expands use of citizenship revocation policy for naturalized Americans
The Justice Department says the civil cases target people accused of concealing crimes, fraud or other material facts during the naturalization process.
by AJPRESS
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department
has filed civil actions seeking to revoke the citizenship of 17 naturalized Americans, escalating the Trump administration’s use of denaturalization as part of its broader immigration enforcement agenda.
The cases, filed in federal district courts across the country, accuse the defendants of serious offenses or of concealing material facts during the naturalization process. The allegations include sexual abuse of minors, wire and bank fraud, health care fraud, unlawful wholesale drug distribution, use
Federal judge blocks Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee
Federal court rules administration lacked congressional authority to impose six-figure charge on skilled-worker visas, setting up a likely appeal over the limits of presidential immigration powers.
BOSTON — A federal judge on Monday struck down President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, ruling that the administration lacked authority to impose the charge without congressional approval and marking a significant legal setback for one of its most consequential immigration policies affecting highly skilled foreign workers.
U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin of Massachusetts found that the fee functioned as
Cut-off Mindanao towns plead for food, water after Sarangani quake
The
and schools, and slowed relief delivery as aftershocks continue across southern Mindanao.
by AJPRESS
Boeing supplier Heatcon to build aerospace facility in Clark
The 25-year lease covers manufacturing, materials distribution and composite-repair operations at the Clark Civil Aviation Complex.
by AJPRESS
CLARK FREEPORT — Clark International Airport Corp. has signed a 25-year lease agreement with Heatcon Asia Inc., a Boeing supplier, for an aerospace facility at the Clark Civil Aviation Complex. CIAC said the project will house manu-
Sandiganbayan closes remaining claims in Marcos wealth recovery case led in 1991
court has dismissed the remaining unresolved claims in one of the government’s largest and longest-running efforts to recover assets allegedly amassed by the family of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, bringing to a close a forfeiture case that began more than three decades ago. In a resolution promulgated on June 2, the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division dismissed the remaining portions of Civil Case
No. 0141, a forfeiture action filed by the government in 1991 through the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG). The court said the dismissal applied only to properties not already covered by previous judgments and forfeiture orders. The ruling does not affect earlier court decisions that transferred substantial assets to the Philippine government, including Swiss bank deposits, assets held through Arelma Inc., the Malacañang jewelry collection and proceeds from artworks that courts previously determined
facturing, materials distribution and inshop composite repair operations. The agreement was signed June 9 by CIAC President and Chief Executive Officer Jojit Alcazar and Heatcon Asia President Howard Victor Banasky.
Nevada primaries set November matchups in key statewide, congressional races
Fil-Am Assemblymember Erica Mosca advances in District 14, while Maria Teresa Hank falls short in District 9 Democratic primary
by AJPRESS
LAS VEGAS — Nevada’s June 9
second term, won his party’s nomination, while Ford secured the Democratic nomination. Their November contest will give Nevada voters a choice between the incumbent
Hawai‘i chef Rhoda Magbitang wins Top Chef Season 23
by AJPRESS
The facility is part of CIAC’s effort to CHARLESTON, S.C. — Rhoda Magbitang, executive chef of CanoeHouse in Waimea, Hawai‘i, won Season 23 of Bravo’s Top Chef, ending a season that moved through the Carolinas and tested chefs on regional ingredients, speed, discipline and point of view.
Filipino American mayor becomes first San Diego leader and first openly LGBTQ+ mayor to head the national organization representing U.S. cities
by AJPRESS
LONG BEACH, CA — San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has assumed the presidency of the United States Conference of Mayors, becoming the first mayor from San Diego and the first openly LGBTQ+ mayor to lead the national organization. Gloria was installed as the 84th president of the bipartisan group during its 94th Annual Meeting in Long Beach, where mayors from across the country gathered to discuss policy priorities affecting American cities. The organization represents more than 1,500 cities with populations of at least 30,000 and advocates on municipal issues before Congress and federal agencies.
Magbitang defeated Sherry Cardoso and Laurence Louie in the finale, which aired June 8. The season, titled Top Chef: Carolinas, brought together 15 chefs for the show’s familiar rhythm of Quickfire and Elimination challenges, with the winner receiving the $250,000 grand prize and the title of Top Chef.
Her path to the finale was hardly straightforward. Magbitang started strong, winning early elimination challenges and quickly establishing herself as one of the chefs to watch. Then, in Episode 5, she was sent home. The loss did not end her season. Through Last Chance Kitchen, the show’s parallel competition for eliminated
chefs, Magbitang cooked her way back into the main contest. By the time she reached the finale, her story had become one of recovery as much as momentum: a chef forced to regroup, sharpen her cooking and return with clearer purpose.
The CanoeHouse executive chef turned Filipino comfort dishes into a finale menu that completed one of the season’s most notable comebacks. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria assumes U.S. Conference of Mayors presidency in historic rst
Born in Antipolo, Philippines, and now based in Hawai‘i, Magbitang brought to the competition a cooking style shaped by Filipino food, Pacific ingredients and fine-dining technique. Before joining CanoeHouse, she trained at Le Cordon Bleu and worked in Los Angeles kitchens, building the technical foundation that would later support her more personal cooking on the show.
The final challenge asked each chef to prepare a fourcourse progressive meal that reflected the people, places and experiences that shaped them. Magbitang answered with a menu rooted in Filipino family cooking.
She served sweet potato with uni, lugaw, grilled eggplant om-
by AJPRESS
by AJPRESS
Cut-off Mindanao towns...
PAGE 1
Thursday, with 688 injured and 31 still missing, according to disaster-response figures available in the latest public updates.
Officials cautioned that casualty figures could still change as local governments, police and disaster agencies reconciled field reports from areas where communications and access remained difficult.
The scale of the humanitarian emergency also continued to widen. The Department of Social Welfare and Development said 96,090 families, or 430,379 people, had been affected across 350 barangays in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro region as of its June 11 evening report.
Of those, 13,374 families, or 53,274 people, remained displaced, including 9,365 people staying in evacuation centers and 43,909 others temporarily sheltering with relatives or friends. The agency also reported 29,509 damaged houses, including 5,129 totally damaged and 24,380 partially damaged homes.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered national agencies to focus on clearing roads, restoring power and water systems, and accelerating the delivery of relief to isolated communities.
During a visit to General Santos City, Marcos said road access was critical so vehicles could bring aid and utility crews could reach damaged facilities.
“The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind,” Marcos said in an earlier statement.
In Glan, Sarangani, local officials reported that several villages remained difficult to reach because of landslides, damaged roads and blocked access. Some communities were still without reliable power, water and communications, complicating damage assessments and relief distribution. Helicopters were used to bring food, medicine and other supplies to areas that could not be reached quickly by road.
The DSWD identified Glan, Maasim and Malapatan in Sarangani, along with Malita, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos and Balut Island in Davao Occidental, as among the hardest-hit areas requiring immediate interven-
tion. The agency said more than P55.18 million in humanitarian assistance had been provided to affected families, mostly from DSWD, with additional standby funds and relief supplies available for continuing operations.
The earthquake struck as public schools reopened nationwide for School Year 2026-2027, sending students and teachers into evacuation mode during morning activities. The Department of Education said more than 1,300 public schools had sustained facility damage in earlier assessments, with the count still being updated as engineers and school officials continued inspections across affected regions.
Education officials were assessing which campuses could safely resume classes and which would require repairs, temporary learning spaces or alternative learning arrangements. The government also said mental-health support would be provided for students affected by the disaster, with teachers expected to help monitor learners for signs of trauma or distress.
In General Santos City, one of the hardest-hit urban centers near the epicentral area, officials inspected public buildings, roads, bridges, hospitals and commercial establishments.
Some patients were moved to temporary areas after cracks were found in hospital structures. A building at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University collapsed, with authorities reporting that no one was inside at the time.
Transportation and public infrastructure remained major concerns. In South Cotabato, a highway section was reported to have collapsed after the strong shaking, while bridges and roads in parts of Soccsksargen and Davao Occidental were placed under inspection. Officials said some routes had limited access, raising concerns over the movement of ambulances, relief trucks, rescue teams and evacuees.
In Davao Occidental, the Malalan Barangay Hall in Jose Abad Santos collapsed, underscoring the quake’s impact on local government facilities in remote communities. Officials also reported damaged homes, public buildings and roads in coastal and upland areas, where access
for assessment and relief teams was complicated by damaged infrastructure.
Aftershocks continued through the week. A magnitude 5.5 tremor was recorded on Thursday off Davao Occidental, near Balut Island in the municipality of Sarangani, adding to concerns over already weakened structures. Authorities continued to warn residents not to enter damaged houses, schools, government buildings or commercial establishments until engineers complete safety inspections.
Initial assessments linked casualties to falling debris, collapsed structures, landslides and other quake-related hazards.
In Malita, Davao Occidental, a canopy roof at Mahayahay Elementary School collapsed as students reacted during the quake. Disaster and humanitarian agencies reported injuries among some students and continuing concern for children in affected communities.
The earthquake also triggered tsunami warnings in the southern Philippines and nearby areas. PHIVOLCS earlier advised coastal residents to move to higher ground or farther inland. Tsunami waves were later monitored in parts of Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat, including a wave of about 1.4 meters recorded in Kiamba, Sarangani. Authorities later said the wider tsunami threat had passed, though coastal communities were urged to continue following local safety guidance.
Energy officials said repair crews were working to restore electricity in affected areas while assessing power lines, substations, fuel depots and other facilities. Marcos said power restoration had reached about 85 percent in affected areas, but some communities remained without electricity because damaged roads and landslides prevented crews from reaching repair sites.
The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and volcanic activity are frequent. Across Mindanao, authorities continued inspecting schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, ports, power facilities and public buildings while warning residents to stay away from damaged structures as aftershocks persisted. n
Federal judge blocks Trump’s $100,000 ...
an unauthorized tax rather than a permissible immigration restriction. The decision came in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of 20 Democratic state attorneys general challenging the policy, which was announced in September 2025 and applied to new H-1B visa petitions. The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations requiring specialized knowledge and expertise, including positions in technology, engineering, health care, education and scientific research. The program is capped at 65,000 visas annually, with an additional 20,000 available for workers who hold advanced degrees from U.S. institutions.
The administration argued
that the president possessed broad authority under federal immigration law to restrict the entry of foreign nationals when deemed in the national interest. Sorokin rejected that argument, finding that Congress had not authorized the executive branch to impose a six-figure charge as a condition of visa issuance. The ruling removes, for now, a major financial hurdle that critics said would have fundamentally altered the economics of the H-1B program. State officials, universities, hospitals and employers had argued that the fee would make it substantially more difficult to recruit specialized workers and could worsen labor shortages in sectors that depend on highly skilled talent. For decades, employers have
used the H-1B program to fill positions in industries facing shortages of qualified workers.
Existing government filing fees generally amount to several thousand dollars, making the proposed $100,000 charge a dramatic departure from longstanding practice.
The ruling affects foreign professionals and U.S. employers in health care, engineering, information technology and academic research, where the H-1B remains a major legal work-visa route.
The administration is expected to appeal, leaving higher courts to decide the policy’s future and the broader question of how far a president may go in reshaping immigration rules without Congress. n
chef Rhoda Magbitang wins...
elet with pork belly, and kaldereta with short rib. The dishes were familiar in spirit but carefully composed for the competition: lugaw, the rice porridge often associated with comfort and care; tortang talong, the grilled eggplant omelet common in Filipino homes; and kaldereta, a rich braise often served at gatherings and celebrations. Magbitang chose not to close with a traditional dessert. Instead, she ended with kaldereta, a dish she linked to her father. It was a quiet but telling decision. Rather than using the finale to distance herself from home cooking, she leaned into it and asked the judges to meet the food on its own terms.
That choice gave the meal its force. The menu did not present Filipino cuisine as a flourish or a theme. It treated it as structure: the source of flavor, memory and technique. In a competition where chefs are often pushed to declare who they are through food, Magbitang’s answer was direct.
Her win also brought attention to the culinary world she
Regulators say PH financial system is sound, but debt and property risks bear watching
by AJPress
MANILA — The Philippines’ financial system remains sound, but regulators are watching a buildup of risks tied to consumer borrowing, corporate debt, property valuations and global shocks, according to the Financial Stability Coordination Council.
In its 2025 Financial Stability Report, the FSCC said banks remain well capitalized and liquid, giving them room to absorb stress. The council’s concern is not an immediate threat to the system, but the way risks in one part of the economy can move through households, companies, banks and markets more quickly than before.
The FSCC, institutionalized under Executive Order No. 144, brings together the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Finance, Securities and Exchange Commission, Insurance Commission and Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation to monitor threats to financial stability.
The report identified three domestic pressure points: rising borrowing by households and companies, strains in parts of the property market and concentrated lending to large business groups.
Household debt is one area under closer scrutiny. The council said unsecured consumer loans, including credit card borrowings, have been growing faster than income. Most borrowers remain current on their payments, but the FSCC said the trend could leave families more exposed if prices rise, interest rates remain elevated or income growth slows.
Corporate debt also bears watching. The FSCC said company borrowing remains broadly manageable, but some firms face debt maturities in the next few years, including obligations in foreign currency. Those payments could become harder to manage if the peso weakens or financing costs rise.
Property markets present another source of risk. The FSCC report cited elevated property prices, uneven demand and high vacancy rates in some office markets. Metro Manila’s office vacancy rate stood at 19.8 percent in the third quarter of 2025, slightly lower than 20 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures cited in the report. Banks remain healthy, but lending is concentrated in key sectors and among large corporate groups, the council said. The report said that pattern reflects the structure of the Philippine economy, where conglom-
erates play a major role across banking, property, utilities, retail and other industries. The FSCC did not say those exposures are currently unsafe, but said concentration can create channels for stress to spread if conditions deteriorate.
External risks add another layer of uncertainty. The FSCC said Middle East tensions, including a U.S.-Iran war scenario analyzed in the report, could affect the Philippines through higher oil prices, inflation, exchange-rate pressure and tighter global financing. The council said Philippine banks have limited direct exposure to the region, while the broader economy remains vulnerable to energy price shocks because of its reliance on imported fuel.
Cybersecurity was also listed as a top concern in an FSCC survey, along with loan delinquencies, possible loss of confidence in banks, stricter lending standards and concerns over government debt.
The report’s message was measured but clear. The financial system is stable, regulators said, but the country’s risk map is becoming more complex. Stability remains intact, but it now depends on how well borrowers, banks and policymakers manage pressures that are building across the economy. n
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria...
PAGE 1
The leadership transition follows the conference’s succession process, through which Gloria previously served in senior leadership positions before advancing to the presidency. His new role places him in a key leadership position within one of the country’s largest organizations representing city governments.
Gloria, whose ancestry includes Filipino, Puerto Rican, Dutch and Native American roots, is among the highest-profile Filipino American elected officials currently serving in local government. His election also places a Filipino American leader at the head of an organization that serves as a collective voice for cities across the United States.
In remarks following his installation, Gloria said he was honored by the confidence of
fellow mayors and pledged to focus on issues affecting communities nationwide, including housing affordability, public safety and economic opportunity.
Those priorities reflect challenges facing many local governments as cities continue to confront housing shortages, infrastructure needs, budget pressures and growing demand for public services.
The Conference of Mayors has described Gloria’s presidency as a historic milestone, noting that he is the first openly LGBTQ+ mayor to lead the organization. His term begins as municipal leaders across the country continue to seek solutions to rising housing costs, homelessness, transportation demands and economic competitiveness.
Gloria has served as mayor of San Diego since December 2020 after previously serving on the City Council, including as coun-
cil president and interim mayor. He became the first openly LGBTQ+ person and the first person of color elected mayor of San Diego.
His election brings additional national visibility to San Diego while placing one of California’s largest cities in a prominent leadership role within the organization. The conference’s policy resolutions often shape its advocacy efforts on housing, transportation, public safety, climate resilience and economic development.
Gloria succeeds Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, who served as conference president during the past year. As he begins his term, Gloria has said he intends to emphasize practical approaches to addressing the challenges facing cities and their residents. the country. – Photo courtesy of the United States Conference of Mayors. n
represents. She is the first Top Chef winner from Hawai‘i, and her finale placed Filipino dishes in one of American food television’s most visible settings. For many viewers, the victory offered a rare mainstream moment for food long understood in Filipino households as layered, demanding and deeply expressive.
The season itself was built around place, with the Carolinas providing much of the backdrop and pantry. Against that setting, Magbitang’s finale added another geography: the Philippines of her childhood, the Hawai‘i where she now cooks professionally, and the restaurant kitchens that shaped her technique. By the end, the judges were not simply weighing a comeback. They were weighing a meal that connected personal history with control and refinement. Magbitang’s final menu made its case without excess: Filipino food, handled with confidence and precision, belonged at the center of the finale. The judges agreed. n
Sandiganbayan closes remaining...
PAGE 1
were subject to forfeiture.
Civil Case No. 0141 was filed on Dec. 17, 1991, as part of the government’s post-1986 campaign to recover alleged ill-gotten wealth linked to the Marcos family and their associates. According to court records, the petition covered a broad range of assets, including corporations, bank accounts, real estate holdings, jewelry, paintings and other properties. The complaint placed the value of the assets involved at roughly $5 billion, excluding properties already covered by separate cases. Over the years, portions of the case were resolved through separate rulings.
The most prominent involved approximately $658 million in Swiss deposits that the Supreme Court ultimately ordered forfeited in favor of the state. Other rulings upheld the forfeiture of assets associated with Arelma Inc., a corporation found by the courts to have held funds linked to the Marcoses, as well as the
Malacañang jewelry collection and other identified properties.
The remaining claims stayed pending for years as the litigation continued. Court records show that in recent hearings, the Sandiganbayan repeatedly asked government lawyers whether they intended to continue presenting evidence on properties still listed in the original petition but not covered by earlier judgments. In May, the court questioned state lawyers about delays in presenting evidence and witnesses related to the unresolved assets.
The government subsequently informed the court that it would no longer present additional evidence regarding the remaining properties. According to the Sandiganbayan resolution, the position was based on advice from the PCGG that most of the assets identified in the petition had already been recovered through various proceedings and judgments. With no further evidence to
be presented on the unresolved properties, the court dismissed the remaining claims.
The resolution leaves intact all prior forfeiture judgments obtained by the government under Civil Case No. 0141 and related proceedings. It closes only the unresolved portion of the 1991 petition that remained pending before the anti-graft court.
The PCGG, created in the aftermath of the 1986 People Power uprising, has reported recovering hundreds of billions of pesos in cash, shares, real estate and other assets from the Marcoses and their associates through settlements, forfeiture proceedings and court judgments. Civil Case No. 0141 was among the most significant cases filed as part of that recovery effort.
The Sandiganbayan’s June 2 resolution effectively closes the remaining chapter of that particular forfeiture case while leaving earlier recoveries and final court rulings undisturbed. n
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria assumes the presidency of the United States Conference of Mayors during the organization’s 94th Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California. Gloria became the first mayor from San Diego and the first openly LGBTQ+ mayor to lead the national organization.
The mayor said his agenda will focus
Nevada primaries set November...
PAGE 1
governor and the state’s Democratic attorney general, with affordability, housing, energy costs and public safety expected to remain central issues. Further down the statewide ballot, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro advanced in the attorney general’s race and will face Republican Adriana Guzmán Fralick. In the lieutenant governor’s contest, unofficial results showed Democratic Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui advancing toward a matchup with incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony. The congressional map also came into sharper focus. Democratic Rep. Dina Titus advanced in the 1st Congressional District and is set to face Republican state Sen. Carrie Buck. In the 2nd District, an open northern Nevada seat created by Republican Rep. Mark Amodei’s retirement will feature former Democratic Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson against Republican David Flippo, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel endorsed by President Donald Trump. In the 3rd Congressional Dis-
trict, Democratic Rep. Susie Lee advanced toward a general election contest with Republican Marty O’Donnell, a video game composer known for work associated with the “Halo” franchise. O’Donnell won a Republican primary field that included Tera Anderson, Jeff Gunter and Aury Nagy. In the 4th District, unofficial results showed Republican Cody Whipple winning the GOP primary to challenge Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford. For Nevada’s Filipino American community, one of the clearest outcomes came in Assembly District 14, where Assemblymember Erica Mosca, a Democrat and Filipina American lawmaker, advanced in her bid for another term representing part of Clark County. The Nevada Legislature lists Mosca as the Assemblymember for District 14 and Assistant Majority Floor Leader. First elected in 2022, Mosca is widely identified as the first Filipina to serve in the Nevada Legislature. Her public biography describes her as a former teacher, nonprofit founder, small-business owner and first-generation college graduate.
Another race watched by Filipino American voters was As-
sembly District 9, where Maria Teresa Hank, a Filipina/Hawaiian labor candidate and flight attendant, ran in the Democratic primary for the seat being vacated by Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager. Hank’s campaign biography identifies her as a member of Transport Workers Union Local 556 for more than three decades, a flight attendant and a University of Nevada, Las Vegas graduate. Hank did not advance. Ryan Hampton, an addiction recovery advocate and founder of Mobilize Recovery, defeated Hank in the Democratic primary. Hampton is set to face Republican Erica Neely, who won the GOP primary in the same district.
The outcome left Mosca as the Filipino American legislative candidate advancing from the two closely watched Clark County Assembly races involving FilAm candidates. Nevada’s primary also underscored the state’s closed partisan system, in which registered Democrats and Republicans vote in their respective party contests. Nonpartisan races operate under different rules, with candidates able to win outright or advance depending on the office and vote threshold. n
U.S. expands use of citizenship...
PAGE 1
of false identities and immigration-related misrepresentations.
The actions were brought under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the government to seek revocation of naturalization if citizenship was illegally obtained or procured through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation.
None of the civil complaints has yet resulted in a judicial determination of liability, the Justice Department said.
The announcement has drawn renewed attention to denaturalization, a consequential but limited legal process that allows the federal government to challenge citizenship granted through naturalization. It does not apply to people who became U.S. citizens by birth. It applies only to naturalized citizens, and the government must prove its case in federal court.
Federal officials said the latest cases involve naturalized citizens originally from several countries, including Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Mexico, Jamaica, India, Somalia, China, Congo, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Philippines.
Among the cases cited by the Justice Department is that of Jheromell Obejera Arcilla, a native of the Philippines. The government filed a civil denaturalization complaint in federal court in Maryland alleging that Arcilla sexually abused a minor before and during the period in which he naturalized and made false statements in connection with his citizenship application.
The department said Arcilla was indicted in 2020 on Maryland sexual offense charges and pleaded guilty in 2021 to one count of sex abuse of a minor. The government is seeking to revoke his citizenship on claims that he lacked the good moral character required for naturaliza-
tion and knowingly misled immigration authorities.
Other complaints described by the department involve people accused of concealing fraud schemes, false identities, undisclosed criminal conduct or immigration misrepresentations.
The Justice Department also cited cases involving a Cuban-born woman who admitted in criminal proceedings that she and co-conspirators fraudulently billed tens of millions of dollars through physical therapy clinics, and an India-born staffing company executive accused of filing fraudulent H-1B visa petitions and making false statements during naturalization.
The Justice Department’s Civil Division has made denaturalization a stated enforcement priority. A department memorandum directed federal lawyers to prioritize cases involving national security concerns, war crimes, human rights violations, gang or cartel activity, undisclosed felonies, sex offenses, violent crimes, financial fraud, immigration fraud and other significant matters. Because denaturalization can result in the loss of citizenship, the cases are subject to feder-
al court review and require the government to establish the legal grounds for revocation. Federal law has long permitted the government to seek denaturalization when naturalization was obtained through fraud, concealment or legal ineligibility.
If a court grants denaturalization, the person loses U.S. citizenship and the legal benefits attached to it, including a U.S. passport and protection from removal as a citizen. The person may revert to a prior immigration status and may become subject to deportation proceedings, depending on the facts of the case.
The Justice Department said the 17 cases were brought by its Office of Immigration Litigation with assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. attorney’s offices in several jurisdictions. The cases underscore a narrow but consequential legal reality for naturalized immigrants. U.S. citizenship obtained through naturalization can be challenged in court if the government alleges and proves that it was obtained through fraud, concealment or statutory ineligibility. n
Boeing supplier Heatcon to build...
PAGE 1
develop Clark Aviation Capital as an aviation, logistics and maintenance-related business district. CIAC is the aviation and land development arm of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority. According to CIAC, Heatcon
expects to start operations by the second quarter of 2027 and make an initial investment of about $2.94 million within the first three years.
Heatcon says it supplies aerospace composite repair equipment, including hot bonders, accessories, technical services and materials used in compos-
ite-structure repair. The company serves aircraft manufacturers, defense organizations, airlines and maintenance, repair and overhaul operators. CIAC said Heatcon’s presence is expected to support Clark’s bid to attract more aircraft maintenance and aerospace-related investments. n
Discipline, Not Drama, Carries Knicks to Brink of NBA Title
by aJPress
NEW YORK
— For nearly two quarters, the San Antonio Spurs looked poised to seize control of the NBA Finals. They led by 29 points. Their shots were falling. Their defense had rattled New York. The Knicks appeared headed toward a damaging home-court defeat that would have reopened the series. Instead, they authored one of the most remarkable comebacks in Finals history.
The Knicks erased a 29-point deficit and stunned the Spurs 107–106 in Game 4 on Wednesday night, turning what appeared to be a San Antonio victory into a crushing collapse and moving within one win of an NBA championship.
Championship basketball has a way of stripping away distractions and revealing what matters most. Not the celebrations. Not the exchanges between opponents. Not the moments that dominate social media or fuel postgame debate.
What ultimately decides championships are the details — a defensive stop, a smart possession, a timely rebound, the ability to remain composed when every play carries enormous consequences. That was the lesson of Game 4. For much of the postseason, the Spurs have played with the confidence and fearlessness of a young team convinced it belongs among
What began as a comfortable Spurs lead became a tense contest. What looked like a series-changing victory evolved into a fourth-quarter fight. By the closing minutes, the pressure had shifted entirely to San Antonio, while the Knicks fed off a crowd sensing history. New York did not overwhelm San Antonio with athleticism. It did not rely on one spectacular highlight.
Instead, the Knicks leaned on the qualities that often define championship teams: patience, discipline and execution. They protected possessions, found stops when they needed them and remained focused on the next play rather than the emotions surrounding it.
For the Spurs, the defeat served as a reminder of how little separates victory from defeat at this stage of the season. A missed assignment, an untimely foul, a rushed decision or a single lapse in concentration can become the difference between extending a series and facing elimination. Championship basketball rarely turns on one moment alone. More often, outcomes are shaped by a collection of small decisions accumulated over 48 minutes.
The Knicks made enough of the right ones.
As emotions ran high and the margin for error disappeared, New York erased a 29-point deficit and relied on late-game execution to seize a commanding 3–1 lead in the NBA Finals. the league’s contenders. Led by rising superstar Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio has blended talent, energy and self-belief throughout a playoff run that accelerated the franchise’s championship timetable. But the Finals often become a test of discipline as much as skill. The loss will haunt San Antonio not simply because it dropped the Spurs into a 3–1 series deficit, but because of the opportunity that slipped away. Championship teams are expected to protect large leads. A 29-point advantage in a Finals game should place a team firmly in command. Instead, the Spurs watched New York chip away, possession by possession.
Now the series shifts to San Antonio, where the Spurs will attempt to keep their season alive and force a return trip to New York. The challenge before them is straightforward: match their undeniable talent with the discipline required to win when the margin for error is at its smallest.
For New York, the comeback instantly joins the franchise’s catalogue of memorable postseason moments. For San Antonio, it becomes a painful lesson in how quickly fortunes can change in championship basketball.
A 29-point lead is supposed to be enough.
In Game 4, it was not.
When pressure rises and every possession matters, composure becomes a competitive advantage. For one night at Madison Square Garden, it was the difference between a team moving to the brink of a title and another fighting to keep its season alive.n
Filipino father in Alaska released from ICE detention after court win
by
NEW YORK — A 39-year-old Filipino father from Anchorage, Alaska, was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody Wednesday after an immigration judge terminated his case. The release of Jefferson Hisola, who has lived in the United States for nearly 30 years, followed a public campaign by immigrant advocates. The Philippine Consulate in Seattle said it made representations with federal authorities.
“Since the evening of 8 June through yesterday, we have made multiple representation with DHSICE on behalf of Mr. Jefferson Hisola,” Consul General Henry Bensurto Jr. said in a text message Wednesday. “Today, we received a reply from DHS-ICE that they will no longer appeal the case. Accordingly, they have released Jefferson at 2:35 this afternoon.”
The development marks a major turn in Hisola’s case. Tanggol Migrante Movement in Washington and Hisola’s family said he had been in ICE custody since April 21 despite winning his case in immigration court. Jefferson Hisola
Hisola, originally from Olongapo City in the Philippines, came to the United States at age 10 and has built his life in Alaska, according to Tanggol Migrante and his family.
The father of a 12-year-old son, Hisola had been working in Anchorage when ICE agents arrested him at his workplace.
His sister, Jennilyn Hisola, described him as a devoted father and a dependable brother.
“Jeff is the kind of person who will always put his son first,” she told Inquirer USA. “He works hard, he takes care of our family, and he has done everything the courts asked him to do here. He just wants to provide for his child and live peacefully.”
Advocates said ICE moved to detain Hisola based on a 2020 charge in Alaska, even though he had already served his sentence and completed court-ordered community service.
Tanggol Migrante said it later learned that the charge was considered “non-deportable and indivisible” under immigration law and that the immigration judge relied on the 2013 US Supreme Court decision in Descamps v. United States, which limits how certain criminal statutes can be used in deportation cases.
‘Kidnapping’
In its public account of the arrest, Tanggol Migrante described the incident as a “kidnapping” by ICE and said Hisola was not served a signed warrant until two days after he was taken from work. He was later transferred to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, the group said.
Campaign for Hisola’s release About 80 supporters rallied outside the detention center on June 8 during Hisola’s master calendar hearing, a preliminary immigration court proceeding generally used for pleadings, scheduling
and other procedural matters rather than the full merits of a removal case.
Supporters later marched to the Philippine Consulate in Seattle to press Consul General Bensurto to intervene and to protest what they described as neglect of Filipinos in detention.
“Jeff has done everything that was asked of him by the courts here, and yet he is still being punished,” Noah Ajeto of Tanggol Migrante Washington said before Hisola’s release. “He should never have been detained in the first place, and now, even after the judge terminated his case, he’s still locked up while the government decides whether to appeal.”
Tanggol Migrante said the immigration judge on June 8 found no legal basis to continue holding or deporting Hisola and terminated the case.
Under federal immigration rules, appeals from an immigration judge’s decision generally must be filed within 30 calendar days, which had left Hisola in limbo even after the favorable ruling.
That changed Wednesday when Consul General Bensurto said DHS-ICE informed the Consulate it would no longer pursue an appeal.
‘Limited consular support’ Jennilyn said the detention had put severe strain on the family and on Jeff’s 12-year-old son. “Jeff is at risk of losing his job, and we are carrying all the legal expenses on our own,” she said before learning of his release. “My nephew misses his dad so much. We just want his father home.”
She also criticized what she saw at the time as limited consular support. Jennilyn said she reached out after a May 1 call from the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco but was told assistance would largely be limited to documents such as a passport or repatriation paperwork.
“At that point I lost hope,” she said.
Tanggol Migrante said Jeff later spent weeks trying to reach an Assistance to Nationals officer after being given a contact number on May 12, calling daily and finally receiving a response on June 4.
The group said the officer did not immediately commit to covering legal fees but offered about $300 for Hisola’s commissary account. Tanggol Migrante also said it submitted an Assistance to Nationals application on June 4 to the Philippine Consulates in Seattle and San Francisco seeking help for legal expenses and lost income totaling more than $23,000, including any bond fees.
“Protect your people, do something — I need to see it,” Jennilyn said in a message played at the June 8 protest in Seattle. “Don’t tell me and act like my brother is gonna go to the Philippines already. Take action and do what you can do to support him and my family right now. We need him to be out.”
PH Consulate General responds In a statement to Inquirer USA, the Philippine Consulate General in Seattle strongly rejected Tanggol Migrante’s accusations that
Deaths of two Ateneo players put school, coaches and sports-safety rules under scrutiny
by aJPress
MANILA — The drowning deaths of two Ateneo de Manila University basketball players during a team activity in Aurora have widened into an inquiry over student-athlete safety, school supervision and coach responsibility when training moves beyond the court.
Rene Clert Baterbonia, 19, and Divine Adili, 21, died on June 8 during an off-season activity of the Ateneo men’s basketball team in Dipaculao, Aurora. Ateneo confirmed the deaths and said it was supporting their families, teammates and the university community.
The incident occurred not during a game, but during a school-linked activity away from campus, placing scrutiny on planning, supervision, risk assessment
and emergency response.
Ateneo has said head coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin and team manager Christopher “Epok” Quimpo have gone on leave while the university conducts a fact-finding inquiry. The leave is not a finding of wrongdoing, and no agency or university body has announced a final finding of liability. According to Ateneo, the team was conducting a conditioning exercise in knee-deep water near the shoreline when massive waves and a powerful rip current struck. Most players returned to safety, but Baterbonia and Adili were pulled away. Initial police information also cited strong current and deeper waters. The two were taken to a medical facility, where efforts to revive them failed.
Ateneo has said no weights
were used. Aurora police also said initial first-responder accounts did not show weights attached to either player or visible bruises during first aid. Investigators are examining the activity’s location and conduct. Aurora police have said it took place about 300 meters from the resort’s designated safer area, despite reported advice to stay in shallow waters. The DOJ has directed the NBI to determine whether evidence supports charges. The PNP-CIDG has summoned coaches, players, barangay officials, resort personnel and the team bus driver. CHED has required Ateneo to submit an incident report, while DOLE separately summoned Baldwin over his Alien Employment Permit. Authorities have not issued final findings, and the case remains under review. n
Mindoro’s Sablayan town named Unesco biosphere reserve
MANILA, Philippines — The town of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro has been named world biosphere reserve during the 38th session of the UNESCO International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Program in Hernandarias, Paraguay.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO announced the designation during the observance of World Environment Day on June 5.
it had failed to assist Hisola and other detained Filipinos, calling the claim a “complete and utter falsehood” and a “malicious statement.”
The Consulate said the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco remains the lead office handling Assistance to Nationals cases in the region, including Hisola’s, while the newly reopened Seattle post is still building up its staff, equipment and full consular operations.
According to the Consulate’s account, an ATN officer from the San Francisco post spoke with Hisola by phone on June 4 and confirmed that he was already represented by a private immigration lawyer engaged by his sister in Washington state.
The Consulate said the officer informed Hisola that San Francisco had requested welfare assistance of $300 for each Filipino detainee at the Northwest Detention Center, including Hisola, to be deposited in their accounts for commissary and communication expenses once approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The Consulate added that Hisola “expressed his appreciation” for the assistance and reported no medical issues.
Hisola’s release
The Consulate also said Seattle officials wrote to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE in May to request a courtesy call and raise the situation of detained Filipinos in the region.
Consul General Bensurto said Seattle PCG “made multiple representations with DHS-ICE” after the June 8 hearing and that, based on those efforts, ICE lawyers informed the consulate they would not appeal the immigration judge’s decision, clearing the way for Hisola’s June 10 release.
The Consulate further disputed Tanggol Migrante’s description of a June 8 encounter at the Seattle office, saying six members of the group arrived without an appointment, “launched a verbal tirade” and “harassment” against Bensurto, and recorded the exchange without consent.
The Consulate said it has its own video of the meeting, claiming that the group distorted the consul general’s statements in its press release, labeling the assertions as “false” and “out of context.”
Assistance funds
Tanggol Migrante has demanded immediate release of assistance funds for Hisola’s family and pointed to what it described as a broader pattern of Filipinos being caught in harsh immigration enforcement.
“We are not asking them to break the laws – we are asking for the Philippine government to advocate for their nationals so that what happened to Kuya Jeff, Kuya Max and so many other Filipinos who have the right to be here won’t happen again,” Ajeto said. “Filipinos deserve a government that will fight for them.”
Hisola’s family and supporters said they were relieved by his release and are now focused on helping him rebuild his life with his son. n
The Matibay na Bayan ng Sablayan Biosphere Reserve is a biodiversity hotspot, where some of the Philippines’ most important terrestrial and marine ecosystems are protected.
“Sablayan stretches across Occidental Mindoro from mountain forests above 2,200 meters to coral reefs and open sea,” UNESCO said.
The town is known for the Apo Reef Natural Park, home to the largest contiguous coral reef system in the Philippines, as well as the critically endangered tamaraw in its upland forests.
UNESCO cited Sablayan’s surge in ecotourism from 34,000 in 2022 to 153,000 in 2024, commending the town’s conservation efforts while paving opportunities for development.
Sablayan is the fifth global biosphere reserve in the country after Puerto Galera, Palawan, Albay and Apayao.
“This international recognition is a testament to the community’s resilience, sustainable development and tireless conservation efforts,” the Department of Tourism said as it welcomed the designation yesterday.
Sablayan joined other biosphere reserves in Albania, Algeria, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Canada, Iran, Mongolia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Portugal, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, or 797 sites across 145 countries. n Satellite image shows Mindoro.
