US Asian Post December 9, 2015

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Vol. 5 No. 11

LOS ANGELES

A BALITA MEDIA PUBLICATION

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PHL a $1-T economy by 2030: IHS Global

Students from Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School participate in an online video conference with students from Mindanao on Wednesday. The initiative is part of the Global Classroom, a program of DepED and Peace Teach, Inc. to mainstream peace education curriculum in the country.(MNS photo)

MANILA, Dec 4 (Mabuhay) – The Philippines is on its way to become a $1-trillion economy by 2030, according to international analytics firm IHS Global Insight, saying it is only sovereign entity in Asia with improving credit prospects.

The country is presently following a trend of improving financial fundamentals, investor confidence, and governance standards, IHS Global, noted in the third quarter report “Sovereign Risk Review.”

The Colorado, USA-based analytics company, which also assigns its own credit rating, upgraded its Philippine outlook to “positive from stable.” The company’s reports are used as reference by other organizations as well as credit rating agencies, investment banks, and development institutions.

“The improved outlook means that the Philippines’ existing credit rating with IHS at the minimum investment grade of ‘BBB-‘ has a

chance of being raised over the near term,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Investor Relations Office (IRO) said on Friday. “… Apart from the clearly strengthened macro-financials over the last few years, the more recent upgrade to the Philippines’ outlook to positive in Q3 rested on improved governance standards and reforms enhancing competitiveness under the Aquino administration,” IHS Global noted.

The Philippines is the only sovereign in Asia that garnered a positive action from IHS. “IHS recognized the Philippines’ comfortable liquidity as evidenced by sustained surpluses in its current account, as well as continually improving manageability of debt on the back of prudent fiscal management and growing economy,” the IRO said.

The Philippines’ current account posted a surplus of $4.7 bilSee ECONOMY, page 12

Aquino 20-day TRO issued vs. arrives from operations of Uber, GrabCar Europe trip MANILA, Dec 4 (Mabuhay) – The Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has issued a 20day temporary restraining order against the operation of transportation network vehicle service (TNVS) without certificate of public convenience or franchise.

The TRO issued by RTC Branch 217 puts a stop on the orders issued by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that allows the operation.

Among said issuances is the

DOTC Department Order No. 2015-011, which introduced additional standard classifications for public trasnport conveyances, including TNVS. It was granted in favor of the Stop and Go Coalition.

The TRO also recognized the coalition’s argument that income of those driving transport utilities with franchise are affected because of the likes of Uber and Grab, which operate without one.

It said the income of drivers of taxi and UV express (FX) were slahed by up to half because of the See GRABCAR, page 12

MANILA, Dec 5 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday afternoon returned from his week-long trip in France, Vatican, and Rome with news of improvement and possible climate support from European leaders.

Aquino announced during his arrival speech that European leaders vowed to stop global temperatures from spilling over 1.5 degrees Celsius during the 21st Conference of Parties on Climate Change.

“Kakabit po nito ang panawagan natin na tulungan ang mga bansa tulad natin sa aspeto ng cliSee EUROPE TRIP, page 12

Japanese emperor, empress to visit Manila in January

Miss Universe Philippines 2015 Pia Wurtzbach (right) poses for media with Miss Costa Rica Brenda Castro and Miss China Yun Fang Xue during the registration and fitting process at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday. Coronation night will be held on December 20, 2015. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Dec 4 (Mabuhay) – Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are scheduled to pay a state visit to the Philippines in January, Malacañang said on Friday.

In a text message to Palace reporters, presidential spokesman Secretary Edwin Lacierda said the state visit would be from January 26 to 30.

“The state visit is in response to President Benigno Aquino III’s long-standing invitation for Their Majesties to visit the Philippines,” Lacierda said.

“Their Majesties last visited the Philippines in 1962 when they See EMPEROS VISIT, page 12

(VATICAN) President Benigno S. Aquino III and His Holiness Pope Francis view the gifts at the Sala dei Papi of the Apostolic Palace during the private audience on Friday (December 04, 2015). (MNS photo)

Aquino invites Pope Francis to return to PHL MANILA, Dec 5 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III has invited Pope Francis to return to the Philippines during his state visit in Rome, Italy.

“Doon sa Secretary of State ko yata nabanggit. So, sabi ko, my countrymen have instructed me to extend the invitation to the Holy Father anytime that he’d want,” the President said, speaking with

Filipino journalists in Italy on Friday.

Aquino said that Pope Francis could not immediately confirm that he will return to the Philippines.

“They understand that the invitation is open, but para clear, hindi niya sinabing pupunta siya sa atin dahil ang klaro napakarami niyang kailangang puntahan pang See INVITES POPE, page 12

Lawyer: Comelec likely to stick to ruling on Poe’s DQ case MANILA, Dec 5 (Mabuhay) – Commissioners from the threemember Second Division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would most likely stick to its decision disqualifying Sen. Grace Poe from the 2016 presidential race for her failure to meet the residency requirement.

High-profile litigation lawyer Raymond Fortun said he does not see Comelec Commissioners Al Parreno, Arthur Lim, and Sheriff Abas reversing their ruling on the matter, especially since they voted unanimously.

“From experience, a unanimous decision is already an ominous sign. It is highly unlikely that these same commissioners would See COMELEC, page 12

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Aquino hits Mar’s opponents in 2016 polls

Rep. Imelda Marcos sits with a book in her hands during the launch of their product, “Imeldifique” cooking wines, at a restaurant in Quezon City on Tuesday. The Marcoses are trying to solidify their return to power, with Sen. Bongbong Marcos running for vice president in the May 2016 elections.(MNS photo)

Trillanes on SWS survey topped

by Duterte: ‘Niluto, violative’ MANILA, Dec. 7 (Mabuhay) -- Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday dismissed the results of the recent SWS presidential survey showing Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on top as mere propaganda coming from the camp of Duterte and his running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

“Ito po ay isang propaganda galing sa Duterte at Cayetano camp na kumbaga ay niluto,” Trillanes said at a forum. “Sinasabi natin na niluto kasi kung titingnan n’yo ‘yung tanong ay talagang isinubo na ‘yung pangalan ni Mayor Duterte.”

He added: “Tingnan n’yo ‘yung question. Very obvious ‘yung question. You don’t state that... It’s violative.

Those who are well-versed in qualitative research, hindi papayagan ‘yan.”

He also pointed out that the survey firm also conducts its polls in Davao, known as Duterte’s baili-

wick, which to Trillanes means it would “automatically favor” Duterte.

The SWS survey, which showed Duterte in first place with 38 percent, was conducted on November 26 to 28, with 1,200 respondents.

It asked, “Ibang listahan naman po ang gamitin natin.

Kasama dito si Rodrigo Duterte bilang isang substitute candidate. Sa mga sumusunod na pangalan sa listahang ito, sino po ang malamang ninyong iboboto bilang PRESIDENTE NG PILIPINAS, kung ang eleksyon ay gaganapin ngayon?”

The SWS poll was commissioned by businessman William J. Lima, believed to be Duterte’s friend.

For his part, Jay Sandoval, SWS director for data processing and sampling, denied that the results were part of a pro-Duterte propaganda, explaining that the

question was in accordance with the objective of the person who commissioned the survey.

Trillanes, a staunch supporter of colleague and presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe, also said the survey was conducted before Duterte’s profanity-laced proclamation speech last November 30, which was aired on national TV. In his speech, which lasted for more than an hour, Duterte did not shy away from his usual tough talk, peppering obscenities into an address where he boasted of killing kidnappers and cursing Pope Francis for traffic brought by road closures for the January papal visit.

“Ito ay ginawa bago nagsalita si Mayor Duterte, kung saan maraming nadismaya sa kaniyang pronouncements, so ‘yun ang mga kailangang i-factor in,” Trillanes said.

MANILA, Dec 4 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Friday (Manila time) took an apparent swipe at the opponents of administration candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II in the 2016 presidential elections.

In his speech before the Filipino community in Rome, Italy, Aquino bashed Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senators Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor Santiago, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who are all gunning for the presidency.

Aquino’s meeting with some 500 Filipinos in Rome is part of his four-day visit to Rome and the Vatican.

He said Filipinos should carefully choose the right successor who will sustain the gains of his administration.

“Ang tanong sa inyo sa susunod na halalan, tayo ba ay patuloy na tataas o babagsak tayo pabalik sa ating pinanggalingan? Suriin po natin ang mga pagpipilian natin,” said Aquino.

Without naming names, Aquino hit Vice President Binay, who is facing a string of corruption allegations during his term as mayor of Makati City.

“Mayroon po diyan,

inakusahan ng pagsasamsam ng kaban ng bayan sa pagkatagal-tagal na panahon.

Kung totoo ho ang alegasyon at nagnanakaw nga itong taong ito, ano po kaya ang matitira para tustusan ang pagganda ng buhay na ipinapangako niya?” said Aquino.

Aquino also slammed Senator Poe, whom he earlier wooed to be the administration party’s vice-presidential candidate.

“Mayroon din naman po, nangangakong hihigitan ang lahat ng nagawa natin, at kung mangyari po ‘yan ako na ho ang unang papalakpak. Pero pakinggan nating mabuti: Ni minsan hindi niya nasabi kung paano tutuparin ang pangako.

Walang konteksto, walang plano, panay batikos at hilaw na pangako,” said Aquino.

“Akala po yata niya, ‘pag nahalal siya, gigising siya kinabukasan sa isang bagong umaga ng may solusyon na sa lahat ng mga binanggit niyang problema,” he added.

Poe is running as an independent presidential candidate under the theme of “Bagong Umaga.”

Aquino also took a swipe

at tough-talking Duterte, saying: “May isa naman po, marami raw po tilang papatayin.”

Speaking of Senator Santiago, the chief executive said: “Ang isa, dadaanin lang daw basta ang kampanya sa social media. Siguro po, hindi siya mulat na hindi ka makakapagpatayo ng kalsada at makakapagpakain ng nagugutom gamit lang ang Facebook.”

Santiago earlier claimed that she is the netizens’ top choice for president in 2016.

Even Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, who is running for vice president, was not spared in Aquino’s speech.

“Ang postura daw po niya, gagawin niya ang tama, pero hindi naman niya maamin ang mga pagkakamaling nagawa sa nakaraan. ‘Di po ba: Kung hindi niya sinasabing mali, malamang palagay niya tama ito? Kung palagay niya tama, malamang din po, uulitin niya ang mga pagkakamaling ito,” said Aquino.

Senator Marcos, son and namesake of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, has repeatedly said that he has nothing to apologize for over the Martial Law years.

(MNS)

Binay camp: Demolition job vs VP resumes MANILA, Dec 4 (Mabuhay) – The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday said they are bracing themselves for the continuation of the alleged demolition job against the opposition’s presidential candidate.

This, following the remarks made by President Benigno Aquino III alluding to the accusations of corruption against Binay while pushing for his preferred successor, Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Mar Roxas.

In a statement, Atty. Rico Quicho, vice presidential spokesperson for political affairs, said they find it “unfortunate” that the President has supposedly forgotten his earlier statement that Binay should be presumed innocent.

Aquino’s latest “jab” against the Vice President, said Quicho, signals the continuation of the demolition job against Binay, the standard bearer of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

“But the President’s latest jab can be interpreted as a signal to resume the demolition work on the Vice

President. We are bracing ourselves but we will not be deterred from talking to the people about the Vice President’s programs to address poverty, hunger and unemployment,” he said.

Aquino, speaking before the Filipino community in Italy, slammed the other individuals vying for the presidency, including Senator Grace Poe, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

“Suriin po natin ang mga pagpipilian natin. Mayroon po diyan, inakusahan ng pagsasamsam ng kaban ng bayan sa pagkatagal-tagal na panahon. Kung totoo ang alegasyon at nagnanakaw nga itong taong ito, ano po kaya ang matitira para tustusan ang pagganda ng buhay na ipinapangako niya?” the President said, an apparent swipe against Binay.

The camp of Binay, for his part, turned the tables on the President and his anointed successor, saying Roxas’ alleged incompetence and inaction as secretary of the Department of Transpor-

tation and Communications (DOTC) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) “only made situations worse.”

“The MRT is in a worse state now. Traffic is now a daily hell for commuters and motorists. Licenses and car plates take forever. Billions in funds for local governments, water projects, developmental programs remain unreleased and trapped in a bureaucratic limbo of his own making.

“Citizens live in fear and no longer feel safe in their homes. We have rampant criminality, unsolved killings of judges and journalists, and a drug menace that has infected almost all barangays in the country,” said Quicho.

These, he said, need concrete answers from Roxas, who is running on a platform of continuity.

The Binay camp, however, claimed that this means continuing “the insensitive and inefficient governance that has failed to address poverty, hunger and unemployment.” (MNS)

Biliran mayor indicted for graft Duterte says he MANILA, Dec 4 (Mabu- umentation”, according to was too young to hay) – The Office of the Om- the Ombudsman which had budsman has found prob- received complaints that the complain about able cause to indict Caibi- medicines were overpriced. priest’s abuse ran, Biliran Mayor Eulalio “The supplier, Andrea Maderazo for graft over the procurement of medicines without public bidding in 2010.

Maderazo is facing charges for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Municipal Treasurer Loreto Serdeña Jr. and Accounting Department Officerin-Charge Rodolfo Baguna are also facing charges for conspiring with the mayor in giving unwarranted benefit, advantage and preference to the supplier, Andrea Medi Center.

According to the Ombudsman, investigation revealed that the municipality’s purchase of medicines worth P283,335.15 for its rural health unit in August 2010 did not pass through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC).

The Commission on Audit (COA) also reported that the purchase had “no proper doc-

Medi Center, was awarded the procurement contract without the benefit of a fair system in determining the best possible price for the government. The supplier was able to profit from the transaction without showing proof that their prices were the most beneficial to the government,” the resolution read.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, in the 11page resolution, said Maderazo, Serdeña and Baguna are liable for unlawfully resorting to shopping as an alternative mode of procurement considering that the purchase price was beyond the P50,000-threshold allowed for a fourth class municipality. (MNS)

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MANILA, Dec 4 (Mabuhay) – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Friday indicated that he was too young to think about filing a complaint when he was allegedly sexually abused by a priest during his high school years at the Ateneo De Davao.

“First year, magreklamo ka?

Takot ka baka ikaw pa ang ma-whack,” the 70-year-old Duterte said when asked why he didn’t complain when the abuse supposedly happened.

Duterte, however, said that he was not upset with all members of the clergy.

He said three priests who are close to him had told him that Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles wanted to talk to him and he’s willing to meet the prelate.

“Pinatawag ako. Walang akong magawa. In matters of religion, may away nga naman ako pero pag sinabi ng bishop na halika rito mag-usap tayo, wala akong magawa. I have to go there,” Duterte said.

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‘We feel ashamed’: Pakistani relatives of San Bernardino shooter

By Sattar Qamar

Karor Lal Esan, PAKISTAN | AFP | Sunday 12/6/2015 – Estranged relatives of a Pakistani woman involved in a mass shooting in California spoke Sunday of their shame at her crimes, as former classmates and teachers painted a picture of a quiet, religiously conservative student.

Tashfeen Malik, 29, and her husband Syed Farook, 28, gunned down 14 people at a social services centre in San Bernardino, an act praised by the Islamic State group who hailed the couple as “soldiers” of its self-proclaimed caliphate.

According to her uncle Malik Ahmed Ali Aulakh,

who is a former provincial minister, Tashfeen was born in the village of Karor Lal Esan in the central province of Punjab but moved to Saudia Arabia around 1989.

Tashfeen’s father Gulzar Malik an engineer, had grown distant from his family and “he never came back even to attend the marriages of close relatives”, added Aulakh.

“We are ashamed and shocked about this act done by our niece—why did she do something so gruesome? We can’t believe it,” he told AFP. Malik Omar Ali Aulakh, another of her uncles, added: “We have not kept in touch with Gulzar’s family and he avoided contacting us.”

The southern region of Punjab from which Tashfeen hailed has long been associated with Sufism, a mystical form of Islam whose adherents worship with song and dance, attend shrines and devote themselves to historic saints—practices viewed as heretical by more orthodox Muslims.

Indeed, according to Mohammad Jamil, a neighbour of Tashfeen’s father, one of Tashfeen’s uncles himself was a Sufi devotional singer.

“We don’t want Muslims to do such things. Such people should be punished, must be punished,” said Jamil, adding: “She has dishonoured Pakistan.”

It is still not clear where

Tashfeen became radicalised, but by the time she returned to Pakistan in 2007 to pursue a degree in pharmacology at the Bahauddin Zakariya University, she was devoutly religious and wore a veil, according to former instructors.

“She was not outspoken or ultra-modern but she was religious minded, polite and submissive,” said Dr Khalid Hussain Janbaz, chair of the pharmacy department.

“I don’t think she could have done what they have accused her of, she was a very good student who never created problems for staff or classfellows,” added Dr Hussain Shah, an associate professor in the department.

Binay, Poe camps react to Aquino speech about Mar 2016 opponents MANILA, Dec 4 (Mabuhay) – The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday hit back at President Benigno Aquino III for sparing administration bet Mar Roxas from his “honest appraisal” of presidential aspirants.

“An honest appraisal of all the presidential candidates should not exclude the administration candidate,” lawyer Rico Quicho, Binay’s spokesperson, said in a press statement.

Quicho said Roxas occupied several key positions in the Cabinet in the last five years “yet through his incompetence and inaction only made situations worse.”

Roxas first served as Department of Transportation and Communications chief before being named Interior and Local Government secretary following Jessse Robredo’s death in Aug. 2012.

“The MRT is in a worse state now. Traffic is now a daily hell for commuters and motorists. Licenses and car plates take forever. Billions in funds for local governments, water projects, developmental programs remain unreleased and trapped in a bureaucratic limbo of his own making,” Quicho said.

Further, Quicho said citizens live in fear and no longer feel safe in their homes.

“We have rampant criminality, unsolved killings of judges and journalists, and

a drug menace that has infected almost all barangays in the country.”

He said these are concrete issues that need concrete answers from the administration candidate. “He is, after all, running on a platform of continuity. For ordinary citizens, this means continuing the insensitive and inefficient governance that has failed to address poverty, hunger and unemployment.”

Earlier, Aquino took a swipe at several candidates in the 2016 polls as he urged the voters to carefully choose the right successor who will sustain the gains of his administration. He made the speech before a Filipino community in Italy.

In his speech, Aquino mentioned that a certain presidential candidate, whom he did not name, is accused of corruption.

“Mayroon po diyan, inakusahan ng pagsasamsam ng kaban ng bayan sa pagkatagal-tagal na panahon. Kung totoo ho ang alegasyon at nagnanakaw nga itong taong ito, ano po kaya ang matitira para tustusan ang pagganda ng buhay na ipinapangako niya?” said Aquino.

Binay, who is running for president under the United Nationalist Alliance, is facing graft and plunder charges in connection with alleged anomalous transactions in Makati City dur-

ing his term as city mayor.

Binay has since denied the allegations against him, saying these were aimed at demolishing his chances in next year’s polls. Quicho said they find it unfortunate that the President has forgotten his statement last year that Binay should be presumed innocent, a right accorded to all individuals under our Constitution.

He said the President’s latest jab can be interpreted as a signal to resume the demolition work on the Vice President. “We are bracing ourselves but we will not be deterred from talking to the people about the Vice President’s programs to address poverty, hunger and unemployment.”

Meanwhile, the camp of Senator Grace Poe believed the President was not alluding to the senator in his speech.

“Sen. Poe is definitely not the candidate being referred to. Sen Poe’s candidacy hinges on building on the gains of the current administration,” Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, Poe’s spokesperson, said.

Gatchalian said that in numerous times, Poe has acknowledged that the current administration has fostered economic growth and good governance and she aims to build on those gains.

“Furthermore, as a candidate, she has laid out a

Airport police want total screening of all airport employees Union says now is the time with ever-present threat of terrorism

LOS ANGELES, CA, December 4, 2015 – The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) commends efforts by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) to bolster airport security given the Russian Metro jet bombing and a recent CNN report highlighting France’s concern regarding the radicalization of airport employees.

The most comprehensive and practical ways to increase security at our nation’s airports are to screen all airport employees, including TSA, and limit the number of employee access points, while providing airport police access, in real-time, to all closed circuit security camera systems-recommendations the AAAPO has expressed for the last several years, including in a 2012 letter to then TSA Administrator John Pistole.

At some of the country’s largest airports, employees can enter the aeronautical side of the airport via multiple rudimentary turnstiles, putting them in the vicinity of active airplanes. These employees undergo no screening, nor do their backpacks, purses or other baggage brought onto the airport grounds. Furthermore, most airports have a fractured camera system in which vendors, tenants, TSA and others can deny live,

real-time access to airport law enforcement so it is essential that a seamless surveillance system is provided to police.

These gaping security loophole have been addressed by the AAAPO several times, but these concern has fallen on deaf ears. While it may be difficult to track the radicalization of an employee, 100% screening of employees could help mitigate and perhaps thwart an attempted “insider” attack. In addition, lapses in camera coordination have led to airport disruptions and numerous individuals eluding capture. Thus, the AAAPO reiterates its recommendations that all airport employees, including TSA, be subject to the same security requirements held to passengers and any entity with a closed circuit camera system provide realtime access to airport police.

Some may claim total employee screening is not possible, but one major airport is already doing so-Miami International Airport. This airport is America’s secondbusiest airport for international passengers, and has nearly 38,000 employees. The airport has been screening employees since 1999 and has four checkpoints dedicated to employee screening.

According to the CNN report, France has been tracking the radicalization of employees at French airports since 2004,demonstrating

that this is not a novel issue.

The recent Russian Metro jet bombing exemplifies this threat, as it is suspected that the bomb used was planted by an airport employee. In this regard, AAAPO calls on Congress to require the screening of all airport employees at the nation’s airports.

In the interest of public safety, with a record breaking Holiday travel season upon us and the ever-present threat of terrorism, now is the time, more than ever, to implement total screening of all airport employees and real-time airport police access to all closed circuit cameras at airports.

The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA) represents the sworn police officers and firefighters of the Los Angeles Airport Police Department assigned to protect and serve Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY).

For more information on LAAPOA, please visit laapoa. com.

The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) is comprised of rank-andfile airport police officers (including many dual police/ aircraft rescue firefighters) who stand as the first line of defense against terrorist attacks, hijackings and other criminal activity at our nation’s airports.

detailed plan on where to take the country as early as when she announced her candidacy,” he said.

In Aquino’s speech, he said: “Mayroon din naman po, nangangakong hihigitan ang lahat ng nagawa natin, at kung mangyari po ‘yan ako na ho ang unang papalakpak. Pero pakinggan nating mabuti: Ni minsan hindi niya nasabi kung paano tutuparin ang pangako.

Walang konteksto, walang plano, panay batikos at hilaw na pangako.”

“Akala po yata niya, ‘pag nahalal siya, gigising siya kinabukasan sa isang bagong umaga ng may solusyon na sa lahat ng mga binanggit niyang problema,” he added. Poe uses the slogan “Bagong Umaga,” and some Liberal Party members have said that she is not yet ripe for the presidency.

(MNS)

Pakistan’s government Sunday issued a statement condemning the attack, even as its interior minister said Islamabad could not be held responsible.

“A country or a national or a religion cannot be held

responsible for a crime committed by an individual and I appreciate a wise approach adopted by the US administration on the issue,” minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told reporters in Islamabad.

Aquino: BBL will prevent extremism in PHL MANILA, Dec 5 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III said that the passing of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will likely prevent the growth of extremism in the country, a threat that has become imminent following the increase in local bandit groups pledging support for ISIS. In a press briefing, Aquino who was Italy for a state visit, mentioned that an official in the Vatican City praised the country’s push for the BBL, as it is being seen as a driver for peace.

“I think it was the Secretary of State of the Vatican who was saying that we can serve as an example of how to reach out to our Muslim brothers and achieve peace, and especially in the spirit where extremism is such a threat worldwide, that example might be useful to others to build upon as a response to the radicalization that is happening,” he said.

Aquino said the BBL can prevent local bandit groups like the Abu Sayyaf from becoming full-blown extremist groups.

“We also mentioned that the Abu Sayyaf, for instance, claims that they were once part of the Al Qaeda network.

Now they claim that they are part of the ISIS network, and if there is another group that comes up, I assume they’ll also be—they will claim also being the local affiliate,” he said.

“But we did emphasize that, to a large degree, they are more of a bandit group rather than a religious ideological group. And we are hoping that it doesn’t move in that direction that’s why (there is) the continuous effort (on the) BBL,” he added.

Although he has less than a year left as president, Aquino is still hopeful that the BBL will be passed by Congress.

“Now, I am still confident that there is still a very strong push that can be made. Of course, we’d want it to happen sooner rather than later, but at the end of the day, I think the movement towards having the BBL in its present form or with a little modification is really just a question of time.,” he said.

The BBL seeks to create an autonomous political entity known as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Mindanao putting in practice the peace agreement between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.(MNS)

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Aquino ready to face raps after 2016 MANILA, Dec 4 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Friday indicated that he is ready to face possible charges from his critics who were not spared in his administration’s anti-corruption efforts.

In a meeting with the Filipino community during his state visit in Rome, Italy, Aquino said he is already expecting the possible “revenge” of his critics when he steps down from office in 2016, and is stripped off his immunity from suit.

“Hindi pa nga po tapos ang laban: Pagbaba ko sa puwesto, baka po simulan na akong bawian ng lahat ng tiwaling pinanagot natin, para takutin ang lahat ng mga tulad nating maayos ang hangarin,” said Aquino.

“Handa po akong harapin ito, dahil maliwanag sa akin na kung sumang-ayon akong manatili lang ang status quo, walang mangyayari sa bansa natin,” he added.

Aquino also spoke of his administration’s gains in the economic front as well as their inclusive growth campaign, which he said resulted to more employment opportunities and infrastructure projects, and improved social services.

He also praised the members of his Cabinet, whom he said were consistently criticized despite their sacrifices.

“Ang mga kasama natin sa Gabinete, nagbuhos talaga ng literal na blood, sweat, and tears para maabot natin ang narating natin ngayon... kapareho ko [sila] sa kagustuhang baguhin ang dinatnang status quo, at pareho po nating nagsakripisyo,” said Aquino.

“Hindi lang po bumagsak ang mga suweldo nila; pati walang saysay at walang tigil na pang-alipusta, pinasan ng atin pong mga kasamahan at Gabinete at gobyerno,” the chief executive added.

After his state visit in Italy, Aquino is scheduled to travel to the Vatican where he will pay a reciprocal visit to Pope Francis, who was in the Philippines in January this year.

There, Aquino will also witness the unveiling and the blessing of a mosaic sculpture of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, and will meet with Filipino priests and religious. (MNS)

Obama tells fearful America IS will be defeated

By Andrew Beatty

Washington, UNITED STATES | AFP | Monday 12/7/2015 – US President Barack Obama, in a rare prime-time speech designed to reassure a jittery nation, vowed Sunday that America will destroy the Islamic State group and hunt down its followers at home or abroad.

Facing questions about his leadership and strategy, Obama harnessed the highest trappings of US power to calm a country put on edge by a rampage in California that killed 14 Americans.

“After so much war, many Americans are asking whether we are confronted by a cancer that has no immediate cure,” said Obama in a solemn address from the Oval Office, adding that the San Bernardino massacre was evidence of an “evolving” and increasingly homegrown threat.

As a father of two daughters, Obama said, he could imagine himself or his kin in San Bernardino or Paris.

“Here’s what I want you to know,” he told the country. “The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it. We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us.”

“Our military will continue to hunt down terrorist plotters in any country where it is necessary.”

Obama urged Muslims in America and around the world to “decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and Al-Qaeda promote.”

He detailed a multi-pronged strategy against Islamic State that will rely as much on community action, high-tech and countering propaganda as military force.

‘Dark path of radicalization’ It is just the third time Obama has delivered an Oval Office address – deployed by presidents since Harry Truman to convey resolve in the face of a national crisis.

First was when the Gulf of Mexico was being flooded with crude oil and later to mark the end of combat operations in Iraq.

A senior administration official said the speech was designed to convey the seriousness with which Obama was taking the shootings in San Bernardino, which are being investigated as a terror attack.

On Wednesday a young married Muslim couple dropped off their sixmonth-old daughter with her grandmother, donned tactical gear and opened fire on an office party full of his coworkers.

Obama said the pair “had gone down the dark path of radicalization, embracing a perverted interpretation of Islam that calls for war against America and the West.”

“They had stockpiled assault weapons, ammunition, and pipe bombs.

So this was an act of terrorism.”

But he added that there was “no evidence that the killers were directed by a terrorist organization overseas or that they were part of a broader conspiracy here at home.”

Both shooters died in a hail of police bullets a few hours later, leaving questions about how, when and why they may have become radicalized.

Islamic State has praised the San Bernardino attackers, US-born Syed Farook and his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik, as “soldiers” of its selfproclaimed caliphate, while stopping short of claiming outright credit.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa, Farook’s father suggested his son approved the ideas of the Islamic State group and was fixated with Israel.

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No indication California attackers ‘part of organized group’: White House Washington, UNITED STATES | AFP | Saturday 12/5/2015 – There is no indication that the shooters who killed 14 people in California are part of a larger terrorist group, the White House said Saturday, even as the Islamic State group claimed the pair were “soldiers” of its caliphate. A team of top officials including FBI Director James Comey, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson told President Barack Obama “that they had as of yet uncovered no indication the killers were part of an organized group or formed part of a broader terrorist cell.”

However the president’s team, which also included other intelligence community leadership, “highlighted several pieces of information that point to the perpetrators being radicalized to violence to commit these heinous attacks.”

Wednesday’s rampage in San Bernardino, which also wounded 21 people, was carried out by Syed

Farook, 28, and his 29-year-old wife Tashfeen Malik.

They were killed in a shootout with police hours after the attack.

The FBI said Saturday it was working in coordination with local authorities to pursue “any and all leads” in its investigation, the White House said.

The president was briefed on the latest details and directed his team to take all necessary steps to protect Americans, it added.

The FBI has already announced that it is treating the investigation into the attack as an act of terrorism.

In its English-language radio broadcast Saturday, IS stopped short of explicitly claiming the attack but referred to the assailants as soldiers of the Khilafah (caliphate) who were “killed in the path of Allah.”

In the group’s Arabic-language radio broadcast earlier in the day, however, they referred to the attackers simply as “supporters of the Islamic State.”

ARCA statement on shooting at Inland Regional Center Sacramento, CA – Last December 3, two gunmen entered a conference room on the Inland Regional Center property, killing fourteen people, and injuring many more. The facility was rented by the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health for a holiday party. The attackers were not connected to the regional center. Initial reports indicate one attacker was a County employee.

Inland is one of California’s 21 non-profit regional centers providing assessment, case management, and other direct services for over 280,000 people with developmental disabilities and their families.

They also purchase and coordinate community-based services and supports. Developmental disabilities include autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities.

All regional center employees were safely evacuated. However, one of the victims was Daniel Kaufman, an employee at a coffee shop at the conference room.

The shop was independently owned and operated, and leased the space from Inland. It employed mul-

tiple people with developmental disabilities. We are relieved nobody served by the regional center was harmed. But the death of Daniel Kaufman and the County Department of Public Health employees targeted in this attack fills us with sorrow, knowing so many families are in mourning.

We are united in love and compassion for all affected by this tragedy. The outpouring of support continues to be truly humbling. The developmental disabilities community is a family, and in these times of crisis, we come even closer together.

The regional centers will continue to focus on ensuring the safety and well-being of the people they serve, their families, and their employees. Each center will be working with its local community to ensure their security and support needs continue to be met.

They will also continue to work closely with the state Department of Developmental Services to optimize emergency response protocols.

Inland Regional Center is currently closed, and expects to reopen on Monday.

Political knives out after California attack

By Sébastien Blanc

Washington, UNITED STATES | AFP | Monday 12/7/2015 – With dust from the California massacre barely settled, the killings are sharpening the US political divide over gun control and spurring attacks on President Barack Obama’s counter-terrorism strategy.

As Obama prepared to address the nation on his plans to keep Americans safe and defeat IS, Republican foes lined up on the Sunday talk shows to attack his leadership.

In the wake of Wednesday’s attacks by a young Muslim couple believed to have embraced radical ideology, Republican presidential contenders slammed the president for pushing stricter gun laws while failing to tackle the threat from Islamic extremism head-on.

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said Obama’s refusal to designate “radical Islam” as the enemy was a roadblock.

“We are having a tremendous problem with radical Islamic terrorism,” Trump said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” program which aired Sunday. “And we have a president that won’t issue the term. He won’t talk about it.”

“Until he admits that this is a problem, we’re never gonna solve the problem.”

The billionaire presidential hopeful stands accused of whipping up xenophobia in the wake of the Paris attacks, including by calling for the creation of a Muslim registry, and insisting “thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey cheered on 9/11, a claim that has been widely debunked.

Tashfeen Malik, 29, and Syed Farook, 28 -- a married Muslim couple with a baby girl and no known history of radicalism—gunned down 14 people at a social services center in San Bernardino, before dying in a shootout with police.

While it has not claimed the assault, the Islamic State group hailed the couple as “soldiers” of its selfproclaimed caliphate.

In his CBS interview Trump said that political correctness should not prevent the “profiling” of Muslims perceived as a threat.

“If you have people coming out of mosques with hatred and with death in their eyes and on their minds, we’re going to have to do something,” Trump said.

‘Fight for Western civilization’ Asked about Obama’s avoidance of the term “radical Islam,” Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton cast her support strongly behind the president.

“The problem is, that sounds like we’re declaring a war against religion. That’s number one, wrong” she told ABC’s “This Week.”

But Clinton distanced herself from the Obama administration’s strategy on IS, saying that “clearly we have to have a much more robust air campaign against ISIS targets.”

In the Republican camp, meanwhile, presidential candidates painted the administration’s strategy on IS as deeply flawed.

“The left has a hard time recognizing what this is, this a fight for Western civilization” said establishment candidate Jeb Bush, whose campaign has struggled to get off the ground.

“The president has created directives from the White House that create all sort of bureaucratic challenges for air strikes,” Bush told ABC’s “This Week.”

He criticized what he said was a large percentage of sorties that “came back without dropping their ordnances because there was such a concern about making sure there were not civilian casualties.”

‘Sitting ducks’ The California rampage, which also wounded 21, was the worst mass shooting in three years in a country where such killings have become routine.

The New York Times on Saturday published a front-page editorial—the first since 1920 -- in response, calling for controls to end “the gun epidemic in America.”

But a powerful conservative movement – spearheaded by Trump among others – is pushing for just the opposite.

Trump argued that in San Bernardino, as in Paris last month, the victims were “like sitting ducks” because they were unarmed.

“In Paris, they had no guns. In California they had no guns. Only the bad guys had the guns,” he said.

Former neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson echoed his remarks.

“California has some of the strictest gun control laws. And the semiautomatic weapons that were used were banned. The magazines were banned. It was a gun-free zone. And yet it still happened,” Carson told Fox News.

The two candidates’ statements echo comments made by the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby’s president right after the attacks.

“When evil knocks on our doors, Americans have a power that no other people on the planet share: the full-throated right to defend our families and ourselves with our Second Amendment,” NRA head Wayne LaPierre said in a video.

A rising Rubio shows conservative gravitas on 2016 trail

By Michael Mathes

Greenland, UNITED STATES | AFP | Sunday 12/6/2015 – Donald Trump grabs headlines with his unshakable self-glorification. But better-informed, increasingly confident rival Marco Rubio is making a play for the Republican presidential nomination, and winning over skeptics in early-voting New Hampshire.

Rubio is the 44-year-old US senator from Florida with the million-watt smile, an affinity for hip-hop music and a propensity to ruffle establishment feathers in Washington.

But at a Friday campaign stop, he came across as a national security expert playing up his foreign policy fluency to a crowd shaken by recent spasms of extremist violence.

And he wasted little time before ripping the Obama

administration – and Democrats like presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton –for urging stricter gun laws immediately after Wednesday’s San Bernardino shooting that killed 14 people.

“Gun control” is not the answer, Rubio told about 180 voters at a Seacoast Republican Women’s luncheon at a country club in the small town of Greenland.

“We need bomb control” because the California attackers had possessed pipe bombs, he said. “We need terrorist control.”

Rubio is threading a political needle in the 2016 race.

He lies between the uncompromising ideological warfare being waged by rival candidate Ted Cruz and the establishmentarian Jeb Bush, whose campaign has struggled.

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New fitness gaming system aims to take your cardio workout to a new level Saturday December 5 2015 (Relaxnews) – For anyone who needs extra motivation to get active, or just wants to make fitness more fun, wellness technology company Blue Goji this week announced the release of their Goji Play 2 fitness gaming system.

Wellness technology company Blue Goji has released Goji Play 2, designed to turn exercise into an exciting gaming session with its choice of 20 free downloadable games, helping you to work out while you play.

Unike other offers in fitness gaming, Goji Play 2 is not a mobile app for your smartphone, or a video game for your television, but an iOS and Android platform fitness gaming system that can be linked to a variety of

cardio machines, turning a routine and repetitive cardio workout into a fun and exciting game.

It can be linked to several types of machines including bikes, treadmills, stair steppers, and ellipticals, meaning you can play at home or in the gym, and with two controllers and two foam batons users can work out together and play together.

Users can download games from both the App Store and Google Play to link to their chosen cardio machine. With a choice of action, racing, puzzles, trivia, and arcade style games, users can choose according to their gaming preference and how intense they’d like the workout.

Goji Play 2 is available to purchase now from www.

bluegoji.com priced at $119.

The concept of combining fitness and gaming has been perhaps most popularized

by Nintendo’s Wii with its range of games that can be played on their console device and linked with the television.

The Wii Fit U now offers 19 new activities, making the total now over 70, a Fit Meter to track your progress and take on fitness challenges, and online Gym Communities so you can share progress with others.

Selected activities can also be used without a television using just the balance board and GamePad. Meanwhile other fitness gaming systems now available also include theMOVOBall, which allows users to work out on a Swiss ball

while playing smartphone games or as part of an interactive game on the television screen. Users place the Swiss ball on the MOVOBall motion cradle which is then connected with a TV, smartphone, or Bluetooth device for an interactive workout that can be done alone or with family and friends.

The concept has also been extended to rehabilitation and physical therapy programs, such as in the case of BioGaming’s interactive rehabilitation platform. Using motion sensors, artificial intelligence, and learning systems enables patients to exercise as part of an interactive games, which not only makes the program more appealing, but also enables therapists to monitor performance remotely.

Blue Goji have announced the launch of their Goji Play 2 fitness game system. ©Business Wire

Smart textiles could remove pollution from our homes

This new technology is based on a chemical process called photocatalysis, discovered in the 1990s, which can neutralize pollutants in the presence of light. ©Cyril FRESILLON/IRCELYON/CNRS

Saturday December 5 2015 (Relaxnews) – A team of researchers at the CNRS research center in the French city of Lyon have developed a light-emitting textile that could absorb the pollution in our homes.

With the international climate change conference underway in Paris, this discovery by a CNRS research team in Lyon could be a big step forward for the quality of our environment by removing certain pollutants from our homes and, on a global level, by removing pollution from the

air and water and neutralizing odors, particularly in industry.

With interest growing in eco-friendly home deco (such as the fashion for plants with depolluting properties), this new type of textile could find a place in our homes in sofas, cushions, curtains, blankets, etc.

The original idea is to seamlessly integrate optical fibers, in the form of LEDs, into fabric without using an external lamp. A photocatalyst – a mixture of titanium dioxide and various solvents – is soaked into the textile

and activated by light.

This innovative technology is based on a chemical reaction called photocatalysis, which was discovered in the 1990s. This process enables pollutants to be neutralized using light. The construction sector already uses it in self-cleaning paint and concrete.

This chemical process, which is an industrial secret, has been developed in the Brochier Technologies Research & Development lab in Villeurbanne, France.

One of Brochier Technologies’ core businesses is to

develop optic fiber weaving solutions for applications in the lighting, communication, security, depollution and medical spheres.

The researchers are still studying the textile’s effectiveness on different types of pollutant such as fine particles.

In the industrial field, the invention is currently being tested onsite as a means of removing residual pharmaceutical and pesticide molecules found in water to prevent them from being discharged into the environment.

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When ‘what if’ becomes ‘what is’ in ‘A Second Chance’

A passenger walks past the “Last Check Booth” at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport departure area on Thursday. The booth was installed to allow passengers to strip their luggage of any prohibited items, including ammunition before the security screening.(MNS photo)

Father of San Bernardino shooter says son ‘agreed with IS ideology’: report Rome, Italy | AFP | Sunday 12/6/2015 – The father of Syed Farook, who with his wife shot dead 14 people in San Bernardino, California, says his son approved the ideas of the Islamic State group and was fixated with Israel, the Italian daily La Stampa reported Sunday.

“He said he agreed with (IS chief Abu Bakr) al-Baghdadi’s ideas for creating the Islamic State, and he was obsessed by Israel,” La Stampa quoted the father of the shooter, also named Syed Farook, as saying.

“I always used to say to him, be calm, patience, in two years’ time Israel will no longer exist,” he said, in remarks reported in Italian.

“Geopolitics are changing: Russia, China, America too, nobody wants Jews over there. They will put them all in Ukraine. Why bother fighting them? We did that before, and we lost,” the 67-year-old said. “But he

didn’t want to know. He was obsessed” by the idea of fighting Israel, Farook was quoted as saying.

The younger Farook, 28, and his Pakistani-born wife Tashfeen Malik, 29, mowed down people at a social services centre in San Bernardino on Wednesday, killing 14 and wounding 21.

They were then shot dead by police.

The IS group – also called ISIL or Daesh – hailed the couple as “soldiers” of its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

Wednesday’s massacre, if proven to be terror-related, would be the deadliest such assault on American soil since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The older Farook, who arrived in the United States from Pakistan in 1972, said that, as a teenager, his son “didn’t go to parties with his friends, saying that a good Muslim can only see his wife

dance.”

He said he “once” saw his son “with a pistol” and got angry with him about it.

Asked by La Stampa whether the son had been in contact with “terrorists outside the country”, the father said he didn’t know.

US investigators say they are examining a Facebook posting in which Malik is believed to have pledged allegiance to IS chief alBaghdadi, made around the time of the attack.

JASHS (Binondo) alumni Christmas party Dec. 20 The Jose Abad Santos High School (Binondo) USA Alumni Association will hold its 2015 Christmas party at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, at the Mayflower Seafood Restaurant, 679 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

“A Second Chance”, the highly anticipated movie sequel of the 2007 romantic blockbuster hit “One More Chance”, broke box office record in Philippine cinema history.

It earned 43.3 Million PHP on its opening day and grossed over 300 Million PHP on its first week.

Legions of fans swarmed the movie theaters to witness the continuation of the “Popoy-Basha” love story, aptly portrayed

by John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo. The premise of the original story and this sequel are an insightful take on what happens after romance. Most romantic movies just scratch the surface, boy-gets-girl. But what happens after that?

Relationships never end up where they started. Marriage has two people who are different from what they thought they are going to be. It changes people in ways you don’t expect and can’t predict.

For marriage to work, you end up with more of what you’re sure you wanted and less of what you thought you expected.

I had the opportunity to discuss the making of this sequel from one of the creators, Vanessa Valdez. “The movie that we have right now was written and re-written, edited and re-edited several times.” Then she elaborates, “Kasi we honor the audience’s knowledge of Popoy and Basha and their experience. People loved them. They want to be happy for them.”

Based on the movie trailer the question of “did they get back together?” was answered and it delighted many fans. Then there is a follow-up question, “will they survive the trials & challenges of marriage?”

“Popoy’s not the same guy you saw in the first movie,” she explains. “We started the movie showing what they went through, what they were, and the result of that happiness. Sobrang happy mo, may mga pinapangako ka. May mga pangarap kayo.

Pero papunta sa pangarap mayroong masasaktan.

May nababaliwala, may mga fears na dadating.”

Vanessa continues in her exposition of marriage in the movie. Clearly her experience in making “One More Chance” was an important insight for developing this theme even deeper. “Someone has to be brave enough to ask ‘what if ‘ to know ‘what is’.

Before you get into a marriage you have to know what you want for yourself, and be brave to embrace ‘what is’. The good part, the bad part, you embrace it and learn to live with that.”

The gem of this movie is that it breaks the stereotype of romantic movies. It’s an unromanticized romance. It’s love and affection, warts and all. “This time we cannot be that romantic. It has to be real.”

Vanessa passionately shared her vision, “We want people to come out of the cinema thinking it was not romanticized but I still believe in the value of marriage. I believe that it’s worth spending your life with this person. It’s worth making that commitment everyday. When you get married and make that vow, it’s not the first and last time that you make that vow. Everyday, when you wake up, you choose this person. I might not

like you today or you’re not likable today but I will love you even when you’re difficult to love, I will love you no matter what. That’s what a marriage is. It’s an eveyday commitment.

Sabi nga ni Direk Cathy, ‘We have to show how do you keep the music playing?

How do you keep the romance going? How do you keep the candles burning?’ You gotta make it work.”

This film clicked because it is relatable to me. After being married for more than two decades, this is the first time that I’ve seen on screen this subject handled in a way that speaks to me so deeply.

The creators, Vanessa Valdez and Carmi Raymundo truly touched on what it takes to make life work in a durable lasting relationship.

The execution of the story was masterfully handled by Direk Cathy Garcia-Molina.

Her realistic style was honed through many successful romcom films. Sitting in that theater looking at the big screen felt like a window into the character’s lives.

The lead actors were natural. “Bea Alonzo is the ultimate romantic heroine,” states Vanessa. “She is strong and independent.

You have to earn her. She knows herself well and knows her values.”

The audience is excited to see her characters come to life, and the fact is that the John Lloyd-Bea chemistry onscreen is so raw and so real. Vanessa says, “Para silang kapit bahay mo na mahal na mahal mo.

Ang feeling mo ang invested mo sa kanila kasi when they say they love each other you believe it. When they look at each other, the small intimacy moments feel very real. They bring that magic on the screen because they are very good actors and very dedicated to their craft.”

When I came out of the movie, I answered my own question. Was it worth watching late at night and needed 3 cups of coffee to stay awake? My immediate answer to that was, yes. Definitely looking forward to giving myself a second chance to see this movie.

With the movie’s co-creator Vanessa Valdez and boxoffice queen Bea Alonzo.

Man subdued on Lufthansa flight after tampering with door

Berlin, GERMANY | AFP | Sunday 12/6/2015 – Lufthansa crew and passengers overpowered a man who tampered with a cabin door on a Frankfurtto-Belgrade flight on Sunday, the German carrier said, insisting the safety of the plane had not been threatened.

“A passenger got up and tried to do something with the door, but was stopped by crew members and other passengers,” said airline spokesman Andreas Bartels.

“The passenger was then restrained for the remainder of the flight in his seat and handed over to the authorities in Belgrade,” he said.

“It was a normal door, which of course cannot be opened in-flight... it was not the cockpit door,” he said, denying an earlier report on Serbian television. “The safety of the flight was not jeopardized and the flight landed safely in Belgrade”.

Bartels declined to pro-

vide details of the passenger’s identity or nationality, or what the man said during the incident.

Serbia’s state-run RTS TV reported that police had arrested a Jordanian man after he tried to force his way into the cockpit of the Lufthansa flight.

It said the man suddenly got up during the flight, banged on the cockpit door and demanded to be allowed to enter, threatening to open one of the Airbus A319’s external doors while it was flying over Austria.

The man, who the Serbian press said had a US passport, had shouted that he wished to join Allah along with all the passengers, RTS said. Flight crew and members of a Serbian handball team overpowered him and kept him subdued until the flight landed in Belgrade where he was arrested, the report said.

The head of the handball team’s club, Milan Djukic,

who was on the flight, said the man had seemed “nervous” before boarding the plane.

“I exchanged a few words with him and he was very nervous. Before takeoff, the flight attendants made him change seats three times,” Djukic told private Serbian TV station Moja Prva.

“When he got up, he crossed through business class and started banging on a door demanding for that of the cockpit to be opened,” Djukic said. “A crew member and one of our coaches calmed him down and persuaded him to sit back down.”

For the rest of the flight, “these two men and two of our players kept him company so that he would stay calm,” Djukic added.

He said that after the plane landed, Serbian police boarded and arrested the man, who he said would be held for 48 hours for “provoking general danger.”

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INMENT

Ruffa Gutierrez keeps focus on children, business Ruffa Gutierrez is not about to marry anew. At 41, she’s pouring attention on other things. “At this point in life, no (I don’t want to get married).

Kasi there are so many things na kailangan nating pagkaabalahan‌ Ang mas

importante ngayon eh, focus sa mga anak ko,� she said.

The former beauty queen has two daughters, Lorin and Venice, with ex-husband Yilmaz Bektas. They were together for four years before parting ways in 2007.

Single for years now, the

Angel Locsin undergoes medical treatment for spine Actress Angel Locsin on Friday expressed her gratitude to her fans for their unwavering support as she posted photos of her in a hospital in Singapore moments after undergoing medical treatment for her disc bulge in her spine.

On her Instagram account, the 30-year-old Locsin wrote: “I’m still a little bit groggy and sore but happy and thankful Angel Locsin tapos na ang first stage of the procedure. Thank you all for the prayers! Hoping this is it na.�

In a follow-up post, Locsin said: “Another photo before heading to lab with the Filipino nurses who took really good care of me. Thank you so much! Mabuhay kayo!�

Locsin did not specify that exact medical treatment that she went through.

Last October, Locsin confirmed that she will no longer be portraying the Filipino superheroine Darna after her rigorous training for the role led to her developing a disc bulge in her spine.

At the time, she said that the decision to pull her out of the project for fears of permanent damage to her health was final and made mutually with Star Cinema and ABS-CBN. Locsin’s boyfriend, television host Luis Manzano, hinted that there might still be a chance for his girlfriend to reprise the iconic role. “Sana. Siguro not just dahil sa clamor ng tao but kahit ang management ay nakikita na ‘Oo nga ano baka naman kaya pa ngang hintayin si Angel.’ So sana,� he said. (MNS)

actress also wears the hat of a businesswoman. Of late, she has invested on iflix, a video-on-demand service that offers subscribers various entertainment content.

According to Ruffa, iflix is perfect for parents who want to monitor what their children watch but have no time to do so. “Kasi ang mga anak ko, hindi na sila nanonood ng TV, imbes they go on YouTube and kung anu-ano ang pinapanood nila, eh hindi ko na din namo-monitor. So, dito na lang sila sa iflix kasi nakikita ko kung ano ang pinapanood nila,� she said.

It is also good for killing time whenever stuck in traffic. “Ako ganoon ang ginagawa ko. Para din updated ako. Minsan kasi wala na talaga akong time manood

Rua Gutierrez

ng latest movies and for me this is one way of keeping up with the trend,� Ruffa said.

She said iflix could help decrease cases of piracy in the Philippines. “Kasi mura lang siya and all the films have clear quality unlike kapag bumili ka ng pirated CDs,� she said.

The actress is not exactly

hands-on with the business but has put her trust in her business partners. “I trust Patrick (Grove) kasi ’pag nakita mo track record niya sa mga business eh, makikita mo na he is one of the best,� she said.

Her celebrity co-investors include her brothers Raymond and Richard Gutierrez, as well as Iza Calzado, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, JM Rodriguez and Karylle.

Also available in Malaysia and Thailand, iflix will continue to roll out its service in additional key Southeast Asian markets in coming months.

Aside from iflix, Ruffa is busy with “It Takes Gutz To Be A Gutierrez� on E! She is set to appear in an upcoming TV5 sit-com “Misterless Misis� with Gelli de

Why Sam Milby isn’t chummy with ex Anne There may be on good terms but how does Sam Milby truly feel about former girlfriend Anne Curtis? “We are friends, okay kami,� Milby said. “But friends like ‘yung nag-uusap kami? No, of course not.�

The actor, who is currently seeing someone who’s not from showbiz, explained that he doesn’t think it would be proper for him to be chummy with an ex. “We both have our separate lives. If we are working together, siguro (we can talk) but wala kaming work together right now,� said Milby, who added that his relationship with Curtis was

the longest he had since he joined showbiz.

Curtis is currently in a relationship with food personality and restaurateur Erwann Heussaff. “We have to respect that if I were her boyfriend, I don’t think I would want an ex— even if it’s just completely on a friendship stage—talking to my girlfriend. I wouldn’t want her ex talking, texting or being too friendly with my girlfriend even if it’s just a friendly text,� he explained.

Meanwhile, Milby, who is celebrating his 10th anniversary in showbiz, said he considers Curtis among the 10 most significant people

Sam Milby

who have been part of his showbiz journey.

Milby, who started his career as a “Pinoy Big Brother� housemate, will mark his anniversary with a concert

Belen, Lorna Tolentino and Mitch Valdes.

Ruffa is also writing a book and looking into investing in several wellness and IT businesses.

All is well now between Ruffa and her mom Annabelle Rama despite the latter still seemingly not warming up to her nonshowbiz boyfriend, Jordan Mouyal. The two reconciled during her brother Elvis Gutierrez’s marriage to Alexa Uichico. “Gusto kasi ni Elvis na maging happy ang kasal niya so, ako na mismo ang gumawa ng way.

Ganu’n naman tayong mga anak eh, kahit na umiirap-irap si mommy eh, kailangan tayo ang magpakumbaba kasi tayo ang anak,� she said. (MNS)

“Milby Way� on November 28 at KIA Theater. He is also set to release a new album.

Aside from Curtis, Milby said the other significant people in his showbiz journey are: talent manager Erickson Raymundo, Star Magic handler Lulu Romero, Star Magic head and veteran director Johnny Manahan, “PBB� director Lauren Dyogi, director Cathy Garcia Molina, “PBB� host Toni Gonzaga, Jonathan Manalo of Star Records, Dreamscape head Deo Endrinal, Star Cinema head Malou Santos and ABS-CBN president and CEO Charo Santos-Concio.

(MNS)

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B MARKET For advertising, call (818) 552-4503 ext 402

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PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short GLDORJXH ZDQW WR WKDQN <RX IRU HYHU\WKLQJ DQG FRQÂżUP RQFH PRUH WKDW , QHYHU want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After WKH UG GD\ WKH ZLVK ZLOO EH JUDQWHG QR PDWWHU KRZ GLá&#x201A;&#x2C6;FXOW LW PD\ EH 3URPLVH to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. James

PRAYERS PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short GLDORJXH ZDQW WR WKDQN <RX IRU HYHU\WKLQJ DQG FRQÂżUP RQFH PRUH WKDW , QHYHU want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After WKH UG GD\ WKH ZLVK ZLOO EH JUDQWHG QR PDWWHU KRZ GLá&#x201A;&#x2C6;FXOW LW PD\ EH 3URPLVH to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. Gregg

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, December 9 - 15, 2015

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9

UTREACH

Don’t fall for utility bill scams this Holiday Season With more than 16,000 SCE customers victimized since January 2014, the utility recently partnered with local law enforcement and AARP

By Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, Southern California Edison@ SCE_CarolineA

December 02, 2015 – When Jinza Teriyaki restaurant owner John Lee, 40, answered the phone at his business six months ago, the suspicious caller identified himself as a Southern CaliforniaEdison representative and asked for immediate payment or his electricity would be turned off.

Sensing that something was not right, he went online and checked his account. He saw that his bill was current and paid in full.

“This is a scam, right?”

Lee asked.

The scammer hung up the phone immediately.

Lee’s story is all too common. Since last year, more than 16,000 SCE customers have received calls from impostors asking for money.

Of this number, at least 700 customers have paid them using prepaid cash cards,

losing nearly half a million dollars. This year, more than 5,500 SCE customers have received such scam calls.

And SCE hopes to bring these numbers down, especially during the busy holiday season when there is often a spike in scams.

“Customers who suspect they’ve received a fraudulent call should ask for the caller’s name, as well as their department and business numbers,” said Kevin Payne, SCE senior vice president of Customer Service, who was joined by the Monterey Park Police Department and AARP at a recent news conference hosted by the utility. “End the call and report the incident immediately to local police and SCE.” SCE has a web page with information on scams and how to avoid them in multiple languages.

In addition to creating awareness among business owners, customers were urged to help their family and friends avoid becoming victims.

“We do not want to become the grandparents of fraud,” said Patricia Perez, AARP California state president. “The AARP … wants its members and non-

Since last year, more than 16,000 SCE customers have received calls from impostors asking for money. Of this number, at least 700 customers have paid them using prepaid cash cards, losing nearly half a million dollars. This year, more than 5,500 SCE customers have received such scam calls.

members to protect themselves against the utility phone scam and stay alert this holiday season.”

Local police departments have been working with SCE to capture these perpetrators. The Monterey Park Police Department has been issuing search warrants to track down the telephone numbers used by the suspects. They have also issued warrants for the IP address

The St. Lorenzo Ruiz Church Music Ministry

St. Lorenzo Ruiz Church Concert Dec. 12 Enjoy an evening serenaded by the St. Lorenzo Ruiz Church Music Ministry, the children’s choir, and special guest performers, the Harana Men’s Chorus, at the “Rejoice! Maranatha...

God is Full of Mercy” concert on Saturday, December 12, 2015, 7 a.m. This is the second major Christmas concert to be held in the church located at 747 Meadowpass Road in Walnut, California.

Music from the show will highlight both the Season of Advent – a time to cel-

ebrate becoming Christmas when hearts are prepared for Christ’s birth, and the Jubilee Year of Mercy which the global Catholic Community is embarking on. By means of the evening’s performances, the faith family will also honor Our Lady of Guadalupe whose feast day is commemorated on that same day.

The leaders and volunteers of SLR Parish, under the most capable guidance and direction of Father Tony P. Astudillo, pastor, aspire

not only to entertain but to evangelize and set the audience’s hearts aflame with Christ’s spirit of love and mercy. The last Christmas music event the parish hosted on December 2013 – The Winter Solstice – was very well received and got great reviews from parishioners and guests alike.

Tickets are available at the parish office for a donation of only $30 or $50. For more details, the parish office number is (909) 5959545.

to locate which Internet carrier and portals the scam came from.

“We believe there are many more victims out there who have not reported these scams,” said Monterey Park Police Department Detective Bob Hung. ”We do want the public to be made aware and be cognizant of what is going on out there.”

Since the first scam call came in six months ago, Lee continued to receive calls at his business weekly for several months.

Don’t Fall for Utility Bill Scams This Holiday Season With more than 16,000 SCE customers victimized since January 2014, the utility recently partnered

with local law enforcement and AARP.

By Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, Southern California Edison@SCE_CarolineA December 02, 2015 When Jinza Teriyaki restaurant owner John Lee, 40, answered the phone at his business six months ago, the suspicious caller identified himself as a Southern CaliforniaEdison representative and asked for immediate payment or his electricity would be turned off.

Sensing that something was not right, he went online and checked his account. He saw that his bill was current and paid in full.

“This is a scam, right?”

Lee asked.

The scammer hung up the phone immediately.

Lee’s story is all too common. Since last year, more than 16,000 SCE customers have received calls from impostors asking for money.

Of this number, at least 700 customers have paid them using prepaid cash cards, losing nearly half a million dollars. This year, more than 5,500 SCE customers have received such scam calls.

And SCE hopes to bring these numbers down, especially during the busy holiday season when there is often a spike in scams.

“Customers who suspect they’ve received a fraudulent call should ask for the caller’s name, as well as their department and business numbers,” said Kevin Payne, SCE senior vice president of Customer

Service, who was joined by the Monterey Park Police Department and AARP at a recent news conference hosted by the utility. “End the call and report the incident immediately to local police and SCE.” SCE has a web page with information on scams and how to avoid them in multiple languages.

In addition to creating awareness among business owners, customers were urged to help their family and friends avoid becoming victims.

“We do not want to become the grandparents of fraud,” said Patricia Perez, AARP California state president. “The AARP … wants its members and nonmembers to protect themselves against the utility phone scam and stay alert this holiday season.”

Local police departments have been working with SCE to capture these perpetrators.

The Monterey Park Police Department has been issuing search warrants to track down the telephone numbers used by the suspects. They have also issued warrants for the IP address to locate which Internet carrier and portals the scam came from.

“We believe there are many more victims out there who have not reported these scams,” said Monterey Park Police Department Detective Bob Hung. ”We do want the public to be made aware and be cognizant of what is going on out there.”

10

Wednesday - Tuesday, December 9 - 15, 2015

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THE US ASIAN POST

MOTORING Porsche greenlights its first green supercar

China became GM’s biggest market last year. ©AFP PHOTO/WANG ZHAO

GM to sell China-made vehicle in US first Sunday December 6 2015 (New York-AFP) – General Motors says it will sell in the United States next year a vehicle made in China, becoming the first major US automaker to do so.

The move was quickly denounced by the powerful UAW auto union, which branded it “a slap in the face” and called for an immediate rethink.

GM has sold 127,085 Buick Envision SUVs, made in the eastern province of Shandong, since January in China.

The automaker plans to

import 30,000 to 40,000 of the vehicles each year, amid high demand for 4X4, crossover and pickup trucks in North America, as oil prices dip.

The controversial announcement comes as labor costs are set to rise for GM in the United States following a wage deal currently being finalized.

“Today’s announcement

by General Motors that they are importing the Envision from China is a slap in the face to US taxpayers and the men and women who worked

so hard to save GM during its darkest time,” UAW vice president and director of the General Motors Department, Cindy Estrada, said in a statement.

China became GM’s biggest market last year, but a slowdown in the Chinese economy allowed North America to regain its top spot in the first nine months of 2015.

Last month, GM – whose brands include Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick – sold more than 100,000 Buick vehicles in China, compared to 19,000 in the United States.

Friday December 4 2015 (Relaxnews) – The Mission E, the 100% electric concept car that sent shockwaves of excitement through the crowds at September’s Frankfurt motor show is going into production.

Turning the showcar into a production model is going to require €1 billion in investment, and the hiring of 1000 new employees. But, by keeping the promises made at the Frankfurt show and going ahead with an all-electric sportscar, “We are making a clear statement about the future of the brand. Even in a greatly changing motoring world, Porsche will maintain its front-row position with this fascinating sports car,” said Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG on Friday.

As for when it will be rolling silently, under electric battery-only power into dealerships, Porsche for now is simply saying “the vehicle is to be launched at the end of the decade.”

Yet when it does, it will officially bring with it the new chapter in automotive history that so many have been waiting for. The Mission E is a four-door, four-seat sportscar that, like all Porsches, has been designed for everyday use and everyday enjoyment.

And like other cars in its existing range it can go from 0-100km/h incredibly quickly – under 3.5 seconds – and offers a lot – 660 – of horsepower. But what makes it different from any other current model in the Porsche lineup is that all of this performance will come via lithium ion batteries, rather than a flat

six-cylinder or V8 gasoline engine. It’s a very bold step and one that will, as Porsche says, go down in automotive history if the company gets it right. But, if it really can deliver on the company’s claims – a driving range of 500km on a single battery charge and just 15 minutes of supercharging to get the battery back up to 80% when flat – the Mission E will be mission accomplished.

“We are resolutely taking on the challenge of electric mobility. Even with solely battery-powered sports cars, Porsche is remaining true to its philosophy and offering our customers the sportiest and technologically most sophisticated model in this market segment,” said Chairman of the Porsche Executive Board, Dr. Oliver Blume.

The Porsche Mission E Concept Car. The Mission E is going into production. ©Porsche AG

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, December 9 - 15, 2015

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11

KITCHENOMICS M

FAMILY FEATURES

aking a New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget salt. Most Americans consume about a 1,000 milligrams of sodium over the amount recommended by nutrition and health experts. New research shows cooking with spices and herbs could help you ditch the salt shaker and meet sodium recommendations.

Keeping a resolution to cut salt from your diet is easy. Use simple spice swaps to create tasty, low-sodium meals. From seasoning eggs with basil instead of salt to adding spices and herbs to no-salt tomato sauce, the McCormick Kitchens RŕľľHU WKHVH HDV\ WLSV DQG UHFLSHV WR PDNH ORZ VRGLXP PHDOV IXOO RI Ă&#x20AC;DYRU Â&#x201E;

Beat 1/8 teaspoon herb instead of salt into 2 eggs before scrambling.

Â&#x201E;

Add oregano, garlic powder and red pepper to no-salt added tomato sauce for a tasty, low-sodium pasta dinner.

Â&#x201E;

Try making Citrus Herbed Chicken with Asparagus, Fiesta Citrus Salmon or Tuscan Pasta. These dishes donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t call for any salt.

Instead, they swap in basil, garlic powder and oregano.

For more low-sodium tips and recipes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as shaved vegetable salad with Italian herb vinaigrette â&#x20AC;&#x201C; visit McCormick.com/recipes/low-sodium to keep your New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolutions on track. To see the full Anderson VWXG\ ZKLFK H[DPLQHG WKH HŕľľHFWV of a behavioral intervention that emphasized spice and herbs, and how it impacts sodium intake, visit McCormickScienceInstitute.com.

Fiesta Citrus Salmon 3UHS WLPH PLQXWHV &RRN WLPH PLQXWHV 6HUYHV 1/4 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons McCormick Perfect Pinch Salt-Free Fiesta Citrus Seasoning, divided 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, divided

SRXQG VDOPRQ ÂżOOHWV

In small bowl, mix juice, oil and 1 tablespoon each seasoning and sugar. Place salmon in large re-sealable plastic bag or glass dish.

Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 30 minutes, or longer IRU H[WUD Ă&#x20AC;DYRU In another small bowl, mix remaining seasoning and sugar. Remove salmon from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Rub salmon evenly with seasoning mixture.

Tuscan Pasta 3UHS WLPH PLQXWHV &RRN WLPH PLQXWHV 6HUYHV 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 can (8 ounces) no-salt added tomato sauce 1 tablespoon sugar (optional) 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, divided 2 teaspoons McCormick Garlic Powder 2 teaspoons McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper, ground 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound zucchini, sliced

Citrus Herbed Chicken with Asparagus 3UHS WLPH PLQXWHV &RRN WLPH PLQXWHV 6HUYHV FXS Ă&#x20AC;RXU 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper, coarse ground 1 pound thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 tablespoon oil 1 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon McCormick Basil Leaves 1 teaspoon McCormick Oregano Leaves 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons lemon juice

,Q VKDOORZ GLVK PL[ Ă&#x20AC;RXU 3DUPHVDQ cheese, garlic powder and pepper.

Reserve 2 tablespoons. Moisten chicken lightly with water. Coat HYHQO\ ZLWK UHPDLQLQJ Ă&#x20AC;RXU PL[WXUH In large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add 1/2 of the chicken pieces; cook 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding additional oil, if necessary. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

In medium bowl, mix stock, basil, RUHJDQR DQG UHVHUYHG Ă&#x20AC;RXU PL[WXUH until well blended. Add to skillet along with asparagus. Bring to boil.

5HGXFH KHDW WR ORZ VLPPHU minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in lemon juice. Return chicken to skillet; cook 2 minutes, or until heated through.

1 package (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms 1 small onion, chopped 6 ounces pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine In medium saucepan, mix tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar and seasonings.

Bring to boil on medium heat.

Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes.

In large skillet, heat oil on mediumhigh heat. Add zucchini, mushrooms and onion; cook and stir 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.

Stir tomato sauce into vegetables.

Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain well. Place pasta in serving bowl. Add vegetable mixture; toss well.

12

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LOS ANGELES

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THE US ASIAN POST

COMELEC

From page 1

change their mind,” said Fortun.

While acknowledging Poe’s right to appeal and move for the reversal of the decision, he said Poe has the burden of showing “compelling grounds to convince the four other members of the en banc so they can overrule the three from the division.”

Apart from Parreño, Lim, and Abas, the four remaining members of the seven-member Comelec en banc are chair Andres Bautista and poll commissioners Christian Robert Lim, Luie Tito Guia, and Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon.

“As a general rule, the Poe

camp needs to present compelling reasons before the en banc commission of serious errors by the Second Division,” said Fortun.

In a separate open letter that he posted on Facebook last June 4, Fortun said Poe was not qualified to run for president in 2016 under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which requires a candidate to be a resident for at least 10 years.

The FB post has since received almost 2,800 likes and shares.

Fortun urged Poe to “concede... and follow and obey this country’s laws. Otherwise, we cannot expect that you would follow those same

EMPERORS VISIT

From page 1

were then Crown Prince and Princess,” he added.

The state visit’s highlight will be the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Japan in 2016.

Lacierda said the visit is expected to “deepen and expand bilateral relations.”

“The Philippine government and the Filipino people look forward to welcoming Their Majesties,” Lacierda said.

At the sidelines of the APEC

Summit last month, Aquino held a bilateral meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. During the meeting, Aquino asked from Japan large patrol vessels for the Philippine Coast Guard.

The Philippines and Japan have an existing strategic partnership agreement – Manila’s second after the United States – that aims to bolster the cooperation between the two countries on several fronts, including defense and maritime security.(MNS)

INVITES POPE

From page 1

ibang lugar,” he said.

Aquino said that he told the Pope how special was his visit in the country early this year and the anticipation of his return “”seemed like the church was revitalized and continues to be revitalized.”

“In fact, sabi ko, up to now the tarpaulins and posters, et cetera, that were there for your visit a lot of them appear to be in very pristine condition. They were being kept by our countrymen and displayed. They will probably be handed out to the next generation,” he added.

During their meeting, Pope Francis gave Aquino a coin-shaped bronze sculpture with an olive branch.

“Yung coin is broken in the middle but the roots cross each other. So the idea of being siguro

conciliatory, consensus builder, is what is being emphasized by this particular sculpture,” Aquino said, describing the gift from the Pope.

During the meeting, Aquino said that Pope also asked him to “pray for me.”

“Sabi ko sa kanya ‘Holy Father, I think in the Philippines even those who are not Catholics pray for you and I want to assure you that that continually happens,’” he said.

Aquino also met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi during his first-ever state visit in Italy.

His dealings led to both leaders pledging support to the Agrarian Community Development Support Program, which would help 53,000 families in Mindanao. (MNS)

laws if you become president.”

In a comment on his most recent post on FB earlier this week, Fortun clarified he was “not anti-Poe, just pro-Constitution.”

In the Sencond Division ruling, the three poll commissioners sided with lawyer Estrella Elamparo’s petition that Poe failed to meet the 10-year residency requirement mandated by the Constitution for a presidential candidate.

The Comelec division said Poe became a resident only in July

2006 when she applied for dual citizenship, or two months short of meeting the Constitutional requirement.

In her 2012 certificate of candidacy (COC) for the senatorial race, Poe had indicated her residency in the Philippines as “6 years and 6 months.” Three years later, when she filed another COC for the 2016 presidential race, she indicated her residency as “10 years and 11 months,” instead of just “9 years and 6months.”

The Comelec division said this was a “deliberate attempt to mislead or misinform the electorate or hide a fact from them when she supplied the answer” in her COC for the presidency.

Also, several legal experts earlier admitted Poe might have a hard time having the Second Division’s unanimous ruling reversed, especially since the division had considered her COC for the 2013 senatorial race as an “admission against her interest.”

nila sa mga naiambag ng ating mga kababayan sa iba’t ibang sektor sa Italia. Ito po ang nagtulak sa kanilang bigyan ng preferential status ang mga kababayan nating pipiliing magtrabaho sa kanilang bansa,” Aquino said.

Aquino also paid Pope Francis a visit in Rome.

“Ang sabi niya po sa atin at sa miyembro ng ating delegasyon: please pray for me. Ang sagot ko po sa kanya: mahal na mahal siya ng mga Pilipino, at miski nga di Katoliko nating mga kababayan ay ipinagdadasal din siya,” Aquino said.

Upon his arrival, Aquino also led the turnover of the first two

FA-500 supersonic fighter jets that the Philippines bought from South Korea.(MNS)

ings other than workers’ remittances and lower energy import bills,” Jan Randolph, IHS director of sovereign risk, said in a statement.

Rajiv Biswas, IHS chief economist for Asia-Pacific, estimated that the Philippines, with a gross domestic product of about $292 billion, has the potential to become a $695-billion economy by 2025 and over $1 trillion by 2030.

“Two important growth drivers for the Philippines’ economy are the rapidly growing information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector and the strong flow of remittances from Filipino workers abroad,” Biswas said. “The rapid growth of the IT-BPO industry is also creating positive transmission effects for

the rest of the economy, including rapid growth in demand for commercial floor space, underpinning the development of existing and new office parks in urban centers,” he added.

IRO Executive Director Editha L. Martin said the favorable views of IHS on the Philippines would help further improve the way the rest of the world perceives the economy.

“Although the Philippines now enjoys investment grade sovereign credit ratings from a wide list of international debt-watchers, further building confidence on the economy is a never-ending task as we aim for sustainability of gains.

The positive assessment of IHS on the Philippines is a welcome development,” Martin said. (MNS)

EUROPE TRIP

From page 1

mate financing at technology, para mas magawa nating makaambag sa hakbang kaugnay ng climate change,” Aquino said.

Technological advancements, such as the smart toothbrush and a vaccine for a fourth strain of dengue, were also unveiled in France, he added.

Aquino also cited in his speech the results of his visit in Italy, where he said he got the support of the country’s president for his administration’s push for peace in Mindanao.

He also mentioned the Italians “preferential status” for Filipinos to work in Italy.

“Damang-dama ang paghanga

GRABCAR

From page 1

new category of vehicles.

The next hearing for the preliminary injunction the Stop and Go Coalition is seeking has been set on December 8.

Jun Magno, president of the coalition, told GMA News that the operation of Uber and Grab is wrong because not having a franchise is against the law, and they are charging passengers without following the tariff issued by the LTFRB.

ECONOMY

From page 1

lion in the first six months of 2015, largely fueled by remittances, revenues from the business process outsourcing industry, and tourism receipts.

The country’s current account has been in surplus for 12 consecutive years since 2003.

General government debt as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) is on a downward trend.

As of end-June, the government debt-to-GDP stood at 36.2 percent, reflecting a steady decline from a peak of 68.1 percent in 2003.

“The Philippines has been on a long ratings upgrade trajectory over the last few years. The key driver to these upgrades has been successively strong current account surplus generation with newfound sources of export earn-