Manila Mail - Dec. 15, 2013

December 15, 2013 1
Vol. XXIII, No. 3 Online: www. manilamail.us December 15, 2013

Pacquiao has green card?
MANILA. A law rm that
handled Filipino boxing cham-
pion Manny Pacquiaos visa
requirements in the United
States may have put him in hot
waters, forcing his staff to clarify
reports that he held a United
States green card and should
thus forfeit his Congress seat.
After proudly declaring Pac-
quiao as a client, a blog post by
the Wilner & Oreilly law ofce
left this quixotic statement,
Manny is pursuing lawful per-
manent residence in the United
States so that he may, among
other things, continue to train
and ght in the States.
The process is a long and
complicated one, and Manny is
incredibly thankful to his family,
friends and coaching staff for
their assistance in pursuit of
his personal and professional
goals, the post continued.
A separate post said, To
suggest that one who pursues a
green card in the United States
is somehow trading the Phil-
ippines for the United States is
ignorant at best. Such comments
demonstrate a complete misun-
derstanding of the Filipino cul-
ture both here and in the Philip-
pines.
Both posts were apparently
made sometime before Pac-
quiaos March 2005 bout against
Mexican Erik Morales in Las
Vegas.
Pacquiaos lawyer Tranquil
Continued on page 21
WASHINGTON D.C. A
ranking United Nations of-
cial said they are investigating
reports that relief goods havent
reached remote parts of the coun-
try devastated by super typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan) last Nov. 8.
The National Disaster Risk
Reduction Management Council
(NDRRMC) has also opened a
probe into a report in Londons
The Daily Mail newspaper that
donations from the United King-
dom were being sold by corrupt
local ofcials.
Obama directive eases immigration
rules for soldiers kin
WASHINGTON D.C. The
Obama administration has qui-
etly started enforcing a new
directive to help undocumented
immigrants with close relatives
in the military to stay in the
country.
Its called parole in place
and it aims to clarify for immi-
gration ofcials about how to
treat the parents, spouses, and
minor children of those in active
duty as well as veterans and
reservists.
Under parole in place, these
Biden reiterates US
role as Pacic power
WASHINGTON D.C. Vice
President Joe Biden traveled
through Tokyo, Seoul and Bei-
jing to reafrm Americas deter-
mination to be a Pacic power
but had to settle to playing the
role of umpire to cool down a
fresh ashpoint in Asia.
From one capital to the next,
Biden found himself at the center
of the dispute, playing referee
for China and its neighbors. He
also acted as emissary between
Japan and South Korea in a sepa-
rate feud between the US allies.
The intense diplomacy on
Filner sentenced
to home detention
SAN DIEGO. Disgraced
former San Diego mayor Bob
Filner was sentenced Dec. 9 to
three months of home conne-
ment and three years of proba-
tion for harassing women while
in ofce.
The decision completed the
fall of the former 10-term con-
gressman who barely a year ago
achieved his dream of leading
the nations eighth-largest city.
He served as chairman of
the House veterans affairs com-
mittee and was instrumental
for the passage of the Filipino
Veterans Equity Compensation
(FVEC) that gave $15,000 and
$9,000 each to qualied Filipino
Boxing champ and Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao during a visit
in Washington DC.
Vice President Joe Biden with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.
President Obama is feeling the pressure from immigration activists. Continued on page 22
Video grab of a TV report showing alleged relief supplies for typhoon victims
being sold in Manila stores.
December 15, 2013 22
December 15, 2013 3
Aquino urged to ask for protected status
LOS ANGELES. Filipino-
American groups and immigrant
rights advocates have sought
Philippine President Aquinos
backing for moves to seek tem-
porary protected status (TPS)
for undocumented Filipinos in
the United States in the wake of
typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
Some 20 senators and 30
members of the US Congress as
well as more than 150 national
organizations, including the
13,000-strong American Immi-
gration Lawyers Association,
have supported the TPS cam-
paign, according to lawyer
Arnedo Valera of the Migrant
Heritage Commission (MHC).
A resolution by the General
Assembly of New Jersey recently
urged President Obama and the
Department of Homeland Secu-
rity (DHS) to grant the TPS to
Filipinos in the US.
TPS allows undocumented
immigrants to live and work in
the US if returning to their home-
land would be unsafe due to con-
ict or national disaster.
The Philippine government
has yet to formally apply for
TPS, a requirement for the pro-
cess to begin.
Leaders of various organiza-
tions representing Fil-Ams, law-
yers, students and faith-based
groups launched in Los Angeles
last Dec. 5 a national campaign
to convince the US to grant the
protected status.
Aquilina Versoza , execu-
tive director of the LA-based
Pilipino Workers Center (PWC)
cited the case of Haiti, which was
granted TPS after the 2010 earth-
quake that left its capital in ruins.
That response can and should
be repeated for the Philippines,
she said. Versoza estimated that
800,000 to 1 million Filipinos
would be eligible for TPS.
TPS was also granted to
Nicaraguans and Hondurans in
the US after hurricane Mitch in
1998, to El Salvadorans in 2001
after a series of earthquakes, as
well as to nationals of strife-torn
Somalia, Sudan and Syria.
We are calling upon the
Aquino administration to for-
mally request the US govern-
ment to grant TPS (to Filipinos)
immediately, said a statement
from campaign organizers.
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Palace KOs Pacquiao tax perk proposal
MANILA. A proposed bill
that would exempt Filipino
sports hero and Sarangani Con-
gressman Manny Pacquiao from
paying taxes appears to be on a
collision course with a presiden-
tial veto if ever its approved in
Congress.
Independent lawmakers
led by Buhay party-list Rep.
Lito Atienza led a measure
that would stop the government
from taxing Pacquiaos winnings
as well as those of other national
athletes who win prizes and
awards in international competi-
tions.
Valenzuela Rep. Magtang-
gol Gunigundo also led a bill
granting tax exemption to Pac-
quiao for as long as he lives
for the honor and pride he has
brought to the country.
But Malacanang immedi-
ately shot down both proposals.
Paying taxes is one of the basic
obligations of every Filipino citi-
zen. That is why in our view, that
proposal is not reasonable, said
Communications Secretary Her-
minio Coloma.
Exemptions are based on
the capacity of workers to pay
tax. Usual exemptions include
those that are extended to mini-
mum wage earners. Those are
the only types of exemptions that
we have, he added.
President Benigno Aquino
III earlier described as illogical
to suggest that the government
was harassing Pacquiao, who the
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
says owes P2.2 billion in back
taxes. Pacquiao is not a member
of the Presidents Liberal Party.
Pacquiao is slated to mount
the ring again in Las Vegas,
Nevada next year. His last bout
against Brandon Rios was held
in Macau, which some blamed
for the relatively lower pay-per-
view receipts.
Nevada has no personal
income tax. Still Pacquiao is sub-
ject to Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) special rules on foreign ath-
letes earnings in the US.
Pacquiaos bank assets in
the Philippines have been frozen
by the BIR until he can satisfy
the agency that he paid the right
taxes for his ghts against Ricky
Hatton and Oscar de la Hoya.
A treaty between the US
and PH prevents double taxa-
tion. Unless the issue is claried
though, he owes the BIR P2.2 bil-
lion (about $54 million) in back
taxes as of July.
Ohio town gets first Fil-Am mayor
BRUNSWICK, Ohio. This
citys rst Filipino American
mayor will formally start his
duties on Dec. 27 but hasnt been
idle because hes taken the cud-
gels to help mobilize help for
typhoon victims in his parents
native country.
Ronald Ron Falconi was
born and raised in northeastern
Ohio but both his parents grew
up in the Philippines. My wife
and I watched the coverage of
the typhoon devastation and it
was just heartbreaking to see
what has unfolded there, he
said.
Falconi is the son of
Edgardo Falconi, a retired elec-
tric engineer who immigrated
to the U.S. from Tondo, Manila;
and Teresita Liongson Falconi, a
retired physician from Sta. Cruz,
Manila.
Falconi, a lawyer by pro-
fession, has been a member of
the City Council since he was
appointed to ll an open seat in
January 2008 and was elected by
residents to a four-year full term
in November 2009.
On Nov. 5, he ran unop-
posed to succeed Mayor Gary
F. Werner, who did not seek re-
election.
Brunswick has approxi-
mately 35,000 population, about
90 percent of them Caucasian.
While preparing for his
oath, hes been meeting with
Filipino-American leaders at the
Philippine-American Cultural
Center in nearby Parma, OH to
collect donations in cash and in
kind.
According to Medina-Gazette
News, the Philippine American
Society of Ohio and the Associa-
tion of Philippine Physicians of
Ohio, both based in Northeast
Ohio, and cultural groups like
the Philippine American Millen-
nial Society of Ohio and a Phil-
ippine American Jewish organi-
zation are working closely with
Falconi for the relief efforts.
Its a really close-knit com-
munity, Falconi said of the Fil-
Ams in Ohio.
There are people who I saw
who have been friends with par-
ents since I was little.
Donors can send help by
visiting www.PhilAmOhio.com
or by mailing checks to the Phil-
ippine American Society of Ohio
at 1975 W. Ridgewood Drive,
Parma OH 44134.
Falconi earned his law
degree from the University of
Akron and later embarked on
a private practice in Cuyahoga
and Medina counties.
A former member of the
Brunswick Board of Zoning
Appeals, Falconi is active at St.
Ambrose Church, where he is a
lector.
In the City Council, he
serves as chairman of the plan-
ning and zoning committee and
is a member of the committees
on economic development and
nance.
Falconi is credited for help-
ing City Hall meet its goals with-
out having to raise taxes. He also
worked hard to encourage busi-
ness growth while keeping an
eye on the citys purse strings.
Supporters say Falconi
made tough decisions, even
when they are not popular with
City Hall.
Because of the citys budget
problems, he has voluntarily
waived raises he was to receive
and even cut his own salary. I
thought it was the right thing
to do because when I am asking
City Hall to cut its spending why
shouldnt I also cut my own pay-
check? he said then.
Falconi is married to Gen-
evieve Cachuela Falconi, a
graduate of the University of Sto
Tomas and grew up in Muntin-
lupa, in the Philippines and who
now works as chief of pediatrics
in Cleveland Clinic.
They have two children,
Joseph Joey Ernesto, 13; and
Angela Guadalupe, 11.
My father-in-law is a
former councilor in Muntin-
lupa, he revealed. Thats why
my wife knows how it is to be
in public service and shes very
supportive of me.
Falconi has a sister, Dr.
Lourdes Falconi, an Ob/Gyn,
who was also born and raised in
Ohio.
1st Pinoy astronaut vows to bring pride to PH
MANILA - After he was
chosen to be the rst Filipino
astronaut to y in space in 2015,
22-year-old Chino Roque vowed
to bring hope and pride for the
country.
Roque, who is a crosst
trainer, was named the rst Fili-
pino astronaut after legendary
spaceman Buzz Aldrin declared
him as one of 24 astronauts to y
in space onboard a Space Expedi-
tion Corporation shuttle in 2015.
Aldrin, the second person
to walk on the moon, served as
lunar module pilot for Apollo 11,
the rst manned lunar landing
mission, in 1969.
My mission in ying to
space is to bring hope and bring
pride to Filipino people. That
carries my feat to any of my des-
tinations, Roque told reporters
after he was ofcially named as
the rst Filipino astronaut.
When asked if what he
would be bringing to space,
Roque said a Holy Rosary, which
he always keeps in his pocket,
and a Philippine ag.
Roque, a psychology gradu-
ate from De La Salle University
(DLSU), was declared the rst
Filipino astronaut after ve days
of grueling tests and challenges
at the AXE Apollo Space Acad-
emy Space Camp in Orlando,
Florida in the United States (US).
At the awarding ceremo-
nies, when they called my name,
all I could think about is how for-
tunate I am. From the start, this
had been the experience of a life-
time, he added.
Roque bested compatri-
ots Evan Ray Datuin and Ramil
Santos for the title via impressive
performances in the Air Combat
Training, G Force Training, and
Assault Course.
The three Filipinos had ear-
lier own to the US to take part
in a ve-day intense astronaut
training that employed the same
methods and equipment used to
hone the skills of astronauts from
the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA),
said Roque.
All the three delegates
pushed their bodies to the limit
as they took on the incredible
pressures of hyper-gravity at
four times the force of Earths
gravity.
Roques entry to the nal
three was rather unconventional.
He joined the Filipino delega-
tion as replacement to Air Force
Lieutenant Mario Mendoza Jr.,
one of two original nalists from
the AXE Apollo National Chal-
lenges, who decided to withdraw
from the competition to serve his
military duties as a pilot-in-train-
ing in the Philippine Air Force.
Roque, who once played
football for De La Salle, is the
youngest of the three delegates
and is currently working as a
marketer and tness coach.
He is an admirable athlete,
with an edge in the physical
aspect of the competition. He not
only displays physical prowess,
but also willpower, discipline,
and a strong drive to constantly
better himself.
Manny Pacquiao and President Aquino
Brunswick Mayor Ronald Falconi with family.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin with Chino
Roque (right)
December 15, 2013 5
Asians join Fast for Families at Mall
WASHINGTON -- In a
show of solidarity and support
of longtime fasters ghting for
immediate immigration reform,
hundreds of Asian American
and Pacic Islanders (AAPI) last
week participated in Fast for
Families to illustrate the united
support of AAPI communi-
ties for a humane and inclusive
immigration process.
Three core Fast for Fami-
lies fasters - National Korean
American Service and Education
Consortium (NAKASEC) Execu-
tive Director Dae Joong Yoon;
Eliseo Medina of the Service
Employees International Union
and DREAMer and Mi Familia
Votas Cristian Avila - have
abstained from all food since
Nov. 12 and have vowed to fast
until they can no longer sustain
to do so. Their effort, which has
gained international attention,
has energized others to hold soli-
darity fasts nationwide.
At least 180 advocates from
33 AAPI groups have committed
to take part in 24-hour solidar-
ity fasts over the next two weeks
after some of the original fasters
left.
We are inspired by the sac-
rice and dedication of the fast-
ers on the National Mall, said
Gregory Cendana, executive
director of Asian Pacic Ameri-
can Labor Alliance (APALA),
AFL-CIO and a member of the
National Council of Asian Pacic
Americans executive commit-
tee. Our community is commit-
ted to increasing the pressure
on congressional leaders who
need to take action now and x
our nations broken immigration
system.
President Obama and the First Lady visit the fasters tent at the National
Mall.
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December 15, 2013 7
Fil-Am students feted at Rizal Youth award rites
The 21st year of the Dr. Jose
Rizal Youth Awards took place
last November 16 at the Romulo
Hall of the Philippine Embassy
honoring 20 Filipino American
students with high academic rat-
ings and extraordinary commu-
nity services. A submitted essay
on specic topics was also an
equally important factor in their
selection.
This long running program,
jointly sponsored by the Philip-
pine American Foundation for
Charities and the Philippine
Embassy, endeavors to honor
young students who like Jose
Rizal displayed exemplary char-
acter.
In tting ceremonies, each
student received a medallion and
certicate of recognition from
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia and
PAFC President Aylene Mafnas.
The awardees were:
ELEMENTARY: Kather-
ine Gillen, Claremont Immer-
sion Elementary School; Regina
V. Honigford, Our Lady
of Good Counsel; Mary
Anne Therese S. Ramada,
Canterbury Woods Ele-
mentary; Leilani M. Sori-
ano, Springeld Estates
Elementary School;
Katherine L. Argente, St.
Josephs Regional Catho-
lic School; Ruvi A. Calizo,
Gwynn Park Middle
School; Janelle M. Gon-
zaga, J. Michael Lunsford
Middle School; Mavis Joy
C. Manaloto, Rocky Run Middle
School.
MIDDLE SCHOOL: Kayla
L. Argente, St. Josephs Regional
Catholic School; Joseph Bran-
don B. Gopiao; Marc Daniel C.
Manaloto, Rocky Run Middle
School
HIGH SCHOOL: Alyssa
Marielle Raqueno, North Point
High School; Timothy Robin B.
Gopiao, Lake Braddock High
School; Theodore P. Mendez,
The Potomac School; Rochell
Ann Yacat, Bishop McNamara
High School; Ross Colin Guieb,
West Potomac High School;
Alphonso Gaston C. Lopez,
North Point High School for Sci-
ence, Technology and Industry.
Bing Branigin took this photo of entrance to Union Station as sleet
and snow begin to fall Dec. 8.
The rst snow of season
December 15, 2013 9
Govt cant make up mind on Leviste parole
MANILA. Just days after
his release, millionaire politician
Antonio Leviste could nd him-
self behind bars again after Presi-
dent Aquino ordered a review of
the parole granted to the 73-year-
old former governor of Batangas
province.
The release appeared to
have caught everyone, even
President Aquinos staff, by sur-
prise. Presidential Communica-
tions chief Herminio Coloma Jr.
appeared set to hunker down
and defend the parole on Dec. 8
until an incredulous chief execu-
tive came out the next day to
lambaste the decision.
Im having [the parole]
reviewed if it could still be
revoked, the President said Dec.
9, just four days after Leviste
walked out of the New Bilibid
Prison (NBP) after serving only
ve years, or less than half of his
12-year sentence for murdering
his aide.
The President was evidently
taken aback by the release. Hes
asked if ofcers of the Board of
Pardons and Parole (BPP) could
be held liable for allowing the
release, ostensibly for good con-
duct when he had been caught
outside of the NBP while serving
his sentence.
A parole is different from
executive clemency, Justice Sec-
retary Leila de Lima explained,
because the former is approved
by the BPP while only the Presi-
dent can issue an executive clem-
ency. De Lima has administra-
tive supervision over the BPP,
and will have to explain the
whys and hows of the boards
decision.
Leviste was convicted in
2009 by the Makati regional trial
court for the murder of his long-
time aide Rafael de las Alas on
January 12, 2007.
A son of the victim has
denied the family received
money from Leviste, who is
believed to retain substantial
business interests even while
locked up, in exchange for their
acquiescence to the parole.
Dante Jimenez of the Vol-
unteers Against Crime and Cor-
ruption (VACC) criticized the
parole, saying it buttressed sus-
picions of VIP prisoners in
Muntinlupa.
Two years ago, the Bureau
of Corrections (BuCor) was
rocked by a scandal after Leviste
was found by National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) agents at his
ofce in Makati. It led to the res-
ignation of bureau chief Ernesto
Diokno and uncovered a pro-
gram called living out clear-
ance within the NBP in Muntin-
lupa allowing convicts already
in medium or minimum security
to stay in huts within the prison
compound.
Former Batangas Gov. Antonio Leviste is escorted out Muntinlupa jail
December 15, 2013 10 10
Mandela remembered for struggle, humility
WASHINGTON D.C.
Nearly a hundred world leaders,
including four of the ve living
American presidents, attended
Nelson Mandelas funeral
making it the biggest gathering
of world leaders in Africas his-
tory.
Mandela, the towering
democracy icon who won the
Nobel Prize for helping end
apartheid in his country, inspired
freedom movements around the
globe and is remembered by Fili-
pinos here and back in the Phil-
ippines. He was 95 when he qui-
etly passed way last Dec. 5.
Former President Corazon
Aquino holds the distinction of
the only Filipino leader who met
Mandela in Pretoria and Manila
in 1996. She was herself regarded
as a symbol of democracy in Asia
but as her son, President Benigno
Aquino III revealed, she deeply
admired the former president of
South Africa.
Her daughter, Ballsy Cruz
said it was Mandelas humility
that left the lasting impression
on Mrs. Aquino. Despite the
great heights he reached, wala
siyang kayabang-yabang (he
had no hint of arrogance), Cruz
remembered.
I recall with gratitude and
humility the kind words he told
me during his visit to the Philip-
pines when I was still a Repre-
sentative, the current President
Aquino said. He told me then,
You chose your parents well,
the President recalled.
Like all of us, she (Mrs.
Aquino) would have been
deeply saddened by his pass-
ing. I also understand what the
global outpouring of support
and sympathy might mean to his
family and all South Africans,
especially after a long-drawn ill-
ness such as the one that he went
through, he said.
The life he lived makes us
cognizant of those who have suf-
fered persecution, yet refused
to allow it to plunge their lives
into bitterness or vengeance, he
stressed.
The former president and
Nobel Peace Prize laureate had
been frail and ailing for nearly a
year with a recurring lung illness
that dated back to the 27 years he
spent in apartheid jails, includ-
ing the notorious Robben Island
penal colony.
He was a man of many
names, Rolihlahla (to pull a
branch out of a tree) to his par-
ents, Nelson to his teachers at a
Methodist missionary school,
the Black Pimpernel by the press
after he went underground in
the early 1960s and Mdala (old
man) by prison guards; but the
one he reportedly preferred was
Madiba, the name given him by
his clan in honor of a legendary
18th-century chief.
Living a world separated
from freedom has given, all the
more, Mandelas strength and
determination to pursue his war
against apartheid. In his book,
Long Journey to Freedom, Man-
delas continued solitary impris-
onment and his three time rejec-
tions of an offer that would com-
promise his principles in favor
of his personal freedom, fueled
and develop into re in every-
ones heart to keep burning their
march for freedom against dis-
crimination, said Jerry Orcullo,
chairman of SELDA (Samahan
ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Deten-
syon at Aresto) in Northern Min-
danao.
Filipinos who stood in the
vanguard of the worlds strug-
gles for freedom with our very
own peoples power stand in sol-
idarity at this sad moment with
our brothers and sisters in South
Africa. The late president Man-
delas extraordinary integrity,
his tireless commitment, and
his grand vision that embraced
equality for all even under the
most trying of circumstance shall
never be forgotten, said Depart-
ment of Foreign Affairs spokes-
man Raul Hernandez.
He was a leader who
earned your respect with his
presence alone because even
with his power and inuence,
he remained kindly and unas-
suming. His humility was his
true greatness. He was a humble
leader who gave credit to the
effort of the people around him.
He never gave the impression
that the leadership was all about
him, but that he was a man who
was tasked to execute the ideals
and ideas of his organization,
said Sen. Loren Legarda who
was able to interview Mandela
as a broadcast journalist.
The world grieves over the
death of the man whose courage
inspired the dawning of a new
South Africa and empowered
victims of social injustice in other
parts of the world, Legarda
added.
When I joined the student
protest movement in college,
Mandela was a major inspiration
for many of us. The Free Nelson
Mandela had just been launched
and parallels between Mande-
las struggle and the Philippine
experience under Martial Law
were being made. When Marcos
lackeys called us terrorists, we
took comfort in the fact that the
same label was attached to Man-
dela by then South Africas racist
regime. Mandela was locked
away for 27 years. But jail term
and the many years he spent
inside prison did not extinguish
the ame that eventually spread
like wildre, wrote Manila
Standard columnist Bong Aus-
tero.
When democracy icons meet: Presidents Nelson Mandela and Corazon
Aquino during the South African leaders visit to Manila in 1996.
US grants rare extradition move for Pinoy solons ex-mistress
LOS ANGELES. Grace
Grande, who claimed she was a
Philippine congressmans mis-
tress, got an early Christmas gift
after authorities in the United
States and the Philippines
announced last week they were
dropping extradition charges
against her.
Grande is seeking political
asylum in the US. She claims to
be the former mistress of Phil-
ippine Congress party list Rep.
Patricio Antonio. She was alleg-
edly abused by the Filipino law-
maker, forcing her to ee with
her two sons with Antonio to the
US in 2007.
It feels like a heavy load
on my shoulders was lifted and
Im just so happy and overjoyed
and so grateful for everyone that
has helped me throughout this
battle, said Grande.
The decision to halt extra-
dition proceedings meant she
could now proceed with her
political asylum request that
was sidetracked last year after
one of Antonios employees
led theft charges against her.
She described the accusation
as Antonios way to allegedly
harass her.
Her sons the two sons were
granted deferred action by the
Obama administration last year.
What has happened to me
has not been fair or just. I fought
and endured it all. The ght is
not over it yet but through it all I
found strength through my sup-
porters. With all of you and God
by my side today, I am a step
closer in my struggle for freedom
and justice, said Grande.
Federal Public Defender
Alyssa Bell described Grandes
case as exceptional.
This case has been excep-
tional from Day 1 when the
United States of America
through the United States attor-
ney handling the case agreed to
stipulate to a reasonable bond
for Grace so that she would not
be incarcerated while the extra-
dition was pending. She would
be permitted to take care of her
sons. A dismissal like this is
extremely rare,
Grace is one of many
women who have ed from vio-
lence but its also key to point out
her circumstances were unique.
Her batterer is a millionaire, hes
a congressman, he had enough
capital to stalk her across bor-
ders and quite frankly her life
is still at stake if she doesnt get
granted asylum, Jolene Levid of
AF3IRM said.
Bill aims to grant Christmas furlough
for ex-Pres. Arroyo
MANILA. Party-list Rep.
Silvestre Bello II has led a
resolution asking the Sandigan-
bayan to grant his former boss,
former President and currently
Pampanga 2nd district Rep.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a
month-long Christmas furlough
for health reasons.
Bello, who was a Cabinet in
the Arroyo administration, led
the bill last Dec. 4.
In the spirit of Christmas
and out of humanitarian Chris-
tian considerations, I urge the
Sandiganbayan to consider
giving [the] former President,
Vice-President, senator, and
incumbent congressman a
Christmas furlough to give her
the opportunity to get psycho-
logical effect of family bond-
ing, he said.
Arroyos health contin-
ues to deteriorate due to her
irreversible and progressive
spine disease, according to the
ndings of a surgeon from the
Veterans Memorial Medical
Centers Department of Ortho-
pedics.
A November 14, 2013
medical certicate signed by
Dr. Antonio B. Sison states that,
these irreversible and progres-
sive developments may cause
serious impairment of hear
health and danger to her life
unless attended to promptly.
The former president has
been detained at the VMMC
since December 2011 over
charges of plunder and elec-
toral sabotage. Prior to being
detained, Arroyo underwent
three major cervical spine sur-
geries at the St. Lukes Medical
Center.
Arroyo continues to suffer
from lumbar pain with further
deterioration of her poor physi-
cal health, according to Sison.
Bello argued the Christmas
leave could help improve her
health. I was able to talk to her.
She could hardly speak to me. I
would ask for a one-month [fur-
lough]. I leave it to the Sandi-
ganbayan, he said.
Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Col-
menares, however, rejected the
idea of a furlough. No special
treatment kung walang fur-
lough ang lahat ng nakakaku-
long, Colmenares said. Bakit
bibigyan ang congresswoman
ng furlough? (There would be
no special treatment if all pris-
oners are given furlough. Why
give a congresswoman fur-
lough?)
Grace Grande
Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
December 15, 2013 12 12
Jordanian journalist
escapes Abu Sayyaf
MANILA. Jordanian jour-
nalist Baker Atyani may have
gotten away with interviewing
Osama bin Laden, but almost
didnt get away from the Abu
Sayyaf who held him hostage
until last Dec. 3 when he nally
found his way back to freedom
in Sulu.
Atyani, a Dubai-based jour-
nalist, was emaciated after drop-
ping nearly 35 pounds but oth-
erwise in relatively good health
after a medical examination. He
was taken hostage in Jolo with
two Filipino TV crew members
in July 2012 while lming a doc-
umentary about the Abu Sayyaf,
the local Al-qaeda afliate thats
been responsible for numerous
kidnappings and beheading of
their captives in Mindanao.
They were really too busy
and I noticed that before sunset,
they were very busy. They go to
the nearest town marketand
there is no security. The secu-
rity is only imposed around my
hut at night. And so Ive been
observing this the last few days
and I was able to know the direc-
tions, Atyani said of his escape.
But an Al Arabiya News
Network report said the kidnap-
pers handed over Atyani to the
local governors ofce on the
evening of Dec. 4. The Filipinos
were released last February even
without the payment of ransom,
ofcials said.
Atyani is known for being
among the last journalists to
interview Bin Laden before the
September 11 terror attacks in
Washington and New York.
Senior Inspector Kris
Conrad Gutierrez of the Pati-
kul, Sulu police said they found
Atyani wandering along a road
in Barangay Igasan. We asked
him his name and he told us hes
Bakr Atyani, he told the ABS-
CBN News Channel.
The United States has classi-
ed the Abu Sayyaf as a foreign
terrorist organization. US Special
Forces are deployed in Sulu to
provide intelligence support and
training to Filipino troops bat-
tling the terror group, and are
barred from engaging in combat
operations.
The Abu Sayyaf is believed
still to hold a number of foreign
as well as Filipino hostages,
including two European bird-
watchers and a Japanese treasure
hunter. Kidnapped Australian
Warren Rodwell was freed last
March after his family reportedly
paid $100,000 ransom.
US gives visa to Pinay kidney donor
MANILA. After being
rejected four times to travel to
the United States to save the
life of an American friend, the
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration
Service (USCIS) nally relented
and gave her humanitarian
parole.
Caroline Dela Cruz said she
learned last month that her fth
visa application was approved
so she could donate a kidney to
Esther Slubski, 75, of Old Beth-
page, a longtime family friend
with end stage renal disease.
Rep. Steve Israel appealed
to the USCIS on behalf of Slub-
ski so she could y to Long
Island where her friend resides.
Caroline will able to stay in
America for six months, during
that time she is donating her
kidney to Esther and then she
is going to return to the Philip-
pines, Israel said.
After six months and four
failed attempts to obtain a visa
for Dela Cruz, Israel urged the
Slubski family to try a different
method of getting Dela Cruz
into the country called human-
itarian parole.
This option allows a person
who is otherwise inadmissible
to enter a country for a tem-
porary period of time due to a
compelling emergency, Israel
said.
This woman doesnt want
to come to the U.S. to take some-
bodys job, she wants to come
to the U.S. to give somebody a
kidney, the solon stressed.
Slubskis son, Elias, 38, also
of Bethpage, said he contacted
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
where the transplant surgery
would take place, to update
them on Dela Cruzs situation.
Dela Cruz has been tested as a
kidney donor match for Slubski.
Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani before and after Abu Sayyaf holds him
hostage.
Esther Slubski
Caroline dela Cruz
PH Embassy accepts more aid for Yolanda victims
WASHINGTON D.C. From
school kids to poor farmers from
Haiti, the unprecedented out-
pouring of sympathy and sup-
port for victims of super typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan) is demonstrat-
ing how goodwill ows in the
world.
Knowing how difcult it
is to recover from a cataclysm,
small farmers in Haiti pooled
together what little they had to
raise $150 for fellow farmers in
the Philippines. Philippine Hon-
orary Consul in Haiti, Fitzgerald
Brandt, said the kindhearted
farmers belong to the Small-
holder Farmers Alliance based
in Gonaives in the northern part
of Haiti who were themselves
victims of Hurricane Sandy last
year.
These farmers are very
poor, but the gesture from coun-
try to country, from farmer to
farmer, from human to human,
is 1,000,000 times stronger than
the actual amount of the transac-
tion, Brandt said.
In 2010, the Philippines
deployed who a medical mis-
sion to Haiti in the aftermath of
the powerful earthquake that
struck Port-au-Prince, killing an
estimated 50,000, including four
Filipino peacekeepers.
Meanwhile, 13-year-old
MeiJade Hsu handed to Philip-
pine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia
Jr. on Dec. 3 a check for $17,430
representing the amount she
helped raise for typhoon victims
in the Central Philippines.
The eighth grader from
Maryland made last Nov. 16 an
impassioned appeal at a Thanks-
giving banquet of the Taiwanese
Association of America in Rock-
ville, Md. to help typhoon vic-
tims in the Philippines.
A few weeks ago when
Super Typhoon Haiyan smashed
into the Philippines, I saw so
many images of total destruction
on the news. I was shocked most
when I saw that many of those
images were of children without
homes or food, she said.
On Dec. 2, representatives
of the Vietnamese community
visited the Philippine Embassy
to extend their sympathies to the
Filipino people and turn over the
initial $440,554 they were able to
raise for typhoon victims.
This is a very touching
gesture from a people who said
they never forgot how they were
treated kindly by Filipinos who
instead of pushing them back
to sea, even pulled their boats
ashore to help them, Cuisia, Jr.
said after receiving leaders of the
Ben Em Dang Co Ta Foundation,
the Saigon Broadcasting Televi-
sion Network (SBTN), and the
Vietnamese Refugees for Philip-
pines (VR4P).
Cuisia said they received a
check for $240,554 for the Phil-
ippine Red Cross while another
check for $200,000 was turned
over to the US-Philippines Soci-
ety, which is directly supporting
typhoon relief efforts in the Cen-
tral Philippines.
He explained the donations
came from members of the Viet-
namese community, particularly
those who were among the more
than 400,000 refugees or who
had relatives who were accom-
modated at either the Philip-
pine Refugee Processing Center
in Bataan or the Philippine First
Asylum Center in Palawan.
They were part of the esti-
mated two million Vietnamese
who ed their country, many by
both, after the communists took
over in 1975. More than 250,000
did not make it as they perished
during their voyage across the
sea.
It was a very dark time for
all of us boat people. We had no
other choice but to risk our lives
to escape. Many of us had faced
tragedies, hunger and even death
during our quest towards free-
dom, said Dieu Quyen Nguyen,
Executive Director of the Ben Em
Dang Co Ta Foundation.
However, we were able to
conquer this battle because we
were not alone. We had the help,
the protection and the sponsor-
ship from different people, espe-
cially the people of the Philip-
pines, she said.
Now it is our opportunity
to thank you for what you had
done for us unconditionally.
Ambassador John Maisto, President of the US-Philippines Society, receives
a check for $200,000 from Dieu Quyen Nguyen, Executive Director of the
Ben Em Dang Co Ta Foundation as Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. looks on.
(Philippine Embassy Photo by Majalya Fernando)
Amb. Jose L. Cuisa, Jr. (center) receives plaque of appreciation and cash
donation for typhoon victims in the Philippines from Aamir Saleem, presi-
dent of EmagineIT and Song Pak, chief operating ofcer of the DC-based
information technology services and consulting company during its annual
Holiday Party at the Mayower Hotel. Facilitating the donation was Filipino
American Ed Logan, a director at EmagineIT. (Photo by Jon Melegrito)
December 15, 2013 14 14
House honors Paul Walker for relief effort
MANILA. The Philippine
House of Representatives is
taking up a resolution expressing
its appreciation to Hollywood
actor Paul Walker, killed in a car
crash last Nov. 30, for his efforts
to help victims of super typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan) in Leyte and
Samar.
Walker was one of the
stars of the Fast and Furious
movies. His charity, Reach Out
Worldwide, was doing a fund-
raising event at the shop of his
friend Roger Rodas in Santa
Clarita, California when a short
joy ride turned into a tragic acci-
dent when the Porsche he was
riding burst into ames after hit-
ting a tree and lightpost.
Negros Occidental Rep.
Alfredo Benitez, who led his
Visayan colleagues in the cham-
bers relief efforts for the calam-
ity-hit areas, led House Reso-
lution No. 577 expressing the
chambers heartfelt gratitude
to Walker, who was instrumen-
tal in a humanitarian campaign
that inspired other prominent
US personalities to send aid to
the country.
Benitez also cited other
private individuals who also
led efforts to help raise aid for
the victims, including Walkers
co-star in the Fast and Furious
movie series Vin Diesel; Filipino-
American coach Eric Spoelstra
of the Miami Heat, Los Angeles
Lakers stars Kobe Bryant and
Pau Gasol, and the Portland
Trailblazers.
Paul Walker, a famous
Hollywood actor, was one of
those individuals who went out
of his way to organize a charity
event to specically gather toys
and collect cash donations for
the children affected by typhoon
Yolanda, he said.
The lawmaker cited Walk-
ers kindness and generosity
to Filipinos as among the many
exemplary and inspiring stories
of private individuals all over
the world that the Philippines
must acknowledge.
In a rare spectacle, hundreds
of cars joined a tribute last Dec. 7
to Walker and Rodas at the Silver
City Riverport in Richmond and
Vancouver in British Columbia.
Over a thousand people who
joined the cruise were asked to
donate to the Red Cross to help
typhoon victims in the Philip-
pines.
Veteran actress to marry again at 69
MANILA. Love is timeless
and multi-awarded actress Boots
Anson Roa, 68, is about to prove
that when she marries 74-year-
old anc Francisco King
Rodrigo Jr. in June next year.
Anson-Roa is the widow of
former broadcast executive Pete
Roa, who succumbed to compli-
cations arising from a cancer of
the stomach in 2007. The couple
barnstormed the United States
and Canada in 1976 to draw
attention to the governments
then edgling Balikbayan pro-
gram.
They returned to the Philip-
pines for good in the 1990s after
Roa suffered a stroke.
Anson-Roa said they plan
to do the traditional pama-
manhikan to their children on
her 69th birthday on January 20,
2014.
Since both of their spouses
passed away a few years back,
the couple visited the graves
of their former partners rst to
ask for blessings before they got
engaged.
At her age, Anson-Roa said
the experience of being engaged
is still new to her, since she and
her late husband, Pete Roa,
eloped before they got married.
The veteran actress said she
never expected to fall in love
again, especially with Francisco,
who was a high school classmate
of her late husband.
A former consul general of
the Philippines in the US, Fran-
cisco courted Anson-Roa for one
year.
People call it serendipity or
fate, but I think it is providence,
she said during the formal
announcement of their engage-
ment on Dec. 5.
Paul Walker
Melanie Marquez nds peace in Utah
UTAH. Former beauty
queen Melanie Marquez now
enjoys her quiet life as a cowgirl,
sauntering around a 200-acre
ranch in the rural town of Anna-
bella (pop. 603).
ABS-CBNs Jared Bray re-
discovered the former Miss
International titlist pursued a
career in fashion and for a time,
dabbled with movies where she
is perhaps better remembered
for her colorful language.
Im okay. Happy and at
peace. This is the kind of life I
really wanted. Simple, Marquez
said in a recent interview on
The Filipino Channel. Another
reason shes fond of the coun-
tryside is her new line of work,
which consists of riding horses,
herding sheep, and raising cattle.
Born in Mabalacat, Pam-
panga, she won the Miss Inter-
national pageant in Tokyo, Japan
in 1979. In 1985 she was named
Face of the 80s in New York
and emerged rst runner-up in
the Supermodel competition. She
coached other Miss Philippines
contestants, including some who
became nalists in the Miss Uni-
verse and Miss World pageants.
She married in 2008 ranch
owner Adam Lawyer, who like
her father, movie director Arte-
mio Marquez, is a Mormon. Shes
also been active in Relief Soci-
ety, an organization of Mormon
women.
Although her life may no
longer contain the glitz and
glamor of her past professions,
Marquez said that working on
the ranch has been rewarding.
Its fullling, she says
because it keeps her close to
Nature. And she also loves ani-
mals.
Farm life also allows her to
spend quality time with her hus-
band and two sons, 12-year-old
Adam Jr. and 10-year-old Abra-
ham.
Bibigyan ko sila ng full-
time attention as a mother, and
Im just happy, you know, that
Im doing the other side of me.
Hindi lang celebrity, but a full-
time mom and a wife, she said.
And though she misses the
Philippines, Marquez said the
ranch is her home now.
Former beauty queen and international model Melanie Marquez with hus-
band Adam Lawyer.
Fil-Am bet booted
in shock elimination
LOS ANGELES. Audiences
and judges alike were shocked
by the unexpected elimination
of Filipino American sensation
Ellona Santiago in last weeks
(Dec. 6) round of top rating real-
ity talent search X Factor USA.
Santiago, who was among
the last six nalists on the Fox
show, was the rst of two acts
to be eliminated based on public
votes.
The announcement of the
17-year-old singers elimina-
tion was met with boos from the
audience.
Her mentor, judge Demi
Lovato, was heard saying, This
is ridiculous!
Judge Kelly Rowland
also appeared shocked at the
announcement.
The Pinays last numbers
on the show were unplugged
renditions of Lady Gagas
Applause and Beyonces If
I Were a Boy, which garnered
glowing reviews from the judges.
Paulina Rubio called her a
superstar, with fellow judge
Simon Cowell referring to one
of her numbers as incredible.
Addressing her mentee, Lovato
also said, America should vote
for you because you deserve it!
Santiago, however, went on
to garner the fewest votes.
Fellow nalists Rion Paige,
who was also mentored by
Lovato, and Carlito Olivero were
also in the bottom three in terms
of public votes. The two acts
sang for survival, with Olivero
moving on based on his last-
chance performance.
He joins duo Alex & Sierra,
Jeff Gutt, and band Restless Road
in the seminals of The X Factor
USA, which will kick off next
week.
After the show, Santiago
thanked her supporters via
social media. Just because Im
off the show doesnt mean my
dream ends, keep a lookout for
me, she tweeted.
Im blessed, grateful, and
the best is yet to come. I love you
all!
In an earlier interview with
ABS-CBN News, Santiago said
she was hoping to win the com-
petition to give her parents a
better life. She said she wants to
repay them for their sacrices for
her and her siblings.
Born in the Philippines,
Santiagos family moved to San
Lorenzo, California when she
was only 11 months old.
Ellona Santiago
Boots Anson Roa will marry Francisco Rodrigo Jr.
SIMBANG GABI SCHED-
ULE IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
If youd like to include your
organizations event in this calen-
dar, kindly send your information
to Maurese Oteyza Owens at mpa-
poose@aol.com.
For Updates/
weather: WWW.SIMBANG-
GABI.COM
DEC 15, Sun 7:30pm
ST. PHILIP CATHOLIC
CHURCH
7506 St. Philips Ct.
Falls Church, VA 22042
Church: 703-573-3808
Directions: http://www.
stphilipsparish.com
ContactL Cora Arca 703-
569-2093
Sponsored by Jesus Is All
Prayer Community
Dec 16, Mon 7pm
ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA
3305 Glen Carlyn Road
Falls Church, VA 22041
Church: 703-820-7100
Directions: Website: http://
www.stanthonyparish.org/
Contact: Margot Atilano
571-226-7187
Sponsored by Filipino Com-
munity of St. Anthony
Dec 16, Mon 7:30pm
ST. VERONICA CATHO-
LIC CHURCH
3460 Centreville Rd.
Chantilly, VA 20151
Church: 703-773-2000
stveronica.net
Contact: Ed & Chit Nufable
703-626-2996
munity of St. Veronica
Dec 17, Tues 7:30pm
HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC
CHURCH
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
5121 Woodland Way
Annandale, VA 22003
holyspiritchurch.us
Contact: Beng Magalong
703-978-3802
munity of Holy Spirit
QUEEN OF APOSTLES
4329 Sano Street
Alexandria, VA 22312
Directions: http://
www. queenof apos t l es . or g
Contact: Maribel Flewitt
703-256-1265/ Cheryl Mad-
lansacay 703-386-6254
Sponsored by Filipino Commu-
nity of Queen of Apostles
Dec 18 Wed 7:00pm
ST. JOHN NEUMANN
11900 Lawyers Rd.
Reston, VA 20191
Directions: http://www.saintjn.
org
Contact: Midjie
Cajayon 703-944-7651
Sponsored by Filipino Commu-
nity of St. John Neumann
Dec 19, Thurs 7pm
ST. THOMAS BECKET
1421 Wiehle Ave.
Reston, VA 20190
Church: 703-689-3812
Directions: http://stbchurch.
com/
Contact: Lourdes Horton l
703-909-6633
Al Esguerra 703-786-4832
munity of St.Thomas Becket
Dec 20, Fri 7pm
ALL SAINTS CATHOLIC
CHURCH
9300 Stonewall Road
Manassas, VA 20110-2594
Church: 703-393-2144
Directions: http://www.all-
saintsvachurch.org/
Contact: Conrad
Alzona 703-909-6454
Rose Ann Alzona 703-909-6455
Sponsored by All Saints Fil
Am Ministry
ST. TIMOTHY CATHOLIC
CHURCH
13807 Poplar Tree Rd.
Chantilly, VA 20151
Church: 703-378-7461
sttimothyparish.org/
Contact: Ed & Dollie Medina
703-266-4670
munity of St. Timothy
Dec 21,Sat 7pm
OUR LADY OF
GOOD COUNSEL
CATHOLIC CHURCH
8601 Wolftrap Rd.
Vienna, VA 22182
Church: 703-938-2828
Directions: http://www.olgcva.
org
Contact: Chiqui
Sanchez 571-499-8277
Sponsored by Filipino Catholic
Ministry at OLGC
ST. MARY OF SORROWS
CATHOLIC CHURCH
5222 Sideburn Rd.
Fairfax, VA 22032
Church: 703-978-4141
stmaryofsorrows.org
Contact: Luisa Robinson 703
981-0220
munity of St. Mary
Dec 21, Sat 7:30pm
ST. BERNADETTE
CATHOLIC CHURCH
7600 Old Keene Mill Road
Springeld, VA 22152
Church: 703-451-8576
stbernpar.org
Contact: Rolly & Tess Sal-
dana 202-415-8360/703- 569-1054
Sponsored by Filipino Ministry
of St. Bernadette
ST.THERESA CATHOLIC
CHURCH
21371 St. Theresa Ln.
Ashburn, VA 20147
Church: 703-729-2287
sttheresa-ashburn.com
Contact: Ben & Sollie Mana-
laysay 703-328-1344
munity of St. Theresa
Dec 21, Sat 8:00pm
HOLY FAMILY CATHO-
LIC CHURCH
14160 Ferndale Rd.
Dale City, VA 22193
Church: 703-670-8161
holyfamilycatholicchurchdalec-
ity.org
Contact: Noel Montoro 703-
209-2224
December 15, 2013 16 16
Around DC in Pictures
Filipino American children joined the annual Paskong Pinoy held last,
December 1, Springeld, Virginia.
Late last month, pupils of the Latin
American Montessori Bilingual
Public Charter School in Washing-
ton D.C. turned over $1,400 they
raised in a bake sale to Ambassa-
dor Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. when they
visited the embassy and signed the
Book of Condolence for the victims
of Typhoon Haiyan. We sold cook-
ies and empanadas to raise funds
for emergency kits, said 12-year-
old Maya Woods-Arthur, one of the
children from the school.
Four cousins, residing in as many states in the US, met on Thanksgiving Day
at the residence of their uncle and aunt, Albert Jefferson and Paige Alfaro
in Fairfax, Virginia. Photo shows from left, Samantha Alfaro who ew in
from Lincoln, Nebraska where she is studying; Mila Sophia Lopez, a middle
school student in Fairfax; Teresa Lopez who works in New York and Mia A.
Padro whose family resides in New Jersey.
Filipino American WWII veteran
Remigio Ray Cabacar of Ft. Wash-
ington, Maryland gives check for
$1,000 for victims of super Typhoon
Yolanda to Joy Materum and Ina
Soleta of the Philippine National
Red Cross at the Philippine embassy
last month while Ret. Maj. Gen.
Deln Lorenzana who accompa-
nied him also donated P15,000
(about $320). Earlier Cabacar also
donated $1000 to the victims of the
Bohol earthquake.
Among those who attended Feed the
Hungrys annual Handog fund rais-
ing in Virginia last month are from
left, seated, Vicky Embuscado, Fely
Pontanilla, Lilia Alba, and Jeannette
Calahong Abella.Standing, same
order, Fred Embuscado, Cesar Pon-
tanilla, Mr. Alba, and Carl Abella.
(Bing Branigin)
Jessica Cox, the armless Filipino
American whose mother comes
from Guiuan, Samar, late last month
visited the Philippine embassy in
DC to sign the condolence book
for Typhoon Haiyan and vowed to
help raise funds for the survivors.
Amb. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. cited said
Filipinos should draw strength and
inspiration from Cox who experi-
enced adversity herself. Cuisia said
typhoon victims, especially those
who had to undergo amputations, should look up to Cox, who holds the
Guinness World Record for being the rst armless person in aviation history
to earn a pilots certicate. The Arizona-based Cox was in Washington to
attend a Senate committee hearing on Disabilities.
The family of Valerie Malonga who reside in Fairfax, Virgtinia went on with their scheduled vacation to Iloilo Nov. 15-Dec. 1. During their visit, Ms Malonga volunteered to assist the Center
for Community Transformation (CCT), a Christian organization that is a partner of Five Talents (a Fairfax, Virginia non-prot group), to help with the relief effrots for victims of Typhoon
Haiyan in Iloilo and Capiz. She joined the CCT staff and Tammy Wang of endPoverty.org, (a Bethesda-based non prot) for two days and travelled around Iloilo and Capiz where they provided
supplies to other CCT staff and community partners. These are some of the photos that were recorded by Ms Malonga during her visit. Top panel shows remains of Estancia, Iloilo market while
CCT group prays before relief distribution. Lower panel shows Estancia kids ash wide smile despite loses while Ms Malabonga (in blue) poses with CCT staff.
Mixing vacation with typhoon relief
December 15, 2013 18 18
Bieber plays basketball with Yolanda kids
TACLOBAN CITY - Pop
megastar Justin Bieber sang to
young survivors of the Philip-
pines deadliest typhoon this
week after he ew into the disas-
ter zone to boost an international
relief effort.
Bieber ew unannounced to
Tacloban City just over a month
after it was devastated by Super
Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) and
sang Christmas carols to chil-
dren at a local school amid tight
security, witnesses said.
He sang Holy Night for
the children, said Kate Dono-
van, a spokeswoman for the
United Nations Childrens Fund
[Unicef], one of three aid agen-
cies expected to benet from
Biebers charity work.
Photos posted on social
media showed young fans with
mobile phones snapping away at
the Canadian teen heart-throb,
who has more than 46 million
followers on Twitter.
Prior to visiting the Philip-
pines, Bieber had posted a mes-
sage on fund raising website
Prizeo.com urging his millions
of fans to donate to the victims
of the typhoon, the strongest to
ever hit land.
Yolanda cut across the cen-
tral Philippines on November 8,
destroying scores of communi-
ties along its path.
In his message on Prizeo,
Bieber said those donating to
his cause could win a chance to
personally see him record music
next year.
In the wake of Typhoon
Haiyan, its victims in the Phil-
ippines need our help, and they
need it now, he said in his
appeal.
Many other international
celebrities have also lent their
voices to the massive rehabilita-
tion effort, including Grammy-
award winning singer Alicia
Keys who visited victims air-
lifted to Manila two weeks ago.
(AFP)
US issues rst visas for
same-sex couples in PH
MANILA. The United
States Embassy in Manila has
issued its rst anc visa to a
same-sex couple last Dec. 9.
Noel Aeinghel Amaro
and Robert Cotterman were the
rst gay couple in the Philip-
pines to receive a anc visa.
Cotterman reportedly
serves in the US military and is
scheduled to return from a tour
in Afghanistan in January 2014.
Their wedding is scheduled at
that time.
The embassy said that
although same-sex marriage is
not recognized in the Philip-
pines, gay Americans are now
able to petition for family-
based visas on behalf of their
Filipino spouses, ances, and
their children.
This comes after the US
Supreme Court struck down
the portion of the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) that
dened marriage as a union
between one man and one
woman. This means that the
US federal government must
extend all federal rights and
privileges of marriage to any
married couple, regardless of
sexual orientation.
Currently, gay couples can
marry in 16 of the 50 Ameri-
can states and the District of
Columbia.
The embassy also revealed
that Filipina Maria Cecilia
Limson Gahuman and Ameri-
can Maria Carla Antonio also
a anc visa. The couple met
through a mutual friend over a
decade ago.
With their anc visa,
the couple will transition their
10-year relationship from long-
distance to marriage in Califor-
nia on December 30, 2013, the
embassy said.
Meanwhile, the embassy
wants to educate gay Filipinos
about new visa opportuni-
ties. Filipinos in same-sex rela-
tionships with Americans are
encouraged to view the Visas
section of the Embassy website
for more information.
Pop superstar Justin Bieber plays basketball with typhoon Yolanda survi-
vors after making a surprise visit in Tacloban City last week. (AFP PHOTO)
December 15, 2013 20 20
LBC kicks off football drive
for Mindanao kids
There are no competing
teams, just a collective passion
for the beautiful game and a
desire to spread hope in conict-
affected provinces.
Dust off your old boots,
bring out the jerseys you have
outgrown and dig out those old
balls and training equipment.
With heightened interest in foot-
ball in the Philippines, a number
of humanitarian organizations
now see the sport as a tool to
transform the lives of marginal-
ized children.
The countrys top courier
company LBC shares this vision
and launches Drop Off, Kick
Off, a campaign to collect and
distribute new or used football
gear and equipment to aspir-
ing football players who need it
the most, like those in conict-
affected areas in Mindanao
and inner city streets of Metro
Manila.
Simply drop off new or used
football shoes, kits and equip-
ment donations to LBC branches
in the USA and Canada. (Contact
www.facebook.com/LBCFoun-
dation or https://twitter.com/
LBC_Foundation for more infor-
mation). LBC will then take care
of the shipping and turn them
over to its partner beneciaries.
For this project, LBC Foun-
dation is lending support to
organizations such as Football
for Peace in Mindanao, a pro-
gram of the Philippine Marine
Corps.
Sports competitions are
known to erase differences,
shared Lt. Col. Stephen Caban-
let, in charge of the project.
Sports, like football, are used
as a common ground for people
coming from different cultures,
regions and religious beliefs.
Other beneciaries are
Gawad Kalinga (GK) SipaG,
Fairplay For All Foundation and
the Lipad Project to name a few.
All of these organizations have
proven that football can provide
a child with the values and life
skills that are vital in his or her
development such as teamwork,
discipline, leadership, persever-
ance and trust.
GK SipaG feels that at the
core of every great person lies a
strongfoundation of values such
as discipline, hardwork, servi-
tude, and love for others. Teach-
ing these core values through
football, GK SipaG looks to bring
about positive change among its
participants in order for them to
lead productive lives, shares
Head of GK SipaG Kevin Goco.
Football can break the cycle
of poverty for children like those
living around the Payatas dump-
site. Our vision is to bring the
boys and girls teams for the
Philippines to the Street
Child World Cup, compete
and look to win the competi-
tions, and to prove that there is
a future for the kids, says Roy
Moore, Fairplay For All Founda-
tion Executive Director.
Being in the business of
delivery and courier services,
LBC is in the best position to
bridge the donors, especially
those living overseas, and the
organizations that are chal-
lenged to nd funds to purchase
proper shoes, clothes and equip-
ment for kids to play, says LBC
Foundation Operations Head
Nena Wuthrich. Together we
can help share the dream of foot-
ball to these children.
This campaign is supported
by the football community that
includes members of the Philip-
pine Mens National Football
Team and the United Football
League, Chieffy Caligdong, Aly
Boromeo, Simon Greatwich,
Roel Gener and twins Marvin
and Marvin Angeles; and
from the Philippine Womens
National Football Team or Mal-
ditas, Samantha Nierras.
US warns of syndicates
preying on typhoon victims
WASHINGTON D.C. Thou-
sands of women and children in
the Philippines risk falling prey
to human trafckers in the after-
math of last months catastrophic
typhoon, ranking American of-
cials warned last Dec. 3.
A US congressman returning
from a visit to the storm-ravaged
Eastern Visayas region said that
while Filipino authorities and US
forces were helping vast numbers
of storm victims, more attention
was needed to thwart criminal
opportunists taking advantage
of the chaos wrought by super
typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
The most vulnerable, women,
children, the elderly, and those
with special needs always
fare worst during disasters,
Republican Congressman
Chris Smith, who led the three-
member delegation that visited
the disaster zone told a House
Foreign Affairs subcommittee.
At particular risk of sex trafck-
ing are vulnerable people who
over a longer period of time may
have lost some hope, said Smith.
Such persons in the Philippines,
many among the thousands
transported out of the disas-
ter zone to cities like the capi-
tal Manila, could fall victim to
offers of work in Saudi Arabia
or Korea, Smith said, only to nd
themselves with an engraved
invitation to a hell on Earth.
In Washingtons eyes, the Philip-
pines lacks adequate protections
to eliminate human trafcking.
The State Departments
2013 trafcking report describes
it as a source country for sex-
trafcking and forced labor,
and that child sex tourism
remained a serious problem.
The US Agency for International
Development (USAID) also
sounded the alarm at the hearing.
We are watching this
very closely, Nancy Lind-
borg, the USAIDs assistant
administrator for Democ-
racy, Conict and Humani-
tarian Assistance, testied.
To protect the children of the
central Philippines during this
time of heightened vulnerability,
the government of the Philip-
pines and the international com-
munity will need to make every
effort... to ensure and strengthen
local and national protective ser-
vices.
Rep. Chris Smith in Tacloban City
Ex-OFW is now papaya king
SAN PABLO CITY - For
nine years, Carmelo Ramos of
San Pablo City enjoyed being a
member of the crew of a rescue
ship that sailed around the world
tasked with rescuing boats in
distress.
However, after nine years
at sea, he thought he had saved
enough to build his own house,
so Carmelo decided to quit his
job and return to his native Brgy.
Soledad to become a farmer. He
related that all along while at
sea, he had always remembered
what an old lady fortune teller
had told him while he was a little
boy. The fortune teller had told
him that his good fortune was on
land and not at sea.
So when he returned to his
baranggay in 1999, his rst proj-
ect was to plant rambutan in the
familys farm.
Meanwhile, he planted
1,000 papaya trees in between
the young rambutan. This was
immediately protable. He was
able to harvest 50 tons of Sinta
papaya which he sold at P7 to P8
per kilo. He made a lot of money
because he spent just about
P100,000 to produce the 50 tons.
Right now, Milo has three
papaya plantations in different
places in San Pablo where he has
planted 18,000 papaya trees of
different ages.
Carmelo Ramos
PH-US troops talks snagged by issues Goldberg
MANILA. Ambassador
Philip Goldberg has reiterated
the United States position that
its not interested on building
new military bases in the Philip-
pines.
The two longtime allies
are currently negotiating a
framework agreement on the
increased rotational presence
(IRP) of US forces in the coun-
try. Both sides have held at least
four meetings in Manila and
Washington D.C. but the talks
appeared to have hit a snag over
some sovereignty issues.
Weve had several rounds
of negotiations. Were down to
brass tacks, sort of as we say,
which means there are still some
issues we need to resolve. Were
sensitive to some of the issues
and some of the history here, he
said in an interview Dec. 9 with
the ABS-CBN News Channel
(ANC).
Goldbergs assurance comes
as Japans Defense Minister Itsu-
nori Onodera, visiting the Phil-
ippines, appeared to mobilize
international opposition against
Chinas unilateral imposition of
a maritime air defense zone in
the East China Sea. He later met
with Australian Foreign Minister
Julia Bishop when they inspected
their respective countries relief
operations in typhoon-ravaged
Tacloban City.
If any country would
establish a similar air zone in
the South China Sea that would
bring up tension in the region
that should be stopped, he told
reporters in Tacloban City.
The US, Japan, Australia,
South Korea and other countries
have also expressed alarm over
Chinas new air defense iden-
tication zone (ADIZ). Beijing
says all aircraft entering the area,
which covers islands being con-
tested by China and Japan, must
identify themselves and follow
Chinese instructions.
Chinas ambassador in
Manila, Ma Keqing declared
it was Beijings right to decide
where and when to set up
an air identication zone. She
declined to categorically say if
China would set up a similar
zone in the South China Sea,
where it is locked in territorial
disputes with the Philippines,
Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and
Brunei.
Goldberg said the IRP aims
to boost bilateral cooperation
in disaster relief and help the
Philippines build a minimum
defense capability, particularly
in tense areas such as the West
Philippine Sea.
He refused to be drawn
into speculations about a US
response if China erects a similar
air defense zone in the West Phil-
ippine Sea, as the Philippine calls
the waters it claims in the South
China Sea.
Goldberg highlighted the
need to ensure that there are no
miscalculations that could fur-
ther heighten tensions.
We all know that in North-
east Asia, Southeast Asia and this
part of South China Sea, theres
tension and there is possibility
for miscalculation and those are
never good things, he said.
We dont recognize the
ADIZ but we need to take steps
to lower tensions and make sure
that miscalculations and acci-
dents dont happen, the US
envoy stressed.
Chinas lone aircraft car-
rier, the Liaoning, and a otilla
of escort ships are currently in
the South China Sea for training
exercises.
The IRP talks has been
delayed by alleged demands
from Filipino negotiators for
more guarantees that are report-
edly more directed at assuaging
fears, especially from the oppo-
sition and the administrations
supporters on the left that the
IRP wont pave the way for the
return of US military bases in the
country.
The guarantees are impor-
tant, one ofcial said, because
they didnt want to agreement to
have to go through a potentially
contentious ratication process
in Congress.
Meanwhile, Goldberg
stressed the US is ready to con-
tinue helping with ongoing reha-
bilitation and recovery efforts
in areas hit by super typhoon
Yolanda.
He said he is not too con-
cerned about the issue of
accountability in the Philippine
governments use of US nancial
assistance for the disaster.
I am not too concerned. We
work very well with the Philip-
pine government on how our
money is spent, how we deliver
aid, so I dont think thats a con-
cern from our part. But we need
obviously to make an accounting
to the American Congress and
people on how were spending
money, he said.
But were working well
with the Philippine government.
I think that the aid is accounted
for. All that were doing is
known, we publicize it every-
day, Goldberg averred.
issues far removed from Wash-
ington made clear the degree to
which leaders in Asia still look to
America to try to solve problems
when it seems like no one else
can, an Associated Press analysis
said.
The United States never
says anything it does not do,
Biden said in Seoul.
He pushed back against
those who question Americas
commitment to Asia, the Obama
administrations vaunted re-
balance to Asia which has at
times been obscured by an array
of distractions at home and
abroad.
The long-scheduled trip
to the region was supposed to
center on an increased U.S. focus
on Asia and efforts to negoti-
ate a trans-Pacic trade agree-
ment. But, Beijings declaration
of an Air Defense Identication
Zone (ADIZ) in November set
off alarm bells in Washington,
Tokyo, and Seoul.
China says any aircraft
wanting to y through the
expanded zone in the East China
Sea must rst submit a ight plan
to Beijing. China also reserves
the right to deny entry to the
airspace. But the zone overlaps
international waters and terri-
tory administered by Japan and
South Korea.
At a joint news conference
after their meeting, Biden said
the U.S. was deeply concerned
about a move to change status
quo in the East China Sea.
This action has raised
regional tensions and increased
the risk of accidents and mis-
calculation, the vice president
said.
Biden said the risk of escala-
tion is too high and underscores
the need for crisis management
mechanisms and effective chan-
nels of communication between
China and Japan.
This is one of those inec-
tion points in history, Biden
said in a speech at an elite South
Korean university. We actually
have a chance a chance to
bend history just slightly.
There appeared to be little
doubt that Asian powers see
the US playing a leading role,
decades after wars in Japan, Viet-
nam and Korea brought tens of
thousands of American troops to
the region.
Each country wanted some-
thing specic from Biden.
Japan and South Korea
wanted the US to stand rm
against Chinas unilateral dec-
laration of an air defense zone
over disputed islands in the East
China Sea. Japan, in particu-
lar, wanted assurances the US
wouldnt acquiesce by ordering
US commercial pilots to comply
with the zone.
China wanted the vice pres-
ident to mimic specic phrasing
about pursuing a new model of
major-country relations thats
become an ofcially sanctioned
mantra for Chinese ofcials.
South Korea wanted Biden
to help choreograph an exchange
of public gestures between Seoul
and Tokyo to alleviate resent-
ments over Japanese colonialism
that have reached a fever pitch.
As if to demonstrate how
closely Asia is watching the US,
North Korea released an Merrill
Newman, a Korean War veteran
who wanted to revisit the coun-
try but was held since October
hours before Biden was set to
visit the Demilitarized Zone.
He quietly urged Beijing to
refrain from enforcing the air-
space zone, hoping to give the
government a way out, rather
than insisting that it formally
rescind the zone.
He wanted Tokyo to drop its
objections to a major trade deal.
He wanted Seoul to avoid
sudden movements and con-
sult with its neighbors before
expanding its own air defense
zone to send a stern message to
China (which South Korea did
last Dec. 8).
Bidens weeklong Far East
jaunt is seen as a follow-through
to an earlier trip in Asia last July.
On July 18, Biden said in a
speech at the Center for Ameri-
can Progress that the alliance
with the Philippines is among
the cornerstones of the United
States defensive and economic
strategies in the Asia Pacic
region.
The core of our strategy in
the region is our alliances: Japan,
South Korea, Australia, the Phil-
ippines, Thailand, Biden said,
sharing his take on the United
States policy in the region.
Biden said the US strate-
gic ties with these countries that
have transformed economically
the past years are at the center
of President Obamas re-bal-
ancing policy, shifting its focus
from Western nations to Asia.
China claims virtually all
of the body of water, drawing
accusations from rival claimants
the Philippines and Vietnam,
among others, that it is mounting
a creeping takeover of disputed
islets.
Biden admitted that build-
ing alliances with the ve coun-
tries as well as India, Singapore
and Indonesia have not been
without risk, as many of them
suffer from disputes.
In the Asia-Pacic, we saw
a region of remarkable promise
but also genuine uncertainty and
political risk. Many nations have
experienced rapid economic
transformation that has funda-
mentally created a new dynamic:
rising ambitions and rising ten-
sions, Biden said at the time.
To address the challenges,
he said that the US entire
national security and economic
teams are committed to solving
concerns in the Pacic region.
The strategy consists in
strengthening our alliances,
deepening partnerships and
investing like never before in
regional institutions to help
manage disputes peacefully,
Biden said.
Biden reiterates US... from page 1
US Ambassador Philip Goldberg
Salvador dismissed reports the
ghter was hesitant to show his
US tax records because he held a
green card.
No, he is not a green card
holder. He cannot hold public
ofce, specically a congres-
sional seat, if he is a green card
holder, Salvador pointed out.
Pacquiaos party mate, UNA
Secretary-General Navotas Rep.
Toby Tiangco, said he spoke to
Pacquiaos business manager
Michael Koncz, who told him
that Pacquiao is a holder of a P1
visa that is issued to athletes and
entertainers of exceptional abil-
ity. This would have allowed
him to ght and generate income
in the US.
Tiangco added that from a
business point of view, Pacquiao
wont want to be a green card
holder because it would mean he
will have to pay taxes to the US
for revenues generated outside
the US.
The Philippines 1987
Constitution stipulates that a
member of the House of Rep-
resentatives must not be only a
natural-born Filipino but also
satisfy residency requirements in
his district. According to Philip-
pine legal precedents, a green
card holder is considered a
permanent resident of the US,
meaning the holder is not a resi-
dent of the Philippines.
Pacquiao has ... from page 1
December 15, 2013 22 22
The report said emergency
supplies delivered by military
helicopters have turned up on
the shelves of shops in afuent
districts of Manila, hundreds of
miles away from the most storm-
stricken towns in Samar and
Leyte islands where much of the
international relief mission have
been concentrated.
Valerie Amos, U.N. Under
Secretary-General for Humani-
tarian Affairs and Emergency
Relief Coordinator, said she had
expected that aid had been deliv-
ered by helicopter to survivors
in even the most remote outly-
ing islands more than a month
after typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)
struck.
Although weve got sig-
nicant aid now coming in to
the major centers, we still have
a little bit of a worry that in a
couple of the smaller islands that
there may be needs there that we
havent managed to meet yet,
she said.
The government has central-
ized the receipt and distribution
of relief goods under the Depart-
ment of Social Welfare & Devel-
opment (DSWD) although it still
relies on local ofcials to identify
beneciaries.
Im still hearing worrying
reports in the media indeed I
heard one this morning where
people said they hadnt received
any aid as yet, and were looking
into that, she said.
In a joint hearing last Dec.
9, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred
Romualdez blamed excessive
politicking for problems in aid
distribution. He told a congres-
sional post-disaster assessment
panel that he begged for more
assistance in security and rescue
efforts but there was hesita-
tion from national government
ofcials.
I was asking (for the) police
force of Tacloban City to be aug-
mented, and yet hindi na-aug-
ment yung security ng Tacloban
City, Tinanggal pa yung chief of
police, Romualdez said, refer-
ring to Eastern Visayas Police
Chief Superintendent Elmer
Soria who was sacked for esti-
mating that 10,000 people may
have died in the typhoon and the
storm surge it triggered.
Romualdez claimed Interior
and Local Government Secretary
Mar Roxas asked him instead
to write a letter or pass an ordi-
nance attesting the local govern-
ment ceased to function, asking
the national government step in.
[Secretary Roxas] told me
that we have to legalize every-
thing here. Then I asked him
what is to legalize here. Well this
is a gray area that the national
government is coming here and
doing all this, the Tacloban
mayor said.
He alleged that Roxas
responded: You have to remem-
ber: we have to be very careful
because you are a Romualdez
and the president is an Aquino.
There is persistent specula-
tion that the presidents father,
former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr.,
was assassinated in August 1983
allegedly upon orders of either
a then ailing President Marcos
or his wife, Imelda Romualdez,
currently a member of the House
of Representatives.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV,
who is presiding for the congres-
sional assessment, announced he
will summon Roxas so he can air
his side.
The death toll from one of
the most powerful storms ever to
hit land reached 5,924 (as of this
writing) with 1,799 still listed as
missing.
The National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) admitted
that a month since typhoon
Yolanda, they have identied
only 245 of the 2,321 bodies, rep-
resenting barely 11 percent, that
the agency has examined so far.
Based what theyre experiencing,
it said identifying all the dead
was now virtually impossible.
Raul Alcantara, medico
legal ofcer of NBI Region 5
and head of the second team of
NBI experts, said that the severe
stage of decomposition makes it
harder for them to identify the
casualties.
Our team is only limited to
examining 40 bodies everyday,
but more remains have been
retrieved. Were not constrained
by the method of identication
but by the number of bodies,
Alcantara said. He added the
lack of dental records also
impeded the effort. They will
need samples from at least three
living immediate family mem-
bers to complete DNA testing.
Meanwhile, The Daily Mail
reported on Dec. 8 that shelter
equipment purchased by British
donations have been locked up
in government warehouses and
stockpiled alongside food items.
The Daily Mail said Brit-
ish charity groups are also con-
cerned about evidence that sug-
gests not all the 60 million of
UK aid is reaching the typhoon
victims.
An expatriate identied as
Keb Darge is reportedly facing
death threats for stopping local
ofcials who were stealing aid
in Eastern Samar. The aid isnt
getting through to where its
needed. Ive seen the deliveries
arrive and Ive seen them disap-
pear, Darge told the newspaper.
A Japanese aid worker iden-
tied as Shiratori Koti was also
quoted in the story as saying
that local ofcials were bring-
ing relief goods to their homes
and that there is not enough food
reaching the victims.
The situation isnt going to
improve unless theres an inves-
tigation, Darge stressed.
NDRRMC spokesman Maj.
Rey Balido said they have not
received formal complaints and
urged witnesses or whistle-blow-
ers to coordinate with authorities
so the alleged diversion can be
addressed.
Armed Forces public affairs
chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala also
urged witnesses to come for-
ward. If there is any wrongdo-
ing especially in the delivery of
relief and we know something
about it is just proper that we call
attention to our law enforcement
ofcials so that we can correct
it, he said.
We have to give attention
to this because it does not create
a good image for us, Balido
said.
Meanwhile, Amos also
defended the Philippine gov-
ernment response against criti-
cisms it was moving to slowly to
aid victims. She said the Philip-
pines responds to more than 20
typhoons a yearBut the scale
and severity of this was some-
thing which none of us could
have anticipated.
UN looks into... from page 1
relatives no longer have to leave
the country to apply for legal
US status, a situation that often
resulted in the applicants being
barred from reentering the US
for years.
The move follows the more
sweeping Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
program that President Obama
started enforcing last year to
help some young immigrants
who have lived in the United
States illegally since they were
children.
With immigration reform
having ground to a standstill in
Congress, such executive-branch
actions are seen as the only
means for Obama to advance
pro-immigrant policies, at least
for now.
It is unclear how many
undocumented immigrants the
directive will affect. But some
experts say the number will be
signicant. It will help a lot
of people, said immigration
lawyer Margaret Stock.
The Department of Home-
land Security (DHS) has long
had the authority to halt the
deportation of people related to
military personnel, and it is this
function that the department
claried with specic guidelines
to US Citizenship and Immigra-
tion Services in a Nov. 15 memo-
randum.
The order relies on existing
statutes and is not an eclipsing
of congressional authority, DHS
ofcials explained.
But critics disagree. By the
end of 2016, the administration
may well have decided it can
parole in nearly all of the illegal
alien population, writes Dan
Stein of the Federation of Ameri-
can Immigration Reform, which
pushes for tight immigration
laws, on the groups website.
Finding ways to overcome
statutory limits on immigration
appears to be the administra-
tions overriding policy objec-
tive.
For some military families,
parole in place will ease the
anxiety deployed service men
and women felt about the pos-
sibility of family members being
deported in their absence, of-
cials say.
The US government has his-
torically relied on immigrants to
help ght its wars. Almost half
of enlisted Army soldiers in the
1840s were immigrants, and,
between 1862 and 2000, more
than 660,000 veterans obtained
citizenship, says Lt. Cmdr. Nate
Christensen, a Department of
Defense spokesman.
Noncitizens that serve in
the armed forces have, and will
continue to play a vital role in
the US military, he adds, noting
that some 35,000 noncitizens
serve in the military, with about
5,000 of them enlisting each year.
After 9/11, the government
made various policy changes
to encourage legal residents to
enlist in the military, says Daniel
Cosgrove, a USCIS spokesman.
President Bushs 2002 order
offering noncitizens a fast track
to citizenship proved attrac-
tive for many immigrants who
chose to join the armed forces.
Between that year and 2013,
a total of 97,742 immigrants
became naturalized US citizens
here and abroad.
Up until the draft ended
in 1973, many immigrants who
served in military combat were
in the country illegally.
Undocumented people get
drafted, Stock says. And so if
you were a male, and you were
living in the country without
papers, you got drafted, and you
would serve in the military and
get your citizenship after you got
drafted.
Obama directive... from page 1
World War II veterans living in
the US and Philippines, respec-
tively.
Filner resigned and pleaded
guilty last October to one felony
and two misdemeanors for plac-
ing a woman in a headlock, kiss-
ing another woman and grab-
bing the buttocks of a third.
Superior Court Judge Robert
Trentacostas sentence afrmed
a plea agreement between pros-
ecutors and Filner.
The 71-year-old former
mayor faced a maximum pen-
alty of three years in prison for
the felony and one year in jail for
each misdemeanor.
The judge specied the
Filner may not seek or hold elec-
tive ofce during the term of his
probation.
I want to apologize to my
family who have stood by me
through this ordeal, to my loyal
staff and supporters, to the citi-
zens of San Diego and, most sin-
cerely, to the women who I have
hurt and offended, he said.
Certainly the behaviors
before this court today will never
be repeated. And I am condent
that I will come out of this a
better person and I look forward
to making further contributions
to the city I love, he stressed.
Filner, who is divorced, was
convicted of felony false impris-
onment for restraining a woman
against her will at a fund-raiser
on March 6 and applying addi-
tional force when she resisted.
The misdemeanor counts of
battery were for kissing a woman
on the lips without permission
at a Meet the Mayor event on
April 6 and grabbing another
womans buttocks at a May 25
rally to clean up Fiesta Island in
Mission Bay. None of the victims
have been identied.
Nearly 20 women have
publicly identied themselves
as targets of Filners unwanted
advances, including kissing,
groping and requests for dates.
His accusers include a retired
Navy rear admiral, a San Diego
State University dean and a
great-grandmother who volun-
teers answering senior citizens
questions at City Hall.
Filner sentenced... from page 1
On the Pleasures of Happy Hours
T
aking a break, an
expression for tempo-
rary cessation, a halt,
a respite no matter how short
the time, is as valid an excuse
practiced in the Philippines, as
it is anywhere else in the globe,
to be merry, to be glad and be
happy. There is a time for work,
for completing an assigned task,
for fullling an obligation or
terms of an agreement, but there
will always be for the Filipinos
and their descendants a cock-
tail hour, low or high tea, coffee
break, merienda cena, and a
salo-salo. Any of these spells
setting aside a burden and the
momentary urge, the hidden
stimulus, is a conditioned
response to seek pleasure in the
company of friends, acquain-
tances or colleagues.
Spending time for pleasure
can take place in any agreed-
upon location, or what the
sophisticates call a venue, in a
bar, a nook in a restaurant, a
portico in a hotel lobby, a road-
side caf, or in an ofce cafeteria;
in any provincial or suburban
towns, cities, barrios or baran-
gays, the meeting place can be
at a corner convenience store,
with chairs, benches or papag
available for use. Always, in
ones circle of friends, the atten-
dant motive is to keep current on
social and ofce politics, to toast
a happy occasion, to restart a
communication misconnect, and
to gossip. These are inherited
patterns of behavior, reective of
a nations history.
In the Visayan provinces,
before the arrival of Magellan in
1521, the betel nut was central
to a festive occasion. Betel nut
is a fruit of a palm tree. It was
cut into small pieces, sprinkled
with lime pounded from shells,
wrapped in a green betel vine
and chewed repeatedly until
red-colored spittle is produced.
Sharing ones knowledge of its
preparation, exchange, and how
it was served was an important
pleasurable social act.
A salo-salo or a group-
ing of friends and colleagues,
occurring in cities, towns and
in the provinces, at the present
and in the immediate past, is a
break from the toils of everyday
living, a social act, and a call to
participate in a shared destiny.
It is a handy language coined for
immediate use, carrying a com-
ponent of identity and an object
of exchange and accepted widely
as a powerful form of peace
diplomacy.
In contrast, a merienda
cena or a light repast is a for-
malized assignation between
and among friends, a time for
what the French call a tete-a-tete,
a take from the British custom of
reserving the late afternoons for
high teas. It is a social act intro-
duced at the time when the Phil-
ippines was a colony of Spain
and practiced mostly by the elite
female class. Nowadays, plan-
ning for or going to a merienda
cena is an invitation open to all
genders.
In any of these social gather-
ings, which has taken precedence
over ritualized festivity, the pres-
ence of any drinks on the table or
in ones hand is a given. And as
in any ones laptop, tablet, iPad,
iPod or iPhone, food is a default,
a readily-available panacea, the
knob that opens a door to a reso-
lution of any misunderstandings
or misconnects. The drinks may
be coffee in all its forms, tea in all
its smells and complexities, vari-
ant of fruit juices, liquors and
any of the alcoholic mixes, tuba
or lambanog extracted from fer-
mented coconut juices, and the
ubiquitous San Miguel beer.
Ah, San Mig, as it is fondly
called! Who can forget the big
beer bash that occurred imme-
diately after the liberation of
Manila by the U.S. forces in 1945?
The liberation was preceded by
extensive bombings of Manila
and caused the Japanese soldiers
to retreat in haste. Millions of Fil-
ipinos took to the streets in cele-
bration. The San Miguel brewery
in Manila was spared from the
blanket bombings and still had in
storage the Japanese brew. In the
spirit of celebration, the owner
of the brewery, Andres Soriano,
ordered the release of the brew,
to the last drops. What followed
was a mile-long line of people,
including military personnel,
carrying with them all kinds of
container to hold the prized liq-
uids. It was a recorded binge, a
highlight of the aftermath of the
Second World War.
Sharing of wine or a native
brew in a social context has a
historical perspective. A little
over a week after the arrival of
Magellan on Samar on March 16,
1521, he and his crew sailed for
the island of Limasawa to meet
with Rajah Kolumbu and Rajah
Siawi. The meeting was cordial
and helped along by an abun-
dance of food and native wines.
The conviviality exhibited at this
rst meeting paved the way for
the celebration of the rst Catho-
lic Mass at Limasawa.
Food served and taken
in these social gatherings has
always been a dening factor
of our human identity because
what we eat is a cultural product.
We are what we eat is an uncon-
tested absolute. Nowhere is this
dictum more striking than in the
bibingka or steamed sweetened
rice our; in Kalamay, sweetened
rice cake steamed in coconut
juice; bananacue; turon; tsampu-
rado or rice boiled in chocolate
syrup; or in lugaw or what the
Spanish called the arroz caldo or
the Koreans congee. Pizza and
fusions of cakes and pastries may
be served during a merienda
cena but the preferred ordered
items are the native delicacies.
Of course, what ows from
all these social gatherings is
always the ease of conversations.
We talk, almost to the limits. In
the beginning of mans evolu-
tion from his ancestral apes, his
acquired knowledge of cooking
his food by re had somehow
softened his jaws in the process,
thus transforming him into a
conversationalist. We meet and
join friends and colleagues to
drink and eat with them, to talk
with them, share their sorrows
and pains, and to be a part of his
hopes and dreams. It is a social
legacy we acquire from an iden-
tied group. These convivial
encounters can only reveal our
hidden pleasures, our elected
afnities, always cemented by
friendly conversations, by an
understanding of whom we
really, and to the group of what
we really area friend or a foe.
News in Pictures
All photos by Jon Melegrito
Community leaders, friends and the families of Rodney Garcia, Rene Carag, Alberto Bacani and Angelesio Tugado
gathered recently for a memorial service at the Armitage in Alexandria, Va. to honor the memory of their loved ones.
Organized by the Association of American Counselors on Ethnic Eldercare Services (AACEES), the mass was fol-
lowed by an open forum on health and wellness, featuring cardiologist Dr. Jun Quion and health activist Rose Marie
Armour of Forever Living Products.
Margaret Lacson Ecarma of Alex-
andria, Va., community activist
and CEO of MRC3 Media, recently
leads a meeting of engineers, archi-
tects and other professionals who
are pooling their resources to assist
in the Bohol Restoration project.
The planning group is lending its
support to the Diocese of Tagbila-
ran, which is overseeing the repair
and restoration of 20 churches
declared as national historical
landmarks by the Philippine Gov-
ernment. These churches were dam-
aged during the recent earthquake.
Fil-Am leaders join other Asian Pacic Americans in celebrating the achieve-
ments of APIA Vote, a project that successfully mobilized the highest number
of voters in the APIA community in the 2012 national elections. Attending
the recent event in D.C. are, from left, Congressional Aide Mark Jimenez
of Sacramento, Naomi Underwood of the Democratic National Committee,
PALM President Mitzi Pickard, AARP Research Director Xhenia Montene-
gro, AARP Vice President Daphne Kwoc, and AARP directors Maria Lee and
Steven Raga.
Filipino Americans in Langley Park, Maryland rafed tickets to raise funds
for Typhoon victims in the Philippines. Attending the event sponsored
recently by Forever Living Products (FLP) are, from left, Dilla Rey Cajolo,
Rose Marie Armour, John Manzanero, Liza Pulleng and Danny Francia. For-
ever Living is a global company that promotes wellness and healthy living.
December 15, 2013 24 24
Where is Pacquiao going?
MANILA
T
he world-famous Filipino
boxer Manny Pacquiao
pitched a shutout in his
last ght Nov. 24 (evening of
Nov. 23 in the US). Under the cir-
cumstances, he had to.
Many fans for sure wished
the Philippines greatest boxer
had knocked out his foe, the
American Brandon Rios, but
the unanimous decision will do.
The Filipinos will be more than
happy to settle for the decision
win and to know that their idol
is back.
Pacquiaos aura is back, not
quite that of invincibility but cer-
tainly as ring campaigner of the
best quality. He needed the win.
No doubt all Filipinos were
tense not only at the start of the
ght in Macau, China, but all
throughout the 12 rounds of it.
Anything could happen in the
ring.
Oh, how we all knew that.
The shocking knockout at the
hands of Mexican Juan Manuel
Marquez last year and the
bizarre loss to American Timo-
thy Bradley were heavy on peo-
ples minds. The thought never
left our minds the whole length
of the Rios match.
But, as it turned out, our
pugilistic angst was not neces-
sary at all. Pacquiao still has it.
Indeed he was masterful
again. He dominated Rios all
throughout. And that is a big
deal because Rios is a former
champion and thus not a push-
over as some observers might
have believed.
But Rios was too slow. And,
literally, Pacquiao ran circles
around him. It was really a no-
contest.
Manny was back, but
Observers untrained eye could
detect a certain tentativeness
and the old power seemed
more temperate this time. The
experts might say the rst was
a sign of intelligence rather than
uncertainty and the second of
maturity. Of course being a non-
expert, I would gladly go along
with that.
If the Filipino nation needed
the Pacquiao victory, the more
the boxer himself needed it. Not
only to console himself after his
two previous unexpected losses,
but also for his own ego. As well
as his standing as an icon among
Filipinos.
Pacquiaos charisma and
public esteem had been wearing
off, especially with the advent of
the other outstanding Filipino
boxer Nonito Donaire and the
succession of Filipina beauties
that have met with success in
international pageantries.
The timing of the win,
of course, is a big boost for a
people and nation that have
been extremely low in spirits in
the aftermath of the devastating
supertyphoon Yolanda and all
the political controversies the
country has been reeling from
recently. As least we now have
something positive to cheer our-
selves with and to lift everyones
mood.
Now the experts are divin-
ing Pacquiaos future in the
wake of the Macau triumph,
some saying he should con-
tinue campaigning in the ring,
others advising him to hang up
his gloves and do something
else. Still others are wishing that
Pacquiao should leave politics
before he gets corrupted by it too
deeply.
Indeed Pacquiao should be
thinking about the future. Pretty
soon he will have to decide
when to retire the mitts. Perhaps
after one or two more ghts,
especially if the match-up with
American Floyd Mayweather
doesnt materialize.
But for now, Pacquiao
should savor his latest victory.
And take time to ponder the
horizon. What is there for him
to do in life still? Should he stay
in politics even though that is a
dirty profession? Many Filipinos
were chagrined over Mannys
foray into politics and were
turned off by it. He should keep
that in mind.
And now he has to contend
with a dispute with the Philip-
pines Bureau of Internal Rev-
enue (BIR) over allegedly unpaid
taxes.
The BIR is running after Pac-
quiao for allegedly underdeclar-
ing his income for certain years.
The boxer counterclaims that he
had paid the disputed taxes in
the United States and therefore
doesnt have to pay in the Philip-
pines.
The issue is not complicated.
If indeed Pacquiao owes back
taxes, then he has to pay. If, on
the other hand, he can prove he
has already paid in the United
Copyrighting literary works
QUESTION: I am in the
process of writing a book and
Im thinking of self-publishing it
through one of the more popular
online publishing outts, such
as Lulu, CreateSpace, Xlibris, or
Author House. Should I copy-
right my book for protection?
ANSWER: Copyright in
the United States is a form of
protection grounded in the
U.S. Constitution and granted
by law for original works of
authorship xed in a tangible
medium. Copyright protects
original works of authorship,
including, for example, poems,
plays, motion pictures, musical
composition, drawings, photo-
graphs, etc. Copyright does not
protect facts, information, ideas,
systems, or methods of opera-
tion. In the U.S., works of origi-
nal authorship are automatically
protected once they are created
and xed in a tangible form that
is perceptible directly or with the
aid of a machine or device. In
your case, your literary work, in
its current form, is already pro-
tected although you have yet to
nalize and/or commercially
publish it.
Although copyright protec-
tion for original works of author-
ship is automatic there are cer-
tain advantages to registering
an original work of authorship
with the U.S. Copyright Ofce.
For example, registration cre-
ates a record of your copyright
claim. In addition, before you
can le a copyright infringement
lawsuit in court, your work must
have been previously registered.
Moreover, registered works may
be eligible for statutory dam-
ages and attorneys fees in suc-
cessful copyright infringement
litigation. Likewise, registration
allows you to record your work
with the U.S. Customs Service
for protection against the impor-
tation of infringing copies.
QUESTION: How do I go
about registering my literary
work with the U.S. Copyright
Ofce?
ANSWER: An application
for copyright registration has
three essential elements: (i) a
completed application form; (ii)
a nonrefundable ling fee; and
(iii) a nonreturnable deposition
(i.e., a copy of the work being
registered). Online registration
through the electronic Copyright
Ofce (eCO) is the preferred way
to register certain works, includ-
ing basic literary works. Online
ling affords certain advantages,
such as faster processing time,
online status tracking, a lower
ling fee, etc. Paper application
is also availableand indeed
there are certain works for which
paper application is the only
available application method.
If you apply online, you will
receive an email stating that your
application was received. If you
apply using a paper application,
you will not receive an acknowl-
edgment that your application
has been received (this is because
the Copyright Ofce receives
hundreds of thousands of appli-
cations a year). With either
online or paper applications, you
can expect one of three things to
happen: (i) you will receive a
letter, phone call, or email from
a Copyright Ofce employee if
further information is required;
(ii) you will receive a certicate
of registration indicating that
the work has been registered;
or (iii) in the event your appli-
cation cannot be accepted, you
will receive a letter explaining
why your application has been
rejected.
QUESTION: When does my
copyright registration become
effective?
ANSWER: The effective
date of your copyright registra-
tion is that date the Copyright
Ofce received your application,
a nonrefundable ling fee, and a
nonreturnable deposit in accept-
able formregardless of how
long it took the Copyright Ofce
to process your application and
mail your certicate of registra-
tion. You do not have to receive
your certicate before you pub-
lish your work, and you do not
need permission from the Copy-
right Ofce to place a copyright
notice on your work. However,
the Copyright Ofce must have
acted on your application before
you can le a suit for copyright
infringement. Moreover, cer-
tain remedies, such as statutory
damages and attorneys fees,
are available only for acts of
infringement that occurred after
the effective date of registration.
QUESTION: How long
does my copyright last?
ANSWER: The term of
copyright for a particular work
depends on several factors,
including whether it has been
published and, if so, the date
of its rst publication. In gen-
eral, however, for works created
after January 1, 1978, copyright
protection lasts for the life of
the author plus an additional 70
years after death.
QUESTION: Can someone
use portions of my copyrighted
material without my authoriza-
tion?
ANSWER: Yes. Under the
fair use doctrine, the use of
limited portions of a copyrighted
work is permissible for such
purposes as commentary, criti-
cism, news reporting, teaching,
research, and scholarly reports.
Several factors are considered
in determining whether or not
a particular use is fair: (i) the
purpose and character of the
use, including whether such use
is of commercial nature or is for
nonprot educational purposes;
(ii) the nature of the copyrighted
work; (iii) the amount and sub-
stantiality of the portion used in
relation to the copyrighted work
as a whole; and (iv) the effect
of the use upon the potential
market for, or value of, the copy-
righted work. This determina-
tion is fact-specic and is made
on a case-by-case basis. There is
no specic number of words or
phrases that may be safely taken
without permission.
A. Enrico C. Soriano, Esq.,
is the managing member of Axxis
Law Group, PLLC (www.axxislaw.
com). He is a published legal author
and a frequent speaker/faculty/mod-
erator/commentator on legal issues
nationwide. He has over 20 years of
legal experience representing corpo-
rations ranging in size from small,
entrepreneurial companies to large
multibillion-dollar blue-chip corpo-
rations. He has held senior counsel
and partnership positions with some
of the worlds largest and oldest law
firms. The answers and discussions
provided in this column do not con-
stitute legal advice, and no attorney-
client relationship is created hereby.
You should consult a competent
attorney for further assistance.
Our solitary
boast
T
he iconic spiritual
leaders of our time
took decades of strug-
gle and growth before they were
formed into the universally rec-
ognized symbols that we know
and love, writes Ambassador
Akbar Ahmed. He chairs Islamic
Studies at American University
in Washington DC. Mahatma
Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Rev.
Martin Luther King, Jr., and
Nelson Mandela are universally
recognized examples.
But Pope Francis is an
exception, he adds. He comes
to us, as it were, fully formed. In
terms of his tenure as pope, he
is in his infancy. And yet Fran-
cis seems to have hit his stride.
This marked in his reaching out
to Muslims - and the shared rev-
erence for Mary, the Mother of
Jesus.
From his rst foreign policy
address in March, Francis made
improving Muslim-Catholic
relations a top priority. Before
ambassadors from 180 countries,
he explained how he wanted to
work for Muslims and Catholics
to intensify dialogue.
In September, he wrote to
Ahmed al-Tayyeb, imam at Uni-
versity of Al-Azhar, founded
a thousand years ago. He
expressed esteem and respect
for Islam and Muslims. He
hoped to improve understand-
ing to build peace and justice.
Positive shockwaves
were sent into Muslim-Catholic
circles, Ambassador Ahmed
added. Muslim scholars and
religious institutions around the
world welcomed Pope Franciss
election and his initiatives.
In September, he wrote
to Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the top
imam of the University of Al-
Azhar, founded a thousand
years ago. He expressed esteem
and respect for Islam and Mus-
lims and hoped that his effort
could improve understanding
among Christians and Muslims
in the world, to build peace and
justice.
In todays charged atmo-
sphere of tension between Mus-
lims and non-Muslims, isnt it
prudent, let alone essential, to
attempt to nd common ground
between these clashing Abraha-
mic traditions? asks Heather
Abraham who wrote the book:
The Muslim Jesus (2001).
There are many theological
differences between Christianity
and Islam, Marys shared impor-
tance, in both religions, can be
understood as an opportunity
for interfaith dialogue.
Jesus has a unique place
in the Quran, the holy book of
Islam. There is an entire chapter
dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Muslim poets Rumi and Haz
wrote: I am a hole in a ute
through which blows the breath
of Christ. Listen to this music.
This respect for the Naza-
rene and his Mother caught
attention of many scholars.
Islam is the only great post-
Christian religion of the world,
having had its origin in the 7th
century under Mohammed, the
late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
wrote: The Quran has many
passages concerning the Blessed
Immigration Notes
By J.G. Azarcon, Esq.
Abused alien
spouse
A
n alien who is a ben-
eciary of a permanent
resident petition led
by a U.S. citizen spouse within
two years after the marriage is
granted conditional permanent
resident status valid for two
years.
Before the second anniver-
sary date of the issuance of the
conditional residence, the US
citizen and the alien spouse need
to le a joint petition to remove
the conditional residence and
convert the status to full perma-
nent residence. If the US citizen
spouse refuses to sign the joint
petition, the alien spouse may
not obtain full permanent resi-
dence unless the USCIS waives
the requirement under limited
circumstances.
There are three grounds for
the waiver of the joint petition:
extreme hardship, good faith
marriage and battered spouse or
child.
The extreme hardship
ground requires the alien to show
that he/she or his dependent
child would suffer extreme hard-
ship if they were not allowed to
remain in the U.S. Family separa-
tion and economic reasons alone
would not constitute sufcient
justications. Termination of
marriage is not material.
The good faith ground
requires a showing that the alien
entered into the marriage in
good faith at the inception of the
marriage. The USCIS will look
into the duration of the marriage
after the alien has obtained the
conditional status, intermingling
of income, acquisition of joint
assets and birth of children. This
ground requires that the mar-
riage has ended either through
divorce or annulment, or at least
initiated in the appropriate court
by either spouse.
The third ground is based
on spousal or child battery.
The waiver petition can be led
by the alien even if the alien is
still living with the petitioning
spouse. Divorce or separation is
not required. The alien spouse
must establish that he/she or the
VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINES
DECEMBER 2013
FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES
First: Unmarried sons/daughters
of US citizens Jun 01, 2001
Second:
A: Spouses/minor children of
permanent residents: Sep. 08, 2013
B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years
of age or older of permanent residents Mar. 22, 2003
Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Jan. 02, 1993
Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens Jun. 01, 1990
EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES
First: Priority workers Current
Second: Professionals holding advanced
degrees or persons of exceptional ability Current
Third: Skilled workers, professionals Jan. 08, 2007
Other Workers Jan. 08, 2007
Fourth:
Certain Religious Workers Current
Fifth: Employment creation/
(Million or half-million dollar investor) Current
New FHA program
D
ISCLOSURE: I am not a
loan ofcer but I can rec-
ommend ones that Ive
worked all through the years!!
Well, just saying because my
article is all about the new FHA
Program. This is currently the
latest buzz in the housing market
after issues of increasing inter-
est rates, strict mortgage loan
guidelines and government shut
down which created cold feet
again among potential buyers.
Some people wants to buy but
they somewhat had foreclosures,
short sales, bankruptcy, judg-
ments, collections or other nega-
tive impact on their credit even
just plain collections. THIS IS
GOOD NEWS!!!
This is called THE NEW
FHA BACK TO WORK PRO-
GRAM. It basically allow
borrowers to purchase a home
through FHA nancing who had
a foreclosure, short sale, bank-
ruptcy, judgments and collec-
tions within 12 months or later
shortening the waiting period.
Here are the key factors for eli-
gibility: Twelve months have
passed since the borrowers hard-
ship that resulted to delinquency
and derogatory on credit report.
Loss of income should be at least
20% or more for the household.
Loss of income must be for a
period of more than six months
when the hardship happened.
In order to qualify, applicants
should be able to prove that the
credit impairment was the result
of a loss of employment or a sig-
nicant loss of household income
beyond the borrowers control.
This may include divorce and
other hardships that were usu-
ally associated why you cannot
pay the mortgage anymore.
The borrower has demonstrated
full recovery from the event as
timely payment on their credit
cards and all bills due to having
a present good job and no more
derogatory record on their credit
for at least the past 12 months.
The borrower has to complete
the Housing Counseling and
other requirements as described
per HUD (Housing and Urban
Development). Visit wwww.
hud.gov for more detailed infor-
mation of the program.
Satisfactory Credit Require-
ments: The credit history is clear
of late housing or installment
debt payments and major derog-
atory credit issues on revolving
account for 12 months. If you
have any current mortgage, it
should show satisfactory pay-
ment history for 12 months even
though you are under loan modi-
cation which maybe temporary
or permanent. Other aspects, no
history of delinquency on rental
housing, no more than one 30
days delinquency on payments
due to other creditors and no col-
lection account or court records
reporting (other than medical
and/or identity theft).
Required Documentations:
In order to prove your case; the
following are most likely the
lender will require from you:
Household Income loss
should be 20% or more for a
period of at least six months that
resulted in loss of employment,
loss of income or combination of
both.
Loss of Income lender will
obtain a VOE (Verication of
Employment) to show proof of
termination, reduction or combi-
nation of both by income of 20%
or more. A written termination
notice or other public documents
in case the employer is no longer
in business. It is important to
prove that the derogatory credit
occurred after this incident and
not before any economic dis-
tressed. For both Foreclosure
and Short Sale, minimum of 12
months have passed. **** In case
or a promissory note, check with
your loan ofcer or lender if they
will accept even if the promis-
sory note has not been paid in
full and being paid on time for
the last 12 months.
On Chapter 7 and 13 Bank-
ruptcy a minimum of 12
months have passed since the
date of discharged prior to loan
application and on Chapter 13
bankruptcy, all required bank-
ruptcy payments were made on
time and again, it has to be the
result of the hardship described
above. If the bankruptcy was not
discharge prior to loan applica-
tion, the lender must also verify
and document the borrower
has received written permission
from the Bankruptcy Court to
enter in mortgage transaction.
If you are one of these
people and would like to buy a
house, call a lender or loan of-
cer immediately as this program
maybe perfect for you. Most of
my clients who did short sale
before were asking me when
they can buy another house
December 15, 2013 26 26
PICKLED MANGO
A
t this time of year, I can
still buy yellow green
mangoes and I normally
buy them in cases. I always
serve mangoes throughout the
year because these complement
very well with any of my dishes,
such as roasted, grilled or fried
sh and poultry. Most especially
this coming holiday when we
serve all kinds of meat, pickled
mangoes is ideal to break down
the fat in some of the food we
tend to over-eat.
Ingredients:
3 whole mangoes (yellow
green and rm)
1/4 distilled vinegar or
lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped
parsley
Methods:
In preparing the mangoes,
cup the mango in your hand and
peel with a paring knife, leaving
no trace of the green skin. After
peeling, slice the mango length-
wise on either side of the seed,
cutting as close to the seed as
possible. Lay one of the halves
on the cutting board (at side
down) and cut into 1/4 inch
thick slices. Do the same with
the other half. Follow the same
procedure for the remaining
mangoes.
Combine all the ingredients
with a pinch of freshly ground
pepper. Mix well and serve.
Master Chef Evelyn: 100
Most Influential Filipina Women in
the U.S., 2009, Filipina Womens
Network; MHC Most Outstanding
Migrant Award in Culinary Arts,
2011; PAFC Dakila Special Achieve-
ment Award, 2011; Owner/Chef,
Philippine Oriental Market & Deli,
Arlington, Virginia; Founder and
President of CHEW (Cancer Help
Eat Well) Foundation, a 501 (c) (3)
public charity formed to help and
cook pro-bono for Filipino-Amer-
icans who are afflicted with cancer
and other serious illnesses; Culi-
nary writer; Member, Les Dames
dEscoffier International, Washing-
ton DC Chapter; Member, Inter-
national Cake Exploration Society,
Member, Culinary Historians of
Washington, D.C.; Master Chef,
French Cuisine and Patisserie, Le
Cordon Bleu, London..
ANESTHESIA
A
man went to the dental
surgeon to have a tooth
pulled.
The dentist pulls out a freez-
ing needle to give the man.
No way! No needles! I hate
needles! the patient said.
The dentist starts to hook
up the laughing gas and the man
again objects. I cant do the gas
thing - the thought of having the
gas mask on is suffocating to
me!
The dentist then asks if the
man has any objection to taking
a pill. No, the patient says, I
am ne with pills.
The dentist then returns and
says, Here is a Viagra tablet.
The patient says, Wow - I
didnt know Viagra worked as a
pain pill!
It doesnt, said the dentist,
but it will give you something
to hold onto when I pull out your
tooth.
MOTHER OF SIX
A man has six children and
is very proud of his achievement.
He is so proud of himself, that he
started calling his wife, mother
of six in spite of her objections.
One night, they go to a party.
The man decides that it is time to
go home and wants to nd out if
his wife is ready to leave as well.
He shouts at the top of his voice ,
Shall we go home now, Mother
of six?
His wife, irritated by her
husbands lack of discretion,
shouts right back, Anytime
youre ready, father of four!
LECTURE
The man was in no shape
to drive so he wisely left his car
parked and walked home. As he
was walking unsteadily along,
he was stopped by a policeman.
What are you doing out
here at 2 oclock in the morn-
ing? asked the ofcer.
Im going to a lecture,
answered the man.
And who is going to give a
lecture at this unholy hour? the
cop asked.
My wife, said the man.
RESPECT
Two old men were shing
off a bridge as they have done
daily for many years. Suddenly
a funeral procession came down
the road. The one old man reeled
in his line, laid down his pole,
faced the street and bowed his
head until the procession had
passed. He then went back to his
shing.
The other sherman was
amazed and said, I didnt know
you were that religious.
The other looked at him and
said, The least I can do... weve
been married for 42 years!
REFUGEE
A man in Italy goes to con-
fession and says to the priest,
Father forgive me for I have
sinned.
Priest: What is your sin my
son?
Man: I gave shelter to a
Jewish refugee in my attic during
World War II.
Priest: That was no sin, my
son.
Man: But I made love to her
in exchange for free rent.
Priest: Were you both
single?
Man: Yes, Father.
Priest: That was not very
nice - the sex for rent, but still it
was no sin.
Man: Can I ask another
question, Father?
Priest: Of course my son,
what is it?
Man: Do you think I should
tell her the war is over?
TANONG
Girl: Maam, puwede po
bang magkaanak ang 30 anyos
na babae?
Teacher: Oo.
Girl: Ang 20 anyos po?
Teacher: Siyempre naman.
Girl: Eh ang 10 year old na
bata po?
Teacher: Ay naku, iha,
imposibleng mangyari yun!
Boy nudged girl: Kita
mo na Sinabi ko na sa iyong
huwag kang mag-alala, eh!
AMBUSH
Isang grupo ng NPA
inambush ang isang bus na
punong-puno ng mga turista.
Lider ng NPA: Lahat ng mga
kalalakihan, pumunta sa may
bandang likuran ng bus. Lahat
ng mga kababaihan bumaba ng
bus at humanda kayo... gaga-
hasahin namin kayong lahat.
Dalagita: (Nagmamak-
aawa)... Naku po sir, huwag na
po niyong idamay ang lola ko.
Mahina na po siya at sugurado
kong hindi niya makakayanan
ang gagawin niyo.
Lola: (Medyo nainis)...
Huwag kang maingay! Bingi ka
ba apo? Ang sabi ay lahat ng
babae!
MAGTIPID
Amo: Inday, kinakailan-
gang magtipid tayo sa lahat ng
bagay, lalo na sa paggamit ng
tubig.
Inday: Kaya nga maam,
sabay na kaming maligo ni sir,
eh!
SUMBONG
Nagsusumbong si Nene sa
ina:
Nene: Nay, ang babastos
ang mga kaklaseng kong lalaki..
lagi nila akong sinisilipan ng
panty.
Inay: (Galit) Pag umulit pa
sila anak, isumbong mo sila sa
titser mo.
Nene: Naku, hindi na kai-
langan, nay. Inuutakan ko
sila. Tinatanggal ko na lang ang
panty ko.
DIVORCE
Sa isang korte, gustong
i-divorce ng isang ale ang kan-
yang asawa.
Huwes: Bakit naman gusto
mong gawin yan.
Misis: Kasi po, hindi siya
naging matapat sa akin. Huwes:
Paano mo naman nasabi yan?
Misis: Kasi po judge, wala
po siya ni isang kamukha sa mga
anak namin!
MERON BA?
Customer: Pagbilhan po!
Tindera: Ano yun?
Customer: Meron po ba
kayong skats teyp, yung tig-
piso?
Tindera: Meron.
Customer: Magkano po?
PANAGINIP
Misis nanaginip sa kailali-
man ng gabi at biglang sumigaw,
Dali, nandiyan na ang mister
ko!
Biglang bumalikwas ang
lalaking katabi at tumalon sa
bintana at nang makapag-isip ay
sabi, Tang na... ako ang asawa,
ah!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
TO ALL OUR READERS.
MARAMING SALAMAT PO
SA INYONG PAGTANGKILIK
SA MANILA MAIL.
The Wonders
of Christmas
T
he glow of Christmas lights
on our Christmas tree cre-
ates a nostalgic feeling of
wonders and inspiration with
awe, a mixed feelings driving
through the past of what was
before and the reality of now.
This is what winter time does to
me having the time to ponder,
contemplate and reect which
gives me the clarity of where
we are now. I nd this course a
most helpful process to meet the
challenges of what is ahead of us.
When the past collides with the
present, I say, it is most power-
ful. This is where the balancing
act should be constantly in play
to keep things in harmony. In
essence, we blend in the best of
the past with the practicality of
the present to make life better.
This one of the many blessings
in life.
Time and again we are
reminded of the signicance
of Christmas. It is the celebra-
tion of the birth of Jesus Christ,
our Lord, in Bethlehem. I say,
Merry Christmas, and not
Happy Holidays!It is also very
much about celebrating the spirit
of love and peace and a time of
goodwill towards the others. It
is a time of tradition and family.
I always think of how we cel-
ebrated Christmas back in the
Philippines and how we are
doing it now as a family.
When I Was Little Girl
My recollection goes fur-
ther back when I was growing
up. My mother would buy me
two materials for Christmas and
New Years dress from Divisoria.
Our costurera would show me
her catalogo and I would pick
the designs that I wanted until
I was ten years old. Thereafter, I
started to choose my dress colors
and materials, also would sketch
my own designs. Young as I was,
I already knew what I wanted.
I also had two pairs of shoes
to match the two dresses. Oh, I
loved my Mama. I was fourteen
when she bought me my rst
pink lipstick (Revlon!) because I
was already invited to be a cadet
sponsor in the high school ball.
Our Media Noche (Christ-
mas Eve at twelve midnight)
was consist of Sopas de Gallo en
Fideos, in short, Chicken Maca-
roni soup, Jamon de China or
Chinese Ham, (bought uncooked
from China Town; she cooked
it practically the whole day to
nish the process), Queso de
Bola, Menudo, Pandesal, Suman,
Leche Flan, etc. When we woke
up would be opening of gifts.
As far as I can remember, we
always had fresh Christmas
tree that Daddy bought - four
feet lang. We heard Mass in
the morning para ma-isuot ang
bagong Christmas dress. Then,
lunch with another set of menu
Kare-kare, Morcon, Lechon
(bought per kilo lang, about 4
kilos; whole lechon would be for
esta only), Rellenong Bangus,
Achara, assorted matamis like
Macapuno, Ube, Garbansos, etc.
In the afternoon would be going
to my Godparents- mga ninang
at ninong (my Titas and Titos)
to do Mano Po and of course,
receive their aguinaldo (Christ-
mas gifts). Would you believe
that after several decades ago, I
still have in my possession four
pieces of my remaining toys
when I was a little girl, of blue
porcelain tea sets - three small
saucers and one pitcher? They
are now kept in my china cabi-
net.
Family Stories and
Memories
Each of us has past personal
or family Christmas story to tell.
These stories are fun to retell and
during holiday family gatherings
are the best time to story-swap.
Sitting around the dining table
after our Christmas Eve dinner
to narrate stories not only create
laughter, but they also reinforce
feelings of closeness among us
and build resilience for navigat-
ing lifes normal ups and downs.
Furthermore, its not just the
content of the story that matters,
but the meaning we attach to it.
When I got married and
raised four children, the Christ-
mas traditions that I grew up
with were now passed on to
them, exactly the same. Back in
Manila, I would also buy mate-
rials for Christmas and New
Years dresses for my three girls
and a couple of outts for my
son and had them made by our
costurera; also pairs of shoes. We
had Media Noche with almost
the same choice of menu, bought
Christmas tree and put decora-
tions, waiting for Santa Claus,
opening of gifts on Christmas
day. The only difference was
this time we went to my parents
house for lunch and to my hus-
bands folks for dinner. Then, we
visited my childrens ninongs
and ninangs (mostly my siblings
and my husbands) for their
gifts. They still practiced kissing
their hands Mano Po.
Our migration to the United
States did not have major
changes to our family traditions.
Now all grown up and adults,
we still kept and practiced
them as closest as we could. A
couple of changes were: we no
longer heard Mass together as a
family, and my married daugh-
ter divided her time between
her in-laws and us for Christmas
dinner. I am thankful that all
four of them could come home
for Christmas (by car or plane)
and stay for at least four to ve
days reserved for our bonding.
We still followed all the other
stuffs that we did when they
were small like opening of gifts
on Christmas morning. They still
had the child-like anticipation
when opening of gifts. We spent
much time telling and retelling
stories, episodes and the like
before, during and even after
meals. Topics were new items,
recollections of their growing
up, experiences at work, travels,
pleasures, disappointments, con-
cerns, worries, helping the dis-
advantaged, accomplishments,
achievements, friends, tasks and
responsibilities at work, projects
at home, coping with the chal-
lenges of life, etc. Added topics
of discussions now were our
being retired from work, visits
to the doctors and our plan to
down-size.
Daan Dintala Part II
Dont mess with Nature
Previously:
I
am Divine Wind.
Kamikaze. Come. He
extended his hand and
bade me rise from my bed.
I held out my hand and
screamed. I looked at my arms
and my body. I had become a
revenant, a specter that shim-
mered. But instead of peace and
serenity that emanated from
Divine Wind, my body roiled
with disturbance. Flashes of
blinding light marred my robes.
I looked at his eyes and saw what
he saw. My face was dark and
malevolent. On my forehead was
the letter Y.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Part II
Divine Wind turned quietly
and led me through a labyrinth
lit by torches held by shadows
whose faces were covered with
hoods. They spoke my name in
hushed voices, in rhythm. Yo-
LAN-da. Each syllable sent chills
through me. I recognized the
familiar voices of the elders. Am
I to be sacriced?
We came to a stop at a clear-
ing. The elders left my side and
took their place behind a chair
on a platform. Divine Wind sat
on the empty chair opposite the
gure.
Yolanda, I am Pegataran.
The Magar spoke.
His voice was low and
evoked power. The mere men-
tion of his name struck fear in
all of us. We were bound by
strict adherence to traditions that
have been laid down since the
beginning of awareness. I ought
to have bowed my head and
averted my eyes. But I was curi-
ous. He had the same serenity as
Divine Wind but nothing marred
his forehead.
Do you know why you are
here, child? He asked.
No sir. I replied. I want
to go home. I want my mother.
Please.
You will in due time. But
you have to fulll the task which
was given to you when you
came into being. Not even I can
stop its progress once it began.
The Magar turned his head and
nodded at Divine Wind.
Child of mine, it is time.
Divine Wind spoke with pur-
pose and stood up.
I stood rooted to the spot. His
declaration unlocked answers
to visions that had plagued me
since I came upon my mother
on my way to the nursery one
early morning three moons ago.
Her face was troubled and tears
marred her beautiful face. She
brushed away all my appre-
hension about a shadow I saw
the night previous. You were
dreaming, Yolanda. She stood
up and left with haste.
They were not dreams after
all. I saw him several times more.
He came on moonless nights just
when the skies were at their
darkest. His eyes were kind. He
didnt speak. And there was a
feeling of desolation that stayed
with me after such visits.
I felt a gentle push and fol-
lowed Kamikaze back to the
labyrinth. Kamikaze. Divine
Wind. My father. We entered a
chamber. My father motioned
for me to sit on the pallet on the
oor. He knelt down in front of
me and placed his hands on my
forehead. But instead of a bless-
ing, I felt my brain explode as
he joined his consciousness with
mine.
Without speaking, Kami-
kaze opened up my mind to
receive the reason for my very
existence. I am Haiyan, daughter
of Amihan, who is the beloved of
Kamikaze. I will indeed wreak
destruction to a place called
Takloban. I am a xyclone with
strength that can atten every-
thing in my path. The devasta-
tion to life and property terried
me. I begged him to stop and
cease the torment but my father
persisted and brought me to a
place called Edo.
Haiyan, my child, the
xyclone that was visited upon
these men called Mongols was
me. Seventy thousand of them
perished that day. The people
who called themselves Edokko
gave me my name. They gave
thanks to the god Raijin who they
believed spawned the Kamikaze
to destroy their enemy. I am the
rst of my kind and you are my
daughter. You will grow into a
force of nature to rival my own.
The Edokko was wrong. No
god created us. We are neces-
sities of nature. Without us the
tropics will suffer in unrelenting
heat. The land will remain dry
and yield no vegetation to sus-
tain life. We agitate the oceans
and release food for the sh to
feed on. The ferocity of our wind
clears the air of impurities. The
children will breathe easier. My
father whispered the last words,
as if speaking them pained him.
But so many lives will
be lost. The children will be
orphaned and those who survive
will lose their dwellings. I said
and saw him inch.
That is of no consequence
to you. They were given several
typhoons that destroyed their
land yet they persist to rebuild.
But they will learn. Or they will
perish once more.
What is to become of me?
I asked.
You will return to Amihan
and work beside her. In due time
a monzoon named Habagat will
come into your life. Until then,
you will stay with me.
My anger was immediate. It
frightened me. How dare he plan
my life. He was absent for most
of my growing years. Kamikaze
knew my thoughts and smiled.
You are my daughter. But
you will learn to rein in that
anger. You will have the oppor-
tunity to unleash that displea-
sure in a fortnight. Come. The
time is almost here. Nature will
run its course. I bowed my head
in defeat and followed him.
O people of Takloban, hate
me not. In time you will see the
reason for my being.
December 15, 2013 28 28
Greetings to all rumormongers
T
sismoso wishes everyone a stu-
pendous Christmas and the most
tumultuous of New Years. May our
Tsismoso tribe, on the decline for centu-
ries, rise once again and make the lives
of men and women around the world
wholesome.
Just imagine if there are no more
rumormongers in the world today. Many
have given up their lives and honor to
make the world a better place to live with
their tall tales that are often embellished
with the truth. One can just imagine how
drub the world would be if there were no
Tsismosos or Tsismosas to make people
smirk, laugh or cry. Long live our tribe.
***
Tsismoso and his tribe wish to con-
gratulate the hundreds, if not thousands
of Pinoys and Kanos in the tri-state area
who have gone out of their way to raise
funds for the survivors of Yolanda.
This is not tsismis.
Kudos to Rep. Christopher Smith
(R-NJ), chair of the House foreign affairs
subcommittee on humanitarian assistance
who led a bipartisan delegation to visit
the devastated area in the Visayas and
watch how USAID helped distribute relief
to the victims a week after the disaster. He
held a hearing early this month to hear the
testimony of the acting USAID chief about
the progress of the relief effort.
During the hearing, a member of the
delegation who visited the Visayas asked
his colleagues to support his bill giving
Pinoy TNTs in the US temporary pro-
tected status. His name is Rep. Al Green,
a Texas Democrat. The reaction from
other members of the subcommittee was
thunderous silence. Also present was a
Republican member of the subcommit-
tee who praised USAID for its efforts. He
admitted he was biased because his wife
is a Filipina!
***
One can just imagine how lonely the
world will be if everybody sticks to one
yardstick: claiming to tell only the truth.
Come to think of it, what is truth? The liar
can always claim he is telling the truth.
Similarly the journalist whose motto is
always to tell the truth can swear hes
sticking to that dictum.
Tsismoso, on the other hand, claims
both worlds. He makes the world laugh
with Tsismis that are oftentimes avored
with facts. For instance, he spreads the
rumor that a certain so and so is a gigolo
posing as a straight family man; or a
loving husband who believes in the bib-
lical theme of go out and multiply, or
spreading ones love to make women or
men happy living in two worlds. Or that
this being the Christmas season, they are
only spreading the good cheers to every-
body, particularly to pretty women or
handsome men as the case might be.
There is a tale prevalent in the Phil-
ippines that when a man is caught in the
act, the best defense is never to admit it.
The wife, they claim, will have some sort
of satisfaction if her man will just keep
denying he was doing it. Thus, Never
confess is the motto of Filipino gigolos.
Now, in the Filipino American com-
munity in the greater Washington D.C.
area , the latest census says there are more
women than men. So its but logical that
some..oh never mind.
***
Heres one rumormonger that
deserves to be listened to because there
seems to be some sense and logic in his
rumor.
The grapevine is abuzz with rumors
that autism and other forms of diseases
have been caused by the hundreds of new
medications that are supposed to prevent
children from becoming sick! Yes, there
are proofs that the prevalence of diseases
that were once rare has risen mainly
because of new drugs in the market. And
when these new forms of human ail-
ment arises, the pharmaceutical compa-
nies come up with expensive drugs that
are supposed to cure or prevent it. Its a
vicious cycle that keeps ringing the tills of
pharmaceutical companiess, according
to a medical practitioner.
Pare, parang mayroon logic yata
ang rumor mo. In Tsismosos logic, there
seems to be a connection between makers
of medicine to cause another illness so
their machines can always come up with
more medicines to cure the illness that
have been caused by the original medica-
tion.
This reminds one of the time when
rumors were rife that American car man-
ufacturers built cars that were good only
for two or three years so that owners are
forced to buy new cars. It was only when
the Japanese came up with long-lasting
cars that local manufacturers improved
their product to survive.
I think this is one reason why we
have witnessed the rise of herbal and
other forms of medicine that survived and
cured people for centuries. They are now
being revived aggressively. And those
affected by this competition are claiming
that this form of ancient medicine is harm-
ful and do not work. Ha, ha, ha, ha
Editorial
Christmas traditions
Over the years, each family inevitably builds its own Christmas
tradition; a little changed from the practices they grew up, the Trees
adornment, contents of the Noche Buena spread or the opening of
gifts, though bound by the spirit of peace and goodwill to all.
Christmas Day is a festival and public holiday observed in both
Christian and non-Christian countries. It is a day that celebrates hope
and humility. It is also a day of family reunions and the exchange of
gifts. It is a day when we count our blessings.
Filipinos in America have a lot to be thankful for. The worst of
the recession appears to be over. Although some uncertainties remain
hanging, there is sense that America has no other place to go except
forward, onward.
Back in their other world, they see a Philippines that continues
to post impressive economic growth. But that stellar news is weighed
down by reports its done nothing to reduce poverty or hunger. This
has been aggravated by the string of disasters, once-in-a-lifetime
earthquakes and super typhoons, thats killed thousands and brought
untold suffering and misery even in these merry days of Christmas.
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, our thoughts drift inextri-
cably to our hungry, homeless and despairing brethren in the Philip-
pines. Its conjures an image of Joseph and Mary, knocking on doors,
imploring for a place where the Jesus can be born.
And there lies the opportunity to build a new Christian tradition
that each Filipino family in America can make a facet of each Christ-
mas celebration. We can think of our bigger family and remember
that many have little or nothing at all this Christmas Day. Helping
them will help us capture the real meaning of Christmas.
Manila Times
Magic name
O
nyango Omar Obama
was arrested in 2011 for
drunk driving. Accord-
ing to the arresting ofcers,
Obama said that he will have to
call the White House. Omar who
is in his seventies is actually the
uncle of Pres. Barack Obama, the
brother of his father.
Contacted by inquisitive
reporters who wanted to know
if the President actually knows
Omar Obama, the White House
initially said that the two have
never met. That was the response
before the presidential elections
in 2012.
The drunk-driving arrest
triggered removal proceedings
that rendered the elder Obama
at risk of deportation. At the
recent hearing before the immi-
gration court, he testied that his
nephew, the sitting President of
the United States, Barack Hus-
sein Obama, lived with him at
his apartment in Cambridge, MA
when the young Obama was still
in Harvard Law School. This was
corroborated by his landlord.
Contacted by inquisitive
reporters after the hearing if
President Obama actually knows
Omar Obama, the White House
had a different answer this time.
Yes. This is the response a year
after the presidential elections.
After if you like your health
care plan, you can keep your
plan, if you like your doctor, you
can keep your doctor, period,
can we rely on words coming
from the White House? Little
things mean a lot. This seem-
ingly trivial matter of disowning
an uncle for whatever reason is a
little thing. But it says a lot about
the penchant for sacricing truth
for political expediency.
Whats in a name? That what
we call a rose by another name
would smell just as sweet. With
due respect to William Shake-
speare, some people believe that
Omar Obama would not be sing-
ing joy to the world this Christ-
mas if his name were Onyango
Dakoykoy. The immigration
court granted his request for
cancellation of removal (depor-
tation) and he is now free at last
to remain in the U.S. with valid
immigration status. A few years
ago, an aunt of Pres. Obama was
also granted the same relief by
the immigration court.
Actually, cancellation of
removal is in the books. An alien
can request the relief and avoid
deportation if he has been pres-
ent in the U.S. for more than ten
years; has not been convicted of
serious crimes; his deportation
would cause extreme hardship
to a U.S. citizen or permanent
resident spouse, child or parents;
and the aliens continued pres-
ence is benecial to the commu-
nity.
Omar has actually done
something good for the country.
He provided food and shelter
to a future president for three
weeks in his apartment when the
young Obama was still a law stu-
dent. He now works in a liquor
store. He serves booze so that
people can be merry this coming
Christmas and New Years Day.
Cheers to Obama, the elder!
****
What the now you see it
The Popes
letter
A
t the pinnacle of power,
Martial Law administra-
tors in the Philippines
shuddered on weekends. It was
when priests read pastoral let-
ters that were often scathing
attacks against their corruption
and abuses. They realized noth-
ing hurts more than the truth.
Pope Francis laid down his
vision for the faithful through
a recent apostolic exhortation
Evangelii Gaudium (in Latin,
Joy of the Gospel).
Its the equivalent of a pas-
toral letter that most churchgo-
ers are familiar with; although
it doesnt set church doctrine,
apostolic exhortations are impor-
tant because it comes from the
leader of the 1.2 billion-strong
Roman Catholic Church.
They usually follow a
Synod of Bishops (the last one
in October 2012 occurred before
Pope Francis was elected last
March). They are often drafted
based on his old decisions and
later approved by the Pope, but
Evangelii Gaudium is report-
edly essentially a Francis docu-
ment.
A Vatican spokesman,
Archbishop Rino Fisichella said
the exhortation offered a map
for the churchs pastoral mis-
sion; an invitation to recover a
prophetic vision of reality and
Pope Francis way of instilling
courage among church members
making the corss and the resur-
rection of Christ once again our
victory banner.
The 51,000-word document
described unfettered capital-
ism as a new tyranny and
urged world leaders to intensify
the battle against poverty and
inequality. He lambasted the
idolatry of money and called
on the rich to share their wealth.
How can it be that it is not
a news item when an elderly
homeless person dies of expo-
sure, but it is news when the
stock market loses two points?
the Pontiff asked.
It would be a bit presumptu-
ous to believe Pope Francis was
thinking only about America
when he wrote it but he may
have jumped into a smoldering
ideological debate in a nation
only beginning to rebound from
a deep economic crisis.
Some people continue to
defend trickle-down theories
which assume that economic
growth, encouraged by a free
market, will inevitably succeed
in bringing about greater justice
and inclusiveness in the world,
Pope Francis wrote.
This opinion, which has
never been conrmed by the
facts, expresses a crude and nave
trust in the goodness of those
wielding economic power and
in the sacralized workings of the
prevailing economic system.
And the reaction from
guardians of that trickle-down
philosophy came swiftly. On
Nov. 27 conservative talk show
host Rush Limbaugh said Evan-
gelii Gaudium was pure Marx-
ism coming out of the mouth
of the pope. Sarah Palin, the
former Alaska governor and
Republic vice presidential candi-
date, called the papal letter lib-
eral.
As expected, that drew a
counter-reaction, with a group
called Catholics in Alliance for
Common Good mounting a sig-
nature campaign to express sup-
Opinion
Community Activism
in the mid-80s
B
etween 1983 and 1986, the
Filipino American com-
munity in the Washington
DC area experienced a surge of
activism that was absent in the
years before that. Except for mili-
tant anti-Marcos activists who
kept the ght alive against the
dictatorship, the community was
largely silent. For many, it was
fear of reprisals against loved
ones here and at home. And for
others, it was sheer indifference
to and/or acceptance of what the
Marcoses stood for.
Until Ninoy Aquinos assas-
sination in August 1983. Slowly,
the silent opposition to the
Marcos regime emerged from
the shadows. They showed up
in political events and joined
national organizations like the
Coalition Against the Marcos
Dictatorship (CAMD) and the
Movement for Free Philippines
(MFP). Mass demonstrations
peaked in 1986 during the People
Power revolution when the char-
ismatic Cory Aquino drew near
universal support. With the
dictatorship losing its power to
intimidate and strike fear among
its opponents, Filipinos in the
area swarmed Lafayette Square
in front of the White House
and called on President Ronald
Reagan to withdraw his support
for his friend, Ferdinand.
Before the heady and giddy
days of EDSA, however, there
was another political issue that
animated many in the commu-
nity: the apartheid policies of
the South African government.
In 1984, the brutal and repres-
sive regime in Praetoria enforced
a system of legal racial segre-
gation depriving the majority
black inhabitants of their rights.
Nelson Mandela, then a politi-
cal prisoner, had waged armed
struggle against the government
and demanded the liberation of
his people from white suprem-
acy.
On November 21 of that
year, the arrest of four Afri-
can American leaders who did
a sit-in at the South African
Embassy in Washington DC
sparked almost daily protests
and pickets. Demonstrators
demanded the release of Man-
dela and other political prisoners
and called on the Reagan admin-
istration to withdraw its support
of the racist regime.
Arrests became a daily
occurrence at the embassy.
Church and labor leaders, con-
gressional representatives,
elected ofcials, civil rights
activists, movie stars, artists and
David Valderrama speaks out against Marcos dictatorship (top) and Nellie
Valderrama joins anti-apartheid protests (below) (KDP File Photos)
December 15, 2013 30 30
now you dont relief goods
failed to do, Pinoy boxing hero
Manny Pacquiao did it inside the
boxing ring by winning a con-
vincing victory over challenger
Brandon Rios- an eruption of
joy across the land that has just
been brought down to its knees
by nature.
Like a conquering hero,
he came back. An appreciative
people wanted to give him a
well- deserved welcome. But
somebody forgot to tell the Com-
missioner of the Bureau of Inter-
nal Revenue not to rain on Man-
nys parade.
Instead of confetti, the BIR
served Pacquiao with papers
that effectively froze his bank
accounts because of alleged
non-payment of correct taxes for
earnings derived from his ghts
in the U.S. in 2009. Although Pac-
quiao is entitled to claim credits
for taxes paid in the U.S., he
allegedly failed to submit proper
documentation to the BIR.
Freezing of assets is appro-
priate when there is a reasonable
likelihood that the assets will be
wasted or hidden. Perhaps the
BIR is afraid that Pacquiao will
hoard all his monies in Sarangani
and secede from the Philippines.
Whe ther Pacquiao owes
taxes or not is for the proper court
to resolve. He is not above the
law. But taking adverse action
against somebody when he has
just lifted the spirits of a battered
nation is politically imprudent
and arrogant. Instead of a pat in
the shoulder, the hero gets a kick
in the butt. What a message to
the nations achievers.
port for Pope Francis.
We hardly believe the Pope
is beleaguered in his position.
The Evangelii Gaudium was
a sweeping declaration that cov-
ered subjects ranging from the
churchs ght against abortion
to why women cant be priests.
Still, the stark economic realities
can easily stand out over a bil-
lion people living in poverty that
is blamed for the death of 22,000
children a day; nearly 2 billion
people dont have clean, safe
water; and in the United States
itself, the Census Bureau said 50
million (16 percent of total popu-
lation) live in poverty and one in
every 6 Americans struggle with
hunger.
In the face of such staggering
numbers, are labels still relevant?
Pope Francis has emphasized the
need for the Catholic Church to
return to the grassroots, relying
on the basic Christian tenets of
love, compassion and reconcilia-
tion. Hes tried to show the way,
as all leaders must do, by setting
an example of humility and with
Evangelii Gaudium, the cour-
age to speak out. Being called a
Marxist seems such a paltry price
to pay.
The Popes letter... from page 29 Magic name... from page 29
musicians joined the ranks of
protesters. At the time, it was
illegal to demonstrate within 500
feet of any embassy in Washing-
ton DC. Those who cross over
were promptly arrested.
In the Filipino American
community, David Valder-
rama who was then chairman
of the Maryland Asian Pacic
American Caucus formed the
Asian Americans Against Apart-
heid (Quad A). Its the turn
of Asian Americans to make a
statement in eliminating racism
in the US and help in the ght
against apartheid, Valderrama
explained to Philippine News.
Its time we do something and
ally ourselves with Africans and
Black Americans.
Valderrama, who suffered
racial discrimination while look-
ing for housing in the nations
capital in 1961, was the rst Fili-
pino and Asian American to be
arrested. He spent one night in
the D.C. jail.
To engage other Filipinos
and Filipino Americans in protest
actions, Valderrama took politi-
cal risks by working in coali-
tion with radical and militant
groups. Among them: the Union
of Democratic Filipinos or Kati-
punan ng mga Demokratikong
Pilipino (KDP). Branded by the
Philippine Embassy as the Fili-
pino communists, KDP mem-
bers were among the most vocal
supporters of the New Peoples
Army (NPA) in the Philippines
and the National Democratic
Front (NDF). Describing itself as
a revolutionary organization,
KDP forged solidarity ties with
nationally-known progressive
organizations, labor unions, and
leftist groups opposed to repres-
sive regimes in Chile, El Sava-
dor, Nicaragua, South Korea and
South Africa.
Valderrama, however,
looked beyond KDPs ideol-
ogy and politics and joined the
united front against Marcos and
against apartheid. His actions
encouraged community lead-
ers to participate in the protests,
notably Philippine Heritage
Federation (PHF) Vice President
Remo dela Pena, businessman
Manny Rances of Oxon Hill, MD.
and Ben Maynigo, vice president
of the Asian Pacic Chamber of
Commerce.
Dela Pena, who was
arrested along with me and ve
other Asian American leaders
on a cold day in February 1985,
described his arrest to reporters
as one crime that can be worn as
a badge of honor. Marching and
demonstrating against oppres-
sion are signs of our humanity.
We maintain our humanity as
long as we have people willing
to take risk of imprisonment for
other human beings.
On the day of their protest,
the Quad A Seven attempted
to enter the South African
Embassy only to be turned away.
They then unfurled a banner in
front, which read: Cut Off All
Ties to the Apartheid Regime
and chanted Apartheid No!
Freedom Yes! District police
promptly handcuffed the seven,
who were booked at a downtown
police station and subsequently
released pending arraignment.
Both Rances and Maynigo
likened apartheid to the policies
of the Marcos regime. We need
to expose publicly whats wrong
with the [Reagan] administra-
tions policies, Maynigo told-
Philippine News. Ventilation
of these issues publicly is the
best protection for those who are
oppressed.
Valderramas wife, Nellie,
and his two young daughters,
Kris and Vida, also joined CAMD
and KDP members and other
demonstrators on that cold day
in February, including Gloria
Caoile and Kathleen Topacio
Flores of AFSCME.
Despite his controversial
stand aligning himself with Fili-
pino communists, Valderrama
won election as Delegate to the
Maryland Assembly in 1990.
The Filipino communitys
involvement in the ght against
apartheid in 1984-1985 was a his-
toric moment in the war against
racism and political oppression.
It was important to identify
ourselves with the struggles of
Blacks in South Africa and Afri-
can Americans in the U.S. and
the national liberation move-
ments in Chile, El Salvador and
Nicaragua.
Nelson Mandela was nally
released from prison on Febru-
ary 1990, after 27 years of incar-
ceration. Four years later, he
became the rst Black president
of a united South Africa. As
president, he called for national
reconciliation and forgave his
captors and jailers. He criticized
George W. Bushs foreign poli-
cies, notably the war on terror
and blasted the U.S. for going
to war in Iraq. He supported
national liberation struggles
everywhere and called freedom
from poverty a fundamental
human right.
Mandela was 95 when he
died this month. Although he
thought of his 27-year-impris-
onment as a waste of time, he
said it gave him lots of time to
think, study, reect and envision
a future where justice and com-
passion rule. He spent his last 23
years doing everything he can to
achieve that elusive dream, while
living a full life surrounded by
friends and family, dancing and
laughing especially with his
grandchildren.
Thank you, Mr. Mandela,
for the honest and humble
human being that you were and
for your legacy, which we hope
will ignite the passions of future
generations to continue the ght
for justice and equality.
States, then the BIR must desist
from hounding him.
Pacquiao and the BIR have
been engaging in a word war
over the tax issue, but now the
tax court here has gagged the
two camps, forbidding both from
discussing the issue in the media.
In any case, the Pacman
has redeemed himself in the
ring. Whatever the experts are
saying in review of Pacquiaos
latest outing, theres no doubt
that he must take stock of his
career up to this point as well as
where and what he wants to be
when he nally decides on retire-
ment.
Hes done a great service to
the Filipino nation by his feats,
giving his countrymen much joy
and pride. Many will be hoping
he will not sully his heretofore
outstanding reputation (albeit
with a few bumps here and
there) by choosing badly about
what to do next.
Where is Pacquiao... from page 24
Community Activism... from page 29
dependent child of the alien was
subjected to extreme physical or
mental cruelty by the US citizen
or permanent resident spouse or
parent. Acts of violence deemed
acceptable grounds for waiver
include forceful detention, psy-
chological or sexual abuse or
exploitation, rape, molestation,
incest and force prostitution.
Even if the abused dependent
child has a valid status, the alien
conditional resident can still
apply for a waiver.
If the abused alien however
has not been petitioned by his/
her US citizen or permanent
resident spouse, he/she can le
an independent immigrant visa
petition on the ground of bat-
tery and extreme cruelty to the
alien or the aliens dependent
child. Spousal abuse is a defense
in removal proceedings, pro-
vided that the alien can establish
a good faith marriage, at least
three years physical presence in
the US prior to the application
for relief, demonstrate, extreme
hardship if forced to leave and
good moral character.
Abused alien ... from page 25
Virgin. The Quran believes in
her Immaculate Conception, and
Virgin Birth. Its third chapter
places Marys family in a gene-
alogy which goes back through
Abraham, Noah, and Adam.
The Quran passes over
Joseph in the life of Mary, But
the Muslim tradition knows
his name and in this tradition,
Joseph is made to speak to Mary,
who is a virgin. As he inquired
how she conceived Jesus without
a father, Mary answered: Do
you not know that God, when he
created the wheat had no need
of seed? And that God by his
power made the trees grow with-
out the help of rain? All that God
had to do was to say, So be it,
and it was done.
The Quran has verses on the
Annunciation, Visitation, and
Nativity. Angels are pictured
as accompanying the Blessed
Mother and saying: Oh, Mary,
God has chosen you and puried
you, and elected you above all
the women of the earth. In the
19th chapter of the Quran, there
are 41 verses on Jesus and Mary.
Mary, then, is for the Mus-
lims the true Sayyida, or Lady.
The only possible serious rival
to her in their creed would be
Our solitary boast... from page25
Fatima, the daughter of Moham-
med himself. But after the death
of Fatima, Mohammed wrote:
Thou shalt be the most blessed
of all women in Paradise, after
Mary. In a variation of the text,
Fatima is made to say, I surpass
all the women, except Mary.
Yet, there has been conict.
Muslims armies were stopped,
at one point, outside the gates of
Vienna. The Church throughout
northern Africa was practically
destroyed by Muslim power, and
at the present hour, the Muslims
are beginning to rise again.
The author Hilarie Belloc
once said: Islam is a heresy.
Then, it is the only heresy that
has never decline, Sheen says.
again. This maybe the answer to
your questions.
Note: Jocelyn Porteria is a
Realtor licensed in VA. She earned
a designation of ASP, Accredited
Staging Professional; ABR, Accred-
ited Buyers Specialist; CDPE Cer-
tified Distressed Property and Short
Sale Expert, (SFR) Short Sales and
Foreclosure Resource. For more info,
visit her website at www.jprealdeal.
com or call her at 571-432-8335 or
email at realdealconsulting@yahoo.
com for a free confidential evalu-
ation of your property, individual
situation, property value, and pos-
sible options.
New FHA program ... from page 25
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