March 10, 2012

HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE94-356 WAIPAHU DEPOT RD., 2ND FLR.WAIPAHU, HI 96797

PHILIPPINE NEWSAFP UrgesMontaño to ProveOuster Plot vs. Noy

HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWSCare HomeOperator GetsJail Term

H a w a i i ’ s O n l y w e e k l y F i l i p i n O - a m e r i c a n n e w s p a p e r

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MANILA, Philippines - The Senate impeachment court has

denied the motion of the camp of Chief Justice Renato Co-

rona to disallow the use of his bank records as evidence

in his trial. Senate President and impeachment court pre-

siding officer Juan Ponce Enrile said this was the consensus among

the senator-judges during their caucus yesterday.

“The court has arrivedat a decision and ruling thatit will deny the motion tosuppress, and accept theevidence for considerationof the court in connectionwith Article 2 of the Articlesof Impeachment,” Enrilesaid.

The bank documentsshow Corona’s peso ac-counts with the PhilippineSavings Bank (PSBank)branch on Katipunan Av-enue in Quezon City. Thedefense panel led by former

By Marvin Sy │March 7, 2012

justice Serafin Cuevas arguedthat the bank records had beenillegally obtained and thusshould not be used as evidenceagainst the Chief Justice.

Based on what has beenpresented in court, there is adisparity between Corona’speso accounts with PSBankand his declared bank depositsin his statements of assets, lia-bilities and net worth (SALN).

Article 2 of the Articles ofImpeachment alleges that theChief Justice lied about his as-sets in his SALN.

The prosecution arguedthat the “fruit of the poisonoustree” principle invoked by thedefense in blocking the presen-tation of Corona’s bank recordsapplies only to illegal searchesand seizures conducted by thestate or its instrumentalities.

“In the case of these partic-ular matters where bank ac-counts of the respondent ChiefJustice were revealed, dis-closed to the public, there’s noshowing that it was done by thegovernment,” Enrile said.

(continued on page 4)

p500-millionseCurity upgradeeyed for naia

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport

MANILA, Philippines -Transportation Sec-retary Manuel Roxas

II assured the people yester-day that security screeningfor passengers and bag-gage would be upgraded inthe country’s airports as the

government was set to bidout the installation and re-pair of the equipmentworth P500 million by nextmonth.

“We will install, up-grade and layer the secu-rity screening in all the 45airports that presently have

(continued on page 4)

Senate acceptS cJ BankDocumentS aS eviDence

By Louella Desiderio

LEGAL NOTES

DeportationRemedies

13 MAINLAND NEWS

The Fab andFashionable Filipino

14

Corona willingto testify, opendollar deposits

MANILA, Philippines -Chief Justice RenatoCorona today said that

he is now prepared to open hisdollar accounts at the Senateimpeachment trial next week.

"I said I will open it in duetime and the due time is nextweek. I have always said there

is no problem with my dollardeposits because I can ex-plain it," Corona said in aninterview over radio dzBB.

The defense team isexpected to start present-ing its own evidence andwitnesses when the im-peachment trial resumeson March 12 to counter the

from www.philstar.com

(continued on page 5)

marcH 10, 20122 News Edition

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NEWS EDITION

Guess what Honolulu residents, Ala MoanaCenter has just gotten less relevant tolocal residents with the closing of Sears.

Already lined with luxury boutiques and de-partment stores from the Diamond Head endto Ewa end of the mall, Ala Moana Centerclearly is designed for the tourist market, cater-ing primarily to visitors who have greater dis-posable vacation money at hand. Sears AlaMoana provided customers affordable pricesand unique services found nowhere else in themall like auto maintenance. Sears gave manylocal residents a reason to go to the upscalemall, browse around, and have lunch or dinner.It was an anchor store that drew in average in-come earners and supported the idea that AlaMoana Center cared for customers with variedincome levels. Since the departure of JCPenny's, and now, Sears, perhaps the lure ofgreater profit margins for General GrowthProperties, owners of Ala Moana Center, is farmore significant than providing diverse shop-ping choices for the local community.

The announcement of the closing of Sears by both General GrowthProperties and Sears Holding Corp. was a finely scripted public relationsmasterpiece, explaining the mutually beneficial business deal betweenthe two companies as if there were no harmful ramifications, namely thatmany full-time, part-time employees, and vendors will lose their jobs. Thedeal may just very well be a "win-win" situation for both General Growthand Sears Corp. from a business perspective, but definitely the workersat Sears Ala Moana and many in the community view the closure with dis-appointment, and perhaps even more importantly, highlights an alreadyprevailing belief that something is deeply wrong with big corporationsoverextending influence on local economies. When they fail, so do localcommunities.

The DeAl

General Growth Properties will pay Sears Holding Corp's $250 millionto buy Sears' lease at the Ala Moana Center site that covers 340,000square ft. General Growth will benefit by renting out that space at a higherprice which may gave it double, or even triple, the amount it is currentlycollecting from Sears.

Sears Holdings Corp., which has not made a yearly profit in almost

10 years, and reported a $3.1 billion loss lastyear, is cash strapped. This deal will allowSears Holdings Corp. to use the $250 million toimprove the company's overall balance sheet.While the company is struggling as a whole, it'snot publicly known how well or poorly Sears AlaMoana had been performing. Based on AlaMoana Center's track record of being one of thehighest earning malls in the country, it's rea-sonable to conclude that Sears Ala Moana is inthe top tier of Sears Holdings retail umbrella. Ifthis is in fact the case, which is most likely, theclosing of Sears Ala Moana is an even biggerdisappointment, which will be axed down in2013 primarily to boost the company's overallliquidity caused by other underperforming Searsstores.

Business As usuAl?

Apart from Ala Moana Center's stellar per-formance, its crown jewel of shopping malls,General Growth Properties has been reeling

from its own set of financial troubles. Just in 2009, the company filed forbankruptcy protection to restructure $25-27 billion in outstanding debt.

Perhaps this one deal of closing Sears at Ala Moana may be a smallboost for both Sears Holdings Corp., formerly the largest retail companyin the country, and General Growth Properties, the second largest malloperators in the nation, to get back on track. Perhaps both companieshave learned valuable lessons on limits of expansion and diversified in-vestments.

But the public should not forget the thousands of job losses thesecompanies cost in their quest for bottom line profits and expansion. Thepublic also should not forget the pressure these ever expanding, largecorporations, and others like them, have had in pushing smaller compe-tition out of business. When storms hit the financial markets, too roughfor large corporations to weather out, but better suited for smaller-to-medium size businesses to adjust to, consumers ought to remember thepattern: big corporations will cut jobs. The Ala Moana Center deal is justa part of Sears Holdings Corp.'s overall plan to close 79 stores amount-ing to about 4,000 to 9,600 job losses. General Growth Properties ear-lier reorganization efforts resulted in cutting 20 percent of its company'sworkforce.

Why do we as consumers continue to enrich and enable big corpo-

www.thefilipinochronicle.com www.efilipinochronicle.com

Gov. Neil Abercrombie

Mayor Peter Carlisle

editorial

Closing of Sears Ala Moana Should Not BeViewed As "Business As Usual"

(continued on page 3)

marcH 10, 2012 3News Edition

So Rich and Yet So Poor Because ofBad Governance

Maybe, the Aquino gov-ernment will listen thistime. No less than theUS Department of

State has come out with a re-port that “the untapped mineralwealth of the Philippines isworth more than $840 billion.”The report adds the Philippinesis “one of the world’s mosthighly mineralized countries.”Other reports by private re-search groups have said thesame thing. Indeed the mineralwealth of the Philippines wasknown as far back as the Span-ish colonization. National heroJose Rizal said that this wealth,properly developed, is one ofthe ways it can stand up toother nations once independ-ent.

With all that wealth why isthe country so poor? The an-swer is “bad governance”. Wehave a system that eludes goodgovernance and not until wechange the system it will con-tinue giving us misfits as ourleaders. The inability to managethe country’s resources is themain reason why the Philip-pines has been left behind byother countries in the region.

This is most true with min-ing when no distinction is madebetween responsible and irre-sponsible mining. NGOs, bothforeign and local have made ittheir cause citing environmentalconcerns. It is a political prob-lem more than an environmen-tal problem. Mining is not a walkin the park, it requires vigorousregulation and political will. Wemay have the wealth but we donot have the leaders who canmake it work for the people. It is

a tragedy that all this opportu-nity for great wealth for thiscountry is being set aside forpolitical partisanship.

The Washington reportadded that the country is rich ingold, copper and chromate de-posits, but these have not beenworked on to its true potential.“The Philippine mining industryis just a fraction of what it wasin the 1970s and 1980s whenthe country ranked among the10 leading gold and copper pro-ducers.” Whose agenda is it tokeep us poor and therefore de-pendent?

It noted that “a December2004 Supreme Court decisionupheld the constitutionality ofthe 1986 Mining Act, thereby al-lowing up to 100 percent for-eign-owned companies toinvest in large-scale explo-ration, development and utiliza-tion of minerals, oil and gas” inthe country.

Once again the local gov-ernment is being accused asthe stumbling block. It does notdistinguish between ordinarypeople and their immediatelocal authorities. The local au-thority that puts blocks at leastin one instance I know comefrom the provincial board.

* * *Business in the Philippines

since the impeachment trialbegan exacerbated the uncer-tainty. So it is good news that allstakeholders came together ina conference held yesterday atthe Intercontinental. It will notonly help resolve difference butguide the government on howto implement its mining policies.

The Philippine governmenthas not come around to enactits promised new mining poli-cies as it had promised lastweek. It is good that the stake-holders are using the interimperiod for consultations thatwould be acceptable to bothpro-mining and anti-mininggroups.

* * *A conference on Mining’s Im-pact on the Philippine Economyand Ecology was held yester-day so both sides could air theirdiffering views and hopefullythey would come around to so-lutions for the benefit of thecountry.

Conference on Mining’s

Impact on Philippine

Economy and Ecology

2 March 2012, Friday,

2 PM to 5 PM

Grand Ballroom,

Inter-Continental Manila

Among the speakers wereEdgardo G. Lacson, vice presi-dent for Environment, PhilippineChamber of Commerce and In-dustry (PCCI), Engineer Leo L.Jasareno, director of Mines &Geosciences Bureau will givethe government’s perspective.

There will also be presenta-tions from Gina Lopez, manag-ing director of ABS-CBNFoundation, Gerry Brimo of theboard of directors, Chamber ofMines of the Philippines.

Others in the conferenceare Clive Wicks, international

expert on conservation and de-velopment, Peter Wallace, chairand president of Wallace Busi-ness Forum, Atty. Christian S.Monsod, consultant, ManilaElectric Company and MannyPangilinan, chair for Philex Min-ing.

Questions and answers willbe welcomed from the audiencewith the following prominentbusiness people manning theforum: Eduardo V. Francisco,president, Management Associ-ation of the Philippines (MAP);Ramon G Opulencia, president,the Financial Executives Insti-tute of the Philippines (FINEX);Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez,vice president for industry,PCCI; Dr. Corazon PB. Claudio,co-chair of MAP ClimateChange and Sustainable Devel-opment Committee' Baltazar N.Endriga, vice chair, MAP Na-tional Issues Committee; AdeleA. Jaucian, chair, FINEX Envi-ronment Committee; EduardoH. Yap, chair, FINEX NationalAffairs Committee, chair, MapLand Use and Urban Develop-ment Committee: Grace Palma-Tiongco, chair PCCI ProgramsCommittee, vice chair, FinexNational Affairs Committee willbe the moderator.

MISCELLANY: Everybodywho worked or admired Presi-dent Fidel V. Ramos joined theformer president and his wifeMing at the Fort Bonifacio ArtsCenter to celebrate their birth-days and the launch of his new

book Towards Our Better Future(Seize the Opportunities). Thisaptly describes the failing of thisadministration obsessed withimpeaching Supreme CourtChief Justice Renato Corona.

* * *From the Instituto Cer-

vantes comes an announce-ment that it will show how twodifferent cultures interact andproduce a unique culture andlanguage. The Chabacano lan-guage is a clear manifestationof the Spanish contribution inPhilippine culture.

The Spanish cultural cen-ter, presents a special four-filmlineup that showcases uniqueindependent shorts filmed in theonly Spanish-based Creole inAsia: Chabacano. It opensThursday (March 8), 7 p.m. atInstituto Cervantes’ Salon deActos.

Titled “Cine chabacano,”this film cycle not only featurescompelling, original short films,but also the language that hassurvived for hundreds of years,thus making it one of the oldestcreoles in the world.

“This film cycle is unlikeother films coming from otherregions of the Philippines andnot only because of the lan-guage. Somehow it’s like see-ing films from another country,”says Philippine cinema expertTeddy Co who is also the cura-tor of this event.

The film cycle opens with“Placebo,” a 22-minute shortfeature from the Zamboanganteam behind the Cinemalayaaward-winning film “Halaw.” Di-rected by Dexter de la Peña,this film chronicles the life ofJim, a convenience store ownerwho months after his father’sdeath mans the family businessall by himself. His boring storeroutine is interrupted when avixen comes into the store andbefriends him.

It will be followed with thescreening of “Boca,” a story ofa man with an oral fixation, pre-sented by its director ZurichChan. Following his filmscreening, Chan will then dis-cuss the journey that led him tocreate this very personal short,and along the way demon-strate the singularly artisticstyle by which the film wascrafted. (www.philstar.com)

opinion

rations to get so big in thefirst place? - that should bethe question we should beasking ourselves. Perhapsit's time that we re-thinkmore carefully about whereour money goes and how itcontributes to building localcommunities in the longterm. We ought to supportsmall and mid-size busi-nesses when possible andconsider alternative shop-ping locations in addition tostrip malls. We hope that

General Growth Propertieswill utilize the vacated site in2013 having in mind newvendors that cater to variedincome levels and givesmall local companies achance to succeed. In thisnew era of economic stress,we hope large corporationslike Sears Corp and GeneralGrowth Properties, canbegin to lead by example anew culture of doing busi-ness that emphasizes loy-alty to workers and localcommunities over risky ex-pansion and a profit-to-no-end philosophy.

editorial (cont.)(cont. from page 2; CLOSING... )

FrOm a DisTance by carmen n. peDrOsa

FACE-OFF. Business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan and environmental advocateGina Lopez exchange sharp words on mining issues during the open forum of theConference on Mining’s Impact on the Philippine Economy and Ecology at theHotel Intercontinental in Makati City on Friday. A visibly peeved Pangilinan takeshis seat as Lopez asks for more time to answer him. MVP retorts: I didn’t say that.Now, you’re lying. LYN RILLON

marcH 10, 20124 News Edition

(cont. from page 1; SENATE... )

“There’s no clear showingthat it was done by the govern-ment and so far, as the facts in-dicate, there’s no question thatthese alleged bank deposit ac-count numbers exist,” he added.

Enrile also noted that Re-public Act 1405 or the bank se-crecy law and Republic Act 6426or the foreign currency depositact have no exclusion provi-sions, “meaning a provision thatexpressly exclude of or proscribethe admissibility of the records ofbank deposits when they are il-legally released to the public.”

PSBank was able to securea Supreme Court temporary re-straining order (TRO) on the ex-amination by the impeachmentcourt of Corona’s foreign cur-rency deposit accounts.

The documents attached bythe prosecution in the supple-mental request for subpoena in-cluded the customeridentification and specimen sig-nature cards of Corona with PS-Bank, which lists variousaccount numbers supposedlyheld by the Chief Justice.

The impeachment courtvoted to respect the TRO of theSupreme Court. But it filed acomment, through the Office ofthe Solicitor General, calling forthe dismissal of the petition ofPSBank.

While the prosecution panelhas formally ended its presen-tation of evidence, it has in-formed the court that it isreserving its right to present ev-idence related to the foreigncurrency deposits in the future.

The prosecution hopes that

the Supreme Court would even-tually rule in its favor and allowthe opening of the foreign cur-rency accounts of the ChiefJustice.

It was not clear if Enrile wasamenable to the prosecution’splan to present evidence later ifnecessary.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson saidthat the matter had already beensettled and that the prosecutionwould be allowed to do so.

Lacson said Enrile had al-ready issued a ruling allowingthe prosecution to end its pres-entation of evidence – but withreservation to present new oneson the dollar accounts if andwhen the need arises.

“This issue is unique be-cause there is a pending TRO.The main case has not been re-solved,” Lacson said.

“If the TRO is lifted thenthere will be no hindrance to thepresentation of the dollar ac-counts,” he added.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-San-tiago defended the decision ofher colleagues to deny the mo-tion of the defense panel.

“The general rule is in caseof doubt, just admit the evi-dence. Normally you have to

specify what is the purpose ofadmission. Normally the judgesays, just for simplicity’s sake,admitted for whatever it is worth.It does not necessarily meanthat the case will turn on the ad-mission of a particular piece ofevidence,” Santiago said.

But she stressed each of the23 senator-judges will have hisor her own standard of proofcome voting time.

“It depends on the standardof proof. We have left the stan-dard of proof to every single sen-ator. When you choose yourstandard of proof, in effect youare already imposing judgmenton the accused,” she said.

She said her decision wouldbe based on “overwhelming pre-ponderance of evidence.”

“In my case I will adopt theproposal of Prof. Charles Blackof Yale University who wrote ‘Im-peachment: A Handbook.’ Hisrecommendation is overwhelm-ing preponderance of evidence.It is very complicated becausewe might be operating on differ-ent standards of proof,” shesaid.

“If you say that the standardof proof is proof beyond reason-

able doubt, it will be hard to con-vict because there will always bedoubt. If it is substantial evi-dence, in all likelihood the pros-ecution will win because you justpresent a little bit of evidencethat is already substantial,” San-tiago pointed out.

“What I want to do is pro-pose that, in any impeachmentproceeding, there should first bea seminar by UP College of Lawor a similarly reputable lawschools like Ateneo or San Bedafor all the senators and maybeeven the House of Representa-tives,” she said.

Santiago noted that underthe law, the presumption is thatthe accused is innocent.

“In effect, the prosecutionhas to work against that pre-sumption. Remember the rulethat he who alleges must provehis allegations. To allege is notto prove. You have to proveeverything that you are saying,”Santiago said.

“Whereas the job of the de-fense is to say ‘no’ the burden ofproof is on the prosecution, andthe rule is that the prosecutioncannot depend on the weaknessof the proof of the defense,” she

added.Santiago said Corona’s

lawyers should concentrate onpresenting a more credible de-fense for their client.

“All the rules are in favor ofthe accused because our Con-stitution is very conscious of ourBill of Rights. In fact, the Bill ofRights is really the starting pointfor the entire concept of the Con-stitution. In the case of the de-fense, all they have to do isconcentrate on the fact that theevidence is equivocal with re-spect to their client,” she said.

The defense panel has untiltoday to file its response to theformal offer of evidence of theprosecution.

It is expected to inform theSenate which of the exhibits of-fered by the prosecution it wouldaccept and which it would objectto.

The Senate would thenmake a ruling on what wouldeventually be admitted as evi-dence.

elATeD

Prosecutors have ex-pressed elation over the deci-sion of the Senateimpeachment court to acceptCorona’s PSBank records asevidence.

Lead prosecutor Iloilo Rep.Niel Tupas described the deci-sion of the senator-judges as “avery welcome development.”

“We are moving closer toour objectives, which are thesearch for truth and to exactpublic accountability,” Tupas

HeadlineS

commercial flights,” Roxas saidin a press briefing.

He said the Department ofTransportation and Communica-tions (DOTC) would purchasenew screening equipment thatdetect guns, knives, explosivesand drugs, while defective ma-chines will be repaired.

“The bidding process for thiswill start first week of April whichis about a month from now,” hesaid.

He noted that of the coun-try’s 86 airports, only 45 can ac-comodate commercial flights.

Roxas said that of the 45airports with commercial flights,only 21 have security screeningdevices being used for passen-gers and baggage.

He said that of the 21 air-ports with security screens, onlythree - the Ninoy Aquino Inter-

national Airport, the internationalairports in Cebu and Davao –have double-layer security sys-tems in place or have securityscreens being used upon entryto the airport and prior to board-ing the aircraft.

He said the DOTC wouldpurchase 46 sets of screeningequipment to upgrade andachieve double-layer security inthe 45 airports.

He said the DOTC wouldalso acquire nine X-ray ma-chines for cargo, which will beplaced in airports with high vol-ume of traffic.

Roxas said the agencywould likewise purchase 59closed-circuit television (CCTV)cameras to monitor the screen-ing areas.

He said 22 non-operationalX-ray machines would be re-paired.

He said the agency wouldlook for one firm to supply all thescreens to have uniform tech-nology and equipment in the 45airports, while another firm couldbe granted the contract to han-dle the repair of the non-opera-tional x-ray machines.

“The objective is, by the endof this year, all 45 of our airportswill have the appropriate securityscreening facilities,” he said.

He said the upgrade of thecountry’s security systems isbeing pursued to ensure thesafety of passengers and to com-ply with international standards.

“We are doing this for thesafety of air passengers,” hesaid.

“This is the standard in allairports in the world and so, weare having this regulation in ourown airport,” he said.(www.philstar.com)

(cont. from page 1; P500 MILLION ... )

(continued on page 5)

marcH 10, 2012 5News EditionHeadlineS(cont. from page 4; SENATE ... )

said in a text message to re-porters. “This is a good sign forthe prosecution as we preparefor the defense’s presentationof evidence.”

Deputy Speaker LorenzoTañada III, spokesman for theprosecution panel, said the ad-mission of evidence “is anothernail added to the coffin of be-trayal of public trust.”

Marikina City Rep. RomeroQuimbo, however, said it wouldbe presumptuous to concludethat Corona would be convictedbased on the impeachmentcourt’s decision.

“We’re looking forward tothe 16 votes – that’s the onewe’re excited about,” Quimbosaid.

He also said the prosecutionpanel would accept the decisionof the Senate to lengthen thetrial proceedings.

Tañada warned the defenselawyers might again run to theSupreme Court to contest thedecision of the senator-judges.

“That’s (running to the SC)what they always do. It wouldnot be a surprise to us that theywould do the same to questionthe decision of the impeachmenttribunal,” he said.

“Now the Chief Justicewould have to explain why hehad more than P19 million in twoPSBank accounts as of Dec. 31,2010, in addition to more thanP12 million in one account withBank of the Philippine Islands,”Quimbo said.

“He also has to explain whyhe did not declare his combinedbank deposits of more than P31million in his 2010 statement ofassets, liabilities and net worth,in which he reported ‘cash andinvestments’ amounting only toP3.5 million” he said.

He said the prosecution didnot offer as evidence the photo-copies of bank records it re-ceived from an anonymoussource and whose authenticityCorona’s lawyers have ques-tioned.

“What we offered as evi-dence were the testimonies ofPSBank officers and the docu-ments they presented,” hepointed out.

Majority Leader NeptaliGonzales II, who is helpingCavite Rep. Joseph EmilioAbaya manage Corona’s prose-cution, said he and the rest ofthe 188 Corona impeachers wel-come the Senate impeachmentcourt’s decision.

“Those bank records are notthe fruits of a poisonous tree asthe defense claims. There is nopoisonous tree and there is nopoisonous fruit,” he said.

He said PSBank presidentPascual Garcia III has testifiedthat the information contained inthe prosecution’s photocopies ofCorona’s bank records was“mostly accurate” and that pho-tocopies and the originals keptby the bank were “similar” docu-ments.

He pointed out that the im-peachment court’s decision toaccept the bank records as evi-dence “makes it more impera-tive for CJ Corona to testifywhen his trial resumes nextweek. Only he can explainthose bank deposits,” he said.(www.philstar.com)

presentaion of the House prose-cution team.

Corona will open his dollaraccounts with the PhilippineSavings Bank (PSBank) despitean existing temporary restrainingorder (TRO) on the Senate'ssubpoena on his foreign cur-rency records.

Serafin Cuevas, the leadcounsel of the Corona defenseteam, had said that there was noneed to present the dollar ac-counts to disprove to the im-peachment court that theembattled chief justice is hidingill-gotten wealth with the PSBank.

Corona and the bank askedthe Supreme Court to interveneafter the Senate impeachmentcourt issued the subpoena on allthe bank accounts of Corona, in-cluding his dollar accounts.

The prosecution had askedthe Senate impeachment courtto subpoena the dollar accountsof Corona as part of its presen-tation of evidence on Article 2 ofthe impeachment complaintagainst the chief magistrate.

The prosecution had earlierpresented leaked documents,which alleged that Corona has"$700k" or $700,000 in PSBank.The defense had said that themoney in Corona's dollar ac-counts were part of his savings.

Willing To TesTify

In an interview with GMANews, Corona said that he isopen to testifying before the im-peachment court.

“Open ako dyan pero de-pende iyon sa mga abogado ko.Kung ano ang sasabihin ng mgalawyers ko, eh 'yun ang aking

gagawin,” Corona said.Cuevas had opposed sug-

gestions to put Corona on thewitness stand.

“I believe this is not good be-cause the members of the im-peachment court can examine himon all angles and Justice Cuevascannot object,” Cuevas said in anABS-CBN News interview.

Cuevas made the statementafter Senate President JuanPonce Enrile, sitting as presidingjudge of the impeachment court,said that it would be best if Co-rona would take the witnessstand and explain his assets thathave been questioned by theprosecution team.

Corona said he is prepared toexplain to the senator-judges andthe public as well, his Statementof Assets, Liabilities and Networthand his bank accounts.

(cont. from page 1; CORONA... )

marcH 10, 20126 News Edition HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS

IT’S ONE OF THE MOSTCIRCLED DATES on the cal-endars of state lawmakers andthis year’s National Federation ofI n d e p e n d e n t  B u s i n e s s(NFIB)/Hawaii Small BusinessLegislative Reception will takeplace at the State Capitol onMarch 14, 2012.

The NFIB has been Amer-ica’s leading small-business as-sociation since 1943. It givessmall and independent businessowners a voice in shaping thepublic policy issues that affecttheir business.

Each year, NFIB/Hawaiihosts a Small Business Legisla-tive Reception in part to remindlawmakers that small busi-

nesses are not smaller versionsof bigger businesses but haveuniquely different difficulties inremaining solvent. This is nosmall consideration becausemom-and-pop enterprises em-ploy the majority of Hawaii’sworkers and generate almost allnew jobs.

“There’s also a big differencein the collective message we send

to lawmakers,” says NFIB/HawaiiState Director Melissa Pavlicek.“Every special interest group ar-rives at the Capitol to plead itscase for more government funds,except small business, whichpleads its case to be left alone inorder to create jobs.”

The reception is open to allsmall businesses, regardless ifwhether they are NFIB mem-

bers. The event is free but reser-vations are required and can bemade with Lilly Ho atlho@hawaiipublicpolicy.com orby phone at 447-1840.

The event is organized byNFIB in partnership with HawaiiBusiness Magazine and theChamber of Commerce ofHawaii’s Small Business Com-mittee.

Small Business Owners to Converge at State Capitol onMarch 14

Residents Urged to Conserve WaterDuring Detect-a-Leak WeekTHE STATE COMMISSION ON

WATER RESOURCE MAN-

AGEMENT (CWRM) is partner-ing with county waterdepartments and the HawaiiRural Water Association tolaunch Detect-A-Leak Weekfrom March 11-17, 2012. Theevent encourages Hawaii resi-dents to check for water leaksat their homes, properties andworkplaces.

“Nurturing and protectingHawaii’s natural resources areancient traditions in the islands,and water is the most valuableof these resources,” saysCWRM chair William J. Aila, Jr.“We must ensure that futuregenerations have enoughclean, fresh water to use. Wecan all do our part by conserv-ing water and eliminating wasteby finding and repairing leaks inour homes and places of work.”

According to the EPA, run-ning toilets, dripping faucetsand other household leaks inthe average American homecan waste more than 10,000gallons of water every year.This amount can be significantlyreduced if all residents check

their plumbing fixtures for leaks.“For more than 20 years,

the Detect-A-Leak Week pro-gram has served as an excel-lent reminder to our customersto check for and repair leaks intheir homes and on their prop-erties, which helps preserve ourwater supply,” says Ernest Lau,Board of Water Supply Man-ager and Chief Engineer. “Prac-ticing water conservation bydetecting and fixing leaks athome also helps to lower waterand sewer bills.”

“Leak detection is an im-portant part of protecting ourmost precious resource. Join usin our efforts to find and fixleaks by doing your part athome and in your yard,” saysQuirino Antonio, Hawaii Depart-ment of Water Supply Managerand Chief Engineer.

“With water rates going up,it is ever more important to dealwith the leaks while they aresmall,” says David Craddick,Kauai Department of WaterManager and Chief Engineer.

Maui Department of WaterSupply Deputy Director PaulMeyer offers more practical ad-

vice: “Is your toilet runningneedlessly? Flapper valveswear out and it’s sometime hardto tell if you are wasting water.

“The DWS has free dyetablets with instructions for test-ing for leaking toilets. It’s easyto test for leaks and takes just afew minutes. Just turn off allyour water and check yourmeter. If the dial is spinning, youhave leaks that can be wastefuland expensive.”

There are three types ofleaks that residents shouldcheck for: toilet, property andunderground leaks. For moreinformation on how Detect-A-Leak Week or for more tips onhow to check for leaks at home,visit the Honolulu Board ofWater Supply website at:www.boardofwatersupply.com;the County of Hawaii Depart-ment of Water Supply at:www.hawa i idws .o rg ;theCounty of Kauai Department ofWater at: www.kauaiwater.org;the County of Maui Departmentof Water Supply at: www.maui-water.org and the Hawaii RuralWater Association at:www.hawaiirwa.org.

MHA-Hawaii to Host 7th AnnualMahalo Awards LuncheonMENTAL HEALTH AMER-

ICA OF HAWAII WILL

HOLD its 7th Annual MentalHealth Mahalo Awards Lunch-eon on May 17, 2012 at the AlaMoana Hotel from 11:30 am to

1 pm. Honorees include Crystal

Aguinaldo as Outstanding AdultConsumer Advocate andKristina Maugalei-Nardo asOutstanding Youth Consumer

Advocate. Aguinaldo is a peercoach, a Network of Care peereducator, an active member ofFriendship House Clubhouse, aWellness Recovery Action pro-gram facilitator, a member ofthe Kauai Service Area Board,and co-chair of the Consumer,Family and Youth Hui on Kauai.

A recent graduate of Far-rington High School, Maugalei-Nardo is a volunteer youthleader at Project Kealahou, aChild and Adolescent MentalHealth program for girls whohave experienced trauma. Shealso provides youth cultural liai-

son services and advocacy foryoung women. She was re-cently hired as a Peer Specialistat Hawaii Families As Allies.

MHA-Hawaii is a nonprofitorganization that advocates forthe needs of people with men-tal illnesses. Its mission is topromote mental wellness, pre-vent mental illnesses, reduce

stigma and improve the overallcare, treatment and empower-ment of those with mental ill-nesses—children, adults,elders—and their families.

The deadline to register isMay 15, 2012. For more details,please call 521-1846 or go on-line and visit: www.mental-health-hi.org.

marcH 10, 2012 7News Editionimmigration guide

by atty. emmanuel samonte TipOn

Immigration processing de-lays are sometimes blamedfor the growing incidence of

adultery committed by a wifewho is left abroad waiting for theavailability of a visa. But cuck-olded husbands should askthemselves if they are not theones at fault. Did they rush intomarriage? Are they romanticenough? Are they caringenough? Can they make the wifelaugh? Do they punctuate everyoverseas call with “I love you?”

The sister of a lawful per-manent resident called an Ilo-cano lawyer saying that herbrother was very distraught andcould not call directly becausehe found out upon returning tothe Philippines that his wife hadbeen going out with anotherman. He had petitioned for herand he had returned to thePhilippines to accompany her toa visa interview after which theywould come to the U.S. withtheir minor child. The lawyer

suggested that the brothershould be the one to call whenhe was not so distressed.

While visiting with a Cau-casian lawyer in his office, theIlocano lawyer asked what wasthe best advice to a husbandwho had discovered that the wifehe was petitioning had betrayedhim. The Caucasian lawyer saidthat he had just received an e-mail on adultery and proceededto read it: “I found out that mywife was unfaithful. So I turnedto religion. I converted to ____ (aMiddle Eastern religion). Then Iasked my brethren to stone mywife to death.”

In the Philippines, thelegacy that the Spanish con-quistadores gave us is that whenyou catch your wife in the actwith her paramour, you can killboth of them and suffer only thepenalty of destierro (banish-ment) by being barred for 25kilometers from the scene of thecrime. That is still a part of theRevised Penal Code. But thecuckolded husband must catchthem in the act. If they arecaught while engaged in whatthe Filipino Supreme Court jus-tices call “actas preludis” or fore-play, that is not encompassed inthe statute and the cuckold will

be prosecuted for homicide. Since the alien who went to

the Philippines is from Hawaii, heought to consider seeing themovie “The Descendants” whichis a tale of adultery with a Hawai-ian setting and how the cuck-olded husband handled thesituation. The husband, MattKing, a lawyer, played by GeorgeClooney, was a descendant ofthe royal family, and a trustee ofthe estate of his ancestors,tasked with disposing of the prop-erty and distributing the proceedsamong his relatives to avoid therule against perpetuities. He wastoo engrossed in his practice toattend to his wife who strayedfrom the straight and narrow pathinto the arms of a real estateagent. His wife was seriously in-jured in a boating accident andbecame comatose. Her fatherchided Clooney saying thatmaybe he did not give her anythrills at home, that is why shesought thrills outside the home.

Their daughter became re-bellious and hated her motherwhich her father found inexplica-ble until shedisclosed thatshe had caughther mothercheating onhim. He thensearched for

his wife’s paramour and foundhim on the island of Kauai. In-stead of killing him as most Fil-ipinos who have been cuckoldedwould do, they had a strangelycivil discussion about how theparamour had met the lawyer’swife, whether he loved her,whether she loved him, andwhether they had sex in theirconjugal bed. He even sug-gested that the paramour shouldgo and visit the lawyer’s dyingwife. As he left the paramour’svacation cottage, he kissed onthe lips the wife of the paramour.Nakaganti’ng kaunti. Many peo-ple in Hawaii were rooting for“The Descendants” which was astrong Academy Award con-

tender, but probably they did notsee “The Artist” which was amore entertaining movie and re-ally deserved the award. Truelove triumphs over illicit love.

(ATTy. Tipon has a Master of

Laws degree from Yale Law School

and a Bachelor of Laws degree

from the University of the Philip-

pines. Office: 800 Bethel St., Suite

402, Honolulu, HI 96813. Tel.

(808) 225-2645. E-Mail: filam-

law@yahoo .com. Webs i t es :

www.MilitaryandCriminalLaw.co

m, and www.ImmigrationService-

sUSA.com. Listen to the most witty,

interesting, and informative radio

program in Hawaii on KNDI at

1270, AM dial every Thursday at

7:30 a.m., rebroadcast at

www.iluko.com.)

Adultery, Immigration and the AcademyAwards

HaWaii-Filipino neWS

Care Home Operator GetsOne Year Prison Term NORA BELL, 46, OF EWA BEACHWAS SENTENCED TO A ONE-YEAR prison term for her part in a fi-nancial exploitation scam that cost an84-year old Oahu man more than$200,000.

Bell ran the “Classic ResidentialCare Home” on Hookele Street in Wa-ianae. The victim, who suffers from agerelated dementia, entered the carehome in 2004. Over a one-year periodbeginning in April 2007 and as the vic-tim’s dementia worsened, Bell and anaccomplice, Joel Tacras, carried out ascheme to systematically withdrawcash from the victim’s bank accountsand redeem his treasury bonds, allwithout his knowledge. By July 2008,Bell had taken nearly all of the victim’ssavings and cashed in his treasurybonds.

The case came to the Departmentof the Attorney General when certainwire transfers made by Bell caught theattention of American Savings Bank per-sonnel, where the victim held his ac-

counts. The bank notified Adult Protec-tive Services, which reported the suspi-cious activity to the Department of theAttorney General.

Bell was indicted last May andcharged with two counts of theft in thefirst degree and money laundering. Inaddition to her one-year prison term,Bell was ordered to repay the victim$135,000 and to serve five years proba-tion when released from prison.

In December 2011, Judge RichardPollack sentenced Tacras to a six-monthterm jail for his part in the scam. In ad-dition, he was sentenced to 200 hoursof community service and must repaythe victim $66,000.

“Criminals who prey on our mostvulnerable populations will be held ac-countable for their actions to the fullestextent under the law,” says AttorneyGeneral David Louie.

The case was investigated by Ter-rence Miyasato and prosecuted byDeputy Attorney General Gary Senagaof the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

marcH 10, 20128 News Edition Food & leiSure

Experiencing Tagala Cuisine

Apeople without the knowl-

edge of their past history,

origin and culture is like a

tree without roots. — MarcusGarvey

Every year, San Miguel Cor-poration invites a select group ofpeople to engage in a culinarytour. This year I was blessed tobe invited to their KulinaryaTagala Tour, a food and heritagetour that would take us throughthe provinces of Laguna, Batan-gas and Quezon.

Boarding a chartered Crys-tal Bus with familiar faces suchas chefs Ed Quimson and Rose-marie Lim, we were greeted byour tour guide Lina Decal.

Our first stop was the pictur-esque sanctuary of Patis TitoGarden Cafe, owned by no lessthan iconic designer PatisTesoro, where we were en-thralled by the indigenous Philip-

pine interiors with intri-cate details comple-mented by local faresuch as Laguna’sfamous kesongputi with pan desal, longgan-isang Laguna,and the infamousantigong adobo,where instead ofusing plain waterwhen cooking it, co-conut juice is used. Aftersuch a filling meal and seeing allthe wonderful décor, I could nothelp purchasing a handmadeback pillow from a store withinthe garden café that featured allkinds of Philippine-made prod-ucts as a souvenir to remind meof this memorable experiencelong after our tour was done.

And off we ventured into theturn-of-the-century mansions lo-

cated in Sariaya, Quezon, wherewe entered the colossal Ro-driguez house, where every cor-ner had intricate decorationsadorning them. There we werewelcomed in pure Tagalog gal-lantry by Chuchay Marasigan,the caterer for the day, with theold folks being sung and dancedto shots of fermented coconutwine, more popularly known aslambanog. Needless to say, theold stone houses took us back intime; adding to the nostalgia,costumes were made availablefor the general public to use inorder to fully experience the livesof the coco hacenderos in theheyday of the Quezon province.I opted for a Maria Clara ensem-ble, while chef Ed became thecenter of attraction as he fit thefriar costume like hand to glove.After a quick pictorial with thewhole gang decked in periodcostume, we were then usheredinto a buffet like no other, featur-ing authentic Quezon cuisinesuch as small pickled mangoescalled pajo, sinigang na hipon ina coconut shell, and the infa-mous beef minanok, which is astew cooked very much like ourtraditional tinola, but instead of

chicken, beef is used. Here, Inoticed a slight difference

in the usage of co-conut as an ingredi-

ent. While in Bicol,most fare iscooked usingrich coconutmilk, here inQuezon, coconut

juice, as well as itsmeat, is more

widely used as acondiment, making the

taste of their dishes familiarand yet diverse in texture.

After a hearty lunch, wejourneyed on to the grounds ofGraceland Estates and CountryClub, a place aptly named by theowners, who are fans of the lateElvis Presley. Here we weretreated to delicious dishes likethe Doña Aurora, an egg stuffedwith minced seasoned pork andcoated with more egg. It isnamed after President ManuelQuezon’s wife Doña Aurora be-cause it was claimed to be herfavorite.

The second one was a vari-ation on meatloaf called har-dinera, where it is garnished withcolorful vegetables to make itlook like it’s resting on a lushgarden. After a demonstration ofhow their famous Pansit Habhabis made, it was good to knowthat Pansit Habhab and PansitLucban are one and the same:it’s just that Pansit Lucban isserved on a plate rather thanbeing wrapped in a leaf.

After dinner our tour guideexplained to us how muchthought is behind all the intricatepresentation. We relived the glo-rious past of Quezon in theTagayan ritual, a practice with itsfair share of negative publicity.Unknown to most people — my-self included — a tanggero is theman who pours out the la-banong, a fermented liquor de-rived from tuba, or coconutnectar, which must be harvestedin the morning, making it sweetwith a distinctive fermentedtaste. I discovered that a tang-gero must first and foremost bea man of good repute, oneknown to be fair and wise as wellas accurate, since he wouldneed this crucial skill if he was topour this precious liquid, store itin a glass jug, and balance itover his shoulder in order to dis-pense it skillfully. He has tomake sure that he swings it justenough just to fill a cupita with-out any spillage; once perfected,this skill would earn a man re-spec t and renown in the

Tagayan ritual. Back in the day atanggero was not merely a bar-tender; in fact, a tanggero wouldeven have command over whowithin the circle got to drink first,meaning it would be the gentle-man to his left or to his right, set-ting the rotation of the drinkeither clockwise or counter-clockwise. At special occasions,he would have to become an ar-biter that would serve as a go-between two feuding parties;with his position as the tanggerohe would have the authority tosettle domestic disputes andmisunderstandings among themen in his community. and yetthis tradition is on the brink of ex-tinction, owing to the fact thatmost tanggeros are in their twi-light years and the young are notso easily fascinated with theirartistry.

After this enchantedevening we were shuttled off toCalle Budin, where every nativedelicacy local to the Quezonprovince is yours for the taking(for a price, of course), to bringhome to your loved ones. Ourtour then took us to a roadpaved by the artist known asUgu Bigyan, a former bankerwho has found his calling in pot-tery, where aside from the stun-ning architecture of theproperty, his contemporary andpractical works of art are seenin the various pottery productsavailable in his store. The cui-sine is uniquely profound aswell. Take, for example, thepako salad — his own concoc-tion was remarkably succulent,the secret of which, he divulges,is really quite simple: he insistson buying the freshest ingredi-ents on his daily trips to themarket. Locally available pro-duce as well as traditional andsimple ways of preparing themare the keys to making his fla-vorful life more tangible throughfood as well.

My gratitude goes out toSan Miguel Corporation for giv-ing us this memorable tour. Ilearned and experienced somany things in this culinary ad-venture that it is not enough tosay that the Philippines — in mybird’s-eye view of threeprovinces alone — is beautiful.Rather I am amazed by all themagnificent things that surroundus and, just like the dying tradi-tions of Tagay and ancestralrecipes, it would be great to takea slice of life from our own coun-try and explore all the beautifult h i n g s  i t  h a s  t o  o f f e r .(www.philstar.com)

a TasTe OF liFe by Heny sisOn

Calamares with sweet chili sauce

The author HenySison (right) withchefs Rosemarie

Lim and EdQuimson at the

Rodriguez housein Sariaya,

Quezon.

The pancit buko at Patis Tito GardenCafé in Laguna

marcH 10, 2012 9News EditionpHilippine neWS

MANILA, Philippines - TWOMEMBERS OF THE HOUSEOF REPRESENTATIvESHAvE FILED similar billsseeking to increase the salariesof public school teachers.

Aurora Rep. Juan EdgardoAngara, chairman of the Housecommitee on higher and techni-cal education, filed House Bill397, which calls for the publicschool teachers' exemption fromthe coverage of Repuclic Act6758 or the Salaray Standardi-zation Law and an upgrade ofthe teachers' salary level.

"Poorly paid mentors do notequate to quality education,"said Angara, adding that theteachers' salary grade levelsmust be increased "to a scalethat will allow them to cope withthe rising cost of living."

The House leadership saidthat the committee on Basic Ed-ucation chaired by SorsogonRep. Salvador Escudero III hasreferred the measure to stake-holders, including the Depart-m e n t  o f  B u d g e t  a n dManagement (DBM), to thresh

out any implications related tothe funding requirement for theupgrade of the teachers’salaries.

"The Escudero committeeis now just awaiting the neces-sary comments and sugges-tions that may be incorporatedin the bill, especially from theDBM," Angara said.

The lawmaker said thatteachers with proper employ-ment documents in the govern-ment service, with a Bachelor'sDegree in Education and thathave passed the ProfessionalBoard Examinations for Teach-ers are considered eligible to becovered by the proposed ex-emption

Laguna Rep. Maria EvitaArago, meanwhile, filed HouseBill 5787, which proposes to up-grade the present minimumsalary grade level of teachers inpublic elementary and second-ary schools from Grade 10 toGrade 15, which is equivalent toa P25,000 monthly salary.

Arago said that the currentstarting salary grade, equivalentto P15,948, is "insufficient andnot competitive with those who

attained similar training andabilities. It is also hardly suffi-cient to afford teachers thestandard of life commensurateto their skzzills and stature."

Arago, a vice chairpersonof the House Committee on Ap-propriations, said their low

monthly pay have forced manyteachers to work abroad.

She said public schoolteachers are indispensable in-struments and one of the back-bones in the formation of theyouth and in nation building."Article XIV of the Constitution

provides that the State shall as-sign budgetary priority to edu-cation and ensure that teachingwill attract and retain its rightfulshare of the best available tal-ents through adequate remu-neration and other means of jobsatisfaction and fulfillment."

Lawmakers Propose Higher Monthly Pay for PublicSchool Teachers from www.philstar.comTuesday, March 6, 2012

DepEd to Start Mother TongueLearning in June

MANILA, Philippines - TheDepartment of Education will beusing 12 major local languagesas media of instruction whenclasses begin in June as part ofits Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education (MTB-MLE)program.

"We are institutionalizing theteaching of MTB-MLE as one ofthe subjects from Grade 1 toGrade 3 and as the medium ofinstruction from kinder to Grade3," Education Secretary ArminLuistro said.

Studies have shown thatusing the language used at home,or the mother tongue, inside theclassroom during the learners’early years of schooling producebetter and faster learners who caneasily learn a second (Filipino)

and third language (English).The 12 major languages are

Tagalog, Kapampangan, Pan-gasinense, Iloko, Bikol, Cebuano,Hiligaynon, Waray, Tausug,Maguindanaoan, Maranao, andChavacano.

Based on DepEd Order No.16, the MTB-MLE will be imple-mented in two modules - as alearning/subject area; and asmedium of instruction.

The mother tongue as asubject will focus on the devel-opment of reading and speakingfrom Grades 1 to 3.

As medium of instruction themother tongue will be used in alllearning areas from kinder toGrade 3 except in the teachingof Filipino and English subjects.

Filipino will be introduced in

the first semester of Grade 1 fororal fluency (speaking). It willalso be taught for reading andwriting in the second semesterof Grade 1.

The four other major skills,which are listening, speaking,reading and writing in Filipino willcontinuously be developed fromGrades 2 to 6.

English as a subject will beintroduced in the second se-mester of Grade 1 while readingand writing in English will start inthe first semester of Grade 2.

At present, there are 921schools which have been pioneer-ing the MTB-MLE including thechildren of indigenous peoples.

DepEd has organized ateam of MTB-MLE trainers foreach region composed of edu-c a t i o n - s u p e r v i s o r s .(www.philstar.com)

marcH 10, 201210 News Edition pHilippine neWS

MANILA, Philippines - THE MILITARYAND THE POLICE ARE LOYAL totheir commander-in-chief and rumors ofpower grab through coup “are all noise,”Malacañang said yesterday.

“Our belief is that it’s all noise. We arenot bothered by any rumors of a coup. TheAFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) hasalready issued a statement to that effect –that it is a professional organization,” Pres-idential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.“We are 101 percent confident of the AFP’sloyalty to the President. The rank and filerecognizes the efforts made by the admin-istration,” Lacierda stressed.

He added President Aquino has “reg-ular meetings” with AFP and PNP (Philip-pine National Police) officials who haveassured him that there is no plot to unseathim.

He added that the Aquino administra-tion has been responsive to the needs ofsoldiers and policemen and that there is noreason for them to feel disgruntled.

“How can it be successful? Assum-ing, for the sake of argument, if there isone, when the President has launched hisseveral programs for the benefit of thesoldiers and the policemen. We’ve got thehousing programs going on,” Lacierdapointed out.

“We have increased the combat payof the soldiers and we are providing hous-ing benefits not only for the soldiers. Weare extending the housing benefits to alsothe PNP, also to the Bureau of Fire Pro-tection personnel and will extend to be-yond Luzon. This year we extend it toVisayas and Mindanao,” he said.

“All these programs necessary to en-sure the benefits of those who are pro-tecting and serving us are being ensuredby the President in his various programstowards the AFP and the PNP,” Lacierdapointed out.

He added it would be up to Sen. An-tonio Trillanes IV to prove his allegationthat some retired senior officers associatedwith the previous Arroyo administrationwere recruiting forces for an operation tooust Aquino.

“We will leave it with him. We are notbothered by this coup rumors so the econ-omy is not bothered by it,” Lacierda said.

The other day, former constabularychief Ramon Montano disclosed that sev-eral politicians, in cahoots with retired mil-itary officials and businessmen, wereindeed plotting to oust Aquino. Montanoclaimed that members of the elite who areunhappy with Aquino’s reforms are be-hind the supposed ouster plot.

Lacierda, for his part, suggested thatretired military officers – whom Trillaneshad claimed were behind the plot – mightbe thinking that AFP is still under a cor-rupt administration.

“The retired officers have forgottenthat this is already a professional organi-zation. This is no longer the organizationthat they were used to. This administra-

tion is focused on improving the economy,improving the plight of its countrymen,”Lacierda said.

Administration lawmakers also dis-missed the alleged coup plot saying itwould not succeed.

“It will remain as that – just a rumor.Any plot against President Noy will nottake off because he continues to enjoywide and unprecedented support from thepeople,” Majority Leader Neptali GonzalesII said.

He said that whoever is behind therumor, “should stop his foolishness be-cause it is sending jitters to some sectorsof the business community.”

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardonesaid any coup against Aquino is unlikely tosucceed for lack of valid cause.

“Although I believe that any attempt tostate a coup will not succeed for lack of avalid cause, it is still important that this re-port is looked into,” Evardone said.

“There is no compelling confluence ofevents to warrant a coup against PNoy,”he said.

Evardone though urged the militaryleadership to look into Trillanes’ informa-tion, which he described as reliable.

He urged soldiers to be wary of the“selfish and political interests” of those try-ing to talk them into going against theAquino administration.

non issue

Muntinlupa City Rep. Rodolfo Biazon,chairman of the House committee on na-tional defense and security, said he re-ceived information in November last yearon alleged plan of some retired generalsidentified with Arroyo to agitate active offi-cers.

“I got this information as the adminis-tration’s tuwid na daan (straight path) wasin high gear and these generals were con-cerned that they might be investigated, Ididn’t publicly announce what I learned be-cause it (alleged destabilization plot) won’tprogress at all,” Biazon said.

“There’s no issue against PNoy com-ing from the soldiers. Nobody’s going tofollow them (retired generals). It’s simpleas that,” said the former AFP chief.

Biazon said one of the meetings tookplace somewhere in Batangas. Biazonhowever advised the intelligence commu-nity to continue monitoring the situation.

The Catholic Bishops Conference ofthe Philippines (CBCP) also dismissedthe coup reports against Aquino.

“Normally, I do not believe in these ru-mors. I don’t know where they came fromand what is the purpose of the report. ButI think these kinds of reports, if there areindeed such plans, we should not easilybelieve them and not to be susceptible inbelieving that there really is (a coup plot),”said CBCP president Cebu ArchbishopJose Palma.

Palma said the coup rumors wouldonly create uncertainty in the country andwould not be beneficial to the people.

Palace: Military, Police Loyalto Commander-in-Chief by marvin syWednesday, March 7, 2012

(continued on page 11)

marcH 10, 2012 11News EditionpHilippine neWS

MANILA, Philippines - THEREIS NO NEED FOR A UNI-FORM SET OF PENALTIESFOR TRAFFIC violationsunder the single ticketing systemnow being implemented acrossMetro Manila, the MetropolitanManila Development Authority(MMDA) said today.

MMDA chairman FrancisTolentino said that while the traf-fic ticket now being issued tomotorists caught violating a traf-fic rule will be honored by trafficenforcers and the Land Trans-portation Office across theMetro, the penalties do notneed to be uniform.

“Sa single ticketing, ibigsabihin honored ito sa lahat

pero hindi naman ibig sabihinpare-pareho ang penalties,” hesaid.

According to Tolentino,some cities, which host largebusiness districts such as Que-zon City, Pasig City or Makati,the penalty for traffic violations,such as those imposed for ob-struction, may be higher than inother cities.

“Pag tumirik ka sa Ayala Av-enue, mas malaki dapat angbayad mo kaysa pag tumirik kasa isang side street sa Pa-teros,” he said.

“Ang pinaguusapan dito ayyung impact kung saan ka tu-mirik. Kung tumirik ka sa Orti-gas, dapat mas malaki angbayad mo kasi mas maramikang inabala kaysa kung tu-mirik ka sa Malabon,” Tolentino

added.Tolentino added that it is

similar to paying real estatetaxes.

“Gaya ito ng bayad sa buwissa lupa. Di ba mas mataas angbayad sa Quezon City at Makatikaysa sa ibang lugar?” he said.

The new “single” traffic vio-lation tickets, called the UnifiedOrdinance Violation Receipts(UOVR) amd bear the logos ofthe MMDA, the Land Trans-portation Office (LTO) and the17 Metro Manila LGUs, are de-signed to be tamper-proof andwill have several security fea-tures to prevent forgery.

Tolentino said with the useof the UOVR, a motorist whogets apprehended for a trafficviolation and gets his driver’s li-cense confiscated, can use the

single traffic violation ticket astemporary license. Should themotorist be flagged down in an-other city, he will no longer beissued another traffic violationticket for driving without a li-cense upon presentation of hisUOVR.

Tolentino however said thatthe UOVR is valid only for a sin-gle common offense. Should amotorist be issued an UOVR inone city for speeding, he couldbe issued another UOVR for

committing another violation,such as beating the red light, inanother city.

At present, a motorist canpay the penalty and redeem hislicense at the traffic office in thecity where he was appre-hended.

“We are still working on theinter-connectivity of settling thefines. Our concern now is to im-plement this single ticketingsystem,” said Dorotan.

The MMDA said the UOVRis also recognized by traffic en-forcers of the LTO.

No Need for Uniform Traffic Fines - MMDA

MANILA, Philippines - FOR-MER SECURITIES ANDExCHANGE COMMISSIONCHIEF PERFECTO YASAY,now vice chairman of Banco Fil-ipino, urged the Senate to ex-pand the investigation on thealleged leak of bank documentsfrom the Bangko Sentral ngPilipinas (BSP), which couldhave led to the closure of BancoFilipino.

“I request the Senate to ex-pand the probe on BSP officialswith respect to leaks of confiden-tial information related to secrecyof bank deposits to include thematters of Banco Filipino,” he toldreporters during the media forumat the Rembrandt Hotel in Que-zon City over the weekend.

Yasay said that BSP officialsat the height of the Banco Fil-ipino controversy had leaked tothe media information that led toclosure of the bank.

He said the Senate probeshould also include officials ofthe monetary board and thePhilippine Deposit and Insur-ance Corp. who allegedly con-nived to fast-track the closure ofthe bank on March 17, 2011.

Yasay said the BSP has an-nounced that the decision ofCourt of Appeals to reopenBanco Filipino is already moot.

He said because of the ex-traordinary power of the BSP,the central bank has denied theshuttered bank of their right toproperty because bank assetswere being sold to favored con-stituents at a bargain.

Senate Urged to Expand Probeon BSP Documents Leakage by perseus ecHiminaDaMonday, March 5, 2012

by mike FrialDeTuesday, March 6, 2012

“Such practice amounts tograbbing of valuable land andother assets in violation of theconstitutional protection depriv-ing anyone of their rights toproperty without due process,”Yasay said.

He said the Senate probe inaid of legislation could result tothe clipping of powers of the BSPparticularly on the illegal closureof banks. (www.philstar.com)

suBsTAnTiATe reporTs

AFP spokesman Col. Ar-nulfo Burgos, on the other hand,called for more informationabout the reports of a coup plot.

“My appeal for those whoprovided the information is tosubstantiate this report so thatthis would help the concernedagencies in further promotingpeace and stability in our coun-try,” he said. Burgos also askedMontano to name the soldiers al-legedly behind the supposedouster plot so they could be in-vestigated.

Burgos maintained the mili-tary would always follow thechain of command and wouldnot join any ouster plots.

Former President Fidel

Ramos said that instead of wor-rying about the coup plot againstAquino, the administrationshould focus on the reported in-crease in military spending byChina.

Ramos said he is more wor-ried about the acceleration of thearms race between China andthe United States.

Ramos expressed hope thatthe aspirations of countries inthe Asia Pacific region for peaceand stability would prevail andthat no armed conflict wouldbreak out. “Because it (war) willdestroy everything we have builtup, it might even destroymankind, for what analyst call –if there is such a war – MAD,mutually assured destruction,”he said. (www.philstar.com)

(cont. from page 10; SENATE ... )

marcH 10, 201212 News Edition pHilippine neWS

Luisita Farmers Ask SC to Start Land Distribution

MANILA, Philippines - AGROUP OF FARM WORk-ERS OF THE CO-J U A N G C O - A Q U I N O -CONTROLLED HaciendaLuisita asked the SupremeCourt (SC) yesterday to executeits decision ordering the distribu-tion of the 4,915.75-hectaresugar estate in Tarlac to the ben-eficiaries.

In their motion for clarifica-tion and partial reconsideration,the farm workers said HaciendaLuisita Inc. (HLI) had not con-tested the order for land distribu-tion and only raised issues onjust compensation and stock dis-tribution option.

“Apropos of the foregoingdisquisition, the matter with re-spect to the placement or acqui-

sition of the subject land underthe CARP (ComprehensiveAgrarian Reform Program)through the compulsory or man-dated land acquisition scheme isno longer a bone of contentionso to say,” read the motion.

“Absent any question aboutthe acquisition and redistributionof the land under the CARP, thematter is therefore deemed re-solved and it can now be con-sidered executory.”

Seventeen farm workerssigned the motion, which wasfiled in the absence of a lawyer.

A bigger group of farm work-ers belonging to the Alyansa ngmga Manggagawang Bukid saAsyenda Luisita (Ambala) hasbeen regularly holding a rally infront of the SC to call for the dis-missal of HLI’s appeal.

The SC had recalled and set

aside the option granted to farmworkers to remain as stockhold-ers of HLI in a decision in Julylast year.

The justices had unani-mously agreed that the contestedland should be distributed to theoriginal 6,296 farm workers pur-suant to an order of the Presi-dential Agrarian Reform Council(PARC) in December 2005.

The SC also directed HLI topay the original farm workersmore than P1.33 billion the firmearned from the sale of 500hectares of the estate.

On appeal, HLI sought clari-fication on the amount to be paidto the farmers and asked the SCto return to the original farm work-ers the individual option tochoose whether they want to re-

main stockholders of HLI or liftthe 10-year prohibition on thesale of the awarded lands.

Through lawyer Maria Es-tela Ares, HLI said the reckoningperiod for the computation of justcompensation on the agriculturallands should be at the time ofthe taking or at least at the is-suance of the Department ofAgrarian Reform’s (DAR) noticeof coverage on Jan. 2, 2006 pur-suant to PARC’s resolution re-calling the approval of the SDP.

Alternatively, they asked theSC to leave it up to the LandBank and the DAR the determi-nation of the reckoning period,which is necessary in fixing justcompensation.

The DAR, through SolicitorGeneral Francis Jardeleza, hasyet to file its comment.(www.philstar.com)

AFP Urges Montaño to Prove Ouster Plot vs Noy

MANILA, Philippines - THEMILITARY YESTERDAYURGED FORMER CON-STABULARY CHIEF RamonMontano to substantiate hisclaim that those who want tooust President Aquino have al-lies in the military and other sec-tors.

“My appeal for those whoprovided the information (aboutthe supposed ouster plot) is tosubstantiate this report so thatthis would help the concernedagencies in further promotingpeace and stability in our coun-try,” said Armed Forces of thePhilippines (AFP) spokesman

Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr.He also asked Montano to

name the soldiers allegedly be-hind the supposed ouster plot sothey could be investigated.

Burgos maintained that themilitary would always follow thechain of command and wouldnot join any ouster plots.

“Ever since, there is no truth(to the claim) that there is abrewing (ouster) plot within themilitary organization,” the mili-tary spokesman said.

“I can assure (the public)that the Armed Forces of thePhilippines is a professional or-ganization and is solidly behindthe leadership of the President,”he added.

Montano had earlier saidthat members of the elite whoare unhappy with Aquino’s re-forms are behind the supposedouster plot against him.

While Aquino himself re-vealed the supposed ouster plotagainst him, Montano said thereports were orchestrated bycorrupt persons and their allies.

“P-Noy ouster reports areorchestrated by political/eco-nomic (groups) who are ex-tremely unhappy with the

unwavering, straight narrow pathP-Noy is pursuing,” the retiredmajor general said.

“Their (elite) allies in the mil-itary, in the criminal justice sys-tem, in the courts, in civicorganizations, in media and inalmost the whole gamut of soci-ety are now reacting vigorouslyagainst a President who is de-termined to fight this culture ofcorruption,’’ he added.

Last week, Aquino claimedthat those opposed to his re-forms want him out before histerm ends so they could con-tinue their corrupt ways.

But retired Lingayen-Dagu-pan Archbishop Oscar Cruz yes-terday doubted the claims ofAquino that he has been receiv-ing death threats as well an al-leged ouster plot.

“If someone is angry withhim, I don’t think it would reachthe point that they would havehim killed. I think that is too

much to ask because he is notthe real enemy, the real enemyis his incompetence,” Cruz toldthe Church-run Radio Veritas.

He wondered why peoplewould exert effort to assassinatethe President.

“Only those who are verygood and really competent aretargets of assassination plots,”he added.

The prelate issued the state-ment after Aquino admitted thatthere are those who wanted himout of office to stop his adminis-tration’s efforts to run after thosewho committed wrongdoings inthe past.

After news about the al-leged plot to kill the Presidentspread, some 200 lawmakerssigned a resolution urging theDepartment of Budget andManagement (DBM) to pur-c h a s e  a  b u l l e t p r o o f  a n dbombproof vehicle for Aquino.(www.philstar.com)

by edu pUnayTuesday, March 6, 2012

by alexis rOmerOTuesday, March 6, 2012

'Closure of Consular Offices Not toAffect Diplomatic Ties' MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) -THE GOvERNMENT AS-SURED TODAY THAT THECLOSING DOWN of the coun-try's Consular offices in selectedcountries will not affect its diplo-matic relations with them.

Presidential SpokespersonEdwin Lacierda, in a news brief-ing, said that the Department ofForeign Affairs (DFA) has to shutdown some of its offices abroadbecause of the Aquino govern-ment's austerity measures andlow activities at these offices.

"There will be no effect,closing down of Consular officesis internal to us, so there is no ef-fect on them (concerned coun-tries) , as long as we havepresence there...we have diplo-matic relations. The diplomaticrelations is not diminished by thecutting down of Consular officesin their countries," he said.

Lacierda made it clear thatdespite the closure of the Con-sular offices, the government willstill prioritize its efforts on at-tending to the overseas Filipino

workers' (OFW's) concerns inforeign lands, and "we're goingto have more mobile consular of-ficials" in areas with a large num-ber of Filipino overseas workers.

The DFA has said that 10foreign service posts will beclosed down this year, which in-clude Philippine Consular Of-fices in Koror in Palau; Caracasin Venezuela; Barcelona inSpain; Stockholm in Sweden; inDublin, Ireland; Frankfurt, Ger-many; Havana, Cuba; Saipan;Bucharest, Romania andH e l s i n k i  i n  F i n l a n d .(www.philstar.com)

Ret. Gen. Ramon Montaño

marcH 10, 2012 13News Edition

by reuben s.segUriTan

Because of the visa back-log, it is common for alawful permanent resident

(LPR) parent, usually after livingin the U.S. for five years, to be-come a naturalized citizen whilea child waits for a visa on thebasis of an approved secondpreference petition.

Being placed under removalproceedings is probably one ofthe hardest things that any immi-grant might have to experience inthe United States. However, evenat this stage several types of re-lief are available to prevent an in-dividual’s deportation.

Some remedies, for exam-ple, adjustment of status, can-cellation of removal, or asylum

and withholding of removal, ei-ther grant or offer a path to per-manent residence. If therespondent alien is not eligiblefor these forms of relief, heshould certainly consider otheroptions before he loses all hopeand gives up.

Deferred action is one ofthe remedies available to analien under deportation which isgranted for humanitarian rea-sons. It is a form of reliefgranted not by the judge but inthe exercise of prosecutorialdiscretion by the district directorwith the approval of the regionalcommissioner.

The alien must demonstratethat his removal is not a priorityof the government. Some of thefactors to be considered includethe likelihood of ultimately re-moving the alien; the presenceof sympathetic factors; likelihoodof a large amount of adversepublicity because of those sym-pathetic factors; the alien’s con-tinued presence is desired bylaw enforcement for an ongoing

investigation or review; andwhether the alien is a member ofa class that is a high enforce-ment priority.

A grant of deferred actionmeans that the governmentwould not take steps to removethe alien from the UnitedStates. He becomes eligible foremployment authorization in themeantime. However, deferredaction is only a temporary stayof removal and does not conferany positive immigration status.

Another type of relief thatmay be available is voluntarydeparture. This allows an alienwho would otherwise be de-ported to leave the U.S. at hisown expense but within the timeperiod ordered by the judge,which can be as long as 120days if requested at the begin-ning of the proceedings.

An alien who is ordered re-moved may be barred fromreentering the U.S. for at leastseveral years, but one who vol-untarily departs is not subject tothe penalties of removal. Volun-

tary departure may be re-quested before or at the mastercalendar hearing, after the indi-vidual hearing, or at the conclu-sion of the proceedings.

If the alien has a matterpending with the USCIS, typi-cally an I-130, I-140 or I-360 pe-tition, the judge may order anadministrative closure of the re-moval proceedings. This is toallow the USCIS to adjudicatethe petition since the judgedoes not have jurisdiction overit. If the petition is approved byUSCIS, the alien may apply forpermanent resident status be-fore the immigration judge.

A little-known type of relief,perhaps because it is rarely re-sorted to, is the private bill. It in-volves convincing a U.S.Senator or Representative tosponsor a bill providing one withpermanent residence, andthereafter to have that billpassed in both houses of Con-gress and then signed by thePresident. As one can imagine,getting a private bill passed is

nothing short of a miracle, butmiracles do happen: in the108th Congress, three privatebills were passed.

The rules of both housesrequire the alien to establishparticularly compelling circum-stances and hardship. Even themere sponsorship of a bill by amember of Congress alreadygives the alien relief. This iswhat happened to one of ourclients years ago. The pen-dency of the private bill enabledhim to remain in the U.S. untilhe obtained his employment-based green card.

Deferred enforced depar-ture (DED) is a relief given tonationals of certain countries asdetermined by the President inhis power to conduct foreign re-lations. If an alien is coveredand is eligible for a DED, his re-moval is temporarily stayed andhe may get employment author-ization and advance parole.

REUBEN S. SEGURITAN has been prac-

ticing law for over 30 years. For further in-

formation, you may call him at (212) 695

5281 or log on to his website at www.seguri-

tan.com

Deportation Remedies

legal noteS

mainland neWS

Officials in US State Charge for Counterfeiting from www.philstar.comSaturday, March 3, 2012

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) —TWO GROUPS OPERATING

PRIMARILY OUT OF CHINA

smuggled counterfeit UGGboots, fake designer handbags,cigarettes and other items worthmore than $300 million to theU.S. in a ring that's one of thelargest such scams ever uncov-ered, federal officials said Fri-day.

Twenty-nine people werecharged in the operation, whichinvolved sneaking goodsthrough the busy Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal asfederal agents secretlywatched, authorities said.

"The cost of counterfeitgoods is not limited to the mas-sive financial harm it causes toAmerican businesses and con-sumers," U.S. Attorney PaulFishman said at a news confer-ence. "The same channels andcriminal networks that allow theentry of these goods providesthe opportunity for the importa-tion of other materials thatthreaten our health and safety."

Aside from UGG boots andcigarettes, the groups are ac-cused of smuggling counterfeitNike sneakers; fake Burberry,Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Coach

handbags; and other clothingitems. Three defendants arealso charged with conspiring toimport 50 kilograms of crystalmethamphetamine.

Twenty-five people, mostlyin the New York-New Jersey re-gion, were arrested by Fridaynight and the others were beingsought, Fishman said. Some ofthe defendants were scheduledto make initial court appear-ances in Newark on Friday af-ternoon.

The defendants face asmorgasbord of charges includ-ing conspiracy, trafficking incounterfeit goods, evading fi-nancial reporting requirements,money laundering and import-ing methamphetamine. Thedrug charges carry maximum

penalties of lifein prison.

Accord ingto indictmentsunsealed Fri-day, the coun-terfeit itemswere manufac-tured in China,then shipped tothe U.S. inboxes that weredeliberately mis-labeled to keep

shipping costs down. Thegoods came through the PortNewark-Elizabeth Marine Ter-minal, the busiest port on theEast Coast.

From there, the goods were

taken to warehouses in the areawhere co-conspirators wouldremove generic outer labels toexpose the counterfeit brandname labels, according to theindictment. The goods werethen sold to wholesale and re-tail outlets.

A tip received by Immigra-tion and Customs Enforcementin northern Virginia led to an un-dercover effort that ultimatelyled to the arrests.

According to the U.S. attor-ney's office, federal agents setup a shipping company thatpresented itself as having con-nections at the New Jersey portto help the smuggling scheme.The conspirators allegedly paid

more than $900,000 to the fic-tional company between August2008 and February 2012.

Authorities say a key playerwas Ning Guo, who allegedlyserved as a nexus between thetwo smuggling groups. Nick-named "The Beijing Kid," Guo isportrayed in the indictments ashaving his hand in smuggling,warehousing and distributingthe counterfeit goods. The Chi-nese citizen, who resides inCanada, faces conspiracy,counterfeit goods trafficking andmoney laundering charges.Guo was arrested and made aninitial appearance in federalcourt in Newark on Friday. Heremained in custody.

marcH 10, 201214 News Edition mainland neWS

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Xin-hua) - THE INTERNATIONALMONETARY FUND said Mon-day that despite global uncer-tainty, overall macroeconomicconditions for the Philippineshave held steady.

"The outlook for the nearterm is broadly favorable, butsubject to significant externalrisks," the Washington-basedglobal lender said in a report re-leased after its consultation withPhilippine authorities.

"In this context, the key pol-icy challenge is to safeguardmacroeconomic stability whilebuilding the foundations forstronger and more inclusivegrowth over the medium term,"the report noted.

The IMF lauded Philippineeconomic policies, saying pru-

dent policies have underpinneda strong recovery and supportedconfidence.

Philippine monetary policy is"appropriately supportive" ofeconomic activity and inflation is"firmly in the middle of the targetrange", the IMF said, adding thatthe fiscal policy is "appropriatelyfocused" on supporting growth inthe near term while aiming forconsolidation over the mediumterm.

The lender expressed sup-port for the Philippine centralbank's policy of allowing orderlyadjustments of the exchangerate to market pressures.

The IMF expected the Philip-pine economy to expand by 4.2percent this year and 4.7 percentin 2013. (www.philstar.com)

Domestic Workersin Singapore to GetWeekly Day of RestTHE DECISION BY SINGA-

PORE’S MANPOWER MIN-

ISTRY to grant foreigndomestic workers a weekly restday is an important reform butstill falls short of internationalstandards, according to officialsfrom Human Rights Watch.

The changes take effectonly for new contracts begin-ning in January 2013 and do notaddress the exclusion of do-mestic workers from other keylabor protections in Singapore’sEmployment Act.

“The Singaporean govern-ment’s recognition of a weekly

rest day as a basic labor right willmake the lives of migrant domes-tic workers better,” says NishaVaria, senior women’s rights re-searcher at Human RightsWatch. “But this important reformshould go into effect this year andapply to all domestic workers andtheir current contracts.”

Manpower Minister TanChuan-Jin says employers willbe able to give a domesticworker monetary compensationin lieu of a rest day with the do-mestic worker’s permission. Butgiven the imbalance of power

IMF Sees PositiveSigns for PHL AmidGlobal Gloom

The Fab and Fashionable Filipinoby cynthia De casTrOAJPress Los Angeles

THE 11TH ANNUAL MIAMIFASHION WEEk (MFW) washeld last March 19-22,2009 inMiami Florida. More than 10,000designers, buyers, models,celebrities, VIPs, fashion afi-cionados and fashion mediafrom around the world took partin what they said was the mostglobally diverse Miami FashionWeek ever. During the pasteleven years, MFW has evolvedinto one of the world’s premierfashion events spotlighting de-signers from Europe, USA andCanada , the Caribbean, MiddleEast and Asia as well as thelargest showcase of Latin Amer-ican design talent in the world.The star-studded event featuredpersonal appearances by 60 de-signers from all four corners ofthe globe. And among the hand-ful of designers who took homethe coveted Miami Moda andMusic Awards was Filipino de-signer Furne Oné who receivedthe Designer Choice Award.

A Cebuano who has beenbased in Dubai for more than 10years now, Furne (short for Fer-nando) One studied Bachelor ofFine Arts at the University of SanCarlos in Cebu, Philippines .

While in Los Angeles afterthe Miami Fashion Week, FurneOné graciously accepted the in-vitation from Asian Journal for anexclusive interview, before he

goes back to Dubai . "It was myfirst time to join the Miami Fash-ion Week. You see, you can’tjust come and join the competi-tion. You have to be invited,"Furne explained to Asian Jour-nal. "But the organizers of theevent went to Dubai and at-tended the Dubai Fashion Fiestawhere I participated. They likedmy collection and invited me tojoin the MFW. And I’m so happyI did," said Furne who never ex-pected to come home with theDesigner’s Choice Award.Furne’s collections turned out tobe the most anticipated show inthe competition and the judgesfound Furne’s collections "origi-nal and nice".

Describing his 39-piece col-lection, Furne said, "It is a fusionof styles from the East and theWest. The clothes are fun, flirty,very ready-to-wear for parties.The gowns are lacy and

Furne Oné shows his portfolio duringan interview with Asian JournalAJPress Photo by Miko Santos

adorned with colorful Swarovskijewels which reflect the vibrancyof the city of Miami ."

A favorite designer of therich and famous in Dubai andsurrounding Arabic cities, FurneOne revealed that he started toentertain the idea of designingclothes when he was ten yearsold. "My grandmother andmother were both fashionistas.They loved to wear beautifulclothes. Looking at them, I wouldsketch designs and I keptsketching as I grew older. Unfor-tunately, when I went to collegein Cebu , there was no courseon Fashion Design yet. So I tookup Fine Arts," he recalled.

In 1994, Furne joined the1st Mega Magazine Young De-signers Competition and he gotthe top prize. The judges werebig names in the global fashionindustry like Filipina fashion de-signer Josie Natori, CEO andfounder of New York-based TheNatori Company, and StephenGan, co-founder of the fashionand art magazine,Visionaire.

The prize was a trip to Pariswhere Furne trained for a while.Then, Josie Natori invited Furneto New York where he worked asan apprentice in The NatoriCompany.

Upon his return to Cebu,Furne joined another fashioncompetition, sponsored by thegovernment, where he onceagain got the top prize – a trip to

Japan . While in Japan , Furne’scollections won for him the cov-eted Japan ’s Women’s WearAward.

After his stint in Japan ,Furne knew he wanted to bebased abroad. The question waswhere. "I initially thought of NewYork since I’ve been there. Then,a friend suggested Dubai . Ithought hard about it and real-ized that in Paris and in NewYork , there are many good fash-ion designers and the competi-tion was going to be tough. So, Itried out Dubai. And I liked itthere. It’s a melting pot of races;in fact, there are more expatsthere than locals – lots of Euro-

peans. It’s also an open city; notas strict as other Arabic cities,"shared Furne.

In Dubai , Furne startedworking for a company, design-ing and making clothes forwealthy Arabic women who lovegoing to parties and weddings.After a few years, he was able toestablish a loyal circle of clien-tele which encouraged him tomove on with a fashion house ofhis own. "I wanted to concen-trate on designing so I partneredwith someone who will take careof the management/businessside. And that’s Rashid Ali. Hiscompany was one of my suppli-ers for fabrics," said Furne.

(continued on page 15)

gloBal neWS

marcH 10, 2012 15News Edition

Business direCtory

(AP) - STOCkS SUFFEREDTHEIR BIGGEST LOSSES OFTHE YEAR yesterday as a sell-offspread west from Europe ahead of acritical deadline in the Greek debt cri-sis. The Dow Jones industrial averagefell more than 200 points.

The Dow has not closed downmore than 100 points this year, and itsbiggest one-day decline had been 159points, on Jan. 13. It fell sharply fromthe opening bell yesterday and wasdown as much as 208.

Just before 1 p.m. EST, the Dowwas down 199 points, or 1.5 percent,at 12,763. The Standard & Poor's 500index was down 20 points at 1,344,and the Nasdaq composite index wasdown 43 points at 2,908.

Stocks fell more than 3 percent inGermany, Spain and France, and 1.9percent in Britain. Thursday is thedeadline for private investors to signup to swap their Greek governmentbonds for replacements with a lowerface value and interest rate.

Major banks and investmentfunds have signed on for the swap,but it remains unclear whether hedgefunds, which had already bought thebonds at a steep discount and mayprofit from bond insurance payouts ifGreece defaults, will agree.

The swap is vital for Greece to cutits debt and get a bailout of €130 bil-lion, or $172 billion, from other coun-tries and the International MonetaryFund. Without the bailout, Greece

could default on its debt later thismonth and rattle markets around theworld.

In the US, worries about Greececome on top of concerns about a re-cession in Europe and slowing eco-nomic growth in China. Someinvestors also believe the rally in USstocks this year — the Standard &Poor's 500 is up almost 7 percent —has come too far too fast.

The Dow has not closed down100 points in 45 straight trading ses-sions, the longest streak since 2006.On yesterday, all but one of the 30stocks that make up the average, KraftFoods, declined as the Dow appearedready to break the streak.

Caterpillar, which makes heavyequipment and depends heavily onChina for profits, fell 4.2 percent, theworst of the Dow 30. All 10 industrygroups in the S&P 500 were lower,with materials stocks and banks lead-ing the decline.

Bill Stone, chief investment strate-gist for PNC Wealth Management,called yesterday's decline "fairly ra-tional," considering how much themarket has climbed and the economicworries in Greece and the rest of Eu-rope.

"You need the pullback to givepeople opportunities to want to get in-volved again," Stone said.

Oil prices slipped $1.71 to$105.01 per barrel on the New YorkMercantile Exchange. New York crude

has risen from $96 last month amidfears of a disruption in global oil sup-plies driven by the potential for militaryconflict with Iran.

The price of gold fell $36 perounce, or 2.1 percent, to $1,668 perounce. Silver, platinum and copper allfell more than 2 percent, because ofconcerns about Europe and weakereconomic demand in China.

"Global growth fears now are hit-ting home, and we're seeing sellingacross the board," said Matt Zeman, amarket analyst for Kingsview Finan-cial.

Yields on US government debtalso fell as investors moved theirmoney into what they perceive to be asafer asset. The yield on the bench-mark 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.94percent from 2.01 percent late Mon-day. Bond yields fall when their pricesrise.

Among stocks making big moves:— Weight loss company Nutrisys-

tem Inc. fell 11 percent after it reporteda bigger-than-expected fourth-quarterloss and a disappointing outlook.

— General Motors fell 5.5 percentafter saying it will pay €304 million, or$402 million, for a 7 percent stake inPeugeot, which will make it the Frenchcarmaker's second-largest share-holder after the Peugeot family.

— VeriFone Systems Inc. rose 5.4percent after the maker of electronicpayment systems predicted a bigger-than-expected 2012 profit.

— Apple fell 1.1 percent one daybefore the expected release of its iPad3 tablet computer. (www.philstar.com)

Community Calendar

between employers and domesticworkers, there is significant risk ofabuse that employers may coerceworkers to sign away their day of rest,Human Rights Watch says.

Families in Singapore employapproximately 206,000 foreign do-mestic workers, primarily from In-donesia, the Philippines, Sri Lankaand India. Many of these workerslabor long hours seven days a week,turn over several months of pay tosettle charges imposed by employ-ment agencies and face restrictionson leaving the workplace even duringtheir time off. Varia is urging the gov-ernment to close the monetary loop-hole and ensure that domesticworkers will get a minimum numberof rest days.

Singapore has introduced re-forms in recent years to improve the

conditions of foreign domestic work-ers, including mandatory orientationprograms and stronger regulation ofemployment agencies. State prose-cutors have also been increasinglyvigilant in prosecuting employers re-sponsible for physically abusing do-mestic workers, resulting in fines andprison terms.

However, Singapore’s labor pro-tections still lag behind those of othermigrant-receiving countries, includingHong Kong, which covers domesticworkers in its main labor laws. Singa-pore’s protections also fall short of thestandards set by the InternationalLabor Organization’s (ILO) Conven-tion No. 189 on Decent Work for Do-mestic Workers, adopted in June2011.

The ILO Convention establishesthe first global standards for the esti-mated 50 million to 100 million do-

mestic workers worldwide. Key ele-ments of the convention require gov-ernments to provide domesticworkers with labor protections equiv-alent to those of other workers, in-cluding for working hours, minimumwage coverage, overtime compensa-tion, daily and weekly rest periods,social security and maternity protec-tion. Singapore was one of only ninecountries that did not support adop-tion of the convention.

“Singapore’s reforms are only afraction of the change needed to pro-tect women workers, who are toooften undervalued and overworked,”Varia says. “Singapore should joincountries around the world that haverecognized the injustice of discrimi-nation against domestic workers andare making comprehensive reformsto guarantee them the same rights asother workers.” (www.philstar.com)

gloBal neWS

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Biggest Drop of Year for Dowas US Market Slumps

(cont. from page 14; DOMESTIC ... )

marcH 10, 201216 News Edition