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Volume 11 – Issue 38 • 16 Pages
JULY 13-19, 2018
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Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Duterte unfazed by the drop in satisfaction rating by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte with Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Malacañang photo
USA
DATELINE Malacañang says US-China trade war to have ‘some effect’ on Philippines FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Possible free trade agreement discussions not needed to be ‘fast-tracked’
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte was unfazed when a new survey revealed that his satisfaction rating dropped to a new low in the second quarter of 2018. The nationwide survey was conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from June 27 to 30. It showed 65 percent of adult Filipinos are satisfied and 20 percent are dissatisfied with Duterte’s performance for a net satisfaction score of +45. His score was down by 11 points from the +65 he received in March. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque merely shrugged of the result and said Duterte does not work to raise his popularity ratings. According to him, Duterte is not a “survey-driven” leader. “Our president does not govern for the ratings. He
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APOLOGIZING TO GOD. President Rodrigo Duterte (left) meets with Jesus is Lord Church founder Eduardo ‘Eddie’ Villanueva (center) at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang Park on Tuesday, July 10. Also present are Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo and lawyer Angelino Villanueva. Malacañang photo
Drop in Duterte’s rating pinned on discontent Pacquiao, Matthysse ready to rumble Growing discontent with President Rodrigo Duterte has been pulling down public satisfaction for the Chief Executive this year, church and human rights groups and his critics in Congress said on Wednesday, July 11. “We are not surprised. More and more people including those who have defended him before are speaking out, especially since he has not spared even God in his tirades,” said Fr. Marco Sulayao of the Philippine Independent
Church (PIC). Sulayao, chair of the Promotion of Church People’s Response on Panay Island, said PIC members who supported the President were angered when he called God “stupid” in one of his tirades. “That drew the line for many. That was too much and we cannot let this pass,” Sulayao said. A major source of dissatisfaction for the President, Sulayao added, was the sharp increase in the pric-
es of fuel and basic commodities, which the people blame on the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act that the President signed into law last December. Net satisfaction (satisfied vs dissatisfied), which is used by SWS as a rating of the President’s performance, was down 11 points from the first quarter to +45 in the survey of 1,200 Filipinos conducted in the last week of June. That had
KUALA LUMPUR — For the first time since their fight was announced last April, World Boxing Association welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse and his challenger Manny Pacquiao appeared in one room on Tuesday, July 10 and separately pronounced their preparedness for their titular encounter five days from now in this soccer-crazy Malaysian capital city. The six-month-old belt owner from Argentina and his Filipino
title contender face each other off this coming Sunday are the Axiata Arena with the former putting on the block his 147-pound belt for the first time since winning the same January this year. That day, the two protagonists appeared in the traditional Grand Arrival ceremony held posh Le Meridien at the heart of this city. “Lucas is ready, he prepared hard for this fight and confident he’s still the champion when we
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Duterte wants to elect a federal transitional president
THE Trump administration imposed its first wave of tariffs against China less than a week ago after confirming that the U.S. would start collecting tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods. Another $16 billion worth of tariffs are expected to follow. Describing the U.S.’ move as “typical trade bullying,” China hit back by imposing $34 billion in retaliatory tariffs on American products like soybeans and cars. In the Philippines, Malacañang said on by KLARIZE MEDENILLA Monday, July 9, that it expects the trade war AJPress between the U.S. and China to effect the country to some extent, but did not provide AMID considering a possible presidential specifics. term extension, Philippine President Rodri“I know that both DTI (Department of go Duterte wants the leader of the federal u PAGE A2 transition government to be an elected official, Malacañang confirmed on Monday, July 9. The Consultative Committee (ConCom) is currently reviewing the 1987 Constitu-
The president will reject the possibility for a term extension, acknowledging the possibility of a truncated three-year presidential term to end in 2019
Trump announces nominee for Supreme Court justice
tion and possible revisions and proposals. Among the provisions included in the new Constitution is one that will make the leader of the federal transition government to be an elected official. According to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Duterte requested this measure, which would cut the latter’s term to be co-terminus when the transition Manny Pacquiao and Lucas Matthysse pose with the latter’s WBA welterweight championship belt during the final press conference at the Hilton in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday, period starts.
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Philstar.com photo by Abac Cordero
Horrific crash kills father, four daughters; mother survives
The president nominates DC Circuit Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh after Justice Anthony Kennedy announces retirement WITH the retirement of Supreme Court (SCOTUS) Justice Anthony Kennedy, Trump has nominated a conservative circuit court judge to fill the vacant seat, signalling the first steps in potentially affirming the court’s conservative lean for years to come. On Monday, July 9, Trump nominated United States Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Brett Michael Kavanaugh as Kennedy’s replacement, calling Kavanaugh “one of the finest and sharpest legal minds of our time” who would apply the U.S. Constitution “as written.” Upon his nomination, Kavanaugh, 53, promised that he would “keep an open mind in every case” and reiterated that the job of the Supreme Court justice is to “interpret the law, not make the law.”
July 12.
by MOMAR
G. VISAYA
AJPress
More than a thousand friends, schoolmates, neighbors and relatives trooped to Votee Park in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, July 7, 2018 to remember the five members of the Trinidad family killed in a horrific crash in Delaware Friday afternoon. The father, Audie Trinidad, 61, and their four daughters Kaitlyn, 20, Danna, 17, and twins Allison and Melissa, 13 died in the crash. The mother, Mary Rose Ballocanag, is the lone survivor in the crash and is currently in a hospital in Delaware. AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya; inset photo courtesy of the Trinidad family
A FILIPINO-AMERICAN family from Teaneck, NJ was on their way back from their July 4th vacation in Ocean City, MD when a tragic accident happened along Route 1 in Delaware. A pickup truck crossed over the median and hit the family’s minivan head on, leaving five members of the family dead. The crash killed the father, Audie Trinidad, 61 years old, and their daughters 20-year-old Kaitlyn, 17year-old Danna and the 14-yearold twins, Melissa and Allison. Mary Rose Ballocanag Trinidad, the mother, is the sole survivor and was brought to Christiana Hospital
in Newark, Delaware. The accident happened on the afternoon of Friday, July 6. More than a thousand people came out on Saturday evening, July 7, to attend a prayer vigil at Votee Park in Teaneck. Friends, family and classmates came in droves, bringing candles, flowers and prayers for the Trinidad family. Lydia Agas, Mary Rose’s aunt, said that the latter was asleep when the accident happened. “When she woke up, her husband was on her chest, leaning and she wondered what happened. She had fractures all over
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