March 1-7, 2025 Volume 36 - No. 9 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
611 North Brand Blvd., Suite 1300, Glendale, CA 91203
Tel: (818) 937-9981 • (818) 937-9982 • (213) 313-8600 • info@asianjournalinc.com
Marcos not a weak leader, will never be – Palace DATELINE USA from the AJPress NEWS TEAM across America
Health clinic workers brush up on constitutional protections as immigration raids loom
The lobby at this St. John’s Community Health clinic in South Los Angeles bustles with patients. But community health worker Ana Ruth Varela is worried that it’s about to get a lot quieter. Many patients, she said, are afraid to leave their homes. “The other day I spoke with one of the patients. She said: ‘I don’t know. Should I go to my appointment? Should I cancel? I don’t know what to do.’ And I said, ‘Just come.’” Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, fear of mass deportations carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has gripped immigrant communities. For years, a long-standing policy prevented federal immigration agents from making arrests at or near sensitive locations, including schools, places of worship, hospitals, and health centers. It was one of the first policies Trump rolled back in January, just hours after his inauguration.
u PAGE A4
Mayor Todd Gloria forges economic, military, and cultural ties between San Diego and the Philippines San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria led a delegation of Filipino American business and community leaders on an economic and cultural exchange to the Philippines last week, aiming to strengthen the city's ties with the Southeast Asian nation. During the visit, Mayor Gloria engaged with the three largest and most influential chambers of commerce in the Philippines, representing over 30,000 businesses. He highlighted San Diego's strategic advantages, including its robust innovation economy, world-class educational institutions, and significant military presence. The discussions focused on fostering economic collaboration and exploring mutual opportunities for growth. San Diego County is home to a thriving Filipino-American community of roughly 215,000 people – the second-largest concentration in the United States. An average of 184 people fly
u PAGE A2
by Alexis Romero Philstar.com
MANILA — Why is the soft-spoken and diplomatic President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hurling tirades at his fiery predecessor Rodrigo Duterte during the campaign rallies of administration allies? As far as Malacañang is concerned, even the highest official of the land needs to parry attacks by his critics who are “encouraging” people to be furious with the government. According to Presidential Communications
Undersecretary Claire Castro, such a move also imparts a message about Marcos’ leadership. “The president has to be transparent about his insights sometimes and to relay to the people that he is not and will never be a weak leader,” Castro said at a press briefing on Thursday, February 27. In his speeches during the campaign sorties of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, Marcos assailed the policies of the Duterte administration, including its pivot to China and its brutal war on illegal drugs that he said claimed innocent lives. Not to be outdone, Duterte also slammed the
president in various “indignation rallies,” accusing Marcos of “veering toward a dictatorship” and of seeking to stay in power after his term expires in 2028. Duterte, who had accused Marcos of being a “weak leader,” also claimed that the impeachment of his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte by the House of Representatives was meant to prevent her from running for president in 2028. Malacañang responded by calling Duterte a “tyrant” and a “one-man fake-news factory.” The House, which is dominated by the u PAGE A2
Marcos, Duterte performance ratings plunge further – survey by Dominique Nicole Flores Philstar.com
MANILA — Both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte have seen a sharp drop in their performance ratings, according to a recent noncommissioned survey. Public opinion research firm WR Numero released on Wednesday, February 26, the first issue of its 2025 Philippine Public Opinion Monitor. Only 30.1% of Filipinos found Marcos’ performance satisfactory as of February 2025 — a steep 15 percentage point drop from the 45% recorded in September 2024. Most of those who expressed satisfaction were from the rest of Luzon (41.6%), a region with parts considered a Marcos stronghold. Dissatisfaction with Marcos was strongest in the Visayas and Mindanao, where a majority of respondents disapproved of his performance. This is equivalent to nearly six in 10 Filipinos expressing disapproval. Duterte also saw her satisfaction rating decline, dropping six percentage points from 47% in HOLY MONTH. Children join their elders in prayers at a mosque in Barangay Tumana, Marikina City on Friday, February 28. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. enjoined Muslims to “reflect deeply,” as he joined them in observing the Holy Month of Ramadan, marked by constant praying, September 2024 to 41% in February 2025. reflection and fasting.
PNA photo by Joan Bondoc
u PAGE A2
US exempts $336 million PH aid from freeze Visit of Japan defense chief to boost security cooperation by Pia Lee-Brago Philstar.com
MANILA — The United States has exempted a “portion” of its military assistance to the Philippines from its foreign aid freeze, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Monday, February 24. The DFA did not disclose the exact amount the U.S. exempted. “Both countries are committed to the treaty alliance and to efforts to further strengthen our defense cooperation and interoperability,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said in a statement. “We will continue to engage the U.S.
government on the importance of our bilateral work in supporting our shared goals and priorities,” she added. A Reuters report cited a list of exemptions it reviewed and the $5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, mostly for security and counter-narcotics programs exempted from U.S. President Donald Trump’s order for a 90-day pause on foreign aid. Security exemptions included $870 million Deputy Consul General and Acting Head of Post Maria Alnee A. Gamble delivers opening for programs in Taiwan, $336 million for remarks. Photo from Los Angeles PCG modernizing Philippine security forces and more than $21.5 million for body armor and armored vehicles for Ukraine’s national police u PAGE A3
PH consulate hosts immigration briefing amid mass deportations
Poll: Sara Duterte’s impeachment The second part of the hybrid seminar is scheduled for March 13 trial expected to define public opinion as Filipinos remain split by Dominique Nicole Flores Philstar.com
Vice President Sara Duterte Photo from Facebook/@ MayorIndaySaraDuterteOfficial
MANILA — Filipinos remain divided over Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment, a recent noncommissioned survey showed. While a plurality opposes the House’s move to impeach Duterte, one in five Filipinos remains undecided on whether the vice president should have been impeached. Public opinion research firm WR Numero found that 33.3% of Filipinos support the impeachment, while 46.7% are against it — falling short of an outright majority.
WR Numero President and CEO Cleve Arguelles, speaking as a political scientist, said in a press briefing on Wednesday, February 26, that Filipinos are shaping their views on impeachment based on “existing affiliation,” primarily driven by regional differences. The survey was conducted from February 10 to 18, the week following Duterte’s impeachment on February 5, through personal interviews with 1,814 respondents representing Filipino adults aged 18 and above. The survey has a 95% confidence level u PAGE A2
LOS ANGELES – As the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement across the U.S., the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles recently hosted the first of two scheduled immigration briefings to support Filipino migrants. The first installment of the two-part hybrid seminar titled, “Briefing on Immigration Developments for Filipinos in the U.S.,” featured Filipino American legal experts, who addressed community concerns following what has been described as the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. Deputy Consul General and Acting Head of Post Maria Alnee
A. Gamble, who opened the Feb. 18 seminar, highlighted the importance of knowing one’s rights and legal options amid the changing immigration landscape. Fil-Am immigration law experts discussed the rights of Filipino immigrants and offered practical tips for dealing with immigration authorities. Atty. Marlon B. Baldomero provided background information on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and what to do when encountering ICE authorities. Atty. Ed Allan Lindain explained the jurisdictions covered by law enforcement and immigration u PAGE A2