STEALING FREE NEWSPAPER IS STILL A CRIME ! AB 2612, PLESCIA CRIME Probe into why more abused Pinoy Domestic helps in Kuwait WEEKLY ISSUE 70 CITIES IN 11 STATES ONLINE Vol. IX Issue 459 1028 Mission Street, 2/F, San Francisco, CA 94103 Tel. (415) 593-5955 or (650) 278-0692 January 25 - 31, 2018 Senate, House locked in stalemate PH NEWS | A2 over constitutional amendment By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent De Lima asks Facebook to take down fake news The uncalled-for sense of urgency adamant on convening the House in the effort of the House of Repre- into a constituent assembly and then sentatives to change the system of proposing changes to the Constitution government to federalism is gone but by itself, without the Senate. the collision between the House and This is because the Senate refuses the Senate over the manner of carry- to participate in such a constituent as- ing out the constitutional amendment sembly and insists on a constitutional seemed unavoidable. convention instead. The senators Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez took want to vote separately for the pur- back the House’s original plan to rush pose while the House, suspecting that the measure by holding a plebiscite some senators have their own ideas on PH NEWS | A2 simultaneous with the barangay and Charter change (Cha-cha), pushes for Sangguniang Kabataan elections on a joint effort since the congressmen May 14 this year. But he remained TO PAGE A7 Duterte will ‘slap’ Joma (L-R) House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel (Photo: www.rappler.com) DFA accuses Human Rights Watch of intentionally misleading PHP 1.6B refunded to gov’t by international community in its 2017 report on the Philippines anti-dengue vaccination maker By Lara Climaco The Department of Foreign Affairs In its 2017 Global Report on Hu- FilAm Star Correspondent last January 20 accused Human Rights man Rights, the group, which has been PH NEWS | A3 Watch of intentionally misleading the consistently critical of President Ro- Ahead of a formal demand from international community after the New drigo Duterte, reiterated its claim that the Philippine Department of Health Warriors needed big York-based group reported that the hu- the government’s campaign against (DOH) for a full refund and the set- second half to beat Knicks man rights situation in the Philippines illegal drugs resulted in the deaths of ting up of an indemnification fund to is at its worst since the time of former more than 12,000 individuals, mostly support all patients, Sanofi Pasteur as- President Ferdinand Marcos. members of urban poor communities sured the Senate that it would shoulder “We will not allow Human Rights and including children. the cost of any proven complication Watch to portray an unfair and unjust “Human Rights Watch has politi- related to Dengvaxia. image of our country nor will we let it cized the issue for its own gain and has “Of course, we are a corporate so- question the strength of our democ- not done any real research, study or cial company, we have ethics and obvi- racy,” Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter investigation on the human rights situ- ously should there be any case related, Cayetano said in a statement where he ation in the Philippines,” Cayetano said be it death or any other case, we will took issue with the group’s assessment as he dared the group to show proof of shoulder the cost if there is a causality of the human rights situation in the the slain 12,000 it said were all victims DFA Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano that’s been demonstrated through sci SPORTS NEWS | A5 Philippines in 2017. TO PAGE A7 (Photo: www.rappler.com) TO PAGE A7 5 outfit changes, Hermes giveaways in Isabelle’s debut 500 new members ‘fed up’ with Duterte’s Foreign affairs dept. questioned for allowing ‘abuse of power’ join Liberal Party Chinese maritime research in Benham Rise By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent By Macon Araneta | FilAm Star Correspondent cities as the opposition The Liberal Party said they are party marked its 72nd alarmed by the admission of the founding anniversary. Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Speaking at the an- that it has allowed China to conduct ENTERTAINMENT | B8 niversary celebrations, maritime research in Benham Rise. Vice-president Leni “We demand full transparency of Robredo welcomed the the deal,” stressed LP President Sen. 7 medical missionaries new party members for Francis Pangilinan. having “the courage to “What will the country stand killed in Cebu car crash join up.” Robredo wore to gain from this marine scientific black at the event to research? Why do we need to partner By Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS symbolize the “dark- with China? Can’t the Philippines do it Columnist, Cebu Daily News Senator Francis Pangilinan ness that shrouds the on its own? What is in store for China (Photo: www.adobochronicles.com) Special Report nation.” after the research? “he asked. Ifugao Rep. Teddy He also questioned how long will China is not exactly the most trustwor- Baguilat, head of the the marine research be carried out by thy partner for such an activity,” said LP’s national organiz- the Chinese government and its cover- Pangilinan. ing and membership age. He said they cannot just turn a committee who led the “What are the mechanisms and blind eye to past reports about China’s Vice-president Leni Robredo (left) Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat oath-taking in Naga guidelines in place in the conduct of bullying of Filipino fishermen and its (top right) and Sen. Bam Aquino (bottom right) City, said the new the activity?” he further questioned, constant patrolling of disputed waters (Photo: www.untvweb.com) party members became The opposition leader also in- in the West Philippine Sea. About 500 persons who were fed “card-bearing, commit- quired into the impact of such joint un- Amid the protest of the Philippines up with the Duterte administration’s ted, non-politician Liberals.” and other claimant nations, he said Dr. Nunilo Rubio (right) and wife dertaking on the Philippines’ national Dr. Elenita Rubio (left) “abuse of power” have joined the Lib- Baguilat said many of those who interest and security. China continued its military build-up eral Party (LP) in simultaneous oath- joined the LP did so through the “We raise these queries because and aggressive infrastructure projects STORY ON PAGE A7 taking rites in Manila, Cebu and Naga TO PAGE A7 history and experience tell us that TO PAGE A7 A2 FilAm Star January 25 - 31, 2018 ph news Health alert: Probe urged into why more Filipino domestic helpers are Measles outbreak declared abused in Kuwait, ways to keep women in local labor force in Davao City DAVAO CITY — Health While the carrier of the By Macon Araneta | FilAm Star Correspondent officials in the city on Monday measles virus had not been declared a measles outbreak identified, health workers Sen. Cynthia Villar called abroad, are coping with the after four children died and discovered that the low im- for a comprehensive review of increasing number of Filipinos the number of suspected cases munization coverage among welfare and protective mecha- working abroad,” she said. climbed to more than 200. residents had contributed to nisms for Filipino domestic “If we leave everything to Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, the spread of the virus, Du- workers bound for the Middle market forces, then the exo- chief of the City Health Office mama said. East following the President’s dus of our women as domestic (CHO), however, said only 17 “Of the 224 cases, we directive to stop OFW deploy- workers shall continue while of the suspected cases recorded learned that 119 had not been ment to Kuwait. the number of embassy person- from November last year to vaccinated,” Dumama said. “The DoLE’s order to nel that are able to protect them Jan. 12 this year had been con- He blamed the parents for suspend the deployment of our remain stagnant,” she added. firmed to be measles. this health crisis, noting that overseas workers to Kuwait In Kuwait, for example, Of the confirmed cases, many of them had cited ex- is a temporary solution to a the Senator noted that the num- 16 were call center agents who cuses, like their lack of time, on perennial problem. We need ber of OFWs (both new-hires were confined in hospitals last why they failed to bring their long-term solutions to encour- and re-hires) deployed annually week, she said. Many of those children to health centers for age more of our women to look increased from 70,098 in 2014 infected with measles, Vil- their antimeasles shots. for work here at home so they to at least 109,615 in 2016. Yet, lafuerte said, were not Davao Villafuerte said health can be with their families,” Vil- the number of embassy person- lar said. nel catering to OFWs in Kuwait Senator Cynthia Villar Villar, a staunch OFW hardly increased. (Photo: www.ibtimes.ph) advocate, noted that the rising She also noted that out of number of women leaving to 67,623 new-hires for Kuwait in achieved for their protection. deaths of seven OFWs in Ku- work abroad as domestic work- 2016, at least 55,377 of them I also hope that our economic wait, the DFA and DoLE should ers could lead to more abuses were contracted for domestic planners can look at how more also look into why so many of unless protection of their rights work. “I am glad that the Presi- women can be absorbed into our domestic workers, especial- on-site can be enhanced.