Ang Peryodiko (The Newspaper) January 1-15, 2017

THE NEWSPAPER

VOLUME XV NO. 1 January 1-15, 2017 WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

A FEMALE guerrilla commands a New People’s Army platoon in Medina,

Misamis Oriental during the 48th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Negotiations between the CPP’s political arm and President Rodrigo Duterte’s government are underway to end one of the world’s longest-running Maoist insurgencies. (FROILAN GALLARDO, ABS-CBN NEWS)

95% of Pinoys greet New Year with hope

SAYS BASTE DUTERTE IS ‘IMPORTANT’ TO HER

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MANILA – The United States embassy denied that there is a US plot to oust President Duterte.

The embassy, through an email sent by press attaché Molly Koscina to The US, 15

M

ANILA – Almost all Filipinos will enter the New Year with hope, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The SWS survey, taken from Dec. 3 to 6, found 95 percent of adult Filipinos who said they are entering 2017 with hope rather than with fear – up from 92 percent last year.

Only five percent will enter the New Year with fear.

The survey was based on face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults 18 years old

and above nationwide.

The 95 percent matched the all-time high 95 percent who were also hopeful in 2002, 2003, 2011 and 2012.

SWS said hope for the New Year has always been high, starting at 87 percent when the pollster first undertook such surveys in 2000. 

ELLEN ADARNA

US embassy denies ouster plot vs Rody 

WHAT’S INSIDE

95% OF PINOYS, 15

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www.angperyodiko.ca n January 1-15, 2017

DOH firm on plan to distribute condoms to students MANILA – Despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church, the Department of Health on Wednesday said it will push through with its plan to distribute condoms to students next year.

Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial said DOH is targeting to distribute about 9 million condoms to health centers and schools beginning June 2017.

The DOH is targeting students aged 15-24 in its condom distribution program.

Ubial said the DOH will have to come up with joint guidelines with the Department of Education (DepEd) before the condom distribution can proceed.

The DOH chief said condoms can only be distributed to students who have undergone proper sex education.

The DOH said P50 to P100 million from the P3.35-trillion budget for 2017 has been allotted for the purchase of additional condoms for population

control next year.

The government has allocated a P1 billion fund for the country’s HIV-AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) program.-ABS-CBN News

PH population to reach 105.75M by end of 2017 MANILA - Filipino population is expected to reach 105.75 million by the end of 2017, thanks to women's high fertility rates, the Commission on Population (POPCOM) said Thursday.

A t least 1.69 million Filipinos births are expected in 2017 as three Filipino babies are p r o jected to be

born eve r y minute next year, POPCOM stated.

"This trend is ex-

pected to continue up to 2022... due to the relatively high fertility rates of Filipino women," the study said.

Each Filipina aged between 15 to 49 is expected to have an average of three children, POPCOM said.

By the end of 2017, POPCOM estimates that there will be 31.5 million Filipino school children, 66.7 million Filipinos in the labor force, and 5.2 million Filipinos aged over 65.

The projections were made using data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, POPCOM said. The country’s growing population has set back the decades-old struggle to lift more people from poverty, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said earlier this year. Citing his own computations, Pernia said the poverty rate could have been reduced by an additional 7 to 8 percentage points had 40 percent of women been given the means to have three children instead of six.

President Rodrigo Duterte has been pushing for reproductive health, noting that the ballooning population must

be addressed in order to ease poverty.

“Ang problema nga dito sa Pilipinas, we have breached also the [100] million [population], 105 [million] na tayo ngayon. And if we just keep on [growing] just with these programs of government, we have to reduce the population.

Family planning. I'm not talking about abortion. I'm talking about family planning. Eh ayaw ng simbahan eh, so we are in a bind,” Duterte said in a speech on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court in 2015 issued a temporary restraining order that barred the government from granting all pending applications for registration and/or re-certification for reproductive products and supplies, including contraceptive drugs and devices; and procuring, selling, distributing, dispensing or administering, advertising and promoting the hormonal contraceptive “Implanon” and “Implanon NXT,” which have been certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “to have abortifacient character.”ABS-CBN News

January 1-15, 2017

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SCI-TECH

Security drone developed to replace manned guards

An Israeli company says it has developed a fully autonomous commercial drone system that can provide around-theclock service and security, without the need for human intervention, at sensitive and strategic sites.

By using sensors and realtime computer vision technology, the company, Percepto, says its drone system is able to deal with ad-hoc situations and react autonomously to potential security threats. In addition, it can carry out safety missions

such as detecting smoke or gas leaks, and conduct routine inspections to identify abnormalities such as corrosion or damage to infrastructure, the company's Chief Commercial Officer, Ariel Avitan, says.

"Our applications are based on three tiers of value: first one is security - the ability for the drone to autonomously detect humans or cars by using computer vision in real-time, and enabling the drone to identify a human or a car, alert that there is something wrong, or there is

someone... a suspicious object near a fence and then track it if needed, if it's ordered to.. and on top of that the biggest value of having a drone on site is continuous inspection, the ability for the drone to inspect different kinds of objects - if it's high-voltage towers, grid, solar panels, chimneys and power utilities - that enables the drone to provide constant data on the status of these objects," Avitan told Reuters from the company offices in the central Israeli city of Modi'in.

The system is comprised of three main components, Avitan explained. A ground station that charges and shelters the drone, and communicates with it, the drone itself that carries the company's core module and real-time computer vision applications, installed on the core.

The advanced technology enables the drone to collect the data, analyse it in real time and react according to clients' needs.

ODD NEWS

Sri Lanka claims world’s tallest artificial Christmas tree

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka unveiled a towering Christmas tree, claiming to have surpassed the world record despite constructions delays and a shorter-than-planned finished product.

The 73-meter (238-foot) artificial tree in capital Colombo is 18 meters (59 feet) taller than the current record holder, organizers said. The tree's steeland-wire frame is covered with a plastic net decorated with more than 1 million natural pine cones painted red, gold, green and silver, 600,000 LED bulbs and topped by a 6-meter (20-foot)-tall shining star.

The tree costs $80,000 and was criticized by the Catholic Church as a "waste of money."

The church suggested that the funds better be spent on helping the poor.

Hundreds of port workers and volunteers struggled for four months to put up the tree in time for the holidays. Work was suspended for six days in early December after Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith — representing the island nation's 1.5 million Catholics — lambasted the project. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe responded to the criticism by saying the tree

was not being built with public money, but with donations from individuals and private firms.

The Guinness World Records is yet to confirm if this is the tallest artificial Christmas tree. Currently, the record is held by a Chinese firm that put up a 55-meter (180-foot) treelike tower of lights and synthetic foliage, ornaments and lamps in the city of Guangzhou last year.

Sri Lankan organizers said they wanted the tree to help promote ethnic and religious harmony in the Buddhist-majority island nation, where a long civil

war ended in 2009 but reconciliation remains a challenge.

"This is just to show the world that we can live as one country, one nation," said Arjuna Ranatunga, a former cricket player and the minister of ports and shipping. He said Sri Lanka still is still grappling with issues regarding religion, caste and race.

Minority Christian and Muslim communities complain of state-sponsored discrimination, and there are allegations of widespread abuses against minority ethnic Tamils both during and after the war.

BUSINESS

Peso could weaken to P51 vs dollar in 2017, P55 in 2018: UBS MANILA – The peso could weaken to P51 to the dollar next year and P55 in 2018, as policy tightening in the US drives funds out of emerging markets like the Philippines, UBS said.

The peso touched the P50per dollar level twice in the last two months. It weakened to P49.835 in intra-day trading Tuesday.

“We look for USDPHP (Philippine peso) at 51 in 2017 and 55 in 2018,” UBS said in a research note, citing a sharp deterioration in the current account over the last four quarters.

Economic growth is also expected to slow in 2017 due to the lack of election spending that caused gross domestic product to expand by as much as 7.1 percent this year, UBS said in a research note.

READ: Economic growth picks up in Duterte’s first 3 months UBS said the economy could grow by 5.6 percent next year and 6 percent in 2018.

Anticipating delays, UBS said a boost from planned record spending on infrastructure would not be felt until 2018.-abscbn.com

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BUSINESS

January 1-15, 2017

More Chinese investors eye Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – The country is starting to reap benefits from its renewed friendship with global powerhouse China as more Chinese groups have signified their intention to invest in the Philippines.

The Board of Investments said 40 investors from China are looking at exploring investment opportunities in Mindanao, where President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown is located.

The Chinese firms include Foxconn IPC Group which is part of global electronics giant Foxconn Technology, CAS Engineering & Development Corp., CHINT Electric Group, and Shenda Electric.

The BOI recently approved Liangan Power Corp.’s application for registration of a P1.36-billion renewable energy project, which is backed by a Chinese group.

“This a concrete manifestation of the emphasis of President Duterte to attract more Chinese investments to the country,” Trade Secretary and BOI chairman Ramon Lopez said.

“The BOI and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) are working closely right now to bring in more investors from countries recently visited by the

President, including China,” Lopez added.

Last October, Duterte went on a four-day state visit to Beijing to improve the country’s ties with China following recent territorial disputes.

PCCI chairman emiritus Francis Chua said Duterte’s recent visit to China had really opened the floodgate of investments from the world’s second largest economy.

“The efficiency of BOI in approving registration applications without sacrificing prudence in regulation, is a testament to the promise of the President that ease of doing business is guaranteed under his administration.

The Philippines henceforth is the destination of investors,” Chua said.

Slated to be fully operational by January 2019, LPC’s 11.9 megawatt (MW) hydropower project aims to provide reasonably-priced supply of electricity with minimal negative impact on the environment and host communities.

The project will be situated in Northwest Mindanao within the municipality of Bacolod, Lanao del Norte and within the proximity of Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro. It is expected to employ up to 44 personnel. -Philstar

January 1-15, 2017

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Duterte says criticisms aimed at US gov’t, not US citizens

President Rodrigo Duterte has clarified that his criticisms against the United States were directed at its government, particularly the outgoing administration of US President Barack Obama.

In a speech before barangay officials in Davao City, Duterte said he was not referring to the American people whenever he criticized the US. He even said one of his children was a US citizen.

Duterte on Tuesday slammed the US anew for criticizing the thousands of deaths blamed on his war on drugs.

He said the US was acting with hypocrisy since it committed atrocities in countries such as Iraq and for not being a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"Ana ka-hipokrito ang Amerikano. Dili sila miyem-

bro, gusto ko nila idemanda didto, sige sila gamit ug mga term extrajudicial-extrajudicial, sila mismo di ay wa magpamiyembro, tingnan mo kabuang sa mga yawa [That's why Americans are hypocrites.

They are not members but they want to file a case against me.

They always use the issue of extrajudicial killings but they themselves are not members of the ICC. Look at how crazy these devils are]," Duterte said.

"Pero gobyerno na ha, dili ang Amerikano, ke kanang

akong anak, Amerikano na, ang citizen. I’m not referring to the good people of America, I’m just criticizing the Obama administration for its shortsightedness and for pure hy-

Duterte earlier vowed to eradicate corruption as one of his main campaign promises, alongside the fight against illegal drugs and crime.

The President said he has dismissed 92 government officials, including two of his fraternity brothers who were implicated in a P50-million bribery scandal involving online Chinese gambling mogul Jack Lam. “Ninety-two of them, they were all wiped out. They’re no longer with government,” he said.

He also said that those who have corruption cases and were already dismissed could no longer return to work in government.

“Not in a million chances will they ever be reinstated,” Duterte said.-Edith Regalado/Philstar

of America. I’m just criticizing the Obama administration for its short-sightedness and for pure hypocrisy as regards human rights]," he added. —NB, GMA News

SWS: Leni’s satisfaction rating falls MANILA, Philippines – Public satisfaction with four senior government officials, including Vice President Leni Robredo, plunged in the last quarter of the year, according to the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Based on the Dec. 3-6 survey of the SWS, Robredo obtained a net satisfaction score of +37 (58 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied), 12 points below her +49 net score (65 percent satisfied, 16 percent dissatisfied) in September.

Her satisfaction rating, however, remained in “good” territory, the SWS noted.

The poll was conducted at the time Robredo resigned from the Duterte Cabinet as head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council after she was ordered by the President to “desist” from attending Cabinet meetings.

The Vice President is currently vacationing in the United States with her three daughters.

In a press statement, Robredo thanked the Filipinos for their continued trust and support even as she assured the public she would continue to “listen to your voice.”

Despite losing the housing post, Robredo said she would continue to fulfill her mission to uplift the lives of the

Rody’s New Year vow: Stronger fight vs corruption DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Expect no mercy.

President Duterte has vowed to wage a relentless campaign against corruption in government in 2017.

“I will be strict. For this New Year, and the new years to come that I am President, I promised there would be no corruption. Let us make our promises a reality. In my government, avoid corruption because I can’t help it if you get involved,” Duterte said at the Christmas party of barangay officials here on Tuesday. The President said he would be harsh against corruption in government, as he told the barangay officials to avoid graft at their level.

“In my government, avoid corruption because I will not really help you.

I will go after you instead,” he warned.

pocrisy including kanang human rights [But I am referring to the government, not the American citizens because my child is an American. I’m not referring to the good people

poor and the marginalized through her office’s flagship program Angat Buhay.

Meanwhile, the net satisfaction ratings of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno also fell by seven points, 12 points and 10 points, respectively.

Pimentel received +30 in December (49 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied) from +37 in September (54 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied).

The senator said he was “just thankful” for his “good” net satisfaction rating.

Alvarez obtained a net satisfaction score of +10, down by 12 points from September’s +22.

Sereno’s net rating, on the other hand, was down 10 points to +16 from her “personal record-high” +26 in September.

The SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings of +70 and above as “excellent”; +50 to +69 as “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; as well as -70 and below as “execrable.”

The SWS survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide, and has a sampling error margin of plus or minus three percentage points. – With Paolo Romero

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What’s the BUZZ?

www.angperyodiko.ca January 1-15, 2017

Entertainment

Erik Matti talks about new

PIOLO PASCUAL and DINGDONG DANTES movie APART from his current Metro Manila Film Fest entry Seklusyon, director Erik Matti is busy working on his ongoing projects including the first HOOQ online series OTJ, a movie with Anne Curtis, and the Darna remake. “Sa Darna we’re still developing it.

We’re still finalizing everything so I still don’t know when we’re going to start.

Wala pa, wala pa kaming na-shu-shoot eh. Darna is such a humongous project.

There are a lot of things attached to it. It’s not just a movie that we’re going to shoot and then show in theaters, together with that there’s a lot more other components. There’s merchandising, there’s pre-sale and I think it’s good that everyone’s taking their time. It’s our first time to launch a superhero franchise so it’s better to make baby steps than rush it and end up a half-baked project. Angel Locsin is okay with her back now so we’re all on pre-prod now with other things,” he said.

Another big production Erik has been working on is a movie similar to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

"Pintakasi was a project that we worked on after Honor Thy Father and it’s a tough film to produce because it’s big. There’s American component in the story so we’re looking for North American co-producers. There’s also a Malaysian angle to the story so we’re also looking for co-producers in Malaysia.

So that one we’re not yet sure with the timeline but happy kami that we already got the support of our two main cast members na si Piolo Pascual at si Dingdong Dantes. So I think that’s good,” he explained.

The Seklusyon director admitted that next year

will be challenging because they want Pintakasi to be as ambitious as it sounds. "We were ready to produce it on our own until this Project Lab in Macau offered if we have a project that has an East meets West quality to it. So that’s the project that we have, there’s an American component, there’s Malaysian so medyo may Asian and may western angle so we sent them the sequence treatment and they all got back to us together with 11 other entries they approved our film for pitching with other companies not just Asian but even North American and European companies. So all 12 of us pitched the project and we were chosen as one of the winners. Mabigat siya eh kasi if we were to be ambitious then if there’s an American component that’s going to come in then it’s going to get a little bit more ambitious kasi may kukunin kang artista sa ibang bansa, mga ganun. We don’t know yet how difficult it is to do it.

Ngayon lang naman namin naisip dahil after Macau, but prior to that we were just planning on doing it locally,” he said.

Apart from confirming Piolo and Dingdong as the lead stars, the rest of the cast including the female leads have yet to be confirmed according to Erik. "We still haven’t talked about that. There’s several women characters in the film but we’re very early into the project that we haven’t sat down. Our three companies haven’t sat down, Spring films, Agosto Dos, and Reality Entertainment, we haven’t sat down and finalized casting,” he added. -Rhea Manila Santos

January 1-15, 2017

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LOOK: Julia Montes reunites with her

BIOLOGICAL FATHER THIS must be the best gift Julia Montes has ever received this Christmas. The Doble Kara star took to Instagram to express how glad she was to have met her German father Martin Schnittka in person.

"Hindi ko aakalain na darat-

ing ang araw na ito na makikita at makakasama ko siya," she wrote as the caption.

"Unang una ay gusto ko magpasalamat sa Panginoon dahil ipinagkaloob niya ang pagkakataon na ito,� she added.

For many years, Julia has been praying for this to happen.

"Malinaw pa sa isip ko nung mga panahon na ipagdasal ko na mangyari ang araw na ito hanggang sa sumuko na ko at nawalan ng pagasa. Maraming ways talaga ang Panginoon para sa atin. "Iba hinihingi natin sobra sobra pa ang binibiyaya sa atin. Sa mga naging tatay-tatayan ko salamat din sa inyo dahil lalo kong na-appreciate ang Papa ko dahil sa inyo. At sa CocoJul din na isa sa naging daan para magkausap kami and to my cousin Michelle, who did everything and every way to make this day possible. Thank you!"

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FILE - In this Oct. 5, 1978 photo, from left, actors Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher and Peter Mayhew take a break from filming a television special in Los Angeles to be telecast during the holidays. On Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, a publicist says Fisher has died at the age of 60. AP/George Brich, File

she revealed having an intense affair with "Star Wars" co-star Harrison Ford.

Fisher told plenty of secrets about others — about her parents' breakup when she was 2, about being advised by Warren Beatty on wearing a bra in "Shampoo," and about arguing with then-husband Paul Simon about whether it was better to be a man or a woman.

Asked by NPR recently why she wrote about her fling with Ford, who was 15 years older and married, she joked that she could hold back no longer because he had refused to die: "I kept calling and saying, 'When are you going to die because I want to tell the story?'"

But she was toughest on herself and unafraid to turn trauma into humor. She became the most knowable of celebrities, with a great and generous gift for bringing us into her unusual life.

"One of the therapists came in to admit me and asked how long I had been a drug addict," she wrote in Postcards," her

‘Star Wars’ princess

Carrie Fisher

dead at 60

N

EW YORK — No one could make us laugh through the pain like Carrie Fisher.

The daughter of Hollywood stars Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, and a survivor of early fame, drug addiction and bipolar disorder, she wrote with unsentimental wit and understanding about her pri-

vate struggles and about an industry she was raised in but stood apart from.

Fisher, known to the world as Princess Leia of "Star Wars," died Tuesday at 60, four days after falling ill aboard an airline flight. Media reports said the actress had suffered a heart attack.

"I do believe you're only as

autobiographical novel that became a movie of the same name. "I said I didn't think I was a drug addict because I didn't take any one drug. 'Then you're a drugs addict,' she said. She asked if I had deliberately tried to kill myself. I was insulted by the question. I guess when you find yourself having overdosed, it's a good indicator that your life isn't working."

She is survived by her mother; her daughter, Billie Lourd, from a relationship with talent agent Bryan Lourd; her brother, the actor-filmmaker Todd Fisher; and her half-sisters, actresses Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher. Her father died in 2010.

Born and raised in Beverly Hills, Carrie Fisher was a bookish child who had difficult relationships with both parents. In a celebrity breakup that made headlines everywhere in 1958, Eddie Fisher left his family for Elizabeth Taylor.

Eddie Fisher was hardly present for his daughter in her early years, and Reynolds' second husband, shoe store magnate Harry Karl, was even worse. He squandered his own money and Reynolds' on gambling and prostitutes and left the actress and her children broke and devastated.

Carrie Fisher went into the family business early — too early, she would later say. She

sick as your secrets. If that's true, I'm just really healthy," she said in a confessional 2009 interview with The Associated Press.

The public fell in love with her twice: as Princess Leia and as the wry truth-teller of such books as "Postcards From the Edge," ''Wishful Drinking" and "The Princess Diarist," in which

was performing on stage by age 12 and appeared with Reynolds in the 1973 Broadway revival "Irene." She was still a teenager when she made her feature film debut in "Shampoo" in 1975.

Even after "Star Wars," Fisher would speak often of feeling overshadowed by her mother and about the need to break away, a conflict dramatized in "Postcards From the Edge."

Mother and daughter were estranged for years but reconciled later in life and came to admire each other's talent and determination. "Bright Lights: Starring Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher," an HBO documentary, is scheduled for release in 2017.

Fisher's film credits included a wide range of spoofs, musicals and romantic comedies, from "Austin Powers" and "The Blues Brothers" to "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "When Harry Met Sally ..." Meryl Streep was the star when "Postcards From the Edge," with a screenplay

by Fisher, was adapted into a film of the same name in 1990. Shirley MacLaine played Streep's mother, the stand-in for Reynolds.

Ang Peryodiko

OPINION

Immigration challenges in 2017

who was sponsoring a parent.

The problem was that there were a limited number of applications that would be accepted.

Every year, there are thousands of residents here in Canada wanting to sponsor a parent and most will not be successful for a number of reasons. The same principle applies to the nominee program in that there is a far greater demand for PNP certificates and only a minority will be successful.

Those wanting to sponsor a parent would have to mail their applications to Mississauga. If the applications arrive before Jan.4 when the department begins accepting new applications, then those applications would be returned and the sponsor would have to try again the following year.

Back on January 4, 2016, I had to get a number of Immigration applications into Mississauga on that specific morning.

The files were all applications including one from Winnipeg

On the other hand, if the application was received a day late, then it would also be returned because the Department would only accept the first 5,000 applications. I was

I would like to wish you and your family the best in 2017.

There are definitely reasons to be hopeful in the coming year.

Straight up (www.mpkevin.ca) informed by Immigration that more than 5,000 applications would have been received in the first few hours of January 4.

Imagine if the Winnipeg Jets were in the Stanley Cup final and tickets were only $20.00, many people in Winnipeg would want to go. I would think more than 100,000 people would attend. But how do you distribute the tickets fairly when only 15,000 people can be accommodated?

LAMOUREUX, 15

Totong may mga bagay na madaling pag-isipan., mga bagay na hindi na gaanong nangangailangan ng maraming panahon at atensiyon natin. Pero may mga bagay na kinakailangan natin pagplanuhan dahil ito ay may epekto sa matagalan. Nagpaplano tayo sa kinabukasan ng ating mga anak o apo kayat nagiimpok tayo para sa kanilang pang kolehiyo.

Nagpaplano rin tayo para sa kapakanan ng ating mga mahal sa buhay para kung sakaling mawala tayo ay okay pa rin ang kanilang pinansiyal na kalagayan, kayat kumukuha tayo ng life insurance. At pag medyo nagkakaedad na tayo, ayaw nating maging pabigat sa mga

The innocents

PASTOR JUNIE JOSUE

J

OKES traditionally abound when Filipinos mark Niños Inocentes or Holy Innocents Day. But because of events in the past months, the grim story behind this special day will be emphasized in this year’s observance.

Agent 777 maiiwan nating mga mahal sa buhay. Ayaw nating mag-alala pa sila sa gastusin o pag-aasikaso ng ating pagpanaw kayat kumukuha tayo ng funeral plan.

Pero naisip ba nating magplano para sa kabilang buhay?

Mas importante ito kaibigan kaysa sa ano pang insurance o plan. Dahil ang buhay natin dito sa lupa ay maikli lamang kung ihahambing natin sa panahong igugugol natin sa kabilang buhay. Maniwala man tayo o hindi, may langit at impyerno.

Huhusgahan tayo ng Diyos ayon sa naging buhay natin dito sa lupa. Pinagpaplanuhan ba natin ito? Handa ba tayo

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Kapag Bagong taon, marami tayong mga plano. Maaring ito ay planong mag-aral muli, o planong magasawa na o planong magpapayat at kung anu ano pa. At siempre kung hindi natutuloy ang plano natin, nalulungkot tayo.

www.angperyodiko.ca January 1-15, 2017

EDITORIAL

May Eternal Plan ka na ba?

Kapag Bagong taon, marami tayong mga plano. Maaring ito ay planong mag-aral muli, o planong mag-asawa na o planong magpapayat at kung anu ano pa. At siempre kung hindi natutuloy ang plano natin, nalulungkot tayo. Alam niyo bang may mga aral na sinasabi ang ibla tungkol sa pagpaplano?

Minsan, binisita ng sikat na manunulat na si George Bernard Shaw ang kilalang British na eskulterong si Jacob Epstein sa kaniyang studio. Napansin ni George ang isang napakalaking bloke ng bato na nakatayo sa isang sulok at tinanong niya ang eskultero kung para saan ang batong iyon. Ang sagot ng eskultero “Hindi ko pa alam.

Gumagawa pa ako ng plano?

Nagulat ang manunulat na si George at sinabing “Ang ibig mong sabihin pinagpaplanuhan mo ang iyong mga ginagawa?

Samantalang ako nagbabago ang aking isip ilang beses sa isag araw.” Sumagot ang eskultero “Okay lang iyan sa napakagaan na papel na sinusulatan mo pero ako ang trabaho ko ay sa isang apat na toneladang bato. Hindi ako pwedeng magpabago bago ng isip.?

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MP KEVIN LAMOUREUX

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OR me and my daughter Cindy, our 2016 New Year’s Eve was extraordinary and memorable because for the first time, I welcomed the New Year outside of Canada - we happened to be in Metro Manila. I hope to share a story or two in the January 16 issue of Ang Peryodiko but for now, I would like to reflect on two special immigration programs that challenged Governments in 2016.

Take a STAND

Christians are familiar with the story: Mary and Joseph could find no decent accommodations and had to settle for a humble shelter where the Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The visiting Magi who traveled many miles to pay tribute to the infant inadvertently told King Herod about the birth and the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy on the arrival of the King of the Jews. Seeing a threat to his power, Herod ordered the slaughter of all infant sons of the Jews born around Bethlehem, but the Baby Jesus survived.

Like most biblical accounts, the accuracy of the story has been challenged. And like most stories whose acceptance is a matter of faith, the Massacre of the Innocents continues to inspire concern for the young as well as the needy and those who cannot find room at any inn.

This story deserves retelling in these days when thousands of children have lost a parent or been orphaned by a bloody war against the drug menace, and where children have been killed in the crossfire. The Christmas season offers no joy for the children of those killed either by police or by masked vigilantes. In many households, relatives of those slain live in fear that the killing isn’t over and the gunmen will come back for them.

No gift to children can restore a lost parent or sibling; the trauma may never disappear. These innocents deserve assistance and special prayers today.

JOSUE, 21

Publisher:

Editor:

TE BROTHERS, INC. JONATHAN C. MONTEMAYOR

Columnists: MP KEVIN LAMOUREUX, PASTOR FRED SEBASTIAN,

and PASTOR JUNIE JOSUE Entertainment Columnist:

RICKY LO

Contributing Writers: TESS AVISO NEWTON, GEMMA DALAYOAN,

MEL TALASTAS SORIANO, DANTE AVISO

and LEVY ABAD

Account Executive:

GLEN ELIA and JOSE XEC

Photographers:

ARNEL SAN JOSE, JUNE GARCIA and BHERNARD PABALAN

BOMEX GRAPHICS

Creative Design:

OPINION

Ang Peryodiko

T

HERE has to be some malice among those responsible for the rumor that Smart Communications would be shut down by March for want of a franchise. The telecommunications company enjoys the patronage of 60 percent of all mobile phone users in the country.

Smart’s 25-year franchise was issued in 1992 and is due for another 25-year extension in a few months. Those peddling the irresponsible rumor claimed the franchise renewal was in jeopardy either because the company failed to meet the requirement for publicly listed shares or because the corporation had fallen out of favor with the new administration. Neither is true.

What is true is that the committee on legislative franchises of the House of Representatives, after extensive deliberations through the month of November, agreed that Smart already complied with the public ownership provision under its franchise because its parent firm PLDT is a listed company at the PSE. For this reason, Smart’s revenues and profits are consolidated with those of PLDT in regular disclosures to the stock exchange.

The consolidated measure renewing Smart’s franchise, HB No. 4637, was passed on first

www.angperyodiko.ca n January 1-15, 2017

Malice The 700 megahertz band now jointly used by Smart and Globe is capable of delivering speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (mbps). When fully deployed, this will bring our voice and data infrastructure to par with the best in the world. reading last December 7. The week after, shortly before the Christmas break, the bill was passed on second reading. It will be put before the plenary for third and final reading when the House resumes its sessions after the holidays.

After the bill passes third reading at the House, it will be transmitted to the Senate.

On the matter of franchises, according to the rules of both chambers, Senate action is almost ministerial.

30 by the Senate and then approved by the House last June 30. In this case, the congressmen simply adopted the Senate bill.

The second element peddled by the rumormongers, the one about the company falling out of graces with the Duterte administration, is entirely baseless. The speculation is, in fact, a disservice to the administration.

In the case of the Seafarer’s Protection Act (RA10706), the Senate version was approved on September 21, 2015 and was adopted as an amendment to the counterpart House bill on September 30, 2015. Former President Benigno Aquino signed it into law on November 30, 2015.

To begin with, the President leaves legislative matters to the legislature. There is no reason for the President to petulantly pick on the telecommunications company. Shutting down a service provider that caters to more than half of mobile phone users will deal the economy a debilitating blow. Doing so will blind not only half of our phone users but disable nearly our entire business process outsourcing industry, the second biggest source of foreign exchange after migrant worker remittances.

The Anti-Distracted Driving Act (RA10913) moved through the legislative mill even more quickly. It was passed last May

President Duterte is simply not the sort of person who will imperiously scuttle half of our already scarce digital infrastruc-

Our Congress has shown capacity to act swiftly when it needs to.

ALEX MAGNO

business to Digitel Mobile Services, Inc. Digitel is a duly enfranchised telecommunications company acquired by PLDT, Smart’s parent company.

But it is unlikely that things will go that far. Suffice it to say that the mobile communications company is in no danger of abruptly shutting down its services.

FIRST PERSON ture out of whim. At any rate, doing so will take down the nation’s economy and will be ultimately self-defeating. The rumormongers are doing the President an injustice by peddling baseless scenarios.

Even if we assume the worstcase scenario – where the franchise renewal remains pending in the Congress when the March expiry arrives – nothing in the law requires Smart to immediately shut down and terminate its services. Smart is, after all, a public utility with existing services nationwide. It is not to the public’s interest for it to abruptly terminate operations.

Doing so will cause public panic and scuttle entire sections of the national economy.

Then there is the last resort if things get really bad with the process of franchise renewal: Smart may simply transfer its mobile telecommunications

To the contrary, the company is investing billions to lay down more fiber-optic cables to improve speed and efficiency.

It is moving as fast as it can to quickly deploy the bandwidth recently acquired from San Miguel Corporation and modernizing its facilities to offer 5G LTE Advanced (LTE-A) services to all its 25,000 cellular and broadband stations across the country.

The 700 megahertz band now jointly used by Smart and Globe is capable of delivering speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (mbps). When fully deployed, this will bring our voice and data infrastructure to par with the best in the world.

The hybrid fiber technology PLDT will be laying down over the next three years is capable of delivering “super-fast” broadband service with data speeds of up to 600 to 700 mbps per user through regular phone 

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MAGNO, 15

Capital punishment

The debate over the return of the death penalty will likely boil down to a choice between allowing state executions or encouraging the continuation of “cardboard justice” and the ruthless war on drugs, marred by thousands of killings believed to be extrajudicial.

For opponents of capital punishment, that’s a choice between Duterte (and his brand of swift justice) and the deep blue sea. *** Taking human life seems to be an obsession for President Duterte. Yesterday he said if he had been in Manila when the operators of the shabu laboratory in San Juan were caught, he would have killed them.

He also warned corrupt public officials that he would toss them out of a helicopter.

He had done it in the past, he said, and he could do it again.

Joke only? More hyperbole? There might be a clarification today from the firefighters of the administration.

For sure, there are people who won’t mind seeing corrupt public officials plunging to their death from a helicop-

ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

In Southeast Asia, only Cambodia and the Philippines have abolished the death penalty.

Singapore, the region’s most advanced economy, continues to carry out state executions. that Duterte will notice.

SKETCHES

What’s uncertain is whether Dirty Rody will see a convict executed under his watch. ***

ter. The problem is that such harsh punishment seems to be reserved only for the small fry; the big fish get to keep the money and even become “honorable” members of Congress.

Whether joking or not, Dirty Rody has made his point: he has no compunctions about killing even before guilt is established beyond reasonable doubt. So he probably isn’t too worried about opposition to his proposal to restore capital punishment.

Even Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, one of Du30’s original allies, has warned that the restoration of capital punishment faces rough sailing in the chamber.

Considering the opportunism and balimbing mentality that permeate the two chambers of Congress, however, it’s likely that Du30 will get his wish. Already, we’re hearing several staunch pro-life and anti-death penalty advocates now openly proclaiming their change of heart – and hoping

Between Dec. 13, 1993, when Republic Act 7659 was approved, restoring capital punishment, and April 15, 2006 when then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed RA 9346 abolishing the penalty, seven convicts were executed by lethal injection.

The enactment of RA 9346 commuted to life imprisonment the death sentences of about 1,230 inmates. Nearly 1,100 of them were men, over 30 were women and over 130 were foreigners.

Their crimes included murder, homicide, parricide, kidnapping and carjacking with aggravating offenses as well as rape, arson, gun law violations and serious robberies. Ten were convicted of corruptionrelated offenses and 38 violated drug laws.

Before a convict can be executed, the death sentence must be affirmed by the Supreme Court. After appeals, the conviction must be af-

firmed with finality. The SC must issue an entry of judgment and warrant of execution, and a date and time must be set for carrying out the sentence. Corrections officials can be given the discretion to pick the time.

Unless the SC specifies the date, no execution can be carried out. Shortly before capital punishment was abolished, there were four women on death row whose sentences had been affirmed by the SC, with an entry of judgment but with no date set for their execution. All four were convicted of kidnapping for ransom. Their lives were saved by RA 9346.

All that the SC has to do is sit forever on the time for the execution, and capital punishment, even if restored, will de facto be abolished.

I’m not sure if Congress can amend SC rules in dealing with death sentences. But if the previous procedures are retained, any restoration of the death penalty by Du30’s “super majority” in Congress could turn out to be a mere waste of legislative time, effort and resources – unless Duterte also manages to install his own “super majority” in the

Supreme Court. *** Opponents of the death penalty will see this as good news. On the other hand, it could encourage Dirty Rody to continue his brand of capital punishment, which is quicker and more lethal, all the way to the end of his six-year term.

This presumes that Duterte is pushing for the restoration of capital punishment to replace his swift retribution for drug personalities.

Duterte has stressed that capital punishment, abolished by Corazon Aquino and restored by his mentor Fidel Ramos, failed to serve as a crime deterrent because it was rarely carried out.

When congressional deliberations start, among the arguments expected from death penalty proponents is that the Philippines has the highest homicide rate in the Asia-Pacific, where almost all countries have capital punishment.

In Southeast Asia, only Cambodia and the Philippines have abolished the death penalty. Singapore, the region’s most advanced economy, continues to carry out state executions. Indonesia has carried out multiple executions. Both countries impose capital punishment for drug trafficking, just like China, Cuba, Iran, 

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WO contentious issues will preoccupy Congress in the coming year: Charter change and the restoration of capital punishment.

PAMINTUAN, 15

January 1-15, 2017

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IAN VENERACION:

‘I’M A 14-YEAR-OLD TRAPPED IN A 41-YEAR-OLD BODY’ ON Tonight with Boy Abunda, A Love to Last star Ian Veneracion admitted he isn’t comfortable singing in front of an audience.

In his role in A Love to Last, Ian plays the role of Anton who is musically-inclined and who composes songs. Asked how he did it when he admits to having “stage fright,” Ian said he thinks “it’s not me, it’s Anton singing.”

The 41-year-old actor also admitted to being “immature.”

“I’m a 14-year-old trapped in a 41-year-old body. Yung

naughtiness as a little boy is still there I don't think its ever going to go away.”

On Fast Talk, Ian said Bea Alonzo’s “eyes” make her sexy and if he were a woman, he would be “Eula Valdez.”

Asked for the “weirdest thing you've read about yourself on the net,” Ian answers, “I never read anything online.”

The one thing Ian can’t get enough of is “chocolates.”

Asked if his wife has access to his cellphone, Ian answered with a vehement, “no way!”

He added, “it’s respect.” He

also admitted to being seloso.

The hottest woman he’s worked with is “Alice Dixson.”

The best time for alcohol is “Christmas” and his New Year’s resolution is to “exercise more.”

Asked if size matters, Ian said, “of course.” -Cristina Malonzo

ELLEN ADARNA SAYS BASTE DUTERTE IS ‘IMPORTANT’ TO HER SEXY actress Ellen Adarna admitted that she dehydrated herself - the reason why she passed out during her recent nude photo shoot for a men's magazine, in her interview on Tonight With Boy Abunda aired on Monday, December 26.

"Three days before the shoot, which I normally do 'pag mayroong photoshoot, I dehydrate," she confessed, adding that it makes her lose five pounds of

water weight.

"Para mas payat. Mas makita 'yung cuts," Ellen said, although she advised people to never follow suit.

"Hindi ko inexpect na it will be under the heat of the sun kasi usually 'pag shoots, sa studio lang so 'yun, nahimatay."

"We had to stop (the pictorial) and then, nagdecide na nga sila na parang i-pack up na 'coz my blood pressure was really

low na raw and then I said na wala ng other time kasi aalis na rin ako, may vacation ako that time," she said and asked for an hour to rest instead.

Ellen said, "Kumain ako so balewala 'yung diet ko kasi pinakain ako ng sugar and salt and everything."

When asked about presidential son Baste Duterte, Ellen just laughed and told Boy Abunda that she will post about their status on her social media.

She however described Baste as caring and a very down-to-earth person.

Trying not to give the TV host a direct answer, Ellen also admitted Baste is an ‘important’ person in her life.-GARY ANN LASTRILLA

www.angperyodiko.ca January 1-15, 2017

5 CAR MOVIES TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2017 THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS Dom and the fam (minus the late Paul Walker) are back for another adventure. This time, Dom is seduced by a mysterious woman played by Charlize Theron and turns against the people he loves most. Judging by the trailer, we'll be seeing more of the same excitement, fast cars, and action scenes that we've come to expect from the franchise.

Just be ready to suspend your disbelief. ď ´

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January 1-15, 2017

AUTOMOTIVE... 

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CARS 3 Everyone loves a good comeback story. Lightning McQueen is on a mission to prove to a new generation of race cars that he's still the best in the world. Things don't look so good for our hero, though, as this teaser shows him getting into a pretty bad crash. Then we're promised that "From this moment everything will change." Yep, you got us Pixar.

We can't wait.

XXX: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE No, you're not seeing double. Vin Diesel really is starring in another action sequel next year. This time, he's reprising the role of extreme athleteturned-spy Xander Cage. He's racing against time versus a villain played by Donnie Yen to recover a powerful weapon. He recruits a rag-tag group of fellow thrill-seekers to get the job done. Considering that Cage drove a Chevrolet Corvette C5 off a bridge in the first few minutes of the original movie, we can likely expect more automotive stunt work in this one.

TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT What's better than cars? Cars that turn into huge robots and fight each other. Our favorite childhood toys are back for the fifth time on screen. Optimus Prime returns to Earth in search of a way to bring his home planet Cybertron back to life. This trailer shows us all the essential Michael Bay-isms that are the franchise's trademarks, but we do get one surprise: there's a quick scene where Optimus Prime and Bumblebee are duking it out. Say it isn't so!

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE One of the highlights of 2014's The Lego Movie was the super serious but totally hilarious Batman. Now, the cubed crusader is getting his own big screen turn where he has to stop crime while raising a boy he adopted. What does this movie mean for us car guys? That awesome Batmobile/plane that we'll be able to assemble for ourselves.-Jason Tulio

Mocha Uson appointed as MMFF ambassador

SINGER-actress Mocha Uson poses with presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella for a photo prior to a press briefing at Malacañang regarding the Metro Manila Film Festival.- FACEBOOK/MOCHA USON

MANILA — Singer-actress Mocha Uson has been appointed as ambassador of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) this year.

During a press conference at Malacañang, Uson said that she will use social media to help promote the entries of the MMFF. Uson noted that the government and the public had failed to support Filipino filmmakers before.

"Ngunit ngayong may opportunity na po na suportahan, sinusuportahan na po sila ng gobyerno kailangan pong tangkilikin din ang mga films dito sa MMFF ng masang Pilipino at tutulong po ako sa social media at sa mga ibang paraan para po hikayatin ang ating mga kababayan," Uson said.

The singer-actress, who is a known supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, admitted that conflicts have arisen in social media due to various issues.

"Natural lang po na magkaroon ng bangayan sa social media padating sa ibat-ibang issue at opinyon natin ngunit pagdating po sa pagtulong sa ating bayan dapat po tayong magkaisa," the MMFF ambassador said.

The newly appointed MMFF ambassador said that Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Thomas "Tim" Orbos himself reached out to her to support the film fest.

"Alam naman po natin na napag-iwanan na ang industriya ng Filipino films ng ibang bansa at ang layunin po ng MMFF ngayon ay itaas ang kalidad ng pelikula na pwede po nating ipagmalaki sa ibang bansa," Uson said.

Uson stressed that change has also come for the Filipino film industry.

"Ngayong taon na po ang pagbabago at kailangan din po natin ng pagbabago sa film industry po natin," Uson said.

The eight finalists for this year's MMFF are Ted Boborol’s "Vince and Kath and James", Jun Robles Lana’s "Die Beautiful", Erik Matti’s "Seklusyon", Arturo San Agustin and Real Florido’s "Kabisera", Baby Ruth Villarama’s "Sunday Beauty Queens", Marlon Rivera’s "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: #ForeverIsNotEnough", Alvin Yapan’s "Oro" and Avid Liongoren’s "Saving Sally".

Orbos earlier said that the reform in this year's selection process is a "change for the better."-Patricia Lourdes Viray

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www.angperyodiko.ca n January 1-15, 2017

Anne Curtis finally confirms engagement

Coleen Garcia, Billy Crawford now engaged MANILA – Looks like noontime show "It’s Showtime" is ending the year with a bang as two more of its hosts got engaged.

Celebrity couple Coleen Garcia and Billy Crawford, tagged by netizens as "BiCol," will walk the aisle after Billy popped the question on Tuesday evening.

Director Gino Santos, who worked with Coleen in various projects, such as on indepen-

dent film "#Y," steamy drama movie "Ex With Benefits" and romance flick "Love me tomorrow," shared the news on Instagram and sent his congratulatory message to the newly engaged couple.

The director was also able to capture Billy’s proposal as well as Coleen's engagement ring.

The two have a ten-year age gap and have been together for almost three years now.

MANILA — It’s official!

Actress Anne Curtis is now the soon-to-be bride of her longtime boyfriend, food blogger and restaurateur Erwan Heussaff.

An emotional Anne shared the news to her “Showtime” family and the viewers of the noontime show after her colleagues serenaded her.

“It is with grateful and happy heart na I'd like to tell all of you that I am engaged to the love of my life, Erwan Heussaff,” Anne said.

“We are both very happy to share to all of you the great news and being someone always in the public eye, I think it's very very important that I'd share it with all of you which I did yesterday,” she added.

Anne and fiancé, Erwan, made headlines on Sunday after the two shared a travel video with a clip of their actual engagement in a forest.

The celebrity couple did not announce the proposal but only shared the video with the

public who were elated with the news.

The Kapamilya actress thanked the public for their overwhelming love, support and well-wishes. She then sought for her colleagues' and fans’ support as she embarks on her new journey as future “Mrs. Heussaff.”

“Sobra kaming nagpapasalamat po sa inyo. And I'm just hoping until the end of this whole journey and as I enter the new chapter in my life kasama ko pa rin kayo,” Anne told her colleagues and viewers.

“Even when I become misis na [sana] patuloy pa rin ang suporta niyo,” she added.

Prior to Anne’s official statement, her “Showtime” co-host Amy Perez posted a congratulatory message to her and Erwan with a photo of the actress showing off her engagement ring.

The celebrity couple has yet to reveal the date of their wedding.-Philstar

He said Billy prepared for the engagement for more than a year.

Meanwhile, Asian Fusion restaurant Ninyo Fusion Cuisine & Wine Lounge, the venue of the proposal, also posted a photo of the engagement on its Facebook account.

The "It’s Showtime" couple’s engagement came after their colleague Anne Curtis made headlines after she and fiancé Erwan Heussaff recently announced their engagement during a trip to the United States in November.

Coleen left the noontime show in January to focus on her other projects while Billy remained to be one of the show's hosts. The actress, however, denied that she will marry Billy this year.

In April 2016, Billy said he got the blessing of Coleen’s father for the proposal. The actress, meanwhile, said there's no rush to getting married.

The couple has not released any official on their engagement yet.

Who is the sexiest and handsomest actor for Bea Alonzo?

“A Love to Last” stars Bea Alonzo and Ian Veneracion had fun during their Kapamilya Chat session last Thursday, December 22.

When they lost one of the games, Bea had to answer who’s the most handsome actor for her. She wasn’t able to deny it, saying it was Gerald Anderson, who she is dating again.

Ian and Bea were also asked who are the 3 three sexiest men and women in local showbiz.

For Ian, he chose Bea, Jodi Sta. Maria and Alice Dixson.

For Bea, the first two she chose were Ian and Piolo Pascual.

When Ian teased her about her last choice, the actress said, “Bakit niyo ba inuurirat ang nararamdaman ko? Si Gerald.”-Joan Leary

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January 1-15, 2017 n www.angperyodiko.ca

MAGNO...

PAMINTUAN...

LAMOURUEX...

lines. This will be a boon to our burgeoning BPO sector.

Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Vietnam.

The Europeans mostly shun the death penalty.

Here is the good news. Back in December 2016, the Minister of immigration figured a way that would be more fair to all those wanting to sponsor their parents. The program will be open to receive applications from people that are qualified to sponsor parents and grandparents for the entire month of January (done over the internet).

All the facts bring up the question: What sinister motive could be behind the baseless claim that Smart will close down in March? \One could imagine the worst: these rumormongers want to sabotage our economic performance or are at least trying hard to imagine a situation where the current high growth will slow to a crawl. In which case, they want the nation to fail.

There is probably a more mundane reason for the baseless speculation: stock manipulation. The speculators hope the PLDT’s stocks will fall as a result of the rumor with the perfectly normal intent of buying low and then selling high. In which case, it all boils down to greed.

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The world’s three largest economies have capital punishment. China has the highest number of state executions for a wide range of offenses.

Japan hangs murder convicts.

At the heart of the debate is whether it is wise to take a life to deter crime and keep the greater majority safe.

This argument is used to justify the ongoing bloody war on drugs. Except in Operation Plans Tokhang and Double Barrel, anti-narcotics agents don’t bother filing cases against suspected drug offenders. They don’t bother waiting for the Supreme Court to render final judgment and issue a warrant of execution, with a specific date for implementing the sentence.

They simply render judgment and execute.

US...

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On the other hand, the five percent entering the New Year with fear is the lowest since the four percent recorded in 2012.

This is three points down from eight percent in 2015.

SWS said New Year hope is widespread in all areas – 97 percent in balance Luzon, 95 percent in the National Capital Region (NCR), 95 percent in Mindanao and 92 percent in the Visayas.

Compared to last year, hopefulness for the New Year improved in the provincial areas but hardly changed in NCR. In Mindanao, New Year hope rose in 2016 to reach all-time high 95 percent, up by seven points from 88 percent in 2015 and 91 percent in 2014.

In the Visayas, New Year hope improved by two points, from 90 percent in 2015 to 92 percent in 2016.

In Balance Luzon, New Year hope improved by four points, up from 93 percent in 2015 to 97 percent in 2016, matching the all-time high 97 percent recorded in the area in 2010.

In NCR, New Year hope hardly changed from 94 percent in 2015 to 95 percent in 2016.

By class, hopefulness for the New Year is high regardless of socio-economic class, the SWS said.

Almost all (99 percent) of upper to middle classes ABC are hopeful of the coming 2017, slightly higher compared to 95 percent among the masa or class D and 93 percent among very poor class E. “Compared to 2015, the percentages of those who are hopeful of the coming New Year improved across all classes,” the SWS said.

Among classes ABC, New Year hope improved by six points, up from 93 percent in 2015 to 99 percent in 2016.

Among class D, New Year hope improved by three points, from 92 percent in 2015 to 95 percent in 2016.

Among class E, New Year hope improved by five points, up from 88 percent in 2015 to 93 percent in 2016.

SWS said New Year hope has usually been lower among class E, ranging from 82 percent to 94 percent.Philstar

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STAR, categorically denied the existence of a “blueprint” to

oust Duterte.

This developed as lawmakers from the administrationdominated House of Representatives, led by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, threw their support behind Duterte, who former US ambassador Philip Goldberg reportedly wants ousted before 2018.

“We are throwing our full support towards the move by the Speaker to look into the matter. A House inquiry will definitely iron out some things that need to be fleshed out based on such alarming reports,” Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said.

“That being said, let me emphasize that President Duterte’s support is rock solid, and all attempts to unseat the President will be defied,” the chairman of the House committee on appropriations added.

Nograles said they were “alarmed over reports of an alleged coup plot,” adding “any sovereign state should respect the independence of other states regarding matters that pertain to its domestic concerns.”

“I don’t think any plans to destabilize the government will succeed, especially with the overwhelming mandate this administration received.

Instead of being distracted by such plots, we must focus on the work that needs to be done,” Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, another administration lawmaker, said.

For his part, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas said it would be foolhardy for any group or individual to attempt to unseat an overwhelmingly popular Chief Executive.–Philstar

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Once the deadline for submission is reached, then the Government will make a random draw to determine which applications will be processed.

It is not a perfect solution but given the situation and the available alternatives, this is considered fair.

Now let us turn to the Manitoba Nominee Program which has been a nightmare for many in recent years. Let me go back to my hockey example - the Winnipeg Jets were in the Stanley Cup final and tickets were only $20.00 and expectedly, many people in Winnipeg would want to go. How would you distribute the tickets fairly when only 15,000 people may be allowed to go in while more than 100,000 have lined up?

If I were to use the approach that the Province has been using over the last number of years, I would try to decrease the demand by increasing the cost of the ticket from $20 to $200. I

would add as requirements that you needed to name half the players on the team, must have lived in Winnipeg for 20 years, demonstrated an understanding of how the game is played, and must have attended at least 5 NHL games.

By doing that, I would have decreased the demand from 100,000 to 20,000. But in order to get it down to 15,000, I would suggest that the doors be open 3 days before the game begins. If more than 15,000 show up, well the excess fans will have to wait until the next year.

When I think of the various changes to the Nominee program over the past years, I think of the $10,000 show money required, English language testing, eligibility changes, family members who live outside the province, simple mistakes that lead to rejections, unfair pro-

cessing times, and the seeming lack of respect for both applicants and sponsor.

Just before Christmas, I met with the Premier’s new Minister of Education who is now responsible for the administration of Manitoba’s nominee program. I was pleased with our meeting and I believe he should be afforded the opportunity to improve the program.

I would like to emphasize that when it comes to immigration, what is clear is that we can do better. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to push for positive changes that will make our system more fair, responsive and more timely in terms of processing.

I would like to wish you and your family the best in 2017.

There are definitely reasons to be hopeful in the coming year.

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www.angperyodiko.ca n January 1-15, 2017

WHO IS ALDEN’S

‘MYSTERY’

GIRLFRIEND?

WHY is Alden Richard’s car (not his Jaguar but his Savana GMC) often seen in the vicinity of a posh subdivision in Makati City these days?

I’ll give you three guesses: 1). He has been doing lastminute Christmas shopping; 2). He prefers to watch movies in the area; or 3). He is visiting somebody special who is said to be his “mystery” girlfriend?

Your guess is as good as anybody’s.

If No. 3 is the correct answer, then the “Mystery” Girlfriend must be the pretty non-showbiz whom Alden met during an event for Coke where the girl used to work. According to Funfare’s VDPA (Very Deep Penetrating Agent), MG comes from a rich family in Pampanga (did Alden really spend an early media noche with her family?) and is now connected with another company.

Is Alden in the process of courting MG or has she gifted him with a “yes” as a precious

Christmas gift? If so, it must be why Alden seems to be on Cloud 9 these days.

More questions: Did God give Alden her? Are Alden and MG destined (to borrow a word from Alden’s new soap) for each other? Are they on the road to their shared “forever?”

Roselle: Beautiful script is really ‘to die for’ Now that the Paolo Ballesteros starrer Die Beautiful is among the grossers in the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF, good only until Jan. 3, 2017), Regal Films’ Roselle Monteverde is convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that she made the right decision.

“I fell in love with the story when I first heard it from Perci (Intalan) and Jun (Lana),” Roselle told Funfare. “Without consulting my mom (Regal Matriarch Lily Monteverde), I decided to produce the movie.”

A hitch: Paolo happens to be in the stable of talents under Tony “Mr. T” Tuviera who allegedly wasn’t sold on the idea of letting Paolo do a movie by himself, and only with Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola with whom Paolo forms the popular Kalyeserye triumvirate.

But the project must really be destined (oops! that word again!) for Regal because after a few more hitches, Perci and Jun were back to negotiate with Roselle. Blessing in disguise: Paolo was slapped with a six-month suspension from Eat, Bulaga! so he had ample time to do not just one but two movies (the other being Viva Films’ Bakit Lahat ng Guwapo May Boyfriend, shown a few weeks ago).

“I really love Paolo and I was happy that he could do a movie for us,” added Roselle.

Besides Die Beautiful, an-

other movie doing good at the MMFF tills is Erik Matti’s Seklusyon which is produced

by Regal’s sister company Reality Entertainment (headed by Dondon Monteverde).

Incidentally, people who have seen Die Beautiful are all praises for the actor who plays Paolo’s best friend whose performance is “beking-beki” (very gay). He’s none other than Christian Bables who is a certified straight in real life. Good job, Christian. Take a bow!

LET IT BE SUNDAY BEAUTY QUEEN If you have to watch only one movie in the Metro Manila Film festival (MMFF), let it be Sunday Beauty Queen, Baby Ruth Villarama’s documentary about OFWs in Hong Kong, the only one of its kind in the 10day filmfest.

I’m hoping (against hope) that by the time you’re reading this, SBQ is still showing, perhaps not in its original assigned theaters but some near you.

There was only a handful of us at the SM Sta. Mesa Monday night when I caught the last full show. No, the docu, a labor of love that took Baby Ruth all of four years to finish, has no big

stars; it showcases real OFWs in Hong Kong whose bitter-sweet stories will make you shed tears even as you are amused by the weekend beauty contest that provides a relief and helps them survive in a foreign land where they work long hours, sacrificing the homesickness and the pain of being separated from their families back home.

For almost two hours, I sat in the darkness of the theater identifying with the unfolding drama on the screen because I have, like Baby Ruth (who mentioned in the credits at the end of the movie that her biological mother was an OFW), relatives who are spending the best years of their lives taking care of families not their own, hugging kids not their own, eating leftover food while their masters’ pet dogs are served special meals.

All the actors are impressive (no acting at all, everything is natural…unscripted, unstudied, unrehearsed), especially Mylyn Jacobo, the Miss Tourism Philippines Hong Kong title-holder, who cried an ocean when her boss, TV producer Jack Soo, died. The retired producer treated Mylyn like a daughter, and Mylyn looked up to him as a father, so you can just imagine how Soo’s death affected Mylyn (one of the lucky OFWs in Hong Kong who found a kind boss).

One of Soo’s memorable lines goes, “If there were no maids in Hong Kong, the economy will suffer.” Residents can go to work resting assured that a maid is at their home taking care of their children.RICKY LO

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PNP probing 98 suspected rogue cops

MANILA — The Philippine National Police has started investigation into alleged illegal activities of 98 police officers as part of its "internal cleansing" operation.

PNP spokesperson Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said on Thursday that the police officers may have been involved in killing drug personalities. "More than 98 (officers) are now undergoing investigation by the Internal Affairs service," Carlos said on ANC. The PNP under President Rodrigo Duterte has been criticized for the alarming rise in deaths in police operations and vigilante killings amid the government's war on drugs. Human rights advocates as well as international bodies have urged the Philippines to investigate extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.

Carlos said most deaths under investigations are done by drug syndicates themselves.

In some cases, however, "rogue" cops may have

Duterte admits being indebted to Imee Marcos MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday admitted that he is indebted to Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos.

In his first live interview on Philippine television after assuming the presidency, Duterte said that he has a debt of gratitude to at least three persons including the Ilocos Norte governor.

"One of them is Imee, I promised in the debates I would bury

her father in the Libingan ng mga Bayani," Duterte said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

The president earlier claimed that the eldest child of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos was among the politicians who funded his presidential campaign.

However, he did not declare the younger Marcos as a campaign donor in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures. Philstar

been behind the killings, he said.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa earlier this week vowed to launch the "internal cleansing" to purge the ranks of corrupt and abusive police officials in 2017.

"Dito sa loob, marami pa. Meron pa kaming dapat lilinisin. Meron pa ring na-involve talaga sa krimen na mga pulis," Dela Rosa said at a press conference on Tuesday in Camp Crame.

Carlos said the police force has displaced known "ninja cops" from their area of operations and removed those identified on the president's list of government employees supposedly involved in the drug trade.

He also urged the public to report dubious activities by cops.

"We will continue our campaign against illegal drugs and ensure that we have a better crime environment in the Philippines," Carlos said.

WORLD

North Korea seeks to complete nuke development by 2017 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is likely to take advantage of the political situation in the U.S. and South Korea to complete its nuclear development by 2017, a former North Korean diplomat said Tuesday.

“Due to domestic political procedures, North Korea calculates that South Korea and the U.S. will not be able to take physical or military actions to deter North Korea's nuclear development,” Thae Yong Ho, who defected to South Korea in July, said, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The isolated nation may attempt to open dialogue with

the new governments in the U.S. and South Korea, Thae said. Until then, the Kim Jong Un-led country will go ahead with nuclear tests in defiance to sanctions imposed by the two countries, he added.

“North Korea believes that relentless provocations must shift new [South Korean and U.S.] governments' policy lines into more stability-focused ones,” said Thae, who formerly served as the North’s deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom.

The North will not give up on its nuclear ambitions at any cost, the former diplomat said.

“As long as [Kim is in power] North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons ... the North will not give them up even if the country is offered $1 trillion or $10 trillion in return,” Thae reportedly said.

“It’s not a matter of [economic] incentives.”

Last Friday, Thae said that North Korea is likely to carry out a nuclear test during the South Korean presidential election early next year. The country seeks to be recognized as a nuclear country — similar to India or Pakistan — a status rejected by both the U.S. and South Korea, he added.

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I

INSPIRATION

have helped many people with training and therapyand I am excited to be moving forward in the New Year to help more people reach their personal fitness goals. We have a team of professionals from Insahyu Training & Therapy, Athletic Meet Melissa.

Therapists, Physiotherapist and Fitness Trainers that will assist you with your rehabilitation or fitness needs.

FOR YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION Disclaimer: Our intent is to help the general public with general information about injury rehabilitation and exercise programs. Our opinion does not replace the opinion of a medical doctor.

If your condition is serious, please consult your doctor.

We are happy to share the weight loss journey from one of our newest participants in our fitness center. In combination of Zumba Dance Fitness, TRX Suspension Training programs and SHRED10, she was able to reach her weight goal before 2016 ends.

In the last 6 months I have been taking TRX and Zumba classes every week at Insahyu and the results have been amazing. I am now able to do sit ups, pushups and I am overall more toned and I have muscle definition that I have never had before, I feel strong and I love it!

through focusing on healthy eating and healthy lifestyle. I stopped making excuses and made myself accountable for my choices. I have learned how to pick myself up after failures and how to learn from my mistakes.

Mel coaches overall wellness and helps support you through your health and wellness journey, offering many programs to fit people's needs. She is there when you need some motiva-

tion and pushes you when you need it.

I love the environment at Insahyu, everyone is upbeat and supportive. I have made true friendship with like-minded people. 

“I started attending classes at Insahyu Training & Therapy to increase my strength after dropping weight through cardio only.

When I began training with Mel I was unable to do a sit up and couldn't manage 10 push-ups.

I had lost weight but I had not done anything to make my body strong.

LIFESTYLE, 20

I have lost 40lbs since January

Written by: Melanie Talastas-Soriano CAT(C) Certified Athletic Therapist ISSA-CFT Certified Fitness Trainer

To view other articles, please visit www.insahyu.com Services we offer at Insahyu Training & Therapy: St. James area near MacDon and Boeing

insahyu_ thrpy&insahyu_training

Insahyu Training & Therapy page

We direct bill to MPI, WCB, Manitoba Blue Cross and Great-West Life.

Call 204-999-0933 to book your appointment today!!!

250 Saulteaux on Murray Industrial Park Athletic Therapy Physiotherapy Kinesio-tape First Aid and CPR classes Athletic Taping Custom Fitted Orthotics Personal Training Group fitness classes

Love the GAME www.angperyodiko.ca January 1-15, 2017

Sports

19 Ang Peryodiko

Forbes: Michael Jordan is highest-paid athlete of all time More than a decade after his final retirement, Michael Jordan reportedly still makes more in endorsements than any active NBA player.

That has given Jordan a high-level earning longevity usually seen by only golfers.

It has also put Jordan above Tigers Woods on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid athletes of all-time.

Forbes: Our earnings estimates cover salaries, bonuses, prize money, endorsements and licensing, as well as fees from books, golf course design and appearances through the end of May 2016 (the cutoff for

Forbes most recent Celebrity 100 list). We do not include investment income or deduct for taxes or agents’ fees. We exclude the sale of businesses such as in the case of Roger Staubach, who sold his real estate business in 2008 for $640 million, although Staubach only owned 12% of the company when it was sold.

We back-filled years where we did not publish earnings figures, such as prior to 1990 for Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

We adjusted all figures for inflation to 2016 dollars.

Kobe Bryant (sixth), Shaquille O’Neal (10th) and LeBron James 13th) also made the rankings.-Dan Feldman

Dana White: McGregor not in my plans for next 10 months

The UFC and Conor McGregor appear to be at an impasse when it comes to the timeline for his return.

It was initially reported that McGregor would be out of the Octagon until early summer due to his longtime girlfriend, Dee Delvin, giving birth to their first child next spring. UFC president Dana White suggested that Mc-

Gregor would be out 10 months from the time of his last fight at UFC 205 in November when he knocked out Eddie Alvarez in the second round to claim the UFC lightweight title.

However, McGregor has gone on record to deny that he ever gave White that timeframe and suggested that he’d only be taking the holidays off before

stepping back into the Octagon.

Which one is it?

White addressed the situation during UFC 207 media day and reiterated his position.

“The last conversation Conor and I had, he was taking 10 months off,” White said. “Everybody keeps talking about Conor but I’m not even thinking about Conor. He’s not in my plans for

the next 10 months.”

It is possible that the time away from the cage was the reason that McGregor was forced to relinquish his UFC featherweight title that he won last December by knocking out Jose Aldo. McGregor hadn’t defended the title and the UFC decided to pull the title from him prior to UFC 206, where Max Holloway became the interim featherweight champion by

defeating Anthony Pettis while Jose Aldo was elevated to full champion.

Either way, White wouldn’t budge on McGregor’s statement to him and promised that he would move forward without having the fight game revolve around McGregor’s impending return.

“We run a business where we make fights,” White said.

“I know who is available and I know who is not available.

Conor told me: “I’m not available for 10 months. We’re having a baby, my girl stresses out when I fight and I don’t want to put that on her. I respect it.

“He’s not in any of our plans for the next 10 months.”Andreas Hale

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WORLD

U.S. accuses Chinese citizens of hacking law firms, insider trading NEW YORK (Reuters) Three Chinese citizens have been criminally charged in the United States with trading on confidential corporate information obtained by hacking into networks and servers of law firms working on mergers, U.S. prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Iat Hong of Macau, Bo Zheng of Changsha, China, and Chin Hung of Macau were

charged in an indictment filed in Manhattan federal court with conspiracy, insider trading, wire fraud and computer intrusion.

Prosecutors said the men made over $4 million by placing trades in at least five company stocks based on inside information from unnamed law firms, including about deals involving Intel Corp and Pitney Bowes Inc .

LIFE STYLE... 

From 18

Mel, her team and the people I train with have helped me reach my goals while having fun and I wouldn't have it any other way!” *************************** Exercise definitely helps burn calories and helps with body movements with other health benefits. However, you may have heard this quote before, “Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym.” Nutrition is a huge factor in the equation of maintaining your healthy weight and lifestyle. You may not want the “six pack” but maybe you just want to lose belly fat or just reduce some inches on mid-section, which most can relate including myself.

To prove that the AB quote is true, I started with SHRED10 which is the new healthy living program we offer at Insahyu. I purposely skipped 2 of my cardio sessions and focused more on my nutrition and BAM, I lost inches on my mid-section which was gained from my pregnancy. SHRED10 is a healthy living program that challenges you for 10 days Shredding bad habits.

After the first SHRED10 and the amazing results, I continued with the healthy living rules along with my son and husband.

That means that this program is not like any other as it is practical for the whole family. It starts from ONE SIMPLE CHANGE. Our mission here at Insahyu Training & Therapy is to promote healthy lifestyle through fitness knowledge and prevention and care of sports injuries.

For 2017, our gift to all of you is to share our awesome SHRED10 program by attending our ONE SIMPLE CHANGE event at our facility 250 Saulteaux Crescent January 5, 2017 at 6:30p.m.

We want to share our Healthy Living Revolution that is for the whole family. Jumpstart your health in 2017! The event is free so please R.S.V.P. at info@insahyu.com or visit our website at www.insahyu.com sub: SHRED10.

If this date does not work for you we have other dates and venue for this week. SHRED10 starts January 16, 2017. If you want to jumpstart your health come and join us for a night of learning and sharing.Here are the detailed info of week full of good educational event. Please RSVP to info@insahyu.com

The men listed themselves in brokerage records as working at information technology companies, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said in a related civil lawsuit.

Hong, 26, was arrested on Sunday in Hong Kong, while Hung, 50, and Zheng, 30, are not in custody, prosecutors said. Defense lawyers could

not be immediately identified.

The case is the latest U.S. insider trading prosecution to involve hacking, and follows warnings by U.S. officials that law firms could become a prime target for hackers.

"This case of cyber meets securities fraud should serve as a wake-up call for law firms around the world: you are and

will be targets of cyber hacking, because you have information valuable to would-be criminals," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan said.

Prosecutors said that beginning in April 2014, the trio obtained inside information by hacking two U.S. law firms and targeting the email accounts of law firm partners working on mergers and acquisitions.

Prosecutors did not identify the two law firms, or five others they said the defendants targeted.

But one matched the description of New York-based Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, which represented Pitney Bowes in its 2015 acquisition of Borderfree Inc, one of the mergers in question.

The indictment said that by using a law firm employee's credentials, the defendants installed malware on the firm's servers to access emails from lawyers, including a partner responsible for the Pitney deal.

Cravath declined to comment. In March, Cravath confirmed discovering a "limited breach" of its systems in 2015.

Prosecutors also accused the defendants of trading on information stolen from a law firm representing Intel on the chipmaker's acquisition of Altera Inc in 2015.

Intel's merger counsel on the deal was New York-based Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. The law firm declined to comment.

Melai hoping for baby boy MANILA -- Pregnant comedienne and television host Melai Cantiveros bared that she wants a baby boy this time.

In an interview with ABSCBN News, Cantiveros, one of the hosts of ABS-CBN's morning talk show "Magandang Buhay," said she wants a baby brother for her first born, Amelia "Mela" Lucille.

"Sana lalaki na para may boy at girl na," says Cantiveros, who also gave update on her delicate pregnancy.

"Medyo okay okay na ang pagbubuntis ko, thank you Lord. Basta hinay-hinay lang sa trabaho, kumbaga one at a time lang," she said.

Last month, Cantiveros asked her supporters to pray for her safe pregnancy.

Cantiveros announced that she is pregnant with her second child with husband Jason Francisco last September.

The comedienne who's excited to give birth next year, described 2016 as a "blessed" year for her.

"It's so blessed, may mga circumstances na talaga namang, pero na napagtagumpayan basta lagi ka lang magdadasal," Cantiveros said. ABS-CBN news

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Duterte sorry for innocent killed in war on drugs

HIDILYN DIAZ, KYLIE VERZOSA AMONG ‘PEOPLE OF THE YEAR’

AWARDEES

takes,” Diaz said in an interview with People Asia.

Verzosa also brought honor to the country when she won the Miss International 2016 pageant in Tokyo, Japan last October.

Besting 65 other representatives of various countries, Verzosa is the sixth Filipina to become Miss International.

“I took what life offered me and then I started taking control... And (God) guided me along the way. It just didn’t prayers. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where I am,” Verzosa said.

Other Filipinos included

in People Asia’s People of the Year are Asia’s songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Emperador chairman Andrew Tan, award-winning actor John Lloyd Cruz, former UNESCO-Philippines Secretary-General Preciosa Soliven, construction magnate Alice Eduardo, business tycoon Henry Lim Bon Liong, Mang Inasal founder Edgar Sia II, broadcast journalist Ces Oreña Drilon, Celia Diaz-Laurel, Aivee Group CEO Z Teo, actor Christopher De Leon, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte and TAPE Inc. President and CEO Antonio Tuviera. — Patricia Lourdes Viray

‘HOW AM I DIFFERENT?’ Duter te says US killed people, invaded Panama in war on drugs President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday reminded the United States that it once killed people and invaded a country in its own campaign against illegal drugs.

“I also want to remind America that once upon a time, they blamed a country, Panama, for flooding America with drugs...

They went to invade Panama, uprooted everything there, killing people,” he said in a television interview.

“There was a fighting... Kinidnap nila si Noriega, dinala nila sa America. The guy went to trial, he was convicted. He is serving time in prison there.

Ano ang deperensya sa akin?

In a drug war, there’s always casualties,” he added, referring

to Panama’s military dictator Manuel Noriega.

The invasion happened between 1989 to 1990.

In his next television interview, Duterte repeated the same thing, stressing that he

had the same problem with the US but wondered why it kept criticizing his drug war.

“They blamed Panama for flooding drugs in America.

Anong ginawa nila?” Duterte said. —NB, GMA News

backs there,” he added.

In an interview with CNN Philippines also Thursday, Duterte said security forces have no criminal liability if some innocent people are harmed in a crossfire.

“You want the killings to stop in the Philippines, foreigners and natives should stop drugs. You stop this and everything will be okay. We can concentrate on other things of government,” he said. More than 6,000 people believed to have links with illegal drugs have been killed since Duterte assumed the presidency on June 30.

Critics claimed that Duterte’s war on drugs has emboldened security forces and vigilante groups to carry out extrajudicial killings. Philstar

JOSUE...



MANILA, Philippines — Olympic medalist Hidilyn Diaz and Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa are listed among People Asia’s People of the Year for this year.

Diaz, a three-time Olympian, was the first Filipino athlete to bag an Olympic medal since 2016. She won the silver medal of the women’s 54 kg weightlifting with a total of 200 kg at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last August.

“If you’re not willing to put in the hard work, to endure and fail, there’s no point. You win only if you’re willing to do whatever it

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte apologized Thursday for the innocent people who were killed in his brutal war on narcotics as he stressed that the crackdown would only stop until the last drug personality is killed or placed behind bars.

Duterte, who has drawn flak for the spate of killings linked to his war on drugs, admitted that some children ended up being “collateral damage” of his anti-narcotics campaign. “I would admit there were killings that were really unintended, like the children who were caught in a crossfire. Collateral damage, and I’m sorry,” the president told ABS-CBN News in an interview.

“There has to be a casualty and there has to be some draw-

From 9

anumang panahong mawala tayo dito sa mundo? Kaibigan, kung hindi mo alam kung paano paghandaan ang kabilang buhay. Magsimula ka sa pagsisisi at pagtalikod sa iyong mga kasalanan. Tanggapin mo ang kapatawarang alay ng Diyos sa iyo. Tnaggapin mo sa iyong buhay ang Pnaginoong Hesus. Hayaan mong gabayan ka niya sa lahat ng aspeto ng iyong buhay.

May kuwento ang biblia tungkol sa isang mayamang lalaki.

Nagpakayaman siya nang husto na wala na siyang mapaglagyan ng kaniyang mga ari arian.

Nagpakasasa siya sa kaniyang yaman. Pinlano niyang magtayo pa ng mga lalagyan ng kaniyang yaman. Kahit isang beses man, hindi niya isinama ang Diyos sa kaniyang mga plano. Ni hindi man lamang niya kinilala o pinasalamatan ang Diyos na siyang pinagmumulan ng lahat ng pag-

papala. Wala siyang kaalam alam na bukas na bukas din ay mamamatay siya. Wala siyang kamalay malay na ang lahat ng kaniyang pinagpaguran ay hindi na niya mapapakinabanagan kailanman.

Nakapokus ang kaniyang isip at puso sa kaniyang sarili, sa kaniyang yaman. Siguradong kapag nakaharap na niya ang Diyos na siyang naglikha sa kaniya, doon niya mapagtatanto na naging isa siyang hangal dahil hindi niya pinaghandaan ang kabilang buhay. Siguradong mapupuno siya ng pagsisisi at panghihinayang, pero huli na ang lahat.

Kaibigan, hindi pa huli ang lahat para sa atin. Paghandaan natin ang pakikipagita natin sa Diyos, Huwag nating sayangin ang pagkakataong makapagbagong buhay sa piling niya ngayon at makasama siya magpakailanman. Nawa ay maging maligaya ang bagong taon mo at eternidad kaibigan.

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Bato adds 2 new commandments vs indiscriminate firing MANILA, Philippines – Before the year ends, Philippine National Police (PNP) Director

General Ronald “Ronald” Dela Rosa added two new commandments to the “Decalogue” of

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald de la Rosa holds two 5.66 mm Squad Automatic Weapons during the opening of the 2016 Defense and Sporting Arms Show at the SM MegaTrade Hall in Mandaluyong City on July 14, 2016. BOY SANTOS, FILE PHOTO

the police’s campaign against indiscriminate firing especially during New Year revelry.

Dela Rosa appealed to the public and to fellow PNP personnel not use their firearms to welcome the New Year as these threaten life and property.

To bolster the campaign, the PNP chief gave two more orders to the original “10 Commandments” in the Christian faith.

“11th Commandment: Thou shall not fire thy guns indiscriminately as it may hit, kill and injure thy neighbor,” Dela Rosa said.

“12th Commandment: If thy neighbor fires his gun indiscriminately, though shall make sure to take photos and videos to be reported to the PNP and uploaded,” he added.

Citizens are urged to report incident of indiscriminate firing of guns or use of prohibited firecrackers to nationwide emergency hotline 911 or through PNP social media accounts, @pnphotline for Twitter and Philippine National Police on Facebook.

As of yesterday, the PNP already tallied four victims of stray bullets, while 10 incidents due to firecrackers were recorded following the implementation of “Iwas Paputok/ Disgrasya” this holiday season.

The authorities also confiscated a total of P827,260 worth of firecrackers, while nine civilians were arrested due to illegal discharge of firearms and three were nabbed for illegal possession, use or sale of firecrackers.

New DOLE policy bans ‘endo’

MANILA, Philippines – The practice of “endo” or end-ofcontract is officially no longer allowed.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday issued a new regulation banning it and other “labor only” contracting practices.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said under the new DOLE Department Order, the old practice of manpower agencies and cooperatives of supplying only labor is now prohibited.

“Endo and ‘labor only’ contracting practices are the usual results of this old practice,” Bello noted.

Under the new order, Bello said terminating the service of a worker after the expiration of his service agreement with his employer is no longer allowed.

With the new policy, the DOH expects the regularization of more workers and the end to illegal contractual employment schemes.

“What we are envisioning is that assuming that we proceed with the contractual operations as provided by law, regular workers will continue to become regulars and those being outsourced by service provider will also attain the status of a regular employee,” Bello pointed out.

To ensure only legitimate contractors can engage in permissible contracting arrangements, DOLE has set higher

capital requirements for such enterprises, from P3 million to P5 million.

A contractor shall also maintain a working capital requirement equivalent to 50 percent of the total salary of all employees to ensure workers shall be paid even if there are collection difficulties.

DOLE also requires contractors to post P100,000 cash bond and additional bond amounting to 50 percent of the salary of 10 percent of its employees.

Contractors must also provide financial assistance to employees waiting for new assignment, for a maximum of three months. If the three-month period lapses without the worker getting new employment, the contractor should give him or her separation pay.

Violators of the new DO face cancellation of registration as well as fines ranging from P10,000 to P50,000.

Bello said a copy of the new DO has been submitted to President Duterte for his guidance and approval.

The new DO authorizes the labor secretary to order the regularization of workers under certain conditions.

“This will significantly shorten the process of the regularization, which usually takes several years when pursued through the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC),” Bello said.

Duterte: Terrorism now connected to drug trade President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said that authorities have found a link between drugs and terrorism.

In an interview with GMA News anchor Jessica Soho, Duterte was asked which problem loomed bigger for the country: drugs or terrorism?

“Ang problema, there seems to be a merger of identities between a clear case of drugs and doon sa Maute,” Duterte said.

“May koneksyon na kasi iyong nakuha naming kampo, there was this big laboratory. May malaking laboratory talaga sa droga and it was a camp,” he added.

Duterte, however, did not elaborate on the claim.

Earlier this month, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said they had evidence that members of the Maute Group were using drugs, which were discovered in hiding places in Butig, Lanao del Sur. AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the Maute Group may be using drugs to recruit younger members. He added that the bandits could be using drugs to remain alert during the military’s offensive operations.

“Maaaring ginagamit po nila ‘yan para mahikayat nila at manatili sa hanay nila. Para manatiling alerto at gising sa kanilang pinagkukutaan,” Padilla told radio dzBB. The offensive was launched by the military at the time after the Maute Group occupied an area of Butig town and replaced the Philippine flag with the black ISIS flag at the old municipal hall compound. —JST, GMA News

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