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EDITION
February 13-16, 2016
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T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c A n c o m m u n i T y n e w s pA p e r
Volume 26 - No. 13 • 4 Sections – 32 Pages
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Aquino blames Marcos, Enrile for BBL death
Also published in: • Orange County/Inland Empire • Northern California • Las Vegas • New York/ New Jersey
by llanesCa
t. Panti ManilaTimes.net
STILL reeling from the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) debacle in Congress, President Benigno Aquino III blamed the supposed “connivance” of Senators Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile for the death of the measure that aims to establish a new Bangsamoro political entity in Mindanao. “Isang-daang milyon sa ating mga kababayan ang apektado sa pagkaudlot ng pagpapasa sa BBL. Ang masaklap po, dito, tila dalawang senador lang ang nag-
kuntsabahan. Pagkatagal-tagal pong inilabas ang report ng komite,” Aquino said during a meeting with local leaders in Iloilo City Tuesday night, Feb. 9. Though he did not mention names, it was clear that the President was alluding to Marcos and Enrile. The former overhauled the BBL draft prepared by Malacañang claiming that it contained unconstitutional provisions while Enrile had said that he is yet to finish with his interpellation of the measure. The President noted that these critics were nowhere to be found
when the administration reached out for suggestions on how to go about the Bangsamoro measure. The proposed Bangsamoro law was supposed to abolish the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and established a Bangsamoro Region that will enjoy fiscal autonomy and be governed by the Bangsamoro parliament. “I have asked these critics, what do you suggest as an alternative to Bangsamoro law? Nobody came to us. Now, look where it got us. We are stuck in the same situation. And this situ-
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In a joint statement on Friday, Feb. 12, government negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and her MILF counterpart, Mohagher Iqbal, expressed disappointment over Congress’ failure to pass the BBL, which is required under a comprehensive peace accord forged in 2014. Senate PRIB/Albert Calvelo
World’s 1st DOT encourages tourists to revisit PH dengue vaccine DATELINE USA Democratic debate launched in Manila ‘ViSiT THE PHiLiPPiNES AgAiN 2016’
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
by MoMar
g. Visaya
AJPress
highlights divide between Clinton and Sanders
THE sixth Democratic debate aired Thursday, Feb. 11 at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee, hosted by PBS NewsHour. It was the second debate between only former First Lady and US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and Vermont Governor Bernie Sanders, and the final round before the Nevada caucuses. After a sweeping loss in the New Hampshire primary, Clinton worked to generate more momentum in the Midwest, specifically to African American voters who are more supportive of her campaign. Sanders, in an improved performance since the past two weeks, spoke passionately about issues on criminal justice in an effort to reach nonwhite supporters. As the rivals laid out their differences and strategies for American policy, the differences between the two candidates’ rhetoric
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THE New York Times Travel Show, the largest and longestrunning trade and consumer travel show in North America, ended a couple of weeks ago on a high note. The attendance to the show this year was the highest in nine years and the second most attended New York Times Travel Show ever.
Almost 30,000 people trooped to the Jacob Javits Convention Center over the weekend when the show was on, despite nearfreezing weather. There were more than 500 exhibitors, including the Philippine Department of Tourism, an annual supporter of the travel show. This year, the tourism department showcased the Tourism Promotion Board’s newest campaign, ‘Visit Philippines Again
2016’, an offshoot of the successful ‘Visit Philippines Year 2015’ project. Consul General Mario De Leon, Jr., accompanied by Ms. Eleanor De Leon, Philippine Department of Tourism New York (PDOT-NY) Representative Michelle Cristalle Dy-Vera, as well as Consul Felipe Carino III, welcomed prospective travelers visiting the Philippine booth
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Grace: I’m not Aquino’s secret candidate by Christina
“If it’s secret, then it’s really a secret because I have no idea about it,” Sen. Grace Poe said in Filipino after campaigning in vote-rich Toledo City in Cebu last Wednesday, Feb. 10. Facebook/Grace Poe
Mendez and aurea CaliCa Philstar.com
MANILA — She attended President Aquino’s recent birthday party and his appointees in the Supreme Court are arguing in her favor, but Sen. Grace Poe says these do not make her a “secret candidate” of the Chief Executive. “If it’s secret, then it’s really a secret because I have no idea about it,” Poe said in Filipino after campaigning in vote-rich Toledo City in Cebu last Wednesday, Feb. 10. Poe, who is running as an independent, issued the statement on Thursday, Feb. 11 as Aquino’s anointed successor, Manuel Roxas II of the Liberal Party (LP), continued to trail her
South China Sea to be discussed at Tagle on Lenten season: Don’t be hypocrites ASEAN-US summit by eVelyn
MaCairan Philstar.com
MANILA — The rising tensions in the disputed South China will be discussed at the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations-US summit at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, California next week. US Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes said that the summit will be an opportunity for the leaders to discuss China’s test flights on Kagitingan or Fiery Cross Reff in the West Philippine Sea. “The US will be underscoring the importance of resolving any territorial disputes consistent with international norms and international law, and we will continue to underscore the principle that these issues have to be resolved consistent with international norms and not through bigger nations bullying smaller ones,” Rhodes said in a press call
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MANILA — As the Catholic faithful flocked to churches on Wednesday, Feb. 10 to have foreheads daubed with ash, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle had a message in this Lenten and election season: don’t be hypocrites, and don’t use Lenten rituals for publicity stunts. In his homily during the morning mass for Ash Wednesday that heralded the start of the 40-day Lenten season, Tagle said that some people might take advantage of the call to be charitable to glorify themselves. He reminded the faithful of Jesus’ teaching, that when one gives alms, one should do it secretly and not turn it into photo opportunities, like hypocrites who only want to be praised by others. Aside from the “photo ops” when showing off their generosity, Tagle also discouraged people from spending a long time kneeling in church just to project themselves as pi-
A woman has her forehead marked with a sign of the cross in observance of Ash Wednesday at Saint Peter’s Parish Church in Quezon City yesterday. Michael Varcas / Philstar.com
ous. He said the church must also not be turned into a venue for fashion shows in order to draw attention to oneself. “When you do not think of others or God when you do a generous act, and only want to draw attention to yourself, this is an insult
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by Kristine
Felisse Mangunay Inquirer.net
MANILA — Medical authorities launched on Thursday, Feb. 11 what they said was the world’s first dengue vaccine in the Philippines. Dr. Rose Delos Reyes, president of the Philippine Society of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases said during a press conference in Parañaque City that Dengvaxia has become available to patients with “private doctors.” “It took more than 20 years to develop this vaccine,” Dr. Maria Rose Capeding, head of the Department of Microbiology Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, said. Capeding said the vaccine–which would be injected– would be for the 9-to-45-year-old age group. It is effective against the four strains of dengue, according to Delos Reyes and Capeding. Capeding said the vaccine — which was developed and manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur and received Philippine Food and Drug Administration approval on Dec. 22, 2015 — involved a “robust clinical trial program in which 40,000 individuals participated in 25 clinical trials and in 15 countries.” She said the two key efficacy trials for phase 3 of the vaccine clinical development were held simultaneously in Asia and Latin America. The Asian countries involved, she said, were Viet-
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