WASHINGTON DC, USA – In a cloak-and-dagger plot fit for a Hollywood movie, US actor Sean Penn met secretly in the Mexican jungle in October with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, conducting an explosive interview released a day after the drug kingpin's recapture.

The astonishing story of Penn's encounter with the world's most wanted criminal was published by Rolling Stone magazine on Saturday, January 9, the day after Guzman's arrest following a deadly military raid in Los Mochis, a coastal city in the drug lord's native northwestern state of Sinaloa.

After months of secret negotiations to establish contact and win the fugitive's trust, Penn was granted a "7-hour sit-down" – presented as the capo's first-ever interview outside an interrogation room – followed up in subsequent phone and video conversations.

"Not since Osama bin Laden has the pursuit of a fugitive so occupied the public imagination," Penn wrote in a Rolling Stone article recounting the extraordinary sequence of events.

A social activist and fierce critic of the US war on drugs, Penn – who had help from Mexican actress Kate del Castillo in arranging the meeting – said he felt compelled to seek El Chapo out of a sense of what he called American complicity in the drug violence plaguing its southern neighbors.

"As an American citizen, I'm drawn to explore what may be inconsistent with the portrayals our government and media brand upon their declared enemies," he said.

When they finally met in a Mexican jungle clearing, he said the 58-year-old Guzman gave him a brotherly embrace before introducing him to his crew.

"He pulls me into a 'compadre' hug, looks me in the eyes and speaks a lengthy greeting in Spanish too fast for my ears," Penn said.

Guzman had been on the run since escaping through a tunnel from the Altiplano maximum-security prison in July after just 17 months behind bars.

Rolling Stone published a picture showing Penn in a black shirt shaking hands with the cartel leader, dated October 2.

According to the magazine, Penn and del Castillo were surrounded at the time by more than 100 cartel soldiers.

Guzman agreed to a filmed interview at a later date, but since a face-to-face meeting proved impossible, the drug lord answered to Penn's questions via video recordings without the Hollywood star present.

No other way 'to survive' 

In a two-minute clip posted online by Rolling Stone, Guzman appears clean-shaven in a blue collared shirt.

"It's a reality that drugs destroy," Guzman says in Spanish.

"Unfortunately, as I said, where I grew up there was no other way and there still isn't a way to survive."

Guzman denied responsiblity for drug addiction and the prevalence of narcotics, dismissing such accusations "false."

"The day I don't exist, it's not going to decrease in any way at all," he said of the drug trade.

In a stunning admission of his criminal enterprise, Guzman told Penn over sips of tequila that "I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world," the actor said.

"I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats," Guzman said.

Penn described Guzman as "entirely unapologetic."

The drug capo also said he did not consider himself a violent person. "Look, all I do is defend myself, nothing more. But do I start trouble? Never," he told Penn.

Mexican Attorney General Arely Gomez said Friday that Guzman met with unnamed actors and producers hoping to make a biopic about himself, but gave no further details.

According to Penn, Guzman received several movie offers while in prison, but instead he chose to make his own.

Penn said he believed prior to the meeting his movements were likely being tracked by Mexican and US authorities, and a Mexican federal official told Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity that the meeting helped lead to Guzman's recapture.

The actor also said he entered into the interview project fully aware of the dangers involved.

"I'd seen plenty of video and graphic photography of those beheaded, exploded, dismembered or bullet-riddled innocents, activists, courageous journalists and cartel enemies alike," Penn wrote.

Nevertheless he was emboldened to meet El Chapo's because of the drug lord's "unique" reputation.

"Unlike many of his counterparts who engage in gratuitous kidnapping and murder, El Chapo is a businessman first, and only resorts to violence when he deems it advantageous to himself or his business interests," Penn wrote.

Mexican authorities have said they will begin the process of extraditing Guzman to the United States, a reversal from President Enrique Pena Nieto's refusal to send him across the border.

In the video interview, Guzman is asked whether Mexican authorities want to kill him instead of taking him alive.

"No, I think that if they find me they will arrest me. Of course," Guzman said. – Rappler.com

DUBAI, UAE – Aid agency Doctors Without Borders condemned a missile strike on one of its clinics Sunday in northern Yemen, saying it had killed at least 4 people and wounded 10 others.

Three MSF staff members are among the wounded and two are in "critical condition", the agency said in a statement, adding that toll could rise as several buildings have collapsed.

"The numbers of casualties could rise as there could still be people trapped in the rubble," MSF added.

The missile struck the medical facility in the Razeh district of Saada province, the agency said.

All staff and patients were evacuated, with patients being transferred to another MSF-supported hospital in Saada, it said.

MSF could not specify whether the medical facility was hit in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition or by a rocket fired from the ground.

MSF director of operations Raquel Ayora denounced the missile strike and repeated that the agency constantly shares the coordinates of its medical facilities with warring factions in Yemen.

"All warring parties are regularly informed of the GPS coordinates of the medical sites where MSF works," said Ayora.

"There is no way that anyone with the capacity to carry out an airstrike or launch a rocket would not have known" that the hospital was a functioning health facility supported by MSF, Ayora said.

"We strongly condemn this incident that confirms a worrying pattern of attacks to essential medical services and express our strongest outrage as this will leave a very fragile population without healthcare for weeks," said Ayora."

"Once more it is civilians that bear the brunt of this war," she added.

Peace talks postponed

Saada is the heartland of the Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels that the coalition has been bombing since March in support of Yemen's beleaguered government.

MSF last month accused the coalition of bombing its clinic in Taez, southwest Yemen, wounding nine people including two agency staff.

The coalition said it would investigate that claim although it has repeatedly insisted that it does not attack civilians.

In October, air strikes hit another hospital run by MSF near Saada without causing deaths.

More than 5,800 people have been killed in Yemen since March, about half of them civilians, according to the United Nations.

The UN envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived Sunday in Sanaa in a bid to convince the rebels and their allies to attend a new round of peace talks.

Foreign Minister Abdel Malak al-Mekhlafi told AFP the talks, initially scheduled to start on January 14 had been postponed until January 20 or 23.

The government sat down with the rebels and their allies last month in Switzerland for six days of talks that ended with no major breakthrough.

Also on Sunday, Yemeni intelligence colonel Ali Saleh al-Nakhibi was shot dead by unknown gunmen in second city Aden, a security official said. – Rappler.com 

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wooed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan ahead of the first day of the election period.

The presidential candidate is on a 3-day visit to Taiwan upon the invitation of Taiwanese Representative to the Philippines Gary Song-Huann Lin.

A post on Duterte's official Facebook page said he visited the Taipei Expo Park, "where he was mobbed by hundreds of [OFWs]."

Duterte told the OFWs that he would ensure their families back home would be protected by the state, should he become president.

The tough-talking mayor also reiterated his promise to immediately curb illegal drugs and crimes if he wins in the May 2016 elections. (READ: Duterte vows peace in 3-6 months if elected president)

Duterte and his running mate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, are running on a platform centered on fighting crime and corruption. They recently announced that they wanted to increase the salaries of policemen – a plan that Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento has expressed concerns about.

Aside from Duterte, another presidential aspirant – Senator Grace Poe – also recently wooed OFWs abroad. The senator spoke to Filipino workers in Hong Kong, assuring them that she remains a candidate in the 2016 polls despite the cases against her presidential bid. – Rappler.com

DARBHANGA, India – As another dangerously underweight toddler balances precariously on his set of scales, Dr Om Prakash knows he has to move fast to avert tragedy.

"The children who are severely malnourished can die between a few hours to a few days," says the doctor during a shift at an intensive care unit exclusively for children in India's poorest state.

"For the health of any person, nutrition is the first requirement. When nutrition is affected, all of the body's functions are deranged."

The 30-bed hospital at Darbhanga in the eastern state of Bihar teems with children with protruding bellies and sunken eyes – telltale signs of wasting and stunting, owing to severe malnutrition.

While its economy is growing at a healthy rate, India still lags behind some of its poorer neighbors on child nutrition with more than 40 million stunted children, according to a recently released report.

Despite the government spending billions of rupees on tackling the scourge, it has yet to make a serious dent in a problem perpetuated by poverty, gender inequality, and disease.

"India actually houses the largest number of malnourished children in the world, larger than in sub-Saharan Africa," Sashwati Banerjee, Managing Director, Sesame Workshop India told Agence France-Presse.

These children, if they survive, will grow up shorter and weaker, with their brains and immune systems compromised, more vulnerable to illness.

Between 2006 and 2014, stunting levels in children under five declined from 48 percent to 39 percent, according to the Global Nutrition Report.

But it still far exceeds a global average of 24 percent, found the report, which was overseen by the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Shrivelled and scrawny, the children at the Bihar centre are weighed in bright blue plastic tubs, normally used to carry water or laundry.

There are no toys or drawings on the walls, only the sound of children wailing while others sit motionless and stare, dazed.

Normal food 'a disaster'

Doctors feed them a special concoction of sugar and milk based on how much they weigh.

"It would be a disaster if normal food was given to them. So we give them food that has lower calories and is easily digestible," said Prakash.

"Over time we increase the amount, then we switch to semi-solid food and gradually to the locally available food."

Zalumun Khatoon's 4-year-old grandson Shahadat Hussein weighs eight kilos, just half of the normal weight for his age.

"He was on medication for nine months, then he had a fever all the time and he started to lose weight," she said, as doctors and nurses busily zipped in and out of the facility.

While overall levels of malnutrition are on the slide, eradication efforts are also being undermined by the rapid rise in India's population which is expected to surpass China's by 2022, according to UN projections.

Bihar, which already has a population of 104 million, has one of the fastest rates of growth in the country with the average woman giving birth to four children. Often this is more mouths than they can afford to feed.

The impoverished, largely rural state also has one of India's highest rates of malnutrition.

The mothers, often poor and illiterate, are undernourished themselves – women's lower status means they lose out on limited food resources, leading many babies to be underweight from birth.

A lack of awareness means they switch to cow or buffalo milk instead of breastfeeding, making their children prone to various illnesses.

In addition, high rates of open defecation in India contribute to the problem.

The World Health Organization, together with UNICEF and USAID issued a report in November 2015 which they said demonstrated a link between a lack of sanitation and malnutrition.

Open defecation increases the spread of diarrhoea, multiple episodes of which can permanently alter a child's gut, preventing the absorption of essential nutrients leading to stunted growth.

In addition, intestinal parasites such as roundworm, and hookworm, are transmitted through contaminated soil in areas where open defecation is practiced. Hookworm is a major cause of anaemia in pregnant women, leading to malnourished, underweight babies, UNICEF said.

Family planning 

Purnima Jha, director of the Janani family planning centre, says the situation in Bihar is exacerbated by a traditional resistance and ignorance when it comes to family planning.

"We can't force everyone to have a sterilisation so the basic is that we should educate them, that two children is okay," said Jha.

"In the schools, at least in high and secondary schools, contraception has to be taught."

The Bihar unit was set up last year with help from French charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF or Doctors Without Borders) and authorities are hoping to open dedicated wards for malnutrition in every government hospital in the state in the near future.

Malnutrition poses a threat to India's growth – a study by British charity Save the Children estimates that the economic impact of malnutrition on the country could be $46 billion by 2030.

Prakash says that while the specialist centres play a key role, long-term success would depend on efforts to educate mothers about both nutrition and hygiene.

"Awareness is what is needed more than a drug," he said. – Rappler.com  

WASHINGTON DC, USA – Barack Obama will use his final State of the Union address Tuesday, January 12, one of the last grandstand occasions of his presidency, to define his legacy and make the case for optimism amid an angst-ridden election race. 

Seven years ago, a youthful President Obama's first address to Congress surprised some with gloomy talk of shaken confidence, a weakened economy and uncertain times ahead.

His farewell State of the Union address may surprise for its optimism.

Senior White House officials promise an unorthodox speech. Obama will ditch the traditional hour-long laundry list of the year's legislative priorities and instead look beyond his presidency.

For a president who has leaned heavily – critics say too heavily – on dazzling rhetorical skills to push his agenda, it will be one of the last chances to define his presidency before a national audience.

Around 30 million viewers are expected to watch live, an audience that may only be matched during the Democratic nominating convention later this year, when he passes the torch to the next presidential hopeful.

To reach the broadest audience, Obama's aides will amplify his message across print, television and innovative digital platforms like Medium and Genius.

Obama will list his administration’s achievements, from healthcare reform to gay rights to a nuclear deal with Iran to a pending trans-Pacific trade deal. 

But he will also stress the distance traveled since the throes of the Great Recession and speak to a present he will portray as rich in promise. 

"It's about the power of possibility," said a senior White House official. "It's looking beyond his time in office," in an attempt to "elevate the country." 

The speech, under construction since the autumn, will also challenge Americans to address unfinished business, from dealing with racial tensions to gun violence to drug abuse. 

White House officials admit it is a risky strategy.

For a president with a year left in the Oval Office, misjudging the nation's mood could make him look cripplingly out of touch.

The political backdrop is a shrill and hyper-partisan 2016 election campaign that has tapped into fears about terrorism, as well as middle-class malaise spurred by a lost decade of wage growth.

Obama is unlikely to dwell on the 2016 election race directly, but in embracing optimism, the White House hopes to draw a sharp contrast with Republicans.

"We think that there is a lot of noise coming from one party," said one aide,  insisting the negativity of the campaign trail does not represent the broader nation. 

If Obama manages to kindle a sense of optimism, supporters hope it could help define a political epoch, much as Lyndon Johnson did when declaring a "war on poverty" or when John F. Kennedy announced the moonshot.

A hostile Congress

Obama has long thought of his presidency in such historic terms. But the broad sweep of his speech is also born of  necessity.

He faces a hostile Republican Congress, united only in its disdain for him and his agenda.

Obama can expect some bipartisan support for a call to enact criminal justice reform, but efforts to close the notorious prison at Guantanamo Bay or improve ties with Cuba will require unilateral executive action.

He will rely on symbolism and the bully pulpit to press for tighter gun-control laws, which Republicans fiercely oppose.

The White House says one seat in the First Lady's guest box will be left vacant for "victims of gun violence who no longer have a voice – because they need the rest of us to speak for them."

Republican criticism is likely to focus on Obama's handling of foreign policy, in particular the rise of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

Offering a preview of the Republican response, House of Representatives  Speaker Paul Ryan accused Obama of "doubling down on the same failed foreign policies that have made the world a more dangerous place."

"The president of the United States should be an optimist," said Danielle Pletka of the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "Don't slam him for wanting great things for our country." 

"Slam him for not talking about how the last seven years have seen an almost unprecedented decline not simply in our nation's security, but in our ability to combat enemies near and far." – Andrew Beatty, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – When her family visited Filipina Mary Jane Veloso in Indonesia on April 2015, they thought it would be the last time.

Mary Jane then was set to be executed by firing squad for allegedly smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin into the predominantly Muslim country.

She was granted an 11th hour reprieve by the Indonesian government after a last minute plea by President Benigno Aquino III as well as the surrender of her alleged recruiter, Maria Cristina Sergio. (READ: Saving Mary Jane, the face of OFWs)

More than 8 months later, Mary Jane’s parents Celia and Cesar, and her children Mark Daniel and Mark Darren, will see her again, this time to celebrate her 31st birthday with her. 

“Masayang-masaya kami kasi makikita namin ang anak namin na naman. Talagang masayang-masaya lalo na’t birthday niya kahapon. Binabati ko ang aking anak ng happy birthday, anak. Papunta na kami sa’yo,” said Cesar before entering the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday, January 11. 

(We are very happy because we will see our daughter again, especially because it was her birthday yesterday. Happy birthday, Mary Jane. We’re on the way there.)

On Sunday, several civil society groups and supporters led by the Save Mary Jane Alliance, the Migrante Party-list, the Church Task Force to Save Mary Jane, and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers  (NUPL) celebrated Mary Jane’s birthday with the Velosos with a Mass, a symbolic picket action, and a simple salu-salo in Nueva Ecija, Mary Jane’s hometown.

Her eldest son Mark Daniel wishes one thing for his mother.

“Sana makauwi na siya (I hope she can come home),” said the 13-year-old, who was timid in front of the cameras but who smiled and nodded his head in agreement when asked if he misses his mother.

Mark Daniel’s grandmother Celia said they are looking forward to see Mary Jane this week. (IN PHOTOS: Smiling, laid-back Mary Jane Veloso watches art show)

“Ang wish ko po sa birthday ng aking anak ngayon, sana po ay makauwi na siya at makapiling na namin at makapiling na niya 'yung mga anak niya (My wish on my daughter’s birthday is for her to come home and to finally be with her family and children),” Celia said.

The Velosos will be accompanied by Mary Jane’s lawyer Edre Olalia and a representative from Migrante from January 11 until January 16 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where Mary Jane is currently imprisoned.

NUPL secretary-general Olalia said that while the Department of Foreign Affairs will shoulder the cost of the family’s trip, the NUPL decided to come along on its own.

“Minabuti na rin namin sa NUPL na sumabay kasi ito 'yung unang pagkakataon na masinsin at personal naming mabibrief 'yung si Mary Jane kung ano na ‘yung nangyari doon sa mga kaso dito, lalo na sa illegal recruiters [niya]. [Masasabi naman kung] ano 'yung prospects, ano 'yung maaasahan, 'yung sari-saring puwedeng itanong nang personal na hindi magagawa kasi sa long distance,” said Olalia.

(The NUPL decided to go because this is an opportunity for me to personally brief Mary Jane on what is happening with the cases here in the Philippines, especially those concerning her illegal recruiters. We would be able to explain well what are her prospects and we can answer questions that are difficult to ask in long distance conversations.)

The Court of Appeals recently gave the go signal for the cases of trafficking, estafa, and illegal recruitment filed against Mary Jane’s alleged recruiter Sergio and her live-in-partner, Julius Lacanilao, to proceed. – Rappler.com

DETROIT, USA – Volkswagen chief executive Matthias Mueller will face a skeptical US public on Sunday, January 10, for the first time since American regulators accused the German automaker of cheating on emissions tests.

VW's "apology tour" is expected to be a sharp contrast from the exuberance displayed by its competitors when the Detroit auto show formally opens Monday, January 11, amid record-breaking US sales.

Mueller is set to speak at an invitation-only media reception in a Detroit restaurant Sunday night before heading to Washington for talks with political leaders and regulators amid accusations that the company is obstructing the investigation into the deepest crisis of its history.

Sources told Agence France-Presse that he could announce the buyback of more than 100,000 affected vehicles. 

VW was tight-lipped about Mueller's schedule, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said he is scheduled to meet with its administrator Gina McCarthy on Wednesday, January 13.

Mueller, who took the helm at Volkswagen after US authorities uncovered the scandal in September, has said he will apologize during his first official trip to America but also "look forward with optimism and confidence."

The Wolfsburg-based group admits it installed software in around 11 million diesel cars of its VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda brands worldwide that helped them evade emissions standards.

The so-called defeat devices turn on pollution controls when the car is undergoing testing, and off when it is back on the road, allowing it to spew out harmful levels of nitrogen oxide.

The affair severely damaged Volkswagen's reputation and spawned to a host of investigations in several countries.

On Monday, January 4, the US government sued the carmaker for installing defeat devices on nearly 600,000 of its VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles sold in America between 2009 and 2015.

The complaint alleges that Volkswagen not only intentionally violated clean-air regulations but also obstructed the investigation by concealing facts and providing misleading information, despite the company's public pledges of cooperation.

Penalties could top $20 billion

The attorneys general of New York and Connecticut, who are leading a separate probe by more than 40 US states, on Friday accused the carmaker of hiding behind German privacy laws in refusing to turn over emails and documents.

"Our patience with Volkswagen is wearing thin," warned New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Civil penalties in the US could run well above $20 billion. Volkswagen also faces a costly recall and at least 650 class-action lawsuits from disgruntled US customers.

Meanwhile, the EPA and the California Air Resources Board are still reviewing VW's plan to recall the nearly 500,000 affected 2.0 liter cars, and the company must submit another plan for some 85,000 affected 3.0 liter cars by early February.

"They need a resolution," Eric Lyman, vice president of industry insights at car-buying site TrueCar, told Agence France-Presse.

"The consumers and their own customers especially are willing to accept a reasonable amount of time for the investigation to occur and to come up with a fix, but as we continue to get further and further along from when the scandal broke the tolerance for that waiting period is getting thinner and thinner," Lyman said.

German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported on Sunday that VW engineers have come up with a technical solution for some 430.000 affected Diesel cars that would be refitted with a new catalytic converter to meet US emission standards.

According to the report, Mueller hopes to convince EPA Administrator McCarthy of the fix in their meeting on Wednesday.

Volkswagen's global sales declined in the wake of the scandal with the core brand VW suffering an annual drop of five percent to 5.82 million.

Overall VW group sales in 2015 reached 9.93 million, two percent less than a year ago, and the first fall since 2002, according to figures released on Friday, January 8.

Mueller still hailed the numbers as "an excellent result given a difficult situation in certain regions and for diesel in the last quarter."

Even before the emissions scandal forced Volkswagen to suspend the sale of its diesel cars, the VW brand had been struggling in the United States with an aging model lineup while competitors posted record sales.

Vehicles bearing the Volkswagen badge have captured just three percent of sales in the world's second largest auto market, and the company had been counting on a major expansion in the country to achieve its now-shelved goal of overtaking Toyota to become the world's largest carmaker. – Gregor Waschinski, AFP / Rappler.com

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea said Monday, January 11, that further US "strategic assets" might be deployed to the Korean peninsula, following a flyover by a US B-52 bomber in response to North Korea's latest nuclear test.

Seoul also announced additional restrictions on the movement of its citizens to the jointly-run Kaesong industrial park, just a few kilometers (miles) over the border inside North Korea.

The South has taken an uncompromising stance in the wake of Wednesday's (January 6) test, urging the international community to impose harsh sanctions on Pyongyang, and resuming high-decibel propaganda broadcasts into North Korea.

In a show of strength on Sunday, January 10 a B-52 Stratofortress – flanked by South Korean F-15 fighter jets and US F-16 planes – flew over Osan Air Base, some 70 kilometres (45 miles) south of the inter-Korean border.

The US military said the fly-by was a demonstration of the "ironclad" commitment to its military alliance with South Korea, and a direct response to the North's fourth nuclear test.

"South Korea and the US are in close consultation about additional deployment of other strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula," Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told a regular press briefing in Seoul.

US and South Korean media reports have speculated that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan – currently based in Japan – as well as B-2 stealth bombers and F-22 stealth fighter jets are among the deployments being considered.

Under the US-South Korea military alliance, there are nearly 30,000 US troops permanently stationed in South Korea, which is also protected by the US "nuclear umbrella".

South Korea President Park Geun-Hye will make a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, January 13, followed by a rare news conference, her office said.

Kaesong restrictions

North Korea claims last week's test was of a miniaturised hydrogen bomb – a claim largely dismissed by experts who argue the yield was far too low for a full-fledged thermonuclear device.

The test has been widely condemned and the UN Security Council is discussing a new resolution that would tighten sanctions already imposed on the North in the wake of its three previous nuclear tests and banned missile launches.

As well as resuming the propaganda broadcasts, which one top North Korean official warned could bring the peninsula to the "brink of war", Seoul has also taken measures to restrict movement to the Kaesong industrial park.

On Monday, the Unification Ministry announced that the number of South Koreans allowed to stay overnight in Kaesong was being reduced from 800 to 650.

"The aim is to minimise the presence in Kaesong, while not hampering actual production activities," a ministry official said.

The Kaesong industrial estate opened in 2004 and currently hosts more than 120 South Korean companies which employ some 53,000 North Korean workers.

The move is apparently motivated by security concerns, with fears that South Koreans staying in the industrial zone could be vulnerable if North-South tensions continue to escalate.

The defence ministry spokesman in Seoul also said Monday that North Korea had deployed more troops to frontline border units.

"There has been an increase in troops along the border following North Korea's fourth nuclear test," Kim said. "But there are no immediate signs of any imminent provocation."

North Korea, meanwhile, published a photo Monday of leader Kim Jong-Un posing formally with hundreds of scientists, workers and officials who participated in the latest test.

Kim congratulated them on "succeeding in the first H-bomb test... and bringing about a great, historic event," the North's official KCNA news agency reported. – Hwang Sung-Hee, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) came out in full force on Monday, January 11, as it decided to file a new comment on a petition filed by presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe before the Supreme Court (SC).

In an interview with reporters, Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said all Comelec members signed the new comment, which was filed Monday afternoon. 

Jimenez said it is important that all 7 Comelec members – the chairman and the 6 commissioners – signed the second comment. 

This is unlike the first one that was signed only by Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon.

Referring to the second comment, Jimenez said, “It’s an act of the commission en banc and the 7 signatures will reflect that character.” 

The Comelec spokesman added, “When the document is signed by all 7, it is considered very clearly, without question, an act of the en banc.”

Comelec controversy

This is the second of two comments that the Comelec is supposed to file before the SC on petitions lodged by Poe against the poll body.

Guanzon filed the first one before the SC on Thursday, January 7. 

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista later questioned Guanzon for filing such an “unauthorized” comment. 

This prompted Guanzon to strike back and question Bautista for “showing partisanship” in addressing Poe’s petitions before the SC.

Jimenez said the Comelec is still deliberating on its moves regarding the comment filed by Guanzon.

'No grave abuse of discretion'

In its new comment, the Comelec said it did not commit grave abuse of discretion when it ruled against Poe.

"An essential ingredient of orderly and credible elections is for Comelec to ensure the candidates for public office comply with eligibility requirements mandated by the Constitution, without fear or favor," the poll body said.

"In order to succeed, the petitioner [Poe] has to manifestly show before the Honorable Court that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction when it promulgated its 23 December 2015 resolution."

The Comelec also maintained that Poe is ineligible to run for president, and deliberately misrepresented herself in her certificate of candidacy (COC).

"There is substantial evidence on record pointing to petitioner's deliberate and false material representation in her COC as to her citizenship and residency," read the comment.

The poll body added that it is not legally bound to apply the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) ruling that declared Poe a natural-born Filipino. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) adopted a complicated procurement scheme for its toilets improvement project, leading to delays and possible wastage of some P352 million, state auditors said.

In a report released on January 7, the Commission on Audit (COA) said the DOTC entered into separate contracts for the civil works and supply of goods for its P351.86-million "Kayo ang Boss Ko" (KBK) toilet facilities improvement project for 10 agencies attached to the department.

This setup, COA said, "proved to be disadvantageous" to the government because it led to delayed implementation, suspended contracts, and failed biddings.

"The government may be left with unfinished/uncompleted toilet projects as a result of terminated contracts which could not be used by the intended beneficiaries and ultimately cause wastage of government funds," COA said.

The KBK toilet project aimed to provide comfortable and clean toilets for the DOTC's attached agencies:

• Land Transportation Office
• Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
• Manila International Airport Authority
• Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
• Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority
• Metro Rail Transit Line 3
• Philippine Ports Authority
• Cebu Ports Authority
• Philippine National Railways
• Light Rail Transit Authority

Funds originally for airport improvement

The funds, released in January 2012, were realigned from an allotment originally for the improvement of the country's airport facilities.

In an attempt to save money by making bulk orders, the DOTC adopted a procurement system in which one construction firm was chosen for the civil works component while other suppliers were awarded the contracts for fixtures and accessories.

But auditors said the DOTC should have tapped local firms in each region to build and overhaul the restrooms. The audit agency added that delays in the project, aggravated by the Manila truck ban and port congestion, could have been prevented if the procurement system was implemented through a straight contract.

"Had these KBK projects been implemented through straight contract scheme, the issue on port congestion, truck ban, and delayed delivery of imported goods would have been minimized because the construction materials would just come from the local market within the vicinity of the project site," COA said.

It added, “Most of the contracts for the civil works and goods should have been completed or delivered before end December 31, 2014. However, the contracts for civil works were far behind targets. Majority of the contractors for the civil works requested for suspension or already suspended due to delay in the delivery of phenolic boards and granite counter tops."

Contracts that have already been terminated will have to wait for another budget allocation, as unobligated funds are ordered remitted to the Bureau of Treasury.

The audit agency said the DOTC should have considered "the most practical and easy procurement scheme" to avoid delays in the project. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Some 740 unit commanders of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been reassigned, the police force announced Monday, January 11, or the day after the official campaign season began.

The reassignments were done to officials who had “already reached or exceeded two years tour of duty in their posts.”

The PNP is one of the major agencies deputized by the Commission on Elections to ensure safe and honest polls. It is not allowed to reassign personnel during the campaign period.

PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez earlier told Rappler that the accounting of personnel would be part of the police forces’ preparations for the coming elections.

Those who have been in their areas for more than 2 years are moved to avoid impressions of partiality or bias toward politicians or groups in their areas.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor said the 740 were identified as part of the “regular administrative policies” of the police force with regards to assignments.

Over 25 provincial directors, 9 city directors, 27 commanders of provincial manuever units, 147 chiefs of police, and 532 officers holding different positions have been reassigned.

The official election period began on January 10, during which the gun ban and recall of police personnel assigned to secure VIPs started. Also not allowed beginning the election season is the movement of employees in the civil service.

The PNP is a civilian agency under the supervision of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), which is chaired by the secretary of the interior department. 

As of January 11, the PNP said 14 people had been arrested and 15 firearms confiscated since the gun ban started. – Rappler.com  

MANILA, Philippines – Eight of 10 Filipinos are likely to vote for a candidate who includes conditional cash transfer and agricultural policies in their platforms, according to a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The survey, commissioned by civil society group Greenpeace, was presented to media on Monday, January 11.

It was conducted from September 2 to 5, 2015 and involved 1,200 respondents – the same size as previous election surveys. 

Respondents were asked if the inclusion of certain programs or policies would determine whether or not they will vote for a candidate. 

The exact question was: “Kung sakali po na ang isang kandidato ay magsusulong ng [insert issues] sa halalan sa Mayo 2016, malamang po ba na inyong iboboto, hindi iboboto o walang magiging epekto ang isyung ito sa inyong magiging boto sa Mayo 2016?” 

(If one candidate pushes for [insert issues] in the May 2016 elections, will you likely vote for the candidate, not vote for the candidate, or will this issue have no effect on your vote in May 2016?)

Popular 4Ps

80% of respondents said they would “probably vote for” a candidate who will continue the Aquino administration’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program or 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program).

4Ps is a program that gives health and education grants to the poorest families in the country. It provides, for instance, free health check-ups for pregnant women and young children, and free elementary and secondary education.

But the 4Ps has been criticized for not having a fool-proof process for ensuring the grants are used for health and schooling. Some beneficiaries, for instance, are allegedly able to use the money for other purchases, including vices, said some civil society groups.

The second most popular issue was meeting the needs of farmers. Some 76% of respondents said they would vote for a candidate who would address farmers’ needs. (READ: SONA 2015: The state of agriculture, fisheries under Aquino)

Meanwhile, 75% of respondents said they are likely to vote for a candidate bent on “ensuring that food needs are met.” 

Other issues in the list were the enactment of key legislation like the Freedom of Information bill, Bangsamoro Basic Law, and anti-political dynasty law.

“The issues were provided by Greenpeace,” said SWS Deputy Director for Surveys Vladymir Licudine.

“The issues were shuffled so there will be no bias in terms of presentation. Each issue was written on a card. They were shuffled before being given to the respondent. And the respondent chose which particular issue the government should focus on,” he explained.

The respondents came from the National Capital Region, Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, although there were more Balance of Luzon respondents (44%) than respondents from other regions.

Most of the respondents, or 75%, belong to the poorest in the country, or Class D. Some 5-10% are farmers, said Licudine.

The survey also showed that the enactment of an anti-divorce law and the BBL are the two most unpopular policies, with 43% and 34% of respondents, respectively, saying they will not vote for a candidate who advocates for these laws.

The continuation of the Aquino administration's "Daang Matuwid," meanwhile, got support from 65% of respondents and the disapproval of 15% of respondents.

Financial support for farmers

Financial support for farmers is the most popular agricultural policy, according to the survey.

The survey asked: “Sa inyong palagay, alin sa mga sumusunod na isyu sa agrikultura ang dapat pagtuunan ng pansin ng pamahalaan? Maari po kayong pumili ng hanggang tatlong isyu.”

(In your view, which of the following agricultural issues should the government give attention to? You may choose up to 3 issues.)

The 3 agricultural policies which were chosen by the most number of respondents are the following:

• Financial support for farmers to make farming climate-resilient (44%)
• Financial help in buying fertilizer (43%)
• Support for ecological agriculture like organic farming (39%)

Greenpeace campaigner Virgie Benosa-Llorin said the results of the poll should convince 2016 candidates to include agricultural development and pro-farmer policies in their platforms.

“We challenge our presidential candidates to clearly state how he or she will support the farmers, address issues on food sufficiency, and make farming climate-resilient and environment-friendly,” she said.

Rafael Mariano, from leftist farmers’ group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, said much still needs to be improved in the country’s agricultural sector.

“Farmers need access to social credit, fertilizer, seeds, and irrigation. Nine out of 10 farmers do not own the land they till. Most land is still under the control of a few powerful families,” he said in Filipino.

33% of the country's labor force depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

Filipino farmers, among the poorest in society, have to be prepared for climate change impacts like storms and drought which can cripple the entire sector. 

They must also deal with the projected scarcity of resources like water and land, especially given the growing Philippine population. 

The survey figures reflect the growing concern of Filipinos for the issue, said Llorin. “Our presidential candidates should take these survey results seriously." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The last time the family of Filipina Mary Jane Veloso saw her, they thought she would be sent to the firing range.

A last minute reprieve saved Mary Jane's life in April 2015, and 8 months later, she is celebrating her 31st birthday with her parents and children in Indonesia.

Mara Cepeda files this VLOG. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The spokesman for the Liberal Party (LP)-led ruling coalition on Monday, January 11, lashed out at vice presidential candidate Senator Francis Escudero, after the latter questioned the motives behind elections commissioner Rowena Guanzon's recent moves.

“Ang konsepto ata ni Chiz sa demokrasya, nakukuha niya lagi ang gusto niya. Sobrang OK ang SET at SC ‘pag nasunod sila, tapos sobrang mali ‘pag hindi,” Gutierrez said in a statement released to media.

(Senator Escudero’s concept of democracy seems to be always getting what he wants. The Senate Electoral Tribunal and the Supreme Court are okay if [Escudero and his camp] get what they want, but very wrong when they don’t.)

Last week, cracks in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) became public after Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista disowned comments made by Guanzon before the Supreme Court in relation to a case involving presidential bet Senator Grace Poe. Escudero is the running mate of Poe in the 2016 elections.

Speaking to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Escudero questioned Guanzon’s motives, pointing out that the Comelec commissioner shouldn’t appear to be defending a politician, given her position. (READ: Comelec exec slams chief for ‘showing partisanship’)

“She cannot and should not be the lawyer of anyone and clearly, she was not authorized by the Comelec and did not represent the Comelec when she filed HER comment, so who was she representing or lawyering for?” Escudero is quoted by the Inquirer as saying.

Escudero should veer away from making these comments, Gutierrez said. “Mali ‘yun, hindi itinatag ang mga institusyon na ito para kunsuntihin ang mga kapritso niya," he said. (It’s wrong. Those institutions were not created to consent to his whims.)

Echoing the words of LP standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, Gutierrez said the apparent tiff in the poll body is “internal" to the Comelec. “Igagalang namin ang mapagpasyahan nila tungkol dito (We will respect whatever decision they make),” he said.

Poe’s spokesman, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian had earlier called on Bautista to put the Comelec “in order.”

“We believe that the actions of Commissioner Guanzon are wrong as she is usurping the powers reserved for the en banc,” Gatchalian also said.

Guanzon is perceived to be a Roxas ally.

The Comelec en banc on Monday decided that it would file a new comment in the Poe case before the SC.

Poe, who leads some presidential preference surveys, faces disqualification cases because she supposedly failed to meet the residency requirements for presidential bets and because she is not a natural-born Filipino citizen.

The SET, composed of lawmakers and SC justices, ruled against the petition to disqualify Poe. The Comelec’s two divisions, however, decided to cancel Poe’s candidacy because she supposedly failed the two requirements for presidential aspirants.

Before the holiday break began, the Comelec en banc confirmed the two divisions’ earlier decisions, barring Poe from the 2016 presidential elections. The SC has since granted Poe’s petition to temporarily stop the poll body from enforcing its order. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Staying healthy is an urgent personal concern of most Filipinos while national concerns are mostly “economic in nature,” a recent Pulse Asia survey found.

The results of the December 2015 Nationwide Survey on Urgent Personal and National Concerns of Filipinos released on Monday, January 11, show that 62% of Filipinos are concerned about their health and preventing illnesses.

On the other hand, controlling inflation and improving workers’ pay top the list of urgent national concerns among Filipinos, at 45% and 42% respectively.

Conducted nationwide from December 5-8, the survey was used face-to-face interviews with 1,800 registered voters in the National Capital Region, Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Sampling error is ± 2% error for nationwide, ± 6% for Metro Manila, ± 3% for the rest of Luzon, and ± 5% for each of the Visayas and Mindanao.

Health as top concern since 2012

Staying healthy has been a top personal concern of Filipinos since 2012. However, the latest rating is 4 points lower than 2014’s 66%.

Other urgent personal concerns of Filipinos include:

• having some savings (49%)
• providing/finishing one’s or children’s education (48%)
• having a secure job (43%)
• having enough to eat on a daily basis (41%)
• owning a house and lot (37%)

Filipinos, meanwhile, are least concerned about avoiding being a victim of a crime at 30%.

The survey results showed that health is the most urgent personal concern across geographic areas and most socio-economic classes. However, majority of people (54%) who belong to class E – the poorest sector – are most concerned with finishing or providing education.

National concern: ‘Economic in nature’

The Pulse Asia survey found out that Filipinos’ national concerns include controlling inflation, improving workers’ pay, reducing poverty, creating more jobs, and fighting corruption, among others.

At 45%, Filipinos are most concerned about controlling inflation or prices of commodities. Improving workers’ pay comes at second at 42%.

While majority of those in Luzon, the Visayas, and the National Capital Region (NCR) are concerned with improving workers’ pay, 54% of Mindanao residents are more concerned with controlling inflation.

Among socio-economic classes, however, increasing prices of commodities is the top concern. But while class D and E’s second top concern is workers’ pay, those who belong to class ABC are more concerned in reducing poverty among Filipinos.

The least urgent concerns across geographic areas and classes are welfare of overseas Filipino workers at 7%, territorial integrity at 4%, terrorism at 3%, and charter change at 3%.

2016 elections

The concerns of the Filipinos, as stated by the results of the Pulse Asia survey, are not unfounded and actually reflect the current state in the Philippines. (READ: #ToFix List)

Poverty, for instance, affects 22.3% of Filipinos, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2012. This translates to roughly 4.2 million families. 

Self-rated poverty, meanwhile, is another thing. Almost 50% or 11.2 million families consider themselves poor.

To live “comfortably,” a family needs to earn P8,022 ($170)* a month. – Rappler.com

*US$1 = P47

MANILA, Philippines – Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista on Monday, January 11, denied his colleague's accusation that he is biased for presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe.

"Unang una, ako po, walang pinapaboran," Bautista said in an interview on dzMM on Monday. (First of all, I do not favor anyone.)

He added, "Kumbaga, in the end, puno't dulo po, I think 'yung aming mga actions, 'yung aming mga decisions, ang dapat maging batayan kung talagang nagpapakitang meron kaming bias for a particular candidate." 

(In the end, I think our actions, our decisions, will be the basis of whether we're showing bias for a particular candidate.)

This comes after Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said Bautista is "showing partisanship" as he addresses cases filed by Poe against the poll body before the Supreme Court (SC).

Guanzon told Rappler on Sunday, January 11: “It is Chair Bautista who is showing partisanship, not me. He voted in favor of Grace Poe; now he wants to shoot down our comment. And Grace Poe urged Bautista to probe the commissioners. Wow.”

Guanzon openly criticized Bautista after the Comelec chairman questioned her for filing an “unauthorized” comment against Poe before the Supreme Court. 

Bautista’s critic, Guanzon herself is accused of partisanship. 

The opposition United Nationalist Alliance said the Liberal Party wants to use Guanzon, a former mayor of Cadiz City, to ensure the victory of administration standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. Guanzon has denied UNA’s claim, and stressed her role as a women’s rights advocate in the Comelec.

Biased for Roxas too?

Downplaying Guanzon’s accusation on Monday, Bautista explained that he had "never spoken" with Poe in his life. He said he only shook hands with her when she filed her certificate of candidacy at the Comelec in October 2015. 

Explaining his vote on Poe's petition, he said that, for him, Poe is not a natural-born Filipino and neither did she meet the 10-year residency requirement for presidential candidates. He doesn’t believe, however, that Poe had the “deliberate intent to mislead” voters. 

Eventually, Bautista voted to junk the petition to cancel Poe’s presidential bid. 

During the radio interview on Monday, broadcaster Karen Davila also asked Bautista about a previous claim by an ABS-CBN commentator, Teddyboy Locsin, that Bautista "was biased" for Roxas.

Locsin reportedly said Bautista acted as Roxas' consultant or adviser in a previous campaign.

"So, ngayon, apparently 'biased' ang accusation sa 'yo ngayon, biased ka naman for Grace," Davila told the Comelec chairman. (So now, apparently, you're accused of being biased, and now you're biased for Grace.)

Bautista answered in jest, "Well siguro, because of that, patas na, Karen, so neutral na ako ngayon." (Well perhaps, because of that, it's fair, Karen, so I'm now neutral.)

The chairman said that, in the end, he wants to protect the image of the Comelec.

"Ang ayokong mangyari is that, because of this aming 'di pagkakaunawaan ay ma-compromise 'yung imahe po ng ating Comelec at mas lalo na 'yung ating halalan na napakahalaga. Mas mahalaga po ito kaysa sa akin," he said.

(What I don't want to happen is that, because of this misunderstanding is we will compromise the image of our Comelec and more importantly of our elections, which remain very important. It's more important than myself.) 

Bautista, who was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III to the Comelec, is a former chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

Once a nominee for the position of chief justice, Bautista is also a former law dean of the Far Eastern University. He also once led the group that runs the Shangri-La hotels and resorts in the Philippines. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Rodrigo Duterte and Alan Peter Cayetano unveiled their platform in Cebu City on Thursday, January 7. 

Since then, they have been expounding on it during other events and through online videos.

In Cebu, Cayetano used a Powerpoint presentation to lay out their common platform to media. Duterte, meanwhile, communicated the platform through his speeches in a public assembly and a gathering of Cebu local government officials. (WATCH: Rodrigo Duterte in Cebu: It's time for a new Visayan hero)

Notably, Duterte denounced extrajudicial killing in speeches he gave in Cebu City.

To Cebu mayors on January 7, he said: “There will be killings. There will be a lot of blood. I’m up against criminals and criminal syndicates, but I will assure you there will be no extrajudicial killing. There is no honor in it.”

Duterte has been accused of direct involvement with vigilante-style killing of criminals in Davao City by a death squad.

What would the Philippines be like if Duterte and Cayetano are elected president and vice president, respectively? Here’s what they said they would do.

Note: Items with an asterisk (*) were specifically mentioned by Duterte in public statements

1. On crime, corruption, and drugs 

Campaign promise: Go after drug lords and criminals within 3 to 6 months after election into office.

• Increase police salaries to P75,000 to P100,000 within 3 years*
• Modernize crime-fighting strategies, like putting CCTVs in major thoroughfares
• Bring back the death penalty for drug trafficking, kidnapping, rape, robbery, homicide*
• Pass the Freedom of Information Act*
• Lift Bank Secrecy Law for public officials and pass Anti-Dummy Law
• Monitor front-line government offices using real-time video and audio surveillance
• Bring back special criminal courts to speed up resolution of serious crime cases 

2. On economic development 

Campaign promise: Spread economic growth throughout the country and decongest Metro Manila.

• Call a constitutional convention, within first year of term, to study the shift to a federal form of government*
• Limit requirements for business permits to 5 signatures and impose a 60-day processing time*
• Maintain Conditional Cash Transfer program but add a job component (Duterte said he is still mulling over this)
• Establish tourism, agricultural, and industrial hubs in the countryside to create jobs*
• Introduce P1 billion “small capital fund” for every region outside Metro Manila
• Create specialized hospitals (heart, lung, kidney) in Visayas and Mindanao

3. On agriculture and fisheries

• Provide free irrigation and subsidized fertilizer and seeds for farmers
• Reduce the cost of food by up to 50% by getting rid of unscrupulous middlemen and loan sharks*
• Invest in food terminals with cold storage facilities*
• Build Mindanao Railway system*
• Create a Department of Fisheries, separate from the Department of Agriculture

4. On OFWs and other workers

Campaign promise: Improve labor conditions for Filipino workers.

• No income tax for workers earning P20,000 and below*
• Subsidize PhilHealth premiums of farmers, transport workers, and market vendors
• Phase out contractualization*
• Create a bank for Overseas Filipino Workers to provide risk- and hassle-free investment opportunities for OFW remittances
• Abolish unnecessary permits and procedures for OFWs (like Overseas Employment Certificate) 

5. On Metro Manila transportation

Campaign promise: Improve mobility of people and goods. (READ: Duterte reveals plan to solve Metro Manila transpo woes)

• Add more carriages to train lines*
• Build fast train linking airports and seaports to Metro Manila*
• Develop Clark Airport and Batangas seaport to ease traffic congestion* 

6. On education

• Double salaries of teachers by the end of their term*
• Build adequate classrooms, double classroom shifts* 

7. On disasters and climate change

• Create a single, permanent Emergency Response Department in charge of disaster preparedness, relief, and rehabilitation

Different communication styles

Asked why they did not present the platform together, Cayetano said it boiled down to a difference in “communication styles.”

“I’ve been in Congress for 15 years, he’s been in the streets of Davao for 30 years, so ask me to do a Duterte sa masa (for the masses), that won’t be me. Ask him to do a Powerpoint in a hall, that won’t be him. So it’s just a role-playing. But 100% of the platform came from him and me,” he told Rappler on Friday, January 8.

In an ambush interview, Duterte said he had adopted Cayetano’s platform but that they each have their priority issues. 

“The other issues of governance are his. As for mine, I am sure he will not want to tinker with law and order, criminality, and drugs because that really gets bloody,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. – Rappler.com

What do you think of the Duterte-Cayetano platform? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

MANILA, Philippines – Former University of the East Law Dean Amado Valdez, one of the 4 petitioners that sought the cancellation of Senator Grace Poe’s Certificate of Candidacy, asked the Supreme Court to uphold the Commission on Elections decision to disqualify Poe from the 2016 presidential elections. 

In a 71-page comment filed before the SC on Monday, January 11, Valdez urged the High Court to decide on the case based on its legal merits and not on public clamor.

Valdez said election results could not “override the constitutional and statutory requirements” for the qualifications of candidates. Another petitioner, lawyer Estrella Elamparo, shared his sentiment, saying the issue is not a "popularity contest."

"When a person who is not qualified is voted for and eventually garners the highest number of votes, even the will of the electorate expressed through the ballot cannot cure the defect in the qualifications of the candidate," Valdez said.

He said it would be a violation of the Constitution to leave the decision on this issue to the electorate. 

"To rule otherwise is to trample upon and rent asunder the very law that sets forth the qualifications and disqualifications of candidates. We might as well write off our election laws if the voice of the electorate is the sole determinant of who should be proclaimed worthy to occupy elective positions in our republic," he added.

He maintained that Comelec did not commit grave discretion when it ruled to cancel Poe’s COC based on her questionable citizenship and residency. (READ: How Comelec commissioners voted on Grace Poe's case)

Poe's 'binding oath of allegiance' to the US

Even if Poe ultimately proves her birth parents are Filipinos, Valdez insisted she is still not natural-born.

Valdez said Poe renounced her Philippine citizenship in 2001 and had to undergo a process in 2006 – through Republic Act 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003 – to re-acquire it. (READ: TIMELINE: Grace Poe's citizenship, residency)

The 1987 Constitution defined a natural-born Filipino as someone who did not “perform any act to acquire or perfect” her citizenship. 

"This fact is intentionally ignored by petitioner (Poe).... As worded, there is no clear authority under RA 9225 to allow her to reacquire the same [natural-born] status after renouncing her Filipino citizenship," Valdez said.

Valdez further argued that Poe’s dual citizenship from 2006 to 2010 – including her repeated use of US passport and her maintenance of assets abroad – might be harmful to the country if she becomes the next president. 

"By petitioner’s failure to renounce American citizenship immediately upon reacquiring Filipino citizenship in 2006, she remained a loyal citizen of the United States of American and bound by her binding oath of allegiance to that country," Valdez explained. – Rappler.com

CEBU CITY, Philippines – An existing ban on smoking in public places will be strictly enforced during the week of the Sinulog festival, the Cebu City Environmental and Sanitation Team (CESET) said in a statement on Monday, January 11.

According to a report in SunStar Cebu, the anti-smoking and littering ban will be "strictly implemented" in public places where partygoers are expected to converge before and during the Sinulog on January 17.

The ordinance imposes fines of up to P1,500 on smoking, and P500 on littering. CESET chief Grace Luardo told SunStar that enforcers will be on duty 24 hours a day starting on January 11.

More no-smoking signs will be put up around the city. 

The local environmental office said that businesses that don't dispose of their garbage properly would also be fined.

On December 30, festival organizers announced a ban on street parties along the parade route. (READ: Sinulog organizers ban street parties along parade route) 

While the festival is a religious celebration, devotees of the Santo Niño de Cebu have criticized the way its being celebrated because of the carnival-like activities on the day of the parade. – Ryan Macasero/Rappler.com

COLOGNE, Germany – Chancellor Angela Merkel's mantra on Germany's record migrant influx has been "we can do it", which Cologne refugee worker Behshid Najafi heartily agrees with – but would add a qualifying "if."

With 23 years of experience in helping migrant women navigate bureaucracy and find language courses, social welfare and jobs, Najafi says Germany, in its crash course on globalisation, must learn from the mistakes of the past.

"We can do it, as Mrs Merkel has said – IF. If we get affordable housing, legal certainty for refugees, education, jobs training, German courses – those are just the main points," she said.

No-one, including Merkel, has pretended that taking in 1.1 million asylum-seekers last year alone would be easy.

But Najafi warned that Germany must learn lessons from decades past when waves of migrants were recruited for labour but largely excluded from mainstream society, trapped in immigrant 'ghettos' battling prejudice and red tape.

Iranian-born Najafi, 59, praised the new goodwill toward refugees but cautioned that after the initial rush to house and feed them, the hard and crucial work was only just beginning.

"Otherwise they will be pushed to the margins of society," she warned.

"We will not manage it if they just stay in sports halls, without work, without a future, without language skills.

"Seventy percent of them are men. I fear within a year many could turn to crime. The drug mafias and criminal gangs are just waiting to recruit them."

Such fears have flared in Germany, especially since New Year's Eve in Cologne when hundreds of women have said they were groped, harassed and robbed in a 1,000-strong crowd of men described as being of Arab and North African appearance. Two rapes have been reported.

The unprecedented scenes outside the city's iconic Gothic cathedral have raised deep-seated fears in Germany of more crime and racial tensions to come.

'Guest workers'

Political leaders have said for the past decade that immigration was a key part of German society, long after this was self-evident to Europe's former colonial powers, or the United States and Australia.

Merkel has at times told her wavering nation that the global export power must accept more aspects of globalisation than a huge trade surplus.

Such realisations are welcome, but have been a long time coming, said Najafi, who runs Cologne's Agisra Information and Counselling Centre for Female Migrants and Refugees.

She said when post-war Germany first invited Turkish and other "guest workers" to fuel its economic miracle years, "Germany thought they'll come, work for a few years, and go home again.

"The migrants worked in factories during the day and lived in ghettos at night."

A Cologne Turkish community leader, Hakan Aydin, agreed and said "nothing changed for 20 years. Of course that caused problems.

"As one writer put it, Germany recruited labourers and got human beings."

When the recruitment programme stopped in 1979, many single workers wanted to stay and brought over their families.

"And Germany wasn't ready – for the families, for putting their children into schools and child care," Najafi said.

'Mixed mood'

German citizenship was based on blood lineage until as recently as 2000, when it started being awarded also to children of at least one parent with permanent residency status.

"It's an important point in integration: this picture of what does 'German' mean?" said Najafi's colleague Denise Klein.

"For many, it is still tied closely to this traditional idea of German blood, that you can only be German if you're white," she said, adding that this sense of exclusion cuts both ways.

"Working in schools, I was shocked to see that many girls, often second or third generation migrants and with German passports, do not identify themselves as Germans."

Over the past year, both women said they were heartened to witness a new "welcome culture" and unprecedented volunteer effort.

The big question now since the ugly start to 2016 has been, will the goodwill last?

After the New Year's Eve attacks, "there has been a mixed mood," said Aydin, 42.

"Many who supported the refugees may have worried, what have we done? Did we bring this problem upon ourselves?"

Still, he too remained optimistic, saying that Germany would see that most refugees are grateful to be granted safe haven and want to study and work.

"I don't think the mood is tipping," he said. "I don't think so."– Rappler.com