Weekend balita january 31, 2015

LOS ANGELES

VOL. XXII, NO. 52 THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FILIPINO-AMERICANSJAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2015

Is it a promise ring? Zsa Zsa explains gift from boyfriend

See ZSA ZSA PADILLA page 17

See MENDOZA, page 8

MANILA, Jan 29 (Mabuhay) – A top intelligence officer wants heads to roll for the bloody Maguindanao operation that left 44 police commandos dead.

Former police chief superintendent Rodolfo “Boogie” Mendoza said President Aquino himself should be held account-able.

“From the project sponsor to the coordi-nator, case officer and others who planned and designed that and most importantly even the President has the accountability,” he said.

Mendoza is questioning why Philip-pine National Police chief Alan Purisima

continued to call the shots even after being suspended by the Ombudsman.

“Gustong bumawi ni chief PNP against all those alleged backlash against him,” he said.

“He is not only running the show, he is controlling the implementation of the project with the permission of the Execu-tive Secretary and the President himself.”

Mendoza also called the President’s defense of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa questionable. He refused to believe that Ochoa was not aware of the operation to capture Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan

MANILA, Jan 29 (Mabuhay) – Two former presidents have varying opinions on how the Aquino administration should pro-ceed with the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) following Sunday’s encounter in Maguindanao that resulted in the deaths of 44 elite policemen.

While former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada is in favor

of an all-out war, former President Fidel V. Ramos is appealing for sobriety and cooperation following what authorities described as a “misencounter” between MILF members and operatives from the police’s Special Action Force.

“Wala nang dahilan para ipagpatuloy pa ang peace talks diyan. Ilan pang buhay

MANILA, Jan 29 (Mabuhay) – Mayor Je-jomar Erwin “Jun-Jun” Binay was bodily dragged into the Senate session hall Thursday afternoon to at-tend the hearing on alleged anomalies in Makati City.

However, Senator Aq-uilino “Koko” Pimentel III later set Binay free after the mayor insisted on not responding to allegations against him and his family.

“Since the order of ar-rest has been satisfied, your manifestation (not to answer questions) is noted. You lose your chance to give your side, you are free to go,” said Pimentel during the hearing.

Pimentel said Binay’s belief that the subcommittee didn’t have jurisdiction to compel him to answer questions related to the inquiry was contrary to the panel’s position, and indicated that it was time to elevate the issue “to a referee” that would decide which position was according to law

Earlier, the son of Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay was arrested and brought to the chamber by the Senate sergeant-at-arms for contempt after he repeatedly refused to attend the hearings.

At the Senate, the mayor still refused to attend the session and insisted on being detained at the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms.

At about 1: 30 p.m., Senator Antonio Trillanes IV made a motion to order the sergeant-at-arms to bring him to the session hall.

Minutes later, Senate security officers came in pulling Binay by his arms with one of the mayor’s lawyers tagging behind them.

Representatives of H20 Technologies Inc. try the newly developed 5-seater amphibious tricycle called “The Salamander” during a media presentation at Taal Yacht Club in Talisay, Batangas Wednesday. Promoted as an alternative mode of transportation in fl ood-prone areas, the Philippine-made tricycle can be operated using a gasoline-powered 250cc engine and a 5-kw pure electric motor. (MNS photo)

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Thursday 1/29/2015 - Philippine officials voiced confidence the country had escaped a “boom-bust cycle” as they predicted on Thursday that economic growth would ac-celerate in 2015, after expansion last year beat international expectations.

The economy grew 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014, new figures showed, offsetting weaker growth in the previous nine months to boost full-year gross domestic product (GDP) expansion to 6.1 percent, exceeding forecasts from major international institutions.

The rebound puts the country on a high-growth trajectory not seen in decades that will finally see it shake off its image as the “sick man” of Asia, economic planning secretary Arsenio Balisacan told reporters.

Balisacan added that the government expected the economy to grow by between 7.0 percent and 8.0 percent in 2015.

“We have avoided the dreaded boom-bust cycle that has hounded our economy for decades,” he said.

“What we are seeing in the last five years has never been seen in the last 40 years. The last time we have seen such growth was in the mid-1970s,” he said,

Mendoza on Purisima: He ran the show

Erap, FVR at odds over Bangsamoro peace process

PHL confi dent of faster growth after 2014 rebound

Mayor Jun-Jun Binay dragged into Senate session hall then set free

See GROWTH, page 8

See BANGSAMORO, page 8

See JUN-JUN, page 8

Relatives of the 44 slain PNP-SAF commandos killed in the January 25 Mamasapano clash attend the wake and necrological service at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig on Friday, January 30. President Benigno Aquino III (inset with PNP Chief Gen. Alan Purisima) offered his condolences to those left behind by the heroes. (MNS photo)

Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee chair Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III talks to Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay (right), who was in contempt after failing to heed a Senate subpoena requiring him to attend the subcommittee’s investigation on the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall 2 parking building. (MNS photo)

2 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., Jan. 31 - Feb. 6, 2015 Balita

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The next question is whether you have clear title to your car. If you have pledged your vehicle as security for a debt, or if you are financing or leasing a vehicle, you have three options for secured car loans when you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Reaffirm: A reaffirmation agreement is a contract between you and the car creditor in which you agree to pay the balance owed on your car note, despite the bankruptcy filing. You continue to make payments, and the creditor promises that, as long as payments are made, the creditor will not repossess or take back the property.

Reaffirmed debts are not discharged, the debt survives the bankruptcy. If you do not make your car payments after you reaffirm the car loan the car lender can repossess the car and sue you for the deficiency balance. After the finance company repossesses the car they will sell the car at the auto auc-tion. Usually the finance company does not get enough money from the auction to pay off your loan. This shortfall is called a “deficiency” and you would still be legally obligated to pay the creditor the deficiency balance. As you can see, the decision to reaffirm your car loan is a serious financial matter.

Reaffirmation agreements are strictly voluntary. You are not required by the Bankruptcy Code or other state or federal law to reaffirm your car loan. Before enter-ing into such an agreement, you will want to speak to your bankruptcy attorney to make sure that the reaffirmation is in your best interest.

Redeem: In Chapter 7, you have the right to purchase or redeem your car from the creditor by making a lump sum pay-ment equal to the car’s fair market value. The 2005 bankruptcy code provides that you must pay the creditor the replacement retail cost of the car. The balance of the debt will be discharged. For example, as-sume you own a car worth $5000.00, but owe the finance company $10,000.00. In this circumstance, you could redeem the vehicle by paying the creditor $5000.00 and the remaining balance will be dis-charged in your bankruptcy. Your bank-ruptcy attorney can advise you on the benefits of redeeming your financed car and identifying lenders that will provide the funds for your vehicle redemption.

Surrender: If you cannot afford the monthly payments on your car loan, or if you determine that you owe more than the car is worth, you can unload the car and the debt in your Chapter 7 bankruptcy by surrendering the vehicle to the creditor.

Car Leases in Chapter 7 BankruptcyIf you are leasing your car when you file

Chapter 7 bankruptcy you can choose to

either continue making the monthly lease payments, or surrender the car back to the creditor. If you surrender the leased car, any obligation under the lease will be elimi-nated in your Chapter 7 bankruptcy case.

Car Loans in Chapter 13 BankruptcyChapter 13 bankruptcy is a powerful

tool to protect your car from reposses-sion. If you have fallen behind on your car payments, you can file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy to stop the repossession of your vehicle and repay any delinquent monies due. If you are not delinquent, you have the choice of just continuing your regular payments, or surrender the vehicle, and discharge the balance as an unsecured debt, much te same way as in chapter 7.

910 Claims: If you bought your vehicle less than 910 days of filing your bankrupt-cy case, you must repay the entire car loan. The good news is that the interest rate you pay on your car loan may be significantly reduced. For example, if you owed $10,000 on a car loan whose blue book value was only $5000, you would be required to pay the entire $10,000 balance if the car was purchased less than 30 months, or 910 days, of filing. In short, debtors who want to keep their cars must pay the full loan amount, rather than “cram down” the debt to the value of the car.

Cram Down: If you bought your car more than 910 days before you file bank-ruptcy, you will only have to repay an amount equal to the present value of the car. For example, if you owed $5000 on a car that is worth only $2500, upon filing Chapter 13 you would be required to repay the finance company only $2500 over the three to five year term of your Chapter 13 Plan.

Car Leases in Chapter 13 BankruptcyYou car lease cannot be paid through

the Chapter 13 Plan you devise with your bankruptcy attorney. You can “assume” the lease and continue making the monthly payments.

You can “reject” the lease and return the car to the creditor. The creditor will sell the leased vehicle, apply the sale pro-ceeds to your lease balance and then file a claim in your Chapter 13 bankruptcy case for the lease deficiency. This deficiency is an unsecured, non-priority claim, which means you will likely only pay the finance company pennies on the dollar.

For solutions to all of your financial problems, and rebuilding your credit, contact the law offices of Paul M. Allen. We promise that help is just a phone call away. Consultations are free, but by ap-pointment only. We have two convenient locations in Glendale and La Palma. Call today at 818-552-4500..

What happens to my car if I fi le bankruptcy?There are several issues to consider in answering this

question. The most important point is the value of your car. In most cases, you can protect your car using the allowable bankruptcy code exemptions. An exemption allows you to file for bankruptcy relief and protect some of your property. The bankruptcy courts understand you need a car to get to work and to pick your kids up from school. So long as you aren’t driving an antique classic car, or an expensive sports car you will likely be able to keep your car.

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MANILA, Jan 29 (Mabuhay) –The remains of the 42 elite policemen who were killed in what authorities called a “misencounter” in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, last Sunday arrived at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City Thursday morning.

Present to honor the slain policemen were former President Fidel V. Ramos, Vice President Jejomar Binay, and top of-ficials of the military and the police.

However, there was one man who was conspicuously absent in the event: Presi-dent Benigno Aquino III.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte clarified that Aquino did not “skip” the arrival honors. “The President did not skip the arrival honors today, it presupposes he was originally scheduled to attend it, which was not the case,” she said.

Valte added that Aquino will lead the necrological services on Friday morning at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

Aquino, whose official schedule for Thursday states that he was in Laguna for the inauguration of a Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Plant, addressed the nation Wednesday evening regarding the clash. He is due to visit the wake of the slain policemen – all members of the Philip-pine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) – on Friday.

Two other slain SAF members had already been laid to rest in Mindanao in accordance with Islamic rites.

But Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said it was not enough for Aquino to give a speech and visit the wake of the fallen policemen. In a statement, Ridon called Aquino’s absence at Villamor Air Base “despicable.”

“Aquino’s absence in the arrival honor ceremony for the fallen SAF men speaks volumes of the president’s lack of basic respect for his servicemen,” Ridon said, adding Aquino’s “cold, unfeeling heart cannot even sympathize briefly to the families of the fallen SAF officers.”

“It is truly despicable, especially for the commander-in-chief,” Ridon said.

Ridon also criticized Aquino’s decision to attend the opening of a car plant instead of the the honor rites in Villamor.

“His choice to instead head to the open-ing of a car factory in Sta. Rosa shows how little he cares for his uniformed personnel, who died in an encounter that he himself green-lighted,” Ridon said.

“The president’s absence in today’s ceremony only heightens the people’s disgust in a leader who let his own men go to battle for the sake of his own vanity, only to disown the whole plan and deny ac-countability in the end,” he added. (MNS)

Members of the Philippine National Police carry the body of one of the members of the Special Action Force slain in fi ghting Mamasapano town, Maguindanao on Monday. More than 30 have been reported killed from the government side following a clash with Muslim rebels. (MNS photo)

Aquino no-show at arrival honors for 42 slain SAF men at Villamor Air Base

MANILA, Jan 28 (Mabuhay) – Ten-sion is still high in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao, with the Moro Islamic Lib-eration Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters adding forces in the area.

The groups deployed additional forces should the government launch a pursuit op-eration related to the gun battle on Sunday, where 44 members of the police’s Special Action Force were killed.

But according to Brigadier General Carlito Galvez of the Coordinating Com-mittee on the Cessation of Hostilities, military and police forces were pulled out of Barangay Tukanalipao, where the day-long clash happened. Checkpoints have also been removed.

The committee is also speaking with MILF commanders, asking them not to add reinforcement so fear would not spread to other parts of Maguindanao.

It also asked the group’s leaders to understand the situation and appease their members who may have lost loved ones in the battle. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Tuesday appealed for calm in the aftermath of the clash.

“We call for sobriety as we all await the full report on the investigation. During this time, we must ascertain facts to avoid confusion and acknowledge the complexi-ties of the situation to allow for the rule of law to truly prevail,” Sereno said in her statement.

In voicing their condemnation of the

incident, Senators JV Ejercito and Alan Pe-ter Cayetano both withdrew as co-authors of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law currently being deliberated in Congress.

The MILF, meanwhile, has formed its own investigating body to look into Sun-day’s deadly encounter, which occurred despite the peace agreement signed by the group with the government in March last year.

“Our concern is the truth,” MILF chair-man Murad Ebrahim said in an undated statement posted on the group’s official website. “There will be a lot of specula-tions as to what happened and until what happened is established with credibility and integrity, the said incident will weigh down our current efforts to bring peace to our homeland.”

The group also extended its condo-lences to the family of the 44 SAF members who were killed in the clash.

“In order to give meaning to their deaths, we must resolve not to let some-thing like this happen again. To this end, the MILF is convening a Special Investi-gative Commission (SIC),” Murad said, adding the mandate of SIC “is to gather as much reliable information and interview witnesses to establish the truth.”

Meanwhile, relatives of the slain elite police officers were pained further by a report that the forces were tortured as they were dying. Their guns and other posses-sions were also reportedly taken.

Tension high as MILF, BIFF add forces in Maguindanao town after clash

MANILA, Jan 28 (Mabuhay) – A mili-tant group on Wednesday said President Benigno Aquino III “has a lot of explaining to do” about the operations in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao, where 44 elite po-lice officers were killed Sunday.

In a statement, Bagong Alyansang Mak-abayan (Bayan) said the President should tell the people whether he approved the operation, where members of the PNP-Spe-cial Action Force was supposed to serve an arrest warrant on Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli bin Hir.

Police had confirmed the presence in the area of the “high-value” JI leader, also known as Commander Marwan.

“It is hard to believe that 392 elite PNP SAF were being mobilized for an operation against a so-called high-value target and yet our top officials claim they were not aware,” Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr. said.

The group raised the question after a Manila Standard Today report citing a

police general, who was supposedly part of the planning of the operation, as saying Aquino “was aware” of the operations.

Bayan said the report claimed Aquino put suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima in-charge of the operation “apparently without the knowledge” of Interior Secre-tary Manuel Roxas II.

It added that the operation was under-taken upon the direction of the United States government that “even offered a $5-million bounty for Marwan’s capture.”

“Aquino has a lot of explaining to do. If he knew of and approved the Mamasapano operation, upon the directive of the United States, then he is also accountable,” Reyes said, adding there are “strong indications” about it.

The President is expected to deliver a nationwide address on the matter on Wednesday night.

Bayan also said the operation against Marwan last Sunday was not the first police action where the US was involved.

Aquino must give an account on deadly Mamasapano ops – militant group

In on one of this writer’s visits to our home country, I have dreamt of riding those colorful, authentic-looking 20-passenger jeepneys with all their slogans such as “Bakya mo Neneng,” “Ikaw ang Irog Ko,” multi-colored “burloloys” (decorative

Colorful Manila jeepneys always mesmerize me!

swirls hanging in front or out around the vehicle). I was also amazed at the jeepney driver’s “pasada” boxes filled with their “daily wages,” and watching various people’s faces while paying their fare and informing the driver where they wish to go.

Some sources say that the word “jeepney” was combined with the word “jeep” and “knee” because passengers sit in very close proximity to each other. As I recall during my grade school years, we knew of them as the “poor man’s” means of public transportation in the Philippines. At that time, jeepneys were popularized by a well-known Imus, Cavite manufacturer named Leonardo S. Sarao, whose business flourished when he founded Sarao Motors in 1953, specializing in building colorful, sturdy-looking, revenue-earning vehicles. Our mother, with her Chinese entrepre-neurship, had a fleet of these running the EDSA-Cubao -UP-Kamuning, Kamias, Kamuning, Projects 2 and 3 routes in Quezon City.

These jeepneys usually are fast and it brings one to their destination from Point A to Point B, with a minimal fare, which was pegged at P8.50 each person depending on the distance to one’s destination in today’s current fare prices.

Though it’s fun riding these smoke-belching jeepneys, sometimes it’s annoy-ing to sit with passengers seated next to you with unreasonably strong fragrance while passengers are packed like sardines. But such is the daily rigors of life you have to bear if you happen to live in the Philippines.

As I reminisce the good old days, one fun ride we had in high school days was

when some of my classmates and I snucked out of our gated Catholic school grounds and the six of us took a jeepney ride to the famous Ideal Theatre on Ascarrraga to watch the last day of Elvis Presley’s movie “Loving You.” That was exciting, not only because getting caught would’ve gotten us in deep trouble, but it was Elvis!

Riding jeepneys are quite fun as long as there are a few passengers around. Some warn of crimes happening at night and even during daytime when robbers victimize jeepney passengers and take their personal belongings. There were even reports jeepney drivers colluding with the robbers, including passengers who pretend to be victims but who are actully part of the robbery.

According to a jeepney driver named Mang Jose that we talked to, he said he has seen it all – robberies, guy being stabbed while on his jeepney, a woman delivering her baby while pregnant, etc.

Nowadays, Metro Manila is filled with contemporary, air-conditioned buses, taxicabs and rental cars. But the colorful jeepneys are still there, waiting to take the working public to their place of destination.

So on your next visit back home, try riding the jeepneys once more... it will mesmerize you as it is a throwback experi-ence...Let the symbol of the jeepney stay with us forever...It’s a symbol of the work-ing Filipinos’ daily lives. Besides, there are plans to get rid of this public conveyance sooner than later as they replace them with the so-called e-jeepneys that use electricity instead of earth-polluting diesel fuel.


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Washington, United States | AFP | Thursday 1/29/2015 – Scrapping a visa waiver program that eases travel to the United States for people from dozens of partner nations would be “a mistake,” a top US official said Thursday.

The program allows citizens from 38 approved countries, mostly in Europe, to travel to the United States without a visa for stays of 90 days or less.

There have been increasing calls for doing away with the program following recent attacks in Paris, Ottawa and Sydney.

America’s Homeland Security Secre-tary Jeh Johnson insisted, however, that

the program is too “valuable” to discard.He made his remarks during a speech

at a US think tank on the progress made in safeguarding US domestic security and future challenges ahead.

“The visa waiver program is an impor-tant, valuable program, there are some out there who want to scrap it, I think that’s a mistake,” he said.

Some US lawmakers and other officials have suggested that the visa waiver pro-gram leaves America vulnerable.

US Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Com-mittee, noted earlier this month that the

perpetrators of the deadly attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine were citizens of France – one of the countries on Washing-ton’s visa waiver list.

“It’s my belief – and I have said this publicly many times – that the visa waiver program is the Achilles’ heel of America,” she told CNN television, because it puts the nation at greater risk of attack by extremists.

“They can come back from training, they go through a visa waiver country, and they come into this country,” Feinstein said.

Johnson, however, said that the risks

posed by the program, which is constantly being improved, have been overstated.

“We continue to tailor and enhance our security through every appropriate meth-od,” said Johnson, calling visa waivers “a valuable tool for international commerce and travel.”

“It is a program that must continue, but there are ways in which the security of the program can be improved,” he said.

“I’ve asked my folks to take a hard look at whether... there are additional things that we could ask for, whether they’re being complied with. That’s under review right now,” Johnson said.

Miami, United States | AFP | Thursday 1/29/2015 – US border authorities said Thursday they are seeing a surge of Cubans crossing into the United States from Mexico and by boat at sea. The US Customs and Border Patrol said that 6,489 Cubans have arrived from Mexico since October, 37 percent of the number who arrived the entire previous year. The influx may be prompted by a historic US-Cuban rapproche-ment announced December 17 by President Barack Obama and Cuba’s President Raul Castro. Restored ties would undercut the US rationale for an immigration policy that grants Cubans immediate residency and working permits if they make it to US soil.

The US Coast Guard and the Border Patrol both have issued advisories stressing that there has been no change in US policy.

The Coast Guard said 500 Cubans were intercepted on boats at sea or made landfall in December, 420 of them after the surprise announcement on relations.

The Border Patrol has tracked an increase in flows of immigrants from Cuban over the past several years, which it attributes to poor economic conditions in the Communist-ruled island.

Washington, United States | AFP | Thursday 1/29/2015 – The US Senate on Thursday approved the immediate con-struction of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the United States, a Republican priority that faces a presidential veto threat.

After weeks of fierce debate, the Repub-lican bill passed with 62 votes to 36, with eight Democrats defying President Barack Obama to support a project that would transport crude from Alberta’s oil sands to refineries along the US Gulf Coast.

The measure, tweaked during a roller-coaster process in which more than 40 amendments to the bill received floor consideration, heads back to the House of Representatives.

The House approved its own Keystone legislation earlier this month, and now must decide whether it passes the Senate measure or enters into bicameral confer-ence to thrash out a compromise bill.

House Republican leaders were unde-cided Thursday on which path to take, but they applauded the Senate’s action.

“We hope President Obama will now

drop his threat to veto this common-sense bill that would strengthen our energy secu-rity and create thousands and thousands of new, good-paying American jobs,” House Speaker John Boehner said.

Overcoming a presidential veto requires a two-thirds majority, and it would be a heavy lift for supporters to obtain 67 votes in the 100-member Senate.

Keystone XL was first proposed by TransCanada six years ago.

Republicans—and some Democrats—hail it as a 1,179-mile (1,900-kilometer) shovel-ready construction project that would create 40,000 jobs and boost US energy security.

Many Democrats oppose it on envi-ronmental grounds, warning of the risks of pipeline leaks and how the “tar sands” oil takes more energy and water to process than conventional crude.

And they point to a State Department study that found that just 35 of the Key-stone jobs would be permanent.

Republicans counter that moving oil by pipeline releases far fewer emissions than transporting it by rail or road.

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Thursday 1/29/2015 – The Philippines is trying to prevent the execution of a female citizen, who faces death by firing squad in Indone-sia for drug smuggling, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

Manila’s revelation that a Filipina is on death row, comes after recently-elected Indonesian leader Joko Widodo’s govern-ment executed six convicted drug smug-glers and prepares to execute 11 more.

“The Philippine government is making all the appropriate representations with the Indonesian government at all levels on our... request for judicial review,” foreign ministry spokesman Charles Jose said.

He said an application to review the woman’s death sentence was filed at a district court near Yogyakarta last week.

Foreign ministry officials said the woman – whose name was not disclosed – was arrested at Yogyakarta airport in April 2010 carrying 2.6 kilograms (5.73 pounds) of heroin on a flight from Malaysia.

After putting five foreigners and an Indonesian to death by firing squad earlier this month, Indonesia announced Thursday it was ready to execute 11 more people.

Among them are two Australian leaders of the “Bali Nine” drug-smuggling gang, who have been on death row for almost a decade.

Despite his image as a reformist, In-donesia’s new president has been a vocal supporter of capital punishment for drug offenders, disappointing rights activists who had hoped that he would take a softer line on the death penalty.

Scrapping US visa waivers would be ‘a mistake’: offi cial

More Cubans reaching US via Mexico: offi cialPinay faces death in Indonesia for drugs

US Senate approves controversial Keystone pipeline

Washington, United States | AFP | Friday 1/30/2015 – President Barack Obama on Friday unveiled plans to plow $215 million into “precision medicine” research, a field he said provided “boundless” promise for the treatment of diseases like cancer and diabetes.

The field – which aims to tailor treatment to individual patients – “gives us one of the greatest opportunities for new medical breakthrough that we have ever seen,” Obama said.

The funding would be used in part to collect gene, biochemical, lifestyle and other data from one million volunteers.

Scientists believe that vast bank of information could then lead to better clas-sification of diseases – based on molecular causes rather than symptoms – as well as tailored treatment that replaces a “one size fits all” approach.

The bulk of the money, $200 million, would go to the National Institutes of Health and its affiliate the National Cancer Institute.

The proposal is part of Obama’s 2016 budget plan, which would first have to be approved by a hostile Republican-controlled Congress.

“The time is right to unleash a new wave of advancements in this area,” said Obama setting out his proposals next to a giant model of DNA.

Obama said the move would “lay the foundation for a new generation of lifesav-ing discoveries.”

Obama hails ‘boundless’ promise of precision medicine


MANILA, Jan 28 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced Wednesday that manufacturers have agreed to cut down prices of milk and bread products. This is after DTI has continuously called on manufacturers for lower prices of some basic goods after the big time slash in prices of fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products.

According to DTI, Nestle’ Philippines will implement a peso reduction for a 150-gram pack of Bear Brand powdered milk or from Php51.00 suggested retail price (SRP) to Php50.00 effective on March 1, 2015.

Nestle’ will also add extra grams on Bear Brand milk products particularly for packs of 320 grams, 900 grams, and 1.2 kilograms effective on April 1, 2015.

Meanwhile, community bakers also heed the call of the Department as they will decrease Php0.15 or two grams for every piece of pandesal. “Through the DTI, our organization was made aware of the decreasing LPG prices that prompted us to act immediately. Now, I encourage other community bakers, particularly those

that use LPG in their operations, to make their move to either bring down their price or add more weight per pandesal,” said Philippine Federation of Bakers’ Associa-tion, Inc. (PFBAI) National Vice President Lucito Chavez.

Likewise, the Philippine Baking (Phil-baking) – manufacturer of Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesa – is also considering a price reduction on bread by the latter part of February. “The DTI discussed with us the drop of LPG prices, however, we explained to them that the Philbaking members are using electricity in preparing breads. But we are always in support of the DTI in de-veloping programs that will extend help to consumers, to which we agreed to look for flour brands with lower prices that we can use in our new formulation for the Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal,” Philbaking President Nestor Constancia.

“We are optimistic about the new formulation for Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy pandesal and expect to be ready with these in the market by the latter part of February with reduced SRPs,” he added.

Price cut in milk, bread set

SINGLE CLIENT SEEKS BK RELIEFClient is 48 years old, single and works as a licensed

vocational nurse. She used to gross $75K a year with two jobs but recently lost the 2nd job, which used to pay her

Single client seeks Chapter 7 discharge of $80k credit card debtParents qualify under Obama Amnesty

$24K a year. She owes $80K of credit card debt, which requires a minimum of $2,400 a month. Her rent is only $800 a month, and she pays for a car at $500 a month. With the loss of the 2nd job, she is now unable to continue minimum payments on the $80K credit card debt. Apparently, all the income from the 2nd job had gone to keeping the $80K credit cards current for the last 5 years. Therefore, in the last 5 years, she paid $144,000 of interest to keep her credit cards current. But today, she still owes the very same $80,000 of

credit card debt. That’s not fair, but that’s the way credit cards work. Minimum payments to keep cards current go towards principal. A minimum amount perhaps goes to principal which is insignifi cant in reducing the principal balance owed. In addition to $80K of credit cards, client also owes back taxes of $15K to the IRS for 2011 and 2010 because her job pays her with a 1099, no deductions. Since she wasn’t disciplined enough to pay off

the IRS in full when the taxes were due, income taxes owed for those two years became bigger as time went by.

Her current income now from a single job is $5K a month, without deductions. And for last year, she will owe $6K to the IRS that she has not yet paid. Last week the IRS sent her a NOTICE OF INTENT TO GARNISH her bank deposits and wages. Last month, two credit cards threatened to fi le lawsuits for collection. In other words, client needs debt relief badly and urgently.

I suggested a Chapter 7 case to wipe out all $80K of credit card debt, and $15K owed to the IRS for 2011 and 2010. Thus, giving her a fresh start in life without burdensome debt so she can be productive again. Her credit score was low because of the past due cards, and taxes owed to the IRS. So when she told me that she was worried that her credit score would be destroyed by bankruptcy. I informed her that, on the contrary, when she fi les her case, her credit score would be 500, which is only slightly lower than her current credit score of 560. But with bankruptcy, her credit score would increase every year if she handled new credit in a timely manner. On the 2nd year from fi ling, she would probably be at 620 as long as she paid her car loan on time, and on the new cards that she will defi nitely be offered right after getting a discharge, she should get those, use them, but pay them off in full. With that track record, in the 3rd or 4th year, she would probably be at 670. On the 7th year, she would be at 730, which is very good, and on the 10th year her credit score will be over 800 again with no record of the bankruptcy fi ling. On the other hand, if she did not discharge all her debts now with a Chapter 7, her credit score will be in the zombie zone for years and years. As an added bonus, her $15,000 of taxes owed to the IRS would also be discharged, so she will not owe the IRS anything anymore, except for the upcoming $6K for 2014.

Client decided to fi le for Chapter 7 relief immediately. This is the right decision considering she is now 48 years old. So, if she gets a 2nd job again, all of that income will be saved for her retirement.

PARENTS QUALIFY UNDER OBAMA AMNESTY

The OBAMA AMNESTY which allows people who are here without legal status provided they have a qualifying child who is an American citizen or legal permanent resident, to get a work permit valid for 3 years and renewable for periods of 3 years per renewal is getting into higher gear because the USCIS was

directed to start accepting applications by February 19, 2015.

Clients entered the United States with an H1-B visa to work here as an engineer. Employer agreed to convert his H1-B status into permanent residency through the labor certifi cation process. Unfortunately, employer’s business ran into fi nancial problems and had to let client go. Unable to get another employer to continue his H1-B and labor certifi cation within the requisite time, his H1-B status expired and he eventually became out of status. He married 10 years ago but his spouse is undocumented because although she entered with a passport and had an I-94, she lost both the passport and I-94 a long time ago. As a result, she is undocumented. However, they have an 8-year-old daughter who was born in Los Angeles.

Client, although an engineer, works as a building maintenance person because he doesn’t have a work permit. Wife does not work because she has no work permit either.

Since American citizen daughter was born before November 20, 2014, parents have continuously resided here since before January 1, 2010, are physically present here on November 20, 2014, have no lawful status on November 20, 2014, and are not criminals, both husband and wife will qualify for the Obama amnesty for work permits valid for 3 years and renewable. They can travel out of the country for specifi c reasons with an advance parole, but I do not recommend that they assume that risk because there is always that 1% chance denied re-entry at port by the immigration offi cer. That offi cer has the discretion to deny entry even with an advance parole for whatever reasons he has. So, why take that risk at this time?

“EVEN TO YOUR OLD AGE AND GRAY HAIRS I AM HE, I AM HE WHO WILL SUSTAIN YOU. I HAVE MADE YOU AND I WILL CARRY YOU; I WILL SUSTIAN YOU AND I WILL RESCUE YOU.” ISAIAH 46:4.

Lawrence Bautista Yang is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has been in law practice for thirty years. He specializes in bankruptcy, business and civil litigation and has handled more than fi ve thousand successful bankruptcy cases in California. He speaks Tagalog and looks forward to discussing your case with you personally. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S Fremont Ave, MAILSTOP 58, Building A-1 SUITE 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 OR at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789.


MANILA, Jan 29 (Mabuhay) – The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee will recommend citing University of Makati and Pag-IBIG Fund director Tomas Lopez in contempt, for a graver act after failing to attend the hearing on Thursday despite his promise to do so.

“I have no choice, he misled us but he is not here today,” Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said Thursday at the start of the hearing after learning that Lopez did not honor his earlier commitment to be present.

“I will follow the procedure, I will recommended again (to the mother com-mittee) that he be cited in contempt for a

graver act this time,” he added.On Monday, Lopez wrote a letter to

the committee saying that he is willing to attend hearing on the subcommittee probe on the alleged corruption in Makati City government under the Binay family.

That letter led the committee to exclude him in the list of persons to be cited in contempt which included Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr, City Administrator Eleno Mendoza, Eduviges “Ebeng” Baloloy, former City Administra-tor Marjorie de Veyra, Engineer Line Dela Peña, and Bernadette Portallano.

Lopez is allegedly one of the dummies of Vice President Jejomar Binay. (MNS)

MANILA, Jan 29 (Mabuhay) – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday filed smuggling charges against five top officials and the customs broker of a steel importing firm for attempting to illegally import steel products worth around P14.3 million.

Smuggling-related cases were filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against officials of Stellent Corp., namely chairman of the board Rico Rigor Cayunda Cinco, board members: Charmayne De La Peña Angeles, Asuncion Petra Angeles, Maria Rhezy G. Ilada, Ruge Robert S. Illada, and customs broker John Philip Ma-linao Yap for alleged unlawful importation of steel angle bars from China.

They brought into the country 15 20-foot container vans of steel angle bars without the necessary Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) from the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Product

Standards (DTI-BPS).The shipment arrived from China at the

Port of Manila in July 2014. The importer and customs broker vio-

lated section 3601 in relation to Section 101 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) as amended by Republic Act (RA) 7651.

“Although there is a strong demand for steel products, we cannot let these il-legal and unsafe products enter the local market,” Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla said.

“We are working very hard to prevent the technical smuggling of substandard products that pose danger to people who will use them,” he added.

The BOC’s Intelligence Group re-ceived derogatory information about the shipment, allowing the agency to have personnel to validate the veracity of the derogatory information. (MNS)

Senate subcommittee to recommend citing Pag-IBIG Fund director in contempt

Execs sued for alleged smuggling of P14.3-M worth of steel

MANILA, Jan 29 (Mabuhay) – The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP) and the Trade Union Congress Party-list is seeking an P136 in-crease to the current P466 minimum wage for workers in Metro Manila.

TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said the current minimum wage can no longer sustain needs of a family, arguing that the real value of the peso has been eroded by 35 percent due to several factors including consumer price index, tuition fees, the re-cent Metro Rail Transit/Light Rail Transit fare hike, and the impending water and electricity rate increases.

“The real value of the current P466 minimum wage is P299 only. It cannot sustain the needs of a family. As a result,

many employed workers fall through the cracks and join the growing ranks of the working poor.

“Thus, we are asking the board to give a ‘living’ minimum wage. We particularly appeal to employers to grant our petition,” Tanjusay said.

Rep. Raymond Mendoza, meanwhile, cited a “social discrepancy” between the country’s economic growth and wages of workers.

“We have been experiencing growth in our economy but the workers who worked hard for it are wallowing in poverty. They have jobs and most are employed yet they do not benefit the development. This is highly unfair and grossly unjust to workers and their families.

TUCP seeks P136 minimum wage hike

Homestead Schools in Torrance, Calif. will offer RN-to-BSN completion program tentatively scheduled to begin in February 2015. The school is accept-ing applications from qualified RNs.

As an RN, should you pursue BSN?The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has recommended that healthcare organiza-

tions increase their bachelor’s prepared RN staff to 80% by 2020†. It is also a documented fact that RNs with BSN commit far fewer medical errors than RNs with no advance degree. Precisely for this reason many hospitals, especially those designated “magnet” hire only the RNs with BSN degree. Needless to say, with a BSN you’ll improve your employability and earnings. You’ll be able to take your rightful place in the healthcare field while providing the highest level of care to your patients.

Program DescriptionThe Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN) comple-

tion program is designed to be taught in five semesters provided that students transfer in required credits. The program is open to licensed registered nurses (RN) who have completed their associate degree in nursing or a diploma in nurs-ing from a nationally or regionally accredited nursing program.

The goal of the program is to graduate nurses that will be ready to advance their educational career and that can understand the concept of holistic praxis, think critically, and serve as change agents or leaders in any healthcare and nurs-ing environment.

Program OverviewThere are three tracks for degree completion for the RN-BSN program:Online: Offered 100% online via asynchronous, synchronous, and other online

delivery methods.2. On Campus: Offered face-to-face on campus in Torrance3. Hybrid: Mixture of online and on-campus courses as elected by the

student. The same courses will be offered both online and on campus.For further information, contact Homestead Schools at 23800 Hawthorne

Blvd., Torrance, CA. 90505. (310) 791-9975.†Institute of Medicine (2010). The future of Nursing: Leading change, Ad-

vancing Health. Washington, DC: National Academics Press.

Homestead starts RN-BSN completion program


MENDOZA

BANGSAMOROGROWTH

From page 1

From page 1From page 1

and Basit Usman.Ochoa is the anti-terrorism czar and the

head of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.

“According to information, he is on top of it. He provides funding. How come ang PAOCC ay bumaba sa tactical level?” he asked. “Because of this policy shift, pinondohan directly ng PAOCC yung mga chosen case operator na ang plan ay national in scope.”

Mendoza, however, believes DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and acting PNP chief Leonardo Espina may have been kept in the dark.

The reason, he thinks, is politics.“Our counterterrorism policies, struc-

tures and systems are deeply marred by politics. That is one of the truth. They attempted to compartmentalize Secretary Roxas and the OIC of the PNP,” he said.

A board of inquiry has been created to look into the Maguindanao encounter but Mendoza wants an independent investiga-tion.

“It is not appropriate at this time that the board of inquiry is composed of generals who are classmates of General Purisima. How are we sure General Purisima will not influence the board of inquiry clan-destinely?”

Mendoza said he has no rift with Puri-sima, saying his expose against the sus-pended PNP chief is a call of duty. (MNS)

any ibubuwis natin diyan? Ano pang gaga-win natin? Pababayaan na lang ba natin? Ano ‘yun, maghihintay tayo ng 40 taon ulit? Wala nang ibang magagawa kung hindi giyerahin na para magkaroon ng tunay na kapayapaan,” Estrada, who was president from 1998 to 2001, said.

During Estrada’s all-out war campaign against the MILF in 2000, most of the rebel group’s camps, including the sprawling Camp Abubakar, fell into government’s hands. Hundreds of soldiers and rebels, however, were killed while thousands of civilians were displaced.

For his part, Ramos, a former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, said that while the peace process in Mindanao will be affected by the deaths of 44 police-men in the hands of the MILF, the peace talks remain the best solution for a lasting peace in the troubled region.

“The complete and final terms of this peace process may not happen during his [Aquino’s] office, but as good Filipinos, let us all help in making it happen,” he said.

Still, Ramos had strong words for President Benigno Aquino III, who he said failed the men who look to him as their commander in chief.

“There should be no hesitation on the part of the commander in chief. Otherwise, it will be part of your legacy to be always hesitant, flip-flopping,” Ramos said.

“Pardon me for saying this, pero yan po ang damdamin ng mga sundalo. Paakyat ito sa Malacañang. Poor strategic direction of the commander in chief of the PNP and the AFP. It is the soldier, the policeman, the law enforcer, the guardian of security that suffers because of the risks,” he added.

Ramos, who served under both Ferdi-nand Marcos until the EDSA upriring and then as part of Cory Aquino Cabinet, also said Aquino should have consulted with retired soldiers and police before Sunday’s disastrous operation in Mamasapano town, which was supposed to have resulted in the arrest of Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Commander Mar-wan. (MNS)

referencing a period when the Philippines saw annual economic growth rates ap-proaching nine percent.

Despite global uncertainties, the Phil-ippines was buoyed by “solid” macro-economic fundamentals including strong domestic consumption, ample foreign exchange reserves, a stable banking sector and manageable inflation, finance secretary Cesar Purisima said.

Purisima said in a statement that the country “has more fundamental strength than most peers to fuel long-term growth prospects and buttress against vulnerabili-ties to external shocks.”

On a full-year basis, the Philippine economy grew at a rate second in Asia only to China’s 7.4 percent, and narrowly outpacing Vietnam’s six percent, Balisacan said.

“With this upbeat year-end perfor-mance, the economy is anticipated to gain further traction in 2015,” he said.

Balisacan however conceded that such high growth rates must be sustained over 20 years before they could be felt by the poor, as shown by the experience of other countries.

JUN-JUNFrom page 1

Binay supporters in the gallery of the session hall booed, shouted, and some even cried when they saw the mayor being dragged into the room.

The subcommittee had to suspend the hearing to calm the situation.

After the break, Binay was made to sit down with the mayor looking at his arms, apparently checking for injuries.

Trillanes asked him if he was hurt and if he needed “special medical attention.”

Binay said he was all right and did not need to see a doctor. However, during a press conference later, the mayor com-

plained that he suffered bruises.Pimentel asked and allowed Binay to

speak and respond to allegations against him and members of his family during the subcommittee’s investigation on the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall 2 parking building.

Instead of explaining, the mayor reit-erated his objection to the conduct of the hearing, which he and his family claim was just out to tarnish their reputation.

After manifesting hearing that Binay was giving up his right to respond to the charges and allegations, Pimentel set the mayor free. (MNS)

‘There’s no shortcut’ “It’s a long way to go before we can ef-

fectively make this growth shared broadly. There’s so much to do. There’s no shortcut to it. We have to deepen reforms,” he said.

The full-year economic growth rate of 6.1 percent exceeded forecasts of 6.0 percent by the World Bank and the Interna-tional Monetary Fund, but fell short of the government’s targeted range of between 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent.

The economy grew by an impressive 7.2 percent in 2013.

The 2014 fourth quarter growth figure of 6.9 percent was also an improvement from the 6.3 percent growth posted in the same period in 2013.

Analysts, meanwhile, largely echoed government confidence about the economy.

“Overall, this remains consistent with our long-held view that the economy is on a solid growth trajectory,” Nomura research analyst Euben Paracuelles said.

Barclays analysts Rahul Bajoria and Bill Diviney, meanwhile, predicted ex-pansion will be “robust” this year as the Philippines is expected to benefit from a marked drop in world oil prices while the central bank is expected to hold off on any interest rate hikes until the fourth quarter.

LOS ANGELES


He knew that in order to make his dream a reality in his adopted county, he would have to possess the necessary skills that would make people notice. On top of the skills, he knew that the road to success could only possible with determination, commitment to his craft.

In chasing the American dream which started in 1995 when he sacrificed thriving TV career in the Philippines and a job as a cruise director in an Asian cruise line, Jo-seph now enjoys his fair share of the dream.

The world of show business particu-larly in the realm of comedy where many people try to find their way through is an extremely demanding field. Making people laugh seems easy but it’s not and there are essential qualities that a performer must have to join the ranks of great comedians where Joseph is now.

In pursuing his dream, he knew he had to have the vital qualities that will make him stand out from the rest. These qualities included his determination to work hard on his craft, to be relevant to his audience by opening his senses to what’s to happening around him and to be deeply relevant in what he was doing.

The essential elements in his possession comprise the bundle that has made him what he is today as “The Star for All Gen-ders” especially to the Filipino-Americans community who follow his career.

Joseph, who also doubles up as Activ-ity Director for a nursing home chain in Orange County, has already been a hit as a stand-up comedian among the Filipinos in the Los Angeles area blazing the trail with his natural comic antics and flair perform-ing in corporate and community

events. He was also one of the early birds to blaze the trail when the Karaoke craze entered the scene and became the standard entertainment fare for the Filipi-nos known for their natural fondness for singing.

On January 30, Joseph’s friends and fans will have the opportunity to enjoy his antics and his gift in singing when he is united with his friends at an event called “Payanig sa Taglamig” to be held in Knott’s Berry Hotel in Buena Park. The event will be sort of a reunion for his other performer friends -Maui, Justine and Kasya- who had been sharing the stage with him since the start of his career in the U.S.

Joseph Gelito: Setting the bar high for Fil-Am comedians

Multi-talented Joseph Gelito had to work hard to establish himself in a field that’s hard to penetrate, much more excel in. In being where he is now in the entertainment world he had to be different to stay in a business where competitions sprout like mushrooms.

Like the Biblical Joseph, The Dreamer of the Bible, Jo-seph Gelito was also dreamer of sort who set his sights be-yond what he is capable ofdoing to succeed.

Will an unpermitted living area or room conversion hurt your home loan?

A caller recently asked me, “What do you do when you ap-praise a house with unpermitted space? Does it affect the value or your appraisal?” This goes for refinancing your homes too, please read.

The answer to this question largely depends on the lender for whom we are preparing the appraisal. While some lenders stipulate that unpermitted living area can be given value as long as it is professionally completed and cannot be distinguished from the per-mitted living area (this is called “conform-ing”), more and more lenders are hesitant to lend on non-permitted space. Why? One concern is that if something were to happen to the house and it needed to be rebuilt, it is possible, depending on the zoning or municipal restrictions that only the per-mitted space would be able to be legally rebuilt. This would leave the bank holding a loan that could potentially be thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of dollars more than the house is actually worth. Some lenders have special programs for proper-ties with unpermitted addition that is note to be “ Built in Workman like Condition” by the appraiser. However, if you have an addition that has extension cord hanging, untraditional electrical outlets, visible wall frames or anything that might be a insur-able risk to the homeowners, then it wont be accepted and will have to be removed or converted back to its original use before you can close your loan.

Now, if a house is for sale and there is a price difference between appraisal value and sales price ? The buyer would most likely have to bring cash to the table to make up the difference in value between the Sales price and the lower appraisal value to close the deal.

Though we have also done appraisals with non permitted living area in which the lender allowed us to value it as part of the home, there is always a chance that they won’t. Even if the lender allows us to incorporate it in the total GLA (gross

living area), we are legally required to disclose that it is non permitted. We also must add verbiage to limit our own liability. Needless to say, this complicates the whole appraisal and borrowing process. So, sell-ers and agents please disclose everything upfront to your buyers and lenders to avoid any surprises towards closing.

If you are house hunting and come across a house with space that is not per-mitted, it is often marketed as “bonus liv-ing area.” Be careful! Unpermitted space, while it may seem a great bargain at the outset, can have great negative impact on your future home value.

Congratulations! If you’ve been pre-approved for your home loan, you found the right home at the right price with the right terms and you’re ready to really get on the road to homeownership. This Goes for an loan approval for refinancing too.

The road to homeownership has just begun for you and to keep you on course here are 10 Things NOT TO DO while your home loan is in process.

Don’t quit your job or decide you’d like to be an entrepreneur

Don’t decide you’d like to become a high paid commission salesperson

Don’t buy a new car or trade-up to a bigger lease

Don’t decide to furnish or decorate your new home before you own it.

Don’t forget to pay your bills – even the ones in dispute

Don’t open new credit cards – even if you’re getting 20% off

Don’t co-sign for anyone for anythingDon’t accept a cash gift from the bank

See KEN GO, page 11


corporating it during the marriage? No Community Property PresumptionFamily Code §760 defines Community

property as Except as otherwise provided by statute, all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domi-ciled in this state is community property. However under Marriage of Koester, the Court held that the community does not “acquire” a separate property business simply because the business is incorporated during the marriage. The mere incorpora-tion of a business operated by spouse is not a change in its character, for purposes of division of community estate following divorce. In Koester, the Court stated that he incorporation simply effects a change in the legal form under which the business is conducted and property does not change its character merely because of a change in form or identity. Marriage of Koester (1999) 73 CA4th 1032, 1035, 1038, 87 CR2d 76, 79, 81. The Court in Koester also stated that “In contrast with the way title is taken when a married couple own residential property, the incorporation of a sole proprietorship business is typically done for reasons extrinsic to the marital relationship. To say ... that an asset was ‘acquired’ by the community ... because

some aspect of corporate formation took place during the marriage is to elevate semantics over substance”

No TransmutationIncorporation of a sole proprietorship

business during the marriage can trigger a family code § 2640 tracing right of reim-bursement only when it is also accompa-nied by an unambiguous express written transmutation of the business to commu-nity property as required by Family Code § 852. Marriage of Koester, supra, 73 CA4th at 1036–1037, 87 CR2d at 79–80 & fn. 5. Under Family Code §852, a transmutation of real or personal property is not valid un-less made in writing by an express declara-tion that is made, joined in, consented to, or accepted by the spouse whose interest in the property is adversely affected. In Koester, the act of changing the legal form under which a business is conducted does not meet the requirements of family code § 852 for a valid transmutation. Marriage of Koester (1999) 73 CA4th 1032, 1037, 87 CR2d 76, 80 & fn. 5. Incorporation of a sole proprietorship business is typically done for reasons extrinsic to the marital relationship.

Although the mere act of incorporat-ing a separate business during the mar-riage does not change the character of

Will incorporating a separate property business during marriage make it community property?

You own a successful business, as a sole proprietor, prior to marriage. You later meet the love of your life and decide to marry her. Years into the marriage, you decide to incorporate the business. A common question when the couple later di-vorces becomes 1) did your separate property business become community property by virtue of incorporating it during the marriage? 2) Was your separate property business “transmuted” to community property by in-

the business to community property, the community may still acquire an apportion-ment interest if the value of the business substantially appreciated during the mar-riage due to the labor and hard work of the managing spouse during the marriage. The apportionment calculation is done using the formula in the Pereira or Van Camp case where the contributions of effort and return on capital are separated from the value of the business.

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create

any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of South-western University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Admin-istration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail [email protected]. Visit our website at kenreyeslaw.com.

“Masarap naman kasi talaga ang pag-kain natin, lalo na kung lutong bahay,” said Melchor Evangelista, the man in the kitchen of Manhattan’s oldest Filipino res-taurant, Grill 21. The 8-year old fixture in the Gramercy neighborhood of New York is understandably frequented by Filipinos craving Filipino dishes.

According to the staff, garlic rice is a famous staple. In Tagalog, it’s “sinangag.” I tried it with the restaurant’s bestseller, their “sisig,” a dish made of pig snout, pig ears, liver and other innards, on a sizzling plate topped with fried egg. The Grill 21 version has “chicharon,” that’s one differ-ence from other versions I’ve encountered. In the kitchen, the preparation of this be-loved “pulutan” dish is also not common.

“We don’t take short cuts,” he said. “Sisig is the most difficult to cook. You have to boil the meats; then grill at hiwain nang pinung-pino. There’s a lot of steps and

each step is all about timing. For instance, the meats can’t be over-boiled.”

The result was a circus in my mouth. The meats were crunchy enough to release a pleasant mix of savory, salty and sweet flavors with each bite. I’m getting hungry, just recalling how good it tasted in my mouth. Chased down by another Filipino favorite – San Miguel Beer. I ordered San Mig Light. Grill 21 offers all San Miguel Beer products, including Red Horse Beer.

While it is expected and understandable why Filipinos would flock there, Grill 21 has also created a following among non-Filipinos. Apparently their American customers enjoy the coconut-infused dishes; while Koreans typically order the “dinuguan,” a dish made out of ox blood.

“My dinuguan recipe is from my moth-er-in-law. I asked her to teach me over the phone, all the way from the Philippines. Now I use it here,” Melchor said, adding that the recipe involves the usual sauteing the meats (ox meat, fat and innards) in garlic and onion. “But the secret is in the sauteing technique, to make the flavors come out”

Alas, I was unable to try the ox blood dish. Instead, I got a taste of the Grill 21 “kare-kare,” a traditional Filipino ox tail stew in peanut-based sauce. I grew up in the Philippines, loving my mom’s cooking. This was one of her specialties. I remember her laboring in the kitchen, on special occa-sions, grinding peanuts, to make the sauce from scratch. And the aroma wafting in the air was enough to make me crave. I was interested to see how this dish will stack up.

I didn’t have to wait long. After a taste of the “sisig,” the server came out of the kitchen with a tray featuring a bowl of the dark yellow dish, a small cup of white rice, and a tiny container of “bagoong.” I called this triumvirate the winning combo. I’ve heard of Filipinos cutting rice from their diet. One of my first questions is: “Do you still eat kare-kare?” Because the dish is oozing with deep and rich flavors, the bland taste of freshly-cooked hot white rice is the perfect equalizer. And because the peanut sauce tend to be on the sweet side, the salty shrimp paste is best to en-hance the taste.

After two dishes, I was full. The staff

‘New York Pinoy Eat’New York – There’s a saying that goes, ‘You can take the

Filipinos out the Philippines; but never the Philippines out of the Filipinos.’ And I guess that’s why even in the freezing cold, 8,593 miles from the Philippines, Pinoys in the Big Apple still love their dinuguan, sisig, kare-kare, adobo, and pan de sal. After all, that’s one of what I call the three F’s of Filipino culture – food. The other two are faith and family.

See JANNELLE, page 13

Grill 21 sisig

Selection of Filipino beers at Grill 21


corded voice to deliver a message without prior express consent of the called party (a.k.a. telemarketing, robocalling)

Sending unsolicited advertisement to a person’s fax machine, unless the sender has an established business relationship with the recipient

Sending unsolicited text messages transmitted for marketing purposes

TCPA also limits the use of automatic dialing systems and artificial or prere-corded voice messages. Solicitors are required to maintain a company-specific “do-not-call” (DNC) list of consumers who asked not to be called. Solicitors must also honor the national Do Not Call Registry established by the FCC.

A person who has received more than one telephone call within a 12-month peri-od that violates any provision of the TCPA may sue and receive up to $500 in damages for each violation, the actual amount of damages, or whichever is greater.

Violating the TCPA has some seri-ous consequences: Credit card company, Capital One and its affiliates, were sued by consumers who received non-emergency telephone calls on their cellphones via an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice, attempting to collect on a credit card debt. The litiga-tion lasted several years and was settled in mid-2014 for $75,455,098.74. (Final approval of the settlement is pending in federal court).

Another case which expands the defini-

tion of “automatic dialer” involved what is referred to as “text-spam.” Path Messaging Service, is a major Android app and social networking tool that enables photo-sharing and messaging services for mobile devices.

Users share up to a total of 150 contacts. However, consumers are receiving several unwanted text messages, and Path was sued for allegedly sending bulk SMS messages to users’ entire phone contacts list.

Even law firms, who should prob-ably know better, may run afoul of the TCPA. The Pullin Law Firm of New York was sued for $500 in damages for each consumer that the law firm had sent text messages to in July 2013 offering legal services relating to Fannie Mae’s multi-billion-dollar settlement. The text message said “Call me to see how this affects YOUR home loan terms,” and provided a phone number for the firm.

Text messages transmitted for market-ing purposes require that the sender first receive clear “written consent before tele-marketing call or text message is made, re-gardless of whether there is an established business relationship or not.”

[C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is trial attorney who has obtained several million dollar recoveries for his clients against insurance companies and employers. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, featured in the cover of Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Verdicts and Settlements, and is a member of the Million Dollar-Advocates Forum. He is

Consumer remedies for unsolicited telephone calls and text messagesWith the invention of cellular phones, the list of com-

munication benefits multiplied. So did the list of complaints about telemarketers, robocallers, and spammy text messages.

In 1991, the U.S. passed the Telephone Consumer Protec-tion Act of 1991 (TCPA). The TCPA, including later amend-ments, restricts the following:

Initiating any telephone call to any residential telephone line using an artificial or prere-

a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center Washington, D.C. and the Univer-sity of the Philippines.

Visit his website at www.joesayaslaw.com or contact his office at (818) 291-0088 for a no-cost inquiry.]

of mom and dad (or anyone else)Don’t transfer money between bank

accountsDon’t make undocumented deposits

into your bank accountBonus Don’t: Don’t celebrate by tak-

ing a vacation, you’re going to need the money and time is of the essence. There are inspections to be done, contingencies to be met and plenty of paperwork still to be done. Conditions 8 to 10 are very im-portant things you need to know a couple of months prior to buying a house.

The loan process has not really ease

up, in fact there will be more changes that will make lenders continue to be uncertain about coming out with loan programs to really help most home buyers. So, keep yourself informed and educated when come time you need a loan. Preparation is key to getting a home loan approved, planning will help you get your home loan close smoothly.

Please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group for your Mortgage needs, 28 yrs helping homeowner and home bor-rowers close loans with guaranteed satis-faction. Please call Ken at 562-508-7048 or write to [email protected].

KEN GOFrom page 9


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will increase to $325 and 2% for 2015. The IRS is tasked to implement this mandate.

There are exemptions to the penalty. They include: 1) coverage is unaffordable based on family income (and size of house-hold), 2) membership in a religious sect that objects to insurance, and 3) hardship such as domestic violence or homelessness.

Being undocumented is also another cause for exemption.

This mandate will be satisfied with: 1) an employer-provided plan; 2) a govern-ment plan such as Medi-Cal; or, 3) insur-ance purchased thru Covered California or the private exchanges. Plans must provide the 10 Essential Health Benefits enumer-

ated under the law.Those who received subsidies thru Cov-

ered California will receive Form 1095-A. Completing this form is necessary to fill up Form 8962, a form to reconcile a taxpayer’s information.

The IRS advises those who received subsidies to have this form before filing their taxes. Please call Covered California IF you haven’t received it yet.

Congress prohibits the IRS from using liens and levies to compel taxpayers to pay the individual mandate penalty.

The taxpaying public is enjoined to visit IRS and Health and Human Services (HHS) websites for information.

If you need help, you may reach me at 323-535-7373 or, e-mail at: [email protected].

Medicare Alert: Those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) have

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Leo Monsalud hails from Sta. Cruz, Zambales. He studied for MBA and Law at the University of the Philippines. He worked for United Laboratories, Inc. where his last position held was vice-president assigned as general manager for a dvision. He was a joint-venture partner of the San Miguel Corporation in a agri-business project. He holds CA license # 0G55218 as well as a Non-Resident license for Nevada. He is a Certified Insurance Agent for Covered California. Visit his website: www.healthremediesandoptions.com (HeRO).

Obamacare changes the way we fi le taxesTax filing for 2014 has begun. The biggest change for most tax filers is on Line 61 of Form

1040. There is a box to check IF you have health insurance; or a tax to pay IF you don’t.

Under Obamacare’s in-dividual mandate provision, the uninsured in 2014 must pay a penalty of $95 or 1% of household income, whichever is greater. Those thresholds

Recent research has raised substantial concerns about the safety of e-cigarette vapor

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bar-bara Boxer (D-CA) today sent a letter to Thomas Blalock, the President of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Di-rectors, thanking them for their efforts to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes on BART trains and stations. The BART Board of Directors will hold a final vote to approve the ban on February 12th.

Senator Boxer wrote, “Research has raised major concerns about secondhand exposure to e-cigarette vapor. This is particularly relevant in small, enclosed spaces such as trains and stations, leading the World Health Organization to recom-mend that steps be taken to end the use of e-cigarettes indoors in public and work places.”

Research has raised major health con-cerns about the vapor emitted by e-ciga-rettes. A January 22, 2015 study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that a number of harmful toxins, including formaldehyde, can be released in to the air via the vapor emitted by high-powered e-cigarettes. An August 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) report concluded that the “aerosol is not merely ‘water vapour’ as is often claimed in the marketing of these products” and that e-cigarette use “increases exposure of non-smokers and bystanders to nicotine and a number of toxicants.” Los Angeles finalized the ban of e-cigarettes in public places, including public transit, last year. In addition, in June of last year, Senator Boxer wrote to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx asking him to ban the use of such devices on airplanes.

Boxer praises BART for plan to ban e-cigarettes in trains and at stations

Miami, United States | AFP | Wednesday 1/28/2015 – Some US health insurance plans are discriminating against people with HIV by placing antiretroviral drugs in a high-cost category and forcing patients to pay more for coverage, researchers said Wednesday.

The study in the New England Journal of Medicine warns that the practice is undermining a key provision of President Barack Obama’s health care reform, which set out to end health insurers’ use of pre-existing conditions to deny coverage to sick people.

Under some health plans, HIV drugs may cost a patient nearly $3,000 more per year than in other plans, said the study led by Harvard University.

“Eliminating discrimination on the basis of preexisting conditions is one of the central features of the Affordable Care Act (ACA),” said lead author Doug Jacobs of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “However, the use of formularies to increase costs and dissuade those with preexisting conditions such as HIV from enrolling in the plan threatens to at least partially undermine this goal of the ACA.”

The practice that Jacobs and his col-leagues identified is called “adverse tiering,” in which all drugs for certain conditions are placed in the highest cost-sharing tiers.

Researchers studied 12 states that are part of the nationwide federal marketplace for health insurance.

Six of the states analyzed were men-tioned in a legal complaint to the Depart-ment of Health and Human Services for alleged adverse-tiering: Delaware, Florida,

Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina and Utah.

Researchers also looked at six heavily populated states that did not have any of the insurers implicated in the complaint, including Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Penn-sylvania, Texas and Virginia.

About one quarter of the plans exam-ined used discriminatory drug tiering for one of the most common classes of HIV medications, known as nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs).

“We found evidence of adverse tiering in 12 of the 48 plans – 7 of the 24 plans in the states with insurers listed in the HHS complaint and 5 of the 24 plans in the other six states,” said the study.

“Our findings suggest that many insur-ers may be using benefit design to dissuade sicker people from choosing their plans.”

People who enrolled in adverse-tiering plans (ATPs) paid on average three times more for HIV medications than people in non-ATP plans, with a nearly $2,000 annual difference even for generic drugs, according to the study.

Despite the generally lower annual premiums associated with adverse-tiered plans, customers with HIV paid an average of $3,000 more for treatment per year than they would have under a non-ATP plan.

The researchers warned that the practice could put significant financial strain on ill people and could “lead to sicker people clustering in plans that offer more generous prescription drug benefits – which could in turn create a ‘race to the bottom’ in insur-ers’ drug plan designs as they try to avoid a large influx of sick enrollees that would negatively affect profits.”

Study fi nds unfair HIV-drug pricing in US health plans


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does take someone’s status away. She is still a permanent resident now and even after expiry. The card is merely an identity document. It does not confer your status as a permanent resident and she should have no problem attending school.

Q. I became a permanent resident of Canada in the year 2000. A year af-ter, I travelled to Los Angeles and met a woman. We married and lived together for a decade. We recently divorced and I want to return to Canada to live. My immigrant visa has however expired and I have not returned to Canada since my departure in 2001. Can I simply enter Canada on my US passport? Will they question me about abandoning permanent residence? I know that I left Canada and lost my per-manent residence but how do I get it back?

A. You have not “lost” your permanent residence status. The fact that you have been away for a decade does not mean that your permanent residence has disappeared. Under new rules, it is possible for you to maintain your resident status by returning to Canada and complying with the new residency regulations. If you are truly seri-ous about returning to Canada you should not have a problem but it must be done properly. After residing in Canada for the requisite time period you will be eligible to apply for Canadian Citizenship. Best to obtain professional assistance upon arrival to Canada.

Q. I’m a Canadian Citizen. I met my first wife in 2012 and we married shortly thereafter. I sponsored her and she ob-tained her immigrant visa in 2013. The marriage unfortunately did not work out and we divorced. I now met another woman and I am thinking or marrying her soon. Will I have a problem sponsoring her?

A. Yes, you need to wait until the three year period after first wife’s landing before you can sponsor second wife. As well, if the first wife collected welfare you will in default and an ineligible sponsor until you repay the amount given to her.

Attorney Henry Moyal is a certified and licensed immigration lawyer in To-ronto, Ontario.

The above article is general advice only and is not intended to act as a legal docu-ment. Send questions to Attorney Moyal by email [email protected] or call toll free 1-888-847-2078.

attending school as she has no card. I don’t know what to do? Do I renew the cards now even if I don’t have the 2 years of residence? Can I apply for a new card just for my daughter as it was lost?

A. Your case is common. While each person must decide on how to proceed from here on an individual basis, the fact that you have violated the “two out of five rule” is nothing new. By way of background, pre-2002, the rule was that permanent residents were required to remain in Canada for six months out of every twelve months. After 2002, Canada Immigration was more lenient requiring only 730 days out of the last five years. Apparently though, the three year period of permissible absence is not sufficient in this global economy. That being said, the PR card renewal application requires you to list all absences from Canada and if you have not accumulated the 730 days you may face a problem. It is possible to overcome the rule under humanitarian and compassionate grounds but recent cases show that a strict set of criteria must be met. In my opinion, if you are not going to renew the card for all members then do not submit a replacement card for your daughter as the criteria is the same. By looking at the “lost card” application, it still requires one to list all absences. The fact that she does not have a card only means she cannot travel into Canada. It

Renewing permanent resident card can be challengingQ. I became a permanent resident in March 2010 with my

wife and daughter. We entered Canada for over a few months and returned to the Philippines in May 2010 to look after our business. We have been back to Canada several times over the years but we have not accumulated the required 730 days to renew our permanent resident cards. They will be expiring soon. To make matters worse, I seem to have lost my daughter’s card. She is having a problem

Q. I entered Canada five years ago on a work permit to work as a food attendant in Alberta. My work permit was under the low skills program. I have a new employer who wants to hire me as a manager. If I get a LMIA for that position, can I apply for permanent residence under Express Entry?

A. From the brief information provided, I would say , no. Your work experience in Canada is not skilled enough to qualify under the Canada Experience Class and therefore you cannot enter the Express Entry pool. You have not mentioned much about your prior work or if you have a PNP.

Assuming you have no other prior skilled experience, I suggest you work in Canada for at least one year as a manager (with the LMIA you just obtained) and then you could qualify under CEC to enter the Express Entry pool.

Q. I need to submit a police clearance from the NBI, Philippines for immigra-tion purposes. I have no convictions but the notation says “No Criminal Record” instead of “No Record on File”. Should I be worried?

A. Perhaps. If the NBI clearance does not say “No Record on File” or “No Derog-atory Record”, you may have a problem. In your case, it says “No Criminal Record” which likely means that something hap-pened in the criminal sense or you were charged with some offence but it did not end up as a conviction. If so, you need to get all court documents to determine what happened and details of the charges. It is important to know that a person can still be inadmissible to Canada even they were never convicted. Under Canadian Immigra-tion law, if a person committed an act that is a crime in the place it was committed and that if it happened in Canada would be a criminal offence, they could be refused entry to Canada.

As such, you must look at the foreign of-fence and see if there is a Canadian equiva-lent that is a crime under the criminal code.

had lots of stories to share about their 8-year history. The service was reminiscent of the enthusiastic hospitality Filipinos are famous for. The food was on point. Melchor summarized it best: “traditional lutong bahay ‘yung style namin at may halong pagmamahal.”

The lease of the restaurant is up and negotiations are underway. Here’s wish-ing Grill 21 many more years of yummy service to the neighborhood.

A few blocks away is a cafe/patisserie by the same owner of Grill 21, Mrs. Ma-rissa Beck.

“Her first restaurant was successful, Grill 21; that she decided to put up another one,” said Ron Digao, restaurant manager of the 3-year old Pan de Sal. “Mahilig ang Filipinos sa merienda; so Mrs. Beck thought, of introducing that concept in the neighborhood. We serve coffee and cakes, and the pan de sal sandwiches para dun sa mga mahilig mag-kape-kape.”

According to Ron, the bestsellers are their pan de sal sandwich variations of chicken adobo, spicy sardines, corned beef. Apparently a hit, not just among Filipinos; but also non-Filipino patrons who first be-come interested in what pan de sal is about.

“They try it and end up liking it. Then they come back with friends, to share the experience,” Ron said.

The cafe offers two sizes of their famous specialty – a bigger size for $2.50 bigger; and a mini one, about the size of a fist, for those concerned about portion control. Because it’s also reasonably priced at $1, it’s also an attractive order for the budget-conscious. I chose to try the mini ones, so I could taste all three variations. My favorite was the chicken adobo; but isn’t “adobo” everybody’s favorite?

By 4 .m. that day, I was full. But I only had an hour to digest everything I ate from lunch to merienda because happy hour was

rolling in at 5 p.m. And our last stop for the day was The Ugly Kitchen Gastropub, owned by Chef Aris Tuazon, Melchor’s cousin. The 4-year old hotspot in the East Village serves specialty Filipino foods; along with interesting cocktails. Some of which are Filipi-nized, like the Calamansi Whiskey Sour that bar tender Risa Chu taught me how to make.

Here’s their Filipino twist to the cocktail favorite, using calamansi, the Southeast Asian citrus fruit:

Fill a rock glass with ice.Mix in 2 ounces of Whiskey.Put half an ounce of sour mix.Add an ounce of Calamansi juice con-

centrate.Give the mix a good shake.Our into a glass and garnish with lemon.And with that, I raised my glass to end

my day of discovering local Filipino hubs in a great city that, according to the U.S. Census is part of the state that’s home to about 300,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. We are growing in numbers. Together, we can work toward building a stronger economic presence in the Ameri-can landscape. Being enterprising is an integral part of that. And supporting these Filipino establishments is key to the suc-cess of these businesses.

So the next time you find yourself in New York, you know where to go. [END]

Jannelle So is taking a break from 20-years of print and broadcast journalism career that began in the Philippines and continued in the United States. She is cred-ited for creating, hosting and producing America’s first and only locally-produced daily talk show for Filipinos, that ran for 8 ½ years under her leadership, making it the longest-running Filipino talk show out-side of the Philippines. Connect to her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; or email her at [email protected].

JANNELLEFrom page 10


OPINIONMANILA, Jan 28 (Mabuhay) – Amid questions on the stability of

the peace process due to the Mamasapano bloodbath, the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will sign this week a protocol to jumpstart the surrendering of arms from the rebels’ side.

In a statement from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP), government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the signing of the implementing guidelines will be held in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

The decommissioning process is the surrendering of arms to the International Decommissioning Body, which will assist in the “trans-formation” of the rebels to becoming “productive” civilians.

These arms should not be used again, even by forces on the gov-ernment side.

Coronel-Ferrer said both parties will also discuss plans for the turnover of the first batch of weapons to the body.

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal earlier said the MILF is ready turn over an initial 75 high-powered firearms and crew-served weapons.

“Ang signatories dito sa protocol implementing guidelines (ay) yung panel chairs, ang chair ng IDB at tsaka yung facilitator ng Ma-laysia,” Colonel-Ferrer said.

The seven-member body is headed by Ambassador Haydar Berk, former Turkish representative to the North Atlantic Council (NATO) and current advisor of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He is joined by other international experts Jan Erik Wilhemsen, a retired brigadier general from Norway who was part of UN peace-keeping forces in Honduras, El Salavador, Central Sudan, Nigeria, and Nepal; Major Muhammad Aiman Syazwi Bin Haji Abdul Rahim of the Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF); and local experts, namely, retired Armed Forces of the Philippines LtGen. Rey Ardo, Dr. Mario Aguja, Von Al-Haq ‎and Isah Bato.

On Wednesday morning, MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim reiterated his group’s full commitment to the peace process amid the carnage that has befallen more than 40 of the country’s elite cops in an area the group allegedly holds.

In an official statement, Ebrahim said the MILF is convening a Special Investigative Commission (SIC) composed of members of the MILF Central Committee and the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) General Staff to resolve issues surrounding the Sunday bloodbath that may affect the peace process.

“We hereby reiterate the MILF’s full commitment to the peace process with the Philippine Government. An enduring peace and justice remain to be our primary objective. In this regard, all actions and pronouncements of our political and military units of the MILF should advance and adhere to this primary objective as much as pos-sible and with due regard to the safety and security of our people and communities,” he said.(MNS)

MILF, PHL to proceed with decommissioning process

MANILA, Jan 28 (Mabuhay) – A group of retired military officers on Wednesday called on the govern-ment to demand from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to surrender its men involved in a “misencounter” in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Sunday, which resulted to the death of at least 44 elite police officers.

“The government should demand the return of all firearms stolen from the dead policemen and for the MILF leadership to surrender the perpetrators within their ranks,” Association of General and Flag Officers Inc. (AGFO) chairman and President retired Army Lt. Gen Edilberto Adan said in a statement on Wednesday.

The group, composed of retired officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), released the statement days after the deadly clash in Ma-guindanao involving members of the PNP-Special Action Force and the MILF which left at least 44 government forces dead.

Earlier, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said the PNP-SAF launched the operation in order to serve an arrest warrant against international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Commander Marwan, whose presence had been confirmed in the area.

Citing initial information they received on Monday, Roxas said a misencounter with the MILF occurred after some SAF members tried to avert the attack of the BIFF.

“Mayroon umanong BIFF na umatake doon sa ating mga tropa, at iniwasan ito ng isang (SAF) unit. Pumasok sila sa lugar kung saan may MILF, kaya nagkaroon ng misencounter on that side,” he said, stressing that this would still be verified by a board of inquiry.

Following the clash, the Senate committee on lo-cal government on Monday suspended the hearings on the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which will embody

the peace agreement signed by the Philippine gov-ernment with the MILF in March 2014.

At the House of Representatives, the ad hoc com-mittee on the BBL has also decided to suspend the discussions on the measure’s provisions pertaining to national defense and public order following the clash.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law will embody the peace agreement signed by the Philippine gover-ment and the MILF last March, which aims to end the decades-old conflict in Mindanao.

For its part, the group said the tragedy highlights the “need to examine closely the security implica-tions of any final agreement with any armed rebel group like the MILF.”

The group said the final agreement should remove all capabilities of the MILF to wage war against the government.

Also, AGFO said it opposes the creation of any security force “not under the total command and control of the AFP or the PNP whose author-ity emanates from the powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief.”

Meanwhile, the group also warned the govern-ment on the “limited control” of the MILF of its forces, and has “rogue commanders over whom they have no real authority.”

“When the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fight-ers (BIFF) under Commander Kato broke away from its ranks, the MILF leadership failed to take disciplinary action against it. Now their forces are living together in the same area.

The MILF leadership must prove that it exercises authority and discipline over its commanders. Since the objective is peace, the Government should be talking with the entity that has control of elements who can wage war,” the statement said, quoting Adan. (MNS)

Ex-generals: Gov’t should demand MILF surrender of ‘perpetrators’ in Mamasapano ‘misencounter’

MANILA, Jan 28 (Mabuhay) – Senate President Franklin Drilon on Wednesday urged the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leadership to sur-render to authorities Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) commander Basit Usman and all those involved in the firefight with the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) over the weekend.

Drilon said such an act would be a demonstration of the MILF’s partnership with the government.

Forty-four Philippine National Police-SAF members were killed in the encounter with MILF and BIFF forces in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January 25. Twelve SAF members were wounded.

BIFF is an splinter group of the MILF.“This act of goodwill, if demonstrated, will, with-

out a shadow of a doubt, prove the MILF’s sincerity and support to the government’s peace and develop-ment program,” Drilon said in a press statement.

The Senate leader said the MILF should fully cooperate with government’s efforts in investigating and bringing justice to the victims of Mamapasano attacks, so that doubts and reservations formed as a result of the bloody attack can be erased, and confidence and faith in the peace process can again be restored.

“If they will surrender the suspects in these heinous acts and help arrest Usman, the MILF will show that they are one with the government in the pursuit of genuine and lasting peace, and that the government has made the right decision in negotiat-ing a peace pact with them, because they are and will always be on the side of justice and harmony,” he said.

He added that “this is a test of sincerity on the part of the MILF on the one hand, and a test of faith in the peace process on the part of the government and the Filipino people, on the other hand.”

Drilon said the MILF, as a partner of the govern-ment in its peace initiative, should not block but instead assist police authorities in arresting the likes of Usman, a notorious bomb expert with links to the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network, who has been the subject of law enforcement operations for years.

“The January 25 police operation was a chance to finally arrest Usman and Zulkipli ‘Marwan’ Hir, but our policemen had been foiled, and lost their lives in a tragic and deadly event,” he said.

Marwan is one of the most wanted JI leaders operating in Southeast Asia. He was believed to be involved in several bombing and terror attacks in Mindanao involving the JI-assisted Abu Sayyaf group. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently offered $5 million bountry for his capture.

Drilon further said the government must apply the full force of the law to bring justice to the fami-lies of the slain policemen.

He stressed that the encounter, condemnable as it is, should not weaken the resolve of each and every Filipino to aspire and work for genuine and lasting peace for their brothers and sisters in Mindanao.

“Peace is never easy. Let us not give up,” Drilon said.

Senate inquiryMeanwhile, Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chair-

man of the Senate committee on peace, unification, and reconciliation, filed a resolution calling for an inquiry on the police operation in Mamasapano.

In Resolution 1136, the senator said the probe is needed “to avoid distractions from the peace pro-cess and prevent the indiscriminate and wholesale condemnation of the people of Mindanao for the actions of a few violent persons.”

“We need to shed light on the facts surrounding the law enforcement operations that caused injuries and death to those involved. There is a need to ac-curately determine the nature, scope, and objective of the operation and identify those responsible for the unnecessary loss of lives,” Guingona said.

Senator Grace Poe, head of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, likewise, filed a resolution seeking a probe on the incident.

In Resolution 1135, Poe said the death of the PNP-SAF members indicated possible lapses in tactics and training on the part of PNP-SAF and pos-sible deficiencies in the unit’s operational doctrines, equipment, and resources.

MILF urged to surrender Usman as an act of goodwill


MANILA, Jan 28 (Mabuhay) – No one should be spared from liability in connection with last Sunday’s supposed misencounter between elite policemen and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Maguindanao, a neophyte senator said Wednesday.

“People died, maraming namatay na kapulisan, hindi pwedeng mawala na lang yun. That has to be investigated and if there are charges that have to be filed, they have to be filed,” Senator Bam Aquino told reporters. Asked if the liability could go as high as Malacañang, Aquino, cousin of President Benigno Aquino III, said, “Yes.”

At least 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) were killed while 12 others were wounded in an encounter with MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a splinter group of MILF, in Mamasapano town last Sunday. They were supposed to arrest Zulkipli ‘Marwan’ Hir, one of the most wanted Jemaah Islamiyah leaders operating in Southeast Asia.

The leadership of the PNP claimed they were not aware of the operation.

Sen. Aquino said the Senate investiga-tion will try to find out what really hap-pened and the incidents that led to it.

The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs will conduct a hearing on the matter on February 4.

“Mahalagang imbestigahan natin [to] find out what really happened [at] managot yung dapat managot. We ask the difficult questions. Hindi katanggap tanggap na in the midst of peace process nangyari ang isang bagay na ganun,” he said.

However, the senator said the incident should not result to the derailment of the peace process and the junking of the pro-

posed Bangsamoro Basic Law.“Magandang pag-usapan na muna

kung ano ang nangyari. Imbestigahan, charge who needs to be charged, get to the bottom of things and then see paano mababago yung BBL because of that. I think yung hangarin natin na magkaroon ng kapayapaan hindi siguro dapat maantala sa nangyaring trahedya,” he said.

He said while truth on what happened is being pursued, the discussion on BBL should not stop. “I just think that it is a gut reaction that we let go of the peace process right after the tragedy happened,” he said.

Aquino added that the incident should instead be used to fine-tune the BBL.

“I’m sure magkakaroon ng revisions or amendments sa BBL. Remember, we are still in the process of deliberation so yung porma ng BBL nagbabago pa yan. I think it is premature to just say wag na lang, but kung kinakailangan amyendahan yan o baguhin yan versus what happened then gawin natin yun. that is the process of legislation,” Aquino said.

Aquino, who is one of the co-authors of the BBL, said he has no plans of withdraw-ing his support on the proposed measure, unlike what Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and JV Ejercito did. “I can understand some of the senators nagkaroon ng appre-hension, marami sa taumbayan nagkaroon ng apprehension. But ako hindi siya either or, hindi ibig sabihin naitutulak mo ang BBL na you will sweep this under the rug or hindi na papansinin,” he said.

“We need to attend to both and account-ability needs to be there. Kung sino ang ac-countable dyan kailangan managot talaga sila because we also will not have a good legislation kung hindi natin ito tatalakayin nang maayos,” Aquino added. (MNS)

No one should be spared from liability on SAF-MILF ‘misencounter’: Bam Aquino

officers is not something that President Noynoy Aquino and his military brass can be proud off. The operation was a complete disaster. The incident only shows how inept and indecisive President Noynoy is when it comes to emergency situations like the Mamasapono massacre.

Marwan is considered one of the world’s most wanted terrorists. The United States has put up a $5 million reward for his capture. His death from the bloody encounter has not yet been confirmed. Military authorities however are saying that Marwan’s body was among those that were retrieved from the battle scene by responding army troopers.

I expect publicity seeking politicians in Congress to initiate the filing of impeach-ment complaint against President Noynoy as a result of the Maguindanao massacre. I, however doubt it will push through. Sena-tors and Congressmen are more interested in putting more money in their pockets and bank accounts rather than improving the lives of Filipinos , particularly the poor, as well as the current peace and order situa-tion in Mindanao.

Most members of Congress, both upper and lower, will follow whatever the Presi-dent tells them. Senators and Congressmen adhere to the power of the “pork barrel.” Any congressional investigation regarding the massacre will only be done to appease public anger.

Eventually, I expect President Noynoy and Gen. Alan Purisima to be cleared from

any wrongdoing or responsibility on the botched operation.

In a nationally-televised speech, Presi-dent Noynoy, as usual, blamed others for the disaster except himself. He blamed lack of coordination between the Philippine Army and the SAF raiding team who were out to serve a warrant of arrest for Marwan. The Philippine Army’s 6th infantry battal-ion is stationed in Maguindanao.

Army officers however rebuked Presi-dent Noynoy saying that they were not informed that there was going to be a government operation in Maguindanao. They added that they were only informed about the bloody encounter while the fire-fight was already taking place between the police and the MILF fighters.

These officers who refused to be quoted were one in saying that the intelligence report about Marwan was “confined” only at the highest level which was one of the reasons for the lack of coordination, particularly on the part of the Philippine Air Force which could have provided air support during the encounter.

The responding army troopers from the 6th infantry also had to wait extra time to get clearance from “higher ups” to come to the aid of their fallen police officers for fear of violating the ceasefire agreement forged between the government and the Muslim rebels.

A day after the President made the televised speech to explain what led to the death of the police officers, information

have started to leak from Malacaang that President Noynoy himself, gave the green light to his “loyal friend” and suspended PNP Chief Gen. Purisima to direct the operation to secure the apprehension or surrender of Marwan provided that he will do it “discreetly.”

Military officers who refused to be quoted were one is saying that it was Gen. Purisima who was running and directing the on-going operation in Mamasapono from his “white house” quarters in Camp Crame. They said these police officers were instructed only to report to Gen. Purisima. They also said most of those who took part in the botched operation were trusted men of the suspended PNP chief. Gen. Purisima, on the other hand, only report to the President or to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa.

With the hope of reviving his career which has suffered because of numerous corruption charges he is currently facing before the Office of the Ombudsman, Puri-sima relentlessly pursued Marwan once he was spotted in the town of Mamasapono.

To ensure the success of the operation and to minimize the loss of human lives, President Noynoy, as any sane leader would do, should have directed Purisima to coordinate his operations with the other branches of the armed forces. But because of their greed and quest for personal glory of bagging Marwan, they kept the informa-

tion to themselves and launched the failed operation without coordination with other government agencies. The tragedy could have been avoided if they have set aside their personal ambition and greed.

President Noynoy, on the other hand, must have given his “blessings” to Gen. Purisima to run the operation with the hope of getting world-wide free publicity for the capture of one of the world’s most wanted terrorist. This, I believe, contributed to the botched police operation in Maguindanao.

In defending his action for relying on his suspended PNP chief friend, Aquino said that he relied on Purisima regarding the apprehension of Marwan because of his numerous intelligence information he has gathered through the years as well as the “intricacies” of the operation.

President Noynoy however successfully parried questions from newsmen during a press conference regarding news reports that Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP Officer-in-Charge General Leonardo Espina were “kept in the dark” regarding the botched operation. All he did say was he will look into the matter why both men were shut out from the operation. The President was also evasive on the extent of the involvement of suspended PNP chief Gen. Purisima. What started to be a simple “by the book” military operation ended in one of the country’s worst defeats against Muslim rebels to date.

It’s all about greed and personal ambitionGreed, conceitedness and quest for personal glory led to the

slaughtering of 44 members of Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police PNP by heavily armed members of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the town of Mamasapono in Maguindanao last week.

Although the violent encounter between the police and the MILF resulted in the death of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifili Bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” the slaying of the SAF


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(Relaxnews) – A new drug capable of leveling out a double chin will be reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 9, according to Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, which is to market the drug should it get the nod.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY


ENTERTAINMENTAfter a tumultuous year, it seems that

Andi Eigenmann and Jake Ejercito are on good terms anew.

Over the weekend, several photos of the former couple surfaced online. The two were apparently in Singapore recently with some friends.

This after Eigenmann said last month of Ejercito: “[I hope] that eventually we’ll be okay, but I’m still hurting, and I don’t think it will happen by February.”

Addressing speculation about their relationship, Eigenmann took to Twitter on Monday to set the record straight. She said, unedited: “4 yrs isnt a joke. There’s no harm in being human enough to not throw it all away and learn to be friends. #letitrainchillpills”

After her separation from Ejercito, Eigenmann was romantically linked with showbiz newcomer Bret Jackson. Ejercito, on the other hand, was rumored for a time to be in a relationship with socialite KC del Rosario. (MNS)

Jasmine Curtis-Smith has joined the cast of “Halik sa Hangin,” Star Cinema’s upcoming romance-thriller starring Gerald Anderson, Julia Mon-tes, and JC de Vera.

On Twitter, Curtis-Smith’s man-agement group, Vidanes Artist Man-agement, shared photos of the actress shooting a scene with Anderson in Baguio City.

In the behind-the-scenes photo, Curtis-Smith looks on as Anderson plays a guitar on a balcony.

Anderson earlier described the movie as a mix of horror and romance. De Vera agreed, saying it will be a fresh offering for moviegoers.

Without divulging details of the story, director Emmanuel Quindo Palo said: “Mayroon talagang nangyayari sa kanilang tatlo (Montes, Anderson and de Vera), an external force that would prevent ‘yung love story to fully bloom and blossom.”

Curtis-Smith, who has been identified with TV5 since 2011, has said she is will-ing to do projects under rival ABS-CBN. “Halik sa Hangin” marks the first time she will appear in a movie produced by Star Cinema, ABS-CBN’s film outfit. (MNS)

Zsa Zsa Padilla denied that she and her architect boyfriend, Conrad Onglao, are already engaged.

Contrary to speculation, Padilla said that the ring she is wearing is not an en-gagement ring, but a promise ring.

“May promise siya sa akin and tignan natin kung may matupad,” the singer-actress said.

Just recently, Padilla and Onglao celebrated their 10th month as a couple. Although they have been in a relationship

for only less than a year, the two admitted in previous interviews that they are now sharing a home.

Asked why she and Onglao celebrate their “monthsaries,” Padilla said related a conversation she had with her daughter, singer-host Karylle.

“Gusto kong makigaya ng monthsary. Sabi ko ‘[Karylle], bakit ba nag-ma-monthsary?’ Sabi niya, ‘Kasi mama, ang mga relationships ngayon mahirap na mag-last kaya kada-month na talaga [sine-

celebrate].’”Padilla said she is happy with how her

relationship is blossoming, adding that she has been praying for this since her longtime partner, film icon Dolphy, passed away in July 2012.

“I did [pray for someone like Conrad to come into my life]. I even asked the universe na this is what I want. Sabi ko kailangan talaga kumpleto,” she said.

Padilla and Onglao became a couple early last year. (MNS)

Andi, Jake reconcile?

What’s that ring? Zsa Zsa explains gift from BF

Jasmine joins cast of ‘Halik sa Hangin’

Jasmine Curtis-Smith

Andi Eigenmann

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Pasta e Fagioli SoupRecipe created by Kelsey Nixon Prep time: 5 minutesCook time: 25 minutesServings: 4 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup) 1 medium yellow onion, fi nely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fi re-roasted tomatoes 3 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth 1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta (short tubular pasta) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnishIn large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown pancetta bits just until they start to crisp before adding onion, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and saute until fragrant and golden brown.

Add canned beans, tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring soup to rapid boil before adding pasta. Reduce to simmer and cook soup cov-ered, stirring occasionally for 8–10 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente.

Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.

Note: You can substitute bacon for pancetta, if desired.

Quinoa Chicken Vegetable SaladPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 10 minutesServings: 6 1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth 1 cup quinoa 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained 1 (10-ounce) can chicken breast, drained and fl aked 1 (8-ounce) can cut green beans, drained 1 (8.75-ounce) can corn, drained 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepperIn medium saucepan over high heat, heat chicken broth and quinoa to boiling. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, diced tomatoes, chicken breast, green beans, corn, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and pepper; toss to mix well.

Pea and Corn Risotto Servings: 4 4 cups canned low sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, diced 1 cup Arborio rice 1 (11-ounce) can no salt added whole-kernel corn, drained 1 (8.5-ounce) can low sodium peas, drained 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon butter

FAMILY FEATURES

Every parent has been there. It’s Th ursday aft ernoon and the kids are asking, “What’s for dinner?” Searching for inspiration, you head to the refrigerator, only to realize that the groceries you bought on Sunday have run out or spoiled. But before the panic sets in and you reach for the takeout menus, remember that the solution for a wholesome, homemade meal is right in your pantry — or “Cantry.”

“With a well-stocked pantry full of canned ingredients, I know I always have the makings of a nutritious and fl avorful meal,” said Kelsey Nixon, host of “Kelsey’s Essentials” on Cooking Channel and Food Network. “Fruits and vegetables are harvested at their peak of ripeness and canned in just hours, making the can one of the best ways to get food from its source to my family’s table. I just open up a can, unlock that fl avor and goodness and make it a ‘Cantry’ Th ursday night!”

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Mediterranean Chicken PitasPrep time: 10 minutesServings: 2 1 (10-ounce) can chicken breast, drained and fl aked 1/2 cup fi nely chopped cucumber 1/2 cup fi nely chopped red bell pepper 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained 1/4 cup Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill 2 whole wheat pitas 4 lettuce leaves In large bowl combine chicken, cucumber, red bell pepper, green chilies, yogurt and dill; toss to mix well.

Cut each pita in half horizontally; carefully open each pita half. Fill each with 2 lettuce leaves and half of chicken mixture.

until al dente, about 25 minutes.Stir in corn, peas, Parmesan cheese and

butter to heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Almond Cherry Tres Leches Cake Recipe created by Kelsey NixonServings: 12 Cake: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose fl our 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter, soft ened 1 cup granulated sugar 5 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 (14.5-ounce) can pitted cherries, thoroughly drainedTres leches mixture: 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk Icing: 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled 4 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 cup chopped almonds, toastedFor cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and fl our 9-by-13-inch cake pan.

Whisk together fl our, baking powder and salt into large mixing bowl.

Cream butter, sugar and eggs with electric mixer on high until yolks turn pale yellow. Mix in almond extract. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients until fully combined — avoid over-mixing. Pour into prepared pan, evenly spreading batter out.

Bake until cake has cooked through, 30 minutes. Cool slightly, then pierce surface of cake with fork several times.

Combine heavy cream, evaporated milk and condensed milk in small bowl or pitcher. Drizzle milk mixture over top and allow cake to sit and absorb milk mixture.

For icing, whip together heavy cream, sugar and almond extract. Spread evenly over top of soaked cake. Top with toasted almonds.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

Salt and ground black pepper, to tasteIn 2-quart saucepan over high heat, heat chicken broth to simmering; keep warm.

Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, in hot olive oil, cook onion until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Add rice and cook for 2 minutes until coated with oil. Gradually add chicken broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until absorbed, stirring frequently. Continue adding remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring occasionally, cooking rice


SPORTS

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Thursday 1/29/2015 – Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather met for the first time by chance during the halftime of an NBA game, raising hopes that talks for a fight later this year might get serious.

The boxers were watching the Miami Heat-Milwaukee Bucks game Tuesday night in southern Florida from their court-side seats when Mayweather walked across the floor at halftime. The two spoke briefly and afterwards Pacquiao said that it was the first time he had spoken face-to-face with Mayweather.

“He and Manny had never had a chance to meet,” Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz told ESPN.com.

Pacquiao and Mayweather were seen exchanging phone numbers after their chat.

Nothing is official and it remains to be seen whether the two camps can agree on terms for a possible May 2 blockbuster fight in Las Vegas.

The two sides have been conducting on and off negotiations for what certainly would be the richest fight in boxing history for several years now.

In the past, Mayweather has said the expected fight would only take place if he receives a much bigger purse than the Filipino superstar.

In 2012, there was speculation that a fight between the two could lead to the first $200 million purse in boxing history with much of that money coming from pay-per-view sales.

At one point Pacquiao says Mayweather offered him a $40 million purse on the condition Mayweather would keep the pay-per-view money, which would have amounted to more than double what Pac-quiao received.

Previous talks were also scuttled be-cause Mayweather says Pacquiao refused to submit to random blood testing.

Earlier this month, the US media reported that Pacquiao had agreed to a 40 percent cut of the revenue, leaving Mayweather with a 60 percent share for a fight expected to shatter all box-office and television revenue records.

Mayweather potentially has more to lose in a fight against Pacquiao. He has a perfect 47-0 record and has won world titles at five different weight classes. But

a defeat at the Filipino’s hands would ruin that streak and tarnish his legacy, especially if he were to get knocked out.

The two were long-time rivals as the “best pound-for-pound” boxer of their generation, but the dream fight has never materialised to the disappointment of the boxing world.

Their meeting on the basketball court took place by chance after Pacquiao’s flight on Tuesday out of Miami was cancelled. A winter snow storm that day caused hun-dreds of flights up and down the US eastern seaboard to be cancelled.

A longtime basketball fan and an avid player, Pacquiao decided to attend the Heat game instead.

Amir Khan insteadFilipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao

has a plan in place if yet another bid to fight Floyd Mayweather fails – a May 30 bout, possibly against England’s Amir Khan, reports on Monday were reported from this city

However, flight cancellations on east coast have forced Manny Pacquaio to watch an NBA basketball game between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks on Wedesday and “by fate” met and discussed face-to-face with Mayweather what every-one hopes for is a fight between the two,

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum told ESPN that a backup plan if a hoped-for May 2 blockbuster against unbeaten US star Mayweather falls through is a fight four weeks later in Las Vegas, New York, London or Abu Dhabi.

“A lot of places around the world want to host a Manny Pacquiao fight,” Arum said. “He’s an international icon, and I have been approached by a number of people looking to host a Manny Pacquiao fight.”

Arum also told ESPN that Khan, a former welterweight champion, is the lead-ing candidate, although Khan would also be a top contender to fight Mayweather if Pacquiao is not his choice.

Khan and Pacquiao have also been spar-ring partners before in training camps run by trainer Freddie Roach while working with both fighters.

Arum also mentioned Russian former junior welterweight champion Ruslan Pro-vodnikov and Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse as possible Pacquiao foes.

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Friday 1/23/2015 – British welterweight Amir Khan revealed a fight against Manny Pacquiao could be on the cards after a meeting with his former sparring partner on Friday.

Khan trained alongside Pacquiao for several years under his old mentor Freddie Roach and had previously maintained they would never fight.

But, despite their warm relationship, both men are now open to a bout following their get-together at the Fitzroy Lodge boxing club in London.

“It was great seeing Manny again as it’s been a while since we last met up,” Khan said on Friday.

“He’s a good friend and we chatted about the past when we were training together, his visit to London and also a bit about the future.

“Even though we have that friendship, if it makes sense then it’s a fight that can certainly happen between us. I want to fight the biggest and best names out there and Manny is definitely among them.

“Within the next few weeks, who I’m fighting should be a lot clearer. I want to give the fans the most exciting and entertaining fights in 2015 - so watch this space.”

Khan and Pacquiao have both spoken recently of their wish to fight the world’s top fighter, Floyd Mayweather, without actually securing a shot with the American.

But in the meantime they could meet each other in the ring after Khan, 28, deliv-ered arguably a career-best performance when he won a landslide decision victory over American Devon Alexander in December.

Pacquiao, 36, seems to be past his peak but remains a massive draw in the sport and he too would be happy to fight Khan.

“Yes, there’s a big possibility, nothing personal, we’re just doing our job in the ring,” he said on Sky Sports News.

“It’s not difficult for us because we respect each other.”

Pacquiao, Mayweather meetat Heat-Bucks game ‘by chance’

Khan eyes clash with old friend Pacquiao

By Rebecca BryanPhoenix, United States | AFP | Wednes-

day 1/28/2015 – The NFL, which will crown its champion Sunday in the quint-essential American sporting spectacle of Super Bowl 49, is gaining fans globally with China leading the way.

That’s one of the findings in a study released on Wednesday by sports market-ing research firm Repucom, which found that since 2013 interest in the NFL among the Chinese population has jumped from 1.7 percent to 7.9 percent.

The jump of just over six percentage points represents an extra 31 million people saying that they are now NFL fans.

That’s no surprise to Richard Young, managing director of NFL China, who has worked in recent years to introduce the complicated game to potential Chinese fans who have already embraced such sports imports as NBA basketball and English Premier League football.

“We are growing strongly in China, and I think it’s a direct result of having boots on the ground over the past few years,” Young told AFP.

NFL initiatives in China include a non-tackle flag football league involving 36 universities, a giant 18-wheeler lorry that last year toured nine cities offering videos showcasing the drama of the NFL, and for the past two years events where enthusiasts can get the feel of the “pigskin” as they test themselves catching passes and kicking field goals.

Developing a deep understanding of the game among non-US fans is a challenge, even in Europe where American football has had a solid fan base for some time.

“It’s not an easy sport to learn quickly,” said David Tossell, the NFL’s director of public affairs for Europe. “Our approach is to give people enough hooks to actually want to make that journey by themselves.”

The “hooks” in Europe have included regular-season games in London, but for reasons of cost the NFL pulled the plug on NFL Europe, a professional league where both US and European players once honed their talent.

Without it, Tossell acknowledged, “We don’t have a clear pathway for a young, talented European player to go off into the NFL.”

That’s unfortunate, since the experience of the NBA has shown that an increased number of international players in the league in turn fuels interest overseas.

“We’re lucky that there have been a few players in the last few years who have made that journey,” he added, pointing to Germany’s Sebastian Vollmer, who will suit up for New England on Sunday when they take on Seattle for the NFL title.

“If you can say to kids ‘look at Sebas-tian Vollmer, you could be playing in the Super Bowl in 10 years’ time,’ that makes a big difference,” Tossell said.

“Look at China and the way the NBA exploded there with Yao Ming. We haven’t had our Yao Ming moment in Europe yet.”

Nevertheless, Repucom found interest in the United Kingdom has grown from 8.1 percent in 2012 to 12.3 percent, defining the increase as 1.86 million NFL fans.

Russia actually led the way in terms of the proportion of the population who say they are interested in the NFL, topping the list of countries outside North America with more than 10 million Russians calling themselves fans.

An upward trend is also evident in South America, with Brazil seeing an increase of 3.3 million in NFL fans.

Grass roots growth key Glenn Lovett, president of global strat-

egy at Repucom, said encouraging local participation will be key to fueling even more growth.

America’s most popular sport gains ground globally

Fighter of the Decade, Manny Pacquiao is introduced as a judge during the The 63rd Annual Miss Universe Pageant, broadcast live from the FIU Arena in Doral-Miami, Florida on January 25, 2015. HO/Miss Universe Organization L.P., LLLP


COMMUNITYWASHINGTON, D.C. – The Philip-

pines is among the 10 top countries with improved performances in the list of the world’s freest economies, jumping 13 notches in the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom released today by the Heritage Foundation.

The Philippines moved from 89th place in 2014 to 76th place in 2015 in the an-nual survey of 184 countries published since 1995 by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington-based think-tank.

The 2015 Index, which graded econo-mies based on 10 independent factors , showed the Philippines increasing its scores in such indicators as financial freedom (+10); freedom from corruption (+9.9); labor freedom (+8.5); and monetary freedom (+0.8).

The Philippines scored 62.2 out of a possible 100, which is above the global

and regional averages. This also allowed the Philippines to emerge in the 13th spot among 42 countries in the Asia-Pacific that were surveyed.

“This is definitely good news for the Philippines and a reflection of the positive outcome of the good governance efforts that are being undertaken by the Aquino administration,” said Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.

His sentiments were echoed by the Heritage Foundation, which attributed the positive jump of the Philippines in the index togovernment policies.

“The Philippines’ performance is one of the best by far in any country where we have the Index,” said Ambassador Terry Miller, Director of the Center for Interna-tional Trade and Economics at the Heritage Foundation. “It is clear that government policies are delivering substantial improve-

ments in the economy.”The Index measures economic freedom

based on 10 quantitative and qualitative factors grouped under four broad cat-egories or pillars – rule of law, limited government, regulatory efficiency, and open markets.

Based on an aggregated score, each of the 184 countries graded in the Index are classified as “free” (with a score of 80 or higher), “mostly free” (70-79.9), “mod-erately free” (60-69.9), “mostly unfree” (50-59.9, or “repressed” (under 50).

In previous years, the Philippines was under the “mostly unfree,” but it has re-turned to the “moderately free” category over the last two years during the Aquino administration.

Ambassador Cuisia expressed his ap-preciation for the work of the Heritage Foundation as well as his desire to explore

ways of further improving the country’s future scores in property rights (0); fis-cal freedom (-0.1); government spedning (-3.0); business freedom (-4.6); and trade freedom (-0.1)

“I look forward to finding ways to improve scores for indicators in which the Philippines could still improve further, especially trade freedom, fiscal freedom, and government spending,” Ambassador Cuisia added.

He thanked the Heritage Foundation for its transparency and objectivity in receiv-ing information and data from the Em-bassy and other Philippineagencies.

“It is my hope that the Embassy and the Heritage Foundation continues its close collaboration to help help bring about spe-cific reforms among Philippinegovernment agencies and improve scores,” Ambassador Cuisia added.

PHL jumps 13 notches in 2015 economic freedom index

By Hannah De Castro-AbinumanFrom the same network that brought us

the Emmy-award winning series, “Modern Family,” comedy favorite, “The Middle,” and long-running hit shows like “Dancing With the Stars” and “General Hospital,” comes another set of TV shows that are bound to keep you riveted to your TVs.

Last January 14, ABC announced its newest roster of TV shows, during The Critics Association’s (TCA) Winter Press Tour of 2015 in Langham Hotel, Pasadena CA. ABC held a special private screening

of the pilot episodes for the press, which was then followed by a panel discussion with the writers, executive producers, directors and cast of the shows.

ABC’s Entertainment Group President, Paul Lee, mentioned that the network’s programming has changed to reflect what America really is today. As seen in their current shows like Black-ish, Cristela and in the newest comedy airing this Febru-ary –“Fresh Off The Boat”, shows have now evolved to focus on characters that are more diverse. In fact, “Fresh Off The

ABC Entertainment debuts upcoming TV shows in TCA winter press tourBoat” has an all-Asian main cast, which is something that has not been done in US television for 20 years.

Whether it’s a fresh new comedy, a suspenseful drama or a gripping thriller that you fancy, ABC has a show that may just make it hard for you to leave the couch. Here are ABC’s upcoming series:

Fresh Off The Boat – Premieres Tues-day, February 10 at 8 p.m. ET

This hilarious new comedy is based on TV personality, Eddie Huang’s memoirs. Set in the 90’s, a 12 year old, hip-hop lov-ing Eddie just moved from Washington DC’s Chinatown to suburban Orlando with his parents.

In an attempt to fit in and survive, this immigrant family experiences culture shock in this comedic tale about pursuing the American Dream.

Starring: Randall Park | Constance Wu | Hudson Yang | Forrest Wheeler | Ian Chen

American Crime – Premieres Thursday, March 5th, at 10:00pm ET

All over the news are reports about a young couple in Modesto, California, who were attacked in their home. The case sends shock waves into the community stirring up tensions across racial lines in this gritty drama.

Starring: Felicity Huffman | Timothy Hutton | W. Earl Brown | Richard Cabral | Caitlin Gerard | Benito Martinez | Penelope Ann Miller | Elvis Nolasco | Johnny Ortiz

Secrets and Lies – Premieres Sunday, March 1, at p.m. ET.

Did he or didn’t he? Ben Crawford becomes the number one murder suspect after discovering the body of his neighbor’s son in the woods. As Detective Andrea Cornell digs for the truth, the secrets and lies of this town come to the surface and no one is above suspicion.

Starring: Ryan Phillippe | KaDee Strick-land | Natalie Martinez | Dan Fogler | Indi-ana Evans | Belle Shouse | Juliette Lewis

The Whispers – Premieres This SpringWe love to play games with our chil-

dren. But what happens when someone else starts to play with them too? Someone we don’t know. Can’t see. Can’t hear. In The Whispers, someone or something—is manipulating the ones we love most to accomplish the unthinkable.

Starring: Lily Rabe | Barry Sloane | Milo Ventimiglia | Derek Webster | Kristen Connolly | Kylie Rogers | Kyle Harrison Breitkopf

(Sources: ABC Entertainment, www.abcgo.com)

On January 14, 2015, ABC announced its newest roster of TV shows, during The Critics Association’s (TCA) Winter Press Tour of 2015 in Langham Hotel, Pasadena CA., including “Fresh Off The Boat” that has an all-Asian main cast (above), which is something that has not been done in US television for 20 years.


&Fil-Am News Lifestyle

Balita.comYour premier source for Fil-Am Lifestyle. Updated daily with local, national and international news.

to make the right decision. Should I consider filing bankruptcy or

is that the worst mistake I can make under the circumstances? What can creditors do to me if I continue to ignore my debt prob-lems? How much time do I have before creditors take everything I’ve worked so hard for? These are the common ques-tions that people have. If a lawsuit, wage garnishment, repossession or foreclosure is imminent, you need to take action im-mediately so you can protect yourself and your property.

If filing bankruptcy is your best option,

consult with an experienced bankruptcy attorney who can explain to you how this process works so you can get immediate debt relief. Unfortunately, most people feel a certain shame or stigma about petitioning for bankruptcy when in reality it may be the best thing they can do to protect themselves from creditor actions.

Listen to me: If your home, wages, as-sets and your financial future are at stake, you don’t need to feel embarrassed about anything. If you have done your best to do everything you can with no success, you need to at least find out what your

legal options are. Forget about what you friends and family may think if they find out that you are considering bankruptcy. That should be the least of your concerns. What you need to know is to find out the advantages and disadvantages of bank-ruptcy so you can determine if it is right for your situation. If you have been sued by a creditor and you don’t file an answer to the complaint, the creditor can get a default judgment against you. The judg-ment obtained will then allow the creditor to further collect the debt by seizing your bank accounts or garnishing your wages.

In certain cases where the creditor ob-tains a court order to force you to appear in court to be examined regarding your assets (debtor’s examination), your failure to appear may result in a bench warrant issued by the court for your arrest. Keep in mind that in the above scenario, you do not go to jail for owing money but you can get arrested for failure to appear at the judgment debtor’s examination. If you file bankruptcy, of course, at any point during

the collection process, the legal proceed-ings against you are immediately stopped.

Most people are afraid of filing bank-ruptcy simply because they are unaware that the law is on their side and that they can get out of debt and start a new life. Don’t deprive yourself and your family of the benefits that the law provides. There is nothing wrong or illegal about seeking legal help if it’s your only way out of the financial mess you’re in.

If you are in debt and would like to get out, I’d like to help you. For a free consultation, call my office at Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772 so I can carefully review your situation and all available options.

(None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free evaluation of your situation, please call his office at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772. He has office locations in Pasadena, Cerritos and Valencia.)

To people who need to get out of debt, but are afraid of bankruptcyDo you want to get out of debt but are afraid that filing

bankruptcy may only make things worse for you?Facing difficult financial times can be a frightening thing

for a lot of people. When bill collectors are calling day and night, at some point, you realize that something must be done but you just don’t know where to begin or where to go for help. Often, options can also be confusing unless you get the right information that you need

REDWOOD SHORES, CA, January 26, 2015 – When gay soldier character Benjamin “Benjie” Santos VIII, played by host-actor-singer Vice Ganda, first came into public con-ciousness in 2011 by way of ABS-CBN Star Cinema’s action-comedy, “The Unkabogable: Praybeyt Benjamin”, the character became an icon for unlikely heroes and the film became the first in Philippine cinema history to break the P300 million mark.

The good news is that Benjamin is back and so is the team of Vice Ganda and director-writer Wenn V. Deramas to give life and zest to the sequel, The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin, the box-office toast of the recently held 40th Metro Manila Film Festival.

Again, the dynamic artist-director duo wove magic at the box office, this time breaking all Philippine records by grossing Php435 million as of January 14, 2015.

TFC@theMovies happily brings this com-edy treasure to North America starting January 30, and will screen in over 40 theaters in U.S. and in Canada.

In The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin, after defeating terrorists and saving the world from a zombie attack, Praybeyt Benjamin is promoted to colonel and has become an international superstar. Once simple and humble, he allows success to get into his head.

After making a fatal mistake in one mission by disobeying his new commanding officer

General Wilson Chua (played by Richard Yap), Benjamin is subjected to disciplinary action.

He is given a new mission: gain the con-fidence of General Chua’s brat kid, Bimbee (played by James “Bimby” Aquino-Yap) and extract from the General’s estranged child in-formation on the secret locations of three active terrorist bombs planted in the country. It doesn’t help that in trying to do so, Benjamin finds him-self frequently clashing with pesky housemaid Gundina (played by Alex Gonzaga). And, of course, there is handsome villain Janjaranjan (played by Tom Rodriguez) to contend with.

“The team behind The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin has one mission and that is to make you laugh. They made box-office history do-

ing exactly that,” said ABS-CBN Global Head of Theatricals John D-Lazatin. “The cast is comprised of masters of comedy - from the material, to their timing, to their chemistry with one another, and to their genuine desire to entertain the audience with their talents. It is that unpretentious singularity of intention and focus that makes watching The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin so much fun. We want to bring that unique brand of Filipino fun to movie audiences here in North America.”

The cast includes Eddie Garcia, Al Tantay, Vandolph Quizon, Nikki Valdez, Kean Cipriano, Anja Aguilar, DJ Durano, Ricky Rivero, Den-nis Padilla, Malou de Guzman, Abby Bautista, Rhed Bustamante and other famous celebrities.

Vice Ganda-led zany cast unloads laugh-a-minute comedy in ‘The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin’


JOB MARKETFor advertising, call (818) 552-4503 402 • Fax (818) 550-7635 • email: [email protected]

Life and Leisure News for Filipino-Americanswww.usasianpost.com

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CAREGIVERSFemale / male. Must speak Eng-lish. For board and care for San Fernando Valley area. Full-time, live-in. Call 818-981-5792.

FEMALE CAREGIVER/COOKNeeded for long term emp. Wk-day, wkend, FT, PT shifts avail. Good pay. Must be exp'd in American cooking & have exp in res'l care facility for the elderly. Must have caring heart, nger-print, 1st aid, T.B. 909-896-7227.

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FRIENDLY CASHIERFor Gas and Convenience store. Part-time, evenings in Orange Co. Call Gary (714) 636-6333.

OC NANNY/HOUSEKEEPERNice Irvine family looking for FT or PT nanny / housekeeper M-F. Transportation maybe required. Call 714-745-5638.

LIVE-IN CAREGIVERFor 6 bed elderly facility in Or-ange. Private room and good condition. Pls.call 714-612-4288.

CAREGIVERSCaregivers needed right away. Irvine Cottages / Memory Care. Assisted Living or Board& Care experienced req'd. Full-time & part-time live-in female & male. 949-633-1595 or 949-533-1136.

FEMALE CAREGIVERLive-in for board & care facility in Cerritos, for 5 days a week 8/hours a day. No experience needed, will train. Pls call 562-864-7814.

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LIVE-IN CAREGIVERFull-time live-in caregiver need-ed immediately for a board & care facility for elderly in North-ridge. With experience but not necessary. We will train. Pls call 818-742-8045.

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CAREGIVER To work in live-in at prestigious area of Pasadena. 6 Bed facility for elderly, will provide training. Ask for Dan (626) 351-1150


CLASSIFIED ADSTEL.: (818) 552-4503 ext 402 • Fax: (818) 550-7635 • MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

*NOVENA of CONFIDENCEO Lord Jesus Christ, To your most Sacred Heart, I con de this/these intention. (Here, mention your request.) Only look upon me, then do what your Heart decides. I count on You. I trust in You. I throw myself on Your mercy, Lord Jesus! You will not fail me. Lord Jesus, I know You will not fail me Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You.Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Your love for me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have asked you for many favors, but I earnestly implore this one. Take it, and place it in Your Sacred Heart. When the Eternal Father sees it covered with Your precious blood. He will not refuse it. It will no longer be my prayer, but Yours. O Jesus, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You. Let me never be confounded. Amen. -CARMEN

PRAYERS

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PRAYER of ST. JUDEMost Holy Apostle, St. Jude faithful servant and friend of Jesus.The church honors and invokes you universally as the Patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me. Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you. To bring visible help, where help is almost despaired of. Come to our assistance in this great needs that we may receive the help of heaven in all our necessities, tribulations and sufferings particularly [please mention intention]...that I may praise God with you and with all the elect, forever. I promise, blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor.To honor you as my most powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you, AMEN. -SAM

PRAYERS

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APTS. FOR RENT1 Door apt. 2 BR. Filipino Town area - Temple / Ram-part. 2BR 1 BA, parking space. Preferably non-smoker. For inquiries call Vicky @ (213) 944-8887 or(213) 384-1955.

PRAYER to the BLESSED VIRGIN(Never known to fail)

Oh most beautiful ower of Mt. Carmel, fruit wine splendor of Heaven.Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea. Help me and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then you must publish and it will be granted to you.Grateful Thanks. -MELISSA

PRAYERS

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ROOM - HOUSEMuroc St. Bell ower. Fe-male. $475 free utils, use of ref, washer/dryer, stove. Own entry & park-ing space. Near frwy & bus stop. Tawag sa 562-862-4182; 562-552-5721 days, 562-552-4023 eves & wkends.

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JOB MARKET


MOTORINGMirage 5-door sub-compact is the most fuel effi cient gas-powered non-hybrid in America, with sales reaching well beyond expectations

Wed, Jan 14, 2015 - Cypress, Calif. – Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is pleased to kick off the new year with recognition by IHS Automotive for having the highest Model Loyalty in the Non-Luxury Traditional Sub-Compact Car Segment for the 2014 model year*.

“We are delighted to receive this Model Loyalty recognition by IHS Automotive,” said Don Swearingen, Executive Vice President of MMNA. “Mitsubishi Motors has experienced growing customer loyalty across our entire model lineup through the years, and this award demonstrates that we are successfully retaining our current cus-tomers while simultaneously introducing new consumers to the brand.”

IHS Automotive recognizes automotive manufacturers for superior owner loyalty performance, which is determined when a household that owns a new vehicle returns to market and purchases or leases another new vehicle of the same make or model.

The 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage, with a starting MSRP of $12,995, achieves an EPA fuel mileage rating of up to 37 mpg city/44 mpg highway and also has an NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) 4-Star Overall Vehicle

Score.For more information on the Mitsubishi

Mirage please visit media.mitsubishimo-tors.com.

*According to IHS Automotive’s U.S. owner loyalty analysis of the Non-Luxury Traditional Sub-Compact Car Segment, Mitsubishi Mirage had the greatest percent-age of owners who returned to market and purchased or leased another Mitsubishi Mirage in the 2014 model year.

Meanwhile, the highly fuel-efficient 2015 Mirage 5-door sub-compact by Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has been named “the most af-fordable vehicle shoppers can buy” by Cars.com. The venerable online automo-tive resource took into account minimum feature requirements – Bluetooth capa-bility, USB port, power windows and door locks – as well as destination fees and anticipated five-year fuel costs to calculate the most affordable vehicle to buy and own.

The 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage DE, featur-ing the CVT transmission and Bluetooth® capability, was named Cars.com’s most affordable vehicle coming in at $15,115 – a significant savings of more than $1,300 over the second-place vehicle. Taking in to account the cost of ownership, Cars.com also calculated anticipated fuel costs for five years. The Mitsubishi Mirage, with a combined fuel economy of 40 mpg, was again the most affordable vehicle option with anticipated fuel costs of $7,000 for five years – $500 less than the second-place vehicle.

“When we considered the most afford-able cars, it was important that we looked only at models equipped with basic but im-portant options like an automatic transmis-sion and power windows and locks,” said Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com’s Executive Editor. “We wanted to help consumers who want an incredibly affordable car find one that also includes the niceties that almost every shopper has come to expect.”

Featuring a 1.2 liter 3-cylinder DOHC engine, the Mitsubishi Mirage is available with either a 5-speed manual transmission or the advanced continuously-variable transmission (CVT). Standard safety fea-tures include seven air bags and the Mirage features one of the best protection plans in the entire industry: a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, a fully trans-ferrable 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, a 7-year/100,000 mile anti-corrosion/perforation limited warranty and a 5-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance program.

“Having a trusted consumer automo-tive resource like Cars.com name one of your vehicle offerings as the single most affordably-priced new vehicle model is high praise, indeed,” said Don Swearingen, Executive Vice President of MMNA. “It is further testament to what our customers have been telling us all along: The Mitsubi-shi Mirage – with its low price, outstanding fuel economy, great warranty and welcome convenience features – is an all-around exceptional new-car value.”

If you want to know why the Mitsubishi is up in its sales and why the Outlander and Lancer are two of America’s top Mitsubishi vehicles or why they are the choice of many of our kababayans – nostalgia perhaps? – who are looking for reliability, efficiency and comfort, call Richard Samaco, Cesar Macandili or Mark De Leon the dealer-ship’s Filipino salespersons at Glendale Mitsubishi at (888) 465-7218.

h i bi hi i f

Mitsubishi Mirage recognized by IHS Automotive for Model Loyalty



TORRANCE, Calif., Jan 23, 2015 – Honda has received two Best Resale Value Awards from trusted vehicle valuation source Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com. The 2015 Honda Fit (automobiles.honda.com/fit/) earned the top award in its seg-ment for projected resale value after five years of ownership. Additionally, the 2015 Honda CR-V (automobiles.honda.com/cr-v/) was honored as one of the overall Top 10 Best Resale Value vehicles in America.

2015 Honda Vehicles Honored with Kel-ley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards

2015 Honda Fit – Best Resale Value: Subcompact Car

2015 Honda CR-V – Best Resale Value: Top 10

“The Fit is a premium small car with a healthy appetite for passengers and cargo, representing tremendous value well be-yond its exterior footprint,” said David Hendley, assistant vice president of sales at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “It’s great to see the all-new Fit, our brand’s entry model, join the much-honored CR-V among KBB.com’s Best Resale Value Award winners this year.”

Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Val-ue Awards are based on projections from the Kelley Blue Book® Official Residual Value Guide. These prestigious awards honor vehicles expected to maintain the greatest proportion of their original

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) after five years of ownership. Since depreciation (or loss of value) is typi-cally a car buyer’s primary expense during ownership, these awards are designed to help consumers make more informed car-buying decisions.

For more information about Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Awards, please visit: http://www.kbb.com/new-cars/best-resale-value-awards/.

Earlier, the 2015 Honda Fit has claimed a spot on the prestigious 2015 AUTO-MOBILE All-Star list (automobilemag.com/2015AllStars). The brand’s editors, who judge each vehicle on its performance, features, and overall value, applauded the Fit (automobiles.honda.com/fits) for its refined powertrain, excellent ergonomics, and fun-to-drive dynamics.

“The Fit remains the benchmark for

2015 Honda Fit, CR-V named ‘Best Resale Value’ vehicles by KBB.com

packaging, versatility and value in its segment,” said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda automobile division for American Honda. “AUTOMOBILE’s recognition of the Honda Fit validates our ongoing efforts to deliver best-in-class vehicles for our customers, and our continued investment in North American manufacturing.”

“We’d argue there isn’t a better car on the road today starting under $20,000 than the Honda Fit,” said AUTOMOBILEeditor-in-chief Mike Floyd. “It’s fun to hustle around, especially when its updated engine is mated to its new six-speed manual. It’s pulled off adding more rear seat and cargo area—all while decreasing its overall footprint. And it’s available with more op-tions and safety features than ever before. The Fit is still very much go, and it’s a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star as a result.”

This win for the 2015 Fit marks the 20th time a Honda has been named a n A U T O M O -BILE All-Star since the award’s incep-tion in 1990. Past Honda All-Stars, in addition to the Fit, include the Civic, Element, Prelude, Odyssey, Accord and

Ridgeline.To read AUTOMOBILE’s complete

2015 All-Star coverage, visit www.auto-mobilemag.com/2015allstars/ or pick up a copy of the January 2015 issue of AU-TOMOBILE Magazine.

Meanwhile, if you want to belong to the select group of Honda owners, all you have to do is visit the Diamond

Honda of Glendale and get in touch with our kababayans Tito Adriosula, Cruzella Clemente and Orly Roque, who

are more than ready to serve you and find you your new Honda Hybrids or any other Honda vehicle and be assured

of top fuel efficiency as well as safety and maintenance.

These are just some of the reasons why Pinoys come to the dealership. Above all, at Diamond Honda of Glendale,

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 21, 2015 – Ed-munds.com has named the Kia Soul to its annual list of the most popular vehicles on the well-known car-buying site. With more than 18 million unique visitors a month, Edmunds.com honored the fun and funky Kia Soul in the subcompact segment for the 2nd consecutive year.

“Kia Motors America set an all-time an-nual sales record in 2014, and the Soul was a major component of that achievement, setting its own record of more than 145,000 units sold – its fifth consecutive year of sales growth. That success is powerful evidence of the popularity of the Soul and how well the Kia brand is resonating with car buyers,” said Michael Sprague, execu-tive vice president of sales & marketing, Kia Motors America.

“Being recognized by Edmunds.com staff and their visitors is further indication that our products offer a winning combina-tion of world-class design, quality, technol-

ogy and safety – and, of course, value.”The 2015 Most Popular on Edmunds.

com vehicle list was derived by identifying the three models in each vehicle segment with the highest “car-shopper consider-ation,” which is calculated as the total monthly unique desktop website visitors to Edmunds.com’s research and inventory pages, including model year detail pages (core pages), reviews, build-and-price tools and new-car inventory pages, from Jan. 1, 2014 to Oct. 31, 2014.

“The Kia brand has a lot of momentum, and a remarkable number of in-market subcompact car shoppers on our site have been especially drawn to the Soul,” said Edmunds.com CEO Avi Steinlauf.

The signature Soul design is instantly recognizable yet thoroughly fresh. Hon-oring Soul owners’ fierce individualism, three unique trim levels remain available: Base, Plus and Exclaim.

Meanwhile, Pierce Brosnan, known

Kia Soul: Winner of a 2015 most popular on Edmunds.Com Award

worldwide for his sophisticated movie hero roles, again makes the “Perfect Getaway” in Kia Motors America’s (KMA) 60-sec-ond spot for the all-new 2016 Kia Sorento CUV, making its broadcast debut during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLIX.

If you want to find out why Kia is among the leading car brands of today,

drop by Car Pros Kia of Carson at 21243 S Avalon Blvd, Carson, CA 90745 (tele-phone # 310-221-9131), or at Car Pros Kia Huntington Beach at 18835 Beach Blvd.,

Huntington Beach, CA 92648 (714-613-1119) and last but won’t be the last, at Car Pros Kia Glendale at 400 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91204 (818) 745-1400.

If you’re in the Southbay area, call our kababayans Venny Cruz and Wilford Solancho of Car Pros Kia Huntington Beach. Call them now at (714) 613-1119.






Find your dream car at a great price, with our friendly, no pressure sales staff

to help you follow your heart and decide which model is “the one” for you.

Subaru, Forester, Outback, Tribeca, Legacy, Impreza, WRX, STI, and SUBARU BOXER are registered trademarks. Purchase or lease any new (previously untitled) Subaru and receive a complimentary factory scheduled maintenance plan for 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever comes first). See Subaru Added Security Maintenance Plan for intervals, coverages and limitations. Customer must take delivery before 12-31-15 and reside within the promotional area. At participating dealers only. See dealer for program details and eligibility.

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Walk away with FREE grocery gift card from Seafood City by calling our kababayan Nelson Samson at Ross NIssan. Hurry, call him now!

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Some say there’s more to life than popularity, but with Edmunds.com “Most Popular” awards, it seems to be rather important. Edmunds.com recently named the 2015 Nissan Al-

If you want to be the next Altima owner, or you may want to purchase another Nissan vehicle, brand-new or certifi ed pre-owned, all you have to do is get in touch with our friends at Ross Nissan located at 3428 North Peck Road, El Monte, CA 91731. Or call them to make an appointment at 1-866-481-1050 and he will give you FREE! grocery gift card from Seafood City. For more information, please visit their website at www.rossnissan.com.

2015 Nissan Altima, Frontier and Pathfi nder named ‘Most Popular’ on Edmunds.com

research and inventory pages on the Ed-munds.com desktop site. This year’s award looked at website traffic from the first 10 months of 2014. Around 18 million shop-pers visit Edmunds.com for car-buying advice every month.

“Winning an accolade like this is a testa-ment to the true popularity of our vehicles,” said Fred Diaz, senior vice president, Nis-san Sales & Marketing and Operations U.S., Nissan North America, Inc. “Based on customer research trends, winning this award shows that each of these three Nis-san models continues to resonate well with new-vehicle shoppers.”

tima “Most Popular Midsize Car,” the 2015 Nissan Frontier “Most Popular Compact Truck,” and the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder “Most Popular Midsize Traditional SUV.” These three vehicles stood among the top-three most-researched vehicles in their respective categories on the car research site Edmunds.com.

Winners for each vehicle segment are selected based on the highest number of unique visitors to the model’s new-car

Each solid fixtures in their respective segments, these three vehicles are Ed-munds.com’s Most Popular for a second consecutive year.

“Nissan products are really getting the attention of in-market car shoppers on our site,” said Edmunds.com CEO Avi Stein-lauf. “Winning so many ‘Most Popular on Edmunds.com awards bodes well for the company’s sales in 2015.”

Early this month, Nissan announced total U.S. sales for December 2014 of 117,318 units, an increase of 6.9 percent compared to last year and a December record. For calendar year 2014, Nissan set an all-time record with 1,386,895 total U.S. sales, an increase of 11.1 percent over 2013.

Nissan Division 2014 calendar year highlights:

In 2014, Nissan Division set an all-time record with 1,269,565 total sales.

Nissan also set annual sales records for Altima, Rogue, Versa, Juke, LEAF, NV and NV200.

In 2014, Nissan sold more than 30,000 LEAF vehicles in the U.S., the first time any plug-in vehicle has reached that mile-stone in a single year.

December highlightsNissan Division set a December record

with 105,311 sales, up 9.1 percent.Sales of the Altima midsize sedan were

up 30.3 percent to 32,331, a December record.

Rogue crossover sales also set a De-cember record at 14,879, up 1.4 percent.

Sales of the all-electric Nissan LEAF totaled 3,102, up 22.7 percent and a De-cember record.

Sentra sales were up 42.5 percent to 15,393.

Versa sales grew 3 percent to 9,129.Nissan will unveil the all-new Titan

full-size pickup truck on Jan. 12, 2015, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. More information on the development of the new Titan is available at: http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/channels/us-united-states-nissan-titan-truckumentary.

If you want to be the next Nissan owner or you may want to purchase another Nis-san vehicle, brand-new or certified pre-owned, all you have to do is get in touch with our friends at Ross Nissan located at 3428 North Peck Road, El Monte, CA 91731. Or call them to make an appoint-ment at 1-866-481-1050. For more infor-mation, please visit their website at www.rossnissan.com.

Lifetime oil change and tires for life! These are what you’re going to get if you buy your car at Hooman Toyota. Hurry! Call our kababayans Alfi e Alberto (left) and Arvin Aberilla now toll free at 1-800-519-2446. Hooman Toyota is located at 4401 East Pacifi c Highway, Long Beach, CA 90804.

Free oil change for life at Hooman Toyota!


36 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., Jan. 31 - Feb. 6, 2015 Balita LOS ANGELES

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