MARCH 13-16, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 20 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages
Biden signs landmark COVID-19 relief bill, addresses ‘war footing’ approach to beating COVID-19 All American adults to be eligible for vaccines by May 1 by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
HOURS after President Joe Biden signed his massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill on Thursday, March 11, he delivered his first primetime address unpacking the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and declared what he called a “war footing” approach to beating the virus. Nearly one year ago, the
DATELINE
pandemic forced countries all over the world to a standstill, but the effect the pandemic had on the United States was particularly striking. Confusion and poor decision-making on all levels of government and bureaucracy led to millions losing their lives and even more suffering an enormous economic loss. “While it was different for everyone, we all lost something — a collective suffering, a collective sacrifice, a year filled with the
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Fil-Am Uber driver verbally harassed at LAX A FILIPINO American Uber driver was subjected to racist comments by a passenger at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) earlier this week, according to a viral video. The incident comes in the midst of an uptick in racism and violent attacks against Asian American communities in the United States. The driver’s sister, Chelle Anne Alcala, shared the video of the incident on Facebook, which happened around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9, at the LAX-it pick-up location. “Stop Asian Hate!! This hit close to home, as it happened to my brother,” she wrote on Wednesday, March 10. “He is an Uber Driver, waited for his passengers for over 30 minutes at LAX and the father wanted to sit in the front seat. My brother told him that due to COVID, he couldn’t sit in the front seat.” As part of Uber’s safety measures to curb COVID-19, passengers must agree to sit in the back seat and open windows for ventilation. The ridehailing service also reduced the maximum sug-
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LA County to reopen indoor dining, gyms, movie theaters on March 15
A YEAR after the start of the coronavirus, Los Angeles County announced that indoor operations will resume anew for key sectors like restaurants, movie theaters and gyms starting Monday, March 15. This announce comes as the county moves into the state’s less restrictive red tier, meeting the threshold to reopen key sectors. Starting Monday, restaurants can welcome indoor dining with a maximum capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer, 8 feet distancing between tables and one household per table with limit of six people. They can expand outdoor dining from one household to three households (up to six people) per table. Local school officials will decide when schools, including middle and high schools, can reopen fully for in-person instruction. u PAGE A4
loss of life and the loss of living for all of us,” the president said from the White House in his address to the American people. “The only way to get our lives back, to get our economy back on track, is to beat the virus,” Biden continued. “That’s why I’m using every power I have as president of the United States to put us on a war footing to get the job done.” Biden’s massive $1.9 trillion u PAGE A2
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday, March 11 signed the American Rescue Plan into law, as Vice President Kamala Harris looks on, sending $1,400 stimulus checks for most Americans and vaccine aid, among other relief programs. White House photo
‘It’s un-American’: Biden denounces Duterte urged to run for VP in 2022 violent attacks against Asian Americans in first primetime address by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
IN his first primetime address marking the one-year anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the “vicious” and “un-American” attacks on Asian Americans. Speaking to the nation from the White House on Thursday, March 11, Biden ac-
knowledged the divisiveness deepened during the pandemic, from refusals to wear masks to hate incidents and crimes against the Asian American community, which have soared since last spring according to various reports. “Too often, we have turned against one another. A mask, the easiest thing to do to save lives, sometimes, it divides us, states u PAGE A2
One year after schools closed, LA County prepares to reopen campuses to in-person learning
SUPPORTERS of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte are urging him to run for the secondhighest post in the country in the 2022 elections. Several members of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) partylist have signed a resolution urging Duterte to seek the vice presidency. “It is recognized by leaders and members that with President Duterte’s steadfast leadership and the strong public support for his agenda of change, the government will be able to expeditiously
and effectively deliver our people, our community, our economy, back to good health,” the members said in a March 8 resolution released on Thursday, March 11. They also committed to support a transition of leadership that will guarantee continuity of Duterte’s socioeconomic agenda. The members argued that the Duterte administration “has made great strides in its battle against the scourge of drugs, terrorism, insurgency, corruption, and poverty.” At least 20 members of the partylist signed the resolution, including Energy Secretary and u PAGE A3
LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and other officials discuss the reopening of elementary schools in the county by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
AMONG the most contentious issues of the coronavirus pandemic, the push to reopen in-person K-12 classes and other educational institutions may have finally reached an agreement among school district officials,
teachers and parents. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LA Unified) — the second-largest school district in the nation, which serves more than 600,000 students — announced this week that it reached an agreement with the teach- President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his speech during the inauguration of the development ers’ union United Teachers of LA (UTLA) projects at Dumaguete (Sibulan) Airport in Sibulan, Negros Oriental on Thursday, March 11. Malacañang photo by Valerie Escalera u PAGE A4
Angelo Quinto’s 31st birthday marked with a vigil, heightened calls for police reform his death last December. “I should have told him that he was getting really old without a ON March 10, Angelo Quinto single doubt in my mind that he would have celebrated his 31st would live to see his face wrinkle birthday by playing games and and his hair turned gray,” Quinsinging karaoke with his parents to’s younger sister Bella Collins told the crowd. “But that’s not the and younger siblings. Instead, the Filipino American current scope of our reality.” The somber gathering — set in Navy veteran’s family held a candlelight vigil to honor his life on front of a mural of Quinto paintWednesday night at City Park in ed by Bay Area artist Franceska Gámez — featured his favorite Antioch, California. It marked another celebra- songs, poetry readings, lighted tion Quinto would not be able to candles, and speeches from spend with his loved ones after an elected officials, supporters, and encounter with police resulted in family members of victims who by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
Family, friends and community members gathered at City Park in Antioch, California on Wednesday, March 10 on what would have been Angelo Quinto’s 31st birthday. Quinto, a Navy veteran who suffered a mental health crisis, died on December 26, 2020, three days after a police encounter, his family said. Photo courtesy of Filipino Advocates for Justice
experienced a similar fate in police custody. Hundreds more tuned in virtually as far as the Philippines, while relatives held another vigil down in Chino Hills. In addition to justice for Quinto’s death, they echoed calls for trained mental health response teams, officers to have body and dashboard cameras, and a ban on knee-to-neck restraints by police. “…[Angelo] was on his way to leading a good life. He hadn’t even really started, and for it to be taken away is hurtful to all of us, u PAGE A3
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From the Front Page
‘It’s un-American’: Biden denounces... PAGE A1 pitted against one another, instead of working with each other, vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans, who have been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated,” the president said. The chief executive’s remarks come as the community has recorded nearly 3,000 accounts of
xenophobia, racism and harassment from March to December 2020, according the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center. “At this very moment, so many of them, our fellow Americans, they’re on the front lines of this pandemic trying to save lives, and still, still they’re forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America.
It’s wrong. It’s un-American. And it must stop,” Biden urged. Since the beginning of 2021, more incidents have been reported, particularly against elderly individuals. The attacks include 84-year-old Thai immigrant Vicha Ratanapakdee being pushed to death in San Francisco; Noel Quintana, a Filipino man who was slashed in the face on the New York subway while on his way to work; and 74-year-old Juanito Falcon, a Filipino grandfather who was punched in the face in Phoenix, Arizona, and later died of his injuries. The president did not offer concrete details on combating the attacks, but Asian American elected leaders and community members were quick to point out his words in contrast to the previous administration, which they argue fueled the hate and xenophobia in associating the coronavirus. “THIS is how a President can & should denounce hate & inspire unity & inclusion!” California Assemblymember Rob Bonta wrote on Twitter. Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii tweeted, “It matters when our president condemns hatred and violence against Asian Americans. Thank you President Biden for your strong words and moral leadership.” Biden signed an executive order on Jan. 26, which included directives to remove language in federal actions or documents that would contribute to xenophobia and racism against the Asian American and Pacific Islander population and for the Department of Justice to expand its collection of data and public reporting regarding hate incidents against community members. Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus have been pushing for a meeting with the DOJ and the administration to carry out the order. Democratic lawmakers, led by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) in the House of Represenatives and Hirono in the Senate, plan to introduce new legislation addressing the hate incidents against Asian Americans, according to USA Today. “We want to continue to not only raise awareness, but also to try to help find real long-term solutions,” Meng told the outlet. n
SOON TO OPEN. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar (2nd from right) leads the ocular inspection of the 7-km. new segment of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway on Thursday, March 11. The segment will be ready for use in the second quarter of the year. With him are (from left) DPWH Director Alex Bote; MP CALA Holdings, Inc. vice president for tollways design and engineering Arturo Monge; and DPWH “Build Build Build” Program Chair Anna Mae Lamentillo. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Biden signs landmark COVID-19...
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relief package — which was approved by Congress this week — seeks to expedite vaccine distribution, provide millions of taxpayers with a $1,400 stimulus check and increase funding and support for schools and colleges to safely reopen. In his Thursday night address, Biden said that the U.S. will “have enough vaccine supply for all adults in America by the end of May.” He also announced that he is directing all states, tribes and territories “to make all adults, people 18 and over, eligible to be vaccinated no later than May 1.” “And let me be clear,” he explained. “That doesn’t mean everyone’s going to have that shot immediately, but it means you’ll be able to get in line beginning May 1. Every adult will be eligible to get their shot. And to do this, we’re going to go from a million shots a day that I promised in December before I was sworn in, to maintaining, beating our current pace of 2 million shots a day, outpacing the rest of the world.” Biden added that his admin-
istration is working with state and city leaders “in red and blue states” to establish “600 federally supported vaccination centers” that can administer hundreds of thousands of doses per day. Among the measures of the bill — dubbed the American Rescue Plan — includes the much anticipated $1,400 stimulus checks and an extension of federal unemployment benefits ($300 a week). The $1,400 checks, which were promoted as an add-on to the $600 stimulus checks approved by the federal government in late 2020, are expected to be distributed to an estimated 17 million Americans by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) later this month. The American Rescue Plan also seeks to expand pandemic-related benefits, including a per-child cash payment of at least $3,000 for one year and an expansion of health care subsidies from the Affordable Care Act for two years. The unemployment benefits would be extended through Sept. 6. Regarding the $1,400 stimulus checks, couples who file jointly would receive double
that and an additional $1,400 for each dependent. The stimulus checks apply to individuals earning up to $75,000 a year and married couples whose combined income does not exceed $150,000 a year. However, the check’s amount would decrease for those who make more than these benchmarks with a strict cut-off at $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for married couples. Most Americans will receive the full amount from the IRS; according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in the country was $68,703 in 2019. The bill also allocates $130 billion in federal aid to K-12 schools, specifically to reduce class sizes and adjust classrooms to comply with social distancing and personal protective equipment guidelines. The bill also creates a new $25 billion aid program to businesses hurt by the pandemic, granting up to $10 million per company with a limit of $5 million per brick-and-mortar location. n
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Dateline USa
Angelo Quinto’s 31st birthday marked... PAGE A1 and that’s a tribute to all of you present here,” said John Burris, a seasoned civil rights attorney representing Quinto’s family. ‘Please don’t kill me’ Around 11:30 p.m. on December 23, 2020, two days before Christmas, Quinto was suffering from a mental health crisis, prompting Bella Collins to call 911 for help. When police arrived at the house, Quinto and his mother Cassandra Quinto-Collins were on the floor of her bedroom as she hugged him to comfort and restrain him. Officers pulled him away from her arms with him pleading, “Please don’t kill me. Please don’t kill me.” A cellphone video shot by Quinto-Collins shows an officer pinning her handcuffed son with a knee on the back of his neck for nearly five minutes, while another officer held him by the legs. She told the Asian Journal in a recent interview that she took out her phone as it was her impulse to “always record.” At that point, an unresponsive Quinto was turned onto his side and blood streamed out of his mouth. He never regained consciousness and was transported to a hospital where he died three days later. “He passed away on the 26th at the hospital officially. But when I saw him, I think that was his time of death for me,” Quinto-Collins told the Asian Journal. “It was so obvious. There was blood in his mouth, tapos nakatirik yung mata (and his eyes were rolled back).” Quinto’s stepfather Robert and younger brother Andrei were not allowed back into the house for several hours as officers searched inside. Meanwhile, his mother and sister were taken to the police station to be interrogated about what led to the 911 call. Looking back at the hours that followed, the Quinto-Collins family said they were left stunned as to how they were treated by police and how they could not receive straight answers on their son’s condition. Bella Collins said they received a phone call from a doctor, but an officer allegedly rushed them off the phone. “It was a mixture of denial, confusion, vulnerability and fear that made us too trusting and even more confused and unable to start making decisions related to our case immediately or spreading the story,” Collins told the Asian Journal. (Quinto’s death was not made public until a month later following inquiries from the Mercury News). At 6:30 a.m., the morning after the police encounter, Robert Collins spoke to a doctor who said he was “surprised that [Quinto] was alive at all” and that they were giving him medication to keep the heartbeat going. When the family was allowed to visit the hospital, they said staff would not show them a toxicology report or any other tests. An investigation into Dec. 23 is still ongoing and the Antioch Police Department has not released the cause of death. Results of an independent autopsy are pend-
during his birthday vigil on Wednesday, March 10.
Photo courtesy of Franceska Gámez
In the year back home in Antioch, Quinto tapped into other interests and had a goal of developing his own video game. Then, one night before the pandemic hit, his family said he woke up in the hospital with stitches on his head, but did not have any recollection of what happened to him. After that incident, Quinto began experiencing bouts of paranoia and anxiety, but the instances were never violent. “We asked him to get more help, but I think there was a stigma to it or maybe he thought he could fix it himself,” Robert Collins told the Asian Journal. “To be honest, we ourselves were partly maybe in denial over what he needed for help and didn’t fully recognize it.” Before his death, he received an offer to consider rejoining the
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Duterte urged to run for VP in 2022
PAGE A1 PDP-Laban vice chairman Alfonso Cusi. In response, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he will consult Duterte “about this possibility.” “I will consult the President about this possibility. Bagama’t I’ve heard the President say at one point na siyempre, naging presidente na siya, bakit siya magba-vice president (Although I’ve heard the President say at one point that since he got elected president, why would he dream to become vice president),” he said Thursday. “I don’t know if there has been Bay Area artist Franceska Gámez created a portrait honoring Quinto’s life, which was displayed any change. I will consult with
ing, Burris said. Quinto’s death has sparked parallels to George Floyd, a 46-yearold Black man from Minneapolis who died after an officer knelt on his neck seven months before, igniting nationwide protests for racial justice. “To me, this was a shocking occurrence and something that should not have happened. We should have learned from George Floyd that that’s not the type of technique that should be used,” Burris told the Asian Journal. ‘Deeply impressed by this country’ Quinto was born in Tuguegarao City, the capital of the province of Cagayan, Philippines. He was raised in Manila until the age of 11 when he joined his mother in Northern California. Several media reports have not mentioned Quinto’s Filipino identity, but his stepfather — whom Quinto called “dad” — said “it’s an integral part of who he was.” “He was American, but he was also Filipino. He was deeply impressed by this country, but deeply in love with the Philippines and everything that it meant to be Filipino,” Robert Collins told the Asian Journal. “So to understand him is to understand where he came from and to understand everything about him.” Described as thoughtful, introspective and artistic, Quinto showed “endless patience” for children and had a soft spot for animals, even rescuing a cat 14 years ago that the family still has. He enjoyed fishing, drawing and cooking in his free time. He attended Berkeley City College and worked various jobs. But it was his dream to have a career in the U.S. Navy, which he joined at the age of 27. “He always wanted to serve. He really wanted to belong and be part of that team,” his stepfather told the Asian Journal. “There was something about it that was a method of self-improvement and the discipline that the Navy would bring to his own life.” Four days shy of graduating from boot camp, Quinto was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2019 due to a food allergy but he was still considered a veteran, his family said. “He was so proud of the idea that he can be called a veteran,” his mother told the Asian Journal. “But we had to reassure him that it was not his fault, and he was just very depressed.”
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 13-16, 2021
him,” he added. ‘Illegitimate’ For his part, PDP-Laban president Sen. Manny Pacquiao said the resolution is illegitimate. “Hindi legitimate ‘yung resolution na ginawa. Nalaman ko lang ‘yun dahil sinabi sa’kin ng tao ko (The resolution was not legitimate. I only knew about it because my staff informed me),” he said in a media briefing Friday, March 12. “Hindi ko alam ‘yun. Hindi ‘yun sanctioned as acting president ng partido (I didn’t know about it. It wasn’t sanctioned by the acting party president),” he added. Pacquiao also warned Cusi against sowing division within
the party, telling him to stop “poisoning” the minds of the members. “Huwag mong dinidivide ang mga myembro ng partido para gamitin sa sarili mo… Unless tumulong ka, pero kung umiikot ka para sa pulitika wag mo lasunin utak ng partido (Don’t divide the members of the party to serve your own purpose. Unless you’re helping, but if you’re going around to talk about politics, don’t poison the minds of the party),” he said. “Hindi ko yan pinapahintulutan. Hindi yun sanctioned, ‘di yun authorized (I do not allow it. I do not sanction it. That was not authorized),” added Pacquiao. n
Fil-Am Uber driver verbally harassed... PAGE A1 gested number of passengers for an UberX ride from four to three. “The guy got out, slammed the door and yelled at my brother,” continued Alcala. “My brother informed him that he will just cancel the trip, so the guy wouldn’t get charged. He started yelling more and said, ‘You Asian sh*t. You probably don’t have papers to be here!’” she added. Alcala also pointed out that an Asian lady came to her brother’s defense. “Luckily an Asian lady defended my brother,” she noted. The witness was identified as Korean American Stella Hwang. According to NextShark, Hwang was only observing the situation after hearing the passenger, who was with two boys, slam the driv-
er’s door. She decided to defend the driver when the man started to say xenophobic remarks. “The Uber driver was timid, helpless, and in shock. There was a little bit of a language barrier so I had to say something,” she told NextShark. Hwang said the police appeared later, but did not write a report about the incident. “Didn’t bother asking me about my side of the story, didn’t ask if I wanted to file a report, he just said not to engage so that it doesn’t escalate. They came after the fact it already escalated and nothing was done,” she noted. Airport Police Sgt. Tarek Azmy explained that if there was no crime, there’s “usually no report.” “As long as there’s no physical contact, which would be a crime,
then there’s not much more we can do than try and help them resolve the issue,” he told NextShark. In response, Uber identified the harassed driver as Mr. David, and condemned the action of the passenger. “Uber does not tolerate racism or hate in any form, against any community,” a spokesperson said in a statement to NextShark. “When one community is being attacked, we are all being attacked. We are shocked and saddened by the recent increase in anti-Asian hate, particularly when it affects a driver or rider,” it added. Uber has since removed the passenger’s access to use the app and contacted David to offer support. (By Ritchel Mendiola / AJPress)
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‘She left behind this legacy’: Nurse of nearly One year after schools closed, LA County... 3 decades dies of COVID-19 in West Covina by Christina
M. Oriel
AJPress
SINCE she was a child, Amelia Agbigay Baclig dreamt of becoming a nurse. Baclig, 63, fulfilled that dream and worked for almost three decades at West Covina’s Queen of the Valley Hospital, where she was fondly known as “Mama Amy.” “It was pretty much the profession that was made for her,” her daughter Aubrey Joy Baclig told the Asian Journal. “If we were to think about some other profession that my mom would be really good at, honestly, the answer is nursing.” On Jan. 22, Baclig died nearly six weeks after being infected with COVID-19. She became the first nurse at Queen of the Valley taken by the virus. Baclig, who was born in Batac, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines, earned her nursing degree in her home country and migrated to Hawaii in 1984 to join and marry her high school sweetheart, Nestor. The couple moved to Hacienda Heights, California and raised their family of one son, James, and two daughters, Aubrey and Joanne Mae. She took her NCLEX exam to be recognized as a registered nurse in the U.S. Baclig worked at Queen of the Valley Hospital for the next 28 years until December 9, 2020, when she had her last shift in the definitive observation unit. She had avoided infection in the nine months working on the frontlines and tending to COVID19 patients. In one photo from the past year, she was wearing full-
Amelia Agbigay Baclig worked for nearly 30 years at Queen of the Valley hospital in West Covina. Photo courtesy of Aubrey Joy Baclig
length scrubs and personal protective equipment while holding up the sign, “I stayed @ work for you. Please stay home for us.” But on December 12, she tested positive and started experiencing symptoms like a sore throat. Her family, except her youngest daughter, also tested positive. Baclig, who was diabetic, started feeling severe symptoms, such as an inability to breathe, and was taken by paramedics to St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton on December 19. For the first time, the tight-knit family did not spend Christmas together. Whenever Baclig had a day off pre-pandemic, it was always a celebration with extended relatives coming over and large
meals prepared, Aubrey said. “With it being the holiday season, and all this happening, it felt so horrible. Our whole world just kind of flipped upside down,” she said. Baclig spent the next five weeks in the hospital, including the last three in the intensive care unit hooked up to a ventilator, until her death on Jan. 22. It’s been nearly two months since her passing, but the tributes continue to pour in. Messages center on how she was compassionate and a mentor, and how she touched others’ lives. Her family joined the hospital and California Nurses Association for a three-hour caravan memorial last month. The city of Batac and the province of Ilocos Norte have paid tribute to Baclig’s work and recognized her contributions as a health care worker. “If my mom saw all this attention, she would be so shocked,” Aubrey said. “She left behind this legacy that’s so enormous that I don’t think she thought about.” Together with her husband Nestor, whom she had been with for 50 years, Baclig found joy in watching comedy and action movies. The family’s favorite movie was “Coming to America.” In addition to her immediate family, Baclig is survived by her daughter-in-law Rizel, two grandchildren Trixia and Stryke James, four sisters and two brothers. “All I ask is for people to just be safe and really think about what they’re doing because these frontliners are putting their lives at risk, including my mom who got exposed, got COVID, and then passed away,” Aubrey said. n
LA County to reopen indoor dining, gyms...
PAGE A1 Further, movie theaters can operate indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people and reserved seating is required. Gyms, fitness centers and yoga studios are allowed to operate at 10% capacity and must require masks. Museums, zoos and aquariums can operate indoors at 25%. Previously, the state announced that amusement parks can reopen at 15% capacity in red tier counties. Meanwhile, that limitation will increase to 25% in the orange tier, and then 35% in the yellow tier. Attendance will be limited to in-state visitors.
Outdoor sports and live performances (with fans/attendees) are eligible to begin April 1. In the purple tier, capacity will be limited to 100 people or fewer and attendance will be limited to regional visitors. Advanced reservations will be required, and no concession or concourse sales will be allowed. In the red tier, capacity will be limited to 20%. Concession sales will be primarily in-seat (no concourse sales). In the orange tier, capacity will be limited to 33% and in the yellow tier, capacity will increase to 67%. Attendance will be limited to in-state visitors in the red, or-
ange and yellow tiers. “This is welcome news, especially as many of our small businesses have borne the brunt of the financial fallout from this pandemic, and as our students struggle to keep up with distance learning,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis of the first district. To date, LA County’s adjusted case rate is 5.2 new cases per 100,000 people. The test positivity rate is 2.5%, and in areas with the fewest health affirming resources, L.A. County has a test positivity rate of 3.6%. (AJPress)
PAGE A1 to reopen in-person instruction throughout its K-12 schools in about six weeks. Specifically, preschool classes, elementary schools and education services for students with disabilities are expected to resume by mid-April while middle and high schools are expected to reopen by the end of April. Contingent to these re-openings, which will involve hybrid models that combine in-person and virtual learning — includes vaccinations for teachers and staff, the use of face masks, physical distancing and hand-washing requirements, disinfecting facilities and improving ventilation and maintaining a “robust contact tracing” and quarantine procedures if anyone tests positive, LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a press briefing on Thursday, March 11. For almost one year, LA Unified and other county school districts have been operating totally remotely as teachers and school administrators resisted reopening classrooms while the county remained a hotbed for COVID-19 infection. In February, grades TK-6 were cleared to reopen. Upon the county moving from the most restrictive purple tier of the state’s reopening plan to the red tier this weekend, secondary schools will be allowed to return to classrooms. But the toll of one year of remote learning has led to critical lows in student engagement, Barger noted. “During this time we have witnessed a significant academic, social and emotional decline in our
students,” Barger said, adding that now, she feels that schools are more prepared to return instruction to the classroom. “I’ve seen remarkable efforts from our school districts throughout the county that have developed and implemented robust calls to keep students, teachers and staff safe and healthy,” Barger said. Office of Education Superintendent Debra Duardo joined Barger at Thursday’s briefing (which was hosted by Ethnic Media Services), and she noted the importance of establishing a robust plan that will prevent a possible re-closing of schools in the event of another surge in COVID-19 cases. “We should all be concerned about the trauma inflicted on our future workforce [and] we have to make sure we are accelerating learning when students come back,” Duardo said. Though vaccine requirements aren’t required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in order to reopen schools, UTLA had been demanding that teachers be vaccinated before inperson teaching resumes. As previously reported in the Asian Journal, teachers are currently eligible for the vaccine as of March 1, and Gov. Gavin Newsom recently allocated 10% of new doses to be distributed to educators only. (Newsom also reached an agreement with state officials to send more state funds to help schools with reopening, including $6 billion in personal protective equipment.) The vaccine is also now available to county residents who are public transit workers, janitors and custodians, social workers
and foster parents who provide many LA County students with emergency housing. According to Dr. Eloisa Gonzalez, spokeswoman for the LA County Department of Health, the case rate is now less than 700 positive COVID-19 cases per day, the lowest since April. But just because the county is experiencing a downtrend in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths — and vaccinations are ramping up — doesn’t mean the public should let its guard down in terms of public safety protocol, Gonzalez said. “We may start to see, especially with the upcoming holidays and spring break, individuals who may choose to travel and gather, but whether or not they are vaccinated, they will be taking on additional risks of being infected and infecting others,” Gonzalez said. The CDC announced recently that people who have been fully vaccinated may begin to gather with others (who are also vaccinated) at least two weeks after their final vaccination. But Gonzalez said that people should still follow public safety protocols when outside the home in order to truly mitigate viral spread. “So we are concerned about that. And even though the CDC has said that fully vaccinated people can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without having to wear a mask or maintain social distancing, when individuals are in public we still emphasize that you should still maintain social distancing and continue to wear masking to continue to help us in LA County control the spread of the virus,” Gonzalez said. n
Angelo Quinto’s 31st birthday marked... PAGE A3 Navy, his sister said. After what happened on Dec. 23, the family is left remorseful for turning to the police for help. “We trusted the police because it was very calm. I still have a lot of questions because how did it go from hugging him to this?” Quinto-Collins told the Asian Journal. The family filed a wrongful death claim against the city of Antioch on February 18, and after 45 days, they plan to file a federal civil rights lawsuit, Burris said. “They’re saying his federal civil rights have been violated,” Burris told the Asian Journal. “It doesn’t
matter that he wasn’t a citizen. The fact that he got injured and killed here in the United States, regardless of his status, he has rights attributed to that.” With the attention on Quinto’s death, the family set up social media accounts to keep the public updated on the case, and is tirelessly pushing for systemic changes. Over 150 Fil-Am organizations have signed onto a letter amplifying the family’s demands that include resources to de-escalate mental health crises, police accountability and the end of excessive force. The day before his birthday, the Antioch City Council unani-
mously approved a $1.4 million contract to purchase body and in-car cameras for the police department. A formal proposal for a local mental health crisis response team will be presented at the council meeting on March 23. “I know my brother would not want to be remembered as that body in the video that’s been circulating widely,” Bella Collins told the Asian Journal. “We’re trying to make sure that something good comes out of this…It gives us a lot of hope that we can make changes so that more people don’t have to go through what we’re going through right now.” n
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DAteline PhiliPPines
PH police ban public hugs, kisses to contain COVID-19 by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
FILIPINOS are prohibited from showing public displays of affection following the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. The new rules from the Philippine National Police (PNP) will cover kissing, embracing, and even holding hands in public. The PNP is intensifying efforts in enforcing public health safety protocols to prevent the further spread of infections in the country, according to PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas. “Papaigtingin lang natin kasi nga some from the [Inter-Agency Task Force] at mga local government units are already alarmed again kasi medyo tumaas ang cases (We will just bolster the enforcement because some from the IATF and the local government units are already alarmed because of the rising cases),” he said Wednesday, March 10. “So PDA, yung hawak-hawak sisitahin na rin yan (So PDA, those who touch one another will be reprimanded),” he added. Aside from couples, the ban
includes family members and close friends. “We cannot afford to lower our guard against the virus, especially at this point when the cure is already within reach,” stressed Sinas. Meanwhile, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana maintained that the ban on PDA isn’t a new protocol, reminding the public to maintain physical distance outside their homes. “This is a mere reiteration of previous advisory from the government. Kahit naman po since the start of the restrictions, bawal naman po ang mga PDA talaga, bawal po magtabi at magkakausap nang malapitan ang sinuman, bawal po ang pagpunta sa mga matataong lugar na nagsisiksikan ang bawat isa (Since the start of the restrictions, PDA was already prohibited, sitting next to each other and talking closely was prohibited, going to crowded places was prohibited),” he said. “Hindi naman po ito bagong news. Reiteration lang po ng implications ng pagkalat ng virus (This isn’t fresh news. This
is just a mere reiteration of the implications of the spread of the virus),” he added Usana also pointed out that police officers do not have the time to ask whether the persons caught showing PDA are couples or living in one house. “Kapag nakita sila na magkayakap, magka-akbay (If they are seen hugging or placing one’s hand on another’s shoulder) and very close to each other, (that is an) automatic violation,” he said. However, the PNP would not arrest violators, instead, they would just issue a warning. “Sisitahin lang po. Siguro sa tingin lang ng pulis, baka madala na sila. O kung lalapitan, pwedeng kausapin, sasabihing ‘di pwede iyan’ (We will just reprimand them. Maybe with just one look from the police officer, they will stop. Or if we have to approach them, we’ll just remind them that it’s not allowed),” said Usana. Succeeding offenses will be sanctioned based on the existing ordinances of local government units pertaining to quarantine protocols. n
PH, US sign P4.8 billion educational aid by AJPress THE United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd), have signed a new, P4.8 billion assistance agreement to improve basic education outcomes in the Philippines. The five-year bilateral agreement will deepen the commitment between the USAID and DepEd to help children and out-of-school youth acquire the education and skills they need to succeed. It will also advance the country’s efforts by increasing literacy rates, improving math competencies, enhancing social skills, improving secondchance education, employment and life skills for out-of-school youth, and strengthening education governance. “This new bilateral agreement
with DepEd to improve basic education outcomes marks a new era in our longstanding partnership to achieve our shared vision of quality education for all Filipino children and youth,” said USAID Philippines Mission Director Lawrence Hardy II. He added, “These programs will strengthen Philippine institutions to provide quality education. It also recognizes the important and unique contributions the private sector and civil society bring to partnerships in achieving better education results.” The agreement is one of four new assistance agreements between the U.S. and the Philippines launched in 2020 and 2021, totaling P32.7 billion or $675 million over five years. The other agreements were signed with the Philippine Department of Health (DOH), to improve underserved Filipinos’ health by strengthening health
systems while bolstering the quality of health services; the Philippine Department of Finance (DOF), to accelerate inclusive, market-driven economic growth by advancing policies that increase investment and trade, promoting private sector-led innovation, and increasing information and communications technology access for the digital economy; and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), to protect the environment by promoting sustainable use of natural resources, expanding access to renewable energy, and reducing risks from natural disasters. The U.S. has supported the Philippines in advancing the country’s development goals since 1945. Over the past 20 years alone, the U.S. has provided the Philippines nearly P228.8 billion ($4.5 billion) in total assistance. n
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OPiniOn
Longer curfew
FeAtUres
THIS is what happens when people begin to relax compliance with COVID health protocols. A year into the pandemic lockdowns, the National Capital Region is going back to a longer curfew beginning Monday, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. This is just two hours shorter than the curfew first imposed a year ago this month in the NCR and other parts of Luzon, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. The NCR-wide uniform curfew is being imposed for two weeks as Metro Manila scrambles to contain the rapid spike in COVID cases, with the possibility that this is caused by the spread of more infectious coronavirus variants from overseas. Yesterday, the country registered the highest daily fresh infections in six months, at 4,578, with the total 52,012 active cases the highest since September. The OCTA Research Group, which had warned about the spike, projects a daily average of 4,000 cases until the end of the month. In the Western Pacific, the Philippines now has the highest number of cases, with a total of 611,618 and 12,694 deaths as of Thursday morning. While essential workers will be exempted from the curfew and fast-food outlets and other dining establishments can provide take-out services through the curfew hours, it can still be a hassle to
be apprehended and made to explain to police and barangay personnel one’s activities during curfew. The longer curfew will obviously affect establishments whose businesses tend to be busiest in the evening, such as restaurant-bars and massage spas. The curfew hours had been shortened last year, paving the way for dining establishments to accept customers for dinner and allowing the longer operation of commercial centers. During the Christmas season, the curfew hours were reduced to the shortest, from midnight to 3 a.m., to make way for the holiday shopping rush and allow more dawn masses to be held amid physical distancing requirements in churches. The holidays and further reopening of economic activities did not result in the feared COVID surge. This, possibly combined with the start of COVID with health protocols. The price is the granular vaccination and easing of more restrictions, could lockdown in several areas, and now the curfew, have encouraged the weakening of compliance with its impact on livelihoods. Lessons must be
Editorial
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS THE LIGHT at the end of the long dark tunnel in the war against the coronavirus pandemic is now bursting through and leading us to the path toward defeating COVID-19 and helping our families and our nation rebuild our lives and livelihood back better. Help is on the way as President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 Trillion America Rescue Plan into law on Thursday, March 11, a day earlier than initially announced. “The president and his advisers, aware that low- and middleincome Americans are desperate for the round of direct payments that the bill includes, moved up the timeline to Thursday afternoon,” the New York Times reported. Indeed, many hardworking American people have not been able to get as much help in previous COVID relief measures that prioritized sending taxpayers’ money to big corporations and businesses who do not even pay taxes because of all the tax credits and loopholes that favor the millionaires and billionaires. This time, it will be different. For those of you who are struggling to pay rent, put food on the table, pay your loans and hospital bills, keep small businesses afloat and avoid bankruptcy — help is
Philstar.com photo
learned from this episode as the country faces many more months of battling COVID. (Philstar. com)
Heeding the call of Americans: Biden signs $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill into law to save lives, livelihood and rebuild our nation
coming! As early as this weekend, we may already be seeing direct deposits in our bank accounts, “including direct payments of $1,400 per individual, just as the economy’s halting recovery from the pandemic recession is poised to accelerate,” the Times reported. “This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said in a televised speech Thursday evening, “and giving people in this nation, working people, middleclass folks, people who built the country, a fighting chance.” Biden also announced that by May 1, ALL American adults will already be eligible to be vaccinated as the supply of vaccines gets expedited. By the Fourth of July, the president said we will celebrate not only our Independence Day, but our freedom from the disruption, death and desperation brought by the coronavirus pandemic. With most Americans already vaccinated by then, we will be moving safely toward “normalcy,” and on July 4, we may have our barbecue get-togethers with close families to celebrate this milestone and our path to victory. Biden, however, told the American people that this optimistic outlook is contingent upon many conditions, and the
most important of these is that we, the people, should all collectively do our part toward our healing and recovery. This includes wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, avoiding big crowds, washing our hands, and GETTING VACCINATED. And even as we are already vaccinated, we should still practice these safety measures to protect ourselves and others from any possible unknown threat from the variants of the virus. We, the people, asked for help in our moments of desperation brought by the failure in leadership by the Trump Administration that underplayed the threat of the pandemic for political reasons. Our plea was heard and the campaign promise of the Biden Administration is being faithfully and diligently fulfilled. “A sizable majority of U.S. adults (70%) say they favor the legislation. Only about threein-ten (28%) oppose the bill, which provides economic aid to businesses, individuals and state and local governments,” results of the Pew Research study conducted on March 1-7, 2021 revealed. “While congressional votes on the legislation have been deeply divided along partisan lines, 41% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents support the measure. The bill draws
overwhelming support from Democrats and Democratic leaners (94% favor),” Pew found. Contrary to the Republicans’ argument that this stimulus bill is too much and too broad, most Americans are in favor of it, with many saying it should be more. “In assessing the proposed spending in the aid package, 41% of Americans view it as about right, while another 25% say it spends too little; only a third of Americans say the legislation spends too much money. Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to view the spending in the bill as excessive (61% of Republicans vs. 11% of Democrats),” according to Pew. After four years of uncertainty and chaos under the Trump presidency — even brought to light by his handling of the pandemic that has killed almost 500,000 Americans when he left office — the optimism of the American people has been fueled by the faith in the Biden administration. Consider the fact that there was ZERO support and vote from Republicans who were in favor of these same measures when Trump was President, but are now locked in arms in fighting against Biden’s first major legislative agenda. “A majority of the public (57%) says the Biden administration made a good faith ef-
fort working with Republican congressional leaders on the coronavirus aid package,” the Times reported on the Pew Research findings. “By comparison, 42% say GOP leaders made a good faith effort to work with the White House on the pandemic relief bill, with a 55% majority saying they did not work in good faith,” it added. Americans, who are most affected by the pandemic and are desperately in need of financial help just to survive, as well as people of color like us, and women like many of us, show the most support for the bill. More revelations from the Pew Research study as reported by the Times: While most Americans favor the coronavirus aid package, there are demographic differences in the levels of support. Three-quarters of women say they favor the aid package, while a smaller majority of men (66%) say the same. While overwhelming majorities of Black (91%), Hispanic (80%) and Asian American adults (76%) say they favor the economic package, that compares with a smaller majority of White adults (63%). There are also substantial differences in views of the economic stimulus package by household income. About eight-
in-ten Americans in lower-income households (82%) favor the bill, compared with twothirds of middle-income and 60% of upper-income Americans. Although a 57% majority of Republicans say they oppose the proposed stimulus bill, there is a substantial ideological divide within the GOP: Roughly sevenin-ten conservative Republicans (69%) say they oppose the economic package, while the balance of opinion is reversed among moderate and liberal Republicans, 61% of whom say they favor the aid bill. By contrast, there is near-universal support for the economic bill among Democrats: More than nine-in-ten (94%) say they favor the COVID-19 economic aid package. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.
The way of the conscious heart: Confronting racism, white supremacy, and hate crimes
Rhizomes
PROSY ABARQUEZDELACRUZ, J.D. Part 1 of 2
“I confess that when I hear some speeches by someone responsible for public order or a government, I am reminded of Hitler’s speeches in 1934 and 1936. They are typical actions of Nazism, which with its persecutions of Jews, gypsies, people of homosexual orientation, represent a negative model ‘par excellence’ of a throwaway culture and a culture of hate. That’s what they did then and today these things are resurfacing. [We] need to be vigilant, both in civil and religious society to avoid any possible compromise…with such degeneration.” – Pope Francis, Nov. 15, 2019, as reported by Lauren M. Johnson, et.al of CNN. “The prayer of the heart opens the eyes of our soul to the truth of ourselves as well as to the truth of God. The prayer of the heart challenges us to hide absolutely nothing.” Henri J.M. Nouwen, “The Way of the Heart,” 1981.
“HATE starts at every house,” Maura Brito said. Instead of nursing her wounds of indignities, Maura purged them from her heart, by sharing her woes with friends. Her weapons against hate-inflicted wounds are love, forgiveness, prayers and conscientious service to others. Maura, a Honduran, is a caregiver to Inga, a 93-year-old German survivor who persistently pointed out daily mistakes and deficiencies, like how this object does not belong to this space. “Can you not remember?” During Inga’s teenage years, she lived in Germany, under Nazism, fed with daily radio broadcasts of hating others, other than Germans. Might that daily diet of hatred towards others affected her adult tendencies? When Inga’s children would visit, Inga and Maura busily cook dishes for them to share and take home. On Maura’s birthday, Inga also made a special torte for her. But, Maura’s daily diet consisted of occasional thank you and heavy doses of daily pointing out mistakes. One day, Inga’s son helped himself to groceries, taking them
home without asking his mother. Maura was accused of taking them. She felt so angry and declared how she was raised to value honesty. How was the truth finally revealed? Inga’s son fessed up to his dishonesty. Maura came close to quitting many times, but renews her positive spirit through prayers, forgiveness and projecting her wish to the Universe — that her quality caregiving be paid forward to her blind mom in Honduras. The coronavirus pandemic transformed this negative default switch of Inga, realizing that 15 years of unilaterally pointing out mistakes, hyper scrutiny to most, she blurted out: “Please don’t leave me, Maura. I know you care about me.” Maura still takes care of Inga, wearing masks, and declined family invitations to preserve the health and safety of Inga, as herself. Of late, she asked friends to pray for Inga, to ease her suffering. Grace starts at every house, spreading out to neighbors 98-year-old May struggled as a Holocaust Jewish survivor and waited for entry as a refugee in
New York. She is quick to display gratitude and graciousness about the “thoughtful deeds” of anyone, including her caregivers, who are both Filipina immigrants. Michelle Dormitorio, May’s caregiver, commutes from Cerritos, a distance of 50 miles round trip. During the pandemic, she changed her working hours including an overnight stay, to reduce her commute exposure to coronavirus, thereby protecting May’s health. Michelle did not go to family get togethers, to decrease her risk of acquiring the virus, a firewall she created to protect May. When caregivers for the elderly were prioritized for vaccines, Michelle got hers. While May was in post-surgery and post-rehabilitation, Michelle stayed with her at the facility, making sure May was properly cared for: her meals, her medications, read to her and facilitated her grooming needs. One day when I visited her, her ice cream was lovingly served with strawberries cut to resemble a flower. May, though a Holocaust survivor, normally expected in
survivor studies to harbor bitterness and resentment, instead is generous, filled with love and overflowing appreciation. During neighbors’ visits, she would share how Michelle cares for her as family. May’s graciousness to others is legendary that her grandchildren’s visits last a week and neighbors do not miss a chance to celebrate her birthday. This year, even short hellos by her front window, flowers, and home-baked banana bread with her favorite chocolates were given. “C’mon come in,” she said with a smile, which we politely declined, to prevent viral transmission and a loving thank you card, penned by Michelle days after. (May handwrote all cards, until two years ago). Grace and hatred grow legs in institutions In the late 70s, Ralph, my Caucasian regional boss at a public state agency taught me financial literacy. As a new immigrant, I had no idea how to save. He encouraged me to save in the form of monthly deductions to treasury bonds. He told me that was a painless way of setting aside for my daughter’s college tuition.
He consistently guided us with heartwarming stories. During the national recession under the Reagan administration when the unemployment rate rose to 11%, we were restricted to using state-issued vehicles. It was a tight state budget, but it did not prevent us from creatively thinking of ways to be productive. We planned our inspections, one car was used and we got dropped off at different sites. We then took public buses to come back to the office. Our regional collective sacrifice was shared by Ralph, that when the recession lifted, and state vehicles were purchased, we were one of the very first regions to be issued state vehicles. We got a visit from the higher-ups who acknowledged our collective sacrifices to ensure the health mission was served, regardless of tight budgets. We had a branch chief, with a quick temper, who cascaded blame downward. He often lied that he assumed his subordinates lied, too. It made for chaos, draining our energies, and staff suspicious of one another, there-
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OpiniOn & Features
KANGKONG HARVEST. A farmer gathers fresh water spinach in his farm in Barangay Salitran 1, Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Friday, March 12. ‘Kangkong’, a common ingredient in many Southeast Asian dishes, costs around P10 to P20 per bunch in the market. PNA photo by Gil Calinga
The way of the conscious heart: Confronting racism... PAGE A6 t by shielding him from being accountable to his staffers. But even as he stayed indifferent to the point of cruelty and inflicting emotional harm — demanding we work more without proper staffing, fingerpointing and shaming folks in meetings — he was supportive of the industry. He managed to influence a new agricultural practice of planting strawberries above ground, sitting on black ground cover, allowing for water and dirt to flow out, making the strawberries less susceptible to pathogen transmission. Portable toilets, hand washing stations were introduced. By holding industry meetings, he also initiated changes in state regulations for dietary supplements and other agricultural products susceptible to pathogens or diseasecausing bacterial transmission. One day, he was placed under a year’s suspension for abusing his public position and misusing state funds for the personal benefit of a staffer who was known to be favored with more state trips usually unavailable at her position of office secretary and ultimately got promoted to higher positions. During his absence, his deputy, a Latino, assumed the chief’s role. It made for a lifting of some oppressive conditions — we were now being heard and our ideas actually considered. I was motivated to work more, penned more reports, including one to a federal agency, which
this Latino boss sent to this agency, as if penned by him. He did the ‘dishonesty’ openly by telling me he was going to Washington, D.C., invited to join a meeting based on the report I wrote. I felt a rush of goosebumps, almost an immediate rejection of what I just heard. He now works for that federal agency. I persisted in speaking my truth, of health disparities, how we were egregiously understaffed, and that the next pandemic would leave us without proper responses. I was made a target of hyperscrutiny —my supervisor was no longer Ralph — but through some magic of internal reorganization, unbeknownst to the public, we got reorganized and a former colleague became my immediate supervisor. He asked me to fire an African American male supervisor who just got promoted. He told me to write him a derogatory performance evaluation, but I refused as it meant falsifying public records. Finally, to stop him, I said, he is free to write up the evaluation and sign it but I will not. I knew it would backfire if I complied with his instructions, which I asked him to put in writing. Refusing to write his instructions in writing, he stopped harassing me to do “the wrong thing.” I hemorrhaged for three months, working in sustained hyper scrutiny, defending my staff, and my Kaiser physician wrote a note of excusing me from work for a week. A week that was too
short, but long enough for my immediate supervisor to write me a negative evaluation that I abandoned my position and did not call in sick. Untrue, as I documented it with a doctor’s note, yet, he persisted in giving me a fabricated performance evaluation. I got a lawyer who wrote that what they were doing, under the pretext of this, was actually unlawful acts of discrimination, and that got them angrier until I filed a grievance with the Office of Civil Rights. To resolve the grievance, I had mediation. I told them, “Gentlemen, how do you propose to make me whole, bringing me to ground zero when you have taken me 13 levels below ground zero with your acts of disparate treatment?” I was accompanied in mediation by Ester Soriano-Hewitt, the architect of the LA County Dispute Resolution Program. I asked to be left alone as a manager, to be respected to train my regional staff and a department-wide training on hate prevention and sensitivity training for all supervisors and upper management. No monies settlement. I had an emotionally safe tenure in my last year prior to retirement. Like previous years, since 1992 to 2004, I used my role as middle manager to train and mentor all to be promotable, imparting skills to move up to higher levels of leadership, as well as the attitude of being inclusive of
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Dateline PhiliPPines
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Gov’t eyes reopening of economy next month by Keith
Calayag ManilaTimes.net
PALACE Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. on Friday, March 12 said the government was eyeing the reopening of the economy this April. He made the statement in a press briefing on Friday after President Rodrigo Duterte announced the reopening of the economy in the coming weeks. “Ang ating classification ay para sa isang buwan. So, I think
ang tinitignan natin ay kung puwede na tayo lalong magbukas pa ng ekonomiya pagdating po ng buwan ng Abril dahil ngayon po ay kalagitnaan na ng buwan ng Marso (The classification is for one month. So, I think what we are looking at is if we can further reopen the economy by the month of April because right now, we are in the middle of March),” Roque said. The President on Thursday said he would order the eas-
ing of pandemic restrictions and the further reopening of the economy if the number of individuals inoculated with the anti-coronavirus disease vaccine reached 1 million. “I have to reopen the economy. I’ve given a timetable of just weeks,” said the President. Defending the President’s decision to ease restrictions, Roque repeated that prolonged lockdowns will further affect the economy. n
NBI charges 11 over Christine Dacera’s death MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation filed Friday multiple criminal charges against 11 people who were involved in the death of flight attendant Christine Dacera and the initial investigation of her case. The charges: Mark Anthony Rosales and Romel Galido, two of Dacera’s companions on the night before she died, were slapped with violations of Section 3(k) of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act for supposedly delivering and giving away party drugs. Rosales also faces another drug charge for allegedly introducing party drugs to his companions. All of Dacera’s companions and their lawyer, Neptali Maroto, were charged with obstruction of justice for supposedly giving false or fabricated information to mislead or prevent the law enforcement agencies from apprehending the offenders. Meanwhile, Galido, John Pascual Dela Serna and Darwin Joseph Macalla, were charged with perjury for allegedly providing false testimonies. Dela Serna, Jezreel Rapinan, Alain Chen and Louie Delima were charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide for supposedly recklessly neglecting the condition of Dacera which led to her death. PMaj. Michael Nick Sarmiento faces falsification of an official document by a public officer for supposedly declaring untruthful findings in his autopsy report. Party drugs: The NBI said that police found flouromethamphetamine and methamphetamine on two pieces of cotton found in the room Dacera and her companions were staying at. Methamphetamine was also
Christine Dacera Photo from Instagram/@xtinedacera
found in the area where Dacera vomited, the NBI said. The NBI also said that witnesses who were staying at another room in the same hotel that Dacera was staying at testified that the flight attendant came to their room because her companions were high after taking party drugs. “We were able to corroborate such presence of illegal drugs through the statement of our witnesses,” NBI Death Investigation Division agent Zulikha Marie Conales-Degamo told a news briefing. Conales-Degamo said occupants of Room 2207 testified that some occupants of Room 2209, where Dacera and her companions were staying at, offered and used drugs. Rosales, Dela Serna, De Guzman and Rapinan have shared on social media that they have tested negative for drugs. Reckless imprudence: ConalesDegamo, explaining the reckless imprudence charges against four of Dacera’s companions, said that they failed to help the flight
attendant when she was already vomiting, complaining of a headache and feeling numbness in her arm. “If I saw my friend vomiting, or has an extremely bad headache, I would probably give her medicine or I will seek immediate assistance,” Conales-Degamo said partly in Filipino. She added, “You did not intend to kill anybody, but your omission to do the proper prudence and diligence required of you in that time and place, you failed to give that, that diligence and that prudence, you are liable under the law.” NBI findings: The NBI added that there were “glaring inconsistencies” between their autopsy findings and PNP’s autopsy findings, with the NBI being able to obtain 130 milliliters of urine from Dacera’s bladder and finding no abrasion on her labia majora. Police initially declared that Dacera’s bladder was empty and that they found abrasions on her labia majora. Natural death: The NBI, however, arrived at the same conclusion as the PNP on the cause of death of Dacera. “The cause of her death was microscopic evidence of periaortic hemorrhages and aortic wall disruption, suspicious for a bleeding dissecting aneurysm,” the NBI said. Toxicology examination on the body of Dacera also showed the presence of diltiazem, a prescription drug for the management of hypertension. The NBI, however, linked Dacera’s aneurysm to her supposed use of illegal drugs on the night before she died. (Xave Gregorio with a report from Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.com)
QUAKE DRILL. Employees of the Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Council do the “drop, cover, and hold” during the 1st Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill at their office along Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City on Thursday, March 11. The public is encouraged to hold their quake drills at home and offices in preparation for disasters. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
The way of the conscious heart: Confronting racism... PAGE A7 t
all — be women and Black, Asian, Latino, Caucasian, Middle Eastern individuals. This included resume writing and mock interview sessions privately held to upgrade their oral communication skills. Most have been promoted with the culture of “we are all learners, leaders, and teachers.” By practicing a culture of caring for one another, our regional staff thrived. Karma has a way of completing the circle and extracting justice. I had another supervisor, another Caucasian male, as a result of “changing chairs,” internally. When I retired, he found himself being sued by an African American, let’s call her Mary for this article. Mary filed a federal discrimination lawsuit in the federal courts, alleging discrimination when she applied for a job with this state agency. At that time, I led a regional hiring panel, which interviewed Mary, along with two Asian male supervisors. We asked merit-based hiring questions, took copious notes and made recommendations. Sacramento headquarters did the rest. Little did we know our notes would become public records in a Los Angeles federal trial court. I was already retired when I was called as a witness, testified under oath, and got cross-examined. I had a choice: tell the truth to defend the agency or not. I chose my conscience and to sleep with
peace in my heart. My husband questioned why I was going out of my way to defend the supervisor who harassed me to the point of incurring health and physical injuries when I could simply expose him. I told him that the truth is my life’s currency and reforms, not vengeance. After that day’s trial, my former supervisor was teary-eyed and with two simple words, simply said, “Thank you.” At a Christmas party later that year, regional staffers invited the retired folks. I felt quite wholesome receiving their welcoming hugs. Did hate persist in that agency? Of late, it took on another form: blatant physical harm to a Caucasian young female peace officer, who inflicted by a fellow male colleague, dared to speak the truth. This time, she received the support of witnesses who came forward as to what they witnessed. I hope in time, she prevails in getting justice and accountability, as hate simply persists, until love becomes the predominant culture. Fr. Aris Martin reminded me that Mark 7:15, NIV: “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them, continued on verse 21: ‘from within people, out of the hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery.’”
Footnote: I am writing this to honor two civil rights leaders, decades-long friends, who have passed away years ago, teaching me the beauty of a life lived with inclusion and love: Ester SorianoHewitt and Raymond “Masai” Hewitt, whose death anniversaries are in March and April. Thank you for your sterling examples of morally aligned lives anchored in racial equality and inclusion. Raymond taught me about Martin Luther King while Ester taught me about democratic leadership skills and the farmworkers’ contributions to our civil rights. May you both rest in peace! *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 13 years. She also contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico and over 22 national parks in the US, in her pursuit of love for nature and the arts.
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Biden drops Trump’s 2019 ‘public charge’ policy Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ ON March 9, 2021, DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas announced that the U.S. government will no longer defend the Trump administration’s 2019 public charge rule, as doing so “is neither in the public interest nor an efficient use of limited government resources.” The Biden administration believes that the 2019 public charge rule was not in keeping with our nation’s values. “It penalizes those who access health benefits and other governmental services available to them.” As a result, DHS will go back to following the 1999 field guidance on public charge, which was the guidance in place before Trump’s stricter 2019 public charge rule. Under the 1999 public charge guidance, DHS will not consider a person’s receipt of Medicaid or Medi-Cal (except for long-term institutionalization), public housing, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as part of the public charge inadmissibility determination. Also, medical treatment or preventative services for COVID19, including vaccines, will not be considered for public charge purposes. In addition, Form I-944 (Declaration of Self-Sufficiency) should no longer be submitted
with adjustment applications. If you already submitted it, USCIS will not consider the information on that form. By way of background, in 2019, the Trump administration attempted to implement new guidance in connection with evaluating whether a person was likely to become a “public charge,” or rely on public assistance. The focus was to have a person demonstrate that, if given a green card, they would be self-sufficient or rely on their family for support, and would not apply for or receive public assistance. There were several court challenges to these 2019 public charge proposals, and injunctions were issued. The Trump administration then appealed. But the Biden administration has announced it is dropping all of those appeals and will go back to relying on the 1999 public charge analysis. Under the 1999 field guidance, “public charge” means an alien who has become or who is likely to become “primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by either (i) the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance or (ii) institutionalization for long-term care at government expense. (Institutionalization for short periods of rehabilitation would not constitute such primary dependence.) Under the 1999 field guidance, the benefits that may be considered for public charge purposes include: 1. Supplemental Security In-
come (SSI) 2. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 3. State and local cash assistance programs that provide benefits for income maintenance 4. Programs (including Medicaid and Medi-Cal) supporting aliens who are institutionalized for long-term care. However, past or current receipt of such cash benefits does not necessarily lead to a determination that the person will be a public charge. Several benefits would not be considered for public charge purposes, such as: 1. Non-cash benefits 2. Medicaid or Medi-Cal, other than for long term institutional care 3. Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) 4. Nutrition programs, including food stamps 5. Housing benefits 6. Childcare services 7. Emergency disaster relief. It is great news the Biden administration is going back to the 1999 public charge standards, as it will help remove some of the fear and uncertainty we were all experiencing with Trump’s proposed 2019 guidance. We will continue to keep you informed on other immigration news and developments which we hope you, or someone you know, may find helpful to your case. If you have concerns over whether you may have public charge issues with your case, I advise you to consult with an attorney for advice and guidance.
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MORE QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA AROUND THE U.S. WILL BE ANSWERED ON A BRANDNEW EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (top left) answers questions from Kapamilya in Texas, California, and Washington. Rey of Abilene, Texas (bottom left) wants to know what the fastest way is to bring an adopted child to the U.S. Christian of Antioch, California (bottom right) has a friend who is a green card holder. He returned to the Philippines in 2013, but his re-entry permit expired in 2015. Can he still return to the U.S. before his green card expires in 2022? Arlene from Vancouver, Washington (top right) has a daughter who got her green card in 2004. However, the daughter has been in the Philippines for many years and her green card expired. Can the daughter still renew her expired green card? Find out the answers to these questions on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, March 14 at 5:30 pm PT (8:30 pm ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
*** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of 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
Follow us on Facebook.com/Gurfinherein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re- kelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration TV enactments) are of a general nature, and Instagram.com/gurfinkellaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultaand are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute tion for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 a prediction, warranty, guarantee or (866) – GURFINKEL legal advice regarding the outcome of Four offices to serve you: your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW with any reader. YORK · PHILIPPINES WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com (Advertising Supplement)
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Questions on adoption and expired Andrea: Coming out in her own style green cards will be answered this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy By Ricky Lo Philstar.com
NO 18 roses, no 18 candles, no cotillion. None of such traditional practices when a girl spends her debut, her “coming out” as an adult. THE latest developments in son of Rey’s sister whom they got her green card through the Star Magic member Andrea U.S. immigration reform will have treated as their own since daughter’s U.S. citizen father in Brillantes turned 18 yesterday be discussed by leading U.S. birth. Baby Carl is now six years 2004. However, the daughter (March 12) and, as she told Immigration Attorney Michael old. What is the fastest way to was sent back to the Philippines Funfare in an interview the day and her green card has expired. before, “I’m not having a grand J. Gurfinkel, as featured on his bring Carl to the U.S.? Christian of Antioch, Cali- Can the daughter still renew her party. I’m not used to celebratYouTube channel, US Immigrafornia has a friend who has a expired green card? How can ing my birthday with a party. I tion TV. Atty. Gurfinkel will also be green card that will be expiring Arlene help her daughter? feel awkward being greeted by Answers to these questions many guests singing ‘Happy answering questions from Ka- in 2022. The friend returned to pamilya that involve adoption the Philippines in 2013 but his and more on a brand-new epi- Birthday’ as I enter the room. of a relative, an expired re-entry re-entry permit expired in 2015. sode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sun- Di ako sanay sa ganoon. Bepermit, and an expired green Can he still return to the U.S. be- day, March 14 at 5:30 pm PT sides, I don’t have that many (8:30 pm ET thru select Cable/ friends na puedeng mag-offer fore his green card expires? card while outside the U.S. Andrea Brillantes Arlene from Vancouver, Satellite providers). Rey and his wife Maryann of ng 18 roses. Hindi ko talaga Photo courtesy of Nice Print Photography Abilene, Texas want to adopt the Washington has a daughter who (Advertising Supplement) pinangarap magkaroon ng traditional debut. As I grew up, She ended up celebrating every time my birthday would with her family...at home. come around, I always have Now that she’s 18, will she taping.” start being responsible? Which is just as well consid“Sa totoo lang po,” she qualiering the restrictions during fied, “I have been responsible these perilous times. since I was 10. That was the Instead, Metro.style is fea- time when I started being the turing Andrea in 18 gowns breadwinner in my family.” designed by 18 couturiers that The youngest among four include Michael Leyva, Mak children, Andrea said she grew tionship with his son Alex, who is on the autism Tumang, Francis Libiran, Mark up in her lola’s care until she By RitcheL MendioLa spectrum. He submitted it to Pixar’s SparkShorts, Bumgarner, Vania Romoff, Pat- was five years old. AJPress an immersive storytelling program that gives stu- ty Ang, Joe San Antonio, Deb“At first, I thought my lola PIXAR Animation Studios’ “Float,” written and dio employees six months and a budget to develop bie Co, Patricia Santos, Steph was my mom. I stayed with her directed by Filipino American storyboard artist animated short films. Tan and Erika dela Cruz, plus in her home in Sikatuna, QueOn Tuesday, March 9, Rubio took to Twitter to pieces from H&M x Simone Ro- zon City, and then I moved to Bobby Alcid Rubio, has surpassed 25 million views express his excitement over the short’s milestone. cha collection. since its February release on YouTube. my parents’ home in Taytay, “20 MILLION VIEWS. 720K Likes. Just a week First released in November 2019 on Disney+, Initially, Andrea wanted to Rizal. That was where I and my “Float” is the first Pixar short to feature Filipino has passed and the response has been overwhelm- spend her special day in Hawaii siblings learned the neighboringly positive! #PixarFloat’s message to #Celebra- but had to scrap it due to the hood games.” characters. The seven-minute animated film tells the story teOurDifferences is much needed right now and I pandemic. Plan B was to go to It was her parents who acof a father trying to keep his infant son’s special am glad that it has resonated with people all across Siargao, preferably by her lone- companied her to auditions. the world!” Rubio wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, some. ability to fly a secret. “Dami n’un!” exclaimed AnThe animated short is based on Rubio’s rela- March 9. “Something like an indepen- drea. “Pumipila kami. Talaga Pixar on February 27 released “Float,” along dent adventure,” she said, “just pinag-tiyagaan namin.” with “Wind,” another animated film by Korean di- myself. I don’t want people who Their efforts paid off. She rector Edwin Chang, on YouTube amid the recent are boring.” was taken in as “extra” in ABSspike of violent attacks against Asian and Asian American communities in the United States. “Pixar Animation Studios and the SparkShorts filmmakers of FLOAT are in solidarity with the Asian and Asian American communities against Anti-Asian hate in all its forms,” the studio said. “We are proud of the onscreen representation in this short and have decided to make it widely available, in celebration of what stories that feature Asian characters can do to promote inclusion everywhere,” it added. As of this writing, “Float” has amassed 26,678,616 views and over 773,000 likes on YouTHE Pechanga Resort Casino VIP/Asian MarTube. keting Manager together with the Filipino host “At the end of the day, [‘Float’] is about the bond team entitles its VIP valued customers access to between father and son. 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‘Float,’ Pixar’s first short featuring Filipino characters, surpasses 25M views on YouTube
CBN shows, became a regular cast member of Goin’ Bulilit (the “alma mater” of now big stars like Kathryn Bernardo, et al) and eventually bagged bigger roles as she grew up under the klieg lights. “I started earning and helping in the family expenses,” said Andrea, now a prized property of ABS-CBN’s Star Magic helmed by a new captain, the well-loved Laurenti Dyogi. At 18, Andrea expects to assume more responsibilities. “Up to now, it’s my mom who takes care of paying the bills. I just give her the money. I didn’t want to know kung magkano ang babayaran because that could add pressure to me. Mataas ba ang babayaran sa kuryente? Ayokong malaman; bahala na si Mama. But Mama will not always be around, so I have to learn how to budget my money. Up to now, I don’t want to handle money kasi ang daling maubos. No, I am not a ‘buy dito, buy doon’ type of person. Kuripot nga po ako, eh!” Will she learn to live alone, too? “Before, I used to say that I want to live alone in my own apartment. Not anymore. You know what, I can’t even sleep alone. I sleep in one room with my siblings. We have a bunk bed in our room.” She’s old enough to have a boyfriend, isn’t she? “Not yet,” Andrea protested. “Puede na, why not? Ask n’yo muna ang Mama ko kung puede na, hahaha!!! But what I want is to have a car bago magboyfriend.” As of now, she’s happy with Seth Fedelin, her loveteamPAGE B6
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Tax Tips Victor Sy, mBA, cPA (retired) This is second of three articles about China technology companies. Bilibili (BILI) • Bilibili Inc. is a China-based company principally engaged in internet and other related businesses. • It’s the clear leader in online entertainment for the younger generation. • Mobile games are still the largest revenue contributor at ~50% of total revenue in 1Q20. • New users average age was 20 with more than 50% coming from lower-tier cities in China. • The company intends to be the “go to” video platform for younger people in China • It has an ecosystem which helps it solidify its pole position
Tapat Sa Batas Atty. rheA SAmSon Ang U classification ay nagbibigay ng nonimmigrant status sa mga dayuhang biktima ng “qualifying criminal activity.” noong naging batas ang Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 na siyang naglikha ng U nonimmigrant status, ang layunin nito ay protektahan ang mga biktima ng mga ilang krimen dahil ang mga biktima ay naglakas-loob na iulat ang krimen, tumestigo tungkol dito, at tumulong sa imbestigasyon at pag-uusig ng kaso. Kapag naaprubahan ang U nonimmigrant status, ang dayuhang biktima ay maaaring manatili sa US ng 4 na taon bila U nonmmigrant, kasama ang kanilang derivative family members. Pagkatapos ng 3 taon bilang U nonimmigrant, maaari na siyang mag-apply ng green card. Ang dayuhan ay eligible para sa U nonimmigrant status kung maipapakita niya lahat ng sumusunod: (1) Ang dayuhan ay nagdusa ng malaking pisikal o mental na pang-aabuso dahil siya ay naging biktima ng “qualifying criminal activity.” Ang malaking pang-aabuso ay maaaring madetermina ayon sa katangian ng pinsalang naranasan ng dayuhan; bigat ng kilos ng may kasalanan; kalubhaan ng pinsalang naranasan; at tagal ng pagbibigay-hirap sa biktima. Susuriin din kung may pangmatagalan o malubhang pinsala sa hitsura, kalusugan, o pisikal o mental na katinuan ng biktima, kasama na ang pagpapalubha ng kanyang pre-existing conditions; (2) Ang dayuhan ay may pinanghahawakang kapani-paniwala at maasahang impormasyon tungkol sa “qualifying criminal activity” na pinagbabatayan ng kanyang U nonimmigrant status application. Ang biktima ay kailangang may nauukol na kaalaman tungkol sa criminal activity na magbigigay daan para madetermina ng certifying officer na ang dayuhan ay magbibigay ng tulong sa imbestigasyon at paguusig ng “qualifying criminal activity”; (3) Ang biktima ay tumutulong o nagiging matulungin sa certifying agency sa imbestigasyon o pag-uusig ng “qualifying criminal activity” na pinagbabatayan ng U petition, at noong
Pastor’s Notes reVerend rodeL g. BALAgtAS We all could go through a dark or darkest moment of our lives. It happens in times of failure, separation, sickness, death, and other tragic events. It doesn’t matter if we’re filled with faith or are wise on the doctrines and mysteries of our faith and the Scriptures. All of us go through what spiritual writers refer to as the “dark night of the soul.” It’s part of being human. The question is what to do when this moment comes. Should we languish in despair? Should we rebel against God? Must we not accept defeat but cling to our human power? Or should we swallow this awful pill and surrender to God’s will. Any of these approaches is not easy. What I know is that we can’t go through a dark period by ourselves. We need others to help us handle a crisis or a tragedy. We need someone to cry with, to unburden our fears and anxieties. We need people to give us some hope and assure us that things can get better and that life is not
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China tech stocks Clients fit into classic Chapter 7 profile, (Part 2 of 3) eligibility for honest debtors
with millennials Tencent Interactive media & Services (TCeHY) • Tencent Holdings provides value-added services (VAS) and online advertising services. • The Company operates through three main segments. • The VAS segment is mainly involved in provision of online/mobile games, community value-added services and applications across various Internet and mobile platforms. • The Online Advertising segment is engaged in display based and performance based ads. • Other segments provide payment related services, cloud services and other services. Meituan Dianping (MPnGf) • Meituan provides an e-commerce platform that uses technology to connect consumers and merchants. • It connects consumers and
businesses to provide services to people’s daily eating needs. • It operates through food delivery, in-store, hotel & travel and new initiatives. • The Company is also engaged in the operation of a bikesharing brand called Mobike. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com.
Relief for alien victims of criminal activities
magsimula ng kooperasyon sa biktima, hindi pa ito tumanggi na magbigay ng impormasyon; (4) Ang “qualifying criminal activity” ay nangyari sa US (kasama ang Indian country at US military installations) o sa mga teritoryo ng US, o may paglabag ng US federal law na nagbibigay ng extraterritorial jurisdiction para iusig ang krimen sa US federal court. Ang dayuhang biktima ay kailangan ding admissible sa US o eligible sa waiver of inadmissibility. Ang mga “qualifying criminal activity” ay kailangang isa sa 28 na krimen na nakalista sa Section 101(a)(15)(U)(iii) ng Immigration and nationality Act (InA). Maaari rin na ang krimen ay kapareho ng isa o ilan sa 28 na krimeng nabanggit, na labag sa federal, state o local criminal law. *** The U classification affords nonimmigrant status to alien victims of qualifying criminal activity. When Congress created the U nonimmigrant status under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, the intention was to protect victims of certain crimes who have gathered the courage to come forward, report the crime, and assist in criminal investigation and prosecution. The U nonimmigrant status allows alien victims of crime to stay in the U.S. for up to four years if approved, apply for lawful permanent resident status after 3 years of U nonimmigrant status, and help derivative family members to obtain nonimmigrant status as well. An alien is eligible for U nonimmigrant status if he or she demonstrates all of the following: (1) The alien has suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of being a victim of “qualifying criminal activity.” Whether the abuse is substantial is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: the nature of the injury inflicted or suffered; the severity of the perpetrator’s conduct; the severity of the harm suffered; the duration of the infliction of the harm; and the extent to which there is a permanent or serious harm to the appearance, health, or physical or mental soundness of the victim, including aggravation of pre-existing conditions; (2) The alien pos-
sesses credible and reliable information establishing that he or she has knowledge of the details concerning the “qualifying criminal activity” upon which his or her petition is based. The alien must possess specific facts regarding the criminal activity leading a certifying officer to determine that petitioner has, is, or is likely to provide assistance to the investigation or prosecution of the “qualifying criminal activity;” (3) The alien has been helpful, is being helpful, or is likely to be helpful to a certifying agency in the investigation or prosecution of the “qualifying criminal activity” upon which his or her petition is based, and since the initiation of the cooperation, has not refused or failed to provide information and assistance reasonably requested. This is shown by a certification from a federal, state or local law enforcement authority certifying the alien victim’s helpfulness; and (4) The “qualifying criminal activity” occurred in the U.S. (including Indian country and U.S. military installations) or in the territories and possessions of the U.S., or violated a U.S. federal law that provides for extraterritorial jurisdiction to prosecute the offense in a US federal court. The alien should also be admissible to the US or be eligible for waiver of inadmissibility. Qualifying criminal activity must involve one or more of the 28 types of crimes listed at Section 101(a)(15)(U)(iii) of the Immigration and nationality Act (InA) or any “similar activity” in violation of federal, state or local criminal law. ***
ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is the principal of SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C. She has been a member of the State Bar of California for over 15 years and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for over 20 years. Atty. Samson received her Legal Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She was a Professor for over 10 years, teaching Obligations and Contracts, Labor Laws and Social Legislation and Taxation Law. Atty Samson is the author of The Law on Obligations and Contracts (2016), Working with Labor Laws-Revised Edition (2014) and Working with Labor Laws (2005). SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C., 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Phone: (213) 274-4561; Email: info@ samsonlawfirmpc.com. (Advertising Supplement)
Light in darkness “But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.” (John 3:21) over yet. What I know is that this is the moment that God is inviting us to turn to Him in prayer. He asks us not to ask for favors merely but to throw ourselves to him in sorrow, grief, praise, and adoration. It’s the time to be in our most vulnerable self before God—to express our abject poverty of will and spirit. Jesus showed his most vulnerable “human” self during his agony in the garden, on his way to Calvary, and his death on the cross. He gave his all to his father, emptied himself of all human glory and comfort, shouted in agony and despair, and in the end commended his entire spirit to God. It’s amazing to think that it is in his complete surrender to his father that Jesus healed us all, saved humanity and the world, and brought us to hope in eternal life. “It ain’t over yet until it’s over,”
we hear this phrase in sports. In matters of faith, it means that there is a reason to live through our anguish and suffering, doubts and fears. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection revealed it to us. As Jesus said in the Gospel of John upon learning of his friend Lazarus’ death: “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4) It might be challenging to express and believe this truth. Still, it is comforting and enlightening to say that all things happen for a reason to give glory to God! *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
DIfferenT clients have different financial and asset situations, which make them start thinking about getting rid of accumulated debt. nobody starts with borrowing money with the intention of defaulting and not being able to pay back. Certainly, in my over 30 years of practice in bankruptcy law, I have seen potential clients, not many actually, very few who have actually deliberately perpetrated fraud by deliberately borrowing a lot of debt without any actual intent of paying back, but by and large, clients are what’s referred to in bankruptcy law as honest debtors. Bankruptcy law provides honest debtors with the opportunity to start fresh again in life without the burden of accumulated debt. This is a very important right and privilege given to individuals in the USA to give every individual the chance to become productive people again without the burden of accumulated debt, with the caveat that this privilege is given only to honest debtors. Who is an honest debtor? Let’s give an analogy. You live every day without the intention of getting sick. But then everyone who is human actually does get sick once in a while. When you do get sick, then you need medication to get well. Say you’re perfectly healthy enjoying life then all of sudden you get COVID that’s so severe that you can’t breathe and you need to get intubated. Intubated means that since you can’t breathe on your own, a procedure that involves sticking a tube down your throat into your windpipe forces air in and out of your lungs using a ventilator. Our Latino brothers and sisters refer to this as the dreaded “el Turbo.” Imagine your lungs as a balloon and the ventilator forces air into the balloon then sucks it out again, air forced in, then sucked out continuously. Then, you’re given maybe a host of new medicine like remdisivir to fight the inflammation in your organs and lungs. If the medical treatment works, then you eventually recover and you’re back to normal good health. So the analogy is that you go through life living and enjoying life every day. You like to travel and eat. So year after year you travel and tour a country that you haven’t been to before. You charge all the costs and expenses to your visa and MasterCard. In year one, you owe $5,000, in year two, $10,000, in year three, $15,000 and year four, $20,000, in year five $25,000 and in year six, $30,000. In addition, you like to eat in restaurants, not even the highclass ones like Mr. Chow, just
Debt Relief
Atty. LAwrence yAng the ordinary restaurants that serve good food. every time you eat out, it costs $100. You eat out 3X a week. So in one month, your eating out costs you $1,200 a month, all of which you charge to your credit cards. every year of eating out, you add $14,000 to your credit card debt. Do the math, just six years of eating out costs you more than traveling abroad every year. Six years of eating out adds $80,000 to your credit card debt. Therefore, in six years of enjoying life by traveling abroad and eating out, your total credit card debt is $30,000 plus $80,000; you now owe $110,000 just by enjoying life. now you walk into my office and tell me you owe $110,000 of credit cards and you need $3,500 to keep them current every month. Your income before the pandemic hit was $100,000 a year. Your wife used to make $50,000 a year. With the pandemic, your income is reduced by half, and your wife lost her job. She’s been getting pandemic unemployment of $3,000 a month. You own a house and the mortgage is $2,000 a month. Your home equity is $350,000 because the fair market value of your house in LA is $750,000 and your mortgage balance is $400,000. You pay $500 a month for a MB 350 2018 model with another two years to go. So the question is are you an honest debtor? And the answer is YeS of course you are. remember our analogy? You were going through life enjoying each day of your life but all of a sudden you get hit with a serious case of COVID that requires the el turbo. Don’t tell me that it was your intention to get COVID all along. Of course, it’s certainly not true that it was your intention to get COVID all along. The same is true with your accumulated credit card debt of $110,000. You were just enjoying your life traveling and eating out, not realizing that your debt was getting bigger every year because that’s what those credit cards are designed for. It’s designed for a slow build-up that prevents you from feeling the build-up. Your income was good before the pandemic hit. Therefore, you’re exactly the honest debtor that bankruptcy law envisioned. You need a fresh start in life without the burden of accumulated debt of $110,000 that requires $3,500 a month to keep
current. In Chapter 7, you will keep your house, your car, all your other assets within applicable exemptions, even if your house equity is now $350,000, you keep it as you get rid of your $110,000 of credit card debt! That is a sweet deal, but absolutely necessary to give you a fresh start in life to make you productive again. This is the reason why Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice. After his second fresh start without accumulated debt, his business started to become more successful and more successful until now it’s a multibillion dollar business worldwide! This is also the reason why Milton Hershey filed for Chapter 7 once. After getting a fresh start without accumulated debt, his Hershey chocolate business became more and more successful until it became the multi-billion biggest chocolate business that is the biggest and most successful in the world! In short, Mr. Disney and Mr. Hershey were both honest debtors, the same as you and all my clients, all of whom are honest debtors. So they get a fresh start in life without accumulated debt, keep all if not most of their assets so they become productive again. In fact, some of my previous clients are now millionaires after being given their fresh starts some time ago. Another client also has $400,000 of equity in his house and he owes $200,000 of credit cards. He used these cards to fund his business before the pandemic struck. His business is now dead in the water, and not able to recover. He needs a fresh start in life by wiping out the $200,000 of credit cards. He is also an honest debtor who deserves to become productive again. I do not doubt that with his determination he will become a millionaire in the near future after he gets rid of accumulated debt of $200,000. After becoming a millionaire, he will become a multimillionaire then, maybe just maybe, he may be so talented that he may even become a billionaire. If you need debt relief, please set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THE FOREGOING IS CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE. EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South, Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
Why using your married child as a co-borrower to refinance your house is a bad idea Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrSUA reyeS MAnY parents who may have problems refinancing their house due to low income in retirement or due to low credit score sometimes resort to the idea of having their married child serve as a co-borrower to refinance their house As part of the refinancing process, the parents usually adds their adult children to the deed of the house then have them apply as a co-borrower in a mortgage. This is a really bad idea especially if there your child’s marriage is in trouble. This becomes a big problem if your married child ever gets divorced from his or her spouse. Your child’s spouse will have a claim for half the community interest in your house even if your intent was only to use your child’s credit to help you qualify for the refinance. Although you can argue that adding your married child’s name to the deed of your house was only a gift which should be characterized as your child’s separate property, the fact that your married child’s credit was used to obtain the refinance mortgage loan during the marriage which was then used to pay off your prior mortgage creates a community interest on his 50% share
of your house. According to In re Marriage of Branco, a community property loan used to pay off a preexisting separate loan gives the community an interest in the amount of that loan. In re Marriage of Branco, (1996) 47 Cal.App.4th 1621. Thus, the refinance described above allowed for the new loan to pay off the old separate property loan, and for a community interest to arise. Your married child’s spouse can claim that adding your child’s name to the deed was not a gift but instead property your child acquired during marriage as community property because your child paid for that interest by getting a mortgage as a co-borrower during their marriage. family Code Section 760 provides that all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in this state is community property. Procedurally, your married child’s spouse will join you as an indispensable party in the divorce case. Once you are joined as a party, you will be served with a summons and complaint for joinder into the action. You then would have to retain your own lawyer to defend you in your married child’s divorce case. If you can avoid this situation and refrain from adding your married child to the deed and serving as a co-borrower in your refinance. However if refinancing would really make a big difference in your mortgage interest and you are will-
ing to give one half ownership interest in your house to your married child, then you may be able to plan around this situation by having your married child execute a post nuptial agreement with his spouse before you enter into the refinance transaction. Although not bullet proof, it should offer you some protection in case your child gets divorced. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
B6 march 13-16, 2021 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOUrNaL
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Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga Honoring the Patroness of Cavite, Philippines
INCARNATION Catholic Church, Glendale, California, will observe 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines with a procession, rosary, and Mass in Tagalog every third Sunday of the month, beginning March 21, 2021. These celebrations will also be on live stream from Facebook – Incarna-
tion Catholic Church. Pueblo Amante de Maria is a year-long event which will feature canonically-crowned Marian images from the Philippines. These celebrations will take back devotees in time, how Mary played an important role in the evangelization of the Filipinos. Images of the
Blessed Mother introduced by the early missionaries are venerated throughout the archipelago. From Aparri to Jolo, there are churches and chapels where our Lady is honored with local traditions and religious practices. Through the intercession of Mary, battles are won, rain brings a bountiful harvest, plague and famine are ended. There are thousands of answered prayers for the birth of child, healing, passing a board exam, safe travels, among others. A canonical crown is presented by the Pope to historically old, acclaimed and venerated images that serve as beacons of faith and hope, especially in times of need and difficulties. Through a papal bull or declaration, the Holy Father recognizes the fervent devotion of the faithful, and a golden crown is bestowed on the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. To date, there are 45 canonicallycrowned Marian images in the Philippines. For the month of March, the Blessed Mother under the title of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, patroness of Cavite, leads the quincentennial celebration at Incarnation Catholic Church. The 16th century painting, the oldest of one of Mary in the Philippines, was used to bless departing trade galleons plying the route between Cavite and Acapulco (Mexico) has earned the title Patroness of the Galleons. The image has survived fire, earthquakes, revolutions, and wars. The procession and recitation of the rosary will begin at 1:15 p.m. to be followed with Mass in Tagalog at 2 p.m. Caviteños in Southern California are especially invited to this celebration. For details, call 818-242-2579.
Preventing a hostile work environment in male-dominated workplaces Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. IN 2001, Sara Alfaro became a firefighter with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD). Throughout her employment, she consistently performed with a rating of “above standard” or better. She has worked at several of the busiest fire stations, where she was the only woman out of a group of 510 firefighters during her shift. In 2015, Alfaro was promoted to Fire Captain, and became one of five female operational fire captains in the Department. The SDFD is dominated by men in its ranks and culture. Only five of the approximately 120- 130 operational Fire Captains are women. Women hold only one of approximately 25 Battalion Chief positions and one of approximately 12 Deputy Chiefs positions. The Division to which Alfaro belongs is often referred to as “the Brotherhood.” Much worse than the lack of diversity, male coworkers openly express chauvinist views in Alfaro’s presence, referring to women as “subservient” and discussing the bodies of the few women they work with. Alfaro alleges that she was subjected to severe sexual harassment. Male coworkers had groped her, unzipped her shirt, placed their exposed genitalia on her possessions, photoshopping a picture of a penis onto a picture of her and distributing this at work, and sending her multiple sexually suggestive text messages. This sexually hostile behavior was a conspic-
uous a feature of Alfaro’s workplace known to the SDFD. Aside from the unwelcome sexual attention which she ignored, Alfaro has been locked out of certain promotions and assignments that have gone to men, many of whom lack her qualifications. Alfaro claims she was held to a higher standard and expected to perform additional work without pay or recognition. After nearly 17 years of unequal treatment, Alfaro complained to a Fire Chief, who filed an EEO complaint on her behalf. The SDFD and the City’s HR Department disclosed her complaints and its investigation to the men of the department, over Alfaro’s repeated warnings that this would cause retribution by her male colleagues. The sexual harassment intensified and Alfaro was denied promotions. Seeking accountability for years of emotional distress, Alfaro sued SDFD and the City of San Diego. Sexual harassment creates a “hostile environment.” Unwelcome sexual comments and inappropriate touching despite requests to stop interfere with an employee’s job performance and create a hostile work environment for the victim (and others who witnessed this interaction). For sexual harassment/ hostile work environment to be actionable, the complainant must establish that the sexual conduct is unwelcome, or has created a work environment that would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people. California law prohibits discrimination on the basis of “sex.” Discrimination based on sex comes in many forms; failure/refusal to promote; unequal pay; and unequal treatment in terms of socio-business rela-
Andrea: Coming out in her own style...
PAGE B2 mate. They’re together in the Kapamilya series Huwag Kang Mangamba (theme song is by Louie Heredia) in which she plays Mira, a blind girl whose faith is so strong that she is able to strengthen that of other
people. “I’m happy with Seth. Maayos ang relasyon namin. He’s a good friend, always there for me.” If and when, what kind of guy would win her heart? “Wala akong gusto,” Andrea
said it better in Tagalog. “Mas marami akong ayaw. Ayoko ng mayabang, ayoko ng tamad, ayoko ng suplado, ayoko ng mahina...may pagka-boyish ako at malakas ang character ko... ayoko ng mas lalaki pa ako sa kanya at ayoko ng hindi ma-ef-
tions. One of the most common ways to discriminate on the basis of sex is paying women less than men for substantially similar work. Thus, California’s Fair Pay Act was enacted to address this inequity. The Act prohibits an employer from paying wage rates that are less than what it pays employees of the opposite sex, or of another race, or of another ethnicity, for substantially similar work and performed under similar working conditions. If differences in wages exist, the difference must be legally justified based on factors that have nothing to do with sex, race, or other protected characteristics. If the employee’s efforts to end sexual harassment by reporting it to management resulted in demotion, suspension or termination, management’s conduct may be retaliation. Sexual harassment and retaliation cases are taken seriously by the courts and the juries. In her claims of sexual harassment, unequal pay, and retaliation, it would seem that Alfaro had the law solidly on her side. Little surprise then that rather than proceed to trial, the City of San Diego settled Alfaro’s claim by agreeing to pay her $525,000 in damages. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at nocost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw. com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.] (Advertising Supplement) fort kasi ma-effort ako.” And what does she want? “Someone who knows how to respect women, someone from whom I can learn during conversations, someone who seems to be a bad boy but with a good heart, ‘yung guy na masasakyan ang mga kalokohan ko.” There you are, guys! The queue forms to the right.