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No successor: Crucifixion
man must do it for 29th time
VOL. 3 ISSUE 23
C
ITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines—Still
without a successor, signboard maker Ruben Enaje
has been obliged to extend
his real-life crucifixion act
for another year, making the
Good Friday reenactment in
Barangay San Pedro Cutud
in this Pampanga capital on
April 3 his 29th year so far.
He said he believed he was
fulfilling a community responsibility by playing the
part of Christ in the street
play. “Playing Christ meant
I have to live a life that does
not disappoint God. You
can’t play Christ and at the
same time steal, hurt people,
NO SUCCESSION PLAN Ruben Enaje will be nailed to the cross for the
29th time on Good Friday as a form of penitence as his barangay has difficulty finding a replacement because “council has prioritized character
over succession rules.” E.I. REYMOND T. OREJAS/CONTRIBUTOR
Typhoon ‘Chedeng’
enters PH
MANILA, Philippines—
Typhoon Chedeng (international name Maysak)
has entered the Philippine
area of responsibility late
Wednesday.
Chedeng slightly weakened further at 180 kilometers per hour near the
center and gusts of up to
215 kph, the Philippine
Atmospheric Geophysical
and Astronomical Servic-
es Administration said in
its 11p.m. bulletin.
It was last observed
1,040 kilometers east of
Borongan in Eastern Samar and was moving west
northwest at 19 kph.
The typhoon is expected
to make landfall over eastern coast of Aurora, Quezon or Isabela by late Saturday.
(Cont. on Page 5 )
APR 02, 2015 - APR 08, 2015
do drugs,” he said, referring
to the difficulty of the village
council in finding a replacement.
“If the council followed the
seniority rule, the next in line
would have already taken
my place. But the council
has prioritized character over
succession rules,” he said.
Village chief Zoilo Castro
and Allan Navarro, who directs the “Via Crucis” (Way
of the Cross) that his grandfather, Ricardo, staged on the
streets of Cutud 61 years ago,
said they had asked Enaje,
54, to continue his panata
(vow).
(Cont. on Page 7 )
Palace answer: Why are
you asking them again?
O
ne for 20.
Malacañang on Tuesday addressed only one query to the Makabayan partylist congressmen who had
20 questions for President
Benigno Aquino III on the
Mamasapano debacle:
“Why are you asking them
again?”
“If anyone looks at the
questions posed by the
Makabayan bloc, most of
them have been responded
[to] one way or the other by
the President,” presidential
spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at the regular press
briefing in the Palace.
He added: “The question
is, ‘Why are you asking
again?’”
Lacierda surmised that
the congressmen raised the
questions anew because they
wanted the President to say
something that would confirm their beliefs about Mamasapano.
“Maybe you don’t want the
answers the President gave,
or you are not satisfied with
the President’s statement, or
there is a line that you want
the President to say,” he
said.
(Cont. on Page 10 )
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PAGE 2
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
NATIONAL
Mike Pence: ‘Was I expecting this kind of
backlash? Heavens no.’
(CNN)Gov. Mike Pence pledged Tuesday
to “fix” Indiana’s controversial religious
freedom law to clarify that it does not allow discrimination against gays and lesbians.
But he insisted the problem isn’t the law
itself but how it’s being perceived, saying
a fix is needed only because of “frankly,
the smear that’s been leveled against this
law.” And he said the fix won’t involve
statewide anti-discrimination protections
for LGBT Hoosiers.
The first-term Republican governor
sought to tamp down the backlash Indiana
sures advancing in at least a dozen other
states this year. The NCAA, which is set
to host its men’s basketball Final Four
in Indianapolis, has said it could move
events elsewhere in the future.
Republican contenders for the party’s
2016 presidential nomination, meanwhile,
have rallied to Pence’s defense. Jeb Bush,
Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and several other
likely candidates said Monday evening
that they support religious freedom laws.
The debate touched a raw nerve in Indiana, which is just a year away from an
emotional battle over a Republican-driven
proposal to amend the
state’s constitution to
ban same-sex marriage.
Just months before the
Supreme Court is set to
rule on whether samesex marriage is legal everywhere in the United
States, the religious freedom debate has offered a
look at the next front in
America’s culture clashes -- and the cross-currents facing the RepubGov. Mike Pence pledged Tuesday to “fix” Indiana’s controversial
religious freedom law to clarify that it does not allow discriminalican Party, with social
tion against gays and lesbians.
conservatives seeing religious freedom laws as
has faced since he signed the law -- which sturdier ground and the typically pro-GOP
its in-state supporters had claimed would business community and younger voters
allow businesses to turn away LGBT cus- seeing those measures as veiled efforts at
tomers -- last week. He said he’s asking discrimination.
state lawmakers to send him a followup
“Was I expecting this kind of backlash?
measure before this week’s end to ensure Heavens no,” Pence admitted Tuesday.
that’s not the case.
He’d waffled in recent days over whether
“It would be helpful to move legislation or not he would support a legislative fix to
this week that makes it clear that this law the law before finally announcing that he
does not give businesses a right to deny wanted one -- but he didn’t say what that
services to anyone,” Pence said in a press fix would be.
conference in Indianapolis on Tuesday.
Potentially complicating his effort to
Pence’s comments come amid intense quell the criticism, Pence said he opposes
criticism from major corporations like adding sexual orientation to the list of InApple, Walmart and tech giant Salesforce diana’s protected categories under state
against Indiana’s law and similar mea- anti-discrimination law.
FIL-AM POST
Tearful Amanda Knox says she’s glad
to have her life back
Rome (CNN)A tearful Amanda Knox said
she is glad to have her life back after an
eight-year legal drama that gripped the
United States, Britain and Italy.
Knox made a brief
statement after Italy’s
Supreme Court overturned her murder conviction late Friday.
She was prosecuted
after the semi-naked
body of British student
Meredith Kercher, 21,
her throat slashed, was
found in November
2007 in the apartment
the two women shared.
Raffaele Sollecito,
Knox’s Italian boyfriend, was convicted
as well. He was cleared
along with Knox on
Friday night.
“She was my friend ...
she deserved so much better,” Knox said
of Kercher.
Knox had been facing 28½ years in prison. Now she can seek a normal life.
She was in the United States when the
decision was announced in Rome and issued a statement, saying she was “relieved
and grateful.”
“The knowledge of my innocence has given me strength in the darkest times of this
ordeal,” the statement said. “And throughout this ordeal, I have received invaluable
support from family, friends and strangers.
To them, I say: Thank you from the bottom
of my heart. Your kindness has sustained
me. I only wish that I could thank each and
every one of you in person.”
Knox’s family said in their own statement: “We want to express our profound
gratitude to all of those who have supported Amanda and our family. Countless
people -- from world-renowned DNA experts to former FBI agents to everyday citizens committed to justice -- have spoken
about her innocence. We are thrilled with
and grateful for today’s decision from the
Supreme Court of Italy. And we are grateful beyond measure for all that so many of
you have done for her.”
Prosecutors in the university town of Perugia said Knox directed Sollecito and another man infatuated with her, Rudy Guede, to
hold Kercher down as Knox played with a
knife before slashing her throat.
Both Sollecito and Knox were convicted
in 2009 and sentenced to lengthy jail terms.
Guede, a drifter originally from the Ivory
Coast, was tried separately and is serving a
16-year sentence.
Sollecito and Knox spent about four years
in Italian prisons. After the evidence was
re-examined, an appeals court quashed the
two students’ convictions in October 2011,
citing a lack of evidence against them, and
both were set free.
Two years later, they were retried and their
acquittals overturned. Knox was sentenced
in absentia to 28½ years. Her ex-boyfriend
got 25 years.
Then, on Friday, the Italian High Court
brought the legal saga to an end.
If the decision had gone the other way,
Sollecito, now 31, could have been sent to
prison immediately. He has been living in
Italy.
TECH
An iPhone for people who
hate Apple
The curved aluminum edges, the placement of the volume and on/off buttons, the
bumped-out rear camera and pretty much
everything else about the Galaxy S6 is the
same as the iPhone 6 -- right down to the
fingerprint-sensor home button. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, Apple’s
design team should be blushing right now.
Samsung’s oft-criticized design got a
nearly complete reboot for the Galaxy S6.
The new Galaxy is a beautiful phone that
feels great in your
hand. It is made of
high-end
Gorilla
glass (no more plastic!) and metal (no
more plastic painted
to look like metal!).
Gone are Galaxy
trademarks, such as
additional
storage,
a removable battery
and waterproofing,
but those are compromises worth making.
Though it’s undeniably better than previous Galaxy S phones,
there’s nothing terribly original about the
S6’s design either. All smartphones kind of
look like one another these days, but it’s as
if Samsung’s team purposefully designed
the Galaxy S6 to be an iPhone for people
who hate Apple (AAPL, Tech30).
That’s because when you turn on the Galaxy S6, you discover that the similarities
to the iPhone are almost purely superficial. Inside, the new smartphone is pure
Samsung. That means crazy features upon
wacky tools upon whiz-bang tricks -- some
of which are unbelievably stunning, and
others that just get in the way.
Speed. The Galaxy S6 is noticeably fast,
which is remarkable during an era when
even the cheapest of cheap smartphones
feels like a racehorse. There are no hiccups
or jitters when you swipe through screens
and open up apps.
While most phones feel like they pause to
think for a split second every so often before executing your commands, the Galaxy
S6 is so fast that feels like it’s anticipating your taps and swipes before you make
them. It’s like an extension of your fingers.
Display. The screen is also jaw-dropping.
It’s bright, the colors are brilliant, the
viewing
angles are
tremendous.
It feels like
a 4K ultrahigh-definition TV in
your hands
-- because it
kind of is. Its
resolution is
f o u r- t i m e s
more pixeldense than
standard HD
displays.
Camera. The
cameras are awesome. The Galaxy S6’s
16-megapixel rear camera is among the
best on any smartphone, and the 5-megapixel front camera might be the best selfie
camera on the market.
The camera’s shutter speed is super-fast,
which means you can take rapid-fire photos
without any noticeable lag. Also increasing
the speed of phototaking on the Galaxy S6
is a new feature that lets you double-click
the home button to launch the camera in
a pinch -- even when the phone is locked
or the screen is turned off. When taking a
selfie, you can tap a sensor on the back of
the camera, which lets you hold the camera
in a more stable position.
FIL-AM POST
WORLD BRIEF
Washiqur Rahman: Another secular blogger
hacked to death in Bangladesh
(CNN)When American writer Avijit Roy
In the last two years, several bloggers bas Faiz of Amnesty International.
was hacked to death on a Dhaka, Ban- have died, either murdered or under mys“How many more bloggers will have to be
gladesh, street in full view of horrified terious circumstances.
attacked before action is taken?”
onlookers, blogger Washiqur Rahman
As shocking as Rahman’s death
doubled down.
was, the reaction from some quarters
Fundamentalists were choking free
was equally disturbing.
thought in his secular nation, he wrote.
On his Facebook page (for which he
But they couldn’t silence it.
picked a custom URL that translates
His friends warned him to be careto “unbeliever”), Rahman had posted
ful, to watch what he posted online.
a picture with the hashtag #IamAviBut Rahman dismissed those concerns,
jit.
saying his Facebook profile page didn’t
After his death, someone left a comeven bear his picture. They don’t even
ment, “Now you are.”
know what I look like, he told them.
Another wrote, “I felt sorry when I
On Monday, the 27-year-old Rahman
first learned of your death. But then
fell victim to the same brazen act that
I saw what you wrote and I am not.”
killed Roy, hacked to death by two men
On his page, Rahman reposted a
with knives and meat cleavers just outcartoon
depicting Prophet Mohamside his house as he headed to work at a American blogger Avijit Roy was hacked to death in late
med from the French satire magazine
February.
travel agency.
Charlie Hebdo. He wished a happy
He was so maimed -- with wounds to
birthday to author Taslima Nasreen,
his head, face and neck -- that police
“The despicable murder of Avijit Roy last
identified him through the voter identifica- month should have led authorities to step who was forced to flee Bangladesh due to
death threats from fundamentalists. And he
tion card he was carrying.
His death was the second time in five up protection measures for bloggers and “liked” a picture of sausages wrapped in
weeks that someone was killed in Dhaka others at risk. The killing of Washiqur Rah- crescent rolls that someone had captioned,
for online posts critical of Islam -- but they man today is another clear example of the “Pigs in burqas.”
are hardly the only two who’ve paid a steep Bangladeshi government’s utter failure to
Posts threatening him were numerous.
ensure the safety of those at risk,” said Abprice.
Iraqi forces take back Tikrit
from ISIS, official says
Iraqi forces battling to wrest Tikrit er areas because of the results it
from ISIS are now in control of the has achieved on the battlefield,
city, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider on a humanitarian level, protectal-Abadi said Tuesday on Iraqiya ing civilians as much as possible,
TV.
in addition to the low casualties
Al-Abadi, who is also the top amongst our security forces,” he
military commander, said on state said.
television that the city was liberIraqi forces have tried multiple
ated.
times
to
Tikrit had
win back
been under
Tikrit since
ISIS conISIS control since
quered the
June.
city as part
The push
of its caminto
Tipaign
to
krit comes
amass an
days after
expansive
a series of
Islamic caU.S.-led
liphate, but
airstrikes Iraqi forces battling to wrest Tikrit from ISIS are failed bet a r g e t e d now in control of the city, Iraqi Prime Minister
fore now.
ISIS tar- Haider al-Abadi said Tuesday on Iraqiya TV.
This operagets around
tion, howthe city.
ever, was
The airstrikes made it possible for the biggest by the Iraqi military so
the Iraqi forces to move through far.
the city. Troops reported finding
The latest push began after aldozens of roadside bombs and Abadi ordered Iraqi forces on
booby-trapped buildings as they March 1 to retake Tikrit and Salacombed the city.
huddin province.
At a Cabinet meeting before he
Militants have been under presdeclared Tikrit liberated, al-Abadi sure ever since in the battleground
was already calling the operation a city, which is the birthplace of forsuccess.
mer Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein
“The success of the Tikrit ex- and is located about 160 kilomeperiment will be repeated in oth- ters (100 miles) north of Baghdad.
Singaporeans defy
downpour for funeral
of founding father
Lee Kuan Yew
Thousands of Singaporeans gathered in pouring rain Sunday to
bid farewell to Lee Kuan Yew,
the Southeast Asian city-state’s
founding prime minister who
charted its spectacular economic
rise.
Draped in the national flag,
Lee’s coffin was taken on a solemn procession through the sodden streets of the tropical city,
where crowds of mourners defied
the downpour to pay their last respects.
The funeral service was attended
by dozens of foreign dignitaries,
including former U.S. President
Bill Clinton and Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
“The light that has guided us
all these years has been extinguished. We have lost our founding father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew,
who lived and breathed Singapore all his life,” Singaporean
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,
who is one of Lee’s sons, said in
a eulogy.
Lee died early Monday morning at age 91, prompting an outpouring of grief and tributes from
around the world. He had been
admitted to the hospital with
pneumonia on February 5.
Germanwings Flight 9525 co-pilot suicidal
at one time, prosecutor says
The investigation into the crash of
Germanwings Flight 9525 has not
revealed evidence of the co-pilot
Andreas Lubitz’s motive, but he
suffered from suicidal tendencies
at some point before his aviation
career, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in Dusseldorf, Germany, said Monday.
Investigators have not found any
writings or conversations where
Lubitz shared his motives or confessed to any plans, prosecutor’s
spokesman Christoph Kumpa said.
However, medical records reveal
that Lubitz was suicidal at one time
and underwent psychotherapy.
This was before he ever got his pilot’s license, Kumpa said.
However, medical records reveal
that Lubitz was suicidal at one time
and underwent psychotherapy.
This was before he ever got his pilot’s license, Kumpa said.
Kumpa emphasized there’s no
evidence suggesting Lubitz was
suicidal or acting aggressively before the crash.
It is believed that Lubitz locked
the captain out of the cockpit and
deliberately crashed the plane
Tuesday into the French Alps, killing all 150 on board.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed
what some media outlets
had reported about doctors deeming Lubitz unfit
to fly, though there were
no physical illnesses
found.
In short, investigators in
Germany and France are
not yet ruling anything
out.
Much attention has focused on Lubitz’s state of
mind, with suggestions
that he may have had
mental health issues.
Lubitz, 27, passed his
annual pilot recertification medical examination in summer 2014, a German aviation
source told CNN. He had stated
working as a commercial pilot in
2013, Lufthansa said.
An official with Lufthansa, which
owns Germanwings, said that the
exam only tests physical health,
not psychological health.
It’s unknown if Lubitz mentioned
his problems on a form that asks
yes-or-no questions about physical and mental illness, suicide attempts and medications. European
pilots must fill out the form to be
recertified.
Federal aviation authorities, not
the airline, issue the form. The
form is privileged information and
Lufthansa never sees a pilot’s completed form, said an airline spokesperson.
PAGE 3
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
North Korea
claims it arrested
2 South Korean
spies
North Korea has
arrested what it
claims are two
spies who worked
for South Korea’s intelligence
service, a North
Korean official
said Thursday on
condition of anonymity.
The men, identified as Kim Kook
Kie and Choi
Chun Kil, are accused of committing crimes of
“terrorism” and
bringing in “large
quantities
of
forged currency,”
the North Korean
source said.
The official said
Kim had made
a declaration of
guilt. CNN cannot confirm the
authenticity
of
the declaration or
whether, if Kim
made one, it was
made under duress.
South Korea’s
National
Intelligence Service
told CNN that
“the information
you’ve obtained
is not true.”
“We don’t have
any information
that members of
NIS were arrested
in North Korea,”
an NIS representative said.
PAGE 4
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
OPINION
FIL-AM POST
Can the Philippines afford a
‘kamay na bakal’?
W
hat came to be known as the “Pope Francis effect” seems such a quaint and far-off notion
W
now. Yet it was only in January, or barely eight weeks ago, that Filipinos were in full rapture mode with the visit to the Philippines of the popular Pontiff of the Catholic Church. It didn’t
feel like a put-on; for the five days that he was on Philippine soil, people of all stripes seemed
nicer, more good-natured, wholly cooperative especially when it came to hewing to governmentimposed security arrangements, less unreasonable, and more understanding of the inconveniences
caused by temporary road closures and bad traffic. The piety appeared heartfelt, and the call for
the nation to renew itself in the wake of this moment of benediction—to live the spirit of Francis’
exhortation for greater Christian compassion, charity and tenderness toward one another—was the
dominant sentiment on the airwaves, the social media and the streets.
It didn’t last. No sooner had the Pope exited Philippine airspace on his way back to Rome than
the political sniping and daily bellyaching resumed, to reach overwhelming proportions just days
later with the tragic news of a firefight on Jan. 25 between Special Action Force commandos of the
Philippine National Police and Moro gunmen in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. Not only 44 SAF
troopers but also 17 Moro Islamic Liberation Front men and three civilians lost their lives in that
encounter, but the grief that engulfed the public centered mostly on the SAF 44 and their families.
The flip side of that mourning was the widespread anger directed at President Aquino’s administration for the botched operation to take down wanted terrorists; the anger would only increase
every time the President came out with what sounded like another less-than-forthcoming statement about the tragedy. Meanwhile, a consequence unforeseen by the Palace when it green-lighted
the Mamasapano raid came to pass: The peace process with the MILF painstakingly built over
the years and about to reach its conclusion with the deliberations on and passage of a proposed
Bangsamoro Basic Law screeched to a bitter stop. The general public took a hard look at the idea
of making peace with rebels who had not only routed government troops but also had allegedly
defiled the bodies.
The BBL and its perceived legal infirmities were hung out to dry. In many cases, the prejudice
extended to the MILF and the historic Moro cause that it represents, with atavistic calls for all-out
war against Muslims in Mindanao quickly gaining ground. It’s worth noting that the appalling
bigotry, rooted in ignorance of the age-old Moro
grievances and plain fear of “the other,” belies
every tenet of Christian fairness and openmindedness that Pope Francis preached merely
weeks ago and that had brought the general pub(An Employees owned Publication)
lic to heights of hope for a kinder, gentler PhilDistributed weekly in Northern California
ippines. It’s even more noteworthy that, in the
face of the saber-rattling going on in Manila and
1290 B Street, Suite 203,
other cities far from the specter of war, those in
Hayward, CA 94541
Mindanao—Muslim and Christian alike, among
them Cardinal Orlando Quevedo—are the ones
Tel # 510-885-8827,
cautioning against any indiscriminate rush to
Fax # 510-538-7115
judgment and the resumption of arms.
[email protected] or
[email protected]
www.filampost.com
h e n
Davao
City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte
first started delivering speeches outside his
city in an obviAs I See It
ous bid to test
by Neal H. Cruz
the waters for a
possible run for
the presidency
next year, nobody gave him much chance to
become a serious contender. But in a recent
poll survey, he surprised everybody by placing third among the “presidentiables,” tying
former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. Then his commercial showing
the various ills hounding the Philippines—
graft and corruption, rampant crime, proliferation of illegal drugs, poverty, squatting,
etc.—swarming like flies over the country
started appearing on television. In it an arm
suddenly appears and swats the swarming
flies. The arm is labeled “Duterte.”
The arm is obviously a reference to Duterte’s
“kamay na bakal,” or iron fist, that has admittedly kept crime down in his native Davao.
And it is obviously because Filipinos are fed
up with crime and graft and corruption that
Duterte’s ranking in the surveys rose. To
them, Duterte, judging from how he has disciplined his constituents in Davao, is the last
hope to completely stamp out crime and corruption that other presidents have not been
able to eradicate.
It cannot be denied that Duterte has been
able to make Davao the safest city in the
Philippines. But critics say Davao is only
250,000 hectares, only one city in the whole
Philippine archipelago. Can Duterte repeat
what he has done in Davao in the whole
country, they ask.
At the same time, other critics are afraid of
what will happen to human rights if Duterte
becomes president. Criminals are known to
have disappeared in Davao City in Duterte’s
campaign against crime. Some suspect that
the mayor has a secret “police” force that
sends known criminals to eternal peace.
That has made Davao a peaceful place, but
what will happen to human rights and due
process,these critics ask. They voiced fears
that another Jovito Palparan may be let loose
in our midst.
Never fear, assured former National Food
Authority administrator Lito Banayo,
Duterte’s major drumbeater whom we interviewed this weekend. Duterte is not like
that. Beneath all the tough talk and scowling mien, Duterte has a “heart of gold,” according to Banayo, if you can believe that.
Duterte is merciless on drug lords, Banayo
said, yet he still gives them three warnings
to reform or leave town before the executioners move in.
As to his perceived presidential run,
Duterte himself told a radio-television interview that he is not in the race for the
presidency. He said it would be unfair to
the people for him to be president because
at 69 years old, he would be too old to be
president. He probably does not know that
the leading presidential contender according to the latest survey, Vice President Jejomar Binay, is 72 years old.
Duterte is clearly a reluctant contender,
unlike Binay who openly declared his
presidential ambition immediately after
he was proclaimed vice president in 2010
and spends most of his waking hours campaigning for the top position although the
campaign period is still far away.
Banayo confirms that the Davao mayor
has yet to decide whether or not to throw
his hat into the presidential ring. “Duterte
is not driven by ambition,” Banayo said.
First, he wants to make sure that he can
provide solutions to the myriad problems
that the nation faces.
Duterte has been going around the country advocating a shift from the highly centralized unitary system to a federal system
similar to those of other highly developed
countries like the United States, Germany,
Canada and neighboring Malaysia. He offers federalism as an alternative to the highly controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law
that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
wants for Muslim Mindanao.
The Duterte camp admits, however, that
federalism is a long-term solution that
would require a constitutional amendment.
It added that Duterte would soon undergo
“immersion” programs to crystallize solutions to the festering problems plaguing the
country. Why would someone who denies
presidential ambitions in favor of remaining in Davao want to learn more about the
economy, public finance, national security
and other national issues? Action speaks
louder than words.
Lee Kuan Yew and Jojo Binay
Teresita Estanislao
Editor-in-Chief & CEO
Atty. Crispin C. Lozano
Exec. Vice President
Adda Humady
General Advertising Manager
Don Orozco
Bureau Chief, Silicon Valley
Alvin Maglan, CPA
Controller
Rene Amon
Sr. Advertising Executive
Inquirer.Net
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V
ice President Jojo
Binay has seen
fit to eulogize
Lee Kuan Yew,
calling
him
“the architect
of
modern
Singapore,”
a “dedicated
public servant
and well respected leadby Solita Collas-Monsod
er,” and saying
that “the success of Singapore is but a testament to his decades of
remarkable public service.”
Nothing out of the ordinary in there. We
do not doubt that Mr. Lee was all of that
and more. He made a small island an industrial and commercial giant. Unfortunately,
Mr. Binay went further in his eulogy. His
praise of Mr. Lee was then used to praise
himself: “His political will and pragmatic
approach to governance was my inspiration
in rebuilding Makati after the 1986 Edsa
Revolution from a bankrupt municipality to
the country’s premier city providing unparalleled social services to its constituents…”
Now that has to be the most tasteless, and
shameless, use of an iconic public figure’s
death for one’s own political ends, in the
hope that the glitter from Mr. Lee’s stature
will rub off on him. It is a statement that
also happens to be inaccurate. Only consider:
Mr. Lee’s governance, from all accounts,
was one that brooked no corruption at any
level. The war on corruption was waged
very early in his regime. Mr. Binay’s service as mayor of Makati was hounded by
corruption and corruption charges from the
beginning, which have lasted to this day.
Where’s the “inspiration”?
Mr. Lee’s “dynastic” tendencies is a far
cry from Mr. Binay’s. Mr. Lee’s reign as
prime minister of Singapore ended in 1990,
and Goh Chok Tong (no relation) succeeded
him. In 2004, Goh was succeeded by Mr.
Lee’s son, Lee Hsien Loong. Mr. Binay has
held sway over Makati since 1986. His successors as mayor have been his wife and his
son. Where’s the “inspiration”?
Mr. Lee “forged a widely admired system
of meritocratic, corruption-free and highly
efficient government and civil service.”
Does that describe Makati City now?
Then there are Mr. Binay’s claims about
Makati:
I have not been able to access the Commission on Audit report on Makati for 1986,
so I cannot report whether the municipality
was bankrupt in 1986. I can only say that
Mayor Nemesio Yabut was the predecessor
of Mr. Binay, and his reputation was not of
the best.
In any case, we have to remember what
it was like in the Philippines in 1986, when
Cory Aquino took over as president. The
economy had collapsed earlier, in 1984, due
to the international debt crisis—and its polity had just been shaken up by the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983. It was
chaos all over, not just in Makati.
But to say that Mr. Binay built up Makati
to become the Philippines’ premier city is a
stretch. Makati was the country’s business
and financial center even in 1986, Binay
or no Binay. The skyscrapers, condominium buildings, hotels and shopping centers
would have been built whoever the mayor
was. I do not recall anyone saying that the
reason they chose Makati was the Binay
administration. Their entry may even have
been in spite of him.
The Makati experience is being used by
Mr. Binay to woo voters. It goes like this:
Vote for Binay, and he will make your
cities, municipalities and barangays like
Makati, with its own university and hospital, etc. That is obviously a falsehood.
Makati’s revenues—from 62,000 business
enterprises—is not replicable anywhere.
Makati has benefited from economies of
agglomeration, which have nothing to do
with Mr. Binay.
Are there “unparalleled” social services
for its citizens? No question about it. The
seniors even get a cake on their birthday,
courtesy of a favored baker. But that is because Makati can certainly afford it; it has
the highest income of all cities in the Philippines. The question is not whether the
citizens of Makati (and those from all over
the Philippines that are being wooed by the
Binays) are having these “unparalleled”
social services, but whether they should
have more, especially since the sharing of
the revenues seems to be “one for them (the
constituents), one (or two) for us.”
Everything can be condensed into the following: Lee Kuan Yew made Singapore immensely rich, while Makati made Mr. Binay
immensely rich. That’s the difference.
And by the way, I thought the Binays did
not want the Senate hearings, because these
were supposedly usurping the powers of the
Office of the Ombudsman and the courts?
“Let the courts decide,” the Binays said. So
why are they fighting the Ombudsman and
the courts every inch of the way? When the
judicial proceedings to ferret out the facts
are delayed by legal maneuverings, how are
the citizens going to make an informed decision?
THEFT OF FREE NEWSPAPER IS A CRIME IN THIS STATE.
HOMELAND
Erring officials can’t escape liability
under Santiago bill
PAGE 5
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
FIL-AM POST
Reelection should not allow a public official to escape ad- condoned the official’s misconduct.
ministrative liability for mis“That is a cross-eyed simplificadeeds during his prior term
tion of the problem. The first qualias this would lead to a “ludification for a public office should
crous” situation, Sen. Miriam
be honesty and integrity,” Santiago
Defensor-Santiago said.
said in a statement.
Santiago has filed a bill to
Santiago, a former trial court
ensure that elected officials
judge, said this reasoning could
would be made to answer adspur public officials to commit
ministratively for illegal acts
wrongdoing since they would have
committed during their prea way out in the next election.
ceding term, after the camp of
“The result would be ludicrous.
Makati Mayor Junjun Binay
Any public official will feel free
claimed he should not be held
to commit a crime, including plunliable for alleged irregularider, and then win reelection, if it
ties in the construction of the
automatically means his previous
Makati City Hall Building II
crimes are condoned,” she said.
during his first term in 2010Her bill would insert a new secSenator Miriam Defensor Santiagosubstate. RYAN tion in the Anti-Graft and Corrupt
2013.
LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.NET
Binay’s camp cited a Supreme
Practices Act stating that “any elecCourt ruling that said a public
tive official shall be liable for any
official could not be removed administratively for miscon- violation of this act committed during a prior term despite
duct committed during a prior term, as reelection effectively reelection.”
Pork scam accused Janet, hubby face
P60-M tax case
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has rec- (ITRs)—Napoles for 2010, 2011 and 2012
ommended the filing of a P60-million tax and Jaime for 2009.
evasion case against
Napoles is unalleged pork barrel
der detention in
scam
mastermind
connection with
Janet Lim-Napoles
the alleged P10and her husband Jaibillion diversion
me for allegedly failof congressional
ing to pay their taxes
Priority Developfrom 2004 to 2012.
ment Assistance
In an 18-page resoFund, or pork
lution dated March
barrel, to ghost
13 but released only
projects and fake
yesterday, Prosecufoundations.
tors Stewart Allan
Jaime Napoles is
Mariano, Mark Roa retired Marine
land Estepa and Sumajor.
san Dacanay found
In its complaint,
probable cause to
the BIR said the
file charges of violaspouses were able
tions of Section 254
to purchase real
and 255 of the Naproperties,
vetional Internal Revhicles, insurance
enue Code against
policies and club
the couple.
shares, as well as
The prosecutors
invested tens of
backed the allegamillions of pesos
tion of the Bureau
in various corpoof Internal Revrations.
enue (BIR) that
The BIR said the
Napoles
owed
couple could not
P44,711,147.48 in HAPPIER TIMES The Department of Justice has found have “conceivcause to indict businesswoman Janet Lim-Na- ably
income taxes in probable
acquired”
poles and her husband Jimmy for evading the payment
2004, 2006, 2008, of taxes amounting to P60million.
their properties
2009, 2010, 2011
and investments,
and 2012 while
given the income
Jaime owed P16,470,402.72 for the same they stated in their ITRs. The couple’s
years.
net taxable income from the ITRs they
The couple were additionally charged filed from 1999 to 2009 did not exceed
with failing to file their income tax returns P800,000 annually, it said.
CA denies motion to suspend hearings on
Binay TRO
The Court of Appeals (CA) yesterday
denied the motion filed by government
lawyers to suspend the proceedings on
Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr.’s application for a writ of
preliminary injunction to stop the implementation of his six-month preventive
suspension.
The writ of preliminary injunction, if
granted, would extend, until the case is
resolved, the 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO) earlier obtained by Binay
from the appeals court.
Government lawyers led by Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Gerard Mosquera
urged the appellate court’s Sixth Division
to suspend the proceedings out of “judicial courtesy,” citing the case filed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales in the
Supreme Court.
The Sixth Division chair, Justice Jose
Reyes Jr., and the division members,
Justices Francisco Acosta and Eduardo
Peralta Jr., ruled that since the Supreme
Court had not issued a TRO for Morales’
suit against the appellate court’s TRO on
the Ombudsman’s suspension of Binay,
the appeals tribunal must comply with
Section 7, Rule 65 of the Rules of Court,
by proceeding with the case, lest they be
charged administratively.
The justices disagreed with Mosquera’s
contention that the Supreme Court suit
would be rendered moot if the appeals tribunal proceeded with its hearings.
Reyes said judicial courtesy should be
balanced with court rules providing for
expedited hearings regarding preliminary
injunctions as well as the interest of substantial justice.
The division heard arguments from the
government side, presented by Mosquera
and Senior State Solicitor Raymond Rigodon, and from Binay’s legal team, headed
by lawyer Claro Certeza.
Binay earlier filed a petition for certiorari
in the appeals court accusing the Ombudsman of grave abuse of discretion in initiating a corruption investigation against him.
The appeals court issued a TRO but the
Ombudsman and the Department of the
Interior and Local Government refused
to recognize the TRO, saying it was moot
because the Ombudsman’s order had been
served hours before and Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña Jr. had been sworn in as
acting mayor on March 16.
Binay and Peña both claim that they are
in charge of Makati, with the former holding office on the 21st floor of City Hall
and the latter staying at the old City Hall
building nearby. Binay has not left his office since the second week of the month.
(Cont. from page 1..TYPHOON
CHEDENG”...)
Residents are also alerted against
possible flashfloods and landslides in low-lying areas along
mountain slopes particularly over
Aurora-Quezon area.
Pagasa said storm signal warnings may be raised in Bicol and
Samar provinces.
Storm surges of up to four meters
are also possible over the eastern
coast of Samar, Bicol and AuroraQuezon.
Fisherfolks were also warned to
venture over the eastern seaboard
of Bicol and and Visayas.
Maysak also increased its speed
at 20 kph while moving westnorthwest.
The typhoon is expected to enter
the Philippine area of responsibility by Wednesday evening or
early Thursday. It is seen to make
landfall on Saturday or Sunday
over Aurora, Quezon or Isabela.
Despite the typhoon, the dry or
summer season officially arrived
on Wednesday, Pagasa said.
The ridge of a high-pressure area
is affecting northern Luzon, Pagasa added.
In Metro Manila, rains and
gusty winds are expected over
the weekend.
The rest of the country will have
warm and humid condition.
All vehicle license plates with
dealers, agencies say
A day before the “no
registration, no travel”
policy for motor vehicles went into effect, the Department
of Transportation and
Communications and
the Land Transportation Office maintained
they had issued to car
dealers all the license
plates for cars registered at the LTO’s National Capital Region
office.
In a statement on
Tuesday, the DOTC
gave the list of Metro
Manila car dealers, rebuilders and importers
the LTO-NCR office
transacted with from
January to March 27
to show that the license
plates for new fourwheel vehicles in the
metropolis had been
released.
The LTO list, which
was posted on the
DOTC website, indicated the license plates’
series numbers and
when the plates were
claimed by the dealers
from the LTO-NCR.
“We are opening this
list to the public in order to help new vehicle
owners identify where
their plates may be.
According to the LTO,
all license plates for
new vehicles whose
original registrations
were applied for at the
NCR Regional Office
had been released to
the dealers as of March
19,”
Transportation
Secretary Jun Abaya
said in the statement.
Motorists have been
complaining about the
“no registration, no
travel” policy that will
be implemented beginning April 1 and which
would require that all
cars sport license plates
or the driver will be apprehended.
Under the policy, the
car owner may be fined
P10,000 for having an
unregistered
vehicle
and the driver P1,000
for reckless driving,
unless they can present documents showing the car was registered or undergoing the
seven-day registration
process.
But motorists have
cried foul, saying the
LTO takes more than
seven days to issue license plates. The LTO
and DOTC in turn
passed the blame for
the delay to the car
dealers who, they said,
hoarded applications
before submitting them
to the LTO.
PAGE 6
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
TAX CORNER
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT FOR
INDIVIDUALS (PART 4)
G
by: Alvin C. Maglan, CPA
eneral
hardship
exemptions
The
chart
above includes
this item: “You
are experiencing
circumstances
that
prevent
you
from
obtaining coverage under a qualified health
plan.” There are 14 such circumstances
identified by the
HHS:
1. You were homeless;
2. You were evicted in the past six months
or were facing eviction or foreclosure;
3. You received a shut-off notice from a
utility company;
4. You recently experienced domestic violence;
5. You recently experienced the death of a
close family member;
6. You experienced a fire, flood, or other
natural or human-caused disaster that
caused substantial damage to your property;
7. You filed for bankruptcy in the last six
months;
8. You had medical expenses you couldn’t
pay in the last 24 months that resulted in
substantial debt;
9. You experienced unexpected increases
in necessary expenses due to caring for an
ill, disabled, or aging family member;
10. You expect to claim a child as a tax
dependent who’s been denied coverage in
Medicaid and CHIP, and another person
is required by court order to give medical
support to the child. In
this case, you don’t have the pay the penalty for the child;
11. As a result of an eligibility appeals decision, you’re eligible for enrollment in a
qualified health plan through the Marketplace, lower costs on your monthly premiums, or costsharing reductions for a time
period when you weren’t enrolled in a
qualified health plan through the Marketplace;
12. You were determined ineligible for
Medicaid because your state didn’t expand
eligibility for Medicaid under the ACA;
13. Your individual insurance plan was
cancelled and you believe other Marketplace plans are unaffordable; and
14. You experienced another hardship in
obtaining health insurance.
Alvin Maglan is a CPA licensed in California. After working for SyCip, Gorres,
Velayo and Company, he emigrated to
California and had varied experiences as
an audit manager of a regional accounting firm, an internal auditor and controller
of Dole, Inc., a fortune 500 company and
three decades experiences as a tax consultant for various individuals, professionals,
small business firms, corporations, partnerships, and other non-profit entities. You
may contact him @510 432 7438 for your
tax problems. You may e-mail tax ques-
tions @[email protected].
FIL-AM POST
How to avoid an IRS
tax audit
The Internal Revenue Service has gotten
much leaner lately. The Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities recently estimated
that funding for enforcement is 20% below
where it was in
2010.
But if you think
hard times at the
IRS mean easy
times for tax filers, think again.
Like so many
things, the tax filing process has
come to rely on
more
automation and fewer
discerning
human beings. That
means all you
need to do is befuddle one computer program,
and you could be
in trouble.
“Robo-audits” of taxpayers are increasingly common, said James Keller, executive editor with the tax and accounting
business of Thomson Reuters, and are going to “become a bigger and bigger deal”
when it comes to tax time.
That means it’s more important than ever
to leave no guesswork on your returns, because computers aren’t capable of giving
taxpayers any benefit of the doubt.
To reduce your likelihood of an audit
come tax time, here are some common reasons IRS auditors and their computers may
be suspicious about your return:
Typos and bad math: If the form you get
from your employer says one number and
you input a different figure into TurboTax,
you could open the door for an IRS audit.
Common sources of IRS inquiries are “W2s or 1099s that do not agree with the return,” said John Piershale, a certified financial planner at Piershale Financial Group
in Crystal Lake, Ill. To save yourself some
headaches, double-check your numbers
and income sources when you file.
A big one-time change: “The IRS now
uses an electronic statistical sampling system to select returns for audits,” Piershale
said. In layman’s terms, that means any
items outside the usual range for American
taxpayers or even from your previous personal filings could trigger a red flag with
the IRS.
The Internal Revenue Service has gotten
much leaner lately. The Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities recently estimated
that funding for enforcement is 20% below
where it was in 2010.
But if you think hard times at the IRS
mean easy times for tax filers, think again.
Like so many things, the tax filing process has come to rely on more automation
and fewer discerning human beings. That
means all you need to do is befuddle one
computer program, and you could be in
trouble.
“Robo-audits” of taxpayers are increasingly common, said James Keller, executive editor with the tax and accounting
business of Thomson Reuters, and are going to “become a bigger and bigger deal”
when it comes to tax time.
The Internal Revenue Service headquarters is shown in Washington, April 9, 2014.
Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Internal Revenue Service headquarters is shown in Washington, April 9, 2014.
That means it’s more important than ever
to leave no guesswork on your returns, because computers aren’t capable of giving
taxpayers any benefit of the doubt.
To reduce your likelihood of an audit
come tax time, here are some common rea-
sons IRS auditors and their computers may
be surpicious about your return:
Typos and bad math: If the form you get
from your employer says one number and
you input a different figure into TurboTax,
you could open the door for an IRS audit.
Common sources of IRS inquiries are “W2s or 1099s that do not agree with the return,” said John Piershale, a certified financial planner at Piershale Financial Group
in Crystal Lake, Ill. To save yourself some
headaches, double-check your numbers
and income sources when you file.
A big one-time change: “The IRS now
uses an electronic statistical sampling system to select returns for audits,” Piershale
said. In layman’s terms, that means any
items outside the usual range for American
taxpayers or even from your previous personal filings could trigger a red flag with
the IRS.
Doubled dependents: If there have been
changes in your household situation, make
certain any dependents are claimed on only
one taxpayer’s return. “Claiming dependents that have been claimed by someone
else or have already filed a return and have
claimed themselves” is a common source
of audits, said Paul Dunham, tax managing
director at business services firm CBIZ.
Odd itemized deductions: “If a taxpayer
has an unusually high amount of itemized
deductions given their income levels, an
audit is potentially more likely,” Dunham
said. Claiming any deductions but not including proper documentation can rub the
tax man (or robot) the wrong way.
More than $1 million in income: “As one
might expect, the higher the adjusted gross
income, the more likely the taxpayer is going to be audited,” Dunham said. He points
to IRS audit statistics that show roughly
half of audits occur to those reporting $1
million or more in income.
Zero income: Dunham points out that another red flag is the lack of any income,
particularly self-employed individuals running their own business. In some cases, unprofitable businesses are either simply set
up to reap the benefits of tax breaks or are
significantly underreporting income – neither of which sits well with the IRS.
Alvin Maglan is a CPA licensed in California. After working for SyCip, Gorres,
Velayo and Company, he emigrated to
California and had varied experiences as
an audit manager of a regional accounting firm, an internal auditor and controller
of Dole, Inc., a fortune 500 company and
three decades experiences as a tax consultant for various individuals, professionals,
small business firms, corporations, partnerships, and other non-profit entities. You
may contact him @510 432 7438 for your
tax problems. You may e-mail tax ques-
tions @[email protected].
Get the latest news from your iPhone,
iPad and Android phones and tablets!
Download our
FREE FIL-AM POST
app at iTunes and
Google Play Store.
IMMIGRATION
FIL-AM POST
PAGE 7
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
Are you in Removal proceedings due to marriage fraud?
I
f you were petitioned by your spouse and
you received a decision from USCIS stating a finding of marriage fraud you should
immediately consult an experienced immigration attorney. The Immigration and
Nationality Act Sec. 204 (c) prohibits the
approval of a subsequent petition if the
alien committed marriage fraud in a prior
petition. It also prohibits the approval of
the first petition if the Attorney General determined that the marriage is a sham.
The finding of marriage fraud usually
happen during the adjustment of status interview mostly in marriage cases. If there
are inconsistencies in the responses of the
petitioner and beneficiary to the questions
raised by the USCIS officer, it will likely
trigger a conclusion of marriage fraud. If
you received a decision stating your marriage is primarily for the purpose of obtaining immigration benefit, then, your case is
likely a marriage fraud case. The result of
this decision is that even if your succeeding
petition is not marriage case such as employment based or petition by your son or
daughter, or parent, the petition will not be
approved. There are limited remedies available but you have to act immediately as
soon as you received this kind of decision.
One exception to this rule is that if the
alien has already obtained an immigrant
visa or already adjusted status before he or
she is sent to removal proceedings. The prior finding of marriage fraud can be waived
and the original entry or adjustment of status as an immigrant can be made valid once
the waiver is granted. But if you have not
yet received a visa or adjusted your status,
then, you have a big problem.
Q
uestion:I was charged with fraudulent
marriage when I applied for an immigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy in Manila
as spouse of a U.S. citizen. I was denied a
visa at that time. My spouse divorced me
afterwards. Later on my mother petitioned
me as single daughter to a lawful permanent
resident. When the priority becomes current I applied for immigrant visa and I was
approved. When I was applying for naturalization, the USCIS found out the marriage fraud in my record. I was denied my
naturalization application and they sent me
to removal proceedings. What is my relief
from removal?
nswer: You are inadmissible as a Lawful Permanent Resident at the time
you obtained your immigrant visa based
on the petition of your mother because of
the marriage fraud you initially committed.
The good news is that you can request for
a waiver of the fraud or misrepresentation
you have committed. The requirements for
this waiver are:
1. Must be the spouse, parent, son or daughter of a U. S. citizen or lawful permanent
resident.
2. Was in possession of an immigrant visa
or equivalent document and was otherwise
admissible to the U.S. at the time of such
admission except for the grounds of inadmissibility which was the result of his or her
fraud or misrepresentation.
You may qualify for a waiver because you
are the daughter of a U.S. citizen. At the
A
(Cont. from page 1... NO SUCCESSOR:...)
It should have ended in 2013 when Enaje
completed three cycles of nine years each.
Beyond personal intentions
The first nine years of being nailed to the
cross starting 1986 were his form of thanksgiving, having survived a fall from the third
floor of a building he was painting in Tarlac
City.
He took to the cross for nine more years,
this time seeking a cure for the asthma of his
daughter, Ejay. Never doubting the power of
reenacting the excruciating sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Enaje made a third vow, hoping it
would cure a painful lump on the jaw of his
wife, Juanita.
With his loved ones cured and his entire family, including five grandchildren not missing
any meals, Enaje found himself doing the crucifixion more beyond personal intentions.
SAF 44’s eternal peace
“I’m offering it this time for our village chief
who is undergoing dialysis,” he said.
Enaje said the eternal peace of the souls of
the 44 Special Action Force commandos, who
were killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, in
January, would be in his prayers when he is
hoisted on the cross for 10 minutes.
time of your admission to By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano approval from USCIS of
the U. S. you are in posForm I-601A provisional
session of an immigrant
waiver for two clients.
visa and you are otherwise admissible ex- 15. On September 5, 2014, we received
cept for your prior fraud or misrepresenta- an approval from USCIS for Fiancée visa
tion. The Immigration Judge has the discre- based on same sex petition.
tion to grant a waiver in this situation. The 16. On September 4, 2014, we received
Judge will weigh the positive factors about an approval of DACA for a client who has
your case and compare them with the nega- problem in her birth certificate.
tive factors.
17. On August 28, 2014, we received an
Note:This is not a legal advice.
approval of green card based on spousal
abuse.
UCCESS STORIES
18. On August 25, 2014, we received an
1. On March 30, 2015, we received an approval of green card based on same sex
approval from the Immigration Judge for a
waiver of misrepresentation involving marriage fraud that happened at the U.S. Embassy. The alien subsequently get a green
card from a petition by her mother. She
could not naturalize unless a waiver of misrepresentation is granted. With the waiver
she is now qualified for naturalization.
2. On March 10, 2015, we received an approval from USCIS for an adjustment of
status for SAME SEX MARRIAGE.
3. On February 18, 2015, we received an
approval by USCIS of green card based on
self petition by an abused spouse. Her minor children are now qualified to immigrate
based on this approval.
4.On February 10, 2015, we received an
approval of green card for a client who entered without inspection. We first sought an
advance parole with USCIS so that she can
travel to her country legally and come back
to the U.S.
5. On January 20, 2015, we received an approval of immigrant visa under the Provisional Waiver program for a seaman client.
She successfully arrived to the U.S. without
problem.
6. On January 7, 2015, we received an approval of adjustment of status from USCIS
for a client who entered without inspection
but reentered on a parole visa. Parole visa
became the basis of legal entry to allow for
adjustment of status.
7. On January 5, 2015, we received two approvals of I-601A waiver under the Provisional Waiver Program.
8. On December 17, 2014, we received an
approval from USCIS of a green card under
the Violence against Women Act.
9. On December 16, 2014, we received an
approval of DACA for an alien who has a
final order of removal.
10. On December 11, 2014, we received an
approval of immigrant visa for an alien who
entered the U.S. as a seaman under Provisional Waiver Program.
11. On October 7, 2014, we received an approval from the U.S. Embassy in Manila an
immigrant visa for a client who entered the
US without inspection under the Provisional Waiver Program.
12. On September 26, 2014, we received an
approval from the Immigration Court for
waiver of misrepresentation for a client who
entered as single but actually married at the
time of entry to the U.S.
13. On September 9, 2014, we received an
approval from Immigration Court of adjustment of status for a client who was previously denied an asylum.
14. On September 8, 2014, we received an
S
“Like I do in previous years, I will also
pray for our country, that those in government would really uplift the lives of very
poor Filipinos,” he added.
Practice discouraged
The Archdiocese of San Fernando is not involved in the selection of men who use crucifixion to atone for sins and seek mercy or
favors. It has, in fact, discouraged the practice that is believed to have begun in Cutud
55 years ago through itinerant healer Artemio
Anoza.
The village council does not screen penitents
either. Navarro’s group chooses cast members
who are known to be respected in the community.
Aging body
Enaje said he was hoping that the council
finds an appropriate replacement for him soon
because his aging body can not bear further
pain.
“The spots on my hands and feet that are
pierced yearly get healed in six months but the
pain on my right shoulder where I carry a big
wooden cross persists year round,” he said.
Health workers in the city who came to check
on his condition on March 25 found no broken
bones on his hands and feet. He has no hypertension or other ailments either.
marriage with big age difference.
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 8
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
FIL-AM POST
FIL-AM POST
PAGE 9
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
FIL-AM POST
BANKRUPTCY
President Aquino had waived his ex(Cont. from page 1... PALACE ANSWERS)
Is your salary being garnished by
ecutive privilege and would furnish a
Nonetheless, Lacierda said President
copy of his exchange of text messages
your creditors?
Aquino remains “committed to uncover- with his friend, resigned Philippine Naing the truth” and did not reject the bloc’s tional Police chief Director General Alan
t is possible that a
mit the use of a variety of
questions for him outright.
Purisima, should the House investigators Icreditor could obtain a By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano types of garnishments to
require it.
court order to garnish your wages. In collect past due child support, accordPAGE 10
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
Separation of powers
Stressing the concept of separation of
powers, Lacierda said it was up to the
leadership of the House of Representatives to decide how to question the President in the inquiry into Mamasapano, set
for April 6 and 7.
Lacierda said he believed a request to
question the President should first be submitted to the House leadership and part of
the reason for the procedure was to ensure
that Mr. Aquino’s answers would be incorporated into official documents.
“And for that reason, there is the commitment to seeking the truth. However,
this is a House investigation and therefore
it should be in keeping with the House
leadership as to the procedure, the manner
of eliciting the truth mindful again, and
let me emphasize, mindful of the separation of powers and the respect for coequal
branches of government,” Lacierda said.
The Makabayan bloc last week submitted its questions for Mr. Aquino to the
House committee on public order and
safety headed by Negros Occidental Rep.
Jeffrey Ferrer.
Malacañang recently announced that
Mr. Aquino has spoken publicly about
Mamasapano four times, the last time at
the graduation rites at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) last week.
He said his PNPA speech would be his
last statement about Mamasapano, unless
congressional investigators would require
“further clarification” from him.
Early on Jan. 25, PNP Special Action
Force (SAF) commandos infiltrated into
Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, to
capture al-Qaida-linked Malaysian terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” and
Amin Baco, alias “Jihad,” and their Filipino associate Basit Usman.
The commandos killed Marwan in an
exchange of gunfire inside his hut in Tukanalipao village, but Baco and Usman
escaped.
As they were withdrawing from Mamasapano, the commandos were ambushed by
guerrillas from the Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Justice for Islamic Movement
and armed residents of the town.
Forty-four commandos, 17 MILF guerrillas and three civilians were killed in the
daylong gun battle.
BUSINESS
China pulls back tax breaks for
foreign companies
Chinese cities have been offering incentives
such as lower land prices and tax breaks in
recent years to attract foreign investment. It
worked: $120 billion poured into China in
2014, and giant multinational firms such as
Starbucks (SBUX) and Intel (INTC, Tech30)
have set up shop over the years.
Now Beijing is ordering municipalities to
kill these incentives in a bid to rein in local
government spending and control the country’s burgeoning debt.
The central government “is aware that local debt has been accumulating, so they are
worried about that ... [and] they want to make
sure that national assets are being used in the
best way,” said Kenneth Jarrett, president
of the American Chamber of Commerce in
Shanghai.
The move is most likely to hit manufacturing. Less developed cities that need to work
harder than big urban hubs to attract foreign
investment could lose out the most, Jarrett
said.
Foreign companies say China is becoming a
trickier place to do business. An annual survey of about 500 companies found that 47%
say they feel they’re less welcome in China
than they were a year ago, up from 44%, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in China.
In recent years, China has investigated and
fined companies across a range of industries
for alleged price-fixing, failing to deal properly with consumer complaints, and more.
Major firms such as Qualcomm (QCOM,
Tech30) and Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) have
been hit by antitrust probes.
Big drug companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline (GLAXF), have been targeted for bribery and corruption. In one case, a GSK executive was deported from China.
All this serves as a “reminder that China has
always been a challenging environment, and
it’s not for the timid,” Jarrett said. “It’s also
a very substantial economy, so that makes it
very attractive.”
other words, they can take money right
out of your paycheck to pay your debts.
In some cases, wage garnishments may
take more than half of your paycheck.
Wage garnishment is a drastic step, often used by creditors that have no claim
to any of your property. Without any
property or collateral to back up your
credit card purchases or medical bills, a
creditor may file a lawsuit against you
and ask the court to grant their motion
for your wages to be garnished. Depending on your debt, the court will assign a percentage of your paycheck to
be automatically deducted and sent to
the creditor. Oftentimes up to 25 percent of your disposable income could
be taken away from you. In cases of tax
debt, much more could be taken out.
Wage Garnishment Laws
It’s possible that your spouse’s wages
be garnished because of your debts. In
California, married couple’s debts and
assets are considered community property. In this case, your spouse’s wages
might be at stake even if the credit card
and the debts are under your name.
As required by law, your employer must
comply with the court order, and will be
unable to stop wage garnishment. However, you are also protected by the same
law, which says that an employer may
not fire you because your wages are being garnished.
Wages are often garnished for the following reasons:
1. Credit card lawsuit - Once a credit
card account goes into default, and the
creditor decides it cannot collect, it may
sell the debt to a debt collection company. If the credit card or debt collection company is unsuccessful in recovering the debt, then a lawsuit may be
filed against the consumer in an attempt
to recover its losses. If the ruling in
the lawsuit goes against the consumer,
a judgment may be issued to garnish
property, bank accounts or wages.
2. Tax liens: unpaid state and federal
taxes - The IRS and State Taxing Authorities have the power to collect back
taxes by levying on taxpayers’ property
as a result of a tax lien. When a person
owes back taxes, the IRS/State can collect a lien on a particular taxpayer’s assets after meeting certain statutory requirements, which attaches to all rights,
title and interest of the taxpayer.
Once the IRS/State has a lien on all of
a taxpayer’s assets, they may enforce
it by administratively levying his/her
assets. As a collection tactic, the IRS/
State often imposes a wage garnishment, which means that they literally
take money out of every paycheck –
often enough seriously jeopardizing an
individual’s lifestyle and making it impossible to maintain the same standard
of living.
3.
Delinquent child support –
Pursuant to child support enforcement
laws in the United States, statutes per-
ing to Find Law.
4. Delinquent spouse support (alimony)
– There are numerous ways to enforce
an order for spousal support or alimony,
including entry of a money judgment
and wage garnishment. However, the
availability these enforcement tools
and how they are used are controlled by
state laws and/or the rules of the courts
in your area.
Wage garnishment will only stop if:
1. Your debts are settled
2. Automatic stay in bankruptcy stops
the action
If you are already facing financial disaster, garnishment can make it harder for
you to support yourself and your family.
By filing either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13
bankruptcy, you have the power to stop
the action. Both Chapter 7 and Chapter
13 bankruptcy may stop wage garnishment. In the case of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the garnishment will stop for
several years as you work through your
repayment plan. In a Chapter 7, each
state’s exemptions provide protections
against wage garnishment.
Note: This is not a legal advice. You
should seek the advice of your attorney
about your specific case.
B
ankruptcy Basics
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.nBankruptcy 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.
FIL-AM POST
AROUND TOWN
PAGE 11
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
Congressman Honda, Deputy Secretary of
Labor Chris Lu Host Round Table Discussion
on President Obama’s Upskill America
Initiative
SAN JOSE, CA – On Friday, March 27,
2015 Congressman Mike Honda (DCA-17) and Deputy Secretary of Labor
Chris Lu met with business, technology
and community leaders from Silicon
Valley to discuss President Obama’s
Upskill America initiative. This initiative is a new public-private effort to
help hard-working Americans bridge
the significant diversity, income, and
skills gap that exist in our work force.
“I’m standing with leaders like President Obama and Secretary Lu to call on
businesses across the country to Upskill
America,” said Congressman Honda.
“In this new economy, we are all going
to have to stand together to help workers of all backgrounds advance their
skills to earn a shot at better, higher paying jobs. As the tech sector continues to
drive our innovation economy, we want
to make sure that everyone has a chance
to participate, and that we are properly
training our future workers.”
Attendees of the roundtable included
Apple, LinkedIn, Brocade, the Silicon
Valley Leadership Group and other
business and community groups. Par-
ticipants of the discussion agreed that
increasing access to apprenticeships and
skills training programs are integral to
helping low-wage and entry-level jobs
across the country into stepping-stones
to the middle class. “America has five
million jobs open today and more than
half a million of those jobs are in information technology. Registered Apprenticeships offer a solid return on
investment by building a pipeline of
skilled workers to maintain and expand
our competitive edge across a range of
industries that rely on IT,” said Deputy
Secretary of Labor Christopher P. Lu.
“Today’s roundtable with Rep. Honda
and Silicon Valley business leaders
brings up one step closer to ensuring
that all workers receive the training and
skills necessary to meet demands of today’s economy.”
“Upgrading the skills of our workers
will help create a more dynamic and
diverse workforce not only in Silicon
Valley but also across the United States.
Workers who play by the rules and work
hard deserve a fair shot at the American
Dream ” added Congressman Honda.
SMARTWORLDMOBILE. Officials from PLDT US gather at at classy restaurant in Milpitas last Saturday to discuss plans for 2015. From left are Edith Cahatol, Pal Lansingan, Luisa
Lansingan, Jing Aurelio and Joan Seiden with her lovely child Maddie.
INC MOUNTAIN VIEW & SAN JOSE. Officers of INC San Jose helped out in the recent
Evangelical Mission in the local congregation of Mountian View. From left are Raffy Chou,
Camille Tacmo, Don Orozco, Mountain View resident Minister Keith Otero, San Jose Head
Deacon Brian Avery, Julie Usal, Sister Dela Rea and Noemi Butler.
FUTURE OF MOUNTAIN VIEW. Brother Keith Otaro is being joined by the future generation of Mountain View. In photo are Brother Daryl Gobrera, Sis Blossom Gonzalvo, Sis
Cherie Mora & Sis Michelle Lally.
SOCILIZATION. Brethren and members of the Mountain View Local pose for a souvenir
picture together with their Head Deacon Ernel Cabanero & Brother Keith Otero.
PAGE 12
Apr 2 , 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
REAL ESTATE
Good Credit Is Just As Important After
Your Home Purchase
Everybody knows how important it is to
have great credit when you’re buying a
house. But keeping your credit good after
you’ve purchased is just as critical. Letting
your score take a hit after you close escrow
can negatively impact you in a few important ways.
Credit Cards
It’s easier than you think to get into trou-
ble with credit cards once you become a
homeowner. One late or missed payment
is all it takes to get your first ding.
Even if you don’t have any credit cards
when you buy your home, make your first
mortgage payment and watch your mailbox fill up with pre-approval offers. While
it might be tempting to get all those cards
and charge them up with new furniture
and window coverings and TVs and appliances, it might be best to wait. As a new
homeowner, you don’t yet know what your
total monthly nut will be.
Maybe the utilities are way more than
you expected. Perhaps your air conditioning goes kaput the first time you turn it on
in the spring or your handyman discovers
asbestos while scraping the cottage cheese
ceilings in your living room. What if rising values in your area means higher taxes
for the next year? Delaying some or all of
those purchases until you know what you
can easily afford can help you stay in good
financial shape.
If rates drop after you’ve moved in or you
didn’t get the greatest rate to begin with,
refinancing might be your answer since it
can save you money every month and over
the life of your loan. If your credit score
has gone up since you purchased, which
often happens after a mortgage payment
or two, you might be in a good position to
refinance. If your credit score has dropped
since your lender approval because you
took out too much credit or
were late on any of your payments, you may not qualify,
which would mean sticking
with your existing rate.
Another good reason to
refinance is lower private
mortgage insurance (PMI)
rates for those with a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan. The lower
rates are expected to save
homeowners up to $900 per
year, according to the U.S.
Department of Housing and
Urban Development.
Cars, cable, and cell phones,
oh my!
The bump in your credit score post-mortgage can help you get a better rate when
buying a car, whereas a credit score in decline could mean not qualifying at all. But
even smaller purchases and necessary services can be affected by poor credit.
“Cell phone companies run a credit check
on you every time you sign up for a new
contract,” said CNN Money. “The rationale is simple: Wireless companies want to
make sure you’ll pay your bill. The company “has revealed that 50% of its customers don’t qualify for its top promotions.”
Utilities like electric and gas as well as
cable and satellite may not decline to service your home, especially if they are the
only provider in your area. But you may
have to pay a higher deposit if your credit
is bad—something to consider if you are
planning to change to a different provider
or plan.
Need more information about the impact
your credit score can make? Visit Investopedia.
FIL-AM POST
Pending Home Sales Signal Strong
Spring Market
Contract signings in the Midwest and
South in February drove pending home
sales to their highest level in nearly two
years. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) said today that its Pending
Home Sales Index (PHSI) rose 3.1 percent
in February to 106.9. The January index
level, after a slight downward revision,
was 103.7. The February number is 12.0
percent above the level in February 2014.
According to NAR this is the sixth consecutive month that the index has increased
compared to a year earlier and it has not
been this high since June 2013 when it was
109.4. February was the 10th consecutive
month that the index has been above 100
which is considered an average level of
activity.
The PHSI is based on the number of
contracts executive during the month to
purchase existing homes. These contracts
are generally reflected as completed sales
within 60 days.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist,
says demand appears to be strengthening
as we head into the spring buying season. “Pending sales showed solid gains
last month, driven by a steadily-improving labor market, mortgage rates hovering around 4 percent and the likelihood
of more renters looking to hedge against
increasing rents,” he said. “These factors
bode well for the prospect of an uptick in
sales in coming months. However, the underlying obstacle - especially for first-time
buyers - continues to be the depressed level
of homes available for sale.”
According to NAR’s monthly Realtors
Confidence Index, the share of first time
buyers rose slightly from 28 percent in
January to 29 percent in February. It was
the first increase for this consumer segment since last November.
“Several markets remain highly-competitive due to supply pressures, and Realtors
are reporting severe shortages of move-in
ready and available properties in lower
price ranges,” adds Yun. “The return of
first-time buyers this year will depend on
how quickly inventory shows up in the
market.”
NAR is forecasting that there will be
around 5.25 million existing homes sold in
2015, a 6.4 percent increase from last year.
In 2014 those sales declined by 2.9 percent. Existing home prices are projected
to rise about 5.6 percent compared to a 5.7
percent increase in 2014.
You may contact Al Maglan @510 432
7438 for your real estate problems.
SPORTS
Donaire eyes title crack at 122;
Nietes next defense July 4
Donnie Nietes extended his reign
while Nonito Donaire Jr. showed
there’s a lot of spark left in him
Saturday night in Pinoy Pride 30 at
Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Reasserting his supremacy over
Mexican fighters, Nietes stopped
Gilberto Parra after the ninth round
to retain the World Boxing Organization light flyweight crown, which
he will again defend against former
unified strawweight titlist Francisco
Rodriguez on July 4 in Cebu City.
Making his first appearance after
a devastating knockout loss last
October, Donaire battered Brazilian William Prado in two rounds to
clinch the World Boxing CouncilNorth America Boxing Federation
Nonito Donaire
super bantamweight crown.
Propped up by chants of “Nonito!
Nonito!” late in the first round, Donaire
turned vicious and started landing hard Donaire continued punishing Prado with
booming left shots, forcing referee Bruce
body shots.
Donaire stepped up his attack in the McTavish to step in and halt the fight
second and eventually sent Prado reel- 2:16 into the round. It was Donaire’s
ing on the ropes with left hooks and up- 34th win, with 22 KOs, against three defeats.
percuts.
Mayweather claims he’s fit to fight
Manny Pacquiao now
While Manny Pacquiao continues to
toil to achieve tip-top shape, Floyd
Mayweather Jr. claims he is near peak
form now, 37 days early for their May
2 fight in Las Vegas.
“We’re pushing ourselves extremely
hard,” Mayweather told the Associated Press. “If the fight [is held] today
I could go out and perform and look
well.”
Pacquiao’s chief trainer Freddie
Roach is not worried, though, and
makes no effort to rush his ward’s
training at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
Roach’s timetable calls for Pacquiao
to be ready in three more weeks.
Mayweather, who allowed AP a peek
at his training regimen at his own gym
near Chinatown in Las Vegas, said
he has achieved fight weight, which
should be around 147 pounds.
“My mentality in the sport of boxing
is to win first always but, of course,
you always want to give people their
money’s worth,” said Mayweather,
who is expected to bulk up to at least
154 lb on fight night.
There’s been fights I look at and say
I’m not really pleased with that even
though I won.”
Against Pacquiao, his pound-forpound rival, Mayweather said he
wants nothing but the best he could be.
The brash, unbeaten American usually spars four six-minute rounds against
different southpaws, and on the AP
visit it was Maurice Lee’s turn.
Virtually toying with Lee, who has
four professional wins in as many
fight, Mayweather asked his sparmate
to pour it on, à la Pacquiao.
But unlike Pacquiao, who follows a
regular training schedule, Mayweather said he trains as he sees fit. He is
known to stay in the gym up to 11
p.m., spars late in the afternoon and
runs at night.
Just like Pacquiao, Mayweather said
he is focused on winning history’s
richest tiff, tipped to top $400 million
in revenues. Roy Luarca
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
SHOWBIZ
Matteo Guidicelli celebrates birthday
Megan Young back with GMA 7 to
with Sarah Geronimo
host ‘Starstruck’
PAGE 13
FIL-AM POST
“It was all good... Ang saya-saya po, sobra,” said Matteo Guidicelli about his birthday party recently hosted by Swatch.
The Kapamilya star, who turned 25 last
March 26, added, “Ewan ko anong sasabihin, words cannot explain my feelings that
night.”
What was the highlight of his party?
“Masaya... Everything, everything.”
Why did his girlfriend Sarah Geronimo
choose to sing Ed Sheeran’s hit “Thinking
Out Loud” at his party?
“Hindi, kasi yun talaga ang paboritong
kanta ko, e.
“A week before, pinili ko na yun para sa
birthday prod ko.
“I think nagustuhan din... she likes the
song, she likes the lyrics, and we watched
the concert together.
“And I guess that’s what she surprised me
with.”
Aside from her song, there were also hugs
and kisses. Was he “kilig?”
“Oo naman po,” he
said.
Then carefully
choosing his words,
he continued, “Masaya tayo dahil marami
na kaming pinagdaanan, ganun-ganun.
‘At parang she’s
growing, she’s now
happier, and to witness all of that, I just
got emotional.
“Yun, na-emotional
lang ako.”
Aside from their
PDA (Public Display of Affection), “the
whole scenario, the whole scene” got him
teary-eyed as well.
“My parents were there... Sarah’s efforts
to make me happy. “Parang lumambot ako
dun, e.”
Ecstatic over what happened, he continued
to rave.
The best part of the party was... “I guess
when she said thank you to my parents.
“When she gave me this message na what
she wanted for me.
“That was what got me, and I’m just thankful for all her efforts... I’m thankful. I’m
very happy.”
Nikki’s ‘most precious gift’ to fiance BJ
on wedding night
With only months before she gets married,
singer-actress Nikki Gil said she already
has a gift in mind for
her soon-to-be husband, businessman BJ
Albert, on the night of
their wedding.
In a live interview on
“Aquino & Abunda
Tonight” on Monday,
Gil playfully said,
“Obviously, whatever
you’re thinking, it’s
that! I know what it
is!”
Turning serious, she
added, “More importantly, the promise to
raise God-fearing children and to create a loving [family].”
Gil, whose vow against pre-marital sex
has made headlines, clarified that she and
Albert are not planning to start a family
right away, noting they want to enjoy first
each other’s company.
Claudine Barretto on Julia,
Marjorie, Raymart
MANILA, Philippines – Actress Claudine
Barretto gave audiences an update on her
life in a new TV interview on The Buzz
Sunday, March 29.
Claudine talked about her relationship with
sister Marjorie and nieces Julia, Dani, Clau-
dia, and nephew Leon. Claudine recently
attended the debut of her niece, teen actress
Julia Barretto, and it looks like that may
play a part in slowly healing the rift between
Claudine and some members of her family.
Marjorie and Claudine had issues with
each other in the past. Previously, Marjorie, along with sister Gretchen and brother
Jayjay, sided with Claudine estranged husband Raymart over Claudine’s alleged use
of drugs in 2013.
“I don’t know kung saan kami ni Marjorie
sa relationship namin na iyon. I think it’s
safe to say that we’re civil,” Claudine said.
(I don’t know where we are in our relationship.)
Claudine also mentioned that Marjorie
thanked her for coming to Julia’s debut,
saying it meant so much to Julia, who celebrated her 18th birthday last March 10.
Although they were not able to talk that
much, Claudine said that she and Marjorie
had breakfast the following day.
Claudine spoke about a recent
conversation between her and Julia,
who calls her “Mama Pretty.”
“Sabi niya, ‘Ma, how are you?’ I
got so emotional. I said, ‘I miss you
so much. I miss all of you. I only see
you on TV, your commercials. I’m
so proud of you.’
“Sabi niya, ‘Mama Pretty,’ – hirap
na hirap siya mag-buwelo. (She was
having a hard time with the timing) – Sabi niya, ‘Pwede ba, it’s
my birthday na, it’s my debut na on
March 10. Can you go?’” said Claudine, noting that it took a while before Julia asked her about going.
“Napa-stop lang ako sandali. Biglang I just blurted out, ‘Of course.’ And
then I was thinking kung sinong gagawa ng
gown na ganito kabilis. I was like, paano
kaya mangyayari yun?
(I stopped. I suddenly said ‘Of course.’
And then I was thinking, who can make a
gown on such short notice?)
“And then she said, ‘Can you promise me,
mama?’ And I said, ‘I promise Julia, I’ll be
there.’”
Claudine said she became emotional upon
seeing her other nieces and nephew during
the party. She also talked about how she was
approached by Dani, with whom she had a
misunderstanding last year.
Miss World 2013 and actress Megan Young has
signed a contract with
GMA 7.
Young on Tuesday signed
a one-year contract with
GMA 7 network witnessed
by its chair Felipe Gozon.
The 25-year-old actress
will cohost the reality talent show “Starstruck” with
actor Dingdong Dantes.
Young was first seen
in “Starstruck,” which
launched her career in
2005.
She has appeared in various television shows before
joining Miss Philippines in
2013 and winning the title.
She became the first Filipina to win Miss World in
2013. NC/RC
Coco Martin admits Julia Montes is
‘girlfriend material’
ACTOR Coco Martin revealed that
actress Julia Montes is “girlfriend
material” among all actresses whom
he was paired with in his past projects.
The star of the upcoming
movie “You’re My Boss”
also admitted that he and
the actress are not yet in a
relationship.
“We are not yet in a relationship. Having a relationship is not yet my current
focus,” Martin said in Filipino in an interview on The
Buzz.
He said that he is still focusing on his acting career.
“Ayoko kasing sayangin yung opportunity and
blessings na binibigay sa
akin…Ang hirap hatiin (ng
oras) kung sarili ko nga, at sa family
ko pa, wala ng time tapos kung magkaka-girlfriend pa ako, baka hindi ko
mapanindigan,”he said
(I don’t want to waste the opportunities being given to me…I find it hard
to find time for myself and my family, and if I would have a girlfriend
right now, I might not sustain the relationship.)
Martin and Montes were rumored
to be in a relationship after they
were first paired in the 2012 teles-
erye “Walang Hanggan.” They were
reunited again in “Wansapanataym
Presents: Yamashita’s Treasures” this
month.
In an earlier interview, Montes admitted that she has a crush on the actor. AJH
Will there be a prenup for Toni Gonzaga
and Paul Soriano?
MANILA,Philippines – TV host, actress,
and bride-to-be Toni Gonzaga is sharing
her thoughts about prenuptial agreements
– particularly in relation to whether she
might enter into one with fiance Paul Soriano.
In an interview on The Buzz Sunday,
March 29, Toni said: “Tinanong na rin sa
akin iyan [prenup]...at saka ako napaisip
‘Ay, magpeprenup ba? Dapat may ganun
ba talaga?’”
(I was asked about that [a prenup]...and I
thought, ‘Oh, should I? Should there really
be something like that?)
She continued, “...once you get into a relationship, and once you get into the commitment, you wanna be together forever,
try your best to make it work.
“So ‘yung sa akin, pag napreprenup ka,
parang in the long run, iniisip mo na baka
kasi in the future maghiwalay kami, so kailangan sa akin yung pera ko…I’d rather
put my faith in God and the person I am
marrying, and of course pray it will work
forever.”
(For me, if you do the prenup, in the long
run, it’s like you’re thinking, ‘we might
break up, so I need to make sure my money’s mine.)
In the same interview, Toni also said that
she believes Paul has been faithful to her in
their 8 years together.
Paul, a filmmaker, has previously said that
he was determined to provide for Toni and
that money wouldn’t be an issue between
them.
Toni and Paul confirmed their engagement last February. Paul proposed after
Toni’s birthday last January. They will wed
later this year. – Rappler.com
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PAGE 14
Apr 2, 2015 - Apr 8, 2015
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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 13)
Across
1. Camden Yards
birds
8. Hang in the air
13. Volunteer’s
boast
14. More silly
16. Mental hospital, in slang
17. Get cozy
18. Church
platforms
19. Charms
21. Cancels
22. Hebrew
letters
23. What the
suspicious may
smell?
24. Endangered
whale
25. Thinker
Descartes
26. Came into
being
27. Nemo’s
submarine
30. Dime novelist Buntline
31. Company B
awakener
33. Pegasus or
Bucephalus
35. European
eagle
36. Get the news
out
40. Sources of
Scottish streams
42. Green dip,
for short
43. Residence
(abbr.)
46. Mother-inlaw in the comic
strip “Herb
and Jamaal”
47. Syrup brand
48. Go out
50. ____ Cat
(Disney character
voiced by
Sterling Holloway)
52. Do business
without cash
53. Drapery
ornament
54. Longing
56. Critic Gene
57. Stands for
knickknacks
58. Make ___ of:
botch
59. Used a carparking service
Down
1. Eye
2. Talk nonsense
3. Eating voraciously
4. Stinky emanations
5. Reed and
Costello
6. Frozen wasser
7. Gwen of “No
Doubt”
8. Clues
9. “He’s the ____
was telling you
about!”
10. Seven Sisters
school
11. Make king
12. Let loose
13. Put ____ appearance
15. Took five
20. Daredevil
Knievel
22. Vietnamese
New Year
25. Sorrowful sort
26. Italian wine
center
28. PC keys
29. Mil. initials
31. Kerfuffle
32. Patriotic pointer
34. Type of cable
35. Votes into office
37. Seaweed
product
38. 1961 Soviet
defector Rudolf
39. Common word
on Brazilian maps
41. Give a hard
time to
44. “The Daily
Show” specialty
45. ___ the score
(got revenge)
47. Skirts for men
48. Jacket size
49. Units of work
51. “We have met
the enemy and ___
us...”
52. Jezebel’s deity
55. Airport info
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HOROSCOPE
Aries March 20 - April 18
Recent conflicts may stir up some anger in
you, Aries. This is a powerful force, and you
could be tempted to get into a big fight. Put
the weapons away and bring out the olive
branch.
Taurus April 19 - May 19
You may not be having the best of luck when
it comes to matters of the heart, Taurus, and
you may feel you need to take some sort of
action. Be careful of acting just for the sake of
creating movement.
Gemini May 20 - June 19
Love and romance are in the air tonight, so
feel free to let loose, Gemini. Instead of being a passive, gentle, soft kind of love, the
emotion you feel may be more forceful, passionate, and aggressive. Roll with this feeling as you seduce the object of your desire.
Cancer June 20 - July 21
If you haven’t gotten the love you want lately, Cancer, perhaps it’s because you haven’t
asked for it. If you’re involved with someone
and feel unfulfilled, consider having a heartto-heart talk about your needs and what you
want out of the relationship in order to be
happy.
Leo July 22 - August 21
Feel free to upset the equilibrium in order to
have your needs met, especially in the bedroom, Leo. In an effort to maintain the peace
and keep everything on an even keel, you’ve
neglected your desires for the sake of pleasing someone else.
Virgo August 22 - September 21
Nothing is too hot for you to handle, but why
do you insist on burning your hand when you
don’t have to, Virgo? Are you trying to prove
to someone that you can take the heat without being affected by it? You can get burned
just as easily as anyone else even if you
deny it.
Libra September 22 - October 21
Your physical energy is strong. Your desire
for passion and love is intense, Libra. Combine these two forces for a passionate night
of love and romance. No one will be able to
resist your power. The key now is to make
sure that you aren’t giving yourself away
to someone who’s unworthy of your love.
Scorpio October 22 - November 20
Matters of the heart may not be going
smoothly, Scorpio. Perhaps someone’s approach has been too aggressive. Maybe
you’ve been too pushy about what you want.
Tension builds up and creates disharmony
instead of love. Perhaps you need to examine the dynamics of the relationship.
Sagittarius November 21 - December 20
When it comes to love and romance, you’re
probably on fire, Sagittarius. You have an
incredible passion for love now, making you
one of the most desirable catches around.
Partner with someone who shares your thirst
for adventure, spontaneity, and the bizarre.
Capricorn December 21 - January 18
If things aren’t going smoothly in a romantic
relationship, be careful about blaming yourself, Capricorn. A partnership means that
two people work together equally. If this isn’t
the case, let your partner know how you feel.
Aquarius January 19 - February 17
Your sex drive is apt to be strong today. This
could be the only thing on your mind, Aquarius. Every person you see may stir feelings in
you, even though you may already be committed to someone.
Pisces February 18 - March 19
Bring more fire and passion to your love life, Pisces.
Spark things up by being more adventurous. The
bolder you are, the more response you will get.
Even though you may like to plan ahead and take
things slowly, your romantic life is one area where
you might do better taking the opposite approach.
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