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Vol. 4. No. 19 LOS ANGELES Wednesday - Tuesday, February 4 - 10, 2015

Pops in concert at Pala Feb. 7

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Manila, Philippines | AFP | Sunday 2/1/2015 - The Philippine interior secretary said Sunday he did not know in advance of plans for an anti-terror raid that trig-gered a bloodbath in which 44 po-lice commandos were killed.

Manuel Roxas, who is in charge of the national police, said he had no foreknowledge of the January 25 operation.

The huge losses shocked and enraged the nation and imperiled a peace pact with the main Mus-lim rebel group in the southern island of Mindanao.

“They did not tell me about this... I’m not saying I would have known better but I also can’t help feeling I was not given a chance to ensure there was better coordina-tion,” he told demoralized mem-bers of the police Special Action Force (SAF) at their headquar-ters.

The SAF commandos were gunned down while on a mis-sion to capture or kill Malaysian bombmaker Zulkifl i bin Hir, alias Marwan, a leading member of the Jemaah Islamiyah group which staged the 2002 Bali bombings in

Indonesia.While authorities say Marwan

was killed, the commandos were later ambushed by Muslim armed groups – including fi ghters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which signed a peace agreement with the government last March.

The MILF said the raid should have been coordinated with them under the terms of the ceasefi re.

“Your job is tough and danger-ous. It is the duty of the state to give you the full support, equip-ment and training and not to send you into hopeless operations,” an apologetic Roxas said in a dia-logue at SAF headquarters.

However the minister, a close confi dante of President Benigno Aquino, told the commandos to await the result of an investiga-tion before jumping to conclu-sions.

Aquino had previously said he was informed by top police of the operation.

“We again appeal to every-one to give peace a chance,” his spokesman Herminio Coloma said A member of PNP-Special Action Force become emotional while attending a dialogue between DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and

members of PNP-SAF at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City Sunday. Roxas, who also heads the National Police Commission, assured that Napolcom will conduct a thorough investigation on the Mamasapano bloody encounter.(MNS photo)

MANILA, Feb 2 (Mabuhay) – Even Malacañang has urged sus-pended Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima to speak up on the Maguindanao operation, which left 44 policemen dead.

Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said it is the duty of the suspended PNP chief to re-veal all he knows about the Ma-masapano raid. Purisima alleg-

edly called the shots during the deadly operation.

“Tungkulin po nya na ibigay ang kinakailangang imporma-syon yung nalalaman nya dahil ayon naman po sa pangulo na-gumpisa pa dun sa kanyang ka-panahunan ang operasyong ito,” he said.

President Aquino confi rmed before national television on

Wednesday that Purisima indeed coordinated with him on the op-eration of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) commandos before his suspension in December.

An offi cial of the Offi ce of the Ombudsman, meanwhile, said Purisima can be removed from the service if it is established that he was calling the shots in the op-

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Sunday 2/1/2015 – The Phil-ippines will buy three surplus naval landing craft from Aus-tralia in addition to two vessels Canberra has donated to deal with future relief efforts follow-ing typhoons, a defence offi cial said Monday.

The vessels, which were decom-missioned in November, will be refurbished with modern safety and navigation equipment before being handed over.

“I expect the vessels will be refi tted and ready for handover

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Monday 2/2/2015 - A new mega-casino opened in the Philippines Monday as the fast-growing southeast Asian nation ups its bid to become a world gaming desti-nation.

Manila aims to rival Macau and Las Vegas in terms of gaming rev-enues, and the “City of Dreams” is the latest in a string of casinos that have opened in recent years.

The new casino is an imposing structure on Manila Bay with six gleaming golden towers surround-ing a giant egg-shaped dome, and industry and government leaders hope that it will attract cashed-up

tourists from other parts of Asia.The casino is a joint venture be-

tween the country’s richest man Henry Sy, Australian billionaire James Packer and Lawrence Ho, son of Macau casino mogul Stan-ley Ho.

“The goal is to fi nd the best (sites) in Asia... The Philippines is one of the fastest growing econ-omies anywhere in the world. We’ve seen the market really pick up,” Ho told reporters.

Ho also acknowledged the huge cost of building the resort. The Philippine government requires a minimum $1 billion investment for new casinos built in the area.

Two Balikpapan-class LCHs similar to HMAS Labuan (seen here) from Australia will be in the Philippine arsena. Photo: Royal Australian Navy

Cotabato, Philippines | AFP | Monday 2/2/2015 – A bloodbath in the southern Philippines has placed at risk billions of pesos in potential investment, a business leader in the region said Monday.

At least three foreign fi rms looking to partner with local busi-nessmen have put investments on hold after a deadly clash between Philippine forces and Muslim rebels, Mohamad Omar Pasigan, president of the Bangsamoro Business Club, told AFP.

The botched anti-terror opera-tion on January 25 left 44 police commandos dead in the southern island of Mindanao, along with at least 11 rebels.

“Security is everything for busi-nessmen out to make a profi t... They know when to take a risk and when to pull out,” Pasigan said.

“They are willing to come here and invest, but then this fi ghting happened.”

MANILA, Feb 2 (Mabuhay) – The Pasay regional trial court branch 112 on Monday cleared former elections chief Benjamin Abalos of two counts of electoral sabotage in connection with al-leged cheating in the 2007 mid-term polls.

Abalos earlier denied the testi-mony of Yogi Martirizar, former North Cotabato election supervi-sor, who claimed Abalos ordered her to rig the election results in favor of senatorial candidates al-lied with the Arroyo administra-tion.

Last year, the Pasay RTC Branch 117 also acquitted Abalos of 11 counts of electoral sabotage fi led by the poll body on January 2012.

The case stemmed from the al-leged rigging of election results in South Cotabato during the 2007 elections.(MNS)

MANILA, Feb 2 (Mabuhay) – A citizens’ elections watchdog on Monday asked the Supreme Court to strike down a Commission on Elections resolution allowing Smartmatic-TIM to conduct “diag-nostics, repair, and refurbishment” of 80,000 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to be used for the 2016 polls.

In a petition for certiorari and prohibition, the Automated Elec-tion System Watch (AES Watch) said the poll body committed grave abuse of discretion when it issued Comelec Resolution 9922, which would set in motion “Program 1” of Smartmatic’s extended warranty proposal, amounting to P300 million.

The group also claimed the Comelec ruling violated the Govern-ment Procurement Reform Act and the Commonwealth Act No. 128.

AES Watch spokesperson Nelson Celis branded the Comelec resolution as the “Brillantes midnight deal that paves the way for continuing travesty of our elections by defective Smartmatic PCOS machines and a non-compliant Comelec.”

Celis was referring to Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr, who is retiring today, along with two other Comelec commissioners.

The petition was fi led with the SC by the group’s lawyer, Man-uelito Luna, who said the contested Comelec resolution was “not only anomalous but also scandalous because we feel the policy of a public and competitive bidding and transparency requirements of fundamental law was cast aside.”

MANILA, Jan 30 (Mabuhay) –The Metropolitan Manila Devel-opment Authority announced it will allow trucks to traverse Rox-as Blvd. starting Monday, Febru-ary 2, 2015.

MMDA Chairman Francis To-lentino signed a memorandum circular which paves the way for trucks to use Roxas Blvd. from 12 midnight to 5 a.m.

”This is just temporary, upon the request of Secretary Rene Almendras, head of the Cabinet Cluster on Port Congestion, be-cause of the backlog in the op-

erations of the truckers brought about by the holidays,” Tolentino said.

The new scheme will take ef-fect for two weeks only, from Feb-ruary 2 to 15, 2015.

In December last year, MMDA implemented a new truck regula-tion along Roxas Blvd. in prepa-ration for the Feast of the Black Nazarene and the Papal visit.

“I am optimistic that this will somehow contribute to the gov-ernment’s efforts to decongest the ports,” Tolentino said.

Roxas says he wasn’t told in advance of raid

Palace to Purisima: Break silence on Mamasapano raid

Australia gives PHL two naval landing craft

New mega-casino opens Manila, seeking high-rollers

Watchdog asks SC to stop Comelec resolution for PCOS repair

Abalos acquitted of electoral sabotage

Carnage scaring away investors: business group

MMDA allows trucks temporary use of Roxas Boulevard

See MEGA-CASINO, page 2

See ROXAS, page 2

See PURISIMA, page 2

See CARNAGE, page 2

See MMDA ALLOWS, page 2

See AUSTRALIA, page 2

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ROXASFrom page 1

PURISIMAFrom page 1

AUSTRALIAFrom page 1

WATCHDOGFrom page 1

CARNAGEFrom page 1

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MEGA-CASINOFrom page 1

in a radio address. “Let us unite under this principle while seeking justice and account-ability over what happened... last week.”

Coloma said a fi nal peace agreement would require the 12,000-strong MILF to disarm in exchange for control over an au-tonomous region in Mindanao.

But public anger threatens to derail ef-forts to pass legislation needed to imple-

ment the peace accord before Aquino steps down in 2016.

The main gate of national police head-quarters in suburban Manila has become an unoffi cial memorial bedecked with fl owers, candles and other tokens left by mourners.

About 200 military veterans and serving soldiers drove up on motorcycles on Sunday, offering prayers and lighting candles.

eration in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that left 44 police commandos dead.

“It constitutes grave misconduct – a grave administrative offense that carries with it the penalty of dismissal from the service,” the offi cial said in a report by The Philip-pine Star.

Purisima was ordered suspended by the Ombudsman last December in connection with a bungled fi rearms contract.

The suspended PNP chief reportedly fl ew to Saipan on Friday amid reports of his al-leged involvement in the Mamasapano fi -asco.

in May 2015,” Australian Defense Minister Kevin Andrews said in a statement released by his country’s embassy. The three 44.5-me-ter-long (146-foot) craft, which are designed to carry heavy supplies, will be given to the Philippine Navy to help with humanitarian assistance and relief work.

The Philippines struggled because of a

Packer said jokingly that the resort was inspired by Hollywood movies “Casino” and “Oceans Eleven”, and Robert de Niro, Mar-tin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have appeared on giant billboards and TV com-mercials to promote the casino.

The 6.2-hectare (15-acre) complex is the second of four mega resorts to open on re-claimed portions of the bay, just a few hun-dred meters from the city’s slum communi-ties.

“We believe the Comelec should have done better since it is the election manager and it knows the law. Unfortunately, that compliance was not met by the Comelec,” the lawyer said.

Bishop Broderick Pabillo, who joined the AES Watch in the petition, noticed how the Comelec seemed to be “rushing” to tap Smartmatic in conducting diagnostics and repair of the counting machines.

The value of investments on hold due to the fi ghting, in the real estate and agricul-ture sectors, is estimated at “billions” of pe-sos, he said.

Malaysian businessmen due to arrive on Monday to inspect sites in Cotabato city have cancelled their trip, Pasigan said. The group was looking to build small hotels and department stores.

Jordanian businessmen looking to invest in up to 50 hectares (123 acres) of banana farms left abruptly on Sunday without fi nal-izing a deal, he added, while Singaporean and Malaysian partners seeking to replicate their mini shopping mall business in Johor Baru said they were postponing their invest-ment.

“Thereafter, Roxas Boulevard will be pre-pared and rehabilitated by the DPWH in preparation for the APEC Summit slated this year,” Tolentino added.

Further, the MMDA Chief pointed out that the scheme will not be implemented on the mornings of February 7 and 14, 2015 as it can worsen the traffi c situation during weekends. (MNS)

Pasigan declined to name the business-men since their plans were not fi nalized. He said his group was helping foreigners fi nd local partners.

Philippine laws prohibit foreign nationals from owning a majority of local businesses.

shortage of such vessels during relief op-erations after Haiyan, the strongest storm ever recorded on land, which decimated whole towns and villages in November 2013.

The Australian military, including the amphibious vessel HMAS Tobruk, were dispatched to help victims of the storm, which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing.

LOS ANGELES

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OPINIONMANILA, Feb 2 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang made the assurance that there will be no whitewash in the probe of the PNP’s board of inquiry into the Mamasapano clash even if it is investigating its own.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the PNP is deter-mined to fi nd out the truth, including why no coordination was made between the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“We will do injustice to the fallen 44 if there is such a thing (white-wash)… If you want to give justice to the fallen 44, any investigative body whether it’s a Board of Inquiry, the Senate and the House, should really seek the truth. That’s the minimum requirement,” Lacierda said.

“Let me just state for the Board of Inquiry, there have been specula-tions or already conclusions [that]… the police is investigating them-selves that the fi ndings may not be credible. That is pretty unfair. And I think that is sad that people would say that considering that it’s the police force that lost lives. It’s the institution that has lost precious people. And more than these speculations, I think, the truth for them is much, much more important and trumps all speculations that people have been saying.

“And certainly, they will fi nd and they will go to the bottom of the truth in this case. So I think the Board of Inquiry has a mandate and a determination to go to the bottom of all this.”

A total of 44 police commandos of the PNP Special Forces were killed during an operation to hunt down terror suspect Zulkifl i bin Hir, alias Marwan.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front blamed the SAF for the misen-counter, saying the government forces fi red fi rst.

Last week, President Aquino admitted knowing about the police op-eration in Maguindanao that left 44 policemen dead last January 25 but would not say who gave the go-signal for it.

He also confi rmed that suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima had a hand in the operation but only to explain the intricacies of the hunt for the terrorists.

He said Purisima was involved up to a point until he was ordered suspended by the Offi ce of the Ombudsman in connection with a bun-gled fi rearms contract.(MNS)

MANILA, Feb 2 (Mabuhay) – Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Monday said President Benigno Aquino III may be held liable for the January 25 encounter between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Philippine National Police-Special Action Force in Mamasapano, Ma-guindanao which resulted to the deaths of 44 elite policemen.

“Anyone who thinks President Aquino should assume command re-sponsibility as commander-in-chief of the military and Armed Forces of the Philippines may fi le a complaint in the International Criminal Court,” Santiago said in a press conference.

She said the ICC hears cases against heads of state and the top-ranking military commanders and anyone can fi le a complaint before it. “There is no requirement. Any person can do so, any NGO, any per-son with an active, legitimate interest on the outcome of the case,” she said.

The senator noted that it cannot be denied that after Aquino’s speech last week, where he admitted knowing about the operation, more ques-tions, rather than answers, surfaced.

“What was the direct line of command between the President and the operators? It was not clear whether he just approved the operation at the very start and then let it have its own life or he approved the particular operation. If so, whose advice is he taking and what pre-cautions were taken to protect the life of these almost uniformly very young police?” she asked.

She also asked why there was no coordination and preparation for the military encounter.

Santiago, who was elected judge of the ICC but had to decline the post due to cancer, said that the Rome Statute contains a provision on war crimes committed in non-international armed confl icts.

She said under the ICC Rome Charter, the military commander or person is criminally liable if he either knew or should have known that his forces were about to commit such crimes and the military com-mander or person failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to suppress the commission of the crime.

The senator wondered if the Mamasapano incident was an “interna-tionalized confl ict” in the sense that there may have been another state that was a party to the confl ict.

“Internationalized armed confl icts are subject to the law of inter-national armed confl icts. These include situations of outside control of insurgency as decided in a 1999 case by the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia,” she said.

She said that after responsibility has been pinpointed, the military commander and other superior offi cers found guilty should be pun-ished according to “rules derived from established customs, from the principles of humanity, and from the dictates of public conscience, also known as the Marten’s Clause.”

Santiago said, in addition to international humanitarian law, hu-man rights law should be invoked to punish those found guilty of the killing of SAF commandos.

“International humanitarian rights conventions refer to so-called ‘core rights.’ Such rights can never be derogated from by any armed group, whether in a situation of internal disturbance and armed con-fl ict,” she said.

The senator also questioned the possible “intervention by another state or states” in the incident because it is prohibited by international law. “As a general rule, foreign states are not normally allowed to pro-vide help to the rebels in a non-international armed confl ict situation,” she said.

Santiago said if the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved owing to the counterterrorism campaign worldwide by the US govern-ment, any foreign help from the CIA would complicate the legality of the armed confl ict.

MANILA, Feb 2 (Mabuhay) -- Some 12.4 million Filipinos were jobless in the fourth quarter of 2014, resulting in a joblessness rate of 27 percent - the highest since December 2013’s 27.5 percent, a new poll taken by the Social Weather Stations found.

The fourth quarter results brought 2014’s job-lessness rate average to 25.4 percent, compared to 2013’s annual average of 25.2 percent.

Quarterly joblessness was at a record-high 34.4 percent in March 2012, and has been hovering be-tween 21.7 and 29.4 percent since.

The SWS pointed out that 2014 and 2013 jobless-ness numbers coincided with the slowdown in gross domestic product growth, which, according to offi cial data, slowed to 6.1 percent in 2014 from 7.2 percent in 2013.

The SWS was taken among 1,800 adults from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1. The poll had sampling error mar-gins of ±2 percent for national percentages; ±6 per-cent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon and Min-danao; and ±3 percent for the Visayas.

The poll was posted on the Business World web-site.

OptimismDespite the increased joblessness numbers, the

poll found improved optimism that work would be-come available in the next 12 months.

Net optimism on job availability - the difference between respondents who were optimistic that there would be more jobs over those pessimistic that there would be less - increased to +16 from the +12 in the third quarter of 2014.

In the fourth quarter of 2014, 36 percent, said the number of available jobs in the next 12 months would increase. Some 32 percent said it would not change, and 20 percent (from 22 percent) said the number of positions available would decrease.

In September, 33 percent said the number of available jobs in the next 12 months would increase, while 33 percent said it would not change, and 22 percent said available jobs would decrease.

Nevertheless, the increase still placed optimism within the “fair” rating.

The SWS classifi es net optimism on job availabil-ity scores of +30 and above as “very high”; +20 to +29, “high”; +10 to +19, “fair; +1 to +9, “mediocre”; zero to -9, “low”; and -10 and below, “very low.”

Joblessness breakdownThe SWS said that the adult joblessness rate in

the fourth quarter of 2014 included:those who resigned or voluntarily left their old

jobs (14 percent, about 6.5 million adults)those who involuntarily lost their jobs due to

economic circumstances beyond their control such as contracts not renewed, employers closing opera-tion, or being laid off (9 percent or about 4.3 million

adults)fi rst-time job-seekers (3 percent or about 1.5 mil-

lion adults).Those retrenched included 6 percent (from 4 per-

cent in September) whose previous contracts were not renewed, 2 percent (from 1 percent) laid off, and 2 percent (same as September) whose employers shut operations.

The proportion of those who quit rose by two points from 12 percent in the third quarter.

Those retrenched increased by two points from September’s 7 percent, while fi rst-time job seekers “hardly moved”, staying at 3 percent.

Joblessness rose across most age segments except among the youth - those 18 to 24 years old, in which the joblessness rate fell to 48 from 50 percent.

Joblessness rose to 32 percent from 30 percent among those aged 25 to 34; 22 from 18 percent for those aged 35 to 44; and to 19 from 15 percent among those aged at least 45.

Among the genders, joblessness among women “rose sharply” to 41.7 percent from 33.2 percent, the highest since the 42.5 percent in August 2012.

Among men, joblessness “barely moved” but rose slightly to 15.6 from 14.9 percent in the third quar-ter.

Government defi nitionThe SWS’s defi nition of joblessness is different

from that of the government’s, which the later uses for the Labor Force Survey.

SWS respondents are at least 18 years old com-pared to the lower offi cial boundary of 15 years.

Also, the SWS survey considers persons with jobs as those currently working, including unpaid family members.

SWS joblessness is based on two traditional quali-fi cations: without a job at present and looking for a job. Those not working, without a job but not look-ing for one, such as housewives and students, are excluded.

In contrast, government’s Labor Force Survey defi nes the unemployed using three concepts: not working, looking for work and available for work.

Those not available for work, even though look-ing, are excluded, and those available for work but not seeking it due to illness or waiting for results of a job interview are included.

Applying the government’s defi nition, the SWS said fourth quarter joblessness among adults 18 years old and up was 17.9 percent, or 7.3 million Filipinos.

That is 17.6 percent or about 7.2 million adults who were not working, looking for work, and avail-able for work and 0.2 percent or 90,900 adults not working, not looking for work but available for work. (MNS)

MANILA, Jan 31 (Mabuhay) – The bloody clash that killed 44 Special Action Force police personnel in Mamasapano in Maguindanao last Jan. 25 should be the last ugly turn on the road to peace, government peace negotiators said Sat-urday.

Chief government negotiator Miriam Ferrer said this at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the decommissioning of weapons of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“We want the Mamasapano encounter the last ugly turn in the road to peace,” Ferrer said.

“This (Mamasapano incident) is not the fi rst, but we want it to be the last,” she added.

She lauded the police offi cers for their sacrifi ce and service to the nation.

But she admitted there is “more to be done to quell terrorism.”

For his part, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal extended his sympathies to the kin of the fallen –“those who have fallen in the Mamasa-pano incident.”

Iqbal also commended the International Moni-toring Team for helping stop the incident.

“The Bangsamoro people have suffered a lot as a result of several massacres in the past...The in-cident in Maguindanao is not intended,” he said.

Iqbal also said the MILF suffered 18 dead and 14 wounded in the Mamasapano incident.

He added the decommissioning of MILF forces is the ultimate sacrifi ce.

“No amount of obstacle can stop us in pursuit of peace in Mindanao,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ferrer added the MILF is ready to turn over 75 high-powered fi rearms to an inde-pendent decommissioning body. (MNS)

By Joel GuintoManila, Philippines | AFP | Friday 1/30/2015 –

Philippine President Benigno Aquino pledged jus-tice for the families of 44 police commandos killed by Muslim rebels during a botched anti-terror op-eration, as he led tributes on Friday – a national day of mourning.

The men were killed in confrontations with two rebel groups in the southern Philippines on Sun-day while on a mission to catch or kill Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifl i bin Hir alias Marwan, who is accused of involvement in the 2002 Bali bombings in Indonesia in which 202 people died.

“I feel your pain,” Aquino told weeping widows, parents and children of the police commandos at an emotional memorial service inside a police camp in suburban Manila.

“I pledge to bring justice to all those who were killed,” said the president, sporting the same black armband worn by police attending the ceremony.

An awkward silence, broken only by the sound of infants crying, fi lled the cramped gymnasium as Aquino personally offered his condolences to victims for the fi rst time since the massacre, praying briefl y before each white casket.

Elisa Esmulla, unemployed and widowed with fi ve young children, said she could not take a com-bat medal from the president’s hands as she was overcome with grief.

“My head was spinning. I was confused. I still can’t believe what happened to my husband,” Es-mulla, 33, told AFP, carrying her one-year-old daughter.

Aquino was attacked by many for failing to attend a parade ceremony Thursday that saw uniformed commandos bearing the coffi ns of their fallen com-rades as they arrived home in Manila.

He vowed Friday that one of his government’s top priorities would be to go after Philippine mili-tant Abdul Basit Usman, a suspect in at least nine bombings in the south, who escaped from the week-

end fi ghting.And in his eulogy, Chief Superintendent Noli

Talino repeated a Philippine government claim—not yet independently verifi ed—that Zulkifl i was killed by a small assault force.

The 44 men lost their lives in gun battles with large units of Filipino Muslim rebels who surround-ed them, according to offi cials, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a peace agreement with Manila last year.

The MILF maintains that it acted in self-defence and has vowed to pursue the peace process, as it seeks regional self-rule.

The rebels were not harbouring Zulkifl i or Us-man, MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal told AFP, despite military claims in the past they had been offered shelter.

“We don’t know anything about their move-ments... They don’t have contact with the MILF at all,” Iqbal said, adding 11 MILF fi ghters died as a result of the encounter while 15 were wounded, with some in a “serious condition”.

Iqbal said there was “no other way to move for-ward” except to implement the peace treaty.

The other group that attacked the policemen, offi cials said, is a MILF splinter group called the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which last year pledged allegiance to Islamic State fi ghters in Iraq and Syria.

‘All I ask for is justice’Eyewitness accounts by at least one police survi-

vor allege that some of the dead policemen had sur-rendered, only to be executed by the rebels who also desecrated some of the corpses, triggering mounting calls for retribution.

On Friday, the Philippine government and Mus-lim rebel negotiators announced that they had signed a protocol for the disarmament of guerillas.

The two sides started three-day talks in Kuala Lumpur from Thursday, their fi rst formal sit-down since the botched raid.

Palace: No whitewash in Fallen 44 probe

Miriam: Aquino may be held liable

Jobless rate at 27%, 12.4M unemployed in Q4 2014 – SWS

Gov’t chief negotiator: Mamasapano clash should be last ugly turn on road to peace

Aquino vows justice for dead Filipino commandos on day of mourning

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, February 4 - 10, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST4

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Philippines is among the 10 top countries with improved performances in the list of the world’s freest economies, jump-ing 13 notches in the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom released today by the Heritage Founda-tion.

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

The 2015 Index, which graded economies based on 10 indepen-dent factors , showed the Phil-ippines increasing its scores in such indicators as fi nancial free-

dom (+10); freedom from corrup-tion (+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-Pacifi c that were sur-veyed.

“This is defi nitely good news for the Philippines and a refl ec-tion of the positive outcome of the good governance efforts that are being undertaken by the Aquino administration,” said Ambassa-dor Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.

His sentiments were echoed by the Heritage Foundation, which attributed the positive

jump of the Philippines in the in-dex togovernment policies.

“The Philippines’ perfor-mance is one of the best by far in any country where we have the Index,” said Ambassador Terry Miller, Director of the Center for International Trade and Economics at the Heritage Foundation. “It is clear that gov-ernment policies are delivering substantial improvements in the economy.” The Index measures economic freedom based on 10 quantitative and qualitative fac-tors grouped under four broad categories or pillars—rule of law, limited government, regulatory effi ciency, and open markets.

Based on an aggregated score, each of the 184 countries graded

in the Index are classifi ed as “free” (with a score of 80 or high-er), “mostly free” (70-79.9), “mod-erately free” (60-69.9), “mostly unfree” (50-59.9, or “repressed” (under 50).

In previous years, the Philip-pines was under the “mostly un-free,” but it has returned to the “moderately free” category over the last two years during the Aquino administration.

Ambassador Cuisia expressed his appreciation for the work of the Heritage Foundation as well as his desire to explore ways of further improving the coun-try’s future scores in property rights (0); fi scal freedom (-0.1); government spedning (-3.0); business freedom (-4.6); and

trade freedom (-0.1)“I look forward to fi nding ways

to improve scores for indicators in which the Philippines could still improve further, especially trade freedom, fi scal freedom, and government spending,” Am-bassador Cuisia added.

He thanked the Heritage Foundation for its transpar-ency and objectivity in receiv-ing information and data from the Embassy and other Philip-pineagencies. “It is my hope that the Embassy and the Heri-tage Foundation continues its close collaboration to help help bring about specifi c reforms among Philippinegovernment agencies and improve scores,” Ambassador Cuisia added.

According to the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency, recy-cling oil helps sustain nonrenew-able resources, conserves energy, and saves money. Recycling just two gallons of used oil can gener-ate enough electricity to run the average household for almost 24 hours.

To assist in this effort, LA County Public Works will host a free used motor oil and oil fi lter re-cycling event on Saturday, Febru-ary 7, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, at O’Reilly Auto Parts, located at 722 South Atlantic Blvd., Los An-geles, CA 90022. People who recy-cle oil fi lters will receive one new oil fi lter. In addition, free used oil containers, shop towels, and fun-nels will be available on a fi rst-

come, fi rst-served basis. Items for drop-off should be prepared by placing oil fi lters in sealed plas-tic bags and storing used motor oil in leak-proof containers. Used oil should not be mixed with any other liquid, including water.

Used motor oil and oil fi lters also can be recycled for free at a lo-cal certifi ed collection center or on weekends at a County-sponsored Household Hazardous Waste/Electronic Waste collection event. A full calendar of collection events and list of collection centers can be found at www.CleanLA.com. For additional information on the County’s oil and oil fi lter recycling program, call Edna Gandarilla, Program Manager, at (626) 458-6536.

PHL jumps 13 notches in 2015 economic freedom index

LA County to host used oil and fi lter recycling event in East LA

Washington, United States | AFP | Monday 2/2/2015 – US consumer spending fell in December in the midst of the key year-end holiday shopping sea-son, while their incomes con-tinued to grow, Commerce Department data released Monday showed.

Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy’s ac-tivity, fell 0.3 percent from November, the fi rst decline of the year. The last time it fell was in December 2013.

The decline came after a sharp 0.5 percent rise in November, a month marked by aggressive price cuts and sales promotions ahead of the year-end holiday shop-ping season.

Personal income, as well as disposable personal in-come, rose 0.3 percent for the second straight month in De-cember. Wages and salaries, the largest part of income, edged up only 0.1 percent in December after a 0.6 percent rise in November.

For all of 2014, consumer spending grew 3.9 percent, picking up from the 3.6 per-cent pace the prior year.

Personal income rose 3.9 percent last year from a 2.0 percent gain in 2013.

“Looking ahead, further big real income gains and soaring confi dence point to serious strength in spend-ing,” said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, in a re-search note.

SACRAMENTO – California Department of Public Health (CDPH) director and state health offi cer Dr. Ron Chapman today is-sued a Health Advisory and the “State Health Offi cer’s Report on E-Cigarettes: A Community Health Threat,” warning Cali-fornians of the toxicity of elec-tronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).“E-cigarettes contain nicotine and other harmful chemicals, and the nicotine in them is as addictive as the nicotine in cigarettes,” said Chapman.

“There is a lot of misinformation about e-cigarettes. That is why, as the state’s health offi cer, I am advising Californians to avoid the use of e-cigarettes and keep them away from children of all ages.”E-cigarettes are battery oper-ated devices, often designed to resemble cigarettes that deliver a nicotine-containing aerosol. E-cigarettes have many names, es-pecially among youth and young adults, such as e-cigs, e-hookahs, vape pens, vape pipes or mods. The liquid solution (e-liquid) used in e-cigarettes typically contains nicotine and is commonly referred to as “e-juice.”

It is sold in a variety of can-dy, fruit and alcohol fl avors.Studies fi nd a signifi cant rise in e-cigarette use each year, especially among young adults and teens. New California data shows that e-cigarette use among young adults, ages 18 – 29, increased from 2.3 percent in 2012 to 7.6 percent in 2013. Young adults in Califor-nia are three times more likely to use e-cigarettes than those 30 and older. Likewise, e-cigarette use among U.S. teens has surged. In 2014, teen use of e-cigarettes

nationally surpassed the use of traditional cigarettes, with more than twice as many 8th and 10th graders reporting using e-cigarettes more than traditional cigarettes. Among 12th graders, 17 percent reported currently using e-cigarettes vs. 14 per-cent using traditional cigarettes.Along with an increase in use, there has been a spike in calls to the California poison control centers related to exposures to nicotine-containing e-liquids and accidental e-cigarette poisonings – from 19 in 2012 to 243 in 2014.

More than 60 percent of all those e-cigarette related calls in-volve children 5 years and under.“The e-cigarette cartridges and e-liquid bottles are not equipped with child-resistant caps, often leak, creating a poisoning risk by ingestion or by skin or eye contact,” warned Dr. Chapman. “These products are not safe.”

Highlights of the report in-clude:

Exposure to nicotine during adolescence can harm brain de-velopment.

E-cigarettes do not emit a harmless water vapor, but an aerosol that has been found to contain at least 10 chemicals that are on California’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other re-productive harm.

E-cigarettes are not FDA-ap-proved cessation aids.

Between 2011 and 2013, e-cigarette advertising jumped more than 1,200 percent and used marketing tactics to appeal to youth. Those tactics include the use of cartoon characters which is prohibited in traditional cigarette

US consumer spending falls in December

E-cigarettes, a community health threat: State offi cials

advertising. Chapman also an-

nounced that the public education and media ef-forts to counter e-ciga-rettes are just beginning. CDPH intends to partner with health, medical, child care and education communities to educate consumers about the dangers of e-cigarettes, and plans an advertising campaign in the near fu-ture.

The California Tobac-co Control Program was established by the Tobac-co Tax and Health Pro-tection Act of 1988. The act, approved by Califor-nia voters, instituted a 25-cent tax on each pack of cigarettes and ear-marked fi ve cents of that tax to fund California’s tobacco control efforts.

These efforts include supporting local health departments and com-munity organizations, a media campaign, and evaluation and surveil-lance. California’s com-prehensive approach has changed social norms around tobacco use and secondhand smoke.

It is estimated Cali-fornia’s tobacco control efforts have saved more than one million lives and have resulted in $134 bil-lion worth of savings in health care costs. Learn more at TobaccoFreeCA.

LOS ANGELES

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, February 4 - 10, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 5

‘Technology: It’s Not Just a Guy Thing” Debuts at AARP.org

WASHINGTON, D.C., Janu-ary 28, 2015 – Technology entre-preneur and writer Guy Kawasa-ki is teaming up with AARP for a new web series about how people who are 50-plus can embrace technology. Debuting at www.aarp.org/guykawasakivideos, “Technology: It’s Not Just a Guy Thing” takes a look at how tech-nology can empower people of all ages and change their lives.

Hosted by Gil Asakawa, AARP/Asian American Journal-ists Association Social Media Fellow, “Technology: It’s Not Just a Guy Thing” will focus on the art of innovation, social me-dia, the fundamentals of graphic design, and how digital media is changing the way we consume information. New episodes will premiere every three weeks until the end of March.

“AARP shares my passion for helping people master technolo-gy,” said Guy Kawasaki. “Digital tools are creative, empowering, and entertaining and help us stay productive and connected.”

“People age 50 and over are hungry for information about technology that they can un-derstand and use,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Markets and En-gagement for the Asian Ameri-can and Pacifi c Islander Audi-ence. “Guy Kawasaki, a pioneer in the technology industry, is the perfect person to help us go in depth on topics that are relevant to everyone.”

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. Formerly, he was an advisor to the Motor-ola business unit of Google and chief evangelist of Apple. He is also the author of The Art of So-cial Media, The Art of the Start, APE: Author, Publisher, Entre-

preneur, Enchantment, and nine other books. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

Watch AARP’s “Technol-ogy: It’s Not Just a Guy Thing” at www.aarp.org/guykawa-sakivideos.

About AARPAARP is a nonprofi t, nonparti-san organization, with a mem-bership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fi ghts for the issues that matter most to families such as health-care, employment and income se-curity, retirement planning, af-fordable utilities and protection from fi nancial abuse. We advo-cate for individuals in the mar-ketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members ob-tain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational informa-tion, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world’s largest circulation magazine; AARP Bul-letin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public offi ce or make contribu-tions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Founda-tion is an affi liated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older per-sons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offi ces in all 50 states, the Dis-trict of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

Guy Kawasaki at AARP Studios in Washington, DC.

Tech guru guy Kawasaki partners with AARP on new web series

Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association of Southern Cali-fornia (PWUAASC)

Lydia V. Solis was elected President of the Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association of Southern Cali-fornia for the year 2015-2016. On March 14, 2015, Lydia together with the newly-elected Of icers will be inducted into of ice during a dinner dance at The Sheraton Cerritos Hotel.

Lydia was born in Taal, Batangas to Public School Supervisor Marciano Kasilag Solis and First Grade Teacher Pacita Vergara Solis. After graduating as High School Valedictorian, she be-came one of the irst eleven 16-year-old American Field Service Scholars sent to the United States.

Lydia’s educator parents wanted her to be the Guidance Counselor at their family-owned college in Mabini, Batangas. Upon her return from the U.S.A., she enrolled at the Philippine Women’s University, Manila where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts De-gree in Psychology graduating cum laude and later on completed her Master’s Degree in Counseling.

But fate had other plans for her. She got married and started a family. In 1969, she migrated to the USA.

In luenced by her daughter, Lydia discovered Journalism. She stud-ied Journalism at UCLA as a Scholar of the Philippine American Women Writers and Artists.

She was a correspondent and a columnist (“OVERVIEW”) of Phil-ippine News, the oldest Filipino-

American newspaper established in 1961 in San Francisco. She won the coveted “Contributor of the Year” and “Correspondent of the Year” awards. Lydia cherishes being the irst recipi-ent of the Filipino American Library Spirit Award for Community Building Journalism (2001) while writing for Philippine News.

Lydia said, “not bad for someone who hated writing so much she had to ask her father for help in her high school term papers.” In 2002, Lydia retired after 31 years of service from the City of Los Angeles, and hung her gloves as Philippine News Cor-respondent and Columnist after al-most 15 years. That paved the way for other challenges. In 2003, she was appointed as West Covina Senior Citi-zens Commissioner, a post from which she retired in 2007.

In 2011, Lydia returned to Philip-pine News as Chief Correspondent of Southern California.

Besides the Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association of Southern California, Lydia is a Volun-teer Of icer of community organiza-tions such as Kalayaan Incorporated, Dr. Jose P. Rizal Monument Movement and the Philippine Heritage Insti-tute International. She was a Former President of the Philippine Press Club International and a Former Treasurer of the Filipino American Press Club of Los Angeles. She was designated an Honorary Member of the Philippine American Press Club, U.S.A.

Her volunteerism has been rec-ognized by numerous government agencies, as well as civic, religious, social and professional organiza-tions. Lydia is a widow of Clark. A. Wardle, Ph.D.

PWUAASC is in good hands with Lydia’s leadership.

PWUAASC is giving its full support to PWU Manila as it tries to resolve its current issues with her ongoing partnership with another educa-tional institution. “More than ever, we bond with other Philwomenians globally and the entire PWU commu-nity - its administration, faculty and student body in an effort to preserve our legacy of quality education as we draw nearer to our 100th Year Anni-versary and to honor what Tita Hel-en’s parents, Francisca Tirona Benitez and Dean Conrado Benitez have be-queathed to us their alumni.”

Newspaper columnist Lydia Solis new president of PWU California alumni association

Solis

By Veronique DupontLos Angeles, United States |

AFP | Sunday 2/1/2015 – Note-book in hand, Ana Alvarez walked along the streets of Skid Row, the downtown Los Angeles district that’s sometimes called the home-less capital of America.

Scores of tents and makeshift shelters had been erected for the night, all along the sidewalks.

“We don’t get close to them. We try not to disturb them, because a lot of them are already asleep,” Alvarez said.

She was helping with the homeless count that takes place every two years across the entire county.

After dark, volunteers like her scour the vast region and tally up the number of people sleeping rough.

“It’s important to know how many people live here, to as-sess the resources we need,” said Latoya Hawthorne, a census par-

fi gures.Doran Mateik, a nurse who

works regularly on Skid Row, led McDonald and his team, a map in hand.

“I’ve been coming here for seven years, I try to get to know them, to see how I can help them. Some of them have become my friends,” she said.

“I give them my address so they can receive some mail, or I try to assist them with the red tape.”

At the end of road, McDonald stopped before a tall, thin black man with glasses who stood next to a shopping cart fi lled with pos-sessions.

“You’re a vet? So am I! how old are you? Sixty-three? I’m 61! Do you get the help you need?” the politician asked, as cameras rolled and journalists watched.

The man refused to give his name, but said he was in good health. A woman from McDon-ald’s entourage handed him a

ticipant who works in a homeless women’s ref-uge.

At the last count in 2013, Los Angeles had some 39,500 homeless people. If you include those camping or staying with someone, the fi gure jumps to 60,000.

According to cur-rent estimates, some 3,000 people sleep on Skid Row’s urine- and garbage-strewn streets, their shelters made of cardboard, fabric or plas-tic and squeezed right next to each other.

“We counted 24 home-less individuals; we luck-ily didn’t see any children or people under 18,” said Harry Batt, one of thou-sands of volunteers help-ing with the count.

“It is very depressing,” he added, noting that a lot of the homeless are mentally ill.

Veterans a priority A few blocks away, US

Veterans Affairs Secre-tary Robert McDonald walked briskly, adding a mark on his notebook ev-ery time he sees a home-less person or a tent.

His presence was a demonstration of the Obama administration’s desire to tackle the prob-lem of military vets who have fallen into extreme poverty.

Of some 630,000 home-less people in the United States, nearly 50,000 are former military person-nel, according to offi cial

America’s homeless capital LA counts its down-and-outs

business card detailing psycholog-ical services for former soldiers.

“I’m not a suicide risk,” he said, politely. The woman invited him to see her at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

“We want to help,” she said.The government says that since

2010 the number of homeless vets has fallen by 33 percent. Most are 50 years or older and served in Vietnam or the fi rst Gulf War, but not in the post-September 11,

2001 campaigns.While McDonald fi nished up in

the section they were allocated, a homeless man seated on the ground in front of his tent asked: “Why do they come at night? why don’t they come during the day? They scare me.”

Alvarez explained that the cen-sus, the results of which will be published in April, takes place at night because during the day people move about a lot, partly

because they are not allowed to linger in one place.

“It’s a good thing they are counting them.

The problem is that they get this info and do (nothing) about it,” said a former homeless man who goes by the name “General Dogon” and has become a cam-paigner.

“I don’t see people getting off the street... all I see is more po-lice.”

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, February 4 - 10, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST6

Drinking more than two alco-holic beverages per day in mid-dle age could increase the risk of stroke more than the well-known culprits of having high blood pressure or diabetes, ac-cording to a new study.

That alcohol consumption increases one’s risk of stroke is well known, but the current study is the fi rst to identify a dif-ference based on age.

“We now have a clearer pic-ture about these risk factors, how they change with age and how the infl uence of drinking alcohol shifts as we get older,” says Pavla Kadlecová, M.Sc., a statistician at St. Anne’s Uni-versity Hospital’s International Clinical Research Center in the Czech Republic.

In the study, 11,644 middle-

aged Swedish twins were fol-lowed for 43 years and the re-search team set out to compare if a person’s level of drinking made a difference concerning stroke risk.

Having more than two drinks per day was considered “heavy drinking” by the researchers while drinking less than half a drink daily was considered “light drinking,” and middle age was considered to be the 50s and 60s. The team concluded that heavy drinkers had a 34 percent higher risk of stroke than the light drinkers.

Those who drank heavily in mid-life were likely to have a stroke fi ve years earlier than the light drinkers no matter what kind of genes they had and no matter what their health history

and behavior was like in early life.

The fi ndings only apply to midlife, however, for around the age of 75, blood pressure and di-abetes overtook drinking as the most infl uential factors increas-ing risk of stroke.

The American Heart Asso-ciation recommends limiting al-cohol intake to two drinks per day for men and one for women, which converts to eight ounces of wine for men and four for women.

Regular heavy drinking can raise blood pressure and lead to cardiac problems such as irregu-lar heartbeats and heart failure in addition to the risk of stroke.

The study was published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.

If you’re between 50 and 60, drinking more than two glasses of wine per day increases your risk of having a stroke, according to a new study. ©Igor Klimov/shutterstock.com

Study suggests limiting alcohol intake in middle age

(Relaxnews) – Upon noticing that her high school geometry students learned better when given the opportunity to move their bodies in ways that demon-strated the lessons, Carmen Pet-rick Smith developed a unique teaching method using Kinect, a motion-sensing input gadget from Microsoft.

Since Kinect was designed to allow users to play video games using body movements instead of a joystick, a wheel or buttons, the software enables a sort of kinetic interaction between students and their math lessons.

Now an assistant professor of math-ematics education at the University of Vermont, Smith has since produced empirical evidence that the quirky con-cept – which is now being called em-bodied cognition—could work, and her most recent study was published in the Journal of Mathematical Behavior.

In the study, 30 elementary school students were asked to perform physi-cal tasks while under the tutelage of the Kinect motion sensor input device, which enables humans to dictate to computers with body movements in-

stead of by pressing buttons.When students used their arms to

form acute, right, obtuse and straight angles, the screen changed colors and their task was to fi gure out why.

“When students are acting out a math problem and using their body to help them explain the answer, that’s another mo-dality,” says Smith. “Maybe they don’t know the words quite yet, but they have a way to express it using their body that they didn’t have before when they were sit-ting in a row of desks looking up at the teacher and searching for an answer.” Sure enough, Smith’s study suggests that students who stare at static representations of angles learn at an inferior pace compared to those who experience the motion-based cur-riculum. She has secured programmers to further develop her program and she envisions incorporating it into Vermont classrooms, initially.

A trend of applying Kinect to thera-peutic purposes is growing rapidly, for two weeks prior to the publication of Smith’s study, another study reported using Kinect to rehabilitate muscular dystrophy patients.

Just another math lesson in Miss Smith’s class.©Andy Duback

Math exercises get physical with Kinect-using teacher

LOS ANGELES

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, February 4 - 10, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 7LOS ANGELES

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, February 4 - 10, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST8

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 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 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.

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!”

With canned food staples like canned beans, chicken, green beans and broth on hand, you’ll be well on your way to savory meals like Quinoa Chicken Vegetable Salad and Nixon’s Pasta e Fagioli Soup.

For more information about the canning process, delicious recipes and to learn how you can get cooking with canned foods, visit CansGetYouCooking.com.

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.

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Mediterranean Chicken Pitas

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, February 4 - 10, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 9

PALA, CA, December 10, 2014… Pops Fernandez, the Fili-pino “Concert Queen” will per-form with the Society of Seven in a special Filipino concert at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, February 7, in the Events Center at Pala Casino Spa & Resort. Lhey Bella, a ris-ing Filipino star, also will per-form with the Society of Seven. Fernandez, one of the most popu-lar performers in the Philippines, has recorded numerous chart-topping songs and attracted sell-out crowds throughout her 20+-year career. The Society of Seven is a variety group and show band that traces its roots back to the ‘60s and performs throughout Asia and the United States. Lhey Bella enjoys a wide musical range and performs jazz standards, dance tunes, R& B and rock and roll.

Tickets on sale at 10 a.m., Fri-day, December 12, with no service charge, at the Pala Box Offi ce in the casino, or call 1-877-WIN PALA (1-877-946-7252). Tickets also are available at Star Tickets, 1-800-585-3737, or www.startickets.com.

Pala is located in Northern San Diego County; from San Diego/Riverside, take I-15 to Highway 76 east fi ve miles; from Los An-geles County and Orange County, take I-5 south to Highway 76 east, then travel 23 miles. Pala is 15 miles north of Escondido, 12 miles south of Temecula.

Address: 11154 Highway 76, Pala, CA 92059

Telephone: 1-877-WIN-PA-LA (1-877-946-7252)

Web site: http://www.palaca-sino.com

Other shows coming to Pala:Kathy Griffi n, 7:30 p.m., Sat-

urday, January 10, 2015, Events Center. Tickets, $60. $50, $40, $30 at www.startickets.com

Tu Quy (Fantastic Four) Viet-namese Concert, 7 p.m., Satur-day, January 17, 2015, Events Center. Tickets, $100, $55, $45, $35, at www.startickets.com and all Vietnamese ticket outlets.

One Night Only California’s Best Elvis Impersonators with Travis Allen, James “King” Kruk, Rob Ely, 7 p.m., Saturday, Janu-ary 24, 2015, Infi nity Showroom. Tickets, $30, at www.startickets.com

Arrival From Sweden The Mu-sic of ABBA, 7 p.m., Saturday, February 14, 2015, Infi nity Show-room. Tickets, $45, $37, atwww.startickets.com

Jim Jefferies, 7:30 p.m., Satur-day, February 21, 2015, Events Center. Tickets, $40, $30, at www.startickets.com

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Pops Fernandez, Society of Seven in Filipino concert, Feb. 7, at Pala

Pops Fernandez

Jed Madela turned emotional during a private event when he re-lated that he lost his voice.

In a video uploaded by a certain Michael Sun on YouTube Saturday, Madela thanked his tito and tita for taking care of him.

“These people are the ones who need the applause. Kasi ever since I started, sila talaga ‘yung nagpu-

push sa akin,” he said, as tears start-ed welling up. “Last month, nawala ‘yung boses ko and nobody was there. Siyempre ‘yung pamilya ko sa Iloilo, they kept calling but it was differ-ent. Sina Tito and Tita [were] there beside me every step of the way. So thank you,” he added.

The singer then embraced them to express how grateful he is for

their support. Madela then offered a medley of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” and Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings,” saying the songs’ lyrics convey his message for them.

“This is the perfect mash up of songs for people like tito and tita who really go out of their way to push people who have dreams,” he said. (MNS)

Janice admits ‘better relationship’ with John

Emotional Jed Madela admits he lost his voice

LOS ANGELES

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Actress Janice de Belen admitted that she now has a “better relationship” with her former husband, actor John Estrada.

In a recent interview with reporters, De Belen said what is im-portant now is that she is now on speaking terms with Estrada, who is the father of her four children.

“Okay naman kami... Ngayon it’s a better relationship, nag-uusap na. Ang importante ay nag-uusap na kami,” she said.

When asked if she is now open to doing a project with Estrada, she said: “’Yun ang mahirap. It’s not a personal thing kaya lang mahirap kasi kapag magsama kami, supposing na maging mag-kasama kami sa isang show o isang movie eh pag-uusapan ‘yan.”

“May asawa siya. I do not ever want anybody to feel uncom-fortable of my presence,” the actress added, referring to Estra-da’s wife, Miss Earth 2004 Priscilla Meirelles.

“Hindi kami close [ni Priscilla] pero hindi din kami magkag-alit,” she added. (MNS)

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, February 4 - 10, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST10

MOTORING (Relaxnews) – The AeroMobil 3.0,

a “fl ying car” that transforms into a two-seater light sport plane, is set to go on show to the public this spring at Top Marques Monaco.

The exclusive supercar show will provide the backdrop for the latest public update of the vehicle, which was launched at Vienna’s Pioneers Festival last winter.

The prototype, which is expected to be issued with its full airworthiness license within weeks, can achieve speeds of up to 160 km per hour on the road and 200 km per hour in the air.

The Slovakian invention, created by CTO Stefan Klein and CEO Juraj Vaculik, runs on regular fuel and has a range of 800km. It can take off from speeds of about 100 km per hour, meaning that it can take off from any legal leveled grass surface.

AeroMobil 3.0

New York, United States | AFP | Monday 2/2/2015 - Union workers at nine US oil refi neries were striking Monday for a second day after contract negotiations with plant owners broke down.

But only one of the nine plants had curtailed production as a result of the strike, Bloomberg News reported.

The United Steelworkers Union announced the stoppage began 12:01 February 1 at refi neries in California, Kentucky, Texas and Washington state. The plants are owned by Shell, LyondellBasell, Marathon Petroleum and Tesoro.

The USW took the action after negotiations broke down with Shell, which is leading the talks on behalf of refi ners.

A USW statement blamed oil company intransigence and listed a series of problems, including “onerous overtime,” “unsafe staff-ing levels” and the “erosion of our workplace” due to outsourcing of work to contractors. The nine refi neries account for about 10 per-cent of US refi ning capacity, according to Bloomberg.

However, the strike could potentially spread to a much larger group of plants.

The USW said it represents 65 refi neries accounting for nearly two-thirds of total US output. The other refi neries, including those of ExxonMobil and Chevron, are currently running under a rolling 24 hour labor contract extension, according to the union.

\New York, United States | AFP | Monday 2/2/2015 – General Motors said Monday that it had received more than 4,100 compensation claims for injuries tied to faulty igni-tions, including 455 death claims, by its January 31 deadline.

But so far only 128 of the claims have been deemed eligible for com-pensation.

Kenneth Feinberg, the attorney in charge of the independent compensa-tion fund set up by GM after recalling 2.6 million cars over the ignition-switch problem since Feb-ruary, reported 51 death claims so far were ruled eligible for compensation, and 110 were under re-view.

The largest US auto-maker, which has been taking claims for com-pensation from victims of the fl awed vehicles for six months, reported to-tal claims of 4,180 as of Sunday, the day after the deadline.

Fund spokeswoman Amy Weiss noted that it was too soon to know the fi nal numbers, saying that “many” claims were still arriving through the post-al system.

The claims had to be postmarked by January 31 to be eligible for consid-eration.

Feinberg told Bloom-berg television that hun-dreds of claims had been received in the last 10 days and it would take “at least a few months to pro-cess all of those claims.”

The deadline passed de-spite a plea by two Dem-ocratic lawmakers last week for GM to extend it again to ensure all pos-sible victims of accidents linked to the ignition problem, which dates back to the early 2000s, would have a chance to apply.

The company already had extended the deadline by one month.

GM launched the com-pensation claims program after acknowledging the faulty ignition switch could turn off power to a car’s power steering and safety airbags while it is in motion.

It took GM nearly 11 years before beginning to recall the cars after hun-dreds of possible accidents and deaths were reported. Feinberg said that he was not surprised that GM had originally reported only 13 deaths related to the prob-lem, because the company had been looking at a di-rect link to the fl awed ig-nition switches.

Circumstantial evi-dence weighed

The compensation fund, by contrast, he explained, is focused on “proximate cause” or circumstantial evidence between the switch defects and the deaths and injuries.

AeroMobil fl ying car to be introduced to buyers at Top Marques Monaco

A price has yet to be released for the limited-edition fi rst model. Aero-

Mobil 3.0 will be on show at Top Marques Monaco from April 16-19.

Workers strike at 9 US refi neries

GM receives over 4,100 injury claims for faulty ignitions

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, February 4 - 10, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 11LOS ANGELES

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PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

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want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may

be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A

person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After

the 3rd day the wish will be granted, no matter how dif cult it may be. Promise

to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. Grateful Thanks -SKY

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Traveling not only enhances an individual’s life. All the things one sees and experiences away from home and outside his/her comfort zones contribute to a richer base of experiences to draw learnings and wisdom from. In relationships, traveling can also bring out the best and the worst.

Traveling and choosing a life partner (Part 2)

This month, I debut this new trav-el column; and because it is also the love month, I am talking about mar-rying the two, pun intended, traveling and choosing a life partner.

In May 2014, I traveled with a man whom I thought I could end up with. And during the trip, I paid attention to clues that could tell me whether he’s the one. It was a 15-day trip to England, exploring London, his home for many years before he moved to Los Angeles 6 years ago; and Stratford-upon-Avon, his hometown where his family still lives. In fact, the purpose of the trip was to introduce me to his parents.

I designed our second day to start later. I was making allowances for jet lag. But we woke up bright and early the next day; and because the weather was still cooperating, not too sunny, but not wet either, which was the most important thing, Lester de-cided to take me to see the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. He had never been and before I asked him about it, did not even think much about the tourist attrac-tion. I guess we humans have the tendency to take for granted things that are “just there.”

By 1:30 p.m. We were rushing to the Queen’s Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, to watch “Les Miserables” - our second Broad-way show within 24 hours. Again, for some-one who said he didn’t really like musicals, Lester admitted to enjoying watching the Cameron Mackintosh production with me.

Clue #6 – It’s not really about what you’re doing, it’s about who you’re doing it with. When couples truly enjoy each other’s company, it doesn’t matter what they do or where they go.

We had two hours for dinner before we had to catch “Mamma Mia” at the Novello Theatre, The Aldwych, another historic stage known as the Waldorf Theatre when it opened in May 1905 before it was reno-vated and reopened in December 2005. By this time, it had already started drizzling. Lester decided that we should walk to one

of his old favorites in Soho - Cafe Boheme, a traditional French cafe in the heart of West End’s creative district. I remember ordering the rabbit dish and loving it. I also remember dashing out of the place, to catch our third play in 1 ½ days, semi-walking and running in the rain. We didn’t have an um-brella. He offered to cover my head with his coat.

Clue #7 – He made and still makes me feel very safe. I feel protected and cared for when I’m with him. I thought it was selfl ess of him to offer me his coat. He said he could take the cold because he was used to it from living there. I still couldn’t stand the rain, despite having lived in the Philippines.

On the third day, my English gentle-man took me to Hyde Park. It was beauti-ful. We walked until we saw a glimpse of Buckingham Palace; but by then, it was al-ready raining. So we went back to our hotel and changed for our 1:30 p.m. reservation at the Michelin-3-rated Alain Ducasse at “The Dorchester” - a luxury landmark since 1930’s. I thought the hotel was a little stuffy and the people a tad stiff. But I nonetheless enjoyed the experience and the sumptuous 7-course tasting menu of cheeses, crab, sea scallop, lobster, and foie gras and venison animal activists will frown upon.

Clue #8 – We both liked to eat, again, compatibility, enjoying the same things. Dining out was and still is a very impor-tant part of our relationship. Perhaps it’s also because I don’t cook.

Shopping was next. How can you not visit the world-famous Harrod’s when in London?! He spent a few minutes walking around the fi rst fl oor with me, looking at bags. And then an hour or two more up-stairs, where I lost myself in shoes.

Clue #9 – He could tolerate my whims and idiosyncrasies. That’s precious.

That evening, he took me to one of his favorite steakhouses in London, Sophie’s

Steakhouse. They have two locations – Covent Garden and Chelsea. The steak was to die for; but the highlight for me was the cheesecake. They serve specials of the day. We had the toffee pudding cheesecake. I still dream about it.

Lester originally dreaded our fourth day. He thought it was “too touristy” - Westmin-ster Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, and Southbank. But he went with me, nonetheless, and enthusiastically captured the experience through his iPhone camera. This wasn’t a clue, but rather a bonus, to know that my partner knows how to take great photos. And, believe it or not, he said I was a beautiful subject.

Clue #10 – Attraction is key.(Self-explan-atory)

In the afternoon, we walked through St. James’ Park; and then proceeded to have high tea at The Wolsley, a traditional Eng-lish cafe-restaurant that was originally constructed as a car showroom in 1921. It was bustling. The tables were arranged close to each other you can hear what peo-ple at the next tables were discussing. But it was all part of the experience and accord-ing to him, part of the charm.

We found our way back to Harrod’s that afternoon, for a little more shopping. And in the evening, we went for a meaty din-ner at Gaucho (Piccadilly) – an Argentin-ian restaurant serving amazing menu, spe-cializing in roasted meats, against a lavish background of furnishings and cowhide fabrics. I allowed myself to drink Argentin-ian wine to my heart’s content.

Clue #11 – Find someone who would treat you like a princess, lavish you with attention and occasionally spoil you with some of the fi ner things in life. It’s not about how much he can afford; but how much he is willing to give you. [To be continued]

TRAVEL NOTES from London:To Stay: The Pelham Hotel – 15 Crom-

well Place, South Kensington, London SW7 2LA, UK

To Watch: Broadway shows – www.box-offi ce.co.uk

To Eat: Cafe Boheme - 17 Old Compton Street, London W1D; Alain Ducasse - 53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA; Sophie’s Steakhouse - 29-31 Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7DB; Gaucho - 25 Swallow Street London W1B4QR; The Wolsley (for high tea) – 160 Piccadilly, London W1J9EB

To See: Tower of London, Hyde Park, Harrod’s, St, James’ Park, West-minster Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, The London Eye, South-bank

Jannelle So is She is credited for creat-ing, hosting and producing America’s fi rst and only locally-produced daily talk show for Filipinos, that ran for 8 ½ years un-der her leadership, making it the longest-running Filipino talk show outside of the Philippines. On her spare time, she loves to travel. This new column will document her sojourns as she shares what she learns an discovers on her trips. Connect to her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; or email her at sojannelle77@gmail.com.

High tea at The Wolsley