US Asian Post January 15, 2016

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Vol. 5 No. 16

LOS ANGELES

A BALITA MEDIA PUBLICATION

Wednesday - Tuesday, January 15-21, 2016

Two dead, hundreds hurt in ‘Black Nazarene’ festival Manila, Philippines | AFP | Sunday 1/10/2016 – Two people died and hundreds were injured during a huge religious festival in the Philippines, where barefoot crowds hurled themselves at a statue of Jesus believed to have healing powers, authorities said Sunday.

Devotees swarm around the image of the Black Nazarene as it crosses Roxas Boulevard during the annual Traslacion on Saturday in Manila. The procession of the venerated image is participated in by thousands of devotees who join the whole day procession as it winds thru the streets of Manila.(MNS photo)

Vietnam issues second warning to China over island flights Hanoi, Vietnam | AFP | Friday 1/8/2016 – Vietnam has issued its second rebuke in a week to Beijing, accusing its northern neighbour of “threatening peace” after more Chinese aircraft landed on a contested reef in the South China Sea. Chinese state media on Wednesday said two civilian planes landed on one of the islands in the Fiery Cross reef in the disputed Spratly Islands, which are claimed by Hanoi but controlled by Beijing.

The landings are “a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty and threaten peace and stability

MANILA, Jan 9 (Mabuhay) – Sen. Grace Poe on Saturday urged Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres Bautista to launch an investigation on “personalities” within the poll body who are allegedly trying to sabotage her chances of joining the 2016 presidential race.

Poe’s camp made the call in light of the reported infighting between Bautista and Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon over the latter’s filing of a comment with the Supreme Court on the Poe cas-

See SECOND WARNING, page 12

See POE URGES, page 12

MANILA, Jan 8 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Friday reiterated his call to Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), saying such framework would make inclusive governance the norm in Mindanao rather than the exception.

Aquino made the statement as he praised his close ally, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman, during the inauguration of the 300-megawatt baseload power plant in Davao del Sur. According to Aquino, enacting the BBL would ensure that Mindanao’s transformation will continue past the term of Hataman, whom the president said was able to increase the investments in the ARMM region from P87.9 million in 2010 to P3.9 billion in 2014.

“You must remember, Gov. Hataman’s time in office is limited, and we need to make sure that his region has a framework that can truly make good, inclusive governance the norm rather than the exception,” said Aquino.

“This is why we need to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law in the soonest possible time. For my part, I believe it would certainly push Mindanao, and the Philippines, further into the global spotlight,” he added.

The BBL pending in Congress is the proposed legal framework of the peace agreement signed between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2013. It seeks to create a political entity called the Bangsamoro, which would replace the existing ARMM. In his speech, Aquino also thanked Therma South Inc. (TSI), a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation (ABC), for being an “early See PITCH FOR BBL, page 12

liver ailment, passed out after helping to drag the statue’s float and could not be revived, Badong added.

Police said at its height, about 1.5 million people took part in the seven-kilometer (4.5-mile) parade, which runs to the icon’s home inside the downtown Quiapo church.

Many believe the Black Nazarene has miraculous powers and sick people will often resort to desperate measures to try to touch it.

Philippine Red Cross secretary-general Gwendolyn Pang said her agency, which had a field hospital at the site, treated almost 1,600 people who were injured during the festivities.

Some 55 of them were “major cases”, such as fractures caused by the huge crush of people or strokes caused by stress, more than double See BLACK NAZARENE, page 12

Poe urges Bautista to probe ‘personalities’ after Comelec infighting

in the region”, foreign ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said in a statement issued late Thursday.

The two “test flights” Wednesday follow an initial aircraft landing on Saturday, which prompted the first formal diplomatic complaint from Hanoi.

The planes departed from and returned to the city of Haikou, the capital of the southern island province of Hainan – a two-hour journey each way.

The flights have raised alarm in the region and attracted criticism

Aquino makes pitch for BBL: Make inclusive governance the norm in Mindanao

More than a million people turned out for the festival of the Black Nazarene on Saturday, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, to see the life-sized statue wheeled through the streets of Manila.

Risking life and limb, shoeless men and women chanting “Viva!”

(Long Live) ran over heads and shoulders to touch the icon as it made its way through the capital of Asia’s most fervently Catholic country.

Father Douglas Badong, rector of the Manila church where the statue is based, said one of the street vendors at the festival suffered a fatal heart attack.

“Because of the crowd, the heat, his body couldn’t take it,” he told AFP. Another 27-year-old man, who was reportedly suffering from a

A passenger gets off a double decker bus during its dry run at the SM North EDSA Valet parking area on Thursday. The new service currently operates along 3 routes in Metro Manila, carrying passengers from Quezon City and Mandaluyong City straight to the Makati central business district without any stops.(MNS photo)

Chiz urges MRT Gov’t must appoint ‘Middle East chief Vitangcol crisis manager,’ Trillanes urges MANILA, Jan 8 (Mabuhay) – on both strategic and operational to tell all Aside from preparing contingency levels,” Trillanes, chairman of the Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero is urging former Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) general manager Al Vitangcol to reveal the details of the $1.5-million contract awarded for the commuter train’s maintenance in October 2012, which became the basis of the graft case filed against him.

Barely a month after the Sandiganbayan affirmed his indictment for graft, Vitangcol broke his silence last Wednesday to lament what he regarded as apparent haste in resolving the case against him. He insisted it was actually the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) that awarded the contract.

It was earlier reported that the controversial MRT maintenance deal with Philippine Trams Rail Management Service Corp. (PH Trams) was “perfected” at a time when the DOTC was headed by Liberal Party presidential candiSee VITANGCOL, page 12

plans, the Philippine government should also appoint a “Cabinet-level crisis manager” for the Middle East, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said on Friday.

“It is high time that we appoint a Cabinet-level crisis manager for the Middle East to make sure that somebody is on top of the situation

Senate committee on national defense, said in a statement.

He said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) should also prepare contingency plans that could be immediately implemented should the brewing See MIDDLE EAST, page 12

RH advocates score P1-B budget cut on contraceptives procurement MANILA, Jan 8 (Mabuhay) – Advocates of the Reproductive Health Law scored Friday the cut on the budget intended for the procurement of contraceptives for the government’s family planning program.

In a press statement, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago said she was appalled with the P1 billion budget as it threatens to deprive some seven million women of reproductive health services.

“This abandonment is immoral

in a country where some 200 out of 100,000 women who give birth die,” she said.

“It is irreconcilable that Congress, which enacted the RH Law after much hardship in 2012, would three years later render that same law inutile,” she added.

Santiago, a presidential candidate, said if ever she is elected to the highest government post she will work to fully and conscientiously implement the ReproducSee CONTRACEPTIVES, page 12

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Massive California gas leak provokes anger

By Jocelyne Zablit

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Saturday 1/9/2016 – For several weeks, Sam Mongeau’s three-yearold daughter Bella has had a lingering cough, while other members of his family have experienced nose bleeds, headaches and fatigue.

Mongeau, 40, blames it all on a massive gas leak near his home in Porter Ranch, a sleepy middle-class community northwest of Los Angeles, where a state of emergency was declared by California’s governor earlier this week.

“Everyone’s been getting sick,” Mongeau, a sales manager at an area auto dealership, told AFP. “It’s almost like you wake up every day from anesthe-

sia, feeling groggy, tired.”

The leak was detected on October 23 in an underground natural gas well at the Southern California Gas Company’s (SoCalGas) Aliso Canyon site—one of the largest gas facilities in the United States.

The well sits about 8,700 feet (2,651 meters) underground, and the leak is thought to come from a broken pipe about 500 feet below the surface.

Repeated efforts to stop the leak by pumping liquid and mud down the well have failed, and the gas company is now drilling a relief well to intercept and plug the damaged well.

The operation is expected to take until late February or March.

‘Get some fresh air’ That timeline is not soon enough for the area’s 30,000 residents, many of whom say they are getting sick from the rotten-egg smell of the odorant put into the gas to help detect leaks.

“I have been getting nausea and headaches,” said Linda Noel, 50, as she waited outside a center set up by the gas company to assist area residents. “Everyone in the family has been to the doctor or to urgent care.

“All I want is to get out of here and get some fresh air.”

Suna Najar, 46, said she has been getting rashes on her neck and face, and her 12-year-old daughter regularly has nose bleeds.

“We are four in the family and they are offering to re-

locate us to one hotel room,” she said. “You feel like this is totally out of your control and that you’re at everyone’s mercy.”

More than 10,000 residents have so far been relocated by the gas company and hundreds more have asked to be moved. Two local elementary schools have shut down, and the students are being shuttled to other districts.

Meanwhile some 1,000 people have joined a class-action suit against SoCalGas, many encouraged by wellknown environmental activist Erin Brockovich, who works for a legal firm and who has held several town meetings with residents.

Brockovich’s story of taking on corporate America

was made into a movie in 2000 that earned Julia Roberts an Oscar.

The gas company and health officials say the gas leaking from the facility poses not health risk. Experts however say the environmental impact will be significant, as methane is a potent greenhouse gas.

The leak is spewing about 1,000 tons of methane a day, experts say, the equivalent to pollution produced daily by 4.5 million cars.

“To put this into perspective, the leak effectively doubles the (methane) emission rate for the entire Los Angeles basin,” said Stephen Conley, a scientist at the University of California in Davis.

“On a global scale, this

is big.”

Michael Mizrahi, a spokesman for SoCalGas, said while the company fully realizes that the leak has disrupted the lives of local residents and will have an environmental impact, it was doing its utmost to remedy the situation and was closely monitoring air quality in Porter Ranch.

He said crews were working around the clock to stop the leak, which has cost SoCalGas $50 million (46 million euros) so far.

“Everybody wants to call this an environmental disaster, I’m not going to use those words,” he said. “We know this is a major incident and our goals are to continue to stop the leak and serve the community, period.

Russian doctor caught on camera flooring patient with deadly punch

M o s c o w , R u s sia | AFP | Saturday 1/9/2016 – Russia opened an investigation on Saturday after a hospital doctor was captured on video punching a patient, knocking him to the floor and killing him instantly.

The shocking video of the attack in the southern city of Belgorod was aired repeatedly on state television and went viral on YouTube, while Russian media nicknamed the attacker “the boxer doctor.”

The incident raised questions over a cover-up culture in state medicine, with investigators only announcing the probe several days later, after security camera footage was released online and shown on television.

In the video, the strongly-built doctor in medical clothing drags the bare-chested male patient from the examination table, asking him “why did you touch the nurse?” and pushes him out of the doorway.

When the patient returns, the doctor deals him a single blow to the face and a crash can be heard as the middle-aged man falls backwards onto the floor.

Meanwhile the doctor continues to scuffle with another man accompanying

the patient, and it is only minutes later that the medics notice the patient lying motionless and attempt unsuccessfully to revive him.

Belgorod’s Investigative Committee said in a statement released Saturday that the incident took place on December 29.

The doctor hit the patient in the face after he “kicked a nurse during a procedure,” the investigators said.

“The cause of death of the victim was trauma to the skull and brain from hitting the back of the head on the hard surface of the floor.”

Death through negligence Russian media named the doctor as Ilya Zelendinov, a surgeon at the hospital, and the patient as 56-year-old Yevgeny Bakhtin.

Investigators said the doctor was suspected of causing death through negligence, for which he could serve up to two years in jail.

He has been fired from his job but remains free after signing a declaration that he will not travel during the investigation.

Investigators denied any delay, saying they opened a criminal probe the day after the incident, after the hospital reported the death and a post-mortem showed

a head injury.

The relatively minor charge reflects the fact there is “no grounds to say that the doctor wanted to murder the patient,” investigators said.

“If the victim had stayed on his feet or hit his head on a less hard surface, the consequences would not have been so critical.”

Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova has ordered the state health watchdog to carry out a check into the incident, state television reported Saturday.

Russian medics have long operated in a culture of secrecy, with patients having little recourse to compensation for medical errors.

Last year two Russians resorted to taking guns to hospitals and shooting dead doctors for perceived mistakes in their treatment.

Both killed themselves at the scene.

FIGHTING ANIMAL TESTING

President Benigno S. Aquino III administers the oath of office to newly appointed government officials in a ceremony at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Thursday (January 7). Also in photo are DTI Secretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr., Presidential Assistant on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Fredelita C. Guiza and TESDA Director-General Irene M. Isaac. (MNS photo)

El Salvador starts scheme for citizens deported from US San Salvador, El Salvador | AFP | Friday 1/8/2016 – El Salvador on Friday unveiled a program to help its citizens forcibly deported from the US integrate back into society in their homeland.

The scheme was announced by Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez as American officials were implementing a new policy of raiding homes to round up migrants who have deportation orders against them and fly them back to their countries, mostly to Central America and Mexico.

“Here we have clear recognition of the migrants’ worth as a source of knowledge and useful experience,” Martinez said.

With $420,000 in funding, the first phase of the program seeks to train an initial group of 100 returnees in micro- and small-business creation to give them a productive start in their home communities. With just one training center to start, the plan will expand to have 14 centers across the country.

The returned migrants will also receive psychological counseling to help with the trauma of being deported, the minister said.

“We have faith they will give us the seed capital needed to start our new project” of reintegrating into Salvadoran society, said Carlos Rene Pineda, a 53-year-old unemployed tailor deported three months ago after living

for 33 years in the United States.

He expressed hope of using $1,500 in promised aid to buy a machine to make trousers and shirts.

The United States deported 21,752 Salvadorans last year, according to government figures.

The number is expected to dramatically jump this year with the new round-up operation put in place by President Barack Obama’s administration.

There are 2.6 million Salvadorans living in America.

Their remittances to families in their home country amount to more than $4 billion a year, or 17 percent of El Salvador’s gross domestic product.

Sean Penn’s ‘Chapo’ article roasted on air, online

Washington, United States | AFP | Sunday 1/10/2016 – Actor Sean Penn took on a heap of US criticism Sunday, one day after Rolling Stone magazine published his account of a clandestine meeting with Mexican drug baron Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

In the article, the actor and director says he met Guzman deep in the Mexican jungle in October for a “seven-hour sit-down” because he was “drawn to explore what may be inconsistent” with media and government portrayals of Guzman.

On the American right, where Republican presidential hopefuls are battling it out, Penn’s exploits were greeted with scorn.

US Senator Marco Rubio, one of the Republicans running for his party’s nomination for the White House, said Penn’s efforts were outlandish, but not before dishing out a healthy plate of criticism on the star’s acting career.

“Look, I think Sean Penn is not someone I spend a lot of time thinking about. I didn’t even know he was still around,” Rubio said.

“If one of these American actors who have benefited from the greatness of this country, who have made money from our free enterprise system, want to go

fawn all over a criminal and a drug trafficker in their interviews they have a constitutional right to do it. I find it grotesque,” he continued.

‘This so-called interview’ On the left, even the most circumspect of phrasing pegged Penn’s exploits as begging “a lot of interesting questions.”

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders told ABC news “I haven’t thought about it much. I’ve been kind of running around Iowa.”

The White House, which avoided answering questions on any ethical and legal violations that may have occurred, denounced comments made by Guzman himself during the interview.

In a stunning admission of his criminal enterprise, Penn says Guzman told him over sips of tequila that “I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world.”

Denis McDonough, White House chief of staff, told CNN that Guzman’s “braggadocios action about how much heroin he sends around the world including the United States is maddening.”

Asked whether the US will participate with Mexico on its requests to question Penn, McDonough replied:

“It poses a lot of interesting questions for him and others involved in this so-called interview. We’ll see what happens.” Leading media lawyer Floyd Abrams told AFP Sunday that the interview will not likely put Penn in any legal jeopardy as it “doesn’t violate any law.”

‘What happens to real journalists’ Journalists, meanwhile, spared no effort in criticizing Penn and his article on everything from its ethical merits to writing style.

Chief among concerns was the fact that the story had been read and approved

by Guzman before publication, a move that is highly irregular within the field, although some defended the magazine, on the basis that the scoop was worth it.

Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron tweeted a link to a December story about the dangers and death faced by Mexican journalists, commenting: “Good moment to remember what happens to real journalists who cover Mexican drug traffickers.”

NBC correspondent Luke Russert, son of famed American journalist Tim Russert, sarcastically asked on Twitter: “Is Sean Penn’s interview with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the next issue?” referring to the leader of the Islamic State group.

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US court rules selfie monkey can’t own photo copyright San Francisco, United States | AFP | Thursday 1/7/2016 – A US judge has ruled that a macaque monkey who snapped grinning selfies that went viral last year online does not own the copyright to the photographs.

Activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals brought the case in San Francisco on behalf of Indonesian simian Naruto, who shot to fame last year after a photographer published pictures taken by the monkey with his camera.

PETA petitioned the court to have the macaque “declared the author and owner of his photograph.”

But in a preliminary ruling Wednesday, Judge William Orrick said that “while Congress and the President can extend the protection of law to animals as well as humans, there is no indication that they did so in the Copyright Act.” The photos were taken in 2011 on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi by British nature photographer David Slater. He later published a book of his photographs, which included two selfies taken by six-year-old Naruto.

The San Francisco-based company that published the book – Blurb – was named as a co-defendant in the case.

In filing the lawsuit, PETA had argued that “US copyright law doesn’t prohibit an animal from owning a copyright, and since Naruto took the photo, he owns the copyright, as any human would.”

Slater insists he owns the rights since he set up the tripod and walked away for a few minutes only to find out that the monkey had grabbed his camera and snapped away.

When the copyright controversy erupted, he said that the widespread distribution of the photos on the Internet had cost him a lot of money by robbing his book of potential sales.

Jeb Bush races to salvage presidential campaign

By Michael Mathes

Washington, United States | AFP | Saturday 1/9/2016 – Jeb Bush’s US presidential bid is boiling down to early voting New Hampshire, some associates say, while others envision his protracted battle for the Republican nomination stretching deep into the spring.

Either way, supporters and analysts agree it will be difficult for Bush, a former Florida governor and son and brother of two presidents, to emerge as the nominee given American conservatives’ current appetite for anti-establishment candidates and the roiling ethno-nationalism of erratic frontrunner Donald Trump.

Bush launched his campaign as the prohibitive favorite, his main hurdle being overcoming foreign policies of his presidential brother George W. Bush.

Jeb’s team, and a supporting SuperPAC, a fundraising entity allowed to raise an unlimited amount of money, raked in a stratospheric $100 million in early months.

Today his poll numbers are in single digits and other campaigns appear to count him out.

He is mocked relentlessly by Trump, who tweeted Friday that new figures showing his rival’s poor favorability were “not good news for Jeb Bush.”

Despite his command of the issues Bush has appeared stiff and frustrated at Republican debates.

In private, according to one major donor and acquaintance, Bush has expressed exasperation at the state of the race, and how a bullying tycoon with a tenuous grasp of foreign policy has commandeered the primaries.

“He’s said he can’t quite understand this phenomenon,” the donor, who spoke under anonymity so he could discuss the campaign more freely, told AFP. It has been distressing, the donor said, for Bush “to see someone like Trump

rewarded for so many intolerant, outrageous, false statements that he says all the time.”

With Bush running sixth out of 12 Republicans, averaging 3.3 percent in polls, his campaign reportedly has now cancelled television ads in Iowa, which votes on February 1.

Instead he redeployed many staffers to New Hampshire to blanket the state until the February 9 primary, members of his state leadership team said.

“I’ve now come to a recognition that New Hampshire is probably do or die for Jeb,” the donor said.

“I never would have thought that,” he added.

“But he has put so many resources into New Hampshire, it’s like he’s pushing all the chips into the center of the table.”

‘Volatile’ primaries Bush is not alone. Fellow establishment candidates like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Ohio Governor John Kasich are crowding in for town-hall events as they make their stands in the all-important Granite State.

“It certainly doesn’t look wonderful for Jeb Bush,” observed Steffen Schmidt, an Iowa State University professor who has analyzed presidential races for 40 years. “When you were supposed to be the establishment guy and now you’re languishing at the bottom of the polls with Mike Huckabee and a bunch of other losers, it’s tough.”

And yet Schmidt insisted a long-term path exists for Bush beyond Iowa and New Hampshire, provided he does not tank there.

Wins in those early states carry huge psychological boosts, but the primary race is about winning enough overall delegates to earn the nomination.

Schmidt notes that Republicans in several large states like New York, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which vote in March and April, and California and New Jersey

in June, are more moderate and less likely to support Trump or today’s number two candidate, conservative Senator Ted Cruz.

“The Republican establishment is going apoplectic with both Trump and Cruz,” Schmidt said.

“If Bush is able to get some momentum and get his act together, he could go long.”

That change in dynamic could take several weeks to coalesce, said Schmidt, stressing that Bush’s large war chest would prove crucial down the road.

“In California it’s not a ground war, it’s an air war,” he explained. “It’s all television, and that’s expensive.”

New Hampshire state Representative Carlos Gonzalez, a Bush supporter, said he remained optimistic despite the poor polls.

“His game is up to par, and he’ll do better than expected,” Gonzalez said.

“I wouldn’t say it’s crunch time, because the whole primary season is very volatile.”

Meanwhile he and other observers said Bush’s team and SuperPAC Right to Rise ought to hit Trump even harder than they are presently doing.

Of the $99.3 million spend by independent groups on advertising in the campaign cycle up to January 4, 2016, just two percent went to spots attacking Trump, according to a Huffington Post analysis.

Political consultant Stuart Stevens, who strategized for Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, said going negative on Trump is exactly what Bush should have done from the start, instead of making the “terrible mistake” of also attacking establishment rivals.

“There is no shame in losing a presidential race,” Stevens told AFP. “But to run and lose and in the process end up helping the person who most represents everything you oppose in the Republican Party and public life, that would be a tragedy.”

President Benigno S. Aquino III administers the oath of office to newly appointed government officials in a ceremony at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Thursday (January 7). (MNS photo)

President Benigno S. Aquino III greets Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs of the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond MP, during the courtesy call at the Music Room of the Malacañan Palace on Thursday (January 7). Also in photo is Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario. (MNS photo)

Waxing nostalgic over vinyl records at CES

By Glenn Chapman

Las Vegas, United States | AFP | Saturday 1/9/2016 – Turntables turned heads as a renewed love of old-time vinyl records struck a chord at the famously futuristic Consumer Electronics Show.

Sony, Panasonic, Victrola, and Audio-Technica were among the companies showing off turntables boasting digital age spins such as high-resolution audio or wirelessly connecting to speakers.

Turntable makers at CES, which wraps in Las Vegas on Saturday, told of vinyl records being all the rage after years of digital tunes dominating the music industry.

Sony Electronics president Mike Fasulo said at the show that vinyl records were “on fire” and that the Japanese entertainment giant’s music arm was working hard to keep up with demand.

A Victrola booth on the CES show floor was packed with a wide array of turntables that combined modern features with vintage designs.

Victrola turntables date back more than a century, and the brand was bought recently by Innovative Tech-

nology which has offices in the US and Hong Kong.

Connecting with music “There is something retro about vinyl that inspires the nostalgia in all of us,” Guillermo Moncada of Innovative told AFP at the Victrola booth.

“We grew up with our parents vinyl collections, and our millennial generation is now collecting them as well,” the 29-year-old continued.

“We have a personal relationship with vinyl as opposed to an MP3 file.”

While digital music from mobile devices or streamed online might slipped into the background for people, vinyl tends to be more tactile and interactive. Listeners may admire album cover art or ponder lyrics printed on the back or on record sleeves..

Records also call for listeners to get involved by flipping them over.

“You are sitting there actually enjoying the music,” Moncada said of opting for vinyl records.

“You have a connection with it in a sense; that is something a lot of us are starting to realize again.”

In addition, many audiophiles appreciate the sound of music on vinyl, grainy edges and all.

Vintage meets modern -

Turntables have been hot sellers for Los Angeles-based Boytone, which even has a model with a cassette tape player.

An array of turntables found at CES were built into carry cases to go mobile in designs reminiscent of decades past.

Despite vintage looks, new model turn tables boasted features such as Bluetooth connections to speakers of headphones, or being able to plug into computers so music on records could be “ripped,” or copied, into digital files.

“It allows you to keep your turntable and vinyl in one room while enjoying your records virtually anywhere in the house,” Crystal Griffith of Audio-Technica said of wireless capabilities in a freshly-unveiled model.

A new Sony turntable included the ability to automatically convert analogue music from records into digital format for listening on other devices.

“Our new PS-HX500 turntable serves as an important bridge that connects the growing number of vinyl record collectors to the convenience and sound quality afforded by hi-res audio,” Yamato Tanikawa of Sony Electronics said in a release.

President Benigno S. Aquino III exchanges pleasantries with Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs of the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond MP, during the courtesy call at the Music Room of the Malacañan Palace on Thursday (January 7). Also in photo is Ambassador of the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Philippines Ambassador Asif Ahmad. (MNS photo)

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Elamparo: Poe more interested in political ambition than citizenship MANILA, Jan 8 (Mabuhay) – Lawyer Estrella Elamparo on Friday asked the Supreme Court to dismiss Sen. Grace Poe’s petition against her disqualification, saying the lawmaker does not seem interested in being recognized as a Filipino but is only after her ambition to become president.

In her formal comment submitted to the SC, Elamparo noted how Poe, a foundling from Iloilo adopted by celebrity couple Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces, has repeatedly rejected the notion that she is a naturalized Filipino.

“Some legal scholars and jurists have opined that petitioner is a Filipino national by virtue of an abbreviated form of naturalization - considering that she has been de facto considered by the government a Filipino, and has in fact been issued a Philippine passport,” said Elamparo.

“But petitioner is simply not interested in citizenship…

Obviously, petitioner is not after being a Filipino national only, because mere citizenship or nationality that is not enough to give her the Presidency. What she wants is to be considered natural-born,” the lawyer added.

Elamparo said Poe had repeatedly stated that she is not a naturalized Filipino in the verified answer and memorandun she filed with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in response to Elamparo’s plea to have her certificate of candidacy for the 2016 presidential polls cancelled.

“Viewed in this light, one can easily see the hypocrisy behind her quest for the Presidency. Enough with the sentimental pleas. This Petition is not about being recognized as a Filipino; it is about her misguided ambition which regrettably unfortunately runs roughshod against the fundamental law,” said Elamparo.

Elamparo defends Comelec In her petition, Elamparo asked the SC to dismiss Poe’s petition against the Comelec because the lawmaker allegedly failed to prove the poll body decided in a “capricious and whimsical” manner in canceling her COC. “A mere disagreement with Comelec on the weight it gave to certain evidence or on its interpretation of some difficult provisions of law is no basis to strike down the Comelec decision as despotic, arbitrary or whimsical,” read her comment.

Elamparo maintained that Poe’s declaration in her 2012 COC for senator of having a residency of six years and six months was not an honest mistake but an admission against interest.

According to Elamparo, despite supposedly realizing the supposed mistake early in 2015, Poe did not do anything about it until she was “ambushed” by the media sometime in June 2015, a day after the camp of a political rival raised the issue.

Elamparo said the earliest reckoning period of Poe’s residency was from July 2006 when she re-acquired Philippine citizenship.

She said Poe could have established her residency had she acquired a permanent resident visa, “which she did not do, negating further any intent to reside in the Philippines prior to July 2006.”

Elamparo also said the Comelec was not bound by a separate decision from the Senate Electoral Tribunal, which declared Poe as a natural-born citizen in November last year.

She said the Comelec was correct to rule that a foundling like Poe is not a natural-born Filipino, and that international law does not confer natural born status and Filipino citizenship to Poe. Comelec decision vs. Poe In the December 23, 2015, ruling that Poe was contesting before the SC, the Comelec en banc junked Poe’s petitions against the separate rulings of the First and Second Divisions canceling her COC for president.

The en banc voted 5-1-1 upholding the decision of the Second Division on Elamparo’s petition to cancel Poe’s COC because of her failure to meet the constitutional requirement of a 10-year residency for presidential candidates.

The Comelec en banc, meanwhile, voted 5-2 to uphold the First Division’s decision disqualifying her from the 2016 presidential election based on questions of citizenship and residency raised by former Senator Francisco Tatad, political analyst Antonio Contreras and former law dean Amado Valdez.

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OPINION

Pope says he’s ‘a sinner in need of God’s mercy’ Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Sunday 1/10/2016 – Pope Francis describes himself as “a sinner” in need of God’s mercy, in an upcoming book where he also urges the Catholic Church to focus on its mission as a grassroots, hands-on organisation.

The first book of his papacy, “The Name of God is Mercy,” published on Tuesday in 86 countries, comprises a series of interviews, some of them highly personal, with the 79-year-old Argentine-born pope.

In extracts from the French-language edition provided to AFP by the French publisher Laffont, the pope calls himself “a man who is in need of God’s mercy.”

Expounding on the notion of forgiveness, the pope – a frequent visitor to prisons – refers to his

“special relationship” with convicts.

“I have always been very much attached to them, precisely because of the awareness that I have of being a sinner,” Francis says, according to AFP’s translation of the extracts.

“Every time I cross the doorway of a prison, I always ask myself, ‘Why are they are here, and not me?’ I should be here, I should deserve to be here. Their fall could have been mine. I don’t feel superior to those in front of me.”

The pope, interviewed by veteran Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli, talks of the power of “shame,” describing it as guidance from God for providing a moral path.

“Shame is a grace: When we feel God’s mercy, we really are ashamed of ourselves. Despite all

our past of wretchedness and sin, God remains faithful to us and raises us up.”

Turning to the jubilee year he launched on December 8, whose theme is divine mercy, the pope says, “The church condemns sin, because it has to tell the truth: this is a sin. But at the same time, it embraces the sinner who acknowledges what he is.”

“I hope that the jubilee will show the face of a Church which is rediscovering the womb of mercy,” Francis added.

“A Church that goes out into the world... a field hospital whose characteristic is to spring up wherever there’s fighting. Not some elaborate structure, kitted out with everything... (but) a mobile structure, for saving (people), for fast intervention.”

Sinaloa drug cartel lives on despite ‘CEO’s’ capture

By Laurent Thomet

Mexico City, Mexico | AFP | Sunday 1/10/2016 – The recapture of kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was a boost to the Mexican government, but his Sinaloa drug cartel lives on despite the loss of its “CEO,” analysts say.

The gang, whose empire stretches around the world, will retain its supply of cocaine from South America, keep feeding addicts in the United States and fill its coffers full of cash.

“The capture won’t have a significant impact other than a moral victory,” Mike Vigil, a former international operations chief at the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told AFP. “It’s going to continue to function. It’s not even going to skip a beat,” Vigil said.

To make a real dent, the government should go after the cartel’s assets, bank accounts and properties while cleaning up the corruption that has aided the criminal enterprise, the former law enforcement official said.

“The infrastructure has been developed through decades, and the fact of the matter is that just because they get rid of the CEO doesn’t mean that it’s going to collapse,” he said.

While the 58-year-old Guzman now faces the prospect of being ex-

tradited to the United States, the cartel has another veteran leader ready to step in, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who is in his late 60s.

Guzman’s sons are active in the cartel, but Zambada – a man who never spent a night behind bars – is seen as the natural successor who has the respect of his peers.

Drug lord’s view Guzman himself told US actor Sean Penn in an interview for Rolling Stone magazine that the business would go on without him.

“The day that I don’t exist, it won’t reduce drug trafficking,” Guzman said in a video, answering questions that Penn sent to him months before his capture.

The pair also met in a secretive, sitdown interview.

Raul Benitez Manaut, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said the cartel continued to operate normally during the 17 months that Guzman was incarcerated until his escape on July 11.

“It’s not destroyed. It is weakened, but it can rebuild because it has ‘Mayo’ Zambada,” Benitez said.

While he was in prison, Guzman told Penn, his business did not change. “Nothing has decreased.

Nothing has increased,” he said.

Benitez said some rivals could now seek to seize on Guzman’s capture to gain terrain.

“The ones who must be happy are the Gulf cartel, because they are their main competitors,” the expert said.

The Sinaloa cartel dominates Mexico’s Pacific region while their rivals operate along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

The two gangs have fought bloody turf wars over control of the drug trade to the United States over the years, though the Gulf cartel has been weakened by the capture or deaths of its own leaders.

‘More work to be done’ Gustavo Fondevila, a security expert at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching, said the Sinaloa cartel will avoid the fragmentation or infighting seen in other groups whose leaders have been arrested or killed.

“It’s not a cartel that has internal problems,” Fondevila said.

“This doesn’t diminish the work of the security agencies. Catching ‘El Chapo’ was very important because you can’t let a character like that on the loose,” he said.

A federal official, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Guzman’s arrest was an “unprecedented success” for federal forces.

But, the official conceded, “there’s always more work to be done against organized crime.”

Chinese economy stable: ADB president M a n i l a , P h i l i p pines | AFP | Friday 1/8/2016 – China’s economy, as well as Asia’s, are unlikely to slow down sharply this year despite Chinese stock turmoil that has rocked global financial markets, the Asian Development Bank president said Friday.

Sharp selloffs in the Chinese stock markets this week have renewed fears about the fate of the world’s second-largest economy and the knock-on effects across the globe.

“I don’t have a very pessimistic view about China,” ADB president Takehiko Nakao told reporters in Manila, adding the bank was maintaining its 6.7-percent economic growth forecast this year for China.

This would only be slightly

lower than its 6.9-percent growth projection for the country in 2015.

Developing Asia as a whole, which has been highly dependent on China, should grow 6.0 percent, or up from 5.8 percent forecast for 2015, Nakao said.

Nakao said China was successfully undertaking important reforms, such as making its economy less reliant on investment and more on domestic consumer demand. He also cited ongoing reform of state-owned enterprises, expansion of the social security system and reduction of disparities between Chinese cities and rural areas.

“Also there is room for stimulus... because its fiscal position is strong and inflation is subdued,” he said.

Nakao said that, despite the

latest turmoil on the Shanghai bourse, the index was still about 1,000 points above its end-2013 level.

Nakao also said he did not believe the yuan currency’s depreciation was a deliberate attempt by the Chinese authorities to weaken it to boost exports.

“This depreciation is not because of artificial intervention to lower the renminbi,” he said, using another term for the yuan.

“It is in a sense the other way.

They don’t intervene, that’s why there is a marked depreciation.”

Nakao said a rapid depreciation could trigger a reciprocal move by other countries.

“Already some countries have depreciations in currencies. But I don’t think this is a currency war,” he said.

Tagle on devotion to Black Nazarene: It’s more than the pulling and pushing MANILA, Jan 9 (Mabuhay) – The message of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle centered on faith and devotion of Filipinos to the Black Nazarene.

Tagle presided over the midnight Mass held at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, Manila, hours before the annual procession of the Black Nazarene.

The prelate reminded the thousands of devotees present that even if they are unable to visit the image of the Black Nazarene everyday, their devotion is alive with the celebration of the Mass.

Tagle emphasized that devotion to the Nazarene is more than all the pushing and pulling, or squeezing one’s self into throngs of other devotees crowding the path of the Christ’s black image.

“Para doon sa iba na ang akala ang mga deboto ay nagtutulakan lamang. Hindi po. Naranasan niyo na ba na wala kayong makapitan?

Kapag naranasan niyo iyan, nandiyan ang Nazareno, lumapit ka, kumapit ka, mauunawaan mo bakit ganyan na lang ang kagustuhan ng mga deboto makalapit sa kanya,” said Tagle.

Tagle said that devotion to the Black Nazarene does not only involve being thankful but also offering sacrifices to God, even as he cited devotees who waited seven hours in line along Roxas Boulevard just to get close to the Nazarene for three seconds.

Tagle also spoke of stories from people who no longer were able to join the procession but still manifested their devotion to the Naza-

rene simply by preparing food and handing them out to other devotees passing by their house.

“Ilan lamang po ito sa napakahahalaga at matingkad na aspeto ng pagpapakita ng ating debosyon at pananampalataya kay Hesus Nazareno... Ang pagbibigay ng sarili, pagsasakripisyo, pagpaparangal sa Poong Nazareno,” he said.

Tagle emphasized the true meaning of the Eucharist during the Black Nazarene procession.

“Mga kapatid na deboto ng Nazareno, regalo ka ni Hesus sa iba. Ibinibigay ka ni Hesus sa iba.

Ipakita mo ang gawa ng Diyos ang pag-ibig ng Diyos,” Tagle said.

“Hinawakan nagpasalamat, ibinigay ang sarili. Iyan ang eucahristiya, ang buhay ng sumasampalataya,” he added.

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ENTERT Jasmine Curtis-Smith to star with Richard Gutierrez Jasmine Curtis-Smith will play the leading lady of Richard Gutierrez in TV5’s series for next year, “Ang Panday.”

This was announced by Viva big boss Vic Del Rosario, now head of TV5 entertainment content.

Jasmine will be in Australia with her mom and siblings for Christmas.

“But once she comes home, she will start taping,” said a TV5 insider.

Also in the cast of “Ang Panday” is child actor Alonzo Muhlach.

Meanwhile, the lead role in the remake of “Tasya Fantasya” is still up for grabs.

“Actually, pinag-u-usapan pa namin,” revealed Vic del Rosario, “Hard to follow ang naging success ng two versions nito.

“The first one, a movie in 1994, had Kris Aquino playing the title role.

“The movie, directed by Carlo J. Caparas, who also authored the comics novel, was a super success.

“Successful din sa rating ang ‘Tasya Fantasya’ when it was made as a GMA 7 series starring Yasmien Kurdi

Jasmine Curtis-Smith

in the year 2006,” he further stated.

“Tasya Fantasya” and

“Ang Panday” are both works of Carlo J. Caparas.

(MNS)

As a freelancer, Bautista said he has been receiving invitations from different networks, including acting stints for ABS-CBN. He also said he wants to go back to performing on theater.

Bautista was part of the musical “Here Lies Love,” which ended its run in London in early 2015. He is also part of “Bituing Walang Ningning,” which will have a rerun this month. (MNS)

Mark Bautista

Bangs Garcia is engaged.

The 28-year-old Garcia is set to marry her half-British boyfriend, Lloyd Birchmore, according to a video posted on Instagram by her friend, Star Magic artist Marlann Flores.

The short clip shows Birchmore asking Garcia for her hand in marriage. It also provides a glimpse of Garcia’s engagement ring.

The caption read: “Omg I’m so happy for my best friend Val! I wish you all the best!”

Meanwhile, Garcia posted a photo of her and Birchmore on her Instagram account.

The two are currently in Bo-

Bangs Garcia

racay with their respective families for the holidays.

She wrote a short poem dedicated to her fiance,

which she concluded with: “I am so happy we are here in our sweet horizon once again and we will always keep on coming back here as much as we can. You make me the happiest baby ko.”

Garcia gushed over Birchmore. “Actually sa lahat ng naging relationships ko, I really feel him more kasi it’s my first time to be very in sync with my boyfriend,” she said.

The actress also admitted that she is fortunate to have a supportive boyfriend who understands how show business works even if he is not from the industry. (MNS)

Veteran television host German Moreno died of cardiac arrest early morning on Friday, his nephew Johh Nite confirmed.

He was 82.

Moreno died at around 3:20 a.m. while confined in a hospital in Quezon City. He was rushed to the hospital past 7 p.m. on Thursday.

In January last year, he was rushed to the acute stroke unit of the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City after suffering a mild stroke.

A popular host, actor, comedian and talent manager, Moreno, or more popularly known as “Kuya Germs,”

German Moreno

began his career in show business in the 1960s.

Before becoming an actor, Moreno worked as a janitor and a curtain raiser at the Clover Theater.

He later went on to pursue a career on the bodabil stage as a comedian.

Moreno’s biggest break came when he hosted “GMA Supershow” in the 1980s.

His name was immortalized in Philippine showbiz as host and producer of the then long-running youth-oriented show “That’s Entertainment.” (MNS)

Weeks after she broke down in tears when she split up with her boyfriend, comedienne K Brosas confirmed that she is now seeing someone new.

“Kinikilig talaga ako,” Brosas said during a television interview.

Recently, Brosas emotionally announced their break up due to commitment issues.

However, the comedienne was in high spirits as she narrated how they met.

“Kasama ko ang mga friends ko. Nag-gathering kami, karaoke, kasi kailangan mo ng company kasi baka anytime sumabog ka.

He was there,” she said.

(MNS)

K Brosas

KC reveals sister Frankie wants to be a singer Jen Rosendahl

Judy Ann Santos gives birth to baby girl

Kapamilya star Judy Ann Santos gave birth to a healthy baby girl Friday afternoon, her husband announced.

On his personal Instagram page, TV host Ryan Agoncillo posted an image that had the word “success.”

The caption had a hashtag that read: “January 8, 2016 [Juana Luisa Santos-Agoncillo].”

Santos and Agoncillo earlier revealed their plans to name their third child Juana Luisa, or Luna for short.

Agoncillo left the set of his noontime program hours ago after learning that Santos is about to give birth.

Agoncillo admitted that it was Santos who wanted to have another baby.

“When we started hindi namin alam kung ilan ang gusto naming baby. Noong may dalawa na at five-yearsold na si Lucho, my wife said she wanted another. Aayaw pa ba ako?” he quipped.

Santos and Agoncillo, who married in 2009, have two other children -adopted daughter Yohan and biological son Lucho. (MNS)

Bangs Garcia engaged to British boyfriend

After emotional split, K Brosas finds new love?

Former Viva Hot Babe gives birth to first child Former Viva Hot Babe member Jen Rosendahl gave birth to a healthy baby boy last Tuesday at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, the sexy actress shared on her Instagram account.

“Thank you for all the prayers! Baby Tyler is healthy and I am also okay,” she wrote as the caption to a photo of her holding her first child with husband Jules Changco. Rosendahl is the latest celebrity to give birth to their first child, following the likes of Marian Rivera, Bianca Gonzalez and Empress Schuck. (MNS)

INMENT

‘Master Showman’ German Moreno dies

Mark Bautista now a freelancer Singer-actor Mark Bautista is welcoming the new year as a freelancer.

Bautista said he is content with his current status.

“Para sa akin, sa stage ko ngayon, parang okay pa na wala munang network,” he said.

He added that he feels like he needs to prove that he is deserving of the projects he had been getting, and that he has no problem with starting again as a singer.

THE US ASIAN POST

Judy An Santos and Ryan Agoncillo

Frankie Pangilinan seems to be following the musical footsteps of her mother Sharon Cuneta.

According to Pangilinan’s sister, , the 15-year-old is very passionate about music.

“Nakikita ko na mahal na mahal niyang kumanta.

She loves composing, singing, playing guitar. I would never want to clip someone’s wings.

I think everyone deserves to shine if they have the chance. Everyone deserves support and I think the worst thing you can do to a kid is to make her feel like it’s a mistake to like to sing or perform. So I am all out support for my sister. I would never ever want her to feel that she has no place here because everyone has a place in this industry,” Concepcion said.

Asked if their mother will allow Frankie to pursue a singing career, Concepcion said: “Mom has always been protective but maybe it’s different with Frankie now.

Maybe she sees a lot of other daughters of actors also doing their thing. As someone who was born sa showbiz parents, I think that it should be okay. I’m her ate, of course, I will support but siguro mom is just very protective. She doesn’t want any of us to be hurt.”

KC Concepcion and Frankie Pangilinan

Last October, Cuneta uploaded a rare video of her singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” with Frankie and Concepcion.

Concepcion is Cuneta’s

daughter with former husband Gabby Concepcion, while Frankie is one of her three children with former senator Francis Panglinan.

(MNS)

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Clinton visits San Gabriel, slams GOP hateful rhetoric

By Abner Galino

“They forget a fundamental lesson about our great country. Being an open and tolerant society does not make us vulnerable. It’s at the core of our strength.”

With these words, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton slammed the supposed “hateful rhetoric” of Republican presidential candidates before a well-attended gathering of Asian-Americans in a hotel in the town of San Gabriel, a suburb of Los Angeles.

Clinton went on to attack her Republican rivals by going back to the Great Recession that happened at the end of the administration President George W. Bush.

“Make no mistake about it. What we are hearing from all them (Republican candidates) is the same failed policies that led to the Great Recession. They want to slash taxes on the wealthy.

Put consumers at the mercy of drug companies” Clinton went on, claiming that the economy “does better when you have Democratic president.”

“In fact, you are four times more likely to have a recession when you have a Republican in the White House,”

she concluded, which drew cheer from the crowd.

The presidential hopeful also stressed that President Barack Obama was not getting the credit that he deserved for saving the collapsing economy and bringing it back to life.

Clinton recalled that the US was losing around 800,000 jobs a month, the stock market was down and the automotive industry was on the brink of collapse when the government was handed to Obama.

Clinton’s campaign stop in the San Gabriel Valley to woo Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders totally ignored her Democratic presidential campaign rival Bernie Sanders.

Her tactic amazed many political kibitzers because her speech did not attempt to solicit support for her for the upcoming causeses in Iowa and New Hampshire which are expected to become tough as Sanders gain momentum on the said states.

Clinton doesn’t need to work hard to win Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California because they tend to vote Democratic anyway. The political

influence of the said minorities are critical in some swing states but obviously not in California which is a blue state.

In her speech that lasted for about half an hour, Clinton promised to fix the nation’s broken immigration system, improve access to higher education, and increase wages. She also promised to reduce the visa backlogs, which she understood, differ from one country to another.

“Ultimately this is more than an economic or political issue. It’s a family issue,” Clinton said.

Meanwhile, a big delegation of Filipino Americans came to the event show their support for Clinton. The delegation was led by millionaire-philantropist-lawyer Loida Nicolas Lewis who paid for the buses that brought the Filipino American groups to San Gabriel Valley.

In a pep talk while on their way to the forum, Nicolas-Lewis reminded the delegates that World War II first received social security benefits during the term of Democratic President Bill Clinton. The benefits continue up to this day, she said,

A big delegation of Filipino Americans came to the event to show their support for Clinton. The delegation was led by millionaire-philanthropist-lawyer Loida Nicolas Lewis (center) who paid for the buses that brought the Filipino American groups to San Gabriel Valley.

Democratic Presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton speaks to her supporters during the launching of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) for Hillary on Thursday in San Gabriel.

Photos: JUN CAMACHO

and have been very helpful to the war veterans because they can access around 75 percent of these benefits even if they come home to the Philippines to retire for good.

“That is why I am really passionate about the prospect of Hillary Clinton

becoming the next president of the United States,” Nicolas-Lewis said.

The prominent community leader added that as the second largest Asian American group in the US, the Filipino community is not getting the appropriate attention that it should get

from political parties and the government.

“So I want her (Hillary Clinton) to see us in that rally, at least 150 Filipinos will be there to raise our banners. So that when we need something (in the future), she has seen us,” Nicolas-Lewis said.

Fil-am delegation from Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco with millionaire-philanthropist-lawyer Loida Nicolas Lewis, join forces to show their support to the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

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THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, January 15-21, 2016

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KITCHENOMICS FAMILY FEATURES

W

hen game day arrives and friends and family are gathered around the big screen to cheer your team to victory, the only thing missing is some great grub to make the celebration complete.

Putting together an all-star spread is actually easier than you may think. Simple recipes featuring high-quality ingredients make it possible to serve up big flavor without a lot of fuss. Follow these tips to score a game day menu that will let your guests enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Create a DIY pizza station.

Prepare dough ahead of time or purchase individual serving size crusts and invite guests to make their own personal pizzas.

Provide an array of fresh veggies, meats and herbs for endless combinations. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget plenty of quality cheese, and for a special twist, add some unexpected flavors, such as Jarlsberg Brand Cheese. Best known as a classic wedge, this nutty, mild cheese is also wonderful shredded for a uniquely delicious pizza flavor. Get guests started with this Sausage, Mushroom and Herb Pizza and then invite them to get creative on their own.

Top it off right.

No game day party is complete without chips and dip. Take your nachos to another level with premium toppings such these Barbecue Chicken Nachos. Other upgraded topping options: grilled steak or chicken, grilled corn and onions, a variety of flavorful cheeses, homemade guacamole, diced fresh veggies, seasoned olives and spices, such as Cajun or Caribbean jerk.

Bring the heat.

Spice things up with peppers as an added ingredient to other treats like pizza and nachos, or make the pepper the star, as with these Jalapeno Poppers, which blend the heat of a whole jalapeno balanced by the distinctive flavors of goat, Jarlsberg and Parmesan cheeses.

Find more game day recipes at jarlsberg.com.

Jalapeno Poppers Makes: 16 16 whole jalapeno peppers, rinsed and drained 2 logs (4 ounces each) fresh goat cheese 1 cup shredded Jarlsberg Cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup diced green onion (scallions) dash of hot sauce cilantro leaves mini hot red peppers (optional) Using small sharp knife, cut slit down one side of each pepper.

Leave stem intact and remove seeds and veins.

In bowl, mash all cheeses, onion and hot sauce. Divide among peppers, stuffing each generously.

Refrigerate. (Note: Recipe can be made ahead to this point.)

Arrange peppers in heavy aluminum foil packet. Grill 8-10 minutes, or until cheese begins to melt. Garnish with cilantro and, if desired, hot red peppers.

Cheese and Mushroom Pizza

Barbecue Chicken Nachos

Makes: 1 pizza 1 premade pizza dough (14-16 ounces) 5 tablespoons tomato sauce 2 diced Roma tomatoes 8 ounces shredded Jarlsberg Cheese 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese 8-10 sliced mushrooms 2 teaspoons oregano arugula (optional) Heat oven to 425 F. Follow premade pizza dough instructions on package.

Spread thin layer of tomato sauce and fresh tomatoes on uncooked pizza dough, sprinkle with cheeses, top with mushrooms and finish with oregano.

Bake pizza in oven for 1520 minutes, or until golden brown. Garnish with arugula, if desired.

Makes: 1 large serving 1 rotisserie chicken 1 cup barbecue sauce nacho chips 1 cup shredded Jarlsberg Cheese 1/4 cup chopped green onion sour cream (optional) Heat oven to 350 F. Pull white meat off rotisserie chicken and place in mixing bowl.

Add barbecue sauce to pulled chicken and gently mix together.

Scatter nacho chips on oven-safe dish and place pulled chicken on top.

Shred cheese with grater and coat top of chicken.

Place in oven for approximately 10 minutes. Sprinkle green onion on top and serve with sour cream, if desired.

PICK A PARTY BITE

Finger foods make it easy for your fellow fans to quickly grab a snack between plays and save the serious grub for a longer break in the action.

Tide them over until halftime with these bite-site appetizers.

For a little extra fun, use toothpicks bearing the mascot or signature color of your favorite team.

Jarlsberg Cheese salami green grape toothpick Cut cheese and salami into bite-size cubes. Thread ingredients on toothpicks, varying the order and mixing and matching ingredients for different flavor combinations.

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MOTORING CES 2016: The key concept cars

Friday January 8, 2016 (Relaxnews) – From cars that come with their own pet drone or that respond to a wave of the hand to vehicles that provide real-time health diagnostics or can automatically interact with everything from smart ovens, lighting systems and thermostats around the home, automakers made an indelible impression on this year’s Las Vegas Nevada technology extravaganza.

Audi is concerned about its drivers’ health and with its Audi Fit concept can take data gathered from its owner’s smartwatch or fitness tracker and combine it with information about driving conditions to understand stress levels and other potential distractions, even suggesting that the driver take a break if the seat massage or breathing exercise aren’t working.

The BMW iVision Future Interaction Concept Car explores how drivers will keep control over the

various in-car functions as vehicles become computers on wheels. The answer is panoramic touchless touch screens, responding to hand gestures instead. “This system is able to recognize 3D movements and relay them to the interface. This next step in gesture control will open up new possibilities,” said BMW’s Klaus Fröhlich.

Bosch is trying to solve the problem from the opposite side. Its future dashboard system is resplendent in touch screens but ones that manipulate the driver’s finger when touched that it feels like pressing a real knob or button. The sensation is remarkable and this sense of touching a knob makes a control easier to find, meaning there’s no need to take your eyes off the road. “We want to make people’s lives better and easier, and the key to this is connectivity,” said Bosch CEO Dr. Volkmar Denner.

Rinspeed’s tos concept had a drone for collecting

supplies, videoing drives and scouting out the road head. It sounds leftfield but Ford also announced plans to integrate car and drone technology at this year’s show as a means of helping United Nations emergency response teams.

Faraday Future turned heads with its first car, the FFZERO1 -- a single-seat electric racer straight out of the future. “On our platform, electric vehicles will not only deliver on sustainability, but will be seamlessly connected and exhilarating to drive,” said the company’s Nick Sampson.

The car has a Bugatti-baiting 1000bhp and similar acceleration and top speed credentials. However it is just a concept. The first production car isn’t due until at least 2018.

That means it will arrive at the same time as Volkswagen’s Budd-e, a battery-driven reimagining of its iconic Microbus. Revealed as a concept but one heading

BMW i Vision Future Interaction ©Newspress

for production, the MPV can travel 500km+ on one charge and previews features, like gesture-operated doors and

self-parking that are coming to the VW range shortly.

“The original Microbus was the embodiment of peace,

hope and happiness, an apartment on wheels. The future belongs to cars that make everyone happy,” said

CES: A million ideas but a trillion miles away from autonomous driving Saturday January 9 2016 (Relaxnews) – This year’s CES has been the biggest in history in terms of its focus on the automobile and its future in an increasingly connected world whether as autonomous form of transport or as an element of the

internet of things.

“Our cars are already becoming an integral part of the internet of things,” said BMW board member Klaus Fröhlich. “Customer wishes are changing. Drivers expect to be able to integrate vehicles seamlessly

into their life – for example, their smartphone or their connected home.”

However, even though more than 100 car companies, from manufacturers to suppliers, were showcasing their latest visions and innovations, everything is very much in its conceptual stage. Especially in terms of autonomous driving.

“Up to now, our industry has measured on-road reliability of autonomous vehicles, in the millions of miles, which is impressive.

But to achieve full autonomy we actually need reliability that is a million times better. We need trillion-mile reliability,” Dr. Gill Pratt Toyota Executive Technical Advisor said.

That’s because a car stays in use for on average 10 years, is driven 10,000 a year and, in the case of Toyota, is sold in batches of 10 million a year.

“Society tolerates a lot of human error. But we expect machines to be much better,” continued Pratt who is leading a team focused on artificial intelligence to address this problem.

And as the car becomes more like a supercomputer on wheels, what will happen to the relationship with the driver?

Evolving relationship between user and machine “The future belongs to the digital car in which people are the point of focus,” said Daimler board member Prof.

Dr. Thomas Weber, “Whether we are talking multimedia, assistance systems or autonomous driving – it is becoming more and more about how drivers and other vehicle occupants experience networking both in and outside of the vehicle.”

Some companies have reimagined the car as a rolling sitting room where occupants will be able to stretch out and relax, but such concepts are racing too far ahead.

Volvo realizes that people still need a point of reference and a level or reassurance. It polled 10,000 people around the world ahead of CES to understand what drivers want from the car of the future and the top response was to stay in control.

“People have told us that they need to feel in control and have the choice of when to delegate driving to the car.

Today, that need is ultimately fulfilled with the presence of a steering wheel,” said Volvo’s Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz, “Therefore, a steering wheel is necessary until those needs change.”

So the steering wheel stays but wing mirrors are going. All concept cars from all car companies revealed this week had one thing in common: digital cameras where the door mirror would have been.

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GM bets Americans will buy cars made in China

By Mira Oberman

Chicago, United States | AFP | Sunday 1/10/2016 – General Motors will be placing a big bet the American public is willing to drive a car built in China when it unveils the Buick Envision on Sunday night.

The largest US automaker is certainly not trying to bring it to market quietly: Buick’s latest sport utility vehicle will be introduced at a lavish party on the eve of the Detroit auto show in the hopes of maximizing media coverage. “We expect it to be a great success,” Molly Peck, US marketing director for Buick, told AFP. “It offers all the features and amenities of a luxury UV. It’s high quality, quiet, filled with advance safety technology. The design is gorgeous. The interior execution is outstanding. And it’s all at a price point that offers a great a value.”

GM’s decision to import the Envision from China – a first for a major automaker – has sparked outrage and is expected to become an issue in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The United Auto Workers union, which had lobbied to build the Envision in the United States, called the decision to import it from China a “slap in the face” to taxpayers who bailed GM out of bankruptcy in the wake of the financial 2008 crisis.

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has not yet seized on the issue, but given that he regularly rails against China for stealing American jobs analysts say it’s only a matter of time.

“I suspect GM is counting on the product to trump the actual Trump,” said Harley Shaiken, a professor at the University of California who specializes in labor issues and the automotive industry.

‘New era’ General Motors has come a long way since it first tried importing vehicles from a developing nation – Mexico – decades ago and it has systems in place to ensure that the Chinese-built Envision matches both American and global standards, Shaiken said.

“GM is well aware of how

a poor reputation in these early vehicles could have much larger impacts down the road,” he told AFP. “This is a major event that opens a new era.”

It makes good business sense for GM to import the Envision from China: it sold over 1.2 million Buicks in China last year and only 223,000 in the United States. While the Envision will help boost those numbers by rounding out Buick’s offerings in the fast-growing crossover segment, it is still only expected to reach sales of about 40,000 vehicles in the near-term.

“GM’s North America plants are just running full-out: there isn’t a logical place to put that car,” said Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with IHS Automotive.

“That doesn’t mean that all Buicks will now and forever be built from China, or that General Motors will as a general strategy be bringing vehicles in from China.

What it means is that GM has a global footprint and they will use it.”

Most consumers proba-

bly won’t even realize that the Envision was built in China, said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with automotive website Edmunds. com. “There may be some balking at first if people want to make an issue of it but I imagine in the long run it won’t be a deal breaker for a lot of people,” she told AFP. “If the quality is good, I don’t know if people are necessarily going to care.”

One reason why it’s taken so long for a major automaker to import vehicles from China is because they’ve been so busy trying to satisfy demand in that fast-growing market, said Jack Nerad, an analyst with Kelly Blue Book.

“I don’t think we’re going to suddenly see a flood of Chinese-built vehicles but I think we will see a few more,” Nerad said in a telephone interview.

“A Chinese brand is a bigger reach than something with a very familiar label like a Buick label. I don’t know that this market is crying out for new brands.”

Embattled VW chief faces US public for first time

By Gregor Waschinski

Detroit, United States | AFP | Sunday 1/10/2016 – Volkswagen chief executive Matthias Mueller will face a skeptical US public on Sunday for the first time since American regulators accused the German automaker of cheating on emissions tests.

VW’s “apology tour” is expected to be a sharp contrast from the exuberance displayed by its competitors when the Detroit auto show formally opens Monday amid record-breaking US sales.

Mueller is set to speak at an invitation-only media reception in a Detroit restaurant Sunday night before heading to Washington for talks with political leaders and regulators amid accusations that the company is

obstructing the investigation into the deepest crisis of its history. Sources told AFP that he could announce the buyback of more than 100,000 affected vehicles.

VW was tight-lipped about Mueller’s schedule, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said he is scheduled to meet with its administrator Gina McCarthy on Wednesday.

Mueller, who took the helm at Volkswagen after US authorities uncovered the scandal in September, has said he will apologize during his first official trip to America but also “look forward with optimism and confidence.”

The Wolfsburg-based group admits it installed software in around 11 million diesel cars of its VW, Audi,

SEAT and Skoda brands worldwide that helped them evade emissions standards.

The so-called defeat devices turn on pollution controls when the car is undergoing testing, and off when it is back on the road, allowing it to spew out harmful levels of nitrogen oxide.

The affair severely damaged Volkswagen’s reputation and spawned to a host of investigations in several countries. On Monday, the US government sued the carmaker for installing defeat devices on nearly 600,000 of its VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles sold in America between 2009 and 2015. The complaint alleges that Volkswagen not only intentionally violated cleanair regulations but also obstructed the investigation by

concealing facts and providing misleading information, despite the company’s public pledges of cooperation.

Penalties could top $20 billion - The attorneys general of New York and Connecticut, who are leading a separate probe by more than 40 US states, on Friday accused the carmaker of hiding behind German privacy laws in refusing to turn over emails and documents.

“Our patience with Volkswagen is wearing thin,” warned New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Civil penalties in the US could run well above $20 billion. Volkswagen also faces a costly recall and at least 650 class-action lawsuits from disgruntled US customers.

Meanwhile, the EPA and the California Air Resourc-

Obama to visit Detroit Auto Show

Washington, United States | AFP | Saturday 1/9/2016 – President Barack Obama said Saturday that he would visit the Detroit Auto Show this month so he can personally see how the industry has recovered since he took office.

In his weekly radio and online address, Obama focused on how his policies helped the US car industry recover.

In 2009, as the global financial crisis peaked, “the American auto industry was on the brink of collapse,” Obama said.

“Plants were closing. Hundreds of thousands of workers were getting laid off ... another one million Americans would have lost their jobs,” he said.

In a controversial move taken early in his presidency, Obama bailed out two major US auto companies to the tune of $80 billion. The plan was initiated under president George W. Bush, but Obama largely oversaw the bailout.

The money helped General Motors and the Chrysler Group, now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Ford did not take any bailout funds.

“In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility,” Obama said. “We said the auto industry would have to truly change, not just pretend that it did.”

While critics derided the plan as a “road to socialism” or a “disaster” waiting to happen, Obama said, “I’d make that bet again any day of the week.

“Because today, the American auto industry is back.

Since our plan went into effect, our automakers have added more than 640,000 new jobs. We’ve cut the Detroit-area unemployment rate by more than half. The Big Three automakers are raising wages.”

Auto sales hit a 27-year low in 2009, but last year “they hit an all-time high,” he said.

“Later this month, I’ll visit the Detroit Auto Show to see this progress firsthand. Because I believe that every American should be proud of what our most iconic industry has done.”

The White House said that Obama will visit the annual vehicle extravaganza on January 20.

In the address Obama, who is in his last year in office, crowed about economic growth and progress during his presidency, including “more than 14 million new jobs” as well as slashing the federal deficit and a major expansion of health care coverage.

“The point is,” Obama said, “America can do anything. Even in times of great challenge and change, our future is entirely up to us.” es Board are still reviewing VW’s plan to recall the nearly 500,000 affected 2.0 liter cars, and the company must submit another plan for some 85,000 affected 3.0 liter cars by early February.

“They need a resolution,” Eric Lyman, vice president of industry insights at car-buying site TrueCar, told AFP. “The consumers and their own customers especially are willing to accept a reasonable amount of time for the investigation to

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occur and to come up with a fix, but as we continue to get further and further along from when the scandal broke the tolerance for that waiting period is getting thinner and thinner,” Lyman said.

German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported on Sunday that VW engineers have come up with a technical solution for some 430.000 affected Diesel cars that would be refitted with a new catalytic converter to meet US emission standards.

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CONTRACEPTIVES

MIDDLE EAST

tive Health Law. “The enemies of reproductive health never sleep.

We, too, must not rest in fighting for women’s health,” she said.

Former Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of RH Law in the House

tension in the Middle East, particularly between Iran and Saudi Arabia, continue to escalate.

“The rapid deterioration of the situation in the Middle East, particularly between Iran and Saudi Arabia is quite alarming. The DFA and DOE should start preparing contingency plans to ensure the safety of the more than two million OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] in the region, and to anticipate the crisis’ impact on our energy needs,” said the senator.

Saudi Arabia earlier announced that it was cutting its diplomatic ties with Iran, following a massive and destructive rally by Iranians in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Iran to protest Saudi’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr last January 2. Some analysts say an escalation of the tension between these two countries could be a potential threat to global oil prices.

From page 1

VITANGCOL From page 1

date Mar Roxas. The Office of the Ombudsman had also cleared incumbent DOTC chief Joseph Emilio Abaya of any liability in connection with the deal because he was appointed just two days earlier when he signed the contract. Escudero said the former MRT chief should reveal the “extent of the culpability of other DOTC officials in the anomalous contract that they have left Vitangcol high and dry to claim responsibility for deal.” “Mr. Vitangcol

of Representatives, said the Congress, particularly the Senate, reneged on its obligation to adequately fund the speedy and full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law (R.A. No. 10354). should not be afraid to speak up. Why sacrifice yourself, your career, your life, your family name when you know that there were others behind this questionable deal?

He should come clean and reveal everything he knows,” Escudero said. Vitangcol had earlier said that he was being made a “sacrificial lamb” and was being made to answer for the anomalies in the 10-month MRT 3 maintenance contract that was awarded to PH Trams, whose directors included Vitangcol’s uncle-in-law.

SECOND WARNING From page 1

from the United States, with the Pentagon warning Thursday that the move would raise tensions in the disputed waters.

The Philippines has also

POE URGES From page 1

es without the chairman’s signature.

In a statement, Poe’s spokesman Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian blasted Guanzon for her actions.

“We believe that the actions of Commissioner Guanzon is wrong, as she is usurping the powers reserved for the en banc,” he said.

“The actions of Commissioner Guanzon is undermining our electoral process and endangering our very democracy,” added Poe’s spokesman. Gatchalian said Guanzon’s actions only bolstered the senator’s suspicion that there are people within Comelec trying to derail her presidential bid.

said it would file a protest.

Binh said Vietnam has asked China “to immediately end similar acts... that expand and complicate disputes”. China claims virtually all the South China Sea, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have partial claims. China has asserted its claim by rapidly building artificial islands, including airstrips said to be capable of hosting military jets. Several other claimants, including Vietnam, have also built facilities on islands they control, but at a significantly slower pace and smaller scale.

From page 1

PITCH FOR BBL From page 1

believer in the potential of Mindanao” following the inauguration of its coal-fired power plant in Davao.

“Rest assured, we will fulfill our promise to leave Mindanao in a better situation,” said Aquino.

“We will maintain our steadfast commitment to peace. We will continue to focus the national coffers towards infrastructure development so that those who have historically been left behind are given a boost up so they can catch up,” he added. (MNS)

BLACK NAZARENE From page 1

the number last year.

Many of them were already ill, she told AFP, adding: “They probably thought if they take part in the procession, they would get better.”

Manila’s civil defence chief Johnny Yu said the procession was “a successful event”, despite the deaths and injuries, some of which he said was down to sick people taking part.