Maniolas

FILE- Phillipines Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza (R) and then- Chairman of the National Democratic Front of Philippines  Luis Jalandori (C) sign a joint declaration next to the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Boerge Brende (L) in which both parties undertake unilateral ceasefires without time constraints on August 26, 2016 in Oslo, Norway. AFP PHOTO Update OSLO – After a delay in the discussions, both the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines finally reached an agreement in crafting a common draft framework and outline for the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER). The parties decided to take a break just after a half day of discussion on Friday following a disagreement on the outline of CASER Julie De Lima, chairperson of the NDFP-Reciprocal Working Committee-SER, earlier said that the outline “should be based on addressing the roots of the armed conflict while the GRP wants an outcomes-based outline.” “We have exchanged with the GRP an outline of a comprehensive drafte on social and economic reforms that includes agrarian reform, national industrialization, environmental protection, rights of the working people, foreign economic and trade relations, and, monetary and fiscal policies,” De Lima said. The government prepared a 9-point outcome and proposed that it be included in the Part 1 or Declaration of Principles of the agreement. After a series of discussions and back channelling following the break, both parties were able to make concessions and craft the common draft. Instead of including it on Part 1, the points Read More …

Screengrab from www.liberation.fr A French newspaper has tagged President Rodrigo Duterte as a “serial killer president” amid a piling body count in the administration’s bloody war on drugs. Duterte landed on the front page of France’s “The Liberation” daily, which featured the Philippine government’s relentless antidrug drive in its four-page story. The article also touched on Duterte’s expletive-laced statements against US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis, and his controversial remarks that drew parallels with Adolf Hitler’s killing of Jews and the war on drugs. READ: Duterte ‘Hitler’ talk reaps international censure In a radio interview on Sunday morning, Interior Secretary Mike Sueno said the “serial killer” tag against Duterte was “very unfair.” “Kung hindi ito ginagawa ni Pangulong Duterte, magiging narco-state tayo… Sa aming pananaw, walang extrajudicial killings dito dahil karamihan sa mga namamatay ay ‘yung mga lumalaban sa kapulisan,” Sueno told radio DZMM. (If President Duterte doesn’t do this, we will become a narco-state. In our point of view, there are no extrajudicial killings here because most of those who die are those who fight the police.) The Liberation was among the latest foreign media outfits that reported on the Duterte administration’s antinarcotics campaign, which continued to draw international attention amid criticisms of suspected extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses. International publications like The Guardian, TIME, The New York Times, and the Washington Post previously featured different aspects of the war on drugs. Duterte and his men have repeatedly criticized the foreign media for supposedly spinning his statements. As of Read More …

Phillipines Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza (R) and then- Chairman of the National Democratic Front of Philippines (NDFP) Luis Jalandori (C) sign a joint declaration next to the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Boerge Brende (L) in which both parties undertake unilateral ceasefires without time constraints on August 26, 2016 in Oslo, Norway. AFP FILE PHOTO OSLO, Norway—Negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front(NDF) hit a snag on Friday over disagreements on the outline of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (Caser). The session ended around lunch time Friday and negotiators took an early break. Julie De Lima, chair of the NDF reciprocal committee on socio-economic reforms, said on their part, the outline “should be based on addressing the roots of the armed conflict while the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) wants an outcomes-based outline.” “We have exchanged with the GRP an outline of a comprehensive draft on social and economic reforms that includes agrarian reform, national industrialization, environmental protection, environmental protection, rights of the working people, foreign economic and trade relations, and, monetary and fiscal policies,” de Lima said. The NDF disclosed that everything was going well when they were discussing the preamble and declaration of the draft presented by the communist side. However, another point of contention was raised over the proposed deferring of the bases, scope and applicability part to give way for the inclusion of the nine outcome points of the government. “It was the GRP who requested the postponement of discussions on Read More …

Filipino Americans holding a voter registration drive in Las Vegas. INQUIRER FILE LOS ANGELES – Filipino American voters are leaning left this election, with more than half favoring Democrat Hillary Clinton over Republican Donald Trump, according to a new survey. The survey by the National Asian American Survey (NAAS) released Oct. 5 also shows 41% of Filipino Americans identifying as Democrats. New voter trends, patterns of civic engagement, as well as political concerns of Asian Americans are being revealed by the survey, including telling data about the Filipino American community’s political leanings. The telephone poll was conducted from August to September of this year, and surveyed about 1,694 registered voters in 11 different Asian languages, with the data weighed by ethnicity, gender, and age. A total of 201 Filipino Americans participated, the third largest origin after Chinese and Asian Indians surveyed. “Asian American Voices in 2016 Election” was a nonpartisan, scientific effort to poll registered Asian American and Pacific Islander voters on issues of civic engagement, according to Karthick Ramakrishnan, who directed the survey. Partnering with community organizations like APIAVote, the survey’s goal was to address the “pressing need for Asian American voter outreach, especially with the continued lack of contact by political parties and candidates,” Ramakrishnan explained. More Asian eligible voters Since 2000, the number of AAPI eligible voters has grown by more than 1.2 million in each presidential cycle, the survey reported. It also found that a majority of Asian Americans (2-to-1 average) self-identifies as Democrat (about 41%), Read More …

  LOS ANGELES — A diverse array of intergenerational and trans-intercontinental talents will perform at the newly renovated Greek Theater on Sunday, Oct. 23 in one of the biggest events marking Filipino American History Month. The show will be hosted by the Filipino American History Month Los Angeles (FAHMLA) Coalition and presented by Frontier Communications. Ticket sales begin Sept. 27 and start at $15. The event will take place from 4 p.m.-10 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23 at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. “We make up one of the fastest growing Asian American groups in the United States,” said Joel Jacinto, appointee of Mayor Eric Garcetti and the first Filipino American Commissioner for the City of L.A. Department of Public Works. “It’s important for the rest of L.A. to know who we are, and I think there is no better way to do that than through this exciting event for attendees of all ages.” Filipino music legend Gary V will headline the evening, and for the first time his son Gab Valenciano will join him onstage. Dance-pop artist Jocelyn Enriquez, R&B group Kai and others, who helped start the Filipino American music movement during the 1990s, will reunite after more than 15 years. And for the millennial crowd, YouTube sensation AJ Rafael and The Voice Season 9 artist Tim Atlas are among those who are expected to perform. Actor Nico Santos from NBC’s new sitcom “Superstore” will help host the show, and culinary masterminds including Kristine de la Cruz Read More …