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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
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DATELINE Trump administration gets new legal team as fight over citizenship question on 2020 Census continues FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s efforts to include a contentious citizenship question in the upcoming 2020 Census continues as the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Monday, July 8 that a new legal team would now be overseeing the census-related cases. DOJ Spokesperson Kerri Kupec announced the transition on Sunday, July 7, but did not give a reason for the change. “Since these cases began, the lawyers representing the United States in these cases have given countless hours to defending the Commerce Department and have consistently demonstrated the highest professionalism, integrity, and skill inside and outside the courtroom,” said Kupec. “The Attorney General appreciates that service, thanks them for their work on these im-
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Fil-Am former Virginian delegate gets 2.5 years for defrauding federal govt Celebrated state delegate Ron Villanueva sentenced to prison FORMER Virginia delegate and Virginia Beach councilman Ron Villanueva was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on Tuesday, July 2 on multiple charges of fraud against the federal government. Earlier this year, the Filipino American Republican pleaded guilty to a list of charges including “falsifying records and helping oth-
Panelo hits back at Amnesty Int’l: Don’t parrot bogus drug war info by
DARYYL JOHN ESGUERRA Inquirer.net
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo on Wednesday, July 10, urged Amnesty International to stop peddling “bogus information” on the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. In a statement, Panelo hit the London-based group for insisting that the drug war has claimed the lives of 27,000 drug personalities. The Palace official was reacting to Butch Olano, Amnesty Philippines section director, who asked him to do his homework first by reading the group’s report on the drug war before making any statement. Olano said the figures cited in the report came
MENDIOLA AJ Press
DELISTED martial law victims and their relatives on Tuesday, July 9, confronted American lawyer Robert Swift about why they were taken off the official list of people to be awarded compensation after winning the Hawaii class action suit that resulted in a nearly $2-billion award for some 6,000 martial law victims. “We were one of the first to join the Hawaii lawsuit in 1986, but why were we delisted? There are a lot of us from Region 3 who were delisted. Our husbands are still missing. Until now we have no justice. There were a lot of true victims who were denied,” said Helena Jimenez in Filipino during a forum at the UP (University of the Philippines) Law Center. According to her, she only received compensation once, through Republic Act No.
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PEACE MEETING. President Rodrigo Duterte gives a warm welcome to Moro National Liberation Front Founding Chairman Nur Misuari prior to the start of their meeting at the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, July 9. Duterte earlier announced that he proposed creating a negotiating peace panel for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to attain peace in Mindanao Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez
to the Philippines securing a seat by acclamation in the 40-member International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Executive Council, which is under the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the period 2019-2021. The Philippines withdrew from the ICC on March 17, a year after the Philippines formally submitted its letter of withdrawal from the Rome Statute — the founding treaty of the ICC — after a preliminary examination into the alleged crimes against humanity of President Rodrigo Duterte and his men was launched by the
tribunal’s chief prosecutor. The court, however, can still investigate alleged crimes against humanity in relation to the president’s anti-drug campaign. According to ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, the court retains its jurisdiction over crimes committed in the context of the war on drugs even after its withdrawal from the Rome Statute. Earlier this year, Malacañang said ICC investigators would be barred from entering the country if they insist on probing the alleged extrajudicial killings tied to Duterte’s war against illegal drugs. ■
angalang town, Leyte province. “They’re making me the bait. What do you think Filipinos are, earthworms?” he added. Duterte urged the U.S. to fire the first shot, adding that the Philippines would be right behind them because of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. “Now I say, you bring your planes, your boats to South China Sea. Fire the first shot and we’ll be behind you. Let’s do this and see who’s going down,” he said. “We have an RP-U.S. pact, so let us honor it. Do you want trouble? Okay, let’s do it,” he continued.
According to the president, the Palawan province would be the first to be hit if war broke out over the South China Sea as it is facing the waterway. “Now he wants us to tickle China and when this blows up — Palawan will be blown up and sacrificed because they’re all there now because it’s facing the South China Sea. I am not about to order my soldiers to go to the mouths of hell to die unarmed. I cannot do that,” he said. Duterte also slammed his critics, specifically calling out former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert
Duterte dares US to declare was vs China by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJ Press
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, July 5, dared the United States to declare war against China following criticisms he received over his handling of the maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing. “We can never win a war with China. But I hope that China would not overdo things also because there is always America pushing us, egging us,” he said in his speech at the opening of Chen Yi Agventures Rice Processing Center (CYA-RPC) in Al-
who “foisted the lie” but were “mercilessly repudiated by the electorate in the polls.” “Their mask of righteousness has been ripped apart,” he said. “Amnesty International cannot parrot the bogus information it gets from the anti-Duterte forces and gets away with it. It cannot recklessly throw accusations without them showing credible proof of their authenticity,” Panelo stressed. The Palace official further asked the human rights group to “cite facts and figures on the names of the alleged 27,000 extrajudicial deaths.” “Otherwise, their failure will only validate the grotesque falsity of their claim and lace it with condemnable malice,” he said. ■
by RITCHEL
Locsin calls ICC a fairytale endeavor FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, July 9, justified the Philippines’ exit from the International Criminal Court (ICC), likening it to a fairy tale endeavor. “Better we stick to real science instead of fairy tale endeavors like the ICC which like the Queen in Alice in Wonderland cries out, ‘First the judgment, then the trial.’ Why I got us out. I will keep doing that,” he posted on Twitter. His statement was in response
from the government itself, particularly the Philippine National Police (PNP). Claiming that he had “surely done his homework,” Panelo said the group’s drug war death toll of 27,000 is “one big lie” and is a part of the false narrative against the anti-narcotics campaign supposedly peddled by the President’s critics. “This is one big lie and part of the false advocacies widely peddled by the President’s critics and detractors, considering that those who have been neutralized in the anti-illegal drug campaign are less than a fifth of this bloated figure,” Panelo said. He then pointed to opposition candidates in the recently concluded midterm elections as the ones
Delisted martial law victims, kin confront lawyer
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by AJPRESS
Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
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DOT: 3.4-M tourists visited PH January-May 2019 by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJ Press
A TOTAL of 3,489,270 tourists were recorded to have visited the Philippines for the first five months of 2019, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the numbers — which mark a 9.76 percent increase from the same period last year — are very encouraging. “The numbers are very encouraging. From 3,178,984 tourists recorded from January to May in 2018, we are already close to breaching the 3.5 million mark this year. This only shows that the preservation of our environment can go hand in hand with economic gains,” she said in a statement. The month of May saw a 15.62 percent growth in tourist arrivals, increasing from 537,743 last year to 621,719 this year. It is the highest month-per-month growth rate this year to date. Korea continues its reign as the country’s number one source market with 788,530 January to May arrivals, chalking up an 11.76 percent growth rate comprising 22.6 percent of the total arrivals. Following close behind is China, with 733,769 arrivals for a 30.96 percent increase and a
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat
Photo courtesy by pna.gov.ph
21.03 percent market share. The United States ranks third with 472,469 arrivals, while Japan places fourth with 281,988. Taiwan also saw a double digit growth at 27.24 percent or 128,986 arrivals.
Other countries included in the top ten markets are Australia with 123,851; Canada with 114,605; the United Kingdom with 92,914; Singapore with 64,951; and Malaysia with 64,951. ■
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JULY 12-18, 2019 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
From the Front Page
Fil-Am former Virginian delegate...
A FEW MORE STANDING. People pass by a few stalls occupying the roadside of Recto Avenue in Manila. In a swift, classy move to impose change, Mayor Isko Moreno commanded the clearing operation of illegal vendors in Divisoria, Blumentritt, and other clogged streets in the city of Manila a few days after he took his oath of office. Manilatimes.net photo by Enrique Agcaoili
Trump administration gets new legal team... PAGE A1 portant matters, and is confident that the new team will carry on in the same exemplary fashion.” Kupec said the new team would be made up of political and career appointees — some of who work in the DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch. According to court papers, legal team members include Deputy Assistant Attorney General David Morrell, who previously worked as a lawyer in the Trump White House and is now head of the Consumer Protection Branch; and Christopher Bates who serves as a senior counsel at the DOJ. Also included are four career DOJ attorneys, Glenn Girdharry, Colin Kisor, Christopher Reimer, and Daniel Schiffer. The change comes amid questions on whether the Trump administration’s efforts on adding the question may have been motivated by racial bias, with U.S. District Court Judge George Hazel last week ordering a court case looking into the motivation to go forward. It also comes after the Supreme Court last month blocked Trump’s initial effort to add the question in a 5-4 ruling, with Chief Justice Roberts saying that a sufficient reason for adding the question would be needed. He said that the rationale given by the Trump administration were “contrived.” With the clock ticking and census forms already printing as
scheduled without the question, Trump said last week that he was considering declaring an executive order. He also suggested that the question could be added on to the questionnaire as an addendum if approved later. Attorney General William Barr told the Associated Press on Monday, July 8, that he had been in contact with Trump and saw a legal way for the census to ask about citizenship. “I agree with him that the Supreme Court decision was wrong,” said Barr. He added that he believed there to be “an opportunity potentially to cure the lack of clarity that was the problem and we might as well take a shot at doing that.” Despite Trump having said last week that the main reason for wanting the question on the census was for electoral district drawing purposes, his administration has for months argued that the question on citizenship would help administer the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965, which is supposed to prevent voter discriminagion against minorities. Advocates against the question have maintained that the question — which hasn’t been on the census since it was dropped in 1950 — would discourage a significant amount of people from participating in the census, thus making it likely for certain communities to be misrepresented. Many have also argued that when it comes to the issue of
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knowing the non-citizen demographic of the U.S., there are other less-intrusive ways of getting that data. The decennial count looks for population changes and other information about who makes up the United States — citizens and non-citizens alike. The census also, more importantly, uses the derived data to address many of the nation’s needs like determining how seats in Congress are set, and how funding for certain programs like Medicaid benefits, law enforcement, and public schools should be allocated. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, on Monday criticized the Trump administration’s continuous efforts towards adding the question, saying that the administration was looking to “make American white again.” “This is about keeping — you know, Make America, you know his hat — Make America White Again. They want to make sure that people, certain people, are counted,” said Pelosi. She continued, “What they want to do is to put a chilling effect so that certain populations will not answer the form.” It is still unclear as of press time what new rationale the Trump administration will introduce or what next steps it will take, but Barr told reporters that the DOJ would reveal “in the next day or two” how it will proceed. (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress) n
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PAGE A1 ers file false documents,” according to local Virginia news outlet WAVY News. “You have done good things, but that doesn’t put you above the law,” U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith told Villanueva at Tuesday’s hearing. According to court documents, Villanueva wrongly helped two Virginia companies— SEK Solutions, which marketed weapons and industrial storage products and Karda Systems, which sold tactical gear — secure special government contracts through a U.S. Small Business Administration program that directs funding to women- and minority-owned companies only. Previously, Villanueva served as vice president and president of SEK and as a board member for Karda Systems. Court documents note that the scheme took place from May 2005 to Decem-
ber 2014 when Villanueva was a councilmember for the Virginia Beach City Council and then in the House of Delegates. For years, Villanueva worked with Kahlil Naim of SEK and Samuel Caragan of Karda Systems (Villanueva’s brother-inlaw) to file multiple false statements to the SBA. At his hearing, Villanueva was given 45 days to report to prison to start his 2.5-year sentence, and upon his release will be on probation for three years. Villanueva must also pay more than $524,000, which is the amount he received from the fraudulent contracts. “I’m telling the judge everyone is entitled to second chances. I’m sorry, and I am thankful for all my support here,” Villanueva, 49, told WAVY News on Tuesday before his hearing. “My story is not done. We are defined by our maker and not defined by our
Former Virginia delegate and Virginia Beach councilman Ron Villanueva
mistakes.” Villanueva served as a delegate from 2010 to 2018. He was the first Filipino American elected to Virginia state government. In 2017, he was voted out of office and replaced with Kelly Fowler, a Filipina American Democrat. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress) n
Duterte dares US to declare war...
PAGE A1 Del Rosario, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, for telling him what to do. “They are attacking me on the collateral that I should bar China from fishing, from destroying… They want me to go there. How do I enforce the arbitral ruling? Should I go there with the Navy and I insist and say, ‘Hey, you guys, you go out.’ And China, ‘No, what do you want?’ So, should we have war?” he said. “I don’t know how they would do it but I would like to turn over the government to Carpio,
President Rodrigo Duterte
Photo courtesy by politics.com.ph
Del Rosario, and Morales. If the If there will really be a war, I will three of them will join together, drag them there. We’ll all die I would be happy to lead them. anyway,” Duterte added. n
Delisted martial law victims, kin, cofront lawyer...
PAGE A1 10368 or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013, managed by the nowdefunct Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB). She was not awarded compensation when a New York federal court ordered the distribution of $13.75 million to Marcos human victims earlier this year. Jimenez was not alone — of the initial class members of close to 10,000, only around 6,000 received compensation after they had completed the requirements for registration. A requirement to claim com-
pensation was submitting claim forms twice, first in 1993, and again in 1999. Swift, for his part, said: “I would have been delighted to only require the 1993 class filing but the court required the second filing.” “It wasn’t until 2011 when there was money to distribute that the court made the ruling as to eligibility, saying that people must have filed in both years,” he added. Carol Araullo, a claimant, said she never got a notice to register a second time despite never changing her address. Swift explained that the delist-
ing due to circumstances beyond the control of lawyers, such as the failure of the postal system to deliver letters in time. “They only gave me five weeks. We tried to get the word out, we sent letters to class members, we worked furiously to do that,” he said. He also said that there was not much he could do as he had to abide by a court order. “There was an order and I have to abide by that order,” Swift said. “In litigation, you don’t always get what you want. You try hard, but ultimately it’s up to the court to decide that,” he added. n
Amal Clooney to represent Maria Ressa of Rappler in press freedom fight by AJPress
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PROMINENT international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney will join the legal team representing Maria Ressa, the award-winning Filipino journalist currently facing several criminal charges along with online news site Rappler for her journalism. “Maria Ressa is a courageous journalist who is being persecuted for reporting the news and standing up to human rights abuses. We will pursue all available legal remedies to vindicate her rights and defend press freedom and the rule of law in the Philippines,” Clooney said in a press statement released by London-based law firm Doughty Street Chambers. According to the statement, Clooney will work with a team of international lawyers as Ressa’s counsel and coordinate with attorneys in Manila. Ressa, named Person of the Year by Time Magazine in 2018, is the cofounder and editor of Rappler, which has gained distinction for its unflinching coverage of
Maria Ressa with Amal Clooney and her husband George
President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs. She has been arrested twice this year on cyber libel and tax evasion charges. In a statement, Ressa said: “I am delighted that Amal Clooney and her team will be representing me at the international level to challenge the violations of my rights and those of the media organisation I represent.”
Photo from Twitter/@mariaressa
Clooney was appointed special envoy for media freedom by the British government. She has previously defended Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who were jailed for more than 16 months in Myanmar under the country’s Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacre of Rohingya civilians. They were freed in May. n
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New website seeks to combat visa abuse and protect Filipino migrant workers by KlarIze
MedenIlla AJPress
A NEW website was launched this week as a part of an initiative to combat and prevent exploitation, abuse and trafficking of Filipino migrant workers who hold temporary work visas in the United States. The legal and civil rights nonprofit organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA) launched Ang Karapatan Mo Sa America (Your Rights in America), an online resource in English and Tagalog that provides lists of rights as well as helpful tips depending on the visa provider and/or the specific visa currently held. “What we have seen in our work is that a disproportionate number of our human trafficking clients are Filipino, and too often they would come to us with help for applying for visas, specifically a T visa, and would often come back to us many years later after they’ve left their human trafficking situation, and so that makes it difficult,” Christopher Lapinig, the Filipino American staff attorney for Advancing Justice-LA who created the Karapatan Mo initiative, told the Asian Journal. Lapinig said that the sooner that workers know their rights and “establish a foundation of knowledge” of what trafficking and worker exploitation is, the sooner they can identify whether they’re being exploited and can seek legal action.
“As more time lapses, it makes it more difficult to look for other forms of legal action that they could take like suing their employer or trafficker, so part of the rationale for us was to help people understand their rights and recognize that their rights are being violated sooner rather than later so they could leave their problematic situation and find legal assistance more quickly,” Lapinig noted. A majority of immigrants who hold a T visa — a special visa for human trafficking victims and their families — are Filipinos who have often been brought to the Philippines by recruiters with the promise of good pay and a pathway to citizenship. Although Karapatan Mo is a resource for Filipinos who have already been brought to the U.S. into these exploitative situations, Lapinig also noted that the website is also designed for Filipinos who haven’t left for the Philippines yet but may be targets of human trafficking “so they can identify potential problems with their recruitment situations so they can avoid getting trafficked in the first place.” Although a vast majority of Filipino trafficking victims are domestic workers, hotel and hospitality workers, teachers or caregivers, anyone in any industry could be recruited and duped into a job that isn’t at all like they were promised. Through the Karapatan Mo website (www.karapatanmo. com), workers can submit a
Cyberbullying affects 1 in 10 children globally – report by PIa lee-BraGo Philstar.com
WITH the presence of social networking platforms, cyberbullying remains to be a growing problem that affects one in 10 children globally, according to a United Nations report. The 2019 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report titled “Behind the Numbers: Ending School Violence and Bullying” also showed that 32 percent or one in three students experienced bullying by their peers at least once in the last month. “Globally, one in three children experiences bullying and a similar proportion are affected by physical violence,” the report said. The report said physical bullying is the most frequent type of bullying in many regions. “Bullying is unacceptable and is getting worse online,” said UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay. The report cited the Global Kids Online study that found that among nine to 17-year-old internet users, 35 percent reported online hurtful behavior in Serbia; Philippines, 29 percent; South Africa, 20 percent, and seven percent among 13-17 year old internet users in Argentina. Data from the Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, Serbia and South Africa also showed that between 12 and 22 percent of children received messages with sexual content. Cyberbullying includes mean messages, postings, e-mails and
text messages or creating a website that makes fun of students and posting inappropriate pictures without permission. The Global Kids Online survey used online hurtful behavior instead of cyberbullying. The students were asked about their experience of different types of bullying: physical, psychological, sexual and cyberbullying. Bullying is characterized by an aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions and imbalance of power or strength between the perpetrator or perpetrators and the victim. For a student to be considered a victim of bullying, aggression should occur at least once or twice a month or more. Boys are more prone to physical bullying while girls are more likely to experience psychological bullying. Children who are perceived to be different are more at risk of bullying. Key factors include not conforming to gender norms, physical appearance, race, nationality or color. A significant increase in bullying among male students was noted in four countries: the Philippines, Myanmar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Among female students, a significant increase was identified in the Philippines, Egypt, Kuwait, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Rodrigues (Mauritius), Thailand and UAE. The report said bullying prevalence rates for both male and female students increased in Myanmar, UAE and the Philippines. n
Pope Francis proclaims Filipino nun ‘venerable’ in step closer to sainthood
Pope Francis declared Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo de Fuentes as “venerable” on July 6, according to the Catholic Bishops’Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). CBCP photo by FrancIs
earl cueto ManilaTimes.net
A FILIPINO nun stepped closer toward sainthood after Pope Francis proclaimed her “venerable,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced over the weekend. The pope cited Mother Francisca, founder of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, for having lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way. The CBCP said the pope would have to recognize a miracle attributed to Mother Francisca’s intercession in order for her to be beatified. “After the beatification, another miracle would be needed for canonization,” the CBCP said.
Mother Francisca died in Manila in 1711 and was buried in the Church of the Collegio de San Juan de Letran. Mother Francisca will be approved for beatification once a miracle is attributed to her intercession. With the pope’s approval of a decree of a miracle, Mother Francisca may be beatified and called “blessed.” A second miracle is needed before she could be canonized, which would then lead to her official declaration as a “saint.” Last month, Pope Francis also declared as venerable Filipino nun Maria Beatrice Rosario Arroyo, the great great grandaunt of former first gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo. Mother Maria was born in Iloilo, and died in June 1957. n
“completely confidential” message to request legal counsel free of charge from Advancing Justice-LA. Often, workers who find themselves in trafficking situations are often afraid to report or seek advice for fear of their immigration status being revealed or retaliation from their workers. The organization also offers a phone number (in English and Tagalog) for those seeking legal help: 1 (855) 300-2552. Lapinig also noted that Karapatan Mo seeks to combat human trafficking by empowering workers rather than preventing them from seeking employment in the United States at all. Earlier this year, the Trump administration placed a temporary ban on H-2A and H-2B visas for workers from the Philippines because, according to victim reports to the Department of Homeland Security, Filipino migrant workers were particularly susceptible to human trafficking and abuse. “The ban on Filipinos participating in H-2 programs seems like a perverse way to respond to that information because Filipino workers have been effectively doing what they should be doing which is stepping out of the shadows and reporting the crimes that have been committed against them,” Lapinig said. “Data shows that Filipinos are coming out and reporting human trafficking, so to penalize an entire country and population of people for doing exactly what the law sets out to do is wrong.” n
FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS. Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation members demonstrate their skills during LAKAD PARA ATLETA 2019 Olympic Day with the theme: ”Unity and Transformation Through Sports” at the University of the Philippines College of Science Oval at UP Diliman Quezon City. The event also launched the walk to support the country’s Paralympic movement. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.
Best places to live, work: Philippines moves up to 24th by IrIs
Gonzales Philstar.com
THE Philippines has made it to the big leagues alongside the United States and China in terms of best places in the world to live and work. A Forbes article cited the 2019 HSBC Expat’s annual survey that ranked the Philippines as the 24th best place to live and work, while the U.S. ranked 23rd. China, on the other hand, ranked 26th. The survey was conducted among 18,000 expats across 163 markets. Three major metrics were used: living, career opportunity and family life. “The Philippines jumped up the rankings from 26th place last year. That may come as a surprise
to some for a couple of reasons. One of them is that the Philippines has a reputation for sending its own people overseas in droves rather than attracting foreigners who want to live and work there,” Forbes said in the article published July 6. Forbes said Manila garnered a high ranking despite being mired in violence amid President Duterte’s drug war. “Apparently, that isn’t what foreign expats are concerned about. They find it easy to relocate to a country of friendly people and a reasonable cost of living,” Forbes said. “With its tropical climate and steadily growing economy, the Philippines is quickly becoming one of the most popular expat
destinations in Southeast Asia,” according to the HSBC report. The Philippines, once dubbed as the sick man of Asia, has been enjoying strong growth over the past year, consistently buoyed by overseas Filipino remittances, the booming business process outsourcing sector and the strong services sector. “Indeed, the Philippine economy has been booming in recent years. The Philippines’ per-capita GDP was last recorded at an alltime high of $3,063 in 2018, according to Tradingeconomics. com,” the Forbes article added. “It’s expected to reach $3,277 by 2020. That’s well above the average of $1,653.98 for the period 1960 to 2018,” the article continued. n
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JULY 12-18, 2019 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
California set to pass landmark legislation to save lives, reduce police shootings Under AB 392 the state would establish one of the strongest police use of force laws in the country
sACRAMeNTo — on Monday, July 8, the California senate passed landmark legislation to strengthen the law on police use of force and reduce the number of deadly police shootings in the state. Assembly Bill 392: The California Act to save Lives, introduced by Assemblymember shirley Weber (D-san Diego), will establish a “necessary” use of force standard, paving the way for other states to follow suit. Police officers in California consistently kill more people than officers in any other state. As in other states, Black and Latinx people and people with disabilities are more likely than other residents to be targets of police violence. AB 392 addresses this problem head on by adopting best practices proven to reduce the number of use of force incidents. “I believe that a law like AB 392 could have saved Diante’s life,” said Ciara hamilton, whose cousin Diante Yarber was killed in Barstow on April 5, 2018. “Police officers should always do everything in their power to preserve life. I shouldn’t have to fear for my life because police officers mistake my phone for a gun or shoot into a vehicle that I’m in because of the color of my skin.” Under current law, California police officers can use deadly force
Photo courtesy by abc10.com
if it is “reasonable” – regardless of whether deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury, whether there were available alternatives, or whether the officer’s own actions created the circumstances that led to the use of deadly force. AB 392 raises that standard to require that officers only use deadly force when “necessary to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or to another person.” California would be the only state to combine this “necessary” standard with the requirement that courts consider an officer’s conduct leading up to a use of deadly force when determining whether the officer’s actions were justified. “I am pleased to see AB 392 pass,” said Marissa Barrera,
whose brother Michael Barrera was killed on February 8, 2017 by Woodland police officers outside of sacramento. “My family and I have been fighting for change for the past two and a half years, since my brother was wrongfully killed. since then, I have met countless other families that are affected by the loss of their loved ones to police killings. I see this bill as a start to change, which we desperately need.” establishing a “necessary” standard has been shown to reduce the number of use of force incidents. Under the guidance of the obama Department of Justice, seattle and san Francisco’s police departments both successfully adopted a use of force standard like that of AB 392. According to a report from the federal court monitor, seattle saw a significant reduction in the number of use of force incidents, while police officers and the public remained just as safe. san Francisco also saw similar declines in use of force incidents: The san Francisco Police Department hasn’t shot a single person in almost a year. Across the country, police officers in cities with stricter use of force standards kill fewer people and are less likely to be injured or killed themselves. “Today, our family applauds the passage of AB 392 through the senate floor, this is an important step,” said Pamela Fields, whose son was killed November 10, 2013. “My son Donte Jordan should be alive today, but his life was taken by Long Beach PD. I have no choice but to fight for justice every day, can’t stop won’t stop!” AB 392 now heads to California Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature. n
SPIDERMEN? These workers look like they are rappeling down a building along Roxas Boulevard in Parañaque City on Sunday, July 7. Without any platform to stand on, the window cleaners use a rope, anchors, descender devices and climbing harnesses to clean the glass wall of the building. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
California gas prices still highest in US following tax increase by Rae
ann VaRona AJPress
Those who hit the road for the July 4 holiday in California may have noticed an increase in gas prices resulting from a new gas tax that went into effect on Monday, July 1. The tax hike brought California’s already high gas prices up an additional 5.6 cents per gallon. According to the AAA Fuel Gauge survey, this brought the regular gasoline average price per gallon in California to $3.755 per gallon — way above the national average of $2.717 per gallon of regular gas. Following California in having the highest gas prices in the U.s. are hawaii, Washington, Nevada, Alaska, and oregon. states with the cheapest regular gas prices like Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, and south Carolina hover at just above $2.30 per gallon. According to the California state Board of equalization, the
tax hike would bring California’s total gas tax up to 47.3 cents per gallon, and would likely increase in the next year to keep pace with the California Consumer Price Index. California is known to be a carloving state with the most number of licensed drivers in the nation. The tax increase is said to be a step forward in the state’s plan of raising money for road repairs, mass transit programs, and other alternative public transportation projects. senate Bill 1 — passed in 2017 — was created to generate about $5 billion a year, or nearly $54 billion over a decade. But California Republicans have been against the tax increase, citing tax increases despite California Governor Gavin Newsom’s concerns over high gas prices. Last November, a Republicanled effort to repeal the law was ultimately rejected by California voters. “With this increase, California will once again have the highest gas taxes in the nation. You’d
hope that would at least pay for quality roads, but no, ours are some of the worst in the country,” state Assembly minority leader Marie Waldron in a statement, as quoted by CNBC. she added, “It’s sad that instead of using existing funding efficiently, Democrats, on a partyline vote, supported yet another regressive tax increase on California drivers.” In April, Newsom put blame on “inappropriate industry practices” over high taxes and strict environmental rules. Investigators at the California energy Commission similarly later looked at “possible market manipulation,” according to the Associated Press. Throughout the U.s., 12 other states raised taxes at the start of their fiscal years on Monday. While California continues to have the highest gas prices in the nation, drivers in Illinois were hit with a whopping 19 cents per gallon increase. Drivers in Michigan, on the other hand, saw a barely noticeable 0.1 cents increase. n
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Duterte might ‘educate’ Filipinos on West Philippine Sea in 4th SONA by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com
Viray
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte might use the State of the Nation Address this month, his fourth, as an opportunity to “educate� Filipinos on the West Philippine Sea. The president insisted that his previous statement that China would continue to trawl in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) was not a violation of the constitution. “’Yung sabi nila na unconstitutional... maybe sa SONA, I will educate people na ‘yung ginawa ko sabi ko ‘You can fish’... Tama talaga ako (What they are saying that it is unconstitutional... maybe on my SONA I will educate people that what I said ‘You (China) can fish (in the EEZ)’... I am right),� Duterte told reporters on Monday, July 8. Duterte stressed that his position on allowing Chinese fishing vessels access to Philippine waters does not violate the 1987 Constitution, which mandates the government to protect marine wealth in the country’s waters and
exclusive economic zone “and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.� The president said: “Hindi unconstitutional ‘yung ginawa ko (What I did was not unconstitutional). As a matter of fact, it was in keeping with the law.� On the sinking of a Filipino fishing boat by a Chinese vessel near Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea, Duterte said the incident was “serious.� The president earlier said it was a “little maritime accident� while a leaked report from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority classified the allision as a “very serious marine casualty.� “It is a serious (accident) but when you talk about marine transportation... it is a maritime incident and that is very small because nobody died,� Duterte said. ‘Friendship’ Following the allision near Recto Bank last month, the president said the Chinese would continue to fish within Philippine EEZ due to the friendship between the two countries.
Critics were quick to point out that the president’s pronouncements violate the constitution. Citing the constitution, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Duterte cannot allow China to fish within Philippine waters as he is mandated to protect the country’s marine wealth in its EEZ. Under Section 2, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution, “The State shall protect the nation’s marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.� In response, Duterte called Carpio stupid. Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario also said Duterte’s position on the matter could be a basis for impeachment. “This will no doubt emboldern the fishermen, or if they are at all fishermen, under the militia strategy that they are using because they were acting like bullies before this was declared by the president,� Del Rosario told ANC last month. n
A
Dela Rosa apologizes for remark on girl’s death in sting by PaoLo
romero Philstar.com
MANILA — Sen. Ronald dela Rosa apologized Monday, July 8 for his “s**t happensâ€? statement when asked to comment on the killing of a three-year-old girl who was caught in the crossfire between police officers and her father, a drug suspect, in a sting in Rizal last month. “If my remark did not sit well with the family of the child, I would like to apologize for my wrong use of terms,â€? Dela Rosa told reporters. “I should have said... unfortunate incidents happen‌I forgot and used police lingo when I should have avoided the use of such words because I’m now a senator,â€? he said. Dela Rosa said that while the death of the victim was not intentional, those responsible for it must be held accountable. He said he was hurt by the flak he received, noting that he was
Senator Ronald dela Rosa
portrayed as insensitive to the killing of children. “I love children very much. I don’t want them hurt,� the former police chief said, adding that of the 10 bills he had so far filed, three were on children’s welfare. Meanwhile, the Philippine
Philstar.com file photo
National Police spokesman Col. Bernard Banac said the PNP respects the decision of the mother of the girl to file charges against concerned police officers. “We are willing to provide her assistance if she chooses... to seek help,� Banac said. n
Duterte endorsement shreds semblance of House independence, solons say Drilon seeks total ban on waste imports by JaVier
by Gaea
J. ismaeL
ManilaTimes.net
SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has called for a total ban on the importation of all kinds of wastes, including recyclable materials. Drilon filed Senate Bill (SB) 18 or the “Waste Importation Ban Act of 2019,� which seeks to ban all wastes from entering the Philippines. The filing of the bill was in response to numerous reports that the country was gradually becoming a dumping ground of foreign waste. The senator cited the entry of garbage from Canada, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan. He lamented that existing laws protecting the country from being made into a dumpsite of foreign wastes had not stopped the entry of foreign trash “to the detriment of our people and environment.� “We must then prohibit the importation of all kinds of waste or scrap, including recyclable materials. We should never allow our country to be a dumpsite,� the veteran lawmaker stressed. Under SB 18, even recyclable materials would not be allowed to enter the Philippines. It also mandates that all imported
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon
wastes shall be immediately returned to the country of origin at the expense of the importer. Furthermore, any person who misdeclares, brings any waste into the country or assists in its importation shall be meted hefty penalties. “Violators may be fined with up to P15 million and/or imprisoned for 8 to 12 years,� Drilon warned. If the offender was a foreigner, he or she would be deported after
Katreena Philstar.com
cabico
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte said his endorsement of a shared speakership does not count as interference in the affairs of the House of Representatives but opposition lawmakers stressed it has compromised the independence of the lower chamber. Duterte announced Monday, July 8 his endorsement of a termsharing agreement between Reps. Alan Peter Cayetano (TaguigPateros) and Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque) as House speakers, saying he had to step in to end the In this file photo from July 2017, Duterte gives his State of the Nation Address at the Batasan Pambansa complex in Quezon City. The House of the 18th Congress will elect its leaders in squabbling among his allies. Philstar.com file photo Under the agreement, Cay- July. dorsement of House leaders is with the independence of the legetano will be the speaker for the first 15 months, then Velasco will not interference in the affairs of islative body. Up to that point, it’s all politics.� lead the lower chamber for the Congress. “There seems to be a crisis al‘Hands off’ next 21 months. Manilatimes.net file photo The Presidential Legislative The president also endorsed ready. Nobody was willing to state serving the sentence, he added. Rep. Martin Romualdez (Leyte) with certainty. It’s not really inde- Liaison Office, which is under The Department of Environ- for the position of majority lead- pendence. I am not interfering the president, has the mandate with the work sa legislation,� the of the “promotion of presidential ment and Natural Resources and er. legislative initiatives and other the Bureau of Customs shall be In an interview with Palace chief executive said. He added: “It has nothing to do tasked to strictly monitor imports reporters, Duterte said his enPAGE A7 and enforce regulations in order to avoid the shipment of waste into the country. “The passage of this measure will no doubt stop the waste trade in the country and send a clear message to other countries that the Philippines is not a land)FMQJOH UIF JOKVSFE BOE UIFJS MPWFE POFT fill,� Drilon said. n
s )NTEG R ITY s (ONESTY s *USTICE s
4 in 5 Filipinos satisfied with Duterte – SWS by raLPh
ViLLanueVa ManilaTimes.net
THE net satisfaction rating of President Rodrigo Duterte rose to a personal high for the second quarter of 2019, with 4 out of 5 Filipinos voicing satisfaction with his performance, according to the Social Weather Stations (SWS). The survey, conducted from June 22 to 26, 2019, found that 80 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with the performance of Duterte, while 12 percent were dissatisfied. The remaining 9 percent were undecided. This resulted in a +68 net satisfaction rating, which was classified by the polling firm as “very good.� This surpassed the previous record of +66 in the prior quarter and in June 2017.
Duterte’s higher net satisfaction rating was attributed to a nine-point hike in Balance Luzon, recorded at +65, from +56 in March. This was a record-high in the area, surpassing the +60 in December 2016. The president’s rating declined by 7 points in Mindanao — +81 from the record-high +88 in March. It remained virtually identical in the Visayas (+66, from the +69 in March) and Metro Manila (+59, from +61 in March.) The net satisfaction rating of Duterte in urban areas also went up by 5 points — +67 from +62 in March. It remained unchanged in rural areas — +68 from March’s +69. It also had a new record-high in class E, netting a “very good� +68 for June, from the +58 in March.
“This surpassed the previous record of very good +67 in June 2017,â€? SWS said. The president maintained a record-high +68 among those in class D, or the “masa.â€? There were fewer people who were satisfied with Duterte’s performance in classes A, B and C at +58, down by 11 points from the record-high +69 in March. His net satisfaction rating stayed very good among women at a record-high +69, from +65 in March. It also stayed very good among men at +67 in June, down by a point from +68 in March. The survey was conducted among 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 years old and above. It had sampling error margins of Âą3 percent for national percentages, and Âą6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. n
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JULY 12-18, 2019 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
OPINION
Collateral damage
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FEATURES
THE police chief of Rodriguez town in Rizal and 19 of his men have been relieved and are facing investigation for the death of a three-year-old girl during a drug sting over a week ago. The anti-narcotics team claimed Myka Ulpina was carried away as a human shield by her father Renato Ulpina, a suspected member of a drug trafficking gang, as he tried to flee while shooting at the raiders. Renato was shot dead at the scene; Myka succumbed to a gunshot wound in the head a day later in a hospital. Senior M/Sgt. Conrad Cabigao, the undercover cop who posed as a buyer, also died together with Renato’s alleged drug ring cohort, Enrique Kahilig. We can believe cops when they say that nobody wants to see a young girl killed. Not wanting it, however, must be complemented by efforts to prevent such tragedies from happening. The country is not a war zone, and firearms must be discharged with utmost care. The possibility of causing serious injuries and even death – as in the case of Myka Ulpina and countless others in the past years – can never be taken for granted, especially in crowded
communities. Relatives of the Ulpinas said the girl was asleep when the gunfire erupted. The public can only hope that probers will unearth the truth and justice will prevail. Investigators must disregard the comment on Myka’s death by the principal implementer of Oplan Tokhang, PNP chief-turned-senator Ronald dela Rosa: “S**t happens.” Give Dela Rosa an A for candor, and a D-minus for sensitivity. Accidents – and especially accidental deaths in the course of law enforcement – can be avoided or minimized. The PNP is supposed to have rules of engagement and guidelines on how to handle cases involving children. It’s not unusual for fleeing suspects to use human shields. The PNP must fine-tune its rules when children are used as shields in an armed encounter. In law enforcement, human life as collateral damage must be avoided at all costs. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
A broken sense of ‘kapwa’
Commentary
ANTONIO P. CONTRERAS THERE is evidence to argue that we are a country where political community is bound less by the state and our laws than by our enormous sense of “kapwa.” We saw this when for a few days in 1986 we didn’t have the semblance of a government after former President Ferdinand Marcos left for Hawaii, and former President Corazon Aquino had yet to assemble a working government. Our political community did not unravel, there was no widespread violence and mayhem, and we continued our daily routine. We saw this during “Ondoy” and “Yolanda,” when in the face of death and wanton need for shelter and food, when government was momentarily immobilized, we relied on ourselves and on one another. Neighbors helped neighbors. Volunteers self-mobilized. And in the middle
Babe’s Eye View BABE ROMUALDEZ IN one of my regular engagements with key people from the U.S. Defense and State Departments, one of the officials from the Department of Defense halfjokingly told me: “We will never give you a divorce.” To which I replied: “That’s alright – we don’t have divorce in the Philippines anyway.” Obviously, this conversation uniquely underscores the fact that the United States will always look at the Philippines as an important part of their national defense and security strategy. The U.S. needs us just as much as we need them, knowing that our strategic location is significant in maintaining maritime peace and security, and keeping the balance of power in the Asia Pacific region. This is a reality that has long been acknowledged by U.S. officials such as former Obama Defense Secretary Ash Carter who said the Philippines is a “central part” of the United States’ pivot to Asia policy. The same also holds true for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy of the Trump administration since our country is an important location for American military presence especially in light of China’s emergence as a “strategic competitor,” as described in U.S. 2018 National Defense Strategy
of it all, we saw the spirit and will to survive, seen in people still able to smile and laugh, play basketball, celebrate a birthday, and wave at journalists for the world to see a people unbent and undaunted. This led Anderson Cooper to comment that we are a remarkable people, a powerful lesson for others on how to rise up and live. I see this driving everyday, where order on the roads emanates less from the traffic lights and signs than from what Sikolohiyang Pilipino refers to as “kapwa,” “pakikipagkapwa,” “pakikiramdam” and “pagbibigayan.” When there is a breakdown of order, we do not say that it is because people do not obey traffic rules. What we say is that there is a breakdown of that sense of “pagbibigayan.” This is nowhere more pronounced than what happens in the intersection of Osmeña and Buendia in Makati, where there are no traffic lights and where despite the absence of traffic enforcers a sense of order from what others would see as chaos emerges. Drivers give way to
other drivers, and rely on “pakiramdaman.” This is what is characteristic of our political landscape. The strength of our political community lies less on law but more on our enormous sense of community subsisting on our deep sense of “kapwa,” or shared self. And it is this very sense of “kapwa” that is now being threatened and eroded. While political contestations had emerged before, the divisiveness and vitriol were not as alarming as what we are seeing now. Two things may have contributed to the intensification of a deeply polarized political culture. First is the pent-up resentment of people frustrated with elite politics, and angry at the failure of our leaders to deliver what was promised when the elites kicked out Marcos. Second, and more importantly, is its juxtaposition with modern social media technology that made the expression of such anger more immediate, and in real time, where anonymity is allowed, and the threat of actual
retaliation or of suffering the consequences of uttering hate speech or a personal attack is remote. In the past, one had to participate in actual political mobilization to express a grievance. All it takes now is a laptop or a mobile phone to launch a political attack, without the fear of being tear-gassed, or of being slapped or physically manhandled for calling someone an idiot or a moron. And thus we see the intensification of gutter politics where there are no more rules, except that imposed by Facebook. We now see partisans abandoning logic to launch ad hominem attacks on their opponents. We see critics of the president labeling anyone who praises him as a blind apologist and a “Dutertard,” simply because they do not see the good things that he does. And we see loyal supporters of the president attacking anyone who dares criticize him — even if done fairly and with basis — as a hater and a “dilawan” simply because they are in this perpetual state of being defensive that any such attack
is an attempt to oust the president and install Leni Robredo as in his place. They suspend their autonomy and reason, shut out valid criticism, and take on the position that the president could not possibly be wrong, and even if he is, it is their sworn duty to rationalize his actions and defend him at all cost. We end up being dominated by ad hominem labels, and focusing less on the substance of political discourse and more on people’s physical defects or personal misfortunes or impairments that have nothing to do with the validity, or lack thereof, of their arguments. For example, people focus on Franklin Drilon’s sleepiness rather than on his political position on issues and his advocacies. Instead of divining what Leni Robredo is trying to say, she is derisively dismissed by simply calling her “lugaw.” Rather than focusing on the president’s pronouncements and dissecting the flaws of his China policy, his critics would rather launch ad hominem attacks. And the vitriol and hatred are
so alarmingly palpable — the name-calling, the shaming, the credential-bashing, the personal attacks — that one has to wonder if our Republic will ever recover and be whole again, if our sense of “kapwa” will survive three more years of being eroded and broken in the name of political partisanship. Some people would rather escape this by avoidance. They stay away from social media. Others like me do the drastic step of purging our social media landscape of people who stress us with their vitriol and ad hominem attacks or propagation of hatred. But these are simply escapist remedies and while it can give someone peace of mind, it will not necessarily arrest the erosion of our sense of “kapwa.” The challenge to elevate our political discourse is indeed daunting. But it has to be done. presidents come and go. President Duterte’s term will end in 2022, and it behooves all of us to make sure that our sense of community and “kapwa” will remain. (ManilaTimes.net)
US: ‘We will never divorce’ documents. No less than President Trump admitted this when he said that it is “important to remain allied with the Philippines,” which he described as “a most prime piece of real estate from a military standpoint.” In other words, the relationship between the Philippines and the United States is considered as something that is more special than others. And obviously, majority of Filipinos would like to keep it that way. A recent survey conducted after the “incident” involving 22 Filipino fishermen — whose boat was rammed from behind by a Chinese vessel near Recto Bank within our exclusive economic zone — showed that the trust level of Filipinos for the U.S. as a dependable ally has gone up to 92 percent. This is significantly much higher than the results of the latest Social Weather Stations survey that showed 71 percent of Filipinos having much trust in the US, while the latest Pulse Asia survey had 84 percent of Filipinos saying that they trust the U.S. the most. While Filipinos don’t really mind doing business with China and are more receptive when it comes to economic ties, they continue to regard the United States as the only ally when it comes to military partnership. v During the recent ASEAN summit in Bangkok, President Duterte stressed the need to craft a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to keep
tensions from escalating in disputed maritime territories. This is particularly significant considering ASEAN’s goal of centrality and its adoption of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific that seeks to consolidate the regional bloc’s economic power. In a speech in Leyte the other day, President Duterte dared the United States to fire the first shot at China if it really sees them as a major threat to peace and stability in the region. The president is constantly reminded of what happened in Scarborough Shoal when we were advised by the U.S. to leave and they promised China will do the same. We left, the Chinese did not. President Duterte was also reminded about a U.S. State Department official in the Obama administration stating, “We do not get involved with territorial disputes. Those are just rocks, anyway.” Today, those rocks are now Chinese military bases. Nonetheless, there is no doubt the Trump administration has changed its attitude towards the region, perhaps learning from the past. There is no question the United States today is more than ever committed to their treaty allies. ASEAN’s economic goals will be hard to achieve if tensions particularly in the South China Sea keep escalating. Even our ASEAN neighbors recognize the importance of continued U.S. presence for maritime peace and security, and in protect-
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim and Apostolic Nuncio Gabriele Giordano Caccia raise their glasses to commemorate the 243rd anniversary of U.S. Independence and Fil-Am Friendship Day during a reception in Makati City on Wednesday, July 3. Philstar.com photo by Joey Viduya
ing freedom of navigation and maintaining a rules-based order in disputed maritime territories. In other words, stability and security are important, which is why the U.S. continues to make its presence felt and will keep strengthening its alliances with key players in the Indo-Pacific region. While we pursue relations and seek engagements with other nations in keeping with the president’s independent foreign policy, the relationship with our one and only treaty ally — the United States — remains unique and irreplaceable, enduring despite the ups and downs that have shaken but not sundered
our long-standing friendship. That’s because of the deep people-to-people ties that bind our two nations, manifested in the fact that an estimated 4.3 million Filipino-Americans reside and work in the U.S., or that every other Filipino has a relative in the U.S. or want a visa to visit the U.S. Judging from the huge attendance during the recent U.S. Fourth of July and Fil-American Friendship Day celebration hosted by U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim at the Rizal Ballroom of Shangri-La Makati with over a thousand guests, this close affinity to the U.S. is as strong as ever. People I have not seen
for years during such occasions literally showed up to signify their support and appreciation for Ambassador Kim whose tour of duty in the Philippines is ending by year-end. (See photos in This Week on PeopleAsia at the Allure Section of the Philippine Star today.) As articulated by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin, America is “all we have,” likening the relationship to having a “spouse” that you “can’t live without” even though “sometimes you wish you could.” In other words, this is a marriage that hopefully, will remain strong and long lasting. (Philstar.com)
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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A
Duterte vows to build ‘strong’ security forces ahead of ‘very dangerous times’ by Catherine
S. Valente ManilaTimes.com
PREPARING TO FISH. A fisherman prepares his banca anchored near Diokno Boulevard in Pasay City on Sunday, July 7. Despite its poor water quality, Manila Bay remains a major fishing ground, even recreational fishermen go out during weekends to fish in the area. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Duterte endorsement shreds semblance...
PAGE A5 administration-sponsored priority policy reforms and development programs,” it says on its website. Prior to naming his choice for House leader, Duterte and the Palace said he would keep his hands off the speakership contest. It is still up to the lawmakers to select the new House leader, Duterte said. “That is their privilege actually. I was just trying to end the impasse,” he said. The organization of the leadership of the legislature is the first order of business when the 18th Congress convenes on July 22. According to the 1987 Constitution, “the Senate shall elect its president and the House of Representatives its speaker, by a majority vote of all its respective members.” The legislature is a separate branch of government from the executive department and the judiciary. Cayetano—Duterte’s running mate in the 2016 polls and later his Foreign Affairs secretary—has already started inviting House members to join the “Die-hard Duterte Supermajority”, an indication of how the House will lean under him. Makabayan: Duterte’s endorsement ‘compromised’ House independence Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc said the independence of the lower chamber has been compromised anew with the president’s endorsement of the two prospective speakers. “With this politics of convenience and presidential intervention, the independence of the House is again severely compromised and the interest of the ma-
jority of the people sacrificed,” Rep. Carlos Zarate (Bayan Muna) said. Zarate is Makabayan bloc’s candidate for speaker, a bid that was more symbolic than actual, given the composition of the House membership. Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela) said Duterte’s endorsement of Cayetano and Velasco “[shreds] into bits any remaining semblance of an independent legislative branch.” She also said: “President Duterte’s open proclamation of term-sharing for the House speaker shamelessly pontificates a rubber stamp lower house in tandem with a Duterte-dominated Senate.” The May midterm elections saw Duterte allies dominating the races for both houses of Congress, opening a path for the president to push forward his legislative agenda, which includes reimposing death penalty and revising the constitution. “As can be seen with the proposed agenda for the next Congress, charter change, term extension and another [Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion] law are at the top. The Filipino people are again at the losing end with this development,” Zarate said. ‘What congressional independence?’ But for one political analyst, Duterte’s endorsement of a shared speakership will not have any implications on congressional independence, which he said has never existed anyway. “The House of Representatives has always conformed to the wishes of Malacañang. So there’s no congressional independence to speak of,” Dennis Coronacion,
chairperson of the Political Science department of the University of Santo Tomas, told Philstar.com. “It goes without saying that the speaker of the House is the anointed one of Malacañang,” he also said. The lower house—filled with Duterte’s allies—has approved legislation to revive capital punishment and re-write the constitution. The Senate, on the other hand, has traditionally served as a buffer against the president’s more controversial plans. In a separate press statement on charter change, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Tuesday, July 9 that “the Senate always prides itself as independent of Malacañang.” The members of the upper house have also been described as being independent of each other. Coronacion said there have only been a few cases that House members showed their independence from the executive. “A good example was when President Estrada was impeached by the congressmen led by then Speaker Manny Villar and in several cases when our congressmen would flex their muscle during budget hearings,” he said. But apart from being supportive of the administration, the speaker of the House is also an important position because the 2022 elections are just a few years away. “The speaker can use his position to gain political leverage in the negotiations and backroom deals concerning the 2022 presidential election,” Coronacion said. “His position can help the House speaker enormously in advancing his personal agenda and political ambition.” n
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, July 9, reiterated his promise to build “strong” security forces to fight the continuing threats from the enemies of the state, saying he sees a “very dangerous times ahead.” In his speech during the appreciation dinner for former Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Duterte asked Congress to help him build a well-equipped military and police. “So I would like at any other time, we have acquired so many armaments. And there were things, kakaunti na lang, which I hope that Congress would tide us over to complete the instruments that we need in dealing, especially with terrorism,” Duterte said. “I hope that by the time I make my exit nandiyan na lahat ‘yan because I am not belittling the events to come of the person coming in to be the next president. Hindi ko alam kung sino. And I’d rather that I leave with a strong military and police and equipped to challenge the enemies of the
President Rodrigo Duterte Manilatimes.net file photo
state, especially terrorism. I see a very dangerous times ahead. And I hope that we will be able to contain,” he added. The president then cited the events that might happen in some areas in Mindanao. “Lumalabas nga ‘yung pawis sa kamay ko just thinking about if it would go awry outside of Sulu and Basilan Islands. So that I said I must be prepared. And nabili naman na ako ‘yung mga kailangan but there are still a few things that I must have for my Armed Forces and the Police,” he said. “And one of these days, I will call for a – just – for a time to talk and we’ll talk about it because it’s really needed by the country,” Duterte said.
Duterte’s statement came days after he appealed again to state forces not to stage a coup d’etat, saying he will voluntarily give up the country’s highest post should the military and the police express dissatisfaction over his performance. “I know that the armed forces and the police will have to decide one day somehow. Do not do it please during my term,” the President said in a speech during the 72nd anniversary celebration of the Philippine Air Force in Pasay City last week. The president was worried that the supposed rampant corruption in government may prompt the military and police to launch a coup d’etat against him. His plea was made after critics raised the possibility of impeachment proceedings over his alleged failure to protect Philippine waters from China. It was in September 2018 that Duterte first urged the state forces to just talk to him if they think he no longer deserves the presidency, instead of attempting to stage a “stupid” mutiny against his administration. n
6 New “Below Market Rate” Ownership Homes at 719 Larkin One-bedroom homes priced from $327,745 – $332,218 without parking. ƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ŵƵƐƚ ďĞ ĮƌƐƚͲƟŵĞ ŚŽŵĞďƵLJĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ĐĂŶŶŽƚ ĞdžĐĞĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ŝŶĐŽŵĞ ůĞǀĞůƐ͗ 100% of Area Median Income 2019 One person - $86,200; 2 persons - $98,500; 3 persons - $110,850; 4 persons - $123,150 etc. ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŵƵƐƚ ďĞ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ďLJ ϱWD ŽŶ DŽŶĚĂLJ͕ ƵŐƵƐƚ ϭϮ͕ ϮϬϭϵ͘ ƉƉůLJ ŽŶůŝŶĞ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ,>/ ͕ ƚŚĞ ^& ,ŽƵƐŝŶŐ WŽƌƚĂů Ăƚ ŚƩƉƐ͗ͬͬŚŽƵƐŝŶŐ͘ƐĨŐŽǀ͘ŽƌŐ Žƌ ŵĂŝů ŝŶ Ă ƉĂƉĞƌ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƐĞůĨͲĂĚĚƌĞƐƐĞĚ ƐƚĂŵƉĞĚ ĞŶǀĞůŽƉĞ ƚŽ DZ ϳϭϵ >ĂƌŬŝŶ͕ W͘K͘ Ždž ϰϮϬϴϰϳ͕ ^ĂŶ &ƌĂŶĐŝƐĐŽ͕ ϵϰϭϰϮ͘ WŽƐƚŵĂƌŬƐ ǁŝůů ŶŽƚ ďĞ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌĞĚ͘ WĂƉĞƌ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ĚŽǁŶůŽĂĚĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ŚƩƉƐ͗ͬͬŚŽƵƐŝŶŐ͘ƐĨŐŽǀ͘ŽƌŐ Žƌ ƉŝĐŬĞĚ ƵƉ ĨƌŽŵ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ϱ ĂƉƉƌŽǀĞĚ ŚŽƵƐŝŶŐ ĐŽƵŶƐĞůŝŶŐ ĂŐĞŶĐŝĞƐ ůŝƐƚĞĚ Ăƚ ŚƩƉƐ͗ͬͬƐĨŵŽŚĐĚ͘ŽƌŐͬŚŽŵĞďƵLJĞƌͲ counseling-agencies. &Žƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ Žƌ ĂƐƐŝƐƚĂŶĐĞ ǁŝƚŚ LJŽƵƌ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ͕ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ HomeownershipSF at (415) 202-5464 or info@homeownershipsf.org. hŶŝƚƐ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞ ^ĂŶ &ƌĂŶĐŝƐĐŽ DĂLJŽƌ͛Ɛ KĸĐĞ ŽĨ ,ŽƵƐŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ĂƌĞ ƐƵďũĞĐƚ ƚŽ ŵŽŶŝƚŽƌŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ƌĞƐƚƌŝĐƟŽŶƐ͘ sŝƐŝƚ ǁǁǁ͘ƐĨŵŽŚĐĚ͘ ŽƌŐ ĨŽƌ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͘
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JULY 12-18, 2019 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
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SF The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - July 12, 2019
Friday, July 12, 2019
Parangal Dance Company / Photo by RJ Muna
cover story
SF
Diamano Coura West African Dance Company
The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - July 12, 2019
41st Annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival: A celebration of culture, dance and music Catch the largest and longest-running event in North America in its last weekend, July 13 and 14 dancers and musicians on our Festival stage,” said the NEARLY 500 Northern Cali- Festival’s Executive Direcfornia artists presenting dance tor, Julie Mushet. “They are the heart and soul of the Bay and music from more than 17 Area and their breathtaking world cultures spanning four continents performed onstage artistry is both deeply inspirduring the first weekend of the ing and uplifting. For two weeks this summer, Zellerbach annual San Francisco Ethnic Hall will become a beacon for Dance Festival (SFEDF) last the beauty and power of our July 6 and 7. One of the diversity, showcasing the finest largest, longest-running and world dance and music artists most comprehensive dance from all over the Bay Area. and music events in Northern On one stage, audiences will California, the SFEDF showcases the finest artists from all experience dance and music from throughout the world over the Bay Area. and the Festival has become “It is a great honor to be presenting this year’s talented known as a world music fesby
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San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival Artistic Directors Māhealani Uchiyama, Patrick Makuakāne, and Latanya D. Tigner.
tival as much as it is a world dance festival!” This year’s festival include Bay Area-based groups and artists representing dance and music from China, Egypt, India, Japan, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Republic of Congo, Tahiti, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the U.S., Venezuela, and West Africa. Representing the Philippines is Parangal Dance Company, who will be onstage this weekend performing music and dance inspired by the rich culture and tradition of the Yakan. The festival’s 2019 Malonga Casquelourd Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Ron Wallace, Artistic Director of Dunsmuir Scottish Dancers, who has taught Scottish dance in the Bay Area and around the world for five decades, and RJ Muna, whose extraordinary photos of festival artists have become a hallmark of the festival since 2006. This year’s Community Leadership Award will be presented to David Lei, for his exemplary work with countless arts and communitybased organizations in San Francisco. Artistic Directors Mahealani Uchiyama, Patrick Makuakane, and Latanya D. Tigner believe that dance is a tool that creates spaces and opportunities for people to
witness commonalities and respect each other’s differences. Aside from Parangal Dance Company, other performances this weekend will include: • Ballet Folklórico Nube de Oro • Jackeline Rago • Tara Catherine Pandeya + Ali Paris • Guru Shradha + Antara Asthaayi Dance + Navia Dance Academy • Cunamacué • Te Mana O Te Ra • Awon Ohun Omnira • Feng Ye Dance Studio • Diamano Coura West African Dance Company Festival artists are selected by annual auditions. For the 2019 Festival, 70 dance companies and soloists auditioned in November 2018 before the Festival Co-Artistic Directors, a panel of dance experts, and an audience of thousands of dance enthusiasts and Bay Area families. The Artistic Directors made the final selection of the Festival lineup after consulting with the panelists, who are noted for their dance backgrounds, cultural expertise, and reputations in the field. This year’s panelists were Blanche Brown, Shambhavi Dandekar, Malia DeFelice, Smita Singh, Dr. Victor Torres, Ron Wallace, and Shannon Yip. Catch the last weekend
Guru Shradha + Antara Asthaayi Dance + Navia Dance Academy
Photos by RJ Muna
Jackeline Rago
Feng Ye Dance Studio
of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival this Saturday and Sunday, July 13 and 14; at UC Berkeley’s Zellerback Hall
at 3 p.m. Tickets are priced $28-$78. For tickets and more information, visit www. sfethnicdancefestival.org.
Why Dawn wants to play a superhero—at 50
to Beh” (2017), respectively. “This kind of work takes Inquirer.net up so much of your time. And WITH her two children now that’s why I can’t go full blast or teenagers, Dawn Zulueta feels do this every day. So, unless it’s the need to be more present in something I enjoy, I wouldn’t their lives. sacrifice my time with my famShow biz, therefore, has to ily,” she added. take a back seat for now, she Is there anything specific said. she’s looking for in an offer? “My time is so precious, and “I don’t know … I just know I really want to devote it to my it when I see it. I have always kids. My boy is turning 14 and wanted to be a superhero, but has a lot of questions; I have I haven’t gotten offers of that to be there to answer them. kind,” she related, laughing. That’s the reason my focus isn’t Dawn Zulueta “But I believe that there are a Photo from Instagram/@dawnzulueta lot of things that can be done, so much on work … It’s not my priority,” the actress told even at 50.” Lagdameo Jr. the Inquirer at a recent press For “Family History,” which Dawn could change her conference for the upcoming opens on July 24, the clincher mind if presented with a good dramatic feature, “Family Hispitch for a movie or show. Oth- was the rare opportunity of tory.” erwise, she would rather stay at sharing the screen with come“Soaps were all I did since dian Michael V, who also wrote home. 2012. But it got tiring, so I deand directed the film. “He’s a “It would take a really nice cided to slow down three years offer—a good role, a good sto- fun director,” Dawn said. “I find ago,” added Dawn, who has a it cute that people call our pairry—to make me go out now,” 13-year-old son, Jacobo, and a said the actress, whose last ing ‘BiDawn.’ I feel fortunate 10-year-old daughter, Ayisha, that people find it interesting soap and movie was “You’re with her husband Antonio enough.” My Home” (2016) and “Meant
by AllAn PoliCArPio
IBP-CAL elects new set of officers for the term 2019-2021
ANTIOCH, CA - The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) - California Chapter has elected its new set officers last July 7, 2019. Atty. Flomy Javier Diza was elected as the new president. Attorney Diza is an immigration law practitioner and regularly provides expert analysis on a variety of immigration matters for The Filipino Channel as well as radio shows broadcast world-wide. He is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association and the Bar Association
of San Francisco. Atty. Diza said, “the new officers would continue its joint project with the PH Consulate General in providing free legal services every first Friday of the month, conducting Talakayan sa Konsulado, and MCLE in the U.S.” The IBP-CAL is the only chapter formed outside of the Philippines and recognized by the IBP national organization. This chapter was created and recognized in 1997 for lawyers residing in the United States The new set of offic-
ers elected for 2019-2021 are: President: Atty. Flomy Javier Diza; Vice President: Atty. Evelyn Alfonso; Secretary: Atty. Alberto Montefalcon; Treasurer: Atty. Jeanne Serrano Kouznetsova; Auditor: Atty. Danny Sabado; Press Relations Officers: Atty. Cesar Fumar; Board of Directors: Atty. Melba Cawit, Atty. Pres Ordinario, Atty. Willy Magsaysay, Atty. Raffy Cabatic, Atty. Venus Dugayon Ursos; and Ex Officio: Atty. Manuel Mallabo
Richard gives in to the ‘lure of gold’ by ChristinA AlPAd ManilaTimes.net
SHOW business and politics are perennially intertwined, with celebrities running for electoral positions and government officials eager to appear on television shows for a bit of the limelight. It therefore came as no surprise that prime time leading man Richard Yap threw his hat in the congressional race in last summer’s midterm elections. The Cebuano businessman turned actor—who became a household name with roles such as Papa Chen in “My Binondo Richard Yap returns to television via the ABS-CBN hit drama series, ‘Kadenang Ginto,’ starring Beauty Continued on Page SF6 Gonzales (left) and Dimples Romana. ManilaTimes.net photo
Matteo on the ‘best experience’ of his life by nAthAlie tomAdA Philstar.com
CALL him 2nd Lt. Matteo Guidicelli. After recently completing the Scout Ranger Orientation Course at Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan with flying colors, Matteo is recommending his experience to fellow actors and young Filipinos. The Cebuano actor-athlete took on the month-long leadership-development training after enlisting as a Philippine Army reservist, a voluntary service to the country, especially needed in times of disasters and emergencies. He enjoyed no special treatment and battled tough challenges along with some 90 other trainees, made up of officers and Philippine Military Academy cadets. During his “emotional and happy” graduation, he received special commendation for being
Matteo was recognized as an outstanding student during his graduation from the Scout Ranger Orientation Course at the Scout Ranger School, First Scout Ranger Regiment, at Camp Tecson in Bulacan. Photo from Instagram/@matteog
an outstanding student and the only reservist in the batch. The STAR got to talk to Matteo about it during the launch of Sun Life Financial’s new and inspirational campaign, Kaakbay: Stories of Lifetime Partnerships, last Saturday (July 6). The event
saw him and other celebrity endorsers Piolo Pascual and son Iñigo, Enchong Dee and Charo Santos-Concio opening up about “lifetime partners” in a series of videos, to be unveiled to the public via @SunLifePH on Continued on Page SF4
Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ MANY people visit the U.S., and upon arrival are allowed to remain for six months. Near the end of that six months, some people decide they want to stay longer, either to spend more time with family, or visit other places within the United States. Accordingly, they file for an extension. If the extension is approved, there is no problem. The person is allowed to visit for another six months. But what if the request for extension is denied? Recently, several people have consulted with me, where they applied for either an extension of status or change of status, and the request was denied. They were then sent an appointment notice to go to an Application Support Center for fingerprinting, at which time they were served with a notice to appear (NTA), placing them in deportation/ removal proceedings. Other people did not bother showing up for the fingerprinting appointment, and the NTA was mailed to them. The NTA notes that they
Deported because extension denied
had entered as a visitor on a particular date, and were authorized to stay until a particular date. They filed for an extension (Form I-539) which was later denied. As a result, the person is alleged to have remained in the U.S. beyond their authorized stay “without authorization“ from USCIS, and they no longer possess a valid visa or other entry document allowing them to enter or remain in the U.S. They are also assigned a hearing date before a judge. If they decide to leave the U.S. before the hearing, it could be considered that they have “self deported.” If they attend the hearing, they may not have any “form of relief” to enable them to remain in the U.S. and might have to take “voluntary departure.“ This seems to be a new development under the Trump administration, because in the past, if someone’s application for extension or change of status was denied, all the person received was the denial. Now, they’re also being placed in deportation proceedings. Therefore, if anyone is thinking about applying for an extension, be aware of these new developments. If you have al-
ready been placed in deportation, you may want to consult with an attorney, to determine if you have any forms of relief or if there are any other options available to you. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Lessons in retaining or transferring priority dates for employment-based petitions on a brand-new episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy’ THIS Sunday’s episode of “Citizen Pinoy” discusses how one may retain or transfer priority dates for employment-based petitions, even if an applicant may have changed employers or it’s a different type of job. Jon was petitioned by his employer in August 2006, but when they parted ways in April 2008, the I-140 petition had been approved by then. However, without an employer to continue the sponsorship, Jon and her
wife, Jen, and their daughter, Trisha, seemed like they were facing an uncertain future. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel them that they needed to find another employer who would be willing to sponsor them anew. Fortunately, Jon and Jen were able to find another employer who was willing to sponsor them. Once the couple found a new sponsor, the Law Offices of Michael
J. Gurfinkel was able to file all the necessary paperwork and Jon and Jen retained their original August 2006 priority date from the previous employer’s petition, thus cutting years of waiting for a “new” priority date to be current. Watch this success story on an all-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” — on Sunday 6:15 p.m. PST/EST (9:15 p.m. EST thru select cable/ satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
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The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - July 12, 2019
TRADING AN OLD EMPLOYER FOR A NEW ONE STILL GOT THEM THE PRIORITY DATE FROM THE PREVIOUS EMPLOYER, THUS CUTTING WAIT TIME. Husband and wife, Jon (left) and Jen (center), were working for an employer who agreed to sponsor their employment petition. However, the work became increasingly difficult that their quality of life suffered, making the couple quit their jobs. Faced without a sponsor, no jobs, and two deaths in the family that they could not go home for, was a tremendous burden for the family. When they asked the advice of leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, he told them to look for another employer who would be willing to sponsor them. Fortunately, Jon and Jen found a new employer that gave them new hope and a new lease on life. Atty. Gurfinkel was also successful in transferring the priority date on the first employer’s case to the new employer’s petition, saving years of additional waiting time. Watch this success story on an all-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)
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celebrityworld The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - July 12, 2019
celebrity world
Comedienne Eugene Domingo happy, content with her personal life and career
By Ferdie Villar ACTRESS and funny woman Eugene “Uge” Domingo is happier than ever, considering that her career has flourished — and continue to go up — these past few years. Also, she recently shared that her personal life is going where it should be, having been together with her Italian boyfriend for three years. When asked if she thinks that their relationship is headed towards marriage, Domingo says she is hopeful that they will get there. “Hopefully, yes,” she said in an interview with Philippine Entertainment Portal when asked about settling down with boyfriend Danilo Bottoni, a film critic. “Lahat naman tayo, di ba, nangangarap ng kapayapaan pagdating sa aspeto ng settling down,” she shared. “But as of this moment, really, I’m very happy and I’m very thankful na, ayun na nga...” Although they are not engaged (yet), Eugene explained that they’re “almost there,” adding that Bottoni is his life. She also added that if he proposed, she would say “yes” with no
hesitation. Apart from her colorful personal life, Domingo has continued to appear in TV shows and films. Her newest film, “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 3: The Real Untold Story of Josephine Bracken,” is set to be released via iWant on July 17. The third installment of the parody of poverty porn and mainstream romances “Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank,” the new film is a seven-part mockumentary series tackling the life of Jose Rizal’s common-law wife in Dapitan, Josephine Bracken. Aside from portraying the title role and being the producer, “Josephine Bracken is also Domingo’s directorial debut. Joining Domingo in “Josephine Bracken” are filmmaker Joey Reyes, Tony Labrusca, Mylene Dizon and Joanna Ampil. *** After the controversial break-up with ex-boyfriend Daniel Matsunaga a few years ago, actress Erich Gonzales has decided to put aside her love life and concentrated on her career. However, just recently, the actress confirmed that she is
in a relationship now. As much as her fans (and the public) would like to know who the lucky man is, Erich said that she has decided to keep her personal life private. In a vlog that the actress posted last Monday, July 8, a netizen asked why she decided to keep her love life private. “Well, I think it’s for the best,” Erich said. “I want to protect something so precious to me and something beautiful. I don’t wanna ruin it, so sa akin na lang yun.” It was last year when Erich admitted that she was dating a non-showbiz guy, describing him as “consistent and persistent.” The actress also said in her vlog that she is content. “I’m at this point in my life na merong contentment but not complacent.” She added that she continues to work to achieve her dreams and help the people she loves. “Eventually [I want to] get married, start my own family, raise my own children that love God and show other people how to love God.”
Comedienne Eugene Domingo has recently said that she is hopeful that she and Italian boyfriend, film critic, Danilo Bottoni, will eventually settle down.
Actress Erich Gonzales recently confirmed that she is in a relationship with a non-showbiz guy.
Derrick Monasterio, one of the most handsome actors in Philippine movies and the entertainment world, was a guest co-host in GMA Pinoy TV’s “Boobay and Tekla Show” last weekend.
Jolina Magdangal portrayed a motherly role in the Charo Santos hosted drama program “Maalala Mo Kaya” (MMK) last Sunday, July 6 aired on The Filipino Channel (TFC).
Matteo on the ‘best experience’ of...
From Page SF2 YouTube on July 13. Obviously, Matteo has resumed his showbiz work, but it appears the army experience is giving his life and career a new energy and purpose. Below are excerpts from the interview. On why he joined the Reserve Force and took part in the Scout Ranger course: “I’m already 29 years old, but I’ve always wanted to do it.
EMPLOYMENT
I found the opportunity. Scout Rangers opened the doors to me. They said, are you able to join? I said yes right away. “Before being in the military, I was always working with different advocacies. I also have my own sports foundation. But I thought of focusing on one, and I felt the army was the best because it represents the country. It’s helping the country, it’s helping the troops and it’s helping our fellow Filipinos.
“You know, other countries (in Asia) Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, they all have mandatory military training. In Israel, (they do it for) three years. Us, we don’t. And the youth today need that discipline and need that patriotism again. So, I encourage our youth. It’s something that you will cherish forever, I promise! It’s about discipline and what the army will teach you, it’s something that you can pass on.”
PSYCHIC
SERVICES
Rayver Cruz, one of the talented actors in GMA Pinoy TV, will be the lead actor in the newest teleserye “Sa Dulo Ang Buhay Ko” which will start airing on Monday, July 22.
Optimum star Claudine Barretto will soon have a reunion movie with matinee idol Piolo Pascual.
SERVICES
Hunky actor Piolo Pascual recently confirmed that he is set to do another movie with actress Claudine Barretto. He also shared that the film will be filmed in Europe.
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The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - July 12, 2019
Share the luck at Graton this Summer
FAITHFULLY EXECUTE TO BEST OF MY ABILITY. Gov. Hermilando “DoDo” Mandanas took his oath as governor of Batangas Province, before Supreme Court Justice Rosmari Carandang, while his wife, Atty. Gina Reyes-Mandanas, held the Bible, and as witnessed by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Angelina SandovalGutierrez and his sisters last July 1, 2019 at the DREAM Zone, Capitol Compound, Batangas City. Inset: Gov. DoDo delivers his State of the Province Address, after the oath taking ceremony. Batangas Capitol PIO
Batangas Governor DoDo takes oath, delivers State of the Province Address
THE Provincial Government of Batangas will continue to work and endeavor to provide every Batangueño the opportunities, inspiration and capability to “dream, dare and deliver.” This was the pledge and challenge that Batangas Governor Hermilando “DoDo” I. Mandanas pronounced after taking his oath, as the re-elected Local Chief Executive of Batangas Province, in front of Capitol employees, local officials, stakeholders, and family members at the DREAM Zone, Capitol Compound, Batangas City last Jul 1, 2019. Supreme Court Justice Rosmari Carandang administered the oath-taking of Gov. Mandanas, as witnessed by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez and his wife, Atty. Gina Reyes-Mandanas. 1M+ Batangueño Votes Gov. Mandanas garnered 1,077,389 votes in the May Midterm election that reflect the trust and faith of Batangueños in his administration, after three years of honest and productive public service. This was the highest number of votes obtained by a gubernatorial candidate nationwide, exceeding those gained by contenders in the same position in the voterich Provinces of Cebu, Negros, Cavite and Laguna. Ulat sa Sambayanang Batangueño In his State of the Province Address, the Batangas gover-
nor shared what the provincial government had accomplished in the past three years, since he came into office in mid-2016. Through the health program, spread of diseases were checked and controlled, healthy lifestyle and wellness activities were implemented, child/ adolescent / maternal/ adult health care was promoted, and the regular distribution of honorarium for barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars were undertaken. The provincial government carried out continuous improvement of facilities and upgrade of equipment in the 12 district and provincial hospitals, where the most number of Batangueños seek medical assistance. Almost 36,000 patients have also been active beneficiaries of the Batangas Health Card. In the field of education, the Batangas Capitol realized its goal of increasing its number of scholars to almost 27,000, aside from the construction of 82 new school buildings and open classrooms, allocation of laptop computers to public school teachers, continuous sustenance of the annual Brigada Eskwela, and support to e-learnings and schools with special curriculums that focus on science, math and the arts. For livelihood projects, the provincial government invested millions in undertakings that focus on cooperative activities; production of seaweeds, coffee, dairy, cocoa, banana, rice, corn,
Calendar of Events across
mango and vegetables; and, rural-based organizations’ livelihood. The government was also able to assist more than 9,000 Batangueños find work through its sponsored job fairs. In terms of the protection of life, environment and properties, capacity strengthening was embarked on relative to disaster risk reduction management, drug prevention efforts, and the protection and maintenance of the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape, Verde Island Passage, coastal communities, and other natural resources in the province. The provincial government likewise regularly supported endeavors for women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and the LGBT community. Do Do Do: Dream, Dare, Do Through concerted efforts, from the executive, to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and each official and employee of the provincial government, Gov. Mandanas declared that Batangas Province, within the next five years, will emerge as a “center for economic growth” in the Philippines. “We will lead the way,” asserted Gov. Mandanas, who affirmed that he has full faith in God and firm belief in his fellow Batangueños, who will fulfill, as one, the vision or dream, plan or dare, and act or do what needs to be accomplished towards a genuinely Rich Batangas. (By Vince Altar - Batangas Capitol PIO)
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 J U LY 1 3
Financial enrichment program in Los Angeles Come and join Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) for this FREE financial workshop on Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Attendees will be introduced you to the world of investing and learn topics such as: smart ways to invest, investing with kids, and more. Guest speakers are Jennifer Taylor, Justin Naoe, and Gerry Palon. SIPA is located at 3200 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Enter through the Robinson St. parking lot (with the basketball hoop). Limited Free Parking spots, with street parking is also available around the area. Please read/follow posted signs. If you have any questions, please contact John Swing at (213)382-1819 ext. 108 or email him at john@sipacares.org.
J U LY 1 3 - AU G U ST 1 0
Tagalog classes in Los Angeles This Filipino Language & Culture Pilot class is hosted by Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) and is organized by the Filipino Language Movement led by Ms. Ivy Daulo. This is the only community-based Filipino language & culture ADULT program in the City of Los Angeles in collaboration with the Filipino Language Movement. This is a 5-session program that starts July 13 to August 10, 2019. (*Schedule is subject to change based on the number of enrollees). Come and bring your entire family and learn Tagalog together! Student benefits include certificate of completion, handouts / workbook provided, learn with other peers (adults and youth are not mixed); family learning opportunity; taught by university Filipino language instructor and lifetime member of Council for Teaching Filipino; practical language learning tips & application each week Limited slots! Hurry and register now! Prices are for all 5 sessions: Individual Adult: $150 each for 5 sessions; bring a [artner: $250 for 5 sessions ($125 each adult); parent + child: $200 for 5 sessions ($150/parent + $50/child). We urge everyone to do the whole program so you can learn more but if it’s not possible to attend all 5 Saturdays, you can choose the dates you want to join us. $30 / session for adults or $10 / session for children. Payment methods: Cash, Check (payable to: SIPA), Venmo (SIPALA) and Credit/Debit Cards are accepted. Send check payments to: SIPA at 3200 W. Temple St. Los Angeles, CA 90026. Please register by emailing Fidji Victoriano (fidji@sipacares.org) if paying outside of Eventbrite. SIPA is located 3200 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Limited free parking on surface lots along Robinson St. and Dillon St. Street parking is also available around the area. Please see posted signs for details.
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
WHERE to go in this hot summertime? Come to the leisure and entertainment paradise – Graton Resort & Casino – to cool down the heat! Graton Casino invites you to participate in lots of fun activities, allowing you to experience exciting casino games, gourmet food and entertainment shows. Graton is waiting for you to be the winner and share your luck! Graton Casino will hold the Mustang Madness on the last Friday from July to September. A Ford Mustang is guaranteed to be given away, as well as 50 cash winners. Every 25 points get one entry. Seize the opportunity to take the Mustang home! And, starting from today till September 26, every Thursday, from 5pm – 10pm, “Beat the Heat” Slot Tournaments will be held, with the top prize up to $15,000 cash, and prizes totaling up to $400,000! All reward members get one free entry into each tournament. Premier and Platinum members win double the prize amount, Elite members even can win triple the prize amount! Share the luck; experience more endless luck. For more information related to the promotion, please visit GratonResortCasino.com or call 707-588-7100. In addition to the exciting entertainment gaming, no matter if you want to have gourmet food with your family, or gather with friends to watch a show, or enjoy a luxury spa treatment alone, Graton is always your best choice! It includes 200 elegant comfortable rooms and luxurious suites, glamorous lobby and luxurious spa, more than 130 table games, including Blackjack, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker and more. It also offers 3000 slot machines, live poker, video poker and a large function space for different music
concerts and special events. Graton Resort & Casino’s new non-smoking gaming area is now open! The 9,000 square feet non-smoking gaming area is next to the casino valet. It offers 300 slot machines and video poker. Now, you can choose to enjoy gaming in a non-smoking environment at Graton Resort & Casino. And, there are delectable restaurants and bars, that offer different cuisines in the casino, such as twelve-time World Pizza Champion Chef Tony Gemignani’s Tony’s Of North Beach, Pan-Asian eatery Boathouse, a top-quality steakhouse 630 Park Steakhouse, classic American dishes from Daily Grill, and 500 seats in the Marketplace which offers casual and convenient eateries
for your selection… you will have a happy and unforgettable experience. Graton Resort & Casino Graton Resort & Casino is located in Rohnert Park, California, next to the Golf Course Drive exit of 101 freeway. It is accessible to easy transportation, it has gourmet food, entertainment & accommodation all in one, and is the largest integrated resort in the Bay Area. The casino is owned and operated by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and managed by Station Casinos LLC. For more information, please visit www.GratonResortCasino. com, http://www.facebook. com/GratonCasino or www. twitter.com/PlayGraton. (Advertising Supplement)
SF
people & events The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - July 12, 2019
Thai beauty queen slammed for calling Catriona ‘fat’ by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com
A THAI beauty queen was criticized by people in social media after she described Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray as “fat.” In her Instagram story, Miss Grand Nakhon Phanom 2019 Coco Arayha Suparurk posted a photo of Catriona next to Miss Grand International 2018 Clara Sosa. She put a text on the photo of Clara as “fit” while “fat” on Catriona. The Instagram story has been deleted already, but fan pages and websites were able to screenshot the post. Since Coco’s comments are now viral on different social media sites, online social media users are attacking the Instagram page of Suparurk, calling her out for her rude remark. Before winning the Miss Universe 2018 crown, Catriona was also criticized by Thai pageant fans for her bikini photos taken during a trip to Koh Larn Island in Pattaya, Thailand, and was featured on the Instagram page of Vogue Thailand. In response to those who
think Catriona does not have that ideal “Miss Universe body,” Miss Universe Canada 2016 Siera Bearchell defended the Filipina beauty, saying that the people’s comments are “disturbing.” Meanwhile, a day before she passed the Miss Universe Philippines crown to Gazini Ganados last month, Catriona Gray Catriona turned to her Instagram story to share her experience joining the Binibining Pilipinas. One of her stories included her experience in body shaming. “It was this same event that I experienced an increase in bodybashing, bodyshaming from so many in the online community. It’s easy to tell someone to have a ‘thick skin’ but it hurts,” Catriona wrote.
Keeping still and carrying on amid the current immigration climate The CTV Files
Atty. LiLLi BAcuLi coLLins, EsQ
DAILY news reports flooding our already fatigued psyches have been fixated on Immigration, and the way to cut through the noise and confusion is to keep still and stay focused. Lawful permanent residents and their families should take note that for the most part, things are operating as usual at the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS), save for delayed processing times. Here are the most common applications that individuals should pay close attention to for eligibility requirePhoto from Instagram/@catriona_gray ments and filing window. Naturalization applications “There were days I really Naturalization applications struggled reading comments are currently estimated at 10 online. And it was definitely – 19.5 months. Applicants who a process. But I had to grow are eligible to file for their to accept and love my unique Naturalization application – at shape and appreciate my body the 3-year mark or the 5-year for its strength and capabilities,” mark – are encouraged to file she wrote in another Instagram their application at the soonstory. est time they are able to do so, Both Catriona and Coco especially given the long wait have not addressed the controtimes to be scheduled for an versy as of this writing. interview. Note that Naturaliza-
tion Applications are highly scrutinized, and individuals should consult with a licensed and experienced immigration attorney with regard to potential issues in their immigration history that may come up in the Naturalization process. Removal of conditions of residence Removing conditions on residence is a requirement: this application must be filed before deadline. This application is specific to those who were initially given a “CR” or conditional resident status, typically for individuals who acquired permanent resident status through marriage to a US citizen. Current processing times for Removal of Conditions on Residence is estimated to be around 17 - 35.5 months. Individuals who are required to file for their Removal of Conditions should file their applications as soon as they are eligible to do so, during the specifically limited 90-day filing window. Deferred Action (DACA) Renewals The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) reports that as of January 22, 2019, “the U.S. Supreme court had not taken action on the Trump Administration’s request to expedite a ruling on the court decisions that keep DACA program in place.” The new term for the Supreme Court starts this October 2019. For now, “DACA protections will likely remain in place” under current court rulings. Individuals who were previously granted DACA may request renewal of their deferred action and their employment authorization with the appropriate fee or approved fee exemption request at the USCIS designated filing location, and in accordance with instructions in the Form I-821D and form I-765 applications. The filing window is between 150 – 120 days from the expiration of the
current DACA grant. USCIS is not accepting requests from individuals who have never been granted deferred action under DACA. Moreover, USCIS will not accept or approve applications for Advance Parole request from DACA recipients. Credit card payments now accepted for filing fees This may be a relief for some. USCIS announced last year that it will accept credit cards as a form of payment for certain applications, such as Adjustment Applications. Previously, USCIS had begun to accept credit cards as a form of payment for Naturalization applications. Consult with a licensed and experienced immigration attorney before filing While it is very good news that (1) individuals are still able to file for a whole host of applications including renewal DACA requests; and that (2) more applications are now payable via credit card, individuals must nevertheless proceed with caution when filing for any application with USCIS. Just because it is easier now to file for an application does not mean that you should. We urge individuals to pause and take the time to consult with a licensed and experienced immigration attorney before submitting any application with USCIS. *** Atty. Lilli Baculi Collins is an associate attorney with Chua Tinsay & Vega, A Professional Legal Corporation (CTV) - a full service law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and Philippines. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (619) 955-6277; (415) 4958088; (916) 449-3923; lbaculi@ctvattys. com; www.chuatinsayvega.com. (Advertising Supplement)
Richard gives in to...
From Page SF2 Girl” (2011) and Ser Chief in “Be Careful with my Heart” (2012)— ran for Cebu City 1st District under the PDP-Laban party. Unfortunately, despite a promising campaign, he failed to snag the post from re-electionist Raul Del Mar of the Liberal Party. Meeting Entertainment media for the first time since May’s elections, Yap was very open to share his experience in that “other world.” He admitted to The Manila Times, “Kung sa showbiz sinasabi nilang mahirap, maraming intriga, I think it’s a hundred times more in politics.” Asked what he learned from his first attempt at politics, he replied, “There’s a lot that we can learn pero I’d rather look on the positive side — marami akong naging kaibigan, maraming mababait na tumulong at sumuporta talaga sa akin, so that’s when you know kung sino talaga ang mga kaibigan mo.” Yap went on to say, “I am thankful to the 80,000-plus people who supported me [with their votes], also kasi hindi naman expected yun for a first timer.” Looking trim and healthy from what must have been a gruelling campaign, Yap had no difficulty fitting right back into the showbiz scene when he was specially introduced as the latest addition to the fiery cast of the ABS-CBN hit series, “Kadenang Ginto” Book 3. “I’m very happy to be back,” he declared. Still out to serve But even as he settles back into the life of a showbiz celebrity, Yap promises to be just as active in reaching out to his fellow Cebuanos post-elections as Citizen Richard. “Just because we are not in position doesn’t mean we’re going to stop helping.” Specifically, he is carrying on support for women’s livelihood which he established during the campaign. Additionally, he is actively gathering funds for a nursing school in their district that lacks classrooms and books among other neccesities. “I think [the campaign] is an eye opener that ang dami palang kailangang gawin na hindi nagagawa ng gobyerno — it needs everybody’s help. Even tayo, as
ordinary citizens, we can do so much more in our community,” the actor noted. New pot of gold Choosing to use the lessons learned from the campaign to better himself and those around him, Yap meanwhile has his eyes on a different albeit golden goal, that is to give justice to the role of Leon in the hit afternoon soap, Kadenang Ginto. “Medyo may pressure because alam ko, it’s already a very successful show so I have to bring something to the table,” Yap admitted. Apparently, the offer to do the show came to Yap just as he decided to take a breather and lay low from commitments for a while. “Actually nabigla ako when I came back from Cebu, kasi in a week’s time ata, kinausap na ako na may offer na pumasok dito sa “Kadenang Ginto”. I wanted to go on vacation first until August pero hindi na nangyari yun,” he recounted chuckling. Pressed to reveal what made him forgo his holiday plans, the actor cheekily replied, “Hindi ko ma-resist yung lure of gold.” On a more serious note, he added, “This is a very welcome offer and I am very thankful, kinuha ulit ako ng ABS-CBN and my mother unit, Dreamscape.” Yap steps into the show as the new chapter in the riveting lives of Beauty Gonzales’ Romina and Dimples Romana’s Daniela unfold. Yap plays Leon, Romina’s new business partner who will guide her every step of the way and help her retrieve everything that Daniela had taken away from her. “Ibang iba si Leon dito kasi hindi siya mayaman, which is a first [compared to his previous roles where he usually played rich businessmen roles]. Dito, magumpisa ako from the bottom and magtutulungan kami ni Romina,” Yap related. “It is a challenge because itong character is quite complex, what you see is not what you get so you have to dig deeper.” Overall, Yap is thankful for his inclusion in the show’s new chapter at a time when he is personally starting his. “It feels refreshing to be back, na miss ko rin ang taping!” he ended.
The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - July 12, 2019
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The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - July 12, 2019