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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 3-9, 2025
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APRIL 3-9, 2025 Volume 36 - No. 14 • 10 Pages
T he F ilipino A merican C ommunity N ewspaper
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DATELINE
USA
Defense team eyeing Duterte interim release by Neil Jayson Servallos Philstar.com
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Hegseth’s warning: US not seeking war but ready to defend interests amid sea tensions IN a stark warning to potential adversaries, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared during his visit to Manila that while the United States does not seek war, it stands ready to defend its interests including over contested waters. Speaking at a joint press conference with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Friday, March 28, Hegseth underscored the importance of deterrence against threats from “communist” China. Hegseth also said that the U.S. stands ready to face any nation that tests its resolve. “Our partnership demonstrates our commitment to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. As our president often says, we will achieve peace through strength. We do not seek war; we seek peace. But those who long for peace u PAGE 2
MANILA — Detained former President Rodrigo Duterte’s lawyers are working on a plea for his interim release but have yet to decide when to file it before the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to his lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman. “Interim release is a right. And it can only be tempered by three factors. The first of which is the risk of flight, the second of which is the risk of Former President Rodrigo Duterte saluting to overseas Filipino workers in Hong interference of witnesses with the Kong during his visit on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Photo from PDP Laban
Marcos Cabinet declines further Senate hearings on Duterte arrest by Jean Mangaluz Philstar.com
‘Corruption a hindrance to US trade, investment’ CORRUPTION has been identified as one of the barriers to trade and investment confronting United States firms doing business in the Philippines, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). In its 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) report to U.S. President Donald Trump and Congress, the USTR said corruption is a pervasive and longstanding problem that U.S. businesses have to deal with in the Philippines. “National and local government agencies, particularly the Bureau of Customs, are beset with various corruption issues. Both foreign and domestic investors have expressed concerns about the lack of transparency in judicial and regulator processes,” the USTR said. Although the Bureau of Customs launched a modernization program in 2021 to address customs and corruption concerns, the USTR said there are still widespread reports of corruption and irregularities in customs processing, including undue and
evidence and a third of which is the risk of continued crimes,” Kaufman said, as quoted by ABS-CBN News. “None of those factors exist in the present situation. So there is a right for Mr. Duterte to be released. We are working on that, but the timing of when we intend to introduce such an application is yet to be decided,” he added. Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, earlier said they were looking at his interim release before the next ICC hearing in September. u PAGE 2
BREAKING THE FAST. Filipino-Muslims pray at the Blue Mosque in Maharlika Village, Taguig City on Monday, March 31, to celebrate Eid’l Fitr that marks the end of Ramadan. It is celebrated with congregational prayers at mosques or open grounds, festive meals shared with family and friends, and acts of charity. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
MANILA — Members of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Cabinet will no longer be attending Senate hearings on the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, according to a letter from Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. The letter was released by the office of Sen. Imee Marcos, who has become estranged from her brother, particularly in light of Duterte’s alleged turnover to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity related to the drug war. Duterte’s ICC arrest prompted Imee to hold a Senate hearing last March as the chair of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Bersamin said that Cabinet secretaries and other pertinent officials had already provided information during the March 20 hearing. u PAGE 2
Proposed Filipino Town Cultural District gains traction in Las Vegas The initiative aims to create a vibrant district that reflects and preserves Filipino culture and heritage by Marisse Abelgas Inquirer.net
LAS VEGAS – In recognition of the 250,000-strong Filipino American community’s significant contributions to Nevada’s economic and cultural landscape, Las Vegas city officials are moving forward with plans to establish a Filipino Town Cultural District. Clark County officials are scheduled to vote on the proposed Filipino Town on April 15, 2025. The initiative, which has received u PAGE 3
overwhelming support from local residents, businesses and city officials, aims to create a vibrant and unified district that reflects and preserves Filipino culture and heritage through art, cuisine and community events. Spearheaded in 2024 by 90-yearold community leader and civil rights advocate Rozita Villanueva Lee, the proposed district is located in the heart of Las Vegas, along a 1.2-mile corridor on Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Maryland Parkway between Flamingo u PAGE 2
15 Philippine tycoons led by Villar among Forbes ‘World’s Richest People’ MANILA — Fifteen tycoons from the Philippines, led by property magnate Manuel Villar, made it to Forbes Magazine’s World’s Richest People for 2025. Almost the same names made the cut this year, although the list from the country is a bit shorter than the 2024 roster, which had identified 16 local billionaires with net worth exceeding $1 billion. One notable newcomer is Eusebio Tanco, whose wealth was buoyed by the surge in the valuation of online gaming Former Senator and property magnate Manuel Villar firm Digiplus Interactive Corp. Villar topped the list with an estimated Photo from Facebook/@MannyVillar
net worth of $17.2 billion. Recently, the “brown taipan” announced that Golden MV Holdings Inc., the mass housing and memorial park developer that he leads, hit nearly P1 trillion in net profit in 2024 on gains from the assessment of its investment properties, the highest in Philippine history. Ranking second is ports and casino tycoon Enrique Razon, with an estimated wealth of $10.9 billion. San Miguel Corp. chair Ramon Ang placed third with $3.7-billion net worth, followed by Lucio Tan with $3 billion. u PAGE 4
Philstar.com file photo
Philippines grateful for US military funding – Gibo by Pia Lee-Brago Philstar.com
MANILA — The Philippines is grateful for the United States’ enduring support and the exemption of the country’s foreign military financing from foreign aid freeze, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said. On Friday, March 28, the Philippines hosted U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in his first official visit to Asia and the Indo-Pacific. Teodoro emphasized that
his counterpart’s visit showed the importance of the country’s bilateral alliance with the U.S. The Philippines, he said, is gratified by the importance placed on the stability and enhancement of U.S.-Philippines relationship as a linchpin of securing peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. “We are grateful for the enduring support of the United States, including the State Department in part, in no small way, through the efforts of u PAGE 4