042518 - Los Angeles Midweek Edition by Asian Journal Community Newspapers

April 25-27, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 34 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages

PH gov’t vows to sustain country’s economic growth by AJPRESS MALACAÑANG on Monday, April 23, vowed to support the country’s economic growth by solid macroeconomic fundamentals and sustained investments in infrastructure and social services. Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. made the remark as he welcome two recent studies projecting the Philippine

DATELINE

economy to grow by at least 6.8 percent for the first quarter of 2018. In a report released over the weekend, Moody’s Analytics said the Philippine economy is currently in a “sweet spot.” “The Philippine economy likely grew 6.8 percent yearon-year in the first quarter,” it said in a report. “The economy is in somewhat of a sweet spot. Consumer spending is rising at a healthy pace

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

thanks to steady inflows of overseas worker remittances and a firm labor market.” It also noted that the country’s “investment has been robust and is likely to remains strong as the government boosts infrastructure development,” while “the upswing in external demand is lifting exports.” “With these factors and favorable demographics, the

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REACHING AGREEMENT. President Rodrigo Duterte discusses matters with Ambassador of Kuwait to the Philippines Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh during a meeting at the Presidential Guest House in Davao City on Tuesday, April 23. Joining the president are Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. Malacañang photo by Joey Dalumpines

Marcos to PET: Statements on poll recount ‘observation’ by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

Kevin de León sounds off on senatorial campaign, championing diversity, progressive values in California KEVIN de León thinks it’s time for a regime change in the Senate. Sitting in the bustling campaign office in a high rise in Koreatown (the nucleus of de León’s Senate District 24), de León, the current California Senate President Senate President pro Tempore pro Tempore, and Emeritus Kevin de León (D-Los his team are gearing Angeles) Photo courtesy of Kevin de León

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BlueLA, a carsharing program that gives drivers access to a car for as low as $1 a month.

A new electric car sharing service launches in LA and is the largest of its kind in the US

FORMER Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. told the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) that his press statements on the ongoing recount of votes in the 2016 vice presidential race were mere “observations.” Marcos claimed that he “did not make any comment or disclosure pertaining to the revision proceedings that may be construed as prejudging the Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

SC rules foreign divorce valid in PH by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

THE Philippines now recognizes a divorce obtained by a Filipino citizen against a foreign spouse outside the country, according to the Supreme Court (SC). In a landmark ruling on Tuesday, April 24, the SC ruled “that a foreign divorce secured by a Filipino against a foreign spouse is also considered valid in the Philippines, even if it is the Filipino spouse who files for divorce abroad.” According to SC spokesperson Theodore Te, ten justices upheld the CA ruling, while three dissented: Associate Justices Mariano Del Castillo, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa. Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza,

meanwhile, took no part in the decision as he was solicitor-general when the case was brought to the SC. Te said the SC based its ruling on Article 26 (2) of the Family Code, which provides that “where a marriage between a Filipino citizen and a foreigner is validly celebrated and a divorce is thereafter validly obtained abroad by the alien spouse capacitating him or her to remarry, the Filipino spouse shall likewise have the capacity to remarry under Philippine law.” The SC was acting on the case of Marelyn Tanedo Manalo, who was married in the Philippines to Japanese national Minoru Yoshino. The Japanese court granted her motion for divorce on Dec. 6, 2011. The Dagupan City Regional Trial Court,

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Activist from Mindanao detained for 28 hours in US airport by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

A HUMAN rights group has called on Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday, April 23 to file a diplomatic complaint against the Trump administration after a young Filipino activist was detained in the U.S. for 28 hours last week and sent back to the Philippines. Jerome Aba, a 25-year-old peace advocate from Mindanao, Philippines, was allegedly subject to “Guantanamo-style torture” after being denied entry to the U.S. at the San Francisco International Airport for what Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said was a “technical glitch” with his visa. Aba had been given a 10-year multiple visa by the U.S. Embassy in Manila. “Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano harps on national sovereignty whenever international actors criticize the Philippine government on its human rights record. If Cayetano meant an ounce of truth in his pronouncements that the country should

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano Malacañang photo

fully exercise its rights as a sovereign nation, he should uphold the rights of a Filipino citizen who suffered Guantanamo-style torture, among other violations, under the U.S. government,” said Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay in a statement Sunday, April 22. “We challenge him [Cayetano] to file a diplomatic protest against the Trump administration for the cruel and inhuman acts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection against Filipino Moro human rights activist Jerome Succor Aba,” she added.

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‘Tirades vs Sereno not an attack on SC’ by CATHERINE

S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

Inaugural hub locations include Historic Filipinotown

IN Los Angeles, cars continue to be the preferred method of travel for many of the county’s 10 million residents. This is true even as investments go into expanding the city’s transit network. Having a car often means independence, more freedom, and a lot of saved time. Yet many Angelenos do not have affordable ac-

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Inquirer.net photo

Cayetano pressed to file diplomatic protest against US for detainment and alleged torture of PH activist

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno

ManilaTimes.net photo

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte was not attacking the judiciary when he called for the immediate removal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Malacañang said. In a television interview, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the impeachment case and quo warranto petition seeking Sereno’s removal were anchored on her failure to fully declare her wealth. “This is not about the presi-

dent attacking the institution. It’s about the chief justice herself admitting to violating an existing law which will have an impact on the integrity of the court itself,” Roque said during an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel. “If there is a threat to the independence of the court, the integrity of the court, it is the chief justice herself,” he added. Roque made the remarks after lawyers’ groups called on the United Nations (UN) to take urgent action on Duterte’s alleged intrusion into judicial matters.

A report, initiated by members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, National Union of People’s Lawyers, Free Legal Assistance Group and other lawyers’ groups, was reportedly submitted to Diego Garcia Sayan, the UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. The lawyers reportedly argued that the president’s tirades against Sereno were part of attacks on judicial independence. Sereno is facing two efforts seeking her ouster from office: an impeachment complaint in

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From the Front Page

Marcos to PET: Statements... PAGE A1 issue, influencing the court, or obstructing the administration of justice.” Earlier this month, the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as PET, issued a show cause order against Marcos and Vice President Leni Robredo for publicly discussing information involving the election protest in the 2016 vice presidential race. PET has ordered Marcos and Robredo to explain why they should not be cited in contempt for disclosing information on the vote recount. But Marcos, in his compliance reply, insisted that his camp’s statements were “limited to his personal observation of what transpired during the revision.” “To be sure, the legal counsels of the protestant repeatedly requested that the Adhoc Revision Committee of this Honorable Tribunal to issue media advisories in connection with the on-

going proceedings so that they will not be forced to grant any interview in order to clarify the developments in this election protest,” he added. The revision of ballots begun on last week, on April 2. On the first day of recount, Marcos’ camp revealed before the media that wet ballots were discovered from the clustered ballots of Municipality of Bato, Camarines Sur. Marcos’ spokesman, Vic Rodriguez, further claimed that there were missing audits and ballots pre-shaded for Robredo. The revision of ballots is being conducted in connection with Marcos’ electoral protest against Robredo, who won the 2016 vice presidential race with only 263,473 more than him. Marcos accused her of committing massive electoral fraud. Shading threshold On Tuesday, April 24, PET has directed Marcos and the Commission on Elections (Comelec)

to comment on Robredo’s appeal on the shading threshold in the vote recount. In a motion filed last week, Robredo asked PET to follow the 25 percent threshold set by the Comelec for shading of ballots, citing the “interest of justice and fair play.” Threshold pertains to what percentage of the vote should be shaded to be counted. PET is currently applying the 50 percent threshold in determining the validity of votes. Robredo also claimed that PET’s decision to apply a 50 percent threshold on validity of votes “has resulted to a systematic decrease in her votes.” Reacting to the motion, Marcos’ camp earlier slammed the vice president for “casting aspersions meant to debase [PET’s] integrity” and “attempting to cheat the Filipino people again by trying to change STROLLING IN BORACAY. Foreign tourists stroll along the white sands of Boracay in Aklan during a cloudy day early this year. Department the rules in the middle of the of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Rod Garcia earlier said the six-months cleanup and rehabilitation works in the island, which will start on April 26, could be shortened or extended, if found necessary. PNA photo by Joey Razon game.” n

Palace vows to sustain PH... PAGE A1 Philippines s likely to remain one of the fastest growing economies in the region in coming years,” Moody’s Analytics said. The country’s official gross domestic product (GDP) growth data will be released next month. The possible 6.8 result would be an improvement from last year’s 6.4 percent. Welcoming the report, Malacañang said: “We guarantee that the country’s robust economic

growth will be supported by solid macroeconomic fundamentals and sustained investments in infrastructure and social services, such as education, health and social protection.” Malacañang also welcomed the latest findings of Oxford Business Group in Asean CEO Survey, which found that “investors’ sentiment and business prospects for the Philippines remain upbeat.” “The Philippines also ranked highest in the Asean region in

terms of projected gross domestic product growth, with business leaders forecasting the Philippine GDP growth between 6 to 8%,” Roque added. The Palace official then guaranteed that the Duterte administration “remains on track in accelerating the country’s growth rate by improving the ease of doing business to transform the country into the one of the world’s leading investment destinations.” n

Cayetano pressed to file diplomatic protest... PAGE A1 Aba had been invited by the U.S. chapter of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), and was on route to Washington D.C. to talk with human rights organizations and U.S. congressional offices about the experiences of the Moro and indigenous people under the Duterte-declared martial law in Mindanao last year. Opening up about his experience, Aba told media reporters that as an advocate, he wasn’t used to being a victim of human rights violations. He also said he was denied access to a lawyer, and was commanded to undress and stand in a cold empty room where an industrial cooling fan was brought in and turned on. He added that he was intimidated with the threat of being shot. “I was afraid to use the restroom, because they might make a drama that I was trying to escape and they might shoot me,” Aba was quoted saying in an ICHRPU.S. statement.

He said he remembered an agent saying, “Be good here, be nice here, if you do anything bad, I will not hesitate to shoot you”, saying the agent would reach for his side arm whenever he would move. An attorney from the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) was at the airport attempting to talk with CBP, according to the statement. Callers from NLG to CBP offices were told they would be called back. ICHRP said that offices of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Senator Dianne Feinstein also made calls to CBP officials and were told Aba was being detained on a “soft disposition” or “something that could easily be overcome.” Aba said he further experienced anti-Muslim comments, was interrogated about his beliefs and rally participations, and was accused of being a “terrorist” and “communist.” On two separate occasions, he said he was left in a room with a gun and

SC rules foreign divorce... PAGE A1 however, denied having her divorce recognized in an Oct. 15, 2012 decision due to “lack of merit.” “The court a quo ratiocinated that the kind of divorce recognized here in the Philippines are those validly obtained by the alien spouse abroad, not by the Filipino spouse, pursuant to Article 26 of the Family Code,” it ruled. Manalo filed an appeal but was denied. She then elevated

her case to the Court of Appeals (CA), where she scored a victory in 2014. “Considering that the said Japanese is already free to remarry, petitioner (Manalo) must likewise be allowed to remarry under the Philippine law,” the appeals court ruled. It added that non-recognition of a divorce filed by a Filipino spouse will result in “inconsistency between the recognition of the effectivity of the foreign judgment and public records in

a grenade which he saw as CBP attempts to “entrap him into using the items.” CBP spokesman Jamie Ruiz said in a statement that “U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not consider country of origin or human rights activism to be determining factors for admissibility.” Before being released, Aba said he was coerced to cover up details of his detainment by recording a video statement of him saying he had not been tortured. A “foot-tall stack of papers that the agents purported were their profile on him” was shredded in front of him before his release, according to the ICHRP-U.S. statement. To Cayetano, Payaba added, “The filing of a diplomatic protest against the U.S. government will be an indicator if Cayetano and the Philippine government are indeed capable of exercising the country’s sovereignty, or if it is just rhetoric used to conveniently dismiss critics.” n the Philippines.” The Philippines and the Vatican are the only two countries that have no divorce law. Last month, the House of Representatives approved on the third and final reading House Bill 7303, which seeks the legalization of divorce and dissolution of marriage in the country. The divorce bill, however, may have a hard time getting approval in the Senate as several senators have already expressed opposition to the measure. President Rodrigo Duterte also declared that he will not support the bill. n

‘Tirades vs Sereno not an attack...

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PAGE A1 Congress over alleged failure to declare her true wealth, and a quo warranto petition seeking to nullify her appointment at the Supreme Court. Like the impeachment case, the quo warranto petition is based on her failure to submit her wealth declarations, or statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, to the Judicial Bar Council that screens court appointees. The president earlier urged allies in Congress to hasten the impeachment of Sereno, saying she was “bad” for the country. Recently, Duterte called on Sereno to resign because of her supposed ignorance of the country’s laws. “If you are that ignorant, you better go. You are just risking the country into a chaos. Umalis ka na (You should leave),” the president said. Roque, however, made it clear that the call to impeach the Chief Justice did not originate from the Executive branch. He pointed out that some of Sereno’s colleagues in the Supreme Court have testified against her and sought her indefinite leave. “Where is the attack on the judiciary when the judiciary itself

wants to cleanse itself from within?” Roque said. “If the Supreme Court says that it is within its jurisdiction, so be it. And again, where is the attack on the judiciary there?” he added. Sereno, the country’s first female chief justice and the youngest to be named to the post, will outlast her colleagues as she is not scheduled to retire until 2030. Only through impeachment Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the chief justice could only be removed through “the hard way” or by conviction by the Senate in an impeachment trial. He stressed this point when asked whether the Supreme Court would violate the Constitution if it decided to remove Sereno through the quo warranto petition filed by the solicitor general. “If the end result of the quo warranto is to remove from service a ranking government official, who can only be removed through impeachment as provided in the Constitution, don’t you think you’ve violated that principle?” he said in a radio interview. Pimentel added, “Ang matataas na opisyales, may fixed term, may security of tenure (Impeach-

able officials have security of tenure. They have fixed term).” “Paano (sila) alisin? Sa mahirap na paraan at para mabigat na dahilan. Ano ang paraan na ‘yun? Impeachment (How will they be removed? Through the hard way and for grave reason. And how will it be done? Through impeachment),” he said. ‘Why the rush?’ Acting Chief Justice and Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio told reporters last week the magistrates would decide on the case in May by holding a special en banc or full-court session. An unimpeachable source said that during the court en banc’s Tuesday session in Baguio City, the magistrates came to an agreement that the voting should be held on May 17 through a special session. The whole month of May is supposed to be decision-writing month, during which the court is on recess. The source said that the ponente of the case, Associate Justice Noel Tijam, was given until April 23 to circulate the final draft ponencia or ruling on the case among the justices. Thereafter, other members of the court will have until May 11 to submit their respective sepaPAGE A5

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Dateline USa

PH condoles with Canada amid van incident

The Philippines expressed its condolences to Canada after an incident in which a rented van plowed into pedestrians, killing 10 and leaving 15 others injured. There have been no reports yet of Filipinos among the casualties or injured, according to the Philippine embassy in Ottawa. The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, meanwhile, is checking with authorities to ensure the safety of the 270,000 Filipinos in the area. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Canada.

We mourn with the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement. Toronto police identified the suspect as Alek Minassian, a 25-year-old from the Toronto suburb of Richmond hill. Deputy Police Chief Peter Yuen says the driver of the van is in custody but Yuen has not provided any possible cause or motive in the incident on Monday, April 23. he says the investigation is continuing. Police Chief Mark Saunders said the incident “definitely

looked deliberate. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the government will work with law enforcement partners while the investigation continues. “It was with great sadness that I heard about the tragic and senseless attack that took place in Toronto this afternoon. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of those who were killed, and my thoughts for a fast and full recovery to those injured,” Trudeau said in a statement. (Patricia Lourdes Viray with Associated Press)

Palace believes Trump, not drug war report by Christina

Mendez

Philstar.com

AS far as Malacañang is concerned, the U.S. Department of State’s country report on human rights practices in the Philippines is not consistent with the statements of U.S. President Donald Trump, who had praised President Duterte for his war on drugs. “I personally heard the discussion between President Trump and President Duterte when they were here in the Philippines during the ASeAN Summit and I think I heard words from President Trump praising President Duterte, including the war on drugs. If I’m not mistaken, President Trump said he knows what he (Duterte) is doing in the Philippines,” presidential spokesman harry Roque said. “So I do not know how to reconcile the State Department report with the actual statement of the president.” Malacañang is inclined to believe the statements of Trump, which are not consistent with the State Department report, Roque stressed. he said he was not sure whether the new U.S. secretary of state had reviewed the latest country report on the Philippines. “I was really lost on how to read it,” Roque said, referring to the report, which said extrajudicial killings remain the chief human rights concern in the Philippines after noting the war against illegal drugs. The report, citing 900 drug-related deaths from January to September last year, noted that police impunity has “increased significantly.” “Police claimed to have begun investigations of all reports of extrajudicial killings… Some civil so-

ciety organizations accused police of planting evidence, tampering with crime scenes, unlawfully disposing of the bodies of drug suspects and other actions to cover up extrajudicial killings,” the report read in part. The U.S. government also expressed doubt over the accuracy and legitimacy of Duterte’s list of drug personalities. Philippine senators suggested that the Duterte administration engage the international community to address concerns over the thousands of drug-related killings in the country. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto stressed “there is no doubt that extrajudicial killings exist” where “thousands have died.” “It’s no surprise that both the U.S. and eU (european Union) have called the government’s attention to extrajudicial killings. We are part of a global community,” Recto said as he also made it clear that the public supports the war on drugs and Duterte’s leadership style. When asked how the administration should address concerns of the eU parliament and the U.S. State Department, he said: “I expect them to engage. Prove them wrong. Send their data, if any.” Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III lamented that the eU parliament and the US State Department “do not know what is really happening here.” “They were only listening to the anti-administration groups, especially in the media. Why aren’t they like that when it comes to rapes in India? Is the anti-drug pushers campaign here the only important issue for them?” Sotto said. Sen. Panfilo Lacson said

Malacañang should squarely address the serious concerns of the international community by presenting facts. As chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, he stressed that diplomacy and dialogue will go a long way in setting the record straight on the administration’s controversial and bloody campaign against illegal drugs. he added that Malacañang should exert efforts to inform the international community of the administration’s side, particularly the casualties among security forces who battled it out with drug traders and their men. “The best antidote to such criticisms is to throw back facts. Instead of saying ‘we don’t care,’ let productive people in the intelligence community analyze their (eU and U.S.) reports and correct them through communications,” Lacson told dzBB. “Our communication – not only in the country but also outside – should be improved and that can’t be done by cursing or criticizing. When you criticize, were you able to correct any misimpression?” the senator added as he appealed to the media to also report the strides of the government against illegal drugs and the numerous casualties sustained by the police during the campaign. Lacson said the international community is greatly influenced by what the local media report in forming their stand on the administration’s war on drugs. The senator said Malacañang should also concede that some of the criticisms on extrajudicial killings have basis even as he stressed that there remains a need to review the anti-drug operations. PAGE A5

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A new electric car sharing service launches... PAGE A1 cess to personal cars, limiting their mobility across the large county. On Friday, April 20, a fleet of white fully electric compact hatchback cars paraded out of Los Angeles City College donning “BlueLA” logos on their doors. BlueLA is a carsharing program that gives drivers of at least 18 years, access to a personal car anytime they want for as low as $1 a month, and 15 cents per minute depending on income level. The program sprung from a partnership between Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) and Blue Solutions — a carsharing subsidiary of France’s Bolloré group — and is the largest of its kind in the U.S. BlueLA’s mission is to provide an alternative and environmentally friendly mobility solution to underserved communities. “Blue Solutions recognizes that mobility is a key factor in creating inclusive communities. By providing a convenient and fully electric car sharing service at a more affordable cost,” said Marie Bolloré, CeO of Blue Solutions. “By providing a convenient and fully electric car sharing service at a more affordable cost, we believe that BlueLA will promote both inclusivity and sustainability.” Currently, cars can be found in seven initial hubs including Los Angeles City College, Koreatown, MacArthur Park, Chinatown, Pico Union, Boyle heights, and right in front of the Pilipino Workers Center in historic Filipinotown. Three more stations are scheduled to be opened in less than two weeks, working up to 40 stations and 100 electric cars around the city by the end of the year. How BlueLA works Designed by the Italian auto design house Pininfarina, the BlueLA cars were made specifically for car sharing, seating up to four adults comfortably. On a full charge, the cars can get up to 125 miles thanks to the systems and batteries made by the Bolloré group. Using the carsharing service is simple, and is great for trips to the grocery, running errands, picking kids up from school, and so forth. Once registered, drivers can reserve a car using the program’s app, or through an easy to use reservation kiosk located at any of the hubs. Using either a Metro TAP card or a BlueLA card which gets sent through the mail, drivers simply unplug the car from the charging station, tap their card near the car’s door, and begin their trip. On their trip, drivers have access to the car’s own navigation system, car-return system, and a blue telephone button that connects drivers to 24/7 customer service should they need any assistance. To return the car and end a trip, all drivers have to do is park at any of the hubs, and plug it back in for free battery charging. “The car sharing system is very good because you park in a station where you booked in advance, your parking spot,” Bolloré told the Asian Journal. The only requirements for the

(L-R) in group photo: CARB vice chair Sandra Berg, U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez, Deputy Mayor Barbara Romero, Blue Solutions CEO Marie Bolloré, LADOT general manager Seleta Reynolds, and 13th District City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell. AJPress photos by Rae Ann Varona

Marie Bolloré, CEO of Blue Solutions, which partnered with LADOT to start BlueLA.

service are that drivers be at least 18 years old, have a valid U.S. driver’s license or international driver’s permit, and have a debit or credit card to set up an account. The service also provides auto insurance coverage up to the state minimum limit, secondary to the driver’s personal insurance. Membership prices start as low as $1 per month, and 15 cents per minute for households earning an annual income of $35,000 or less. That equates to around $9 per hour. A standard membership costs $5 month, 20 cents per minute. Environmentally friendly transportation alternative While the county of Los Angeles has been investing in its public transit system through expansions and improvements of rail and bus connections, putting the new BlueLA cars on Los Angeles roads is about being an environmentally friendly transportation alternative to those who could benefit from the mobility. “It really provides a mobility option for folks,” chief sustainability officer at LADOT, told the Asian Journal. “For families that may be a one car household, or zero car household, here’s another option that you can use to both support using the bus and rail.” Because the cars are 100-percent electric, they fall in line with Los Angeles Mayor eric Garcetti’s electric vehicle goals set in his mission for a cleaner environment and stronger economy.

Kevin de León sounds off on senatorial... PAGE A1 up for the primary election for the 2018 senatorial race just a little over a month away. The progressive CA Senate leader announced on Oct. 15, 2017 that he’s looking to transition from state politics to the national stage in the form of a U.S. senatorial campaign against longtime incumbent Dianne Feinstein, who has led California in the Senate since 1992. For the last few years Democrats across the state have called for a replacement for Feinstein and, in February, it came to head when two-thirds of the California Young Democrats made a shocking move to decline to endorse the longtime centrist senator: tangible proof that Californians are seeking more progressive leadership in the Senate. And de León firmly believes he’s the one to hold the torch for the staunchly blue state. “I think it’s time that California has a debate on the issues and the values that we deeply care about,” de León told the Asian Journal in an April 13 interview. “California has changed in the last 25 years, demographically linguistically, culturally, technology-wise and economically. I think these are very tumultuous and dangerous times in our nation’s history, and I think that the current Democratic establishment is not reflective of the diversity of today’s California.” As a state senator, de León boasts a 12-year legislative career preserving and strengthening Democratic values by uplifting the working class, preserving immigrant rights, increasing access to higher education and fighting for

climate change policy. De León has already proven a formidable Democratic challenge to the seat, which he says needs a more tenacious leader who represents the California of 2018 and beyond. “The fact that the current incumbent of California voted for two wars: Afghanistan and Iraq,” de León said. “We have spent close to $6 trillion in both wars combined, $6 trillion that should have been spent investing in young men and women, college debt and education giving much bigger financial aid so they can graduate in a timely basis without being riddled with debt. We should’ve invested it in clean energy, education, healthcare; and, that shows you why the incumbent is so disconnected to the values and to the realities of working families in California.” Since 2010, de León has been serving SD 24 (he previously served the 45th District as an assemblymember), which comprises of many of LA’s most ethnically diverse neighborhoods including Boyle heights, Little Armenia, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Westlake and historic Filipinotown. The son of Guatemalan immigrants, de León humbly grew up in San Diego where ethnic diversity thrived. he has maintained a close relationship with the Filipino-American community since childhood when his mother, who worked as a licensed vocational nurse and certified nursing assistant, befriended many Filipino Americans at her job. When she got sick and could no longer care for the family, these Filipino colleagues would bring chicken adobo, pancit and lumpia to the house to make sure the de

Garcetti said, “We all want a healthier planet for our children and our grandchildren. BlueLA will make our collective effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more inclusive by providing underserved communities with an environmentally friendly way to get around town — at an affordable price.” The service runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week which is helpful when metro rails or busses may not be in service. Many of the stations are even located around existing metro stops. “So you can imagine yourself getting off of the subway or a bus, using BlueLA to complete your errands, come back, and then maybe jump back on the bus or rail,” said Parras. “For folks that are maybe needing to go from the Pilipino Workers Center to Union Station, it’s going to be a quick trip,” he added as an example. It’s all part of what they call their “first mile-last mile” solution that they’re integrating. BlueLA received $10 million in investment from Blue Solutions which has already started similar programs in Indianapolis, Singapore, London, Paris, and other european cities. It is also funded in part by California Air Resources Board and the California Climate Investment Program. More information on the the service and how to become a member can be found on BlueLA. com, or by emailing contact@ bluela.com. (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress) León family was taken care of. “I’ve always had very strong memories and this deep fondness for the Filipino-American community because when we were in deep pain and in a very difficult place as a family, our Filipino sisters and brothers really stepped up and that meant a lot. The Filipino-American community has always, always, always been very good to my family,” de León remarked. Acknowledging that Filipino Americans are the largest Asian American group in California, de León made clear that he promises to be a representative for the vast Filipino-American community in the U.S. Senate. “I have an enormous respect for the Filipino-American community, many of whom come from so many different parts of the Philippines to come all the way across the Pacific Ocean whether that’s to join the United States Navy or as a nurse,” de León said. “If I have the opportunity to be the voice for California in Washington, the Filipino-American community has a voice with me too. They come with me, too.” One of the issues closest to the Filipino-American community is immigration, which continues to dominate as one of the most pressing domestic issues nationwide. California is home to nearly 10 million immigrants, a quarter of whom are undocumented, according to the latest statistics from the California Public Policy Institute. Over the last year as California has loudly resisted the rhetoric coming from the Trump administration on immigration, de León has emerged as a leader defending California’s vast and diPAGE A7

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 25-27, 2018

Dateline PhiliPPines

Duterte Cabinet to work ‘double time’ after drop in ratings by aJPress

Decreases that made up the drop from “good” to “moderThe administration of Philip- ate” satisfaction ratings involve pine President Rodrigo Duterte all areas: a decline of 29 points will double its efforts to improve in Mindanao, seven points in the plight of Filipinos, Presiden- Balance Luzon, two points in tial Spokesperson harry Roque Visayas, and a point in Metro Jr. said on Sunday, April 22. Manila. After seeing a drop from in the The net satisfaction rating of satisfaction ratings of Duterte’s the Cabinet remained “good” Cabinet, Malacañang assured in Metro Manila at +30 from that the executive branch will the +31 in the previous quarter. continue to serve the “best inter- It also stayed “good” in the Viest” of the public without getting sayas at +31 from +32. distracted by the political noise. however, it fell by two grades The latest Social Weather Sta- from “very good” to “moderate” tion (SWS) survey results showed in Mindanao at +23 from +52 in that the ratings for the Duterte’s the last quarter of 2017; and one Cabinet went down by 10 points grade from “good to “moderate” from +38 in the last quarter of in Balance Luzon at +28 from 2017 to +28 in the first quarter +35. of 2018, In a statement, Malacañang “This is the lowest in almost noted that many agencies have two years, since the moderate made significant strides in their +22 in April 2016,” SWS said. respective areas and fields.

“The departments under the executive branch will continue to serve the nation and the best interest of our people by bringing comfortable life to disadvantaged and marginalized families, unmindful of the distraction and political noise,” Roque said. he continued: “We shall therefore work double time in highlighting policies and programs of the current administration that have the most impact to the lives of our countrymen.” The results of the first quarter-2018 satisfaction poll was released on Friday, April 20. It was taken from March 23 to 27 using face-to-face interviews to 1,200 adults nationwide. The poll had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national per- ENVIRONMENTAL MENACE. 1As the Philippines observed Earth Day 2018 on Sunday, April 22, a man collects plastic materials at the Pasig River centages, and ±6 percent each in Mandaluyong City. This year’s Earth Day theme is “Green the Cities, Green the Oceans” to drum up support to save the water ways, the seas, ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez for Metro Manila, Balance Lu- and oceans from the menace of plastic wastes that present dangers to various types of marine life. zon, Visayas, and Mindanao. n

Kuwait assures safety of OFWs by Dana

SioSon AJPress

The government of Kuwait on Monday, April 23, has assured the safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Gulf state. According to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Kuwait made the assurance on during a meeting between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Kuwaiti Ambassador Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh in Davao City. “During the meeting, Ambassador Saleh reiterated to us the commitment of the Kuwaiti Government to protect and ensure the welfare of our more than 250,000 kababayans working there,” the DFA said in a statement released Tuesday, April 24. The Philippines, for its part, gave “renewed assurances of our respect for the sovereignty of the State of Kuwait and the dignity of the Kuwaiti people.” Both parties also “agreed to continue to work together to address matters of mutual concern and will update the public of developments.”

The meeting was held days after Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa was summoned by the Kuwaiti government. State-run Kuwaiti News Agency reported that Villa was summoned due to the “inflammatory comments” he made to a local newspaper, and to the “inappropriate behavior” of the Philippine embassy staff. Villa was quoted in the reports as saying that the Philippine embassy was moving in to help the abused Filipinos if Kuwaiti authorities fail to respond within 24 hours; and that the Philippines does not need the help of the Kuwaiti government in rescuing Filipinos. The “inappropriate behavior,” meanwhile, referred to the rescue of distressed Filipino workers in the foreign country without reaching to the Kuwaiti authorities. Citing the Kuwait Ministry of Interior, the state media reported two Philippine embassy staff members were arrested last Sunday, April 22, for “enticing” Filipino house helpers in Kuwait to escape their employers.

The Kuwait Interior Minister said the two arrested Filipinos “confessed to the crime, in addition to other similar offenses that had been committed in various regions of the country.” It was unclear, however, what law the two were accused of violating. “The Filipino envoy’s remarks, along with the ‘inappropriate behavior’ of Manila’s diplomatic staff in Kuwait have been deemed a threat to Kuwait’s sovereignty, the source noted,” the news report said. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano on Monday maintained that the efforts to rescue distressed household workers in Kuwait were done in coordination with the Ministry of Interior. earlier this year, the Philippine government has enforced a complete ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait over reported abuses. The order came following the death of Filipina worker Joanna Demafelis in Kuwait, whose body was found inside a freezer a year after she had been reported missing. n

‘Tirades vs Sereno not an attack...

PAGE A2 rate concurring and dissenting opinions. The source said that voting was set on May 17 to give Sereno ample time to consider resignation. The Sereno camp questioned the “rush.”

Lawyer Josalee Deinla, one of Sereno’s spokespersons, argued that the court was supposed to be on break after the sessions in Baguio. “We cannot help but ask why the rush? The Supreme Court is supposed to be on break after its last en banc session on April 24

Palace believes Trump...

PAGE A4 As a former policeman himself, he pointed out that police officers handling drug cases should not be lazy or frustrated if the suspects they are prosecuting are set free either by corruption or poor evidence gathering. “Nothing beats hard work, good intelligence and patience,” Lacson said. Sen. Risa hontiveros hit the government’s foreign policy, saying “Duterte’s foreign policy is protecting impunity, not sovereignty.” “his foreign policy people like to use the word ‘sovereignty’ when what they really want to do is silence all forms of dissent, domestic and international, while they stay appallingly silent about China’s blatant incursions into our territory,” hontiveros said. Meanwhile, rights advocates Karapatan challenged Foreign Af-

fairs Secretary Alan Cayetano to file a diplomatic protest against the Trump administration for the cruel and inhuman acts of the U.S. Department of homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Filipino Moro human-rights activist Jerome Succor Aba. According to the group, Aba suffered various forms of psychological and physical torture at the hands of U.S. agents from April 17 to 19 after arriving at the San Francisco International Airport for a speaking tour organized by the human Rights Office of the Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church and the U.S. chapter of the International Coalition on human Rights in the Philippines. “Aba was forced to strip naked, with an electric fan blasting at him, while he was being interrogated by U.S. officials. Throughout the

in Baguio. They are on recess in May and are supposed to resume session on June 5. The quo warranto is an important case which if granted will upend our justice system as we know it. The Supreme Court has not even heard the side of any of the intervenors,” Deinla said. n

interrogation, Aba was kept handcuffed. (The U.S.) officials also denied him food and water, and even disrespected his religious beliefs by deliberately serving him pork. Also during interrogation, the slightest movement from Aba, even for just stretching his arms or moving his head, would earn him the ire of interrogators,” the group claimed. It stressed the U.S. is “like a pot calling a kettle black” when it reported on the Philippines’ rights situation when it also has one of the world’s worst rights record. “The filing of a diplomatic protest against the U.S. government will be an indicator if Cayetano and the Philippine government are indeed capable of exercising the country’s sovereignty, or if it is just rhetoric used to conveniently dismiss critics,” said Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary-general. (With Paolo Romero, Rhodina Villanueva)

A6 APRIL 25-27, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Saving Earth

FEATURES

THE country joined the international community in observing Earth Day last April 22 as Boracay prepared for an unprecedented monthslong shutdown to give way to a massive cleanup. Across the country, many other travel destinations can use more aggressive action, although not the draconian measures being applied in Boracay, to stop pollution and protect the environment. The concept of sustainability has yet to take root in this country. The worst pollution can be found in urban areas that are not deemed to be travel destinations. At the San Juan River in Kalentong, Mandaluyong, for example, truckloads of solid waste were collected as part of Earth Day activities. This year’s Earth Day theme focuses on curbing plastic pollution. As the experience in this country has shown, this calls for a nuanced, realistic solution – one that encourages plastic recycling, better waste management and a general attitude change toward garbage disposal. Plastic remains indispensable in modern life. Put meat, fish, frozen goods or even leafy vegetables in a paper or eco bag and see what happens within a few minutes. The ban on plastic bags in several cities led to the widespread use of extra thick, double layer paper bags, and paper comes from trees. Supermarkets and wet markets ended up using thin

plastic bags or wrappers anyway for wet, frozen and fresh goods before the items are placed in paper bags. Plastic bags are also the most convenient shopping containers for people who can only afford to commute and have no maids or drivers to carry their shopping bags. Companies that manufacture plastic products such as PVC pipes rely on used plastic for their raw materials, and have expressed readiness to step up recycling efforts. The government can facilitate linkages among these companies, local government units, garbage handlers and community organizations to institutionalize plastic recycling. Biodegradable plastic is also available, and some of the biggest companies are now using them. Single-use plastics can be phased out to make way for the new versions that are kinder on the environment. The greenest materials, however, will still contribute to pollution if they are disposed of indiscriminately. The planet is polluted not just with plastic but also with non-biodegradable tin cans, bottles and metals. Unless people get rid of filthy habits, the planet cannot be saved. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Get well soon, Boracay!

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS BORACAY — consistently ranked as one of the best islands and beaches in the world, as it has been voted to the top many times by travelers worldwide. For me, Boracay is personal. This tropical paradise has been so much a part of my family’s history. That is why the news that Boracay will be closed for six months to rehabilitate is like me getting a news that a family member is sick and would have to go to the hospital for surgery and recovery. Beginning April 26, Boracay will shut down and will no longer accept tourists and visitors for six months. Only local residents will be allowed on the island. Checkpoints will be manned by police officers and soldiers have already been set up at piers make sure this is strictly followed, or hefty fines will be imposed.

While marine scientists say it may take more than six months to fully rehabilitate the island, in fact, they say Boracay needs 300 years to fully recover from the deterioration resulting from environmental abuse, President Rodrigo Duterte’s bold and decisive move will serve as an impetus toward the island’s healing. As ABS-CBN news reported, even compliant establishments will be covered by the closure. The government will also demolish some 900 structures within the 30-meter shoreline easement or no-build zone, including those in wetlands and forest lands. The worsening problem of pollution that has been damaging the ecosystem of the island has also been caused by illegally connected sewers and pipelines that have been discharging waste to inland streams, according to a report of ABS-CBN News. Eeeewww… I know…All these problems really need a major “surgery” that will take some time to correct and for businesses to be made compliant with

health, safety and environmental laws and regulations. This diagnosis of Boracay is so unthinkable during my first visit to this island in 1992. While there had already been a few small local businesses and tourists as early as the 70s, my first Boracay experience had given me a benchmark by which I compare all other beach destinations in the Philippines and around the world. The pure fine white sands that felt cool even during tanghaling tapat.... The clean, crystal clear sea water where my kids got to snorkel and play with different kinds of fishes just a few steps away from of the bahay kubo style beach houses... The coconut trees, tropical plants around the island, the bountiful fresh seafood, the clean fresh air, the blue sky, the sun and the moon and the stars, the famous Boracay sunset... I could go on and on as I reminisce how Boracay was almost 30 years ago. My family would go back to the island almost every year since

then. I was also privileged to produce the program “Tatak Pinoy” for ABS-CBN cable channel and my staff featured the island in all its glory. This yearly sojourn just stopped when we immigrated to the United States in 2001. In 2009, my family had the chance to go on a vacation to the Philippines and we went back to Boracay. What a difference eight years made. My husband and I went back again just last January, and it pained us to see how all the more crowded, commercialized, noisy and dirty the island has increasingly been through the years. Truly, the local government of Aklan, as well the national government, had failed in protecting this beautiful island. This solution ordered by Duterte, however, makes me think of the business owners and the ordinary people of Boracay and nearby towns who live by the income they get from the tourism industry of Boracay. Six months is a long time not to have a source of income. Setting

Kids enjoy making a sand castle along the white sands of Boracay, Aklan. The island will be closed to pave way for its clean-up and rehabilitation works for a maximum period of six months beginning Thursday, April 26. PNA photo by Joey Razon

aside the issue of a big casino that is reported to be built in the island, doing nothing is NOT an option, or the island of Boracay will cease to live. GET WELL SOON, Boracay. We have made a lot of memories as a couple, as a family in your paradise. I hope to bring my grandbabies to you someday, so that they,

too, will experience nature at its best as we knew it then. *** 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

Lima’s bizarre award Possibilities for peace in the two Koreas confiDe rms: US media on an all-out

PeaceMaker FORMER SPEAKER JOSE C. DE VENECIA, JR. THERE is a clear focused movement in inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korean talks, prior to formal difficult negotiations among the heads of government, that hopefully could lead to eventual peace in the Korean Peninsula, long awaited by Asia and the global community. The news in the last few days is that CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who will soon assume the post of U.S. Secretary of State uponSenate confirmation, quietly met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Unin the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, signalling the upcoming meeting between President Donald Trump in May or June, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. The South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who initiated the fast-moving diplomacy, will meet perhaps as early as next week with the North Korean leader. We believe the objective is to achieve North Korean denuclearization, which is not easily achievable considering that it will mean that North Korea will give up its nuclear weapons, atomic and hydrogen bombs, and delivery systems,aftergreat North Korean expense and sacrifice in their development. But the fact that North Korean Kim has agreed to the convening

of the talks with President Trump and his South Korean counterpart, President Moon Jae-In says a lot. We believe that over and above the giving up of its nuclear weapons, it would be realpolitik to expect that North Korea would hope for an iron-clad Omnibus Agreement leading to a Permanent Peace Treaty, with the South and the U.S. that could likely include the following: North Korea (The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea, ROK), as separate independent Republics, but perhaps connected together by a looseConfederation, until at some point in the near or distant future, they can consider uniting like the two Vietnams or the two Germanys; Withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea; Withdrawal of large North Korean and South Korean troops from the areas of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the 38th Parallel to make the DMZ really demilitarized; Development of a concrete formula for South-North Confederation where the two Koreas will be separate and independent but develop common inter-dependent synergies until they can setup a Union or what the Greeks call “Enosis” in 15 to 25 years or earlier; Develop inter-Korea commercial flights, highways, and a common railway system for the two

Koreas from Pusan at the end of the Korean South facing Japan to North Korea’s Yalu border with China, which, it is hoped, will interlinkwith the Trans-Siberian Railway to Russia and to Europe; Develop close political and economic relations between North and South and with China, Japan, the U.S., Russia, and ASEAN and work with the U.N. system and the global community; Develop and industrialize the North Korean economy and agriculture, put an end to the recurring causes of famine, expand the education system, and immediately open the region toactive tourism; North Korea or DPRK to immediately join ASEAN Plus 3 (Japan, China, South Korea) to become ASEAN Plus 4; Immediately organize an adequate Development Fund for compensating North Korea for terminating its nuclear weapons and delivery system, which Fund shall be used for the North’s economic and social development and augmentation of the national budget; Consider a state of Neutrality for the two independent Koreas which shall actively interact with the regional and global economy so that the North, with itshydrocarbons potential, mining, and hydro-electric resources, etc. can join the South, which has already developed much earlier into a credible major economic power.

We had pointed out before that the successful dynamics of North Korea’s nuclear development could be channeled to economic mobilization. We added that the “long-suspended Six-Nation Talks could have a business-focused auxiliary to develop economic joint ventures for deployment in the Korean north.” We believe that the potential of the two Koreas in cooperating together or united in peace could eventually lead to a prosperous second- or first-world nation in the third decade of the 21st Century. Since our last 1990 visit to Pyongyang where we conferred with North Korea’s founding President Kim Il-Sung, grandfather of today’s young leader Kim Jong-un, which immediately led to the establishment of Philippine-North Korean (DPRK) diplomatic relations, supported then by the late President Corazon Aquino and late Foreign Secretary Raul Manglapus, we hoped that at some point the long crisis and twilight struggle in the Korean peninsula will come to an end. We are meeting in London for the second conference of the Asian and European political parties on May 17-20 and then in Moscow in October, of the Asian political parties of the left, center, and right, and hopefully we can make even a small contribution to the long struggle for peace in the Korean peninsula. ■

campaign to take out Duterte

Commentary

RIGOBERTO TIGLAO IF you didn’t notice, even the Liberal Party and other Yellow leaders didn’t profusely congratulate the jailed Sen. Leila de Lima for her inclusion by Fortune magazine in its 2018 list of “50 World’s Greatest Leaders.” I guess even they felt that the award was so bizarre, so over the top in the magazine’s attempt to paint her as the Philippine version of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi, that it was embarrassing. I don’t think even Yellow leaders Benigno Aquino and Mar Roxas would say that De Lima ranks with such personalities in the 2018 list as Bill and Melinda Gates (the biggest philanthropists of all time), French President Emmanuel Macron, and tennis champion Serena Williams. Why, De Lima at the 39th slot even outranks SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell (42nd) and Ana Botin (46th), the first female to head a world-class bank. If you still don’t realize how perplexing de Lima’s inclusion in the list is, past members of this super-elite list (started in 2014) were Pope Francis (for two years), Germany’s

Angela Merkel, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who is assuming the stature of the titan Mao Zedong. C’mon, I don’t think there’s anybody who would even objectively put De Lima in a list of 100,000 greatest leaders of the world. She couldn’t even influence her lover, her driver Ronnie Dayan, not to testify against her. Who is she leading? Fortune’s explanation on why De Lima landed in its list is so grossly inaccurate it boggles the mind: “President Rodrigo Duterte’s hardline policies against drug dealers are polarizing globally, but in the Philippines they’ve faced little dissent. De Lima, who headed a committee investigating hundreds of extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s leadership, has been a noble exception. Last February she was arrested and jailed for as-yet-untried crimes, but imprisonment hasn’t stopped the firebrand from continuing to speak out publicly.” Huge lies How can a purportedly worldclass media outfit print such huge lies? If the committee it mentioned was the Commission on Human Rights that De Lima headed during President Arroyo’s administration, it did investigate the alleged “death squads” of Davao City. Its report though was inconclusive,

u PAGE A7

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Dateline PhiliPPines

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 25-27, 2018

New AFP chief aims to end insurgency, terrorism by Dempsey

Reyes ManilaTimes.net

NEWLY installed Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. is aiming to put an end to the communist insurgency and violent extremism in the country within his term. Brig. Gen. Bienvenido Datuin, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), made the statement as he noted that Galvez’ goals called for the “vigorous implementation” of the Development Support and Security Plan (DSSP) Kapayapaan, the counter-insurgency program of the military under the Duterte administration. “Both threats (insurgency and terrorism) to security are equally important and will be simultaneously addressed in coordination with the LGUs (local government units) and other sectors of the society,” Datuin told reporters in a text message. The DSSP Kapayapaan has been condemned by the communists, claiming it would also result in a “crackdown” on human rights advocates. It was introduced under AFP chief Eduardo Año, now officer in charge of the interior department.

Año had said that the program was a continuation of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan, implemented under the previous administration of Benigno Aquino III. Apart from ending insurgency and terrorism in the Philippines, Datuin also said Galvez would focus on safeguarding the country’s territorial waters including the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and the Philippine Rise (Benham Rise). Datuin has also committed to support the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in fighting illegal drugs. A security official, who requested anonymity, said it would take years to end the communist insurgency, noting that the military was moving at a slow pace. “The truth is, the core group must be captured first. If the core group has not been apprehended, whatever acts will be implemented, they won’t surrender,” the official said. “The leadership is the one giving the directions while the rest are just palliative or just mere ideology,” he added. The communist core group, the source said, includes communist

Kevin de León sounds off on senatorial... PAGE A4 verse immigrant population. And de León has led the legislative effort in that fight. Last year, his pièce de résistance came in the form of SB 54, the California Values Act, which prohibits state and local law enforcement from sharing information with federal immigration agencies that could lead to the capture of undocumented immigrants. Though the vast majority of Californians support SB 54, Orange County residents in cities like Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Los Alamitos have supported the Trump administration’s lawsuit against SB 54. “It’s deeply unfortunate that politicians in a handful of cities, in Orange County, are on the cusp of wasting taxpayer dollars to join Donald Trump in his lawsuit against California and SB 54,” de León said. “It’s my hope they read the bill that they understand that the bill doesn’t protect violent criminal felons. To me, it doesn’t make a difference whether you’re from Ireland, the Philippines, Germany or Mexico, if you’re a criminal violent felon, you don’t belong

here.” He added: “This bill was created to protect innocent immigrants, fathers, children and hard-working families who have contributed greatly to our country for decades and who have been waiting to become legal permanent residents (LPR) through a dysfunctional, broken down immigration system that Congress has yet to have the aptitude, courage or work ethic to tackle. So this is an indictment on Congress, if anybody, for not doing its job.” If elected, he promises to be an unwavering challenger to the Trump administration’s immigration policies, including standing up to the threats against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and family reunification, the process through which naturalized immigrants can petition their family members to come to the U.S. “Family unity and respect for the family are so entrenched in the Filipino community like so many other communities, and we have a president who uses terms like “chain migration” which represents the most anti-family val-

leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, Alan Jazmines and Tirso Alcantara. “They have escaped. They will always be there organizing until you destroy them. They were already captured yet they were released so it will take another, for me, five to 10 years again,” the official said. About 50 supporters of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) staged a lightning rally in Quezon City on Monday to mark the group’s 45th founding anniversary, causing heavy traffic, according to a radio report. The report said the rallyists gathered on the intersection of Cubao and Edsa where they blocked rush hour traffic for about 20 minutes, incurring the ire of motorists. Clad in white and covered in red masks, the rallyists held banners and small signages calling President Rodrigo Duterte a “fascist terrorist” and citing the need to “strengthen the NDFP and carry forward the people’s democratic revolution.” The rallyists dispersed after the reading of a brief statement in support of the NDFP, the report said. Police arrived after the rallyists left, the report said. n ues one can espouse,” de León said. “Who doesn’t want to bring their mother? Or their father or their siblings to America so can have a cohesive family reunited together. California is home to the largest concentration of Filipinos who became naturalized citizens, LPRs or achieved status after being undocumented. The leading voice should be here in California, and that certainly hasn’t been the case with the incumbent.” Ahead of the June 5 primary election, de León is continuing to visit counties throughout the state, meeting with and engaging with residents about their concerns. In addition to Feinstein, de León will also have to contend with other Democrats who also believe in a regime change in the Senate. According to the official list of candidates slated for the June 5 primary election released by Secretary of State Alex Padilla, among the 32 candidates are 11 Republican hopefuls. However, none of the Republican candidates have reported raising any money, according to the Federal Election Commission, making way for a contentious all-Democratic contest. (Klarize Medenilla/AJ Press)

HARD STRAW. A girl examines a straw made of bamboo sold in Manila as the country observed Earth Day. This year’s celebration focused on the reduction of plastic wastes. ManilaTimes.net photo by Andrea de la Cruz

De Lima’s bizarre award confirms... PAGE A6 and didn’t accuse Duterte of anything. It merely asked the justice department to further investigate the allegations. If the committee was the Senate committee on justice that De Lima had headed, it was her colleagues in the 2016 senatorial elections, Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, and Joel Villanueva, Senator Grace Poe who ran against Duterte in that election, and nearly all of its members, who voted to remove her as its chairman. Gatchalian very aptly explained why: She was making the committee “a hollow vehicle for the fulfillment of personal political vendettas.” That committee when it was cochaired by the independent senators Richard Gordon and Panfilo Lacson concluded after six hearings that “there is no sufficient evidence to prove Duterte’s administration is sponsoring summary killings” in the country. “Arrested and jailed for as yetuntried-crimes”? It was De lima who delayed the trial against her by filing a case at the Supreme Court that she should be tried not by the regular courts but by the Sandiganbayan. That was a preposterous claim, intended to delay a trial. Any college student would know that since the charges against her were for her involvement in the illegal drug trade, it is a regular court that will try her. The Sandiganbayan is a special court that tries cases of government corruption. Eight months after De Lima filed the case at the Supreme Court, it threw it out October last year. But she filed another petition asking to change its decision. The Court, after a thorough review, upheld

its decision last week. Yet Fortune claims that De Lima is in jail without trial? Fortune doesn’t even mention that De Lima is in jail on horrendous illegal-drug charges. One of these would be shocking to Westerners: The Bilibid prison, purportedly the country’s high-security prison where the most terrible criminals are jailed, had been transformed when it was under De Lima’s supervision as justice secretary, into a command and even distribution center of drug lords who had been serving time there. Bilibid Hilton And the charges against her aren’t just for command responsibility for this. Witnesses, which included her lover Dayan and the former head of the prison, testified that she was getting huge amounts of bribes so she would allow the national penitentiary to be a command center of drug lords. These criminals were even allowed to construct hotel-like facilities where they lived, that the prison had been dubbed the Bilibid Hilton. The shocking details of De Lima’s involvement were even televised in the hearings by the House of Representatives justice committee which heard hour upon hour of testimony from more than 30 witnesses, which even included the former head of the prison and the drug lords themselves. I am belaboring the point: Not by any stretch of the imagination is there an iota of truth in Fortune’s portrayal of De Lima as a “prisoner of conscience,” much less as among the world’s greatest leaders for 2018. Even her colleagues at the Liberal Party have started to ignore her that no leader of the opposition has even visited her in the

past several months. But there is reason for Fortune’s madness in including her in its list of world leaders. The bizarre award, just like the Pulitzer Prize recently given to Reuters’ extremely biased series on “Duterte’s War,” is part of the U.S. media’s heightened campaign—helped by the Yellow Cultists and especially by a New York-based FilipinoAmerican tycoon—to bring down this president, by portraying him to the world as a mass murderer. Over-used narrative It is an old, over-used narrative that the American media has often deployed that it is so transparent: A persecuted woman who boldly defies a strongman, as in the case of Cory Aquino or Aung San Suu Kyi, both of whom ironically turned out to be worse in terms of adherence to human rights than the dictators they brought down. Why would U.S. media do that? Partly because of its mindset that it is the world’s champion of human rights, and after Duterte was tagged as violator, it ignores whatever proof presented that he is not. Media as anywhere in the world delights in fighting a perceived evil-doer, and they believe U.S. journalists are infallible. There is though a more important reason: Duterte is the first ever Philippine president to defy the U.S. which has been the country’s master for decades. He is bringing the country closer to the emerging superpower, China, which the U.S. perceives as its biggest competitor, and even enemy in the coming decades. He is moving in his own way to weaken U.S. hegemony in the world, and to usher in a multi-polar world. The U.S.’ Deep State just cannot allow that, especially as other nations may just follow Duterte’s precedent. (ManilaTimes.net)

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 25-27, 2018

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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 25-27, 2018

Conglomerates ready for higher interest rates

PH 3rd top remittance receiving country in the world

“Interest rates, I believe, need for rise. We’ve been expecting it for some time now. In fact, we’re way behind the curve. We were expecting it to rise much earlier. Our currency has shown a little bit of weakness in relative terms versus other countries…. We believe there has to be movement upward in interest rates,” Zobel said in a press conference after the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting. Photo by Joey Viduya/Philstar.com by IrIs

Gonzales Philstar.com

SOME of the country’s conglomerates are ready for a higher interest rate environment, saying that most of their debts are fixed-rate and have long-term maturities. Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman of Ayala Corp., the

oldest conglomerate, even said the Philippines is way behind the curve. Ayala Corp.’s Bank of the Philippine Islands is among the country’s top lenders. “Interest rates, I believe, need for rise. We’ve been expecting it for some time now. In fact, we’re way behind the

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Data science key to business growth by Ma. lIsbet

K. esMael

ManilaTimes.net

DATA has now become the world’s most valuable resource fueling growth and change, according to a Filipino data scientist. Erika Legara, a data scientist, said on Wednesday people continue to use data science, allowing them to understand the world better and maximize the potential of various industries. “Data science is really a tool that…cuts across sectors. Banks, manufacturing industry, governments. As long as sector has data that can be analyzed to produce valuable insights, business value, they’re very useful. It can help improve efficiency, services, profit, minimize cost,

Data scientist Erika Legara presides over a class at the Asian Institute of Management. Photo courtesy of Facebook

etcetera,” she said at the Asian Forum on Enterprise for Society in Pasay City. Legara, who also works as an academic program director for the Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS) program at Asian Institute of Management (AIM), stressed the need to equip organizations with data scientists to get value from

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Remittances from more than 10 million overseas Filipino workers are the second largest source of foreign exchange for the Philippines, next to the earnings of the business process outsourcing sector. Photo by KJ Rosales/Philstar.com

THE Philippines is the third largest remittance receiving nation in the world in 2017, according to a World Bank report Monday. The country maintained its position with $33 billion (P1.72 trillion) of remittance inflows. Remittances from more than 10 million overseas Filipino workers are the second largest source of foreign exchange for the Philippines, next to the earnings of the business process outsourcing sector. Remittances contribute up to 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

The stronger-than-expected recovery in remittances—payments that are key to supporting the economies of many poor countries—was driven by growth in Europe, Russia and the United States, the World Bank added. The bank estimates that officially recorded remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached $466 billion in 2017, an increase of 8.5 percent over $429 billion in 2016. They are expected to increase by about four percent this year.

Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that merchandise export earnings decreased by 1.8 percent to $4.66 billion in February from $4.74 billion a year ago. The drop—the first since November 2016—was caused by lower receipts from total agro-based products, manufactures, and petroleum items. “The weaker February performance could very well then be just the market reacting to tentative signals and certain policy pronouncements here and in major markets

abroad,” Luis said. The country is yet to see if trade tensions between the United States and China have actual adverse effects, he added, although he noted that the electronics sector had expressed concern about their possible impact. “This development may cast doubts on the possibility of a 5-percent export growth this year, although we feel that there can be a correction in the second quarter,” Luis said. Philexport remains confident that the

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Export growth of up to 10% seen until 2022 by anna leah

e. Gonzales ManilaTimes.net

DESPITE a slowdown in February, the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) expects the country’s exports to grow between 8 percent and 10 percent annually. According to Philexport President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., his group is confident that a downturn will not last and predicts a recovery on the back of global growth. His statement came after the Philippine

FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS Madaba, Mt. Nebo, Petra, Aqaba, Jordan

(Tiberias, Ceasarea, Haifa, Meggido,Magdala, Nazareth, Cana, Mt Carmel, Capernaum, Mt. Beatitude, Jericho, Bethany, Mt.Tabor, Mount Zion, Mt. of Olives, Old & New Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Qumran, Masada Dead Sea, Allen by Bridge, Madaba, Mt Nebo Petra, Aqaba Jordan)

OCTOBER 18 to NOVEMBER 1, 2018 SPIRITUAL CHAPLAIN: REV. ANTONIO FLORES Oct. 18, 2018( Thursday) Day 1 – MNL HKG, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL Oct. 25, 2018 (Thursday) Day 8 - Jerusalem Trans-Atlantic flight from LAX to Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, Mass at the Holy Eucharist Church of St Peter in Gallicantu “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” (John 1:14) Israel. (Meals served in-flight) We will walk to view the Dome of the Rock from the outside, and visit the Oct. 18, 2018 (Friday) Day 1 – Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv/ Western Wall, ( Wailing Wall ) the only part of the Herodian Temple still Tiberias standing and the most sacred place in the world for Jews. Then, we will Arrival from Manila still Oct. 18,2018 late in the evening. After we clear drive to Mt. Zion, to visit the Upper Room, revered as the site of the Last Immigration and Customs, will be met by our driver for transfer to tiberias . Supper, then survey the Dormition Abbey, and the Church of St. Peter in enjoy the panoramic view of the Mediterranean. We will spend our first night Gallicantu, the site where Peter denied Jesus three times. After the day’s in Tiberias. Dinner and overnight (D). Gai Beach Hotel (Oct. 19, 2018) Holy tour, we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Jerusalem (B, D) Eucharist Notre Dame Vatican Hotel Oct. 20, 2018 (Saturday) Day 3 - Tiberias/ Meggido/ Nazareth/ Cana / Oct. 26, 2018 (Friday) Day 9 - Mount of Olives/Gethsemane/Bethlehem/ Mt Tabor Jerusalem (New City)/Ein Karem We will have short stop in Meggido and the Plains of Armageddon, known in Mass at the Church of Nativity Hebrew as Meggido, a giant fortress and City built by King Solomon. In the New “O mountain of God, receive me, a mother, with my child.” (Protoevangelium Testament book of Revelation, it is referred as the sites of the “final battle”. of James 22:3) From there, we will continue our drive into Nazareth, where we will have Mass We will arrive at the Mount of Olives, to enjoy another view of Jerusalem, in the Church of the Annunciation, the Cave of the Annunciation and visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the Dominus visit Joseph’s Workshop and Then we will move on to Cana of Galilee, where Flevit (“God wept”) sanctuary. Next, we’ll walk the Palm Sunday Road to the Our Lord performed His first miracle: changing water into wine at the wedding Garden of Gethsemane, and visit the Rock of Agony and the Church of feast. We will invite couples to Bless their marriage vows, Continue to Mount all Nations. In the afternoon, we’ll drive to Bethlehem, a city whose name is Tabor, site of Jesus Transfiguration Afterward, we will head to Tiberias. Dinner recognized around the world. After celebrating Mass at the Church of Nativity, and overnight in Tiberias. (B/D).Gai Beach Hotel. we will see the Manger; visit the Church of St. Catherine, the Grotto of St. Oct. 21, 2018 (Sunday) Day 4 - Tiberias/Mount Beatitude/ Multiplication / Primacy/ Capernum/Boat Ride “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Early AM departures to Mt. Beatitude Drive up to Mount Beatitudes, visit the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people. Eucharistic Celebration. Enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during his ministry. After visiting the Synagogue where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Then to the Church Primacy of St Peters. Overnight Magdala ( BB, D)

Jerome and the Shepherds’ Fields. Then we will return to Jerusalem (New City), to view the Temple Model to see how it looked during the time of Jesus. Here, we will gain a better understanding between the old and new cities of Jerusalem. Up next is a trip to Ein Karem, birthplace of St. John the Baptist, to see the Visitation Church, where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat”. We will end our day by returning to our Hotel. (B/D).

Oct. 23, 2018 (Tuesday) DAY 6 - Jordan Valley/Jericho/Bethany/ Jerusalem Mass at the Church of St. Lazarus MAGDALA, Israel – 2009 Discoveries from a new archaeological dig are creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the home of Mary Magdalene.”She lived here and she met Jesus here and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue dating back to the time of Jesus. According to archaeologists, it’s the first one discovered in the Galilee.

famous mosaic map of the Holy Land. Then we will drive down to Aqaba. Overnight in Aqaba (B/D). Movenpick Resort & Residence.

Oct. 27, 2018 (Saturday) Day 10 - Jerusalem/ Dead Sea/ Qumran/ Masada Mass at the Church of all Nations After breakfast, we will celebrate mass at the Church of all Nations and then we will drive to Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Visit Qumran; see the Oct. 22, 2018 (Monday) Day 5 - Magdala Full day retreat , Focus will Include programs based on the historical caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada, visit Herod’s fortress and the Jew’s last stronghold against the Roman. Return to and Religious value of the Magdala sites Jerusalem for dinner and Overnight (B, D) More info coming up as we get closer to the dates MAGDALA, Israel – 2009 Discoveries from a new archaeological dig are Oct. 28, 2018 (Sunday) Day11 - Jerusalem/Allenby Bridge/Madaba/ creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is Jordan/Mt. Nebo/ Aqaba called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the home of Mary Magdalene.”She Mass at Mount Nebo lived here and she met Jesus here and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s On this day, we head to Allenby Bridge and cross into Jordan. We will go to that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue the Baptismal Site at Bethany, which Pope John Paul II visited in 2000. dating back to the time of Jesus. According to archaeologists, it’s the first one Then, it’s on to Mount Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land. Our discovered in the Galilee. next stop will be the Church of St. George in Madaba, which hosts the

Oct. 24, 2018 ( Wednesday) Day 7 - Jerusalem (Old City)/Via Dolorosa/ Mount Zion Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.” (John 19:17) We will enter the Old City of Jerusalem and will follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) and say the Station of the Cross to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visit Golgotha and the Tomb of Our Lord. After mass, we return to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we will enter the Old City, sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne and view the Pool of Bethesda. Then we will visit the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostratos (where the soldiers played the Game of Kings) and the Arch of the “Ecce Homo”. Dinner/Overnight Notre Dame Vatican hotel

Figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed there an estimated 2.2 million OFWs at any time during the period from April to September 2016. India still topped the list with $69 billion, followed by China ($64 billion), the Philippines, Mexico ($31 billion), Nigeria ($22 billion) and Egypt ($20 billion). The report noted that while payments from immigrants back to their home countries rebounded to reach a new record in 2017, the costs of transferring funds also increased.

Oct 29, 2018 (Monday) Day 12 - Aqaba/Petra Mass at Stella Maris Church – Aqaba After breakfast, we will journey through the Siq, until we get our first glimpse of the Khazneh (Treasury). Then will we walk down to visit the Temple and view the many caves all around the Theater. At the end of the tour, we will drive back to Aqaba for overnight and dinner (B/D). Movenpick Resort & Residence Oct. 30, 2018 (Tuesday) Day 13 - Aqaba/ Jerusalem We Cross the Jordanian Border to return to Jerusalem. Dinner/Overnight Oct. 31, 2018 (Wednesday) Day 14 - Jerusalem /Yad Vashem Museum/ TLV/ LAX After breakfast, we will visit the Yad Vashem Museum,is Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the dead; honoring Jews who fought against their Nazi oppressors and Gentiles who selflessly aided Jews in need; and researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust in particular and genocide in general, with the aim of avoiding such events in the future. After the Western Wall, Yad Vashem is the second-most-visited Israeli tourist site. Return to the hotel for lunch and relaxation in preparation for our return flight back to the USA after early dinner will be transferred to the airport for flight Oct 31, 2018 8:45 PM departure from TLV End of Our Memorable Pilgrimage to Jesus Home Land!!!

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Marian Pilgrimage France, Spain & Portugal September 8 to September 21, 2018 Spiritual Director: rev. John Duy nguyen Still one of the great pilgrimages shrines in the world, visited by thousands of pilgrim’s. Arrive in Lourdes in the late afternoon, orientation to the shrines and spends some time in the sanctuary. Dinner & overnight. Sept. 9, 2018 - (Sunday) Day 2 - Paris (CDG) Arrived Paris CDG, Then after we clear immigration and collect our (BB, D) Luggage,. you will proceed to your hotel and have mass and dinner. Sept. 15, 2018 - (Saturday) Day 8 - Lourdes Overnight in Paris. (D) You will have early morning bath at the healing water of Lourdes. Then return to the hotel for breakfast. There after attend Holy Mass Sept. 10, 2018 - (Monday) Day 3 - Paris Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, also at the Grotto. continue the day with a walking tour of the shrines and known as the City of Light. Full day touring with local guide, including places associated with the life of St. Bernadette. Spend some time visit of the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Basilica of Sacre meditating on the passion of our Lord through more than life size Coeur, The chapel of the Miraculous Medal in Rue de Bac is the site exotic way of the sacrament and prayers. Afternoon will be free time of Marian Apparitions and contain the reliquaries of St. Catherine for private devotion. Dinner/overnight (BB, D) Laboure and St. Louise De Marillac. The shrine of St. Vincent the Paul is within walking distance, a few blocks from Rue De Bac, visit Sept. 16, 2018 - (Sunday) Day 9 - Lourdes / Zaragoza the chapel which houses the relic of St. Vincent the Paul. Overnight After Breakfast, you’ll continue your drive towards Zaragoza, Spain. Visit the shrines of Our Lady of Pillar, the 2nd most popular in Paris (BB/D) pilgrimages sites in Spain. See the Magnificent altar in the Basilica, built on site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the apostles Sept. 11, 2018 - (Tuesday) Day 4 - Paris/Lisieux After breakfast, Full day in Lisieux, home of St Therese, who at age St. James, before her assumption into heaven. Dinner/overnight 15, entered the convent and became Carmelite nun, she took the Zaragoza (BB, D) religious name of St Therese of the child Jesus and the Holy face. The spirituality of her little ways was not about extraordinary things, but Sept. 17, 2018 - (Monday) Day 10 - Zaragoza / Salamanca rather about doing simple things of life well and with extraordinary After breakfast you will embark on a trip to Salamanca. You will have love. She believed and taught that “Everything is Grace”, God’s face a short stop and panoramic tour of Avila. Upon arrival in Salamanca, and presence could be experienced in every person and situation of you will visit the Old Cathedral and tour the city. Dinner /overnight our lives, if we just attend with love and expectancy. She died at the Salamanca (BB, D) age of 24 believing that her life was really the beginning for God, promising to spend her heaven doing good on earth, her promised” Sept. 18, 2019 - (Tuesday) Day 11 - Salamanca / Fatima shower of Roses” began and have become a torrent in the church After Breakfast, you will spend the first half of the day touring ever since. Return to Paris, Dinner in a restaurant near the hotel. Salamanca. You will visit the new cathedral with a short stop at Plaza Mayor for lunch. After lunch you will continue to Fatima, the Overnight in Lisieux (BB, D) famous Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. Upon arrival you will have a Sept. 12, 2018 - (Wednesday) Day 5 - Lisieux / Nevers / Paray- short orientation tour of the Sanctuary. Attend the nightly Candlelight procession at the Shrine. Dinner and Overnight Fatima (BB, D) Le-Monial After Breakfast, Continue your drive to the picturesque Loire valley to Nevers, visit the convent of St. Gillard, where St. Bernadette’s Sept. 19, 2018 - (Wednesday) Day 12 - Fatima incorrupt body miraculously preserved since her death in 1879. Breakfast, then Visit the Museum dedicated to the Blessed Virgin At the conclusion of the eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary Mary followed by Mass at the Apparitions chapel, Full day Guided in Lourdes, St. Bernadette lived for 12 years as a member of the tours includes the Shrines ground, visit of the tombs of Francisco congregation of the sisters of charity of Nevers. St Gildard convent and Jacinta in the Basilica, In Aljustrel and Valinhos, you see the is her final resting place. After she was blessed with the apparitions two homes of the shepherds, site of Our Lady’s fourth apparitions. of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, St. Bernadette retired in Nevers. She Stop at the Parish church where the seers were baptized, and the received her religious habit in 1866. Continue to Paray-Le-Monial for cemetery where Francisco and Jacinta were once buried. You will do the station of the Cross. We encourage everyone to spend some time Dinner & Overnight (BB, D) in the Blessed Sacrament, which is open every day. Dinner/overnight Fátima. (BB, D) Sept. 13, 2018 - (Thursday) Day 6 - Paray-Le-Monial After Breakfast, you will tour Paray-Le-Monial. Your first stop is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and here you will celebrate Holy Sept. 20, 2018 - (Thursday) Day 13 - Fatima / Lisbon Eucharist. Then you will tour and admire the Romanesque basilica After breakfast ,you will proceed to Lisbon with stops at Santarem and see the Chapel of Apparitions. After the Basilica, you will proceed to visit the church of the Holy Miracle containing the Glorious to the Monastere e la Visitation. Visit the reliquary of Saint Margaret 13th century Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem .Then you will do a Mary of Alocoque at the Chapel of Visitation. Still to see and visit after panoramic city tour of Lisbon, with a visit to the Basilica of St Anthony lunch is the Park of the Chaplain and the Chapel of St. Colombiere. de Padua, St Jeronimo’s Monastery and the famous Belem Tower. Dinner/Overnight Lisbon (BB, D) Dinner & Overnight (BB, D) Sept. 8, 2018 - (Saturday) Day 1 USA/PARIS Transatlantic flight from USA to Paris (CDG )Meals serve on board.

Sept. 14, 2018 - (Friday) Day 7 - Paray-Le-Monial / Lourdes Sept. 21, 2018 - (Friday) - Early AM transfer to Lisbon After breakfast you will continue your pilgrimage to Lourdes. Lourdes, Airport for flight home to USA celebrating 160 Years of apparitions of Blessed Virgin to Bernadette. Full of wonderful memories of Our Pilgrimage

B APRIL 25-27, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Business news

Grab punishes almost 500 drivers over unjustified booking cancellations by Pathricia

ann V. Inquirer.net

BSP launches platform for real-time epayments by Lawrence

agcaoiLi Philstar.com

roxas

GRAB Philippines has meted sanctions on nearly 500 drivers last week following an internal investigation over mounting complaints against drivers who inexcusably cancel passengers’ ride bookings. In a statement issued on Monday, April 23, Grab Country Head Brian Cu apologized that their services “fell short,” as he vowed to further intensify the ride-hailing company’s campaign to purge driver ranks in a bid to serve its passengers better. “We will never tolerate any behavior that compromises the quality of our service. We see every post and complaint. We apologize that our services fell short. However, we will move forward,” Cu said. “We have rolled out additional and stricter measures to address issues on cancellations and this is just the start. We promise to improve to provide the quality of service our passengers deserve,”

CONSUMERS can now make real time electronic payments with the launch of another automated clearing house as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) continues to pursue a safe, efficient, and reliable digital payment system. BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said the goal of the National Retail Payment System (NRPS) is to enable businesses and consumers to make payments and transfer funds electronically from one account to another using any digital device. To achieve this, the central A commuter books a vehicle via ride-hailing app Grab in Metro Manila. bank is launching tomorrow InPhoto by Richard A. Reyes/Inquirer.net staPay, which allows 24/7 low Cu, however, urged their cus- value electronic fund transfers he added. The Grab official said only 5 tomers to also be responsible by below P50,000 as part of the percent cancellation rate is al- maintaining minimal and valid more holistic digital financial cancellations, and keeping wait ecosystem. lowed as metric for incentives. The BSP launched the first Those with 10 percent and above time to no more than seven minautomated clearing house last cancellation rate per week may utes. “Passengers with reported Nov. 8 allowing batch electronic face sanctions such as suspension as well as removal and com- complaints my also face sanc- fund transfer under the National Retail Payment System (NRPS) plete banning from the platform. tions,” he noted. n called Philippine EFT System and Operations Network (PESONet). It facilitates fund transfer from one account to one or several acphone number from your statement or your card and DO NOT Immigrant CALL THE NUMBER that the What’s Living: 101 caller or e-mailer provided you New with. It’s a TRAP. and Beyond If it is an email, hit the spam button and empty the trash. Monette Don’t just delete it. Sure, they AdevA MAglAyA will morph into another form but Arlene Al-os, be proactive and make it more CPA, MBA and I can’t emphasize this often difficult for them. These scams enough, on this matter, and per- are like viruses or shape shiftSTARTING March 27, 2017, haps, other significant areas of ers and can mutate faster than new applications for offer in life — IF IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE the speed of light. PC users are compromise (OIC) plus the appliTRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. Okay, more vulnerable to spammers/ cation fee will be returned by the scammers and pesky pop-ups IRS if all required income tax rerepeat that as your mantra. The scams that feed on greed than Mac users. But this too can turns are not filed and there is no are so sophisticated that they can change. C’est la vie. valid extension filed for the curIs there karmic justice? Be- rent year income tax returns. The send a seemingly authentic check by mail from a real bank with so cause con artists rarely ever see initial payment submitted with many zeroes on it. If you bite at the faces of their victims or know the returned application will be the first overture, they then ask the full extent of the damage that applied to reduce the outstandfor a processing fee from you for they wreak on real people with ing balance. you to get the rest of the win- real lives, these crimes seem An OIC is an option to settle nings. This is called the Nigerian impersonal in nature and rarely, your income taxes due for less scam apparently because the first if ever, do con artists get their than the amount you if you qualperpetrators allegedly were well comeuppance. Translate that to ify. There are guidelines whether educated but destitute Nigerians jail time or some form of pun- a proposed OIC is adequate to be who found that their facility for ishment, like being exposed to accepted. the English language could be an anthill, boiled in oil or tickled Below are the factors you need to oblivion… Just kidding of to consider before choosing this course… Con artists should option: be happy we no longer live in • Doubt as to liability for the Medieval Times. amount of taxes assessed. There Often, these scammers are is a disagreement as to the exisbased overseas outside of tence of the correct tax liability. any jurisdiction. The wheels You are not required to provide of justice grind ponderously, a financial statement under code exceedingly slow and you section 7122 (d) (3) and amended sometimes wonder if crime by P.L. 109-222. Use Form 656-L exploited to scam millions using stoppers and society in general, to submit you offer and there is would ever catch up with this no application fee required. the internet. The scam has spread and distinct phenomenon of the in• Doubt as to collectability of morphed with mind-boggling teresting times we live in. If you think only the “little peovariations but with only one nefarious purpose — to separate ple” are at risk, think again. Govyou from your money. No one ernments and institutions have race or culture has the monopoly become easy targets for sophisti- PAGE B1 t on these. These can originate cated, often juvenile hackers. CyThe global average cost of anywhere in the world. I have ber crime has reached daunting sending $200 was 7.1 percent had mine come in purportedly proportions and has reached the in the first quarter of 2018, and from G8 as well as impoverished institutional level. Supposedly sub-Saharan Africa remains the uber secure websites such as most expensive place to send countries. If you have not consciously that of the CIA, NSA, FBI, Scot- money to, where the average joined any lottery, why in heav- land Yard, the US Congress and cost is 9.4 percent. en’s name would you think you mega-corporations like Sony, “While remittances are growhave a snowball’s chance in hell Nintendo, Citibank and a host of ing, countries, institutions, and of winning even one thin dime? others have recently been either development agencies must conAlso, legitimate lotteries will hacked or brought to a halt from NEVER, repeat NEVER, ask you the comforts of a teen-ager’s for money in order for a winner bedroom in a foreign land. A few years ago, a 19 year old, to claim a prize. Some scams feed on your fear. baby-faced, reclusive boy from PAGE B1 t One of the most deceptive things England named Ryan Cleary, is data. is to receive an email from your alleged to have been responsible “You need data scientists who bank instructing you to click on for bringing down the websites can crunch data and who can put a link and verify your information of the CIA and Scotland Yard. insights and communicate these since someone supposedly is ac- The teener stayed glued to his insights so that decision makers cessing your account and if you computer holed up all day in his can make data-driven decisions,” don’t verify your information, room filled with posters of scant- she said. particularly your pin number or ily clad women. Legara cited a local project The upside to be gleaned from with Manila Water Company, password, this can result in a such high-level security breach- Inc., wherein her team previoustemporary hold on your funds. The modern term for this is es is that this exposes the weak- ly worked with artificial intelli“phishing” which refers to the nesses of such websites. It also gence (AI) technology to predict activity of defrauding an online shows how vulnerable we all are. the height of the water level of account holder of financial infor- The electronic security industry mation by posing as a legitimate sees the potential of a business company. I received one of these that can change the architecture phishing calls which had a legiti- of the internet by piping the flow mate ID on the caller ID asking of information. PAGE B1 t For government operatives curve. We were expecting it to us to call a number and even left a reference number claiming to to use unsecured email to con- rise much earlier. Our currency check on some gas card purchas- duct top secret operations is like has shown a little bit of weakness es. I told her I need to verify if her dangling fresh bait to a sea of in relative terms versus other countries…. We believe there has call is legitimate. I detected a hint sharks. Clearly, these breaches, like to be movement upward in interof dejection in her response. Sure enough, a check on the phone Julian Assange’s wikileaks, are est rates,” Zobel said in a press number she left indicated it was not for monetary gain but for the conference after the company’s notoriety and the bragging rights annual stockholders’ meeting. a phishing call. Zobel said the conglomerate No legitimate financial entity of being a once lowly unknown will ask you for financial informa- gnat bringing down behemoths. is in a good position to handle higher rates given its strong baltion online. Cut scammers off at The motive is deeply rooted in probably what Andy Warhol ance sheet, adding that they are the knees with the simple expediency of calling the fraud unit once said in 1968, “In the future, constantly running scenarios of of your bank or credit card com- everyone will be world famous what a change in interest rate environment could do. for 15 minutes.” pany yourself. Ayala Corp. chief finance ofBut those big holes are for Take the bull by the horns. Generate the call. Get the teleu PAGE B3 ficer TG Limcaoco said some of the company’s debts have fixed rate bonds with maturities of four to five years, which he said are long enough. The conglomerate’s property efforts to push export drivers, can be attributed to benefits including electronics, processed from preferential schemes, like and mall developer Ayala Land food and beverages, and services the U.S. Generalized System of Inc. (ALI) is ready to make some sectors, particularly information Preferences (GSP), which covers adjustments to take into account technology-business process about 18 percent, or about $1.5 higher interest rates. “We’re starting to adjust our billion worth of Philippine exmanagement (IT-BPM). plans to reflect rising interest The predicted strong growth ports, in 2017, Luis said. n

Scam-proofing basics 101

YEARS ago, I came across an email message from a legitimate contact telling a sad story and asking for emergency money in a far-off land. I searched some phrases and sure enough, it was a scam. Out it went with the spam trash. My take on this: my contact’s email was breached and his contact list hacked. This is one of the reasons I am loath to forward emails sent by well-meaning friends, no matter how funny. What is amazing is that people have been victimized by this scam all over the world when a few keystrokes would have verified it and a bit of common sense and a smidgen of cynicism would have raised one’s hackles and suspicions. There are rough estimates of $183 million per year on average that have been scammed from the unsuspecting on the internet. The figure could be more since a big percentage of people will not admit to being conned. The electronic age has brought us wonders and unbelievable convenience defying space/time constraints and accomplishing things we can only do in previous times if we were physically present in one place. With an internet connection, we can do great and wonderful things that were the stuff of science fiction not so long ago. But there is a sinister side to the internet — a very sinister side. And it gets darker as moral turpitude and relativism appear to be on the rise and our capacity to be shocked is diminished with every jaw-dropping crime. There was a time when crime was met with swift and appropriate punishment. Sadly, we have archaic laws governing these types of crimes and enforcement is nearly non-existent. We are in uncharted territory. For as long as these laws which were structured in the past cannot keep up with the overwhelming volume of cyber crimes, it is in our best interest to learn how to become savvy net users and defend ourselves from the onslaught that comes electronically. The amount of available crud (translate that to disgusting things like porn, pedophilia, scams and gambling and some such variation of evil) on the net is staggering. In the book I wrote, there is a chapter dedicated on avoiding the pitfalls of scams and the schemes of con artists designed to separate you from your hard-earned money. This time, the level of sophistication is up several notches higher as many unscrupulous and oftentimes, amoral and downright evil people everywhere around the world see the internet as the modern, deceptively innocuous version of highway robbery using a computer instead of a gun. If we are internet users, we are all at risk, unless and until we take the necessary psychological and physical precautions to deal with this and become relatively “scam proof.” No one is sacrosanct. These scams are designed to prey upon two basic weaknesses ingrained in our DNA wiring as humans: GREED and FEAR. Here’s one blanket caveat to keep us on our toes about how lottery scams and cons play out in cyberspace. REMEMBER —

“ There is a sucker born every nanosecond.” –A play on a qoute mistakenly ascribed to circus impresario, P.T. Barnum

Export growth of up to 10% seen... PAGE B1 t

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country’s exports will reach at least $122 billion in the medium or until 2022, representing an annual growth average of 8 percent to 10 percent. He cited as basis for the figure

counts maintained in different financial institutions. PESONet provides an electronic alternative to the still widely used paperbased check system. Through PESONet, businesses, the government and individuals will be able to conveniently initiate electronic fund transfers and recurring payments from the sender’s accounts maintained BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said the goal of the National in BSP supervised Retail Payment System (NRPS) is to enable businesses and financial institu- consumers to make payments and transfer funds electronically tion (BSFIs), such from one account to another using any digital device. Photo by Geremy Pintolo/Philstar.com as banks and other non-bank electronic money issu- cent and 0.3 percent electronic ers, to corresponding recipient payments, respectively, according to a study done by the Better accounts in other banks. “The envisioned inter-oper- Than Cash Alliance. The NRPS was launched in able payment ecosystem is going to be a platform for fintech December 2015 to increase the adoption of electronic payments innovations,” Espenilla added. Digitizing retail payments is and to shift to cash-lite society critical in the Philippines consid- from cash-heavy society. It aims ering that 99 percent of payment to increase electronic retail paytransactions per month are done ment transactions to 20 percent in cash, with businesses and in- by 2020 from the current one dividuals making only one per- percent. n

OIC basics: Series 1 the full amount of tax. Your assets and income is substantially less than or will not satisfy the full amount of the outstanding tax liability under Reg. §301.71221(b)(2). See also Rev. Proc. 200371 other collection remedies. • Effective tax administration. Full collection amount of outstanding tax liability will result to economic hardship. See 13,005.15 Reg. §301.7122-1(b). The reasonable collection potential of a taxpayer is assessed based on the completed Form 433-A or B financial statements. The following components are considered: realizable equity in assets, future income, collection from third parties through administrative action, and income and assets available but are beyond government reach under IRM 5.5.4.3.1. • Economic hardship or financial hardship. When reasonable basic living expenses are not met if full collection of tax liability is enforced. Basic living expenses includes production of income, health, and welfare for the taxpayer and it’s family under the national and local standard expense amount except for provision of an adequate substantiation that standard amount are not adequate under IRM 5.5.11.2.1. • How to submit your offer for

OIC: 1) submit your offer for OIC using Form 656 and Form 433-A or B, 2) the Form must be signed under penalty of perjury, 3) you are not in bankruptcy, 4) you are in compliance with all filing and payment requirements set in Form 656 instructions, 5) have enclosed the non-refundable application fee of $186, and 6) nonrefundable initial payment either in lump-sum cash of 20% of the total offer amount or periodic payment in monthly installments. If you meet the low income certification guidelines you do no need to send the application fee or the initial payment. • When an OIC offer is accepted: You will receive a notification of acceptance from the IRS *** Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication is neither intended as a thorough, indepth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. *** Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies. (Advertising Supplement)

PH 3rd top remittance receiving... tinue to chip away at high costs of remitting so that families receive more of the money,” said Dilip Ratha, lead author of the report. The bank calls on countries to take steps to simplify the process to reduce the costs, including “introducing more efficient technology.” By region, Europe and Central

Asia saw the biggest growth last year, jumping 21 percent, while Sub-Saharan Africa rose 11 percent. East Asia and the Pacific saw the biggest inflows of $130 billion, as South Asia received $117 billion, followed by Latin America with $80 billion. (Gaea Katreena Cabico with AFP/Philstar. com) n

Data science key to business... Angat Dam. “They can predict it, but they wanted us to make a much earlier prediction so we use AI and with it we were able to extend the time forecast from two weeks to six months,” she said, noting this provides the company with more time to prepare. In November, Legara also stressed the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region have to create an army of data scientists. “Harvesting data is a data

scientist’s core competency, but also equally important are the abilities to model, visualize, and turn data into actionable insights, and to pose the right questions that matter to the business,” Legara said. She noted that despite increased demand for data science professionals, only a few schools were offering targeted training. AIM last year introduced data science graduate degree program, the first in the country. n

Conglomerates ready for higher... rates,” ALI president and CEO Bernard Vincent Dy said. San Miguel Corp. president and COO Ramon Ang said the diversified conglomerate is likewise ready for higher interest rates which would mean an increase in borrowing costs. “San Miguel Group is ready for higher interest rates. San Miguel is undergeared,” Ang told reporters recently. Even San Miguel’s foreign debt is already well-refinanced, added SMC chief finance officer and treasurer Ferdinand Constantino. “(Our foreign debt is) only about 24 percent of total (outstanding debt),” he said. Nevertheless, SMC may refinance more debt amid the weakening of the peso against the dollar. Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), the infrastructure and tollways conglomerate chaired by tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, is likewise unfazed by higher interest rates. “We are mainly long-term — 10 to 15 years - fixed rate borrowers

and we have great support from the local banks for our projects,” MPIC chief finance officer David Nicol told The STAR. But, Nicol said big-ticket infrastructure projects in the country should really get moving so proponents could lock in their loans and minimize borrowing costs. “The race is really to get the rights of way secured so that construction can move and related new loan draw down can be made and hence interest fixing can be locked in,” Nicol said. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said it is satisfied with its current policy actions despite rising inflation and falling stock market prices. The BSP kept interest rates steady at its last policy meeting in March, but some economists expect monetary authorities to raise rates in their next meeting on May 10. “In my view, the sum of BSP actions remains appropriate for the situation,” BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla said on Friday, April 20. n

Business news

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Company files Chapter 7 due to $1 million judgment THE client is a corporation that has been in business since 2000. It had good times and bad over the last two decades but always managed to land on its feet. It has an ever-growing list of clients that need its products, which it sources from abroad. It has two kinds of clients: clients with their own brands for the same product and clients that buy the product with client’s own brand. In 2015, the client appears to have had some kind of misunderstanding with one of its major foreign suppliers regarding a large order that apparently was not produced by the supplier to conform to the correct specifications. This resulted in the delivery of the large order being rejected by the ultimate buyer. Well, you can see why this rejection of the order shipped caused a major disruption in the business relationship between client and foreign supplier. Since the ultimate buyer rejected the shipment, the client was not going to get paid the expected $1.3M from its customer. But the foreign supplier demanded to get paid in full for the shipment, which had an FOB value of $1.0M. If the client paid the supplier $1.0M for a rejected order, the client would have to immediately eat the loss of $1.0M. The client does about $3.0M of yearly business, so an outright $1.0M loss is not sustainable. The client does not have $1.0M in cash or available credit lines, and does not see the wisdom of eating such a big loss. In addition, the client believes that it was supplier’s fault that the shipment did not comply with the required specifications, which caused the rejection of the order. On the other hand, the foreign supplier believes it complied with the required specifications as far as they understood it. So, it’s a big mess. The client offered to give the shipment back to the supplier but the supplier does not want the merchandise back. The supplier wants cash of $1.0M. Eventually, the supplier files a lawsuit her in Los Angeles against the client for $1.0M breach of contract and fraud. Many breach of contract lawsuits add a fraud cause of action, which basically works as follows.

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng

The element of fraud consists of a misrepresentation made by the defendant to the plaintiff. The plaintiff justifiably relied on the misrepresentation. The plaintiff suffered damages by relying on the misrepresentation, and the damages of the plaintiff are proximately caused by the misrepresentation. More or less these are the essential elements of the fraud or deceit cause of action. If the plaintiff fails to prove one element, there is no fraud. For instance, the plaintiff alleges that he suffered damages because he relied on defendant’s misrepresentation that he doesn’t have to file income tax returns for 2017. However, the plaintiff himself is a certified public accountant. There is no justifiable reliance on defendant’s representation because the plaintiff himself is a CPA and therefore should know himself that he should or should not file income tax returns for 2017. In any event, at trial, the plaintiff was able to prove by a preponderance of evidence that the client did indeed defraud the plaintiff supplier of $1.0M. Well, so now the choice is to pay the $1.0M or the company files for Chapter 7 liquidation. What would you do if you owned this company? Of course, a fraud judgment for $1.0M is an intentional tort that is that dischargeable. But the fact that the judgment is not dischargeable does not prevent the company from filing Chapter 7 to handle the claim. So what happens? In Chapter 7, the trustee will literally attempt to liquidate the company. The plaintiff will have to file a proof of claim in the bankruptcy as a judgment creditor. If the liquidation results in cash, the trustee will pay creditors in the legal order of priority. The IRS has no. 1 priority for unpaid taxes. This judgment creditor will get paid after the IRS gets paid. The trustee will auction off the inventory, if any, and collect receivables. The trustee will ad-

minister cash in the bank. Senior wants Chapter 7 discharge of $35K credit cards The second client is 70 years old and single. She never got married. She is still pretty and charming. But I guess she never met her prince charming so she decided to stay single. She owes $35,000 of credit cards. She has been paying $12,000 a year for the last 20 years. She has paid $240,000 in the last 20 years, and yet she says she still owes $35,000! Wonder of wonders indeed, sad but true. She says she is just tired of paying for the cards and now that she is retired, the $12,000 a year for interest payments on the cards is a big dent on her retirement income and prevents her from enjoying her retirement years. Not surprising. Her retirement income consists of $1,200 of social security and $1,800 of pension. So, she has $3,000 a month. The cards take a third of that every month. Ouch! In addition, she has already paid $240,000 to her credit card masters, modern-day slavery, no doubt. She decides it’s high time for her to get rid of these cards with a discharge or wipe out in Chapter 7! I guess she got smarter as she got older, but could have saved $240,000 if she got rid of these cards when she was 52. If you need debt relief, set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Disclaimer: The foregoing is an expression of opinion and is not meant to be legal advice to any reader. There is no attorney-client relationship established by this article with the reader. If you want to discuss your situation, you have to set an appointment to consult with the attorney. The first general consultation is free. *** 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 or at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789.

migrant spouse has no duty to seek employment to mitigate his or her damages. The bottom line is that in any divorce proceeding, one has to consider whether one spouse has signed an I-864 affidavit in the past for purposes Atty. Kenneth of conferring a green card to the UrsUA reyes other spouse and whether that obligation continues on. It may v. Erler, 824 F.3d 1173 (9th Cir. be a separate claim for support 2016). This obligation becomes available to the immigrant spouse an important issue where the within the family law case. marriage between the Sponsor *** and the immigrant beneficiary breaks down and a Divorce Peti- Please note that this article is not tion is filed. The I-864 obligation legal advice and is not intended as does not terminate with divorce legal advice. The article is intended or dissolution of marriage. Pur- to provide only general, non-specific suant to Erler, neither a divorce legal information. This article is not judgment nor a premarital agree- intended to cover all the issues rement may terminate an obliga- lated to the topic discussed. The spetion of support under the I-864 cific facts that apply to your matter affidavit. The obligation is not may make the outcome different than dischargeable even if the immi- would be anticipated by you. This argrant spouse is later supported ticle does create any attorney client by a third party or attempts to be relationship between you and the Law self-sufficient. Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This Further if a Joint Sponsor also article is not a solicitation. signed an I-864 affidavit, the *** Joint Sponsor is jointly and severally liable for the support of the Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a immigrant spouse. Certified Family Law Specialist. He was The immigrant spouse has an President of the Philippine American Bar independent standing to enforce Association. He is a member of both the obligation under the I-864 af- the Family law section and Immigration fidavit against the sponsor either law section of the Los Angeles County in state court or federal court. In Bar Association. He has extensive CPA re Marriage of Kumar, 13 Cal. experience prior to law practice. LAW App. 5th 1072 (2017). This means OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is the sponsor’s support obligation located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, under the I-864 affidavit may be Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 enforced within the family law or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit case/ divorce action. In addition, our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. the Court in Kumar held that im(Advertising Supplement)

Barrister’s Corner

Scam-proofing basics... PAGE B2 t

the big boys to plug. As for the ordinary cyber citizens, simply proceed with caution when online. In cyber matters, a healthy dose of cynicism and a smidgen of common sense work as well as an ounce of prevention. Be on guard. Better yet, UNPLUG for long stretches from Facebook, Twitter, Gab, Instagram, Reddit or any other social media or from following inane and insane celebrity tweets on Twitter. Strive to live in the REAL WORLD. The virtual world STILL cannot hold a candle to the real world. You can’t feel the sensation of a good sneeze virtually. Or that of a hug or a kiss… Or of the wonder-

ful feeling of being in your bed sipping a warm mug of cocoa as you listen to the gentle pelting of the rain on the roof at night as you prepare to go to sleep… There is a lot of real living for us to do. The internet has its place in our world. But you are the boss and you can decide to curtail its influence on the quality of your own life. We get to pass this way but once. Choose well. Grill salmon steaks brushed with butter (Yup! Butter makes it better!) and sprinkled with lemon on a summer’s day. Create panini sandwiches for friends or loved ones on your grill pan. Dance. Fly a kite. Knit a shawl. Take time to sip your tea or tend to your garden in the spring. Laugh with the

Calendar of Events across

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS A P R I L 26

Batangas Investment and Tourism Forum in Houston, TX Learn about the investment and tourism opportunities of the province of Batangas, Philippines on Thursday, April 26 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Hilton Houston Galleria Area (6780 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074). The guest of honor and speaker will be Gov. Hermilando “Dodo” Mandanas. For more information, please call: Trini Foliente at (818) 4552132, Errol Santos at (818) 621-2912 or Amor Palisoc at (323) 810-7908.

A P R I L 28

Batangas Investment and Tourism Forum in Glendale, CA Learn about the investment and tourism opportunities of the province of Batangas, Philippines on Saturday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel (100 West Glenoaks Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91202). For more information, please call: Trini Foliente at (818) 4552132, Errol Santos at (818) 621-2912 or Amor Palisoc at (323) 810-7908.

A P R I L 29

Pilita Corrales concert in New York Pilita Corrales, “Asia’s Queen of Songs,” will headline a dinner and show entitled “A Million Thanks to You” on Sunday, April 29. The dinner will be buffet and comes with a ticket. Show begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel (135-20 39th Ave, Flushing, NY 11354). For tickets, please contact: Baby Lantin at (917) 916-6770 / (718) 608-7771, Ching (917) 294-6783, Nel (347) 738-3025, Joji (908) 783-2680, Tessa (732) 492-4170, or Bong (646) 289-0917.

APRIL 30

East West Players’ 52nd Visionary Awards & Silent Auction in Los Angeles East West Players celebrates its 52nd Anniversary at the Annual Visionary Awards Dinner & Silent Auction. The Visionary Awards laud the achievements of individuals who have raised the visibility of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community through their craft. Proceeds from the gala will benefit East West Players’ educational and artistic programs. It will be held at the Hilton Universal City (555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, CA 91608) on Monday, April 30. At 5:30 p.m., VIP Reception*, silent auction, and registration begin. Dinner and awards show begin at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please visit: http://www. eastwestplayers.org/news/east-west-players-52nd-anniversary-visionary-awards-dinner-andsilent-auction/.

(Advertising Supplement)

Can I enforce a form I-864 affidavit of support in divorce proceedings? THE Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 requires that US Citizens sponsoring an alien for legal permanent residency execute an immigration form I864 Affidavit of Support. This is an agreement between the US Government and the Sponsor to promise to support the immigrant beneficiary seeking admission to the US at a level not less than 125% of the national poverty level. The purpose of the I-864 Affidavit is to prevent the noncitizen from becoming a public charge. The sponsor’s obligation continues until either 1) the intended immigrant becomes 2) the intended immigrant is no longer permanent resident by departing the US or relinquishing his or her residency 3) the immigrant is subject to removal or deportation but applies for and obtains anew adjustment of status based on a new affidavit of support 4) the intended immigrant or sponsor dies 5) the intended immigrant worked for 40 qualifying quarters under the Social Security Act. The I-864 affidavit is legally binding and enforceable contract between the Sponsor and the US Government. The enforceability even goes beyond this. The sponsored immigrant spouse can also enforce this contract against the sponsor and file an action to enforce the sponsor’s support obligation separately from any support rights the sponsored immigrant spouse may have under Family Code Section 4320. Erler

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 25-27, 2018

kids. Log off for long stretches of time and create something with your hands that will make your heart glad and make the people in your immediate orbit praise God for having you in their lives — even for just a short while. The virtual world is a blessing simply meant to enhance life, NOT REPLACE IT. That’s all it does. Even with all its bells and whistles, it is a spice, not the main entree. After all, life tethered on terra firma, is for real living, right here, right now. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

M AY 3 -1 2

34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival The 34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival will be presented May 3 - May 12, 2018 at select cinemas in the Los Angeles area. A key highlight of the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month activities, the Festival is produced by Visual Communications, the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, and enjoys broad support from cinema artists and audiences alike. Since 1983, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival has presented over 4,000 films, videos, and digital mediaworks by Asian international and Asian Pacific American artists, and additionally features seminars and panels, in-person guest appearances, and filmmaker awards. The Film Festival continues to be the largest festival of its kind in Southern California and is the premier showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific American and international cinema. To learn about Visual Communications, visit www. vconline.org.

M AY 1 8

The Asian American Group to celebrate first annual Asian Culture Day in Las Vegas On Friday, May 18, the Asian American Group (AAG) will celebrate the first annual Asian Culture Day. The event will be held at the Conference Center of Las Vegas (6590 Bermuda Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119), and will start at 6 p.m. There will be a variety of Asian dishes and cultural performances at the celebration. The primary goal of the Asian Culture Day celebration is to invite and unite the Asian nations of the world, and to educate and share their respective cultures in order to achieve greater understanding and fellowship between nations. The annual Asian Culture Day was established by Senate Bill 175, which proclaims every 18th of May as Asian Culture Day in the state of Nevada. The bill was introduced and authored by State Senator Scott Hammond, and was signed into law by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval last year. The bill gives recognition to the Asians and Asian-Americans who were instrumental in the settlement and early development of the State of Nevada; the culture and traditions shared by Asians and AsianAmericans; and the Asian and Asian-American communities that continue to make important contributions to the cultural, religious, political, and business environment. To purchase tickets visit https://www.asianamericangroup.org/saac-2/.

M AY 26

FACCGLA’s bowling tournament The Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACCGLA) will host a bowling tournament on Saturday, May 26 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Winnetka Bowling Lanes (20122 Vanowen St, Winnetka, CA 91306). Open to both members and non-members, in teams of four or we can assign you a team. Slots are limited. To register your team, please call FACC-GLA Secretary Ms. Connie Mapue (323) 337-7714 or FACC-GLA boardmember Ms. Doreen Remo (310) 428-7200. For more information and online payment, please visit www. faccgla.org.

JUNE 9

Kalayaan Incorporated presents Philippine Independence gala in Los Angeles Kalayaan Incorporated, Southern California’s foremost celebrant of Philippine Independence will host the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 9, at the Universal Hilton Hotel, Universal City, California. For more information, contact Erlinda Granada-Sabah at (562) 682-9576; or Malou Perez at mperez0813@ aol.com.

PH Time Is Now event in New York Come to New York City on Saturday, June 9 from 1 to 7 p.m. for a day of inspiring sessions to connect with fellow innovators and forward-thinkers, ignite new ideas and learn from today’s Global Filipino leaders! Set in the prestigious Harvard Club of New York, every minute and every session will teach and challenge you to create meaningful paths for personal and professional success. Speakers include restauranteur Nicole Ponseca of Maharlika/Jeepney and actor Vincent Rodriguez III of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.phtimeisnow.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

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People and Events

City of South El Monte 2018 community bike rides

Volunteer for Community Service Day in West Covina

Photo courtesy of www.westcovina.org

BRING your bike and helmet and join the City Council on a fun 8-mile community bike ride around the City. The bike rides are designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, promote biking activities, and showcase South El Monte’s bike-friendly trails and areas. South El Monte bike rides are held monthly from April to September, on the first Saturday of each month (*unless otherwise

noted). Bike Rides for 2018: • May 5 • June 2 • July 14* • August 4 • September 8* Dates are subject to change. In the event of rain, bike ride will be cancelled. Meeting time is at 8:30 a.m. at the South El Monte Community Center, 1530 Central Avenue. Depart at 9.a.m. Light refreshments are provided during and after bike ride. One bike will be raffled at the conclusion of trip! Bike rides are recommended for ages 10 years and older. Please note that California law requires anyone under the age of 18 to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle on a street, bikeway or public bicycle path or trail. This includes children who are sitting in restraining seats or are being

Free adaptive equipment for Diamond Bar senior residents

TEHRE is no place like home, which is why the Service Center for Independent Life (SCIL) advocates assistive technology as a way of enhancing the ability of individuals to carry out everyday activities with greater independence. Assistive technology includes a wide range of durable medical equipment such as commodes or shower chairs, as well as home safety modifications that include hand rails, grab bars, and wheelchair ramps.

For a limited time and while resources are available, Diamond Bar residents age 55 or older can contact SCIL to request help with obtaining free or low cost assistive technology. Staff is also available to provide a free home assessment to determine what safety modifications are needed and, if needed, install the items. Call the Service Center for Independent Life at 909.621.6722 during its business hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. ■

Free yard sale dates 2018 in the City of Azusa

Photo courtesy of www.ci.azusa.ca.us

IN the City of Azusa the only yard sales that are allowed must occur on the following four weekends in 2018. Those dates are: • June 9 and 10 • September 8 and 9 • December 8 and 9 Please note that all yard sales can only occur on Saturday and Sunday weekends. The yard sales are free and require no city permit, but must adhere to the regulations listed below: Regulations • No permits or fees are re-

quired (yard sales are free) • Sales can only take place from residential property between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday only • Items for sale may be used but not manufactured or acquired from elsewhere for resale • No signs can be posted on public property (Utility poles, light poles, street signs, or in the parkways) • Sales may not be held on public sidewalks, parkways, streets, or alleys ■

towed in a trailer behind the bicycle. (CAVC21212). For more information on the City’s Bike Rides please call the South El Monte Community Center at (626) 579-2043. ■

THE City of West Covina will hold its annual Community Service Day on Saturday, April 28, starting at 8 a.m. The day is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the many projects and programs West Covina volunteers dedicate themselves to each year. The annual “day of service” provides opportunities for residents of West Covina to volunteer and give back to the community based on a specific focused project area. This year’s project area is the Ridge Riders Equestrian Center located at 350 S. Citrus Street. The event begins with a continental breakfast donated by Northgate Market at 8:00 a.m. at the Ridge Riders Equestrian Center. After breakfast, volunteers will be assigned to groups to complete

a series of park projects at the Center including painting, landscaping, and trash removal. Once all projects are completed, volunteers will enjoy a catered lunch at the West Covina Senior Center located down the street at 2501 E. Cortez Street. To sign up as a volunteer for the day, please call (626) 939-8862. All ages are welcome and you do not have to be a West Covina resident to volunteer. For more information, you may contact the Community Services Department at (626) 939-8430 or visit our website about Community Service Day along with our other volunteer opportunities at www.westcovina.org/volunteer. For more information on this specific event go to www.westcovina.org/home ■

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Community Journal

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 25-27, 2018

The Asian Journal

MDWK

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 25, 2018

Stargazer: Filipina aura reader, clairvoyant, psychic medium on helping individuals reach their potential by

Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

“S

gers, there are accidents,” she explains. How does one distinguish a real spirit from a doppelgänger (an apparition or double of a living person)? She simply states that when loved ones show themselves to you, it’s accompanied with a message, whereas a doppelgänger will just “walk with no message.” “The spirit just tries to imitate somebody else because probably that person or that spirit is playing a trick on you or means harm to you. But you know a lot of people would ask, ‘Somebody Stargazer hosts a two-hour radio show on Sundays called “Pinoy Vibes” on DZMM, wherein she does saw a doppelgänger of me, am i on-air readings for callers. going to die?’ no, that’s not it,” for your own karma. But if ever she continues. ences when she entered high there are some things that are She also considers telekinesis school. negative, i may help you. if you it wasn’t until her first year at — the ability to move objects do it with [the] sincerity in your Ateneo De Manila University as a at a distance by mental power heart and if you’re made to really communication arts major when — one of her specialities. During fight negative spirits and clear one lesson, she recalls moving a she started to develop her gifts. energies, then do it.” ball 1 1/2 inches. She entered college at 15 after Training the gift “That was a good thing skipping a few grades. There are many instances about not having technology, One afternoon, she was during her elementary school learning to communicate with walking with four books in tow years wherein she would have (each about Taoism, Zoroastrian- your mind,” she says. “i can read encounters with spirits. One such ism, Buddhism, and islam) when minds but the thing is i also do story was during a field trip in not like to read minds because a man approached her, causing the fourth grade at a park when it’s like an invasion of privacy.” her to drop the books. she noticed a female classmate With the years of training, The man was the late Jaime foaming at the mouth and mum- Bulatao — a Jesuit priest and Stargazer says she has been bling incoherently before falling. chair of the university’s psycholable to switch the mind reading “For whatever reason, i put on and off, especially at social ogy department at the time, my left hand over her head and gatherings. known on campus as “Father said, ‘Mama Mary, Papa Jesus, “Before, i could not. i could Bu” — who picked up the books please help her.’ And she fell,” always feel what the person feels and introduced himself, grabStargazer recounts. “One of the like you can empathize with a bing her hand. (He passed away [nuns] saw and thought that i person and i can feel. i had to in 2015 at the age of 92 and is pushed the girl and i was sent considered one of the fathers of contain it. i had to control it beto the principal’s office. My cause otherwise i would always Philippine psychology.) grandmother was called…and be affected,” she says. “But as “He was touching my hand was not surprised because she i grew older and i went on, i in a very weird way. He was knew as a child, she knew i was learned how to shut [it] off when trying to rub the middle of my special and she didn’t say anythere’s a party. it’s also why it’s so palm. He said, ‘Do you want to thing because the sister thought develop your third eye?’ i said, hard to invite me for a party bethat i pushed the girl and that’s cause sometimes i get so dizzy ‘Oh, should i develop it?” And why she fell. When the girl was with a lot of energies.” he said, ‘it’s up to you.’” interviewed, she said, ‘no she To recuperate her own Still hesitant about the ofdidn’t.’ Because we were playing fer to train with him, another energy after being in public or and she was on the other side encounter with Father Bu guided reading clients one after another, of the aviary. She was on the Stargazer turns to the outside, her decision. other side [when] we were doing by inhaling fresh air, touching a “When my friends and i peekaboo and i just approached would walk going toward our tree or spending a few days out her because i saw something of town to “cleanse” and be in classrooms, we would see him different… in [her] eyes.” nature. talking [and] standing in front of Another time, Stargazer “One of the things that i a tree. He was saying something stayed late at school because and we would approach him and do regularly is pray and go to she was tasked with summarizing ask him, ‘Father, what’s there? church. churches that are far, the news on a blackboard. She i don’t go to just the church What you see?’ ‘Oh, there’s a says when she left the classnearby. i see to it that i go to white lady here.’ And me being room, she saw a man standing clairvoyant, i could see the white Batangas or to Laguna. i go in the hallway. “i thought he was lady. All the while, i thought far places because it’s part of, walking to me but he was floatyou know, for me when you do there [actually] was a lady. She ing towards me so...he wasn’t was seated on the tree. i thought sacrifice and when i pray, i make walking. Then i saw the red eyes. it was really odd,” Stargazer sure i pray for everyone else. i ran because i didn’t know what narrates, describing how she can So it’s like recharging but when to do. i was a young kid.” you pray, you pray for others. “see” spirits as actual humans, She could spend hours sharSo if people have requests or i translucent figures, outlines, or ing these anecdotes. She later know there are people that i’m energies. mentions how her grandmother handling, i pray for them so that But to her, this “white lady” knew and understood the gifts. i see to it that once a month, i looked like an ordinary student “i remember [them] vividly go out.” sitting on the tree. “With this, even if i was young because Return to the calling the more the priest reminded me these are memories that matter,” to come to him and be guided,” Though she trained with she notes, mentioning that she Father Bu while in college, after she recalls. tried to forget about her experigraduating, she took up a yearHer lessons with Father long course at the Philippine Bu began with profiling then School of interior Design and imdelved into mental sending and receiving messages, and remote mediately didn’t turn her innate viewing — the practice of detail- gift into a profession. “i just wanted to be normal ing objects or scenes that are far in the Philippines,” she says. away. “i said that i was going to turn “He taught me how to zero away from the gift because i in on certain things and see want a normal family.” the anomalies. What is wrong? She spent a few years workAnd because from afar you can ing with a real estate developsee what kind of energies are ment and construction firm, there,” Stargazer says. “When where she could identify and you are doing a remote viewadvise the head boss on “good ing, you would also be seeing energies if there are spirits there. projects.” Then she joined her So you would see beings of light family’s telecommunications [and] beings of darkness going business, focusing on getting around.” permits to build cell towers. Though she didn’t see him “i said, ‘Where am i going? Guest starring on “Magandang Buhay” talk show frequently, she would be given Why is it that i’m being brought “assignments” to practice for a back to practicing this [gift]?’” month or so before she would She says. “But you see one thing report back to him. With these i realized is, okay, maybe God lessons, Father Bu was able to allowed me to for a short time identify her areas of expertise to have [three] children and a and strengthen them. He even husband.” taught her how to communicate “Many people would come with comatose patients. and they would ask for help “My forte is really remote until i didn’t want to be acviewing, talking to spirits. He knowledged. i didn’t want to be told me when you talk to spirits, in public,” she says of coming confirm whether that person forward with her skills. in 1993, or that spirit you’re talking to is she was interviewed on “Teysi ng the real spirit. Because there’s Tahanan,” a daily morning talk what you call doppelgängers. show on ABS-cBn, about her They pretend they’re your loved ability, but she had her identity ones but they’re not. They’re evil hidden. spirits. Because sometimes they nearly a decade later, TV lure you, especially the young personality Amy Perez apchildren — they lure the children proached Stargazer to be a like going down the stairs and guest on “Diretsahan,” a show there might be accidents. Usuon channel 5. ally when there are doppelgän“it was spirit questing. it was Stargazer doing a reading in Melbourne, Australia in September 2017 ince i was a young child, i was kind of different,” Stargazer — her chosen professional name — begins narrating how she realized her “gift.” Her gift? The ability to look at individuals by tapping into their auras, energies, and vibrations and then telling them who they are; and also serving as a channel between the spiritual and physical worlds. “Different in the sense that i would talk to people but it’s like talking without saying much or not verbalizing anything,” she continues. “i could feel a person or i could read their mind as early as when i was a small child. i would say things ahead of what the other person would say.” early on in this interview, however, Stargazer makes it clear that she is not a fortune teller — she doesn’t need to rely on a crystal ball or cards to tell the story— nor does she embody a modern day version of God. Rather, she refers to herself as an aura reader, clairvoyant and psychic medium who uses readings to help individuals move forward by clearing negative blocks and achieve their potential. “Life coaching from a different perspective,” she says. “The goal is to boost prosperity, good luck, good health and harmony.” She also emphasizes her faith in God as a practicing catholic and that her readings are not meant to alter or interfere with the higher being. “i bring them closer to God because i have proof that the negative spirits are afraid of God. When you see them, why is it that exorcism prayers work? When you drive them away, when you bombard them with the white light, they go away. it’s because they acknowledge the presence of God. it’s not a man-made thing that it’s my power. There’s no such thing as your power. You still have to hold onto God,” she says, explaining the power of prayers. When she speaks, it is softly and sensitively, pausing at times to let the recipient soak her readings in. Though she bares the “truth,” she does not pour out everything she sees in a person, as she believes certain things will reveal themselves at the right times. “i don’t want people dependent on me. There are people who seek my guidance. But when they become too dependent on me, i stay away. i let you make your decisions. i tell you what is right, i give you the guidelines. i clear your energies and that’s it. now you make your decisions because you have to make your choices because what your choices are, you answer

Stargazer’s tips for spring cleaning your energies for a more positive life in an exclusive interview with the Asian Journal, Stargazer shares her top pieces of advice for moving positive energy within yourself and your surroundings. On continuing the year right. “First, you have to acknowledge mistakes in the past. Acknowledging means not denying. it’s a review of your past year. Where did i go wrong? And moving forward, what should i do now? You know that we are not perfect but we can do better. So if you know that this strategy or what you did in the past is wrong, what are you planning to do? it must be something like move forward.” On timing. “if there are people who you’ve broken your bridges or burned bridges with, let it be. it takes time. Do not force yourself to resolve issues at your own timing. You have to respect the timing of others also.” On a positive mindset. “There is such a thing as calculated risk and calculated positivity. Sometimes there are people too overly positive, which makes them too aggressive and not thinking of ‘what ifs.’ You have to have a healthy way to look at positivity. it’s not being too unrealistic, but it’s a realistic positivity. So there are people who say, ‘Ah, kaya ko ‘to!’ (I can do this), but honestly how? if you don’t have the resources? So you move or you think and you aim for something positive but realistic. You start with what is achievable. if people go for the unachievable, then that’s where failure comes in. That’s why you have to move slowly but surely. On love one’s self and others. “Love more. When you start the year, you say, ‘i will love myself more.’ People always forget to love themselves when we give too much and you think too much. Loving yourselves may simply mean that i take time for myself. it’s not saying that i won’t love my family but i will love myself more. i will allow myself space, i will allow myself to do other things for the enrichment of myself. You may devote your time for family and work but also leave space for yourself.” On decluttering. “Declutter. in your house, leave room for energies to move around. What is leaving room for energy to move around? Paths and ways where you walk — leave them open so energies can move in. Once a week, try to open your windows and let the fresh air come in. curtains, draw them towards the sides. Let the sunshine come in, that’s how you make the new year right. Play music or have a bell and move around, try to sound the bell in each room. There are rooms that you don’t occupy or there are rooms that you just have it as a stock room or you put things, open it, open the lights, open the windows and then ring the bell. Also, put some rock salt or Himalayan salt, put them in small shot glasses and put them around the house. it absorbs negativity. if it turns hard or it absorbs humidity, it becomes liquid, throw them away but be careful, wear gloves. Throw the salt. Flush them in the toilet and put salt again.” On plants and crystals. “Put more plants around the house. Don’t put [cacti]. i don’t like [them] because they have thorns. Get something friendly — get a fortune plant or a bamboo plant. Put them in places where you feel it’s dull. if it dies, replace until the energy is good; you would know that the energy is good if it stops dying and if it continues to grow then you have good energy. For people who believe in crystals, it’s also nice to have crystals around the house. But please don’t put hot crystals beside your bed because you won’t be able to sleep if you have high energy crystals. What is nice by the bedside is an amethyst or a rose quartz.” On meditation. “it’s very simple. Music anything you respond to, some people do not respond to the birds chirping, anything that relaxes you but not heavy metal, not things with drums because it makes your heart beat more. it makes you palpitate. Something soothing, you start with that. And when you’re able to relax and let go of your worries and what you’re thinking of, that can be the start. it’s not yet meditation. So you just have to relax and then later on, you go into focusing. Focusing means you are able to focus on object in front of you and hold it in your mind when you close your eyes. Put it in your mind and you are able to picture the object — that is already focusing techniques. Meditation is simply relaxing. The simple one is letting go of several thoughts.” a house that we went to where there are spirits and everything. it was the first time i showed myself on TV,” she recalls. From there, she has appeared on various talk and investigative shows on both ABS-cBn and GMA, like “imbestigador” “Rated K,” “Magandang Umaga Pilipinas,” and “Kris TV.” Since 2007, she has hosted a two-hour program from 1 to 3 a.m. on Sunday mornings, called “Pinoy Vibes,” on Filipino radio station DZMM. Though primarily based in the Philippines, she gives individual readings and lectures on the paranormal across the globe, including Australia and the United States. There have been some scenarios wherei n she would be asked to piece together unsolved crimes, read

mysterious deaths or unfinished business with spirits. Stargazer is asked, “Why do certain things happen to us?” “On the plane once, i was having a conversation with a healing priest and he told me, ‘Star, it is not true that God gives us challenges. God loves us. God gives us good things. But why do we have challenges? These are products of what we did,’” she recounts. “He said, ‘When you say you have cancer, it can be that it’s your lifestyle, the food you eat, if you smoke, if you’re not healthy. But there’s another thing also, it’s genetics.’ it’s very rare that other spirits would cause you harm but then you know, spirits also can do you harm but probably cancer. They would Continued on Page 4

entertainment 3

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 25, 2018

Eric Quizon on being back as director: â€˜It was a breezeâ€™ by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

ThE directorial job for â€œMy 2 Mommiesâ€? landed on Eric Quizonâ€™s lap by chance. â€œIt happened during a Chinese New Year dinner last February,â€? Eric related to Funfare. The dinner was at Tony Tuvieraâ€™s house. Eric was among the choice guests that included Regal Matriarch Lily Monteverde, her daughter Roselle and scriptwriter-director Joey Javier Reyes who were at a nearby table. â€œI overheard Joey saying, â€Ãlam mo ba kung sino ang nakagawa na ng ganitong movie, si Eric! Mabilis, mahusay at nakakaaliw.â€™ I turned MUTYA NG PILIPINAS CANDIDATES. Shown in photo are some of the candidates for this to them and asked, â€Ãko ba ang yearâ€™s Mutya ng Pilipinas Southern California pageant during a press conference held at Lâ€™Aura pinag-uusapan nâ€™yo?â€™ I didnâ€™t Wellness in Artesia. In photo are some of the candidates, Mutya ng Pilipinas organizers Camille have any idea what they were Agbayani and Venus Marin; with reigning Mutya ng California Suzanne Perez and Mutya 1980 talking about.â€? Rosemarie de Vera Javier. What they were talking about was Joeyâ€™s script for â€œMy 2 Mommies,â€? a comedy about a gay guy who is surprised by an ex-girlfriend that they have by cLaRizeL G. abaniLLa While most women her gena son. (The ex-sweethearts Inquirer.net eration are gearing towards getare played by Paolo Ballesteros ting married or starting a family, and Solenn heussaff, featured IT has been a while since in yesterdayâ€™s ConversaKapamilya actress Shaina Magda- Magdayaoâ€™s priority is her career and chooses to let love happen if tions column.) The Regal group yao has last been a relationship. it would happen. already had a director in mind Nonetheless her affairs have â€œAko okay pa naman. Oo until Ericâ€™s name cropped up. always been among the most Actually, itâ€™s the second time controversial in showbiz. Despite naman, if it comes, it comes. If it happens, it happens, she said. for Eric to replace a director. the failures of her attempts at â€œHabang hindi pa, do things that A few years ago, he starred in love, she never really feared fallare productive gaya ng trabaho. the rollicking comedy Pusong ing in love again. Mamon (reminiscent of Ang â€œWala naman. Nothing major Marami pang nangyayare sakin na maganda eh, nonstop from Leeâ€™s â€œWedding Banquetâ€?) in na fear ng commitment. Siguro â€˜The Better halfâ€™ and now â€Ãsinwhich he and Albert Martinez nag-e-evolve lang,â€? she said tadoâ€™ na hindi rin biro â€˜yung mga play lovers with Lorna Tolentino at the press conference for her as the third wheel. A few days upcoming movie â€œSingle Singleâ€? trabahong napupunta sa akin.â€? Not too long ago, actor Piolo into the shoot, director Joel with Matteo Guidicelli. â€œWhen Lamangan fell ill and Eric had to youâ€™re younger youâ€™re more fear- Pascual publicly admitted that he Shaine Magdayao had been â€œexclusively datingâ€? take over, finishing 80 percent of less, youâ€™re more careless but as Photo from Facebook/@Shaina Magdayao the shoot. the actress for over five years you grow older mas calculated incidentally they had not seen â€œThey gave me the na â€˜yung ginaagawa mo sa buhay already. anyone but each other during The statement spurred an script last February and by mas pinag-iisipan mo yung mga the time together. immediate shocked reaction March, we began shooting,â€? risks involved,â€? But perhaps her most confrom the public. The actress had said Eric. â€œGanoon kabilis. I â€œDi naman po â€˜yung tipong troversial ex-boyfriend would to clarify Pascualâ€™s â€œexclusively shot â€˜My 2 Mommiesâ€™ the way phobia. Pero â€˜yun nga po, you have to be actor John Lloyd datingâ€? statement. I did â€˜Pusong Mamon.â€™ That think about your decisions first In past interviews, Magdayao Cruz. Their relationship has been must be what Joey meant when before going into a relationship,â€? bombarded with controversy stressed that, while Pascual had he said na mabilis akoâ€Śfastshe added. after controversy even after their paced. If people liked â€˜Pusong been consistently someone she Sheâ€™s also very much open bitter break-up in 2012. Mamon,â€™ they will also like â€˜My to entertaining a new love but is could rely on, they were both Actor-director John Prats was 2 Mommies.â€™â€? free to date whomever they not at all pressuring herself into also a boyfriend of the actress. would want to date. Itâ€™s just that By this time, Eric shall have having one.

Eric Quizon on directing Paolo Ballesteros (center) and Solenn Heussaff (right) in My 2 Mommies: It was a breeze. They are fun to work with, magaan katrabaho. Photos courtesy of Viva Films

wrapped the shoot way ahead of the movieâ€™s playdate (opening nationwide on May 9). As Joey said, â€œMabilis!â€? The movie is Regalâ€™s Motherâ€™s Day offering. Doing â€œMy 2 Mommiesâ€? (the title is self-explanatory, isnâ€™t it?) is a welcome breather for Eric whose last directorial job was Nobody, Nobody But... Juan, the second to the last starrer of Dolphy, his late dad, shown in 2010. After that, Eric became preoccupied with acting jobs, initially at TV5 (where he did several shows including â€œDriver Sweet Lover,â€? â€œBabaing hampaslupa,â€? â€œGlamorosa,â€? â€œIsang Dakot na Luhaâ€? and â€œEnchanted Gardenâ€?) before he moved to ABS-CBN and directed the soap â€œPasion de Amorâ€? and episodes of â€œIpaglaban Moâ€? and â€œMaalaala Mo Kayaâ€? (MMK). â€œDirecting for TV is more stressful than directing a movie,â€? admitted Eric. â€œSa TV, you have to talk to so many people. For a movie, you talk to only either Mother Lily or Roselle. Itâ€™s a daily grind directing a TV series and therefore more challenging. Sometimes, what you are shooting today is scheduled for airing na the next day, so the pressure is great. For a movie, you shoot for several days and you relax a bit during the editing and then the promo before the movie makes it to the theaters.â€? Mother Lily gave Eric a free rein.

Shaina Magdayao: No fears in falling in love

â€œHindi ko siya tinipid,â€? said Mother Lily. â€œI love Eric. he has done several movies for Regal, as an actor, but itâ€™s the first time heâ€™s directing a Regal movie.â€? Working on My 2 Mommies was a breeze, thanks to Paolo and Solenn who were fun and, according to Eric, magaan katrabaho. â€œPaolo is a brilliant actor. heâ€™s smart and witty. Solenn is a joy to work with. Wala siyang pa-divadiva.â€? Eric believes that the theme of â€œMy 2 Mommiesâ€? will resonate with everybody because it is as timely as the current burning issues, such as the LGBT and same-sex marriage. â€œGender equality is now an accepted norm,â€? said Eric. â€œA personâ€™s sexuality is no longer an issue. People are now openminded and more receptive.â€?

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Stargazer: Filipina aura reader...

entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 25, 2018

Tom has too much fun doing action stunts by Bot

Glorioso Philstar.com

TOM Rodriguez has revealed how long he’s been waiting for an offer to do action either for film or TV. Thanks, to his latest GMA primetime starrer, “The Cure,” Tom will be seen in a role that requires him not just to display his dramatic prowess but

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give you certain sicknesses or diseases but not cancer. Or it’s more of what we did in the past. also his ability to do action stunts. That’s why when you say past In the series, Tom plays family life, it’s what we did in the past man Greg Salvador who works but it’s also very sensitive when as a clinical research associate in we talk about real past lives. Like an international pharmaceutical generations ago or whatever in laboratory known for creating another year, you were a princess effective medicines. He is successbefore, that’s a different school ful both in career and love as he of thought.” blissfully lives with wife Charity “You don’t blame anyone. (played by Jennylyn Mercado) You don’t blame God. For one thing, never blame God,” she remarks. What does karma mean to Stargazer? “Since Catholicism does not talk about past lives, what I do believe in, let’s talk about the present… But let’s focus on what Tom Rodriguez GMA photo karma really is, karma simply is and daughter Hope (Leanne the scientific law of cause and Bautista). effect. Karma, in Sanskrit, simply Greg’s life begins to take a says your actions will have spemiserable turn when his mother cific reactions. In the Bible, it says (Irma Adlawan) is diagnosed with ‘what you sow, you shall reap’ late-stage pancreatic cancer. Des- and even the golden rule, ‘Do perate to find a cure, Greg sneaks unto others as you would have in the laboratory to take the exthem do unto you.’ I have this perimental drug that kills cancer book that is written by Mother cells. He injected it to his dear Teresa. It says, the karma thing mom, clueless that its side effect is also seen in Islam and Budcauses a deeper problem — the dhism, in Taoism, in all schools of mutation of a dangerous and thought. It’s simply energies that highly contagious virus called the you put out will be the energies Monkey Virus Disease wherein that will come back. It’s like a anyone infected begins to have boomerang when you throw the seizures and becomes rabid and bullet, it definitely goes back,” violent. His mom becomes the she says. root of infection and what follows However, when that action is the spreading of the virus in the comes back, she continues, city. “Why is it that when it comes In an interview with The back, it’s in threefold? BeStar and other members of the Mark Reyes might decide to get entertainment press, the Kapuhim a double should he see it. so actor said that his character “My rib, I also just had it Greg is shown as nerdy and weak checked and fortunately, there’s in the beginning of the story. But as the plot progresses, his charac- no fracture. I didn’t tell anyone about it. I guess, it cannot be ter takes the courage of helping save people from getting infected avoided (from getting scratches and bruises)…freak accidents which leads Tom to some action stunts like running, kicking, jump- happen. The best thing we can do is to be careful but at the ing off pitfalls and firing gun. “It’s my first time to do action same time we can’t also compromise a bit of scare to deliver. in a series. I’ve been praying for “I’m having too much fun and an action role because I’ve been so what I do is aaralin ko muna fond of this kind of genre since I yung mga dangers then you just was a kid,” said Tom. have to feel like outside mapping No wonder, Tom doesn’t where you at then you’re free to mind getting hurt during his acmove. Or if I can do an analogy, tion sequences. He even secretly showed a contusion on his upper this is what I do in virtual reality (game), there’s this what they call right arm, worried that director

cause energy when you throw, remember it has momentum… and when it comes back…it has tripled its force because of the scientific law. That’s why you have to be careful.” Intentions and the energies behind actions and thoughts are meaningful, Stargazer adds. “That’s why you say you’re blessed, it’s because when you give out even a small thing, it comes back to you. Many people will now be helping you out. That is why it is very important that you watch out for your intentions and your actions. If you intend to do [something] to a person, it will always come back to you.” “So for me, karma is simply even your thoughts can cause karma. If I plan something bad against you, I’m already sending negative energies to you. Sometimes you can’t help it when you’re angry. That’s why it’s helpful when you’re angry, walk away. Before I was kind of confrontational. I have learned now that I will just step away, move back, turn my back against you and we’ll talk some other time because I am afraid of what I say might cause some negativity towards you. Because since I am that trained to focus my energies, I’m so afraid to be angry,” she says. There’s a quote by Wolfgang Riebe that says, “Everyone is gifted, but some people just don’t know how to open their package.” That statement is along the lines of what Stargazer believes

— that everyone does have a gift and extra sensory perception. “It’s just that people do not recognize it because sometimes they’re too objective, they are too closed. They’re not open. Their minds are too cluttered,” she says. “Their minds are too obsessed with other things but if you get to see beyond…Sometimes when we pray, some things come to our mind [and] it gives you answers. That’s why meditation is very important. When you meditate and you remove the clutter in your mind, that’s when things become clear and you know.” With the demonization of psychics, mediums, fortune tellers, and the like, Stargazer wants to dispel those notions and warn individuals before they seek out a reading. “How would you know if a psychic is fake? They would fish out information from you. I had so many experiences. Of course, I will try other psychics in Sedona, they would fish out certain things,” she says. “But a good psychic will also focus on the positive to help you out. Just beware of people. There are also good people that would focus on someone dying in your family or someone getting sick. Those are the negative things — they’re easier to feel than the positive. For me, I warn people of the negative because I know that they can do something about it. I want to prevent. I don’t want to scare.”

as companion bounds so before you start to play, you must set your limit for you to move freely so when you are there, you know your limit. It’s the same here, dapat automatic na alam mo na kung saan may sasabog, ayaw mo naman yung takbo mo dun ka matamaan.” Tom considers everyone in The Cure as his family “that’s why, I go hundred percent all in — new family, new adventure.” Tom smiled upon learning that Jennylyn described him as very energetic and he said, “I never sleep on the set, pangmarathon (laughs). I take naps when I am super tired otherwise, I love to memorize (dialogues)

and I can’t seem to stop, parang diesel ang utak ko, ako ang nahihiya sa kanila kasi para kong malikot na bata. My energy lasts until 3 a.m. hahaha.” Asked if his girlfriend Carla Abellana doesn’t get jealous every time he has a sweet scene on the show, especially now that he is being paired with Jennylyn, Tom answered in the negative. “Not at all, I guess there’s nothing to be jealous about here as compared to my past projects in movies. Besides, she’s not the jealous type so (referring to Carla) please don’t change and I promise I’ll never give you a reason to be one hahahaha.”

US Army touts education benefits and tuition assistance by AJPress

STuDENT loan debt in the united States is at an all-time high in 2018, amounting to $1.48 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve. The average student loan debt for Class of 2016 graduates was $37,172, up six percent from the previous year. However, those numbers shouldn’t detract students from pursuing their higher education dreams, as there are routes they can take to get a degree without burning a hole in their pockets. For example, serving in the u.S. military has its advantages, including the opportunities to go back to school without facing the burden of rising tuition costs. It’s thanks to legislation, like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Montgomery GI Bill, veterans

and service members who can receive education benefits. under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, members who began their service after Sept. 10, 2001 can earn full tuition to the college for their choice for up to 36 months, plus a monthly housing allowance and a books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year. The Montgomery GI bill gives full tuition benefits for programs like college, technical or flight school to those who have served at least two years on active duty. For those who are thinking of a career in the medical field specifically, the military offers numerous educational and financial aid options. The u.S. Army, in particular, has undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate health care education programs. Students can go on to join the Army

AJPress photos by Christina M. Oriel

Health Care Team, one of the largest comprehensive systems of health care in the country, with six corps — dental, medical, medical services, medical specialist, nurse, and veterinary. During a recent tour to Joint Base San Antonio — Ft. Sam Houston (JBSA-FSH) — hosted by the u.S. Army Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion — educators from LA County high schools and community colleges had a chance to hear about the various post-high school options the military branch extends. Ft. Sam Houston is the home of Army North, Army South, Army 5th Recruiting Brigade, Brooke Army Medical Center, the Institute of Surgical Research, the Army Medical Department Center and School, the Army Medical Command and the 502d Air Base Wing. Andrea Slater-Williams, one of the education counselors at Ft. Sam Houston’s Education Center, shared that there are many routes service members, whether active duty or veterans, can take in terms of education. “Education does not stop at that point because once they join the military, we’re pushing education as well. And the way the Army’s going right now, education is key for promotion and things of that sort. There are education benefits for the service member before they enter in active duty, dur-

ing active duty status and after they get out,” Slater-Williams said. For those who want to earn their degree while serving in the Army (as opposed to getting the degree after they return from service), the Army Reserve program allows that flexibility to attend school full time and work in a civilian position. It is a six-year service obligation to serve in the Reserve. Some of the financial aid benefits for reservists including, but not limited to, a Selected Reserve Montgomery GI Bill (over $13,000 for college, up to $375/month for 36 months for full-time students) or the Concurrent Admissions Program (ConAp), where you can choose from more than 1,800 colleges and earn college credit while training and working in the Reserve. The ConAp also extends to new enlistees in the regular Army. “When they’re choosing Army tuition assistance, part of that process is them doing about a 14-page career assessment. We want to make sure that they’re going to school for something that they want to do, to work in the field that they want to work in. So they’re going to do the assessment and find a career that suits themFrom there, we’re going to guide them or the system guides them to choose a career goal. They will then choose a degree plan and find this school that offers that de-

gree. It’s all this in the system, a really cool program,” SlaterWilliams said. These benefits don’t just cover the student itself — his or her spouse can also avail of the opportunities. under the Military Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, eligible military spouses receive funding support for education, licensing and credentials, career counseling services, and employment readiness tools and resources to assist them at any level. “They’re eligible to give their spouses money and this money is called the MyCAA, my Career Advancement Account. They don’t have to commit any extra time. This is not actually an Army incentive but for dependents, they’re able to get it,” Slater-Williams explained. “With this, the spouses are able to get up to $4,000. That’s $2,000 the first year, $2,000 next year in order to get an associate’s degree, licensure certification. This was implemented so service members’ spouses are then able to

get employed.” According to the Army, program resources include: Military OneSource SECO Career Center where certified career counselors provide comprehensive counseling services at no cost; The My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship, which is a workforce development program that provides up to a $4,000 scholarship for education, training and licensing to eligible military spouses; and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), which is an employment and career partnership connecting military spouses with more than 270 corporate partner employers who have pledged to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses in portable careers. For more of the education benefits, please visit https:// www.goarmy.com/benefits/ education-benefits.html. A feature on the medical education programs that the U.S. Army offers will be in next week’s MDWK Magazine edition.

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 25, 2018

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 25, 2018