LA / ORANGE C / INLAND E
Kaye Abad gets engaged See ENTERTAINMENT, page 15 VOL. XXIII, NO. 16
LOS ANGELES / ORANGE COUNTY / INLAND EMPIRE
May 21 - 27, 2016
THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FILIPINO-AMERICANS
Robredo camp: Proclamation first before audit of poll servers MANILA, May 19 (Mabuhay) – While it welcomes the audit of poll servers sought by Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the camp of leading vice-presidential contender and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo said this should be conducted after the proclamation of the winning candidate. “Bukas po siya sa pagkakaroon ng audit dahil sumasang-ayon siya na kailangang magkaroon ng transparency sa ating bilangan at sa proklamasyon. Ngunit idinidiin namin
na hindi dapat ito makaantala sa proseso na ating pinagdaraanan,” Robredo’s spokesperson, Georgina Hernandez, said in a radio interview Thursday. “Ibig hong sabihin dapat po ay magkaroon muna tayo ng proklamasyon at saka natin titignan ang posibilidad ng audit,” she said. Congress will resume session on May 23, and will convene as the National Board of Canvassers on May 25. The NBOC is mandated to See ROBREDO, page 6 Family members welcome the crew of Philippine Navy’s (PN’s) Landing Dock Vessel (LDV) Tarlac (LD-601) as it docks in Pier 13, South Harbor, Manila City on Monday. LDV Tarlac, which was built by PT PAL Persero in Surabaya, Indonesia, was acquired through the AFP Modernization Trust Act Fund. (MNS photo)
PHL-CHINA TALKS LOOM Duterte tells Obama he may opt for bilateral talks with China
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon raises the hand of newly elected Senator Risa Hontiveros during the proclamation of the 12 winning senators on Thursday (May 19, 2016) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)lam/acd
Comelec officially proclaims 12 winning senators By Ferdinand G. Patinio
MANILA, May 19 (PNA) – Ten days after the May 9 national and local elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), sitting as National Board of Canvassers (NBoC), officially proclaimed the 12 winning senatorial candidates Thursday. In a formal ceremony at the 2016 Elections Headquarters at the Forum of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, NBoC chairman Juan Andres Bautista, together with the other members of the NBoC, led the proclamation of newly elected Senators. Proclaimed were Senate President Franklin Drilon who garnered 18,607,391 (1st) votes ; Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, 18,459,222 (2nd); Vicente Sotto III, 17,200,371 (3rd); Panfilo Lacson,Sr., 16,926,152 (4th); Richard Gordon, 16,719,322 (5th);
Juan Miguel Zubiri, 16,119,165 (6th); Emmanuel Pacquiao, 16,050,546 (7th); Anna Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel, 15,915,213 (8th); Francis Pangilinan, 15,955,949 (9th); Sherwin Gatchalian, 14,953,768 (10th); Ralph Recto, 14,271,868 (11th) and Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa de Lima, 14,144,070 (12th). Sotto and Lacson failed to attend the ceremony, their certificates of proclamation were accepted by their respective counsels, Lawyers Romulo Macalintal and Sixto Brillantes, Jr. This is the third try for Baranquel, who loss in the 2010 and 2013 polls while the Representative Pacquiao of the province of Saranggani, the former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) chief Villanueva, the former Valenzuela Congressman Gatchalian,and forSee COMELEC PROCLAIMS, page 6
DAVAO CITY, May 18 (Mabuhay) – Incoming President Rodrigo Duterte revealed early Wednesday morning that he personally told US President Barack Obama that he is open to have bilateral talks with China over the disputed West Philippine Sea. Duterte told reporters that during his phone conversation with Obama
on Tuesday night, he assured that the Philippines will remain an ally of the US regarding disputes in the South China Sea. “...I assured him [Obama] that we will continue with our mutual interests and that we are allied with the Western [World] in this issue on China Sea. But I gave him an inkling that, well, I would agree to just go with you,” Duterte told reporters. “But if it goes on still waters, I said, there’s no wind to move the sail, See TALKS LOOM, page 6
Incoming DFA chief underscores national interest on PHL’s foreign relations policy \DAVAO CITY, May 19 (PNA) – The incoming Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has emphasized national interest and continuity as important aspects of the foreign policy under his term. Perfecto Yasay, who accepted the offer of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to be DFA secretary, said he would separately meet with former DFA Secretary Alberto del Rosario and current secretary Rene Almendras in order to have a picture of the current situation and positions undertaken by the government on certain foreign policy issues. Yasay pointed out that the Philippine Constitution is the bible of “our foreign policy. We are an independent, free country and we have renounce war as an instrument of national policy and we carry out formulation in the paramount of national interest always.” He added that the government cannot deviate from the Constitution and the formula on foreign policy. “We would like to pursue… and if there are agreements that we have made and commitment that we have made with any other country we should strengthen that so that the objectives of the agreements will be achieved. By all means let’s do it,” he said. On the sea row with China, Yasay would still see how the case progress in the United Nations arbitral tribunal. “We hope the arbitration court decide matters soon and if it is against See DFA CHIEF, page 6