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w w w. a s i a n Volume 27 - No. 5 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

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PIA LEE-BRAGO Philstar.com

MANILAâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;The US Congress has earmarked $66 million for the construction of military facilities in the Philippines under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), Ambassador Philip Goldberg told a media forum on Wednesday, Feb. 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let me point out that we have about $66 million in foreign military funding in process for the Philippines and we expect that there will be additional sources of funds for both carrying out EDCA to military construction funds and also to increases in what we call the maritime security initiative,â&#x20AC;? Goldberg said at the Pandesal Forum in

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DATELINE

USA

Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton victorious in Iowa Caucus

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WHIAAPI, federal agencies boost outreach efforts in Fil-Am community

ASIAN American media crowded the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 27, where the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) hosted an informational session for various members of the AAPI community. It was an event to bring together to discuss programs that affect the diverse AAPI population in the Southwest region.

The initiative, housed under the Department of Education and reinstated by President Barack Obama in 2009, works to improve the quality of life for AAPI communities nationwide through accelerated access to and participation in federal programs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The goal of the initiative is to create open communication between the public G8>< 8*

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House minority report on Mamasapano finds Aquino liable for SAF men massacre

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE Iowa Caucus on Monday, Feb. 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the first major hurdle on the narrow road to the presidential elections â&#x20AC;&#x201C; proved to be a night of political surprises. Thousands of Iowa residents gathered in various caucus sites across the state to hear candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; appeals and make their vote, officially starting off the nomination process for both Democrat and Republican parties.

In the crowded GOP race, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz--supported widely by evangelical Christians, and backed by vigorous campaigning in the state -- defeated real estate mogul Donald Trump in the Republican caucuses. Cruz won about a third of

Quezon City. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So we will work through all of those figures and also working with our Congress, which of course you have to deal with as well in terms of what the Philippines may bring to the table,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The ambassador also pointed out there would be no new military base under EDCA. â&#x20AC;&#x153;EDCA is designed to support what the Philippines is trying to do in terms of building a minimum credible defense, in terms of modernizing and equipping its armed forces,â&#x20AC;? he added.

He cited US assistance to the Philippine Coast Guard for the establishment and operation of a G8>< 8)

by MARC JAYSON

CAYABYAB

Inquirer.net

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THE three-member independent bloc in the House of Representatives found President Benigno Aquino III liable for issuing a stand down order in the Mamasapano operation.

This was the finding of the independent minority report on the Jan. 25, 2015 botched anti-terror raid that resulted in @ehl`i\i%e\k g_fkf the death of 44 Special Action Force (SAF)

police officers after a firefight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other armed groups.

In a press conference, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez led the disclosure of the report, with the House majority yet to release its report on the congressional investigation last year.

Romualdez said because Aquino did not issue any order to help the beleaguered elite police officers when they were being pinned down by Moro rebels

in the cornfields of Mamasapano, Maguindanao, Aquino effectively handed a stand-down order.

The bloc based its report on the findings of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Board of Inquiry as well as the Senate report that found Aquino ultimately responsible for violating the police chain of command.

According to the report, Aquinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions showed that he issued a stand-down G8>< 8)

Poe hopes Chief Justice view on foundlings would inspire SC justices

by MAILA

AGER Inquirer.net

PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Senator Grace Poe expressed hope on Wednesday that Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Serenoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong position on the rights of foundlings like her would ring â&#x20AC;&#x153;loud and clearâ&#x20AC;? not only to the public, but also to other Supreme Court justices, who will make a final decision whether or not she is qualified to run for president in May. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We take refuge in the state:fXZ_ =i\[[`\ IfXZ_ jX`[ Yfo`e^ nfeĂ&#x2039;k Y\ kfkXccp flk f] DXeep GXZhl`XfĂ&#x2039;j d`e[ \m\e `] k_\ JXiXe^Xe` Zfe^i\jjdXe jlZZ\\[j `e _`j G8>< 8) J\e% >iXZ\ Gf\ j\eXkfi`Xc Y`[%

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Pacquiao as fighting senator? Comelec junks all DQ cases vs Duterte Roach thinks itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still possible

by ROSETTE

ADEL

Philstar.com

by DINO

MARAGAY Philstar.com

mind even if the Sarangani congressman succeeds in his DESPITE Manny Pacquiaoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senatorial bid. repeated claims that he will â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot depends on whether retire after his fight with Timo- he becomes a senator or not,â&#x20AC;? thy Bradley this April, some said Roach. observers think the Filipino â&#x20AC;&#x153;If he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win the senate icon will not stay retired. race, what will he do? Does he Count Freddie Roach among go back to being a congressthem. man? Being a congressman Speaking recently to Mi- and a boxer is OK. Being a chael Rosenthal of RingTV. senator and boxer may be a com, Pacquiaoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longtime little too much,â&#x20AC;? he added. cornerman said boxing wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Pacquiao is running for be totally out of Pacquiaoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senator under the opposition

party of presidential hopeful and incumbent Vice President Jejomar Binay. In the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations, he ranked eighth among senatorial candidates.

If Pacquiao defeats Bradley and becomes the WBO welterweight champion then wins the elections the following month, Roach said his ward might be prompted to defend the title even if heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already a senator. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do know Manny well, G8>< 8)

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MANILAâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;The Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division on Wednesday, Feb. 3 denied all the disqualification cases against presidential aspirant Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

In a press conference, Comelec First Division Chair Christian Robert Lim said the body voted unanimously to dismiss all of the four petitions filed against Duterte due to lack of merit.

The ruling was signed by Comelec bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s members Lim, Luie Tito Guia and Ma. Rowena Guanzon.

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE

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Japan and Australia are also helping the Philippines as the country embarks on building a minimum credible defense system.

Joint patrols Golderg also said the US is open to the possibility of conducting joint patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea. The Philippines calls its side of the waters within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone the West Philippine Sea. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not going to pre-judge what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do or when weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do it, whether weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do it with the Philippines or with others. But we do discuss those principles with the Philippines and so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not discounting that possibility,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to discuss that beforehand because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our view that we have every right under international law to exercise freedom of navigation in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea and we will continue to do so,â&#x20AC;? he pointed out.

When asked if the US would have to deal with restrictions under EDCA for its planned joint patrols, Goldberg said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think there are any limitations on what the US can do.â&#x20AC;?

But he clarified that EDCA itself was not designed to address the maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbors, particularly the Philippines.

The effort, he said, is to help the Philippines develop a dependable maritime security program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to announce publicly what those steps will be exactly and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not going to announce anything about joint patrols. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to say that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll continue with freedom of navigation operations,â&#x20AC;?

Goldberg said.

Aircraft landing Manila protested when a commercial Chinese aircraft landed recently on one of several artificial islands Beijing has built on the Spratlys, and officials say China has essentially declared an air defense identification zone over the sea by

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issuing â&#x20AC;&#x153;provocativeâ&#x20AC;? challenges to Philippine military flights in the area.

Two US warships have sailed

by China-claimed islands in the Spratly and Paracel island chains since October.

Tensions have risen in the last two years after China built islands on disputed reefs in the Spratly Islands chain that Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighbors fear could be used to threaten their territories.

China and Taiwan have nearly identical claims to almost the entire South China Sea while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei say parts of the sea belong to them. The US does not claim any part of the territory but says it has interest in the peaceful settlement of the disputes and in freedom of navigation in waters critical for world trade. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We seek the best possible relationship with China but we would also like to see the engagement of the entire region on solutions that are rules-based and not unilateral,â&#x20AC;? the ambassador said. Forging of a code of conduct in the area â&#x20AC;&#x153;to us is the way to go,â&#x20AC;? he added.

The Philippines and the US have committed to coordinate closely on the implementation of the EDCA. Such commitment is embodied

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in the 2016 Joint Statement of the US-Philippines Ministerial Dialogue in Washington last month signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Secretary of State John Kerry and US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

Meanwhile, militant lawmakers have asked the Supreme Court (SC) to reconsider its ruling last month upholding the legality of EDCA. In a motion for reconsideration, petitioners led by Bayan Muna party-list Reps. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate asked the high court to reverse its decision and instead declare EDCA unconstitutional.

Insisting that EDCA is a treaty that needs Senate concurrence, the petitioners said the 10 justices in the majority ruling erred in declaring EDCA as an executive agreement.

The militant lawmakers also insisted the agreement would set the stage for the reestablishment of US military bases in the country despite clear prohibition under the Constitution and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

They added EDCA is no guarantee of immediate US help in the event of a direct confrontation with China.

The majority decision penned by Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno ruled that EDCA is not constitutionally infirm as alleged by petitioners.

The SC rejected the arguments of petitioners â&#x20AC;&#x201C; supported by the Senate through its Resolution No. 105 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that the agreement was a treaty similar to the VFA and Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

The high court pointed out that the law requires Senate concurrence and considers an agreement a treaty only when it serves as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;instrument that allows the presence of foreign military bases, troops or facilities.â&#x20AC;?

In this case, the SC said EDCA is â&#x20AC;&#x153;not the instrument that allows US troops or facilities to enter as the VFA already has done that,â&#x20AC;? citing its earlier ruling that upheld the validity of the VFA. Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo Brion, Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Marvic Leonen gave dissenting opinions. (With Edu Punay, AFP)

House minority report on Mamasapano...

G8>< 8(

order in the deployment of artillery support to the SAF commandos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although unspoken, it is clear from the actuations of the President, the members of the Cabinet security cluster, the senior AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP officials including officers on the ground and the OPAPP (Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) and the government peace panel, among others, that there was a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;stand-downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; order at the height of the firefight and eventually an elaborate effort to cover up the monumental blunders committed,â&#x20AC;? the report said.

The report cited the testimony of Major Gen. Edmund Pangilinan, who supposedly ordered to withhold the artillery fire because of the peace process with the MILF, even though 1st Mechanized Brigade Commanding Officer Colonel Gener Del Rosario had earlier sought for artillery support. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(The) moveâ&#x20AC;Ś was totally out of line and inexplicable at that juncture. That was indeed unforgivable and even more so given the belated finding that a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;stand-

in an elaborate cover-up meant to shield the President and the administration and, sadly, even the MILF from assuming responsibility for the Mamasapano tragedy,â&#x20AC;? the report said.

The bloc also said the MILF should share the responsibility over the botched operation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taken in totality, the onus of responsibility for the Mamasapano massacre falls squarely in the hands of President Aquino. We concur with the findings of both the Senate â&#x20AC;Ś and the PNP Board of Inquiryâ&#x20AC;Ś that the President was and is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ultimately responsible for the outcome of the mission,â&#x20AC;? the report said.

Aquino was accused of â&#x20AC;&#x153;compartmentalizingâ&#x20AC;? the operations when he coordinated with sacked SAF Director General Getulio NapeĂąas and authorized a personal friend, then suspended police chief Alan Purisima, to oversee the operation.

The bloc also said Purisima and NapeĂąas committed criminal offenses for their blunders in the execution of the antiterror raid called Oplan Exodus, which took down international terrorist Marwan.

Pacquiao as fighting senator? Roach...

G8>< 8( though. He would love to be the senator who defended his title someday. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think this [Bradley fight] is his last fight for some reason,â&#x20AC;? the trainer continued. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see it because he has a lot left in him. His work ethic is still great. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be disappointed

if this was his last fight. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been with him a long time, we had a great run. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll support whatever he does,â&#x20AC;? said Roach.

Then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the looming possibility of another meeting with Floyd Mayweather Jr. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So far he [Pacquiao] says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to retire no matter what.

I might be the one that hopes something happens, maybe Floyd one more time. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be healthy and do much better than the first time. I was very disappointed with the first fight. I know Manny can do much better than that. I would love to see that fight one more time,â&#x20AC;? added Roach.

Poe hopes Chief Justice view on foundlings...

G8>< 8( ment of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno fighting hard for the rights of foundlings like me. It rings loud and clear that the right of foundlings to a nationality will just be an empty rhetoric unless the government accords it due respect and take measures to implement this right,â&#x20AC;? Poe said in a text message to reporters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope that the public and those who will make a final judgment on my case will see things in this light,â&#x20AC;? she added.

Poe issued the statement when sought for comment on the Chief

Justiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warning that disqualifying her from the presidential race for being a foundling could set a dangerous precedent and would have dire consequences if upheld by the Supreme Court. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re saying that foundlings are not natural-born citizens, have you thought about the impact on the rights of all foundlings?â&#x20AC;? Sereno asked Commission on Elections (Comelec) member Arturo Lim during the SCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third oral arguments on the disqualification cases filed against the lady senator. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The court now has to categor-

ically answer the question about her (Poeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) status, because the pronouncements we will make will affect so many others,â&#x20AC;? the Chief Justice added.

Poeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being a foundling was one of the two subjects of the cases against her. The other issue was her alleged failure to meet the 10-year residency requirement for candidates running for president.

Found in a church Iloilo when she was a baby, the lady senator was later adopted by the late action king, Fernando Poe Jr., and veteran actress Susan Roces.

Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton victorious in...

G8>< 8(

the evangelical vote, reported the New York Times.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Cruz had nearly 28 percent of the statewide vote, while Trump closely followed with 24 percent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa and all across this great nation,â&#x20AC;?

Cruz said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tonight, the state of Iowa has spoken. Tonight is a victory for the grass roots. Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives all across Iowa and our

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downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; order was actually handed down presumably through the OPAPPâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? the report said.

The report said Aquino was in Zamboanga city at the time of the Mamasapano incident, but he did not call a meeting with his top commanders and security officials to help the elite cops.

Aquino also texted then Western Mindanao Command General Rustico Guerrero to send help to the elite cops only at 4 p.m. or 12 hours after.

The bloc in the report also accused then Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles and peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;cover-upâ&#x20AC;? on the Mamasapano to shield Aquino from any liability.

The report said Roxas and Deles echoed the claim of the MILF that the incident was merely a â&#x20AC;&#x153;misencounterâ&#x20AC;? between government and MILF troops due to lack of coordination. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Instead of exerting extra efforts to clear the air and pinpoint the flaws in the manner by which Oplan Exodus was conducted, Secretaries Roxas and Deles and peace panel chair Ferrer engaged

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great nation.â&#x20AC;?

Cruz, who has been trailing Donald Trump in recent Iowa polls, also set the record for most Iowa caucus votes received by a single candidate.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio trailed in third place, with 23.1 percent of the vote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not waiting any longer to take our country back,â&#x20AC;? Rubio told his supporters that night. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will be your nominee thanks to what you have done in this great state.â&#x20AC;?

Other Republican contenders, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul reported low numbers.

For the Democrats, Hillary Clinton won by a very slim margin of victory over her opponent, Bernie Sanders. With a roughly 49.9 to 49.6 percent split, the Iowa Democratic Party described the race as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;historically close caucus.â&#x20AC;?

Clinton proved victorious after the results showed the delegate gap larger than the 2.28 delegates available from the final, unreported Des Moines precinct, said New York Daily News. The former secretary of state has been leading every major national poll. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am a progressive who gets things done for people,â&#x20AC;? Clinton, the top pick for 45 percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers, said Monday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to be united when it is all said and doneâ&#x20AC;Ś against a Republican vision and candidates who would drive us apart and divide us.â&#x20AC;?

Among young voters (between ages 17 and 29), Bernie Sanders reportedly won 84 percent of the vote (18 percent if the whole Democratic caucus electorate), to Clintonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 14 percent. Sanders, a 74-year-old self-proclaimed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Democratic socialist,â&#x20AC;? has proven himself the clear choice of young people. However, among 45 to 64-year-olds and those 65 and older, Clinton is leading Sanders in the polls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I think about what happened tonight, I think the people of Iowa have sent a very profound message to the political establishment, to the economic establishment and â&#x20AC;&#x201D; by the way â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to the media establishment,â&#x20AC;? Sanders told supporters just before midnight, calling the Iowa race a â&#x20AC;&#x153;virtual tie.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;And that is that given the enormous crises facing our country, it is just too late for establishment politics and establishment economics.â&#x20AC;?

After a dim showing in the Hawkeye State to keep their candidacies afloat, former governors

Martin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley and Mike Huckabee both suspended their campaigns. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We fought very, very hard in order to give the people a choice, and the people made their choice tonight,â&#x20AC;? said Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley at his rally in Des Moines, expressing gratitude to his supporters and Iowa citizens. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to hold strong to the values that make us Americans.â&#x20AC;?

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley, who entered the race last May but never polled high and struggled to gain traction with liberal voters, did not endorse a candidate.

Huckabeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suspension was not planned, but the extremely low turnout prompted him to step out of the race. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He is going to continue to push for the issues he believes, but right now this is about thanking his staff and supporters and being with his friends and families and see what doors will open next,â&#x20AC;? said Hogan Gidley, a spokesman for Huckabee, according to CNN. The turnout of the Iowa caucuses was about 158,000, according to Edison Research, which conducted entrance polls at precincts across the state.

The caucuses determine which candidates send delegates to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Republican convention in Cleveland. Nine other states will also assign delegates this way, in both party contests. While Republicans cast secret ballots, Democrats gather in candidate affinity groups, and reshuffle if some voters stood for a candidate without enough viable support in the state caucuses (for example, Martin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley, who has recently trailed badly in all polls). Delegates are distributed based on the percentage of support each candidate received, according to USA Today.

The final voting results are reported to the state party headquarters, which then report it to media. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Turnout is everything,â&#x20AC;? national political strategist David Axelrod told USA Today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The race is a tight as can be.â&#x20AC;?

A win for a candidate does not by any means spell a nomination at his or her partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convention, but victory (or even a competitive placing) in Iowa can help build momentum for the rest of the year, said CNBC. Still, a weak result in the state could mean the beginning of the end for some campaigns, especially in the crowded GOP ticket.

New Hampshire is the next state to vote, with its primary on Tuesday, Feb. 9. (Allyson Escobar / AJPress)

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WHIAAPI, federal agencies boost...

G8>< 8( Asian American and Pacific Islander community and the federal agencies that serve them,” said Danny Pasquil, co-chair of the WHIAAPI regional network, at the start of the event. “We are continuously working to create a better relationship.”

Representatives from various government agencies--including the FBI, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the US Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Social Security Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-were present at the event to speak about the programs, benefits, and services they offer.

FBI Special agent Amir Ehsaei gave a presentation on FBI, which he stressed is both a “law enforcement and intelligence agency.” With offices worldwide and an increased annual budget of $8.3 billion ($20 million allotted to the branch in Los Angeles), the FBI addresses threats to US society, including counterterrorism, cyberattacks, firearms, etc. The FBI is also committed to a diverse presence and relationship with America’s many ethnicities, reaching out to communities through seminars and mentorship programs.

“The Philippines is an area we’re responsible for here in Los Angeles, so engagement with the Filipino community is important. We have a presence in the Philippines that has strengthened, thanks to continued dialog, face-to-face meetings with the community, listening and explaining with the people,” Ehsaei said.

“The Bureau is like a family, and it’s important that we maintain these tight-knit relationships, acknowledge the barrier of trust,” said Lori Nelson, a Filipina special supervisory agent for the FBI branch in Los Angeles.

USCIS US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, focuses on field operations regarding the US’ legal immigration system and services benefiting immigrants in the US. Field operations Associate Director Daniel Renaud and District Director Susan Curda spoke to communities in hopes of better outreach, to “demystify” naturalization, and the USCIS’ plans to build new, multi-

lingual programs to help people understand the process. “[USCIS] making a great effort to reach a number of API communities, especially the growing Filipino population here in California,” said Curda.

“We want to speak to these communities in their own language so that there’s no confusion, and we can take away some of the mystery and fear in the process.

We don’t want it to be fear holding people back from getting naturalized. We want to talk to people about how to trust us as an agency.”

USCIS is holding a Tagaloglanguage information session on Monday, Feb. 1 at the National City Public Library, and Wednesday, Feb. 3 at the Carson Community Center, for Filipinos interested in learning about the process of citizenship.

DOL Kimchi Bui, district director of the US Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division, came forward to speak about the DOL’s efforts to enhance the welfare of the nation’s large workforce, reaching out to vulnerable, low-wage workers and enforcing federal labor laws to the billions of private and public businesses in the US. With multilingual regional and area offices, the stressed partnerships with AAPI organizations and national consulates.

Bui also talked about the EMPLEO program, first launched in fall 2015, with the DOL and Pilipino Workers Center (PWC).

“We saw the need that we need to have a workers’ program for different Asian American communities,” she said. A new call-center housed by multilingual staff at PWC will serve as a hotline for employees to call in about labor issues, discrimination in the workplace, and other wage issues, and is a resource for employers to ask questions about US labor laws.

“We are hoping that the program can get expanded to include other ethnic communities as well,” Bui said. “The DOL is here to help campaign for workers, employers, and we keep information confidential. We want compliance for both employees and employers; we are there to investigate labor cases.”

SSA / IRS Essie Landry from the Social Security Administration talked about the benefits social security has on AAPI citizens.

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from social security, as well as Supplemental Security Income (SSI),” Landry shared. “We want the community to know that they will not be disadvantaged in any way. Call our national toll-free number and ask for an interpreter; check out our easy-access portal and resources [such as W-2 forms, electronic wage reporting, verification services] online. We want them to be actively engaged in how we can service you.”

Stakeholder Liaison Lisa Hamilton also talked about the importance of the IRS--which handles income and refundable tax credits to those who qualify, among other services--in helping America’s taxpayers.

EEOC The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is a federal agency committed to fighting against discrimination, and for justice and equality in the workplace. “We enforce laws including the Equal Pay Act, which includes Title VII--protecting workers from discrimination due to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, genetics, or sexual orientation,” said Christine Park-Gonzalez, a representative for the EEOC. The EEOC also helped to settle the 2012 case against Delano Regional Medical Center, where solely Filipino caregivers were harassed through a language policy. The case was resolved for $975,000 for a three-year consent decree, including new policies and procedures for hiring.

Last May, the WHIAAPI hosted the first-ever White House Summit on AAPIs, featuring special guests including prominent entertainment personalities, artists and activists, as well as the first Asian-American US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. The summit served as a symbol of the unity within the diverse AAPI community and its government leaders.

“As the WHIAAPI co-chair, it’s a great opportunity, and something I couldn’t turn down,” Pasquil, a Fil-Am who is also the district director of the DOL Wage & Hour Division’s West Covina office, told the Asian Journal. “The Southwest Regional Network has grown tremendously to include federal employees and different agencies, and we’re bringing people from different backgrounds, areas, and levels together.” (Allyson Escobar / AJPress)

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US keeping an eye on ISIS threat in PH, SE Asia

by FRANCES

MANGOSING Inquirer.net

THE US is closely monitoring the threat of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the Philippines and in the entire Southeast Asian region.

US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg said in a forum on Wednesday, Feb. 3 that they are on guard against groups that have claimed links with the ISIS. “We all have to be on guard against groups that pledge allegiance to ISIS, that say they want involvement in the kinds of activities and ideology represented by the ISIS,” he said.

Among the local groups that have pledged allegiance to the ISIS are Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Ansar alKhalifa.

Videos of such groups have been posted online, taking an oath and announcing their support to ISIS. “We are watching that, as is the Philippines very closely, and we need to do so to make sure that whatever rhetorical

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support, or whatever happening behind the scenes, is not something that becomes a danger to the Philippines or the region,” Goldberg said.

He also acknowledged that social media is one of the tools where ISIS can expand beyond its borders.

“What we can tell you is that the groups that pledge allegiance will be in the sights of all of us,”

Comelec junks all DQ cases...

G8>< 8( Among the petitions junked by the Comelec are those filed

by University of the Philippines Student Council Chair John Paulo delas Nieves, broadcaster Ruben Castor, nuisance candidate Elly Pamatong and former senatorial candidate Rizalito David, who is also petitioner in

Sen. Grace Poe’s disqualification case, Nieves earlier questioned the validity of Duterte’s substitution for former Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan standardbearer Martin Diño.

The Comelec said, however, that the petitions which challenged Diño’s certificate of candidacy

Goldberg said.

He justified that the Philippines and US cooperate on counterterrorism and share information because of threats like these.

ISIS, an international terror organization, is known for its propaganda and influence, with videos of its brutal tactics, such as bombings, stoning and beheadings, posted on the Internet.

was filed out of time since he was already declared a nuisance candidate and withdrew his candidacy.

The Comelec added that Diño’s intent to run for president was clear despite his error.

Lim said the petitioners may still file a motion for reconsideration to counter the division’s ruling.

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Aquino to receive honorary degree from Loyola Marymount University PHILIPPINE President Benigno S. Aquino III is expected to visit Southern California on Wednesday, Feb. 17, where he will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Loyola Marymount University.

During the invitation-only event, Aquino will be honored

by LMU’s president, Timothy Law Snyder.

The university has chosen to confer the degree on Aquino

“in recognition of his dedication to his country, his integrity, and his embodiment of a Jesuit education,” according to a statement.

Aquino, who took office as president in 2010, received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ateneo de Manila University. He has received six honorary degrees from various institutions including Fordham University in New York, University of the

Philippines, Diliman and Centro Escolar University.

The event is being co-sponsored by the School of Education’s Teach for the Philippines Program and the World Policy Institute at LMU. No further details regarding Aquino’s visit, such the length of his trip and whether he will meet with the Fil-Am community in Los Angeles, have been revealed as of press time. (AJPress)

WHO declares Zika a global health emergency THE World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Zika virus and its purported links to birth defects a global public health emergency.

The Zika virus, which has been found in more than 20 Latin American countries, has officials concerned about its possible link to microcephaly, a condition that

causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains.

“I am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities reported in Latin America following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014 constitutes a public health emergency of international concern,” WHO director general Margaret Chan said on Monday, Feb. 1, adding that the virus is “spreading explosively.”

Chan added that “it was strongly suspected but not yet scientifically proven” that Zika causes microcephaly. The organization is focusing on protecting pregnant women and their babies and controlling the Aedes aegypti mosK_\ Nfic[ ?\Xck_ Fi^Xe`qXk`fe N?F n\Yj`k\ [\jZi`Y\j k_\ Q`bX m`ilj Xj X dfjhl`kf$Yfie\ quitoes that are spreading the [`j\Xj\ k_Xk nXj Ôijk [\k\Zk\[ Xdfe^ i_\jlj dfeb\pj `e L^Xe[X `e (0+.%

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Pregnant women are advised to consider delaying travel to areas affected by the virus and to seek physician assistance if living in areas affected by the virus.

In Brazil alone, there have been about 4,000 reported cases since October of last year, and could potentially infect 4 million people in the Americas. Health officials also said Africa and Asia are susceptible to the virus.

Currently, there are no vaccinations or medications to stop the virus.

As of press time, the first virus transmission in the US was reported in Dallas on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Local health officials stated that it was contracted through sexual contact, not the bite of a mosquito.

According to the WHO, this is the fourth time the agency has declared an international health emergency. Other cases included influenza, Ebola and polio. (AJPress)

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Obama proposes new rules to advance equal pay

by AGNES

CONSTANTE AJPress

THE Obama administration on Friday, Jan. 29, announced new rules aimed at ensuring equal pay for all American workers.

The proposal would require companies with more than 100 employees to annually report to the federal government how much they pay their employees with a breakdown of the employees’ ethnicity, gender and race.

Friday’s announcement coincided with the seventh anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill President Barack Obama signed into law when he took office in 2009. The act makes it easier for employees to challenge unequal pay.

“Women are not getting the fair shot that we believe every single American deserves,” Obama said in the proposal announcement.

“What kind of example does paying women less set for our sons and daughters?”

Obama’s new rules would build on an executive order he issued about two years ago, which required federal contractors to provide salary data for men and women.

“Social change never happens overnight,” he said. “It is a slog and there are times when you just have to chip away and chip away...It’s reliant on all of us to keep pushing that boulder up the hill.”

Jenny Yang, chairwoman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, told The New

York Times that the rules would be completed in September and reports would be due one year after.

“Too often, pay discrimination goes undetected because of a lack of accurate information about what people are paid,” Yang told the Times. “We will be using the information that we’re collecting as one piece of information that can inform our investigations.”

In 2014, women earned 79 cents for every dollar a man earned, the White House reported. The White House Council of Economic Advisers states that the US gender wage gap is 2.5 percent higher than the average developed country.

However, Pew Research reported in April that it found the gender pay gap to be less than what the White House claimed. The report stated that women earn 84 percent of what men do, while the wage gap for younger women stands at 93 percent of what men are paid.

Compliance with the new rules is expected to cost each employer less than $400 in the first year, according to White House estimates, and several hundred dollars per year after that.

Obama is also looking to push Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would provide additional resources to women seeking to challenge pay discrimination.

“I don’t think this is an empty move,” Robyn Muncy, interim chair of women’s studies and a history professor at the University of Maryland, said of the new pay

data proposal, according to NBC News. “I think it can have a very galvanizing, conscious-raising effect on people.”

Marc Benioff, chief executive of Salesforce.com, who was enlisted by the White House to help make its case for the rules, said that although he never planned on paying women less than men, he found out his company was doing just that after two female workers raised that concern with him, according to the Times.

“We’re never going to solve this issue of pay inequality if CEOs like myself and others continue to turn a blind eye to what’s happening in their own corporations,” Benioff said in a conference call organized by the White House, noting he was spending $3 million to eliminate the pay gap at his firm, the Times reported.

Not everyone touted the White House’s pay gap logic, however.

Other critics say that the metric used by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics is not the most accurate measurement.

A new report by Payscale suggests that “men are simply more likely to hold higher-paying jobs, whether it’s because of the industry, job type, or job level.”

Obama’s actions on pay equality have also been criticized by Republicans, who say that gender discrimination is already illegal and that extra measures are unnecessary. Additionally, the new rules would require the president to use his executive authority, for which Republicans have further criticized him.

National AAPI PAC endorses Hillary Clinton by

CHRISTINA M. ORIEL

presidential race.

“Hillary Clinton has clearly A NATIONAL Asian American demonstrated her commitment Pacific Islander (AAPI) political to AAPI communities and isaction committee announced on sues,” said Glen S. Fukushima, Thursday, Jan. 28 that it is for- CAPA21 co-founder and chair, mally endorsing Hillary Clinton in a statement. “As Senator, she for president, noting her record was a leader on issues to imof connecting to the AAPI com- prove the lives of AAPI families munity. and communities. As Secretary The announcement made by of State, she understood that San Francisco-based CAPA21 the importance of the Asia-Pais the first endorsement by any cific region in US foreign policy, major AAPI PAC for the 2016 which strongly impacts recent AJPress

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AAPI immigrant communities.”

Dale Minami, CAPA21’s cofounder and president, remarked that Clinton’s campaign has AAPIs in top positions — such as Huma Abedin, campaign vice chair; Dennis Cheng, finance director; and Lisa Chandadveja, AAPI outreach director — and has “crafted an AAPI-focused vision.”

Clinton visited Southern California on Jan. 7, where she launched AAPIs for Hillary, gathering key AAPI elected officials and hundreds of supporters from across the nation. It marked the first event a major presidential candidate held exclusively for AAPIs. “A candidate’s actions, not just words, on AAPI priorities preview how she will perform once in office,” Minami said.

According to AAPIData and the Center for American Progress, Asian American voters have nearly doubled in the last decade from more than two million voters in 2000 to 3.9 million in 2012. Further data shows that the electorate is expected to grow by more than 600,000 voters in each presidential cycle.

Asian American voter numbers are critical in swing states, such as Nevada, Virginia and Florida.

The PAC’s leadership council co-chairs include Ginger Lew, Maeley Tom, Mona Pasquil, Mark Keam, Steve Ngo, Phong La, Tessie Guillermo, Kiran Jain, and Dilawar Syed.

CAPA21 continues on the work of the now-defunct Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA), founded in 1988 as the country’s first national Asian American PAC.

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D ATELINE PHILIPPINES Binay camp downplays Blue Ribbon report on graft raps Congress â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;inactionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; killed BBL, says peace negotiator

by HELEN

FLORES Philstar.com

MANILAâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay downplayed the recommendation of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee to file criminal charges against him and his son, dismissed Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin â&#x20AC;&#x153;Junjunâ&#x20AC;?

Binay.

The charges stemmed from the alleged anomalous construction of the Makati City Hall Building II. The Senate subcommittee said there was â&#x20AC;&#x153;plunder through grand conspiracyâ&#x20AC;? in the overpricing of the building, which was constructed when the elder Binay was mayor.

The subcommittee report was presented in the plenary on Monday, Feb. 1.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of the subcommittee, previously handed out copies of the partial report to the media after getting the signatures of 10 senators who were members of the Blue Ribbon committee.

Joey Salgado, Binayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spokesman for media affairs, said the

by ARIES JOSEPH

Inquirer.net

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report was not new, noting that after more than 25 public hearings, what the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee presented to the plenary was just a partial report.

Salgado said Pimentel decided to present it to the plenary in time for the survey period. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of a chorus of attacks on the Vice President led by the

Liberal Party (LP) candidate himself and his spokesmen at the Palace, Misters (Edwin) Lacierda and (Manuel) Quezon,â&#x20AC;? he said.

He said the subcommittee does not have the competence or the authority to determine criminal liability, adding the investigations â&#x20AC;&#x153;were made in aid of demolition, not legislation.â&#x20AC;?

HEGINA

WITH the â&#x20AC;&#x153;deathâ&#x20AC;? of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the 16th Congress, the Filipinos are said to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;grieving, hurting and dreading what tomorrow may bring.â&#x20AC;?

Such was the statement issued by government chief negotiator Miriam Colonel Ferrer on Wednesday regarding the failure of Congress to pass the proposed law.

Ferrer did not mince words when she hit the faults of both chambers of Congress which contributed to the death of the landmark legislative measureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;saying that all the efforts of lawmakers and taxpayersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; money amounted to nothing.

The official said that the supposed indifference and absenteeism of members of the House of Representatives contributed to â&#x20AC;&#x153;prolonged and repetitiveâ&#x20AC;? interpellations which wasted the remaining session days. While in

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the Senate, Ferrer said that the absence of bill sponsor and a change in procedure contributed to the delay of the BBL passage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The sheer indifference and chronic absenteeism of majority of the legislators manifested in the lack of quorum almost on a daily basis in the House of Representatives, and the prolonged and repetitive interpellation of

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority 340 North 11th Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone (702) 922-6060

SC asked to reconsider ruling on EDCA

by TETCH

TORRES-TUPAS Inquirer.net

THE Supreme Court has been asked to reconsider its decision upholding the constitutionality of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Filing separate motions for reconsideration are former Senators Rene Saguisag and Wigberto TaĂąada, among the 12 senators who, in 1991 voted to eject US bases in the Philippines, and the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) joined by other party-list groups.

The high court, last Jan. 12, voting 10-4-1, ruled that EDCA is an executive agreement which the President is allowed to enter into under Article XVIII Section 25 of the 1987 Constitution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have difficulty accepting that despite the plain meaning of the Constitution, this Honorable Court ruled the way it did,â&#x20AC;? Saguisag said.

Like Saguisag and TaĂąada, BAYAN, in their 82-page motion said the people, through the Senate should be represented in the discussion of foreign military presence in the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Neither the Court nor the Executive has the monopoly of discussion on the presence of foreign military personnel and their war weapons and bases. The Constitution clearly accorded unto the Senate, by representation the Filipino people, the power to decide on the return of foreign military bases,â&#x20AC;?

Atty. Rachel Pastores, counsel for BAYAN said.

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VINCENT GONZALES Inquirer.net

THE Catholic Bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has urged the voting public to examine their conduct and be guided by a sense of common good in electing the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next leaders, barely three months before the May national elections.

In a pastoral statement, CBCP President Archbishop Socrates Villegas said Filipinos should vote only those who are truly qualified for political posts, as â&#x20AC;&#x153;voting for the lesser evil is still voting for evil.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let us choose those who are truly upright and self-sacrificing, respectful of the dignity of all and compassionate towards the poor. Let us reject those who are dishonest, deceitful, self-seeking and unmindful of the poor,â&#x20AC;? Villegas said.

Villegas likewise called on voters not to allow themselves to be manipulated by vote-buying politicians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most certainly our faith in the Eucharist is incompatible with the use of violence, vote-buying and cheating during the election period. These are selfish, destructive and sinful,â&#x20AC;? Villegas said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We remind those who win positions by such fraudulent means have in fact no moral right to assume the offices they stole. We also urge the faithful not to allow themselves to be instruments of fraud,â&#x20AC;? he added.

The Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop also urged poll authorities, particularly the Commission on Elections, to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;strict and scrupulousâ&#x20AC;? in enforcing rules toward a credible, honest, and peaceful elections. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name, we also exhort all who have to do with electoral process or with cases connected with the elections to resist any pressure exerted on them to act or against any person or political party,â&#x20AC;? Villegas said.

Announcement No.: 15-027 OPENING DATE: Monday, February 1, 2016 CLOSING DATE: Monday, February 8, 2016

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The majorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strict textual approach lulls one to believe that its intersectional interpretation is neutral, objective, apolitical, scientific and precise and to accept the majorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s underlying conclusion that US-Philippine security relations is equal,â&#x20AC;? the MR read.

Petitioners added that contrary to the high courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position that what was prohibited under the law was the initial entry of foreign troops, the Constitution is clear when it stated that â&#x20AC;&#x153;foreign military bases shall not be allowed in the Philippines.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thus, the General rule and clear intent of Article XVIII section 25 is to prohibit the return of foreign military bases, troops, facilities except under a treaty duly concurred in by the Senate,â&#x20AC;? BAYAN said.

Bayan said that the assertion that EDCA will help the Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; position in the West Philippine Sea disputes has left out the fact that the

US is â&#x20AC;&#x153;another bullyâ&#x20AC;? the country has to deal with. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another underlying assumption and judicial notice made by the Majority to uphold the Edca is that China is a bully. True. But we cannot rest our backs on the pretext that another bullyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;greedy and giddy one at thatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the US will fly to our side the moment confrontations escalate to defend our backyards and home front.

Do we expect the US to prod their Federal Government to go to war for us?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even if we say for the sake of argument that indeed the Philippines and the US stand on equal sovereign status and that China would eventually run scared because of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence, we are at least deserving of hearing to contest these assumptions. The views espoused by the Majority are not the only world view about these matters,â&#x20AC;? the motion further stated.

CBCP tells electorate: Voting for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lesser evilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is still voting for evil

by YUJI

oppositors ate up the remaining sessions.â&#x20AC;?

Despite the death of the BBL in Congress, Ferrer said that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) will continue to implement the provisions in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro which provides the steps for the transformation of conflict areas into peaceful communities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The collective inaction of our legislators to complete the deliberation on the BBL did not, and will not, stop the momentum of the Bangsamoro peace process.

At this low point, we call for sobriety and perseverance,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Ferrer has only one wish to politicians who tolled the death knell on the BBL: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We therefore urge our politicians and fellow citizens to take the time to study the history of the conflict and the peace process so as to get a better understanding of the road map and our unflinching efforts to see it through.â&#x20AC;?

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OPINION

Broken vow

FEATURES

WITH only five months left before he steps down from office, President Benigno Aquino III has yet to fulfill one of his campaign promises in the 2010 presidential election: to bring resolve to the Maguindanao massacre.

Who could ever forget that fateful day on November 23, 2009, when a private army (allegedly led by the Ampatuan clan) killed a 58-person convoy, on their way to file the certificate of candidacy of then Buluan vice mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu. The news made international headlines and was tagged as one of the most heinous election-related crimes in history.

With 32 of the victims killed during the carnage identified as media practitioners, the incident is easily recognizable as the single worst act of extrajudicial killing and reiterating that the Philippines is indeed a dangerous country for journalists.

These 32 victims are among 2,297 journalists and media staff who have been killed in the last 25 years. In its recent report, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said that these journalists were killed for doing nothing more than trying to inform the world about war, revolution, crime and corruption.

The report added that Iraq topped the list of the most dangerous countries for journalists with 309 killings. The Philippines ranked second with 146 killings, but IFJ underscored the “recurring finding of our reports that there are many more killed in peacetime situations than in war-stricken countries.”

“The Ampatuan Massacre remains the key focal point of the Philippines media’s battle with impu-

nity, but it must be stressed that the killing of journalists didn’t start on November 23, 2009, nor did it end there. At least 40 journalists have been killed since. Since 1986, when the People Power uprising against the Marcos dictatorship brought democratic institutions back to the Philippines, 180 media workers have been killed. And as the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) continues to point out, it is inevitably only the gunmen who are pursued,” IFJ noted.

On its sixth anniversary in November last year, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, who lost his wife, some relatives and supporters, expressed his disappointment that six years after the killings, the court had yet to decide on the case.

“It’s been six long, agonizing years. Where is justice?” Mangudadatu said.

The Aquino administration asserted that it remains committed to bringing justice to the victims of the Maguindanao massacre and their families but speeding up the trial solely rests on the judiciary.

The Dept. of Justice gave a marching order for the swift resolution of the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre. It directed state prosecutors to oppose any dilatory tactics and vowed to have convictions, particularly on the principal accused, by 2016 before President Aquino steps down.

Editorial

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“Make no mistake, we are very concerned also.

We would certainly like to have the trial of the Ampatuan case hastened as well and, in fact, we do want to see a decision before the President leaves office. But is it something within our control? That is not within our control,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said responding to criticism about the slow-paced trial of the case.

The outcome of the Maguindanao massacre trials will dictate whether the Philippines is a country has learned its lesson to put an end to violence and

impunity—or one that is condemned to repeat the same mistakes.

When justice is delayed, is justice denied? This pithy aphorism seems to be fitting for the relatives of the victims of the 2009 Maguindanao killings.

Six years later, the faltering steps for truth and justice have brought more than 200 people implicated in the massacre, topped by members of the Ampatuan clan. Some have been arrested, others were arraigned. But for the victim’s family, justice remains elusive until a conviction is passed. (AJPress)

Iowa Surprises: Cruz beats Trump, Clinton and Sanders in a virtual tie THE long race to the White House has started with the caucuses in Iowa on Monday, Feb. 1. The election in this state has defied all conventional wisdom, polls and political pundits’ analyses and fearless forecasts. Voter turnout was reported to have broken records, revealing voter enthusiasm in both parties.

Republican caucuses Frontrunner Donald Trump was crushed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz — the ultra-conservative candidate who pundits, the polls, and Trump himself prophesied to have a dying campaign after he was pummeled in the FOX News-sponsored Iowa debate that Trump decided not to participate in because of his feud with the network.

The missed appearance might have hurt Trump, who decided instead to stage an event -- at the same time of the debate -- that he said would raise money for veterans Many believe, including Trump himself in hindsight, that this was a misstep on his part because he ended up losing the chance to convince the people of Iowa that he has better vision and platform than his competitors.

DAVAO mayor and presidential hopeful Rodrigo Duterte has announced that part of his platform of government is the extermination of criminals and corrupt public officials within six months from assuming the presidency.

“Extermination,” as in kill them dead, like Flit Insect Spray.

The enthusiastic approval by Duterte’s supporters are reminiscent of movie audiences lustily cheering on Rambo as he exterminates the bad guys. Some of these Duterte fans are intelligent and knowledgeable. Thus, their endorsement of a policy considered illegal and unacceptable in civilized societies makes you wonder if Duterte may be justified after all.

There is a saying in Tagalog, “Kung hindi mo makuha sa santong dasalan, kunin mo sa santong paspasan.” (Loosely translated: If you can’t do it the nice way, do it the violent way.)

Perhaps the Dutertans (a term akin to Noranians and Vilmanians, to describe fans of Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos) have already given up on santong dasalan as a means to clean up our government and society and have decided that santong paspasan is the only way.

It could also be conceded that Duterte has the best and noblest of intentions—a vision of a Philippines cured of the cancer that

of the other candidates to change their votes in favor of their candidate, or convince the undecided to join them in caucusing for their candidate.

Democratic caucuses Who would have thought that 74-year-old Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders would be in a virtual tie with frontrunner former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? Just a year ago, he was polling only 7 percent versus Clinton’s 68 percent.

On caucus night in Iowa, Sanders and Clinton were in a virtual tie, with less than one percent difference between them: Clinton got 49.9, while Sanders got 49.6.

Because of the tightness of the race, officials resorted to coin toss, a practice allowed by rules for Democratic precincts. Des Moines Register reported on at least two instances of decisions by a coin toss, all breaking for Clinton.

Clinton might have been declared the winner in Iowa, but this could still change, and Sanders might

still turn out to have won in this state. The Clinton victory was announced based on results from 1,682 of 1,683 precincts. One the result of precinct — precinct 42 — was reported missing, and according to the Des Moines Register, “Votes from one precinct in Iowa were still missing Tuesday morning, and Democrats from that neighborhood scrambled to find party officials so that they could report their tally: Bernie Sanders won by 2 delegates over Hillary Clinton.”

Heading to New Hampshire, both candidates have their own respective bragging rights. Clinton touts her experience and pragmatism, which she claims will make her beat whomever will be the Republican Party’s nominee for president.

However, Clinton needs the support of the young and first time voters who overwhelmingly support Sanders for his progressive principles, and his consistent stand in his fight against income inequality, and the power of the richest of the rich Americans and corporations over the people in Washington, to the detriment of the 99 percent of the population:

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The lessons of Pol Pot, Idi Amin and El Salvador

Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA

Trump might have ducked having to respond to questions exam- The Fil-Am ining his positions, statements and actions in the past, but with the Perspective unique political process of caucuses in Iowa, he might have lost voters to Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was just a percentage point lower than Trump, despite GEL SANTOS-RELOS his not so impressive rating in the polls before the Iowa caucuses.

Cruz finished with 28 percent of the votes, Trump with 24 percent and Rubio 23 percent. All the other GOP candidates got single digit votes.

This result proves that the caucuses might have just reinforced the fact that Republicans in Iowa were looking for candidates who share their conservative principles and values. This triumphed over the birther issue raised by Trump against Cruz, not the Trump’s star power.

During the caucuses, voters actually openly discuss with other voters why they are voting for their selected candidate, and may even sway supporters

Dr. Jose Rizal exposed in Noli Me Tangere. Without considering the gory means for achieving such an end, who would object to a country where there are no criminals in the streets and no thieves and extortionists in government?

And here is this presidential candidate who vows to deliver Utopia in six months! Hallelujah!

But the problem lies in the murderous means Duterte intends to use to achieve his ends.

In a previous column, I suggested that Duterte’s way is not the best way. I listed several instances of successful reforms and civil discipline being achieved without spilling blood, such as those in Lee Kwan Yew’s Singapore, Dick Gordon’s Olongapo and Jesse Robredo’s Naga City.

Apparently, the Dutertans were not impressed. I would, therefore, like to present the opposite scenario immortalized by such icons of mass extermination as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin and the death squads of El Salvador.

Some may protest that Duterte isn’t in that class and “will never be.” But where does he differ?

Like them, Duterte sees himself as a Redeemer whose bloody means are justified by his noble ends. Does he differ in magnitude? Well, what do you think will happen if he becomes president and institutes extra-judicial killings as a policy of the state?

Of course, I don’t believe we will ever see that gruesome fate befall our hapless country. In the

first place, I doubt that Duterte actually believes his own bluster. If his supporters are hanging on to his every utterance, they should recall his admonition that the media should not take seriously everything he says. This was after he backtracked on his claim that he had presided over the extermination of 1,700 criminals—not just 700—in Davao. Joke only, he seemed to say, in not so many words.

In the second place, Duterte will not win the presidency, assuming that he is not disqualified by the Comelec.

If there are a few million fanatic Dutertans, there are millions more who know better than to elect a self-appointed judge, jury and executioner to lead the country. To use an American cliché, the Filipino people need a Duterte presidency like a hole in the head—or a bullet in the head.

Nonetheless, I think it serves a good purpose to go over the bloody history of those who pursued the transformation of their respective countries according to Duterte’s gory template.

Like Duterte, they must all have set out—in their own minds—with a vision of a country cleansed of every kind of social, political, economic and religious vermin, leaving only a happy and contented citizenry under a wise and benevolent leader.

Hitler believed in an Aryan super race, rid of the infestation of Jews whom he considered subhuman. His solution was the holocaust. Stalin staged a brutal purge

of those he branded enemies of the working class, among the intelligentsia and within the Communist party, the military and the bureaucracy. Millions were forced to work in the Gulag labor camps, imprisoned, exiled or executed without due process.

As prime minister of Kampuchea and leader of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot liquidated intellectuals and relocated urban dwellers to the countryside to work in collective farms and forced labor projects. Those he considered enemies of the state were summarily executed. Millions died in Pol Pot’s killing fields, immortalized in the Hollywood film of the same title.

As president of Uganda and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Idi Amin mounted a campaign of ethnic cleansing which saw thousands killed (the estimates range from 80,000 to 300,000) and Asians expelled from the country.

The El Salvador experience may be easier for Dutertans to relate to their idol’s proclivity for extra-judicial killings.

In a paper in the Foreign Policy Journal, Steve Dobransky wrote: “The civil war that raged in El Salvador from 1980 to 1992 is often described as a successful model for counterinsurgencies, which included the use of death squads. The Salvadoran model involved large numbers of paramilitary units that were privately funded or were officially and unofficially government forces (often just a change of clothes).The

death squads were guided by military, political, and economic elites. They sought to eliminate not only the armed insurgents but anyone who may have been supportive or sympathetic to the insurgent cause. Their goal was to kill many and intimidate the millions of others into submission. The Salvadoran civil war waged viciously, as the rightwing government and economic elite contended with the leftwing forces led by the FMLN. An estimated 75,000 civilians died during the war, many attributed to death squads…The Salvadoran model quickly reached international dimensions when four American missionaries were brutally raped and murdered in December 1980 by Salvadoran military forces.”

The international spotlight suddenly focused on El Salvador and the involvement of the CIA in training and funding the death squads. When six Jesuit priests were murdered by the death squads, the US government was forced to threaten to cut off aid to the Salvadoran government unless the death squads were dismantled.

But the most shocking victim of the death squads was the Archbishop of San Salvador, Monsignor Oscar Romero, who was shot and killed while saying mass.

According to a media report, Monsignor Romero was “felled by a single bullet as he prepared Communion, his blood soaking the holy bread in his hands at the altar.” He was assassinated

shortly after he had made a public appeal to members of the death squads to stop the killings and to defy the unlawful orders of their superiors.

To go back to Duterte, how sure are his adoring supporters that all of the victims of his death squads were drug dealers and criminals?

How about those killed on mere suspicion. And how many street children, disadvantaged by poverty, could have been led away from a life of vagrancy and could have gone on to become responsible members of Philippine society – even become candidates for president like the foundling Grace Poe and the orphan Jejomar Binay?

The horrible part of Duterte’s cure for the cancer afflicting our country is that he himself is morally sick. Anyone with a demented understanding of right and wrong has no right to pass judgement on the life or death of fellow human beings. Whatever his protestations of noble intentions might be, Duterte’s way is no better than that of other mass murderers like Pol Pot, Idi Amin and the killers of Monsignor Oscar Romero.

Just a few words of caution to the Dutertans. If your idol should ever become president, who will protect those of you who may happen to annoy members of the death squads? You may end up pining for the “good old days” when one could freely criticize Noynoy Aquino and his Tuwad na Daan without fear of being exterminated. (gregmacabenta@ hotmail.com)

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Ombudsman in silent protest vs Enrile bail

by TARRA QUISMUNDO Inquirer.net

AS JOKES about Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile’s “miracle recovery” abound, the woman who had indicted him for plunder is in silent protest, deferring to the Supreme Court’s ruling to allow him on humanitarian grounds to post bail despite his being charged with a nonbailable offense.

“Your question should be addressed to the Supreme Court,” Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales replied when asked in an interview with the Inquirer what she thought of Enrile’s apparent vigor after his temporary release because of his “fragile state of health” while under trial in connection with the P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

“We filed an MR (motion for reconsideration). It’s still pending… So by filing an MR, it (bail grant) did not sit well with us. But you know, we could be wrong,” Morales told the Inquirer.

Following his indictment in June 2014, Enrile had been under hospital arrest. He was temporarily released last Aug. 18. The Ombudsman’s MR has been pending for nearly five months.

Asked if she felt the need to file another pleading to seek a speedy resolution of the MR, Morales, formerly a Supreme Court associate justice, said the magistrates would “merely note it.”

“I was there,” she said. “In most cases, when we receive motions for speedy resolution of cases, we note it … If the issues are very complicated, it would take time also to resolve it because it’s not the only case pending in court.”

Enrile, 91, returned to the Senate after the court, in an 8-4 vote, granted his bail plea last August.

In his ponencia, Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin cited Enrile’s frail health, “solid reputation in both his public and private lives” and “long years in public service”

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as compelling reasons in granting him bail.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Associate Justices Marvic Leonen, Antonio Carpio and Estela Perlas-Bernabe dissented.

‘Selective justice’ Leonen called the majority ruling a “special accommodation” and warned that it “will usher an era of truly selective justice not based on clear legal provisions,” but instead anchored on “the presence or absence of human compassion.”

Enrile did not seek humanitarian consideration in his bail plea, and instead said that the prosecution had failed “to show clearly and conclusively that if ever he would be convicted, he would be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Enrile’s plea also said he was not a flight risk given his age and state of health.

“We were surprised,” Morales said of the court’s decision. “He did not even invoke humanitarian reasons. That humanitarian reason factor was factored into his motion for hospital arrest, if I correctly remember it, but not on his plea for bail.”

“Well, of course, the court can come up with a different angle and come up with a reason to justify that angle that they see would justify their release of Enrile,” she added.

‘Special favor’ The Ombudsman, in an interview last September, said the ruling had violated the equal protection clause, as the bail grant was tantamount to a “special favor” for the most senior member of the Senate.

Among the health conditions Enrile’s camp cited in court pleadings were chronic hypertension, cardiovascular disease, irregular heartbeat, Asthma-COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) overlap syndrome, eyesight problems, and historical diagnoses of high blood sugar, high cholesterol, gait or balance disorder, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and an enlarged prostate.

Last week, Enrile appeared in his element in back-to-back hearings on major cases at the Senate.

On Tuesday, Jan. 26, he attended for the first time a hearing of the Senate blue ribbon’s anticorruption subcommittee on allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay, his known ally.

He questioned testimonies of Binay’s accusers Renato Bondal and former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, casting doubt on their allegations.

Last Wednesday, Jan. 27, Enrile appeared at the reopening of the Senate’s hearing on the bloody Jan. 25, 2015, Mamasapano encounter, and pointed the finger at President Aquino as among several officials liable for the death of 44 elite police officers during the operation to arrest Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan.

Enrile, along with his former chief of staff, Gigi Reyes, are accused of receiving nearly P173 million in kickbacks in the PDAF scam, allegedly the brainchild of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Both Reyes and Napoles are detained, along with Senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada, who are facing separate charges for their alleged role in the fund diversion racket.

Iowa Surprises: Cruz beats Trump, Clinton...

G8>< 8- hardworking middle class and poor Americans.

Clinton also needs to work on her other deficit — and that is the trust factor. Those who are not in her camp believes she has been in bed with Wall Street, corporations and big businesses who have contributed heavily to her campaign and paid her a lot of money for speeches. The Benghazi contro-

versy and her email issues also add to this trust problem of Clinton.

On the other hand, Sanders has proven that even without help from Wall Street and big businesses, he can win because of the help and support from the grassroots who believe in his cause. The Sanders campaign has exceeded all expectations and raised more money, all com-

ing from ordinary voters with an average of $27 contribution each to help catapult him to be the next president of the United States. *** >\c JXekfj I\cfj `j k_\ XeZ_fi f] K=:Ëj È9Xc`kXe^ 8d\i`ZX%É M`\nj Xe[ fg`e`fej \ogi\jj\[ Yp k_\ Xlk_fi `e k_`j Zfclde Xi\ Xi\ jfc\cp k_fj\ f] k_\ Xlk_fi Xe[ efk f] 8j`Xe AflieXc Xe[ 89J$:9E$K=:% =fi Zfdd\ekj# ^f kf nnn%K_\=`c$ 8dG\ijg\Zk`m\%Zfd# _kkgj1&&nnn%]XZ\Yffb% Zfd&>\c%JXekfj%I\cfj

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OTS, Aviation Security Group personnel warned if ‘tanim-bala’ scam continues

by TETCH

TORRES-TUPAS Inquirer

THE Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has threatened to file counter-charges against members of the Office for Transport Security (OTS) and the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) if “tanim bala” (bullet planting) incidents would continue at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“Pag hindi sila tumigil, mapipilitan na kami na magsampa ng kaso at rumesbak,” PAO Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta told reporters after the preliminary investigation on the case against overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Gina Maliwat.

She said they will file a complaint for planting of evidence.

“Nakakapagod na. Mga tagaPAO pagod na, mga prosecutors pagod na. Nakakatawa na ang bansa natin,” Acosta said.

To date, Acosta said 32 cases of tanim-bala have been dismissed by the prosecutors.

Maliwat, in her counter-affidavit which was sworn before the Philippine Consular Office in Macau, said she passed the initial X-ray screening at Naia Terminal II, but it was during the final screening that she was told that a bullet was found in the outer pocket of her shoulder bag.

“Respondent never dealt with

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firearms or ammunition. She does not even know how to handle a gun. She never believed in superstitions or amulets. She has absolutely no intention at all to possess the alleged bullet found inside her brown shoulder bag,” Maliwat’s manifestation, submitted to the DOJ through Acosta stated.

Maliwat added that she has no intention to possess or handle bullets.

She said: “I am a mere domestic helper whose dream/intent is to

work abroad to help support my family financially.”

The case against Maliwat has been submitted for resolution.

Meanwhile, in another tanimbala case which was filed by American missionary Lane Michael White, his camp already submitted a reply to the counteraffidavits filed by the OTS and PNP-ASG. The DOJ has scheduled another preliminary investigation for Feb. 10.

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The Big Game: What to expect at Super Bowl 50

by AJPRESS

ON Sunday, Feb. 7, football teams Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos will come face-to-face at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California for Super Bowl 50.

This marks the third straight season that the number one seeds from both conferences will meet in the Super Bowl.

The Carolina Panthers finished the regular season with a 15-1 record, defeating the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football Conference Championship game. This is the team’s second Super Bowl appearance since the founding of the franchise in 1995.

The Denver Broncos, with a 12-4 season record, defeated the New England Patriots in the American Football Conference Championship Game, marking the team’s eighth appearance in the Super Bowl.

Football 101

This year marks the 50th edition of the Super Bowl, and is the first time the big game will be played in California since 2003, and first in the San Francisco Bay Area since Super Bowl XIX in 1985. Levi’s Stadium is home of the San Francisco 49ers.

The game, which starts at 3:30 pm PST/6:30 EST on Sunday, will be broadcast on CBS with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms in the booth and Tracy Wolfson on the sidelines. The game will also be live streamed on CBSSports.com.

Whether you’re a football fanatic or just want to tune in to see the Halftime show and commercials, the Asian Journal explores the different facets that make Super Bowl Sunday an unofficial American holiday and one of the most popular television events.

Before you head to a Super Bowl party on Sunday, learn/brush up on football lingo OBJECT of the game: To outscore the opposing team.

TERMS Down: A period of action that begins as soon as the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead, when a player is tackled or if the ball goes out of bounds. The offensive team is given four downs to advance the ball 10 yards. Should it fail to do this, the offense must surrender the ball to the defensive team, which it typically does by punting on the final down.

Fumble: The act of losing possession of the ball while running before a tackle or score occurs. Members of both teams can recover a tackle. Should the defense obtain the ball, it is called a turnover. A fumble can also occur if a reciever losses the ball after a catch.

Interception: A pass made by the offensive team that is caught by the defensive player. This ends the offense’s possession of the ball.

Kick off: An action that occurs at the beginning of the first and third periods, and after each successful field goal and touchdown.

It involves the “kicking team” kicking the ball to the “receiving team.”

Punt: A kick in which a player drops the ball from their hands and kicks it before it hits the ground. This kick typically occurs on the fourth down when the offense has failed to advance the ball 10 yards. Although the

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Always on a Sunday: The history of the Super Bowl

ONE of America’s biggest sport events started with two things: the merging of the American Football League (AFL) with the National Football League (NFL), and a rubber ball.

In 1966, the NFL-AFL World Championship Game began as part of the merger between the two organizations. The name “Super Bowl” came from Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, after watching his daughter play with a “Super Ball” — a small, high-bouncing ball that was very popular at that time.

The name was supposed to be only temporary, until the powers that be could think of something better.

The first championship took place in 1967 and was named “The NFL-AFL World Championship Game.” The official title was quite long, so the fans as well as the media took to the short, unofficial name, Super Bowl—which in 1969 became official.

The sports event determines who wears the crown after a long series of elimination games. The first Super Bowl was on Janu-

ary 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Coliseum with the Green Bay Packers beating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10.

The Super Bowl has always been on a Sunday, usually the last Sunday in January. However, for the first time in its history, it was held in February 3, 2002.

This was due to the September 11, 2001 attacks, which made all TV schedules delayed by one week. Today, Super Bowl has also been scheduled in February since 2014.

The games are identified by Roman numerals rather that numbers since 1971. However, in 2014, it was announced that for its fiftieth year, the game will not be using Roman numerals as they did not like “L” as “50.” As a result, they are breaking tradition for one year and will resume to “LI” to represent 51 for 2017.

The winner of each Super Bowl receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after Vince Lombardi, coach for the Green Bay Packers.

He led his team to victory in each of the first two Super Bowls. (Malou Liwanag-Bledsoe/AJPress)

Interesting facts about the Super Bowl:

offense can choose to attempt to advance the ball again, by punting, the opponent is likely to start farther up the field than they otherwise would.

Snap: The action when the center tosses the ball backward between the legs to the quarterback, marking the start of a play.

Tackle: The act of stopping a player in possession of the ball by seizing and throwing them to the ground.

How the game works A football game consists of

four 15-minute quarters with a 12-minute halftime break between the second and third periods.

Before a game begins, the captains from both teams meet with the referee at the center of the field for a coin toss. The winner of the coin toss gets to decide to start the game by either kicking the ball to the other team or receiving the kick off from their opponent.

Once the kick off happens, the game begins.

The team receiving the ball

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must try to bring it as far back toward the kicking team as possible and get it into their end zone.

This is done most commonly by running with the ball either by carrying it and running. Although this yields less yardage, advancing the ball this way reduces the risk of accidentally turning over the ball to the other team.

The team in possession of the ball has four opportunities called “downs” to advance the ball 10 yards. If it succeeds, it gets another four downs to advance G8>< 9.

Denver Broncos wide receiver

During these collective seasons with the Eagles (2009), Browns (2010-12) and Broncos (2014-present), his record includes 48 receptions, 493 yards and one touchdown.

Born in Honolulu to Brian and Tiffiney Norwood, Jordan has been surrounded by football since birth. His father Brian played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and played one year in the NFL as a defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders. From 2001 to 2007, Brian served as secondary coach at Penn State and currently works as the assistant head coach at Baylor University.

From their half-Filipino moth-

teams, location, seating and also the economy.

• Face value vs demand value. Ticket prices also change because of their “face value” against “demand value.” For example, a ticket may have a face value of $900, but the actual demand value may range from $5,500 to $11,000.

• Get lucky. Every year the NFL has a lottery in which 500 names are drawn out of a hat for a chance to buy a pair of tickets at their face value.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT SUPER BOWL 2016 ADVERTISING Number of ads: 40+ Average cost of commercials in 2016: 30 seconds: $4.8 million Per second: $160,000 Total ad spending in 2016 (adjusted for inflation): $376.8 million

COMMERCIALS TO LOOK OUT FOR • Bud Light, featuring Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen • Wix.com, which has partnered with DreamWorks Animation to also promote the upcoming release of “Kung Fu Panda 3” • “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” a Disney film set for release in May. The commercial the voice of the Alan Rickman, who is famously known for portraying Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series and passed away on Jan. 14.

Fil-Am to know: Jordan Norwood DURING 2014’s Super Bowl community rallied behind the SeXLVIII, the Filipino-American attle Seahawks to support Fil-Am football star Doug Baldwin.

That excitement is seen once again for this year’s Super Bowl 50 as Fil-Am wide receiver Jordan Norwood heads onto the field with the Denver Broncos.

Jordan signed on to play with the Broncos during the 2014 off-season.

After graduating from Penn State in 2008, where he played college football, Jordan signed onto the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2009.

Prior to joining the Broncos family, he did stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

• Crime takes a day off: In 1985, when the San Francisco 49ers played the Super Bowl in Palo Alto, California, the crime rate in San Francisco dropped 75 percent!

• It is estimated that 45 percent of all US homes tune in to watch the Super Bowl.

• From cheap to $$$.

Tickets weren’t always pricey.

The cost of tickets to the very first game was around $6. Today, you’d be lucky if you find a ticket for less than $3,000, depending on the game,

Jordan Norwood with his wife Aleah and daughter Franni

er Tiffiney, Jordan and his siblings get their Filipino blood and identify as quarter-Filipino.

Jordan’s older brother Gabe currently plays for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Tune in to this Sunday’s Super Bowl 50 to catch the Fil-Am in action. (AJPress)

Making their debut: •Paypal • Colgate • Amazon, featuring Alec Baldwin and Dan Marino • Hyundai, featuring Kevin Hart and Ryan Reynolds in separate 60second ads • Pokemon • LG

Automakers: • Acura • Audi • Buick • Honda • Mini (BMW) • Toyota

SUPER BOWL ADVERTISING OVER THE YEARS • Adjusted for inflation, total ad spending on commercials during the Super Bowl from 1967 to 2016 is $5.9 billion • Super Bowl commercial prices fell in five years: 1971, 1996, 2003, 2007 and 2010 • In 1973, the cost of a 30-second Super Bowl commercial cost $100,000 • In 1967, the first Super Bowl, ads cost $1,333 per second •Total ad spending in the first Super Bowl in 1967 was $12.4 million (adjusted for inflation) *Data from Ad Age and superbowlcommercial2016.org.

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More than football: Super Bowl’s halftime shows APART from guessing which teams made it to the Super Bowl, the most anticipated news about the event is who’s going to perform during the halftime show. The last two decades has given football fans a concert-like feel with crazy production designs, costumes, fireworks and outstanding performances of various popular artists.

This year for NFL’s golden anniversary, Super Bowl will feature past performers Beyonce and Fil-Am Bruno Mars. They will join Coldplay for the halftime show at Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

However, the SB halftime shows weren’t that entertaining before.

Initially, the goal of the SB halftime show was to fill the void and keep the fans entertained—those who

weren’t stuck in lines at concession stands or the bathrooms.

Band camp, star power and Disney Early shows drew less attention and press, as they featured patriotic halftimes performance by school marching bands. The first SB in 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum had the University of Arizona Band, Grambling College Band and trumpeter Al Hirt entertained the audiences, minus, of course any kind of commercialization.

The band phase went on until SB XI, but through the years NFL would insert a few star power like Broadway and movie star Carol Channing (SB IV and VI), singer G_fkf Yp IXflc >XkZ_Xc`Xe Anita Bryant (SB V), jazz great 9ilef DXij Ella Fitzgerald, and singer Andy Williams.

The Walt Disney production also became a part of SB, starting with the Mousketeers in 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, 1984 for SB XVIII, with an explosion of floats, balloons, dancers, Disney characters and of course, In memoriam: U2, 2002 It was less than five months af- Mickey Mouse himself; and 1987 ter September 11, and the country with Disney’s Salute to Hollywood was still reeling from the tragedy. featuring George Burns and Mickey How do you present halftime and Rooney.

Big stars, super stages still show sensitivity to a very Although the gigantic 1970s touching issue? Bring in U2. The group included a 9/11 tribute to singing ensemble Up With People their performance of “Where the performed at four halftime shows Streets Have No Name,” with a (1976, 1980, 1983 and 1986), they scrolling backdrop of names of weren’t really the most memorable. all the victims who died in the The group—who was supposedly (quietly) funded by Exxon and attacks.

The Queen “B”: Beyonce, Coca-Cola—was seen as a cult-like organization aimed to discredit 2013 Multimedia indulgence in its liberal culture during the ‘60s and finest covered Bey’s performance ‘70s. However, it was during Up of her hits such as “Bootylicious,” With People’s first SB performance “Independent Women,” and that brought in a concert-like qual“Single Ladies.” It was also a ity sound system, covering the mini-reunion for Destiny’s Child, stadium.

The nineties brought in more when ex-members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams shot out pop stars onstage. In 1993, NBC from under the stage for “Boo- brought in the King of Pop, Michael tylicious.” Of course, apart from Jackson. A new era in viewing the dozens of female dancers, ushered in—millions of viewers apfireworks, smoke and animation parently opted to take their breaks screen; viewers went wild over during the game, as halftime ratBey’s seizure-inducing dance ings surpassed the actual game for the first time. skills.

Halftime shows after that beOld school dynamic perforcame a huge viewer magnet—big mance: Bruno Mars, 2014 He’s not voluptuous like Be- productions with multi-million yonce, or as seasoned as Ma- dollar commercial viability. It also donna, but Fil-Am Bruno Mars gave the audience the concert feel, took the stage and owned it with with huge stars like Aerosmith, U2, his old-fashioned sense of show- Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry to manship. His 12-minute display name a few.

Today, the halftime show is showed his talent in singing, dancing and drums—without equally viewed as the game itself, exuding an ounce of star ego. with a whopping 118.5 million This friendliness vibe made the viewers from last year’s Super G8>< 9. Bowl. (AJPress)

Halftime Hots: Some of the most memorable performances in Super Bowl history AS eager football fans prepare to watch their respective teams to battle it out on the field, millions of viewers too are anticipating Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars in the halftime show for Super Bowl 50. Will they fare better than past high-rating performances, or will they belong to some of the most boring shows in SB history? For now, we can only guess and give you some of the best and worst halftime shows: King of Pop, Michael Jackson, 1993 With the goal of keeping the viewers glued, the National Football League (NFL) brought in no less than the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Although MJ lip-synched his way to halftime, viewers went into frenzy with a medley of hits like “Billie Jean” and “Black and White.” It was also a good way to clean up his image, as reports of child sexual abuse against the pop star was starting to come out. To present his message of peace and harmony, he concluded his performance with “Heal the World,” backed up by 3,500 youngsters.

Nipplegate: Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, 2004 The duo’s performance was not as memorable as the “wardrobe malfunction” that happened.

Towards the end of their number, JT “accidentally” exposed JJ’s “bedazzled” breast for millions of viewers to see. After fines, appeals and the outrage, it still remains a debate whether the faux pas was part of their act.

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SUPER BOWL INSPIRED RECIPES

Maharlika’s Chicken Inasal drumsticks

Broncos & Panthers inspired cocktails

by Gelo Honrade

Moby dick (Broncos) 1/2 oz ginger syrup 1/2 oz lime juice 3/4 oz passionfruit 2oz sailor jerry spiced rum

Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken drumsticks 1/2 cup Suka 4 stalks of lemongrass chopped 1 head garlic smashed 2 tbsps. chopped ginger 1 tbsp. brown sugar 1/2 cup calamansi juice

Basting Sauce 1/4 cup Achiote butter Procedure: 1. Marinate the chicken for one hour.

2. Grill chicken for eight minutes on each side or until done, basting every 30 seconds.

Rumaway baby (Panthers) 1/2 oz mango syrup 1 1/2 oz pineapple juice 1/2 oz lemon juice 2 oz Selvarey white rum !!!

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Hifi Punch

by Darwin Manahan Yield: 1 liter Ingredients: 2.5oz - Lemon Juice 2.5oz - Caster Sugar 5oz - Lambanog 5oz - Gin 1oz - Jasmine Cordial 2oz - Jamaica Tea 3oz - Calamansi Juice Garnish Calamansi Leaf

Nutmeg Half Lemon Wheel !!!

Raise a glass in honor of Miss Universe AFTER Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was crowned Miss Universe last year, Fil-Am mixologist Gelo Honrade concocted a cocktail in her honor: Pia The Drink.

Wurtzbach, who tasted the drink during her visit to Jeepney (a Filipino gastropub in New York), said it was “sweet but with a kick,” according to Honrade.

Honrade shared the recipe with the Asian Journal as a perfect Super Bowl party cocktail since Wurtzbach will be reporting at the big game on Sunday, Feb. 7 as a correspondent for “Inside Edition.” #PiaTheDrink 1oz Coco Lopez 3/4oz orange juice 3/4oz lemon juice 1 1/2oz pineapple purée 3/4oz blue Curaçao 2oz Selvarey white rum

SIGNATURE DRINK. In honor of the third Filipina Miss Universe, The Maharlika in New York City made a cocktail just for Pia Alonzo Wurzbach.

Bartender Gelo Honrade mixed the blue concoction and called it ʻPiaThe Drink.ʼ ““Yum! Itʼs strong, just like me!” said Wurtzbach. Photo from Maharlikaʼs Instagram page (maharlikanyc)

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Celebrating the Year of the Fire Monkey THE Year of the Fire Monkey officially begins on Monday, Feb. 8. Around the world, those who observe the Chinese New Year holiday will celebrate with various rituals to ensure that the coming year is full of luck, fortune and good energy.

From what this year means for your animal sign to what to eat on the first day of the new year, the Asian Journal takes a look at the symbolism behind every ritual and tradition that goes into ringing in the Chinese New Year.

While 2015 — the Year of the Sheep — was characterized as the meeting of the minds and collaboration, “the energy of the monkey is very different…It’s not a year for the weak and timid,” said Melissa Yamaguchi, an energy therapist and Feng Shui educator based in Westlake Village, California, adding that 2016 will bring tricks and twists.

Tips to prepare for Chinese New Year • DECLUTTER. Up until Feb. 6, it is the best time to declutter and get rid of old files by legally storing or shredding them. For example, untouched business cards and old papers should be disposed of because they represent lost contacts and unfinished business. It’s not just about stacking and organizing these items, Yamaguchi said, but rather removing them from your workplace. “It’s old information and old money spent,” she said. Additionally, wastebaskets at home and at work should be emptied daily. On the 14th day of the new year, it is encouraged to clean the house again to remove traces of celebration.

• DONATE. Gather items at home that are no longer useful

— whether clothing, furniture or dinnerware — and donate them if they are still in good condition. “Donating not only provides for those who don’t have…but it clears the way for new possibilities in your own life..in terms of movement and creativity,” Yamaguchi said. “When we are stagnated by things that are old, it really blocks new energy from coming in.” Repairing and gluing broken items is seen as bad luck because when an item breaks, it absorbs negative energy.

• NO BEGGING. On the eve of Chinese New Year, it is considered bad luck to beg and ask for a loan. It is strongly encouraged to not ask parents/other relatives for money, but exchanging red envelopes is okay. However, the red envelopes are not supposed to be opened until the day after.

When you lend someone money on Chinese New Year, Yamaguchi said, it sets the tone that s/he will be begging for money for the entire year.

• ALL THINGS RED. Red is a special color in Chinese culture because it signifies energy, happiness and good luck.

RED ENVELOPES. One of the defining symbols of Chinese New Year is a red envelope (hongbao in Mandarin), which contains money to be given as gifts, usually to kids from their parents, grandparents and other adults. Though you may give any amount you’re comfortable with, Yamaguchi said you should offer the most to your parents. According to China Highlights, giving a red envelope is a way to share your blessings if you have started earning money, and suggests that parents should be given $100-$300; $10-$30 for close friends and relatives’ chil-

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dren; $20-$200 for employees; $20 for your own children; and $5-$10 for acquaintances’ children.

RED CLOTHING. Yamaguchi suggests purchasing at least one new item of red clothing, as the color attracts the strongest energetic response.

On New Year’s day, red clothing must be worn to represent vitality and strength.

RED DECORATIONS. Anything red, such as tablecloth, flowers or lanterns, should be brought into the home because they offer prosperity and goodwill.

• TIME FOR FAMILY. On Feb. 8, it is important to spend time with family and friends.

New Year’s Eve (Feb. 7) should be a family reunion, which can be marked by a dinner of close family members. The meal should be spent talking about future plans and dreams, never anything negative. On the second day of the new year, it is custom to visit in-laws, and it is also recognized as the day to be kind to dogs and animals. It is discouraged to eat any kind of meat. On the third day, it is encouraged to go to bed early and not to eat pork — both of which show that you are putting your health first. On the sixth to the tenth day, it is expected to visit and celebrate with others.

• REMOVE NEGATIVE ENERGY. At midnight, open windows and doors at home to allow negative energy from 2015 to leave.

• DON’T SWEEP. It is largely discouraged to avoid using scissors or a broom on the first day of the new year because it means you cut/sweep away possibilities.

• GREET OTHERS WITH HAPPY THOUGHTS. According to tradition, ringing in the new year means spreading happy thoughts when speaking to others.

What to eat on Chinese New Year SWEETS — The very first

bite of New Year’s day is supposed to be something sweet because in Ancient China, when someone would deliver good news, it would be delivered with something sweet (i.e. glutinous rice, candy, fruit).

FISH — An entire fish, complete with tail and head, should be served during the New Year celebration because it symbolizes prosperity and full abundance coming your way.

LONG NOODLES — Noodles are a sign of long life and good health. No matter how long they are, they are not supposed to be cut in the middle. Typically noodle dishes have up to seven vegetables in them, which represent different arms of Chinese medicine in encouraging good health.

DUMPLINGS — According to Chinese Highlights, traditional dumplings are eaten to represent the money you will make in the New Year.

FRUITS — Certain round and golden fruits are eaten and displayed during the Chinese New Year period, such as: pineapple (good luck), apples (wisdom), mangos, watermelon (abundance), tangerines/oranges (fortune), pomelos (prosperity), kiwi, papayas (good health), grapes (wealth and luxury), lemons and limes (remove negative energy), and starfruit (securing reputation). (Feng Shui tips and Chinese New Year traditions as told to Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

by Melissa Yamaguchi. You may contact Melissa at myenergymylife@gmail.com)

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Chinese Zodiac: What this New Year means for your animal sign THE Chinese Zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle, and each year in that cycle is related to an animal sign: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

Those born in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 and 2016 are considered Monkeys. Since this year is about the fire monkey, it will be overall be an interesting and creative year for the sign, despite some bumps and the need to carefully consider decisions.

2016 is shaping up to be a good year for monkeys (highly creative energy, skillful with hands), snakes (will see financial success), dragons (benefit those around them) and rats because of the strong energies. The rabbit is also well-favored because they have excellent business skills.

“It will be good to hang out with those born in those years, listen to their advice and partner with them in business,” Yamaguchi said.

For other signs: the ox will have a neutral year of nothing

too crazy, as it is an animal that is slow and steady; the tiger’s biggest challenge will to not be argumentative because they won’t win; the horse will not see any dramatic highs or sinking lows, but will see opportunities for change to embrace; the sheep is positioned well for business, but may be inclined to complain and could block any good energy; the rooster is strong financially from Feb - July, but should slow down in the autumn; the dog was very well protected in 2015, but there is no unseen protector this year so must find protection and speak up for themselves; and the pig may see a bumpy year because of some false worries, but should ignore them because stomach and back issues could arise.

“The most important thing of this year is to bring out the best of the monkey because the monkey is full of energy, likes to talk a lot and be the center of attention,” Yamaguchi said. “Bring in the monkey with laughter, love, smiles, good music and fun cheer.”

THE most important holiday for the Chinese people started out of fear. Legends tell of the battle against Nian, a beast that ate livestock and children. Nian, in fact, is the Chinese word for year.

To keep Nian out of chicken coops and cradles, villagers were told by a wise old man to wear red clothes, hang red signs and make lots of noise — three traditions of Chinese New Year. Fireworks and firecrackers are also traditional weapons against the beast and are widely used over the holiday.

With the old man’s advice, Nian was conquered, which the people

recognize as the “passing of the Nian,” known in Chinese as guo nian, which is also synonymous with celebrating the new year.

Also known as the Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year begins at the new moon—typically between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20.

Originally tied to the lunar-solar Chinese calendar, the popular adoption of China of the western calendar in 1912 made their people join in celebrating New Year’s Day on Jan. 1st. China, however, continues to still celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year. (Malou Liwanag-Bledsoe/AJPress)

The origin of Chinese Lunar New Year

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How do you celebrate Chinese New Year? Celebratory dances, brilliant displays and culinary specialties throughout MGM Resorts International

FILIPINOS and Fil-Ams shared how they traditionally celebrate Chinese New Year, and what the 2016 Year of the Monkey means to them.

“Growing up both Filipino and Chinese, I celebrated both the Buddhist and Catholic traditions, so it was a unique experience. We celebrated by lighting firecrackers, exchanging red envelopes, eating traditional mooncake and ricecakes. We also burned incense by the gravesites of our departed loved ones, to keep their memory alive.” - Gloria Ho, Glendale, CA “I’m hoping for more good luck this year, because it’s my zodiac year!” - Maxinne Vergara, Chino Hills, CA “This year we’ll be watching the Super Bowl, but we usually gather extended family and everything. We hand out red envelopes.

We have authentic Chinese food, dumplings, and fruits, especially oranges. And basically for one night, everyone speaks Chinese to everyone.” - Luke Baumbach, Anaheim, CA “I celebrate Chinese New Year on the Eve. My family generally goes out to dinner or orders Chinese food and brings it home.

It’s usually a lot of food, signature dishes with significant meanings.

Lettuce wraps, for example, signify money. And lots of food means

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lots of leftovers…which means an abundance of wealth in the coming year.” - Kathryn Wong, Irvine, CA “We either go out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, or prepare food at home. This year, we booked a Chinese restaurant, which you should do fast because they get fully booked really quickly. Fish and noodles signify wealth and health. Before we eat, always do an offering for our deceased Chinese family members.

We light candles and incense, and this is the part where we do all the bowing. Another big thing is the red envelopes, usually given during holidays or celebrations. Red symbolizes good luck.” - Jessica San Luis, Los Angeles, CA

“As a Filipino/VietnameseAmerican, I celebrate Lunar New Year with my Vietnamese side. We typically have a party at my grandma’s house with traditional Vietnamese food, Bánh cuốn, Bún chả, Bánh Xèo, and Nộm ngó sen. We play a game called Bầu cua cá cọp, a Vietnamese gambling game involving dice, and we greet our elders in traditional Vietnamese. To me, Chinese New Year is important, because it gives me a chance to celebrate my Vietnamese side, culture and traditions. All of my cousins are the first generation here, so we don’t get too many opportunities to do so. ” - Anthony Nguyen, Diamond Bar, CA

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EMPLOYMENT

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LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International will celebrate Chinese New Year 2016, the Year of the Monkey, with a line-up of dynamic entertainment, authentic cuisine and vibrant displays.

According to Chinese culture, the monkey occupies the ninth position in the Chinese Zodiac and is known for being playful, curious and intelligent. Individuals born in the Year of the Monkey tend to be intellectual, creative and enjoy a good challenge.

Dragon & Lion Dances Dynamic and colorful dragon and lion dances commemorate the Year of the Monkey at Bellagio, ARIA and MGM Grand: ARIA – Monday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. at the main porte cochere MGM Grand – Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. inside the main lobby Bellagio – Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the main porte cochere Yau Kung Moon will perform the Chinese dragon and lion dances in a traditional Southern Shaolin Kung Fu system, a collection of martial arts with more than 1,000 years of history. Yau Kung Moon, which translates to “Style of Flexible Power,” is one of the world’s most respected martial arts, dragon and lion dance organizations. Known for its trademark gold uniforms and innovative routines, Yau Kung Moon has been recognized internationally for being the first U.S. team to compete in the 1990 Invitational World Lion Dance Festival in Malaysia.

Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens celebrates the Year of the Monkey with a spirited display through March 12. The display’s vibrant centerpiece features a garden representative of monkeys and their natural habitat.

A family of 12 Macaque monkeys can be seen atop a 14-foot mountain working together and using their intelligence and creativity to reach the peaches descending from the sky. Monkeys can be found in the pond and on the mountain gathering the fallen peaches as the water cascades down a picturesque waterfall. Four traditional ding pots adorn the four corners of the West Garden.

At the Conservatory’s entrance, six colorful Chinese children topiar-

ies play on each side of the moon gate bridge above a tranquil pond filled with Koi fish. The children are each made up of 5,000 flower stems including red, purple and yellow carnations and green and yellow spider mums. Custom lantern chandeliers illuminate the display overhead with beautiful flowers below.

The North Garden features a stunning 18-foot tall Chinese money tree made of 384 sparkling gold coins, weighing a total of 3,000 pounds. The base of the tree is surrounded by four-foot-tall Ingot fountains and I-Ching coins.

Surging water from the fountains descends on the money tree to keep it strong and vibrant.

The South Garden features a 12-foot lantern at its center accompanied by two illuminated, wooden lanterns and at the base of each lantern are stunning I-Ching coins and Ingot fountains.

The lush and vibrant display in the Conservatory flows into Bellagio’s lobby with a dazzling mirrored

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horse from the Tang Dynasty and a colorful display of flowers and Chinese accents behind the front desk to welcome guests upon arrival.

The Conservatory is complimentary and open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

ARIA Beginning Thursday, Feb. 4, ARIA’s main lobby will delight visitors with celebratory décor in honor of the Year of the Monkey. Upon entrance to the lobby, guests will be greeted by a 229-foot dragon weaving its way through clusters of Chinese lanterns and around the money tree made up of 88 golden coins. This spectacle also will be seen during the dragon and lion dance February 8.

Three Chinese Deities: Fuk, Luk and Sau, each about five feet tall, will greet guests upon check-in while standing on a platform behind ARIA’s front desk. The deities personify the important aspirations of mankind: happiness, wealth and longevity. Throughout the resort,

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT / FOR SALE

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Ninth Circuit continues to narrow which crimes Calendar of Events across America are aggravated felony crimes of violence Your Immigration Solution

“If the federal generic offense is not itself a crime, but rather a classification of crimes, like crimes[s] of violence, then we also compare the crime of conviction with other crimes determined to fall within that classification. If, after conducting this categorical analysis, we conclude that the state statute of ATTY. ROBERT REEVES NANCY E. MILLER conviction criminalizes more conduct than the federal generic offense, then the state conviction does not fall within the federal definition of crime of violence for immigration purposes.”

BEING convicted of a crime

that immigration law categorizes as an aggravated felony is devastating. The relief available to a non-citizen in this situation is extremely limited. An immigrant may face removal even if he has lived here most of his life and even if the crime categorized as an aggravated felony is neither aggravated nor a felony under state law.

Under subsection (F) of the Immigration & Nationality Act, a crime of violence for which the term of imprisonment is at least 1 year is an aggravated felony. In a recent case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision that narrowed the definition of which crimes can be considered an aggravated felony as a crime of violence.

Hector Ramirez was convicted under California Penal Code §273a(a) and sentenced to more than 1 year in prison. The Immigration Judge held that his conviction was an aggravated felony as a crime of violence and the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld that decision. Ramirez timely appealed to the 9th Circuit.

The 9th Circuit held that §273a(a) is not a categorical crime of violence because it is broader than the generic federal definition in 18 U.S.C. §16. It also found that the statute is not divisible. Thus, the court found that the conviction under that statute is not an aggravated felony.

The court explained that, in order to assess whether a state conviction is an aggravated felony, it must employ the “categorical approach” to determine whether the state offense matches the “generic” federal definition of the relevant offense - which is 18 U.S.C. §16(a) or (b) here. This is accomplished by “comparing the elements of the statute of conviction with a federal definition of the crime to determine whether conduct proscribed by the statute is broader than the generic federal definition”. As

the court further explained, “in making this comparison, we must rely exclusively on the elements of the two crimes, ‘[b]ecause we examine what the state conviction necessarily involved, not the facts underlying the case, [and so] must presume that the conviction rested upon nothing more than the least of th[e] acts’ criminalized.’ We then determine whether even those acts are encompassed by the generic federal offense.”

As the court further discussed, “if the federal generic offense is not itself a crime, but rather a classification of crimes, like crimes[s] of violence, then we also compare the crime of conviction with other crimes determined to fall within that classification. If, after conducting this categorical analysis, we conclude that the state statute of conviction criminalizes more conduct than the federal generic offense, then the state conviction does not fall within the federal definition of crime of violence for immigration purposes.”

The DHS had argued that the statute was a divisible statute and should be held to be a crime of violence under a “modified categorical approach” analysis.

The court, in addressing this argument, stated that a divisible statute lists, in essence, several different crimes. If at least one of those crimes matches the generic version, a court must determine which crime the defendant was convicted of by looking at various documents of conviction to determine whether the alien was convicted of a set of elements that falls within the generic definition.

As the court stated, the critical distinction is that while indivisible statutes may contain multiple, alternative means of committing the offense, only divisible statutes contain multiple alternative elements of functionally separate crimes. The key question here

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Gif]% <ei`hl\ Jfi`Xef KXcbj 8Yflk G_`c`gg`e\ 9lj`e\jj Xe[ =iXeZ_`j`e^ Fggfikle`k`\j Prof. Enrique Soriano, ASEAN Family Business Advisor and book author will be delivering a talk on Philippine business and franchising opportunities on February 4th in Boston. Free admission but reservations required. This is a wonderful opportunity for kababayans to learn about owning a business while still working in the US. This event was put together by BKP, a US based social enterprise group helping Filipino children to read their way out of poverty; the Philippine Consulate in New York, and the Harvard Philippine Forum.

is whether a jury would have to = < 9 I L8 IP , $( , be unanimous in finding those separate elements.

Le`m\ij`kp f] k_\ <Xjk KXl 8cg_X J`^dX K8J =iXk\ie`kp >fc[\e 8ee`m\ijXip In turning to CPC §273a(a), the court held that the statute Please join us in congratulating TAS for their Golden (50th) Anniversary to be held criminalizes conduct that would at Tower Club, Philamlife Building in Makati, Philippines on February 5, 2016. All brothers not necessarily involve the affrom all over the world are encouraged to attend. There will be fun–filled activities includfirmative use of force, including ing dancing, singing, reminiscing college days, golf, trips to Bicol, Batangas, and Tagaytay passive, negligent conduct. As and reconnecting with both old and new TAS brothers and their spouses. Those who have such, it is not a categorical match not yet confirmed their attendance, please contact: (USA) Bernie Lim (bernielim@sbcglobal. with the federal generic statute. net) & Rene Marcos (rmarcos_cpa@verizon.net); (PHILIPPINES) Rodrigo Mangay-ayam (rodThe court further concluded that the various parts of CPC §273a(a) man0983@yahoo.com.ph) & Manny Bautista (Manuel.D.Bautista@ph.ey.com). constitute separate means of = < 9 I L8 IP ( ) committing a single offense.

Therefore, the court concluded G::?J& GLGC?J (00- >fc[\e AlY`c\\ that CPC §273a(a) is an indivisThe Philippine College of Commerce High School Laboratory Batch 1966 (now Polyible statute and is not a categoritechnic University of the Philippines) will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee from February cal match with 18 U.S.C. §16 and is not a crime of violence under 20-21 in Manila, Philippines. According to the President of the PCCHS Batch ‘66 Alumni Asthe aggravated felony definition sociation, ROLAND ATIENZA, about 55 batchmates from Australia, Canada and USA have in the Immigration & Nationalconfirmed attendance to the Homecoming and 50 from Manila local chapter. ity Act. The court has addressed the @] pfl _Xm\ Xe lgZfd`e^ \m\ek Xe[ nflc[ c`b\ lj kf gfjk `k# gc\Xj\ \dX`c lj k_\ issue of crime of violence ag[\kX`cj Xk `e]f7Xj`XeaflieXc`eZ%Zfd fi ZXc\e[Xi7Xj`XeaflieXc`eZ%Zfd gravated felonies several times in the recent past. Therefore, many people who were previously ordered deported may be able to have their cases reopened as especially for parents with empty The skin is more sensitive when one a result of these changes in law. nest syndrome and seniors who has lupus, taking certain antibiotics, Of course, it is best to bring an anti-inflammatory drugs or herbal live alone. experienced and knowledgeable In combination with a drug regi- St. John’s Wort, or has an eye condiimmigration lawyer on board men, light or phototherapy has also tion or a personal or family history of while the criminal case is ongo- PHILIP S. CHUA, been shown to benefit those with skin cancer. It is harmful to the eyes ing to work with the criminal MD, FACS, FPCS moderate to severe depression. to look at the light box directly just defense lawyer toward a result IT is the season to be jolly, but Other conditions where light therapy like looking at the sun directly, but that is positive from both a criminal defense and an immigration about 18.5 percent (1 in 5) or 43.8 is useful include, jet lag, in transit the eyes must be open when getting million adults in the United States to a nighttime work schedule, sleep light therapy. standpoint. experience some type of mental disorders and dementia. Some of Key elements !!!

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41 percent of adults in the U.S. you find the light therapy schedule Application with a mental health condition A light therapy box emits bright that works best. barely received mental health ser- light that mimics natural outdoor Intensity - The intensity of the vices in the past year because many sunlight. The person works, watches light box is recorded in lux, which is elected not to seek medical care for TV, does computing, reading, or a measure of the amount of light you various reasons. Depression is more simply sits by this box at a duration receive at a specific distance from common among women and those and intensity prescribed by your a light source. Light therapy boxes between 40 and 59, and those under physician. This exposure affects usually produce between 2,500 lux the poverty level are about two and brain chemicals associated with and 10,000 lux. The intensity of your a half times more prone to have the our mood much like exposure to light box affects how far you sit from illness. The condition is serious, the sunlight, easing SAD symptoms it and the length of time you need to with physical symptoms affecting or depression. Going outdoor to do use it. A 10,000-lux light box usually cognitive function and mood. It is chores, to be with friends and family, requires 30-minute sessions, while associated with increased rates of or simply to walk, taking advantage a 2,500-lux light box may require chronic diseases, medical utilization of Mother Nature’s good old sun, two-hour sessions. and impaired overall performance. which costs no money, is a great While light therapy is not for evDepression costs the United States way to prevent SAD or improve our eryone, those on it could maximize about $193.2 billion in lost earn- mental health throughout the year. the benefits by getting the right light ings per year. It is estimated that on This is different from sunbathing or box recommended by the physician, average 20 veterans commit suicide using artificial sun-tanning, which being consistent, proper timing a day, according to the US Depart- are unhealthy and dangerous for of the treatment, continuing other ment of Veterans Affairs, and more our skin and bodies, and increases prescribed treatments, and reguthan 90 percent of children who the risk of skin cancer. larly consulting with the attending committed suicide had a mental healthcare giver.

Risks and side-effects health condition.

Photo-therapy may not cure While light therapy (where the All of us have had some degree of harmful UV light is filtered out) is SAD and depression, but it has depression at one time or the other generally safe, there are possible been effective in easing symptoms, because of the stressors we face in side effects, albeit mild and short improving energy level, and helping life. But that type of depression is a lasting. They include headaches, people feel better about themselves, mild, transient and natural mental eye strain, nausea, agitation, irrita- positively impacting their mood and reaction to usual challenges we en- bility. Those with bipolar disorder attitude in life. counter and not the clinical disease (manic-depressive) might “push” In many aspects of health and we call a mental disorder. When the situation to the other extreme diseases, I cannot help but marvel the condition persists, becomes and experience mania, hyperactiv- at, and be endlessly grateful for, the worse and negatively impacts our ity, euphoria, and agitation -- the many wonderful natural gifts Planet daily activities, we label it serious opposite symptoms of depression. Earth blesses us with every day. In depression.

This is why medical consultation return, perhaps, we should show our Let there be light is strongly recommended before appreciation by protecting it.

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Light therapy for treating depression

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Jonas Gaffud: Meet The ‘Mirror’ who foretells the next fairest queen of the Universe

BY MONET

LU

IF fairytales were written in a modern setting and Queen Grimhilde—Snow White’s evil stepmother, aka the Wicked Queen—was to ask her magic mirror who the fairest of them all is, she better wish that the mirror contained the spirit of Jonas Gaffud.

Jonas Gaffud is no psychic, but he has a gift for seeing the beauty-queen potential behind any ordinary Pinay – turning her into an extraordinary woman fit to wear that $300,000 diamond crown. With the help of his team, Aces and Queens, they work together to train Filipinas to compete in Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and other prestigious pageants. Their group is composed of equally talented and gifted professionals from diverse fields: an awardwinning movie director, a lawyer, an engineer, a fitness instructor, a make-up artist, an architect, a nurse, a fashion designer and a talent manager. Surprisingly, they are not paid to train and handle beauty queens. Gaffud says in an article, “We don’t get paid not even part of the prize money. We only get a cut for endorsements because we helped them get it. Passion talaga ‘to, katuwaan ‘to (This is really a passion, we do it for fun).”

This makes Gaffud and his team even more admirable. I had the privilege of meeting Jonas a few years ago when he came here for an event with Venus Raj (who won 4th Runner-up in Miss Universe 2010). He is a very dedicated manager/handler. He is truly passionate in what he does and he is just happy doing what he loves. In Snow White’s story, he could be “Happy,” the dwarf who is full of joy and encourages the princess, but out there in the tough and competitive world of pageants, he could be as fierce, strong-willed and mission-oriented as the wicked queen. A deadly yet – has proven to be – an effective combination. Products

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of Gaffud’s magical training style are Megan Young (Miss World 2013), Ariella Arida (Miss Universe 2013 – 3rd Runner-up), Janine Tugonon (Miss Universe 2012-1st Runner-Up), Shamcey Supsup (Miss Universe 2011 – 3rd Runner-up) and Venus Raj (Miss Universe 2010 – 4th Runner-up), among many others.

Through all of the queens’ quest for worldwide victory, their mentor, Jonas stayed with them and never failed to be optimistic, which in my opinion is not as easy as it sounds. Having high hopes for your candidate, let alone your mentee (or your “alagas,” as he calls them), and receiving a different verdict from the judges every year can be frustrating. It takes someone with a heart like Gaffud to keep pressing on. And quite incidentally, an unassuming ‘Queen’ possessing the same fighting spirit was bound to meet her very own magic mirror.

Miss Universe 2015, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach is known for joining the Bb. Pilipinas pageant not once, not twice – but three times – until she was finally crowned as Miss Universe – Philippines 2015.

Her dream and relentless drive led her to Gaffud’s path where winners – and “winner-handlers”

– meet. And as expected, it was a match made in heaven – the universe rather.

We can say that the rest is history after that but only the queen and her mentor know exactly what they had to go through to be where the universe has placed her to be right now.

As Gaffud wrote in his blog, “In Random Order by JAG”, he recalls his first experiences with Pia: “Pia and I had three encounters in 2012 before I took her under my wing as an aspiring beauty queen. I first saw her in a restaurant with her friends. I told her she could join a pageant but she had to undergo series of trainings. She said yes, but I never heard from her again.

I saw her for the second time during the Star Magic Ball. She did not even recognize me, so I assumed she really wasn’t interested… The third time I saw her was in a mall in Makati City.... I called her over and scolded her for snubbing me at the ball and she apologized. Then I asked her, “Are you serious about the pageant? You could win you know.”

To which she replied, “Really?

I could join?” This was the first time I saw her eyes sparkle with genuine enthusiasm. I assured her she could win, but not without conditions. I told her she had to train very hard. I was quite surprised when she exclaimed, “Finally I have something to do with my life!”

Well, she indeed has something – and so much more to do now that she is reigning Miss Universe. And guess what, Mr. Jonas Gaffud, you somehow saw that even before she knew she could. Pia’s dream-come-true was like a fairytale.

Some queens have fairy godmothers. As for Pia, well, she had a magic mirror. !!!

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA NO matter the season, the soul may go through what may be described as a “winter of discontent” — a restless time when we wonder quietly if we could trade our life for someone else’s.

If you are, don’t flog yourself silly. You don’t even have to admit it to anyone else but yourself. It’s nothing more than a normal rite of passage that allows us to imagine what it would be like if we had someone else’s luck, genetic make-up, breaks, talent, connections, relations, education, intelligence, looks, skin color, pedigree and other x factors that are supposed to tip the scale in our favor and make us happy and fulfilled.

In short, they refer to those things that we think will allow us to live a charmed life and drive our fellow men mad with envy.

The discontent hits you when you’re feeling most vulnerable: when there’s not enough cash to tide you over until the next pay period; your job stinks; you’re going through an extended rough patch with your wife or husband or lover; your car needs an overhaul; your kid hit a schoolmate and you need to see the principal; your sister in the home country, needs you to remit moolah fast, and lots of it, because your younger brother got into trouble and needs bail money. Everything sucks.

Well, you get the picture of a gothic novel nobody wants to read. You want to scuttle everything and trade up to a charmed life. But would you, if you knew the real score behind those deceptively airbrushed images of the charmed lives we see on TV and the rags we read?

We are sitting ducks open to negative suggestions we receive non-stop. We end up unhappy and dissatisfied with who we are, what we have and our place in the universe. We’re too fat, too short, too poor, too old. We don’t make enough. We drive clunkers.

Our clothes are passé. Our nose bridge needs a lift; the chest is too flat; hair is too thin; skin is too sallow; our eyes need to be lasered; our teeth need whitening; our ears

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Of charmed lives “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York.”

— William Shakespeare Richard III”

stick out; our behinds, too saggy.

Picture the word REJECT stamped on our pathetic, little foreheads if we were in a conveyor belt in an assembly line, as we head directly to the recycling bin unless we undergo a drastic make-over that will cost us plenty.

We look and read about the airbrushed lives of celebrities on the red carpet. We see them parading and preening in their Pradas, Jimmy Choos, or Blahnik shoes, sheathed in thousand dollar Versace and Vera Wang gowns with décolletage showcasing ample natural or shored up cleavages, their gravity-defying faces tight with botox or nipped and tucked by a surgeon’s scalpel and dripping in Harry Winston gems, escorted by equally gorgeous hunks dressed to the nines in their Armanis, as media people buzz around them like flies around honey. And we’re hoodwinked to the vision of charmed lives.

Imagine that God sees how unhappy you are, takes pity on you and he gives you access to His Celestial PowerBook, with a database cataloging the lives of the past, present and future of the seven billion or so people that inhabit the world. He permits you to type in the name of the person you would like to exchange your life with. You discover surprising twists and turns of character and fate. You discover dirt that has been airbrushed or little dark secrets edited out or given a new spin. You discover untold pain and suffering, the great equalizers, etched in every life.

That gorgeous, woman hiding behind a ready smile has a young daughter with cystic fibrosis and is going through a bitter divorce with a philandering husband. The good-looking guy you thought was to die for is a closet pedophile cum sado-masochist. The distinguished couple you met who lacks for nothing, has a son languishing in jail. That tall, reedthin Victoria’s Secret lingerie

model suffers from bulimia. That hottie celebrity is a wife beater and is in rehab for serious addictions. You go through the entire universal data base frustrated and somewhat relieved to find out that your own life with all its warts, is just as bad or just as good as those of others and there’s no one you’d like to trade your life with, thank you very much.

In most cases, the life we have is the life we would choose all over again. We just need to realize that there’s always more to a story and an image than meets the eye.

Packaging can be mere illusion.

What you see is not necessarily what you get, ergo, the need to dig deep. We are all programmed to go through great lengths to put up a deceptive front to hide the truth — either goaded by ego or the instinct for self-preservation.

A self-respecting gardener winterizes the grass and preps it for the cold, dark days of winter to give it a fighting chance to survive and thrive in the spring and summer. We ought do the same thing and winterize the garden of our soul to keep it young and hopeful.

I wish I could say it’s easy. But like anything that is worthwhile, it takes time, patience, work, persistence and gumption. But we could start with something basic. Upon waking up each day, we can psyche ourselves up with an unfailing weapon of choice — PRAYER. Personalized and heartfelt, it is our instant connection with the God of our being. These can merely be secular, positive affirmations of our own worth and place in this life or it can be the simple act of prayerful acceptance and thanksgiving for all that was, is and yet to come.

Chances are, you’re already living one heck of a charmed life and you don’t even know it. *** EfkX 9\e\1 Dfe\kk\ 8[\mX DX^cXpX `j JMG f] 8j`Xe AflieXc GlYc`ZXk`fej# @eZ% Kf j\e[ Zfdd\ekj# \$dX`c dfe\kk\%dX^cXpX7 Xj`XeaflieXc`eZ%Zfd

Floral offerings to the Holy Infant Jesus

LAS VEGAS—The Spiritual Army of God devotees, coming from Los Angeles and Chino Hills, California and Las Vegas, celebrated the Feast of the Holy Infant Jesus on Jan. 16, at the St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church. Chair of the feast was Evelyn Pua, with able assistance from Gary and Maria Sheets. For more information about the Spiritual Army of God, visit their website: www. spiritualarmyofgod.org.

The Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation donates $125,000 to After-School All-Stars Las Vegas THE Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation recently donated $125,000 to After-School All-Stars Las Vegas (ASAS), the non-profit organization Elaine Wynn helped to create 21 years ago. Wynn has actively supported ASAS since its inception in 1995 and continues to serve as an honorary member of the board of directors. The organization helps thousands of disadvantaged school children in Clark County receive free academic and enrichment programs every day after school.

“The generosity of Mrs. Wynn and her active involvement are vital to the ongoing success of our programs,” said Ranna Daud, After-School All-Stars Las Vegas executive director.

“We are forever grateful for her long-term commitment to the organization and are driven to continue her legacy by providing free, comprehensive after-school programs for elementary and middle school students throughout Las Vegas. We are humbled by the support and generosity of The Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation.”

Three hours a day after school can change a child’s life. Nationwide, 11.3 million children are alone and unsupervised after school. In Nevada, the number stands at nearly 100,000.

After-School All-Stars works to encourage students to be successful in school and in life. When surveyed, 97 percent of Clark

County School District teachers at schools with ASAS programs reported that students learned new skills in the ASAS program, 91 percent reported that ASAS students had a positive attitude about school, and 92 percent of teachers responded that ASAS students were more confident.

Among ASAS students, 91 percent reported trying harder in Math and English because they participated in the ASAS program and 87 percent felt more confident in their ability to get a good job. When ASAS works with students for several years over the course of their elementary and middle schools years, there is a higher likelihood they will graduate and succeed.

The Righteous Brothers to perform at Harrah’s Las Vegas beginning March 23 LAS VEGAS—Get ready to have “The Time of Your Life” as The Righteous Brothers featuring Bill Medley with Bucky Heard bring the legendary sound of “blueeyed soul” to the Las Vegas stage at Harrah’s Las Vegas beginning Wednesday, March 23. Playing inside the Harrah’s Showroom, Bill Medley and Bucky Heard will take audiences through the legendary music stylings of one of the greatest rock and roll duos of all time.

Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, Feb. 5 at 10am PT. Members of Caesars Entertainment’s

Total Rewards program and Ticketmaster will have access to an exclusive pre-sale from 10 a.m. through 10pm PT on Thursday, Feb. 4.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield topped the charts in four decades.

Now, Bill Medley joins forces with one of the most versatile vocalists in America, Bucky Heard, to bring the Righteous Brothers back to the stage. Heard’s reputation as a gutsy rock and roll singer with an incredible vocal range, paired with Medley’s recognizable baritone voice and iconic songwriting

talents, make for a one-of-a-kind rock and roll show.

Medley and Heard will perform many of the Righteous Brothers’ Grammy-winning hits, including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” “Soul & Inspiration,” “Unchained Melody,” “Rock and Roll Heaven,” Medley’s Grammy-winning “The Time of My Life” and many more.

The Righteous Brothers featuring Bill Medley with Bucky Heard will perform Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 6pm and Saturdays at 7:30pm, beginning Wednesday, March 23.

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February shows feature Grammy-award winner, Kwak Ballet and more Purchase tickets now for shows at Charleston Heights Arts Center And Historic Fifth Street School

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Celebratory dances, brilliant displays...

G8>< 9+ guests also will encounter eight lions resembling attire worn during traditional lion dances.

The Shops at Crystals The Flower Carpet on the first floor of The Shops at Crystals features a 12-foot-tall, illuminated and golden-coated monkey situated atop a bed of gold coins while holding a peach. The West Carpet features a Buddha sculpture surrounded by 50 citrus trees and 500 orchids. A total of 1,000 bromeliads, red and yellow mums and birds nest ferns were used throughout the two gardens at The Shops at Crystals.

Culinary Specialties Honoring the Year of the Monkey, select MGM Resorts International restaurants will feature specialty menus and authentic cuisine from the Far East.

Blossom will welcome guests for lunch with a special Cantonese Dim Sum menu, February 5-12, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., featuring signature dishes such as Steamed BBQ Pork Bun and Bird’s Nest Egg Custard. The restaurant also will be open for dinner 5:30 p.m.

– 10:30 p.m. offering its regular menu items, including Steamed Stuffed Shrimp Moss on Tofu and Crisp-fried Chilean Sea Bass.

ARIA Mixologist Craig Schoettler, will feature the popular Chinese spirit, Baijiu, for the holiday.

Baijiu, a distilled spirit from Sorghum with a rich, potent floral aroma, is a traditional beverage dating back a thousand years with rich roots in culture and celebration. Kweichow Moutai, the most popular spirit in China, is a brand of Baijiu that has been fermented for 40 days, distilled seven times and blended with 200 different base spirits from Moutai in the Guizhou province, giving it a unique and distinct flavor profile. Varieties of the spirit will be available by the shot and bottle as well as featured in specialty cocktails at Blossom and the Baccarat Lounge.

Bellagio Jasmine will offer a Chinese New Year a la carte menu in place of its regular dinner menu February 7-14 available 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. and a special holiday Dim Sum menu February 5-14 available 11 a.m.

– 2:30 p.m. The menu will feature

Football 101

G8>< 9( it another 10 yards. If it fails, it must surrender possession of the ball to the other team.

Once the team in possession of the ball manages to bring the ball to the end zone of the opposing team, it has the opportunity to score an additional point or two by opting for an extra-point or two-point conversion.

At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins.

How to score Touchdown (6 points): Scoring a touchdown is achieved when a player in possession of the ball crosses the opposing team’s goal line into the end zone.

Field goal (3 points): A field goal is scored when the ball is kicked anywhere on the field, though it is typically attempted within 40 yards of the goalpost.

For the field goal to be deemed good, the kicked ball must go above the crossbar and between

the uprights of the goalpost.

Two-point conversion (2 points): At the end of a touchdown, the offensive team can attempt a two-point conversion by lining up on the defense’s two-yard line and advance the ball the same way it would to score a touchdown. If the team succeeds, it receives two points in addition to the six points for the touchdown.

Safety (2 points): This occurs when the defense tackles an offensive player in possession of the ball in the offense’s end zone.

Extra point conversion (1 point): At the end of a touchdown, the offensive team can attempt a one-point conversion by kicking the ball through the uprights of the goalpost, the same way done in a field goal.

In the NFL, the ball is snapped from the 15-yard line. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

Southern Nevada high school students face application deadline for numerous Cox Diversity Scholarships LAS VEGAS—Graduating high school students in Southern Nevada are facing a quickly approaching deadline of Friday, Feb. 12 to apply for one of ten Cox Diversity Scholarships being awarded in amounts of $3,500 each by Cox Communications-Las Vegas. Applications and submission instructions are available online from The Public Education Foundation at www.ccpef.org.

The technology company is in year three of its five-year commitment of offer $175,000 in diversity scholarships to support students with higher education goals.

“Education and diversity are two of our philanthropic cornerstones at Cox Las Vegas,” said Michael Bolognini, vice president and market leader of Cox Communications-Las Vegas.

“Our Cox Diversity Scholarships demonstrate a firm commitment toward supporting diverse local youth in their effort to achieve a quality education at the postsecondary level.”

The competitive scholarships require applicants to be on track to graduate with a minimum 2.5 grade-point average, provide demonstrated leadership and community service, and submit an essay focused on a significant leader from their respective diverse communities.

To apply for one of the ten Cox Diversity Scholarships, go to the website of the Public Education Foundation (PEF) at www.ccpef. org and click on the “Programs & Initiatives” drop-down menu at the top of the page, then select “Scholarships.” From there, choose the “Apply online for scholarships” link which will open an alphabetical listing of

dozens of scholarships offered by the PEF. Use the search bar and enter the keyword “Cox Communications” to retrieve all ten scholarships by name.

Cox Las Vegas is partnering with the Public Education Foundation, as well as ten respected, Southern Nevada-based diverse organizations for coordination and naming of the Cox Diversity Scholarships, which encompass: Cox and 100 Black Men Diversity Scholarship; Cox and The Organization of Chinese Americans Diversity Scholarship; Cox and The Asian Community Development Council Diversity Scholarship; Cox and Chicanos Por La Causa Diversity Scholarship; Cox and Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada Diversity Scholarship; Cox and The Junior League of Las Vegas Diversity Scholarship; Cox and The Center Diversity Scholarship; Cox and The Puerto Rican Association of Las Vegas Diversity Scholarship; Cox and The Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce of Nevada Diversity Scholarship and finally, Cox and The Urban Chamber of Commerce Diversity Scholarship.

Cox Las Vegas has been supporting schools and educational programs since it began operations in the Las Vegas area in 1998. Efforts are focused on supporting students and schools through unique programs such as Cable in the Classroom and the annual Cox Back to School Fairs. Specific emphasis is also directed to programs that support Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) initiatives including the Cox Stars of Science annual challenge. More information is available at www.

CoxKnowledgeCollege.com.

Steamed Golden Oyster and Sea Moss, Braised Beef Brisket with Five Spice and Daikon and Breaded Stuffed Crab Claw with Shrimp Pasta.

The Grand Wok and Sushi Bar will offer a special menu, February 6-13, featuring Pan Fried Filet Mignon, Braised Sea Bass and Sesame Mochi with Bean Powder.

The celebratory menu will be available February 6-7 & 12-13, 11 a.m. – 2 a.m., February 8, 11 a.m.

– midnight and February 9-11, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

The Mirage Fin will add Crisp Fried Chilean Sea Bass to its regular menu for $42 as a special treat for the holiday.

THE Charleston Heights Arts Center and Historic Fifth Street School will host a variety of musical performances throughout February. Tickets and information for all performances are available at www. artslasvegas.org or by calling 702229-6383 or 702-229-3515.

The Mudbugs Cajun and Zydeco Band will kick off the weekend just in time for a Mardi Gras celebration Saturday night, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. The Mudbugs bring together a mix of Louisiana dance hall music with their five-member band. The group has played a number of musical festivals and performed for millions on a radio broadcast. Tickets are on sale for $10 in advance or $15 at the door at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St. Dancers welcome. For more information on The Mudbugs, visit http://www. mudbugsband.com/.

The Rainbow Company Youth Theatre’s award-winning Nevada series is back Valentine’s Day week-

end before it hits the road to perform at Clark County schools. The youth theatre brings “Voices from the Sagebrush,” an original show filled with live music, memorable characters and Nevada history, to the Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St. The show runs Feb. 12-13 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 13-14 at 2 p.m.; tickets are $5.

A night of ballet with the Kwak Ballet Academy hits the Charleston Heights Arts Center stage Saturday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. This performance features talented young professionals who have been taught under the instruction of 20-year ballet veterans Kydong Kwak and Yoomie Lee, who have danced with the Universal Ballet, Seoul Ballet Theatre in Korea and the Nevada Ballet Theatre.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. For more information on the KWAK Ballet Academy, visit http://www.kwakballet.com/.

The Dana Leong Trio will be at the Historic Fifth Street School for

a night of jazz Saturday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Two-time Grammy Award-winning musician Dana Leong is known to blend jazz, classical and pop music to create his own signature sound. Leong is also known for having an eclectic musical resume and has worked with the likes of Paquito D’Rivera, Ray Charles, Barry White, Kanye West, Bjork and Yoko Ono. For more information on the artist, visit www.danaleong.com. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

This program is supported, in part, with funds provided by the Western States Arts Federation, the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The city of Las Vegas frequently provides free and low-cost performing and visual arts experiences to the Las Vegas community. For more information on these and upcoming programs and classes, go online to www.artslasvegas.org or call 702229-3515.

Halftime Hots: Some of the most memorable...

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audience love him more in his performance of his hits such as “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Treasure” and closed with “Just the Way You Are,” with videos of troops serving overseas sending love to their families. The Red Hot Chili Peppers also joined him

for two songs. Aside from breaking halftime show ratings with a whopping 115.3 million viewers, at 28 years old, he was also the youngest star to perform the SB halftime show in 13 years.

Other notable performances: Diana Ross’ (1996) helicopter exit, Prince’s (2007) “Purple Rain”

rainy performance in Miami with his controversial guitar, Bruce Springsteen (2009), Madonna with Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, CeeLo Green and MIA’s “bird flippin’” fiasco, and Katy Perry’s (2015) four costume changes, metallic lion (or tiger?) and two dancing sharks.

(AJPress)

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