MANILA - The investigation on the accusations of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago against Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile would cover several private companies operat-ing inside the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yes-terday. De Lima issued a two-page or-der directing the special task force chaired by Undersecretary Jose Justiniano to look into operations of First Cagayan License and Re-sort Corp., Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. and San Jose Lumber (SJL).First Cagayan and Meridien were allegedly involved in illegal gam-bling, according to De Lima. First Cagayan has been operating under a “master license” issued by the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZFP) al-lowing foreign firms to operate online gambling in the economic zone for seven years, it was al-leged. Meridien was also issued a li-cense by the CSEZFP “authorizing it to conduct gaming operations, including jai-alai, in the Cagayan Freeport and to set up betting sta-tions in connection thereto,” the justice department bared. Meridien – reportedly owned by Charlie “Atong” Ang – came into play in 2011 after it was accused of being a front for illegal gambling operations. As for SJL, De Lima said the firm has allegedly been involved in il-legal logging operations under a license that expired in 2007. “The special task force is mandated to evaluate the evidence gathered and

A Goliath in rice smug-gling has cornered the

trade in this grain by plying Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials and rank-and-file employees with cash gifts that have amounted to P6 billion over the last two years. A former BOC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said one of the main challenges facing the new management at the bu-reau was whether it would dismantle the network built by a certain “David Tan” who was designated as point man when rice-smuggling transactions were central-ized two years ago.

“David Tan operates behind various broker-age firms. If you want to bring in rice without paying the right taxes, you have to go through him because the BOC officials deal only with him. The BOC offi-cials do not entertain any other rice smug-gler except Tan,” said the source, who described the rice smuggler as “young and with deep connections in rice exporting countries in Asia, especially Vietnam.” “They called these spe-cial operations or palusot because the rice shipments had no documents or import permit. After David Tan in-forms his connections where his shipments are arriving, the smuggling network goes into motion, from those who sign the papers to those who open the exit gates in the ports,” the former official

said. It was not clear whether “David Tan” was the same as “Mr. T” who, accord-ing to a new BOC official who talked to the Inquirer last week, was one of three big traders whose under-the-table deals with corrupt examiners, appraisers and other frontline personnel at the bureau were the cause of the agency’s failure to meet its revenue collection goals. The new bureau official referred to the other two big traders as “Big Mama” and “Ma’am T.” Old-timers in the BOC told the Inquirer on Monday that there was no reason to go after “Big Mama,” “Ma’am T” and “Mr. T” because the papers of the three traders “appeared to be in order.” The case is presumably the same with “David Tan.” The former BOC official said the scheme involved at least two top bureau of-ficials (who get P10,000 to P20,000 each per con-tainer), at least one major port official (P5,000 to P10,000 per container) and more than a dozen desk employees whose signatures (P1,000 per container) were needed in the release papers of the smuggled rice. He estimated that Tan brought in an average of 1,000 TEU or 6-meter equivalent unit containers a week (a container can load 510 cavans of rice) or a weekly take of P37 million to P62 million.

VOL. 2 ISSUE 9 DEC 26, 2013- JAN 1, 2014WWW.SF-POST.COM

P6-B rice smuggling payoff bared Exec corners trade

with bribes in last two years

FREE

2013 Miss International does charity work -page 13

(Cont. on Page 15)

A TV grab from CBS TV KLAS shows an official of Yellow Checker and Star Taxi Group of Companies (right) shaking the hand of Gerardo Gam-boa after giving him a $1,000 reward for his honesty.

(Cont. on Page 15)

FilAm driver returns $300K left in his cab

LAS VEGAS – A Filipi-no-American taxi driver

found a paper bag full of cash here last Monday but promptly turned it over to his employer to prove that “Las Vegas may be a Sin City but is actually an Angel City.” Gerardo Gamboa, 54, a na-tive of Mabalacat, Pampanga and current Nevada resident, handed the $300,000 (P12.6 million) to the Yellow Checker Star cab company, according to the Fil-Am Extra Exchange.Gamboa was given a $5 tip by the passenger he picked up at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, but who had unknow-ingly left behind in the taxi a paper bag full of money. He dropped his passenger off at Palm Place Hotel after a five-minute drive, a distance of two miles, the paper said. When he went to another taxi stand at Bellagio Hotel,

its doorman, who hailed Gam-boa’s taxi, told him, “There is a bag in (your taxi) full of chocolate.” When the bag was opened, it turned out to contain bun-dles of $100 bills totaling $300,000. An apologetic Gamboa re-portedly told the new passen-ger, “You are my witness. I did not touch anything here.” When Gamboa informed his employer of the find, he was told to immediately return to headquarters by on-duty su-pervisor Terry Mast of Y.C.S. Yellow, Checker and Star Taxi Group of Companies. The money was counted and audited in front of taxi compa-ny officials and later locked in its lost-and-found safety vault.Hours later, the owner of the cash arrived to claim the mon-ey and profusely thanked

WE PROVIDE PRESS COVERAGE FOR ANY EVENTS OR PROMOTIONS.Pacquiao will

fight in May, not April 12 - page 12 See page 12 for full details.

DOJ probe on JPE to cover CEZA firms

SPORTS

USD to PHP Rate $1.00 = P44.47

as of Dec. 26, 2013(Cont. on Page 15)

SHOWBIZHappy New Year to everyone!

PAGE 2Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014 The San Francisco Post

PAGE 3Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014The San Francisco Post

Major steps to rebuild your credit immediately after bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a solution to financial prob-lems and a way to start anew with what we

have dreamt in life. After you are discharged from bankruptcy, you feel you are relieved of heavy burden you carried for so many years. You have passed the process and you have put the bank-ruptcy myths in the bottle.

Question: Will I be qualified again for credit after filing bankruptcy?

Answer: YES! Filing for bankruptcy does not mean that you will never be qualified for credit again, whether for a home, a car or

consumer items. Many people are concerned that bankruptcy will cause damage to their credit permanently. This is a myth. Although bankruptcy will remain in your credit report for 10 years, you will be able to rebuild your credit in a matter of one to three years from the day your debts are discharged in bankruptcy.

Question: Will I get approved for credit cards after bankruptcy?

Answer: YES! Bankruptcy is not the end of credit. In fact, many people who file for bankruptcy enjoy new opportunities for credit

shortly after the bankruptcy is concluded. Many of people who received discharged with either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy cannot believe that they receive credit card solicitations only months after completing the bankruptcy process.

Question: What are my major steps after my bankruptcy discharge?

Answer: Rebuilding credit after bankruptcy is something people do im-mediately after discharge. Once you are discharged in bankruptcy, fo-

cus on the things you can do to actively improve your credit score. These include:•Get a secured credit card – This should be your first step. A secured credit card should be easy to get from a bank since it is secured for the bank. You need to deposit some money with the bank which becomes your credit limit. Good thing about this credit card is that this will help you rebuild your credit history fast. Just make sure that an application fee is zero and the bank will send your credit history to the credit bureaus.

• Maintain the job – It is very important to keep your job. If you don’t have one, try to get it as early as possible. The employment

along with your residence history shows your creditors that you are reliable person whom they can trust and give loans.• Pay bills on time – Again a very critical point. This becomes the building block of rebuilding your credit after bankruptcy. Whatever utility or credit cards bills you may have, pay them off in time. Delay or missing payments on these can be problematic. • Start using cash instead of card – This encourage self discipline while shopping. Usually, we misuse our credit cards and buy things even if you don’t want to since we can take them on debt using our cards. If you use cash, you will tend to buy only necessary items thus increasing your savings.• Keep track of your credit report – As per law, you can get one free credit history report from all three credit bureaus. Keep a track of your credit. If you find any discrepancy, bring it to the bureaus as early as possible.• Rearrange your finances – You should have a fixed monthly budget and realign it as per your new financial status. Keep focus on savings and reduce spending wherever you can. Try to take credit after about 1 to 2 years which will help you rebuild your credit after bankruptcy. Bankruptcy Basics1. Bankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankruptcy will be in your records for 10 years, not filing bankruptcy will make your credit even worse until most of your debts are paid in full.2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy.3. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settle-ment.4. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts.5. Bankruptcy will stop foreclosure actions. If your trustee sale date is 10 days before, you can still file for bankruptcy.Note: This is not a legal advice. Our Law Firm has successfully helped clients in fil-ing for bankruptcy for the last 14 years . Crispin Caday Lozano is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Association of Consumers Bankruptcy Attorneys.

By: Atty. Crispin C. Lozano

BUSINESS

OPEN LETTER to President Obama and all Concerned citizensRequest to Designate Temporary Protected Status for the Philippines

WA S H -INGTON — The In ternal Revenue S e r v i c e today an-nounced plans to

open the 2014 filing season on Jan. 31 and encouraged taxpayers to use e-file or Free File as the fastest way to receive refunds. The new opening date for individuals to file their 2013 tax returns will allow the IRS adequate time to program and test its tax processing systems. The annual pro-cess for updating IRS systems saw signifi-cant delays in October following the 16-day federal government closure. “Our teams have been working hard throughout the fall to prepare for the up-coming tax season,” IRS Acting Commis-sioner Danny Werfel said. “The late Janu-

ary opening gives us enough time to get things right with our programming, testing and systems validation. It’s a complex process, and our bottom-line goal is to provide a smooth filing and refund process for the nation’s taxpayers.” The government closure meant the IRS had to change the original opening date from Jan. 21 to Jan. 31, 2014. The 2014 date is one day later than the 2013 filing season opening, which started on Jan. 30, 2013 following January tax law changes made by Congress on Jan. 1 under the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA). The extensive set of ATRA tax changes af-fected many 2012 tax returns, which led to the late January opening. The IRS noted that several options are available to help taxpayers prepare for the 2014 tax season and get their refunds as easily as possible. New year-end tax plan-ning information has been added to IRS.gov this week. In addition, many software companies are expected to begin accepting tax returns

in January and hold those returns until the IRS systems open on Jan. 31. More de-tails will be available in January. The IRS cautioned that it will not pro-cess any tax returns before Jan. 31, so there is no advantage to filing on paper before the opening date. Taxpayers will receive their tax refunds much faster by using e-file or Free File with the direct deposit option. The April 15 tax deadline is set by stat-ute and will remain in place. However, the IRS reminds taxpayers that anyone can request an automatic six-month ex-tension to file their tax return. The request is easily done with Form 4868, which can be filed electronically or on paper. IRS systems, applications and databases must be updated annually to reflect tax law updates, business process changes and programming updates in time for the start of the filing season. Al Maglan is a CPA licensed in California and Nevada. You can contact him @ 510 432 7438. You may e-mail tax questions at amaglan@aol.com or taxsaverspro@gmail.com.

2014 Tax Season to Open Jan. 31; e-file and Free File Can Speed Refunds

by: Alvin C. Maglan, CPA

This is an open letter from the Filipino Immigrants Community that desires to have protection from re-moval or deportation from the United States and at the same time be granted work authorization as a result of hardship caused by typhoon Haiyan (YOLANDA).

On November 8, 2013, super-typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) devastated the Central Philippines, dis-placed some 3.9 million people and killed more than 6,000 in the Philippines. The calamity is con-sidered the deadliest Asian disaster since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. A request from the Philippine government has been made to the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the appropriate agencies such as the Department of State, which will then decide whether to grant the request. The current TPS des-ignated countries include El Salvador, Haiti, Hon-duras, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Syria. We believe the Philippines qualifies for TPS des-

ignation considering the great damage suffered by the country from Bohol earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda, which came a few weeks of each other. It would impose a great burden on the rescue and restoration effort in the Philippines to require the country to reabsorb its nationals from abroad, many of whom may have homes that were destroyed by the Typhoon. TPS exists to provide a safe haven for those who are reluctant to return to potential-ly dangerous situations, and to assist nations that are under extraordinary and temporary conditions and facing difficulties in receiving their nationals safely. A grant of TPS would allow Filipinos here in the United States to work and support their families in the Philippines who were impacted by the typhoon. Remittances account for more than 10 percent of the Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product. Now, more than ever, those funds are needed to help sup-port the recovery process. Secretary of State John Kerry announced an ad-

ditional $24.6 million in humanitarian aid designed to help provide clean water, sanitation supplies and temporary shelter. That pledge comes on top of the $62 million the United States has provided in the most extensive cooperation between Washington and Manila. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the United Nations stands firmly with the Philippines in its efforts to deal with the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda and the reconstruction efforts. He said that the United Nations and partners have launched a one-year Strategic Response Plan for $791 mil-lion. He also called on all donor countries to add to their already generous support to the Philippines when he met with key ambassadors stationed in the Philippines.

These show how extensive and overwhelming the devastation caused by the typhoon was.Based on the foregoing, we respectfully request the designation of Temporary Protected Status for the Philippines. The Filipino Immigrant Community

Super ty-phoon Hai-

yan/Yolanda was the worst typhoon in recorded his-tory, weather experts say. Indeed, the loss of life and property was stagger-ing. With 6,092 deaths, 27,665 in-

jured, and 1,779 missing, it would take a massive effort to rebuild the lives of the survivors of the biggest storm of all time. The immediate task is to provide food, shelter, and security to more than 3.4 families or 16.1 million people who were affected by the super typhoon, with 4.1 million people displaced in 588 municipalities and 57 cities. And with more than half a million homes destroyed and another 600,000 homes damaged, it would take a generation to rehabilitate and reconstruct the devastation caused by Yolanda. The good guys It didn’t take too long for the international community to respond to the calamity. Led by the United States, many countries donated funds and tons of food and other necessities to the sur-vivors. The U.S. Navy sent the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group to Leyte and Samar to deliver food, water, medicine, and other supplies. Australia sent airplanes to help in the evacuation efforts. And the United King-dom deployed the destroyer HMS Daring and aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious to help in the international relief operations. Even China, af-ter staying on the sideline for over a week, sent

a hospital ship. But it was the spontaneous efforts of various non-government groups that made the dif-ference. One group that stood out among the others is the Vietnam War refugees who fled Vietnam in 1975 when the Viet Cong overran the country. Nowhere to go, thousands of Vietnamese crammed into boats and left, unsure where to find safety. They found a safe haven across the vast South China Sea in the Philippines where the Philippine government put them up in rehabilitation centers in Bataan and Palawan. After several years of rehabilitation in the Philippines, the “boat people” -- as the Vietnamese refugees came to be known – found a permanent host country, the United States, where they resettled permanently. Thirty-eight years later, the Vietnamese had a rare opportunity to repay a debt of gratitude to the Filipino people. Represen-tatives of the Ben Em Dang Co Ta Foun-dation, the Saigon Broadcasting Television Network (SBTN), and the Vietnamese Refugees for Philippines (VR4P) went to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC and donated more than $440,000 to relief efforts for the victims of super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. Other groups helped, too. A group of South Koreans in Sacramento, California held a fund-raising event that generated more than $5,000 for the “Yolanda” victims. In Davis, Califor-nia, former Davis mayor Ruth Asmundson, a Filipino-American, partnered with the local Ro-tary Club and raised more than $37,000 in one event – a luncheon. In Roseville, California, the Thunder Valley Indian Casino donated $60,000 to “Yolanda” relief efforts. In Sacramento, a group spearheaded by Eskwela Natin, the first Filipino-American cultural school in Northern California, is holding a fundraiser on Decem-ber 29, 2013, featuring the world-renowned University of the Philippines Concert Chorus (UPCC). The group is hoping to raise $10,000 for the “Yolanda” victims. And then came the bad guys. Indeed, Yolanda had brought out the best in people, the good guys. But sad to say, she also brought out the worst among us, the bad guys. They might get away with their evil deeds but they can’t escape the Law of Karma. As someone once said, “Nothing escapes the Law of Karma. You get from the world what you give to the world.” And as for Yolanda, well, she’d come back again un-der another name to test the resilience of man. And each time, too, the bad guys would rear their ugly heads. But at the end of the day, the good would prevail over evil. (PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

PERRY SCOPEBy

Perry Diaz

�e good, the bad, and Yolanda

PAGE 4Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014 The San Francisco PostOPINION

It should not surprise us anymore that de-

spite the difficulties and corruption scan-dals of the past year, the Filipinos would remain as optimistic as ever of the coming year. Year after year, hope springs eternal for Filipinos as shown by surveys in the last few years. The surveys last year by both Pulse Asia and the Social

Weather Station showed that 95% or more than nine of ten Filipinos faced the coming year with hope. In 2009 and 2010, 89% of Filipinos showed the same optimism about the coming year, which was slightly lower than in the three previous years -- 91% in 2006 and 2007, and 92% in 2008. Hope surveys had customarily been at high levels, start-ing at 87% when the SWS first polled about hope in De-cember 2000, and 88% in December 2001. In December 2002, New Year hope reached a record high of 95 per-cent before declining to 90 percent in December 2003. It slumped to 81 percent at the end of December 2004, but rebounded to 85 percent in 2005 and to 91 percent in 2006. Except for that period following the Garci cheating

scandal in 2004 when street protests nearly toppled Glo-ria Macapagal Arroyo from Malacanang, Filipinos have been traditionally hopeful of the coming year. It may be worthwhile to note that in Germany, where the first survey about fear and hope was made in 1991, hope among Germans never topped 58% in any year from 1991 to the present. It is ironic that the Philippines, one of the poorest countries in the world, has a much higher hope rating than Germany, which is the world’s fifth larg-est economy, next only to the United States, China, Japan and India. Analysts cite the resiliency and the traditionally happy disposition of Filipinos as the reason for their eternal optimism in the face of poverty, disasters, calamities, corruption and inefficiency of government, and the pro-longed separation of families because of the export of la-bor. This was clearly shown during the typhoon Yolanda disaster in Central Visayas and was recognized by CNN’s Anderson Cooper, US State Secretary John Kerry, UN chief Kim Ban-moon and many others who witnessed how the Filipinos “dusted off the dirt” and went on with their lives in the midst of extreme deprivation, devasta-tion and death. That Filipinos remain hopeful despite all these negative factors is indeed a testament to the resiliency of Filipi-nos, which was first noted by the late President Manuel L. Quezon who described Filipinos as “pliant like a bam-boo,” in reference to the bamboo tree, which bends with the wind and survives the storm. This inherent character-istic of the Filipino enables him to survive disasters and calamities that confront him, enabling him to adjust to life’s difficulties and move on. But whether such eternal optimism and resiliency is good for the country or not is another thing. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, for example, commented in an editorial in 2005 that “it may well be that Filipino optimism is actually what is holding the country back, rather than pushing it forward.” In conclusion, the Inquirer said: “In other words, we may be incurable optimists because we expect too little of the future, or from ourselves. We let alleged crimes slide because we do not demand an accounting; we are happy to continue eating two square meals a day and call that progress. Enough already. If this is optimism, let’s all get real.” And that precisely is the problem with the Filipinos’ eternal optimism. Because we have set the bar too low, we tend to be satisfied with what we have even though it is clearly not enough, and in this situation, it is not difficult to be hopeful. And because of our ever-hopeful spirit, we tend to ignore the problems of the past and move on, only to encounter the same problems in the coming year. The problem with these hope surveys is that they are usually conducted in the first week of December, when a festive atmosphere prevails over the Philippines because of the coming Christmas season. At this time of the year, Filipinos put their problems under the rug and put a hap-py face for the most festive of all Filipino celebrations. And besides, many of them enjoy a moment of satisfac-tion at this time of the year, having just received or about to receive 13th month pay, bonuses and other perks.

Resiliency and hope

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THE NUCLEUS OF THE MATTER

By Val Abelgas

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Under INA section 244, The Secretary of the Depart-

ment of Homeland Security (DHS) may designate a coun-try, or portions of a country, for TPS when conditions ex-ist such as an ongoing armed conflict or an environmental disaster in the country that temporarily prevents the coun-try’s nationals from return-ing safely. Once a country receives a TPS designation, nationals of that country re-siding in the U.S. receive a temporary, humanitarian form of relief from deportation that does not include the granting of permanent residence. The initial TPS designation lasts for a period of 6 to 18 months and can be extended if condi-tions continue to support the designation. A person who receives TPS or is found to be preliminarily eligible for TPS is not remov-able from the U.S., can obtain work authorization, and may be granted travel authoriza-tion. Once granted TPS, an in-dividual cannot be detained by DHS on the basis of his or her immigration status in the U.S., unless the individual becomes ineligible or the country loses its designation. The current TPS designated countries include El Salvador,

Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Syria. It would impose a great bur-den on the rescue and restora-tion effort in the Philippines to require the country to reabsorb its nationals from abroad, many of whom may have homes that were destroyed by the Typhoon. TPS ex-ists to provide a safe haven for those who are reluctant to return to poten-tially dangerous situations, and to assist nations who are under extraor-dinary and temporary conditions and face difficulties in receiving their nationals safely. The Philippines may qualify for TPS designation considering the great damaged suffered by the country from Bohol earth-quake and Typhoon Yolanda. It would impose a great bur-den on the rescue and res-toration effort in the Philip-pines to require the country to reabsorb its nationals from abroad, many of whom may have homes that were de-stroyed by the Typhoon. TPS exists to provide a safe haven for those who are reluctant to return to potentially dangerous situations, and to assist nations who are under extraordinary and temporary conditions and face difficulties in receiving

their nationals safely. A grant of TPS would allow Filipinos here in the U.S. to work and support their fami-lies in the Philippines who were impacted by the Ty-phoon. Remittances account for almost 10 percent of the Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product. Now, more than ever, those funds are needed to help support the recovery process. Secretary of State John Kerry announced an additional $24.6 million in humanitarian aid designed to help provide clean water, sanitation supplies and temporary shelter. That pledge comes on top of the $62 mil-lion the United States has pro-vided in the most extensive cooperation between Wash-ington and Manila. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the United Nations stands firmly with the Philippines in its efforts to deal with the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda and the reconstruc-tion endeavors. He said that the United Nations and part-ners had launched a one-year Strategic Response Plan for $791 million. He also called on all donor countries to add to their already generous sup-port to the Philippines when he met with key ambassadors stationed in the Philippines.

Temporary Protected Status for Filipinos should be granted

By: Atty. Crispin Lozano

PAGE 5Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014The San Francisco Post WORLD BRIEF

China hits Japan’s defense spendingBEIJING—China has denounced Ja-pan’s plans to boost military purchas-es, accusing it of playing up regional tensions as an “excuse” to ramp up defence spending. The cabinet of hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed Tuesday to spend 24.7 trillion yen ($240 billion) between 2014 and 2019—a five percent boost to the military budget over five years. Japan plans to purchase stealth fight-ers, drones and submarines as part of its efforts to boost military hardware that will beef up defence of far-flung islands amid a simmering territorial row with China. China is “firmly opposed” to Ja-pan’s spending plans, defence min-istry spokesman Geng Yansheng said in a statement released late Friday.

He accused Tokyo of playing up the perceived military threat from China as an “excuse” to expand its military. Japan’s actions “must cause great concern to neighbouring countries in Asia and the international commu-nity”, Geng said.Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo have flared over the last year as the two have engaged in a bitter war of words over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. China has sent ships and aircraft into the area on scores of occasions, prompting counter deployments by Japan. Tensions were ratcheted up last month when China abruptly declared a new Air Defence Identification Zone over the East China Sea, includ-

ing over disputed Tokyo-controlled islands called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. The simmering tensions have ham-mered diplomatic ties. Abe has not held direct talks with Chinese Presi-dent Xi Jinping since sweeping elec-tions late last year. China has been boosting its defence budget for decades, and last year was the world’s second biggest military spender with an outlay of $166 bil-lion, according to Sweden-based think-tank the Stockholm Interna-tional Peace Research Institute (SI-PRI). United States spent $682 billion on its military in 2012, while Japan spent $59 billion, SIPRI said.

This is the season of love. Year in year out people all over the world, be it

Christian and non- Christian alike cele-brate the month of December as a season of giving. At this point in time shopping malls are being swarmed by mankind trying to buy something for their loved ones or for anyone they feel deserve a small token of gift as a reward for being loyal, for being a friend, for hardwork and just for anything else. This is indeed a Season Of Love. …..Let us start my column on the pro-

nouncement of Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, lawyer for the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo on Former President now Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada thus, “ President Erap is truly a man with a big heart and of tender Christian mer-

cies. The comfort which he gives during this season will go far in allaying the slings and arrows of outrageous persecution being perpetrated by the Aquino regime” Indeed such a touching gesture. This is indeed a Season Of Love. …..Well, who will ever though that such gesture, a visit to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City; will come from the camp of former President Erap Estrada. As we all remember, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is the reason behind his downfall during that infamous EDSA 2. Attorney Topacio even added a biblical term saying “ What you sow, so shall ye reap”. For this is indeed a Season Of Love. …..Another reason why we say this is a season love is the gesture and act of kindness from the man himself or maybe I should say from the kid himself the Believer “ Justin Bieber”. Again who would have thought Bieber will go out of his way and visit Tacloban, devastated by typhoon Haiyan and donate not only time, but donate money, raise funds for the typhoon victims, play some hoops and render a mini concert for the local residents of Leyte. Thank you

Justine Bieber. This is indeed a Season Of Love. ….. What is also astonishing is the gesture of several religious organizations particularly that of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. The Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko was launched by Brother Eduardo V Manalo, the Executive Minister of the Igle-sia Ni Cristo, in Tondo, Manila, Philippines this year. It is a two fold mis-sion, firstly is to propagate the faith and share the message of salvation to all humanity, especially to their countrymen. Secondly, is through their Felix Y Manalo Foundation of which thousands were given aid, such as food, cloth-ing, and medical and dental services and is now held regularly in different parts of the world. This is indeed a Season Of Love. …..2013. The year that was. Thanks for all the memories. Let us altogether wel-come the new year. Let us all welcome 2014 and continue the message of love of country, love of fellowmen and above all Love Of God.( For comments please email me at don.orozco@sf-post.com)

SEASON OF LOVE

LET’S HAVE COFFEEBy

Don Augusto Orozco

Kerry warns China over 2nd ADIZ plan

UNITED States Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday warned China over its plan to declare an air defense identification zone over highly-contested territories in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). “Today [Tuesday], we raise our deep concern to China announce-ment on air defense identifica-tion zone,” Kerry told report-ers in a joint press conference late Tuesday at the DFA main office in Pasay City.“I told the foreign secretary [Albert del Rosario] that the US does not recognize that zone and does not accept it. The zone should not be im-plemented and China should refrain from [taking] any uni-lateral actions elsewhere in the region, particularly in the South China Sea,” he added.Kerry said Washington will provide the Philippines $40 million to improve its mari-time security in the face of a long-standing territorial dispute with China over the resource-rich West Philippine Sea. “The US is committed to working with the Philippines to address its most security challenges,” Kerry said. “We have committed $40 million to improve the Philippines’ maritime security and mari-time domain awareness.” He said the aid will come from the US Global Security Contingency Fund and will be given over a three-year pe-riod.“The US strongly opposes the use of intimidation, coercion and aggression to advance territorial claims. The US is firmly committed to the secu-rity of the Philippines and the region,” Kerry said. Kerry, however, said the

warning was not aimed at rais-ing tension within the region. “We do not want to raise ten-sion. What we want to contin-ue is the process of Obama on the rebalance to Asia and what we are involved in is maritime protection capacity,” he add-ed. “We don’t want anything except a rule of law approach to the resolution of any issues. Earlier, upon his arrival, Ker-ry met with US Embassy offi-cials and representative of the Foreign Affairs Department led by Ambassador Jose Cui-sia before he boarded an SUV on his way to the US cemetery at the Fort in Makati. After the wreath laying cer-emony at the US cemetery, he proceeded to Malacanang to meet President Benigno S. Aquino III and Foreign Af-fairs Secretary Albert del Ro-sario. He will fly to Tacloban today to wind up his two-day visit.In Malacanang, Kerry said bilateral relations between Manila and Washington have reached a new high as both countries stood shoulder to shoulder in giving aid to the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda. “We have found a new mean-ing in our relationship as we saw the United States join hands with you in order to re-spond to the needs of so many people. We have rekindled our ties, and we have reaffirmed America’s commitment to help rebuild and continue to stand with the Philippines,” Kerry said in his toast during the dinner hosted by Aquino. The US official recalled how he first came to the Philip-pines as an election monitor during the regime of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

Saudi is no. 1 enemy — SyriaDAMASCUS—Syria now views Saudi Arabia as its number one ene-my and accuses it of trying to destroy the country by arming jihadists and other rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad. The oil-rich Gulf monarchies have sided with the opposition from the start of Syria’s conflict in March 2011, with Riyadh leading calls for the fall of Assad. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad told AFP this week that Saudi Arabia was providing unfettered support for “terrorist groups” in Syria, while other na-tions had reviewed their positions. “I think that all those who sup-ported these terrorist groups have the feeling now that they have made big mistakes,” Muqdad said in an interview on Thursday, re-ferring to the rebels seeking to topple Assad. “The only party who is declaring the full support to the terrorist groups, to Al-Qaeda, is Saudi Arabia,” he said. Muqdad urged the world to press Saudi Arabia to halt its support for the rebels, to prevent what he said was “another 11 September inci-

dent”. “I think that if the world wants to avoid another 11 September incident, they must start telling Saudi Arabia ‘enough is enough’,” he said, refer-

ring to Al-Qaeda’s 2001 attacks on the US. Earlier this month, Assad’s govern-ment urged the United Nations to take a stand against Saudi support for Islamist groups whose influence has grown on the battlefield. “We call on the UN Security Coun-cil to take the necessary measures

to put an end to the unprecedented actions of the Saudi regime, which is supporting takfiri (Sunni extrem-ist) terrorism tied to Al-Qaeda,” the foreign ministry said in a message to

UN chief Ban Ki-moon. It was the first time the Syrian government has appealed to the interna-tional body to take action against Riyadh. “Saudi Arabia is not con-tent to merely send weap-ons and to finance but also mobilises extremist terrorists and sends them to kill the Syrian people,” the Syrian message said. Saudi-Syrian relations had been tense for years, long before the start of the brutal conflict that

has now killed an estimated 126,000 people. The Sunni-ruled kingdom severed diplomatic relations with Damascus following the February 2005 assas-sination in Beirut of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri who had close ties with Riyadh.

The San Francisco PostNATIONALPAGE 6Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014

MANILA - President Aquino has rejected En-ergy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla’s offer to resign, which the latter had promised to do if electricity was not fully restored by Christmas Eve in towns ravaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda.During a meeting at the Mala-canang Palace, Aquino con-vinced Petilla to remain as head of the Department of Energy, amid his decision to quit after failing to restore electricity in some towns devastated by Su-pertyphoon “Yolanda” (interna-tional codename: Haiyan).“The President did not accept the resignation, cognizant of the fact that according to origi-nal estimates, it would take three to six months to restore power in town centers, consid-ering the extent of the damage caused by Supertyphoon Yolanda,” Presiden-tial spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.He said not only was the Luzon-Visayas con-nection down, but a major geothermal plant in Leyte had shut down. Generation, transmis-sion and distribution lines were also down because of the calamity.The Palace lauded Petilla’s accomplishments despite his inability to ensure the electrifica-tion in all towns affected by “Yolanda.”“First, from his original target of six months he was able to restore power in roughly 40

days. Second, within that period, Secretary Petilla was able to energize 317 out of 320 affected towns, leaving 0.93% still to accom-plish,” Lacierda said.

He called the energy secretary’s performance “excellent,” adding that even foreign observers pointed out that the re-pair and rehabilitation of energy infrastructure in Visayas was fast com-pared to those in other countries faced with di-sasters of lesser magni-tude.“For all these reasons, the President, in reject-ing Secretary Petilla’s offer to resign, reiterated that he has no intention of losing the services of

an honorable public servant,” the spokesper-son said.Petilla took over the helm of the Department of Energy in October 2012 following the des-ignation of his predecessor Jose Rene Almen-dras as secretary to the Cabinet.Lacierda said Petilla planned to submit his resignation letter to the President today.“I will have no word of honor if I stay on and in public service, word of honor is extremely important,” Petilla said, explaining his resig-nation offer. He did not say if his resignation was irrevocable.

Aquino rejects energy chief’s resignation

4 dead in Christmas Day car crash in Tagaytay

CAMP VICENTE LIM — A speeding car, carrying a group of friends, crashed into a con-crete wall and left four people dead and one badly injured in Tagaytay City in Cavite on Christmas Day.Police Officer 3 Semdan Sitchon, the case investigator, named the lone survivor as Jelil Ampuan, 16.Sitchon said Ampuan’s friends and co-passen-gers in the car, identified as Manilyn Quinzon, 23; Renilyn Peñaranda, 20; and Paysalin Beni-to, whose age was not immediately available, died on the spot. The driver, Jamil Ampuan, 22, died in the hospital. The Ampuans were brothers.In a phone interview Thursday, Sitchon said the victims’ car was running above 100 kilo-meters per hour (kph) along Aguinaldo High-

way in Barangay (village) Crossing before it went out of control and slammed into a con-crete wall of a townhouse unit at around 3:30 a.m. on December 25.“A witness from a nearby hotel said the car screeched as it ran too fast,” Sitchon said.Sitchon said that at the time of the accident, the road was empty and well-lit and the weath-er was clear in the often foggy city.The victims’ families, all from Dasmariñas City in Cavite, told the police that the group left their homes before Christmas eve. The victims were all found to be intoxicated with alcohol based on the doctors’ findings, Sitchon said.“We also found messages on their cell phones about what drinks they planned to buy (before the accident),” he said.

Mexican drug cartel now in PH?MANILA - A Mexican drug cartel is now selling shabu (methamphetamine) in the Philippines, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said yesterday. Authorities believed the 84 kilos of shabu worth P420 million seized during an operation at a ranch in Lipa City, Batangas on Christmas Day could be traced to the Mexican Sinaloa drug syn-dicate.PDEA director general Ar-turo Cacdac Jr. said Mexico was the latest foreign coun-try that has smuggled illegal drugs, particularly shabu, into the country, in addition to China and West African nations. “We have monitored Chi-nese drug syndicates, then West African drug syndi-cates. Now we have con-firmed that the Mexican Sinaloa drug syndicate has also penetrated the Philip-pine market,” said Cacdac in a press conference in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Cacdac said the confirma-tion was made with the as-sistance of the US Drug En-forcement Agency. He said the PDEA and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are closely working

to counter the operation of the drug syndicates. “It is part of our investiga-tion how the cartel was able to penetrate our country. So we are still in the process of determining what is the history behind the arrest of these people,” said PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima. The Sinaloa cartel is reput-ed to be the largest source of illegal drugs to the United States.Its main leader, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001. He is now America’s most wanted drug trafficker, as well as being considered by Forbes as the most pow-erful criminal on the planet.Senior Superintendent Bar-tolome Tobias, chief of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Spe-cial Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF), said Gary Tan, alias Gary Chua, who was among three suspects ar-rested at the LPL Ranch in Lipa City, has links with the Mexican drug cartel. “Pieces of info received by AIDSOTF showed a certain Gary Tan operating in Metro Manila and nearby regions. He has been working with a certain George Torres, an

American with US passport, and both appeared in the Mexican Sinaloa drug car-tel,” said Tobias. Aside from Tan, agents arrested Argay Argenos and his wife Ro-chelle during the raid, which also resulted in the seizure of 84 kilos of shabu packed in 84 vacuum sealed plastic bags placed in four travel-ing bags, a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine and 10 live ammunition, and a 12 gauge Winchester rifle with four live ammunition. Purisima said authorities are looking into the link of the owner of LPL Ranch in Barangay Inosluban in Lipa to syndicate operations. “We are studying the pos-sibility of confiscating (the ranch) in favor of the gov-ernment because it was used for drug business, but we all know they were just leasing the property and we will be consulting our lawyers,” the PNP chief noted. When asked how the Mexi-can Sinaloa drug cartel man-aged to penetrate the Philip-pine market without being intercepted upon entry, Puri-sima said the geographical location of the country could be one of the factors.

HOMELAND

Gays rush to altar in Utah after judge reverses banSALT LAKE CITY — Elisa Noel rushed to the county clerk’s office with her partner immedi-ately after learning that a federal judge had overturned Utah’s ban on gay marriage. They waited in line for a wedding license and were married in an impromptu cer-emony punctuated with Noel giving the officiant a high-five. “I can’t believe this is Utah,” Noel said moments after a ceremony that took place about 3 miles from the head-quarters of the Mormon church. Others had a similar reaction after a ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby that declared Utah’s voter-approved ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. The recent appointee by President Barack Obama said the ban violates the constitutional rights of gay couples and ruled Utah failed to show that allowing same-sex marriages would affect

opposite-sex marriages in any way. The ruling prompted a frenzy of activity by lawyers and gay couples. The Republican gov-ernor blasted the ruling as going against the will of the people. Gay couples rushed to the Salt Lake County Clerk’s office en masse to secure marriage licenses, waiting in line by the dozens and getting married on the spot by the mayor and ministers. It was a jubilant affair as cheers broke out af-ter ceremonies were completed. A gay bar in Salt Lake quickly made plans for a Friday night party to mark the event. Some made plans to march on the capitol Monday. “I am very disappointed an activist federal judge is at-tempting to override the will of the people of Utah. I am working with my legal counsel and the acting attorney general to determine the best course to defend traditional

marriage within the borders of Utah,” said Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican. Late Friday, the state filed both a notice of appeal of the ruling and a request for an emergency stay that would stop marriage licenses from being issued to same-sex couples. It’s unknown when the judge will make a deci-sion on whether to grant the stay. The ruling has thrust the judge into the national spot-light less than two years after Congress approved his nomination to the federal bench. Shelby was appointed by President Barack Obama after GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch recommended him in November 2011. Shelby served in the Utah Army National Guard from 1988 to 1996 and was a combat engineer in Operation Desert Storm. He graduated from the University of Vir-ginia law school in 1998 and clerked for U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Greene in Utah, then spent about 12

years in private practice before he became a judge. Many similar challenges to same-sex marriage bans are pending in other states, but the Utah case has been closely watched because of the state’s history of steadfast oppo-sition to gay marriage as the home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church said in a statement Friday that it stands by its support for “traditional marriage.” “We continue to believe that voters in Utah did the right thing by providing clear direction in the state constitution that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and we are hopeful that this view will be validated by a higher court,” the church said. Not all Mormons were disappointed. A group called Mormons for Equality applauded the rul-ing, saying it was particularly sweet coming in “the heartland of our faith.”

Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla

Meralco to refund customers after high court TRO on rate hike

MANILA – The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is set to refund customers who have paid their bills reflecting higher power rates, on which the Supreme Court imposed a temporary restrain-ing order (TRO) last Monday.“For bills coming out starting December 23 to end-December, bills will already comply with the SC TRO, using the generation charge of P5.67/kwh. For customers who arlready paid before the SC TRO came out, adjustments will be made in subsequent bills in accordance with the final SC decision,” Meralco spokes-person Joe Zaldarriaga said in a text message.Customers who have received bills but have not settled the same will receive written no-tices on their “options,” Zaldarriaga said.Meralco officials said the company would abide by the Supreme Court TRO and would refund customers that

had paid for the generation rate increase (plus taxes and other related charges) in their De-cember dues.“We can easily refund,” Meralco COO Oscar S. Reyes said. Hopefully, Reyes said, issues will be resolved before the next billing cycle.The country’s largest distribution utility also sought help from regulators on how to get “clarity” of its situation. However, the long-term solution to power price woes, Meralco officials said, was additional capacity through new power plants.Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla has summoned key officials of Meralco, power generation firms, and the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), which operates the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) to a meeting on Thursday evening on how to implement the SC TRO.

PAGE 7Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014MOTORINGThe San Francisco Post

New Mini JCW revealedGood News! The new Mini John Cooper Works will be unveiled at the Detroit Show in January! Bad news! It’ll only be a concept. But not for long, we’d assume - we’ve al-ready seen the Cooper and Cooper S variants of the MkII ‘New Mini’, so the production version of this yet-hotter JCW won’t be far behind. So what do we know about the new JCW? Not, at the moment, a whole lot. As you can see, it gets a yet-bigger chin than even the Cooper S, with an extra set of air in-takes lurking where the foglights sit on the standard car, along with smart 18-inch five-spoke alloys and much stickerage. Mini says the sports exhaust gets a JCW silencer system (which, if past form is any-thing to go by, will be anything but silent), and promises an ‘unmistakable engine

soundtrack’. There’s no official word on the JCW’s power output, but with the new Cooper S mak-ing 189bhp from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, we’d expect it to get a bumped-up ver-sion of the same engine developing something in the region of 210bhp. That should be good

for a 0-62mph time around 6.5 seconds, and a top speed close to 150mph. The MkII Mini, remember, is virtually all-new, and Mini says the longer wheelbase and wider track will improve the JCW’s handling. Not that there was much wrong with the way it changed direction before, though we’d welcome a bit more travel in that multilink suspension. We’ll find out more about the JCW con-cept at the Detroit show in January.

Bigger, smarter: it’s the new Benz C-ClassOnce upon a time, the C-Class was the ‘baby Benz’, the easy-to-park runt of the Merc litter. But with the A-Class - not to mention B-Class, CLA and upcoming GLA crossover - sneaking below the C in the smallness stakes, Merc has sent its 3-Series rival upmarket with this all-new generation: more space, more lux, more tech. So the C-Class has swollen in size - by 10cm in length and 4cm in width, no less - with a chunk more room for bodies and boot-items. It’s big-ger, but not heavier: thanks to liberal use of aluminium in the body, weight is down by up to 100kg. Which means more metres for your litre (of fuel, innit). The fourth-gen C will launch with two sensible petrol engines - the 154bhp C180 and 182bhp C200 - and the 168bhp C220 diesel, which officially returns 71mpg and just 104g/km of CO2. But there are yet-greener variants on the way: an upcoming 113bhp 1.6 diesel that Merc says will out-BMW BMW in the efficiency stakes. Down the line we’ll see a C300 diesel-electric hybrid, and, after that, a plug-in version. The launch en-

gines get a six-speed manual as standard, with the option of Merc’s seven-speed auto. Talking of auto, the C nicks much of the new S-Class’s ‘intelligent driving’ tech, scanning for danger ahead and braking autonomously from 125mph. Check the right options boxes and, at speeds under 37mph, your C-Class will follow

the car in front at a safe distance, even steering to keep you on the right course. That’s sophisti-cated stuff from a car that should start under £30,000 when it goes on sale in the UK in spring 2014. There’s an Au-

di-style touchpad that recognises all the swipe-pinch-tap gestures familiar from your smart-phone. Spec Merc’s under-lettered COMAND nav system and you get an 8.4-inch central dis-play screen. That nav, incidentally, chats to the C-Class’s air-con unit to inform it when you’re in a tunnel, engage its recirculation mode to save you breathing dirty tunnel-air: a very clev-er and very complicated way to solve a problem we never really knew existed.

PAGE 8Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014 The San Francisco Post

PAGE 9Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014

The San Francisco Post

PAGE 10Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014

The San Francisco PostIMMIGRATION

This provisional waiver will allow the follow-ing aliens who are married to U.S. citizens

to seek waiver of unlawful presence and be able to go to their home country to apply for green card. To qualify, they must prove extreme hard-ship to the U.S. citizen spouse or parents if their application for permanent residence is denied. The beneficiaries of this provisional waiver will include:1. Seamen who entered the U.S. on a C or D visa and overstayed their visa and are not ben-eficiaries of Sec. 245(i).2. Those who entered without inspection and

are not beneficiaries of Sec. 245(i)3. Those who entered as Fi-ancée and did not marry the visa petitioner.4. Those aliens who have lost their passports and have no proof of legal entry to the U.S.Eligibility RequirementsTo be eligible for a provisional unlawful pres-ence waiver you must fulfill ALL of the follow-ing conditions:1. Be 17 years of age or older.2. Be an immediate relative of a U.S. citi-

zen (not a preference c a t e g o r y immigran t who has a visa avail-able). An immedia te relative is an individ-ual who is the spouse, child or par-ent of a U.S. citizen.3. Have an a p p r o v e d Form I-130, P e t i t i o n for Alien Relative, or Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant.4. Have a pending im-migrant visa case with DOS for the a p p r o v e d immedia te relative pe-tition and have paid the DOS im-migrant visa processing fee.

5. Be able to demonstrate that refusal of your ad-mission to the United States will cause extreme

hardship to your U.S. citizen spouse or parent.6. Be physically present in the United States to file your application for a provisional unlawful presence waiver and provide biometrics.7. Not have been scheduled for an immigrant visa interview by DOS before January 3, 2013.8. Meet all other requirements for the provi-sional unlawful presence waiver, as detailed in 8 CFR 212.7(e) and the Form I-601A and its instructions.

You are not eligible for a provisional unlawful presence waiver if any of the following condi-tions apply to you:1.You are subject to one or more grounds of in-admissibility other than unlawful presence.2.DOS initially acted before January 3, 2013, to schedule your Immigrant Visa (IV) interview for the approved immediate relative petition upon which your provisional unlawful presence waiver application is based, even if your im-migrant visa interview has been canceled, you failed to appear for the interview, or your inter-view was rescheduled on or after Jan. 3, 2013.

Note: The date and time that you are scheduled to appear for your immigrant visa interview at the designated U.S. Embassy or Consulate is not the date USCIS will use to determine if you are eligible to file a Form I-601A. If DOS ini-tially acted before January 3, 2013, to schedule your immigrant visa interview, you are not eli-gible to file a Form I-601A, even if you failed to appear for your interview or if you or DOS cancelled or rescheduled your interview for a date on or after January 3, 2013. Instead, you may file a Form I-601, Applica-tion for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, from outside the United States after you have been interviewed for your immigrant visa, and the consular officer has found that you are inad-missible for a ground that may be waived.3. You are in removal proceedings that have not been administratively closed.4. At the time of filing, you are in removal pro-ceedings that have been administratively closed but have been placed back on the EOIR calen-dar to continue your removal proceedings.5. You do not meet one or more of the require-ments, as outlined in the Form I-601A and its

instructions.

SUCCESS STORIES1. On November 21, 2013, we received an ap-proval from USCIS for adjustment of status un-der SAME SEX MARRIAGE.2. On November 14, 2013, we received an ap-proval of adjustment of status from Immigra-tion Judge for a client who was originally de-nied adjustment by USCIS.3. On November 4, 2013, we received an ap-proval of waiver of misrepresentation from the Immigration Judge for a client who entered the U.S. as single but actually married.4. On October 24, 2013, we received an ap-proval by an Immigration Judge on the review of I-751 Application to Remove Condition on Residence that was previously denied by US-CIS.5. On October 2, 2013, we received an approval of adjustment of status based on SAME SEX MARRIAGE.6. On August 14, 2013, we received a grant of waiver of misrepresentation from the Los An-geles Immigration Court for an alien who en-tered the U.S. as single but actually married.7. On July 11, 2013, we received an approval from the Immigration Court for a waiver of misrepresentation for a green card holder who entered the U.S. as single but actually mar-ried at the time of entry. The grant of waiver stopped his removal and allows him to apply for naturalization.8. On June 3, 2013, we received an approval from USCIS of a petition that continued despite the death of the petitioner under Public law 111-83.Crispin Caday Lozano is an active member of the State Bar of California, the Ameri-can Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Association of Consumers Bankruptcy Attorneys. He specializes in immigration law and bankruptcy law. He earned his Juris Doctor at Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California. He is also a Certified Public Accountant, a Real Estate Broker and a Bachelor of Business Administration Cum Laude graduate. He has offices in San Francisco, Hayward, San Jose, and Cer-ritos, California. You can contact him at 1-877-456-9266. Email questions to crispinlozano@gmail.com/. Visit our web-site at www.crispinlozanolaw.com.

Getting a green card though provisional waiverBy: Atty. Crispin C. Lozano

PAGE 11Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014The San Francisco Post AROUND TOWN

•Minimum of one year experience in Immigration Law or Bankruptcy Law or Personal Injury Law.

• Salary commensurate with experience.

Send resume to:Law Office of Crispin C. Lozano

1290 B Street, Suite 205Hayward, CA 94541

(510) 538-7188 Fax (510) 538-7115crispinlozano@gmail.com

WANTEDPARALEGALS

The INC 2013 Unity Games is a multi-sport and multiregion event and the largest athletic compe-tition hosted for members of the Iglesia ni Cristo. After an Inter Local competition from the Dis-trict of Northern California and the District of Southern California, the 2 District held a regional brotherly sport event at the city of Montclair in Southern California. Southern California carried the color purple and gold ( L A Lakers) while the participants of Northern California carried the color of the San Francisco Fortyniners. It was a funfilled day of brotherly competition in prepara-tion for a national meet that will pit other US Ecclesiastical Districts of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in preparation for a world meet that will be held in Manila, Philippines for the Church Centennial Celebration in July 2014.

“Cabalen is Filipino for Yum!” It’s been two years now since Filipino cuisine was declared “The Next Big Thing” by tv personality Andrew Zim-mern. Since then, Filipino food has spending more time in the limelight and gaining more recognition. No less than superstar chefs Anthony Bourdain and Jose Andres have professed their love for many of the flavors prevalent in such dishes as sinigang and dinuguan. A couple of Filipino chefs have figured prominently in the reality show “Top Chef.” And more importantly, purveyors of the cuisine such as Pig and Khao and Jeepney Gastropub in New York City have attracted a mainstream following. Here in the Bay Area, Cabalen Filipino Cuisine continues to receive much ac-claim for its authentic Filipino food. The restaurant is known for cuisine that’s native to Pampanga, widely con-sidered in the Philippines as the best-

tasting regional cuisine. The word “Cabalen” literally translates to “fellow Capampangan.” The restaurant serves everyday fare, such as chicken adobo, bistik, menudo, afritada, sisig, bopis, BBQ-on-a-Stick, Filipino spaghet-

ti, lumpiang s h a n g h a i , crispy bina-goongan, as well as dishes normally served on special occa-sions, such as kare-kare and lengua esto-fada. It’s also pleasantly sur-prising to know that a meal can be had for less than $10, given that some Fili-pino dishes take

a lot of time, effort and ingredients to prepare.Inside the restaurant. dishes are served “turo-turo style” or on a steam table where diners basically point (“turo”) at the dishes they wish to partake. With so many dishes available in Cabalen’s arsenal, the menu offerings typically

change everyday. On a regular week-day, the spread can offer as many as 20 dishes, and on week-ends, there can be more than 30 choic-es! That’s not even c o u n t i n g the famous F i l i p i n o d e s s e r t s such as leche-flan, buco-pan-dan, and halo-halo. D i f f e r e n t kinds of “kakanin” ( r i c e -based” des-serts) are available as well, such as bibingka, biko, kutchinta, nilupak, palitaw, and pichi-pichi. Looking at what’s available in their party tray menus, Cabalen offers dishes that are rarely found in other Filipino restaurants. Specialties include lechon,

seafood paella, ginataang alimango, rellenong bangus, rellenong pusit, osso

bucco, morcon, prawn ther-midore, and chicken galan-tina. Cabalen was established in 2008 by Glecy Yabut when the first branch opened in Hercules, CA. The restau-rant has always focused on affordable, high quality Filipino food. After years of great success, Cabalen opened its second branch in 2012 in Fairfield, CA. With a larger seating capacity, the Fairfield branch can be a venue for parties on special occasions. 2014 promises to be a landmark year for Cabalen because Glecy, to-gether with business partner Michael U. Cheng, is plan-ning on opening two more branches: one in the Penin-sula and the other in Sacra-

mento. Whether one is looking for a place to dine-in or grab some dishes to-go, party trays for special occasions, and even celebrate with in-house par-ties for birthdays, nuptials, or anniver-saries, Cabalen is the place to go.

Cabalen Owners. Glecy Yabut (seated) with busi-ness partner Michael Cheng

Atty. Crispin Lozano and wife Tess Lozano is flanked by At-torney Philip Sarmiento and Attorney Nicole Reyes on the recent Christmas party of Lo-zano Law Offices in Hayward last December 20, 2013.

i Atty. Crispin Lozano (stand-ing) with (from L to R) Jimmy Reyes, SF Post Account Exec-utive, Mr. Jose Sicat and wife Sylvia Sicat, Kirk Folger of Folger Graphics, Don Orozco SF Post Silicon Valley Bereau Chief, and Omar Adiong, SF Post Account Executive.

Atty. Crispin Lozano (seated) sang Christmas songs on his recent Christmas party in his Hayward office. With him are Mr. Al Maglan (left) of Tax Savers Pro and clients Remedios Ravago and Pas-tor Jess Bungay.

PAGE 12Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014 SPORTS The San Francisco Post

PH finishes 7th overall in SEAGMANILA -- Manny Pac-quiao is in a quandary as to the date of his next fight.Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum has penciled the date April 12, 2014 and Pac-quiao approved it until somebody very dear to him asked him not to proceed. You see, Pac-quiao’s wife Jinkee is due to give birth to their fifth child “in the second week of April,” ac-cording to the Fili-pino fighter, who is now looking at the possibility that his return to the ring be moved to a later date. Told that Floyd May-weather is scheduled to fight on May 3 in Las Ve-gas, Pacquiao grinned and said “that would be a per-fect date.” Mayweather is shopping for an opponent and British Amir Khan and Argentine Marcos Maidana are said to be the frontrunners to land a lucrative payday although Pacquiao’s name continues

to be mentioned. Mayweather had said a couple of weeks ago that Pacquiao is a possibil-ity although the brash US puncher dismissed it a few

days later owing to Pac-quiao’s association with Arum’s Top Rank Inc. “I will never deal with Arum,” said Mayweather, who used to be promoted by the 82-year-old Har-vard-educated lawyer, be-fore they parted ways. Pacquiao said he remains interested in facing May-weather to prove once and for all who is the better man between the current holder

of the mythical pound-for-pound title and the former claimant to the throne. “That would be a great fight, a great matchup,” said Pacquiao following a

sumptuous dinner at his Forbes Park residence. Pacquiao’s a d v i s e r Mike Koncz is currently in the US working to pave the way for his much-a w a i t e d fight in 2014. While he

doesn’t show it, Pacquiao is much more interested in meeting Mayweather rather than Juan Manuel Marquez or Tim Bradley. Besides, he is now not-so-hot on the idea of fighting on April 12. “Jinkee asked me to wait until she gives birth,” added Pacquiao, who has informed Arum about Jin-kee’s delivery date.

An “affordability crisis” has hit the U.S. rental mar-ket in the past decade, with a skyrocketing increase in the number and percentage of renters who must decide between paying for a place to live and other necessi-ties, according to a new na-tional study.The study by the Joint Center for Housing Stud-ies at Harvard University, released M o n -d a y , d e t a i l s just how t o u g h t h e housing m a r k e t has be-c o m e f o r m a n y renters.“ T h e gravi ty of the s i t u -a t i o n for the large proportion of rent-ers spending so much of their incomes on housing is plain,” said Eric Belsky, the Joint Center’s manag-ing director. “We are losing ground rapidly against a chronic problem that forces households to cut essential spending. With little else to cut in their already tight budgets, America’s lowest-income renters with severe cost burdens spend about $130 less on food each month, and make similar reductions in healthcare, clothing, and savings. And while many choose longer

commutes to lower their housing costs, the com-bined cost of housing and transportation means even less remains for other ex-penses.”The wave of foreclosures since 2008 and fallout from the Great Recession forced many former homeown-ers into the rental market. The renter share of all U.S. households climbed from

31 percent in 2004 to 35 percent in 2012, bringing the number of renters to 43 million by early 2013, ac-cording to the study, which is released every other year. The 2000s marked the strongest numerical growth in renter households in the last 50 years, with about 3 million existing homes switching from owner to rental occupancy from 2007-2011 alone, the report said.“For many low-income families, the rental housing affordability crisis is like a game of musical chairs in

which there is never a chair left for them,” said Chris Herbert, the Joint Center’s research director. “The shortfall in the number of units affordable to ex-tremely low-income renters in the U.S. (those earning no more than 30 percent of the area median) more than doubled from 1.9 million in 2001 to 4.9 million in 2011. The situation just keeps

getting worse. Assis-t a n c e efforts h a v e fa i led t o k e e p p a c e w i t h e s c a -la t ing n e e d , under-m i n -i n g the na-t ion ’s l o n g -

standing goal of ensuring decent and affordable hous-ing for all.”The study found that cur-rently half of all renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, the traditional measure of affordability — an increase of 12 percentage points over the decade. And rent-ers who are “severely cost-burdened” — spending more than half of their in-come on rent — increased 8 percentage points to 27 percent, according to the study.

REAL ESTATELack of affordable rents reaches crisis

level – study

Pacquiao will fight in May, not April 12Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar — The Philippines is about to end its campaign in the 27th Southeast Asian Games with 29 gold medals, an im-pressive performance from a team that was doomed to fail.The signs were evident. Two of the country’s top sports leaders stayed home, only 210 athletes were sent and out of 460 events on tap, the Filipinos were en-tered in only 167 events.Yet, the athletes fought through adversities to bring home 100 medals, three of them gold medals during the penultimate day of the Games. Another medal is assured in sepak takraw where the men’s doubles team is set to face Laos in the semifi-nals Sunday. The Filipinos’ medal tal-

ly is 29 golds, 33 silvers and 37 bronzes, good for seventh, their worst finish since joining the Games in 1977. Their gold output is also the Filipinos’ third worst.With several events still on tap, Thailand breached the 100-gold mark with 101 followed by Myanmar 82, Vietnam 72, Indonesia 64, Malaysia 42 and Singapore 34. On Saturday, Preciosa Oc-aya typified the resilience of the Filipino, throwing everything in her arsenal to make sure she won’t suffer the same fate of teammate Philip Delarmino earlier. Ocaya, a 25-year-old fighter from Nagcarlan, La-guna, gave Laos’ Saw Dar Pot no breathing room, us-ing every part of her body as a weapon save for her face.

With the result clear as water, Ocaya wrapped her body with the Philippine flag and celebrated after her arm was raised by the referee.Two muay thai fighters set-tled for silver medals. Delarmino dropped Myanmar’s Saw Dar Pot four times, his fists and legs working in clockwise precision, but still lost the decision. He dropped on his knees and meekly ac-cepted his fate. Jonathan Polosan fought bravely against Thai pro Phitsaya Phoumchawit, but could not match his oppo-nent’s explosive power and experience. Taekwondo accounted for the other two golds courte-sy of heavyweights Kristo-pher Robert Uy and Kirstie Elaine Alora who pulled off come-from-behind wins.

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PAGE 13Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014The San Francisco Post SHOWBIZ

The hard-action movie, “Boy Golden,” based on the true to life story of 1960’s gangland and notorious criminal Arturo Porcuna, is Gov. ER Ejercito’s official entry to the 39th Metro Ma-nila Film Festival which opens on Dec. 25 in Metro Manila with simultaneous showing in other cities outside the metro. Like ER’s previ-ous film festival entries “Asiong Salonga” and “El Presidente,” will “Boy Golden” win awards too? Gov. ER said during his film’s recent grand press conference-cum Christmas party for the entertainment press held at Zirkoh Morato, his previous films won more than 40 awards each, and with award-winning Chito Roño at the helm of this one, it is expected that “Boy Gold-en” will win awards too. “Magaling na director si Chito Roño, he’s one of the best, at Holly-woodish ang style,” the Laguna governor said. So now Direk Chito is pressured to win more than 50 awards for “Boy Gold-en,” Gov. ER kidded. “Boy Golden” stars Jeorge Estregan, KC Concepcion, John Estrada, Tonton Gutier-rez, Leo Martinez, Gloria Sevilla and Ed-die Garcia, among others. Gov. ER said it took them no less than 35 shooting days to finish the movie. KC Con-cepcion, he added, met the biggest chal-lenge so far in her acting career, but passed it with flying colors. He even mentioned

that KC might win the Best Actress award. The actress had earlier won Best Drama Sup-porting Actress award at the 27th PMPC Star Awards for TV. To ensure that the fight scenes are really excit-ing and suspenseful, the producers of the movie project even imported two fight directors, Seng Kawee (from Thailand) and Larry Ang (China). Their Filipino counterpart is Miguel Vasquez.“Producing movies is my commitment to the Filipino movie industry,” ER stressed. “At least one or two movies a year. This way, I can be of help to the people in the local movie industry (with) their employment aside from building and promoting their crafts.” The supporting cast includes Jhong Hilario, Baron Geisler, Joem Bascon, Roi Vinzon, John Lapus, Mon Confiado, Dick Israel, Deborah Sun, Simon Ibarra, Gerald Ejercito, Dexter Doria, Buboy Villar, Juan Miguel Urquico, Lui Manansala, Gerald Acao and Mike Loren.Why should his entry be a crime story? ER explained that there is much to learn from “Boy Golden.” Crime does not pay. And we learn also about our history, the growth or de-terioration of society at any given period in the country’s history. And, “my fans want to see me in gangster roles on the big screen.” “Boy Golden” received an “A” rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB).

Will ‘Boy Golden’ win awards too like ER’s previous films?

Carmina sets condition before facing BBCarmina Villaroel no longer feels awkward when her show does a feature about her for-mer husband, Rustom Padilla, who is now more known as BB Gan-danghari after he came out of the closet in 2006. Speaking on “Buzz ng Bayan” which she co-hosts, V i l l a r o e l said: “Before [kapag tina-tanong ako], s i n a s a g o t ko oo. Pero ngayon, nung napapanood ko, parang hindi na. Wala ng parang. Hindi na.” This comes after the talk show aired an interview of action star Robin Padilla talk-ing about how he mended ties with Gan-danghari. “Okay naman na. Kung ano ‘yung nang-yari, tapos na iyon. Hindi ko lang alam if kaya ko na bang harapin. Pero nung pina-panood ko, parang wala lang,” Villaroel added. The TV host said time indeed helped her move on from the past. “Parang after a while, wala na tapos na. Ang tagal tagal

na. Madami pang importanteng bagay na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin,” she said. Villaroel and Gandanghari tied the knot

in 1994, but separated in 1996. Their marriage was annulled in 2002. Meanwhile, Villaroel only has one con-dition before she agrees to do a one-on-one interview with Gandan-ghari in the future. “Siguro

mangyayari ‘yun pero gusto ko sana mag-kita kami na wala munang camera. Gusto ko muna makita, gusto ko talaga siya pag-masdan. Ang dating sa akin, iba talaga si-yang tao na. Parang wala na ‘yung Rustom. Different person,” she said. Villaroel also thinks she and Gandanghari can get along well. “Feeling ko okay kaming dalawa, jive kami. Mahirap kasi magsalita. So kapag nangyari na lang, ‘yun na,” she said. Villaroel is now married to actor-host Zoren Legaspi, her partner of 14 years. They have two children.

Pauleen is in Vic’s heartAlthough said to have been dating for quite a time now, Vic Sotto has never admitted being in a relation-ship with fellow “Eat Bulaga” mainstay Pau-leen Luna. In a recent a p p e a r a n c e on “Bandila” though, the 59-year-old co-median, more known as “Boss-ing,” felt the need to speak his heart out when pressed about the matter.Asked by host Boy Abunda “Kung bubuk-san ko ang iyong puso ngayon, anong pangalan ng babae ang nakasulat?” Vic responded with a sheepish smile, “Tina tanong mo pa?” Boy an-swered, “Oo nga, dapat hindi na tina-tanong.”Then before wrapping up the interview, Vic blurted, “Sagutin ko na rin – Pauleen.” A May-December romance if it were true, the Vic-Pauleen tandem is one of the most talked-about issues the past year. There have been reports saying that the two Ka-puso stars got secretly married and are thinking of settling down. They both de-nied it. In a guest appearance on “Kris TV” prior, Vic admitted that he had thought of closing

his doors on marriage.He shared, “There’s a phase in my life na

’yung mindset ko ganoon na, I’ll be single for the rest of my life. Inisip ko rin, ma-lalaki na ’yung mga anak ko at may kanya-kanyang pami-lya na ’yan in the future, so sino ang mai-iwan sa akin?” Then, Pau-leen came along. “In a re-lationship, you talk about that. It’s not a good relationship if you don’t talk about those things, right? If you don’t want to talk about it, pa-rang naglolo-kohan lang kayo, eh kahit naman noong bata pa ako eh hindi naman ako nakikipagloko-han talaga,” Vic

said. Pauleen, on the other hand, has been more open with her romance with Vic, as seen on her Instagram page. Her profile display has consistently featured her and Vic’s sweet photos together. She even posted recently a photo of Vic with the caption: “My happy man.” In past interviews, Pauleen maintained that Vic is her true love and always come into defense pertaining to her relationship with the veteran actor-host. She was quoted as saying, “Masaya kami and what we have is something real.”

2013 Miss International does charity work

MANILA -- Newly crowned 2013 Miss International Bea Rose Santiago said yesterday that some of the candidates in the beauty pageant would like to do charity work for the Philippines, especially in areas devastated by super-typhoon “Yolanda’’ recently. Santiago, 23, of Catain-gan, Masbate, who just ar-rived from Tokyo, Japan last Saturday night, said first-runner up Miss Neth-erlands Natalie den Dekker and second runner-up Miss New Zealand Casey Rad-ley are expected to visit the Philippines and possibly join her in relief efforts for the typhoon victims in the Visayas next month. “Miss Netherlands will organize a charity event for the Philippines in her coun-try and hopefully she will be here in January. Miss New Zealand also wants to visit the country,’’ said San-tiago, during a homecoming press conference held at the Gloria Maris Banquet Hall, Gateway, Araneta Center, in Cubao, Quezon City. Other candidates who have expressed interests to visit the Philippines were representatives from Macau, Lithu-ania and Aruba. Santiago said she still could not believe that she had won the beauty pageant. “It’s still not sinking in. But I’m very happy that my wish was finally granted.’’ When she came home, the beauty queen was not wearing the winner’s crown. She said the crown will arrive in time

for her victory parade this week. Santiago also said this year’s batch of Miss International candidates distanced themselves from the controversy

concerning the dethrone-ment of 2012 Miss Interna-tional Ikumi Yoshimatsu of Japan due to alleged threats and harassment involving a media executive. That was the first time that a winner in one of the major beauty pageants was dethroned. But Santiago was surprised that she was crowned by her idol 2008 Miss Interna-tional Alejandra Andreu of Spain. She added that one of her cherished moments in Japan was meeting Presi-dent Benigno S. Aquino III who at that time was visit-ing Japan. Santiago captured the crown after she answered the question “What will you do if you win the crown?’’ Her winning answer was: “The whole world saw how my country suffered. One by one, the other countries helped. I would like to

thank those who helped my country in our darkest hours. You have opened my heart and eyes on what we can do to help each other. I will work to sustain the spirit of sym-pathy and spirit of hope. If I become Miss International, I would uphold international camaraderie. As long as we work together, there is hope.’’ Madame Stella Marquez Araneta, chairperson of the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc., expressed her con-gratulations for Santiago’s victory.

Miss International Bea Rose Santiago

PAGE 14Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014 CLASSIFIED The San Francisco Post

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will make the most sense later.Libra September 22 - October 21

It may seem like people aren’t taking things as seriously as you’d like them to, Libra. If so, take it as a hint that perhaps you’re the one who needs to lighten up. Scorpio October 22 - November 20Don’t turn down any opportunities today, Scorpio, even if they seem like dead-ends at first. One could be your lucky break. Real-ize that success doesn’t always have a big neon sign pointing you in the right direction. Sagittarius November 21 - December 20It’s time to put your plans in motion, Sag-ittarius. There’s a very expansive energy urging you to reach out and make valuable connections with others. Capricorn December 21 - January 18Go for the gold, Capricorn. Don’t settle for less. There’s an expansive energy on your side urging you on to prosperity in every aspect of your life. Take control of the situation and act on your emo-tions.Aquarius January 19 - February 17The more you vacillate, the more valuable time and energy you waste, Aquarius. Take a decisive stance and be confident about your choice. Give it everything you’ve got. If it doesn’t work out, try a different approach. Pisces February 18 - March 19Arguments could quickly turn into dec-larations of war today. Things could get blown out of proportion if they aren’t handled with care, Pisces. The key lessons for you are about balance and communication.

PAGE 15Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014The San Francisco Post

Gamboa, Fil-Am Extra Exchange said.The owner turned out to be a world-renowned profes-sional poker player, who had a big night before he hailed Gamboa’s taxi. The poker player did not want to be iden-tified.At first, CBS TV station KLAS in Las Vegas said the poker player was not able to collect his money pending verification of his identity “because he had no ID.” But when the Las Vegas police confirmed the claimant’s iden-tity, the taxi company gave the money to the poker player.Checker Group of Companies CEO Bill Shrinko said he was not surprised at the incident as the company had dealt with far bigger amounts left behind in their taxis.Shrinko added that all drivers of their taxis undergo an almost weekly seminar or continuing education about

honesty as professional taxi drivers, emphasizing honesty to all tourists from all over the world visiting the enter-tainment capital.Gamboa, for his act of honesty, expressed his desire to prove that Filipinos are hardworking, industrious and honest no matter where they are.For his honesty, Gamboa was adjudged “Driver of the Year” by the company. He was also given $1,000 in re-ward money and a dinner for two in a high-end Las Vegas hotel.Gamboa is the son of the late Manuel Gamboa from Si-lay City and Leonila Dizon-Gamboa from San Francisco, Mabalacat.CBS TV KLAS said the owner of the money is going to give Gamboa a “substantial reward.”Gamboa, a 13-year taxi driver veteran, told another re-porter, “I just want to do the right thing.”

(Cont. from page 1..FILAM DRIVER)

(Cont. from page 1..DOJ PROBE)r e c -o m -m e n d

possible courses of action or legal processes including, but not limited to, the filing of the appropriate criminal complaints as the evidence may warrant for purposes of the conduct of the corresponding preliminary investiga-tion, and request for investigation by the Anti-Money Laundering Council,” read the order.De Lima also directed the task force to regularly report and submit their final report within three months.De Lima earlier created the probe team to look into the alleged involvement of Enrile in illegal gambling, illegal logging and illegal importation in the CEZA.CEZA is under the administration of Jose Mari Ponce, a distant relative of Enrile. The senator’s son-in-law James Kocher also runs the automobile importing operation in-side the free port.Apart from these allegations, De Lima also ordered the task force to look into Enrile’s alleged submission of assets, liabilities and net worth and “other related acts constituting criminal offenses under existing criminal statures.”

De Lima said she saw the need to order an investigation due to the seriousness of the allegations and also upon request of Sen. Santiago.But she stressed the probe would not cover allegations on alleged human rights violations committed by Enrile when he was defense minister of the late strongman Fer-dinand Marcos.“It might not be feasible to look into that because (the al-leged crimes) happened a long time ago and had already prescribed. And it would really be difficult to gather evi-dence on those charges,” she explained.With regard to Santiago’s claim that Enrile masterminded the pork barrel scam reportedly perpetrated by business-woman Janet Lim-Napoles, De Lima explained this case is already undergoing preliminary investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman.In a privilege speech, Santiago linked Enrile to various crimes including smuggling, illegal logging, and gam-bling in CEZA, and plunder.Enrile, who sat in front of the fuming Santiago, was seen playing a video game as Santiago was giving her speech. He was also seen laughing at certain points.

Kickbacks In the last two years since Tan monopolized rice smug-gling in the country, the former official said kickbacks had reached between P3.85 billion and P6.45 billion. The former official said roughly one-third of the kick-backs went to just one official who was believed to be representing an “influential” group. “Tan would pay low taxes by claiming that the TEUs contained goods of lesser value than rice. Often, his group declares the rice shipments as various construction mate-rials that are also heavy but carry lower duties,” the for-mer official said. Smuggled rice is usually brought in through the two ports in Manila and the ports in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Davao, the former official said. He said rice and oil were the two most smuggled goods in the country because of the huge profits involved in

bringing these commodities in on the sly. In October, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) president and former Abono Rep. Rosendo So

urged the government to look into reports that a certain “David Tan” was the head of the country’s biggest rice smuggling syndicate and called on BOC officials to iden-tify him so he could be arrested. “We want to know who is David Tan and why the au-thorities have allowed him to allegedly manipulate rice imports for his own and his group’s profit,” So said. Nothing happened, as in President Aquino’s trying to shame BOC officials and employees into leaving by sin-gling the bureau out for corruption in his State of the Na-tion Address in July. Former Rep. Ruffy Biazon whom the President had ap-pointed to head the bureau, reorganized the agency to put an end to corruption there, but those who were shuffled challenged their reassignment in the Court of Appeals, frustrating reforms and keeping their lucrative posts.

(Cont. from page 1...RICE SMUGGLING)

PAGE 16Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014 The San Francisco Post