Velasquez

MEMORANDUM **

Renato Lauchengco Velasquez, his wife Wildie, and their three children, Jordana, Juan Carlos, and Jacqueline, natives and citizens of The Philippines, petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA’s”) affirmance of the Immigration Judge’s denial of their applications for asylum and withholding of deportation. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a). See Avetova-Elisseva v. INS, 213 F.3d 1192 , 1195 & n. 4 (9th Cir.2000). We deny the petition.

Petitioners cannot demonstrate that they hold a well-founded fear of persecution on account of one of the protected grounds under the Immigration and Nationality Act, and they are therefore not eligible for asylum. See 8 U.S.C. § 1101 (a)(42)(A); Sangha v. INS, 103 F.3d 1482, 1486-87 (9th Cir.1997). Substantial evidence supports the BIA’s conclusion that the New People’s Army’s threats against Petitioners were economically motivated, rather than motivated by Petitioners’ political affiliation or any imputed political beliefs. See id.; INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 483-84 , 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992) (noting that this court may reverse the BIA’s determination only if the evidence…