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Ombudsman indicts
Janet, three senators
APR 3, 2014 - APR 9, 2014
To file raps vs. accused for roles in pork scam
M
Senators Bong Revilla, Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada
PH expands claim to include Ayungin
M
ANILA —The Philippines, saying it was
“defending what is legitimately ours,”
filed Sunday a memorandum in the United Nations arbitration court on its territorial dispute
with China, expanding its claim to include
Ayungin Shoal, the current scene of confrontation between Manila and Beijing.
True to its word, the government met the
deadline for submission of its memorandum,
or memorial, which discussed its position that
the arbitral tribunal has jurisdiction over all the
claims made by Manila in the West Philippine
Sea (South China Sea).
And from identifying eight West Philippine
Sea shoals and reefs that form part of the Philip-
pine territory that China has allegedly illegally
occupied, the memorial included Ayungin Shoal
in its statement of claim.
“The memorial presents the Philippines’ case
on the jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal and
the merits of its claims,” Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said at a news conference.
“With firm conviction, the ultimate purpose of
the memorial is our national interest. It is about
defending what is legitimately ours. It is about
securing our children’s future. It is about guaranteeing freedom of navigation for all nations.
It is about helping to
preserve regional peace, (Cont. on Page 11)
security and stability.
Pinoy dentist linked to Yee probe
D
ALY CITY – Employees and friends of a
60-year-old Filipino implicated with California State Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco)
in an FBI criminal complaint couldn’t believe
the Bay Area dentist has ties to arms dealers in
the Philippines.
Dr. Wilson Sy Lim, who practices dentistry at his office at Mission St. and Wellington Ave. in Daly City, is currently in police
custody and is charged with conspiracy to
traffic in firearms without a license, and to
illegally import firearms.
Lim, a former San Mateo County com-
missioner, has not spoken about the accusation, which stunned some people who
know him. His staff brushed aside the allegations as inconceivable.
One assistant called him “sweet and generous” but dogged by recent health problems, including a heart attack. According
to court records, Lim, who was released
after posting $50,000 bond, also has had
financial problems. “He can barely walk
from here to the end of the street. He’s not
well. He’s been sick,”
(Cont. on Page 5)
ANILA -- The Office of the Ombudsman has found probable cause to
file plunder charges against Senators Juan
Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Jose
“Jinggoy” Estrada before the anti-graft
court Sandiganbayan for allegedly allocating their “pork barrel” to bogus nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in exchange for kickbacks.
Assistant Ombudsman Asryman Rafanan on Tuesday, April 1, disclosed the
Ombudsman has finished its investigation
into the multi-billion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) plunder
cases filed against the three senators by the
National Bureau of Investigation and Atty.
Levito Baligod.
Rafanan said the Ombudsman has proven
that there is conspiracy between the senators, implementing government agencies,
and NGOs owned and linked to alleged
scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles who
was also included in the plunder charges.
“The joint resolution concluded that the
three senators took undue advantage of
their official position to illegally divert, in
connivance with certain respondents with
respective PDAF allocations, to Napoles’
NGOs in exchange for feedbacks or commission,” Rafanan said in a televised press
briefing.
No dates were given for the filing of official charges.
The announcement came as the Senate
Blue Ribbon Committee recommended
plunder and other corruption charges
against the three senators as a result of its
six-month probe on the matter.
Rafanan said P172 million kickbacks
were received by Enrile, P224 million by
Revilla, and P183 million by Estrada. The
three opposition senators have denied the
allegations and accused the Aquino administration of orchestrating the charges
against them.
(Cont. on Page 10)
Napoles brought to hospital
for confinement, surgery
ANILA - Alleged pork
M
barrel scam mastermind
Janet Lim Napoles arrived at
the Ospital ng Makati (Osmak)
under tight police escort on
Monday night to undergo surgery for her uterine myoma and
hospital confinement.
Napoles, wearing a white
blouse with blue stripes,
alighted from a police pick-up
and was whisked into the outpatient
department of
the hospital at
about 10:19
Magnitude 8.2 quake strikes Chile
Story on
page 5
p.m.
Napoles was not handcuffed
and she was not wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Makati Police chief, Sr. Supt.
Manuel Lukban, said Napoles
will have to undergo several
tests within three days before
her surgery. Napoles was not
(Cont. on Page 9)
Janet Napoles
PAGE 2
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
The San Francisco Post
LOCAL & NATIONAL
The San Francisco Post
CONGRESSMEN HONDA AND ROYCE URGE DHS TO GRANT
TPS TO REFUGESS OF PHILIPPINES TYPHOON
Washington, D.C. – Congressmen Mike Honda (D-CA17) and Ed Royce (R-CA39), along
with 33 other members of Congress from both
parties, today sent a letter to the Department
of Homeland Security asking it to designate
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to the Philippines.
TPS status would allow Filipino nationals
in the United States to remain in this country
with work permits. This would prevent them
from returning to unsafe or unsanitary homes,
as well as allowing them to work in the US and
send money back to the Philippines to help
with recovery and reconstruction.
“The Philippines needs TPS status,” Congressman Honda said. “Their resources are already stretched and strained. This is a crucial
part of our response to this disaster. During
Yee’s lawyer raises questions about case
SAN FRANCISCO -- California State Sen. undercover FBI agent and Keith Jackson, a
Leland Yee’s lawyer, in his first public re- fundraiser for Yee, who allegedly told the
sponse Monday to the charges against the agent that Yee could arrange a meeting with
now-suspended state senator, questioned an arms dealer in exchange for a campaign
the time and money the government spent contribution.
on a three-year investigation but gave no
The affidavit filed against Yee described
indication of
a series of meethis planned
ings
between
defense
December 2013
against corand March 14 in
ruption and
which the Demogun-running
crat allegedly
allegations.
told the agent
Attorney
he could arrange
Paul
Deshipments
of
M e e s t e r ’s
weapons from
comments
a dealer in the
to reporters
Philippines in
came after Suspended California State Senator Leland Yee (C) departs the exchange
for
courthouse following a hearing in San Francisco, California
a brief ap- U.S.
further contribuMarch 31, 2014. Lee was arrested last week in an FBI sweep on
pearance by corruption and gun trafficking charges. Paul Demeester (R) leads tions to his camYee before a Lee from the courthouse.
paign for secrefederal magtary of state. Yee
istrate in San
withdrew from
Francisco to discuss the terms of his release that campaign after his arrest.
on bail. He was freed on a $500,000 bond
Yee, one of the Legislature’s most outafter federal agents arrested him at his home spoken advocates of gun control, is charged
Wednesday morning.
with one count of conspiring to traffic in
“What took three years?” DeMeester firearms and six counts of scheming to deasked, referring to an FBI affidavit that in- fraud citizens of honest services, allegedly
dicated the investigation of Yee had started by agreeing to support legislation, arrange
in 2011 and lasted until shortly before his meetings and perform other legislative faarrest.
vors in exchange for financial contributions.
“It raises questions about the allocation of Those six charges are based on secretly rescarce federal resources, and it raises ques- corded meetings with undercover agents
tions about fairness to Leland Yee and to the that began in 2011.
public,” the defense lawyer said.
At Monday’s hearing, DeMeester said Yee
The length of the investigation, he said, is making arrangements to post real estate
also prompts him to ask “whether the gov- as partial security for his bail bond, which
ernment did not think that they had a case should be complete by the next scheduled
they could make until toward the end, when hearing April 8. The lawyer told reporters
the government started pushing this case of he expects a federal grand jury indictment
the arms dealing.”
by then, which could include additional
He was referring to conversations that charges.
purportedly began last summer between an
REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES
World War II, Filipinos answered the
U.S.’s call for action and fought sideby-side under the American flag. Now,
it is our turn to come to their aid. For
the over 60,000 Filipinos and Filipino
Americans in CA-17, and millions
across this country, this is a priority issue. Granting TPS is the simply right
thing to do.”
7.5 quake on California
fault could be disastrous
LA HABRA, California — Experts say a bigger
earthquake along the lesser-known fault that gave
Southern California a moderate shake could do
more damage to the region than the long-dreaded
“Big One” from the more famous San Andreas
Fault.
The Puente Hills thrust fault, which brought
Friday night’s magnitude-5.1 quake centered in
La Habra and well over 100 aftershocks by Sunday, stretches from northern Orange County under downtown Los Angeles into Hollywood — a
heavily populated swath of the Los Angeles area.
A magnitude-7.5 earthquake along that fault could
prove more catastrophic than one along the San
Andreas, which runs along the outskirts of metropolitan Southern California, seismologists told
the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1houJzW ).
The shaking from a 7.5 quake in the center of
urban Los Angeles could be so intense it would
lift heavy objects in the air, like the 1989 Loma
Prieta Earthquake in Northern California, where
the shaking was so bad “we found an upside-down
grand piano,” USGS seismologist Lucy Jones told
the Times.
About 150 aftershocks, including one of magnitude-4.1, have been felt since Friday night’s
quake, which forced several dozen people in
the Orange County city of Fullerton out of their
homes after firefighters discovered foundation
problems that made the buildings unsafe to enter,
authorities said.
Fire crews red-tagged 20 apartment units after
finding a major foundation crack, but residents
have since been allowed to return. Structural
woes, including broken chimneys and leaning,
were uncovered in half a dozen single-family
houses, which were also deemed unsafe to
occupy until building inspectors clear the
structures. About two dozen residents remained displaced, down from more than 80
after the initial quake.
Another 14 residential structures around
the city suffered lesser damage, including
collapsed fireplaces.
A water-main break flooded several floors
of Brea City Hall, and the shaking knocked
down computers and ceiling tiles, Stokes said.
BUSINESS
What would happen to my personal
properties in bankruptcy
M
ost personal properties are ex- By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano Trustee the cash value of that property
empt from being taken by the
in a Chapter 7 case. If you file Chapter
creditors if you file bankruptcy. This
13 you can keep it as long as you will
includes retirement accounts and social security income.
pay the creditors the proposed monthly payment that is
confirmed by the court.
uestion: How much property can I keep if I file bankruptcy?
uestion: How could I determine which exemptions
nswer: If you are filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you
apply to protect my assets?
keep everything because you are repaying your debts.
nswer: To determine which exemptions apply to your
This includes your house and vehicle if you can keep up
property it is best to consult a bankruptcy attorney
with the payments. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, most of because there are legal complications involved.
your assets may be protected through the California bankruptcy exemptions.
ankruptcy Basics
1. Bankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year
uestion: What would happen to my personal property because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankduring bankruptcy process?
ruptcy will be in your records for 10 years, not filing bankruptcy will
nswer: Most personal property such as cash, bank ac- make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid.
counts, furniture, clothes, and retirement plans can 2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can
be protected by exemptions allowed by each state. Most be eliminated in bankruptcy.
people that file bankruptcy are allowed to keep most, if 3. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt
not all, of their personal property.
settlement.
4. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retireuestion: What would happen to my retirement ac- ment age, you must eliminate most of your debts.
count if I file bankruptcy?
5. Bankruptcy will stop foreclosure actions. If your trustee sale date
nswer: Most legitimate retirement accounts are pro- is 10 days before, you can still file for bankruptcy.
tected from your creditors. Usually, the retirement ac- 6. If your salary is being garnished, you have a court case about debts
count must be an IRA or an ERISA qualified retirement or you are being harassed by creditors, bankruptcy can stop garnishplan.
ment, court cases, harassing creditors and eliminate the debt.
7. Bankruptcy is cheaper, faster and safer than debt settlement which
uestion: Is my Social Security income protected in has no guaranteed success.
bankruptcy?
8. Preserve your health, eliminate stress and live a happy life by eliminswer: Income from the Social Security is protected nating your debts which is the root of all problems.
and is not included in the Means Test calculation to
qualify for bankruptcy. It will be used, however, to deter- Crispin Caday Lozano is an active member of the State Bar of Califormine your future earnings in Chapter 13 case.
nia, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National
Association of Consumers Bankruptcy Attorneys. He specializes in
uestion: What if I have a property that is above the immigration law and bankruptcy law. He earned his Juris Doctor
State exemptions?
at Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California.
nswer: If you have non-exempt property and you He is also a Certified Public Accountant, and a Bachelor of Business
don’t want to lose it, you may have to give to the Administration Cum Laude graduate.
Q
A
Q
A
Q
A
Q
A
Q
A
Q
A
B
PAGE 3
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
Washington landslide death toll rises to 24
ARLINGTON, Washington -- Three and other disaster-related personal exmore bodies were found Monday in the penses, and unemployment insurance
debris field left after a massive landslide for those who lose their jobs as a result
in rural Washington state nine days ago, of the mudslide.
Snohomish
County
“Words cannot
Executive
Director
describe the devasGary Haakenson said.
tation done to the
Once those bodies are
community of Oso
identified as victims
and the impact the
of the landslide, their
landslide continues
names will be added
to have in Darto the death toll, which
rington, Arlington
stands at 24 as of Monand
neighboring
day night. The number
communities,” Inof missing now stands
slee said in a news
at 22.
Search-and-rescue teams use a path of plywood to release announcing
The grim death toll walk through a muddy field in Arlington, Washington, the request.
from the massive land- on Sunday, March 30.
On March 22, a
slide in rural Washingrain-saturated hillton rose Monday to 24
side along the north
people, authorities said.
fork of the Stillaguamish River gave
The Snohomish County Medical Ex- way, sending a square-mile rush of wet
aminer’s Office released the names of earth and rock into the outskirts of the
17 of the victims and said it is working town of Oso in Washington’s North
to identify the other seven people.
Cascade Mountains.
Four-month-old Sanoah Huestis was
Each day hundreds of searchers and
the youngest of the 17 victims who dogs go through the muck looking
were identified. The oldest was 71.
for bodies though some cling to hope
Thirty people are still listed as missing, someone might be found alive.
officials have said.
The supervisor for the search team on
On Monday, Washington Gov. Jay the eastern side of the slide said about
Inslee requested that President Barack four to six times per day someone gets
Obama issue a major disaster declara- a “hit” on what may be a body or body
tion for the area. The governor asked par in the debris, but Steve Harris said
for help with housing, funeral expenses identification is difficult and takes time.
PAGE 4
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
OPINION
The San Francisco Post
Junk the bank secrecy law!
e c e n t l y,
R
members
of the House
What about the constitutional barriers?
he
signT
ing of the
Comprehensive
Agreement
on
the Bangsamoro
(CAB) between
the
Philippine
government and
the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front
expectedly drew
THE NUCLEUS OF
mixed reactions
THE MATTER
from various secBy
tors.
While foreign
Val Abelgas
governments and
local
business
leaders welcomed the peace agreement, in the
words of Vice President Jojo Binay, as “the first
step in the long journey to peace and progress
in Mindanao,” various sectors also raised questions and concerns on the latest peace accord.
In calling on all Filipinos to support the agreement, Binay said: “I am hopeful that with this
act of unity and goodwill, we will finally usher
in a new era of genuine and equitable growth
and development for our Muslim brothers and
sisters and the people of Mindanao.”
The Makati Business Club (MBC), the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(PCCI) and the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) welcomed the agreement, saying the accord opens up Mindanao for investments and business opportunities that would
bode well for the Philippine economy.
Even the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines, which has opposed President Aquino on many issues, joined the celebration. “The
journey of a thousand miles begins with a single
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step. We pray that this first courageous breakthrough will be followed by more steps leading
to true and lasting peace in Mindanao,“ said Villegas, who cautioned, however, that dialogues
and consultations with the various sectors in
Mindanao should be continued even after the
signing.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose
country hosted the negotiations, expressed what
many Filipinos felt about the new peace accord:
“Forty years ago, darkness came to Mindanao.
In a struggle that bridged a generation, 150,000
lives were lost. Today, we turn to face the light.
Today belongs to the Philippines and to the people of the Bangsamoro.”
Well said, except that the light appears to be
not as bright as he pictured it to be. Dark clouds
remain in the horizon.
Amid the jubilation, skeptics continue to raise
doubts on the success of the peace pact. Columnist Emil Jurado of the Manila Standard Today,
for example, warned that while the accord may
usher in the final peace and full development
for Mindanao, “there’s still a long way to go in
achieving it because the long road to final peace
could be filled with land mines.”
Indeed, there are a lot of obstacles along the
way. There is, of course, the problem of the
angry faction of the Moro National Liberation
Front (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari and the rebellious breakaway MILF group of Ameril
Umbra Kato, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters (BIFF), and the Sultanate of Sulu.
Although Misuari has reportedly been ousted
by the group led by vice chair Abul Khayir
Alonto, there is no question that Misuari, who
is being supported by the Sultan of Sulu, still
have a handful of loyal followers who can do
damage to the peace accord.
The BIFF, which split from the MILF in 2008
because it wanted to continue pursuing independence, has only a few hundred armed militants but it has launched deadly attacks in the
past to disrupt the peace process. “The war is
not yet over. We are still here,” BIFF spokesman Abu Missry Mama warned.
And then there is the bandit group, Abu Sayyaf, and the numerous tribal warlords and clan
leaders, who all have their own heavily armed
private armies.
But at this time, those armed groups are the
least of the Aquino administration’s worries.
The CAB is an agreement that needs an enabling
law, and at the rate both houses of Congress are
being stalled by investigations on numerous
corruption scandals and with the 2016 national
elections looming on the horizon, there is no
certainty that the law authorizing the creation of
a Bangsamoro entity would be approved before
Aquino’s term ends.
Even if Congress passes the enabling law,
there is still the matter of a plebiscite at least
in the areas that would be under the jurisdiction
of the proposed Bangsamoro entity. And then,
there is the legality or constitutionality of the
peace agreement and the enabling law, for that
matter, that would have to be decided by the Supreme Court, (Cont. on page 11)
of Representatives – the
people’s representatives
– blasted Bureau of Internal
Revenue (BIR)
PERRY SCOPE
Commissioner
By
Kim Henares
for
suggestPerry Diaz
ing to repeal
or amend Republic Act (RA) 1405, also known as the Bank
Secrecy Law, in order for the BIR to look into
taxpayers’ bank accounts. Henares said that repealing or amending the law is needed to give
BIR greater access to bank accounts suspected
tax evaders. She said that the law hinders the
government’s investigation of suspected money launderers and corrupt officials who’d use
banks to hide their ill-gotten wealth. She believes that repealing or amending the law could
help detect tax leakages, improve collections,
and increase voluntary compliance.
Section 2 of RA 1405 states: “All deposits
of whatever nature with banks or banking institutions in the Philippines including investments in bonds issued by the Government of
the Philippines, its political subdivisions and its
instrumentalities, are hereby considered as of an
absolutely confidential nature and may not be
examined, inquired or looked into by any person, government official, bureau or office, except upon written permission of the depositor,
or in cases of impeachment, or upon order of a
competent court in cases of bribery or dereliction of duty of public officials, or in cases where
the money deposited or invested is the subject
matter of the litigation.”
Little did Henares know that her move to repeal or amend RA 1405 would meet virulent
resistance from lawmakers who are masquerading as protectors of the people’s wealth or is it
the unexplained wealth of corrupt officials that
they’re really protecting?
Pork barrel scam
The recent scandal involving the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) -- or pork
barrel -- typified the modus operandi of kleptocrats in Congress who are stealing from pork
barrel funds earmarked for projects that would
benefit the people. And what is really disgusting is none of them had ever admitted to stealing from their pork barrel allocations nor had
they expressed sympathy for the people who
had suffered from the gigantic scams perpetrated by these lawmakers who are in cahoots
with the biggest scam operator that inhabited
this hellhole we love to call Inang Bayan.
ore than four months afM
ter super typhoon Yolanda
wrought havoc on Leyte, Samar
and other provinces in Central Visayas, the devastation and the suffering remain very visible. Nothing much has
changed since the first few days, except that the sight and
stench of bodies are no longer there.
Hundreds of thousands of typhoon survivors remain without homes, without power, and most of the time without food
and other basic necessities. Students are doing away with
roofless classrooms, children are roaming around in debrislittered neighborhoods, people are without jobs, farmers have
no lands to plant, and most fishermen without boats to bring
to sea.
And more importantly, there isn’t much hope to cling to.
Where have all the donations in cash and in kind that poured
in from all over the world since the first few days of the disaster? With the relief goods – the canned food, used clothes and
other items – we know that some went to the typhoon survivors, others remain held in government warehouses for what
reason, we don’t know, and the rest we know were buried because they were too rotten and infected to be given to humans.
Controller
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Freedom of information
Another bill that has been tossed around like a
ping-pong ball was the Freedom of Information
(FOI) bill. FOI has been debated in Congress for
the past 10 years. When P-Noy ran for President
in 2010, he promised to sign an FOI bill into law
if he won the election. But after he was sworn
in as President, he showed reluctance in supporting it. However, he recently said that he wanted
the FOI bill passed after the Senate passed it. The
question is: will it pass in the House? Some congressmen were saying that without P-Noy’s active support for FOI, it will fail to pass. Many
believe that P-Noy was just paying lip service to
FOI.
(To read the rest of Perry Diaz’s article, email
him at [email protected])
But with the cash donations, by some
estimates could reach billions of pesos, we have no idea where they are
– whether they have been spent for the rehabilitation of the
destroyed towns and cities, or are being saved to line up the
pockets of politicians again. This was what happened to government funds earmarked for typhoon Ondoy victims some
years back, which we learned later were diverted to fraudulent
non-government organizations linked to pork scam suspect
Janet Lim Napoles.
With the corruption prevailing in the government in mind,
many donors were hesitant to give their cash donations and
relief goods to any government agency, but the Department of
Social Welfare and Development, which is now the subject of
almost daily protests from Yolanda survivors and their relatives, said that only donations coursed through the government, in particular the DSWD, would be allowed in tax-free.
The United Nations’ Financial Tracking Service said international donations for the UN Strategic Response Plan for
typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines had reached
$348.30 million as of last month.
The international community has pledged P24.6 billion in
assistance to the Philippines, more than P3 billion in cash
and P21.5 billion in goods. Based on the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub website that tracks all donations for Yolanda,
P643.2 million in cash has been received so far by the Philippine government.
All the cash donations and pledges will eventually be in the
coffers of the Philippine government. I’m sure it is not asking
too much to ask where have all the money gone? Have they
been spent for the rehabilitation of Leyte, Samar and the other
provinces hit by the typhoon and the recovery of the typhoon
survivors? If some amount have been spent, how come nothing much has changed in the condition of the struck provinces? If not, why hasn’t the government spent the money for
the purpose they were given?
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the money would be
audited by the Commission on Audit. But we all know that
all those money that were wasted in corruption scandals were
also audited by the COA, but still the same, they are already
lost because audits are being done after the fact. Are we to
learn later, as we did with the Ondoy funds and pork barrel funds, that the foreign cash donations have gone to fake
NGOs and the pockets of politicians again?
The government has to be more circumspect with the cash
donations, both those coming from private organizations and
foreign governments. Every cent has to be spent for the rehabilitation of the affected provinces and the recovery of the
typhoon survivors, and not a cent to corruption. The COA
should not only be aggressive in the post-audit but in the preaudit as well, making sure that the cash donations would be
used according to the principles of transparency and accountability.
By Atty. Crispin Lozano
Alvin Maglan, CPA
Content Syndication Partner
Hiding ill-gotten wealth
In my article, “Institutionalized corruption”
(November 21, 2012), I wrote: “In many countries, like the United States, people with ill-gotten
wealth deposit their money in banks in Switzerland or the Cayman Islands, where bank secrecy
laws protect the identity of depositors. But in
the Philippines, a corrupt official, a drug lord or
a jueteng operator doesn’t need to go abroad to
hide their dirty money. Yep, they can go straight
to their local bank and open a foreign currency
deposit account and nobody can see it, not even
government investigators.
“Known as ‘Foreign Currency Deposit Act of
the Philippines,’ Republic Act (RA) 6426’ ‘was
signed into law by then President Ferdinand E.
Marcos in 1974 during the martial law era. The
law states that any information can only be disclosed ‘upon written permission of the depositor.’
Many believe that it was enacted for the purpose
of hiding the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos and his
cronies.
“But RA 6426 survived when the people power
revolution toppled the Marcos dictatorship. Oddly, it remains in the books to this day. Perhaps,
the lawmakers find it useful.” Yes, indeed.
Is it then surprising that the legislators are against
repealing or amending RA 1405 and RA 6426?
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said that scuttling
the bank secrecy law could result in capital flight,
as it would affect depositors’ confidence in the
banking system. In the Senate, Sen. Sergio Osmeña III was the only one who expressed support
for the proposed amendment.
Gov’t must account for typhoon funds
Bureau Chief, Silicon Valley
Inquirer.Net
But while all these shenanigans are happening,
President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III touted the
government’s “success” in fighting corruption.
He even claimed credit for the exposure of the
P10-billion pork barrel scam allegedly pulled off
by Janet Lim-Napoles who is currently detained
for an unrelated crime but has yet to be charged
of plunder. Makes one wonder, what’s preventing
the government from prosecuting Napoles?
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WORLD BRIEF
The San Francisco Post
Objects seen in jet search are fishing equipment
PERTH, Australia - A cluster of orange
objects spotted by a search plane was
just fishing equipment and not related
to the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, officials said Monday, in the latest disappointment in the three-week hunt that
Australia’s prime minister said will continue indefinitely.
The crew of an Australian P-3 Orion
saw at least four orange objects that were
more than 2 meters (6 feet) in size on
Sunday, and the pilot, Flight Lt. Russell
Adams, dubbed the sighting their most
promising lead in the search for Flight
370. But on Monday, Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokesman Jesse
Platts said an analysis confirmed the objects “have nothing to do with the missing flight.”
It’s a frustrating pattern in the hunt for
the Boeing 777, which vanished while
flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on
March 8 with 239 people aboard: Search
crews have repeatedly spotted multiple
objects floating in the search area of the
southern Indian Ocean, only for officials to later rule out links to the missing
plane.
Pakistan’s ex-ruler pleads not
guilty to treason raps
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan —
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s
former military ruler, pleaded
not guilty to treason charges
on Monday after being formally indicted by a special court
here, according to
lawyers in the case.
The indictment
was a turning point
for Pakistan, where
the military has
long dominated the
civilian leadership
and no military
ruler has ever been
tried for abuse of
power.
But the court proceedings
on Monday might also have
a silver lining for Musharraf,
who requested that the special court panel allow him to
travel abroad to seek medical
treatment. The three-member
panel did not reject his request outright, suggesting that
Musharraf could approach the
government about having his
name removed from the list of
people barred from leaving the
country.
Muhammad Farogh Naseem,
a lawyer for Musharraf, said
the former leader had already
asked the Interior Ministry
for permission to leave. Earlier, Naseem urged the court
to allow
Musharraf to
travel to
the United Arab
Emirates
to visit
his ailing
mother in
a hospital, and to
be allowed to go to the United
States for his own treatment.
Publicly, government officials dismissed the idea that
Mr. Musharraf would be allowed to travel. But for months
there has been speculation that
Musharraf might eventually
be allowed to leave the country as a way to defuse a case
that could bring the military
into conflict with the judiciary
and the civilian government of
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
on Monday acknowledged the search
was incredibly complex, but said officials were “well, well short” of any point
where they would scale back the hunt.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak
plans to travel to Perth on Wednesday to
see the search operations firsthand.
The search has evolved as experts sifted
through the limited radar and satellite
data, moving from the seas off Vietnam,
to waters west of Malaysia and Indonesia, and then to several areas west of
Australia.
Russia pledges no Ukraine
invasion
MOSCOW – Russia on Saturday
pledged it would not invade mainland Ukraine following its seizure
of Crimea, favoring a federal solution for the ex-Soviet state as
diplomacy with the West gathered
momentum.
US Secretary of State John Kerry will hold talks with Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
in Paris Sunday, in a impromptu
meeting aimed at resolving the
worst East-West crisis since the
Cold War.
Tensions have run high since
Moscow’s lightning takeover of
Crimea from Ukraine, with the
United States accusing Russia
of massing tens of thousands of
troops on Ukraine’s eastern border. But signs of progress have
appeared in efforts to temper the
worst East-West crisis since the
Cold War, with Russian President Vladimir Putin calling his
US counterpart Barack Obama
on Friday to discuss a US proposal for a diplomatic end to the
standoff.
Lavrov suggested Moscow’s
main demands were that Ukraine
should become a federation, commit to not joining NATO and restore order to cities after almost
half a year of street protests. Putin
also told Obama that the problems
surrounding the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniestr — a
Russian-speaking region seen by
some as the Kremlin’s next target
– should be solved not by force
but by talks in the ‘’5+2’’ format
of Moldova, Transdniestr, the
OSCE, Russia and Ukraine, with
the EU and US as observers.
Ukraine is now at a crossroads
after the fall of pro-Kremlin
president Viktor Yanukovych in
February and the clock is ticking down to May 25 presidential
elections which are expected to
cement Kiev’s pro-West course.
With boxing champion turned
politician Vitali Klitschko bowing
out of the race, the overwhelming
favourite to win the polls is proEuropean confectionary tycoon
Petro Poroshenko, although feisty
former premier Yulia Tymoshenko is expected to mount an allout campaign since declaring her
candidacy this week.
Magnitude 8.2 quake strikes Chile
SANTIAGO, Chile —A powerful magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck off Chile’s
northern coast Tuesday night, and officials
ordered an evacuation of coastal areas before an expected tsunami. There were no
immediate reports of injuries or damage
from the tremor, which also shook buildings in parts of nearby Peru and Bolivia.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the quake at 8.0, but later upgraded
the magnitude. It said the quake struck
61 miles (99 kilometers) northwest of the
Chilean city of Iquique at 8:46 p.m., hitting
a region that has been rocked by numerous
quakes over the past two weeks.
Waves measuring almost 2 meters (6 ½
feet) already were striking cities on the
coast, and authorities said a tsunami was
expected to come ashore later. Local TV
images showed residents evacuating calmly.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is-
sued an alert for all of Latin America’s Pacific coast. Chile’s Emergency Office said
a large tsunami wave was expected to hit
the island of Juan Fernandez out in the Pacific just before midnight local time.
Chile’s emergency service reported some
road blocked by landslides caused by the
quake, but said no injuries had been reported so far.
An official at Peru’s civil defense office
said evacuations were underway on that
country’s coast. The official, who did not
give her name, said there were no immediate reports of damage. Police officer Alejandro Rosado in a Tacna, a Peruvian town
near the coast, said no damage or injuries
had been reported there.
Chile is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. A magnitude-8.8
quake and ensuing tsunami in central Chile
in 2010 killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away
docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded
on Earth also happened in Chile — a magnitude-9.5 tremor in 1960 that killed more
than 5,000 people.
Hundreds of earthquakes have shaken
Chile’s far-northern coast in the past two
weeks, keeping people on edge as scientists said there was no way to tell if the unusual string of tremors was a harbinger of
an impending disaster.
The unnerving activity began with a strong
magnitude-6.7 quake on
March 16 that caused
more than 100,000
people to briefly evacuate low-lying areas, although no tsunami materialized and there was
little physical damage
from the shaking.
TAX CORNER
Early Retirement Plan Withdrawals and
Your Taxes
by: Alvin C. Maglan, CPA
aking money out early from
your retirement plan may trigger an additional tax. Here are
seven things from the IRS that you
should know about early withdrawals from retirement plans:
T
1. An early withdrawal normally
means taking money from your
plan before you reach age 59½.
2. If you made a withdrawal from
a plan last year, you must report
the amount you withdrew to the
IRS. You may have to pay income
tax as well as an additional 10 percent tax on the amount you withdrew.
3. The additional 10 percent tax
does not apply to nontaxable withdrawals. Nontaxable withdrawals
include withdrawals of your cost
to participate in the plan. Your
cost includes contributions that
you paid tax on before you put
them into the plan.
4. A rollover is a type of nontaxable withdrawal. Generally, a
rollover is a distribution to you of
cash or other assets from one retirement plan that you contribute
to another retirement plan. You
usually have 60 days to complete
a rollover to make it tax-free.
5. There are many exceptions
to the additional 10 percent tax.
Some of the exceptions for retirement plans are different from the
rules for IRAs.
6. If you make an early withdrawal, you may need to file Form
5329, Additional Taxes on Qualified Plans (Including IRAs) and
Other Tax-Favored Accounts,
with your federal tax return.
7. The rules for retirement plans
can be complex. The fast, safe and
free way to prepare and e-file your
tax return is to use IRS Free File.
Free File offers brand-name software or online fillable forms for
free. Free File software will pick
the right tax forms, do the math
and help you get the tax benefits
you’re due. No matter how you
prepare your taxes, you should always file electronically with IRS
e-file. More than 80 percent of
taxpayers e-file for faster refunds
or for easier electronic payment
options.
This article was provided by
the IRS to help consumers on
making tax preparation choices.
Al Maglan is a CPA licensed
in California and Nevada. You
can contact him @ 510 432
7438. You may e-mail tax questions at [email protected] or
[email protected].
PAGE 5
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
Two Koreas trade fire across
maritime border
precaution.
The North
Korean live
fire exercise
began at 12:15
pm
(0315
GMT) and the
South began
responding
with its own
volley of artillery shells
30
South Korean Marine amphibious assault vehicles land within
on the seashore during a joint landing operation by US minutes.
and South Korean Marines in Pohang, 270 kms south“For the moeast of Seoul, on March 31, 2014.
ment,
both
sides are firing
SEOUL — The two Koreas traded
into the sea,”
live fire into the sea across their the JCS spokesman said.
disputed maritime border on MonNorth Korea regularly conducts
day, after Seoul said a North Kore- live-fire drills but, in an unusual
an military exercise dropped shells move, it had notified the South of
into South Korean waters.
Monday’s exercise in advance.
“Some of the shells fired by The JCS had immediately warned
North Korea dropped in our area it would respond in the event of
and our side responded with fire,” any shells falling on its side of the
a spokesman for the South Korean border.
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) told
The Yellow Sea boundary is an
AFP.
extremely sensitive region that has
There was no indication that ei- been the scene of brief but bloody
ther side was firing at any particu- clashes in the past.
lar target.
In November 2010, North Korea
Officials on the South Korean shelled Yeonpyeong island, killing
border islands of Yeonpyeong and four people and triggering conBaengnyeong said residents were cerns of a full-scale conflict.
being evacuated to shelters as a
US, Russia fail to end Ukraine
deadlock
PARIS – Secretary of State John
Kerry and his Russian counterpart
agreed Sunday that a political solution was needed for Ukraine and said
they planned to continue discussing
ways to de-escalate the crisis over
the country’s future and Russia’s
recent annexation of Crimea. But
neither side claimed a breakthrough,
and Russia did not commit to pulling
back the more than 40,000 troops the
United States said are massed near
Ukraine’s border.
“Both of us recognize the importance of finding a diplomatic solution and simultaneously meeting the
needs of the Ukrainian people, and
that we agreed on tonight,” Kerry
told reporters after meeting with the
Russian foreign minister, Sergey V.
Lavrov.
In a separate news conference, Lavrov said he and Kerry had agreed to
work on securing the rights of minorities and “linguistic rights” in Ukraine,
which has a large ethnic Russian
population. The treatment of ethnic
Russians is considered key because
Western officials have worried that
it might serve as a rationale for military intervention in eastern Ukraine,
where many Russian speakers live.
US officials said Kerry’s strategy in
the four-hour meeting was to make
the case that Ukrainian officials were
already taking steps to address Russia’s core concerns, which include the
rights of the Russian-speaking population, the demobilization of militias
and constitutional reforms. There appeared to be some acknowledgment
of this on the Russian side, they said.
Kerry said he had outlined some
ideas for Russian President Vladimir
Putin to consider that might lead to a
reduction of the Russian forces near
Ukraine. But it was far from clear
how Putin might respond, or what he
might demand in return.
HOMELAND
PAGE 6
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
Ombudsman charges Corona over
misdeclared SALN
Aquino scolds Lee’s ‘noisy’ captor
MANILA, Philippines—It was an
April Fools’ Day bashing he will
never forget.
Senior Supt. Conrad Capa, who
was sacked as head of Task Force
Tugis a week after his men arrested
fugitive real estate magnate Delfin
Lee on March 6, was excluded from
the list of police personnel honored
at Camp Crame on Tuesday.
Instead of receiving a commendation for his accomplishment, Capa
got a dressing down from President
Aquino, the commander-in-chief of
the 148,000-strong Philippine National Police.
The President berated an officer he
did not name for going on what he
called a “media tour” to protest his
transfer, but apparently referring to
Capa.
“I really think that’s a disservice.
He jeopardized the institution that
he has served for so long in his
life,” Aquino said in Filipino, ignoring a prepared speech during
an awarding ceremony at the PNP
headquarters in Camp Crame in
Quezon City.
At the “Araw ng Parangal sa
Kapulisan (Day of Honoring Police
Personnel),” the President devoted
a good part of his revised speech
castigating the official he did not
name, saying members of the PNP
should not pick assignments.
Earlier this month, Capa went
public saying he had been sacked
as task force head soon after his
team arrested Lee, who is charged
with syndicated estafa in connection with a P7-billion housing
racket.
Instead of getting a commendation, Capa alleged that he was
being sent to “rot” at the Cebu
regional police office to serve as
a deputy regional chief for operations before he could be promoted
to chief superintendent, a star-rank
equivalent to brigadier general in
the military.
Vice President Jejomar Binay
earlier called attention to an “influential individual” who allegedly
tried to keep Lee from being arrested.
Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso
Umali, a key ally of Aquino, later
admitted phoning PNP Director
General Alan Purisima, but denied
he tried to secure Lee’s release.
MANILA -- The Office of the Ombudsman filed on declaring an P11-million property in La Vista,
Tuesday before the Sandiganbayan
Quezon City, as only P3
eight counts of perjury charges and
million; and a P14,510,225
eight counts of violating the Code
condominium unit at Belaof Conduct and Ethical Standards
gio I, Taguig City, as only
charges against former Chief JusP6,800,000.
tice Renato C. Corona for misdeThe former Chief Justice
claring his Statement of Assets,
had allegedly failed to deLiabilities, and Networth (SALN).
clare in his SALN a conBased on the information filed by
dominium unit at the Colthe Ombudsman, Corona is acumns, Makati City, that was
cused of having misdeclared his
bought in 2004 and his 2005
SALN from 2004 to 2011 during
purchase of a condominium
his term at the Supreme Court. The
unit in Spanish Bay Tower,
Corona case is set to be raffled toTaguig City.
day.
Because of these, OmbudsThe Ombudsman recommended
man Conchita Carpio Moa bail bond of P10,000 for each Former CJ Renato Corona
rales charged Corona with
count of the charges.
eight counts of Perjury
In his SALN for the year ending in December charges under Article 183 of the Revised Penal
31, 2010, Corona allegedly failed “to disclose his Code; and eight more counts for violating Section
peso and dollar accounts in various banks and fi- 8 in relation to Section 11 of the Code of Conduct
nancial institutions totaling P137,937,207.88, or of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public OfP134,437,207.88 less than his declared assets and ficials and Employees (Republic Act 6713).
investments of P3,500,000…”
Corona was earlier charged before the Court of
In the information. Corona was accused of mis- Tax Appeals for tax evasion.
Morales, Tan admit delay in filing
of PDAF cases
MANILA -- The Office of the Ombudsman
(OMB) and the Commission on Audit (COA)
have admitted delay in the filing of a first case
related to the Productivity Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scandal.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and
COA Chair Grace Pulido-Tan appealed for
public patience and understanding after they
signed the revised guidelines of cooperation
among the signatories to the Inter-Agency
Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAAGCC)
at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Quezon City.
Tan explained that the delay was mainly due
to the right of the accused to due process.
“It is easy to file complaints but the Ombudsman has taken it judiciously and carefully in
reviewing voluminous records to secure conviction,” Tan said.
Morales described the on-going preliminary
investigation on the pork barrel scam as “active” and cases will be filed “sooner than expected.”
A RT I LY O
M
GANG. Have
you ever been inside
a mall in the Philippines? Be it SM
Malls of the Sy’s,
Glorietta Malls of
the Ayala group,
Robinson’s Mall of
the Gokongwie’s
LET’S HAVE COFFEE
and even in the
south like the GaiBy
sano mall in the ViDon Augusto Orozco
sayas and Mindanao
you will notice that
security is tight and
really heavy. But despite all of this the proliferation of
the MARTILYON GANG is so alarming. Can you just
imagine this criminals are targeting yet the most busiest
part of the metropolis and done during daylight. I think
it is again high time to call on the attention of our Police authorities to step up security efforts in these busy
commercial areas. People woory about the “RIDING IN
TANDEM” now we have the MARTILYO GANG. This
The San Francisco Post
Estrada says plunder charges an April
Fools’ Day operation
IAAGCC is a government task force charged
with the investigation of high ranking public
officials involved in P50-million and more
complex related government deals.
Morales said the signing of the revised
IAAGCC guideline signifies the seriousness
of the governments’s anti-corruption drive at a
time of public awakening and indignation over
graft and corruption in high places.
She said the revision of the 17-year-old accord strengthen the government resolved to
fight graft and corruption.
The original six-month-old PDAF case implicated Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon
“Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada as well
as 35 others in the P10-billion scam allegedly
masterminded by businesswoman Janet Lim
Napoles.
In a press statement, the OMB said Morales,
Tan and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, top
officials of the IAAGCC, have been tapped to
investigate PDAF because of their “unquestionable integrity and impartiality.”
MANILA -- It’s a very well synchronized April
Fools’ Day operation.
This was how Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada
described the “sudden” release of the Senate
Blue Ribbon Committee and the Office of the
Ombudsman’s findings on the pork barrel fund
scam.
However, Estrada, one of the senators facing
plunder charges in connection with the diversion of the Priority Development Assistance
Fund (PDAF), said he is not surprised that the
committee has issued an adverse report against
him and to Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce
Enrile and Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr.
“The chairman has already issued his prejudgment even prior to releasing this committee report,” Estrada, who is currently in the United
States, said in a televised interview.
“Some of the members as well have shown
and stated bias and partiality against their own
beleaguered colleagues in pursuit of their personal ambitions and political agendas,” added
the senator.
Estrada made the statements hours after Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III released the
committee report on the pork barrel fund probe
and the Office of the Ombudsman’s also issued
its findings.
“I am saddened…I am not surprise that the
committee has issued an adverse report against
me and my colleagues who were dragged to the
controversy,” he said.
As far as he is concerned, Estrada said, it has
long been established that some lawmakers and
their political detractors “have been pre-occupied into convicting us before the bar of public
opinion.”
“Why concentrate on just the three of us? What
happened to the other legislators who were
mentioned by (whistleblower) Benhur Luy in
his testimonies? Didn’t the chairman also consider the findings of the Commission on Audit
(COA) which found irregularities in the release
of PDAF of hundreds of lawmakers including
the allies of the administration?” he pointed out.
“Why did the committee just concentrate on
the NGOs connected to Mrs. Napoles when
resolutions are filed directing the body to look
into the other NGOs which received even bigger funds from the PDAF,” he lamented.
Safety and Security
bandits have struck malls North EDSA and Mega Mall
in Metro Manila and even used a grenade in Bicutan in
2010. Calling PNP Chief Alan Purisima. Please step up,
sir.
…..
PDAF SCAM. As the scam continue to unfold right before our eyes another state owned agency is again in the
middle of all this anomaly. Apparently and according to 2
top officials of NABCOR ( National Agri-Business Corporation) namely Rhodora Mendoza and Victor Roman
Cacal, they were instructed by NABCOR President Alan
Javellana to distribute millions of funds to former Representative Baham Mitra, former Representative Lorna
Silverio, former Representative and now Governor Corazon Malanyaon, former Representative Faysah Dumarpa,
former Representative Raul Gonzalez Jr, former Representative and now Department of Health Undersecretary
Janet Garin and Governor Vicente Gato for purposes of
election campaign funds. Naturally, the standard reply we
got from most of the respondents is to deny the allegation.
We are getting used to it. Names are added daily with the
same result. Deny lang ng deny to our dear Representatives.
…..
GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS. The Philippines has become a stomping ground for several adjudicators of the Guinness Book of World Records or record
keepers. They were there to authencate the Worldwide
Walk record of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Recently, they were
also present when tens of thousands of Pinoys men and
women formed a giant women symbol at the famous Luneta park. Now, the Philippines has again set a new record
this time in basketball. Turah Alsaraf, adjudicator for Guinness was on hand to watch an organized basketball game
for a week. The game started at around 9am on Monday
and ended 1am Saturday for a total of 120 hours, 1 minute
and 7 seconds thus beating the record of the Misuori Athletic Club who holds the record for the longest basketball
game ever played. This will really prove how basketball
crazy Filipinos are. Meantime, the proceeds of the game
was also intended to build houses for those victims of the
typhoon Haiyan/ Yolanda. Kudos to the organizers of this
worthy undertaking.
…..
SUSPENDED. Here in the Bay Area there is much talk on
what has really happened to Senator Leland Yee. Yee has
always been very popular and well loved by the Filipino
community here in Northern California. It is just sad that
his name in dragged in this latest controversy and may have
also involved some Filipino American leaders here and in
the Philippines. Let us all follow this with our watchful
eyes and Yes, I believe it is time for him to resign for delicadeza.
…..
SHORTS. Congratulations to the newly crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe winner Mary Jean Lastimosa of
North Cotabato. Insiders have said that this is some sort of
a lucky charm for her as this is her third time to participate
in the pageant and was able to finally bag the prestigious
award. Also, Mary Jean I heard is an active member of the
Iglesi Ni Cristo in Cotabato….On a sad note, we would like
to condole to the family of fellow Fil-Am and Marin Corp
Andrew Silva who was hit and killed by a drunk driver in
Fremont. Our deepest condolences to the Silva family.…
.We are also praying that incidents involving China Coast
Guard and the Philippine Coast Guard and Navy will not
escalate further as there is almost confrontation in the disputed Ayungin Shoal. The place is really something to die
for as it is rich of natural resources. Hopefully cooler heads
will always prevail. Hopefully, no untoward incident will
provoke this 2 countries for any atrocities. For comments
please email me at [email protected]
PAGE 7
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
The San Francisco Post
New Honda WTCC challenger unveiled
ONDA recently showcased the all new
Civic WTCC 2014 at the Geneva Motor
Show, alongside its Civic Type R concept. The
coming together of the latest ‘Castrol Honda
World Touring Car Team’ race car with the
won three victories with Gabriele Tarquini and
Tiago Monteiro. In the same season, Honda
also captured the Manufacturers’ title.
The 2014 Honda factory car fully conforms
to the latest FIA regulations in the WTCC and
Type R concept is designed to reflect Honda’s
“Race to Road” philosophy, which explores
bringing advances and learnings made from
Honda’s extensive motorsport program to its
customers.
Last year, in its first full year of participation
in the FIA World Touring Car Championship,
the Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team
sports a dynamic new design. The new car
also features a fresh livery for the 2014 season
— on display for the first time at the show —
which marries the corporate colors of Honda,
title sponsor Castrol and co-sponsor, the Brose
Group.
Donald Smith, Castrol’s Global Sponsorship
Manager said,“We are delighted to extend our
H
partnership with Honda, after a first successful season in the FIA WTCC with Gabriele
Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro. For us, there is
something special about the coming together
of two brands with such rich and successful
racing pedigrees. The new livery looks absolutely fantastic, with Castrol and Honda once
again sharing the red and the white!”
Thomas Spangler, President of Brose Asia
meanwhile said, “Brose is really pleased to
continue its support not only of Honda, but of
Tiago Monteiro, whom we have a long term
relationship with.”
“The team’s performance last year exceeded
all our expectations and we can’t wait for the
excitement and thrill of this season to start.
We’re sure it will be another memorable year
and are very proud to be supporting them as
they look to build on their achievements in
2013.”
Honda R&D and J.A.S. Motorsport have
worked together to develop the all new Civic
WTCC for this year’s Championship, following the new FIA regulations set for 2014. The
two works Civic WTCC 2014 will be run by
J.A.S Motorsport and driven by Italian Gabriele Tarquini and Portugese Tiago Monteiro.
Private outfits Zengo Motorpsort and Proteam
will also be entering cars for Hungary’s Norbert Michelisz and Morocco’s Mehdi Bennani
respectively. Mugen will provide track side
support to the entire Civic squad.
Ford Mustang to mark
50 years atop Empire
State Building
wo of the world’s most recognizable icons are
coming together April 16-17, as the all-new
2015 Ford Mustang convertible will be on display
on the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New
York. The display will replicate the same feat from
nearly 50 years ago. This in part with the global
celebration of 50 years since Mustang debuted at
the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.
Taking a car 86 stories above the densely populated streets of Midtown Manhattan is no simple
task. There isn’t a portable crane that can reach
the 86th floor observatory, and the spire towering
above the relatively narrow deck makes helicopter
delivery impossible. The elevators are the only viable option.
When the Empire State Building opened in 1931
as the world’s tallest building no one would have
envisioned trying to transport a car in the original
elevators. However in 1965, a prototype Mustang
convertible was sliced into three main sections plus
windshield so that the sections would fit into those
elevators.
The 2015 Mustang is nearly seven inches longer
and four inches wider than its ancestor, making the
task of transporting it up even more challenging. Working
from computer engineering data, team members preparing
the display car have found just the right places to make the
cuts so everything can be loaded onto custom-made racks
that can be rolled into the elevators.
T
PAGE 8
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
The San Francisco Post
The San Francisco Post
PAGE 9
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
Victims of human trafficking may apply for T visa
he T visa is a type of visa allowing certain
victims of human trafficking and immediate
family members to remain and work temporarily in the United States if they agree to assist
law enforcement in testifying against the perpetrators.
: What is human trafficking?
uman trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers lure individuals with false promises of employment and
a better life. Traffickers often take advantage of
poor, unemployed individuals who lack access
to social safety nets. The T nonimmigrant visa
allows victims to remain in the United States to
assist federal authorities in the investigation and
prosecution of human trafficking cases.
To consider a situation ‘trafficking’ depends on
the type of work, and the use of force, fraud, or
coercion to obtain or maintain work.
T
QH
Under Federal law, the term “severe forms of
trafficking” can be broken into two categories:
• Sex trafficking: recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person
for the purpose of a commercial sex act where
the commercial sex act is induced by force,
fraud, or coercion, or the person being induced
to perform such act is under 18 years of age.
• Labor trafficking: recruitment, harboring,
transportation, provision, or obtaining of a
person for labor or services through the use of
force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or
slavery.
: Is there any immigration relief available
for a victim of a severe form of trafficking
in persons?
es. Victims of severe forms of human trafficking are eligible for a T Nonimmigrant
status (T visa). The T nonimmigrant visa allows victims to remain in the United States to
assist in the investigation or prosecution of human traffickers. Once a T nonimmigrant visa is
granted, a victim can apply for permanent residence after three years.
Q
Y
: How do you become eligible for T Nonimmigrant Status?
To qualify for T nonimmigrant status you must:
• Be or have been a victim of severe trafficking
in persons.
• Be physically present in the United States,
American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, or at a port of entry
on account of trafficking.
• Comply with any reasonable request from a
law enforcement agency for assistance in the
Q
investigation or prosecution
proval of adjustment of
By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano
of human trafficking.
status from Immigration
• Demonstrate that you
Judge for a client who
would suffer extreme hardwas originally denied adship involving severe and unusual harm if you justment by USCIS.
were removed from the United States.
8. On November 4, 2013, we received an apIf under the age of 18 at the time of the victim- proval of waiver of misrepresentation from the
ization, or if you are unable to cooperate with Immigration Judge for a client who entered the
a law enforcement request due to physical or U.S. as single but actually married.
psychological trauma, you may qualify for the 9. On October 24, 2013, we received an apT nonimmigrant visa without having to assist in proval by an Immigration Judge on the review
investigation or prosecution.
of I-751 Application to Remove Condition on
You must also be admissible to the United Residence that was previously denied by USStates or obtain a waiver of admissibility.
CIS.
10. On October 2, 2013, we received an ap: Can I legally work in the United States if proval of adjustment of status based on SAME
I have T Nonimmigrant Status?
SEX MARRIAGE.
es. When USCIS grants T nonimmigrant 11. On June 3, 2013, we received an approval
status, an Employment Authorization from USCIS of a petition that continued despite
Document (EAD) is granted at the same time. the death of the petitioner under Public law 111The information for the EAD is generated from 83.
the Form I-914. There is no need to file a Form 12. On May 8, 2013, we received an approval of
I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, along with the application for a T nonimmigrant status.
Q
Y
: How long am I allowed to remain in the
United States with my T Nonimmigrant
Visa?
he T nonimmigrant visa is valid for 3 years
and a visa holder may be eligible to apply
for permanent residence (Green Card) after 3
years in T nonimmigrant status.
Q
T
S
UCCESS STORIES
1. On March 31, 2014, we received an approval of green card for a client under Violence
Against Women Act.
2. On March 25, 2014, we received another approval from the Immigration Court for waiver
of misrepresentation for a client who entered
the U.S. as single but actually married.
3. On January 24, 2014, we received another
approval for waiver of misrepresentation from
the Immigration Court for an alien who entered
as single but actually married.
4. On January 14, 2014, we received an approval from USCIS of a green card under law on
Registry for a person who has been in the U.S.
since before 1972.
5. On January 6, 2014, we received an approval
of waiver of misrepresentation from Immigration Judge for a client who entered as single but
actually married.
6. On November 21, 2013, we received an approval from USCIS for adjustment of status under SAME SEX MARRIAGE.
7. On November 14, 2013, we received an ap-
Ms. Eden (not real name) was approved for green card under VAWA Atty Crispin C. Lozano represented her case with DHS.
(Cont. from page 1..NAPOLES)
handcuffed and she was not wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Makati Police chief, Sr. Supt. Manuel Lukban, said Napoles will have to undergo several tests within three days
before her surgery.
Lukban said tje Makati Police will serve as perimeter
security around the hospital with elements of the Regional Public Safety Battalion of the PNP Region 4-A as her
close in security.
Earlier, the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150
granted her request for surgery to remove her uterine
myoma and hospital confinement but only at the Ospital
ng Makati.
“Ospital ng Makati, a government hospital is reasonable and logical place where the accused could undergo
surgical operation and temporary confinement. Ospital
ng Makati is also a workable solution to the contrasting
views proffered by accused-movant and the prosecution,”
said Alameda in his order.
Alameda added that Napoles’ confinement at the Os-
mak would afford more protection to the state than her
confinement in a private hospital of her choice. Napoles
is being detained at Fort Sto. Domingo, a police Special
Action Force camp, in connection with the complaint of
serious illegal detention filed against her by pork barrel
scam whistleblower Benhur Luy. Serious illegal detention is a non-bailable offense.
“For one, accused Janet Lim Napoles was charged with
a non-bailable offense and the evidence against her was
found to be strong for which reason, her petition for bail
was denied. The provisional liberty of the accused having been curtailed by the denial of her petition for bail, it
now behooves this court to perform its duty by protecting
the interest of the people over the provisional liberty and
convenience of the accused,” the judge said.
Alameda said the court found sufficient basis to grant
Napoles’ motion after hearing the testimonies given in
court by Chief Inspector Michelle Daguno, a doctor
assigned to the Philippine National Police Health
Service and Dr. Santiago del Rosario, head of the
Makati Medical Center’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
adjustment of status for a client who has a problem with entry document but has Sec. 245(i)
eligibility.
13. On January 25, 2013, we received an approval from the Immigration Court for an adjustment of status for an alien who originally
entered as a Philippine Government Official
under A2 visa.
Crispin Caday Lozano is an active member of the
State Bar of California, the American Immigration
Lawyers Association and the National Association of
Consumers Bankruptcy Attorneys. He specializes in
immigration law and bankruptcy law. He earned his
Juris Doctor at Western State University College of
Law in Fullerton, California. He is also a Certified
Public Accountant, a Real Estate Broker and a Bachelor of Business Administration Cum Laude graduate.
He has offices in San Francisco, Hayward, San Jose,
and Cerritos, California. You can contact him at
1-877-456-9266. Email questions to crispinlozano@
gmail.com/. Visit our website at www.crispinlozanolaw.com.
PAGE 10
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
AROUND TOWN
The San Francisco Post
OPENING IN UNION CITY ON APRIL 3
Kadok’s Restaurants:
A long journey from peddling siopao
ILIPINOS love traditional
Malabon.
home cooking, the one we by Val Abelgas
After moving to Milpitas, one
call “luto ni nanay.” Such is
of several cities in the South Bay
the case with the food served
where thousands of Filipinos have
daily by Kadok’s Restaurant in Daly City moved, Kadok put up a second restaurant,
and Milpitas, and because of this, the two also named Kadok’s, and it was an instant
restaurants are packed daily with Filipinos success. On April 3, Kadok’s will open a
longing
third branch in
for genuUnion City.
ine FiliBoth restaupino cuirants are run
sine.
by
Ricardo’s
Ricardo
wife Pam, who
“Kadok”
travels between
Te j a d a
Daly City and
learned
Milpitas every
Filipino
day. Despite the
h o m e
tiring schedule,
cooking
Pam finds it
from his
fun. “I love the
mother,
people and the
who as a
restaurant busilittle boy Kadok’s famous Special Siopao
ness allows me
growing
to spend more
up in Matime with my
nila, accompanied his “nanay” to market children,” she said.
every day to sell fish. He saw the various
Aside from siopao, mami and pancit
ways Filipino food was cooked both at malabon, the restaurant has lately behome and in the market using various local come known for Kadok’s Inasal, a special
ingredients.
grilled chicken served with java rice and
“I guess cooking was a natural talent,” vegetables for only $7.49. Other favorites
said Ricardo. “Everything I cooked people are tapsilog (beef tapa, fried rice and eggs)
loved, so I kept doing it.”
and longsilog (longganiza, fried rice and
But Ricardo felt he needed to learn more eggs), which sell for $5,50 each, for breakabout the rudiments of cooking.
And so he studied
hotel and restaurant management
at Olivarez College, where he
learned more about
food, not as a hobby but as a business.
Just like many
businesses, Kadok’s started small.
Ricardo
started
selling
siopao
(pork bun) to
homes and business
establishments in the 1980s Kadok’s owners, Pam and Ricardo Tejada with Filipino artists, (seated)
in barangay Bay- Billy Crawford, Sarah Geronimo and Charlie Green during their visit in
anan, Muntinlupa Kadoks Daly City.
in Metro Manila.
Later, Kadok, as
he was fondly called by his mother and fast; pancit malabon and pancit bihon (at
friends, built a small kiosk that he called $5.50 each); goto/arroz caldo ($4.50); sisig
“Try Me! Mami-Siopao” where he also pork ($6.00) and sisig tilapia ($6.50); and
sold mami, a Filipino favorite noodle soup ala carte dishes good for 3-4 people, such
that often goes with the siopao that he suc- as crispy pata ($13.50), bulalo ($11.50),
cessfully sold.
whole fried chicken ($12.50) and bangus
It was only natural that when he and his sisig ($14.99).
family immigrated to the United States that
Kadok’s also does catering for birthdays,
he would bring with him his food business baptismal and wedding rehearsals. Its paracumen. In 1995, Kadok put up a restau- ty trays are also favorites among Filipinos,
rant that he called “Kadok’s” to cater to the such as pancit dishes, lumpia and pork and
thousands of Filipinos who lived in Daly chicken dishes.
City and nearby cities. He added pancit
From selling siopao house-to-house in
Malabon to mami and siopao in his grow- the Philippines, Ricardo “Kadok” Tejada
ing list of specialties and soon Kadok’s be- has certainly come a long way from the kid
came known as the Original House of Mai who was tagging along with his mother to
and Siopao and Home of the Best Pancit market. (Advertorial)
F
(Cont. from page 1..OMBUDSMAN)
The Ombudsman said all projects that
reportedly were financed by the three
senators’ PDAF were non-existent.
The Ombudsman recommended that
the three senators be charged several
counts of plunder and graft for violating the Republic Act. No. 2019, or the
Anti-graft and corrupt practices act.
PAGE 11
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
The San Francisco Post
(Cont. from page 1..PH EXPANDS)
And finally, it is about seeking not just any kind of
resolution but a just and durable solution [based] on
international law,” Del Rosario said.
He said it was “unknown” whether China would pursue its avowed policy of not taking part in the proceedings. Under its rules, he said, the arbitral tribunal will
decide on the next action and advise the concerned parties accordingly.
The memorial consists of 10 volumes and contained
nearly 4,000 pages, including 40 maps, he said. It was
submitted electronically to the UN tribunal on Sunday—the deadline for submission—and hard copies
will be sent Monday, he said.
Del Rosario and Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza
declined to discuss the contents of the memorial, including recent incidents of alleged Chinese harassment, until given by the arbitral tribunal the go-signal
to do so.
Jardeleza, who attended the news conference, said the
government amended early last month its statement of
claim to include Ayungin Shoal.
“It’s similar to the claims we’ve made that Ayungin
Shoal is within the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines,” Jardeleza said.
Manila has protested Beijing’s attempts to prevent the
Philippines from providing supplies and rotating troops
stationed at Ayungin Shoal.
(Cont. from page 1..PINOY DENTIST)
said Artika Singh, who has worked for Lim for
almost a decade. “We’re here with him constantly. Eight
hours a day is a long time. I see him more often than my
family. If he was doing something, we’d know it.”
Lim was one of 26 people charged in an investigation that targeted a brotherhood organization in San Francisco’s Chinatown headed by
Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow, a group with
which Lim has no apparent ties.
The investigation extended to Yee after an undercover FBI agent who had infiltrated Chow’s
group was introduced to the senator and allegedly persuaded him to trade political favors for
campaign contributions.
While many of the other defendants are associates of Chow’s, Lim’s only link to the case is
Yee. According to the FBI, Yee introduced Lim
to the undercover agent as a man who could secure guns. The agent, the FBI said, had asked
Yee to facilitate an arms deal in exchange for
more campaign money.
On March 5, the FBI said, Yee told the undercover agent that Lim was a “gun lover” with no
moral aversion to selling guns, and that Lim’s
Philippine connection had trafficked in guns in
the past. Six days later, the FBI said, a meeting
took place in a San Francisco restaurant that included Yee, Lim and the undercover agent.
According to the undercover agent, Lim said a
captain in the Philippine military would provide
weapons to a nephew of Lim’s, and he asked
the agent to “put together a list of desired weapons.”
The agent said both Lim and Yee discussed
details of the deal, such as where the weapons should
9 shoals illegally occupied
With the inclusion of Ayungin Shoal in its statement of
claim, the Philippines now says that China has illegally
occupied nine reefs and shoals. The others are Mischief Reef, McKennan Reef, Subi Reef, Gaven Reef,
Scarborough Shoal, Johnson Reef, Cuarteron Reef and
Fiery Cross Reef.
Asked whether the tribunal could enforce its decision,
Jardeleza said, “The Philippines has always taken the
position that China as a member of the community of
nations is bound legally to accept and implement it.”
“We hope we can get a favorable decision on this,” he
said.
Jardeleza also said the government was hopeful that
other Asian claimants to the South China Sea would
“take a similar position like us.”
In a statement, Vice President Jejomar Binay praised
Navy and Marines stationed at Ayungin Shoal for asserting the country’s sovereignty and rights.
“Despite our dispute with China, I am still confident
that we can transcend the problem and remain steadfast
friends with the global community based on mutual respect and the rule of law,” Binay said in a statement.
The Philippines took its territorial dispute with China
to international arbitration in January 2013 after Chinese government ships took control of a disputed shoal
off the northwestern Philippines. They asked the tribunal to declare China’s claims to about 80 percent of the
strategic waters and Beijing’s seizure of eight shoals
and reefs illegal.
be shipped, and that Yee spoke of traveling to
the Philippines as part of the transaction, while
stressing that everyone needed to be “extraextra careful.”
A report in the San Francisco Chronicle quoted Jay Gonzalez, a Golden Gate University professor who studies government corruption, as
having met Lim several times over the years at
Filipino American events.
“A captain in the army?” Gonzalez asked, referring to Lim’s alleged conversations with the
undercover FBI agent. “Where will a captain in
the army get 100 M16s? They can’t even get
decent boots in the military there.”
Lim does not have the personality of a seasoned international arms dealer, the professor
said, adding: “He had the personality of a dentist.”
Lim’s employees, meanwhile, told the Chronicle
that Lim, who served on San Mateo County’s Mental
Health and Substance Abuse Recovery Commission from
2010 to 2013, was a man whose failing health would
have prevented him from making arms deals half a world
away.
Lim, while responding to a lawsuit filed against him
in October 2011, told a judge he suffered a heart attack
and stroke that year that put him in a coma and hospitalized him for 2 1/2 months, resulting in memory
loss and requiring dialysis and the insertion of
a pacemaker.
The lawsuit was filed by the owner of a building on South El Camino Real in San Mateo,
who had leased the property to Lim and was
seeking to evict him and collect more than $150,000
in damages.
Although the role he played in the saga remains
murky, what is certain is that he supported Yee, accord-
(Cont. from page 4..THE NUCLEUS)
which had stopped a memorandum of
agreement on eminent domain on the
Bangsamoro in 2008.
There are so many contentious provisions
in the agreement that would have to pass
the scrutiny of both Congress and the Supreme Court. Foremost among them is the
issue of sovereignty.
The CAB is basically creating another
state. The word “bangsa” means state as
in the Tagalog word “bansa” which means
country or nation. Under the CAB, the
Bangsamoro will be governed by a 50-man
Bangsamoro Assembly, which elects the
Cabinet of Ministers, which in turn would
elect the Chief Minister, who is answerable
only to the Assembly. The accord does not
even say the Chief Minister is answerable
to the President. On this ground, the accord
may be constitutionally infirm.
And there is the equally contentious issue of the police force, which will be under
the control of the Chief Minister. Under the
agreement, law enforcement shall be the
primary function of the police force for the
Bangsamoro, which would preclude the
Philippine National Police from enforcing
laws in the new entity. This is clearly in
violation of the Constitution, which states
that that there can be only “one police force
which shall be national in scope, to be administered and controlled by a national police commission.”
There are many other provisions in the
agreement, like the one on wealth sharing,
that were not the subject of any consultations with the members of Congress or the
sectors and the people that have a stake in
the proposed autonomous entity.
Despite all these obstacles, I must commend President Aquino for his relentless
efforts to bring lasting peace to Mindanao,
whose people have suffered for more than
four decades and whose promise has been
stalled by the continuous fighting between
government forces and the Muslim rebels.
Mindanao and its people deserve to be
given a chance at peace. Peace was once
given a chance with the 1996 agreement
with the MNLF, but it failed with the emergence of the MILF. The country survived
that failed attempt at peace. And now that
peace is within grasp again, we want to
give it a second chance. But we cannot turn
a blind eye on the constitutional barriers.
([email protected])
ing to people who knew him. Gonzalez said Lim made
his support known even to acquaintances, and Singh
said Lim had paid to bring his staff to Yee’s fundraising dinners.
Singh said Lim treats his staff like family, and they’re
now trying to return the favor. She attended Lim’s court
appearance Friday to provide moral support, she said.
“His name is just in it because he’s a supporter” of Yee,
Singh said. “It’s wrong. We all agree. That’s why we’re
still here by his side. We’ll continue to be by his side
because we believe in him. He’s just not that type
of person.”
SPORTS
PAGE 12
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
Viloria wins comeback fight in Vegas
FORMER World Boxing Organization/World Boxing Association flyweight champion Brian
Viloria returned to the ring after
an absence of almost one year
following the loss of his world
title and won a unanimous
10-round decision over Puerto
Rico’s Juan Herrera at the Texas
Station in Las Vegas, on Sunday
(Manila time).
It was obvious that Viloria
had gathered ring rust during
the layoff, but did more than
enough to win on the scorecards of all three judges, two of
Viloria and Herrera
whom had the Filipino ahead,
98-92, while the third judge had
it slightly closer at 97-93.
Viloria used his jab effectively
and controlled the tempo of the
bout and tried to connect with
some big shots especially in the
fifth round when he caught the
durable Herrera with several
hooks and uppercuts but didn’t
appear to hurt him.
Herrera himself came back
with some well-timed shots of
his own, but appeared to lack
the power to hurt Viloria, who
nailed his Puerto Rican opponent with several well-timed
punches in the second half of
the fight.
The 33-year-old Viloria, who
lost his title to Mexico’s Juan
Francisco Estrada in Macau
on April 6 last
year, improved
to 33-4 with
19
knockouts,
while
the
24-yearold
Herrera
dropped to 9-8,
with 4 knockouts.
The two-division champion
Viloria earlier
told the Manila Standard
he was eager to
get back in the ring and go for
the world title once again after
training for some three-and-ahalf months for his comeback
fight.
The San Francisco Post
PH basketball marathon breaks Guinness mark
MANILA - It’s only proper that this
nal, Abraham Compuesto III, Evan
basketball-crazy nation now owns
Lazana, Carlo Ferdinand Vasquez,
the wacky record for the longest
Helino Francisco Jr., Kerr Bangeles,
non-stop basketball ever played in
Harold Lomtong, Luis Jay Volante,
the world.
Santos Tominio, Justo Quita Jr., HaIntrepid participants in the 2014
zel Foja, Robert Clark Bear, Paul
Philippine Basketball Marathon
Michael dela Peña, Adin Rome Sanachieved the feat for the country
tos, Renell Montecillo, Jopet Quiro,
after playing continuous basketball
lady baller Maricar Convencido and
from 9 a.m. Monday to around the
American participants Tony Tatar,
same time yesterday morning at the
Chuck Williams and Jeffrey Moore.
Meralco Gym.
Team Bounce Back beat Team
With their unbending spirit and
Walang Iwanan, 16,783-16,732,
resolve, the Phl cage marathoners Jacque Ruby, organizer and COO of Discovery- with the winning, the losing and the
logged a little over 120 hours of play, ACCESS, receives the Guinness Certificate from combined scores all way above the
Alsaraf, adjudicator of Guinness Book of Missouri marks. Adjudicator Turath
surpassing the time of 112 hours and Turath
Records. With him are members of Walang Iwanan
13 seconds the Missouri Athletic team and Bounce Back team, who posted a new Alsaraf, the Guinness director for
Club set in its own wacky game in Guinness world record for the longest Marathon records management team, handed
St. Louis, Missouri on March 21 to Playing Basketball in120:01:49.0 at the Meralco chief PBM organizer Jacque Ruby
25, 2012.
the certificate of Guinness recognigym on Ortigas.
The big difference in the 2014 PBM
tion of the record feat shortly after
the close of the event.
was that the players tested their limThe curious PBM mix endured strain, stress and homesickits for a noble cause.
Entering their names in the Guinness World Records are the ness to smash the old mark and help the noble goal of raising
24-strong cast composed of Larry Macapanpan, Owen Ma- fund for the benefit of typhoon Yolanda victims.
baga, Robbie Dell Macatbag, John Ray Mappala, Sandy Ce-
Juvic 2nd in Indon PGA, earns P3.9 M
JUVIC Pagunsan fell short of his comeback bid despite
hitting three birdies in the last four holes, closing out
with a 69 and settling for joint runner-up finish with
Aussie Rhein Gibson in the $1 million Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship won by Japanese Michio Matsumura in Jakarta late yesterday.
Pagunsan, who started the final round tied with Matsumura
and one shot behind Korean Park Sang-hyun, came out of
an hour-long rain delay struggling a bit, bogeying No. 14 to
reel back. But the ace Filipino shotmaker struck back with a
birdie on the next, parred No. 16 then holed out with backto-back birdies for a 69.
But that proved short as Matsumura capped his improbable
comeback from a two-over 38 at the front with a sizzling
30 highlighted by birdies in the last
three holes for a 68. He wound up with 21-under 267 and
took the top $181,426 purse worth P8 million.
Pagunsan finished with 268 in a tie with Gibson, who rallied with a 10-under 62 and emerged the top player until the
final flight of Matsumura and Pagunsan came along. Pagunsan and Matsumara each got $88,164 (P3.9 million) in
the event that served as the kickoff of the Japan PGA Tour,
where Pagunsan is based.
Despite his failed title bid, it was an impressive finish for
the 36-year-old Pagunsan, who had been trying to regain the
form that made the Asian Tour No. 1 in 2011.
He hit two birdies in a bogey-free frontside stint but
fumbled with a bogey on the 10th and made three
straight pars before play was halted due to threat of
lightning.
HEALTH
How fat may hurt the brain
Obesity may have harmful effects on the brain, and exercise
may counteract many of those
negative effects, according to
sophisticated new
neurological experiments
with
mice, even when
the animals do not
lose much weight.
While it’s impossible to know if
human brains respond in precisely
the same way to fat
and physical activity, the findings
offer one more reason to get out and
exercise.
It’s been known
for some time that
obesity can alter
cognition in animals. Past experiments with lab rodents, for
instance, have shown that obese
animals display poor memory
and learning skills compared
to their normal-weight peers.
They don’t recognize familiar
objects or recall the location of
the exit in mazes that they’ve
negotiated multiple times.
But scientists hadn’t understood how excess weight affects the brain. Fat cells, they
knew, manufacture and release
substances into the bloodstream
that flow to other parts of the
body, including the heart and
muscles. There, these substances jump-start biochemical
processes that produce severe
inflammation and other conditions that can lead to poor
health.
Many thought the brain,
though, should be insulated
from those harmful effects. It
contains no fat cells and sits behind the protective blood-brain
barrier that usually blocks the
entry of undesirable molecules.
However, recent disquieting
studies in animals indicate that
obesity weakens that barrier,
leaving it leaky and permeable.
In obese animals, substances released by fat cells can ooze past
the barrier and into the brain.
The consequences of that seepage became the subject of new
neurological experiments conducted by researchers at Georgia Regents University in Augusta and published last month
in The Journal of Nueroscience.
For the studies, the scientists
gathered mice bred to overeat
and grow obese, which, after a
few weeks of sitting quietly in
their cages
and
eating at will,
the animals
had obligingly accomplished. As
they grew
rotund and
accumulated more
fat cells, the
researchers found,
their blood
showed
increasingly hefty
doses of a
substance called interleukin 1
that is created by fat cells and
known to cause inflammation.
In these mice, as interleukin 1
migrated to the head, it passed
the blood-brain barrier and entered areas such as the hippocampus, a part of the brain critical for learning and memory.
There, it essentially gummed up
the works, the researchers found
when they examined tissue
from the animals’ brains, which
had high levels of interleukin 1
together with widespread markers of inflammation. While
inflammation can represent
a healthy response to invading molecules, it hurts cells
if it persists.
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SHOWBIZ
The San Francisco Post
Matteo speaks up on viral photos with Sarah
MATTEO Guidicelli played down the significance of the hat lahat. I just wanted for her to have a good time, and I
viral photos and videos showing him holding hands with was having a good time so ‘yun lang. That’s it,” he said.
Sarah Geronimo while performing a duet of John Leg- Guidicelli, meanwhile, shared how glad he is that his parend’s “All
ents like the singer-actress.
o
f
“My parents don’t really watch her on
Me”during
TV but when they saw her, they said
his birthday
she’s very very beautiful and they
celebration
didn’t expect her to be like that. I’m
last Friday.
happy they all like her and they feel
While there
like she’s very very beautiful,” he said.
has been no
Asked to define his relationship with
confirmathe Pop Princess, Guidicelli said, “I retion from
ally don’t want to lie. I don’t want to
the two as
say anything that’s why I’m not denyof yet, the
ing anything. One day, I’ll just wait for
rumored
something to say. I don’t think it has to
c o u p l e Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli holding hands
come from me. Hindi ko alam, hindi ko
seems to
po alam eh.”
have finally gone public with their relationship, with their Nonetheless, Guidicelli said it is important that he gets
captured sweet moments during the “Galema” actor’s the approval of Geronimo’s family.
party as proof.
“Siyempre it’s very important eh, families first all the
But in an interview with ABS-CBN News’ Marie Lozano time,” he said.
on Saturday, Guidicelli said the photos and videos only When Geronimo left Guidicelli’s party, the actor reportmean that he and Geronimo were having fun at his party. edly ushered the singer-actress andgave her a kiss.
“Basta nag-enjoy lang kami nung gabing ‘yun dahil bu- Asked if there was anything special about the kiss, Gudiong pamilya ko nandun, ‘yung special friends ko and la- celli said: “Everything is special about that.”
Bachelor’s degree for Kapuso Prime Bachelor
The long wait is over for Kapuso Primetime
After his graduation, Dingdong plans to pursue
King Dingdong Dantes as his hard work has the “One Chair, One Child” project of his Yes Pifinally paid off upon receiving his college di- noy Foundation and Lifeline Foundation Support
ploma with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Ad- Team, Inc. This aims to provide chairs to all stuministration major in Marketing from
dents of a school in
the West Negros University in Bacolod
Iloilo City that was
City, Philippines last Sunday (March
greatly affected by
23).
Typhoon Yolanda
Dingdong also received a special cilast year.
tation for being their batch’s AmbasAside from his Yes
sador of Goodwill. Despite his busy
Pinoy project, the
schedule in showbiz, Dingdong still
Kapuso Primetime
managed to give priority to his studKing also gears
ies. The momentous event of his life
up for his return
was witnessed by his parents Sixto Z.
on Primetime TV
Dantes and Ma. Angelita G. Dantes,
via Ang Dalawang
his uncles Col. Edgar Dantes and ComMrs. Real with Diamodore Herby Escutin, his bestfriend
mond Star Maricel
Harvey Camposano, and his girlfriend Dingdong and Marian
Soriano and Kapuand Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian
so Premier Drama
Rivera.
Actress Lovi Poe soon. Ang Dalawang Ms. Real
“Alam mo, you really need to manage your can be seen worldwide on GMA’s flagship internatime well. When you’re given assignments, tional channel, GMA Pinoy TV.
kailangan matuto ka ring mag-sacrifice at mag“It is a dream come true for me to finally work with
balanse kung alin ang dapat i-prioritize. Educa- the Diamond Star and the opportunity to work with
tion is the solution. It is not enough to know an award-winning actress like Lovi Poe on televiwhat your goal is, you must know how to chase sion. The combination of these two women makes
it – and chase it real damn well,” said Dingdong. my job more engaging as an actor,” he noted.
REAL ESTATE
Mortgage rates rise to 2-month high
After weeks of little change, interest rates for most U.S. home loans
climbed this week, with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage
reaching 4.4% for the first time
since January.
The increases followed comments last week by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen that indicated the Fed could start raising
short-term interest rates as early as
2015.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage
average was up from 4.32% last
week, according to the latest survey from mortgage buyer Freddie
Mac. A year ago the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate
loan was 3.57%.
The average rate on a 15-year
fixed-rate mortgage also inched
upward to 3.42%, from last week’s
3.32%. At this time last year, the
15-year fixed-rate average was at
2.76%.
Averages for hybrid adjustablerate mortgages were mixed. The
five-year ARM rose to 3.10%, up
from last week’s 3.02%. The oneyear ARM fell to 2.44% this week,
down from last week’s average of
2.49%.
The rise in mortgage rates applies additional pressure in local
markets that are already feeling an
affordability pinch, according to
Freddie Mac.
Mortgage rates have been inching up since December, when the
Federal Reserve announced it
would begin to taper its bond-buying stimulus program. The program has helped offset dramatic
gains in real estate prices and kept
affordability elevated while the
market has stabilized.
Mortgage rates have risen
almost a full percentage point
since hitting record lows last
year. However, rates for the
most popular loans have remained under the 4.5% threshold over concerns that the
housing market is too weak
to support a dramatic upward
shift in home prices.
In the latest Mortgage Rate
Trend Index by Bankrate.com,
loan experts were split on
whether rates would rise or remain unchanged over the next
week. Of the analysts polled,
30% predicted rates will increase, 30% predicted rates
will decrease, and 40% said
rates will hold steady.
PAGE 13
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
Mary Jean Lastimosa is Miss Universe Philippines 2014
Miss Universe Philippines 2014 Mary Jean Lastimosa (center) is flanked by her fellow winners:
(L-R) second runner-up Hannah Ruth Sison, Binibining Pilipinas 2014 Tourism Parul Shah,
Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2014 Kris Tiffany Janson, Binibining Pilipinas International
Mary Anne Bianca Guidotti, Binibining Pilipinas 2014 Supranational Yvethe Marie Santiago, and
first runner-up Laura Lehman.
Candidate #25 Mary Jean Lastimosa is the new
Miss Universe Philippines titleholder.
The 26-year-old entrepreneur from North Cotabato was crowned on March 30, at the Binibining Pilipinas 2014 coronation night held at the
Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Besting 39 other contestants, Mary Jean sure
has a lot on her shoulders now as she tries to win
the coveted Miss Universe crown for her country.
For the past four years, the Philippines has consistently been included in the top five of the Miss
Universe competition.
In 2010, Maria Venus Raj successfully put Filipina beauty back on the map when she landed the
fourth runner-up spot.
In 2011, Shamcey Supsup finished third runnerup, while Janine Tugonon became first runner-up
in 2012, and Ariella Arida was third runner-up
in 2013.
Third time is indeed the charm for Mary Jean,
who has previously joined the pageant in 2011
and 2012. In 2011, she bagged the second-runner
up title, while she was among the top 12 in 2012.
Can she finally bring home the crown for the
Philippines?
The whole world will find out when she steps
on the Miss Universe 2014 stage in Kyrgyzstan
later this year.
QUEENS OF 2014. Joining Mary Jean in this
fresh batch of beauty queens are Binibining
Pilipinas International 2014 Mary Anne Bianca
Guidotti, Binibining Pilipinas Supranational
2014 Yvethe Marie Santiago, Binibining Pilipinas Tourism 2014 Parul Shah, and Binibining
Pilipinas Intercontinental 2014 Kris Tiffany Janson.
All girls have quite large shoes to fill as the Philippines went on a winning streak last year, taking home titles and crowns from the three major
international pageants.
Bea Rose Santiago is the reigning Miss International, while Mutya Johanna Datul is the current
Miss Supranational.
Joanna Cindy Miranda, Binibining Pilipinas
Tourism 2013 winner, may have failed to take
home the crown, but she still made Pinoys proud
when she finished in the Top 10 of the Miss Tourism Queen International 2013 pageant.
Binibining Pilipinas International Mary Anne
Bianca Guidotti, also known by her friends and
family as Marianne, is an International Relations
graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University.
How to be an awesome bridesmaid according to Divine Lee
Any wedding is a memorable experience, not
All bridesmaids must possess good organizajust for the bride or groom or their families, but tional skills and high intuition to foresee the
even for the guests and those who are part of
things—
the entourage.
both good
TV5 host and fashion blogger Divine Lee was
and
bad,
handpicked by her bestfriend Karylle to be one
but most
of her bridesmaids at her wedding.
especially
Now, exactly one week after the Catholic certhe bad—
emony held on March 21, at the San Antonio
that might
de Padua Church in Silang, Cavite, and the
happen
vintage-inspired reception held at Angelfields
during the
Nature Sanctuary in Tagaytay, Divine shares
wedding.
the five lessons she learned on how to be an
As Divine
awesome bridesmaid.
says, it is
It’s always been a rule that a wedding day is a
the bridesbride’s day, so it is the job of everyone around
maid’s job
her, particularly her bridesmaids—that is why
to take care
they’re called “bride’s maids”—to make the
of the wedmilestone moment special.
ding’s deDivine says: “It’s the bride’s biggest day and
tails while
you are her trusted person to make sure things
the bride is
go as planned.
busy getting
Divine Lee
“So, be ready to do everything and anything
prepped for
from running in high heels, coordinating other
her big day.
entourage, making sure suppliers are all pres“Prepare eveything a step ahead,” she advises.
ent, and simply giving her the wedding of her
“While the bride is dressing up, be sure to
dreams.
check her bridal car. While in the church, check
“Most probably, she’ll return the favor when the reception.. “Be one step ahead to make sure
it’s your turn to walk down the aisle.”
that everything is perfect for your bride.”
CLASSIFIED
PAGE 14
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
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The San Francisco Post
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GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
SUDOKU
To solve a Sudoku puzzle, place a number into each box so that each row
across, each column down, and each
small 3x3 square within the larger diagram (there are 9 of these) will contain
every number from 1 through 9. In other words, no number will appear more
than once in any row, column, or smaller 3x3 square. Working with the numbers already given as a guide, complete
each diagram with the missing numbers
that will lead to the correct solution.
HOROSCOPE
Aries March 20 - April 18
Incredible feelings of enthusiasm, optimism, and sheer joy could fill your
heart and mind today, Aries. Your life
is changing in a positive way, and even
though it may not be readily apparent,
you’re sensing it intuitively.
Taurus April 19 - May 19
Some beautiful dreams or visions, perhaps involving angels, spirit guides, or
other such beings, could come today,
Taurus. Listen carefully to the messages they bring.
Gemini May 20 - June 19
Love and romance continue to blossom,
Gemini. Social events could find you and
your beloved among both old and new
friends, perhaps letting some of them know
for the first time that you’re actually an item.
Cancer June 20 - July 21
Are things really going this beautifully for
you, Cancer? This is a question you might
ask yourself now. All looks perfect as career,
romance, education, and spiritual matters
seem to crystallize into a wonderful life.
Leo July 22 - August 21
Expanding your horizons is definitely on the
agenda today, Leo. Travel, education, creativity – they’re all coming to the forefront
of your concerns. Romance should also be
going well. A friend could introduce you to a
new interest, and children might also be a
source of joy.
Virgo August 22 - September 21
Are you working at home now or perhaps considering it, Virgo? If so, remember that you’ll probably enjoy the
comfort and freedom it provides. Being
in your own territory among your books
and pets and wearing your old clothes
will feel good.
Libra September 22 - October 21
A project that you’re working on, perhaps job
related, perhaps personal, is likely to require
more creative skill than you usually need,
Scorpio. Writing, drawing, or computer
graphics could be involved.
Scorpio October 22 - November 20
A project that you’re working on, perhaps job
related, perhaps personal, is likely to require
more creative skill than you usually need,
Scorpio. Writing, drawing, or computer
graphics could be involved.
Sagittarius November 21 - December 20
If you’re artistic by nature, Sagittarius, expect a rush of inspiration to hit today, along
with an irresistible compulsion to start a new
project and work until you can see at least
some results.
Capricorn December 21 - January 18
Something wonderful could happen to you
today at home, Capricorn. A lover could declare eternal devotion, spiritual revelations
could come thick and fast, or great news
regarding career or money matters could be
just over the horizon.
Aquarius January 19 - February 17
Developments over the past few days could
have you feeling very excited and particularly optimistic about your love life, Aquarius.
Communications with your beloved could
take the form of romantic songs or poetry.
Pisces February 18 - March 19
If you’re involved in the arts, Pisces, expect today to hear about an opportunity to exhibit your
work publicly. There should be a very positive
reaction to it, so you can expect a lot of compliments and ego-boosts.
The San Francisco Post
PAGE 15
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
PAGE 16
Apr. 3, 2014 - Apr. 9, 2014
The San Francisco Post