January 10-12, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 5 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages
DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Palace: Extending presidency ‘ultimate nightmare’ for Duterte by ALEXIS
ROMERO Philstar.com
U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim, a former prosecutor, turned over more than 2,000 copies of a prosecutor’s manual and other training modules to Philippine Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. The materials were the result of a nine-month justice sector program sponsored by the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). Photo courtesy of U.S. Embassy in Manila
MANILA — Staying in office beyond his term is President Rodrigo Duterte’s “ultimate nightmare,” Malacañang said as it brushed aside claims that he would use proposals to change the form of government to stay in power. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque reiterated that Duterte is willing to let go of the presi-
dency once the Constitution is amended to strengthen measures against graft and corruption and to establish a federal form of government. “(Duterte) wants to make institutional changes, particularly on the Constitution and that appears to be his short-term, medium-term and long-term objective. If that’s met, then there’s no use for him to stay. But, he has never, ever, ever said that he is willing to stay one minute longer
beyond his term in 2022,” Roque told CNN Philippines in an interview last Monday, January 8. “Not even a day longer. To him that’s the ultimate nightmare. He wants to finish his term. He wants to give it his best shot and that’s it,” he added. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, an ally of Duterte, has said that the 2019 midterm polls could be scrapped if the Constitution is amended and the form of gov-
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Presidential spokesman Harry Roque
Malacañang photo
Congressional Amb. Kim: US-PH leaders move ties to reach ‘whole forward with DACA new level’ in 2018 fix, border wall
IF there is one thing that United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim envisions for the new year, that would be taking the relationship between Manila and Washington to a “whole new level.” To mark Kim’s first year serving in the Philippines, the U.S. embassy released on Friday, January 5, a three-minute video where the envoy participated in a quick series of light questions about his stay in the country and what his plans are. “I’m very excited, we’re going to take the U.S.-Philippines relationship to a whole
Trump pledges support for ‘clean DACA bill’ as long as increased border security is confirmed by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s first-ever national security strategy presents new opportunities in furthering the alliance between the U.S. and the Philippines, according to a senior researcher at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP). In line with the Trump administration’s “America first” platform, the new National Security Strategy (NSS) — released last December — encompasses four main principles: protecting the homeland, promoting American prosperity, preserving peace through strength, and advancing American influence.
A BIPARTISAN pair of Congress members on Sunday, January 7 reached a deal on the defunct Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which will also include plans to strengthen the United States-Mexico border. Reps. Will Hurd (R-Texas) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) have spent the last several weeks quietly developing a bill that would be a legislative solution to DACA, a core program under former President Barack Obama that provided a host of benefits to undocumented youth that was terminated by Trump in 2017. Since it was introduced in 2012 by Obama by way of executive order, DACA has provided work authorization, protection from deportation and other benefits to undocumented youth who illegally arrived in the U.S. as young children. Though not a pathway to citizenship, DACA offered benefits that lasted for two years; recipients were allowed to renew their applications after those two years. Since Trump announced the ad-
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Opportunities for stronger US-PH alliance under Trump security strategy, analyst says
NOT IN HIS WILDEST DREAMS. President Rodrigo Duterte, here shown with his Cabinet during their meeting at Malacañang on Monday, January 8, considers an extension of his term his ‘ultimate nightmare,’ according to his spokesman. Malacañang photo
Palace defends China’s ‘good faith’ in South China Sea by PATRICIA LOURDES Philstar.com
MANILA — Recent reports from Chinese state media that one of the Manila-claimed reefs in the Spratly Islands has been transformed into an airbase is “not news,” Malacañang said on Tuesday, January 9. Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television had released aerial images of Fiery Cross or Kagit-
Poll: More Filipinos expect better life, economy in 2018 by DANA
SIOSON
AJPress
MORE Filipinos are optimistic that their lives and the country’s economy will get better this year, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. Based on results of the noncommissioned poll conducted from December 8 to 16 last year, 49 percent of Filipinos expect that their personal quality of life will improve in the next 12 months, while only 3 percent expect it to get worse. This results in a “record-high” According to a recent poll, 49 percent of Filipinos expect that their personal quality of life Net Personal Optimism score of +46, which is classified by SWS will improve in the next 12 months, while only 3 percent expect it to get worse. Inquirer.net photo
VIRAY
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ingan Reef show that the artificial island now functions as a fortified airbase with a hospital and military installations. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, however, said that China has not yet breached its “good faith commitment” not to reclaim new islands. “From the very beginning China, we knew, was militarizing the area by reclaiming these areas and by using them as military bases so the fact that
they are actually using it now as military bases, as far as I am concerned, is not new,” Roque said in a televised press briefing. Roque had earlier claimed the Palace “[doesn’t] know where these works are.” He stressed that the Philippine government continues to rely on Beijing’s “good faith” that it will not embark on new reclamation activities inside the
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Grace Poe leads 2019 Senate survey; Sara Duterte in Magic 12 by JANVIC
MATEO Philstar.com
MANILA — Re-electionist and returning senators have led a recent pre-election survey that also placed presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio in the so-called Magic 12 in the next senatorial poll. Re-electionist Senators Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar, Aquilino Pimentel III and Nancy Binay topped the survey reportedly conducted by Social Weather Stations
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Sen. Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte
Inquirer.net photos
A January 10-12, 2018 • La MIDWEEK aSIan JOurnaL
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From the Front Page
Palace: Extended term... PAGE A1 ernment is changed to federal from unitary. He said the no-elections (no-el) scenario could be part of a transition because a shift in the form of government could not be implemented immediately. Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, on the other hand, has said Duterte’s term may be extended if the new Constitution provides for it and if the President is amenable to such provision. The opposition suspects that the no-el scenario and efforts to change the Constitution will be used to enable Duterte to establish a dictatorship and to perpetuate himself in power. Roque reiterated that Duterte is against efforts to scrap the 2019 elections. “You know, the president, after all, was mayor of Davao for almost 30 years. He is used to running in elections and he had not lost an election. But the point is that he is not running in another election and that’s why he sees no benefit really in no-el,� Roque said. “(Duterte) is the chief implementor of the Constitution and because of this, he will abide by the terms of the Constitution. When the Constitution says that the next election will be in May of 2019, he will implement that. And he promises that the next election in 2019 will be the cleanest that we will ever have,� he added. Asked what assurance he could give to those who doubt that
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Duterte does not want to extend his term, Roque replied: “Well, let’s just say that he loves Davao very much. He can’t stand Manila and really the moment that he can go back to his home by the sea, he would take that opportunity, anytime.â€? Roque noted that the midterm elections would push through unless the 1987 Constitution is amended. Regional police proposal nixed Meanwhile, Roque stressed that Duterte is against the idea of establishing regional police units even under a federal government. Duterte issued the statement during a Cabinet meeting at MalacaĂąang last Monday. “The president rejected the idea of regional PNPs even in the context of federalism. He said that he wants the police to still be under the Philippine National Police at least until such time that we have gotten rid of regional warlords,â€? Roque said in a press briefing. In his previous speeches, Duterte said the military and the police should remain under the President and he would not allow federal states to have their own security forces. Roque said Congress could propose amendments to the Constitution with or without the 25-member advisory committee that would review the Charter. Duterte called for the creation of the committee through Executive Order No. 10 issued in 2016.
Senate to set hearings In further developments, the Senate committee on constitutional amendments is set to conduct hearings into various proposals to amend the Constitution, including a resolution that seeks to shift the country to a federal system when Congress resumes session next week, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said. Pangilinan, chairman of the committee, has scheduled the hearings even as leaders of the House of Representatives continued to exert pressure on the Senate on the Charter change issue and persist on talking about the slow pace of work in the upper chamber and term extensions of elected officials. The committee will hear the measures filed by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Senators Richard Gordon and Juan Miguel Zubiri as well as the resolution Pimentel announced he would file in the coming days. Last week, Pimentel announced he would file a resolution calling on both the Senate and the House to convene into a constituent assembly to draft a new Constitution where a federal form of government will run the country as pushed by the ruling PDP-Laban. “We will conduct hearings promptly. We will not be a cause for delay but neither will we be pressured in coming up with a hastily crafted committee report,� Pangilinan said. n
Senate photo
Congressional leaders move...
PAGE A1 ministration would end DACA, Democratic and Republican Congress members have been collaborating on a legislative solution that would make a pathway to citizenship possible for nearly 1.1 million undocumented youth eligible for DACA, according to Pew Research. “I’ve always said I’m willing to work across the aisle to deliver results for my community,� Aguilar, whose district covers the San Bernardino area, tweeted on Monday. “The bipartisan compromise with [Hurd] will #ProtectDreamers in the Inland Empire and around the country’s exclusive economic country.� The Aguilar-Hurd bill is just zone. Duterte’s spokesman added one of the multiple bills to protect that the Philippines has always DREAMers introduced in Conbeen against the militarization of the disputed area. Asked about Lorenzana’s comDND: Philippines to file dip- ment, Roque said that this would lomatic protest be up to the Department of ForDefense Sec. Delfin Lorenza- eign Affairs. The DFA under na, on the other hand, appears the leadership of Foreign Afto have a different position on fairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayrecent developments on Fiery etano has opted to focus on Cross Reef. aspects of diplomatic ties with The Defense chief warned that China outside the South China the Philippines will file a diplo- Sea dispute. matic protest against China if Citing the July 2016 ruling proven that they are militarizing of the United Nations-back trithe reclaimed islands. bunal, Roque noted that only
Palace defends China’s ‘good faith’...
Aerial photos aired by China Central Television show the completed construction of facilities on Fiery Cross Reef, one of Beijing’s artificial islands in the Spratly Islands. CCTV via Asia Times
PH CONTEMPORARY ART. Senator Loren Legarda with Dr. Patrick Flores, director of the Philippine Contemporary Art Network (PCAN) and curator of the University of the Philippines’ (UP) Vargas Museum. PCAN was launched in December last year with the inaugural project, “Place of Region in the Contemporary,� that will run until January 27, 2018 at the Vargas Museum. PCAN, which was made possible by the guidance, vision, and support of Legarda, serves as a venue for research, exhibition, curatorial exchange, public engagement and publication.
gress since the Trump administration announced it was ending DACA in September. On Tuesday, January 9, President Donald Trump pledged his support for the new immigration bill, promising to sign what he called a “bill of love� for the nearly 800,000 current DACA recipients. Mirroring Aguilar, he said this is the first step in his long-awaited immigration overhaul. “You folks are going to have to come up with a solution,� Trump told 25 lawmakers in a negotiation at the White House on Tuesday. “A clean DACA bill to me is to take care of the 800,000 people. We take care of that, and we also take care of security. And then we can go to comprehensive [immigration reform] later on.�
Looking to avoid the possibility of a government shutdown before the Jan. 19 deadline when government funding must be finalized, the co-authors are looking to include their bill in the next spending package, which means a vote before that deadline. Previously, Trump emphasized that he’s willing to sign a legislative solution for DACA recipients as long as it comes with his longawaited plan to implement a wall between the U.S.-Mexico border. “We want DACA to happen,� the president said at a meeting with Republican leaders at Camp David on Saturday, January 6. “We all, everybody — I think I can speak for everybody, we want — [Sen] John Cornyn (R-Texas) — we all want DACA to happen, but we also want great security PAGE A4
the Philippines has the right to make installations within the disputed features as part of its exclusive economic zone. “I think that without doing anything, the tribunal already articulated the correct legal position of the country and the correct legal position that the Philippines is the coastal state that should exercise sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone,� Roque said.
Roque had cited the landmark tribunal award, which the Duterte administration repeatedly refused to bring up during talks with Beijing to settle the South China Sea dispute. The Philippines, as ASEAN chair last year, made no mention of the tribunal award in all of its statements following the leaders’ meetings in Manila in April and November. n
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A January 10-12, 2018 • La MIDWEEK aSIan JOurnaL
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2 Americans arrive to conduct third-party probe of Davao mall fire by Frinston Lim, Judy
Quiros Inquirer.net
DAVAO CITY — Two Americans hired by the management of NCCC Mall have arrived here for the conduct of an independent investigation into the Dec. 23 fire that killed 38 people. Senior Supt. Jerry Candido, the spokesman of the Interagency Anti-Arson Task Force (IAATF), said the two American investigators from Washington, DC, had paid him a courtesy call and informed him of their interest to coordinate with local fire authorities during their probe. “They are hired by the NCCC as third-party investigators, so we assigned someone to assist them,” Candido told reporters here on Tuesday, January 9. He said the NCCC management had wanted a third-party probe of the incident. Candido said the American fire investigators could start their work as soon as possible. Earlier, Candido said the IAATF had found several violations on the part of NCCC Mall and Survey Sampling International (SSI), which had contributed to the tragedy. These included compliance with safety rules on fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and fire exits. The NCCC management denied it had committed violations, maintaining that the four-storey mall in Barangay Ma-a had been certified as fire safety compliant. “We wish to stress though that
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the mall had passed through all the needed safety examinations and was certified by authorities as being safe to operate and serve the public,” Thea Padua, NCCC spokesperson, said in a statement. “This stringent certification process included passing requirements for the adequate provision of such public safety systems as fire alarms and sprinklers, fre exits and emergency procedures including fire drills,” she added. Candido said they were looking at the fire safety compliance documents issued to the mall and SSI. Criminal indictments over the tragedy could include retired local fire officials, he added. But he clarified that they had not established as of yet who should be held liable for the fire that also cost P1.6 billion in property damage. “We are giving ourselves two weeks [to wrap up the investigation],” Candido told the Inquirer by phone on Monday, January 8. But he said the timetable could be shortened if documents and other pieces of evidence that they had been gathering would be sufficient to determine liabilities and for the filing of criminal charges against those found to be responsible for the tragedy. As this developed, the association of business process out-
Congressional leaders move... PAGE A2 for our country.” On March 5, a thousand DREAMers a day will lose their benefits, according to Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) who reminded Trump that a solution for DACA needs to be made as soon as possible: “Lives are hanging in the balance. We’ve the time to do it.” What’s in the bill? The Aguilar-Hurd bill would offer eligible DREAMers the ability to apply for a green card and — after years of conditional residency — a pathway to citizenship, given they meet the requirements, including a background check and proof of work, education and/or military service. The bill doesn’t provide details about sponsoring relatives. Cur-
rently, parents of DREAMers who came to the U.S. illegally are not allowed apply for a visa and are required to return to their home country for at least 10 years before applying; the bill does nothing to remove that requirement, according to the bill summary made available to CNN. This reiterates Trump’s wish to remove family-based migration, also known as chain migration, and replace with a more “meritbased” system. “When somebody gets picked in the lottery, we’re not getting the best people,” Trump said at the Camp David meeting. “So we have to get rid of the lottery system. We have to get rid of chain migration. We have to have the wall.” The bill also calls for increasing
sourcing companies in the city said it would evaluate emergency procedures in all BPO work places in the wake of the tragedy. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Davao President Samuel Matunog said the evaluation would be based on the result of the IAATF investigation. “When the result of the investigation is known, we will call the association (into a meeting), we will gather together, sit down and review our emergency procedures,” Matunog said. Currently, BPOs here implement three levels of warning in cases of emergency. Level 1 means operations will be restored in two to four hours. Level 2 means operations will be restored within eight hours. Level 3 means operations will only be restored after eight hours. Matunog said ICT-Davao would also make an appeal to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to reconsider its order suspending operations of SSI in Davao. “Our appeal to PEZA is to look at it [suspension[ again,” Matunog said. “We have the obligation to take care of the remaining workers. The remaining 480 workers could still earn about P900 million income [for SSI] and P97 million in compensation per year. That’s substantial if totally lost.” He said ICT-Davao was planning to help SSI rebound in an alternative location. n the number of immigration judges and attorneys in an effort to reduce the accumulation of cases in immigration courts that force many undocumented people into a limbo for years. As for the border, the bill would call on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to gain “operational control” over the border by the end of 2020 through “technology, physical barriers, levees, tools and other devices,” the bill summary said. The co-authors stressed that this bill is the first step in revamping the U.S. immigration system. “This is a DACA and border security fix,” Hurd said, whose previous “smart wall” bill provided the basis for this new bill. “And if there’s other elements that have to be included in a broader deal to get signed into law, this is a foundation for that conversation.” n
TRASLACION 2018. Around 4 million devotees have joined this year’s Traslacion of the Black Nazarene in Manila on Tuesday, January 9. The Traslacion, recalls the transfer on Jan. 9, 1787, of a copy of the image of the Black Nazarene from its original site at the San Nicolas Tolentino church in Intramuros to the Quiapo church. Inquirer.net photo
US provides additional P330M aid for Marawi by Patricia Lourdes
Viray
vulnerable populations within their communities. “The United States is deeply MANILA — Following its initial P730 million assistance for the committed to supporting our rehabilitation of Marawi City, the friend and ally in long-term reU.S. government has announced covery efforts to ensure a brighter an additional P330 million fund for and more peaceful future for the people of Mindanao,” Kim added. the war-torn city. The initial assistance of USAID Through the U.S. Agency for International Development or involves restoring water access USAID, Washington now has a and distributing desks for schools total of over P1 billion worth of in affected areas. The U.S. agency contribution to the recovery and has also been providing health rehabilitation of Marawi and sur- clinics in Marawi and surrounding areas to counter tuberculosis and rounding areas. “This new funding will support support maternal, newborn and some of the most vulnerable popu- child health needs. The USAID will continue to lations affected by the conflict,” provide public services, such as U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim said. The additional funding would water and electricity. Part of the provide opportunities for the youth assistance also includes workof Marawi to enhance their liveli- ing with communities to promote hood skills and assist strengthen community dialogue and improve Philstar.com
health and education systems, according to a release from the U.S. Embassy. “To help fortify the area’s longer-term stabilization and rehabilitation, USAID will offer skills training and psychosocial counseling for youth, and promote community alternatives to violent extremism,” the U.S. Embassy said. During his visit to Manila last November, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated President Rodrigo Duterte on the liberation of Marawi from ISIS-inspired terror groups. In their meeting, the Philippine leader expressed gratitude to his American counterpart for the more than $1 billion foreign assistance that the U.S. had provided to the Philippines for the past eight years. n
Amb. Kim: US-PH ties to reach...
PAGE A1 new level,” Kim said when asked about what he envisions for the new year. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kim arrived in the country in December 2016 to replace Philip Goldberg as the new U.S. ambassador to the Philippines. In the video, Kim described his one-year stay in the Philippines as “wonderful.” Adding that traveling around the country has been among his favorite experience so far, Kim said revealed that he had never been to Palawan and wanted to see the place for himself. The U.S. envoy also answered light questions about his favorite Filipino food, desserts, and even local sports team: crispy tilapia,
buko pandan, and basketball teams Ateneo and La Salle. As to what would be his advice to his 20-year-old self, Kim said cited: “Be true to yourself, be willing to try different things and of course work hard.” In a separate television interview on Tuesday, January 9, Kim said that for the year 2017, the U.S.-PH alliance mainly focused on the Marawi City crisis. In May last year, Islamic State (IS)-inspired Maute terrorists occupied the city, sparking an armed conflict that lasted for five months. “As you know, I passed my first year mark just recently… and in terms of what we’ve focused on, I think obviously the Marawi situation was of great importance to the alliance. And I think we’ve
played a very important role in supporting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” he told GMA News’ News To Go. Kim also announced that the U.S. government has allocated an additional $6 million on top of the $20 million earlier pledged for the rehabilitation efforts in war-torn Marawi City. “I am happy to announce today that we are allocating $6 million to help the most vulnerable population in Marawi. We’re talking about young children [and the] elderly,” the envoy said. “We’re coming up with some programs that are really focused on their needs, such as vocational training, and other educational-related programs,” he added. (Dana Sioson/AJPress)
Opportunities for stronger US-PH alliance...
PAGE A1 The plan also zeros in on strategies within the “Indo-Pacific” region, which Christian Vicedo at NDCP said will have a big impact on U.S and Philippines relations. “The U.S.-Philippines alliance will be significantly influenced by Washington’s security interests and priorities in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Vicedo in his commentary published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS), a bipartisan and nonprofit policy research organization. Trump used the Indo-Pacific term during his 2017 Asia tour in reference to countries spanning from China down to Australia, including the Philippines which the NSS called one of the U.S.’ important allies in Southeast Asia, along with Thailand. Vicedo cited three of the strategy’s regional security issues as having the possibility of developing security engagements between the U.S. and its allies. The plan asserts that China’s building of artificial islands and military facilities in the South China Sea “endanger the free flow of trade, threaten the sovereignty of other nations, and undermine regional stability.” China and the Philippines have long argued over the South China Sea. Most recently, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippines intends to hold a diplomatic protest against China for breaking its promise to not militarize artificial islands in the area, as reported by Reuters. The plan also calls out North Korea’s recent nuclear provoca-
tions in saying that Pyongyang is “rapidly accelerating its cyber, nuclear, and ballistic missile programs,” and warns that “jihadist terrorists are likely to return to their home countries” to plan attacks against the U.S. and its allies. Vicedo pointed to the NSS’ priority political, economic, and military/security actions, which he said “presupposes a U.S. security commitment to allies and partners.” In detailing efforts within the Indo-Pacific region, the priorities of the NSS include working with allies to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, encouraging free and open seaways, strengthening military relations, and addressing growing terrorist threats with Southeast Asian partners through law enforcement, defense, and intelligence cooperation improvements. “As a result, while Trump’s NSS reiterates transactional principles of economic reciprocity and burden-sharing in confronting common threats, the possibility of a diminishing U.S. security commitment to the Philippines seems unlikely, “ Vicedo reckoned. The security strategy presents new opportunities to strengthen the U.S. and Philippine alliance, first through its promotion of increased cooperation between the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India — all of which the Philippines has defense and security ties with. “Indeed, linking U.S. allies and partners may provide a strategic advantage for the U.S.-Philippines alliances in addressing future traditional and nontraditional security concerns such as a
more assertive China in the South China Sea or a major terrorist attack similar to the Marawi Siege,” said Vicedo. This, along with the NSS’ urge for allies to modernize and improve military operations, give a stronger case for alliance opportunities, he added. Vicedo made reference to the future formation of the Philippine’s Government Arsenal Defense Industry Estate, which will act as an economic zone for local and foreign investors seeking to work with manufacturers in supplying the country’s military needs. The plan also looks to give companies incentives for investing in developing countries. With Philippine-U.S. relations dating back to the late 19th century, the leaders of the two countries seemed to hit it off last year despite a number of rocky moments. Following Duterte and Trump’s first ever bilateral meeting in November 2017 on the sidelines of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian National Summit, Trump said they had a “great relationship” and that he “really enjoyed” being in the Philippines.. The two leaders released a joint statement following the bilateral meeting, as did the U.S. and Philippine Senior Defense and Foreign Affair Officials at the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue 2017. “The complementarity and opportunities offered by President Trump’s National Security Strategy may re-energize security engagements between the two countries,” Vicedo concluded. (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress)
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Senate, House leaders agree to convene into con-ass by Dana
SioSon AJPress
BOTH Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez agreed to have the two chambers convene into a constitutional-assembly (con-ass) to discuss the revision of the 1987 Constitution and proposed shift to a federal form of the government. The two leaders, however, have different timetables on presenting a new charter to the people in a nationwide plebiscite—with Pimentel wanting a plebiscite in 2019 while Alvarez preferring it to be held this May. In an interview on Monday, January 8, Pimentel disclosed that he will be filing a resolution this week calling for the Senate and the House of Representatives to sit as a con-ass. “It’s a resolution calling for the Senate to sit together with the House of Representatives as a constituent assembly for the purpose of revising the 1987 Consti-
tution, specifically to study the adoption of a federal system of government,” the Senate president said. Pimentel, who is also the president of the ruling Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party which advocates federalism, said the resolution will be filed before the Senate resumes its session on January 15. Asked if his resolution would include a term extension and holdover capacity, Pimentel answered in dissent as he pointed out that public would most likely reject it. Pimentel also said he expects the Senate and the House to come up with a draft charter by the end of 2018, with the plebiscite to be held at the same time as the 2019 elections. “[The draft proposal should be done] in less than a year so that by January 2019, what is being deliberated and being explained to the public is the final draft, which will be subject to a plebi-
scite [in May 2019],” he said. The Senate president further reiterated that the 2019 midterm elections will proceed as stated in the current 1987 Constitution. “Hangga’t hindi magbago yan, lahat ng scheduled elections in the 1987 Constitution must be held, pero pag magbago yan, there is a new Constitution, yung schedule ng new Constitution ang masusunod (Unless the 1987 Constitution is revised, scheduled elections will proceed. But if amended, we’ll follow the schedule under the new Constitution),” Pimentel added. Last week, Alvarez cited the possible cancellation of the 2019 midterm elections as part of the anticipated transition to a federal system. Noting that the senators have different term expirations, the House speaker remarked that it is only practical to extend their terms of senators who were elected in 2013 until 2022 for a transitory period. n
Grace Poe leads 2019 Senate... PAGE A1 (SWS) from Dec. 8 to 11. Duterte-Carpio ranked ninth, after former senator and Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, re-electionist Juan Edgardo Angara, and former senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Completing the Top 12 were former senator Lito Lapid, reelectionist JV Ejercito and broadcaster Erwin Tulfo. The survey results, which were not released on the SWS website, were published online by radio dzRH. SWS neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the survey when The STAR called the pollster’s office to verify. This may indicate that the survey was commissioned or paid for by an individual or group. Based on the results, Poe – also the frontrunner in the 2010 senatorial elections – obtained 64 percent of the votes of survey respondents. She was followed by Villar with 42 percent, Pimentel with 38 percent, Binay with 37 percent, Cayetano with 35 percent and Angara
with 33 percent. Estrada and Marcos tied at 7th to 8th spot with 28 percent, followed by Duterte-Carpio with 27 percent. Completing the Magic 12 are Lapid, Ejercito and Tulfo, who all got 26 percent. Meanwhile, trailing in the survey were former senator Manuel Roxas II (13th place, 25 percent), re-electionist Benigno Aquino IV (14th, 24 percent), former senator Serge Osmeña (15th, 20 percent) and Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa (16th, 19 percent). Rounding up the Top 20 were former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. (17th, 18 percent), outgoing Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista (18th to 19th, 16 percent), former senator Teofisto Guingona III (18th to 19th, 16 percent) and former Manila vice mayor Isko Moreno (20th, 15 percent). Other survey details, including the number of respondents and the actual survey question, were not immediately available. Duterte-Carpio warned the political foes of President Duterte
not to bother her about political plans, especially on her allegedly running for a Senate seat in the 2019 polls. The mayor’s name already came out in senatorial race surveys as early as in the 2010 elections. “President Duterte’s enemies should not annoy me, then my slot should become available to all the yellows,” the presidential daughter said. But Sara was also quick to point out that should her father’s political foes persist on bothering her, then she might just decide to run for a Senate post. Malacañang was mum on the inclusion of Mayor Duterte in the list of possible top contenders for the 2019 senatorial race. “I read a news from a news magazine online. But I have not seen the survey myself,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a press briefing in Davao City. “(I have) no comment. And I think, Mayor Duterte has her own spokesperson in City Hall,” he added. n
UNDER GUARD. Dozens of policemen ring the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, also known as Quiapo Church, two days before the Feast of the Black Nazarene, a major religious event that draws millions of devotees and tourists alike. ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada
Poll: More Filipinos expect better life...
PAGE A1 as “excellent.” The figure is also four points higher than the previous +42 in the September 2017 survey. According to SWS, the country’s December 2017 Net Personal Optimism likewise matches the record-high level that was first achieved in June 2016 when Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office. “The four-point rise in Net Personal Optimism nationwide was due to increases in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, combined with a steady score in the Visayas, and a decline in Metro Manila, from September 2017 to December 2017,” SWS said in a media release on Tuesday, January 9. In Balance Luzon, the Net Personal Optimism rose from “very high” +39 in September to “excellent” +45 in December; while in Mindanao, it rose from +46 in September to +50 in December, staying under “excellent” category. The Net Personal Optimism in the Visayas also remained at “very high” +39 from September to December. In Metro Manila, it
went down by 3 points from +52 in September to +49 in December but stayed under “excellent” category. The survey results also showed that the Net Personal Optimism remains “excellent” in classes ABC and D, and “very high” in class E. “Net Personal Optimism stayed excellent in class ABC, up by 6 points from +53 in September 2017 to +59 (correctly rounded) in December 2017. It stayed excellent in class D, or the masa, up by 5 points from +42 in September to +47 in December,” SWS said. In class E, however, it went down by 5 points from +38 in September to +33 (correctly rounded) in December. The same survey also showed that 52 percent of Filipinos are optimistic that the country’s economy will “get better” this year while only nine percent feel that it would “deteriorate,” resulting to a Net Optimism about the Economy score of “excellent” +42. The latest figure is 12 points higher than the excellent +30 in September 2017, and the highest
since the excellent +43 in December 2016. “The 12-point rise in national Net Optimism about the Economy was due to increases in all areas,” SWS said. Results showed Net Optimism about the Economy also stayed “excellent” in all areas. In Mindanao, the Net Optimism about the Economy went up by 10 points from +51 in September 2017 to +61 in December 2017; while in the Visayas, it went up by six points from +24 in September to +30 in December. It also rose by 17 points in Balance Luzon from +23 in September to +40 in December, and in Metro Manila by 6 points from +30 in September to +36 in December. Net Optimism about the economy likewise stayed “excellent” in all classes. In class D, it went up by 13 points from +30 in September to +43 in December; while in class E by 9 points from +32 in September to +41 in December. In class ABC, however, the figure went down by 2 points from +33 in September to +31 in December. n
A6 JANUARY 10-12, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
A new battle for DILG chief
FEATURES
AS promised, President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed former Armed Forces chief Eduardo Año as head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). He will serve as officer-in-charge, raising criticism that it goes around the law barring the appointment of military officers from being named to a civilian post within a year after retiring from the service. This practice cannot be institutionalized. This issue aside, the appointment has raised expectations that Año can have a positive impact on the DILG, after he led the military in ending the Marawi siege and neutralizing top Maute terrorists. Año replaces Catalino Cuy, who also served as OIC in the department after Ismael Sueno was sacked as DILG secretary on allegations of corruption. The DILG has supervision over the Philippine National Police, which has rejoined the war on drugs that is now led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, as provided by law. In accepting his new post, Año is reportedly giving priority to the fight against illegal drugs as well as corruption in the agencies now under his jurisdiction. In battling the Mautes in Marawi, the military under Año managed to make martial law in Mind-
anao generally acceptable to the nation. This was no simple feat, considering the nation’s unfortunate experience with martial law. Año might yet achieve the same feat in the PNP’s operations against illegal drugs. Fighting corruption involves plugging opportunities for graft. Red tape is deliberately designed into systems and processes to encourage the payment of grease money. Año must review how red tape can be cut not only in the PNP and his department but also in local government units. With full support from President Duterte, he should be able to work with the elected politicians who head the LGUs in cutting red tape and curbing corruption. These are all formidable challenges, but perhaps the man who led government forces in retaking Marawi can make a difference. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Oprah for president in 2020? Not too fast!
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS OPRAH WINFREY delivered a powerful, empowering and inspiring speech after she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award during the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 7. It is an honorary Golden Globe Award bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” Since the first time this award was given in 1952, it is only this year when this recognition was bestowed upon a black woman — and that is Oprah. In her speech, Oprah talked about what inspired her to be the woman she is now — amid poverty, racism, prejudice, abuses of people in power. “THEIR TIME IS UP!”… “A new day is on the horizon,” Oprah
said so empathically that made a lot of viewers tear up, this writer included, thinking this is the kind of speech we want our children and grandchildren to hear. As Oprah was delivering her speech, people were already making social media burn with their “Oprah for President 2020” posts and this has continued to be the hot topic even in homes, schools, offices, television and radio talk shows and newscasts, even after the Golden Globe Awards’ lights went off. President Donald Trump even chimed in, saying he likes Oprah a lot, but does not think she will run. However, in the event she does, Trump said he will beat her. But not too fast. I myself love Oprah a lot. She has a very colorful and compelling life narrative that speaks volume about this woman’s strength, grit, determination,
focus, intelligence, hard work, empathy, compassion, and love for humanity. Her success story from her humble beginnings to being the successful media mogul she is now has inspired a lot of people. We have seen her rise higher and higher, witnessed her personal struggles on her way up, and felt she is just like every one of us. Throughout her work on television, she has lifted the lives of millions of people who have watched and listened to her, and her Golden Globe speech was to me, her most shining moment that cast light to so many people during these challenging years in our nation’s history. BUT beyond her powerful words and inspiring life, we have yet to know more about Oprah Winfrey before we could make the informed decision if she would be a good president, commander-in-chief of this na-
tion. I am not saying she is NOT qualified. I think she passes the “content of character” test, but what about other leadership and knowledge and vision requirements of a good president? How much does she know about governing, history, current events, international relations? What is her vision for America? What will be her platform to address domestic issues and financial challenges? How will her foreign policies look like? I really want to know. In the meantime, let us digest and fully assimilate all the great things she spoke about in her speech. My favorite parts: “I want to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. We know the press is under siege these days. We also know it’s the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to corrup-
tion and to injustice. To—to tyrants and victims, and secrets and lies. I want to say that I value the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times, which brings me to this: what I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I’m especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories. Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell, and this year we became the story.” “In my career, what I’ve always tried my best to do, whether on television or through film, is to say something about how men and women really behave. To say how we experience shame, how we love and how we rage, how we fail, how we retreat, persevere, and how we overcome. I’ve interviewed
and portrayed people who’ve withstood some of the ugliest things life can throw at you, but the one quality all of them seem to share is an ability to maintain hope for a brighter morning, even during our darkest nights. So I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me too’ again.” *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https:// www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
PH Senate elections
Breakthrough ELFREN S. CRUZ SENATORIAL elections have always been a major topic of discussion and speculation. This year, the candidates for the 2019 senatorial elections will be finalized. There are already surveys on the most probable winners and speculation on who will be running. One of the reasons that there is so much interest in senatorial elections is the perception that the Senate is a major route to the Presidency. But is this really true? In the post Marcos martial law regime, there have been six democratically elected presidents. Three did not serve in the Senate — Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Rodrigo Duterte. Three served in the Senate — Joseph Estrada, Gloria Arroyo, Noynoy Aquino. However, two of them — Estrada and Arroyo — became president right after winning the vice presidency. Only Noynoy Aquino went directly from the Senate to the presidency. It is true that being a senator gives a political personality national exposure. But it would seem that being a senator is not enough credentials for a person to win the presidency in the modern political era. The shift toward federalism will also be a major development in the Philippine political environment. The election of state or regional governors will provide another route to the presidency. We can learn lessons from the
American political system which is presidential and federal. In the post Eisenhower period, there have been nine American presidents. Three of them served in the U.S. Senate — John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson. Richard Nixon. Four of them became president after becoming state governors — Jimmy Carter of Georgia, Ronald Reagan of California, Bill Clinton of Arkansas and George Bush Jr. of Texas. George Bush Sr. ran for the Senate and lost. He became Reagan’s vice-president and won the presidency after Reagan. Donald Trump is the political outlier who became president without holding any previous elective or appointive government office. In the history of the Philippine Senate, none of the Senators I most admire and respect ever became presidents. My personal list includes Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tañada, Jose W. Diokno, Raul Manglapus, Ninoy Aquino, Joker Arroyo and Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. I always thought they would have become great presidents. But the fact that they never became presidents has not diminished their influence on Philippine history. In fact, they have had more impact on our country than most of our previous presidents. Fifty years from now, I wonder how many of the senators today will still be remembered as having contributed to their country’s progress. Perhaps now is a good time to look back at the members of the Philippine Senate 50 years ago and how many have left any lasting legacy. The Senate leadership of the 1954-1957 Senate were Eulogio Rodriguez, Senate President;
Manuel Briones, President Pro Tempore, Cipriano Primicias, Majority Floor Leader. The members of the Third Congress were elected in 1953 and 1955. The list includes the following names: Democrito Alonzo, Tomas Cabili, Manuel Cuenco, Francisco Delgado, Ruperto Kangleon, Jose Laurel Sr., Oscar Ledesma, Jose Locsin, Fernando Lopez, Alejo Mabanag, Pacital Madrigal Gonzalez, Enrique Magalona, Quintin Paredes, Emmanuel Pelaez, Macario Peralta, Gil Puyat, Claro Recto, Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Decoroso Rosales, Pedro Sabido, Lorenzo Sumulong, Lorenzo Tanada, Jose Zulueta. Perhaps our senators will stop focusing on becoming the next president and realize that they can use their position to leave a lasting legacy equal justice and equal opportunity for all Filipinos. 2018 overview For those interested in international geopolitics, Stratfor is a good site for quick assessments and analysis. In their 2018 annual forecast, they identified five major factors to watch this year — North Korea, U.S. Trade Policy, Oil Industry, Iran, and ChinaRussia collaboration. North Korea’s demonstration of a viable nuclear deterrent this year will give rise to a new and more unstable era of containment. The threat of war on the Korean peninsula cannot be ruled out but a preventive strike against North Korea will cost millions of lives and plunge the global economy into a recession or even a depression. The White House will forge ahead with an aggressive agenda that will target China, Mexico,
Infographic courtesy of Social Weather Stations
South Korea and Japan. I personally think that a global trade war is about to begin and countries all over the world will begin to adopt nationalist, protectionist trade and investment policies. The United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia will close ranks against Iran. This means that proxy battles will intensify all over the Middle East. Russia will exploit these mounting tensions to expand its influence in the Middle East at the expense of the United States. Major oil producers hope to stay on track to rebalance the
global oil market. Saudi Arabia and Russia may be able to work together to counteract an expected uptick in U.S. shale oil output. Deepening collaboration between China and Russia will pose a strategic threat to the United States, spurring Washington to try and check the budding partnership by reinforcing its own allies in the Eurasian heartland. The fluidity of alignments among great powers will increasingly define the international system as Moscow and Beijing balance against each other, just as many U.S. allies hedge their relation-
ships with Washington. Amidst all these gloomy predictions we can only look for hope from people like Pope Francis who has constantly been the voice for peace and sanity in this world. I still remember his message last year: “Peace is the only direction of human progress — and not the tensions caused by ambitious nationalisms, nor conquests by violence nor repressions which serve as mainstay for a false civil order.” I wish everyone a Happy and Peaceful New Year. (Philstar. com)
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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Dateline PhiliPPines
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 10-12, 2018
A
Jinggoy Estrada says he’s still ‘inclined to serve people on a national level’ by Dana
SioSon AJPress
DEADLY WEAPONS. The Western Mindanao Command released on Sunday, January 7, this photo of weapons that troops recovered in Bacolod Calawi, Lanao del Sur, after clashes between two warring Muslim clans. Police in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are looking into the possibility that a “rido” or clan war that wounded five people in Lanao del Sur is linked to the ambush of a barangay (village) chairman in Iligan City in 2017. ManilaTimes.net photo by Al Jacinto
Cardinal Tagle tells the faithful: ‘Live without being greedy for power’ by aShley JoSe ManilaTimes.net
MANIlA Archbishop luis Antonio Cardinal tagle asked devotees of the Black Nazarene to be vigilant against greed and to “live without being greedy for power.” At the same time, tagle told the faithful, who attended a midnight Mass at the Quirino grandstand in Manila on tuesday, January 9, ushering in the Feast of the Black Nazarene, to remember the victims of recent disasters. “let us carry our countrymen to Jesus,” said tagle who was also joined by Monsignor hernando Coronel and Archbishop gabriele giordano Caccia, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines. Also present were Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, together with his son and former senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald de la Rosa. Millions of devotees are expected to join the traslacion or the procession after the mass that will bring the image of the Black Nazarene around Manila before returning it to its home at the Minor Basilica in Quiapo.
the Feast of the Black Nazarene is considered one of the biggest events of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, pastor to 80 percent of the population. Believed to be miraculous, barefooted devotees touch, kiss, or use a handkerchief or towel to wipe the image in the hope that their prayers would be answered. In his homily, tagle reminded the faithful, however, not to forget our countrymen who are victims of recent typhoons and wars,” referring to the victims of the siege of Marawi City in Mindanao and of the three tropical storms in the last quarter of 2017 that ravaged most of the provinces in the southern Philippines, killing dozens and displacing thousands of people. the archbishop also warned Filipinos against greed of power. “We were born without power, and when we die, we will have no power as well. live without being greedy for power, and you will be a real person,” said tagle, amid the ongoing debate on the shift to Federalism, which may extend the terms of incumbent officials
who will pave the way for the transition and the prevalence of corruption in government. the Manila Police District (MPD) estimated the crowd present during the Mass at Quirino grandstand at 120,00. the image of the Black Nazarene is brought out thrice a year: During its Feast every January 9, on good Friday, symbolizing the passion of Christ; and on New Year’s Eve, the start of a nine-day novena to the Nazarene. Augustinian Recollect friars from Mexico brought the image of the Nazarene to the Philippines on May 31, 1606. the image was initially placed at the Augustian Recollect Church in what is now a part of the Rizal Park in luneta. two years later, the Nazarene was brought to another Recollect Church dedicated to San Nicolas de tolentino. In 1650, Pope Innocent 10 recognized Filipinos’ devotion to the Black Nazarene. on January 9, 1787, the image was moved to its current location at St. John the Baptist Church, which is officially called the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, in Quiapo. n
12th spot with returning Senator lito lapid and media personality Erwin tulfo. topping the pre-election survey for the 2019 Senate race was Senator grace Poe. She was followed by Senators Cynthia Villar, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and Nancy Binay. Meanwhile, former Senator Pia Cayetano landed on the 5th spot, while re-electionist Edgardo “Sonny” Angara Jr. was 6th. Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio also made it on the list, ranking 9th. n
Although he did not confirm if he would run for a Senate position in 2019, former Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada has dropped some hints that running for a national post is possible. “I haven’t decided yet eh, pero siyempre nandun pa rin ’yung incllination natin to serve our people on a national level (but of course there is still the inclination to serve our people on a national level),” Estrada told reporters in an inter- Former Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada Inquirer.net photo view on Monday, January 8. Estrada, who is currently out on bail, is facing plunder and graft charges before the SandiganPAUNAWA NG PAMPUBLIKONG PAGDINIG bayan for allegedly misusing and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority pocketing P183-million priority Ang Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Awtoridad sa development assistance (PDAF) Transportasyon sa Kalunsuran ng Los Angeles County) ay magsasagawa ng isang pampublikong pagdinig sa Pebrero 2019 upang tumanggap ng komento ng komunidad funds from 2004 to 2010 when he tungkol sa iminumungkahing pagbabago sa ‘Silver2Silver’ (S2S) on Line 910 (Metro was still a senator. Silver Line); at permanenteng pagpapatupad ng ‘TAP Only’ All Door Boarding (ADB) sa Metro Rapid 754 (Vermont Av) at Metro Rapid 720 (Wilshire Bl). Ang mga But should he decide to seek a detalye ng petsa, oras, at lokasyon ng pagdinig ay ipinakikita sa ibaba. seat in the Senate or any other govAng darating na pampublikong pagdinig ay gaganapin bilang pagsunod sa pederal na ernment post, Estrada expressed mga iniaatas sa pampublikong pagdinig na nakasaad sa Seksyon 5307 (d) 1 ng Titulo confidence that the current charg49 U.S.C., at mga patnubay sa pampublikong pagdinig na pinagtibay ng Lupon ng mga Direktor ng Metro noong 1993, gaya ng sinusugan. es against him will barely affect his chances of winning. Mula noong 2012, ang ‘Silver2Silver’ (S2S) ay nagpapahintulot sa mga humahawak ng pases gamit ang isang pinatibayang TAP card mula sa alinman sa Metro Silver he then cited the instance when Line o Foothill Transit Silver Streak na sumakay sa alinmang serbisyo nang walang he was still elected as a senator karagdagang singil sa pagitan ng El Monte at Downtown Los Angeles. Noong Oktubre 2017, ipinakilala ng Foothill Transit ang isang bagong produktong Day Pass na in 2004 despite facing a plunder tatanggapin sa Metro Silver Line. Ang Metro ay nagrerekomenda ng pagsasama nitong case alongside his father, former bagong produktong pases at pagpapatuloy nitong pagtutulungan upang pakinabangan ng mga parokyano. president and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, who was Ang ‘TAP Only’ All Door Boarding (ADB) ay nagpapahintulot ng pagsakay at pagbaba mula sa pareho ng pangharap at panlikod na mga pinto at nag-aatas sa lahat ng later found guilty in 2007. parokyano na kumuha ng isang pinatibayang TAP card. Inaasahan ng Metro ang “If you remember when I first paglulunsad ng ADB sa Metro Rapid 754 noong Hunyo 2018, na susundan ng Metro Rapid 720. Ang ADB ay kasalukuyang ipinatutupad sa Line 910 (Metro Silver Line) ran in 2004, I still had an outstandat dating pinatatakbo sa Metro Rapid 720. Ang Metro ay nagkaloob ng kakayahang ing case, a pending case together magkarga ng cash sa mga TAP card sa kahon ng pasaahe at pinalalawak ang saklaw ng network ng tagabenta. with my father, a plunder case in 2004, and eventually I was acquitISKEDYUL NG PAMPUBLIKONG PAGDINIG ted,” the former senator recalled. 9:00 a.m. he then stressed, “the PDAF Metro Headquarters Building Huwebes, Pebrero 15, 2018 case will not affect my run in the Board Room Senate, if I decide to run.” One Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012-2932 For now, Estrada said he plans to “[go] around the country to Ang mga karagdagang detalye tungkol sa mga mungkahing ito ay makukuha para sa pagrepaso ng publiko pagkaraan ng Enero 15, 2018. Upang makuha ang impormasyong thank the people for their unwavito kontakin ang address na nakalista sa ibaba, o bisitahin ang iyong pinakamalapit na ering support” to him. Metro Customer Relations Center. Ang impormasyon ay makukuha rin sa: www.metro. net/silverline. he also said that he has not yet spoken to his half-brother, current Tandaan na ang mga mungkahing ito ay maaaring aprobahan sa kabuuan o bahagi sa isang petsang kasunod ng mga pampublikong pagdinig. Sa mga inaprobahang Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejerpagbabago ay maaaring kabilang ang ibang mga alternatibong galing sa komento cito about their political plans for ng publiko. Ang mga interesadong miyembro ng publiko ay hinihimok na dumalo sa darating na pagdinig at magbigay ng testimonya sa mungkahing pagbabayad ng 2019. pasahe na isinasaalang-alang. Ang mga taong hindi makakadalo sa mga pagdinig ay In a previous television intermaaaring magsumite ng nakasulat na testimonya na may tatak ng koreo na hanggang sa hatinggabi ng [DATE], ang pagsasara ng pampublikong rekord. Lahat ng nakasulat view, Ejercito said there can only na testimonya ay dapat ipadala sa: be one Estrada in the Senate in Metro Customer Relations: 2019. Attn: Proposed ‘Silver2Silver’ and All Door Boarding Implementation In survey conducted by Social One Gateway Plaza, 99-PL-4 Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952 Weather Stations (SWS) from December 8 to 11 last year, both EsAng mga komento ay maipapadala rin sa pamamagitan ng e-mail na ang “Silver2Silver and All Door Boarding Implementation” ang paksa sa: trada and Ejercito were included customerrelations@metro.net in the Senate’s so-called “Magic I-fax sa: 213-922-6988 12” or list probable senatorial race Kapag hiniling, ang salin sa banyagang wika, interpretasyon ng senyas na wika, mga winners. materyal sa mga alternatibong anyo at ibang mga kaluwagan ay makukuha ng publiko para sa itinataguyod ng MTA na mga pulong at ginaganap. Lahat ng mga kahilingan para Estrada tied at 7th to 8th spot sa mga makatwirang kaluwagan ay dapat gawin nang hindi kukulangin sa tatlong araw with former Senator Ferdinand ng trabaho (72 oras) bago ang nakatakdang petsa ng pulong. Mangyaring tumawag sa (213) 922-4600 sa pagitan ng 8 a.m. at 5 p.m., Lunes hanggang Biyernes. “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.; while CNS-3086736# Ejercito also tied at the 10th to
A January 10-12, 2018 • La MIDWEEK aSIan JOurnaL
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Napocor completes P275-M San Roque dam rehab by Jordeene
Sheex Lagare ManilaTimes.net
THE P275-million rehabilitation of San Roque dam on the Agno River in Pangasinan has been completed three months ahead of schedule, state-controlled National Power Corp. (Napocor) said on Friday, January 5. Napocor said they managed to rehabilitate the 200-metertall, 1.2-kilometer long embankment dam in the last quarter of 2017. Napocor commenced the rehabilitation project after seeing traces of erosion at the base of the dam’s spillway. This was said to be caused by scouring and aggravated by extreme typhoons that struck the dam, including Typhoon Ineng (international name: Goni) and Typhoon Lando (international name: Koppu) in 2015. Napocor-PSALM and San
The the 200-meter-tall, 1.2-kilometer long San Roque Dam in San Manuel, Pangasinan. File photo by Napocor website
Roque Power Corp. (SRPC), which operates the 435-megawatt (MW) San Roque power plant, split the total cost of the rehabilitation project. Both Napocor-PSALM and SRPC conducted separate inspections and assessments to ensure the satisfactory condition and integrity of San Roque dam. “The rehabilitation project was immediately bid out and implemented in January of last year to avoid further erosion
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Will the TRAIN law affect OFW remittances? Here’s what you need to know regarding remittances from overseas Filipino workers affected by the tax reform law?
ON Tuesday, December 19, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act into law, which aims to generate revenue to fund a multibillion-dollar infrastructure program that is central to the government’s economic agenda. The TRAIN law is the first package of the administration’s much-awaited Comprehensive Tax Reform Program. It took effect on January 1. The tax reform program will increase take-home pay for most wage earners, compensating for the projected foregone
revenue through higher excise taxes, including documentary stamps tax. The Bureau of Internal Revenue defines DST as “a tax on documents, instruments, loan agreements and papers evidencing the acceptance, assignment, sale or transfer of an obligation, right or property incident thereto.” Higher DST on money transfers to the Philippines Section 57 of the TRAIN law doubled the DST imposed on each P200 (or the Philippine equivalent of such value, if expressed in foreign currency) worth of transactions involv-
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Peso likely to trade sideways in near term by MayveLin
U. CarabaLLo
ManilaTimes.net
THE Philippine peso is likely to trade sideways in the near-term before outperforming the United States dollar, a Fitch Group Unit said, with risks for the local currency tilted to the downside. In a report released on Friday, January 5, BMI Research noted that the Philippine peso had strengthened by more than 2 percent in the fourth quarter since its last cur-
rency forecast in late September. “Following the rebound, we now hold a neutral view on the currency, expecting the currency trade sideways over the nearterm,” it said. although the currency could strengthen further toward resistance at about P48.50:$1. At the same time, BMI said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas was likely to tighten its monetary policy—entailing policy rate hikes of 50 basis points to 3.50 percent—over the coming months, which could be supportive
File photo by Manila Times
of the currency. However, an ongoing oil price rally is negative for the Philippines terms of trade and dollar weakness across the board suggest market complacency with respect to the trajectory of U.S. Fed rate hikes. “According to Bloomberg, around 20 percent of market participants expect one or less interest rate hike this year, while another 40 percent expect only two rate hikes, as compared with U.S. policymakers who have
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DOTr starts first phase of railway linking Manila to Clark by MayveLin
U. CarabaLLo ManilaTimes.net
THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) started on Friday, January 5, preconstruction activities for the first phase of the Philippine National Railways line linking Metro Manila to Clark. During the groundbreaking ceremony held yesterday in Marilao, Bulacan for the Advance Contruction Mobilization for Phase 1 of the PNR Clark Railway, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said the government has decided to begin pre-construction works such as site clearing, realignment or relocation of utility lines, as well as acquisition of right of way to get the project moving. Also gracing the event was Sen. Joel Villanueva, who cited the PNR Manila-Clark
project as a boon to economic activity and to commuters. “The construction of Clark Railway increases connectivity within Metro Manila and the Central Region. Not only will this afford convenience to our commuters, but it will also improve economic activity in the area,” Villanueva said. The project is seen to ease vehicular traffic in Metro Manila and speed up travel to north of the metropolis, especially key areas of Central Luzon where modern townships are being developed. Tugade said the DOTr wants to award the general construction contract for the project by April. The first phase of the PNR Clark Railway covers the 38-kilometer segment from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan.
During the groundbreaking ceremony held yesterday in Marilao, Bulacan for the Advance Contruction Mobilization for Phase 1 of the PNR Clark Railway, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said the government has decided to begin preconstruction works such as site clearing, realignment or relocation of utility lines, as well as acquisition of right of way to get the project moving. File photo by Philstar
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B JANUARY 10-12, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
Business news
PhilHealth hikes contribution rate by Sheila
CriSoStomo Philstar.com
STARTING this month, the premium contributions of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) employed members will be increased by 0.25 percent or 25 basis points (bps) to ensure the stability of the social insurance program, the country top health official said. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the move is intended to maintain the sustainability of PhilHealth, which gets P50 billion of the department’s P165 billion budget for 2018. The amount goes to some 40 million sponsored or indigent-members. Duque said the expansion of PhilHealth’s insurance benefit packages has shortened the life of its reserved funds from eight years to four years. “Premium contribution will increase by 0.25 percent effective Jan. 2018. This is very low considering that it’s been almost three decades since the contribution was increased and considering the many benefits that we have for members,” he noted in a forum at the Manila Hotel. The health chief added that with the adjustment, the “actuarial solvency” of PhilHealth will double from four years to 8.5
penciled in three hikes for 2018. Should market expectations catch up with the Fed, this could see the dollar weakness reverse,” it noted. Over the longer term, the Fitch unit expects the peso to continue to outperform the US dollar on account of a stronger economic growth outlook. This should lead to a higher fair value and allow the government to keep interest rates higher than that in the U.S., it added. BMI forecast real gross domestic product to expand by 6.3 percent over 2018 to 2019 on strong public investment drive, which will help address the country’s acute infrastructure deficit, and deepening economic cooperation with China and Japan that should be supportive of trade and investment. It pointed out that while economic growth over the coming quarters would likely moderate from the 6.7 percent estimate for 2017, this will nevertheless be
Cybercrime top threat to PH banks in 2018, says BSP by Daxim
l. luCaS
Inquirer.net
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. is considering adjusting premium contributions of members to ensure the sustainability and viability of the National Health Insurance Program. File photo by Philstar
years. Under PhilHealth Circular 2017-0024, the adjustment covers employees and employers in the government and private sectors, including kasambahays and sea-based overseas Filipino workers. It stated that the contribution rate shall be adjusted by 25 bps from the current 2.5 percent to 2.75 percent, applied straight to the monthly basic salary of em-
ployed members. The salary floor and the ceiling will be pegged at P10,000 and P40,000, respectively. The monthly contribution will still be equally shared by the employee and the employer. The premium contribution of kasambahays is solely shouldered by their employers, but those receiving a monthly salary of P5,000 or above, will have to pay their proportionate share. n
Peso likely to trade sideways...
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much stronger than U.S. average. “That said, we believe that the peso’s gain against the greenback in spot terms, albeit positive, is likely to be limited given that the currency’s real effective exchange rate (REER) is trading around its 10-year moving average, suggesting that the currency is fairly valued,” it continued. Accordingly, the research firm forecast the exchange rate to come in at P49.70:$1 at the end of 2018, slightly stronger than the end-2017 figure of P49.85:$1. It also expects domestic inflation to average 4 percent over the next two years compared to just 2.1 percent in the U.S. “The Philippines is experiencing a credit boom and this is likely to put upside pressure on core inflation over the coming quarters. This means that the peso would gradually lose external competitiveness if the currency did not depreciate,” BMI said It said policymakers were likely to intervene to temper peso
strength. The Fitch unit believes that risks to the local currency are tilted to the downside, noting that any signs of global credit stress could put the dollar on the front foot. “Indeed, the Philippines’ 5year credit default swap is trading at rock-bottom, suggesting that perceptions of a default risk are extremely low and should be viewed from a contrarian perspective,” it said. Moreover, BMI said that while the war against Islamic militants in Marawi City was over, risks of terror threats in the Southern Philippines remained salient. Lastly, President Rodrigo Duterte’s poor track record with human rights and relentless lambasting of the European Union and other western organizations had damaged the country’s international relations and could lead to a roll back of preferential trade arrangements like the GSP+, which could undermine the peso. n
CYBERSECURITY is one of the biggest threats that the Philippine banking system must confront this year as malicious hackers from here and overseas become more aggressive and attacks become more damaging, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said. To address this, local banks must allocate more resources to boost not only their technical capabilities, but also to ensure that they have the right technical people who can secure internal systems and reassure clients who are increasingly sensitive about the security of their transactions. “Cybersecurity is a big fear for everyone, BSP included,” BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said in an interview with the Inquirer. “I’ve been talking to other regulators about it, and it’s high on the agenda. The level of concern for cybersecurity is very high, but it’s hard to stop because it’s a technology play.” Regulators and industry leaders recently acknowledged the rising threat of cybercrime, whether perpetrated by nation states or individual hackers who do it for profit for merely as a hobby. According to Espenilla, a key element of improving the posture of the local financial system is changing the mindset of the local population regarding the
vulnerability of bank computers to hackers. In particular, he said both bankers and their clients must discard the mindset that the financial system is impenetrable to malicious elements. “We may have created a fortress, but the raiders do nothing but try to find cracks in that fortress, day in and day out,” he said. “They will be able to find vulnerabilities, one way or the other.” Given this, the central bank chief wants a paradigm shift among banking stakeholders from trying to stop hackers to focusing on making the system more robust to allow it to recover quickly in the event of a successful hack. “The talk now is no longer whether you can stop it,” Espenilla said. “The assumption now is that they will be able to penetrate your system. It’s just a question of when.” “The task is to create resilience: Surviving an attack and moving on,” he added. “You have to create a robust system
that can detect the compromised element, contain it, and then survive it and recover.” This policy shift is contained in a new central bank circular, released recently, that also shifted the burden of protecting banks against hackers from their technical personnel to the institutions’ directors. “The most important element in this new policy is this: We state that it’s the business or the board to make sure that the bank is ready to confront the threats. That’s where it starts,” the BSP chief said. “If it’s just the concern of the technologist, there’s no support, there’s no commitment and there’s no money. It’s not just a matter of buying the latest software. You have to prepare the whole organization.” He added that any given bank should make all its employees aware about cyberthreat issues, especially since hackers’ most frequent “points of entry” are personal and office e-mails and attachments. “Layered defenses are important for a bank,” Espenilla said. “You can be a hard target, but never assume that you are impenetrable. You have to assume that you will be penetrated, and once that happens, you should have the capability to detect, contain and to recover. That’s the mindset. Don’t feel complacent. Be paranoid.” n
Will the TRAIN law affect OFW...
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ing the transfer of money to the Philippines from 30 centavos to 60 centavos. The TRAIN act’s Section 57 amended Section 181 of the National Internal Revenue Code. But even before this tax rate adjustment was made, the BIR in 2012 issued Revenue Regulations No. 11-2012, which spells out that remittances of all OFWs are exempt from paying DST upon showing “valid proof of entitlement.” Such proofs include Overseas Employment Certificate, valid Overseas Workers Welfare Administration membership certificate, or electronic receipt issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. In addition to the original copy, a duplicate copy or certi-
Latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed both personal and cash remittances rose in the first 10 months of 2017 due to sustained demand for skilled Filipinos abroad. File photo by Philstar
fied true copy of the “valid proof of entitlement” must be secured by the OFW from the POEA or OWWA, and must be used by the recipient of remittances to avail the DST exemption. If the remittances were sent through a bank and withdrawn through an automatic teller machine, or sent through “non-bank money transfer agents,” the BIR
said it is the responsibility of the OFW to show the valid proof of entitlement when making arrangement for his/her remittance transfers. Latest data from the central bank showed both personal and cash remittances rose in the first 10 months of 2017 due to sustained demand for skilled Filipinos abroad. n
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BUSINESS NEWS
Client with nondischargeable judgment of $80K needs Chapter 13 relief THE client is 50 and operates a business. There is a state court judgment against him for $80K. Is this judgment dischargeable in bankruptcy? The answer is: If the judgment is for breach of contract only, the $80,000 is dischargeable. If the judgment is affirmative for FRAUD, then the $80,000 fraud judgment is not dischargeable. In this case, client accepted $80,000 in cash, which was wired to him by the plaintiff. The deal was that client would use the $80,000 to buy a brand new Tesla and ship the car to plaintiff’s country. Plaintiff was a foreigner who did not live here. In his defense in state court, the client said that the plaintiff owed him commissions for previous transactions. However, at the state court trial, the client failed to offer sufficient evidence that the plaintiff owed him anything. The client never bought the Tesla so the plaintiff wants his $80,000 back and sued the client for breach of contract and fraud. Well obviously, there’s something amiss when one receives $80,000 in cash to buy a car but doesn’t buy the car despite representing to the guy who gave him the money that he was
Debt Relief
ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG
going to use the money to buy him a brand new shiny Tesla. I mean, the client should have sold him the London Bridge and the bridge to Alaska too for a little bit more of cash, right? When you give somebody $80,000 to buy a car that you could have bought yourself, that says something about yourself right? So, the State court judgment found that client defrauded plaintiff of his $80,000 since he misrepresented to the plaintiff that he was going to buy the Tesla but never did. If there is a fraud judgment, that judgment is not dischargeable. Otherwise, people would be able to perpetrate a fraud on others to get their money then, discharge their liability for stealing the money in bankruptcy. Even our beloved POTUS, Mr. Trump, would agree that money fraudulently obtained should not be dischargeable in bankruptcy even if it were fake
news resulting from Russian collusion that never happened. Since the judgment is not dischargeable, the client cannot get Chapter 7 relief. The only thing that the client can do is file for Chapter 13 so he can pay off the $80,000 over five years without interest. Chapter 13 will protect client’s house from judgment creditor’s forced sale of his house to satisfy the judgment. The Chapter 13 will require a plan payment of $1,400 more or less monthly, and after 60 months, the judgment would be fully paid off. This is a lot better than having the judgment accrue legal interest of 10 percent a year, that would make the $80,000 double in about six or seven years since the interest is compounded. If you need debt relief, set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.
Can the family court deny a custodial mom’s enforcement of a child support order against dad? In this case, grandparents were actually taking care of child
IN the case of In re Marriage of Wilson, the Mother was attempting to enforce child support arrears against the Father for the period in which the child was not living with the Mother but instead was living with the Grandparents. The Father filed a request for an order in court, seeking a stay of enforcement of the child support arrears on the ground he had overpaid Mother; equitable set-aside of the child support arrearages on the ground Minor had lived with Grandparents since she was two years old; credit for child support charged during the time Minor lived with Grandparents; and set-aside of interest on arrearages. In re Marriage of Wilson, 4 Cal . App. 5th 1011, 1014, 208 Cal . Rptr. 3d 779, 780, 2016 Cal . App. LEXIS 910, *3-4. The trial court denied Father’s request because Father did not support child in his home. In appeal, the appellate court held that a family court had to consider whether it would be inequitable to allow a minor’s mother to enforce some or all of the child support arrears incurred during a certain period the minor lived with her paternal grandparents during that period and that her father had contributed to her support by providing money to the grandparents, and there was no evidence in the record that, during the period at issue, the mother provided any support for the minor.In re Marriage of Wilson, 4 Cal . App. 5th 1011, 1011, 208 Cal . Rptr. 3d 779, 779, 2016 Cal . App. LEXIS 910, *1 Fam. Code, § 3651, provides that, with certain exceptions, a support order may not be modified or terminated as to an amount that accrued before the date of the filing of the notice of motion or order to show cause to modify or terminate. However, it is within the court’s equitable power to deny enforcement of the arrears on equitable grounds under cer-
What’s New ARLENE AL-OS, CPA, MBA AMOUNTS for tax returns in 2017 are compared with amounts in 2016. Exemption credits: a. $114 from $111 - Single, Married filing separately, Head of Household. b. $228 from $222 - Married filing jointly. c. $353 from $344 - Dependent. d. $114 from $111 - Age 65 or older. You are considered to be 65 at the end of 2017 if you turn 65 in January 1, 2018 Exemption credits are phased out by $6 or $12 for each $1,250 or $2,500 that federal AGI exceeds certain amounts over $187,203 from $182.459. Itemized deductions are also phased out if federal AGI exceeds certain amounts over $187,203 from $182.459. Standard deductions: a. $4,236 from $4,129 - Single and filing married filing separate. b. $8,472 from $8,258 - Married filing joint, head of household, surviving spouse. c. $1,050 from $1,050 - Mini-
Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES tain circumstances. However, it is within the court’s equitable power to deny enforcement of the arrears on equitable grounds under certain circumstances. (Jackson v. Jackson (1975) 51 Cal.App.3d 363, 366–367 [124 Cal. Rptr. 101] (Jackson).)In re Marriage of Wilson, 4 Cal . App. 5th 1011, 1016, 208 Cal . Rptr. 3d 779, 782, 2016 Cal . App. LEXIS 910, *8 The appellate court found merit, in the peculiar circumstances of the case, in the father’s position that the trial court’s discretion to deny enforcement of a support order is not limited to circumstances in which the obligor parent cares for a child in his or her own home, but is broad enough to embrace a situation in which neither parent is raising the child at home. The record did not foreclose a conclusion that the father’s obligation to support the minor during the relevant period was discharged, in whole or in part, through the grandparents’ care of the minor on his behalf and through the payments he made to them during the period for which the mother sought arrears. Moreover, there was no evidence in the record that, during the periods at issue, when the minor lived with the grandparents, the mother provided any support for the minor. If the mother was seeking child support arrears for times that she neither cared for the minor nor provided for her financially, enforcement of the arrears might well be nothing more than a windfall to the mother, bearing no relation to any support or care the minor actually received dur-
ing her childhood. In re Marriage of Wilson, 4 Cal . App. 5th 1011, 1011, 208 Cal . Rptr. 3d 779, 779, 2016 Cal . App. LEXIS 910, *1 The appellate court agreed with father’s contention that the family court’s discretion to deny enforcement of a support order is not limited to circumstances in which the obligor parent cares for a child in his or her own home, but is broad enough to embrace a situation in which neither parent is raising the child at home. In re Marriage of Wilson, 4 Cal . App. 5th 1011, 1011, 208 Cal . Rptr. 3d 779, 779, 2016 Cal . App. LEXIS 910, *1. The bottom line, parents that owe substantial arrears in child support may have a defense against enforcement under In re Marriage of Wilson if the child was not actually living with the custodial parent but was instead living with the Grandparent and where the non-custodial parent is actually paying the Grandparent for the support of the child. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is n ot a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 3881611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
California tax rates and exemptions for 2017 tax returns
mum standard deduction for dependents. Non-refundable renter’s credit: a. $60 - Single or married filing separate with California AGI of $40,078 or less from $39,062 or less. b. $120 - Married filing joint, head of household, or surviving spouse with California AGI of $80,156 from $78,125 or less. Individual tax rates: a. 12.30% - Maximum rate for regular income tax. b. 7.00% - Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). c. 1.00% - The Mental Health Services Tax Rate for taxable income in excess of $1,000,000. Corporate tax rates: a. 8.84% - Income tax rate for regular C corporations. b. 1.50% Income tax rate for S corporations. c. 6.65% - AMT rate for regular C corporations. AMT exemptions: a. $45,895 from $44,732- Married filing separate, estates, and trusts. b. $68,846 from $67,101 - Single and head of household. c. $91,793 from $89,467 Married filing joint, surviving
spouse. FTB (Franchise Tax Board) recovery fees: a. $81 - Personal income tax filing enforcement fee. b. $266 - Personal income tax collection fee. c. $100 - Corporation filing enforcement fee. d. $365 - Corporation collection fee. Miscellaneous credits a. 2% of California taxable income or maximum credit of $1,380 - Qualified senior head of household credit. b. 30% of net tax or maximum credit of 451- Joint custody head of household credit/dependent parent credit. *** Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication is neither intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. *** Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies.
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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 10-12, 2018
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA FOR good or ill, advances in communication technology have reshaped our lives drastically far more than we can imagine a decade or so ago. We email, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Instagram and think nothing of it. We write comments and post photos and videos for our friends, friends of friends or for all the world to see. Posts can go viral, depending on the public’s whim or appetite for cute things or those with shock value. If we don’t watch it, we could be buried in this avalanche of information, sights and sounds available electronically right at
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Think before you post (Part 1 of 2)
“Social media should improve your life, NOT become your life!” our fingertips 24/7. It is an amaz- – Patrick Driessen ing phenomenon defying space and time constraints, the cumulative, social effects of which, we still have to evaluate in hindsight. A few words to the wise: PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Much of cyberbia is uncharted territory. It’s a jungle out there. Corporations who trade in bits and bytes milk the web for information that can advance their corporate goals, that is to say, their profit and loss statements. Scammers of every nationality and persuasion holed out in their rooms or in cyber cafes are out in full force still making fools of
Calendar of Events across
the greedy lot who still believe in something for nothing. Identity thieves troll social network sites to get information about birthdays, addresses and such relevant information from which they can put together and extrapolate your SSN and assume your identity. That number is a key that can open financial doors for the ill intentioned. Consider yourself warned. So much is already out there in the public records and on Google and Google Maps complete with street views. You can view mug
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America
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Feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague celebration in Los Angeles The Feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Friday, January 12 at 7 p.m. The history of the Infant Jesus of Prague started in the 17th century when a statue of the Infant Jesus was brought into Bohemia (now Czech Republic) and eventually was given to the Discalced Carmelites in Prague. Since then, the statue has remained in Prague and has drawn many devotees worldwide to go and honor the Holy Child. Many graces, blessings, favors and miraculous healings have been received by many who petitioned before the Infant Jesus. You are invited to a Special Mass Celebration of the Feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels with Bishop Joseph V. Brennan as main celebrant. The special celebration features the relic of the holy robes that the Infant Jesus wears at the shrine in Prague, Czech Republic and it is brought to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for the third time by the Holy Trinity Ministry. Now that the Divine Child of Prague comes to touch our hearts, participants have the unique and holy opportunity to touch his holy robe. Bring your Infant Jesus Statue to touch the Holy Robe of the Infant Jesus of Prague.
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Dinner for GK e-Rotary Club for PH incoming governors in Westminster, CA The 6-year-old GK e-Rotary Club will be hosting a dinner for two incoming Rotary District Governors from the Philippines — Gov. Mar Reyes from QC D3780 and Gov. Nisce from La Union D3790 — on Saturday, January 20, at the new Luxe Buffet Restaurant at 2008 Westminster Mall, Westminster, California (restaurant is in the 2nd floor of the mall, along Bolsa Ave. at Godldenwest, just off the 405 freeway). Invited guests include Consul General Adelio Cruz, presidents and officers of several Filipino-American organizations, like the Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce of OC, the PressClub of California, the Phil American Society of CPAs, Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA, the Historic Filipino Town Rotary Club and many others. Please come and witness the launching of our first GK e-Rotary Annual Fil-Am and their Friends Young Professionals Ambassador Tour to the Philippines in July, that will also a part of the official Phil Government Ambassador Tour that is being done annually for many years now. For more information, please contact the Project Chair, Jhenny Evans at (714) 5986446, or e-mail at jhenny_evans@yahoo.com; or Ernie Delfin at (714) 746 3088 or e-mail him at ernie.gkerc@gmail.com.
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31st anniversary of the Feast of Santo Niño in Los Angeles Santo Niño Cruzada USA, with the participations of the Filipino Catholics Choir of St. Paul the Apostle Church, The Saint Junipero Serra Province Knights of Columbus and The Southern California Sinulog Dance Co., is inviting everyone to attend the holy mass of its 31st year anniversary celebration of the Feast of Santo Niño, the Divine Infant Jesus, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, on Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 3:30pm. The main celebrant is Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik to be concelebrated by various priests from different parishes. We also offer this mass to honor the late Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who returned to our Creator on October 18, 2017 in Cebu, Philippines. The Santo Niño image that we use to celebrate the annual feast was given by Cardinal Vidal to Los Angeles Archbishop Emeritus Roger Cardinal Mahony and Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik several years ago. For more information, please contact any of the following officers and members: Romy and Tess Esturas (213) 387-6982; Tess and Rey Edpao (818) 469-7292; Carmen Estrada (213) 413-2881; Fe Montano (323) 218-1587; Ester Paredes (213) 864-1149; Lilia Figuracion (626) 394-2661; Fe Reyes (213) 413-5286; Cherry Guerrero (323) 747-6508; Cherry Nicodemus (323) 304-6195; Vicky Samia (818) 851-2262; Tessie Cruz (213) 361-0937; Purita Prather (626) 798-4674; Lourdes Cronin (310) 880-6069; Maria Oclarino (213) 427-0353; Jun Panlaqui (213) 413-2881; Flora Ferrer (323) 556-4855.
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Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA There will be an immigration forum on Thursday, January 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801). RSVP is a MUST to attend. No registration fee required. Please contact (714) 657-7460 or admin@globallawcenters.com. The immigration forum is about employment-based immigration information regarding FAST TRACK Work Visas ( H-1B1, TN, E-3), green card by marriage, family-based immigration employment sponsorship for green card and work visas after graduation. Candidates with H-1B, TN, F-1, OPT & other visas issues are encouraged to attend for a FREE immigration consultation & immigration assistance. As you have already seen there are many changes happening in the field of immigration with regards to the new executive administration and their agenda. Global Law Centers strives to inform the immigrant community of its rights and make sure it is knowledgeable about what immigration processes might be available. The forum will also update everyone about new and recent changes which may affect immigrants and their families.
Asian American Professional Association intro session in Rosemead, CA Join the Asian American Professional Association (AAPA) introductory session on Thursday, January 25! Hear from Paul Park, Founder and CEO at American Dream Builders Now Inc. As a “Gold Miner” Paul’s mission is to search and help develop hidden potential, inspire, and motivate others to dream big. He believes “If you can dream it, you can do it. Build your dream and it will build you.” During the second half meet and interact with AAPA Mentors! Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., with the program from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will be at Southern California Edison, GO-1 Employee Lounge at 2244 Walnut Grove Ave., Rosemead, CA. It is free and open to all professionals. To RSVP, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ aapa-introductory-session-tickets-40791228663.
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Annual dinner/dance at St. Finbar School in Burbank, California You are invited to the annual dinner/dance at the Albert Hall of St. Finbar School (2120 W. Olive Ave Burbank, CA 91506) on Saturday, February 10 from 6:30 to 11:00 p.m. For tickets, please call: Marian Nobleza at (818) 562-6819.
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
B4 JANUARY 10-12, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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People and Events Business tax reform, streamlining Free rainwater harvesting class and rain barrel sale development and accelerating transportation projects lead VICA’s 2018 legislative priorities in City of Alhambra
GET free rain barrels! The City of Alhambra is teaming up with Rain Barrels Intl. to provide a FREE Rainwater Harvesting Class and Rain Barrel Truckload Sale on Saturday, January 20. The rain barrels cost is $65.00 per barrel + tax and all residents qualify for a rebate of the full price, excluding tax. The class will cover water conservation techniques with the use of rain barrels, installation guide-
lines, and rebateinformation. Rain barrels capture water from a roof and hold it for later use such as on lawns, gardens or indoor plants. Collecting roof runoff in rain barrels reduces the amount of water that flows from your property. It’s a great way to conserve water and it’s free water for use in your landscape. Sign up today by visiting the Rain Barrels Intl. website at www.rainbarrelsintl.com/events-order. ■
VAN NUYS, Calif. – The Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) has released its 2018 Legislative Priorities, the top ten local and state policy issues that will shape VICA’s advocacy efforts this year. VICA’s 2018 Legislative Priorities come from a broader list formed by the group’s policy committees, which was reviewed by the board of directors and voted on by VICA general membership. “The cost of doing business in Los Angeles has become incredibly expensive, and the regulatory environment has become extremely onerous,” said VICA President Stuart Waldman. “These 10 priorities reflect our committment to advocating for policies that will improve the business climate in the San Fernando Valley and produce more jobs for the region.” ■
In 2018, VICA will: 1. Push to reform and streamline the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 2. Lead the effort for business tax reform in the City of Los Angeles, including implementation of the Business Tax Advisory Council’s recommended plan to halve rates within five years and eliminate onerous tax altogether within 15 years. 3. Work to support acceleration of all Measure M-funded Transportation Metro projects. 4. Work to ensure the Los Angeles Community Plan and General Plan Update positively impact the San Fernando Valley and includes plans for the development of more housing. 5. Work to ensure legislators keep the promise of SB 1 and only use new funds for road maintenance, infrastructure improvement and transportation
projects. 6. Will call for reinstatement of the flexible work week that allows individual employees to request deviation from the eighthour, five-day state mandate. 7. Will support education initiatives that create experiential career learning opportunities. 8. Will work to increase existing and identify new funding sources for clean air programs that protect health while supporting business growth, including incentive programs that support AQMD’s 2016 Air Quality Management Plan. 9. Will encourage the allocation of additional staffing for the Los Angeles City Planning Department to expedite the review and permitting processes developers face. 10. Will work to ensure the state definition of ‘High Quality Transit’ is sensitive to Los Ange-
les and the San Fernando Valley, and reevaluated to include Metro’s Orange Line. The mission of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) is to enhance the economic vitality of the greater San Fernando Valley region by advocating for a better business climate and quality of life. Visit www.vica.com for more information. ■
B JANUARY 10-12, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
City of Alhambra finds success at HOME Introducing the City of Alhambra’s Homeless Outreach Mental Evaluation (HOME) Team
A YEAR ago, City of Alhambra staff made a phone call to Union Station Homeless Services, a nonprofit headquartered in Pasadena, asking one question, “How can we help our homeless community?” With the support of now retired City Manager Mark Yokoyama, Jessica Binnquist, who was then Deputy City Manager, wanted to find a more collaborative and direct approach in providing assistance to a growing homeless population in the city. Armed with a City Councilapproved contract with Union Station Homeless Services that would provide dedicated shelter space, street outreach and case management to those experiencing homelessness, the City Manager’s Office started to slowly pull together what would be the eventual Homeless Outreach Mental Evaluation (HOME) Team. “We needed to do something that was huge in order to help the population we saw rising,” said Binnquist, who is now Alhambra’s newly appointed City Manager. “When this all started, it was a shot in the dark, but the City Council approved it and we all just went for it.” Over the last year, the HOME Team has become an inspirational group comprised of city officials, Alhambra Police, Fire, and Code Enforcement departments, the Alhambra School District, Union Station Homeless Services and community nonprofits including Kingdom Causes and the YMCA of West San Gabriel. The HOME Team also receives support from Los Angeles County, including regional assistance from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority; and the Police Department is assigned a clinician from the Department of Mental Health to assist with the homeless population or people experiencing a mental healthcare crisis. “In the last year, we have made more contact with more
people and we find they are opening up to us,” said Sergeant Joe Mallette Alhambra Police Department. “I think as police officers, sometimes people think we are hardnosed. But now we ask questions like, ‘Hey, why are you here, how can I help you?’ It has made a difference.” Amber Follett, a housing navigator for Union Station, was assigned to focus on Alhambra’s homeless population a year ago. She is often on the road taking clients to medical appointments, visiting the Social Security Office or getting them to the overnight shelter. But her work always starts with direct street outreach – talking to homeless individuals in Alhambra, hoping to find out what she can do to help those in need, but struggle to ask for assistance. She believes the success of the HOME team has a lot to do with their ability to earn the trust of the homeless population. “It works so well because it is so focused and local. It’s a community and within that community we now have different agencies working together to get people the help they need,” said Follett, who is also an Alhambra resident. “The funding the city is providing, allows us to have outreach tools when we need them immediately. As an Alhambra resident myself, it has been very inspiring to be a part of this.” In the last year, Follett, along with the HOME Team, have helped to place individuals in permanent housing, obtain food vouchers, find people space in the homeless shelter or just get them a shower at the YMCA located in Alhambra. While Union Station focuses on individuals, the Alhambra School District works with families and students that do not have access to adequate shelter by helping them enroll in school and providing immunizations and transportation. The school district’s HOPE program has
DOTr starts first phase... PAGE B1 t
rounding of Metro Manila, parThe Tutuban to Malolos seg- ticularly in the North. He said the project would enment will have 10 stations and is expected to serve 340,000 pas- hance mobility of Filipinos and encourage new investments into sengers daily. Once the project is completed, the country. “We are confident that NSCR commuters from Tutuban are expected to reach Malolos in 35 project delivers speedy, safer and more comfortable journeys minutes. Japan International Coopera- to many people,” he said. The Tutuban to Malolos segtion Agency representative Susumo Ito said in the same event the ment is targeted to be partially project would be a major game completed by 2020 and fully opchanger in terms of opening op- erational by 2021. (With Ramon portunities in the economies sur- Lazaro) n
Napocor completes P275-M... PAGE B1 t
and increased rehab cost,” Napocor President and Chief Executive Officer Pio Benavidez said. The San Roque Multi-purpose Project was constructed in 1995 under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) program, which was designed to aid the country in terms of power generation, irrigation, flood control, and water quality improvement. Under the implementing rules and regulations of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), Napocor and PSALM shall remain responsible for the dam structure and all
other structures necessary for its reliable operation. Furthermore, the two state-run entities have an operation and maintenance agreement with private operators of the power plants to cover the dam structures. Napocor is commissioned by the law to provide generation and associated power delivery systems in missionary areas or islands and communities that are connected to the main transmission grid, among others. It operates 275 power facilities in 190 municipalities across 34 provinces in the archipelago. n
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shots of those with arrest records and for a few bucks more, cull out the details. I am guessing that in the future, when it finally dawns on us that OBSCURITY is a blessing and CELEBRITY, a curse, there will be a market for Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloaks to shield us from all this unwanted intrusion into our private lives. We are all vulnerable to determined privacy intruders. Tweak or fine-tune your privacy settings to limit your exposure. Refrain from signaling your intention when going on vacation so thieves don’t ransack your home. Alas and alack! The world may have become your stage but not everyone is rootin’ for you. The rules for social networking are still being drawn but a few, yet-to-be-written guidelines have congealed just in the last few years and have become quite apparent and definitely bears repeating and amplifying. Do take heed. Your postings at all social networking sites define who you are and delineate your character to the world. Your thoughts, your ideas and comments, your images, even your choice of words give an insight to your personality and character traits. They
reflect your values, give a hint of your weaknesses and vulnerabilities and can be a measure of the size of your ego. Taken altogether, they paint a composite picture of you, either flattering or not. Even the amount of time you spend on online games is a sliver of insight into your interests and how you spend your free time. It may be indicative of whether you are near the brink of obsessive-compulsive behavior or a candidate for the nuthouse. Unfair? Of course it is. It is a flat and one-dimensional picture of who you are. You are a far more complex person than what your Facebook and Twitter postings give you credit for. But based on available information that you yourself provided, that’s how you want the people that orbit in your universe see you. Take heed from a phrase that police officers read to suspects, “ … Anything you say (and in social networking, what you post) can and will be taken against you…” (To be continued…) *** 4Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com
operated on its own for three years, but joined the HOME team in early 2017, which has been a wonderful way to increase outreach to their families, according to Dr. Laurel Bear, Assistant Superintendent at Alhambra School District. “Joining forces with the city and police department shows that we are working with local partners and it’s very genuine,” stated Bear. “I think that’s the biggest difference with this … it has really instilled compassion and care because with those two things there’s no limitations.” Since the inception of the HOME Team, eight people have been placed in permanent housing, 23 were moved to emergency housing and over 55 people have received assistance in obtaining necessary government documentation, linkage to benefits, medical and mental health clinics, and housing resources. As of December, four San Gabriel Valley municipalities have contacted either Alhambra Police Department or Union Station seeking information to replicate or create a similar communitycollaborative model. If you are interested in volunteering on homelessness issues in Alhambra, sign-up to participate in 2018 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count on January 23 at http://www.theycountwillyou. org/alhambra18 and follow the City on social media for additional upcoming opportunities. n
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797
Feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague at the Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels on Jan. 12
THE history of the Infant Jesus of Prague started in the 17th century when a statue of the Infant Jesus was brought into Bohemia (now Czech Republic) and eventually was given to the Discalced Carmelites in Prague. Since then, the statue has remained in Prague and has drawn many devotees worldwide to go and honor the Holy Child. Many graces, blessings, favors and miraculous healings have been received by many who petitioned before the Infant Jesus. You are invited to a Special Mass Celebration of the Feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Friday,
January 12, 2018 at 7 p.m. with Bishop Joseph V. Brennan as main celebrant. The special celebration features the relic of the holy robes that the Infant Jesus wears at the shrine in Prague, Czech Republic and it is brought to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for the third time by the Holy Trinity Ministry. Now that the Divine Child of Prague comes to touch our hearts, we have the unique and holy opportunity to touch his holy robe and we too, will be healed. Bring your Infant Jesus Statue to touch the Holy Robe of the Infant Jesus of Prague. n
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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 10-12, 2018
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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 10, 2018
Filipino culture, talent on display at LA Clippers Filipino Heritage Night
I
by
Christina M. Oriel / AJPress
t’s no secret that Filipinos revel in the game of basketball — from the sport becoming a center topic of discussion at family get-togethers to multi-generations gathering around the living room on a game night.
The support for the game was no different this week, as the heavy downpour in Los Angeles wasn’t enough to deter many of them from arriving in droves to the Staples Center for the Los Angeles Clippers game versus the Atlanta Hawks. On Monday, January 8, the Clippers held the annual Filipino Heritage Night, as they have been for the past nine seasons since 2009. During the event in 2016, Raymond Townsend — the first Fil-Am player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) — was honored by the team and met with Fil-Am fans in the audience. This year’s celebration went beyond simply handing out commemoration memorabilia, as the entire night was specifically programmed to honor Fil-Am fans, from pre- and postgame activities and the halftime show. “The Clippers have an
Apl.de.ap
incredibly diverse fan base, and we work hard to build authentic connections with our fans and the broader L.A. community through events like [Monday’s] Filipino Heritage Night. We continually strive to give our fans a fun, exciting, and highly engaging experience at each game,” Matt Paye, the Clippers’ vice president of marketing, told the Asian Journal. Roslynn Cobarrubias, co-founder of global talent discovery platform & creative network Mydiveo and one of the organizers for Monday’s Filipino Heritage Night, told the Asian Journal that the program was orchestrated “with different elements” to highlight the FilAm community in Los Angeles. “Generationally, we all grew up in a household where basketball was big and always playing on the television. Just historically, Filipinos are very talented at basketball — many of us may not be the right size but
we are very big fans of it, and have always watched games in person or on television and have bought a lot of merchandise,” she said. The game against the Atlanta Hawks kicked off with R&B singer Jessica Reynoso, whom Apl.de.Ap discovered through “The Voice Philippines,” singing the National Anthem. During half-time, Apl.de.Ap energized the crowd with his performance of “Bebot” and “I Gotta Feelin’” with Reynoso. Apl.de.Ap told the Asian Journal that the night was a “proud moment to celebrate our Filipino culture in an American setting.” “Filipinos are all over the industry but we don’t get to shine or we are quiet and like to be in the background. But today, we got to express ourselves, be loud, and show our culture,” he said. Eighteen-year-old Filipina Kyla Fajardo-Santos — the
Clippers Spirit Dance Team member Kyla Fajardo-Santos
youngest member of the Clippers Spirit Dance Team — got to dance alongside Apl.de.Ap during his set. “The thing with being a dancer, it’s not really work for me. I love my job because I get to dance every single night,” she told the Asian Journal. “I’ve gotten to dance with artists like tonight with Apl. This is one step closer to my dream.” A portion of the night’s ticket proceeds benefitted the Apl. de.Ap Foundation, which helps students in the Philippines by building classrooms and computer labs. Currently the foundation has built 34 classrooms and plans to create more with the help of the night’s funds. “We worked closely with Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas to create a unique and authentic game experience for Filipino Heritage Night and to give back to the community, with partial proceeds from Filipino Heritage Night ticket sales going to the Apl.de.ap Foundation. The event was a win for both the Clippers and L.A.’s Filipino community,” Paye added. Further showcasing Filipinos’ love for basketball, after the main Clippers game (wherein they narrowly won 108-107), a special match between two teams — led by Apl.de.ap and DJ E-Man of radio station Power 106 — was held featuring FilAm celebrities and influencers in various industries from entertainment to fashion. “We wanted to give something back to the people who purchased tickets that they wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere, and that was the post-game with Filipino influencers alongside some fans who wanted the opportunity to play with the stars on either Team Apl or Team DJ E-Man,” Cobarrubias said. She remarked that the night’s festivities were successful in part by DJ E-Man, who was a “perfect fit to work together.” “[A]s the music director of Power 106, he produces a weekly celebrity basketball games for high schools across LA and a big yearly one for charity at USC,” she said. Those on the court included actors Dante and Dion Basco, choreographer Brian Puspos, and rapper P-Lo. Kobe Paras was also present at the game, serving as assistant coach to Apl’s team. Both teams were
Fil-Am influencers from entertainment to fashion entertained select fans with a game of basketball.
The Los Angeles Clippers celebrated Filipino Heritage Night on Monday, January 8 during their home game versus Atlanta Hawks. AJPress photos by Noel Ty
outfitted in custom jerseys, representing Clippers’ colors and the Philippine flag, made by Filipino brand New Jersey Sets. Fil-Am radio personality Manny Streetz Guevara said he attended Filipino Heritage Night and participated in the celebrity game as a way to give back “to our heritage and how we grew up.” “Basketball is a great connector in our community. Filipinos play basketball at some point in their lives,” he told the Asian Journal. “It was so fun to be alongside people I grew up watching on TV or singing to their music. I finally got to meet them and play with them.” Coinciding with Filipino Heritage Night, the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) also had a presence at the Staples Center on Monday, inviting people — Fil-Am or not — back to the Philippines. This is part of the department’s partnership with the Clippers to feature the country in the team’s home games this year. “Among the several scheduled games lined-up in 2019, we specifically requested that we must be part of the Filipino Heritage Night to show our support to the Filipino-American community’s efforts in promoting Philippine pride and fostering solidarity among Filipinos in the community,” DOT-Los Angeles attaché Richmond Jimenez told the Asian Journal.
“Basketball is the Philippines’ number one sport and is a game watched by many even far ahead of boxing and beauty pageants. This game attracts viewers across demographics, thus PDOT-LA [found] it a fitting venue and platform to promote the Philippines and attract funloving people to come to our country.” Basketball teams, such as the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets, also have their own versions of nights to recognize their Fil-Am fans. Other sports teams like baseball, from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the San Francisco Giants, do annual celebrations as well. “When Filipinos are together, we’re able to show the strength our community and be a voice so that these large mainstream corporations understand the power of the Filipino dollar. Just having us incorporated on a large scale, whether it’s heritage night, an artist on television or an actor or politician, is huge. With the taboo and the crab mentality in our community, we don’t really rally to support one another but it shows at sporting events that we can and we do,” Cobarrubias said. “It’s bigger than just going to a Clippers and Hawks game. It’s actually showing our buying power and our community, bringing a voice and family together, and doing something fun so we can then support each other in other areas.”
Apl.de.ap with Jessica Reynoso
Kobe Paras
Filipino Pixar animator Gini Cruz Santos wins 2018 Golden Globe for Best Animation Motion Picture by Maridol
ranoa-BisMark Philstar.com
As part of those who created one of Pixar’s latest films, “Coco,” Filipino Pixar supervising animator Gini Cruz santos is also co-recipient of the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Animation Motion Picture that went to “Coco.” “Coco” is the first Pixar film centered on a Mexican cultural festival. It bested other animated films in the Golden Globes, namely, “The Boss Baby,” “Ferdinand,” “Loving Vincent,” and “The Breadwinner.” In a previous interview with The Star, santos said it took them about six years to create “Coco” as they have to travel back and forth to Mexico to for intensive research. “The Mexican culture, they kind of share our dynamic a little bit as family. For me, I was excited because I felt like all our research in the dynamic of our acting and just kind of a how the Mexican family relates to each other feels Filipino,” santos told a group of journalists during the roundtable interview last year in Manila. A native of Pasay City and a graduate of the University of santo Tomas in Manila, santos is also among those behind Disney’s “Brave” and Dory in “Finding Nemo.” Pinoy pride at the Golden Globes Besides santos, FilipinoAmerican composer Robert Lopez and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, were also nominated in the 2018 Golden Globes for their composition, “Remember Me,” “Coco’s” theme song. “Remember Me,” which Anderson-Lopez describes as a “message of goodbye,” was nominated for Best Original song. In 2014, the couple won the
san diego Inquirer.net
Jr.
CURRENTLY in development is an all-star, Filipino movie inspired by the Hollywood franchise, “Ocean’s Eleven.” Actor Albert Martinez is cooking up the action movie that will have Cagayan de Oro and Moscow, Russia, as primary locations. Albert told the Inquirer that he envisions the planned film as a “reunion” for the brightest teen stars of the 1980s, who will be joined by today’s hottest actors. “It’s like 1980s Brat Pack meets Millennial stars.” Albert admitted that the movie is “a monumental task. It’s not easy to put together this huge cast in one project.” Apart from Albert, Gabby Concepcion, Richard Gomez, William Martinez and Aga Muhlach are also in the ensemble. The lone rose among the thorns is Megastar sharon Cuneta. Early reports noted that some of the stars had already given the concept the thumbs-up and expressed interest in topbilling the project. Meetings have been scheduled, along with a story conference and a look test. Then, the production hit a few snags on the road. Albert had also eyed friends Cesar Montano and Robin Padilla, but they purportedly “begged off.” There were also reports that Coco Martin, Arjo Atayde and Piolo Pascual have likewise been considered to represent today’s generation of stars. so far, only Paulo Avelino had signified interest in the project. This early, there have been all sorts of speculations about the “intriguing” reasons behind the delays. Read: Billing issues have been raised in the tabs. That some stars are squabbling about who should go first in the credits. Albert categorically denied the rumors: “It’s totally untrue. It’s the script that’s holding it down. We want to make sure that each actor in the film would have equal screen impact.” At press time, Albert related that the project is still in the development stage. Albert is now planning to present it to two production companies. “I will line produce it for them.” He has also teamed up with Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez, among other partners. Nevertheless, Albert, who
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 10, 2018
James Reid, Nadine Lustre spark a love revolution by Jerry
donato Philstar.com
JAMEs Reid and reel-real life partner Nadine Lustre will stage a concert, not a coup d’etat, come Feb. 9 at the smartAraneta Coliseum. Perhaps a pre-Valentine’s musical treat to fans, “Revolution: The JaDine Concert” is not making any reference to some grand ideological narrative, but remains true to the word change — and love (check out the playbill and read the four red letters, E-V-O-L, Filipino animator Gini Cruz Santos is a co-recipient of the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Animation Mobackward). tion Picture for “Coco”. Philstar.com photos “Revolution,” replied James, Star’s Ricky Lo, Josie said it Best Original song award for the other half of JaDine, when helps a lot that her Filipino their hit composition “Let it asked about the right way to ancestors taught her to value Go,” from the acclaimed 2013 read the show’s title with the the family, because this has animated film “Frozen.” hashtag #loverulesjadine, in a become her wellspring of Apart from Lopez and sanbrief one-on-one. “But when I (emotional) support. tos, among the latest Filipinos read it, I think, love revolution.” Twenty one year old Fil-Am to make it to the list of Golden Although love could be a singer-actress Hailee steinfeld, recurring theme if one compares Globe winners is animation meanwhile, was nominated for their previous concert “JaDine writer Ronnie del Carmen, Best Performance in a Motion whose work in Pixar’s “Inside In Love”, where James conPicture - Musical or Comedy Out” bore fruit when the fessed his love to Nadine, to the for the film “The Edge of sevmotion picture won the Best present concert, Revolution has enteen” at the 2017 Golden Animated Film Feature award its own agenda for everyone to Globes. in 2016. witness. steinfeld is one-eighth FiliThe Cavite-born Del Car“We are just showcasing pina. Her maternal grandfather our music here, not so much men co-directed “Inside Out,” was half Filipino and half Afriand was one of its writers. He based on our teleserye, ‘coz can-American. steinfeld also worked on the set of Francis last time, it was heavily based stands out in the music scene, Ford Coppola’s film “Apocaon the theme of ‘OTWOL (On where her single, “starving,” lypse Now” before getting his the Wings of Love)’, ‘Till I Met Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at placed 12th at the Billboard You,’” he shared. “This one is Hot 100 chart. Another song, the University of santo Tomas. just original music but the mes“Let Me Go,” reached number sage behind everything really Another Golden Globes 21 on the Mainstream Top 40 winner with a Filipino as drivis revolution, a change to go, chart in the U.s. ing force is the hit Disney film from we wanted to stop with all The annual Golden Globes “Zootopia,” which was dethe bashing and the hatred. We is yet another proof that clared Best Animated Feature really want to spread love, a new Filipinos can stand head and at the 2017 Golden Globes. age of love.” shoulders above other filmJosie Trinidad, co-head “Revolution” is a celebration makers from around the word. of “Zootopia,” is a second of love through music or music Filipinos may not have the First with love. The love affair of generation Fil-Am. Her mom World technology of their Hol- James with music came to pubwas born and raised in Canlulywood, European and Japabang, Laguna; her dad in san lic when he collaborated with nese counterparts. But they Juan, Manila. Josie’s maternal fellow “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB): more than make up for this lack Teen Clash” housemate Bret grandparents hail from Ilocos, of resources with their talent san Juan and La Union. Jackson on “We Are Whatever”. and knack for making do. In an interview with The As a solo artist, he ventured out with a self-titled album and “Reid Alert”, an Original Pilipino Music album with touches of pop and R&B. Now, he has “Palm Dreams” as his third studio album. “I think ‘Palm Dreams’ is still very pop, it’s
All-star Pinoy ‘Ocean’s’ in the works by Bayani
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Albert envisions the planned film as a “reunion” for the brightest teen stars of the 1980s.
also acts as the film’s creative director, remains optimistic and equally excited about the venture’s prospects this year. “sharon is very supportive in pushing for the project,” said
Inquirer.net photos
Albert. Albert made his directorial debut in the big-budget period romance-drama, “Rosario,” in the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Nadine Lustre and James Reid are all set for their pre-Valentine’s concert.
R&B, pop and a mix of dancehall, a little bit of electronic, a little bit of hip-hop. It’s what pop is, a combination of different genres, whatever is now.” James’ brand of music will be featured, too, in the show. so expect to hear “Cool Down” and “IL2LU” as well as “Bahala Na” and “Para-Paraan.” During the interview, one could sense
James’ passion for music. “Well, I’m definitely more comfortable singing and performing,” he said. “When I’m on stage, I feel invincible.” In 2017, music was the focus of James, whose creative works will spill over to this year. His hard work paid off when he snagged the Best southeast Continued on Page 4
entertainment
Golden Globes nominee Robert Lopez wears Oliver Tolentino Beauty Gonzalez wants to become John Lloyd, Ellen’s ‘ninang’ 4
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 10, 2018
“Payag ako maging abay. Kahit ninang pa,” actress Beauty Gonzalez said when asked what her role be in the rumored wedding of her friends and fellow actors John Lloyd Cruz and Ellen Adarna. The Kapamilya actress and Ellen’s close friend, however, shut down reports that there
are wedding preparations going on in Cebu for Ellen and John Lloyd. “Sa totoo lang, I will be the first one to know, but it’s not true,” Beauty told a group of media people during the “Pusong Ligaw” finale dinner in ABS-CBN. Beauty said she is very
GOLDEN Globes nominee Robert “Bobby” Lopez wore a piña tuxedo by designer Oliver Tolentino to the recent Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 7 where he and his wife Kristen were nominated for Best Song. The couple wrote the song titled “Remember Me” featured in the film “Coco.” “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman” ended up winning best song. “Coco” won in the Best Animated Film category. In order to promote native Philippine fabrics, Tolentino created a hand-dyed black piña eco tuxedo jacket with matching piña vest for Lopez. Lopez also is Filipino-American and was interested in tapping into his heritage by wearing piña. Ellen Adarna and Beauty Gonzalez In addition to his recent ABS-CBN photo nomination, Lopez has won happy with what is happening every major award, includbetween Ellen and John Lloyd, ing a Tony for “The Book of but she insisted that wedding bells will not ring for the couple this time of the year. “Wala pa namang nasasabi. Masaya sila sa isa’t isa. I’m happy for them. Let’s keep it that way. Hindi nabibili ang happiness mo. Kung masaya sila sa isa’t isa, hayaan natin.” If ever there will be a wedding preparation soon, Beauty said she will be happy for Ellen and John Lloyd. “If they are gonna get married or not, that’s their decision. At the end of the day, hindi naman kami pagmamay-ari ng ibang tao para pagsabihan kami kung ano ang nangyayari sa buhay namin.” Beauty, nonetheless, has confirmed that Ellen and John Lloyd are officially together. “Ellen posted a picture of Idan (John Lloyd), hello? Are Miss Universe 2017 Demi Leigh Nel-Peters with you stupid enough not to unformer Miss Universe Margaret Gardiner. derstand that they’re together?” Beauty said. ABS-CBN’s hit afternoon series of “Pusong Ligaw” will air its finale episode this week. by GeorGe Kabrisante Find out what happens to the ManilaTimes.net lives of Tessa (Beauty Gonzalez), Marga (Bianca King), IN a sit down with some Caloy (Joem Bascon), Ira (Diego members of the movie press Loyzaga) and Vida (Sofia Anon the set of the ongoing topdres). (Philstar.com) rated teleserye “Ang Probinsyano,” Coco Martin showed he was more than ecstatic in winning the Special Jury Prize for his role in “Ang Panday” at the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2017. Also awarded Special Jury Prize was playwright National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin for his original play “A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino” which was translated into Filipino as “Ang Larawan” by another National Artist, Rolando Tinio. The movie version, set to the music of Ryan Cayabyab, and directed by Loy Arcenas, went on to win Best Picture, Best Actress for Joanna Ampil, Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award, Best Production Design, and Best Musical Direction for Ryan Cayabyab. In his capacity as producer, actor, and director as Rodel Nacianceno, Martin bagged other awards like the Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award, Children’s Choice Award, and Best Visual Effects. While the Special Jury Prize is second in ranking to the Best Actor award won by Derek Ramsay for “All Of You,” Coco Martin admits to the fact that he is indeed more than happy to receive said award along
Robert Lopez with wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Mormon”. In fact, after he and his wife won the Oscar in 2014 for the song “Let It Go” from “Frozen”, Lopez became what’s called an EGOT — a winner of all categories of major awards: the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Only 12 people in the history of entertainment have competitively won all four awards. Creations by Tolentino were worn by a dozen attendees to the Golden Globes, including former Miss Universe Margaret
Photos by Sthanlee B. Mirador
Gardiner who is a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association that puts on the Globes. Gardiner wore the designer’s black sequin-patterned gown to escort her guest, the current Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, to the awards (Nel-Peters wore a South African designer). They are the only two Miss Universes from South Africa. For more info on the designer, please visit: www.OliverTolentino.com.
Coco Martin happy for Special Jury Prize
Coco Martin
with Nick Joaquin, albeit posthumously bestowed upon the noted playwright. To him, the award, given especially by the MMFF’s board of jurors, is a validation of his dream to become an esteemed actor, so to speak. In hindsight, Caveat had it in past interviews with the actor regarding his long time dream to be acknowledged as a versatile actor, adding that in Ang Panday, he went through the roller coaster and gamut of emotions in the scenes which called for him to do drama, swashbuckling action stunts, and comedy. He considers it triple rewarding as it acknowledged his capacity to produce a hit movie, direct, and act in it competently as well. The actor in-
Inquirer.net photo
timated further that the highly encouraging turnout of his opus both in the commercial and critical realm was an answer to his fervent prayer from the Black Nazarene of Quiapo. A self-confessed devotee of the Nazarene, he said that his pious devotion began when his grandmother used to tag him to Quiapo Church when he was just a young boy. Coco Martin has received over 80 prestigious awards and recognitions from local awardgiving bodies plus a handful of impressive awards abroad since he joined showbiz in 2006. Moreover, his box-office and mass appeal was validated by several awards from the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation Awards as Prince of Philippine TV.
James Reid, Nadine Lustre spark... From Page 3
Asia Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards. James and Nadine will be seen doing more acting. “I’m not really trying to compete. I just want to contribute,” he said. In the pipeline are a contemporary romancedrama “Never Not Love You”, two movies and a teleserye. James will be paired with Sarah Geronimo in the comedy “The Granny (20 Again)” and topbill the action-fantasy “Pedro Penduko.” Meanwhile, Nadine stars in romance-comedy “Ulan” and thriller “The Nurse.” “The movies we are doing this year were supposed for last year,” he said. “I asked for more time for my album, I really wanted to push, promote and release it.” That’s why his tandem with Nadine took a backseat from teleserye and movie acting. However, they started to be seen hosting in “It’s Showtime.” “I feel like Philippine cinema
will always be there, but it’s the music industry that’s suffering,” he said. “I feel like a lot of good artists stay in the underground and they don’t like the word mainstream. I’m trying to bridge that gap between the underground and the mainstream. Those artists should be on the mainstream.” Again, the title “Revolution” can be interpreted in several ways, as James put it. “My interpretation is a new age of love, of spreading love,” he reiterated. “Last (concert, ‘JaDine in Love’) (was), of course, (for) Valentine’s (season), romantic love. This one (‘Revolution’) is to spread love. Last year, I changed a lot and I really wanted to shift my focus on spreading love… That’s what I’m trying to do this year. Another way I’m looking at it is the revolution from music, so many artists here drag each other down to make it to the
international stage. It happens all the time but we really need to forget those old ways and move on and work together. Don’t compete. Just contribute. It’s more fun that way.” Gracing “JaDine’s Revolution” are Vice Ganda, Sarah, Sam Concepcion, Bret and Kiana Valenciano. Paul Basinillo is at the helm with Teacher Georcelle and Jay Agustin as dance director and musical director, respectively. As much as “Revolution” is an expression of JaDine’s love for each other, it is a presentation of their creativity and artistry. James is into producing and creating music, while Nadine into directing videos and singing. One wants to experience it first-hand. Since what is out there is a free market of ideas, the artist in James is resolute to set aside competition and to work for contribution.
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 10, 2018
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 10, 2018