Monthly Archives: January 2020
Kids face long-term inequities if census doesn’t count them this year – all the way thro...
By Pilar Marrero, Ethnic Media Services, La Opinion
Social programs that California families use every day are directly tied to the U.S. Census count, and the programs are particularly vulnerable because California has a larger share -- and number -- of the population most at risk of being undercounted: the youngest children of color.
“A significant number of the younger kids in our communities have been missed by the census, and the undercount rates are double for kids...
U.S. Supreme Court decides on Public Charge
By Atty. Chris Caday Lozano
A new immigration-restricting regulatory initiative from the Justice Department that has been tied up in the federal courts got at least a temporary green light from the Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling putting aside a lower-court hold on its implementation pending full court review. SCOTUS’s five conservative justices (Chief Justice Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh) voted for the ruling, while its liberal bloc (Breyer, Ginsburg, Soto...
As I See It: Senate impeachment trial is full of surprises
By Elpidio R. Estioko
At a time that the Democrats are losing esteem and hope in their move to add witnesses in making their impeachment case against US President Donald Trump, a bombshell surprisingly popped up making their hope alive again! A New York Times story said the military aid to Ukraine was tied up to the investigation of then Vice President Joe Biden, presidential rival of Trump and his son Hunter, for corruption in Ukraine. .
This development was in additio...
PerryScope: Duterte threatens to scrap VFA
By Perry Diaz
Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte warned the U.S. last January 24, 2020 that he would scrap the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) if Washington did not reinstate the visa of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, Duterte’s political ally.
Dela Rosa is a former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief who is now a senator. When he was PNP Chief, dela Rosa, led the government’s anti-drug campaign, Oplan Tokhang, which claimed the lives of more than 5,000 drug users and push...
Slain judges cold cases to be re-opened
By Macon Araneta
Sen. Richard Gordon called on the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) to re-open and resolve cold cases of slain judges with accuracy and speed to ensure conviction.
During the second hearing conducted by the Committee on Justice and Human Rights on bills proposing the creation of a Philippine Marshal Service that would ensure security and protection of the members of the Bench, Gordon said the CIDG should work...
Labor groups protest increased police presence in Freeport zones
By Corina Oliquino
MANILA --The setting up of offices in special economic and Freeport zones by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Central Luzon to prevent militant labor groups from organizing workers’ union in factories and business establishments has been criticized as red-tagging and a de facto martial law by the Duterte administration according to labor groups last January 24.
In a report by The Philippine Star, Defend Job Philippines in a statement said the i...
US marine convicted of rape could be cut lose if VFA canceled – Imee Marcos
By William Casis
Sen. Imee Marcos warned the Philippines could lose custody of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal and homicide convict Joseph Scott Pemberton if the government cancels the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
The VFA gives the Philippines legal jurisdiction over American military personnel who commit crimes under the country’s laws.
“The Philippines would lose its authority on the criminal cases if this happened," stressed Marcos.
If there's no VFA, Marcos said,...
Continued Duterte attacks vs. top business firms inflict billions of pesos on stock mart...
By Beting Laygo Dolor, Contributing Editor
The losses inflicted by President Rodrigo Duterte on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) are in the billions of pesos but his verbal attacks and threats continue unabated.
Last week, Duterte’s threat to have Fernando Zobel de Ayala and Manuel Pangilinan (MVP) arrested in the dead of night much the same way that the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos arrested a number of businessmen when martial law was declared in 1973 took a furth...
Germany, Saudi Arabia recruit Pinoy nurses even as more hopefuls take US exam for the fi...
By Macon Araneta
A total of 12,786 Filipino nurses hoping to practice their profession in America took the US licensure examination for the first time, the ACTS-OFW Coalition of Organizations said.
“The number is up 24 percent versus the 10,302 Philippine-educated nurses who took America’s eligibility test, or the NCLEX, for the first time in 2018, and the highest since 2010,” said ACTS-OFW Chairman Aniceto Bertiz III.
Citing data from the U.S. National Council of State Bo...
UK-based expert says next Taal eruption will be ‘nuke-like’
By Beting Laygo Dolor, Contributing Editor
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) may have lowered Taal volcano’s alert status to level 3 at the start of this week – meaning a hazardous eruption may happen “within days or weeks” – but the danger of a deadlier blast than the one that occurred last January 12 remains.
In fact, the eruption two weeks ago will pale in comparison to what a UK-based Filipino volcanologist says will be a bigger blas...