributed books and food along with some friends, and promised to make education reform a priority when elected.

He also attended a rally by the Urban Poor Alliance, and even

joined them in a simple meal.

Before the day ended, he reportedly met with his then girlfriend, Valenzuela City councilor Shalani Soledad, who gave Aquino an apple pie as a birthday present.

It was Aquino’s first birthday as Philippine president. He began his day with a personal task – drop by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Quezon City to renew his driver’s license. He reportedly got no special treatment, and underwent the standard procedure for license renewal.

But what followed was a series of tasks, starting with a closed-door meeting with LTO officials. In the afternoon, he dropped by a medical and dental mission held at the Mendiola parking area of Malacañang.

In the evening, Aquino attended the candle lighting ceremony at the Quezon Memorial Circle in support of the peace talks in Mindanao. He also led the ringing of the Bell of Peace and the flying of the spirit lanterns.

His family, friends, and colleagues in government also offered a Thanksgiving Mass for him at the Palace. His sister, TV host and actress Kris Aquino, was even reported to have given him “something to enhance his wardrobe” as a present.

2012: 52ND BIR THD AY BIRTHD THDA Two days before Aquino’s birthday, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the Visayas region.

The following day, the National Di-

saster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported 15 fatalities, 52 injured persons, and 29 missing individuals.

And so on his birthday, he flew in the morning to Negros Oriental to personally visit badly-damaged areas. He spent the day conducting aerial and land inspections in Guihulngan City and La Libertad, along with his sisters and some Cabinet officials.

He also presided over a meeting with the NDRRMC, and person-

ally turned over financial support to the local officials he visited.

Back in Manila, police secured the Mendiola Bridge near Malacañang as militant groups planned to stage rallies to mark Aquino’s birthday. They protested against the price increase in fuel, power, and other basic utilities.

2013: 53RD BIR THD AY BIRTHD THDA Aquino’s birthday came 4 days ahead of the official start of the campaign period, when he was expected to campaign for the Team PNoy

senatorial candidates. When candidates of Team PNoy were asked their birthday wish for the president, almost all said: a colorful love life.

It wasn’t a day of romance for the President, though. In the morning, he visited the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) in Quezon City to look at the condition of the hospital and its patients. He also visited a 15-year-old patient who reportedly wished to personally see him. In the afternoon, he presided

over a full Cabinet meeting and discussed economic issues.

On the same day, militant groups again gathered outside the Palace, with one protestor even wearing a big Aquino mask topped by a US-flag hat. They demanded action on issues such as the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Public Private Partnership scheme of the government.

2014: 54TH BIR THD AY BIRTHD THDA For the first time since he became president, Aquino chose to celebrate his 54th birthday – which fell on a Saturday – away from work and together with his family and friends. Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda reported that the President planned to celebrate quietly in his official residence at Bahay Pangarap in Malacañang.

His birthday was said to mark a break from a very busy week, which included a New York Times interview where he addressed issues on the dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea. His statements elicited a backlash from China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, outside Malacañang, militant groups again gathered and offered Aquino a big “cake”, and criticized the administration’s handling of rehabilitation efforts for survivors of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas.

Sources: Official Gazette, Presidential Communications Operations Office, president.gov.ph, various news websites

The Americans destroyed Manila in 1945 If the carnage of Manila in 1945 did not happen, we would have had a very different Philippines today. Our momentum ran out and the other nations in Asia eventually surpassed it.

RICARDO C. MORALES Rappler.com Manila Mail Content Partner MANILA, Philippines – It was mainly the United States’ casualtyavoidance policy that resulted in unrestrained and indiscriminate application of overwhelming firepower by forces under MacArthur, which caused the utter devastation of Manila and the loss of 100,000 Filipino lives in 1945.

The Japanese forces, certainly

capable of unequalled brutality and barbarism themselves, also contributed to the outcome, but could not have inflicted the same level of deaths and destruction. This cataclysmic event was a turning point in the development of Filipino society and its effects are more evident today, 70 years after.

The figure of 100,000 civilian deaths is a conservative estimate.

Some sources cite as high as 240,000.

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki only killed 70,000 and

DESTR OYED DESTRO YED.. Photo shows the destruction at Intramuros after the Battle of Manila.

40,000, respectively.

The firebombing of Dresden killed 25,000. Only the the rape of Nanking in 1937, where Japanese troops murdered 300,000 civilians, eclipses the destruction of Manila which some historians call one of the tragedies of WW2.

The immediate U S objectives in Luzon in early 1945 was to rescue the POWs in Cabanatuan and the internees at the University of Santo Tomas.

Once these were achieved, the Americans turned their attention to Manila and this time, it appeared, avoiding civilian casualties was no longer a concern. In the liberation of the internees, the Japanese custodial force of 150 were allowed to leave under a flag of truce. That was the only time the Americans attempted to negotiate with the enemy.

Not that it would have been easy. The city of one million inhabitants was defended by a fanatical, death-seeking naval officer who had his previous command torpedoed under him in the Guadalcanal campaign. He was, quite literally, dying for payback.

Armando Ang, in The Brutal Holocaust writes: “According to reliable evidence gathered from pris-

PHOTO FROM THE US ARMY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

oners of war, military personnel, Philippine officials and civilians, and Japanese documents, the rape of Manila was not a random act of melee, mayhem and wanton destruction but an act of coldly planned atrocities by the Japanese high command from Tokyo.”

Even if this were true, it would have been physically impossible to carry out. The Japanese forces in Manila numbered 17,000. Approaching the city from north and south were 35,000 US troops supported by a few thousand Filipino guerillas. Knowing the impending battle they faced, the Japanese would have been intent on saving precious ammunition.

RELENTLESS ATT ACK TTA Manual methods of execution like beheading, bayonetting and mass incineration were slow and inefficient. The battle took a month – from February 3 to March 3, 1945.

Unlike in Nanking (which took place over 6 weeks) where the 50,000 Japanese troops had complete control of the city, in Manila they were under relentless attack by U S troops and Filipino guerillas.

Parsons (2008) writes that “The Yanks were using portable howitzers, whereas the Japanese were using bigger guns from all land-

based compass points around the city.” This is not accurate. The Americans had bigger guns and more of it. Portable, yes, but also much bigger. They trundled up their behemoth 240 mm howitzers, “the most powerful weapon deployed by US field artillery units during World War II,” versus the heaviest Japanese field piece ever deployed, the 150 mm Type 38, a 1905 design manufactured under license from Krupp. The latter were used in 1942 in the Bataan campaign but there is no record of their use in Manila.

Furthermore, to deploy artillery pieces from “all points around the city” pointing inwards would render these guns vulnerable to piecemeal attacks by guerillas or US forces and such an artillery deployment would have been difficult to direct and control.

One statistic that blunts the argument of Japanese responsibility is the low number of US deaths.

In the Battle of Manila, “.. which culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total devastation of the city… was the scene of the worst urban fighting in the Pacific theater,” the Americans suffered their lowest casualty ratio ever – 1,010 killed out of a total force of 35,000, or less than 3%. Parsons argues further that the high casualty figures could have been part of a deliberate pre-negotiation ploy by the Japanese to discourage an American invasion of Japan, “that the invasion of Japan could only be accomplished at the price of the greatest bloodbath of American manhood the world had ever known.”

There is a flaw in this logic. The bloodbath was paid for in Filipino civilian lives. The bloodbath of American manhood did not happen.

It was the Japanese garrison that was wiped out. If this convoluted logic were to be followed, to deter an American invasion of Japan, were the Japanese prepared to murder millions of their own people? There DESTR OYED DESTRO YED, B6

philippines

FEBRUARY 11-17, 2015

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Mamasapano clash delays passage of Bangsamoro law ANGELA CASA UAY CASAU Rappler.com Manila Mail News Partner MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives will no longer meet the March 2015 deadline to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

The ad hoc committee tackling the measure agreed on Monday, February 9, to suspend deliberations “indefinitely” to give way to the House probe into the deadly clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Wednesday, said Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, chair of the ad hoc committee tackling the bill, said the pending probe would make it difficult for the House to pass the law

by March before Congress pauses for a break until May. “We do not set deadlines anymore. The Mamasapano incident is so grave that it (resumption of deliberations) depends on the findings of the committees.

The findings that we have will affect our deliberations,” Rodriguez said. The ad hoc committee will wait for the committee on public order and safety to wrap up its probe before resuming discussions. The Senate conducted its own hearing Monday.

Deliberations would also be on hold until the Philippine National Police submits its findings to the House. The committee earlier asked the PNP, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, and the Armed

Forces of the Philippines to submit their reports on the clash.

Before the Mamasapano clash, the committee had wanted the bill to be passed at committee level by February 9 and discussed in the plenary by February 16.

Lawmakers had covered 70% of the bill when the executive meeting concluded Monday afternoon.

What was left hanging were key provisions on transition, as well as 4 provisions related to security: public order, the army, the police, and how troops will return to postwar life. The committee earlier agreed to postpone discussion on these until the resolution of the Maguindanao clash.

On January 25, close to 400 members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force entered the town of Mamasapano, a known bailiwick of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), to serve the warrants of arrest for wanted terrorists Abdul Basit Usman and Zulkifli bin Hir. However, alleged combined forces of the MILF and breakaway group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters surrounded them on their way out, triggering a firefight that killed 44 elite cops, at least 17 Moro rebels, and 7 civilians. The MILF blamed the lack of coordination for the incident.

The MILF signed a peace accord with the government in March 2014 in a deal that set the stage for the creation of a new autonomous region in Mindanao with greater political and fiscal powers than the current one in place.

However, public clamor for ac-

law.

PEACE PROCESS. What is the status of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law in the House? countability over the clash and the beating of war drums are threatening to derail the passage of the bill.

The MILF is also under pressure to prove its commitment to the peace process with no less than President Benigno Aquino III asking them to return PNP-SAF weapons and turn over Usman.

‘LET EMOTIONS SUBSIDE’ Does the Bangsamoro bill still have a chance to pass in the House?

North Cotabato 1st district Representative Jesus Sacdalan, one of the supporters of the bill in the House, said it would be better to let emotions subside before gauging the chances of the bill in Congress again.

“Let’s see what would happen

after the resumption of hearings.

We would just have to wait after the committee report would be out,” Sacdalan said.

Sacdalan said BBL champions have not counted their numbers yet.

“It’s a matter of explaining it to them. Of course, there are lots of emotions, but if you overcome emotion and look for a brighter side, then that would be good,” Sacdalan said.

It helps that the House leadership is still supportive of the bill, Sacdalan said.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr earlier admitted support for the BBL was “somewhat eroded” following the clash but maintained that that incident should not derail the pro-

UK demand for Filipino nurses on the rise – DOLE BUENA BERNAL Rappler.com Manila Mail News Partner MANILA, Philippines – At least 220 nursing job orders in 3 hospitals in the United Kingdom have been submitted to the Philippine labor attaché in London for January alone, indicating an expected rise in demand for Filipino nurses in the European country.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said a report by Labor Attaché Joan Lavilla showed “an uptick in the demand for Filipino nurses in UK.” Two UK-based placement agencies have asked the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in London to verify the job orders, which involve nursing work in the fields of cardiology, critical care, cardiac

surgery, cardio thoracic, and coronary care, among others.

In her report, Lavilla said “most UK employers prefer to source nurses from the Philippines.”

Baldoz described Filipino nurses as “not only professionally qualified” but also “hardworking, courteous to patients, flexible,” and are good communicators in English.

The annual salaries for the nursing jobs are projected to range from £21,478 (P1.45 million) to £27,901 (P1.89 million).

The Philippines is a known labor-sending country, with 10 million Filipinos overseas either as permanent migrants or as temporary workers. Still, President Benigno Aquino III envisions “a government that creates jobs at home so that working abroad will be a choice rather than a necessity.”

LOCAL RECRUITMENT PPAR AR TNERS ARTNERS With labor demand from abroad seen to increase, Baldoz warned against unregistered recruitment agencies and encouraged applicants to go through the legal process.

Local recruitment agencies have existing partnerships with Search Recruitment Limited and Placement Group UK Limited, the two foreign placement agencies that have submitted the nursing job orders to the London POLO in behalf of the UK National Health Service (NHS).

Search Recruitment Limited will deploy 60 nurses to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and another 60 to James Paget University Hospital.

Placement Group UK Limited will deploy 100 nurses to Barts Health.

Greenfields International Man-

26 OFWs return from strife-torn Libya RAPPLER.COM Manila Mail News Partner MANILA, Philippines – Twenty-six Filipino migrant workers returned safely to the Philippines from Libya on Tuesday, February 3, bringing to 4,604 the total number repatriates from the strife-torn country under the government’s mandatory repatriation program.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) announced the arrival of the repatriates on Friday, February 6.

From Tunisia, Filipino workers boarded a Qatar Airways flight to Manila on Monday, February 2 – two days before 3 Filipino workers were among those abducted by armed men, believed to be connected with Islamist militants, who attacked the oilfield where they were working. OWWA said the latest batch of returning Filipinos brings to 4,604 the total number of repatriates from Libya, one of 4 areas that the Philippine government has

placed under Alert Level 4 due to volatile security and unrest.

On July 20, 2014, the government declared Crisis Alert Level 4 in the North African country, which means a mandatory pullout of all Filipinos there, and a deployment ban on workers.

BENEFITS The Department of Budget and Management had released an additional P50 million ($1.11 million) to the Department of Foreign Affairs for the mandatory repatriation of Filipino workers in all 4 strife-torn areas – Libya, Iraq, Gaza, and Syria.

The government, through its labor agencies, has maintained it does not discriminate against migrant Filipino workers without proper travel documents in terms of the subsidized mandatory return.

OWWA Officer-in-Charge Josefino Torres said the returnees were each provided a one-time P10,000-assistance under the Financial Relief Assistance Program (FRAP), aside from temporary shel-

ter, transportation to the provinces, and counseling, among others.

However, benefits such as the P10,000-reintegration package to OFW-returnees are exclusively granted to OFWs with existing records of leaving the country for work. Other repatriated OFWs from Libya may also apply for FRAP at any OWWA Regional Welfare Office in the Philippines where they reside, provided they present the following: Passport indicating the dates of entry and exit to and from Libya and date of arrival in the Philippines Any government-issued ID indicating one’s residency or a barangay certificate to establish residency Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar Binay, presidential adviser on OFW concerns, gave his assurance that the government is closely monitoring the situation of the 3 missing Filipinos in Libya, and reiterated his call for Filipinos in Libya to come home.

power Services is the Philippine recruitment partner of Search Recruitment.

Alliance International Recruitment & Placement Services Incorporated is the local partner of Placement Group UK. Nurses and midwives seeking registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of UK but are not educated within the European Union and the European Economic Area have to undergo a 6-part application process, said Lavilla.

One has to attain a score of 7 in the International English Language Testing System and pass a two-part competency examination involving a computer-based test and a practical clinical test.

FILE PHOTO BY MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREA

posed law’s passage.

IMPLICA TIONS OF DELA Y IMPLICATIONS DELAY The suspension of hearings threatens to push back the passage of the proposed law to as late as June 2015, members of the committee said. Lawmakers will report back for work in May when they pause for a break in March.

With constitutional issues facing the bill also a top concern, proponents expect the law to be questioned before the Supreme Court once it hurdles Congress, raising the possibility of further delaying the subsequent plebiscite to pass the

Even if Congress votes to pass the bill, the transition period toward the new autonomous government would be limited to only a few months if lawmakers decide to stick with the original timeline of installing the Bangsamoro government by May 2016, a month before President Aquino’s term ends.

The MILF had hoped to lead the transitional body toward the Bangsamoro for at least a year before the elections of new officers in May 2016.

How the ARMM would transition into the Bangsamoro was discussed before the committee suspended deliberations Monday amid delays.

One of the last items discussed was the issue on the length of the transition period from the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to the proposed Bangsamoro, a member of the ad hoc committee said.

The committee member said the possibility of extending the transition period to up to 2019 was brought up in the committee.

But there was no consensus made as the committee was only in the initial stages of discussions regarding the Bangsamoro Transition Authority that will be led by the MILF. Without the passage of the law and the creation of the Bangsamoro government, the MILF would not undergo full decommissioning.

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FEBRUARY 11-17, 2015

the world

Nigeria vows to crush Boko Haram ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria on Monday, February 9, vowed to crush Boko Haram within six weeks as its leader warned a new regional fighting force "will not achieve anything" and the rebels launched a fresh cross-border attack.

National Security Advisor Sambo Dasuki, who this weekend secured a delay to Nigeria's presidential elections, said "all known Boko Haram camps will be taken out" by the time of the rescheduled vote.

"They won't be there. They will be dismantled," he told Agence France-Presse in an interview when asked what gains could be made against the Islamists before the new polling date of March 28.

Nigeria has previously set deadlines to defeat the insurgents that have come and gone.

But Dasuki said that even if the goal was not achieved, "the situation then would surely be conducive enough for elections," with no need for a further postponement to voting. Greater regional co-operation made it more likely that the rebels, whose fight to create a hardline Islamic state has claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2009, would be defeated, he said.

Boko Haram last week opened up a new front in Niger after sustained attacks in Cameroon's far northern region, which led to the deployment of Chadian troops alongside Cameroon forces to repel further strikes.

The Islamist group has widened its offensive in recent weeks in the far north-east of Nigeria in an area not far from Lake Chad where the borders of all four countries converge.

On Monday, militant fighters raided a prison in Diffa, southeast Niger, but were repelled, just hours

BLA CK FLA BLACK FLAGG. A Boko Haram flag flutters from an abandoned command post in Gamboru deserted after Chadian troops chased them from the border town. Photo by Stephanie Yas/AFP before the country's parliament voted on deploying troops for the regional fight-back.

THREA T DISMISSED THREAT Boko Haram earlier released three new videos on YouTube on Monday, one of them a 28-minute speech from its leader Abubakar Shekau in an undisclosed location flanked by eight masked fighters.

In it, he dismissed the threat from regional forces, stating: "Your alliance will not achieve anything.

Amass all your weapons and face us. We welcome you."

Nigeria maintains that the involvement of troops from Chad and Cameroon is part of an existing agreement to fight the Islamists between countries in the Lake Chad region. On Saturday, Nigeria and its neighbors - Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin - agreed to muster 8,700 troops, police and civilians for a wider, African Union-backed force against Boko Haram.

The size of the new force had

previously been set at about 7,500 but Shekau, whom the United States estimates as having between 4,000 to 6,000 fighters at his disposal, dismissed the threat.

"You send 7,000 troops? Why don't you send seven million? This is small. Only 7,000? By Allah, it is small. We can seize them one-byone. We can seize them one-byone," he said in Arabic.

Shekau also directly threatened Chad's President Idriss Deby, whose forces have attacked Boko Haram in the northeast Nigerian towns of Gamboru and Malam Fatori in recent days.

Dasuki said that Nigeria had been unable to defeat Boko Haram as it had been "fighting it alone for years... with all the limitations we have - equipment, support".

"Now we are having support.

We are having additional troops. We are having additional equipment coming in. We are better equipped and better placed now to take on

that thing than we were before."

WIDER CONTEXT Shekau's speech appeared to put the Boko Haram insurgency in the wider context of global jihad, possibly in response to the regional nature of the conflict.

In the last six years, the group has mainly operated in three states in northeast Nigeria, taking over a succession of towns and villages as part of its aim to create a hardline Islamic state.

Boko Haram, which is proscribed as an international terrorist group, has previously been considered to have essentially "local" aims.

It is thought to have few direct, operational links to jihadi groups elsewhere, although it is believed to include some foreign fighters, most likely paid mercenaries.

But Shekau has mentioned groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the leader of the so-called Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. One of the three latest videos shows Baghdadi with archive footage and a voiceover recalling a battle between British soldiers and fighters from the Sokoto Caliphate in northern Nigeria.

The Sokoto Caliphate was dismantled by British colonialists who annexed the northern Islamic kingdoms and the predominantly Christian south to form Nigeria in the early 20th century.

In his speech Shekau appears to broaden the group's aim: "We never rose up to fight Africa. We rose up to fight the world.

"We are going to fight the world on the principle that whoever doesn't obey Allah and the Prophet to either obey or die or become a slave." – with Aminu Abubakar in Kano/Rappler.com

Putin visits Egypt in bid to expand influence CAIRO, Egypt – Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Egypt on Monday, February 9, as Moscow looks to expand its reach in the Arab world's most populous country at a time when Cairo-Washington ties remain frayed.

His two-day trip will be Putin's first in a decade to Egypt and comes after a 2011 popular uprising that ousted ex-strongman Hosni Mubarak, who the Russian leader met in his previous visit in 2005.

Putin is a key non-Arab backer of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who faces harsh criticism from Washington for his deadly crackdown on dissent since Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the then army chief in July 2013.

Hundreds of Morsi's supporters have been killed and thousands imprisoned in a crackdown since his ouster.

Experts say Putin's visit is also aimed at showing that he is not isolated internationally despite the crisis in Ukraine.

Officials say Putin's trip is intended to strengthen ties between the two countries.

"The leaders will pay special attention to ramping up trade and economic ties between the two countries," the Kremlin said ahead of the visit.

Putin and Sisi are also expected to discuss Iraq, Syria and Libya and

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Commercial agreements are also on the agenda, including a likely deal between Russian news agency Rossiya Segodnya and Egypt's state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper, which on Sunday ran a full-page article headlined "Putin – hero of this era."

Russia had hosted Sisi's predecessor Morsi during his one-year presidency despite banning the Islamist's Muslim Brotherhood as a "terrorist group" in 2003.

But Russia was also one of the first countries to endorse Sisi's presidential bid last year.

RUSSIAN WEAPONS

FILE PHOTO BY ALEKSEY NIKOLSKYI/RIA NOVOSTI/EPA

Sisi himself visited Russia soon after ousting Morsi as a defense minister amid deteriorating relations with Washington, and followed it up with another trip in August 2014 as president.

At their meeting last summer at Putin's summer residence in Sochi, the two discussed Russia supplying weapons to Egypt, which is fighting an insurgency on the Sinai Peninsula that has killed scores of policemen and soldiers.

Moscow has aimed to grab a larger slice of the Egyptian arms market after Washington suspended some weapons deliveries in the immediate aftermath of Sisi's

crackdown on Morsi supporters.

Cairo also hosted the Russian defense and foreign ministers in November – the first such visit since the Soviet era – for discussions on an Egyptian arms purchase plan.

At the time, Russian media said the two sides were close to signing a $3-billion (then 2.2 billion euros) deal for Moscow to supply missiles and warplanes including MiG-29 fighters and attack helicopters.

However in recent months Washington has warmed to Cairo again and resumed its annual $1.5 billion in aid to Egypt, also delivering Apache helicopter gunships to fight jihadists in Sinai.

Ties between Egypt and the United States still remain far from what they were before Morsi's ouster, with Washington criticizing Sisi's regime for repressing Islamist as well as secular dissent.

"Putin continues to take advantage of ambiguity and contradictions in Western policies toward the Middle East," said Anna Borshchevskaya of The Washington Institute For Near East Policy.

As long as Washington criticizes "Egypt's democratic backslide... it keeps open the door for Putin... to gain influence in Egypt at the expense of US interests," said the expert on Moscow's policy towards the Middle East. – Rappler.com

BONE DR DRYY. Picture taken 15 June 2010 shows cracked and parched earth at central Thailand's biggest water reservoir, the Pasak Cholasit Dam in Lopburi province, about 190 kms northeast of Bangkok, Thailand. Barbara Walton/EPA

Plea for 'urgency' at UN climate talks GENEVA, Switzerland – UN climate negotiators gathered in Geneva were urged Sunday, February 8, to show urgency and compromise in crafting a draft by next week for a global pact to be signed in December.

"I ask you to work with efficiency and a sense of compromise," Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Peru's environment minister and president of the negotiations told the opening session of the 6-day talks.

Pointing to scientific warnings of a dangerous Earth-warming trend, he appealed to national representatives to "work with an even higher sense of urgency".

"This is not a competition among us. We are just one team for one planet."

Negotiations resumed for the first time since an annual ministerial-level meeting in Lima last December yielded a sprawling 37-page blueprint for the agreement that countries had in 2011 agreed to finalize by the end of this year.

To be inked in the French capital, the pact must enter into force by 2020 to further the UN goal of limiting global warming to 2ºC (3.6ºF) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

Scientists warn that on current greenhouse gas emission trends, Earth is on track for double that – a recipe for catastrophic droughts, storms, floods and rising seas.

"If the climate is unstable, world security is unstable – everything from immigration to conflict over resources, whether it be oil or water," French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said on the sideline of the talks.

On Monday, February 2, the World Meteorological Organisation said 2014 was the hottest year on record – part of a "warming trend" set to continue.

But the 195 nations gathered under the UN banner remain at odds over the way forward, split broadly on rich-developing country lines, and the Lima document is stuffed with options that reflect conflicting interests and demands on many fundamental points.

The goal of Geneva is to trim the document down to a workable draft for an official "negotiating text" to guide the process through

to December.

Procedure requires that an official draft text must be submitted by the end of May this year – 6 months before the next Conference of Parties in Paris that will adopt the final version.

'POSITIVE INTENTIONS' NEEDED "This session in Geneva is the only session planned before May 2015," the meeting's co-chairman Daniel Reifsnyder of the United States told delegates.

"The objective is to deliver... on Friday (February 13) at 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) the negotiating text of the Paris climate agreement," he said.

South Africa, on behalf of a broad group of developing and poor nations, called for a show of good faith – including for rich countries to show how they intend to keep a promise to scale climate assistance up to $100 billion (88 billion euros) by 2020.

"As the primary bearers of the impacts of climate change, we have been asked to do so much and have made so many concessions in these negotiations throughout the years," said ambassador Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko.

"We... need to see all country parties bringing their positive intentions into this process."

A key disagreement is the issue of "differentiation" – how to divide responsibility for curbing greenhouse gas emissions between rich and poor nations.

The participants also disagree on how to ensure, and measure, that the pledges collectively reach the 2C global target.

"We have to know how much is on the table and what more needs to be done," European negotiator Elina Bardram said Sunday.

"Like other parties we are concerned that the target set in Paris may fall short of what is required by science.... We will need to regularly set new targets that can respond to the new science and technological development."

Countries must submit carboncutting pledges in the months leading up to the Paris meeting.

The February 8-13 meeting is one of three special sessions added to this year's schedule of talks. – Rappler.com

IMMIGRATION

U Visa (Victims of Crimes) QUESTION: Are victims of crime(s) eligible for any immigration benefits?

MG: In many cases, yes. Undocumented individuals in the United States may be afraid to report crime(s) to law enforcement officials because they fear that they will be handed over to ICE (Immigration Custom Enforcement) as soon as law enforcement will no longer need them. However, there are certain visas available to these individuals as long as they assist in the prosecution of the criminal(s).

QUESTION: What is VAWA? MG: VAWA stands for Violence Against Women Act. If you are married to a United States citizen or Legal Permanent Resident and you are abused by him/her physically, mentally, and/or emotionally, you may be able to file for this benefit.

Depending on how you entered the United States and when, you may be eligible to obtain your legal permanent residency without the help of your spouse. Children of the victim are also qualified. You may file for this benefit if you are still with the spouse, or if you are no longer with him/her. However, if you have been separated from the spouse, there is two year time limit to file for this benefit.

QUESTION: What is the U Visa?

MG: The U Visas is filed on Form I-918. There is a fee that the DHS (Department of Homeland Security – formerly known as INS) charges for this form; however, there is also a fee waiver available if the undocumented individual cannot pay the filing fee. However, there is no fee waiver available for the inadmissibility waiver. Victim must show that he/she is fully cooperating with law enforcement in regards to the criminal activity.

QUESTION: What crimes qualify for a U Visa?

MG: Rape, domestic violence, kidnapping, murder, extortion, felonious assault and false imprisonment.

QUESTION: What documents need to be filed with the U Visa?

MG: Certification is required in order to file for the U Visa. This certification can be obtained from a law enforcement agency (police department), the prosecutor’s office, or a judge. This certification must state the actual or likely significant assistance that the victim is doing

in either investigation or the prosecution of the criminal. The individual signing the certification must have been involved in the event and he/she must have been the leading person on the case.

QUESTION: What are the requirements of the U Visa applicant?

MG: The applicant must show that he/she is the victim of substantial abuse, either directly or indirectly. The abuse could be physical, mental, or emotional. An example of indirect abuse would be if a child witnesses his father beating his mother. This child would also be eligible for the U Visa.

QUESTION: What is the T Visa?

MG: The T Visa offers relief to victims of severe trafficking while enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the criminal. The victim must be physically present in the United States in order to qualify for the T Visa. The victim must also prove that he/she will endure extreme hardship if he/she is removed from the United States and that he/ she is reasonably assisting in the investigation and prosecution of the criminal.

QUESTION: What constitutes “severe trafficking”?

MG: Severe trafficking is defined as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of an individual for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery; OR, sex trafficking in which a commercial se act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the individual induced to perform such act has not attained the age of 18.

QUESTION: What is required from the T Visa applicant?

MG: A personal statement needs to be submitted with the application. This must be very detailed and it must include the five stages of the victim’s trafficking experience (pre-departure, travel/transit, destination, detention/deportation/criminal evidence, integration/ reintegration). In addition to other

things, the statement must also be very detailed in regards to dates, names, relationships, mental states, and specific occurrences of abuse.

QUESTION: What is the S Visa?

MG: The S Visa was established by the USA PATRIOT Act. This is a temporary visa and it may lead to legal permanent residency. The S-1 Visa is given to individuals who possess “critical reliable information” in regards to criminal activity, who willingly share this information and whose presence in the United States is or was at one time necessary for a successful prosecution of the criminal. The Forms are I-854 and I-539 and they may be filed by a law enforcement agency, state prosecutor, or U.S. Attorney. This person will receive a three year work permit.

Attorney Ganjoo strongly advises you to seek the legal assistance of an immigration attorney before you file, or even consider filing, for any immigration benefits.

The contents of this article are informational only. It is in no way to guarantee any immigration benefits.

Monica Ganjoo has been serving the Filipino community for over ten years. She practices solely immigration law, and has extensive experience in asylum and deportation/removal defense, BIA appeals, 9th Circuit appeals, work visas and PERM applications (previously known as labor certification), adjustment of status, family based visas, consular processing, change of status, citizenships, etc.

For a complete list, please visit www.ganjoolaw.com. We offer various payment plans for your convenience and have very reasonable rates. For more information, call Attorney Monica Ganjoo for a consultation.

Monica Ganjoo currently offers a personal or telephonic consultation for only $50. If you retain our services that day, the consultation fee will be refunded back to you.

The Staff of Ganjoo Law Offices speak a total of six different languages. For a consultation with Monica Ganjoo, call one of her offices below: 870 Market Street, Suite 340 San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 495-3710 1550 The Alameda, Suite 105 San Jose, CA 95126 (408) 975-0500

FEBRUARY 11-17, 2015

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How to discharge IRS tax debts in bankruptcy IRS TAX RELIEF IN BANKRUPTCY As we all know, tax debts can spiral out of control and lead to an IRS tax lien, wage garnishment, or even property seizure. Most people mistakenly believe that taxes are never dischargeable in a bankruptcy. This myth is absolutely wrong! Although there are certain criteria that must be met, bankruptcy relief is often the best way to solve a serious tax problem and stop IRS collection activity. The filing of a bankruptcy case automatically and immediately stays (stops) IRS bank account levies and wage garnishments, and enables the taxpayer to either obtain a discharge or reorganize his or her tax liabilities.

Remember, the IRS is not just any creditor and has the ultimate power to do things other creditors can only dream of. However, if you hire a lawyer before the situation gets worse, there are options and possible solutions available.

Each type of bankruptcy treats IRS tax debt differently. The two most common forms of bankruptcy important to getting rid of or repaying IRS tax debts are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.

TAX DEBTS IN CHAPTER 7 Some tax debts are dischargeable through Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

If taxes are more than three years old and you filed tax returns related to them more than two years ago, the likely outcome is that you will not have to pay them. Tax obligations that are not dischargeable under Chapter 7 include taxes less than three years old, business taxes, sales taxes, and payroll taxes. In Chapter 7, non-exempt assets are liquidated; any of the leftover IRS tax

case.

debts are then discharged unless specific IRS specifications are still not met. If this criteria is not met, the entire IRS tax debt needs to be repaid in whole after the whole bankruptcy process is done. Recent IRS tax debt, meaning not older than three years is not dischargeable.

TAX DEBTS IN CHAPTER 13 If you are not qualified to file for a Chapter 7 or have decided that Chapter 13 is your best option, nondischargeable tax debts can be included in your repayment plan.

Chapter 13 is the most common of the important tax relief bankruptcy tactics, with some of the IRS tax debt being forgiven. Assets typically don’t need to end up being liquidated; with your income financing the whole payment plan.

In addition, bankruptcy’s automatic stay applies to the IRS as well, meaning all collection efforts pending against you will be stopped. Filing for Chapter 13 will also accomplish two other very important things: Penalties that the IRS has tacked on your tax debt will be discharged, AND, no new penalties or interest will accumulate while you are in Chapter 13. In short, you may pay considerably less money to the IRS by going through bankruptcy than you would if had tried to work out a debt settlement agreement with them on your own.

Note: This is not a legal advice. You should seek the advice of your attorney about your specific

BANKRUPTCY BASICS 1. Bankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankruptcy will be in your records for 10 years, not filing bankruptcy will make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid.

2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy.

3. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settlement.

4. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts.

5. Bankruptcy will stop foreclosure actions. If your trustee sale date is 10 days before, you can still file for bankruptcy.

6. If your salary is being garnished, you have a court case about debts or you are being harassed by creditors, bankruptcy can stop garnishment, court cases, harassing creditors and eliminate the debt.

7. Bankruptcy is cheaper, faster and safer than debt settlement which has no guaranteed success.

8. Preserve your health, eliminate stress and live a happy life by eliminating your debts which is the root of all problems.

Crispin Caday Lozano is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Association of Consumers Bankruptcy Attorneys. He specializes in immigration law and bankruptcy law.

Arrests of Undocumented Migrants in Southern US at Lowest Since 1970s HOMELAND Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Thursday that detentions of undocumented migrants trying to cross the southern U.S. border in 2014 fell to the lowest level since the 1970s.

"These numbers are no doubt partially due to economic conditions and trends in the U.S., Mexico

and Central America, but also due to the very large investment this nation has made in border security over the last 15 years," Johnson said at the Woodrow Wilson Center, a Washington think-tank, where he gave his evaluation of his department's activities in 2014 and elucidated its goals for 2015.

Johnson emphasized that detentions of undocumented migrants on the southern border have fallen off drastically from their highest point, in Fiscal Year 2000, when 1.6 million immigrants were arrested, a figure far in excess of the 480,000 detentions made during Fiscal Year 2014. -New America Media

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#PUGADBABOY: THE KING OF JORDAN | RAPPLER.COM

Should Aquino say “I-amsor-ry”? so should we IF we thought we would not see any president heaped with more spite than Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Ferdinand Marcos, think again. At the rate insults are being hurled at Benigno S. Aquino III, he could yet set a record of sorts.

The massacre of 44 Special Action Force troopers is just the latest incident that has unleashed the tsunami of bile on Aquino, following his foot-in-mouth welcome speech for Pope Francis.

But don’t bet that this will be the last faux pas of the president of our country.

Consider that there are still almost two years till the end of his term. This man appears to be the personification of Murphy’s Law. And yet, he really doesn’t deserve all the blame. We should own up to our share of it. We elected him by a huge margin. Remember?

We chose him over several candidates with varying degrees of competence. And we knew from the outset that he was the least competent of them all. We chose to ignore the fact that as a congressman and as a senator, Aquino had an unimpressive record, at best.

We got carried away by the death of his mother and the martyrdom of his father and we were incensed over the “unmoderated greed” of Arroyo (to paraphrase Romulo Neri’s advice to his NBNZTE co-conspirators).

Most of all, from reports, Aquino wasn’t keen on becoming president and had to be persuaded to accept the draft. By insistent public demand, no less.

When some friends and former clients asked me to help in Aquino’s election campaign, I told them that I didn’t think much of their candidate. But I agreed to help. I, too, was lured by the prospect of an end to the “endemic corruption” that characterized our government.

Besides, I was assured by these undoubtedly knowledgeable individuals – many of whom were heads of top corporations – that they would make up for Aquino’s “lack of experience” by giving him sound advice.

I distinctly remember the words of one leader of US Pinoys for Noynoy-Mar, a FilAm group that actively campaigned and raised funds for both Aquino and Mar Roxas in the 2010 campaign: “Noynoy Aquino will never let his parents down. He will never disgrace their good name. We can be sure of honest governance.”

We all forgot – or chose to forget – that honesty alone does not an effective president make. We also forgot – or chose to forget – that an honest president, once surrounded by crooks, can become less-thanhonest.

Who would have made a good president? Among those who ran in 2010, it would have been someone with the business mastery and entrepreneurial talent of Manny Villar, the charm and people skills of Erap Estrada, the no-nonsense operations management expertise of Dick Gordon and the intelligence of Gibo Teodoro.

Too bad Fidel V. Ramos could not run again. The ideal president could have used his work ethic and his leadership qualities.

Too bad, too, that Jojo Binay was running for vice-president. His competence and compassion would have been a badlyneeded plus.

Where did Noynoy Aquino figure in this ideal blend? Nowhere, except in his purported lily-white potential for honesty and integrity.

But this paucity of qualifications did not dissuade us from extolling Aquino as the Great Hope of the Motherland. And so, he won.

I recall writing a column entitled, “After the platitudes,” back in June 2010, following a celebration at the Philippine consulate in San Francisco, among members of

US Pinoys for Noynoy-Mar over Aquino’s victory. I cautioned against over enthusiasm and suggested a reality check: “It made me feel almost like a killjoy when my turn to speak came. I said that if they expected Noynoy Aquino to singlehandedly bring on a new era of prosperity, honesty, integrity and competence to the Motherland, they were wrong. “’He can try and he can lead,’ I said.

‘But he cannot do it alone. If we do not help him, he will fail…’

“Noynoy Aquino is about to assume the most difficult, the most challenging job of any person in the country. His successes will have many fathers. But his failures will be orphans like him.

“For sure, he will have tremendous powers to wield, but because he has to delegate many of those powers, the prospect of abuse by those to whom he delegates them is real. Yet, the buck stops with him. He will have to take the blame.

“For that reason, the temptation to centralize all functions rather than to delegate will be difficult to resist. If he succumbs to the temptation, a whole new set of problems will besiege him. It’s damn if he does and damn if he doesn’t. But that comes with the job.”

I’m afraid we expected too much from Aquino. We thought that, at the very least, he would remember the sign on the desk of US President Harry S. Truman: “The buck stops here.”

But Aquino has turned out to be worse than incompetent. He has been exposed as an inveterate buck-passer, a finger-pointer, someone allergic to taking the blame.

In sum: A person devoid of character.

It is bad enough to have to deal with a person with no strength of character, no cojones to accept responsibility and accountability. It is tragic if such a person is the president of the country.

We should have seen it in the wake of the first major crisis to confront his presidency: the hostage standoff that resulted in the death of several Hong Kong tourists.

Aquino refused to acknowledge command responsibility. Others were to blame. Not him.

We should have already drawn our conclusion about his character as he went past two-thirds of his term as president, still blaming his predecessor for the ills of the country.

With the remains of the 44 fallen SAF troopers still awaiting burial, we are witnessing a spectacle of hand-washing and equivocation, with Malacañang’s spokespersons declaring shamelessly, “Let’s wait for the results of the investigation to find out the truth.”

The truth??? Aquino knows the truth but won’t allow it to be told.

The facts are right there for all to see.

Only one person so far has admitted his share of responsibility, Police Director Getulio Napeñas, commander of the SAF contingent. He has been relieved of his command.

But the buck doesn’t stop with Napeñas. It goes all the way up to the commander-in-chief.

Will Aquino do what Gloria MacapagalArroyo was forced to do after the “Hello Garci” exposé? Will he mutter, with appropriate pathos and poignancy, “I-am-sor-ry”?

Don’t hold your breath. It takes balls and a strong backbone to do that. But if Aquino won’t accept his share of the blame, the rest of the country should.

We elected him, didn’t we? gregmacabenta@hotmail.com

BBL dead in the water DEAD in the water.

That seems to be the fate of the Bangsamoro Basic Law which seeks to establish a Bangsamoro entity to supplant and replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

At the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments hearing on Monday, Feb. 2, legal luminaries (law deans and jurists) took turns denouncing the BBL as unconstitutional. Their cogent arguments were backed by the passion of the day— the growing outrage over the Mamasapano massacre of Jan. 25.

Next to the possible destabilization and massive loss of credibility and legitimacy of the BS Aquino III presidency, the BBL is the biggest collateral damage from the massacre of at least 44 Special Action Force commandos of the Philippine National Police by a combined force of about 1,000 heavily armed rebels of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front and its terrorist arm, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

The Jan. 25 dawn commando strike into the innards of an MILF base camp in barangay Tukanalipao, in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province, central Mindanao was approved, ordered and personally directed by President BS Aquino himself, in his capacity as commander-inchief of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

So far, faced with the biggest crisis of his presidency of four years and seven months, Aquino is oscillating between repentance and defiance. He probably wants to admit ownership of the Mamasapano project but doing so will be too late now and will, in any case, destabilize his presidency.

So Aquino has done the next best thing—defiance and denial. Those who are vociferously criticizing him for the massacre and demanding his ouster are being painted as anti-peace and anti-Muslim.

A PNP Board of Inquiry, composed of generals, his underlings, is not expected to uncover enough evidence to pin down the commander-in-chief. That BoI, by the way, should make public, online, all the affida-

vits (about 300 by now) it has gathered on the massacre, lest it be accused of whitewash. Affidavits are public records.

Case officer for the Mamasapanto project, dubbed Operation Wolverine in some reports, was Aquino’s long-time friend and ward, the disgraced PNP chief, Alan Purisima, suspended since Dec. 4, 2014 by the anti-graft prosecutor Ombudsman on charges of corruption.

Being suspended, General Purisima had no business ordering and commanding troops or commandos, especially an operation as high-level and as sensitive as the arrest of two of Southeast Asia’s leading terrorists, Malaysian Zulkipli Bin Hir, alias Abu Marwan, and his Filipino cohort, Abdulbasit Usman. Marwan was a member of the central committee of the dreaded Jemaah Islamiyah responsible for the 2002 Bali, Indonesia bombing that killed more than 200 people. Usman, meanwhile, is linked to nine bombing incidents in Mindanao, including the 2002 General Santos bombing that killed 15 and wounded 60.

Using intelligence gathered by the US government and Manila authorities, at dawn of Jan. 25, a team of commandos infiltrated Marwan’s house in Tukanalipao, managed to grab him but not after a firefight that resulted in the killing of eight of the SAF commandos. As this infiltration team retreated with their quarry, a second, support SAF team provided cover. The latter team accounted for most of the 44 deaths of the SAF. Happily, the first team managed to cut off one of Marwan’s fingers. Happily again, the finger managed to land into the hands of the FBI which is now trying to verify its DNA. Unhappily, however, the operation created alarms in the town, among the MILF and BIFF fighters. The result was a carnage of unbelievable violence, cruelty and inhumanity to man. What sniper fire couldn’t finish, shooting and hacking in close combat with the wounded SAF did.

The commandos were disfigured and dismembered (in line with the Muslims’ apparent belief that if a part of your body is missing, you cannot be resurrected after death),

looted and stripped of their uniform, firearms, gear, personal belongings and dignity.

The massacre destroyed the fragile trust, if any, between the MILF and the government of BS Aquino. That trust led to the signing on March 27, 2014 of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) which is claimed to have ended the decades-long armed Muslim insurgency that has resulted in 200,000 deaths on both sides.

The CAB effectively gives sovereignty to no more than 5 million Muslims (5 percent of the population) over an area that is 30 percent of the total national land area and waters which contain among the country’s richest marine, fisheries, mineral and forestry resources—an archipelago (Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan) that in theory can feed the entire Philippines.

Even before the Mamasapanto massacre, the wisdom and constitutionality of the BBL were already in question. The Supreme Court is widely expected to declare the CAB and its BBL unconstitutional. “Every provision and line of the draft BBL is unconstitutional,” insists lawyer Manuel Lazaro, chairman of the Philippine Constitution Association.

The draft BBL is known as House Bill 4994 in the House and is authored by 17 congressmen led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte. It is known as Senate Bill 2408 in the Upper Chamber and is sponsored by 12 senators led by Senate President Frank Drilon.

By this time, Drilon and Belmonte, both allies of the President, should be thinking aloud whether strong-arming the BBL through Congress amid so much outrage and anger at the government, will be worth the effort. After all, Aquino has less than 17 months into his presidency. -Manila Standard Today

Will Binay ever break away?

WITH all the calls for President Aquino to resign over the massacre of the “Fallen 44” police commandos, and his inability (refusal?) to accept liability as Commander-inChief of the Philippine National Police, I am wishing we could have a Jaime Cardinal Sin at this time.

Even talks about destabilization and civil unrest, for the Aquino administration’s utter failure to render justice for the wives and kin of the slaughtered police commandos, seem unlikely simply. There appears to be lack of leadership or a common denomination, in the police, military and civil society as well.

That, to me, is the tragedy of our times.

We have a president who cannot seem to accept accountability and liability for a grievous fault.

President Aquino tried to mollify the people by telling us that this would be something he would carry until he died. According to him, he is our father, and we are his children. Santa Banana, Mr. Aquino doesn’t act like a true father who accepts his mistakes. He passes the buck - to sacked PNPSAF Commander Getulio Pascual Napenas, who already said that it was suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima who called the shots, obviously with the knowledge of the President.

The President may have finally accepted the resignation of Purisima as police chief,

but that doesn’t give the relatives of the slaughtered police commandos and everybody else the justice they are calling for. *** At this point, what we truly need is a leader. Yes, we have a President, but not a leader who can give the relatives of the “Fallen 44” and every Filipino justice with which to move forward.

We have, of course, Vice President Jojo Binay, but he is still a member of the Aquino Cabinet and still loyal to the Aquino sisters.

I say that if the Vice President wants to break away from President Aquino and the administration, which he will inevitably do anyhow, he should do so now.

The only thing that’s kept Binay from doing it earlier was that he might be called an ingrate. Recall that it was President Aquino’s late mother, President Cory, who made him mayor of Makati. This started his career in politics.

But, it’s also the duty and responsibility of the Vice President to put the good of the country above his personal feelings and his loyalty to the Aquinos. So will Binay do it or not? And when? That’s his call.

Somebody else who could have redeemed himself, and could have become a leader, was Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

Sad to say, he missed his chance by sticking it out with the President. This despite

I say that if the Vice President wants to break away from President Aquino and the administration, which he will inevitably do anyhow, he should do so now. having been kept out of the loop about the Mamasapano operations. He lost his dignity and self-respect.

It’s really tragic that in a democracy, we do not have real political opposition, or an alternative, to the Aquino administration.

We have the minority in the House of Representatives, but is in alliance with the majority. There’s the so-called independent minority bloc led by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, but they are only three. Aside from Romualdez, you have party-lists Reps.

Lito Atienza and Jonathan dela Cruz. The militants in Congress are making noises, but BIN BINAAY, A7

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Justice to our 44 fallen heroes UNTIL now the blame game continues.

While we all know that there is what you call “chain of command” in both military or police system, it looks like when the going gets tough and the tough gets going, the ones responsible for the death of these young PNP-Special Action Force just resorted to finger pointing. Having said this, both the family of the victims and the public do not know who should be faulted for this.

But instead of finding answer to the questions, things get more complicated when the persistent rumor that Chief PNP Alan Purisima despite of being suspended still calls the shot that resulted to the tragic massacre of these young officers and gentlemen whose age range between 26-30 years old. And this what makes the public angry, when PNP Deputy Dir. Gen. Leonardo Espina and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas were both left in the limbo about the said operations of these SAF troops in Maguindanao.

While Purisima tendered his resignation and President Aquino reluctantly accepted it, this does not totally absolved Purisima for possible administrative charges. I had the chance to speak a retired three star general in PNP and he explained to me while crying who should be faulted for this quagmire.

He told me that if Purisima is in the military, he could have been charged in the court martial for telling SAF Chief Napeñas not to inform DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP OIC Espina. But since he is the police, he will be administratively liable for breaching the chain of command. But what keeps?

Purisima and Aquino are BFFs (Best Friends Forever). Needless to say, Aquino pointed out last Friday when he mentioned how he owes his life to Purisima. Fine. But if he will continue to practice “favoritism” despite the compounding cases filed against Purisima and at the expense of his “Bosses” (the Filipino citizens whom he called his “Bosses” during his inaugural speech), then this would inevitably question the veracity of his promise of “Tuwid Na Daan”.

The public uproar and anger against President Aquino and suspended Chief PNP Gen. Purisima is so strong and I am sure if both of these BFFs would see how

they are being condemned by the public in the social media, we can safely assume if there’s so more shame and dignity left in them, they would just commit seppuku for their shameful conspiracy theory. How can you call a suspended PNP Chief who has pending graft cases but still planning and controlling a delicate police operations such as the one in Magindanao a “Tuwid Na Daan” when the whole people of the Philippines know that he is suspended. Worst, it looks like even the President seems to condone this amidst Purisima’s status. Because of this some netizens asked, “Why can’t President Aquino let go of Purisima? Are they friends or lovers?”

I cannot blame the public if they become nasty or sarcastic to the President whom they used to have a high regard for.

How would you not lose your respect for someone who espouses “Tuwid Na Daan” who was so easy to fire a career officer like the Director of PAG-ASA Frisco Nilo who did not have any integrity problem or scandal and whose only fault was he was not able to forecast the typhoon that was coming to the Philippines due to the lack of weather forecasting equipment. While his BFFs Purisima who has a graft case in Ombudsman due to the overpriced courier for gun licenses. You need not have to be a rocket scientist to tell who is between Frisco and Purisima should be fired. Unless you have a perplexed conscience or distorted values, you will certainly keep Purisima in his position and even give him full power and control of the PNP despite of his suspension. Can you call that “Tuwid Na Daan”? Nope. Needless to say, I would like to call it “Tuwid Na Daan” sa “BALUKTOT na UTAK at GAWAIN”.

Because of this seemingly Conspiracy Theory, we can inevitably put the blame on both Aquino and Purisima for the death of these 44 Fallen Heroes. Flight is guilt, that is what we always say. This has manifested when Aquino did not show up to welcome the caskets of our fallen heroes. Instead, he attended the inauguration of a car manufacturing plant in Laguna. In the same way, the suspended Chief PNP Purisima did not even bother to show up or visit the bereaved family of the massacred SAF. Instead, he

went to Saipan to attend the meeting of Masons. What a shameless animal he is!

How can he not sympathize with his men who were victims of massacre? If persistent stories that tell that it is all about the whooping US$6M bounty (US$5M reward of Marwan and US$1M reward of Usman) were to be believed that prompted this operation, then we know who we should be putting the blame on. However, with this quagmire and the uncovering of the bits and pieces of puzzles, it only leads to BFFs Aquino and Purisima. They are both guilty of betraying the public and also betraying these young gentlemen and officers who are willing to risk their lives for the whims, caprices and greed of Aquino and Purisima.

Aquino obviously doesn’t know his priority as the President of the Republic of the Philippines. He attended the MMF showing of the movie of his nephew Bimby, the opening of Jollibee in Singapore; went to SM on a simple robbery perpetuated by the “martilyo gang”. Attended the “Royal Wedding of Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera. Went to see Vice Ganda for interview and last but not the least, the inauguration of Mitsubishi plant in Laguna. But for the arrival honors for the fallen heroes, he was no show. Maybe at the back of his mind, we are a “banana republic”. But he is not realizing that our “banana republic” is led by a monkey like him, and the suspended stinking pig who heads the Philippine National Police.

We will not forgive you for being callous and indifferent on the fate and untimely demise of our 44 fallen heroes. The Filipino people know that you and Purisima should be both held liable on the loss lives of these young officers and gentlemen whom we rightly called “44 Fallen Heroes”. You betrayed them by pushing your own selfish agenda and capitalizing on their brave hearts and souls. Such a waste of precious and promising lives. But what hurts me now

is this, who would take care of the orphaned family of our 44 fallen heroes? Unfortunately, even the irresponsible and controversial DSWD Secretary Stinky Soliman would want to dip her finger to the donations coming from sympathizers all over the world that the soldiers would inevitably have by opening a bank account. Back-off!

This is the height of exploitation and corruption par excellence from our government.

Can you not give the family and the Filipino people a break? Is that how low and greedy you have become by even coveting at the donations for our fallen heroes? Curse on your heartless public governance!!! You misuse, abuse and misunderstood what is to be in public service which is not to serve your personal interests but to serve the interest of the public’s welfare and let us remind you that the money come from our sweet and blood which you continue to extract from the various taxes you created but not giving them back to where the taxes are intended to be.

The Filipino people are watching now on the development of the Senate Investigation. We commend Senator Poe for being brave enough to challenge the male dominated PNP. I see her sincerity on this, but as for Marcos and other Presidential “wanna be” on 2016, please do not use this venue to grandstand and push your own selfish agenda in aid of election not of legislation. To end this commentary, let me say my thought in vernacular which would be more meaningful and has strong impact.

“Ang mga SAF na namatay kasama ang iba pang mega pulls at sundalo ay nagbubuwis ng buhay para mabuhay. Samantalang ang ibang mag nasa posisyon sa gobyerno ay nabubuway sa buwis ng tang bayan. Hindi ba kayo nahihiya?

As the great General Douglas MacArthur said, “The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It’s the age-old struggle: the roar of the crowd on the one side, and the voice of your conscience on the other.”

Now here’s the Filipino people’s big question to both President Aquino and his BFF suspended Chief PNP and even DSWD Soliman, “Where is your conscience?”

Justice to our 44 fallen heroes!

Celebrating the many faces of love VALENTINE’S Day is coming up this week. Years ago, when I was still a college student in the Philippines, a classmate told me that his high school friend, whose father is in the motel business, revealed that motel business is slowest on Holy Week and at its peak on Valentine’s Day. I hope that you will not be swept up by the fake sentimentality in advertisements by companies that just want you to part with your money. Their message is that without their product, your Valentine’s Day celebration will not be complete.

We know better. We know that love is celebrated every day - not just once a year - in considerate words and thoughtful gestures that mean a lot to our loved ones. This column discussed the 5 love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch, developed by Dr. Gary Chapman originally for couples. He has since expanded the applicability of this system to singles, children, teenagers, and co-workers, among others. The key, as we know, is to determine which language your partner speaks and which language yours is – there could be a primary and a secondary language.

When I took the test at the back of the book, “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts,” I learned that my primary love language is “quality time” and my secondary one is “physical touch.”

However, we know that the initial spark of passion, no matter how intense or allconsuming, gradually eventually turns cool.

There must be a hardier basis for the relationship for it to last. I’ve heard it said before that love is not a feeling but rather a

commitment. Especially for those of you who are in binding unions like marriage, you know that there are days of blah and days of hurrah. But what keeps you together through the years?

So I ask my first role models of a lasting marriage: my own parents, together for almost 46 years now. What’s their secret?

Hearing them say it, it’s a matter of contributing one’s strengths into the relationship: affection, laughter, music, cooking, conversation, and the simple enjoyment of companionable silence during their road trips to nature spots. I could point out further that, since my Mom is a Pisces and my Dad is a Virgo, they are actually astrological opposites, and you know what they say about opposites, right? Sometimes it just boils down to basic chemistry. You either have it with this person or you don’t.

That’s one of the things that my good friend, Dr. JR Gatpolintan, would say. Just this January, he was named by his peers as one of the best Infectious Diseases specialists in the San Francisco East Bay area.

(Check out the January 2015 issue of the San Francisco Magazine.) He was my batch mate and seatmate during the first two years of Medicine proper at the UP College of Medicine. He was and continues to be my good friend. He is now happily married to his husband, Rich Forhez, who is a CzechAmerican businessman. According to Doc JR, what they have in common are their sensitivity/empathy, their love languages, and their lust for life. Multiply these into maybe half a million households of either married or unmarried same-sex couples (www.census.gov). Sure, they’re in the mi-

nority in the big picture – but can we really legislate who gets to love and be loved?

Are we here to judge each other? Come on.

As humans, regardless of gender, don’t we have a basic right to love, understanding that it also comes with responsibilities?

There are many faces of love indeed. I know a heterosexual couple who have been together for more than 15 years, but they have not considered getting married or having children. What’s notable, of course, is the fact that their “live-in” arrangement has lasted more than the average USA marriage that according to statistics lasts about eight years before divorce occurs. They have met in high school, grew graciously together through the years, and now in their mid-30s remain loving, supportive, and appreciative of each other.

I know of three women, all married to their respective husbands, whose married lives undergo the usual ups and downs, but who long to give a different kind of love: the love of a mother for a child. Please forgive me for mentioning them again here in my column in this way. I will continue praying for these friends of mine because I know that they will make excellent mothers and because children who are wanted are gifts from God. To be fair, I think that their respective husbands would make good fa-

thers, too. I just wonder why it’s easier for some women to conceive, i.e., “nahakbangan lang, buntis na,” when some of them don’t even want to keep their unborn child. Now take my friends who are still childless after so many years together.

There’s a cosmic injustice there somewhere, but again, who am I to judge? I will just continue to pray for them and support what’s best for them. When the Divine Wow grants my prayers – for them, for you, for myself, for all of us - that would make me a very happy camper indeed!

I’m old-fashioned when it comes to love. If I were the President of the Universe, I’d distribute LOVE across the Earth and the stars and lots of it, with joyous abandon, not caring who or what is touched by love’s magic. Let us not limit the celebration of love to just one day. Let us instead do little acts of love and kindness for each other every day – because love is not just a feeling but a commitment. Now here’s a little plug from my Mother, who is a Master Gardener: instead of giving someone cut flowers, buy them a potted plant that can flourish in the soil long after the occasion has passed. This would count toward your loveand-kindness points for your loved one, and your sphere of influence, great or small, would become all the better for it.

Find advisor Blesilda44 at KEEN.com, 1-800-ASK-KEEN (1-800-275-5336), extension 05226567 either by phone or chat: Mon-Fri 7-10 pm, Sat-Sun 7-11 pm Pacific.

I speak English, Tagalog, and some Spanish. For personal readings (fee required), email me here: blessingsandlight 725@gmail.com

The elephant in the Senate session hall named Aquino MANY Filipinos’ minds are hopelessly perverted by their loyalty to their notion of belonging to the exalted Yellow Army that has the scent of righteousness exuded by its sainted founder, the late reluctant president, Cory Aquino. But many adherents of the Yellow Horde who once gave the beloved Cory’s son their love, respect and trust have been turned off by his hypocrisy, inveterate egoism, untruthfulness and total lack of remorse for the tragedies caused by his incompetence and distorted sense of values.

The latest tragic disaster that the PCOScreated president, Benigno Simeon Aquino 3rd, has had a hand in, is the slaughter by the armies of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front of the heroic 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

In yesterday’s Senate hearing chaired

by Senator Grace Poe on the Mamasapano Massacre there was a stinking elephant at the Senate session hall whose name was hardly mentioned and whose presence everyone sensed but pretended not to. And that elephant’s name is President BS Aquino.

Sympathetic and most credible of all the witnesses during yesterday’s hearing is dismissed former Special Action Force (SAF) Chief Getulio Napeñas.

This is the man who has become the fall guy in the bizarre, cruel and selfish machinations of the elephant and most possibly his rider, suspended and recently resigned PNP Chief Alan Purisima, who, in Mr. Aquino’s own words, is one of his closest friends.

The most telling moment in yesterday’s Senate hearing was that one when Police Director Napeñas revealed that he decided to follow the “advice” given by Purisima not to tell his immediate bosses, officer-incharge Chief of PNP Leonardo Espina and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas.

In Mr. Napeñas’s words: “On January 09, 2015, we (PDG PURISIMA, myself and PSSUPT MENDEZ) went to Malacañang and met His Excellency at the Bahay Pangarap for mission update and the new concept of operations. We named this operation as ‘0plan Exodus.’

“Under Oplan Exodus, coordination with the AFP will be time-on- target, in order to avoid another compromise.

“His Excellency cited about the coordination with the AFP that he earlier stated in his press statement.

“After the update, PSSUPT MENDEZ and myself went out while PDG PURISIMA stayed behind. It was when he came out that PDG PURISIMA stated ‘Huwag mo munang sabihan yong dalawa, saka na pag nandun na. Ako ang bahala kay Gen. Catapang.’

This was 16 days before the implementation of Oplan Exodus. Several updates before that Mr. Napeñas had also seen that his Commander in Chief, President BS Aquino, was treating Purisima as his key man for this very important anti-terrorism mission.

In Mr. Napeñas own words, “General Purisima is the focal person who is constantly being asked by the President as to the mission. This was manifested by the fact that when we were presenting the mission update, he’s being constantly consulted by the President.”

Purisima was already the suspended Chief of PNP on January 9 but President BS Aquino was still treating him as his focal person in the mission to arrest the Osama

bin Laden of Asia, the Malaysian globally known to police as “Marwan.” And on January 19, a week before the actual PNP-SAF move to get Marwan, Purisima sent Mr. Napeñas a text message asking “What is your plan?” Can Mr. Napeñas be faulted for thinking that whatever Purisima said or did was the Commander in Chief’s bidding?

Nevertheless, Mr. Napeñas has honorably owned up the entire responsibility of ignoring the chain of command by not letting his immediate bosses the OIC Chief of PNP and the Secretary of the DILG. What was Purisima’s motive for telling Mr. Napeñas not to inform Sec. Roxas and PNP Chief Espina, right after the last update with Commander in Chief BS Aquino?, Senator Teofisto Guingona 3rd asked the resigned PNP chief. “No motive,” Purisima replied, he was just giving Mr. Napeñas advice. But why did he also give that assurance—“Ako na ang bahala kay Catapang” —for Mr. Napeñas not to worry about the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Gen. Gregorio Catapang? This sounds to us like the unmotivated instruction—advice?—came from the elephant in the room spoken by its rider. -Manila Times

Philippines, fastest growing country?

ACCORDING to us, the Philippines is the fastest growing country in Southeast Asia. In other words, China, Japan, South Korea, India, etc. are tailing behind us. And for this year, it is expected that more than twelve million Filipinos will have no job. So same behavior ever since, people will form in long lines in various embassies asking for visas for job abroad. Have we made pronouncements that are beyond imagination or we are used to opening our mouths so wide. In short, our thoughts are just excessive. Whatever language you use, this is incredible.

Well, the good things with Filipinos, when our leaders, lawmakers say something, we believe them. We look at them with high esteem. credibility and respect even if we know they are preparing for the next elections. We are good followers and obedient because we know some of our politicians are just naughty. They are fast talkers even if nobody is listening them. But watch them when there is crisis around like the battle in Maguindanao and their lips are locked.

They are scared to make declaration about the rebels or the soldiers.

Today when I read about the bloated announcement, I felt the stings of misleadings and lies. Of course, I am not saying everyone of our leaders are liars.

Some of them are definitely liars and that it was normal for politicians or they will stay in dark corners of their homes and a nobody. Politics in our country has always been dirty and it breeds dirty Filipinos every time an election is approaching.

If the announcement is true, why are there millions of Filipinos could not find a job? I cannot imagine how the tweleve million people can survive without job. How our people can live in a situation where murder, homicide, robbery and all kinds of crimes doing its round everyday. Why foreign investors who wanted to put up business in our country diverted their program to other coountries in Asia because of crimes?These people could have put up giant factories and other business venture.

Our government should know how to protect people. We recall many of our women are compelled to go to Saudi Arabia because they can not be employ here even if they are dishonored and disrespected in foreign lands. The endure the pains because they have families to support. Most of the time they have to fight back to preserve honor and chastity but always they are losers.

And worst our leaders cannot help them.

We end up in tears. Something must be done in this scenario.

Binay... are suspect because of their ties with the communists.

That’s why the nation must have a realhonest-to-goodness opposition leader. I can think of nobody else by Vice President Binay. *** The resignation of Purisima raises more questions than answers.

Since Purisima is facing corruption charges before the Ombudsman, his resignation does not absolve him of corruption.

And if proven that he was directly on top of the PNP-SAF “intrusion” on alleged MILF “territory, Purisima can also be changed for usurpation of authority since he is still under suspension.

These are questions Purisima had to answer when he had a face-off with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas in yesterday’s hearing by the Grace Poe-led committee on public order.

Another question that should have been asked was whether or not the chainof-command was deliberately broken, when Roxas and PNP Officer-in-Charge Leonardo Espina were kept out of the loop. If the chain-of-command was broken by the President, then it is logical to conclude that the President should be held liable and accountable.

The MILF also needs to establish its sincerity in achieving peace. They must surrender Basit Usman, who is still under their protection. Will the MILF do that? I have my doubts.

This is why I think it was necessary to shelve the BBL. We have discovered how insincere and untrustworthy the Moro rebels have become. *** From Day One, I have been supportive of the Entertainment City in the 70-hectare reclaimed area along Roxas Boulevard. Here, high-end hotels, gaming and entertainment establishments will give Macau and Las Vegas a run for their money.

Well, with Solaire and the City of Dreams now in full operations, I believe we have finally arrived. One need not go to Macau, much less to Las Vegas to experience the ultimate in entertainment and gaming.

To think that there are two more entertainment and gaming groups that still have to finish their plans and make the country an honest-to-goodness tourist destination.

I can’t wait! -Manila Standard Today

A8

FEBRUARY 11-17, 2015

Marwan...

He also created and set off a bomb outside the Philippine ambassador’s house in Jakarta, Indonesia, 4 months earlier.

After Al-Ghozi was arrested in January 2002, he told the Philippine police about his hideout in General Santos City. When they raided it, they found 1.2 tons of explosives slated for al-Qaeda’s ambitious suicide truck-bombing plots in Singapore targeting Western embassies and interests. It was supposed to be carried out by JI members working with al-Qaeda suicide bombers and needed 21 tons of explosives.

In 2002, authorities around the world working to prevent ongoing plots didn’t know the role Marwan played in these networks. Now, looking back, we can piece together the ties that bind him and his family to local and global terror plots. In that hideout, along with the explosives, the Philippine police found an identity card with the picture of Marwan, a Malaysian terrorist whose real name is Zulkifli bin Hir. It was the first time authorities in the Philippines would see the man whose death in a special forces operation 13 years later would cost the lives of 44 police special operatives.

The information comes from interviews and classified documents obtained over more than a decade of research from nearly half a dozen nations and verified by at least two independent sources.

US-educated From al-Ghozi’s hideout, Philippine police filed away that Indonesian identity card of Hendri Lawi from Makassar, Indonesia. This is the first time it’s being released publicly. The card had a picture of a halfsmiling Marwan looking like a businessman in his suit.

It’s an identity he knows. After all, Marwan is US-educated, with an electrical engineering degree from Arizona State University. Yet from 1991-1994, he trained with the mujahideen in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in training camps that became crucibles of terror.

Marwan’s brother, Rahmat Abdhir, arrested in the United States in 2007, told the FBI a year later that Filipinos who trained with Marwan in Afghanistan helped him flee to the Philippines in 2001 to escape arrest in Malaysia. Marwan was wanted by Malaysian authorities for his role in the assassination of a lawmaker and a bank robbery carried out by a group he led, the Kumpulan Mujahideen Malaysia, an affiliate group under the umbrella of Jemaah Islamiyah. JI itself was seen then as al-Qaeda’s arm in Southeast Asia.

At the time, Marwan was training members of the MILF and working closely with al-Ghozi to source the 21 tons of ammonium nitrate

needed for their plots, not just in the Philippines, but also in Malaysia.

Rahmat said Marwan was working with Yazid Sufaat, a Malaysian who experimented with biological weapons for al-Qaeda and who hosted some of the 9/11 hijackers in his apartment in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital. Sufaat used a company he owned to purchase 4 tons of ammonium nitrate, which Marwan arranged to hide in a palm oil plantation near Muar, Malaysia.

Marwan’s wives That plantation was owned by Marwan’s uncle. When the 4 tons of ammonium nitrate was discovered, Marwan’s cousin, Mohamad Amin Musa, was jailed by Malaysian authorities.

Marwan comes from a family of jihadists: in 2001, his youngest brother was arrested for the Atrium bombing plot in Indonesia; in 2003, his cousin, whom authorities suspected of recruiting young Malaysians for training in the Philippines, was arrested in Malaysia; and, in 2007, his brother, Rahmat, was arrested in the United States.

Here’s another example of the ties that bind: Rahmat’s roommate in San Jose, California, is the brother of Marwan’s first Malaysian wife, Maria Halim. She and Marwan have at least one daughter.

Rahmat was arrested by US authorities for funneling money and resources to Marwan in the Philippines. Rahmat transferred money to the Philippines by using the bank accounts of Marwan’s second wife, Filipina Pahmiyah Sabil. She married Marwan sometime in the 3rd quarter of 2003, and as of 2006, they had a daughter and a son. Part of the money transferred by Rahmat came from the brother of Marwan’s first wife.

Pahmiyah is the daughter of Mohammad Sabil, the barangay chairman of Talitay, Pikit, North Cotabato. Their extended family includes members of the MILF. The family had enough local and political clout that when Marwan repeatedly got sick with acute kidney disorder and hypertension in 2006, they were able to get him a doctor who treated him at an MILF camp, and when that didn’t work, they rented a boat and an L-300 van to bring him for treatment to a health center, where Pahmiyah’s cousin worked.

Marwan liked the Philippines and Filipino women, marrying at least two more in succeeding years.

At one point, Pahmiyah complained and confronted Marwan, who “is fond of looking for a text mate on his cellular phone, particularly women.”

From 2003 to 2006, Marwan moved at least 8 times, moving around Cotabato City, Maguindanao, and North Cotabato.

In 2005, he and Pahmiyah lived in Mamasapano, where he would even-

tually be killed by special police operatives in January 2015.

MILF links Through most of his time in the Philippines, Marwan found shelter with armed groups: the MILF in central Mindanao, and the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo, where he lived from 2010 to 2012.

In the early years, it seemed part of the reason he was in Pikit was to be near the MILF leadership. In 2005, when the central leadership kicked out the Abu Sayyaf, Rajah Solaiman Movement, and Jemaah Islamiyah, Marwan moved into a house in Kabuntulan, Maguindanao.

In March 2006, Marwan and his family moved into the operational base of then MILF commander Esmael Solaiman, also known as Abu Hashim, in Pikit, North Cotabato. Abu Hashim is an Afghan-trained confidant of former MILF chairman Hashim Salamat.

Marwan was also welcomed at different times in the 105th and the 108th base command of the MILF. In exchange, Marwan would train MILF members. ”Our situation is similar to the United States in Afghanistan,” MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal told me in 2011. “The Americans and Osama bin Laden, they were friends. They were siding with each other when the Russians were invading Afghanistan. They were even sharing the same troops, see?

In other words, sometimes you cannot choose your friends.”

For years, the MILF kept the JI card, its special operations group, and links to the Abu Sayyaf as options – but far enough away for plausible deniability. Iqbal hinted that revolutionary groups and guerrilla armies around the world use tactics like this to level the playing field against larger and better-armed forces of government. The problem, of course, is that it tainted the MILF’s own revolutionary cause.

So the MILF central leadership evolved: from turning a blind eye early on, to kicking out terrorists who might endanger the peace talks in 2005, to taking disciplinary action against leaders like Ameril Umra Kato – head of the 105th base command – for “coddling JI leaders” in 2008.

It’s interesting that when JI leaders brokered the Abu Sayyaf ’s move from Basilan and Jolo to MILF camps in central Mindanao in 2003, they talked to Kato. In 2011, Kato and his men broke away from the MILF and formed the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters or the BIFF. Kato and his men continued to shelter Marwan until the end. – Rappler.com Maria A. Ressa is the author of Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda’s Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia and 10 Days, 10 Years: From Bin Laden to Facebook.

Pelayo...

Giants...

A seasoned journalist and multiawarded community leader, Mr. Pelayo was a product of Far Eastern University’s Institute of Journalism. In recognition of his outstanding journalistic experiences and success in publishing the Reporter, FEU honored him with a “Most Distinguished Alumnus Award” in the mid-90s. In 1988, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America made him an honorary UPAAA member during an alumni homecoming at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City for his professionalism and outstanding work as a journalist, as well as consistent support for UPAAA. In the history of UPAAA, Mr. Pelayo was the only non-UP graduate who was bestowed with such honorary membership.

Luz Micabalo, former UPAAA president commented, “We granted Bert Pelayo the honor of becoming an honorary UPAAA member because he was an outstanding and professional journalist who did not compromise his love for his profession. He was a staunch supporter of UPAAA.” Mr. Pelayo also received a plaque of recognition from the President of the Philippines, not too many years ago, as an outstanding Filipino-American overseas.

He was also a recipient of a TOFA NY Heritage Award four years ago. Joaquin Jr Taduran, a former Manila Times colleague of Mr. Pelayo, commented in Facebook, “I remember Bert Pelayo as the defense reporter of the Chino Roces’ Manila Times together with the late Bobby Ordoñez and Teddy Africa of the Philippines Herald, and the late Manong Joe de Vera, the dean of the defense reporter group of the then Manila Daily Bulletin.”

VJ Manuel, a former New Yorker who now lives in Manila, according to his Facebook, said aptly, “...Bert truly impacted the lives of many Filipinos.”

Zaldy Patron, former deputy consul general in New York, who has returned to Manila, said in his Facebook, “Deepest condolences and sympathies to the Pelayo family. Mr. Bert Pelayo was a giant in the Fil-Am press and our community in the East Coast. He lived a good life and his legacy will truly inspire both the aspiring writers and publishers, and those who choose to serve the Fil-Am community.

Thank you, Mr. Pelayo, for sharing your life with us. Rest in peace and God bless.”

The deceased is survived by his wife Linda; children Joy, L.P. and Patrick; son-in-law Christopher McCarthy; daughter-in-law Dr. Tessa del Carmen-Pelayo; and grandchildren Tyler, Amanda and Brett McCarthy; and Darcy Ann, twins Dorian Tess and Reeve Patrick Pelayo.

Lincecum, a two-time recipient of the Cy Young Awards whose mother is a Filipina, had a troubled 2014 season. His injury during the exhibition game with the Oakland A’s in March last year cost him the pitcher position during the recently concluded World Series championship. Many believe he was benched for this reason. But for Christine Esguerra, 43, mother of four and a diehard baseball fan, Lincecum is “still a great player overall”.

“His performance wasn’t the usual,” she recalled. “Normally he’s really magaling [good] but that season was not that good for him. But I have high hopes for him. I hope to see him pitch more. I really want him to go ahead, perform like he did before, when he was a young winner.”

“Tim was very adaptable,” added Esguerra’s husband Ed who is a respiratory therapist. “They were moving him around from being a starter to being a reliever, and he accepted his role and did it well.”

Elvie Fefas, who together with her whole family has been following the Giants for six years now and has gone as far as Chicago and San Diego to watch their championship games, could not agree more.

“I think he was probably having a little bit of a rougher down time but we’re big fans of Tim. I think 2015 would probably be a better year for him. I hope it will be. I’m glad that they kept him.”

She noted SF Giant’s community impact: “I see how the whole team especially here in San Francisco is such a part of the community. Kids are getting a lot of encouragement and positive things that they do for our community, I encourage it. I think it’s a great family thing that we do. It keeps the family together.”

To a few critics though, Lincecum is past his prime.

“Tim lost his mojo,” said an airline employee who requested anonymity.

“He’s no longer the best player,” a sports reporter who was waiting in line to have a one-on-one with catcher Buster Posey, one of the Giants’ most prized players, told Manila Mail. He suggested that drug use might be a reason.

Lincecum has been caught with a stash of marijuana in Washington state. But Trevor Stuart, setup and promotions coordinator for Welk Resorts, looks at the bigger picture.

“With players, you can’t really judge them on their previous year,” said the FilAm fan whose company has been supporting the Giants since last year. “But let’s see what he [Tim] does this year. I expect him to do something along the lines of what [Martin] Bumgarner has done.

It’s not everybody’s year every year.

Baseball’s a little bit different. Base-

ball will take you to the point where you have to make it or break it. One year, you could have a bad year; the next year you can have a good year. It switches off. It’s not always having an all-star player being the one in the best place. It’s all about the timing, the luck and the ability of the players that year.”

Boche assured Lincecum’s fans that “next step, come next spring training, [Tim will] bounce back to being a pitcher that he is.

“He showed it last year for a pretty good stretch here. That’s all we’re looking for – Tim to be himself. This next step is to come in and get ready for the season and hopefully that gives us a chance to ‘wow’ on a system basis.

“He’s been working out, going through his routine. I can probably answer all these questions once I see him this spring, but I expect Tim to come in ready to go – hungry, determined and ready to get back on track.”

As for his partner Posey, “we just go over a game plan and try to figure out the best way we’re going to get guys out.”

PREDICTIONS Stuart is looking forward to another Giants sweep in 2016.

“After seeing all the even years, I’m pretty sure that we might be doing it in 2016. It might be our year again. [Though], we don’t know yet until we see what the lineups are like for all the different teams.”

Eleven year-old Alex Fefas who goes to Central Middle School in San Carlos, Calif. shared the same forecast.

“I think they’re going to win again in 2016 and in 2018 ‘cause even numbers are their lucky years.”

EV ASIVE? EVASIVE? Earlier reports claim that Lincecum avoids the topic of his Filipino heritage.

According to New York based newspaper—Filipino Reporter, “after the game in 2008, Balitang America asked him what his message was to his Filipino fans. Instead of addressing the community, he talked about his performance during the game. Lincecum said, ‘That was a garbage start, a bad game. I just need to make improvements, bounce back from it.’

“At that time, Lincecum seemed a bit evasive to talk about his Filipino heritage. But he told Balitang America he valued diversity within professional baseball.

“There’s been talk within the Giants camp that it’s Lincecum’s strained relationship with his Filipino mother that’s behind this.”

Ed Esguerra is nevertheless proud of Lincecum’s Filipino roots.

“Baseball is a great game,” he said. “I wish we’d see more Filipinos playing [professional] baseball out there. From what I know, we are pretty good athletes overall. I’d just like to see more breaking into the Major League Baseball.”

A9 Is there more that unites us than divides us? - Reflections on civic engagement and community empowerment features

FEBRUARY 11-17, 2015

BY JENJEN DOMPOR FURER Manila Mail New York Correspondent

NEW YORK--I was born and raised in the Philippines. I came to America right after graduating from college. I am married to a Jewish American who was born and raised in Brooklyn.

I live in a town where there are only a handful of Filipino-Americans. My children learned about the Philippines – its tradition, values and culture – through their interaction within the family. Only in the recent years did I get involved with the Filipino-American community in New York. Through my involvement I learned of the many activities sponsored by various organizations in different venues.

On Jan 31, 2015 me and my co-hosts of Makilala TV (Rachelle Ocampo, Cristina DC Pastor) were asked to moderate a panel discussion organized by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) of New York. The first annual symposium on Civic Engagement and Community Empowerment was held at New York University’s Palladium Hall, which was hosted by the International Filipino Association at NYU. I was tasked to moderate the discussion on the importance of Filipino-American Community Centers. Since I didn’t have an opinion on its importance, I posted the question to my friends on Facebook: “Is there a need for Filipino-American Community Centers?”

I thought I wouldn’t get any response but to my surprise, many of my friends voiced their opinions on the value of the Community Center: “A place to stay in touch with your roots; A support group; A cultural gathering; A place to learn from each other; A place of refuge; Fellowship; A place to be safe void of tsismis (gossip) or competition; A place to belong; A place to network.”

The ever passionate Atty. Merit Salud of NaFFAA wrote, “The Filipino psyche finds itself free and alive only when it feels it is at home, its refuge and the oasis to its wandering nature.

A Filipino Center is that “home away from home “. There the Filipino psyche could find kinship, freedom and comfort to seek and express its best because of the friendship, security and safety it provides, being among his cultural peers. It is confident that, in that alien land, it is not alone anymore in the company of his historical and cultural

NAFF AA ‘S STEVEN RA GA NAFFAA RAGA GA, Dr. Aida Rivera, Merit Salud, the author, Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr., and TNO’s Myrna D. Santos

paisans.”

Melody Garcia-Muniz, the creator and founder of “One Night One Voice” commented, “In a country that celebrates diversity and promotes inclusion, why shouldn't we have a FIL-AM cultural center?

This venue is representative of a piece of our home, our culture and heritage which can be preserved and passed down to future generations.

I grew up here most of my life and have not had the opportunity to go back and visit since we moved here in 1986. Having a community center offers up a chance to folks like myself to bridge that gap whether geographically , emotionally or even culturally by having a distinctive cultural arts center to go to, that fully incorporates the grassroots of our Filipino society in a land far away from home. It's symbolic of our journey and sends a message that we, Filipinos continue to thrive and we have not forgotten those who have gone before us that enabled us to be where we are today.”

I also asked my Mom on what she thought of Community Centers, and here's what she wrote: "In 1927 The Jewish Community Center (JCC) opened their doors in Bensonhurst Brooklyn. For all the years since, and to this day, they are a vital and integral part of our ever changing community. As a working mom of young children (unheard of in the early 1970s), I was lucky to have a place close to home that my children could go to after school. They socialized, swam, went to

summer camp, and met other children their age - all under the watchful eye of caring adults. Not only was it a safe haven for children, it was a place for adults to go to for assistance with everyday problems Immigration, welfare needs, medical concerns, and much more.

The Fil-Am community doesn't have to reinvent the wheel. Take the existing wheel and roll with it. Reach out to the JCC for help in going forward with your plans for a Fil-Am Community Center (FACC). The doors of the JCC are open to everyone, as the doors of the FACC will be too. Open one door at a time, and before you know it, many more doors will open, and the community will gladly come."

I was surprised by the responses. I thought that community centers specifically designed for certain ethnicities would alienate those from other nationalities.

Filipinos are known to adapt quickly to new environments, so I didn’t think there would be a strong need for such a place.

Can the community unite behind such project?

Hungry for unity, information and organization, Filipino Americans of all ages, weathered the freezing temperatures and schlepped to Downtown New York to listen to our discussion and to share their thoughts.

Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr. , in his message, reiterated that “with visibility comes responsibility.” He commended NaFFAA for their “Get Out To Vote” campaign and pointed out the need for role models.

He also challenged the community to work together to find solutions to the following challenges faced by Filipino-American organizations: What can we do to enable our organizations to last longer?

How can we make the bond among communities stronger?

How can the first generation attract and engage the younger members of the community?

Dr Aida Rivera of NaFFAA addressed the audience, especially the young generation.

She said, “ It’s refreshing to see young faces. Let’s organize activities that will go to the grassroots. Let’s bring the message to our individual organizations and remember it’s not about passing the torch, but passing the baton.”

The forum’s keynote speaker was Gil Quinones, the President & CEO of NY Power Authority and Gov. Cuomo’s representative for the Asian American Community.

Mr. Quinones raised 4 questions that the community needs to address: “How do we make sure Filipinos who are struggling have access to sports services or nongovernment activities?; How can we accelerate political power?; How do we develop more leaders in the community?; In disasters like Typhoon Haiyan, how can we help effectively?.

Mr. Quinones reiterated what most of us believe. "We, Filipinos, believe in family and community. When one of us falls down and struggles, all of us find a way. When one of

Pope Francis to address US Congress in September AFP/ RAPPLER.COM WASHINGTON DC, USA – Pope Francis will address the US Congress on September 24, becoming the first pontiff to do so, House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday.

“That day his holiness will be the first pope in our history to address a joint session of Congress,” Boehner told reporters at the US Capitol.

“We are humbled that the holy father has accepted our invitation, and certainly look forward to receiving his message on behalf of the American people.”

The address has been under consideration for nearly a year.

Boehner, along with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, first extended the invitation in March.

The pope confirmed late last year that he would be visiting the United States in September to take part in a Catholic Church congress in Philadelphia.

Pelosi said lawmakers were “honored and overjoyed that Pope Francis, the first pontiff born in the Americas, has accepted our invitation.”

The Argentina-born pontiff “has renewed the faith of Catholics worldwide and inspired a new generation of people, regardless of their religious affiliation, to be instruments of peace,” she added.

“We look forward to hearing his call to live our values, to protect the poor and the needy, and to promote peace.”

‘We look forward to hearing his call to live our values, to protect the poor and the needy, and to promote peace’

COMING TO AMERICA. Pope Francis takes part in a video conference to mark the end of the IV Scholas Occurrentes World Educational Congress. Photo by Andreas Solaro/AFP

us rises, all of us celebrate." He also added that "The sweetest type of success is a shared success."

Myrna Santos, Founder and Chief Nurse at “The Nursing Office” and Kristina Joyas , Executive Director of LEGACY NY, were the featured guests for the panel discussion on “The State Filipino American Community Space/Centers in New York”.

Ms. Santos pointed out that, “It is ironic that we, Filipino Americans, with the largest number of health professionals and healthcare givers in America, have a considerable number of Senior citizens and members, whose life issues are largely unseen and/or unheard of.

While other senior ethnic groups have already established their own groups and spaces supported by the government at City, State, or Federal levels, Filipino-American Seniors have yet to establish constant visibility, in order to break the life-denying barriers of isolation, fear and loneliness, unattended health problems, and a reduced sense of purpose or meaning. Moreover, the silent epidemic of depression and mental illness, fueled by denial & neglect, bias & aging stereotypes, has been creeping into

the fiber of communities everywhere, including Filipino-Americans.

With the vision-mission of extending health care delivery to needy groups regardless of race, gender, or color, The Nursing Office (TNO) seeks to address and stress this unheard & unseen crisis of INVISIBLE SENIORS in our midst. By collaborating, cooperating, and sharing resources with PAGASA (Philippine American Group of Active Seniors), TNO has defined, formed, and physically established a Community Center designed to deliver, among other service programs, such critical health care support to our needy Seniors.”

Ms. Joyas, pointed out that in order for nonprofit organizations to be sustainable, they should consider their organizations as businesses. She also challenged the community leaders to focus on one organization and stop being “title holders” in multiple organizations. She also emphasized the need to design a community center that’s more generic, and non-generational – a center that’s open to all generations.

So is there more that unites us than divides us?

Is there a profound disconnect between the ideologies of the first and second generation?

Can we get pass our “kanya-kanya” attitude (crab mentality) and work together, as one of the younger audience suggested, “create a cool Community Center for every Filipino American?”

The symposium also discussed the "Intergenerational Issues on Organizational Recruitment/Retention" with MakilalaTV's Rachelle Ocampo (moderator), Kate Pangilinan of LEGACY and Lumen Castaneda of UNIFFIED Teachers Association.

MakilalaTV's Cristina DC Pastor moderated the discussion on Engagement, Lobbying and Relationship Building with Local Government with Cheska Tolentino (Government Affairs Manager at Transport Workers Union AFL-CIO Local 100), Chris Widelo (Associate State Director at AARP) and Atty. Brooke Richie-Babbage (Founder/ Executive Director, Resilience Advocacy Project).

A10

FEBRUARY 11-17, 2015

business

Small businesses increase their Index continues bull run on strong buying productivity through modern tech AS more small- and mediumsize-business owners look for ways to increase productivity, many are focusing their attention on technology as a productivity driver and reevaluating their technology infrastructure.

Small- and medium-size-business staffs, who are often forced to do more with less time and fewer resources, are moving away from tools that require them to learn how new technologies work and toward tools that learn to work the way they do. The right technology can increase efficiency, save money and reduce waste.

Productivity solutions are evolving to provide easy access at any time, through any device. They allow users to stay connected anywhere and retrieve important documents as needed, without interruption. For example, if a small- or medium-size-business owner is at a client’s office, he or she can use a phone or tablet to access a contract and share information instantly.

Owners can gain even more of a competitive edge by connecting data from devices and sensors with the cloud and business intelligence

A NUMBER of productivity solutions are evolving to provide easy access to information at any time, through any device. tools. As a part of normal product life cycles and to accommodate the shift toward modern technology, Microsoft will completely end support for Windows Server 2003 on July 14, 2015. Security patches and updates will no longer be available after this period. Research from IDC confirms that businesses should thoughtfully consider using this

moment as a starting point for the shift toward modern technology.

“We think customers should take advantage of this deadline and see it as an opportunity not only to move forward to a newer version of Windows but also to modernize and prepare for the next generation of computers. Hybrid and public clouds are important components of

next-generation IT.” A variety of easy-to-integrate options are available for those ready to upgrade, including new servers, hosting partners and Office 365.

The flexibility of Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform, to scale up or down aligns with the increased need for flexibility among small- and mediumsize businesses. Azure integrates a growing collection of services— computing, storage, data, networking and apps—that help small- and medium-size businesses move faster, do more and reduce costs.

Automating manual tasks and making it easier for employees to communicate and collaborate through modern technology mean small- and medium-size businesses can gain efficiencies and improve innovation, and they can choose between deploying workloads and applications on premises or in the cloud to meet today’s business demands.

For more information, check out the Windows Server 2003 Migration Planning Assistant at www.microsoft.com/en-us/servercloud/products/windows-server2003/default.aspx. -NAPSI

‘China slowdown biggest threat to Asia’ MANILA, Philippines - China’s economic slowdown remains the largest threat to Asia’s growth prospects including the Philippines, Moody’s Investors Service said yesterday in a report.

“Despite the recent oil price collapse, rising geopolitical risk across the globe and the prospect of interest rate normalization in the US, China’s growth outlook continues to dominate market concerns,” the debt watcher said in Moody’s 2015 Asia Outlook.

“In addition, prolonged weakness in the Chinese property market is the most likely trigger of a downside growth shock on mainland China,” Moody’s said, citing shadow banking in the country as another concern.

China’s economy grew 7.4 percent in 2014, the slowest pace recorded in 24 years, the report said.

Moody’s expects China’s economy

to expand by 6.5 to 7.5 percent this year before easing to six to seven percent in 2016.

“Our baseline scenario remains that China will exhibit an orderly

growth slowdown and that the country’s economic and institutional reform process will be well managed,” Moody’s said.

China is one of the largest trade

partners of the Philippines. China was the Philippines’ third biggest market for export products as it received 13.1 percent of shipments in January to November last year, latest government data showed.

At the same time, China was the country’s biggest source of imports in January to November last year, accounting for 15 percent of the total shipments. The economy expanded by a faster-than-estimated 6.9 percent in the final quarter of 2014 from only 5.3 percent in the third quarter. This brought full-year growth to 6.1 percent, short of the 6.5 to 7.5 percent target and slower than the 7.2 percent growth in 2013.

The government hopes to grow the economy by seven to eight percent this year through an acceleration in public spending and the implementation of big-ticket infrastructure projects. -Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s benchmark stock index surged yesterday to its 10th record close this year, shielding itself from negative factors that dampened markets abroad.

The local benchmark index rose 0.70 percent or 54.39 points to record its 10th all-time high close this year and its third for this month alone at 7,782.57.

Aside from topping its previous 7,728.18 record close posted last Friday, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) also shattered its previous all-time intraday high of 7,738.12 by recording 7,786.78.

“The momentum is really there and there continues to be an outflow of good stories in the Philippines encouraging investors to really continue to buy the market. The system is really very liquid given the earnings and the prospects of

most companies. Investors continue to flock into the market,” said Astro del Castillo, managing director at First Grade Finance Inc. Fueling Monday’s rally were optimism in local corporate earnings as well as expectations that monetary authorities will keep key policy rates steady when they meet this Thursday.

“Asian shares are down but the Philippines continue to defy the wave of pessimism. That is because there is a lot of good stories locally,” Del Castillo said.

Asian stocks were generally down Monday behind the disappointing outcome of Chinese trade figures for January.

Wall Street indexes also ended lower last Friday, with the Nasdaq slipping 0.43 percent while the Dow and the S&P dropping 0.34 percent each. -Manila Bulletin

DBS says BSP to keep rates MANILA, Philippines Singapore-based DBS said yesterday it expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to leave policy settings unchanged on Thursday amid the strong economy and manageable inflation environment.

“The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is likely to maintain its monetary policy stance this week…

At this juncture, we reckon that the central bank is quite comfortable with the current GDP (gross domestic product) growth and CPI (consumer price index) inflation dynamics,” the bank said in a research note.

DBS added it also does not see any change in the Special Deposit Account rate in the near-term.

The BSP in October and December last year kept key policy rates steady as inflation expectations fell within the targets until 2016. Earlier in 2014, the overnight borrowing and overnight lending rates were increased by 50 basis points as the inflation goals were in the risk of being breached.

Moreover, monetary authorities raised the banks’ reserve requirement ratios and the SDA rate last year to rein in excessive liquidity growth.

DBS said the robust economic

BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS. growth, which accelerated to 6.9 percent in the final quarter of 2014 from only 5.3 percent in the third quarter, should keep the BSP from worrying about domestic consumption.

“Private consumption remains resilient and there is no reason why the BSP should be worried on this front,” DBS said.

“Indeed, we remain of the view that the central bank may actually prefer to tighten its policy further in the coming sessions,” the bank said.

The government hopes to grow the economy by seven to eight percent this year. -Manila Bulletin