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Volume 28 - No. 46 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
N O V E MBE R 2 3 - 2 9 , 2 0 1 7
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Duterte warns of revolutionary White-born Florida gov’t if ‘things go out of control’ woman claims to DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
identify as Filipina
Ja Du, a transgender woman, now speaks up about newfound Filipina identity
A WHITE transgender woman in Florida announced this week that she identifies as a Filipina. In a story that first broke on the Tampa area WTSP on Monday, November 13, the woman — who was born Adam and said she’s in the process of legally changing her name to Ja Du — told the station that she considers herself Filipina. Ja Du says she grew up watching The History Channel and said that “nothing else intrigued me more but things about Filipino culture.” She has since concluded that she is Filipina and intends to live a “transracial” lifestyle as a Filipina. “Whenever I’m around the music, around the food, I feel like I’m in my own skin,” she told WTSP.
by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, Nov. 18, warned anew that he would declare a revolutionary government if things have gone “out of control” and the government is at risk of being overthrown violently. “If things go out of control and [the] government is weakened—that is my predicate,” Duterte told reporters in Davao City.
“If my country is weakened and I see revolutionaries bringing firearms on the streets, well, maybe you shouldn’t have second thoughts, I will declare a revolutionary government,” he added. The president also pointed out that he prefers to declare a revolutionary government instead of martial law, as the latter has “many restrictions.” He went on to say, “I will take it to the hilt. So do not do something that will cause or even attempt to topple [the] government, I will not allow that.”
Last month, Duterte warned that he would not hesitate to set up a revolutionary government in order to avert the country from falling into chaos amid the alleged destabilization efforts by his political enemies. The president accused then that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the elite, the terrorists, and even the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), were working on his
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Sen. Manny Pacquiao shakes hands with H.Hendri Zainuddin, S.Ag.,S.H., head of the Delegation of the Ethics Council of the House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, November 20. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
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Pacquiao mulls quitting politics
Filipinos named in Paradise Papers leak
SEVERAL Filipinos were included in the by DANA SIOSON so-called Paradise Papers—one of the world’s AJPress largest leak of financial documents showing PHILIPPINE Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, how personalities manage to keep from paying Nov. 21 admitted that thoughts of resigning from polihigher taxes—according to a report from the tics have been crossing his mind. Philippine Star. In a press briefing at the Senate, Pacquiao expressed The recent leak detailed how some politidismay toward “destabilizers” and politicians with cians and business personalities use complex RAISING THE TROOP’s MORALE. President Rodrigo Duterte expresses his high praises to the troops of the 1st Infantry Battalion (1IB) who were preparing to leave at the Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro City on Monday, November 20. The 1IB were among the first units “hidden agenda[s],” saying such feelings have made structures to launder money, fend off sanctions, deployed in Marawi City when the battle against the terrorists broke out almost five months ago. Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante u PAGE A2 and evade tax. The controversial documents were first obtained by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, and were shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ is now overseeing the investigation on the leak. The Paradise Papers is composed of 13.4 operations—an allegation that the police has by DANA SIOSON million files, covering seven decades from 1950 AJPress repeatedly denied. to 2016. Most of its leaked documents were Last month, lawyers from the Free Legal from offshore law firm Appleby, and other 19 THIS week, the Supreme Court (SC) began Assistance Group (FLAG) filed a petition tax havens. hearing arguments in the petition to declare before the SC. They argued that the the drug In a statement, Appleby, one of the world’s Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war should be declared unconstitutional most prestigious offshore law firms, insisted campaign against illegal drugs as unconsti- because it paves way for the police to kill that it “does not tolerate illegal behavior.” tutional. suspects in guise of “neutralizing” them dur“Appleby has thoroughly and vigorously inMore than 3,900 Filipinos have been killed ing operations. vestigated the allegations and we are satisfied since the so-called drug war launched last “That could be subject to misinterpretathat there is no evidence of any wrongdoing, Supreme Court justices, led by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, enter the SC en banc year mostly for supposedly resisting arrest. tion by the policeman on the ground,” Jose either on the part of ourselves or our clients,” session hall in Manila during the start of oral arguments on the consolidated petitions to Critics of the campaign have claimed that Manuel “Chel” Diokno of FLAG said during declare President Duterte’s drug war unconstitutional on Tuesday, Nov. 21. it said. u PAGE A3 Philstar.com photo by Miguel De Guzman summary executions are occurring during
Supreme Court begins hearing on PH gov’t’s war on drugs
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Filipina sworn in as member of UN slams Duterte over threats key US Treasury advisory board against special rapporteur by CARINA
ORIEL
by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
AJPress
WASHINGTON – A Filipina community leader was sworn in as a member of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund Community Advisory Board on Thursday, November 16. Faith Bautista, the president and CEO of the National Diversity Coalition (NDC) and National Asian American Coalition (NAAC), was appointed by the Trump administration to serve for a total of four years. The swearing-in ceremony was led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin inside the Cash Room of the department’s building. Bautista is one of nine private citizens to serve on the board, alongU.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin swore in nine new private citizens, including side six public representatives, totaling 15 members. She is one of Filipina community leader Faith Bautista, to serve on the department’s Community two officers on the board coming from a national consumer or public Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund Community Advisory Board on Thursday, interest organization. November 16.
AJPress photo
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THE United Nations’ (UN) human rights office on Tuesday, Nov. 21, rebuked Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for issuing threats against special rapporteur on summary executions Agnes Callamard. In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Rupert Colville said the international body condemned “in stronger terms” the insults and threats of physical violence made UN special rapporteur on summary executions
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Agnes Callamard
Inquirer.net photo