May 15-17, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 37 • 2 Sections - 20 Pages
Duterte: Vote buying an ‘integral part’ of PH polls by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
ACCORDING to President Rodrigo Duterte, vote buying is an “integral” part of elections in the Philippines, with the practice being fairly normal among Filipinos. He made the statement on Monday, May 13, after casting his vote in his hometown of Davao City. “Well, ganito iyan (it’s like
this), if they are caught, they should be prosecuted to the full length of the law. Now, the practice of buying votes has been an integral part of an election in the Philippines,” he said. “‘Yang pagboto, lahat yan. Walang hindi nagbibili ng boto dito, maniwala ka... Ituro mo kung sino ang hindi nagbili ng boto (Everybody is guilty of vote buying here. Believe me. Tell me who here never bought votes),” he added.
Under the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines, vote buying is defined as: “Any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or commu- THE PRESIDENT’S VOTE. President Rodrigo Duterte casts his vote for the midterm elections at his voting precinct at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo
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National High School in Davao City on Monday, May 13.
2019 PH ELECTION
USA
Senatorial admin bets take lead, Otso Diretso suffers loss
DATELINE Domestic workers alliance launches hotline to report alleged labor violations FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
by AJPRESS
THE Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and the California Domestic Workers Coalition have unveiled the California Homecare Agency Labor Violations Tip Line, a hotline that allows caregivers, consumers and agencies in California to anonymously report labor violations and unethical behaviors of homecare agencies. “We have to regulate the homecare industry to ensure that workers have safe workplaces and receive fair pay. It is essential for us to provide various means for them to be able to assert their rights and protect themselves from abusive employers,” Aquilina Soriano-Versoza, executive director of PWC, said at a press conference on Partial and unofficial 2019 midterm election results from PPCRV-Inquirer Transparency Server as of 07:01 a.m. on May 15, Friday, May 10 at PWC. 2019. Inquirer.net photo Soriano-Versoza acknowledged the valid fear
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Malacañang photo by Robinson Niñal
AFTER fixing a technical issue in its transparency server, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was able to release the partial unofficial results for the 2019 national elections. As of 9:51 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 (Manila time), the Comelec media server showed 95.47% of precincts reporting. The majority of the senatorial candidates included in the “Magic 12” are part of Sara Duterte-Carpio’s regional political party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), which is aligned with the present administration. Leading senatorial bets hailed
from the administration’s Nacionalista Party (NP), Partidong Demokratikong Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Lakas-Christian and Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). Topping the list is Cynthia Villar (NP) with 24,565,351 votes; followed by Grace Poe (Independent) with 21,476,152 votes; Bong Go (PDP-Laban) with 19,921,300 votes; and Pia Cayetano (NP) with 19,199,183 votes. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa (PDPLaban) came in with 18,308,484 votes; Sonny Angara (LDP) with 17,659,882 votes; Lito Lapid (NPC)
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Technical issues, election violations mar 2019 Philippine elections by AJPRESS
ANY hopes for a smooth sailing election process were dashed as various issues involving vote-counting machines (VCMs) marred the 2019 midterm elections on Monday, May 13. Of the 85,000 VCMs stationed in precincts across the Philippines, 400 to 600 experienced glitches, according to Commission President Donald Trump on Monday, May 13 signed executive
on Elections (Comelec) spokesman James Jimenez. He noted that the problem had tripled compared to the presidential election in 2016, which only had a total of 188 machines encounter technical difficulties. “In the overall scheme of things, that is a small number but compared to 2016, the figure is jarring,” he admitted in a press
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Senate will remain independent, Trump signs executive won’t be Palace rubber stamp – Villar Robredo: Fight not over order “Economic Empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders” in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosianv
order to reestablish AAPI commission
PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Monday, May 13 signed an executive order to advance the “economic empowerment” of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The order, which comes during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, is intended “to empower Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to improve the quality of their lives, raise the standard of living of their families and communities, and more fully participate in our economy,” the White House announced. It re-establishes the president’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs and the White House
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In this May 13, 2019 photo, Vice President Leni Robredo casts her vote for the 2019 midterm polls at Tabuco Central School in Naga City. Office of the Vice President/Released
yet, guard vote counting
by MAILA
AGER Inquirer.net
SENATOR Cynthia Villar on Tuesday, May 14, allayed fears that the new Senate would become Malacanang’s rubberstamp. Administration – backed candidates, including Villar, dominated the recently-concluded senatorial race based on the partial and official count. “Alam mo para ka maging senador, matalino ka naman e. Hindi naman yung katulad namin ang magiging rubber-stamp
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pinanindigan natin ang ating mga prinsipyo at paniniwala (We maybe tired after the campaign A DAY after the midterm elec- and the long day yesterday, evtions, Vice President Leni Robre- erything’s worth it because we do urged the public to continue stood by our principles and bethe nation’s fight. liefs),” Robredo said. In a statement on Tuesday, “May laban pa tayong hinahaMay 14, Robredo said the fight rap. Hindi pa tapos ang bilangan, doesn’t end with elections as she at kailangan pang bantayan (We called on the Filipinos to guard still have a fight to battle. The the ongoing vote counting. counting is not yet over and we “Pagod man tayong lahat sa have to guard it),” she added. kampanya at sa mahabang araw The vice president, who enSenate photo kahapon, sulit ang lahat dahil u PAGE A4 by ROSETTE
ADEL
Philstar.com
Sen. Cynthia Villar
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From the Front Page
Technical issues, election violations mar... PAGE A1 conference. Among those who experienced issues with the VCMs were former Vice President Jejomar Binay, who was unable to cast his vote as the VCM repeatedly rejected his ballot, and incumbent Senator Grace Poe, who could not cast her vote as well until a new VCM ar-
rived in her designated precinct. In Pasig City, mayoral candidate Vico Sotto deferred casting his vote until the VCM issue was fixed. The same went for incumbent Senator Nancy Binay in Makati. There were also several reports from Filipino netizens about VCMs not working in some pre-
cincts so voters were instructed to cast their votes and leave their ballots. The election polls officially closed at 6 p.m. on Monday. However, due to technical problems, Comelec’s transparency server had to stop sending unofficial results to media organizations, watchdogs, and political parties for seven hours. Apparently, the application generating the results file based on election returns received by the transparency server stalled and stopped sending results. The issue was escalated to the Comelec en banc after more than three hours of initial troubleshooting. The election body’s server only resumed sending new results files around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, May 14. Electoral fraud concerns Votes are still being counted as of press time, and while the entire Philippines waits for the complete transmission of results, netizens are taking to social media their concerns over alleged cases of electoral fraud in various areas of the country. For instance, one netizen pointed out a discrepancy in the counting of ballots, noting that his and his family’s votes for a senatorial candidate were unaccounted in the precinct’s tally. Several netizens also claimed that the ballot receipts didn’t reflect how they voted. One post read: “I voted for Neri Colmenares but my Vote Receipt reflected/ counted Glenn Chong! A few minutes after I made the protest, the machine went offline. Be vigilant, people.” Another post claimed they “heard from friends that their voting receipts reflected BongGo and Bato Dela Rosa even though they didn’t tick for those names. This is in Bicol and I hope this gets resolved.” Poll watchdog group KontraDaya criticized Comelec’s claim that the 2019 midterm elections was generally successful. In a statement, the group said, “The assertion of Comelec Spokesperson Jimenez that there is no problem with the transparency server – since the data of election results comes in their servers – shows Comelec’s lack of commitment and responsibility to fulfill its mandate to the people.” n
ELECTION WOES. Militant groups rally in front of the Commission on Elections office in Intramuros, Manila on Tuesday, May 14 to voice their dismay against the defective vote counting machines. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan
Duterte: Vote buying an ‘integral...
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nity in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar selection process of a political party.” At least 147 people — including Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo, Duterte’s candidate for Quezon City mayor, and several alleged supporters of incumbent Mayor Abigail “Abby” Binay — were arrested for buying and selling votes ahead of Monday’s mid-
term elections. However, Duterte stated that giving money does not automatically mean that one is vote buying. “You know when you start to give money, as I told Comelec (Commission on Elections), that’s not because I’m buying the vote of the fellow. It’s because I’m giving him money to go to the precinct, cast his vote, and go home. Not all people have money. Or you send food to your leaders who are here sacrificing and waiting for the food to eat so they can last until the last vote is counted,” he explained.
The president also said that vote buying will persist as long as Filipinos are poor. “It can take many forms... for as long as the Philippines remains to be a poor country, for as long as the feudal system exists lalo na sa (especially in) rural areas aggravated by the communists... We are becoming poorer and poorer,” he noted. Filipinos on Monday voted for the 12 members of the 24-seat Senate, the entire House of Representatives, the country’s governors and vice governors, provincial board members, mayors and vice mayors, and councilors. n
Robredo: Fight not over yet, guard...
PAGE A1 dorsed opposition candidates under the Otso Diretso coalition, praised the senatorial bets for their dedication in the elections. Despite the loss of the senatorial slate she supports, Robredo said she still wanted Filipinos to unite for the nation. “Ipinamalas ng ating mga kandidato at volunteers ang tapang at dedikasyon sa ating adhikain. Huwag natin ito bitawan. Paghugutan natin ng lakas ang bawat
isa. Marami pa tayong kailangan gawin at marami pa tayong magagawa (The candidates and volunteers showed bravery and dedication for our advocacies. Let’s hold on it. Let’s draw strength from each other. We have a lot of things to do and we will do more),” Robredo said. “Hanggang sa huli, samasama tayo sa labang ito (Until then, we’re one in this fight),” she added. The Otso Diretso candidates advanced well in the Bicol Re-
gion. Around 35.6 percent of voters in Camarines Sur opted for the opposition coalition’s candidates in the senatorial race. Robredo hails from Naga City in Camarines Sur. Earlier, reports said Naga City was the sole city where the complete Otso Diretso candidates made it to the top 12 of the Senate elections. The opposition slate, however, failed to make it to the partial and unofficial results of the Senate race nationwide. n
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Global parliamentarian group calls for De Lima’s immediate release by Bernadette
tamayo ManilaTimes.net
litically-motivated charges against de Lima. In a statement, the IPU expressed concerned that, “more than two years after her arrest, Senator Leila de Lima is still in detention despite the absence of any corroborated evidence to justify the charges against her.” “The IPU calls on the authorities to release her immediately
THE Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) renewed its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Sen. Leila de Lima, whom it cited as one of the 187 persecuted members of parliament (MPs) worldwide. De Lima was detained in February 2017 at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center on drug charges which were filed before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court. The IPU claimed that the drug charges against the opposition senator were based on unsubstantiated statements of convicted felons. With 178 members and 12 associate members, the IPU is an organization of national parliamentarPresident Donald Trump on Monday, May 13 was joined by the co-chairs of the Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific ians worldwide. Formed in 1889, Islanders: Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao; and its commissioners: Amata Coleman the IPU aims to “protect and build Radewagen, Delegate for the U.S. House of Representatives, American Samoa; Sean Reyes, State of Utah Attorney General; Dr. Paul Hsu global democracy through politiof Florida; David B. Cohen of California; Y. Lee of Michigan; George Leing of Colorado; Jan-Ie Low of Nevada; Herman Martir of Texas; Prem Parameswaran of New York; and Chiling Tong of Maryland. Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian cal dialog and concrete action.” During its 140th assembly in Doha, Qatar in April, the IPU adopted a resolution urging the Philippine government to drop all po- Sen. Leila de Lima PAGE A1 Reyes, whose father is of Filipi- Hsu of Florida; David B. Cohen Initiative on AAPIs, which work no and Spanish descent, has been of California; Y. Lee of Michito “broaden access by AAPI em- attorney general of his state since gan; George Leing of Colorado; ployers and communities to eco- 2013 — during which he became Jan-Ie Low of Nevada; Prem nomic resources and opportuni- the first ethnic minority to hold Parameswaran of New York; and ties” and collect data for AAPI that position or any statewide of- Chiling Tong of Maryland. The populations through all agencies fice in Utah. Martir, a pastor at Na- commissioners were appointed of the federal government. tions Worship Center, is the presi- by Trump in January. The president’s signing in the dent of the Asian Action Network The first White House InitiaOval Office was witnessed by and the Asian Prayer Network and tive on AAPIs was established members of the Advisory Com- founder of Emerging Leaders In- through an executive order by mission, including its co-chairs ternational. Both Martir and Reyes former President Bill Clinton in Secretary of Commerce Wilbur were part of Trump’s AAPI advi- 1999 and subsequently renewed Ross and Secretary of Transpor- sory committee during his 2016 by former Presidents George W. tation Elaine Chao and its com- presidential campaign. Bush and Barack Obama. missioners, who include two FiliAAPIs, which are considered Other commissioners present pino Americans: Utah Attorney on Monday were Amata Cole- the fastest-growing racial group General Sean Reyes and Herman man Radewagen, Delegate for in the U.S., account for more Martir, a pastor from Fort Worth, the U.S. House of Representa- than 6 percent of the country’s Texas. tives, American Samoa; Dr. Paul population. (AJPress)
Trump signs executive order to reestablish...
Senate will remain independent... PAGE A1 (You know, to be a senator, you have to be intelligent. It’s not like we’re going to be [just] a rubberstamp),” Villar, who is leading the senatorial race, said in an interview over radio dzMM. “My God, we worked hard for this position. I worked hard to study, you know, I’ve done a lot in my life. How can I be a rubber-stamp?” Before she was elected senator years ago, Villar was a businesswoman and a member of the
House of Representatives. “I know what I want and what is good for the people in my own way. I don’t think I can be a rubber stamp,” she added. The Senate, she stressed, will only listen to President Rodrigo Duterte if it would be good for the people. Villar said every elected senator has his or her own mind. She also expressed doubts that the president would ask them to support something disadvantageous to the people.
She also defended Duterte from his critics. “Hindi naman ako biased kay president ha pero si president naman hindi siya walang hiyang tao. Hindi niya papagawa yung something na hindi maganda (I’m not being biased with the president, but he is not a bad person. He will not do anything that will be bad [for the country]),” she said. In fact, she said, the president did not ask favors from her since he assumed the presidency. n
and for the legal proceedings against her to be dropped,” it added. According to the IPU human rights panel, 84 percent of the 187 persecuted MPs across the world are members of the opposition. In several countries with records of human rights violations against MPs, it noted that 25 percent are women. n
ManilaTimes.net photo
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Asian Americans spent $1 trillion last year and brands are taking notice, says report by Rae
GUARDING THE VOTES. Soldiers from the First Marine Brigade keep watch as voting is held at the Dalican Pilot Elementary School in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao on Monday, May 13. ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina
Domestic workers alliance launches hotline... PAGE A1 that many homecare workers may feel when coming out to report these practices, but she assured that the tipline is anonymous and “the safe way for workers to report these violations.� For many workers, the fear of losing their income stops them from reporting these violations. The current socio-political climate surrounding undocumented immigrants has also instilled fear among the undocumented community about reaching out to authorities. A majority of domestic workers in California are immigrant women, and many of them are undocumented. Josephine Biclar, a Filipina care-
giver and PwC member, shared her experience of being exploited and underpaid as a domestic worker under Health Alliance, a homecare agency. At one point she allegedly worked 24 hours a day but only earned $110 for the day, which adds up to $4.50 an hour. The agency also allegedly made her falsify her time sheet so she wouldn’t be qualified for overtime pay. “I used to be afraid, too,� Biclar recounted. “I used to be silent and did not want to take action. But when I spoke up, I learned that I was not alone. There is a community ready to support people like us. If we are united, we can make
a big difference in each other’s lives.� The tipline was designed to mitigate that fear of reporting these violations by enabling the PwC and the California Domestic workers Coalition to identify the agencies violating labor laws. This information will be shared with the Labor Commissioner’s office, which will implement the PwC’s Domestic worker Bill of Rights, which honors the rights of domestic workers in the state. The California Homecare Agency Labor Violations Tip Line is (213) 267-4741 and it is also available as an anonymous onlaine submission at bit.ly/homecaretipline. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
Senatorial admin bets take lead... PAGE A1
with 16,514,492 votes; Imee Marcos (NP) with 15,410,869 votes. Francis Tolentino (PDP-Laban) with 14,991,020 votes; Bong Revilla (Lakas-CMD) with 14,199,463 votes; Koko Pimentel (PDP-Laban) with 14,190,512 votes and Nancy Binay (UNA) with 14,160,191 votes. Local election winners, losers Some cities that have received 100% of election returns have unofficially declared winners like Isko Moreno of Asenso Manileno Movement, who won against incumbent and former President Joseph Estrada as Manila City mayor with 357,925 votes and Honey Lacuna as Vice Mayor with 394,766 votes. In Quezon City, incumbent vice-
mayor Joy Belmonte won the mayoral position with 469,480 votes along with Gian Sotto who won the vice-mayor seat with 82,393 votes. Incumbent Makati Mayor Abby Binay retained her position with 179,522 votes even though she was up against her brother Junjun Binay. However, their father, former Vice President Jojo Binay lost his congressional bid to Kid Pena. Pasig City voted 29-year-old Vico Sotto as its mayor, with 188,321 votes counted, compared to incumbent Robert Eusebio’s 109,245 votes. Incumbent Imelda Aguilar won as Las Pinas City mayor for the second time with 170,972 votes along with her daughter April Aguilar who was elected for the
vice mayoralty seat and Camille Villar as the city’s lone district representative. The Abalos clan has retained their hold in Mandaluyong City with Menchie Abalos won the mayoral seat by a landslide with 128,661 votes against her opponent Florencio Solomon who only received 8,589 votes. The presidential children won three electoral positions in Davao City. Incumbent Sara Duterte-Carpio retained her mayoral seat with 565,284 votes; Sebastian Duterte as vice-mayor with 543,317 votes and Paolo Duterte as First District Representative with 195,074 votes. Former senator Francis “Chiz� Escudero won as Sorsogon governor with 303,960 votes. n
ann VaRona AJPress
A NEw report released by Nielsen on Thursday, May 9 said that Asian Americans spent $1 trillion last year — a testament to the demographic’s growing spending power and influence in mainstream U.S. culture. Linking the correlation between the growing population number and high spending, the report — titled “Informed Influencers and Powerful Purchasers: The Asian American Consumer Journey� — added that at a current population of 22.6 million, spending power among Asian Americans is expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2023. It added that in the last decade alone, the Asian American population has grown by seven million people — the most of any ethnic group in the nation. whereas the total U.S. population saw an 8% percent growth, Asian Americans saw an uptick of 45% for the same time period. The report said that in addition to growing as a demographic, Asian American households are also 17% bigger than the average U.S. household. “In fact, Asian American households boast the highest incomes of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S. — incomes that have boosted the buying power of Asian Americans by 68% since 2010,� said the report. But at the core of what makes the growing ethnic group so influential is its ability to connect, said the report, which looked at the group’s internet usage and digital consumption trends. Asian Americans as a group have a higher percentage connected to the internet with 99% having internet connectivity
compared to the U.S. average of 93%. Percentages are also higher when it comes to ownership of devices: 97% of Asian Americans own a smartphone compared to 91% of the total population, and 89% own a computer compared to 76% of the total population. “Given this demographic’s connected lifestyles, it should come as no surprise that Asian Americans’ usage of internet-connected devices outpaces the average U.S. consumer,� the report said. Looking at media consumption practices, the report found that not only are Asian Americans spending the most time watching television at almost 23 hours a week, they’re also at the forefront of the shift from traditional cable and over-the-air viewing to “broadband only� viewing and consumption through subscription video on demand services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. “These platforms are extremely popular with Asian American households, with 81% subscribing to at least one of them (19% higher than the total population),� said the report. On social media where younger Asian Americans have been found to be especially savvy, the report highlighted that Asian Americans as a group particularly outpace the general U.S. when it comes to online shopping. According to the report, 26% agreed that social media had an important role in their discovery about products, 19% agreed that rating or reviewing was an important reason for social media use, and 22% agreed that receiving offers and other discounts were important on social media. Furthermore, Asian Americans said they enjoyed sharing advice on purchases and their opinions
on products with others. with electronics and technology, 43% agreed that they gave advice to others looking to buy new devices. For food, 71% said that they typically recommended food products they liked to people they knew. And while online shopping was found to more importantly offer a sense of cultural connection for Asian Americans in that many reported using the internet to buy hard-to-find products from Asia, the report further found that such purchase trends were making a hit in U.S. mainstream culture. For example, trending among non-Asians in the U.S. are Japanese snack box subscriptions and Korean baby seats. Market sales of Asian sauces and condiments also each grew 6% last year. “Products such as ready-todrink green tea and curry spices have seen impressive dollar and unit volume far outpacing that of overall beverages and spices,� said the report which included ghee, kombucha, naan, Asian dumplings, sushi, sesame cooking oil, jasmine rice, and curry paste among Asian foods finding mainstream appeal. “Asian Americans are reshaping the American path to purchase, traversing the consumer journey fortified with their status as trailblazers in innovative internet connectivity, e-commerce with a global perspective, and holistic views of diet and consumption,� concluded the report. “Despite a greater percentage of Asian Americans under 35 being U.S. born, culture sustainability driven by multigenerational influences and the ability to blend cultures to create an evolved U.S. culture in their own image is having a profound effect on American society.� n
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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • MAy 15-17, 2019
Dateline PhiliPPines
A
Marcoses retain grip on Ilocos Norte bailiwick
MANILA — The Marcos clan continues to hold the Ilocos province as its stronghold in 2019. At the start of the new term for local candidates, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos will hand over the leadership of the province to her son, Matthew Marcos Manotoc. Manotoc ran unopposed after Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte, 1st District) withdrew his candidacy on May 2, less than two weeks before the polls. Clan matriarch, Rep. Imelda Marcos (Ilocos Norte, 2nd District), initially filed her candida-
cy for the gubernatorial race in Ilocos Norte but she withdrew November last year. By Tuesday noon, May 14, 100% of the election returns in Ilocos Norte have been tallied, and it showed that, even with Fariñas’ withdrawal, Manotoc obtained 260,938 votes. Manotoc’s vice governor is Cecile Araneta-Marcos who ran in the stead of his late husband, Ilocos Norte Board Member Mariano Marcos II. Manotoc and Marcos were fielded by the Nacionalista Party. Another Marcos kin, Ilocos Norte Vice Gov. Eugenio Angelo
Barba is poised to become Ilocos Norte’s 2nd District Representative having secured 87,725 votes. Barba, Imee’s first cousin according to a Star report, also ran under the Nacionalista Party. Ria Fariñas, daughter of the incumbent Ilocos Norte 1st District representative, meanwhile took over her father’s post. She obtained 106,780 votes. Meanwhile, Imee is poised to enter the Senate as she currently ranks 8th in the race with close to 5% votes remaining to be tallied. (Kristine Joy Patag/ Philstar.com)
‘Erap’ brand not enough power to secure seats for kin Jejomar Binay fails to make political comeback
Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada
by Kristine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
MANILA — When Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada held the highest position in the land, he was dubbed as a populist president. The popularity of the action star turned politician did not dim amid an ouster in 2001 and a plunder conviction as he ran and won the Manila mayor seat in 2013. Fast forward 2019, the patriarch’s bid for re-election for the city’s leadership was foiled by his fellow actor turned politician, former Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Isko Moreno Domagoso. The political careers of his two sons seeking re-election in the Senate look bleak as well. At 5:53 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14, the partial and unofficial tally of the 2019 midterm polls showed no sign of re-election for incumbent Sen. JV Ejercito Estrada nor a comeback for former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. The patriarch’s fate As of 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Domagoso enjoyed a wide margin, receiving 348,425 votes cast against Estrada’s 204,084. Alfredo Lim, who similarly served as a Manila mayor in the past, earned 134,631 votes despite running under the Duterte-led PDP-Laban ruling party. But the clan patriarch did not want to accept defeat easily. He was quoted in an ABSCBN report as saying: “Bakit
Philstar.com photo
ako magko-concede? Talagang pri-noject ako. Lahat ng survey from the start panalo ako. Tapos ngayon biglang si Isko nanalo. (Why would I concede? They were targeting me. In all surveys, from the start, I was the winner but now Isko is suddenly the winner).” Sons fall back in Senate race The “Estrada” brand, a source of a riff between half-brothers JV Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada, was also not strong enough to get the two inside the winners’ circle. JV, whose legal name is Jose Victor Gomez Ejercito, previously acknowledged Jinggoy enjoys the edge of using the “Estrada” surname, the popular name of a political dynasty in San Juan City previously held by their father, Erap. For this year’s elections, JV opted to use the name “Ejercito Estrada JV” on the ballot and “JV Estrada” as a campaign nickname, in the hopes of capitalizing on the “brand.” The latest partial, unofficial tally from the Commission on Elections, however, showed both “Estradas” outside the Magic 12. JV is currently ranked at 13th while Jinggoy placed at 15th. Erap’s daughter, Jerika Estrada Ejercito, also failed to win the councilor’s seat for the fourth district of Manila. Grandchildren, nephews lose too In San Juan City, where the clan patriarch first built his political career in the 1960s, Erap’s
IBP sets ‘Bikoy’ investigation THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) is set to investigate how Peter Joemel Advincula or “Bikoy” gained access to the group’s headquarters in Pasig City to hold a news conference there on May 6, 2019. Incoming IBP president Domingo Egon Cayosa ordered a formal investigation after Kabalikat party-list asked the Supreme Court to sanction IBP President Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo and Cayosa for violation of Rule 1.02 of the Code of Professional Responsibility, which states that “a lawyer shall not counsel or abet activities at defiance of the law or at lessening confidence in the legal system.” The group, represented by Tomas Jose Cabrido, slammed the IBP leadership for allowing
Advincula to use the office and resources of the lawyers’ group in his press conference to attack President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. Cayosa said the probe would look into reports that some IBP officials sanctioned the press conference and determine if there were rules violated. “Be assured that we will responsibly do our job as elected leaders of the organization and safeguard the interests and integrity of the IBP,” Cayosa said in a statement. The IBP is under the supervision and control of the Supreme Court. This year, it will receive P100 million from Congress, through the high court, for its operations, primarily in giving legal aid. (Jomar Canlas/ManilaTimes.net)
by Javier ismael
Fifteen senators closed ranks and agreed to have Sotto replace Pimentel. They were Senators Loren Legarda, Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay, Emmanuel Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan 2nd, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, Cynthia Villar, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Richard Gordon, Ralph Recto, Mary Grace Poe and Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito. Last week, Sotto endorsed his Senate candidates — reelectionist senators Paolo “Bam” Aquino 4th, Angara, Binay, Ejercito, Pimentel, Poe and Villar. He also backed former senators Manuel “Lito” Lapid and Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano, and former top aide Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. n
Sotto ready to vacate post ManilaTimes.net
SENATE President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Monday, May 13, said he would vacate his post once his colleagues elect a new leader of the chamber in 18th Congress. “I serve at the pleasure of my peers. All you have to do is tell me that you have 13 votes and you can have my resignation as Senate President. Madali ‘yun (That’s easy). I have been here since 1992, I have witnessed eight or nine coup d’etat in the Senate, so I am familiar with how it’s done, the goings on,” said Sotto after casting his vote in Quezon City. Sotto took over the Senate leadership on May 21, 2018 after Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd stepped down.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III
ManilaTimes.net photo
brand also did not sway enough voters to bring Janella Estrada Ejercito to the mayor’s seat. Janella lost to Zamora by 10,000 votes. Meanwhile, Estrada’s nephew Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito suffered a loss at the gubernatorial race in the province of Laguna. Ejercito obtained only 390,543 votes, which were only half of those obtained by leading gubernatorial candidate Ramil Hernandez who got 815,246 votes. Another of Erap’s nephew, actor Gary Estrada also lost to Ace Servillon in the vice mayoral race in Cainta, Rizal by more than 40,000 votes. n
FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay lost his bid to represent the first district of Makati City at the House of Representatives. Former Makati Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña was proclaimed as Makati City’s first district representatives after gaining 71,035 votes in the 2019 midterm elections. Binay, who was seeking a political comeback after stepping down in 2016, only got 65,229 votes. Citing glitches in the voting process and alleged disenfranchisment of voters, the camp of Binay contested Peña’s victory as the latter won by more than 5,000
votes. Makati City Board of Canvassers, however, denied the appeal of the Binay camp and advised them to file an appeal before the Commission on Election en banc. In 2015, Peña took over as acting mayor of Makati City after the suspension of then Mayor Junjun Binay. The younger Binay was suspended over alleged irregularities in connection to the construction of the Makati City Hall Building 2 project. Peña used to be an ally of the Binays under the United Nationalist Alliance but had transferred to the Liberal Party. Meanwhile in the Makati City
Former Vice President Jejomar Binay Philstar.com photo by Mong Pintolo
mayoral race, Abby Binay retained her post with 179,522 votes, beating her brother Junjun who obtained 98,653 votes. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com)
A6 MAY 15-17, 2019 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
Ugly traditions must end
FEATURES
VOTE buying, according to President Rodrigo Duterte, is an “integral part” of Philippine elections. Having spent much of his adult life as a politician, the President must know whereof he speaks. He issued the statement in a chance interview, near the end of voting, when the Philippine National Police had arrested hundreds of people, including candidates and supporters, on charges of buying and selling votes. The president did say that vote buying is an election offense and violators would be prosecuted. But he said all candidates engage in some form of vote buying. Last week he said he saw nothing wrong with giving voters P50 each for their transport fare to and from the polling centers. He may be correct about vote buying being a tradition in this country, but this does not mean that people should stop trying to put an end to it. This is why laws were passed against buying and selling votes. What is lacking is enforcement. Candidates themselves should welcome the strict enforcement of the law, since it would mean lower expenses for them. Problems, however, crop up when the law is selectively enforced.
The country imposes tough penalties for election-related offenses, particularly for the relatively new crime of electoral sabotage. But if even one candidate with the right connections is allowed to break the law and regulations of the Commission on Elections, giving the candidate an edge over political opponents, then the floodgates are open for electoral offenses. The president has said that those arrested for buying and selling votes would face prosecution. People have taken the trouble of reporting cases of vote buying, believing that their complaints would be acted upon, as indicated by the Comelec. The PNP has done its part; now the prosecution service, which is under the executive, should pursue the cases. Candidates who engaged in buying votes must be disqualified and permanently barred from holding public office. Unless offenders are convicted and punished, vote buying will never stop. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Filipino American lawyer George Conway calls Trump a ‘malignant narcissist’ for approach on Mueller probe
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS PRESIDENT Donald Trump is yet again engaged in a Twitter war with Filipino American attorney and conservative leader George Conway, after the president declared the 22-month long Mueller probe, “sick and unlawful.” Conway has called out Trump more than the president’s enablers in Congress and in the administration — including his own wife, Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway — for being a “malignant narcissist” who could only view special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation “purely in terms of your own ego.” The Fil-Am lawyer argued that the actions Trump took in his own self-interest to win the 2016 presidential election against Hillary Clinton should be enough to remove him from office. Conway, known for his work in defending conservative principles, had been one of the most outspoken critics of Trump. He organized a group called “Checks and Balances” in November
2018, made up of more than a dozen members of the conservative-libertarian Federalist Society, which had been instrumental in selecting candidates for the Trump administration to appoint to federal courts. According to the report of The New York Times, “Checks and Balances” is “urging their fellow conservatives to speak up about what they say are the Trump administration’s betrayals of bedrock legal norms.” One of the members of the group, John Bellinger, contended that “Conservative lawyers are not doing enough to protect constitutional principles that are being undermined by the statements and actions of this president.” Conway had previously posted on Twitter that Trump has “narcissistic and anti-social personality disorders,” which allegedly incapacitate him in discharging the duties and obligations of the Office of the President. Trump replied on Twitter: “George Conway, often referred to as Mr. Kellyanne Conway by those who know him, is VERY
jealous of his wife’s success & angry that I, with her help, didn’t give him the job he so desperately wanted. I barely know him but just take a look, a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell!” Here is the thread of the Twitter war between Trump and Conway on May 12, 2019: TRUMP: “Think of it. I became President of the United States in one of the most hard fought and consequential elections in the history of our great nation. From long before I ever took office, I was under a sick & unlawful investigation concerning what has become known as the Russian…” “…Hoax. My campaign was being seriously spied upon by intel agencies and the Democrats. This never happened before in American history, and it all turned out to be a total scam, a Witch Hunt, that yielded No Collusion, No Obstruction. This must never be allowed to happen again!” CONWAY: “Think of it. The Russia investigation was a legitimate investigation, with a legit-
imate basis, into how a hostile foreign power tried to interfere with and undermine our democracy. It was in the best interests of the nation—in the interests of all Americans, no matter who …” “they voted for—that this investigation be allowed to proceed to its rightful conclusion, without improper attempts to obstruct it, if only so that we could all know what really happened and take steps to see that it never happens again. But because ….” “… you are a malignant narcissist—a person with both narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders—you couldn’t view it that way. Instead of complying with your oath of office, and instead of taking stock of what was in the best interests of…” “the nation whose Constitution and laws you swore to uphold, you viewed the matter purely in terms of your own ego: You viewed the investigation as casting doubt on what you perceive as your great election victory (in which your opponent garnered…”
“... nearly three million more votes than you did), and so you took multiple steps to obstruct, and repeatedly lied about, the investigation from the outset. Even today, despite the wellfounded assessments of the intelligence community, and despite the …” “... damning evidence laid out in the Mueller report, you refuse to take what the Russians did seriously. Instead, you continue to lie, calling the investigation a “hoax” and an “attempted coup,” and you didn’t even mention Russia’s …” “... conduct in your recent 90minute conversation with Putin, the man who seeks to undermine our institutions. Put simply, you put your own perceptions of your self-interest above the national interest, which you seem unable to comprehend or respect…” “... That is your greatest offense against the country, an offense that incorporates but vastly exceeds the statutory crimes you’ve committed. It is the ultimate high crime or misdemeanor under the Constitu-
tion, and under the Framers’ wise design,…” “... it is an offense for which you should pay with your office, regardless of whether you are ultimately brought to justice in the courts of law.” Last April, Conway said Trump’s misconduct was “worse” than the misconduct that led to former President Nixon’s resignation. KUDOS to George Conway for having the testicular fortitude to call out Trump for his transgressions against the country, something that his spineless enablers like his staff in the White House, his cabinet secretaries in the Executive Department, and the Republican leadership in Congress would not do because of their hawkish grip to power and personal political expediency and interests and power play. *** 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.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https:// www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
The CIA and Namfrel: Should this dog survive its scandalous past?
Commentary
YEN MAKABENTA ROLAND Simbulan’s lecture, “The CIA in Manila: the CIA’s Covert Operations and Hidden History in the Philippines” was delivered at the University of the Philippines Manila on Aug. 18, 2000. Simbulan opens the talk with these words: “For a long time, Manila was the main station, if not the regional headquarters, of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for Southeast Asia. This is perhaps so because the Philippines has always been regarded as a stronghold of U.S. imperial power in Asia. Since the Americanized Filipinos were under the spell of American culture, they were easy to recruit without their realizing they were committing treason to their own people and country.” “Easy to recruit,” “committing treason to their own people and country.” The lecture hurts at the get-go. It gets worse and worse as you read the entire story. Simbulan’s revelations are extensive and explosive. I will summarize here the key observations and highlights. Marcos rule and Marcos’ health 1. CIA human intelligence assets in Manila are said to have provided vital information to Washington at crucial times. According to declassified documents under the
Freedom of Information Act, on Sept. 17, 1972, a CIA asset in the Philippines who was in the inner circle of Marcos informed the CIA station in Manila that Ferdinand Marcos was planning to proclaim martial law on Sept. 21,1972. The CIA station in Manila was also provided in advance a copy of Proclamation 1081—the proclamation that declared martial law in the country. The CIA’s assessment of the Sept. 21, 1972 declaration of martial rule boosted the prestige of the CIA station in Manila. In 1982, the CIA was able to verify from a high-ranking Philippine immigration officer the names of the two doctors who visited the Philippines to treat Marcos for kidney failure, giving the CIA a clear picture of Marcos’ health problems. CIA goes beyond original mission 2. The CIA is the covert overseas intelligence agency of the United States government and is likewise an “action-oriented” vehicle of American foreign and military policy. The 1975 Church Committee Report of the U.S. congressional investigations into the CIA’s covert activities abroad revealed how countless foreign governments were overthrown by the CIA; how the CIA instigated a military coup d’état and assassinated foreign political leaders like Chilean President Salvador Allende, who merely tried to safeguard the interests of their own
country; and how “special ops” and paramilitary campaigns contributed to the death, directly or indirectly, of millions of people, as a result of those actions. The CIA has gone beyond its original mission of gathering intelligence and was conducting Mafia-type operations not only in its own territory but against foreign governments and their leaders. CIA covert action in the Philippines The CIA in the Philippines has engaged in countless covert operations for intervention and dirty tricks, particularly in Philippine domestic politics. On top of all this is the U.S. diplomatic mission, especially the political section that is a favorite cover for many CIA operatives. CIA front companies also provide an additional but convenient layer of cover for operatives assigned overseas. The agency’s assets and technical infrastructure in Manila were drastically affected by the withdrawal of the bases in 1992 because, before this, the CIA operated jointly with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) major listening posts into most of Indochina and southern China. The loss of the bases in the Philippines was a tremendous blow to the CIA’s Asian infrastructure, if not a major setback. Legitimation of colonial domination The U.S. places a high premium on the ideological legitima-
tion of its continuing neocolonial domination over the Philippines and, as such, depends heavily on U.S.-financed and U.S.-sponsored institutions, especially on the ideological front. Thus, grants are generously poured in by such agencies like USAid, National Endowment for Democracy, Asia Foundation and the big businesssponsored Ford Foundation. The objective is to constantly lure and lull the masses into the elitedominated electoral process, thus legitimizing the neoliberal economic system and its political apparatus, producing a fragile social peace and a “peaceful mechanism for competition among the Filipino elite and oligarchy.” CIA fronts in Manila Among the most prominent CIA fronts in Manila is the Asia Foundation with offices at Magallanes Village, Makati. According to a former U.S. State Department bureaucrat William Blum in a recent book, the “Asia Foundation is the principal CIA front” and funding conduit in Asia. The Asia Foundation funds and supports known anti-communist groups or influential personalities, i.e. academics, journalists, local officials and institutions. Simbulan said his interviews with former CIA operatives in the Philippines in 1996 confirm the active use of this foundation for the “Agency.” A complete cut-off after 1967, however, would have forced the foundation to shut down, so the agency made it the beneficiary of
a large “severance payment” in order to give it a couple of years to develop alternative sources of funding. Tancangco report In her 1992 book, The Tancangco Report: The Anatomy of Electoral Fraud (Matrix Manila, 1992), Luzviminda G. Tancangco, a former commissioner of the Commission on Elections, provides firsthand documentation on Namfrel’s work as a watchdog of Philippine elections. Because of its well-documented association with the CIA in the Philippines, Namfrel tried to scrub its history by alleging that it started election watching only in the snap elections in 1986. This way, it sought to wipe away its shadowy activities in previous national elections. But even the historical revisionism was insufficient for cleansing. In the 1986 snap elections, it promptly returned to its old ways. It became a partisan for the presidential campaign of Corazon Aquino. It took part in a plot to deprive Marcos of victory and propagandize a fictitious Cory Aquino victory. No matter what it did Namfrel could not credibly document the alleged Aquino victory in a way that would invalidate the official Comelec count of the votes, which saw Marcos as the victor. The most that the Aquino partisans could do was claim that Marcos had stolen the snap election. To this day, foreign correspon-
dents like Tony Lopez of the defunct Asiaweek, will swear that Marcos won the snap 1986 elections. Tancangco in her book documents Namfrel’s numeracy. She noted: “Comelec charged that Namfrel tabulated spurious election returns and that it withheld results from the Kilusan ng Bagong Lipunan bailiwicks. “Namfrel was finally charged with engaging in trending or extrapolation of results, and hiding of election returns favoring the KBL, and resorting to selective posting.” In the subsequent 1987 election, Tancangco noted a twist in the image of Namfrel. Its image as a countercheck on possible fraud by the ruling KBL as changed to that of a possible collaborator with the ruling coalition under the Aquino administration. The shortcomings of Namfrel as an election watchdog in the 1986 and 1987 elections are documented in the Tancangco Report. It could never attest to the credibility or accuracy of its election count. It had no authentication process in the various stages of vote tallying and vote aggregation. To this day, the questionable and incomplete Namfrel count is the only documentation available for Cory Aquino’s alleged victory in the February 1986 snap elections. Was Namfrel in 1986 still doing work for the CIA? Was it receiving U.S. funding?
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • MAy 15-17, 2019
A
Duterte ‘insult’ to journo meant to ‘intimidate targets’ — NUJP
President Rodrigo Duterte’s children: Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, Sara “Inday” Duterte-Carpio and Paolo “Pulong” Duterte.
Philstar.com photos
Dutertes cement grip on Davao City politics after a widely expected victory MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte’s three children won their respective races in local elections—a proof that the family’s hold on its southern bailiwick of Davao City politics is nowhere near over. As expected, Sara “Inday” Duterte-Carpio retained her post as the mayor of Davao City after overwhelmingly defeating her lone opponent Jun Marcellones. Carpio—running under Hugpong ng Pagbabago, the regional party she founded—obtained 570,499 votes as of 11:26 a.m. against independent bet Marcellones’ measly 4,190 votes. Her younger brother, Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, ran unopposed as vice mayor. He got 548,508 votes as of press time.
The Dutertes would once again penetrate the Congress with the victory of Paolo “Pulong” Duterte. The former Davao City vice mayor seized first legislative district seat of Davao City with 195,074 votes. The eldest child of the president tagged in illegal drug trade bested independent rivals Susan Uyanguren (5,081 votes) and Rex Labis (2,112 votes). Dutertes’ hold of Davao The widely-expected victory of the three Duterte siblings is seen to further cement the influential family’s reign in Davao City. “The wins speak of the high regard for the Dutertes in their home turf. Of course, this also means the entrenchment [of] the dynasty in the place,” political analyst Mon Casiple told Phil-
star.com in a text message. The elder Duterte, before becoming the most powerful man in the country, served three terms as mayor, three terms as vice mayor and one term as the representative of the city’s first district. Sara is eyed by some as the potential successor of his father in the 2022 presidential elections. On election day, the president advised his children to leave politics as he decried what he described as “paid hacks” and “hyenas” in the media who are “dishing out lies.” “The earlier that they go out of politics, the better,” the president told reporters after casting his vote in Davao City. (Gaea Katreena Cabico/Philstar.com)
Vico Sotto ends Eusebios’ 27-year hold on Pasig
MANILA — After 27 years of the Eusebio clan dominating Pasig City, a new name will take over the city’s leadership — Vico Sotto. Sotto, an incumbent councilor, won the mayoral race against incumbent Mayor Robert “Bobby” Eusebio of the Nacionalista Party. As of posting time, Sotto is expecting an official proclamation from the Commission on Elections. “Sulit po ang pagod at effort natin. Narinig na ng bayan ang ating tinig,” he writes on Facebook past 5 a.m. on Tues-
day, May 14. The 29-year Pasig mayor-elect is a Political Science graduate from Ateneo de Manila University. He is the son of actors Vic Sotto and Coney Reyes. In the congressional race for the lone district of Pasig, Roman Romulo won against incumbent Rep. Richard Eusebio. Both Sotto and Romulo are candidates from Aksyon Demokratiko party. As of 4:20 a.m., 93.74% of precincts in the city have transmitted results to the Comelec. The Pasig City Board of Canvassers granted
the motion of the camp of Sotto and Romulo to lower the threshold of the proclamation to 90%. The latest update from the transparency server showed Sotto has garnered 202,403 votes against Bobby Eusebio’s 117,063 votes. Romulo claimed a landslide victory with 210,837 against Richard Eusebio, who got 92,089 votes. Unopposed vice mayor bet Iyo Christian Bernardo of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan claimed his victory with 253,607 as of 2:46 a.m.. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com)
MANILA — The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines on Tuesday, May 14, said President Rodrigo Duterte’s insult to veteran journalist Ellen Tordesillas and other members of the press was meant to “intimidate his targets.” “There is no question Duterte’s tiresome habit of spewing personal insults is intended to intimidate his targets into silence or submission,” the NUJP said in a statement. “His are the tactics of the thug who resorts to the bludgeon because he cannot reason, even then he fails miserably,” they added. Duterte vouched for the credibility of the latest diagram of people, including Tordesillas and other journalists, allegedly plotting against him on Monday. “The matrix is true, also that on ‘Bikoy,’” Duterte told reporters in a mix of English and Filipino, in a chance interview after he cast his vote in Davao City. He, however, declined to go
into details of the supposed ouster plot and said that he would rather have presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo answer more of the reporters’ question so that his words would not be twisted. The president did not cite evidence to substantiate the claim of a conspiracy. Duterte resorts to insulting than explaining ‘matrix’ The NUJP hit Duterte for resorting to insult Tordesillas when he could not explain the supposed ouster “matrix” against him. “Once again, the foul-mouthed misogynist who is the leader of our nation turns to personal insults when he will not or, most likely, cannot offer a credible explanation to his badly concoct and fictitious accusations against critics,” the statement further read. While Duterte referred the media to his spokesperson for “equivocal” issues such as the matrix, he however vented his ire at Tordesillas, VERA Files
president and called her a prostitute. The veteran journalist dismissed Duterte’s latest tirade against her and said the firebrand leader resorts to vulgar words due to lack of evidence to prove the supposed ouster plot. “Since Duterte does not have evidence to support his silly matrix, he is now resorting to vulgarity—the only language he knows,” she said in a statement. The president also insinuated that other journalists are paid hacks, receiving payment from “Western.” But the NUJP stood by Tordesillas and other journalists who received Duterte’s ire. “Mr. Duterte may choose to ignore the lessons of history but does so at his own peril. But of one thing we are sure, as history has amply proven. Despots come and eventually go. The truth and freedom will always outlast them,” the journalists’ group also said. (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.com)
News exec, 2 others indicted for libel by Edu
Punay Philstar.com
MANILA — Government prosecutors have indicted a news executive and two journalists of ABS-CBN for libel over statements against their colleague, showbiz reporter Gretchen Fullido, on the sexual harassment complaint she filed against the network executives. A complaint for violation of Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code was filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court against Venancio Borromeo, executive producer of news program Bandila, former Bandila anchor Ces Drilon and former showbiz reporter Marie Lozano. In three separate resolutions issued on April 29, prosecutors found probable cause to indict the three for libel. After preliminary investigation, prosecutors held that the defendants acted in bad faith when they made statements against Fullido during the network’s internal investigation on her sexual harassment complaint against former news executive Cheryl Favila and segment producer
Former Bandila anchor Ces Drilon and former showbiz reporter Marie Lozano. Philstar.com photos
Maricar Asprec. In her affidavit, Drilon said she witnessed Fullido laugh off and disregard side comments from male “TV Patrol” anchors on the complainant’s “body, manner of dress or behavior,” which she felt constituted sexual harassment. Drilon also stated that she heard Fullido saying she “was willing to wear a bikini with an inflatable pool and bubbles on ‘TV Patrol’ to increase its ratings.” The prosecutors explained that Drilon “jumped into conclusion that the complainant could easily ignore such unpleasant acts, as if she welcomed the same.”
Lozano and Borromeo described Fullido’s filing of a harassment complaint as a “form of blackmail, knowing that others could take her place, especially since she had never produced quality work.” The resolutions were approved by Quezon City prosecutor Vimar Barcellano. With the filing of the cases in court, the prosecutors said warrants are expected to be issued for the arrest of the defendants. Last year, Fullido filed a complaint for sexual harrassment against Favila and Asprec for allegedly sending her text messages requesting for sexual favors. n
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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal
Economists still project above 6% Philippines to import more growth for Philippines this year rice despite higher production by LouiSe
Maureen Philstar.com
Prakash Sakpal, economist for Asia at ING Bank, said the government’s six to seven percent growth target is still achievable. Philstar.com file photo due to the delayed approval of for positive growth but may be inby Lawrence agcaoiLi Philstar.com
ECONOMISTS still expect the Philippines to post a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of above six percent this year despite a slower growth of only 5.6 percent in the first quarter. Prakash Sakpal, economist for Asia at ING Bank, said the government’s six to seven percent growth target is still achievable. “On technical grounds, it’s possible as a more favorable base effect at work in the remainder of the year. After accounting for the first quarter dip, our full-year 2019 growth forecast still remains above six percent,” Sakpal said. The GDP expansion in the first quarter, Sakpal said, was against consensus and ING’s estimates of six percent and 5.9 percent, respectively. “The first quarter figure is a sharp dip from the 6.3 percent growth in the previous quarter and will go down as the slowest pace of growth in the last four years,” Sakpal said. Weak government spending
the 2019 budget shaved off 0.3 percentage points from the GDP growth, while a bigger hit of two percentage points came from higher trade deficit Sakpal said firmer private consumption and investments offset some of the decline but not sufficiently enough to keep GDP growth within the government’s target for the year. Security Bank chief economist Robert Dan Roces said the decision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to slash interest rates by 25 basis points and the impending reduction of the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) could boost economic growth. “Against these backdrops, we still expect full year GDP growth to be above six percent, but we now see greater upside risks to our inflation and dollar-peso forecasts. A data dependent BSP will definitely take stock of its progrowth stance and consider an RRR cut sooner,” Roces said. Roces added interest rate cuts should encourage borrowing in order to spend, thereby pushing
flationary in nature. “We think that an RRR cut is more positive for economic growth as domestic liquidity and aggregate demand could be better augmented by this policy action, especially in light of the subsix percent GDP growth rate and low money supply growth,” Roces said. On the other hand, Fitch Solutions said the country’s GDP growth could fall below six percent this year due to the heightened trade tension between the U.S. and China. “We forecast the economy to grow 6.1 percent in 2019, down from 6.2 percent in 2018, but note a lack of a resolution or an escalation of trade tensions could mean growth comes in below six percent for the year,” Fitch Solutions said. The research arm of Fitch Group also noted results of the mid-term elections on May 13 could see President Duterte gain a majority within the Senate and boost the outlook for policy formation and implementation. n
SiMeon
AMID a new rice regime, the Philippines is seen increasing its imports for the year to 2.8 million metric tons despite an expected improvement in local production of Filipinos’ main staple. The Philippines is seen sourcing some 2.8 million MT as additional imports are set following policy changes removing quantitative restrictions on the basic commodity. In the latest report of the United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS), this year’s importation is 47 percent higher than the 1.9 million MT imports in 2018. The latest projection is also higher than the earlier 2.6 million MT forecast for the Philippines. “The quantitative restrictions on rice imports have been replaced with tariffs, with a tariff advantage for the ASEAN member countries. Consumption is expected to rise on both abundant local supplies and relatively lowpriced imports,” USDA said. “There are rapid purchases amid new import policies,” it added. With the latest forecast, the Philippines is still setting record levels in terms of buying rice in the world market as it remains to be the second-largest global importer this year, next to China with an estimated four million MT of rice imports. Two months ago, Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Import Liberalization Law took effect, which replaced rice import quantitative restrictions with tariffs and re-
The Philippines is seen sourcing some 2.8 million MT as additional imports are set following policy changes removing quantitative restrictions on the basic commodity. Philstar.com file photo
verted the Minimum Access Volume to its 2012 levels. Rice is a staple food in the country and the law is intended, in part, to spur imports in order to quell domestic unrest caused by inflation. Higher imports are also expected despite a significant increase in local output as domestic consumption remains to be on upward trend. Production of milled-rice this year is seen inching up by two percent to 12.2 million MT from the 12 million MT in 2018. Further, rice consumption has been raised to 14.45 million MT from 13.9 million MT as rising food prices are forcing less affluent Filipinos to consume more rice and less meat and vegetables. USDA said there is an improvement in area planted as rice areas in 2019 will be at 4.85 million hectares, one percent higher
than the 4.81 million hectares last year. Yield is also expected to improve to 3.99 metric tons per hectare per harvest from the earlier 3.96 MT. Meanwhile, global rice production this year is forecast down with smaller crops in top-producing countries of China and India. In contrast, global consumption is forecast to rise, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where affordable Asian rice is growing as a staple for a rising population. Global trade is forecast at a nearrecord level, with India continuing to dominate exports. Notably, while China is the top importer, it has also grown in prominence as a significant exporter. Global stocks are up, with China accounting for 68 percent of the total. The increase in stocks, both globally and in China, is the smallest in a decade. n
software attack as gaming is an object of attack for ransomware, exploitation or just pure theft.” The response to cybersecurity attacks is that there are already good investors in cybersecurity, response, detection, protection, and recovery, along with financial services, infrastructure, and
government, the IBM executive said. The Philippines is ranked 37th out of 165 countries in the 2017 United Nations Global Cybersecurity Index and 58th out of 175 countries in a 2018 index by the International Telecommunication Union. n
BPO, gaming important industries in PH – IBM exec by aric John
Sy cua Manilatimes.net
An executive from technology giant IBM said the business process outsources (BPO) and gaming industries are important in cybersecurity in the Philippines. Malcolm Rowe, IBM business unit executive for Southeast Asia, said in a roundtable discussion earlier this week that the BPO and gaming industries are “big investors” to Philippine cybersecurity, investments, services, and activities. “The BPO industry is a global business and it’s a significant contributor to [Philippine] big business,” Rowe said. “It’s a critical global industry and it is highly vulnerable to a bit down because it is 24/7, depends on the internet and huge amounts of ports of entry. That’s an area which has invested significantly in cybersecurity services and cybersecurity software and continues to do so for the obvious reasons.” Rowe also pointed that gaming, the other industry, is subject to
Manilatimes.net file photo
Gov’t probes low tax take
Collection from new excise on sugary drinks, VAT fell short of targets by Ben
o. de Vera Inquirer.net
EVEN as the total net revenues during the first year of implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act were above-target, collections from the new excise on sugary drinks and value-added tax (VAT) fell short of the goal, prompting a government audit. In a May 9 report on the TRAIN Law’s 2018 revenue performance, the Department of Finance (DOF) said “the biggest shortfalls are seen in the excise on sweetened beverages and VAT (P43.4 billion less).” The latest DOF data showed that the excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages had been programmed to reach P54.5 billion last year, but actual collections amounted to only P42.6 billion—P39.8 billion collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on top of P2.8 billion from the Bureau of Customs. “Sweetened beverage excise is short by P11.9 billion as the industry claims that no high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been used since Jan. 1, 2018. HFCS-sweetened beverages are taxed at P12 a liter, instead of P6 a liter,” the DOF explained. The TRAIN Law took effect on Jan. 1 last year. “The BIR is conducting an audit to ascertain this claim. At the same time, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is also in the process of verifying if firms did submit applications to reformulate from HFCS to regular sugar. This is required before firms can legally market a new formulation,” the DOF said.
Meanwhile, the shortfall in VAT collections was a bigger P31.5 billion as actual revenues reached just P7.7 billion against the P39.2billion goal. “The main reason cited by the BOC is that there are only eight industries (power transmission, jewelries and government instrumentalities namely the Philippine Sports Commission, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, People’s Television Network, the University of the Philippines, the National Museum, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) that reported importation, which is now VAT-able. On the other hand, the BIR reported that bulk of the VAT incremental revenue is attributed to the VAT on interest liabilities of Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp.,” the DOF said. “The shortfall in VAT is also evident in overall BIR VAT revenues, which declined by 2 percent and are short by P68 billion in 2018, compared to target. One reason for this is the surge in imports that adds to input VAT claims in the BIR, hence lower VAT revenues. The DOF’s ROG (Revenue Operations Group) and the BIR are looking into the reasons for this overall low performance,” it added. Last January, the BIR announced that it would audit percentage tax payments to see if there were taxpayers taking advantage of the lower VAT-exempt threshold for small businesses under the TRAIN Law. Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay had said the BIR would “monitor selected taxpayers on their compliance with the TRAIN Law through pre-audit of percentage tax payments by tax-
payers that changed registration from VAT to non-VAT as a result of the increase in [tax-exempt] threshold.” To recall, the TRAIN Law raised the exemption threshold for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from P1.9 million previously. DOF officials had said that those paying VAT before shifted to paying percentage tax, but collections from the latter had also been lower than target. DOF data showed that the TRAIN targets for donor, estate and financial taxes also fell short last year. But overall, last year’s actual additional revenues from the new or higher taxes slapped under the TRAIN Law of P68.4 billion exceeded the government’s P63.3billion target by 8.1 percent. For Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, the passage of the TRAIN Law was a great success. “Our main revenue agencies responded very well to the tax reform law. We have overperformed on our targets. In its first year of implementation, TRAIN achieved 108 percent of its revenue target. This demonstrates the revenue sustainability that is crucial to strengthening our fiscal position,” Dominguez told DOF employees during the agency’s 122nd anniversary celebration last week. Also, Dominguez noted that the TRAIN Law “broadened the tax base and returned about P111 billion—the equivalent of a 14th month pay—to the pockets of 99 percent of our wageworkers,” which “reflected in a spike in consumer demand that helped boost the domestic economy.” n
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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 15, 2019
‘Yellow Rose’: An honest, visceral exploration on the complicated definition of ‘American’ Filipina American Diane Paragas’ coming-of-age immigration drama awarded Grand Jury Prize at three film festivals in a row film. It’s an incredible thing to see in someone who has never undocumented youth who acted in a feature film before,” know no other country and Salonga told the Asian Jourculture than the one they were nal in a recent interview. “It’s brought to. Paragas — who often not easy to see actors be grew up in Lubbock, Texas able to shift their styles from — said that country music was stage to screen so seamlessly, always meant to be the embut Eva’s acting works well for blem of the film, a subversion both. She was a treat to work of what popular music is within with.” the Filipino community. Salonga pointed out that The politicization of films Rose as a disciple of country today in the age of Trump music contrasts the popular has become ubiquitous, and music trends within the Filipino oftentimes it fails to effectively and Filipino American commucapture the human element on nities who lean more towards a granular level. But Paragas’ hip-hop, pop and R&B genfilm successfully takes the res, noting that country music topical issue of immigration “comes from left field, but in and turns it into a coming-ofthe most wonderful way.” age story that feels relevant Currently, “Yellow Rose” but not preachy. Taking the is on a very successful festival undocumented experience circuit, which puts it in prime on a granular level affords the position for wider release and story to feel multipurpose that distribution. At the LAAPFF, it resonates with anyone who has won the Grand Jury Prize on ever felt they don’t belong in May 10, and on May 11 and certain spaces. 12, it won the Grand Jury Prize In the age where there’s at the Bentonville Film Festival a louder call for narrative and in Arkansas (actress Geena casting representation in the Davis’ film festival that focuses stories we see on screen, “Yel- on inclusion in Hollywood) and low Rose” serves an important the Center for Asian American role in that shift. Media Festival (CAAM) in San “Yellow Rose” is a reminder Francisco, respectively. for Filipino Americans who may “Being a filmmaker is like or may not have been born in being a parent. You gestate the Philippines but grew up in it. You raise money for it. You the United States that they are love it and you think ‘God, I seen, that they are heard and just wish the world would love that their dreams matter just as my baby.’ And sometimes they much as anyone else’s. do and sometimes they don’t,” Everything about Rose is Paragas said after her three subversive to multiple facets of wins. “So those filmmakers out not only American culture, but there who think ‘everyone’s popular Filipino and Filipino going to think my baby’s ugly. American culture. In a song she Nobody’s going to like it’ – it writes in the movie, the opendoesn’t matter. You made a ing lines “square peg, round baby and it’s beautiful, and it hole” emulate feelings of isola- has a place in this world.” tion that extend even beyond “It didn’t feel like just my the undocumented community, moment. It felt like a Filipino viscerally portrayed by Noblemoment. Getting not one, not zada who delivered a stunning two, but three standing ovaperformance throughout the tions was crazy! I’m so happy film. and I do hope it helps get “[Noblezada] has a very cin- this movie out in a big way in ematic way of acting that’s so America and across the world,” subtle that it works so well for Paragas added.
By Klarize Medenilla / AJPress THE much-anticipated feature film “Yellow Rose” by Filipina American filmmaker Diane Paragas premiered at the opening night of the 35th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) on Thursday, May 2. “Yellow Rose” takes place in East Texas and tells the story of a 17-year-old Filipina named Rose (masterfully played by two-time Tony Award-nominated Eva Noblezada in her feature film debut) who struggles with her identity as her mother Priscilla (Princess Punzalan) is detained by immigration officials. Throughout the film, Rose is tasked with finding a safe place to stay (at one point she stays with her estranged Tita Gail, played by Lea Salonga) while avoiding ICE so that she can stay in the only country she has ever called home. All the while, Rose is figuring out who she is and she can harness her inherent musical talent to see her dreams of becoming a country music star realized. She meets people along the way who see her potential, including country star Dale Watson who helps propel Rose as a songwriter and performer. There are fewer things more American than country music which makes the genre a fitting backdrop for the story of Rose, who, for all intents and purposes is as American as they come. She speaks with an East Texas twang. She wears bootcut blue jeans and cowboy boots. She idolizes Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton and writes songs that are reminiscent of the country genre of yore a la Lynn and Parton. (The film features original songs written by Noblezada, Paragas and Watson.) Spiritually Rose is American, but not on paper, an experience shared by so many
Tony Award-nominated actress Eva Noblezada stars as Rose in “Yellow Rose.”
Noblezada as Rose and Lea Salonga, who plays Tita Gail.
Noblezada as Rose and Liam Booth as love interest Elliot.
Director Diane Paragas on the set of “Yellow Rose.”
Photo courtesy of Diane Paragas
Princess Punzalan plays Rose’s mother, Priscilla.
Julia: Solo act
following Julia’s Instagram, you’d know by her photos that it’s a charming little city, seemingly unaffected by the trappings of modern life. It’s the best place to escape to and relearn a few things — for Julia, it was a locato mention a legion of followers, tion free of distractions, which allowed her to focus on work and as a tandem. As Julia ventures into a new phase of her career as herself. “It was quiet. It was easier to a solo actress, she reflects on the relationship and the whole Josh- get things done. It was also winter; maybe that also made things Lia phenomenon with gratitude. lighter. It got really cold, though “It’s nice to get to share the — but I’d rather be cold!” she journey and watch both of our says with a laugh. “There was dreams come true, be there for just so much teamwork beeach other and help each other out. I’m grateful for that opportu- cause we all had to help each nity to just have somebody to run other, given that we were only to because you’re going through 20 people, compared to being in the Philippines and working with the exact same thing and same a hundred-plus people. I gained season in life… To have somenew friends and a new family. It’s body’s hand to hold.” the best thing that happened to Then she’s quick to clarify: me this year, so far.” She adds, “But it’s not like it’s gone!” For “Between Maybes”, Julia “Honestly I would even consider worked alongside Gerald Ander- going back to Saga, to see it again.” son, whose character she meets A new phase and eventually falls in love with in Working on a movie outside Japan. Julia shares, “It was someof JoshLia was a learning experithing that had been decided on ence for the actress. “There’s a even before they went on with world out there that you should the love team. It was met about, go and explore. Get out of it was talked about, and it was a mutual decision to be open to do your comfort zone. Take some solo films with other people. But risks. Have faith in yourself,” she shares. “I think I’m in a stage of the love team remains. You go reinvention. I am constantly lookout and do something, but you go home to the same person and ing for change; at the same time, I’m glad I am being given these do films again.” opportunities where I could The actress shares that filming in Japan was one of the best improve and better myself, learn experiences of her career. Work- more about my craft. In trials, triumphs, success, you learn so ing on a movie, in the winter, on a Japanese island? Why wouldn’t much.” Part of this new outlook is it be? The film was shot in idyllic a renewed focus on herself, on Saga, a city in Kyushu. If you’re
Julia Barretto is ready to stand on her own as an actress by Chonx
TiBajia Philstar.com
THIRTEEN years an actor, Julia Barretto — now 22 — was born into celebrity and started following in the footsteps of her parents at age 10. That gives her some kinship with Hazel, the character she plays in her latest film, “Between Maybes”. In the Black Sheep production, she plays a famous actress who escapes to Japan to regain control over her life, which is not an unlikely scenario in this day and age, especially for someone constantly in the spotlight. “I feel like everybody goes through the same thing at some point,” shares Julia. “I definitely relate to my character in so many ways. Maybe just going through that phase in your life when you want to escape and try new things, find peace and clarity. No matter how far we go, though, we always end up going back home.” For quite some time now, “home” for the young actress, apart from her family, has been JoshLia, her award-winning partnership — or, as we call it in here on our shores, love team — with actor Joshua Garcia. While some might presume being paired up at such a young age would be counterproductive, the opposite is true for JoshLia, which has In her latest film “Between Maybes,” Julia Barretto plays a famous actress who escapes to Japan to regain control over her life. Philstar.com photo by Regina David collectively gained projects, not
Photos courtesy of August Thurmer
self-love. “Just recently, I learned to reprioritize my soul. I didn’t feel like that was important up until a few months back. I think it’s really important to surround yourself with good people because you feed off of their energy. People around you mold you also, so you have to be careful.” As she enters a new phase in her career, possibly opening new doors to more solo projects, the invigorated actress carries with her a maturity that even she is surprised by. “I started out so young,” she says. “I had no choice but to mature so that I could understand situations and find solutions to them. At 22, you’re not supposed to be worrying about so many things, but I feel like I have goals that I have achieved and then goals just get added and added. It just doesn’t stop. Your life can change in a week, in a month, and it’s crazy because I can’t believe how much change can happen in such a short time. So my perspective on love, life and work constantly changes. That’s what’s scary — it keeps changing and then you keep having to adjust and you keep surprising yourself.” With her entire career ahead of her and as a self-confessed workaholic, the actress has no plans of escaping from work anytime soon. But if she did, where would she go? “Maybe the ocean with one friend,” she shares. That should be enough for JoshLia fans to rest assured that, no matter how far her career takes her, there will always be home.
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 15, 2019
Mariel Rodriguez announces baby no. 2 with Robin Padilla Robin are happy that she is pregnant again. “Today, I am so happy to HOST Mariel Rodriguez share with all of you isang espeannounced that she is pregnant syal na balita na nalaman namin with her second baby with husng asawa ko a few months ago. band Robin Padilla. Si Isabella ay magiging ate na. I During the Mother’s Day am three months pregnant with special of her noontime show, baby number two,� Mariel said. “It’s Showtime,� Mariel recount“Ngayon pa lang, gusto ed her journey to motherhood, ko talagang magpasalamat sa saying she thought Mother’s inyong lahat na alam ko kasama Day back then was just an ordiko po kayong magdadasal, nary day. magmamahalan sa suporta,� she “A few years ago, kapag added. Mother’s Day, akala ko isa siyang Mariel also posted on her Inordinaryong araw. And kasama stagram a photo of her showing ko kayo madlang pipol sa her baby bump while wearing a journey ko. From heartbreaking yellow dress. losses until finally I had my baby “The perfect Mother’s Day girl, my Isabella. Doon ko po gift. Hello baby #2,� she capnalaman na iba po talaga ang tioned the photo. hirap at ang saya ng pagiging After Mariel previously isang ina,� Mariel said. suffered miscarriage, she and She also took the opportuRobin welcomed their first baby Mariel Rodriguez nity to announce that she and in 2016. Photo from Instagram/@marieltpadilla
!NTI AGING IS JUST NOT CORRECTING BUT PREVENTING FUTURE DAMAGE TOO
by JAN
MILO SEVERO Philstar.com
Zsa Zsa not giving up on (delayed) wedding
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by RICKY LO Philstar.com
IF Zsa Zsa Padilla has started to sound like a broken record when asked about her (muchdelayed) wedding, it’s understandable because of a stumbling block beyond her control. Asked if she has given up on the possibility of (finally!) marching down the aisle, Zsa Zsa said, “No, but it has taken a while to finalize all legal papers, especially on my end.� It’s on record that the same “legal impediment� has prevented Zsa Zsa from marrying Dolphy, her late beloved, and now she’s officially free to realize her long-cherished dream. (A Funfare source confirmed that Zsa Zsa’s marriage to Dr. Modesto Tatlonghari has been annulled.) According to unconfirmed reports, Zsa Zsa and her current flame Conrad Onglao (first marriage annulled) are eyeing Italy as the venue of their wedding. (Note: Zsa Zsa’s re-
Despite unexpected stumbling blocks, Zsa Zsa Padilla is excited about her and sweetheart Conrad OnglaoĘźs wedding (in Italy?). It will be a long-delayed dream come true. Photos courtesy of Zsa Zsa Padilla
ported marriage to a Japanese turned out to be fake, a hoax, and Zsa Zsa was the last to learn about it.) Meanwhile, let’s hear it from Zsa Zsa: Have you ever wondered why you are called Divine Diva (how “divine� are you)? “The title was given to me
by Martin Nievera when we did a concert at Araneta Coliseum called Divine Madness. How divine am I? I’m as human as can be.� You have different repertoire in your concerts and what one or two songs do you include all the time? Continued on Page 5
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entertainment ‘The Sun is Also a Star’ author Nicola Yoon, actors Charles Melton and Jake Choi shine light on immigrant stories, Asian American visibility
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 15, 2019
by Christina
M. Oriel
AJPress
CAN two individuals fall in love in a day? Does destiny exist? These are some of the questions put forth by “The Sun is Also a Star,” an upcoming movie based on the young adult novel of the same name by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Nicola Yoon. The story revolves around Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi, “Grown-ish”), a Jamaican-born, aspiring physicist who considers New York her home. On the day before she and her family are to be deported, she catches the attention of Korean American Daniel Bae (Charles Melton, “Riverdale”), a hopeless romantic and poet who poses the question: “What if I told you that I could get you to fall in love with me? Just give me a day.” In their hours together, the young pair weave through different New York neighborhoods and quickly fall in love as told through a dreamy narrative under the direction of Ry RussoYoung and cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw. Though centered on a teenage couple, the film tackles themes — from immigration to living up to family’s expectations to the second-generation American experience — that will resonate beyond any age or racial group. With deportation such a hot topic today, “The Sun is Also a Star” takes a look at how communities that we don’t normally see in the media are affected by this issue. Ahead of the release of “The Sun is Also a Star” on May 17, we spoke to Yoon and Melton, as well as Jake Choi (who plays Daniel’s older brother Charlie), during their stop in San Francisco about telling multi-layered immigrant stories and Asian American visibility. Asian Journal (AJ): Nicola, congratulations on your book being turned into a movie.
what you hear at the beginning of the film: may each day be today, may each day never end, but if it does, may it dawn into today. For the character...I really lived in his shoes and it was something that inspired me as a human being, as a version of myself that I portrayed. To really let go as an actor is a dream. AJ: Daniel’s older brother Charlie is an interesting character during the moments he’s on screen. It’s relatable for many Asian Americans to try to be more “Americanized” and we “The Sun is Also a Star” author Nicola Yoon and Jake Choi, who plays Charlie Bae in the film version. AJPress photos by Christina M. Oriel see that with Charlie going by his American name and hiding his Korean heritage. Jake Choi (JC): Charlie has a lot of self-hate and it comes from a lot of things — from being ridiculed about being Asian…to his immigrant parents being very passive and putting their head down and not standing up for themselves when there are people who antagonize them for being Asian. What it does instead of you embracing your Asian identity with pride, you push it away. CM: To feed off of what you’re saying, in the book, which we’ve read and done our work Charles Melton, Nicola Yoon and Jake Choi during press interviews for “The Sun is Also a Star” in San in, there’s a scene when Charlie Francisco on Wednesday, May 8. and Daniel are around 7 and 8 ment we see Daniel on screen, years old and Daniel is hangWhat was it like seeing your ing out with his white friends. he’s speaking Korean. writing come to life on screen There’s a moment when I was Charles Melton (CM): I’m and Charles and Jake embodyreading it when it really painted very honored to be part of the ing the characters [of Daniel a picture of the relationship story and to tell a story where a and Charlie]? because...my character goes up lot of people are not aware of Nicola Yoon (NY): The word to Charlie and starts speaking the Asian and Korean culture. I always use is surreal because Correct me if I’m wrong, Nicola, Korean and calls him ‘hyeong.’ it just is. When you’re writing, but that poem that I’m saying at There’s this disconnect because you’re in your room by yourthe beginning, David [Yoon, Nic- the white kids are wondering self and writing by hand…it’s ola’s husband] wrote it….There’s ‘what is he saying?’ because miserable sometimes... and you they were unfamiliar with the a unique thing that people eventually revise it and it goes culture. Charlie is embarrassed aren’t aware of with the Korean into the world. You get super because he has this facade with language — it’s a very poetic lucky by getting something like his friends. language. Writing something this to happen to you. I feel like JC: ‘Hyeong’ means older in English, when translated into I’m walking on clouds. brother in Korean so I think just Korean, is completely different. AJ: Charles, this is your his younger brother coming up Like any other language, this is first major film and you’re the to him and saying something all universal. The translator said star. What was the process of that’s very organic for him is very it was the hardest thing for her getting into Daniel’s character embarrassing. But the thing is, ever to translate via text from and to play someone also of in the book and the script, he English into Korean, and that’s Korean descent? The first mo-
(L-R) Yara Shahidi as Natasha Kingsley and Charles Melton as Daniel Bae in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures’ romantic drama “The Sun is Also a Star,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima
pushes his Korean culture away but interesting for me and my character work was, he’s actually pretty fluent in Korean for the movie but he chooses not to speak it. You’ll see that he is fluent during a very explosive scene between Charlie and Daniel. AJ: What was it like punching each other during that one heated scene? JC: [laughs] It was so much fun. I wish we could have done that for a couple more days. We’re both former athletes so anything active and physical is always fun, but of course in a very safe environment. That was a really, really fulfilling, draining, emotionally satisfying scene to film. CM: It doesn’t matter how much you rehearse. When you get to the set and when it comes game time, things are going to be different…One thing that’s very vital as an actor is trust. You can be unfamiliar, but if you trust, there’s this openness and being present. We had that in this scene. After each take, we were just hugging each other and saying, ‘I love you’ and ‘I trust you.’ It was just beautiful and organic and it was a lot of fun filming that scene. JC: And you know how I know it was great after every take? Ry, the director, would come up and she had tears in her eyes. Not just a tear, but actual tears in her eyes that you could see coming down. AJ: “The Sun is Also a Star” book is catered toward young adults and Charles and Yara are icons in teenage pop culture at the moment. A lot of themes and topics in the book and movie are so heavy and relevant to what’s happening politically today. What kinds
of conversations do you want families to have when they’re watching the movie? NY: A couple of things — just an openness to the world. I believe that we’re not so different. The person across the way that doesn’t look like you and doesn’t share your language or religion, they’re the same. The differences are fine but they don’t make a difference. If we could take that, that would be awesome. If we could look at immigrants as being people just like any other citizen, that would also be lovely. Also, love is all there is. JC: There are very demeaning, dehumanizing stereotypes attached to black women and Asian men. Casting a black woman and an Asian man to be the leads and love interests, who are very well fleshed out, will help to sort of eradicate those. It’s not going to happen overnight, but I think that would be my takeaway for someone who has these subconscious biases to say, ‘okay, they are human too.’ CM: It’s amazing to do what we do as artists. For example, reading Nicola’s book, I’m Daniel and I’m Charlie or I’m Natasha in ways. As an actor, it’s great to escape in a movie theater and watch and say, ‘that could be me.’ Our first sense is sight so to see someone who may look like us is humbling, and it’s an honor to be a part of this. AJ: This past year alone, we’ve seen more Asian representation, whether it was “Crazy Rich Asians” or “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” How can the Asian American community and viewers come out and support and make this another box office hit? JC: Spend your money, buy the tickets and spread it by word Continued on Page 5
‘The Sun is Also a Star’ author...
From Page 4 of mouth. We know the movie is great and trust that. When you have a good product, you gotta share it. NY: It’s a great love story and we get to see people we don’t always see on screen. I’m all for super cute Asian boys in every-
thing [laughs]. CM: It’s an aspirational love story with so many timely and universal themes that I feel like no matter where you are in the world or where you may be with your own ideas of love or what race you are, you can walk away finding a part of your story in
this film, which is done so well. Warner Bros.’ “The Sun Is Also a Star,” lands in theaters nationwide May 17, 2019. This film has been rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and language. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Zsa Zsa not giving up on...
From Page 3 “Two songs that people always love to hear are my originals, Kahit Na by Willy Cruz and Hiram by George Canseco.” What song do you sing to Conrad at home? “I don’t really make him listen to me sing. But we listen to Spotify Top Hits during our weekend trips to Lucban where we are building a farm. I always smile when he sings a few lines from current songs.” How are you affected, if ever, when Conrad is in the audience? “He inspires me so I am very happy when he is part of an audience.”
Which singer are you “afraid” to perform with and why? “Working at ASAP for so many years have taught me to be a team player. So, I think I have worked with most musicians. In the show, I also get to work with the new generation of singers.” Any embarrassing incident during a concert? “I have had my share of incidents. I performed with a broken zipper and a broken shoe heel but I didn’t let it bother me. I just made jokes about it during the performance. “I’ve also had my share of hecklers. Once, I was repri-
manded when the show didn’t start on time. I had to explain that the delay was caused by a broken amp and that I was also waiting backstage for the bass amplifier to be replaced. But the lady wouldn’t hear me out and just kept shouting from the audience and blaming me! After much explaining and she was still relentless, I just had to face the audience and went on with the show.” Since you are past childbearing age, any plan to adopt a child? “I think raising three girls are good enough.” (Aside from Karylle, Zsa Zsa’s two daughters are Zia and Nicole.)
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 15, 2019
Philippine National Bank opens its new Los Angeles office
THE right place at the right time bodes good things for the right endeavor. PNB puts itself right smack dab in the heart of the Filipino American community. This is wonderful news. It is, by and large, a terrific calculated business move to be closer and be accessible to the people that PNB serves. PNB’s office is now located at 3435 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 104, at the foot traffic level of the Equitable Plaza Building in Los Angeles, California 90010. Why is this a great move? It is the same building where the Philippine Consulate holds office. If things pan out in due time, an office for the Philippine Social Security Administration will likely be in the same location. And about time too. Continued on Page 6
AJPress photo by Noel Ty
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 15, 2019
Philippine National Bank opens...
From Page 5 Those who regularly remit to family and friends in the Philippines and who live and work in the neighborhood will find it easier to go to this location once it is set up to do so. Its accessibility to the consulate makes required documentation for business, travel and other matters more convenient. The move is also brilliant and propitious. The economy is on the uptick in both the US and the Philippines. It is a trend worth noting particularly for those mulling the possibilities ofstraddling both countries — of enjoying their lives living part of their retirement years in America and part of the time in the Philippines. Philippine real estate developers know that Filipino Americans who have worked practically all their lives are having more of the resources and the wherewithal in the current bullish economy, to buy property in the Philippines and would need readily available financing. This is where PNB comes into play. With its unique OPHL program (Own a Philippine Home Loan) which they have been offering efficiently and effectively to many US expatriates for decades now can and do provide this financing. The timing is close to perfect. A cursory look at the mushrooming vertical and horizontal developments found in the Philippine metropolis and other parts of the country indicate increasing confidence among consumers looking to buy Philippine property. There is positive indication of a significant segment right here in the Greater Los Angeles County that is in a position to buy property through their savings, pensions, income from social security or sizable nest eggs. These are serious buyers who are looking to secure loans to flesh out their dreams of owning a home or perhaps, even add to their investment portfolio. PNB Los Angeles Branch, headed by its First VP and General Manager Edith Manalad, officially opened its doors at this new office on April 29, 2019. Its blessing, grand opening and
inauguration was held the following day with a good number of friends and associates in the business community gracing the occasion and enjoying the sumptuous food spread, the treats, the great ambience and even grabbing the lucky coins that were tossed for good luck at the well-planned and seamlessly executed inaugural event. PNB LA also put out the welcome mat for visiting high-ranking officials from the Philippines among whom was Executive Vice President Bernie Tocmo and his party who flew in to grace the event and inspect the new office. Cutting the ribbon is Consul General Adel Cruz of the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles with the assistance of Edith Manalad, First Vice President/ General Manager of PNB LA. Fr. Percy of the Missionaries of Jesus and the Parish Priest of St. Kevin Church blessed the office premises. Also in attendance is Nelson V. Javier, President & CEO of PNB Remittance Centers, Inc., a PNB bank affiliate, which is charged with overseeing the multiple branches of the biggest, if not one of the biggest remittance companies serving the Filipino community in the US. PNB LA aims to serve not only its existing customer base built over the years but also the banking needs of the Filipinos and Filipino-Americans who transact business with the Philippine Consulate. The new office
AJPress photos by Noel Ty
will allow PNB LA to cater to more clients for bank services as it will soon accept over-thecounter remittance transactions. The transfer to the new location is also in line with the Bank’s strategic plan to laser focus on its home loan known as the Own a Philippine Home Loan (OPHL), a home financing program available for all USbased persons who are interested to invest in real estate in the Philippines. Turn around time will be shorter because of its proximity to the consulate, one floor up, where loan documents are submitted for consularization, which is simply the process of authenticating any legal document. For further information, call (213) 026 8227. Or email pnblagroup@pnb. com.ph
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Whatever happened to ‘happily ever after’?
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA STORIES make up the fabric of human life. Each life story is one thread in this vast cosmic tapestry of billions of stories all of humanity is weaving from one generation to the next. We are born in this world with our own unique set of circumstances. We like to believe that each of us is created for a purpose wired into our DNA, like a GPS directing us to a destination — a state of being — whatever that may be. In the age old fairy tale of “Sleeping Beauty,” Princess Aurora’s life was protected by Three Good Fairies: Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. They have gifted her and her Prince Charming with the weapons to fight off the evil of the villainess, Maleficent. In real life, from princes to paupers, most people like to think that they too have been given gifts that serve as shining weapons when they do go through those dark periods in every season of life. The darkness can range from just being lonely and isolated for periods of time to the more extreme and detrimental negative emotions that drive people to in-
(Part 1 of 3) ries to drive us out of our wits’ sanity or worse, to suicide. We want to have those weap- end. It’s like being trapped in our ons to deal with those inner seats, strapped tight, in the Thestruggles in order to do battle atre of the Macabre and watching with deep, dark depression and grim Tim Burton stories unfolding fend off those eerie voices that onscreen on repeat mode. What is causing all this darkurge the afflicted to inflict selfharm or even worse, to kill others ness, all this loneliness that seems to affect so many people in the as well. We would like to become cou- world today? You scratch your head and wonder who let those rabid monstrous creatures out from the gates of hell? It seems the gates are wide open, unleashing all the evils that can be conjured from a witch’s brew simmering in a big black cauldron. All the evils are unleashed from Pandora’s box with just one thing left at the bottom of the box — HOPE. There is an onslaught of rageous, even bold, as we come out swinging with our blessed overwhelming assaults that come swords slaying our dragons every in all forms from just everywhere, time they rear their ugly heads. facilitated by the startling pheUntil finally at the end of all earth- nomenon of social media and ly struggles, we become happy the ease of anything going viral and content as we stride off into through the internet. This warped, the sunset, victorious and fulfilled. perverse world we live in today Well, there you have it. There’s seems to delight in mischief and that happily-ever-after ending to mayhem. (Continued next week …) the life stories we seek. *** Alas! How we wish most of life’s stories end happily. These Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is days, instead of happily ever af- SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. ter endings, we have sad stories, To send comments, e-mail monette. cautionary tales, even horror sto- maglaya@asianjournalinc.com
“...All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong?...” —Eleanor Rigby, Lennon-McCartney
A disparity in monthly payments to discharge credit cards A HIGH-income earner only pays $400 per month to discharge $130,000 in credit cards, while another, who lost her job, must pay $700 per month to discharge $40,000 in credit cards. Why is there a disparity? The first client is a senior who still earns $120,000 a year, as a registered nurse but owes $130,000 of credit cards. The second client is also a senior who just lost her job as an accountant and now relies on social security of $2,000 a month. At first glance, you would think that the first senior who makes $120,000 a year should be paying more because, not only is her income high at $10,000 a month, she also owes a significant amount of credit cards at $130K. The minimum monthly payment on $130,000 of credit cards is at least $4,000 a month. That’s $48,000 a year of just interest payments. In 10 years, she would have paid $480,000 credit card masters, yet she would still owe the slave owners the same $130,000 of principal! This first client is 62. When she came to see me the first time, she was visibly stressed out. No kidding. Her face was contorted literally and she looked pale. Her husband could no longer work. He had a stroke a while back and just couldn’t get back to his former self. So he just stays home
Debt Relief
ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG and takes it easy. The client still works a lot of overtime and, with overtime her gross income is $13,000 a month. But she
working with overtime, she would have a heart attack, and nobody wants that. As I said many times before, what you owe your creditors is money. You absolutely do not owe them your life. I had a client who was 55. He was a professional and well known in his field of endeavor. He grossed $500,000 a year. That’s right, half a million dollars was his yearly income from his profession. He also invested in some business venture that started losing money and that starting requiring him to cover the losses. First he had to cover losses of $5,000 a month, then $10,000 a month, then $20,000 a month. That was draining him financially and emotionally. He had retained me for bankruptcy reorganization and I thought everything was going well. But a day before he was to come to sign the bk petition, he killed himself. I regret to say that I never told him that he should take it easy because what he owed his creditors was money, not his life. So now I say to you, if you have accumulated debt, take it easy, we can get rid of those burdensome debts that weigh you down every day of your life with Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. Don’t even think of killing yourself, it’s not worth it. Think of how your family PAGE B8
“So now I say to you, if you have accumulated debt, take it easy, we can get rid of those burdensome debts that weigh you down every day of your life with Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. Don’t even think of killing yourself, it’s not worth it.” says that she can’t work overtime anymore due to deteriorating health. Her regular pay is $10,000 without overtime. Without the overtime income, there’s no way she can set aside $4,000 a month to for minimum credit card payments. It’s time to break free from the chains of slavery to debt. It’s likely that if she kept on
How to obtain custody and visitation rights for unmarried dads ESTABLISHING parentage rights for Moms is a lot easier than establishing one for unmarried Dads. Moms can establish this by simply showing proof of her having given birth to the child. Family Code 7610. Establishing parentage rights, including custody and visitation rights, becomes more problematic with unmarried Dads because proving yourself as the biological father does not automatically make you the natural father of the child. Under the family code, there are competing presumptions of paternity which allows the non biological father to be deemed the natural father of the child. A typical situation is when boyfriend gets girlfriend pregnant. Girlfriend for some reason decides to exclude boyfriend from baby’s life so she breaks up with boyfriend, does not give the boyfriend any information about her delivery, and does not state the boyfriend as the father in the birth certificate or decides to name someone else as the father. Girlfriend does this because her parents disapprove of the ex boyfriend. One way a presumption of Paternity is created is by executing a voluntary declaration of paternity. A Voluntary declarations executed before 1997 give rise to a conclusive presumption of paternity and can be overcome only by blood or genetic tests ordered on noticed motion by the mother or presumed father must be made within three years of the date of execution of the voluntary declaration Family.Code. 7576; Kevin Q. v. Lauren W. (2009) 175 CA4th 1119, 1133, 95 CR3d 477, 485 If the voluntary declaration of paternity is executed after 1996, it is not characterized as a conclusive
Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES presumption. Instead, it “shall establish the paternity of a child and shall have the same force and effect as a judgment for paternity issued by a court of competent jurisdiction” and trumps 7611 presumptions discussed below. A post 1996 voluntary declaration of paternity “shall be recognized as a basis for the establishment of an order for child custody, visitation, or child support.” Family .Code 7573, 7644; Kevin Q. v. Lauren W., supra, 175 CA4th at 1132, 95 CR3d at 485; In re J.L. (2008) 159 CA4th 1010, 1019, 72 CR3d 27, 33. Another way of establishing presumed father status is if you fall under any of the categories listed (a) to (f) under family code 7611: (a) He and the child’s natural mother are or have been married to each other and the child is born during the marriage, or within 300 days after the marriage is terminated by death, annulment, declaration of invalidity, or divorce, or after a judgment of separation is entered by a court. (b) Before the child’s birth, he and the child’s natural mother have attempted to marry each other by a marriage solemnized in apparent compliance with law, although the attempted marriage is or could be declared invalid, and either of the following is true: (1) If the attempted marriage could be declared invalid only by a court, the child is born during the attempted marriage, or within 300 days after its termination by
death, annulment, declaration of invalidity, or divorce. (2) If the attempted marriage is invalid without a court order, the child is born within 300 days after the termination of cohabitation. (c) After the child’s birth, he and the child’s natural mother have married, or attempted to marry, each other by a marriage solemnized in apparent compliance with law, although the attempted marriage is or could be declared invalid, and either of the following is true: (1) With his consent, he is named as the child’s father on the child’s birth certificate. (2) He is obligated to support the child under a written voluntary promise or by court order. (d) He receives the child into his home and openly holds out the child as his natural child. (e) If the child was born and resides in a nation with which the United States engages in an Orderly Departure Program or successor program, he acknowledges that he is the child’s father in a declaration under penalty of perjury, as specified in Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure. This subdivision shall remain in effect only until January 1, 1997, and on that date shall become inoperative. (f) The child is in utero after the death of the decedent and the conditions set forth in Section 249.5 of the Probate Code are satisfied. An alleged biological father who does not meet any of the 7611 conditions for presumed father status has no constitutionally-protected “liberty interest” in establishing a parentage relationship with a child as against the rights of a presumptive father who has an extant parentage rePAGE B8
community 7 The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 15, 2019
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 M AY 1 5
“Wealth In Health”, membership mixer of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Greater Los Angeles in Sherman Oaks, CA On Wednesday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m., meet and greet professionals in the healthcare industry. FACCGLA members get to network and ask their burning questions for free, while future members can donate $10 and receive a free Fil-Am Entrepreneurship Magazine. Registration is required due to limited space, visit www.faccgla.org and click on “Events” to get on the list. Venue is the BFG Room, 2nd Floor, VEDC Building, 5121 Van Nuys Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.8324. Leave a message if there’s no answer. Additional information is also on SMISGA. com and Facebook @ SMISGA19FB. Proceeds from the events will be for various projects in Santa Maria Ilocos Sur and in Hawaii. Donations are tax deductible since SMISGA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization approved by the Internal Revenue Service.
M AY 1 7-1 9
Santa Maria Ilocos Sur 12th Global Reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii The Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Global Association (SMISGA) and the Santa Marians of Hawaii are sponsoring the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur 12th Global Reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii from May 17-19, 2019. The festivities will start with a meet and greet on May 17 at 5 p.m. at the Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Ballroom to be followed by a gala night on May 18 at 5 p.m. at the Dole Cannery Pomaikai Ballroom. A picnic is also scheduled at Ala Moana Beach Park’s Magic Island on Sunday, May 19 starting at 10 a.m. The ticket to attend all the events is $130.00 per person. Due to limited space, reservations must be made not later than March 31, 2019. Hats and tshirts will also be on sale for $20. For further information, call Nena Empleo at (808) 384-0394, Carlito Soria at (808) 487-3370, Alex Pena at (702) 373-9522 or Orlino Baldonado at (865) 7898324. Leave a message if there’s no answer. Additional information is also on SMISGA.com and Facebook @ SMISGA19FB. Proceeds from the events will be for various projects in Santa Maria Ilocos Sur and in Hawaii. Donations are tax deductible since SMISGA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization approved by the Internal Revenue Service.
M AY 1 8
Free oil filter & motor oil recycling event in East Los Angeles ATTENTION ALL EAST LA RESIDENTS – Everyone is invited to bring in their used motor oil and used oil filters in exchange for a free new oil filter on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be held at O’Reilly Auto Parts (722 S. Atlantic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90022). Recycling motor oil and filters helps save our environment and keeps our water clean. So, don’t miss out – we’re making it easier for you to keep your car running smoothly and efficiently.
Pan Asian Citizenship Event in Monrovia, CA Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA) will be hosting a free Pan Asian Citizenship Clinic on Saturday, May 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Santa Anita YMCA (501 South Mountain Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016). The clinic will provide attendees free citizenship services, including: eligibility screenings, application assistance, and legal review by qualified immigration attorneys. Services will be offered in seven Asian languages and Spanish. Appointments are required - for more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call: (888) 349-9695 for English or (855) 300-2552 for Tagalog.
M AY 1 8 - J U N E 29
“Tagolilong: Hidden in Plain Sight” exhibit in San Pedro, CA An interactive homage to Indigenous California Habitat will be on exhibit from May 18 to June 29, 2019. Created by LA-based artists-collaborators, champoy and Sarita Doe, it will open on Saturday, May 18th, 2019 from 3:00pm-6:00pm at Pinta*Dos Philippine Art Gallery which is located at 479 W Sixth Street, Suite 108, Historic Arts District, San Pedro, CA 90731. Tagolilong: Hidden in Plain Sight will be the sixth exhibit at Pinta*Dos Gallery since it was inaugurated in June 2017. The Gallery is open from Wednesday to Friday, 3:00pm to 6:00pm except on First Thursdays when it is open until 8pm. It is also open by appointment. For further information, email Linda Nietes-Little, Founder of the gallery at info@pintadosgallery.com Also visit their website: http://www.pintadosgallery.com , facebook and instagram pages.
M AY 25
Marist School Marikina to celebrate 55th anniversary in Buena Park, CA Marist Alumni Abroad, coordinated by Arthur ‘Jojo’ P. Armada ‘77, invites alumni, family and friends, and the public who are interested, to the 55th anniversary grand reunion of the Marist School Marikina, to be held on Saturday, May 25, at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel (7675 Crescent Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620). The event’s theme is “Celebrating Our Marist Life...The Legacy Continues,” hosted by Marist Alumni Abroad. Dinner and dance: 6 pm to 11 pm; donation: $55/pax (per person). Contact person is overall chair Jojo P. Armada at (626) 216-3529 or email: armadaarthur@yahoo.com.
M AY 25 -26
Bulacan high schools reunite in Rosemead, CA The 2019 Global Gathering of Marcelo H. Del Pilar High School (MHPHS) of Malolos, Bulacan will be held on May 25-26, 2019 at the Double Tree Hotel in Rosemead, CA. For further information, please contact any of the following: Lourdes Ople-Smith at lourdesosmith@gmail. com / (310) 662-1948; Charito Aldaba-Gabriel at chato_gabriel1019@yahoo.com / (818) 6536047; Leni Flor Cruz-Florentino at lenflorcruz529@yahoo.com / (818) 282-0928; Tristan Zafra at tristan@trisoftco.com / (714) 686-3345; Gerry Torres, Jr. at gerrytorres50@gmail.com / (213) 249-1633; and Perfecto T. Martin at perfecto.martin@gmail.com. Souvenir Program please con-
JUNE 1
7th Historic Filipinotown Kalayaan Parade and Festival in LA The UST Medical Alumni Association of SoCal will have its 25th year anniversary ball on Wednesday, June 29 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County (11999 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840). Mass begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner reception at 7:30 p.m. Part of the proceeds will benefit the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and Hospital on Wheels. Tickets are $110 for premier and $90 for regular. Please RSVP by June 1 to Marilou Dichoso, MD at (310) 3871632.
Kalayaan Incorporated’s annual Philippine Independence Day gala in LA Kalayaan Incorporated invites the community to its celebration of the 121st Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on Saturday, June 1, 2019, at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel (5855 W. Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA). Kalayaan is extremely proud to have Honorable Risa Hontiveros, an incumbent senator who assumed office on June 30, 2016, as the grand gala’s guest of honor and speaker. For tickets to the Gala Night, please contact Annie Cuevas-Lim, Kalayaan President at (213) 447-7078. For more information, contact KI PROs Violet Mislang at vmislang@gmail.com or Lady Hope Robillos at lhopepr@yahoo.com.
Diva2Diva concert in Arcadia, CA The JIR Foundation enthusiastically presents Diva2Diva on Saturday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Arcadia Performing Arts Center (188 Campus Drive, Arcadia, California 91007). The concert will feature Kuh Ledesma, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Mitch Valdes and Nanette Inventor. Ticket prices are $145, $100, $75, $60 and $50. Call or text (818) 726-6333 or (818) 612-4500 or visit ladiva2. eventbrite.com.
JUNE 2
PeDRO tees off with The Filipino Channel Unity Cup Los Angeles TThe Philippine Disaster Relief Organization (PeDRO), in partnership with The Filipino Channel, will have its charity golf tournament on Sunday, June 2, 2019, at the Westridge Golf Club, 1400 S. La Habra Hills Drive, La Habra, CA 90631. The 2019 TFC Unity Cup Los Angeles tournament is an expansion leg of the TFC Unity Cup in the Bay Area, Northern California. Proceeds of the golf tournament will be for the benefit of ABS-CBN Foundation International, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit that serves as the public service arm of TFC. Check-in time starts at 12 p.m. Tee Time starts promptly at 1:00 p.m. Registration fee of $125 includes Cart, Range Balls, Raffle Prizes and Buffet Dinner. Late registration fee of $135.00 takes effect May 20 through May 26, 2019, subject to space availability. For more information, contact PeDRO President Benito Miranda at (310) 600-5675 and Event Chairperson/Treasurer Joey Cruz at (310) 938-4907. Or contact PeDRO at gopedrosports@yahoo.com. Visit http://www.gopedro.org and https:// www.facebook.com/PeDRORelief.
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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How to obtain custody and visitation...
community
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 15, 2019
A disparity in monthly payments... PAGE B7 t
will survive without you to take care of them. Come and see me instead and we will discuss how we can make your life easier and make your productive again by getting rid of those nasty debts. Going back to our high-income client who owes $130,000 of credit cards that needs $4,000 a month of minimum monthly payments, she owns a new house with $90,000 of equity. The house is worth about $500,000 and her mortgage balance is $410,000 so that makes her equity in the house $90,000. The entire $90,000 is within the homestead exemption of $100,000, so if her income was a lot less than $120,000 — let’s just say if her income were only $80,000 a year — she would straight out qualify for Chapter 7 and be able to discharge the entire $130,000 of credit cards without a single payment. But given her income of Chapter 7, she would certainly lose her
EMPLOYMENT
house to the trustee who would sell her house and use the net proceeds to pay off the $40,000 of credit cards; then give her the rest of the money received from the sale of the house. This would be too bloody. No one wants to lose his or her house for $40,000 of credit cards. That would be like cutting the nose to spite the face, right? Or to put it differently, that would be like amputating your leg because you have an ingrown toenail, or trying to kill a mosquito with Thor’s hammer. You get my drift. I suggested to the second client that we should do a hybrid debt consolidation strategy. This is something I concocted myself based on long experience with dealing with creditors. I once had a case where debtor owed $700K to one bank. Believe it or not, the bank settled that for $25,000. That’s a 3.5% settlement. It’s almost incredible, I couldn’t believe it myself when the bank accepted our settle-
ment offer. It’s effective to a certain extent and works almost like a reorganization, but it’s not bulletproof. But in this case what other choice does the client have? A hybrid debt consolidation strategy at least has attorney representation so she will have some protection instead of being completely unprotected. The goal would be to avoid having judgment liens on her house. The goal is to protect her house and eventually be able to get out of the $40,000 of credit cards. If you need debt relief, set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
EMPLOYMENT
lationship with the child. Dawn D. v. Super.Ct. (Jerry K.) (1998) 17 C4th 932, 940–942, 72 CR2d 871, 876–877 The facts get even more complicated if the girlfriend, whom boyfriend gets pregnant is married to another man because the law provides a conclusive presumption of paternity to the husband of the girlfriend. Under Family Code 7540, the child of a wife cohabiting at time of conception with her husband, who is not impotent or sterile, is “conclusively” presumed to be a child of the marriage. This conclusive presumption may be challenged by showing that the husband was sterile. It may also be challenged by filing a motion for blood or genetic testing under Family Code 7541 but this has to be done within 2 years of the child’s birth. In addition, only persons with standing can bring this motion which is limited to the husband, child, mother and a presumed father as listed in Family Code 7611 and 7612. Even absent a recognized rebuttal, the court has discretion as a matter of due process not to
apply 7540 conclusive presumption of paternity when it would not further the statute’s underlying policies of preserving the integrity and stability of an extant marital family, protecting children from the stigma of “illegitimacy,” and promoting individual rather than State responsibility for child support ... as where the ostensible 7540 presumptive father never developed a parental relationship with the child and the only established parent-child relationship is with a third person. Brian C. v. Ginger K. (2000) 77 CA4th 1198, 1200–1201, 92 CR2d 294, 296; In re Kiana A. (2001) 93 CA4th 1109, 1115, 113 CR2d 669, 675. Procedurally, the ex boyfriend should file a Petition for Parentage as soon as the child is born. While the case is pending, the ex boyfriend may seek temporary visitation order although this may be on a limited or even monitored basis. If successful in proving parentage, the ex boyfriend may be granted custody and visitation rights. However, the ex boyfriend would also have the obligation of paying child support based on California guidelines. ***
EMPLOYMENT
FOR RENT
FOR SALE
Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail “mailto: kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com” kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
City of Burbank celebrates National Public Works Week THE City of Burbank is joining the American Public Works Association (APWA) in celebrating National Public Works Week from May 19, 2019 through May 25, 2019. This year’s awareness week is themed, “Public Works It All Starts Here” and is intended to raise local awareness of public works issues, while increasing the community’s confidence in the City’s ability to design and maintain infrastructure that is essential to the Burbank community. The City will be providing students from Saint Finbar School with the opportunity to take a
journey through the world of public works on Tuesday, May 23, 2019, at 9 a.m. Students will tour the Public Works Yard while learning about the various types of equipment and jobs in the Public Works Department. Included in the tour will be demonstrations of heavy equipment, police vehicles, computerized traffic signal monitoring, street maintenance, sewer system maintenance, and city sign production. It is the hope of the City that students will leave this public works experience with a greater knowledge of how their city operates. City Council plans to issue a proclamation during the May
14, 2019, Council meeting proclaiming May 19, 2019 through May 25, 2019, as National Public Works Week in the City of Burbank. The Burbank Public Works Department includes 193 full time employees who seek to provide efficient sustainable operation of the following public works systems: public building construction and maintenance; wastewater treatment; sewer maintenance; traffic and parking management; street design and maintenance; street sweeping; solid waste collection, recycling, and disposal; equipment maintenance; and graffiti removal.
Ford Theatres now accepting Letters of INtent to apply to the 2020 Artists Partnership Program LA County Arts organizations are invited to be part of 100th anniversary season
FORD Theatres is seeking Letters of Intent (LOIs) for the 2020 Artists Partnership Program (APP) from Los Angeles County independent artists, nonprofit organizations, presenters, producers and producing collectives with a history of presenting arts events, who are interested in co-presenting their performances as part of the Ford Theatres 100th Anniversary Season, from June-October, 2020. The Artist Partnership Program is a competitive application process that provides the opportunity to co-present with the Ford Theatres in its historic outdoor 1,200seat amphitheatre. Each year, the Ford Theatres presents an eclectic season of music, dance, theatre and film events that celebrate the region by reflecting on stage the cultural and artistic diversity of the people of Los Angeles. Approximately one half of main stage evening programming in the 2020 Season will be comprised of APP presentations. Using a shared risk/revenue model, selected participants will receive preferred dates and access to the venue, including light-
ing and sound equipment and production, marketing, and box office support. There are no upfront fees to participate. Participants retain 80-90 percent of ticket sales and are responsible for bringing the proposed event to fruition. The APP has a two-tier application format to minimize the work for applicants. LOIs that reflect the Ford Theatres’ mission of providing access to exemplary arts and culture experiences representative of our multifaceted communities that deepen human connections and broaden cultural understanding will be considered. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Ford Theatres Artists Partnership Program guidelines before submitting an LOI. Program guidelines and LOI instructions are available at fordtheatres.org/artists-partnershipprogram. The deadline to submit a LOI is June 10, 2019. About the Ford At 1,200 seats, the Ford Theatres creates an intimate concert
Alhambra rain barrel sale with rebate
THE City of Alhambra is teaming up with Rain Barrels International for a Rain Barrel sale and rebate. The event will be on Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Granada Park located at 2000 West Hellman Avenue. The rain barrels cost is $65.00 per barrel, plus tax, and all residents qualify for a $35.00 rebate. Please order your Rain Barrel in advance by visiting www.rainbarrelsintl.com. Rain barrels capture water from a roof and hold it for later use such as on lawns, gardens or indoor plants. It’s a great way to conserve water and its free water for use in your landscape. For rebate information call (919) 602-6316 or email Info@RainBarrelsIntl.com.
experience that is a favorite among Angelenos. Each season, the Ford hosts music, dance, theatre, film and family events reflective of the communities that comprise Los Angeles County. The Ford is owned by the County of Los Angeles and operated in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Ford Theatre Foundation. Nestled in a canyon of a County regional park in the Cahuenga Pass, the Ford Theatres has a rich history dating back to 1920. – FordTheatres.org.
people & events 9 The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 15, 2019
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE -May 15, 2019