STEALING FREE NEWSPAPER IS STILL A CRIME ! AB 2612, PLESCIA CRIME Proposed legislature could abolish Senate WEEKLY ISSUE 70 CITIES IN 11 STATES ONLINE Vol. IX Issue 458 1028 Mission Street, 2/F, San Francisco, CA 94103 Tel. (415) 593-5955 or (650) 278-0692 January 18 - 24, 2018 Shut-down of Duterte-critical news group PH NEWS | A2 seen as attack on press freedom By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent PH media has been fair - Pew Research For supposedly inviting foreign of Duterte as well as the leading ownership, the Securities and Ex- broadsheet Inquirer for various stated change Commission (SEC) revoked reasons. the certificate of incorporation of news For the closure of Rappler, op- website Rappler, shutting down the position senators and media organiza- popular news group known for critical tions cried out pure harassment and reporting of the Duterte administra- undisguised attack on press freedom. tion. “I strongly condemn the SEC’s It may just be coincidence that revocation of the registration of Rap- Rappler is headed by Managing pler,” Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said. Director Maria Rissa who previously “It would also send a chilling message PH NEWS | A3 headed ABS-CBN News and Public to other media entities to force them Affairs as chief and that President to toe the Administration’s propa- Durant leads Warriors Duterte earlier gave Rappler a piece ganda lines.” victory against Cavs of his mind for its alleged foreign Sen. Risa Hontiveros found it “a (L-R) Rappler Managing Director Maria Ressa and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar funding. ABS-CBN is in the crosshairs (Photos: www.techinasia.com / www. businessinsider.com) TO PAGE A7 Speculations say change to Federal gov’t Maker of ‘defective’ anti-dengue vaccine to refund could abolish office of vice-president PHP 1B+, set up compensation, monitoring fund By Corina Oliquino | FilAm Star Correspondent for at risk school children SPORTS NEWS | A5 the proposed federal government last By Lara Climaco | FilAm Star Correspondent January 14. Immigrants from anywhere “The Office of the Vice-president Sanofi Pasteur must go beyond which agreed this week to comply with welcome to U.S. - Trump (OVP) has been a feature of our repub- refunding PHP 1.4 billion of the PHP the DoH’s demand for a PHP 1.4- lic for over 80 years, ever since it was 3.5 billion paid by the Aquino admin- billion refund. The amount represents created under the 1935 Constitution. istration for the Dengvaxia vaccine. the value of more than one million The only time since then that we have It should refund the entire PHP 3.5 unused Dengvaxia vials that have been had no VP was during the dictatorship billion and put up a Compensation and in storage at the Research Institute for of Ferdinand Marcos,” Robredo’s legal Monitoring Fund to ensure the health Tropical Medicine since the mass den- adviser Barry Gutierrez told Rappler. and safety of more than 830,000 indi- gue immunization program was halted “That said, the current proposals viduals, mostly Grade 4 public school in December last year. The suspension VP Leni Robredo to revise the Constitution are suppos- children, inoculated with what the De- was prompted by Sanofi’s revelation (Photo: www.peopleasia.ph) edly anchored on a drive to promote partment of Health (DoH) has labeled in late November that severe dengue MANILA – Vice-president Leni and institute a federal system of gov- as a “defective” dengue vaccine. could arise among sero-negative indi- WORLD NEWS | A9 Robredo’s camp reacted to the pos- ernment. The question therefore is, These are some of the sanctions viduals, or those without prior sible abolishment of her office under TO PAGE A7 being contemplated against Sanofi, TO PAGE A7 Celine Dion set to perform at MOA in July Duterte gov’t urged to stop on-going Sen. Pacquiao urged to expedite Chinese exploration in Benham Rise discussions on death penalty By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent By Macon Araneta | FilAm Star Correspondent assert Philippine sovereignty. Carpio, the leading figure in the Philippines’ fight to nullify China’s ENTERTAINMENT | B8 claim to almost all of the South China Sea, said the Duterte administration should stop Beijing from conducting 3rd telco player to be sourced marine scientific research in Philippine Rise until it accepted the July 2016 through Facebook crowdsourcing decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. By Lara Climaco President Duterte issued Executive FilAm Star Correspondent Order No. 25 in May last year changing A “reverse bidding” process could the name of Benham Rise to Philippine come into play in the selection of the Rise. The rise is a 13-million-hectare Philippines’ third telco player. Depart- underwater plateau in the Philippine ment of Information and Communi- Sea, 250 kilometers east of Isabela (L-R) Senators Manny Pacquiao and Ping Lacson cations Technology (DICT) OIC-Sec. province, believed to be rich in re- (Photo: www.aloncdy.blogspot.com) Eliseo Rio Jr. presented the concept Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate sources. (Photo: www.polbits.com) Sen. Panfilo Lacson reminded Sen. Would that be enough? Do I have 12 on his personal Facebook page, where Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Manny Pacquiao not to rush a vote votes to pass the Senate version of the he openly sought feedback on how the It’s “dumb,” Senior Associate Alejano earlier said the Department on death penalty and to feel first the death penalty bill?” he said. agency might accomplish President Justice Antonio Carpio said of the of Foreign Affairs allowed a research sentiments of his colleagues, saying the He cited that Pacquiao, who was Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to have the government’s decision to allow China vessel operated by the Institute of proposal will likely lose in the plenary. tasked to lead the discussions on the third telco player up and running by to conduct scientific marine research Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of “So, it is better to feel the pulse death penalty proposal as chairman of March this year. in Benham Rise off Aurora province’s Sciences to conduct research in Philip- first. If I were Sen. Pacquiao, I will get a subcommittee, would be wasting his “The selection process of the ‘third section of the Pacific Ocean which was pine Rise despite China’s militarization the pulse. How many votes will I get? TO PAGE A7 TO PAGE A7 recently renamed Philippine Rise to TO PAGE A7 A2 FilAm Star January 18 - 24, 2018 ph news Proposed unicameral legislature could mean abolition of Senate By William Casis | FilAm Star Correspondent Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the plan of Presi- propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution upon approval of “Finally, the proposed shift to federalism is the strongest argu- dent Rodrigo Duterte to establish a unicameral legislature con- three-fourths of its members. ment for a bicameral legislature,” further stated Ejercito. firmed his suspicions that the bashing of the Senate was part of the Lacson filed the resolution amid statements from leaders of the He said bicameralism ensures the representation of the inter- plot to demean the value of the Upper Chamber to easily abolish it. House that Charter change (Cha-cha) will be a priority this year to ests of individual states and provinces, as well as the population of “The unicameral legislature, that just confirms what I said,” pave the way for the shift to a federal form of government. the entire country. said Drilon. However, he conceded that being the highest politi- Majority of senators said they will not agree to a joint voting if “That is why the United States, Germany and other federal cal leader of the country, he respects the President’s view on the and when Congress convenes for Cha-cha. A three-fourths vote out states have bicameral legislatures—one chamber based on represen- creation of a unicameral legislature. of 23 senators is needed to adopt proposed changes to the Constitu- tation by population the second chamber based on regional units.” “But having said that, let us not forget that the constitutional tion. Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III sees no charter amendment is basically a function and prerogative of Congress,” Under Lacson’s Senate Resolution No. 580, the senator change but only amendments to the 1987 Constitution if the coun- stressed Drilon. stressed that “the framers of the fundamental law are silent on how try shifts to a federal system of government. He noted that in the Constitution, constitutional amendments the Congress should meet in effecting this change in the Constitu- “Amendments to the Constitution only. Some parts may be are proposed either by Congress as a constituent assembly or by a tion.” revised, if many will insist or will like the parliamentary form, or constitutional convention. “The current maelstrom generated by the differing opinions on federalism. Because the big issue that will be tackled, for example, He said the proposal goes directly to the people for ratification. how this amendments to or revision of the Constitution should take economic provisions, can the catchphrase “as may be provided by It does not pass Malacañang. law” be included there?” asked Sotto. “Having said that, certainly the view of the political leader of “What will happen there is just a discussion of the important this country has a lot of weight insofar as Congress is concerned, provisions,” he added. especially that there is a super majority in Congress but this is a Sotto also said a constituent assembly is the easiest way to bicameral Congress and we would like to think that the Senate has amend the Constitution compared to constitutional convention be- always been proud of its independence as a tradition,” explained the ing recommended by some critics.