Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Volume 18 - No. 28 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
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DATELINE Suspension lifted on heavyweight boxer who kissed Fil-Am reporter during interview FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
CALIFORNIA boxing officials on Monday, July 22 lifted the suspension on Bulgarian heavyweight boxer Kubrat Pulev who kissed a Filipina American reporter on camera during a post-fight interview in March. Pulev, who was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), had paid the maximum $2,500 fine and completed a sexual harassment course. Through a unanimous vote, the Commission allowed Pulev to reapply for his license to fight again in California on the condition that any future offense would mean a lifetime ban on
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National Asian group wins anew in $331-M verdict for struggling California homeowners
J U LY 2 6 - A U G U S T 1 , 2 0 1 9 Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
Catholic clergy leads fight vs death penalty Says capital punishment is a backward step, does not deter crime
Senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go (right), Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa (middle) and boxing Icon Emmanuel Pacquiao push for the reimposition of death penalty, at the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday, July 24. Go urged fellow lawmakers to support the passage of the death penalty bill, particularly for plunder and drug trafficking. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
THE Catholic clergy on Tuesday, July 23, led the opposition to the restoration of the death penalty being pushed anew by President Rodrigo Duterte, saying capital punishment did not deter crime and was a backward step in the quest for justice in a poor country like the Philippines. In his State of the Nation address (SONA)) on Monday, July 22, the president urged lawmakers to “act on all pending legislation to reimpose the death penalty,” especially for heinous drug-related crimes as well as plunder. Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon was dismayed at the president’s call to restore the law on capital punishment, which was repealed in 2006 under then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. “I find that we are again retrogressing. I thought that we were already moving toward a more humane civilization and soci-
ety,” Buzon said. Deterrent to crime? “Our stand is very clear. Even in the Church, we have already grown in maturity about understanding that issue. It’s sad. I think we are moving backward,” he added. Marinduque Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr. said there was still “no real and concrete evidence” that capital punishment deterred crime. He said the claim that the death penalty was a crime deterrent was “more questionable” in a country saddled with poverty. “It is prone to unjust sentences under the pretense of a still corrupt justice system, which our own president speaks of so often about,” Maralit said. Ozamis Archbishop Martin Jumoad said the Catholic Church had been standing against the death penalty because there was
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Jollibee invests $100-M to acquire Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJ Press
THE California Supreme Court denied review of a lower court ruling on Thursday, July 18, ordering the return of $331 million to a fund for struggling homeowners. Led by the National Asian American Coalition (NAAC), a housing counseling organization, the case sought to restore money to the National Mortgage Special Deposit Fund, which was created to pay for housing counseling, legal assistance, and fraud prevention services for financially distressed homeowners.
PHILIPPINE fast food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) on Wednesday, July 24, disclosed that it will be acquiring United States-based The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) through a $100 million investment. The $100 million is JFC’s initial investment. Jollibee Worldwide Pte Ltd, its Singapore-based subsidiary that owns Java Ventures, LLC. in the United States, will handle the purchase. According to Reuters, JFC will invest another $250 million, for a total of $350 million in acquisition. “The acquisition of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will be Jollibee’s largest and most mul-
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DUTERTE’s 4TH SONA. President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his 4th state of the nation address (SONA) at Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City on Monday, July 22. The president’s speech lasted for 93 minutes. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Pacman returns from US, commended by Senate Palace won’t stop foreign probe into Duterte drug war by RUDY
SANTOS AND PAOLO ROMERO
his family and some friends, according to an airport source. The source also said the plane Philstar.com is allegedly owned by San Miguel SEN. Manny Pacquiao quietly Corporation. For defending his title, the Senreturned to Manila aboard a private plane before dawn yesterday ate adopted a resolution comafter successfully defending his mending Pacquiao for winning World Boxing Association welter- the match. Senate Resolution 20 is a conweight title via split decision over American boxer Keith Thurman in solidation of various resolutions Las Vegas, Nevada last Saturday, filed by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sens. NanJuly 20. Pacquiao arrived aboard Chal- cy Binay, Christopher Go, Richard lenger Aero Air at the Ninoy Aqui- Gordon and Bong Revilla. In his resolution, Go said Pacno International Airport (NAIA) General Aviation Hangar around quiao has brought “immense 12:22 a.m. Tuesday, July 22, with pride and joy to Filipinos the world
over with his accomplishments as a boxer.” Go said Pacquiao had managed to accomplish what no other boxer in history has – capture 12 world titles in eight separate weight divisions. “Sen. Manny Pacquiao has, time and again, fought for the pride and welfare of Filipinos in and out of the boxing ring, all the while displaying true grit and bravery, repeatedly taking on the toughest challenges,” Go said. “Outside the area of boxing, Sen. Pacquiao has excellently fulfilled his constitutional duties
MENDIOLA AJ Press
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 22, delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) that lasted for an hour and 33 minutes. He arrived 55 minutes late at the Batasang Pambansa Complex and started his speech at exactly 5:15 p.m. After the initial pleasantries, Duterte thanked his supporters, threatened erring government
agencies, and laid out the policies he wanted to adopt for his remaining three years in office. Here are the highlights of his speech: Illegal drugs “It has been three years since I took my oath of office, and it pains me to say that we have not learned our lesson. The illegal drug problem persists,” Duterte said. To fight this “social menace,” Duterte pushed for the reimposition of the death penalty on crimes
VALENTE ManilaTimes.net
MALACAÑANG is not stopping any investigation by foreign groups into the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs but insisted that this was an “assault on the Philippines’ sovereignty.” “We are not stopping [any probes.] Our reaction is, you cannot do that to us, because we are a sovereign state. Our [justice] system is running smoothly here,” said Palace Spokesman Salvador Panelo in response to u PAGE A2 a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey which found that three of five Filipinos wanted the investigation. Quoting Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, Panelo said the justice system in the country was “robust.” “We are already investigating related to illegal drugs, as well as it all, we are filing charges, but plunder. According to him, the help of lo- do not meddle with the state of cal communities in the drug war affairs,” Panelo said. Panelo also said that the suris not enough to crush the drug trade. Corruption needs to be vey was based on the views of the critics of the administration. eliminated, as well. “SWS. Who will they ask but Corruption Duterte expressed his frustra- the people here in the Philiption over the unrelenting corrup- pines? If they believe the critition pervading the government, cisms of the opposition, then vowing that he will spend the re- that is their premise,” he said. He said the administration’s maining three years of his term to u PAGE A2 position in barring the United
Corruption, drugs, West PH Sea: highlights of Duterte’s 4th SONA by RITCHEL
by CATHERINE
Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) from investigating the drug war would not change. He said Duterte’s high trust and approval rating meant that the Filipinos were satisfied with how he was doing his job. The SWS poll said that of the 1,200 Filipinos surveyed, 60 percent agreed that “the government should not block the investigation of international groups, like the United Nations, into the killing by the Philippine police of so many drug suspects who supposedly fought back.” Only 15 percent answered otherwise, while 25 percent were undecided. This amounts to a net agreement rating of +45, which SWS considers as “very strong.”
The survey was fielded weeks before the UNHRC approved a resolution calling for a review and an investigation into the drug war. The report was backed by 18 of the 47 member countries while 14 others opposed the resolution and 15 abstained. Last week, Duterte said he would only face a Filipino court and “not a Caucasian.” “And maybe they can reimpose death penalty then die in Filipino hands… I will not answer a Caucasian asking question, or white man there. You must be stupid. Who are you? I am a Filipino, we have our courts here. Why would you have to bring me somewhere else? I would not like that,” he added. ■