man? Being a congressman and a boxer is OK. Being a senator and boxer may be a little too much,” he added.

Pacquiao is running for sena-tor under the opposition party of presidential hopeful and

incumbent Vice President Je-jomar Binay. In the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations, he ranked eighth among senato-rial candidates.

If Pacquiao defeats Bradley

DESPITE Manny Pacquiao’s repeated claims that he will re-tire after his fight with Timothy Bradley this April, some observ-ers think the Filipino icon will not stay retired.

Count Freddie Roach among them.

Speaking recently to Michael Rosenthal of RingTV.com, Pac-quiao’s longtime cornerman said boxing won’t be totally out of Pacquiao’s mind even if the Sarangani congressman suc-ceeds in his senatorial bid.

“A lot depends on whether he becomes a senator or not,” said Roach.

“If he doesn’t win the senate race, what will he do? Does he go back to being a congress-

Volume 9 – Issue 19 • 16 Pages

We’ve got you covered from Hollywood to Broadway... and Online!

FEBRUARY 5-11, 2016

DATELINEUSAFROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

MANILA—The US is working closely with the government to monitor the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in the Phil-ippines and Southeast Asia.

US Ambassador Philip Goldberg said that the rhetorical support of the Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Is-lamic Freedom Fighters and Ansar al-Khalifa to ISIS might become a

danger to the country or the re-gion.

“We all have to be on guard against groups that pledge alle-giance to ISIS, that say they want involvement in the kinds of activi-ties and ideologies presented by ISIS, and we are watching that ISIS in the Philippines very closely and we need to continue to do so to make sure that whatever rhe-torical support or whatever might be happening behind the scenes

is not something that becomes a danger to the Philippines or the region,” he said.

“And I think that’s a joint com-mitment that we have, the secu-rity involving the countries of the world who are trying to defeat this scourge of terrorism, especially the one represented by this brutal group,” he added.

The world is facing terrorists us-ing social media and other means

WITH protests against his candidacy out of the way, it is now full steam ahead for presidential aspi-rant Rodrigo Duterte.

“I am now an official candidate, I will participate in presidential debates and I am prepared to debate with them,” the Davao City mayor said hours after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissed petitions seeking to disqualify him from the May elec-tions.

“I will campaign extensively and I can now accept contributions, but with certain conditions, such as the money must come from legitimate sources, and from

Comelec junks all DQ cases against Duterte

THE three-member indepen-dent bloc in the House of Rep-resentatives found President Benigno Aquino III liable for issuing a stand down order in the Mamasapano operation.

This was the finding of the in-dependent minority report on the

Jan. 25, 2015 botched anti-terror raid that resulted in the death of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) police officers after a firefight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other armed groups.

In a press conference, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez led the disclosure of the report, with the House majority yet to release

its report on the congressional investigation last year.

Romualdez said because Aqui-no did not issue any order to help the beleaguered elite police officers when they were being pinned down by Moro rebels in the cornfields of Mamasapano, Maguindanao, Aquino effectively handed a stand-down order.

House minority report on Mamasapano �nds Aquino liable for SAF men massacre

Pacquiao as �ghting senator? Roach thinks it’s still possibleLOS ANGELES —

Karl Liboro, a micro-biology major at Cal State LA, has been honored with the Howell-CSUPERB Research Scholar Award.

Liboro is one of only 12 students in the California State University system to receive the award, which funds promis-ing undergraduate research related to women’s health. The award is offered by the CSU Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB), in partnership with the Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research.

“The Howell-CSUPERB Award will give me the funding and competitive edge necessary to continue my career and to continue work-

PHILIPPINE President Benigno S. Aquino III is expected to visit Southern California on Wednesday, Feb. 17, where he will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Loyola Marymount University.

During the invitation-only event, Aquino will be honored by LMU’s president, Timothy Law Snyder.

The university has chosen to confer the de-gree on Aquino “in recognition of his dedica-tion to his country, his integrity, and his em-bodiment of a Jesuit education,” according to a statement.

Aquino, who took office as president in 2010, received a bachelor’s degree in econom-ics from Ateneo de Manila University. He has received six honorary degrees from various institutions including Fordham University in New York, University of the Philippines, Dili-man and Centro Escolar University.

The event is being co-sponsored by the School of Education’s Teach for the Philip-pines Program and the World Policy Institute at LMU.

No further details regarding Aquino’s visit, such the length of his trip and whether he will meet with the Fil-Am community in Los Angeles, have been revealed as of press time. (AJPress)

Aquino to receive honorary degree from Calif. university

NEW YORK—There are plenty of fran-chising and business opportunities in the Philippines where overseas Filipinos can invest their hard-earned money, according to Prof. Enrique Soriano III who teaches business at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business and a business adviser to many corporations all over Southeast Asia.

Soriano was in New York last week, where delivered a seminar for Filipinos who want to know more about investing in the homeland, an offshoot of some of the talks he delivered before Filipinos based overseas who desire to invest in a business in the Philippines. He also promoted his just launched second book titled “Ensuring the Family Business Legacy.”

“There is an opportunity for every bud-get,” Soriano said. “There are brands that are compelling and are worth every single penny that you invest.” He explained that

Franchising, business opportunities abound in PH

Fil-Am microbiology student receives scholar award at the 28th CSU Biotechnology Symposium

by PIA LEE-BRAGOPhilstar.com

by NANCY C. CARVAJAL AND TINA G. SANTOSInquirer.net

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by MOMAR G. VISAYAAJPress

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by DINO MARAGAYPhilstar.com

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his suggestions don’t include million dollar franchises like the top brands in the Phil-ippine fastfood industry like Jollibee and McDonald’s.

He talked about affordable business op-portunities with emerging brands starting at 500,000 peso investment (soft serve ice cream) with the maximum at five million pe-sos (convenience store).Among the brands he mentioned were Mr. Softy, Generika, Julie’s Bakeshop and Mini-Stop.

“If you’re going to invest, invest on a brand, a franchise that has a great story and a powerful value. Check the company’s track record. As it is in franchising, caveat emp-tor, or let the buyer beware,” he explained. “A lot of scams happen everywhere. They tell you it’s a good franchise but you end up with just a kiosk. The key is look at the track record. ”

The biggest question raised in every talk he has overseas is management. Most peo-ple who want to start in franchising have no

by MARC JAYSON CAYABYABInquirer.net

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

of communication to link groups and ideologies in many places, Goldberg said.

“What I’m saying is that we have to watch very closely to see if at any point something develops more than this rhetorical situation, and we are concerned that some-thing like that could happen, that’s

why we do watch it closely,” he said.

“That’s why we cooperate on counter terrorism; that’s why we share information; that’s why we work for the special forces in the Philippines,” Goldberg added.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philip-pines stands in solidarity with

other peace-loving countries in expressing deep concern on the continuing terrorist acts world-wide that indiscriminately target innocent civilians.

“Today, more than ever, the world should close ranks to ensure that terrorism is combated in all its forms and wherever they may oc-cur.” ■

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those who have no business transactions with the govern-ment,” Duterte told the Inquirer.

“The punisher will live to die another day,” a smiling Commis-sioner Christian Robert Lim re-marked in announcing the ruling of the Comelec First Division, which handled the cases against Duterte, and which he chaired. He obviously was referring to Duterte’s no-nonsense campaign to clear his city of criminals and drug lords.

In a press conference, Lim said the decision was unani-mous in denying the four peti-tions against Duterte due to lack of merit.

“He is a candidate as we speak and we are now in the process of finalizing the list of candidates,” Comelec Chair Andres Bautista said.

The consolidated cases against Duterte were filed by broad-caster Ruben Castor, UP student leader JP delas Nieves and presi-dential aspirants Ely Pamatong and Rizalito David, who both had been declared by the Com-elec as nuisance candidates and disqualified.

All four petitions princi-pally questioned the validity of Duterte’s substitution for former Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban)

standard-bearer Martin Diño, on grounds of Diño’s certificate of candidacy (COC) for President was invalid.

Diño claimed he inadvertently placed in the COC he was run-ning for mayor of Pasay City in-stead of President.

In its 50-page resolution is-sued Wednesday, the Comelec first division noted that Diño had filed a valid COC for President, which meant that Duterte had also filed a valid COC for Presi-dent as Diño’s substitute—both being PDP-Laban members.

“The Commission First Di-vision finds no material mis-representations in respondent Duterte’s COC for President, and hence, it is valid and it gives rise to a valid candidacy,” the resolu-tion said.

The division resolved to dis-miss the petition filed by Castor and Delas Nieves against Duterte for their failure to appear in the preliminary conference of their respective cases.

The decision also pointed out that Pamatong had failed to present any evidence to prove his claim that Duterte should be declared a nuisance candidate.

Bautista said the petitioners would be given five days to ap-peal the decision to the full com-mission.

Duterte, who just came from

a farmers’ forum at the Univer-sity of the Philippines, earlier said that he would not attend presidential debates until the Comelec had resolved his cases. He changed his mind after he re-ceived the news of the Comelec ruling at his national headquar-ters along Edsa in Greenhills, San Juan.

An initial survey on a Duterte candidacy commissioned by a Davao businessman and con-ducted by the Social Weather Stations showed him a presiden-tial front-runner for his efforts to transform his crime-ridden city into one of the world’s safest ur-ban centers. But after his exple-tive-laden speech at the launch of his presidential bid Nov. 30, cursing Pope Francis for causing mammoth traffic jams during his visit a year ago, Duterte’s ratings fell.

He also has a running word war with former Interior Sec-retary Mar Roxas, challenging the administration Liberal Party standard-bearer to a slapping or boxing match for disputing that Davao is one of the world’s saf-est cities.

Duterte is running on a plat-form of moving the country to-ward a federal system, wiping out criminals and drug lords, and eliminating corruption in government. ■

Comelec junks all DQ cases against...

plans of retiring from their day jobs yet.

Realizing this, Soriano created a business model which he thinks would be helpful to this type of investors.

“Engage a management team that is going to be focused and very professional, the (business) model is similar to a hotel man-agement company. It is better than assigning a relative because eight out of 10 times, your relative will be your diabolical enemy after two to three years,” Soriano said. “By outsourcing, you increase the value, there’s financial reporting and disclosure and there’s a more professional, strategic direction.”

Soriano’s talk also focused on his experiences in working with the country’s top taipans, including Andrew Tan, John Go-kongwei, Lucio Tan and George Ty. He was a Vice President at Unilab/Greenfield Corporation at the age of 29, became the chair-man of Eastwood City in 2000 when he was 32 and became the first president of Travelers Inter-national (Resorts World Manila) when he was 35.

“It’s all about creating your own success stories, similar to what some of the richest men in the country have done,” Soriano said, citing the common traits that were similar to the tycoons he worked with in the past.

Franchising, business opportunities abound...

and becomes the WBO welter-weight champion then wins the elections the following month, Roach said his ward might be prompted to defend the title even if he’s already a senator.

“I do know Manny well , though. He would love to be the senator who defended his title someday. I don’t think this [Bradley fight] is his last fight

for some reason,” the trainer continued.

“I just don’t see it because he has a lot left in him. His work ethic is still great. I’d be disap-pointed if this was his last fight. I’ve been with him a long time, we had a great run. I’ll support whatever he does,” said Roach.

Then there’s the looming pos-sibility of another meeting with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“So far he [Pacquiao] says he’s going to retire no matter what. I might be the one that hopes something happens, maybe Floyd one more time. He’d be healthy and do much better than the first time. I was very disappointed with the first fight. I know Manny can do much bet-ter than that. I would love to see that fight one more time,” added Roach. ■

Pacquiao as �ghting senator? Roach thinks…

He said that most of the busi-nessmen he worked with had al-most rags to riches stories.

“They were visionary, passion-ate and purposeful, with a tre-mendous amount of tenacity,” he said.

It was the same tenacity that drove Julie Gadionco to open her eponymous bakeshop when she was already 50 years old and the persistence and obsession of An-drew Tan to own the Fundador brand, a feat he achieved last No-vember.

Soriano also summarized the lessons he learned from them, something that he shares with his graduate school students and peo-ple who attend his seminars. ■

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House minority report on Mamasapano...t

The bloc based its report on the findings of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Board of Inquiry as well as the Senate report that found Aquino ultimately responsible for violating the police chain of com-

mand.According to the report, Aqui-

no’s actions showed that he issued a stand-down order in the deploy-ment of artillery support to the SAF commandos.

“Although unspoken, it is clear

from the actuations of the Presi-dent, the members of the Cabinet security cluster, the senior AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP officials including officers on the ground and the OPAPP (Of-

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THE World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Zika virus and its purported links to birth de-fects a global public health emer-gency.

The Zika virus, which has been found in more than 20 Latin American countries, has officials concerned about its possible link to microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with ab-normally small heads and improp-erly developed brains.

“I am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurological abnormali-ties reported in Latin America fol-lowing a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014 constitutes a public health emergency of inter-national concern,” WHO director general Margaret Chan said on Monday, Feb. 1, adding that the virus is “spreading explosively.”

Chan added that “it was strongly suspected but not yet scientifically proven” that Zika causes micro-cephaly. The organization is focus-ing on protecting pregnant women and their babies and controlling

WHO declares Zika a global health emergency

the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that are spreading the virus.

Pregnant women are advised to consider delaying travel to areas affected by the virus and to seek physician assistance if living in ar-eas affected by the virus.

In Brazil alone, there have been about 4,000 reported cases since October of last year, and could po-tentially infect 4 million people in the Americas. Health officials also said Africa and Asia are suscep-tible to the virus.

Currently, there are no vaccina-tions or medications to stop the virus.

As of press time, the first virus transmission in the US was re-ported in Dallas on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Local health officials stated that it was contracted through sexual contact, not the bite of a mosqui-to.

According to the WHO, this is the fourth time the agency has declared an international health emergency. Other cases includ-ed influenza, Ebola and polio. (AJPress)

ing on projects that will not only help improve women’s health, but the health of all individuals,” said Liboro, an Honors College student who resides in Glen-dale.

Working with his mentor, Cal State LA Professor Hyunsook Park, Liboro will conduct re-search on vulvovaginal candidia-sis, commonly known as vaginal yeast infection. The infection is primarily caused by Candida albi-cans, an opportunistic fungus. An estimated 75 percent of women will have at least one infection in their lifetime. Recurring infection can significantly affect a woman’s quality of life.

“Even though there has been strong emphasis on the impor-tance of probiotics in preventing yeast infections, there are few studies to explain how probiotic microorganisms prevent these in-

fections,” explained Liboro, who plans to pursue a career in bio-medical sciences.

Liboro’s research focuses on the mechanisms by which bacte-riocin-like peptides secreted by Lactobacillus bacteria inhibit the biofilm formation of Candida albi-cans. Park said Liboro’s research may help researchers understand the role of probiotic microorgan-isms in preventing recurring vagi-nal yeast infections.

Liboro received the CSUPERB Research Scholar Award dur-ing the 28th CSU Biotechnology Symposium, which was held at the Hyatt Regency Orange County earlier this month.

The symposium aims to make connections between innovative life science research and the im-pact it has on society, to highlight cutting-edge biotechnologies, and to inspire students for success in the global economy. ■

Fil-Am microbiology student…t

THE Iowa Caucus on Monday, Feb. 1 – the first major hurdle on the narrow road to the presidential elections – proved to be a night of political surprises. Thousands of Iowa residents gathered in vari-ous caucus sites across the state to hear candidates’ appeals and make their vote, officially starting off the nomination process for both Dem-ocrat and Republican parties.

In the crowded GOP race, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz--supported widely by evangelical Christians, and backed by vigorous campaigning in the state -- defeated real estate mogul Donald Trump in the Re-publican caucuses. Cruz won about a third of the evangelical vote, re-ported the New York Times.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Cruz had nearly 28 per-cent of the statewide vote, while Trump closely followed with 24 percent.

“Tonight is a victory for coura-geous conservatives across Iowa and all across this great nation,” Cruz said. “Tonight, the state of Iowa has spoken. Tonight is a vic-tory for the grass roots. Tonight is a victory for courageous conserva-tives all across Iowa and our great nation.”

Cruz, who has been trailing Donald Trump in recent Iowa polls, also set the record for most Iowa caucus votes received by a single candidate.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio trailed in third place, with 23.1 percent of the vote. “We are not waiting any longer to take our country back,” Rubio told his sup-

Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton victorious in Iowa Caucus

porters that night. “I will be your nominee thanks to what you have done in this great state.”

Other Republican contenders, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul re-ported low numbers.

For the Democrats, Hillary Clin-ton won by a very slim margin of victory over her opponent, Bernie Sanders. With a roughly 49.9 to 49.5 percent split, the Iowa Demo-cratic Party described the race as a “historically close caucus.”

Clinton proved victorious after the results showed the delegate gap larger than the 2.28 delegates available from the final, unre-ported Des Moines precinct, said New York Daily News. The former secretary of state has been leading every major national poll.

“I am a progressive who gets things done for people,” Clin-ton, the top pick for 45 percent of likely Democratic caucus-go-ers, said Monday. “We have to be united when it is all said and done…against a Republican vision and candidates who would drive us apart and divide us.”

Among young voters (between ages 17 and 29), Bernie Sand-ers reportedly won 84 percent of the vote (18 percent if the whole Democratic caucus electorate), to Clinton’s 14 percent. Sand-ers, a 74-year-old self-proclaimed “Democratic socialist,” has proven himself the clear choice of young people. However, among 45 to 64-year-olds and those 65 and older, Clinton is leading Sanders in the

polls.“When I think about what hap-

pened tonight, I think the people of Iowa have sent a very profound message to the political establish-ment, to the economic establish-ment and — by the way — to the media establishment,” Sanders told supporters just before mid-night, calling the Iowa race a “vir-tual tie.” “And that is that given the enormous crises facing our coun-try, it is just too late for establish-ment politics and establishment economics.”

After a dim showing in the Hawk-eye State to keep their candidacies afloat, former governors Martin O’Malley and Mike Huckabee both suspended their campaigns.

“We fought very, very hard in order to give the people a choice, and the people made their choice tonight,” said O’Malley at his rally in Des Moines, expressing grati-tude to his supporters and Iowa citizens. “We have to hold strong to the values that make us Ameri-cans.”

O’Malley, who entered the race last May but never polled high and struggled to gain traction with lib-eral voters, did not endorse a can-didate.

Huckabee’s suspension was not planned, but the extremely low turnout prompted him to step out of the race.

“He is going to continue to push for the issues he believes, but right now this is about thanking his staff and supporters and being with his friends and families and see what

THE Obama administration on Friday, Jan. 29, announced new rules aimed at ensuring equal pay for all American workers.

The proposal would require companies with more than 100 employees to annually report to the federal government how much they pay their employees with a breakdown of the employ-ees’ ethnicity, gender and race.

Friday’s announcement coin-cided with the seventh anniver-sary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill President Barack Obama signed into law when he took office in 2009. The act makes it easier for employees to challenge unequal pay.

“Women are not getting the fair shot that we believe every single American deserves,” Obama said in the proposal announcement. “What kind of example does pay-ing women less set for our sons and daughters?”

Obama’s new rules would build on an executive order he is-sued about two years ago, which required federal contractors to provide salary data for men and women.

“Social change never happens overnight,” he said. “It is a slog and there are times when you just have to chip away and chip away...It’s reliant on all of us to keep pushing that boulder up the hill.”

Jenny Yang, chairwoman of the Equal Employment Opportu-nity Commission, told The New York Times that the rules would be completed in September and reports would be due one year after.

Obama proposes new rules to advance equal payby AGNES CONSTANTE

AJPress“Too often, pay discrimina-

tion goes undetected because of a lack of accurate information about what people are paid,” Yang told the Times. “We will be using the information that we’re collecting as one piece of infor-mation that can inform our inves-tigations.”

In 2014, women earned 79 cents for every dollar a man earned, the White House report-ed. The White House Council of Economic Advisers states that the US gender wage gap is 2.5 percent higher than the average developed country.

However, Pew Research re-ported in April that it found the gender pay gap to be less than what the White House claimed. The report stated that women earn 84 percent of what men do, while the wage gap for younger women stands at 93 percent of what men are paid.

Compliance with the new rules is expected to cost each em-ployer less than $400 in the first year, according to White House estimates, and several hundred dollars per year after that.

Obama is also looking to push Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would pro-vide additional resources to women seeking to challenge pay discrimination.

“I don’t think this is an empty move,” Robyn Muncy, interim chair of women’s studies and a history professor at the Univer-sity of Maryland, said of the new pay data proposal, according to NBC News. “I think it can have a very galvanizing, conscious-rais-ing effect on people.”

Marc Benioff, chief executive of Salesforce.com, who was en-

listed by the White House to help make its case for the rules, said that although he never planned on paying women less than men, he found out his company was doing just that after two female workers raised that concern with him, according to the Times.

“We’re never going to solve this issue of pay inequality if CEOs like myself and others continue to turn a blind eye to what’s happening in their own corporations,” Benioff said in

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doors will open next,” said Hogan Gidley, a spokesman for Hucka-bee, according to CNN.

The turnout of the Iowa caucus-es was about 158,000, according to Edison Research, which con-ducted entrance polls at precincts across the state.

The caucuses determine which candidates send delegates to this year’s Republican convention in Cleveland. Nine other states will also assign delegates this way, in both party contests. While Repub-licans cast secret ballots, Demo-

crats gather in candidate affinity groups, and reshuffle if some vot-ers stood for a candidate without enough viable support in the state caucuses (for example, Martin O’Malley, who has recently trailed badly in all polls). Delegates are distributed based on the percent-age of support each candidate re-ceived, according to USA Today. The final voting results are report-ed to the state party headquarters, which then report it to media.

“Turnout is everything,” nation-al political strategist David Axel-rod told USA Today. “The race is

a tight as can be.”A win for a candidate does not

by any means spell a nomination at his or her party’s convention, but victory (or even a competitive placing) in Iowa can help build momentum for the rest of the year, said CNBC. Still, a weak result in the state could mean the begin-ning of the end for some cam-paigns, especially in the crowded GOP ticket.

New Hampshire is the next state to vote, with its primary on Tuesday, Feb. 9. (Allyson Escobar / AJPress)

Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton victorious…t

a conference call organized by the White House, noting he was spending $3 million to eliminate the pay gap at his firm, the Times reported.

Not everyone touted the White House’s pay gap logic, however. Other critics say that the metric

used by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics is not the most accurate measurement.

A new report by Payscale sug-gests that “men are simply more likely to hold higher-paying jobs, whether it’s because of the in-dustry, job type, or job level.”

Obama’s actions on pay equal-

ity have also been criticized by Republicans, who say that gender discrimination is already illegal and that extra measures are un-necessary. Additionally, the new rules would require the president to use his executive authority, for which Republicans have further criticized him. ■

Obama proposes new rules to…t

NEW YORK—Four Filipino community organizations in New York participated in the first ever fund-raising fair entitled “Proj-ect Disaster Response: Typhoon Nona” held on Sunday, Jan. 30 at the Philippine Center in New York.

The participating organiza-tions were Handang Tumulong Foundation, Inc., Volunteers from Northern Samar, Philippine Disaster Relief Foundation and Kinding Sindaw.

The one-day fair facilitated the various fund-raising and human-itarian efforts of Filipino organi-zations and groups to help the victims of Typhoon Nona by giv-ing them a venue to reach out to prospective donors. At the same time, the fair helped prospective donors to learn and be informed of the many humanitarian re-sponses to the natural disaster and make it easy for them to con-tribute their time and financial assistance.

Each participating organiza-tion was given a table at the Phil-ippine Center premises, where they displayed and distributed information materials about their organization and their humani-tarian efforts. They were also given a 20-minute segment in the program to give a presentation and invite benefactors to support their cause. The participating organizations took this time to talk about their organization and humanitarian efforts and present video clips and photos of their activities.

A number of walk-ins, many of them non-Filipinos, visited the fair and were enthusiastically entertained by the participating groups.

Founded in 2010, Handang Tumulong Foundation, Inc. (HTFI) raises funds to give im-mediate help for victims of natu-ral disasters wherever it occurs in the world, but with special focus on the Philippines. It is a non-profit, 501 (C) (3) orga-nization domiciled in New Jer-sey. To date, HTFI has donated US$188,000 to various chari-ties, parishes, schools and orga-nizations, most of them on the ground and in the forefront of helping victims and in rebuild-ing the communities devastated by either typhoons, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes.

The Volunteers from Northern Samar is an informal group of friends formed to respond to the humanitarian needs of the victims of typhoon Nona situated in the hinterland barangays in Laoang, Northern Samar that government resources had difficulty reaching. The group is led by New York-based freelance photographer Cesar Loverita, who coordinated with family members based in Northern Samar for the purchase and distribution of relief goods to the affected families.

The Philippine Disaster Relief Foundation is a Manila-based private sector-led 501 ( C ) (3) agency established in 2009 to raise funds to help devastated communities recover from and

be better prepared to face future calamities. It offers many donor packages, including Adopt-A-Home that supports the rebuild-ing efforts of Gawad Kalinga in Zamboanga.

Kinding Sindaw, a performing group engaged in showcasing and promoting indigenous Phil-ippine culture in Mindanao and a 501 (C)(3) group, joined the fund raising fair not so much to raise funds as to focus attention to causes that aim to preserve and protect the environment. Through special dance perfor-mances during the fair, Kinding Sindaw underscored the role of the indigenous peoples as guard-ians of Mother Earth. The group also pledged to partner with participating organizations by contributing the troupe’s cultur-al performances in their future fund-raising projects.

During the fair, a check amounting to US$2,000 donated by the Philippine Chinese Associ-ation was turned over by Deputy Consul General Azucena to HTFI. An acrylic-on-canvas 18x36 inch painting entitled “The Old Pul-ley” by Filipino artist Fernando Kabigting worth US$1,500 do-nated by him was auctioned off, 70% of the proceeds of which would go to HTFI. The other 30% would go to Mr. Kabigting’s program to help young artists in the Philippines.

The Volunteers of Northern Samar received part of the Phil-ippine Chinese Association’s do-nation amounting to US$1,000

Community organizations shine light on humanitariane�orts to help Typhoon Nona victims in fund-raising fair

fice of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) and the govern-ment peace panel, among others, that there was a ‘stand-down’ or-der at the height of the firefight and eventually an elaborate effort to cover up the monumental blunders committed,” the report said.

The report cited the testimony of Major Gen. Edmund Pangilinan, who supposedly ordered to with-hold the artillery fire because of the peace process with the MILF, even though 1st Mechanized Bri-gade Commanding Officer Colonel Gener Del Rosario had earlier sought for artillery support.

“(The) move… was totally out of line and inexplicable at that junc-ture. That was indeed unforgivable and even more so given the belated finding that a ‘stand-down’ order was actually handed down pre-sumably through the OPAPP…” the report said.

The report said Aquino was in Zamboanga city at the time of the Mamasapano incident, but he did not call a meeting with his top

commanders and security officials to help the elite cops.

Aquino also texted then West-ern Mindanao Command General Rustico Guerrero to send help to the elite cops only at 4 p.m. or 12 hours after.

The bloc in the report also ac-cused then Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles and peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer of a “cover-up” on the Mamasapano to shield Aquino from any liability.

The report said Roxas and Deles echoed the claim of the MILF that the incident was merely a “misen-counter” between government and MILF troops due to lack of coordination.

“Instead of exerting extra ef-forts to clear the air and pinpoint the flaws in the manner by which Oplan Exodus was conducted, Secretaries Roxas and Deles and peace panel chair Ferrer engaged in an elaborate cover-up meant to shield the President and the administration and, sadly, even the MILF from assuming responsibility

for the Mamasapano tragedy,” the report said.

The bloc also said the MILF should share the responsibility over the botched operation.

“Taken in totality, the onus of responsibility for the Mamasa-pano massacre falls squarely in the hands of President Aquino. We concur with the findings of both the Senate … and the PNP Board of Inquiry… that the President was and is ‘ultimately responsible for the outcome of the mission,” the report said.

Aquino was accused of “com-partmentalizing” the operations when he coordinated with sacked SAF Director General Getulio Napeñas and authorized a person-al friend, then suspended police chief Alan Purisima, to oversee the operation.

The bloc also said Purisima and Napeñas committed criminal offenses for their blunders in the execution of the antiterror raid called Oplan Exodus, which took down international terrorist Mar-wan.

House minority report on Mamasapano...t

US-based Filipinos were high-ly visible at the 51st Internation-al Eucharistic Congress.

Shirley Figueroa Lascano, one of the many “pilgrims” representing Brooklyn and Queens, New York, noted on TheTablet.org: “On the final weekend of the pilgrimage, we participated in a Mass for 5,000 first communicants, cel-ebrated by Archbishop Emeri-tus of Cebu, Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, who received his First Communion during the 33rd Eucharistic Congress, in the Philippines in 1937.”

Following the IEC, organiz-

US-based Filipinos highly visible in Int’l Eucharistic Congress

ers were guests at a luncheon hosted by one of Cebu’s furni-ture designers, Vito Selma, at the House of Lechon on Acacia Street, Cebu City.

The congress, which took four years to plan, was all about “the experience of faith”, that in spite of poverty, the Catholic spiri-tual festival expressed its faith through singing, eating and celebrating the Filipino way. There were 15,000 registered delegates from at least 73 coun-tries who attended the IEC’s ac-tivities.

Those who could not attend the symposium went to the out-

door masses, estimated at more than a million attendees. Another highlight was an “evening torch-light procession stretching over 5 kilometers and witnessing the participation of nearly two mil-lion people.” The African delega-tion traveled the longest distance while the largest group came from Taiwan, 600 delegates who chartered a plane.

Pope Francis, during his vid-eotaped message to the IEC, an-nounced that the 52nd Interna-tional Eucharistic Congress will be held in Budapest, Hungary, in 2020. For more information: www.IEC2016.ph. (Inquirer.net)

from HTFI. It has also received a US$1,500.00 from Fil-Aid Foun-dation based in New Jersey.

To ensure transparency and

accountability, guidelines were set that essentially required full disclosure by the participating organizations about their orga-

nization, their partner organiza-tion in the Philippines, their tar-get beneficiaries and feedback mechanisms for the donors. ■

DATELINE PHILIPPINES

MANILA—Sending a mes-sage that Philippines-China re-lations do not revolve merely around maritime disputes, For-eign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario attended the Spring Festival reception on Tuesday, Feb. 2 and conveyed his greet-ings for a happy Chinese New Year.

Del Rosario had not attended receptions hosted by the Chinese embassy in Manila since the fil-ing of the case against China before the United Nations arbi-tral tribunal challenging China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.

When Del Rosario and his wife attended the Spring Festival re-ception at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, they were welcomed by Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jian-hua, who told The STAR he was “pleasantly surprised” by the at-tendance of Del Rosario.

“I hope it will be the start of good things to come,” Zhao add-ed.

Del Rosario and Zhao had a congenial conversation, the De-partment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

Zhao noted that the coming year is the Year of Monkey. In the Chinese zodiac, the monkey symbolizes vitality, flexibility and intelligence.

“The same goes for the bi-lateral relations between China and the Philippines. Despite the challenges and difficulties, our overall relations remained stable and developing in 2015,” Zhao

China envoy hopes for better PH tiesby PIA LEE-BRAGO

Philstar.com

added.He said that China remains

one of the top trading partners of the Philippines, noting that trade volume in the first 11 months of 2015 reached $41.46 billion, an increase of 2.3 percent. More than 400,000 Chinese tourists also traveled to the Philippines last year.

“China and the Philippines should not be confused by the current and temporary difficul-ties,” Zhao said.

“We are close neighbors, we can not move away from each other. We are partners, we can benefit more if we can use the great potentials for win-win co-operation. We are friends sharing over a thousand years of friend-ship and amicable exchanges. We do have some differences and disputes, but China is committed to peaceful settlement through

dialogue and negotiation with the Philippines,” he added.

He congratulated the Philip-pines for the successful hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting last November. Chinese President Xi Jinping participated in the meeting.

He also welcomed the Philip-pines as a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Invest-ment Bank (AIIB).

He noted that the AIIB offers great opportunities for coopera-tion in the sector of infrastructure and it would inject a greater vi-tality in current and future Philip-pines-China bilateral relations.

“The new year marks a new beginning. I sincerely hope and believe that through our joint ef-forts, we will continue to make progress and open a new chapter of win-win cooperation,” Zhao said.

MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday, Feb. 4 welcomed statements from US Ambassa-dor Philip Goldberg and Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardi-nal Tagle that corruption is still an election issue and that the people must elect only leaders with integrity.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Goldberg was in a position to voice such observa-tion as he has seen the benefits of choosing a leader like Presi-dent Aquino “who leads by ex-ample.”

“He has seen that good gov-ernance translates to good eco-nomics,” Lacierda said.

On Tagle’s statement, the presidential spokesman said the prelate “regards corruption as a moral issue and urges voters to use their stand against corrup-tion as a yardstick for voting.”

“We fully agree with the con-structs of the two gentlemen as this government has sub-scribed to anti-corruption since the start. Hence, like the two, we urge our voters to choose

by AUREA CALICAPhilstar.com

the next leaders on the basis of proven integrity, among oth-ers,” Lacierda added.

Goldberg cited in a press con-ference the importance of con-tinuing the reforms started by Aquino, noting that one of the

“very important” improvements in the country was the fight against corruption.

“Clearly I agree with my friend Cardinal Tagle who has said that corruption is a very important is-sue. We’ve seen progress over the last few years on that, too,” Goldberg said.

In his message during the 51st International Eucharistic Con-gress in Cebu last week, Tagle criticized corrupt politicians and said they were part of the “throwaway culture” condemned by Pope Francis.

For his part, Presidential Com-munications Operations Opera-tions Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the government was vigorously pursuing the fight against corruption to strengthen good governance as well as its straight path advocacy.

Last week, Coloma said the ad-ministration’s battlecry that there are no poor where there are no corrupt is being taken seriously despite challenges.

He said reforms have taken root, contrary to an international survey showing perception on the Philippines has worsened due to persistent corruption. ■

THE camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay has claimed that more Filipinos called themselves poor since President Benigno Aquino III assumed the presi-dency in 2010.

In a statement on Thursday, Feb. 4, Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado cited the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on self-rated poverty.

He said the fourth quarter 2015 SWS survey showed 50 percent or an estimated 11.2 mil-lion families considering them-selves poor, an increase from 48 percent or nine million families in third quarter 2010 or within the first three months of Aquino administration.

“They cannot dispute the fact that more Filipinos consider themselves poor today than in 2010,” Salgado said.

Salgado said the SWS survey results disputed the inclusive growth being bannered by the current administration.

Binay: More poor Filipinos under Aquino administration

by MARC JAYSON CAYABYABInquirer.net

He said the Binay administra-tion would focus on uplifting the lives of the poor.

“Where are we at right now? Despite the economic growth the administration keeps crowing about, 10 million Filipinos are still unemployed. More and more Filipinos are forced to leave the country to find work overseas be-cause there no job opportunities

here. The cost of healthcare has risen and it is getting harder for people to get treatment in hospi-tals,” Salgado said.

“Do we want more of the same? Of course not. The Vice President will not allow pov-erty—spawned by six years of incompetence, insensitivity, and indecisiveness—to continue,” Salgado added. ■

MANILA—The failure of Congress to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) means that Filipinos are not yet ready for reconciliation, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said .

In an editorial posted on its website luwaran, the MILF claimed that Moros are still being seen as “sub-human” and “not deserving of equal treatment.”

“There are countless excep-tions, but generally Filipinos are not ready for reconciliation. Con-gress had just shown it. They are making it very hard,” the edito-rial read.

“They are still in the state of denial. Their thinking and what they say are still reminiscent of the bloody days of Spain in this country.”

The MILF claimed that while thousands of Moros were killed in the past, the country never mourn-ed their deaths and perhaps “only crocodile tears were shed.”

MILF on stalled Bangsamoro Basic Law: Filipinos not ready for reconciliation

by ALEXIS ROMEROPhilstar.com

“Most of us showed that we are only ruled by our hatred, biases, and prejudices,” the MILF said.

The group also decried the supposed injustice in the Ma-masapano clash, which left 44 police commandos and 18 MILF members dead last year.

The MILF reiterated that the Special Action Force (SAF) com-mandos had violated the cease-fire agreement which required prior coordination in case of movement of troops or police ac-tions. The group lamented that despite the supposed violation, the MILF was tagged as the vil-lain while former SAF command-er Getulio Napenas was regarded as the hero.

“Clearly, justice is only applied fairly for the majority, but not for Moros,” the MILF said.

The proposed BBL, which seeks to create a new Bangsam-oro political entity with en-hanced autonomy, is in danger of being bypassed because of lack of quorum in Congress. The measure would have imple-mented the peace agreement

signed by the government and the MILF in 2014.

Malacanang appears to have accepted the fate of BBL as President Benigno Aquino III has ordered Presidential Advis-er on the Peace Process Teresita Deles to work with stakeholders on sustaining the peace efforts beyond his term.

The MILF said lack of time was merely an alibi of Congress for its failure to pass the pro-posed BBL, one of the priority measures of Aquino.

“Other laws including the Na-tional Appropriation Bill passed without much hassle. Even if there was no quorum especially in the Lower House, delibera-tions proceeded,” it said.

The group, however, believes that the president had nothing to do with the bypassing of the measure.

“It is not to his (Aquino) in-terest that the legacy of peace through the BBL will not be re-alized. In fact, he pushed for it vigorously through to the end,” it said. ■

THE Supreme Court has been asked to reconsider its decision upholding the constitutionality of the Enhanced Defense Coopera-tion Agreement (EDCA).

Filing separate motions for reconsideration are former Sena-tors Rene Saguisag and Wigberto Tañada, among the 12 senators who, in 1991 voted to eject US bases in the Philippines, and the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) joined by

SC asked to reconsider ruling on EDCAby TETCH TORRES-TUPAS

Inquirer.net

other party-list groups.The high court, last Jan. 12,

voting 10-4-1, ruled that EDCA is an executive agreement which the President is allowed to enter into under Article XVIII Section 25 of the 1987 Constitution.

“We have difficulty accepting that despite the plain meaning of the Constitution, this Honor-able Court ruled the way it did,” Saguisag said.

Like Saguisag and Tañada, BAYAN, in their 82-page motion said the people, through the Senate should be represented in

the discussion of foreign military presence in the country.

“Neither the Court nor the Executive has the monopoly of discussion on the presence of foreign military personnel and their war weapons and bases. The Constitution clearly accorded unto the Senate, by represen-tation the Filipino people, the power to decide on the return of foreign military bases,” Atty. Rachel Pastores, counsel for BAYAN said.

“The majority’s strict textual uCardinal Tagle, Amb. Goldberg:

Corruption still an election issue

OPINION FEATURESBroken vow

WITH only five months left before he steps down from office, President Benigno Aquino III has yet to fulfill one of his campaign promises in the 2010 presidential election: to bring resolve to the Maguindanao massacre.

Iowa Surprises: Cruz beats Trump, Clinton and Sanders in a virtual tie

Who could ever forget that fate-ful day on November 23, 2009, when a private army (allegedly led by the Ampatuan clan) killed a 58-person convoy, on their way to file the certificate of candidacy of then Buluan vice mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu. The news made international headlines and was tagged as one of the most heinous election-related crimes in history.

With 32 of the victims killed during the carnage identified as media practitioners, the incident is easily recognizable as the single worst act of extra-judicial killing and reiterating that the Philippines is indeed a dangerous country for journalists.

These 32 victims are among 2,297 journalists and media staff who have been killed in the last 25 years. In its recent report, the International Federa-tion of Journalists (IFJ) said that these journalists were killed for doing nothing more than trying to inform the world about war, revolution, crime and corruption.

The report added that Iraq topped the list of the most dangerous countries for journalists with 309 killings. The Philippines ranked second with 146 killings, but IFJ underscored the “recurring find-ing of our reports that there are many more killed in peacetime situations than in war-stricken coun-tries.”

“The Ampatuan Massacre remains the key focal point of the Philippines media’s battle with impu-nity, but it must be stressed that the killing of jour-nalists didn’t start on November 23, 2009, nor did

it end there. At least 40 journalists have been killed since. Since 1986, when the People Power uprising against the Marcos dictatorship brought democratic institutions back to the Philippines, 180 me-

dia workers have been killed. And as the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) con-tinues to point out, it is inevitably only the gunmen who are pursued,” IFJ noted.

On its sixth anniversary in November last year, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, who lost his wife, some relatives and supporters, expressed his disappointment that six years after the killings, the court had yet to decide on the case.

“It’s been six long, agonizing years. Where is justice?” Mangudadatu said.

The Aquino administration asserted that it re-mains committed to bringing justice to the victims of the Maguindanao massacre and their families but speeding up the trial solely rests on the judi-ciary.

The Dept. of Justice gave a marching order for the swift resolution of the 2009 Maguindanao Mas-sacre. It directed state prosecutors to oppose any dilatory tactics and vowed to have convictions, par-ticularly on the principal accused, by 2016 before President Aquino steps down.

“Make no mistake, we are very concerned also. We would certainly like to have the trial of the Am-patuan case hastened as well and, in fact, we do want to see a decision before the President leaves office. But is it something within our control? That

Editorial

is not within our control,” Presidential Spokesper-son Edwin Lacierda said responding to criticism about the slow-paced trial of the case.

The outcome of the Maguindanao massacre tri-als will dictate whether the Philippines is a country has learned its lesson to put an end to violence and impunity—or one that is condemned to repeat the same mistakes.

When justice is delayed, is justice denied? This

pithy aphorism seems to be fitting for the relatives of the victims of the 2009 Maguindanao killings. Six years later, the faltering steps for truth and justice have brought more than 200 people impli-cated in the massacre, topped by members of the Ampatuan clan. Some have been arrested, others were arraigned. But for the victim’s family, jus-tice remains elusive until a conviction is passed. (AJPress)

THE long race to the White House has started with the caucuses in Iowa on Monday, Feb. 1. The election in this state has defied all conventional wisdom, polls and political pundits’ analyses and fearless forecasts. Voter turnout was reported to have broken records, revealing voter enthusiasm in both parties.

Republican caucusesFrontrunner Donald Trump was crushed by

Texas Senator Ted Cruz — the ultra-conservative candidate who pundits, the polls, and Trump him-self prophesied to have a dying campaign after he was pummeled in the FOX News-sponsored Iowa debate that Trump decided not to participate in be-cause of his feud with the network.

The missed appearance might have hurt Trump, who decided instead to stage an event -- at the same time of the debate -- that he said would raise money for veterans Many believe, including Trump himself in hindsight, that this was a misstep on his part because he ended up losing the chance to convince the people of Iowa that he has better vision and platform than his competitors.

Trump might have ducked having to respond to questions examining his positions, statements and actions in the past, but with the unique political process of caucuses in Iowa, he might have lost voters to Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was just a percentage point lower than Trump, despite

his not so impressive rating in the polls before the Iowa caucuses.

Cruz finished with 28 percent of the votes, Trump with 24 per-cent and Rubio 23 percent. All the other GOP candidates got single digit votes.

This result proves that the cau-cuses might have just reinforced the fact that Republicans in Iowa were looking for candidates who share their con-servative principles and values. This triumphed over the birther issue raised by Trump against Cruz, not the Trump’s star power.

During the caucuses, voters actually openly dis-cuss with other voters why they are voting for their selected candidate, and may even sway supporters of the other candidates to change their votes in fa-vor of their candidate, or convince the undecided to join them in caucusing for their candidate.

Democratic caucuses Who would have thought that 74-year-old Ver-

mont Senator Bernie Sanders would be in a virtual tie with frontrunner former Secretary of State Hill-ary Clinton? Just a year ago, he was polling only 7 percent versus Clinton’s 68 percent. On caucus night in Iowa, Sanders and Clinton were in a virtual tie, with less than one percent difference between them: Clinton got 49.9, while Sanders got 49.6.

Because of the tightness of the race, officials resorted to coin toss, a practice allowed by rules for Democratic precincts. Des Moines Register reported on at least two instances of decisions by a coin toss, all breaking for Clinton.

Clinton might have been de-clared the winner in Iowa, but

this could still change, and Sanders might still turn out to have won in this state. The Clinton victory was announced based on results from 1,682 of 1,683 precincts. One the result of precinct — pre-cinct 42 — was reported missing, and according to the Des Moines Register, “Votes from one precinct in Iowa were still missing Tuesday morning, and Democrats from that neighborhood scrambled to find party officials so that they could report their tally: Bernie Sanders won by 2 delegates over Hill-ary Clinton.”

Heading to New Hampshire, both candidates have their own respective bragging rights. Clinton touts her experience and pragmatism, which she claims will make her beat whomever will be the Republican Party’s nominee for president.

However, Clinton needs the support of the young and first time voters who overwhelmingly support Sanders for his progressive principles, and

his consistent stand in his fight against income in-equality, and the power of the richest of the rich Americans and corporations over the people in Washington, to the detriment of the 99 percent of the population: hardworking middle class and poor Americans.

Clinton also needs to work on her other deficit — and that is the trust factor. Those who are not in her camp believes she has been in bed with Wall Street, corporations and big businesses who have contributed heavily to her campaign and paid her a lot of money for speeches. The Benghazi contro-versy and her email issues also add to this trust problem of Clinton.

On the other hand, Sanders has proven that even without help from Wall Street and big businesses, he can win because of the help and support from the grassroots who believe in his cause. The Sand-ers campaign has exceeded all expectations and raised more money, all coming from ordinary vot-ers with an average of $27 contribution each to help catapult him to be the next president of the United States.

* * *

GEL SANTOS-RELOS

The Fil-Am Perspective

DAVAO mayor and presiden-tial hopeful Rodrigo Duterte has announced that part of his plat-form of government is the exter-mination of criminals and corrupt public officials within six months from assuming the presidency.

“Extermination,” as in kill them dead, like Flit Insect Spray.

The enthusiastic approval by Duterte’s supporters are remi-niscent of movie audiences lust-ily cheering on Rambo as he ex-terminates the bad guys. Some of these Duterte fans are intelligent and knowledgeable. Thus, their endorsement of a policy consid-ered illegal and unacceptable in civilized societies makes you wonder if Duterte may be justi-fied after all.

There is a saying in Tagalog, “Kung hindi mo makuha sa san-tong dasalan, kunin mo sa san-tong paspasan.” (Loosely trans-lated: If you can’t do it the nice way, do it the violent way.)

Perhaps the Dutertans (a term akin to Noranians and Vilma-nians, to describe fans of Nora

The lessons of Pol Pot, Idi Amin and El Salvador

GREG B. MACABENTA

Street Talk

Aunor and Vilma Santos) have already given up on santong dasalan as a means to clean up our government and society and have decided that santong pas-pasan is the only way.

It could also be conceded that Duterte has the best and noblest of intentions—a vision of a Phil-ippines cured of the cancer that Dr. Jose Rizal exposed in Noli Me Tangere. Without consider-ing the gory means for achieving such an end, who would object to a country where there are no criminals in the streets and no thieves and extortionists in gov-ernment?

And here is this presidential candidate who vows to deliver Utopia in six months! Hallelujah!

But the problem lies in the murderous means Duterte in-tends to use to achieve his ends. In a previous column, I suggested that Duterte’s way is not the best way. I listed several instances of successful reforms and civil dis-cipline being achieved without spilling blood, such as those in Lee Kwan Yew’s Singapore, Dick Gordon’s Olongapo and Jesse Robredo’s Naga City.

Apparently, the Dutertans were not impressed. I would, therefore, like to present the op-

posite scenario immortalized by such icons of mass extermination as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin and the death squads of El Salvador.

Some may protest that Duterte isn’t in that class and “will never be.” But where does he differ? Like them, Duterte sees himself as a Redeemer whose bloody means are justified by his noble ends. Does he differ in magni-tude? Well, what do you think will happen if he becomes presi-dent and institutes extra-judicial killings as a policy of the state?

Of course, I don’t believe we will ever see that gruesome fate befall our hapless country. In the first place, I doubt that Duterte actually believes his own blus-ter. If his supporters are hanging on to his every utterance, they should recall his admonition that the media should not take seri-ously everything he says. This was after he backtracked on his claim that he had presided over the extermination of 1,700 crimi-nals—not just 700—in Davao. Joke only, he seemed to say, in not so many words.

In the second place, Duterte will not win the presidency, as-suming that he is not disqualified by the Comelec.

If there are a few million fanatic Dutertans, there are millions more who know better than to elect a self-appointed judge, jury and ex-ecutioner to lead the country. To use an American cliché, the Fili-pino people need a Duterte presi-dency like a hole in the head—or a bullet in the head.

Nonetheless, I think it serves a good purpose to go over the bloody history of those who pur-sued the transformation of their respective countries according to Duterte’s gory template.

Like Duterte, they must all have set out—in their own minds—with a vision of a country cleansed of every kind of social, political, economic and religious vermin, leaving only a happy and contented citizenry under a wise and benevolent leader.

Hitler believed in an Aryan super race, rid of the infestation of Jews whom he considered sub-human. His solution was the holocaust. Stalin staged a brutal purge of those he branded ene-mies of the working class, among the intelligentsia and within the Communist party, the military and the bureaucracy. Millions were forced to work in the Gulag labor camps, imprisoned, exiled or executed without due process.

As prime minister of Kampu-chea and leader of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot liquidated intellec-tuals and relocated urban dwell-ers to the countryside to work in collective farms and forced labor projects. Those he considered enemies of the state were sum-marily executed. Millions died in Pol Pot’s killing fields, immortal-ized in the Hollywood film of the same title.

As president of Uganda and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Idi Amin mounted a campaign of ethnic cleansing which saw thousands killed (the estimates range from 80,000 to 300,000) and Asians expelled from the country.

The El Salvador experience may be easier for Dutertans to relate to their idol’s proclivity for extra-judicial killings.

In a paper in the Foreign Policy Journal, Steve Dobransky wrote:

“The civil war that raged in El Salvador from 1980 to 1992 is often described as a successful model for counterinsurgencies, which included the use of death squads. The Salvadoran model involved large numbers of para-military units that were privately funded or were officially and un-officially government forces (of-

ten just a change of clothes).The death squads were guided by military, political, and economic elites. They sought to eliminate not only the armed insurgents but anyone who may have been sup-portive or sympathetic to the in-surgent cause. Their goal was to kill many and intimidate the mil-lions of others into submission. The Salvadoran civil war waged viciously, as the right-wing gov-ernment and economic elite con-tended with the left-wing forces led by the FMLN. An estimated 75,000 civilians died during the war, many attributed to death squads…The Salvadoran model quickly reached international di-mensions when four American missionaries were brutally raped and murdered in December 1980 by Salvadoran military forces.”

The international spotlight suddenly focused on El Salvador and the involvement of the CIA in training and funding the death squads. When six Jesuit priests were murdered by the death squads, the US government was forced to threaten to cut off aid to the Salvadoran government unless the death squads were dismantled.

But the most shocking victim u

of the death squads was the Archbishop of San Salvador, Monsignor Oscar Romero, who was shot and killed while saying mass. According to a media report, Monsignor Romero was “felled by a single bullet as he prepared Communion, his blood soak-ing the holy bread in his hands at the altar.” He was assassinated shortly after he had made a pub-lic appeal to members of the death squads to stop the killings and to defy the unlawful orders of their superiors.

To go back to Duterte, how sure are his ador-ing supporters that all of the victims of his death squads were drug dealers and criminals? How about those killed on mere suspicion. And how many street children, disadvantaged by poverty, could have been led away from a life of vagrancy and could have gone on to become responsible members of Philippine society – even become can-

didates for president like the foundling Grace Poe and the orphan Jejomar Binay?

The horrible part of Duterte’s cure for the cancer afflicting our country is that he himself is morally sick. Anyone with a demented understanding of right and wrong has no right to pass judgement on the life or death of fellow human beings. What-ever his protestations of noble intentions might be, Duterte’s way is no better than that of other mass murderers like Pol Pot, Idi Amin and the killers of Monsignor Oscar Romero.

Just a few words of caution to the Dutertans. If your idol should ever become president, who will protect those of you who may happen to an-noy members of the death squads? You may end up pining for the “good old days” when one could freely criticize Noynoy Aquino and his Tuwad na Daan without fear of being exterminated. (greg-macabenta@hotmail.com)

The lessons of Pol Pot, Idi Amin…t

approach lulls one to believe that its intersectional interpretation is neutral, objective, apolitical, scien-tific and precise and to accept the majority’s underlying conclusion that US-Philippine security rela-tions is equal,” the MR read.

Petitioners added that contrary to the high court’s position that what was prohibited under the law was the initial entry of foreign troops, the Constitution is clear when it stated that “foreign mili-tary bases shall not be allowed in the Philippines.”

“Thus, the General rule and clear intent of Article XVIII sec-

tion 25 is to prohibit the return of foreign military bases, troops, facilities except under a treaty duly concurred in by the Senate,” BAYAN said.

Bayan said that the assertion that EDCA will help the Philip-pines’ position in the West Philip-pine Sea disputes has left out the fact that the US is “another bully” the country has to deal with.

“Another underlying assump-tion and judicial notice made by the Majority to uphold the Edca is that China is a bully. True. But we cannot rest our backs on the pre-text that another bully—greedy and giddy one at that—the US

will fly to our side the moment confrontations escalate to defend our backyards and home front. Do we expect the US to prod their Federal Government to go to war for us?”

“Even if we say for the sake of argument that indeed the Philip-pines and the US stand on equal sovereign status and that China would eventually run scared be-cause of America’s presence, we are at least deserving of hearing to contest these assumptions. The views espoused by the Ma-jority are not the only world view about these matters,” the motion further stated.

SC asked to reconsider ruling on…t

MANILA—Alleged pork bar-rel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles on Wednesday, Feb. 3 filed a motion for reconsidera-tion before the Sandiganbayan to reverse its decision to junk her bail petition.

The camp of Napoles, who is facing plunder charges, asked the anti-graft court to take a sec-ond look at the facts governing the case.

“The Honorable Court serious-ly erred in resolving that there is a strong evidence showing that accused Napoles together with her alleged co-accused amassed, accumulated, and/or acquire ill-gotten wealth amounting to at

MANILA—Filipino and Ameri-can Navy troops on Monday con-cluded joint drills intended to improve their capabilities to deal with maritime threats and emer-gencies.

The Flash Piston 16-1 exercis-es kicked off on January 18 and involved more than 60 sailors from the Philippine Navy and 20 personnel from the US Navy Na-val Special Warfare Unit-1.

The closing ceremony was held at the Navy Special Operations Group (NAVSOG) headquarters at the Naval Base Heracleo Alano in Sangley Point, Cavite.

NAVSOG chief Capt. Alfonspin

Filipino, American troops end joint drills in Cavite

by ALEXIS ROMEROPhilstar.com

Tumanda Jr. said the training had provided an opportunity for the Philippines and the United States navies to strengthen their inter-operability.

“Enhancing capability through this kind of exercise enables the Philippine Navy to assert more efficiency and effectiveness in the conduct of our mandated tasks,” he said.

US Navy Joint Mission Com-mander Lt. Lowell Bruhn said Flash Piston allowed his fellow participants to build camarade-rie with their Philippine counter-parts.

“By working together, we ex-change our tactics, techniques and procedures,” Bruhn said.

Flash Piston is an annual ex-

ercise that started in 2008. The exercise aims to increase and develop capability on gas and oil platform operations, enhance riverine warfare capability and inter-operability, enhance and develop sea, air and land tactics, techniques and procedures; and improve individual skills and pro-fessionalism among troops.

During the first week of the exercise, participants exchanged information on medical evacu-ation procedures, combat mili-tary marksmanship, and human rights training.

Field training exercises that focused on maritime interdiction operation activities were con-ducted during the second week of the drill. ■

Napoles asks Sandiganbayan to reconsider bail pleaby PATRICIA LOURDES VIRAY

Philstar.com

least (P50 million),” the Napoles camp said in the petition.

The petition also argued that the court erred in holding that the non-government organiza-tions allegedly used as conduit in the pork barrel scam were owned and controlled by Napoles.

“The prosecution clearly failed to prove a strong evidence against accused Napoles to war-rant the denial of her petition for bail,” the petition said.

Napoles spent Christmas and New Year in jail last year after the Sandiganbayan denied her petition for bail.

The Sandiganbayan has start-ed the trial proper for the plun-der charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against Napoles and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile’s for-mer chief of staff Jessica “Gigi” Reyes. ■

Poe hopes Chief Justice view onfoundlings would inspire SC justices

PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Sena-tor Grace Poe expressed hope on Wednesday that Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno’s strong position on the rights of foundlings like her would ring “loud and clear” not only to the public, but also to other Supreme Court justices, who will make a final decision whether or not she is qualified to run for president in May.

“We take refuge in the state-ment of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno fighting hard for the rights of foundlings like me. It rings loud and clear that the right of found-lings to a nationality will just be an empty rhetoric unless the govern-ment accords it due respect and take measures to implement this right,” Poe said in a text message

to reporters.“I hope that the public and

those who will make a final judg-ment on my case will see things in this light,” she added.

Poe issued the statement when sought for comment on the Chief Justice’s warning that disqualify-ing her from the presidential race for being a foundling could set a dangerous precedent and would have dire consequences if upheld by the Supreme Court.

“If you’re saying that foundlings are not natural-born citizens, have you thought about the impact on the rights of all foundlings?” Sereno asked Commission on Elections (Comelec) member Arturo Lim during the SC’s third oral arguments on the disqualifi-

cation cases filed against the lady senator.

“The court now has to categori-cally answer the question about her (Poe’s) status, because the pronouncements we will make will affect so many others,” the Chief Justice added.

Poe’s being a foundling was one of the two subjects of the cases against her. The other issue was her alleged failure to meet the 10-year residency require-ment for candidates running for president.

Found in a church Iloilo when she was a baby, the lady senator was later adopted by the late ac-tion king, Fernando Poe Jr., and veteran actress Susan Roces. (Maila Ager/Inquirer.net)

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entertainmentFEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

Interesting facts about the Super Bowl:• Crime takes a day off: In

1985, when the San Francisco 49ers played the Super Bowl in Palo Alto, California, the crime rate in San Francisco dropped 75 percent!

• It is estimated that 45 percent of all US homes tune in to watch the Super Bowl.

• From cheap to $$$. Tickets weren’t always pricey. The cost of tickets to the very first game was around $6. Today, you’d be lucky if you find a ticket for less than $3,000, depending on the game,

teams, location, seating and also the economy.

• Face value vs demand value. Ticket prices also change because of their “face value” against “demand value.” For example, a ticket may have a face value of $900, but the actual demand value may range from $5,500 to $11,000.

• Get lucky. Every year the NFL has a lottery in which 500 names are drawn out of a hat for a chance to buy a pair of tickets at their face value.

The Big Game: What to expect at Super Bowl 50 by AJPRESS

ON Sunday, Feb. 7, football teams Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos will come face-to-face at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California for Super Bowl 50.

This marks the third straight season that the number one seeds from both conferences will meet in the Super Bowl.

The Carolina Panthers finished the regular season with a 15-1 record, defeating the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football Conference Championship game. This is the team’s second Super Bowl appearance since

the founding of the franchise in 1995. The Denver Broncos, with a 12-4 season

record, defeated the New England Patriots in the American Football Conference Championship Game, marking the team’s eighth appearance in the Super Bowl.

This year marks the 50th edition of the Super Bowl, and is the first time the big game will be played in California since 2003, and first in the San Francisco Bay Area since Super Bowl XIX in 1985. Levi’s Stadium is home of the San Francisco 49ers.

The game, which starts at 3:30 pm PST/6:30 EST on Sunday, will be broadcast on CBS with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms in the booth and Tracy Wolfson on the sidelines. The game will also be live streamed on CBSSports.com.

Whether you’re a football fanatic or just want to tune in to see the Halftime show and commercials, the Asian Journal explores the different facets that make Super Bowl Sunday an unofficial American holiday and one of the most popular television events.

Football 101 Before you head to a Super Bowl party on Sunday, learn/brush up on football lingo

OBJECT of the game: To out-score the opposing team.

TERMSDown: A period of action

that begins as soon as the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead, when a player is tackled or if the ball goes out of bounds. The offensive team is given four downs to advance the ball 10 yards. Should it fail to do this, the offense must surrender the ball to the defensive team, which it typically does by punting on the final down.

FUMBLE: The act of los-ing possession of the ball while running before a tackle or score occurs. Members of both teams can recover a tackle. Should the defense obtain the ball, it is called a turnover. A fumble can also occur if a reciever losses the ball after a catch.

INTERCEPTION: A pass made by the offensive team that is caught by the defensive player. This ends the offense’s possession of the ball.

KICK OFF: An action that occurs at the beginning of the first and third periods, and after each successful field goal and touch-down. It involves the “kicking team” kicking the ball to the “receiving team.”

PUNT: A kick in which a player drops the ball from their hands and kicks it before it hits the ground. This kick typically occurs on the fourth down when the offense has failed to advance the ball 10 yards. Although the offense can choose to attempt to advance the ball again, by punting, the opponent is likely to start farther up the field than they otherwise would.

SNAP: The action when the center tosses the ball backward be-tween the legs to the quarterback, marking the start of a play.

TACKLE: The act of stopping a

player in possession of the ball by seizing and throwing them to the ground.

HOW THE GAME WORKSA football game consists of

four 15-minute quarters with a 12-minute halftime break between the second and third periods.

Before a game begins, the cap-tains from both teams meet with the referee at the center of the field for a coin toss. The winner of the coin toss gets to decide to start the game by either kicking the ball to the other team or receiving the kick off from their opponent.

Once the kick off happens, the game begins.

The team receiving the ball must try to bring it as far back toward the kicking team as pos-sible and get it into their end zone. This is done most commonly by running with the ball either by carrying it and running. Although this yields less yardage, advancing the ball this way reduces the risk of accidentally turning over the ball

to the other team.The team in possession of the

ball has four opportunities called “downs” to advance the ball 10 yards. If it succeeds, it gets another four downs to advance it another 10 yards. If it fails, it must surrender possession of the ball to the other team.

Once the team in possession of the ball manages to bring the ball to the end zone of the oppos-ing team, it has the opportunity to score an additional point or two by opting for an extra-point or two-point conversion.

At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins.

HOW TO SCORETouchdown (6 points): Scor-

ing a touchdown is achieved when a player in possession of the ball crosses the opposing team’s goal line into the end zone.

Field goal (3 points): A field goal is scored when the ball is kicked anywhere on the field, though it is typically attempted

within 40 yards of the goalpost. For the field goal to be deemed good, the kicked ball must go above the crossbar and between the uprights of the goalpost.

Two-point conversion (2 points): At the end of a touch-down, the offensive team can attempt a two-point conversion by lining up on the defense’s two-yard line and advance the ball the same way it would to score a touchdown. If the team succeeds, it receives two points in addition to the six points for the touchdown.

Safety (2 points): This occurs when the defense tackles an of-fensive player in possession of the ball in the offense’s end zone.

Extra point conversion (1 point): At the end of a touchdown, the offensive team can attempt a one-point conversion by kicking the ball through the uprights of the goalpost, the same way done in a field goal. In the NFL, the ball is snapped from the 15-yard line. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

Fil-Am to know: Jordan Norwood

Denver Broncos wide receiver DURING 2014’s Super Bowl

XLVIII, the Filipino-American com-munity rallied behind the Seattle Seahawks to support Fil-Am foot-ball star Doug Baldwin.

That excitement is seen once again for this year’s Super Bowl 50 as Fil-Am wide receiver Jordan Norwood heads onto the field with the Denver Broncos.

Jordan signed on to play with the Broncos during the 2014 off-season.

After graduating from Penn

State in 2008, where he played col-lege football, Jordan signed onto the Cleveland Browns as an un-drafted free agent in 2009. Prior to joining the Broncos family, he did stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During these collective seasons with the Eagles (2009), Browns (2010-12) and Broncos (2014-present), his record includes 48 receptions, 493 yards and one touchdown.

Born in Honolulu to Brian and Tiffiney Norwood, Jordan has been surrounded by football since birth. His father Brian played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and played one year in the NFL as a defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders. From 2001 to 2007, Brian served as secondary coach at Penn State and currently works as the assistant head coach at Baylor University.

From their half-Filipino mother Tiffiney, Jordan and his siblings get their Filipino blood and identify as quarter-Filipino.

Jordan’s older brother Gabe currently plays for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Tune in to this Sunday’s Super Bowl 50 to catch the Fil-Am in ac-tion. (AJPress)

Always on a Sunday: The history of the Super Bowl

ONE of America’s biggest sport events started with two things: the merging of the American Football League (AFL) with the National Football League (NFL), and a rubber ball.

In 1966, the NFL-AFL World Championship Game began as part of the merger between the two organizations. The name “Super Bowl” came from Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, after watching his daughter play with a “Super Ball” — a small, high-bouncing ball that was very popular at that time. The name was supposed to be only temporary, until the powers that be could think of something better.

The first championship took place in 1967 and was named “The NFL-AFL World Championship Game.” The official title was quite long, so the fans as well as the media took to the short, unofficial name, Super Bowl—which in 1969 became official.

The sports event determines who wears the crown after a long series of elimination games. The first Super Bowl was on January

15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Coliseum with the Green Bay Packers beating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10.

The Super Bowl has always been on a Sunday, usually the last Sunday in January. However, for the first time in its history, it was held in February 3, 2002. This was due to the September 11, 2001 attacks, which made all TV schedules delayed by one week. Today, Super Bowl has also been scheduled in February since 2014.

The games are identified by Roman numerals rather that numbers since 1971. However, in 2014, it was announced that for its fiftieth year, the game will not be using Roman numerals as they did not like “L” as “50.” As a result, they are breaking tradition for one year and will resume to “LI” to represent 51 for 2017.

The winner of each Super Bowl receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after Vince Lombardi, coach for the Green Bay Packers. He led his team to victory in each of the first two Super Bowls. (Malou Liwanag-Bledsoe/AJPress)

O�enseQuarter

Back: The leader of the team who calls the plays, is the primary passer and ball handler, and receives the ball from the center. He then passes the ball to a running back, throws it to a receiver, and oc-casionally runs the ball.

Center: The innermost line-man on the of-fensive line who snaps (or passes between the legs) the ball to the quarterback at the beginning of every play. He also handles the ball on each play.

Wide Re-ceiver: Typically the team’s fastest receiver (pass catcher). Teams will use two or four of these players on each play. Wide receievers are positioned seven yards from the interior linemen. They use their speed to catch the football and evade the defense.

Who’s on the �eld: Player positions explained

Left Tackle and Right Tackle: The outer two players on the of-fensive line who must shield the ball carrier from defendors.

Left Guard and Right Guard: The inner two players on the of-fensive line who are responsible for protecting the quarterback on

players who carry the ball.Running Back: A player

whose job is to receive the ball from the quarterback, catch passes from the backfield and run with the ball. Running backs make physical contact in almost every down. There are typically one to

two running backs on the field during a play, and may be referred to as a fullback or halfback.

Tight End: The player sta-tioned next to the offensive tackle who has the responsibilities of an offensive lineman and wide

Continued on Page 6

An Asian Journal Magazine

ATTY. MICHAEL

GURFINKEL, ESQ

ImmigrationCorner

DEAR Atty. Gur�nkel:I received my green card through

my employer’s petition, but the priority date on my petition retrogressed (went backwards) before I was able to bring my family from the Philippines. I have now been waiting several years, and the priority date is moving forward so slowly. Is there any other, or faster, way I can bring my spouse and kids to the US?

Very truly yours,W.T.

Dear W.T.:Most family and employment pe-

titions include not only the principal bene�ciary, but also his or her spouse and minor children, who are consid-ered “derivatives.” If you obtained your green card in the US, but your family is back home in the Philippines, your spouse and minor kids could receive green cards under your peti-tion as “following to join” derivatives. However, in order to receive their

A new family petition could be faster than waiting for your pending employment casegreen cards, the priority date on your petition must be “current.” If your priority date retrogressed (moved backwards), your family would have to wait until the priority date on your petition once again becomes current, which can sometimes take many years.

A possible faster alternative is to �le a new F-2A family petition, rather than waiting for the priority date on an existing employment based pe-tition to become current again for your derivatives. For example, the priority date in F-2A for visa issuance is September 2014, as of February 2016. For employment-based peti-tions, the priority date for visa issu-ance is January 2008.

This means if you adjusted sta-tus, and the priority date on your employment based petition retro-gressed, it may be faster to �le a new family based petition than to wait for the priority date on your employer’s petition to become current again.

If this situation applies to you, you may want to seek the advice of an attorney, who can evaluate your

situation and determine your best choices and options, and whether a new F-2A petition would be better (or faster), or if you need to stick with the existing petition out of concerns for the Child Status Protection Act, etc.

* * *

MONETTE

ADEVA MAGLAYA

ImmigrantLiving: 101 and Beyond

NO matter the season, the soul may go through what may be de-scribed as a “winter of discontent” — a restless time when we wonder quietly if we could trade our life for someone else’s.

If you are, don’t �og yourself silly. You don’t even have to admit it to anyone else but yourself. It’s noth-ing more than a normal rite of pas-sage that allows us to imagine what it would be like if we had someone else’s luck, genetic make-up, breaks, talent, connections, relations, edu-cation, intelligence, looks, skin color, pedigree and other x factors that are supposed to tip the scale in our fa-vor and make us happy and ful�lled. In short, they refer to those things that we think will allow us to live a charmed life and drive our fellow men mad with envy.

The discontent hits you when you’re feeling most vulnerable: when there’s not enough cash to tide you over until the next pay pe-riod; your job stinks; you’re going

Of charmed lives“Now is the winter of our discontentmade glorious summer by this son of York.” — William Shakespeare Richard III”

through an extended rough patch with your wife or husband or lover; your car needs an overhaul; your kid hit a schoolmate and you need to see the principal; your sister in the home country, needs you to remit moolah fast, and lots of it, because your younger brother got into trouble and needs bail money. Everything sucks.

Well, you get the picture of a gothic novel nobody wants to read. You want to scuttle every-thing and trade up to a charmed life. But would you, if you knew the real score behind those deceptively airbrushed images of the charmed lives we see on TV and the rags we read?

We are sitting ducks open to neg-ative suggestions we receive non-stop. We end up unhappy and dis-satis�ed with who we are, what we have and our place in the universe. We’re too fat, too short, too poor,

too old. We don’t make enough. We drive clunkers. Our clothes are passé. Our nose bridge needs a lift; the chest is too �at; hair is too thin; skin is too sallow; our eyes need to be lasered; our teeth need whiten-ing; our ears stick out; our behinds, too saggy.

Picture the word REJECT stamped on our pathetic, little foreheads if we were in a conveyor belt in an assembly line, as we head directly to the recycling bin unless we un-dergo a drastic make-over that will cost us plenty.

We look and read about the air-brushed lives of celebrities on the red carpet. We see them parading and preening in their Pradas, Jimmy Choos, or Blahnik shoes, sheathed in thousand dollar Versace and Vera Wang gowns with décolle-tage showcasing ample natural or shored up cleavages, their gravity-defying faces tight with botox or

Entering the US with a fakevisa had grave consequences

Citizen Pinoy shows how a ‘fraudwaiver’ could save the day!

JOHNNATAN visited the US in 2002 with a tourist visa he acquired through a newspaper ad that o�ered a “Non-Appearance Visa” for $2500. He breezed through US Immigration without incident. In 2003, he returned to the US for another vacation, but this time he was detained, handcu�ed, held overnight, and returned back to the Philippines the next day, without even seeing his family! He was charged with fraud and was banned for life from entering the US!

Such devastating news! Especially when his mother’s petition for him became current in 2013. At his Immigrant Visa interview at the US Embassy, he and his young daughter were refused immigrant visas due to his visitor’s visa fraud in 2003. This

shattered Johnnatan’s dreams for a better life for his daughter, and his long-time dream to be reunited with his family.

The Carpio family decided to consult with leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gur�nkel for help. Atty. Gur�nkel’s teams in the US and in Manila came to the rescue by preparing a convincing presentation and �ling a Fraud waiver for Johnnatan, which USCIS approved.

Watch how Atty. Gur�nkel was able to help the Carpio family realize their dream of being reunited in the US on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy–on Sunday 6:15pm PST/EST (9:15pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

nipped and tucked by a surgeon’s scalpel and dripping in Harry Win-ston gems, escorted by equally gor-geous hunks dressed to the nines in their Armanis, as media people buzz around them like �ies around honey. And we’re hoodwinked to the vision of charmed lives.

Imagine that God sees how un-happy you are, takes pity on you and he gives you access to His Ce-lestial PowerBook, with a database cataloging the lives of the past, pres-ent and future of the seven billion or so people that inhabit the world. He permits you to type in the name of the person you would like to ex-change your life with. You discover surprising twists and turns of char-acter and fate. You discover dirt that has been airbrushed or little dark se-crets edited out or given a new spin. You discover untold pain and su�er-ing, the great equalizers, etched in every life.

That gorgeous, woman hiding behind a ready smile has a young daughter with cystic �brosis and is going through a bitter divorce with a philandering husband. The good-looking guy you thought was to die for is a closet pedophile cum sado-masochist. The distinguished couple

Continued on Page 6

An Asian Journal Magazine

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI

THE Year of the Fire Monkey o�cially begins on Monday, Feb. 8. Around the world, those who ob-serve the Chinese New Year holiday will celebrate with various rituals to ensure that the coming year is full of luck, fortune and good energy.

From what this year means for your animal sign to what to eat on the �rst day of the new year, the Asian Journal takes a look at the symbolism behind every ritual and tradition that goes into ringing in the Chinese New Year.

While 2015 — the Year of the Sheep — was characterized as the meeting of the minds and collabo-ration, “the energy of the monkey is very di�erent…It’s not a year for the weak and timid,” said Melissa Yamaguchi, an energy therapist and Feng Shui educator based in Westlake Village, California, adding that 2016 will bring tricks and twists.

Tips to prepare for Chinese New Year

• DECLUTTER. Up until Feb. 6, it is the best time to declutter and get rid of old �les by legally storing or shredding them. For example, untouched business cards and old papers should be disposed of be-cause they represent lost contacts and un�nished business. It’s not just about stacking and organizing these items, Yamaguchi said, but rather removing them from your workplace. “It’s old information and old money spent,” she said. Additionally, wastebaskets at home and at work should be emptied daily. On the 14th day of the new year, it is encouraged to clean the house again to remove traces of celebration.

• DONATE. Gather items at home that are no longer useful — whether clothing, furniture or dinnerware — and donate them

if they are still in good condition. “Donating not only provides for those who don’t have…but it clears the way for new possibilities in your own life..in terms of movement and creativity,” Yamaguchi said. “When we are stagnated by things that are old, it really blocks new energy from coming in.” Repairing and gluing broken items is seen as bad luck because when an item breaks, it absorbs negative energy.

• NO BEGGING. On the eve of Chinese New Year, it is considered bad luck to beg and ask for a loan. It is strongly encouraged to not ask parents/other relatives for money, but exchanging red envelopes is okay. However, the red envelopes are not supposed to be opened until the day after. When you lend someone money on Chinese New Year, Yamaguchi said, it sets the tone that s/he will be begging for money for the entire year.

• ALL THINGS RED. Red is a special color in Chinese culture be-cause it signi�es energy, happiness and good luck.

RED ENVELOPES. One of the de�ning symbols of Chi-nese New Year is a red envelope (hongbao in Mandarin), which contains money to be given as gifts, usually to kids from their parents, grandparents and other adults. Though you may give any amount you’re comfortable with, Yamaguchi said you should o�er the most to your parents. Accord-ing to China Highlights, giving a red envelope is a way to share your blessings if you have started earning money, and suggests that parents should be given $100-$300; $10-$30 for close friends and relatives’ children; $20-$200 for employees; $20 for your own children; and $5-$10 for acquaintances’ children.

Celebrating the Yearof the Fire Monkey

RED CLOTH-ING. Yama-guchi suggests purchasing at least one new item of red clothing, as the color attracts the strongest energetic response. On New Year’s day, red clothing must be worn to represent vitality and strength.

RED DECORATIONS. Anything red, such as tablecloth, �owers or lanterns, should be brought into the home because they o�er prosperity and goodwill.

• TIME FOR FAMILY. On Feb. 8, it is important to spend time with family and friends. New Year’s Eve (Feb. 7) should be a family reunion, which can be marked by a dinner of close family members. The meal should be spent talking about future plans and dreams, never anything negative. On the second day of the new year, it is custom to visit in-laws, and it is also recog-nized as the day to be kind to dogs and animals. It is discouraged to eat any kind of meat. On the third day, it is encouraged to go to bed early and not to eat pork — both of which show that you are putting your health �rst. On the sixth to the tenth day, it is expected to visit and celebrate with others.

• REMOVE NEGATIVE ENERGY. At midnight, open windows and doors at home to allow negative energy from 2015 to leave.

• DON’T SWEEP. It is largely discouraged to avoid using scissors or a broom on the �rst day of the new year because it means you cut/sweep away possibilities.

• GREET OTHERS WITH HAPPY THOUGHTS. According to tradition, ringing in the new year means spreading happy thoughts when

speaking to others.What to eat on Chinese New

Year SWEETS — The very �rst bite

of New Year’s day is supposed to be something sweet because in Ancient China, when someone would deliver good news, it would be delivered with something sweet (i.e. glutinous rice, candy, fruit).

FISH — An entire �sh, complete with tail and head, should be served during the New Year celebration be-cause it symbolizes prosperity and full abundance coming your way.

LONG NOODLES — Noodles are a sign of long life and good health. No matter how long they are, they are not supposed to be cut in the middle. Typically noodle dishes have up to seven vegetables in them, which represent di�er-ent arms of Chinese medicine in encouraging good health.

DUMPLINGS — According to Chinese Highlights, traditional dumplings are eaten to represent the money you will make in the New Year.

FRUITS — Certain round and golden fruits are eaten and displayed during the Chinese New Year period, such as: pineapple (good luck), ap-ples (wisdom), mangos, watermelon (abundance), tangerines/oranges (fortune), pomelos (prosperity), kiwi, papayas (good health), grapes (wealth and luxury), lemons and limes (remove negative energy), and starfruit (securing reputation). (Feng Shui tips and Chinese New Year traditions as told to Christina M. Oriel / AJPress by Melissa Yamaguchi. You may contact Melissa at myenergymy-life@gmail.com)

Chinese Zodiac: What this New Year means for your animal sign

The Chinese Zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle, and each year in that cycle is related to an animal sign: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

Those born in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 and 2016 are considered Monkeys. Since this year is about the �re monkey, it will be overall be an interesting and creative year for the sign, despite some bumps and the need to care-fully consider decisions.

2016 is shaping up to be a good year for monkeys (highly creative energy, skillful with hands), snakes (will see �nancial success), dragons (bene�t those around them) and rats because of the strong energies. The rabbit is also well-favored be-cause they have excellent business skills.

“It will be good to hang out with those born in those years, listen to their advice and partner with them in business,” Yamaguchi said.

For other signs: the ox will have a neutral year of nothing too crazy,

as it is an animal that is slow and steady; the tiger’s biggest challenge will to not be argumentative be-cause they won’t win; the horse will not see any dramatic highs or sink-ing lows, but will see opportunities for change to embrace; the sheep is positioned well for business, but may be inclined to complain and could block any good energy; the rooster is strong �nancially from Feb - July, but should slow down in the autumn; the dog was very well protected in 2015, but there is no unseen protector this year so must �nd protection and speak up for themselves; and the pig may see a bumpy year because of some false worries, but should ignore them because stomach and back issues could arise.

“The most important thing of this year is to bring out the best of the monkey because the monkey is full of energy, likes to talk a lot and be the center of attention,” Yamagu-chi said. “Bring in the monkey with laughter, love, smiles, good music and fun cheer.”

The origin of Chinese Lunar New YearThe most important holiday for

the Chinese people started out of fear. Legends tell of the battle against Nian, a beast that ate live-stock and children. Nian, in fact, is the Chinese word for year.

To keep Nian out of chicken coops and cradles, villagers were told by a wise old man to wear red clothes, hang red signs and make lots of noise — three traditions of Chinese New Year. Fireworks and �recrackers are also traditional weapons against the beast and are widely used over the holiday.

With the old man’s advice, Nian was conquered, which the people

recognize as the “passing of the Nian,” known in Chinese as guo nian, which is also synonymous with celebrating the new year.

Also known as the Spring Fes-tival, the Chinese Lunar New Year begins at the new moon—typically between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. Origi-nally tied to the lunar-solar Chinese calendar, the popular adoption of China of the western calendar in 1912 made their people join in celebrating New Year’s Day on Jan. 1st. China, however, continues to still celebrate the traditional Chi-nese New Year. (Malou Liwanag-Bledsoe/AJPress)

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An Asian Journal Magazine

How do you celebrate Chinese New Year?FILIPINOS and Fil-Ams shared

how they traditionally celebrate Chinese New Year, and what the 2016 Year of the Monkey means to them.

“Growing up both Filipino and Chinese, I celebrated both the Bud-dhist and Catholic traditions, so it was a unique experience. We celebrated by lighting �recrackers, exchanging red envelopes, eating traditional moon-cake and ricecakes. We also burned in-cense by the gravesites of our departed loved ones, to keep their memory alive.” - Gloria Ho, Glendale, CA

“I’m hoping for more good luck this year, because it’s my zodiac year!” - Maxinne Vergara, Chino Hills, CA

“This year we’ll be watching the Super Bowl, but we usually gather extended family and everything. We hand out red envelopes. We have authentic Chinese food, dumplings, and fruits, especially oranges. And basically for one night, everyone speaks Chinese to everyone.” - Luke Baumbach, Anaheim, CA

“I celebrate Chinese New Year on the Eve. My family generally goes out to dinner or orders Chinese food and brings it home. It’s usually a lot of food, signature dishes with signi�cant mean-ings. Lettuce wraps, for example, signify money. And lots of food means lots of leftovers…which means an abundance

you met who lacks for nothing, has a son languishing in jail. That tall, reed-thin Victoria’s Secret lingerie model su�ers from bulimia. That hottie celebrity is a wife beater and is in rehab for serious addictions. You go through the entire universal data base frustrated and somewhat relieved to �nd out that your own life with all its warts, is just as bad or just as good as those of others and there’s no one you’d like to trade your life with, thank you very much.

In most cases, the life we have is the life we would choose all over again. We just need to realize that there’s always more to a story and an image than meets the eye. Pack-aging can be mere illusion. What you see is not necessarily what you get, ergo, the need to dig deep. We are all programmed to go through great lengths to put up a decep-tive front to hide the truth — either goaded by ego or the instinct for self-preservation.

A self-respecting gardener win-terizes the grass and preps it for the

Of charmed livesFrom Page 3 cold, dark days of winter to give it a

�ghting chance to survive and thrive in the spring and summer. We ought do the same thing and winterize the garden of our soul to keep it young and hopeful.

I wish I could say it’s easy. But like anything that is worthwhile, it takes time, patience, work, persistence and gumption. But we could start with something basic. Upon waking up each day, we can psyche our-selves up with an unfailing weapon of choice — PRAYER. Personalized and heartfelt, it is our instant con-nection with the God of our being. These can merely be secular, posi-tive a�rmations of our own worth and place in this life or it can be the simple act of prayerful acceptance and thanksgiving for all that was, is and yet to come.

Chances are, you’re already living one heck of a charmed life and you don’t even know it.

* * *

of wealth in the coming year.” - Kathryn Wong, Irvine, CA

“We either go out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, or prepare food at home. This year, we booked a Chinese restaurant, which you should do fast because they get fully booked really quickly. Fish and noodles signify wealth and health. Before we eat, al-ways do an o�ering for our deceased Chinese family members. We light can-dles and incense, and this is the part where we do all the bowing. Another big thing is the red envelopes, usually given during holidays or celebrations. Red symbolizes good luck.” - Jessica San Luis, Los Angeles, CA

“As a Fi l ipino/Vietnamese -

American, I celebrate Lunar New Year with my Vietnamese side. We typically have a party at my grandma’s house with traditional Vietnamese food, Bánh cuốn, Bún chả, Bánh Xèo, and Nộm ngó sen. We play a game called Bầu cua cá cọp, a Vietnamese gambling game involving dice, and we greet our elders in traditional Vietnamese. To me, Chinese New Year is important, because it gives me a chance to cel-ebrate my Vietnamese side, culture and traditions. All of my cousins are the �rst generation here, so we don’t get too many opportunities to do so. ” - Anthony Nguyen, Diamond Bar, CA

Celebrate the Year of the Fire Monkey by making the decision to quit smoking SAN DIEGO—The start of a

New Year o�ers a new opportunity to set new goals, or to try again to reach your goal. To celebrate the Year of the Fire Monkey, which is known in Asian culture for its cleverness and openness to new challenges, you also can also �nd the motivation and con�dence to overcome an addiction to nicotine and smoking.

“You can decide to quit smoking and change your life any time,” said Dr. Caroline Chen, project manager of the Asian Smokers’ Quitline. “But quitting smoking this year can be especially inspiring as the Fire Monkey symbolizes the most active and con�dent of all monkey years, according to the Lunar Zodiac.”

The Asian Smokers’ Quitline (ASQ) is a free nationwide telephone program for Chinese-, Korean-, and Vietnamese-speakers who want to quit. ASQ o�ers various services, including self-help materials, one-on-one counseling over the phone, and

a free two-week starter kit of nicotine patches.

Here are the cessation coaches’ top ten tips for quitting successfully:

1. FIGURE OUT WHY YOU WANT TO QUIT. Do you want to improve your stamina? Save money? Whatever gets you �red up, write it down. A strong reason can get you started, and it will help you stay quit when you’re tempted to smoke.

2. CALL THE ASIAN SMOKERS’ QUITLINE! Don’t hesitate to contact ASQ, which is available Monday through Friday from 7am to 9pm, Paci�c Time:

• 1-800-838-8917 Mandarin and Cantonese

• 1-800-556-5564 Korean • 1-800-778-8440 Vietnamese People who call the Asian

Smokers’ Quitline are twice as likely to quit for good. A trained cessation coach will help you create a personalized plan to quit and o�er support along the way. It’s free, and it works! Deleted Facebook.

3. MAKE A PLAN. Think about when you’ll want to smoke. Plan something else for those times, to keep your hands busy and your mind o� cigarettes. Common triggers are stress, alcohol, and socializing. What’s your plan to get through these times without smoking? Examples: drink water, talk to a nonsmoker, take a walk.

4. SEEK OUT SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Discuss your plan to quit with the people you trust. Let them know what they can do to help. In return, they will enjoy cleaner air and a longer, happier life - with you still in it!

5. SET A QUIT DATE. Choose a date when you will quit. This shows you’re serious.

6. QUIT ON YOUR QUIT DATE. Sounds obvious, right? But what good is a quit date unless you actually try to stop smoking? Planning is good - doing is even better.

7. USE A QUITTING AID. Nicotine-replacement therapies and other FDA-approved

medications are helpful and may be available through your health care or Medicare bene�ts. Products like nicotine patches and gum make withdrawal easier. They also increase your chance of success. Talk to your doctor about which quitting aid is right for you.

8. MAKE YOUR HOME AND CAR SMOKE-FREE. This will help you stay o� smoking. And as your sense of smell improves, your nose will thank you!

9. ENVISION YOURSELF AS A NONSMOKER. After you quit, you have a choice to make. Are you a smoker who’s just not smoking for now? Or are you a nonsmoker? For nonsmokers, smoking is not an option in any situation. Choose to see yourself as a nonsmoker.

10. Keep trying. Most people make several attempts before they quit for good. Slips don’t have to turn into relapses - but if they do, remember each time brings you closer to your goal. If you keep trying, you will succeed!

An Asian Journal Magazine

Maharlika’s Chicken Inasal drumsticks

Moby dick (Broncos)1/2 oz ginger syrup1/2 oz lime juice 3/4 oz passionfruit2oz sailor jerry spiced rum

Rumaway baby (Panthers)1/2 oz mango syrup1 1/2 oz pineapple juice1/2 oz lemon juice 2 oz Selvarey white rum

Broncos & Panthers

inspired cocktails by Gelo Honrade

After Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was crowned Miss Universe last year, Fil-Am mixologist Gelo Honrade concocted a cocktail in her honor: Pia The Drink.

Wurtzbach, who tasted the drink during her visit to Jeepney (a Fili-pino gastropub in New York), said it was “sweet but with a kick,” ac-cording to Honrade.

Honrade shared the recipe with the Asian Journal as a perfect Super Bowl party cocktail since Wurtzbach will be reporting at the big game on Sunday, Feb. 7 as a correspondent for “Inside Edition.”

Raise a glass in honor of Miss Universe

SUPER BOWL INSPIRED RECIPES

Hi� Punchby Darwin Manahan

Yield: 1 literIngredients:2.5oz - Lemon Juice2.5oz - Caster Sugar5oz - Lambanog5oz - Gin1oz - Jasmine Cordial2oz - Jamaica Tea3oz - Calamansi JuiceGarnishCalamansi LeafNutmegHalf Lemon Wheel

Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken drumsticks 1/2 cup Suka 4 stalks of lemongrass chopped 1 head garlic smashed2 tbsps. chopped ginger1 tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 cup calamansi juiceBasting Sauce1/4 cup Achiote butterProcedure:1. Marinate the chicken for one

hour.2. Grill chicken for eight minutes

on each side or until done, basting every 30 seconds.

***Maharlika — a restaurant serv-

ing updated Filipino home-cook-ing classics — is located at 111 First Avenue, New York, NY

*** Darwin Manahan, a Fil-Am based in

Los Angeles, is currently the Beverage Director at Cli�’s Edge in Silverlake.

#PiaTheDrink 1oz Coco Lopez3/4oz orange juice3/4oz lemon juice1 1/2oz pineapple purée3/4oz blue Curaçao2oz Selvarey white rum

• Breadfruit chips with Bicol express• Curry puffs• Garlic popcorn with dilis

• Pork, chives & chestnut dumplings• Perry’s sriracha fried drumstick• Duck gizzard & octopus adobo

At Purple Yam in Brooklyn, chef /owner Romy Dorotan will be serving the following in their menu:

Halftime Hots: Some of the most memorable performances in Super Bowl history

AS eager football fans prepare to watch their re-spective teams to battle it out on the �eld, millions of viewers too are anticipating Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars in the halftime show for Super Bowl 50. Will they fare better than past high-rating perfor-mances, or will they belong to some of the most boring shows in SB history? For now, we can only guess and give you some of the best and worst halftime shows:

King of Pop, Michael Jackson, 1993With the goal of keeping the viewers glued, the

National Football League (NFL) brought in no less than the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Although MJ lip-synched his way to halftime, viewers went into frenzy with a medley of hits like “Billie Jean” and “Black and White.” It was also a good way to clean up his image, as reports of child sexual abuse against the pop star was starting to come out. To present his message of peace and harmony, he concluded his performance with “Heal the World,” backed up by 3,500 youngsters.

Nipplegate: Janet Jackson and Justin Timber-lake, 2004

The duo’s performance was not as memorable as the “wardrobe malfunction” that happened. Towards the end of their number, JT “accidentally” exposed JJ’s “bedazzled” breast for millions of viewers to see. After �nes, appeals and the outrage, it still remains a debate whether the faux pas was part of their act.

In memoriam: U2, 2002It was less than �ve months after September 11, and

the country was still reeling from the tragedy. How do you present halftime and still show sensitivity to a very touching issue? Bring in U2. The group included a 9/11 tribute to their performance of “Where the Streets Have No Name,” with a scrolling backdrop of names of all the victims who died in the attacks.

The Queen “B”: Beyonce, 2013Multimedia indulgence in its �nest covered Bey’s

performance of her hits such as “Bootylicious,” “Inde-pendent Women,” and “Single Ladies.” It was also a mini-reunion for Destiny’s Child, when ex-members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams shot out from under the stage for “Bootylicious.” Of course, apart from the dozens of female dancers, �reworks, smoke and animation screen; viewers went wild over Bey’s seizure-inducing dance skills.

Old school dynamic performance: Bruno Mars, 2014

He’s not voluptuous like Beyonce, or as seasoned as Madonna, but Fil-Am Bruno Mars took the stage and

Who’s on the �eld: Player positions...receiver receiver, although a tight end is bigger and stronger than most receivers.

DefenseCornerback: A player who is

positioned on the wider ends of the �eld. Cornerbacks are among the fastest players on the �eld and are responsible for defend-ing against o�ensive passes and making tackles.

Defensive End: The two outer players in the defensive line who are two of the largest members on the defensive team whose jobs are to penetrate

From Page 2 o�ensive blocking and together tackle the quarterback or who-ever is carrying the ball. During running plays, defensive ends are responsible for forcing the ball carrier out of bounds or toward other defensive playeres.

Safety: Safties are the last line of defense and must tackle bigger runners, but also possess the speed to catch the ball from fast receivers.

Defensive Tackle: The inner two members of the defensive line who are two of the biggest men on the defensive team. Their jobs are to stop the running attack and get to the passer. They

are allowed to use their hands against blockers.

Linebacker: A linebacker is considered among the team’s best tacklers. Teams typically have three to four linebackers per play. They line up behind the defensive linemen and are responsible for pursuing running plays and preventing passes.

Nose Guard: The most interior defensive tackle whose name is derived from the fact this player sometimes lines up directly across from the ball, putting him nearly nose-to-nose with the o�ensive team’s center. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

More than football: Super Bowl’s halftime shows

APART from guessing which teams made it to the Super Bowl, the most anticipated news about the event is who’s going to perform during the halftime show. The last two decades has given football fans a concert-like feel with crazy production designs, costumes, �reworks and outstanding perfor-mances of various popular artists. This year for NFL’s golden anniver-sary, Super Bowl will feature past performers Beyonce and Fil-Am Bruno Mars. They will join Coldplay for the halftime show at Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

However, the SB halftime shows weren’t that entertaining before. Initially, the goal of the SB halftime show was to �ll the void and keep the fans entertained—those who weren’t stuck in lines at concession stands or the bathrooms.

Band camp, star power and Disney

Early shows drew less atten-tion and press, as they featured patriotic halftimes performance by school marching bands. The �rst SB in 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum had the Uni-versity of Arizona Band, Grambling College Band and trumpeter Al Hirt entertained the audiences, minus, of course any kind of com-mercialization.

owned it with his old-fashioned sense of showman-ship. His 12-minute display showed his talent in sing-ing, dancing and drums—without exuding an ounce of star ego. This friendliness vibe made the audience love him more in his performance of his hits such as “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Treasure” and closed with “Just the Way You Are,” with videos of troops serving overseas send-ing love to their families. The Red Hot Chili Peppers also joined him for two songs. Aside from breaking halftime show ratings with a whopping 115.3 million viewers, at 28 years old, he was also the youngest star to perform the SB halftime show in 13 years.

Other notable performances: Diana Ross’ (1996) helicopter exit, Prince’s (2007) “Purple Rain” rainy per-formance in Miami with his controversial guitar, Bruce Springsteen (2009), Madonna with Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, CeeLo Green and MIA’s “bird �ippin’” �asco, and Katy Perry’s (2015) four costume changes, metallic lion (or tiger?) and two dancing sharks. (AJPress)

The band phase went on until SB XI, but through the years NFL would insert a few star power like Broad-way and movie star Carol Channing (SB IV and VI), singer Anita Bryant (SB V), jazz great Ella Fitzgerald, and singer Andy Williams.

The Walt Disney production also became a part of SB, starting with the Mousketeers in 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, 1984 for SB XVIII, with an explo-sion of floats, balloons, dancers, Disney characters and of course, Mickey Mouse himself; and 1987 with Disney’s Salute to Hollywood featuring George Burns and Mickey Rooney.

Big stars, super stagesAlthough the gigantic 1970s

singing ensemble Up With People performed at four halftime shows (1976, 1980, 1983 and 1986), they weren’t really the most memorable. The group—who was supposedly (quietly) funded by Exxon and Coca-Cola—was seen as a cult-like orga-nization aimed to discredit liberal culture during the ‘60s and ‘70s. How-ever, it was during Up With People’s �rst SB performance that brought in a concert-like quality sound system, covering the stadium.

The nineties brought in more pop stars onstage. In 1993, NBC brought in the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. A new era in viewing ushered in—millions of viewers ap-parently opted to take their breaks during the game, as halftime ratings surpassed the actual game for the �rst time.

Halftime shows after that be-came a huge viewer magnet—big productions with multi-million dollar commercial viability. It also gave the audience the concert feel, with huge stars like Aerosmith, U2, Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry to name a few.

Today, the halftime show is equally viewed as the game itself, with a whopping 118.5 million viewers from last year’s Super Bowl. (AJPress)

An Asian Journal Magazine

Pauleen Luna and Vic Sotto seal May-December a�air with a lifetime commitment

After having de�ed all odds, they �nally tied the knot!

Destiny concluded Pauleen Luna and Vic Sotto’s 5-year relationship and certainty capped their poignant reverie with a “forever” that com-menced after they exchanged vows in a solemn matrimonial service of-�ciated by Rev. Fr. Je�rey Quintela last Saturday, January 30, 2016 at St. James the Great Parish Church in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Now popularly tagged “Bosleng” (coined Vic’s alter moniker “Bossing” and Pauleen’s nickname “Poleng”), the couple’s peculiar and rough sailing relationship was seemingly displayed in a glass case viewed by the scrutinizing public. Their May-December a�air (he is 61 and she is 26) was even predicted to end pre-maturely even before the malicious conjecture gradually died down but the strong emotional connec-tion between the couple proved soothsayers wrong. They faced ev-ery challenge, survived all trials, and stood victorious against every single odd.

While the dashing groom waited before the altar donned in a deep blue tuxedo of the same hue he co-ordinately shared with his grooms-men, the elegantly garbed bride beamingly treaded down the aisle in a daintily corded French lace embel-lished with crystal beads and sparse-ly embossed with Swarovski stones that ostensibly emitted suppressed coruscation in ethereal subtlety.

Ciara Sotto soulfully rendered the wedding’s theme song, “When I Fall In Love,” during the proces-sional while JoWaPao (Jose, Wally, and Paolo) vocally provided the background music, “Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin,” during the ceremony.

“Pauleen has a very �ne, simple taste…never �amboyant or osten-tatious,” said the amiable couple’s designer, Francis Libiran. “From the start she made it clear that all she wanted was a simple gown of time-less elegance: no petticoat, nothing fuzzy, something light and comfort-able.”

The couple picked baby pink and taupe (brownish gray) for motif col-ors.

Meticulous and hands on, the bride personally attended to every detail during the preparatory stages before endorsing it to their wedding planner, Rita Neri.

Americaalendar of EventsacrossC

Please join us in congratulating TAS for their Golden (50th) Anniversary to be held at Tower Club, Philamlife Building in Makati, Philippines on February 5, 2016. All brothers from all over the world are encouraged to attend. There will be fun–filled activities includ-ing dancing, singing, reminiscing college days, golf, trips to Bicol, Batangas, and Tagaytay and reconnecting with both old and new TAS brothers and their spouses. Those who have not yet confirmed their attendance, please contact: (USA) Bernie Lim (bernielim@sbcglobal.net) & Rene Marcos (rmarcos_cpa@verizon.net); (PHILIPPINES) Rodrigo Mangay-ayam (rod-man0983@yahoo.com.ph) & Manny Bautista (Manuel.D.Bautista@ph.ey.com).

The Philippine College of Commerce High School Laboratory Batch 1966 (now Poly-technic University of the Philippines) will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee from February 20-21 in Manila, Philippines. According to the President of the PCCHS Batch ‘66 Alumni As-sociation, ROLAND ATIENZA, about 55 batchmates from Australia, Canada and USA have confirmed attendance to the Homecoming and 50 from Manila local chapter.

BOBBY T. YALONG

On thePEP FrontPeople, Events, Places

Among the members of the en-tourage were Pauleen’s closest Eat Bulaga chum Ruby Rodriguez as her Matron-of-Honor, the bride’s long-time friends Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach and Franchesca Que as Bride’s Maids, while bubbly child host Ryzza Mae Dizon with Vic’s granddaughters as Flower Girls.

Vic’s four children from previous marriage and relationships were assigned notable roles: Vicco (son from Coney Reyes) was Best Man, Oyo Boy (son from former wife Dina Bonnevie) and wife Kristine Her-mosa were Cord Sponsors, daugh-ter Danica (also from Dina) and basketballer husband Mark Pingris were Veil Sponsors, while daughter Paulina (courtesy of Angela Luz) and Pauleen’s brother Miguel were Can-dle Sponsors.

Incidentally, Vic’s brothers Val and Maru stood as Groom’s men simul-taneously with wacky Eat Bulaga trio Wally Bayola, Jose Manalo, and Paolo Ballesteros while Tito was one of the Principal Sponsors together with longtime buddy Joey De Leon and Mr. Antonio Tuviera.

EB’s hot property Alden Rich-ards and Maine Mendoza of AlDub tandem were designated as �ower sponsors.

The intimate ceremony, the �rst for Pauleen and second for Vic, was witnessed by, aside from the cou-ple’s immediate families, only close friends and relatives and free from the presence of the entertainment press with only Pauleen’s road man-ager, Gorgy Rula, around.

Guests were treated to a sumptu-ously prepared dinner at the Filinvest Tent that was grandiosely festooned and bedecked with imported �oral accents highlighted with a grand crystal chandelier as overhead cen-terpiece.

According to Bizu Patisserie Chef Alexander Tanco, the event’s culi-nary executive, the couple ordered more of interactive recipes with bold ingredients and �avorful taste with preferences to Pauleen’s favor-ite Caesar’s salad with Pecorino Ro-mano cheese and linguini carbon-ara while Vic opted for his personal choice, tempura.

Well-attended beef-carving, tempura, and dessert stations were strategically set-up in the dining pavilion for the guests to fully savor and enjoy the wide variety of gastro-nomical creations aside, of course, from the main entrees of smoked salmon, roast beef belly with mush-

room sauce, and other meticulously prepared recipes.

The newlyweds entertained their guests with their �rst dance to Hot-line Bling followed by another joint performance to the tune of Des-sert that almost brought the tent down due to Vic’s comical moves. The Megastar, Sharon Cuneta, dedi-cated one of her top-selling ditties, “Ikaw.”

The pompously conceptualized interior that created an unsullied, high-spirited ambience was duly credited to the collaborative e�orts of the newlyweds’ ever dependable bridal team: Florist Rose Aguilar and Mabel Sotto, souvenir special-ist Tony Elipano, souvenir supplier Carol Lim, cake maker-decorator Penk Ching, videographer Jason Magbanua, and lensman Oly Ruiz.

Flashbacks, quotes, and anec-dotes:

Looking back: Pauleen, who was

then barely 6 years old and sans front teeth, joined Eat Bulaga’s young beauty search segment Little Miss Philippines 1995 aptly armed with a kasabihan: “Ang batang mabait, pu-punta sa langit” and smartly capped her brief exposure with an energeti-cally rehearsed dance number.

Bonding moments: Road trips, out-of-town adventures, watching movies, and dining out.

Proposal: “It was actually some-thing out-of-the-ordinary and very informal,” was Pauleen’s comment when queried about Vic’s wedding proposal. “He gifted me with a sig-nature bag from one of his trips abroad with a tag that bear my initials as a “Sotto… then showed me a solitaire diamond ring which I excitedly slipped into my �nger…hindi siya and nagsuot… at saka pa lamang niya akong tinanong ng ‘Will you marry me?’! Imagine, of all places… inside the bathroom!”

then punctuated her statement with a hearty laugh.

Vic’s personal message: “Thank you for loving me kung ano man ako…kung ano man ang pinag-daanan ko…tinanggap mo pa rin ako…!”

Pauleen: “Since Vic is a golf en-thusiast and I usually tag along with him, I might as well learn how to golf and join him. We are very blessed to have each other!”

Danica Sotto-Pingris (Vic’s eldest daughter): “They can say what they want to say about my family but I will forever be grateful that I have them in my life.” (Caption of a family picture she posted in her Instagram account.)

Dina Bonnevie (Vic’s �rst wife): “In a situation like theirs you can eventually outgrow your mate na dapat sana ang mindset is for companionship. How could she be falling in love with a sixty-year-old? But the mere fact that Pauleen has proven herself to be sincere well, it may be really something, It’s Vic’s choice and we cannot judge Pauleen’s decision.” (On the circulating bashes and malicious comments about Vic and Pauleen’s relationship.)

Pauleen: “I truly appreciate the fact that she sees my e�orts. I’m grateful for her kind words and most especially for respecting my relationship with Vic…and I’m truly

humbled.”Vic: “Her physical aspect…her

face…!” (When asked what he likes most about Pauleen).

Pauleen (on Vic): “He’s actually very down-to-earth… simple, gen-tle, and sensitive.”

Vic: “Before Pauleen didn’t like crabs which happened to be my favorite but now she devours on them since I persuaded her to favor my cravings…” (On how they adjust to each other’s preferences.)

The road to Forever: Now that their almost tumultuous relation-ship was �nally sealed with a life-time commitment, Mr. and Mrs. Marvic Sotto are all set to move into their newly built lovenest (that was initially blessed on New Year’s Day) after coming back from their Euro-pean honeymoon.

The couple, after having de�ed all the odds, has proven that, in love or in any relationship, age doesn’t really matter. In my personal opin-ion, for a relationship like theirs to survive and last, Vic, who’s got more years of experience, should adjust while Pauleen, although younger but indubitably smart, must exert e�ort to level up so that they could meet halfway.

Here’s wishing Vic and Pauleen a lasting blissful connubial life!

For comments and suggestions, please email: gemini0646@yahoo.com.

Beat the Valentine’s Day rush and get your tickets to “An Intimate Night with Miguel Vera,” a special Valentine Show featuring Miguel Vera, performing the greatest OPM hits and romantic Filipino classics by Cayabyab, Canseco, and Cruz. The one-night-only concert will take place at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel (7675 Crescent Ave, Buena Park, CA 90620) on February 12 at 8:00pm. Special guests include Annie Nepomuceno and Kit Navarro. Please call (714) 814-0412 or (818) 913-329 for tickets and information. Tickets are $40 each.

Eagle Rock High School invites the community to International Baccalaureate Open House Tours, from 8-10am during the spring semester on Friday, February 5; Friday, March 11; and Friday, April 1. Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School serves students in grades 7-12, and was the first school in the LAUSD to be authorized to offer the prestigious Inter-national Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (grades 7-10) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (grades 11-12), a project-based program for concept and content-based learning to promote global mindedness and service to others. The IB Open House is open to all interested students, and will include an introductory presenta-tion in the ERHS library, followed by campus tours, classroom visits, and a short question-and-answer period. To register for the Open Houses, please visit www.erhs.la, and click on the “IB Open House Registration” link. Please email Mylene Keipp mylene.keipp@lausd.net for more information. We look forward to your visit!

The Officers and Members of Miss Magsingal Organization of America (MOA) cordially in-vites townmates and friends to attend our Miss MOA 2016-17 Coronation and Dinner/Dance on Feb. 6, from 5:00pm -12 midnight at the Hilton of Stockton (2323 Grand Canal Blvd, Stockton, CA). Our Royal Court to be honored and crowned are: Her Majesty Queen, Jillian Foronda; 1st Princess, Jemina Atanaya; and 2nd Princess, Jeramae Luczon. Attire is formal, dinner is $50/person, with live band entertainment. Limited seats are available on a first come first serve basis. For more details, please call Tereso U (209) 603-8440, Lanie (209) 814-8004, and Grace (209) 817-5674. Thank you.

Oliver Tolentino at SAG and PG AwardsSCREEN Actors Guild (SAG) nomi-

nee Mayim Bialik (left photo) wore an Oliver Tolentino gown at last Sat-urday’s SAG Awards in Hollywood. Bialik, known for conservative dress due to religious modesty, chose a black hand-draped silk chi�on gown accented with hand-beaded gold embroidery at the top of the bodice and on the cu� of a sheer sleeve.

As reported here a few weeks ago, Bialik won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the Critics Choice Awards—she noted it was her �rst award—in Oliver’s green draped silk chi�on gown. The actress won for playing Amy in “The Big Bang Theo-ry.”

And last week, Oscar winner Marcia

Gay Harden wore Oliver’s white and black crepe de chine mermaid gown to present at the Producers Guild Awards. The top featured hand-

sewn cotton strips on tulle. Harden won Best Supporting Actress for Pol-lock and again was nominated for Mystic River. (Philstar.com)

‘Revolution Revisited’ bookto be launched this month

WASHINGTON, DC—As the Filipino nation prepares to com-memorate the 30th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution later this month, Philippine Ambas-sador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. welcomed the news that Pulitzer Prize-winner photojournal-ist Kim Komenich is set to launch his book, “Revolution Revisited” at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco on Feb. 25.

“The 1986 People Power Revolu-tion was not only a turning point in Philippine history but also a source of inspiration for oppressed peoples everywhere. It was an unequivocal proof that a nation’s yearning for freedom and democracy could nev-er be totally suppressed and that it could give the people the courage to rise above their fears and pessi-mism. This is the story that Kim Ko-menich’s photographs eloquently tell,” Ambassador Cuisia said.

“Revolution Revisited” is a com-pendium of photographic images of the days leading up to, during, and after the EDSA People Power Revo-lution, which is considered the �rst peaceful and bloodless revolution launched by the people against their autocratic government. Komenich won the Pulitzer Prize in 1987 for his extraordinary coverage of the

historical event. The photographs were also exhibited in a show of the same title at the Ayala Museum and other parts of the Philippines in 2011, and in the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. in 2015.

“While I was working, I kept his-tory in mind,” Komenich said while explaining the measures it took to protect and preserve the quality of the photographs.

“On one level, I was just photo-graphing the day-to-day life in the Philippines, but on another, I was watching some of these things hap-pening behind the scenes. What a gift it was to be a witness to this,” Komenich further remarked.

To �nd out more about the book and how to get a copy, please visit revrev.com/blog or e-mail ko-menich@me.com.

An Asian Journal Magazine