NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
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
Volume 17 - No. 28 • 3 Sections – 20 Pages
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Duterte blames Trump for PH inflation, while DATELINE USA locals and leaders point back at TRAIN law California to run on 100% FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
clean electricity by 2045
Gov. Brown signs new bill that aims to combat damaging effects of climate change GOVERNOR Jerry Brown signed two measures on Monday, Sept. 10 aiming to convert California to 100 percent renewable energy and “carbon neutrality” by 2045, securing the state’s reputation as a national and global leader in clean energy and environmental innovation. SB 100 seeks to meet the state’s clean energy goals and ensuring carbon emissions are low by expanding green electricity sources like wind and solar. Brown also signed an executive order pushing the state to decrease the state’s net output of greenhouse gasses — of which the largest source is cars and PAGE A3
Filipino family charged with numerous violations at adult and child care facilities
DURING his speech in front of the Filipino community in Jordan last Friday, September 7, President Rodrigo Duterte blamed U.S. President Donald Trump as the cause of the current inflation in the Philippines in light of the ongoing U.S.-China trade war. Trump recently declared he was considering tariffs on an additional $267 billion in Chinese goods. “The inflation (that is happening in the country now) is because of Trump,” Duterte stated, as reported by The Manila Times. “When he raised the tariff and banned other items, things got messy.” In defense of the president, presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said almost the same words in his DZRH interview, on Tuesday, September 10.
“The truth is, the economy was a mess because of the trade war between U.S. and China, and we cannot deny that. Before that, everything was smoothsailing and going according to plan, until the war happened to obstruct it. They say that when the giants clash, small countries like the Philippines become as affected. That’s what the president is trying to say.” The TRAIN law inclusion The president said that he’s not apologizing, and that there really is inflation in the Philippines. According to him, the government is already in action to solve it, meaning he’s letting the economic managers to handle the problem. He added, “I’m no better than the rest of them
(economic managers). They’re (in fact) brighter than I am.” Filipino consumers have felt the impact of inflation, with the drastic increase in prices of goods/ services including fuel, public transport fare, and food necessities such as rice, vegetables, fish and meat. The head of Save the Nation movement Antonio “Butch” Valdes said in his interview with The Manila Times, that the implemented TRAIN law is a factor in the problem. He said, “I think the president is being misled by his economic advisers on the reason for inflationary price increases. We had warned before that the TRAIN law, which increases indirect PAGE A2
Makati court defers DOJ motion amid Trillanes arrest by AJPRESS
Most of victims were Filipino, said Attorney General Becerra THE Filipino owners of six Bay Area adult and child day care facilities were charged last week for numerous violations including human trafficking, wage theft, possession of illegal weapons, and rape. A total of 59 charges were filed Friday, September 7, against four members of the Gamos family — Joshua, 42; Noel, 40; Gerlen, 38; and Carlina Gamos, 67 — who while operating their four adult care facilities and two child care facilities in the Bay Area, employed and exploited mostly Filipino immigrants.
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Senator Antonio Trillanes IV
File photo by Philstar.com
THE Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 150 on Monday, September 10 scheduled a hearing later this week, declining the omnibus motion of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue an arrest warrant against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV without litigation. The hearing has been slated for Friday, September 14, at 9 a.m. PAGE A3
THE PRESIDENT’S MEN. President Rodrigo R. Duterte strikes his signature pose with the members of his cabinet following the dialogue with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo in Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, September 11. Malacañang photo by Toto Lozano
US National Security Adviser: ICC is ‘already dead to us’ Go claims corruption allegations as “politically motivated” International Criminal Court says it will continue work ‘undeterred’ by RAE
ANN VARONA AJPress
THE International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday, September 11 said that it will continue to do its work “undeterred,” after the United States criticized the court’s legitimacy. “The ICC, as a court of law, will continue to do its work undeterred, in accordance with those principles and the overarching idea of the rule of law,” the Hague-based court said in a statement. The statement came a day after U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton on Monday, September 10, took aim at the Hague-based court by denounc-
ing its authority, and threatening sanctions on it if it were to proceed with investigations of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Bolton’s speech came ahead of an expected announcement by an ICC judge regarding a request to open up investigations of alleged war crimes, such as torture and illegal imprisonment, committed by the CIA and U.S. forces in Afghanistan since May 2003. The court received an alarming 1.17 million allegations of war crimes from Afghans earlier this year from three-months worth of collected material. Bolton at a speech to a conservative group on Monday said that the ICC “unacceptably threatens
American sovereignty and the U.S. national security interests.” He added, “The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court.” “We will not cooperate with the ICC,” said Bolton, adding that “for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us.” He also said that the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington was ordered to close, a move being seen as the Trump administration’s latest step in pressuring Palestinian leaders to comply with a Middle East peace plan. The ICC responded to Bolt’s PAGE A2
SPECIAL Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Monday, September 10, denied the corruption allegations against him amid the involvement of the family-owned CLTG Builders and Alfrego Builders in the government’s public work projects. Go said that the said criticisms hurled against him were “politically motivated attacks” considering that there are groups clamoring for him to pursue a senatorial position. “Did I have any involvement in these? Did I touch anything? None,” Go said as reported by The Manila Times. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reported that the CLTG Builders owned by Deciderio, the presidential
Duterte discusses national issues during a‘tête-à-tête’ with Panelo by AJPRESS PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, September 11, addressed the country with varied matters of national importance during a “tête-à-tête” with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo in Malacañang.
Initially, the president called for a press conference at 3 p.m. without disclosing the scope of his speech. However, an hour before the said media affair, Presidential Communications Group Undersecretary Feducia Mia Reyes-Lucas said Duterte’s press conference would no longer push through. Palace officials told the media that the PAGE A4
‘TÊTE-À-TÊTE’ WITH THE PRESIDENT. Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo sits down with President Rodrigo Duterte in a televised interview in Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, September 11. The president discussed previous issues with Panelo including the rice crisis, amnesty and the supposed destabilization plot, among others. PNA photos
assistant’s father won a total of P1.85 billion in government contracts from 2007 to 2017, not including the joint venture projects with Alfrego, which was owned by his half-brother Alfredo. Go insisted that the said businesses went through the proper process of bidding. He said that he never interfered with the decision of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) let alone influenced them to choose the family business. “Being related to me does not disqualify them to bid. These projects are publicly bidded anyway. I never intervened nor influenced the DPWH on how they bid or award these projects. My office does not control DPWH, to begin with,” he said. He said that he never once con-
versed with the engineers in the said institution. “Ni hindi nga ako nakikiusap sa mga engineer, ‘Ito pondohan mo’ (I don’t even talk to engineers and say, ‘Fund this’),” the secretary said. “Si DBM (Department of Budget and Management), ni minsan hindi ko sinabihan na lagyan mo ang Davao City para makapabor doon (Not once have I told DBM to allot money for Davao City),” Go added. He also said that should there be proof that he engaged in corruption, he will immediately quit his cabinet position. “Once you are able to prove that I spoke with anyone — secretary, regional directors, DBM — everyone who is connected in PAGE A2