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Noel Cabangon on uplifting the Filipino

music industrySee Page 6W W W . U S A S I A N P O S T . C O M

Vol. 5 No. 26 LOS ANGELES A BALITA MEDIA PUBLICATION

See US BASES, page 12

See $81-M HEIST, page 12

ZAMBALES, Philippines - U.S. Marines with 3rd Marine Regiment quickly return to their Amphibious Assault Vehicle to grab extra equipment needed on the fi ring line, April 21, during a bilateral amphibious landing by the Philippine and U.S. Marines on North Beach at the Naval Education Training Center in Zambales, Philippines, as part of exercise Balikatan 2015. Designed to assault any shoreline from the well decks of Navy assault ships, AAVs are highly mobile, tracked armored amphibious vehicles that transport Marines and cargo to and through hostile territory. Balikatan, which means “shoulder-to-shoulder” in Filipino, is an annual bilateral training exercise held since 1984, aimed at improving the ability of Philippine and U.S. military forces to work together during planning, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. San Antonio, Zambales is one of the bases to be used by the US forces. Photo: Cpl. Matthew Brag, US Marines

D h a k a , B a n g l a -desh | AFP | Sunday 3/20/2016 – The FBI has agreed to help Ban-gladesh investigate an audacious $81 million theft from the nation’s foreign reserves, authorities said Sunday, days after the finance minister accused central bank offi cials of complicity in the heist.

A FBI offi cial in Dhaka met with representatives from Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Depart-ment and offered to assist with the investigation into the spectacular cross-country theft.

“Both the FBI and the CID have agreed to work together since it’s a transnational organized crime and transnational criminal networks are involved,” Md. Saiful Alam,

deputy inspector general of CID, told AFP.

There was no immediate com-ment from the FBI.

Hackers stole the money from the Bangladesh Bank’s account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on February 5 and man-aged to transfer it electronically to accounts in the Philippines.

The audacious cyber-theft has embarrassed the government, triggered outrage in the impover-ished country and raised alarm over the security of the Bangla-desh’s foreign exchange reserves of over $27 billion.

The central bank governor, his two deputies and the country’s

By Karl MalakunasM a n i l a , P h i l i p -

pines | AFP | Sunday 3/20/2016 – When mystery hackers launched a stunning raid on Bangladesh’s foreign reserves, a plot worthy of a John le Carre spy novel was sparked in the Philippines, expos-ing the Southeast Asian nation as a dirty money haven.

The $81 million stolen from the Bangladesh central bank’s American accounts last month was immediately sent via electronic transfer to the Philippines’ RCBC bank, with the thieves deliber-

ately targeting their laundering location.

The Philippines has some of the world’s strictest bank secrecy laws to protect account holders, while its casinos are exempt from rules altogether aimed at preventing money laundering.

“The Philippines is very attrac-tive (for dirty money) because our laws have gaping holes. It’s easy to launder money here,” Senator Sergio Osmena, who is pushing for stronger anti-money laundering laws, told AFP.

M a n i l a , P h i l i p -pines | AFP | Sunday 3/20/2016 - 13:26 GMT | 258 words

The Philippines looks likely to remain one of the few coun-tries where divorce is illegal, based on a survey of the four leading presidential candidates on Sunday.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe, vet-eran mayor Rodrigo Duterte and former interior secretary Mar Roxas were asked during a presidential debate to raise their hands if they favored le-galization of divorce.

By Eric RandolphParis, France | AFP | Wednes-

day 3/23/2016 - Belgium’s ap-proach to immigration and security has again come under fi re after the Brussels bombings, but some say the country is being unfairly singled out and the timing of the criticism is crass.

Among the more bizarre state-ments was that of Israeli Intelli-gence Minister Yisrael Katz.

“If in Belgium they continue to eat chocolate, enjoy life and parade as great liberals and democrats while not taking account of the fact that some of the Muslims who are there are organising acts of terror, they will not be able to fi ght against them,” Katz told Israeli radio.

But it was criticism closer to home that triggered particular outrage, after French Finance Minister Michel Sapin accused Brussels of “naivety” over the spread of Islamist extremism in their country.

“I think there was... a lack of will, on the part of some (Belgian) authorities... perhaps also a kind of naivety,” Sapin said on Tuesday, suggesting they “thought that to encourage good integration, com-munities should be left to develop on their own”.

Speaking to French TV station LCI, he added: “We know... that this is not the right answer. When a neighbourhood is in danger of becoming sectarian, we should

Manila says defense strengthened under US ‘rotational’ deal

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Sunday 3/20/2016 – The Philippines on Sunday hailed a new accord giving

the US military access to fi ve of its bases, saying this would strengthen its defensive capabilities and maritime security. The agreement between

the two close allies comes as the Philippines and other countries are embroiled in a tense

dispute with China over confl icting territorial claims in the South China Sea.

FBI to assist Bangladesh probe heist

$81-M heist exposes PHL’s dirty money secrets

Presidential candidates Roxas, Poe, Binay, Duterto:All oppose legalizing divorce

See BANGLADESH, page 12See DIVORCE, page 12See BELGIUM, page 12

US BASES BACK IN PHL

By Karl MalakunasM a n i l a , P h i l i

pines | AFP | Sunday 3/20/20– When mystery hackers launcha stunning raid on Bangladesforeign reserves, a plot wortof a John le Carre spy novel wsparked in the Philippines, exping the Southeast Asian nation

Man

Manila, PhilippiThe Philippines on Su

the US militarythis would streand maritime s

the two closand other co

dispute with

Under the agreement, US forces would be able to rotate through fi ve Philippine bases in-

cluding those close to the South China Sea.“The fi ve agreed locations... reaffi rms the

shared commitment of the Philippines and US to strengthening their alliance in terms

of ensuring both countries’ mutual defense and security,” Foreign Department spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement. De-fense Department spokesman Peter Galvez said separately the agreement “would greatly enhance our capabilities” in maritime

Belgium mocked for security failings

Visit www.usasianpost.com Friday - Thursday, March 25 - 31, 2016 THE US ASIAN POST2

MANILA, Mar 21 (Mabu-hay) – Senator Serge Os-meña, one of the senators in-vestigating the $81-million money laundering scandal, believes that among the tes-timonies of resource persons, that of RCBC branch man-ager Maia Santos-Deguito is “closer to the truth.”

“I think Deguito was clos-er to the truth. It was fairly easy to check out most of her facts. For example, she explained to us that there were fi ve accounts that were opened in May 2015, at kinumbida siya sa isang merienda ni Mr. Kim Wong sa Midas Hotel, and he in-troduced Ms. Deguito to fi ve gentlemen and said, ‘I’d like you to open dollar accounts for these fi ve gentlemen and here are their IDs, informa-tion sheet, etc.,” the senator said.

“Tinanong namin kay Ms. Deguito, ‘Did you check whether the IDs looked val-id?’ And she said, ‘Yes, that was their photos on the IDs, the IDs looked authentic, so I took it for granted, I took Mr. Kim Wong’s word for it. So when I opened the fi ve accounts, Mr. Kim Wong sent me $2,500 in cash to take care of the minimum balance of those accounts. Of the five accounts, only four were used, the fi fth was totally inactive,” he added.

Deguito is facing mon-ey-laundering charges over what is believed to be the country’s largest mon-ey-laundering case, involv-ing funds stolen from the central bank of Bangladesh.

Osmeña said Kim Wong, who has been invited to the Senate probe, is turning out to be a major player in the scam because he was the one who kept following up if the money has reached the RCBC accounts and also chose PhilRem as the

remittance company.He said that according to

Deguito’s testimony, Wong would check with the bank every 20 minutes on Febru-ary 5 if the $81 million had been deposited.

“We felt that she was lending credibility to her story,” Osmeña said.

Deguito earlier said she met Wong through Jason Go, a car trader and a valued client of RCBC.

Go is also reported to be the one who recommend-ed Deguito to be hired as branch manager of the RCBC Jupiter branch.

“The RCBC branch in Jupiter is right next to the offi ce and operations of Ja-son Go. Remember, he runs the biggest second-hand car dealership in Metro Manila, so I guess he wanted some-body who will be friendly to him, would do him some favors, we don’t know, but it stands to reason that seems to be truth—Jason Go did recommend Deguito to be the branch manager of the Jupiter branch of RCBC,” said Osmeña. RCBC presi-dent and chief executive Lo-renzo Tan has denied having a hand in Deguito’s hiring, but admitted to knowing both Go and Wong.

Osmeña noted that Jason Go’s name already surfaced prior to the hearings.

“We do our own sleuth-ing outside of the hearings. Marami naman nagsusum-bong sa amin, kilala itong mga grupo na ito eh, they’re not sleepers, maybe they’re not in the newspapers but the community tends to be familiar with their activi-ties,” he said.

Meanwhile, the senator hopes the ongoing Senate probe will result in weak-ening the bank secrecy law and strengthening the An-ti-Money Laundering Law.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. TG Guingona III (center), Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto (2rd from right), Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano (right) and Senators Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV (left), Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (2nd from left) and Joseph Victor Ejercito (seated) in a huddle during a break of the continuation of the Senate inquiry on the reported laundering of $81 million that suspiciously went through the country’s fi nancial system, including local casinos.(MNS photo)

Osmeña: Deguito testimony ‘closer to truth’

“We will try to fi nish ex-amining and nailing down the process that they follow with the remittance com-pany. And then we want to know also what are the other activities William Go, Jason Go, Eastern Hawaiian, and the other companies do. This

might give as an indication whether they operate more outside the law than within the law. Then we also want to nail down the process that the casinos undertake when they receive this money,” Osmeña said.

“I just read yesterday

when the PAGCOR presi-dent said that, ‘Wala that’s already laundered through the bank and when it gets to the casino, wala na laun-dered na ‘yan.’ That’s not true, that’s the exact op-posite. It’s the casino that launders the money, but the

moment it goes to the casi-no to a name like Weikang Xu, it disappears because it becomes co-mingled with all the money as they play at the casino,” he added.

The next Senate hearing is scheduled on March 29, Tuesday.(MNS)

N e w Y o r k , U n i t e d States | AFP | Friday 3/18/2016 – US banking supvervisors should beef up their oversight of large banks beyond stress tests with deep-dive audits and greater use of outside exam-iners, a top regulator said Friday.

Under a “full-scope” exam, a team of regulators would converge on the largest US banks to pull ledgers, check whether loan payments are on time and “systematically review a cross-section of bank portfolios,” said Thom-as Hoenig, vice chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Such exams, intended to uncover problems like the profusion of bad mortgages at the heart of the 2008 fi -nancial crisis, are routine at smaller banks, but not at the biggest ones, he said.

Hoenig, speaking at a conference at the Federal

Reserve Bank of New York, said the Fed’s use of stress tests, which analyze banks’ ability to withstand a the-oretical severe economic crisis, was helpful but not suffi cient to protect the sys-tem.

“Supervisors of these firms have become overly reliant on bank models, model validation reviews, stress tests, and updates from bank management as a substitute for records re-view and hard questioning to draw conclusions regarding a fi rm’s condition,” he said.

“Full-scope examinations delve into the quality of port-folios and their implications for long-term resilience. A full-scope exam is a point-in-time analysis of a bank’s full balance-sheet quality and management competence.”

Hoenig, who has previ-ously supported breaking up the largest US banks, also took a swipe at the Fed’s

reliance on regulators who are stationed at large banks.

The practice causes reg-ulators to “develop a more insular perspective” that can make it hard to question a bank’s assumptions or iden-tify potential disasters.

Hoenig said there is still a place for on-site examin-ers, but that they should be “subsumed” within a larger regulatory apparatus that includes a team of commis-sioned examiners who rotate from bank to bank.

“Deguito is saying other-wise, that Go was asking her for 10 percent of $81 million para pumayag siya or para maayos problema,” Senator Teofi sto Guingona III said in an interview in Manila on Monday.

Guingona was referring to claims made by Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Jupiter branch man-ager Maia Santos-Deguito during the executive session with the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on March 17.

Go is the former owner of S&R Membership Shopping (formerly PriceSmart Mem-bership Shopping) and CUL Warehouse Shopping.

He is now the sole pro-prietor of brokerage firm Centurytex Trading which services the importation of international garment labels such as Guess, Vans, Mango, Terranova, and US-based ice cream parlor chain Cold Stone Creamery.

Sought for comment, Go’s legal counsel belied the claims. “This is not true. She offered P10 million,” Go’s counsel Atty. Ramon S. Esguerra said in a textmessage sent to GMA NewsOnline on Monday.

“Mr. Go declined as ac-cording to him, he is not stupid to legitimize an other-

wise illegal account. His de-mand was for Mrs. Deguito to clear his name from the anomaly,” Esguerra added.

In earlier interviews, as well as in his affidavit submitted to the NBI, Go claimed that he was invited by a “friend” on February 22 to meet with Deguito on February 23.

“At the said meeting, Ms. Santos disclosed to me that she opened fi ctitious dollar and peso bank accounts for Centurytex at RCBC Jupiter... Ms. Santos fur-ther admitted to me that she opened Centurytex’s RCBC accounts to facilitate the deposit of a substantial amount of US Dollar remit-tance allegedly coming from Bangladesh, which she later converted to peso,” the affi -davit read.

This was when Go said he was offered P10 million by Deguito for him to keep mum regarding the trans-actions.

“We’ll have to look at all angles here,” Guingona said, noting that the next Senate hearing slated on March 29 will be somehow focused on the transactions regarding the account named under Go.

“Tapusin na natin ‘yang yugto na ‘yan,” he added,

referring to Go.The RCBC account—ear-

lier denied by Go to be his—was found to have been the storing grounds of the con-solidated laundered funds before it was then trans-ferred to the three casinos: Solaire Resort and Casino, City of Dreams Manila, and Midas Hotel and Casino.

During the hearing on Thursday, RCBC Legal and Regulatory Affairs Head Maria Cecilia Fer-nandez-Estavillo said the supposed account of Go was found to be fi ctitious.

“Under independent ver-ification, the addresses of William Go are false in those accounts... The signatures do not seem to match the signatures in the other ac-counts in Trinoma,” she told the blue ribbon committee.

For his part, Go on Friday filed criminal complaints against Deguito and RCBC senior customer relation-ship offi cer Angela Torres for dragging him into the laundering scheme.

The complaints fi led be-fore the Makati Prosecu-tor’s Offi ce accuse Deguito and Torres of committing falsifi cation of commercial documents, which is punish-able under Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code. (MNS)

Go wanted 10 percent kickback from $81M laundered funds, Deguito tells solons

MANILA, Mar 21 (Mabu-hay) – Filipino-Chinese busi-nessman William So Go reportedly wanted a 10-per-cent kickback from the $81 million laundered from the account of the Bangladesh Bank with the US Federal Reserve Bank in New York to maintain his silence about the transactions.

Big banks need tougher audits: US regulator

THE US ASIAN POST Friday - Thursday, March 25 - 31, 2016 Visit www.usasianpost.com 3

Thousands participate in the formation of the biggest “human blood drop” as part of a blood-letting activity, at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City, Friday. The event aims to raise awareness on the importance of blood donation to help patients in need of blood transfusion.(MNS photo)

MANILA, Mar 19 (Mabu-hay) – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Philippines has welcomed the Supreme Court’s (SC) landmark ruling “favoring foundlings as citizens,” re-ferring to the high tribunal’s decision to allow Sen. Grace Poe to run for president in the May polls.

UNHCR country rep-resentative Bernard Ker-blat highlighted that the Philippines has a “strong humanitarian tradition of international protection in support of those at risk of being stateless” amid glob-al discrimination against foundlings.

“The Philippines was the fi rst country in the South-east Asia to become party to the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, which defines who is con-sidered stateless and estab-lishes minimum standards of treatment,” Kerblat said in a statement.

“Today 10 million people around the world are with-out any clearly defi ned link to an established nationali-ty. A child is born stateless every ten minutes. They are denied their basic rights. They have no freedom of movement, no access to education, social services, employment and to own

property,” he added.In a 9-6 vote, the high

court declared that Poe is qualifi ed to run for the high-est elective post in the land, noting that she is a natu-ral-born Filipino citizen and a resident of the country for 10 years.

Kerblat said the “sig-nificant” SC decision was an “important step” in the country’s history.

“[T]he Philippines is a shining example of humani-tarianism in taking concrete steps to reduce statelessness in the region. It sets a pos-itive example that member states may wish to follow,” he said.

“UNHCR commends the

Government of the Philip-pines for its ongoing efforts to consider acceding to the 1961 Convention, which establishes an international framework to ensure the right of every person to a nationality by establishing safeguards to prevent state-lessness,” Kerblat added.

Poe, the adopted daugh-ter of movie stars Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces, was abandoned as a baby at a church in Jaro, Iloilo in 1968. She became an Amer-ican citizen in 2001 after residing for more than a decade in the United States before returning to the Phil-ippines in 2005 following the death of her father.

CEBU CITY, Mar 21 (Mabuhay) – The Garcia-led One Cebu Party confi rmed that it has broken its alli-ance with Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Na-tionalist Alliance (UNA) Party for allegedly neglect-ing to include them in their campaign sorties in Cebu province.

In a press conference in Cebu City on Monday morning, One Cebu Party president and gubernatorial candidate Winston Garcia said their decision to sever ties with UNA has been thoroughly deliberated on by its members.

“One Cebu entered into an alliance with UNA in the belief that it will be a partnerships of equals. UNA treated One Cebu like Imperial Manila treats the rest of the Philippines (with disrespect),” Garcia read the party statement.

Winston cited the public

rally of UNA on Monday night in Lapu-Lapu City in which they were not invited.

He also said that UNA did not inform or coordinated with them on Binay’s sortie in Cebu last Thursday in Carcar City, Dalaguete, Ar-gao and Talisay City.

“Right from the outset, UNA regarded the alliance as nothing more than a marriage of convenience,” he said.

One Cebu earlier forged an alliance with UNA last month and declared support for Binay.

As to which candidate they would support now for the national election, Winston said they might go for a free zone or they might decide to support one candidate.

As to who this candidate would be, Winston said, they would still have to conduct consultations with their leaders in Cebu. (MNS)

CEBU, Mar 21 (Mabuhay) – The camp of Sen. Grace Poe and several members of One Cebu renew “explor-atory talks” after the latter announced on Monday that it is breaking its alliance with Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance party.

According to Cebu 5th District Rep. Ace Durano, Poe’s campaign manager, he has been in discussions with One Cebu ally 4th District Rep. Benhur Salimbangon. Durano said some members of One Cebu had expressed their interest in supporting the Poe-Escudero tandem.

He said that just this weekend, Salimbangon reached out to relay the party’s disappointment with UNA. “It was Congressman Behur Salimbangon who relayed to me that yun nga, at the time, he didn’t relay it will be a formal decision

on the part of One Cebu. He just relayed to me that they are disappointed. And that One Cebu wants to break the alliance,” he said.

The campaign manager said getting One Cebu’s sup-port would be a huge win for any candidate in vote-rich Cebu, which has about 2.7 million registered voters.

“One Cebu is a prov-ince-wide political party with structure with the network I can say that they are comparable to [Liberal Party] here in Cebu,” Dura-no said.

However, Durano clari-fi ed that as of now, he still has to discuss the possible alliance with Poe, Escudero and PGP political advisors.

“If ever, I’ll just be a facil-itator,” he said.

Durano noted One Cebu is also talking to Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s camp. (MNS) MANILA, Mar 21 (Mabu-

hay) – Senator Grace Poe is standing by her opinion that death penalty should be rein-stated for heinous crimes but said it should only be the last resort if crime continues to be a nationwide problem.

Speaking to reporters in Cebu after the second Pili-Pinas presidential debates Sunday night, Poe stressed that she will not immediately call for the restoration of death penalty should she become president.

Rather, she would focus fi rst on “rehabilitating” the justice system so that harsher penal-ties would be provided for those convicted of heinous crimes, like drug pushing. “Malinaw para sa akin na kailangan magkaroon muna tayo ng re-habilitasyon ng justice system natin. Hindi naman kaagad-agad. Unang-una, sa Kongreso daraan ‘yan,” she said.

But if efforts to curb crim-

inality still fails, Poe said capital punishment should be reinstated.

“Pero sa tingin ko kung hindi pa rin maaawat ang kriminalidad sa ating bayan, at kailangan magkaroon ng mas istriktong paraan, para sa mga heinous crimes, sa mga drug pushers, at para doon sa mga paulit-ulit na gumagawa ng multiple crimes—doon la-mang,” she said. Poe was one of the two presidential aspirants who expressed support for death penalty during the “taas kamay” portion of the second leg of the presidential debate held at the University of the Philippines Cebu campus.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who had bragged about killing criminals in his locality even before he ran for president, was the other candidate who backed capital punishment.

While Poe supports the imposition of death penalty

for heinous crimes, she said the justice system must fi rst be fi xed so the poor will not be at a disadvantage during their trial.

“Pero inuulit ko, aayusin muna natin ang sistema ng hustisya para naman ang ma-hihirap ay hindi biktima dahil kulang ang kanilang represen-tasyon,” she said.

Should she win in the May elections, Poe vowed to in-crease the budget allocation of the Public Attorney’s Offi ce and recruit brilliant lawyers to fi ll its roster so that poor individuals accused of crimes will have competent repre-sentation in court. Although death penalty was abolished in the 1987 Constitution, it was reinstated through Re-public Act 7659, which imposes capital punishment on certain heinous crimes, and RA 8177 provides for lethal injection as the means of carrying out the death penalty.

MANILA, Mar 21 (Mabu-hay) – Vice presidential aspi-rant Francis “Chiz” Escudero maintained on Monday his position against the reimpo-sition of the death penalty in the country despite presi-dential aspirant Grace Poe’s support for it.

“No,” Escudero, Poe’s run-ning mate in the May 9 elec-tions, said in a text message when asked if he would change his position now that Poe has made her stand clear on the issue.

“We have agreed to dis-agree on this and some other issues. Diversity of opinion is to be expected in a democrat-ic and free society,” he added.

Escudero earl ier ex-pressed his strong opposi-tion on the reimposition of the death penalty, saying law offenders deserve second chances.

But Poe, during the sec-ond presidential debate in Cebu on Sunday, raised her hand during the “Taas Ka-may” segment of the debate when asked who among the candidates were in favor of bringing back capital pun-ishment in the Philippines.

One of her rivals, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, also raised his hand.

The “Taas Kamay” seg-ment of the debate only allowed candidates to raise their hands if they agree on the questions asked of them without any explanation.

But Duterte managed to say that his support for the death penalty was only for drug cases while Poe said she was for it only for heinous crimes and also drug cases. Their other two rivals pres-ent during the debate, Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, did not raise their hands on the question.

CEBU CITY, Mar 21 (Mabuhay) – Vice President Je-jomar Binay on Monday urged fellow presidential candi-dates to subject all their bank accounts to investigation by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) but stopped short of signing a waiver opening his accounts to a probe.

Binay made the challenge a day after he bore the brunt of criticism and allegations of corruption during the second “PiliPinas” presidential debate held at the University of the Philippines in Cebu on Sunday

In a press conference at the Mactan Waterfront Hotel, Binay also furnished to the media copies of his Statement of Assets and Liabilities Networth (SALN), Statement of Election Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), income tax returns, and a waiver he signed with the AMLC autho-rizing the council to subject him and his family to lifestyle check and a bank investigation.

Binay also showed a Jan. 27, 2016 medical certifi cate from Makati Medical Center fi nding him “physically and mentally fi t for his candidacy as President of the Republic of the Philippines.”

He also showed to the media a copy of the Seal of Good Housekeeping to Makati city when he was mayor issued by the late Interior Sec. Jesse Robredo.

Binay however begged off from signing the waiver im-mediately because he has yet to consult with his lawyer.

“Hindi ko sila hinahamon. Hinihimok ko sila na kami ay magkaisa na pumirma ng general waiver na ito, volun-tarily submit ourselves to a lifestyle government check in accordance with law, kasama dito ang accounts ng asawa, my children, and my children’s children’s names,” Binay said. The waiver reads: “We, the undersigned candidates for President of the Philippines, hereby authorize the An-ti-Money Laundering Council or its duly authorized repre-sentatives to open and check all bank accounts under my name, under my spouse’s name, my children’s name, and my children children’s name to ensure full transparency in this election process.”

Blanks were reserved for the signatures of Binay, Sen. Grace Poe, Davao city Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and Mar Roxas. “We, the undersigned candidates for President of the Philippines, also voluntarily submit ourselves to a lifestyle and government service performance in accordance with law,” the waiver read.

The waiver is dated March 20, 2016 in Cebu.Binay made the dare after a report by the AMLC leaked

fi nding alleged billions in deposits stashed in joint bank accounts between Binay and his alleged dummies.

According to newspaper report quoting the bank fi ndings, the AMLC said Binay had billions of funds in joint accounts with alleged dummies – which he purportedly earned from the allegedly overpriced Makati car park building, Makati Science High School building, and cakes for senior citizens – to fi nance his 2010 vice presidential bid.

Garcias’ One Cebu Party dumps Binay

Poe camp renews talks with One Cebu

Binay ‘urges’ rivals to submit to AMLC probe

UN agency: SC ruling on Poe a victory for foundlings, stateless

Poe says she favors death penalty but only as a last resort

Running mates Escudero, Poe disagree on death penalty issue

Visit www.usasianpost.com Friday - Thursday, March 25 - 31, 2016 THE US ASIAN POST4

OPINIONUnited Nations, United States | AFP | Friday

3/18/2016 – North Korea’s latest missile tests were in “fl agrant” violation of UN resolutions banning such launches, the US envoy said Friday ahead of urgent talks at the Security Council.

The United States called for consultations after North Korea test-fi red two medium-range ballistic missiles that US Ambassador Samantha Power said showed Pyongyang’s defi ance of the Security Council.

“In further defi ance, North Korea last night carried out additional launches using proscribed ballistic mis-sile technology—fl agrant violations that the Security Council will hold urgent consultations to discuss,” Power told an event on North Korean women held at the US mission.

Two weeks ago, the Security Council imposed its toughest sanctions on North Korea to date after Pyong-yang carried out its fourth nuclear test and fi red a rocket that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.

Japan’s UN Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa called the latest missile launches “very, very unfortunate.”

“We hope the Security Council will be united to tell the DPRK” to change its policy, he said.

The 15-member council was expected to agree on a statement condemning the latest launches during its closed-door meeting later Friday, diplomats said.

British Deputy UN Ambassador Peter Wilson said “this is exactly the sort of thing that they should not be doing.”

“What we see yet again is the North Koreans defying the will of the international community and the Security Council,” he said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the fi ring of the two missiles was “deeply troubling” and urged Pyongyang to halt “these infl ammatory and escalatory actions,” his spokesman said.

Ban called on North Korea to comply with UN res-olutions that bar the country from developing missile technology.

During her remarks, Power took an apparent swipe at China, saying it would be “absurd” to disassociate North Korea’s dismal rights situation from its military ambitions.

China has opposed discussion in the Security Council of North Korea’s rights record, arguing that the forum for this was the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“Many of North Korea’s systematic human rights violations deliberately underwrite the government’s nu-clear program, including the forced labor carried out by tens of thousands of women and children,” said Power.

South Korean military offi cials said the fi rst missile was launched from Sukchon in the country’s southwest at 2055 GMT Thursday and the second about 20 min-utes later.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un this week ordered multiple ballistic missile launches and a nuclear war-head test.

The launches came a day after US President Barack Obama signed an order implementing tough sanctions that were outlined in the recent UN sanctions resolu-tion, as well as fresh unilateral US measures.

N.Korea missile tests ‘fl agrant’ UN violation

MANILA, Mar 21 (Mabuhay) – The four presidential candidates who faced off in the second leg of the PiliPinas Debates 2016 in Cebu City were like the “Fantastic Four,” a Malacañang offi cial said Monday.

In a media briefi ng, Undersec-retary Manuel Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Plan-ning Office (PCDSPO) likened Vice President Jejomar Binay to the “Human Torch” from the Marvel Comics’ fi ctional team of superheroes.

“It was sort of like watching the Fantastic Four on stage. The Vice President was like the Hu-man Torch except he fl amed out,” Quezon said.

He then went on to describe

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as “The Thing” and Senator Grace Poe as “The Invisible Girl.”

“The good mayor of Davao, May-or Duterte, was like The Thing. Everything was solvable by clob-bering time,” Quezon said.

“[Senator Poe] was so trans-prent and she put herself so much in the background that you could see that glowing brain of Tony La Vina in what she was saying and at the same time, she allowed the sort of political choreography of her running mate, Chiz Escudero, to shine through,” he added.

Quezon was referring to lawyer Antonio La Vina, the dean of the Ateneo School of Government and one of Poe’s advisers in her presidential campaign; and Poe’s vice-presidential candidate, Sena-

tor Francis Escudero.The Palace official described

administration standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas as “Mr. Fantastic.”

“Of course to our mind, he was Mr. Fantastic...He showed an analytical mind, a scientific approach to problem-solving and that demonstrated that he was a natural a team leader,” Quezon said.

Roxas is an endorsed candidate of President Benigno Aquino III.

In Sunday’s presidential de-bate, only four of the candidates were able to attend. Senator Miram Defensor-Santiago pulled out of the event, saying she was recently accepted to undergo a clinical trial for a new, unnamed anti-cancer pill.(MNS)

MANILA, Mar 21 (Mabuhay) – If there’s anything that could be said about the performance of Senator Grace Poe in the second leg of the presidential debates, it is her “lack of familarity” with the duties of a chief executive, the spokesperson of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) said Monday.

In a media briefi ng, LP spokes-person Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Guti-errez scored Poe’s supposed con-fusion over the question of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on what she would do if she was awakened by news that two of the country’s coast guard cutters were attacked.

“Sa tingin ko, that was a real refl ection on the lack of familiarity niya with the role of a president, what the resources available to the president are and what the priorities are of a president should [the Philippines] be in a crisis,” Gutierrez told reporters.

In her answer, Poe talked in length on how she would work to improve the country’s defense capability, even buying surface-to-air missiles, while engaging other countries to stand with the Philip-pines as regards its rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Pressed what she would do on that night when she’s told of an attack on Philippine coast guard vessels, Poe told Duterte in jest

that she’d have to get up fi rst.“I’m just talking about worst

case scenario, ang tanong ko kasi what would be the fi rst step that you would do if you are informed in the middle of the night, you are awakened na dalawang Coast Guard ay pinasabog ng China with missiles, what could be the fi rst step that you would do?” Duterte said.

Gutierrez called Poe’s second response “joke time.”

“Well, kung ikaw ay humarap ng krisis tapos ang unang maiisip mong gawin ay magsabi na ‘baban-gon ako at hindi ako maghihintay ng alas singko,’ that doesn’t re-as-sure me, ‘di ba?”

“I am alarmed that somebody who is vying for the highest offi ce in the land seems to be completely unfamiliar with what he or should take as fi rst steps when confronted with that,” Gutierrez added.

The LP spokesperson said Poe should have just said that she will call Senator Francis “Chiz” Escu-dero, her running mate in the 2016 elections, for advice on what to do.

Gutierrez also cited Poe’s mis-take when she said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is under the supervision of the De-partment of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), where Roxas was sercretary.

“Ang PDEA ay under ng OP (Of-fi ce of the President). Kung ikaw

ay magiging presidente, sana alam mo yung mga agencies under you,” he told Poe.

Poe had been criticized for her supposed inexperience, having only been senator for three years before trying for the presidency. She was also previously chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classifi cation Board.

During the fi rst PiliPinas De-bates 2016 in Cagayan de Oro City last February 21, Roxas told Poe that the presidency should not be treated as an “OJT.”

“Ipagpaumanhin ng aking kai-bigang si Senadora Grace Poe na ang pagiging pangulo ay hindi OJT. Kinabukasan, buhay, at kaunlaran ng 100 milyong Pilipino ang nakasalalay dito, kaya may tamang panahon para sa lahat. Para sa akin, ang karanasan ay isa sa pinakamahalagang katangian para sa pagka-pangulo,” he said.

Poe fi red back, saying that Rox-as may have served under three administrations, but problems remain in the agencies that he handled.

“Pasensya na po, pero marami na rin akong naimbestigahan tulad ng DILG at DOTC sa MRT at sa tingin ko naman, hindi mo kailan-gan ng napakahabang karanasan para malaman na kulang ang tulong ng gobyerno ng transpor-tasyon para sa bayan,” she said. (MNS)

Palace offi cial likens presidential bets to ‘Fantastic Four’

LP: Debate exposed Poe’s lack of familiarity with president’s duties

MANILA, Mar 19 (Mabuhay) – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) wants those running for of-fi ce in the May elections, especially presidential aspirants, to include in their agenda steps to combat climate change and its far-reach-ing effects on food security, health, livelihood, and poverty.

Vice chairperson of the CCC, Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman, said on Saturday that environ-mental issues must be high on the to-do list of the next president, as candidates face off for the second

round of presidential debates in Cebu on Sunday. The debate’s topics include climate change.

“Taking decisive action against climate change should be the top priority of the next president. The Philippines is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and it will take good leadership to strengthen the country’s ability to adapt to its impacts,” Secretary de Guzman said.

“Our next set of leaders must recognize the serious concerns associated with climate change.

Extreme weather events, such as droughts, El Niño, unusually strong typhoons and storms, have sociopolitical and national security implications. Even our daily exis-tence and activities are affected.”

He emphasized that to effec-tively address climate change, the next president must harmonize efforts—from the national govern-ment down to the barangay level—to prepare communities across the country to cut down risks and put in place programs to make them resilient.

Commission asks next President to take bold steps to combat climate change

Under California law most caregivers must be paid overtime compensation when working 24-hour shifts. With the increase in California’s minimum wage to $10 an hour on January 1, 2016, that means a 24-hour caregiver must be paid $315 a day to comply with the current law. Many caregivers are working under a day rate or monthly salary. A day rate or monthly salary does not compen-sate for the overtime hours worked and results in a substantial unpaid overtime claim for the employee.

Oftentimes, employers attempt to avoid liability by claiming the caregiver is an “independent con-tractor.” In most circumstances, this argument will fail as typically employers maintain significant control over the caregiver such that that California law will fi nd the caregiver to be an employee.

This change in the overtime rules for caregivers became effec-tive on January 1, 2014, when the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (DWBR) became law in the State of

California. Previously, employees who qualifi ed as “personal atten-dants,” including caregivers, nan-nies and babysitters who worked in private households, were exempt from overtime.

The DWBR eliminated the overtime exemption for personal attendants and provides that personal attendants, “shall not be employed more than nine hours in any workday or more than 45 hours in any workweek unless the employee receives one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked over nine hours in any workday and for all hours worked more than 45 hours in the workweek.”

So now caregivers, nannies and babysitters (with limited ex-

ceptions) must be paid overtime compensation.

Under Labor Code § 1194, do-mestic workers are not only able to recover their unpaid overtime in a civil action, but they also may recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.

California law also provides interest and penalties for workers who are not properly paid overtime compensation.

If you are working as a caregiv-er who is not paid overtime when working more than nine hours a day or 45 hours a week, you should consult with an attorney to discuss your rights under this law. With all the penalties, interest and at-torneys fees allowed, claims often exceed $100,000 for 24-hour em-ployees working just over 1 year.

Article written by Daniel Chaleff, Employment Law At-torney of Chaleff Rehwald. Mr. Chaleff has been practicing em-ployment law for over 21 years. For free and confi dential consul-tation call (818) 807-4168.

Caregivers must be paid overtime compensation

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1387

#DisneyOnIceDisneyOnIce.com

Opening NightTickets Start at $15!

Buy Tickets (Ontario): AXS.com

Buy Tickets (Long Beach): ticketmaster.com

Restrictions, exclusions and additional charges may apply. Subject to availability.Not valid on Front Row, VIP or other premium seating. No double discounts.

APR. 13 – 17CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK ARENA

APR. 21 – 24LONG BEACH ARENA

Cesar Montano has come to the defense of his son Diego Loyzaga after the young actor was tagged in a mauling incident last March 13 outside a posh club in Taguig City, claiming that his “poor son” was wrongly being blamed for causing the “rumble.”

The 53-year-old Mon-tano said that he has al-ready spoken with Loyzaga, who has denied that he and his friends ganged up on brothers Wilmer Angelo and Wilmer Paolo Lopez last Sunday.

“Apparently, what hap-pened was a small version of what we used to call back in the day, a rumble,” Montano said. “The moment it ignit-ed, sa sobrang gulo at dami ng tao hindi mo na alam kung sino ang kakampi mo at sino kalaban mo.”

He went on to narrate the events leading up to the incident as told to him by his son. He said that Loyzaga and Lopez, who had a “misunderstanding” inside the club, managed to patch things up “like real gentlemen.”

“Then a few hours later this commotion broke out where [a] Lopez brother apparently got beaten up. Sa sobrang dami ng tao, you cannot name names except for the actor himself, my son Diego,” Montano said. “Eh sino pa ituturo mo?”

“But the truth of the matter is, from the time

this rumble took off, Diego, my son, was a few meters away where Lopez being was beaten up. Simultaneously, Diego was trying to protect himself from being hit by fl ying fi sts coming from dif-ferent directions.”

He continued: “[Diego was] looking for a safe place but unfortunately, he got punched in the nose. And before he even knew it, Di-ego’s face was covered with his own blood.”

“Yes, Diego was in the area where the commotion took place but defi nitely not part of it. He was a victim, too. He got injured And he has a medical certifi cate to prove it.”

“At the end of the day,

they need somebody to point their fi nger at and get all the blames. And my poor son was the most qualifi ed because that night he was the only personality you can name and no one else,” Montano concluded.

Last Wednesday, Wilmer Angelo and Wilmer Paolo, accompanied by their law-yer, filed a complaint at the Taguig Hall of Justice against Loyzaga and several others in connection with the mauling incident.

Their camp did not dis-close any other details, but said that they are pushing for criminal charges to be lodged against Loyzaga and the other individuals named in the complaint. (MNS)

Cesar Montano defends ‘poor son’ Diego over mauling incident

Cesar Montano has come to the defense of his son Diego Loyzaga.

Donna Cruz was only 21 years old and at the peak of her career when she surprised everyone by marrying Dr. Yong Larrazabal and settling down for good in his native Cebu.

Now 39, Donna is making a comeback after 18 long years with a Star Music album, “Now and Forever”. Any regrets that she left showbiz so early?

“None,” she says at her album launch. “Sobrang blessed ako sa husband ko. Actu-ally, whirlwind romance ‘yung amin. One month after we met, he proposed marriage to me na and in 9 months, we had our wed-ding. Ganun kabilis. I’m so happy with our three kids: Bel, who’s now 16; Sean, 13 and Gio, 8. But sobrang na-miss ko ang singing kasi it’s my fi rst love, my passion. Alam nila sa bahay how much I miss singing kasi na-ririnig nila ako sa buong bahay, kanta ako ng kanta. Tapos, I did a recording sa bahay ng ‘Let It Go’, sabi nila, desperada na. It was posted sa internet and naging viral. Napanood nila sa Star Music and asked my manager, Shirley Kwan, if I’d be interested to do a new album. The offer came at a time when I was really ready to record again. I asked my husband’s permission and he not only agreed but also co-produced it kaya ang saya-saya ko.”

Her album has six revivals (“Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin”, “Friends”, “Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin”, “Nag-iisang Ikaw”, “Hang-gang” and “Ika’y Mahal Pa Rin”) plus two originals (“A Love to Last” and “Langit ang Pag-ibig”.) Star Music audio content head Jonathan Manalo says: “Mas gumanda pa ang boses ni Donna, mas kumapal, hindi na bata. And her singing, nag-improve din. Mas may puso na.”

Does this mean she’ll also go back into acting since her last movie, “Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot” with Jason Everly, was almost 20 years ago? “Ever since, hindi naman nawawalan ng offers. But it’s my choice to

focus on our family. As of now, I just want to focus on singing. Seloso husband ko, di puwede may romantic scenes. At pati kids namin. Noong una, excited pa sila na babalik ako. But now, nagrereklamo na. Ma, you’re always in Manila. So I explain na I’m busy recording and promoting my album. Di lalo na kung gagawa ako ng movie o TV show, mas malalayo ako sa kanila, pwera na lang siguro kung doon gagawin sa Cebu.”

Will she allow any of her kids to join showbiz? “They all sing, but ang nakikita ko lang na pang-showbiz is the youngest, Gio. He just had a music recital in school and we sang together. Grabe ang confi dence niya. He said, I want to be famous. But I doubt kung papayagan siya ng dad niya kasi fi rst honor siya. Studies pa rin ang priority.”

She’s almost 40 but she still looks like someone in her 20s. What’s her secret? “We eat healthy food and I’m into running. Nakasali na ako sa three marathons at na-kumpleto ko ‘yung 42 kilometers kaya hindi ako tumataba.” (MNS)

Jealous husband hampers Donna’s acting comeback

Donna Cruz

Visit www.usasianpost.com Friday - Thursday, March 25 - 31, 2016 THE US ASIAN POST6 Visit www.usasianpost.com Friday Thursda6

With foreign music giving Original Pilipino Music stiff com-petition practically in all fronts including the air waves and online, musician and Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP) President Noel Cabangon believes it’s high time we invest more in culture and the arts in order to give our own music a boost.

He cited that in 2015 alone, foreign mu-

sic was played 2,694,829 times in the country. In comparison,

local music was played 424,387 times. This translated to bigger revenues for foreign music at 62%, while local music

revenues stand at 38%.Noel believes the South Korean model of

pushing culture and the arts is a good example that Pinoys

could emulate.

“Kung meron man tayo na titignan na model, proba-

bly, it’s the South Korean model, ’yung sa K-pop. Because it’s really supported by the (Ko-rean) government,” Noel said at the Pandesal Forum a few days ago.

He added, “The Korean government funded K-pop. When you

say K-pop, it’s not just music, it’s encompassing, including art, movies, etc. Nagtayo din sila ng institutions for K-pop.”

The composer-singer hopes government would provide similar support to the local music industry.

“Sa atin kasi iyon ’yung isang kakulangan talaga. Ang budget natin for arts and culture ay napakaliit. Siguro isang kaibahan din, in other countries, they have a department of culture where-as dito sa atin we only have a commission.

“Of course, we have CCP (Cultural Center of the Philip-pines)… but very defi ned ang kanyang role. We don’t have a department that promotes contemporary Filipino music. Iyon siguro ang kailangan natin para umangat ang industriya.”

He shared, “I don’t know if there were investments made already sa theatre, sa music, sa movies, na comparable to what other countries do. Or kahit investments na maikukumpara sa investments na binibigay ng government sa ibang departments sa ating bansa, like the way they invest on tourism, infrastruc-

ture, etc. Para sa music, meron po ba? Parang kulang po.”Noel called on support from local businessmen. He also

asks Filipino artists to be more responsible as a collective, noting how many artists record albums simply for mass consumption.

“Ang nangyayari lately, parang they create albums na lang in the manner na kung ano na lang ’yung kakagatin ng

masa. As if the gauge or pamantayan for creating music ay kung ano ’yung gugustuhin ng masa, which I think for me is

dangerous. “If we talk about music as an art, dapat ’yung artist, siya ang naghahain, siya ang nagmumulat sa mga sisilbihan niya. We should push for music that refl ects who we are as a nation. We have to force the market to listen. Hindi lang ’yung kung ano ang gusto nila.” (MNS)

Noel Cabangon on uplifting the Filipino music industry

Two of the most sought after young Filipino actors, both on screen, cinema and singing sensation, Piolo Pascual and Sam Milby— along with comedian ex-traordinaire, ‘Pokwang’ and budding male actor Darren Espanto, in one of a kind performance ever will lead the pack of performers live at Pechanga Resort & Casi-no on March 26 at 8p.m. and March 27 at 5pm.

Pechanga Resort & Casi-no is well-known for hosting the best and the bright-est Filipino entertainers and performers such as in-ternational singer Gary Va-

lenciano, Megastar Sharon Cuneta, the singer/actress and Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, popular comedian and actor Vice Ganda, win-ner of “Star Power Search 2011” Angeline Quintos, international actress and top endorser Anne Curtis, and Pop Star Princess Sar-ah Geronimo - who all gave wholesome entertainment to the delight of the crowd.

Dubbed as ‘ Heartthrobs Reloaded Live at Pechan-ga, ‘ Pascual, an award winning actor and singer, was tagged as one and only ultimate heartthrob due to his peculiarity, smart looks

and hot appeal. He’s being link to well-known famed celebrities and is notorious as every lady’s dream man.

Born Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual on January 12, 1977 to Amelia “Amy” Nonato and Philip (Herzig) Pascual. The youngest of six (four girls and 2 boys), Peejay (his nickname) was considered a “miracle baby”. Pascual was discovered by a fam-ily friend who picked him up and on their way home and stopped at the taping of the late German More-no’s That’s Entertainment show. It was there that a staff member saw a poten-

Ultimate Heartthrobs Piolo & Sam with ‘Pokwang’ & Darren Live at Pechanga in March

Espanto (born May 24, 2001) is a Filipino singer. Born in Calgary, Canada to Filipino parents, at 10 years old, he won the Masters Finals of the Pinoy Singing Sensation competition in Edmonton. He made his fi rst television appearance at the age of ten when he joined YTV’s reality television The Next Star in 2012; he became the young-est fi nalist in the history of the show to be included in the Top 6.

Espanto rose to promi-nence after joining the fi rst season of the The Voice Kids Philippines, the youngest artist who staged a major solo concert at the age of 13. Piolo, Sam, Pokwang, and Darren— are perfect combinations to thrill you come March by Temecula, California’s only pride— Pechanga Resort & Casino. Buy your tickets now (from $118, $98, $88 to $78) at the Pechanga Box Office, Wednesday-Sunday from noon to 8p.m. or go online at

www.Pechanga.com.About Pechanga Resort

& Casino Pechanga Resort & Casi-

no offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences any-where in the United States. Voted the Number One Ca-sino in America by readers of USA TODAY and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort & Casino provides an unparalleled getaway. Offer-ing more than 3,400 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 517 hotel rooms, dining, spa and championship golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort & Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the com-munity. Pechanga Resort & Casino is owned and operat-ed by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.Pechanga.com.

tial star in Piolo. He was asked to audition and later got a call back to be part of the show. He also became one of the country’s leading endorsers. Billboards lined up in highways with him endorsing brands such as Hammerhead, Max’s chick-en, San Mig Coffee, Bench, Belo, Banco de Oro, etc.

Meanwhile, the Philip-pines’ ‘Rockcoustic Heart-throb’, Sam Milby is an establ ished actor and multi-awarded singer who is one of the few home-grown actors to venture into Hollywood while main-taining a successful career in the Philippines. From being just another Pinoy Big Brother housemate, the Filipino-American looker has eclipsed even his own popularity with sold-out concerts and Platinum al-bums, top-rating TV soaps. Born and raised in Troy, Ohio, Milby is the youngest son of Filipina Elsie Lac-ia who hails from Surigao Philippines and American entrepreneur, Lloyd Milby.

Commonly known as Pokwang— A comedienne, television host, and singer. Born on August 27, 1960 as Marietta Subong. She is a well-known actress, who won the Clown in a Million contests in ABS-CBN’s com-edy-gag show program. Yes, Yes Show! (2004). She is the ninth child in a family of twelve.

Darren Lyndon Gonzales

Unlike her character in prime time drama series “The Story of Us,” actress Aiko Melendez is a support-ive mother in real life.

Her son with actor-pro-ducer Jomari Yllana has joined showbiz as part of talent management compa-ny Star Magic.

However, the 17-year-old Yllana asked Melendez to avoid watching him during taping because it makes him uncomfortable.

“Ang usapan po namin ay hindi ako makikialam. So as much as gusto kong ma-kialam, hindi po ako maki-ki-alam,” Melendez said.

“Sabi niya, ‘Mom, I wanna be an actor, but can you not watch my taping.’”

According to Melendez, she respects her son’s wish. But she emphasized that she will always be there to guide him in making decisions.

“Naramdaman ko na he wants to have a free hand on everything, of course, with my guidance. Pero ‘yong typical na bantay sarado, hindi ko po gagawin ‘yon,” she said.

When asked about her

relationship with her son’s father, Melendez said they continue to be in good terms.

“I involve him as much as he can. Kasi he’s busy cam-paigning now. Pero kapag may time talaga, I involve him lalo na kapag mayroong family day, talagang I tell him to come,” she added.

According to her, many people are even teasing them that someday they would be back together—a possibility that the 40-year-old actress does not dismiss.

“Parang lahat ng tao want us to be back together be-cause it’s just so beautiful. How can you see two ex’s together and then parang

wala lang nangyari,” she said. “Pressure ito, pero try natin.”

Meanwhile, apart from Yllana, many bachelors have also been linked to Melen-dez, who admitted that she has suitors.

“Oh yes. Not only one,” she jokingly said.

“Mayroong nandiyan who’s always texting me and asking me ‘kamusta’ But ‘yong constant date? I don’t have time lately po eh,” she said. According to Melendez, she is still trying to cope and move on with her life. Thus, she has no time to commit herself to anyone other than her children.

“I am now beginning to bounce back in all aspects. Loving my self, loving my work more. I’m becoming a better mother. I’m learning so many new things in life,” she said. “If I’d ask God for anything, it wouldn’t be for my self. It would be for my children.” As for the great-est lesson she learned from her experience, Melendez said: “Not to trust so much. Always leave something for yourself.” (MNS)

Does Aiko Melendez support her son’s showbiz career?

Aiko Melendez

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Skating Into Long Beach and Inland Empire from April 13th – 24th

(LOS ANGELES / Janu-ary 27, 2016) – Audiences will discover endless riches when an extraordinary line-up of stories from the Disney Vault come to life for the ultimate Disney animation celebration with the delight-ful production, Disney On Icepresents Treasure Trove – Presented by StonyfieldYoKids Organic Yogurt.Disney On Ice sets the goldstandard with its skatingspectacular spanning talesfrom the first full-lengthanimated fi lm to the 50thDisney film, playing theSouthland from April 13-24at the Citizens BusinessBank Arena in Ontario andLong Beach Arena.

Hit the ice with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Don-ald and Goofy as they em-bark on a fun-fi lled treasure hunt for some of the most popular Disney fi lms ever. Get tangled up in Disney’s 50th animated feature with Rapunzel and Flynn. Enter the worlds of your other favorite Disney Princesses: Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Jas-mine, Aurora, Tiana, Mulan and, of course, the one who started it all, Snow White. Ahoy, Mateys! Set sail with

Peter Pan, the always sassy Tinker Bell and the cantan-kerous Captain Hook & his pirate pals! Trek the wilds of Africa with Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon as they discover the true meaning of the ‘Circle of Life.’ Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock! Don’t be late to a very important date with Alice and the Mad Hatter as they march with the Queen of Hearts’ Army of Cards. Plus set a playdate with Woody and Buzz

Lightyear because the toys are back in town! High-lighting eight Disney movies and more than 50 Disney characters featured, Feld Entertainment’s Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove – Presented by YoKids willcreate memories your familywill treasure for a lifetime!

WHEN: Wednesday, April 13 thru Sunday, April 17

• Wednesday, April 137:00PM

• Thursday, April 147:00PM

• Friday, April 15 7:00PM• Saturday, April 16

11:00AM, 3:00PM & 7:00PM• Sunday , Apr i l 17

1:00PM & 5:00PMWHERE: Citizens Busi-

ness Bank Arena – 4000 Ontario Center Parkway, Ontario, CA 91764

TICKETS: Ticket prices range from $22, $28, $45 (VIP) and $70-$75 (Front

Row)*Opening Night tickets

available for only $15 each (not valid for premium seat-ing)

Tickets available for purchase online at AXS.com, charge by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX or in-personat the venue Box Offi ce.

*ticket prices vary be-tween weekday/weekend performances; tickets may be subject to service charges/facility fees – prices subject to change

WHEN: Thursday, April 21 thru Sunday, April 24

• Thursday, April 217:00PM

• F r i d a y , A p r i l 2 211:30AM & 7:00PM

• Saturday, April 2311:00AM, 3:00PM & 7:00PM

• Sunday , Apr i l 2411:00AM, 3:00PM & 7:00PM

WHERE: Long Beach Arena – 300 E. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

TICKETS: Ticket prices range from $22, $28, $50-$55 (VIP) and $75 (Front Row)*

Opening Night tickets available for only $15 each (not valid for premium seat-ing)

Tickets available for pur-chase online at Ticketmas-ter.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in-personat the Long Beach ArenaBox Offi ce

*ticket prices vary be-tween weekday/weekend performances; tickets may be subject to service charges/facility fees – prices subject to change

ONLINE MEDIA GUIDE: To download show informa-tion and high resolution photos, members of the me-dia should visit www.Fel-dEntertainment.com/Trea-sureTrovePhotos can also be found at www.FeldInc.com/hrp (username: feldmedia;

password: photos)About Feld Entertain-

ment Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family enter-tainment experiences that lift the human spirit and create indelible memories, with 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment’s productions have appeared in more than 75 countries and on six continents to date

and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, Nuclear Cowboyz®, AMSOIL Arena-cross, Disney On Ice

Presented by Stonyfi eld YoKids Organic Yogurt, Disney Live! Presented by Stonyfi eld YoKids Organic Yogurt and Marvel Universe LIVE! More information about Feld Entertainment is available online at www.FeldEntertainment.com.

Disney On Ice sets the gold standard with the Magical Ice Skating Spectacular Treasure Trove celebrating the legacy of Disney’s Classic Animated Films

Earn less than $13,870? California rewards low-income tax fi lers

SACRAMENTO--The Golden State’s poverty sta-tistics are grim: Two in fi ve people live just over the federal poverty level (FPL), and the state has the high-est child poverty rate in the nation.

But this year, for the fi rst time, California’s working poor will get to keep more of their earnings in their pock-ets thanks to the California Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). But people with low incomes – less than $13,870 a year – must be sure to fi le their taxes in order to get their money back. 600,000 Families Eligible

Around 600,000 families in California are eligible for the state EITC. Some 12 percent are Asian Ameri-cans or Pacific Islanders, 30 percent are Latino, 12 percent are Black, and more than 15,000 individuals are Native American. The majority of those eligible are single women who are working part-time jobs.

Signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown last year, the state’s EITC program is expected to cost the state $380 million. California is the 25th state, plus the Dis-trict of Columbia, with such a program. The tax credit is modeled on the federal EITC program, which has been around since 1975.

California Budget and Policy Center (CBPC) Com-munications Director Ste-ven Bliss called the state program “an important tool for helping move the lowest earners toward economic security.”

Some of those targeted for the program, he said, “have earnings so low that they may not even fi le state income taxes.”

To qualify for the Califor-nia’s EITC a person must earn no more than $13,870 a year. On average those who apply for the credit will receive $900 back from the state. Families with three or more children could get back more than $2,500.

“Every community has people who live in deep pov-erty,” said state Assembly Member Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, speaking on a panel with other state offi cials in Sacramento, March 9. “The state’s poorest communities will benefi t from this.”

Asian-Community GapEven though California is

doing outreach around the new program, not everyone knows about it, especially in the Asian community, said Crystal Huang. She wears the hats of tax preparer and housing counselor at Asian, Inc., in San Francisco.

San Francisco resident Hou (who would only share

her last name) was one of them. The Chinese immi-grant, 40, has been raising her fi ve-year-old son alone since her husband died two years ago, leaving her with very few resources. She pulls in about $5,000 a year from her three part-time jobs and struggles to put rice on the table.

She came to Asian Inc. to get her taxes filed for free and found, to her sur-prise, that she could get back $1,300 from the state’s EITC program, plus anoth-er $1,500 from the federal EITC, plus an additional $250 from San Francisco’s Working Families Credit – a little over $3,000 in all.

Rick Kim, economic de-velopment services manager with Koreatown Youth and Community Center in Los Angeles, which provides free tax help for low-income peo-ple among other services, said it’s too early to know how many people will apply for the new state program. Many of his clients, he said, work in very low-paid, high-stress jobs, such as in the garment industry or super-markets.

He noted that the Ca-lEITC could motivate more people who fall below the federal fi ling threshold to file returns because they could qualify for the ben-

Asian Inc. tax preparer Crystal Huang helping a client prepare her 2015 tax returns.

efi ts. “For a family making

around $10,000 or $12,000, a benefit of $500-$800 is signifi cant,” he said.

Outreach to Immi-grants

CalEITC4Me.org, a coa-lition of community-based organizations, is conducting outreach to neighborhoods with the highest number of eligible families.

Fresno Interdenomina-tional Refugee Ministries is one of them. It is working with the Southeast Asian population in Fresno, many of whom are Hmong and

Laotian. “We are making sure the

community has in-language materials and helping peo-ple get free tax assistance,” said Executive Director Zachary Darrah.

He noted that not speak-ing English limits many im-migrants’ employment and educational opportunities.

That aside, many immi-grants have a “general mis-trust” of government, and it takes some persuasion by organizations, such as his to convince them otherwise.

“For folks who are living in poverty, [the extra mon-

ey] is a game-changer for them,” Darrah said. “That goes a long way toward pay-ing bills, paying for housing costs, paying for education, perhaps a mode of transpor-tation--there are a lot of uses for those funds for families living in poverty, as many families are here in Fresno.”

San Francisco’s Hou, who speaks very little English, has decided to invest the tax credit dollars she will get back in her son’s education.

For more information, go to caleitc4me.org. (NAM reporter Anna Challet con-tributed to this story)

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Philippines and the United States renewed their commitment to a partnership for mutual prosperity in the 21st century in a meeting under their Trade and Invest-ment Framework Agreement (TIFA) held on 16 March 2016 in Washington, D.C.

The Philippine delegation was led by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, and composed of De-partment of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Segfredo Ser-rano, Intellectual Property

Offi ce (IPO) Director General Josephine Santiago, DTI As-sistant Secretary Anne Robe-niol, and other offi cials from DTI, DA, IPO, Department of Health, Civil Aeronautics Board, and the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C.

In their opening remarks, Undersecretary Rodolfo and Ambassador Robert Hol-leyman, Deputy US Trade Representative for Asia and the Pacifi c, emphasized the strength and vitality of Phil-ippines-US economic rela-tions, and the importance of the TIFA meetings in

maintaining open channels of communication between the two countries on trade and investment matters.

First held in 2002, the annual TIFA meeting is a consultative mechanism es-tablished by the Philippines and the United States to periodically review the sta-tus of the bilateral economic relationship. It provides a forum to address specifi c is-sues and concerns of interest to both countries with a view to improving cooperation and enhancing opportunities for trade and investments.

PHL, US jointly address economic issues in trade talks

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PAL marks 75th year with historic LAX-Cebu fl ight

the ceremonial ribbon cut-ting, in his remarks said: ““Today is special because it coincides with PAL’s 75th anniversary.

We wanted to create an-other milestone that every one will remember.”PR 123 left 8:40 p.m. (local time) with PAL executives, and guests joining other Filipi-no-Americans on the inaugu-ral fl ight. The plane landed at the Mactan International Airport in Cebu at 4:40 a.m. on Thursday, March 17.

Also on board were news-papers, magazines, social networks and Shangri-la Hotels Director of Sales Ms. Eldridge Mayor-Parry. As participants to the 5-day joint Philippine Airlines-De-partment of Tourism-Shan-gri-la Hotels Media Famil-iarization Tour of Cebu and Manila, the media repre-sentatives flew Business Class and were accorded all courtesies and generous accommodations by PAL’s

infl ight crew.Because Cebu is becoming

a very important hub outside of Manila, the thrice weekly fl ights from Los Angeles to the Queen City was aimed at meeting the growing demand from Filipino-Americans for a convenient way of traveling directly to Cebu.

Uy added that with this fl ight, “Cebu now reinforces its reputation as one of PAL’s important hubs outside Ma-nila. This (the direct fl ight from LAX) is for our hard-working kababayans who need well-deserved vacation and family reunion,” fl ying directly to Cebu without ex-periencing the hassle of fi rst stopping in Manila.

The new service is also aimed at boosting PAL’s pres-ence in the United States.Philippine Airlines’ current

US operations include fl ights from San Francisco, New York, Honolulu, Guam, and Los Angeles to Manila. The thrice-weekly non-stop Los Angeles-Cebu fl ights mark the airline’s fi rst long haul destination for PAL from its secondary hub in Cebu. PAL currently has four interna-tional flights from Cebu, namely, Nagoya (with thrice weekly fl ights), Osaka (with daily fl ights), Tokyo’s Narita (with twice daily fl ights), and Seoul (with daily fl ights) All of these routes are served with PAL’s A321 aircraft.

PAL is not only expanding its international routes from Cebu, but is also adding more inter-domestic flight from its secondary hub. Come April 15, PAL will be opening more from Cebu, namely: Cebu-Davao, Cebu-Cagay-an, Cebu-Iloilo (3x daily), Cebu-Tacloban (2x daily), Cebu-Bacolod (17 weekly flights), and the daily Ce-bu-Butuan fl ight.

“Today is just the be-ginning. We will have more fl ights of Cebu,” Uy added, and stressing that PAL’s chairman Lucio Tan’s goal is to make Philippine Airlines an airline of choice and the source of pride for Filipinos.

For its part the Philippine Department of Tourism has lent its full support to Phil-ippine Airlines inasmuch as the new LAX-Cebu flights opens up new opportunities to fully promote Cebu as a tourist destination.

PDOT-Los Angeles Tour-ism Director Richmond Jimenez, in his remarks said, “Cebu is the Philip-pines’ gateway to dive sites, beaches, and a source of world renowned Filipino tal-ents, culture, history and is home to the best lechon in the world.” Jimenez further con-gratulated all those who are taking the inaugural fl ight.

“You are now part of his-tory,” he said.

For her part, Marie Jem-ma Saranillo, PAL-Los An-geles Area Sales Manager, conveyed her appreciation for the Filipino-American community’s continued sup-port. She further expressed confidence that PAL will continue to exert every effort to meet the expectations of their passengers.

Also present during the ribbon cutting ceremonies held at LAX were: Marila Revilla, PAL’s Country Man-ager for Americas; Harry In-oferio, PAL’s SAVP-Passen-ger Sales; Jacqueline Yaft, PAL Deputy Director, Air-port Operations and Emer-gency Dept., Rex Aldanese, LAX Station Manager and other guests.

Text and Photos by Joy MarinoOn March 15, 1941, Phil-

ippine Airlines (PAL) made history when it took its inau-gural fl ight between Manila to Baguio City with a single Beechcraft Model 18 NPC-51. Seventy-fives years later, on Wednesday, March 15, 2016 the country’s fl ag car-rier made history once again

with its inaugural fl ight be-tween Los Angeles and Cebu. “Today is a special day for Philippine Airlines…today is historic…today marks the 75th anniversary of Phil-ippine Airlines. On this LAX-Cebu inaugural, on its 75th anniversary, Philippine Airlines sets another mile-stone: the inaugural fl ight of

the fi rst and only non-stop service to Cebu,” Maricel Wall, PAL-Los Angeles’ Se-nior Account Manager said during the send-off ceremony that launched PAL’s maiden fl ight to Cebu at the Los An-geles International Airport last March 15, 2016.

PAL’s Vice-President for Sales Ryan T. Uy, who led

Marila M. Revilla.Country Mgr-Americas, Harry D. Inoferio, Sr.Asst.VP Phil.Sales, VP Sales Ryan Uy, Dep Director Airport Opns. & Emergency Unit Jacqueline Yaft, Sales Mgr Marie Jemma Saranillo. DOTLA Director Richmond Jimenez and LAX Station Manager Rex Aldanese.

The Media Fam Tour Group with DOT Director Richmond Jimenez and Sales Manager Marie Jemma Saranillo

Ma. Cristina Lobregat, Flight Purser

F/P Ma. Cristina Lobregat and Flight Attendant Shelvy Tinoco

PAL-LA Sales Team

Director Richmond Jimenez, Country Manager-Americas Marila M. Revilla, Sr Assistant VP Phil. Sales Harry D. Inoferio, VP Sales Ryan T. Uy, Deputy Director Jacqueline Yaft, and LAX Station Manager Rex Aldanese.

PAL-LA and PhilippinesPAL and DOT Executives, Director of Sales Shangri-la Hotels Ms. Eldridge Mayor-Parry and Media Fam Tour Group

DOT LA Director Richmond Jimenez (second from right) with PAL Ecxecutives

Infl ight Crew led by Capt Leo Puzon, First Offi cer Julino Atupan, Flight Purser Ma. Cristina Lobregat

Ryan T. Uy - VP-Sales Richmond Jimenez - Director DOTLA

Jacqueline Yaft- Deputy Director

Marie Jemma Saranillo - PAL-LA Area Sales Manager

Maricel Wall- PAL-LA Sr. Account Manager

THE US ASIAN POST Friday - Thursday, March 25 - 31, 2016 Visit www.usasianpost.com 9

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MOTORING

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tayo!

Life and Leisure News for Filipino-Americans

www.usasianpost.com

The BMW group is cele-brating its 100th anniver-sary in 2016 with a line-up of centenary events focusing on “The Next 100 Years.” With an outlook fi xed fi rmly on the future, the group has pioneering concept cars on the agenda, together with a whole series of events.

BMW kicked off the fes-tivities by unveiled the Vi-sion Next 100, a concept car with a sleek coupé de-sign, an autonomous driving mode and a shape-shifting interior. In fact, the car’s seats can be shifted to let passengers sit face to face, the steering wheel and cen-ter console retract and the headrests turn sideways. The vehicle will be displayed in Beijing May 5-15, 2016, before heading off on a world tour, with destinations in-cluding the next Paris Motor

Show.BMW has more world pre-

mieres in store for 2016 too, with futuristic Vision con-cept vehicles from the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, set to be unveiled June 16 in London, and a BMW Motor-rad concept car due October 11 in Los Angeles.

After touring the world, these vehicles will be dis-played at the BMW Welt plant in Munich, Germany. The site is also home to the BMW museum, which will be celebrating the centenary with a temporary exhibition from March 10, entitled “100 Masterpieces. BMW Group - 100 years of innovative strength and entrepreneur-ial courage.”

The exhibition features iconic vehicles like the BMW 328, BMW 507 and BMW Turbo, and looks back over

the brand’s historical devel-opment and its numerous technical decisions.

Later in the year, the “BMW - The Next 100 Years” festival will be com-ing to the Munich Olympic Park (Olympiapark) and the BMW museum, September 9-11, for a weekend of enter-tainment and experiences in the company of celebrities, brand ambassadors, musi-cians and DJs.

The anniversary is also being celebrated with a col-lection of 13 centenary pub-lications, tracing the history of the group and its various brands (BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad) and outlining future chal-lenges. In autumn 2016, the publications will be grouped together and released as a comprehensive limited-edi-tion work. The BMW Vision Next 100 concept car© BMW AG

US traffi c safety author-ities announced Thursday a voluntary deal with auto-makers to make automatic emergency braking a stan-dard feature on new cars within the next seven years.

The commitment by 20 automakers, representing more than 99 percent of the US auto market, will make the safety technology a standard feature on cars and light trucks no later than late 2022, the National Highway Traffi c Safety Ad-ministration (NHTSA) said.

It will become standard on heavier trucks three years later.

Automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems help prevent crashes or diminish their severity by applying the brakes for the driver. Sensors including radar, cameras and lasers warn the driver of an impending crash, and the brakes en-gage when the driver fails to take suffi cient and timely action to prevent it.

Automakers that agreed to the commitment are Audi, BMW, FCA US, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rov-er, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche,

Subaru, Tesla Motors, Toy-ota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA.

“By proactively making emergency braking sys-tems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help pre-vent thousands of crashes and save lives,’ said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a state-ment.

“It’s a win for safety and a win for consumers.”

The head of the NHTSA, Mark Rosekind, sought to defl ect criticism of the vol-untary nature of the com-mitment, saying it would

make AEB standard on new cars three years faster than a regulatory process.

According to the Insur-ance Institute for High-way Safety, the accelerated process will prevent some 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries.

“A commitment of this magnitude is unprecedent-ed, and it will bring more safety to more Americans sooner,” Rosekind said.

In January, a group of consumer advocates peti-tioned the NHTSA to seek a mandatory AEB standard rather than a corporate pledge.

Automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems help prevent crashes or diminish their severity by applying the brakes for the driver.© mtsyri /shutterstock.com

BMW celebrates its centenary with a year of concepts, exhibitions and events

US unveils emergency braking deal with automakers

THE US ASIAN POST Friday - Thursday, March 25 - 31, 2016 Visit www.usasianpost.com 11

FAMILY FEATURES

I f you’ll be hosting friends and family to honor Easter this year, make your gathering as simple as it is scrumptious with a deca-dent brunch menu.

If you’re daunted by the diversity of dishes a brunch menu demands, remember that quality ingredients – not complex preparation – is what makes dishes truly stand out. Fresh produce and superior products instantly elevate a recipe from good to great.

These brunch staples all start as basics, but get a boost with the right combination of quality ingredients:

Made-to-order omelets are always a hit because they guarantee you’re serving up exactly what your guests enjoy. Use a few winning ingredients to create an easy and quick omelet

nutty, mild cheese is also available in slices – perfect for the ooey-gooey factor everyone loves in an omelet.

A classic French quiche combines fresh

tastes delicious hot or cold. The quiche is simple enough to make that you can prepare several varieties, giving guests plenty of options and

crisp veggies that are steamed or lightly browned. Or create a savory, meaty quiche with your favorite sausage or bacon. Add some cheese

cheese on top before baking. simply

make brunch better. This recipe uses ready-rolled

ing dish that can be featured at a tasting station or as part of a larger meal.

Find more recipes for your Easter brunch at jarlsberg.com.

Cheesy Bacon QuicheMakes: 4 portionsCrust: 1 cup butter

2 tablespoons water saltFilling: 1 cup bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 leek 4 eggs 1/2 cup Jarlsberg Cheese, plus additional for topping, grated 3 tablespoons parsley 4 tablespoons creamHeat oven to 400 F.

water and salt together. Knead

Make Brunch a BreezeSkip the stress this Easter with these tips to make preparing your holiday brunch simply delicious.1. Choose several make-ahead dishes

that you can prepare well in advance, such as quiche or a breakfast bake.

2. Skip time-intensive pancakes and instead serve up a French toast casserole.

3. Prepare recipes using the highest-quality, freshest ingredients for the best results.

4. Give your meal a boost with unexpected but impactful touches, such as specialty butters, homemade jams and delicious cheeses.

5. Create beautiful and tasty accents for

seasonal fruit.

Easy Brunch OmeletMakes: 4 portionsToppings: mushrooms chorizo, bacon or ham cherry tomatoes spring onions herbsOmelet: 8 eggs 8 tablespoons water or milk salt, to taste pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons butter 8 slices Jarlsberg Cheese 8 slices hamPrepare toppings. Fry mushrooms and chorizo, bacon or ham; cut cherry tomatoes and spring onions.

To make omelet, crack eggs in bowl and add water, salt and pepper. Whisk eggs until they turn a pale yellow color, about 25-35 whisks.

Heat frying pan on medium heat and melt butter. When butter is bubbly, add about one quarter of the egg batter. This will make one of four omelets. When batter starts setting, move hardened parts toward the middle, enabling the rest to get direct heat as well. Use a gentle hand to avoid scrambled eggs. When batter starts to look cooked, add

The omelet should be slightly golden on fried side and a little runny and soft in the middle.

Finally, put omelet on plate and add garnish before serving.

Puff Pastry SwirlsMakes: 4 portions 4 ready-rolled puff pastry sheets 1 cup grated Jarlsberg Cheese 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped pepperHeat oven to 400 F.

roll out pastry sheets into 8-by-4-inch rectangles. Mix grated cheese, rosemary

pastry. Roll up each pastry rectangle

together to seal roll. Slice each roll into 2-inch thick slices.

Place face down on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Tip: To make swirls rise more, don’t roll out pastry with rolling pin.

Pack dough in plastic wrap and let rest in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Press dough into full surface of pie plate and cover with aluminum foil. Prebake in oven 10 minutes, then remove aluminum foil and bake another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in frying pan on medium heat, saute bacon. Add leek at end of cooking time.

In bowl, whisk eggs and cream together and add grated cheese, parsley, bacon and leek. Pour

or until edge is golden brown and center is set.Tip: To save time, use premade pie crust and bake according to package directions.

Visit www.usasianpost.com Friday - Thursday, March 25 - 31, 2016 THE US ASIAN POST12

$81-M HEISTFrom page 1

DIVORCEFrom page 1

BELGIUMFrom page 1

US BASESFrom page 1

BANGLADESHFrom page 1

security and disaster relief.Philippine and US offi-

cials meeting in Washing-ton on Friday announced that they had agreed to the rotation of US military per-sonnel under the Enhanced Defense Co-operation Agree-ment (EDCA), which went into effect in January.

One of the installations is the Antonio Bautista Air Base in the western Phil-ippine island of Palawan, directly facing the South China Sea.

Another is Basa Air Base north of Manila, home of the Philippines’ main fighter wing, which is also close to disputed waters.

Still, if the thieves were to get away with their auda-cious heist, the money had to be moved quickly through the banking system and into the casinos.

And it did.Authorities took four days

to order a recall of the mon-ey. But by then it had van-

top banking bureaucrat lost their jobs following the theft and the government has been scrambling to contain the damage from the spiral-ing scandal.

Police said Bangladeshi investigators were planning to travel to the Philippines, Sri Lanka and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as part of the transnational probe into the heist.

However, investigators say local hackers were likely involved in the theft.

“We suspect some local people are involved in the crime. The names of local development projects were used in the payment advices sent to the Federal Reserve Bank,” Alam said.

“This has raised our sus-picion that there could be some local links.”

In a damning interview published on Friday, the country’s Finance Minister A.M.A Muhith told the Ben-gali-language daily Prothom Alo that Bangladesh Bank offi cials were “100 percent” involved in the scandal.

“Of course! One hundred percent they are (involved). This cannot be possible with-out complicity of the lo-cals,” the newspaper, which has the highest circulation of any in Bangladesh, quoted Muhith as saying.

Muhith said the New York bank requires hand prints and other biometric infor-mation from central bank offi cials to activate transac-

(implement) a policy of in-tegration.”

Belgium has faced much criticism over its security failings, particularly in the wake of November’s Paris attacks that were largely planned in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, con-sidered a hotbed of Islamist radicalism.

Some criticisms have been hard to refute, such as revelations from Turkey on Wednesday that Brussels at-tacker Ibrahim El Bakraoui was detained and deported back to Europe last year.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Bel-gian authorities had failed to confirm the suspect’s jihadist links “despite our warnings”.

- ‘Solidarity not lectures’ -But the timing of Sapin’s comments, just hours after the bombings at the Brussels airport and metro station, was considered highly inap-propriate.

Not one raised a hand in the brief segment. They were not given time to explain their stance.

The overwhelmingly Cath-olic Philippines is the only country aside from the Vatican that bans divorce.

Strong pressure from the Catholic church has stymied previous attempts to pass a divorce law even though a survey last year showed that about 60 percent of adult Fili-pinos support such a measure. A survey earlier this month showed that Poe, the adopted daughter of the country’s top movie star, has a slight lead in the run-up to the May 9 vote for the presidency. She is followed closely by Duterte, who is running on a ruthless anti-crime platform; Binay, former mayor of the country’s fi nancial district of Makati; and Roxas, the anointed suc-cessor of outgoing President Benigno Aquino who is limited by law to one six-year term.

In another portion of the debate, the four candidates were asked who supported restoration of the death pen-alty. Poe and Duterte, who openly boasts about killing criminals, both raised their hands despite the Catholic church’s opposition to capital punishment.

tions, appearing to suggest the hackers could not have carried out the attack with-out inside help.

ished – leaving in its place a tale of death threats, bribes, shady business fi gures and a bank manager who could be the villain or a victim.

“I did not do anything wrong. If this is a nightmare, I want to wake up now,” the manager of RCBC bank, Maia Deguito, told ABS-

CBN television this week after authorities stopped her at Manila airport from trying to leave the country.