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AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026 Volume 20 - No.34 • 16 Pages 611 North Brand Blvd., Suite 1300, Glendale, CA 91203 • Tel: (818) 9379981 • (818) 937-9982 • (213) 250-9797 • info@asianjournalinc.com
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Senate absences raise stakes in Sara DATELINE USA Duterte impeachment trial FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Los Angeles names two downtown squares to mark Little Manila history
Five senator-judges have missed proceedings or face barriers to participation as the court keeps the 16-vote requirement for conviction by AJPress
MANILA — The absence or legal unavailability of several senator-judges is emerging as a significant factor in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, raising questions over
how many senators will be able to participate when the Senate court ultimately votes. Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero ruled when the trial opened July 6 that conviction requires at least 16 votes, or two-thirds of the Senate’s 24 members. Impeachment court
by AJPress
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Federal agents offer up to $150,000 for information leading to Rey E. Grabato II’s arrest and conviction by AJPress
NEWARK, N.J. — The FBI has added Rey E. Grabato II, son of Mina, Iloilo Mayor Rey P. Grabato, to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list over allegations that he participated in an investment scheme involving more than $650 million and about 2,000 investors. Grabato remained on the FBI list as of Aug. 19. The bureau is offering up to $150,000 for Education Secretary Sonny Angara visited Ateneo de Zamboanga University to meet with school officials. Alongside government agencies such as DSWD and DOH, and partner organizations, the initiative also provided Psychological First Aid and psychosocial support to students, families, and school personnel in need. DepEDPhoto
Attack on Bangsamoro leader’s convoy raises security concerns ahead of first parliamentary election
Investigation continues as BARMM prepares for landmark Sept. 14 vote by AJPress
COTABATO CITY - Security surrounding the Bangsamoro region’s first regular parliamentary election has drawn closer scrutiny as authorities continue investigating the Aug. 15 attack on the convoy of interim Chief Minister Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua. Macacua and his companions escaped unharmed after gunmen fired on the convoy along the national highway in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. Three vehicles,
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FBI adds Iloilo mayor’s son to Most Wanted Fraudsters list in alleged $650 million scheme
Council authorizes permanent ceremonial signs at First and Los Angeles streets and Temple and Figueroa streets LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council has approved official designations for two downtown intersections associated with the city’s early Filipino American communities, naming First and Los Angeles streets “Little Manila Square” and Temple and Figueroa streets “America is in the Heart Square.” The Council adopted the Public Works Committee report on Aug. 11 by a 13-0 vote, with Councilmembers Curren Price and Nithya Raman absent. The action became final Aug. 12. The proposal originated with Councilmember Ysabel Jurado and was sec-
spokesman Reginald Tongol said Aug. 20 that lowering the threshold because some senators are unavailable would alter a rule already established for the proceeding. Five senator-judges have missed hearings or
including the chief minister’s bulletproof vehicle, were hit. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a thorough investigation and stronger security measures in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or BARMM. The Commission on Elections said the Sept. 14 election would proceed, while the government’s peace office intensified coordination with the military, police and joint govern-
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Zamboanga school shooting exposes gaps in gun storage, campus security
Second fatal Philippine school shooting in two months intensifies scrutiny of firearm access and school-safety measures by AJPress
MANILA — Investigators examining the fatal shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University have established that a 14-year-old Grade 8 student obtained firearms from a vehicle used to take him to school and entered the junior high school building through an access point that allowed him to bypass regu-
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Romualdez challenges key testimony in flood-control probe Former speaker cites witness reversals; Ombudsman says 28 other witnesses remain by AJPress
lar security screening, officials told a Senate inquiry Thursday. The Aug. 18 attack killed a 15-year-old Grade 10 student and the suspected shooter, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to authorities. Police said another student suffered a bullet graze to the back and was in stable condition Thursday. A second
MANILA — Former House speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has challenged key witness accounts in the government’s flood-control corruption investigation, citing a series of recantations while the Office of the Ombudsman maintains that its inquiry rests on a broader body of testimony and evidence. Romualdez filed a supplemental counter-affidavit Thursday, Aug. 20, incorporating the recantation of retired Marine Orly Guteza, who withdrew earlier allegations that he participat-
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AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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Senate absences raise stakes... PAGE 1 face obstacles to participating, although their circumstances differ substantially. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano was absent from both the impeachment trial and the regular Senate session Aug. 17 after missing proceedings since Aug. 11. Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. said that, as of Aug. 17, Cayetano’s office had not formally provided an explanation. His sister, Sen. Pia Cayetano, and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri had earlier said he was not feeling well. Sen. Loren Legarda’s absences were covered by medical leave for Aug. 3 to 5, Aug. 11 to 12 and Aug. 17 to 19. Her latest publicly confirmed leave expired Aug. 19, with no subsequent extension or confirmed return to the Philippines publicly reported as of Aug. 20. Legarda also denied reports that her overseas stay was intended to position her to seek political asylum or avoid possible prosecution. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano had raised asylum only as a possibility while discussing a preliminary investigation involving Legarda, her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, and former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi over allegations involving solar-energy projects. Legarda has denied wrongdoing and said her leave com-
plied with Senate rules. Bureau of Immigration records showed that she and Leviste left the country separately Aug. 2 and had no derogatory immigration records at departure. The Ombudsman inquiry remains preliminary, and no court finding of criminal liability has been made in the solar matter. The scheduled Aug. 19 impeachment hearing was canceled because of forecasts of heavy rain. Three other senators face more direct legal impediments. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is detained in connection with plunder and graft charges involving alleged kickbacks from flood-control projects and is serving a 90-day preventive suspension imposed by the Sandiganbayan. Estrada has denied the allegations. The anti-graft court has rejected his request to leave detention to perform his duties as a senator-judge. Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa remains at large while authorities seek to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged crimes against humanity connected to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign. Dela Rosa has denied wrongdoing. The Supreme Court denied his request for interim protection against enforcement of the warrant while leaving the principal legal questions unresolved.
From the Front Page
Sen. Rodante Marcoleta is also detained after the Sandiganbayan ordered his arrest on a separate plunder charge shortly before the impeachment trial opened. He has denied wrongdoing. The attendance issue has prompted House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro to argue that senators beyond the chamber’s power to compel attendance should be considered in determining the number of votes required for conviction, citing the Supreme Court’s 1949 Avelino v. Cuenco ruling on legislative quorum. The impeachment court has not adopted that interpretation. It allows senators who register for a hearing and continue monitoring proceedings within designated Senate areas to remain covered by its continuing-quorum rule, but that provision does not resolve the status of senators who are detained, suspended or otherwise unavailable. Cayetano could return, Legarda’s latest leave has expired, and the legal circumstances affecting Estrada, dela Rosa and Marcoleta could change before judgment. Duterte has denied wrongdoing and is contesting the impeachment charges. With the prosecution still presenting evidence and the defense case yet to be completed, the composition of the Senate court at the time of judgment remains one of the trial’s central uncertainties.n
Attack on Bangsamoro leader’s... PAGE 1 ment-Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace mechanisms. Police formed a Special Investigation Task Group and recovered 81 fired cartridge cases from the attack site. A police progress report released through Comelec Chairman George Garcia said witnesses had seen five armed men positioned near the highway before the convoy passed. The report said a resident recognized one of the men, leading police to identify an individual as a person of interest. Authorities have not announced charges against that individual, and police said the motive remained undetermined. The Philippine National Police has treated the attack as a suspected election-related incident. That remains an investigative classification, not
a finding that electoral politics was the motive. Macacua had attended a Bangsamoro Federalist Party gathering earlier that day, where he formally assumed the party chairmanship. He filed his candidacy in May for a parliamentary district seat in Maguindanao del Norte as an independent. The attack has sharpened attention on an election central to the Bangsamoro peace process. BARMM is an autonomous political region within the Philippines, with a parliamentary government established under the Bangsamoro Organic Law. It emerged from decades of conflict and negotiations between the Philippine government and Moro groups seeking greater self-government in Mindanao. The 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsam-
oro between the government and the MILF paved the way for the Organic Law, enacted in 2018 and ratified in 2019. BARMM then replaced the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The region has since been governed during its transition by the appointed Bangsamoro Transition Authority. On Sept. 14, voters are scheduled to elect the first regular Bangsamoro Parliament. Under the parliamentary system, lawmakers elect the chief minister, who heads the regional government. Macacua’s career spans the region’s transition from armed struggle to civilian government. Born in Maguindanao in 1957, he rose to become chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the MILF’s armed wing. He later served on the MILF peace negotiating panel and the
911 UPDATES. Emergency 911 Executive Director Francis Fajardo and, Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for Public Safety Jed Patrick Mabilog and Undersecretary for Public Affairs and Communications Rolando Puno (from left) hold a press conference at the Quezon City Reception House in New Manila on Tuesday (Aug. 18, 2026). The officials discussed updates on the country’s emergency response system 911 and other public safety concerns. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
Romualdez challenges key... PAGE 1
ed in cash deliveries to properties associated with the former speaker. The Ombudsman said Guteza’s reversal would not derail its investigation. The anti-graft office said it has 28 other witnesses, described as active members of the uniformed services, who can provide direct and material information about transactions under scrutiny. Romualdez, who represents Leyte’s 1st District, has denied wrongdoing. The case remains under preliminary investigation, during which prosecutors determine whether probable cause exists to bring criminal charges in court. No such determination has been announced. Lawyer Ade Fajardo, a spokesman for Romualdez, said the new filing also includes affidavits from 25 former employees and aides of former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co who dispute portions of accounts provided by members of Co’s former security detail. Fajardo said some had previously been identified as companions in alleged cash deliveries but now deny that the deliveries occurred. He also said some claimed they had been offered money to join other former security personnel in accusing Romualdez. Those assertions are part of the defense submission and
have not been independently established. Guteza testified under oath before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in September 2025 that he took part in alleged cash deliveries linked to Romualdez. In an affidavit dated Aug. 13 that became public this week, he withdrew that account and alleged that he had been induced to make false accusations. He also made allegations involving Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and former congressman Mike Defensor in connection with his earlier testimony. The claims remain disputed and have not been adjudicated. Marcoleta previously denied coaching Guteza. Guteza is the fourth of nine former Co security personnel cited in the Ombudsman complaint to withdraw earlier statements, following Belnard Tube, Benny Bulontate and Rosebert Waupan. The reversals have sharpened the dispute over witness credibility. The Ombudsman, however, says its investigation does not depend on the recanting witnesses and has not publicly disclosed the full substance of the testimony expected from the 28 additional witnesses. A special panel of Ombudsman investigators earlier accused Romualdez, Co and other respondents of involvement in an alleged scheme through which about P56 billion in
ill-gotten wealth was accumulated from 2022 through 2025 in connection with government projects. The P56-billion amount is an allegation contained in the complaint and has not been established in court. Investigators have cited witness accounts describing alleged deliveries of cash in suitcases among the evidence under review. Romualdez’s lawyers dispute those accounts and contend that investigators have not produced forensic, physical or documentary evidence directly linking him to the alleged deliveries. The National Bureau of Investigation has separately questioned whether a joint affidavit submitted by 18 former Co security personnel was sufficient without independent corroboration. That review is distinct from the evidence being evaluated by the Ombudsman. Malacañang has said Guteza’s recantation and his new allegations should also be investigated. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Romualdez’s cousin, has said through the Palace that he would not interfere in the Ombudsman inquiry. After the respondents complete their submissions, Ombudsman prosecutors will determine whether the evidence establishes probable cause to bring any charges before the Sandiganbayan. n
Bangsamoro Transition Commission before holding senior posts in BARMM. Marcos appointed Macacua interim chief minister in March 2025, succeeding Ahod Balawag “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim. The national government
had already authorized the Armed Forces, PNP and other agencies to support Comelec in securing the September election. Following the convoy attack, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity said it was stepping up coordination
with security agencies and established government-MILF mechanisms. As of press time, authorities had not publicly announced an arrest or criminal charge arising from the attack, identified a mastermind or established a motive.n
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Dateline USA
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026
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Military recruiting rebound accelerates DOJ plans about 1,000 election monitors for November midterms as services hit 2026 goals early Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force reach annual targets months ahead of schedule after years of recruiting difficulties by AJPress WASHINGTON - U.S. military recruiting has continued its strong recovery in 2026, with four active-duty services reaching annual goals months ahead of schedule after years of difficulty attracting enough qualified volunteers. The Army said in May that it had signed contracts with more than 61,500 future soldiers, meeting its fiscal 2026 active-duty target four months before the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year. The Navy later contracted 45,000 future sailors. The Air Force reached its goal of 32,750 active-duty airmen five months early, while the Space Force enlisted 730 Guardians. The Marine Corps remains on track to meet its target. The gains extend a turnaround already evident in fiscal 2025, when all five active-duty services met their recruiting goals. The Army recruited 62,050, the Navy 44,096, the Air Force 30,166, the Space Force 819 and the
Marine Corps 26,600. Pentagon officials described fiscal 2025 as the military's strongest recruiting performance in 15 years. Two years earlier, the services had collectively fallen about 41,000 recruits short of their goals. The Trump administration has pointed to the latest figures as evidence of renewed confidence in military leadership. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has credited the administration's emphasis on military standards, readiness and war-fighting capability. The recruiting recovery, however, was already underway before President Donald Trump returned to office. Pentagon figures show enlistments rose 12.5% in fiscal 2024, from 200,000 to 225,000, during a fiscal year that ended before the November presidential election. By then, the services had expanded recruiting operations, increased digital outreach, streamlined medical processing and introduced programs to help
otherwise eligible applicants meet academic or physical requirements. The Army's Future Soldier Preparatory Course, launched in 2022, became one of the most prominent of those efforts. Economic considerations remain part of the recruiting picture, though Pentagon research does not identify them as the principal cause. A Summer 2025 Defense Department youth survey found that 35% of respondents ages 16 to 21 considered finding a full-time job difficult, while 14% said current economic conditions made them more likely to consider military service. Pay, education assistance, health coverage, job training and other benefits also remain central to the military's recruiting offer. The contrast with 2023 is pronounced: after collectively missing recruiting goals by roughly 41,000 people that year, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force entered the closing months of fiscal 2026 with their annual objectives already met. n
Birth-tourism crackdown widens as U.S. revokes 600-plus visas State Department task force builds on earlier federal enforcement while Trump’s separate citizenship order faces renewed court challenge by AJPress WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has widened its campaign against “birth tourism,” with the State Department saying a specialized task force has revoked more than 600 visas worldwide while immigration investigators and federal prosecutors pursue related enforcement efforts. The State Department announced Aug. 12 that its Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force is reviewing visa holders’ activities and targeting networks suspected of facilitating travel to the United States primarily to give birth. The department did not release a country-by-country breakdown of the revocations.
The enforcement effort predates President Donald Trump’s two Aug. 6 executive orders. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations began a birth-tourism initiative earlier this year, and the Justice Department later directed federal prosecutors to prioritize suspected fraud-related cases. Executive Order 14419, “Ending Birth Tourism,” authorizes the State and Homeland Security departments, within existing law, to consider visa denials or revocations, refusal of admission, removal and restrictions on future entry. Pregnancy itself is not unlawful or automatically disqualifying for a visitor visa. State Department rules focus on cases in which an appli-
cant’s primary purpose is traveling to the United States to give birth so the child can obtain U.S. citizenship. A separate directive, Executive Order 14418, seeks to deny recognition of citizenship in specified cases when neither parent is a U.S. citizen. Civil rights groups returned to federal court Aug. 11, arguing that the new directive conflicts with protections already secured in Barbara v. Trump. The White House says the orders comply with the Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling. The Supreme Court held that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment. n
by AJPress
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department is preparing to deploy about 1,000 federal election monitors for the Nov. 3 midterm elections, significantly expanding its presence at polling locations as the government increases oversight of compliance with federal voting laws. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who heads the department’s Civil Rights Division, said the planned deployment would be a historic number for a Republican administration. The department has not released a final list of jurisdictions. Dhillon said potential locations could include areas where officials identify concerns involving language assistance, disability access or possible voter fraud. Those considerations describe where monitors may be sent; they do not establish that violations or fraud have occurred in any particular jurisdiction. Federal election monitoring is a longstanding Justice Department function. The Civil Rights Division assigns attorneys and staff to observe election procedures, assess compliance with federal vo-
ting-rights laws and maintain contact with state and local officials. Federal observers operating under the Voting Rights Act are a separate category and, in some circumstances, require court authorization. The department said Tuesday that more than 75 monitors had been deployed across five states and more than 200 polling locations during the 2026 primary season. Four Civil Rights Division attorneys were assigned to Miami-Dade County, Florida, and two to Laramie County, Wyoming, for Tuesday’s primaries. DOJ monitored 64 jurisdictions in 24 states during the 2022 midterms and 86 jurisdictions in 27 states during the 2024 general election. CBS News, citing a department official, reported that 289 people in total were sent to polling places for the 2022 midterm election. Historical comparisons are imperfect because the department has sometimes reported numbers of jurisdictions, personnel and federal observers differently. In 2004, DOJ announced plans to send about 840 federal observers and more than 250 Civil Rights Division personnel to 86 jurisdictions. The Civil Rights Division en-
forces federal voting statutes including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and Civil Rights Acts. The planned expansion has drawn scrutiny from Democratic senators, including California Sen. Alex Padilla and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, who asked DOJ this month to explain how jurisdictions are selected and how monitors are recruited, trained and supervised. Their letter cautioned against partisan deployment, voter intimidation or interference with state and local election administration. DOJ has described its monitoring program as nonpartisan and aimed at transparency, ballot security and compliance with federal law. State and local authorities remain primarily responsible for administering elections, while federal personnel monitor compliance with federal statutes. The department said Civil Rights Division personnel will continue receiving election-related questions, complaints and requests for monitoring through the Nov. 3 general election. n
Los Angeles names two downtown... PAGE 1 onded by Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. Under the action, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation is directed to install permanent ceremonial signs at both intersections. The committee report identifies First and Los Angeles streets as the location of Los Angeles’ original Little Manila and the Temple-Figueroa intersection as a later Little Manila site associated with Filipino American writer Carlos Bulosan. Jurado’s office said the designations are intended to make visible a part of Filipino American history that has largely disappeared from the downtown landscape. “As the first Filipina elected to the Los Angeles City Council, I want to reclaim this lost part of our history,” Jurado said in a statement released by her office. The council action followed an April motion by Jurado that traced the emergence of a Filipino enclave in downtown
Los Angeles in the 1920s. The motion said the area around First, Main, Los Angeles and Weller streets, now Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Street, became known as Little Manila and included Filipino-owned restaurants, barbershops, pool halls, employment agencies and other businesses. By the 1940s, the motion said, the center of Filipino community life had shifted toward Temple and Figueroa streets. The area included businesses and gathering places serving Filipino residents and workers and was associated with Bulosan, an author, poet and labor activist. The Library of Congress says Bulosan is best known for America Is in the Heart, published in 1946, which portrayed the experiences and working conditions of Filipino migrant laborers in the United States. Independent historical reporting has documented the same geographic shift. PBS SoCal reported in 2022 that the original downtown Lit-
tle Manila flourished in the 1920s and 1930s and that Filipino community activity later concentrated around Temple and Figueroa. Los Angeles City Planning’s SurveyLA project has also documented Filipino American settlement, economic activity and institutions as part of its historic-resources research. The physical footprint of the early enclaves receded as redevelopment and freeway construction transformed downtown in the mid-20th century. Jurado’s motion says those projects removed homes and businesses and pushed much of the Filipino American community west toward the Temple-Beverly corridor, later associated with Historic Filipinotown. The June Public Works Committee report added the formal “Little Manila Square” designation at First and Los Angeles streets to the proposal for permanent signage. The City Clerk’s record does not specify an installation date for the ceremonial signs. n
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Philippines courts U.S. investment in chips, critical minerals
Manila seeks larger role in global technology supply chains through semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and mineral processing by AJPress
MANILA — The Philippines is stepping up efforts to attract U.S. investment in semiconductors, electronics and critical-mineral processing as the Marcos administration seeks to move the country further up the technology manufacturing chain. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto renewed the investment pitch to American business leaders Thursday, emphasizing projects that create jobs, develop Filipino technical expertise and expand domestic industrial capacity. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed government agencies to accelerate infrastructure, incentives and investment facilitation for semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related industries. The Philippine semiconductor and electronics sector has set a target of about $110 billion in electronics exports by 2030, supported by expansion into integrated-circuit design, advanced packaging and
higher-value manufacturing. Electronics already account for most Philippine merchandise exports. Philippine Statistics Authority data show electronic products generated $5.25 billion, or 59.9 percent, of exports in June. The United States was the country's largest export market that month, receiving $1.76 billion, or 20.1 percent of total shipments. A centerpiece of the government's strategy is a proposed 4,000-acre industrial development in New Clark City, Tarlac, associated with Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative focused on technology and strategic supply chains. Government plans envision semiconductor production, critical-mineral processing, advanced manufacturing and computing infrastructure. The development remains preliminary. Bases Conversion and Development Authority officials told a Senate hearing this month that detailed development plans had not yet been submitted and that consultations and regula-
tory reviews remained necessary. Officials have said more than 50 companies expressed interest, but no final investment commitments were announced. The Philippines and United States also signed a critical-minerals cooperation framework in February covering supply-chain resilience, responsible resource management and expanded Philippine capacity in processing and refining. The Board of Investments said the Philippines accounted for 25.41 percent of global nickel exports in 2024, strengthening Manila's case for attracting investments that process more of the country's mineral output domestically. Approved foreign investment pledges reached P115.20 billion in the second quarter, up 68.2 percent from a year earlier, with manufacturing accounting for the largest share. The PSA figures represent approved commitments rather than capital already deployed. n
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Zamboanga school shooting... PAGE 1 student who collapsed during the incident has recovered. The shooting, the Philippines’ second fatal school attack in less than two months, has intensified scrutiny of firearm storage, campus security and the government's ability to identify threats involving minors. Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the suspect's father, a Customs police officer in Zamboanga, had left firearms in a vehicle normally used to take his son to school. On the day of the shooting, a driver, rather than the father, transported the student. Customs relieved and preventively suspended the father while an administrative investigation proceeds. Nepomuceno has said the officer had a responsibility to secure government-issued firearms. Officials said one of the two weapons was issued by Customs. Police were still verifying the licensing and ownership status of the other firearm. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Thursday that the father was cooperating with investigators and that authorities had not established criminal culpability on his part. Any determination of criminal liability would require further investigation and prosecutorial review.
Ateneo legal adviser Armee Jay Cresmundo told senators that the student entered the junior high building through a ramp intended for persons with disabilities. The ramp, normally closed except when needed, was open for another student at the time and enabled the suspected shooter to avoid the building's regular security checkpoint. The finding adds a physical-security dimension to a national debate that initially centered on access to firearms and possible online influences. Police have cautioned the public against circulating social-media accounts and posts purportedly associated with the student unless their authenticity has been established. Authorities are examining the student's digital activity, but no definitive motive has been publicly established. Reports that the student had previously threatened to shoot the school have not been verified, Ateneo officials told the Senate. Claims involving bullying, academic pressure, violent games or online radicalization likewise remain investigative leads rather than established causes. Remulla said Thursday that investigators believed the student planned and carried out the attack alone and that authorities had found no evidence of a conspiracy. Justice
officials, however, said the government is separately examining broader reports that unidentified individuals may be attempting to influence minors through online platforms. The shooting follows a June school attack in Tacloban City and has accelerated government efforts to strengthen campus preparedness. The Department of Education had already begun active-threat simulation exercises after the Tacloban shooting and directed public schools to develop response plans tailored to individual campuses. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered authorities to investigate the Zamboanga attack and strengthen measures intended to keep schools safe. Malacañang said funding is available under the proposed 2027 national budget for additional school-security measures. In Congress, lawmakers are considering responses ranging from tighter firearm controls and stronger accountability for gun owners to expanded protections for children online. The Senate inquiry underscored a more immediate issue exposed by the Zamboanga attack: a minor was able to obtain firearms that authorities say had been left in a vehicle and then enter a school building through an access point that bypassed its normal security screening. n
FBI adds Iloilo mayor’s son to Most Wanted... PAGE 1 information leading to his arrest and conviction and says he has ties to the Philippines and may be living there. A federal arrest warrant was issued Oct. 12, 2022, in New Jersey. Grabato is charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with taxes. The charges remain allegations. Grabato has not been convicted in the case and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Federal prosecutors allege that Grabato and others participated in a scheme involving National Realty Investment Advisors LLC, or NRIA. According to the indictment, an NRIA investment fund raised approximately $650 million from about 2,000 investors between February 2018 and
January 2022. Grabato was NRIA’s president and majority owner. Prosecutors allege investors were misled about NRIA’s financial condition and the use of their money. The indictment alleges that investor funds were used in part to make distributions while NRIA generated little or no operating income from its properties. NRIA, the investment fund and more than 100 affiliated companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2022. The Securities and Exchange Commission separately sued NRIA and four former executives in 2022, alleging a Ponzi-like operation that raised approximately $600 million from investors. Federal prosecutors allege that Thomas Nicholas Salzano secretly directed NRIA’s day-to-day operations and used Grabato as a stand-in chief executive who followed
his instructions. The indictment also alleges that Grabato carried out transactions that prosecutors say furthered the scheme. Salzano later pleaded guilty to securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and a tax-related conspiracy. He was sentenced in 2024 to 12 years in federal prison. His conviction does not determine Grabato’s guilt. Grabato’s family has called for due process. His brother, Christopher Grabato, has said he is recovering from a severe stroke and is partially paralyzed. The medical claims have not been independently verified. The Iloilo provincial government lists Rey P. Grabato as mayor of Mina. Neither the FBI wanted notice nor the federal indictment reviewed by Asian Journal names the mayor as a defendant or alleges that he participated in the scheme. n
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026
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AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
Opinion
Features
Buwan ng Wika: Patriotism does not require choosing between English and our own languages
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The more consequential question behind Buwan ng Wika is whether fluency in a global language must come at the expense of the languages Filipinos inherit at home. EVERY August, Philippine schools mark Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa with speeches, poetry, songs and lessons on the national language. Then the programs end, the decorations come down, and in many households the language celebrated in school is used less and less between generations. That contradiction deserves more attention than another annual appeal to “love our language.” Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa took its present month-long form in 1997, when President Fidel V. Ramos declared August 1 to 31 the
annual observance. Its roots reach to the 1935 Constitution, which called for the development of a national language based on one of the country’s native languages. In 1937, President Manuel L. Quezon approved Tagalog as the basis of that national language. That history also explains a recurring question: What is the difference among Tagalog, Pilipino and Filipino? Tagalog is a Philippine language. The national language developed from Tagalog, but in 1959 it was officially called Pilipino. The older Abakada
Editorial
PERCEPTIONS Ariel Nepomuceno
FILIPINO farmers should not be poor. They feed our nation, yet the social injustice prevails for generations. Our farmers produce our staple food, rice. They provide our fish, vegetables and other essential foods too, but they remain the country’s poorest workers. This is not an agricultural problem. This is our nation’s failure. We cannot seriously claim that we are fighting pov-
Modernize agriculture, end the poverty of farmers erty while at least 9.5 million agricultural workers are trapped in poverty. The solution must not be limited to short-term subsidies, distribution of farm inputs or another government program that terminates when the administration changes. We need to transform Philippine agriculture from subsistence farming into a modern, technology-driven and profitable industry. Our farmers must become businessmen. For too long, the government policy has focused on helping our farmers
produce. But producing more does not mean earning more. A farmer can harvest a bumper crop and still lose money if farmgate prices collapse, middlemen dominate the market, storage is unavailable and logistics is expensive. The farmers must, therefore, be directly connected to the market. Government must encourage and support cooperatives, agribusiness companies, supermarkets, food processors and exporters to enter into long-
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alphabet did not include the letter F, hence Pilipino rather than Filipino. The 1973 Constitution introduced Filipino as
public lives Randy David
THE P92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan, for which former Sen. Bong Revilla is now on trial, was inserted into the national budget through an errata. In his 2025 State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Marcos named the method from the podium: “Mga kickback, mga initiative, errata, SOP, for the boys.” “Leadership fund” is the
ManilaTimes.net photo
the name of the national language to be developed, and the 1987 Constitution declared Fil-
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Leadership fund: Improper but not illegal latest label for an old discredited practice historically called “pork barrel.” It does not appear as such in the budget; there is no item by that name in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) or the General Appropriations Act (GAA). Legislators, who are supposed to be its beneficiaries, deny knowing the term, and they are technically correct. But they probably won’t say they don’t know what it means. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who has pressed the issue hardest, calls
it improper but not illegal, a gray area, like so many things in our country where politics trumps the law. Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan testified before the Sandiganbayan this month, as prosecution witness in the malversation case against Revilla, that a “leadership fund” of P24 billion had been set aside in his agency for senators’ priority projects in the 2025 budget.
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Opinion & Features
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026
Buwan ng Wika: Patriotism does...
Modernize agriculture, end the...
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ipino the national language, directing that it continue to evolve and be enriched by existing Philippine and other languages. Filipino, therefore, is not simply Pilipino spelled with an F. It represents a broader national concept, although in actual grammar and everyday usage Filipino remains very close to Tagalog. That gap between constitutional aspiration and linguistic practice helps explain why the terminology still provokes debate. Must Filipinos choose between proficiency in English and preservation of their own languages? English is an educational and economic asset. It gives Filipinos access to scholarship, science, technology, commerce and professional opportunities. The Constitution itself recognizes both Filipino and English as official languages for communication and instruction, while regional languages retain recognized roles. Mastering English is not a retreat from patriotism. A Filipino can speak impeccable English and remain deeply connected to the country. Conversely, fluency in Filipino is not by itself proof of love of country. Patriotism is demonstrated in conduct, responsibility and contribution. But language still matters. Language carries humor, family relationships and ideas that translation cannot always reproduce neatly. Words such as kilig, tampo, lambing, hiya, pakikisama and utang na loob reveal how much cultural meaning can be compressed into speech. The debate over mother-tongue education shows how difficult preservation becomes when principle meets policy. The Philippines once
required mother-tongue instruction from kindergarten through Grade 3. Republic Act No. 12027, enacted in 2024, ended that blanket requirement. Filipino and English again became the principal media of instruction, while regional languages may serve as auxiliary media and mother-tongue instruction remains possible in qualifying monolingual classes. The change does not settle the larger argument over whether children benefit from learning first in a language they understand best. It does show the practical challenge facing a multilingual country, including teacher preparation, instructional materials and classrooms where children may not share the same first language. Outside the Philippines, the issue is less about government policy than what happens inside the home. Children growing up in another country are immersed in its dominant language through school, friends, media and everyday life. A Philippine language may depend largely on parents and grandparents for survival. Language loss can happen almost unnoticed. A parent speaks Filipino, Ilocano, Cebuano or another Philippine language; the child understands but answers in the dominant language. Because communication still works, the arrangement continues. Eventually comprehension weakens, speaking becomes difficult, and another generation may inherit only greetings, food names and family terms. Parents should not be casually blamed. Some believe concentrating on English will help their children succeed. Some remember being teased because of their accents and do not want their children to
experience the same thing. Others lack the time or support to maintain two languages. In families whose parents come from different linguistic backgrounds, there may not even be one Philippine language shared by everyone. The mistake is assuming that one language must be surrendered for another. A language does not survive because people praise it every August. It survives because people use it at breakfast, in jokes, during arguments, in stories and in conversations with grandparents. Schools, cultural organizations and community programs can reinforce it, but transmission ultimately takes place between people. Nor should fluency become a test of Filipino authenticity. Mocking someone for imperfect Filipino, or for speaking a regional language with an unfamiliar accent, can discourage the people language advocates hope to bring closer. Buwan ng Wika should therefore stand for something more demanding than ceremonial pride. Filipinos do not need to retreat from English, or from any other language that broadens opportunity. The more confident position is to reject the idea that advancement requires giving up what was inherited at home. Teach children English well. Let them learn the languages that enlarge their world. But when possible, give them the language of their grandparents too. Not because it makes them more Filipino than anyone else, but because knowing another language adds a choice. Losing one removes it.A global language can open the world to a Filipino child. Our own languages can tell that child where the journey began. (AJPress) n
Leadership fund: Improper ... PAGE 6 About P21 billion was actually taken up, against P13.29 billion the year before. Bonoan is himself charged and detained at the Philippine National Police General Hospital, a co-accused of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in a nonbailable plunder case. Former Senate President Migz Zubiri has denied the P24-billion figure. All senators of the 19th Congress availed themselves of the privilege, Bonoan said, submitting their lists to the DPWH, usually through former Undersecretary Roberto Bernar-
do. These were vetted by the planning service, then folded into the agency’s submission to the Department of Budget and Management. “The leadership fund came about due to the numerous cuts we observed in 2023,” Bonoan explained. “When it came up in the GAA, to our surprise and dismay, the core programs of the department were reduced drastically.” Up to 88.8 percent of funds for foreign-assisted projects had been cut and reallocated at the bicam. Pre-accommodating the Senate, he reasoned, would deter it. Or so he thought.
He also took this to Malacañang. “I reported it to the President. The President was alarmed by the reduction of the budgets … it will derail the implementation of the socioeconomic agenda.” The instruction to find a remedy came at a Cabinet meeting. The Palace said this week that Marcos had no personal knowledge of the fund and would not have tolerated it. As a practical solution to congressional mangling of the NEP, the fund sounded sensible enough. But it was patently improper, Lacson argues, because it solicited congressio-
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term purchasing arrangements with farmers. Instead of selling raw products immediately after harvest, farmers should increasingly participate in sorting, packaging, processing and marketing. The difference between selling mangoes and selling processed mango products can mean the difference between poverty and prosperity. Technology must reach the smallest farms. Modern agriculture cannot depend entirely on manual labor and traditional practices. We need precision agriculture, drones, satellite mapping, sensors, automated irrigation, better seeds, modern machinery and digital platforms that provide farmers with real-time information about weather, prices and demand. Technology must not be limited to large plantations. The poorest farmers should have access to the same agricultural knowledge available to the richest farmers. Government can help through shared machinery centers, digital agricultural services, demonstration farms and affordable financing. Land must become productive and land reform must not end with giving farmers farmlands. Small farms often struggle because they lack economies of scale. Farmers should be encouraged – not forced – to organize into cooperatives or production clusters that allow them to collectively purchase machinery, negotiate prices, access financing and sell to large buyers that offer reasonable prices. A thousand small farmers acting together
can become a powerful agricultural enterprise. Fix irrigation, roads and post-harvest losses. A farmer cannot compete globally if his harvest travels along poor roads, sits in the heat without refrigeration and reaches the market days later. Agricultural modernization therefore requires robust infrastructure. We need irrigation systems that allow multiple cropping, farmto-market roads, warehouses, cold storage, drying facilities, processing centers and efficient logistics. Every peso invested in agricultural infrastructure should be viewed as an investment in rural incomes. Give farmers affordable capital. A farmer who cannot obtain affordable credit is forced into a vicious cycle. He borrows at high interest, buys expensive inputs, sells his harvest quickly to liquidate soonest and then starts the cycle again. Government should drastically expand agricultural lending through digital lending, credit guarantees, crop insurance and stronger agricultural cooperatives. But financing must be linked to viable production and markets. Credits should help farmers grow, not simply help them survive another season. Make agriculture attractive to the next generation. Perhaps the worst warning signal is that many young Filipinos do not see farming as a future or an attractive option. Why would they? If farming means hard physical labor, uncertain income and little access to technology, young people will leave. We must make agriculture a mod-
ern profession. Imagine a young Filipino operating drones, managing a greenhouse, using artificial intelligence to determine planting schedules, running a cold storage facility or managing an agricultural export business. That is the farmer of the future. Government must stop working in silos. Agricultural policies involves far more than the Department Agriculture. Trade, transportation, infrastructure, finance, education, technology, energy and local government all affect farm profitability. The question should no longer be simply: how much did we spend on agriculture? It should be, how much did the farmer earn? This is the number that matters. Modernizing agriculture is not merely about increasing food production. It is about creating prosperous rural communities. Agriculture can become an engine of inclusive growth rather than a sector permanently dependent on government assistance. The Filipino farmers don’t need pity. They need productivity, technology, capital, infrastructure and access to markets. We must build an agricultural system that allows them to prosper and be globally competitive. Modernize the farms. Empower our farmers. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff *** Email: arielnepo.philstar.comn
nal participation at the budget preparation phase, an executive function. And it failed on its own terms: insertions at the bicam continued unabated anyway. In this light we see the 2025 Sona differently. “Mahiya naman kayo!” was a direct address, not so much to the private contractors as to the assembled legislators, who stood up to applaud as though the message was not meant for them. I don’t want to dwell on the moral failure of individuals. More crucial to me as a sociologist is the systemic environment in which the governance function is mired. Indeed, not everyone who uses “allocables” steals. But the system makes theft, in the form of kickbacks and bribes, low-risk, hard to see, and thus almost expected, and then leaves the choice to politicians who have
campaign expenses to pay and utang na loob obligations to meet. Then there is fiscal centralization. Despite the Local Government Code and the Mandanas ruling, much infrastructure funding sits in national agencies, above all the DPWH. Funds for district needs must be negotiated nationally rather than raised locally. And the principle guiding the typical legislator in the scramble has always been to secure the maximum he can get, rather than the minimum he cannot do without. Pork thus operates as a functional substitute, not a badge of dishonor. Which is why simply banning it keeps failing. The Supreme Court struck down PDAF in 2013, prohibiting post-enactment participation and lump sums; the practice moved upstream into budget preparation.
Pork explains why money flows to districts through legislators. It does not explain why some flood control structures were never built. Flood control is almost uniquely selected for fraud because its outputs are dispersed along riverbanks where nobody looks. The public learns of them only when they fail, during a flood that destroys the evidence and supplies the alibi. So the name matters more than it seems. Ban the leadership fund, as Lacson urges, and the function will resurface under a term we have not yet heard. It has done so at least twice already. (Inquirer.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Email : public.lives@gmail.com n
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Remulla seeks tougher Philippine gun laws after Zamboanga school shooting Interior chief calls for stronger penalties on loose firearms and greater accountability for gun owners by AJPress MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla called on Congress to strengthen Philippine firearms laws after the deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, the country’s second fatal school shooting in less than two months. Remulla urged tougher penalties for possession of loose firearms and greater accountability when licensed or government-issued weapons are inadequately secured and accessed by minors. He said 98% of firearm-related crimes involve loose firearms, citing government data. He also criticized penalties associated with Republic Act 8294, a 1997 law he referred to as the “Robin Padilla law.” The Philippines’ principal firearms statute is now Republic Act 10591, the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act of 2013. Any proposal to make fire-
Duterte impeachment trial delayed after witness testifies she handled confidentialfund transfers
Monsoon rains halt proceedings midweek as court weighs schedule adjustments; key witness testimony remains unfinished by AJPress
| Photo from Philstar.com
arm offenses non-bailable would remain subject to constitutional protections governing bail. Authorities said a Grade 8 student fatally shot another student before dying by suicide. Two others were wounded. Investigators are examining how the student obtained two
firearms linked to his father, a Bureau of Customs employee. Customs relieved and preventively suspended the employee pending investigation, which does not establish negligence or criminal liability. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a thorough investigation and stronger school-safety measures. n
MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial will resume next week with a key prosecution witness still under direct examination after heavy monsoon rains disrupted proceedings and led to cancellations on Tuesday and Wednesday. Gina Acosta, a former special disbursing officer of the Office of the Vice President and current OVP staff member, testified Monday, Aug. 17, that Duterte instructed her to turn over P125 million in confidential funds to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, then head of the vice president’s security group. Acosta said she encashed a government check on Dec. 20, 2022, transported the cash from a LandBank branch in four travel bags, and delivered the full amount to Lachica the same day. She also testified that she transferred all P500
million in OVP confidential funds released in 2022 and 2023 to Lachica under Duterte’s instructions. The testimony relates to Article I of the impeachment complaint, which alleges the misuse and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds. The amount includes P500 million allocated to the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million released to the Department of Education while Duterte served as education secretary. Under Joint Circular No. 2015-01 issued by the Commission on Audit and other oversight agencies, cash advances for confidential funds must be drawn by a designated bonded disbursing officer or the agency head, and are not to be transferred between accountable officers. During questioning by prosecutors and Presiding Officer Francis Escudero, Acosta said she could not cite any provi-
sion authorizing the transfer of cash to a security officer. She said Lachica was not the final recipient of the funds but handled confidential operations and later submitted liquidation reports to her office. The impeachment court later declared Acosta a hostile witness, allowing prosecutors to ask leading questions. Escudero cited her employment relationship with Duterte and a prior counter-affidavit in a separate Ombudsman matter in which she defended the vice president’s use of confidential funds. The designation is procedural and does not constitute a finding on the credibility of her testimony. Acosta’s direct examination was not completed when the court adjourned at about 2 p.m. Monday. The defense has not yet begun cross-examination. Earlier in the day, House records custodian Marivic
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Digital payments reach 64.7% of Philippine retail transactions by AJPress
SECURITY CHECK. Students queue up outside the Davao City National High School on Thursday (Aug. 20, 2026), enduring the heat for a security check before entering the school premises. The measure ensures the safety of students and school staff. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.
CA overturns nearly P388-million award in Bohol airport bid dispute by AJPress MANILA — The Court of Appeals has overturned a lower-court ruling requiring the Manila International Airport Authority to pay nearly P388 million to a construction joint venture disqualified from a 2010 bidding for an airport project in Panglao, Bohol. In a July 31 decision, the CA’s Thirteenth Division upheld MIAA’s disqualification of the joint venture between First United Constructors Corp. and Blue Star Construction and Development Corp.
The consortium had submitted the lowest bid but was found not to have met the Single Largest Completed Contract requirement. The Pasay City Regional Trial Court had awarded about P386.5 million in actual and compensatory damages, P1 million in exemplary damages and P300,000 in attorney’s fees for claimed losses involving equipment rental income, overhead expenses and expected profit. The CA found that the evidence did not adequately establish those losses, including
whether equipment had been committed exclusively to the project. It also sustained the Bids and Awards Committee’s evaluation of the consortium’s qualifications, finding no showing that the committee acted arbitrarily or with manifest injustice. The court noted that the invitation to bid allowed MIAA to reject bids or annul the procurement before a contract was awarded. Because no contract with the consortium had been awarded or perfected, the CA
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Duterte impeachment trial delayed... PAGE 8 Pareja was excused after the defense admitted the authenticity and custody of documents she presented. The court also reported that 3,616 acknowledgment receipts submitted by the defense matched copies held by the prosecution, while 876 prosecution receipts had no corresponding defense copies. The court said the comparison established document consistency but did not determine the validity of the underlying transactions. Tuesday and Wednesday hearings were canceled due to forecast heavy rainfall and flooding linked to the southwest monsoon. Court spokesperson Reginald Tongol said impeachment rules do not allow virtual hearings and estimated the trial was two to three days behind schedule, with additional sessions under consideration. Duterte said Wednesday
she favored a faster resolution of the case, arguing that delays prolong public uncertainty. She also said her personal attendance at every hearing was not necessary because she is represented by counsel. House prosecutors said the case should proceed without delay but that both sides must be given sufficient time to present evidence. They proposed additional afternoon and Friday sessions and said they plan to call former DepEd disbursing officer Edward Fajarda and OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio. They have not decided whether to present former Duterte aide Ramil Madriaga. Prosecutors also said they were not inclined to call Lachica or Col. Dennis Nolasco, another security officer mentioned in testimony, citing the absence of prior sworn testimony from the 2024 House inquiry for comparison. Duterte’s legal team said they may call Madriaga as a defense
witness and have filed perjury complaints challenging his statements. The complaints have not been resolved by any court or investigative body. The House of Representatives voted 257-25, with nine abstentions, on May 11 to impeach Duterte on four articles involving alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, questionable asset disclosures, and alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Duterte has denied the allegations and said the case is politically motivated. A conviction requires at least 16 votes in the 24-member Senate sitting as an impeachment court. No verdict has been issued, and the Senate has made no findings on the allegations. Proceedings are scheduled to resume Monday, Aug. 24, with Acosta’s testimony still ongoing. n
MANILA — Digital payments accounted for 64.7% of Philippine retail transactions by volume in 2025, up from 57.4% a year earlier, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The BSP counted 3.94 billion digital transactions out of 6.09 billion retail payments during the year. The result exceeded the Philippine Development Plan’s 2025 target of 54% to 58% and was already within the 60% to 70% range set for 2028.
Merchant payments accounted for 74.31% of electronic transactions, followed by person-to-person remittances at 17.70% and business-to-business supplier payments at 3.67%. QR Ph, the country’s interoperable national QR payment standard, recorded 2.47 billion transactions worth P1.16 trillion in 2025, compared with 174.34 million transactions worth P227.47 billion a year earlier. The BSP said QR Ph transaction volume surpassed debit- and credit-card transactions for the first time.
The central bank attributed the increase to greater interoperability, wider merchant acceptance and improvements in payment access. BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said expanding connections among consumers, businesses, banks and electronic-wallet providers increases the usefulness of the payment network. Digital adoption remained uneven across sectors. Government-initiated payments were 98.92% digital by volume, while business-initiated payments were 18.75% digital, according to the BSP. n
Hydropower deals take center stage in government’s P101.5-billion privatization push by AJPress MANILA — Two of the Philippines’ biggest hydropower assets are emerging as key pieces of the government’s plan to raise P101.5 billion from privatization in 2027, linking the fiscal program to a broader effort to modernize aging power infrastructure. Finance Undersecretary and Chief Privatization Officer Michael Peter Alejandro said proceeds from the completed Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan transaction are expected to be booked next year, while the proposed rehabilitation of the Agus-Pulangi complex remains under evaluation. The 797-megawatt CBK complex in Laguna was turned over Feb. 9 to Thunder Consortium, composed
of Aboitiz Renewables Inc., Sumitomo Corp. and Electric Power Development Co. Ltd., or J-Power. The consortium won PSALM’s July 2025 bidding with an offer of about P36.27 billion. Attention is now shifting to Agus-Pulangi, a network of seven hydropower plants that has long been central to Mindanao’s electricity supply. The complex has about 1,000 megawatts of installed capacity, but government officials have said aging equipment has reduced available generation to roughly 600 to 700 megawatts. PSALM is reviewing two unsolicited rehabilitation proposals after rejecting a third. The structure under consideration is a concession rather than a direct asset sale, with private investment expected to finance rehabili-
tation while National Power Corp. remains involved in operations and maintenance. Energy officials said in June they were aiming to award a rehabilitation contract by the end of 2026. PSALM has cautioned, however, that evaluation and negotiations under the Public-Private Partnership Code could extend into 2027. No final award has been announced. Republic Act No. 12179 extended PSALM’s corporate life by 10 years beyond June 26, 2026, giving the state corporation additional time to complete remaining asset dispositions and manage related obligations. For 2026, the government cut its privatization-revenue target to P38.1 billion from P101 billion. Alejandro said first-half collections reached P1.9 billion. n
Jay-R Esquivel wins King of the Pier title in California
Filipino longboarder posts 18.60 total, including a perfect 10, to finish ahead of four-time world champion Taylor Jensen by AJPress
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Filipino longboarder Rogelio “Jay-R” Esquivel Jr. won the King of the Pier title in Southern California with an 18.60 two-wave total, highlighted by a perfect 10-point ride. Four-time world champion Taylor Jensen finished second with 16.77, followed by Gavin Idone at 15.30 and Tommy Coleman at 14.56. The competition was part of the 41st annual Oceanside Longboard Surfing Club Contest and Beach Festival, held
Aug. 7-9. The King and Queen of the Pier competition is a Pro/Am invitational featuring professional and competitive longboarders. The victory followed Esquivel’s appearance at the 2026 Lexus US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, where he finished ninth on the World Surf League Longboard Tour. Fellow Filipino Jomarie Ebueza reached the semifinals and placed third. Esquivel, from Urbiztondo in San Juan, La Union, became the first Filipino to qualify for the WSL World Long-
board Tour in 2023. He placed third at Huntington Beach in his tour debut and reached the final there in 2024, losing to Jensen. Their meeting in Oceanside ended differently. Esquivel’s 18.60 total gave him a 1.83-point advantage over Jensen and another international victory in a career that has increasingly placed him alongside the sport’s leading longboarders. The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles later congratulated Esquivel on the result. n
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Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when psychological violence law may apply to broken marriage plans Ruling underscores that ending an engagement is not itself a crime under Philippine law by AJPress MANILA - The Philippine Supreme Court has drawn a clearer legal line between a failed engagement and psychological violence, ruling that ending plans to marry is not, by itself, a crime but that conduct surrounding the breakdown of those plans may fall under the country's anti-violence law when the required elements are proved. In a July 29 decision, the Court's First Division upheld the conviction of a police officer under Section 5(i) of Republic Act No. 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004. The provision penalizes certain acts that cause mental or emotional anguish to a woman with whom an offender has or had a dating or sexual relationship.
The ruling is significant for what it does not say: Philippine law does not criminalize a person's decision to call off an engagement or abandon marriage plans. The case instead turned on the conduct surrounding the withdrawal of a marriage-license application and the psychological harm the courts found resulted from it. Court records identified the parties only as XXX and AAA to protect the complainant's identity. According to the decision, the couple submitted an application for a marriage license in 2020. The courts found that XXX later returned to the local civil registrar and retrieved the application documents without first informing AAA, who was pregnant at the time. XXX disputed the prosecution's account. He maintained that he had not agreed to marry AAA and said he
went to the registrar only to retrieve his birth certificate. The prosecution presented AAA's testimony and evidence from a social-welfare officer and a psychometrician concerning her mental and emotional condition. The lower courts found that the evidence established psychological harm within the meaning of RA 9262. The Regional Trial Court convicted XXX in 2023, and the Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment. The Supreme Court sustained the conviction while modifying the prison term to a minimum of two years, four months and one day and a maximum of nine years and four months. XXX was also ordered to pay a P100,000 fine, P75,000 in moral damages and P75,000 in exemplary damages, and to undergo psychological counseling or psychiatric treatment. n
Philippine ube industry forms national group to expand production, exports
Interior chief calls for stronger penalties on loose firearms and greater accountability for gun owners by AJPress
MANILA — Philippine ube growers, processors and other industry stakeholders have formed a national organization as the government seeks to expand production and increase the crop’s export potential. United Ube PH Association Inc. has registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a non-stock, non-profit organization, according to the Department of Agriculture. Its members include farmers, cooperatives, processors, traders, exporters, researchers and academic institutions. The group emerged from
a July stakeholders meeting convened by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. The department said the organization is intended to improve coordination on production, standards, marketing and market access. Supply remains a major constraint. DOST-PCAARRD has cited shortages of quality planting materials, seasonal production and limited adoption of improved technologies in Bohol, which the agency says accounts for nearly onethird of national purple-yam output. In June, the Bureau of Plant Industry and the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center distributed
more than 60,000 ube planting materials worth nearly P2.6 million to 900 farmers in Leyte and Bohol. Agriculture officials said the administration included P300 million for ube industry support in its proposed 2027 budget, including funding for nurseries. The amount remains subject to congressional approval. The department said United Ube PH is exploring market links with institutional buyers and Philippine and German business chambers. No completed contracts were identified. The group also plans to hold the first National Ube Forum in Pagadian City in September. n
CA overturns nearly P388-million... PAGE 9 found no basis for the damages imposed by the trial court. The dispute stemmed from
an earlier government plan to replace Tagbilaran Airport with a new facility on Panglao Island. That procurement was later canceled. A successor
project developed with Japanese assistance resulted in Bohol-Panglao International Airport, which opened in 2018. n
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people events arts culture entertainment
Alexandra Eala's profile grows as Nike, US Open put Filipina star in spotlight World No. 20 enters New York with expanding visibility on and off the court by AJPress Alexandra Eala heads into the U.S. Open with a profile extending beyond her results on the tennis court, as Nike gives the 21-year-old Filipina prominent placement in its latest tennis apparel marketing and tournament organizers feature her among the players attracting attention in New York. Nike is showcasing Eala on its U.S. retail page for the NikeCourt Slam women’s tennis dress, where she models the Old Royal and White competition outfit. The placement comes as Eala has risen to World No. 20, a career high, and established herself among the leading young players on the women’s tour. Her recent Washington title, the first WTA Tour singles championship won by a Filipino, marked another milestone in that progression, although her emer-
gence this season has been broader than any single tournament result. The U.S. Open is also giving Eala prominent attention ahead of the season’s final Grand Slam.
The veteran OPM singer reflects on a career shaped by enduring ballads, family choices, life in Canada and survival through serious illness. by AJPress
Promotional artwork for the 2026 Stars of the Open exhibition at Arthur Ashe Stadium during U.S. Open Fan Week. Alexandra Eala is scheduled to participate in the Aug. 27 event alongside several of tennis’ leading young players. Photo courtesy of U.S. Open/USTA
Nike’s Old Royal/White NikeCourt Slam women’s tennis dress, part of the brand’s current tennis apparel collection ahead of the U.S. Open. Nike is giving Alexandra Eala prominent placement in its U.S. marketing for the competition dress. Photo courtesy of Nike
Joey Albert marks 45 years in music
In an official player feature, tournament organizers described her as “one of the biggest attractions at this year’s US Open.” She has also been selected for the Aug. 27 Stars of the Open exhibition at Arthur Ashe Stadium during Fan Week, joining several other prominent young players. New York already holds an important place in Eala’s career. She won the U.S.
Open girls’ singles championship in 2022 and returned three years later to become the first Filipino player in the Open era to win a Grand Slam main-draw singles match. This year, she returns not as a junior champion or emerging prospect, but as a top-20 professional carrying greater expectations into one of the sport’s biggest tournaments.. n
Miss Universe dispute deepens as rival groups contest corporate authority
Joey Albert is marking 45 years in Philippine music, a milestone spanning the rise of her best-known ballads in the 1980s, a move to Canada, repeated battles with cancer and decades of performing for Filipino audiences at home and abroad. Albert began performing professionally in the early 1980s and gained wider recognition after winning the Dream Girl Filipina competition in 1982. The victory became a turning point in a recording career that would make her one of the recognizable voices of her generation. By the middle of the decade, Albert had become closely associated with songs including “Tell Me,” “A Million Miles Away,” “I Remember the Boy,” “Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin,” “Memories” and “Points of View,” her duet with Pops Fernandez. Many remained part of her performing repertoire long after their original release. In a July interview on GMA’s “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,”
Albert described 1985 as a defining period in her career, when her recording work was gaining momentum and she mounted her “Larger Than Life” concert at ULTRA in Metro Manila. Her career eventually took a different course when she moved to Canada with her husband and children. Albert has said family considerations drove the decision, even as leaving an established career and relatives in the Philippines proved difficult. She continued performing while building a life outside the entertainment industry, including work in early-childhood education. Over the years, she remained active before Filipino communities in North America and continued returning to the Philippines for performances. Albert’s career also endured through serious health challenges. Published accounts document her treatment for cervical cancer in the 1990s, colon cancer in the following decade and a recurrence that required surgery
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Competing statements challenge leadership and official communications as separate arbitration leaves ownership questions unresolved by AJPress
A dispute over control of the Miss Universe Organization has moved into public view, with rival groups issuing conflicting statements over leadership, corporate authority and the pageant’s official communications channels. On Aug. 14, a notice issued in the name of JKN Universe LLC and signed by Chief Financial Officer Carlos Guillermo Martínez said missuni-
verse.com and related social media accounts were operating without authorization from the management group behind the notice. It directed partners to missuniverseorg. com, identified Raúl Rocha Cantú as president and challenged the authority of Monil Hathi, Pavan Misra and Thai pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil. Those assertions remain disputed and have not been established by a final court ruling. A statement posted Aug.
15 on missuniverse.com presented a different account. It identified Hathi as managing director, Misra as director of broadcast and sales, and Nawat as chief executive of Miss Universe Eastern. It also maintained that the organization operates under a 50-50 ownership structure and that missuniverse.com remains its official institutional channel. Earlier notices on the site had announced Nawat’s appointment and listed the executives in opera-
tional roles. Parts of the ownership history are documented independently. Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission said JKN, through a subsidiary, sold 50 percent of JKN Legacy Inc. to Legacy Holding Group USA under an agreement signed in October 2023. A later transaction involving Rocha’s interest is under arbitration. In a March 20 decision, the Delaware
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Photo from Facebook/@joeygirl44
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AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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Lea Salonga joins Disney Princess performers for Anaheim concert
Jodi Sta. Maria reflects on family wounds, forgiveness in new Netflix film
Filipino Tony winner performs “A Whole New World” with Brandy and “Reflection” in a gathering spanning generations of Disney performers
‘Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon’ examines estrangement and the responsibility of confronting pain before it reaches another generation
by AJPress ANAHEIM, Calif. — Lea Salonga joined performers associated with several generations of Disney Princess films and productions in an Aug. 13 concert at Disney California Adventure Park. The Filipino singer and actress appeared in “Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration,” held during D23 Day at Disneyland Resort ahead of the Aug. 14 to 16 D23 convention at the Anaheim Convention Center. Salonga performed “A Whole New World” from Aladdin with Brandy, who portrayed Cinderella in the 1997 television production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. She also sang “Reflection,” which she originally performed as Mulan in Disney’s 1998 animated film. The concert returned Salonga to the two Disney roles most closely associated with her recording career. She provided the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in the 1992 animated Aladdin and of Mulan in the
by AJPress
Lea Salonga with Ming-Na Wen
1998 film. Disney named her a Disney Legend in 2011. Salonga also reunited with Ming-Na Wen, who provided Mulan’s speaking voice. Wen shared photographs from the gathering featuring Salonga and other Disney performers. Disney described the concert as its largest gathering of Disney Princess talent, with a lineup that included Brandy, Paige O’Hara, Jodi Benson,
Photo from Instagram/@mingna_wen
Halle Bailey, Auli’i Cravalho, Judy Kuhn and Anika Noni Rose. The concert was later released on Disney+ and YouTube as part of World Princess Week. Salonga won the 1991 Tony Award for her performance as Kim in Miss Saigon, before her work on Aladdin and Mulanbroadened her international audience. n
Aiko Melendez, Ogie Diaz end management partnership, remain friends Actress and Quezon City councilor says there was no feud as longtime professional relationship closes by AJPress MANILA — Actress and Quezon City Councilor Aiko Melendez and talent manager Ogie Diaz have ended their management partnership, with both saying the professional separation did not end their friendship. Melendez announced the change on social media, saying they had decided to pursue different professional directions. She thanked Diaz for their years of working together and later dismissed speculation of a falling-out, saying they remained on good terms. Diaz separately described the separation as amicable. He said Melendez told him she wanted to devote greater attention to politics and to the direction she planned to take in her public and personal life. Diaz said his management responsibilities covered Me-
MANILA — Jodi Sta. Maria says unresolved family wounds should not become an inheritance. The actress, discussing the Netflix film Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon, said people who carry pain from the past have a responsibility to confront it rather than pass its effects to their children or others close to them. “Healing is our responsibility,” Sta. Maria said during a Netflix Philippines media launch, describing the need to recognize personal wounds and prevent them from reaching another generation. Sta. Maria stars as Joanne, or Jo, a television writer whose life is disrupted when her estranged mother, Paz, played by Agot Isidro, returns after 27 years. Netflix describes the reunion as bringing a secret that changes Jo’s life. Gardo Versoza, Ruby Ruiz, Gabriel Lazaro, RK Bagatsing, Mitch Valdez and Angel Aquino are also in the cast. Directed and co-written by Cholo H. Laurel, the film examines estrangement, forgiveness and tensions within Filipino families. Sta. Maria said playing Jo led her to consider how unresolved hurt can shape re-
photo from Facebook/@jodistamariaph
lationships. Forgiveness, she said, does not require immediately dismissing pain. She first acknowledges feelings such as hurt, betrayal or disappointment before making the decision to forgive. Laurel has stressed that the film does not tell audiences that reconciliation or forgiveness is required. Its emphasis,
he said, is on communication and bringing unresolved wounds into the open, leaving viewers to draw their own conclusions. Isidro similarly described healing and forgiveness as “inner work.” Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon began streaming on Netflix on Aug. 13. n
Joey Albert marks 45 years... PAGE 11 in 2015. Albert has said her family has Lynch syndrome, an inherited condition associated with increased risks of several cancers. She has spoken publicly about how those experiences changed her priorities, placing greater emphasis on family, faith and how she chose to spend her time. Albert marked her 40th year in music in 2021 with the digital concert “Life Begins @
40,” presented during a period when live entertainment remained constrained by the pandemic. Five years later, she returned to a live Manila audience for “FORTYfied: Joey Albert 45” at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in April. A repeat performance followed in July. Both shows sold out. The concerts provided one marker of the anniversary, but the larger milestone lies in the continuity of Albert’s
career. Forty-five years after she entered the industry, she continues to perform songs first associated with an earlier era of OPM while maintaining a professional life that has long unfolded between the Philippines and Canada. The circumstances around that career have changed considerably since the 1980s. The music that established Albert’s name, however, remains at the center of her work. n
Miss Universe dispute deepens... lendez’s entertainment career, not her political work. He also acknowledged that their differing political views may have figured in the decision, while stressing that they continued to respect each other.
Photo from Instagram/@ogie_diaz
Their working relationship predated the written agreement they signed in 2023. Melendez said that by March of that year, Diaz had already
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PAGE 11 Court of Chancery described a $25 million agreement under which Malaysian company Tema Inovasi would acquire Rocha’s shares in Legacy Holding Group USA in two tranches. The court
said Tema deposited $9 million for the first tranche, while disputes over implementation continued. The court did not determine ultimate ownership, finding that an emergency arbitrator’s order was interim and that judicial intervention
was premature. The competing claims remain unresolved. Regulatory filings and court records clarify portions of Miss Universe’s ownership history but do not establish which group has final authority over the organization. n
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026
Derek Ramsay says he will cooperate in Anne Curtis says she is ‘okay,’ keeps health details private LTO probe over Porsche plate Agency says another person was driving the vehicle, which remains registered in actor’s name, as investigators examine circumstances behind plate mismatch by AJPress MANILA — Actor Derek Ramsay said he will cooperate with the Land Transportation Office as it investigates a Porsche 918 Spyder registered in his name that was found displaying a plate number different from the one assigned to the vehicle in LTO records. The LTO said Ramsay was not driving the Porsche when it was flagged. A businessman was behind the wheel, according to the agency’s initial findings. Investigators are also examining whether Ramsay had sold the vehicle before the incident, although the transfer of ownership had not been completed in LTO records. Because Ramsay remains the registered owner, he and the driver were directed to appear before the LTO’s Intelligence and Investigation Division on Aug. 24. The agency said Ramsay may present a deed of sale or other documents establishing whether ownership had already changed hands.
Photo from Instagram/@ramsayderek07
LTO verification showed that the alphanumeric combination displayed on the Porsche did not match its officially assigned plate number. The vehicle was placed under alarm status and ordered impounded while the inquiry proceeds. Ramsay said in an Instagram Story on Aug. 16 that he does not drive vehicles with fake plates and that his vehicles
have proper plates. He said he would cooperate and appear when requested. LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus V. Lacanilao said investigators will determine the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s ownership, use and plate. The agency has not announced a final finding holding Ramsay responsible for the plate discrepancy. n
John Prats, Heart Evangelista confirm new reunion project after two decades Former early-2000s onscreen partners are developing a project for longtime followers by AJPress MANILA — John Prats and Heart Evangelista are working together on a new project more than two decades after becoming one of Philippine television’s recognizable young pairings of the early 2000s. The actor-director and Evangelista have separately confirmed the collaboration, although neither has disclosed whether it will be a film, television series or another type of production. Prats said discussions were underway but key details had yet to be finalized. Cornerstone Studios, the film and television division of Prats’ management company, also released a teaser carrying the tag #JoHeart. Their reunion follows several appearances together this year. Prats appeared on Evangelista’s Heart World in May, where they discussed their
early careers, former relationship and years apart. They later appeared in TJ Monterde’s “Teka Lang” music video and other fashion and social-media projects. Their onscreen partnership included G-mik, Trip, Berks and the 2003 film My First Romance. Both have publicly described each other as their first loves. Evangelista said during her Aug. 11 contract renewal with Sparkle GMA Artist Center that reconnecting with Prats had been “healing” and that the project was being developed with longtime supporters in mind. The collaboration does not necessarily signal a broader acting comeback for Prats. In January, he said he was satisfied concentrating on directing, which has included television productions and concerts for artists such as
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Actress-host responds to months of online concern and urges regular checkups without disclosing a diagnosis by AJPress
MANILA — Anne Curtis has reassured supporters that she is doing well while choosing to keep details of her health private, following months of online concern over what some viewers described as swelling on her neck. Curtis addressed the issue during an Aug. 15 contract-signing event for Zion Philippines, where reporters asked about fans’ health concerns. “It’s not something I’d like to talk about,” Curtis said, adding that she preferred to keep what she is going through private. Her message to concerned supporters was simple: “Just know that I’m okay.” Curtis did not identify an illness or disclose a diagnosis. Although speculation about the apparent swelling has circulated online, no specific medical condition has been confirmed by Curtis. The discussion dates to
Photo from Instagram/@annecurtissmith
February, when photos from a Feb. 1 appearance on “ASAP” prompted comments from viewers who said they noticed swelling on her neck. Curtis did not publicly address the speculation at the time. In her latest remarks, the actress and “It’s Showtime” host shifted the focus to preventive care. She said she undergoes annual health checkups and began having comprehensive examinations while still in her 30s.
Curtis urged people to be attentive to changes in their bodies and to regard regular medical checkups as part of maintaining their health as they age. The actress, who remains active in television, film and endorsements, offered no further details. Her public message was deliberately restrained: she is doing well, but the circumstances surrounding her health are something she intends to keep private. n
Aiko Melendez, Ogie Diaz end... PAGE 12 been managing her for nearly a year without a formal contract. They signed a management agreement on March 13, 2023. Melendez continues to
work in entertainment while serving as a Quezon City councilor representing the 5th District, after winning another term in the May 2025 elections. Diaz said he would remain available if Melendez sought
his advice. Melendez, meanwhile, said she had recommended another prospective talent to him after their split, underscoring both sides’ account that the professional separation had not become a personal break.. n
She's not just ‘Lumpia Queen’: Abi Marquez proves she can wear many hats outside of food content by Melanie Uson Philstar.com
Photo from Instagram/@iamhearte
KZ Tandingan, TJ Monterde, Moira Dela Torre and Yeng Constantino. Prats said he hoped the reunion project could be comple-
Over the years, foodie content creator Abi Marquez has dominated our screens with her creative recipes, earning her the moniker “Lumpia Queen.” Her culinary style has reached a wider audience, sparking collaborations with industry giants, including Gordon Ramsay, military veteran Chef Andre Rush, teenage chef Kian Hiatt, and Nigel Ng (a.k.a. Uncle Roger). This genuine passion has also received awards and recognition from prestigious institutions, including The Webby Awards, James Beard Awards, and International Business Awards. While studying Hotel,
Restaurant, and Institution Management at UP Diliman, Abi’s life shifted unexpectedly. Her simple five-ingredient tuna pasta shot her to viral fame before she even graduated college. Speaking with PhilSTAR L!fe, she shared that content creation started purely out of curiosity. "Nagsimula siya trip ko lang talaga eh. Parang December 2021, nag-try akong gumamit ng TikTok. Pinagaaralan ko yung record function… tapos sobrang na-fascinate ako dun." "Sabi ko, 'Ooh, dopamine... Shucks, gawin ko kaya ulit?' she recalled. Recognizing the potential to craft viral-worthy videos consistently, she nerd-
ed out on the process. The 26-year-old soon found deep fulfillment in reaching a wide audience, and as monetary opportunities rolled in, she confidently turned her passion into a full-time career upon graduation. For the first two and a half years, Abi was a one-woman team. She conceptualized, made a storyboard, bought ingredients, filmed (sometimes at 3 a.m. when her house was quiet), edited, and posted two to three videos a week. That very first viral pasta video also shaped her creative approach, particularly her use of hooks and snappy pacing based on what she herself
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AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
Health @Heart Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS Washington and Colorado, USA, were the first states to approve marijuana for non-medical use in ballot initiatives on November 6, 2012, taking effect December 6, 2012, making marijuana legal for recreational use for adults 21 and older. The possession limit is 1 ounce (28.3 grams). New studies show that more Americans are shifting from alcohol to marijuana. Federal data show an estimated 21.4 million Americans use cannabis daily, compared to 17.2 million who imbibe alcohol with the same frequency. This reflects a 21-percent shift from 2022, jumping from the frying pan to the fire? The dangers of using marijuana “involve cognitive impairment, mental health vulnerabilities, respiratory and cardiovascular strain, and developing Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD).” We seem not to have learned from history. The Qing dynasty in China entered the peak addiction era from recreational opium between 1800 and 1911. More than 13. 5 million people were addicted, including 27 percent of its male population. This led to widespread national addiction and economic devastation, resulting in the final downfall of the Qing dynasty in 1912. Both opium and marijuana are psychotropic drugs. While opium is much more deadly than marijuana, the use of any such class of drug for recreation is unhealthy, to say the least. Why our legislators even approved this drug for recreational use is ludicrous and a disservice to society. We have enough problems; we do not need to add one, even if it is presented as a “safe recreational solution.” Besides, there are dozens of recreational activities available to everyone these days, thanks to computers, cellphones, and now, AIs, among others. Microwaving foods Warming or cooking food in a microwave is safe and healthy, as long as the container is glass or ceramic, not Styrofoam or plastic. Microwaves are a form of non-ionizing radiation and do not make food radioactive or alter its chemical structure, contrary to popular myth. Microwave ovens are safe as long as the protective shield is intact. If broken, the escaping radiation could cause painful tissue burns, intense redness and
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Alcohol to Marijuana She's not just ‘Lumpia Queen’:... PAGE 13 blurred vision, cataracts, and temporary sterility in men. There are inexpensive handheld radiation leak detectors available. Make sure your microwave oven is not damaged. While it is running, it is precautionary to stay at least 6 feet away. Microwaving foods preserves the vitamins and minerals in food, unlike boiling or baking. Stir the food halfway to distribute the heat evenly and not leave “cold spots,” where food-borne bacteria might survive. This mode of warming or cooking also saves a lot of time. Potatoes, corn, and bananas wrapped in a wet towel rapidly cook in 3 minutes. Fast, convenient, safe, and healthy. Jicama strategy Munching on jicama (singkamas in Tagalog), a crisp, juicy, ready-to-eat root vegetable, for snacks is an exceptional strategy for gut health and for satisfying the craving to chew or eat. It is a high-volume, low-calorie food that promotes fullness without consuming a heavy calorie count. One cup of jicama contains only about 49 calories, providing 1.8 g of sugar, a huge 6.4 grams of dietary fiber, and about 90 percent water. This slows down digestion, satisfies the urge to chew, and stretches our daily calorie budget, compared to common snacks. Jicama is very good for the gut microbiome, an exceptional source of inulin, a soluble prebiotic fiber that bypasses digestion in the small intestine to feed and stimulate growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon. With the same amount, Broccoli yields 31 calories, 2.4 g fiber, and 1.5 g sugar, and carrots, 52 calories, 3.6 g fiber, and 6.0 g sugar. Celery: 16 calories, 1.5 fiber, and 1.4 g sugar. Any of these, or a combination of them, is a healthier option for snacks compared to fast foods, sweets (carbohydrates), and toxic soft drinks, and it lowers the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and even cancer. Remember: We are what we eat. Our diet is a major (primary) factor that determines our future health and longevity. Dangerous claim The “Boost’ TV commercial uses the term “temporary oxygen insufficiency” to justify the use of an oxygen supplement from a hand canister. That is not a medical diagnosis or an official medical entity. It
is a gimmick to sell ‘Boost,” which is useless, even dangerous, for healthy individuals. Supplemental oxygen is beneficial only to those with cardiopulmonary disease, like heart failure or COPD, or those with hypoxia, and is dangerously unhealthy for those who are not short of breath with normal blood oxygen levels. The atmosphere provides us with 21 percent oxygen, which is the safe natural level of oxygen for people who don't have shortness of breath. Getting a higher percentage of oxygen damages normal lungs. In July 2024, Boost Oxygen LLC reached a $413,000 false advertising settlement with California (Ventura, St. Barbara, and Monterey counties) prosecutors. Caveat emptor! Less sugar for babies It has long been proven that an infant’s nutrition in the first 1000 days of life can affect their health later in life. A healthy, nourishing diet during the first years of life is vital in establishing a healthy gut microbiome, a strong immune system, and supporting brain development. A new study found that “infants exposed to less sugar in their first 1,000 days of life experienced lower risks of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia from any cause as adults. Scientists also found that consuming less sugar during the first 1,000 days of life also led to a lower risk of depression and anxiety later in life.” The principle of minimizing sugar to attain better health also applies to everyone. Planetary health diet The planetary health diet is based on the same principle as the Mediterranean diet, plantbased diet, or DASH diet, all rich in plants. Studies reveal that reducing intake of processed foods, red meats, salt, and sugars, while increasing fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and pulses, can help reduce the risk of health conditions such as overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. Nutrition journal says, “This type of diet is also good for the planet, as plant farming produces fewer gases that contribute to the climate crisis. Now, a study suggests that, for postmenopausal women, a planetary health diet can significantly reduce by 28 percentage lower the risk of
would want to watch. As her work grew, she started delegating tasks, particularly administrative work, partnerships, ingredient sourcing, filming, and editing. However, she still writes her own outlines and oversees the creative direction, and serves as the final quality check to ensure every video authentically feels like her own. The other hats of Abi Marquez Abi’s creative spirit refuses to be boxed into just the kitchen. A passionate singer, she was part of a high school band and runs a dedicated YouTube channel, Abi Sings, for song covers. She also had the opportunity to do a Christmas duet with Christian Bautista for Let Love Be The Gift in 2025, a rendition of a Jose Mari Chan Christmas song. Though she plays instruments less frequently now, karaoke sessions with her team keep her musical side alive. Abi’s creative pursuits don’t stop at singing—she also spent years dancing. Formerly a competitive hip-hop dancer who have helped her high school dance troupe compete and win at national competitions, Abi would spend nights learning choreography from K-pop groups like EXO and BTS. While dancing was once a serious pursuit for Abi, she now sees it more as another “party trick”—something she does for fun. To unplug from work, she dives into video games, reads, binges cooking shows and YouTube videos, and even learning about stocks and trading. Abi is also navigating the challenge of balancing her personal life with the demands of content creation. “[My] focus is finding a balance between adulting, like my personal stuff, adulting, and content. Health also. Because nakakapagod rin siya eh. I mean, I'm really open about it, but I get burnt out. I had a lot of bad burnouts in the past years," she told L!fe. cardiovascular and coronary heart disease. Encouragingly, the researchers say that even small changes to diet and exercise can have significant health benefits.”*** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial
She also acknowledges that having more control over her career means learning how to manage that balance herself. “Whatever is happening is in my hands. I'm just finding the right balance to still do content while tending to personal stuff. Parang ganoon," she added. Life after going viral Fame has also allowed Abi to experience things that were once out of reach for her and her family. Traveling has become a major part of her life— not only to learn more about food, but also to experience places she could not afford growing up. She reflected that while she traveled internationally at 22, her parents only got to do so around age 50 after spending decades supporting their children. Now, bringing them on trips has become one of the ways she gives back for their sacrifices. Her career has also allowed her to take on a bigger role in supporting her family. She pays for her sister’s dorm, buys groceries for her parents, and treats them to trips. While she is hesitant to call herself a breadwinner, she admits she takes care of the “extra stuff.” Being able to provide these things, she says, is meaningful because they were once beyond what her family could afford. Despite maintaining a consistent online presence, Abi admitted she experiences burnout once or twice a year. "'Yung burnout, parang every year meron eh," she told L!fe. "I was made to believe na yung mga projects na yan, hindi yan forever. So kapag dumating yan, tanggap ka lang ng tanggap. To the point na I accepted projects even though I know that I'm gonna be spread thin or I would have to sacrifice health, sleep, time with family." Looking back, she realized how easily work could consume the time and energy she needed to recharge. Over time, she has learned the hard lesson to be more careful about who she trusts. Now, she is more mindful of setting
boundaries and speaking up for herself. "[Projects are] not everything. Like you still need to protect yourself or something like that. Kasi, I mean, as long as you're making something valuable at pinapanood ng mga tao, hindi naman mawawala yung projects," she added. Taking on a new role Embracing her evolving identity, Abi is putting on a new hat as she joins L!fe's Generations podcast as the resident Gen Z host. “Gen Z ako, but nandun ako sa cusp of Gen Z,” she says, having been born in the 2000s and growing up with a mix of Gen Z and millennial experiences. She believes this allows her to relate to both generations, while bringing a perspective shaped by her age, background in food and content creation, and experience as a creative. Looking ahead, Abi envisions building a studio that does not necessarily depend on her being in front of the camera. “Na-imagine kong future ko is to have a studio that doesn't necessarily need my face.” With her background in marketing and video production, she hopes to explore filmmaking and other creative work beyond food content. "I have so many thoughts," she said. "Minsan gusto ko [gumawa] ng horror movie, gusto ko [gumawa ng] music video... daming nangyayari. So feeling ko to stay creatively fulfilled, hindi man maging proper company or career, I would want to explore more filmmaking. Wala akong pangarap sa singing eh. Kasi parang nahanap ko na yung purpose ko sa food and content creation," she added. Abi Marquez is hosting the third season of Generations—a conversation about how different age groups see the world and why it matters—along with veteran journalist Luchi Cruz-Valdes and content creator Raco Ruiz. Catch it on YouTube and Spotify starting Aug. 19. n
board and staff.
Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, conferred by then Indiana Governor, later Senator, and then presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, and Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com n
*** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a decorated recipient of the Indiana
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 21 - 27, 2026
15
Virtual Press Briefing with Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby My P.E.P. (People, Events,Places)
Rogelio Constantino Medina On Aug. 13, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand, I joined a virtual press briefing with Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge A. Colby, who discussed the Department of War’s defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific. He described an approach centered on flexible realism, American strength and pragmatic Southeast Asian partnerships. Colby is the principal adviser to the Secretary of War on defense and foreign policy. He leads development and implementation of the National Defense Strategy, oversees related reviews on Joint Force planning and posture, and represents the department in interagency and foreign-government engagements. Before assuming his post, Colby co-founded The Marathon Initiative, a think tank focused on sustained great-power competition. Colby is the author of Yale University Press’ 2021 book, The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict. The Wall Street Journal named it one of its top 10 books of the year, and it has been translated into several languages. During President Donald Trump’s first term, Colby served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development from 2017 to 2018. He helped lead the development of the 2018 National Defense Strategy, which emphasized China’s military buildup and the need for greater allied burden-sharing. He also served as the Defense Department’s primary representative in developing the 2017 National Security Strategy. The PhilStagers’ Encounter I began to know the Philippine Stagers Foundation in December 2023, when Atty. Vince M. Tañada invited me to spend New Year’s Eve at his home and office in Sampaloc, Manila. At the time, I was with the Office of the President’s Career Executive Service Board, where my former boss, Atty. Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones, was executive director. Johnrey Rivas, the PSF president, greeted me when I arrived at about 9 p.m. on Dec.
Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge A. Colby.
U.S. Ambassador Lee Lipton and U.S. Department of War Under Secretary Elbridge Colby met with President Bongbong Marcos in Malacanang. The United States is fully committed to its Alliance with the Philippines and will continue to work hand in hand for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Asian Journal columnist Rogelio Constantino Medina (left) with recent celebrator Atty. Vince M. Tañada (right).
Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
31, 2023. I spent the evening with Atty. Vince; his mother, Emy; his son, Peter Parker; Johnrey; several PhilStagers, including OJ Arci, Fidel Redado, James Ramada, Awin Valencia, Gerald Magallanes, Carl Rasco, Lance Cabradilla, Vean Cancino and Bea Martin; and ABS-CBN singer JM Yosures. Since then, I have often joined them in covering their shows, including performances outside Metro Manila. I had intended to join the PSF summer workshop in 2024 but was too busy, and in 2025 I was in California with my family. In May 2026, I finally had the opportunity to participate. During the month-long workshop, I approached the experience like a high school student because several participants were secondary-level students, many of them minors. I deliberately became
2nd placed Asian Journal columnist Rogelio Constantino Medina of the Philippines (left) and 1st placed chief trainer Augustine Anthuvan of Mediacorp's Singapore Media Academy (right).
quieter and less outspoken than usual. As a professor, I am normally strict, disciplined, observant and investigative. Advancing the U.S. Campaign to Address the Threat Posed by the ICC U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration considers the International Criminal Court “a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court” that has, in the administration’s view, exceeded its mandate and threatened state sovereignty. Rubio announced sanctions against two ICC officials: ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. The designations were made under Executive Order 14203, “Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court.” According to Rubio, the two officials had participated in ICC efforts to investigate, arrest,
detain or prosecute officials from governments that had not consented to the court’s jurisdiction. Rubio also argued that the ICC has repeatedly sought authority over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not ratified the Rome Statute. He said the administration would continue its diplomatic campaign against what it views as ICC overreach and would encourage other governments to reconsider their funding and participation. He added that the administration was prepared to impose further measures if it deemed them necessary to protect U.S. sovereignty. 2nd Placer in the ACEF 2026 Leaderboard I was happy to place second in the Asia Clean Energy Forum 2026 leaderboard with 133,000 points. It was my first
time attending the forum, and I thank the Asian Development Bank. First place went to Augustine Anthuvan of Singapore, chief trainer at Mediacorp’s Singapore Media Academy, with 147,200 points. Third was Shaurya Ritwik, managing director of the International Institute for Sustainable Finance in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, with 125,400 points. Andi Novianto, a senior policy analyst with Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in Jakarta, placed fourth with 101,000 points. Reena Suri, executive director of the India Smart Grid Forum, placed fifth with 56,200 points. She was the only woman in the top 10. Tanvir Ebne Bashar of Bangladesh, vice president of Infrastructure Development Company Limited, was sixth
with 55,600 points. Kathmandu-based Manav K C, an energy adviser at GIZ Nepal, placed seventh with 39,800 points. Vikas Singh Suhag, a clean-energy professional based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was eighth with 33,500 points. Lusiano Koroiveibau, a mechanical engineer from Suva, Fiji, placed ninth with 32,600 points. Arun Kumar of India, strategic adviser for power markets and technology innovation at Asia Research and Engagement in New Delhi, rounded out the top 10 with 31,200 points.. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** rogeliocmedina@yahoo.com n
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