Singapore, Singapore (AFP) Saturday 5/30/2015 – The United States on Saturday called for an “immediate and lasting halt” to reclamation works in disputed waters in the South China Sea, saying Beijing’s behavior in the area was “out of step” with inter-national norms.

“First, we want a peaceful reso-lution of all disputes. To that end, there should be an immediate and lasting halt to land reclamation by all claimants,” US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told a high-level security conference in Singapore.

“We also oppose any further militarization of disputed fea-tures,” he said, stressing that US forces would continue enter-ing what he called international waters and airspace in the tense region.

Carter added that “with its actions in the South China Sea, China is out of step with both the international rules and norms”.

He acknowledged that other claimants have developed out-posts of differing scope and de-gree, including Vietnam with 48 outposts, the Philippines with

eight, Malaysia with fi ve and Tai-wan with one.

“Yet, one country has gone much farther and much faster than any other.

“And that’s China. China has reclaimed over 2,000 acres, more than all other claimants com-bined and more than in the entire history of the region. And China did so in only the last 18 months,” Carter said.

“It is unclear how much far-ther China will go. That is why this stretch of water has become the source of tension in the region and front-page news around the world.”

Last week the Chinese military ordered a US Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft to leave an area above the heavily disputed Spratly Islands. But the Ameri-can plane ignored the demand.

“There should be no mistake: the United States will fl y, sail, and operate wherever interna-tional law allows, as US forces do all around the world,” Carter said in Singapore.

“America, alongside its allies and partners in the regional ar-

Vol. 4. No. 36 LOS ANGELES Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015

‘Sexy’ KCposes hurt her mother

Sharon

See PAGE 7W W W . U S A S I A N P O S T . C O M

SOUTH CHINA SEA (May 12, 2015) Naval Aircrewman (Tactical Helicopter) 2nd Class Ian Carpenito, assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35, observes the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) as it conducts routine patrols in international waters. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Conor Minto/Released)

By Dan De LuceWashington, United States

(AFP) Friday 5/29/2015 – China recently deployed two artillery pieces on one of its artifi cial is-lands in the South China Sea, an unprecedented move that sug-gests Beijing is trying to extend its military reach in the contested waters, US offi cials said Friday.

The heavy weapons, since re-moved, posed no security threat but their positioning – within range of territory claimed by Viet-

nam – underscored Washington’s concerns that China is pursuing a massive island-building proj-ect for military purposes, offi cials said.

The two motorized artillery pieces were spotted on a man-made feature about a month ago in the Spratly Islands region, a defense offi cial, speaking on con-dition of anonymity, told AFP, cit-ing surveillance imagery.

It is the fi rst time that China has been accused of deploying ar-

tillery or other weaponry on their manmade islands in the area.

“We can confi rm we have iden-tifi ed some weapons on one of these reclaimed Chinese islands,” Pentagon spokesman Colonel Ste-ven Warren told reporters.

“The militarization of these is-lands is something we’re opposed to.”

China and the United States have been engaged in an escalating war of words over the President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his message during the Department of Edu-

cation’s event “Sa K to 12, Kayang-kaya, Sama-sama! A celebration of K to 12 Mile-stones,” marking the second year anniversary of Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 also known as the “K to 12 Law” which was signed by President Benigno Aquino III in May 2013. The event was held at the Philippine Inter-national Convention Center in Pasay City on Friday (May 29). The K to 12 education program as envisioned by DepEd aims to produce high school graduates who have the competency to hold a job and be better prepared for college education and global opportunities. (MNS photo)

MANILA, May 29 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III will seek stronger security ties with Japan during his state visit to the East Asian nation next week amid China’s increasing efforts to stake its claim on disputed territories in the South China Sea.

At a press briefi ng on Friday, Department of Foreign Affairs Asec. Minda Cruz said the Philip-pine leader’s state visit to Japan will focus on enhancing bilateral relations between the two coun-tries, especially in the fi eld of se-curity.

“We already had our bilateral relations many years back, but it has been put to a higher level, which is a strategic partnership, and hopefully, we could continue to enhance this strategic partner-ship between the Philippines and Japan,” Cruz told reporters in Malacañang.

She added that the Philippines, once a Japanese colony, and Ja-pan are working on “additional structures” to strengthen security relations.

Cruz said among those being

MANILA, May 29 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Foreign Af-fairs said no Filipino was reported killed nor injured in the bombing incident in two Baghdad hotels.

The DFA quoted the report of the Philippine embassy in Bagh-dad, Iraq.

At least 10 people were killed while 30 others were injured after car bombs exploded in the park-ing lots of Babylon Hotel and Me-ridian Hotel.

The explosion happened min-utes apart.

DAVAO, May 29 (Mabuhay) – For the fi rst time, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he is considering running for president in 2016 after being fed up with the criticisms being thrown at him.

“This is the fi rst time that I have mentioned the possibility of being the president,” Duterte said in an interview.

“Then let me also have a taste of how you can handle people when you are in power not to ha-rass but legally,” he added.

Duterte warned Justice Secre-tary Leila De Lima and former Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Etta Rosales that he will not stop exposing the contro-

MANILA, May 29 (Mabuhay) – Senator Grace Poe on Friday confi rmed that she has signed the blue ribbon subcommittee re-port recommending the fi ling of a plunder complaint against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Poe is one of four senators who have signed the draft partial re-port of the subcommittee which is investigating allegations of cor-ruption against the Vice Presi-dent.

“I have read the subcommittee recommendation and found the same supported by documentary evidence as well as expert and personal testimonies that remain unrebutted by competent evi-dence to the contrary,” Poe said in a text message.

“As in the PDAF inquiry, I join

my colleagues in seeking further investigation by the Ombudsman of the matter and the consequent fi ling of the appropriate criminal complaint which in this instance appears to be plunder,” she said.

The Senate has yet to offi cially release a copy of the draft report.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, who chairs the subcommit-tee, said he is leaving it up to the blue ribbon committee to release the report. The blue ribbon com-mittee is headed by Sen. Teofi sto Guingona III.

At least nine of committee’s 17 members need to sign the report for it to become offi cial.

Aside from Poe, those who have signed the draft report are Pimen-tel and Senators Alan Peter Cay-

The Banaue Rice Terraces of Ifugao, Philippines

By Karl MalakunasMayoyao, Philippines | AFP | Sunday 5/31/2015 – It is fi esta

time in the famed rice terraces of the northern Philippines, and young men in colourful tribal clothing pound ancient rhythms on brass gongs as wild boars squeal ahead of slaughter.

The annual festivals, held in remote mountain communities af-ter the planting of the rice that is at the core of their existence, are a vital way of passing centuries-old customs to the new generation.

Those traditions are the soul of the Cordillera ranges, one of the Philippines’ most spectacular regions where Ifugao tribespeople are custodians of World Heritage-listed rice terraces.

But the stepped paddy fi elds, built 2,000 years ago and the high-est in Asia, as well as the Ifugao’s traditional lifestyles, are facing unprecedented threats amid the relentless forces of modernity.

“There is a danger of these beautiful areas turning into urban jungles,” Edison Molanida, World Heritage sites manager for the national government’s culture commission, told AFP.

“One of the main threats is the rapid pace of development in the area. And by rapid pace, we mean unmanaged development.”

In its description justifying World Heritage status, the United

US demands halt to South China Sea reclamations

China deployed artillery in S China Sea: US offi cials

PHL’ famed rice terraces face modern threats

DFA: No Pinoy killed or hurt in Baghdad car bomb incidents

Amid growing China tensions, Aquino to seek stronger security ties with Japan in state visit

Grace Poe confi rms signing report recommending plunder raps vs. VP Binay

Duterte raps critics, says he might run for president

See HALT RECLAMATION, page 12

See CHINA DEPLOYED, page 12

See NO PINOY, page 12 See SECURITY TIES, page 12

See DUTERTE TO RUN, page 12 See GRACE POE, page 12See RICE TERRACES, page 12

1-877-35-NOPAY(1-877-356-6729)818-334-5445818-552-4500

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST2

Construction laborers work on one of the major infrastructure projects of the government, the new skyway in Manila, on Thursday. The Philippine economy slowed sharply in the fi rst quarter despite government spending, posting a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 5.2%, its lowest in three years. (MNS photo)

MANILA, May 30 (Mabu-hay) – Unsure whether the Sen-ate could meet its self-imposed deadline for the approval of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Senate President Franklin Drilon on Saturday stressed the impor-tance of having the measure en-acted before October this year.

“I am not very optimistic that the law can be in place by June 11. The committee of Senator Bongbong Marcos will conduct two more hearings on June 2 and June 3. I do not know if Senator Bongbong will submit a committee report on the ninth of June...,” he said.

Marcos heads the Senate committee on local government, which deliberates on the fi nal form of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Also, Drilon said that in case the Senate approves the BBL before the sine die adjournment, the measure would still have to be deliberated on in the bicam-eral conference committee.

Congress would have to con-tend with a possible new dead-line, given the time constraints, he added.

“We have to go back to the drawing board and see what we can do and see how we can have

this measure in place maybe be-fore October of this year...If we do not have a law passed by that time, then the ARMM will be governed by the existing charter, which obviously we will have to change,” he said.

However, he said that it is too early to tell whether the BBL will pass the Senate.

“We do not know how the senators will – and you know the senators are individual republics – we would not know how they will look at the BBL [draft] that will be submitted by the com-mittee on local government,” he said. (MNS)

Jolo, Philippines (AFP) Sat-urday 5/30/2015 – Fifteen peo-ple including 10 police offi cers were wounded in an attack on a mosque at police camp on a remote Philippine island long plagued by Islamic militancy, of-fi cials said Saturday.

Successive blasts targeted the mosque inside Camp Kasim

on the island of Jolo early evening Friday—an initial grenade attack fol-lowed by a bomb explosion less than 10 minutes later that was intended to target police who rushed to the scene, local author-ities said.

“It seems the (fi rst) explosion was set up to draw responders as the target,” the pro-vincial police chief Senior Superinten-dent Abraham Or-bita told reporters.

Rosalyn Aya-ay, a shopkeeper and policeman’s wife, said she found her husband sprawled on the ground after the fi rst explo-sion and took him to the camp hospital, though he was not seri-ously injured.

“When I returned I found my two daughters wounded by the second blast. I was scared and I had a hard time fi nding an am-bulance to carry them,” she told AFP.

No group has claimed respon-sibility for the attack, which occurred inside the sprawling provincial police headquarters in the provincial capital of Jolo, a mainly Muslim island in the south of the predominantly Catholic Asian nation.

It was the second bomb at-tack on Camp Kasim since 2010, when a Christmas Day blast wounded six people worshipping at a Catholic church in another section of the facility.

Jolo is a known stronghold of Abu Sayyaf, a small group of a few hundred Islamic militants founded in the 1990s with seed

money from Al-Qaeda.Police investigators combed

through the scene of the blast Saturday, which was about 10 metres (33 feet) from a guarded entry gate, but would not say how the attackers had smuggled the explosives into the camp, an AFP photographer on the scene said.

The families of policemen as-signed to the camp also live in-side the facility.

The Abu Sayyaf gained inter-national notoriety for some of the worst terror attacks in Philip-pine history including bombings and kidnappings of Christians and foreigners for ransom.

Filipino security forces have for more than a decade received counter-terrorism training as-sistance from the United States, which sent military advisers on short-term deployments to Jolo and other areas.

However the Philippines has struggled to contain the group, whose leader last year pledged allegiance to Islamic State mili-tants fi ghting in Syria and Iraq.

ZAMBOANGA, May 30 (Mabuhay) – The Sulu provincial police of-fi ce believes the twin explosion near their headquarters on Friday evening was a retaliatory attack from the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Sr. Supt. Abraham Orbita, provincial director of Sulu police, noted that before the explosions, they had arrested several members of Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. He said on May 25, police nabbed Alvin Jumaidi, 25, an alleged follower of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Arod Wahing operating in Talipao, Sulu.

Recovered from Jumaidi, a native of Barangay Anuling, Patikul municipality, Sulu, was an unregistered .45-caliber pistol.

Jumaidi’s father, also an Abu Sayyaf member, was also arrested in Zamboanga City following a foiled jailbreak in Zamboanga City Refor-matory Center. On May 20, a suspected Abu Sayyaf bandit identifi ed as Mindas Manda alias “Muktaderas” was killed in a shootout with police in Barangay Walled City, Jolo, Sulu. Manda was accosted by policemen after he was sighted carrying an M-16 rifl e.

MANILA, May 29 (Mabu-hay) – Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno believes the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law is creating a no-win sit-uation that will cause trou-ble in the country whether or not it is passed by Con-gress.

Puno said there are only two likely scenarios that would happen with the BBL.

One scenario is if Con-gress decides to push through with the passage of the law. If that happens, Puno said there would still be violence in Mindanao “because the BBL is not in-clusive.”

On the other hand, if Congress rejects the bill or if the Supreme Court de-clares the BBL unconstitu-tional, there would still be violence caused by Moro Is-lamic Liberation Front reb-els who are pushing for the bill’s passage.

Puno said he sees prob-lems with the current ap-proach to the BBL, which is to determine whether or not it is unconstitutional.

“Ang dapat tingnan bakit nagkaroon tayo ng ganyang problema. Ano ang cause? Ang cause ay ang maling balance ng power na ibigay ng Constitution between the national government and the local government includ-ing the [Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao],” he

said.Both houses of Congress

are pressed for time to pass the law, which seeks to re-inforce the peace agreement forged between the govern-ment and the MILF, before they go on recess on June 10.

Puno said that under the Constitution, the proposed Bangsamoro territory can-not go beyond the limits of autonomy.

He said what the Au-tonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao actually needs is both self-rule and shared rule.

“That can only be done if we change the structure of our Constitution from a unitary government that is a presidential form to a fed-eral form of government,” he said.

Puno is set to lead the soft launch of a new movement named “Bagong Sistema, Bagong Pagasa: An Advo-cacy for System Change” in the next few weeks, where he would call on the Presi-dent to form a constitutional convention to study changes in the Constitution simul-taneous with the 2016 elec-tions. A formal launch is set on or before President Benigno Aquino III delivers his last State of the Nation Address in July.

The former chief justice said a constitutional conven-tion can address other prob-lems in the country such as

political dynasties, poverty, unequal wealth distribu-tion, corruption and many others.

He said delegates of the constitutional convention can be chosen during the 2016 elections.

“We have to break that di-lemma of a no-win situation. We need another platform to discuss this problem and that platform is a constitu-tional convention,” he said. (MNS)

Drilon eyes new deadline for proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law

15 wounded in mosque attack at PHL police camp

Ex-chief justice thinks BBL creates ‘no-win’ situation

MANILA, May 29 (Mabu-hay) – Aside from teachers, soldiers, members of the me-dia, and overseas Filipino workers, election lawyers and electoral staff of nation-al candidates and accred-ited national political parties could soon be allowed to vote before election day once a bill approved by a Senate com-mittee is passed into law.

The committee on elec-toral reforms and people’s participation, in its report signed by 15 senators, said the Commission on Elections shall extend the right to vote under the local absentee vot-ing system to electoral staff and members of the Integrat-ed Bar of the Philippines who will not be able to vote on election day due to the per-formance of their functions.

Senate panel recommends allowing poll lawyers, electoral staff to be absentee voters

Abu Sayyaf behind twin blasts in Sulu

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 3

OPINIONAquino: K to 12 not a burden; PHL ready for it

MANILA, May 30 (Mabuhay) – Senate President Franklin Drilon on Saturday dismissed as “totally unfounded” the accusations of the camp of Vice Pres-ident Jejomar Binay that the administration party is using government agencies’ resources, including the Anti-Money Laundering Council, in preparation for the 2106 polls.

“The insinuation is that the Liberal Party infl u-ences the AMLC or the Anti-Money Laundering Council, which is totally, totally unfounded,” Drilon, vice chair of the ruling Liberal Party (LP), said.

“(AMLC’s members) are all professionals. Do you think these people will tarnish their reputations by being tainted with politicians and political parties? I don’t think anybody in their right mind will ever say that,” he said.

Joey Salgado, VP Binay’s chief media offi cer, ear-lier accused the LP of using government resources to malign Vice President Binay, whose intention to run for president in 2016 is no secret to the public.

Drilon said Binay’s camp should just focus on ef-forts in answering corruption allegations against the Vice President.

“Medyo masalimuot ang mga lumalabas sa AMLC at natural lamang ng mga tinatamaan na ginagamit ito sa pulitika.

Mas mabuti siguro kung sagutin na lang, kung hindi man totoo ang mga nakasulat doon ay e, ‘di sagutin. Rather than you know, these allegations na, ‘pulitika lang lahat’,” he said.

Based on AMLC’s recommendation, the Court of Appeals had ordered the freeze of more than 240

bank accounts linked to Binay, members of his fam-ily, and his alleged dummies.

But Binay had said he only has fi ve bank ac-counts.

On the other hand, Drilon said the Binay camp could have used the Senate blue ribbon subcom-mittee as a venue to air its side on the accusations against the Vice President.

“If there was cooperation from the witnesses, hindi yan aabot ng 20 hearings, eh. Kung sila ay haharap sa Senado at magpapaliwanag, siguro ay sa [limang] hearings [lang] ay tapos na ito,” Drilon said.

Moreover, the Senate leader said Binay’s camp has no right to complain about the expenses incurred by the subcommittee because of the hearings on the alleged corruption in the Makati City government.

“If they just cooperated with the Senate and ap-peared, and made their statements, they we will not be prolonging this investigation...The refusal to con-front these information that came before the Senate, we have no choice but to keep on dig in,” he added.

Drilon meanwhile said that he has yet to see the blue ribbon subcommittee report recommending plunder charges against VP Binay.

“Bilang pangulo ng Senado, isinusumite sa akin ang report, at yan po ay ipinapa-calendar sa plena-ryo...but I haven’t seen it yet,” he said.

Four senators, including Binay’s close friend, Senator Grace Poe, have signed the subcommit-tee report. The three others are Senators Alan Pe-ter Cayetano, Aquilino Pimentel III, and Antonio Trillanes IV. (MNS)

VP Binay camp’s claims vs. LP grossly unfounded – Drilon

By Bhavan JaipragasSingapore, Singapore (AFP) Sunday 5/31/2015 –

China on Sunday rejected US demands to stop recla-mation works in the South China Sea, saying it was exercising its sovereignty and using the controver-sial outposts to fulfi l international responsibilities.

Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of the general staff department in the People’s Liberation Army, told a security summit in Singapore that “the situa-tion in the South China Sea is on the whole peaceful and stable, and there has never been an issue with the freedom of navigation.”

“China has carried out construction on some is-lands and reefs in the South China Sea mainly for the purpose of improving the functions of the rele-vant islands and reefs, and the working and living conditions of personnel stationed there.

“Apart from meeting the necessary defence needs, it is more geared to better perform China’s interna-tional responsibilities and obligations regarding maritime search and rescue, disaster prevention and relief, maritime scientifi c research, meteorologi-cal observation, environmental protection, safety of navigation, fi shery production, services,” he added.

China insists it has sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, a major global shipping route believed to be home to oil and gas reserves, but rival claimants accuse it of expansionism.

“When dealing with maritime disputes with rele-vant neighbouring countries, China has always kept in mind the larger interest of maritime security,” Sun told the annual meeting known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

“In spite of the suffi cient historical and legal evi-dence and its indisputable claims, rights and inter-ests, China has exercised enormous restraint, mak-ing positive contributions to peace and stability of the region and the world at large.”

Beijing ‘out of step’ Sun was speaking a day after US Defense Secre-

tary Ashton Carter demanded an immediate end to all reclamation works by claimants and said Beijing was “out of step” with international norms with its behaviour in disputed waters.

Carter said “there should be an immediate and lasting halt to land reclamation by all claimants,” adding that “we also oppose any further militarisa-tion of disputed features.”

He acknowledged that other claimants have de-

veloped outposts of differing scope and degree, in-cluding Vietnam with 48, the Philippines with eight, Malaysia with fi ve and Taiwan with one.

“Yet, one country has gone much farther and much faster than any other.

“China has reclaimed over 2,000 acres, more than all other claimants combined and more than in the entire history of the region. And China did so in only the last 18 months,” Carter said.

Beijing has accused Washington of carrying out provocative moves in the South China Sea.

The Chinese military this month ordered a US Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft to leave an area above the heavily-disputed Spratly Islands. But the American plane ignored the demand.

Carter said Saturday that US planes and war-ships will continue patrolling what Washington con-siders international navigation zones in the South China Sea. Australia’s Defense Minister Kevin An-drews told the Wall Street Journal in an interview on the sidelines of the meeting that Canberra would also do the same.

“We’ve been doing it for decades, we’re doing it currently...and we’ll continue to do it into the fu-ture,” he said.

Representatives from claimant countries as well others from Southeast Asia and Europe urged re-straint on all parties in handling the dispute.

Other delegates, including Singapore’s defense chief Ng Eng Hen, his British counterpart Michael Fallon, and the European Union’s foreign relations chief Federica Mogherini repeated calls by Carter for China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to adopt a “code of conduct” in the disputed waters as soon as possible.

The Singapore summit, which ended on Sunday afternoon, was earlier in the day marred by a brief security lockdown after police shot dead a local mo-torist who tried to fl ee a checkpoint near the event venue in a car later found to contain drugs.

After the shooting, police offi cers initially told people attending the summit that the hotel was on complete lockdown, with no entry allowed. Roads and pathways leading up to the hotel, located in Sin-gapore’s leafy diplomatic quarter, were shut off with barricade tape.

But access to the venue was gradually eased on Sunday morning. The conference proceeded normal-ly until it ended at midday.

China rejects US criticism of sea reclamations

Washington, United States (AFP) Sunday 5/31/2015 – US police have killed people at a rate of more than two a day this year, The Washington Post reported Sunday, using its own tally for lack of complete federal statistics.

The federal government must rely on partial data because the country’s 17,000 or so state and local po-lice agencies are not required to report such killings.

The newspaper is tracking the deaths as a na-tional debate rages over police use of deadly force, especially in black and other minority communities.

The Post found that relative to the overall popu-lation, blacks were killed at three times the rate of other minorities or whites in the police killings it analyzed this year. The report noted that most of the people killed were armed with potentially lethal objects – mainly guns, but also knives and other

items. Sixteen percent were carrying a toy or were unarmed.

The Post found that so far this year, at least 385 people have been shot and killed by police across the United States – a rate of more than two a day.

“These shootings are grossly underreported,” for-mer police chief Jim Bueermann, head of a nonprofi t organization dedicated to improving law enforce-ment, told The Post. “We are never going to reduce the number of police shootings if we don’t begin to accurately track this information.” One of the most prominent recent cases to fuel the ongoing debate about police violence is that of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old who was fatally shot last year in Fer-guson, Missouri. The death and subsequent lack of legal action against the police offi cer who shot him prompted widespread riots in the St Louis suburb.

US police kill more than two people a day: report

By Michael MathesBaltimore, United States (AFP) Saturday

5/30/2015 –Former Maryland governor Mar-tin O’Malley, a onetime Hillary Clinton loyalist, launched his White House campaign Saturday, warning the Democratic frontrunner that the presi-dency was not her “crown” for the taking.

Calling for a revival of an American dream he described as “hanging by a thread,” O’Malley high-lighted income inequality and pledged to close “a growing gap of injustice” in America should he pre-vail in his uphill challenge.

He hit out at “powerful, wealthy special interests” that he said have conspired to line pockets of the rich while leaving increasing numbers of Americans behind, despite more than six years with Democrat Barack Obama in the White House.

“Our economic and political system is upside down and backwards and it is time to turn it around,” O’Malley told hundreds of supporters in a park over-

looking downtown Baltimore.The 52-year-old is youthful, charismatic, and

brings to his campaign executive leadership experi-ence as a two-term Baltimore mayor and two-term state governor. But he is an unknown to most Ameri-cans who live outside the Washington-New York cor-ridor where his political successes have been more broadly recognized.

O’Malley supported Clinton’s ill-fated 2008 presi-dential run, but he signaled Saturday that despite her overwhelming frontrunner status, it would not be a waltz to the nomination for Clinton in 2016.

He took a swipe at the two families that have led the country for much of the past quarter century, saying he knew Wall Street would have no prob-lem accepting another Clinton or Bush in the White House.

“The presidency is not a crown to be passed back and forth... between two royal families,” O’Malley boomed, to loud applause.

O’Malley launches White House bid, knocks rival Clinton

MANILA, May 29 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Fri-day defended the K to 12 program, saying that the Philippines is ready for its full implementation in 2016 despite the notion that it is only an additional burden to parents, students and educators.

Speaking at the K to 12 event at the Philippine International Con-vention Center (PICC), Aquino said the program has undergone years of planning and consultation.

“Handa na tayo. Dumaan ito sa ilang taong pagplaplano at kon-sultasyon (We are ready. It has undergone years of planning and con-sultation),” Aquino said.

The President allayed the fears that K to 12 would be another bur-den to parents and students.

“Isipin natin itong pagkakataon upang higit na malinang ang ating sarili (Let’s think of this as an opportunity to further educate our-selves),” he said.

He said the Philippines has been left behind, citing that it is among the three countries in the world with a 10-year basic education and the only one in Asia.

With the K-12 program, he said, the country’s educational system would be able to align to international standards.

According to him, there is enough fund allocated in the education sector due to the reforms initiated by the government.

Despite standing by the program, Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro welcomed the opposition to its implementation.

“Walang reporma na walang oposisyon. Ang nakakatakot, ‘yung wala kang boses na naririnig (There is no reform that has no opposi-tion. What’s scary is when voices of the people are no longer heard),” Luistro said in his speech.

It was in 2013 when Aquino signed the K to 12 program or the En-hanced Basic Education Curriculum. (MNS)

MANILA, June 1 (Mabuhay) – The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday belittled the signing by the senators of the Blue Rib-bon subcommittee report recommending the fi ling of plunder charges against the country’s second-highest executive.

“The signing by the senators of the Committee report does not nec-essarily equate to the culpability of the Vice President,” lawyer Rico Quicho, the Vice President’s spokesperson on legal matters, said in a press statement.

He said the supposed fi ndings and recommendation of the “hostile and highly partisan investigation conducted by the Sub-Committee are conveniently based on hasty conclusions, inadmissible evidence and malicious narrative of defeated local politicians.”

“These would certainly not be given credence and in fact would be dismissed by a competent, impartial and fair tribunal,” he added.

Quicho said the Vice President understands that the political lines have been drawn in the Senate, “considering the dismal and lethargic performance of some politicians with ambitions to higher offi ce.”

He further said that it is no longer surprising that issues hurled against the Vice President have been used and abused for personal agenda.

“The Vice President remains steadfast that in the end the truth shall prevail and he would be able to bring to the entire country the pro-poor programs he implemented in Makati that have benefi ted those in need,” said Quicho.

Earlier, At least three senators have expressed readiness to sign the draft nlue ribbon subcommittee report recommending the fi ling of plunder charges against Vice President Jejomar Binay and sevral oth-ers in connection with the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building II.

Senators Bam Aquino, Chiz Escudero, and Sergio Osmena III said they would be signing the draft report. Those who have earlier signed the report were subcommittee chairman Aquilino Pimentel III, Major-ity Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, and Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Grace Poe.

It is still, however, two senators short to make the subcommittee re-port offi cial which needs nine signatures or majority of the 17-member of the blue ribbon committee.

In a text message to reporters, Aquino said: “I will be signing the report.”

Escudero, for his part, said he will also sign the report because he is convinced of the evidence presented during the hearings.

“Based on what was presented at the Senate, and once cases are fi led, he (Binay) will fi nally have the chance to answer at the proper forum which is what has been claiming and saying,” he said.

He added Binay “was invited and given the opportunity to attend but he refused.”

The Bicolano senator, who supported Binay during the 2010 elec-tions, said the Senate respected the Vice President’s decision.

“As I said before, it’s his loss if he doesn’t want to be heard in the same forum where he is accused,” said Escudero.

Osmeña said he “will sign the master copy this (Monday) afternoon.”Osmeña said he considers Binay a “friend” and has actually urged

him to show up at the Senate hearings.He said he will sign the subcommittee report recommending plun-

der charges because it was “very convincing.”Other members of the blue ribbon committee have yet to see the

report.Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr said: “I have not seen it yet.”In a text message to GMA News Online, acting Minority Leader

Vicente Sotto III also said he has yet to see the report.

Senators’ signatures do not mean VP Binay is culpable—Quicho

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST4

ROSEMEAD, Calif., May 27, 2015 – Southern California Edi-son (SCE) continues to advise cus-tomers to stay vigilant and learn to protect themselves from a tele-phone bill scam that demands im-mediate payment for allegedly past-due electricity bills.

It’s getting costlier too since in April, SCE customers lost an esti-mated $27,000 to phone scams, an increase from $17,000 in March.

Recently, an SCE business cus-tomer was defrauded out of $3,000 after responding to a scam call. So far this month, more than 500 scam phone calls have been made to SCE customers, with some paying between $1,500-$3,000. Some cus-tomers have even reported seeing a red truck thought to be from SCE with the words “Service Disconnect” parked outside their homes or busi-nesses.

Scammers also have created fake telephone lines and recordings that state: “Hello. Thank you for calling Southern California Edison Discon-nection Department.” Another trick is telling customers local police will be called if they don’t pay immedi-ately.

Many impostors urge customers to use a reloadable prepaid card to make payments. “You should be leery of anyone who calls you asking for money. Utilities are not going to call and request payments over the telephone,” said Hector Tamayo, a detective with the Claremont Police Department. “The biggest red fl ag is when these callers request money on a reloadable prepaid card. Most people should be able to catch on when the caller is asking you to send a payment through a prepaid card.”

So how does the scam work? Phone impostors claiming to be with SCE call customers and fraud-ulently threaten to disconnect their electrical service unless immediate payment is made on a supposedly past-due bill.

The caller demands payment

immediately and tells the unsus-pecting customer to buy a prepaid debit card — and there are many different kinds – and load a specifi c amount of money on it and call the impostor back, providing the serial number off the back of the card.

Once you give out the serial num-ber, the cash is untraceable and gone for good.

And although more customers are learning to recognize phone scams, impostors continue to cheat people out of their money using more elaborate and deceptive ploys.

“We are doing what we can to inform our customers about these criminals so they don’t fall victim to their scams. We often include important information like this on our bill inserts, so I would encour-age customers to review those pag-es of their monthly statements,” said Kari Gardner, manager, SCE Consumer Affairs. “Also, helping spread the word to their employees and their friends about these scams will help prepare them in the event they receive telephone calls from individuals demanding money for payment.”

SCE customers who suspect a fraudulent call should ask for the caller’s name, as well as their de-partment and business phone num-ber. End the call and report the in-cident immediately to local police or SCE at 1-800-655-4555. And never use the callback number provided by the caller. Instead, call the SCE phone numbers printed on your bill or go to the SCE website. Service representatives can assist custom-ers in multiple languages.

If you do pay an impostor, call SCE to report the scam and provide the card number you used to pay the scammer. In addition, call your local law enforcement agency and fi le a police report for your loss.

Signs of a ScamHere are a few red fl ags to help

you spot a telephone bill scam.Scam: Caller demands imme-

diate payment with the threat of

shutting off your utility service.Fact: SCE never calls custom-ers over the telephone to collect overdue bills and will never de-mand immediate payment with the threat of service disconnec-tion

Scam: You’re instructed to buy a prepaid debit card at a store within the next 30-60 min-utes and load it with money. Fact: SCE does not accept pre-paid cards for bill payments.

Scam: Caller claims to be from SCE’s Disconnection De-partment.

Fact: SCE does not have a Dis-connection Department.

Scam: Caller asks for money in person. Fact: SCE employees never ask for, or collect, money out in the fi eld.

Scam: You get a call on a weekend or holiday about an unpaid bill.Fact: SCE does not conduct credit transactions on weekends or holidays.

Scam: You’re told a truck with SCE letters and Service Discon-nect is en route to your home

or business, or parked outside. Fact: SCE does not own or oper-ate vehicles with Service Discon-nection signage.

About Southern Califonia Edison

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Cen-tral, Coastal and Southern Cali-fornia.

National Electrical Safety Month is a good time to upgrade older homes to combat the safety haz-ards that can occur with neglect

By Paul NetterSouthern California Edison

May 19, 2015 – It’s a fact that about half of today’s homes were built before 1970.

It’s also true that many of the appliances and electronics used in those homes today did not ex-ist when they were constructed.

It is a combination that can compromise safety. Hairdry-ers, computers and video games can stress and overwhelm ag-ing home electrical systems, creating the potential for fi res, shocks and electrocutions. Dur-ing National Electrical Safety Month and beyond, it is a good time to be aware of the potential hazards.

Each year, home electrical problems lead to an estimated 53,600 fi res, 500 deaths, 1,400 injuries and $1.4 billion in prop-erty damages. Many of those fi res start in older homes un-equipped to handle today’s tech-nology overload, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation In-ternational.

Rick Flores, an inspector with

the LA County Fire Department, says overloaded older electrical systems and overused extension cords are the leading causes of electrical fi res for his depart-ment.

“It’s all education mostly that people need to understand and if they don’t, a qualifi ed electrician will explain it,” he said. “If you have an older-style home, it’s probably just a good idea to get an upgrade to the newer style of breakers.”

One of those upgrades in-cludes more power outlets. Older homes generally have fewer out-lets than newer homes, which can lead to an overuse of exten-sion cords.

“Overusing extension cords is probably the No. 1 fi re threat,” said Flores. “The fi rst step is not to use them long-term. If you need more outlets, have a profes-sional come and add them.”

Another important upgrade to older homes is the installa-tion of Arc Fault Circuit Inter-rupters that immediately shut off power and prevent fi res when they detect arc faults. These ad-vanced circuit breakers protect against the unintentional re-lease of electricity from aging, damaged or improperly installed

home wiring, cords or applianc-es.

“Arc Fault Circuit Interrupt-ers are very effective in recog-nizing and eliminating danger-ous arcing conditions,” said Don Neal, director of Corporate En-vironmental, Health and Safety at Southern California Edison (SCE). “However, they should only be installed by a qualifi ed electrician, and they should be tested regularly to make sure they’re working correctly and protecting the circuit.”

Meanwhile, Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets – also often lacking in older homes – are proven life savers in areas where water may come into con-tact with electrical items. Many experts believe that if they were present in most older homes, 70 percent of the estimated 400 home electrocutions annually could be prevented.

“From aging wiring to deteri-orating connections, your home may be showing warning signs,” said Neal. “A qualifi ed profes-sional who understands all of the electrical codes and wiring can help older homes achieve a new level of protection.”

This story fi rst appeared on the Edison Newsroom.

SCE cautions customers to stay alert against utility bill scam

Home electrical systems don’t have to show their age

By Brigitte DusseauNew York, United States

(AFP) Friday 5/29/2015 – Thou-sands gathered Friday to take in the New York skyline as the ob-servation deck of the new World Trade Center – viewed by many as a symbol of the city’s resil-ience – opened to the public.

The gleaming glass tower, constructed on the site where the Twin Towers stood before be-ing destroyed in the September 11 attacks of 2001, is the tallest building in the Western hemi-sphere.

Following an early morning ribbon cutting, visitors thronged the observatory, which offers spectacular views of the city from the tower’s 100th, 101st and 102nd fl oors.

Operators expect between three and four million visitors a year, who will be able to take in the 360-degree panorama from a dizzying 1,250 feet (380 meters).

Los Angeles, United States (AFP) Thursday 5/28/2015 – Workers scram-bled to clean oil pollution along a series of California beaches near Los Angeles on Thursday, barely a week after a huge oil spill further up the coast.

An unknown tar-like substance began washing ashore from El Segundo Beach south to Redondo Beach on Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Depart-ment of Public Health said.

At a news conference, US Coast Guard spokeswoman Charlene Downey said “sig-nifi cant progress” was made overnight in the clean up.

“Our teams have worked ... on the ground and in the air and on the water, (and) have reported that there ap-pears to be no new tar balls or anything additional to the amount that we have recov-ered thus far,” she said.

“Our air crew did observe a sheen off the South Bay, which from what we under-

stand is typical for that area. “But what we believe to

be pretty good news is that it doesn’t appear to be any in the surf, the surf line, (like) we saw yesterday.”

The seafront closedown also included Hermosa and Manhattan beaches. The stretch of coastline is regu-larly used by surfers, as well as locals and tourists.

Helicopter crews conduct-ed fl yovers in the area to try to determine where the sub-stance has come from.

The unidentifi ed pollu-tion comes after thousands of gallons of oil spilled into the ocean, some from a rup-tured pipe near Santa Bar-bara, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest up the coast. There was no im-mediate sign of a link be-tween the two events.

Environmental group Heal the Bay said it was too soon to say if the material in the new pollution case could be linked to the oil spill near Santa Barbara.

Thousands gather for opening of World Trade Center deck

New pollution alert closes CA beaches

The World Trade Center, also known as Freedom Tower, welcomed its fi rst tenants last year, but the general public was only allowed its fi rst in-person glimpse following the ribbon cutting.

The observatory affords stunning views of the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge and neighbor-ing New Jersey.

On a clear day, visitors are able to see for 50 miles (80 ki-lometers).

Floor-to-ceiling LED tech-nology provides visitors with a virtual time-lapse that rec-reates the development of the city’s skyline from the 1600s to present day.

‘Historic day’ Outside the entrance, in the

late morning, US Army vet-eran Michael Lanza posed for a photo with a large American fl ag.

“This is a sign of American resiliency, that no matter what

evil storms on us, we will always come back, we will always be vic-torious,” the 32-year-old said.

“It is important because I am a veteran. I served in the Army for three years, I love my country,” he added.

One of the fi rst visitors to de-scend from the observation deck, Jim Vermeer, said the views were “majestic.”

“They don’t want to dwell on the past, they want to dwell on the future and American perse-verance,” said the Iowa native, who was in New York celebrating his 35th wedding anniversary.

Suzanne Goldstein of Califor-nia, who said she comes to New York twice a year, was also there for opening day, having watched the new structure “being built from the very beginning.”

At the entrance to the obser-vatory, visitors passed through tough security measures similar to those at airports.

The observatory will be open seven days a week, with a basic admission price of $32 for adults.

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 5

Washington, United States (AFP) Wednesday 5/27/2015 – A data breach affecting some 100,000 US tax fi lers appears to have originated in Russia, CNN reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.

The Internal Revenue Ser-vice disclosed the breach on Tuesday, saying hackers ac-cessed data on a third-party site with tax records, without compromising the tax agency itself.

CNN said the link to Rus-sia came from two unnamed sources with knowledge of the investigation being led by the US Treasury and the Department of Homeland Se-curity.

The latest breach comes after news that hackers, also believed to be from Russia, broke into the computer net-works of the White House and State Department.

US Senator Orrin Hatch, who heads the chamber’s fi -nance committee, sent a let-ter to the IRS seeking infor-mation about the breach of sensitive tax data.

“It is critical that this com-mittee fully understand what took place, what information was at risk, how this may af-fect tax administration, and what appropriate legislative responses may be needed to reduce the risk of this occur-ring again,” Hatch said.

Reports said the breached data allowed hackers to fi le fraudulent tax returns and get refunds from the govern-ment.

US tax data breach linked to Russia: report

MAG

TAYOwww.usasianpost.comVISIT OUR WEBSITE

LBC Express, Inc., the lead-ing courier service, logistics, and money remittance provider in the Philippines, teams up with the Queen of all Media, Kris Aquino, to better help connect overseas Filipinos and their loved ones back home.

Aquino was launched as LBC’s fi rst celebrity brand endorser on May 20, 2015 at the Green Sun in Makati. LBC executives, ce-lebrities, and guests from the me-dia were treated to tailor-made cocktails and Filipino fusion food representing the countries where LBC is present.

“As a brand endorser, I always make sure that the brand I part-ner with is trustworthy,” Aquino said. “Every time I have a very important package or document I need delivered, I use LBC. I really trust them.”

Javier Mantecon, LBC’s Chief Marketing Offi cer, added, “We are honored that someone as trusted as Kris Aquino has joined our family as we bridge the lives of Filipinos all over the world. Kris is an obvious choice to be our fi rst brand endorser because she has

Kris Aquino (featured in poster) was launched as LBC’s fi rst celebrity brand endorser on May 20, 2015 at the Green Sun in Makati. LBC executives, celebrities, and guests from the media were treated to tailor-made cocktails and Filipino fusion food representing the countries where LBC is present.

Kris Aquino and LBC team up to connect overseas FilipinosEmirates, and the United States of America greeted and interacted with LBC’s new brand endorser.

“I was so surprised that even the staff from abroad made an effort to welcome me to the fam-ily,” Aquino said. “It’s this sense of family that makes me excited to team up with LBC.”

This sense of Filipino hospital-ity extends to how the company treats its customers and partners. Customers are attended to with utmost respect, and associates are helpful in explaining the cou-rier’s various offerings like cou-rier and cargo delivery, money remittances and bills payment. LBC’s understanding of the “pa-dama” behind every “padala” has made it the favorite logistics and courier service of over 2.3 million Filipinos around the world.

“We move lives, business, com-munities,” Mantecon shared. “But most importantly, we move love.”

With the partnership between LBC and Kris Aquino, more and more Filipinos will feel the “pad-ama” in every “padala” from their relatives abroad, no matter the distance.

About LBCLBC Express, Inc. was founded

in the 1950’s as a brokerage and air cargo agent. Now the largest express courier, cargo, and money remittance service company in

the Philippines, LBC also pro-vides services to over 20 countries worldwide. For more than 60 years, LBC has been moving lives, businesses and communities for the global Filipino, providing

hassle-free delivery via air, land and sea – from cash remittances to payment solutions, from simple parcels and packages to container loads for corporate logistics. We like to move it.

a global infl uence just as wide as LBC’s global presence. Kris endorsing the brand means she ab-solutely trusts LBC. We are honored by her confi -dence in LBC for all her delivery needs; and this only means that we’re doing our job well.”

The launch event’s title, “From LBC, To The World, With Love,” suits both LBC and Aquino. Since the 1950’s, LBC has established itself as the overseas Filipino’s bridge to their loved ones in the Philippines. To date, the courier ser-vice has more than 4,400 branches, partners and agents in over 20 coun-tries. Like LBC, Kris Aquino is a personal-ity trusted by Filipinos across the world.

During the event, Kris Aquino was warmly welcomed by LBC’s glob-al family at The Eye’s 360-degree panoramic screen. Ka-LBCs from as far as Italy, United Arab

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST6

Filipino-Americans from the town of Parañaque displayed old cultural traditions including “Salubong at Sayaw Pagbati” and the famous “Sunduan” to the delight of guests and fellow townmates at the Glendale Civic Auditorium last May 24 when they held their 30th Parañaque Town Fiesta @Los Angeles. Photos show some of the Filipiniana garbed “townsfolk” during the fi esta celebration.

Nancy Solomon Trinidad, wife of Dennis Trinidad, Sunduan Festival Event Coor-dinator of Los Angeles, CA Escorted by Mr. Mandi Burgos Director of Phil-Am Family Cultural Group.

Hon. Mayor Edwin Olivares and wife Janet

Hon. Mayor Edwin Olivares and wife Janet

Nancy Solomon Trinidad, wife of Dennis Trinidad, Sunduan Festival Event Coor-dinator of Los Angeles, CA Escorted by Mr. Mandi Burgos Director of Phil-Am Family Cultural Group.

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 7

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Sharon Cuneta has vented her frustration over her daughter KC Concepcion’s “unnecessary too-sexy poses,” saying she is hurt whenever she sees the young actress’ daring outings.

The “Your Face Sounds Familiar” judge aired her sentiment in a comment thread on her Face-book post Friday about Frankie, her daughter with former senator Francis Pangilinan, and their fi rst TV commercial together.

Cuneta was asked by a follower, Dany Pascual, for her reaction to a photo of Concepcion wearing a bra underneath a coat to pair with her trousers and boots.

“I really honestly would rather not say anything,” Cuneta said on Friday. “But I also really honestly would have to say I do not like that she has done this and other unnecessary too-sexy poses.”

The photo appears to have been taken during dance group G-Force’s culminating activity for its

summer workshop last May 26 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Concepcion, 30, took the stage as a guest per-former wearing the same outfi t.

According to Cuneta, the photo is not the fi rst time she was shocked by Concepcion’s choice of out-fi ts or poses for a public material.

She said: “Sorry pero nanay ako... May mga ba-gay na ‘di naman na kailangan gawin. Madam-ing beses na din kasi akong nagulat. Well, she’s an adult and unfortunately, all we parents can do is give our advice, di magkulang sa paalala... Sana lang din tama na yung poses na ganyan. Nasasak-tan na ako.”

Concepion, Cuneta’s only child with ex-husband Gabby Concepcion, was known for her sweet image when she joined showbiz in 2008. In recent years, she has embraced a more daring persona which also translated to her roles onscreen. (MNS)

Amid speculation about their relationship, actor Cesar Mon-tano and beauty queen Sandra Seifert were spotted together during a recent episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

A showbiz website published photos of the two in the studio audience of the popular Ameri-can talk show, as seen in its May 26 telecast.

Rumored for months now to be romantically involved, Montano and Seifert would not confi rm or deny whether they are a couple. They also did not have a direct answer when asked whether Seifert, as rumored, is pregnant with the actor’s child.

Seifert, who won the Miss Philippines-Earth title in 2009, is allegedly under the care of

Montano’s older sister in Italy, as they supposedly expect her to give birth.

Montano, 52, and Seifert, 31, were also reported to have watched together the May 2 bout of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in Las Vegas.

However, the two have been evasive in answering directly how they are involved. This, amid Montano’s legal feud with his estranged wife, actress Sun-shine Cruz. They separated in 2013.

Cruz has fi led a complaint against Montano, with whom he has three daughters, for suppos-edly violating Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act. (MNS)

It was a dream come true for actress Heart Evangelista as her parents seemed to have fi nally accepted her husband, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

On her Instagram page, Evan-gelista posted a photo of herself and Escudero with her parents, Cecilia and Reynaldo Ongpauco.

On the caption, the actress shared her happiness at the “mir-acle”.

Photo from Heart Evangelista’s Instagram account

The supposed reconciliation happened three months after her parents snubbed her lavish wed-ding to Escudero last February 15.

Evangelista’s parents publicly disapproved of the senator for their daughter, supposedly for be-ing disrespectful and an alcoholic. (MNS)

SAM Milby, after several months of being away from the limelight, is suddenly visible.

The Fil-Am actor signed a two-picture contract with Regal Films. Under Mother Lily Monteverde’s company, he is slated to do the movie, Pre-Nup where he will be paired with Jennylyn Mercado and which will be partly shot in New York. This was written and will be directed by award-win-ning fi lmmaker, Jun Lana.

This is, in fact, the realization of a dream for Sam to be paired with Jennylyn. For the record, Sam was the original choice to play the male lead in the sleeper hit, English Only, Please which went to Derek Ramsay. He ex-plained that confl icting schedules got in the way.

While it is rumored that Jen-nylyn has reconciled with ex-BF, Dennis Trillo, no confi rmation has been made by both parties. Technically, Jennylyn is single at the moment.

And Sam?“I am dating, but ‘yung girl-

friend talaga, I haven’t had one in fi ve years,” he admitted.

So, there could be a chance that he and Jennylyn would develop something romantic especially that they will be doing a movie to-gether, and will have a chance to know each other more. They say that when two persons (especially of opposite sexes) get a chance to be together in a foreign country, getting intimate with each other isn’t far-fetched to happen.

But Sam has no such scenario in his mind yet, and said he’s more

focused now on his career. He just arrived from Los Angeles where he is trying to land an acting ca-reer. But he’s honest to admit that it is not as easy as his entry in local showbiz. “Nag-audition ako doon and I take everything as an experience,” he said. “Even big stars in Hollywood, nag-a-au-dition for a role. So it was already a big step for me.”

Next month, he will be on tour again. “ I will be doing a show in Taiwan, and three in the US, the last of which will be in Florida. After that, I will go to New York and shoot the scenes for the movie with Jennylyn.”

Yesterday, Sam stood as best man in John Prats and Isabel Oli’s wedding in Tagaytay. So, when is he planning to get hitched himself? “I’m giving myself four years. I’m not getting any young-er. On May 23, I will be 31.”

While Sam has yet to meet the ‘lucky woman,’ he will be busy preparing for his family’s future.

Former “Pinoy Big Brother: All In” house-mate Manolo Pedrosa is grateful for all the oppor-tunities coming his way, including a regular stint on ABS-CBN’s morning teleserye “Oh My G!” Now, he lands his fi rst movie, “Stars Versus Me” co-starring fellow “PBB” housemate Maris Racal.

Manolo has taken his mom’s advice to focus on work and studies. He will take up entrepreneur-ship at Enderun College this June.

“Laging sinasabi ng mom ko, ‘Manolo, don’t get a girlfriend muna. Focus ka muna school, kapag college na.’ Now, nadala ko na at busy ako sa work,” he shared.

The young actor ad-mitted he has a crush on Julia Barretto among other young stars. How-ever, he clarifi ed, “Hindi pa talaga ako naghah-anap (ng girlfriend).”

He added, “For me, dapat established na ’yung guy bago magka-girlfriend kasi pangit naman na hindi stable ’yung guy.”

Asked what qualities he is looking for in a girl, he shared, “Parang wala pa akong standards, pero siyempre maganda.”

Sharon on KC posing sexy: ‘Nasasaktan na ako’

Cesar, beauty queen spotted at ‘EllenKC Concepcion and mom Sharon Cuneta

Cesar Montano and Sandra Seifert

Sam Milby

Sam wants to get married in four years

Heart Evangelista

A dream come true for Heart

Manolo Pedrosa maintains focus on career, education

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST8

MOTORING Friday May 29 2015 (AFP) – A Canadian recall of defective air-

bags manufactured by embattled Japanese auto parts giant Taka-ta grew to an estimated 1.5 million Thursday.

Several models built by auto manufacturers Honda, Mazda, Toyota, BMW, GM, Nissan, Chrysler and Ford are included in the government notice.

According to Transport Canada’s database, 704,770 Honda ve-hicles built between 2001 and 2010, plus 812,821 cars from other manufacturers could be affected.

The number of affected cars was an increase from a previous recall, though the agency did not provide specifi c numbers.

The defect – thought to be linked to a chemical propellant that helps infl ate the airbags – can cause them to deploy with explosive force, sending metal shrapnel hurtling toward drivers and passen-gers.

There have been no reported “abnormal deployments” of the air-bags in Canada, according to Transport Canada. But the defect has been linked to as many as six deaths and scores of injuries elsewhere.

The Honda Civic Tourer. ©Honda

Honda aims to set a new Guinness World Record for fuel effi ciency

tire journey and evidence will be needed to prove that the car really has passed through each of the EU states connected by land and roadways.

However if Honda succeeds and

posts a time and a fuel economy rating, the Civic Tourer will be recognized as the world’s most fu-el-effi cient car over that distance, until another company picks up the gauntlet.

Canada recall of Takata airbags balloons to 1.5 million

Wednesday May 27 2015 (Re-laxnews) – On June 1 two Honda R&D employees will be getting into a 1.6-liter diesel Honda Civ-ic Tourer and embarking on a 13,600km circular drive leaving from Aalst, Belgium, taking in each of continental Europe’s 24 contiguous countries and then ar-riving back in Aalst.

The idea behind the challenge is simple – to set new record for fuel effi ciency based on 25 days of constant driving – hence Honda has called in the people at Guin-ness to verify it.

In order for the record to be recognized, the car will need to be totally stock, the same two driv-ers will have to complete the en-

Ford and Chrysler recall 2 million more cars over Takata airbag issue

May 29, 2015 (Re-laxnews) – The list of cars containing a potentially malfunctioning Takata air-bag has just become even longer.

Ford has added the 2009-2014 Mustang and the 2006 Ranger pickup to its list of recalls while Chrysler has also added newer models of cars already listed plus a completely new edition.

Chrysler’s list of ve-hicles now includes the 2009-2010 Chrysler 300, 2008-2010 Dodge Charger, 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2009 Ram (2500 and 3500), 2009-2010 Ram (4500 ad 5500) and 2008-2010 Mit-subishi Raider, all of which were listed but for ear-lier models. However, the 2005-2010 Dodge Magnum has been added to the list for the fi rst time.

Each of these cars has been identifi ed as contain-ing a potentially faulty airbag made by Japanese fi rm Takata which, due to a suspected problem with the propellant, explode with such force that they are capable of fi ring shrapnel through the airbag upon detonation.

General Motors said Wednesday it will offer An-droid Auto and Apple Car-Play in more of its Chevrolet models next year, as tech fi rms seek to expand their reach in the auto world.

The smartphone-compat-ible systems will be offered in 14 models, including the soon-to-be-released Cruze compact car, GM said in a statement.

The technology allows driv-ers to connect to their smart-phones in their cars from an installed touch screen. For most of us, our smartphones are essential,” said GM CEO Mary Barra. She said the partnerships with Apple and Google, which owns Android, “is a great example of how Chevrolet continues to de-mocratize technology that’s important to our customers.”

Android Auto allows us-ers to use Google Maps, Google Now and to access various messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Skype. With Apple’s CarPlay, driv-ers can make calls, send and receive messages, and listen to music from ei-ther the touch screen or by commanding Siri. Users can also access their apps on the car’s touch screen.Many functions can be controlled from the steer-ing wheel, GM added. With the expansion, Chevro-let will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in more of its cars than any other auto man-ufacturer, the company said.

GM installs Apple CarPlay, Android Auto in more cars

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 9

Overview: CAVE is composed of a 4,300-square-foot restau-rant and lounge and a 2,400-square-foot underground wine cave. CAVE has an extensive wine inventory and off ers guest over 480 domes c and imported labels. The restaurant is a modern eatery that off ers Mediterranean cuisine with an Italian fl air. The lounge off ers an imagina ve menu of cra cocktails and the extensive wine list. Entertainment in the underground wine cave features popular jazz and R&B solo ar sts, duos and trios.

Execu ve Chef: Luciano Cibelli. He fi rst brought his talents to Pala Casino Spa & Resort in 2003, when he opened and ran Ma-ma’s Cucina Italiana to cri cal acclaim. His leadership and culinary skills led Mama’s to become widely regarded as one of the fi n-est Italian dining establishments in Southern California. A na ve of Milan, Italy, with extensive interna onal culinary experience, Luciano has created a unique menu for CAVE fi lled with food and wine pairings inspired by the taste of the Mediterranean while maintaining his dis nc ve “Italian fl air.”

Wine Selec ons: CAVE off ers wine enthusiasts and connois-seurs over 480 selec ons, one of the most extensive wine lists in Southern California. Guests enjoy the best domes c vintages from California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys and interna onal labels from France, Italy and Australia. Most of the selec ons are avail-able by the glass and CAVE also off ers a number of brands in large format bo les.

Menu: Compe vely priced, CAVE’s menu off ers many of the authen c Italian dishes that Chef Luciano made famous at Mama’s. But, he has added new Mediterranean special es like “small bites” of Beef Tartare and Tuna Crudo, appe zers from his family recipes such as Octopus, Mussels and Clams, and entrees like Whole Red Snapper, Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu and Muscovy Duck. This unique new menu off ers many wine and food pairings.

Sea ng: CAVE restaurant, 21 tables, 96 seats; Lounge, 8 tables, 26 bar seats; Underground Wine Cave, 18 tables, 52 seats, 10 bar seats

Design: Contemporary and incorporates elements of its natural surroundings in San Diego County with granite outcroppings and heavy wood with steel and copper fi nishes.

Hours of Opera on: CAVE restaurant, Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; CAVE lounge, Daily, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Underground Wine Cave, Monday-Thurs-day, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Lounge, Underground Wine Caveat Pala Casino Spa & Resort

CAVE RESTAURANTExecutive Chef Luciano Bicelli and his staff

Bill Bembenek - Chief Executive Offi cer speaking at the CAVE Opening.

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST10

(Family Features) If summertime brings visions of fresh fruity fl avors to mind, remember that what you eat has an impact on the health and beauty of your skin. Choose your fruit wisely and enjoy the bo-nus benefi ts of skin-supporting nutrients and com-pounds.

Summer is a skin-centric season, when shorter pants and sleeves reveal more, so it’s an ideal time to be mindful of the foods that help give you a beauty boost.

Mango is a beauty fruit, containing more than 20 different vitamins and minerals, including sev-eral nutrients that stand out when it comes to skin

health: vitamin C, vitamin A (or beta carotene) and folate.

– Vitamin C supports many different functions in the skin, including collagen formation, regenera-tion and wound repair. One cup of mango delivers a whopping 100 percent of the daily requirement for this important antioxidant. Vitamin C intake also has been associated with improved appearance of aging skin. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in a study involving 4,025 middle-aged women, researchers found that higher intakes of vitamin C were associated with lower prevalence of wrinkled appearance, dryness associated with ag-

ing and skin thinning.– Beta carotene is

an antioxidant pigment that the body converts to vitamin A. Mangos deliver 35 percent of the daily vitamin A require-ment in the form of beta carotene. Research pub-lished in the American Journal of Clinical Nu-trition has shown that lower levels of vitamin A in the diet have been as-sociated with a wrinkled appearance. In addition, a number of studies in the same journal have shown that an elevated intake of carotenoids, such as beta carotene, may provide protection from sunlight, lessening sunburn.

– Folate supports many different pro-cesses within the body. One cup of mango con-tains 20 percent of the daily requirements for this B vitamin. A study by researchers from the Department of Cancer Prevention and Con-trol, The University of Arizona Cancer Center and Dermatology Pro-fessionals Incorporated, suggests that some of these may have an im-portant impact on the maintenance and func-tion of healthy skin and that exposure to UV ra-diation can break down folate, resulting in lower levels in the skin.

The distinctive fl a-vor of fresh mangos makes them the perfect ingredient for a sum-mer beauty boost. With a burst of nutrients, vivid color and taste of the tropics, they are ideal for salads, yogurt, grilled meats, side dish-es and drinks.

For more delicious mango recipes visit www.mango.org.

Tomato, Chive and Mango Salsa

Servings: 3Preparation time: 10

minutes

1 cup fresh man-go, diced

1 1/2 c u p s ripe tomatoes, diced

2 t a b l e s p o o n s fresh chives, minced

1 tablespoon lem-on juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, minced

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredi-ents in a large bowl and stir. Serve or cover and refrigerate until needed.

Nutritional analy-sis per serving (1/2 cup salsa): 31 calories; 0 g fat (0% calories from fat); 1 g protein; 7 g car-bohydrates; 1 g fi ber; 0 mg cholesterol; 121 sodium; 191 mg potas-sium.

The surprising beauty benefi ts of mangos

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 11

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favors, but I earnestly implore this one. Take it, place it in Your Sacred Heart.

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PRAYERSPRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach

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is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short

dialogue, want to thank You for everything and con rm once more that I never

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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

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

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Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, June 3 - 9, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST12SECURITY TIESFrom page 1

HALT RECLAMATIONFrom page 1

CHINA DEPLOYEDFrom page 1

RICE TERRACESFrom page 1

GRACE POEFrom page 1

NO PINOYFrom page 1

chitecture, will not be deterred from exercising these rights – the rights of all nations. After all, turning an underwater rock into an airfi eld simply does not afford the rights of sovereignty or permit restrictions on international air or maritime transit.”

Beijing has defended its dredg-ing work in the contested waters and accused Washington of sin-

gling out China over an activity that other countries in the region are also engaged in.

China insists it has sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, a major global shipping route which is believed to be home to a wealth of oil and gas reserves.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Ma-laysia, Taiwan and Brunei also claim parts of the sea.

South China Sea, where Beijing has rapidly built up reefs over about 2,000 acres (800 hectares) – including 1,500 acres just since January.

The construction includes out-posts that could be used for sur-veillance systems, harbors, an airfi eld and logistics support, ac-cording to a recent Pentagon re-port on China’s military.

On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who is on a 10-day tour of Asia, said Washington wanted “a peace-ful resolution of all disputes and an immediate and lasting halt to land reclamation by any claim-ant.” The United States has in-sisted the areas claimed by China are international waters and air-space, and has sent out surveil-lance planes and naval ships to drive home the point.

The Pentagon chief, speaking

in Hawaii, also said “there should be no mistake: The United States will fl y, sail, and operate wherev-er international law allows, as we do all around the world.”

Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea are “out of step with both international norms” and the “regional consensus” that opposes coercive methods to resolve terri-torial disputes, Carter said.

China’s actions were bringing neighboring countries closer and prompting “increasing demand for American engagement” in the region, he added.

Last week the Chinese military ordered a US Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft to leave an area above the heavily disputed Spratly Islands. But the Ameri-can plane ignored the demand and stated it was fl ying in what US offi cials deem to be interna-tional airspace.

Authorities have yet to deter-mine the perpetrator of the bomb-ings.

Nations Educational, Scien-tifi c and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) describes the region as “a living cultural landscape of unparalleled beauty”.

On misty mornings, when the fi rst rays of pale orange sunshine fall across the stone walls that fol-low the mountains’ contours, the terraces look like giant staircases climbing to the heavens.

UNESCO also praises the Ifu-gao people for having remained in harmony with nature for so long, such as by using herbs instead of pesticides, eschewing fertilisers and generally showing great care for limited natural resources.

The irrigation system, which taps water from mountaintop forests and shares it equitably throughout the communities, is hailed as a “mastery of engineer-ing”.

A generation or two ago, many of the Ifugao villages and the life-styles of the people who lived in them largely resembled those of

centuries ago.Large areas of the fi ve listed

districts, home to roughly 100,000 people and a day’s drive from the capital Manila, today retain many of the aspects celebrated by UNESCO.

Change afoot But radical change is under-

way.Once picturesque villages are

acquiring the chaotic trappings of typical poor Philippine towns, including ugly multi-storey build-ings made of cheap concrete, pol-luting diesel vehicles and ram-shackle tin-roofed shanties.

Introduced pests, including giant Indonesian earthworms, are causing major damage to the structures of the terraces, causing some to collapse.

In Mayoyao, one of the region’s most scenic villages, local offi cials say the worms, as well as snails originally brought in as a food for protein, are the biggest dangers to the terraces.

versies leveled at them.He also said he is praying for

“enlightenment”and that he might run for higher offi ce if enough people like De Lima and Rosales actually campaign against him.

“I’ve always said that God will somehow enlighten me. I’ve been asking, I’ve been praying: ‘God, I do not like it. I do not need it. Pag ginusto mo, you give me a cause to do it.’ Pero ito ngayon, well I am thinking about it, really. Pinag-iisipan ko na, na kung may sam-pung, o 100 people like De Lima campaigning for me, and Etta Rosales, (expletive) mananalo ako niyan. Mananalo ako! Etta Ro-sales and De Lima will provide the edge,” he said.

The tough-talking mayor has been consistent about his position not to run for any national post in the 2016 national elections.

This week, Duterte landed in

considered is Japan’s transfer of equipment to the Philippines. She did not give any additional details.

Further, the DFA offi cial said that Aquino’s state visit will bol-ster the Philippines and Japan’s cooperation on regional issues such as the South China Sea ter-

ritorial dispute.“The Philippines and Japan

had been cooperating on a lot of regional issues. Both put impor-tance into the freedom of naviga-tion, the observance of interna-tional law… Now, the visit will further enhance these relations between the Philippines and Ja-

pan,” she said.Both Japan and the Philippines

are locked in territorial rows with China. Japan has overlapping claims with China over the Sen-kaku Islands, known to Beijing as the Diaoyu.

The Philippines, meanwhile,

has been engaged in a territorial spat with China over resource-rich parts of the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Phil-ippine Sea. Manila has already sought international arbitration to resolve the dispute.

Tensions continue to grow in

the South China Sea after satel-lite images revealed that Beijing is building artifi cial islands in contested territories. The United States has joined calls for China to stop its reclamation activities, and vowed to continue surveil-lance in the area. (MNS)

etano and Antonio Trillanes IV. In a text message, Pimentel

confi rmed that Poe was the fourth senator to sign the draft report.

“Yes, si Grace ang fourth. That’s confi rmed. She signed yes-terday (Thursday) after lunch time,” Pimentel said. “Kapag nag-sign, ibig sabihin agree sya sa general message or fi nding of the report.

The ties between Poe and Bi-nay dates back to the 2004 presi-dential elections.

At the time, Binay served as campaign manager of Poe’s fa-ther, the late Fernando Poe Jr.

During the 2013 polls, how-ever, the Vice President’s United Nationalist Alliance dropped Poe and Senators Francis Escu-dero and Loren Legarda as guest senatorial candidates after they skipped the party’s rallies and sorties.

DUTERTE TO RUNFrom page 1

the headlines after admitting links with the “Davao Death Squad”, the group allegedly re-sponsible for summary executions of criminals in his city.

The mayor later retracted his admission and said he was refer-ring to the Davao Development System.

Human Rights Watch earlier denounced the more than 1,000 killings committed by the Davao Death Squad since the late 1990s. Police and local government offi -cials were reported to be involved in the targeted killings of alleged drug dealers and petty criminals, street children and others.

De Lima said Duterte must be held criminally liable for admit-ting his links with the notorious vigilante group. “Killing is killing, no matter what; and therefore, if ina-admit niya na he is respon-sible for these killings, then he

should be held criminally liable,” she said.

Meanwhile, former CHR chair-person Etta Rosales criticized Duterte’s statements and warned the public against voting for Duterte in 2016.

“If the guy believes what he says, he’s gonna bring us back to martial law days, do we want that?” she asked.

She added: “Mayor Duterte do you not believe in the Edsa revo-lution? In democracy and justice? You answer me that. If you do not believe, and you intend to do with your extra-judicial killings, then I think we should campaign against you.”

In the interview, Duterte criti-cized De Lima for failing to moni-tor illegal activities inside the New Bilibid Prison such as the entry of illegal drugs, prostitutes and even luxury items for prison-ers.

In January this year, Iraqi authorities lifted the curfew on Baghdad but it has resulted in in-creased bombings. (MNS)