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Volume 22 - No. 38 2 Sections - 16 Pages SePtember 25-october 1, 2015

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DATELINEUSAfrom the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

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SWS presidential survey: Poe, Binay, Roxas statistically tiedby Catherine S. Valente

ManilaTimes.net

NeXt years presidential elec-tions would be a neck and neck race among the top three front-runners, results of the latest so-cial Weather stations (sWs) sur-vey said.

According to the sWs presi-dential preference survey, sen. Grace Poe, Vice President Jejo-mar Binay and former Interior secretary manuel roxas II are statistically tied.

Poean independent who de-Former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Grace Poe are leading the latest Social Weather Stations presidential survey.

clared her intention to vie for the nations top-most elective posi-tion just last weekgot the nod of 26 percent of the 1,200 respon-dents surveyed while Binay and roxas got 24 and 20 percentage points, respectively.

the survey, which was report-edly designed by BusinessWorld, asked the respondents to select one name from an alphabetical-ly-arranged list of possible presi-dential candidates.

It was conducted from sep-tember 2 to 5.

the respondents were asked, Among the names found in this list, who will you probably vote for as President of the Philippines if elections were held today?

Davao City mayor rodrigo Duterte came in fourth with 11 percent followed by sen. fer-dinand Bongbong marcos Jr. and sen. francis Chiz escu-dero with 4 percent, deposed president and now manila mayor Joseph estrada had 3 percent, sen. miriam Defensor santiago

Coloma denies NY Times report stating PH requested $300 million in military aid

AmID ongoing territorial quarrels about the south China sea, the Aquino administration requested $300 million in military aid from the United states, according to a report by the New York Times.

however, Philippine Presidential Communications secretary herminio Coloma, Jr. repudiated the report, cit-ing a lack of explicit information on the claim.

Wala tayong tuwirang information tungkol diyan at kailangan muna nat-ing alamin kung ano ang isinasaad ng ulat na yan at berepikahin kung merong batayan (We dont have any di-rect information about that matter and

by agneS ConStanteAJPressFil-Am teen pleads

not guilty in killing of 8-year-old girl

Fil-Am nominated to head Defense Health Agency

PresIDeNt Barack obama has nominated a filipina for a high-rank-ing promotion in the United states Navy.

rear Admiral raquel C. Bono, who was promoted in september 2014, was nominated by the president to the rank of Vice Admiral and for the position of Defense health Agency

A fILIPINo-American teenager who was charged as an adult in the murder of an 8-year-old girl earlier this year in santa Cruz, California, pleaded not guilty monday, sept. 21.

Adrian Jerry Gonzalez, 15, faces one count of murder with the special circumstance that he allegedly kid-napped, sexually assaulted, and tied up madyson maddy middleton before killing her, according to santa Cruz

by teSSa MauriCio-arriolaManilaTimes.net

Binays stars to come out in due timeseN. Nancy Binay on tuesday, sept.

22 said celebrities who support her fa-thers bid for the presidency will come out soon.

Sa tamang panahon [In due time], Bi-nay quipped, quoting the famous lesson of Lola Nidora in eat Bulagas popular Kalyeserye.

In a brief one-on-one with The Manila Times before Vice President Jejomar Bi-nay arrived at a roundtable with select members of the entertainment press in a Quezon City restaurant, sen. Binay ex-plained why they have not identified the stars who will support her father.

Based on experience, we dont want to risk dragging them [celebrity support-ers] into our situation, she said, obvious-ly referring to allegations of corruption against the Vice President and several other members of their family.

If you remember, when Congressman manny Pacquiao attended the UNA [Unit-ed Nationalist Alliance] rally in support of my dad, he suddenly had the BIr [Bureau of Internal revenue] harassing him, ac-cording to the senator.

she said the Vice President, even in his mayoral campaigns in makati City, hardly brought along celebrity endorsers in his sorties.

Usually, its our children who would sing or dance, she laughed. even when he [Binay] ran for Vice President in 2010, robin Padilla only joined him on very few occasions.

the Binay camp confirmed that as far as actors go, Alma moreno is organizing a womens group in mindanao to rally behind the Vice Presidents campaign. [the actress gathered some influence in the south during her five-year marriage to marawi City mayor sultan fahad Pre

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PAPAL VISIT. Pope Francis addresses a Joint Session of Congress on Thursday, Sept. 24. The Pope, who became the first pontiff to address Congress, thanked lawmakers for their warm welcome. Photo by House Office of Photography

FiRST PAPAl viSiT To CoNgReSS Pope Francis urges action on immigration, environment, defense of the poor and of families

IN the first-ever papal address to both houses of Congress on thurs-day, sept. 24, Pope francis brought to light important issues ranging from immigration to gun control to climate change, addressing the di-verse crowd of political leaders and top lawmakers.

Appearing at the balcony of the Capitol, the pope was surrounded to his right and left by house speaker John Boehner and Vice President Joe Biden, both of whom are devout Catholics, NPr reported.

I am most grateful for your invi-tation to address this Joint session of Congress in the land of the free and the home of the brave, the

by allySon eSCobarAJPress

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama introduce Pope Francis to their family pets Bo and Sunny in the Blue Room following the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday, Sept. 23. White House Photo by Pete Souza

PAGE A2

Filipino fishermen sue China before UNmANILAfilipino fisherfolk who rely

on waters near the disputed Panatag (scarborough) shoal submitted an appeal to United Nations against state agents of the Peoples republic of China.

In the urgent appeal penned by Cen-ter for Law Philippines counsels harry roque Jr. and Gilbert Andres, 16 fish-ermen residing in the coastal town of Infanta, Pangasinan and sta. Cruz, Zam-bales accused the Chinese of violating their human rights.

the fishermen said they are physically prevented from conducting their means of livelihood by Chinese Coast Guard

and other maritime agencies of China that patrol the fishing areas around the shoal, also known as Bajo de masinloc. the Chinese officers are distinguished by their orange uniforms and markings on the maritime vessels they use.

the Chinese authorities threaten their livelihood with water cannons and no fishing warnings and deprive them of shelter during inclement weather, the fishermen added.

the petitioners said the Chinese vio-lated their rights to an adequate stan-dard of living, food and life.

We request that you urgently in-tervene, remind, and direct China and its state agents to respect the human

rightsincluding the right to livelihood, the right to adequate food, and the right to lifeof the filipino fisherfolks over their traditional fishing grounds and safe refuge in the scarborough shoal (Pana-tag shoal or Bajo de masinloc), the law-yers said in the appeal addressed to the UN body.

the fisherfolks lawyers noted Chinas international obligation under the Inter-national Covenant on economic, social and Cultural rights, the Universal Dec-laration of human rights, and custom-ary international law in stating their re-quest.

In June, the Center for Law legal

by roSette adel Philstar.com

Legal counsels of fisherfolk who rely on waters near Panatag Shoal file urgent appeal against Chinas state agents for violating their human rights. Philstar.com photo PAGE A2

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From the Front Page

Filipino fishermen sue China...PAGE A1 counsels also filed urgent appeal against Chinese coast guards for the fisherfolk of Subic and Masin-loc Zambales.

On Thursday, Sept. 24, Sen. Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. also called on the government

to ask China to stop harassing Filipino fishermen.

The first item in the agenda is to ask China to stop harassing our fishermen because they are just fishing and have no other motive in going there; its inter-national waters anyway, Mar-

cos said.Lets make an arrangement

with China that we will talk about fishermen only and not the con-tentious issue of who owns the territories. I think China will agree to that arrangement. Thats one big step, he added.

Pope Francis urges action on immigration...Pope began, to the applause of thousands, who were granted a limited amount of tickets for the joint meeting. I am so grateful for your presence here.

To begin, the head of the Cath-olic Church reminded legislators of the function and purpose of government: A political society endures when it seeks, as a vo-cation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerabil-ity or risk. Legislative activity is always based on the care of the people. To this, you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you.

He called on Congress to seek effective solutions, rather than getting bogged down in discus-sions.

Francis urged political leaders to take vigorous action on issues largely favored by liberals, and concerns widely dividing both houses of Congress: including his powerful defense of immi-

gration, a critique of modern-day US capitalism, a call for the endorsement of environmental legislation, an end to war and a cry to help the poor, refugees, and those incarcerated.

Politics is, instead, an ex-pression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one, the greatest common good, the Pope said, also citing the examples of historical lead-ers like Abraham Lincoln, Doro-thy Day, Thomas Merton, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

As the 266th Pope, Francis (whose birth name is Jorge Ma-rio Bergoglio) also recognized his own role as a promoter of peace, and religious leader of the Catholic Church: It is my duty to build bridges and to help all men and women, in any way possible, to do the same.

In his speech, he defended religious freedom and the struc-ture of the traditional family, dividing his views of marriage with that of President Barack Obama, according to the New York Times.

He was also less explicit in condemning abortion, but called for a defense of life at every stage of development.

I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without, he said. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.

Touching upon other points he made the day before, in front of the White House lawn, the Pope noted himself as the son of im-migrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants. He called for the further respect of immigrants and refugees, and for a major haul to the immigration system.

We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best as we can to their situation, he commenting, referencing the biblical Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

He also advocated for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, calling every life sa-cred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignitya just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension of hope and the

goal of rehabilitation.Encouraging those living in

a poverty to have hope, Fran-cis said, [] in times of crisis and economic hardship a spirit of global solidarity must not be lostThe fight against poverty and hunger must be fought con-stantly and on many fronts.

As the session came to a close, he talked about caring for the common good, emphasizing the importance of creation and taking care of the earth, calling for an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting na-ture.

Quoting from his second en-cyclical Laudato Si, he said: We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the en-vironmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.

Finally, the Pontiff ended with a brief comment on gun control, and a collective cry for ongoing social justice and world peace.

Being at the service of dia-logue and peace also means be-ing truly determined to minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts through-out our world, he said. Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict un-told suffering on individuals and society? [] In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the prob-lem and to stop the arms trade.

The Popes speech in English was the longest, perhaps most challenging appearance of his papacy, the NY Times said. Fran-cis, who speaks native Spanish and fluent Italian, has admitted his discomfort in speaking Eng-lish.

But on Thursday, he clearly addressed 138 Catholic House members and 26 senators--near-ly 31 percent, compared with 22 percent of the overall Catholic adult population.

Urging and encouraging these national leaders from all walks of life, Pope Francis said, The challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United States. The complexity, the gravity and the urgency of these challenges demand that we pool our resources and tal-ents, and resolve to support one another, with respect for our dif-ferences and our convictions of conscience.

PAGE A1

had 2 percent and former senator Manuel Villar Jr., 1 percent.

Former senator Panfilo Lacson and Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Loren Legarda each obtained 0.8 percent.

Two percent of the respondents were undecided.

Meanwhile, Poe and his run-ning mate Escudero led the vice-presidential race in the September 2015 pre-election survey.

Based on the survey, 27 per-cent of registered voters chose Poe while 20 percent picked Es-cudero.

Duterte scored 9 percent, Mar-cos had 7 percent, Estrada had 7

percent, Cayetano 5 percent, Le-garda 5 percent, Batangas Gover-nor Vilma Santos-Recto had 4 per-cent, Senator Antonio F. Trillanes 4th also had 4 percent, Lacson had 3 percent, Camarines Rep. Leni Robredo had 3 percent, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada had 2 percent and Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, 0.9 percent.

Three percent of those polled were undecided.

Poe said she is looking forward to the next survey, which she said would reflect how the people take her intention to be the next leader of the land.

I thank our countrymen for their continued confidence in me

and my performance and hopes for the country, she told report-ers.

Im looking forward to the proceeding surveys where the respondents are already aware of my intention to run and have also had a preview of the programs I wish to promote and support, the senator said.

Rico Quicho, the Vice Presi-dents political spokesman, said the survey will inspire Binay and his supporters to work harder.

The elections will be a battle for every single vote and the Vice President will continue to person-ally meet with the people around the country, Quicho added.

SWS presidential survey: Poe, Binay...PAGE A1

Salic].But if Vice President Binay had

to choose celebrity endorsers for what will be the toughest fight of his political life, he would go for the phenomenal tandem of Al-Dub.

Binay cited the AlDub phenom-enon for it allowed him to take a swipe at his political enemies.

Talung-talo na nung AlDub [Kaleyeserye] yung teleserye sa Senado [The AlDub kalyeserye has eclipsed the Senate teleserye], he also quipped. That soap opera [in the Senate] has been going on for over a year and its already wan-ing.

When I go around the country, I tell people who may just start be-

lieving these lies that Im used to this kind of demolition job. Even when I was mayor of Makati, I had sacks upon sacks of allegations filed against me. But have I ever even been suspended or convict-ed of any crime? he asked rhe-torically. The answer is never.

The Senate inquiry should be made in aid of legislation. If they really had something against me, they should try me in a court of law, the Vice President said.

When asked whether he has ever thought of giving up his bid for the presidency amid the seem-ingly endless controversies, Binay replied, Have you ever read the book by JFK [John F. Kennedy], Profiles in Courage? He said pub-lic service is a beautiful profession,

and my quest for the presidency is just a continuation of my passion for public service.

He promised that if he makes it to Malacaang, he will not take revenge on his enemies because he wants his administration to be healing and unifying.

Indulging a showbiz ques-tion, the Vice President said if his life story were to become a movie, he would choose Alden Richards to portray his character (Alden is the Al in AlDub).

Pero maputi ho siya [But he is fair-skinned], reacted one colum-nist.

Bakit, puwede namang ku-layan si Alden, di ba [Why, we can color Alden], the Vice President retorted.

Binays stars to come out in...PAGE A1

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Fil-Am nominated to head Defense Health...(DHA) director. She currently serves as director of the DHAs National Capital Region Medical Directorate and the 11th chief of the Navy Medical Corps.

If Bonos nomination is ap-proved, she will become the highest-ranking Filipino-Ameri-can naval officer in the US.

The news was announced by Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Thursday, Sept. 17.

As DHA director, she will oversee an organization re-sponsible for executing the mil-itary health program, including providing common health ser-vices for military hospitals and clinics, overseeing Tricare, and managing the systems infor-mation technology, education, training, research and facilities programs.

Vice Admiral Matthew L. Na-than, the Navy surgeon general,

Fil-Am teen pleads not guilty in killing...County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell. Gonzalez is also accused of lying in wait.

The teen has also been charged with one count of kidnapping and four other sexual assault-related offenses, according to Rosell.

We have charged this indi-vidual as an adult with the crimes for which he is responsible, he said. We are going to bring him to justice.

At Gonzalezs first court ap-pearance on Thursday, July 30, the 15-year-old did not enter a plea. Later at his arraignment on Monday, Sept. 21, he pleaded not guilty, Inquirer.net reported.

Gonzalezs lawyer Larry Big-gam told reporters, Our job is to review the evidence, conduct our own investigation, and make sure that the minorlike every citizen accusedreceives a fair trial.

Maddy was last seen around 5:05pm on Sunday, July 26 rid-ing her white Razor scooter in the Tannery Arts Center on River Street, a public-private nonprofit artists colony in Santa Cruz where both she and Gonzalez lived. Her disappearance prompted a fran-tic overnight search, and FBI investigators went door-to-door looking for clues. The massive search involved volunteers from neighbors, to officials, to relatives and friends.

Around 250 people live in the Tannery Arts Center complex, in-cluding about 50 children.

At 7:55pm on Monday, July 27,

Coloma denies NY Times report stating PH...we first need to know what the report said and verify if there is proof), Coloma said in a press briefing, according to Philstar.

The Sept. 19 report by the Times stated that the Philip-pines request was rejected on the grounds of potential cor-ruption and worries about the countrys ability to handle such an incoming of resources.

A Philippine official who spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity said the Aquino ad-ministration requested for the aid this year because it needs a substantial buildup of planes and ships to deter Chinese ex-pansionism.

Philippine lawmakers in 1991 voted to expel American troops from the country to break free from the shackles of dictator-ship. But with continuing dis-putes in the South China Sea, the Philippines is considering whether or not to invite the US Navy back to Subic Bay, accord-ing to the Times, a naval base that was involved in nearly each American conflict in the 20th century.

Last year, the Philippine gov-ernment signed a 10-year agree-ment that would allow America to station weapons, troops and military equipment at bases throughout the country, which would prepare for the return of America to some facilities, such as Subic Bay and Clark Air Base, the Times reported.

has described Bono as a role model for others to emulate, acknowledging the contribu-tions of her veteran family.

Bonos grandfather served as a Filipino obstetrician in the US Army as a colonel during World War II, according to Inquirer. Twenty years later, Bonos par-ents migrated to the US and settled in Minnesota, where her father finished his surgical resi-dency and joined the Navy Re-serve, retiring as a captain.

Bono and her younger broth-er, retired Rear Admiral Anato-lio B. AB Cruz III, made US Navy history in 2012 when they became the first and only Fili-pino siblings to hold flag-officer ranks simultaneously, the DHA reported.

Cruz served as deputy com-mander of the US Naval Forces Southern Command and deputy commander, US Fourth Fleet.

These two Navy officers are serving as prime examples of the diversity found within the Navys ranks, said a press re-lease from the US Department of Defense in 2012.

Service to others, service to country

Commissioned in June 1979, Rear Admiral Raquel Bono re-ceived her baccalaureate de-gree from the University of Texas at Austin and attended medical school at Texas Tech University, according to her of-ficial biography.

As the eldest child, she ini-tially wanted to go into nursing, but her father challenged her to go even further to become a doctor.

[Raquel] was the smart one and very disciplined at every-thing she did, brother AB Cruz commented. Dad set the bar and she raised that bar. Quite

However, the arrangement faces legal challenges and mixed feelings from Filipinos, who largely perceive the United States in a positive light but are unsure about American troops being stationed in the Philip-pines. Furthermore, there are worries about how China could respond to American aid.

When the elephants brawl, ants should be spared, said Rene Augusto Saguisag, among a group of former senators who voted to dismiss American troops in 1991, according to the Times. Saguisag has also petitioned the Philippines Supreme Court to block the military agreement. The US and China should leave us alone and not involve us in the quarrels of the strong.

Secretary Coloma dismissed the claim in the Times report, based on the fact that US mili-tary bases are not permitted to operate in the Philippines.

Labag sa Konstitusyon yung pagkakaroon ng mga foreign military troops. At kahit kailan-man ay hindi gumagawa ng la-bag sa Konstitusyon o batas ang ating pamahalaan. Kaya walang batayan at walang katotohan-an ang paratang na iyan (Its against the [Philippine] Consti-tution to have foreign military troops. And our government has never committed any violations against the Constitution or the laws of our government. There is no proof and there is no truth to that accusation), Coloma

said, according to Philstar.In the disputed territory that

China has pushed to established as its own, Malaysia, Brunei, Tai-wan, Thailand and Vietnam are among other countries claim-ing certain parts of it. However, Chinas efforts have affected the Philippines the most.

The fight hasnt even started yet, and it looks like the Philip-pines government has already surrendered, Renato Etac, 35, a fishing boat captain who says Chinese vessels in the area rou-tinely chase and attempt to ram his ship, told the Times. I cant even count the Chinese ships I see, there are so many.

If the pact between the US and Philippines pulls through, America would be able to posi-tion itself less than 500 miles away from the new islands built by China.

The issue of the West Philip-pines Sea is a shared responsi-bility of the Philippines and the United States, said Fernando Manalo, a Philippine defense of-ficial, according to the Times.

However, US Sen. Dan Sul-livan (R-Alaska), told the publi-cation it would take time for the two countries to re-establish a trust.

If you look what happened in Subic Bay, that was a pretty abrupt turnaround by the Philip-pines. I think memory probably lingers both in the Philippines and the United States, Sullivan said.

a little more than 24 hours after she disappeared, a police detec-tive discovered Maddys body4 feet tall, 46 poundslying at the bottom of the recycling bin, which had already been searched once by volunteers.

Investigators reportedly saw Gonzalez standing near the bin, causing automatic suspicion. Police believe he was watching them as they searched, and said they have evidence tying him di-rectly to Maddy.

The boy was detained and later arrested on suspicion of homi-cide, and is being held in a juve-nile detention facility.

Gonzalez was described as a well-liked, quiet and polite young man and a yo-yo expert. Ac-cording to a former classmate, Gonzalezs father was absent and his mother is from Romblon, an island in the Luzon region of the Philippines.

Residents at the eight-acre complex were stunned to learn their neighbor was suspected in the killing.

Were just devastated. These are two of our kids, and one is dead and one has been taken away. And its horrible. Its just horrible, said resident Yasmina Porter, whose two children, ages 11 and 13, had regularly played with both the young victim and the suspect.

From the communitys stand-point, we mostly feel like these are our babies, Porter said. This is the most horrible thing you can

imagine.Santa Cruz police Chief Kevin

Vogel said Gonzalez lured Maddy to his familys upstairs apart-ment, where they were alone, and killed her. He then reportedly carried her body downstairs to a garage and hid it in the recycling bin. Police officials believe Mad-dy willingly went to Gonzalezs apartment because she knew and trusted him.

She was 8 years old. She had a reasonable amount of trust in him, Vogel said. They were It is my belief that [Maddy] was killed even before we got the phone call Sunday at about 6pm, when she was first reported miss-ing, he added.

Gonzalez is being tried as an adult on the counts of murder, kidnapping, and rape. In their decision to determine charges, prosecutors looked at the Fili-pino teens age, his criminal re-cord, the nature of the crime and how the offense was committed, Rosell said.

If convicted of the charges, Gonzalez may face life in prison. Because of his age, he is not eli-gible for the death penalty. He was ordered to re-appear in court on Oct. 29.

An autopsy of Maddy shows that she died of asphyxiation and stab wounds to the neck.

People do things for lots of different reasons, Rosell said. Sometimes we understand them, sometimes we dont. (Al-lyson Escobar/AJPress)

frankly, she deserved to make flag before I did.

Bono was well trained in the health professions; after com-pleting a surgical internship, Trauma and Critical Care fellow-ship, and her general surgery residency at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. She was the first woman to graduate from the program.

What I enjoyed about being in the Navy was that I always felt confident in my ability to be advanced was going to be based on my capabilities and my performance. I felt that I had an equitable opportunity to succeed, Bono said in a 2012 interview with the Asian Jour-nal.

Shortly after training, Bono saw duty in Operations Des-ert Shield and Desert Storm as head, Casualty Receiving, Fleet Hospital Five in Saudi Arabia from August 1990 to March 1991. Later, she was sta-

tioned at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth as a surgeon in the General Surgery department; surgical intensivist in the Medi-cal/Surgical Intensive Care Unit, and attending surgeon at the Burn Trauma Unit at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Other prestigious duties/po-sitions she held were director of Restorative Care, medical corps career planning officer, director for Medical-Surgical Services at the National Naval Medical Center, and executive assistant to the 35th Navy Sur-geon General and Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. She also held many top positions, such as commanding officer, chief of staff, deputy director of the Office of the assistant secre-tary of Defense, Health Affairs (OASD/HA), director of Medi-cal Resources, Plans and Policy (N093), Chief of Naval Opera-tions, and in 2011, the com-mand surgeon of U.S. Pacific

Command, Camp H.M. Smith, as well as acting commander Joint Task Force National Capi-tal Region Medical (2013).

As of 2014, Bono currently serves as director, National Capital Region Medical Direc-torate of the Defense Health Agency, and as the 11th Chief, Navy Medical Corps.

Bonos personal decorations and recognitions include De-fense Superior Service Medal (2), Legion of Merit Medal (4), Meritorious Service Medal (2), and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal (2). She was also awarded in 2009 as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina American Women in the US.

Service to others; service to country, Bono said of her words to live by. It was ingrained in us by our father and mother in gratitude to their adopted coun-try, the United States. (Allyson Escobar/AJPress)

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Dateline PhiliPPinesPH, US anti-drug cooperation successful, says envoy

by CeCille Suerte Felipe Philstar.com

MANILAA United States en-voy said the cooperation of the Philippines and the US against illegal drugs is a success as evi-denced by a series of accomplish-ments.

In a press conference yester-day, State Assistant Secretary Wil-liam Brownfield, head of the US Department of States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), cited instances indicating that coopera-tion between the US and the Phil-ippines has been fruitful.

Brownfield said the US is suf-fering from a major heroin crisis, as the sale and consumption of the drug there since 2007 have more than doubled.

Based on assessment, less than four percent of the heroin entering the US is supplied by Asia, despite nearly 90 percent of the drugs supply in the world coming from Asia, specifically Afghanistan and Myanmar.

This is one example of suc-cess. Logic would suggest that if we have not been successful in our drug cooperation with the Philip-pines, far closer to 90 percent of the heroin consumed in the US, reflecting the world supply, would come in some way from Asia, Brownfield said.

He said it was somewhat il-logical that the region producing

90 percent of world heroin sup-ply would have only four percent share in the US market.

He also cited the arrest in the Philippines of a drug trafficker who was trafficking Asian prod-ucts in the US, saying it is another example of the success of the US-Philippines cooperation.

Every time you hear of the national maritime group stop-ping and seizing a vessel that is moving product, whether heroin or any other illicit drugs, through Philippine national waters, that is another example of success, Brownfield said.

We do cooperate, we do train-ing, we do capacity building be-tween the US law enforcement agency, particularly the Drug En-forcement Agency, the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. This is an example of success.

If you ask me if we have solved the drug problem in the Philip-pines and the US? No, of course not. I believe that will take a gen-eration. As I say, it has taken our society 40 years or 50 years to get into this mess and it will take us a generation to get out of this, he added.

State Assistant Secretary William Brownfield, head of the US Dept of State International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), faces media after meeting with PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez. Inquirer.net photo by Julianne Love De Jesus

Sotto, Lacson are top Senate picks; Pacquiao, De Lima also inMANILASen. Vicente Sotto

III and former senator Panfilo Lacson topped the recent senato-rial survey conducted by the So-cial Weather Stations (SWS).

Sotto garnered 54 percent and Lacson 47 percent, while Sen. Ralph Recto placed third with 43 percent.

Senate President Franklin Drilon followed with 42 percent, then Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former senator Francis Pan-gilinan with 40 percent each.

The results of the Business-World-SWS pre-election survey showed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, boxing champ and Sa-rangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and Las Pias City Rep. Mark Villar would also win in the sena-torial race if the elections were held from Sept. 2 to 5.

De Lima received 33 percent, followed by former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (32 percent), Pac-quiao (30 percent), former sena-tor Richard Gordon (29 percent), Sen. Sergio Osmea III (28 per-cent) and Villar (24 percent).

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III and Camarines Sur Rep. Maria Le-onor Robredo obtained 23 per-cent each, while former Akbayan representative Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel and Taguig Rep. Lino Edgardo Cayetano got 21 percent each.

Results of the survey were

published in the newspaper BusinessWorld on Thursday, Sept. 24.

The survey was conducted from Sept. 2 to 5 with 1,200 re-spondents nationwide.

It has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages and plus or minus six percentage points each for Metro Manila,

balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Respondents were given a list of 44 names to choose from but were only allowed to pick 12 names.

The respondents were asked whom they would most probably vote for as senators if elections were held on the day they were polled. (Philstar.com)

by AgneS ConStAnteAJPress

Filipino nurse sentenced 4 months inSingapore jail for sedition on social media

A FILIPINO nurse working in Singapore was sentenced on Monday, Sept. 21, to four months in jail for insulting Singaporeans on Facebook and lying to police investigators afterward.

Ello Ed Mundsel Bello, 28, a former employee of government-run Tan Tock Seng Hospital, pleaded guilty to a three charges: one count of violating Singapores sedition act by promoting feelings of ill-will and hostility using social media and two charges of lying to police, according to the Associated Press (AP).

He was sentenced to three months in prison for the charge

related to Facebook and one month for providing police with false information, Agence France-Presse reported.

District Judge Siva Shanmugam, who sentenced Bello, said there was no place for xenophobic com-ments in Singapore, as they pres-ent a threat to our social stability and security, according to AP.

The local-foreigner divide has remained a challenging fault line in our society in recent times, Shanmugam said.

Unlike the limited effect and reach of distinct racial or religious issues, this divide affects all and sundry and cannot be regarded as any less delicate or sensitive in the current context, he added.

In a Jan. 2 Facebook post, Bello wrote: We take their jobs, their future, their women, and soon, we will evict all SG loosers (sic) out of their own country.

A subsequent comment written by the Filipino read: we will kick out all the Singaporeans and SG will be the new filipino state.

The early January social media post further read, The best part, I will be praying that disastors (disasters) strike Singapore and more Singaporeans will die than I will celebrate. Remember Pinoy better and stronger than Stinka-poreans.

Prosecutors originally sought a five-month sentence for Bello

Asian Development Bank: PH at risk for slowest economic growth in 4 years

by AgneS ConStAnteAJPress

WITH decreases in exports and agricultural production, the Philip-pine economy is headed for its slowest economic growth in four years, according to the Asian De-velopment Bank (ADB).

Along with lackluster public spending, the Manila-based ADB has trimmed its 2015 growth pro-jection for the Philippines from 6.4 percent to 6 percent, according to CNN.

ADB moved to update its 2015 Asian Development Outlook on Tuesday, Sept. 22, after the econ-omy posted slower growth rates in the first two quarters 5 percent in the first and 5.2 percent in the sec-ond due to a weakened global de-

mand for exports and the contrac-tion in agricultural output caused by El Nio, Rappler reported.

Recently, the peso also fell 4.6 percent against the US dollar by mid-September, as global volatility took hold of global markets causing foreign funds to exit developing markets, Rappler reported.

The bank further forecasts that the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is set for its slow-est growth since 2000 at 4.4 percent this year and 4.9 percent in 2016; growth for greater developing Asia will also slow from 6.3 percent to 5.8 percent for 2015 and 2016, the ADB predicts.

There are considerable head-winds to growth in Asia although it remains the largest source of

global growth. Risks to the outlook increased coming from capital flow reversals and currency depreciation although these are manageable, said Joseph Zveglich Jr., ADB direc-tor for macroeconomic research, according to Philstar.

However, among Southeast Asian countries, the bank maintains positive prospects for the Philip-pines, which has an above average growth rate.

All in all, growth will [remain] favorable. We assess that economic expansion will continue and will accelerate on the second half of the year, ADB Country director Rich-ard Bolt said in a briefing, Philstar reported.

Despite low gains in the first PAGE A7

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IT seems like a lifetime ago when on Sept. 21, 1972, former Pres. Ferdi-nand E. Marcos declared martial law in the Philippines. Forty-three years have passed, but the wretched moments of the martial law era have con-tinued to linger on, especially for the people who had to endure it.

Haunted

From this period in Philippine his-tory, Filipinos must appreciate the genuine meaning of democracy. It is empowered by the will of the people. It gives the citizenry the power to overturn the culture of corruption, unethical con-duct, and self-serving antics of politics.

Around the country, various human rights groups and militant organizations staged protests on Mon-day, Sept. 21, to call for justice for the victims of hu-man rights abuses during martial law and condemn the continuing repression and terror in the coun-try.

It is true that we need to remind the current and future generations of this dark period of history. However, it seems that it is the Aquino government that has not learned any of the lessons of the past, as it continues to repeat the crimes of the dictator, said Members of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) chairperson Carol Araullo said.

For his part, Sen. Bam Aquino urged the nation to continue retelling the stories of martial law, say-ing the sacrifices, atrocities and heroism during the darkest years in our countrys history should not be forgotten and must be imparted to todays genera-tion.

As a stronger reminder of that tumultuous era, the

Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will construct a P500-million memo-rial museum for artifacts, memora-bilia and other items related to the martial law era under the Marcos

dictatorship. Around 10,000 materials gathered from 75,000 victims of human rights abuses at the height of military rule in the country will be housed in the memorial museum.

In 2013, the Philippine government passed the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Law, to recognize human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrest and detention under the martial law and indemnify them and their families for the suffering they were put through.

Those qualified were encouraged to file a claim with the Human Rights Claim Board for reparation and/or recognition, as stated in Section 16 of the Act. Successful claimants will secure compensation from the P10-billion with interest worth of funds trans-ferred to the Philippine government by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 1997.

According to Sen. Francis Escudero, this is a first of such human rights legislation in the world where a state recognizes a previous administrations fault against its own people and not only provides for, but also actually appropriates for reparation.

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

However, the fight goes on for those who have filed for their claims. Franciscan Sister Crescencia Lucero of the religious superiors Justice and Peace Commission alleged that many victims have already applied but have yet to receive their compensation.

They should be given what is due them, Lucero said as she urged the current administration to speed

up the process.This compensation is not a gift to cheer the vic-

tims. It is giving what they deserve to help repair the damages done onto them and make up for what they lost. While the law may have vindicated them, rem-nants of the martial law era will stay with them until they receive just compensation. (AJPress)

POPE Francis arrived in the United States on Tuesday, Sept. 22 for a six-day visit, exciting kababayans who wished they were in Manila when the Pontiff visited the Philippines last January.

It is this excitement that compelled many Fil-Ams to travel to Washington DC, New York, or Philadelphia to see the Pope in person and be blessed by his messages of inclusive love, hope, justice and mercy.

The Filipino Channels daily newscast Balitang America even reported how some Filipinas even joined the 100-mile walking pilgrimage from Pennsylvania to Washington DC to see the Pope and to share with the Leaders of the Catholic Church a message: dignity for Americas immi-grants!

Some of these Filipinas are from Southern Cali-fornia, who are among 100 women who walked the 100 miles for the We Belong Together cam-paign in honor of immigration reform and the first US visit of Pope Francis.

This issue of immigration is a human rights issue, said Aqui Soriano Versoza of the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) in a Bali-tang America report. Its also an issue of women in particular because those that are impacted by all these policies this broken immigration system those are impacted the most are women and children.

Balitang Americas News Bureau Chief Paul Henson reported from The Basilica of the Na-tional Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where Pope Francis will celebrate his first mass in the US. He talked to Bishop Richard Garcia of the Diocese of Monterey, who says the faith of Filipino-Americans has been instrumental in sus-taining the spiritual life of the Catholic Church in America.

Theyre keeping our faith alive. I really love

the Filipino people for that be-cause of the devotion they have for the Blessed Mother, for ex-ample, Garcia told Henson in the report.

Here are the comments of Fili-pinos in America as gathered by Balitang America, in joyful an-ticipation of the Popes visit:

Sa akin nag-resonate is his [Pope Francis] love for the poor, and the under-privileged, and we are the one that are blessed and we should share it with other people. Ne-nita Aure

Yung issue sa global warmingWe are stew-ards of the Earth, so nagresonate talaga sa akin [Pope Franciss message]. Rosemarie Zamora

Open siya [Pope Francis] sa lahat ng tao, yung nakikinig siya sa lahat ng opinyon pero sinusunod pa rin niya yung mga utos ng DiyosYung being merciful, and yung being welcoming sa lahat ng

tao. Cecile SalongaI hope he would be.. a help to the community

and to the politicians to invite them to help the struggles of the Filipino World War Two veterans. Not only the Filipinos but all of the veterans in America.I [also] hope the Pope would try to con-vince the leaders that..they could avoid any wars and protect the humanity from harm. Bernie Ganon, Filipino American Service Group, Inc.

That is what we like with the Pope Hes pushing for family reunification. remember the Immigration Bill has been dead in the US Con-gress because the Republicans wont even [vote on it]. Arturo Garcia, Justice for Filipino American Veterans.

* * *Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFCs Balitang America. Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

The Pope Francis Effect hits Kababayans in America

IN the face of the anarchy in the streets of Metro Manila, the paralysis that follows every heavy downpour, and the inability nay, the unwillingness - of local offi-cials to enforce such obvious rules as clearing major streets (like Taft Avenue) of vendors, desperate citizens have concocted various antidotes.

What has often been proposed is a czar some kind of super manager who can untangle the mess. One clueless Quezon City congressman recommended a traffic czar on top of the current MMDA traffic czar on top of the traffic czars of the local govern-ments in the metropolis.

Making much better sense, col-umnist Efren Cruz has suggest-ed a Metro Manila governance czar. Wrote Cruz: The problems of traffic, floods, illegal vendors, delays in public works construc-tion, jurisdictional disputes, squat-ting, crime, land use planning, and urban mass transportation system are all intertwined. They cannot be solved separately. The activities needed to ensure the realization of the urban environment we all de-sire are all linked into one Metro Manila value chain.

Call him the Metro Manila Czar or Chair of a Metro Manila Inter Agency Task Force. The title is immaterial. The need is for a working Metro Manila governance structure now and a capable per-son, with the coercive powers, to be the head. I hope the public will endorse and support this pro-posal.

In fact, without using the pre-tentious term czar, there is

How would Imelda Marcos have handled Metro Manilas woes?

GreG B. MacaBenta

Street Talk

Gel SantoS-ReloS

The Fil-Am Perspective

supposed to be one such public official in the person of the chair-man of the Metro Manila Develop-ment Authority, Francis Tolentino. Unfortunately, he is neither com-petent nor armed with coercive powers.

Indeed, we must have real-ized by now that titles and good intentions alone do not an effec-tive czar or chairman make. In fact, even competence alone, while essential, does not guaran-tee results.

What is needed is someone gift-ed with a combination of compe-tence, vision, a tireless work ethic, a capacity for paying attention to details, and a can-do, nothing-is-impossible attitude.

On top of all that, such an offi-cial must wield power. The power to compel self-important local offi-cials and agency heads to get their act together under pain of dismiss-al. The power to railroad a project over objections, legal or otherwise. And the power to tell loafers to get off their fat asses or get lost.

I can only think of one such in-dividual: Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos.

Whatever detractors might think about her, Mrs. Marcos possessed that rare combination of vision, capacity for hard work, a penchant for detail and an unwillingness to acknowledge the impossible over other peoples dead bodies. Plus power.

To say that she was a hands-on manager, is an understate-ment. She was known to make surprise visits in the dead of night to check on the progress of her projects. She personally directed the table settings and dcor for of-ficial receptions in Malaca ang. And while she was awake (which

seemed to be at all hours), no one could afford to be caught sleeping on the job.

I believe it was she who per-suaded President Marcos to issue Presidential Decree 824, creating the Metro Manila Commission, with her as Governor and Ismael Mathay, Jr. as Vice-Governor. It was the forerunner of the present Metro Manila Development Au-thority.

Whatever her ultimate agenda was (did she want to become Pres-ident? Well, why not?), she had a vision for Metro Manila as The City of Man. Her verbiage may have sounded corny (The good, the true and the beautiful), but she translated that into such struc-tures as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Folk Arts Theater, the Philippine International Con-vention Center, the Lung Center, Philippine Heart Center, Kidney Center and the Coconut Palace, as well as the Manila Film Center (an example of getting something done, over dead bodies).

She introduced a rational, state-owned air-conditioned transport system, the Love Bus, where the drivers felt no pressure to meet boundary. And she mounted a successful campaign to keep Metro Manila clean with an army of uniformed street sweepers (I re-call a trip to Thailand where I felt good about being from Manila, after noting the liter in Bangkoks streets at the time).

It was also during her watch that the idea of dredging Laguna de Bay and building a waterway up to Manila Bay was seriously con-sidered. That was the forerunner of the Laguna Lake Rehabilitation Project that could have done much

FRanciSco S. tatad

Commentary Shouting match at the Palace, a warning from the generals

MALACAANG sources have revealed that a nasty shout-ing match transpired between President B.S. Aquino III and Budget Secretary Florencio Butch Abad after the Supreme Court ordered the Ombudsman to have them investigated and possibly charged for their role in the manipulation and misuse of the constitutionally outlawed Disbursement Acceleration Pro-gram (DAP) amounting to P150 billion.

It is not known who got the upper hand, but PNoy report-edly blamed Abad for the DAP scandal, and Abad reportedly shot back by reminding PNoy that the program had the Pres-idents full approval and that it was used to bribe Congress in order to remove Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona and implement the rest of his per-sonal program.

This reveals two things. First, PNoy is now under investigation by the Ombudsman for possible impeachment, and he is pissed off by it, despite the fact that he remains in virtual control of the impeachment process and has less than a year to stay in of-fice. By tradition, although not specified in the Constitution, the President is immune from suit; but the Supreme Court effective-ly divested him of his immunity when it struck down the DAP as unconstitutional and ordered the prosecution of all those involved in it. He is the official author of the DAP. Still, PNoy obviously did not expect to be investigat-ed by the very Ombudsman he

had appointed after driving her predecessor out of office, in or-der to go after his enemies and political targets. He apparently blames Abad for this.

Second, the fear Aquino has instilled in his Cabinet members appears to have worn off. Abads heated exchange with Aquino shows this. It is a dangerous precedent that could be imitated by other members of the origi-nal Hyatt-10, said to be the real power running the Aquino gov-ernment under Abad. This is the same group, with some minor modifications, which President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ousted from her Cabinet while threaten-ing to oust her.

Not only is Abad the brains of Aquinos ingenious schemes to take full control of the gov-ernments resources; his entire family is virtually in charge of the entire financial and budget-ary operations of the govern-ment. While he controls the en-tire Department of Budget and Management (DBM), his only daughter runs the Presidential Management Staff, his only son holds a pivotal position in the Of-fice of the Secretary of Finance; and his wife is not only Execu-tive Vice President of the Lib-eral Party but also senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Repre-sentatives.

In the relationship between Aquino and Abad, the latter is seen as the puppet master, and the former the puppet. Although it has not happened before that the puppet masters had to an-swer to the puppet, it is hap-pening now, so the relationship is strained, to say the least. It could strain further as more se-

rious cases are brought before the Supreme Court against the Aquino governments undimin-ished effort to put vast sums of money under the sole discretion and control of the President. One probable suit could be against the P424.15 billion in lump-sum appropriations embedded in nine strategic departments and two agencies of the government in the 2015 General Appropria-tions Act, in contemptuous dis-regard of the Supreme Court ruling declaring such lump sums unconstitutional and void.

The worst is yet to come.The generals speak outBut it is not only the Cabinet

thats on fire. The military, po-lice and entire security sector is equally on fire. And Aquinos re-cent reckless statement about an alternative truth on the Mama-sapano massacre, which cost the lives of 44 Special Action Force police commandos on Jan. 25, 2015 in the hands of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Free-dom Fighters, has unduly stoked that fire. PNoys statement has prompted a closer look at what the various official inquiries had said and did not say about the massacre. It is now clear to all and sundry -infinitely clearer than before that the truth about the most important is-sues on Mamasapano was never aired. Why did Aquino discard the established PNP chain of command, and put an important police operations in the hands of a suspended PNP chief? Why did PNoy give the stand-down order which barred the military reinforcement unit from giving

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OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL SEptEmbER 25-OCtObER 1, 2015(818) 502-0651 (213) 250-9797 http://www.asianjournal.com ADateline PhiliPPines

How would Imelda Marcos have handled...to mitigate the problem of flood-ing (unfortunately scuttled by the Aquino government, ostensibly in order to foil graft).

Beyond Metro Manila, she had a vision for the entire country. For this reason, she also got herself appointed head of the Ministry of Human Settlements, a super-cabi-net that had its tentacles in virtual-ly every aspect of governance (ob-viously, a template for Mar Roxas vastly expanded Department of Interior and Local Governments).

But compared to the analysis-paralysis and clueless convergent approach style of management of Roxas, Dinky Soliman and Voltaire Gazmin (one of the main reasons why many of the victims of Yolanda are still suffering up to now) Mrs. Marcos was decisive and brooked no opposition, once she had made up her mind.

She even managed to have her way over the objections of Presi-dent Marcos himself. I was privy to one such instance.

I had never met Mrs. Marcos un-til Bongbong Marcos became her-mano mayor of the Tacloban Santo Ni o fiesta. In true Imeldific fash-ion, she envisioned more than a town fiesta. She wanted a national festival, showcasing a cultural pa-

Shouting match at the Palace, a warning...support to the beleaguered SAF contingent at the most critical time?

What the public heard on these questions was either a Sphinx-like silence or an elephantine lie. Now, if Aquino really wants to set the record straight, he has to tell us the untold and unvar-nished truth, rather than an al-ternative one; otherwise, what he really needs is an alternative lie to replace the existing one. The search for the real truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth has now been complicated by the latest press reports from abroad on certain details of the Mamasapano affair, which the government had until now sup-pressed.

A report in the Sept. 16, 2015 issue of the Los Angeles Times, and reprinted on this paper on Sept. 18, 2015, says that five or six US counter-terrorism advi-sors assisted (the SAF comman-dos) from a police command post nearby, tracking the assault team in live video from a US surveil-lance aircraft circling overhead. Their main role was to provide tactical, live intelligence. At no point during the inquiries were we ever told that the US govern-ment was involved in Operation Exodus; in fact, the US Embassy repeatedly denied any US in-volvement, even without anyone suggesting it. In light of the LA Times story, the government has a duty to bare all the facts about the US involvement.

Aquino has tried to minimize the public distress over Mama-sapano by trying to steamroll the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, aris-ing from the highly question-able Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which seeks to replace the present Autonomous Region in Mus-lim Mindanao (ARMM) for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) with a new autonomous political entity for the Moro Is-lamic Liberation Front (MILF). Although fraught with constitu-tional infirmities, Aquino wanted the proposed BBL rushed to sat-isfy the desire of Malaysia and other foreign entities.

It took Sen. Ferdinand (Bong-bong) Marcos Jr. and a wide array of concerned Filipinos to stop the proposed law from be-ing bulldozed through Congress. But PNoys zeal is undiminished.

He wants the widely opposed bill passed before he leaves office. Stories have since circulated in the Malaysian political circuit that some $700 million had been coursed through the Malaysian Prime Ministers office to facili-tate the passage of the proposed BBL. It could be pure spin, but it is repeated on both sides of the Sulu Sea with relish, showing what the CAB/FAB/BBL means to interested parties. But if Aqui-no is determined to press its passage, an important segment of the military has warned him not to force it.

In a full-page ad in the Phil-ippine Daily Inquirer on Sept. 14, 2015, 31 retired senior of-ficers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, re-servists and veterans expressed great apprehension and alarm over the FAB and the CAB, and strong opposition to the passage of the proposed BBL, in its origi-nal form, even as it now under-goes congressional scrutiny.

Among the signatories were former Secretary of National De-fense and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Renato de Villla, former AFP Chiefs of Staff Gen. Generoso S. Senga, Gen. Alexander Yano, Gen. Efren Abu, Gen. Dionisio Santiago, former Vice of Staff Lt. Gen. Alfredo Filler, Lt. Gen. Edil-berto Adan, chairman and presi-dent of the Association of Gen-eral and Flag Officers (AGPO), Lt. Gen. Raul S. Urgello, chair-man and president, KAMPILAN, Inc., Maj. Gen. Jose Magno, former Commander, CENCOM and SOUTHCOM, Rear Admiral Tagumpay Jardiniano, former Flag Officer in Command, Phil-lipine Navy, Brig. Gen. Danilo D. Lim, RAM Foundation, Inc. They had never signed any similar declaration on any issue before.

Saying that the implementa-tion of these crafty agreements is an express trip to the dismem-berment of the countrys terri-tory and the creation of a Moro state in Mindanao, and the re-newal of organized violence and horrendous destruction of life and property, they expressed unsullied support for the SC petition filed by PHILCONSA president Congressman Martin Romualdez, Archbishops Ramon Arguelles of Lipa, Romulo de la Cruz of Zamboanga, Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla of

Davao, former national secu-rity adviser Norberto Gonzales, and this writer, asking the High Court to declare the FAB and the CAB unconstitutional and void.

The manifesto caught PNoy completely by surprise. He re-portedly complained that the generals and flag officers could have talked to him first, or to the junior officers who, according to him, were fully supportive of the FAB, the CAB, and the BBL. But the signatories saw no need to talk to Aquino first because, according to them, he never lis-tens; as far as the talking to the junior officers is concerned, the retired generals and flag officers are in constant touch with them, and Aquino was being delusional when he said they were in favor of any law that would balkanize Mindanao.

PNoy instructed Defense Sec-retary Voltaire Gazmin to dialog with the signatories and verify if they had indeed signed the manifesto and why. But only a few managed to show up for the proposed dialogue with Gazmin, whose reputation appears to have suffered within the military and defense establishment be-cause of unconfirmed yet unre-futed allegations about infected defense contracts related to the AFP modernization program.

Beyond the FAB/CAB/BBL, it is safe to assume that the secu-rity sector has developed a clear position on some election-re-lated issues, such as the ongo-ing effort of the Commission on Elections to install the Venezu-elan firm Smartmatic once again at the heart of the 2016 elec-tions, and the determined effort of the oligarchy-with tacit sup-port from Malacaang to im-pose a non-Filipino presidential candidate on the Filipino vot-ers, in contemptuous disregard of the Constitution. I would not suggest that the security sector is prepared, as it was in 1986, to take direct political action against the administration, but it is as clear as daylight that as the constitutional protector of the people and the State, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will not allow itself to be used by the Aquino administration or the oligarchy for its own ends.

It could on the other hand support popular action by the people fighting for their rights and liberties against a malevo-lent regime. This is what many seem to be praying for. (Manila-Times.net)

rade, similar to her Kasaysayan ng Lahi spectacular, plus a pageant and a book on the history of Leyte and Samar.

For these, she sent for the twin provinces noted poets and writers. However, she was informed that they had all passed away but that their children were still around. That was how my elder brother Eduardo, Jr., my cousin Yen, his maternal uncle, Ben Pe aranda, Leyte poet Paquing Javines, and I got summoned to Malacaang.

Together with a Cultural Center creative and production team fa-miliar with the First Ladys man-agement style, we started work with a lead time of just over a month. For Mrs. Marcos, that was not a problem. She simply told us to miss our sleep. She did, too.

At any rate, a few days before the event, Mrs. Lourdes Villa-corta, Mrs. Marcos chief of staff, informed her that President Mar-cos had given instructions to un-load from the presidential yatch, Pagasa, all the sets, props and cos-tumes intended for the Tacloban event. His reason: The Santo Ni o fiesta was not an official govern-ment activity.

I watched Mrs. Marcos calm expression as she listened to the report. Without missing a beat,

she gave instructions to have the materials loaded instead in the vehicles of the Ministry of Infor-mation and transported overland, across Luzon, to Samar and on to Tacloban. They arrived in time for the festival.

Im sure the President learned about the questionable use of gov-ernment vehicles, but at that point, it was a fait accompli.

What about the current Metro Manila mess? With Imelda Mar-cos in charge, after making heads roll, she would have gotten the MRT and LRT properly equipped, operational and well-maintained; grounded the colorum buses and reactivated the Love Bus; ordered the dredging of ester-osand canals over the protests of squatters and land grabbers and the Supreme Court would not have dared issue a temporary restraining order.

And, in the middle of a typhoon, she would have monitored the situation to make sure that Metro Manila mayors, the PNP brass and officials of the MMDA were on the job.

But all that is wishful thinking. Even Imelda Marcos would be in-effective under a President who is in the habit of passing the buck. (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

Filipino nurse sentenced 4 months in...to send a clear message to like-minded individuals that their behaviour will not be tolerated, Agence France Press reported.

Philippine authorities on Aug. 27 said they respected the Singa-pore courts decision to convict Bello of sedition, according to AP.

Mark Goh, Bellos lawyer, told GMA News that his client, long before the trials, said he is truly remorseful and sorry because of what he has done.

Asian Development Bank: PH at risk...semester of the year, the Aquino administration is aiming for a 7- to 8-percent growth rate for 2015.

After a slow start to the year we are now seeing a pickup in fiscal spending which combined with spending linked to the May 2016 elections will help lift the domestic economy, Bolt said.

He added that increased in-vestments in public goods and infrastructure, coupled with higher private consumption and more jobs, could prompt more growth,

My client has surrendered. In fact he has already decided on a personal level that it has caused him already a lot of anxiety and stress. And therefore he did not want to perpetuate the trial and de-cided to plead guilty, Goh said.

After Bello serves his sentence, he will be deported back to the Philippines and prohibited from returning to Singapore for a period of time, the attorney told GMA News.

Courts in Singapore have pre-viously prosecuted individuals,

including both Singaporeans and foreigners, who have made racist comments perceived as seditious toward other ethnic groups.

Approximately 40 percent of Singapores population of nearly 5.5 million are foreigners, many of whom hail from nearby na-tions, including the Philippines. Estimates put the Filipino popula-tion in Singapore at more than 170,000, a large number of which work in the entertainment, hospi-tality and medical industries, AP reported.

PAGE A6

according to CNN.Recently enacted reforms to

improve competitiveness and to attract investment will play a key role in the future growth as will continued reforms and investments in infrastructure and other public goods, Bolt said.

Along with lower growth rates predicted, the ADB also fore-casts lower inflation because of lower oil prices that are likely to carry on until 2016, according to Philstar.

In spite of slowed growth, Rap-

pler reported that the ADP still anticipates that Asia will maintain its role as the largest contributor to global GDP, although it may require reforms to pull through.

Emerging markets are facing re-ceding capital flows and depreciat-ing currencies a trend that may be exacerbated by the upcoming rise in US interest rates. Implementing macroprudential policies and devel-oping local currency bond markets can bolster financial resilience and mitigate risks to borrowers, the ADB report stated.

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Annual Awards Banquet presented by TOYOTA

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

The Globe Theatre Universal Studios Hollywood

Black Tie Optional

Honorees

Business Enterprise of the Year CJ America, Inc.

Media Company of the Year Wong Fu Productions

ABA Chairperson Award Honorable David E. Ryu

Corporation of the Year U.S. Bank

Advocate of the Year Richard Chacon

Celebrating the success of Asian owned businesses.

abala.org @ABALosAngeles #ABAAwards

Emcees

James Kyson Mei Melanon

Entertainment

Paul Dateh Maker Empire

September 25-october 1, 2015 oc/Ie ASIAN JoUrNAL http://www.asianjournal.com (818) 502-0651 (213) 250-9797A

CARPET,the asian journal entertainment magazineseptember 25-october 1, 2015

sfc11.5 x 20roger

may 30-june 5, 2014www.asianjournal.com

2

september 25-october 1, 2015 2

By Christina M. Oriel AJPress

Vice Ganda: Sino bang nanggaya, sino bang ginaya?

On advocating a students first philosophy and the call for more Filipino educational leaders

Dr. Lori ADriAn

FOR Loretta Lori Adrian, ascending into the position of college president happened by chance.

As the daughter of two schoolteachers, Adrian was discouraged by her parents from going into an education-related career because, in the Philippines, the pay wasnt sustainable.

However, that didnt detract her as she eventually found her way into the field when she migrated to the United States.

I always say that I became a president by accident because if you looked at how my education was in the Philippines...when I was an undergraduate, I switched about six majors before I settled on one, she said. But I think at the end, [my parents] were proud of me and were very supportive that I was in education. It was more of a sense of pride that I was in the field because they certainly know what education does in the lives of many students.

Since 2010, Adrian has been the president of Coastline Community College, which has several campuses across Orange County. She is one of the few Filipinos leading a higher education institution in the United States and the only Filipina.

From her varied experience at several private and community colleges in California, Adrian shared with the Asian Journal how she challenged herself to push the higher education bamboo ceiling and what more can be done to hone in on the skills of Filipinos, and even Asians in general, so that they too can be leaders in education.

In every role I have taken in terms of my career, Ive learned a lot from mentors and theyve helped me prepare for where I am now, she said.

environment in which we are in, she shared. You learn how to make difficult decisions because in the end, you can listen to everyone else and different perspectives but in the end, you are responsible for making critical decisions, some of which may be unpopular. It really teaches you to sharpen those skills and to be better as an effective leader.

Students first Now five years into the

position, Adrian shared that despite some challenging circumstances, she has paved an atmosphere of inclusiveness, mutual respect, open and transparent communication.

My vision for the college always has been and will be that it continues to be the best that it can be. It continues to be on the leading edgebecause there is so much innovation that is happening every day. Sometimes that has been difficult because innovation takes a lot of talent and energy but it also takes a lot of resources. I want us to be able to excel in terms of programs the quality of teaching and services we offer as well as in terms of outcome, she said.

But above all, her guiding philosophy has been to put the students first and to ensure that the college has equipped them with the skills and resources to obtain a degree on time, transfer to a four-year institution or find a job. Empathizing with the students is something she has learned from her own children and her experiences as an immigrant.

Im glad to have that insight because that has forced me to think of what I should be doing as a leader of a community college, she said. When we have to make difficult decisions, we can simplify and ask ourselves in terms of how

it will benefit students and help them complete their goalsI also want Coastline to be a place where people want to be and they look forward to coming here each and every day.

One of the ways the college is preparing its students for success is through the STAR Program, which helps fast track full-time students to transfer to a four-year institution or graduate faster in the two-year time frame. (On average, community college students can take up to six years to earn a degree.)

In 2014, personal finance company SmartAsset ranked Coastline as the top community college out of 700 in the United States that provides low-cost education, a good return on investment and a high success rate.

Coastline graduates make one and three-quarters times their total education costs their first year working after graduating, and in-state students pay $2,200 less a year than the national average to go to school, making it both the least-expensive school for local students and the top-performing community college on our list, the report read.

Another accomplishment that Adrian regards is that the college is an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), one of 21 in the nation. In 2010, it was awarded a $2 million, five-year grant by the US Department of Education, given Adrians observations that Asian American students are not all achieving at high rates. Under the program, the college has to certify at least a 10 percent enrollment of Asian American and Pacific Islander students (over one-quarter of its students are

PhotoscourtesyofDr.AdrianandCoastlineCommunityCollege

CoastlineMilitaryGraduates

Career beginningsGrowing up, Adrian has

credited her father as an early mentor.

I think especially being a woman, [he] helped me a lot because I was always told that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I came from a family of four girls and three boys. He empowered us to think and be confident about who we are, she said.

After graduating from the University of the Philippines, she started off as an intercultural trainer, then project director for the US Peace Corps in Manila for six years. In that position, Adrian helped create eight to 10 week-long orientation programs for newly-arrived volunteers.

Years later, she relocated to Tennessee along with her husband and young child. However, the transition to the United States, like for many immigrants, was not smooth.

I faced the usual problems of an immigrant, though I thought I was Americanized because I grew up in Manila, she recalled. I really didnt know at the time what job I could get and I think thats typical for immigrants. I lost confidence in myself.

She moved to Stockton, California, where her mother was living, and secured a job at the University of the Pacific that dealt with recruiting international students. She also earned a masters degree in communication theory from the university.

I started off as a professional staff there and worked with the Dean of International Admissions in terms of recruiting students and evaluating their records, she said. In the process, it allowed me to grow and develop my self-confidence again.

From there, she ventured into her first community college position at San Joaquin Delta

would be refreshing. As president, Adrians duties

include making sure the college meets accreditation requirements (which are important to ensure that the students credits transfer or that they are eligible for financial aid) and making sure the college is financial healthy. Though, at times, her responsibilities have expanded to other roles as well, such as filling in as a dean.

Founded in 1976, Coastline started as a college without walls, which was born out of that innovative philosophy that [it] should not be located in one place, Adrian said. Back then, students could take telecourses, and the college would use various facilities around Orange County.

To date, Coastline has since expanded to physical classrooms with campuses in Westminster, Garden Grove and Newport Beach, and administrative offices in Fountain Valley. The college has 21 academic departments and continues to offer online courses for students unable to physically come to the classroom, including those in the military (anywhere from 3,500 to 5,000 students) or who are incarcerated.

Being at her fourth community college, her initial goal in taking on the presidency was to understand the institutions culture and to create a master plan that would be the blueprint for what priorities to focus on.

I had to make sure that I understood the ideas that people here hadAs a new president, when I came, there was a beloved president who had been there for about seven or eight years. I liked her a lot and I never felt that I had to compete, but how do you establish yourself as a new leader? It was a difficult time for the college because they had been without a permanent president for about a year and a half, so there were a lot of foundational things that needed to be re-established, she said.

Additionally, she had to learn the politics occurring within the institution and the district where it is located, and work with budget constraints.

Being a president...the experience allows you to hone your skills because as my mentor once said, the higher you go up, as a leader, its not so much [about] the technical skills its really about learning how to work with people how to motivate and bring people together towards a common goal. Its about learning how to be a better communicator and how to navigate the political Continued on Page 3

MANILAVice Ganda comments on allegations that his ABS-CBN noontime show Its Showtime is copying competitor Eat Bulaga.

Its Showtime recently segment called Nasaan Ka Mr. Pastillas? which aims to find a suitor for online personality Pastillas Gir (Angelica Yap in real life).

A number of netizens say the said segment is merely a copy of Eat Bulagas segment Kalyeserye, which features Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza as Yaya Dub.

Sino bang nanggaya, sino bang ginaya? Paulit-ulit na lang yan. Sino bang original sa mundo?

Vice said in an interview with Pang-Masa.

He added: At basta, kahit anong sabihin sa yo, for as long as everybodys talking about you, you remain to be relevant. And in showbusiness, its all about being relevant.

The comedian is thankful to fans who continuously support the show.

Nagpapasalamat pa rin ako sa mga tao because they keep on talking about Pastillas. Anuman ang sabihin nila, whether good or bad, for as long as everyone is talking about it, it makes it relevant, he said. (Philstar.com)

Epy Quizon happy over support for film Heneral Luna

MANILAEpy Quizon is both thankful and surprised for the good response that their film Heneral Luna is getting from the public.

Although Epy also acknowledge that there are still some who cannot appreciate such films, especially in the dawn of romantic-comedy films.

I guess hindi pa rin yon ang market. There are certain areas that people line up, while some dalawa lang ang pumapasok sa cinema. Were really in a weird transition in this film industry, he said in an interview on Wednesday, Sept. 22.

Despite this, the experienced

by JOyCe JiMenez Philstar.com

actor believes that this type of film is necessary to continually remind the Filipinos that there were people who selflessly offered their lives for the country.

Its a film that brings you back to characters where we see streets named after them and we see monuments erected for them, he said. We forget our heroes, we forget these people and we cannot forget these people.

This is why he thanks everyone who calls for a longer run of their film in different cinemas in the country.

I really call on people to support films like this so that a lot of producers can continue funding films like this, he concluded.

EpyQuizonishappyforthegoodfeedbacksthat their film Heneral Luna is gettingfromthepublic. Philstar.comphotobyJoyceJimenez

Dawn Zulueta denies shes entering politicsMANILADawn Zulueta

denied that shes running for Congress in 2016.

Reports claim that there were offers for the actress to take over the post of her husband Anton Lagdameo, who will end his term as Davao del Norte representative next year.

Mayron naman, may nag-offer, she confirmed when asked to confirm the reports in an interview aired in Aquino and Abunda Tonight

on Wednesday, Sept. 22.Although shes thankful to be

considered for the post, Dawn said she knows her limits.

I know naman kasi what my limits are and Im happy with what I do. I enjoy acting and this is where Ill stay, she said.

She also added that her husband doesnt force her to take the offer since alam niyang hindi ko linya yon, e. Ayoko naman. (Philstar.com)

Billy Crawford: Competing noontime shows want the best for everyone

MANILABilly Crawford does not want to dwell on the competition between the noontime shows GMA-7s Eat Bulaga! and ABS-CBNs Its Showtime.

The competition between the two shows has been the talk of the town after Its Showtime followed the story of Pastillas Girl a few weeks after the Kalyeserye love team of Alden Richards and Yaya Dub made noise on social media.

Were just here. Were enjoying what were doing. Ang goal lang talaga namin is mapasaya ang tao, he said. Basta were here to work and we want the best for everyone.

Billy also added that he respects Eat Bulaga main hosts

upcoming game show Celebrity Playtime, which will premiere this Saturday, September 26.

BillyCrawforddoesntwanttodwellonthecompetitionbetweenthetwonoontimeshowsEatBulaga! andIts Showtime, sayingboth shows justwant tomake the peoplehappy. Philstar.comphotobyJoyceJimenez

College in Stockton, then San Diego Mesa College, where she filled various roles like dean of students, interim dean of student development and matriculation, and acting vice president of student services. While working at the community college, she went on to pursue a doctorate degree in education from the Claremont Graduate University, in a joint program with San Diego State University.

At the time, I knew my mother didnt have very long to live so I moved back to Northern California to be closer to her so I became vice president of student services at Skyline College, Adrian said of her eventual return up north. She was there for five years until her mother passed away. She wanted to move back closer to San Diego, where her sons and grandson liv