Category Archives: International

International, Politics

U.S. PROTESTS MISS WORLD RESULTS

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Miss World, the Philippines' Megan Young
Miss World, the Philippines’ Megan Young

Bali, Indonesia – The United States was aiming for the “grand slam” at this year’s Miss World beauty pageant, focused on winning the crown to add to the Miss Universe title won earlier this year by Miss U.S.A. Olivia Culpo.

Olivia Jordan (yes, another Olivia), U.S.A.’s entry to this pretigious pageant held over the weekend in the Indonesian resort of Bali, made it to the top 10 contestants during Saturday’s finals, but not to the top 5.

Miss Philippines, Megan Young, an early favorite in the competition, went on to win the title, the first ever by a Filipina in Miss World’s 62-year history.  Miss France was first runner-up and Miss Ghana came in third.

Less than 24 hours after the pageant finals, the U.S. filed a formal protest with the Miss World pageant organizers, saying that Young should be credited as a U.S. entry as well.  Young was born in the United States to an American father and Filipina mother, but moved at age 10 to the Philippines where she is currentlly a model, actress and television host.  “Technically, she is also Miss U.S.A,” the protest document indicated. “Even her surname is very American. Can’t she be at least declared as a ‘dual contestant’ by virtue of her dual citizenship?” it added.

Miss World owner Julia Morley has not returned calls from The Adobo Chronicles seeking comment on the U.S. protest.

Business, International

BARANGAY, FILAM LGBTs JOIN BOYCOTT OF BARILLA PASTA

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San Francisco, California – Barangay, the socio-political organization of Filipino American LGBTs in the San Francisco Bay Area, has joined the worldwide boycott of Barilla pasta and other products.

Gay rights activists have launched a boycott of the world’s leading pasta maker after its chairman said he would only portray the “classic family” in his advertisements and, if people objected to that, they should feel free to eat a different kind of pasta.

Guido Barilla, who controls the fourth-generation Barilla Group family business with his two brothers, sparked outrage among activists, consumers and some politicians when he said he would not consider using a gay family to advertise Barilla pasta.

Barangay is taking the boycott a step farther. The group will stage a cookout and bake sale at the corner of Castro and 18th streets in San Francisco for the entire week preceding the Castro Street Fair. Organization members and supporters will not only be distributing fliers urging the consuming public to boycott all Barilla products, but will be selling home-cooked pancit (noodles) and home-baked pan de sal (salted breakfast rolls) .  “This is a great opportunity for us to showcase our delicious noodle dishes which are a perfect substitute for Barilla pasta,” organizers said. 

Different types of Filipino noodle dishes will be showcased at the planned cookout sale, ranging from Pancit Bihon to Pancit  Canton, from Pancit Palabok to Pancit Sotanghon, and many other noodle-based dishes.

International, Law Enforcement, Politics

NAPOLES SEEKS AUDIENCE WITH OBAMA IN MANILA

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imageManila, Philippines – Suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles wasted no time in trying to reach out to Barack Obama after it was officially announced that the U.S. President will be visiting Manila in October.

Obama has included the Philippines in his Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) tour. Manila will be Obama’s last stop. It will be his first visit to the Philippines.

Napoles is the central figure in the  Philippine pork barrel  scam involving the diversion of ten billion pesos in public funds into fake non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the pockets of senators and congressmen. She is currently in prison and facing charges for illegally detaining one of the whistleblowers in this escalating scandal.

Speaking through her lawyer Lorna Kapunan,  Napoles said that she has sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy in Manila requesting a private meeting with Obama when the latter arrives in the Philippine capital.

Informed sources said that in her letter, Napoles has indicated that she will be asking Obama to grant her political asylum in the U.S. and would like to be accommodated aboard Air Force One when Obama leaves Manila to return to the U.S.

Napoles said that she is very confident that she will be granted asylum because she has contrbuted immemsely to the economic recovery of America through her multimillion-dollar U.S. investments and the much talked-about shopping sprees and lavish parties by her daughter, aspiring fashion designer Jeane Napoles.

Napoles said she will not be a burden to America and promised that if Obama interceded on her behalf to have all her assets unfrozen, she will invest all her money in the U.S. and help create more jobs for Americans.