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w w w. a s i a n volume 28 - no. 44 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

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Duterte ready to tell Trump to ‘lay off’ human rights by RAe

Ann VARonA AJPress

PhiliPPine President rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday, november 8, he would tell U.s. President Donald trump to “lay off” if the latter were to bring up the issue of human rights during their upcoming meeting. Upon speaking to reporters before leaving for the AsiaPacific economic Cooperation (APeC) summit in Vietnam where he arrived Wednesday night, Duterte was ready to answer questions of how he would respond to human rights discussions. “You want to ask a question,

DATELINE

i’ll give you an answer. lay off,” said Duterte. “that is not your business. that is my business. i take care of my country and i will nurture my country to health.” since taking office in June of last year, Duterte has been condemned by international leaders and human rights groups for his war on drugs that has left thousands dead. Bloomberg previously reported that a White house official said trump would send a clear message on human rights principles during his meeting with Duterte, but the U.s. president hasn’t raised the subject before. in a thursday, november 2, media briefing, U.s. national

security Adviser h .r. mcmaster defended trump’s reluctance to speak out about human rights abuses. “how much does it help to yell about these problems,” said mcmaster. “What the president is doing is being effective,” he added. mcmaster suggested that trump may be speaking on the issues more privately and said, “i don’t think you should assume anything.” in may, trump was revealed congratulating Duterte on his “unbelievable job on the drug problem” in a leaked telephone DUTERTE IN VIETNAM. President Rodrigo Duterte is accompanied by Vietnam Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan as the Philippine president is accorded with welcome honors upon his arrival at the Da Nang International Airport in Vietnam on Wednesday, conversation between the two.

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November 8, for his participation in the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM). Malacañang photo by Robinson Niñal

Groups to hold protests against Trump

USA

by GAeA

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Trump visits South Korea on second leg of Asian tour, talks negotiation as option with N. Korea After making a first stop in Japan, U.s. President Donald trump made way to south Korea on tuesday, november 7, amid tensions with its neighbor north Korea. At a joint news conference with south Korean President moon Jae-in, trump said that the nuclear and missile programs of north Korea’s Pyongyang were threatening to “millions” of people and required worldwide action. “We call on every responsible nation, including China and russia, to demand that the north Korean regime end its nuclear

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White House, Republicans delay decision on DACA Lawmakers postpone finding a solution for the program until after the holidays

TRUMP EFFIGY. Leftist protesters parade an effigy of President Donald Trump near the U.S. Embassy on Friday, Sept. 15 to protest alleged American military interference in Mindanao. The effigy was later burned. Anti-riot police blocked members of militant groups Save Our Schools (SOS) and Kilusan ng Moro at Katutubong Mamamayan Para Sa Sariling Pagpapasya (Sandugo) on Kalaw Avenue and prevented them from crossing Roxas Boulevard. ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

CAbiCo

mAnilA — Protests will greet United states President Donald trump the moment he arrives in the Philippines for the 31st AseAn summit and related meetings. During the launch of the #Bantrump campaign tuesday, nov. 7 militant groups led by Bagong Alyansang makabayan announced they would hold a three-day protest action against the controversial leader, saying trump’s visit to the country would not be beneficial.

“trump represents the worst aspects of U.s. imperialism. his visit to the Philippines will bring more harm than good,” Bayan said in a statement. the left-leaning group noted that trump only wants to drag the country into the conflict with north Korea, increase U.s. military presence in the Philippines and engage in direct combat in mindanao. “trump seeks to maintain the grossly unequal relations between the U.s. and the Philippines. he is no friend of the filipino people. he is right now the biggest threat to regional

peace with his provocations against north Korea,” it said. filipinos should not expect trump to speak out on human rights violation in the country as “his regime cares little about the issue,” Bayan also noted. the members of makabayan bloc in the house of representatives also expressed their support to the #BantrumpPh protests. “hindi natin kailangan ng mga bagong kasunduan na nagpapatatag at nagpapalakas ng (We don’t need new agreements that will strengthen the)

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Palace on Sereno impeachment: Aquino charged with graft, Let constitutional process continue usurpation of authority over Mamasapano incident by dAnA

sioson AJPress

mAlACAñAng indicated that it would now distance itself from the impeachment case against Chief Justice maria lourdes sereno and would just let the process take its course. in a press briefing on tuesday, november 7, Palace spokesperson harry roque said it would now be up to Congress to deal with the impeachment complaint against sereno after she refused to voluntarily step down from her post. “that’s fine. that’s her answer and we let it be from now on. the suggestion was made to resign so that the constitutional process of impeachment will not have to continue,” the Palace official said. “But since she refused, we will now let the consti- Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno

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sinCe the trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in september, Congress has engaged in talks on how to protect the nearly 800,000 undocumented youth currently enrolled in the program. While minimal progress has been yielded from these talks, the White house and congressional republicans on thursday, november 2 have decided not to include a solution for DACA in the end-of-the-year spending bill, and instead will table the issue until after the holidays. “there was also a consensus that anyone on the other side of the aisle who thinks that they’re just going to codify DACA in the yearend appropriations bill, it may not be very well received,” sen. thom tillis (r-n.C.) told The image shows the Chinese miltiary structures installed on Feiry Cross reporters on Capitol hill on thursday.

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KAtReenA Philstar.com

Philsrar.com photo

by dAnA

sioson AJPress

the office of the ombudsman has filed graft and usurpation of authority charges against former Philippine President Benigno “noynoy” Aquino iii in connection with the botched 2015 mamasapano operation that killed 44 police commandos. the anti-graft body filed the raps on Wednesday, november 8, at the sandiganbayan and has Former Pres. Benigno Aquino III

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Inquirer.net poto

More Chinese island-building in South China Sea? Duterte relies on ‘good faith’ by Alexis

RomeRo And JAime lAude Philstar.com

ficials and veterans of the marawi battle, Duterte said he hoped China could be trusted to keep its word that it would not build new islands mAnilA — President Duterte in disputed waters or in areas within is relying on China’s “good faith” the Philippines’ exclusive economic that it would not embark on new zone (eeZ). China recently launched what it reclamation activities in the south China sea and West Philippine sea described as a “magic island-makin the face of renewed concerns er” vessel, triggering speculations sparked by Beijing’s launching of that it would be used to reclaim Panatag (scarborough) shoal. a large dredging vessel. Reef or Kagitingan Reef. the shoal is within the Philipin remarks before military ofPhoto courtesy of Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative

pines’ 200-nautical-mile eeZ, but was declared a “common fishing ground” by an arbitral court based in the hague. it is only 124 nautical miles off Zambales. Duterte said Chinese President Xi Jinping himself had promised not to reclaim Pagasa “and the nearby islands that we have occupied already.” the same assurance, Duterte said, was given to foreign secretary

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november 9-15, 2017 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

From The FronT Page

Trump visits South Korea on second leg of... PAGE A1 weapons and its missile program and live in peace,� said Trump at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, almost 35 miles from North Korea’s border. “It’s time to act with urgency and great determination,� he added. Despite Trump’s previous diatribes against North Korea which he said would be met

with “fire and fury� and calling Kim Jong-un “little rocket man�, Trump took a different approach and indicated dialogue with North Korea as an option towards denuclearization. “It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and for the world,� said Trump. Trump also said he had seen

“a lot of progress� in diplomatic efforts with Pyongyang, adding, “Ultimately, it will all work out.� Moon shared similar words and said, �President Trump and I reaffirmed our current strategy, which is to maximize pressure and sanctions on North Korea until it gives up nuclear weapons and to come to the table for dialogue on its own.� “At the same time, should North Korea choose to make the right choice, we also reaffirmed our view that we are willing to offer North Korea a bright future,� he added. Trump flew into South Korea from Japan where he had been since Sunday, Nov. 5, meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who Trump gifted with a gold lettered hat inscribed “Donald & Shinzo, Make Alliance Even Greater.� “We have to spend more time together because I have enjoyed every minute of it,� said Trump at the state dinner on Nov. 6. Among discussing the pressing issues of North Korea, Trump and Abe agreed to maximize pressure on the country to change its policies. “No one likes conflict,� said Abe. “But North Korea continues its provocation against international communities so we need to collaborate in the international community so they change policy,� he added. Trump also discussed trade imbalances between the U.S. and Japan saying, “We will try to resolve unfair trade relations with Japan.� Purchasing U.S. military equipment, and building cars in the U.S. were two suggestions made by Trump. Next on the itinerary of Trump’s 13-day trip across across Asia is Beijing, China where Trump will meet with President Xi Jinping who he said has been “very helpful� in dealing with North Korea. China is North Korea’s biggest trade partner. The trip will continue with a stop in Vietnam where Trump will meet with Vladimir Putin, and will conclude with a visit to the Philippines where he recently announced an extended stay to attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) on Tuesday, November 14.. (Rae Ann Varona/ AJPress)

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NO FANS OF TRUMP. Members of militant groups hold a rally denouncing the upcoming visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to Manila. The U.S. president will be in Manila next week to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. ManilaTimes.net photo by Nica Gallardo

Duterte ready to tell Trump to... PAGE A1

“Many countries have the problem, we have a problem, but what a great job you are doing and I just wanted to call and tell you that,� he added. Duterte’s war on drugs has left over 7,000 people dead with most coming from the urban poor community, according to Human Rights Watch. Despite Duterte’s warning to avoid the subject of human rights, the relationship between the two leaders have been rather cordial. Preceding Trump’s 12-day Asian tour, a White House senior administration official signaled

that the two leaders have a good relationship and said, “I think there’s a warm rapport there, and he’s very much looking forward to his first in-person meeting with President Duterte.� This followed a media briefing in which Duterte also expressed camaraderie with Trump and said he “would deal with President Trump in the most righteous way, welcome him as an important leader.� On his upcoming meeting with Trump, Duterte said on Wednesday that discussion priorities would be on trade, extremism and terrorism, and maybe Philippines’ position in relation to China, add-

ing “we all hunger for peace�. “The Philippines is a sovereign state. I will not allow anybody to impose anything on my country. I will listen to you, but if it is not to the best interest of my country, I will ignore you,� said Duterte. “I have to hear them first before I make my response because it will be based on the outcomes of their talks,� he added. “I will not go there as a subservient lackey of anyone.� The two leaders will have opportunity to meet for the first time at the APEC Summit events. Trump is also slated to arrive in the Philippines on Sunday, November 12 to attend the East Asia Summit. n

policies na tinatakda sa pangunguna ng Estados Unidos (ASEAN has been in place for five decades but ASEAN countries have yet to assert their capabilities because they are lackeys of the United States),� the solon said. Trump will be in Manila on November 12 to attend the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and the ASEAN-U.S. Summit the following day. He will extend his stay in the country to attend the East Asia Summit on November 14. The U.S. president is also expected to have a bilateral meeting with Duterte on November 13. Prior to the ASEAN Summit in

Manila, Duterte and Trump are also expected to meet in Danang, Vietnam on November 10 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. According to Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez, one of the major issues Duterte hopes to discuss with Trump is narco-terrorism. Protesters will burn a Trump effigy depicting “the U.S. leader as the fascist, racist CEO of U.S. imperialism� on November 13. The groups will hold rallies outside the U.S. Embassy, vicinity of the Philippine Internation Convention Center in Pasay City and in Clark Field in Pampanga. n

Groups to hold protests against Trump PAGE A1

master and slave relationship between the Philippines and the government of the U.S. represented by Donald Trump,� Anakpawis party-list Ariel Casilao said. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate noted that Filipinos should condemn, not celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN. “Limang dekada na ‘yang ASEAN pero ‘yung sinasabi nila na ‘yung ASEAN countries maga-assert ng kanilang sariling kakayahan ay di pa rin nangyayari bagkus ang mga bansa sa ASEAN ay nagiging sunud-sunuran sa

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Palace on Sereno impeachment... PAGE A1 tutional process of continue to proceed. Henceforth, that’s the call of the House and that’s the call of the Senate,” he added. Earlier this week, Malacañang urged Sereno to resign in order to save the Supreme Court (SC) from “further damage” in case another chief justice would get ousted for the second time. Former Chief Justice Renato Corona, Sereno’s successor, was impeached and subsequently ousted in 2012 for failing to disclose his peso and dollar accounts in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN). “It will be very difficult for the judiciary to recover from a second Senate decision to remove a sitting Chief Justice because of a finding that that Chief Justice is guilty of an impeachable offense,” the Palace official said. “I don’t think the Court can afford that so soon after the removal of former chief justice Corona,” he added. In response, Sereno’s camp maintained that she will stay put as resignation has never been an option. The chief justice’s camp also

claimed Malacañang’s call for her resignation only means that the impeachment complaint against her is “weak.” “We view this resignation call — instead of allowing the process to proceed — as a strong indication that the impeachment case filed against the Chief Justice is weak,” she said in a statement,” said Lawyer Josa Deinla, one of Sereno’s spokesperson. “The public knows that the allegations against CJ Sereno are malicious and baseless. These are not even grounds for impeachment under our Constitution,” she added. In the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, Sereno was accused of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution. Sereno was accused of failing to be truthful in declaring (SALN), as well as obstructing justice when she ordered Muntinlupa judges to not to issue arrest warrants against Senator Leila De Lima. Also cited as grounds for her impeachment were her supposed “whimsical” and “excessive” purchase of a Toyota Land

Dateline USa

Cruiser amounting to P5.1 million; misuse of judiciary funds when attending local and foreign conferences; inaction the petitions for the retirement benefits of justices, judges, or their surviving spouses; among other allegations. Deinla also refuted claim that Sereno’s resignation would “spare the institution from any further damage.” Contrary to accusations that Sereno is “destroying” the judiciary, Deinla insisted that the chief justice is actually “leading reforms in the judicial system so the people will see that justice is running well in this country.” “It is clear that there are forces out to destroy the entire Supreme Court and not just the Chief Justice,” Deinla claimed. “At any rate, Attorney Roque’s statements are premature and misdirected as it is the Chief Justice’s accusers who are inflicting damage to the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice remains unfazed by the false accusations against her and is as resolved as ever to keep serving the people at the helm of the judiciary,” she added. n

Aquino charged with graft, usurpation... PAGE A1 recommended a P30,000 bail for graft and a P10,000 bail for usurpation charges. In the information sheet of the usurpation of authority charge, Ombudsman Assistant Special Prosecutor Reza CasilaDerayunan claimed that Aquino “willfully, unlawfully and feloniously” allowed then-dismissed P h i l i p p i n e N a t i o n a l Po l i c e (PNP) Chief Alan Purisima to participate at the planning of the operation, dubbed “Oplan Exodus.” In the separate information sheet for the graft charge, the prosecutor said Aquino “allowed himself to be persuaded, induced, or influence” to violate the PNP chain of command, and preventive suspension order against Purisima. The prosecutor further claimed that Aquino knew “fully well” that it was and officerin-charge PNP chief Leonardo Espina who had the authority “to oversee the preparation and conduct of Oplan Exodus, to the damage and prejudice of the State.” The former president was charged with violation of Sec-

tion 3(a) of Republic Act 3109 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and of usurpation of authority under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code. Similar cases have also been filed against Purisima and former PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) head Getulio Napeñas. Section 3(a) of RA 3019 states that it is unlawful for any public officer to persuade, induce or influence another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules and regulations duly promulgated by competent authority. Usurpation of authority, on the other hand, is committed when a person falsely represents himself as a government official or performs any act pertaining to any person in authority without being lawfully entitled to do so. Last September, the Ombudsman denied Aquino’s appeal to drop the charges. The complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide against Aquino, which were filed by SAF 44 families’ lawyers from the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), were also junked due to “lack of probable

cause.” Duterte to Trillanes: ‘Good point’ In a rare instance, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte supported his staunch critic Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for saying that charging Aquino over the botched police operation would set a bad precedent. “You cannot usurp what is inherently your duty,” he said in a press briefing before leaving for Vietnam to attend the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Trillanes earlier said that holding Aquino liable over a failed mission means that all failed military and police operations may now be blamed on the country’s chief executive. “It will set a bad precedent kasi otherwise lahat ng palpak na mission sa AFP and PNP ay puwede mong file-an ng kaso yung commander-in-chief (because all failed AFP and PNP mission may now be used to file a case against the commanderin-chief). Hindi puwede yun (It’s not okay),” Trillanes said. Agreeing with the senator, Duterte said Trillanes “has a good point there.” n

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 9-15, 2017

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AIRMEN HEROES’ WELCOME. 200 out of the 1,007 Philippine Air Force personnel deployed in war-torn Marawi get a heroes’ welcome at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Monday. The pilots, maintenance crew and support personnel played a significant role in providing strategic and tactical air support to troops and civilians on the ground. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

House Republicans release long-awaited tax reform plan

Bill delivers major tax cuts to corporations and benefits top earners by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

AFTER months of outlining and delay, Republicans in the United States House of Representatives have finally released their first draft of their highly anticipated tax reform bill on Thursday, November 2. Introduced by the House Ways and Means Committee, the heavily detailed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a sweeping reform that seeks to simplify the current U.S. tax code. The $1.5-trillion plan promises the kind of tax system favored by businesses, as it delivers a significant tax cut for corporations and more conservative savings for the middle-class. According to calculations by the Joint Committee on Taxation, the bill would garner about $1 trillion in net cuts. At its core, the bill is a win for corporations, which will see its corporate tax rate cut from 35 percent to 20 percent, a shift that is measured to decrease federal revenues by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years. In general, the legislation promises major tax cuts for wealthy Americans who tend to benefit from corporate tax cuts than most Americans. Americans that earn between $400,000 to $1 million a year would face drastically lower top income tax rates. Moreover, Americans that tend to earn a profound share of their income from capital (i.e. stock sales, dividends, etc.) also benefit from the corporate tax cut. In a statement delivered on Thursday, Trump applauded the House for sticking to tax reform

priorities long desired by conservatives. “My tax reform priorities have been the same since day one: bringing tax cuts for hardworking, middle-income Americans; eliminating unfair loopholes and deductions; and slashing business taxes so employers can create jobs, raise wages, and dominate their competition around the world,” Trump said in a statement. Although the bill does cut taxes, it doesn’t do much for middle-income Americans whose incomes don’t qualify them to receive the significant tax cuts. The bill simplifies the sevenbracket tax system to just three tax brackets: 12, 25 and 35 percent, which means that Americans are now subjected to different income tax rates. The threshold for the top 39.6 percent of individual income raises to $1 million for couples, an increase from $470,700. In other words, this bill shifts the definition of “wealthy American” because of its change in the consolidation of its tax brackets. For example, Americans who make $600,000 to $700,000 will get a sizeable cut in their income taxes because they are subjected to the 12 percent tax rate; before they would have been taxed at 15 or 25 percent. Due to the elimination of the state and local income/sales tax deduction, people residing in blue states would also pay higher taxes. Wealthier residents who benefit from these deductions would also see increases in income tax, but it could be counteracted by other tax cuts detailed in the bill.

California, which has the highest state income tax rate, would see disproportionate damage. “[The bill is] really so punitive to certain states and, to California, it is devastating,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said at a press conference on Thursday. “It removes over $100 billion of possible tax deductions against – over $100 billion for our state. Did they ever check with our economic or our finance department in our state to see what the impact would be on that state? No.” Additionally, the change in mortgage interest deductions in the housing sector would reduce the incentive to buy and build homes, which would deliver a significant blow to homeowners. The deduction would apply to home purchases and mortgages made after Nov. 2, which experts say would put homeowners and the housing industry at risk. “Contrary to their assertions, the Republicans are picking winners and losers,” Chief Executive of the National Association of Homebuilders Jerry Howard told the New York Times. “They are picking rich Americans and corporations over small businesses and the middle class.” Another significant measure listed in the bill that would affect families details the elimination of tax-free savings accounts for child and dependent care. An unlikely passage As is the case with many major bills, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is likely not to stay in its current form and would need changes to satisfy lawmakers in high-tax states. u PAGE A4

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White House, Republicans delay...

PAGE A1 Back in January, the president assured DREAMers that he’ll continue to protect them. “[DREAMers] shouldn’t be very worried,” said Trump in an interview with ABC News shortly after his inauguration. “I do have a big heart. We’re going to take care of everybody.” In July, when probed about his plans for DREAMers, he softened his stance and said that a decision on DACA is “very, very hard to make” but that he understood the situation “very well.” Trump then broke his promise in a surprising decision to would phase out DACA, which was established in 2012 by former President Barack Obama to provide work authorization, protection from deportation and a host of other benefits to undocumented youth. In a statement, he said that his decision was driven by a concern for all Americans, saying that “millions of Americans [have been] victimized by this unfair system.” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that the program has said that DACA, through its work authorization measure, “denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans.” Since 2012, more than 800,000 undocumented youth — called DREAMers — have received benefits. More than 22,000 young Filipinos are eligible for the program, and between 6,000 to 10,000 are currently enrolled, according to several reports from the United States Citizenship and Immigra-

tion (USCIS) and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The White House announcement to end DACA sent a shock signal to DREAMers and their families who worry about their educational and career goals set forth because of the program. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued a statement condemning the decision by the president and congressional Republicans to not include DACA in the endof-the-year spending bill. Rep. Judy Chu (D-California) said that the “cruel decision” to end DACA left the lives of many Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth in limbo. “It is reprehensible that the president is now attempting to use these young people as bargaining chips to advance his anti-immigrant agenda,” Chu, who represents Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley area in Congress, said in the statement. “The White House should not play politics with the lives of our nation’s Dreamers. If the bipartisan, bicameral DREAM Act were brought to the floor today, it would have the votes to pass,” Chu asserted. “I urge my Republican colleagues to do the right thing and allow us to vote on a clean DREAM Act before Congress adjourns in December.” DACA advocates in Congress also aren’t going down without a fight. The progressive liberal wing of the Senate has decided to

take a stand against Trump and the Republicans and warn they will oppose a government funding bill in December if a deal is not made on DACA. Senator Kamala Harris (DCalifornia) was one of the first senators to speak out against the delay in a decision for DREAMers, whose lives she said should not be used as political pawns. “I will not vote for an end-ofyear spending bill until we are clear about what we are going to do to protect and take care of our DACA young people in this country,” Harris, a long-time advocate for immigrants’ rights, said at a press conference two weeks ago. “Each day in the life of these young people is a very long time, and we’ve got to stop playing politics with their lives.” Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) are among the senators to hold the president accountable for his promise to protect DREAMers he made early in his presidency. “Trump must make good on his promise to sign a bill protecting DREAMers. I won’t vote for any spending bill without a permanent DACA fix,” Sanders tweeted on Friday. Booker cited the “chaos and uncertainty” DREAMers are currently facing as they await government action on their futures, saying, “I want solutions to protect these kids, and won’t vote for a spending bill that doesn’t include one. It’s an issue of basic decency and morality.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

‘PISTANG DALUYONG ‘ 17. Mandaluyong City Mayor Carmencita Abalos (black polo) waves to people as she leads the fluvial parade along Pasig River during the 86th anniversary of the law changing the name of the Municipality of San Felipe Neri in the Province of Rizal to Mandaluyong City. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

More Chinese island-building in South...

PAGE A1 Alan Peter Cayetano. “He will not build something on the Scarborough Shoal,” the President said, referring to Xi. “I just hope that he would honor it because it will change the entire geography of the world. And war starts. I don’t know what will be the next geographical division of Asia,” he added. While vowing to assert the country’s rights over the West Philippine Sea, Duterte stressed it is not yet the time to do it. The Chief Executive reiterated he would not go to war over the West Philippine Sea as it would result in a “massacre” of Filipino troops. “If I were to insist on our arbitral claim as demanded by some of the justices, I would run afoul with everything else because China is not the only power that is claiming

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a part of the (South) China Sea. Taiwan has a claim and it overlaps the northern part of the country, our economic zones. And Vietnam has another idea of what this is. And Malaysia. And they were starting really to pile up,” the President said. “Instead of just facing one, I’d be facing many. If there are concessions given or conceded, the other countries who are also claimants on the same area will start to assert. That’s my problem. It’s really the changing geopolitics,” he pointed out. He also vowed to be “frank” in discussing the maritime row with China on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meet in Vietnam. Duterte left for Da Nang on Wednesday, Nov. 8 for the summit, where he is expected to interact with fellow leaders including Xi. There was no official announcement if Duterte and Xi would have a meeting in Vietnam but the Philippine leader hinted that he might have a word with Chinese officials. A China Daily report said dredging ship Tiankun is 140 meters long and can dredge as much as 6,000 cubic meters of sand or clay per hour from 35 meters below the water’s surface. Similar ships were said to have been used to build artificial islands in the South China Sea. Earlier at Malacañang, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte “recognizes the principle of good faith in international relations” when asked to comment on the launching of the dredging ship. “China has told the President, they do not intend to reclaim Scarborough and we leave it at that. We need to rely on good faith because otherwise there would be no predictability in international relations,” Roque told a press briefing. China occupied Panatag Shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine Navy vessels, which had tried to arrest Chinese poachers. Chinese maritime surveillance ships harassed Philippine Navy vessels, enabling the poachers to escape with their illegal harvest of

giant clams, endangered corals and baby sharks. The Panatag standoff prompted the Aquino administration to contest China’s massive claim in the South China Sea before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which eventually validated Manila’s position. Beijing had vowed not to comply with the ruling. Asked whether the President would question the launching of the vessel, Roque replied: “As I said, he has relied completely on the principle of good faith. Which is, in fact, a fundamental and cardinal principle of international law.” Roque noted that Duterte has opted to maintain very close and cordial relationship with China despite the dispute over some areas in the West Philippine Sea. “I think we are seeing new heights in terms of Philippine-Chinese relations and it has resulted in very tangible results, particularly economic investments,” he said. China has undertaken massive reclamation activities in Kagitingan (Fiery Cross), Panganiban (Mischief), Zamora (Subi), Burgos (Gaven), Kennan (Hughes), Mabini (Johnson) and Calderon (Cuarteron) Reefs, areas located off the western province of Palawan. Airstrips, radar systems and barracks were also seen on the reefs, reinforcing theories that China is shoring up its military might in the region. China has denied militarizing the South China Sea and maintained that it is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region. Meanwhile, construction of a beaching ramp in Pag-asa Island in the Kalayaan Island Group has started in preparation for more improvements of military and civilian structures in the island town, the Department of National Defense said. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, through spokesman Arsenio Andolong, said the construction ramp is expected to be completed early next year, depending of weather conditions. The defense official said a beaching ramp would allow large ships to dock and unload construction materials. n

House Republicans release...

The Asian Journal Media Group, now on its 27th year in business, is a leading ethnic multimedia agency serving the global Filipino industry. Asian Journal publishes over 7 million weekly community newspapers annually in the USA from California, Nevada, New York, to New Jersey. In addition to this, the Asian Journal also publishes a quarterly magazine that is distributed in 60 countries and 101 cities throughout the World. Complementing these frequent print publications are a variety of digital channels such as AsianJournal.com, BalikbayanMag.com, and LoveOfCounry.ph. As an extension of that core mission, the Asian Journal, in cooperation with the Philippine Departments of Tourism (DOT), and Trade and Industry (DTI), is organizing multi-city “Travel, Trade, and Consumer Roadshows” to connect the US and Philippine markets together. These events are in line with the “Balikbayan Program” of the Department of Tourism and Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) and the “One Town, One Product” of the DTI. The organizers collectively aim to ignite, drive, and fuel business-to-business, government-to-business, and business-to-consumer networking while showcasing and promoting tourism, investment, studying abroad, philanthropy, and retirement in the Philippines.

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PAGE A3 The increase in budget deficient promised from its corporate tax slash would certainly raise the deficit over the next decade, an outcome which would guarantee strong challenge in the Senate. Per Senate rules, some legislation can pass with only 51 votes, so long as the bill doesn’t result in long-run deficit increases. Since this current draft violates that stipulation, it would need 60 votes, meaning unlikely profound support from the Democrats. But the bill was also met by reservations from Senate Republicans, who are looking to push for changes to the bill, specifically reducing the overall cost that the bill entails. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) hasn’t been shy about his criticisms of Trump and the Republican Party and on Thursday blasted the current version of the bill for increasing the overall deficit — a goal shared by all Republicans. “As I have made clear from the beginning of this debate, it is my hope that the final legislation — while allowing for current policy assumptions and reasonable dynamic scoring — will not add to the deficit, sets rates that are permanent in nature and closes a minimum of $4 trillion and loopholes and special interest deductions,” Corker said. Amid the controversy and backlash surrounding the GOP House tax bill, Republicans have emphasized that the initial draft would be far from the final product. A day after the bill was introduced, Ways and Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady (R-Texas) offered an amendment that would delay the repeal of tax-free savings accounts for child care. He also plans to amend the tax on private university endowments, which would affect schools that receive endowments that measure to $250,000 per student, rather than $100,000 per student. However, the amendments proposed don’t do much to the estimated increase in the federal

budget deficit. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) — the nonpartisan wing of Congress that estimates the financial outcomes of proposed legislation — found that the bill would raise the federal budget deficits by $1.7 trillion in the next decade. Additionally, U.S. debt would increase to 97.1 percent of GDP in 2027, up from 91.2 percent under current CBO estimates. The election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, also presented as potential roadblocks as the GOP attempts to establish their landmark tax reform. Democrats handily won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia; particularly, Democrats also have the power to take control of the Virginia House of Delegates, which could provide a sizable challenge to the GOP. “I mean, it could, because the elections went against the Republicans,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) said of how the recent elections could shape the bill going forward. When probed about whether pressure to shape the tax plan’s benefits in favor of the middle class, Hatch assured, “I think we’ve been moving that way anyway.” House Speaker Paul Ryan, however, remained hopeful that the elections won’t affect the bill’s success and intends to go forth with the House plan, which would raise the deficit and deliver radical cuts to corporations and the affluent. “It doesn’t change my reading of the current moment,” Ryan said Wednesday morning. “It just emphasizes my reading of the current moment, which is we have a promise to keep and we have to get on with keeping our promise.” Maintaining the bill benefits all Americans, Ryan added: “I fundamentally believe, when we deliver on comprehensive tax reform and tax relief...I think that’s going to bear fruit politically, but most importantly, it’s going to help people.” n

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Dateline PDehiliPPines Venecia pushes peace mission to North Korea by JefferSon

antiporda ManilaTimes

ASEAN SECURITY FORCE. A priest blesses the 60,000-strong multi-agency force during the send-off ceremonies on Sunday, November 5 for the upcoming 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit 2017 and Related Meetings. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

4 years later, ‘Yolanda’ victims still cry for shelter by Catherine

S. Valente

Philstar.com

As the country commemorates the fourth anniversary of super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), Malacañang has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to rebuild communities affected by the disaster amid continued cries for shelter among victims. In a news conference on Tuesday, Nov. 7, Palace spokesman Harry Roque assured the public that President Rodrigo Duterte would not turn his back on Yolanda victims. He said the Duterte administration had learned from past mistakes when it came to dealing with Yolanda’s devastation. “We join the victims of Yolanda in the crying the very slow rebuilding of Yolanda. And to address this, the President has asked General del Rosario and Wendel Avisado to act as point persons in the rebuilding of the Yolanda-ravaged communities,” Roque said, referring to housing czar Eduardo del Rosario and Presidential Assistant Wendel Avisado, in-charge of Yolanda rehabilitation. “We remain committed in this regard and we have learned from the lessons of Yolanda as far as the rebuilding of Marawi is concerned,” he added. Duterte visited Yolanda vic-

Incoming Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Inquirer.net photo

tims in Tacloban City last year and openly expressed his frustration over the slow-paced housing projects for the supertyphoon survivors. The Chief Executive returned to Tacloban in January but still lamented that not all his expectations were met. This year, however, Duterte will not be in the country during the Yolanda anniversary on November 8, as he is scheduled to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam. The President will also be preoccupied in the days ahead due to Manila’s hosting of the Association of southeast Asian Na-

tions summit. In November 2013, Yolanda swept across the Philippines and left a path of destruction on several islands and locations such as Leyte Island, samar Island, Biliran, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo, Masbate, Palawan and Dinagat Islands. Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoons to ever make landfall, pounded Tacloban City, destroying homes and structures and killing thousands of local residents. The rehabilitation of the affected communities has been slow and the past administration was widely criticized for its perceived inefficiency. The House committee on housing and urban development reported on the lack of progress in housing in Yolanda-affected areas in september. Citing data from the National Housing Authority (NHA), lawmakers said 205,128 houses were supposed to have been constructed for typhoon survivors. But of the figure, only 11.4 percent were occupied, according to the NHA itself. Only 33 percent have been completed, although lawmakers believe the real figures are much lower. Roque said the President backs moves to hold those who PAGE A7

FORMER House speaker Jose de Venecia believes that two major international summits can be good opportunities for world leaders to come up with a new approach to address the Korean peninsula crisis. De Venecia, a special envoy for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Inter-Cultural Dialogue, said leaders of the 10member Association of southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the 21-member APEC could explore the possibility of forming a small team to lead negotiations with North Korea. He noted that the APEC meeting in Vietnam to be held on November 8 to 11 and the Asean summit in the Philippines on November 10 to 14 are opportunities for the leaders to explore the idea of sending a joint peace mission to Pyongyang. President Rodrigo Duterte in a recent speech said someone should talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to convince him nobody is out to remove him or destroy his country. De Venecia said a joint peace mission could help ease tensions in the Korean peninsula and pave the way for an enduring peace in the area. He said the inter-Korean talks could be at senior or mid-levels, representing not more than seven parties including key APEC members like the United states, China, Russia, Japan, south Korea, a representative of Asean, and North Korea. “Progress could be publicized or unpublicized with a recess on the eve of the Christmas holidays, and the talks could target preliminary understanding by early next year,” de Venecia said in a statement. The former speaker noted that a meeting of the two Koreas, with the participation of APEC and Asean representatives, could even lead to the inclusion of North Korea in the Asean Plus 3 nations. “This would add North Korea to the current Asean Plus 3, which includes the 10 Asean nations plus China, Japan, and south Korea. In the future, perhaps the two Koreas

could consider a “unification” or “confederation,” he added. De Venecia, the founding chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), counts Pyongyang’s Korean Workers Party as one of ICAPP’s more than 300 ruling, opposition and independent parties

as members. Also, as co-chairman of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), he plans to invite the North Korean Parliament to nominate delegates to the IAPP. The unification of Korea, de PAGE A7

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OpiniOn

Safety first

Features

“Generally, it is safe to work, study, do business, and travel in the Philippines.” This was what newly appointed Presidential spokesperson Harry roque assured foreign embassies following the fresh travel advisory issued by the australian government against the Philippines. In its advisory, the Australian government cautioned its citizens on the Philippines’ safety or security risks. “We verified with Australian officials and that the advisory is not a response to any specific threat. Their general threat assessment has remained the same as it was the height of the Marawi rebellion, which we all know has already been resolved by our government forces,” Roque said in his official statement. The United Kingdom (UK) likewise said its existing travel advisory regarding terror threats in the Philippines remains in effect. The alert on its official website, updated Nov. 3, was identified as “still current” on November 4. “Militant groups in rural areas throughout the Philippines. Armed clashes between security forces and militant groups can occur at any time without warning. Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the Philippines, including in Manila,” the advisory stated. For its part, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has coordinated with other embassies and confirmed that there are no changes on the travel advisories to the Philippines issued by other countries. “The Philippine government has no information about any increased terror threat in the county and we assure our foreign friends that local authorities have been enforcing tight security measures, especially in populated areas while we urge everyone to continue being aware of one’s surroundings,” Roque added. Fighting in Marawi City was declared over after military forces killed Abu sayyaf leader Isnilon

Hapilon and Omar Maute, one of the founders of the Maute Group, last October 23. Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 8, the entire force of the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be on full alert to address any security concerns for the southeast Asian Nations (AseAN) summit 2017 which is scheduled next week. Under this status, PNP units are available 100 percent for immediate deployment should they be required immediately. Military personnel are also tasked to remain vigilant and secure the safety of leaders and delegations attending next week’s summit. National Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said no security threat has been detected so far. An estimated 60,000 personnel from 21 agencies and their equipment will be deployed to various AseAN meeting venues in Metro Manila, Bulacan and Pampanga to secure the week-long event. “We cannot be very complacent. We should be aware, we should be on guard. We need to be strict in implementing tight security measures to prevent any untoward incident,” Lorenzana said. National security is of paramount importance to any country and to everyone. Confronting any looming threat goes beyond the power of governments. Travel advisory or not, every citizen is advised to remain vigilant and to take extra precautions wherever they go. The war against terrorism requires a resolute individual to take a stand and confront it. This also means understanding terrorism: why it exists and why it has had adverse consequences on humanity. (AJPress)

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective

The Filipino Channel’s ‘Balitang America’ turns 15 Documentary airs on November 12

pines and around the world that affect our lives here in Gel SantoS-ReloS North America and the lives of our families in this global “BALITANG AMeRICA” community — all told from our (BA), the daily newscast of unique Filipino-American perABs-CBN International’s The spective. Filipino Channel, is celebrating BA was created as a result of its 15th year and has become ABs-CBN’s mission to expand the leading source for Filipinos news bureaus in different parts in North America. of the world where The FilipiBA is a 30-minute newscast no Channel (TFC) was shown. aired daily from Mondays to The mission was the driving Fridays that presents news sto- force — to serve the overseas ries about Filipinos in North Filipino community. America, as well as news reWith meager resources and ports about currents events in limited manpower, BA preAmerica, Canada, the Philip- miered on september 28, 2002

Babe’s Eye View BaBe Romualdez Less than six months after joining the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte, former senator and now Foreign Affairs secretary Alan Peter Cayetano literally hit the ground running. And I can comfortably say – after watching him up close – that he is the perfect man for the job. I traveled with secretary Alan to Davao last Friday for the briefing of the president on the upcoming AseAN summit. With 21 heads of state plus the UN secretary-General set to attend, the preparations for this historic event are simply overwhelming. This column may sound “sipsip” to some people but I can bluntly say I’ve been around long enough to know who’s who in government and what’s what. Observing secretary Alan in the past couple of weeks, I can see he can aptly articulate what is in President Duterte’s mind. “The Philippines integrates the human rights agenda in its

Philstar.com photo

as a weekly newscast, with headlines and stories focused on the aftermath of the biggest terrorist attack on U.s. soil on september 11, 2001, specifically on the heightened security and growing anti-immigrant sentiments. I was already anchoring the daily newscast in the Philippines for 12 years when my family immigrated to the United states in 2001 for my husband’s advanced training as a surgeon. It was in 2003 when I started to re-connect with my ABs-CBN family when BA tried to cover as many U.s. states as

possible. I was based in Minnesota at that time doing real estate on the side when I was invited by BA to contribute stories about Filipinos in this part of the Midwest. In 2005, my family moved to California. This paved the way for me to be in front of the cameras for ABs-CBN again, initially as a co-host of Atty. Michael Gurfinkel for “Citizen Pinoy,” and as a pinch-hitter for Cara subijano for BA. In 2007, BA became a daily newscast, and it paved the way for me to go back to anchoring the news on a daily basis.

BUT there is a bigger story on how BA came to be the most far-reaching source of news and information for Filipinos in America. WATCH the BA documentary and find out how the newscast began, the grit and tenacity of the BA team, and the inside stories of our coverage. “For every breaking news, for every compelling story, BA has been with you for 15 years. With our team of reporters across the United states and Canada, BA has become a voice for the most underrepresented in the community, a

unifying force for important undertakings, and a rallying point during times of crisis and tragedy.” Watch “Beyond News: 15 years of Balitang America,” airing November 12 at 7:45 p.m. across time zones - ONLY ON TFC! *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos. Relos

Philippine foreign affairs in good hands development initiatives for the purpose of protecting everyone, especially the most vulnerable, from lawlessness, violence and anarchy… That is why we have a massive campaign to restore the rule of law by fighting corruption, crime and illegal drugs,” he said in his eloquent speech at the UN general assembly in New York, emphasizing that “security and human rights are not incompatible.” However, he also stated that Filipinos expect the sovereignty of this nation to be respected, and that “its democratically elected government’s assessment of threats and how to go about addressing them shall be accorded pre-eminence among nations.” He also had very good meetings in Washington, D.C. with Us state secretary Rex Tillerson as well as senators John McCain III and Cory Gardner. McCain is a strong advocate of the continuing engagement of the U.s. in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region. McCain’s grandfather served in the Philippines during the second World War while his father, U.s. Navy

Admiral John s. McCain Jr., was awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor. senator McCain himself spent time in subic and it was in Clark where he was processed after his release from Vietnam as a prisoner of war. senator Gardner — who chairs the U.s. senate’s Foreign Relations subcommittee on east Asia — visited the Philippines last June to have a “face-to-face” discussion with President Duterte about threats to Us national security and the importance of adhering to the rule of law. Gardner is also one of those who urged Us President Donald Trump to attend the AseAN summit, noting the importance of showing Us leadership “not just in rhetoric but in action, in visible ways.” In the meeting with Tillerson, both officials reaffirmed the importance of maintaining the partnership and alliance between the U.s. and the Philippines which, in the words of secretary Tillerson, is “on an upward vector.” During that meeting, secretary Alan also said the Philippines is ready to work with

independent observers and experts on the serious problem of illegal drugs – but he also made it clear in no uncertain terms that these experts or investigators must be fair and impartial, and make sure investigations are not politicized so that outcomes are credible. People who know secretary Cayetano well say his sharp wit, unflappable character and eloquence are among the reasons why he is perfect as our top diplomat – able to articulate what the president really wants to communicate. Many Filipino-Americans who met Alan Peter during his month-long trip to the U.s. were clearly impressed, saying he “exemplifies a young diplomat with charisma and sense of humor…” positive characteristics that could be utilized to “balance and calm down political tensions that the Duterte administration is facing with other countries.” During a speaking engagement dubbed as “A Conversation with Alan Peter Cayetano” organized by the Council on Foreign Relations, former U.s.

Ambassador to the Philippines Frank Wisner introduced him as “a man who has worked [his] way up from the grassroots of Philippine politics through the House of Representatives, to [his] election to the senate…” – representing “the very best in Philippine politics,” and adding “particular tone and luster” to the Cabinet of President Duterte. The said speaking engagement highlighted the eloquence and intelligence of secretary Cayetano – framing the president’s new independent foreign policy through the balanced use of metaphors and “plainspeak” as he discussed the challenges that global change poses on bilateral relations. President Duterte pursues “a truly independent foreign policy for Filipinos by Filipinos, where we pursue bridges to places where once there was none… a bridge to the other side of the river,” secretary Alan said. When the president announced our “separation” from the U.s. during his state visit to China, what he meant was this: When Philippine interests in-

tersect with the interest of the U.s. or any other country, we go together. When the interests do not meet, then we make our own path. “sometimes we sacrifice, because that is what foreign relations is all about… It’s about we. It’s about us,” Alan Peter told his audience, elaborating that the Philippines also wants to stand on its own two feet. “What good is the Philippines as an ally to the U.s. if we are always dependent upon you? But as a strong ally, standing on our own, we are more use to you and the American people,” he said. This is actually aligned with President Donald Trump’s speech to the UN: “Our success depends on a coalition of strong and independent nations that embrace their sovereignty, to promote security, prosperity, and peace, for themselves and for the world,” Trump said. With secretary Alan as Foreign secretary, I completely subscribe to what he described as our foreign policy: “The Filipino people’s interest comes before all others.” (Philstar.com)

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 9-15, 2017

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Trillanes files graft, plunder complaints DOJ starts ‘pork’ probe of Drilon, Trillanes against Gordon over Red Cross funds by Edu

Punay Philstar.com

by ElizabEth

MarcElo Philstar.com

MANILA — Following their series of word wars, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV formally filed Wednesday, Nov. 8 a criminal complaint against his colleague Sen. Richard Gordon in connection with the latter’s alleged misuse of P200 million worth of funds of the Philippine Red Cross. In his 23-page complaint-affidavit filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, Trillanes, assisted by his lawyer Rey Robles, said Gordon, as well as former Red Cross Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang, must be investigated for plunder, graft, malversation of public funds, violations of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act and Section 14 Article VI of the 1987 Constitution. Trillanes said the ombudsman must also investigate Gordon for administrative offenses of grave misconduct and culpable violation of the Constitution, and if proven guilty, must recommend to the Senate the latter’s dismissal from his post and his perpetual disqualification from public office. In his complaint, Trillanes alleged that P200-million worth of Red Cross funds were misused since Gordon assumed chairmanship of the organization in 2004. Trillanes said that of this amount, P193 million came from Gordon’s Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel, which he allocated to Red Cross from 2004 to 2011 during his term as a senator. Trillanes said Gordon’s PDAF allocations were coursed through the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The DSWD and Gordon’s office then entered into a memorandum of agreement with Red Cross. “Ordinarily, there would have been nothing objectionable or anomalous about a legislator allocating his PDAF funds for the Philippine Red Cross, considering the stature of the society as a premier humanitarian organization in the Philippines,” Trillanes’ complaint read. Trillanes said Gordon’s act was in violation of Section 14 Article VI of the Constitution which prohibits members of the Senate and the House of Representatives from

In this Aug. 31 photo, Senators Richard Gordon and Antonio Trillanes IV are pacified by Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III after the two argued over the need to invite President Duterte’s son Paolo and son-in-law Manases Carpio to a hearing on the P6.4-billion smuggled shabu. Philstar.com photo by Geremy Pintolo

having any financial or pecuniary interest in any contracts that the government is entering into. Furthermore, Trillanes alleged that the P200-million Red Cross fund, which included the PDAF allocations of Gordon, was disbursed by Pang “to fund anomalous projects without the requisite approval of the [Red Cross] Board of Governors and without the requisite public bidding”. Trillanes said most of these “anomalous projects” were undertaken by the Red Cross to boost the candidacy of Gordon for the presidential and senatorial elections in 2010 and 2013, respectively. He said among the anomalous purchases using the Red Cross funds include 500,000 pieces of plastic whistles amounting to P12 million, a karaoke and baller IDs bearing the name of Gordon, ad placements amounting P29 million, upgrade of the Philippine Red Cross website amounting P5 million and purchase of “Wow” tarpaulins from 2007 to 2009 “in order to boost Sen. Gordon’s candidacy as President in 2010.” Gordon was the proponent of the government’s “Wow Philippines” campaign during his term as tourism secretary under the Arroyo administration. Trillanes said Gordon and Pang also conspired in dismissing calls for investigation on the alleged fund misuse. He said that instead of ordering an independent investigation, Gordon created a committee composed of governors handpicked by him to investigate the matters. The committee, later on, absolved Pang and ordered the expulsion of then-Red Cross Youth Gov. Jan Elvest Bo who first exposed the alleged fund misuse.

MANILA — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has started its reinvestigation into the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is building up cases from evidence submitted to his office by former Manila councilor and anti-pork barrel advocate Greco Belgica and other sources as well as initial statements by accused pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. “There are many documents submitted to us, but the ones from Greco Belgica would already suffice. The NBI is now building up the cases,” Aguirre said in an interview. He issued the statement in response to the recent call made by former Makati vice mayor and Campaign for Public Accountability (CPA) convenor Bobby Brillante for the reinvestigation into the pork barrel scam, particularly the supposed involvement of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. Brillante also called on the Senate to conduct another investigation on the PDAF scam, saying the probe in the previous administration was selective as it only targeted three opposition senators then: Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Bong Revilla. Drilon is a member of the political opposition, while Trillanes is a critic of President Duterte. Earlier, Trillanes challenged Duterte and his family to sign waivers on

Trillanes said the Red Cross Board headed by Gordon also resorted to “legal maneuverings” which eventually resulted in the removal of Red Cross chief accountant Jeric Sian who recommended an independent audit on the questionable Red Cross transactions. Trillanes said even Gordon’s predecessor, long-time Red Cross Chairman Rosa Rosal, in October 2013, also wrote to the Board of Governors requesting probe on P200-million alleged fund misuse and asking for Pang’s suspension, but the board ignored the request. “The existence of a conspiracy between respondents Gordon and Pang in the commission of the violations subject of this Complaint is shown by their concurrence of will and unity to action and purpose, with respondent Pang entering into the anomalous transactions for the benefit of respondent Gordon, and respondent Gordon acting to coverup and/or gloss over the transgressions of respondent Pang, thus, showing a tacit, spontaneous coordination between PAGE A5 caused delays in housing projthem,” the complaint read. In a chance interview after filing ects accountable for their apparhis complaint, Trillanes said there ent negligence. “On Yolanda, there are very were several governors of Red Cross who have already signified good lessons learned. The delay their intention to testify against in the reconstruction of Yolanda devastated areas is simply unacGordon. Trillanes said he would also ceptable as far as the president formally request the Commission is concerned,” he said. Thousands of families affecton Audit to conduct a special audit investigation on public funds al- ed by “Yolanda” held protests in Tacloban City and Catarman, located to Red Cross. Without elaborating, Trillanes Northern Samar on Wednesday, said he is also preparing another Nov. 8. People Surge, a non-govcomplaint against Gordon in connection with the alleged Red Cross ernmental organization based properties from which the latter in Tacloban City, led a silent protest on Nov. 2 along the supposedly profited from.

their bank accounts allegedly containing unexplained wealth worth millions of pesos. Aguirre said Drilon and Trillanes have been implicated by Napoles in the PDAF scam. “Napoles mentioned prominent personalities from the previous administration, including Senators Drilon and Trillanes,” he said. But Aguirre refused to give further details so as not to preempt the NBI’s fact-finding probe. Trillanes IV was unfazed by the reinvestigation of the DOJ into the PDAF scam. He described the new probe as “just another propaganda move of DOJ.” “Kung meron talaga akong ginawang kalokohan dyan sa PDAF na yan, last year pa dapat nila nafile yan (If I really did something illegal in that PDAF, they would have filed charges against me last year),” Trillanes said in a text message. The senator earlier denied any involvement in any irregularity regarding PDAF, the Disbursement Acceleration Program funds or any government fund. He stressed he was never mentioned in any of the so-called Napoles lists provided during the height of the investigations in 2013. Drilon could not be reached for comment as he is still out of the country. Earlier this year, Aguirre said Napoles cooperated with the DOJ’s plan to revisit the PDAF scam and was set to submit a tellall affidavit. Aguirre said Napoles also implicated former budget secretary Butch Abad and detained Senator

Leila de Lima, but has yet to detail their alleged criminal liabilities. During the previous administration, Napoles submitted to the DOJ a list of all lawmakers she had allegedly transacted with. She tagged about a dozen senators and over 100 congressmen who benefitted from the PDAF scam that involved bogus nongovernment organizations, but only Enrile, Estrada and Revilla and several congressmen were indicted by the Sandiganbayan. This supposed “selective justice” in the PDAF scam was among the issues raised by Duterte during his presidential campaign last year. Recently, Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero have called for reopening of the probe into the pork barrel scam. They stressed that the cases involving Napoles comprised less than half of the total amount that went to the pockets of unscrupulous public officials and their cohorts. Escudero said he favors a reopening of the Senate investigation, especially if the DOJ could present new evidence that would pin down other involved personalities. He said only P6 billion worth of PDAF was investigated in relation to the case of Napoles, while the Commission on Audit reported that P13 billion to P14 billion of public funds were unaccounted for. For her part, Poe underscored the need to resolve the matter once and for all, adding that a number of personalities who have been previously named in past investigations have yet to come forward. n

4 years later, ‘Yolanda’ victims... De Venecia national highway in Tanuan, Leyte. Five body bags were laid on the ground, representing the five “false” promises made by the Duterte administration: the investigation of the “gang of five” referring to former President Benigno Aquino III, former Interior secretary Mar Roxas III, former Social Welfare secretary Dinky Soliman, former Energy secretary Carlos Petilla and former rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson who were accused of neglecting the typhoon victims, housing, aid to farmers, livelihood and the distribution of the Emergency Shelter Assistance.

pushes peace... PAGE A5 Venecia said, is not impossible, citing the cases of Germany and Vietnam. “Unforeseen, unnegotiated geo-political circumstances eventually proved everyone wrong, resulting finally in a strong, prosperous united Germany and a flourishing united Vietnam,” he pointed out. De Venecia is on a visit to Iran to promote Inter-Cultural Dialogue and to pursue a project for a petrochemicals complex in Pangasinan and Northern Luzon.

A

november 9-15, 2017 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017

VEGAS&STYLE

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JOURNAL Winwyn Marquez is Miss Meet the Filipina animator behind Disney-Pixar’s new Mexican hit ‘Coco’ Hispanoamericana 2017; Karen MILO SEVERO Philstar.com

by JAN

IN the upcoming Disney-Pixar movie “Coco,” there might be no Filipino touches like the “bahay kubo” inside Nemo’s aquarium, but Filipina Pixar supervising animator Gini Cruz Santos assured Filipinos will love the movie about the celebration for poeple’s dearly departed. “The Mexican culture, they kind of share our dynamic a little bit as family. For me, I was excited because I felt like all our research in the dynamic of our acting and just kind of a how the Mexican family relates to each other feels Filipino,” Santos told a group of journalists during a roundtable interview. “Coco” introduces Miguel, an aspiring singer who dreams of following in the footsteps of his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz, the most famous musician in the history of Mexico. Nonetheless, his family

forbids music until he discovers why and until he unlocked the secret in the land of the dead during the Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). Santos, who counts Disney’s “Brave” and Dory in “Finding Nemo” as among her notable works, admitted that the biggest challenge for her in making the film is to animate the skeletons because kids might get intimidated. “Kids might be afraid to see them (skeletons) at first but we’re hoping that they would relate to see Miguel, being another kid, interacting with skeletons and hopefully be like ‘Hey it’s okay with Miguel, it should be okay (for us),’” the Pasay City native and the University of Santo Tomas graduate said. In the film, the Mexican holiday, just like Undas in the Philippines, was richly shown. “We did a lot of research before

Ibasco crowned Miss Earth 2017 by ARLO

CUSTODIO ManilaTimes.net

Gini Cruz Santos, Filipina Pixar supervising animator

the film started to get inspired. Anything you see in the film is inspired by our trips down there,” said Santos. For the creation of the Land of the Dead, Santos explained, “The beauty of things that no one has ever seen is that you can kind of make it up but you need to be responsible for things about it so that it becomes believable.” For now, Santos does not see herself directing a full-length animation movie. “Some of us strive to be a director, some of us don’t. I don’t know if that is something I ever thought I wanted to do. I can do a short (film) possibly but I love animation. If I think of an idea and I want it to be a short, I guess, that’s kind of a different path.” Directed by Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”) and co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist for “Monsters University”), “Coco” is a family-oriented movie and opens in cinemas on November 22. From the Land of the Dead, Gael García Bernal (Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle”) helps bring to life charming trickster Hector, while Benjamin Bratt (“Doctor Strange”) is the voice of Miguel’s idol Ernesto de la Cruz, and Edward James Olmos (“Blade

Inquirer.net photo

TWO Filipino women took the global spotlight over the weekend by winning the crown in their respective competitions. Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez and Karen Ibasco were crowned Reina Hispanoamericana and Miss Earth 2017, respectively. Marquez, 25, edged out 27 other candidates in the pageant held in Sta Cruz, Bolivia on Saturday night, Nov. 4. She is the first Asian to bag the title. Ibasco meanwhile beat 86 others in the competition that was held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The two Filipinas were strong contenders from the start. Marquez, daughter of actors Joey Marquez and Alma Moreno, bagged several special awards

Winwyn Marquez is the first Filipina Reina Hispanoamericana ManilaTimes.net photo

in the pre-pageant competition, including the product-sponsored “Miss Ipanema.” Ibasco won the gold medal for the Asia Pacific National Costume PAGE B2

Filipino-born Lou Diamond Phillips arrested for drunk driving

Runner”) lends his voice to Chicharrón. Alanna Ubach (Bravo’s “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”) provides the voice of Miguel’s great-great-grandmother Mamá Imelda, Selene Luna (“My Bloody Valentine”) voices Tía Rosita, Alfonso Arau (director/producer for “Like Water for Chocolate”) is the voice of Miguel’s late great-grandfather Papá Julio, and Herbert Siguenza (“Ben 10: Alien Swarm”) lends his voice to both Tío Oscar and Tío Felipe, Miguel’s late identical twin uncles.

HOLLYWOOD actor Lou Diamond Phillips faces a driving while intoxicated charge in Texas for an incident that happened just hours before he appeared at a speaking engagement in Corpus Christi. Police in Portland, Texas, arrested Phillips around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 3. Jail records show the “La Bamba” star was freed after posting bail, which had been set at $2,500. Police chief Mark Cory said an officer was conducting an unrelated traffic stop when the 55-yearold Phillips drove up and asked for directions. The officer suspected Phillips had been drinking. Phillips’ blood alcohol level was .20 percent — more than twice the legal limit for driving

This undated photo provided by the Portland Police Department shows Lou Diamond Phillips.

— the cops found. Cory said Phillips, who listed a California address, was coopPAGE B3

EntErtainmEnt

B NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

Jo Koy brings his jokes to Ph

isabel Granada passes away at 41 by arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

ACTRESS-singer Isabel Granada died on Saturday, Nov. 4 in Doha, 10 days after suffering an aneurysm and falling into a coma. She was 41. Her partner Arnel Cowley confirmed the news of her passing in a Facebook post. In a television interview, has said Granada died at around 11 p.m. (Manila time) on Saturday. “She has been a fantastic wife, mother and daughter. She always did her best in everything she did, whether it be in front of a camera or sports. Baby, wherever you might be. Just always remember that I love you and I miss you very much,” he said. Meanwhile, Granada’s ex-husband Jericho Aguas, the father of her son Hubert, also broke the news on Facebook. “Sa lahat, maraming-maraming salamat. Pahinga ka na. Paalam Isa (To everyone, thank you very much. Rest now. Goodbye Isa).” He followed it up with another post an hour later. “Malaki ang naging parte mo sa aking buhay. Binigyan mo ako ng isang gwapo’t matalinong anak, makulay ang 14 years nating pagsasama. Sa lahat, mula sa aking puso’t kaluluwa, maraming-

maraming salamat. Pahinga ka na. Paalam Isa. Mahal na mahal ka namin (You played a big part in my life. You gave me a handsome and intelligent son. Our life together for 14 years was truly colorful. For everything, from my heart and soul, thank you very much. Rest now. Goobye Isa. We love you very much).” Aguas, Hubert and Granada’s mother came back to Manila on Sunday while Cowley was left in Doha to take care of Isabel’s remains which was to be flown home on Wednesday night. The actress-singer was one of the big stars of the ‘80s and the ‘90s. She was a commercial model before joining showbiz as the younger sister of Aga Muhlach in Regal Films movie “Bakit Madalas Ang Tibok Ng Puso?” with Janice de Belen. She became a member of German Moreno’s “That’s Entertainment” Tuesday Group with Chuckie Dreyfus as her love team and the young Billy Joe Crawford and Robert Ortega as co-members. Her father, Huberto Granada was half-Spanish while her mother, Isabel Villarama, endearingly called “Mommy Gwapa” in showbiz, is Spanish. Isabel was born in the Philippines but was raised in El Ferrol del Caudillo, Spain.

by Nathalie

tomada Philstar.com

Isabel Granada

Her last appearances on TV were in GMA’s “Meant To Be” and ABS-CBN’s “A Love To Last.” Her career in music included the album, “Out Here On My Own” and “In The Mood For Love.” Granada finished BS Aeronautical Engineering at the Philippine Air Transport and Training Services (PATTS) College of Aeronautics in 2001. She held a private pilot license.

Anne Curtis celebrates ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’-themed bridal shower ALL eyes are on the couple on their wedding day but before walking down the aisle, nothing makes any bride-to-be feel special than a bridal shower with her closest friends. It is the ultimate way to bring everyone together ahead of the bride’s big day. Actress Anne Curtis’ recent Cocktails at Tiffany’s celebration was certainly no exception. Hosted by Tiffany & Co and Rustan’s, the recent party was a

reflection of the darling bride’s personality—elegant, sparkly, and fun. It was decorated with lovely details inspired by Anne’s favorite Audrey Hepburn movie, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The bride-to-be’s sister and maid of honor Jasmine CurtisSmith shared that her sister has an impressive Audrey Hepburn collection — from dolls, to pillows, and of course, jewelry. Guests like Karylle Yuzon, Ni-

Anne Curtis’ sister and maid of honor Jasmine Curtis-Smith led the Tiffany’s-themed celebration. Photos courtesy of Rustans

cole Andersson, Antoinette Taus, and some of the bride’s childhood friends also had a fantastic time with games and activities especially prepared for them. First, there is the flower bar and some classic bridal shower games like the “He said, She Said,” and charades. The ladies also took the time to look through and try on some of the jewelry on display. (Philstar.com)

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IT will be a total of five shows for Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy when he returns to the Philippines to bring his brand of humor. The 46-year-old funnyman whose real name is Joseph Glenn Herbert is known for selling out shows in the U.S., sending audiences into stitches with loads of stories about his Filipino upbringing and family, particularly his mom Josie. In interviews, Jo has made it no secret that he first turned to comedy to cope with his parents’ painful divorce as a kid. He started doing stand-up in a neighborhood cafe in Vegas when he was barely 21. His career choice initially didn’t sit well with his mother, who singlehandedly raised him and three other siblings. “Do you see any clowns in our family, Josep?” the now L.A.-based comic quoted his mom, mimicking her Pinoy accent and all in his hit Netflix special “Jo Koy: Live from Seattle”. Jo pokes fun at his mom and more — such as being a father to a teen son — in his special as well as live shows. One anecdote about his mom (also from the Netflix special), which is making the social media rounds, goes: “My mom raised us like we were still in the Philippines. She tried to cure everything at home like a real Filipino woman. You had to die to go to the hospital.” “My mom cured everything with Vicks VapoRub!... I should have died nine times when I was a kid. There was one time I had pneumonia. So, I go, ‘Mom, I think I have pneumonia.’ She goes, ‘I’ll put extra Vicks on your body, Josep,’” he recalled. “‘Just rub it everywhere, Josep. Rub it on the bottom of the foot and then put a sock on the foot. And then the pneumonia will go out of the foot, Josep.’” In his YouTube page, Jo also said, while guesting on his mom’s radio show for the Filipino community in Las Vegas: “My favorite thing that my mom used to say to me... She used to go, ‘Josep, I want you to know one thing.’ ‘What?’ ‘I gave birth to you and nothing you do is more amazing than that.’” Expect more Pinoy-themed wisecracks in his forthcoming shows in the Philippines. And Jo assures that his mom loves being the “inspiration” of his jokes. The Star had an exclusive chat

with Jo last weekend. Here are excerpts: On returning to the Philippines: “I can’t wait, you know, the last time I was there was with (fellow American comedian) Russell Peters. We were co-headliners. I just remember walking out into the city reflecting back on when I was kid, all the childhood memories went through my body. Now I get to know the country as a headliner, as a solo act. So, it will be overwhelming but I can’t wait to do it.” On his favorite memory when he was still a struggling comedian: “I think my biggest memory would be when I did the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in 2005. That was the crowning moment for me. I was already about 14 or 15 years into it at that time. It was such a great moment, it changed my life. I was able to just focus on my live standup after that performance. My life changed.” On doing the Netflix special and becoming popular internationally: “Financially, it was a lot of money (laughs). I had to put a lot of money into that but it was worth every penny. I mean, you have to invest in yourself or forget about it. I knew I had a great special in my head. I knew deep in my heart that Netflix was going to buy it from me. The pressure of delivering a good special and coming out with it, with the finances, was a big thing. But boy, once Netflix bought it from me, talk about instant relief overnight. I was 100 percent in control of the special, all the way to the editing bay. Making it, producing it, that was me 100 percent. “I had another special Don’t Make Him Angry years ago on Comedy Central. One thing I noticed was it only had a certain amount of reach, I think it was just national. When Netflix came out and put my special in there, I noticed the international reach — South Africa, Australia, New Zealand — and I started seeing all these people interacting with me because of that special. When Comedy Central put it (Lights Out) back on their platform, I realized that Netflix has a bigger reach and I knew it was the place I needed to go. “I knew, I had an amazing special, anyone who would have done what I did would feel the same way.

With his mom Josie, a favorite subject of his wisecracks

Jo Koy

Philstar.com photo

I knew I wrote a good routine. I knew it would do well. But to get to this level? It’s kinda crazy because I wasn’t expecting it to blow up like this. It’s pretty amazing and I’m thankful that it’s happening.” On his PodcastOne show, Koy Pond: “What I love about it is it’s a time for me to relax and talk to my friends. It’s a great network by Adam Carolla. He pushes me really hard and he loves working with me. It’s just a fun interaction, a different style of comedy for me, more conversational and topical. I have different kinds of fans that listen to it so I love it!” On what he loves about being Pinoy: “What I enjoy the most about being Filipino is our culture. You know my mom and dad divorced when I was really, really young so I never got to know my dad’s side. It’s not that extended for me, I don’t really know that many people on that side. One thing I know from my mom’s side, our culture is deep, and family is great. I got a big Filipino family. That’s what I love about being Pinoy, we all gotta surround ourselves with family, we all gotta laugh and do things together. I love it! It’s family first. “And of course, the food. My favorite food is oh my god, it would have to be sinigang, kalderata, chicken afritada, monggo, shrimp, pancit bihon, my god, I could go on! I’m gonna get the best Filipino food when I’m out there.” On how his mom feels about being the subject of his jokes: “Oh she loves it, she loves it 100 percent! Talking about my mom and upbringing, making it funny and relatable, I think that’s why a lot of people like my stand-up. A lot of people can relate to my childhood. She loves it!” On comedians being one of the most emotional creatures when off stage and not in front of the cameras: “Oh very emotional. That’s very true. On or off the camera, hands-down. (That’s how I release my emotions, through comedy). Everything I put on stage is real, that’s what my life is. My emotions, I wear them on my sleeve. I’m definitely putting my heart out there, Photo from Instagram/@jokoy when I’m on stage.”

Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez and Karen Ibasco were crowned Reina Hispanoamericana and Miss Earth 2017, respectively. Marquez, 25, edged out 27 other candidates in the pageant held in Sta Cruz, Bolivia on Saturday night, Nov. 4. She is the first Asian to bag the title. Ibasco meanwhile beat 86 others in the competition that was held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. ManilaTimes.net photos

Winwyn Marquez is Miss Hispanoamericana... PAGE B1

category, Darling of the Press, and Group 2 Swimsuit Competition and the silver medals for Resorts Wear and Long Gown competitions. Marquez also shone in the question and answer portion of the pageant. Asked how she would promote the Hispanic-American culture with the prevailing language barrier, Marquez, through an interpreter, said: “Language can be learned but the will and determination to contribute to the organization cannot. It has to come from the heart. It has to be natural. I believe that kindness is a universal language that if you treat people with tolerance, patience and love, you will understand each other. “The Hispanic culture is not about language only. It’s about love for God, love for country, love for history and culture and love for family. And as a Filipina

with a unique heritage, I have instilled that. I am ready to promote the Hispanic culture not just in Asia but in the whole world. It is time to celebrate the Hispanic culture. It is meant to be celebrated.” Marquez succeeded Maria Camila Soleibe of Colombia. Reina Hispanoamericana is an annual beauty pageant celebrating Hispanic heritage, language and culture. The pageant began in 1991 and has been held ever since in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Shortly after her coronation, Marquez posted a message through Reina Hispanoamericana’s Facebook page and said, “I am very happy and I promise to make the Hispanic culture alive.” Ibasco, meanwhile, had for her court Lada Akimova of Russia (Miss Earth Fire), Juliana Franco of Colombia (Miss Earth Water) and Nina Robertson of Australia

Karen Ibasco is Miss Earth 2017

Miss Earth Air. Ibasco is a medical physicist and physics professor at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) where she graduated cum laude.

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EntErtainmEnt

Rhian, Zanjoe weigh in on having a fallback by Jerry

Donato Philstar.com

FaLLING in love and falling out of love have been told many times on the big screen. that gives everyone a mental mastery of what these feelings are. In “Fallback”, however, rhian ramos and Zanjoe Marudo will show moviegoers the aBCs of being or having a spare tire or a plan B as their characters Michelle and alvin navigate that challenging road-less-traveled relationship. the Jason Paul Laxamana film thickens the discourse on the dynamic nature of love and reflects on a possible new “norm” in Pinoy romance. this sounds interesting — and intriguing — especially to those who idealize what love is. “I don’t believe it doesn’t happen here,” said rhian of fallback as a Western experience or concept in a recent media call. “So I would say that what we, all of us, can learn from these characters (Michelle and alvin) are, at the end of the movie, we will see the pros and cons (of having or being a fallback), what is right and what is wrong. Luckily, there are alvin and Michelle to play it out. So we don’t have to do it because it is a painful journey.” Zanjoe added, “It’s true that Pinoys are conservative (when it comes to relationships)… Yung mga unang panahon na tao mayroon yan, nangyayari na yan matagal na (I think people then had experienced it and it has been going around).” So, rhian’s Michelle and Zanjoe’s alvin weigh in on the issue of having or becoming a fallback. though one thing is for sure: It’s tough to be in that arrangement. Zanjoe shared, “let’s say in a workplace, I will feel a bit sad if I’m a fallback (an option) in a project. Pero kailangan mong mag-isip. If I’m a fallback in a relationship, I will feel offended. Pero malay mo yung desisyon na yun ang magbibigay sa’yo ng pinakamagandang desisyon sa buhay mo.” Moviegoers will get a clear picture of what fallback means through the intertwining, personal narratives of the main characters. “I play Michelle. My character and Daniel (Matsunaga’s character) are girlfriend and boyfriend,” said rhian of her location manager character. “It’s not surprising that he has (another) girl. Kasi tignan mo naman ang itsura niya. I feel that he starts to draw

Rhian Ramos and Zanjoe Marudo will show moviegoers the ABCs of having a plan B as their characters navigate a challenging kind of relationship in “Fallback”. Star Cinema photos

away from me. Dahil nakaka-scar ang ma-heart break at ayokong masaktan, so naghanap na ako ng backup or fallback.” the cause of that past heartache is alvin. according to Zanjoe, alvin is a struggling animator and tries to work abroad. as you have suspected, “(alvin) is Michelle’s ex, who has never had a closure,” Zanjoe put it. “If I’m in a shaky relationship, I’m the type who doesn’t see the need to have a fallback to spare myself from sadness and pain,” he said. “Naniniwala ako na kung magkakaroon ako ng girlfriend or partner, I have to get to know her, fall in love with her… I have to meet her, spend time with her and eventually like her… Walang masama na maging fallback ka o walang masama na may fallback ka basta pure yung intention, may nararamdaman ka… hindi mo siya niloloko. Siguro ako yung fallback, mas gusto kong mag-save.” “Fallback” is rhian and Zanjoe’s first team-up. rhian, a Kapuso, felt lucky to have worked with Zanjoe, aKapamilya. “Not everyone is given such opportunity. It’s nice to be able to work with people that you don’t usually get to work with. Parang ayun na-expand yung knowledge ko.” rhian was also paired up with another Kapamilya, Piolo Pascual, in “Silong”. In playing the part of Michelle, rhian also banked on her work experience with real-life location managers. “Of course, location managers I have worked before are my peg (inspirations)… I also include

other production people. Minsan sa work namin sa production side, nakakataranta talaga. Ginaya ko yung taranta factor.” asked if she has ever experienced having a fallback or becoming one, rhian shared, “My experience being fallback happened when (he broke up with someone else), I was in a relationship. He courted me. So he was my fallback. It was complicated. It created problems for my current relationship. Of course, it was my fault. Given a chance, hindi na lang (I wouldn’t want to be a fallback). there’s nothing wrong being single — mabakante — for a while. I enjoy being alone as much as being in a relationship. It’s both nice.” Given such premise, the movie clearly shows that having a fallback or being one is not gender specific. “(Fallback as an idea) is very internal,” said direk Jason Paul. “If you have a fallback, you don’t really announce to people that he or she is my fallback. You just keep it to yourself. Kaya naging interested akong gawin ang pelikula dahil nga feeling ko it’s (something) na pwedeng pagusapan. In fact on social media for example yung comments ng mga tao, nagkakaroon ng gender war. Men are like this, women are like that. In the movie, we explored all angles.” the “third Party” and “100 tula Para Kay Stella” director reiterated that Fallback will not take sides. anyway, rhian’s Michelle and Zanjoe’s alvin will be the audience’s guideposts.

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017

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Bailey May, Ylona Garcia share experience in Hollywood boot camp Star Magic teen stars Bailey May, Ylona Garcia with aC Bonifacio and Girltrend’s member Jane de Leon recently flew to Los angeles, California as the official representatives of the Philippines for the boot camp created by well-known producer and talent manager Simon Fuller. Fuller gained prominence as the creator of “american Idol” and “So You think You Can Dance” as well as the manager of Spice Girls, David and Victoria Beckham, amy Winehouse, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Steven tyler. the four were shortlisted and competed against representatives from other countries for a chance to make it to “Now United.” Based on the teaser released online, Now United is described as a new interactive pop group for a new generation where incredible young performers from all over the world come together to sing and dance. as a preparation, representatives undergo dance and vocal workshops before competing for a spot in the group. talking to members of the press, May and Garcia—who are former “Pinoy Big Brother 737” housemates—shared their experiences in the said boot camp. “I went out of my comfort zone that and met new friends

Filipino-born Lou Diamond...

PAGE B1 erative. Jail records listed no attorney for Phillips, a 1980 graduate of Corpus Christi’s Flour Bluff High School. Born at the Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines, Phillips is the son of a Filipina, Lucita Umayam arañas and Gerald amon Upchurch, an american crew chief at the United States Marine Corps. He was raised in texas and made his breakthrough in the 1987 biographical drama, “La Bamba.” Since then, he has appeared in many Hollywood films and Broadway musicals, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe and the tony. (Deni Rose M. AfinidadBernardo/Philstar.com)

Bailey May and Ylona Garcia

ABS-CBN photo

from different countries,” May said during the launching of Jollibee’s top-Your-Own Jolly Hotdog. “We sang and danced there. the best part was when I was coached right because there was a time that I wasn’t able to do a part of a dance correctly but I continued on and practiced for the whole day. So after that when it was our time to perform, I got every step right. the experience was fun,” the 15-year-old teen star continued. For Garcia on the other hand, she considers performing with creator Fuller himself as well

as popular artists in Hollywood just like Miley Cyrus as one of the great things that happened in the boot camp. “the boot camp actually honed my talent because we got the chance to be trained by renowned choreographers and singing coaches in Hollywood,” Garcia said. Now United has yet to unveil the talents around world who passed the boot camp and qualified to join the group. Meanwhile, when asked if it will be okay for them to leave their two-year-old love team dubbed as “BaiLona” to focus on their own careers or even pair with other artists, May and Garcia seemed to have no problem with it. “as long as we’re both fine with it and as long as we’re friends, I guess it’s okay,” Garcia said. “If it’s going to help our careers we have to take that. But with Ylona kasi, she really taught me how to gain confidence. When we were in acting workshop, I saw how good she was and that inspired me to do good as well,” May said. Finally, the two hinted that aside from endorsements, fans would continue to see them together since they have projects that will be known in the coming days. (Iza Iglesias/ManilaTimes. net)

B NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

PeoPle and events

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Las Vegas Gastroenterology, Philippine Consulate General of LA host Fil-Am First Responders Night by Bev LLorente Balitang America

LAS VEGAS — First responders, nurses, and Las Vegas victims of the Oct. 1st massacre at the Route 91 country music festival were honored on Nov. 5. “We are grateful for the opportunity to share with all of this for people like you and feel that support and love, because that’s what keeps us going,” said the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Officer. Addison Short, The daughter of an LVMPD officer, Stacy Short, was among the over 500 people wounded country music festival on October 1, when

gunman Stephen Paddock fired upon the concert crowd, killing 58 people. A month after the shooting, Paddock’s motive is still unknown. The LVMPD says that Paddock was losing a significant amount of his wealth because of gambling and that this is a probable contributing factor that triggered Paddock in his shooting spree. On Sunday night, first responders came together for a night of healing, and for appreciation for the tireless work on the night of the massacre. Nurses, firemen, police, and the paramedics were in atten-

Geno Sicat, RN BSN with Congen Adelio Cruz and Dr. Noel Fajardo.

dance, all with stories to tell. “We had more than enough help that night to take care of all the patients,” said RN Agnes Mejia and first responder. “We’ve got the most patients in that incident and we were able to take care of all those patients so we were just grateful with everybody.” “It gives us inspiration to do more you know because it’s our job to help out, but sometimes when you actually get recognized it inspires you,” said responder Warren Mangio. “Everything that we did was very concised and organized to the outlook that we were seeing Members of the LVMPD and 10-1 victim Addison Short. (L-R) Officer Stacy Short, Captain Will Scott, Lt. Erik Lloyd, Sgt. Charles Jivapong, Officer PAGE B6 Ed Shoemaker, Officer Jay Cook, Officer Nina Tejero, Officer Brian Hammerbeck, Officer Cory Hammerbeck, Officer Thorn, Minddie Lloyd, with Nonito Donaire , Dr. Noel Fajardo, Congen Adelio Cruz.

LVG’s Dr. Filippo Cremonini, Rachel Marcial Donaire, Bev Llorente, Katrina Ojeda, Boxer Nonito Donaire & Dr. Noel Fajardo.

AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal

Elvie Pelaez RN, BSN

Callen Daquioag, Fil-Am Paramedics

Althea Barranda Clark, Crisis Counseling

Marvin Cruz, RN, BSN

Dr. Kevin Menes, ER MD

Johnny Chua, RN BSN

Monina Mangio, RN BSN

Jon Dimaya, RN, BSN

Agnes Mejia, RN, BSN

Denisse S. Mojica, RN, BSN

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017

Meeting with Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi: Journey to the Himalayas; Next Visit: Iran

by Jose

C. de VeneCia, Jr.

e were travelling most W of last month to Myanmar (which we, the older ones, still remember as Burma), to the Kingdom of Bhutan, high on the Himalayas; Dubai, the small bustling air travel and trading center of the United Arab emirates, home to hundreds of thousands of Filipino overseas workers; and on to Iran, which everyone knows as the seat of the old Persian empire, and which today is one of the leading petroleum powers, with Saudi Arabia, Russia and the U.S. From Yangon, the old capital, my wife, Gina and I travelled to the geographic center of the nation, Naypyidaw, the newly proclaimed capital. We were fortunate that inspite of the raging Rohingya crisis, where today some 500,000 Muslims, who had been living in Myanmar for decades, were fleeing the endangered region to their ancestral Bangladesh, to escape persecution from the Myanmar military, Aung San Suu Kyi found time to receive us. We conferred with Myanmar’s constitutional senior government leader, an intelligent no nonsense lady, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and much admired all over the world. In the last national elections, Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, National League for Democracy (NLD), won overwhelming majority of the seats in parliament, inspite of many years under house arrest, but she could not be president under the terms of a military-influenced technicality in the Constitution because her late husband was British. Today the senior leader in the Cabinet and largely running the country, she nominated the incumbent President and most cabinet posts, but the powerful ministries, defense and security are still held by the generals. Accompanied by our old friends, Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar eduardo Kapunan, Jr. and wife elsa, we asked Aung San Suu Kyi, (who received us three years ago at her residence in Yangon, in the course of an Asian parties conference), to nominate her party’s senior representatives to join the Boards of our International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), based in Seoul, now composed of more than 340 ruling, opposition and independent political parties in Asia, and the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), based in New York, to which she enthusiastically agreed. This week we are sending her ICAPP’s and IAPP’s written invitations so she and her party would pres-

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi receives and holds talk with Hon. Jose de Venecia, Former Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives and Special Envoy to President Rodrigo Duterte to the APEC and Intercultural Dialogue, accompanied by wife, Former Congresswoman Gina de Venecia and Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Ed Kapunan.

ent their nominees. With Ambassador Kapunan, we also raised the possibility of the Philippines acquiring perhaps 25,000 to 50,000 hectares of potential rice fields in Myanmar for a possible government-to-government joint venture or an agreement among the Philippine private sector in partnership with Myanmar, hopefully with the bulk of rice production, following anticipated successful rice growing and shipment to the Philippines. The Philippines has been importing rice from Thailand and Vietnam in large volumes, as far we could remember, even when we were first assigned to Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) as Minister – economic Counselor there in 1966-1969 when we were 30, at the height of the Vietnam War. Today Vietnam is one of the world’s major rice exporters, is industrializing and doing well. Our friend Aung San Suu Kyi expressed much interest in the potential of Myanmar – Philippine economic collaboration and she asked our Ambassador to immediately confer with her Minister of Agriculture. Upon return to Manila, we suggested to San Miguel Corporation Chairman eduardo Cojuangco, a confirmed, successful, largescale agriculturist, and San Miguel’s dynamic President Ramon Ang and other leading agricultural-industrial groups to perhaps co-lead a Philippine private sector effort in a consortium that could present a helpful solution to the Philippines’ perpetual rice crisis, with the current massive rice imports every year, largely from Vietnam and Thailand. The Philippines is fragmented with 7,100 islands while Myanmar’s land is massive, contiguous, perhaps larger

than France and Ireland combined, and connected to Asia’s two largest countries, China and India, the latter via Bangladesh. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma used to be ruled by the english Viceroy in British India. President Rodrigo Duterte might consider asking our capable Agriculture Secretary Piñol to look into this potential initiative in Myanmar. We also asked the popular Ambassador and former Armed Forces reformist to raise the possibility of joint Philippine-Myanmar exploration in Myanmar’s rich oil-producing petroleum exploration concessions and explore establishment of an ASeAN-supported or Filipino-led export Processing Zone with a petrochemical complex, as part of a combined Agricultural – Industrial initiative. We should be awaiting some feedback. On the Rohingya crisis, we suggested the U.N. and ASeAN might propose an appreciable International Red Cross deployment in the Rakhine region, which will help, not inflame the refugees, and not alarm the Myanmar military. From Myanmar, we flew back to Bangkok as there is no direct flight in the journey to the Kingdom of Bhutan, high on the mountain ranges, next door to Nepal. In the Himalayas, the Nepalese King sometime back was forced to abdicate the throne and gave way to an elected democratic civilian government, while the other Himalayan state Sikkim chose to give up its sovereignty and joined the State of India. We have been to the Himalayas a few times. In Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, the ruling Hindu Party and the Marxist Communist Party have their representatives on our Board

in ICAPP. In Bhutan’s Himalayan mountains we were hoping to check into the Chinese-Indian military stand-off but by the time we reached the capital, the crisis had calmed down, the forces in the highest hills had disengaged. The well-loved Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Prime Minister were out of town but we had a delicious luncheon and good conversation with Bhutan’s Chief Justice, Dasho Tshering Wangchuck, Foreign Minister Damcho Dorji, Acting Speaker of Parliament Zigme Zangpo, and others, hosted by Bhutan’s former Ambassador to Thailand and Bangladesh, Tsherung Dorji and his lady, who were introduced to us by former Thai Minister Nalinee Taveesin, Gina’s friend, and our current ICAPP representative at the first Asia-europe Political Forum, which met recently in Seoul, and which will now meet yearly among Asian and european political party leaders. (We collectively set the trend a few years earlier with our bringing together Latin America’s and the Caribbean’s political parties under their regional organization, COPPPAL, with our ICAPP, followed by our successful encouragement of the founding of the Council of African Political Parties (CAPP), based in Khartoum, which is now a reality). The Bhutanese leaders indicated their people are not living in paradise but are happy with God and with the world; their land has never been conquered; they live in a happy Kingdom, and national success is not measured in Gross National Product (GNP) but in Gross National Happiness (GNH). Our tourists should consider a visit there.

Victories, Colossal Defeats, and Victories in the Middle East by Jose

C. de VeneCia, Jr.

FROM MYANMAR, Thailand and the Kingdom of Bhutan in the Himalayas, we returned to Manila, rested for a few days, and then we journeyed on to Dubai, commercial and aviation center of the United Arab emirates (UAe), whose capital is the oil-rich and largest emirate, Abu Dhabi. With much nostalgia, our son, Jose de Venecia III, today Honorary Consul of Azerbaijan, was with us together with our parliamentary assistant of many years, Aldwin Requejo. Joey III had his first exposure to the Arab world in the mid 1970s at age 16 as an apprentice in our company in Kuwait and Iraq. Shortly before our next flight to Tehran, seat of the ancient Persian empire, we briefly motored to Ajman, the smallest emirate in the UAe. The other emirates are of course oilrich Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujerah on the coast of the Persian Gulf (Arab Gulf to the Arabs), between Oman and Saudi Arabia. The desert sands had long enveloped the exploratory oil well we drilled in the mid1970s in Ajman, on the coast, whose population today is listed at 372, 923, living in some 250 square kilometres of largely flat land. Our two Philippine oil exploration companies then, Basic Petroleum and Landoil, were the first pioneering Filipino companies to venture in the Arab world. At that time, we won in tough international bidding as prime contractor in operating the Port of Jeddah, with our joint-venture, Philippine-Singapore Ports Corporation (Philsinports) at the helm

with multi-national executives and 3,500 Filipino port workers on the Red Sea, and opened and operated as well the Port of Jubail, also on the Gulf facing Iran not too far from Ras Tanura, seat of Saudi Arabia’s richest oil fields in Arabia’s eastern region, peopled largely by Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims. We operated Jubail with another set of executives and some 800 port workers, closer to Kuwait and the Shatt Al Arab en route to the Iraqi frontier, where as in Jeddah, we built our executive offices and mass housing. We were perhaps the largest pioneering Southeast Asian companies in the Middle east at the time, as prime contractors, with our own equipment, management team and work force, not labor recruiters. On the Ajman project, we brought from Manila by sea-freight a heavy U.S.-built oil-drilling rig, and our capable drilling superintendent was the respected white-haired Mario Nieto, who was then Vice-President and General Manager of PODCO. Our brother Oscar de Venecia, president of Basic Petroleum, literally borrowed Mario from old man Andres Soriano’s oil company PODCO on “lendlease.” We also engaged the American Dr. Francis Gibson, who was a celebrated geologist of the then U.S.-owned Iraqi Oil Company, which was responsible at the time for some of the big oilfield discoveries in Iraq. Thus us Filipinos, we were ready, drilled and co-financed with Arab entrepreneurs the first-ever Filipino and Asian-Arab oil wells in Ajman as prime contractor and risk-taker (not sub-contractor), in this poorest emirate of the UAe. Our other key executives

in the field were the late Luis Catubig, the late Mario Uson, Ambrosio “Boy” Collado and Gus Macam of Pangasinan and of Basic/Landoil, and Jess Galang, of Pampanga, who later moved to Dubai and is today a successful entrepreneur there. After a few weeks, at perhaps 3,000 to 4,000 feet depth, our memory does not remember the exact depth, we hit good guzzling crude, and soon the entire Filipino-Arab-American drilling crew were screaming with joy and drenched in oil as in the old Texas movie, the “Giant”. But as fate would have it, when we hit black gold, the price of crude worldwide was at $38 per barrel, the highest at the time, and we were jumping with joy and imbibing prohibited Champagne. Soon after a few weeks, however, the price began to slide to $30 per barrel, and before we knew it, plunged to $20, then $15, and then settled at the bottom, at $8 per barrel. All of us were sobbing as if our desert had become one large funeral parlor. We closed down the rig and we shipped it home together with our much disappointed drilling crew. everywhere in the Arab world, in Iran, North Africa, the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Russia, Central Asia, Australia, the Philippines, even with its tiny petroleum production, which our companies, Basic and Landoil, and partners Oriental, Philodrill, and the U.S. Cities Service, co-produced, the price of petroleum had crashed. There was a time, it had soared to some $120 per barrel and the Arabs were kings but slowly, inexorably

the price declined to below $50 per barrel and today it is in that neighbourhood. We are almost 81 now, and have not been following, like a dedicated stock broker, the rise and fall of crude. Our tragedy in Ajman was only the beginning. In a couple of weeks, our declining 3,500 Filipino workforce, under our Group companies, building houses, roads and hundreds of kilometers of electricity grid in Iraq and adjoining Kuwait were hit hard. The worst was those in Iraq, on the frontlines of Basrah on the Saudi-Iraqi border, which by then was being hit by Iranian artillery, with the unexpected outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war. We thought the war would end a few months, but actually lasted almost 10 years up to the late 1980’s. Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein was telling all foreign companies and ourselves that Iraq was already running out of foreign exchange. Most foreign and Arab companies in Iraq and nearby Arab states, with the severe oil price crisis and the Middle east wars, were then being driven close to bankruptcy and began evacuating hundreds/thousands of their workforces to their respective countries. Our great triumphs in the Gulf region had turned to great defeats and we began “folding up our tents,” packing up and sent thousands of our people home and many of us entrepreneurs were in tears and driven to near bankruptcy. In our case, the price of oil had not only fallen in the entire Arab world and our construction and operation and maintenance (O&M) contracts have been greatly slashed or came to a halt. Worse, we

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On Eve of APEC/ ASEAN Talks, A Proposal for a Joint Mission to North Korea TEHRAN, Nov. 4 - - Former Philippine Speaker Jose de Venecia, the Philippines’ Special envoy for APeC and Inter-Cultural Dialogue, proposed today a “small composite team of APeC and ASeAN” to journey to Pyongyang to begin to negotiate “a peace that will hopefully endure in the Korean Peninsula.” He said the 21-member Asia Pacific economic Cooperation (APeC) and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASeAN) are meeting one after the other, back-to-back, in Vietnam (November 8-11) and in the Philippines (November 10-14) for their annual Leaders Meetings. He added their leaders could quietly explore in the next two weeks the idea of sending a joint peace mission to the North Korean capital. He pointed out Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hopes a new tack could ease the continuous exchange of accusations in the Peninsula and lead to opportunities for the difficult peace. De Venecia said he envisioned inter-Korean talks could be at senior or mid-levels, representing perhaps not more than seven parties including key APeC members, U.S., China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, a representative of ASeAN, and North Korea; progress could be “publicized or unpublicized” with a recess on the eve of the Christmas holidays, and the talks could target preliminary understanding by early next year. He pointed out there should be a timetable otherwise the talks could be endless as in the old Panmunjom talks. However, while the 1950-1953 South-North Korean conflict ended, “a technical state of war persists until now, with both sides not signing a formal peace treaty,” he said. Today there is continuous, recurrent threat of hostilities, even nuclear war, since North Korea has already developed nuclear weapons with a missile delivery system. De Venecia said he hoped a meeting of the two Koreas, with nominees from APeC and ASeAN in attendance, could lead to an “eventual peaceful ASeAN Plus 4 configuration.” This would add North Korea (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to the current ASeAN Plus 3, which includes the 10 ASeAN nations plus China, Japan, and South Korea until at some point, in the future, perhaps the two Koreas could consider a “unification” or “confederation.” De Venecia pointed out as a first stage ‘Confederation” is easier to promote, ahead of eventual unification. De Venecia, who is founding Chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), counts North Korea’s Korean Workers Party as one of ICAPP’s more than 300 ruling, opposition and independent parties as members. Also, as Co-Chairman of the International Association of Parliamentarians

for Peace (IAPP), he also plans to invite the North Korean Parliament to nominate delegates to the IAPP. Looking back at recent history, de Venecia said for decades since the 1950s observers said the two Germanies and the two Vietnams could never unite but unforeseen, unnegotiated geo-political circumstances eventually proved everyone wrong, resulting finally today in a strong, prosperous united Germany and a flourishing united Vietnam. As then head of the Philippine Congress’ foreign relations committee, he journeyed to Pyongyang in 1990 and with North Korea’s founder then President Kim Il-Sung, grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-Un, finalized North Korean-Philippine diplomatic relations and dispelled as well North Korea’s rumored assistance to the Philippine New People’s Army. At the time, in Kim Il Sung’s mountain retreat, de Venecia pointedly asked the North Korean leader if there was truth to speculations that he planned to attack South Korea, he replied: “If we attack the South, the South will be destroyed. But we in the North will also be destroyed.” After a few weeks, on de Venecia’s invitation, North Korean Deputy Premier Kim Dahl-Hyun flew to Manila to finalize agreement on formal diplomatic relations with then Philippine President Corazon Aquino’s Foreign Secretary Raul Manglapus. After about a year, Japan’s LDP leader Kanemaru journeyed to Pyongyang, followed later by then former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. De Venecia said he hopes ICAPP and IAPP could contribute even modest efforts to a North-South inter-Korean peace process.He disclosed one of the founders of IAPP and the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), Madame Hak Ja Han Moon and her late husband Dr. Sun Myung Moon, donated a much-appreciated hotel and automobile factory in Pyongyang to the North Korean government. He added a small team of IAPP headed by former Nepal Premier Madhav Nepal and former Minister of Peace and Reconstruction ek Nath Dakhal recently visited Pyongyang and had constructive talks with the North Korean Workers Party. De Venecia has asked UPF President Thomas Walsh, IAPP Co-Chairman Dan Burton, Washington Times Publisher Thomas McDevitt, and Ambassador Joseph de Trani, former U.S. envoy to the Six-Nation Party Talks on North Korea, to organize a peace mission to Pyongyang, which he earlier discovered with UPF President Walsh. NOTE: (Tehran, Nov. 4 - Former Speaker Jose de Venecia is on a visit to Iran to promote InterCultural Dialogue and to pursue a project for a Petrochemicals Complex in his home province of Pangasinan and Northern Luzon.)

were also caught and trapped by the Iraq-Iran war, and we then phased out our offices in Basrah, Baghdad, Kuwait, Bahrain, Ajman, Riyadh and Jeddah, and head office in London, and also closed our smaller construction, agriculture and health-based operations in Libya, also hit hard by the oil crisis. Our triumphs in the Arab world were now turning to tragedy. Our then Vice-President for Finance Rudy de Lara, a graduate of the SGV executive group, reports that up till today, we have not been paid by Iraq since 1981, 37 years ago, since Iraq, formerly known as Babylon or Mesopotamia, had faced war, after war, after war up to today. Saddam Hussein tried invade Iran and was driven back by the Iranians, also invaded Kuwait, and was ousted by the Americans in the second Gulf War. Our most expensive war-risk $50-million insurance policy which we acquired from Lloyds of London and the U.S. insurance companies, turned out to be only “contracts that enabled us to sue and which did not insure immediate payment.” Thank God, after almost two years, with legal battles in London and New York, and with the help of the great U.S. law firm White and Case, which took our case on a rare “contingency basis,” (which illustrated the high merits of our case, and with the help of european investment bank, Lazard Frere) we won our case, and we thus were able to pay back all of the thousands of our employees back home. In London, New York, and Manila after the legal judgments, we were shouting like Arabs “Allahu Akbar,

Allahu Akbar!”, indeed “God is great, God is great!” with bottles of champagne. Yes, we were the pioneers in the Middle east and our own companies employed some 51,000 Filipino executives, technicians and healthcare specialists over the yeas at the time as prime contractors or consortium partners and we were proud to say that we set the stage for the later millions of Filipinos who followed and streamed into the Gulf region, and then later many sailed into the Suez Canal and into Greece, Spain, Italy and thence to england and Northern europe. Today the OCWs, reminiscent of the first Filipino workers in Hawaii and Alaska in the 1900s, and Filipino expatriate community total more than 10 million, almost 10% of the Philippine population. When we began in the Middle east and earlier in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, the total Philippine dollar reserves were somewhere at $200-million to $300-million. When we later designed and started the historic Philippine dollar remittance program, which totally wiped out the Philippine black-market and became a model for many “Third World” nations, and which netted us many government decorations, the national reserves went up pile after pile, through the dark years of martial law, through the various coup attempts, and through various administrations, the reserves today stand at some $80-billion, propped up by more than $25-billion every year from our foreign offshore, largely labor remittances to the Central Bank.

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COMMUNITY JOURNAL

Las Vegas Gastroenterology, Philippine Consulate... PAGE B4 it,” said Jon Dimaya. Organizer Dr. Noel Fajardo of Las Vegas Gastroenterology, along with the Philippine consul general of Los Angeles, says that attention must be paid, and the first responders have to be recognized for the dedication they have shown. “After the tragedy, I wanted everyone to feel that we are part of the Las Vegas community, the Filipino American community to be part of the community, and vice versa that we are here, we are here to stay, and we are all Vegas strong.” “Itong gabi na ito para sa mga first responders they were there at a time people needed the most at they sacrifice their own personal time,” said LA Consul General Adelio Santos. “What is nice about it is our Filipino bayanihan spirit was replicated showcased tremendously, and that made us all proud.” The first responders on the night worst mass shooting in the modern history is now being praised as heroes, and the best of humankind. But for these Fil-Am responders, it’s about strength and resilience that united the Filipino American community for Las Vegas. Community leaders, Political figures, Boxer Nonito Donaire and wife Rachel Donaire are also in attendance.

Your Immigration Solution ATTY. BRITTANY MILLIASSEAU & NANCY MILLER

On October 2, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began implementation of its new mandatory in-person interview requirement for certain applicants seeking permanent residency. Under this new directive, USCIS Warren I. Mangio- PT, DPT, CWS. w/ Congen Adelio Cruz and LVG CEO Dr. Noel Fajardo. will require in-person interviews AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal for all individuals applying for permanent residency (a green card) based on employment (i.e. where the underlying petition is under the EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 category). Refugee/Asylee relative petitions for beneficiaries who are in the United States and are petitioning to join a principal asylee/refugee applicant will also be subject to the in-person interview requirement. All employment-based Adjustment of Status (AOS) applicants who filed on or after March 6, 2017 will be called into a local USCIS office for an in-person interview. Generally speaking, the interview Haydi Guaring, RN, BSN w/ Dr. Noel Fajardo and Congen Adelio Cruz requirement will apply to both principal and derivative beneficiary applicants, but USCIS may consider waiving the interview for applicants under 14 years old. Under prior procedures, USCIS typically allowed employment-based AOS applications to be adjudicated and approved absent an in-person interview and only about five to ten percent of employment-based AOS applicants were actually called in for interviews. Employment-based AOS applicants are expected to be asked questions regarding their admissibility and eligibility for permanent residency and will likely need to articulate specifics about their anticipated position and discuss their educational background, experience, and qualifications. Applicants will also likely be expected to confirm whether the employer still plans to employ them in the position and that they still intend to take up the employment as

Calendar of Events across

America

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Diva 2 Diva concert in Pasadena, CA The Philippines’ Pop Diva, Kuh Ledesma, and the Divine Diva, Zsa Zsa Padilla, are back in Southern California with DIVA 2 DIVA on Saturday, November 11! They will be joined with comediennes Nanette Inventor and Mitch Valdez. The show will begin at 7 p.m. at the “PazNaz” First Church of the Nazarene (3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd, Pasadena, California). For tickets, you may purchase them online at diva2diva2.eventbrite.com or you may call Henry at (818) 612 4500 for more details.

Veterans Day Celebration in San Pedro, CA On Saturday, November 11 (Veterans Day), Philippine Expressions Bookshop is hosting “An Evening of Remembrance” to honor both fallen and surviving U.S. and Filipino war veterans. The event — which is 5 to 7:30 p.m. — is free and open to the public. Seats are limited so RSVP is necessary by emailing to linda@philbooks.us or calling (310) 548-8148. At 5 p.m. there will be a book talk and signing, launching of a two-volume comix on World War II written by military historian Jay Wertz and illustrated by Ed Jimenez. At 6 p.m., there will be a documentary screening of “Manila 1945: The Forgotten Atrocities.” Philippine Expressions Bookshop is located at 479 W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA 90731.

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Search to Involve Pilipino Americans’ 45th anniversary awards & benefit dinner in Los Angeles Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) will have its 45th annual anniversary awards and benefit dinner entitled “Embrace. Empower. Evolve.” The dinner will take place on Friday, November 17 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel at 6 p.m. All proceeds will go towards the organization’s health & human services, community economic development and education programs. Tickets may be purchased online at sipa.ticketsocket.com.

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13th annual mayor’s luncheon in Woodland Hills, CA The United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley presents the 13th annual mayor’s luncheon with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday, November 29 at the Warner Center Marriott - Grand Ballroom (21850 Oxnard Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367). Registration opens at 11 a.m. and the program is from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be complimentary self-parking, while valet is $16. For questions or sponsorship opportunities, please call (818) 981-4491 or email marian@unitedchambers.org.

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Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA Global Law Centers in association with Civicminds Recruitment presents an immigration forum on Thursday, November 30 at the Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801). Candidates and employers with H-1B, TN, F-1, OPT & other visa issues are encouraged to attend this FREE Q&A session from 6 to 8 p.m. Civicminds Recruitment will offer tips on how to find employers for green card and work visas after graduation, job placement assistance for qualified applicants and free resume evaluation. To register, please email admin@globallawcenters.com or call (714) 657-7460. For more information, please visit www.globallawcenters.com.

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Historic Filipinotown parol parade and festival in Los Angeles The Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council (HFNC) announced that the annual parade and festival will be on Friday, December 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event will start with the assembly of parols and vehicles at 250 N. Union St. at the Our Lady of Lorreto Catholic Church courtyard. The parade will start at 5 p.m. and will go westward from Union to Beverly, and will eventually end up at the FCC/FACLA compound at 1740 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026. The HFNC is calling for volunteers who will serve as security, ushers, for registration and monitors for the parade. To volunteer, please call Art at (213)318-9065. For more information, please contact Cecile at (213) 503-8176.

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Pasko Na Naman in Glendale, CA The Federation of Filipino Rosary Groups will sponsor a fundraiser entitled “Pasko Na Naman 2” on Saturday, December 2 at the Glendale Civic Auditorium (1401 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA 91208) starting at 4 p.m. The presentation’s theme is Salo-salo at Pagdiriwang” which means “getting together joyfully.” The show will provide a glimpse on how Filipinos celebrate Christmas in the Philippines, which will be depicted through choral singing and folk dancing. The performers are Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts, St. Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Choir, Monique Magpayo and Kurt Winterhalter. Benefactors of proceeds include but are not limited to: Channel of Charity, Filipino Priests Association of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, feeding programs and FFRG faith formation events. Come one! Come All! Feel the scents and sights of Filipino Christmas. The audience will also enjoy “merienda cena” during the intermission. Ticket donation is $45.00 per person. For souvenir ad and ticket information, please contact Tess Domingo at (909) 855-2208 or Carol Evangelista at (909) 969-3316.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS TODAY, about 1.25 billion people smoke cigarettes, and one billion deaths from tobaccorelated illness are expected, ten times more compared to the toll in the 20th century. The deadly habit accounts for one in five (or 1.4 million) cancer deaths all over the world annually. Each year around the world, 10.9 million tobacco-related cancer of the lungs are diagnosed. This does not even include other pulmonary, gynecological and cardiovascular disabilities and death tolls as a consequence of smoking. “We know with cancer, if we take action now, we can save 2 million lives a year by 2020 and 6.5 million by 2040,” said Dr. Judith Mackay, a World Health Organization (WHO) senior policy adviser. *** New studies have shown that even light activities in and around the house, like mundane endeavors of daily living (climbing stairs, cleaning the house, cooking, running after the kids, garden work, etc.) help prolong life. Especially the ones that make you perspire. Of course, daily regimented exercises will do a lot more. But simple household chores have a

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA (Part 2 of 3) FOR years, there has been an onslaught of terrifying events from just about everywhere, facilitated by the startling phenomenon of social media and the ease of anything going viral and trending through the internet. Social media, like any other invention during modern times, has become a double-edged tool. It can be used for good or ill, depending on the user and his motivation. Against this gloomy global backdrop, what is good and true appear to be defenseless against unseen forces that doom personal struggles: relationship problems, self-esteem issues, financial problems, addictions, physical and mental illnesses and other ills too many to mention. The result — there seems to be far too many lonely, alienated people these days. The suicidal stage is the most dreaded period of such a state of mind, when intense loneliness descends to a deep vortex of hopelessness and darkness. Suicide signals the end of a futile human struggle.

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Mandatory interviews begin for certain green card applicants described in the petition. It is possible that a representative from the employing-firm will be required to attend the interview. One particular concern that has resulted in response to the new requirement is the depth of the interview and how review of the underlying (already approved) petition will be handled. Will adjudicating officers re-examine and re-evaluate the petition or will they simply defer to the approved decision? While it is not certain how every interview will be conducted, officers have been instructed and trained not to readjudicate the petition. Officers will however, still assess the validity of the documents submitted in support of the petition and will assess whether the evidence was credible, accurate, consistent, and bona fide. And, since fraud and misrepresentation is always a ground of inadmissibility, the officer can assert that he or she can question the applicant about their knowledge of the job duties and their qualifications for the job. In exploring grounds of inadmissibility, the applicant may be asked whether s/he has ever made a false claim to U.S. citizenship, including on an I-9. Further, derivative family members will also be interviewed and should expect questions regarding their bona fide relationship to the principal applicant. The interview requirement comes in response to President Trump’s Executive Order titled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” which was signed in March. USCIS states that during interviews, officers will verify the information provided in applications, discover new information that may be relevant to the adjudication process, and determine the credibility of the individual seeking permanent residency, with the ultimate goal being to detect fraud and protect national security and

public safety. As with any application for an immigration benefit or appearance in front of an adjudicating officer, it is important to make sure you are represented by competent immigration counsel. Due to the sheer number of green card applicants that will now be called in for interviews, massive backlog and processing delays are anticipated. There have also been reports that USCIS will expand beyond these categories and will begin an incremental expansion of the interview requirement to other applications. If you or a family member has an employment-based or refugee/ asylee relative green card application that is currently pending or are seeking to file one, it is essential that you consult knowledgeable and experienced immigration counsel to discuss exactly how the new requirement will impact your case. Hiring an experienced immigration attorney to prepare and submit the application is just the beginning but it is essential. The attorney should also prepare the applicant for and accompany the applicant to the interview. Therefore, make sure that an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney is by your side during every phase of the application process. *** Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration fi rms in the United States with offi ces in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China. For more Information please call (800) 7958009 or visit www.rreeves.com. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)

Medical journal updates positive health effect on longevity as well. “Elderly couch potatoes were much more likely to die within about six years than those whose lives included regular activity no more strenuous than washing dishes, vacuuming, gardening and climbing stairs,” according to the study of adults aged 72 to 80 published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. *** Macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in old age can be prevented by eating a diet rich in fish, according to two new studies in the U.S. Archives of Ophthalmology. Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) abundant in fish are already proven to protect the heart and the brain, to reduce the risk of developing heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer’s. “A study of 681 elderly American men showed that those who ate fish twice a week had a 36 percent lower risk of macular degeneration…In the other study, which followed 2,335 Australian men and women over five years, people who ate fish just once a week reduced their risk by 40 percent,” according to the report. The American study also revealed that smokers double their risk of developing macular degeneration and blindness. Those who do not like fish may take good quality fish oil capsules. Check with your physician if this is right for you.

*** The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that, “probiotic yogurt —Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium containing yogurt (AB-yogurt) — enhances the effectiveness of quadruple therapy for eradicating residual Helicobacter pylori (stomach) infection.” This bug is the cause of gastric ulcers, which used to be treated with surgery, but since the discovery that it is caused by Helicobacter pylori, it is now a disease, treated with pills. A big boon to better quality evidence-based patient care. *** Exercise-induced muscle damage, which happens to most athletes, can be minimized to a great extent by drinking tart cherry juice, reports the British Journal of Sports Medicine. For those who exercise at home, drinking tart cherry juice will certainly not hurt. This is, indeed, a welcome new to those who exercise. *** Soft drinks, which I call liquid candies, are toxic to the body, especially to children. All of them — cola or uncola, regular or diet, caffeinated of decaffeinated — increase the risk for metabolic diseases. The harm to our body does not manifest immediately— it takes years to develop. By then, the damages would have been done. Prevention is obviously the key. PAGE B7

Whatever happened to ‘happily ever after’ “Suicide, contrary to the lyrics of a popular song, is never painless.” There is available help — a sliver of hope. Psychotherapy and the safe and judicious use of antidepressants can help keep deep depression at bay. But that is all it does — keep it at bay. One cannot help but think that there has to be a better way when an alarming percentage of those who take antidepressants still throw in the towel and end it all. In simpler times, if you can call and label adversity by name, you can figure out simple ways of defeating it. Yet now because of the complexity of the world we live in, we don’t call people lonely. We call them depressed. They are diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, paranoia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a whole dizzying lexicon of mental diseases. Two thousand years ago, our ancestors called the whole gamut of mental diseases and bizarre behavior, possession by the devil. One is no longer in charge of one’s soul but has been overpow-

ered by a sinister, evil force. The soul is its habitat. Pope Francis, fully aware and deeply concerned about what is going on in the spiritual realm in today’s world, has ordained exorcism official Catholic practice. There are only a few of these exorcists among the dwindling number of clergy. Pray unceasingly that God sends to everywhere around the world more of this class of holy spiritual soldiers in the tradition of Michael the Archangel who defeated Satan. The greatest lie perpetrated by the devil during modern times is to make people believe that evil does not exist. It does. People lulled by a false sense of security in believing they are not in the sights of that sinister, unseen force, have become like the dodo—fat sitting ducks for evil—unwary and often caught off guard when tested. The dodo is gone because it did not recognize the predators PAGE B7

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017

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Medical journal updates

*** To prevent cardiovascular illnesses, metabolic diseases and cancer, diet alone is not enough. Daily exercise, abstinence from tobacco and moderation in alcohol intake are a must. The American Heart Association has revised its former decades-old recommendation that stressed mainly healthy diet as the regimen to prevent these illnesses. “The previous recommendations mainly stressed the importance of a healthy diet; the new (revised) ones broaden that concept to include the importance of a healthy lifestyle pattern,” lead author and chair of the AHA’s Nutrition Committee Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, from Tufts University in Boston, said in a news release. “The two go together — they should be inseparable.” A simple walk around the block (or brisk-walking if tolerated) for about 30 minutes does wonders to our cardiovascular, pulmonary, and immune systems, warding off not only metabolic diseases but also deadly cancers. Warning: Processed foods increase the risk for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Sample of these are hot dogs, sausages and other deli meats, and other food items that have gone though processing. Fresh is better and healthier than processed food

items. The AHA 2006 detailed recommendations are as follows: Consume an overall healthy diet. To maintain a healthy body weight, balance calories consumed with calories burned. Increase awareness of calorie content of foods for portions typically consumed and of daily caloric requirements. Set a goal of at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. Consume a diet rich in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables (not fruit juices), especially those that are deeply colored (spinach, carrots, peaches, and berries). Prepare fruits and vegetables, minimizing saturated fats from red meats and transfats. Choose nuts and high-fiber foods. Consume 2 servings of fish, especially those relatively high in omega-3 fatty-acids (salmon, trout, and herring) at least twice weekly. Children and pregnant women should follow Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines for avoiding mercury-contaminated fish (shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish). Limit intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol by choosing lean meats, vegetable alternatives, and fat-free (skim) and lowfat (1 percent fat) dairy products

and minimize intake of partially hydrogenated fats. Minimize intake of beverages and foods with added sugars. To consume NO more than 2300 mg of sodium daily, choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Middle-aged and older adults, African Americans, and those with hypertension should consume no more than 1500 mg of sodium daily. Limit alcohol intake to not more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men (1 drink = 12 oz of beer, 4 oz of wine, 1.5 oz of 80-proof distilled spirits, or 1 oz of 100-proof spirits). When eating out, be aware of portion size; select vegetables and fruits; and avoid foods prepared with added saturated or trans fat, salt, and sugar. Eating fruits first before the meal is better than eating them after the meal for physiologic reason.

*** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com

Whatever happened to ‘happily... PAGE B6 that wanted to kill it. In the spiritual realm, it has always been the battle for the human soul — good versus evil. The battle is raging. Sadly, many are none the wiser. Remember though that hope springs eternal and the tide always turns in God’s perfect timing. The beheadings, stonings and widespread Christian persecution in the Middle East and Africa by radical elements of Islam in recent years, and in the home front of western civilization, the pervasive liberalism that mocks Christian morality and values by touting political correctness, the world is yanked back to 1 AD all over again. This is history repeating itself — a throwback to two thousand years ago when the blood of martyrs flowed, and Nero fiddled while Rome burned. This is the present social and cultural canvass that engenders

hopelessness and darkness in the souls of many individuals today. There are far too many news of suicide these days and its horrible spawn, murder-suicide. Consider the case of that deranged, suicidal Germanwings pilot who planned and deliberately slammed a planeload of passengers against an Alpine mountain, causing the death of 149 people. Who can forget about that despondent Malaysian Airlines pilot who may have caused the death of others by murder-suicide? After 17 months of fruitless searches, debris of the ill-fated MH 370 have been recovered on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean close to Mauritius and Madagascar, perhaps dragged by ocean currents from where it crashed on March 08, 2014 killing 239 people onboard. To this day, this tragic incident continues to be shrouded in mystery. And then there are the twisted

beliefs of suicide bombers seeking martyrdom. They think they will go to paradise and be rewarded with seventy-two virgins for their atrocity. There are religious leaders intolerant of other beliefs, who incite their followers to eradicate Christians and Christian nations. Who can explain evil incarnate? There is news of suicide that hits you harder because you personally know the person who took his own life. By all accounts, he has led a good life but unknown to all, was going through overwhelming personal struggles, quietly wallowing in darkness and despair never wanting to cause a ripple and simply gave up. (Conclusion in next week’s issue …) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS

( Mt Carmel, Mt Beatitude, Mt.Tabor, Cana, Capernum, Nazareth, Mt. of Olives, Old & New Jerusalem, Bethlehem Qumran, Masada, Jericho )

Dec 3 to 14, 2017

Spiritual Director: Rev. Fr. Alvin Cachola

Outstanding Filipino-Americans honored at TOFA 2017

LAS VEGAS’ Dr. Noel Fajardo is among this year’s Ten Outstanding Filipino Americans or TOFA in Healthcare. “It is with deep honor and gratitude that I am receiving the Ten Outstanding Filipno American for 2017. I am proud to accept this award in behalf of the Las Vegas Community, for Las Vegas has nurtured me and pursue my advocacy in fighting colon cancer. “Our community, as you know has recently struck by an unspeakable tragedy. In these times of uncertainty and chaos, We need to overcome the power of hate, fear and grief. Times may have been dark, but I have tremendous

amount of hope that my beloved city, Las Vegas, will continue to shine. The Power of positivity of love, of faith and hope overcomes all. We are all waiting for you to come and visit Las Vegas, to enjoy life as it should be, and party on! For deep inside, in all of us we are Vegas Strong.” Other 2017 TOFA awardees include: Sylvia Buhain (Women Empowerment), Francis Sison (Senior Advocacy), Amable Yalong (Business and Entrepreneurship), WCBS-TV correspondent Hazel Sanchez (Media and Publishing), Photographer Filbert Kung (Arts and Culture), Bing Cardenas Branigin (Community Service and

Advocacy), Jessica Cox (Courage of Conviction awardee), Miss Saigon star Jon Jon Briones (Entertainment), Rocky Gathercole (Fashion and Style), Dr. Noel Fajardo (Healthcare), Assemblyman Rob Bonta (Public Service and Politics), Christina Laskowski (Research and Technology), Anna Julaton (Sports), Jason Tengco (Youth), and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Pasia Comerford (Heritage Awardee). The event, which was hosted by popular presenter Boy Abunda, also featured performances by Fe de los Reyes, Sheryn Regis and Filipino and Filipino-American performers.

Vic Sotto announces daughter’s birth in cool, casual manner by Christina

alpad ManilaTimes.net

CELEBRITY couple Vic Sotto and Pauleen Luna need not wait for Christmas to be in a joyful mood as their much-awaited baby has finally arrived. On Monday, the 63-yearold TV host calmly confirmed through his noontime show “Eat Bulaga” that Luna has given birth to their firstborn. During their “Juan for All, All for Juan” segment, Sotto urged his co-shot Allan K to greet her wife Luna, who has taken a leave of absence from their show. The clueless comedian greeted Luna and added a “Happy Birthday,” for they usually greet birthday celebrants on the show. But Sotto corrected Allan K and told him that it’s still days

The host’s wife Pauleen Luna gave birth to their firstborn on Monday, Nov. 6.

away before the 28-year-old’s birthday. Appearing confused, Allan K asked, “Bakit, ano bang meron si Pauleen?” “Anak,” Sotto, also known

in show business as “Bossing,” answered. The new father then promised that he would be sharing photos of his daughter in the coming days.

Italia� Pilgrimag� Ho�� �eek� March 23 to April 3,2018 Spiritual Director : TBA

Day 1 - March 23, 2018 (Fri) Los Angeles, California to Venice, Italy Trans-Atlantic flight from LAX to LHR connect to our flight to Venice (Meals served in-flight)

Day 2 - March 24, 2018 (Sat) Venice, Italy 3 DEC-Day 1 - (Sun) LAX/TLV On board meals are served

4 DEC-Day 2 - (Mon) - Arrive at Ben Gurion airport Tel-Aviv/Tiberias

After you have finished Immigration, collect Luggage then Meet our guide and driver. Transfer to Tiberias , Dinner /overnight Gai Beach Hotel

After we clear Immigration & Custom, we will meet our Tour Director and driver for our transfer to our hotel,. Dinner at the hotel.( Dinner) If time permit, discover the most romantic views of Venice on foot and from the comfortable seats of a gondola, spend some time gliding through the cities peaceful canals.

Day 3 – March 25, 2018 (Sun) Venice, Italy

Holy Eucharist at the Church of annunciation “And Mary said, Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” We head to Cana of Galilee, where Our Lord performed the first miracle – changing water into wine at the wedding feast. Here, we’ll invite couples to renew their marriage vows. Continue to Nazareth, Celebrate Holy Eucharist at the Church of Annunciation, visit St Joseph workshop. We return to Gai Beach Hotel for our dinner and overnight. (BB/D)

The greatness of Venice has always been reflected in the richness of St. Mark’s Basilica, the perfect synthesis of Venetian art and a unique blend of Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic elements. Five Oriental-looking domes crown the shadowy, mysterious interior gleaming with golden mosaics, colored marbles, precious stones and pearls, and guarded by the four gilded bronze horses that stand proudly atop the central entrance. The glittering mosaics of the interior tell the story of St. Mark and episodes from the Bible. It’s most famous treasure stands behind the altar in the sanctuary - the Pala D’Oro, a golden altar screen encrusted with jewels We’ll visit theDoge’s Palace, the magnificent VenetianGothic building from where the leaders of the former Venetian Republic ruled until the late 18th century. Head inside and explore the grandiose public chambers that the doges lavished with fine art and ornamentation. Masterpieces by Renaissance champions.(BB,D) Holy Mass at St. Marks Basilica.

07 Dec-Day 5 - (Thurs) Mt Tabor/Mt Beatitude/Capernum/ Sea of Galilee/Tabgha

Day 4 - March 26, 2018 (Mon) Venice to San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy

5 DEC-Day 3 - (Tues) Cesarea /Haifa

There was a certain man in Caesarea” Drive north to the sparkling port city of Haifa, viewing Caesarea en route, the city built by Herod. In Haifa, we will ascend Mt. Carmel; home of the two prophets Elijah and Elisha, Visit the Stella Maris Church celebrate Holy Mass in the main Altar, after enjoy the panoramic view of the Mediterranean, continue to Tiberias for dinner and overnight. Gai Beach Hotel (BB,D)

6 DEC-Day 4 - (Wed) - Tiberias/ Cana/ Nazareth

We drive to Mount Tabor, celebrate Holy Eucharist at the church of Transfiguration, Visit Mt. of Beatitudes the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people. enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during his ministry. After visiting the Synagogue where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Gai Beach Hotel for our dinner and overnight. (BB/D)

08 DEC-Day 6 - (FRI)-Jordan valley/Jericho/Bethany/Jerusalem

After breakfast, we will spend the day travelling from Venice to San Giovanni Rotondo, the home of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina from 28 July 1916 until his death on 23 September 1968. Sit back, relax and enjoy the drive and take in the picturesque scenery along the way. We will reach our hotel in San Giovanni Rotondo in the afternoon. Will have panoramic sightseeing on the way to our hotel,(BB,D).

Day 5 - March 27,2018 (Tues) San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy

Drive the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the oldest inhabited city in the world. View the Mount of temptation, where Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert. Visit the ancient ruins of the wall. Drive through Wadi Welt to view St George’s Monastery. Continue to Bethany celebrate Holy Eucharist, and then visit the tomb of Lazarus. Arrive in Mount Scopus; enjoy the first view of Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at Notre DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB,D)

We begin the day by celebrating Holy Eucharist. Eucharist,. Followed by a short film about St. Padre Pio.Done by our local guide who are very knowledgeable about the life of St. Padre Pio. We’ll start our visit with the Old Church.Here you can see his cell, his confessional box, the crucifix from which he received the stigmata, and nearly everything he owned or touched, carefully preserved and labeled. Then will visit the New Basilica, Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace) dedicated to Padre Pio. (BB,D)

09 DEC-Day 7 - (Sat) - Jerusalem (old City) - Via Dolorosa

Day 6 March 28,2018 (Wed)San Giovanni Rotondo

Holy Sepulcher Church “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place of a skull, which was called in Hebrew Golgotha” Enter the old city of Jerusalem, Sing a hymn in the Church of St Anne and view the pool of Bethesda. Visit the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos, where the soldiers played the Game of Kings, and Arch of the “Ecce Homo”. Follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visit Golgotha and the tomb of Our Lord. This afternoon drive to Mount Zion, to visit the upper room, revered as the site of the last supper. Then survey the Dormition Abbey’s, St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied Jesus three times. Dinner and overnight at NOTRE DAME Vatican Hotel (BB.D)

Holy Eucharist in the Morning in the New Basilica.followed by Station of the Cross. Rest of day spend Praying and meditating (BB,D)

10 DEC-Day 8 - (SUN) - Mount of Olives/Gethesemane/Bethlehem/New City

Day 8 - March 30 2018 (Fri) Assisi to Florence (Good Friday)

Holy Eucharist celebration at the Church of all nations Main altar Arrive at the Mount of Olives and enjoy the beautiful view of Jerusalem. Visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the Dominus Flevit Church”God wept “& walk the Palm Sunday road to the Garden of Gethesemane and the Church of all Nations. This Afternoon drive to Bethlehem, a city whose name the whole world recognizes ,visit the Church of Nativity, the manger, Church of St Catherine, The Grotto of St Jerome, and the shepherds fields. Dinner and overnight at NOTRE DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB ,D).

11 DEC-Day 9 - ( MON) - Jerusalem/Dead Sea/Qumran/Masada

Visit the Western Wall , the only part of the Herodian temple still standing and the most sacred place in the world for Jews. We drive to Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Visit Qumran; see the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada, visit Herod’s fortress and the Jew’s last stronghold against the Roman. Return to Jerusalem Overnight Notre Dame Vatican Hotel (BB,D)

12 DEC-Day10 - (TUE) Jerusalem New City

Return to the new City, Including the Temple Model to see a scale model of Jerusalem as it was during the time of Jesus. Here we will have a better understanding between old and New Jerusalem. Next to Ein Karem, birthplace of St John the Baptist, visit the Visitation church where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat Overnight NOTRE DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB,D)

13 Dec-Day 11 - (WED) Jerusalem/TLV/LAX

Breakfast rest of the morning Free time early PM dinner has to check out from the hotel, around 8:30 PM flight from TLV/ LAX in the 13 Dec flight depart TLV at 1:00 Am Dec 14,2017 ( end of Service )

Day 7 – March 29, 2018 (Thur) San Giovanni Rotondo to Siena, Italy

After breakfast, we will spend the day travelling from San Giovanni Rotondo to Siena. We will begin in the old town center with a visit to the Basilica of San Domenico. Built in the 13th century, it is a treasure chest of Renaissance art and is dedicated to St. Catherine of Siena. You’ll learn about the city’s history while admiring its cathedrals, museums, and libraries. Then admire famous Piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s great medieval squares.(BB,D) Continue to Assisi overnight /Dinner Celebrate Holy Eucharist in the Crypt where the tomb of the most beloved saints is located ,after Mass visit the Basilica of St Francis, We’ll also visit the Basilica of St.Claire After Lunch continue to Florence Best know for it leather goods,the best in the world Leather (BB,D) Free time in the afternoon Dinner/ Overnight

Day 9 - March 31, 2018 (Sat) Florence to Rome

2 hrs walking tours of Florence,before we continue to Rome We will have a guided walking tour of this fascinating city with its Piazza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist, Continue to Rome. Upon our arrival in Rome, Guided tours of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel .See the Largest church in Roman Catholicism ,St Peter Basilica,see the Crypt of St Pope John Paul (BB,D) Transfer to the Hotel /overnight

Day 10 April 1, 2018 (Sun ) Rome

EASTER SUNDAY MASS, VATICAN SQUARE FOLLOWED BY PAPAL BLESSING Visit the Major Basilicas like St Mary Major,St. John Lateran, the Holy Stairs, St. Paul Outside the Wall, St. Peter’s in Chain, Santa Croce of Jerusalem, afternoon see Imperial Rome, and short visit to the Trevi Fountain on the way to the hotel (BB,D) Dinner in the hotel

Day 11 April 2, 2018 (Mon) Rome Free time in Rome ( BB,D)

Day 12 April 3, 2018 (Mon) Rome – USA

Transfer to the airport for our flight back to USA, End of our memorable Pilgrimage

B8 NOVEMBER 9-15, 2017 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

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