November 27-29, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 91 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages
Duterte fires Robredo from drug czar post by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has fired Vice President Leni Robredo as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on AntiIllegal Drugs, his spokesperson announced on Sunday, November 24. According to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Duterte took offense at Robredo’s challenge to tell her directly if he didn’t want her on the government’s counternarcotics body and fire her. “In effect that was what she
DATELINE
was saying, ‘Fire me if you don’t want me.’ You don’t say that to your boss who is the president of the Philippines,” he said during a press briefing. Panelo also said Duterte fired Robredo for her “missteps” including her supposed failure to present a program of action in her new role as ICAD co-chair in the three weeks she was in office. “The vice president has [committed] many missteps. Instead of performing her task, the scope of which is outlined in an executive order creating [the
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Palace slams Midler for Duterte criticism
committee], she instead opted to talk to foreign nationals, like the U.S. and the United Nations and others who have prejudged the government’s campaign against illegal drugs,” he said. “All she had to do was present a new program of government with respect to the program on illegal drugs, which means a program that’s better than the one she has criticized as a failure or ineffective, but she failed to do that,” he added. Panelo stressed that Robredo performed terribly as ICAD co-
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BUSINESS MEETING. President Rodrigo Duterte discusses matters with officials from various South Korean companies who paid a courtesy call on the president at the Paradise Hotel in Busan, Republic of Korea on Monday, November 25. Duterte assured top companies in South Korea of his protection if they expand or invest in the Philippines. He vowed to shield them from corruption and abuse particularly on ease of doing business, quick issuance of permits, and full guarantee on the return of their investments and remittances. Malacañang photo by Karl Norman Alonzo
Robredo to Duterte: What are you afraid of? by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
VICE President Leni Robredo on Monday, November 25, posed a question for President Rodrigo Duterte a day after he fired her as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). “What are you afraid of? What are you afraid that I might discover? What are you afraid that the people might find out?” she asked in Filipino during a press conference in Camarines Sur. “Mr. President, I did not ask for this She’s just getting started. Vice President Leni Robredo warned that she will reveal to the public position. But I took the job you passed on the discoveries she made in her 18-day stint as anti-drug czar. to me seriously. What the people wished
MALACAÑANG on Sunday, November 24, slammed singer-actress Bette Midler for describing President Rodrigo Duterte as one of the world’s most detestable leaders as well as lumping him together with the likes of U.S. President Donald Trump and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. Photo from the Office of the Vice President “She, however, has no right as she is incompetent and a gullible talking head as well, on matters concerning foreign leaders she has no personal knowledge of,” said presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo. “She should be circumspect as an influencer and should refrain from giving one-sided and the products managed to secure tempoby PAOLO ROMERO judgmental comments on internal affairs of anPhilstar.com rary restraining orders (TROs) from the other sovereign state, especially if her referencregional trial courts in Pasig and Manila. es are false narratives coming from the politi“The (vape) is irritating. There is an SENATOR Pia Cayetano on Saturday, cal opposition and some biased media outlets whose agenda is to besmirch President Rodrigo November 23, hit the local e-cigarette and (FDA) order to regulate because there Roa Duterte and his administration before the vape industry for opposing the govern- are really harmful effects. No one is saying that they’re (vapes) like vegetables. ment’s efforts to protect Filipinos’ health. global stage,” he added. Cayetano, chair of the Senate ways and What’s being debated is only how harmful u PAGE A2 means committee, said public health re- they are,” Cayetano said over dwIZ. “So who’s going to regulate them mains paramount so the government is duty-bound to protect it over business in- now? Who’s causing trouble? What do terests, in this case, banning or regulating you want? Do you want to spew harmful smoke to children, pregnant women and vapes. She said the Department of Health workers who don’t want trouble? So you (DOH) and the Food and Drug Adminis- don’t want to be regulated?” she said. Cayetano said she will still continue tration were correct in issuing regulations on vapes but manufacturers and sellers of u PAG4
for is a government that truly champions the fight against illegal drugs,” she added. Robredo promised the public that she would report the discoveries she made in her 18-day stint as ICAD co-chair. “In the coming days, I will report to the public. I will reveal what I discovered and my recommendations. I can assure you: even if I was stripped of the position, my determination will never waver,” she said. Robredo also reminded Duterte that she is not the enemy, questioning why he can’t seem to work together with her
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Profit over health? Vape, e-cig industry slammed Senate bill seeks to teach GMRC anew for opposing effort to protect Filipinos’ health
Governor Newsom announces Early Childhood Policy Council and a team to develop master plan for early learning and care
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday, November 22, announced the selection of diverse experts, practitioners and parents to guide California’s efforts on early learning and care. The Governor today appointed 20 members of the state’s new Early Childhood Policy Council and advisory committees, including national experts, practitioners, and parents. He also announced the creation of an Early Childhood Action Research Team to develop a Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, which includes state and national leaders in social impact, financing, policy, and equity issues. “Every child in our state should have the resources and support they need to live happy and healthy lives,” said Governor Newsom. “We are bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds to create a Master Plan for Early Learning and Care that will be rooted in
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by MARION
RAMOS Inquirer.net
SENATOR Panfilo Lacson has filed a measure institutionalizing good manners and right conduct (GMRC) as a separate subject for pupils from kindergarten to Grade 3 to counter the negative effects of the internet on the attitude of young Filipinos. In filing Senate Bill No. 1185, Lacson said no less than Education Secretary Leonor Briones had pointed out that “technology without good manners is a disaster” and that “online or technology-driven pedagogy” could not inculcate social val-
ues and skills among young students. Strong values By having a separate GMRC subject, he said the students would be able to understand “human dignity, respect for oneself and giving oneself to others in the spirit of community, for the effective and holistic development of the decision-making skills of the child.” “[I]t is the aim of this act… to better mold our youth to have strong values and moral foundation which will contribute in shaping a respectable society,” read a portion of Lacson’s bill,
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Cayetano sorry for ‘inefficiencies’ on reception of SEA Games athletes by PATRICIA LOURDES Philstar.com
VIRAY
PHILIPPINE Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee Chairperson and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano apologized to foreign athletes for logistical issues upon their arrival in Manila over the weekend. National football teams from Timor Leste, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand have complained over issues on transportation, training and accommodation.
“To the foreign teams, we are apologizing for the inconvenience and if I may call some inefficiencies or miscoordination,” Cayetano said in an ambush interview Sunday night, November 24. Cayetano assured the SEA Games participants that they would be accorded with better service in the next days. The PHISGOC chief added that such incidences cannot be avoided due to the lack of personnel. “You can ge ushers but
everyone else — the work force it’s only when you have the games. So we’re pulling out people, pulling out volunteers from state universities and those who have seen our ads,” Cayetano said. A post from Facebook page ASEAN Football News showed the football team of Timor Leste waiting for their bus at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. According to the post, the House Speaker and Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISCOG) Timor Leste football team Chairman Alan Peter Cayetano visited on Sunday, November 24, the foreign athletes who
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suffered logistical problems following their arrival in the country. Photo from Facebook/2019 Sea Games
A November 27-29, 2019 • SoCal ASIAN JoUrNAL
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From the Front Page
Robredo to Duterte: What are you... PAGE A1 and if she crossed some boundaries. “If we have the same objective, why can’t we just help each other? Are they really serious in this fight? Or have we tramped on somebody’s interest?” she said. Last month, Duterte said that
he would temporarily designate Robredo as the Philippines’ anti-drug czar following her remark that his war against illegal drugs is “obviously, not working.” He followed it up with a promise of giving Robredo a Cabinet secretary rank to show the seriousness of his offer.
Robredo accepted his offer on November 6 but was removed from her post less than three weeks later for her supposed “missteps” such as speaking to foreign nations, failing to present a program of action in her new role as ICAD co-chair, and challenging Duterte to fire her. n
ASEAN LEADERS. President Rodrigo Duterte and his partner Cielito Avanceña join other leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in as they pose for posterity during the welcome dinner hosted by the South Korean President at the Hilton Busan Hotel on Monday, November 25. Malacañang photo by Arman Baylon
Bette Midler Photo from Twitter/@bettemidler
Palace slams Midler for...
PAGE A1 Midler is an outspoken critic of Trump and took to Twitter on Saturday, Nov. 23, her sentiments on Trump’s ongoing impeachment hearings and why it should be a concern for Americans. “For Americans who think the impeachment hearings have nothing to do with them, think again. Want to leave the door open to a Hitler? A Stalin? A Castro? A Duterte? A Pol Pot? A Putin? An Assad? A Chavez? A Kim Jong Un? A Mussolini? A Mugabe? An Amin? #Trump’s the gateway to that,” the singer said in a tweet. Panelo, in response, lifted some lyrics from Midler’s song to fire back at her. “We suggest that she revisit her famous song ‘From A Distance’ and learn from its lyrics that she may look at a foreign leader of a distant country with a positive outlook: ‘From a distance there is harmony & it echoes through the land/ It’s the voice of hope/ It’s the voice of peace/ It’s the voice of every man/ From a distance we are instruments/ Marching in common band/ Playing songs of hope/ Playing songs of peace/ They are the songs of every man,’” Panelo said. (AJPress)
Duterte fires Robredo from drug...
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chair, saying that she should have gone to local communities and asked the people about their problems instead of talking with foreign institutions “which have no firsthand knowledge.” “Essentially, what the vice president has done is to embarrass our country, apart from detrimentally undermining the government’s efforts to preserve the general welfare.” he stated. He also said that Robredo wasted the opportunity she had to improve the methods to eliminate the country’s drug problem. “Unfortunately, she wasted such opportunity and used the same as a platform to attack the methods undertaken by this administration. Such tack was even motivated by hubris to prove their past arguments against the anti-illegal drug operations were correct,” Panelo said. “It at once crumbled as her request for police data validated the falsity of their arguments that the extrajudicial killings are
state-sponsored,” he added. PDEA, PNP back Duterte’s decision The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Sunday expressed its support on Duterte’s decision to fire Robredo from her post as co-chair of ICAD. “PDEA respects and believes in the wisdom of the president. Whatever happens, PDEA will continue to carry out its mandate to rid of the country of illegal drugs with utmost sincerity and integrity,” PDEA chief Aaron Aquino, also the ICAD chairperson, said. The Philippine National Police (PNP) also backed Duterte’s decision to sack Robredo. “The PNP respects the decision of the president terminating the services of Vice President Leni Robredo as ICAD co-chair,” said PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac in a separate statement. Banac added that the campaign against high-value drug targets “will remain relentless following the rule of law and
Senate bill seeks to teach...
PAGE A1 “The teaching method shall be a copy of which was furnished actual or situational, rather than the media on Sunday, Novem- conceptual, thereby allowing ber 24. the [students] to directly relate
with utmost respect for human rights.” ‘Robredo won’ Senator Panfilo Lacson, for his part, said Duterte’s action was expected. “Ho-hum. [It’s] not shocking, not surprising, not unexpected. [It’s] actually boring. A lot of small letter zzzzzzzzz,” he said in a text message. Senators Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, pointed out that Duterte’s strategy to discredit the vice president blew up in his face. “When Vice President Robredo called their bluff, they got snared in their own trap. The Duterte government blinked and lost. Vice President Robredo won,” Hontiveros said. “The appointment and the eventual firing of [the vice president] . . . proved what we have been saying all along: Both the war on drugs and the appointment of the vice president as [co-chair of the interagency committee on drugs] are bluff and bluster,” Pangilinan noted in a separate statement. n
to the lessons, readily incorporate them in practice and make such behavior commonplace,” he added. n
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US to rev up sea, air operations in SCS by Jaime Laude Philstar.com
The United States military intends to further increase sea and air activities over the disputed South China Sea in keeping with its resolve to keep the vital sea lane free and open to maritime and air navigation. Admiral Philip Davidson, commander of the hawaii-based U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, declared this before the halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada where he was one of the key speakers last Saturday. Davidson pointed out that freedom of navigation by air and sea is of global importance, including those in the South China Sea, where trillions of dollars in commerce transit each year. “Navigation in those waters will pick up as the U.S. continues to rotate its forces through Singapore and projects air and sea power from bases in Japan,” Davidson said. China, still enforcing its already invalidated nine-dash maritime and territorial claim to almost 90 percent of the South China Sea, has reclaimed seven formerly obscure maritime features in the region. Over the years, Davidson noted Beijing has transformed these man-made islands into highly fortified forward military bases with its Navy and Coast Guard ships, supported by hundreds of militia vessels disguised as fishing boats, now having an imposing presence in the disputed region. Currently, he said China wants to draw up a code of conduct with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASeAN) for operating in those waters. he urged ASeAN-member
states to ensure that such an agreement, if reached, does not restrict their freedom of navigation nor limit their ability to operate in the disputed region for commerce and military exercises. The U.S. and its allies and partners would be around to fully support ASeAN-members to exercise their right to navigate in the region, he said. “Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and India have all sailed through those waters and participated in military exercises,” Davidson said. The U.S. military has been challenging China’s huge military presence in the region through a sustained freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS) and overflights. Davidson said the U.S. has increased its operations in the South China Sea to include the conduct of several exercises in September and October and two FONOPS in the last week or two. A U.S. Navy destroyer USS Wayne e. Meyer on innocent passage sailed close to China’s occupied areas in the Paracels last
Thursday, November 21, while littoral combat ship USS Gabrille Giffords navigated within 12 nautical miles off Mischief (Panganiban) reef in the West Philippine Sea a day earlier. At the internal security forum, Davidson also spoke on wider threat from China, noting that Beijing is expanding its military presence beyond the South China Sea. “They are now operating globally, to include areas around South America, europe and Africa. There have been more of these global Chinese naval deployments in the last 30 months than in the last 30 years,” the U.S. Navy admiral said. he added that China has been developing and fielding advanced ballistic missiles and hypersonics. To counter this, he said, the U.S. is ramping its missile defense systems and developing long-range precision fire as a deterrence. he concluded his speech by telling his audience that “freedom and support of the international order is worth defending.” n
PAGE A1 arrived at 5 a.m. last Saturday, November 23. They had to wait for approximately three hours for the bus that would take them to their hotel. Apart from being late, the driver reportedly took the Timor Leste players and staff to the wrong hotel. Another post showed that the Timor Leste football team had to wait for almost 10 hours before getting their room keys after arriving at the right hotel. The football team of Myanmar reported the same experience having to wait for a long time at
the airport for the bus that would take them to their hotel. ASeAN Football News also reported that the interior of the bus was cramped and uncomfortable for the Myanmar team. They had to cancel their training in the evening due to these concerns. The Cambodian football team also complained of having to wait for nearly 12 hours to get to their hotel. They also had to cancel their training after arriving late at the hotel. The Thai football team also canceled their training last Saturday following the delay of their
travel from the airport to the hotel. They also complained of the two-hour trip from the hotel to the training field. Cayetano, meanwhile, appealed to the public to avoid bashing the Philippine government’s hosting of the 30th SeA Games. “When you bash the organizing committee to get us to act correctly or to address inefficiency it’s most welcome. But if you bash us for the sake of bashing us or because you don’t want (President Duterte) or other people to get the credit, you are bashing your own country,” Cayetano said. n
Admiral Philip Davidson, commander of the Hawaii-based U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, declared this before the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada where he was one of the key speakers last Saturday, November 23. Philstar.com photo
Cayetano sorry for ‘inefficiencies’ on...
SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvembeR 27-29, 2019
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DTI Officers Conference 2019
Representatives from the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry’s various global posts recently came together in Los Angeles to discuss opportunities in promoting the Philippines’ various industries.
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China aims to finish bases in Scarborough –Carpio by BERNADETTE
TAMAYO ManilaTimes.net
RETIRED justice Antonio Carpio believes that China aims to complete its air and naval military base in Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal first before it agrees to any Code of Conduct in the South China (West Philippine) Sea. Carpio, during the recent international conference titled “Changing the World Order? China’s Long-Term Global Strategy,” sponsored by the Konrad In photo are (standing,L-R): Special Trade Representative (STR) Nicanor Bautista, Trade Commissioner Eric Elnar, Commercial Counsellor Vichael Adenauer Stiftung-Philippines, Angelo Roaring, Trade Assistant Rowena Namay, STR Raymond Batac. (Sitting, L-R): Trade Representative Celynne Layug, Executive Director predicted that China would build Magnolia Misolas-Ashley, Undersecretary Ireneo Vizmonte, Undersecretary Rowel Barba, Senior Trade Commissioner Maria Roseni Alvero a military base on Scarborough Shoal before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down in 2022. The Scarborough Shoal is being claimed by the Philippines and China. It is located a mere 123 miles west of Palauig, Zambales, “well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone,” he said. “The most opportune time for China to build on Scarborough Shoal is before President Duterte leaves office on June 30, 2022,” Carpio said.
He pointed out that Duterte “has publicly stated that he cannot stop China if China reclaims Scarborough Shoal, practically giving China the green light to reclaim and build on Scarborough Shoal.” He believes that reclamation and island-building works on Scarborough Shoal would be China’s final act before signing the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea, an agreement to settle the disputes between China and five claimant states in the hotly contested maritime region. “China needs to build on Scarborough Shoal to complete its radar, missile and fighter jet coverage of the entire South China Sea,” Carpio said. “Right now, there is a hole in the northeast portion of the South China Sea where China has no radar, missile and fighter jet coverage.” Carpio added, “An air and naval base on Scarborough Shoal will plug this loophole.” After establishing military superiority over the entire South China Sea by completing its base
on Scarborough Shoal, Carpio believes that China would then quickly sign the Code of Conduct “to strategically impede the claims of rival states.” The Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China are finalizing the Code of Conduct that seeks to address maritime grievances and other issues. “Unlike many others, I dread the day when China says it is ready to sign the Code of Conduct because that means that China will have already reclaimed and built on Scarborough Shoal,” Carpio said. In a different forum organized by Stratbase ADR in Makati, Carpio was quoted as saying, “China has not finished its island-building and will reclaim Scarborough Shoal, a high-tide feature, between now and its signing of the Code of Conduct sometime 2022.” Unless the Code of Conduct makes an express reservation, this means all prior reclamations and island-building by China will gain de facto recognition by other disputant states, he added. ■
PH-South Korea sign 4 agreements during Duterte visit Bautista, Layug, Misolas-Uy, Vizmonte, Barba, Alvero, Roaring, Batac, Elnar
AJPress photos by Ding Carreon
Governor Newsom announces Early Childhood... PAGE A1
lifting up California’s children and families today, tomorrow and into the future.” The Early Childhood Action Research Team will develop a comprehensive roadmap for California to accelerate the governor’s goal of providing universal preschool and action steps to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care that embraces the strengths and meets the needs of parents and young children. The Action Research Team will consist of social impact experts from respected organizations including Child Trends, RAND, WestEd, Social Policy Research Associates, Parent Voices, LowIncome Investment Fund, American Institutes for Research, Stanford University’s School of Education, and Neimand Collaborative. The Action Research Team will produce a report by October 1, 2020. The Health and
Human Services Agency will oversee the Team’s work in collaboration with the State Board of Education, the Department of Education and the Governor’s Office. The governor announced that the Early Childhood Policy Council will be chaired by California’s Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris. The governor also named 20 members to the Council, including thought leaders from across the state in social services, child care and child trauma. The Council will elevate the needs of young children and their families as well as advise the governor, Legislature and the Superintendent of Public Instruction on statewide early learning, care and overall development. The Council will provide recommendations on all aspects of the state’s early childhood system, including support for the demographic, geographic and
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economic diversity of the state’s children and families and ways the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education’s final report can be updated and improved. It will hold at least four public meetings per year and prepare a formal annual report. The governor invested an additional $2 billion in this year’s budget to ensure that all children in California have the critical foundation they need for healthy development and learning in the earliest years. This down payment immediately expands California children’s access to quality education and health care, funds a two-generation strategy that invests in parents so they can invest in their children, and eases some of the financial pressures on parents to help them provide opportunities for their children and achieve economic security for their families. ■
NOW
by ALEXIS
ROMERO Philstar.com
THE Philippines and South Korea have signed four agreements and a joint statement on a proposed free trade deal to further enhance their bilateral ties. President Rodrigo Duterte and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday, November 25, witnessed the signing of an agreement on social security, the implementation program of a memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation, and a joint statement on the early achievement package of the negotiations on the proposed free trade deal. Two other agreements on education and fisheries were also signed on the sidelines of Duterte’s visit here but were not among the documents inked dur-
ing a ceremony held after his meeting with Moon. In a recent interview, South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-Man said the agreement on social security would benefit tens and thousands of Filipino workers here. There are about 58,000 Filipinos in South Korea based on latest government data. The cooperation on education, meanwhile, is expected to satisfy the demand of Filipinos who want to learn about Korea’s language and culture and to expand existing education facilities. The fisheries deal, Han said, would enable the Philippines to use Korean technology to develop its fishery resources. The implementation program on tourism cooperation seeks to introduce joint programs and activities that will bolster two-way
tourism promotion and align tourism efforts between the two countries. The document, which is valid until 2024, also aims to facilitate deeper and meaningful interactions between Filipinos and Koreans, and strengthen overall cooperation on tourist safety, security and quality assurance. The Tourism department recorded 1,624,251 arrivals from Korea in 2018, equivalent to 22.78 percent of the 7.1 million tourists who visited the Philippines that year. The joint statement on the early achievement package of the negotiations on free trade agreement, meanwhile, highlighted the two countries’ resolve to pursue a trade deal. Officials said an agreement, which would reduce the tariffs for some Philippine agricultural and industrial products,
Profit over health? Vape, e-cig... PAGE A1 defending the Sin Tax bill, which contains provisions taxing vapes and heated tobacco products, until its expected enactment into law in the coming months. She said it was possible the bill — or the law, if enacted — will be amended as several senators are pushing for measures to regulate or even ban vapes. Cayetano said she intends to file two bills — one regulating and the other banning vapes to spur debates on which course the country would take on the controversial product. She pointed out many countries have already imposed a total ban on some products. On the other hand, DOH spokesman Eric Domingo said they are more concerned with the ill effects of vaping rather than the government imposing sin taxes on the products. Domingo said the government has been spending more for the medical needs of those affected by smoking, directly or indirectly. He said that in 2020, some P1 billion to P2 billion in taxes will be collected from electronic cigarettes and vapes as compared to health expenditures expected to reach some P200 billion. Domingo also urged all concerned doctors and hospitals to report to DOH all possible cases of electronic cigarettes and vapes-associated lung injury (EVALI) that they may encounter. “EVALI is now a reportable disease. It’s a condition that must be reported to the DOH so that we can have a clear picture about the situation so we can take the appropriate actions,” he said. Senate President Vicente Sot-
to III meanwhile asked the DOH and the FDA to first conduct an exhaustive study on other cigarette substitutes other than vapes before recommending their ban or regulation. Sotto said there are many such products — not vapes — that helped smokers quit based on scientific studies. “I have no strong opinion yet for or against such products, I’m just showing the other side of the coin, so to speak,” Sotto told dwIZ. An industry leader, however, contested claims that e-cigarettes and vapes are as harmful as cigarettes. JUUL Labs rebutted reports that electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products have the same level of toxicants as cigarettes, citing studies and researches showing otherwise. Mark Rubinstein, vice president and executive medical officer of JUUL Labs, cited studies to disprove this “biggest misconception” on e-cigarettes. “People should realize that ecigarettes have lower nicotine levels than combustible cigarettes and they don’t release tar and other harmful chemicals like cigarettes,” Rubinstein said at the sidelines of the E-Cigarette Summit in London. President Duterte last week ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to arrest anyone caught vaping in public, just hours after he announced that he would ban e-cigarettes. The abrupt prohibition, revealed by Duterte, adds to a growing global backlash against a product once promoted as less harmful than tobacco smoking. Duterte, a former smoker, called the devices “toxic” and said vaping introduced “chemi-
cals” into the user’s body. He ordered the arrest of anyone vaping publicly although there was no formal written order made public that spells out the scope of the ban or penalties for violations. The Bureau of Customs (BOC), for its part, directed its intelligence and enforcement groups in all ports in the country to block the entry of all vape products and its related items. BOC spokesman Vincent Philip Maronilla said the importation of all vape products and its related items can now be considered as illegal following Duterte’s order. “All importation of vape products and its related items shall immediately be subject to seizure by the Bureau of Customs,” Maronilla said. Maronilla said that they have coordinated with the FDA to ascertain that the agency has not issued any permits for the importation of vape products before implementing the order. Some local government units also took the initiative to further restrict vaping. Taguig City has started to serve closure orders to vape stores following the presidential directive and for failure to properly secure business permits. Maricar Brizuela, Taguig City’s public information chief, said seven vape shops were closed down. In a statement, the city government said the closures started on Friday, November 22, citing the presidential order against vaping. Brizuela added the closures continued on Monday, November 25. (With Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Robertzon Ramirez, Sheila Crisostomo, Edu Punay)
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SWEET TALK. Representatives from the 28 sugar producing provinces in the country as well as agrarian reform beneficiaries hand over a manifestation to senators led by Senate President Vicente Sotto III (seated, 3rd from left ) thanking them for supporting the group’s plea to scrap the proposed liberalization of the sugar industry. “We are here to thank you for your overwhelming support. If not for your timely intervention, the death of the sugar industry would have been imminent,” the manifestation read. Also in photo are Senators Ronald Bato, Nancy Binay, Cynthia Villar, Joel Villanueva, Francis Tolentino, Sonny Angara and Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri. Senate photo by Albert Calvelo
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Confirmed polio cases in PH rise to 8
MANILA — Another child in Mindanao has tested positive for poliovirus, bringing to eight the number of polio cases two months after an outbreak was declared in the country. A nine-year-old girl from Basilan was the country’s eighth confirmed polio case, Department of Health said on Monday, November 25. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the child was unvaccinated. Prior to this, the agency had documented six other polio cases in Mindanao. One case was PROTECTING CHILDREN’S RIGHTS. Senator Grace Poe entertains kids after giving a short speech at the opening of an exhibit celebrating the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the National Children’s Month at the Senate on Monday, November 25. In her speech, Poe said the Senate, adhering to the spirit of the convention by passing laws that are pro-children, “ensures that every child’s right is protected.” Senate photo
Prosecutors wants Zaldy Ampatuan in jail to prevent escape as ruling nears by Kristine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
MANILA — As the court ruling on the 2009 Ampatuan massacre nears, state prosecutors have asked the Quezon City court handling the multiple murder case against former regional governor Zaldy Ampatuan to transfer him back to jail. In a Manifestation with Urgent Motion filed last Friday, November 22, the Department of Justice urged the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 to order Ampatuan’s return to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City from his confinement in a Makati hospital. Ampatuan, one of the primary accused in the gruesome massacre, was brought to the hospital last October after suffering a stroke. He has since been confined at Makati Medical Center, where he is receiving physical and occupational therapy. State prosecutors however pointed out that Ampatuan remains in the hospital “without any certainty and/or definite ate on when he will be finally discharged.” Documents submitted to the court by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology stated that Ampatuan is suffering from a recurring heart ailment, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and chronic atrial fibriliation. While the prosecutors said they remain mindful of Ampatuan’s medical condition, “it is apprehensive that his alleged hospital con-
Photos of the people killed in the Maguindanao massacre are seen during a rally in Manila yesterday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the country’s worst political killing where 58 people, including 32 journalists, were slaughtered and dumped in roadside pits on Nov. 23, 2009. Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales
finement under the cloak of being still undergoing continuous physical and occupational therapy may provide him all the opportunity for convenient escape.” “The prosecution panel, therefore, is of the view that accused Zaldy Ampatuan would do any last ditch move towards his liberty, be it resorting to his act of taking flight,” the motion further read. The DOJ also said that the therapy Ampatuan is receiving may be done inside Camp Bagong Diwa. If the accused’s continued retention in the hospital be necessary, the DOJ asked to augment the security personnel guarding him to prevent him from taking flight. “In deference to this Honorable Court, it should now stop extending so much grace, sympathy or concern to accused Zaldy Ampatuan but has to act firmly and with an iron hand to prevent any
untoward contingency while its decision is still underway,” the prosecutors added. Quezon City RTC Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Reyes has until December 20 to issue a ruling on the Maguindanao massacre, considered the worst election-related violence and attack on press freedom in the country. November 23, Saturday, marked the 10th year since the Ampatuan massacre took the lives of 58 people, 32 of whom were journalists. They were on their way to a local Commission on Elections office to witness the filing of the certificate of candidacy for then-Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu when they were flagged and killed by gunmen in Ampatuan town. Members of the Ampatuan clan, political rivals of the Mangudadatus, were accused of ordering the killing. n
reported in Laguna. Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo earlier said the confirmation of polio cases in Mindanao is a cause for concern because “there is an active transmission of the virus within the island of Mindanao and there are children unprotected from the virus.” The re-emergence of polio in the Philippines after nearly two decades came after the country was hit by measles and dengue outbreaks earlier this year stoked by falling vaccination rates. According to the DOH, the ini-
tial round of the synchronized polio vaccination reported 96% coverage among children in the National Capital Region. Davao del Sur recorded a 92% coverage, while Lanao del Sur reported an 85% coverage. Coverage in Davao del Sur is at 92% and 85% in Lanao del Sur. Polio can cause paralysis and can be fatal in rare cases. The disease has no cure and can only be prevented with several doses of oral and injectable vaccines. (Gaea Katreena Cabico with a report from Shiela Crisostomo/Philstar.com)
House term sharing should hold –Duterte by Christina
Mendez
Philstar.com
MANILA — Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco should honor their gentleman’s agreement on the term-sharing for the speakership, President Rodrigo Duterte said. “Our agreement is sharing, half-half. Now, if anyone of them would not honor it, be it
Lord Velasco or si Peter Cayetano, that is… that would be his decision,” Duterte said in a chance interview after the dedication ceremony of his great grandson in Davao. “But he has to take care that there is an agreement of sharing. If you violate it… Usapan ‘yan (that was the deal),” he added. It was the president who intervened in the duo’s fight for the speakership before the 18th
Congress opened last July. Under the term-sharing agreement, Cayetano would turn over the House reins after 15 months to Velasco, who will preside in the next 21 months of this Congress. The controversy emerged anew after Cayetano and his allies hinted they would want continuity, meaning the current speaker should stay at his post. n
A6 NOVEMBER 27-29, 2019 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
O PINION Security for VIPs
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FEATURES
FOLLOWING the killing of a judge in San Fernando, La Union on November 5 for still unknown reasons, the Supreme Court is proposing the creation of a special group patterned after the U.S. Marshals Service, whose members will be assigned exclusively to protect members of the judiciary. A bill supporting the proposal has been filed at the House of Representatives. Mario Anacleto Bañez was the second judge to be murdered this year, and the 31st since 1999. While it is clear, however, that certain members of the judiciary can face serious threats to their personal safety in line with their work, this proposal must be seen in the proper context. Judges aren’t the only ones who face death threats and are actually assassinated in this country. Similar threats are faced by lawmakers, local government executives, labor arbiters and other officials, journalists, environmental advocates, left-leaning activists and even priests. There are reports that several regional officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue have been kidnapped for ransom in the past months. In the conflict areas of Mindanao, teachers are targeted by Islamic terrorists for hostage taking, rape and murder. Why should members of the judiciary get special protection? It’s unfair enough that too many members of the Philippine National Police are deployed
as personal bodyguards of government officials and even certain private VIPs who can very well afford to pay for their own security detail. If bodyguards would speed up magistrates’ dispensation of justice, perhaps the proposal could become palatable to taxpayers. But if this measure would be passed, what would stop members of Congress from creating their own special protective force at taxpayers’ expense? Who decides which sector deserves more protection than others? There are currently 2,561 trial judges, 15 justices of the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court, 70 justices of the Court of Appeals, nine in the Court of Tax Appeals and 15 members of the Supreme Court. How many marshals will be deployed to protect them? The proponent of the House bill was quoted as saying, in explaining his measure, that “right now, attacks.” But the same could be said of a majority every active judge is a sitting duck, with abso- of the population. The proposed funding for this lutely no protection whatsoever against potential proposal is better spent in improving public safety
Editorial
At Ground Level SATUR C. OCAMPO IN August President Duterte vowed to distribute all agricultural lands equitably through a “unique brand of agrarian reform” to accomplish the program’s primary aim: “uphold the welfare of the landless farmers, promote social justice, and attain sound rural development.” Moreover, he conflated this ambitious goal with another one — ending the five-decade armed conflict with the CPP-NPA by grabbing from the revolutionary movement “the richest issue of them all — land reform.” Focusing on Negros, where he said the farmers’ struggle for land is deep and protracted because of the feudal system obtaining there, Duterte stated his game plan thus: “Kunin mo ang initiative sa komunista. What they are really parlaying is land. Eh di unahan na natin, ibigay na natin.” He taunted the CPP-NPA: “You cannot win a fight for social justice or for a better life…if you go to revolution, it won’t work. I am not challenging [you]. You might win or you may lose, but that is
something to be seen.” Then he made the cryptic statement, “I am serving notice to everybody that in the coming months it will be — not really bloody, but there will be, at least, a little trouble for our country.” Carrying out his plan, he added, would “make us a magnet for all criticisms” and critics are “waiting for us to commit a wrong.” Were the simultaneous raids in Bacolod City, on October 1, part of the “little trouble” Duterte warned about in August? The operations carried out by joint AFP-PNP security forces on the offices of progressive organizations resulted in the arrest of 57 persons, including 14 minors. It was covered by search warrants issued by a Quezon City RTC judge and directed by the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC, formed via Executive Order 70 and headed by Duterte). If the Bacolod operation was “not really bloody,” let us not forget the AFP-PNP operations twice carried out earlier in Negros Oriental (first on Dec. 27 to Jan. 15, then on March 30 this year), during which 48 civilians were killed and several others arrested.
Philstar.com photo
measures in general. Every person in this country deserves protection from lawless elements. (Philstar.com)
‘Not really bloody’ but unjust, repressive
That was a really bloody operation, legally enabled by a hundred search warrants issued by a single RTC judge in Cebu City, in pursuance of Memorandum Order 32, issued by Duterte on Nov. 22, 2018. Mind these facts: 1) Most of those killed in their homes and arrested in Negros Oriental were landless farmers fighting for land and social justice, advocacies that Duterte vowed to uphold. 2) Among the offices raided in Bacolod was that of the National Federation of Sugar Workers, its leader (among other mass leaders) was arrested. And 3) those arrested in both operations have been charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives, a nonbailable offense. They all aver that the firearms and explosives were planted in their houses and offices during the supposed searches. Metro Manila has not been spared: in the nation’s capital, two parallel raids, arrests, and charges were carried out on Oct. 1 and 5. The series of AFP-PNP operations have been promptly denounced, here and abroad, as foul, unjust, and repressive actions taken by the state against progressive organizations critical of certain policies and programs
as well as human rights violations by the government. Preemptive steps, taken by the national offices of the progressive organizations, have apparently deterred wider raids and arrests. Meantime, the NTF-ELCAC is pursuing another tack. It is now seeking to disperse political detainees, among them NDFP peace consultants, being held in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City by sending them to already overcrowded provincial and local jails in places where trumped-up charges have been filed against them. Thus far, the chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology has written to three Regional Trial Court judges to issue court orders for the transfer, and one judge has already acceded to the request to transfer two detainees. In seeking the transfer of these political detainees to Lucena City; Sta. Cruz, Laguna; Gumaca, Quezon; and Malolos, Bulacan, the BJMP chief cites as ground the “institutionalization of the wholeof-nation approach” under EO 70 that “includes national efforts to prevent opportunities for Communists Terrorist Groups (CTGs) to conduct organized activities while under detention”(emphasis mine) and the “timely resolution”
of the cases against the detainees pending before the regular courts. In a statement given to media, the Bicutan political detainees accuse NTF-ELCAC of “blatantly interfering in the judicial process, fabricating lies and false scenarios.” The move to disperse them, they say, runs counter to the long-established practice, even during the Marcos dictatorship, of detaining political detainees in “common facilities for practical reasons, including easier monitoring and control by the state authorities.” Court records, they add, show that most of the political detainees in Bicutan had been transferred there from local jails – such as the couple Frank Fernandez and Cleofe Lagtapon, NDFP consultants from Negros – upon motion of local wardens “who were worried about security risks in holding them.” As regards “organized activities,” the Bicutan detainees point out that whatever they have undertaken “cannot be anything but legitimate and justified.” They cite political discussion among themselves and their visitors, social gatherings and celebrations, handicrafts and other livelihood projects, sports, and health and
wellness activities. In my eight years of detention at the former Bicutan Rehabilitation Center during the Marcos dictatorship, we political detainees were able to organize ourselves and manage our day-to-day activities, including cooking our own meals. I was elected spokesperson and chief negotiator with the Command for the Administration of Detainers (headed in succession by Defense Undersecretaries Jose Crisol and Carmelo Barbero, and Col. Jose Sta. Romana). We took up matters relating to our rights and welfare (easing restrictions, improving facilities, health care), priorities in detainee releases from time to time, etc. In cases of deadlock, we resorted to fasting and hunger strikes. In all instances these militant actions forced the authorities to recognize the reasonableness of our demands, and we prevailed. So what’s bugging the NTFELCAC? Are they scared of what the political detainees can do, cooped up in such a limited space in a high-security facility in Bicutan? Is it because, as Secretary Año has admitted, the government is losing “in the propaganda war”? (Philstar.com)
US Navy confirms real intent of PH arbitration vs China
Commentary
RIGOBERTO TIGLAO THE U.S. Navy last week, in its actions and official statements, in effect revealed what was really one of the real aims of the Philippines’ arbitration suit that President Aquino III and his foreign secretary Albert del Rosario brought against China in 2013. It wasn’t to win back for the Philippines islands or reefs it claims to own in the Spratly islands, which it alleges China grabbed from it. The arbitration was intended — other than to demonize China as an evil aggressor in the South China Sea — to provide the U.S. Navy with additional legal justification to undertake its so-called freedom of navigation operations (Fonops) in the South China Sea, a major part of the American “Pivot to Asia” program started by President Obama in 2011. The Fonop has been the U.S.’ way of challenging what it thinks are territorial waters and maritime zones that countries have declared but which it thinks are illegal. It does this by having a warship sail into such waters and zones to challenge the claiming countries to enforce what they claim are their sovereign rights – which of course they don’t, faced with the might of the U.S. navy. On November 18, the littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Gif-
fords passed by Mischief Reef in the Spratlys, occupied by China on which it has built an artificial island. China as well as the Philippines and Vietnam claim the reef as part of their sovereign territory. China calls the Spratlys its Nánsh Qúndo, the Philippines its Kalayaan Island Group, and Vietnam, Qun o Trng Sa. The U.S. ship deliberately sailed within 12 nautical miles of the artificial island, or within its theoretical territorial sea. Navy spokesman While there has been at least a dozen such Fonops in the Spratlys since 2011, what is significant is how the U.S. navy spokesman, Reann Mommsen, justified it this time: “USS Gabrielle Giffords demonstrated that Mischief Reef, a lowtide elevation in its natural state, is not entitled to a territorial sea under international law. Under international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), features like Mischief Reef that are submerged at high tide in their naturally formed state are not entitled to a territorial sea. The land reclamation efforts, installations and structures built on Mischief Reef do not change this characterization under international law. By engaging in normal operations within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef, the United States demonstrated that vessels may lawfully exercise high-seas freedoms in those areas.”
That justification, the language itself, was practically lifted straight from the Hague arbitration tribunal’s July 2016 ruling. While Unclos does contain the provision that an LTE is not entitled to a territorial sea under international law, no country can unilaterally declare any specific feature as such. There has to be an international court or an arbitration agreed upon by the two contending parties for a specific feature to be declared as an LTE. For example, Japan’s “Okinotorishima,” the size of a bedroom juts out of the sea only because the Japanese built an embankment around it, and it would be a stretch to claim it has an territorial sea and 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. Yet Japan does claim it is an island which has a territorial sea and EEZ, which gives it a huge 156,000 sq km of EEZ. Japan even rigorously defends that EEZ, protesting every time a survey ship enters that EEZ. China claims Okinotorishima does not have an EEZ, but Japan simply ignores that claim. Baker Island Not only Japan. Almost all the major powers have “rocks,” which they claim have EEZs. The U.S. claims Howland Island, Baker Island and Kingman Reef have EEZs which gives it huge areas in the Pacific where it has sovereign right. Australia has McDonald Island, while France, Clipperton Island. Why should there be double standards, one for the “imperialist
powers” and another for China, I can imagine the Chinese to be asking. The U.S. — even if it didn’t accede to the Unclos — is now claiming that Mischief Reef doesn’t have maritime entitlements because of the PH v. China arbitration ruling that it, together with six other reefs China occupies, are LTEs or rocks, which under Unclos are not entitled to territorial seas and EEZs. In fact, such declaration that specific features are LTEs or rocks is the first time this was done. But the ruling backfired on the Philippines, as it not only declared that Mischief Reef and other such formations are not entitled to a territorial sea nor an EEZ. What shocked scholars and international law experts is that the tribunal ruled that no feature in the Spratlys was an island, and could not have territorial seas and EEZ. The tribunal ruled them all to be either LTEs or “rocks.” It meant that features we possess that are obviously islands — Pag-Asa which is the biggest island there, Likas, Parola, Lawak, and Kota — are merely “rocks.” In effect we lost the Kalayaan Group of Islands. The tragedy here is that it is only the Philippines which agreed to be bound by the arbitration suit, as China refused to participate in it. Only the Philippines will be losing the right to claim EEZs around its islands in the Kalayaaan Group of Islands. Taiwan, whose Taip-
US combat ship Gabrielle Giffords: Free to patrol the Spratlys, thanks to PH arbitration suit. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy photo
ing island even has an airport was also ruled as a mere “rock,” can and would obviously ignore the arbitration’s ruling since it is not a part of it. Vietnam which has the biggest number of islands, next to us, will ignore it. Boon However, the ruling is a big boon for the U.S., which I have argued in several columns brilliantly manipulated Aquino and del Rosario to file the suit. The U.S. even provided its preferred Washington-based law firm to do all the arguing. The U.S. Navy’s lawyers who have had sleepless nights justifying the Fonops before, can now claim, as it did recently in the case of the Giffords’ recent sailing by Mischief Reef, that the tribunal has ruled that all waters in Spratlys are high seas, not part of any territorial sea claimed by any country, except for the short 500-meter “safety zone” around a “rock.” That the U.S. Navy’s worries
whether or not its ships are complying with international laws in its Fonops was demonstrated when U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter wrote in December 2015 to Sen. John McCain, who had asked for an explanation of the legality of such operations. Ash in his letter noted that one problem is that there were “factual ambiguities” in the Spratlys, among them that the claimants “have not clarified whether they believe a territorial sea surrounds” features they occupy. The arbitration tribunal, however, ruled that no feature in the Spratly islands can claim a territorial sea nor an EEZ, making almost all of the Spratly islands international waters that U.S. warships can freely sail in and through. That’s a huge load lifted from the shoulders of the U.S. military lawyers. And it was even the Philippines which paid over P700 million for lawyers’ fees and other expenses for the suit. (ManilaTimes.net)
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 27-29, 2019
A
BSP eases bank reserve rules to Philippines has lowest ATM density in region — BSP release more cash into economy by lawrenCe
agCaoili Philstar.com
by daxiM
l. lUCas
Inquirer.net
THE central bank may have called a halt to interest rate cuts and bank reserve requirement reductions for the rest of 2019, but that doesn’t mean they have stopped releasing liquidity into the Philippine financial system. In a statement released on Friday, November 22, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced that its policy-making Monetary Board had approved the exemption of so-called deposit substitutes from the computation of banks’ reserve requirements. Under the new rules, banks will no longer have to set aside cash buffers for funds they borrow from other financial institutions—a key reform measure that will result in a more efficient market. “This means that borrowings from banks, quasi-banks and other financial intermediaries are no longer considered as deposit substitutes, which are subject to reserve requirements,” the central bank said. “Examples of these borrowings include interbank borrowings, repurchase agreements with financial counterparties as well as bonds issued to financial intermediaries.” “The exclusion of these types of borrowings from the reserve base of banks and quasi-banks will result in freed-up liquidity for lending or investment activities,” it stressed. The Monetary Board approved the revision to the definition of a deposit substitute to align the
same with the provisions of the BSP charter, which was amended under Republic Act No. 11211. Under Section 95 of the new BSP charter, a deposit substitute refers to a form of obtaining funds from the public, other than deposits, through the issuance, endorsement or acceptance of debt instruments for the purpose of relending or purchase of other receivables and obligations. The provisions of Section 95 clarify that the term “obtaining funds from the public” refers to borrowing from 20 or more lenders that are individuals or corporate entities which are not financial intermediaries. “This amendment is in line with the BSP’s commitment to implement legislation and ensure that the BSP’s regulatory framework is consistent with prevailing laws,” the central bank said. “It also facilitates the flow of funds within the financial system, which may help reduce intermediation costs and, in turn, support the economic activity.” The central bank last moved to release more liquidity into the Philippine economy through a 100-basis point reduction in banks’ reserve requirement last month. The move will release an estimated P100 billion in fresh cash—previously immobilized in bank vaults as reserves—into the economy in the form of loans. That move brought the total reserve requirement cuts made by the BSP to 4 percentage points since Governor Benjamin Diokno took over the BSP reins earlier this year. n
PH-US free trade talks to start in 2020 by Tyrone Jasper
C. piad
ManilaTimes.net
THE Philippines and the United States are seen to start negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) next year. American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. (AmCham) Executive Director Ebb Hinchliffe, on the sidelines of an event in Pasay last week, said U.S. Trade Representatives (USTR) were concluding the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) first before delving in other trade deals. “I believe that I can say fairly confidently after USMCA is done, the next country that the U.S. would be looking at would probably be the Philippines ahead of Vietnam and possibly ahead of UK (United Kingdom) for obvious reasons,” Hinchliffe said. He did not elaborate. Hinchliffe said he was “hoping” USMCA negotiations would be done by December this year or by “early next year” at the latest. Hinchliffe expressed confidence negotiations between the countries, which he intends to bring up
to the Congress early next year, would not take too long. “We are common partners, we know each other very well, we know our needs and wants very well. This trade agreement should happen very quickly,” he said. The AmCham official said the U.S. would be open for bilateral and multilateral agreements. The Philippines is currently enjoying zero or reduced tariffs to over 5,000 goods or 48 percent of the 10,600 U.S. tariff lines under the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences. As of end-September, Philippine shipments to U.S. reached $8.57 billion, which showed a 7.4-percent growth from previous year’s $7.98 billion, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. U.S. imports to the country, meanwhile, declined by 3.3 percent to $5.80 billion in the first three quarters from nearly $6 billion a year ago for the same period. As of now, the Philippines’ only bilateral free trade agreement is with Japan under Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. n
Online lending code of conduct created by Mayvelin
U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net
A CODE of conduct that would institutionalize best practices and global standards of behavior of online lending firms in the Philippines has been created. Created by a new lenders association — Lenders Alliance Inc. — the guidelines seek to address several issues, which some Filipinos have taken against online lending firms, according to the group’s representative, Michael Brejean. “Shaming people to get them repay is intolerable. Actions had to be taken. The code of conduct is the best answer: it would address issues such as character shaming which several online firms use as a means for loan payment collections,” he said. Brejean stressed the protocol would standardize how online lending firms manage customers and their complaints. “It would likewise implement ways on debt collection. I want to teach the French and European standards of protection and trust for the industry in the Philippines,” he added. Brejean said online lending is not a new phenomenon in the global financial markets. Many multinational companies had been formed because of the need of an expected 2 billion small and medium enterprises (SME) from the global market. In the Philippines alone, he said that more than 86 percent of the economy are composed of SMEs. Seventy six percent of the SME’s rely on non-collateralized lending to fuel their business with fresh capital. Brejean also pointed out noncollateralized lending exists in the country because there is a need, especially among budding entrepreneurs and owners of SMEs, for
loan facilities that would assume the risks from loaners without assets to use as collateral. Right now, banks are the ones with credit and loan facilities for Filipinos but most, if not all, require lenders to sacrifice their assets as collaterals, he added. The collaterals, Brejean stressed, lessen risk exposure of banks with loans. On the other hand, online non-collateralized lending firms assume greater risks than banks just to satisfy the needs of a growing SME market. “We are effectively helping entrepreneurs and small and medium sized enterprises for decades now. I have been listening to what the Filipinos think and it’s not different than France or Europe. We respond to their legitimate complaints by creating a code of conduct that would govern our sector,” he said. Lenders Alliance Inc. is composed of lending firms Royal Yohoo Lending Investors Corp. (Happy Pera), King ABC Lending Corp. (Pondo Loan), Fcash Global Lending Inc. (FastCash) and U-peso.PH Lending Corp. (UPESO). Brejean said these online firms have agreed to consolidate amid several complaints filed by some individuals, which reached the attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission and even the National Privacy Commission. He revealed that a lot of online lending companies would use personal information for shady purposes, which is unsustainable and illegal. “The alliance only groups people that are respecting the law and their customers. The alliance is a label of trust. It means: we are independently checked, you can trust us,” Brejean assured the public. “There are better ways to get people repay their loans,” he added. n
THE Philippines has the lowest automated teller machine (ATM) density in the region as the moratorium on transaction fees imposed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in 2013 has held back banks’ optimal performance in servicing and expanding their reach. The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) reported over the weekend the country has a 20 ATMs per capita of 100,000 cardholders as only 21,000 ATMs service 58 million cardholders nationwide. This is only half compared to other countries in Southeast Asia led by Thailand with 94, Singapore with 49, Malaysia with 45, and Indonesia with 40 ATMs per capita of 100,000 cardholders. BAP managing director Benjamin Castillo said the number of cardholders in the Philippines has been increasing for the past six years. “Banks need to keep up with the maintenance and innovation of ATMs, as well as expansion of ATM network to accommodate the surge of ATM usage,” Castillo said. The lead organization of universal and commercial banks in the Philippines reported the annual growth rate in ATM deployments declined to 6.4 percent after the BSP issued the moratorium on ATM transaction fees in 2013. Prior to the moratorium, the Philippines booked a double-digit annual growth rate in ATM de-
Philstar.com file photo
ployments with 13 percent. On the other hand, BAP said ATM transaction volume continued to increase from 2014 up to the present. Apart from the physical ATM deployments, the organization said there are other expenses that banks incur from operational activities such as loading, servicing, complaints handling, reconciliation, software, capacity expansion and security. BAP said that as some banks apply for adjustments in ATM transaction fees through the BSP as it is mandated to ensure that the costs are reasonable and beneficial to the banking public. “We would like to assure the banking public of our commitment to serving them. We will collaborate with the regulators to ensure that ATM fees remain market-driven and reasonable, while continu-
ing to provide convenience and security to the banking public,” Castillo said. Furthermore, he explained an increase in ATM transaction fees for some banks would allow them to set up more ATMs in remote areas, enabling them to reach and to serve more bank clients, in line with the BSP’s financial inclusion initiatives. Last August, the BSP vowed to scrutinize the applications of banks and financial institutions for higher ATM fees after the moratorium on adjustments imposed six years ago was lifted. The BSP issued Memorandum 2019-020 reminding BSP supervised financial institutions to adhere to the principles of reasonable and market-based pricing in setting their ATM fees. The Monetary Board through Memorandum 661 issued in April
2018 approved the lifting of the moratorium on ATM fees. ATM fees currently imposed by banks average P13 per transaction as it range from P11 to P15 per transaction. The fees only apply if a bank client uses an ATM that is not owned by his or her bank. Vicente de Villa, managing director of the BSP’s Financial Technology Sub-Sector, said during a hearing by the House committee on banks and intermediaries that clients could end up shouldering the cost of recuperations if ATM transaction fees are capped. De Villa said market forces should dictate ATM transaction fees and allow clients to decide. “On our end, what we espouse for is market-driven, reasonableness and transparency and keeping a very competitive market whose competition will play its role,” de Villa said during the hearing. n
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 27, 2019
The gentle power of Fil-Am musician Jay Som, the multitalented ambassador for kindness and resilience The genre-bending Filipina American Melina Duterte on authentic creative expression, listening to herself and overcoming the anxieties of our life and her latest album “Anak Ko” by
Klarize Medenilla / AJPress
Melina Duterte would like to quash falsehoods regarding how she came up with her nom de plume, Jay Som. “This story gets asked about a lot because there are a lot of wrong information about it,” Duterte, 25, tells the Asian Journal in a phone interview. On the music streaming service Spotify, Duterte’s bio claims that she got the name from a specific name generator inspired by alternative hip-hop artist Childish Gambino. This isn’t true. She got the name from an obscure baby name generator on the internet, one of the thousands of name generators designed to help parents pick out a name for their baby. “You know when you’re Googling and you go to the 6th page, like, definitely not one of the top search results,” Duterte says, laughing. “And that’s what I really remembered, and I scrambled a bunch of words and then it came up with Jay Som and the translation was ‘victory moon.’ I thought it sounded great and decided to go with it.” There is a catch, however. “Unfortunately, I did find out that there were like 10,000 people actually named Jay Som, but, you know, c’est la vie.” In any case, it’s probably safe to say that a Google search of Jay Som today will result in top results relating to Duterte’s music, which she’s been recording as Jay Som since 2015. Yielding the moniker Jay Som from a name generator for babies, specifically, is
apropos to the life and career trajectory of the young singer and songwriter who has cultivated Jay Som as a beautifully maturing musical project that transcends the traditional bounds of genre. The latest creation, the album “Anak Ko” (“My Child”) released on August 23, is Duterte’s sophomore album, an intimate, quarterlife introspection that not only embraces vulnerability but finds strength in it. To generically summarize Duterte’s sound would be an act of futility; as is the trend in music today, her sound is complex and fluid and refuses to be categorized by a singular genre. It refreshing call to kindness that combines elements of post-aughts indie rock — as heard in acts such as Death Cab for Cutie and Phil Elverum, and the richness of the euro rock scene of the 1980s à la the Cocteau Twins and The Cure — refined underscored by hazy bedroom pop which has defined the sound of the 2010s. The soft timbre of Duterte’s voice captures the cool languor of a native Californian with the wisdom of someone with lived experience who is successfully learning to listen to herself. Since then, she has emerged as a tour de force of tenderness, with her music becoming a balm for a digital world obsessed with clout and racked with social anxiety. Musical beginnings Born Melanie Mae Duterte in the Bay Area in 1994, Duterte is the daughter of
Jay Som
Jay Som performs an NPR Music Tiny Desk concert in 2017.
Cover art for Jay Som’s album “Anak Ko”
Jay Som
discusses facing your fears; and, in 2017 came her second creation, “Everybody Works,” an exuberant album that explores relationships and empathy through a blend of dream pop and grunge. That release propelled the young artist as a burgeoning independent musician, and she began playing concerts and festivals all over the world, performing alongside indie stalwarts such as Paramore, Mitski and Death Cab For Cutie, the last of which was “a huge source of inspiration for me growing up, so it was kind of amazing to share a stage with them.” Facing reality through sobriety Although touring is an essential, character-building facet of the job, it has its troubles. For Duterte, those pitfalls were being away from loved ones for eight months out of the year, unstable income and, most profoundly, the ubiquity of drugs and alcohol which have basically become staples of the music industry. “It’s normalized,” Duterte says, to drink on the job and so many meetings take place over drinks and, for smaller acts like hers, the talent is often paid in drink tickets. “You look outside of that and examine society as a whole, and you see that we normalize drinking into every part of our social lives. I think I was just getting really tired of that and I was blacking Photo by Lindsey Byrnes out every single time I was drinking. And it got really bad to the point where I really couldn’t do it anymore.” The experience for Duterte was, well, sobering. The proverbial rockstar whose life becomes synonymous with debauchery wasn’t the future that Duterte wanted for herself, and in November 2017, she made the decision to quit drinking with the patient and nurturing help of her longtime partner, fellow musician Annie Truscott of the band Chastity Belt (with whom Duterte has collaborated). “She taught me that when you stop drinking you don’t have to tell yourself that you have to stop drinking forever. You just say it’s a break, and for me, that worked. Every time I was taking a break, it got better and the harder
Filipino immigrants who raised Duterte and her brother with the freedom to chase their passions, contrary to the helicopter parenting of Filipino parental stereotypes. From a young age, Duterte expressed deep fascination with music, playing the trumpet and guitar and participating in family karaoke sessions, a rite of passage for any young Filipino. At the age of 12, she began privately writing and recording music in her bedroom, and planned to attend a conservatory program to pursue jazz, but her love of songwriting let her to study music production and recording instead. By 2015, she released her first demo “Turn Into,” a kaleidoscopic dreamscape in which a stream of consciousness
times became better, all the emotional communication with other people was easier, like, it really touches every part of your life,” she added.” But, of course, putting down the bottle for good wasn’t easy. Every emotion is heightened — “when you’re sad, you’re really sad,” — and the newfound blinding awareness of your surroundings can feel unbearable. “When you’re not drinking, and you’re playing live, you’re like, ‘‘Oh, f*ck. I know exactly what’s going on right now…” Duterte shares. “I just became hyperaware of all these people looking at me and listening to me, all these people who paid to see me. And we traveled all the way to, say, New Hampshire to play music for these people.” She adds, “It gets anxietyridden but I try to be as real as I can now. If I’m sad, I’m not acting like I’m not sad, but I always want to make clear that I’m super grateful that they came because it is hard to get outside the house to get anywhere, so it really means a lot to me that people get out of their house, out of their bed, to see an artist play music. It’s really mind-boggling to me sometimes.” Finding power in compassion Two years of sobriety later and no intention of falling back on the wagon, Duterte feels like she’s taken full control of her creative work and personal life. By giving up drinking, she learned to find comfort with herself and explore mindfulness as a means of nurturing. “I feel way more refined, just in a general sense,” she says. “Like with my music, I feel like I’m generating better music and have a straighter sense of what I want and also I know who I want to work with now and what I want from friendships and what I want from working relationships because I think what being sober taught me was you get to face your challenges headon. You cannot fix it with a vice and you can’t bottle it up anymore. It fixed my communication with not just others but with myself, too.”
Photo by Lindsey Byrnes
In 2017, Duterte moved from the Bay to Los Angeles to center herself and mature as a musician, recording her own music and collaborating with other musicians like Chastity Belt and Sasami. “Anak Ko” is the product of the dramatic emotional shifts Duterte has endured and lessons learned in a relatively short amount of time. Naming the album “Anak Ko” was a lark. The album was untitled up until the week before she had to turn in the completed album to her label, Polyvinyl, and her manager told her she had to come up with a name. Duterte recounts texting her mom while she was trying to come up with a title when inspiration struck. “She always greets me with, ‘Hi, anak ko!” or “What’s going on, anak ko?’ It’s a thing she’s always said to me as a kid, and it’s a very endearing term and something that everyone knows with their parents and their own cultures. It felt like a warm blanket to put over my work, and really, I just wanted to have a title that means something special to me.” From finding her stage name through a baby name generator to cultivating a growing repertoire, Duterte has fostered a special, tender space within the indie music community. Nowadays, she listens to herself and what her mind and body need over what an audience wants. (Last month, she announced she was postponing her European tour next year in order to “get my mental health in order and appreciate the patience.” ) In a world that often feels at odds with its own self, and in a culture that places attention to the future, Duterte is a reminder that there is strength in kindness and there is no shame in letting your guard down. The final verse of the last track on “Anak Ko,” called “Get Well,” perfectly sums up that gentle energy: “I will be your friend / Keep you safe instead / I’ll show you a special way / I don’t want to forget.”
Fil-Am environment modeler John Aquino on building ‘Frozen 2’ world by Christina
M. Oriel
AJPress
With “Frozen 2” now in theaters, viewers once again are transported to the world of Arendelle and accompanying sisters Elsa and Anna along their new set of adventures. After the success of “Frozen” in 2013, lingering questions remained, including: Why does Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) have magical powers? Together with Anna (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad), and Sven, Elsa sets on a journey that tests the range of her abilities and whether they’re enough for the world. Songwriting duo Filipino American Robert Lopez and Kristen AndersonLopez are back with a soundtrack full of catchy hits that will stick like the first movie (“Into the Unknown” is easily the new “Let It Go,” for example). Beyond the characters themselves, the backdrops of
“Frozen 2” are equally as spirited and intricate, in part thanks to the work of an environment modeling team that includes Fil-Am John Aquino. Aquino served as a senior environment modeler on “Frozen 2,” which entailed building the story locations, whether it’s the kingdom of Arendelle or wherever the storyline takes the characters, such as the enchanted forest and dark seas. While the environment of “Frozen” was mostly cool hues, snow and ice, “Frozen 2” presents an enchanted forest during the autumn season, so there are trees with leaves changing colors and falling to the ground and lush hills. Still, this portrayal of fall is underrated and cool, with orange and red hues that align with the “Frozen” palette. “This time out, Anna and Elsa’s adventures take them outside the borders of Arendelle so I was responsible for building all of the trees, the props, the
castle, the cliffs that you see in the movie, huts or houses in the village,” Aquino told the Asian Journal in a recent interview ahead of the film’s release. Production designer Michael Giaimo, along with directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, took a trip to Norway, Finland and Iceland to study landscapes, people and cultures that would inspire the story and environments found in the film. The photos and notes they took during the trip were then relayed to the environment modeling team to start building. “I want the audience to be enchanted and enamored by the beauty of the world Anna and Elsa live in and have them feel like this is a real place. With capturing that magical, mystical aspect, it’s something that still resonates once you leave the theater,” he said. Born in Manila and raised in Southern California, Aquino set
Continued on Page 4
“Frozen 2” isn’t just ice and snow — the characters encounter the fall season and venture into the enchanted forest.
In “Frozen 2,” Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven journey far beyond the gates of Arendelle in search of answers. Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios environment modeler John Aquino, who’s worked on films from “Frozen 2” to “Moana.”
entertainment
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 27, 2019
Thanksgiving turkey stuffing with ‘Premium Chorizo De Bilbao’
Here’s a recipe to get excited about... a Doña Juana idea for your usual basic stuffing. This year, change up your classic version of thanksgiving stuffing by adding Becca Godinez’s “Premium Chorizo de Bilbao.” Ingredients: • 2 medium carrots chopped (optional) • 1 medium onion chopped • 1⁄2 lb sliced mushrooms (optional) • 2 whole leeks chopped • 4 cloves of minced garlic • 1 lb Premium Chorizo de Bilbao chopped • 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil • 2 cups chicken broth • 1⁄2 cup brandy • 20 oz of your favorite
bread stuffing • 1⁄2 lb butter • 1 tsp thyme • 1 tsp nutmeg • 1 cup golden raisins • 1 tsp hot smoked paprika (optional) Directions: • Heat the olive oil and butter on low heat in a skillet, add the garlic until translucent and then add the onions and leeks until translucent. • subsequently add the carrots and the mushrooms and sauté lightly. • Add the spices and the chorizo at this stage and lightly brown. • Add the brandy and mix well. • Add the bread and mix thoroughly. • Finally, stir in the
chicken broth and toss well. • stuff your turkey with it before cooking it in the oven, Or • You can bake the stuffing separately in a greased and covered casserole dish at 350° for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes for a crispier top.
Unmasking the Diamond Star age and I don’t want to meddle in their love lives. I just remind them, ‘’Make sure na ‘yung BACK then, many years babaeng ipakilala n’yo sa akin ago, when journalists (this one ay ‘yon na ‘yon.’ Ngayon, kung included) wrote about Maricel tarantado ‘yung babae, please soriano (simply Maria to friends) lang, alisin n’yo na sa harap ko.” they would quote the title of a • Who has the most impact song from “The sound of Music” on your life? — you know, How do you solve “My Daddy Dolphy. (Who a problem like Maria? played her father in the sitcom That was during Maria’s taray John en Marsha. — rFL) Inang(bitchy) days. she has changed kin ko siyang ama at inangkin and that’s what you will find niya rin naman akong anak.” out in the following interview in • Who is the one person that which she “unmasks” herself, you look up to? baring the now Maria who has “Marami. Aside from my ceased to be the “problem” and Daddy Dolphy, sina Mommy has become, well, the “solution.” Nida (Blanca) at Tita Chato Maricel Soriano, simply Maria to friends, is turnIn her new movie, regal (Charito solis), kaya lang iniwan ing 55 on Feb. 25 next year. ‘Oh my God, I don’t entertainment’s The Heiress na nila ako, eh. I miss them so want to turn 55!’, she exclaims in mock shock. directed by Frasco Mortiz, Maria much, especially when I am de‘Puede ba 54 na lang?’ But she has mellowed plays a character exactly her pressed. I would ask them, ‘Bakit considerably. Asked what she likes about herself opposite — as the aunt/surron’yo ako iniwan?’ Ganoon.” now, she smiles, ‘I’m more tame, I’m better and I gate mother of Janella salvador • Who is the one person that am prettier…ay sus!!!’ Then she laughs. whom she shields against those you turn to when you are feeling Philstar.com photo she perceives to be out to break low? her spirit or do her harm, includ“Si Mr. Tuviera (Antonio, Maria laughed. “Why should ing the girl’s biological mom they be afraid of me? I don’t eat a.k.a. Mr. T). He’s also my tatay (sunshine Cruz) and boyfriend who is always there for me. people, hahaha!!!” (McCoy). she’s a mambabarang Andyan din si Mother (Lily) on stay tuned and check the (sorceress). whom I can confide about my “who-what-where-when-how” In the movie, everybody is problems.” about the Diamond star. afraid of her. Her previous image • Who are your real friends? Who lingers a bit and some people, “I think you know who they • Who is your greatest love? particularly young stars, think are, a few from showbiz and oth“My boys — Marron, 31, she’s an object of fear. and sebastien, 26. They are of Continued on Page 4 by Ricky Lo Philstar.com
entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 27, 2019
Your Risk is on the Rise — Secondhand Marijuana and Vape are Harmful
THE smell used to give it away — that nasty, unmistakable scent of cigarette smoke. And you knew, somehow, your neighbor’s smoke was drifting in your house. But what if your neighbor vapes? Or smokes marijuana?
That’s when the dangerous chemicals from next door become harder to detect or possibly mistaken for something else. All the while, you and your family’s health is at risk, sometimes without you ever knowing it.
Truth is, secondhand smoke is sneaky. It doesn’t need an open door or window to enter your apartment. A neighbor’s smoke can travel through tiny cracks in the floors, walls, pipes, ventilation systems, and even electrical outlets. Secondhand smoke from cigarettes already kills 41,000 nonsmoking adults and 400 innocent children each year. And now secondhand vape is adding to the amount of toxic particles you could be exposed to every day. Because it’s not actually harmless water vapor. It’s a toxic aerosol that’s also filled with nicotine particles. To make matters worse, even secondhand marijuana contains many of the same cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco smoke. It’s new forms of secondhand smoke like these that are making it hard for Californians to find room to breathe freely, even in and around their own homes. You do so much to protect your family already. You install alarm systems. You put baby monitors around the house. But in reality, one of the most dangerous things of all may be coming from next door. So don’t ignore your neighbor’s secondhand smoke, no matter what it comes from. Your family’s health is at stake. And the bottom line is: unless your complex is completely smokefree, you and your family could be in danger. Visit SecondhandDangers.org to learn more about the dangers of all secondhand smoke. (MC MUH Dwellers Article)
Anne feels baby’s kick: ‘Bizarre, amazing feeling’ by Cha Lino Inquirer.net
IT appears that Anne Curtis’ child is healthy. The soon-to-be mother shared the “bizarre and amazing feeling” of her child moving inside her body, as her baby’s kicks got stronger. The actress enthusiastically updated her fans on Twitter about the development on Sunday, November 24. “Little one kicking so strong now. What a bizarre and amazing feeling .” Curtis has been vocal about her journey through motherhood ever since she announced her pregnancy to the public on Nov. 10. In small snippets, the noontime show host regularly gives her fans an idea of her pregnancy
and host, she added that she couldn’t do her daily routine anymore without sneaking in a nap. “Being someone who’s been so used to working so much. Hindi ko na kaya (I can’t do it anymore).” The actress also appeared to be craving a certain food, as per her post on Nov. 18, about her love for potatoes. The weird sleeping patterns are apparently part of the journey. The actress expressed her shock when a fan said: “Wait on your [7th] or 8th month it (sic) your little one will wake you up at Anne Curtis 1 [a.m.] or 2 [a.m.].” Photo from Instgram/@annecurtissmith Curtis was already in her fifth quirks. month of pregnancy when she Curtis said yesterday that she and her husband celebrity chef was adjusting to her body’s need Erwan Heussaff decided to share for more sleep. As a busy actress the news.
Fil-Am environment modeler...
From Page 2
his sights on becoming a comic book artist, but was enthralled with the world of film animation. He came to Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1996 as an apprentice after finishing a Bachelor of Arts degree in graphic arts from Point Loma College in San Diego. His early work at the studio includes serving as an effects animator on “Hercules,” “Fantasia 2000” and “The Emperor’s New Groove.” He then came into his current role as a modeler, having a hand in films like “Tangled,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Frozen,” “Big Hero 6,” “Zootopia” and “Moana” before the most recent “Frozen 2”. In his 23 years at Disney, technology has changed the way artists and modelers have operated, making more precise and easier in some ways. “I used to be a traditional artist, drawing effects for our 2D films. When the computer age came for the industry and CG was the flavor for the animation industry, I decided to go into environment building because [to me] it felt more artistic and sculptural,” Aquino said. “Over the years, from ‘Chicken Little,’ which was my first CG film, to ‘Frozen 2,’ there have been leaps and bounds regarding technology,” he said. One of the challenges with “Frozen 2”, Aquino described, was the handling of the trees in the enchanted forest since a major element was the mysticism in that setting. “We rely on our proprietary software of making trees but we had to go an extra step in order
A still from John Aquino’s “Lightning in a Bottle” through Disney’s “Short Circuit” program, set to be released on Disney+ in 2020.
for them to be more dynamic and more art directed and really following design of almost a flat nature,” he said. “But really, also with the environments, we had to go into a little bit more detail in order for us to capture [it]. We don’t want it to look too fantasy, we want it to look like it’s a real place too, a real analog place.” Earlier this year, Aquino had the opportunity to step into the director’s chair with his own short, “Lightning in a Bottle.” Aquino’s creation comes through Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Circuit, a program that allows employees at the studios to pitch an idea and receive studio support to develop an original short film. The program is similar to Pixar’s Spark Shorts, which included fellow Fil-Am artist Bobby Rubio’s “Float” this year, featuring the studio’s first-ever Filipino characters. In Aquino’s “Lightning in a Bottle,” the young boy protagonist captures lightning inside a jar that soon mimics his own actions. He must then decide whether to keep it or release it back into the sky.
For this, Aquino studied electricity and weather patterns to help develop the lightning character. It was one of six new shorts that debuted at the “Short Circuit” panel at D23 Expo in the summer and screened at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. Though, we’ll have to wait until it drops on Disney+ sometime in early 2020. “As a Filipino American, I want people to know that we have a voice in the animation industry. It takes a village to raise a child as they say, and in this case, I used to think animated films were just done by one person. It’s actually done by multiple people coming together, collaborating, and Filipino Americans are part of that,” Aquino said. He added, “It’s an exciting time for Filipino Americans at Disney Animation. We are being recognized for our hard work and have been given opportunities for the first time in directing and telling our stories, whether it’s with me directing ‘Lightning in a Bottle,’ or Josie Trinidad being selected as a director for a Disney feature film.”
Unmasking the Diamond... From Page 3 ers are non-showbiz.” What • What do you consider your greatest achievement? “My children. I thought I would never have children. Then I had Marron. Can you imagine how a woman feels if she can’t bear a child? God gave me Tien, so sino ang mag-aakala na magkakaanak pa pala ako? But I can’t have more children. By Feb. 25 next year, I will be 55.” • What’s the best lesson that you have learned? “That you have to leave some for yourself. Don’t give away everything kasi the moment you have a misunderstanding, ibabalik sa’yo ‘yon, eh. That’s what I learned from my mom (Linda who died years ago. — RFL).” • What’s in your bucket list? “I don’t have a bucket list. But I want to play roles that I’ve never done, ‘yung medyo action-something…ala-hitman na hindi halata. Not somebody na nagka-karate. After doing a ‘hit,’ she’s shown rushing for a date. The audience will just find out that, ‘A, siya pala ‘yon; kaya pala siya umuwi’…like the role of Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” • What is your biggest regret? “That I didn’t have more time with my mom. She was my best friend. She died too soon. Her 10th death anniversary was marked just recently and up to now, hindi ko matanggap na wala na siya. It’s unfair! We had a talk. I told her, ‘I should go first.’ She said, ‘Hindi, dapat mauna ako sa’yo!’ Baklang-bakla ang Nanay ko, di ba? ” • What do you like about yourself now? Your Heiress young co-stars (among them Janella Salvador and McCoy de Leon) said that you have changed; hindi ka na raw mataray. “Pero may babala.” (Laughed) “Ano ‘yon? Wala! Look lang ako, hahaha!!!” (McCoy was touched when Maricel put a face towel on his back.) “Kasi kawawa ‘yung mga bata, walang nag-aalaga. I told him and Janella, ‘You should take care of yourselves, mahirap magkasakit.’ What do I like about myself now? She’s tame now, she’s better now, she’s prettier
now…ay sus!!! Hahaha!!! You know, some things change with time. It comes with age.” Where • Where are you most comfortable? “At home. I’m a homebody. Ever since, hindi ako ma-party. Maingay sa party; you can’t hear one another so you end up saying, ‘Ano ‘yon, ano daw, anong sabi?’ I don’t even deal with gossip; hindi ako tsismosa, ano! Pakialam ko sa buhay ng may buhay! So sa bahay lang ako. I watch Netflix. I have just watched The Bodyguard (not the one with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner).” • Where do you eventually want to settle down? “Abroad? No, I’d rather stay in the Philippines. Sa Maynila pa rin.” • Where do you go to unwind? “I love going to Willie’s place in Tagaytay.” (Willie Revillame, that is, ex-boyfriend of Maricel’s sister Becbec with whom Willie has a daughter, Meryll Soriano. — RFL) “Alam mo naman si Willie, siya ang hilaw kong brother-in-law pero ayaw niyang pumayag. He said that he is a member of our family. He would accommodate us in his vacation house na parang hindi kami ibang tao.” • Where is your Achilles’ Heel? “Mayroon ba akong ganoon? Oh yes, pakialaman na nila ang buhay ko pero huwag lang ang buhay ng mga anak ko.” When • When are you happiest? “When I have accomplished something. I think I have done a lot but…hmmm, hindi pa ako nanalo ng Urian ha! In my 45 years in the business, I have been nominated (by the Urian) several times but I’ve never won.” • When are you saddest? “When there’s a misunderstanding around, whether at home or on the set. You want to get angry but it’s useless. You know, puede namang idaan sa magandang usapan ang lahat.” • When do you feel triumphant? “When my movie makes money. That’s why I’m inviting everybody to watch The Heiress which is opening on Wednesday, Nov. 27. You will like it. It’s na-iiba. I have a new (young)
director, si Frasco Mortiz, the son of Edgar Mortiz. Ako ang nakakatakot dito in every scene. Watch kayong lahat ha!” • When do you think is the right time to retire? “When people don’t like you anymore; kapag ayaw na sa’yo ng tao.” How • How was it working with young stars like Janella and McCoy? “I can’t say anything bad about them because I saw how hard they worked. They reminded me of my early years in the business.” • How do you think are young stars today different from stars of your time? “I will speak in general ha. I notice that many of them don’t respect senior stars. Hindi sila marunong magpugay sa mga nakakatandang stars. Di ba dapat humahalik sila hanggang mapudpod ang mga nguso nila…like we did during our time? • How do you deal with low moments? “I pray. I talk straight to God, to Mama Mary. Was I named after Mama Mary? My full first name is Maria Cecilia and I was named after the saint who played the piano, St. Cecilia.” • How would you do it if you start all over again? “I started as a child actress and it was different during our time. But if I were to start all over again now, hmmm teka, medyo mahirap because we are in the age of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I’m not active on social media. How should I deal with people that I don’t see, that I don’t know? Ako pa naman, gusto ko sapakan kaagad. Sorry ha. But if we have to fight, let’s do it face-to-face, magtinginan tayo sa mata.” • How do you look at life now that you are turning 55? “Oh my God, I don’t want to turn 55! Puede ba 54 na lang? What part of my life do I want to go back to? A, wala. I want to fast-forward. I want to look back…at the past? No, I want to look forward…at the future because I want to go home. I want na to see my dad, my mom. That’s the ultimate joy that I want to feel…when I am with God already. Face-to-face with God, what would I tell Him? Oh, this: ‘I love you so much’.”
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Debt Relief
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 27, 2019
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Continued from last week’s issue…) So okay, your partner is the consummate slob and you have to pick up after him. He thinks he has a maid living with him for free. He has this maddening habit of not putting the toothpaste cap back on. That’s easy. Get one with a cap that snaps back on. The point is to find a way to work around an annoyance or accept the tiny irritations. With time and patience, things get easier. As you get older and hopefully, wiser, your eyes dim and your hearing goes for a reason. You become less critical as you see the bigger picture more clearly. You become tone deaf and refuse to be thin skinned and easily offended. Love is a two-way street. Note how you behave towards him. How do you look to him? Do you take the time and the effort to look va-va-voom and give him that look that can make his heartbeat race just a tad? Or do you nag him to death for every little thing? Do you make him feel small with your smartass barbs? Or does he feel he can soar like an eagle when you are around him? Don’t buy into the modern concept of the throwaway or trade-up society that seems to imply you can change partners every five years or so. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. It may work for cars and appliances but falls flat for human relationships. Fix what can yet be fixed. Nurture what can grow into something beautiful. Eat humble pie, if you have to. There is no shame if you truly love. Ask a Higher Power to help you keep things whole. Taking your husband, wife or partner for granted is the biggest cause of so many divorces these days. If alarming numbers are to be believed, half the population already live in Splitsville. There is a disproportionate number of single moms and single dads worldwide strug-
Two magical words Conclusion of 2 parts
“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” — Jean Baptiste Massieu gling with severely diminished finances and dealing with court-appointed visits, juggling schedules, shuttling children in two locations and in cases of bitter, acrimonious divorces, competing for their children’s affections. Honestly, who wants to live a life like that? Does anyone in his right mind really want to be disappointed and live cynical lives dealing with what I call the BIG D’s? These are the doldrums of doubt, darkness, disease, depression, desperation, dejection, disappointment, discouragement and disillusionment. You just wish you can DELETE all that from your life. Sadly, some go to the deep end tragically ending in death. Love has died. Nothing matters. Yet love, according to the “Desiderata” is as perennial as the grass. While there is life, hope springs eternal. Those who are not put off by a disastrous relationship think that “the right one” is just around the corner. That may be so. But if they do not learn from their previous mistakes, they are doomed to repeat them. There’s that D again. They will cycle in and out of one disastrous relationship after the other. Single parenthood is no cakewalk in most cases. Ask around. Do not believe the distortion of truth in movies spun by Hollywood or this trend of celebrities adopting babies and the media glamorizing the lives of single parents. That is one tall tale of an ego on steroids. There is no romantic or comedic element in going it alone. Single parenthood is more like the Theater of the Absurd. The honest truth: there is little glamour or fun in single parenthood – in far too many cases, it is just an endless, har-
rowing tale of one struggle after the next. There are exceptions of course. Unless fate played a dirty trick on you and you ended up meeting and marrying the partner from hell who is a sociopath, a psychopath, a criminal, a user, a liar, a pervert, a druggie, a murderer, a serial philanderer or just unfit to live in this planet with another human being, the best way to happiness would be to love, appreciate and say “thank you” to the one you’re with every single day of your life together. And while you’re at it, blow a kiss to the heavens for making you a winner in the love lottery stakes sending you someone you love or can learn to love AND (THE BLESSING of all blessings) who loves you back! Love is not a 50-50 proposition. It’s not even giving 110% of yourself to the other. It sounds sentimental, sappy and old fashioned but whether you like it or not, it is giving of yourself without counting the cost. It is the pure, intrinsic nature of life’s greatest mystery – LOVE, beyond all telling. Those couples buried six feet deep, side by side at Forest Lawn probably understood what love and devotion meant. Their souls may have fused. Their hearts in the hereafter probably beat as one. That is one story you can believe in. How to find THE ONE if you’re on the hunt? Or how can you make THE ONE realize that you’re THE ONE for him or her without beating him or her over the head? That is one story for yet another day. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com
Atty. lAwrence yAng THE client is a senior at 67. He is married but has been separated from his wife for some time. He lives with a woman but is not married to her obviously because he is only separated from his wife. You can’t remarry until you have divorced. Separation, whether de facto or legal, does not entitle you to remarry. If you remarry while you are only separated, that would make you a bigamist, and bigamy is a crime. Apparently, the client is aware of all of these different marital or cohabitation arrangements. He says that although he is collecting social security, he still works when his employer gives work to him. He works as a seaman. Seamen do not work for 12 months a year. Sometimes they work half a year or a couple of months in a year. This kind of work is different from working on a cruise ship where the employer gives you 10 months of work and allows you two months of vacation. When seamen are working, they can make $7,000 to $8,000 a month
Senior seeks Chapter 7 relief for $40K in credit card debt on the higher side. The problem is that it’s not that easy to get fully employed for 12 months. “Feast or famine” would be appropriate for seamen. When they work, they make good money but they can go for months without working and make nothing. The client made $40,000 last year for five months of work, which means that he was not employed for seven months last year. If we average out his income of $40,000 over 12 months, his monthly income is a little over $3,300 per month. The above analysis of his income situation is relevant to qualify him for the type of bankruptcy relief that he is looking for. He says that he owes $40,000 in credit card debt. He is tired of paying $1,300 a month. He says he has paid $1,300 every month on these cards for the last 10 years, and still today, he owes the same $40,000 after paying over $156,000. It doesn’t seem fair and he’s just plain tired of paying. In other words, borrow $40,000 and pay back $156,000, and still owe the same $40,000 in 10 years — seems a little one-sided. He should have just paid for a house instead.
Since he wants to get rid of his $40,000 debt now, can he qualify for a total wipeout of $40,000 with a Chapter 7, or a partial wipeout with a reorganization of his financial affairs in Chapter 13? Well, this would all depend on the applicable means test to determine what his actual current gross income is. What if his employer called him to work for 10 months at $8,000 a month? That kind of current income would knock him out of Chapter 7 and force him into Chapter 13 with probably a $300 to $500 monthly payment for five years. In Chapter 13, he might have to pay about $18,000 of the $40,000, then, $22,000 would be wiped out after completion of plan payments. This looks more like a Chapter 7 than a Chapter 13 actually considering his employment income for the last year was $40,000. An examination of his employment income from January 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018 shows a gross of $10,000, or $3,333 a month. Even if he has social security of $1,400, he would still be eligible for Chapter 7 complete wipeout of the $40K relief. His wife, from whom he is separated is a regContinued on Page 6
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 27, 2019
Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon A LOT of people in debt often already know what they need to do once they realize that bankruptcy is their only way out. But they usually delay the decision to file because they try their best to avoid it if at all possible and will only rush to act when they face an immediate threat from creditors such as a lawsuit or wage garnishment. However, sometimes the decision to delay can hurt you. Let me explain. If you wait too long and continue to use all your financial resources to temporarily keep you afloat, in the end you might be sorry that you did this. For example, I have seen a lot of people go through all their savings, retirement plans, kid’s college funds, etc. in the hopes that doing this will fix their financial situation. They often find out the hard way that it is not and ultimately end up filing bankruptcy anyway. Of course, no one has a crystal ball that can predict the future but unless you miraculously come up with the money you need when you’re already drowning in debt, chances are that things will just continue to get worse and this can put you at an extreme disad-
Drowning in debt: File bankruptcy now or later?
vantage, making financial recovery more difficult than it should be. When you are depleting assets while facing debt collections lawsuits, it may be difficult to cover even basic living expenses such as rent or mortgage, food, utilities, car payments, etc. Sure you may be avoiding bankruptcy temporarily, but all you’re doing is putting a band-aid on a big, gaping wound. This is especially true if your wages are being garnished and you have other creditors who are just waiting to do the same. If you completely use up all your assets so that you have zero at the time of filing bankruptcy, you may find it more difficult to regain your financial footing and start your new life after bankruptcy. Most retirement plans are also exempt in bankruptcy and had you not used all your retirement money to pay debts before filing, you would have been able to protect what little you have and still have some type of savings after bankruptcy. I have clients whose debt payments are more than 30-40% of their monthly income and they wonder why they’re broke every payday. Keep in mind that if you are in that situation, you are only living on 60-70% of your actual income level and that is why you feel that there is never enough money
to go around no matter how hard you work. What this means is that you are on “survival mode” and as long as you stay there, you’re never going to be able to plan for your financial future. And remember that if you “fail to plan, you plan to fail”. I am sure this is not what you want for yourself and your family, is it? If bankruptcy is your best solution, please don’t be too hard on yourself by looking at your filing as a sign of personal failure. Bankruptcy is not the end of your financial life. But rather, it can be a useful tool to be able to rebuild your finances, your credit and your life if you are no longer able to solve your debt problems on your own. If you are in debt and don’t know what to do, let me help you understand your options. I will give you a free initial consultation so we can talk about your situation. Just call 866-477-7772 and schedule an appointment. I have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)
Senior seeks Chapter 7 relief for $40K in credit... From Page 5 istered, nurse who makes $100K a year. But since they have been separated for some time, his wife’s monthly gross income of $8,000 a month does not come into play under the means test. Separation from his wife actually makes him eligible for Chapter 7 while being not separated from wife would not make him eligible for Chapter 7, but would make him eligible for Chapter 13 instead. Chapter 13 for $60K credit card debt The next client is 56 years old and is a widow. Her husband was in perfect health when he died from an accident inside their house three years ago. After he slipped and fell on his head, he became comatose and never recovered. The client now owns the house by herself since she was a joint tenant on the house. The condo is a
EMPLOYMENT
senior housing facility. She owes $60,000 in credit card debt. She doesn’t make much as a caregiver. Her gross income of $2,500 is enough to pay the mortgage which is only $500 a month but the HOA is $400! Still, a total of $900 for the house is not bad at all. It’s cheap housing in LA, where rent for a one-bedroom apartment will set you back $1,500. (I remember 40 years ago when I only paid $550 for a two-bedroom apartment.) The client wants a Chapter 7 wipeout but unfortunately, even with her low income, she can only qualify for Chapter 13 because she has $20K of non-exempt equity in her home. If she were to file a Chapter 7, she would end up losing her house to the trustee who will sell her house. From the sale proceeds, the trustee will give her $100,000 as her exempt equity while $20,000 would be used to
pay the $60,000 of credit cards. So she will have to pay one third or 33 percent of the $60,000. After paying one third, the court will discharge $40,000 or two-thirds of the $60,000 credit cards. In Chapter 13, there is no risk of losing her house. So, considering everything, the client should go for Chapter 13, not Chapter 7. If you need debt relief, set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South-Lower Level Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
EMPLOYMENT
Waiver of joint petition to remove conditional permanent residency on a marriage entered less than two years THE Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 (IMFA) requires an alien obtaining a green card through a marriage less than two years old to come back at the end of that two years with the petitioning spouse and show that they are still married or, if the marriage was terminated, to show that the marriage was entered in good faith before the USCIS will issue them a permanent (unconditional) green card. Any alien who obtains a green card through a spousal petition by virtue of a marriage entered less than twenty four months before the status is obtained will only receive a conditional green card under INA §216(d). To remove this condition, both spouses must file a form I-751 with the USCIS within 90 day period preceding the expiration of the conditional green card along with other supporting documents showing the marriage was entered in good faith. However, sometimes alien spouses are not able to file this Joint Petition to remove the condition on their green card because the couple got divorced or are in the process of filing a divorce and is having difficulties getting the cooperation of the US citizen spouse. When the alien spouse falls into this situa-
Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRsuA Reyes tion, it is still possible for them to obtain their permanent green card by filing a waiver. The waiver must be based on one of the following reasons 1) Extreme hardship would result if such alien is removed 2) The qualifying marriage was entered in good faith by the alien spouse, but … has been terminated (divorce or annulled), and the alien was not at fault in failing to timely file the joint petition and attend the interview; or 3) The qualifying marriage was entered into in good faith by the alien spouse and during the marriage the alien spouse or child was battered by or was the subject of extreme cruelty perpetrated by the US citizen parent or permanent resident spouse or parent and the alien was not at fault in failing to file the joint petition and attend the interview. INA §216(c)(4); 8 CFR 216.5 If you have a conditional green card and your are having difficulty obtaining cooperation from
your US citizen spouse in signing a joint petition to remove this conditional green card, you should consult an attorney to assist you in planning for and obtaining a waiver. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
UPHPEIS-AANA fundraising event in Whittier, CA on Dec. 7 UPHPEIS-AANA (UP High Prep Elementary Integrated System- Alumni Association in North America) is hosting its annual fundraising event with the 8th Annual Grand Reunion on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 at the DoubleTree Hilton in Whittier (7320 Green Leaf Ave. Whittier, CA 90602) from 10:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Luncheon buffet includes entertainment, DJ music, dancing, raffle drawing and other fun surprises. Thereafter, guests are invited to more live dancing and fun music provided by the AM FM Band at Noypitz Bar & Grill at 333 S Alameda, LA 90013 in the evening. Funds raised will be use for needed building repairs, classroom and educational projects for UP Diliman students in Elementary and High School, and for the training tions are $50.00 each which you of public school teachers in near- can reserve on line through our by communities. Tickets dona- website at www.uphpeisaana.
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org, or by calling for Bobby at (562) 607-8839 or Mabel at (562) 852-7116. n
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 27, 2019
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 27, 2019