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Download our FREE SF POST app for your smartphones and tablets. Scan barcode or search for “sfpost” in app store / google play store to get exclusive deals and coupons from our advertisers. USD TO PHP: $1 = P44.80 as of Oct. 15, 2014 WE PROVIDE PRESS COVERAGE FOR ANY EVENTS OR PROMOTIONS. Contact 1-855-454-7678 for more details. ENTERTAINMENT Esquire names Penelope Cruz ‘sexiest woman alive’page 13 OCT 16, 2014 - OCT 22, 2014 L The Obama administration deported a record 438,421 unauthorized immigrants in fiscal year 2013. ast week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its immigration enforcement statistics for the 2013 fiscal year, which ended September 30. The Obama administration set another record for deportations, removing 438,421 individuals from the DOJ: Binay not immune from criminal suit ANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay is not immune from criminal suit and could therefore be investigated over charges of corruption allegedly committed when he was still mayor of Makati City, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima bared yesterday. De Lima explained that while the Vice President is an impeachable official – meaning he could only be removed from post by impeachment proceedings and trial in Congress – he does not have immunity M FREE Record-Breaking Deportations in 2013 VIEW US ONLINE: WWW.SF-POST.COM VOL. 2 ISSUE 51 from suit. “The principle of immunity from suit applies only to two entities, the State and the President. Among government officials, only the President is immune from suit. On the other hand, impeachability refers only to the mode of removal, not to immunity. Impeachability does not mean immunity. Thus among the impeachable officials, only the President is immune from suit,” she told reporters yesterday. “Cases can be filed against him but he can only be removed by impeachment,” De Lima stressed. Apart from the President and the Vice President, the other impeachable officials are justices of the Supreme Court and members of the various constitutional commissions such as the Commission on Elections, Civil Service Commission and the Commission on Audit, as well as the Ombudsman. Binay and his son, Makati Mayor Jejomar (Cont. on Page 15) United States—up nearly 5 percent from the 418,397 removals in 2012. As MPI’s Marc Rosenblum told the New York Times, “You can’t look at this report and conclude that this administration has not been serious about immigration enforcement.” (Cont. on Page 2) Issue over custody of US soldier may stall filing of murder rap in court—lawmaker ANILA, Philippines—The question of who takes custody of Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, the suspect in the killing of Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude, is threatening to derail the immediate filing of charges against the American serviceman, according to an Olongapo police official. Kabataan Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who went to Olongapo to lead a preliminary probe, M slained Filipino trasgender Jennifer Laude (Cont. on Page 15) Second Texas nurse with Ebola had traveled by plane D ALLAS (Reuters) - A second Texas nurse who tested positive for Ebola after caring for a patient with the virus had traveled by jetliner a day before she reported symptoms, U.S. and air- line officials said on Wednesday. The worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas had taken a Frontier Airlines flight from Cleveland, Ohio to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday, the officials said. The woman, identified to Reuters by her grandmother as Amber Vinson, 29, was isolated immediately after (Cont. on Page 6) Story on page 4 P4B shared by Makati execs’ Stocks plunge, extending losses; Bond prices soar Story on page 2 TRENDING Enrique and Liza in ‘Forevermore’ -page 13 The San Francisco Post NATIONAL Stocks plunge, extending losses; Trooper Shoots, Kills Man Who Bond prices soar Stabbed Bus Passengers: Police PAGE 2 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 A Connecticut state trooper shot and killed a man suspected of stabbing two passengers with a box cutter aboard a tour bus traveling from New York’s Chinatown to a Connecticut casino on Interstate 95 northbound in Norwalk on Tuesday night. Police said the unidentified assailant, armed with a “cutting instrument” later identified as a boxcutter, was involved in a disturbance on a Dahlia bus carrying about 24 people around 10 p.m. Tuesday and stabbed a man and a woman, as well as himself. That was after a dispute between the suspect and the other man, state po- lice said. Several passengers called 911 for help, but before police could arrive, the bus pulled into a construction zone near exit 14 off I-95 North and flagged down Trooper First Class Marc O’Mara, who was working at the site, according to police. As the O’Mara approached the bus, the assailant and a passenger with whom he was fighting fell from the bus onto the pavement, police said. He ordered the suspect to drop the boxcutter, but he refused and advanced toward the trooper. O’Mara opened fire, shooting the suspected assailant and wounding the passenger involved in the fight. State police said it’s not clear whether the second bullet struck the passenger directly or ricocheted off the pavement. The suspect and three injured passengers received medical aid at the scene and were rushed to the hospital, where the suspect died, according to police. A plunge in U.S. stocks deepened in afternoon trading Wednesday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average down more than 400 points and putting the index on track for its biggest loss in more than a year. The decline came as investor fears of a global economic slowdown intensified after several weeks of turbulent market action. The Dow plunged as much as 460 points following steep declines in Europe as investors sized up the latest batch of corporate earnings and some discouraging U.S. economic news. The Dow was heading for its biggest percentage drop since June 2013. Traders dumped risky assets and parked their money in investments seen as relatively safe, such as U.S. government bonds. That pushed the yield on the 10-year Treasury note briefly below 2 percent, the lowest level in more than a year. “It’s a function of the U.S. being the best house in a bad neighborhood,” said Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. “There’s still uncertainty about economic growth, primarily on a global basis.” The Dow recovered some of the ground it had lost in the first half-hour of trading then fell steadily again through the afternoon. By 2:47 p.m. Eastern time it was down 374 points, or 2.3 percent, to 15,941. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 43 points, or 2.3 percent, to 1,834. The Nasdaq composite dropped 85 points, or 2 percent, to 4,144. All three indexes are now down for the year. Bond prices soared as investors shifted money into safe-haven investments. Early on, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note plunged to 1.91 percent from 2.20 percent the day before, or 29 basis points, a huge move. It recovered to 2.01 percent in afternoon trading. Bond yields fall when their prices rise. Probe of Bergdahl capture by Taliban complete, under Army review An investigation into the circumstances being delayed until after the November surrounding the capture of Army Ser- elections to avoid re-igniting the controgeant Bowe Bergdahl by Taliban mili- versy surrounding the prisoner swap that tants in Afghanistan has been completed, led to Bergdahl’s release. but it is unclear when the military will The Government Accountability Offinish its report, the Pentagon said on fice, a government watchdog agency, Tuesday. said in August Pentagon spokesthat the Defense man Army Colonel Department had Steve Warren said violated U.S. Major General Kenlaw by failing to neth Dahl had subalert Congress mitted his initial rebefore releasport to the military ing five Taliban chain of command members held for review. Warren at Guantanamo said there was no Bay military way of telling when prison in Cuba the review process in exchange for would be completed. Bergdahl. The Pentagon apBergdahl was pointed Dahl to inreleased in May vestigate the case, after five years in determine if Bergcaptivity. dahl had broken miliSome of his tary rules and recomfellow soldiers mend punishment if in Afghanistan appropriate. U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Berghdal is pictured have said that “The investigat- in this undated handout photo provided by the Bergdahl was ing officer has done U.S. Army and received by Reuters on May 31, captured by the his work but now 2014. Taliban after he that work is moving deserted his post. through the Army President system, and at each stop ... there will ... Barack Obama’s administration was inibe questions, requirements for clarifi- tially praised for securing his release, cation,” Warren told reporters. “So it’s but there was backlash from critics who working its way through the system as charged that the White House had failed would any other investigation.” to give Congress adequate notice before Warren rejected news reports suggest- freeing prisoners from Guantanamo. ing that results of the investigation were (Cont. from page 1... LATEST NUMBER SHOW) Moreover, the administration has changed enforcement tactics to achieve these record-breaking removals. Increasingly, DHS is returning more people through formal removal orders, with serious long-term consequences, and more quickly, through out-of-court summary deportations without basic due process. And DHS appears to be shifting resources to the border, where quick removals are most achievable. Although DHS is apprehending about the same amount of people, the latest deportation numbers show that DHS is choosing to give more people formal removal orders with long-term consequences, rather than informally returning them. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, DHS apprehended 662,483 people—down slightly, 1.3 percent, from the 671,327 people DHS apprehended in FY 2012. Yet in FY 2013, DHS informally returned 22.6 percent less people (178,371 versus 230,386), in order to achieve the 5 percent increase in formal removals. Border Patrol returned 35 percent (even though Border Patrol apprehended 15 percent more), and ICE returned 43 percent less. Formal removal orders, unlike informal returns, have serious consequences—typically, a bar of several years on returning to the country, and potential criminal liability for illegal re-entry if someone returns. Thus, DHS’ choice to increase formal removal orders contributes to a circular trend of over-criminalization and over-enforcement. Additionally, the deportation machine increasingly is made up of out-of-court deportations. In FY 2013, summary removals reached an all-time high of 83 percent of all removals—363,000 individuals removed without a court hearing. Forty-four percent of removals (193,032) were “expedited removals,” of those apprehended at or within 100 miles of a border without proper papers. THEFT OF FREE NEWSPAPER IS A CRIME IN THIS STATE. WORLD BRIEF The San Francisco Post Coalition hits ISIS hard in Kobani; militants keep pushing ISIS appears to have gained more ground in Iraq. Islamic State fighters surrounded one of Iraq’s largest air bases Tuesday, a police captain in Anbar province and other security sources told CNN. The militants are preparing to launch an attack on Ein Al-Assad military airbase, which is halfway between Hit and Haditha, said Anbar police Capt. Omar Mohamad Hanin. ISIS justifies slavery ISIS magazine: Slavery is Islamic law Anbar has been largely overrun by ISIS, which has been waging war for months in order to establish a caliphate -- or a society run by strict Sharia law. It has also taken over large swaths of Syria, near the border with Turkey. Coalition forces have been trying to battle back, but ISIS is getting into position in Iraq with rocket launchers and tanks in villages to the south and east of Ein Al-Assad, Hanin said. President Barack Obama said he is focused on the fighting taking place in Anbar and vowed airstrikes will continue there and elsewhere. “This is going to be a long-term campaign, there are no quick fixes involved,” he said Tuesday at Joint Base Andrews, during a meeting of military leaders from 22 countries who are part of the coalition fighting ISIS. “We’re still in the early stages,” the President said. “As with any military efforts there will be days of progress and there will be periods of setback, but our coalition is united behind this long-term effort.” Nearly 60 countries are now part of the effort to stop ISIS. Two deadly car bombs exploded in Baghdad on Monday and one on Tuesday. The militants claimed they were behind the blasts. One targeted the police checkpoint in the Shiite neighborhood of Khadimiya. Four people were killed and 12 others were injured when a car bomb being driven by a someone on a suicide mission exploded in an area called al-Utayfia. The target was a security checkpoint at one of the entrances to the predominately Shiite neighborhood, police officials told CNN. ISIS released a statement on its media site claiming that the al-Khadimiya attack killed a member of the Iraqi Parliament, Ahmad al-Khafaji, who was a member of the Badr Organization, a main Shiite bloc in the government. On the surface, Badgad remained calm Tuesday, despite ISIS advances from the west. Ali, who sells fish at a market, noted that ISIS has taken control of even more territory since the coalition airstrikes began. Nearby, Walid, who sells fruit and has two sons in the Iraqi army, said the airstrikes are “like theater.” The Iraqi army’s track record in fighting ISIS is not good. It has lost control of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, and is now struggling to keep control over Anbar. ISIS advances in Syria In Syria, ISIS fighters bombed and blasted their way through the strategic city of Kobani. Columns of smoke rose as the sound of gunfire erupted. Coalition airpower -- aided by Saudi Arabia -- has been focused intensely on Syria. U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that it had bombarded ISIS near Kobani, using bomber and fighter aircraft to fire 21 airstrikes that destroyed two ISIS staging locations, a building, a truck and two vehicles and damaged other ISIS property. Another U.S. strike near the Syrian city of Dayr az Zawr struck a modular oil refinery and initial indications are that this strike was successful. The strikes are meant to prevent the extremist Muslim group from resupplying and massing combat power on the Kurdish-held portions of Kobani, Central Command said in a release. Iran expects progress, if no breakthrough, in nuclear talks with EU, US Iran does not expect a breakthrough to end a standoff that has lasted more in high-level nuclear talks with the than a decade. United States Diplomats and the Eurosay major pean Union differences this week but remain, eshopes they pecially will help pave over the futhe way for a ture scope final deal, its of Iran’s enforeign minrichment of ister said on uranium, a Tuesday. process that Mohammad can yield Javad Zarif material was quoted either for Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif walks down an aisle at the 69th United civilian nuby Iran’s Fars Iranian Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, September 24, 2014. news agency clear power after arriving stations in Vienna, where he was due to meet Tehran’s stated goal - or for nuclear European Union foreign policy chief bombs, which Western powers have Catherine Ashton. U.S. Secretary of long suspected may be Tehran’s unState John Kerry will join them on derlying agenda. Wednesday. Kerry said in Paris on Tuesday that Zarif’s cautious optimism came a he did not believe that reaching a lastday after President Hassan Rouhani ing accord within six weeks was out told Iranian television that a nuclear of reach, although he noted that many agreement was “certain” and that only issues remained to be resolved. “fine details” remained to be negotiAsked about speculation that an exated. tension will be needed beyond that Talks between Iran and six powers deadline to nail down a permanent - the United States, France, Germany, settlement with Iran, Kerry pointed China, Russia and Britain - are due to out that he was headed for Vienna on conclude by a self-imposed Nov. 24 Wednesday for three-way talks with deadline with, diplomats hope, a deal Zarif and Ashton. North Korea leader Kim re-appears, with walking stick: state media (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, shown using a cane for support, re-appeared in state media on Tuesday after a lengthy public absence that had fueled speculation over his health and grip on power in the secretive, nuclear-capable country. Several pictures on the front page of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed Kim smiling and gesturing on a visit to a housing development, although there was no indication which day the event took place. He was surrounded by aides and wearing his signature dark buttoned suit, and appeared to be supporting himself with a black walking stick. There have been no official reports on the 31-year-old Kim appearing in public since he attended a concert with his wife on Sept. 3. He missed an important political anniversary on Friday as well as a recent session of the country’s parliament. Hong Kong police use sledgehammers, chainsaws to clear protest barriers, open road (Reuters) - Hundreds of Hong Kong police used sledgehammers and chainsaws on Tuesday to tear down barricades erected by prodemocracy protesters near government offices and the financial center, reopening a major road for the first time in two weeks. But late in the evening demonstrators retaliated by swarming into a tunnel on a major four-lane thoroughfare, bringing traffic to a halt and chanting for universal suffrage. Riot police tried to push them back with pepper spray and batons, according to a local news channel, but later retreated. “I think the government doesn’t respect us,” said Kevin Chan, a protester wearing a surgical mask and goggles covering his black glasses, as he stood behind a make- shift wall. “They have to talk to us and compromise, otherwise we won’t stand down.” Traffic flowed freely along Queensway Road after the protesters’ obstructions were cleared early in the day, although other major protest sites remained intact in the Admiralty and Mong Kok districts and pro-democracy demonstrators were defiant. Police with chainsaws cut through bamboo defenses and others wielded sledgehammers to smash concrete blocks outside the Bank of China’s Hong Kong headquarters and next to the office of Asia’s richest man, Li Ka-shing. Office workers streamed onto the streets to watch. Unlike on Monday, when clashes erupted between anti-protest groups and pro-democracy activists after police removed blockades, there was no immediate confrontation as a result of Tuesday’s operation. PAGE 3 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 Six months after girls abducted, Nigerians protest near president’s house Protesters demanding the release of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped six months ago by Islamist militants, demonstrated infront of the president’s home on Tuesday, urging the government to do more to free them. Around 60 people in red T-shirts that read “Bring Back Our Girls” marched to the residence of President Goodluck Jonathan in a leafy part of the Nigerian capital, which was guarded by more than 150 armed police. Scores of other protesters were prevented from joining the rally by other police lines at the top of the street. “I want the president to try and bring back my friends,” said Rebecca Ishaku, who managed to escape from the clutches of the Boko Haram militants after they attacked a remote northeastern school in April. “I can’t even imagine what’s happening to them.” The kidnapping of around 270 girls from the northeastern village of Chibok shocked the world and raised doubts about Nigeria’s ability to defeat the Islamist radicals. Some of the girls were able to flee or were released, but more than 200 remain in captivity and Nigeria’s slow response to the crisis coupled with its failure to locate the captives has brought it widespread criticism at home and abroad. PAGE 4 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 OPINION The San Francisco Post Binay and the court of public opinion S Editorial igures are no match to pictures. That much is apparent once again in the case of Vice F President Jejomar Binay and the allegations of unexplained wealth against him and his family. Those allegations have been around for years, ever since the former human rights lawyer became mayor of the country’s most prosperous city and founded a political dynasty that would eventually see his wife and son succeed him at Makati City Hall, and two other children occupy seats in Congress. On the strength of his seemingly invulnerable grip on the city of Makati, Binay himself was able to pole-vault into the second highest office in the land. But building that political bulwark, let alone accumulating and replenishing a war chest that would see each aspiring family member triumph in election after election, obviously required money. As Makati mayor, Binay’s salary was P32,000. And yet, as Newsbreak reported as early as 2001, in less than a decade he had acquired properties worth P80 million, including a farm in Batangas, condominium units in posh enclaves in Makati, a mansion in Tagaytay—but all of them undeclared in his or his wife’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. Despite those multimillion-peso price tags, the charges didn’t stick or gain traction. After 2001, Binay continued to be voted into office by Makati residents grateful for his social services programs that ensured free medicines, free movies and free birthday cakes. Those long years in power fortified his position even further, allowing him to post a spectacular come-from-behind victory over vice-presidential front-runner Mar Roxas in the 2010 elections. But, as Binay moves toward what he believes is the next logical (his handlers would say ordained) step in his supposed presidential destiny, questions about the sources of his wherewithal have resurfaced, and this time they appear ready to stew longer in the public mind. He now has to contend with something completely unforeseen when he began plotting his ascendancy: social media and the viral phenomenon. In 2001, in reply to Newsbreak’s allegations, Binay said, “These charges are a rehash of old election issues”—and that was that. Now, as technology has become (An Employees owned Publication) cheaper to take photos, peer into previously Distributed weekly in Northern California closed-off properties, even hire a chopper to fly over an agricultural estate said to be 1290 B Street, Suite 203, Hayward, six times bigger than Luneta Park, Binay is CA 94541 bedeviled by the reality that also led to the downfall of then President Joseph Estrada: Tel # 510-885-8827, Pictures of their alleged unexplained wealth Fax # 510-538-7115 are making an impact on the public much [email protected] / more than plain figures on paper can ever do. [email protected] The pictures that former Binay right-hand www.sf-post.com man Ernesto Mercado showed at the Senate of a 350-hectare property in Batangas (conTeresita Estanislao servative estimate of worth: P1.2 billion) Editor-in-Chief & CEO supposedly owned by the Binays have not only been published in this newspaper but Atty. Crispin C. Lozano have also exploded in social media, and is Exec. Vice President boggling the minds of ordinary citizens. For good reason: In the farm are, among others, Adda Humady an air-conditioned piggery, a flower farm of General Advertising Manager pricey orchids, a manmade lagoon, even a maze-like garden patterned after the Kew Don Orozco Gardens in London. Bureau Chief, Silicon Valley Alvin Maglan, CPA Controller Inquirer.Net Content Syndication Partner San Francisco FilAm Post, LLC Publisher of San Francisco Post & SF Filam Post The San Francisco Post will be happy to hear from you. Comments, letters to the editor, contributions, story/picture submissions can be sent via email to [email protected]. ATTN: San Francisco Post,. All submissions are subject to editing for style and accuracy. All Rights Reserved 2013. 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Reproduction or redistribution in whole or in part is prohibited. ix times in the past seven weeks, this column has been devoted to issues surrounding the Makati parking building and other possible cases of corruption against Vice President JejoBy mar Binay, who, Solita Collas - Munsod as mayor, and together with his wife (three years) and son (four years and counting), has ruled Makati for the past 27 years. Why the concentration on the overpriced building and Binay? Because Binay has made no secret of his desire to be president of the Philippines in 2016. Therefore, Filipinos should have access to independent information (as opposed to his press releases and the work of his network of media professionals) on how he ran Makati, which will help them make up their minds as to whether he deserves to be president— other than that he has been dreaming of it since he was a poor, orphaned child. Binay has portrayed himself as a victim of political persecution, saying the case involving the Makati parking building is already with the Sandiganbayan and therefore should no longer be heard by the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee headed by Koko Pimentel. In addition, he says, the subcommittee has no jurisdiction and it should be the full committee that should be hearing the case. Sorry, Mr. Vice President. It takes the Sandiganbayan an average of eight years to resolve a case, and quite apart from the doubts on its integrity, it is a fact that a decision made eight years from now by that court will be useless to the Filipino people who will be judging you in the election that will take place 18 months from now. Which is why they need to know about how you ran Makati, and, relatedly, your unexplained wealth. The only possible place they can get their facts is from the Pimentel subcommittee, but you and your minions are trying your best to gag them. The political-persecution ploy is overplayed, I think. The fact that you are allowed by the administration to hand out land titles (the President usually does that) allows me to rest my case. The lack-of-jurisdiction ploy is the same one you used in 1995, and it bought you four years from the Supreme Court. I don’t know how many times you’ve used it since then, but I hope it doesn’t succeed now. The fate of the country is at stake. Then there’s the presumption-of-innocence ploy—a man is presumed innocent until he is found guilty. True enough. But the Senate hearings are not a criminal proceeding, so that presumption is not at issue. This is the court of public opinion. Because, Mr. Vice President, you want to be president. And the question of the people watching is: Are you worthy? P4B shared by Makati execs’ A t least P4 billion from 10 infrastructure projects that the Makati City government awarded to a favored contractor between 1999 and 2014 went to city officials and resident auditors as kickbacks, according to former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado. The 10 projects awarded to Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. cost the taxpayers of Makati at least P15 billion, said Mercado, a witness in a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee investigation of alleged irregularities in the Makati government during the term of Vice President Jejomar Binay as city mayor. “Twenty-eight percent from every project was shared by the mayor down to the lowest official in the web involved in the conspiracy,” Mercado told the Inquirer in an interview in his office in Makati. Mercado said 13 percent of the 28-percent kickback went to Binay while he was mayor of Makati. The remaining 15 percent went to others—the vice mayor, 16 members of the city council, the city council secretary, members of the the bids and awards committee (BAC), the city engineer, members of the technical working group (TWG), department heads, two sectoral representatives (a barangay chair and the Sangguninang Kabataan chair) and resident Commission on Audit (COA) auditors. Mercado admitted accepting a share of the kickbacks when he was a city councilor and then vice mayor. Another building contractor, who agreed to talk to the Inquirer on condition of anonymity, confirmed Mercado’s allegations, saying the Vice President’s son, current Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr., asked for a “little more.” “The rate has actually gone up. It’s actually higher now,” the contractor said. Junjun Binay served as a sectoral representative and later as councilor before he took over the reins from his father in 2010. Makati’s big-budget infrastructure projects in the past decade handled by Hilmarc’s were the following: -The 22-story Makati City Hall building, worth P6.5 billion. -Phase 2 of the Ospital ng Makati District 1 (P2 billion). -Phases 1 and 4 of the University of Makati Nursing School building (P804 million). -Makati police headquarters (P183.63 million). -Phase 1 of the swimming pool in the Makati Garden Park (P31 million). -Phases 1 to 6 of Makati Science High School (P1.34 billion). - Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Makati University Administrative and Auditorium (P332 million). -Makati City Hall Building II, or parking building (P2.3 billion). Renovation of treasury building for Makati police station on F. Zobel Street, Barangay Poblacion (P4.98 million). University of Makati school buildings (no available budget). Pope grants Manaoag shrine the title of ‘minor basilica’ MANILA, Philippines–A few months efits that one gains by visiting the papal before his visit to the Philippines, Pope basilicas will also be received by those Francis has given the title “minor basili- visiting the Shrine of Manaoag. ca” to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Ro“The devotion to Our Lady of Manaoag sary of Manaoag in Pangasinan province. “Pope Francis has granted the title Minor Basilica to the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag. The Archdiocese of LingayenDagupan is immensely blessed,” Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said in his Twitter account. Pope Francis will visit the Philippines from Jan. 15 to 19. The Manaoag shrine houses the FROM SHRINE TO BASILICAMINORE A procession during the image of Our Lady of the Rosary Manaoag town fiesta in 2012 leaves the Shrine of Our Lady of the of Manaoag, which most Catho- Rosary of Manaoag in Pangasinan province. WILLIE LOMIBAO/ INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON lics believe is miraculous. According to a CBCP post, the shrine is also a parish church of the Arch- has helped deepen the piety of many Cathdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. The shrine olics not only in Pangasinan but throughis an affiliate of the Papal Basilica of San- out the country,” the CBCP post said. ta Maria Maggiore in Rome. For Catholics, according to www. Villegas said this means the spiritual ben- stspeterandpaulbasilica.com, a basilica is a church that has been accorded special privileges by the Pope. “Minor basilicas are significant churches in Rome and elsewhere in the world that meet certain criteria and are given special ecclesiastical privileges,” a post on the website says, citing the 1989 Vatican document Domus Ecclesiae. “Minor basilicas are traditionally named because of their antiquity, dignity, historical value, architectural and artistic worth, and/or significance as centers of worship,” it says. “A basilica must ‘stand out as a center of active and pastoral liturgy.’” The official website of Manila Cathedral, which has also been named a minor basilica, says the traditional manner by which a church is elevated to the rank of a minor basilica is through a petition by the bishop in whose diocese the church is found. “The bishop, with the concurrence of the episcopal conference of the given country, makes a petition to the Pope through the Sacred Congregation of Divine Worship that the central church of his diocese be elevated to the status and dignity of a minor basilica,” according to an article posted on the website. HOMELAND The San Francisco Post 3rd grenade attack on Tondo Police Station in 2014: no one hurt MANILA, Philippines—For the third time this year, the Tondo Police Station was attacked with a grenade. The latest attack happened at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with police officials claiming the people behind the attacks were hoping to intimidate the police, who have been working to rid the area of criminals. Police reports said security camera footage showed two men riding a motorcycle threw the grenade in front of the Tondo Police Station (Station 1) on Raxabago Street, Tondo, Manila. The grenade, later identified as an MK2 fragmentation grenade, exploded along the road, damaging a nearby tent and sending debris up that hit a nearby car. However, no one was hurt in the attack. The previous grenade-throwing attack on the police sta- tion had just happened earlier this month and an MK2 fragmentation grenade was also used. Superintendent Virgilio Viloria, the Tondo Police Station chief, said that they were treating the grenade-throwing attacks as direct threats to the police. “Over the last few months, we stepped up our anti-criminality drive here. And obviously, we have been hitting at something, which is why we think these explosives are being thrown at us,” he said. He noted that the Tondo Police has been particularly hunting down people involved in the drug trade in the area. Viloria said the Tondo Police would continue hunting down criminals in the area while also implementing tighter security in the vicinity of the police station. Group eyes 14M signatures to convince Duterte to run for prexy MANILA, Philippines - A group pushing for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run in the 2016 presidential election is confident that it could convince the local chief executive to throw his hat by an “overwhelming support” of the people. Lawyer John Contriciones, Luzon coordinator of the Duterte for President 2016 Movement, said the group is eyeing to gather at least 14 million signatures nationwide, petitioning the Davao City mayor to run in the national polls. “If there would be enough signatures and it will be overwhelming then I’m sure mayor Duterte would not be able to refuse to heed the call of the Filipino people. “We know that theres so many people who are rally supporting Mayor Duterte. As a matter of fact, this has been shown by their visits in key cities in Mindanao and in the Visayas, wherein the caravan was warmly welcomed by a lot of people,” he added. He said that the caravan is the signature drive to seek support for a Duterte presidency started last October 8 in. Metro Manila. After the National Capital Region, the organizers of the movement will then troop to Rizal, Bulacan and areas in Central Luzon, Contriciones said. “But as far as Mayor Duterte’s concern, up to this point in time, he has yet decided to run for the Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte presidency. So what’s happening right now is we are in a movement wherein we are just trying to urge and encourage mayor Duterte to throw his political hat into the presidential derby,” he said. Asked if they expect a smear campaign against Duterte, Contriciones said it is the risk they are willing to take. “You know a lot of other political cndidtes would tend to throw stones at you if they know you are already ahead. We expect that to happen but of course its too early to say as Mayor Duterte has yet to decide,” he said. QC holdup men shoot at bus floor MANILA, Philippines—Eleven passengers of a Makati City-bound bus on East Avenue in Quezon City lost their valuables to two gun-wielding men around midnight on Monday. According to the police, the robbers boarded the Taguig Metrolink Bus (UYA 664) around 11:30 p.m. at Commonwealth Market and declared the holdup as it went past the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas building. One of the suspects fired his gun at the floor to scare the passengers. After forcing them to hand over cell phones and an undetermined amount of cash and other valuables, the same robber fired a second shot at the floor of the bus before escaping with his accomplice. The bus driver later recovered the casing of a .45-caliber bullet inside the vehicle as the victims reported the incident to the Quezon City Police District’s Kamuning station. MANILA, Philippines (XiThe Middle East is the nhua) - President Benigno top destination for overseas Aquino III said today that Filipino workers (OFWs). the outbreaks of Ebola vi- Government data showed rus disease and the Middle that there are 3,490 OFWs East Respiratory Syndrome in Ebola-stricken countries Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in West Africa. are a “paramount concern” for his government because of the 10 million Filipinos living and working abroad. A q u i n o Aquino’’s government talks about EBOLA in Philippines made the remarks in his speech during the Aquino said the Philippine opening of the 65th Ses- government will continue sion of the World Health to exert effort to prevent the Organization (WHO) Re- entry of deadly disease in gional Committee for the the country without spreadWestern Pacific here today. ing fear and panic. The meeting will run until In his message, WHO ExOctober 17. ecutive Director Ian Smith “Outbreaks of illnesses and said the fear of infection diseases like the MERS- has spread around the CoV and Ebola are among world much faster than the the greatest challenges the virus. world faces today. For the Citing World Bank data, Philippines, specifically, Smith said 90 percent of the fact that we have 10 the economic costs of any million of our countrymen outbreak come from the living and working abroad “irrational and disorgamakes these kinds of out- nized efforts” of the public breaks a paramount con- to avoid infection. cern,” he said. MANILA, Philippine – The Department of Justice (DOJ) has started its investigation into the alleged anomalous transactions entered into by Vice President Jejomar Binay but isn’t keen on conducting one against Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Alan Purisima. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said the Senate asked for their help on Binay while it is the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) that has formed a group to conduct a lifestyle check on Purisima and other officials of the PNP. “Nagaalangan ang NBI (National Bureau of In- “We have always said that General Purisima is accountable under the law like any other police or government official,” Coloma said. Lifestyle check Purisima is facing plunder and other criminal charges in the Office of the Ombudsman. He is also being subjected to a lifestyle check following revelations he owned a 4.5-hectare property in Nueva Ecija. Purisima has not denied owning the property, but insisted that the house on it was “ordinary.” He is also under fire for accepting an P11million “donation” to construct his official residence, dubbed the White House, in Camp Crame. He also admitted receiving a huge discount on a Toyota Prado SUV worth P4 million which he was able to buy for only P1.5 million. NBI to track down 2 Binay close aides Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has directed the National Bureau of Investigation to find the people with knowledge of alleged irregularities in the Makati city government but have not been appearing in a Senate inquiry into the scandal involving Vice President Jejomar Binay. De Lima said on Friday that the Senate had asked for NBI help in locating Gerardo “Gerry” Limlingan and Eduviges “Ebeng” Baloloy, two longtime trusted aides of Binay, during whose term as mayor the alleged irregularities happened, including the construction of the P2.28-billion Makati City Hall Building II, which the Vice President’s accusers claimed was overpriced. De Lima said the whistle-blowers’ testimonies were “hard to ignore,” as “they have personal and direct knowledge” of Ebola, Middle East virus ‘paramount concern’ for gov’t: Aquino It’s official: DOJ probes Binay on Senate request Palace backs Purisima, but… MANILA, Philippines–Malacañang on Thursday praised Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima but stressed that his accomplishments would not save him if it turns out the allegations he had amassed ill-gotten wealth were proven true. In a briefing, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma rattled off Purisima’s achievements since taking over the PNP in December 2012. Coloma cited Purisima’s efforts against high-profile criminals and crime syndicates and the reforms he implemented in the PNP firearms and explosives division. “These are important reforms,” Coloma said. Still, his accomplishments did not mean Purisima would not be held liable for corruption in case the evidence pointed that way. PAGE 5 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 the information they have disclosed to the public. “I am sure that after the inquiry, there will be several recommendations, including, let’s say, further case buildup, investigation or the filing of cases, although there is already a case in the Ombudsman,” she said. “So that’s what we’re discussing now: Whether we wait for the report and recommendations of the subcommittee, or if we can already start our investigation,” she added. Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado has told a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee investigating the scandal that he served as bagman for contractors and that Limlingan and Baloloy received from him large duffel bags containing millions of pesos in kickbacks for Binay. vestigation) makialam sa issue na yan at the moment,” De Lima told reporters Friday. But she clarified that the entry of the NBI in the investigation did not mean that the government was targeting Binay who openly declared his intention to run for presidency in 2016. “They are consistent in saying that it is part of the demolition job because of his political plans. The public deserves to know the truth,” De Lima said. “It is the DOJ/NBI mandate to investigate such sensitive issues,” she added. Both Binay and Purisima are facing questions about their alleged unexplained wealth. TAX CORNER PAGE 6 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 I Extended Tax Deadline Expires Oct. 15; Don’t Overlook Tax Benefits f you are one of the nearly 13 million taxpayers who asked for more time to file your federal by: Alvin C. Maglan, CPA tax return this year, the extra time is about to expire. If you haven’t yet filed, here are some things that you should know: Know the deadline. Oct. 15 is the last day to file for most people who requested an automatic six-month extension. Don’t overlook tax benefits. Make sure to check if you qualify for tax breaks that you might miss if you rush to file. This includes the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Savers Credit. The American Opportunity Tax Credit and other education tax benefits can help you pay for college. Use IRS Free File. Many people do not know that they can still e-file their tax return for free through IRS Free File. The program is only available on IRS.gov through Oct. 15. IRS e-file is easy, safe and the most accurate way to file your taxes. E-file also helps you get all the tax benefits that you’re entitled to claim. Use IRS Direct Pay. If you owe taxes the best way to pay them is with IRS Direct Pay. It’s the simple, quick and free way to pay from your checking or savings account. Just click on the ‘Pay Your Tax Bill’ icon on the IRS home page. File on time. If you owe taxes, file on time to avoid a late filing penalty. If you owe and can’t pay all of your taxes, pay as much as you can to reduce interest and penalties for late payment. Use the Online Payment Agreement tool to ask for more time to pay. You can also file Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request, with your tax return. More time for the military. Some people have more time to file. This includes members of the military and others serving in a combat zone. If this applies to you, you typically have until at least 180 days after you leave the combat zone to both file returns and pay any taxes due. New filing status rules may apply. New rules apply to you if you were legally married in a state or foreign country that recognizes same-sex marriage. You and your spouse generally must use a married filing status on your 2013 federal tax return. This is true even if you and your spouse now live in a place that does not recognize same-sex marriage. See IRS.gov for more information. Try easy-to-use tools on IRS.gov. Use the EITC Assistant to see if you’re eligible for the credit. Use the Interactive Tax Assistant tool to get answers to common tax questions. The IRS Tax Map gives you a single point to get tax law information by subject. It integrates your topic with related tax forms, instructions and publications into one research tool. Al Maglan is a CPA licensed in California and Nevada. You can contact him @ 510 432 7438 for yout tax problems. You may e-mail tax questions at amaglan@aol. com or [email protected]. The hospital said on Tuesday that (Cont. from page 1... SECOND TEXAS NURSE) Pham was “in good condition.” reporting a fever on Tuesday, Texas DeNews of the second nurse’s diagpartment of State Health Services offi- nosis follows criticism of the hospital’s cials said. She had treated Liberian patient nurses of its initial handling of the diseases, Thomas Eric Duncan, who died of Ebola in a statement Tuesday by National Nurses and was the first patient diagnosed with the United, which is both a union and a profesvirus in the United States. sional association for U.S. nurses. The circumstances under which Vinson The nurses said the hospital lacked prototraveled were not immediately known. But cols to deal with an Ebola patient, offered the latest revelation raised fresh questions no advance training and provided them about the handling of Duncan’s case and with insufficient gear, including non-imits aftermath by both the hospital and the permeable gowns, gloves with no taping U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Pre- around wrists and suits that left their necks vention (CDC). exposed. At least 4,447 people have died in West ‘PILED TO THE CEILING’ Africa in the worst Ebola outbreak since Basic principles of infection control were the disease was identified in 1976, but cases violated by both the hospital’s Infectious in the United States and Europe have been Disease Department and CDC officials, the limited. The virus can cause fever, bleed- nurses said, with no one picking up hazarding, vomiting and diarrhea, and spreads ous waste “as it piled to the ceiling.” through contact with bodily fluids. “The nurses strongly feel unsupported, “Health officials have interviewed the lat- unprepared, lied to, and deserted to handle est patient to quickly identify any contacts the situation on their own,” the statement or potential exposures, and those people said. will be monitored,” the health department The hospital said in a statement it had insaid in a statement. stituted measures to create a safe working During the weekend, 26-year-old nurse environment and it was reviewing and reNina Pham became the first person to be sponding to the nurses’ criticisms. infected with Ebola in the United States. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said at a She had cared for Duncan during much of news conference Wednesday that the sechis 11 days in the hospital. He died in an ond infected nurse lived alone and had no isolation ward on Oct. 8. pets. The San Francisco Post Miscellaneous Deductions Can Cut Taxes ou may be able to deduct cerY tain miscellaneous costs you pay during the year. Examples include employee expenses and fees you pay for tax advice. If you itemize, these deductions could lower your tax bill. Here are some things the IRS wants you to know about miscellaneous deductions: Deductions Subject to the Two Percent Limit. You can deduct most miscellaneous costs only if their total is more than two percent of your adjusted gross income. These include expenses such as: Deductions Not Subject to the Two Percent Limit. Some deductions are not subject to the two percent limit. They include: Certain casualty and theft losses. Generally, this applies to damaged or stolen property that you held for investment. This includes items such as stocks, bonds and works of art. Gambling losses up to the amount of your gambling winnings. Losses from Ponzi-type investment schemes. There are many expenses that you can’t deduct. For example, you can’t deduct personal living -Unreimbursed employee expens- or family expenses. You claim ales. lowable miscellaneous deductions -Expenses related to searching on Schedule A, Itemized Deducfor a new job in the same line of tions. work. For more info, contact our office -Certain work clothes and uniat 510 432 7438 for yout tax probforms. lems. You may e-mail tax questions at -Tools needed for your job. [email protected] or taxsaverspro@ -Union dues. -Work-related travel and transpor- gmail.com. tation. First-Time Home Buyer or IRA distribution purposes, the term first-time home buyer does not mean the taxpayer has not owned a home before the distribution date. A taxpayer who has never owned a home or has not owned a home in the last two years ending on the date of purchase qualifies for a penalty exception of distributing up to $10,000 from his or her IRA. If the taxpayer is married, the taxpayer’s spouse must also meet the two-year requirement as well. Taxpayers who take a distribution from their IRA to aid in the buying process of a home and who meet the requirements will be subject to income taxation of the amount distributed, but will not be subject to a 10% penalty for the amount that was distributed. Besides the two-year ownership rule, the other criteria that must be met are: The amount must be used for the home purchase within 120 days of the date of distribution. Any amounts not used for the purchase of the home within the 120-day period will be subject to the 10% penalty. The individual taking the distribution can be the taxpayer, the taxpayer’s spouse, child, grandchild or an ancestor of the taxpayer. The penalty can also be avoided if the F taxpayer places any remaining funds not used for the purchase back into the IRA within the 120-day period. Example: Josh is purchasing a new home and does not have enough cash on hand to place a deposit. He has $100,000 in his traditional IRA. Josh owned a home five years ago, but sold the home and moved into an apartment because his job required him to travel several days a week. He has been promoted and no longer needs to travel. He heard from his boss that he can take up to a $10,000 distribution from his IRA and use this amount as a down payment without being penalized. He plans to close on the home on September 1, 2014. As long as Josh receives the distribution within the 120-day period of paying acquisition costs and uses the entire $10,000 for his down payment, the distribution is taxable but is not subject to a 10% penalty. If Josh does not use the entire $10,000 as a down payment, or the closing is not completed, he will be subject to a 10% penalty on the amount that is not placed back into the IRA before the 120-day period. For more info, contact our office at 510 432 7438 for yout tax problems. You may e-mail tax questions at amaglan@ aol.com or [email protected]. Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 BANKRUPTCY Americans face post-foreclosure What will happen to my property after filing bankruptcy? hell as wages garnished, assets ownership will hapcase you are asked for Q.penWhatto my prop- By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano it. seized PAGE 7 The San Francisco Post Oct 14 (Reuters) - Many thousands of Americans who lost their homes in the housing bust, but have since begun to rebuild their finances, are suddenly facing a new foreclosure nightmare: debt collectors are chasing them down for the money they still owe by freezing their bank accounts, garnishing their wages and seizing their assets. By now, banks have usually sold the houses. But the proceeds of those sales were often not enough to cover the amount of the loan, plus penalties, legal bills and fees. The two big government-controlled housing finance companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as other mortgage players, are increasingly pressing borrowers to pay whatever they still owe on mortgages they defaulted on years ago. Using a legal tool known as a “deficiency judgment,” lenders can ensure that borrowers are haunted by these zombie-like debts for years, and sometimes decades, to come. Before the housing bubble, banks often refrained from seeking deficiency judgments, which were seen as costly and an invitation for bad publicity. Some of the biggest banks still feel that way. But the housing crisis saddled lenders with more than $1 trillion of foreclosed loans, leading to unprecedented losses. Now, at least some large lenders want their money back, and they figure it’s the perfect time to pursue borrowers: many of those who went through foreclosure have gotten new jobs, paid off old debts and even, in some cases, bought new homes. “Just because they don’t have the money to pay the entire mortgage, doesn’t mean they don’t have enough for a deficiency judgment,” said Florida foreclosure defense attorney Michael Wayslik. Advocates for the banks say that the former homeowners ought to pay what they owe. Consumer advocates counter that deficiency judgments blast those who have just recovered from financial collapse back into debt - and that the banks bear culpability because they made the unsustainable loans in the first place. “SLAPPED TO THE FLOOR” Borrowers are usually astonished to find out they still owe thousands of dollars on homes they haven’t thought about for years. In 2008, bank teller Danell Huthsing broke up with her boyfriend and moved out of the concrete bungalow they shared in Jacksonville, Florida. Her name was on the mortgage even after she moved out, and when her boyfriend defaulted on the loan, her name was on the foreclosure papers, too. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where she managed to amass $20,000 of savings and restore her previously stellar credit score in her job as a service worker at an Amtrak station. But on July 5, a process server showed up on her doorstep with a lawsuit demanding $91,000 for the portion of her mortgage that was still unpaid after the home was foreclosed and sold. If she loses, the debt collector that filed the suit can freeze her bank account, garnish up to 25 percent of her wages, and seize her paid-off 2005 Honda Accord. “For seven years you think you’re good to go, that you’ve put this behind you,” said Huthsing, who cleared her savings out of the bank and stowed the money in a safe to protect it from getting seized. “Then wham, you get slapped to the floor again.” Bankruptcy is one way out for consumers in this rub. But it has serious drawbacks: it can trash a consumer’s credit report for up to ten years, making it difficult to get credit cards, car loans or home financing. Oftentimes, borrowers will instead go on a repayment plan or simply settle the suits - without questioning the filings or hiring a lawyer - in exchange for paying a lower amount. Though court officials and attorneys in foreclosure-ravaged regions like Florida, Ohio and Illinois all say the cases are surging, no one keeps official tabs on the number nationally. “Statistically, this is a real difficult task to get a handle on,” said Geoff Walsh, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center. Officials in individual counties say that the cases, while virtually zero a year or two ago, now number in the hundreds in each county. Thirty-eight states, along with the District of Columbia, allow financial institutions recourse to claw back these funds. “I’ve definitely noticed a huge uptick,” said Cook County, Illinois homeowner attorney Sandra Emerson. “They didn’t include language in court motions to pursue these. Now, they do.” erties after I file bankruptcy? .When you file your bankruptcy papers, a bankruptcy estate is created that is administered by the trustee designated by the U.S. Department of Justice. The trustee is the representative of all your creditors in the process. While the bankruptcy process is in progress, he takes control of all the property in your bankruptcy estate. However, the trustee won’t actually take physical control of the property. Most, if not all, of your property will be exempt, which means the trustee will return it to your legal possession after your bankruptcy is closed. If you have any questions about dealing with property after you file, ask a bankruptcy attorney. A .What will I do with my property while the bankruptcy case is pend- Q A ing? .While your bankruptcy is pending, do not throw out, give away, sell, or otherwise dispose of the property you owned as of your filing date – unless and until the bankruptcy trustee says otherwise. Even if all of your property is exempt, you are expected to hold on to it, in case the trustee or a creditor challenges your exemption claims. . I have a piece of land that is not allowed in my total exemption. What will I do with it? . If some of your property is nonexempt, the trustee may ask you to turn it over. Or, the trustee may decide that the property is worth too little to bother with and abandon it. Typically, the trustee doesn’t let you know that property is abandoned, but once you receive your discharge, the property is deemed abandoned. Q A . Can I spend the money that I included in my filing as I declared in Schedule B? . You are allowed to spend cash you had when you filed and you declared in Schedule B to make dayto-day purchases for necessities such as groceries, personal effects, and clothing. Just make sure you can account for what happened to the cash. If you have a huge purchases reflected in your bank statements, be sure to account and explain it to your trustee in Q A . Who owns the income I earned and the property I acquired after filing bankruptcy? . In Chapter 7 cases, with few exceptions, the trustee has no claim to property you acquire or income you earn after you file. You are free to spend it as you please. The exceptions are: property from an insurance settlement agreement, or inheritance that you become entitled to receive within 180 days after your filing date. Q A Note: This is not a legal advice and you need to speak to an attorney about your personal circumstances. ankruptcy Basics B 1.Bankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankruptcy will be in your records for 10 years, not filing bankruptcy will make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid. 2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy. 3. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settlement. 4. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts. 5. Bankruptcy will stop foreclosure actions. If your trustee sale date is 10 days before, you can still file for bankruptcy. 6. If your salary is being garnished, you have a court case about debts or you are being harassed by creditors, bankruptcy can stop garnishment, court cases, harassing creditors and eliminate the debt. 7. Bankruptcy is cheaper, faster and safer than debt settlement which has no guaranteed success. 8. Preserve your health, eliminate stress and live a happy life by eliminating your debts which is the root of all problems. 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. Settlement with Detroit holdout creditor close Oct 14 (Reuters) - A settlement with Financial Guaranty Insurance Co, the last major holdout creditor in Detroit’s historic bankruptcy case, is close and could be announced on Thursday, attorneys said on Tuesday. Detroit’s attorney, Thomas Cullen at law firm Jones Day, told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes that the two sides “have made substantial progress.” “We are proceeding with a firm and active faith that we will have a deal to present to the court or announce to the court on Thursday,” Cullen said. Alfredo Perez, FGIC’s attorney, asked the judge for a delay in putting the bond insurance company’s two witnesses on the stand until Thursday “to see if we can have a consensual deal by that time.” FGIC, which has $1.1 billion on the line from insuring Detroit pension debt, is facing the possibility of having a minimal recovery forced upon it if a settlement is not reached and Detroit’s plan to exit bankruptcy wins court approval. Bill Nowling, a spokesman for Detroit’s state-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr, said the two sides are close to an agreement. “It is possible, and I stress, possible, the could be an agreement with FGIC by Thursday,” he said. “There is no agreement presently.” The Detroit News has reported that an FGIC settlement will resemble the one that the city reached with another insurer, Syncora Guarantee Inc, which was Detroit’s fiercest opponent in the biggest-ever municipal bankruptcy. That settlement included a financial recovery of 13.7 cents on the dollar and a bevy of real estate transactions encompassing a central parking garage, development options and a lease for part of a tunnel connecting the city to Canada. Cullen indicated that the current work on a possible FGIC deal is focused on the real estate component, telling Rhodes that “two of the complications with respect to between now and Thursday morning are that there are development aspects ... and there are third-party ramifications”. The beleaguered city’s public pensions took center stage during Tuesday’s hearing, as other holdout creditors sought to prove that claims from both the general and police and fire retirement systems were overblown. Judge Rhodes has been conducting a hearing since Sept. 2 to determine if the city’s bankruptcy plan is fair to creditors, as well as feasible. Objectors seek to persuade him that it unfairly favors pensioners by artificially pumping up the pension liability - and therefore pensioners’ claims. Objectors say pension investments will have better rates of return than the 6.75 percent anticipated in the plan, which would shrink the part of the pension liability that is unfunded. Supporters of the city’s debt adjustment plan say the projected rate is on the mark, given the pension investments’ volatility and past performance, as well as national trends such as an aging workforce. In an unusual step, Detroit reached the projected rate of return on its pension investments as part of mediation on the plan. Typically, actuaries calculate projections using variables including past performance. An actuary called to the witness stand by objecting investors in the city’s pension debt, William Fornia, said “6.75 (percent) is too low.” But under cross examination, Fornia also said the city’s pension investments suffered losses in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008 and 2011. After the 2008 financial crisis, many public pensions cut forecasts for return rates to closer to 7 percent from around 8 percent. Over the last decade the median public pension return was 7.27 percent, according to data released by Wilshire Associates in August. PAGE 8 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 The San Francisco Post IMMIGRATION The San Francisco Post PAGE 9 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 November 2014 Visa News T he priority dates for all categories in the Family-based Petitions moved forward by at least one week in the November 2014 Visa Bulletin released by the US State Department. The First Preference F-1 (unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens) advabnced by two months and the Second Preference (F-2A – spouse and minor children of permanent residents) of Family-Based Petition advanced by one month. The priority date for Preference 2B (unmarried sons and daughters over 21 years of age of permanent residents) of Family-Based Petitions moved forward by 17 days. The Third Preference (F-3 – married sons and daughters of US citizens) advanced by one week while the Fourth Preference (F-4 – brothers and sisters of adulot citizens) moved forward by another 23 days. In the Employment-Based petitions, the priority date for the Third Preference (skilled workers and professionals) and Unskilled Workers moved forward by eight months in the November 2014 Visa Bulletin. All the other categories in the Employment-Based Petitions remained current. The November 2014 Visa Bulletin follows. Please note that for the month of November 2014, Employment Based Third Preference visa (professionals and skilled workers) is available for the Philippine nationals with approved labor certifications or I-140 petitions with priority dates earlier than June 1, 2012. For Schedule A nurses and physical therapist, immigrant visa is also available for November 2014, if they have an approved I-140 petition with priority dates earlier than June 1, 2012. On August 1, 2014, By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano 9. Third Preference visas we received an approval for Unskilled Workers of waiver of joint filing such as caregivers, nursing assistants and of I-751 based on spousal abuse. With the nannies are available for those Philippine approval she was granted permanent resiNationals with approved labor certifica- dence. tions dated earlier than June 1, 2012 for 10. On July 21. 2014, we received an apthe month of November 2014. proval of green card based on marriage that was initially denied due to inconsisNote: This is not a legal advice tencies in interview response. UCCESS STORIES 11. On July 19, 2014, we received an approval of I-751 removal of condition on 1. On October 7, 2014, we received an ap- residence waiver based on battered spouse. proval from the U.S. Embassy in Manila 12. On June 11, 2014, we received an apan immigrant visa for a client who entered proval from USCIS of green card under the US without inspection under the Provi- Violence against Women Act. sional Waiver Program. 13. On May 12. 2014, we received an ap2. On September 26, 2014, we received an proval from USCIS of green card under approval from the Immigration Court for the same sex marriage law and the correwaiver of misrepresentation for a client sponding waiver of certain misrepresentawho entered as single but actually married tion. at the time of entry to the U.S. 14. On April 21, 2014, we received an ap3. On September 9, 2014, we received an approval from Immigration Court of adjustment of status for a client who was previously denied an asylum. 4. On September 8, 2014, we received an approval from USCIS of Form I-601A provisional waiver for two clients. 5. On September 5, 2014, we received an S approval from USCIS for Fiancée visa based on same sex petition. 6. On September 4, 2014, we received an approval of DACA for a client who has problem in her birth certificate. 7. On August 28, 2014, we received an approval of green card based on spousal abuse. 8. On August 25, 2014, we received an approval of green card based on same sex marriage with big age difference. IMMIGRATION SUCCESS STORIES Marites Carolino was granted a waiver of misrepresentation in Immigration Court of San Francisco, on September 26, 2014. Atty. Crispin Caday Lozano represented her in the Court proceedings. With the waiver granted by the Immigration Judge, she can now apply for naturalization. proval of green card after the denial was appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals. 15. On March 31, 2014, we received an approval of green card for a client under Violence against Women Act 16. On November 21, 2013, we received an approval from USCIS for adjustment of status under SAME SEX MARRIAGE. 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 [email protected]/. Visit our website at www.crispinlozanolaw.com. PAGE 10 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 IMMIGRATION ISIS threat: A nation at war needs to secure its borders A nation at war needs to secure its borders. It is simply astonishing that a statement like that—a matter of simple common sense and basic national sovereignty—is politically controversial. It is simply astonishing that we’re left debating—like we did last week—whether the arrest of four selfproclaimed Middle East terrorists represents a warning that our borders need to be more secure. Yes, we know that the Obama administration and its liberal allies in Congress remain ideologically and politically committed to an open border. They see unrestrained immigration as a foundational piece of their bid for long-term Democratic dominance. But are they so committed to this partisan vision that the clear and present danger of terrorist infiltration from an open border is insufficient to cause concern? And it’s not just the border with Mexico that’s porous. We’re not even properly monitoring young American men who return home after fighting with ISIS – the Islamic State. A 22-year-old American, Moner Mohammad Abusalha, flew home from Syria and landed in Newark, New Jersey, where U.S. officials checked out his story of visiting relatives in the Middle East by . . . calling his mom. When she vouched for him, he left the airport and traveled into the American heartland, completely unmonitored. He flew back to Syria and blew himself up -- ISIS’s first American suicide bomber. But before he left, he recorded a video where he declared: “You think you are safe where you are in America . . . you are not safe.” Obviously not. Given this story, can Americans have any confidence that we’re actually monitoring and controlling the 40 ISIS terrorists that Democratic congressman Tim Bishop says are already in this country, under FBI surveillance? The story of America’s border security is a story of incompetence, wishful thinking, and hard-Left ideology. It’s incompetent to allow a mother’s word to validate her terrorist son’s intentions. It’s wishful thinking to believe that our government—despite establishing FBI and CIA task forces—can adequately track all of the jihadists traveling to and from the strategic heart of the Middle East. After all, we’ve proven we can’t track everyone that flies into Newark. How can we be sure we’re tracking jihadists who fly into Mexico City? It’s hard-left ideology that places so much importance on an open border that it will not yield unless or until there is a major attack or other tragedy. No one can reasonably dispute that our southern border is extraordinarily porous. After all, if it can be easily crossed by tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors, how much easier is it for trained terrorists to cross unseen? But the hard left refuses to listen to reason, arguing that the issue isn’t serious unless there is definitive proof that the border has already been penetrated. But, as with most terror attacks, we won’t know that our vulnerabilities have been exploited until after the bombs detonate, until after Americans die. Here’s a common sense proposal: Let’s protect Americans and then work out how many immigrants we want in the country. One is not anti-immigrant when one declares that a sovereign nation should know—and control—who comes into its country. Let’s let our people decide—through the democratic process—how much immigration we want and need, but while we’re making that decision, let’s not leave our national security to chance. The San Francisco Post Groups Raise $1.5 Million To Help Unaccompanied Immigrant Kids WASHINGTON -- Organizations and individuals have raised more than $1.5 million to help unaccompanied minors who came to the U.S. from Central America at crisis levels over the past year, including many who fled violence and now face deportation. The effort was started by the California Endowment, a health care advocacy group that has been running a campaign called “They Are Children” offering support to children and teenagers who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The group partnered with Univision Communications Inc., and other organizations to raise money to help the unaccompanied minors, who often need legal help and other aid as they await a decision whether they can remain in the U.S. The funding came from a variety of sources, including a $500,000 grant from the California Endowment and a $300,000 grant from the James Irvine Foundation. Employees and customers of Mi Pueblo grocery stores in California raised more than $100,000, while Marc Benioff, CEO of salesforce.com, and his wife, Lynne, donated $500,000. Univision Communications, meanwhile, has aired public service announcements and other programs to raise awareness about what unaccompanied minors have been through. More than 68,000 unaccompanied children and teenagers, most of them from Central America, were apprehended crossing the border illegally in the 2014 fiscal year, putting a serious strain on the already stretched system to deal with minors who come to the U.S. without their parents. While children from Mexico and Canada can be quickly deported, those from other countries typically go through a more timeconsuming process to determine whether they may be eligible to stay in the U.S., through asylum claims or other relief. During that time, the children and teenagers are typically placed with family or in foster homes. But they still have needs, which groups are stepping in to try to provide. The $1.5 million in funds raised by the coalition of groups organized by the California Endowment will go toward food, shelter, health care, counseling and legal representation for unaccompanied minors from Central America. Although immigration proceedings are complicated and intimidating -- particularly for those who speak little English -- children are not provided legal representation from the government. One of the grants went to Kids In Need of Defense, or KIND, which pairs children with pro bono attorneys who help them fight their cases. Some lawmakers have contributed to legal aid for unaccompanied minors, who are more likely to be successful in applying for deportation relief if they have an attorney. In California, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a bill on Sept. 27 to provide $3 million in legal aid for unaccompanied minors. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved more than $2 million to pay for legal support for the children and teenagers. U.S. appeals court strikes down Arizona bail law for immigrants A federal appeals court struck down an Arizona law on Wednesday that denied bail to some immigrants who are in the United States illegally and charged with serious felonies, saying it violated constitutional due process protections. In a review, an 11-member panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and agreed with a couple who filed a class action complaint in 2008 against defendants including Maricopa County and its controversial sheriff, Joe Arpaio. They were challenging a ballot measure that passed with overwhelming support from Arizona voters two years earlier and amended the state’s constitution to deny bail for certain felony offenses if the person charged is in the country illegally. But the 9th Circuit said the move was unconstitutional since it did not address an acute problem, was not limited to a specific category of very serious offenses and did not consider the individual factors needed to determine if a suspect is an unmanageable flight risk. Writing for the majority, Judge Raymond Fisher said the U.S. Constitution protects every person within the nation’s borders from deprivation of life, liberty or property without due process of law. Most states that prohibit bail at all do so only for capital offenses or for other very serious crimes, he said, and other than Arizona, only Missouri singles out undocumented immigrants for the categorical denial of bail. “There is no evidence that undocumented status correlates closely with unmanageable flight risk,” Fisher wrote. The defendants speculate that undocumented immigrants pose a greater flight risk, he added. “But this assumption ignores those undocumented immigrants who do have strong ties to their community or do not have a home abroad.” Even if some undocumented immigrants do pose an unmanageable flight risk, the judge wrote, Arizona’s amendment “plainly is not carefully limited because it employs an overbroad, irrebuttable presumption rather than an individualized hearing” to determine each suspect’s case. Judge Jacqueline Nguyen concurred, saying she believed Arizona’s amendment was drafted on purpose to punish undocumented immigrants for their illegal status. “Intentionally meting out pretrial punishment for charged but unproven crimes, or the nonexistent crime of being ‘in this country illegally,’ is without question, a violation of due process principles,” Nguyen wrote. Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 AROUND TOWN The Singing Priests of the Diocese of Tagbilaran performs in the Bay Area PAGE 11 The San Francisco Post THE SINGING PRIESTS. The Singing Priests of the Diocese of Tagbilaran in Bohol province in Central Visayas in the Philippines, like the Minstrels of old, had their last performance last Sept. 28 in San Jose, CA. They were on a barnstorming tour of the Bay Area, starting from Daly City, then to San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Fremont, Union City, Stockton, Novato, San Jose, on to Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Texas, to raise funds for the reconstruction of churches in Bohol province, where they were ordained many years back, some centuries-old, all heavily damaged by a deadly earthquake of 7.2 magnitude October 15 last year. The Philippines lies in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where earthquakes and volcanic activities are dime a dozen. Mt. Mayon in Albay province, considered the world’s most perfect cone, is impending eruption as of this writing, while another earthquake of 5.7 magnitude ocurred in Antique province also in Central Visayas last Oct. 3. The Singing Priests perform not as entertainers but to share their talent at the same time help a worthy cause. The original Sing- ing Priests of San Francisco, called the “First Generation” of singing priests, was organized in 1986 by Msgr. Floro Arcamo. The Second Generation came into being in 1998 organized by Fr. Arnold Zamora. The present group is headed by Msgr. Jeffrey Malanog, vicar-general of the Diocese of Tagbilaran. The photo above shows from L R Reverends Leonel Grado, Linuel Canizares, Jonas Lubiano, Jun Ligtas, Elias Algabre and Ervin Garsuta. Others in the cast of performers were Fr. Bonifacio “Boie” Espeleta of St. Anthony in Novato, Msgr. Eugene Tungol of Church of the Epiphany in Vienna, San Francisco, and the Trios Los Padres composed of Msgr. Floro Arcamo of St. Cecilia, Fr. Rolando Caverte of the Church of the Epiphany, and Fr. Manuel Curso of Mission Dolores all in San Francisco. When they performed at St. Anthony Church in Novato the ladies of the Filipino Americans of Northern California Organization (FANCO) rendered a colorful dance number called “Salakot” during intermission time. By Rudy M. Viernes. Photo courtesy of Anthony Valdez. Prominent Pinoy Bay Area Personalities A THE SINGING PRIESTS. The Singing Priests of the Diocese of Tagbilaran in Bohol province in Central Visayas in the Philippines, like the Minstrels of old, had their last performance last Sept. 28 in San Jose, CA. FACCSCC. The Filipino Amercian Chamber of Commerce is encouraging everyone to register via EventBrite in their upcoming Business Mixer and Networking to be held at J Lohr vineyards in the City of San Jose. FIL AM CHAMBER. The Vice President for external affairs of the FACCSCC Manny Valencia mans the booth during last Sundays “Day In The Bay” networking held at Alviso, San Jose. fter two weeks of absence from writing my usual column Let’s Have Coffee, I am LET’S HAVE COFFEE back again By doing the Don Augusto Orozco most passionate thing in my life. Writing has never really been my cup of tea but the opportunity provided to me by the publisher of the San Francisco Post is something I really cherish. In the past two weeks, alot of things emerge as really news worthy from around the Bay Area as well as news emanating from our beloved Philippines. From heckling the President of the Republic, to the attacks to the Vice President, senate investigation of fellow senators and the beleaguered Philippine National Police chief. As the circus goes on and on and sometime on again off again theatrics in Philippine politics, I have decided to touch on our kababayans who actually made a difference here in the United States particularly our very own Silicon Valley. There are several promi- FILCOM. The Filipino Community of San Jose invites everyone to join in “ A Community Fellowship Day” with the next Mayor of San Jose Supervisor Dave Cortese. This will be held at their very own FilCom Center in Japan Town. nent Pinoy Bay Area personalities who actually made a difference in the field of politics, governance, broadcast media, business, information technology, academe and a host of others. Hence, from hereon, my column will be devoted to them. Starting next week I will feature 2 kababayans and I will probably have Assemblyman Rob Bonta, who has always been in the forefront in advancing causes that will benefit the Filipino American community and Azenith Smith of KTVU channel 2, a reporter who has reached out to the Filipino American Chamber of Santa Clara County and would like to involve herself in the Filipino community. In the meantime, my question to you is do you have anyone in mind whom we should feature in this column? Let my column be your voice. Nominate them to us and we will be willingly feature them here. I can be reached through my email at [email protected] or [email protected]. So, in conclusion I am calling the attention of all our kababayans to get in touch with me and let us talk about Pinoy Pride. Filipinos that made us proud and say “Ako Ay Filipino.” FACCSCC. The Filipino Amercian Chamber of Commerce is encouraging everyone to register via EventBrite in their upcoming Business Mixer and Networking to be held at J Lohr vineyards in the City of San Jose. ARE YOU CELEBRATING YOUR BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY, GRADUATION OR BUSINESS GRAND OPENING? SF Post can cover an exclusive feature of your event! Call us at 1-855-454-7678 or email us at [email protected] to learn more. REAL ESTATE PAGE 12 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 How Much Should You Tip Your Movers? Tip etiquette is a touchy subject under any circumstances. It’s even more fraught with questions when deciding whether to tip your movers. Because movers are entrusted w i t h y o u r personal possessions and do much of the heavy lifting (pun intended), y o u m a y feel obligated to reward them for their hard work. Although they are being paid to provide a service and to haul your belongings from place to place, they could be worthy of extra recognition for a job well done. So, yes, please tip your movers if you are happy with your move. Movers don’t expect a tip and a mover won’t stand in front of your house with an outstretched hand and a raised eyebrow. However, as with any personal service provided—be it from a waitress or a haircutter—if you are pleased with the outcome, a little extra cash goes a long way in showing your appreciation. Of course, if the moving service was sub-par, you are not obligated to provide a tip. “Tipping is not expected and is up to the customer,” said John Bisney, a spokesman for the American Moving and Storage Association. If you think your movers de- The San Francisco Post 6 Great Reasons to Buy a Home Right Now To take advantage of near-record low mortgage interest rates and home prices undervalued by as much as three percent nationwide, now is a great time to buy a home. You’ve already missed the bottom of the market, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t great buys to be had out there. Your community may not have appreciated as quickly as some of the big metro areas have recently. Your boom may yet come. To begin with, the economy is growing. From information gathered on or before August 22, 2014, the Federal Reserve’s “Beige Book” report found economic activity is up in all eight national districts, including consumer spending, freight loads for deliveries of goods, and more. But there are even better reasons to buy a home right now. Here are just a few: More jobs are available The Labor Department announced that the jobless rate is now below six percent. Consider how far the job market has come since January 2010 when unemployment was 9.7 percent. Houses hedge against inflation The Consumer Price for All Urban Consumers is up 1.7% from August 2013 to August 2014, excluding volatile food and gas prices. The food index has risen 2.7 percent over the span, while the energy index has increased 0.4 percent. This is the first month that the index hasn’t risen since 2010. Why is that good for homeowners? Even in a tepid inflationary environment, when prices rise, a major asset such as a home, purchased at a fixed cost, becomes more valuable. Typically, in an inflationary environment, housing prices rise. Housing price gains are slowing The median existing-home price in August was $219,800, which is 4.8 percent higher than home prices in August 2013. This marks the 30th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains. In 2013, home prices rose in the double digits. London overtakes Hong Kong as city with highest rents serve a tip, what amount should give them? Again, there’s no set rule. “Opinions on [tipping] are varied,” Bisney said. “One mover said the industry standard was 5%, which is pretty reasonable—if a crew of two movers move you for $500$750, you might tip a total of $25 to $40, or $10 to $20 for each mover depending on the quality of the move,” Bisney said. The quality of the move should also factor into your decision on how much to tip. Assess how carefully your items were moved into your new home and adjust your tip up or down depending on the level of service you received. One other piece of advice: If you decide to tip, divide the cash equally and hand each mover the same amount individually. London has overtaken Hong Kong as the world’s most expensive city to rent homes and offices as property prices soar. Real estate firm Savills found that the combined cost of renting living and working space for a single person has risen to $120,568 a year in London. That’s up a staggering 39% from 2008. Hong Kong has slipped to second position, after five years at the top, Savills said. London’s rise has been driven by a surge in property prices, and a stronger pound, which inflated the costs in dollars. Residential real estate prices have risen 18.4% in the past year and office rents have also increased. By contrast, Hong Kong rents have dropped due to weaker demand as many companies downsize and re- quire less space. That’s a real turnaround from 2011, when the city’s costs per person hit $128,000. But being at the top of the list isn’t necessarily a good thing. Rising rents are making London less affordable for some businesses, and pose a threat to the city’s ability to compete globally, Savills said in its annual survey of costs in 12 cities around the world. “Gentrification has priced out new start-ups and the vitality of central London locations are at risk as they become too expensive for the type of occupiers that made them attractive in the first place,” it added. Apart from adding directly to com- panies’ overheads, rising real estate costs may mean employers face pressure to pay their staff higher salaries. New York and Paris are ranked third and fourth, with home and office space costs exceeding $100,000 a year per employee. The Savills survey takes account of rents, related real estate costs such as taxes, and changes in exchange rates. Other cost-of-living surveys that measure a broader set of factors can produce different results. SPORTS Pacquiao ready to chase rival GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Chris Algieri can run, but Manny Pacquiao will chase him down. Trainer Freddie Roach said yesterday that he doesn’t expect Algieri to engage Pacquiao in a slugfest when they tangle for the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown on Nov. 23 in Macau. “He’ll run, that’s for sure,” Roach told sportswriters at Pacman Wild Card Gym here. With this in mind, Roach said he has devised a fight plan that will make it easier for Pacquiao to trap Algieri in a corner and then catch the unbeaten challenger with all the bombs at his disposal. If Algieri manages to dance around the ring or hover near the center, Roach said Pacquiao won’t ease the pressure, throwing jabs interspersed with hooks. Roach did 12 rounds of mitts work with Pacquiao in the three-hour afternoon training session and came out convinced that he need not worry about the outcome of the 12-round pay-perview bout at The Venetian Macao. In their first training session together last Thursday, Pacquiao breezed through 12 rounds with the mitts, surprising Roach. Pacquiao’s power was evident in his workout, his hard shots sending the six-time Trainer of the Year leaning on the ropes. His body shots produced booming sounds as they landed on Roach’s protective armor, even though they were thrown with great restraint. Having played two straight games Sunday night with his MP Hotel team that will compete in the PBA D-League, Pacquiao skipped his usual early morning run. Happy with the go-signal given him by Roach to play with the KIA Sorentos in the PBA Philippine Cup inaugurals on Oct. 19, Pacquiao put up a show against Team Tin 24, a selection from Davao at the gymnasium in the compound of his mansion here. In the first game, MP Hotel handily won, 102-74, with Pacquiao contributing 11 points, including a triple, and eight assists. In the second game, Pacquiao canned four charities in the last 31 seconds as MP Hotel thwarted Team Tin 24, 10499. Pacquiao said he’ll play briefly in the first two quarters of the Kia-Blackwater Elite game as he knows the danger the game poses. 80% of tickets to PBA opener in PH Arena already sold MANILA, Philippines — It was deemed as quite a lofty goal but the expectations for the opener of the PBA’s 40th Season could very well be met. The league had announced that it would usher in the new season in the newly-built Philippine Arena in Bulacan, a venue that could cater 55,000 people — more than the crowd capacity of the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena combined. And barely a week left before the opening on October 19, the PBA has reportedly sold 80 percent of the tickets. “I am happy to report that our opening for the PBA’s 40th season this Sunday is being met with enthusiastic response from our fans,” said league commissioner Chito Salud in a statement Monday. “I have been informed that 80 percent of the venue tickets have been sold, translating to some 35,000 fans already confirmed to attend.” “This is a huge number by any measure that can only become bigger as we get closer to opening day. But more than the numbers, we in the PBA feel privileged to have this opportunity to give our fans a treat—fans whose unwavering support have brought PBA to where it is today,” the statement read. New teams Kia Sorentos, with playingcoach and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, and Blackwater Sports Elite kick off the new season at 3:00pm before rivals Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings and Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters battle in the main game at 5:15pm. SHOWBIZ The San Francisco Post Vice Ganda admits he once thought Enchong Dee was gay Openly gay comedian Vice Ganda admitted that he once doubted the true sexual Enchong Dee and Vice Ganda preference of actor Enchong Dee. “Ako personally, pinagdudahan ko rin ang pagkatao ni Enchong. Minsan sa buhay ko, sinabi ko, ‘bakla to si Enchong,’” said Vice Ganda, who pinch-hit for Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino on The Buzz Sunday. (Personally, I also questioned Enchong’s identity. Once in my life, I said, ‘Enchong is gay.’) “Bakit mo pinagdudahan (Why did you doubt him)?” Co-host Toni Gonzaga asked Vice Ganda. “May lambot kumilos, effeminate. Pero di naman lahat ng malambot kumilos, bakla. At hindi naman lahat na matitigas na lalaki, e totoong lalaki,” Vice Ganda explained. (He is quite soft, effeminate. But not all those who are effeminate are gay. And not all men who act tough are real men.) Vice Ganda said he also once asked a person close to Dee regarding his true sexual preference. “Tinanong ko, ‘bakla ba si Enchong?’ Hindi raw. O e di hindi. Tanggapin ko. Bakit ko ipipilit sa sarili kong bakla kung hindi? Wala naman magagawa sa buhay ko ‘yan,” Vice Ganda said. (I asked him, ‘is Enchong gay?’ He said no. So, no. I should just accept it. Why would I insist that he is gay when he is not? That won’t do me any good.) Vice Ganda was reacting to online rumors that Dee was just using his relationship with an unnamed woman to mask his true sexuality. Dee, himself, shrugged off the rumors, saying, “E di kung anong gusto nilang isipin, ganun naman talaga e. Basta ako, I am happy right now.” (They can think whatever they want to think, that has always been the case. As for me, I am happy right now.) PAGE 13 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 Enrique and Liza in ‘Forevermore’ Young and handsome leading man Enrique viewers, the hit romantic drama series Gil and fast rising star Liza Soberano will Princess and I and Got To Believe. be introduced as the newest ABS-CBN “love team” in an upcoming primetime romantic drama series titled, Forevermore. To be directed box-office filmmaker Cathy Garcia-Molina, Forevemore is a tale about first love that blossoms between two different people. Enrique will play the role of Alexander “Xander” Grande 3rd, a rebellious and irresponsible unico hijo of a hotel magnate, who crosses paths and falls in love with Liza’s character, Marie “Agnes” Calay, a feisty and hardworking lass. Joining Enrique and Liza in the cast are Sophia Andres, Yves Flores, Kit Thompson, Zoren Legazpi, Lilet, Marissa Delgado, Joey Marquez, and Almira Muhlach. Forevermore is produced by Star Creatives, the same group that brought Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano Valerie Weigmann is Miss World Philippines 2014 Esquire names Penelope Cruz ‘sexiest woman alive’ LOS ANGELES – Penelope Cruz is Esquire’s “sexiest woman alive.” Cruz is the 11th woman to be given the title by the magazine. Previous honorees include Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson. The “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “Vanilla Sky” actress tells Esquire that she had “an attraction to drama” in her teens and 20s but “could not be less interested now.” Cruz is keeping quiet about her personal life. She declined to comment to the magazine about her actor husband, Javier Bardem, as well as their two children. She says, “That is for us.” The actress will next be seen in the Spanishlanguage film “Ma Ma” and in “Grimsby” with Sacha Baron Cohen. The November issue of Esquire will be on newstands on Oct. 21. 2014 Miss World Philippines Winners Valerie Weigmann has come a long way. From being a housemate in Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus way back in 2008, to being a “dabarkads” in Eat Bulaga! last year, the Filipino-German is recently crowned as Miss World Philippines 2014. She bested other 25 candidates in the pag- Penelope Cruz on Esquire eant, held on October 12, Sunday, at Mall of Asia Arena. The winners of Miss World Philippines 2014 pageant: (L-R) 3rd Princess Nicole Donesa, 2nd Princess Nelda Ibe, Miss World Philippines 2014 Valerie Weigmann, 1st Princess Lorraine Kendrickson, and 4th Princess Rachel Louise Peters. Angelica Panganiban, Angeline Quinto, Elmo Magalona surprises girlfriend Janine Gutierrez at her birthday party Assunta De Rossi star in Beauty In A Bottle It was a simple birthday celebration, but it definitely put a smile on Janine Gutier- rez’s face. Janine appeared genuinely happy and thrilled when fans welcomed her fans on her party at Center Stage KTV Bar in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, October 11, Saturday. The highlight of the event was when Janine’s leading man and boyfriend Elmo Magalona, walked to the stage with a birithday cake when fans began to sing the birthday song. The said birthday party was organized Janine made a wish and blew her birthday candles, while Elmo and Tess Bomb, who hosted the event, looked on. by Janine’s fans and GMA Artist Center. Assunta de Rossi, Angelica Panganiban and Angeline Quinto ABS-CBN’s prized kapamilya actress Angelica Panganiban returns on the big screen via “Beauty In A Bottle.” Sharing with her on the big screen are another kapamilya artist Angeline Quinto and comebacking actress Assunta De Rossi. Beauty In A Bottle is a story of three women whose lives are intersected by one beauty product. Angelica Panganiban plays a model/ endorser whose being rejected for being fat. Assunta De Rossi is an aging marketing specialist while Angeline Quinto is the end user of the product who was dubbed pretty in the trailer only that others are prettier than her. The movie, being helmed by Antoinette Jadaone under Quantum Films and released through Star Cinema also stars Tom Rodriguez. “Beauty In A Bottle” is set to be released in theaters nationwide on October 29. Billy Crawford considers GF Coleen Garcia his saving grace Billy Crawford maybe 10 years older than Coleen Garcia but the TV host-actor acknowledges that she acts more sensible than he does most of the time. This is especially so when they sort out conflicts. “Siguro lahat naman tayo may katigasan ng ulo ’di ba? Ako may katigasan ng ulo, si Coleen minsan may pagkamatigas ang ulo, pero 98.9 percent of the time siya ang tama eh. Wala (talaga) sa edad yan,” he said in a recent interview. Billy considers having Coleen as girlfriend a blessing, admit- ting, “Ang dami ko nang natutunan sa kanya, at her age.” He was more than impressed with how Coleen handled his much publicized troubles with the law recently. “Alam mong you can trust her with everything, lahat-lahat,” he said. Billy also pointed out that Coleen is such a strong person that “humuhugot ako sa kanya (ng lakas).” He likewise says she brings out the best in him. “She makes me feel young, she makes me happy. And the medicine naman (to) being young is just being happy,” he said. Daddy Billy? It is undeniable that Billy is happy these days, and he has brought this attitude with him to the set of Viva Films’ “Moron 5.2 The Transformation.” The Wenn Deramas comedy, which opens in theaters Nov. 5, showcases Billy along with actors Luis Manzano, Marvin Agustin, DJ Durano and new addition Matteo Guidicelli, as not so-bright-fathers to talented and intelligent children. In real life, Billy says he sometimes thinks about being a parent already, citing, “Alam mo ’yung makakakita ka, nakakainggit ’yung nilalaro ’yung bata?” Still, he doesn’t want to rush matters, noting that it all depends on how ready Coleen is, or “whenever the time is right.” He explained, “Kasi bata (pa) nga si Coleen, and she has a lot of things to do pa. She wants to continue pursuing her career as an actress, she wants to go back to school – ang dami niyang gustong gawin – and I’m here to support her.” Billy Crawford and Coleen Garcia CLASSIFIED PAGE 14 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 To advertise, call (510) 885-8827 or email us at [email protected] Northwest Subdivision BF Homes 4-bedroom, 270 sq meter For more info, contact Mike at 707-389-0114 SELLING YOUR HOUSE AND LOT? ADVERTISE WITH US NOW! CALL (510) 885-8827 *PROMO FOR FIRST TIME ADVERTISERS: Only $40 for 4 issues (Classified Section - 6 liner) and $60 for 4 issues (Coupons Section) We accept Major Credit Cards PROPERTY JOBS JOBS USED CARS INCOME PRODUCING LAND 11 HECTARES ALL TITLED, GOOD FOR RESORT / MUST SELL HAIR CUT STATION COOK WANTED SELLING YOUR CAR? PROPERTY FOR SALE The San Francisco Post *120 young carabao mango trees harvesting approx. P1.5/ year. *3 Bed home surrounded with cashew trees, guavas, calamansi, coconuts, etc. *1/4 Hectares tilapia fish pond approx. income of P80,000+ a year. *1/2 Hectares rice plantation harvesting 100 sacks/ year. *Close to Olongapo City, Subic Hanjen Castillejos, Zambales Philippines *Asking price is P15M or $645,000 or BO Susan (408) 930-4377 Hair Cut Station to rent. $600 / month Call (510) 895-1963 Prepare and cook authentic Filipino cuisine. 2 years training or 2 years experience required. $14.30 per hour. Send resumes to: Kalesa Restaurant 1783 N. 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CST 2099748 VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SF-POST.COM Become a nursing professional in few weeks! ACADEMY OF HEALTH CAREERS Certification Classes 2014 CNA, HHA & Sterile Processing Training Classes (Day & Night Classes Available) 777 Southland Dr., Suite 240 Hayward CA 94545 (510) 712-4009 GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT CROSSWORD 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. (Answers for Crossword and Sudoku on page 15) Across Across 1. Eight, in Munich 5. Like a milquetoast 10. Druggist’s abbreviation 14. “Whinnie the ___” 15. Football site 16. Shade of red 17. Go out for coffee: Slang 19. Noted Israeli diplomat 20. Snow transport 21. Can be understood 23. Quite 26. Muss up 27. Place to go back to when starting over 32. Contraction in ‘The StarSpangled Banner’ 33. Less adulterated 34. Fastened 38. Fall on ___ ears 40. Onion bagel alternative 42. Squeal 43. Gift ___ 45. Greek prom enades 47. Old musical note 48. Like some purchases 51. Corrida cape 54. Explore the seven seas 55. Flu outbreak, e.g. 58. Equilateral parallelogram 62. Thing you shouldn’t do 63. Volume vendor 66. First Hebrew letter 67. Signature on a bad check, maybe 68. Dixit preceder 69. Surf and ___ 70. __ Domingo 71. Sweet cherry Down 1. Many urban homes: Abbr. 2. Newcastle’s pride 3. Artificially jazz (up) 4. Wall Street barometer 5. Coca-Cola Co. brand 6. Abbr. on sale items 7. Earth’s inheritors 8. ___ instant (quickly) 9. Dodge pickup 10. Accountant’s task 11. 1984 Redford role 12. Big ___ outdoors 13. Actress Adoree 18. “I saw ___ a-sailing...” 22. Scrabble formation 24. Rudely overlook 25. Hideous 27. Ninny 28. Atoll protector 29. Berlin’s “He’ ____Picker” 30. ___ hasty retreat 31. “Don’t Hang Up” singers 35. Veal : calf :: venison : ___ 36. Norse god, stepson of Thor 37. Game move 39. Met as rivals 41. In triplicate, a Seinfeld catchphrase 44. Lessen 46. Clapton and Idle 49. Rio rhythms 50. Reagan-era VIP 51. ___ Work (road repair sign) 52. Western Samoan island 53. One trailer 56. City in Kansas 57. Nickel or copper, but not tin 59. Ancient wine jug 60. Steep-sided plateau 61. British gun 64. Krazy ___ of the comics 65. British mil. decoration VIEW ALL OF OUR PAST WEEKLY ISSUES AT WWW.SF-POST.COM HOROSCOPE Aries March 20 - April 18 Someone you care about but haven’t seen for a long time could suddenly contact you. You’d usually love this, Aries, but today you could be too caught up in projects of your own to want to put them aside. Taurus April 19 - May 19 A goal that you’ve been working on could finally be reached, Taurus. A group of friends you might not have seen for a long time could schedule a get-together that you will be all too glad to attend. Gemini May 20 - June 19 Today you could meet some interesting new people, Gemini. Among them is at least one person who shares a lot of your interests and could become a close friend. The joy you receive from meeting these people is likely to spill over into the rest of your day. Cancer June 20 - July 21 A book or movie about a foreign country could capture your imagination and make that country seem especially appealing, Cancer. You might toy with the idea of taking a trip there soon. Leo July 22 - August 21 Someone close who owes you money might suddenly turn up and repay you, Leo. This might be a surprise, but you will be glad to get it. You may want to blow some of it by taking a friend out to lunch or buying someone a gift. Virgo August 22 - September 21 Today you should feel especially warm and loving toward everyone close to you, Virgo, particularly a love partner. You may want to spend some time with friends or family or schedule a romantic evening with your significant other - or both. Libra September 22 - October 21 You should be looking especially attractive today and glowing with robust health, Libra. You’re apt to feel warm and loving, particu- larly toward small animals. If you’ve considered adopting a pet, this is a good day to do it. Scorpio October 22 - November 20 Today you should be feeling especially warm and loving toward close friends and children, Scorpio. You could also especially appreciate the arts. You might attend a play or concert or decide to try your hand at one of the fine arts yourself. Sagittarius November 21 - December 20 Today you might decide to buy a plant for every room in your house or plant a garden, Sagittarius. If the weather is good, you might visit a nursery or botanical garden. You may not normally be attracted to plants and gardens, but today both beauty and nature seem especially appealing. Capricorn December 21 - January 18 A warm and loving communication could come to you today from someone close. This could be an email, call, or even a gift of some kind. This could make your day, Capricorn, and you will probably pass whatever good feelings you draw from it to other friends and family members. Aquarius January 19 - February 17 A very welcome sum of extra money could come your way today, Aquarius, possibly out of the blue. You might want to put this money to work for you in some way, perhaps investing it or purchasing supplies or materials for personal projects. Pisces February 18 - March 19 Today you may feel especially warm and loving toward just about everybody in your circle, Pisces, even those you usually find irritating. You could also be looking especially attractive and feeling more confident than usual. You might even feel like shopping for new clothes. Artistic ideas could flow freely, and you might think of different ways to put them to work for you. HOW TO PLACE AN AD IN THE SAN FRANCISCO POST: BY PHONE: BY EMAIL: 1-855-454-7678 [email protected] Please have this info ready: Company Name, Contact Person, Contact Numbers & Complete Address. Please include Company Name, Contact Person, Contact Numbers & Complete Address. Artwork should be attached. The San Francisco Post AUTOMOTIVE Chrysler recalls 184,000 SUVs for potential airbag, seat belt defect DETROIT (Reuters) -- Chrysler Group is recalling an estimated 184,215 SUVs globally because a possible short circuit in a part could disable airbags and seat belt pretensioners. The same part was responsible for a September recall involving more than 850,000 Ford vehicles. Chrysler said an electrical short circuit may occur in the occupant restraint control module in certain 2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs. The automaker said it is unaware of any injuries or accidents related to the issue. The recall covers 126,772 vehicles in the U.S., 8,106 in Canada, 3,722 in Mexico and 45,615 are outside North America. Chrysler says is unaware of any injuries or accidents related to the issue. Chrysler said it will advise affected customers when they can schedule service, which involves replacing the occupant restraint control module made by Robert Bosch. The control module was the subject of a Ford Motor Co. recall of 850,050 vehicles, which covered the 2013-14 Ford C-Max, Fusion, Escape and Lincoln MKZ. Ford said the restraint control module in the vehicles could short circuit, causing the airbag warning indicator to illuminate. Automotive News contributed to this report. Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco and (Cont. from page 1... DOJ: BINAY NOT IMUNE) UNA interim secretary general Erwin “Junjun” Binay, have been charged JV Bautista as overreactions. with plunder before the Office of the Om“It’s a good sign Vice President Binay budsman for alleged overpricing in the himself said he is open to the investigation. construction of the P2.7-billion City Hall But why are his mouthpieces saying a difBuilding II. ferent thing?” she asked. Despite charges pending in the anti-graft Bautista said that De Lima was only out body, De Lima still saw the need to conduct to harass Binay since she was aware that a fact-finding probe by the National Bureau the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee has of Investigation (NBI) on the allegations yet to conclude its report and come up with against the Binays by former Makati vice recommendations. mayor Ernesto Mercado and other former But De Lima stressed: “What business City Hall officials who have been placed does this attorney Bautista have to prevent under the witness protection program. us from fulfilling our mandate? No one can She explained that the NBI probe would prevent us from doing an investigation be“validate or verify the veracity of the alle- cause there is no such thing as immunity gation of Mercado and company.” from investigation.” “Is their exposé true or a pure lie as asDe Lima also advised UNA officials to serted by the Binay camp? Shouldn’t we all check their facts after they accused the deserve to know the truth not only on the Department of Justice (DOJ) of having a alleged overpricing of the Makati parking double standard in investigating anomalies. building but also on other alleged anomaTiangco has questioned why the DOJ lies exposed by Mercado?” she further would immediately probe the charges pointed out. against Binay when there have been no deShe, however, took exception to state- velopments on the Malampaya Fund scam ments of the Vice President’s camp and of- and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) extortion ficials of the opposition United Nationalist anomaly. Alliance (UNA) questioning her objective To this, the DOJ chief reminded Tiangco in the NBI probe. that the department filed last year charges De Lima said she considers the reported involving the Malampaya Fund before the criticisms from UNA interim president and ombudsman. PAGE 15 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 Acura may switch to all-wheel drive only Acura, trying to reinvent itself yet again, is taking a cue from one of America’s hottest-selling brands. Honda Motor Co.’s premium brand wants to position all-wheel drive at the center of its revival bid, much the way Subaru did in the 1990s, to great success. AWD, already on half the vehicles Acura has sold in the U.S. this year, could be offered as a standard technology on all vehicles. “I think that’s the way we should go,” said Koichi Fukuo, Acura’s top global executive. Linking the brand’s image to the technology would dovetail with the arrival of next-generation awd technology on Acuras. On the other hand, Acura has renewed all its volume nameplates in the last three years. That cadence means that shifting to an all-AWD lineup may take years. The AWD plan is one of several ideas backed by a new U.S.-based Acura Business Planning Office formed in February to rethink the brand and stoke stagnating sales. None of those ideas is finalized. Fukuo presented the committee’s evolving strategy to the Honda Motor board here on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Much of the game plan is in flux, he said. But elements are emerging. Acura plans more powerful engines, but it won’t be tempted into big V-8 or V-10 powerplants, Fukuo said. It also will stay clear of rear-wheel-drive layouts. Acura had planned to roll out an RWD V-8 but scrapped the idea when the global financial crisis hit. Since then, it has been casting about for a niche to claim as its own. rant of arrest has been issued at this (Cont. from page 1... ISSUE OVER CUSTODY) point,” Ridon said. Ridon said Domingo also told him said on Wednesday, that Chief Insp. Gil Domingo, the commander of the police that the Olongapo police had already draftstation handling the case, revealed to his ed the criminal case against Pemberton and group that the custody issue has slowed the were only waiting for the autopsy report to complete the filing. criminal prosecution of the suspect. Pemberton is to be charged with murder. “The Olongapo police [are] actually adaDomingo had assured Ridon that the PNP mant on beginning the inquest proceedings against Pemberton. However, the issue of would file the complaint with the Oloncustody is stalling the process and leaves gapo City Prosecutor’s Office “within the the PNP no choice but to go through direct week.” (This happened on Wednesday, with the Laude family, accompanied by filing,” Ridon said in a statement. Ridon divulged these updates on the day policemen, filing the complaint with the that the family of the victim, transgender prosecutor’s office on Wednesday.) But the congressman said he was not conJeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, filed a murder complaint against Pemberton at the Olon- vinced that this move would be sufficient in ensuring that the Philippine justice sysgapo prosecutor’s office. “During inquest proceedings, the PNP tem’s jurisdiction over Pemberton would [Philippine National Police] is duty-bound be honored. At this point, Pemberton’s custo produce the suspect in their custody. But tody is “solely based on the mere voluntary because of Pentagon’s insistence on Pem- cooperation of the US military,” he said. berton’s custody, Philippine authorities are left with no choice but to pursue a direct filing in the fiscal’s office,” the legislator said. “The implication of having to go through direct filing is that it provides the opportunity for Pentagon to whisk Pemberton away from the country, given that technically, no charge has been filed and no war- PAGE 16 Oct 16, 2014 - Oct 22, 2014 The San Francisco Post