White House unveils plan to end NSA's bulk collection of phone data

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration on Thursday announced details of its plan to end the government's vast bulk collection of data about phone calls made in the United States, including new procedures to get judicial approval before asking companies for such records.

Under the plan, phone companies would have to provide data from their records quickly and in a usable format when requested by the government, a senior administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

It would also allow the government to seek the data without a court order in a national security emergency.

"I am confident that this approach can provide our intelligence and law enforcement professionals the information they need to keep us safe while addressing the legitimate privacy concerns that have been raised," President Barack Obama said in a statement about the plan, which needs approval by Congress.

The US government began collecting so-called metadata shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, under part of the Patriot Act known as Section 215.

The program's defenders say it helps the government find connections between people plotting attacks overseas and co-conspirators inside the United States, while critics view it as an infringement of privacy rights.

Obama has been under pressure to rein in surveillance since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden last year disclosed classified details about the breadth of the government's intelligence gathering, sparking an international uproar.

Next step: Congress

Obama announced his initial response to the debate in January, including a ban on eavesdropping on the leaders of allied nations.

On Thursday, the administration provided additional details about its plans for telephone records known as metadata. Such records document which telephone number called which other number, when the calls were made and how long they lasted. Metadata does not include the content of the calls.

Under the proposal, once the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approves gathering records associated with a phone number, phone companies could be required to turn over data associated with that number on an "ongoing and prospective" basis, a senior administration official said on a conference call.

Companies would be compelled to provide technical assistance to the government to query the records, and may be compensated in a way that is consistent with current procedures, the official said.

The administration will ask the court to allow it to operate its existing program for at least another 90 days, as Congress weighs legislation.

"We would hope that the Congress would take something up very expeditiously," the official said.

At least two proposals for ending bulk collection of phone data have already been unveiled by lawmakers.

In October, Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Jim Sensenbrenner, a House Republican, introduced a bill that would require the government to show a request for data was relevant to an ongoing investigation.

Their bill, called the USA Freedom Act, has been endorsed by privacy advocates including the American Civil Liberties Union.

Earlier this week, Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Dutch Ruppersberger, the top lawmakers on the House of Representatives' intelligence panel, released a plan that would not require the government to first get court approval of a request for data.

Instead, the court could order the data expunged if it was later found not to be linked to suspicious activity.

House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, has said he supports the bill.

But Obama has been clear that "one of the main attributes" he wanted to see in the overhaul was requiring court approval before data requests are made, the senior administration official said, noting the government has been following that practice since January. (Additional reporting by Mark Felsenthal)

source: interaksyon.com

South Africa prepares funeral for the ages for Mandela

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa prepared Saturday a sweeping, emotional farewell for Nelson Mandela and a funeral to underline the anti-apartheid icon's transcendent influence with a stellar gathering of world leaders and luminaries.

As Mandela's family expressed their sense of grief and loss, government officials fleshed out details of the memorial events that will culminate in the prisoner-turned-president's burial on December 15 in his boyhood home of Qunu.

Presidents and foreign heads of government, religious dignitaries, and cultural figureheads are all expected to fly in and pay their respects to the man who transformed his country and became a global symbol of hope and freedom.

The scale of the event and the level of attention and emotion surrounding it has had observers searching for a precedent, with some going as far back as the funeral of India's independence hero Mahatma Gandhi.

For a second straight day, thousands of ordinary South Africans, black and white and from all walks of life, paid personal tribute at the Johannesburg residence where Mandela died late Thursday, aged 95, surrounded by friends and family.

A large police barrier blocking the road was transformed into a multi-coloRed bank of flowers, flags, photos, and messages remembering the country's first black leader, known affectionately as Madiba.

"We have lost our friend"

While some focused on his role in dismantling apartheid and forging the modern, multi-racial South African state, others recalled the common touch that was one of Mandela's particular political gifts.

"I am here because we have lost our friend," said domestic worker Temperance Luthuli.

On a nearby lawn, a makeshift shrine had been set up with candles burning on a square of blackened grass, surrounded by a horseshoe of flowers.

On the other side of the road, a hawker flogged yellow T-shirts with the slogan "Nelson Mandela, our hero has fallen - 1918-2013" for 200 rand ($20).

In an intimate ceremony in Qunu on Saturday, residents lit a metER-high candle, remembering Mandela as the "light of the universe."

"The pillar of the family is gone," Mandela family spokesman Temba Matanzima told journalists in Johannesburg.

"His presence was like a baobab tree that provided a comforting shade that served as protection and security for us," he said -- referring to the massive tree with its famously thick trunk.

Mandela's body will lie in state for three days from Wednesday, with the coffin taken in a cortege through the streets of Pretoria each morning, giving as many people as possible the opportunity to say farewell.

'While mourning, also sing'

Formal memorial events begin Sunday with South Africans invited to go to churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship.

"We should, while mourning, also sing at the top of our voices, dance and do whatever we want to do, to celebrate the life of this outstanding revolutionary," said President Jacob Zuma.

On Tuesday around 80,000 people are expected to attend a memorial service in the Soweto sports stadium that hosted the final of the 2010 World Cup.

The organizational and security logistics for all the events are daunting, and the military cancelled leave for troops and reservists to help with crowd control.

US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle will travel to South Africa together with former first couple George W. and Laura Bush.

Another former US leader, Bill Clinton, who was in office when Mandela became South Africa's first black president, will also attend.

In a tribute shortly after the revered statesman's death was made public, Obama mourned Mandela as a "profoundly good" man who "took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice."

In Cape Town, a crowd of thousands from all races and ages gathered late Friday for a multi-faith celebration at the site where Mandela made his first public speech after nearly three decades in apartheid jail.

"Tonight we stand in solidarity as the people of Cape Town -- black, white, colored, Indian, all the religions together," said mayor Patricia De Lille.

South Africa's archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu, a fellow Nobel peace prize winner, praised Mandela as an "incredible gift that God gave us."

Mandela spent 27 years in apartheid prisons before being elected president in 1994 and unifying his country with a message of reconciliation after the end of white minority rule. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with South Africa's last white president, F.W. de Klerk, in 1993.

Palestinians and Israelis, Beijing and the Dalai Lama, Washington and Tehran all paid heartfelt tribute to Mandela, describing him as one of the towering figures of the 20th century.

Even reclusive North Korea sent its condolences, praising Mandela's "struggle against racism and for democracy."

Flags flew at half-mast in numerous countries, including the United States, France, and Britain, and at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Mandela had waged a long battle against a recurring lung infection and had been receiving treatment at home since September following a lengthy hospital stay.

His two youngest daughters were in London watching the premiere of his biopic "Long Walk to Freedom," along with Britain's Prince William, when they learned of his death.

Once considered a terrorist by the United States and Britain for his support of violence against the apartheid regime, at the time of his death Mandela was an almost unimpeachable moral icon.

source: interaksyon.com

Thai protesters occupy finance ministry

Hundreds of Thai opposition protesters on Monday forced their way into the foreign ministry compound in Bangkok, occupying a second major government building, a ministry spokesman said.

The move came hours after demonstrators stormed the finance ministry in a dramatic escalation of their efforts to topple embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

"Several hundred protesters broke down the gate and entered the compound of the foreign ministry," said the spokesman, Sek Wannamethee.

"There were many civil servants working there at the time and they (the protesters) asked them to leave and not to return to work tomorrow."

The demonstrators were occupying the foreign ministry compound but did not enter the buildings, he said.

The mass protests against Yingluck and her brother, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, are the biggest since 2010 when the kingdom was rocked by its worst political bloodshed in decades with more than 90 civilians killed.

The turmoil has raised fears of a fresh bout of street violence in a country that has been convulsed by several episodes of political unrest since royalist generals overthrew Thaksin in a coup in 2006.

Police said around 30,000 protesters opposed to Yingluck's elected government marched on more than a dozen state agencies across the capital on Monday including military and police bases, as well as several television stations.

Hundreds of demonstrators, spurred on by protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, occupied buildings in the compound of the finance ministry, waving flags and dancing, according to AFP correspondents at the scene.

"Tomorrow we will seize all ministries to show to the Thaksin system that they have no legitimacy to run the country," Suthep said, addressing the crowd through a loud speaker.

Chanting "Thaksin get out, army come in," some of the demonstrators had earlier called for the intervention of the military in a country that has seen 18 actual or attempted coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

The move comes after a boisterous rally on Sunday brought up to 180,000 anti-government demonstrators on to the streets of Bangkok, according to a revised estimate Monday from National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabut.

Around 50,000 pro-government "Red Shirts" met overnight in a suburban football stadium in Bangkok in support of Yingluck and Thaksin, who remains a hugely divisive figure in Thailand.

The rallies are the biggest challenge yet for Yingluck, who swept to power in elections in 2011 on a wave of support from the "Red Shirts," whose protests in 2010 were crushed by the previous government.

Yingluck on Monday told reporters she would neither resign nor dissolve parliament despite the mounting pressure.

But experts said she is running out of room to maneuver.

"Yingluck's options are very limited. Something has to give this week. It will be very difficult for Yingluck to stay in office, let alone get anything done," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

The Thai capital has faced weeks of opposition-backed rallies sparked by an amnesty bill that could have allowed the return of Thaksin from self-imposed exile.

The amnesty bill -- which was rejected by the upper house of parliament -- also angered Thaksin's supporters because it would have pardoned those responsible for the 2010 military crackdown on their rallies.

Former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva -- now the opposition leader -- and his deputy Suthep face murder charges for overseeing the military operation, which involved soldiers firing live rounds and backed by armored vehicles.

In another blow to the government, the Constitutional Court last week blocked the ruling party's plans for a fully elected Senate.

The opposition Democrat Party is seeking to raise the pressure on Yingluck with a no-confidence debate on Tuesday -- although her party dominates the lower house and should comfortably defeat a move against her.

Thaksin, a billionaire telecoms tycoon-turned-politician, draws strong support from many of the country's rural and urban working class, but is loathed by the elite and the middle classes, who accuse him of being corrupt and a threat to the monarchy.

"Yingluck, Thaksin, their party and their corrupt system must go this week," demonstrator Thanabhum Prompraphan, 50, told AFP.

"This is real people power. We will stay peaceful ... whistles are our weapons," he said.

A series of protests by the royalist "Yellow Shirts" helped to trigger the coup that toppled Thaksin, who now lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai to avoid a prison term for corruption that he contends was politically motivated.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 85, is widely revered in Thailand but has been in ill health for several years and the palace has been silent over the organization of his eventual succession.

source: interaksyon.com

Palace defends allies from China's accusations of intervening in sea row

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government defended its allies Monday from accusations made by China that they are intervening in the West Philippine Sea dispute.

At a press briefing, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the United States, Australia and Japan have interests in the disputed areas to protect freedom of navigation.

“A big percentage of world’s trade passes through our waters, the waters that is a subject of dispute right now. Do they have an interest? Yes they have an interest because of freedom of navigation,” Lacierda said.

China on Monday asked the three nations to refrain from dipping their hands into the disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea.

The US, Australia and Japan issued a joint statement opposing the "coercive or unilateral actions" in maritime disputes during a trilateral strategic dialogue at the Asia Pacific Economic Conference in Bali, Indonesia.

China and Japan are in a long-standing row over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. China is also in a territorial dispute with Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei over the Spratly Islands.

source: interaksyon.com

Obama, congressional leaders still deadlocked on shutdown

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama met with Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress on Wednesday to try to break a deadlock that has shut down wide swaths of the federal government, but there was no breakthrough.

After more than an hour of talks, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said Obama refused to negotiate, while House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid accused Republicans of trying to hold the president hostage over Obamacare.

Reid said Obama told Republicans "he will not stand" for their tactics.

As hundreds of thousands of federal employees faced a second day without pay, leaders of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Democratic-led Senate offered token concessions that were quickly dismissed by the other side. Obama, meanwhile, scaled back a long-planned trip to Asia.

Republicans have tried to tie continued government funding to measures that would undercut Obama's signature healthcare law. Obama and his Democrats say that is a non-starter.

"The president reiterated one more time that he will not negotiate," Boehner told reporters after the White House meeting. "All we're asking for here is a discussion and fairness for the American people under Obamacare."

Reid said Democrats were willing to discuss any ways to tackle the budget after a temporary funding bill is passed. "We're through playing these little games," he said.

The shutdown, which took effect Monday at midnight (0400 GMT Tuesday), has raised questions about Washington's ability to carry out its most essential duties.

Though it would do relatively little damage to the world's largest economy in the short term, global markets could be roiled if Congress also fails to raise the debt limit before borrowing authority runs out in coming weeks.

The shutdown has closed landmarks like the Grand Canyon and prevented some cancer patients from receiving cutting-edge treatment.

United Technologies Corp, which makes Sikorsky helicopters and other items for the military, said it would be forced to furlough as many as 4,000 employees, if the US government shutdown continues through next week, due to the absence of government quality inspectors.

Exasperated

"Am I exasperated? Absolutely I'm exasperated. Because this is entirely unnecessary," Obama told CNBC television in an interview before meeting the congressional leaders. "I am exasperated with the idea that unless I say to 20 million people, 'You can't have health insurance,' these folks will not reopen the government. That is irresponsible."

The US Army's top general said the shutdown was significantly harming day-to-day operations, and intelligence leaders say it is undermining their ability to monitor threats. A Federal Reserve official said it could delay the central bank's ability to assess whether its monetary stimulus efforts are still needed.

The uncertainty in Washington has forced the White House to scale back an Asia trip that was designed to reinforce US commitment to the region.

Obama scuttled two stops on a planned four-country tour and left visits to two other countries up in the air. He was due to leave on Saturday and return a week later.

Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Malaysia and the Philippines in his place. Obama is weighing whether to attend diplomatic summits in Indonesia and Brunei, a White House official said.

Despite the disruption, Boehner's Republicans have failed to derail Obama's controversial healthcare law, which passed a milestone on Tuesday when it began signing up uninsured Americans for subsidized health coverage.

Though some moderate Republicans have begun to question their party's strategy, Boehner so far has kept them united behind a plan to offer a series of small bills that would re-open select parts of the government most visibly affected by the shutdown.

The Republican-controlled House passed and sent to the Senate a funding bill that would re-open the National Institutes of Health, which conducts medical research, and another bill to reopen shuttered federal parks and museums, such as the Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art and the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

Both bills passed with the support of about two-dozen Democrats, who joined Republicans. The House was expected to vote Thursday on measures to fund veterans' care, the District of Colombia and the Army Reserve.

The measures are likely to be defeated in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and Obama said he would veto them if they reached his desk.

Still, they allowed Republicans to charge that their adversaries are standing in the way of help for elderly veterans and young cancer patients. "Will they now say 'no' to funding for veterans, our National Parks and the National Institutes of Health?" asked Boehner spokesman Michael Steel.

Reid told Republicans he would engage in talks about tax reform, farm policy and other pressing issues that Congress has failed to address once Republicans agreed to re-open the government without conditions. Republicans dismissed that idea.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that 24 percent of Americans blamed Republicans for the shutdown, while 19 percent blamed Obama or Democrats. Another 46 percent said everyone was to blame.

Bigger fight ahead

The shutdown fight is rapidly merging with a higher-stakes battle over the government's borrowing power that is expected to come to a head soon.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has said the United States will exhaust its borrowing authority no later than October 17.

The government could have difficulty paying pension checks, interest charges and other bills after that point.

Many Republicans see the debt limit vote as another opportunity to undercut Obama's healthcare law or extract other concessions -- an approach that business groups say could lead to disaster.

"You can re-litigate these policy issues in a political forum, but they shouldn't use the threat of causing the US to fail on its ... obligations to repay on its debt as a cudgel," Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein told reporters after he and other financial-industry executives met with Obama.

Some Democrats have begun to consider asking Obama to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling on his own -- a move that could lead to years of court battles. The White House has said that approach is not feasible.

Asked whether there is a push underway among Democrats to convince Obama that he should use this power, a senior House Democrat who asked not to be identified said: "No, not at this point."

Stock investors on Wednesday appeared to show growing anxiety over the standoff after taking the news in their stride on Tuesday. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both closed down 0.1 percent.

Obama said Wall Street should be worried about the debt ceiling. "I think this time's different. I think they should be concerned," Obama told CNBC. "When you have a situation in which a faction is willing potentially to default on US government obligations, then we are in trouble."

A short-term shutdown would slow US economic growth by about 0.2 percentage points, Goldman Sachs said on Wednesday, but a weeks-long disruption could weigh more heavily -- 0.4 percentage points -- as furloughed workers scale back personal spending.

The last shutdown in 1995 and 1996 cost taxpayers $1.4 billion, according to congressional researchers.

source: interaksyon.com

What happens if the US government shuts down?

WASHINGTON -- A US government shutdown is possible on Tuesday, the first day of fiscal 2014, because Congress has so far failed to find a way to pay for it.

A closure would have far-reaching consequences at federal agencies dealing with everything from sending out Social Security checks to collecting admission fees at national parks.








Here is a roundup of how the impact would be felt:  


FEDERAL WORKERS: As many as 1 million US federal employees could face unpaid furloughs or payless paydays, according to the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 670,000 union members.

NATIONAL PARKS: National parks would close, meaning a loss of 750,000 daily visitors and an economic loss to gateway communities of as much as $30 million for each day parks are shut, according to the non-profit National Parks Conservation Association.

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT: All military personnel would continue on normal duty status, but many civilian employees would be temporarily furloughed, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in a memo. He said furlough notices would be issued on Tuesday, October 1, if no agreement to fund the government is reached.

The ratings agency Standard & Poor's said a shutdown of less than two weeks would not materially affect the credit of big defense contractors, though a longer shutdown could weaken smaller defense contractors. Most defense contractors would not be paid, new contracts would not start and orders would be delayed, with service contracts hardest hit, S&P said.

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE: Most of the federal tax agency's 90,000 employees would be furloughed. Taxpayers who requested an extension beyond the April 15 deadline to file their 2012 taxes must do so by October 15, and they will still be able to file these returns even if the IRS is still shut down then.

FEDERAL RESERVE AND OTHER FINANCIAL AGENCIES: The Fed would stay open, since it does not depend on congressional appropriations to operate; so would the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which the Fed funds. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency pay for themselves and would remain open. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has been rushing through approvals for a new, untested type of trading platform ahead of a possible shutdown, its top regulator said.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: Fewer than 18,000 of the department's 114,486 employees would be furloughed, and if the furlough is prolonged, some of those could be brought back to work. Criminal litigation would continue under a government shutdown, while civil litigation would be curtailed or postponed as much as possible "without compromising to a significant degree the safety of human life or the protection of property," the department said in its contingency plan.

COURTS: The US Supreme Court would probably operate normally, as it has during previous shutdowns, but a spokesman declined to share the high court's plans.

Federal courts would remain open for approximately 10 business days if the government closes on October 1, and would reassess on or about October 15.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: The agency's research hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, would take no new patients.

US TRADE REPRESENTATIVE'S OFFICE: Already squeezed by automatic spending cuts imposed by so-called sequester, the USTR office has cut back on travel to the 41 countries where there are concerns about intellectual property, Trade Representative Michael Froman said.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said this week that the agency would effectively shut down with only a core group of individuals available in case of a "significant emergency."

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT: USDA meat inspectors would stay on the job, industry experts said. Statistical reports would be delayed. An October 1 shutdown would come as the agency is surveying farmers and checking fields for yields and acreage in advance of the October 11 crop report. A government closure of more than a few days could delay the report, relied upon by traders and food manufacturers as the best estimate available of the US food supply.

WASHINGTON DC SIGHTS: Some popular tourist spots in the nation's capital would probably close, including the FDR Memorial, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Library of Congress, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Archives, the National Zoo and all Smithsonian Museums.

source: interaksyon.com

PH stock market ekes out modest gain after US fails to break budget impasse

MANILA - Philippine share prices squeezed out marginal gains on Tuesday as the US government partially shut down after Congress failed to reach a deal to fund federal operations. At the Philippine Stock Exchange, the benchmark index inched up 6.04 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 6,197.84, tracking the modest advance of most Asian markets. Among the sub-indices, only the service and property counters finished in the green with gains of 0.45 percent and 0.35 percent, respectively. Market breadth was negative as decliners beat advancers, 84 to 57, while 41 issues were unchanged. A total of 1.53 billion stocks worth P7.88 billion changed hands. Actively traded stocks were Meralco, Alliance Global, Metrobank, Universal Robina and Ayala Land. Top gainers were Ginebra, Maybank and PAL, while the biggest losers were Keppel Properties, Keppel Holdings and Philex Petroleum. The US government began a partial shutdown for the first time in 17 years after US lawmakers missed the October 1 deadline to agree on the budget for the new fiscal year. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives was pushing for the delay of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law by a year, while the Senate Democrats refused to do so. "Markets held on to the morning gains for a while, taking time to digest the latest development. Yet as the afternoon session progressed it became evident investors found the sidelines a more enticing place to ride out the uncertainty as to how long the shutdown will last," said Jun Calaycay of Accord Capital Equities Corp. The PSE index fell nearly three percent on Monday as investors braced for a US government shutdown amid a budget impasse. The main gauge jumped to a high of 0.96 percent in early Tuesday trades but succumbed to profit-taking in the afternoon session.

source: interaksyon.com

US Republicans to amend budget bill, return it to Senate

WASHINGTON - The US House will vote Saturday on a Republican plan that funds the government through mid-December and delays implementation of the country's new health care law, a strategy that could lead to a crippling shutdown.

House Speaker John Boehner gathered his caucus and called for a rare Saturday session as Congress struggles to break a funding impasse that, if unresolved, would see federal agencies close after the fiscal year ends Monday night.

Under pressure from his party's far-right conservative wing, Boehner doubled down on his caucus's bid to stop President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement, his health care law, vowing to send a bill back to the Senate with barely any time for legislative action to avoid a shutdown.

"Later today, the House will vote on two amendments to the Senate-passed continuing resolution that will keep the government open and stop as much of the president's health care law as possible," Boehner said in a statement after the meeting.

"We will do our job and send this bill over, and then it's up to the Senate to pass it and stop a government shutdown."

In addition to a one-year delay of the law that has become known as "Obamacare," one of the amendments would repeal an unpopular medical device tax.

"This is exactly what we wanted," conservative congressman Raul Labrador told reporters.

"We're united on sending (it) back to the Senate," congressman Darrell Issa said after the meeting.

"Obamacare is not ready, and the delay is clearly essential."

Issa argued that a one-year delay "might actually be what saves" the health care law, parts of which are set to take effect on October 1.

"And for those of us who believe there are flaws, it gives the president an opportunity to do what he said he would do afterwards, which is start negotiating absurd things like the medical device tax out of Obamacare."

The move sets up a confrontation with the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid has insisted that no legislation that defunds or delays the health care law would pass the chamber.

He also warned that the only bill that would prevent a shutdown was the stopgap funding measure passed by the Senate on Friday.

"Harry Reid will be shutting down the government if he doesn't accept this pretty sensible solution to the debate that we're having right now," conservative congressman Raul Labrador told AFP.

The Republican plan "is exactly what we wanted," he said.

Boehner and fellow House leaders had struggled to stake out a position palatable to their divided members.

Congress now has less than 60 hours to strike a deal that funds government beyond the current fiscal year.

If lawmakers fail, federal agencies will shut their doors and order hundreds of thousands of employees to stay home, while more than a million soldiers will remain on duty without pay.

As if anticipating a possible shutdown, Boehner said the House would also "vote on a measure that ensures our troops get paid, no matter what."

Obama chided Republicans Friday for their budget brinkmanship, but also warned that while he is prepared to negotiate on ways to reduce spending, "we're not going to do this under the threat of blowing up the entire economy."

source: interaksyon.com

Just what happens if US government shuts down?

WASHINGTON - A US government shutdown is looming. Congress is struggling to pass a stopgap budget measure that would keep the doors open beyond the fiscal year, which ends at midnight September 30.

But with congressional bickering in full swing, and the deadline less than four days away, there is increasing anxiety about who and what will be affected.

During the previous two shutdowns, for six days in November 1995 and 21 days from December that year into early 1996, some 800,000 federal employees were ordered to stay home, according to a congressional report.

Here is a snapshot of what is likely to occur in the event Congress cannot agree on a federal spending bill by October 1.

WHITE HOUSE and CONGRESS: These facilities will remain open, although both are likely to furlough some staff. The State Department has said it will temporarily furlough non-essential staff too.

PENTAGON: Military personnel will remain on duty, although the Department of Defense says there may be delays in their paycheck processing. More than half of the department's 800,000 civilian employees are expected to be furloughed, and the Pentagon has warned of likely "hardships" for many workers.

NATIONAL SECURITY: Such services will remain operational, such as US border patrol and airport screeners. Personnel who are deemed to "protect life and property," such as emergency service providers like disaster response teams, would stay on duty.

MEDICAL RESEARCH: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) could be severely impacted. It would not be allowed to begin new clinical trials or see new patients.

MUSEUMS and PARKS: The Smithsonian museums and all 368 sites in the National Park Service system would close. Seven million tourists were affected during the last shutdown.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: EPA administrator Gina McCarthy warned that the agency "effectively shuts down." That means virtually no one monitoring or enforcing air and water quality or oil pollution regulations.

POSTAL SERVICE: Since the US Postal Service has its own independent sources of funding, it remains open, as does the Federal Reserve.

SOCIAL SECURITY: Most entitlement programs will continue, although there will be hiccups. Social Security checks will be mailed, but Social Security offices will close. Military veterans will receive their benefits as well, but disability claims will be backlogged. Veterans hospitals will remain open.

WASHINGTON: Congress is granted exclusive jurisdiction over the US capital, and during the 1995-96 shutdown, the city was the focus of embarrassment as it halted its trash collection. Now, Mayor Vincent Gray says he will declare all city employees as "essential personnel" in the event of a shutdown, and use a contingency cash reserve fund to pay wages.

ECONOMY: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Friday that a temporary shutdown would "shatter our economy." That may be hyperbole, but the impact could well be significant. According to Macroeconomic Advisers, the effect on fourth-quarter GDP grown of a two-week shutdown beginning October 1 would be 0.3 percentage points.

source: interaksyon.com

US lawmakers move to rein in NSA snooping

WASHINGTON -- Democratic and Republican US senators introduced legislation on Wednesday to end the National Security Agency's bulk collection of Americans' communication records and set other new controls on the government's electronic eavesdropping programs.

The measure introduced by Democrats Ron Wyden, Mark Udall and Richard Blumenthal, and Republican Rand Paul, is one of several efforts making their way through Congress to rein in sweeping surveillance programs.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is holding a public hearing on Thursday when the panel's leaders are expected to discuss their surveillance reforms, the Senate Judiciary Committee is addressing the issue and several members of the House of Representatives have also introduced legislation.

"The disclosures over the last 100 days have caused a sea change in the way the public views the surveillance system," said Wyden, a leading congressional advocate for tighter privacy controls, told a news conference.

The surveillance programs have come under intense scrutiny since disclosures this spring by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden that the government collects far more Internet and telephone data than previously known.

The legislation introduced on Wednesday combines several surveillance reforms that legislators had introduced separately.

Besides banning the bulk collection of Americans' records, it would create the position of "constitutional advocate" to represent the public in the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that oversees the eavesdropping programs.

And it would let Americans affected by the eavesdropping sue for damages in US courts and allow companies to disclose more information about cooperation with government surveillance.

"These reforms are the right thing to do, but they are also essential to the public believing that the system is complying with the law," Blumenthal said.

Many members of Congress staunchly defend the surveillance programs as an essential defense against terrorist attacks, but support for change has been growing.

In a 217-205 vote in July, the House narrowly defeated an amendment to an appropriations bill that would have sharply limited the NSA's ability to collect electronic information.

The strong support for the amendment -- bolstered by an unlikely alliance of liberal Democrats and libertarian Republicans -- surprised many congressional observers because House leaders and members of the Intelligence Committee had strongly opposed it.

Given the level of dissent - and widespread public concern - lawmakers said they expected some reforms would be included in the National Defense Authorization Act, which Congress is due to pass late this year to authorize Defense Department programs.

source: interaksyon.com

Merkel wins absolute majority in Germany

BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel clinched a surprise absolute majority in her winning bid for a third term in German elections Sunday, estimates on public television indicated.

Voters turned out in droves to reward Merkel, often called the world's most powerful woman, with another four years at the helm for steering them unscathed through the debt turmoil that engulfed the eurozone's southern flank.

But in one of the tightest races in German history, they punished her pro-business partner, the Free Democrats, kicking them out of parliament for the first time since 1949, according to preliminary results on two public television networks.

Merkel's stunning 42.5 percent score -- the conservatives' highest result since national reunification in 1990 -- means that she may become the only chancellor to govern without a junior partner since Germany's first post-war leader, Konrad Adenauer.

"Together we will do everything in the next four years to again make them successful years for Germany," Merkel told cheering members of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin.

"The party leadership will discuss everything when we have a final result but we can already celebrate tonight," a beaming Merkel told supporters, including her chemist husband Joachim Sauer, a music fan who so rarely appears in public he is nicknamed "The Phantom of the Opera".

An upstart anti-euro party, AfD, appeared to fall just short of the five-percent hurdle to representation with their bid to tap into anger over German contributions to bailout packages for stricken eurozone partners.

Exit polls had initially pointed to an awkward left-right "grand coalition" between Merkel's Christian Democrats and their traditional opponents, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), which scored around 26 percent.

Merkel led a fractious grand coalition during her first term in 2005-2009, with the SPD's chancellor candidate this time around, Peer Steinbrueck, as her finance minister.

Political scientist Nils Diederich said Merkel had a tendency to bleed her coalition partners dry.

"You can compare Ms Merkel to a spider that feeds on the flies it captures," he told AFP.

"That is what she did to the Social Democrats in 2009 and that is what she is doing now with the FDP."

A physicist by training, Merkel is only the third person to win a third term in Germany after Adenauer and Helmut Kohl, the father of German unity.

If she serves at least until 2017, she will become Europe's longest serving female leader, besting Margaret Thatcher who was Britain's prime minister for 11 years.

While Merkel became Germany's most popular post-war chancellor, the eurozone crisis laid waste to the careers of leaders in hard-hit countries such as Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and France.

In contrast to Merkel's austerity-driven response to the eurozone crisis, the SPD called for a bit more generosity and patience with nations as they pay back their debts.

But voters handed Merkel a landslide, fully endorsing her strategy of demanding biting reforms in exchange for funding bailouts.

The near success of the AfD, which advocates ditching the single currency and an "orderly dissolution" of the 17-member eurozone, sent a jolt through German politics, where a eurosceptic party has never gained a foothold.

In a last-minute appeal for votes at a Berlin rally Saturday, Merkel had urged voters not to succumb to the AfD's siren call.

"The stabilisation of the euro is not just a good thing for Europe but it is also in Germany's fundamental interest," she said.

Nearly 62 million people were called to the polls after a campaign many voters complained was largely superficial and personality-based.

Economic growth is steady, unemployment at below seven percent -- its lowest level in two decades -- and the political culture is dominated by a long post-war tradition of consensus rather than red-blooded jousting.

That left few issues to separate the main candidates.

"I think we have a good standard of living in Europe, and for me, this must remain stable. So, to me, voting for the extremes, on the left or the right, isn't an answer," Sister Elisabeth Bauer, a nun, told AFP as she cast her vote in Berlin.

The ecologist Greens party, the SPD's preferred coalition partner, scored around a disappointing eight percent in Sunday's poll.

And the far-left Die Linke, which has roots in former East Germany's ruling communist party, also tallied about eight percent but the SPD has repeatedly ruled out forming a coalition with it at the national level.

The brash, gaffe-prone Steinbrueck stumbled again in the home-stretch of the campaign with a front-page magazine photo of him making a surly middle-finger reply to a question on his limping candidacy.

He had zeroed in on a growing low-wage sector, but it was not enough to dislodge Merkel from the top job.

"The SPD did not lead a campaign devoid of content," Steinbrueck said late Sunday in a jab aimed at Merkel.

"But we did not achieve the result we wanted."

source: interaksyon.com

Germany votes with Merkel set for third term

BERLIN - Germany votes Sunday with Chancellor Angela Merkel poised to win a third term, making her Europe's only major leader to survive its financial crisis but potentially forced into governing with her main rivals.

After shepherding Europe's top economy through the debt turmoil, Merkel emerged more popular than ever due to her motherly reassurance as the crisis felled leaders in France, Greece, Italy, and Spain.

Pollsters suggest that voters will re-elect the 59-year-old, whose nickname "Mutti" ("Mummy") can seem incongruous with her other often-used description as the world's most powerful woman.

But the burning question will be with whom she will govern.

"Rarely was it so close. Merkel's coalition only has a razor-thin majority in the polls," the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily said, adding that many of the near 62 million voters only make up their minds at the last minute.

Merkel boasts her current center-right coalition has been Germany's most successful since reunification in 1990, enjoying a robust economy and a jobless rate of less than seven percent.

But her stated aim for her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to stay in power with its junior partners, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), hinges on the smaller party's unpredictable fortunes.

"The continued governing by this coalition remains uncertain," Gero Neugebauer, a political scientist from Berlin's Free University said.

If the alliance fails to rally a ruling majority, Merkel could be forced back into the arms of her traditional rivals, the Social Democrats (SPD), with whom she governed in a loveless "grand coalition" during her first term.

Under the watchful eye of Germany's European partners, a new eurosceptic party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) could also prove a wild card, either by clawing enough support to send MPs into parliament or wooing disgruntled centre-right voters away.

"For Chancellor Merkel the eurosceptics are becoming a problem," Spiegel Online commented on the eve of the vote.

"If the protest party manages to jump into the Bundestag (lower house of parliament), that may cost the black-yellow coalition power," it added, referring to the colour code for Merkel's current alliance.

Three polls in the run-up show the AfD, which advocates ditching the single currency and an "orderly dissolution" of the eurozone, falling below the five-percent hurdle needed to enter parliament.

But some analysts and pollsters have not ruled it out amid fresh Greek aid fears, stressing it is hard to assess the fledgling party's chances because it has no election track record and supporters may not own up to backing it in surveys.

Merkel again hammered home Europe's importance for Germany at a last-chance push for votes in Berlin Saturday, saying her country "can only do well in the long term if all of Europe does well."

"This is why the stabilization of the euro is not just a good thing for Europe but it is also in Germany's fundamental interest," she said, as a band belted out "Angie must save the world."

Supporters of stronger stimulus measures have pinned their hopes on the SPD whose gaffe-prone candidate Peer Steinbrueck, 66, has struggled to score points and still trailed Merkel's conservatives by 13 points in the last opinion poll.

A former finance minister in Merkel's 2005-2009 grand coalition, Steinbrueck has run into trouble during the campaign, most recently with a surly middle-finger front-page photo of him as a non-verbal reply to a question on his stumbling candidacy.

He has zeroed in on the growing low-wage sector and calls for an across-the-board minimum wage, while Merkel favors more flexible pay agreements hammered out between employers and unions, regionally and by sector.

In his final-day stump speech, he urged voters to remove "the most inactive government that has made the most reversals" in over two decades and mocked the famously ideologically flexible Merkel for "going round and round."

Polls open at 0600 GMT, with initial television estimates expected shortly after booths close at 1600 GMT.

source: interaksyon.com

'A year is too long for Ombudsman to file plunder cases vs. lawmakers who misused pork funds'

One year is too long for the Office of the Ombudsman--which prosecutes government officials--to file plunder complaints against lawmakers who have been found to have misused their Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) before the Sandiganbayan.

This was emphasized by the minority bloc in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, adding that cases should be lodged by December.

The government by this time should have the evidence to back its allegations against those who have erred in using their pork barrel funds, Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora said.

"Let us remember that this is not a new case. We are not looking for new evidence. All of these things are being talked about, many whistleblowers have spoken. There are voluminous documents presented about the case. If this is not probable cause, then what does probable cause mean?" Zamora said in a news conference.

The bloc was reacting to a statement by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, who said that her office would be able to decide in a year or less the plunder case against Janet Lim Napoles and three senators and several former congressmen involved in the pork barrel scam.

On Monday, the Department of Justice filed cases against Senators JuanPonce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon Revilla Jr., former Housemembers and several others for allegedly channelling pork barrel fundsinto bogus projects.

In the same news conference, Representative Silvestre Bello of 1-Banatat Ahapo partylist said the filing of charges before the anti-graft court should not take a year "because in effect, they will only be affirming the DOJ findings."

Zamora said that it was important that the case can be brought to the court to try and punish the guilty and absolve the innocent.

"Between now and one year, malaki ang possibility na magkakaron ng iba pang malaking kaso, baka makalimutan ang impotance ng kasong ito," he added.

Zamora said they are awaiting the other names that the DoJ will include in the pork barrel case, including lawmakers who allegedly misused their PDAF based on the Commission on Audit special audit report.

He said they would ask the DoJ about the progress of the case when its budget is tackled in plenary within the week.

source: interaksyon.com

OFWs to hold Zero Remittance Day on Sept. 19 to protest corruption

MANILA - For four decades they've been called the anchor of the Philippine economy, but for one day, on Sept. 19, overseas Filipino workers will stop doing the one thing they're praised for: remit funds back home.

The gesture, dubbed “Zero-Remmittance Day,” is meant to send a message to the government that the workers are serious about the move to abolish the pork barrel system and end corruption.

In a statement, Migrante International's Gary Martinez said Wednesday 112 Filipino migrant organizations all over the world are coordinating their protest and will not send remittances to their families in the Philippines on September 19. It is meant as a blow against widespread corruption, patronage politics and social injustice.

“Filipino immigrants from all over the world will once again send a united message against the pork barrel system. Our remittances that keep the economy afloat are being plundered by greedy officials,” Martinez said.

Through the Zero Remittance Day, OFWs want to pressure the government to re-channel funds from PDAF to programs directly promoting the people’s interest, "including more efficient services and welfare assistance to OFWs in distress,” he added.

The first Zero Remittance Day was launched on October 29, 2008 in protest against the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) which was held in Manila. The ZRD criticized the GFMD and the Philippine government’s promotion of what it called "modern-day slavery" through the labor export policy. It was supported by more than 112 Filipino migrant organizations all over the world, resulting in hundreds of millions lost in remittances.

The second ZRD protested former Pres. Gloria Arroyo’s attempts to implement charter change through a constitutional assembly on July 26, 2009.

source: interaksyon.com

Explain why bogus NGOs continued to receive pork barrel even under PNoy's term, DBM told

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad should explain why fake non-government organizations continued to receive public funds even during the time of President Benigno Aquino III since 2010, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said.

"If indeed the release of PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) since 2010 have been judicious and strictly regulated, why then are there documented releases to fake NGOs through the GOCCs (government owned and controlled corporation), amounting to more than P500 million?” Navotas Representative and UNA secretary general Toby Tiangco said.

Quoting from documents obtained from the Philippine Forest Corporation, National Agribusiness Corporation, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment of Natural Resources, Tiangco said that some P500 million PDAF was released to fake NGOs between 2010 and 2012.

The P500 million released by the Department of Budget and Management in the last three years was different and separate from the more than P1 billion given between 2010 and 2012 to foundations and corporations under businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

Tiangco also said that Abad cannot just claim innocence on the multi-billion peso releases to the 82 questionable NGOs identified by the Commission on Audit until 2012.

“Based on records, these 82 NGOs under question still continue to receive millions upon millions from DBM through the implementing agencies. What happened to the restrictions on the pork barrel releases the DBM has been saying—bakit marami pa ring nakakalusot since 2010?” he asked.

Meanwhile, Tiangco criticized the Aquino administration for its "very special treatment" to Napoles since she turned herself in on Thursday..“It’s not special treatment. It’s concierge service,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Prosecutors, soldiers, firefighters, join anti-corruption rally at Luneta

MANILA, Philippines—Some government prosecutors joined Monday's massive Luneta rally, one of several groups of state workers who wanted to add their voice to the call for the abolition of pork barrel.

Besides the prosecutors, reports from the field said small groups of both retired and active-duty firefighters, soldiers and policemen joined the crowd. Retired Marines Col. Ariel Querubin said he received numerous text messages from other soldiers informing him they were on site.  Querubin said in a TV interview he himself was reminded by his son, who is based in Patikul, Sulu, about the invitation for him to be at Luneta from a group of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni.

The presence of prosecutors, meanwhile, had the blessings of their higher-ups. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said the prosecutors have the right to join  the mass action. “They can express their sentiments on, and support to any legitimate cause, such as abolition of the pork barrel. We all have reasons to be enraged and outraged,” she said.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said “a prosecutor who on his own personal advocacy joins the rally not on official time is well within his right to do so as any citizens of this republic. This right is recognized without prejudice to individual responsibility.”

Prosecutors League of the Philippines (PLP) President and Northern Mindanao Regional Prosecutor Jaime Umpa said pork barrel is a source of corruption. Umpa said over 1,000 prosecutors joined the million people march in Luneta. “We support the total abolition of the pork barrel because it was proven to be a source of corruption. While we are glad that there are calls for its abolition, the Filipino people should be vigilant in order that the pork barrel shall not be resurrected again by changing its name,” Umpa said.

Umpa found it ironic that that Congress has been complaining about lack of funds for vital programs, when some of them were giving money to fake non-governmental organizations (NGO) all this time.

Aside from PLP, the Chief Prosecutors Association (CIPROSA) also joined the mass action against pork barrel. The CIPROSA president, Manila's Chief Prosecutor Edward Togonon, noted that 60-70 percent of prosecutors have no halls of justice and have been bugging legislators and the Department of Budget and Management about this, but their repeated calls were ignored.

source: interaksyon.com

Small Firms’ Offer of Plan Choices Under Health Law Delayed

WASHINGTON — Unable to meet tight deadlines in the new health care law, the Obama administration is delaying parts of a program intended to provide affordable health insurance to small businesses and their employees — a major selling point for the health care legislation.

The law calls for a new insurance marketplace specifically for small businesses, starting next year. But in most states, employers will not be able to get what Congress intended: the option to provide workers with a choice of health plans. They will instead be limited to a single plan. 

The choice option, already available to many big businesses, was supposed to become available to small employers in January. But administration officials said they would delay it until 2015 in the 33 states where the federal government will be running insurance markets known as exchanges. And they will delay the requirement for other states as well. 

The promise of affordable health insurance for small businesses was portrayed as a major advantage of the new health care law, mentioned often by White House officials and Democratic leaders in Congress as they fought opponents of the legislation. 

Supporters of the law said they were disappointed by the turn of events. 

The delay will “prolong and exacerbate health care costs that are crippling 29 million small businesses,” said Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana and the chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. 

In the weeks leading up to the passage of the health care legislation in 2010, Ms. Landrieu provided crucial support for the measure, after securing changes to help small businesses. 

The administration cited “operational challenges” as a reason for the delay. As a result, it said, most small employers buying insurance through an exchange will offer a single health plan to their workers next year. 

Health insurance availability and cost are huge concerns for small businesses. They have less bargaining power than large companies and generally pay higher prices for insurance, if they can afford it at all. 

The 2010 law stipulates that each state will have a Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP exchange, to help employers compare health plans and enroll their employees. 

One of the most important tasks of the exchange is to simplify the collection and payment of monthly premiums. An employer can pay a lump sum to the exchange, which will then distribute the money to each insurance company covering its employees. 

The Obama administration told employers in 2011 that the small business exchange would “enable you to offer your employees a choice of qualified health plans from several insurers, much as large employers can.” In addition, it said, the exchange would “consolidate billing so you can offer workers a choice without the hassle of contracting with multiple insurers.” 

Exchanges are scheduled to start enrolling people on Oct. 1, for coverage that begins in January. However, the administration said that the government and insurers needed “additional time to prepare for an employee choice model” of the type envisioned in the law signed three years ago by President Obama. 

D. Michael Roach, who owns a women’s clothing store in Portland, Ore., said the delay was “a real mistake.” 

“It will limit the attractiveness of exchanges to small business,” he said. “We would like to see different insurance carriers available to each of our 12 employees, who range in age from 21 to 62. You would have more competition, more downward pressure on rates, and employees would be more likely to get exactly what they wanted.”

John C. Arensmeyer, the chief executive of Small Business Majority, an advocacy group, said that the delay of “employee choice” was “a major letdown for small business owners and their employees.” 

“The vast majority of small employers want their employees to be able to choose among multiple insurance carriers,” Mr. Arensmeyer said. 

Small Business Majority supported Mr. Obama’s health care law. 

That support was invaluable to Democrats who pushed the bill through Congress. Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, who was speaker at the time, cited the group’s research as evidence that “small businesses will benefit from health insurance reform.” 

However, in recent weeks, insurance companies urged the administration to delay the employee choice option. 

“Experience with Massachusetts has demonstrated that employee choice models are extremely cumbersome to establish and operate,” the health insurer Aetna said in a letter to the administration in December. 

Insurers said that the administration was partly responsible for the delay because it did not provide detailed guidance or final rules for the small-business exchange until last month. 

Businesses with up to 100 employees will be able to buy insurance in the exchanges. In 2014 and 2015, states can limit participation to businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Companies with fewer than 25 workers may be able to obtain tax credits for up to two years of coverage bought through an exchange. 

States can open the exchanges to large employers in 2017. 

A few states running their own exchanges, including California and Connecticut, said they planned to offer an employee choice option next year, though it was not required by the federal government. 

A stated goal of the 2010 law was to increase “consumer choice” and stimulate competition among insurers. 

The law makes it easier for consumers to compare health plans by defining four standard levels of coverage, ranging from the least to the most generous. The law says an employer can pick a level of coverage and then allow employees to choose among all the health plans available at that level. 

source: nytimes.com

Ateneo HR Center 'disappointed' with 'insensitive' govt handling of Sabah row

MANILA, Philippines -- The human rights center of President Benigno Aquino III’s alma mater on Saturday voiced its “disappointment” over what it said was the “insensitivity” and “impaired knowledge” with which the government has handled the continuing problem in Sabah.

At the same time, the Ateneo Human Rights Center urged Aquino, in a statement, to “take the appropriate actions to achieve an amicable settlement on the issues surrounding the turmoil in Sabah.”

“From its public demeanor and dismissive statements, it (government) has exhibited an insensitivity to the root cause of the incident and an impaired knowledge of the historical, cultural, political and personal dimensions of the aspirations of our Tausug brothers and sisters in relation to Sabah,” the AHRC said.

It cited Aquino’s call for Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to order his followers who had occupied a village in Lahad Datu, Sabah to leave and abandon their “hopeless cause” and his threat to use the “full force of the law” if they ignored him.

The AHRC also hinted that Aquino may have been ill advised on handling the Sabah issue, urging him “to get the best possible counsel in relation to this recent tragedy” and adding that, “the threats made by our own Department of Justice towards the Sultan and the members of the Sultanate of Sulu do not solve the problem.”

On Friday, the weeks-long standoff in Lahad Datu between Kiram’s followers, led by his brother Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, and Malaysian security forces erupted in violence.

Malaysia has placed the death toll at 12 Filipinos and two Malaysian police commandos dead. But the sultan’s brother said 10 of his party died, four were wounded and another 10 had been captured.

The AHRC said that, even while disapproving the manner the sultanate had chosen to pursue its claim to Sabah, the government “should have, in the same breath, sympathized and expressed its solidarity with the noble cause and territorial objectives of our Muslim countrymen/women.”

“Indeed,” it said, “the government may have unduly alienated citizens who have hitherto exhibited loyalty to the Philippines.”

Following is the full text of the AHRC statement:

In recent weeks, the Sultanate of Sulu, headed by Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and a group of Tausugs forming part of the Royal Army of Sulu, went to the town of Lahad Datu in Sabah. They asked that the Sultanate receive royalties commensurate to Sabah’s economic growth and that they be allowed to peacefully settle there, which they consider their homeland.

However, in a press conference held on February 26, 2013, President Benigno Aquino III appealed to Sultan Kiram and his supporters to withdraw from Sabah, and peacefully end their standoff. He, unfortunately, referred to their cause as a “hopeless cause.” Further, the President threatened them with prosecution by issuing a stern warning that if they choose not to cooperate, they will face the “full force of the law.”

The Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) expresses its deep concern on what transpired in Lahad Datu, Sabah which escalated into violence resulting in the death of a number of our Muslim countrymen/women. The AHRC likewise expresses its disappointment on the government’s treatment of the problem. From its public demeanor and dismissive statements, it has exhibited an insensitivity to the root cause of the incident and an impaired knowledge of the historical, cultural, political and personal dimensions of the aspirations of our Tausug brothers and sisters in relation to Sabah.

While the Government may have expressed its non-conformity to the manner by which the claim was pursued, it should have, in the same breath, sympathized and expressed its solidarity with the noble cause and territorial objectives of our Muslim countrymen/women. Indeed, the Government may have unduly alienated citizens who have hitherto exhibited loyalty to the Philippines.

While not condoning any form of violence, the Philippine Government should demonstrate that the interests of our Filipino Muslim brothers and sisters involved are its paramount concern; and it has not derogated from its responsibility to protect their human rights.

Therefore, we call on President Benigno Aquino III to take the appropriate actions to achieve an amicable settlement on the issues surrounding the turmoil in Sabah. Also, we urge the government to extend all the possible assistance to our brother/sister Muslims involved in this tragic event. Moreover, we implore the President to get the best possible counsel in relation to this recent tragedy. The threats made by our own Department of Justice towards the Sultan and the members of the Sultanate of Sulu do not solve the problem. President Aquino should assure them that the Government will take the matter seriously in order to arrive at a peaceful solution. The Philippine Government should also guarantee the Sultanate of Sulu that it continues to honor the claim over Sabah, a place which our Tausug brothers and sisters rightfully claim and assert as our own.

source: interaksyon.com

Philippines confers Legion of Honor on Hillary Clinton

MANILA, Philippines - On behalf of President Benigno S. Aquino III, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario conferred on Tuesday the Philippine Legion of Honor on US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in simple ceremonies at the US State Department in Washington D.C.

Expressing appreciation for the honor, Secretary Clinton affirmed the US government’s commitment to strengthening the Philippines’ defense capabilities, according to a statement released in Manila by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

As Secretary of State, Secretary Clinton had signed with Secretary del Rosario the Manila Declaration, confirming the two countries’ commitment to the objectives of the Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). On the margins of the 2012 official working visit to the US of President Aquino, she also signed with del Rosario a statement of support for the construction, outfitting and training of a new National Coast Watch Center for the Philippines.

Mrs. Clinton strongly supported the Philippines’ advocacy for a rules-based approach in resolving competing claims over maritime areas through peaceful and diplomatic processes within the framework of international law, according to a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) news release. On various occasions, she spoke up for the common interest in maintaining freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce, and transit of people across the seas, it added.

In September 2010, President Aquino and Secretary Clinton unveiled the $434-million Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact aimed at reducing poverty through economic growth in New York. The Philippines and the US are also leading members of the Open Government Partnership, continuing to promote greater government transparency and the rule of law.

Secretary Clinton oversaw the Obama administration’s pivot to Asia and affirmed the strong military relationship between the US and the Philippines. With del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, they held the first Philippine-US Two Plus Two Ministerial Consultations in April 2012, providing the framework for intensified dialogue and cooperation on defense and security issues.

The Philippine Legion of Honor is the highest honor that the President of the Philippines may grant an individual without the concurrence of Congress. The highest rank, Chief Commander, is normally conferred on heads of state or governments, and distinguished individuals in recognition of their importance to the Republic or for life achievement. The first American to be conferred the rank of Chief Commander was US President Franklin D. Roosevelt (posthumous). Other Americans who have received the same honor include President Dwight Eisenhower, General Douglas McArthur, and Senator Daniel Inouye.

source: interaksyon.com

Filipino-Canadian journalist receives Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

CANADA - Print and broadcast journalist Ace Alvarez has joined 60,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have received the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal for their contribution to Canadian society the past 60 years, it was learned.

The Canadian government, through the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall, bestowed the award on Alvarez "for his exceptional and meritorius contribution to Canadian print and broadcast journalism and in the further propagation of multiculturalism and diversity, a national policy of Canada."

An active news and public affairs person, Alvarez has contributed to community development work for the last 16 years.

He was the multicltural media representative from September 2007 to September 2009 to the Canadian National Exhibition Association (CNEA) — the organization which runs the annual Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), an 18-day fair, which has grown to be the largest annual fair in Canada and the fifth largest in North America attracting approximately 1.25 million visitors each year during the CNE’s 129-year history.

Alvarez was also a member of the CNEA’s Marketing Committee during the two terms he served from 2007 to 2009. During his term, the committee adopted Alvarez’s recommendation aimed at making the advertising and promotion of the CNE cost effective to specific cultural communities in the GTA.

As an officer and board member of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA), Alvarez worked closely with the board, community publications and some Members of the Provincial Parliament of Ontario to reverse the provincial government’s ruling to make advertisers’ pay the provincial sales tax.

In 1999, Ace was awarded by the Canadian Ethnic Journalists’ and Writers’ Club for his consistent trenchant editorials in the Manila Media Monitor during award ceremonies aired over Toronto’s CFMT Television.

Since 2000, he has been (and probably remains to be the only Filipino-Canadian in media) listed for his contribution to Canadian journalism in “Canadian Who’s Who”— the reference book containing names of distinguished Canadians (listing in which is by invitation only and based on merit), compiled and published annually by the University of Toronto.

Ace serves as resource on ethnocultural media to two Toronto-based advertising agencies and has, in the past, been a resource to a high profile multicultural PR company based in Toronto. Likewise, he served as resource to journalism students at one of Toronto’s leading communication and media colleges, as well as the Ontario Chapter of the Federal Communications Council — an organization composed of Information/Media Relations Officers of the various Ministries of the Canadian federal government. 

source: interaksyon.com