Us asian post october 22, 2014

MANILA, Oct 20 (Mabuhay) – The mother of slain transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude said she is willing to forgive the US serviceman accused of killing her child, but vowed to continue her family’s fi ght for justice.

Julita Laude said she may forgive US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, but only if he will confess to what he did and is rightfully punished for it.

“Tao rin naman ako, ‘di ako Di-yos. Patatawarin ko siya, pero iba ang sitwasyon ng pagpapatawad. May hustisya tayo, doon ka,” the 51-year-old said.

Julita added that despite criti-

cism, they will not give up their fi ght for justice for her transgen-der child.

“’Yung pinaglalaban namin ngayon, may pupuntahan. Hirap man kami sa una at may takot din kami,” she said.

She disclosed that their family feels bad about accusations that they were causing trouble in the area, which supposedly is benefi t-ing from assistance given by US troops like Pemberton who are participating in joint military ex-ercises in the country.

“Nakakapamerwisyo lang daw kami... ‘Yung mga Amerikanong pumupunta rito nakakatulong,”

MANILA, October 19, 2014 (AFP) – Four witnesses gave statements to Philippine prosecu-tors in a case where an American Marine is a suspect in the murder of a Filipino transgender person, the US embassy said Sunday.

“Last week, City Prosecutors met with four witnesses and swore them to their statements in accordance with Philippine law,” the embassy said.

The embassy, in a statement, cited this as another sign of its continued cooperation in the con-troversial murder case.

“The witnesses will be made available for the trial,” the state-ment said.

The statement did not say who the witnesses were, but Philip-pine authorities had previously said they wanted to question four US marines who are believed to

have witnessed the murder.Another US Marine is being

investigated over the death of Jef-frey Laude, described by local po-lice as a transgender sex worker.

Prosecutors in the northern port city of Olongapo, where Laude was found dead on Octo-ber 12, had originally wanted the suspect and four witnesses to give depositions at a formal hearing on Tuesday.

The embassy said the four wit-nesses would no longer have to appear on Tuesday as their state-ments had already been obtained.

But it stressed that “whether the suspect will appear on Tues-day is a decision that he will make in consultation with his Philip-pine legal counsel, in accordance with Philippine law”.

The killing has grabbed nation-

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MANILA, Oct 20 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III said Monday there is no need to junk the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States (US) despite the al-leged involvement of an American soldier in the killing of Filipina transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude.

“Bakit natin kailangan i-ab-rogate ang VFA? Name me any place that doesn’t have crime. Should the sin of one person be refl ective of the entire country? I don’t think so,” Aquino said in an interview in Leyte.

A US Marine, identifi ed as Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, had been namedsus-

pect in the killing of 26-year-old Laude in Olongapo City on Octo-ber 11.

Pemberton, currently detained aboard a US Navy ship in Subic Bay, is facing a murder complaint in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Monday asked Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to allow two witnesses in the killing of transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude in Olon-gapo City to testify before a Sen-ate panel.

In a letter to De Lima dated Oc-tober 20, Santiago said she want-ed “Barbie,” a friend of Laude, and a staff of Celzone Lodge, where the victim was found dead,

to attend the scheduled hearing on Wednesday.

“This is to urgently request for your permission to allow the fol-lowing witnesses to testify at the hearing of the Senate foreign re-lations committee which I chair, scheduled for this Wednesday, 22 October 2014, starting 10 a.m,” she said.

She added that “their testimo-nies will be absolutely essential for the Senate to carry out the mandate to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation.”

It was Barbie who identifi ed US Marine Private First Class Jo-seph Scott Pemberton as the main suspect in the killing of Laude,

US Marine witnesses deposed

Jeffrey Laude’s mom willing to forgive slay suspect

German nationals Stefan Victor Okonek (fi rst from left) and Henrike Dielen (second from left) were released by their Abu Sayyaf captors Friday evening according to Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang. In the photo release of the AFP, Okonek and Dielen are seen conversing with two military offi cials and a Philippine National Police offi cial on the premises of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao offi ces.(MNS photo)

MANILA, Oct 18 (Mabuhay) – The two German hostages re-leased by the Abu Sayyaf Group are now in the custody of the Ger-man embassy following their ar-rival in Manila early morning on Saturday.

According to Major General Domingo Tutaan, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Phil-ippines (AFP), the plane carrying Stefan Okonek, 71, and Henrike Dielen, 55 arrived at the Villamor Airbase at 6:45 a.m.

Tutaan said the German em-bassy is making arrangements for their return home.

On Friday, Okonek and Dielen were released by the Abu Sayyaf Group at 8:50 p.m. in Patikul, Sulu. Abu Sayyaf spokesperson Abu Rami, through a phone in-terview with a local radio station in Zamboanga City, said ransom was paid for their release.

But as to the amount of ransom paid, Abu Rami replied: “walang labis, walang kulang daw.”

The two were then brought to a military camp in Busbos for a

medical check-up.They were later transported

via navy vessel to Zamboanga City, and then fl own to Manila.

The German foreign ministry thanked the Philippine govern-ment for its “close and trusting cooperation.”

“We are relieved to be able to confi rm that both Germans are no longer in the hands of their kid-nappers,” a spokeswoman said. “Both Germans are now in the care of staff of the embassy in Manila.” “With the release from captivity of the two German na-tionals, our security forces will continue efforts to stem the tide of criminality perpetrated by ban-dit elements,” Presidential Com-munications Operations Offi ce (PCOO) Secretary Sonny Coloma said in a statement.

The hostages, captured by mili-tants of the Abu Sayyaf group in April from a yacht on the high seas, were held in the interior of the remote island of Jolo, 600 miles (960 km) south of Manila. (MNS)

MANILA, Oct 20 (Mabuhay) – Nearly four out of fi ve Filipi-nos want Vice President Jejomar Binay to appear before a Senate subcommittee that is investigat-ing corruption allegations against him, a survey by pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) conclud-ed.

The SWS poll was taken from September 26 to 29, with 1,200 respondents, and asked, “Do you agree or disagree with the pro-posal of some senators that Vice President Jejomar Binay should

Undefeated Jamaican Nicholas Walters delivers a searing blow to Filipino star Nonito Donaire on his way to knocking out the Filipino champion with one second remaining in the sixth round Saturday to win the World Boxing Association featherweight title.Photo: Chris Farina/Top Rank

LOS ANGELES, October 19, 2014 (AFP) – Undefeated Jamai-can Nicholas Walters knocked out Filipino star Nonito Donaire with one second remaining in the sixth round Saturday to win the World Boxing Association feath-erweight title.

Walters landed a powerful overhand right to the left temple that sent the champion crum-pling to the canvas and referee Raul Caiz counted out Donaire at 2:59 of the sixth round.

“I invited him in and then I caught him with that power-ful shot,” Walters said. “It was tough work. He’s a super world champion. He caught me (with) a few shots early.”

Donaire, who had never been knocked down in his career, was sent to the canvas for the fi rst time in the third round before being sent down for good.

“He knocked the (hell) out

of me,” Donaire said. “I was at my best. I never trained this hard. He came out as tough as I thought he would be.”

Walters, three years younger than Donaire at 28, improved to 25-0 with his 21st career stop-page inside the distance in his fi rst world title bout.

Donaire, who fell to 33-3, said he needed to re-evaluate his ca-reer plans, potentially looking to a lower weight class, after being unable to cope with the superior size of Walters, who also opened a cut over the champion’s right eye.

“I’ve got to go back to the drawing board,” Donaire said. “I just can’t compete with guys like Walters. He was overwhelming. I couldn’t match his size and his power.”

Donaire had won titles at 112, 118 and 122 pounds and was de-

MANILA, October 19, 2014 (AFP) – World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao launched his pro basketball career in the Philip-pines on Sunday in a scoreless de-but spent mostly as a cheerleader.

The ring legend, the oldest and shortest player on the fl oor, had two turnovers and a foul as start-ing shooting guard for the Kia team, failing to get off a shot in his fi rst Philippine Basketball As-sociation game.

“It doesn’t matter. What is im-portant is the team won,” said the 35-year-old basketball rookie, who has won world boxing titles in eight different weight divisions.

The 1.69-metre (5 foot 7inch) Pacquiao, the team’s player-coach, named himself a starter against a team called Blackwater, to the delight of a roaring crowd

Aquino: No reason to junk VFA after Laude slay

Unbeaten Walters KOs Donaire for title

79% want VP Binay to face Senate probe – SWS poll

Pacquiao scoreless in PBA debut, but his team won

Abu Sayyaf frees 2 German hostages

See NO REASON, page 12See MOM WILLING, page 12

See 79% WANT, page 12

See PACQUIAO, page 12 See KO DONAIRE, page 12

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LOS ANGELES, CA, October 15, 2014 – When asked to describe in one word what ASAP Live in LA would be at the packed press conference that was livestreamed on TFC.tv and TFC20.com/ASAP last October 8 from the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, the following cast members said: Gerald Anderson: “Awesome!” Maja Salvador: “Spectacular!” Yeng Constantino: “Astig!” (Su-per cool!) Bamboo: “Class Act.” Zsa Zsa Padilla: “Powerful.” Martin Niev ra: “U forgettable.” Enchong Dee: “Memorable.” Kathryn Bernardo: “Fun!” Daniel Padilla: “Intense!” Gary Valenciano: “I wanted to add on to what everyone said and it has to do with why ASAP is where it is today. You have a bunch of artists here and there are many more artists out there. But there is a reason why we are chosen to

World-class Filipino and Fil-Am talents collaborate to deliver epic show before 12,000 fans at historic LA Memorial Sports Arena. Photo collage by Andy Z. Edralin, Andy Tecson, Bobby Crisostomo, Lauro Tecson Jr, Mar Arcena, Marc Pijuan, Ricky Resur-reccion, and Sthanlee Mirador.

‘ASAP Live in LA’ brings Filipinos together to celebrate TFC’s 20th year of service

By Nerissa M. Fernandez, ABS-CBN Global Head, Corporate Affairs & PR

be part of this show. I think that God has a great plan for why we are a part of this show.

So, the word I’m going to choose

is ‘blessed’.” Indeed, the words of TFC’s 20th Anniversary Ambassador Valenciano and his nine press con co-panelists were veritable harbingers of

what ASAP Live in LA last October 11 turned out to be. Not the power-packed joint concert of superstars Enrique Iglesias and Pit-bull in Staples Center, or the multi-cultural, multi-act Super Sonico Festival brought by the teams of LAMC and Coachella to Shrine Auditorium, or the touring and local culinary stars of James Beard Foun-dation’s Taste Los Angeles in Vibiana could distract 12,000 Filipino fans from trooping to historic Los An-geles Memorial Sports Are-na to take part in the day-long festivities climaxed by a one-of-a-kind three-hour, live, world-class Filipino entertainment. Filipino and Fil-Am performers join hands When ABS-CBN and TFC North America promised 40 stars would perform at ASAP Live in LA, they actually meant at least 40. Believing in always putting great value for the money that TFC subscribers and fans pay, ticket buyers did not only get a star-studded complement of talented cast members from the Philip-pines; they were treated to spectacular on-stage colla-bor tions with U.S.-based Filipino singing greats like Jam Morales, Ella Mae Saison and Tootsie Guevarra, and interna-tional Fil-Am superstars like apl.de.ap of Black Eyed Peas and Jessica San-chez of American Idol fame. Also acknowledged at the show were well-known Fil-Ams from the Hol-lywood industry like Tia Carrere, Reggie Lee, Mark Nicolas and Fritz Fried-man.

Carrere told Balitang America: “ASAP was amaz-ing. What a monster con-cert! I mean, Apl being here, Charice, Jessica Sanchez, and all these stars from the Philippines, I’m so happy to be able to be introduced to them. It’s three hours of non-stop energy here. I can’t wait to see it on TV.” More than just entertain-ment While ASAP di-rector Johnny Manah-an, ASAP Business Unit Head Joyce Liquicia and their Manila team in col-laboration with TFC North America production team led by John-D Laza-tin made sure that every-thing from the production numbers to the costumes to the technical set-up lived up to high standards, everyone in the cast and crew knew that they were here to deliver more than just entertainment. “You are talking about people fl ying in from as far as Alaska, Hawaii and Canada and fans repre-senting by creating their own ASAP Live in LA at-tires.

You have people who saved their dollars and planned their work vaca-tions so they can watch the show. We all know that what we should give are more than song-and-dance numbers; we are here to give our hearts, our love, our Kapamilya spirit and Pinoy soul to them.

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, October 22 - 28, 2014 Visit www.usasianpost.com 3LOS ANGELES

JAKARTA, October 20, 2014 (AFP) – US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday visited Indonesia, home to the world’s biggest Muslim population, to press Southeast Asian nations to step up efforts in the fi ght against the Islamic State (IS) group.

Kerry was among foreign dignitaries in Jakarta for the inauguration of President Joko Widodo, a former furniture ex-porter who is the fi rst leader of the world’s third-biggest democ-racy to come from outside the country’s political and military elites. On the sidelines of the event, the top US diplomat was using a series of bilateral meet-ings to urge Widodo, known by his nickname Jokowi, and other Southeast Asian leaders to take more action against the growing threat from IS militants, offi cials said.

IS’s jihadist appeal is fanning fears that it could serve as a po-tent rallying cry for extremists in the region, who had been largely brought to heel following a run of deadly attacks.

A senior State Department of-

fi cial said discussions on combat-ing the IS group were “at the top of the list” for the meetings.

During talks with Najib Razak, the prime minister of Muslim-majority Malaysia, Ker-ry thanked the leader for “Ma-laysia’s strong public comments” condemning the IS organisation and support for a United Nations resolution aimed at tackling the threat of radicals who join the extremist group, said another se-nior US offi cial.

“They also discussed the need for the international community to continue to do more to crack down on foreign fi ghters,” said the offi cial.

As well as Widodo, Kerry was meeting Singaporean Prime Min-ister Lee Hsien Loong, the sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah and Philippine Foreign Secretary Al-bert del Rosario on Monday.

Growing alarm -There is particular concern

about the infl uence of the IS group in Indonesia, which has a population of some 250 million Muslims and a history of Islamic militancy, and in neighbouring Malaysia.

Secretary of State John Kerry bids farewell to Indonesian President Joko Windodo and his wife, Iriana, after representing President Obama at his inauguration ceremonies in Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 20, 2014. - State Dept Image

Authorities in those countries have watched with alarm as scores, possibly even hundreds, of their nationals have gone to Syria and Iraq to join the fi ght for a hardline Muslim caliphate.

Malaysian police have arrest-ed a total of three dozen people this year for suspected IS-relat-ed activities.

Jakarta has sought to ban sup-port for IS ideology while police believe up to fi ve Indonesians—including two suicide bombers—have died fi ghting with radical groups in the Middle East this year.

Indonesia launched a crack-down on extremists more than a decade ago after a series of at-tacks on Western targets, and managed to weaken major mili-tant networks.

In the Philippines, the Al-Qae-da-linked Abu Sayyaf group that recently pledged allegiance to IS militants last week released a German couple after a harrow-ing six-month hostage ordeal.

The extremists had threat-ened to behead one of the hos-tages unless Berlin pay them a $5.6-million ransom and with-draw its support for US offen-

sives against IS jihadists in Syria and Iraq. During his meet-ings Kerry will press Southeast Asian countries on areas “where we believe and hope that the in-dividual countries can do more”, a State Department offi cial said.

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, climate change and the Ebola virus will also be on the agenda during the meet-ings, offi cials said.

Following his visit to Indone-sia, Kerry will head to Germany to attend events marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Kerry in SE Asia seeking support against IS

MANILA, Oct 20 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III wants a relentless hunt against the Abu Sayyaf Group members af-ter the bandits released two German cap-tives last week.

In an interview in Leyte, Aquino de-scribed the ASG as a problem that already affected the country’s relationship with other countries.

“Wala silang [Abu Sayyaf] humpay at palagay ko naman dapat rin tapatan ng es-tado na walang humpay ‘yung pagtutugis sa kanila,” the President told reporters.

He added that he had already instructed the police and the military to make sure there would be no let-up in the operations against the ASG.

“Wala ng safe area. Talagang kailangan walang tigil ang paghahabol sa kanila,” Aquino said.

The ASG on Friday released two Ger-man hostages, Stefan Victor Okonek and Herike Diesan, who were abducted by ban-dits in waters between Palawan and Sabah in April. The bandits claimed that ransom was paid for the release of the captives.

Aquino said no money came from his of-fi ce to secure the freedom of the German captives.

“Nothing came from the Offi ce of the President. I can assure you that. I didn’t authorize anything from the Offi ce of the President,” he said.

The ASG, which has been blamed for several past kidnapping and bombing inci-dents in southern Philippines, is also sup-posedly getting logistical support from the global militant Islamist group al-Qaeda, ac-cording to local authorities.

The bandit group had also reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a jihadist militant group being accused of atrocities on Iraqi and Syrian territories.

MANILA, Oct 18 (Mabuhay) – After the release on Friday night of two German hos-tages held by the Abu Sayyaf, the govern-ment on Saturday vowed to continue opera-tions against the group.

In Malacañang, Presidential Communi-cations Operations Offi ce head Herminio Coloma Jr. said, “With the release from captivity of the two Germans, our security forces will continue efforts to stem the tide of criminality perpetrated by bandit ele-ments.”

“...Ipagpapatuloy ng mga puwersang pang-seguridad ang pagtugis at pagsabat sa mga grupong bandido,” he added.

He also said the Philippine government will maintain its “no ransom” policy in deal-ing with kidnapping.

Still, he declined to give further details about the Germans’ release, saying, “In-aalam pa ang mga detalye ng pagligtas sa kanila. Walang pagbabago sa patakarang

Aquino orders relentless offensive vs. Abu Sayyaf

MANILA, Oct 18 (Mabuhay) – Germany on Saturday thanked the Philippine gov-ernment for Friday night’s release of two Germans abducted and held by the Abu Sayyaf since April.

In posts on its Twitter account, the Ger-man foreign ministry said it was “relieved” to confi rm the release of the two Germans.

“We are grateful to the Government of the Philippines for close and trustful coop-eration,” it said.

The foreign ministry also mentioned the Twitter handles of President Benigno Aquino III (@noynoyaquino) and the Phil-ippine Department of Foreign Affairs (@dfaspokesperson).

On Friday night, the Abu Sayyaf re-

leased German nationals Stefan Victor Okonek and Henrike Diesen.

The two were abducted last April while on a yacht in the waters between Palawan and Malaysia.

While the Abu Sayyaf initially gave a 3 p.m. deadline for a P250-million ransom to be paid, it extended it to 5 p.m.

Also, the Abu Sayyaf demanded the military withdraw from Sulu and that the German government withdraw its support for a US-led campaign against the militant Islamic State.

“We are relieved to confi rm that the two Germans are no longer in their kidnapper’s hands. Both now in care of our Manila Em-bassy,” the German foreign ministry said.

Germany thanks PHL for release of hostages

‘no ransom’ ng pamahalaan.”For his part, Armed Forces of the Phil-

ippines spokesman Lt. Col. Harold Cabu-noc said “There will be no let up in the on-going law enforcement operations against the Abu Sayyaf bandits in Sulu.”

On Friday night, the AFP confi rmed the release of the two hostages – Stefan Victor Okonek and Henrike Diesen – who were found at a checkpoint in Patikul, Sulu.

AFP chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr. confi rmed that the captives were re-leased at around 8:50 p.m.

“As of 9:20 p.m. [Friday], they were un-dergoing medical checkup. They will pro-

ceed to Zamboanga City and will be given additional medical attention,” Major Gen-eral Domingo Tutaan Jr., AFP spokesman, said.

He said the two will be fl own to Manila from Zamboanga City.

Earlier on Saturday, Tutaan said the two German nationals arrived at Villamor Air Base at 6:45 a.m.

Tutaan added the German Embassy “have made arrangements for this and have taken custody over them.”

The two Germans were abducted last April while on a yacht in the waters be-tween Palawan and Malaysia. (MNS)

MANILA, Oct 21 (Mabuhay) – Angered by a report that the sacked commander of the AFP Medical Center was still reporting for duty and another one was even designated to a new position, Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. ordered them to report to him at his offi ce at the General Head-quarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

“They’re already relieved from their positions and yet they continue to report for work to their former positions. The Chief of Staff, Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., has ordered them all to report GHQ as soon as possible,” Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, chief of the Public Affairs Offi ce (PAO) of the AFP, said Tuesday.

On Monday, a document showed that one of the four hospital offi cials sacked for alleged corruption in the purchase of P80 mil-lion worth of medical supplies without public bidding was desig-nated to a new position.

In the document, a copy of which was obtained by Interaksyon.com, showed the designation of Lt. Col. Florencio Ritchie I. Capu-long III as Head Secretariat of the AFPMC’s Technical Working Group.

His designation was seen as a serious blow to reforms being advocated by Catapang, who had earlier said he relieved the of-fi cials involved so they will not infl uence the ongoing investiga-tion.

Capulong was sacked from his position as Special Disbursing Offi cer (SDO) because of a complaint fi led by a Renato Villafuerte before the Offi ce of the Ombudsman urging Ombudsman Con-chita Carpio-Morales to investigate corruption at the AFPMC.

Also sacked by Catapang was former AFPMC commander Brig. Gen. Normando T. Sta. Ana Jr.; Col. Rogelio S. Del Rio, former Acting Chief of Staff for Logistics, MC4; and Maj. Neil D. Bugarin, former Management and Fiscal Offi ce chief.

Angry AFP chief orders sacked hospital offi cials to report to him


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MANILA, October 20, 2014 (AFP) – Philippine President Benigno Aquino said Monday the murder of a Filipino transgender person al-legedly by a US Marine should not sour ties with the United States.

Aquino said there were no grounds to void a bilateral agreement that allows the US military to conduct regular training exercises in-volving thousands of troops on Philippine territory.

“Name me any place that doesn’t have any crime. And the sin of one person should be refl ective of the entire country? I don’t think so,” he told reporters at a ceremony to mark a World War II victory by the al-lies.

Aquino said both governments were making sure the Visiting Forces Agreement that governs American military behavior in the Philippines was being followed in the criminal proceedings.

Philippine prosecutors have summoned Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton to appear before a preliminary murder hearing in the northern port city of Olongapo on Tuesday.

Police said Pemberton was the last person seen with the victim, Jef-frey Laude, before he was found dead in a hotel bathroom on October 12 with his head in the toilet and marks of strangulation on his neck.

The murder placed defense ties between the two countries under scrutiny. It recalled a 2005 rape case involving a Filipina and a US Marine, who like Pemberton was in the country for joint military ex-ercises.

But in a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of US General Douglas MacArthur’s return that paved the way for the Philippines’ liberation from Japan, Aquino reaffi rmed the alliance with the United States.

The US landing in Leyte Gulf set the stage for one of the largest naval battles of World War II and made a hero out of MacArthur for fulfi lling his “I shall return” promise.

“Let us renew our commitment to the strong and enduring friend-ships between the Philippines and its wartime allies,” Aquino said.

Without directly mentioning the murder case, US ambassador Phil-ip Goldberg said the two countries could surpass “challenges and un-certainties”.

“Just as in the case 70 years ago we will prevail,” he said.Under the bilateral agreement, the United States has primary cus-

tody over its personnel accused before Philippine courts. But the Phil-ippines has criminal jurisdiction.

Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said prosecutors would “insist” on Pemberton’s appearance on Tuesday.

“We are doing this so that the family of the victims will not say that we are giving him (Pemberton) special treatment and so that their crit-ics wouldn’t say that this administration, especially on the part of the Department of Justice, has a soft stance on this case,” she said.

Pemberton had not informed prosecutors if he would attend Tues-day’s hearing, Olongapo city assistant prosecutor Ria Nina Sususco told AFP.

Four other Marines earlier gave statements to Philippine prosecu-tors as witnesses. They will not attend the hearing on Tuesday, accord-ing to the US embassy.

MANILA, Oct 20 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Monday rallied the Philippines’ war-time allies behind peaceful resolution to modern-day confl icts between countries.

During the 70th anniversary commemoration of the Leyte Landing, Aquino encouraged envoys from the US, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Japan to continue their “genuine and meaning-ful solidarity’ with the Philippines.

“Let us honor the peace that has reigned over our nation for 70 years. Let us renew our commitment to strong and enduring friendships between the Philip-pines and its wartime allies, and perhaps with the countries that once we opposed,” Aquino said in a speech.

The President made this statement amid the Phil-ippines’ ongoing territorial confl ict with China over parts of the South China Sea, which Manila calls the

West Philippine Sea.“We commit to peace as the true legacy of a con-

fl ict that should never be repeated, and look to a shared future bound by the trust we now extend to-wards each nation and nourished by the freedom we so cherish,” he added.

Also in his speech, Aquino once again thanked the international community for helping the Philippines in its recovery efforts after Typhoon Yolanda (Hai-yan), which hit parts of Visayas almost a year ago.

He said aid for Filipinos that poured from all over the world in Yolanda’s aftermath showed the inter-national community’s “commitment to help each other.”

“Typhoon Haiyan saw countries who once be-longed to the Allied and Axis Forces who once fought a great war, united in their desire to help the Fili-pino people,” the President said. (MNS)

NORFOLK, Virginia – Seventy-years after Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur waded ashore in Leyte to fulfi ll his promise to the Filipino people, the alliance between the Philippines and the United States con-tinues to go stronger, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. said.

“The commitment shown by the United States through the actions of General MacArthur in 1944 still remains up to the present,” Ambassador Cuisia said during ceremonies commemorating the 70th an-niversary of the American landings in Leyte at the MacArthur Memorial here this evening.

“The shared Filipino-American experience in the Philippines during the Second World War continues to permeate Philippine-US bilateral relations and to nurture the alliance,” Ambassador Cuisia told Fili-pinos and Americans who attended the commemora-tion of the landings that signaled the start of the liberation of the Philippines after three years of Japanese occupation.

Ambassador Cuisia said American commitment to the Philippines was concretely manifested during the return of US forces to Leyte in November last year, 69 years after the return of General MacAr-thur. “This time, however, they came to help liberate the people of Leyte from an emerging humanitarian crisis caused by one of the most devastating storms in human history—Typhoon Haiyan.”

Ambassador Cuisia said US troops were among the fi rst on the ground and helped clear the way for the massive US-led international relief effort that preempted what could have been a major humani-tarian disaster.

It could be recalled that at the height of the inter-national response, the US committed more than a thousand troops and 50 aircraft and ships, including the USS George Washington, as part of Operation Damayan. US forces assisted in search and rescue operations and provided close to 2,500 tons of relief supplies to affected communities and evacuated over 21,000 people.

Ambassador Cuisia said the Philippine-US al-liance was further strengthened in April with the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agree-ment (EDCA).

“The EDCA is intended to support the develop-ment of a minimum credible defense posture for the

Philippines through capability building and com-bined activities and high impact-high value joint exercises focusing on maritime domain awareness, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and di-saster response,” he said.

“Today, we pay tribute to the great American patriot General Douglas MacArthur who is still re-membered by many not just as the liberator of the Philippines but also as a true friend of the Filipino people,” Ambassador Cuisia said in his remarks.

The envoy also paid tribute to Filipino veterans who served under General MacArthur, including Maj. Jess Baltazar, 94, and Ray Cabacar, 87, who attended the commemoration. He also expressed his appreciation to the US-Philippines Society, the Ma-cArthur Memorial and the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation.

Christopher Kolakowski, Director of the MacAr-thur Memorial, said the liberation of the Philippines actually commenced on 17 October 1944 when ele-ments of the 6th Ranger Battalion landed in Suluan, Dinagat and Homonhon islands.

He said the three-day operation that resulted in the capture of the three islands paved the way for the safe passage to the Leyte Gulf of the largest invasion armada ever assembled in the Pacifi c – a force made up of 574 ships and 174,000 men.

Kolakowski said that on 20 October 1944, three days after the Rangers became the fi rst US troops to land on Philippine soil, more than 100,000 troops from the X and XXIV Corps hit an 18-mile beach-head between the barrios of Dulag and San Jose in Leyte in what has been referred to as A-Day, the Pacifi c version of D-Day in the European theater.

MacArthur Memorial historian James Zobel said the subsequent Japanese attempt to push back the US landings triggered the Battle of Leyte Gulf – the largest and bloodiest sea battle in history that broke forever Japanese sea power and ensured the success of the liberation of the Philippines.

Zobel said the battle’s climax off Samar ranks as a sublime moment in the history of the US Navy, while at Cape Engano the American Navy sank the last of the carriers that executed the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. He said the engagement in the Su-rigao Strait also marked the end of an era: the last battleship-versus-battleship action in history.

By Edgardo Cervano-Soto, Richmond Pulse

RICHMOND, Calif., Oct 19, 2014 – Manu-el Martinez thought his future would follow the life of his father. When he was 17, he thought he’d work in construction after high school. De-spite living in Richmond, Calif. since the age of one, Martinez didn’t think he had many op-tions because of his undocumented status.Farther north, in Modesto, Yaquelin Valencia, a Kennedy High School graduate, spent a lot of her time driving around the Central Valley. She was 20 years old and passionate about organizing im-migrant communities. She was also undocument-ed, and ineligible for a driver’s license. On June 15, 2012, President Obama announced an execu-tive order that would alter the course of the two youngsters’ lives, along with the lives of hundreds of thousands in similar situations. The order grant-ed young immigrants who met specifi c criteria the chance to apply for what is essentially a tempo-rary reprieve from deportation, or the threat of it.The administrative policy had an innocuous name, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Those eli-gible for DACA were also given a work permit and a social security number.

Valencia and Martinez applied for DACA within months of its announce-ment and both were granted DACA status.“January 22, 2013, I got a letter in the mail,” Martinez recalled. “My mom cried. She told me how proud she was that I was now an ‘Ameri-can;’ that I fi nally belonged in the country.” With a year and a half remaining of high school, Mar-tinez kicked into high gear, re-committing him-self to his studies and reconsidering the possi-bility of what life could be like after graduation.The last two-plus years since DACA went into effect have impacted the lives of eligible undocumented peo-ple, making opportunities such as employment and higher education accessible to many for the fi rst time.DACA generated national interest when it was an-nounced. It was celebrated as an accomplishment for DREAMers and their supporters, those who advocated for immigration reform for the young undocumented community in the United States.Obama and Democrats throughout the country, who’d earlier been polling low with Latinos, also enjoyed benefi ts from the DACA announcement. Obama was re-elected to the presidency a few months later, due in part to a reinvigorated Latino elector-ate – 71 percent of Latinos voted for him that year.

Immigration rights organizations sprung into gear, helping potential applicants throughout the country apply. According to the American Immigration Coun-cil, a non-partisan and independent think tank, ap-proximately 670,000 people have applied for DACA, with nearly 550,000 of those applicants approved.In Richmond, Heather Wolf, an attorney at Cath-olic Charities of the East Bay – the only low cost immigration legal service provider in the area – said her offi ce has processed 300 applications and pre-screened over a thousand at workshops. She said the Richmond numbers were substantial.Despite the boom in applications, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services estimates that of the 1.2 million people eligible for DACA, half a million of them have yet to apply. A processing fee of $465, and a requirement that all application in-formation be forwarded to USCIS may explain why some are reluctant to apply.

Valencia, who assisted Catholic Charities of the East Bay with the pre-screening process, and is a long time immigration rights advocate, used to be among them.“My understanding of it was that we were going to get a temporary work permit for two years,” she said. “Well, what’s going to happen after two years? What’s going to happen if it gets revoked?”Those questions persist, but the effect of DACA on the lives of those who’ve received it is undeniable.“I haven’t had anyone come through, who didn’t go out and immediately get a job or en-roll full time in school, or is saving money to go to a four-year college,” Wolf said. “They have all been very productive and inspiring.”As for Valencia, DACA allowed her to obtain a driver’s license and enroll full time in school.“I think my mom had a sense of relief that I would be driving around now safely,” Valencia said.Today she drives herself to school and gives col-leagues rides to community meetings. After being elected to serve on the board of the Contra Costa In-terfaith Supporting Community Organization, CCIS-CO, an organization she’d previously volunteered at, Valencia said she drives to Antioch for board meet-ings with a new sense of security and confi dence.“I feel much safer having a driver’s license,” she said, adding, “When I see an offi cer I still get a little nervous when they are behind me and I know they are checking my tags, but I know that because I have insurance and a driver’s li-cense….I should be okay if they were to stop me.After receiving DACA, Martinez completely changed the course of his educational career.

MEXICO CITY, October 21, 2014 (AFP) – The number of Mexican children abducted, recruited by organized crime, mutilated and mur-dered has surged alarmingly, the Inter-American Commission on Hu-man Rights said Monday.

The grim report from the OAS-affi liated rights body comes as Mexi-can authorities are scrambling amid a massive scandal over 43 college students missing and feared dead.

The group’s investigator Rosa Maria Ortiz visited the country earli-er this month and “received information indicating that there has been an alarming increase in the fi gures of (missing) children who have not been found.

“The (Mexican government), meanwhile, has not given data,” she stressed.

Several organizations report that at least 2,000 children were slaughtered between 2006-2014, often with “extreme forms of vio-lence,” she said.

There have also been a huge number of minors being forcibly re-cruited to work for organized crime, especially in poorer areas.

Of Mexico’s 118 million people, seven million still live in extreme poverty, many of them in Guerrero state and neighboring Oaxaca and Chiapas states. These areas, as well as several in Mexico’s north, have seen years of bloodletting between rival drug cartels warring over turf and shipping routes. Ortiz also urged President Enrique Pena Nieto’s government “to investigate with greater urgency the case of the 43 students – swiftly and impartially.”

Mexican authorities had stepped up their efforts to fi nd the stu-dents, who disappeared more than three weeks ago, using dogs, horses and divers to broaden the search.

About 50 vehicles, carrying some 200 members of a special division of the federal police, arrived Sunday in Xonacatla, which is located close to the town of Iguala in Guerrero state, where the students disap-peared on September 26.

Authorities said the search had been expanded to include bodies of water such as lakes and ponds, as well as in the numerous mines and caves of the mountains around Iguala.

More than 1,200 security forces are now looking for the college stu-dents around Iguala, a town of 140,000 inhabitants.

Authorities say Iguala’s police force shot at buses carrying the stu-dents on September 26 and handed them over to offi cers in the neigh-boring town of Cocula, who then delivered them to the Guerreros Uni-dos drug gang.

US ties above transgender murder: Aquino

Mexico children increasingly recruited, abducted, killed

Aquino to PHL’s wartime allies: Honor peace, never again to war

PH-US alliance going stronger 70 years AFTER Gen. MacArthur fulfi lls vow to return

DREAMers grateful for present, uncertain about future


Mural creator Eliseo Art Silva talks about his artwork, which depicts Filipino and Fil-Am history and culture. Photo: Gerald Gubatan

By Nimfa U. Rueda LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles

City offi cials and Filipino-Ameri-can community leaders unveiled the signage for the largest Fil-Am mural in the United States on Saturday.

“I see this new sign as a bridge, in the same way that the mural has become a bridge to other cul-tures,” said Eliseo Art Silva, the Fil-Am artist who created the mu-ral depicting Filipino-American history and culture.

The mural, called “Gintong Ka-saysayan, Gintong Pamana” (A Glo-rious History, A Golden Legacy) is located at the Unidad Park in Historic Filipinotown near down-town Los Angeles.

The signage contains informa-tion about the park and the mu-ral, which was created in 1995 to commemorate the Centennial of the Philippine Revolution against Spain and depict heroes and im-portant fi gures in Filipino and Fil-Am history.

Silva recently completed re-storing the 25-foot high, 150-foot long mural, which taggers had vandalized. Among the heroes depicted in the mural were Jose Rizal, Cory Aquino, Philip Vera

Signage for largest Fil-Am mural in US unveiled

tor Expo 2014 on Oct. 8 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The other awardee was Lois Gerace of Woodland Hills-based RE/MAX Olson and As-sociates.

California has over 170,000 realtors and only two were chosen this year to receive the prestigious award, which is now on its second year.

Reeza Gervacio and Lois Gerace are exemplary REAL-TORS® who push themselves and consistently set higher standards by showing extreme diligence and persistence in serving their clients,” said CAR President Kevin Brown. “They rise above the rest and set an example to others for their dedication and passion, and I’m proud to recognize them as our 2014 Champions of Home.”

CAR said: “A 16-year real-tor, Gervacio also cares about her profession and the com-

munity in which she works. She donates her time to local school career days to talk with young children about the pro-fession she loves. In addition to her sales duties, Reeza also helps train agents in her offi ce in farming, client communica-tions, sphere of infl uence, and how to expand visibility.”

CAR also said giving back to those less fortunate also is important to Gervacio. Every year, Gervacio visits the Holy Trinity Home for Children, an orphanage in Quezon City, and spends time with them, hosting lunch and giving gifts and food items to the children.

Carol Rayburn, Gervacio’s broker at Century 21 Astro said: “We need shining lights like Reeza for whom it’s not just about the money, but about the people she serves.”

In their nomination letter to the Awards Committee, Ray-burn and Lou Rosenkranz, co-owner and broker of Century 21 Astro, cited Gervacio’s nu-merous accomplishments.

Astro, we have seen how Reeza evolved from a neophyte real estate agent into one of the top agents of the Century 21 system,” they said.

Fil-Am one of two CA realtors honored for ‘changing clients’ lives for better

LOS ANGELES – A multi-awarded Filipino-American realtor added another feather on her cap when she was cho-sen by the California Association of Realtors (CAR) as one of only two realtors for the “Champi-ons of Home” Award for “changing their clients’ lives for the better, rais-ing the standards for oth-ers, and led by example.”

The award was pre-sented to Filipino-Amer-ican realtor Reeza Ger-vacio of Cerritos-based Century 21 Astro dur-ing the California Real-

Calif., Oct. 20, 2014 – The ghoulish decorations and cos-tumes are a sure bet to scare up some fun this Halloween season, but much more frightening are the electrical and fi re hazards as-sociated with them.

With this in mind, Southern California Edison (SCE) reminds its customers that a few simple precautions, especially with can-dles, decorations and costumes, can help ensure a safe Halloween.

One of the best ways to start is by never using burning candles to light jack-o-lanterns or as part of any decorations because of their severe fi re risk. Use battery-op-erated, fl ameless candles instead. However, for those who insist on lighting candles, never leave them unattended or too close to combustible materials.

This is crucial because Hallow-

een decorations cause more than 1,000 home fi res annually, ac-cording to the National Fire Pro-tection Association.

Additionally, from 2009-11, an estimated 11,300 fi res were re-ported to fi re departments across the country over a three-day peri-od around Halloween that caused an estimated 30 deaths, 175 inju-ries and $96 million in property loss, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

The easiest way to a safe Hal-loween is to make smart decisions from the start, said Don Neal, SCE director of Corporate Envi-ronmental, Health and Safety. From not using burning candles t buying costumes and decora-tions with fl ame-resistant, fl ame-retardant or non-combustible materials, select with safety in mind.”

The real treat should be a safe Halloween

Cruz and Larry Itliong.The mural has been awarded

the Design Excellence for Public Art by the City of Los Angeles Board of Cultural Affairs Com-missioners and featured in the Smithsonian Institution’s travel-ling exhibition celebrating 100 years of Filipino migration to the US.

Unidad Park used to be a com-munity garden sponsored by the Fil-Am grassroots group Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA). The lot was donated by Fil-Am doctor Carmencita Ch-uateco. The city bought the lot from Chuateco and converted it into a park through the Los An-geles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT).

LANLT hosted the unveiling ceremony, which also included a multicultural celebration show-casing Filipino and Latino folk dance and music.

The guests included Council-member Mitch O’Farrell, Ryan Carpio, manager of the city’s Neighborhood Services, and Joel Jacinto, SIPA execu-tive director. Jacinto led an Ifugao dance to close the celebration.

Fil-Am realtor awardee Reeza Gervacio of Cerritos-based Century 21 Astro during the California Realtor Expo 2014 on Oct. 8 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

LOS ANGELES – (Oct. 16, 2013) – Gearing up for the fi rst game of their regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 28, the Los Angeles Lakers made a preseason practice stop at the Pechanga Recreation Center on thePechanga Indian Reservation in Temecula, Calif. On Thursday, October 16 from 11 a.m. to 12:30, players and coaches participated in a shoot around at the Tribe’s recreation center with tribal youth and members follow-ing the action as spectators.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been traveling to many points across Southern California for ex-hibition games during the three-week preseason, and the shoot around in Temecula was a chance for the team to show gratitude for inland Southern California fans’ loyalty. The Lakers’ practice in Temecula was not open to the public, though members of the media were invited to interview

coaches and players following the shoot around.

“We deeply appreciate our partnership with the Lakers and their commitment to the broader Southern California community,” said Tribal Chairman Mark Ma-carro. “Our youth were ecstatic. Today, they witnessed a focused, structured practice with high in-tensity, and what it takes to be a champion.”

“It’s great to see the support we have all over Southern Califor-nia, not just in Los Angeles,” said Lakers Head Coach, Byron Scott. “The guys [players] love it and motivates them to even better.”

Pechanga has been a longtime donor to the Lakers Youth Foun-dation and sponsor of the Los An-geles Lakers.

The team held a similar prac-tice at Pechanga in 2010 at the newly-built recreation center. The team was impressed with Pechan-

ga’s hospitality and returned in 2013 and 2014, and to raise mon-ey for charity. Many of the players and coaches took part in a casino night fundraiser at the Pechanga Resort & Casino on Wednesday night benefi ting the Lakers Youth Foundation.

About the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians is a federally recognized Indian tribe that has called the Temecula Valley home since time immemorial. After years of hard-ship and mistreatment by settlers, the PechangaIndian Reservation was established by presidential executive order in 1882, affi rming the Tribe’s sovereign rights and land-base. The Pechanga Band employs over 4,000 people and owns and operates the award-winning Pechanga Resort & Ca-sino, the largest gaming facility in the western United States.

Today News: Lakers hold practice @ Pechanga Recreation Center


LOS ANGELES, CA – Each year, the Asian Business Association (ABA) honors leaders in the Asian American business community. The ABA also recognizes corpo-rations who consistently support the Asian business community and provide opportu-nities for Asian American entrepreneurs to fl ourish.

This year, the Asian Business Associa-tion 38th Annual Awards Banquet was held at the Globe Theatre in Universal Studios Hollywood last October 15. Hetty Chang, Emmy-nominated news reporter at NBC4 Southern CA was the mistress of ceremo-nies. Hundreds gathered to pay tribute to the signifi cant and often unheralded contri-butions that Asian Americans are making in business and the Southern California economy.

Honorees:Business of the Year – Huy Fong Foods

(Siracha)Consumer Brand of the Year – VIZIOEntrepreneur of the Year – Toni Ko,

Founder and Former Chairwoman of NYX Cosmetics

Corporate of the Year – Southern Califor-nia Gas Company

Advocate of the Year – Monetta Ste-phens, Toyota

“The Asian Business Association has a strong commitment to helping diverse Asian-Americans. Not only are they mak-ing a difference in business locally but also impacting the community and our great economy,” said awards banquet co-chairs Amanda Ma of Innovative Marketing Group and Jason S. Kim of Blank Rome LLP. “Proceeds from this Awards Banquet will help advance their cause.”

“We selected these individuals and orga-nizations because of their business success and their contributions in our economy,” said Dennis J. Huang, ABA Executive Di-rector and CEO. “We are grateful also to our sponsors this year for supporting the important work we’re doing in the commu-nity.”

Sponsors include: Union Bank, Toyota, Southern California Edison, AEG, AT&T, Walmart, Vizio, US Bank, Dr. Eu-Meg Law, Misty Perfumes and Cosmetics, Northrop Grumman, Southern California Gas Com-pany, Verizon, Walt Disney Company, Wells Fargo, Imprenta Communications Group, Kambrian, Huy Fong Foods, to name a few.

About the Asian Business AssociationThe Asian Business(ABA) was founded

in 1976 to proactively help Asian Americans gain access to economic opportunities and

advancement. With more than 600 mem-bers, ABA promotes economic development through its educational conferences, semi-nars and workshops. These interactive pro-grams are designed to present entrepreneurs with the information, resources, skill-sets, and networking opportunities that they will need to help grow their businesses and suc-cessfully compete in the global marketplace.

This year, the Asian Business Association 38th An-nual Awards Banquet was held at the Globe Theatre in Universal Studios Hollywood last October 15. Het-ty Chang, Emmy-nominated news reporter at NBC4 Southern CA was the mistress of ceremonies. Hun-dreds gathered to pay tribute to the signifi cant and often unheralded contributions that Asian Americans are making in business and the Southern California economy.

Honoring business leaders in the Asian community

Life and Leisure Newsfor Filipino-Americans

www.usasianpost.com


(PARIS-AFP) – Weight-loss guide-lines have long counseled dieters that kilos shed too quickly are likelier to creep back than those lost at a slower pace.

But an Australian study, pub-lished on Wednesday, says this is wrong.

Over the long term, fast-track and slow-track dieters are equal-ly likely to regain most of the weight they lost, according to a paper published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Research led by Joseph Proiet-to of the University of Melbourne divided 204 obese men and wom-en into two groups.

One group entered a weight-loss program of 12 weeks, the other a more gradual 36 weeks.

The 12-week group were re-stricted to a diet of 450-800 cal-ories per day, while the other group had their energy intake reduced by about 500 calories per day.

Those who lost 12.5 percent or more of their bodyweight from both groups were then placed on a three-year maintenance diet.

By the end of the trial, individ-uals in both groups had regained some 71 percent on average of the kilos they had shed.

“By contrast with the widely-held belief that weight lost rap-idly is more quickly regained, our fi ndings show that regain is simi-lar after gradual or rapid weight loss,” the team said.

“Our data should guide com-mittees that develop clinical guidelines for the management of obesity to change their advice,” they added.

Dieters are generally told that a weight loss tempo of no more than 500 grams (1.1 pounds) per week is best.

The researchers noted some in-teresting short-term differences in how the two groups responded.

Among the fast-dieting group, more achieved their weight loss target – 81 percent compared to half of the other group – and few-er left the program.

These initial successes may be partly explained by a process called ketosis which kicks in with low-calorie intake – the body

burns fat to produce breakdown products called ketones, which are known to suppress hunger.

“Losing weight quickly may also motivate participants to per-sist with their diet and achieve better results,” said the authors.

But this made no difference in the longer term, with the weight piling up again over time.

“For weight loss, a slow and steady approach does not win the race,” Corby Martin and Kishore Gadde of the US-based Penning-ton Biomedical Research Center said in a comment.

“The myth that rapid weight loss is associated with rapid weight regain is no more true than one of Aesop’s fables.”

In comments distributed by the London-based Science Me-dia Centre, nutritionists said the study reiterated that sustained weight loss remained a challenge, however it is achieved.

“While weight loss is hard, weight loss maintenance is even harder,” said Nick Finer, an en-docrinologist from University College London Hospitals.

Over the long term, fast-track and slow-track dieters are equally likely to regain most of the weight they lost, according to a new paper. ©Andresr/shutterstock.com

Fast-track weight loss no less eff ective than slow: study

(Relaxnews) – A neuroimaging study says the brain has a natural affi nity for evaluating foods based on their caloric density, contain-ing a library of nutritional infor-mation that may be richer than that of your wearable tracker’s software platform.

“Our study sought to determine how people’s awareness of caloric content infl uenced the brain areas known to be implicated in evalu-ating food options,” says study author Alain Dagher, neurologist at the Montreal Neurological In-stitute and Hospital.

“We found that brain activity

tracked the true caloric content of foods,” he added.

In the study, he showed pic-tures of 50 different but familiar foods to a participant group of 29 healthy individuals who were asked to rate their appreciation of each item on a scale of one to 20 and estimate the calorie content.

They were then asked to bid on the food in a make-believe auction to give Dr. Dagher and his team an idea of how much they wanted the food.

Although their calorie estima-tions weren’t accurate, they were willing to pay high prices for high-

calorie food, indicating their de-sire to eat it.

Functional MRI brain scans taken while participants viewed the images showed increased ac-tivity in the ventromedial prefron-tal cortex – an area that registers tasty stimuli – in proportion to the foods’ caloric content.

Scans taken during partici-pants’ rankings of foods showed a proportionally similar activity level in the insula, which is known to fi lter the sensations brought on by different foods.

The study was published in the journal Psychological Science.

Calorie-laden foods have a special place in our hearts and our brains, according to a study that suggests we know more than we think about nutrition.©e2dan/shutterstock.com

Study fi nds your brain includes a (free) calorie counter


FAMILY FEATURES

The holidays are that special time of year when ingredients are more than just ingredients — they’re what you make of them. Th e secret to amazing appeti zers, memorable meals and fantastic celebra tions can be as simple as a

few key basics. Th at’s why Vons is making it easier to fi nd value and the essentials you need all season long, so you can create your own holiday magic.

“Th e six-week holiday season always comes down to the essentials,” said Jeff Anderson, executive chef of the Safeway Culinary Kitchens. “My advice is to stock your pantry with basics like fl our, sugar and butter — both regular and unsalted. Th at and a few simple recipes will have you prepared for any

Executive Chef Jeff Anderson of Safeway

meal and ready in a pinch if you need to make an extra batch of cookies.”

From a spicy spin on popovers to a savory version of a favorite holiday side dish, Chef Anderson recommends easy, delicious recipes using simple ingredients that won’t break your budget.

Th is holiday season, your local Vons is your go-to source for great prices on all the basics to help you create a simply magical holiday. For more

Stir in sour cream, butter, 1 cup shredded cheese, chives, parsley and salt to taste.

Transfer potatoes to 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle remain ing cheese on top. Bake immedi ately or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake 15 minutes (30 minutes if refrigerated) in preheated 350°F oven until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve warm.Note: You can substitute 1/2 tea spoon garlic powder for garlic. Stir powder in with sour cream and remaining ingredients.

Pepper Jack Popovers Servings: 12 1 cup all-purpose fl our 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) Lucerne Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded 1/2 teaspoon salt Pinch cayenne pepper 1 cup milk 2 Lucerne eggs 3 tablespoons Lucerne butter, meltedPreheat oven to 375°F.

Combine fl our, 1 cup of cheese, salt and cayenne in medium bowl.

Chef Jeff ’s Holiday Essentials Simple basics go farther than you think. Keep these items on hand all season and you’ll be ready for delicious meals, holiday events and guests.ROLLSBuy extras and keep some in the freezer. Refresh them in minutes in the oven for mealtime, as well as for sandwiches, breadcrumbs and homemade croutons.CHEESEStock up on both hard and soft cheese for entertaining and last-minute guests. It holds up well in the refrig-erator and can be used in any meal, even dessert.CRACKERSEveryone loves crackers, but they’re not just for appetizers. Th ey are a versatile ingredient for last-minute casserole topping, crunchy breading or baked into meatballs. BUTTERTh e essential holiday essential. From cookies to mashed potatoes, butter is key for rich fl avor in almost every-thing. Using unsalted butter allows you to control exactly how much salt goes into your dishes.

Mashed Potato Casserole Servings: 6–8 4 large russet potatoes (2–2 1/2 pounds),

peeled, cubed 2 large garlic cloves, peeled (see below) 1 cup (8 ounces) Lucerne Sour Cream

2 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 cups Lucerne Reduced Fat 2% Milk Cheddar Cheese, divided 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried) 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried) Salt to tasteCook potatoes and garlic in large pot of boiling salted water until potatoes are tender; drain. Preheat oven to 350°F. (Do not preheat if refrigerating casserole overnight.)

Mash potatoes and garlic with potato masher or handheld mixer until smooth.


MOTORING WASHINGTON, October 20,

2014 (AFP) – US authorities on Monday urged owners of vehicles with potentially deadly defective Takata air bags to seek repairs as Toyota recalled about 247,000 ve-hicles over the parts fl aw.

The Transportation Depart-ment’s safety agency issued a bulletin to owners of 4.7 million vehicles made by Toyota and fi ve other automakers, highlighting an apparently higher level of dan-ger from the faulty air bags for car owners in areas with high hu-midity.

“The National Highway Traf-fi c Safety Administration urges owners of certain Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, and Gen-eral Motors vehicles to act imme-diately on recall notices to replace defective Takata air bags,” the NHTSA said.

“The message comes with ur-gency, especially for owners of vehicles affected by the regional

recalls in the following areas: Florida, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii.”

The air bag could improperly infl ate and rupture, potentially sending shrapnel into the car’s oc-cupants. Honda has the highest number of vehicles covered by the recall at roughly 2.8 million. Toy-ota is second at 778,000, followed by BMW at 574,000.

The high-profi le alert came as Toyota Motor Sales USA said it was recalling Toyota Corolla, Ma-trix, Sequoia, Tundra and Lexus cars, sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks produced from 2001 to 2004 to replace the air bag infl ator for the front passen-ger seat.

Toyota expanded on an earlier airbag-related recall especially to include vehicles in high humidity areas, including southern Florida, Gulf Coast states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, where the vehicles

“appear to warrant immediate ac-tion” based on testing by Takata.

According to Toyota, Takata is still testing whether high humid-ity is an important factor in the airbag problem.

Toyota said it had received no reports yet of injuries or fatalities related to the airbag problem.

Still, the seriousness of the risk to occupants of the front seat was underscored in the company’s de-tails on the recall process .

If a replacement infl ator part is not available when the vehicle is brought in for servicing, the dealer will temporarily disable the front passenger air bag.

In that case, the dealer will install a warning that the front passenger seat should not be oc-cupied until the repair has been completed.

Toyota’s US-traded shares were up 3.1 percent at $113.24 in afternoon trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

US urges air bag repairs as Toyota expands recall

This Audi RS 7 Sportback completed a high-speed lap at the Hockenheim ring without the help of a human pilot. ©Audi

The German manufacturer demonstrated a driverless con-cept ahead of the DTM German Touring Car Championship fi -nals in Hockenheim, Germany on Sunday, October 19, 2014. The autonomous Audi RS 7 com-pleted an entire lap of the track at race speed without a human pilot behind the wheel.

To navigate its way around the track, the car uses specially adjusted GPS signals transmit-ted to its on-board computer via WiFi. At the same time, the car’s 3D cameras fi lm the track and a program compares the incom-ing footage to previously stored graphics. This technique allows the vehicle to follow an “ideal” trajectory as closely as possible.

Audi has been develop-ing driverless technologies for around a decade now, leading to

smart driving aids such as Ac-tive Lane Assist and Side Assist, which help with maintaining and changing lanes, and Adap-tive Cruise Control, which ad-justs the car’s speed to maintain an appropriate distance from the vehicle ahead.

The production version of the Audi RS 7 Sportback, launched over the summer, is presented as a rival to the Porsche Panamera, the Maserati Quattroporte, the Aston Martin Rapide S and other luxury sports cars. Under the hood, its 4-liter V8 twin tur-bo engine develops 560hp. The model is capable of going from 0 to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds and of reaching a top speed of 305km/h.

Watch the highlights of the demo of the autonomous Audi RS 7 at Hockenheim: youtu.be/eOYsI1cqUrw

BEIJING, October 17, 2014 (AFP) – German automaker Volkswagen will recall more than a million cars in China and the United States due to a defect in the rear axles, a company spokes-man said.

The company’s US unit in-formed the National Highway Transport Safety Administration that it would recall more than 400,000 Jetta sedan models and nearly 42,000 Beetle cars manu-factured between 2011 and 2013, the spokesman told AFP.

“In case of an accident, the axle could be damaged. The axle is secure but we are recalling the

vehicles because we cannot be absolutely sure that all our cus-tomers will go to a repair shop if an axle is damaged,” he said.

Meanwhile the fi rm’s Chinese joint venture will recall more than 500,000 cars in the country, state media said.

The German automaker, which has operated in China since the 1980s, will recall a total of 581,090 cars, the offi cial Xin-hua news agency said, citing a statement from China’s General Administration of Quality Super-vision, Inspection and Quaran-tine.

“The administration said it

launched an investigation into the cars in August and the recall is the outcome of months of work on customer feedback and expert analysis,” Xinhua reported.

Volkswagen – which oper-ates a joint venture with China FAW Group Corp – has offered to “place a metal plate in the trail-ing arm of the rear axles to en-sure the proper operation of the vehicles in case of a rupture”, it added.

Last week, among agreements signed during a visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Germany, Volkswagen extended its joint venture with FAW until 2041.

Watch the driverless Audi RS 7 Sportback complete a lap

VW to recall more than a million cars in US, China


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Actress Gretchen Barretto wants to have another movie with John Lloyd Cruz, her co-star in the upcoming fi lm “The Trial”.

Barretto said it is an honor to work with Cruz, who is consid-ered one of the country’s best ac-tors today.

Noting her recent showbiz comeback, Barretto said she has become more selective when it comes to her projects and co-actors.

“Ngayon na nakabalik ako sa industriyang pinakamamahal ko, siyempre there are few actors na gusto kong makasama. Hin-di natin alam kung hanggang kailan tayo artista or hanggang kailan tayo kukunin. So one of my ultimate dreams, sinabi ko, is to work with John Lloyd be-cause I watch his movies. I am a big fan, I believe in his talent,” she said.

“So noong sinabi nila na I’m doing a movie with him, ang

laki ng pasasalamat ko sa ABS-CBN, sa Star Cinema. I didn’t feel there was a John Lloyd on the set because talagang nasa character na siya,” she added.

Barretto then told Cruz, “Mag-pelikula tayo ulit,” and he actor replied with a smile.

Seeing his reaction, Barretto said: “I’m just grateful.”

“The Trial”, which also stars Jessy Mendiola and Richard Gomez, hit cinemas nationwide last October 15. (MNS)

Gretchen wants another fi lm with John Lloyd

Gretchen

Actress Jessy Mendiola said John Lloyd Cruz, her co-star in the upcoming movie “The Trial”, is the reason why she joined show business.

Mendiola said she has been a fan of Cruz, adding that working with the actor is part of her “buck-et list.”

“Ako para sa akin ay [kasama sa] bucket list ko na makatraba-ho si John Lloyd... Kasi dati ko pang pangarap na makatrabaho si John Lloyd. Pumasok ako sa showbiz para makatrabaho siya. Nanood ako ng ‘Maging Sino Ka Man’, totoo,” said Mendiola, refer-ring to Cruz’ defunct hit series on ABS-CBN.

The actress went on to share that she initially felt nervous do-ing scenes with Cruz.

“Mas kinakabahan ako kasi napakagaling niyang aktor at kai-langan ikaw din ay sumabay din sa galing niya. Kasi sobrang gal-ing niya,” she said.

“Siya ‘yung tipong titigan ka niya, ‘di siya magsasalita ng kahit ano, pero alam mong inaalalayan ka niya. He has that look na, ‘you got this.’ Kapag nakuha mo ‘yung eksena, parang nandoon ‘yung look na, ‘okay, nakuha mo siya,’” she added.

When asked to comment about shooting a love scene with Cruz, Mendiola replied: “’Yun ang dapat

abangan nila.”Directed by Chito Roño, “The

Trial” hit cinemas last October 15. (MNS)

Jessy: I joined showbiz because of John Lloyd

Jessy

Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano are both hoping they’d be given more time together to help them establish a credible on-screen chemistry.

Fortunately, the two who played best of friends in the 2013 rom-com “She’s The One,” will get their wish as they headline ABS-CBN’s upcoming primetime romantic drama series “Forever-more.”

Enrique, who has already been paired with countless leading la-dies in his young career, is aware of the disadvantages of not having a constant love team partner, one of which is the inability to develop rapport.

Another point of consideration for him are the fans. “Kapag they fall in love with the love team (es-tablished) before, mahirap silang mag-accept ng bago.”

On the other hand, being able to share screen time with a vari-ety of actors has proven benefi cial for Enrique and has allowed him to “grow more as an actor.”

Liza, for her part, is excited to be paired with the actor, whom she admits is her crush. “So ngay-on I’m happy na ma-e-experience ko na kung pa’no siya as a leading man,” she says.

The two are aware of the pres-sure their launching project en-tails.

“Kailangan talaga naming i-prove sa kanila na kaya din na-min (to carry a show),” Liza says. “And pressured din kami na siy-empre maraming comparisons

(with other love teams).”Enrique is confi dent that

“Forevermore” will do well. “So-brang ganda ng script at ang buong team, talagang tinutukan nila every detail.

“They gave a lot of time and effort, so para sa ’kin super pre-parado ‘to…imposible na hindi (ang viewers) ma-i-involve o ma-

i-in love sa mga characters na-min.”

And that is what matters most to him because “’pag minama-hal.. .minahal (na) nila ’yung characters namin, sunud-sunod na ’yun.”

Both hope “Forevermore” would translate to a longer and more solid team-up. (MNS)

Enrique and Liza: Beginning of something wonderful?

Enrique and Liza

Pop-rock singer Yeng Constan-tino shared some details about her upcoming wedding.

Constantino said she will tie the knot with Victor “Yan” Asun-cion in Tagaytay City on Valen-tine’s Day next year.

“Sa Tagaytay po... Valentine’s Day,” she said.

Constantino said they will go to Maldives for their honeymoon.

“Yes, sa Maldives. Personally, kasi gusto ko siya. Tapos may nag-gift sa amin. Pinapili kami either Switzerland o Maldives, so we chose Maldives. Yes, ninang namin sa kasal [ang nagregalo],”the singer said.

Asuncion and Constatino are each other’s fi rst offi cial rela-tionship. The two got engaged in March this year after eight months of being a couple.

A former band member, Asun-cion is currently a worship direc-tor at a Christian church. (MNS)

“I’m so grateful to them, but now it’s time for me to move on.”

This was Maxene Magalona’s declaration when asked about her ties with GMA-7, her home station of over a decade, follow-ing her string of guest appear-ances on rival network ABS-CBN in recent weeks.

Referring to her guestings in various Kapamilya shows, Mag-alona said: “Sobrang happy! I mean, it’s a new environment. Sobrang, it’s refreshing. I’m just having so much fun. I’m so hap-py.”

Among the ABS-CBN-pro-duced shows Magalona has ap-peared in since September are “It’s Showtime,” “The Singing Bee,” and “Kris TV.”

The 27-year-old actress, one

of eight children of the late OPM icon Francis Magalona with wife Pia, has been identifi ed with GMA-7 since 2001.

“As an artist, ‘di ba, gusto na-man nating lahat na mag-grow tayo, you want to do more,” Mag-alona said, when asked what led to her decision to appear on ABS-CBN.

“I just decided since I’m al-ready 27 -- I’m not getting any younger – I just wanted a change of scene, a new environment, new people to work with. I just want to meet a lot of new people and do so much more. So iyon, something new lang.”

According to Magalona, her mother, who is also her man-ager, made it a point to discuss properly their plans for her ca-

reer with GMA-7 management.“My mom did everything the

proper way talaga. Kumbaga, nagpaalam kami nang maayos. We did it the right way, the prop-er way. No bridges were burned. Walang masama na nangyari,” she said.

The actress added: “I’m so grateful to them, but now it’s time for me to move on and to grow and to experience new things. I’m doing this for myself. I’m doing this to be able to do what I really want with my life.”

Magalona clarifi ed, however, that she has yet to offi cially sign up as a Kapamilya. “Not as of now! But I’m just so happy and just so thankful to ABS-CBN for opening their doors to me,” she said.

Yeng Constantino shares wedding details

Victor and Yeng

Maxene Magalona wants to move to ABS-CBN


KO DONAIREFrom page 1

WITNESSESFrom page 1

MOM WILLINGFrom page 1

NO REASONFrom page 1

79% WANTFrom page 1

PACQUIAOFrom page 1

al headlines and become an issue in the de-fense ties between the Philippines and the United States, its former colonial ruler and longtime ally. Police said they found the victim half-naked on the bathroom fl oor of a hotel room with more than a dozen bruis-es, cuts and bite marks.

They said the victim, who had checked in with the suspect just over an hour ear-lier, had died from “asphyxia by drowning”.

Police and the prosecutor named the suspect as Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, attached to a North Carolina-based unit that had just taken part in joint military exercises in the Philippines.

Under the bilateral Visiting Forces

Agreement, the suspect will be charged in a Philippine court but custody will remain with the Americans unless the US govern-ment waives this.

Philippine diplomats have said they will ask for his custody once an arrest warrant is issued but it is not clear if the United States will grant this.

The Philippines has said the politically charged case should not be allowed to de-rail longstanding defense ties, amid grow-ing public pressure for Pemberton to be handed over into Philippines custody.

The Philippines agreed in March to al-low US forces wider temporary access to Filipino military facilities.

Julita said.“Oo, nandoon na ako, pero hindi na-

man lahat ng Amerikano ipapakulong ko. Kung sino lang ‘yung may kasalanan, ‘yun lang,” she added. Laude’s mother and her family feel that they’re slowly feeling the case moving forward, more than a week af-ter the 26-year-old transgender was found dead in an inn in Olongapo City.

Pemberton, currently kept “under re-strictive status” in the USS Pelileu, was summoned last week by the Olongapo City

Prosecutor’s Offi ce to a preliminary inves-tigation on the killing.

On Monday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Pemberton must attend the pro-ceedings, after the US Embassy announced that the US serviceman may or may not ap-pear in the scheduled preliminary probe on Tuesday.

Laude’s remains, meanwhile, will be cremated on Friday. The victim’s German fi ancé, Marc Sueselbeck, has arrived in the Philippines to pay his last respects. (MNS)

who also went by the name Jennifer. A murder complaint has since been fi led

against Pemberton. Lawyer Harry Roque, who acts as the legal counsel of Laude, earlier announced over the weekend that Barbie had been placed under the govern-ment’s Witness Protection Program.

De Lima, however, said Barbie has yet to be formally admitted to the program.

The preliminary investigation on the case is set on Tuesday, October 21. There is no assurance yet that Pemberton will attend the proceedings, but De Lima said they will insist on his presence.

At present, Pemberton is aboard USS Peleliu docked in Subic Bay. The ship was barred from leaving the country pending the results of the investigation.

Pemberton was a participant in the re-cently concluded Amphibious Landing Ex-ercises, a joint military exercise between Filipino and US forces covered by the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement.

Santiago earlier called on the executive branch to do away with the VFA, saying the alleged involvement of a US Marine in the killing of Laude again showed that the treaty was skewed in favor of visiting American troops.

She said the previous case of another US Marine, Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, who was convicted for raping a Filipina, and the recent incident could be grounds for the termination of VFA.

In 2005, the US, pursuant to the VFA took custody of Smith. (MNS)

appear in the Senate to answer all allega-tions against him?”

Of those polled, 79 percent agreed Bi-nay should face the Senate, 10 percent dis-agreed, and 11 percent were undecided.

Of the respondents who agreed, 57 per-cent “strongly” agreed, 22 percent “some-what” agreed. Of those who disagreed, six percent “somewhat disagreed,” four per-cent “strongly” disagreed.

The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee has been investigating allegations that Binay and his family had unexplained wealth.

Among the matters the subcommittee has looked into is the supposedly over-priced Makati City Building Hall II, and Binay’s alleged ownership of a 350-hectare estate in Rosario, Batangas.

Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado revealed the Vice President ben-efi tted from the P2.5 billion Makati City Hall Building II.

The P2.5-billion building was over-priced by P1.314 billion, according to the complaint fi led by defeated mayoralty candidate Renato Bondal against the vice president and his son, Makati Mayor Jun-jun Binay. Bondal was Junjun Binay’s op-

ponent in the 2013 elections. The building was constructed in 2007 when the elder Bi-nay was Makati mayor and Junjun a city councilor.

Vice President Binay has denied all the allegations against him.

Mayor Binay also dismissed the plunder complaint fi led against them before the Of-fi ce of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged overpricing as a move by “des-perate” opponents who want to bring his father down.

The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee has invited the Vice President to attend its Sept. 25 hearing, but Binay sent a letter saying he could not attend it.

In an interview during an event in Ton-do that day, Binay said he’d rather work than attend the hearing where he expected “lies” to be hurled against him.

Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla, Bi-nay’s spokesperson, said the Vice President declined the committee’s invitation with the belief that the speech he delivered the week before would suffi ce to answer the ac-cusations.

The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee said it will invite the vice president again for a hearing.

at the 50,000-seater Philippine Arena.“Give the ball to Manny!” irate fans

shouted from the stands as his team swift-ly fell behind.

Pacquiao substituted himself after about seven minutes with his team trailing by nine points. He spent the rest of the game on the bench as his team rallied.

Chants of “Manny, Manny!” reverber-ated across the stands as Kia won, 80-66.

The Philippine Basketball Association is Asia’s fi rst-for-play cage league that was popularized in the 70s. Soon after, basket-ball became the most popular sport in the country, albeit the resulting effect of di-minishing the amateur talent.

Pacquiao said he was preoccupied with his defence of his World Boxing Organisa-tion welterweight title against undefeated American Chris Algieri in Macau in No-vember.

Already in the thick of training, Pac-quiao said he would not play basketball again until after the Macau bout.

“After the fi ght I should be able to play properly,” he told reporters.

Pacquiao, one of the world’s richest sportsmen and also an elected member of

the Philippine parliament, controversially joined the professional basketball rookie draft earlier this year despite doubts that his ability on court measures up to the country’s best.

He was drafted 11th overall by Kia, owned by a business friend.

Filipino boxing fans also fretted he could injure himself playing ball against young-er, much taller and heavier opponents and endanger his boxing career.

“God forbid that he should suffer a liga-ment or tendon tear,” Oliver Wendell Loza-no, the head doctor of the league and a ra-bid basketball fan, told AFP as he watched the game.

He said such an injury would require a four-week treatment period.

A broken bone would be even worse, re-quiring up to 16 weeks of treatment and healing, he added.

However, Lozano was sure Pacquiao was made of sterner stuff.

“Boxers have a tougher bone structure. It has something to do with their training,” he added.

Pacquiao said he had no fear of serious injury. “God is taking care of me,” he added.

fending for the fi rst time the WBA crown he won in May at Macau over South Afri-can Simpiwe Vetyeka.

Donaire was able to land a left hook that stung Walters just before the end of the second round. “I got a little bit too con-fi dent,” Walters said.

“He caught me with a very good shot. Boom.

“I recuperated from the shot just by walking to the corner. I came out and I knew I had a job to do and I went out and got that job done.”

The Caribbean fi ghter answered by in-fl icting Donaire’s fi rst career knockdown with 30 seconds remaining in the third round, slamming a right uppercut into the champion’s chin.

Us asian post october 22, 2014

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