MARCH 23-26, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 20 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages
Former PH gov’t officials sue China’s president before ICC
USA
DATELINE Fil-Am who mailed explosives to political officials, Trump critics pleads guilty FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
CESAR Altieri Sayoc Jr., the FilipinoAmerican man from Southern Florida who was accused of mailing pipe bombs to numerous political figures and Trump critics last year, Cesar Sayoc Jr., the suspect in the bombs pleaded guilty mailed to various Democratic officials in on Thursday, October 2018, pled guilty this week. March 21 in Photo courtesy of federal court in the Broward County Sheriff Manhattan. Sayoc, 57, was arrested and charged late October after he sent improvised explosive u PAGE A4
New report: Filipinos at greatest risk for heart disease, stroke NEW research shows that the risks of death from heart disease and stroke vary among Asian American subgroups, with the Filipino, Indian and Vietnamese populations facing the greatest risk. Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on Wednesday, March 20, the study examines the years of potential life lost due to cardiovascular diseases among the six largest Asian American subgroups compared to non-Hispanic whites. Asians make up the fastest growing racial/ ethnic group in America, increasing 72 percent between 2000 and 2015 — from 11.9 million to 20.4 million. By 2050, the American Asian population is predicted to grow to 41 million, according to the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan research group tracking demographics and other data. “Usually researchers combine Asian subgroups in studies, masking what might be important health differences,” said Latha Palaniappan, M.D., M.S., study author and professor of medicine at Stanford University u PAGE A5
menting a “systematic plan to control” the contested South China ManilaTimes.net Sea (West Philippine Sea) and violating the rights of Filipino fishers. TWO former government ofFormer Foreign Affairs secreficials have accused before the tary Albert del Rosario and former International Criminal Court (ICC) ombudsman Conchita Carpio-MoChinese President Xi Jinping and rales, in their “communication” other Beijing officials of imple- dated March 15, accused Xi and by DEMPSEY
Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and former DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario Inquirer.net photos
REYES
other Chinese officials of “committing crimes within the jurisdiction” of the ICC. The communication to ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda was filed two days before the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, u PAGE A2
ICC case vs Xi won’t affect PH-China ties – Duterte PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, March 21, expressed confidence that the good relations between the Philippines and China would remain intact despite the filing of a complaint against Chinese President Xi Jinping by former Philippine government officials. “I’m sure it won’t [affect our ties]. The Philippines is a democratic country and anybody can bring a suit against anybody. But whether or not it would prosper, or whether or not we have the jurisdiction, that’s something else,” Duterte said Former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario and former ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales filed a “communication” before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 15, accusing Xi and other Chinese officials of committing “atrociously inhumane actions in the South China Sea and within Philippine territory.” Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Army’s anniversary celebration in Taguig City, Duterte said he welcomed the filing of the case. u PAGE A2
MARAWI HEROES MEMORIAL. President Rodrigo Duterte skims through the names of the fallen heroes engraved on the Marawi Heroes Memorial after leading its unveiling at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on Thursday, March 21. Accompanying the President is Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Benjamin Madrigal Jr. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez
Sandiganbayan approves Estrada, Pork imports to PH may Napoles plea to dismiss plunder charges carry African swine fever by NATHALIE
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
ROBLES
AJPress
THE Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Wednesday, March 20, granted the motion for leave of court that allowed senatorial candidate Jinggoy Estrada and plunder convict Janet Lim Napoles to file a demurrer to evidence over the multibillionpeso “pork barrel” scam. “After a careful examination of the totality of the evidence u PAGE A2
Former Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Janet Lim Napoles
Inquirer.net photos
A TOP Philippine veterinarian has warned that the deadly African swine fever (ASF) virus may enter the Philippines through products like pork dumplings being sold by Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen to their local counterparts in the West Philippine Sea. Dr. Eugenio Mende, president of the Philippine Veterinary Drug Association, on Wednesday, March 20, gave the warning during the Senate committee on agriculture and food hearing that focused on the possible entry of African swine fever in the country. According to Mende, there is a possibility that the u PAGE A4
No formal renegotiation set for Mutual Defense Treaty by NATHALIE
ROBLES
AJPress
A UNITED States State Department official said there has yet to be a request to renegotiate the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the U.S. and the Philippines. This comes despite recent calls for amending the 1951 treaty. Patrick Murphy, State Department Principal Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia, told reporters that “there is no request from either side to renegotiate the treaty.” He added, “That said, we have frequent discussions and talks in appropriate channels with appropriate mechanisms on a regular Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (middle) takes a look at a UH-1 helicopter engine, which was among the spare parts donated by Japan, during the blessing and turnover ceremony at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Tuesday, March 19. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon basis about the treaty.”
Earlier this week on Wednesday, March 20, Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that he would hold exploratory discussions on the mutual defense treaty (MDT) with a senior defense official from the United States. Lorenzana met U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Joseph Felter on Thursday, March 21, to “open discussions on what is in the Philippine-U.S. MDT.” The Philippines’ defense secretary clarified that it was a mere proposal to discuss the content of the 1951 agreement between the two countries. He explained that they have yet to draft a lineup of what the discussion would
be about. “It is only exploratory talks, there is still no talking points there. We only wanted to know what they think about our proposal to open up for discussion what is in the Mutual Defense Treaty,” Lorenzana said as reported by The Philippine Star. A U.S. vessel commanding officer stated the importance of the 68-year-old agreement among the military forces of both countries as he noted that “sharing contributes to regional security and stability, reinforces our partnership and enhances interoperability.” During the U.S. Navy warship port call in Manila, USS Chief Lieutenant Commander Freder-
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Former gov’t officials sue...
PAGE A1 t took effect. Del Rosario and Carpio-Morales explained how China’s plan to control the disputed waters constituted “crimes against humanity” within the court’s jurisdiction. The two officials said they wrote on behalf of the fishermen “persecuted and injured” by officials of China.
“The situation presented is both unique and relevant in that it presents one of the most massive, near permanent and devastating destruction of the environment in humanity’s history, which has not only adversely affected and injured myriad groups of vulnerable fishermen, but present and future generations of people across na-
tions,” they said. Such acts “seriously undermined” food and energy security of the coastal nations in the South China Sea, including the Philippines, they claimed. “We believe that the grave consequences of these actions justify the Honorable Court’s involvement as it affirms one of the principles of the Rome Statute that ‘the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished and their effective prosecution must be ensured,’” the communication added. Del Rosario and Carpio-Morales stressed that the crimes allegedly committed by the Chinese officials “fall within” the ICC’s jurisdiction. “We urge you to initiate preliminary examination on this matter, if only so the Court can apprise itself of Chinese crimes committed not only against the Filipino people, but also against people of other nations, which crimes are already known to the international community,” they said. “Though widely publicized, these atrociously inhumane actions of Chinese officials in the South China Sea and within Philippine territory remain unpunished, and it is only the ICC that can exact accountability on behalf of Filipinos and the international community, respecting the rule of law,” they added. China, however, is not a state party to the Rome Statute. On March 17, Manila formally withdrew from the Rome Statute amid an ICC investigation of President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war against illegal drugs. Manila and Beijing had been at odds over the South China Sea, until Duterte assumed office in 2016 and decided to prioritize economic ties. On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, The Netherlands ruled that China has no legal basis to claim sovereign rights over most features of the busy waterway, said to be rich in mineral resources. China has refused to recognize the Hague-based tribunal’s decision, and continues to undertake expansion activities in the disputed waters. Duterte, who prefers closer ties with Beijing, had said he would invoke the arbitral court’s ruling at some point in the future. n
ARMY TREATMENT FACILITY. President Rodrigo Duterte inspects the Philippine Army’s medical treatment facility on the sidelines of the 122nd Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City on Thursday, March 21. Accompanying the President are Commanding General of the Philippine Army Lieutenant General Macairog Alberto and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Malacañang photo by Simeon Celi Jr.
ICC case vs Xi won’t affect PH-China... PAGE A1 t
would say that there is no juris“I think we’ll just have also to diction over this country and of defend our position. If they think China. We will just go along that they have a good case, and I line,” he said.
The president said the ICC has no jurisdiction over China. (Catherine S. Valente/ManilaTimes.net)
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Estrada, who is accused of amassing P183-million worth of kickbacks for funneling his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to bogus non-government organizations linked to Napoles, has been out on bail since September 2017. “Still the prosecution’s evidence show that accused Estrada is the main plunderer having sole and exclusive control over his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation,” the prosecution said as reported by Rappler. He had repeatedly denied having any transaction with Napoles concerning his PDAF. The former senator is currently campaigning for a return to the Senate. He is one of the senatorial candidates running under the administration-backed Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) slate. Napoles, meanwhile, is held at the women’s correctional facility in Mandaluyong City. n
Sandiganbayan approves Estrada... presented by the prosecution, both testimonial and documentary, the court resolves to grant the present motion of the accused, to sufficiently provide him an opportunity to challenge the sufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence establishing the material elements of the offense charged to support a judgment of guilt,” the anti-graft court said as reported by ABS-CBN News. All three justices of the Fifth Division namely Associate Justices Rafael Lagos, Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega and Maryann Corpus-Mañalac signed the two separate but similar resolutions for both of the accused. As the Sandiganbayan approved the plea of Estrada and Napoles, they were given 10 days to file their respective demurrers, while the prosecution was given 10 days to respond. The plea could pave the way for
the dismissal of the case halfway through the trial, without the accused having to present their counter-evidence. In a report from The Philippine Star, a demurrer to evidence is a pleading that challenges the sufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence against the accused. It gives the court a chance to decide if there is enough reason for the case to move forward. The anti-graft court cited Section 23, Rule 119 of the Rules of Court. According to the said rule, demurrers, if granted, is tantamount to a dismissal of the case. “A demurrer to evidence is an objection by one of the parties to the effect that the evidence which his adversary produced is insufficient in point of law, whether true or not, to sustain the issue,” the rule stated. “Thereafter, the incident shall be deemed submitted for resolution,” the court said.
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Governor Newsom doubles down on decision to temporarily shut down death penalty Despite facing opposition, the newly-elected California governor reaffirms his executive order, signaling a shift in the American perspective on capital punishment by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
GETTING RID OF BAD APPLES. National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director, Major General Guillermo Eleazar, says more entrapment operations to snag “scalawags in uniform” will be conducted to clean their ranks of bad apples, during the National Press Club “Election Pulse 2019” forum held at the NPC Building in Intramuros, Manila on Friday, March 22. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.
SWS: Filipinos still trust US the most, ‘neutral’ on China
MANILA — Filipinos still trust long-time ally and former colonizer the United States the most despite the Duterte administration’s efforts to warm ties with China, results of a new Social Weather Stations survey suggest. Of 1,440 Filipino adults surveyed last December, 71 percent said they have “much trust” in the U.S., while only 11 percent said they have “little trust” in the superpower. This yielded a “very good” +60 net trust rating, barely moving from +59 recorded in September 2018. Washington has always scored a positive trust rating since the
first survey in December 1994, the polling firm noted. The United States was followed by Japan, which garnered “good” +34. This was one grade and six points higher from the “moderate” +28 in September 2018. While the net trust rating for Australia stayed “good” at +31 in December 2018, this was down by five points from +36 in June 2018. ‘Neutral’ for China The same survey found China staying in the negative levels with “neutral” -7 after 39 percent said they have “little trust” in Philippines’ non-traditional ally, while 31 percent said they have “much
trust” in it. This, however, was an improvement from the “poor” -16 recorded by Beijing in September 2018. “Net trust in China has been positive in only nine out of 48 surveys since SWS first surveyed it in August 1994. It reached as high as moderate +17 in June 2010 and as low as a bad -46 in September 2015,” SWS said. The survey was conducted from December 16 to 19, 2018 using face-to-face interviews. It has error margins of ±2.6 percent for national percentages, and ±5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao. (Philstar.com)
No formal renegotiation set for...
PAGE A1 t ick Crayton emphasized that they are indeed duty-bound to aid the Philippines in defense and protection as provided by the MDT. “We are excited to make the most of this port visit in the hope of fostering a closer and stronger relationship with the Philippines and interact with the Filipino people we are sworn to defend through our Mutual Defense Treaty,” Crayton said as reported by The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Crayton, who is deemed in charge of the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, said that he and his crew were set to conduct joint activities with the Philippine Navy (PN). The USS Chief has now moored the Manila South Harbor. The ship commander also expressed his sadness after visiting the American Cemetery in Taguig City. He commemorated the
lives of the 16,000 U.S. servicemen and 600 Filipino soldiers interred in the cemetery. “Although sad in remembrance, it was a reminder that our relationship with the Philippines is one of the enduring relationships in the Indo-Pacific region and the Filipinos are our closest friends and partner and allies,” Crayton said. Lorenzana maintained his position that both countries must address the ambiguities of the MDT to further utilize the alliance of the Philippines and the United States. However, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said that the clarification is unnecessary. Locsin believed that the ambiguous provisions of the defense treaty would pose as a challenge to China should we encounter territorial conflicts with the neighboring country. However, the defense chief
highly doubted such an assumption. Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi) President Dindo Manhit said that Locsin’s perspective reflected his assurance of the U.S.-PH defense relations despite the increasing Chinese impact in the country. “As our only treaty ally, the U.S. remains invaluable to us, and we need to recognize the significance and importance of this alliance. That said, we also need to recognize that we are required to strengthen our own defense and security capabilities,” former DFA chief Albert del Rosario said. During his visit to Manila earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured Philippine officials that the U.S. is ready to defend the country “in case of armed attack on Philippine forces, aircraft or public vessels in the South China Sea.” ■
WHEN California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a moratorium on the state’s death penalty last week, it caused a stir, to put it lightly. National outlets picked up the news, op-eds were written about the overall relevance of capital punishment and death row victims and their families came out of the woodwork to — with valid reasons — publicly denounce the move. As previously reported by the Asian Journal, Newsom signed an executive order on Wednesday, March 13 that would implement a moratorium on the death penalty, which means that for as long as Newsom is governor, death row won’t exist. Though it’s not the total aboli-
tion of the death penalty, which would need to be decided by voters, the 737 inmates currently sitting on Death Row were then granted reprieves from execution. The death chamber at San Quentin State Prison was effectively closed after the executive order was signed and the state has seized acquiring the materials and chemicals needed for lethal injection executions. “I didn’t come to this flippantly, lightly over just a few weeks,” Newsom told reporters in an ethnic news telebriefing on Tuesday, March 19. During this telebriefing — the governor’s first ethnic media briefing since entering office in January — Newsom clarified and expanded on his decision by reiterating that the 737 death row inmates who were reprieved
were not granted commuted sentences. “I want to remind everyone that no one is being released. The sentences have not been commuted and we are not arguing against the heinous nature of any of these crimes,” Newsom assured, stating that he plans “to work collaboratively with the attorney general’s office” to seize prosecuting crimes as death-penalty cases. The next course of action for the 737 inmates would be “consideration” to commute death sentences to life without parole, which may require approval from the California Supreme Court. Newsom cited several reasons that led him to implement the moratorium. Notably, the extravagant cost of maintaining the death penalty PAGE A5
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Quezon City residents tour USS Blue Ridge by PIA LEE-BRAGO Philstar.com
RESIDENTS of Barangay Blue Ridge B in Quezon City have been given the opportunity to tour the visiting United States 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge in Manila. The 7th Fleet staff welcomed the residents for a ship tour while the Blue Ridge was docked in Manila on Sunday, March 17. “This is an honor for us. We got the chance to see the ship and its crew. We really feel that we are part of the ship’s legacy,� Sessan Castro-Lee, chairman of Barangay Blue Ridge B, said. The Blue Ridge and Barangay Blue Ridge B share a namesake, taken from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the eastern United States. Upon learning that the ship was visiting Manila, Lee contacted the U.S. embassy in Manila to arrange the tour. “I did not expect to get a response on such short notice. It was an amazing experience for all of us,� she said. Lee toured the ship along with the councilors, staff and residents of the barangay.
As the second-oldest ship in the U.S. Navy’s fleet, the Blue Ridge features analog controls for speed and navigation. During a stopover at the ship’s cafeteria, chief culinary specialist Ron Lanuza said the command ship feeds more than 1,000 crewmembers. Lanuza is among more than 150 Filipino-American personnel of the Blue Ridge who made a port call in Manila. The visitors had the opportunity to sit in the commanding officer’s chair while on the ship’s bridge. They proceeded to the deck where Silvia Bohorquez, the 7th Fleet’s first female search and rescue swimmer, demonstrated how to use rescue equipment. On the flight deck, command and control station chief Charles Ludwig explained to visitors how the helicopters on board provide resupply, transport and search and rescue support. The residents also visited the forecastle or fo’c’sle, in which the ship’s anchoring gear is housed, and passed through the ship’s version of “main street,� a corridor where a barber shop, bank and post office operate.
Lanuza, who served as one of the tour guides, said the tour was a chance to give back to the community. “Being from the Philippines, I know how important the people here feel the U.S. Navy is to the region, so we always want to give back,� he said. “Finding out that we have a local community that shares our name made the opportunity even more important for us. I think they really enjoyed the tour, and hopefully we will be back soon so we can meet again.� Officials of Barangay Blue Ridge said they look forward to meeting USS Blue Ridge sailors. “Next time the Blue Ridge comes to Manila, we would love to welcome the crew here,� Lee said. “We hope to contribute to keep the friendship between our two countries strong.� Blue Ridge is commanded by Capt. Eric Anduze and serves under Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7, Task Force 76, the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force. Barangay Blue Ridge B was created in the late 1970s. It occupies about 15 hectares with approximately 200 households. n
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A crowd gathers around state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo before a committee hearing on legislation that would expand Medicaid coverage to adults who are in the country illegally. Photo by Harriet Blair Rowan/California Healthline
Crowd at CA Capitol demands immigrant health coverage by ANA
AND
B. IBARRA HARRIET BLAIR ROWAN Kaiser Health News
SACRAMENTO — “Vivan los inmigrantes!� echoed through the halls of the state Capitol on Wednesday as immigrants and activists gathered to push for legislation that would extend full Medicaid coverage to adults in the country illegally. Sons and daughters clutched photos of their late parents. If they had had health insurance, maybe they would still be alive, they said. Others held “Health for All� signs and practiced the testimony they planned to give inside the fourth-floor hearing room. Before the hearing, Benjamin Carranza, 38, of San Bernardino, Calif., held a photo of his mother, who worked in the U.S. for many years but never had health insurance because of her immigration status. “She began to feel sick, and when we were finally able to go to the doctor, we found out she had an advanced stage of cancer,� he said in Spanish. Lidia Lopez, who works as a promotora, or health educator, said she hears these kinds of stories all the time. Lopez, 50, of Ventura County, Calif., works with fruit pickers. When the Thomas Fire flared in December 2017, they were overcome by smoke and many developed asthma symptoms. Many of them lacked health insurance, so they postponed doctor visits. “I know of at least one man who couldn’t afford medical costs on top of his rent, so he returned to Mexico,� Lopez said. Unauthorized immigrants make up about 58 percent of the re-
maining uninsured population in California, and an estimated 1.2 million of them would qualify for Medi-Cal based on their incomes, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates. Since May 2016, California has allowed low-income youths up to age 19 to sign up for Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, regardless of their immigration status. As of January, nearly 269,000 children had enrolled in the program, according to the state Department of Health Care Services. But previous proposals to expand coverage to adults have stalled in the legislature, in large part because of the price tag. Even though Medicaid is funded by both state and federal money, California would have to pay for the entire cost of covering undocumented immigrants. That could cost $3 billion in the first year, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. State Assemblyman Jay Obernolte, the ranking Republican on the Assembly Budget Committee, said Medi-Cal should be improved before it is expanded. As it is, some of his constituents in northern San Bernardino County have trouble getting care because many doctors are unwilling to accept Medi-Cal’s low reimbursement rates, he said. We have an obligation to “make the system work for people who are currently covered by Medi-Cal before we even have a discussion about opening that up to more populations of people,� Obernolte said from his Capitol office. The state’s current budget allocates $365.2 million to fund MediCal for unauthorized immigrant children.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed $260 million in next year’s budget to expand Medi-Cal to about 138,000 undocumented young adults, ages 19 to 25. But advocates argue that qualified people of all ages should be covered. Carolina Gamero, spokeswoman for the California Immigrant Policy Center, said young immigrants aren’t the only ones left out of the health care system, noting that most family breadwinners are older than 25. “Their income goes toward paying the rent, towards putting food on the table — and health care access just happens to be one of the things that doesn’t make the cut,� she said. Inside the hearing room, the committee heard a procession of voices in support of the measure by state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles). Some supporters who spoke broke into tears describing their loved ones’ suffering. No members of the public spoke out against the measure. An identical bill has also been introduced in the state Assembly. The committee approved the bill on a 7-1 vote. State Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Temecula) was the only “no� vote. “This is going to be a very expensive law,� he said. After the hearing, a delighted Durazo rejoiced. “It’s a next step in moving towards expanding Medi-Cal to cover every Californian, no matter what their immigration status,� she said. This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation. n
Pork imports to PH may carry African...
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pork used in the food items, like siomai, pork dumplings, and other processed foods, sold by Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen may have been infected with ASF. He urged the authorities, specifically the Philippine Coast Guard, to vigorously patrol the area and prohibit the practice. Ronnie Domingo, director of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry, said the agency’s evaluation of the ASF possibility in the country was “very low,� but he noted that protective measures are most effective in the commercial importation of pork and that the porous areas where the ASF virus may slip through are those in the items carried by balikbayans or returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and foreign tourists. “In the traditional importation of meat or bulk imports, we don’t see any problem with that. But in the case, for example, of our countrymen who bring meat products from ASF-infected country, that’s where the risk is
present,� Domingo said. Temporary pork imports ban Hog industry stakeholders are urging the authorities to limit pork imports in order to prevent African swine fever (ASF) from entering the country. “We’re not saying, for the record, that us stakeholders are against importations since we have a 94 percent self-sufficiency rate. But if we’ll need to import, we should only import what we need,� said National Federation of Hog Farmers chairman Chester Warren Tan during the Senate hearing on Wednesday. A temporary total ban on pork imports, meanwhile, was suggested by Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries Chairperson Rufina Salas. “There is enough [buffer stock for meat] to cover 60 days as of now, so we’re asking for a temporary total ban on importation of pork even from countries...not ASF-infected,� Salas said. The DA has so far banned pork imports from 15 countries where ASF is present including Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lat-
via, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Zambia. Salas also suggested recalling imported canned goods from China, since ASF virus can survive for 1,000 days even in frozen meat. “So maybe the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) should recall imported canned goods from China, especially until China is cleared,â€? she said. According to the FDA, there are some 38 Chinese products currently on the market shelves. Agriculture Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Segfredo Serrano, for his part, said the government has implemented strategies to block ASF. “The directive of the secretary (Emmanuel PiĂąol) is to also keep watch on the ports where fishermen working in the South China Sea land, and the Navotas Fish Port,â€? Serrano said. “We can [also] require SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) certificates for hand-carried meat,â€? he added. Footbaths were placed in airports to block ASF, as well. n
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PAGE A1 t devices to 13 political targets and public figures including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, former CIA director John Brennan, Senator Kamala Harris, and Rep. Maxine Waters. Other targets included billionaire George Soros and actor Robert De Niro. Before the federal New York judge on Thursday, Sayoc pleaded guilty to a total of 65 felonies from four sets of charges including illegally mailing explosives with intent to kill or injure another, and using weapons of mass destruction. Sayoc admitted that he designed the devices “to look like pipe bombs� complete with explosive powder from fireworks, and a digital alarm clock with wires. “I knew these actions were wrong. I’m extremely sorry,� Sayoc told U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, adding that he did not intend for the bombs to explode. Nevertheless, Sayoc said he was “aware of the risk that they would explode.�
“For five days in October 2018, Cesar Sayoc rained terror across the country, sending high-ranking officials and former elected leaders explosive packages through the mail,� said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman. “Thankfully no one was hurt by these dangerous devices, but his actions left an air of fear and divisiveness in their wake. Sayoc has taken responsibility for his crimes, and will soon be sentenced to significant time in prison.� Sayoc, who is slated to be sentenced on September 12, faces a possible sentence of life in prison, according to a statement by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Following the FBI’s announcement of his arrest in October, details emerged about Sayoc including that of prior run-ins with the law such as an arrest on a felony theft charge back in 1991, and on charges of domestic violence in 1994. He was also arrested on charges of making bomb threats in 2002, according to public records.
Lenny Altieri, a cousin of Sayoc’s mother Madeleine Altieri, told the New York Times last year that Sayoc had problems with his mother and as a result was raised by his grandparents. Altieri said that Sayoc’s father was from the Philippines. On his LinkedIn, Sayoc claimed that his grandfather, Col. Baltazar Zook Sayoc, “built all the hospitals in the Philippines,� and was a Philippine martial art Kali expert who helped fight the Communist Party in the Philippines. However, Sayoc Global, which has the trademark for Sayoc Kali, released a statement that Cesar Sayoc “has no affiliation with Sayoc Kali� and “was not a grandchild of Baltazar Zook Sayoc.� Sayoc was also revealed to be an ardent Trump supporter who often tweeted conspiracy theories and memes about liberal public figures. Upon his arrest, authorities impounded his van, which was covered in images and stickers of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)
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UN urged: Don’t delist 625 desaparecidos by RHODINA
VILLANUEVA Philstar.com
RIGHTS group Desaparecidos (Families of the Disappeared for Justice) has submitted a letter to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance (UN-WGEID) as part of its continuing appeal for the latter not to accept the government’s move to delist the 625 victims of enforced disappearance in the Philippines from 1975 to 2012. Signed by 24 relatives of victims of enforced disappearance across the years, from the Marcos dictatorship up to Duterte, the letter appealed to UN-WGEID chair-rapporteur Bernard Duhaime “not to accept the said proposal, and hear the voices of the families of the victims who have been searching and seeking justice for our missing loved ones – the same families of victims who sought the help of the UN-WGEID many years back to raise the issue of enforced or involuntary disappearance in the Philippines.” In the letter, they pointed out that “even with the existence of a law criminalizing enforced disappearance, there is no assurance that justice will be obtained; justice, which means the abducted
administration vilifies the disappeared despite their continued disapperance, as in the case of Maria Luisa Posa-Dominado. “Luisa, together with Michael Celeste, are two desaparecidos included in the proscription list filed in February 2018 by the Department of Justice, accusing them as terrorists. This is after more than a decade has passed since Luisa was abducted,” they said in the letter. Luisa’s daughters Maywan and Tamara are among the signatories of the letter. Luisa was likewise recognized as a legitimate martial law victim entitled to compensation under Security camera footage reveals a burglar entering the baby’s room of a Fil-Am family’s home in Vallejo, California. Photo courtesy of Schendelle Bohulano Republic Act 10368. “We respectfully hope that the UN-WGEID echoes the stand of the families of victims as the Philippine government has yet to fully implement the said laws and its provided mechanisms. We respectfully ask the UN-WGEID to But what really sent the famthe stranger began scoping the by RAE ANN VARONA visit the country and investigate house before making his way in ily chills was footage of the man AJPress the cases. Even before giving through an unlocked window in looking into the bedroom of BoA FILIPINO-AMERICAN fam- the backyard. audience to the proposal to ‘delhulano’s four-year-old niece and ist’ the victims, we appeal to the ily in Vallejo, California was He then went in and out of the one-year-old nephew. UN-WGEID to hear the families shocked when their home se- house a total of three times, com“You could see my nephew on of the victims on the ground. We curity camera footage revealed ing back each time with more camera, and he was just looking ask to maintain the list of the 625 a stranger entering their house stolen items. Missing items from in,” Bolulano told San Francisvictims and raise this concern to while they slept. the home included electronics co’s KPIX. Schendelle Bohulano, whose including iPads, a laptop, a cell the Philippine government,” the “I got chills, I started crying,” sister owns the house, shared phone, and speakers. relatives said. n she added. “I was like, why?” the video of the man on Face“He saw my brother in law While security cameras were book to spread awareness. The leave and that’s when he went not able to get a clear look of entry happened at around 7 a.m. for it!” wrote Bohulano on her the man’s face or his car license on Sunday, March 17. Facebook post. plate, the burglar did leave beThough former Gov. Jerry tail, gruesome and horrific detail. The stranger, who was wearOnce inside, the man made hind a pair of gloves, which are Brown opposed the death penal- We don’t do this lightly, we don’t ing a red hoodie, was initially way through the home without being examined by Vallejo Poty, he never placed a moratorium celebrate this action and weighs caught entering the family’s waking anyone up or even alert- lice. No arrests have been made on it or had to be in the position heavily on me and my conscience home from a neighbor’s secu- ing the family dog. In one shot, so far. to decide whether or not to par- as it does on others’. This is a very rity camera across the street. the man was seen attempting to Meanwhile, the family has updon an inmate from execution in sober and deliberate process that As soon as Bohulano’s brother- move a security camera in the dated their security system and led me to this decision.” n either of his terms. in-law drove out of the garage, living room. plan to get a bigger dog. n Newsom, on the other hand, noted that 25 inmates on Death Row have exhausted all of their appeals and the state would soon have to start executions. The state has not executed a Death Row inmate since 2006. “We were estimating as early as April to continue to support the previous administration’s objection protocol,” Newsom said. “That’s fundamentally what precipitated my consideration, and whether or not I was willing to move forward with that, and if I wasn’t willing to move forward to that, it would beg the question of what is my position on the death penalty.” Since the announcement, victims and the families of victims of death row inmates have denounced Newsom’s executive order, including Phyllis Loya whose son was Pittsburg, California police officer Larry Lasater who was killed in the line of duty by a death row inmate. “My reaction to the moratorium is that he betrayed us,” Loya told the radio station 90.9 WBUR in Boston. “It is very clear from our last election on this issue that the will of the people in California was not only to keep the death penalty but to enforce it, to fix our system which was broken and stop the delay for families of decades like mine.” Throughout Newsom’s political career, he has consistently denounced capital punishment, which he calls “an administration of death” that “consumes court time and the criminal justice system and exhausts the soul and the pocketbook.” Newsom campaigned against ballot measures in 2006 and 2012 in which voters, both times, voted in favor of the death penalty. Since the death penalty was reinstated in California in 1978, the state has executed 13 people. Additionally, due to the grave nature of the practice and how lengthy one’s stay can be on Death Row, 120 inmates in California have died of either natural causes or suicide. He continued, “I’ve quite literally...read over 230 of the crimes that were committed in some dewill be surfaced and the perpetrators brought to justice.” “From our actual experience with the Philippine justice system, we know that unless the institutions cooperate and comply, the laws are useless,” the relatives said in the letter. “We stand that ‘delisting’ victims from the lists of the United Nations runs contrary to the state’s so-called ‘adherences to the principles and standards’ set by the nation’s laws as well as international instruments that provide a venue for victims to seek justice outside the country. It defeats the purpose of providing relief and respite for victims of enforced disappearance so they may be surfaced, their rights recognized and for justice to be served,” the letter further stated. Among the signatories of the letter were Edita Burgos, mother of missing farmer-activist Jonas Burgos; Erlinda and Asher Cadapan, parents of missing University of the Philippines student Sherlyn Cadapan; and Concepcion Empeño, mother of missing UP student Karen Empeño. They also raised how they, families of the disappeared, were the ones to pursue justice by filing cases in court. They also lamented how the current Duterte
Governor Newsom doubles down on decision to...
PAGE A3 t — which is estimated to have cost the state $5 billion since 1978, according to a report from Loyola Law School — was a major reason for the moratorium, and Newsom said the administration plans to divert the funds the state would be saving from keeping inmates out of death row to other statefunded resources. The perceived racial and economic disparities among those who are on death row were a huge factor, Newsom noted. As he stated in his initial announcement, the governor pointed out that nearly 67 percent of all death row inmates are people of color. Although the population of inmates of color leans heavily black and Hispanic, there is also a significant number of indigenous Americans and Asian Americans, including at least one Filipino death row inmate. (Filipino-American Sonny Enraca has been on death row for 19 years for killing two people while in the Filipino street gang Akrho Boyz Crazzys.) Financial disparities also affect an inmate’s likelihood of winning an appeal. Some inmates who can’t afford quality legal representation are likely to lose all their appeals and, in turn, are more likely to be executed. Of the 159 wrongfully-convicted inmates who have been exonerated across the country, five have been from California, which has the most populous death row. Newsom emphasized, again, that the system shouldn’t forgive these inmates, citing once again the “gruesome” natures of many of the crimes that led these inmates to death penalty sentences. But he’s firm on the justification that capital punishment discriminates based on ethnicity and income status. “The entire criminal justice system treats people differently based on wealth, how they look and where they live,” Newsom said, noting the overwhelming number of death row inmates who hail from Los Angeles and Riverside counties. “You’re better off being rich and guilty than poor and innocent.” According to a report from the National Academy of Sciences which Newsom cited, one in four death row inmates are likely innocent of their crimes. Using that benchmark, Newsom said there may be 30 innocent people sitting on death row right now.
New report: Filipinos at... PAGE A1 t
in California. “Looking at overall death rates might not reveal that some groups are dying prematurely from heart disease and stroke.” Palaniappan and colleagues studied U.S. death records from 2003 to 2012, examining average potential years of life lost before life expectancy in every 100,000 people in each Asian subgroup and non-Hispanic whites. “A striking finding was that years of life lost due to stroke in women were greater for all of the Asian subgroups than non-Hispanic whites,” she said. “This tells us that stroke is a very important contributor to premature death, especially in Asian women.” The study concluded that Filipinos and Asian Indians have the highest years of life lost because of ischemic heart disease — considered the leading cause of death in Filipino men. Meanwhile, Filipinos and Vietnamese populations have the highest years of life lost because of cerebrovascular disease. Filipinos lost an average of 16 years of life to this disease.
The most common presentation of cerebrovascular disease is an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke or mini-stroke and sometimes a hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke. They also found that the average age of death from heart disease was younger among the Asian Indian subgroup. Heart disease accounted for almost 25 percent of all the years of potential life lost in Asian Indians, who lost an average 17 years to heart disease. “One of the benefits of the study is that we’ve identified these differences among Asian subgroups. Now we can create culturally-tailored and personalized preventive programs and guidelines for each group based on its unique risks,” Palaniappan said. Co-authors are Divya G. Iyer, B.S.; Nilay S. Shah, M.D., M.P.H.; Katherine G. Hastings, M.P.H.; Jiaqi Hu, M.P.H.; Fatima Rodriguez, M.D., M.P.H.; Derek B. Boothroyd, Ph.D.; Aruna V. Krishnan, Ph.D.; and Titilola Falasinnu, Ph.D. The National Institutes of Health funded the study. (AJPress)
Burglar caught on camera entering home of Fil-Am family while they slept
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Duterte abolishes Road Board by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law an act that abolishes the Road Board that he had once referred to as a “milking cow” of corrupt officials. Duterte on March 8 signed Republic Act No. 11239, which dismantled the board and required the government to channel the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge (MVUC) into the National Treasury. A copy of the measure was made public on Tuesday, March 19. Under the new law, the multibillion-peso MVUC will be “remitted to the National Treasury under a special account in the General Fund” to be earmarked solely for the construction, upgrading, repair, and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, and road drainage to be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. A Congressional Oversight
committee will also be created to monitor the implementation of the law imposing the motor vehicle user’s charge. The committee will be comprised of five members each from the House of Representatives and the Senate. One member of each chamber should be from the minority. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DWPH) will assume all obligations and liabilities of the Road Board — the board’s records, property, assets, equipment and funds will all be transferred to the department. The public works department will also absorb the employees of the Road Board secretariat without reducing their salaries and benefits. The proposal to abolish the Road Board had been filled with controversies. It was one of the reasons why the passage of this year’s P3.757-trillion budget was delayed, sparking a quarrel between then budget secretary
Benjamin Diokno and several lawmakers who accused him of inserting some P75 billion in the budget without Duterte’s approval. Duterte also signed Republic Act No. 11241 or the Philippine Occupational Therapy Law of 2018, which regulates the registration, licensure and practice of occupational therapy and extending the franchise of a broadcasting firm. It was enacted on March 11. Republic Act No. 11241 creates a board consisting of a chairman and two members appointed by the president to promulgate, administer and enforce rules governing occupational therapy. Licensure examination will be a requirement for occupational therapists. A general average of 75 percent with no grade lower than 60 percent in any subject should be obtained by an applicant to be qualified to practice. n
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FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL GAMBLING. Representatives from various government agencies pose for a photograph after the formal signing of the mutual cooperation agreement that aims to intensify the campaign against illegal online gambling. Pagcor tapped the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Immigration, and the Department of Justice to complete the interagency council that would crack down on prohibited online gaming activities, particularly offshore operations, said Andrea Domingo, Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer. ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina
Duterte issues EO to fund gov’t workers salary hike by AJPRESS MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, March 20, said President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an executive order that would give government workers their salary increases despite the stalled 2019 national budget. Executive Order No. 76, signed by Duterte on Friday, March 15, amends EO 201 or the 2016 Salary Standardization Law (SSL) to modify the salary schedule and authorize the grant of additional benefits for both civilian and military personnel. Under EO No. 201, which was issued by former president Benigno Aquino III, 1.3 million government employees, except for incumbent elected national officials, were supposed to re-
ceive the fourth and last tranche of the salary increase starting January. “There is a need to identify an appropriate funding source to cover the requirements for the implementation of the fourth tranche compensation adjustment for civilian government personnel scheduled in 2019 under EO No. 201,” the EO reads. The implementation of salary adjustments had been delayed due to the congressional impasse over the 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). The government is currently on its third month operating on a reenacted budget. “The president does not want to prolong the overdue salary increase that our public servants, who have been working tireless-
ly and silently for the last two months, have been looking forward to,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said. According to him, Duterte directed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to “find and recommend a measure to fund the fourth tranche of salary increase of state workers.” He also urged Congress to break the impasse on the budget. “We reiterate our vigorous call to the two chambers of Congress to end this impasse on the budget with dispatch that the GAB (General Appropriations Bill) may finally be transmitted for [Duterte’s] review and approval to assist this government better the lives of our countrymen and help the nation move forward,” he said. n
Former VP Binay offers P1-M bounty for mastermind behind ambush on Junjun’s aide by DAPHNE
GALVEZ Inquirer.net
MANILA – Former Vice President Jejomar C. Binay on Friday offered a P1-million reward to anyone who could provide information that will lead to the arrest of the individuals responsible for the shooting Thursday night, March 21, of the executive assistant of his son, former mayor Jejomar Erwin ‘JunJun’ Binay Jr. In a statement, Binay said he was “deeply saddened” by the “senseless shooting” of Monalisa Bernardo, who he described as a “close and true friend” of his family. “I am hopeful that truth and justice will prevail and those behind this heinous act will be unmasked,” Binay said in a statement. “I am ready to offer a reward of P1 million for information that will lead to the arrest of those behind this crime,” he added. Bernardo is the executive assistant of the younger Binay. She was shot by motorcycleriding gunmen in front of her residence in Barangay Olympia, Makati City Thursday night.
Former Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay and former Vice President Jejomar Binay. Inquirer.net photo
Bernardo sustained gunshots wounds to the hand and stomach. Binay condemned the attack on Bernardo, saying that there is “no room for violence in Makati.” Binay also appealed to residents of Makati to “remain calm” and “refrain from aggravating the situation by spreading conjectures and speculations.”
“There could be certain elements who are out to exploit this incident for their personal agenda and incite violence,” he said. The younger Binay, Junjun, earlier said that the attack on his aide could be politically-motivated. He is seeking to return to the Makati Mayor’s office this May 13 midterm elections. n
Rich pay less, poor pay more for same water quality–UN by RONNEL
W. DOMINGO
Inquirer.net
BILLIONS of people worldwide still lack access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation facilities, a basic human right, no thanks to social exclusion and inequality, according to the United Nations. In the World Water Development Report 2019 released prior to the observance of World Water Day on Friday, March 22, the UN said that if exclusion and inequality were not dealt with, efforts to provide water and sanitation would fail to reach those most in need. It said people were being left behind for reasons related to issues like gender, ethnicity, culture and socioeconomic status. “Exclusion, discrimination, entrenched power asymmetries, poverty and material inequalities are among the main obstacles to fulfilling the human rights to water and sanitation and achieving the water-related goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” “While the wealthy generally receive high levels of service at low prices, the poor often pay a much higher price for services of similar, or lesser quality,” said Stefan Uhlenbrook, coordinator of the World Water Assessment Program which prepared the report. Slum dwellers “It is insane that often in slum
areas, people have to pay more for a volume of water than people living in better-off neighborhoods,” Uhlenbrook said in a statement. He said slum dwellers were paying as much as 20 percent more for not having piped-in access to water and sanitation and instead depend on water vendors, kiosks and similar alternative sources. It makes good economic sense to invest in water supply and sanitation in general, and for the vulnerable and disadvantaged in particular, the report said. “Evidence suggests that the return on investment in water supply and sanitation services can be considerably high, especially when broader macroeconomic benefits are taken into account,” it said. “Although the support of the international donor community will remain critical in the developing world, it will remain incumbent upon national governments to dramatically increase investments.” Philippines’ goal: Water for all In the Philippines, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said the country would need investments of about P1 trillion over the next 12 years, to be able to meet the goal of water for all by 2030. Assistant Neda Secretary Roderick Peralta said the bulk of the package, at P734 billion, would have to be invested over the next four years. Programs tailored to specific
target groups help ensure that affordable water supply and sanitation services are available to all, the UN said. “While larger centralized water and sanitation systems provide opportunities for resourcesharing and economies of scale in high-density urban communities, less costly decentralized systems have been shown to be successful in smaller urban settlements,” the UN said. It noted that one of the factors behind the problem was rapid urbanization. Sanitation problems The report also showed that while the Philippines was among the majority of countries worldwide where at least 90 percent of the population enjoyed “basic drinking water services,” it was also among the worst-situated minority where less than half of the population have access to “basic sanitation services.” The Philippine situation in terms of water supply and sanitation worsens when natural calamities hit, throwing down more people below the poverty threshold and further limiting their access to water and sanitation services. An example cited was the aftermath of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in 2013 when 23.6 percent of the “near poor”—or those living on between $1.90 and $3.10 per day—fell into poverty. n
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A
Voters urged: Elect leaders who will champion women’s rights
MISSION FOR PEACEFUL POLLS. Col. Noel Detoyato, public affairs chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said they will continue to suppress armed groups in Mindanao to ensure the peaceful conduct of the midterm elections in May. Detoyato made the remark during the press briefing held at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Wednesday, March 20. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
Also on narco list: 13 judges, 10 prosecutors by ROMINA
CABRERA Philstar.com
MANILA — Thirteen judges and 10 prosecutors are included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s list of personalities allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, but the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has no plan to release their names. PDEA director general Aaron Aquino said that the judges and prosecutors on the list are not yet a priority as they are focusing their validation efforts on the case build-up against the 46 politicians named by President Duterte.
Aquino said the list of judges, prosecutors and other drug personalities would still be validated. He admitted that he has had some frustrations in dealing with the judiciary, especially when there are drug cases dismissed and suspects acquitted. The PDEA chief cited one instance wherein the agency was even accused of planting evidence that led to the acquittal of the daughter of a convicted drug trafficker in Manila. He said the PDEA is frustrated that their efforts are wasted with the dismissal of cases they have filed.
Aquino said that if he was directed by Duterte to release the names, he would do so, but the validation of the accusations would take time. Philippine National Police spokesman Senior Supt. Bernard Banac said the involvement of judges and prosecutors is not new and the PNP is getting information on them as it is doing with drug personalities in other sectors. Banac said the PNP and the interagency committee on illegal drugs are continuing the gathering of information against erring judges, celebrities and other personalities. n
Revive death penalty – VAAC DANTE Jimenez, founding chairman of the Volunteers Against Crimes and Corruption (VACC), has urged the public to support the crusade for the reinstatement of capital punishment. Jimenez made the call on Thursday, March 21, in connection with the gruesome murder of Christine Silawan, 16, on March 10 in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. “This outrageous incident should now send the message for the government to draw the line and put an end to such heinous and bestial acts. It is now time to reinstate the death penalty and restore public order and sanity in society,” he said. Silawan was found in a vacant lot on March 11, naked from the
waist down, her head and face peeled off, exposing her skull. She also bore multiple stab wounds in the body and the initial medico-legal report showed that her tongue, esophagus, trachea and right ear were ripped from her body. Jimenez, at the same time, commended the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Region 7 for the arrest on March 16 of one of the suspects in the Silawan case. He said the NBI strictly followed protocol in arresting the 17-year-old suspect in Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City. NBI-7 Director Tomas Enrile said, “We were very careful in handling the suspect. He was not
forced to make any admission in the absence of a lawyer and a representative of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 7.” The NBI also conducted a parallel investigation with the LapuLapu City Police Office, even as the Office of the President ordered a speedy resolution of the case. Meanwhile, Jimenez also lauded the Philippine National Police for the arrest of suspect Jones Bueno in the killing of a 60-yearold farmer in Danao City, Cebu in January. Bueno was also being investigated for his possible involvement in Silawan’s murder. (ManilaTimes.net)
MANILA — Women’s rights groups are urging voters to look into leaders who would champion women’s rights in the coming 2019 midterm elections. Women leaders from the Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayuan, Mawari-based Al-Mujadillah Development Foundation and Oxfam Philippines presented a list of feminist policies must be pushed by political aspirants. “Women’s rights are human rights. It is important to have leaders who are ready and willing to champion the rights of women and girls,” Oxfam in the Philippines Country Director Lot Felizco said. The release of the political agenda they wish for political aspirants coincides with the International Women’s Month. The group said that leaders should “challenge unjust structures that perpetuate violence against women and girls,” such as increase unpaid care work burdens, sexual threats, reproductive health and rights and conditions that allow child marriages. “We have yet to see the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Law despite its enactment six years ago. The truth is that a lot of women from far-flung communities still have no access to reproductive health services and information,” Amparo Miciano of PKKK was quoted in the media release. They noted that data from 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey showed that 9.7 million girls aged 10 to 19 in the Philippines “will most likely be mothers by age 19.” The same survey also showed that the Philippines has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Southeast Asia which poses higher mortality rate at 114 deaths per 100,000 live births. Sittie Mohamad of the Al-Mujadillah Development Foundation also said that child marriage is still practised in the country. “Child marriage is a violation of human rights, and it has negative impacts on the health and development of children, especially girls,” Mohammad added. They also urged political aspirants to address inequality in food supply chains, as small scale farmers who are mostly women
often do not earn enough for a decent standard of living. They also asked leaders to lend support to women working for peace in Bangsamoro, especially those who were displaced and forced to leave due to armed conflicts and natural disasters. The whole region of Mindanao is currently under martial law, which will end until 2019. President Rodrigo Duterte placed
Mindanao under martial law after terrorists connected with international extremist group Islamic State laid siege to Marawi on May 23, 2017. It is also important to “recognize the critical role of women in response to climate change because of their knowledge and leadership,” the groups said. (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.com)
A8 MARCH 23-26, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
‘Leaving no one behind’
FEATURES
THE country joins the international community in observing World Water Day today as the east sector of Metro Manila is just emerging from an unprecedented weeklong water shortage. While the government is blaming the shortage on mismanagement rather than an actual lack of water in the reservoirs used by Metro Manila, the metropolis and the rest of the country are bracing for a longer dry season this year and a mild El Niño. Drought arrived early in certain areas, where farms have dried out from lack of irrigation even before the official start of summer. Access to safe and clean drinking water has been recognized by the United Nations as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights. The UN stresses that the right to water must be enjoyed by all, without discrimination, but this is not the case. The UN reports that billions of people around the world still live without safe water in their households, schools, workplaces, farms and factories. Marginalized groups,
including refugees, indigenous peoples, women, children and the differently abled are among those deprived of this right. For this year’s World Water Day, the UN is focusing on the theme of “Leaving no one behind.” The theme adapts the core objective of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is to have everyone benefit from the UN development goals, among them the availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030. Attaining this goal becomes more challenging because of global warming. As the recent water crisis in Metro Manila has shown, the Philippines has much work ahead in providing safe water. The crisis is not yet over, and it gives urgency to the need for measures to improve water security for all. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Trump attacks McCain again 7 months after the hero’s death: Time to bring back decency, respect and sanity in the White House
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS DEAR TRUMP supporters: How can you defend the current occupant in the oval office for again and again attacking late Senator John McCain, seven months after the death of this esteemed war hero and public servant who cannot anymore defend himself against Trump’s relentless tirades and character assassination? This is beneath the dignity of the Office of the President of the United States for Trump to just easily and shamelessly attack the memory of heroes like McCain, people, institutions, world leaders and allies who are critical of him — while singing praises to and defending dictators like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and Saudi Ara-
bia’s Crown Prince, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who has been assaulting our elections, democratic institutions and processes, don’t you agree? McCain was a Vietnam military veteran and prisoner of war and a long-time Republican who offered his life to service in Congress for more than 30 years. Yet even the years he was battling brain cancer, Trump had been attacking the honorable senator, saying he does not really think McCain was a hero because he was captured as a prisoner of war. Trump, on the other hand, dodged the draft five times, saying he had “bone spurs” as an excuse to serve his country and using the wealth and influence of his wealthy father. McCain was among the few Re-
publicans who were never afraid of Trump for political survival nor expediency. The late senator did not mince words in calling out Trump and holding him accountable. The president’s vilification intensified when McCain became the deciding vote that made Trump’s obsession to repeal the Affordable Care Act fail. As the attacks against McCain continued this week, we did not hear other Republicans call out Trump; instead, they spoke out about how much of a hero McCain was, but fell short for asking the president to stop. This would be why Trump continued to spew out toxic rhetoric, hate, disrespect, and lies after lies — the Republican Party would just give him a pass, and therefore Trump’s outrageous behavior has
not suffered the consequences of his deplorable actions. Not even those who were supposed to be McCain’s best friends in the Senate like Lindsay Graham. Deplorable. Spineless. Opportunists. Fake. I wish there would be more Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., who boldly said that Trump’s remarks over the past several days had been inappropriate. “I want to be crystal clear: We can talk about the politics of the military any way we want to, but we don’t talk about veterans any way but to brag on them for the service they render and the job that they do,” Isakson said in a radio interview with Bill Nigut of Georgia Public Broadcasting. “It’s deplorable what he said... It will be deplorable seven months from
now if he continues to say it, and I will continue to speak out.” “There aren’t Democratic casualties and Republican casualties on the battlefield — there are American casualties,” Isakson, chairman of the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee, stated. “We should never reduce the service that people give to this country.” As NBC News reported, Mitt Romney of Utah was the only other Republican senator to directly criticize Trump publicly over his remarks since the president launched the first of several days of fresh attacks on McCain. “I can’t understand why the president would, once again, disparage a man as exemplary as my friend John McCain: heroic, courageous, patriotic, honorable, self-effacing, self-sacrificing, em-
pathetic, and driven by duty to family, country and God,” Romney, who ran against McCain in the 2008 presidential primary for the Republican Party, tweeted Tuesday. WHAT ABOUT YOU, kababayans? Would you give Trump a pass? Would you continue to enable this deplorable action? It is time we, the people, demand that decency, respect and sanity be back in the Oval Office, and in the United States of America. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFilAmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos
Truth, civility and independence Rhizomes
PROSY ABARQUEZDELACRUZ, J.D. “My mother was very strong about my doing well in school and living up to my potential. Two things were important to her and she repeated them endlessly. One was to ‘be a lady,’ and that meant conduct yourself civilly, don’ t let emotions like anger or envy get in your way. And the other was to be independent, which was an unusual message for mothers of that time to be giving their daughters.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s talk at Stanford University on living a meaningful life, February 6, 2017. I RECALL a friend encouraging her adult child to stand up for what she believes in. After the dialogue, she concluded with: “Don’t settle for crumbs in your life, or that would be your meal.” Her sharing made a profound impact on me. How much have we settled and forego reaching for our dreams? What did she mean by ‘crumbs?’ Did she mean to aspire for top drawer assignments? Would that mean ignoring your values like ethics, integrity, honesty? Or standing up to what you care about, including your values, until your efforts pay off to reward you a whole pie? Primacy of truth Take for example 36-year-old Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has been the White House press secretary since 2017. The press pool regards her as the personification of falsehoods and lies. She conceivably has a whole pie given her access to power, the 45th president.
But, what happens after her tenure is over at the White House? Politico even made a partial listing of her lies, on April 27, 2018, though they tried to deodorize her lies as “misadventures”: • August 2, 2017: Said Trump didn’t lie when he claimed the Mexican president called to praise his immigration policies, or when he said leaders from the Boy Scouts of America called to praise a speech he gave at the National Scout Jamboree. (Neither call had occurred.) • November 1, 2017: Said immigrants entering the United States on diversity visas aren’t vetted. (They are.) • November 2, 2017: Denied that Trump called the U.S. justice system “a joke.” (Hours earlier, Trump said of the justice system, “What we have right now, it’s a joke and it’s a laughingstock.”) • February 20, 2018: Said, “The president hasn’t said that Russia didn’t meddle.” (He has.) • March 27, 2018: Said there has been a citizenship question “included in every census since 1965, with the exception of 2010, when it was removed.” (No citizenship question has appeared on the full census form since 1950.) Politico on June 26, 2018 described her as a valuable staffer for her ability to take the press pool into an alternative path with a perceived calm and unflappable demeanor and even more so, after the pool raises a controversial remark, she manages to take the oxygen out of the controversy by leading them someplace else. In other words, she creates diversionary tactics and keeps repeating her scripted message, until the pool gives up. Because she repeats her diversionary script with a calm demeanor perceived as “unflappable,” she is regarded as invaluable and has been press
secretary since 2017. Some of you may recall the incident with CNN’s Jim Acosta, who was accused of placing his hands on a young intern and because of that accusation, the White House pulled his press pass? Except, the claim to support pulling the press pass was a fabrication. The alleged altercation was captured by major television channels and replayed for the public who weighed in on social media that it was an overreach by the White House as well as a First Amendment breach. CNN filed a lawsuit and the court ruled in favor of CNN, which allowed Acosta’s press pass to be returned. He continues to be part of the press pool. Intersection of civility with truth On June 2018, Red Hen Restaurant’s owner and employees found Sarah Sanders’ presence at her restaurant untenable, as she defends “unethical and inhumane Trump policies,” especially towards immigrants. The restaurant stood for honesty, compassion and cooperation while they perceived Sanders to be the embodiment of opposite values. Can we say the Red Hen was justified when they asked her to leave? Was there enough ‘just cause’ to remove the press secretary and her group of eight? Sanders soon after asked for secret service temporary protection. But what about Acosta? Was pulling his press pass an arbitrary and capricious move on the part of the White House? Do these two incidents illustrate the lack of civility? In a restaurant, one is presumed welcome and if open for business, one can order and eat inside. In the same vein, the restaurant owner of Red Hen can also refuse service to anyone. Then
Photo by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, now House Speaker, weighed in on this controversy and called for civility for all parties. I too agree with Madame Pelosi. After all, not even Sanders expected to be denied restaurant service at the present time; maybe if we were in the 1930s, when racist and offensive signs like, “No Filipinos and dogs allowed,” were posted at hotel lobbies? Or because one is Japanese American, when nearly 150,000
were arbitrarily removed from their houses, workplaces, businesses and placed in horse stalls and makeshift wood shacks to live in, from 1942 to 1946, based on a falsified military memo presuming these American citizens as threats to the national security? Or banned from entering the U.S. just because one is a Muslim, with this ban imposed by the 45th president and later, upheld by the US Supreme Court, 5-4, as Adam Liptak and Michael D.
Shear reported in the New York Times on June 26, 2018? I ask, how should we proceed then to have civility in our public discourse when we cannot even look up to the White House occupants to speak the truth with integrity? Of course, Politico also described Sanders as helpful in logistics and quite approachable, outside of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.
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TEMPORARY SHELTER. Kids play along the street while other fire victims cook food outside their temporary shelter in Barangay Damayang Lagi, Quezon City on Friday, March 22. A total of 1,044 families were affected by the fire that engulfed the barangay on Wednesday afternoon. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
World Happiness Report: PH ranks 69th MANILA — The Philippines has climbed two notches in the latest World Happiness Report released by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). The country ranked 69th, up from last year’s 71st, out of 156 nations included in the report, which used three-year data gathered by the United States-based analytics and advisory company Gallup Inc. The report, released on Wednesday, also showed that the Philippines ranked 12th among countries that showed the highest increase in the level of happiness between the periods of 2005 to 2008 and 2016 to 2018. Like last year, the top four spots in this year’s report were occupied by European countries Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. Completing the top 10 are Netherlands (fifth, up from sixth), Switzerland (sixth, down from fifth), Sweden (seventh, up from ninth), New Zealand (eighth, down from sixth), Canada (ninth, down from seventh) and Austria (10th, up from 12th). Meanwhile, the 10 countries identified as the least happy are South Sudan, Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Rwanda, Yemen, Malawi, Syria, Botswana and Haiti. According to the SDSN, this year’s report analyzed how life evaluations and emotions, both positive and negative, have evolved over the whole run of the Gallup World Poll. It looked at how happiness has evolved over the past dozen years,
The country ranked 69th, up from last year’s 71st, out of 156 nations included in the report, which used three-year data gathered by the United States-based analytics and advisory company Gallup Inc. Philstar.com photo
with a focus on technologies, social norms, conflicts and government policies that have driven those changes. The organization said world happiness has fallen in recent years when the population growth is factored in, citing sustained downward trend in India. “As for emotions, there has been a widespread recent upward trend in negative affect, comprising worry, sadness and anger, especially marked in Asia and Africa, and more recently elsewhere,” it added. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines ranked third after Singapore (34th) and Thailand (52nd). Following the Philippines are Malaysia (80th), Indonesia (92nd), Vietnam (94th), Laos (105th), Cambodia (109th) and Myanmar (131st). SDSN director Jeffrey Sachs said the report could offer “the world’s governments and individuals the opportunity to rethink public policies as well as individu-
al life choices, to raise happiness and wellbeing.” “We are in an era of rising tensions and negative emotions and these findings point to underlying challenges that need to be addressed,” he added. The World Happiness Report is a survey of the state of global happiness by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. The rankings are based on answers to the main life evaluation question asked in the poll, which asked respondents to rate their current lives on the scale of zero to 10. Data from the years 2016 to 2018 were combined to make the sample size large enough to reduce random sampling errors, with the typical annual sample set at 1,000 people. The report, produced by the SDSN in partnership with the Ernesto Illy Foundation, was written by a group of independent experts in their personal capacities. (Philstar.com)
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARch 23-26, 2019
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Federalism or war? Gov’t ready for Nur Misuari
peron Jr. and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año were present during the meeting. Earlier in his speech, Duterte MANILA — Saying he is ready said the MNLF leader was frank to fight for the country’s indepenand straightforward during their dence and protect it from insurmeeting. gents, President Duterte rebuffed Misuari continues to hold on to Moro National Liberation Front the promise made by then presi(MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari, dent Aquino on shifting from preswho threatened to go to war if the idential to federal form of governshift to federalism falls through. ment, Duterte added. Quoting the President, spokesThe MNLF signed in 1996 a man Salvador Panelo said the landmark peace agreement with government would be ready to the government that saw the crerespond accordingly if Misuari ation of the Autonomous Region makes good his threat. in Muslim Mindanao, which has However, Duterte will continrecently been dissolved. uously reach out to the MNLF It was during the Duterte adfounding chairman in the name of ministration when the peace peace in Mindanao. agreement with the Moro Islamic “In other words, what he’s sayLiberation Front (MILF) materiing is… because the (MNLF) chairalized that led to the creation of man said, ‘I will go to war’ – which Bangsamoro Autonomous Region means if he goes to war, then he in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). will be fighting the government. Senate President Vicente Sotto So if he is fighting the government III said that Misuari could face and the head of the government is charges for threatening the govthe President, they would be fighternment. ing with each other – that is what Sotto was reacting to the statehe meant,” he said. ment of Duterte that Misuari “But certainly, let me add to threatened to go to war if federthat – we would not want to reach alism is not implemented nationthat stage. Both sides would want wide. peace, and that is precisely why “I wonder if there is a law against we had the BOL (Bangsamoro Orthreatening the government. You ganic Law) and we had to deal with are threatening the government other Muslim rebellious groups,” with rebellion. We should research Panelo added. if there is a violation that is close Panelo said the President has to inciting to sedition,” Sotto said ordered the creation of a panel during the Kapihan sa Senado fothat will deal with Misuari’s aspirum. rations for federalism. Sotto advised Misuari to just be “He said that he understood open in dialogues with the governwhere the chairman was coming ment instead of issuing threats. from, and he reminded him that He questioned the sudden pasthe federalism issue would be up sion of Misuari for federalism for to Congress. And he suggested the entire country. “Bakit idadathat his group create a panel of five may mo ang (why include) Luzon members and the government’s at Visayas?” added Sotto. side the same number, and they Military ground forces understand and empathize with the frustrations of Misuari. “Everyone has the right to express. If the President can tolerate it, why can’t we? Right?” said Col. Gerry Besana, spokesman for Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) when asked about the ground forces’ reaction on the threat of Misuari. “For as long as there is no commission of violent act then there is no problem,” Besana added. The military said they are closely in touch with the ground forces of the MNLF and observed the commanders and members will not resort to armed conflict. According to Besana, the MNLF President Rodrigo Duterte gives a warm welcome to Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forces in Basilan, Sulu and Tawiby CHRISTINA
MENDEZ
Philstar.com
will meet and discuss,” Panelo said. “Whatever the product of that discussion, they will have a oneon-one meeting. And then he said, ‘After which, we will celebrate for its success; and if it fails, we will die together...’ – that was the response of the President,” he said. He added the President would assert Philippine sovereignty and respond to any threat. “Because he was saying that if federalism fails, we’ll go to war and assert our independence. That is tantamount to fighting the government,” he said. Another revolution?In his speech during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) rally in Marikina City the other night, Duterte mentioned details of his conversation with Misuari in Malacañang last Tuesday. “So, Misuari said last night, ‘If you do not give it to me, let me be very honest. I will go to war’,” Duterte said “I said, ‘I understand that, Nur. So here’s what we are going to do. Let’s form a panel because you have to inform the people. We cannot negotiate secretly here’,” the Chief Executive said. According to the President, Misuari has been insisting on the adoption of a federal form of government, which former president Corazon Aquino promised to the Moros after the EDSA revolution in 1986. Duterte said he also reminded Misuari that the shift of government needs the approval of Congress. Apart from Duterte, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., National Security Adviser Hermogenes Es-
founding chairman Nur Misuari at a meeting at the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday, March 19. Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante
ARRESTED. President Rodrigo Duterte would create a new panel to pursue localized peace negotiations with communist rebels, Malacañang said on Thursday, March 21. The announcement coincided with the arrest of a National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Renante Gamara and retired priest Arturo Balagat in Imus, Cavite, for alleged possession of firearms and explosives. ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina
Sotto expects transmittal of 2019 budget next week
SENATE President Vicente Sotto III on Friday, March 22, said that he expects the enrolled 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB)that was ratified by the bicameral conference committee to be transmitted next week for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature. “Hopefully, by next week. It’s easy. LBMRO [Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office] has the copy of what should be transmitted. We have the copy. The House Committee on Appropriations also has the copy of what was agreed upon and ratified,” Sotto said. Sotto said the House should submit the measure that was ratified by the bicameral conference committee for the smooth transmission to President Duterte for signature. “Leave it as it is, for what we ratified and what we agreed upon that it remain in the budget for the Public Works and Highways, which is already itemized originally in that state… If this happens, there’s no more problem with the rest of the budget,” the Senate chief added. He said he will immediately sign it and have it transmitted to the Palace on the same day PAGE A11 so that the President could also sign it at the soonest possible time. On Wednesday evening, the House retrieved its version of the GAB that the Senate leadership had refused to sign and transmit it to Malacanang for the
Senate President Vicente Sotto III
President’s signature. Senate and House leaders have agreed to meet on Monday, Feb. 25, in a renewed bid to resolve their differences on the 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). Sotto described the House retrieval of the transmitted budget measure as a move that would finally break the dragging impasse. Sotto said he is assigning Senate finance committee chairman Loren Legarda, Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Sen. Gregorio Honasan to meet again with House leaders. Sen. Legarda said that they have set their meeting with their House counterparts on Monday, next week. “We hope to meet on Monday and resolve the issue once and for all so the country can move
ManilaTimes.net photo
forward,” said legarda. Pending the enactment of the 2019 General Appropriations Bill, the national government has been operating under a reenacted 2018 budget that shall remain in force until such time that the GAB is passed into law by Congress. Meanwhile, the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) last week cut its 2019 gross domestic product growth projection to 6-7 percent from 7-8 percent as new projects remain unfunded due to the budget deadlock. Separately, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said the economy could expand by 4.2-4.9 percent this year if the new spending plan were enacted as late as August. (Javier Joe Ismael/ManilaTimes.net)
Netherlands to help boost PH maritime capability by RAFFY
AYENG ManilaTimes.net
THE Netherlands has assured its close ties and firm support to the Philippines in harnessing the latter’s maritime capabilities, especially the seafaring industry. The Dutch government guaranteed this at the sidelines of the 20th Philippines-Netherlands Joint Committee on Maritime Affairs (JCMA) meeting in Manila on Wednesday, March 20. Organized in 1999, the Philippines-Netherlands JCMA’s main objective is the backing of highlevel bilateral consultations and support on maritime affairs, highlighting the significance of the maritime relations between the involved countries. For over a decade, the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR) has supported the enhancement of maritime educational programs of the Palompon Institute of Technology (PIT) in Leyte. Vice Admiral Narciso Vingson Jr., officer in charge of the
Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), during the meeting informed The Netherlands on the signing of Executive Order (EO) 63 and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR). EO 63 strengthened the authority of the Marina in the implementation of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers 1978, as amended. Vingson presented the agency’s latest digital platform known as the “Marina Integrated Seafarers Management Online (Mismo)” system being utilized in the application and processing of the Seafarers Identification and Record Book (SIRB) and STCW certificates, among others. He expressed his confidence in The Netherlands’ technical expertise to help the Philippines establish the infrastructure needed in the successful implementation of the agency’s plans and programs, especially those incorporated in the 10-year maritime industry development
plan (MIDP), which the Dutch visitors commended. Lieske Streefkerk-Arts of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment assured the Philippines of its continuous support in all of its efforts to enhance the country’s maritime industries. Both parties agreed to maintain an open line of communication to receive important reports on the country’s maritime industry until the 21st JCMA meeting scheduled in March 2020. Filipino seafarers have been active contributors to Dutchregistered merchant fleets. In 2012, the Dutch government and the Department of Labor and Employment sealed partnership in producing worldclass seafarers through intensive, free training, which some 400 Filipinos have received. The Dutch maritime industry has been flourishing in years, as it supplies a lot of specialized vessels such as offshore, superyachts and sustainable ships used by fleets worldwide. n
Filipino academics lament death of honesty, sincerity among officials by JANVIC
MATEO Philstar.com
MANILA — Filipino academics are calling for the revival of core values among those who hold positions of power, saying the death of honesty and sincerity is at the root of the country’s problems. Amid discussions on whether or not honesty should be an election issue, the Akademyang Filipino said core values such as honesty and integrity form part of the foundations of strong institutions and sovereign nations. “At the root of all our country’s problems, our civic decay, and poverty of spirit is the death of honesty and sincerity in the Filipino,” the group said. “We must come together to revive these core values – the very foundations of strong insti-
tutions, and just and sovereign nations – in our educational system and by the example of our leaders and those who hold positions of power,” it added. The group issued the statement after presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said that honesty should not be an election issue as all politicians are liars. She made the remark as one of the candidates she endorses, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, face criticisms for lying about obtaining degrees from Princeton University and the University of the Philippines College of Law. Several groups and personalities, including Vice President Leni Robredo, have called out Duterte for her statement. Founded by National Artist F. Sionil Jose and the late senate president Ed Angara, Akad-
emyang Filipino brings together pre-eminent achiever who have distinguished themselves in the arts, sciences, and professions in service to the nation. The group envisions a diverse society of purposeful leaders that would start and sustain an ongoing dialogue among the country’s decision-makers. In addition to Jose, who serves as chair emeritus of the group, other trustees include former ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales (chair), A. Magsaysay Inc. president Doris Magsaysay Ho (treasurer), National Scientist Angel Alcala, Sen. Sonny Angara, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former UP vice president Jose Dalisay, former Far Eastern University president Lydia Echauz, GMA network chairman Felipe Gozon, and former senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. n
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Measles cases breach 20,000 mark by MAYEN JAYMALIN Philstar.com
MANILA — The prevalence of measles nationwide continues to rise despite the ongoing massive immunization drive. The latest Disease Surveillance Report from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that incidence of measles in the country increased to 21,396, including 315 deaths, from January to March 14. The DOH said the figure was 4,417 higher compared to the number of measles cases recorded during the same period last year. The number of measles fatalities also went up by 43 compared to 2018. Calabarzon accounted for the biggest number of measles cases with 4,401, including 87 deaths, followed by the National Capital UNEVEN FLOW. Having a steady supply of drinking water remains a luxury in urban poor communities, like the slums of Tondo, Manila. A UN Region with 4,266 and Central Lureport is calling for bigger investments in water services for consumers who need them most. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez zon with 3,409. According to the DOH, 60 percent of the measles patients were not given vaccines.
Gov’t eyes new water agencies to solve crisis by RALPH
VILLANUEVA ManilaTimes.net
AS a long-term solution to the water crisis that hit the country this month, the government is drafting two bills that will create separate water bodies, a Palace official said on Thursday, March 21. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, in a statement, said department secretaries, agency heads and representatives drafted a bill creating a body focused on economic and financial regulation and another responsible for policy formulation and resource regulation. Nograles added that two draft bills were also endorsed for approval and submission to the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council — bills that would create two separate bodies involving water. The first bill, he said, would “act as the apex body for the water resources sector.” “This agency will consolidate and reconcile water-related policy, planning and programming mandates of the different agencies involved in water resource management. It will likewise ensure the efficient allocation of water resources across sectors,” Nograles added. On the other hand, the second body will be an independent and quasi-judicial body for water supply and sanitation. “The office will ensure quality performance of water conces-
sionaires and ensure transparency and predictability in economic regulation of water service providers,” Nograles said. The draft bills came after the government submitted a draft Executive Order reconstituting the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), which will be responsible for policy, direction-setting and integration of all government efforts pertaining to water, under the supervision of the Office of the President. Nograles said the draft bills were floated during a high-level inter-agency meeting on water security at the Department of National Defense (DND) in Quezon City. The inter-agency group, headed by the DND, involves at least 30 agencies. Some of its members are the National Economic and Development Authority, and the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, Health, Public Works and Highways and Science and Technology, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Local Water Utilities Administration, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and NWRB. Water department The private sector also raised the need for a Department of Water to “harmonize” water management and ensure ample supply.
At the National Water Summit also on Thursday, experts said creating a water department as well as a water regulatory commission would clarify the infrastructure and accountability for water resource management and provide a more efficient and effective governance in the sector. “The Department of Water aims to serve as the apex body for all water-related functions. It will harmonize and converge relevant policies and even strategies to develop, conserve and use water resources in this country,” said Dr. William Dar, former Agriculture secretary. Former Environment secretary Elisea Gozun said the creation of an apex body for water was proposed in 1997 when the country was hit by a severe El Niño. She noted that the draft bill was prepared for the creation of Water Resources Authority of the Philippines and was filed in 1998. But the measure gathered dust in Congress. Waive billing Meanwhile, the MWSS urged Manila Water Co. Inc. not to charge its customers who were hit by service interruptions. “If possible, waive or defer the billing; to protect customers with consumption of less than 10 cu.m. (cubic meters) since they usually belong to the lowincome category,” MWSS chief regulator Patrick Lester Ty told reporters also on Thursday. n
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III reminded health workers nationwide to continue making measles vaccines more accessible to the people as the number of those with potential infection continues to increase. “We have the capability. We have the manpower, the funds and logistics. There should be no excuse (not to give vaccine),” Duque stressed. “We need to collectively ensure and commit to bring back herd immunity to 95 percent. Let’s be 10 steps ahead so we can prevent the spread of this vaccine-preventable disease,” he added. Last Monday, March 18, Duque called an emergency command conference with the local government officials of Rizal to discuss plans to reduce, if not eliminate, measles cases in the province. Duque stressed the need to encourage parents to have their children vaccinated against measles since it is the most effective
strategy to protect them from the potentially deadly disease. “It’s going to be worse if we don’t do this,” Duque told the local officials. From Jan. 1 to March 19, the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit reported a total of 2,737 measles cases, including 121 deaths in the province of Rizal. Last year, the province only recorded 13 measles cases. Antipolo City has the highest number of measles cases in the province with 1,007 and 32 deaths followed by the municipalities of Rodriguez with 308 cases and seven deaths. Eduardo Janairo, DOH Calabarzon regional director, said they have deployed additional health workers to undertake house-tohouse immunization in areas with high prevalence of measles. Janairo said they have already vaccinated over 330,000 or more than 95 percent of the target population in the province of Rizal. n
Truth, civility and...
PAGE A8 Independence to do right or wrong Recently, the FBI indicted 50 wealthy people, including Hollywood celebrities Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, after William Singer admitted to a massive college cheating scam, including bribes up to $6.5 million to get the wealthy people’s children into elite colleges, like Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, USC, as ABC News reported on March 13. “According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling, William Singer, owner of Key Worldwide Foundation and Edge College and Career Network, allegedly accepted bribes totaling $25 million from these parents from 2011 to 2018. Singer pleaded guilty on charges of racketeering, conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice,” ABC News continued. Some students who alleged
sports experiences had not even played a single game of soccer and simply created Facebook pages to show they were. I wonder if their parents had pangs of conscience? Or were they merely subscribing to a culture of privileges with no regard to consequences? Or were they so privileged to stack the odds in favor of their children? Did these parents mistrust their children not to have the inner motivation and discipline to accomplish this on their own? Like anything in life, we are faced with choices. If with wealth, rich students have more independence to pursue their interests while in college, unlike working students who hold down two to three jobs just to afford tuition and their daily living expenses. And if the rich children have fewer survival challenges to deal with, can they perhaps be the model students that can inspire by helping other students?
As Ruth Bader Ginsburg said during a talk about a meaningful life at Stanford University on February 6, 2017, “If you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself. Something to repair tears in your community. Something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you.” *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 10 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, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico and over 22 national parks in the US, in her pursuit of love for nature and the arts.
Federalism or war? Gov’t ready...
PAGE A10 Tawi, and even those in Zamboanga peninsula, Central Mindanao and Palawan, prefer to talk and discuss peace and development measures. The military, however, is not discounting the threat and capabil-
ity of Misuari, citing previous incidents where the MNLF launched violent uprisings. The most recent attack was the September 2013 siege in Zamboanga where Misuari allegedly resented the government forging peace with its breakaway faction
MILF and declared the establishment of an independent republic from his enclave in Sulu. Besana said the Westmincom has its contingency plan “whatever happens,” following the threat of Misuari if federalism does not push through. n
A12 March 23-26, 2019 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOUrNaL
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 23-26, 2019
SHOWBIZ&STYLE
B
JOURNAL BB Gandanghari in urgent care after being bullied as transgender at work by
CODY CEPEDA Inquirer.net
FANS and loved ones of BB Gandanghari expressed their concern when the transgender actress took to an urgent care center after being bullied at work. BB shared a post of her wearing a hospital wristband and tagged Urgent Care in her location via Instagram on Thursday, March 21 in the U.S. In her post, she spoke against workplace bullying. “Say NO to workplace BULLYING,” said BB. “What would you do when you’re transgender and your personal and professional
boundaries are being violated and attacked in a work environment who claims to be a SAFE ZONE for people like me?” The bullying caused BB to experience emotional distress and anxiety attack that in turn caused her blood pressure to shoot up. She has since been advised by her doctor to take a break from work. “My body’s a train wreck that I was advised by my doctor to pause from work as I deal with this extreme emotional distress and severe anxiety attack that’s causing my blood pressure to shoot up,” she said. “So help me God. #SayNoToBullying #NoToDiscrimination #NotoRacism
#NotoHypocrisy.” Meanwhile, friends and fans reached out to BB to offer their support. Singer Pops Fernandez, a good friend of BB, commented on her post and asked in concern, “[Oh my god] r u ok? What’s happening?” “You are strong,” also said Sanya Smith. “Sending you healing vibes and love from here.” One fan also told BB she should be protected by her employer, while another said she should report what happened to the human resources department. “Make sure you report that to your HR,” advised one Shei
Gemma Chan defends playing a white woman: ‘Why are actors of color only allowed to play their own race?’ by
NIÑA V. GUNO Inquirer.net
GEMMA Chan sees no problem in her casting as Bess of Hardwick, a noble white woman who historically became one of the wealthiest women in England during her lifetime. Chan was criticized for playing the role in the historical drama “Mary Queen of Scots” because of her Asian heritage. The film has been hit for its historical inaccuracies. The British actress said in an an Allure feature on Tuesday, March 19, “Why are actors of color, who have fewer opportunities anyway, only allowed to play their own race? And sometimes they’re not even allowed to play their own race. In the past, the role would be given to a white actor who would tape up their eyes and do the role in yellowface.” She added, “John Wayne
white historical figures. “I feel like ‘Hamilton’ opened minds a lot. We have a black man playing George Washington,” she said. “I think our art should reflect life now,” she added. She also discussed in the interview how racial minorities, including the Chinese, have been erased from history books. “If we portray a pure white past, people start to believe that’s how it was, and that’s not how it was,” she said. Though Chan is Chinese by blood, she said in the interview Gemma Chan Inquirer.net photo that she feels “British, and Europlayed Genghis Khan. If John pean, and English, and Chinese, Wayne can play Genghis Khan, and Asian.” Chan has been advocating I can play Bess of Hardwick,” for representation of Asians and she said. She cited the hit Broadway other minorities in films. She was musical “Hamilton”—which his- part of the cast of “Crazy Rich torians have also slammed for Asians,” the first Hollywood film its historical inaccuracies—for in over two decades to feature an allowing diverse actors to play all-Asian cast.
(@shei_suansingabes). “Gender harassment is clearly a form of discrimination @gandangharibb.” “I’m sure you should be protected by your employer under Equality Act?” said a certain Sheena (@sheenamedonna). “No one should be bullied or feel harassed in any workplace. I hope you find justice.” The Equality Act was first introduced in the US Congress in 2015 and aimed to add gender identity and sexual orientation to existing federal nondiscrimination laws concerning employment, housing, education, public accommodations and services, among others. The comprehen-
sive nondiscrimination bill, which was reintroduced in Congress just this March, has near-unanimous Democratic backing and faces lack of Republican support. BB legally became a woman after her petition to change her name and gender was approved by the Superior Court of California back in 2016. She moved to Los Angeles to chase her “overwhelming and elusive” dream of building a name in Hollywood, as per her post back in January 2018. At the time, she also admitted she faced discrimination as a transgender woman when it came to job opportunities and made ends meet as an Uber BB Gandanghari Photo from Instagram/@gandangharibb driver.
B MARCH 23-26, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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How Gretchen and Claudine Ryan Cayabyab Singers bring reconciled after years of feuding vibrant OPM to Los Angeles ako ng tawad. ’Sorry ate, sorry.’ Sinampal nanaman ako.” “Paano ba kami nagkabati? I IT all started with a simple don’t even know. Wala, nagkita hug. lang kami and then we hugged This is how siblings Gretchen each other, then ‘yun na ‘yun, and Claudine Barretto recon- the rest is history,” Gretchen ciled after not being in good said. terms for years, as shared in Gretchen then asked, “You alan Instagram livestream on ways knew you were gonna forWednesday, March 20. give me right?” to which Clau“Paano kayo nagkabati? Hindi dine jokingly replied, “No.” kami magkabati. Sino nagsabOver the past weeks, the two ing magkabati kami?” Gretchen have been frequently spotted in said, in jest. “Bilang nakakabata each others’ social media post- Claudine and Gretchen Barretto akong kapatid, so humingi na ings. Photo from Instagram/@claubarretto by
KRISSY AGUILAR Inquirer.net
Jennica Garcia encourages mothers to raise children gadget-free by CODY
CEPEDA Inquirer.net
ACTRESS and natural parenting advocate Jennica Garcia is encouraging fellow mothers to raise their children gadget-free after seeing a change in daughter Athena Mori. Garcia narrated a story about her 3 1/2-year-old Mori and how the tot was able to keep herself amused all on her own just by using her imagination. This was a stark difference from before when Mori would cry and throw tantrums in public when she was bored or wanted to play on the phone. “I am in awe of how she managed to keep herself busy with no help from me or her Tatay,” Garcia wrote via Instagram on March 21. She, husband Alwyn Uytingco and Mori were apparently at a furniture store at the time. “In her imaginative mind, she turned a simple chair into a washing machine. A candle holder became a watering can and a picture frame became a blackboard (her fingers were her pretend chalk).” Garcia further shared that Mori asked her if they could leave, but Garcia told her Uytingco has to pay first. Instead of making a scene, Mori patiently waited and took to her book to keep herself entertained. “What she did next was open her book rest comfortably on a couch. To think she cannot even
Jennica Garcia
read yet! For a whole hour and a half, Mori was such a joy to be with.” Garcia recalled past incidents when Mori would go on “full blown” tantrums in public because she wanted to use her phone or was too bored to wait for her parents, and noted the change in her daughter. “She finally understood that whining, screaming, crying will not get her what she wants,” she said. “Napapahiya pa ko dati sa palengke, sa park, sa mall. Pinagtitinginan kami ng mga tao but here we are now.” (Before, I would get embarrassed when we were in the market, a park, or the mall. People
Photo from Instagram/@jennicauytingco
would stare at us, but here we are now.) She then encouraged fellow mothers who are trying to limit their children’s media exposure by telling them the efforts are all worth it in the end. She also advised them to be good examples to their children since they will mimic what they do. “Kaya mo yan (you can do it), be clear on what is allowed, what isn’t while being calm and respectful to the child,” said Garcia. “You want to refrain from using your phone also when they are awake. Read a book, do hand work, chores and they will mimic this without you asking them to do so.”
Exciting cast joins musical celebration on April 7
ANGELENOS will once again enjoy a top-notch musical performance from the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS) on Sunday, April 7 at the John Wayne Performing Arts Center in Glendale California. On this third U.S. tour, the multi-talented RCS, directed by Maestro Ryan, will perform hits from the Cayabyab catalog, and other new popular songs in show-stopping song-and-dance numbers. The tour is in celebration of Cayabyab being recently conferred the title National Artist for Music by the President of the Philippines in Malacanang last October 2018. Los Angeles Filipino-American artists, who have a history of working with Maestro Ryan, or “Mr. C” as he is popularly known, will be joining the show. These are Geneva Cruz of Smokey Mountain fame, fellow songwriter Odette Quesada, and Louie Reyes, Annie Nepomuceno, Miguel Vera and Mon David, who had worked on Mr. C’s musicals and on his tv show “Ryan Ryan Musikahan.” Mirielle Ann and Neal Sean Enriquez will also be playing a special violin and cello number, and dance groups The Riot and Kayamanan ng Lahi and choirs LA Young Ambassadors and Inspirare Vocal Ensemble will be filling the stage with their voices in a grand finale. Cayabyab is also a recipient of national honors such as Gawad CCP for Music and the Centennial Honors for the Arts. He shaped the musical landscape of the Philippines as songwriter and album producer for the likes of Lea Salonga, Julio Iglesias, Basil Valdez and his own group Smokey Mountain. Cayabyab endeared to audiences as host of the longrunning and beloved musical TV show “Ryan Ryan Musikahan.” Renowned as the first to record one-man multi-track acapella albums, popular to this day, Mr. C, as he is popularly called, is the most popular and prolific composer of his time. Best known for his songs, Mr. C first burst onto the scene with “Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika” which today remains THE anthem for heralding our musical culture. Other hits are “Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka,” “Kailan,” “Tunay na Ligaya,” “Da Coconut Nut”, “Once Upon A Life,” and many
Ryan Cayabyab Singers in traditional Filipino costumes.
more. He has penned the most successful and relevant musicals “Rama Hari”, “Noli Me Tangere” and “Katy!” and scored many films, including his own musical “Ang Larawan” heralded as the Best Picture of the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival. Amidst conducting PhilPop Songwriting Competitions and national workshop tours for Akapela Open, Maestro Ryan continues to direct and create for the Ryan Cayabyab Singers. The Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS) is the Maestro’s “Dream Team”: a vocal powerhouse comprised of seven soloists, each with a different musical background. They are Poppert Bernadas, Katherine Tiuseco, Celine Fabie, Nica Tupas, Erwin Lacsa, VJ Caber and Anthony Castillo. Together they are a vibrant brand of artistry that masters, re-invents, and delivers that stellar sound that is unmistakably the product of the Maestro. The group’s edge lies in the members’ individuality, coupled with the youthful enthusiasm that endears them to fans. The RCS released its self-titled album with Sony BMG in 2007 “Ryan Cayabyab RCS,” whose carrier single, “Let Me Love You Tonight,” won Best R&B Song. RCS also won Best Performance by a New Group from the 21st AWIT Awards (the Philippines’ Grammy Award). In 2011, the second album “RCS Repackaged,” was distributed by Ivory Records. Prior to its successful 2016 US Tour, RCS released “Sa Panaginip Lang,” with songs penned by the members in collaboration with Maestro Ryan. RCS toured the US again in 2017, and London (2017) and Germany (2018) as part of famed designer Renee Salud’s Philippines’ Tapestries. For tour and ticket information, visit www.musicartsevents.com.
Ryan Cayabyab
The show starts at 6 p.m. Venue address is 1440 E Broadway, Glendale CA 91205. Ticket buyers may also opt to call (818) 3035567. Tickets are $35-$125. Presented by Music Arts Events and Philippine Patrons of the Arts USA, the concert is co-produced by JIR Foundation, Faith Hope Love Family Music, ANCOP USA, Diva Brava Entertainment, Meycauayan Association of Southern California. Major sponsors are the Asian Journal, TFC The Filipino Channel and Individual Health Care. Community Partners are The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACCGLA), The University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA), LA Lions Synergy, The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Hollywood (FACCHO), Bahay Kubo Center for Philippine Culture and Arts. Other sponsors are LA Rose Café, Auntie Dees’ Bakery, Toto’s Lechon, House of Grill, Fiesta Fastfood, and Flowers by Ed Rame. (Advertising Supplement)
Vice Ganda’s spring concert at Pechanga Resort Casino IT’S a date! It would be another Spring bonanza for all of the guests and avid patrons of Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California, with the wholesome performance of the much-coveted Filipino entertainer, Vice Ganda, who will perform in a live concert on on Sunday, May 5 at 5 p.m. Pechanga Resort Casino is well-known for hosting the best and the brightest Filipino entertainers and gave wholesome entertainment to the delight of the crowd. Vice Ganda, before rising to stardom, is commonly called ‘Totoy’ (young boy). The youngest of five, ‘Tutoy’ or Jose Marie Borja Viceral in real life grew up on the streets of Sta. Cruz, Manila. At first glance, he is like any other young boy in their neighborhood, playing basketball and fond of checking on women. But for ‘Tutoy’ he found out since the start that he was not so fond of women. ‘Tutoy” became inspired to enter the entertainment scene in the early demise of his father, and the fact that his mother had to go abroad and work for the family. He was branded as “Vice” by his close friend, a sweet version of his surname “Viceral.” he studied Political Science in Far Eastern University where he also had an inclination as he became popular while playing basketball. In 1999 when Vice Ganda decided to join the field of stand-up comedy that started as a casual fun in a comedy bar where his talent was discovered. From here, Vice began his career as a comedian in Punchline and The Library. Comedy bar owner Ricardo Castaneda coined the name Vice Ganda or “Beautiful Vice, “ --- the name that led him to further his career and became popular even in cinema while gaining avid followers. As he became enthused with his newfound destiny, Vice Ganda continued to rise to stardom and he penetrated the television through tele-series, sitcoms and variety shows. His biggest break was when Vice Ganda, in 2009 became an official member of the television giant ABS-CBN
where it became a top-rated noontime variety show. He was tagged as “the unkabogable Vice Ganda, “ when he became regular int he show as a result of backing from his followers. Vice, the fashion icon and endorser, proved his success on screen in his strings of movies that really became a hit-- the reason he was branded as “ the phenomenal box-office star. “ He was the first ever “ Gay superstar in Asia. “ The wide array of songs he interpreted and recorded also became a hit like his album “Lakas Tama,” under Vicor Music. Come and watch Vice Ganda in his fun-filled, exciting performance on May 5 at the Pechanga Summit. Make it a habit to witness and watch surprising live performances in the only one entertainment hub in Temecula, California-- the Pechanga Resort Casino. You may purchase tickets staring at $58 from the Pechanga Box Office, 1-877-7112WIN (2946) or online at www. Pechanga.com. Whether a guest’s plans include a meeting for 50, a wedding for 100, a banquet for 1,000 or a concert for the ages, the new event space – the Pechanga Summit - has everything one
needs to bring an event to life. Entertainers, concerts, live sporting events, trade shows, weddings, or any large group now have a 40,000-square foot area to book. Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Voted the Number One casino in America by readers of USA TODAY and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway. Offering more than 4,500 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 1,090 hotel rooms, dining, spa and championship golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www. Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebook and on Twitter @PechangaCasino. Pechanga Resort Casino is open 24-hours. Guests must be 21 and older to enter the casino. (Advertising Supplement)
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 23-26, 2019
A CREWMAN WHO JUMPED SHIP WENT HOME TO THE PHILIPPINES ON AN APPROVED PROVISIONAL WAIVER, BUT WAS CHARGE WITH FRAUD FOR OVERSTAYING, AND COULD NO LONGER RETURN TO THE U.S. Jimmy (right) entered the U.S. in 1999 and jumped ship. When the provisional waiver regulations came out, allowing crewmen to legalize, (which also included crewmen), Jimmy applied for it immediately in his desire to “do the right thing” and legalize his status. He traveled back to the Philippines for his medicals and immigrant visa interview, thinking he would be back in the U.S. in a few weeks. However, the new 90-day rule implemented by the U.S. State Department resulted in Jimmy being charged with fraud, unable to return to the U.S. to his wife who is comatose. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney “Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) never left Jimmy’s side and kept fighting for him. Witness a heart-tugging homecoming and reunion on an all-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)
US Embassy charges crewmen with “fraud” for overstaying, despite an approved provisional waiver – on an all new episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy’
JIMMY entered the U.S. as a crewman in 1999 and jumped ship. When the provisional waiver regulations came out (which included crewmen as being eligible), Jimmy applied and was approved. This allowed him to go back to the Philippines for his immigrant visa interview without being subject to a 10-year bar. Crewmen are not eligible to be interviewed for their green card in the U.S. (even if married to a U.S. citizen) unless they had been petitioned before April 30, 2001. When Jimmy went for his interview at the U.S. Embassy
in Manila, he was shocked when the Embassy charged him with fraud for having “overstayed” his 29-day crewman visa and having worked within 90 days of his arrival in 1999. In other words, he was being charged with fraud for overstaying, even though the provisional waiver “forgave” him for that same overstay. What Jimmy thought would be just a few short weeks stay in the Philippines for his immigrant visa interview, turned out to be a lot longer, because the U.S. Embassy required him to now file a fraud waiver. Jimmy faced a mountain of uncertain-
ties. He was diabetic, and his insulin supply was only good for a few months. At the same time, his wife lay in comatose after suffering a stroke. All this time, leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel never gave up on Jimmy. He staunchly defended Jimmy, fought for him, and stood by his side all the way, enabling Jimmy to finally return to the U.S. Watch this brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday 6:15 p.m.PST/EST (9:15 p.m. EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
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B4 MARCH 23-26, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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If I could interview Jesus Christ
across the nation — self-righteously, mournfully, nasally, coldly, feebly, flamboyantly, blandly and violently. by MYLAH If I were asked about the rationale of my faith, I’d say first, I DE LEON believe in a grand universal order and meaning and in a power that is both greater than us and within us. I believe in a God I could worship formally wherever I am, LENT is that season of words in a God that answers, that guides with the teachings of Christ and shapes, that comforts and presented in a thousand pulpits chides that…. when you really
MOONLIGHTING
come down to it…. a benevolent…. and all seeing being built recognizably in man’s image. And more than that, I believe in the God invoked by our public characters as an ally in righteousness. I believe with passion, in justice, in kindness, in decency, in humility and in courage and honor. I see it revealed equally in a raindrop, in a gentle caressing breeze, in the shape of a leaf, the palpitating body of a tiny bird or the swell of a cumulus cloud? What of the chorales of Johannes Sebastian Bach? What can a preacher give me that Beethoven cannot? What can a sermon give me that that I can not find in a Shakespeare sonnet, or the line of great philosophers and the metaphysical poets like John Donne and company? What can church rituals give that a great dance or ballet cannot? In all these creative acts that lift and enlarge humans, from timeless artists, those who create beauty who unlock mysteries, who serve truth and never make wars, because they supplant compassion, that makes pettiness go away…like a painting of Van Gogh that sings like a thousand violins. Can anyone imagine what it would have been to interact with the lord, who knew your every thought, your every word?I will come very prepared, read religiously, not browse, on the dogmas and every theological attribute I could muster. But I will still be so intimidated! If I could have a one-on-one with Jesus Christ, knowing that He existed, I would ask these questions. Lord, given the fact that you have bestowed life that dies, why did you give us death? Since we are born, why should we die? I will ask Jesus about everything from the Virgin Birth to the betrayal of his friend Judas Iscariot, whom Dante Alighieri in his Divina Comedia, Inferno: Canto Uno put at the deepest layer of hell, for that offense of treachery and betrayal. I would ask about Good Friday, Easter day, the Rise and “free will.” My Lord, why did you give Adam and Eve free will, but banish them for their sin of disobedience they were predestined to do? Lord, on Good Friday, I don’t PAGE B5
Vital medical tips
Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS B WISE, B safe Vitamin B is one of the most essential vitamins our body needs, but excess of this vitamin is unhealthy. Many food items in the market are fortified with Vitamin B, and some people who take a one-a-day multivitamin/minerals pill which already contains vitamin B and take added vitamin B supplements are overdosing on B. This could lead to obesity or difficulty in losing weight for those who are overweight, skin blemishes, nerve damage, kidney issues, etc. The B-complex (8 of them) includes B-1 to B-12 (there are no B-4, B-8, B-10 and B-11). Their names are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid and cobalamin. The kidneys normally filter out excess vitamins, but they could only do this to a certain level, and kidneys of individuals vary in efficiency. The best is to B careful and B well informed, not only about B vitamin but about all other vitamins, including minerals. The formulation of most onea-day multivitamins/mineral pills meets the daily requirements for most people. Read the label or Google them, or check with your healthcare provider. For those diagnosed with specific deficiencies or extra needs, the attending physician would prescribe accordingly. Liquid candy: a toxic drink
All varieties of soft drinks, cola or un-cola — regular or diet, caffeine-free or not — are all toxic to our body. Phosphoric acid is a major component of cola drinks, and citric acid, of the un-colas. Carbonated water provides the carbonic acid in soft drinks. Phosphoric acid is used to flush out car engines and for cleaning toilet bowls. It dissolves calcium, as it does in our body as we consume soft drinks adversely affecting our bones and teeth. The caramel coloring for coke is a contaminant from 4-methylimidazole, a carcinogen to humans, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. And so with the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks. All soft drinks are unhealthy for everyone, especially for children. They increase the risk for dental carries, osteoporosis, arthritis, metabolic syndrome, obesity, heart attack, and stroke in the long run. Unlike cyanide poison, which kills instantly, soft drinks do it softly and slowly, the reason people don’t care…until the disaster hits. Obesity kills This is another subtle killer. Obesity (mostly from eating too much, exercising too little or not at all…some due to genetic defect). The following health problems are more common among those who are overweight or obese: High blood pressure, diabetes T2, heart disease, sleep apnea, stroke, osteoporosis, increased blood pressure and Caesarian rate (toxic pregnancy) among obese mothers, kidney disease, fatty liver, and some cancers. Those who are overweight or obese also have higher mortality risk
for surgeries and, in general, less healthier and have shorter longevity. Besides whatever strategy one is using to maintain normal weight, there is one simple common sense technique my wife, Farida, and I learned from our famous professor in medical school, the internationally renowned Filipina Pediatrician, the late Dr. Fe Primitiva del Mundo, which is safest, most effective, and cheapest: “Push yourself away from the table less than full.” As far as I can remember, she always appeared to be no more than 110 pounds. To digress a bit: This amazing icon was treating patient up to age 94 on her wheelchair, and died August 6, 2011, two months shy of 100. She was the first woman admitted to Harvard Medical School in 1936, founder of the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines, and the inventor of the Bamboo Baby Incubator for rural areas without electricity. She was honored with the Lakandula Award and the Ramon Magsaysay Award (Philippine equivalent of the Nobel Prize). The basic principle in weight maintenance is caloric intake must be equal to caloric output via exercise, etc. If food intake is more than exercise, the result is obvious. So, I strongly recommend we all push ourselves away from the table less than full. A bit hungry is healthier. And drinking water can fill in the gap, making the kidneys happy too. Hot multi grain cereals I have been eating old-fashioned Quaker Oats since I was a kid and just switched to Bob’s Red Mill 5-grain rolled hot cereals (whole grain oats, barley, rye, PAGE B5
Celebrity breakups that broke our hearts BY MONET
LU
BREAKING up is tough. It is putting an end to something (that was once) wonderful. We cry over it, lose sleep over it, and feel broken inside. This is how most of us react to one of life’s saddest moments. And as silly as it may seem, we feel every bit (sometimes even more) of pain when our favorite celebrity couple breaks up. It can hit us nearly as hard as though we know them personally. As part of the beauty and entertainment business, I had my share of heartbreaks due to friends splitting up. I share their pain. And I am also not ashamed to cry and get heartbroken when some celebrity couples (whom I loved, followed and rooted for) have called it quits. I’ve rounded up some of the celebrity breakups that have
made many people cry, gasp, and hashtagged the #endofforever. Brad Pitt and to “all the girls he loved before” Of all the girls that Brad Pitt went out with, I just can’t get over the end of his two past marriages . I remember writing about the breakup of “Brangelina.” I admit that until now I can still feel the pain from “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” breaking up. But before Brad and
Angelina were a thing, he was part of (what was once) an adorable couple. Before “Brangelina,” there was “Brennifer,” aka Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Brad and Jen were Hollywood’s hottest couple in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. They were married in July 2000. After their wedding, they were seen everywhere together. But rumors interrupted PAGE B5
AquaGold: The ‘Golden Facial’ Image Spa IMEE ONG-MAGHANOY WHAT if I tell you that there is a facial treatment that could give you smaller pores, extra hydration, brighter skin, and reduced fine lines? ONLY, it takes LESS time than a facial. Now THAT is GOLDEN! Introducing, AQUAGOLD aka the “super mega facial.” This mythical skincare treatment uses the same technology as skin needling or more commonly known as microneedling. However, AquaGold, or AquaGold Fine Touch, is a step up from traditional microneedling procedures, dermal fillers or injections. As the name suggests, the device is made up of 24 karat gold needles (hence the “golden” moniker), each smaller than a hair follicle. These nearly microscopic needles painlessly create very tiny open surfaces in the skin to deliver anti-aging and skin refi ning treatments deep into the dermis. The procedure also covers a larger treatment area, and since the solution or serums are delivered directly into the dermis, the skin absorbs them more effectively as opposed to them passing through a single syringe. Fancy, right? But is it safe? Yes! Most definitely. In fact, many patients choose to use the AquaGold Fine Touch microneedling system on their face, neck, or chest. Since the needles are coated in gold, they are less
likely to cause irritation or allergic reaction. The tiny microchannels close within one hour, so post-procedure infections are extremely rare. And since the epidermis remains intact, it makes it even safer. Which is why this is often performed in areas where laser treatments and deep peels are not typically done. There is no need for any anesthesia or even topical numbing cream. The needles are hollow, so the concocted contents of the vial are carefully transported underneath the skin for maximum efficacy. The procedure starts with cleaning the skin. Then the chosen solution or serum is inserted
into the AquaGold Fine Touch device. It is then applied to the treatment area for the needles to work their magic: penetrating the skin and painlessly delivering the beneficial ingredients, vitamins and drugs like Botox directly below the epidermis (the surface) of the skin without any bleeding. The entire procedure takes less than 30 minutes and involves no downtime or recovery (although some patients may experience some redness and slight swelling at the treatment site for a few days). The entire process would leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed. It’s like having your usuPAGE B5
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Celebrity breakups that...
PAGE B4 their wedded bliss, with many reporting that Brad wanted children while Jen did not. After five years of marriage, Brad and Jen broke up. Brad reportedly had an affair with his co-star Angelina Jolie while filming “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Which brings me back to “Brangelina.” Brad and Angelina had a muchtalked-about relationship from start to finish. They started dating publicly in 2005 and were married in 2014. They had three biological children: Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox. They had an adopted son Pax, while Brad was a stepdad to Angie’s previously-adopted kids Maddox and Zahara. “Brennifer” ended in 2005 while “Brangelina” stopped existing in 2017 – and made us question if love still exists. Ben Affleck and the “other Jennifer” What does one do when he finds himself irrefutably falling in love with his co-star while still engaged to his fiancée of three years? Well, he gives into his heart’s longing, calls off his engagement, marries the woman of his dreams and has a baby with her as soon as possible (like, that-same-year-kind-of-possible). Such is the story of how Ben Affleck broke up with Jennifer Lopez to be with the other Jennifer – Jennifer Garner. Ben and Jen Garner met in 2000 on the set of “Pearl Harbor” but fell in love on the set of “Daredevil” in 2002. They were engaged in April 2005 and married in June while Jen was four months pregnant with their first child. They had three children together, Samuel, Violet, and Seraphina Rose, and they constantly gushed about their wonderful life together. Their life was straight out of a romantic novel. And from where we as fans, were standing, they seemed like a couple who would truly go the distance. Or so we thought. Because like all good things, this one too, couldn’t last. They announced their split in 2015 and closed that book the same way most of us closed our hearts
to forever. Gwyneth and Chris on their “conscious uncoupling” The day Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin decided to end their 10-year marriage is the same day my world shattered into pieces and my vocabulary widened. They called it “conscious uncoupling” but for us, it just means the end of an era. Why would you let us believe that love stories like yours exist only to crush our dreams of having one? Why? But yes, the term “conscious uncoupling” was born when Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin made headlines announcing their “uncoupling.” The stylish pair met in backstage at a Coldplay show in 2002, and began dating, a relationship which the front-man later said was his “first serious” relationship. In December 2003, Gwyneth and Chris were photographed patting her belly, and announced t hey were expecting a baby together. They secretly married later that month and their daughter Apple was born in May 2004. When their son Moses was born in 2006, Paltrow was open about her struggle with post-partum depression. In 2014, the once-happy couple uncoupled — but “consciously.” The downfall of Anna Faris and Chris Pratt Nobody saw it coming. Like we never thought that Chris Pratt would get all buffed-up and grow some serious muscles. It is probably one of the most heartbreaking celebrity breakups in recent memory because nobody saw Anna Faris and Chris Pratt falling out of love just like that. The pair met on the set of the film “Take Me Home Tonight” in 2007, but Anna was married to actor Ben Indra at the time. When the two split later that year, Chris and Anna began dating. They were engaged in 2008, married in 2009, and welcomed their son Jack in 2012. When Chris’s career started taking off in 2012 when (or because) he got buff to star in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” people really started to fall in love with the quirky couple who
If I could interview... PAGE B4 know why on the day on which man denied God should be called Good?” Christ, who was both “Man” and “God, had to experience man’s refusal of the spirit, why is man unperturbed by what he did and does?” Lord Jesus as a Man, you knew God. “I am “Man” and “God” so it is with each of you. I struggle to understand that, we do not really know what we mean by “God” or “Man” and the drain of its contradiction and resolution is everything. Of the Blessed Virgin, one of the pleasures of age is reading books long forgotten like Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” and the “Prarie Queen,” alluded to the Blessed Virgin Mother. I’ve read the great flowering of trust in the Virgin, of the glorious building in her honor, of the consummate artistry and rich harmony that flourish on every hand. “Lord, why do men feel such need with showing it. We
are galled, distorted, mortified and forever puzzled by it.” My imaginary interview with Christ continues. “Lord Jesus, I do not know and cannot know what I seek but I am where the mystery is the certainty. Then to that, we remain silent, I am able to imagine that Jesus speaks to me saying simply, ‘I keep calling you and you do not come.’” And one would reply quite naturally: “I couldn’t Lord, not until I knew there was nowhere to go.” Then He might have answered, “If I had commanded less than impossible, would you have recognized me as God?” To that, I remain silent and Jesus adds, “This is what creation is. The might and marvel created out of the opposition. Your blindness is strong enough. But if the struggle was less would we belong together?” *** E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@aol. com
Vital medical tips...
PAGE B4 wheat, triticale, and flaxseed) last year. Having multigrain cereal with berries and nuts for breakfast and snacks, instead of rice or bread and bacon, ham, or sausages, is healthier. The rice flake and corn flake cereals contain too much sugar, which is not good for us, especially for children. For cold cereals, those made of barley, oats, millet, quinoa, are best. Also, watch out for unhealthy fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and additives. Always read the food labels. For me, nothing beats hot multi-grain cereals. They also maintain a healthier gastrointestinal microbiome for better metabolism, boosting our immune system, and lowering our risk for cardiovascular illnesses and cancer. Red meat and pancreatic cancer Worldwide, there were 460,000 cases of pancreatic cancer, highest in Hungary. In the United States, 55,440 adults have been diagnosed to have this malignancy. Incidence appears to be 25 percent higher among black than white. Because of its anatomical location, pancreatic is hard to diagnose. Among those diagnosed early (10 percent of them) where the pancreatic cancer is removable, the 5-year survival rate is 32 percent, 12 percent if it has spread to the surrounding tissues, and 3 percent after it has already metastasized to distant parts of the body. A new study reveals that eating processed meats like bacon and
sausage (or red meat in general) increases the risk for the development of cancer of the pancreas by 29 percent, compared to those who do not eat them. Nitrosamines as food additives and Nnitroso compounds in cigarettes catapults the risk for pancreatic cancer, while diets free of red meat and high in vegetables and fruits lower the risk. Cooking meats on a grill, pan, or broiler at high temperature produces heterocyclic amines (HAs), which are carcinogens (cancer-causing substances). Even frying meats at over 300 F increases cancer risk. Barbeque fumes resulting from oil drips from the meat down to the coal fire below produces polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which is also a toxic chemical. Using charcoal is worse than propane. The black burned parts of the meat are also suspected to be carcinogenic. It is best to scrape or cut off those burned parts. The use of the new copper-color grill liners could help prevent oil from dripping onto the fire below. Better still is to limit or avoid eating red meats. Life is precious. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888. com, philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com (Advertising Supplement)
seemed so devoted to each other. But they stunned the world when they announced their separation in 2017. Stunned - that’s an understatement. Our hearts were crushed. When Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum “stopped dancing” They danced to the same tune for more than 10 years: they shared adorable photos, told sweet stories about their family, and even recreated their iconic “Step Up” dance for their anniversary. Then the music stopped. And so did their marriage. Channing and Jenna Dewan Tatum were one of Hollywood’s strongest couples. They were in synced and were totally made for each other. The couple met on the set of the 2006 movie “Step Up,” got engaged in September 2008, and tied the knot in July 2009. They also welcomed their daughter, Everly in 2013. And when they announced the split in 2018, it was like a fairytale story with a tragic ending. Though they seemed to split amicably, it was still heartbreaking nonetheless. ***
Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 23-26, 2019
AquaGold: The ‘Golden Facial’...
PAGE B4 al facial treatment – only better. It’s painless and with minimal potential for short term redness. We also have post-treatment products available only at iSkin and Image Spa MD that we call our “Needle-Free fillers.” They are enhanced with collagen and would definitely complement your AquaGold treatment. You may use them as part of your maintenance regimen after your glorious “golden facial.” Women who suffer from dilated pores would benefit from this technology. Although there are skin products that have been made to shrink pores, they would only improve the size of the pores by so much, still giving the appearance of enlarged pores. This is where Aqua Gold Booster Treatment comes in. The technology specifically treats enlarged pores. It is designed to get into almost every inch of the skin with an extra focus on the more problematic areas like enlarged pores and acne scars. Since it delivers the maximum amount of ingredients into the skin, the more surface area is covered. AquaGold painlessly and effectively delivers bioactive compounds into the skin, avoiding common complications associated with other traditional techniques. I talked more about this treatment in our “Adobo Nation” segment featuring veteran actress Hilda Koronel. In the segment, we also discussed the different solutions or serums that can
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each treatment can be customized. My clinical staff takes a close look at our client’s skin first to see what solutions they would get the most benefit from. Not all treatments are created equal. For a customized treatment plan, I highly recommend that you head over to Image Spa MD or iSkin to discuss your skin situation and get the best mix of solutions that are prepared specifically for your skin. So what makes this super mega facial so “golden?” For starters, there’s actual gold involved. More importantly, instead of requiring multiple procedures, you’re getting one customized vial mixed with everything you need to solve your skin problems in one quick facial. All things considered, this treatment saves time. As the saying goes, “time is gold.” And so is this. Actress Hilda Koronel loves Image Spa’s iSkin is located at 8709 BevAquaGold treatment. erly Blvd, West Hollywood, CA. be used on AquaGold. These Image Spa MD is located at solutions include: Hyaluronic 9227 Haven Ave. Suite 120 in acid (Restylane or Juvederm), Rancho Cucamonga and 499 which helps achieve smooth N El Camino Real, suite c-200, skin; Micro Hyaluronic gel is Encinitas, CA. used to improve superficial *** acne; Neurotoxin (Botox or DysImee is an established aesthetician, a port) are used to shrinks pores; business owner and a managing partner for Growth Factors is for cellular Image Spa MD and CEO of Image Body SPA. renewal and to enhance laser She has a degree in Biology and Doctor of treatments; and Micro Pigment Dental Medicine. Image Spa is now one of the Reducers help achieve brighter most reputable medical spa facilities in LA skin. There are a number of and has branches in Rancho Cucamonga and concoctions that you can mix Encinitas for Image SPA MD and Image Body into the vial that matches your SPA-West Hollywood. Imee has been in the specific needs. aesthetics industry for over 20 years. As I’ve previously mentioned, (Advertising Supplement)
B6 MARCH 23-26, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 23-26, 2019
COMMUNITY JOURNAL
Entry with C-1 visa does not always bar adjustment of status
Your Immigration Solution ATTY. BEN LOVEMAN “ATTORNEY, I entered with a C-1 visa, so I can’t adjust my status, right? We hear this basic question all the time from clients hoping to adjust their status and be granted permanent resident status (green card). Unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe that entering the U.S. with a C-1 visa is an automatic bar to getting their green card in the United States. To help dispel this myth we devote our discussion this week to the nuances of the C-1 visa. The C-1 and C-1/D visa category is an often-utilized visa used to enter the United States for various reasons. The most common use of a C-1 visa is for a person to enter the U.S. to pursue employment aboard a vessel. These bona fide ‘crewmen’ are generally issued C-1/D visas and are prohibited from adjustment of status under Section 245(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. But what if you enter the U.S. with a C-1 visa but are not a crewman? The C-1 visa category is not exclusively for crewmen and exceptions to the general rule apply. One exception is for a person who was issued a C-1 visa because they will be transiting through the United States to a third country. There is not a prohibition on adjustment of status for C-1 visa holders who were simply transiting through the United States. An example: a Filipino citizen named Ramonito is planning to work at a military base in Guantanamo Bay. His itinerary requires a layover in Los Angeles. Ramonito uses his C-1 visa to enter the United States with his “transit visa,” before he is ultimately required to continue his journey to Guantanamo Bay. If Ramonito fails to timely leave the U.S., he may still be eligible for adjustment of status despite
his entry with the C-1 visa. This exception might also apply for bona fide crewmen who have finished their contracts. A second exception arises for people who enter the U.S. with a fraudulent C-1 visa. Federal regulations define “crewman” as someone entering the U.S. to serve on board a vessel or aircraft in pursuit of their calling as a crewman. Does the adjustment of status bar apply to the person who enters the U.S. under an assumed name, and who has no intention of working as a crewman? The Board of Immigration Appeals has stated that the “focal issue in determining whether
adjustment of status so long as he is able to acquire a waiver of his misrepresentation. Bona fide crewmen can also adjust their status if covered by Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. A person is most commonly covered by previously having a petition or labor certification filed on their behalf (or perhaps on behalf of their parents) prior to April 30, 2001. In addition, if the petition was filed between January 14, 1998 and April 30, 2001, the foreign national must have been physically present in the U.S. on December 21, 2000. Finally, crewman not meeting any of these exceptions may still be eligible for a ‘Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver.’ This waiver may be granted upon a showing of extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse or parent. Before seeking this waiver though, find out for sure whether an exception applies in your case so that you can potentially apply for adjustment of status. Crewman visas can be complex. Consult with a knowledgeable and experienced immigration attorney to thoroughly discuss your an alien qualifies as a crewman options before automatically asis whether the person entered suming you are not eligible for the United States in pursuit of adjustment of status. his calling as a seaman.” It is an *** argument that “substance over form” should control. Thus, there REEVES IMMIGRATION LAW GROUP is is a strong claim that a person one of the oldest, largest and most who uses a C-1/D or D visa and experienced immigration fi rms in falsely claims to be joining a ship the United States with offi ces in Los is still eligible for adjustment of Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China. status. With this exception, there is no For more Information please call (800) doubt that the foreign national 795- 8009 or visit www.rreeves.com. will require a waiver for fraudu- Telephone: (800) 795-8009 lently obtaining their visa. An ex- E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com ample: Ramonito seeks entry to Website: www.rreeves.com. *** the U.S. after acquiring a fraudulent C-1/D visa from an agent. The analysis and suggestions offered in Ramonito also claims at entry this column do not create a lawyer-client that he will be joining a ship after relationship and are not a substitute for his arrival in the United States. the personalized representation that is Even if no such ship exists, Ra- essential to every case. monito may still be eligible for (Advertising Supplement)
“The C-1 visa category is not exclusively for crewmen and exceptions to the general rule apply. One exception is for a person who was issued a C-1 visa because they will be transiting through the United States to a third country.”
Tax Tips VICTOR SY, CPA, MBA
1. Changes to the kiddie tax: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Act”) simplifies the old convoluted computations using tax data of other taxpayers - parents and siblings. The kiddie tax applies to children under age 19 and college students under age 24 who have unearned income over $2,100. Unearned income can means dividends, capital gains or interest on investments. 2. Changes to the child tax credit: Old law allowed you were able to claim a $1,000 credit on your income tax return for each child under 17 who qualified; new law doubles that amount to $2,000 per qualifying child. The child tax credit was nonrefundable under the old law; 15% of your earned income over $2,500 (up to $1,400) is refundable under the new law. 3. $500 credit for dependents aged 17-24: If your child does not qualify for the Child Tax Credit because they are over 17, they may still be eligible for a $500 credit under the new Act. The credit also applies for dependents who are elderly or disabled. 4 Expanding the 529 savings
The Prophetic Voice
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Eight tax law changes for taxpayers with dependents
plan: Under old tax law, your 529 plan could only be used at eligible colleges and universities. Under the new Act, you can use your plan to cover up to $10,000 per year of qualifying expenses for any school and any grade from kindergarten through 12th as well. That includes public, private, and religious institutions. 5. Changes to alimony deductions: Old law allowed you to deduct alimony paid out. Likewise, your beloved ex will have to report the payments to the IRS. New law does not allow payer to deduct alimony and does not requires payee to report income. Good for one of you. 6. Changes to the personal exemption: Old law allowed you to deduct personal exemptions. New law suspends personal exemptions through 2025, meaning you will not be able to deduct exemptions from 2018 to 2024. Families with few or no children don’t get hurt by this provision but families with many children hoping for more government aid do not welcome this provision. 7. Changes to the standard deduction: The new Act it doubles the standard deduction to $24,000 ($12,000 if you are a single filer).
It makes up for the loss of personal exemptions. 8. Restrictions to homeowner deductions: Old law allowed homeowners to deduct interest on loans up to $1 million on primary and second homes. New law caps the mortgage loans to $750,000. Interest on home equity loans are no longer allowed, regardless of when they were taken. Bad news do end there – deductions for real estate taxes and state and local taxes are capped at $10,000. You lose interest on loans over $750,000, interest on home equity loans, and real estate and state taxes over $10,000. Bad. *** 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. (Advertising Supplement)
God: I am who I am
Then Moses answered, “Here I am.” God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you REVEREND stand is holy ground. I am the RODEL G. BALAGTAS God of your fathers,” he continued, “the God of Abraham, the GOD’S intimate and active in- God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, for he was volvement in the lives of His people and those he chose to lead afraid to look at the face of God. But the Lord said, “I have withas always amazed me. Take for example his dialogue nessed the affliction of my people with Moses in the story of The in Egypt and have heard their cry Burning Bush, which is our First of complaint against their slave Reading on this Third Sunday of drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore I have Lent (Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15). God called Moses from the come down to rescue them from burning bush, “Moses, Moses!” the hands of Egyptians and lead
them out of that land into good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Moses then said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” God replied, “I am who am.” Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.” This encounter between God and Moses is deeply personal, caring, yet respectful and mystifying. God spoke to Moses like a father to a son, who wanted him
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C MARCH 23-26, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797
Eligible debtors should seek BK relief
SOMETIMES debtors cannot decide whether they should seek debt relief through Chapter 7 wipeout of all dischargeable debts or consolidation and reorganization through a Chapter 13. They usually ask me what they should do in their financial situation. I know after handling thousands of bankruptcy cases in the last 30 years, debtors are often depressed about their lives because of the heavy burden of accumulated debt. The worst-case scenario was my client many years ago who killed himself a week before we filed his case. It was unfortunate that he took his own life because he left behind a wife and two minor children and a successful professional career. He was enjoying a gross income of $500K annually from his profession but had borrowed money to set up a business that initially did well. Since the business was doing well, he borrowed more money to expand the business, including putting up his house for collateral for the business loans. When the economy slowed down, his business started losing money. He then resorted to
Debt Relief
ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG borrowing more money to cover the business loss for 18 months. His business was losing $10,000 a month. After financing losses for 18 months, he came to see me for bankruptcy relief. He looked pretty calm when I interviewed him. How many times must I say it, “YOU OWE YOUR CREDITORS MONEY, YOU DO NOT OWE THEM YOUR LIFE!” Don’t even dare think of killing yourself to get out of debt. Death does not extinguish debt. When a person dies, there is an estate of the deceased that is created in a probate case. Creditors of the deceased can file in their claims in the probate case. So, if you owe too much debt now, you should look at your financial problems objectively. You should choose the solution that best serves your needs. You should
seek to protect your own interest and future. You should not succumb to the pressure of differing opinions from friends or relatives. For instance, I had one client who decided to withdraw her Chapter 7 petition because her sister did not approve of it. The client had a mountain of debt, which she absolutely had no way of paying unless she could work four jobs, and she was three months behind in her mortgage payments. Objectively speaking, the right solution for her was a Chapter 7 to wipe out $80K of credit card debt and use the money saved from not having to pay $80K of credit cards to update her house payments. Without credit card payments, she would save $2,400 a month. She would have paid off her mortgage arrears in three months. She would have obtained a fresh start without the burden of accumulated debt. Instead, she wanted to make her sister happy and chose not to protect her own interest, her own future. She was not thinking clearly. After six months she returned to me saying that she wanted to go through with her Chapter 7 case
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Do I have a community property interest in a house which my spouse acquired before marriage? GENERALLY, in California, property acquired by a spouse prior to marriage is considered separate property under family code section 770 while those acquired after marriage are considered community assets under family code section 760. How do you characterize real property purchased prior to marriage but with the mortgage principal paid down using community income or funds during the marriage? The community in this situation acquires a pro tanto interest in the ratio that the payments on the purchase price made with community funds bear to the total payments on the purchase price and any appreciation should be apportioned accordingly. Marriage of Moore (1980) 28 C3d 366, 371, 373, 168 CR 662, 664, 665. Other expenses associated with the property are not considered in the calculation such as mortgage interest, taxes, and insurance. In essence, the real property would accumulate both a separate property and a community property component by the date of separation. The appropriate remedy in this situation
Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES where separate property is subsequently paid with community funds is “apportionment.” The process of apportioning between the separate and community property component is laid out in the Marriage of Marsden. In that case, the court determined the ratio or percentage in which the mortgage loan principal was reduced during the marriage and applied that percentage to the appreciation of the real property during the marriage. The community property component would then consist of the reduction in the mortgage loan principal during the marriage plus the portion of appreciation during the marriage applying the ratio discussed above. In the Marriage of Marsden, the real property was purchased
by the husband for $38,300 prior to the marriage. The original mortgage was $30,000. By the time the husband got married, the house was now worth $65,000 while the mortgage has gone down by $7,000. Both the appreciation of $26,700 and the mortgage reduction of $7,000 would be separate property since it occurred prior to marriage. Marriage of Madsen (1982) 130 CA3d 426, 181 CR 910. During the marriage until the time of trial, the property has appreciated another $117,500 (property now valued at $182,500) while the mortgage has further declined by $9,200 up to the date of separation. The ratio at which community funds paid down the mortgage ($9,200) during the marriage to the original purchase price ($38,300) amounts to 24.02%. This percentage of the property appreciation during the marriage of $117,500 ($28,223.50) plus the reduction in mortgage balance during the marriage ($9,200) would constitute the community component of the real property.
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Commentary
How to report immigration fraud
MANY immigration consultants are legitimate and provide helpful services to immigrants, but there are also many dishonest and fraudulent immigration consultants and immigration assistance service providers who take advantage of vulnerable immigrant communities with elaborate schemes and false promises. Some claim they are licensed attorneys, others adopt titles such as notario publicos or notarios and trick people into believing they are attorneys, while others claim to have a special relationship with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) officers and are thus able to obtain special immigration favors for their clients. In this week’s column, we will address options to report unscrupulous immigration service providers. Remember that the information below is not a substitute for legal advice. If you believe that
you are a victim of immigration fraud, please consult with an experienced, trustworthy immigration attorney before proceeding. 1. File a complaint with the California Attorney General. You can file your complaint online at ps://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-businessor-company. Forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. You can also call the Attorney General’s Office of Immigration Assistance at (888) 5870557. 2. Also, you can File a complaint with the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs: https://iddweb. isd.lacounty.gov/dca_ecomplaint/ . You can also call (800) 5938222. (Note that the goal of filing a complaint with these state agencies is to notify the state agency about possible deceptive, unlawful and unfair business practices by the immigration consultant. If there will be enough complaints filed about the same immigration consultant, the state agency might take action to stop deceptive or unfair practices.)
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3. File a complaint with the California State Bar. The state bar has a dedicated team focused on investigating the unauthorized practice of law. They may refer complaints to law enforcement for possible prosecution. You may fill out a complaint for free with the state bar online or by mail. The bar will not ask about your immigration or citizenship status. Citizenship is not required to file a complaint. Online complaint forms are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin, and Russian: http://www.calbar. ca.gov/Public/Complaints-Claims/ Unauthorized-Practice-of-LawComplaint 4. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which protects the consumer by collecting complaints about companies and business practices. The FTC does not resolve individual consumer complaints, but complaints help detect patterns of wrongdoing and may lead to investigations and prosecutions by law enforcement authorities. It is also possible for you to remain anonymous. You can fill out a
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God: I am who I am
to lead His people. Moses, on the other hand, approached God with reverent fear as he showed by hiding his face because he was afraid to look at the face of God. Then God spoke of his plan to rescue his people from the hands of the Egyptians. When Moses asked God what he would tell the people if they ask him His name, God replied, “I am who I am.” At first glance, God’s name, “I am who am,” seems to be abstract, but as one further reflects on this first-person formulation, it indicates God’s active and personal way of relating to us. As Mark S. Smith explained in his commentary on this passage, “the being of God means being with, conveying divine involvement and participation with those human parties in relationship to this God.” (New Collegeville Bible Commentary). “I am who am” indicates intimacy, care, love, and concern. Dennis Hamm, SJ righty argues for this name of God, saying, “The Creator does not simply sustain (which would be plenty)! The Creator redeems, frees Israel from bondage, with
a little help from such diffident souls as Moses.” (Let the Scriptures Speak/liturgy.slu.edu) God then is someone who reaches out to us who wants to speak to us always and accompany us in all our journeys of responsibilities, joys, triumphs, challenges, and struggles. He wants that every day is a conversation with him, that our relationship with him is intimate, yet respectful and trusting. At the same time, this relationship should provoke holy fear, the fear of being separated from him in in the present to eternity, the fear of not enjoying and resting in his Presence, and the fear of not following his designs and will. This is the same message that the Gospel this Sunday (Luke 13:1-9) tells us on the theme of repentance. Repentance involves the fear of being separated from the presence of God because of sin, distractions, and any obstacles to not being in communion with Him. In the Gospel today, the fig tree is a symbol of a life that is dry, fruitless, and dead. It’s because the tree chose to live without the nurturing love of the gardener. However, the gardener wants to
give this fig tree another chance to bear fruits instead of cutting it down, as long as he opens itself in humility to the outpouring care of its gardener. A person’s life can be of that fig tree that is devoid of God’s presence and care. The only way that he or she can turn it around is by cutting down his or her pride and disregard for God’s sovereignty over our lives. It’s also by believing that God will give us another opportunity to grow in his love as long as we humbly walk in his ways and be in His constant presence and care in prayer, liturgy, and service! *** From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (19912001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
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Strict leave policy may discriminate against pregnant & disabled employees Q: AFTER12 weeks of medical leave for a surgery, I told my employer I could not go back to work yet. One day after I was supposed to be due back at work, I was fired. HR told me the company had a strict 12-week leave policy and employees not able to return to work in 12 weeks are fired. Is this right? A: No, it is not. Your employer had a duty to engage in interactive process to determine if you can be provided reasonable accommodation. Granting additional leave may constitute reasonable accommodation. Under California law an employer may not terminate an employee based on disability, medical condition, or pregnancy. Disability includes physical disability, mental disability or a medical condition. Under California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (the pregnancy law), pregnancy – and all its related medical conditions such as severe morning sickness, doctor-ordered bed rest, childbirth, recovery from childbirth – is considered a temporary disability. If a disabled employee is unable to perform work duties, the employer must engage in a timely interactive process. This means that the employer must communicate with the employee to determine if reasonable accommodation can be made that would allow the employee to keep working. How should the parties engage
Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights ATTY. C. JOE SAYAS, JR. in the “interactive process”? Once the disability becomes known, the employer must consult the employee to identify potential accommodations to enable the employee to do his/her job. Sometimes, the employee may simply need additional leave. Extending the leave may be considered reasonable accommodation. Engaging in the interactive process is an important step for employers. Consider the following case Family HealthCare Network, is a health care company that operates over 20 health care sites in Tulare, Kings and Fresno Counties. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), filed a lawsuit against the company for violating the disability and pregnancy discrimination laws. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Family HealthCare had rigid leave policies and practices that denied reasonable accommodations to its disabled and/or pregnant employees. When its employees used up their leave, the employer failed to engage in interactive process, and thus, refused reasonable ac-
commodation. The employees were summarily fired when they were unable to return to work at the end of their leave. In some instances, the employer allegedly fired individuals during their protected leave period and before even exhausting their approved leave. When these employees tried to return to work, they were not rehired. The EEOC argued that the employer’s automatic discharge of employees based on its leave policy, without inquiring into the need for reasonable accommodation, resulted in the illegal discrimination of disabled and pregnant employees. The employer agreed to settle the lawsuit by paying $1,750,000 to aggrieved employees. The employer also had to agree to change its policies. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 2910088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com or our Facebook page Joe Sayas Law. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has 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 the recipient of PABA’s Community Champion Award for 2016.] (Advertising Supplement)
How to report immigration... PAGE C2 t
complaint online: https://www. ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Information. 5. Bring a case against an immigration consultant who has violated the law. You can ask a court for injunctive relief (order the immigration consultant to stop unlawful practices), damages (money), or both. If you win, you may be entitled to the amount of money you lost plus an additional amount, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs. You can bring a case in the Superior or Municipal court if you are asking for more than $5,000 in damages. In this scenario, you will most likely need to hire a lawyer
to represent you, and the case may take a long time to resolve. Also, you can also bring a case in small claims court if you are asking for $5,000 or less. Although you cannot hire an attorney to represent you in small claims court, you can consult with an attorney before you bring a case. Additionally, the defendant will not be allowed to hire an attorney. This route may be the quickest way to resolve a case. If you suspect that a dishonest lawyer or immigration consultant has cheated you, please call Advancing Justice Tagalog Helpline at 1-855-300-2552 or another trusted community organization to seek advice.
*** Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice - LA) is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (NHPI). Founded in 1983 as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Advancing Justice - LA serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year. Through direct services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, leadership development, and capacity building, Advancing Justice - LA focuses on the most vulnerable members of Asian American and NHPI communities while also building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice. For more information, please visit https://www. advancingjustice-la.org/.
Do I have a community property... PAGE C2 t The rest was the husband’s separate property. The husband in that case was awarded his separate property component of the real property plus one half of the community property component. The Marsden apportionment method is also applicable to situations where a community real property is later transmuted into one spouse’s separate property through execution of a quit claim by the other spouse but is subsequently paid using community funds. Marriage of Broderick (1989) 209 CA3d 489, 257 CR 397. In litigation, the community interest in the situations mentioned about is proven through expert witness testimony typically by a forensic CPA. Since California case law allows the creation of a community interest in real property acquired prior to marriage, one has to consider
vehicles to protect themselves if you own property and you are contemplating of getting married. There are several ways of avoiding the creation of a community interest on your separate real property. One, you can sign a prenuptial agreement. Two, the parties can execute a postnuptial agreement if the parties are already married. Three, the parties can execute a transmutation agreement with a waiver of any family code section 2640 reimbursement claim. If your divorce case involves complex issues of asset distribution, it is best to retain the representation of competent counsel.
matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He 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 *** Please note that this article is not legal OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is advice and is not intended as legal advice. located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, The article is intended to provide only Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 general, non-specific legal information. or e-mail “mailto:kenneth@kenreyeslaw. This article is not intended to cover all com” kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit the issues related to the topic discussed. our website at Kenreyeslaw.com The specific facts that apply to your (Advertising Supplement)
Eligible debtors should seek BK...
PAGE C2 t
because her house was already foreclosed and she still owed the second trust deed holder was still calling her to collect $50,000 of the second mortgage even though she no longer owned the house, and the $80,000 of credit cards are calling her night and day. Eligible debtors should consider the following objective reason to seek bankruptcy relief: 1. Based on debtor’s net income and expense analysis, the debtor has no ability to pay off his or her unsecured debts. In other words, even if debtor’s intention is to pay off debt, realistically speaking, the debtor cannot pay off debts over a reasonable period of time. This means that the debtor will be locked in permanent indebtedness, a slave of debt! Therefore, correctly, the debtor should find a legal way of getting out of debt as soon as possible. Here in America, bankruptcy is the legal way of getting out of debt and becoming productive again while you keep most if not all of your assets including your house, cars, retirement accounts etc. The right to bankruptcy is guaranteed by the constitution and even Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice before Mickey Mouse and Disneyland became successful. If Mr. Disney did not obtain a fresh start twice before, we would have no Disneyland to enjoy today. 2. Too much debt destroys the household’s ability to save and invest money to secure the family’s future. If the debtor makes $5,000 a month but has to pay out all of the $5,000 for monthly overhead and to make minimum
payments on credit card debt of say, $30,000, the debtor is living a hand to mouth existence. The debtor saves nothing and invests nothing year in and year out. With accumulated debt, you condemn yourself to Sisyphean existence. I don’t mean you become a sissy. You become like Sisyphus, the king of Corinth who was punished for his deceitfulness by the Greek gods (who are of course false gods), to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it come back to hit him, repeating this action for eternity. So your “Sisyphean existence” means a laborious and futile existence. By the time that debtor realizes that he has worked for 20 years without nothing saved and invested, it will be too late because, by that time, the debtor will be pushing 60. Most people save and invest money whilst in their 20s to 50s. Debtors who have too much debt, unfortunately, are robbed of the ability to save and invest for decades. Thus, a smart person who has too much debt but wants to save and invest must immediately correct the debt situation or else he or she will get old poor. The last thing a senior wants to have at retirement is debt. If you service $30,000 of credit card debt for 20 years, you would have paid your credit card masters $240,000 and still owe the same $30,000 when you retire at 66. If you got rid of these cards with Chapter 7 at the age of 46, you would have invested $240,000 starting at $12,000 a year and growing at $12,000 a year. Properly invested, you could have $400,000 saved
when you retire at 66 and zero debt. Even if you made the mistake of carrying these cards into retirement, you must get rid of them now because now you depend on social security, which is just enough to cover basic monthly necessities. Whether you are 40 or 60 or 70, you must get rid of credit cards now and become productive again! 3. Re-establishment of credit can start immediately. Debtors are able to begin re-establishing credit by paying their car and housing loans timely. Debtors will be able to get new credit cards soon after they obtain the discharge. There are banks that give new credit cards to debtors who have completed their bankruptcy because these debtors are actually very good credit risks. They still have a good income, have no more debt, and are now more careful in their financial affairs. BK filers qualify to buy houses again on the second or third year after BK filing if they have been paying their new loans on time. Buying a new car is no problem. On the day of the discharge, you can bring your discharge order to the car dealer. You can get a car loan at higher interest. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 23-26, 2019
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Reinstatement for suriving beneficiaries of an I-130 petition filed by a deceased relative DEAR Attorney Tan, My US Citizen mother filed an I-130 immigrant petition on my behalf, which has a priority date in February 2000 and which has been approved. She filed the I-130 petition after I came to the US in 1999 as a tourist from the Philippines. Since my arrival, I have lived in the US and have been out of status. Since I was petitioned as an unmarried adult daughter, I was advised that I had to wait several years to get a green card. Recently, my mother passed away. Can I still get a green card through my mother’s petition? -H.P. Dear H.P., When your mother passed away, the I-130 that was approved on your behalf was revoked by operation of law pursuant to 8 CFR Section 205.1. However, depending on the facts of a particular case, all is not lost. You may be eligible to get a green card pursuant to INA Section 204(L). Under INA Section 204(L), relief from an automatic revocation of an I-130 petition is available to certain surviving relatives. Surviving relatives who are eligible to seek 204(L) relief include a 1) principal or derivative beneficiary of an I130 petition that was filed by a deceased permanent resident or U.S. Citizen, and 2) derivative beneficiary of an I-130 petition that was filed by a permanent resident or U.S. Citizen where the principal beneficiary has died. Section 204(L) relief is also available to derivative
bulletin indicates the priority date for the I-130 petition filed by your mother on your behalf is current, so you can file an I-485 adjustment of status application, requesting reinstatement of the I-130 petition filed by your mother pursuant to ATTY. DARRICK TAN Section 204(L). As a sidenote, Section 204(L) beneficiaries in I-140 employ- relief is also available if one’s ment-based petitions where the relative died while the I-130 principal beneficiary has died. was pending, not only after the Another requirement for Sec- I-130 petition was approved. tion 204(L) relief is that the Section 204(L) relief therefore person seeking relief must have is broader than Humanitarian “residence” in the US. What is Reinstatement of a petition unmeant by “residence?” It is your der 8 CFR Section 205.1, which primary home or principal actual can only be requested by the dwelling place. At least one ben- principal beneficiary when the eficiary must have resided in the petitioner him/herself has died, U.S. when the petitioning rela- and after approval of an I-130. tive died, and must continue to Relief under Section 204(L) is reside in the U.S. when seeking discretionary, and can be deSection 204(L) relief. It is worth nied if factors in support of renoting that all beneficiaries of a lief are not presented properly. petition can benefit from Section It is accordingly recommended 204(L) relief as long as at least that you seek the assistance of one of the beneficiaries meets an experienced attorney. the residence requirement. Fur*** ther, although “residence” is required, Section 204(L) does not Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to pracrequire actual physical presence tice law in California and Nevada. Mr. in the U.S. when the relative Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southdied. western University School of Law. He In your case, it appears that is a member of the Consumers Attoryou are eligible to obtain a green ney Association of Los Angeles and is card. You are a principal ben- a former member of the Board of Goveficiary of an I-130 petition filed ernors of the Philipp ine American Bar by your US Citizen mother. Fur- Association. ther, you appear to meet the res*** idence requirement in that you LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 have been in the US since your Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los arrival in 1999—you resided in Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 639-0277. the US when your mother passed Email: info@dtanlaw.com. away, and currently reside in the (Advertising Supplement) US. A check of the USCIS visa
Legal Advice
People and Events
One La Salle Medical Mission on April 1-2 ONE La Salle Alumni Association of Southern California has collaborated with Global Health Force and Don Bosco Makati Batch 80 to conduct an outreach program. About 31 individuals from doctors, nurse practitioners, RNs, LVNs and lay volunteers will be flying from Los Angeles to provide free general medical checkup; distribute medicine and medical supplies; and hand out reading glasses to a total of 600 senior citizens and
indigent members of the community. The event will be on April 1 and 2, 2019 at Zone 1 Santa Ana and Sto. Nino Culdesac, respectively, in Barangay Sun Valley, Paranaque, Metro Manila. The operation will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both days. There is still time to participate. We could use the additional help. The medical mission is one of many planned activities by One La Salle of Southern California
for 2019. These activities include the One La Salle Invitational Golf Tournament which will be held at the Los Serranos Golf Club in Chino Hills on April 26, 2019. Another event will be the Inter One La Salle Friendship Day/Basketball Invitational Tournament at Cameron Park in West Covina on September 7, 2019. For inquiries and to receive email notification of future La Salle projects, contact Alger Brion at algerbrion@ yahoo.com. ■
C4 MARCH 23-26, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Calendar of Events across
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Free oil filter and motor oil recycling event in Rosemead, CA ATTENTION ALL SAN FERNANDO RESIDENTS – Everyone is invited to bring in their used motor oil and used oil filters in exchange for a free new oil filter on Saturday, March 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be held at AutoZone (8350 Garvey Ave. Rosemead, CA 91770). Recycling motor oil and filters helps save our environment and keeps our water clean. So, don’t miss out – we’re making it easier for you to keep your car running smoothly and efficiently.
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Super Jazz at the Ranch is back STEVENSON RANCH, CA – Super Jazz at the Ranch, a daylong jazz festival hosted by West Ranch High School, is happening Saturday, May 18. Music will fill the air as performers from throughout the region showcase their talents. The event will be studded with dazzling musical performances, competitions and clinics. Music begins at 9 a.m. Highlights of the day include a performance by the Jacob Mann Trio, featuring three of LA’s top young jazz talent. Pasadena City College’s Brian Carmody will lead the Hart District Jazz “All-Stars,” a group composed of some of the most talented jazz students from around the William S. Hart Union
seniors is $7. Food concessions will be available on site. For additional information, contact Brian Leff, Director of Jazz Studies, West Ranch High School, at bleff@hartdistrict. org. Super Jazz at the Ranch is an annual jazz festival, created by noted music educator, Bob Babko, to bring professional and student musicians together. Babko, an inductee in the California Alliance for School District. Adjudicators include active Jazz Hall of Fame in recognition professional musicians and nota- of his dedication to music educable jazz educators who will evalu- tion, established the Super Jazz ate jazz ensembles from schools music festival in 1997 as one of throughout Southern California. his many endeavors to provide All day general admission to local jazz students with extraorSuper Jazz at the Ranch is $10, dinary opportunities to perform and admission for students and and learn. ■
Cerritos Library features Rich “One” Cofinco street art and fashion design exhibition
MARCH 30
Philippine Medical Society of Northern California installation of officers in Foster City, CA The Philippine Medical Society of Northern California will hold its 47th anniversary and installation of officers for 2019-2021 at the Crowne Plaza in Foster City, CA on Saturday, March 30. For sponsorship information, please contact Dr. Clementina Manio at drtina0427@gmail. com or visit https://www.pmsnc.org/.
United Bicolandia Los Angeles induction in Montebello, CA United Bicolandia Los Angeles will hold its 45th Anniversary and Induction Ceremony at Quiet Cannon in Montebello, CA on Saturday, March 30. For tickets and sponsorship information, please contact Lanie Berrei at lanieberrei@hotmail.com or (818) 281-3169.
City of San Fernando, La Union Association-USA ball in Brea, CA The City of San Fernando, La Union Association-USA will hold its 29th Fiesta Ball — “A Reunion to Remember” — on Saturday, March 30 at the Embassy Suites (900 East Birch Street) in Brea, CA. It will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 12 midnight. For more details, you may contact ball chairman Noel Nabua at (949) 323-3873 / nsnabua@gmail.com; outgoing president Samuel Chee at (909) 662-7501 / samnlynnndchamp@yahoo.com; incoming president Vicky Neri at (562) 394-6293 / vickybneri@gmail.com; and director Vangie So at (626) 485-3110 / vangieso@ aol.com.
APRIL 7
Ryan, Ryan! The Maestro and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers in Glendale, CA Recently proclaimed National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab’s works will be showcased on Sunday, April 7 at the John Wayne Performing Arts Center (1440 E Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205) at 6 p.m. by his multi-talented singing group, the Ryan Cayabyab Singers joined by some local artists like Mon David, Annie Nepomuceno, Louie Reyes and many more. Come and hear how his work that spans five decades has made an indelible impact on Filipino culture. Copresented by Philippine Patrons of the Arts USA, a 501 (c) 3 organization that brings exemplary Filipino Artists to U.S. stages. For ticket information ($35-$125) visit www.philpatrons.org and to learn about other tour stops in Las Vegas (April 7), San Diego (April 12) and Seattle (April 14).
APRIL 13
2nd annual Filipino mental health well-being summit in LA The 2nd annual Filipino mental health well-being summit will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at The Center of Cathedral Plaza (555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012). In partnership with the LA County of Department of Mental Health, registration begins on March 11. This is a FREE event for all. Breakfast and lunch included with registration. Please email FilipinoWellBeing@Gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/FilipinoWellBeing for more updates.
A P R I L 22
West Ranch Music Masters Tournament in Valencia, CA West Ranch High School’s Instrumental Music Program is excited to announce their inaugural Golf Tournament fundraiser to be held on Monday, April 22 at The Oaks Club at Valencia, CA. Check-in and breakfast starts at 10 a.m. with a 12 p.m. shotgun start. The $125 per player fee includes: 18 holes of golf, use of golf cart, practice facilities, lunch and dinner. There will be an optional Mulligan and Magic Putt package for purchase. Additionally, a wide array of silent auction and raffle baskets will be available. The awards dinner will be served starting at 5pm and will feature students performing live jazz music. For those who wish to attend only the dinner and award festivities, the cost is $50. All proceeds go directly to support the West Ranch High School Music Program. To register for the tournament or for more information contact Jean Conway at westranchband@gmail.com or visit westranchmusic.com. Deadline to register is on April 11.
A P R I L 25 -28
Philippine Nurses Association of America - North Central Regional Conference in Columbus, Ohio The Philippine Nurses Association - Central Ohio will hold a regional conference from April 25 to 28 at the Embassy Suites (2886 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio). For more information, please visit http://www.mypnaa.org/.
M AY 4
Kulintang festival in Oakland, CA As part of the as part of the celebrations of Asian American Heritage Month, Gongster’s Paradise — a kulintang party — will be held on Saturday, May 4 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center where the father of Filipino-American Kulintang music, Danongan ‘Danny’ Kalanduyan was once an artists in residence. This year’s line up will feature a new generation of Maguindanaon Master Artists from Cotabato City, Traditional groups from all over the United States and Contemporary groups from all over the world including Toronto, Philippines, Seattle, Virginia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Alongside non-stop kulintangan, Gongster’s Paradise will feature visual artists, vendors, and dancers to showcase movements related to kulintang music rooted from all over Mindanao. A feast will be served throughout the evening to be prepared and served by Chef Eric Pascual, rising star and owner of Eats By E and will be joined by collaborator and sponsor, Ramar Foods. It will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (388 9th St., Oakland, CA 94607).
M AY 1 7-1 9
Santa Maria Ilocos Sur 12th Global Reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii The Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Global Association (SMISGA) and the Santa Marians of Hawaii are sponsoring the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur 12th Global Reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii from May 17-19, 2019. The festivities will start with a meet and greet on May 17 at 5 p.m. at the Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Ballroom to be followed by a gala night on May 18 at 5 p.m. at the Dole Cannery Pomaikai Ballroom. A picnic is also scheduled at Ala Moana Beach Park’s Magic Island on Sunday, May 19 starting at 10 a.m. The ticket to attend all the events is $130.00 per person. Due to limited space, reservations must be made not later than March 31, 2019. Hats and tshirts will also be on sale for $20. For further information, call Nena Empleo at (808) 384-0394, Carlito Soria at (808) 487-3370, Alex Pena at (702) 373-9522 or Orlino Baldonado at (865) 7898324. Leave a message if there’s no answer. Additional information is also on SMISGA.com and Facebook @ SMISGA19FB. Proceeds from the events will be for various projects in Santa Maria Ilocos Sur and in Hawaii. Donations are tax deductible since SMISGA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization approved by the Internal Revenue Service.
M AY 25
Marist School Marikina to celebrate 55th anniversary in Buena Park, CA Marist Alumni Abroad, coordinated by Arthur ‘Jojo’ P. Armada ‘77, invites alumni, family and friends, and the public who are interested, to the 55th anniversary grand reunion of the Marist School Marikina, to be held on Saturday, May 25, at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel (7675 Crescent Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620). The event’s theme is “Celebrating Our Marist Life...The Legacy Continues,” hosted by Marist Alumni Abroad. Dinner and dance: 6 pm to 11 pm; donation: $55/pax (per person). Contact person is overall chair Jojo P. Armada at (626) 216-3529 or email: armadaarthur@yahoo.com.
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
Rich “One” Confinco (second from left) was joined at the ribbon-cutting event at the Cerritos Library by Councilmember Jim Edwards, Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Pulido and Councilmember Frank Aurelio Yokoyama.
AN exhibition of street art and fashion designs by local artist and designer Rich “One” Cofinco is on display at the Cerritos Library through Tuesday, April 30. The Cerritos City Council and Cofinco recently celebrated the opening of the exhibition with a ribbon-cutting event.
Cofinco’s artwork and clothing, accessory and shoe designs are displayed on the first floor of the Cerritos Library. Cofinco grew up in Cerritos and is a legendary Los Angeles street artist. He is widely known as an innovator for influencing international hip-hop culture. He combines vibrant colors with
bold characters and abstract shapes to create his unique imagery. His artwork has been featured in films and vinyl records and has been displayed in specialty boutiques. The Cerritos Library is located at 18025 Bloomfield Avenue. For more information, call (562) 9161342. ■
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 23-26, 2019
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C MARCH 23-26, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 23-26, 2019
MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM
&
April 2019 priority dates
Immigration Corner
The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
April 8, 2008
April 8, 2007
(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holder
December 15, 2017
March 1, 2017
(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder
March 1, 2008
August 1, 2007
Third Preference
Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.
September 1, 1997
June 1, 1996
Fourth Preference
Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.
January 15, 1998
June 1, 1996
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
Second Preference Advanced Degree (Masters)
Current
Current
FAMILY CATEGORY:
ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ
First Preference
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line� for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,� but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards� and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.� If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card.
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
PSA: Inflation among poor families ease to 13-month low of 5% in February
Store keepers wait for customers at stalls selling dry goods in Commonwealth Market in Quezon City in this ďŹ le photo taken in September 2018. The latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed ination among poor families eased to a 13-month low of 5 percent in February 2019 as price hikes of essential items such as food and beverages continued to slow down. Inquirer.net photo by Grig C. Montegrande by BEN
O. DE VERA Inquirer.net
INFLATION among poor families eased to a 13-month low of 5 percent in February as price hikes of essential items such as Non-Skilled March 1 , 2018 July 1, 2018 Other Workers food and beverages continued to Workers slow down. The Philippine Statistics Auregarding the outcome of your legal matter. *** Michael J. GurďŹ nkel has been an attorney for No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, thority (PSA) data showed that year-on-year rate of increase in over 35 years and is licensed, and an active established with any reader. prices of basic commodities for member of the State Bar of California and New WEBSITE: www.gurďŹ nkel.com York. All immigration services are provided by, Follow us on Facebook.com/GurďŹ nkelLaw and the bottom 30-percent income or under the supervision of, an active member Twitter @GurďŹ nkelLaw households decelerated to its of the State Bar of California. Each case is Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for slowest pace since the 4.7 perdifferent. The information contained herein anywhere in the US: cent posted in January last year. Third Preference
Professional/ Skilled Workers
including testimonials, “Success Stories,� endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice
July 1, 2018
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(866)—GURFINKEL Four ofďŹ ces to serve you: LOS ANGELES ¡ SAN FRANCISCO ¡ NEW YORK ¡ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Business Quote of the Week “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.� — Sam Walton, founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club
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The February rate was lower than the 5.4 percent a year ago and 5.9 percent a month ago. In the National Capital Region (NCR), inflation among poor households fell to 2.9 percent last February from January’s 4 percent. Outside NCR, the rate declined to 5 percent from 5.9 percent last January. PSA data also showed that inflation of the heavily-weighted food, beverages, and tobacco index slowed to 5.6 percent from 6.7 percent in the previous month.
“The inflation of the country’s food index eased further to 5 percent in February. Its annual rates were higher at 5.8 percent in the previous month and 5.3 percent in the same month of the previous year,â€? the PSA said. Clothing, housing and repairs, as well as fuel, light and water indices also registered lower inflation rates compared to January. The average prices increases affecting the bottom 30-percent income families were nonetheless still higher than the headline inflation rate of 3.8 percent in February. â–
Filipinos still a priority for govt infra projects by MAYVELIN
U. CARABALLO Manilatimes.net
FILIPINO workers remain the priority when it comes to hiring people for the Duterte administration’s infrastructure projects, a Finance department official claimed on Wednesday, March 20. “There are only 173 highly technical Chinese workers in the country today who are working on government infrastructure projects,� Finance Assistant Sec-
retary Antonio Joselito Lambino II told reporters. Amid the “widespread perception that a large number of Chinese nationals� are employed across ongoing China-funded projects, the Finance official offered two examples to prove the opposite — the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project and the Estrella-Pantaleon and Binondo-Intramuros Bridges — and added that the same would apply once the Kaliwa Dam project breaks ground.
Citing data from the National Irrigation Authority, Lambino said only 85 Chinese workers with highly technical skills were employed at the Chico River Pump project. The $62.09-million project, the first of Duterte’s ‘Build Build Build’ initiatives to be funded by Beijing, broke ground in June 2018. Upon completion, it is expected to provide a stable supply of water for around 8,700 hectares of agriPAGE D2
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Mainland Chinese overtake OFWs as top buyers in Philippine residential market — report
Pinoys trust banks more than gov’t by TYRONE
C. PIAD
Manilatimes.net
by IAN
NICOLAS CIGARAL Philstar.com
BUYERS from mainland China had dominated residential sales in the Philippines amid improving ties between Manila and Beijing, real estate services firm Leechiu Property Consultants said. In a report dated March 18, Leechiu Property said overseas Filipino workers are no longer the top buyers in the residential market following a surge in mainland Chinese buyers, which is expected to continue in the long-term amid rekindled relations between the Philippines and China. Leechiu Property added that residential projects in the Bay Area, Makati, Manila, Ortigas
and Quezon City, as well as in other areas near Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) and existing Filipino-Chinese communities are “experiencing brisk take-ups of 12 units a month.” Strong demand has also led to tenants dictating record high prices for rental units, Leechiu Property said. Rental units in the Bay area have climbed by 80 percent in the last three years. “Assuming a constant aggregate take-up of 7,757 units, the remaining inventory in projects preferred by mainland Chinese buyers will be depleted in three months,” CEO David Leechiu said. Overall, Leechiu Property said it expects “brisk growth rates” in
FILIPINOS trust banks more than the government in terms of personal data, study by a global information technology firm showed. A Unisys Asia Pacific online survey conducted in January found 42 percent of Filipino respondents claiming that they trusted banks the most with regard to sharing personal data, twice as high as the 21 percent that chose the government. Only 9 percent trusted credit card networks while telecommunications firms and online services got 3 percent each. Fourteen percent replied “none of them” while 9 percent were uncertain. “We can only assume that it is related to their trust in the [data] security capability of the banks,” Unisys Financial Services Industry director Ian Selbie said in a press Philstar.com file photo briefing on Wednesday, March 20. office, residential and industrial Banking sector impressions real estate markets in the first were heavily influenced by current quarter of 2019. It also projected continued demand from the IT-BPM sector in Manila, as well as in the regions “provided there is a continu- PAGE D1 t ous stream of PEZA accredited cultural land, benefit 4,350 farmspaces.” ers and their families and serve PEZA, or the Philippine Eco- 21 barangays in the provinces of nomic Zone Authority, is tasked Kalinga and Cagayan in Northern to promote investments, extend Luzon. assistance and grant incentives For the Estrella-Pantaleon and to investors in export-oriented Binondo-Intramuros bridges, manufacturing and service fa- meanwhile, Lambino said another cilities inside selected areas 88 Chinese workers were hired to throughout the country. handle highly technical work. “We expect transaction values Beijing has extended $290.8 to keep climbing this year not million in grants to finance the only in the office market but also construction of the bridges. in the residential and industrial For Kaliwa — currently in the arenas,” Leechiu said. n spotlight given massive disruptions in Metro Manila water services — Lambino said the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage drigo Duterte last February 14. System (MWSS) and other impleThe Department of Finance menting agencies would also see (DOF) had estimated the amnes- to it that only highly technical Chity on delinquencies to generate nese workers are involved. P21.26 billion during its imple“Local government units will mentation for one year after the work with the contractor for Kaliissuance of the RR. wa Dam to ensure that local workThis will be the first-ever am- ers will be hired for the construcnesty on delinquencies in the tion jobs,” he added. country. The New Centennial WaIt will cover all national tax- ter Source Project-Kaliwa Dam es—capital gains tax, documen- Project is expected to provide tary stamp tax, donor’s tax, ex- water security, reliability and adcise tax, income tax, percentage ditional supply for Metro Manila. tax, value-added tax (VAT), and The project, however, has yet withholding tax—for the taxable to secure environmental clearyear 2017 and previous years. ances and critics are claiming Under the Tax Amnesty Act of that the cost — as much as $800 PAGE D3 million based on a rival proposal
DOF: Tax amnesty on delinquencies to start April by BEN
O. DE VERA Inquirer.net
AMNESTY on tax delinquencies will start next month, giving taxpayers with long-due liabilities and pending criminal cases a clean slate. On the sidelines of the Senate Tax Study and Research Office’s tax forum on Thursday, March 21, Finance Undersecretary Antonette C. Tiokno told reporters that the revenue regulations (RR) covering tax amnesty applications on delinquencies under Republic Act (RA) No. 11213 or the Tax Amnesty Act of 2019 was already being finalized.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) last week held a public consultation wherein it also released the proposed RR that will serve as implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA 11213’s provisions on the upcoming amnesty on delinquencies. “We can implement it once the IRR is out and published. Our schedule is by next month, April to implement it already,” Tionko said. Under RA 11213, BIR had been tasked to come out with the RRs to implement the amnesty on delinquencies and estate tax amnesty within 90 days after the law was signed by President Ro-
Filipinos withdraw money from automated teller machines inside a mall in Makati. Manilatimes.net photo by Justine Ruth Bitancor
news, he added, noting that there were no issues at the moment that seem to be alarming the public. Unisys Vice President and General Manager Rick Mayhew, meanwhile, said the banks’ higher score was not an indictment of the government’s security measures. “When you’re putting your money in a bank account, there must be a high level of trust with
that institution … It is less so a reflection on the government but more so on the reflection on the bank and your willingness to put your personal savings into that facility,” Mayhew explained. By age bracket, Filipino respondents above 50 trusted banks the most (53 percent) and the government much less (15 percent). PAGE D3
Filipinos still a priority for govt infra...
Workers rush the construction of the Emerald Station of LRT Line 2 in Cainta, Rizal, one of the infrastructure projects implemented by the government. Manilatimes.net photo by J. Gerard Seguia
but only $248 million according to the MWSS — would drive the Philippines deeper into a Chinese debt trap. Amid earlier claims that the “Build Build Build” infrastructure program would generate muchneeded jobs for Filipinos, legislators have been looking into claims that Duterte’s pivot to China had led to a massive influx of Chinese workers. During a Senate probe last month, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said half of the 169,000 alien employment permits issued over the last three years had gone
to
Chinese nationals, with a sizeable number going to those employed by the offshore gaming industry. The Finance department has acknowledged that offshore gaming may have become a conduit for undocumented Chinese workers, last month calling for stricter registration checks of operators granted offshore gaming licenses. Duterte, for his part, has warned that a crackdown on Chinese workers could prompt Beijing to retaliate by kicking out Filipinos working in China. n
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Weaker peso seen as imports flood in by LAWRENCE
AGCAOILI Philstar.com
THE peso moved sideways yesterday ahead of the rate setting meeting of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) wherein interest rates are expected to remain unchanged amid easing inflation. The local currency shed two centavos to close of 52.81 to $1 from 52.83 to $1 last Tuesday, March 19. It opened weaker at 52.9 to $1 and hit an intraday low of 52.95 to $1. Volume declined to $870.8 million from $1.14 billion last Tuesday. Haj Narvaez, president of BPI Securities, said the peso may weaken further to 54 to $1 by the end of 2019 and to 55 to $1 by the end of 2020 amid the strong growth in imports. “Our view remains that the peso will weaken to 54 by the end of the year and to 55 by the end of next year,” Narvaez said in an interview with ANC. He said the peso is expected to weaken further as the year progresses due to strong importation of capital equipment to support the continued expansion of the economy. “The key driving force for the peso over the next few months is really the import number. Obviously, we continue to see that the import levels for the Philippines continue to remain strong given the strong consumption numbers and likewise importation of equipment,” Narvaez said. The peso emerged as the third worst performing currency in the region, shedding 5.3 percent to 52.58 to $1 last year from 49.93 to $1 due to the series of rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Re-
by LAWRENCE
AGCAOILI Philstar.com
Inquirer.net file photo
serve as well as the tightening cycle undertaken by the BSP due to rising inflation expectations. According to Narvaez, the BSP is widely expected to stand pat and keep interest rates unchanged in the rate-setting meeting that was scheduled last Thursday, March 21. “The BSP will probably want to get more positive data on the inflation front, probably over the next few months, before they actually consider cutting rates,” Narvaez said. The BSP lifted rates by 175 basis points in five straight ratesetting meetings from May to
November last year to prevent inflation from spiralling out of control. The consumer price index surged to 5.2 percent last year from 2.9 percent in 2017, exceeding the BSP’s two to four percent target, due to elevated oil and food prices. However, easing inflation allowed the BSP to take a breather from its tightening cycle and keep interest rates on hold in December and February. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) said in its latest note the peso is seen trading between 52.7 to 53 and $1 range. n
Pinoys trust banks more than... PAGE D2 t The proportions changed as the younger the bracket but banks still came out ahead. For those aged 35-49 it was 47 percent for banks, 16 percent for the government; 38 percent to 25 percent for the 25-34 group; and 37 percent to 22 percent for 18to 24-year-olds. Unisys officials said the survey also showed that 63 percent of the Filipino respondents believed that there should be a focus on data security and safety. “Security probably trumps everything else in terms of importance,” Selbie said. Filipinos, Unisys said in presentation materials, “recorded the highest level of consumer concern about security issues of 13 countries surveyed.” Unisys did not identify the 13
Philippines among least affected by China slowdown — Moody’s
countries. The January online poll only involved 5 — the Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Taiwan. Identity theft was the number one worry for Filipinos at 88 percent, followed by natural disasters (87 percent), bank card fraud (86 percent), computer viruses/hacking (83 percent), war on terrorism (81 percent), financial obligations (79 percent), personal safety (79 percent) and shopping/banking online (76 percent). Filipinos were most comfortable with using biometrics (face, voice and fingerprints) to access mobile banking services and ATMs but were relatively leery of letting apps automatically determine their behavior — how phones are held or swipes made, for example — to establish iden-
tities. This finding was replicated across all five countries surveyed. Among those who were not comfortable with biometrics, 58 percent of the Filipinos expressed concern that their data could be stolen, 42 percent said they were uncertain about data safety and 39 percent said they were “just not comfortable.” Twenty-two percent said they were concerned that banks would share the data with the government. With regard to the general banking experience, meanwhile, Unisys said the top complaint of Filipinos remained that of long lines at branches, although this had narrowed to 49 percent as of this year from 53 percent and 54 percent, respectively, in 2018 and 2017. n
THE Philippines is among the countries in Asia Pacific that is least exposed to a fall in Chinese demand arising from the trade war between the U.S. and China, according to Moody’s Investors Service. In a report, the debt watcher said the Philippines may post a softer decline in gross domestic product (GDP) growth amid the weakening global output, particularly the slowdown in China. Moody’s said the Philippines is ranked sixth least exposed to a fall in Chinese demand after Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Indonesia, while Hong Kong, Mongolia, Singapore, Vietnam and Taiwan are among the most exposed to a sustained slowdown in China. “These trade driven economies are key nodes in the manufacture of intermediate products, especially for electronics, which are particularly exposed to tensions between the U.S. and China. Given the uncertain outlook for growth and trade policy, as well as generally tighter financing conditions, slower investment growth will amplify the trade slowdown,” Moody’s said. It said the country’s exports to China accounted for 11.7 percent of GDP. The debt watcher said Asian exports entered 2019 on a weak footing, slowing to 4.3 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2018, down from a recent high of nearly 14 percent in the third quarter of 2017. Moody’s said the weakening in export shipments over the
past year has been broad-based, reflecting the deteriorating outlook for global growth and, in particular, China. “Lower import demand from the region’s largest economy reflects both domestic and external factors, including slower domestic demand as credit availability has tightened and the trade dispute with the U.S.,” it said. While more granular data for the private sector is not available, Moody’s said the milder deceleration in gross fixed capital formation in the Philippines and Indonesia likely follows on from local policy rate increases. “Over the past year, they have also been subject to higher market interest rates against
the backdrop of their widening current account deficits and exchange rate volatility,” it said. The Philippines booked a record current account (CA) deficit of $7.9 billion or 2.4 percent of GDP due to widening trade deficit on account of strong import to support the growing economy. “We project some of these pressures to ease somewhat on account of lower oil prices and slower expectations of tightening by the U.S. Federal Reserve, among other factors, although a sharp tightening in financing conditions may occur in particular markets, especially where policy credibility is relatively weak,” Moody’s said. n
PAGE D2 t 2019, delinquencies and assessments that have become final and executory will have an amnesty rate of 40 percent of the basic tax assessed. A higher rate of 50 percent will be slapped against tax cases still subject to courts’ final judgment. An amnesty rate of 60 percent will apply to pending criminal cases with criminal information filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the courts for tax evasion and other criminal offenses under the Tax Code, with or without assessments duly issued. In the case of withholding agents that withheld taxes but did not remit them to the BIR,
they will pay 100 percent of the basic tax assessed. Finance Undersecretary Mark Dennis Y. C. Joven earlier said there were about P80 billion in delinquencies pending in the BIR’s books. Citing that BIR had a “zero batting average” on the tax evasion cases it files with the DOJ, Joven had said the government “needed a mechanism to ensure that we clear the dockets and free the time of BIR employees to proceed against really errant taxpayers and involving more recent cases,” hence the amnesty on delinquencies. From 2005 to 2018, only 10 or less than 1 percent of the 1,064 cases filed by the BIR under its Run After Tax Evaders (Rate) pro-
gram were resolved by courts in favor of the government. As for the estate tax amnesty also included under RA 11213, Tiokno said its regulations would be “a bit more complex.” “We just need to clarify issues, those that need coordinating with other agencies like the LRA [Land Registration Authority]” before the draft RR will be released by the BIR to the public for consultations, Tionko said. RA 11213 provided for the collection of only 6 percent of a deceased’s total net estate at the time of death, for those who died on or before December 31, 2017. Estate tax amnesty was expected to generate P6.28 billion when implemented during a two-year period. n
Philstar.com file photo
DOF: Tax amnesty on delinquencies...
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Farmers at risk due to automation New neighborhoods now open at Park Place in Ontario, CA
Inquirer.net file photo by ROY
STEPHEN C. CANIVEL Inquirer.net
FILIPINO farmers are most likely to be vulnerable to automation and the poor and less educated Filipinos likely at risk, too. This was according to the preliminary results of an ongoing study conducted by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), which seeks to determine which workers are at risk in the fourth industrial revolution. The agriculture sector, which is made up mostly of farmers, is the most at risk among other sectors, with a 90-percent average probability of being vulnerable, results showed.
“The data we have here are not really meant to shock. They’re just meant to start a conversation,” AIM associate dean Jamil Francisco said in a forum on Wednesday, March 20. “It doesn’t give you the percentage of jobs that will be taken out. It’s just the probability that the jobs may be technically automatable,” he said. Furthermore, the less educated, those with low income band and those aged 15 to 24 are also most vulnerable, with their respective average probability estimated at 80 percent, 82 percent and 76 percent, respectively. However, the risk of losing opportunities due to automa-
tion lessens for Filipinos who are more educated, more affluent and even older. For example, those aged 65 years or older are estimated to be only 65 percent vulnerable, and those who have a college degree or higher only have a 46-percent risk. The study, which might be finished in a month, is based on a U.S. research that calculated the probability of automation for over 700 US occupations, Francisco. Jobs are not technically automatable, but tasks are. Therefore, the study looks into tasks that are automatable, which means those at risk are jobs which have more of those kinds of tasks. n
Philippines mulls ban of Boeing 737 MAX by RICHMOND
MERCURIO Philstar.com
THE Philippines is coordinating with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the possibility of joining other countries in banning Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 in its airspace following two recent crashes abroad involving the aircraft. “In order to come up with a judicious memorandum/order, we deemed it proper to coordinate with the U.S. FAA regarding its order of grounding Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 and its possible applicability and validity within the Philippine airspace,” Civil Aviation Authority of the
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Philippines (CAAP) director general Jim Sydiongco told The STAR. “After the clarification, we will immediately release a memorandum for all the operators and stakeholders alike, as maybe required,” he added. According to Sydiongco, none of the country’s local airlines currently operate the said aircraft. CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said one local airline has placed an order for the aircraft, but its delivery would still take several years. “Thus, we have no technical basis, other than what we read in the papers to ground or ban from Philippine airspace the said fleet.
For CAAP, our grounding or banning would merely be paper based, if not hearsay,” Sydiongco said. Civial Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla said his agency would abide by the CAAP position on the matter, if any. Arcilla said CAAP has jurisdiction over safety matters in the country’s aviation industry. Reuters reported that over 300 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 passenger jets have been taken out of service worldwide pending investigation following crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia over the past five months that have killed almost 350 people. n
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