Advocates offer Ash Wednesday for detained immigrants

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - A group of Christian and immigrant rights advocates gathered near the Statue of Liberty in New Jersey on Ash Wednesday.

Kathy O’Leary of Catholic organization Pax Christi, New Jersey said, “Ellis Island is a tremendous symbol of this myth that our country is a country that welcomes immigrants and that we celebrate our immigrant heritage. And yet within a five minute drive we have over a thousand immigrants in detention.”

Ash Wednesday is a Christian feast day that marks the beginning of the season of Lent.

As they receive the blessed ashes on their foreheads as a sign of penance and repentance, they are protesting the reported inhumane treatment and deaths of undocumented immigrants inside detention facilities.

They are also praying for release of these detained immigrants.

“An immigrant who got caught living here without proper documentation — we’re filling up our jails with people who really should not be punished. People we don’t need to lock up, they’re not a threat to society,” said O’leary.

Immigrant rights advocate Bea Sabino said privately-owned detention facilities are benefiting from the arrest of undocumented immigrants.

“The federal government has contracts with the private prison corporations and how they make money of it is the way they have to fill a certain number of beds and they get reimbursed by the federal government,” said Sabino.

Meantime, immigrant rights advocates are also protesting against the Texas ruling to defer President Obama’s expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that officially starts receiving applications today.

"We’re here to stand in solidarity with prisoners, the inmates, especially the immigrants. We’re also thinking about our political prisoners in the Philippines, making sure that their rights remain intact," Sabino said.

Read more from Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'Son of God' bound to be a Lenten hit

Filipinos know the story of Jesus's passion and death very, very well. We recall these sorrowful events every year since our childhood during the yearly Lenten rituals we perform and Lenten movies we watch. Owing to its simple, audience-friendly, homespun style, this latest film about Jesus entitled "Son of God" is bound to join the list of classic religious films the whole family can watch and meditate on during the seasons of Lent and Easter.

"Son of God" covers everything from the Annunciation, the Birth in Bethlehem, His ministry, passion, death and resurrection and the beginning of the early Church with Paul and Ananias. Initially it would play like a documentary, with a narrator telling the story in between scenes. But starting from scenes with the adult Jesus, narrations were not needed anymore. Towards the end though, narrations were needed again to tell the stories about the early fathers of the Church.

The actors were all unknown to me, no big stars here. The casting and acting was predictable. The good characters look and act kindly. The bad characters look and act evil. All the events happen more or less in the order we know it. We hear most of the verses we expect to hear. They may not be said in the same context as it was in the Bible, but the effect is generally the same. Yet, despite being so familiar, it still remains compelling to watch.

Jesus is played by Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado. He has a calm and gentle face, with smiling eyes. From the first time we see him at his Baptism at the Jordan, to his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, Morgado's portrayal of Jesus, while in no way as intense as Robert Powell's or James Caviezel's, is still very much on point. He should be favorably appreciated by the faithful. He plays Jesus with kindness, humility and dignity.

It turns out that the actress who plays the older Mother Mary is Roma Downey, who was in the inspirational TV series "Touched by an Angel" and one of the producers of the History TV series "The Bible" from which this movie was derived. She was very effective in her portrayal of the Lord's suffering mother during the scourging at the pillar, the way of the Cross to Calvary. Her Mary will move us to tears.

I believe this movie will be a Holy Week staple from this year onwards for my family and for many other Catholic families. This is the version of Jesus' life and death most of us know by heart. The good intentions of this film's makers radiate through and touch the viewers. This version is safe, straightforward and uncontroversial, with violence mercifully muted for younger viewers. This film may be judged as plain in the artistic sense, but artistry is probably not as much its intention as it is to inspire. 8/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Aquino, Roxas inspect airport terminal security procedures

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III made a surprise security inspection at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Monday, as the surge of passengers for the Holy Week break continued.

Aquino made the inspection prior to his departure for the Asean Summit in Cambodia Monday night.

Accompanied by DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas, Aquino was briefed by Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado and Terminal 3 Manager Octavio Lina on security procedures at the X-ray machine for passengers and baggage at the final security check.

Honrado said security personnel prevented passengers from bringing onboard banned items such as aerosols, alcohol, pointed materials, hair spray, balloons and even umbrellas.

The security procedures are being implemented at the terminal to ensure the safety of all travelers, he stressed.

Honrado told the President the NAIA passenger terminals are handling a combined peak capacity of 522 domestic flights a day; international flights are seen to peak at 200 to 220 international flights in the next three days.

Honrado said this represents an almost 100 percent capacity of the airports, which on ordinary days---outside of Holy Week--- have a 75-80 percent capacity.

Domestic travelers this season were recorded at 45,000 arrivals and departures on Naia 3; 30,000 arrivals and departures on Naia 2, and about 6,000 arrivals and departures on the Manila Domestic Airport for an estimated 80,000 daily arrivals and departures.

These numbers represent a 25-percent increase in the number of passengers compared to the normal daily arrivals and departures.

With the surge of travelers at the NAIA terminals, Honrado adviSED passengers to check in early or at least more than two hours before their scheduled departures so as not to miss their flights.

“Because of the tight booking, those who miss their flights would have difficulty getting a rebooking,” he added.

The NAIA system, he said, is prepared to cope with any contingency, securing the help of the National Police and the Metro Manila Development Authority to help ease vehicular traffic at the approaches to the terminals.

Standby power is available during contingencies, although Honrado sees nothing in the weather to threaten the power supply, such as a lightning strike on any of the transformers in the surrounding areas.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is on heightened alert, but not on red alert during the whole Lenten Season.

“We have not received any threat or similar criminal act,” he said.

“We would like to maintain a high state of alert, not declare a red alert because being on 24-hour duty, at eight-hour shift, might lessen the efficiency of the police and other employees,” Honrado said.

source: interaksyon.com