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JANUARY 18-24, 2019 Volume 12 - No. 13 • 16 Pages
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Sri Lankan President lauds Duterte’s drug war by NATHALIE
ROBLES
AJPress
SRI LANKAN President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday, January 16, expressed his admiration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to eliminate illegal drugs in the country, noting that he aspires to “follow his footsteps.” “The war against crime and drugs carried out by you is an example to the whole world and, personally, to me. The drug menace is rampant in my country and I feel that we should follow your footsteps to control this hazard,” Sirisena said as reported by CNN
Philippines. The South Asian leader earlier announced to his cabinet that they “will hang drug offenders without commuting their death sentences.” He then commended the Philippine president for his campaign against illegal drugs. “We were told that the Philippines has been successful in deploying the army and dealing with this problem. We will try to replicate their success,” Sri Lanka government spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said as reported by ABS-CBN News. The foreign leader is in the country from January 15-19 for his five-day state visit. Duterte
USA
DATELINE Utility company PG&E to file for bankruptcy FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Does not expect customers to experience impact in services
CITING potential liabilities from California’s recent wildfires that took place in the last two years, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) said on Monday, January 14, that it intends to file for bankruptcy, calling the move its “only viable option.” The announcement came just hours after news that its CEO, Geisha Williams, would step down. The utility company — which powers the residences of roughly 16 million Californians — was determined to have been responsible for 17 wildfires that burned across Northern California in 2017. It is also believed to have been the source of the recent Camp Fire in Northern California when one of its power lines made contact with trees, though that has yet to be determined. The fire resulted in 14,000 homes and over 4,000 other buildings destroyed, and 86
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Filipina assumes post as Asian American Journalists Association’s new executive director COMMUNITY leader Naomi Tacuyan Underwood is the new executive director of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). Underwood joins AAJA from the Washington, D.C.-based Faith & Politics InstiCommunity leader Naomi Tacuyan tute, where she Underwood served as direcPhoto courtesy of the Asian tor of programs. American Journalists Association She has over a decade of experience in nonprofit management and community engagement where she has long focused on empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
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revealed the possibility that the South Asian country would be the Philippines’ partner in curbing the proliferation of illegal drug trafficking. Sri Lanka and PH sign deals The said state visit also included deals and agreements between Sri Lanka and the Philippines on matters of defense, agriculture, and education cooperation as they sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on five charters. The two countries agreed on Defense and Military Education and Training and Exchanges of Defense and Mili-
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MOU SIGNING. President Rodrigo Duterte and Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena witness the signing of agreements between Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Tilak Marapana and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at the Malacañang Palace on Wednesday, January 16. The agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Defence of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka concerning defense and military education as well as training and exchanges of defense and military delegations. Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante
DFA: No need for birth certificate in passport renewal by NATHALIE
ROBLES
AJPress
AMID the issue of a possible data breach in the passport system, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) retracted its earlier statement and now announced that it no longer requires a copy of the applicant’s birth certificate in passport renewal. DFA Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin Jr. announced on Twitter that he was “signing order removing birth certificate requirement for passport renewA man shows his newly released passport at the Department of Foreign als.” He said that the “old passAffairs office in Pasay City. ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada port is more than sufficient” for
the renewal process. The said order was lauded by recruitment consultant and migration expert Emmanuel Geslani as he noted that it would be a “welcome relief” for the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are employed in places far from the consular offices. “The department order signed by Sec. Locsin is a welcome relief for millions of migrant workers deployed to 180 countries all over the world who are working in numerous job sites where the nearest consular office may be hundreds or thousands of miles away,” Geslani said as reported
by The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Locsin: Data not “runawayable” After stirring an uproar on social media over the “stolen data” pronouncement, Locsin clarified that the contractor APO Production Unit, Inc. said that the “data is not run-away-able but made inaccessible.” However, he claimed that the data left are “not of much use” and are “corrupted.” “APO assured me they were able to access but not much use and parts corrupted. APO agrees with me that old passports are the
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Mayor de Blasio expands guaranteed health care Hontiveros files absolute divorce bill AJP to include uninsured, undocumented New Yorkers by
NEW YORK — A couple of days before delivering his State of the City 2019 address last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his administration will launch the largest, most comprehensive plan in the nation to guarantee health care for every New Yorker. The plan will serve the 600,000 New Yorkers without insurance by strengthening NYC’s public health insurance option, MetroPlus, and guaranteeing anyone ineligible for insurance – including undocumented New Yorkers – has direct access to NYC Health + Hospitals’ physicians, pharmacies and mental health and substance abuse services through a new program called NYC Care. The programs will include customer-
friendly call lines to help New Yorkers – regardless of their insurance – make appointments with general practitioners, cardiologists, pediatricians, gynecologists and a full spectrum of health care services. “Health care is a right, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it,” said Mayor de Blasio. “While the federal government works to gut health care for millions of Americans, New York City is leading the way by guaranteeing that every New Yorker has access to quality, comprehensive access to care, regardless of immigration status or their ability to pay.” Through the Affordable Care Act, 8 million New Yorkers now have health insurance, and the uninsured rate is about near-
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RESS
SENATOR Risa Hontiveros on January 14 filed a measure legalizing “absolute divorce” in the country. Under Senate Bill 2134 or Divorce Act of 2018, legal separation may be filed by couples if the marriage is marred by “physical violence and grossly abusive conduct.” While the State continues to recognize the sanctity of family life and endeavors to protect and strengthen the family, Hontiveros said it is also duty-bound to promote and protect the well-being of its citizens. “It is a duty that should extend
Senator Risa Hontiveros Inquirer.net photo
to circumstances whereby this well-being compromised by the inability to break free from irre-
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‘BOXING IS MY PASSION AND PUBLIC SERVICE IS MY MISSION’
In his return to Las Vegas, Pacquiao signals fight vs. Broner won’t be last by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
LAS VEGAS — There is no sign that Manny Pacquiao’s fight on Saturday, January 19 will be his last. In a sideline interview with reporters on Wednesday, January 16, the 40-year-old Filipino boxer teased that he won’t be shelving his sports career any time soon and could still go on for two to three more years. However, he said it would not interfere with his duties as a senator in the Philippines. “This is the real evidence of being passionate [about] the sport... I don’t need to continue
boxing — I am a senator of the Republic of the Philippines, I have another job...I’m still focused on that job, but like I said, boxing is my passion and public service is my mission so I’m still here to keep on fighting,” Pacquiao said in an interview before the last press conference for the Saturday fight. “I want to put my name [at] the top...and be a winner until I retire.” The fighter turned senator — the only eight-division world champion in the sport — will come out of his two-year hiatus on Saturday when he defends his World Boxing Association welterweight world title
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Manny Pacquiao and Adrien “The Problem” Broner went face-to-face at the Copperfield Theatre at MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Wednesday, January 16, before they battle for the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title on Saturday, January 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Area. AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal
Fil-Am books to read
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january 18-24, 2019 • nEW yOrK anD nEW jErSEy aSIan jOurnaL
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From the Front Page
Sri Lankan President lauds... PAGE A1 tary Delegations; Cooperation in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Related Fields; Academic Cooperation in Higher Education; agreement of Department of Tourism and Ministry of Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs and agreement of University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and Sri Lanka Council for Agriculture Research Policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development.
During the bilateral meeting, both leaders aimed towards the challenge of lifting their people from poverty since the Philippines and Sri Lanka were considered developing nations. “We acknowledged that poverty reduction and long-term sustainable development are cornerstones of our efforts to improve the lives of our peoples,” the Philippine president said as reported by Rappler. In response, the Sri Lankan president welcomed the idea of putting up a Philippine embassy in Sri Lanka the Philippines to
develop a long-lasting bond between the two countries. “Establishing a Philippine embassy in Sri Lanka would be highly instrumental. Therefore, your marking a plot of land for the Philippines’ embassy in Sri Lanka would be – necessary action will be taken expeditiously,” Sirisena said. After the Malacanang palace banquet, the Sri Lankan president is set to visit the Asian Development Bank in Mandaluyong and the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños. n
DFA: No need for birth certificate in...
PAGE A1 best evidence of identity and join me in despising those who don’t agree with me,” Locsin said as reported by The Philippine Star. “The Department of Foreign Affairs is taking the word of APO Production Unit Inc. that there is no breach in passport data and as sufficient justification in removing the birth certificate requirement in the renewal of passports,” he added. However, Locsin said that his office cannot fully ensure the public that the data has not been compromised or tampered with. He said that only a fact-finding investigation from the Senate would clarify if there was a breach in the system. “Only a Senate investigation will assure the public that there
was no breach or loss of data. Until then, the Department can give no assurances on the safety and security of some data,” the foreign affairs department said as reported by CNN Philippines. DICT to DFA: “Be aware of cybersecurity responsibilities” In line with the passport system controversy, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Assistant Secretary Allan Cabanlong urged DFA to secure their data since they belong to the country’s Critical Information Infrastructures (CIIs). “If your organization is identified as one of the Philippines’ 12 CIIs make sure you are fully aware of your cybersecurity responsibilities. This is to ensure that the welfare of the consum-
ers, as well as the privacy and security of the data collected and used for their specific purpose, adhere to the policies and practices of DICT,” Cabanlong said. As per Republic Act 10844, the foreign affairs department, along with the 11 other CIIs, must be in compliance with DICT’s National CyberSecurity Plan 2022 and Memorandum Circular 005, s2017. “In the same fashion, all government agencies are encouraged to abide by the recommendations outlined in the DICT MC 006, s2017. These are guidelines that outline how each agency can better identify threats to their data assets and reduce their risk of exposure significantly,” Cabanlong added. n
Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao delivers remarks on Wednesday, January 16 at the MGM Grand during the last press conference ahead of his fight against 29-year-old former four-division world champion Adrien Broner (seated right). AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal
In his return to Las Vegas, Pacquiao signals... PAGE A1 against 29-year-old Adrien Broner, a former four-division world champion. Despite his age, Pacquiao (607-2, 39 KOs) sees the match as a challenge to prove that he hasn’t lost his luster. After beating Jessie Vargas in his last U.S. fight in 2016, Pacquiao lost by unanimous decision against Australian Jeff Horn in 2017, but won through a technical knockout in his fight against Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia in 2018. “It’s kind of a challenge for me
because this is my first fight at the age of 40. I have something to prove,” he told reporters. This training period has been an adjustment for him as it came with understanding his physical changes and taking longer recovery periods. He added that “If the knock out come[s], it’ll come and we’ll grab that opportunity.” Pacquiao also called it an honor to be back at the MGM, the site of his first fight in the U.S. back in 2001. Saturday will mark his 20th bout in Las Vegas and 70th overall. He made his grand arrival on Tuesday after spending weeks training at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles. Both Pacquiao and Broner, joined by their respective trainers and management, appeared at the final press conference on Wednesday, where they gave brief speeches about what to expect during the match. Pacquiao sat on stage alongside co-trainers Buboy Fernandez and Freddie Roach, MP Promotions head Joe Ramos and strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe said that Saturday is an opportunity for Broner (333-1, 24 KOs) to ”show what he’s all about.” The 29-year-old enters the fight with 0-1-1 in his last two fights with a draw to Jessie Vargas in 2018, and a loss to Mikey Garcia in 2017. “Look at my last five fights. I’ve fought world champion after world champion. I don’t duck any fights. I don’t care how many weight classes he’s won titles in,” Broner said. He lamented that the focus of
Saturday’s match has been diverted to talks about whether it could signal a rematch between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. “People are talking a lot about Pacquiao fighting Floyd Mayweather again, but I’m pretty sure Floyd is retired,” Broner said at the press conference. “I feel like people are trying to throw me to the wolves and overlook me.” Pacquiao and Mayweather, who fought in 2015, had a chance encounter last week at the Los Angeles Clippers game during which Pacquiao was a guest for Filipino Heritage Night. Mayweather is reportedly slated to be ringside on Saturday, according to a report by the Philippine Star. “We should give our best to the fans and make our fans satisfied,” Pacquiao said. “It’s going to be a good fight.” After the prepared remarks, Boxing Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein conducted the question and answer portion with Pacquiao. When the other team’s turn came, Broner and his trainer Kevin Cunningham refused to answer any questions. The younger boxer, however, has previously indicated that he is ready to beat a legend like Pacquiao. “This is going to be a hell of a fight. I’ve trained so hard and I want everyone to know that I play around a lot, but when that bell rings, I’m going to be ready. I didn’t come here to lose or lay down,” Broner said during his remarks. “I came here to get this victory.” Pacquiao and Broner will face off on Saturday, January 19 (Showtime PPV, 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. (With reports from Robert Macabagdal / AJPress)
Saturday, January 19 marks Manny Pacquiao’s 70th match, but he said turning 40 years old and his Senate career back in the Philippines won’t hinder his fighting.
Hontiveros files divorce bill... PAGE A1 mediably broken marriages and start anew in healthier family and living arrangements,” she said. She also cited studies and argued that it is not divorce that creates well-being issues for children but bearing witness to their parents’ troubled marriage. “It is the duty of the State to save children for the pain, stress, and agony of witnessing regular marital clashes with no end in sight,” she added Hontiveros is the chairman of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality. According to her, the number and proportion of Filipinos separated has been increasing over time. “This demonstrates that the denial of legal remedies to those seeking to dissolve their union has largely been ineffective way of upholding the policy of the State to keep families together,” she said. Divorce, under Senate Bill 2134, is defined as the legal termination of a marriage by a court in a legal proceeding. It requires a petition or complaint for divorce by one party, which will have the effect of returning both parties to the status of being single, including the right to remarry. Psychological incapacity of either spouse, whether or not the incapacity was present at the time
of the marriage or later; violation of the Violence Against Women and their Children Act; rape by the respondent-spouse against the petitioner-spouse before marriage; and irreconcilable differences or irreparable breakdown of marriage despite earnest efforts to reconcile are some of the grounds for divorce. The bill states that a spouse shall be punished with imprisonment of five years and a fine of P200,000 if found by the court to have used force, fraud, or intimidation to compel the other spouse to file the petition for absolute divorce. Any parent who will neglect to provide court-ordered child support or any spouse who will fail to pay court-ordered alimony shall be punished by prision mayor or fined P100,000 to not more than P300,000 on top of the unpaid child support and/or alimony as well. Last year, several senators expressed their disapproval for the divorce bill. Some of them said they would rather have the annulment law amended. President Rodrigo Duterte shared the sentiment, saying he would not support the divorce bill because his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, “is not happy with it.” “My daughter is not happy with that. Really,” he earlier said. n
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Dateline USa
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL •
JANUARY 18-24, 2019
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US most trusted Philippine ally, says poll by Helen
Flores Philstar.com
THE United States has remained the country most trusted by Filipinos, and Russia and China the least, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey. The poll, taken from Dec. 14 to 21 last year, showed 84 percent of Filipinos saying the Philippines should extend “a great deal/fair amount of trust” to the U.S. This was higher than the 79 percent recorded in March 2017. The U.S. was followed by Japan and Australia with trust ratings of 75 percent and 72 percent, respectively. Great Britain/United Kingdom obtained 57 percent. Reacting to the survey result, Malacañang expressed optimism Filipinos’ attitude toward China would change if the latter shows sincerity in its dealing with the Philippines. “It’s understandable for Filipinos to feel that way... Because we’ve been used to the (United) States being our ally, so we are more used to engaging with America. Perhaps as we go along and witness the sincerity of China CLEAN ELECTIONS. Candidates and police officials lead the ceremonial releasing of white doves, which symbolizes “divine intervention”, with respect to agreements beduring the “Unity Walk, Covenant Signing” at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City on Sunday, January 13. Some 4,000 people joined tween the two countries, their the unity walk as part of efforts in calling for clean and peaceful elections this year. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez views might change,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said at a press briefing Monday, January 14. Pressed why he thought a majority of poll respondents were PAGE A1 a New York State Patient Navi- to all New Yorkers across the five distrustful of China despite Presily half of what it was in 2013. gator contractor working with 8 boroughs in 2021. The program dent Duterte’s pro-Beijing stateIn the last two years, New York other organizations,” said Anita will cost at least $100 million an- ments, Panelo replied: “Not necCity’s Public Engagement Unit Gundanna, Co-Executive Direc- nually at full scale. Additionally, essarily, it takes time for people to coordinated signing up more tor of CACF (Coalition for Asian MetroPlus will announce a se- accept certain things that they are than 130,000 New Yorkers for American Children and Fami- ries of enhancements through- not used to.” plans through the exchanges lies), the nation’s only pan- out the year. (Momar G. Visaya/ Meanwhile, in the case of RusAsian policy advocacy group,” AJPress) created by the law. However, about 600,000 New we are too well aware of the difYorkers remain without insur- ficulties Asian Pacific American ance, because they do not or families and individuals face in cannot enroll. Through this new accessing health coverage and initiative, New York City will cre- care.” “The NYC Care program will ate a bigger, better, more comprehensive program for guaran- provide all residents with health care, including those who are teed health care. “We have the tools and oppor- undocumented. We are happy tunity to guarantee health care that NYC is taking leadership for all New Yorkers,” said Depu- and initiative in making health ty Mayor for Health and Human care coverage a fundamental Services Dr. Herminia Palacio. right for everyone, regardless “New Yorkers who can’t enroll of status and/or ability to pay,” in or afford health insurance said Vanessa Leung, Co-Execuwill now be able to access com- tive Director of CACF. The City will connect hunprehensive, patient-centered services through NYC Care. At dreds of thousands of New the same time, we will amplify Yorkers who are ineligible for our efforts to increase enroll- health insurance – including unment into MetroPlus. Today we documented New Yorkers and celebrate our City’s relentless those who cannot afford insurcommitment to accessible, high- ance – to reliable care. Anyone will be able to access comprequality health care.” “In the fairest big City in hensive care across NYC Health America, everyone, no matter + Hospitals’ more than 70+ locawhere they came from, or when tions, once the program is fully they got here, has a right to be ramped up. NYC Care is open to healthy and get the care they anyone who does not have an need to thrive,” said Bitta Mo- affordable insurance option and stofi, Commissioner of the May- will be priced on a sliding scale, or’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. to ensure affordability. The City will also double down “We know that there are persistent disparities in health insur- on efforts to boost enrollment in ance coverage between citizens MetroPlus, the City’s public opand non-citizen New Yorkers, - tion. MetroPlus provides free or including undocumented immi- affordable health insurance that grants - where nearly 94 percent connects insurance-eligible New of U.S.-born New Yorkers have Yorkers to a network of providhealth insurance, compared ers that includes NYC Health + with just 69 percent of non-citi- Hospitals’ 11 hospitals and 70 zen New Yorkers. Today’s an- clinics. MetroPlus serves as an nouncement brings us one step affordable, quality option for closer to realizing a truly inclu- people on Medicaid, Medicare, sive vision of healthcare for all.” and those purchasing insurance “In New York City, almost on the exchange. NYC Care will launch in 15 percent of Asian Americans ages 18 and over are uninsured summer 2019 and will roll out and almost 90 percent of those geographically, starting in the uninsured are foreign born. As Bronx. It will be fully available
Mayor de Blasio expands guaranteed health care...
Utility company PG&E to file...
PAGE A1 deaths. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show that PG&E may face at least $30 billion in liability for wildfires in 2017 and 2018, in addition to fines, penalties, and other costs from potential liabilities, litigations, and government investigations. The utility company did say in its announcement that it did not expect customers to experience any impact on their electricity or natural gas services. Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows PG&E to stay in business while it works on sorting out its debts. But as wildfire survivors remain among the most vulnerable to the bankruptcy’s impacts, PG&E added that it was “committed to providing assistance to communities affected by wildfires in Northern California, and our restoration and rebuilding efforts will continue.” It further said that it was committed to “continuing to make investments in system safety as it works with regulators, policymakers and other key stakeholders to consider a range of alternatives to provide for the safe delivery of natural gas and electric service for the long-term in an environment that continues to be challenged by climate change.” California officials respond For California politicians and regulators, PG&E’s announcement signals challenges in deciding on what next steps to take. Having just entered office last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom told reporters on Monday that he and his team were
looking at what options it had in helping the situation, but that nothing had yet been decided. “Everyone’s immediate focus is, rightfully, on ensuring Californians have continuous, reliable and safe electric and gas service,” said Newsom. Acknowledging the possibility of the bankruptcy filing going through, he added that as much as they’d like to see it avoided, they were not “naive” to the matter. “I’m cognizant of the taxpayers, and I’m cognizant of the ratepayers, and I’m absolutely cognizant of those who lost everything,” said Newsom. He added that he and his staff had been in constant contact with the stakeholders and regulators throughout the week and weekend. “Throughout the months ahead, I will be working with the Legislature and all stakeholders on a solution that ensures consumers have access to safe, affordable and reliable service, fire victims are treated fairly, and California can continue to make progress toward our climate goals,” said Newsom. Last year, the state officials allowed PG&E a bailout by imposing victim lawsuits costs and other fire-related losses to ratepayers, but it’s unclear if the same will happen this year. Citing the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline caused by PG&E, California Senator Jerry Hill told Reuters, “I think there’s less change, less thought of a bailout this year than we saw last year, certainly.” (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)
U.S. President Donald Trump with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte
sia and China, most Filipinos say the Philippines should extend only “a little trust or no trust at all” to these countries at 54 percent and 60 percent, respectively. Forty percent of Filipinos say the Philippines should not trust China too much. The survey was conducted after the two-day visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Philippines, where both countries signed numerous deals, including a possible joint exploration in the disputed West Philippine Sea. Duterte had said he would like to strengthen ties with China and Russia, two global powers with shaky relations with the U.S. While Filipinos still trust the U.S. most, respondents from Mindanao — Duterte’s bailiwick — have a less trusting attitude toward the country. It was in Mindanao that the U.S. got its lowest rating at 74 percent.
Malacañang photo
Russia, on the other hand, obtained its highest score in Mindanao at 54 percent. Nearly or exactly the same percentages of Metro Manilans and Mindanawons say the Philippines should give China either “a great deal/a fair amount of trust” (49 percent to 50 percent) or “a little/ no trust at all” (50 percent). China and Russia in Pulse Asia’s March 2017 poll also got the highest distrust rating at 63 and 56 percent, respectively. As for regional organizations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation got majority trust ratings at 82 percent and 80 percent, respectively. Pulse Asia asked its 1,800 adult respondents nationwide the question: “Generally speaking, how much trust should the Philippines extend to (country/organization)?” (With reports from Alexis Romero/Philstar.com)
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Dateline USa
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL •
JANUARY 18-24, 2019
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Google: NBI sought to block negative ad vs Duterte Partners for Women and Justice announces support for the lets drive NJ campaign to expand access to drivers licenses to more residents Partners for Women and Justice (Partners) is pleased to announce its support for the Let’s Drive nJ Campaign to enable eligible new Jersey residents to obtain a driver’s license without regard to their immigration status. Partners provides free legal representation to victims of domestic violence, including undocumented immigrants, who are seeking civil restraining orders and related assistance in family law matters. Immigrant women are especially vulnerable to domestic violence because of their immigration status, language and cultural barriers, social isolation, limited financial resources, and lack of valid identification, all of which can reinforce victims’ dependence on their abusers. access to a driver’s license can foster
independence and empower victims to leave their abusers in the following ways: • a license is a universally recognized form of identification that can enable victims to benefit from community services, open a bank account, and interact with the police with greater confidence. • the ability to drive is directly linked to independence in the Garden state. the keys to the car can thus become the engine of self-sufficiency, and, ultimately, family safety. • Victims who can drive can more easily access domestic violence services, counseling, legal counsel, and the courts and make informed decisions to better protect themselves and their children. For these reasons, Part-
ners supports the expansion of access to drivers licenses for new Jersey residents who can prove their residency, identity, and their driving ability. We urge nJ legislative leadership to prioritize bill a4743/s3229 by posting the bill for a vote as soon as possible. Partners for Women and Justice empowers low-income survivors of domestic violence to build safe and secure futures for themselves and their children. We offer quality legal assistance in domestic violence and family law matters and work with the courts to ensure equal access to justice for all, including litigants who do not speak english. Our programs of free legal assistance focus on family court proceedings involving restraining orders, child and spousal support, visitation and custody. n
‘TeAcherS Are The moST ImPorTANT IN oUr commUNITy’
First LAUSD strike in 30 years underway by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
CHILLY temperatures and rainfall didn’t deter the more than 30,000 Los angeles educators, teachers union members and public school advocates from walking out on Monday, Jan. 14 to participate in the first teachers strike in 30 years. the United teachers Los angeles (UtLa) organized the massive protest which held picketing at schools across the district with the primary goal to get the Los angeles Union school District (LaUsD) to lower class sizes, higher more teachers and support staff and give better pay. “It’s raining, but that’s not going to stop us from standing up for what’s right,” edoardo Cervantes, a Filipino and Mexicanamerican parent told the Asian Journal on Monday at John Marshall High school in Los Feliz. Cervantes is the father of two John Marshall High school students and as a former teacher himself, emphasized the impact of class size. “It’s a simple equation: smaller class sizes means more meaningful time students get with their teachers. the quality of teaching and learning declines as the student headcount increases,” Cervantes explained, clutching an umbrella in one hand and a protest sign that read “FOr tHe KIDs” in the other. Cervantes was one of the hundreds of teachers, parents, union members and public education advocates to show up to John Marshall High, where UtLa held a rally and news conference. In the pouring rain, picketers held up signs, many of which read “On strIKe FOr OUr stUDents” and “If you can read this, thank a teacher!” One young woman held up a sign that read, “HOnK if you support teachers” which yielded consistent honking on the corner of tracy street and st. George street and cheers from passersby. UtLa President alex CaputoPearl said at the John Marshall High protest that the union is “prepared to go as long as it takes” in order to get a contract which meets their demands.
Hundreds of union members, teachers and parents picket at John Marshall High School on Monday, Jan 14. This is UTLA’s first strike against the LAUSD in 30 years. AJPress photos by Klarize Medenilla
An aerial photo shows LAUSD teachers and supporters rallying in the rain in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, January 14. The United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) estimates that over 30,000 took part in the districtwide strikes on the first day. Photo courtesy of the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)
“this is a historic day for, not just teachers and educators, but for public education in the county,” Caputo-Pearl told the hundreds of impassioned poncho-wearing picketers. It wasn’t only teachers and parents who showed out for the strike. students joined their teachers in the walkout, including Filipinoamerican 10th grader, Francis. “We all joke about how we hate school, but I think it’s important for us students to stand up for the teachers,” Francis told the Asian Journal. Holding a laminated homemade sign (“I prepared my sign to last through the rain,” Francis said), the 15-year-old was joined by three other friends who wanted to “stand in solidarity” with their teachers and their demands. “Most of our teachers — if not all of them — are out here, so it’s like, we wouldn’t even be getting a normal school day,” rebecca, a 15-year-old Korean-american, told the Asian Journal, describing the strike as a show of “what happens when you don’t give teachers what they deserve.” When asked if they planned on attending class, all four students shook their heads. Francis said that his english class currently has 40 students, which he said is “chaotic” and said that he agrees with the union’s goal to scale back on class size. Monday’s strike is the UtLa’s first since 1989. UtLa has been a powerful force in the county’s school system for the last few decades, but in recent years, wealthy procharter school political donors have given a louder voice to privately-owned, largely non-union schools. the increase of charter schools (La has the most charter schools in its system in the country) has appealed to parents seeking for the quality education that private schools offer. Charters have also become powerful in local politics; in 2017, candidates who were backed by charter school donors won the majority in the La Board of education. “the truth is is that charter
schools have gained an enormous amount of power and influence in the La school system in the last few years, and that has affected the funding and resources that go to our public schools,” Jollene Levid, a Fil-am union organizer, told the Asian Journal. the diminishing influence of UtLa to political figures is also evident in a 2018 supreme Court ruling that prohibited California unions (including UtLa) from the right to collect fees from all teachers in the district (fees that would’ve been funneled into union campaigns), rendering union membership optional. roughly two-thirds of LaUsD students showed up to class on Monday, costing the district $15 million on Monday, according to LaUsD supt. austin Beutner, who has stated that he is open to coming back to the bargaining table with union leaders. “Let’s build on the renewed attention on public education in our community,” Beutner said in a press conference on tuesday, Jan. 15. “Let’s bottle it. Let’s put it on our busses and let’s go to sacramento.” Beutner has repeatedly said that he supports the union’s demand for increased funding for schools from the state and federal governments; as previously stated in the Asian Journal, the district doesn’t make funding decisions alone. But UtLa has maintained that the state should do much more in regulating the district, which they say has a $2 billion reserve fund that could address the union’s demands. the strike resumed on tuesday morning with UtLa members adamant that they won’t stop until the district offers them a contract that is up to par. “this is for the students so that they have a chance at a proper education,” Kim ryu, a UtLa member told the Asian Journal on tuesday outside the Hall of administration in DtLa. “the LaUsD is the biggest [public] school district in the state and the second biggest in the country. the district has so much potential to aptly serve its students, and that starts with fully funded schools and fully staff.” n
Filipina assumes post as Asian American Journalists... PAGE A1 “I am excited to join the aaJa family, and to build upon the decades of work that the leadership have committed to increasing diversity and innovation in journalism,” said Underwood, a Filipina immigrant who grew up in Guam and currently resides in annandale, Virginia. “naomi’s unique experience at the intersection of nonprofit, civic engagement and politics will help take aaJa to greater heights,” said Michelle Ye Hee Lee, the president of aaJa. “Her ideas and passion for expanding aaJa’s reach and impact in journalism and civic engagement will be crucial as our organization continues to
grow and innovate in the coming years.” Underwood has worked extensively in community outreach, including a stint as deputy director for aPIaVote, a national nonpartisan organization that builds voter engagement capacity in local aaPI communities. she has also served as legislative staff for Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam), focusing on territorial, environmental and aaPI issues, among other issues. “I have deep respect for the role of journalism in our democracy, and this role must be fortified with the diversity of perspectives that journalists of color bring. I look forward to supporting and
uplifting aaJa’s members, and working closely with leadership to increase aaJa’s visibility and impact in this next chapter of the organization’s growth,” Underwood said. she graduated from new York University with degrees in journalism and asian Pacific american studies, and received a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of California, Los angeles. Underwood started her new position on Jan. 9, and succeeds Kathy Chow, who departed the organization after eight successful years to become the executive director of the american association of Cosmetology schools. (AJPress)
tHe national Bureau of Investigation (nBI) tried to block a Youtube video against President Duterte months after he won the 2016 elections, according to technology company Google. Its transparency report on government requests for content removal revealed that the Philippine government requested the removal of 80 items on various Google platforms since the company began its monitoring in 2009. thirty-two of those requests were made during the first two years of the Duterte administration, including 13 in his first six months in office. among them was the nBI request to remove a Youtube video of a negative political campaign advertisement against Duterte sometime from July to December 2016. Google said it did not take down the Youtube video. During the same period, the nBI also requested the delisting of eight news articles from Google search. “the articles reported on an Indian national who was the subject of complaints alleging his involvement in illegal sales of black sand and possible links with alQaeda,” the company said. “We did not delist the articles.” One item was requested by the Duterte government to be removed between January and June 2017, while 18 items were covered by government requests between July and December 2017. no request was made in the first half of last year, while data for the latter part of 2018 have yet to be released. In contrast, the administration of former president Benigno aquino III submitted requests for the removal of 48 items during his six-year term. It first submitted a request in early 2012, almost two years into his presidency. Defamation Based on the breakdown, the Duterte government cited defamation as the reason for its request to take down 28 of the 32 items. two were for government criticism, one for bullying and the other was classified under “all others.” Only one of those requests was made by the judiciary, with the rest coming from the executive branch. Google said it removed only seven out of the 32 items covered by the requests during the
present administration. It did not identify these requests. “there are many reasons we may not have removed content in response to a request,” it said. “some requests may not be specific enough for us to know what the government wanted us to remove (for example, no web address is listed in the request) and others involve allegations of defamation through informal letters from government agencies, rather than court orders,” the company added. User data
In a separate report, Google said it has received requests for data of six users between July 2016 and June 2018. some data were produced for two of those users. “Government agencies, courts and parties in civil litigation regularly ask technology and communications companies to turn over user data,” Google said. social media company Facebook earlier said that the Philippine government also requested data of 42 Facebook users in the first half of 2018. (Philstar.com)
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JANUARY 18-24, 2019 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
FEATURES
Next cleanup: Manila Bay
IT’S good to hear the government wanting to clean up Manila Bay. If the heavily polluted Pasig River can be rehabilitated, it shouldn’t be impossible to improve the quality of the water in the bay. This is not Boracay, however, and there must be careful management of expectations. The government is zeroing in on hotels and commercial establishments including casinos by the bay for the cleanup. These establishments can be expected to quickly comply, if they haven’t already, since most are connected to water treatment and sewerage systems in Metro Manila. The bigger challenge is the waste from other sources. Manila Bay is home to the country’s busiest international container port and domestic seaport, and there will always be toxic waste from the ships. Around the bay are numerous informal settlements, where people fish for a living, make charcoal and treat the sea as their garbage dump and public sewer. Tons of the garbage wash up along the shores during typhoons. Environment officials have said the cleanup will include creeks and other waterways in Metro Manila that feed into the Pasig River or directly into the sea. One upside of the planned cleanup is a possible stop to massive bay reclamation projects approved by local politicians. Artificially shrinking the bay area
can aggravate flooding, endanger the livelihoods of marginal fishing communities and further upset the ecological balance around the bay. Instead of further industrial or commercial development, the protected wetland that has sprung up along the Las Piñas-Parañaque border deserves to be expanded. The mangrove forest has become a bird sanctuary, marine protected area and ecotourism park, helping to mitigate the impact of flooding and storm surges in the area. Some informal settlers can be turned into custodians of ecotourism zones. Developing a protected wetland around the country’s primary seaport is unlikely. The area is congested enough and there are ongoing moves for port expansion. It is possible, however, to improve waste management — both solid and effluent — around the bay. Even in informal settlements, local government and barangay personnel can mobilize the community for improved garbage management. Those living or working around the bay must be persuaded that it is in their best interest to stop treating the sea as their personal dump. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
FBI opens counterintelligence investigation into Trump’s Russian ties, concerned he’s a threat to US national security
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS AMID President Donald Trump’s fabricated “emergency” crisis at the border that has caused the longest government shutdown in U.S. history because he won’t sign a spending bill without his wall, the United States of America may have been facing a REAL EMERGENCY crisis based on a report that came out revealing that the 45th president of the United States’ own actions may have constituted a possible threat to national security. As the New York Times reported, citing information from former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigations, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began doing a counterintelligence investigation whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests. The probe was launched in the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as FBI director, although the debate as to whether to proceed with the counterintelligence investigation has started as early as during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign. According to the Times report,
“Agents and senior FBI officials had grown suspicious of Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign but held off on opening an investigation into him, the people said, in part because they were uncertain how to proceed with an inquiry of such sensitivity and magnitude. But the president’s activities before and after Mr. Comey’s firing in May 2017, particularly two instances in which Mr. Trump tied the Comey dismissal to the Russia investigation, helped prompt the counterintelligence aspect of the inquiry.” The investigators of the counterintelligence investigation, tasked to handle national security matters, had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence, or if the president is innocent. The investigation that the FBI opened into Trump also had a criminal aspect alongside the national security issue: to determine whether his firing of Comey constituted obstruction of justice. How do the criminal and counterintelligence investigations
relate to the Russia Probe that Trump has been denigrating as a” witch hunt”? The Times explained “Special Counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, took over the inquiry into Mr. Trump when he was appointed, days after FBI officials opened it. That inquiry is part of Mr. Mueller’s broader examination of how Russian operatives interfered in the 2016 election and whether any Trump associates conspired with them” to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign and help Trump win. The actions, rhetoric and decisions of Trump during the campaign and as president have been deemed as contrary to the democratic principles and interests of the United States, while appearing to be working to help the agenda of Vladimir Putin and Russia, especially when it comes to the foreign policy positions and decisions of Trump as President of the United States. Quoting the Times’ report, “Trump had caught the attention of FBI counterintelligence agents when he called on Russia during a campaign news conference in July 2016 to hack into the emails of his opponent, Hillary Clinton. Mr. Trump had refused to criticize Russia on the campaign trail, praising President Vladimir
V. Putin. And investigators had watched with alarm as the Republican Party softened its convention platform on the Ukraine crisis in a way that seemed to benefit Russia.” Also explained in the report are other factors that fueled the F.B.I.’s concerns, including Christopher Steele, a former British spy who worked as an FBI informant, who had compiled memos in mid-2016 containing unsubstantiated claims that Russian officials tried to obtain influence over Mr. Trump by preparing to blackmail and bribe him. As we already know, the FBI was also already investigating four of Mr. Trump’s associates over their ties to Russia months before the 2016 US Presidential Election. The constellation of events disquieted F.B.I. officials who were simultaneously watching as Russia’s campaign unfolded to undermine the presidential election by exploiting existing divisions among Americans. “In the Russian Federation and in President Putin himself, you have an individual whose aim is to disrupt the Western alliance and whose aim is to make Western democracy more fractious in order to weaken our ability, America’s ability and the West’s
ability to spread our democratic ideals,” Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page told House investigators in private testimony reviewed by the New York Times. The FBI was also alarmed by the fact that when Trump was sworn into office, he “sought a loyalty pledge from Mister Comey and later asked that he end an investigation into the president’s national security adviser” Michael Flynn. Trump’s eventual firing of Comey compelled FBI to launch the investigation. “Not only would it be an issue of obstructing an investigation, but the obstruction itself would hurt our ability to figure out what the Russians had done, and that is what would be the threat to national security,” according to the testimony of James A. Baker, who served as FBI general counsel until late 2017. Mr. Baker said this in his testimony when he privately testified in October before House investigators who were examining the FBI’s handling of the full Russia inquiry. Strengthening the case against Trump would be the revelation of a Washington Post report which stated how Trump Trump has gone to “extraordinary lengths” to keep the specifics of his con-
versations with his Russian counterpart under wraps. According to the Post citing statements from current and former U.S. officials, “Trump’s efforts include confiscating the notes from his interpreter and not allowing them to discuss the details of the meetings with other officials in his administration.” ALL OF THESE are now part of the other pieces of the puzzle being pieced together based on evidence in the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. We, the People, need to know if the 45th president of the United States has been betraying the American people by acting as an “asset” or “agent” of Putin and Russia, instead of fulfilling his oath: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” *** 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.TheFilAmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos
Passport data breach needs more than an autopsy
Opinion
YEN MAKABENTA FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.’s promise of an “autopsy” on the passport data breach is quintessential ‘Teddyboy.’ It grabs attention. On second thought, however, the autopsy threat may be either premature or a misdirection. An autopsy, according to the medical definition, “is an examination of the body after death with such dissection as will expose the vital organs for determining the cause of death or the character and extent or changes produced by disease.” The passport data breach, on the other hand, is far from dead. It is still very much a live reality. It is in a position to cause more mischief. I know because I am one of several million Filipinos who are now in the process of applying for the renewal of their passport, and I am one of those who are affected by the felonious action of one outsourced passport manufacturer of the DFA who absconded with my birth documents.
Because of the data breach, I will have to produce my birth certificate, which unfortunately is hard to find because I was born during a distant time when my parents were on the run from the Japanese occupying forces, and the attending doctor is now gone. The data breach, I am forced to conclude, is all too real in its impact on my life. Anatomy of the breach Secretary Locsin’s autopsy will do nothing to kill the breach. The service he can perform is to provide an anatomy of the breach, or uncover the identity of the perpetrators. The tale that has emerged is as messy as a real autopsy. There is finger-pointing among three presidential administrations. As the full story of the passport mess was excavated, it surfaced that the problem may have started under the DFA of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) and then got worse under the DFA of Benigno S. Aquino 3rd (BSA). Locsin has vowed that the mess will be solved by President Duterte’s DFA under Locsin. Locsin says he will “autopsy” officials of the Aquino administration who were responsible for
the “crooked deal.” He declared: “I will autopsy the yellows who did the passport deal alive. This is called evisceration.” Which sounds gruesome, because evisceration means “disembowelment.” On the other hand, former Foreign Affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. (the first Duterte foreign affairs secretary) took issue with Locsin’s initial claim that an outsourced passport manufacturer absconded with or refused to return the passport data of applicants. Yasay said Locsin may be misinformed or is being misled by people who have something to hide. Yasay has quite a story to tell. He says the passport mess can be traced to the time of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Del Rosario, his predecessor. Yasay narrated on his online account that the problem started when the DFA, in 2015, awarded the printing of electronic passports to APO Production Unit Inc. (APUI) despite an existing agreement between the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Francois-Charles Oberthur Fiduciare (FCOF) of France. According to Yasay, the BSP and the DFA on Aug. 1, 2006 entered into a memorandum
of agreement (MOA) covering the procurement and centralized production of machinereadable electronic passports (MREP) in compliance with the standards required by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This was during the time of GMA. In the implementation of its obligations under the MOA, the BSP awarded through bidding the main part of the project to FCOF. “On Oct. 5, 2015 (during the time of President Benigno Aquino 3rd) while the FCOF contract with BSP was subsisting and even as the MREP made by FCOF continued to be fully compliant with the standards of ICAO, the DFA awarded the production of a new e-Passport system to APO Production Unit Inc., a government printing facility without bidding on condition that no part of the contract can be subcontracted or assigned to a private printer,” Yasay said. “In violation of this condition, APUI engaged the services of the United Graphic Expression Corporation for the production of the new e-passports,” he added. Yasay said he tried during his
time to restore the BSP contract on the instructions of President Duterte, but he says powerful members of Congress (who happened to be members of the Commission on Appointments) stopped him. More investigations The Department of National Defense (DND) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) have likewise assured the public that they will investigate. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also branded the reported data fiasco as alarming, citing the possibility that the information lost could be used illegally. “If true, then it is a very grave security concern and is quite alarming. These are personal information such as full name, date and place of birth and other information that could be used illegally,” he said. “We will get in touch with the DFA to find out the details of this issue and how to mitigate its ill effect.” The privacy commission plans to ask DFA officials to submit to a probe, adding it will also summon the alleged passport contractor. “Any form of non-availability of personal data, infringement of the rights of data subjects
and harms from processing that include inconveniencing the public, must be adequately explained to the satisfaction of the law,” NPC Commissioner Raymund Enriquez Liboro said. The NPC will conduct its own investigation on the grounds that “a private contractor has caused the non-availability of Filipino passport data and other documents entrusted to it for processing.” Expediting passports The more the investigations, the less clarity there is to the passport breach at this stage. The perpetrators of this fraud still have to be unmasked. The only thing worse that can happen is for Congress to take over the investigation. Meanwhile, there is a ray of light in Secretary Locsin’s declaration that he wants the processing of passports expedited. “I just want passports quickened by doing away with any requirement but a prior passport. Anything else is the Senate’s and DoJ’s (Department of Justice) job,” he stated. If I can get my new passport without having to produce my birth certificate all over again, I may pronounce this issue dead. (ManilaTimes.net)
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DAteline PhiliPPines
JANUARY 18-24, 2019
A
Davao court denies hold departure plea to block Trillanes’ trips abroad by Nathalie
Robles
AJPress
Tourists and their pets enjoy the waters and sights offered by Boracay as the resort island in Aklan province welcomes visitors after a sixmonth rehabilitation. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez
Tourism department clears 305 establishments to operate in Boracay by AJPress THE Department of Tourism (DOT) announced on Tuesday, January 12, that there are now 305 hotels and resorts accredited to open and operate in the Boracay Island, almost three months after the famous tourist destination was shut down for rehabilitation. In a Facebook post, the tourism department said that there are a total of 10,982 rooms available for tourists and travelers who plan to visit the world-renowned spot in Malay, Aklan. The department also urged the public to stay and check-in on hotels and resorts that are compliant to the environmental rules and regulations of the local government. The Boracay Inter-Agency
Task Force named all 305 establishments that are legally cleared to accept bookings and reservations. Majority of the compliant hotels and resorts are situated in Barangay Yapak. Among the largest establishments that abide with the standards are Fairways and Bluewater Resort with 700 rooms, Savoy Hotel Boracay with 559 rooms, Paradise Garden Resort Hotel and Convention Center with 463 rooms, Alta Vista de Boracay with 408 rooms and Movenpick Resort and Spa Boracay with 312 rooms. Three government agencies are in charge of the screening, securing and issuing of permits and clearances for all accommodation establishments. The said hotels and resorts had to acquire such from DOT, Department of
TUCP files wage hike petitions nationwide after rise in food, oil by AJPress Amid the rise in prices of food and services due to the implementation of the second tranche of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, petitions for a wage increase are being filed by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) before various regional wage boards across the country. TUCP on Tuesday, January 15, said it may petition for a minimum of P313 to a maximum of P355 wage increase despite strong opposition from employers and business groups. This is based on its computation as well as the current prices of commodities and services. According to TUCP President Raymond Mendoza, the group was monitoring the movement of prices of goods and services following adjustments in the prices of diesel and gasoline effective earlier on Tuesday. “We will be citing supervening conditions in filing the petitions. We are also going to test once again the capacity of the wage boards to remain relevant with its mandate to raise the minimum wage to an amount that can ably support a family,” he said. Mendoza also said TUCP was strongly urged by its members and social media citizens to push for the abolition of differentiated wage rates and put up a single wage setting body that would
periodically adjust the uniform minimum wage rate for all workers across-the-board nationwide using social and economic data in determining the amount. In 2017, all 17 wage boards in different regions have adjusted the minimum wage rates from P8.50 to P56 daily wage increases, including Metro Manila with P25 daily wage hike on November 2018. However, TUCP said that the current minimum wage levels, despite the adjustments, are still inadequate for workers and their families as inflation rate still stood at a high 6.7 percent. It also urged President Rodrigo Duterte to approve its proposed P500 monthly food voucher subsidy to all minimum wage earners as the pay increases approved by businesses and employers nationwide remained inadequate to subsist on due to the extraordinary rise in the prices of goods and services. The proposal, which was submitted to to Duterte on April 2017, urged the government to address the continuing inflationary impacts by providing a P500 monthly food voucher, nontransferable subsidy initially to an estimated 4 million minimum wage workers. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, for his part, only endorsed P200 to Duterte last June and is still pending approval from the Departments of Budget and Management and of Finance. n
Duterte to respect people’s will on Bangsamoro law — Palace by Ritchel
MeNdiola AJPress
MALACAñANG on Monday, January 14 said President Rodrigo Duterte would respect the “people’s call” on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). This announcement comes a week before a plebiscite in parts of Mindanao on whether or not to ratify the measure. “What is important and certain is that the president will abide by whatever the will of the sovereign people in that part of this country is,” said presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a Palace briefing. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also said Duterte, in support of the BOL, would join a rally in Cotabato on January 18. However, Panelo has not confirmed whether or not the president would attend that event. “Well, certainly, the voice of the President is always a powerful influence on whatever matter he gives his voice into,” he added. When asked if the president would campaign for the ratification of BOL, Panelo answered: “If he feels that there is a need
[then] he will campaign for that. If he feels that it will win, whether even without his calling for voters to support it, he will not.” “The president [is] best judge of what will be the outcome of this plebiscite. He will make a move if he thinks he should. He won’t sit and just watch if he feels kailangan (if he feels needed),” he added. The BOL seeks to replace the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which would have greater fiscal autonomy, a regional government, parliament, and justice system. The proposed region would be composed of the current ARMM which are Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur. The BOL also seeks to include six municipalities of Lanao del Norte and 39 barangays of North Cotabato in the Bangsamoro, provided that the province and their municipalities, respectively, vote for it. The plebiscite to ratify the bill will be held on January 21. n
the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) before they could be allowed to operate in Boracay. The major local tourist destination was recently reopened on October 26, 2018, after it went through a six-month closure in order to resolve its sewage and environmental problems following President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement calling Boracay a “cesspool”. n
THE Davao Regional Court Branch 54 on Tuesday, January 15, denied the request of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue a hold departure order against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for his libel case filed by presidential son Paolo Duterte. The Davao court rejected the motion after the opposition senator attended the arraignment and pleaded not guilty on the case filed by the former Davao City vice mayor and his brother-in-law Manases “Mans” Carpio. “Nag-plea ako ng not guilty sa apat. Mga harassment cases lang ito talaga just to inconvenience me, para ma-distract ako (I plead not guilty on all four counts. These are all just harassment cases to inconvenience me, to distract me),” Trillanes said as reported by CNN Philippines. Duterte and Carpio filed the libel charges against Trillanes after he accused them during a 2017 interview in Cebu City of extorting money from the ridehailing firm Uber. “All the incredible lies Mr. Trillanes has invented to destroy me and my family are finally catching up with him. We all know that Trillanes is a pathological liar and today marks the beginning of our search for the
Supporters of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV gathered on Tuesday, January 15 during the arraignment of the solon’s libel case at Davao City Hall of Justice. Inquirer.net photo by Barry Ohaylan
truth and justice,” the former vice mayor said as reported by The Philippine Star. Despite the junked hold departure plea, the court ordered Trillanes to stay in the Philippines from January 27 to February 10. The senator was also asked to present his itinerary and trip details. Although Trillanes was declared persona non grata for describing the city as “the most dangerous city in the Philippines,” the senator still arrived at 5:40 am in the city, boarding a Philippine Airlines flight, to personally post a P24,000 bail for each count of libel.
The senator said that he was “surprised” that the people in the hometown of the presidential family welcomed him warmly. However, he noted that declaring him as persona-non-grata was nothing more than a political move. “It was a political move of the Davao City council, the personanon-grata (declaration), but I am glad of the warm welcome I received here in this city. The world turns. Time will come when challenges confront them. They should be ready also,” Trillanes said. However, presidential spokesPAGE A8
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Survey: Self-rated poverty in PH drops by 2 percent by AJPress
THE latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed that the number of Filipino families who consider themselves poor significantly dropped from the previous quarter’s 52 percent to the latest 50 percent. “The proportion of self-rated poor families was at 42 percent in march 2018. It rose by six points to 48 percent in June, and by four points to 52 percent in September. It subsided by two points to 50 percent in December,” the polling firm said as reported by The Manila Times. It added, “Nevertheless, the resulting average self-rated povAPPEAL FOR HELP. Cristal Allera (holding mobile phone), wife of 2nd Officer Claro Allera, shows the photo of her husband who is among the 20 erty rate of 48 percent for 2018 is sailors detained in Libya, during a press conference in Malate, Manila on Tuesday, January 15. Allera and six other Filipino sailors were aboard two points above the average 46 the MT Levante, which was seized by the Libyan Coast Guard on suspicion of oil smuggling in August 2017. PNA photo by Joey Razon percent in 2017 and four points above record-low average of 44 percent in 2016. This is the second consecutive increase in the annual self-rated poverty rate since 2016.” Following the survey results, the Palace welcomed the rating by Ryan MacaseRo Philstar.com drop. Presidential Spokesperson maNILa — The camp of Vice Salvador Panelo attributed the President Leni Robredo said the latest petition for a technical examination of votes in parts of mindanao was her losing rival Ferdinand marcos Jr. “desperby KRisTine Joy PaTag ately trying to save his dying Philstar.com election protest.” Robredo’s lawyers Romulo maNILa — another group macalintal and Bernadette Sarof opposition lawmakers on dillo released to the media their Wednesday challenged faccounter-manifestation to martual basis of President Rodrigo cos’ petition, which they filed on Duterte’s third extension of marJanuary 14, on Thursday, Janutial law in mindanao before the ary 17. Supreme Court. marcos asked the Presidential Vice President Leni Robredo Philstar.com photo Reps. Carlos Zarate (Bayan Electoral Tribunal in a petition muna partylist), Emmi De Jesus dated December 10 to introduce clustered precincts in aRmm nullify votes in November 2017, and arlene Brosas (Gabriela parthe technical examination of which marcos tries to project an due to alleged “widespread tylist), ariel Casilao (anakpawis votes from the provinces of ma- image as if the said technical ex- cheating.” To these petitions, partylist), antonio Tinio and guindanao, Lanao del Sur and amination already covered all the PET ruled to defer action until a France Castro (aCT Teachers Basilan. clustered precincts of aRmm,” recount is completed in the three partylist) and Sarah Elago (KaIn the petition, marcos asked the lawyer said during a press pilot provinces already approved bataan partylist) asked the SC the PET to subpoena relevant conference on Thursday after- for recount. to declare Duterte’s year-long documents in connection with noon. according to macalintal, after extension of martial law in the the technical examination conThe recount of the said pilot the PET upheld the 25 percent southern region as unconstituducted in an unrelated election provinces, where marcos’ al- threshold ruling in the recount, tional. protest filed by autonomous leges voting fraud took place, be- marcos “even suffered losses of This is the second challenge Region of muslim mindanao gu- gan last april. It is the first elec- votes” in several municipalities. to Duterte’s extension of martial bernatorial candidate Sakur Tan tion protest of the PET to reach In addition to a technical ex- law in mindanao until the end of against aRmm Regional Gover- the recount level under the 1987 amination, marcos’ petition also 2019. nor mujiv Hataman. asks the PET to subpoena the Constitution. The lawmakers argued that the Robredo’s lawyer Romulo mamarcos’ December 10 petition relevant documents from Come- government “has failed to allege calintal decried the use of the asks PET to look at the thumb- lec and investigate chairman and and prove that this specific pubexamination from an election prints on the voters’ registration members of the Board of Elec- lic safety requirement has been protest unrelated to the one filed records of all the clustered pre- tion Inspectors. fulfilled.” by marcos. macalintal called the marcos’ cincts in Tan’s protest. “[That] case has nothing to according to a report in the motion to investigate BEI memdo with the election protest of manila Standard, former Sulu bers “premature.” marcos now being heard by the Governor abdusakur Tan alleged “The parties are not parties PET,” macalintal said. “Robredo that 80 percent of the voters in in the Tan case, hence it is not PAGE A7 was not a party thereof nor was the aRmm were “fake.” for PET to direct the Comelec to marcos.” macalintal called the petition make such investigation of its of- person Salvador Panelo believed that the senator’s retort only The pilot provinces petitioned marcos’ “desperate attempt ficials,” he said. and approved for ongoing vice to circumvent the rules of the Robredo’s lawyers said in the proved to be false confidence. presidential recount only include Presidential Election Tribunal petition that “marcos is bound He claimed that such statements precincts in Camarines Sur, Iloilo (PET).” by his choice.” They added, “His coming from Trillanes are a faand Negros Oriental. marcos’ had already peti- election protest will rise or fall on cade to hide the fact that the sena“Furthermore, the technical ex- tioned PET twice, first for a tech- his designated pilot provinces of tor is afraid to serve jail time. But malacañang claimed amination covered only 200 clus- nical examination in areas in Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Trillanes was afraid to return to tered precincts out of the 2,834 aRmm in august 2017, then to Oriental.” n
Robredo camp says Marcos ‘skirting rules’ with petition to examine ARMM precincts
progress to President Rodrigo Duterte’s programs and policies to curb the negative effects of inflation among the Filipino people. “The Palace welcomes the December 2018 survey on selfrated poverty conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) indicating that 50 (percent) of Filipino families consider themselves as “mahirap”, a drop from September 2018’s 52 (percent),” Panelo said in a press briefing. He noted the president’s “tireless efforts” to address the inflation issues surrounding basic goods and commodities. However, in a report from The Philippine Star, the chief executive’s legal counsel also pointed out that even with such “positive development,” the 50 percent self-rated “poverty among Filipinos is still high.” “Our economic managers are vigorously pursuing policies and programs geared towards reducing the poverty level and propelling the country’s economic development to a degree satisfactory to the administration’s goal of not only giving our
countrymen comfortable lives but putting our country at par with our fast developing industrialized asian neighbors,” the Palace spokesman added. The survey was conducted among 1,440 adults respondents or estimated 11.6 million families, from December 16 to 19. Self-rated food poverty measures the proportion of respondents rating the food their family eats as poor or mahirap. Out of the 50 percent, or the 720 respondents who considered themselves poor, 37 percent claimed that they were “always poor,” while the remaining 13 percent said that they only slipped into poverty. From the other half of the respondents who do not consider themselves poor, 27 percent said they have never experienced poverty, while the remaining 15 percent said that they pulled themselves out of poverty. SWS said the median self-rated poverty threshold – the monthly budget that a poor household needs for home expenses in order not to consider itself poor in general – is P10,000. n
Another challenge vs martial extension filed They also recalled that Duterte, in his letter to the Congress requesting for the extension, said that the narration of factual averments “merely illustrates in general terms the continuing rebellion in mindanao.” The solons said president promised to submit a more detailed report to support their statement of continuing rebellion in mindanao but when they convened for a special joint session, “no such detailed report or any other report was given to the members of Congress.” They also argued that the incidents that supposedly show rebellion do not endanger public safety as a ground to impose martial law under the Constitution. “The letter does not allege that the situation has deteriorated that the civilian government no longer functions effectively requiring the exercise of the powers of martial rule to ensure public safety,” they added. Oral arguments next week The SC en banc has earlier set
Lagman’s petition against martial law extension for oral arguments on January 22 and 23. Solicitor General Jose Calida, representing the government respondents, filed his comment on the petition on Tuesday. The government’s chief lawyer insisted that rebellion still exists. “The issue of whether such rebellion persists had been determined by the executive department and approved by the legislative department, two of the three co-equal branches of the government,” the government’s comment read. The SC, meanwhile, also moved to implead both Houses of the Congress in the petition filed by Lagman. The court also ordered the Congress to file its answer on the pending plea within five days. While the court, in an advisory, said that it would dispense with the preliminary conference of the case initially set on Thursday, it said that the oral arguments would push through next week. n
Davao court denies hold departure plea to... jail and was only making it appear that he was ready to face the charges against him. “(Trillanes) said I’m here to face the challenge, meaning he could have chosen not to go there. He was making it appear that he was there to accept the challenge. my response to him is: you have no choice. If you did not go (to Davao
City), you would be arrested immediately,” Panelo said “The problem with this guy is, he pompously claims to be unafraid of the criminal charges against him and yet his body language, his rantings against the president show the opposite. He is in mortal fear of going back to jail,” he added. n
A soul brother and a dear friend has gone ahead: The Benjie Lim I know by MelandRew
T. Velasco
I am lost for words to express my sadness on the passing of former Dagupan City mayor Benjie “BSL” Lim. my friendship with BSL goes way back to my Dagupan “Bangus” Jaycee days in the late 80s mentored by elders and dear friends like Tito meneses, Elmer Lorica, Paul Francis Co, the late Larry Cabuang and Oscar arcinue whose restaurant used to be the hub and meeting place of DBJ. Of course, BSL was the star of our club who went on to become Philippine JCI National President in 1990 (a feat duplicated by his son Brian Lim who became JCI Philippines NP in 2015 and as JCI World President in 2018). Together with another Dagupan Jaycee stalwart, then Vice mayor al Fernandez, the two combined forces to rally the people of Dagupan in the aftermath of the July 16, 1990 earthquake. When Pangasinan’s FaVoRite son — Fidel Valdez Ramos — ran for president in 1992, Benjie Lim rallied our provincemates crafting the slogan “Cabalayen co. aroen co. Natan Labat Pangasinan” while at the same time serving as provincial campaign manager. President Ramos appointed BSL as Duty Free Philippines (DFP) general manager. a seasoned and innovative marketing man, BSL steered DFP to world’s No. 4 and among the top revenue earners in the Ramos administration. Unknown to many, I declined BSL’s offer four times to join him at Duty Free and I chose to stay in Dagupan and Pangasinan to work for mayor al Fernandez and then with then Provincial Police Director Col. amado T. Espino Jr. who went on to become Congressman and Governor of Pangasinan. During his stint at Duty Free, BSL occasionally invited me to dinner and karaoke in some wa-
tering holes in makati joined in by his fellow officials the likes of Emmy Bamba, Enchong Formoso, Tito meneses, among others. It was in 1997 when BSL consulted me about his possible foray in politics. I advised him to run for Congress in 1998, a post to be vacated by then House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. There were about eight congressional aspirants at that time with BSL lagging behind at the bottom in the survey. When he finally decided to run for Congress, I was part of the core group that managed his campaign working with Emmy Bamba, Raffy Baraan, Nestor Zabala, Jose Siy, among others. BSL won convincingly as he regaled the voters with his golden voice serenading them with his signature campaign song “Cuando, Cuando.” In 2001, with JDV seeking his old post in Congress, Dagupan leaders entered into a modus vivendi: JDV for Congress, BSL for city mayor and al Fernandez to DILG. Thus, LiFe was born or the Lim-Fernandez tandem which I helped broker to include the entry of alvin Fernandez as BSL’s running mate. The new 2019 LiFe version is the tandem of Vice mayor Brian Lim and alfie Fernandez. as an “outsider” not belonging to the established political clans in Dagupan, BSL shattered the glass ceiling in Dagupan politics and in the process, becoming the first Chinoy to be elected as city mayor. as Dagupan City mayor, BSL made a great impact starting off with a strategic planning among all stakeholders. I advised mBSL that we visit Dagupenos in america. at first, he was reluctant saying that our overseas citymates might not receive or accept him well. Owing to his natural charm and sincere persona, BSL eventually captured the hearts and minds of US based Dagupenos as we re-launched Pawil Dagupan starting off with the awarding of “Pillars of Dagupan.” mBSL ap-
pointed me as Special Envoy to overseas Dagupenos as one peso a year city official. We also successfully forged the sisterhood pact between the cities of milpitas and Dagupan with then City mayor Joe Esteves, a noble project and partnership continued until today capped by reciprocal visits and continuing study tours in the US among young Dagupenos. I was also part in conceptualizing with BSL the “Bangus Festival” anchored on his vision to make the famous milkfish as a regular and favorite dish similar to Norwegian salmon. Looking back, it was a privilege working with the late manny Yao, Dea Que, Raffy B and Emy B that all efforts paid off with the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest barbecue grill in the world. In the 2004 presidential elections, mBSL defied the odds as we both supported Philippine movie king and Pangasinense Fernando Poe Jr. He even served as the “waiter” for both FVR and FPJ when the two leaders met privately at the house of William Tieng at Forbes Park in December 2003. FPJ won a moral victory in Pangasinan with mBSL becoming a supporter and in the process became close to ms. Susan Roces and now Sen. Grace Poe when they both served as guests in the april 2004 Bangus Festival. Our journey together continued when FPJ passed away on December 14, 2004 and served as opposition when “Hello Garci” broke out. One unforgettable experience was when he boldly allowed the staging of anti-Gma rally at the city plaza bannered by Susan Roces, a move that further earned the ire of Palace tenants and their operatives. In 2007, against the wishes of mBSL’s city hall officials and staff with still one more term as city mayor, he ran for Congress against Speaker JDV. It was a bruising fight in Pangasinan’s fourth district. Being quixotic
ourselves, mBSL and I believed in our hearts that he could beat JDV. Even FVR was against BSL running against JDV. Hours after the canvassing of votes, I received a call from mBSL saying: “mTV, we did not make it this time.” my terse reply was: “ Don’t worry. They will have their comeuppance in the near future.” election report in Dagupan. after reading my report, FVR said: “ang titigas ng ulo niyo ni Benjie. I told you not to fight JDV. What now. Can you both eat and live your principles?” after his defeat in the 2007 elections, BSL focused on his core business leading magic Group of Companies to expansion and greater heights. In December 2009, BSL informed me that he was filing his mayoralty bid in Dagupan with manang Celia running for Congress against manay Gina. Truth to tell, BSL was a reluctant mayoralty candidate as he would be pitted against a common dear friend then incumbent mayor al Fernandez. In fact, I was brokering for an al Fernandez-Brian Lim tandem in 2010. mayor al was open to the idea at first until plans changed in the last minute with established political clans uniting again to thwart Benjie’s bid. When BSL sought my opinion, I told him: “Listen to the voice and hankerings of the people. No matter what you’ll do, if destiny calls, you cannot go against the WILL OF THE WIND and you will once again become mayor of Dagupan.” In 2013, I was not much of a help to mBSL in his fight against now incumbent mayor Belen Fernandez due to my busy schedule in manila. When I visited him at his campaign headquarters at magic Guilig corporate office, mBSL told me: “mTV, this is the most expensive marketing expense for me to be running against a business rival. But I am enjoying it. Tough it may seem, just help me with your friends
Former Dagupan City Mayor Benjie “BSL” Lim
at PNP who have made it hard for me to campaign.” I tried to reach out to then Pangasinan PD marlo Chan to go easy in Dagupan and loosen up for mBSL. Unfortunately, my good friend General marlo did not heed my plea as he was following orders all the way from the Palace to insure the victory of mar Roxas’ supporters including then the Dagupan Vm. Then the unexpected happened on the eve of may 2013 elections as mBSL suffered a life-threatening stroke that needed three operations, one at Villaflor Hospital and two at makati medical Center. all these years, I had several nights dreaming about a healthy BSL. I have always kept and considered him as a soul brother and a dear friend as we shared many memories together. He was humble enough to mine my wisdom and advices despite our 12-year age gap. as a friend, he was always there for me during my birthday celebrations and other special family occasions.
One of the most poignant memories was his dedicated song for me on my birthday in 2011 at Brother’s moustache singing James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend.” I know that many of BSL’s friends have their own stories to tell about his kindness, good heart, friendship, sincerity and other attributes to remember the man. Just the like the rest, I mourn his loss, celebrate his life and legacy and remember his memory with gratitude. To conclude this tribute, let me share this wonderful thought on friendship written by amy marie Walz: “We all lose friends. We lose them in death, to distance and over time. But even though they may be lost, hope is not. The key is to keep them in your heart and memory.” Farewell and thank you BSL. Rest now in God’s loving arms and may you continue weaving magic to many of us you have left behind. Indeed, LiFe goes on and so with the people of Dagupan. n
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Palace on ‘word war’ between Duterte, Church: Let it be by Ryan
MacaseRo Philstar.com
MANILA — What would it take to end the “word war” between President Rodrigo Duterte and the Catholic Church? “According to Bishop Soc (Villegas) it does not affect the church. Eh di wala (so nothing),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo told Malacañang reporters on Thursday, January 17. “They’re just engaged in polemics.” Duterte began stepping up his criticism of the Church in 2017 and in 2018, attacking the Church has become a part of almost every public speech of the president. Lingayan-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, former Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president, told DZMM in an interview Wednes-
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo
In his past speeches, Duterte has accused bishops of living luxurious lifestyles, womanizing, corruption, among other accusations. While Catholic Church leaders often hit the president for the war on drugs, alleged human rights abuses and violent rhetoric. Duterte frequently brings book “Altar of Secrets” by investigative journalist Aries Rufo to public events — a book brought to light alleged corruption and sex scandals in the Philippine Catholic Church — to make his point about his belief that the Church is being hypocritical when it criticizes his administration. Duterte said last week that he is “willing to be crucified” if priests could dispute allegations in Rufo’s book. Rufo was a practicing Catholic and senior investigative reporter at news site Rappler before his sudden passing in 2015. He wrote in an essay for news site Union of Asian Catholic News in 2013 that he did not write the book to “destroy” the Church as some hardline Catholics had accused him of in the past. “We try to portray a Church that is divine and human as well, a local Church trying its best to institute reforms. Taking baby steps to respond to the changing times without compromising its principles and dogma,” he said. While Panelo did not say they wished to censor the Church he said, “if you are men of the cloth, your real job is supposed to be the spiritual awakening of the faithful. Don’t meddle in the things the state does for the betPhilstar.com photo terment of the country.” n
day night, “I am more worried for the president than the Church.” “Because the Church has been there for 2,000 years guided by God, that is our faith,” Villegas said. “The Church has gone through more challenges within those 2,000 years.” The archbishop and outspoken critic of Duterte said, “I’m worried about our president, because it’s not good for his health and stature.” In the end, Villegas said, “it will be he who is the victim and not the Church.” Panelo then suggested that the public should let the “word war” be. “The president cannot be stopped from speaking his mind on any particular matter, to his mind it is important,” the spokesperson said. “In the same way, you cannot stop the bishops from speaking for themselves. Regardless of what they say,” he added.
FORENSIC KIT TURNOVER. South Korean National Police’s Foreign Affairs Bureau Director General, Park Hwa Jin (left), hands over 120 units of forensic kits to Philippine National Police Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde (2nd from left) during the ceremonial turnover held at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Monday, January 14. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
Trillanes schools Locsin: Focus on work, stay off Twitter by PatRicia LouRdes Philstar.com
ViRay
MANILA — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday, January 17 advised Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to tone down his social media use following the passport data breach in his agency. Last week, Locsin revealed on Twitter that a contractor supposedly ran away with personal data of passport holders, prompting the Department of Foreign Affairs to require those renewing their passports to submit their birth certificates. The DFA later on released a
statement clarifying that there was no breach in passport data as assured by APO Production Unit. “One unsolicited advice for Secretary Locsin is to focus on his work being the top diplomat of the country and lessen social media use for now because he is not campaigning, he is not an elected official. He is a diplomat so he is supposed to be different from us elected officials,” Trillanes said during the Kapihan sa Senado forum. Trillanes added that Locsin has raised concerns among passport applicants due to his overuse of social media, particularly Twitter. The senator said the DFA chief should have researched about the issue first before announcing it on social media. “He is too immersed on social media, on Twitter in particular and he answers the commmentaries there,” Trillanes said. Locsin should instead use his Twitter account for good news and policies, not for “tit for tat,” the senator said, adding that social media becomes a distraction for the secretary. “In this particular case, he said somethong without fully knowing the situation,” the senator said.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. Philstar.com photo
Trillanes and Sen. Risa Hontiveros have filed resolutions calling for a Senate inquiry into the passport data mess. Asked if the Senate investigation would push through, Trillanes said it would depend on the concerned Senate committee. Last Tuesday, the DFA said only a Senate investigation “will assure the public that there was no breach or loss of data.” Locsin, meanwhile, signed an order removing the submission of birth certificates as a requirement for passport renewal. n
DOH: It’s time to talk about, address depression MANILA — Depression is a serious health condition that needs to be talked about and addressed, the Department of Health reminded the public on Thursday, January 17. “In the Philippines, 3.3 million Filipinos suffer from depressive disorders, with suicide rates in 2.5 males and 1.7 males per 100,000,” the DOH said in a statement issued a day after the apparent suicide of Razorback drummer Brian Velasco. “We need to start talking about depression to end the stigma surrounding mental health because, when left unattended, it can lead to suicide,” it also said. The DOH noted that, according to the World Health Organization, 800,000 people die each year due to suicide. “To those in need of help, we have a 24-hour toll-free suicide prevention hotline. You can call (02)804-4673; 0917-5584673 or send an SMS to 2919 for Globe and TM subscribers,” the Health department also said. Mental health in the Philippines The Philippines passed the Mental Health Act, which is meant to help protect the rights and welfare of people with mental health conditions, shift focus of care to the community and improve access to services, in June 2018. The Palace, commenting on the passage of the law, said that the implementation of a mental health policy “will help neutralize the stigma attached to mental illness.” Sen. Risa Hontiveros, one of the authors of the bill, said then that the law will help provide mental health services to barangays and “integrate psychiatric and psychosocial and neurologic services in regional, provincial
and tertiary hospitals, improve our mental healthcare facilities and promote mental health education in our schools and workplaces.” Awareness of mental health issues is not widespread in the Philippines, where conditions like depression is sometimes made fodder for jokes and insults. In September 2018, mental health advocates called out video blogger Drew Olivar remarked that students of the University of the Philippines should kill themselves to thin their numbers. The comment had been addressed to UP students critical of the government. “It is but just to demand that we give the topics suicide and self harm the appropriate seriousness and sobriety they deserve,” Raymond John Naguit, national chairperson of Youth for Mental Health,said then. Youth for Mental Health was among the advocacy groups that pushed for passage of the Mental Health Act. In 2017, comedian Joey De Leon was criticized online for commenting that depression is just “made up” and that depressed people only have themselves to blame. He apologized for the comment. Velasco’s death trended on social media because of fans and supporters extending their sympathies to the families, but also because of a reported video related to the death. In its statement on Thursday, the Department of Health said that it is aware of the existence of the video. “We request for the public to stop sharing this tragic video and respect the family who are still grieving and in pain due to this unfortunate event,” it said. (Jonathan de Santos/Philstar. com)
In this file photo, mental health advocates campaign for passage of the Mental Health Act, which was passed into law in June 2018. Philstar.com photo
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38th Annual Asian American Expo in Pomona, CA BOBBY T. YALONG BEING a mother is virtually a never-ending career…much more when one is solely raising her children while simultaneously keeping the house in a perfect setting and working doubly hard to make both ends pull off with effectual end results. Once adept with an unflinching dedication to prioritize her kids, a single mom tends to unmindfully ditch her personal needs and wants all for the sake of them. It is unfeasible to count or gauge the ways a mother could express her utmost concern and unconditional love for her children. Her hard-working hours to take home all her children’s needs won’t be sufficient to evenly quantify the best care she could give them. “That was why I always see to it that my free time, regardless how short, would be spent with my two kids to make them feel the very essence of my affection and fondness being a mom. I won’t even trade these significantly essential moments with any enticing instance either with friends or colleagues,” Karmita Valentino Quiogue, an obsessively zealous beauty advocate and Licensed Medical Aesthetician, candidly shared in her own accord. “Single parenting, for me is the most empowering thing I have ever done where every bit of sacrifice further supplements my focus and drive,” she added sounding pitiable but with strong conviction. “Despite the many temptations around nothing could distort my focus in working hard while simultaneously raising a family.” Meeting Mita (as she’s fondly addressed by friends) face to face allowed me to closely scrutinize her innately charming persona equipped with a well-mannered deportment and notable eloquence… yes, she’s impressively witty! Looking more of a petite size model than a businesswoman and single mom, the zealously active working young matriarch never fails to squeeze into her busy schedule her own personal beauty regimen so as not to be a virtual recluse or out-of-fashion… since her business is within the glitz-and-glam circle. It wasn’t actually answering the call of her business acumen or the profiting power of the trending fashion that lured Mita to join the bandwagon of mushrooming skin specialists and daringly ventured into such profession. It was her innate passion to be instrumental inthe positive and intrinsic feeling of joy associated with having a clear and rejuvenated epidermal appeal. “I have always dreamt to be out there with a business of my own,” the petite Manileña openly stated with strong conviction. The youngest among the three offsprings of Felicisimo (Fil-Chinese) and Lydia Quiogue (Fil-Italian), the Aries-born idealist preferred and aimed for precision to get accomplished. “Since childhood I was never engrossed in comic magazines or any reading matter but business books. I guess my brain has already absorbed everything I’d certainly appreciate and enjoy working on.” “I gained a lot from my researches, took in consideration vital points, and incorporate them into my everyday routine. I’ve always wanted to be a boss… not the really bossy type but a compassionate one,” the charismatic corporate bibliophile specified. Her being aptly armed with a business degree from La Salle St. Benilde even made her stand stronger and firmer. Although she was briefly affiliated with a commercial establishment just for the experience, her ultimate obsession to endeavor into business remained stable. “What makes people succeed is obsession. Isn’t it that successful people made it because they found their passion and became obsessed with it,” Mita wittingly alleged before taking a cautious sip of her lightly creamed coffee. Intriguing that she might seem but the clever lady (who looks radiant in her creamy beige pants and cropped blazer ensemble) knows exactly what’s she was talking about and could readily expound the subject when queried. Knowledgeable on a variety of subjects, Mita maintains a cool and serene composure.
The 38th annual Asian American Expo will be held on Saturday, January 19 and January 20 at the Pomona Fairplex (2705 Fairplex Dr. Pomona, California 91768). The Asian American Expo features 6 large expositions, 1,000+ vendors, 9 non-stop performing stages, and 3 separately unique food courts. Attendees from all different ethnic and work backgrounds, from both local and international are bound to be at the Expo. The Asian American Expo is hosted at the beginning of each year to celebrate the coming of the Lunar New Year Festival, with the goal recreating the New Year celebrations found across Asia at this time of the year. Food, shopping, entertainment and fun – these are all annual staples that can be found at each year’s event. The hours for both Saturday and Sunday are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are $11/day for adults (age 13 to 65) and $9 / day for seniors (above 65) and children (under 13). For more information, please visit http://www.asianamericanexpo.com/.
At home with her kids... stress reliever
JA N UA RY 1 9
Sto. Niño celebration at St. Finbar Church in Burbank, CA Please join us for Sinulog on January 19, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Finbar Church (2010 W Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91506). Bring your statues of the Infant Jesus. Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m.
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 Mita with her self-formulated skin products
The best advertiser is herself
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA
The skincare specialist is unquestionably a fashionista
Off from the clinic...into the fashion scene
For our intimate interview one chilly Saturday afternoon at the historic century-and-a-half-old New York Athletic Club, this writer prepared a series of questionnaires for our readers to fully comprehend and identify who the real Mita Quiogue is… which she sensibly responded while we found a cozy nook at the second floor overlooking the pool. AJ: Personally, what is your skincare routine? Do you apply the same to your patients? MQ: I’m into natural process. Good that I was gifted with a fine skin. (She pauses trying to grasp the right words to say). Well, I normally wash my face with soap and water… apply toner and moisturizer… and sunblock when going out, especially during summer. AJ: Have you encountered an overly emotional and distressed patient due to her skin problem? MQ: Almost often especially those who felt apprehensiveand insecure… afraid their boyfriends or husbands won’t find them attractive anymore. At times I felt like a psychiatrist listening to their woes… but once they’re given assurance, they regain confidence. AJ: How private are your case records? MQ: We adhere to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and that all patient records are kept private with strict confidentiality. Actually I’m the only one who has access to the file. AJ: What steps or measures do you take for career development? MQ: I attend up-dating seminars and workshops, keep abreast of the latest technology and treatment methods, and keep tract of my patients’ development and progress. AJ: How do you manage workplace stress? Professional intrigues? MQ: With stress, I constantly play it cool by just looking forward to going home to my kids… my stress reliever! Well, with intrigues… that will always surface especially when one is progressive. I merely consider them my source of strength to strive better in what I do. I divert my attention on more valuable things. I don’t give a damn with what they say behind my back as long as I don’t hurt anyone. AJ: Where do you see yourself in five years? How about in 10 years? MQ: I’m taking everything in stride but progressively that I’m seeing a great number of franchises in five years. It’s not all about the money that I’m after but the legacy that I’ll be leaving behind. Then, hopefully, after ten years I will be a billionaire… and maybe do my part in sharing and giving back. AJ: Were there regrets having had ventured in this kind of business? MQ: I’m a very optimistic per-
son… this is what I really wanted and I’m enjoying it…or else I won’t last long in this business. AJ: If in any reason you need to abandon this business or change a career path, what would it be? MQ: Although that probability is remote, I would say, real estate. I want to be a real estate developer. AJ: Regarding family life, how do you manage time between home and business? MQ: It’s always time management and I don’t want to micromanage everything. The technique is delegation but it’s always a personal thing when it comes to my children. Although at times I can say I cannot be a good housewife as I’m always on the go…but there will always be time for my kids. Quality time makes up for my absence. AJ: Would you encourage your daughter to follow your footsteps? MQ: Actually, she’s already leaning towards it. She’s now enrolled learning the rudiments of healthcare and dermatology… and I’m confident enough that I’ll have a trusted successor. AJ: Is it vanity for guys to be conscious about their skin? MQ: No, men should also be aware about maintaining a good skin just like women. In this age of metrosexual setting I find men even more conscious about the way they look. Slowly the number of male patients is getting at par with their female counterparts. AJ: How do you reward yourself? MQ: (She blurted out a crispy laugh before giving her reply). You won’t believe it but my most magnificent obsession is practical and inexpensive… I just want to sleep and get a lot of it. That’s one thing I was deprived of lately. If I could only hire somebody to sleep for me that would be even much more rewarding. AJ: What’s your free time like? MQ: Just with my kids…I try to make up for the times I wasn’t with them. I may not be a good wife but I could certainly be the best mother. I can also cook! You won’t believe it but my special culinary talent is I can cook whatever I tasted in some fancy restaurants. Vanity and motherhood maybe of distant waves but it can’t be denied that the former will be ceaselessly in-demand while the latter will forever be a lifetime career. We will always have moments of insecurity and selfdoubt regarding our looks due to societal pressure while being a mother, a single one at that, is undoubtedly a secured and fulfilling calling. After all, everyone goes through a personal battle to look and feel good within our own skin while striving hard to justify our personal predilection. For comments and suggestions, please email to: gemini0646@yahoo.com.
[SELECT a handful of those things in your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time frame. In tech speak, it means before your life’s energy goes into ‘ low batt mode’ and life has run out of sockets to plug into.] There is a dumbing down going on in modern society in the last 30 years or so currently accelerated by mass media and the internet. They feed the masses with an endless cycle of news, opinions and entertainment that are meant to follow an agenda set by the global masters of media and tech companies. There is an overwhelming volume of information often manipulated to suit an agenda. Ironically, this does not necessarily lead to the desired wisdom of the mind and heart. Their platforms — television, print and the internet — are used largely, as propaganda tools to advance an agenda. Ad revenues for their bottom line are fine and dandy but the real goal behind mass media and tech companies’ existence these days, when they provide news and information, is the manipulation of the mental and behavioral control of the masses. What is the ultimate goal? It is the pursuit of power to produce changes in the mind and heart to preserve the status quo. And what is the status quo? That the elite continue to be so … So mind what you watch. If you think the promotion and furtherance of your well-being drive the large media companies’ agenda
Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS TWENTY years ago on August 7, 1999, I wrote about Viagra, a headliner around the world then when this “chemical gold” was first introduced by Pfizer a year before. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the “little giant blue pill,” the blockbuster erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment. After two decades, Viagra and its competitors, Cialis and Levitra, still arouse sustained interest globally. As the generic version “penetrates” the market, their prices (around $20$25 a tablet) are expected to drop significantly. Sildenafil (Viagra), the wonder pill for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 27, 1998, and sold like hot cakes that same year, a runaway success. More than $400 million worth was sold in the first quarter, 10,000 prescriptions a day. In 2016, it brought in $1.6 billion in global sales. Since its inception, Viagra has raked billions for Pfizer. This little “giant” blue pill was found to be very effective and safe. It boosts marriages and relationships. The surgical procedures for ED dropped dramatically since this pill was introduced. Then came the competitors! Vardenafil (Levitra) was approved in September 2003, and on November 21, 2003, Tadalafil (Cialis)
The Bucket List Watch the Perseids! 3rd of a Series
“…Humility, like darkness, reveals the heavenly lights.” —Henry David Thoreau these days, I have a bridge in the Sahara I can sell you. So what is one then to do for news and entertainment these days if you’re just a normal, average human being just minding your business? I would say GO ROGUE. Go au naturel. Cut off the cable. Minimize plugging into the internet. If you need information, use Bing or Duckduckgo as your search engines instead of Google that has lately been behaving as the Master of the Universe employing algorithms that filter out ideas that go against their globalist agenda. Disengage from social media slowly or go cold turkey. It is your choice. You have the power. Social media produces no product. It is no more than a data collection agency that sells and repackages information you provide to them via your postings and sells them to the highest bidder, whether a political entity seeking votes and thereby power or commercial companies wanting your business. Test it by searching for any widget to buy and lo and behold, within minutes, there are pop-up ads of similar widgets driving you nuts. Talk about online stalking!!! It is disconcerting, to say the least. We fume quietly or rage and rant for the most part about the death of our privacy. But take comfort. Life is a series of action and reaction much like a pendulum. One day, when people are fed up enough to set things in
motion to rein in the undue influence of these amoral tech giants, these obtrusive entities will have to be broken up to smaller bits so they cannot be a danger to society much longer. Will this happen in our lifetimes? That, my friend, is a $64,000 question. What have we got to lose? The news, for the most part, is fake. The alphabet networks have lost credibility as they shill for their liberal agenda. Most celebrities are nothing to celebrate about. As their masks fall off, their oversized egos are cut down to size, their veneer of respectability cracks. You realize these so-called stars do have feet of clay after all, just like you and me. So dump them. So here’s one for the bucket list for those who are innately curious about the origin of life and life itself and want some honest to goodness entertainment that brings a life perspective. If you really want to be in awe of something greater than yourself, go star gazing heavenly bodies — real stars — the sort that burns out after billions of years. It promises to be quite an experience. Start small by watching meteor showers. They occur all the time but they are visible to human eyes on cloudless, moonless nights. Meteors may be the residual particles of the seemingly infinite cycle of creation and destruction as the universe continues to expand in the last 13 billion years during an event called The Big Bang, acContinued on Page 12
The little blue pill
was launched. To this day, these three pills for ED are the most popular, dominant, and effective regimen in the management of erectile dysfunction and they have been found to also be very useful in enhancing erection even among those without ED. More than 20 percent of failed marriages and broken relationships are due to erectile dysfunction. While their mode of action are basically the same: they are a class of drugs called PDE-5 inhibitors. They block an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5, boosting a chemical in our body called nitric oxide, which relaxes muscles in the penis and open up veins, allowing more blood to enter and fill-up the veins of the penis, causing engorgement and maintaining erection. Original research: Serendipity The original laboratory studies on these PE-5 inhibitors centered on their vasodilator effects as potential drug in the management of coronary heart disease and high blood pressure. However, the researchers noted that the experimental male mice given the PDE-5 inhibitor developed erection and were chasing the female mice. This serendipity discovery that the side effect of the PDE-5 inhibitor was even a greater and more welcome discovery than the original intention of developing a new vasodilator for cardiovascular diseases. The side effect (erection) in this case far outweighed the “original intent” for the use of the drug. This is one incident where the side effect is more use-
ful and beneficial. Other uses These pills for ED (PDE-5 inhibitors) are also prescribed for other medical conditions, like heart attack, pulmonary hypertension (even among infants and young children), pre-eclampsia, Crohn’s disease, and infertility. These ED pills require a prescription and a discussion with your physician, to avoid complications. Aphrodisiac? Some think Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra are aphrodisiacs. No, they are not, because none of them increases libido (sexual desire). These 3 only enhance erection and sustain it for a successful sex. When taken, the man develops a sense of certainty, security, and confidence, which could incidentally increase the desire in both partners. Indications for use Those who could benefit from any of these 3 PDE-5 inhibitors are those who are unable to initiate and maintain erection for a successful intercourse, regardless of age, including those in their 20s, where stress and psychological condition negatively impact their sex life. One does not have to have a full-blown erectile dysfunction to benefit from these pills, since they have been found effective and save since they were introduced almost 20 years ago. ED stats Cleveland Clinic reports that 52 percent of men have erectile dysfunction, “affecting 40 percent of men age 40, and 70 percent Continued on Page 12
Community Journal
A12 january 18-24, 2019 • nEW yOrK anD nEW jErSEy aSIan jOurnaL
The Bucket List...
From Page 11 cording to the best educated estimates by cosmologists. Meteors are made of dust and ice ranging in size from a grain of sand to a corn kernel, hurtling through space at great speeds and burning up quickly in a spray of colors as they enter earth’s atmosphere. Thoreau once said that humility like darkness reveals the heavenly lights. And it is true when you become a night sky watcher. If your circumstances permit it, and you have family and friends that are up to it, do this one thing that others have suggested we do before we kick the bucket. Schedule time to hie off to a safe place (a public park, a friend’s mountain cabin, a boat at sea or even a cemetery) far from the city lights at night with friends or family or any kindred spirit to set up camp between July 17 and August 24 to view the Perseids, the most popular and spectacular of meteor showers. In the summer, it is show time. The Perseids is a celestial treat for those who take the time and wait
patiently in darkness. Experts say that there is an average of 70 meteors per hour guaranteed to put up a show Check out the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles, if you live anywhere close. Their reason for being is watching the night sky. Before midnight, dress appropriately and lie down on camping blankets on the ground keeping a thermos of hot chocolate and some munchies within reach and wait eyes wide open. Bring bug spray. There will be streaks and flashes of colors against a backdrop of velvet black firmament as the Perseids, like celestial clockwork, hit the earth’s atmosphere, as they have done so for thousands of years. Come to think of it, like meteors, we are made of dust and our life is just a brief flash on an infinite timeline. If we do this often enough, we may come to realize how great is our God who has fashioned each one of us out of ordinary dust to create a unique person capable of reflecting the beauty of the creator within a life-
The little blue pill...
From Page 11 of men age 70.” Men who are on high blood pressure pills, betablockers, etc., have an increased risk of developing ED. Urology Care Foundation says 30 million of American males have occasional (mild to moderate) problem getting or keeping an erection. Comparison These three drugs for ED belong to one class of medication and have similar pharmacologic action: PDE-5 inhibitors. All three react with nitrates (heart medications that opens up arteries), which could cause drop in blood pressure and shock, even death. Those on nitrates MUST not take any of these drug for ED. These three are in oral form and there is no generic version of this ED drug yet, and is taken about 30 before anticipated sex. Any of these 3 needs medical consultation prior to use to rule out any contraindication and danger, since each individual reacts differently to medications. A prescription is needed to purchase pills for ED. They all cost about the same. Their safety records are also similar. While their action, use, and efficacy are basically the same, there are difference among these three pills for ED. Viagra and Levitra
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stay in the blood stream for about 4-6 hours; Cialis, 17-18 hours, longer lasting. Other differences are in their side effects. Side effects The following side effects are common among all three: stuffy nose, headache, upset stomach, priapism (erection, painful, that persists), sudden cardiac arrest, and death (which are very rare and due to undiagnosed and untreated heart disease). The differences: temporary change in vision and flushing are more in Viagra and Levitra. Backpain and muscle aches are more with Cialis. Alcoholic beverage reacts more with Cialis, leading to dizziness, less with Viagra and Levitra. But, as Shakespeare wrote: “Alcohol increases the desire but diminishes the performance.” Warning Any of these three drugs for ED dangerously reacts with nitrates, medications that dilate (open up) coronary arteries used in the management of coronary heart disease. A person on a nitrate medication (like nitroglycerin, isordil, imdur, peritrate, nitrostat, nitroderm, nitrolingual, nitrobid, etc.) must NEVER take any of these three pills for ED, because the combination will lead to sud-
time. The experience can show to us the vastness of the universe and how little we are in the great scheme of things. If social media has the power to bloat our egos, the opposite is true of this exercise. Patiently waiting for shooting stars all in God’s perfect timing, can grind our egos into dust. This can make us humble enough to ponder the heavenly lights. We can then begin to appreciate our life and the lives of those in our immediate orbit and live the rest of our lives praising God. That’s what watching meteor showers even once during our lifetime can do for us. It can give us an inkling of how great God is and how blessed we are. When we’re ready, willing and able, we may even go bolder and include the adventure of seeking the Northern Lights in the freezing cold of the Arctic zone. But that’s another entry on the Bucket List for another day. Next week: Another idea to consider for The Bucket List… *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com den severe drop in blood pressure, shock, and possibly death. Consult your physician if erection does not subside in 4 hours, a condition called priapism, where the penis is so engorged causing pain, one that needs urgent medical care before the penis suffers irreversible damage. Rare deaths The reported rare deaths associated with the use of any of these three pills for ED were suspected to be due to the inadvertent concomitant use of nitrates. New studies have shown that these PDE-5 inhibitors could also increase platelet clumping in diseased coronary arteries causing blood clots, and heart attack in some individuals. All evidence-based clinical information around the world today show that these three PDE-5 inhibitors are efficacious and safe, when used according to standard medical recommendation and under the supervision of an attending physician. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is a medical lecturer/author, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com (Advertising Supplement)
PSYCHIC
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Catriona Gray and Darren Criss: Filipino hybrids Conquer the ‘Universe’ and the ‘Globe’
By Monet
Lu
KUDOS Filipinos! We have officially started the year with a BANG! With the recent “global” victories of Filipino-American Hollywood actor, Darren Criss for his Golden Globe Awards and Fil-Australian Catriona Gray as Miss Universe 2018, we are off to a magnificent start. Indeed, these two Filipino hybrids have taken on both the “universe” and the “globe.” Gray was named Miss Universe 2018 in Bangkok last December 17, 2018, besting contestants from 93 other countries. Catriona Elissa Magnayon Gray, who has been in the entertainment industry for years and has walked the runway (and even performed) in the annual Bench Body fashion show, was born in Cairns to an Australian father, Ian Gray, and a Filipino mother Normita Ragas Magnayon, from Oas, Albay. I have always been a fan of our Kababayans who were as determined as Gray, one who happens to be the only candidate who has represented the Philippines in the Miss World competition and the recently concluded Miss Universe pageant. She won 3rd runner-up as Miss World. And just when you thought you have seen it all, she made history by winning Miss Universe 2018, making her the first Filipino beauty queen to have entered both pageants and gone home with a title. She is the fourth Filipina to be named Miss Universe. And let’s just take a minute to appreciate how much effort was put into making the gowns that Gray wore. All of them ultimately displayed patriotism and cultural heritage. These three dresses have gained praises from all over the world. Starting with the “Mayon,” the red, fiery and crystal-embellished gown that went perfectly with her iconic “lava walk” that captivated the universe and made Gray’s final walk even more unforgettable. It was designed by Filipino designer Mak Tumang. Then, of course, there’s the “ADARNA: The Blazing Siren” — another gown designed by Mak Tumang for Gray for the Prelimi-
nary Competition. Inspired by the legendary Ibong Adarna, Tumang shared on Instagram the story behind his amazing creation, which he called, “ADARNA: The Blazing Siren.” And lastly, who can forget the national costume, “LuzViMinda,” that stunned everyone as Catriona LITERALLY brought the whole Philippines with her. The costume showcased our country’s heritage where elements from all three major islands of the Philippines were incorporated through a gigantic parol backpiece from Luzon, a nude bodysuit with Pintados patterns from the Visayas, and handmade brass accessories and a T’boli headdress from Mindanao. Catriona showed everyone that she is proud of her roots and even used her experience (working in the slums of Tondo, Manila,) to her advantage by including it in her final answer, which for me sealed the deal and won her the Miss Universe crown. Her poise and her “walk” impressed top fashion model Tyra Banks. I’ve also found out that Catriona formed and personally chose her own team when she began preparing for the Miss Universe competition. She personally picked her own designers, mentors, trainers, assistants; her entire entourage – all of them Filipinos and have been getting commendations for a job well done. Gray’s down-to-earth persona is reminiscent of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach. These two may not have done a back-to-back victory but reclaiming the (Miss Universe) title after only two years is a feat worth mentioning. Indeed, there is no better time to be a Filipino beauty pageant fanatic than now. Statistically speaking, the Philippines is now the top beauty pageant country in the world. Renowned website Global Beauties, which annually ranks every country based on their performances in five major international competitions aka “Grand Slam pageants”—Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, Miss Supranational, and Miss Grand International—an-
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nounced in that the Philippines has dethroned Venezuela as the world’s beauty powerhouse, bagging “Country of the Year” honors twice in a row. Not even taking a breather (yet) from a victory as grand as Miss Universe, the Filipino-name once again made waves – this time, in the Hollywood scene – when Filipino-American actor, Darren Criss, won his first Golden Globe for his high-powered performance in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” becoming the first Fil-Am to receive the prestigious award. “Being Filipino is one of my favorite things about myself,” Darren Criss told Inquirer.net in a backstage interview. “If there is any young Filipino or half Filipino in the community that looks to my work as a source of inspiration and encouragement, then sign me up. It means the world to me,” he added. Darren’s mother is from Cebu City. As a young kid, he has always loved music and performing. Criss beat top actors Antonio Banderas (“Genius: Picasso”), Daniel Bruhl (“The Alienist”), Benedict Cumberbatch (“Patrick Melrose”) and Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”) for the award. “I feel like I’ve been given a superhero cape that I’m now required to step up the plate for,” he told reporters. I’ve written about Darren Criss not too long ago when he won his first Emmy for the same role as best actor in a limited series or movie. In his acceptance speech, he thanked his Filipino mom, which he again did so very lovingly when he won the Globes. She called her mother “a firecracker Filipina woman from Cebu.” As he accepted his Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, he in his speech said: “So, mom, I know you’re watching this. You are hugely responsible for most of the good things in my life. I love you dearly. I dedicate Continued on Page 13
Community Journal
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Immigration Corner
February 2019 priority dates The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY:
Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of
First Preference
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holder
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
March 15, 2008
March 15, 2007
December 01, 2017
December 01, 2016
(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder
January 15, 2008
July 01, 2007
Third Preference
Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.
August 01, 1997
August 22, 1995
Fourth Preference
Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.
December 08, 1997
October 01, 1995
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
Second Preference Advanced Degree (Masters)
Current
Current
Third Preference
Professional/ Skilled Workers
October 01, 2017
August 01, 2017
Other Workers
Non-Skilled Workers
October 01, 2017
August 01, 2017
California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding
the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/ GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Catriona Gray and Darren Criss: Filipino...
From Page 12 this to you,” Criss also thanked Inquirer columnist Ruben Nepales, the first Fil-Am to become chair of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, producer of the Golden Globes, and his wife, multi-awarded journalist Janet Nepales, who serves as HFPA executive secretary. In an interview, Ruuben Nepales commended Criss’ speech, saying “That’s a first in the Golden Globes – a winner thanking his Filipina immigrant mom. It’s a major statement from Darren. He’s shouting his Filipino American heritage to the world.” Janet Nepales said Criss’ speech
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 18-24, 2019 A13
made her so proud of being Filipino and of Criss “breaking barriers for our kababayans.” In “Versace,” Criss plays serial killer Andrew Cunanan, the Fil-Am who murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace in 1997. Catriona Gray and Darren Criss are two very different individuals from different sides of the world. Yet, they both bear the Filipino roots that make them uniquely talented, passionate and resilient. These qualities are guaranteed to take any Pinoy or Pinay – full or half-bred – to the peak of success and achieve his or her highest potential. To Gray and Criss, we, Filipinos
are so proud of you. And to the world, the universe and the globe: Brace yourselves because we are just getting started! *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com
DREAMS OF A FAIRYTALE WEDDING ENDED UP IN A NIGHTMARE OF BATTERY AND ABUSE. Anne entered the U.S. on a fiancé (K-1) visa, hoping to build a beautiful, love-filled life with her U.S. citizen petitioner. But the marriage turned into a nightmare, when the husband became verbally and physically abusive. Battered and abused, Anne reached out to leading immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel. Watch as Anne was able to escape the chains of abuse, through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petition that the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel filed and was able to get a green card for Anne….on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)
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5 Fil-Am books to add to your reading list
I
by
MoMar G. Visaya, Malou bledsoe and Christina M. oriel
F one of your New Year’s resolutions is to read more, the Asian Journal recommends books by several Fil-Am authors to add to your own list. In the past year, books on our radar have included Jose Antonio Vargas’ memoir “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen,” fiction novel “Aliasing” by Mara Coson, graphic novel “Blame This on The Boogie” by Rina Ayuyang, and poetry collection “ESL or You Weren’t Here” by Aldrin Valdez. There are a handful of books we’re excited about this year, such as “Lalani of the Distant Sea” (May 2019), an epic fantasy inspired by Filipino folklore by 2018 Newbery Medal Winner Erin Entrada Kelly and “Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self Delusion” (August 2019), a book of essays on contemporary digital culture by New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino. Email us at editor@ asianjournalinc.com to share your reading list and other books by Filipino and Fil-Am authors from 2018 as well as those to watch in 2019.
“Loves You” by Sarah Gambito “Loves You” — which will be released on January 22 by Persea Books — is a collection of recipes in poetic form and a mode of resistance. Author Sarah Gambito includes real recipes she and her family cook to bring readers on her table not only to enjoy the bounty of her poems but, slyly to consider the ways in which FilipinoAmericans, and people of color in general, are assailed and fetishized. The book also explores ways for poetry to nourish the reader’s soul and mind through Gambito’s playful style and zest in her words. Gambito is the author of the poetry collections “Delivered” (Persea, 2009) and “Matadora” (Alice James, 2004). She has received honors for her work from Barnes & Noble’s Writers for Writers Award from Poets and Writers, and the Wai Look Award for Outstanding Service to the Arts from the Asian American Arts Alliance. She is also an Associate Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Fordham University, and co-founder of Kundiman, a non-profit organization serving Asian American writers. Pre-order available on Amazon.
“Insurrecto” by Gina Apostol “Insurrecto” is the fourth novel by Gina Apostol, who has previously won a PEN/Open Book Award and a Philippine National Book Award. “Insurrecto” follows two women — Filipina translator Magsalin and American filmmaker Chiara Brasi — on a trip in present-day Philippines (under Duterte) to work on a script about the Balangiga massacre during the Philippine-American War. Magsalin and Chiara end up writing and clashing on two different scripts, one from the perspective of a Filipino school teacher and the other from the lens of a white photographer. “I’m very interested in that concept of multiple ways of looking at things,” Apostol told NPR. “You know, this notion that in all of us there are multiple identities, you know, and we don’t recognize the simultaneity of them. I’m a mom, I’m a daughter, I’m a teacher, I’m a writer, I’m a Filipino, I’m a American. And I really like this kind of seeing things from various points of view.” Praise has trickled in for Apostol’s novel, including BuzzFeed’s Best Fiction of 2018, Publishers Weekly Top 10 Best Book of 2018, and a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice. “This is a complex and aptly vertiginous novel that deconstructs how humans tell stories and decide which versions of events are remembered; names repeat between scripts, and directors suddenly interrupt what feels like historical narration. Apostol’s layers of narrative, pop culture references, and blurring of history and fiction make for a profound and unforgettable journey into the past and present of the Philippines,” Publishers Weekly wrote in its review.
“I Am a Filipino (And This is How We Cook)” by Nicole Ponseca & Miguel Trinidad Trailblazing restaurateurs Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad’s latest collaboration, a cookbook titled “I Am a Filipino (And This is How We Cook),” has made it to the Best of 2018 lists of many reviewers. From The New Yorker, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Times Book Review, Houston Chronicle, Food52, PopSugar, they
are one in saying that. Ponseca and Trinidad made sure that the whole spectrum of Filipino cuisine is somehow represented in this book, from the simple to the most complex recipes and from casual, street food to the classic national dishes like adobo, kare kare and kinilaw to regional dishes. At their San Francisco launch, Trinidad shared that one of the biggest challenges they had to face was sourcing for the right ingredients, particularly those that are really hard to find here in the United States. “We had to find alternatives, and we mentioned that in the book. Filipinos are very resourceful,” he said. Ponseca made a shout out and thanked people like Clang Garcia, Ige Ramos and Cocoy Ventura in the Philippines for showing them around the regions to discover recipes and ingredients that are specific to the provinces and towns they visited.
“Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong” by Dawn Mabalon and Gayle Romasanta The late historian Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, writer Gayle Romasanta and illustrator Andre Sibayan collaborated on “Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong,” released in October 2018 by Bridge + Delta Publishing. “Journey for Justice” — the first nonfiction illustrated children’s book on Fil-Am history — details Itliong’s efforts as a farm labor organizer and civil rights activist who led the Delano Grape Strike in 1965 and eventually co-founded the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez. Though efforts in recent years have been made to highlight Itliong and fellow Filipino labor leaders’ roles in one of the most pivotal social movements in U.S. history, this is the first-ever book on Itliong. A percentage of proceeds from this book will be donated to the nonprofit organizations, Little Manila Rising and the Filipino American National Historical Society. Itliong’s story will be the first of a series of eight children’s books on Fil-Am history under Romasanta’s Bridge + Delta Publishing, under the authors’ mission that Fil-Am stories should be part of K-12 education. *The first edition of the book will be launched and sold in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 27,
while the second edition will be available online in late March.
Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad at the launching of their book “I Am A Filipino” in San Francisco last November 2018. AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya
“America is Not the Heart” by Elaine Castillo Elaine Castillo grew up in what she describes as a “very Filipino neighborhood in a very Filipino atmosphere.” Her town, Milpitas in California is a majority-minority where there’s a large Filipino, Vietnamese, Mexican, Taiwanese communities, which is why she said she didn’t grow up thinking of herself as a minority. “I read quite a lot of translated works, which I realize now probably is a sub-conscious political response to a white mainstream canon. I read a lot of Filipino American writers from Jessica Hagedorn to Carlos Bulosan. That book, ‘America is in the Heart,’ was the first time I ever read about someone from Pangasinan,” she told the Asian Journal. Asked if her novel is her response to Bulosan’s classic masterpiece, she replied, “To be honest, I didn’t actually think of the title as the grand, ambitious answer to Bulosan.” “As a Filipino, I like a pun. So whenever I read the title ‘America is in the Heart’ from Bulosan, I always thought, ‘America isn’t the Heart,’ just as a rhyming joke that I used to say to myself. It was never a big thing. It came from that private, personal joke,” she said. n
Illustrator Andre Sibayan, writer and publisher Gayle Romasanta, and the late historian Dawn B. Mabalon hold copies of the cover of children’s book, “Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong.”
Gina Apostol — winner of a PEN/Open Book Award and a Philippine National Book Award — released her fourth novel “Insurrecto.” Photo courtesy of Bridge + Delta Publishing
Sarah Gambito, author of the forthcoming book “Loves You.”
Elaine Castillo
AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya
Jon Jon Briones joins new Ryan Murphy series “Ratched” By Jan
Milo seVero Philstar.com
Filipino actor Jon Jon Briones
FILIPINO actor Jon Jon Briones will be part of Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix show, “Ratched,” joining a star-studded cast such as Sarah Paulson, Sharon Stone, and Cynthia Nixon. In an Instagram post on Monday, January 14, Murphy — who is listed as an executive producer — said that the series will start filming in a couple of weeks and revealed the cast list, which also includes Finn Wittrock, Charlie Carver, Judy
Davis, Harriet Harris, Hunter Parrish, Amanda Plummer and Corey Stoll. “On behalf of myself and Ms. Sarah Catharine Paulson who plays the title role and is also a big fancy producer on it, we are thrilled to announce our amazing cast...a true murderers’ row of talent. So many of these actors are supremely talented folks who Sarah and I have both longed to work with,” Murphy wrote in his post. Briones also confirmed the news in an Instagram post on Monday.
“I can finally share this with you all!!! Honored, excited, grateful and feeling beyond blessed! Thank you sir @mrrpmurphy,” Briones wrote. “And can’t wait to work with the queen @ mssarahcatharinepaulson again! And all these amazing actors!!!” Briones previously worked with Murphy for “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” in which the Filipino actor played Modesto Cunanan, the father of Versace murderer Andrew Cunanan (played by Fil-Am actor
Darren Criss). According to Variety, the show has a two-season, 18 episode commitment. “Ratched,” based on Ken Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” will follow Nurse Ratched (Paulson) and “track her murderous progression through the mental health care system,” a Deadline article released last year said. Michael Douglas, who was a producer of the 1975 film based on the novel, also joins this project as an executive producer.
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Potential deportation case vs Tony Labrusca moves forward By RyAn
MAcAseRo Philstar.com
A UNIT of the Bureau of Immigration has recommended a deportation case against Filipino American actor Tony Labrusca, state media reports. “The (Intelligence Division) recommended to Legal (Division) the filing of deportation case against Labrusca for working without permit, I think,” BI Deputy Commissioner Tomas Javier told Philippine News Agency in an interview Wednesday evening. The deportation case stems from an incident on January In this Jan. 15, 2019 photo, Filipino-Canadian actress Shay Mitchell took selfies with the children of child-caring institution Virlanie Foundation. 3, where Labrusca allegedly Photo from Facebook/Virlanie Foundation caused a scene at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and allegedly cursed and shouted at Immigration officers. The actor was allegedly upset over only being given 30-day stay in the country and not balikbayan and Chloe visited the center last privileges, a privilege only given office in Makati City, please By Rosette Adel Monday and Tuesday as they drop by and help out! Anything Philstar.com to former Philippine citizens and thanked the two anew. from in-kind donations for their family members traveling with FILIPINO-Canadian actress “Virlanie greatly appreciate needs or any small donation will them. Shay Mitchell visited a childyour kind, genuine hearts in definitely go along way!” Shay “I admit I was a bit frustrated caring institution and mingled bringing happiness to our wrote. and that I asked why I was only with street children while in children. They surely had a “Help us ensure that these given 30 days to stay in the Manila. wonderful time with you two!” children all reach a better and country this time. I was unaware of In her Instagram stories on Virlanie said. brighter future that they so the policy that because I was not Wednesday, January 16, Shay “More than the toys and deserve,” she added. with my mother, I did not qualify shared that she visited nonnecessities you have graciously Shay also shared that they for a Balikbayan stamp,” Labrusca government organization serving took photos, ate, played games, donated, you have brought explained following the incident. street children in Metro Manila, them the joy of a lifetime!” it and asked the children about The 23-year-old actor has been Virlanie Foundation. She went to the toys they want, as well as added. active in local show business since the foundation with her friend Virlanie Foundation is some other essentials the center 2016 and recently starred opposite American-born composer, writer, needs. registered with the Securities Angel Aquino in the iWant film producer and classical pianist, and Exchange Commission and “They were so amazed by the Chloe Flower. is duly licensed and recognized filters,” Shay said. Shay informed her followers by the Department of Social Virlanie then thanked and friends that the foundation Welfare and Development of the Shay and Chloe for supporting is a “child caring institution Philippines. their foundation. looking out for the welfare and Shay recently visited Manila “So grateful that you had empowerment of disadvantaged fun with our kids last night, to promote her hit Netflix children.” She also called on original series “You” with co-star Shay Mitchell! We’re sure they them to help these children. Penn Badgley while Chloe joined did too,” Virlanie said on its “To my friends, the lovely her in her tour. Shay also met Instagram story. people who live here in Manila, with her Filipino supporters at a “Thank you so much for the Philippines….If you are around special fan event in Greenbelt on love and support,” it added. Metro Manila, or nearby their Tuesday evening. The foundation shared Shay
Shay Mitchell visits child care foundation in Manila
Immigration authorities recommend Fil-Am actor Tony Labrusca be deported. Photo from Instagram/@tony.labrusca
Glorious. According to the BI, Labrusca — who is the son of Filipino actor Boom Labrusca and singer/model Angelica Jones — only filed for recognition as a Philippine citizen this year. “I was informed that Tony Labrusca also filed a petition for recognition as a Filipino citizen, considering that both his parents are Filipinos,” Javier said in the interview with the state news site. Javier said Labrusca has not yet been charged with any violations, only forwarding the
recommendation for deportation to the bureau’s legal division. Following the incident, Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval reminded the public that having Filipino lineage doesn’t automatically grant an individual balikbayan privileges. “The privilege is for former Filipinos and their immediate family members who are traveling with them. If these family members are not traveling with them, then they are not qualified,” she said.
Kris denies threatening Korina, others By IzA IglesIAs ManilaTimes.net
AFTER admitting on Tuesday, January 15, it was indeed her voice in the viral audio recording threatening the life of her thenbusiness manager and now-arch enemy Nicko Falcis, multimedia star Kris Aquino denied she did the same to news personalities Korina Sanchez and Ricky Lo, entertainer and former Duterte appointee Margaux “Mocha” Uson, motoring writer-TV host James Deakin and ex-husband James Yap. In the recording release by Falcis, an enraged Aquino was heard screaming, “Wag ka nang bumalik sa Pilipinas, nadinig mo…Papapatay ka ng pamilya ko… Dare to step in this country, and you will be dead.” To explain her side of the story, Aquino posted the following statement on Instagram on Tuesday, claiming, “Alam naman nya binubwisit ko lang ang life niya that Sept. 27,” saying she could not have been serious about any threats especially since she was not in good terms with her brother, former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd, at the time, and that her “meek and mild, simple, super prayerful sisters” can never harm anyone. “‘Wag naman bilugin ang utak ng tao. You and I know that was a bluff provoked by anger and fear because of my awful health diagnosis,” she added. Aquino declared that Falcis’ belated denial of guilt and revelations on social media as the intimidated party were being used for motivations. “Sadly, this has been one badly orchestrated demolition job being funded by personalities out for political revenge,” she said. Hours after her post, Falcis lashed out on Aquino and accused her of threatening several personalities before him. “I thought you’re a professional, but all you are is a spoiled girl who can’t deal with rejection and abandonment. All throughout this traumatic experience, I still ensured I protect our businesses and stakeholders first and foremost, but you just threw it all out just so you can be the bully and brat even in business. You can’t handle even the best out of any relationships,” began his own Instagram post. “How can I steal credit card purchases or even investments, which everybody knows are all intact and running? You used on me your usual tactics of money and power to threaten the people
Chillin’ with halo-halo. At the sidelines of their Manila visit, the Hollywood stars enjoy the cool and quintessential Filipino treat.
What ‘You’ can teach the ‘me’ generation By chRIstInA
AlpAd ManilaTimes.net
Kris Aquino
who go against you — I saw it all, Korina, Ricky Lo, Mocha, James (Deakin and Yap), etc.” ‘Fine’ with Korina Sanchez, James Deakin Aquino immediately went live on Facebook and Instagram to deny Falcis’ allegations. “Hindi ko kailangan ng kakampi, kung sino-sinong names ang dinadamay mo. Diretsyahan na, kanino bang idea yung mangaway ng ibang tao? Sa’yo yun ‘di ba? Kasi hindi naman namin yun style eh. All through the years, nandamay ba ako ng iba? Lahat ng away ko diretso ako lang. Ikaw ang may idea niyan. “And let me clarify this. I was in contact with the family of… I’ve always said this, baptismal ninang ko ang Mommy ni Mar Roxas, so kausap ko yung first cousin ni Mar, and we are fine. So do not try that,” she said. Mar Roxas is former senator Manuel Roxas 2nd, Korina’s husband. “James Deakin reached out to me, I gave very solid answers because unlike you, I don’t shy away. Hindi ako duwag, kahit mamamatay na, kahit ito yung mga [medical] results, hinaharap ko lahat ng accusations. And I said, I answered direct to the point… Again unlike you, na paligoy-ligoy, na dinadala ang mga hindi kayang haraping mga kasalanan.” ‘Pawn of people in power’ On Wednesday, Falcis returned to Instagram and responded to Aquino’s remarks on Facebook and Instagram Live. “On our family being called a PAWN of ‘people in power’
NEVER mind that he is an obsessed stalker who follows his love interest’s every move, to the point of killing anyone who may pose a threat to his plans. For fans of Netflix’s latest coup, titled “You,” Penn Badgley’s ominous character Joe is winning the hearts of women all over streaming-verse. Yes, the main anti-hero of You — a seemingly smart and harmless bookstore manager in Photo from Instagram/@krisaquino New York City who is actually a — Thank you very much for serial killer preying on aspiring pointing that out to me, and to writer Beck (Elizabeth Lail) — is everyone watching your Facebook surprisingly gaining a massive / IG (Instagram) / YT (YouTube) following for his dark role, Live. At least now it’s confirmed: with fans professing on, “@ how you rich and powerful people PennBadgley kidnap me pls.” think of us working class — who “I think they are romanticizing have to claw our way to get the Penn Badgley. You are not proper education to earn a rightful romanticizing the actual action degree, so we can then work long of what he’s doing because if and hard to provide properly for you replace Joe with somebody our families. you found really unattractive, “But despite our diligence or really creepy and who you didn’t loyalty, we will never be treated as know was a normal person, equals by people such as you or by you wouldn’t want that to be the ‘people in power’ because we happening to you,” Filipinocarry no political nor haciendero Canadian actress Shay Mitchell surname. You know the depths weighed in when asked by The of your powers well enough to be Manila Times during a roundtable aware that you can put an end to interview in Manila. this. You say you want to release “So when people say they like the anger, but it seems you bask Joe, I just laugh at it because I in it. Or rather you seethe in it, know that’s what they are getting knowing that a mere PAWN chose confused with,” Mitchell — who to speak the truth against the soplays one of Beck’s best friends in called Queen,” he said. the series — added. According to Falcis, he has Badgley, who was also in town nothing to gain from his fight to promote the Netflix series with with Aquino and that she ruined Mitchell, thinks the audience’s her reputation way before she fascination with an antagonist filed 44 counts of qualified theft roots from his character Dan against him, for allegedly using her Humphrey in the erstwhile hit KCAP company funds for personal teenage TV drama “Gossip Girl.” purchases. “Like so many people are, “I merely want to clear my I’m really troubled by Joe. I like name. I’ve said this before, I say him so much but then I know it again: I refuse to be bullied. No he is killing people. I would bet Filipino — regardless of economic that everybody who watches it stature, should ever be. Our family and thinks that there’s nothing continues to pray that everyone wrong with Joe, I think what who’ll handle our cases will be people are responding to is also truly enlightened, despite the just the celebrity culture. Like, I obviously blinding lights of power. come from Gossip Girl, people are No more bullying, let’s end this excited to see me at a television #Krisis,” Falcis ended using his now show again,” Badgley shared. trending hashtag. “But at the same time,
Netflix’s ‘You’ stars Penn Badgley and Shay Mitchell are currently in Manila for the Southeast Asian media blitz of their much talked about thriller on streaming. Contributed photos
sometimes I am worried that maybe, some people are forgetting or maybe they are not encouraging themselves to think about what they are watching as deeply,” he offered. In effect, he hopes that their audience would think beneath the looks of Joe and actually weigh on his unusual activities. “So when you say, you love Joe but well, what do you mean? Can you say a bit more?” he retorted. Lessons for the ‘me’ generation Based on Caroline Kepnes’ best-selling novel of the same name, Joe is portrayed as a resourceful lad who first came to stalk Beck through her social media accounts. Through her constant Instagram and Twitter posts that portray her as a sweet and outgoing artist who lives a carefree life, Joe learned that Elizabeth portrays a different persona to her social media followers, something that observers believe is the making of the “me generation.” As such, Mitchell believes what happened to Beck in the show can be a wake-up call to the me generation who share their daily activities non-stop. “I think the show can teach the audience to be a little bit more cautious. And I don’t mean that’s just something for people in the eye, or celebrities, I think it’s for everybody. You never know who’s watching,” Mitchell advised. The actress also shared more
tips on how constant social media users can somehow protect themselves. “Posting later on when you’re not on that location is something smart and I also think that just really thinking about everything that you put out there, cause it can never disappear,” she added. As a result, Mitchell believes You serves more than just entertainment. “I think it’s a reflection of where our society is in this day and age. We are using social media to put out our interests and dislikes; to get into relationships, to meet people; to prove a point or show where we stand politically and I really think that we really do showcase how we use it in all different ways on the show. “People can relate to it no matter where you are in the world, because we are all on social media, especially here in the Philippines, you guys use it the most,” Mitchell imparted. Badgley agreed adding that You is like a social experiment. “Everybody calls it a love story but it’s not, it’s a tragedy. At the same time, it’s like a social experiment. I think people are willing to ask the deeper questions about the purpose of the show, the messaging of the show, because you can’t just like watch it and not think twice,” Badgley noted. “At the end of the day, you have to, as the viewer, take responsibility for the fact that you keep watching,” Badgley ended.
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