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april 21-27, 2016 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal
From The FronT Page
DFA, envoys urge overseas Filipinos to vote
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Asia-Pacific has the highest voter turnout with 38,466 who voted in the last ten days or 11.15 percent of the registered voters. Undersecretary Seguis said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Overseas Voting office is currently addressing the issue of missing names in the certified voters list. “They (Comelec) are tracing where the fault lies,� undersecretary Seguis told the Inquirer. The Philippine Embassy in Brussels conducted field voting
for Filipino seafarers arriving at the international port of Antwerp. The first voter was 31-year-old messman Julius Bingil of the Greek-owned MT Nedas. It was his second time to participate in an overseas elections. Capt. Felimon M. Maranan Jr., shipmaster of the Panamanian MV Santa Helena said many seafarers were unable to vote because they failed to register as overseas voters. This usually happens when they are at sea, he added. Fr. Jorgedy Bago, Chaplain of
Seafarers in Antwerp assisted the Overseas Voting team by alerting them of incoming vessels with Filipino crew members. “It’s a pity that we can only find one or two registered voters among several crew members,� the chaplain said but agreed that it was worth the effort to ensure that every registered voter, including seafarers, get to exercise their right to vote. A total of 49,339 registered seafarers are qualified for the overseas voting in 2016 national elections.
Tanim-bala scam back? US-bound senior couple... Joining 4,000 others who rallied outside the Supreme Court are (from left) Nisha Ramachandran and Mary Tablante of NCAPA, Justin Trinidad and Janet Namkung of OCA, Marita Etcubanez and Ameesha Sampat of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC). Inquirer.net photo by Ben De Guzman
Supreme Court appears divided... PAGE A1 million undocumented immigrants, and whether states had the standing to challenge the administration’s policy. The top court appeared divided along partisan lines. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito asked, “How is it possible to lawfully work in the United States without lawfully being in the United States?� Liberal justices expressed sympathy toward the Obama administration, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor noting that there are insufficient resources to deport the millions of undocumented immigrants in the nation. Arguments for the case were heard by eight justices and comes after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February. Scalia was known for his conservative views. That only eight justices are hearing the arguments could affect the outcome of the case. If the court ends up voting in an evenly split 4-4, the immigration programs would stay blocked and would be sent back to the district court in Texas that first
issued the injunction. Asian immigrants eligible In the United States, there are at least 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, two-thirds of whom have resided in the country for more than a decade. Of those, about 400,000 undocumented Asian immigrants would be eligible for the programs, called the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The latter builds upon a program Obama approved in 2012. For advocacy organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA), both programs are seen as standing on the right side of the law. “In the last five decades, [presidents] from both sides of the aisle have taken executive action to shape immigration priorities,� said Stewart Kwoh, president and executive director of Advancing Justice-LA in a statement. Anthony Ng, immigrant rights policy advocate at Advancing
Filipino American activists Raymond Partolan (left) and Jude Dizon show their signs at the Supreme Court Rally. Inquirer.net photo by Marita Etcubanez
Justice-LA, said in a statement that a ruling against DAPA and expanded DACA doesn’t only affect undocumented immigrants, but their families, neighborhoods and communities. “While the legal battle ensues and anti-immigrant campaigns on the state and national level continue, we must remember that these actions have a real human cost,� Ng said. Opposition to executive action Those opposed to Obama’s executive actions say he was trying to go around the Republican Congress. “Basically the president has stepped in and taken over what normally would be associated with Congress,� said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to CNN. “Congress makes the laws.� Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller argued that if implemented, Texas could lose money, partly because DAPA would establish a new class of recipients for state subsidized driver’s licenses in the state. Additionally, Keller pointed out that undocumented immigrants, if declared “lawfully present� in the country, would become eligible for work authorization and certain types of Social Security and Medicare benefits. In an article published in The Washington Post, however, it is stated that granting an individual “lawful presence� does not legalize the presence of undocumented migrants and does not prevent them from being deported at any time the president may choose to do so. Stephen Vladeck, law professor at American Univeristy and CNN legal analyst, pointed out to CNN that the ultimate fate of the programs rests in the hands of America’s next president. As with any other executive order, Vladeck said Obama’s actions can be modified, expanded or rescinded by the succeeding president m as well as codified or overruled by the next Congress. “But the fact that the Supreme Court expedited its consideration of the Obama administration’s appeal so that it could resolve the dispute by June suggests that, even short-handed, the justices want to have their own say first,� he said, according to CNN. Andrew Pincus, a lawyer who supports the administration’s actions, told CNN that permitting Texas to bring the case would have broad implications. “If a state can sue every time the federal government does something to increase the state’s costs, states could sue to challenge almost anything the federal government does,� he said. What the top court will decide remains to be seen. The Post said that one possibility – though unlikely – is that the justices could dismiss the case because states do not have the standing needed to challenge the president’s policy. This issue was heavily discussed in the arguments.
PAGE A1 pass the first X-ray machine when they entered NAIA-1 if there was a bullet in one of their bags. “We were allowed to pass the first X-ray machine and no bullet was seen in our luggage and we were surprised that after we passed the final X-ray, suddenly there was a bullet that appeared‌ this is clear that we are victims of the ‘bullet-planting’ scam,â€? said Esteban. The couple was brought to the medical clinic for checkup before turnover to the police Aviation Security Group (AvseGroup), but
doctors panicked when Salvacion complained of difficulty in breathing after her blood pressure shot up. The baggage of the Cortabistas was offloaded from the aircraft and stored at the Korean Air Lines office pending investigation. Despite Salvacion’s condition, the couple was brought to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the filing of charges of illegal possession of ammunition. “We are just simple farmers in Boso-Boso, Antipolo, we don’t even have money, why did they do this to us?� said an obviously shaken
Salvacion. Vice presidential candidate Sen. Alan Cayetano lambasted the government after the latest alleged bullet-planting incident at NAIA-1. Cayetano said that only his runningmate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has the political will and the courage to stop the bulletplanting scheme at the airport. Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., another vice presidential bet, assailed the new case of alleged bulletplanting at NAIA. “We should focus on planting rice, not bullets,� Marcos said.
PH top court issues TRO vs Comelec... PAGE A1 and Section 74 (2) (8) of Comelec Resolution No. 10035 violates the right to assembly and freedom of expression. “It is also settled in jurisprudence that any prior restriction of protected speech is presumed unconstitutional, and the governing body restraining such speech is burdened with proving that such measure is justifiable and valid,� read the petition filed through lawyer Ray Paolo Santiago of Ateneo Human Rights Center. “The questioned provisions prejudice not only Petitioner’s right to freedom of expression, but also of others’ in future similar cases involving the information and education of the electorate,� the petition stated. Lewis also pointed out that the prohibition should be nullified since there is no criminal jurisdiction of Philippine laws over Filipinos living abroad. In reaction to the TRO, Lewis said “thanks be to God and to the Justices of the Supreme Court! Filipinos abroad can now campaign without fear. Bravo to Ateneo Human Rights Center lead by Atty. Ray Paolo Santiago! They burned the midnight oil to finish the legal papers over the weekend. A big win for Filipinos Overseas!� Lewis heads both the US Pinoys for Good Governance (USPGG) and the Global Filipino Diaspora Council (GDDP).
Atty. Loida Nicolas Lewis (center), with Ateneo Human Rights Center’s Executive Director Atty. Ray Paolo Santiago and Atty. Jaymie Ann Reyes, filing the Certoriari and TRO Petition before the Supreme Court. On April 19, 2016, the Supreme Court granted Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Comelec before recess.
Lewis has been personally campaigning for good governance and the Mar Roxas-Leni Robredo tandem and had presented in
over 25 cities in the US, Europe and Asia.
Bongbong tops survey for VP amid... PAGE A1 percentage points. In the one and only vice presidential debate sponsored by the Commission on Elections and TV5 on April 10, Marcos was skewered by his rival on issues of his father’s human rights record, corruption and the alleged stolen billions of dollars. President Aquino himself has been leading the Bongbong Marcos bashing, devoting his speech on the 30th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution in February to the excesses of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship after the New York Times said that Filipinos, disillusioned by the Aquino administration’s ineptness, were yearning for the Philippines’ “golden age� under martial law rule. Duterte, Marcos Explaining Marcos’ surge in the survey, Edmund Tayao, a political science professor at the University of Santo Tomas, noted a similarity between
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Marcos and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is seeking the presidency. Duterte and Marcos leading the polls shows the voters’ preference for “strong men and decisive leadership,� said Richard Javad Heydarian, political science professor at De La Salle University. There was little change in the ratings of the vice presidential candidates compared to the last Pulse survey conducted from March 29 to April 3. Marcos was down by a point, Escudero was up by one point while Robredo’s rating was unchanged. “Albeit small, there are still movements in the ratings. This remains a three-way race,� Tayao said. Following the top three were Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (17 percent from 15 percent), Sen. Gringo Honasan (4 percent, unchanged from the last survey) and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (3 percent from 5 percent). Marcos was the leading candidate in Metro Manila (40 percent), Luzon outside Metro Manila (35 percent), Class ABC (43 percent) and Class D (28 percent), while Robredo topped the Visayas (35 percent) and Cayetano was the most favored in Mindanao (32 percent). The ratings of Escudero (23 percent), Marcos (22 percent), Robredo (22 percent) and Cayetano (20 percent) were almost the same among Class E. The survey also showed Escudero as the leading secondchoice of voters with 26 percent of the respondents saying they would vote for him in the event their candidate withdraws. Sixteen percent said Cayetano was their alternative candidate while 13 percent chose Robredo and 13 percent picked Marcos. Trillanes and Honasan were the second choice of 7 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Escudero would gain the most
if Marcos cancels his candidacy with 33 percent of the latter’s voters naming Escudero as their second-choice candidate. Escudero was also the alternative candidate of 38 percent of Robredo’s voters, 36 percent of Cayetano’s supporters and 24 percent of those who favored Trillanes. Message of unity In a statement on the survey result, Marcos said, “It is a validation that the Filipino people want to hear platforms and programs rather than mudslinging.â€? He added, “Our message of unity is being accepted and the survey results will continue to inspire us to work doubly hard in the remaining days of the campaign.â€? At the “Agbiag ti Ilocano (Long live the Ilocano)â€? event at Manila Polo Club on Monday, Marcos said that he had always been spreading the message of unity, which was being wellreceived and accepted around the country. He pointed out that it was time to bring back the true essence of public service but the campaign still has to be won and it was time to work “double timeâ€? in the remaining period of the campaign. After the event, Marcos explained that he needed to work doubly hard on the campaign, saying, “I am not counting out anyone from the vice presidential race‌ Every candidate has skills, a bailiwick, support so I take every candidate’s campaign seriously.â€? He added that he was focusing on his own style of campaign and would not be distracted. “Other candidates will do what they do. We will continue with our campaign and message of unity, merit and excellence in government. That I think is something that reverberates with the people.â€?