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EMarch D I T16-18, I O 2016 N
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T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c A n c o m m u n i T y n e w s pA p e r
Volume 26 - No. 22 • 3 Sections - 22 Pages
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Conspiracy eyed in $81-M laundering case by Jefferson
AntipordA ManilaTimes.net
HOT SEAT Maia Santos-Deguito, manager of the RCBC Jupiter Branch in Makati City, gets a briefing from her lawyer. At left is RCBC President and CEO Lorenzo Tan.
BANK officials, personnel of remittance companies and hackers may have conspired to launder the $81 million stolen from the Bangladesh central bank, members of the senate blue ribbon committee said. senate President Pro-tempore ralph recto on tuesday, march 15, said it is possible that there was a “grand conspiracy” because it is clear that those involved planned the whole thing last year when the four accounts where the stolen money was de-
Photo by Czeasar Dancel
DATELINE
USA
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
Program allows int’l STEM grads to stay longer in US INterNAtIoNAL students who earn their degrees in highly-sought stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields may be able to extend their stay in the United states longer. the revamped stem optional Practical training program, or stem oPt for short, adds an additional seven months to the previous length of stay required, while offering some safeguards to address labor concerns voiced by hundreds of American workers and stem students, reported the Us News & World report. According to Us Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICe) records, there are approximately 70,000 students currently in oPt--of those, about 23,000 are studying in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields. some of these students were selected as skilled foreign workers eligible to apply
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SENATE HEARING ON MONEY LAUNDERING. Senators in a huddle during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Tuesday, March 15, on the alleged $100 million that was laundered in the Philippines. Photo shows (from left to right) Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Sergio Osmeña III (seated), Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Alan Peter Cayetano, Teofisto “TG” Guingona III and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. In his opening statement Guingona said that he “cannot agree to an executive session because subject funds belong to the Bangladesh government which did not invoke confidentiality.”
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Senate photo by Alex Nuevaespaña
Candidates’ ads bill hits Aquino: Foreign leaders respect PH good governance a whopping P6.7B – PCIJ by delon
Philstar.com
mANILA — It only took the administration of President Aquino for foreign leaders to respect the Philippines – which used to be the “sick man of Asia” – after the government laid out the principles of good governance, according to the interior secretary. speaking before governors during a meeting of the League of Provinces at the Century Park hotel in manila on tuesday, march 15, Aquino said he could relate to the anecdote shared by Interior secretary mel senen sarmiento President Aquino
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Philstar.com file photo
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UNA says AMLC report false, outdated by christine
AvendAño Inquirer.net
the UNIteD Nationalist Alliance (UNA) on tuesday, march 15, dismissed as “outdated” a report by the Anti-money Laundering Council (AmLC) published by the Inquirer that said Vice President Jejomar Binay received billions of pesos in kickbacks from infrastruc-
ture projects in makati City to fund his campaign in 2010. Navotas rep. toby tiangco, the UNA president, said the Inquirer front-page report tuesday was part of a “well-planned black propaganda” campaign to derail Binay’s campaign for the presidency in the elections. “We can deduce that the said document appears to be the basis”
for the AmLC’s petition for an asset protection order it filed in a manila regional trial Court (rtC) last November 2015 “or almost four months ago” against UNA’s standard-bearer, tiangco said. In a statement, tiangco said the AmLC report was “false” and that the council had since corrected itself on its initial allegations before
Filipinos in US laud the late Sen. Jovito Salonga Gonong elected FACLA president, vows to bring back group’s prestige
sAN frANCIsCo — Us-based filipinos extolled the late senate President Jovito salonga, who passed away at 95 on march 10 as a towering fighter for democracy, in the Philippines and while he was in exile in the United states. Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara, sister of salonga’s contemporary senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr., fondly recalled that Ninoy called salonga “Prof,” a sign of respect and admiration for the latter’s intellect and role as one of Ninoy’s lead lawyers during his “kangaroo trial” before a military tribunal during martial Law. “I remember Jovy (salonga) as one of the leaders of the opposition forces who fought against the tyranny of dictatorship, both in the Philippines and during his exile in the Us he was a man of principle and vision, qualities that seem to be in short supply among those who are in the political arena. he will be missed,” shared Kashiwahara. Philippine Consul-General in san francisco henry Bensurto Jr. believe the whole coun-
foUr candidates for president, five for vice president and two dozen other candidates for senator and local posts have shelled out P6.7 billion since their political ads started being shown in march 2015, or 14 months ahead of the may 9, 2016 elections, according to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ.) the group said with such a high tab, the may 9 elections will be the most expensive electoral exercise in Philippine history. “Who paid for the ads? the candidates have variably said that their unnamed donors, and/or portions of their own money, covered the expense. But why ever must donors part with their millions when only the candidates stand to gain from political ads? And how, some citizens have asked, should the candidates pay back these donors who gave them not just money but also a quick ride to instant celebrity and fame on tV?” the PCIJ noted, citing a
porcAllA
NEW FACLA OFFICERS. Atty. Mariano Alvarez swears into office three of the new FACLA officers on Monday. From left: Alvarez, Fernandico Q. Gonong Jr., president; Dr. Veronico Agatep, 1st vice president and finance director; and Rosalinda Nery, treasurer.
Los ANGeLes — Businessman-designer fernandico Q. Gonong Jr. was elected last monday, march 7, the new president of the filipino American Community of Los Angeles (fACLA) after a deadlock left the oldest filipino organization in the United states without a leader for almost three months. Gonong replaces former president Austin G. Baul, whose term expired on Dec. 31, 2015 under the organization’s constitution and by-laws. Gonong will serve for four years. other officers elected were Apolonio Julian, first vice president; Veronico Agatep, second vice president; Gloria resurreccion, third vice presi-
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BINAY camp hits smear campaign.
Inquirer file photo/Lyn Rillon
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