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Volume 22 - No. 35 2 Sections - 16 Pages SePtember 4-10, 2015

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DATELINEUSAfrom the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS ASS ASS MEricMEricME AricAric

BALIKBAYAN BOX CONTROVERSY. Senators Grace Poe, Ralph Recto, Sonny Angara, Alan Peter Cayetano and Cynthia Villar ask officials of the Bureau of Customs during a public inquiry about its new policy of opening balikbayan boxes on the suspicion that these are used to smuggle drugs and firearms. President Benigno Aquino III ordered the BOC to halt the opening of the balikbayan boxes upon arrival in the Philippines amidst strong protests from the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Senate photo by Albert Calvelo

Customs chief Lina apologizes to OFWs

Marcos: BOC should change its policies

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by Jefferson AntipordAManilaTimes.net

by pAtriciAtriciA A Lourdes VirAyAyA y yPhilstar.com

mANILACustoms Com-missioner Alberto Lina on thursday, sept. 3 apologized to overseas filipino workers (ofWs) for the recent issue on balikbayan boxes.

During the senate commit-tee on ways and means hear-ing on balikbayan boxes, Lina admitted that the Bureau of Customs (BoC) has opened boxes from the United states.

Lina added that the bureau Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina and the Bureau of Customs recently got flak over the random physical inspection of balikbayan boxes from overseas Filipino workers.

has also inspected five con-tainers from hong Kong.

Akoy nag-so-sorry kung mayroon kaming natapakan dyan. Hindi kami nantatapak sa mga ofW. I give my 200 (percent) support for them. Hintayin ninyo ang bago nam-ing procedures, Lina said.ing procedures, Lina said.ing

the Customs chief said that the bureau conducted the physical inspections in able to detect smuggled goods.

the BoC on Wednes-day, sept. 2 released a new

memo which bans the random physical inspection of balik-bayan boxes.

Balikbayan boxes will in-stead undergo mandatory X-ray scanning. the BoC will alsoacquire K-9 units and in-stall CCtVs in all authorized inspection and examination areas.

President Benigno Aquino III earlier ordered the BoC to stop conducting random phys-ical inspections of balikbayan boxes.

the Bureau of Customs (BoC) should change its policies to make them more filipino friendly because the agency is indirectly violating laws that grant incentives to overseas filipino workers (ofWs) and athletes with its onerous duties and impractical rules, sen. ferdinand marcos Jr. said.

If the law grants certain privileges or incentives to our ofWs and athletes, the bureaucratic proce-dures must lean toward making it easy for them to enjoy such privileges. otherwise, it is no longer a privilege but a burden, marcos pointed out.

the senator issued the statement in wake of re-ports that the BoC imposed a tax of almost P6,000 on the championship belt of mixed martial arts win-ner Jujeath Nagaowa despite the law exempting medals, awards and similar recognition from import duties.

the BoC was also flayed for its plan to manually scrutinize balikbayan boxes as part of its anti-smug-gling campaign.

President Benigno Aquino III had to step in and

NY-based press group calls for protection of PH journalistsby Agnes constAonstAonst nte

AJPress

foLLoWING the death of another filipino journalist on thursday, Aug. 28, the Committee to Protect Jour-nalists called on Philippine President Benigno Aquino III on tuesday, sept. 1, to work toward eliminating attacks against press in the country.

radio broadcaster Cosme maestra-do, 46, the most recent victim, was shot to death by four unidentified gun-man, according to the Guardian. on Aug. 19, teodoro escanilla, a radio anchor for dzms, was shot in front of

his house; on Aug. 18, newspaper col-umnist and publisher Gregorio Ybanez was shot dead in front of his home, the Associated Press reported.

We call on President Benigno Aquino to give top priority to swiftly resolving these egregious cases, said shawn Crispin, the senior southeast Asia representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists, according to the Associated Press. Until Aquino dem-onstrates his government is serious about ending the onslaught, the kill-ings will inevitably continue.

maestrado, an anchor at radio sta-tion dxoC, escaped a previous attack

in November 2011, his colleagues told the Guardian. he was known for his commentary on the abuse of power and local corruption. the publication reported that maestrado was shot 10 times.

he was a good man, kind-hearted and helped many people. his cry is for change, radio station manager reme-gio Bonustro said, according to the Associated Press.

escanilla, according to the news agency, was a spokesman of human rights group Karapatan in the province of sorsogon and was critical of alleged military abuses.

the Associated Press further report-ed that Ybanez was a board member of an electric cooperative in Davao, and police are delving into whether a dis-agreement among board members of the cooperative could have been a rea-son behind the killing.

In 2015 alone, six journalists have been killed in the Philippines, and 32 since Aquino assumed the presidency in 2010, according to a Philippine Cen-ter for Investigative Journalism report.

If the three most recent incidents are determined to have been work-related murders, the number of journalists

Incoming USAID chiefvows to strengthenPH devt programs

by rosette AdeL Philstar.com

mANILAthe incoming United states aid direc-tor to the Philippines vowed to further strengthen the agencys development programs in the country.

the newly appointed mission Director of the United states Agency for International Develop-ment (UsAID) for the Philippines, Pacific Islands and mongolia, susan Brems, also reaffirmed Wash-ingtons commitment to provide aid in the countrys programs by cooperating with manila.

During Bremss meeting with Philippine Am-bassador Jose Cuisia at the Philippine embassy in Washington D.C., Cuisia expressed gratitude for

Jennifer Laude camp (L-R) Julita Laude, Atty. Virgie Suarez. Marc Sueselbeck, Atty. Harry Roque and Marilou Laude arrive at the preliminary investigation. Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc

Settlement with Pemberton impossibleLaude familyby ALLAn MAcAtunoAtunoA

Inquirer.net

oLoNGAPo CItYtYt tYtY he lawyers for the family of slain transgender Jeffrey Jennifer Laude said a settlement with the camp of accused Us marine Lance Cpl. Joseph scott Pemberton was impossible now that both parties had rested their case.

Pemberton is facing a murder charge in olongapo City regional trial Court Branch 74 here for the death of Laude, whose body was found in a motel bath-room on oct. 11 last year. Witnesses identified Pemberton as the man who was last seen with her as they checked into the motel.

Any settlement now is impossible, especially since both parties are done presenting their respective evidence,

A L I A m A N U , hawaii A filipino immigrant was ar-rested on suspi-cion of killing his wife by stabbing her several times during an argu-ment August 17.

Police arrested Pablo fiesta Jr., 46, who was charged with sec-ond-degree mur-der in the death of his wife, Cecilia

fiesta, 43, in their home at 1017 Puo-lo Drive.

their 10-year-old daughter saw her father stab her mother in their liv-ing room about six times in the back and torso, accord-ing to a police re-

port filed in honolulu District Court.Cecilia fiesta was taken to a hospital

where she was pronounced dead. Pablo fiesta gave himself up to police a day af-iesta gave himself up to police a day af-iesta gave himself up to police a day after the stabbing. he was detained at oahu Community Correctional Center in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Cecilia fiesta reportedly held two jobs to bring her husband and a 17-year-old daughter to hawaii from the Philippines about a year ago. (i (i ( nquirer.net)inquirer.net)i

Filipino immigrantin Hawaii arrested for fatally stabbing wife

The victim, Cecilia Fiesta, reportedly worked two jobs so she could send for her husband and child from the Philippines last year.

Stabbing suspect, Pablo Fiesta.

Los ANGeLes is another step closer toward the bid for the 2024 olympics, following the city councils approval on tuesday, sept. 1.

Last week, a city council subcommit-tee focused on the olympics approved recommendations city analysts made on the contract, before sending it to the full council for a vote.

In a 15-0 vote on tuesday, mayor eric Garcetti now has the authority to pursue the bid with the Us olympic Committee (UsoC). the council added that it wants to be included in the pro-

City Council approves LAs bid for 2024 Olympics

said Virgie Lacsa suarez, one of the Laude familys lawyers, in a text mes-sage to the Inquirer on monday, Aug. 31.

suarez said that since the start of the prosecutions presentation of evidence on march 23, there had been no talk of a settlement.

there was only a discussion on a plea bargain as part of the pretrial ear-ly in february, suarez said.

she denied reports the family had demanded P38 million and six Us vi-sas to drop the case.

there is simply no truth to that maybe thats what they (defense law-yers) want to offer [the family], suarez said.

she said she suspected Pembertons

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From the Front Page

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stopped the implementation of the plan.

The government should learn from the experience in the ba-likbayan box brouhaha. It must show its sincerity in its apprecia-tion of the invaluable contribu-tions of our Filipino compatriots who are either working abroad or competing for the glory of our country, Marcos said.

Marcos: BOC should change...

killed in the Philippines since 1986 will be at 150, according to Philippine media watchdog Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.

The murder of three journal-ists in two weeks shows how the lack of progress in ending impunity has emboldened those bent on silencing the press in the Philippines, Crispin said, according to The Guardian.

Presidential spokesman Her-minio Coloma has criticized the attacks and told reporters that police have been instructed to search for the killers.

The Philippine National Po-lice Director General Ricardo Marquez, according to the As-sociated Press, said police have created separate special investi-gation groups to look into each of the attacks.

The Philippines is ranked the third most deadly country for journalists around the world by the Committee to Protect Journalists, following Iraq and Syria.

NY-based press group...

Senator Cynthia Villar said the BOC should change its priorities and focus on bigger issues, par-ticularly the rampant smuggling of agricultural products into the country.

Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, slammed Customs chief Alberto Lina for his misplaced priorities.

She said Lina should go after

big smuggling syndicates, not OFWs.

They [BOC] claimed that the government is losing P50 million a year from balikbayan [care] boxes, which is small compared to the P200 billion a year lost from smuggling of agricultural products, Villar noted.

She said failure of the Depart-ment of Justice to file charges against suspected smugglers is one of the reasons why smug-gling continues to thrive.

the financial and technical sup-port given by the US through USAID.

Cuisia also applauded USAIDs continued support in judicial re-forms, rule of law, innovation and technology, economic de-velopment, educational coop-eration, and public health.

The two officials exchanged views on the Aquino administra-tions conditional cash transfer program, which aims to lessen poverty with its welfare pro-grams for selected individuals or families that meet a specific category.

Cuisia gave Breams a sum-mary of the recent economic developments of the Aquino ad-ministration which include good governance efforts highlighting the respect to transparency and public accountability.

It was a great opportunity

Incoming USAID chief vows to...

Dr. Susan K. Brems Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr.

to discuss with Dr. Brems our governments commitment to improving the lives of average Filipinos, as well as the social development objectives under

the presidents leadership, Cui-sia said.

The newly appointed Brems formerly served as a mission di-rector in Angola and Zambia.

cess for the next two years and vote on the final bid agreement that will be presented to the In-ternational Olympic Committee (IOC).

The USOC also confirmed at a press conference on Santa Monica Beach that LA will be its candidate to the IOC.

This is a great day for Los Angeles and a great day for the Olympic movement, Garcetti said at the press conference.

Boston was a leading contend-er for the 2024 Olympics; how-ever, in July the city dropped out due to the lack of public support and questions about taxpayer spending. The USOC said poll-ing data shows that over 80 per-cent of LAs residents are in sup-port of hosting the Olympics.

An initial proposal for 2024 released by Garcetti and sports executive Casey Wasserman has a $4.1 billion budget, in addition to $150 million in in-surance premiums and $400 million for cost overruns, the Los Angeles Times reported.

In Los Angeles, the spotlight is always on. We have the re-sources, experience and secure environment to share the big-gest events with the world, the proposal states.

The proposal further outlines renovation projects for existing venues, including the Los Ange-

City Council approves LAs bid for...

Filipino teacher honoredby White House, LA City Hall

Filipino teacher Jaime Ballesteros receives a recognition from the City of Los Angeles on Wednesday, Aug. 26. AJPress photo by Ding Carreron

les Memorial Coliseum (which estimates $800 million for seat-ing upgrades and premium amenities) and a $500 million investment from the University of Southern California, accord-ing to the Associated Press.

Various events would be held throughout the city: gymnastics and basketball at the Staples Center, volleyball on Santa Monica Beach, road cyclists and marathon runners on Hollywood Boulevard and mountain bike racing in Griffith Park.

An Olympic Village centrally located along the revitalized LA River to reduce travel times and provide a place to rest and pre-pare for athletes is also includ-ed in the plan.

City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana and Chief Leg-islative Analyst Sharon Tso cau-tioned that acquiring and devel-oping the site may significantly exceed the $1 billion budget.

The costs incurred by a host city and whether it benefits have been subjects of debate. Sochi, Russia, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 2014, cost $51 bil-lion and is considered the most expensive games to date.

It is vital to properly and suf-ficiently safeguard Angelenos and our city government from possible losses and to avoid placing our city in a position wherein we might have to in-

demnify the US Olympic Com-mittee or any other entity from losses they might incur, LA City Controller Ron Galperin wrote in a letter to the council last week.

Councilmember Mike Bonin noted that the city was not fi-nancially responsible during the 1984 Summer Games.

The City did not assume that responsibility in 1984. Why would it assume that responsibil-ity now? Since LA is the only US city currently willing to bid on the 2024 games, have we used this strong negotiating position to ask the USOC to cover any costs or provide any financial guarantees?, Bonin wrote in a letter to Council President Herb Wesson on Friday, Aug. 28, ac-cording to the LA Times.

A $161-million surplus is ex-pected, according to Garcetti, who cited revenues from broad-cast, sponsorship and ticket sales.

The Olympics were previously held in Los Angeles in 1932 and 1984. The US hasnt hosted the Summer Games since 1996 in Atlanta.

Contenders have until Sept. 15 to bring their bid to the IOC. Among other international con-tenders are Paris, Rome, Ham-burg and Budapest. The IOC will announce the 2024 host city in 2017. (Christina M. Oriel/AJ-Press)

by Christina M. OrielAJPress

LOS ANGELESIn high school, Jaime Ballesteros didnt think he would be able to attend college because of his undocu-mented status.

Originally from Bacolod City, Philippines, Ballesteros was 11 years old when his family moved to Jersey City, New Jersey after his father obtained a temporary work visa for an accounting job.

However, when the recession hit, Ballesteross father lost his job and the visa.

Overnight my family became undocumented, Ballesteros shared. I never really knew how to deal with it until I opened up to my teacher during the junior year of high school.

He kept his undocumented sta-tus a secret at first, but eventually confided in his English teacher, Ms. Solberg, who helped him re-search colleges that could offer merit scholarships for undocu-mented students. Ballesteros went on to Drew University, a liberal arts college in New Jersey that granted him a scholarship.

During his junior year in col-lege, his mom encouraged him to apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that President Obama announced in 2012, and he was approved to live and work in the US legally.

Since it was introduced, more than 660,000 people have re-ceived DACA, according to the White House.

Applying to DACA is very personal. A lot of immigrants may be scared of coming out of the shad- ows because of the repercus- sions that may come with it. But personally, I feel that DACA has changed the way that I engage every day I can drive, I can work, I can do all these amazing things I wouldnt have been able to do without a social

security number or a drivers li-cense...it has impacted me on a positive way, Ballesteros said. I definitely recommend that if you are eligible for DACA to pursue it because I dont think there are negative repercussions from ap-plying and trying.

Becoming a DACAmented teacher

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lawyers were testing the waters when they revealed the alleged offer.

There is no truth to reports we will drop the case at anytime, Su-arez said.

City Chief Prosecutor Emilie Fe de los Santos said Judge Ro-line Ginez-Jabalde scheduled the summation and submission of memorandums on Sept. 14.

De los Santos said a verdict is expected by Dec. 14, which is within the prescribed one-year period to finish court proceedings

Settlement with Pemberton...under the Visiting Forces Agree-ment (VFA).

Lawyer Harry Roque Jr., the Laude familys lead counsel, dubbed reports the family was open to a settlement a PR ploy by Pembertons camp.

He warned Pembertons law-yers not to approach the Laude family without the consent of their counsel.

They should not even come close to my client, otherwise I will enforce the ethical prohibition of a trial and I will move for their disbarment for ethical breaches,

Roque told the Inquirer by phone on Monday.

Laudes mother, Julita, has been adamant her family would not accept a settlement.

Its not money that could com-pensate for a life that was lost. No amount of money can replace the life of my child. Not even Pember-tons life can replace Jennifers, she had said during the trial.

In April, Laudes relatives sought at least P200 million in moral and exemplary damages as the civil aspect of the case was tackled in Pembertons trial.

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Sen. Bongbong Marcos

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CA Senate advances six tobacco regulation billsby Agnes ConstAnte

AJPress

The state Senate approved on Thursday, Aug. 27, six tobacco regulation measures that would raise the smoking age in Cali-fornia from 18 to 21 and restrict e-cigarette usage in a variety of public areas.

The vote marks the second time in three months that Califor-nias Senate has advanced mea-sures boosting the smoking age and restricting e-cigarettes. The package of legislation also ex-pands on tobacco bans in schools and workplaces.

We cannot continue to sit by while these tobacco companies continue to poison generation af-ter generation with their addictive products, said Sen. ed hernan-dez (D-West Covina), who pushed for the bill supporting the increase in smoking age, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Behind the legislation restrict-ing e-cigarettes was Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who revived an earlier measure dur-ing a special health care session. Lenos proposal came in part as a response to a federal finding last year revealing that use of e-cigarettes among teenagers has multiplied three times in the last couple of years.

This is important because the fastest growing segment of the e-cigarette market is middle and high school students, Leno told his colleagues, pointing out that 11 other states, including Colora-do and Minnesota, possess simi-lar laws, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The bills passed mostly along partisan lines, although Republi-can Sen. Jeff Stone of Temecula and Democratic Sens. Cathleen Galgiani of Stockton and Richard Roth of Riverside joined their col-leagues on opposite parties for certain measures.

They are going after the kids, and thats where I have to draw

the line, Stone said in support of the e-cigarette regulation bill.

Opponents of the legislation argue that if Californians are al-lowed to join the military at 18 years old, they should be per-mitted to decide if they wish to smoke.

These people are adults who are willing to put their life on the line for their country and they ought to be able to go buy a pack of cigarettes if they want to, said Pete Conaty, a lobbyist for the American Legion, according to the Times.

Among lawmakers, Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine), spoke against a measure by Sen. Mike McGuire (D-healdsburg) that would allow local governments to impose their own taxes on to-bacco.

If we want to ban cigarettes, lets just ban them, he said. This slow approach makes no sense to me.

Anderson argued that allowing local governments to increase levies on tobacco would probably discourage smoking and cause a drop in Californias tobacco rev-enues.

I think we have to be very careful that we dont kill the golden goose, he said, accord-ing to the Associated Press.

The tobacco industry has con-tested the regulation legislation, arguing that e-cigarettes are safer since they use vapor rather than combustible tobacco. The industry also notes that the prod-ucts are often used by smokers working toward eliminating the habit.

The bills now head to the As-sembly where they face an un-certain future. In the past, a com-mittee shelved previous Senate legislation.

Along with the six-bill pack-age, a separate measure to in-crease the to tobacco tax by $2 a pack is supported by Save Lives California, a coalition whose

members include the American Cancer Society, American Lung Assn., California Medical Assn. And Service employees Interna-tional Union.

Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacra-mento), who is sponsoring the bill, noted that the states tobac-co tax of 87 cents per pack ranks California 33 in the country, falling behind New York, which tacks a $4.35 tax per pack.

Federal tax on each pack of cigarettes is $1.01.

Pan said he knows convinc-ing Republicans to back a tax raise will not be easy, but said he believes a tobacco tax is a win-win for taxpayers as it would si-multaneously boost revenue and decrease costs, Mercury News reported.

Its time to step away from the rhetoric and look at the facts, Pan said, Mercury News reported. But if my colleagues refuse to support this, well take it to the ballot. The people will pass this.

In addition to the passage of the six bills, a new Field Poll on Thursday found that two-thirds of California voters support a $2 tobacco tax increase. The survey sampled 1,555 registered Cali-fornia voters and was conducted via phone from June 25 to July 16. Most interviews were done in english, but were also conducted in Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnam-ese, Cantonese, Tagalog, Viet-namese and hindi.

Another bill approved Thurs-day by the Senate would permit the California Board of equaliza-tion to charge a $265 licensing fee to tobacco retailers annually instead of a one-time $100 fee. The board would also be allowed to raise the annual license fee as-sessed on tobacco distributors from $1,000 to $1,200, the Times reported. (With reports from Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mer-cury News and the Associated Press)

Ballesteros, who graduated from Drew University in 2014 with a bachelors degree in art history and a minor in chemistry, originally intended to go to medi-cal school. But the reality of his status made him recognize that he wouldnt be able to live out that plan.

With Ms. holberg and how she impacted his educational career in the back of his mind, he de-cided to delve into teaching.

I changed my path in my senior year when I thought back to Ms. holberg and what she did for me. I joined Teach for Amer-ica soon after graduating from college, Ballesteros said.

Sharing how he wanted to be civically engaged but didnt know how to do that while be-ing undocumented, Ballesteros came across Teach for America (TFA) again in college when a friend applied, and saw that the program was accepting corp members who are DACA recipi-ents.

TFA first accepted two DACA-mented teachers into the pro-gram in 2013, and 44 teachers were placed in 10 regions across the country the following year. To date, over 90 DACAmented teachers are working in 13 re-gions, according to the organi-zations website. Among the ar-eas where the organization has partnerships with schools to hire these teachers are the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City.

TFA-Los Angeles has the largest number of DACAmented corp members in the country across our 52 regions and mainly because when we heard about the opportunity to have DACA-mented corp members, we were able to call Los Angeles Unified School District and our big char-ter partners and say will you hire our teachers? will you support this initiative? and all of them across Los Angeles said yes. We have tremendous support from our partnerswere able to bring in all kinds of folks, like Jaime, as possible because we believe so deeply in his story, in him and the children who have the same experience, said TFA-LA execu-tive Director Lida Jennings.

For DACA recipients to be con-sidered for TFA, they must have at least a 2.50 undergraduate GPA, a bachelors degree, a social security number and an employ-ment Authorization Document to meet the hiring requirements of partner schools. TFA also helps

Filipino teacher honored by White House...

Leandro Otero, director of external affairs & partnerships for Teach for America - LA (TFA- LA); Stephanie Goodman; Lida R. Jennings, executive director of TFA-LA; Jaime Ballesteros; Joe Bernardo, policy analyst for the LA Mayors office of immigrant affairs; and Luis Figueroa at LA City Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 26. AJPress photo by Ding Carreon

corp members with legal assis-tance if needed.

Ballesteros is now entering his second year as a high school chemistry teacher for Animo College Preparatory Academy, a public charter school in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Since its an inner-city school, Ballesteros said he tries to be positive and engaging in the classroom, noting that some of students may not come from healthy backgrounds.

Throughout my first year, I found out that the key to me being able to make a great im-pact in the classroom is making strong individual relationships with my studentsI pride myself in knowing the strengths of my students and what they need to improve onthat really guides me when Im planning my les-sons and teaching in class, Ball-esteros said.

Similar to how Ms. holberg took an interest in him despite his immigration status, the 23-year-old teacher intends to do the same with his students.

In sharing my story with some of my students, theyve also told me that they them-selves are undocumented, he said. Ive been working with them to look for different colleg-es and scholarships they can ap-ply to so thats definitely been a powerful experience to do what my teacher did for me back in high school.

At Animo, about 80 percent of the students are Latino, and many of his students are undocu-mented or have family members who are.

Jaime represents a commit-

ment that we as an organization have made to bring teachers to match the backgrounds of our students. This is a more per-sonal story behind that, but we are bringing in a more diverse corp and were proud to say that our students are being taught by people that look like them and come from the same back-ground. Its a commitment were going to continue see through, Leandro Otero, director of exter-nal affairs and partnerships for TFA-LA said.

Though he is in a unique posi-tion to connect with his students on a more personal level, Balles-teros shared that other teachers may not be aware of how to han-dle undocumented students.

[Teachers] should inform themselves of the struggles that undocumented students face and the solutions that are available for these students. Its not enough to tell the students that they need to work hard. I think teachers need to provide actionable solutions to students, he said.

Champion of changeIn July, nine educators who

have received DACA were hon-ored by the White house as Champions of Change.

This event honored nine young leaders in the field of edu-cation that are also DACA recipi-ents, who have been strong role models for students and families, as well as change agents within their communities, the White house said in a statement.

Among the nine was Balles-teros, who flew out to DC for an awards ceremony for the lead-ers and a convening of DACA-mented teachers hosted by TFA.

The DACA-recipient teachers also spoke on a panel about their experiences and pathways into teaching.

It was definitely a very surreal experience. As someone who is undocumented, I never thought I would have been honored at the White house or even step foot in [there]. After finishing my first yearwhich as any first-year teacher knows is a great featit was almost like a victory lap for me for my efforts to be recog-nized, Ballesteros recalled.

Since joining TFA, the recog-nitions for Ballesteros havent stopped there.

On Wednesday, Aug. 26, the City of Los Angeles presented a certificate to Ballesteros in an in-timate ceremony.

This is a such a big honor for me, especially just moving to LA and just starting my second year in teaching, he said.

In addition to teaching, Ball-esteros is currently pursuing a masters degree in urban educa-tion at Loyola Marymount Uni-

versity and hopes to shape edu-cation policy in the future.

I plan on staying in the class-room as long as I can and making a career out of education. even-tually, way into the future, I see myself making an impact on edu-cation policy because I feel that as a teacher, I have control on the impact that I could make on the 120 students that go through my classroom each day. As I gain more experience, I want a broader impact on my students, he said.

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Enrile, Revilla, Angara face new pork raps

ROLE MODELS. President Benigno Aquino III shares the stage with this years Ramon Magsaysay awardees (L-R) Kommaly Chantavong of Laos, Liga Fernando-Amilbangsa of the Philippines, Anshu Gupta of India, Sanjiv Chaturvedi of India and Kyaw Thu of Myanmar. Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes

Filipina receives Ramon Magsaysay Award for work to preserve ethnic dance found in Southern Philippines

by Agnes ConstAnteAJPress

A FILIPINA choreographer and dance historian was honored Monday, Aug. 31, for her single-minded crusade in preserving the endangered artistic heritage of the Southern Philippines.

Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, 71, was among five recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asias version of the Nobel Prize, for documenting and teaching a pre-Islamic dance tradition called pangalay.

Amilbangsa told the Associated Press she hopes the ethnic dance will continue to live on and help heal divisions in the poor in the Philippines, rather than become a decorative museum piece.

We have to think of a national symbol that can unite all of us, she said in a recent interview.

Amilbangsa developed a fasci-nation for pangalay when she first saw the dance at a 1969 wedding in Sulu province, where she re-located after marrying a Muslim schoolmate who belonged to a prominent clan, the Associated Press reported.

I thought that this was so beautiful, its so different, she told the news agency.

In the ethnic dance, arms are swayed gently and the hands and

fingers move in a way that simu-lates the motions of animals or waves.

Amilbangsa was interested in how pangalay is believed to have come to the southern Philippines from India prior to the arrival of Christianity and Islam, accord-ing to the Associated Press. The news agency added that the Fili-pina awardee said classic dance forms resembling pangalay can be found in Cambodia, Indo-nesia, Myanmar and Thailand, among other places in Southeast Asia.

In the same year that Amil-bangsa became interested in pangalay, she began conducting research on the dance and inter-viewed elder villagers to record the gestures, Pangalay dancer and researcher Nanette Matilac told the Associated Press.

In 1983, Amilbangsa published a book with the first written pan-galay dance instructions, the news agency reported.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, whose late mother (former Philippine President Corazon Aquino) previously re-ceived the honor, gave out the awards on National Heroes Day and offered positive words for Amilbangsa.

Our country holds the belief that if you forget your roots, you

are bound not to reach your des-tination. Our own kababayan, Li-gaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, has lived by this code. She turned her appreciation of the arts into an advocacy, with the most impor-tant one being the study, prac-tice, and teaching of the dance style, pangalay, from the south-ernmost part of the country, Aquino said during a speech on National Heroes Day, according to CNN.

The four others who also re-ceived the award are: Kommaly Chanthavong of Laos for reviving and developing ancient Laotian silk weaving as a means of cre-ating a source of livelihood for poor villagers; Anshu Gupta of India for founding a volunteer group that recycles a variety of items, providing jobs and more affordable basic items for those in need; Sanjiv Chaturvedi of In-dia for investigating and expos-ing government corruption; and Kyaw Thu of Myanmar for pro-viding free funeral services for the poor through a group he cre-ated called Free Funeral Services Society.

Aquino said the each recipient has transcended the individual perspective.

Each of them has chosen to leave their comfort zones, and answer the call to serve more

and more people, whether the immediate community, or all of society, he said, according to CNN.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, created in 1957 and named after

the third president of the Philip-pines, is bestowed on individu-als and organizations each year. Since it was established, more than 300 men, women and orga-nizations have been recognized

for their selfless service for their societies, Asia and the world, according to the award founda-tions website.

Each awardee received $30,000 and a gold medallion.

Clarkson OKd to play for PH in FIBA, father says he wont play

by Agnes ContstAnteAJPress

FIL-AM Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson has been cleared to play for the Philippines in the upcoming FIBA Asia Cham-pionship, but his father says he wont be participating.

As you know in professional sports, timing is of the essence especially when managing a players career, his father, Mike Clarkson, said in an email to US-based Philstar contributor Homer Sayson.

Unfortunately, the timing couldnt be worse as he [Jordan] prepares for rigors of the upcom-ing 2015-2016 NBA season and heightened performance expec-tations.

The FIBA championship is scheduled to take place from Sept. 23 through Oct. 3 in China, but the Lakers training camp which is mandatory for all the teams players begins Sept. 28. Given the overlapping schedules, Manila Bulletin reported that Clarkson would be able to play in three games for Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) against Palestine on Sept. 23, Hong Kong on Sept. 24 and Kuwait on Sept. 25.

Should the Philippines advance, the team would play the first game of the second phase on Sept. 27, though Clarksons participation in the next round would be unlikely due to his commitment to the Lakers.

In an email to Manila Bulletin, John Black, vice-president for pub-lic relations of the Lakers, said the 23-year-old Fil-Am is free to play for Gilas in China.

Per the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the Players Association, as long as national team play does not interfere with team requirements

and there are no injury issues, it is up to the players whether or not to play. Our players must be in Los Angeles on September 28, so as long as he would be back by then, we would have no objection to Jordan playing in the event up until that date, Black wrote.

Clarkson, who has expressed interest in representing the Philip-pines, was recently confirmed as eligible to play for the countrys national team. Rappler reported that because the Lakers guard obtained a Philippine passport before he turned 16, he satisfies a requirement needed to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas.

It definitely would mean a lot, Clarkson said, according to a Lakers Nation report published in March. Its just one of those things you want to do, like how I want to make my city proud and make that country proud as well.

Although the Fil-Am basketball player will not be participating in the upcoming international championship, he is looking for-ward to a long-term commitment

with Gilas. Inquirer reported that Clarkson wants to play for Gilas for three Olympic Games 2016, 2020 and 2024 starting next year in Rio de Janeiro.

Im all in, he said.Philstar further reported that

SBP officials are seeking to meet with Clarksons father and Lakers management to alleviate concerns they may have.

Our talk with the father is to reassure him that, from the time that he [Jordan] has not signed the contract [with the Lakers] to the time that he does, and if he gets injured while with Gilas, we will assure them during that period he will be properly taken care of, SBP Vice Chairman Ricky Vargas told Philstar. We will be taking a risk anyway, whether he has a contract or not.

Philstar also wrote that Clarkson is working on a contract-extension deal with the Lakers after an im-pressive rookie year in the NBA.

NBA preseason begins for the Lakers on Oct. 4 when they face the Utah Jazz in Hawaii. The of-ficial season begins Oct. 28.

Jordan Clarkson will fly with Gilas Pilipinas to Taiwan for the Jones Cup. Inquirer.net photo by Tristan Tamayo

by MiChAel PunongbAyAn Philstar.com

MANILALevito Baligod, for-mer counsel of pork barrel scam whistle-blower Benhur Luy, filed charges of malversation of public funds against 20 incumbent and former lawmakers before the Of-fice of the Ombudsman.

Among those charged for the alleged misuse of their pork bar-rel or Priority Development As-sistance Fund (PDAF) from 2007 to 2009 were Sens. Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and for-mer senator Edgardo Angara.

The PDAF funds were alleged-ly released to non-government organizations (NGOs) not linked to accused pork barrel fund scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, who is now detained and facing plunder charges with several lawmakers as her co-ac-cused for misuse of government funds.

Napoles was also convicted and sentenced for the serious il-legal detention of Luy.

Also named respondents were former party-list lawmaker Joel Villanueva of CIBAC who now heads the Technical Education and Skills Development Author-ity (TESDA), Prospero Nograles (Davao), Joseph Santiago (Catan-duanes), Roberto Cajes (Bohol), Alan Miraflores (Aklan), Neil Tu-pas (Iloilo) and Carol Lopez (You Against Corruption and Poverty

or YACAP party-list).Likewise included were Al-

fonso Umali (Oriental Mindoro), Edgar San Luis (Laguna), Arturo Robes (San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan), Rodolfo Antonino (Nueva Ecija), Reno Lim (Albay), Evita Arago (Laguna), Rachel Arenas (Pangasinan), Marina Clarete (Misamis Occidental), Al Francis Bichara (Albay) and Julio Ledesma IV (Negros Occiden-tal).

Baligods complaint was based on the affidavits of four persons, including former National Agri-business Corp. (Nabcor) employ-ees Victor Roman Cacal and Rho-dora Mendoza, who were among those charged in pork barrel scam cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman before the San-diganbayan against Enrile, Revil-la and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

The affidavits of Bernadette Ricalde and Katherine Namoro, former employees of a lawmaker, also formed part of the docu-ments submitted to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

Baligod said the lawmakers channeled over P490.685 mil-lion in PDAF to some 17 NGOs that allegedly squandered the money.

Enrile and Angara allegedly gave P15 million and P20 mil-lion respectively to Kagandahan ng Kapaligiran Foundation Inc., while Revilla gave P10 million to

St. James the Apostle Multi-Pur-pose Cooperative Inc.

The lawyer said the witnesses are willing and ready to prove their allegations and reveal what they know, together with other potential witnesses.

Thus, you will note that their affidavits are not exhaustive, as we only want to establish a rea-sonable basis for your good of-fice to look into the allegations and to validate the same and those that they could hereafter reveal should your Office enjoin them to do so, Baligod said.

Enrile said that he couldnt care less about the plan of the ombudsman to file a motion for reconsideration on the decision of the Supreme Court to grant him bail.

Speaking with reporters at the Senate, Enrile said that it was the right of the ombudsman to file that motion for reconsideration.

Enrile, charged with plunder in relation to the pork barrel scam, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on humanitarian grounds.

Since his release from hospital detention, Enrile has attended the plenary sessions of the Sen-ate daily.

Asked about the new case be-ing prepared against him, Enrile had nothing much to say.

One more time? What is the difference? That would already

PAGE A7

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all of you on this occasion. You are the modern-day heroes that not only Filipinos, but all men and women all over the world need, Aquino added.

Not all heroes should die on the battlefield, some heroes may just be ordinary men and women who inhabit extraordinary lives that make a change and inspire other people. Filipinos should hold on to what their forefathers have achieved yesterday and to move forward with it to initiate progress tomorrow.

Their enduring journey left us with a great ex-ample to live by. We are all called to live like he-roes, not to make a mark in the world through suf-fering or deathbut to appeal similar lives, for our kababayans and our country.

Being young or being away is not an excuse for indifference. It is every Filipinos responsibility to honor the value of nationalism, to revere the essence of freedom and to observe the ethos displayed by the Philippines gallant heroes. (AJPress)

Philstar.com photo

THERES this joke about a little boy anxious to see his ex-pectant mother give birth. She explains that it will take sev-eral months for the baby to come out. The boy then recalls how his engineer father had told his workers on a rush project to put more men on the job, to hasten its completion.

Mom, says the boy. Why dont you put more men on the job?

If you think thats funny, guess what the administration of Benigno S. Aqui-no III has been doing the past five-go-ing-on-six years. The classic example is the Department of Agriculture, no-torious for incompetence and accused of corruption. Instead of replacing the Secretary of Agriculture, Proceso Al-cala, Aquino appointed former Senator Kiko Pangilinan as Agricultural Czar or some title to that effect. Aquino put more men on the job.

Now comes this congressman from Quezon City, Winston Castillo (eager to have his 15 seconds of fame), suggest-ing that the solution to Metro Manilas traffic woes would be for Malacaang to appoint a traffic czar.

Thats a traffic czar placed on top of a traffic czar (the MMDA chairman) on top of several traffic czars (the Metro Manila mayors). And THAT is supposed to solve the infernal traffic problem? Good grief!

The management geniuses who pop-ulate the Makati Business Club and who recently rated the various government offices, ostensibly based on perceived efficiency, should tell the idiots running

the government that overlayering is a for-mula for confusion and hand-washing.

In other words, the more cooks working on the broth, the more difficult it is to pinpoint who spoiled it.

This reminds me of the tragedy-on-top-of-a-tragedy that destroyed my hometown of Tacloban. The original tragedy was super typhoon Yolanda. The tragedy on top of it was the presence of three Keystone Kops, Mar Roxas of DILG, Dinky Soliman of Social Welfare and Voltaire Gazmin of Defense.

In a press conference with Roxas presiding (which I wrote about in this column), the following dialogue was recorded by Rappler:

RAPPLER: Sino po ba ang ground commander natin sa relief operations na ito? (Who is the ground commander in this relief operation?)

ROXAS: There is no such title dahil ayon sa NDRRMC, its Sec Voltz Gaz-min ang aming chairman, at ina-assign-assign niya kami sa kung ano ang am-ing dapat gawin. (There is no such title because according to the NDRRMC, its Sec Voltz Gazmin who is our chairman, and he assigns us to do whatever we have to do. )

RAPPLER: Pero sir, who is calling the shots here in this center? (But sir, who is calling the shots here in this cen-ter?)

ROXAS: Wala. You can see the pro-cess that is being undertaken, and it is a consultative process. (No one. You can see the process that is being undertak-en, and it is a consultative process.)

SOLIMAN: Lahat kami, buong pama-halaan, pambansa at lokal, kumikilos as one. But more than that, yun ang gusto kong ipaalam sa lahat its also whole of society. Lahat ng private sector, lahat ng volunteers, lahat ng volunteers dito sa Tacloban, nagre-repack sila. This is whole of society, responding to a cri-sis. Nagkaisa ang bansa; yun ang ating mensahe. (Everyone of us, the whole of government, national and local, move as one. But more than this, what I want everyone to know its also whole of so-ciety. The entire private sector, all vol-unteers, all volunteers here in Tacloban are repacking. This is whole of society, responding to a crisis. The nation is working as one; thats our message.)

But Roxas, Soliman and Gazmin were not done yet. Soliman then explained an operations management concept which she called, the Convergent Ap-proach.

Heres what I wrote in reaction to that: I did a double-take and struggled to find an analogy for Convergent Ap-proach. In football, that means oper-ating without a quarterback. In a sym-phony orchestra, without a conductor. In the corporate environment, without a CEO. In the military, without a com-manding officer.

Apparently, in the Roxas-Soliman Institute of Advanced Operations Man-agement, as applied to the Yolanda crisis, the Convergent Approach is one where every player is left to his or her own best intentions, based on respec-tive levels of competence or incompe-tence.

In an earlier meeting between Roxas and Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez, Roxas had required the latter to submit a formal request for disaster assistance

from the national government, other-wise, Bahala kayo sa buhay niyo.

Roxas, who is supposed to have stud-ied management in an elite university in America, has since become famous for classic responses to the problems of the country. The latest is his rationale for the infernal traffic problems: Its supposed to be a result of the boom-ing economy. No solution. Just a ratio-nalization. He might as well have said, Bahala kayo sa buhay niyo.

Come to think of it, that is what the occupant in Malacaang practically told the suffering folks of Metro Manila, if we are to assume that the palace spokes-persons are articulating the thoughts of the president of the country.

According to one Manila daily, Depu-ty spokesperson Abigail Valte has asked the public to be patient in the face of the metropolis traffic woes.

The news report was about how ve-hicles clogged and barely crawled along Andrews Avenue, Airport Road and Su-cat Road vital arteries leading to the Ninoy Aquino International Airports terminals 1,2,3 and 4.

The news item further stated: Valte said they received a report that a big number of people failed to make it to their flights because of the ongoing construction works in the Villamor Air Base area. She said airport authorities had been advising the public to con-sider the heavy traffic because of con-struction projects when planning their trips.

Well, what choice do the poor motor-ists, air travelers and commuters have except to plan their trips? The rea-son, of course, is because the idiots be-hind the massive construction projects did not do their mandatory part of the

planning.Let me cite two examples of compe-

tent planning and concern for the con-venience of the commuting public (as opposed to the palpak and manhid ap-proach of this administration): the mas-sive expansion of the San Francisco In-ternational Airport and the replacement of the eastern span of the San Francis-co-Oakland Bay Bridge.

To ensure that commuters and air travelers would not be inconvenienced, the plans and budgets for both projects included alternative routes that com-muters could take, while the main thor-oughfares were under construction.

This meant a temporary bridge from Treasure Island to the Oakland side while the original bridge (part of which had collapsed during the 1988 Loma Prieta earthquake) was being demol-ished and a new span was being built.

In the case of the expansion of the San Francisco International Airport, air travelers hardly felt any inconvenience because of the alternative arteries pre-pared prior to the main construction activity.

Compare that with whats happening in Metro Manila, something that I am painfully aware of because I live just off Sucat in Paraaque. I will give my com-ments in Tagalog so that our non-Fili-pino readers will not understand me:

Pinagsabay-sabay ang tinamaan ng lintik na construction at bahala na tay-ong mga taong bayan sa buhay natin. Diyos ko. Bakit ba tayo pinarurusahan ng mga bobo?

And now, back to English: Dear man-agement geniuses of the Makati Busi-ness Club. Is this the kind of governance you want to sustain for another six years? (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

The curse of incompetence and insensitivity

GreG B. MacaBenta

Street Talk

EVERY Filipino can be a hero if we will continue to fight our de-sired destination, Pres. Benigno Aquino III said as he paid tribute to the Philippine national heroes at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Tagu-ig City on Monday, Aug. 31. This years theme is Bayaning Pilipino Noon at Ngayon: Ang Simula at Tagapagpatuloy ng Malawakang Pagbabago (The Filipino Hero Then and Now: Where Transformation Begins and Continues).

Heroic

As Aquino led the wreath-lay-ing ceremony for the fallen Filipi-nos and Filipinas, he remembered their sacrifices and challenged todays generation, to turn them-selves from meek individuals into successful men and women that may collectively hone a better and brighter future for the country.

We pay tribute to the sacrifices offered by Phil-ippine heroes. As we honor them, so too are we called to do our part and to continue the battle they beganwhether in a small, or a big wayfor the betterment of our nation, Aquino said.

On the same day, Aquino also led the confer-ment of awards to the five recipients of the pres-tigious Ramon Magsaysay Awards this year. Also dubbed as the Nobel Peace Prize of Asia, the Ra-mon Magsaysay Awards, now on its 58th year, honors individuals or organizations who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity.

In his speech, Aquino congratulated Ligaya Fer-nando-Amilbangsa (Philippines), Kommaly Chan-

thavong (Laos), Anshu Gupta (India), Kyaw Thu (Myanmar), and Sanjiv Chaturvedi (India) for transcending the individual perspective. He de-scribed them as individuals who have

chosen to leave their comfort zones, and answer the call to serve more and more people, whether their immediate community, or all of society.

The President also likened the awardees to the countrys national heroes for their perseverance despite facing formidable opponents, from cor-rupt employees and officials in government, to the phenomenon of widespread poverty and inequal-ity, and even to the way that time erodes our most valuable traditions. But you were not daunted in order to protect and promote justice, basic human rights, and cultural heritage.

Real transformation requires real, backbreak-ing effortand this is what you gave, willingly. In many ways, you are like the heroes that many of my countrymen remember on this day: those who struggled and endured hardship for a greater cause. It is only right that we are paying tribute to

Editorial

THOUGH a candidate most Democrats outside of the state of Vermont have never heard of, Sen-ator Bernie Sanders has proven a sustained up-ward climb in the polls, possibly threatening the frontrunner status of former First Lady and Sec-retary of State Hillary Clinton. A new poll among Iowa caucus goers, the first to hold the primary in the 2016 US Presidential Elections, proves just that.

A survey released last Saturday, Aug. 29 by the Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Politics re-vealed that Clinton has lost 1/3rd of her supporters since May, and that Bernie Sanders continues to cut into Hillary Clintons once-commanding lead among Iowa Democrats, closing to just 7 points of Clinton in Iowa. Sanders now trails Clinton 37 percent to 30 percent. CNN reports that just last January, half of likely Democratic caucus goers were unfamiliar with Sanders, and he was pulling in just 5 percent of support.

According to CNN, the poll finds that Sanders support is more due to voters enthusiasm for his candidacy and his message, rather than opposition to Clinton. An overwhelming 96 percent of those who support Sanders say they support him and his ideas. Only 2 percent say their vote is motivated by a desire to stop a Clinton candidacy.

The report further says that as for the contro-versy surrounding Clintons use of email while

leading the State Department, 61 percent of likely Democratic caucus goers say the issue is not important to them.

The poll further reveals that Sanders has a deeper reservoir of support, with 39 percent of likely caucus goers say their feelings about Sanders are very favorable and just 8 percent hav-ing a negative view of him. In contrast to Clinton: 27 percent view her very favorably, but 19 percent view her negatively.

Sanders has been running a campaign that has put forth a platform of how the government should help ordinary Americans, providing them with basic services like health care, education, higher wages, stronger protection of consumer rights, instead of the government being run and manipu-lated by powerful oligarchs, benefitting the richest of the rich in society, at the expense of the middle class.

Sanders appeal has been further strengthened by the consistency of and commitment to his mes-sage since the 1980s, a stark contrast to his politi-cal opponents.

What this new poll shows is that the more Io-wans get to know Bernie, the better they like him and what he stands for. Weve seen the same thing

in New Hampshire and across the country, CNN quoted Sanders campaign spokesman Michael Briggs.

Meanwhile, the same poll fur-ther says that Vice President Joe Biden, [he has not declared his candidacy for president], captured 14 percent of the vote, Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley (3 percent),

former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb (2 percent) and for-mer Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee (1 percent).

Carson ties with TrumpFor the first time in more than a month, real es-

tate mogul and reality show star Donald Trumps frontrunner status is now being threatened by a newbie in politics and another anti-establishment candidate, Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon.

Carson has surged up in the pack to tie Trump in Iowa, according to the results of the poll released by Monmouth University on Monday, Aug. 31.

According to the survey, Trump and Carson are now tied at 23 percent. CNN reported that this is the first time since July 26 that a poll in the first four states to select a Republican nominee did not find Trump substantially ahead of all other candi-dates.

CNN further reported that according to the Monmouth poll, farther behind Trump and Carson

were former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina at 10 percent; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 9 percent; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 7 percent; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 5 percent; Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, each at 4 percent; Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at 3 percent; and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum at 2 per-cent. CNN added that no other candidates topped 1 percent.

This is a big change from the Iowa poll conduct-ed by Monmouth University, taken before the first Republican debate. In late July, Walker led with 22 percent, Trump had 13 percent, Carson had 8 percent and Fiorina was at 3 percent.

A CNN/ORC poll taken in early August revealed that Trumps lead had diminished, compared to the results of the latest Monmouth survey in Iowa. Trump was then at 22 percent, Carson was at 14 percent, Walker was at 9 percent, Cruz was at 8 percent and Fiorina was at 7 percent.

Could Bernie Sanders and Ben Carson really have the chance to be President after all?

* * *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 rise of anti-establishment candidates: Move over Clinton, Bush and even Trump?

Gel SantoS-ReloS

The Fil-Am Perspective

OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL SEptEmbER 4-10, 2015(818) 502-0651 (213) 250-9797 http://www.asianjournal.com ADateline PhiliPPines

Senate to do best in passing BBL before Oct. 10

by Edu Punay and aiE Balagtas sEE

Philstar.com

DOJ probe of Iglesia ni Cristo continues

MANILATheres no stopping the Department of Justice (DOJ) from proceeding with the prelim-inary investigation into criminal charges filed against eight lead-ers of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) by expelled members, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima declared on Thursday, Sept. 3.

De Lima said the complaints filed by Isaias Samson Jr. and his family and by Lito Fruto will go through the regular process.

This means the complaints will be assigned to prosecu-tors or panels of prosecutors for preliminary investigation. De Lima also stressed the conduct of preliminary investigation is ministerial on the part of her department.

As this developed, an INC member who is a lawyer claimed the filing of the complaints came after the sect refused to support a Palace candidate in the 2016 elections.

Ferdinand Topacio, who did not name the candidate, said the INC rebuff may have angered the Palace whichapparently in retaliationlater sought a way to cause division within the reli-gious group.

De Lima emphasized a pre-liminary investigation is an oc-casion where the DOJ performs a ministerial function.

Once we receive a complaint, the DOJ has no option but to con-duct an investigation, she said in a statement.

No one is exempt from these standard procedures, De Lima said.

She made the statement fol-lowing reports that the INC had reached a compromise with the government to end its street pro-tests last Monday, Aug. 31. The Palace denied the reports.

It was De Limas allegedly giv-ing extraordinary attention to the two criminal complaints that prompted the INC to order its members to launch street pro-tests, including on EDSA.

The DOJ chief belittled INC calls for her to resign, saying she was just doing her job when she ordered an investigation into the allegations raised against the ministers.

Under DOJ procedures, dock-eted complaints are assigned to state prosecutors who conduct preliminary investigations.

Respondents are then asked to answer charges and submit

ple behind the executive minister were actually the ones running the affairs of the church.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said proceeding with the legal processes also involves protect-ing the rights of the accused.

He said De Lima should also take into consideration the unique nature of the INC that may have its own internal rules and regulations.

LPGMA party-list Rep. Arnel Ty said local officials should not be overly beholden to any particular groupto the extent that local executives are pre-pared to sacrifice the common good in favor of that party. Ty was apparently referring to the handling of various local gov-ernment units of the INCs re-cent street protests.

Retaliation?Topacio told reporters at the

Kapihan sa Luneta Hotel forum that Malacaangs alleged ef-fort to divide the INC prompted members of the church to launch the protests that stalled traffic and disrupted businesses from last week.

Topacio said there were real kalokohan (anomalies) in the INC that needed to be investi-gated, and that some members were indeed already disgruntled. But he stressed INC leaders were addressing the problems inter-nally.

He said that when some people got an inkling of INCs internal troubles, they fanned the flame of discord with the aim of causing a split in the church and diluting its voting power. He declined to name names, but said somebody from the Palace was directly involved.

This sparked worries that the issue would paralyze the Sang-gunian.

He said seeing their leaders behind bars is unimaginable. What will happen to our leader-ship then? Serious illegal deten-tion is a non-bailable offense.

In the same forum, Mandaluy-ong Mayor Benhur Abalos said he had to issue a rally permit to the INC for Saturday morning to contain the protesters and ease tension.

He also clarified that INCs original request was to be al-lowed to stay on EDSA until Monday but he declined such request.

Abalos admitted the protest-ers decision to march to EDSA from Manila on Friday, Aug. 28 caught him by surprise.

counter-affidavits in subsequent hearings.

At the end of the preliminary investigation, the prosecutors de-termine whether probable cause exists to warrant the filing of cas-es in courts. If there is none, the complaints are dismissed.

Samson, his wife Myrna Dio-nela and son Isaiah filed charges of harassment, illegal detention, threats and coercion against members of the Sanggunian, the INCs highest administrative council.

Respondents were Glicero Santos Jr., Radel Cortez, Bien-venido Santiago Sr., Mathusalem Pareja, Rolando Esguerra, Erao Codera, Rodelio Cabrerra and Maximo Bularan.

Samson, former editor-in-chief of INCs official publication Pasu-go, alleged that the respondents prohibited them from leaving their house in Quezon City last July after he was accused of be-ing blogger Antonio Ebanghe-lista, who attacked the INC in his blog site.

Samsons lawyer Trixie Cruz-Angeles earlier expressed con-cern that the supposed INC agreement with the government would lead to the dismissal of their complaint.

Fruto, on the other hand, filed harassment charges against the members of the INC Sanggunian for supposedly concocting rape charges that led to the issuance of an arrest warrant and hold departure order against him af-ter he sided with Angel and Lot-tie Manalosiblings of current INC executive minister Eduardo Manalowho were also expelled after going against the sects leadership.

Fruto said his troubles with the INC started when he an-swered a post of Lottie on Face-book asking for help as there were reportedly suspicious-looking vehicles following her brother Angel.

He alleged that powerful peo-

by lEila B. salavErria Inquirer.net

MANILAThe Senate will do its best to approve the draft Bangsamoro law in the next five weeks, before Congress goes on its next scheduled break, accord-ing to Senate President Franklin Drilon.

The measure was among the eight bills that that Senate and House of Representatives leaders agreed to make a priority before Congress adjournment on Octo-ber 10, Drilon said on Thursday, Sept. 3.

Not on the list are the anti-dy-nasty bill, which President Aqui-

no pitched for in his last State of the Nation Address, and the free-dom of information bill.

Drilon said the Senate would do what it could to pass the Bangsamoro autonomy bill, which would finalize the peace deal between the Philippine gov-ernment and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

It is undergoing deliberations in the plenary.

I have discussed this with the majority of the senators. We will exert every effort to pass it, Dril-on told reporters on Thursday.

Our objective is to pass this before we go on a break. Thats

our objective, he added.But he said that he was not im-

posing an actual deadline on the measure.

The other bills identified as pri-ority are the 2016 national bud-get, the Sangguniang Kabataan reform bill, the measure to create the Department of Information and Communication Technol-ogy, the Tax Incentives Manage-ment and Transparency Act, the amendments to the Build-Oper-ate-Transfer Law, amendments to the Customs and Tariff Mod-ernization Act, and the amend-ments to the monetary values in the Revised Penal Code.

Enrile, Revilla, Angara face new pork rapsbe multiple plunder and thats too much. Anyway, well see, Enrile said.

YACAP Rep. Lopez said she has taken steps to clear her name with the Commission on Audit (COA).

Tupas said he was the one who informed the COA back in 2010 when he found out that his signature was being forged to facilitate release of funds from PDAF.

He said he also asked con-cerned agencies to withhold im-plementation and releases of any fund under his PDAF account that resulted in the monies with-held and returned to the national treasury.

PAGE A5 TESDA chief Villanueva refut-

ed the allegations against him.I sound like a broken re-

cordthe NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) has said the documents were fake, Villan-ueva said.

Malacaang is keeping its hands off the charges of mal-versation through falsification of public documents filed at the ombudsman against 20 former and incumbent and lawmakers, including allies of the adminis-tration.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said it would be im-prudent of them to comment on any actions being taken by the ombudsman in any phase of any investigation.

Ombudsmans budgetMembers of the House appro-

priations committee have agreed to increase the proposed P1.8-billion budget of the Office of the Ombudsman for next year.

The committee, chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, arrived at a consensus on Tues-day to give Ombudsman Mo-rales more funds and to uphold her agencys constitutional in-dependence and fiscal autono-my.

On motion of Reps. Rufus Ro-driguez of Cagayan de Oro City and Ben Evardone of Eastern Sa-mar, the panel agreed in principle to increase Morales intelligence fund for 2016 from P3 million to P10 million.

FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS. Senator Grace Poe (center), chair of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drug, questions officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on its campaign to fight the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country during a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 1. PDEA reported that for the first half of 2015, more than 500 drug pushers were arrested as well as 500 high value target drug lords. Also in photo are Senators Koko Pimentel and Tito Sotto. Senate photo by Romy Bugante

Justice Sec. Leila De Lima

September 4-10, 2015 OC/Ie ASIAN JOUrNAL http://www.asianjournal.com (818) 502-0651 (213) 250-9797A

CARPET,THE ASIAN JOURNAL ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINESEPTEMBER 4-10, 2015

SFC11.5 X 20ROGER

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

2

september 4-10, 2015 2A jolly mix of hoopsters vie for UBLA championship

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Heneral Luna comes to Los Angelesby Nimfa U. RUeda

Inquirer.net

loS aNgeleSon august 31, National Heroes day in the Philippines, a special movie was screened in los angeles to give Filipino-americans a peek into the life of a Filipino hero who fought for the countrys independence from the United States.

Heneral Luna, directed by Cinemalaya 2013 directors Showcase Best director Jerrold Tarog, was shown at the Krikorian Theater in Monrovia, California, before its wide release in the Philippines next month and in the US in october.

we want to create a buzz for our kababayans back home that they have to see this movie, over any other movie, said Fil-am artist eliseo art Silva, co-producer of the los angeles screening.

Silva, best known for creating the famous los angeles Filipinotown mural that depicts Filipino and Fil-am heroes, said he was inspired by the rave reviews received by the film.

In this day and age, romantic comedies and Hollywood superhero flicks tend to lord it

over in the box office, which is why releasing a historic film like Heneral Luna is a big gamble, he said. Im very happy that its paying off.

The movie was first screened in New York City on July 25 at the asian american International Film Festival in Village east, ahead of its scheduled wide release on September 9 in the Philippines and in commercial theaters in the US mid-october.

The movies advance screening in the US is considered historic. Not since 1936s Zamboanga has a Philippine-made feature film with Filipino stars screened first in the US.

Set during the Philippine-american war in 1898, the film is about general antonio luna (John arcilla), commander of the revolutionary army who faced an enemy more formidable than the american army: his own treacherous countrymen.

general luna wanted to fight for freedom but members of the elite would rather strike a deal with the United States.

arthur Probadora de la rosa, co-producer of the aug. 31 screening, said the event was a great opportunity for Fil-ams, especially the younger generation, to learn about Filipino heroes and Philippine history.

HeneralLunasadvancescreeningintheUSisconsideredhistoric.Notsince1936sZamboangahasaPhilippine-madefeaturefilmwithFilipinostarsscreenedfirstintheUS.

CITY oF CarSoN Young uns and young once were a jolly group of hoopsters who joined the basketball tournament hosted by the United Bicolandia los angeles (UBla) that concluded with championship games and closing ceremonies last Sunday, august 30, at the Stevenson Park gym in this city.

The basketeers were mostly backyard aficionados who had sweated themselves in the game back in the Philippines, though some were UaaP and NCaa cagers, who for love of the game continued merely as exercise buffs here in the States. Because of their disparate ages, some of them white-haired already and some with shiny pates, which added a touch of humor to their court antics, they played seriously and at the same time good-naturedly.

Capturing the championship trophy was the Victory team

that played under the flag of the Victory autos repair and dealership in azusa. California. Chris Manuel of the same team ran away with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy.

Second place went to the warriors team, while the TgIF team garnered third place, and the og (oh guys) team, fourth.

The champion and runner-up were awarded team trophies, while their players got individual trophies each. UBla officers handed out the trophies.

The tournament was a civic/sports project of UBla vice president eddie Sabocor, with the full backing of president

UBLABASKETBALLTOURNEYWINNER. TheVictory teamunder thebannerof theVictoryAutosdealership inAzusa,California, rompedawaywith thechampionshipof theUnitedBicolandiaLosAngeles(UBLA)tournamentrecentlyconcludedattheStevensonParkGyminCarson,California.

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grant applications open for arts organizations based in la County

Funding supports programming and operational needsaPPlICaTIoNS are available

for the 2016-17 organizational grant Program. The program provides los angeles County nonprofit arts organizations support to address priority needs and ensures cultural services for the diverse communities that comprise los angeles County. guidelines and application are available here. deadlines vary based on budget size between october-November 2015 see below for specific dates.

deadlines:organzation Budget Size/

deadlineUp to $199,999/Tuesday,

November 10, 2015$200,000 - $999,999/

wedneday, october 28, 2015$1,000,000+/wednesday,

october 14, 2015 The arts Commission

provides two-year grants to approximately 200 arts organizations annually to provide arts services. Made possible

by the Board of Supervisors, grants for concerts, theatre and dance productions, exhibitions, in-school and out-of-school arts education and core operations help small, medium and large organizations enrich the lives of County residents.

workshops will be held throughout the County between September and November for new and returning applicants to the ogP. These workshops

Continued on Page 6

Continued on Page 6

BF Bakery & Caf introduces healthy, premium toast

BUeNa ParKFrom the inception of its first store in Irvine, California in 2013, BF Bakery & Caf has since expanded to seven store branchessix across Southern California in alhambra, arcadia, Corona, Hacienda Heights, and rowland Heights, and one in Plano, Texas. radiating an international flair and warm, inviting atmosphere, BF Bakery & Caf has attracted consumers all over with its specialty breads, pastries, cakes, and beverages.

after years of careful product development and research, BF Bakery & Caf has selected quality ingredients and artisan craftsmanship skills to bring the best taste and quality to all customers. BF Bakery & Caf prides itself on its attention to every step and detail of its product production process, which includes meticulous timing of the fermentation process for yeast and strict inspection of the flour used in products. BF Bakery & Caf

BF Bakery & Caf is a tenant of 99 ranch Market, and brews up fresh coffee and tea daily alongside its expansive selection of bread, toast, cakes, and delicious baked goods. Stop by to complete the ultimate shopping experience.

BF Bakery & CafArcadia1300 S. golden west

ave., arcadia, Ca 91007Alhambra345 e. Main Street,

alhambra, Ca 91801Corona430 N. McKinley St.