SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015

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aittimes.net

02 04Makulay Artist Guildofficers, members introduce at GA

Page 04Rebels, Filipino soldiers to watch Pacquiao match

KHKA organizes gift giving,

feeding

MANILA: Protesters march during a May Day rally to the presidential palace in Manila on Friday. Workers are demanding for higher wages, betterworking conditions, halt to contractualization and create more jobs so workers don’t have to go working oversees. —AFP

MANILA: Isa ang deliberasyon sa panukalangBangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) sa mga prayoridad naagenda ng Senado sa pagbabalik sesyon nito ngay-ong Lunes. Ito ay kasunod ng natapos na ring pag-dinig ng Ad Hoc Committee sa BBL ng Kamara.Ayon kay Senate Presidente Franklin Drilon, kailan-gang mag-doble kayod ng mga senador paramatiyak na magiging patas at katanggap-tanggapang BBL na maipapasa. Inaasahan naman ni Drilonna magiging mainit ang debate sa plenaryo ukol sapanukala oras na maisumite ng Committee on LocalGovernment ang report nito.

‘BBL hearings, prayoridad sa Senado’

MANILA: The two Filipino mountaineers trapped onMt. Manaslu in Nepal after a 7.9-magnitude earth-quake hit the country are now safe. According toRichard Gordon, chair of the Philippine Red Cross(PRC), Mendel de la Cuesta and Edward Sampelo arenow with the PRC team in Kathmandu, Nepal. “Theyare now being accommodated by our team in theestablished Philippine Red Cross base at HotelPlatinum in Kathmandu,” Gordon said in a Facebookpost on Saturday. According to De la Cuesta’s wife,Gay, her husband and Sampelo together with theirsherpa or tour guide are safe after the earthquake,but no “facility” can take them out from the moun-tain so they have to wait for foreign aid. Gordon saidthe PRC coordinated with the Nepal governmentand its military and were able to rescue the moun-taineers through the help of a United States rescueteam. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) hasconfirmed that the two mountaineers are safe. Twoother Filipino climbers, Jessica Anne Nicole Ramirezand Jose Francisco Oracion, were also trapped on Mt.Everest but were later rescued. —Inquirer.net

Filipino mountaineers trapped on Mt. Manaslu

in Nepal now safe

MANILA: Pinabulaanan ng Department of ForeignAffairs (DFA) ang alegasyon ng ina ni Mary JaneVeloso, na si Celia, na walang ginawa ang pamahaanng Pilipinas kahit ipinagpaliban ng Indonesia angpagpataw ng parusahang kamatayan sa kaniyanganak. Sa isang pahayag nitong Biyernes, sinabi ngDFA na itinuon din ng pamahalaan ang pagkilos paramakasuhan si Maria Kristina Sergio, ang umano’ynag-recruit kay Mary Jane kaya nakapagdala ito ng2.6 kilo ng heroin sa Indonesia.

“We are committed to pursuing the complaintsfiled against Mary Jane’s recruiter as this was vital insecuring the reprieve of Mary Jane. We believe thatfocusing on this most important objective will helpMary Jane more at this time,” paliwanag ng DFA.

Sa kanilang pagbabalik sa Pilipinas mula saIndonesia, sinabi ni Celia sa pulong balitaan nitongBiyernes na walang naitulong sa kaso ng kaniyanganak si Pangulong Benigno Aquino III. Gayunman,pinasalamatan niya ang publiko sa ibinigay na supor-ta sa kanila. Inakusahan din ng ginang ang pangulona patuloy silang nililinlang, at ngayon ay maniningil

sila sa ginawang kapabayaan sa kaso ng kaniyanganak. Kasabay nito, binatikos din ng pamilya Velosoang DFA dahil inilayo daw sila sa mga mamama-hayag ng Indonesia. “The Philippine Government hasand continues to extend it’s assistance to Mary JaneVeloso and her family. We have already gone onrecord on this,” ayon sa DFA.

Dagdag pa ng ahensiya: “The Department ofForeign Affairs had consistently been updating thepublic of the Philippine Government’s efforts, fromproviding legal assistance, undertaking representa-tions at the highest levels of the IndonesianGovernment to coordinating prison visits of MaryJane’s family, including covering their cost of travel.”

Nitong Miyerkules, tanging si Veloso lang angnakaligtas sa siyam na nahatulang ng parusangkamatayan sa pamamagitan ng firing squad saIndonesia dahil sa kaso ng iligal na droga.

Sa panayam ng mga mamamahayag sa Cebu citynitong Biyernes, sinabi ni Aquino na ginawa ngkaniyang pamahalaan ang lahat para masagip si MayJane sa kamatayan. “We did what we could. We were

not involved in the creation of the problem. Youmust remember she was arrested, if I am not mistak-en, April of 2010,” saad ni Aquino na isinagawa angselebrasyon ng Labor Day sa Cebu. Gayunman,tumanggi na si Aquino na magbigay ng pahayagtungkol sa mga pasaring sa kaniya ng ina ni MaryJane.

“What more can the government do? From thecounsel that were provided, from the intercessionsdone through with President Widodo, with foreignministers, through the Attorney General.... Iyong, diba, bringing the entire family there also,” ani Aquino.

Una rito, sinabi ni Tony Spontana, tagapagsalitang Attorney-General ng Indonesia, na ipinagpalibanang pagbitay kay Mary Jane dahil sa “request fromthe Philippine president,” kasunod na rin ng pagsukoumano ng recruiter na si Maria Kristina Sergio.

“There was a request from the Philippine presi-dent regarding the perpetrator who’s suspected ofcommitting human trafficking and surrendered inthe Philippines. MJ is needed for her testimony,” saadsa text message ni Spontana. —GMA News

DFA, itinanggi na walang ginawa sa kaso ni Veloso

SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015 2

LAS VEGAS: Days before the fight, one Manny Pacquiaobeliever had already put $500,000 on his man in the MGMGrand sports book.

Now, book operator Jay Rood is working hard to balancethe action.

“Hopefully by this evening we’ll have taken a million-dol-lar bet on Mayweather,” Rood said Thursday. “We’re trying toget that hooked up now.”

Big bets and big fights are nothing new in this gamblingcity. But the richest fight ever is also drawing more money atthe betting window than any fight before it.

“The handle on the Strip will be astronomical,” Rood said.“It will easily become the biggest fight in Nevada books. Ithink it could fall somewhere between $60-80 million.”

Pacquiao fans have led the way, betting their fighter earlyand often in most of the city’s legal sports books. The influxof money on the underdog has caused odds to drop to lessthan 2-1 in most books, though some larger Mayweatherbets have kept them from falling even more.

Bookies say they expect the betting to rival that of someSuper Bowls, fueling a weekend at the sports books like noother as bettors line up to be the fight, the Kentucky Derbyand the NBA and NHL playoffs.

“It’s amazing. I’ve never seen so much action so early on afight,” said Johnny Avello, who runs the book at the Wynnresort. “Going back two and a half months this has generatedbusiness every day and we haven’t even gotten to fight dayyet.”

Oddsmakers say the betting public is infatuated withPacquiao, partly because they like the Filipino fighter andpartly because he offers more value as a plus-170 underdog.At the William Hill chain in Las Vegas, four out of every fivetickets have been on Pacquiao to win the fight, and the ratiois even more lopsided at some local casinos.

A lot of the bigger tickets, though, are on Mayweather,

including the bettor who was negotiating for the $1 millionbet at the MGM Grand, just down the hall from the fight are-na.

A day earlier, Rood said the book took over $1 million intotal bets on the fight, with 60 percent of them on Pacquiao.

“It’s great value for either fighter,” he said. “We haven’tseen two-way action like this in a long time on a big fight.”

At the South Point hotel off the Las Vegas Strip, oddsmak-er Jimmy Vaccaro said he had never seen betting on a fightlike this in a career that stretches over nearly four decades.

Vaccaro said Pacquiao bets outnumber Mayweatherwagers 5-1 at his book, with the fight tracking to do SuperBowl numbers.

“Strip away the props (proposition bets) from the SuperBowl and Pacquiao versus Mayweather is going againstSeattle and New England,” he said. “I think for the state it willbe about $70 million just on this fight.”

Jay Kornegay of the Westgate LV Superbook said he willtake more large wagers - both five and six figures - on thefight than he did on the Super Bowl.

“Most of the tickets are on Pacquiao but the bigger mon-ey will come in on Mayweather,” Kornegay said. “The lineitself is very attractive not only to the average Joe but alsofor the deep pockets out there not afraid to lay two dollarson Mayweather because he’s not normally that short of aprice.”

One of the more popular bets at most books has been onthe fight ending up a draw, largely because conspiracy theo-rists believe it would lead to a lucrative rematch.

A draw for a typical fight might start at 30-1, but Roodsaid he put this fight out at 22-1 because he expected moremoney on a draw. But the volume of money has been soheavy on a draw that the line is now 6-1.

“The draw is the land mine for us right now,” Rood said. “Itshould be higher but our risk on it now is considerable.”—AP

Richest fight ever is also a gold mine for Vegas bookies

LAS VEGAS: The images of boxers Floyd Mayweatherand Manny Pacquiao adorn a merchandise sellingtruck as pedestrian walk past on Friday in Las Vegas,Nevada one day before the “Fight of the Century”between the two boxers yesterday at the MGM GrandGarden Arena here. —AFP

Makulay Artist Guild officers, members introduce at GAKUWAIT: In Preparation for Independence Day and for introduction to its new officers and members for the year 2015, Makulay Artist Guild in Kuwait introduced themselves in theGeneral Assembly eld at a Fastfood chain in Kuwait City recently. Introduced were founder Romano Roman, President Rolly Patilla - Vice President Dave Constantino, Admin Fred Balleraz,and c- founders and guild members Dulce Dela Cruz, Odil Antigua, Jumel Carvajal, Angel Arceo Ali?o and Rene Oliva. For details and more info about the group please contact RomanoRoman Tel 67681836. & 60019586.

SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015 4

COTABATO: In a rare common cause, both rebels and sol-diers in the war-torn southern Philippines will watch localboxing icon Manny Pacquiao take on Floyd Mayweather,with hopes that Sunday’s mega-bout will bring a briefrespite from violence.

The Muslim rebels and government forces will have sepa-rate free viewings of the Las Vegas clash, as the nation waitsto see whether Pacquiao will triumph during the epic fight.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country’slargest Muslim armed group, will watch the fight on awidescreen TV at a compound in the southern province ofMaguindanao on Sunday, said MILF vice-chairman GhadzaliJaafar.

“They asked me if they could show it outside my office. I

told them okay, I see no problem with that,” Jaafar told AFP.He said both MILF members and non-members were free

to attend the showing in the tightly guarded compoundbarely a kilometre (mile) from the MILF’s heavily armed maincamp. When asked whether he expects that there will be notrouble during the fight, he said: “We pray for that. That is ourhope.” Regional military spokeswoman Captain JoanPetinglay confirmed that the military forces in Maguindanaowill also have their own showing of the fight in a gymnasiumon Sunday. The Philippines has been known to come to astandstill during its boxing hero’s fights, with criminals andguerrillas of various stripes eagerly following his matches.

Pacquiao’s long-awaited battle with Mayweather hasgained even more attention, as it will finally settle which of

the two is the best pound-for-pound fighter of their genera-tion. Maguindanao in the southern island of Mindanao hasbeen one of the hotspots of the four-decade separatiststruggle that has claimed an estimated 120,000 lives.

The MILF’s Jaafar denied that the group, which is negoti-ating peace with the government to end decades of aMuslim separatist war, was holding the screening as a sign ofsupport for Pacquiao, who is regarded by many Filipinos as anational icon.

“We are supporting the sport (of boxing). Whoever isinvolved in the sport, we will want to support both of them.We are not siding with anyone, as far as I am concerned,” hesaid. “There may be individual MILF who are siding withPacquiao,” he conceded.—AFP

Rebels, Filipino soldiers to watch Pacquiao match

KHKA organizes gift giving, feedingKUWAIT: Filipino Heroes Kuwait Amazons (FHKA) organized feeding & gift giving programs to distressed OFWs at the Philippine Embassy in Hateen Shelter, recently. Thegroup headed by Arsenia Batojan Landao and with the assistance of Joan Mae A. Acero, Case Coordinator ATN Unit, distributed toiletries and provided the wards with someentertainment and games.

SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015 5

KUWAIT: Idinaos ng ICSA - CAP Kuwait ang kanilang Sports Fest activities noong April 25, 2015 sa Egaila Beach Resort. Ito ay dinaluhan ng mahigit 90 naestudyante ng ICSA at ibang CAPCollege students at nakilahok sa palaro bilang bahagi ng kanilang physical education training program, bahagi din ng kanilang curriculum. Nagkaroon ng pagkakataon ang mga estudyantena isagawa ng aktwal na ‘Martial Arts’ sa tulong ng CATSCLAW Martial Arts Association. Naglaro din ang mga ito ng iba’t ibang larong Pilipino tulad ng bottle race, pinoyhenyo at ang sikatna larong tag of war. Inabangan din ang paligsahan sa pagitan ng ICSA students laban sa CAP College. Ang Sports Fest na ito ay isang okasyon kung saan naipakita ng bawat kalahok angteam building spirit o teamwork, at pagkakaisa. Salamat sa Philippine Catsclaw Martial Arts Association headed by Bong at ICSA CEO Aamir Faroq!

ICSA-CAP nagdaros ng pinagsanib na ‘Sports Fest’

KUWAIT: ALLFIL-OK to present ‘Musika at Tawanan 5’ on PhilippineIndependence Day After the highly successful Musika at Tawananconcert series in the past years, the Alliance of Filipino Organizationsin Kuwait (ALLFIL-OK) in partnership with the GMA Pinoy TV/My-HDin coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait is stagingagain this year the ‘Musika at Tawanan 5’ featuring versatile Filipinoactress and singer Lovi Poe together with comedians Pepay andTammy Brown and showbiz reporter Rey Pumaloy. The event incommemoration of the 117th Philippine Independence Day is seton June 12. Entrance is free to the public and the venue will beannounced soon. The Alliance of Filipino Organizations in Kuwait(ALLFIL-OK) represented by its Finance Director Ana Del Mundo andGMA International represented by Senior Marketing Manager forMiddle East, Europe and Canada Patricia B Gutierrez signed thepartnership agreement for the “Musika at Tawanan 5” on Thursdayat the GMA Network headquarters in Quezon City, Philippines. Thetwo-hour show presented by Adobo Connection will be hosted byManila-based showbiz reporter Rey Pumaloy. Local artists will alsoperform in the front act. The Alliance of Filipino Organizations inKuwait (ALLFIL-OK) composed of the Filipino BadmintonCommittee, Filipino Cultural Club, Filipino Association of Secretariesof Employment Agencies in Kuwait, Philippine Society of MarketingSpecialists in Kuwait, SANDIGAN, Friends in Kuwait, Kuwait FilipinoMothers Organization, MAKULAY, Lens Artists Photography Group,UFCORG and Filipino Zumba Association in Kuwait enjoins allFilipinos and expats in Kuwait to watch the musical event this June.For sponsorship inquiry, they may contact ALLFIL-OK on 97197268.

Musika at Tawanan 5: Philippine Independence Day event

SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015 6

‘Awitawanan 2015 sa Kuwait’ handang handa na! KUWAIT: Kuwait stage is ready for “Awitawanan “ (Song and Laughter ), the biggest and grandest Filipino concert event for Overseas Filipino Workers in Kuwait on May 15, 2015 at the Al ArabiStadium in Mansouriya. This concert event extravaganza is brought to you by Western Union and Alpha Solutions Advertising, presented by OSN and TFC, sponsored by Cebu Pacific, Holiday Inn,Jumbo Travel, LBC, Habchi and Chaloub, Megaworld. Awitawananwill gatherworld-class Filipino artists AizaSeguerra, NyoyVolante, Rayver Cruz, Aaron Villaflor with Doris and Sabel of “Be Carefulwith My Heart”. The summer will truly sizzle as artists are expected toserenade the audience with songs that will sweep them off their feet and dance numbers that will make them jive and groove.“Awitawanan” is a sequel to the “Awitawanansa Kuwait 2011” which showcased Allan K., Giselle Sanchez and Kris Lawrence at the Arraya Ballroom of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in October 2011.Awitawanan 2015 will surely bring lots of fun, music and laughter to all our kababayan’s in Kuwait!!! For more details please call Mike 94996359, Oliver 50494001 or Macky 96973205

GreetingsLas Vegas police on alert ahead of super fight

LAS VEGAS: Las Vegas authorities could take therare step of barring traffic from the gambling hub’sfamous Strip this weekend as they brace the mas-sive crowds expected to descend on Sin City for theFloyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao super fight.

The bout at the MGM is sold out and hotels areoverflowing with guests as between 150,000 to200,000 people are expected to pour into thedesert city for the showdown being billed as the“Fight of the Century”.

“We have handled events like this before wherewe had to shut down the Strip,” Erik Newman,Deputy Fire Chief of Clark County Fire Departmenttold Agence France-Presse. “What we are prepar-ing for is the NBA all-star game in 2007.”

Las Vegas officials are hoping to avoid a repeatof the chaotic February 2007 all-star game week-end which saw several people shot and around400 people arrested.

Scattered fights broke out along The Strip andthere were at least four shootings attributed tobasketball fans. —AFP

Happy birthday Allan Rios from your friends and family in Kuwait! Happy birthday Abdulhadi Ahmad frommommy, daddy and friends!

SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015 7

LAS VEGAS: Las Vegas throbbed withanticipation yesterday with less than 24hours to go until Manny Pacquiao andFloyd Mayweather enter the ring for theirlong-awaited showdown that has captivat-ed sports fans around the world.

The bout more than five years in themaking has transcended the traditionalboxing scene, catapulting the sport backinto the public consciousness in a way thathasn’t been seen for decades.

“Sin City” was buzzing ahead of the wel-ter weight world t it le showdown — acrowd of 11,500 turned out for Friday’sweigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The same venue will host the Saturdaynight bout, which seems to be a lock tobecome the most lucrative fight of alltime.

Total revenue could reach $400 million,fueled by as many as three million pay-per-view purchases.

The record for pay-per-view buys is justunder 2.5 million, and there have beenfewer than 25 fights that have exceededone million.

Add to that live crowd revenue of morethan $70 million, closed circuit televisionrevenues, sponsorship and merchandisingand it could all add up to a possible $200mill ion payday for Mayweather, anAmerican, and a $100 million bonanza forPacquiao, of the Philippines.

The breathtaking figures have intensi-fied the spotlight on a fight between twoof the greatest fighters of their generation.

In Las Vegas, tourism officials said occu-pancy for the city’s 150,000 hotel roomswould approach 100 percent. Casinos wereadvertising red-carpet events hosted byhip-hop stars such as Puff Daddy andSnoop Dogg and pop star Justin Bieber —

a Mayweather fan and friend.Even if it doesn’t measure up to

Mayweather’s claim of the “biggest fight inboxing history,” it’s an intriguing clash ofstyles between men of contrasting person-alities.

Pacquiao, an icon in the Philippines, is a

two-term congressman with a music andfilm career.

He credits the grace of God for liftinghim from poverty in his youth and laterguiding him away from a life of excess thathis ring success made possible.

“Pacman” will go into the ring with all of

the Philippines in his corner.Streets will be empty on fight day —

Sunday morning in the Philippines — asthe nation of 100 mil l ion cheers its“National Fist.”

Mayweather, meanwhile, touts his sta-tus as a money-making machine and

comes from a troubled past that includesjail time for one of a string of domestic vio-lence incidents.

Mayweather, 47-0 with 26 knockouts, isa 2-1 favorite to add Pacquiao’s WorldBoxing Organization world title to his ownWorld Boxing Association and World

Boxing Council belts.While more money is on Mayweather,

more bettors were backing Pacquiao.“Public opinion is definitely Manny

Pacquiao,” said Jay Rood, vice president ofrace and sports books for MGM ResortsInternational.

Maybe so, but boxing opinion still givesthe edge to Mayweather, most likely by12-round decision.

The 38-year-old American is a supreme-ly skilled boxer and potentially devastatingcounter-puncher, famed for his ability tohit without being hit.

Pacquiao the underdogPacquiao who weighed in a pound

lighter than Mayweather, will be in theunenviable position of the smaller fighter,taking more of the risks.

The aggressive southpaw, who owns arecord of 57-5-2 with 38 knockouts, sayshe is content in his underdog role.

A winner of world titles in an unprece-dented eight weight divisions, Pacquiaonoted that he’s beaten plenty of big foes,among them Oscar De La Hoya in 2008.

“No one thought I could beat Oscar, andI was the underdog then,” said Pacquiao,who moved up 12 pounds in weight to bat-ter the “Golden Boy” in a fight that sent himinto retirement. “Maybe it’s good for me.”

Once each had stepped off the sale onFriday, Mayweather and Pacquiao cameeye-to-eye for a stare down — just theirthird face-to-face meeting since the boutwas announced in February. Their next willcome Saturday night, when they step intothe ring.

“I’ve dedicated myself to the sport ofboxing for more than 20 years,”Mayweather said Friday. “I’m ready.”—AFP

Pacquiao-Mayweather puts sport in spotlightManny Pacquiao Floyd Mayweather Jr

LAS VEGAS: Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and Manny Pacquiao pose during theirweigh-in on Friday, in Las Vegas. The world weltherweight title fight betweenMayweather Jr. and Pacquiao is scheduled for May 2. —AFP

SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015

Page 7

MANILA: Zach Yonzon, owner of The Bunny Baker cafe, poses with the life-sized cake ofFilipino boxer Manny Pacquiao yesterday, at his bakeshop at suburban Quezon city,northeast of Manila, Philippines. Yonzon who says he was bored with making tradition-al cakes sculpted the one-of-a-kind life-sized cake in the image of Pacquiao to mark theFilipino champion’s megabout with American Floyd Mayweather. Yonzon, says his wifeAila and six of his staff helped finish the 167-centimeter (66-inch) chocolate cake ofPacquiao with arms akimbo on Saturday after working 24 hours at the cafe. —AP

‘Fight of the Century’In Manila In Kuwait

KUWAIT: Romano Roman, a known Filipino artist in Kuwait, dedicates this painting toManny Pacquiao to mark the Filipino champion’s megabout with American FloydMayweather. He explained his work embraces four elements of life, country’s colors.Pacquiao’s eyes in his painting represent burning desire (FIRE) to win for his countryand people; bluish nose (AIR and WATER) symbolize his readiness to offer life (an actof bravery) and mouth signifies EARTH for physical strength and most of all his loveto most powerful one, the Almighty!

Pacquiao-Mayweatherputs sportin spotlight