SEPTEMBER 11-14, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 72 • 2 Sections – 20 Pages
Los Angeles schools to mandate Filipino man stabbed COVID vaccines for students over 12 to death in Las Vegas DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
A FILIPINO American man was fatally STUDENTS aged 12 years and older in the United stabbed to death in his own home in Las Vegas on Friday, August 27, according to the States’ second-largest school district will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before they authorities. Vergel Guintu, 48, had just returned home from dropping his son off at school when he heard a noise in his Summerlin residence located in the 10000 block of Kenton Place. While investigating, he was stabbed in the neck by 16-year-old Ethan Goin. Detectives said that Guintu’s wife and mother-in-law were at home when the incident happened. Guintu was in the kitchen when he heard someone breaking in and left his mother-in-law to check out the noise, as reported by Fox 5 Vegas. Guintu’s mother-in-law told detectives that she heard another noise and saw an intruder dressed in all black and a hood pass her. She also saw Guintu lying on the floor in a pool of blood, according to the report. Guintu’s wife, who was upstairs when the incident took place, called 911 after coming down and seeing her husband. The Las Vegas Fire and Rescue arrived and
can attend in-person classes next year. In a special meeting held Thursday, September 9, the Los Angeles Unified School Board voted unanimously to mandate vaccinations before the end of the year in response to the surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant.
Fil-Am voters weigh in on the contentious gubernatorial recall election on Sept. 14 by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
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Envoy: PH-US alliance to continue to thrive OUTGOING United States Embassy Chargé d’ Affaires John Law is confident that the security alliance and cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines will only continue to thrive in the years to come. “I am confident that our security alliance and our cooperative partnership will continue to thrive in the years to come, and that our countries will grow ever more secure and prosperous. My optimism is rooted in something far more profound and lasting than our shared political and economic interests; it springs from the hearts of our two peoples,” he wrote on Tuesday, September 7, in an op-ed posted on the U.S. Embassy in Manila website. “We are more than allies: we are friends and family. The ties between Americans and Filipinos stretch back over a century, refreshed each day by the close bonds among millions of our countrymen,” he added. Law also conveyed the U.S. government’s appreciation of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’ decision to restore the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). “We deeply appreciate President Duterte’s
The LAUSD became the first major school district in the country to impose such a directive. “In order to reduce transmission and ensure students can remain on campus in the safest possible environment and receive the best education posu PAGE A2
LIFE-SAVING DOSES. A Department of Health personnel watches from afar as airport workers secure the refrigerated shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine and unload them from the plane during arrival at the NAIA Terminal 1, Parañaque City on Friday, September 10. The arrival of more vaccines is expected to further ramp the vaccination efforts of the national government. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
AS gubernatorial candidates for the California recall election make last-ditch efforts to appeal to voters, the highly anticipated vote on whether or not to recall and replace Governor Gavin Newsom is this Tuesday, Sept. 14. Tuesday’s election is the state’s first recall election since the high profile 2003 recall election in which action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, won against then-Governor Gray Davis, a Democrat. The celebrity nature of that election generated an unusually high voter turnout — around 61%, according to exit polls — for a special election, setting a profound expectation for the recall effort against Newsom. Early in the election cycle, the recall effort seemed like a performative call from Republicans to California voters who may have been unhappy with the Newsom administration’s handling of the state’s major issues, including homelessness, taxes and the COVID-19 response.
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Leylah Fernandez heads to US Open final by MOMAR
G. VISAYA
AJPress
IT’S going to be a battle of the teens at the U.S. Open Finals this weekend in New York as Leylah Fernandez of Canada and Emma Raducanu of Great Britain won their respective semifinal matches on Thursday, Sept. 9. The last time two teens duked it out for the championship was in 1999 between Martina Hingis and Serena Williams. “I think I’ve been doing some things incredible. I don’t know. It’s like I think one word that really stuck to me is ‘magical’ because not only is my run really good but also the way I’m playing right now,” Fernandez, playing in her seventh major tournament, u PAGE A3 said in her post-match interview.
Fernandez who turned 19 on Monday, Sept. 6 beat No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4 to earn the first finals berth. She is the fourth Canadian male or female to make a major final joining Eugenie Bouchard (2014 Wimbledon), Milos Raonic (2016 Wimbledon), and Bianca Andreescu, who won the 2019 U.S. Open. Born to an Ecuadorian immigrant and a Toronto-born Filipina, Fernandez began making her mark last week at the U.S. Open after she won over former champions and top-ranked players. A day before she turned 19, Fernandez’s fairy tale journey progressed as she advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez, who is Filipina-Ecuadorian Canadian, beat No. 2 seed Aryna 16th seed Angelique Kerber, a three-time Sabalenka of Belarus 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4 to earn the first finals berth on Thursday, September Grand Slam winner who last won the tour- 9. She faces fellow teen player Emma Raducanu of Great Britain. AJPress photo by Troi Santos u PAGE A3
Pacquiao to announce 2022 election plans by Sept. 19 Duterte accepts VP bid in 2022 elections by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
by JAVIER JOE ISMAEL ManilaTimes.net
PHILIPPINE Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao will decide on his presidential bid in the upcoming 2022 elections on or before the September 19 national assembly of his wing of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino –Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), according to Ronwald “Ron” Munsayac, party spokesman and executive director. In a virtual press conference via the zoom platform, Munsayac told reporters that Pacquiao, the party president, is guided by his three options: a run for the presidency, re-election as senator and retirement from politics. The party spokesman added that come September 19, the Pacquiao wing of the PDP-Laban is set to proclaim the senator as its presidential bet in the 2022 national elections but will respect and support his deciSenator Emmanuel Pacquiao
ManilaTimes.net file photo
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President Rodrigo Duterte
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has formally accepted his nomination for vice president by the Partido Demokratiko PilipinoLakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). In his speech during the PDP-Laban’s national convention and proclamation of its candidates for the 2022 elections, the chief executive thanked his party for nominating him as its official vice presidential candidate. “No words can express my gratitude for your continued trust and confidence in my leadership and for nominating me as the party’s official vice presidential candidate in the 2022 elections,” Duterte said Wednesday, September 8. “Thank you for the nomination. I am hopePhilstar.com file photo u PAGE A7
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From the Front Page
Los Angeles schools to mandate... PAGE A1
sible, Los Angeles Unified is now requiring all students who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination to be fully vaccinated by Monday, January 10, 2022,” the LAUSD said on its website. The LAUSD, which has more than 1,000 schools serving more than 600,000 students, already tests all students and employees every week. It also requires masking indoors and outdoors and has ordered employees to be vaccinated. Under its new mandate, students 12 years of age and older are required to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose by no later than November 21, and to be fully vaccinated by December 19. Meanwhile, students who participate in in-person extracurricular activities, including sports, must receive their first vaccine dose no later than October 3 and their second dose no later than October 31.
“All other students must receive their first vaccine dose by no later than 30 days after their 12th birthday, and their second dose by no later than 8 weeks after their 12th birthday,” the LAUSD said. Proof of vaccination needs to be uploaded and approved in the district’s Daily Pass program by January 10, 2022, one day before students return to class. Only those with “qualified and approved exemptions” won’t be required to get vaccinated. Otherwise, those who are not vaccinated by the deadline will not be allowed on campus. For her part, Interim Superintendent Megan K. Reilly maintained that the mandated shots were the next logical step to protect children, staff, and community members against the pandemic. “We’ve always approached safety with a multilayered approach: masks, air filtration and
coronavirus screening,” Reilly told the Los Angeles Times. “But we are seeing without a doubt that the vaccines are one of the clearest pathways to protecting individuals from getting severe sickness as well as for mitigating transmission of the COVID virus. It is one of the best preventive measures that we have at our disposal to create a safe environment at schools,” she added. According to the district, roughly 80,000 students have not yet received their COVID-19 vaccine. “It is our moral, ethical, religious, political — pick a word — it’s our responsibility to protect the children under 12 who cannot get protected any other way,” said Board member Jackie Goldberg. Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only vaccine in the United States authorized for emergency use for children between 12 and 15. n
Filipino man stabbed to death... PAGE A1 pronounced Guintu, who suffered from multiple stab wounds in the neck, dead at 12:45 p.m. According to Fox 5 Vegas, crime scene analysts and forensics technicians discovered a light-colored hair on Guintu’s wrist during his autopsy. The next day, a neighbor alerted the authorities about a suspicious person, described as a white male with blond hair and dressed in all black, in the area around the time of the incident. The police later located Goin, who fit the physical and clothing descriptions, getting into a rideshare vehicle. Fox 5 Vegas reported that the detectives noticed blood on Goin’s boots while they were speaking to him. The teen then fled east on Via Roma Place, but was found hiding in the parking structure of Summerlin Hospital. Goin was arrested and charged with open murder in connection with the death of Guintu. He told the police that he left first period at school after feeling he was being bullied, and then broke into a random home that turned out to
be Guintu’s. According to Goin, what happened inside Guintu’s house was “a blur.” He later returned to school after the incident and even passed the crime scene. The report said that Goin realized he had stabbed someone when he saw news reports about the incident near his home. Goin is currently booked in Clark County Juvenile Detention Center. He was reportedly denied bail in a Thursday hearing. His next court date was set for September 9. Guintu’s family set up a GoFundMe page to help with the funeral expenses. As of this writing, the page has raised over $3,000 of its $30,000 goal. “Many people describe Vergel to be vibrant, kind, forgiving, passionate, patient, kind hearted, and most of all, SELFLESS. Vergel was a driven and goal-oriented individual that was full of life and dreams,” the page description read. It also said that Guintu was a clinical instructor, initially teaching students in the Philippines and most recently at Roseman University in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Vergel Guintu
Photo from GoFundMe
He was also a “proud Don Bosco alumni,” according to the page. “As a nurse, he continued to inspire change and motivation as a staff and charge nurse in UMC’s Cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVCU),” it noted. “Vergel’s family was his rock, his life revolved around them, and he loved them very much. As a family, they enjoyed spending time and creating memories by taking simple mini-trips and even just eating out. He was thankful for the life he built,” it added. Guintu is survived by his wife, Analiza, and two sons Andrei and Rev Gian. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)
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Leylah Fernandez heads to US Open...
PAGE A1 nament in 2016. Before her match against Kerber, Fernandez stunned third seed and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the third round. She beat fifth seed Elina Svitolina, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, in a three-set tiebreak to book her first Grand Slam semifinals appearance. Fernandez became the first woman since 18-year-old Serena Williams to beat two top-5 players at the U.S. Open in 1999. Her win against the second seed Sabalenka brought the number to three and was her fourth consecutive three-set victory over a seeded opponent. During the post-match interview on-court, Fernandez said she was thankful to the New York crowd for supporting and cheering in the tournament so far. “I honestly have no idea what I’m feeling right now,” she told Rennae Stubbs on the court after the victory. “I was so nervous and I was trying to do what my coach told me to do and thanks to you guys, to the crowd, to the New York crowd, I was able to push through today.” Fernandez’s mom Irene and sisters Jodeci and Bianca cheered her on along with some friends and relatives. Her coach and dad watched the match from home. NBA legend and Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash sat alongside her family in her player box. Fernandez said Nash inspired her and thanked him for his support. “I remember when I was younger, my dad used him as an example and told me I had to work hard like Steve Nash. Hopefully, we can have a tennis match soon,” she said. At the post-match press conference, Fernandez also thanked Filipino fans for their support. She also promised to learn more about her mother’s family’s culture. “Unfortunately I do not know much about the Filipino culture, but I do know that my lolo, he cooks amazing,” she shared. “Hopefully when I get back to Canada and Toronto and visit him, he’s going to make a really nice dish for our whole family, a special Filipino dish, because I do miss it. You know what, I just can’t wait to learn more about
the culture in the future.” Family sacrifices In her press conference after the match, Fernandez revealed the sacrifices their family made for her to chase her dream of becoming a tennis player. She recalled the days when “a lot of people doubted me, my family, and my dreams.” “They kept saying no, that I’m not going to be a professional tennis player, that I should stop and just pursue going to school. I remember one teacher, which was actually very funny — at the time wasn’t, but now I’m laughing,” she shared. “She told me to stop playing tennis, you will never make it, and just focus on school. You know what, I’m just glad that she told me that because every day I have that phrase in my head saying that I’m going to keep going, I’m going to push through, and I’m going to prove to her everything that I’ve dreamed of I’m going to achieve them.” At a young age, Fernandez witnessed how everyone in their family made sacrifices for her to be where she is right now. She talked about how her mom had to go to California for a few years to support the family and her daughter’s budding tennis career. “That few years been definitely hard for me because I needed a mom, I needed someone to be there for me through the age of 10 to 13. I’ve barely seen her at that time. Every time I saw her, it was like seeing a stranger but at the same time someone so familiar,” she said. Fernandez used that to focus on her game and hone her mindset, telling herself that she’s going to do everything in her power to achieve her dreams, to be closer to her dreams so that they can be together again as a family. “We’re an immigrant family and we had nothing. Canada opened up its doors and, if they wouldn’t have done what they did, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities that I have and I wouldn’t have been able to give them to my daughter,” Jorge told Canadian network TSN in an interview. Tough opponent On the other side of the court this Saturday is Emma Raducanu
Leylah with her dad Jorge, mom Irene and sisters Jodeci and Bianca. Photo from Instagram/@leylahannietennis
Dateline USa
who delivered another brilliant performance to reach her first grand slam final, beating the 17th seed Maria Sakkari, 6-1, 6-4. Raducanu, who has not lost a set, is now the first qualifier to reach a grand slam final in the Open era and the first British woman to reach a grand slam final since 1977. She beat Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Both Fernandez and Raducanu are the 11th and 12th unseeded women to make the semifinals at Flushing Meadows since 2009 and the youngest U.S. Open semifinalists since Maria Sharapova in 2005. Fernandez arrived at the U.S. Open ranked 73rd while Raducanu was ranked 150th. Raducanu was born in Toronto; her dad is Romanian and her mom is Chinese. The family moved to Bromley, south of London when she was two years old. She began playing tennis when she was five. “Is there any expectation? I’m a qualifier so technically, on paper, there’s nothing. No pressure on me,” said Raducanu on court after her victory. The two teens met in the second round of the 2018 Wimbledon girls’ singles and after three years, their wildly different paths converge once more after both made remarkable runs. On Saturday, one of them will lift the championship trophy in the world’s biggest tennis stadium and pocket the $2.5 million cash prize along with a slice of history. n
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Pacquiao to announce 2022 election plans... PAGE A1 sion should he decide not to pursue this. Munsayac, however, said that party members and officials were optimistic that the boxing icon-turned-politician is pushing through with his plan to run for president, as they were working on his candidacy.
Munsayac also confirmed that Pacquiao has been talking to notable political personalities for possible alliances. He said the senator had initial talks with Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo, Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, among others before he left for his box-
ing match against Cuban boxing champion Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas last August 21. Asked on who is likely to be Pacquiao’s running mate, Munsayac said he cannot divulge it by now as the senator has more than five personalities to choose from to be his vice president. n
Envoy: PH-US alliance to continue...
PAGE A1 decision in July to restore the Visiting Forces Agreement, key to the operational effectiveness of our Mutual Defense Treaty – whose 70th anniversary we commemorate this year,” he said. He added, “We believe our alliance strengthens both countries’ operational readiness, deters conflict, and defends a peaceful, stable, rules-based order throughout the region. The recent visits by our Defense Secretary and the Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command highlight our unwavering commitment to our oldest treaty ally in the region.”– Further, Law assured that the U.S. will continue to help the Philippines in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. “The United States will continue to do all in our power to help the Philippines prevail in its fight against COVID-19, through vaccine donations, medical equipment, and public health assistance,” he said. To date, the country has received over 13 million vaccine doses donated by the U.S. through the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility. It will also receive an additional 44 million vaccine doses from COVAX. “I am heartened by each delivery of these lifesaving vaccines, which are saving lives and bolstering confidence that together, we will overcome this terrible pandemic,” said Law. “Our support goes beyond vaccines to include over P1.38n billion in assistance, including ventilators, ICU beds, personal protective equipment, and training,” he said.
Outgoing U.S. embassy Charge d’Affaires John Law Philstar.com photo
As he departed from his post, Law maintained that he was fortunate to experience the country’s warmth. “My wife and I feel so very fortunate to have experienced that warmth and that friendship with so many Filipinos we have met throughout this beautiful country. Though we could stay only a few years, we are so happy we could call this land our home, if only for a while. These friendships and memories we will take with us, and cherish always,” he said. “It has been an immense privilege to serve in the Philippines these past three years, and I leave deeply grateful to the Filipino people for their kindness and friendship,” he added. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)
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Dateline USa
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California Governor Gavin Newsom campaigns against the recall effort ahead of the September 14 election. Photo courtesy of Twitter/Gavin Newsom
Fil-Am voters weigh in on the contentious... PAGE A1 Subsequently, the Newsom camp seemingly didn’t take the effort seriously, characterizing it as a skirmish in the loud-yetultimately-fruitless attempt to besmirch the staunch Democratic leader of one of the most staunchly Democratic states in the country. But as the election’s deadline coincided with an escalation of both the COVID-19 pandemic and disagreements over COVID-19 measures, Newsom now finds himself in a war zone amid ramped-up conservative efforts to prop up their candidates, like conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, who appears to be Newsom’s biggest threat. A poll released on Friday, Sept. 10 from UC Berkeley suggests that Newsom will likely survive the recall vote (60% of likely voters surveyed said they oppose recalling the governor), but polls don’t always tell the full story. Even in a state that has remained reliably blue in recent history, conservative tenacity can still make an impact. “My name may appear on the ballot, but we’re all on the ballot. Our principles, our values are on the ballot,” Newsom told voters at a rally on Wednesday,
Sept. 8. As covered throughout Asian Journal’s political reporting, a majority of the Asian American community — and the Filipino American community alone — votes Democrat. Despite the community’s history of voting blue, a vocal coterie of Republican Filipinos has been sounding off on Newsom’s policies since before the recall against Newsom was officially announced. Marc Ang, a Filipino American conservative activist and founder of the nonprofit Asian Industry B2B, has been hosting a series of rallies up and down the state to garner support for the recall effort. According to a recent interview with ABS-CBN, Ang noted that the COVID-19 pandemic (and Newsom’s stringent measures in response to it) has fuelled the call to replace the governor. “A lot of people are reminded of what they went through last year, especially those who are not attuned to politics 24/7,” Ang said. “They’re seeing it affecting their lives, affecting their kids being able to go back to school and their businesses being able to go back to operating at the capacity, and the free-
dom that they were used to.” Ang’s efforts for this election are primarily centered around getting Newsom out of office, but his support has leaned toward Elder, who has been gaining the most support from Latino and white voters but has also the largest Asian American support among other candidates (not including Newsom). “I like every single candidate. They all have what it takes to win but Elder is the guy to win and it also brings transformational change to California, which is needed,” Ang said. Elder’s background in televangelism is also a point of attraction for Filipino American voters, like management consultant Jody Medina who said that she’s tired of COVID-related restrictions. Medina said she voted for businessman John Cox (who is also running in the recall election) in the 2018 governor’s race and was displeased when Newsom was elected. “I knew about Larry [Elder] for a while because I listened to his show and he is definitely someone I trust to take over because he’s practical,” Medina, 43, told the Asian Journal on Friday, Sept. 10.
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OPINION
Half-baked policy shift
FEATURES
LAST Tuesday, September 7, news reports showed entrepreneurs and employees in the National Capital Region happily preparing for the next day’s shift to general community quarantine, as announced by Malacañang. Most were in the restaurant and personal grooming sectors, whose operations have been limited or suspended since the NCR was placed under enhanced community quarantine followed by modified ECQ. Just moments after one such interview was aired in the early evening news, however, there was a news flash: the next day’s announced easing from MECQ to general community quarantine would be postponed for at least a week. Suspended with the GCQ was the shift in strategy from widespread to granular lockdowns, with a storm-type alert level system for determining which areas would be placed under localized hard lockdown. One explanation given for the sudden change of mind of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases was that the implementing guidelines for the shift were not yet ready. An official said the IATF possibly also heeded concerns raised by health frontliners, who have lamented the decision to ease quarantine restrictions as COVID cases surge to record highs. The surge has been attributed to the confirmed community transmission of the highly infectious
Delta variant nationwide. The Alpha and Beta variants, which were responsible for last summer’s deadly COVID surge, are also still around. There were social media posts and media interviews of people dismayed by the flipflopping, which compounded the confusion over what granular lockdowns and the storm-type alert levels would entail exactly. One restaurant owner lamented that they had already bought meat and other perishables in bulk in anticipation of the next day’s reopening. While people understand the difficulty of dealing with a deadly virus that keeps mutating, it must be possible to minimize the confusion and issue clear messages. A significant shift that affects business operations and could have a major impact on public healthcare needs full staff work, with potential problems addressed and different sectors consulted before being approved and announced to the public. Edgardo Lacson, acting president of the Philip-
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
pine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, summed up the sentiment of its members: “Authorities must be prudent in prematurely announcing half-studied policies or policy shifts as they have tremendous
impact on business operations and people’s daily lives.” The half-baked policy shift also reinforces perceptions about the incoherence of the government’s pandemic response. (Philstar.com)
Want to survive and go back to normalcy? Abide by the vaccination mandate and soldier on to win this war against COVID-19 AS the United States commemorates the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil on September 11, 2001, we continue to be threatened by another enemy — COVID-19 — that has killed more than 650,000 Americans since early 2020. GEL SANTOS-RELOS In June of 2021, after we ramped up the vaccination rate and lowered new infection cases to 11,000 per day, we were almost there when could almost taste the victory against the invisible enemy after . In summer of 2021, we were able to reclaim many of the liberties we collectively gave up to save lives — until we, the majority of Americans, 7 out of 10 of us who chose to be vaccinated with at least one dose, got hijacked by the minority, who refuse to take the life-saving shots. As of press time, we are back to more than 160,000 new cases a day, which leads to more hospitalization and death.These are mostly (99%) cases involving UNVACCINATED people. Sadly, one out of four new cases are children, and as schools have opened for in-person instruction, the infection rates escalate even faster. This is so unfortunate because the world used to look up to the United States of America for leadership in controlling and eradicating infectious diseases worldwide, and yet we are now struggling and are lagging way behind other developed and industrialized countries in terms of the vaccination rate. The European Union (EU) has downgraded the U.S. to “high risk” amid the surge in cases and the stalled vaccination rate. What is paradoxical is the fact that these three out of ten Americans who refuse to be vaccinated share the same collective aspirations of the majority of us — to save lives, to go back to our normal life again, to be free to enjoy our liberties, but it seems their choices and action do not move to the direction of their most fervent prayers. We would understand the concerns and reservations they have against getting inoculated when the vaccines were being administered on “emergency use authorization.” But now that Pfizer has been granted full approval following strict scientific protocols, the resistance against getting the shots remains among the minority. But know this — when we talk about public health and safety,
The Fil-Am Perspective
THE National Ecumenical Forum for Filipino Concerns in the Inland Empire (NEFFCON-IE) — a faith-based organization of Filipino Americans that promotes the rights and welfare of Filipinos in the Philippines and in the U.S. in dialogue with other national ethnic groups that compose American society — call on all Californians to get out and vote in the upcoming recall election on September 14, 2021. Our call is inspired by our faith imperative: “Religion pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their af-
that will be our marching order and war strategy to defeat the invisible enemy. As the White House reported: “President Biden is implementing a six-pronged, comprehensive national strategy that employs the same science-based approach that was used to successfully combat previous variants of COVID-19 earlier this year. This plan will ensure that we are using every available tool to combat COVID-19 and save even more lives in the months ahead, while also keeping schools open and safe, and protecting our economy from lockdowns and damage.” The Biden administration’s efforts, initiatives, and policies — have resulted in over 175 million fully vaccinated Americans. But there are still nearly 80 million Americans eligible to be vaccinated who have not yet gotten their first shot. The president’s plan will reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans by using regulatory powers and other actions to substantially increase the number of Americans covered by vaccination requirements—these requirements will become dominant in the workplace. In addition, the plan will provide paid time off for vaccination for most workers in the country. The plan will be: • Requiring All Employers with 100+ Employees to Ensure their Workers are Vaccinated or Tested Weekly • Requiring Vaccinations for all Federal Workers and for Millions of Contractors that Do Business with the Federal Government • Requiring COVID-19 Vaccinations for Over 17 Million Health Care Workers at Medicare and Medicaid Participating Hospitals and Other Health Care Settings • Calling on Large Entertainment Venues to Require Proof of Vaccination or Testing for Entry • Requiring Employers to Provide Paid Time Off to Get Vaccinated (To be continued) *** 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.
*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
Vote safe in the California recall election!
Commentary
BENJAMIN E. ALFORQUE, MSC
there is no “minority” vs “majority”, no “blue state” and “red state” because, in a pandemic, we are all in this together — sink or swim. This is why many of us felt “catharsis” when we heard the President of the United States spoke out the truth we all have been feeling and wanted to shout out for a long time in this prolonged war against COVID-19. ”We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us,” Biden said in his televised message to the American people on Thursday, September 9. Our hospitals and healthcare workers are again overwhelmed, operating beyond capacity, which threatens the ability of our health care system to take care of patients in need of critical care and surgery to save their lives. We cannot fully rebuild our everyday lives, businesses, schools, while we are still in the war zone against COVID. The vaccines and testing are available to us Americans, something that people from less fortunate countries like the Philippines can only hope and pray for. But why can’t we all, on our own resolve, do what is right and what is for the safety and survival of all of us? Have we not heard the regrets of unvaccinated people who were dying of COVID, hoping they have had the shots that could have saved their lives? Have we not seen how the unvaccinated are the ones dying of COVID-19, while the vaccinated ones remain protected -- and even if they get infected, the vaccinated are spared from fatal symptoms that lead to hospitalization and death? You can’t make these up. These are verifiable facts if we only open our eyes! We are in the warzone. In times of war, we surrender our personal liberties for the protection of the country or we all perish. Our Commander-in-Chief is duty bound to use all available weapons in our arsenal to help save the lives of the American people. This is when public institutions and businesses step up and do proactive measures to give the American people a better chance to win this war. KUDOS to the Los Angeles Unified School District, which will now require all students 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 10. LAUSD is the first major schoo district in the United States to mandate the vaccination for eligible students, and hopefully, more will follow. Kudos to private businesses who have already did what they needed to do to save the lives of their employees and the people they serve. THANK YOU, President Biden for laying out a national plan
fliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world,” (James 1:27). We are called to engage in the realities of the material world, following the footsteps of Jesus, as his disciples: “The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor” (Luke 4:1819). “We need to participate for the common good. Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics. This is not true: good Catholics immerse themselves in politics by offering the best of themselves so that the leader can govern.” (Pope Francis,
9/16/13, as quoted in the USCCB’s Faithful Citizenship). “We are called to witness to Faithful Citizenship as we participate in the public square through political engagement and civil dialogue” (YouTube Video on Catholic Participate in Public Life, also in USCCB website on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship). The concrete mechanism for our political engagement The upcoming statewide recall election is an opportunity for us, people of faith, and for all responsible citizens from all walks of life to exercise our freedom and make our voices heard on who should manage the affairs of our State on our behalf. To clarify, the recall ballot only has two questions:
“(1) Do you want to recall Governor Newsom? (2) If the governor is recalled, who do you want to replace him?” There are many names to choose from. We urge you to be acquainted with these candidates whose names appear on the California Secretary of State website. “If 50% or more vote NO, the governor would remain in office. If more than 50% vote YES, the governor would be removed from office and the person with the most votes would replace him.” You can vote on either one or both parts of the recall ballot. You can return your completed ballot by mail in the pre-paid postage vote-by-mail envelope as long as it’s postmarked by September 14, 2021 or in per-
son by placing your completed ballot in the specified secured drop box to a voting location or your county elections office by 8:00 p.m. PST on September 14, 2021. “If you have recently moved or if you would like to register, go to RegistertoVote.ca.gov and register. In-person voting locations will offer voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance to those who need it,” according to the secretary of state. Political love, effective love for the common good We close this call with a happy note: rejoice in our political engagement. It arises from the spirit of charity, of social love for the common good. “For whereas individuals can help others in need, when they
join together in initiating social processes of fraternity and justice for all, they enter the ‘field of charity at its most vast, namely political charity’. This entails working for a social and political order whose soul is social charity. Once more, I appeal for a renewed appreciation of politics as “a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good”. (Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, 180). *** 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.
*** Fr. Benjamin E. Alforque, MSC, is a priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC).
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Duterte accepts VP bid in 2022... PAGE A1
ful that this will allow me to continue serving the Filipino people and lead the entire nation towards greater progress,” he added. Duterte cited his love for the Philippines as the main reason for seeking the second-highest post in the country. “Alam mo kung bakit ako tatakbo ng vice presidency (Do you know why I will seek the vice presidency)? Is it ambition? Maybe. But is it really a sense of love of country? Yes,” he said. “Is it really because I want to see the continuity of my efforts even though I may not be the one giving the direction, baka makatulong lang ako (maybe I can help),” he added. The president pointed out that the country is still struggling with problems such as illegal drugs and terrorism. “Alam ninyo na ang problema droga pa rin, terorismo… ‘Yang
NPA (New People’s Army) hanggang ngayon (You know that our problems are still illegal drugs and terrorism. The NPA, until now) it is really one factor that is pulling us down,” said Duterte. “Kaya gusto ko nandiyan lang ako, nakatingin, at makapagsabi (That’s why I wanted to stay, to observe, and to speak up)… Just a nudge,” he added. Additionally, Duterte maintained that he was never involved in corruption. “Kung nag-corrupt ako, I have been here 40 years, bakit ngayon pa? E di sana noon pa, inumpisahan ko na (If I was corrupt, I have been here 40 years, why would I do it now? I would have started that years ago),” he said. He added that he wouldn’t be able to face his party mates if he engaged in corruption. “How can I, in good conscience, administer your oath,
Dateline USa
kung ako may ginawang kalokohan (if I did something illegal)?” Duterte stressed. The PDP-Laban formally nominated Duterte as vice president during its national assembly held in San Fernando, Pampanga. The party also endorsed Senator Bong Go as its standard bearer, but he declined the nomination. Its official senatorial candidates include Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez. Meanwhile, among the party’s guest senatorial candidates are Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chairperson Greco Belgica, and House Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta. n
Fil-Am voters weigh in on the contentious... PAGE A5 Medina lives in Newport Beach with her husband and three kids and said that while she doesn’t label herself as conservative, she tends to vote with her faith in mind. “I’ve voted for Democrats and Republicans in the past but those labels don’t mean much to me because I believe that we should elect people who put their faith first,” Medina said. Elder’s brand of conservatism — which leans libertarian — is often compared to the anti-Establishment veneer that really came to the forefront with former President Donald Trump. The Trump administration catalyzed an unprecedented wave of civic engagement among all demographic groups, especially the Asian American community. The COVID-19 pandemic, which brought upon an onslaught of anti-Asian hate crimes and hate incidents, compelled even stronger political participation from Asian American voters who felt that Trump’s anti-Asian rhetoric exacerbated the community’s risk of harassment. “That time was really ugly, when you would hear these people trying to make these connections between Asians and COVID. It really does impact
your mindset and how you feel about certain politicans,” Jessalyn Arias, a Filipino American voter based in San Jose, told the Asian Journal on Thursday, Sept. 9. Arias, a homecare worker, doesn’t consider herself a very political person. Since becoming a naturalized American citizen in 2010, Arias — who has two school-aged children — has stayed largely unengaged in political talk and gave “only the bare minimum” of participation in elections. “I have two kids who are in elementary school and middle school, and since the younger one isn’t old enough to get vaccinated yet, she still has a huge risk of getting sick from one of her schoolmates,” Arias explained, saying that two major events have motivated her to become more civically involved. “Donald Trump and COVID19 [were] the biggest things to happen that changed the way I see my life here in the U.S.,” she said. “And now we have this recall election where Larry Elder is saying that children won’t ever get sick from COVID-19 and making all these claims that are misleading. That is scary to me both as a mom and as a health care employee.” While emphasizing her distaste for partisan quibbling and
discourse, Arias doesn’t consider herself a Democrat but, rather, that so far, Democratic policies and lawmakers tend to align more with her beliefs. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is Filipino American, opposes the recall and noted Newsom’s pro-Asian American measures and policies in a press briefing last month. “Gavin is a champion for APIs in California, and time and time again he’s put the needs of our families and our communities front and center,” said Bonta, who was nominated for the attorney general post in March by Newsom. “When the pandemic hit, Governor Newsom acted quickly to protect our families and most vulnerable community members,” Bonta added. “He listened to the experts, doctors and scientists. He followed data and evidence, and when Donald Trump used the pandemic to spew hate and anti-Asian rhetoric, Governor Newsom stood up and defended our communities.” In recent weeks, support for Newsom has strengthened as Democratic lawmakers — including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris — from across the country have been encouraging Californians to vote no on the recall ballot. n
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D ateline PhiliPPines Sara Duterte not running for president in 2022 elections by aJPress DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpiov has announced that she won’t seek the highest post in the Philippines in the 2022 national elections after her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, formally accepted his party’s nomination for vice president. In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Sara maintained that only one family member can run for a national post in next year’s elections. “Yes, I am not running for a national position as we both agreed only one of us will run for a national position in 2022,” she said Thursday, September 9. Sara also thanked her supporters for their “trust and confidence.” “I am happy we are united in our desire to see a better Philippines in the future. I will be eternally thankful for your trust and confidence,” she said. In a poll conducted by Pulse Asia in June this year, Sara emerged as
Filipinos’ top pick for president. Additionally, Sara assured that her relationship with her father is fine. “Our politics do not interfere with our familial relationship. Iba ang trabaho, iba ang pamilya. Walang personalan (Work is different, family is different. There’s no need to get personal),” she said. However, she said that her regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), will not be supporting the candidates of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) this time, unlike in 2019. “No. I will not share my light this time,” said Sara. On Wednesday, Duterte formally accepted his nomination for vice president by the PDP-Laban. He cited his love for the Philippines as the main reason for seeking the second-highest post in the country. “Alam mo kung bakit ako tatakbo ng vice presidency (Do you know why I will seek the vice pres-
idency)? Is it ambition? Maybe. But is it really a sense of love of country? Yes,” he said during the PDP-Laban’s national convention and proclamation of its candidates for the 2022 elections. “Is it really because I want to see the continuity of my efforts even though I may not be the one giving the direction, baka makatulong lang ako (maybe I can help),” he added. The PDP-Laban also endorsed Senator Bong Go as its standard bearer, but he declined the nomination. Its official senatorial candidates include Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez. Meanwhile, among the party’s guest senatorial candidates are Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chairperson Greco Belgica, and House Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta. n
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Sy heirs retain top spot in PH’s 50 richest list by Ian
nIcolas cIgaral Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — The Sy siblings dominated Forbes Magazine’s latest list of 50 richest people in the Philippines, with the country’s tycoons defying pandemic headwinds after seeing their collective wealth rise 30% to $79 billion this year. The heirs of late retail magnate Henry Sy Sr. added $2.7 billion to their fortunes this year, staying at the top spot with a combined net worth of $ 16.6 billion, according to Forbes’ new list released Thursday. The 71-year-old former senator Manuel Villar, who has built a multi-billion dollar retail and property empire, retained the second spot after seeing his wealth rise by $1.7 billion to $6.7 billion. Ports and casino tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. remained the third wealthiest in the country, Forbes said. Razon, who recently grew his portfolio after taking control of embattled Manila Water Co. Inc. from the Zobel clan, managed to increase his net worth by $1.5 billion to $5.8 billion. Lance Gokongwei and his siblings — heirs of late JG Summit Holdings Inc. founder John Gokongwei — landed the fourth spot with a collective net worth of $4 billion, while Jaime Zobel de Ayala secured the fifth place with a fortune of $3.3 billion. “Despite the ravages of Covid-19, the economy notched up double-digit growth in this year’s second quarter. Investor sentiment remained buoyant, fuelling a 13% rise in the benchmark stock index from a year ago,” Forbes said. “The wealth of more than half the list members was up this year with four listees adding over $1 billion each,” it added. Forbes’ list of wealthy Filipinos was compiled using shareholding and financial information obtained from the families and individuals, stock exchanges, analysts, and other sources. The minimum net worth to make the list this year
The heirs of late retail magnate Henry Sy Sr. added $2.7 billion to their fortunes this year, staying at the top spot with a combined net worth of $ 16.6 billion, according to Forbes’ new list released Thursday, September 9. Inforgraphic by Enrico Alonzo/Philsar.com
was $200 million, up from $100 million last year. Unlike the billionaire rankings, this list includes family fortunes, including those shared among extended families. Net worths were calculated based on stock prices and exchange rates as of the close of markets on August 20, 2021. That said, a notable newcomer was Dennis Anthony Uy, who co-founded broadband company Converge ICT Solutions with his wife Maria Grace Uy. The Uy couple took the sixth spot with their $2.8billion fortune, which grew after Converge benefitted from increased demand for internet connectivity after the pandemic ushered in a massive shift to remote working and online classes. Converge went public in October last year, braving pandemic-induced volatility after raising P29.1 billion in fresh capital. The company
was granted “early inclusion” to the 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) in August, less than a year since it started trading. Rounding up the top 10 richest are Tony Tan Caktiong ($2.7 billion), Andrew Tan ($2.6 billion), Ramon Ang ($2.3 billion) and Ty siblings ($2.2 billion). Meanwhile, over a dozen billionaires ended up poorer this year than last year as the pandemic heavily weighs on their business empire, including liquor and airline magnate Lucio Tan, who ranked 12th with a wealth of $1.9 billion. Over the weekend, Tan-led Philippine Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection in the US after anemic demand for air travel widened the company’s losses that predate the pandemic. There were eight newcomers in the 50 richest list this year, with Forbes attributing their debut to a robust stock market that saw mammoth fundraising activities this year. n
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OVP’s 2022 budget cut by 21%; lawmakers want it to have at least P1 billion by nEiL
Alex Eala in this year’s U.S. Open.
Photo courtesy of United States Tennis Association
Alex Eala bows out of US Open juniors singles by Bong Lozada
tember 9. The tournament’s second seed was gunning for a double MANILA — Alex Eala’s in New York but she still has a chance for a singles trophy chance at the doubles title as fizzled out after losing to Swit- she and partner Hanne Vandezerland’s Sebastianna Scilipoti winkel continue their bid, takin straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, in the ing on the American pairing quarterfinals of the US Open Ju- of Madison Sieg and Elizabeth nior Championships at Flushing Coleman in the quarterfinal on Meadows on Thursday, Sep- Saturday. Inquirer.net
The 16-year-old Eala struggled against Scilipoti, committing 46 unforced errors and nine double faults. The unseeded Scilipoti will then take on Kristina Dmitruk of Belarus in the semifinals. The Filipino teen’s best finish in a singles Grand Slam was a semifinal appearance in the 2020 French Open. n
Isko on gov’t last-minute GCQ shift: ‘We have to endure this circus, shenanigans’ by John
Eric MEndoza Inquirer.net
MANILA — Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Wednesday, Septemer 8 did not mince his words when asked for his reaction to the national government’s last-minute retraction of general community quarantine (GCQ) status in the National Capital Region (NCR). Domagoso expressed dismay at the government’s decision to keep the NCR’s modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status until September 15, deferring its decision to pilot granular lockdowns and easing Metro Manila’s status to GCQ. “We really have to endure these shenanigans, itong perya, itong barbero, ‘yung barbershop, (this circus, the barber and his barbershop), we really have to endure,” he said in an ambush interview in Arroceros Urban Forest Park. “Pinili natin yan, kaya magkaisa na lang,” he added. (We chose that so let’s just unite.) Domagoso said he and all the mayors in Metro Manila Council were “shocked” by the The InterAgency Task Force’s (IATF) sudden decision to stick to MECQ. He also said he could not blame some of the churches in Manila suspending the celebration of public masses. “Pag pabago-bago di mo masisisi yung simbahan, nakita ko yung statement ng simbahan, sabi
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno
Inquirer.net file photo
arwin MErcado Inquirer.net
MANILA — Lawmakers call for an increase in the 2022 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to at least P1 billion as it suffered a 21% slash compared to this year’s allocation. But sticking to tradition, the House committee on appropriations immediately terminated deliberations on the OVP’s 2022 budget. Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado said OVP’s funding should be at least P1 billion and not just P713 million, as proposed, pointing out that the office of Vice President Leni Robredo has consistently received a high audit rating from the Commission on Audit (COA) over the past years. This means, he added, that OVP under Robredo has been “judiciously and honestly handling its budget in order to pursue the objective of protecting the welfare and well-being of
France Castro backed Bordado’s proposal as she expressed approval with the OVP’s programs in response to COVID-19 despite its small budget. “Bagamat napakaliit, wala pang P1 billion ang budget ng OVP, ay sinikap makatugon sa problema natin noong 2020 at sa hanggang ngayon,” Castro said. Following the manifestations of support to increase the 2022 budget of OVP, Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul Daza, who was presiding over the deliberations, moved to end the discussions on the matter. Usually, deliberations on the budget of the OVP, as well as the Office of the President, are immediately terminated in the House committee on appropriations due to “parliamentary courtesy to a co-equal branch of the government.” A more detailed interpellation, however, is conducted in the plenary. n
Duterte orders travel ban on countries under ‘red list’ by cathErinE
VaLEntE ManilaTimes.net
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a ban on travel to the Philippines by foreigners coming from countries under a red list or those considered as high-risk for coronavirus disease 2019, Malacañang announced on Friday, September 10. “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved today, Sept. 10, 2021, the imposition of travel restrictions on countries under the red list,” Palace spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said in a statement. “These include Azerbaijan, Guadeloupe, Guam, Israel, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Saint Lucia, and Switzerland,” he added. The restriction covers all travelers coming from the red list countries within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, except returning
Filipinos via government-initiated or non-government repatriation programs and special commercial flights allowed under existing resolutions of the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, according to Roque. The ban will be in place from Sept. 12, 2021, 12:00 noon to September 18, 2021, 11:59 p.m. Roque said that passengers in transit from these countries and all those who have been there within 14 days immediately preceding arrival to the Philippines who will arrive before 12:00 noon of September 12, 2021 may still be granted entry. However, Roque said these passengers shall be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine period, where the first 10 days shall be at a quarantine facility and the remaining days under home quarantine in their respective local government units of
destination. “RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) testing shall be conducted on the 7th day with the day of arrival as Day 1. Arriving passengers shall complete a 10-day facility-based quarantine, notwithstanding a negative test result,” Roque said. “In the case of Filipino or foreign passengers who merely transited through any of the abovementioned countries, they shall not be considered as having come or having been to the said country, provided they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry by immigration authorities,” he added. The travel ban was issued as COVID-19 cases in the country hit 2,179,770 on Friday, of which 175,470 are active cases, 1,969,401 are recoveries and 34,899 are deaths. n
Roque to doctors: Sorry but I stand by my message
nila: Saka na lang kami magdedesisyon kapag nakapagdesisyon na kayo, o kung may direksyon na kayo,” Domagoso said. by curriE cator (When the rules are always changing, you cannot ManilaTimes.net blame the church. I saw their statements, where they said: We will decide to open once the governMALACAñANG spokesperson ment have decided, or has a direction.) n Harry Roque Jr. on Friday. September 10 said he was standing by his statements against a doctors’ group that he had berated for opposing a shift to the less restrictive general community quarantine (GQC) despite a spike in coronavirus 2019) cases. “Tayo po ay naging emosyonal. Pasensya na po, tao lamang (I was emotional. I’m sorry; I’m only human),” Roque said during his virtual press briefing. “Importante po na marinig ‘yung damdamin nung mga maliliit na tao nating kababayan na nagugutom na po dahil sa parating pag-lockdown (It’s important that we hear the sentiments of our countrymen who are going hungry because of these endless lockdowns),” he added. Roque, who also sits as spokesman for the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), was seen lashing out at the doctors from the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) in a leaked video obtained by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “Who wants Covid to kill people? Are you saying that only medical frontliners are concerned about the health of the people? We all want to save lives!” he said, addressing Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the PCP. “For crying out loud! No one in the government wants a single life lost. No one! How dare you think that we are not considering steps to prevent the loss of lives!” Roque further said.
problem DEALING WITH INSURANCE CLAIMS?
the Filipino people.” “On top of its multiple programs and projects aimed at improving the lives of our marginalized countrymen, the OVP has been at the forefront of the fight against the deadly COVID pandemic,” Bordado said. “I am therefore proposing once again that the P713 million budget of the OVP for 2022 representing a substantial cut of more than 21 percent be increased to at least P1 billion,” he added. Robredo, who was physically present at the Batasan Pambansa for the deliberations, said her office initially proposed P714.56 million for its 2022 budget. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), however, only approved P713.41 million. The P713.41 DBM-recommended budget is over 21 percent lower than the OVP’s 2021 budget which was at P908.79 million. ACT Teachers Partylist Rep.
“We employed the entire government approach thinking about economic ramifications, thinking about people who will go hungry. It does not mean that we care any less,” he added. The spokesman was then asked by one of the Cabinet members to keep his cool. To which he responded: “No, they have to hear this!” Roque made the remarks during the September 7 meeting of the IATF-EID with the PCP to tackle guidelines for the more relaxed GCQ with alert levels. Its pilot implementation was initially set for the next day. Roque also accused Limpin’s group of having “never said anything good about the government response.” But he later defended himself, saying it was the “first time I lost my bearing in an [IATF-EID] meeting.” “I apologize for the manner, but I stand by the message,” Roque insisted. Limpin, in a phone interview with The Manila Times also on Friday, said the reaction of Roque, whom she described as “unprofessional,” was “uncalled for.” She sought his resignation, saying he was the President’s mouthpiece. The PCP is an “umbrella organization” that has more than 9,000 members. Limpin is also a convenor of the Healthcare Professional Alliance Against Covid-19. In the phone interview, she denied Roque’s claims that they simply “barged [into]” the IATFEID meeting as she and alliance lead convenor Dr. Antonio Dans
had requested the Department of Health through DoH Technical Advisory Group member Dr. Anna Lisa Ong-Lim to allow them to participate in the meeting. Limpin said what they recommended to the IATF-EID was for the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila) to be placed under a two-week hard ECQ to stem the increase in Covid-19 cases. She added that if the NCR was placed under GCQ, there would be a further rise in the cases, possibly overwhelming hospitals in the country and leading to a collapse of the health care system. Limpin said Roque should apologize not only to her and to Dans, but to all health care workers whom they represent, adding that while everybody has good intentions, he should not accuse them as “arrogant” people. Meanwhile, the militant Coalition for People’s Right to Health has urged the Palace spokesman to step down from his post over his comments against Limpin and Dans. The group also called for the resignation of both President Rodrigo Duterte and Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd for their supposed inaction on the pandemic as well as alleged anomalies that were flagged by the Commission on Audit. Dr. Leni Jara of Shape UP to Defeat Covid-19 said while they want Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo to replace the President via the 2022 elections, the next leader of the country should be one who will take care of health care and health workers. n
We’ll take it.*
CHRISTMAS LANTERNS. Workers assemble several Christmas lanterns inside a shop along Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, Barangay Panapaan VI in Bacoor City, Cavite on Thursday, September 9. September is the start of the “ber” months when Filipinos begin their early countdown to Christmas, one of the longest and most important holidays in the country. PNA photo by Gil Calinga
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But my child was a baby when the petition was filed! If a person has questions or issues about their child’s CSPA eligibility, or if they have been denied a visa by the Embassy because the child aged out, they may want to consult with an attorney who can evaluate Atty. MichAel their case and determine if the Gurfinkel, eSQ child is truly CSPA eligible. The attorney could either assist in processing the child’s case or DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: seek reconsideration from the My sister petitioned me in 2002 Embassy of the visa refusal. in the F-4 category (brother/sister *** of a U.S. citizen) when my child Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an was still a baby. Recently, the attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, priority date became current. We and an active member of the State Bars of paid all the fees and submitted all California and New York. All immigration the forms on behalf of my family, services are provided by, or under the including my child, who is now supervision of, an active member of over 21. the State Bar of California. Each case is At the interview, the consul different, and results may depend approved my husband’s on the facts of the particular case. and my visas, but said my “A child’s age and eligibility The information and opinions child cannot be included herein (including because he “aged out.” He for immigration benefits under contained testimonials, “Success Stories,” was only a baby when the CSPA are calculated and endorsements and re-enactments) petition was filed, so how are of a general nature, and are not could he have aged out? determined based on the date intended to apply to any particular Is there hope under the Child Status Protection Act the priority date finally becomes case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or (CSPA)? current, not their age on the legal advice regarding the outcome Very truly yours, of your legal matter. No attorneyCD date the petition was filed.” client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. Dear CD: WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com A child’s age and eligibility for was filed. Follow us on Facebook.com/ immigration benefits under CSPA In your case, your sister are calculated and determined petitioned you. Therefore, the GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration based on the date the priority child’s age on the date the petition TV and Instagram.com/gurfinkellaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation date finally becomes current, not was filed is not determinative their age on the date the petition for CSPA eligibility. Instead, the for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 was filed. This includes all family child’s age when the priority (866) – GURFINKEL and employment-based petitions date finally became current Four offices to serve you: except for “immediate relative” controls, and you must perform LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW petitions (which are petitions a mathematical computation, to of U.S. citizens for their minor determine if their CSPA age is YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES children, parents or spouse in still under 21. (Advertising Supplement)
Immigration Corner
which case the date of filing controls). The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) can sometimes provide relief for children who aged out. But it is very complex and can be confusing in terms of determining eligibility. • For immediate relatives, eligibility is determined as of the date the petition was filed. If the petition was filed before the child’s 21st birthday, the child could benefit from the CSPA, provided they don’t get married. • For other petitions, the child’s CSPA eligibility is determined based on when the priority date becomes current (or visa becomes available), even if they were under 21 when the petition
GERRY (OF GERRY’S GRILL) HAD HIS NATURALIZATION DENIED, THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Gerry Apolinario (right) was outside the U.S. too many times during the five years before filing his application for naturalization, and he missed the minimum physical presence requirement by a mere 15 days. USCIS then denied his application. Find out how leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) was able to turn that denied application into an approved naturalization within the span of one year. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, September 12 at 5:30 PM PT (8:30 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
Toni speaks up about alleged competition with Alex By Kathleen
a. llemit
Philstar.com
TONI Gonzaga chooses to downplay any competition with younger sister Alex Gonzaga. The TV host-actress skirted the question about how she feels about comments that her channel is raking up more views than her sister’s YouTube channel. “Ay hindi naman. I think parang ‘PBB’ lang ‘yan. Kung PAGE B3
Toni and Alex Gonzaga
Photo from Instagram/@celestinegonzaga
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Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Naturalization application denied for being outside US too blasts off in an unforgettable way for much, this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital GERRY Apolinario’s naturalization application was denied because he was outside the U.S. too many times during the five years before filing his application, and missed the 913-day minimum physical presence requirement by a mere 15 days. By law, a person is required to have resided continuously in the U.S. for at least five years as a lawful permanent resident, and must be present in the U.S. for at least half that time (2-1/2 years or 913 days) at the time of filing their Form N-400. However, when Gerry filed his naturalization application, he was 15 days short of the required 913 days. As a result, the USCIS denied his natu-
ralization. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel discussed with Gerry his options: appeal the denial, or file a new application. The decision was to file a new application, as it would likely be faster. Within a year from filing the new application, Gerry was able to take his oath of citizenship. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, September 12 at 5:30 PM PT (8:30 PM ET thru select Cable/ Satellite providers). Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the app for free.
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Sitti makes bossa nova comeback in new single ‘Buti Na Lang Hindi Ikaw’ By AllAn
PolicArPio Inquirer.net
FOR Sitti Navarro, bossa nova “will always” be her “home.” So while she may have dabbled in other genres like pop and electronic dance, she ultimately found herself returning to her roots in her latest single, “Buti Na Lang Hindi Ikaw.” “I can go to other places, try other things like any person does in a lifelong quest of knowing and understanding one’s self but I will always go back to bossa nova,” Sitti said in an interview for the song, which was recently released across different streaming platforms by her new label, Widescope Entertainment. Sitti rose to fame in the mid2000s with her breakthrough hit “Para Sa Akin,” which started a trend of easy listening tunes that fuse pop and bossa nova. She would later on divernsify her catalog, putting out pop-ballads, like in her album “Sitti Sessions,” as well as EDM in “Electro Sitti.” In her bossa nova comeback, Sitti, quite fittingly, turns to her frequent collaborator Emil Pama, the same composer behind the songs “Para Sa Akin,” “Kung ’Di Rin Lang Ikaw” and “Sinong Mag-aakala.”
Sitti Navarro Photo from Instagram/@bossagurl
“‘Buti Na Lang Hindi Ikaw’ is dedicated to everyone who already managed to move on,” the 36-year-old artist said of the song, parts of which go, ‘Heto ako ngayo’y masaya / Nanumbalik muli ang sigla / Mundo ko’y muntik nang magunaw / Buti na lang hindi ikaw.’” Because she has been juggling family life and entrepreneurship as of late, her career had to take a backseat. But that doesn’t have to stop her from doing the things she love. In fact, she worked on
the new song while expecting a second baby. “It was recorded and released while I’m preggy!” said Sitti, whose first child, daughter Issiah Dañelle, is turning three this year. “It’s easy for my career to take the backseat for now given that I’m expecting and raising a nearly 3-year-old child. And we’re still in a pandemic,” she said. Sitti is also looking forward to continuing her journey with Widescope Entertainment, which is run by friends and people who were instrumental to her past successes, like the label’s A&R coordinator Ebe Dancel and producer Neil Gregorio, who helmed her double platinum-certified album “Cafe Bossa.” “I’m working with old friends! I’m also excited to be working with Ebe. I will always be a fan of his, as an artist and person. To be working with creatives of a top advertising firm who’s also into producing songs is a win for me,” she added. Sitti has been in the music industry for 15 years now. And her longevity she credits to all the people who have helped her along the way. “I’m grateful to be surrounded by discerning ears who help me have clarity,” she said. n
MEMPHIS – During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, witness how the sky is no limit for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. St. Jude physician assistant and pediatric cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux will launch into space on the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit called Inspiration4 on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Communities, celebrities and influencers everywhere will also team up for virtual St. Jude Walk/Run on Sept. 25. More than 60 celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres, Luis Fonsi, Rita Ora, Ashley Tisdale, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ellie Kemper, Anthony Hamilton, Lucy Hale, Lily Aldridge, JoJo Siwa, Willie Geist, Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Ashley Green, The Brothers Osborne, Shaun White and Doug the Pug will unite throughout September to help cure childhood cancer. They will show their love for St. Jude on social media and rally fans to support the cause using the hashtags #30DaysForStJude and #ShowYourGold to raise awareness and support for the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children.® Support of this nature is rooted in the DNA of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Its founder, Danny Thomas – the late acclaimed entertainer and humanitarian – sought support from his Hollywood connections more than 60 years ago to make his dream of building St. Jude to cure childhood cancer a reality. Why this matters Defeating childhood cancer is not a solo endeavor. In 2012, President Barack Obama proclaimed September as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to bring awareness to pediatric cancer, which remains the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 14. St. Jude recently announced its record $11.5 billion, six-year strategic plan to accelerate research on pediatric cancer and devastating childhood diseases and save children all over the world. Campaigns and events like Inspiration4 and the St. Jude Walk/Run are designed to celebrate St. Jude achievements while inspiring supporters to keep the momentum as fundraisers because St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies of cancer. Fighting cancer with a samurai spirit Some of Arceneaux’s biggest fans include St. Jude patient families and colleagues in Memphis who hail from more than 100 countries, including her attending St. Jude physician Dr. Hiroto Inaba from Japan. He “fights leukemia with the samurai spirit,” coining that phrase because he is a 17th generation samurai. Dr. Inaba moved to Memphis with the intention of only working for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for a couple years before returning home to the Kii Mountains. He fell in love with his St. Jude family and applies many of the virtues historically admired by the samurai to his clinical practice, including courage, honesty, benevolence and what he calls “the good fight.” He fights cancer for his patients alongside his fellow researchers and clinicians by using new tools and sharing insights aimed to increase survival rates. He respects Arceneaux because they share a similar passion for St. Jude and making a difference for others. “Hayley’s heart is as big as the galaxy, so it is no surprise that she continues to inspire the world both inside the walls of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and beyond with the work she does for children,” said Dr. Inaba. “She is a brilliant physician assistant whose thankfulness for life radiates from her spirit and motivates all of us to dream big and press forward in our quest to cure childhood cancer for kids around the globe.” Visit St. Jude Progress to learn more about Dr. Inaba’s journey to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and current work as principal investigator for the Total Therapy 17 clinical trial. While the two “17s” previously mentioned are a coincidence, his heritage and work have much in common. Moving the needle on childhood cancer St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. As part of its strategic plan, St. Jude has tripled its global investment to impact more than 400,000 kids with cancer around the world each year; kids who rely on the emerging collabora-
Pictured is Dr. Hiroto Inaba with St. Jude patient Hadley in 2018.
Pictured is Dr. Ching-Hon Pui greeting St. Jude patient Maelin-Kate in 2019. Photos courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
tion and investments of St. Jude, the World Health Organization, and a coalition of international partners as their lifeline. Take, for example, St. Jude Oncology Chair Dr. Ching-Hon Pui who is helping to expand and accelerate progress on cancer research and treatment through a number of international collaborations in China. Most recently, the results of a clinical trial proved it is safe to remove some of the therapies for children with low-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia to substantially reduce some of the long-term side effects of treatment. How to get involved St. Jude Walk/Run The St. Jude Walk/Run will be virtual only on Sept. 25. Visit stjude.org/inspiration4 and stjude.org/walkrun to get involved. Participants are encouraged to download the St. Jude Walk/Run mobile app in the Apple app store and on Google Play. St. Jude Inspire Podcast St. Jude supporters and space enthusiasts can take a deep dive into the lives of the crew on Inspiration4, the world’s first allcivilian mission to orbit, by listening to the St. Jude: Mission of a Lifetime podcast. This podcast series will introduce the world to each crew member, document their journeys in space and feature exclusive content. Listeners can download the podcast via Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music. Visit Charitybuzz for ongoing auctions, offering Inspiration4themed auction packages, including a fighter jet experience, a personalized video message from space and an invitation to Romero Britto’s virtual art party. Britto’s support for St. Jude will include finishing a live painting for auction during the Inspiration4 official launch event at a private hangar on Sept. 14; creating an Inspiration4 coloring book that crew members will complete in space to be auctioned after the mission; and offering a virtual paint party to select auction winners later this fall with proceeds benefiting St. Jude. Fundraising challenge for animal lovers The PAWS for St. Jude fundraising campaign also extends through September. Owners of all dogs, from huskies to shelties, beagles to poodles and every breed in between are encouraged to grab their leashes and take their pooches out for a daily activity and capture the cute puppy poses, water play, ball catches and head tilts for social media to rally friends and family members to donate. Photos and video using the ha shtag #PAWSforStJude will be featured on St. Jude social media channels. At the conclusion of the competition, the top fundraising dogs will receive St. Jude bandanas. Fundraising challenge for students High school and college students are welcome to join the St. Jude Advance Network, which inspires, guides and unites participants via an online community that provides access to networking opportunities and
national fundraising challenges with incentives through May 2022. This campaign is designed to offer supporters a way to make a lasting impact on children everywhere. Social media campaign Visit stjude.org/together to learn more about how St. Jude is treating and defeating childhood cancer. Then, post a photo on social media using the hashtag #ShowYourGold on September 9 to raise awareness during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The color gold is associated with childhood cancer. Netflix documentary on Inspiration4 Look for a Netflix documentary series called Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space. Watch the trailer about this firstever Netflix series to cover an event in near real-time. The series will run in four parts. Sept. 6: Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, episodes 1-2 premiere Sept.13: Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, episodes 3-4 premiere Sept.15: Targeted launch of the Inspiration4 mission End of September: Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space feature-length finale This ambitious, quick-turnaround series will take viewers behind the scenes with the Inspiration4 crew – from their unconventional selection and intensive months-long commercial astronaut training, through the intimate and emotional moments leading up to liftoff. The final episode, which premieres just days after the mission is completed, will feature unprecedented access inside the spacecraft capturing the launch and the crew’s journey to space, as well as their return home to Earth. Creators of the series include TIME Studios, Known, and producer Connor Schell, along with director Jason Hehir and the team behind The Last Dance. Partners with purpose Because of community support, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Special thanks to the dozens of corporate partners that are sponsoring this year’s Childhood Cancer Awareness month initiatives for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, including: Chili’s, AmazonSmile, ARS/Rescue Rooter, Charitable Adult Rides & Services (CARS), Shaw Floors, Microsoft, Kmart, Sears, CBS Sports, Five Below, Varsity Brands, DXL Big + Tall, eBay, Shoe Carnival, Denny’s, Monster Jam, Coldwell Banker, Publishers Clearing House, My Salon Suites, Coton Colors, Bahama Buck’s, Maglite, HomeTown Lenders, Chair King Backyard Store, Tornado Bus Company, Gunnar Optiks, SendAFriend and Hari Mari. Current St. Jude supporters, Amazon, Window World and Marcum Foundation have been named the national sponsors for the 2021 St. Jude Walk/Run. The St. Jude #ShowYourGold campaign is brought to you by Five Below. (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Release) (Advertising Supplement)
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Celebrate the Harvest Moon Festival at Pechanga Resort Casino and rediscover your perfection combination! Come win a share of $100,000 in cash & EasyPlay giveaways
WIN a share of $100,000 in cash and EasyPlay Join Pechanga Resort Casino in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival with the exciting $100,000 Harvest Moon Drawing on Friday, September 10 & 24. There will be a total of 105 winners of EasyPlay and cash prizes each drawing day. Pechanga Club members can earn entries to the drawing by playing slots and table games from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. each drawing day. Multiple entries can be earned depending on your Pechanga Club membership/tier level. Red Card members can earn up to 8x entries; Platinum Card members can earn up to 5x entries; Gold Card members can earn up to 3x entries, and Silver Card members can earn 1x entry. Each drawing night, 50 winners of $250 EasyPlay will be announced at 7 p.m., 25 winners of $500 EasyPlay will be announced at 8 p.m., 20 winners of $750 will be announced at 9 p.m., 10 winners of $1,000 cash will be drawn at 10 p.m. Play more for the chance to win multiple times! Winners will be posted in display screens inside Pechanga Resort Casino each hour. Win up to $5,000 in EasyPlay with the Lucky Lanterns promotion In addition, every Tuesday in September, starting from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., Pechanga Club members can swipe their Club card at the kiosk located in the promotional area to participate in the “Lucky Lanterns” game promotion for a chance to win up to $5,000 in EasyPlay. Join the new “Bonus Lucky Lantern” promotion on Thursday, September 9 and September 30 for more chances to win. For more information, please call 1-877-711-2946 or visit Pechanga.com. Pechanga Resort Casino wishes you a Happy Harvest Moon Festival! Pechanga Resort Casino
Kuh Ledesma
Photo from Instagram/@kuhledesma
Kuh avoids using negative words like ‘wala,’ and here’s why
VETERAN songstress and Christian artist Kuh Ledesma believes that one has to stay positive even as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on our lives. Ledesma spoke about keeping the faith in her Instagram page today, Sept. 9, where she shared a short inspirational video of herself narrating an anecdote from her household. “What Proverbs 18:21 said, ‘Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit,’” she said in the video. With that, she encouraged everyone to have a positive outlook on things, and proceeded to share an exchange she had with their house helper. “Kapag sinasabi ng katulong namin, ‘Ma’am wala na tayong bigas.’ Hindi na ako gumagamit
ng wala word, eh. Ang sinasabi ko, ‘Hindi, ganito ang sasabihin mo, ‘Ma’am, kailangan na nating bumili ng bigas,’” she said. (Whenever our helper says, “Ma’am, we don’t have rice anymore,” I do not use the word “none/nothing” anymore. What I tell her is, “No, this is what you should say, ‘Ma’am, we already need to buy rice.’”) Ledesma also shared several Bible verses it stress her point about positivity. She shared Philippians 4:13 (“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”); Hebrews 13:6 (“So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”); and Nahum 1:7 (“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”). (Alex Brosas/Philstar.com) n
Toni speaks up...
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PAGE B1 anong matira, whatever it is that we have, right now. Parang itong ginagawa ng ‘PBB’ family. This is the sit we are right now with our family, our network. So may mga ways to give the best show,” Toni replied. Toni hosts “Toni Talks,” one of the most popular content on her YouTube channel. Her sister, Alex Gonzaga, meanwhile, is known for creating pranks, parodies and vlogs on her own channel. “PBB” or Pinoy Big Brother is back for its 10th season. It will still be the same virtual event in partnership with Kumu. Auditions are underway for regular, adult hopefuls this month while
the teen edition auditions will be in December. There will also be a celebrity edition. Toni considers “PBB” as one of her biggest breaks and blessings when she transferred from GMA-7 to ABS-CBN in 2005. “PBB is able to collaborate with Kumu. And siguro gano’n din ‘yung ginagawa ko (referring to her YouTube channel). Nakakakita ako ng paraan sa aking munting platform to share what I can share and serve them stories na hopefully then can inspire them. Work on what’s left or what you have. Kung ano yung meron, let’s make the most out of it. Parang sa PBB lang din. Kahit walang face-to-face, nakakagawa ng paraan,” she said. n
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Julia on letting go: ‘Don’t force somebody to be with you if they don’t want to anymore’ By Dana
Cruz Inquirer.com
JULIA Barretto has declared that she would only give up on a relationship if the person she loves decides to walk away first. The actress was asked what would make her let go of the person she loves during the online media conference for the upcoming TV5 series “Di Na Muli,” as seen on the network’s YouTube channel on Tuesday, Sept. 7. “Siguro I will only walk away from a relationship kapag ayaw na ng isa (Maybe I will only walk away from a relationship if the other person does not want to be in it anymore). I’ll only walk away when he walks away, in general,” she said. Barretto also admitted she had a hard time thinking of a specific reason to give up on love since Julia Barretto PAGE B6
EMPLOYMENT
24 years of Gloc-9
SUCCESS is fickle-minded. We have seen many one-hit wonders rise and fall out of the limelight since they can only deliver, well, one hit. But to continually attain success points to a genuine dedication and deep love for the craft. This and more is what Aristotle Pollisco, aka Gloc-9, has been all about in the last 24 years, where he established his niche as a major influencer in the Philippine hip-hop scene. Gloc-9 rose from the ranks of hip-hop wannabes in 1997, setting his roots in collaborating with other artists and cutting underground albums. It is no secret how hard he struggled and how much he sacrificed for his music to rise from anonymity. But as they say, “You can’t put a good man down,” and so remarkable has been Gloc-9’s climb to the top of his genre in Philippine music that he will forever remain an inspiration to young aspiring artists. With a career spanning almost a quarter-century, Gloc-9 has pledged to make sure that hipPhoto from Instagram/@juliabarretto hop in this country continues to
EMPLOYMENT
endure to the next generation. Walking the talk for some time now, he has opened the doors of opportunity to many talented Filipino rappers by managing and collaborating with them. His recent “44 Challenge” generated thousands of responders that showcased the great many talented Filipino rappers just waiting at the seams for their chance to take center stage. Definitely, Gloc-9 is now paying it forward. After all, he has nothing more to prove as an artist. Already drowning in awards, he was just handed the prestigious Sudi National Music Award by the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts, nonetheless. Grateful for the accolade, it affirms his impact in an industry he is so passionate about, as well as his promise to do everything in his power to keep it going for the next generation. He is Aristotle Pollisco, Gloc9, rapper, songwriter, blacksmith of words, Filipino poet and icon. Congratulations and many more With a career spanning almost a quarterproductive years ahead. (Mani- century, Gloc-9 is now paying it forward. Contributed photo laTimes.net) n
EMPLOYMENT
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Long-term capital gains new tax rates New guidance on sexual orientation Biden tax plan series and gender discrimination at work
Tax Tips
ViCtor Sy, MBA, CPA (retired) WHAT are capital assets, capital gains and long-term capital gains? When you sell a capital asset for more than you paid for it, you realize a capital gain. Capital assets include stocks, bonds, and real estate. The tax you’ll pay on the capital gain depends on how long you held the asset before selling it: long term if you held asset for more than one year; short term if one year or less. Current tax law • Capital gains are currently
taxed at a low maximum rate of 20%. • Qualifying dividends also enjoy this low rate of 20%. • Individuals pay a federal income tax rate ranging from 0 to 20% in taxes on realized capital gains when selling an asset that is held longer than 12 months. • Taxpayers over certain thresholds pay an additional 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax. Ouch! Proposed tax changes • New law would raise capital gains tax rate to the proposed highest marginal ordinary income tax rate of 39.6% for those with AGI of $1 million or greater. • New law would also tax qualified dividends to the proposed highest marginal income tax rate, 39.6% for those with AGI of $1 million or greater.
• The Net Investment Income Tax of 3.8% would also apply to all income exceeding $400,000. • Combined rates would result in a total tax of 43.4% on long-term capital gains for those with AGI of more than $1 million per year. Ouch! *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV – Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation. *** He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits” that’s available at Amazon. Readers may email tax questions to vicsy@live.com.
Client seeks Chapter 7 relief for $100K credit card debt
THE client is 45, married with two sons, 16 and 12. He used to own and operate, together with his wife, a small business, which started in 2014. They sold the business for $40,000 in 2019 just before the pandemic started. He says the business was barely breaking even so they decided to just sell it. They were lucky to have sold it a couple of months before the pandemic started in 2020 because the business would have been rendered totally worthless in 2020. I guess the buyer of the business thought he was getting it for a bargain at $40,000 but really regretted buying it when the pandemic hit as I am sure gross receipts went from $30,000 a month to zero. Credit cards used to finance business The client used credit cards to finance the operations of the business for five years. It’s easy to rack up $100,000 of credit card debt when you’re running a business, $20,000 this year, $30,000 next year. That’s already $50,000 in two years of new credit card debt. It’s easy to use them, but it’s quite difficult to pay them back so most people take the easy way out. They just pay the minimum monthly payment every month and think they have no credit card debt at all. For $100,000 of credit cards, you need at least $3,000 to make minimum monthly payments. After paying $108,000 in just three years of minimum payments, guess how much you still owe? After paying your credit card masters $108,000 in three years, you still owe them the very same $100,000! It’s the best deal in town for your credit card masters. If you feel like they own you; that you are a modern-day debt slave, you are exactly right because a slave is what you are. You must give your masters, their minimum monthly tribute, or else you will suffer the consequences. They will sue you, levy your bank accounts and cars, put judgment liens on your house and eventually sell your house to satisfy the judgment liens if you don’t protect yourself. Pandemic but rent-free After they sold their business, the clients had to look for alternate sources of income to sup-
Debt Relief
Atty. LAwrenCe yAng port themselves. Fortunately, the wife was able to get a job but only at minimum wage. It’s not even enough to pay their rent. But lo and behold, here’s Uncle Sam to the rescue. Residential rent payments were suspended right after the lockdown and continue up to the end of this year, unless further extended. They get to live in their residence, rent-free for more than 18 months now. They were also able to get pandemic EDD of a combined $3,000 a month, which has just ended on September 4. I think that’s the final end of the pandemic EDD for the self-employed. There’s money in driving But the client is enterprising enough as he needs to take care of his family. He starts driving for Uber and Lyft and has gross receipts of $8,000 a month! But wait, you still have to deduct expenses from that. Uber and Lyft get a commission, gas, etc. The client ends up with a net of about 40% of gross receipts, or a net of $4,000 a month. That’s not bad at all. You’re still your own boss and you’re still working for yourself. I think if you drive a Prius, you might save a lot of gas expense since that’s a hybrid. So there you go, if you next money and have a car, go drive Uber and Lyft, there’s more than enough business to go around it appears. No, I’m not an influencer for Uber or Lyft. But they do provide sufficient extra income for those who are willing to spend their days and nights driving people around town. Make your car work for you during these uncertain times, but do get rid of all your debt so you can save the money you make. Save money so you can invest for your retirement. The difference between 40 and 60 years old is only 20 years. As you well know, the weeks go by so fast; in the blink of an eye for 20 years is not an exaggeration. You remember when you just turned 20, or before that, when you were just a teenager.
Doesn’t that feel like that was only yesterday? So, if you owe $30,000 of credit cards at the age of 40, that’s $1,000 of minimum credit card payments monthly. In 20 years, you would have paid $240,000 in minimum payments. And how much do you still owe at age 60? You still owe $30,000! Getting rid of debt makes sense especially to billionaires who filed for Chapter 7 before If you had discharged the $30,000 with a Chapter 7 petition at the age of 40, then the $240,000 would be in your retirement account at the age of 60. And this year if you had invested that on S&P index funds that would have appreciated by 20% as of today, or almost $50,000. You would have $290,000 in your retirement account even if you just invested starting January 1, 2021. If you had started investing 20 years ago at the rate of $12,000 a year, you’d probably have $1 million at age 60. That’s how many pportunities for yourself and your family, you are missing out on by keeping your $30,000 of credit cards by just making minimum payments on them monthly. They’re like leeches. They get their teeth on you and just suck your blood until you are totally drained of your life force. Believe it or not, Walt Disney, filed for Chapter 7 not once, but twice before his Disney global empire became successful. He went on to become a billionaire after getting rid of all his debt twice. Milton Hershey, of Hershey chocolates, the biggest chocolate business in the world, also filed for Chapter 7 once before he became successful and a billionaire. *** Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone. There is absolutely no attorney-client relationship established by reading this article. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. CAN an employer fire someone simply for being gay or transgender? No, according to the U.S. Supreme Court in its landmark decision in Bostock v Clayton County. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. “An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids.” The high court reasoned that it is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex. By discriminating against homosexuals, the employer intentionally penalizes men for being attracted to men, and women for being attracted to women. By discriminating against transgender persons, the employer unavoidably discriminates against persons with one sex identified at birth and another today. Since the Bostock ruling, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has created guidelines in understanding the laws on sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Below are some of the important highlights: • An employer covered by
Pastor’s Notes reVerend rodeL g. BALAgtAS SOME past homilies of priests are etched in our minds, shaping the way we think and live. In my experience, I remember two of them. One was from an American Jesuit priest who directed my high school seminary retreat. With his American accent, he impressed on us, young seminarians, in “Tag-lish” (TagalogEnglish): “Believe sa sarili: patay!” (Believing oneself brings death!) “Believe sa Diyos: buhay!” (Believing in God brings life!) One may argue with this priest about his opposing contention of believing in oneself in today’s psychology, coaching, and selfimprovement world. It’s not all bad to believe in oneself, we would say. We need a boost of self-confidence, of believing in one’s abilities to deal with life’s challenges. But of course, we know what this priest tried to instill in our minds. He meant that we could
Elijah, still others one of the prophets” Then he asked his disciples who they thought he was. Peter rightly answered, “You are the Christ.” Jesus, of course, was pleased with Peter’s reply. But when Jesus taught his disciples that he would suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and rise after three days, Peter could not accept Jesus’ words. He
“A Christless cross is a burdensome life, while a crossless Christ is an unfulfilling and meaningless life.” my outlook on suffering and the pursuit of happiness. To carry one’s cross—one’s struggles and pains—we need the strength of Jesus, which comes from the grace of the Holy Spirit, while to live life without sacrifice (cross) doesn’t give much joy and fulfillment. Let’s look at the Gospel this Sunday (Mark 8:27-35) in the light of these two insights from these homilies. First, Jesus asked his disciples who people thought he was. In reply, they said, “John the Baptist, others
still could not fully understand Christ’s life and mission on earth. And so, Jesus’ appreciation of Peter turned into disgust. He said to him, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” To address Peter as Satan was harsh, but we know that Jesus was directing these words, not to the person of Peter but Satan, the Enemy of Christ. The latter tried to prevent him from fulfilling his mission on earth. This attempt was true at the tempta-
shower that corresponds to the employee’s gender identity. If an employer has separate bathrooms, locker rooms, or showers for men and women, all men (including transgender men) should be allowed to use the men’s facilities and all women (including transgender women) should be allowed to use the women’s facilities. • Intentional use of pronouns or names that are inconsistent with an individual’s gender identity may be unlawful harassment. Although accidental misuse of a transgender employee’s preferred name and pronouns does not violate Title VII, intentionally and repeatedly using the wrong name and pronouns to refer to a transgender employee could contribute to an unlawful hostile work environment. • Non-LGBTQ+ job applicants and employees are also protected against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Employers are not allowed to discriminate against job applicants or employees because the applicants or employees are, for example, straight or cisgender (someone whose gender identity corresponds with the sex assigned at birth). *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at nocost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw. com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.] (Advertising Supplement)
“The high court reasoned that it is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex.” positions, or to direct these employees toward certain stores or geographic areas.) • Whether or not an employer knows an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity, employers cannot discriminate against an employee because the employee acts or appears in ways that do not conform to stereotypes about the way men or women are expected to behave • An employer cannot require a transgender employee to dress in accordance with the employee’s sex assigned at birth. Prohibiting a transgender person from dressing or presenting consistent with that person’s gender identity would constitute sex discrimination. • Employers may not deny an employee equal access to a bathroom, locker room, or
Do I have to disclose my bitcoin to my spouse in my divorce case? Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrSUA reyeS BITCOIN and other cryptocurrency has become popular lately as a new store of value. It is decentralized and not subject to regulation in any jurisdiction. It can be stored in a digital wallet or hard drive. Due to its lack of regulation, it is easy for one to assume that it is not necessary to disclose this in one’s divorce case specially if the other spouse has no clue of its existence. Well, this assumption is clearly misplaced in the context of California Family Code. Fam. Code, § 721, recognizes the confidential relationship held by spouses. That relationship
On Christless cross and crossless Christ not merely rely on our human capacities. We need God. We need Jesus, his Words, and the grace of the Sacraments! Another homily of a priest I would recall is about a play of words on Christ and cross. The priest said: “A Christless cross is a burdensome life, while a crossless Christ is an unfulfilling and meaningless life.” Such wisdom has changed
Title VII cannot fire, refuse to hire, demote, discipline, deny benefits or discriminate in any way against an employee due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. • An employer cannot fire, refuse to hire, take assignments away, or discriminate in any way against an employee because customers would prefer to work with people who have a different sexual orientation or gender identity. Employers also are not allowed to segregate employees based on actual or perceived customer preferences. (For example, it would be discriminatory to keep LGBTQ+ employees out of public-facing
tion of Jesus in the desert before the start of his mission. As the new Adam, Jesus must obey his Father’s will to die on the cross to redeem us, which Peter could not still comprehend. Through death, Jesus will be raised to a new life that he would share with us. It’s how we understand the Second Reading from the Letter of Saint James (2:14-18). “So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Jesus’ ultimate work on earth was to die on the cross to save us. In the same manner, we must accomplish our works on earth in the light of the ministry of Jesus. We fulfill our duties and responsibilities not merely for our sake but others so that they might live! Belief in Christ and his sacrificial life and taking up one’s cross with the strength from our intimate relationship with Jesus would give us joy, consolation, and Eternal Life!. *** 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. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
is a fiduciary relationship imposing a duty of the highest good faith and fair dealing on each spouse. Also within that division, Fam. Code, § 1100, addresses management and control of community property. The fiduciary duty spouses owe one another continues after separation, including the accurate and complete disclosure of all assets and liabilities in which the party has or may have an interest or obligation and all current earnings, accumulations, and expenses, including an immediate, full, and accurate update or augmentation to the extent there have been material changes (Fam. Code, § 2012, subd. (a)(1)). Taken together, Fam. Code, §§ 721, 1100, and 2102, impose on a managing spouse affirmative, wide-ranging duties to disclose and account for the existence, valuation, and disposition of all community assets from the date of separation through final property division. These statutes obligate a managing spouse to disclose soon after separation all the property that belongs or might belong to the community, and its value, and then to account for the management of that property, revealing any material changes in the community estate, such as the transfer or loss of assets. This strict transparency both discourages unfair dealing and empowers the nonmanaging spouse to remedy any breach of fiduciary duty by giving that spouse the information concerning the community’s business needed for the exercise of his or her rights, including the right to pursue a claim for impairment to his or her interest in the community estate. What are the remedies available if a spouse breached his or her fiduciary duty? If a spouse breaches his or her fiduciary duty, Fam. Code, § 1101, subd. (a), affords each spouse a claim against the other for any breach of fiduciary duty that results in an impairment to his or her interest in the community estate, including, but not limited to, a single transaction or a pattern or series of transactions, which transaction or transactions have caused or will cause a detrimental impact to the claimant spouse’s interest in the community estate. Remedies for
a breach of this duty that impairs another spouse’s interest in the community estate include an award to the other spouse of 50 percent, or an amount equal to 50 percent, of any asset undisclosed or transferred in breach of the fiduciary duty plus attorney fees and court costs (§ 1101, subds. (a), (g)) In re Marriage of DeSouza, 54 Cal. App. 5th 25, a trial court properly found that a husband breached his fiduciary duty to his former wife and ordered him to transfer bitcoins and other cryptocurrency to her pursuant to the parties’ judgment of dissolution and to pay her attorney fees and costs because information he withheld about his cryptocurrency investments was material, and there was substantial evidence that his breach impaired the wife’s interest in their community estate. In re Marriage of DeSouza, 54 Cal. App. 5th 25. To avoid the costly outcome of getting sanctioned and awarded attorney’s fees against you, it is important to provide full and complete disclosure of all your financial affairs during your divorce case including any Bitcoin and cryptocurrency which you own during and after the marriage. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com. Visit our website at Kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
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Multiple defendants, single cause Commentary
Atty. PAyAm tAvAkoli SOME premises liability cases involve multiple negligent parties who cause the plaintiff to suffer one single injury.
In representing a single plaintiff in such a case, it may be difficult for the attorney to prove which defendant was responsible for the client’s injuries. As an example, inside of a store that is undergoing construction, a shopper is injured when a negligently installed sign gives way, causing the shopper to fall to the ground. Two different companies were installing the sign in the same negligent manner, but
both have denied responsibility. How can you prove one company is more negligent than the other? In Summers v. Tice (1948) 33 Cal. 2d 80, 86-87, the California Supreme Court answered this question. In this case, the plaintiff sued two defendants with whom he went hunting, when both defendants shot at the same bird (in plaintiff’s direction) and struck plaintiff. Plaintiff was unable to prove from which defendant’s shotgun the injuring bullets came. The Summers court avoided this confusion by a fourth-right recognition that when one of two negligent defendants injures the plaintiff and it is impossible for the plaintiff to prove which one, it is reasonable to shift the burden to each defendant to prove that it was not his negligence that caused plaintiff’s injury. Thus, the Court shifted the burden of proof to the two defendants to absolve themselves of the bullet that injured plaintiff. In applying these principles, in order for the attorney to request the court for a burden shifting instruction in a multiple-defendant scenario, evidence must be provided which shows that: • Both defendants were negligent; • No other party could have caused the negligence; • Your Client was innocent of any negligence; • The defendants had a superior knowledge as to which of them caused the harm; and • It would be unfair to your client to absolve both defendants of any liability. At the Law Offices of Tavakoli & Associates, we take every step pre-litigation and at trial to make sure your case is presented well to make sure we MAXIMIZE your recovery. *** 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. *** If you have further questions, an experienced Injury Lawyer at the Law Offices of Tavakoli & Associates will be able to help you navigate the issues and provide you with the aggressive representation you need and deserve.
Maximizing recovery in personal injury cases DEAR Attorney Tan, I was driving home and was at a complete stop when another driver rear ended my car. I was not feeling well after the accident, as my back seemed very tight and stiff. I took some days off from work. After a week, I contacted the other driver’s insurance to report the claim. The insurance adjuster for the other driver said they would fix my car, and offered me $500.00 for my injuries. Is that enough? I do not know where to go from here. –K.K. Dear K.K., The first step is to make sure that any injuries that you have suffered in the accident are examined and treated. You can recover treatment costs since they are considered “economic damages” that you suffered due to the accident. You can also recover for time away from work as “economic damages,” even if you used paid time off or sick leave. The term “economic damages” means “objectively verifiable monetary losses including medical expenses, loss of earnings, burial costs, loss of use of property, costs of repair or replacement, costs of obtaining substitute domestic services, loss of employment and loss of business or employment opportunities.” Civil Code Section 1431.2(b)(1). A person’s claim for economic damages apart from medical expenses are often overlooked and not pursued by persons who settle their accident cases on their own, or with the assistance of
Legal Advice Atty. DArrick tAn inexperienced counsel. Loss of earnings are often a significant part of an injured person’s claim for economic damages. Damages are recoverable for both past and future lost earnings. To recover for past lost earnings, a person must prove the amount of income or earnings that he/she has lost to date. To recover damages for future earnings, a person must prove the amount of income or earnings that he/ she will be reasonably certain to lose in the future as a result of the injury. CACI No. 3903C. How are past lost earnings proven? Medical records, which show the doctor authorizing a release from work or giving instructions to restrict work activities, can support the time taken off from work due to the injury. For those self-employed, medical providers typically do not provide a release from work; however, medical records should record work restrictions placed by the medical provider. After showing that the time off was justified, the next step is to value the lost earnings. A letter from a person’s employer that outlines the amount of time that one has lost as a result of his/her injury, the loss of benefits, and the rate of pay during
the time of loss is evidence of the value of one’s loss of earnings claim. Other supporting documents include pay stubs, time cards, and tax returns. The monetary value of sick leave and vacation time that are used due to the injury are also recoverable. For those self-employed, earnings history as reflected by tax returns and profit and loss statements can help prove the value of lost earnings. Similar supporting documentation must be presented for future lost earnings. Apart from economic damages, you can recover “general damages,” which are damages for the pain, suffering, and inconvenience due to the accident. If you were suffered injury in an auto accident or someone’s premises, please contact our office to discuss your case. To maximize monetary recovery, it is important to have the assistance of an experienced attorney in presenting your personal injury claim. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). He is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA). LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: 323-6390277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
Julia on letting go: ‘Don’t...
PAGE B4 she has never been in such a situation before. “Mahirap sagutin yung tanong na ganyan lalo na kapag wala ka sa sitwasyon na ganun. Nasa kutob yan e, nasa pakiramdam yan,” she noted. (It’s hard to answer that question if you’ve never been in that situation before. It’s based on instincts, on how you feel.) According to her, letting go of the other person would be a sign of respect so she is not forcing them to stay with her. “Don’t force somebody to be in a relationship (Advertising Supplement)
with you if they don’t want to be with you anymore. I think that’s the time you walk away as well,” she added. Barretto is currently in a relationship with Gerald Anderson. The actor confirmed they are together through a tell-all interview with TV host Boy Abunda last March. “Di Na Muli” stars Barretto with Marco Gumabao and Marco Gallo. It follows the story of Yana (Barretto), who has the ability to know the lifespan of another person once she touches their hands. n
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