Pacquiao urges probe 5th embassy bomber Risk-taker producer vs. fake stamps suspect nabbed La Salle’s eco car wins UK Parliament bombed for Kris PH NEWS | A2 PH NEWS | A3 SPORTS NEWS | A5 WORLD NEWS | A9 ENTERTAINMENT | B7 WEEKLY ISSUE 70 CITIES IN 11 STATES ONLINE Vol. IX Issue 415 1028 Mission Street, 2/F, San Francisco, CA 94103 Tel. (415) 593-5955 or (650) 278-0692 [email protected] Mar. 23 - 29, 2017 Duterte, Robredo face impeachment complaints By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent An impeachment complaint has been filed the reported Chinese incursion in Benham Rise against Vice-president Leni Robredo hardly a week as well as the West Philippine Sea. after a similar complaint was lodged at the House of Duterte was on a state visit last March 20 Representatives against President Rodrigo Duterte. when he pooh-poohed the impeachment com- The impeachment case against Robredo was plaint and said Alejano and his Magdalo group proposed to the House leadership by known rabble- of former and active members of the military can rouser and lawyer Oliver Lozano while Duterte’s was go to war with China, for all he cares, over the authored by Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano. Spratly Islands “and all those (the Chinese) have In the draft complaint seeking the endorsement occupied.” of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for the impeach Ro- Duterte asked Alejano, “Ano bang pinag- bredo proposal, Lozano said Robredo “is the termite yayabang ninyo? Na you had your chance to of the government” and should be impeached for: show your bravery? Do not shit with me!” he culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of said. public trust. Magdalo is a group of mostly former Alejano’s impeachment complaint against Du- soldiers who staged the failed 2003 Oakwood terte, on the other hand, cited culpable violation of mutiny in Makati City that called for the ouster the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. corruption, bribery and other serious crimes related Alejano said they count about 200, some of who to the government’s war on drugs. Three days after are still in active service. that case was filed, Alejano presented a supplemental While the Alejano complaint against Duterte (L-R) President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo complaint to include Duterte’s supposed inaction over (photo: www.coolbuster.net) TO PAGE A7 19 police officers in Senators react to European Parliament’s Duterte reverses Leyte mayor’s killing resolution to have De Lima released himself on same-sex jailed for murder By Macon Araneta | FilAm Star Correspondent marriage By Daniel Llanto By William Casis FilAm Star Correspondent Liberal Party (LP) President Sen. FilAm Star Correspondent Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said the The police officers accused of resolution, adopted by the European Unlike the United States and the summary killing of alleged drug Parliament (EP) should serve as a several European countries, President lord Alberta, Leyte Mayor Rolando reminder to the government that the Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippines Espinosa Sr. and a fellow inmate in international community is “closely cannot legalize same-sex marriage. prison have been arrested for murder monitoring” the Philippines. “There’s no gender, because you and are now in jail. This is an indirect Pangilinan warned that the can be he or she... that’s their culture. admission on the part of the Duterte country’s political situation may affect That’s only for them,” said Duterte in administration that the war on drugs is the Philippines’ trade relations with his speech before the Filipino com- the European Union (EU). open to abuse by rogue policemen. (L-R) Sen. Tito Sotto III, Sen. Leila De Lima, and Sen. Francis Pangilinan munity in Myanmar, where he is on a Placed under arrest after the (photo: www.thedailypedia.com / www.scmp.com / www.kikopangilinan.com) TO PAGE A7 two-day oficial visit. “That can’t be applied to us, we’re Catholics. And there is the Civil Code, which (says) you can only marry a Pro- and anti-Duterte Bay Area Fil-Ams woman for me, and for woman to marry a man. That’s the law in the weigh in on impeachment complaint Philippines,” also said Duterte. By Jun Nucum House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, one of Duterte’s staunchest allies, has (L-R) Fmr. Albuerta, Leyte Mayor Rolando The first impeachment complaint against President vowed to push for same-sex marriage Espinosa Sr. and Sen. Panfilo Lacson Rodrigo Duterte was filed before the Philippine House of in the Philippimes. (photo: www.backroompolitics.net) Representatives by Magdalo party-list Congressman Gary However, Alvarez also admitted it Department of Justice (DoJ) found Alejano. He is a former rebel soldier with Sen. Antonio will not be hastened because it is not probable cause to file charges of mur- Trillanes III, a critic of Duterte in the Senate. among the priority measures of the der were police Supt. Marvin Marcos The complaint cites culpable violation of the Consti- President. and 18 other police officers from the tution, bribery, betrayal of public trust, graft and cor- Duterte said he has two brothers- Eastern Visayas Criminal Investiga- ruption, and other high crimes as among the bases of in-law who are gay. “I have cousins tion and Detection Group (CIDG) who impeachment. who are gay, I have nothing against pounced upon Espinosa inside his jail Filipino-American pro- and anti-Duterte community them, but you have to stick to where on November 5 last year on the pretext leaders recently gave their deeply divided reactions that God placed you,” said Duterte. that the Mayor kept drugs. characterized the polarization of Fil-Ams on issues in the The President’s latest statement The accused police officers have Philippines that also reflects the prevailing political (L-R) Congessman Gary Alejano and Bay Area’s Charito Benipayo was contrary to his stance during the TO PAGE A7 TO PAGE A7 (photo: www.cnnphilippines.com / www.sites.google.com) TO PAGE A7 A2 FilAm Star Mar. 23 - 29, 2017 ph news Sen. Pacquiao seeks corruption charges against ex-BIR commissioner By William Casis | FilAm Star Correspondent The Senate should investigate former Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim led to erroneous reports that its Henares to determine if she was involved in the corruption or the Bureau on the alleged use of fake products had fake seals. cigarete tax stamps, said Sen. Manny Pacquiao. “Mighty Corporation con- Pacquiao said the appropriate Senate committee should look into the possible links of Henares to firmed…the BIR’s malfunctioning the proliferation of fake cigaret tax stamps when she was the head of the BIR. taggant excise stamp validating “(Henares) should be held accountable (for) these fake stamps because that should have been her devices which produced vary- look-out,” he said. ing results when used against “Maybe huge amounts of money (were) involved in this or massive corruption happened so this its products that were seized in must be investigated,” he added. last March 16’s unlawful raid at Pacquiao’s remarks came in the wake of reports that a major tobacco company used faux tax its warehouses in San Simon, stamps on cigaret packs to evade paying the correct taxes. Pampanga,” the country’s oldest President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier ordered the arrest of Mighty Corp. President Alexander cigarette firm said last week. (L-R) Former BIR Commissioner Kim Henares and Sen. Manny Pacquiao Wong Chu King, owner of the country’s oldest cigarette manufacturer, due to a potential PHP 1 billion The Company was referring (Photo: www.rainbowconnection218.wordpress.com) “economic sabotage” case from the alleged use of counterfeit tax stamps on cigaret packs. to the March 1 joint raid of the Following the President’s order for his arrest, King turned himself to National Bureau of Inves- Bureau of Customs and the BIR on its warehouses in Pampanga and General Santos City. tigation officials the same day, March 7. He also appeared at the Department of Justice only to speak Mighty’s lawyer Sigfrid Fortun noted that when the devices were used by BIR examiners on the with Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre concerning his alleged violation of tax laws. confiscated cartons bearing Mighty cigarettes, “they registered a green light indicating they were genu- BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay earlier said Mighty Corp. was consulting a former top BIR of- ine stamps and, later, registered red or bogus marks for stamps in the same carton.”. ficial to help defend his cigaret company from allegations of tax evasion. He denied any attempt by the Company to offer bribes. He insisted that it has never taken part nor Finance Sec. Carlos Dominguez vowed to go after tax evaders, including “sacred cows” of the has it ever indulged in such activity especially with officers of the incumbent administration. Aquimo administration. It will be recalled that Henares had sued Pacquiao for alleged unpaid taxes for his fights abroad. Mighty Corp. however asserted that the BIR devices scanning tax stamps were malfunctioning and Pacquiao asserted that he already paid all his tax dues. Arroyo for Cha-Cha commission? Maybe, says Duterte Trillanes confident of Duterte conviction NAYPYITAW, Burma Army’s 9th Infantry Division (Myanmar)—Former Presi- (9ID) said. dent and now Pampanga Rep. The still unidentified com- Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo munist rebel was killed in a may have been unseated as five-minute gun battle between deputy Speaker at the House of Army soldiers who were on Representatives, but President combat operation in the vicinity Duterte does not discount the of Sitio (sub-village) Public, in possibility of giving her a place Barangay (village) Itok around in his administration.