Us asian post august 6, 2014

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MANILA, August 4, 2014 (AFP) – More than 11,000 Filipi-nos in Libya have ignored appeals to evacuate, with many apparent-ly choosing to take their chances in the war-torn country rather than risk unemployment at home, a foreign department spokesman said Monday.

As this developed, Manila said Tuesday it would send a ship to pick up at least 700 of its nation-als trapped in strife-torn Libya as it presses on with efforts to rescue thousands of workers.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said it would pick up Fili-pinos from Misrata and Benghazi and hopefully Sirte, adding that others could still fl ee across the land border to Tunisia.

“We have 400 from Misrata, we have 300 from Benghazi and we have something like a couple of hundred from Sirte but the boat cannot go into Sirte because it’s a shallow harbour so we need a

small vessel to bring the people back out to the boat,” he said.

He said the ship, chartered for about $1.8 million which can car-ry 1,500 passengers, would reach Libya at the end of the week

“We are counting on getting as many people as possible,” so they can be brought to safety in Malta, he said.

Only 200 were at the Philip-pine embassy in Tripoli even as the government prepares to send a chartered ship to ferry them out, spokesman Charles Jose said.

Originally there were 13,000 Filipinos working in Libya but after the government called on them to return, due to the wors-ening security situation, only “a little more than 1,000” had fl ed or were waiting to leave, he said.

“So we have 11,000-plus OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) who have not arranged to leave,” Jose said.

The Department of Health said it will continue to monitor the Ebola virus situation every day, and is keeping watch over seven mi-grant workers recently repatriated from Sierra Leone, one of the Ebola-affected areas. As of August 8, more than 800 Ebola-related deaths have been reported.

MANILA, Aug 2 (Mabuhay) -- The Philippine government has tightened its watch of the entry of exotic animals from abroad, espe-cially from some areas in Africa, to prevent the entry of the Ebola virus into the country, Malaca-ñang said Saturday.

Deputy presidential spokes-person Abigail Valte said on gov-ernment radio the Department of Health has sent advisories to the concerned agencies on the matter.

“I think nagpadala na rin ng warning ang DOH, ng advisory,

sa ibang ahensya concerned sa importation of these animals,” she said on government-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

She noted the DOH also sent an advisory to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to advise Fili-pino peacekeepers in Liberia to take preventive measures against the deadly virus.

On Friday, the DOH issued an advisory on Ebola, which it de-scribed as a “severe, infectious, of-ten fatal disease” in humans and primates caused by infection from

the Ebola virus.The DOH said Ebola can be

transmitted through close contact with:

• blood secretions• organs or other bodily fl uids

of infected animals• body fl uids and stools of an

infected person• contaminated needles and

soiled linen used by infected pa-tients

• direct contact with the body a deceased person

MANILA,Aug 4 (Mabuhay) – The Sandiganbayan First Divi-sion on Monday ordered the sus-pension of Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and his senior staff, Atty. Richard Cambe, for 90 days in connection with the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam.

“Accused Revilla and Cambe are hereby suspended from their respective positions as Senator and Director III of Senator Re-villa’s offi ce, and from any other public offi ce which he may now or hereafter be holding for a period of ninety (90) days from notice,” the three-page minute resolution read.

The resolution was signed by Fifth Division chairperson Associ-

ate Justice Efren dela Cruz, Asso-ciate Justice Rodolfo Ponferrada, and Associate Justice Rafeal La-gos.

Detained at the PNP Custodi-al Center since his surrender on June 20, Revilla is accused of al-legedly receiving P224.5 million in kickbacks from 2006 to 2010 from alleged pork barrel scam brains, Janet Lim-Napoles.

Both Revilla and Cambe are facing plunder and graft charges over the alleged pork barrel scam. Cambe is also detained at the PNP Custodial Center.

Government prosecutors ear-lier asked the anti-graft court to suspend Revilla and Cambe as

Senator Bong Revilla, shown in photo on his way to be detained on plunder and graft charges, said his lawyer, Sal Panelo, only talked about the rats and roaches in his cell in jest. Revilla’s lawyer has said the senator’s family saw rats “as big as cats” inside the senator’s cell. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Aug 4 (Mabuhay) – The Philippine military is con-fi dent that its active members re-main professional and free from partisanship, dousing rumors that a destabilization plot is in the works.

Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, Armed Forces public affairs offi ce chief, gave this assurance amid persis-tent rumors of a possible destabi-lization plot against the Aquino administration.

Zagala said the Armed Forces has not monitored any develop-ments indicating that retired members of the AFP are involved in such a plot as Senator Antonio Trillanes and Magdalo party-list Rep. Ashley Acedillo warned.

“We remain professional and partisan-free and in no way will we do any acts that will compro-mise our democratic institutions

and our democratic freedom. We are resilient to such moves so we are insulated [from] partisan poli-tics,” he told Headstart host Kar-en Davila.

“Among the ranks of the retired or those who have left the service, if Senator Trillanes or Congress-man Acedillo will coordinate with us, we are more than happy to help in fi nding out or investigating but defi nitely without warrant we will not investigate primarily because they have already regained their freedom of expression so it is hard to curtail their freedom of expres-sion. If they are just saying some-thing against the government, I think that is not against the law.”

Zagala said there are ways and means inside the military to de-termine compliance and effi ciency of troops. There is also a griev-

GENEVA, August 4, 2014 (AFP) – The World Health Orga-nization said Monday the death toll from the Ebola epidemic in west Africa has now reached 887 after 61 more fatalities recorded at the end of last week.

Giving an update on the deadly virus – the worst Ebola outbreak ever – the UN health agency said the 61 deaths were reported be-tween last Thursday and Friday in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

It said there had also been 163 new cases of people infected with the virus in that time, bringing the total number of confi rmed and likely cases from the outbreak so

MANILA, Aug 4 (Mabuhay) – Ten percent of Filipino pupils have eye problems, but few of these are detected early, the De-partment of Health said Monday.

Thus, as part of this month’s celebration of Sight Saving Month, the DOH is championing a program for school children to undergo vision screening to detect potential problems in their vision.

Of the pupils with eye prob-lems, one fourth which have am-blyopia or “lazy eye,” and the rest have main error of refraction (EOR), said DOH Assistant Secre-

Vol. 3. No. 46 LOS ANGELES Wednesday - Tuesday, August 6 - 12, 2014

No more sexy roles

for Sunshine

See PAGE 11W W W . U S A S I A N P O S T . C O M

The Department of Health in collaboration with the Department of Education spear-headed a vision screening and distribution of eye glasses to young students of Cecilio Apostol Elementary School with vision impairment problems on Monday (August 4, 2014) in F. Yuseco Street, Sta Cruz, Manila. (MNS photo)

OFWs defy order to leave LibyaThousands ‘would rather take their chances’

AFP douses coup rumors, loyalty check

PHL govt tightens watch on entry of exotic animals to prevent Ebola

Ebola death toll rises to 887: WHO

1 in 10 Filipino students has an eye ailment, but many go untreated

Sandiganbayan orders suspension of Revilla, Cambe

See OFWS DEFY, page 12

See EBOLA, page 12

See DEATH TOLL, page 12 See LOYALTY CHECK, page 12

See SANDIGANBAYAN, page 12 See EYE AILMENT, page 12

President Benigno S. Aquino III receives a copy of the masterplan for the rehabilita-tion of areas hit by the world’s strongest typhoon to make landfall. Rehabilitation czar Panfi lo Lacson gave President Aquino a copy of the 8,000-page master plan during the commemoration of the fi fth death anniversary of Aquino’s mother, former president Corazon Aquino. (MNS photo)

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, August 6 - 12, 2014 THE US ASIAN POST2

MANILA, August 1, 2014 (AFP) – The Philippine govern-ment plans to spend nearly $4 billion to rehabilitate areas dev-astated by Super Typhoon Hai-yan last year, a senior adviser to President Benigno Aquino said Friday.

Haiyan struck the central is-lands on November 8, leaving nearly 8,000 people dead or miss-ing from its monster winds of up to 275 kilometres an hour (171 mph) that generated giant waves which obliterated coastal commu-nities.

The storm tore across an area the size of Portugal, destroying or damaging 1.14 million homes and about 20 billion pesos’ worth of agricultural crops, according to government data.

“There will be a massive infu-sion of resources.... We will have accomplished a lot between now and January,” Aquino special adviser on Haiyan rehabilitation Panfi lo Lacson said as he un-veiled the 170.9 billion-peso ($3.9 billion) master plan.

Congress has already alloted 137 billion pesos to be spent on resettling displaced communities,

rebuilding infrastructure, provid-ing social services and creating job opportunities for the disaster zones, he told reporters.

The balance is to be funded by the 2015 and 2016 national bud-gets, and about 80 percent of the projects should be completed by the time the Philippines elects a new leader in mid-2016, Lacson said.

He said part of the amount would be spent resettling about 200,000 families displaced by storm surges or living in areas deemed vulnerable to future di-sasters.

The Philippines is hit by about 20 storms or typhoons each year. Typhoon Rammasun killed 98 people and left fi ve others miss-ing in provinces around Manila last month.

Haiyan even forced the Phil-ippines to ask the U.S. to grant Temporary Protected Status for the country so undocumented Fil-ipino citizens from the area now living in the U.S. can work and even come home. However, the U.S. government has yet to act on the request in spite of lobbies being made by several Filipino

MANILA, Aug 4 (Mabuhay) – Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmena-res wants the Palace to justify the pitch for emergency powers for President Aquino purportedly to deal with the looming 2015 en-ergy crisis.

Colmenares doubts Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla’s claims that there will be a shortage in electricity supply by next year.

“Is there are a dearth of sup-ply? Bakit sinabi ng DOE kulang ng supply based sa report nila dati may enough supply to meet demands? Dependable supply, 15,000 megawatts all over coun-try di umabot ng 11,000-12,000 MW demand.Saan nanggaling idea ni Petilla? Unless DOE can justify dearth of supply, all talk of emergency powers is useless. No congress in his right mind will approve kung walang emergen-cy,” he said. Colmenares added any emergency power granted will be unconstitutional and ille-gal. “DOE has to convince people there’s a lack of supply,” he said.

He pointed out that there was no shortage even after the scheduled mainte-nance shutdown of the Malampaya gas facility.

Colmenares ex-pressed fears that the emergency powers may lead to an increase in electricity rates with the possible return of “take or pay” provisions in supply contracts.

The Ramos admin-istration in the 1990s agreed to the contro-versial provision which guaranteed independent power producers pay-ment for electricity they produce, even if unused. This lead to high power rates in the country – one of the highest in Asia.

MANILA, Aug 4 (Mabuhay) – The Court of Appeals (CA) has dis-missed Don Mariano Transit Corporation’s Petition for Certiorari in relation to the Land Transportation Fran-chising and Regulatory Board’s decision to re-voke and cancel DMTC’s Certifi cates of Public Convenience (CPCs) made on Jan. 4, 2014, including the Motion for Reconsideration fi led by the company in Febru-ary.

A Petition for Certio-rari is fi led with the CA by a company or indi-vidual not satisfi ed with the legal decision of the trial court on a pending case.

DMTC fi led an ap-peal before the Depart-ment of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the mother agency of LTFRB, 30 days after receiving the Board’s decision to revoke and cancel its CPCs. The DOTC, as mandated by law, can deny or grant the ap-peal.

As stated in the CA resolution, the pres-ent appeal of DMTC is clearly premature given the pendency of its ap-peal before the DOTC secretary. If the DOTC decision is adverse to the petitioner, the bus company cannot appeal directly to the CA, as the decision can only be ap-pealed to the Offi ce of the President. The Board re-voked and reverted back to the State all the CPCs granted to DMTC’s 78 units, together with all the attached rights and privileges, due to the company’s failure to comply with the terms and condition of its per-mit and negligence in providing safe and prop-er transport services to the riding public.

It can be recalled that one DMTC unit fi gured in a road accident on Dec. 13, 2013 along the Alabang Skyway in Pa-ranaque City that killed 21 passengers and in-jured 24 others.

PHL to spend $4-B rebuilding after Haiyan Colmenares to Petilla: Justify extrad powers

Court of Appeals denies pe-tition to order LTRFB to lift suspension of DMTC buses

An aerial view shows the coast affected by Typhoon Haiyan taken on Nov. 14, 2013 in Hernani, eastern Samar, central Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms on record, slammed into 6 central Philippine islands last year leaving a wide swath of destruction and thousands of people displaced.(MNS photo)

organizations all across Ameri-ca. Temporary Protected Status have been granted to countries devastated by calamities, includ-ing Haiti, which suffered massive damage and casualties during an earthquake in 2010, and also to countries wracked by wars, like El Salvador.

Lacson defended the long time it took the government to come up with its rehabilitation plan.

“It’s not that easy to come up with a plan,” he said, adding the government could not just release funds without a solid plan.

“We’ll build back better... com-pared to pre-(Haiyan) condition.”

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MANILA, Aug 4 (Mabuhay) – Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares believes the Aquino administration has as much as P500 billion in savings to date.

Colmenares said the govern-ment had P223 billion in savings in 2013. He said the National Expenditure Program (NEP) also listed some P257 billion in funds for 2014.

The lawmaker said the savings could easily have gone to the dis-bursement acceleration program

of Malacanang if it had not been struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

“Malaki pala pwede na DAP based sa sinubmit na NEP ng Malacanang. Bakit kailangan mangutang? Napakalaki sav-ings, P500 billion na savings 2013 at 2014,” he said.

Aside from government’s sav-ings, Colmenares also intends to ask the government about its proposed redefi nition of savings and the lump sum items in the

proposed 2015 national budget.As much as P500 billion in

lump sum special purpose funds are present in the proposed bud-get.

Colmenares explained that the Palace’s proposal to allow govern-ment to declare savings midyear to realign it to other projects, a mechanism similar to the now unconstitutional disbursement acceleration program, allows the government to have two budgets. The fi rst budget is from January

to June and is approved by Con-gress while the second is from July to December based on the realignments of the executive.

The party-list representative said that based on the Palace’s proposal, the executive will be empowered to discontinue proj-ects anytime so these can be re-aligned as savings.

He said this would facilitate the bloating of the budgets of agencies with a bad record of project implementation.

The Makabayan bloc is pre-paring for the start of budget de-liberations at the House of repre-sentative Wednesday.

The deliberations will begin with the Development Budget Coordinating Committee pre-sentation on the macroeconomic fundamentals and the use of sav-ings.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Ter-ry Ridon has said the Makabay-an bloc will actively scrutinize the budget.(MNS)

MANILA, August 5, 2014 (AFP) – Twelve Chinese fi sher-men were handed long prison terms on Tuesday for illegal fi sh-ing in the Philippines after their ship ran aground on a World Her-itage-listed coral reef, a court of-fi cial said.

The 12 were arrested at the Tubbataha Reef, a marine sanc-tuary in the western Philippines famed as a pristine dive spot, in April last year after their 48-me-tre (157-foot) boat hit and badly damaged it.

Boat captain Liu Chiangjie and his crew had pleaded not guilty, telling the court in the western city of Puerto Princesa that they had merely got lost but regional trial court judge Ambrosio de Luna rejected the explanation as “highly incredible and unbeliev-able”.

The court imposed the maxi-mum punishment of 12 years for the boat captain and prison terms of between six and 10 years for the rest of the crew, clerk of court Hazel Alaska told AFP.

The 12 told the court they would appeal against the ruling.

All were found guilty of violat-ing the anti-poaching provisions of a 2009 law that gave the Tub-bataha Reef protected status, ac-cording to Alaska.

The fi shermen were also fi ned $100,000 each, while their boat was forfeited, Alaska added.

They were the fi rst foreign-ers to be found guilty of violating the law, according to Herminia

Caabay, legal offi cer for a council that helps the western province of Palawan protect its natural re-sources.

Dead pangolins in boat -The fi shermen were still on

trial for possession of protected species within the park, Alaska said, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The Philippine coast guard had said hundreds of dead and frozen pangolins were seized from the Chinese fi shing boat.

Pangolins are widely hunted in parts of Asia, including Palawan, for their meat, skin and scales.

In China they are considered a delicacy and to have medicinal qualities.

The boat captain had earlier testifi ed during the trial that the boat’s global positioning system navigational equipment had bro-ken down on their way home from Indonesia, and as a result they did not know where they were.

The 12 are among dozens of Chinese and Vietnamese fi sher-men who are detained in Palawan for illegal fi shing.

Among the others are nine Chi-nese fi shermen who were arrested on May 6 off Half Moon Shoal, a South China Sea outcrop claimed by both China and the Philip-pines.

However the 97,000-hectare (230,000-acre) Tubbataha Reef, which was listed as a World Heri-tage Site by the United Nations in 1993, is in a part of the Sulu Sea claimed only by the Philippines.

MANILA, Aug 2 (Mabuhay) – The implementing rules and regulation (IRR) for Republic Act 10635 was approved by the De-partment of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

The legislation empowers the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) as the sole adminis-trator in the enforcement of Stan-dards of Training, Certifi cation and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers.

The agency is set to create a technical working group with the concerned government agencies and other stakeholders.

Under Republic Act 10635,

MARINA assumes “all powers and functions of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Commission on Higher Educa-tion (CHED), Technical Educa-tion and Skills Development Au-thority (TESDA), Department of Health (DOH), and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), relative to the issuance, validation, verifi cation, correc-tion, revocation or cancellation of certifi cates of competency, endorsement or cancellation of certifi cates of competency, en-dorsement, profi ciency and docu-mentary evidence required of all seafarers and all such other mat-

ters pertaining to the implemen-tation of…the STCW Convention 1978.”

“This development in the Phil-ippine maritime industry is a step towards a stronger maritime na-tion that moves the world,” said MARINA administrator Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr.

“MARINA is empowered to en-sure that the certifi cates issued to Filipino seafarers are accepted by the maritime administrations and industry stakeholders around the world at its face value, a certifi -cate backed by a credible, respon-sible, and high quality monitor-ing system,” he concluded. (MNS)

MANILA, Aug 2 (Mabuhay) – Even as lawmakers will have their hands full by next week fol-lowing receipt of the proposed P 2.606-trillion 2015 national bud-get, the House of Representatives is expected to soon pass on third and fi nal reading fi ve national bills, one House Joint Resolution and some 14 local bills which were approved on second reading dur-ing the later days of the fi rst regu-lar session.

Notwithstanding the crucial and long committee deliberations on the proposed 2015 General Ap-propriations Act (GAA) submit-ted on July 30 by the Offi ce of the President, through Budget Secre-tary Florencio Abad, Speaker Fe-liciano Belmonte Jr. assured that, like the previous years, there will be no re-enacted budget by Janu-ary 2015.

The fi ve measures of national scope which were approved on sec-ond reading, beating the close of the fi rst regular session last June 13, include the following:

HB 3675 or “An Act removing the conditions for the condonation of all unpaid taxes due from local water districts, amending for the purpose section 289-A of the Na-tional Internal Revenue Code, as amended,” which was passed on June 10, 2014;

HB 4629 or “An Act providing for a Magna Carta of the Poor,” which was approved on June 11, 2015;

HB 4630 or “An Act establish-ing a Philippine High School for Sports and appropriating funds therefore,” approved on June 11;

HB 4633 or “An Act Strength-ening the policy framework for the development of the sugarcane

industry, establishing the Sugar-cane Industry Development Fund, and reconstituting the Board of Directors of the Philippine Sugar Corporation,” also approved on June 11; and

HB 4571 or “An Act naming the new building owned by the DILG located at Quezon Avenue corner EDSA, Quezon City as The Sec-retary Jesse Robredo building in honor of the late DILG Secretary.”

One resolution which also awaits fi nal passage in the Lower Chamber is House Joint Resolution No. 13 entitled “Joint Resolution deferring the implementation of the mandato-ry fortifi cation of refi ned sugar with Vitamin A as required by Repub-lic Act No. 8976, otherwise known as the ‘Philippine Food Fortifi ca-tion Act of 2000’ until the National Nutrition Council has determined whether it is still necessary or not.”

Gov’t has P500-B in savings, says lawmaker

12 Chinese jailed for illegal fi shing in Tubbataha Reef

DOTC okays IRR for Republic Act 10635

20 measures await fi nal passage at Lower House during early days of 2nd regular session

LOS ANGELES


OPINIONMANILA, August 4, 2014 (AFP) – The Philippines said Mon-day it has won support from Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei for a plan to ease tensions in the South China Sea which it intends to present at a regional meeting this week.

China and several of its Southeast Asian neighbors are em-broiled in increasingly bitter territorial disputes over the strate-gic sea which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.

Manila’s plan calls for an immediate moratorium on activities which escalate tensions and implementation of a code of conduct in the sea, which is home to vital shipping routes and is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

The plan, to be presented to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Myanmar this week, was raised during Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario’s recent vis-its to Brunei, Vietnam and Indonesia, department spokesman Charles Jose said.

“He has taken trips (to these countries) precisely to raise the triple action plan and so far, all of these countries have expressed support for the initiative,” Jose told reporters.

He said del Rosario and other Filipino delegates would try to raise the initiative at the various ASEAN discussions.

ASEAN includes the Philippines as well as Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam along with non-members China and Taiwan, have confl icting claims to parts or all of the South China Sea.

Tensions have risen in recent years as China has become more aggressive in enforcing its claims. Beijing’s deployment of an oil rig in contested waters in May triggered anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam and sent relations plummeting.

Manila’s plan includes a call for implementation of a 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea and will also seek a settlement mechanism anchored on interna-tional law to resolve the disputes.

The Myanmar meetings will also involve talks between the ASEAN foreign ministers and counterparts from the bloc’s main regional trading partners – China, Japan and South Korea.

There will also be a regional security dialogue involving 27 countries, including the ASEAN members, China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Russia, and Australia.

MANILA, Aug 4 (Mabuhay) -- Congress’ trust ratings continue to plunge after the striking down of the Disbursement Accelera-tion Program (DAP) and the arrest of two senators on plunder and graft cases, pollster Pulse Asia reported Monday.

Following the detention of Senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada for their alleged involvement the in pork barrel scam, the Senate’s trust ratings slid further to 31 percent last June from 42 percent last December.

The House of Representatives also suffered a decline in trust ratings, which went to 29 percent in June from 39 percent last December.

Similarly, both chambers’ approval ratings also fell after con-troversies involving its members.

The Senate, whose members endorsed DAP-funded projects, got a lower 33-percent approval rating from 41 percent last March.

The House, meanwhile, received a 34-percent approval rat-ing, lower than the 38 percent fi ve months ago.

The Pulse Asia survey was conducted on 1,200 Filipino adults from June 24 to July 2 this year, covering the period the SC de-clared the DAP as partially unconstitutional.

Also covered by the survey period were Revilla and Estrada’s arrests and detention on allegations that they pocketed their discretionary funds through a scam supposedly orchestrated by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile had also been ar-rested and detained on the same accusations.

The pollster also earlier reported notable drops in the ap-proval and trust ratings of top government offi cials, including President Benigno Aquino III, Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., after these contro-versies. (MNS)

By Sara Puig

LOS ANGELES, August 3, 2014 (AFP) – Murder, corruption and all sorts of sleazy behavior are found on both sides of the US-Mexico border in the US TV drama “The Bridge,” which focuses on an American and a Mexican detective trying to solve binational crimes.

The series, which just began its second season in the United States, Latin America and Spain, opened in July 2013 with the gruesome discovery of a woman’s mutilated body placed in the middle of one of the busy bridges over the Rio Grande that links El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

The teeming urban sprawl of about 2 million peo-ple – some 1.4 million in Ciudad Juarez and about 600,000 in El Paso – is one city with deep historical, cultural and family ties divided by an international border.

In the show, Ciudad Juarez police detective Mar-co Ruiz, played by leading Mexican actor Demian Bi-chir and his Texas counterpart Sonya Cross, played by German actress Diane Kruger, work together to attempt to solve baffl ing serial killings that have suspects and leads on both sides of the border.

As the investigation unfolds, issues of drug traf-fi cking, human smuggling, bribery and abuse of power in the United States and Mexico, inspired by real-life cases ripped from the headlines, are dealt with in the show.

“Here we talk of all the problems that two coun-tries so different as the United States and Mexico share, but in a fi ctional setting,” Bichir told AFP in an interview.

The series “does not treat one country as good and the other as bad. That’s one of the things that keeps the viewer’s attention,” said Bichir, nominat-ed for an Oscar for his lead role in the 2011 Chris Weitz movie “A Better Life.”

Drug wars, illegal immigration“The Bridge” is a remake of the 2011 Swedish-

Danish TV series “Bron/Broen” adapted to the busy 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico border, le-gally crossed by one million people a day.

The show includes episodes that touch on the turf wars between Mexican drug cartels to control lucrative smuggling routes into the United States – the world’s largest illicit drug market – and the infl uence of the cartels on the northern side of the border.

It also addresses the illegal immigration of Mexi-

cans and Central Americans, many of whom are robbed, abused, raped and sometimes murdered by criminal gangs before they even attempt to sneak into the United States.

In this context of rampant, out-of-control vio-lence, Detective Ruiz faces endless obstacles, not only having to deal with the shocking cruelty of some of the crimes, but also the corruption of his own police colleagues.

In El Paso Detective Cross, who has Asperger syndrome and can be brusque and tactless, strug-gles to enforce US law even while she has a jaded, often uninterested supervisor.

The series “puts the fi nger on the sore” of the most controversial issues affecting both countries thanks to the honesty of the two lead characters, Bichir said.

US-Mexican ‘marriage’“The Bridge” has found the right formula to bring

Americans closer to what is happening in its south-ern border, “touching fundamental issues to open eyes and allowing viewers to refl ect through emo-tions,” said Demian’s brother Bruno Bichir, who in the series portrays a dark character named Sebas-tian Cerisola.

“The most important thing is to realize, through this fi ction, that Mexico and the United States are in a marriage and that we have a border that we must care for together,” he said.

Americans appear to be increasingly concerned about the southern border, especially with violence linked to the drug trade and the fl ood of illegal mi-gration.

The show’s fi rst season had some 3.3 million view-ers in the United States, and some 14,000 follow-ers on Twitter. The series airs on the FX network, part of the Fox Entertainment Group, and there has been no confi rmation yet of a third season.

Demian Bichir hopes that “The Bridge” will take a closer look at the issue of migration to the United States.

“We have to talk about the origin of this massive exodus of children that has arrived at the border,” he said, in reference to the more than 57,000 mi-nors, mostly from Central America, who have ille-gally crossed into the United States since October.

“It would be worthwhile if ‘The Bridge’ has the time to tell the history of this humanitarian crisis, and that it takes the time to put a face on the 12 million undocumented people living their daily lives in the United States,” he opined.

By Ben Simon, with Zoom Dosso in Monrovia

LAGOS, August 4, 2014 (AFP) – Nigerian au-thorities said Monday that a doctor in Lagos has contracted Ebola, the second case in the sprawling megacity as the deadliest ever outbreak of the dis-ease continues to spread fear and panic across west Africa.

The confi rmation that a fourth doctor had been in-fected comes as fear and anger about the dead being left unburied in Liberia’s capital Monrovia brought protestors into the streets, while Sierra Leone’s president said Monday that the epidemic threatened the “very essence” of the nation.

“This new case is one of the doctors who attended to the Liberian Ebola patient who died,” Nigeria’s Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu told journal-ists.

He said that 70 other people believed to have come into contact with the Liberian government of-fi cial were being monitored.

Of the eight now in quarantine, three show “symp-tomatic” signs of the disease, he said.

More worrying still are reports from Liberia that victims’ corpses were being dumped or abandoned. Protesters, who blocked major roads in the capital on Monday, claim that the government is not col-lecting bodies of victims left to rot in the streets or in their homes.

According to an update Monday by the UN World Health Organization, at least 887 people have died from Ebola since the beginning of the year as the virus has spread across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra

Leone.The Liberian government had warned against

touching the dead or anyone ill with Ebola-like symptoms, which include fever, vomiting, severe headaches and muscular pain and, in the fi nal stag-es, profuse bleeding.

“Four people died in this community. Because the government says that we should not touch bodies, no one has gone to bury them,” Kamara Fofana, 56, a protestor in the Monrovia suburb of Douala, told AFP. “We have been calling the ministry of health hotline to no avail.”

Miatta Myers said her mother was one of the suspected victims. “Our mother was vomiting. We tried to call the ministry of health but we did not see anyone. For fi ve days now her body has been in the house. The only way we can get the attention of the government is to block the road.”

Roadblocks fi rst sprang up across major routes at the weekend and have appeared in several Monrovia neighbourhoods since.

Deputy health minister Tolbert Nyensuah said the government was doing its best to collect bodies as quickly as possible.

“We buried 30 people during the weekend in a mass grave outside the city. The government has purchased land from a private citizen and that land will be used to bury bodies,” he said.

In neighbouring Sierra Leone, President Ernest Bai Koroma called for the nation to unite to counter the threat posed by the outbreak. “This is a collec-tive fi ght. The very essence of our nation is at stake,” he said in a televised address.

SAN FRANCISCO, August 1, 2014 (AFP) – Google on Thursday told European offi cials that forgetting isn’t easy, especially when details are few and guide-lines are murky regarding when personal privacy trumps public interest.

The world’s leading Internet search engine said that as of July 18 it had received more than 91,000 requests to delete a combined total of 328,000 links under Europe’s “right to be forgotten” ruling.

The most requests came from France and Ger-many, with approximately 17,500 and 16,500 respec-tively, according to a copy of a letter Google global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer sent to an EU data protection committee.

Another 12,000 removal requests came from Brit-ain, 8,000 from Spain, and 7,500 from Italy.

Google said that 53 percent of the links targeted were removed.

But the California-based Internet titan said it is challenged by having to rely on those making re-moval requests for information needed to put them in perspective.

“Some requests turn out to be made with false and inaccurate information,” Fleischer said in the letter.

“Even if requesters provide us with accurate infor-mation, they understandably may avoid presenting facts that are not in their favor.”

For example, a person requesting the removal of links to information about a crime committed as a

teenager may omit that he or she was convicted of similar crimes as an adult, or that he or she is a poli-tician running for offi ce.

Other requests might target a link to information about another person who happens to have the same name.

The 13-page letter contained replies to a questions from a meeting last week between several Internet search services and the group of EU data protection regulators.

Google took the opportunity to ask for input on how it should differentiate what is in the public interest and what isn’t, and whether information posted online by governments can be “forgotten” at someone’s request.

Google has been working to balance freedom of in-formation with privacy rights in the wake of the May ruling by the European Court of Justice.

The court said individuals have the right to have links to information about them deleted from search-es in certain circumstances, such as if the data is out-dated or inaccurate.

European news organizations have opened fi re on Google for removing links to stories from search re-sults in the name of adhering to the court order.

The links remain visible on Google.com, the US version of the site, and the restrictions only appear to relate to certain search terms, typically people’s names.

Action vs China ‘gaining support’: PHL

Pulse Asia: Senate, House trust ratings drop further after DAP ruling, senators’ arrests

US-Mexico border crime takes center stage in ‘The Bridge’

Panic grows as Nigeria doctor is infected with Ebola virus

Google says ‘forgetting’ isn’t easy, as requests mount


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WASHINGTON, July 29, 2014 (AFP) – Just 108 of the thousands of unaccompanied minors illegally cross-ing the US border have been granted asylum in 2014, in a process that often takes more than a year, Congress heard Tuesday.

Many more children who entered the country are likely to be provided asylum status later this year, and ex-perts say there are several other av-enues through which minors can seek to stay in the country.

But the process, especially for asy-lum-seekers, is cumbersome and slow, contributing to what President Barack Obama labelled a humanitarian crisis on the southwest border.

Since October more than 57,000 un-accompanied minors have been appre-hended crossing the border, and about three-quarters of them are from El Sal-vador, Guatemala and Honduras, Cen-tral American countries where youths are fl eeing poverty and gang violence.

More than 1,500 child migrants who arrived in the United States without pa-pers or parents applied for asylum in

fi scal year 2014, according to US Cus-toms and Immigration Services direc-tor Leon Rodriguez.

But with immigrants usually mak-ing their formal asylum requests more than 10 months after fi rst being appre-hended, most of those applicants ar-rived the previous year.

“Of the 167 unaccompanied chil-dren asylum cases adjudicated on the merits in FY14 through the third quar-ter, 108 have been granted asylum sta-tus,” Rodriguez told a House panel.

But in a sign of how the process is mired in legal hurdles and delays, only two of those minors granted asylum were apprehended this year, he said.

“For those who do apply, the delays in the process are very signifi cant,” An-wen Hughes, a senior counsel at Hu-man Rights First told AFP.

“It is taking over a year for asylum applicants to get an initial hearing be-fore the immigration court in some ju-risdictions.”

Hughes also said that nearly half the child migrants are not represented by a lawyer when they appear in immigra-

tion court for the fi rst time.Obama is seeking $3.7 billion in

emergency funding aimed at boosting the number of immigration judges, im-proving care for detained minors and deterring illegal immigration.

Congress is likely to trim his request dramatically.

Senate Democrats have introduced a $2.7 billion package, but House Re-publicans on Tuesday unveiled funding pared down to just $659 million.

The House plan would tweak a 2008 law targeting child traffi cking that ex-panded legal rights for Central Ameri-can child migrants, essentially revok-ing some of those rights to allow for speedier deportations.

The Senate bill would not change the 2008 law, which many Republi-cans blame for fueling the immigration wave.

House Speaker John Boehner said he hopes to pass legislation this week, before lawmakers leave town on a fi ve-week recess, but that would require signifi cant compromise between the two chambers before Friday.

By Lorenzo Paran IIIThere was something refresh-

ing about Nicole and Carlo Da-vid’s concert at Art Share in Los Angeles on Friday, July 25, 2014.

No doubt the occasion itself had something to do with it. The two – children of illustrious L.A.-based singer Mon David and a singing duo since 2008 – were launching their debut CD, aptly called “Sim-ula.” There was also the crowd of about 80, consisting of family, friends, Mon David’s music col-leagues, and other supporters who had gathered to watch the two. And then there was the hip and handsome performance space that was Art Share’s concert hall: a deep and cavernous auditorium that was a perfect complement to the pair’s voices and the sound of Carlo’s acoustic guitar.

Refreshing too were the songs that Nicole and Carlo chose to sing that evening. Whether it was a cover of a Jason Mraz number or one of their own compositions, there was always a positive note in the lyrics, a sense of optimism.

Maroon 5’s “Daylight,” their opening number, speaks of a deci-sion to cling on to a treasured mo-ment, while Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up” and John Legend’s “All of Me” speak not only of love but also of total devotion.

As for their own musical cre-ations, Nicole and Carlo, who are based in Manila but are seen on L.A. area stages when they are in town, often sing of a choice to be optimistic in the face of emotion and confusion.

RNs to strike August 14 at three Bay Area hospitalsSafe Staffi ng, patient care key concerns at Napa’s Queen of the Valley, Sutter Tracy, and Watsonville Community

Registered nurses at three Bay Area hospitals, Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Sutter Tracy Communi-ty Hospital, and Watsonville Community Hospital will strike on Thursday, August 14 citing common concerns about safe staffi ng and other patient care needs.Watsonville RNs will strike for three days; Queen of the Valley and Sutter Tracy RNs will strike for one day. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United represents the RNs at all three hospitals.

Queen of the Valley, NapaAt Queen of the Valley, the RNs have proposed language to improve staffi ng to meet state minimum staffi ng require-ments and patient need, rather than to base staffi ng on budget goals. The RNs are also proposing the hospital provide suffi cient staffi ng so that RNs are able to take meal and rest breaks without leav-ing patients without adequate staffi ng care; many RNs now are unable to take their breaks due to poor staffi ng.

“Nurses at Queen deserve a contract that guarantees our patients get the best care possible. Nurses have been nego-tiating in good faith for a contract that will help us fi ght for safe staffi ng, but now hospital management is demand-ing language that could gut our contract the day after we agree to it. Nurses are prepared to fi ght for our future and our hospital,” said MaryLou Bahn, RN, and OB-GYN RN and nurse negotiator at Queen of the Valley.

The hospital is also demanding ma-jor takeaways in language that would allow management to make wholesale cuts in health benefi ts, pensions, and

other time off with just 30 days notice.CNA also represents St. Joseph RNs at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, Petaluma Valley Hospital in Petaluma, and St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley in Southern California as well as Queen of the Valley.

Sutter TracyNursing standards with strong patient safety and staffi ng language is a particu-larly important goal for the Sutter Tracy RNs noting a high turnover of the nurs-ing workforce at Sutter Tracy and the continued use of out-of-town traveler nurses.

The RNs cite the refusal of hospital negotiators to address their concerns about safe staffi ng language to protect patients and to support provisions to protect RNs from on the job injuries due to unsafe patient lifting policies.

The RNs are also at odds with the hospital over agreement on an RN-elect-ed professional practice committee to meet with management on patient care issues.

“We want safe staffi ng, adequate resources and, above all, a voice in the care we deliver,” said nurse nego-tiator and RN activist Dotty Nygard. “We need standards that lead to recruit-ment and retention of nurses, so that this community doesn’t have to rely on tem-porary contracted nurse staffi ng which is a revolving door, a practice that’s ex-isted for years in some units.

The community deserves better, with safe, competent and committed staff. We are sending a clear message that we are standing together and we are serious,” said Nygard.

The RNs and Sutter Tracy offi cials have been bargaining for more than two years now, without a resolution, during which time hospital offi cials unilaterally implemented changes to the health plan.

LONDON, United Kingdom (August 1, 2014) – ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel (TFC) explores the rich and varied stories of Pinoy expatriates in Europe in a new, monthly magazine program, Juan EU Konek.

Airing every fi rst Sunday of the month on TFC in Europe and Middle East and on TFC.tv worldwide,Juan EU Konek brings to life the passions, adventures and success stories of the Filipinos in Europe, in a 45-minute program hosted by ABS-CBN Europe’s news team of seasoned journalists – Dan-ny Buenafe, Rose Eclarinal and Gene Alcantara.

TFC Europe’s fi rst foray into long-form, magazine report-ing, Juan EU Konek delves deeper into the lives of Europe-based Fili-pinos, tackling both their political and social concerns, including im-migration matters, as well as their lighter moments.

ABS-CBN Europe and Middle East News Bureau Chief Danny Buenafe investigates the big issues that affect the Filipinos in Europe or the European Pinoy, such as the plight of migrant domestic workers in the UK and the impact of Spain’s

economic crisis on Filipino families there.

Senior Correspondent Rose Eclarinal, who also produces the show, shines a light on the life-styles and success stories of the Fil-ipinos in Europe, animating their triumphs and struggles to make it on the continent.

Whether following the new Fili-pino leads of the West End revival of the hit musical “Miss Saigon”, or probing the psyche of Pinoy trans-sexuals in the UK, Eclarinal offers revealing portraits of Filipino life in Europe.

Legal consultant and long-time community leader Gene Alcantara, meanwhile, hosts “Immigration 101”, a segment dedicated to immi-gration concerns for Europe-based Filipinos.

The fi rst of its kind for TFC Europe, “Immigration 101” keeps viewers abreast of the latest devel-opments in immigration law in Eu-rope, covering the range of issues from travel restrictions and work permits to changes in European laws.

Says Alcantara of Immigration 101: “It is important for Filipinos to know their immigration rights,

what is possible and what is not, especially for those who are al-ready citizens of Europe. Particu-larly with the growing popularity of right-wing views and anti-im-migrant sentiments in the UK, France, Greece and elsewhere, it is vital that Filipinos in Europe stand fi rm especially when we know we are in the right. And I think show-ing case studies on TFC will allow them to see and understand how it all works. Hopefully we will see a more knowledgeable and empow-ered community able to exercise their lives in Europe to its fullest.”

Juan EU Konek was fi rst con-ceptualized by Rose Eclarinal as one-off specials for the 20th anniver-sary of TFC.

Having cut her teeth with news and current affairs at ABS CBN in Manila, Eclarinal wanted to show-case in detail the lives of Filipinos in Europe, in a longer format that would bring out to the fullest their stories, their aspirations and con-cerns.

Now as Juan EU Konek’s execu-tive producer, Eclarinal is excited about the prospects of the show. “I am so grateful for this opportuni-ty,” she said.

108 solo child migrants given asylum in 2014: US

Hope-fi lled, heart-fi lled singing launches Nicole and Carlo David’s ‘Simula’

TFC Europe launches ‘Juan EU Konek’: Inspiring Stories of Pinoys in Europe

RNs to strike August 14 at three Bay Area hospitals

Nicole, 28, and Carlo, 26, share a light moment with their father, illustrious singer Mon David, who joined them on stage for a number during their CD launching concert at Art Share. Photo: Rick Gavino

In “You Make Me Feel,” they sing “I choose to live in positiv-ity / And believe in the goodness of humanity / I choose to be free, free to be me.”

“Sana” and “Tinakda,” with music by Carlo and words by Nicole, are simi-larly hopeful.

Most of their songs on Friday connected with the audience, but these were the tunes that really struck a chord, helped by the pair’s endearing rapport on stage and by their can-dor about their own “struggles” as they pursue a musical career. Their resolve to move forward de-spite those struggles is often the inspiration behind their songs.

There were many highlights in the show.

Classical guitarist Ric Ickard joined the two for a couple of num-bers. Ner de Leon, who produced the album, also joined Nicole and Carlo for “You Make Me Feel,” a track in the album. The saxophon-ist never takes more than one tune to impress an audience, and this evening was no exception.

Finally, a poignant moment came when proud father Mon Da-vid joined the two on stage for a number. The choice of song was sublime: “The Glory of Love,” not the Peter Cetera song (which is a

fi ne tune in itself), but rather the beloved ditty from the Great American Songbook, composed by Billy Hill and popularized by such iconic singers as Jimmy Durante, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin and Bette Midler. Its refrain goes: “You’ve got to give a little, take a little / And let your poor heart break a little / That’s the story of, that’s the glory of love.”

The three reworked some of the lines to say: “As long as there’s the three of us / We’ve got the world and all its charms / And when the world is through with us / We’ve got each other’s arms.”

And as they sang, one couldn’t help but feel they were singing about themselves, the evening, and the musical ad-venture that Nicole and Carlo have embarked upon.


By Pia CabanelaI’ve been an avid fan of the Los

Angeles Tourism and American Ex-press’s DineLA event to highlight Los Angeles as a dining destina-tion in the Golden State. For seven years, bi-annually, hundreds of res-taurants participate and prepare a prix fi xe meal for a fraction of their usual price. With that said, out comes my hunger, and fortunately,

in comes my budget. From 14-27 July, I was on the

hunt for the great food experience of my Summer ‘14. I am writing more about the experience because I’m not a food critic. For me, a luscious meal can be forgotten due to a ghastly house presentation. I have decided to explore four places out of dozens in the list in downtown LA. Strad-dling my boyfriend Yuriy along, he

becomes the perfect guinea pig for the project since bad service makes him grouchy.

First stop, Artisan House on Main Street. Our server, Alexis, was an angel sent from Hostess Heaven, if there ever is one. He discussed the menu and was prompt with his an-swers, just what servers should be. His momma must be proud and so should Artisan! The menu was like

Dining in L.A. for DineLA

Pia Cabanela

SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE

a clean cut from a barber shop. Straightforward, tasty and satisfi ed when you exit. I was off to a good start.

That night, I switched to an LBD (Little Black Dress) while Yuriy splat-ters fresh cologne on the same shirt. We headed to M Grill on Wilshire Blvd. Although it was a very busy night, the hostess and server took time to inform us of their DineLA menu. The meat was still scrump-tiously overfl owing much to our delight. They serve the meat to you from a grill stick and all the meat men, as I love to call them, are very knowledgeable on what they’re slicing off onto your plate. I’ve always had a lovely dinner here with live music and jolly people everywhere.

The weather the next day was stifl ing and my mind was dead on set for a refreshing Mojito as we reached the Restaurant at the Standard Hotel Down-town. The hostess was cordial, however, I had to ask if they were participat-ing. I was expecting a run through of the menu which normally follows that ques-tion. “Enjoy!” is what I got.

We heavily hinted that we were parched and would love to have it quenched immediately so we ordered our drinks fi rst. Only 6 tables were occupied, but we wondered if they were fetching our drinks from some mountains away? Sad to say, this prompted us to leave, buck eyed from thirst. Luckily, round the block, a non-DineLA par-ticipant saved the day,

Bottega Louie’s quick wit server Amelie is worth mentioning.

On the last day of the event, I visited LA Market situated inside the JW Marriot on Olympic Blvd. The lady of the house, Bebe, wel-comed us with a huge grin clutch-ing a regular and a DineLA menu, a fi rst. Their 3 course meals were mouth-watering. Their portions were surprisingly ample and I did not feel deprived. My burger was juicy and huge next to my fl imsy hands! Our servers were Michael and John, both exceptional, cour-teous and amusing. Out of the 4, they win hands down. From the enormous serving, delectable course which ended with a picture perfect crème brûlée to their ar-ray of pleasant servers.

Dining out should be an oppor-tunity to spend time with family and friends. It is one of those life’s perks to enjoy a moment whether from a stressful day or week or just an excuse not to pig out alone. I just have to run tens of miles out of these moments I had to get ready for next year’s food voyage. The summer is far from over and now in, comes more of the heat, and out, comes by belly. Ura! (Ura is cheers in Ukrainian.)

Mag

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(Relaxnews) – Researchers at Yale University School of Medi-cine say that preventing weight gain could be as simple as calm-ing the activity of a nuclear recep-tor in a tiny area of the brain.

Blocking the effects of the nu-clear receptor PPARGamma in a small amount of brain cells in mice not only reduced the ani-mals’ appetites, it increased their metabolism to a point where they could be described as “resistant to a high fat diet.”

PPARGamma receptors re-side in the POMS neurons in the brain’s hypothalamus lobe. The receptors control the POMS neu-rons, telling them when to switch on and off, thereby regulating the appetite.

“These animals ate fat and

sugar, and did not gain weight, while their control littermates did,” says lead author Sabrina Diano, professor in the Depart-ment of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. “We showed that the PPARGamma receptor in neurons that produce POMC could control responses to a high-fat diet without resulting in obe-sity.”

In the study, Diano and her team genetically engineered their mice to lack PPARGamma recep-tors.

“When we blocked PPARga-mma in these hypothalamic cells, we found an increased level of free radical formation in POMC neurons, and they were more ac-tive,” said Diano, also a professor

of comparative medicine and neu-robiology at Yale and director of the Reproductive Neurosciences Group.

The fi ndings indicate more than another step towards diet-less weight management and a potential cure for obesity. They are also important concerning di-abetes. PPARGamma is a compo-nent of thiazolidinedione (TZD), a class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes, and until now it re-mained a mystery as to why pa-tients gained weight using the medication.

Diano says this problem could be circumvented by altering TZD to prevent weight gain and that more research is imminent.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Science is getting closer to diet-less weight loss. A new study from the Yale School of Medicine brings the latest fi ndings. ©Gts /shutterstock.com

Study suggests diet-less weight loss possible through neuronal ‘sweet spot’

(Relaxnews) – A new study published Monday in the jour-nal Pediatrics fi nds that playing video games for up to an hour a day can be benefi cial for 10-to-15-year-olds.

“Electronic gaming and psy-chosocial adjustment,” believed to be the largest study of its kind, was carried out by Oxford University and examined the positive and negative effects of video gaming on a representa-tive sample of 5,000 UK children and teenagers.

It found that a little gam-ing goes a long way to help-ing children feel well adjust-ed, even when compared to 10-to-15-year-olds when com-pared to kids who don’t par-take of console games at all.Children who play console or computer games for up to an hour a day were the most like-ly to express satisfaction with their lives; had the highest lev-els of sociability, and appeared to have fewer friendship, emo-tional or hyperactivity issues than other subjects in the study.However, there appears to be a tipping point. When children play for three hours or more a day, they are less well adjusted.

The study’s author, Dr. An-drew Przybylski, speculates that this could be related to

how much of a child’s free time is taken up by video gaming. If a child has three-to-four hours’ free time a day and the majority of it is taken up by gaming, then he or she is missing out on other valuable, enriching activities.However, whether good or bad, the research suggests that the impact of video games on chil-dren is very small when com-pared with what it describes as the more “enduring factors” of family life and material depriva-tion.

“‘These results support re-cent laboratory-based experi-ments that have identifi ed the downsides to playing electronic games. However, high levels of video game-playing appear to be only weakly linked to children’s behavioural problems in the real world. Likewise, the small, positive effects we observed for low levels of play on electronic games do not support the idea that video games on their own can help children develop in an increasingly digital world.,” said Dr. Przybylski, who believes that more research will now need to be done into understand-ing what types of games have the biggest positive benefi t on children and how other external factors impact on childhood and adolescent development.

Gaming, in moderation, can have a positive effect on children’s development, say researchers. ©AFP PHOTO/JOEL SAGET

A little gaming can be good for kids: study

WASHINGTON, August 4, 2014 (AFP) – Violent videogames glorifying antisocial characters could increase teenage gamers’ risk of criminal and other risky behavior like smoking and alco-hol use, a US study said Monday.

These adult-rated games also affect teenage users’ self-image, according to the study by Dart-mouth College researchers pub-lished in the Journal of Person-ality and Social Psychology.

A previous Dartmouth study published in 2012 had already found that such videogames could incite teens to drive care-lessly.

Other studies have linked vio-lent videogames to adolescent aggressiveness and violence.

But this latest study “is impor-tant because it is the fi rst to sug-gest that possible effects of vio-

lent videogames go well beyond violence to apply to substance use, risky driving and risk-tak-ing sexual behavior,” Dartmouth professor of pediatrics and co-author James Sargent said in a statement.

In fact, youths who play these types of videogames may identify themselves to the antisocial pro-tagonists they feature.

“With respect to playing de-viant videogame characters, we feel it best to follow the admoni-tion of Kurt Vonnegut in ‘Mother Night:’ ‘We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be,’” said lead author Jay Hull, who chairs Dartmouth’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sci-ences.

For the study, researchers questioned 5,000 randomly cho-

sen US teenagers over a four-year period by telephone.

Among the factors they exam-ined were playing three violent videogames glorifying violence—“Grand Theft Auto,” “Manhunt” and “Spiderman”—and other mature-rated games.

The study then found links be-tween games of this nature and changes in a broad range of high-risk behaviors.

“This is due, in part, to chang-es in the users’ personality, at-titudes and values, specifi cally making them more rebellious and thrill-seeking,” the study said.

Researchers found the effects to be similar for both men and women, and strongest among those who played the most or played games with antisocial protagonists.

Violent videogames linked to risk of crime, alcohol abuse

(Relaxnews) – The active ingredient in chili peppers is called dietary cap-saicin and researchers at the Univer-sity of California in San Diego say it could provoke chronic activation of the intestinal lining, reducing the risk for colorectal tumors.

Sensory neurons on the tongue con-tain a molecular pain receptor known as TRPV1 that distinguishes heat, acid-ity and spice.

“These are all potentially harmful stimuli to cells,” says Eyal Raz, MD, professor of medicine and senior author of the study. “Thus, TRPV1 was quickly described as a molecular ‘pain receptor.’ This can be considered to be its conven-tional function, which all takes place in the nervous system.”

In their study, which was conducted on mice, Raz and his team found that TRPV1 appears in the intestinal lining.

Here, according to Raz, it gets acti-

vated by an element that encourages skin cell reproduction called EGFR.

This is important because the epithe-lial lining of the intestine gets replaced every four to six days, even faster than the skin on the outside of the body, which replaces itself approximately once per month.

In the study, which was conducted on mice, researchers found that intestinal tumors can appear when the balance of the two is offset.

“A basic level of EGFR activity is required to maintain the normal cell turnover in the gut,” says Petrus de Jong, MD, fi rst author of the study. “However, if EGFR signaling is left un-restrained, the risk of sporadic tumor development increases.”

Researchers genetically modifi ed mice so that they lacked TRPV1, and as a result, scientists found they were more likely to develop tumors.

Tough on the tongue, easy on the gut: Chili peppers are great


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Using pastry cutter, cut-in shortening and peanut butter, until mixture resembles

small peas. Drizzle mixture with cold water until mixture is moist and holds together. Roll out on fl oured surface to at least 1/16th of an inch thickness.

Using 3-by-5-inch index (recipe) card for template, cut into sixteen 3-by-5-inch shapes. Re-rolling works fi ne. In middle of eight shapes, smear 1/2 heaping tea spoon peanut butter and heaping tea spoon of jam on top. Be careful not to go to edges. Using fi ngers, wet edges with water and place another piece of pastry on top. Press all sides well, and using fork press all edges to secure. Using fork, gently poke tops in four places so steam can escape.

Place inch apart on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 13–14 minutes until starting to brown around edges. Cool on rack.

Whisk together drizzle of choice in small bowl. Drizzle over cooled tarts.Note: Th is pastry is very user-friendly and delicate. Freeze tarts up to one month and defrost at room temperature before serving.

Servings: 8 pieces Prepared pie crust Chopped peanuts (optional)Filling: 7 apples, peeled cored and sliced 2/3 cup sugar 3 tablespoons fl our 1 teaspoon lemon juice Crumble: 3/4 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup peanut butter 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup fl our

Place crust in 9-inch pie pan and crimp edges. Use dried beans to weigh down bottom. Bake crust for 10–15 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned.

Mix all fi lling ingredients together and put in crust. Using hands, mix crumble ingredients until in pea-sized pieces. Top apples with crumble. Don’t worry if sky high, apples will cook down and pie will be perfectly proportioned.

Bake at 350°F for 40–50 minutes. Keep edges covered with foil until last 15 min utes. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

FAMILY FEATURES

In kitchens, cafeterias and restaurants nationwide, our local food preferences may be unique, and our culinary traditions may be diverse, but we all share a common bond: a love for peanut butter.

“Aff ordable, nutritious and of course delicious, peanut butter is a staple found in most American homes,” said Leslie Wagner, executive director of Southern Peanut Growers. “While some parts of the country prefer their foods hot and spicy, others prefer savory or sweet. But no matter where you go, families love making peanuts or peanut butter a key ingredient in their favorite recipes.”

To celebrate the unique fl avors from coast to coast, and to fi nd the best hometown PB recipes, Southern Peanut Growers conducted its fi rst “PB My Way” regional recipe contest.

Peanut butter lovers nationwide submitted their recipes, from spicy stuff ed peppers inspired by the South-west to decadent chocolate bars in the Northeast. Th ese are the top regional PB-powered recipes in our “United States of Peanut Butter.”

For more recipes, visit www.peanutbutterlovers.com.

Pennsylvania PB & C BarsRecipe contributed by winner Victoria Z., Northeast regionServings: 12 bars Crust: 1 cup melted butter 2 cups peanut butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 5 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups fl our 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup chopped peanuts Topping: 1 1/2 tubs chocolate frosting 1 cup peanut butter, melted 1 cup salted peanuts, chopped Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix butter, peanut butter, sugars, salt, eggs and vanilla until well mixed. Add fl our and baking powder and mix thoroughly. Spread on a 10-by-15-by-2-inch ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 12–15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

Spread frosting over crust. Drizzle melted peanut butter over chocolate. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of peanut butter and chocolate. Let set until topping is fi rm.

You can refrigerate cookie sheet to speed fi rming process, if desired. Cut into desired size bars.

Easy PB & J Breakfast TartsRecipe contributed by winner Susan M., West region

Carolina Dreaming Appetizer MeatballsRecipe contributed by winner Janice E., Southeast regionServings: 24 meatballs 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup fi g preserves 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey 4 green onions, fi nely chopped (including green tops) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 large egg 1 teaspoon salt Diced green onion tops or chopped parsley (optional)Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together peanut butter, preserves, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice until well blended. Add ginger, black and red pepper, mixing well. Reserve.

Place approximately half peanut butter mixture into mixing bowl (reserve remainder for later). Add turkey, green onions, parsley, egg and salt to mixing bowl and mix lightly but thoroughly.

Roll mixture into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on lightly greased, rimmed baking sheet.

Place into oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and brush tops of meatballs with remain ing peanut butter mixture.

Return pan to oven and bake for about 5–8 minutes more, or until nicely browned.

Remove from oven. Arrange on serving plate and sprinkle with diced green onion tops or parsley, if desired. Note: Use with decorative toothpicks placed in each meatball for easy consumption.

Nutty Jalapeno-Chicken Stuff ed PeppersRecipe contributed by winner Lori M., Southwest regionServings: 12 peppers 12 large jalapeno peppers, split open (not all the way through) and seeded 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 cup shredded cooked chicken 1 3-ounce package cooked bacon pieces 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 cup crushed cornfl akes Preheat oven to 350°F. Place peppers in medium bowl and cover with boiling water 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

In medium bowl, mix together peanut butter, chicken, bacon and cheese. Fill each jalapeno with mixture. Smear each pepper with a little mayonnaise and roll in cornfl akes in shallow dish to cover.

Place jalapeno on non-stick baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 15–20 minutes.


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LOS ANGELES (July 23, 2014) – There are many attractive reasons for Angelenos to own the all-elec-tric Nissan LEAF: single-occupant access to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes; an available Califor-nia state tax rebate of $2,500; much lower operating costs than a gas-powered car and now, free public charging.

Nissan announced today that it is adding Los Angeles to its “No Charge to Charge” promotion, a program that will offer two years of no-cost public charging at hundreds of stations with the purchase or lease of a new Nissan LEAF in the Los Angeles area. This includes no-cost access to fast chargers that can charge a LEAF battery pack from zero to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes.

“Los Angeles has long been one of the world’s top markets for electric car sales,” said Brendan Jones, director, Nissan Electric Vehicle Sales and Infra-structure. “Adding free access to public fast charging in the LA market gives us a competitive edge over other vehicles, regardless of their fuel source.”

“No Charge to Charge” takes advantage of the new EZ-ChargeSM card, a fi rst-of-its-kind card that offers Nissan LEAF owners access to fi ve leading EV charging networks with a single card. New own-ers will receive an EZ-Charge card that will provide access to chargers with ChargePoint, Blink, Car-Charging, AeroVironment and NRG eVgo. (Note: not all chargers available with the EZ-Charge card are part of “No Charge to Charge.”)

Nissan now offers “No Charge to Charge” in 11 of the top markets for Nissan LEAF sales, includ-ing San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston and Washington, D.C. In the next year, Nissan plans to offer the “No Charge to Charge” program and EZ-Charge card at LEAF dealers in at least 14 additional U.S. markets.

“No Charge to Charge” will launch at Nissan LEAF dealers in the Los Angeles market on August 15, 2014. LEAF owners who purchased or leased their vehicle on or after July 1, 2014, in the Los An-geles market will receive entry into the “No Charge to Charge” program retroactively.

For more information on the “No Charge to Charge” promotion and EZ-Charge, visit www.EZ-

Charge.com/FAQ.About Nissan LEAF

With about 125,000 global sales since launch, Nis-san LEAF is the world’s top-selling electric vehicle. LEAF seats up to fi ve passengers and boasts an es-timated driving range on a fully-charged battery of 84 miles and MPGe ratings of 126 city, 101 highway and 114 combined. The effective price of a Nissan LEAF starts at about $20,000 after the available $7,500 federal tax credit and $2,500 California state rebate, which is competitive with similar gas-pow-ered cars while providing the benefi ts of lower run-ning costs and less scheduled maintenance.

LEAF is powered by an advanced lithium-ion bat-tery and an 80kW motor that provides a highly re-sponsive, fun-to-drive experience.

The all-electric Nissan LEAF is offered in three trim levels, and shoppers can choose from a variety of available premium features such as leather seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, 7-speaker BOSE® energy ef-fi cient audio system and a 6.6 kW onboard charger that signifi cantly reduces 220V charging times.

“No Charge to Charge” will launch at Nissan LEAF dealers in the Los Angeles market on August 15, 2014. LEAF owners who purchased or leased their vehicle on or after July 1, 2014, in the Los Angeles market will receive entry into the “No Charge to Charge” program retroactively. For more information on the “No Charge to Charge” promotion and EZ-Charge, visit www.EZ-Charge.com/FAQ.

Nissan off ers free charging for new leaf buyers in Los Angeles

Hyundai New Generation i20. The car will make its fi rs offi cial appearance at the Paris Motor Show in October. ©Hyundai

(Relaxnews) – The fi rst offi -cial design renderings of the car, which hopes to go toe to toe with the latest Ford Fiesta and Volk-swagen Polo, have been released.

And in terms of styling, the new car has a very European feel with a wider stance, longer nose and smoother lines. The overall effect will be enough to help it stand out – for the right reasons – against its traditionally more refi ned ‘B’ segment competitors.

Like fellow Korean car maker KIA, Hyundai has been focusing heavily on injecting more indi-viduality and character into the look and feel of its cars in recent years – KIA hired Audi’s head of design to take its cars to the next visual level and Hyundai has set up its design studio in Germany, the heart of the European car in-dustry.

And in both cases, the invest-ment is paying off. Both brands are managing to make the tran-sition from being perceived as producing value-for-money – i.e.,

cheap – vehicles to being compa-nies that offer compelling alterna-tives to the likes of Ford, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen and VW.

Although there is currently no offi cial word as to what will be sit-ting under the i20’s hood or the cabin’s trim and feature levels, Hyundai is expected to release further information about the car before it heads to the Paris motor show on October 2 for its offi cial unveiling.

New Hyundai i20 teased ahead of Paris debut

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While Sunshine Cruz can still give the younger sexy stars a run for their money, the actress, who scorched the big screen in movies such as “Ekis” and “Ang Kabit ni Mrs. Montero” is no longer interested in doing sexy roles.

“Hindi na uso ngayon ‘yon,” Cruz said. “Sinasabi ko naman palagi na kung maganda ‘yung project ay wala namang problema sa pagpapa-sexy. Pero sa totoo lang ang dami ko na pong kino-consider kasi I have three daughters.”

Moreover, Cruz pointed out that she has been get-ting meaty roles lately.

“Natutuwa na nga ako na napapansin kahit paa-no na may talent tayo sa acting. Nung nag-‘MMK’ ako ay maganda naman ‘yung review,” she said, re-ferring to her appearance on the long-running dra-ma anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” last May, where she played the mother of a boy who is battling leu-kemia.

She also pointed out her recent TV shows like “Dugong Buhay” and “Galema.” She is currently part of the hit series “Pure Love.”

“’Yung nabibigay ng mga roles sa akin sa teles-erye ay puro talaga challenging and parang ang pakiramdam ko ay nagagampanan ko kasi sa isang taon nakakatatlong teleserye na ako sa awa ng Diyos dire-diretso naman ang project,” Cruz added.

Cruz, who made headlines after she broke up with her husband of 13 years Cesar Montano, stressed that her priority right now is her career and her three children.

“Ang focus ko ngayon ay trabaho, makaipon at makapag-provide ng magandang buhay para sa kanila,” she said.

Asked if she’s entertaining suitors, the actress said: “Naku hindi ko naman pinagiintindi ‘yang mga ‘yan.”

Cruz also explained her marriage to Montano is not yet annulled.

“Hindi pa annulled so I don’t consider na mag-paligaw or ‘yung mga love life na ‘yan. Sakit sa ulo lang yan,” the actress added. (MNS)

ACTOR Richard Gomez is sad-dened by the detention of his two friends Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. who are facing non-bailable plun-der charges in connection with the pork barrel scam.

“They are my friends and I feel sad that they’re in jail now. I think it’s an opportunity for them to prove themselves that they are not guilty of what’s being accused (of them). We’ll be in the sidelines (observing) of what’s going to hap-pen,” he said in a recent interview.

Revilla and Estrada are now detained in the custodial center at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City after the Sandigan-bayan ordered for their separate arrest.

Aside from plunder, the two actor-politicians and Senate Mi-nority Floor Leader Juan Ponce

Enrile are also facing graft charg-es related to the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assis-tance Fund (PDAF).

“Mahaba kasi yung judiciary process na iyan. Right now, they are being accused but they are not yet guilty until matapos ang kaso. So we really have to wait. It might take long, years, bago malaman ang verdict,” said the actor, whose wife, Lucy, is also a politician.

Meanwhile, Gomez is part of the Star Cinema movie “She’s Dating The Gangster” starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Pa-dilla.

“It’s a short role but it’s a good one, it’s nice. Parang everything happened in two days and it’s nice working with Daniel and Kath-ryn,” he said.

“It’s actually a very good love team. Masang-masa yung dating ni Daniel and Kathryn and that’s

what we all want to, the masses to watch and support you. From my end, I get the energy from them that’s why the work was very light and easy,” he added.

Aside from working with the two young actors, Gomez was also reunited with perennial leading lady and former girlfriend, Dawn Zulueta.

When asked if this is a start of something big, Richard replied, “Siguro it’s a prelude to some-thing big. I was told that Star Cinema is preparing a movie for me and Dawn. I hope it happens this year.”

Gomez is fi lming the movie “The Trial” under director Chito Roño.

The fi lm, which is set for re-lease in the last quarter of 2014, is co-starred by John Lloyd Cruz, Gretchen Barretto, and Benjamin Alves. (MNS)

MANILA, Aug 4 (Mabuhay) -– “Gumamit po ako ng droga.”This was the direct admission of JM De Guzman when asked

about the real reason for his almost one-year absence from the limelight.

De Guzman said he personally asked his late grandfather to send him to rehab.

“Pinasok po ako sa rehab dahil unmanageable na ako. Gumamit po ako ng droga. Sinubukan ko ‘yung hindi dapat subukan… Nag-ing iresponsable po ako. Nawala po ‘yung disiplina ko. Lumaki po yung ulo ko. I lost control,” he said.

Asked what triggered him to plead that he be sent to a rehabili-tation facility, the actor said: “Mentally, hindi na ako makapag-isip ng diretso. Hindi ko na mapagkatiwalaan ‘yung mga sarili kong desisyon, responsibilidad at disiplina nawawala na rin sa akin. Wala na, emotionally hindi ko na kaya i-control.”

The “Angelito” actor said his drug use was also one of the rea-sons he and actress Jessy Mendiola broke up.

“Sa bisyo ko, sa mga ginawa ko sa sarili ko, wala pong kinala-man si Jessy doon. Decision ko ‘yun, choices ko ‘yun, and naging rason ‘yun kung bakit kami naghiwalay. Isa po ‘yun sa maraming rason,” he said.

Still under a 15-month rehabilitation program, De Guzman said his experience inside the rehab facility gave him a new-found per-spective on life.

“Na-appreciate ko ‘yung mga simpleng bagay na nabibigay sa akin, simpleng bagay na nilalatag sa akin ng Diyos. Kasi noon, wala akong kinikilalang kahinaan ko. Akala ko kaya ko lahat,” he said.

Now ready for his showbiz comeback, De Guzman said he will forever be thankful to those who welcomed him back with open arms, especially the Kapamilya network who gave him a project right away.

“Nagpapasalamat ako ng sobra kasi hindi lahat ng tao nabibig-yan ng ganitong pagkakataon at hindi lahat ng tao binibigyan pa ng pangalawang pagkakataon,” he said.

According to De Guzman, he is hoping to do another television series if given the opportunity. (MNS)

JM de Guzman admits taking drugsRichard Gomez

Richard Gomez expresses support for jailed friends

Sunshine Cruz no longer keen on sexy roles

Sunshine Cruz

While Erich Gonzales prefers to keep her boy-friend away from show-biz, she stressed that she is proud of him and is at her happiest when they are together.

The 23-year-old ac-tress was asked about her relationship Wednesday on the sidelines of a press conference for “Once A Princess,” her reunion movie with Enchong Dee which will hit cinemas on August 6.

The relationship, which Gonzales has man-aged to keep private for the past four years, has only become more seri-ous, as the actress re-vealed that she and her boyfriend have started talking about getting married.

She stressed, however, that she is not tying the knot anytime soon.

“Hindi pa nga po siya nag-po-propose! Matagal pa! Napag-uusapan po namin at lagi kong sina-sabi, ‘Mga 10 years pa.’ Kasi marami pa po akong gustong gawin,” she said.

Re-thinking her an-swer, Gonzales clarifi ed that her ideal age to walk down the aisle is 30. “O, sige na nga. Thirty ‘yung gusto ko po sana. Mga seven years pa!” she said.

Why Erich won’t introduce non-showbiz boyfriend

TOYOTA of

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, August 6 - 12, 2014 THE US ASIAN POST12OFWS DEFYFrom page 1

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SANDIGANBAYANFrom page 1

“We are hearing that a lot of them would rather take the chance of surviving the war rather than (risking) the uncertainty of not having work here,” he told reporters.

He added that while some might be will-ing to risk the danger, others, especially those working in the medical fi eld, might be under pressure to stay.

Jose also said Libyan authorities were asking medical workers to remain because their departure would paralyze the health service which is heavily reliant on Filipino personnel.

“It is still their decision whether they would like to come back or stay behind,” he said.

A ferry capable of carrying about 1,500 people would arrive in Libya by Friday to evacuate Filipinos and would return to Malta by Sunday from where they would be fl own out, Jose said.

The Philippines has been calling for its nationals to return from Libya, warning that the situation there could deteriorate to the point where they cannot be repatri-ated.

These calls have grown louder after a Filipino construction worker was abducted and then beheaded by unknown suspects last month and a Filipina nurse was gang-raped in Tripoli on Wednesday.

The Philippines previously launched a mass evacuation of its workers in Libya in 2011, when most of the 30,000 Filipinos there left during the violent chaos lead-ing to the toppling of late dictator Moamer Kadhafi .

Symptoms of infection with Ebola virus include:

• fever, headache, intense weakness, joint and muscle pains, and sore throat

• vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and exter-nal bleeding

• sometimes, rash, red eyes, hiccups, and bleeding from body openings

Also, Valte said the DOH continues to monitor the situation every day, and is keeping watch over seven migrant work-ers recently repatriated from Sierra Leone, one of the Ebola-affected areas.

ance system that allow soldiers to air their grievances so that the AFP leadership can respond.

Speculation was rife over the week-end that the AFP was conducting loyalty checks among its personnel especially after new AFP Chief of Staff Gregorio Catapang Junior visited the Western Mindanao Com-mand in Zamboanga City on Saturday.

Zagala said there was nothing extraordi-nary about the visit, noting that Catapang also made a visit to the Northern Luzon Command and other major services.

“We have a new chief of staff. It is but natural for a new AFP chief to go around and visit various units of the AFP...This is but natural for him to visit. He wants his men to see him. One of the major activities is to really go to the grassroots, talk to the men and get their pulse. It shows that he is a soldier’s soldier. He wants to connect to the common soldier so they can see he is approachable,” he said. (MNS)

they have already been arraigned, making the criminal information fi led by the state prosecutors valid.

“In view of the arraignment of the ac-cused and that validity of the Information in the instant case is no longer in question, and invoking the clear mandate of the law, suspension of both accused pending litiga-tion is now mandatory,” the motion stated.

According to the resolution, however, the suspension will only be implemented once the order is deemed fi nal.

“The President of the Sentate shall im-plement the order once he has been notifi ed of the fi nality hereof,” it said.

Revilla and Cambe have two weeks to fi le a motion for reconsideration of the sus-pension. The anti-graft court had earlier ordered the suspension of Senate Minor-ity Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who are also detained on plunder and graft charges over the alleged pork barrel scam.

But the Senate has yet to implement the two orders, saying the earlier rulings were not yet fi nal.

In seeking the suspension of Revilla and Cambe, government prosecutors cited Section 5 of Republic Act 7080 states that public offi cers charged with plunder “shall be suspended from offi ce. Should he be con-victed by fi nal judgment, he shall lose all retirement or gratuity benefi ts under any law.”

They said Revilla’s continued stay in of-fi ce “may frustrate the prosecution of the crime, if not prejudice the case fi led against him.

tary Eric Tayag.The National Survey of Blindness 2004

and PERI-DOH Vision Screening Prelimi-nary Data 2014 showed the prevalence of amblyopia is from 1-3 percent; and EOR, from 3-15 percent.

Amplyopia, Tayag said, is a condition of abnormal visual development in infancy and in early childhood. The affected eye will not develop normally if not treated be-fore the child reaches age 7, and may even

go blind.Underscoring the

importance of the cam-paign for early and thor-ough visual screening for all children, Tayag said: “Vision is one of the, if not the most important of our senses. Most of the information from the outside world is in-tegrated through the vi-sual pathways. Vision problems can limit the ability of a child to learn as well as interact with other students.”

Besides the health aspects, the result-ing impairment, Tayag stressed, can have “neg-ative impacts on the child’s intellectual and social growth and devel-opment.”

LOS ANGELES

far to 1,603.According to the latest WHO tally,

which includes both laboratory-confi rmed and suspect cases, Guinea saw 13 new cas-es and 12 deaths last Thursday and Friday, Liberia, 77 new cases and 28 deaths, while Sierra Leone saw 72 new cases and 21 fa-talities. One suspect case was also reported in that time in Nigeria.

WHO Director General Margaret Chan has warned that the response of some of the affected countries to the epidemic had been “woefully inadequate”, and that the outbreak has been “moving faster than our efforts to control it”.

Ebola, a form of haemorrhagic fever for which there is no vaccine, causes severe muscular pain, fever, headaches and, in the worst cases, unstoppable bleeding.

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