DECEMBER 19-22, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 100 • 2 Sections – 20 Pages
LA residents urged to skip holiday 12-year-old Filipino Costa Mesa boy killed gatherings as virus cases spike DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
by drunk driver
by CHRISTINA
Driver held without bail and convicted of second-degree murder
EARLIER this month, a young Filipino boy was killed while riding a bicycle with his father by a suspected drunk driver in Costa Mesa, California. The tragedy occurred on Sunday, Dec. 6 around 6 p.m. on Arlington Drive near Juniper Drive when 12-year-old Noel Bascon and his father were biking near the intersection. According to police, a man driving a rented F-150 pickup truck ran past a stop sign and fatally collided with the boy. The driver was 59-year-old Richard Lavalle of Long Beach who police investigators said had a prior DUI charge in 2013. Authorities alleged that Lavalle was intoxicated when he crashed into Noel. In an interview with NBC4, Noel’s mother Eleanor Bascon said that her husband witnessed the crash. He had tried to get the driver’s attention to get him to stop but Lavalle didn’t u PAGE A4
M. ORIEL AND KLARIZE MEDENILLA AJPress
WITH the Christmas holiday nearing, Los Angeles County officials are pleading with the public to stay home and limit gatherings as the capacity of
Southern California’s intensive care units hit 0% this week. The situation in LA County — which has consistently been a leader in COVID-19 cases in the state and the country — continues to worsen as the county reports that two people are dying every hour from
the virus in what Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer called “an explosive and very deadly surge.” On Friday, December 18, the county reported 16,503 new cases of COVID-19 and 96 new deaths. It also confirmed the highest number of COVID-19 u PAGE A2
‘SPIRIT OF HOPE’
Fil-Am health care workers among first to receive COVID-19 vaccine in LA County by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
FOR the first time since the pandemic hit Los Angeles County, Anna Medrano walked into work hopeful. With a quick jab to her left arm, the Filipina American nurse practitioner became the first health care worker at City of Hope in Duarte to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, December 16. Some nine months on the frontlines of the virus, Medrano didn’t hesitate to sign up for the vaccine as it was an opportunity “to lead by example.” “The vaccine experience was surreal. There was a spirit of hope in the air as we received the first deAnna Medrano (left), a Filipina American nurse practitioner, was the first health care worker at City of Hope in Duarte, California to receive livery of the COVID-19 vaccine. Laughter and tears the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, December 16. Photo courtesy of City of Hope u PAGE A3
IATF allows foreigners to re-enter PH Envoy: 2 American firms ready to supply PH up to 25M doses of vaccine by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
While on a bicycle ride with his father, 12-year-old Noel Bascon was fatally struck by a suspected drunk driver in Costa Mesa, California on Sunday, Dec. 6. Photo courtesy of the Bascon family/GoFundMe
FTC’s ‘Operation Income Illusion’ targets get-rich-quick scams IN the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, criminals are brazenly floating “getrich-quick” schemes to fleece unsuspecting people seeking financial security for themselves and their families. Speaking at a mid-December ethnic media conference call, the Federal Trade Commission issued urgent warnings that people need to be on their guard to avoid being robbed. Kati Daffan and Rhonda Perkins, two lawyers in the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, spotlighted a variety of scams promoted in advertisements online or in TV, radio and newspapers and even within religious communities. In a year’s time, Daffan said, there was a 70% increase in this kind of crime. “In the first nine months of 2020 alone,” she said, “people reported losing at least $50 million.” And those victims are just the ones who came forward. Most people don’t, Daffan said, so “it’s a tiny fraction of what’s going on in the marketplace.” To combat the scams, the FTC has launched “Operation Income Illusion.” Both speakers urged everyone to contact
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA
AJPress
TWO U.S. pharmaceutical firms are willing to supply the Philippines with their vaccines against the coronavirus by the second half of 2021, according to Philippine Ambassador to Washington D.C. Jose Manuel Romualdez. The Philippine envoy said that Moderna and Arcturus Therapeutics have reportedly given their commitments to the country. “I am pleased to report that aside from Pfizer, Moderna and Arcturus are ready to
supply the Philippines anywhere between 4-25M [million] of their respective vaccines starting Q3 2021, should the Philippine government find their proposals acceptable,” he said in a statement on Friday, December 18. “We are hoping our government will consider the promising candidates of Moderna and Arcturus for inclusion in our country’s pool of anti-COVID vaccines,” added Romualdez. Like Pfizer, both Moderna and Arcturus are utilizing the new messenger ribonucleic u PAGE A2
THE Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the re-entry of foreigners who left the Philippines on December 17 and onwards, Malacañang announced Friday, December 18. “The IATF, in its 89th meeting, also allowed the re-entry to the Philippines of foreign nationals with valid and existing visas under Section 9(e) and 9(g) of Commonwealth Act No. 613, as
amended, who are already in the country and will be leaving the country starting December 17, 2020,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. Under Section 9 (g) of the Commonwealth Act 613 or the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, it says that foreign visa holders are those “lawfully admitted into the Philippines for permanent residence, who is returning from a temporary visit abroad to an unrelinquished residence in the Philippines.” Foreigners are allowed reenu PAGE A2
Letty Lopez-Viado ascends to West Covina, CA mayorship, becoming first Filipina-Mexican American in top role by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
WEST Covina, long considered home to one of the largest Filipino American concentrations in Southern California, now has its first Filipina-Mexican American mayor. Leticia “Letty” Lopez-Viado, who previously served as mayor pro tem, will lead the San Gabriel Valley city in the top post for the next year. The incoming mayor was sworn into office by Judge Lucy Armendariz of the Los Angeles Superior Court, with her husband Garry Viado and their two children Victoria and Garrett at her side, during a ceremony at the West Covina council chambers on Tuesday night, December 15. “I feel extremely honored and proud. It’s u PAGE A4
nice to see that I can take on a leadership role and give inspiration to others who have been in situations like mine in the past. West Covina is a diverse city with high populations of Filipinos and Hispanics,” Lopez-Viado told the Asian Journal in an interview. West Covina, located about 19 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles, boasts a population of 107,786 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About 11,000 Filipino Americans have settled in the city. Lopez-Viado — whose mother hails from Manila and her late father from Mexico — was elected to the City Council in 2018, becoming its first councilmember of Filipina and Mexican descent. She ran touting her nearly two decades of experience working in Los Angeles County’s public sector. u PAGE A3
Leticia “Letty” Lopez-Viado (left) is sworn-in as mayor of West Covina, California by Judge Lucy Armendariz of the Los Angeles Superior Court during a ceremony at the West Covina council chambers on Tuesday night, December 15. She was joined by her husband Garry Viado and their two children Victoria and Garrett. Photo by George Ogden
A december 19-22, 2020 • LA WeeKeNd ASIAN JOUrNAL
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From the Front Page
LA residents urged to skip...
PAGE A1 t hospitalizations reported in a day with 5,100 people currently hospitalized, and with 20% of these patients in intensive care. ICUs across Southern California’s 11 counties are being stretched thin and could further hit a tipping point, the state’s department of public health reported on Thursday, December 17, nearly two weeks after the area fell under the regional stayat-home order. The dip in ICU availability came on the same day LA County recorded 102 new deaths and 14,418 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 8,664 fatalities and 580,325 infections. The day before, the county reported a record daily high of 138 deaths and 22,422 confirmed cases, contributed by a backlog of over 7,000 test results. Alarmingly, the county has reported more than 71,000 new COVID-19 cases since Monday,
Dec. 14, an unprecedented acceleration of cases. With Friday’s numbers, the county total now comes to 596,721 positive cases of COVID19 across the county and 8,757 deaths, which puts even tougher pressure on area hospitals. “What’s even more concerning is that we know that the hospitalization numbers that we’re experiencing today are really from the surge in the activity that surrounded the Thanksgiving holiday,” LA County Director of Health Services Dr. Christina Ghaly said during a press briefing on Friday. As cases are expected to rise — LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said the seven-day positivity rate in the city has reached 19.6% — the county may soon be pushed to declare a “systemwide crisis” across its hospitals. “We expect to have more dead bodies than we have spaces for them,” Garcetti said in a briefing
IATF allows foreigners to...
PAGE A1 t try provided that they have valid and existing visas on the date of arrival, a pre-booked quarantine facility, and pre-booked COVID19 testing at a laboratory operating at the airport. They must also be subjected to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry. “The foregoing is without prejudice to immigration laws, rules and regulations,” the IATF said.
“The Commissioner of Immigration shall have the exclusive prerogative to decide on waiver or recall of exclusion orders for the above foreign nationals, including other foreign nationals who have entered the Philippines by virtue of Inter-Agency Task Force resolutions,” it added. The IATF has directed the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) to issue the guidelines to implement the IATF resolution on foreign nationals.
on Thursday night, during which he said he will be quarantining at home after his 9-year-old daughter tested positive for COVID-19. The county is also reportedly requesting for additional ICU beds and more health care staff from the state. But in the meantime, the public can do its part by continuing to follow safety measures like wearing a mask and only going out for work or essential activities. Further, getting tested is not a “permission slip” to interact with people outside of one’s household. “A test only tells you whether or not you were positive with the virus at the moment you took the test. There’s a long incubation period of the virus, it can turn positive the next day. It does not mean that you are safe. It doesn’t mean that you are safe to interact with others and it doesn’t mean that others are safe to interact with you,” Ghaly said. n
On November 1, the BI allowed the entry of foreign nationals with visas issued under Executive Order No. 226 or the Omnibus Investments Code, and those with a Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV) issued pursuant to EO 226. The bureau on Nov. 27 also allowed foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens to enter the country as long as the Filipino citizen or balikbayan is traveling with them. n
Envoy: 2 American firms ready to PH...
PAGE A1 t acid (mRNA) technology for their vaccines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to grant the firm an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Moderna’s vaccine after its advisory panel endorsed it as safe and effective. Moderna’s vaccine has a 94.5% efficacy rate, occurring at least 14 days after the second dose. It could become the second vaccine to be authorized in the U.S. following Pfizer’s vaccine, which was given the go signal to be inoculated outside vaccine trials last Friday. Thousands of health care workers in the U.S. were among
the first round to receive their jabs this week. Meanwhile, Arcturus’ vaccine is set to distribute its shots in the first quarter of 2021 after the Phase 1 and 2 of its clinical trial showed encouraging results. Philippine officials are still in talks with Pfizer to secure a deal for the country. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was recently accused of “dropping the ball” on a 10 million Pfizer vaccine deal, but he has denied the allegations. The country has already secured a deal with AstraZeneca through the help of the private sector. 2.6 million vaccines are expected to arrive in the second
quarter of 2021, and another batch is currently being negotiated. On December 1, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte granted the country’s FDA to allow emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. “It is a priority of the State to ensure that the lives of the Filipino people, especially the underprivileged, poor, and marginalized, our frontliners, healthcare providers, police officers and soldiers, and those in the essential services shall be protected from COVID-19 by ensuing accessibility and adequacy of supply of related drugs and vaccines,” he said. n
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Dateline USa
Fil-Am health care workers among first... PAGE A1 t filled the room, and I was excited to share everyone’s joy in such a momentous time in history! We all knew that this would be the start of a new beginning,” Medrano, who works at the medical center’s department of hematology and hematopoietic cell transplantation, told the Asian Journal in an email. Following the inoculation, Medrano was monitored for any allergic or adverse reactions. Hours after and into the next day, she reported experiencing tenderness at the injection site, generalized body aches and a low-grade fever. The symptoms “were minimal enough” that she said she was cleared to return to work and see patients the day after. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which became the first mRNA vaccine approved for wide use, does not contain SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. “An mRNA vaccine delivers the instructions for making a bacterial or viral protein to our cells. Our immune system then responds to these proteins and develops the tools to react to future infections with the pathogen,” according to Medical News Today. Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center also began administering its vaccines to several medical staff — one of whom was Dr. Philip Mercado, chief of the hospital’s general surgery department. “I am a firm believer in preventative care and vaccines. I was more than happy to receive the vaccine the first moment I could,” Mercado told the Asian Journal after receiving his vaccine on Thursday, December 18. These health care professionals joined thousands across the country to be vaccinated this week, days after the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the vaccine. They also represent a sample of Fil-Am medical professionals who continue to serve on the frontlines of the pandemic. As previously reported, the FilAm community has been among the ethnic groups disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. One of the factors being the number of Fil-Ams who work in the medical field. Nurses of Filipino descent comprise 4% of the country’s nursing population, but make up nearly a third of those who’ve died of the virus, according to a National Nurses United report released in September. But that toll has also extended to the community’s doctors, lab technicians and other workers providing critical services, though no exact statistics have been collected. But what has made health care workers optimistic amid the grim numbers and defiance from members of the public is the belief that science will prevail. “What gives me hope is when I see people respecting science. Conversely, what make me sad is when people dismiss scientific facts. There are no such things as ‘alternate facts.’ Science is science,” Dr. Mercado said. California received 33,000 doses two days after the FDA’s authorization, and subsequently disbursed them down the state. The state, which is prioritizing high-risk health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, is expected to receive around 233,000 vaccines, fewer than previously announced. In LA County, the campaign began on Monday, December 14 as five health care workers at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in East Hollywood kicked off vaccinations in the state. The County Health Services announced that it would administer 10,000 vaccinations by New Year’s Eve; 6,000 of which are expected to be completed by Christmas. Frontline workers in high intensity departments, such as ICUs and emergency rooms, would be prioritized at three county hospitals: LAC+USC
Dr. Philip Mercado, chief of the Department of General Surgery at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center, receives the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday, December 17. Contributed photo
Doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were distributed across hospitals in Southern California this week, including City of Hope. Photo courtesy of City of Hope
Fil-Am registered nurse Martin Reyes, who works in the ICU at LAC+USC Medical Center, received a COVID-19 vaccination on Dec. 18 as part of LA County Health Services’ effort to vaccinate more than 10,000 front line healthcare workers by the end of 2020. Photo courtesy of the County of Los Angeles.
Medical Center, Olive ViewUCLA Medical Center, and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Martin Reyes, a Fil-Am ICU nurse at LAC+USC Medical Center, got his jab as part of the initiative on Friday, December 18. Once the vaccine is available for mass distribution — projected by early next year — Reyes and other professionals encourage the greater Fil-Am community to do their research using reliable news and medical sources to determine whether to get the vaccine. “Ano ang sasabihin ko sa mga kapwa ko Filipino na natatakot na makuha yun vaccine sa ngayon, hindi sila dapat matakot (What I want to tell my fellow Filipinos who are scared to get vaccinated is that there’s nothing to be afraid of),” Reyes said, adding, “Mas maraming tao na mas maging vaccinated, mas makakatulong ito para malaban ang COVID-19 (The more people who get vaccinated, the more it can help in the fight against COVID-19).” The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine comes in two doses with the second to be administered 21 days later. While recognizing that the vaccine is a step toward curbing the virus that has infected 17.3 million and killed over 312,000 individuals in the United States, health care professionals said they will continue to follow public health guidelines like wearing a mask and social distancing. As Christmas is an important holiday for Filipino families, they also are reminding them that the risk of infection, especially in LA County, is still pervasive. “My fellow Filipino Americans, please remember that ‘This too shall pass!’ I grew up in the Philippines and truly understand the importance of togetherness with family and close friends, especially
LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (LACMTA) REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL LACMTA will receive proposals for PS73744 - Safely Transporting All Riders Program Services at the 9th Floor Receptionist Desk, Vendor/Contract Management Department, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012. A Pre-Proposal conference will not be held. This project is a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Set-Aside contract. To participate in this RFP, proposers must be SBE certified with LACMTA prior to proposal due date. For information on the Set-Aside Program, visit: https://business.metro.net/ Vendor Portal/faces/home1/ certifications. All proposals must be received on or before 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at the address listed above, sent to the attention of Victor Zepeda. Proposals received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the proposer unopened. For a copy of the Proposal/ Bid specification visit our Solicitation Page on our Vendor Portal at https://business.metro.net or for further information email Victor Zepeda at zepedav@ metro.net. 12/19/20 CNS-3424351# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)
during the holidays,” Medrano said. “However, the year 2020 is different, and we will come out of this stronger than before. In the meantime, let’s all take the time to be still!” n
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • DEcEmbER 19-22, 2020
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Letty Lopez-Viado ascends to... PAGE A1 By day, she is a senior recreation director with the city of LA’s Department of Recreation and Parks, where she manages an all-around sports program. “I’ve worked with different types of cultures and economic backgrounds on both extremes. These experiences have made me stronger and see what’s needed. My family, upbringing [and] the places I’ve worked all combine and come into how I work for the community,” she said. Prior to being councilmember, she was involved with the local government as a community and senior services commissioner, and as a member of the Friends of West Covina Library, which supports literacy programs. Lopez-Viado’s goals for the council include improving the quality of life of West Covina residents through clean and safe parks, public safety resources, and controlling spending. As the pandemic continues into the next year, the council under her leadership will focus on the local recovery efforts. “I’m hoping to rebuild and improve our city and community and give them faith and hope that everything’s going to be okay,” she said. “We don’t know when the pandemic will end, but as soon as it does, we will work to reopen our city and businesses and bring community events that people have been missing.” She also seeks to maintain the “business friendly” environment within West Covina, which has around 4,000 small businesses, according to several estimates. With the holiday season, she’s en-
couraging residents to shop local and help keep them open. “We’re not going to be too hard on our businesses. LA County has rules, which we will follow. But in terms of hard enforcement, I don’t want to use our resources because we have very little police offices and we want to make sure the city is safe,” Lopez-Viado said. Along Amar Road alone, two shopping plazas across the street from one another bear two major Filipino American supermarkets and over a dozen small businesses like restaurants, hair salons and repair shops. Fil-Am community members have long been pushing for the area to be designated as a “Little Manila.” Last year, Jollibee moved its North American headquarters along North Barranca Street, with the company’s iconic bee logo visible atop the 13-story building along the I-10 freeway. When LA County and then the state of California moved to close outdoor dining, Lopez-Viado and other councilmembers challenged the orders, saying in a letter that there is a lack of sufficient data correlating COVID-19 transmission with dining out and “no discussion of the impacts on people’s livelihood.” As of this writing, Southern California is under a regional stayat-home order, which has closed certain sectors from personal care services and family entertainment centers, and has limited restaurants to take and delivery and placed occupancy limits on retail stores. Earlier this month, outgoing Mayor Tony Wu introduced the idea of West Covina having its
Letty Lopez-Viado was first elected to the West Covina City Council in 2018, becoming the city’s first councilmember of Mexican and Filipina descent. Photo courtesy of West Covina City Council
own health department separate from the LA County Public Health umbrella, similar to the cities of Pasadena and Long Beach. This is something Lopez-Viado said she would continue to explore. “We want to work with LA County but also take a load off. So if we can work with our hospitals and medical industry, we can focus on local control of what is occurring here because it’s not a one-sizefits-all,” she said. “Something that’s occurring in another city or another region doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be the same in our city.” Though families are encouraged to stay home as much as possible, Lopez-Viado reminds them that going out for walks and getting fresh air a local park can boost mental and physical health at this time. Along with Lopez-Viado, other Fil-Ams leading Southern California cities, as previously reported by the Asian Journal include: San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Sierra Madre Mayor Rachelle Arizmendi, and Artesia Mayor Pro Tem Melissa Ramoso. n
A december 19-22, 2020 • LA WeeKeNd ASIAN JOUrNAL
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12-year-old Filipino Costa Mesa boy killed... PAGE A1 t see; Bascon’s husband called her immediately from the scene. NBC4 reported that Noel was a 7th grader “who loved gummy candy and going to the beach,” and was excited to be going back to school, the mother said. “He’s a sweet, smiling, happy, energetic boy. He loves being outdoors in the parks,” she said, adding that Noel was “just an innocent boy enjoying a bike ride, and he never came home.” A GoFundMe was set up to
help the family with funeral and memorial expenses. As of press time, the fundraiser has exceeded its $10,000 goal, but donations are still being accepted to help the family during this difficult time. Bascon (whose Filipino heritage was confirmed to the Asian Journal last week by the fundraising host) and her husband both work in the medical field, and she said that they both have been witnessed to family tragedies throughout the pandemic.
The mother also noted that she and her daughter would have joined the father and son on the bike ride, as they often did as a family, but they stayed home to wrap Christmas presents. She said that she hopes Lavalle will be served justice for killing her son. “He’s a menace to society. He needs to be locked up for life so he doesn’t do this to anybody else again,” she told NBC4. Lavalle was arrested on the scene and charged with seconddegree murder on Tuesday, Dec. 8. Lavalle was previously convicted of driving under the influence in San Diego County in 2013, which upgraded his charge from manslaughter to murder, per the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. A passenger of the F-150, 56year-old Lee Anna Diaz Murphy of Artesia, was also booked on suspicion of possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia and controlled substances, Orange County police said. A former convict, Lavalle was also convicted in August 2009 of armed bank robbery in federal court and was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison in April 2010, court records showed. He returned to prison to serve one more year after he violated supervised release in 2013,and according to court records, in 2018, he was also convicted of robbery in Los Angeles County. If convicted of murder for Noel’s death, Lavalle faces a maximum sentence of 30 years to life. In California, law enforcement are required to give drivers convicted of DUIs a “Watson advisement,” which “informs them that if they kill someone while driving under the influence, they can be charged them of murder,” according to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The unimaginable pain that this family is being forced to endure because of a selfish decision of a stranger is unconscionable,” Spitzer said in a statement released on Dec. 8. “Now another innocent child has paid the price for someone else’s selfish decision. I am sick and tired of my prosecutors having to go to court to file murder charges against repeat drunk and drugged drivers who have been warned about the consequences — multiple times.” He added, “Taking a Sunday bike ride with your dad shouldn’t equate to a death sentence.” (By Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
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LA announces ‘GIVEN’ initiative to help 10,000 vulnerable households get food,other needs for holiday season THE City of Los Angeles has launched the Grocery Intervention for Vital Emergency Needs (GIVEN) initiative to provide thousands of low-income Angelenos in need with $300 in cash assistance to help with food and other essentials this holiday season.The program, announced on Friday, December 18, is a partnership between Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles. “Our most vulnerable neighbors can’t wait for the end of the pandemic to get relief, and there is no greater gift we can give our fellow Angelenos right now than the ability to put food on the table and cover basic necessities,” said Garcetti. “GIVEN is the perfect present this holiday season — a chance to lift up people in a time of dire need and make a small, but meaningful difference as too many families come face-to-face with the devastating health and economic impacts of COVID-19.” GIVEN has been seeded with a $550,000 contribution from the Mayor’s Fund, and the effort aims to grow that number to $3 million in order to provide a onetime benefit to at least 10,000 households served by non-profit organizations. Anyone who wishes to donate and help fund this vital initiative can visit MayorsFundLA.org/COVID19 to learn more. More than a quarter of L.A
County households experienced at least some food insecurity at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis — a situation intensified by the ongoing economic blow of the pandemic, according to studies by the USC Dornsife Public Exchange. One report found that people experiencing food insecurity were almost twice as likely to have been infected with COVID-19 (11.6%), compared to people who were food secure (6.4%). GIVEN builds on a series of initiatives developed by Mayor Garcetti and the City to support
Angelenos who have received limited assistance from the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, Garcetti announced the Secure Emergency Relief for Vulnerable Employees (SERVE) initiative to provide 4,000 local food-service workers with a one-time $800 stipend. The Mayor also launched the Angeleno Card Initiative early on in the pandemic, which raised more than $36 million to help more than 105,000 Angelenos with direct financial assistance. n
FTC’s ‘Operation Income Illusion’ targets... PAGE A1 t the FTC with any suspicions. You can do so at www.ReportFraud.ftc.gov, or www.ReporteFraude.ftc.gov or by phone at (877) 382-4357. The FTC receives thousands of reports every week, Perkins said, making individual responses difficult to guarantee, but the reporting is a key driver of both domestic and international enforcement efforts. “It’s a real public service for people to let us know what they’re seeing,” Kati Daffan (left), Assistant Director, Legal Services Collaboration and Every Community she said. Initiative, Division of Marketing Practices, FTC; Rhonda Perkins (right), Attorney, Every Besides alerting ethnic me- Community Initiative, Division of Marketing Practices, FTC dia directly, the FTC has posted examples of criminal schemes provide a caller with Social Se- t i n y u r l . c o m / F T C i n v e s t and tips about how to protect curity or bank account numbers mentscams) have been the most costly, but the most common yourself from being victimized to get a vaccine. Some scammers mimic tradi- are the work-from-home propoon its website in more than a dozen languages (www.ftc. tions from specific communities. sitions (https://tinyurl.com/FTCwhich gov/languages), including Eng- One type of rip-off Operation sellingandpyramids), lish, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Income Illusion is fighting are sometimes include the victim Vietnamese, Tagalog, Amharic, savings clubs (https://tinyurl. getting a check in the mail. In Arabic, Dari, French, Russian, com/FTCfakeclubs), modeled af- these, the fraud is only revealed ter West African and Caribbean some time later, after the victim Haitian Creole, and Somali. New in 2020 are COVID-relat- “sou sous,” in which people who has sent a portion of that money ed schemes. The FTC has seen know each other will pool their back, or bought and distributed phony cures, phony vaccina- money and take turns getting a products or gift cards, only to tions, phony home test kits, and payout. In the Filipino commu- find that the check to pay for them ultimately bounced. phony research schemes seek- nity, the name is “paluwagan.” “It’s incredibly important Another is phony coaching ing people’s personal information. Now, with real vaccinations deals (https://tinyurl.com/FTC- to watch out for any kind of starting to become available, the coachingscams), where victims money-making opportunity that FTC expects new scams (https:// pay for things like real estate involves putting money in and tinyurl.com/FTCvaccinescams) seminars, or help in making recruiting other people to join. and is warning people not to pay money on the stock market or Those people are likely to get hurt,” Daffan said. out of pocket, put their names online selling. Many scams are targeted to Investment scams (https:// on lists, pay for early access, or specific ethnic communities, such as Moda Latina, which advertised that you could make big money working from home selling jewelry and other luxury products. Victims were sometimes threatened that if they didn’t have a money order ready when a delivery driver showed up with the merchandise, they could be reported and face severe consequences. But when the boxes were opened, the contents were far from luxurious: shoddy, not fit to be re-sold, not even worth the cost of the initial purchase. Some con artists set their sights on specific groups, such as the “Raging Bull” investment scam that targeted seniors, or MOBE, a scam in 2018 that robbed students and veterans of $300 million before it was shut down. Then there are “pyramid schemes” (https://tinyurl. com/FTCsellingandpyramids). The FTC has identified a few by name, such as: “The Circle Game,” “Blessing Loom” and “Money Board.” The FTC works with numerous law enforcement agencies in pursuing scam thieves, both domestically and internationally. In some cases, it can recover some of the money victims have lost, but Rhonda Perkins advised that the better strategy is to avoid being scammed (https://tinyurl. com/FTCavoidandreport) in the first place. If you’re concerned about the wisdom of making a deal someone is offering you, she said, do some research on the company, its reputation, a record of complaints against it. “Do your research, check out that company’s reputation and talk to other people, people you trust in your community,” Perkins said. (Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services)
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • DEcEmbER 19-22, 2020
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Duque: No promise of 10M vaccine doses in Pfizer deal
tated a deal with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to secure Pfizer’s vaccine that has a 95% PHILIPPINE Health Secretary efficacy rate. Francisco Duque III on Friday, The purchase was supposed December 18, maintained that to be financed by the World the discussions with Pfizer reportedly didn’t include supplying the country with 10 million doses of its vaccine. “I completely, unequivocally deny that. Unang-una, ang 10 million dose na iyan, wala naman akong alam. Wala silang pinadalang sulat na may ganoong commitment ang Pfizer (First of all, I did not know about that 10 million doses. They did not send a letter that Pfizer has that kind of commitment). There was no document,” he told CNN Philippines. “As Secretary of Health, the right thing to do was send me a communication that Pfizer is securing 10 million doses for the country,” he added. According to Duque, Pfizer’s confidentiality disclosure agreement (CDA) only allowed the company to share data about its vaccine candidate. “It’s not a key to securing any quota or amount of vaccine from Pfizer. It’s just a CDA. It’s not a key to securing anything,” he said. Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire also backed Duque’s statement, stressing that the CDA was only for sharing vaccine development data to the country. “Wala pong nilalaman ang CDA na ‘yan tungkol sa mga operational details, technical details. Wala pong nakalagay diyang ilang doses ba, what period ba at meron na bang deliveries. Wala pong ganyan (That CDA did not include operational details, technical details. There were no details about doses, which period and deliveries),” she said. On Tuesday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. disclosed that the Philippines was supposed to receive 10 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as January, but someone bungled the deal. In a series of tweets, Locsin shared that he and Philippine Ambassador to the United State Jose “Babe” Romualdez faciliby Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
PHYSICAL DISTANCING. Passengers observe safe physical distancing inside an LRT-1 train on Munoz station in Quezon City on Thursday, December 17. The government has allowed the physical distancing inside public transportation by .75 meters between commuters. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.
Several senators seek probe into spate of unlawful killings in PH by chRistia
MaRie Inquirer.net
RaMos
MANILA — Several senators are pushing for a Senate investigation into the spate of unlawful killings in the country, following the slaying of a doctor and her husband in Negros Oriental. The senators sought a probe via Senate Resolution No. 599, which urged the appropriation committees to conduct an inquiry into the spate of recent killings “with the end in view of attaining justice for the slain of victims.” The inquiry also seeks to “create policies that will help restore the law and order of the country.” “At a time of the biggest health crisis the country has ever seen, I am alarmed that this anti-communist agenda reigned over the literal health and survival of the Filipino people. Dr. [Mary Rose] Sancelan and her husband are only few of the victims of a failing and senseless red-tagging campaign hellbent on crippling our democracy,” Senator Risa Hontiveros in a statement on Friday. “This attack is only one of the many horrific killings in the
Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros
country, legitimized by an administration that has distorted the meaning of human rights,” she added. Hontiveros filed the resolution while Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senators Richard Gordon, Nancy Binay, Joel Villanueva, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, and Leila de Lima co-signed it. Hontiveros, in filing the resolution, also spoke out against “vicious and deadly practice of redtagging individuals.” This comes as Sancelan, head
Inquirer.net photo
of the local Inter-Agency Task Force and the sole health doctor in Guihulngan City, was accused by anti-communist vigilante group “Kagubak” of being a supporter of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, before her death. “I ask everyone, especially our own government officials, to cease all careless and pernicious red-tagging of our people. Innocent lives are at stake. When you openly vilify and tag civilians as communist rebels, you only lend
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Bank and the Asian Development Bank. “That said my thanks just the same to US Sec of State Mike Pompeo we – Babe Romualdez
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A6 DECEMBER 19-22, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPiniOn
A hungry Christmas
FeatURes
HERE’S another reason to speed up the procurement of reliable vaccines to protect the public and restore normalcy: millions of Filipinos are going hungry this Christmas season and beyond. With the economy reopening gradually, the ranks of the hungry have in fact gone down, according to the latest survey conducted by pollster Social Weather Stations Inc. In the SWS survey taken from Nov. 21 to 25, “involuntary hunger” went down nationwide from a record high 30.7 percent in September to 16 percent. This, however, is still double the pre-pandemic figure of 8.8 percent in December 2019. And it still translates to about four million families experiencing involuntary hunger – defined as having nothing to eat at least once in the past three months. Last September, the figure stood at 7.6 million families, despite ayuda or social amelioration programs undertaken by the government during the pandemic.
The densely populated National Capital Region as usual registered the highest incidence of involuntary hunger, accounting for about a fourth of the cases, followed by Mindanao, the rest of Luzon and then the Visayas. It was the first face-to-face survey conducted by SWS since the start of the pandemic. Involuntary hunger is just one of the many deprivations suffered by those who have lost their livelihoods in the effort to contain COVID transmission. It adds to the urgency of obtaining a COVID vaccine, or failing in doing this ASAP, of improving coronavirus testing and contact tracing. While hunger incidence has gone down, four million hungry households is still a national tragedy. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS CHRISTMAS is just a week from now. For many of us, the Christmas rush is decorating our homes for the holidays, shopping for presents and planning the noche buena spread to serve to our family while on lockdown because of the continued, yet escalated threat of COVID-19. However, there are many kababayans whose grave concerns are more basic and ones those who are more fortune take for granted: the roof on top of their head and where to get the next meal to feed their family. There are now more than 10 million jobless Americans in the United States. More than half a million Americans are homeless. McDonald’s asked me to create three videos for the Filipino community and the choice was mine to make. For my first story that will premiere on my YouTube Channel this weekend, I will take you to the world of homeless Filipinos in America. Contrary to the misconception of kababayans back home in the Philippines, not all Filipinos living in America are rich and living the American dream. This has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. I visited these unfortunate
Demand and Supply BOO CHANCO A STATISTICAL chart from Statista recently revealed that the Philippines is the third largest source of highly educated migrants to OECD countries. OECD, or the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, is an intergovernmental economic organization of 37 developed countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. On top of the list of countries with the most migrants to OECD countries is India. China is next. We are third. Overall, OECD data reveals around 120 million migrants living in OECD member countries. Thirty to 35 percent of these migrants are considered highly educated, meaning they have received vocational or academic training. India, which topped the list, comprises 65 percent of migrants considered to have high education status. China had a rate of 48.6 percent.
Philstar.com photo
A look into the lives of homeless Filipinos on the streets of America amid the coronavirus pandemic Filipinos in the streets of San Francisco with the help of social worker Juvy Bulacan of the South of Market Community Action Network. Juvy helps homeless individuals, including many Filipinos. Their nonprofit organization monitors and follow-up on families, especially those who lost their jobs. These social workers help them find affordable housing, connect them to community resources, and help them apply for unemployment insurance benefits. However, because of the pandemic, jobs are so scarce. With their unemployment benefits running out, these homeless people wonder when they can ever find a job to survive. Juvy took me to the area near the Victoria Manalo Draves Park, named after the first Filipina American who grew up in the South of Market in San Francisco before going on to win two gold medals in the 1948 Olympic Games. Just there in the urban jungle, I found crowded tents on the sidewalk. This was where many homeless Filipinos take shelter. No social distancing. No bathrooms. They just rely on facilities found in public parts. This living condition would
make homeless people more vulnerable to the threats of COVID-19. At least 206 homeless people have died by early August in just six cities and counties being tracked, according to a report from the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. How much more now when more than 313,000 Americans have died, more than 17.4 million infected, and the number of deaths may be approaching 4,000 in one day alone in the United States? “Many have criticized the federal government for not providing a coordinated response to the pandemic’s impact on homeless people, as well as more resources for testing and tracing. Some have also advocated for racially equitable COVID-19 responses. By early August, people of color, who represent about 24% of the general population, made up about 61% of all COVID-19 infections and 50% of all deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,”the Howard Institute reported. Some of the homeless people are made to stay in transitional homes and hotels that are empty because of COVID restrictions. They are being utilized by local government to give temporary housing to the more vulnerable
Global Pinoy The Philippines, 3rd in rank behind India and China – the world’s two biggest countries, accounts for 53.3 percent of immigrants to the OECD and considered highly educated. That probably doesn’t count teachers and other college graduates who work as domestic helpers abroad for better than what they would get locally. In a paper on the Philippines, the International Labor Organization finds that many of those high skilled migrants – to OECD countries and elsewhere were health care professionals, especially nurses. I imagine there are also a lot of engineers, teachers, finance specialists and ship officers and crew. Around half of Filipino migrants in the OECD chose the United States. It was identified by the OECD as one of the most important migration corridors, behind Mexican and Indian immigration to the United States and ahead of Polish immigration to Germany. Of course, we are no longer surprised by now. The Global Pinoy is a phenomenon we are familiar with. Filipinos are found even in some of the world’s most
remote areas. Indeed, ABS-CBN established its global operations to cater to this Global Pinoy, mostly in the Middle East, Europe and North America. But can we sustain our position as a major exporter of highly educated workers given that the next generations seem unable to read, write and count based on international tests? Our facility with English has helped us get a foothold in foreign households and businesses. We are losing this advantage, something we can see with a lot of posts on social media. In any case, there are other important considerations. Our success in foreign shores came with a price, a stiff one in terms of family cohesiveness. The Filipino family of today has changed dramatically from the generations before we started sending our workers abroad. I recall seeing a survey made by a consumer marketing company many years ago that revealed the emotional scars of OFW children. Without the guidance of parents, many children took to drugs and bad company. The other finding, I recall,
sectors like the elderly. I met Yhen Sunga, a single mother to four children, who used to live in the streets within an encampment made of cardboard boxes and was featured in “Box City,” an original documentary by the Filipino Channel’s Balitang America. Yhen now lives in a homeless shelter but she continues to visit other homeless kababayans still on the streets. She said the pandemic has made the living conditions worse and more dangerous. There are homeless people like Edwin Maranco who would be given shelter in a single-occupancy hotel but would rather live in the tents because he felt lonely living alone. He yearned the company of other Filipinos. Juvy told me that the needs of these homeless people are not just shelter and food. Many of them suffer from substance abuse to cope, and unless they seek counseling to address their emotional and psychological issues, they stay trapped in this endless cycle that almost always leads them back to the streets. I got to know Anthony Sambrano and his three young sons. Anthony is staying in transitional housing for people with disabilities. He is one of the many
Filipinos struggling to afford San Francisco’s high cost of living. Juvy took me to Mint Mall in SOMA. Unfortunately, several Filipino businesses and tenants have been evicted from this last remaining hub for Filipinos in San Francisco. I met Geraldine Embalzado, a nursing graduate from Davao, Philippines. She was petitioned by her husband but could not work because she needs to take care of their children and would not be able to afford the high cost of child care. Geraldine’s family lives in a cramped studio unit at the Mint Mall, already considered to be giving more affordable housing for Filipinos. But affordable seems not the accurate word to describe paying $1,900 for their studio. High rise luxury apartments in the city have gentrified the area, displacing many immigrant communities who cannot afford rent in the city where they grew up and work for a living. These sad realities make people resort to drastic measures like living in the car, or the streets, or in tents. Not all homeless people are jobless or mendicant. Before the pandemic, about 25% to 50% of them were working. In the era of COVID-19, how-
ever, the Pulitzer Center reports that “many homeless employees are working low-wage essential jobs that put them at risk of catching or spreading the virus.” Juvy said these homeless people need all the help. These people need food, clothes, blankets, most especially. It was my privilege to give food donations to the homeless from McDonald’s even just for this day during the Christmas season. For all of us who are more fortunate in life, let us try to help them even in small ways so they know they are not alone. Let the spirit of Bayanihan live among us and usher in hope for the homeless Filipinos for a better brighter new year. ***
is about many OFW children dreaming of going abroad themselves. It seems they are in a hurry to get out of the country, having lost faith in the country’s ability to provide for their future. I can guess the ones who don’t mind staying here dream of becoming lawyers so they can become government officials or bureaucrats who can become rich by hook or by crook. There are those in our ruling elite who often bemoan the so-called “brain drain” of our trained and educated workers. But they do nothing to keep them here beyond issuing edicts to prevent their departure, like what Duterte did to prevent medical workers from leaving this year. The Global Pinoys know the value of their services in the world market. They know the local market is unwilling to pay them what is their real worth, And so, they leave. Actually, the migration of medical professionals is now more about nurses and some medical technicians. Our doctors no longer go abroad the day after graduation the way they did in the ‘60s and ’70s. You are more likely to be treated by an Indian doctor in a US clinic now
than by a Pinoy. Indeed, Filipino doctors who want to go to the US take up nursing and keep their being doctors a secret. Perhaps, our local doctors are happy being here. For post graduate training, they go somewhere closer, like Singapore. It is a different story for nurses. The thousands of nursing graduates we produce every year are almost all for export. Many of them are working for call centers while waiting to leave. Our nurses are not appreciated here. They are overworked and underpaid. Even the Labor Secretary is urging them to go on strike for a better deal. I am told the situation is the same for other industries. In construction, the really good workers are now abroad. The spate of serious accidents involving big crane operators is supposedly because the best operators have left the country. Local construction firms are fielding less trained and less experienced ones out of exigency. For academics in science and technology, it is the same story of underappreciation of their value. No money for research. One senator even castigated them for what she called, a
fixation for research. We can’t blame them for choosing to work abroad where their credentials mean something. And because we don’t have enough science and technology professionals, this will result in a skills and employment gap that may leave 2.4 million local skilled jobs vacant and unfilled, according to Rep. Joey Salceda. Imagine all those local vacancies amidst a high unemployment and underemployment rate. We have become a country where the fondest dream of its people is to get out. It is easy to suspect that we are left with dregs like our politicians and those unable to break out of the limitations imposed on them by a substandard educational system. It is good to know we are appreciated abroad. But why can’t we replicate the good news Global Pinoys enjoy abroad at home? (Philstar.com) ***
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
*** Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@ gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @ boochanco
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Dateline PhiliPPines
LEARNING MODULES. Elementary school teachers, led by Editha Buen and Claire Labay (left), remind parents to observe physical distancing while submitting their children’s learning modules for Grade 3 students during the last day of submission for the first quarter of the school year 2020-2021 at Dr. Jose P. Rizal Elementary School in Brgy. Sto. Cristo, Dasmarinas City, Cavite on Wednesday, December 16. Learning modules are among the options implemented by the Department of Education in its blended learning initiatives amid the COVID-19 pandemic. PNA photo by Gil Calinga
Duterte certifies as urgent overseas Filipinos dept bill by Javier Joe ismael ManilaTimes.net
RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent the newest version of a bill providing for the creation of a Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFil), the measure’s main proponent, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, said on Thursday, December 17. “I’d like to hurry up Congress in this. One of my proposals during the campaign period was the creation of Overseas Filipinos [department],” Duterte said during “Talk to the People” address on Wednesday night. Go, a former top aide of Duterte, thanked the President
for heeding the calls of overseas Filipinos and their families by certifying the measure as urgent and emphasized that the proposed department would ensure an efficient and more responsive government services to them. Go then urged his colleagues in the Senate to heed the call of the President and the millions of overseas Filipinos by immediately acting on the passage of the measure and continue the committee deliberations to see how the chamber can reach a viable solution. The Senate goes into Christmas recess today, Thursday, and will resume regular session on January 18. Go filed on Monday, Decem-
ber 14, the third version of the bill which provides for the creation of the proposed DOFil which, he said was “the result of a series of consultations and meetings among the Executive agencies”, particularly those which would be affected by the restructuring as a result of the measure. As with its previous versions, Senate Bill 1949, also known as the “Department of Overseas Filipinos Act of 2020,” provides for the creation of the DOFil, defines its powers and functions, and rationalizes the organization and functions of government agencies related to overseas employment and migration. n
Several senators seek probe into spate... PAGE A5 t credence to the suspicion that you have blood on your hands,” the senator said. “At the same time, there are also others who were not redtagged but have become victims of these killings. We need to look into this at once,” she added. The resolution also cited the “litany” of killings that occurred in 2020, including the slaying of lawyer Jovencio Senados, peasant leader and activist Randall Echanis, former Education Director of Human Rights Alliance Karapatan Zara Alvarez, elderly
couple and former peace consultants Agaton Topacio and Eugenia Magpantay, among many others. “The killings that occurred in the latter half of the year have set a disturbing trend of unidentified gunmen killing lawyers, doctors, journalists, and activists in broad daylight, without fear of arrest or apprehension,” Hontiveros went on. “The increasing brazenness shows that the law enforcement authorities have lost control of the country’s peace and order,” she added.
She then called on the Philippine law enforcers to work “tirelessly, endlessly, properly, and lawfully” to catch the assailants and to prevent more unlawful and vigilante killings from happening. “Our law enforcement must prove to the Filipino public that law and order is still a reality that they are working towards. Let us ensure that the perpetrators of these abominable crimes are brought to justice,” she said. “There is no peace when there is no justice,” Hontiveros added. n
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Duterte to ICC: I’m ready to go to jail MANILA — President Duterte said he wouldn’t mind going to jail if the International Criminal Court (ICC) would find him guilty of committing crimes against humanity. “Kung may ginawa kami, sige. Kung makulong, eh ’di makulong (If we did something, then okay. We go to jail, if we have to),” the President said in a televised address after presiding over the weekly meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Wednesday night. He was reacting to the ICC office of the prosecutor’s statement that there was basis to believe that crimes against humanity were committed in the conduct of his administration’s war on drugs. He blamed the opposition for feeding ICC wrong information to regain political power. “Wag kayong maniwala diyan sa opposition. Walang ginawa ‘yan, gusto lang ‘yan bumalik kasi kung maari lang ibigay ko na lang para hindi na sisirain ang Pilipino, hindi na tayo masira. Ibigay ko na lang (Don’t believe
the opposition. They do nothing but make attempts to return to power. If only I could give it to them so that they don’t have to malign the Filipinos, or destroy us. I can give it to them),” he said in Filipino. “Sen. Bong (Go) was right. He said if you want to appear white, you paint the other person black,” he said. “That’s what they do; paint us black so they would smell better and look white.” He also taunted former senator Antonio Trillanes for tweeting that the day of reckoning for Duterte and “his cohorts and enablers” is near. “Duterte may try to ignore the jurisdiction of ICC over him but deep inside, he knows that he cannot get away from this one,” Trillanes said. Duterte, addressing Trillanes, said he is not afraid to go to prison. “Why try to frighten me with threat of imprisonment? If it’s my destiny to go to prison, then I’ll go to prison,” he said. He also said Trillanes reminds him of dog feces. “Every time I look at you, you’re shit of a dog,” Duterte said. He also lambasted the former
senator for reportedly linking his family to the drug trade. Trillanes had already denied the allegation. Meanwhile, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) has condemned the ICC for issuing the report. The DDB, the top drug policymaking body in the country, said the ICC report is a “move to discredit the efforts of the Philippine government” in the fight against illegal drugs. “The DDB urges the ICC to remain impartial and non-selective. Full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states as well as the principle of nonintervention in the internal affairs of the state is a precept which must be observed by all,” it said in a statement. The DDB claimed that it has repeatedly presented the administration’s plan of action through the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS), to cut the supply and demand for drugs. The PADS, it said, is a wholeof-nation approach that balances and strengthens law enforcement and public health strategies. (Edith Regalado/Philstar.com)
PNP concludes probe on Roque, Pacquiao ‘quarantine breach’ the report to Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, who ordered the probe. MANILA — The Philippine “I have submitted our findNational Police has concluded ings to Secretary Año,” Sinas its investigation into alleged said in an interview on CNN violation of quarantine proto- Philippines. cols of presidential spokesman He said it is up to Año to disHarry Roque and Sen. Manny close the PNP findings to the Pacquiao, PNP chief Gen. De- public. bold Sinas said yesterday. Sinas added that Año has inSinas said they forwarded structed DILG investigators to by EmmanuEl
Tupas
Philstar.com
conduct a separate probe. Año said he has yet to read the PNP’s report. Roque received flak for allegedly violating health and safety protocols when he spoke in front of a large crowd on Bantayan Island in Cebu last month. Pacquiao also received criticism when he held a gift-giving activity in Batangas. n
XMAS GIFT FOR PWD. A person with disability (PWD) and some of their representative’s queue in the registration area during the Christmas gift distribution at Barangay San Antonio covered court, Quezon City on Thursday, December 17. A total of 270 PWDs received Christmas gifts from the council of village chairman Daniel Berroya. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
Mexico, PH, Canada among top birth countries of foreign-born US veterans by Cody
CEpEda Inquirer.net
THE Philippines is only second to Mexico among the top birth countries of foreign-born veterans of the US Armed Forces. For 2020, Mexico was topranked with 87,700 veterans in the US, followed by the Philippines with 69,100 and Canada with 20,600. Jamaica (19,900), Cuba (18,800), the Netherlands (14,500), Italy (14,100) and El Salvador (13,800) trailed behind. This was according to a report by market and consumer data company Statista dated Nov. 17, which based its analysis on data from the US Census Bureau Annual Social and Economic Sup-
plement. Thirteen percent, or 2.3 million, of the US veteran population (18 million) were born outside the US or are children of immigrants, as per the report. The number of US veterans born in Philippines may come as a surprise for some, but the two countries in fact share a long history dating as far back as World War II, said Statista. “The real number of Philippines-born veterans of the US armed forces can be expected to be even higher than indicated in the survey,” Statista noted. “The US has not granted citizenship to most of those it recruited in the Philippines during World War II despite initially promising to do so, blocking a path to immigra-
tion and causing many to remain in their home country.” Some of the Filipinos who enlisted and fought for the US forces during World War II were granted American citizenship. Thus, around 12,000 of the reported 69,100 US veterans who were born in the Philippines are currently over 80 years old, as per the report. In 2018, there were still around 91,000 Philippine-born veterans in the US forces, according to a report by the Migration Police Institute on May 16, 2019. According to Statista, the old age of World War II veterans is the reason behind the decreasing number of Filipino veterans in the US forces. n
delivery of 10 million Pfizer vaccines as early as January next year, way ahead of Singapore but for the indifference of Secretary Duque who failed to work on the necessary documentary requirement, namely, the CDA as he should have done,” he said in a series of text messages sent to reporters. Duque, for his part, denied that he cost the country’s early access to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
“I have the chronology of events so that this is all documented and there is no such a thing that I did not act quick enough,” he said Thursday. “The thing is you go through a process, and when you go through a process, you cannot just be hurrying up things just like that. You have to be prudent and cautious especially because you are talking about a brand new, novel vaccine at that,” he added.n
Over 12,600 migrant Filipinos have contracted COVID-19, DFA says Duque: No promise of 10M vaccine... MANILA — Another spike in infections on Friday, December 18 pushed the total number of coronavirus cases among overseas Filipinos past 12,600, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed. In its latest tally, the DFA reported 45 new COVID-19 cases from the Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. “The reported increase is due to late reports received from one territory in the Asia Pacific region,” the agency said
without naming the referenced area. This follows Thursday’s increased 47 cases and a much larger spike of 541 new infections reported by the department last Friday. Of the total 12,290 confirmed cases, the DFA said 3,634 are undergoing treatment. The agency also logged 13 new recoveries, bringing the total number of Filipino migrants who beat the virus to 8,126. Deaths remain unchanged at
862 with no new fatalities reported. Filipinos spread out across 83 countries and territories have contracted the deadly virus, according to the DFA’s tally. In the Philippines, the health department placed the national caseload at 456,562 after logging more than 2,000 infections on Friday. It has been 278 days since parts of the country were first placed under lockdown. (Bella Perez-Rubio/Philstar.com)
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PAGE A5 t and I – got 10 million doses of Pfizer financed by World Bank and ADB to be shipped thru FEDEX to Clark in January. But somebody dropped the ball,” Locsin tweeted. Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday night named Duque as the individual responsible for the missed Pfizer vaccine purchase. “Thus, (Locsin and Romualdez) could have secured the
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A10 december 19-22, 2020 • LA WeeKeNd ASIAN JOUrNAL
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San Miguel makes a bid for NAIA by richmond
mErcurio Philstar.com
Philstar.com photo
House OKs proposed new passport law by dElon
Porcalla Philstar.com
MANILA — A consolidated bill updating the law to make the issuance of Philippine passports easier and stretch their validity to 10 years has been approved by two committees of the House of Representatives. The consolidated measure, endorsed by the committees on foreign affairs and appropriations, includes House Bill 6399 authored by Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City. Rodriguez said the proposed new passport law would replace Republic Act 9239, the Philippine Passport Act of 1996, and adhere more soundly to the constitutional right of Filipinos to travel which is “inviolable.” The former immigration commissioner pointed out that to enhance and protect the right to travel, only minimum requirements for the application and issuance of passports and other travel documents shall be imposed, and such issuance shall be expedited. Rodriguez stressed the need
to update the existing law enacted 24 years ago, because Congress has since passed at least three laws affecting the right to travel. These are the Domestic Adoption Act of 1998, the Citizenship and Reacquisition Act of 2003 and the Philippine Identification System Act. He said the consolidated bill “aims to update and reflect the current laws that affect the process of issuing passports.” Apart from minimum requirements for passport application, the measure prescribes grounds and process of denial or revocation and appeal; types of passports, their validity; and those who may be issued such travel documents. Regular passports would be valid for 10 years, except those issued to persons under 18 years of age, which would be good for five years. The proposed law would allow the issuance of any of three travel papers under certain circumstances like urgent travel of a person who has not been issued a passport yet or who has lost his passport.
These are Emergency Travel Document, Travel Document Certificate and Convention Travel Document. The bill would allow the Secretary of Foreign Affairs to set “reasonable fees” for the processing and issuance of passports or travel documents. Senior citizens would be entitled to a 32-percent discount. Such fees would constitute a revolving fund the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) may use to improve passport issuance and consular services. For violations, the proposed law would impose graduated penalties of imprisonment ranging from three years to 15 years, and fines from P15,000 to P2 million. Illegal withholding of a passport, one of the prohibited acts, is punishable with a prison term of six years and one day to a maximum of 12 years, plus a fine of P1 million to P2 million. In addition to such penalties, if the offender is a public officer, he shall be dismissed from the service and be perpetually banned from holding public office. n
No more mano po, handshakes under House bill ease. The bill, authored by Marikina City Rep. Bayani Fernando, proMANILA — A measure seeking poses a new gesture wherein the to institutionalize a new Filipino palm of the right hand would be gesture of respect and praise, re- laid over the chest while simulplacing the mano and handshake taneously lowering the head, under the new normal, has been with eyes either closed or cast approved by the House of Repre- down. Fernando, former Marikina sentatives. The plenary approved on sec- mayor and chairman of the ond reading House Bill 8149, or Metro Manila Development Authe proposed “Bating Pilipino thority, said the placing of hand Para sa Kalusugan Act,” which over chest is a universal gesture aims to reduce physical contact of good faith coming from the and prevent transmission of dis- heart, while a nod is a traditional by Edu
Punay Philstar.com
Filipino gesture of respect. He said the medical profession has established that the traditional, well-meaning and innocent gesture of handshake transmits diseases and is a risk to one’s health. The measure covers Filipino citizens and all other persons in the Philippines. All government agencies and instrumentalities are mandated to allocate resources for information dissemination and encourage the practice of the new gesture. n
MANILA — Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) could end up operating and maintaining the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after government talks with a super consortium of conglomerates bogged down and Megawide Construction Corp. lost its upper hand. “I heard they did,” a ranking official from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) told The STAR when asked if SMC has submitted an operations and maintenance (O&M) proposal for the NAIA, the country’s main international gateway. The official said the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which manages NAIA, would have more information on the proposal. Officials from MIAA and SMC, however, did not respond to The STAR’s requests for comment yesterday. The DOTr official said there is no published or written policy preventing one group or one company to be involved in airports that are in close proximity or in the same region as each other. SMC is also undertaking the
massive P740-billion Manila International Airport project in Bulacan, construction of which is expected to commence by the first quarter of next year. The DOTr and MIAA have remained silent on plans for the NAIA moving forward following Tuesday’s revocation of the original proponent status (OPS) previously awarded to Megawide. Megawide’s unsolicited proposal is a P109-billion plan to upgrade and transform the airport, increasing its current capacity of 30 million to 65 million passengers per annum over a strategic and phased approach. Last July, MIAA also terminated negotiations with the NAIA Consortium and revoked its OPS, which was awarded to the group in 2018. The consortium composed of the country’s biggest conglomerates was previously planning a P102 billion program to expand, upgrade and transform the gateway. With cancellation of the Megawide’s OPS, Infrawatch PH convenor and former House committee member Terry Ridon told The STAR that “we can say goodbye to rehabilitating NAIA within the
term of the President.” “The DOTr and MIAA have thrown the private proponent under the bus and it doesn’t reflect well on government’s relationship with the private sector because firstly, the submission to the NEDA-ICC is a joint submission of the private proponent and its public partner, which is DOTr and MIAA,” he said. Ridon said rescinding Megawide’s OPS is not the way forward because there was nothing in the earlier communication of the National Economic and Development Authority–Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC) indicating that it has rejected the proposal itself. Ridon was referring to the ICCCabinet Committee letter dated Nov. 19, saying that it has returned the submitted unsolicited proposal and project documents of Megawide in view of the findings of the ICC Secretariat’s evaluation that the proponent’s equity position is insufficient to finance the equity requirement of the proposed project. The Megawide-GMR tandem said it would immediately file a motion for reconsideration for its proposal. n
Donaire ready to move on MANILA — It would’ve been the stage to showcase his rediscovered killer’s instinct and new-found fountain of youth but Nonito Donaire Jr. said that he’s not griping over the cancellation of his fight against Puerto Rico’s Emmanuel Rodriguez for the vacant WBC bantamweight title in Connecticut even if the basis was an apparent mistake in his COVID-19 test result. Donaire, 38, was pulled out of the bout when he tested positive in a qualitative molecular NAAT exam that was taken last Dec. 4. He had previously come out negative twice. Donaire was denied a confirmatory option and on his own, paid for an antigen and two NAAT tests that later proved negative. He appealed to be reinstated but was turned down. His place was taken by another Filipino Reymart Gaballo, the WBA No. 1 contender, who will now face Rodriguez for the interim crown tonight (tomorrow morning, Manila time). “A positive test is very serious and turns a family upside down into a panic,” said Donaire. “It isn’t something to take lightly
and if you have concerns about it, there should be a retest. My entire family tested negative except me so my result had to be a mistake. I stayed away from gyms where lots of fighters train and worked only with (MMA fighter) Tony Diaz. I was super careful not to be infected. I only hope that we all learn from my sad experience. Fighters deserve a confirmatory test because fighting is our livelihood and it’s unfair to deprive us of a living by relying on one inconclusive result. I raised a voice to call out for justice not for myself but for all fighters who may be subjected to similar conditions in the future.” Donaire said his consolation is Gaballo has been elevated from undercard to main event status. “I wish Reymart the best of luck and ask all Filipino fans to pray for his victory and support him,” he said. “I thank everyone involved in the card, WBC, Showtime, Premier Boxing Champions, promoter Tom Brown, Al Haymon, Ringstar’s Richard Schaefer and Cameron Dunkin. I thank the fans for backing me up, for hearing me out. On my part,
I’m moving on. I’ll go back to the gym and be even more prepared for my next fight.” Donaire said from sparring 12 rounds a few days ago, he’ll taper off and drop down to eight before working back up to 10. A sixweek monitoring period has been imposed to check on his condition after which he’ll be given the green light to fight. “I’ll enjoy the holidays with family then I’ll be 100 percent by January or February,” he said. “I’ll admit in the (Naoya) Inoue fight last year, I fought too smart, too calculating like I lost my killer’s instinct. I hurt Inoue but didn’t finish him off. Now, it’s back. I would’ve liked to show it against Rodriguez but there will be another opportunity, maybe against WBC champion (Nordine) Oubaali.” Donaire said his dream is to unify the 118-pound championship. Stepping back to superflyweight to add another title to his collection is a possibility but at the moment, his focus is to dethrone Oubaali then work his way to a rematch with Inoue. Donaire said at this stage of his career, it’s like he’s experiencing a rebirth. n
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God present amid difficulties – Papal Nuncio by robertzon
ramirez
Philstar.com
MANILA — God is present even amid difficulties so there is no reason to be afraid, according to the apostolic nuncio in his message to the Filipino Catholic faithful. Archbishop Charles John Brown was interviewed by Church-run Radyo Veritas before he led his first pre-dawn mass in Manila on Thursday. Brown said that Jesus Christ hears the prayers of every Catholic faithful and he is always closer to them, especially in these trying times brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. “Do not be afraid. God is here BAYANIHAN. Residents help each other scoop water from a creek to support firemen putting out the fire that hit a residential area in Zamora, even in the midst of these difficulPaco, Manila on Wednesday, December 16. Several houses were razed by the blaze. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan ties; He is close to you; He loves you and He will carry us through these difficulties,” Brown said in an interview. For the first time since arriving in the Philippines last month, Brown celebrated a pre-dawn mass or Simbang Gabi at the St. AEPs were applied months ago even tax evasion committed by Anthony of Padua Parish in Maby Xave GreGorio when restrictions were still not some POGO firms ran after by late, Manila where the Apostolic Philstar.com enforced, and only approved the finance department. Nunciature is located. Apart from the Chinese, VietMANILA — Chinese workers thereafter, Tutay said. In his homily, Brown said that POGOs also did not entirely namese, Japanese, Koreans the faithful should emulate the employed by local offshore gaming firms never left despite some leave the Philippines. As per and Lebanese topped the list humbleness of Saint Joseph who of these companies closing shop gaming regulator’s data, 36 of 55 of new foreign workers in the cast no doubt in the healing powaccredited POGO operators were Philippines this year. Aside from er of Jesus Christ even when he when the pandemic struck. Their decision to stay, in turn, permitted to resume operations POGOs, foreigners were also was facing difficulties in his life. kept the labor department issu- as of November. The number in- mainly employed in manufacJust like Saint Joseph, Brown ing alien employment permits creases to 152, albeit down from turing, information and commu- said that the faithful will soon (AEP) to foreign workers even at 338 before the pandemic struck nication, wholesale and retail, recover from the sufferings of the height of lockdowns. From when other services critical to construction and finance. this year, which include natural The bulk of AEPs— 62,934— disasters and the COVID-19 panJanuary to September, 83,204 POGOs are considered, includAEPs had been issued, inching ing IT systems used for betting were issued in the first quarter demic. when the health crisis was just up from 83,057 same period a that also employed people. “These things will pass, these “No Filipinos can take the job unfolding. Permits plunged to difficulties, especially this COyear ago, 81.5% of which went in operation of POGOs,” Tutay 5,311 in the second quarter but VID-19, will not last forever; the to Chinese nationals. had since rebounded to 14,359 Lord is with you,” Brown said. By sector, a huge chunk of said. “POGO operations (are) main- in the last 3 months when the workers with fresh AEPs were He was amazed by the strong employed under “administrative ly driven also by Chinese play- economy restarted. faith of the Filipino faithful who In some industries, Leonardo flocked to the St. Anthony of and support service activities” ers, which (are) offshore. And at 72,883, a segment that Labor then the programs being devel- Lanzona, labor economist at Padua Parish to attend the SimAssistant Secretary Dominique oped are also in Chinese, so the Ateneo de Manila University, bang Gabi despite the threat of Rubia-Tutay said included work- characters, the programming, said displaced overseas Filipino COVID-19. ers in Philippine offshore gam- the IT, these are all in Chinese,” workers who have adopted skills He also said that the people’s abroad may help bring back devotion to the Catholic Church she explained. ing operators (POGOs). Under the Duterte admin- some jobs from foreigners to only shows the “enculturation “To us, it’s (number of AEPs) not high. If you look at it in our istration, the exponential rise Filipinos. But not in POGOs. of the Catholic faith in the Phil“I’m not sure if the companies, ippines, a beautiful testament of overall employment situation, it’s of Chinese workers locally has less than 1% (of total jobs)…,” only fueled Filipinos’ adverse the POGOs themselves, would the faith of the Filipino faithful.” Tutay said in a phone interview. attitudes toward the Chinese, a be willing to invest in training Advincula named to Vatican “But these are regular em- direct consequence of China’s the Filipino workers, unless the post ployment of foreign nationals aggressiveness in the West Phil- Filipino would make their own Pope Francis has appointed investment,” he said in a phone Cardinal Jose Advincula of Capiz allowed under existing law and ippine Sea. This, in turn, has interview. policies of the Philippines,” she as a new member of the Congre“It’s easier for the company gation for the Clergy in the Vatimade Duterte’s pivot to China a added. A number of factors help ex- tough sell to the Filipino, exac- to just hire Chinese, especially can, a few weeks after he was elplain the current rise in Chi- erbated by anecdotal reports of if they’re looking for language. evated as cardinal in November. nese workers while POGOs Chinese misbehavior on tourist So in effect, they could save on A Catholic Bishops’ Conference are reportedly shutting down. destinations, mainlanders tak- training and other types of cost,” of the Philippines (CBCP) article One of which is the likelihood ing jobs away from Filipino, and he said. n stated that Advincula’s new as-
Chinese workers stay in Philippines despite some POGO closures
Newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown celebrates his first Simbang Gabi at the St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Malate, Manila on Friday, December 18. Philstar.com photo by Miguel de Guzman
signment will make him part of the dicastery that is responsible for the formation, ministry and life of priests and deacons along with Cardinal Cornelius Sin of Brunei. Advincula and Sin were among the 13 new cardinals elevated by Pope Francis last month. The CBCP said that Advincula and Sin will work with Italian Cardinal Benjamin Stella who has been heading the Congregation for the Clergy since 2013. Travel restrictions and the increasing cases of COVID-19 in Italy had forced Advincula, 68, from physically attending the consistory for the new cardinals in Rome early this month and opted to join the ceremony online. The CBCP said that Advincula was ordained as priest for the Archdiocese of Capiz in 1976 and served as spiritual director, professor and dean of education of the St. Pius X Seminary shortly after his ordination. Advincula was sent to study at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum, where he obtained a licentiate in canon law in 1984. He returned to the Philippines in 1990 where he was appointed as professor, spiritual director and dean of studies of the Immaculate Conception School of Theology, which is the regional seminary of Northern Luzon, in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Advincula became professor and spiritual director of St. Joseph Regional Seminary of the Archdiocese of Jaro after serving the Vigan archdiocese and became the first rector of Santa Mater et Regina Seminarium in 1999. He became a bishop of San
Carlos in Negros Oriental in 2001 until he was transferred to Capiz as archbishop in 2011. Advincula is the second Filipino cardinal eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope, along with former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, the current prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in the Vatican. He is the ninth Filipino to become a “prince of the Church” or cardinal along with Tagle, Manila Archbishop emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and Cotabato Archbishop emeritus Orlando Quevedo. The Philippines also has the late cardinals Rufino Santos, Jaime Sin, Ricardo Vidal, Julio Rosales and Jose Sanchez. Churches urged to implement health protocols With people now flocking to churches for the Simbang Gabi, the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday asked church officials to strictly implement health protocols, including those against singing. According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, choir members are not exempted from the protocols against singing. “Our protocols are not limited to karaoke. There is evidence that when you sing, many viral particles are being discharged,” she said. Vergeire added the DOH will be strengthening its coordination with the Catholic Church to “enforce MHS inside churches especially now that many people are going there for the Simbang Gabi.” In an advisory, the DOH cautioned that activities and settings where there can be “talsik laway” are considered “high risk” for COVID-19 infection. These are “singing/shouting, shared/communal eating, being directly across table and lack of barriers and face masks/shields etc.” The DOH has seen mass gatherings, including masses, as potential “superspreader events” for COVID-19. The Department of Social Welfare and Development urged the public to provide responsible types of assistance to street dwellers and indigenous peoples so that they are safe from street hazards, especially during this holiday season. (With reports from Sheila Crisostomo, Rainier Allan Ronda/Philstar.com)
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Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ
‘CITIZEN PINOY’ ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA IN HAWAII AND CANADA ON A NOCHE BUENA HOLIDAY ENCORE EPISODE THIS SUNDAY. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) celebrates the holiday season with a Noche Buena feast, and in the Kapamilya spirit, answers immigration questions from guests from Hawaii and Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Seph, from Oahu, HI, (top right) asks if he can include his brother’s 5-year-old daughter under the same petition he filed for his brother back in 2004, even though the child was not even born when the petition was filed. From Vancouver, Ronald would like to know how much longer he must wait for his petition by his U.S. citizen mother. He is bringing along his wife and their two children. Their priority date is March 2012, and they got an approval notice in 2018. How long is the processing time in Canada? These questions and more will be answered by Atty. Gurfinkel on the Noche Buena encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot” this Sunday, December 20 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
Alex elegant in bridal gowns ahead of own wedding by Ryan
aRcadio Inquirer.net
WHILE Alex Gonzaga is still preparing for her own wedding, she stunned her fans as she modeled various bridal gowns by designer Joe San Antonio. The actress gave a glimpse of her in one of San Antonio’s nudetoned creations on her Instagram page yesterday, Dec. 16. She then thanked San Antonio for including her in the collection called “La Grace,” which she described as “pure elegance.” The fashion designer also spoke about his new collection and why he chose Gonzaga as his muse on his own page. “La Grace was born out of the two essences of the word ‘grace’ – elegance and goodwill,” he said. “These and the refined values of a classic bride is the La Grace dream, fulfilled by Alex Gonzaga – our muse and the collection’s purest embodiment.” He included a short video of Gonzaga as well, which showed her in a beautiful setup filled
Alex Gonzaga
with white flowers. Aside from the nude-toned dress, the brideto-be also donned more of San Antonio’s gowns that featured intricate details and various styles. Though Gonzaga and her fiancé, Mikee Morada, have yet to announce the date for their
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced “Operation Broken Promise,” targeting for arrest and removal/deportation those aliens who were in removal proceedings and promised to voluntarily leave the U.S. (instead of being ordered deported), but never left. So far, ICE has arrested hundreds of individuals who accepted voluntary departure but failed to depart. “Voluntary departure” is requested by the alien and granted by an immigration judge, where the alien is typically granted about 60 to 120 days to arrange for their own departure from the U.S., versus facing a formal deportation order (and the various barriers to readmission that such an order carries). In other words, rather than being ordered to leave, the alien promises to leave (or depart) the U.S. voluntarily. If they fail to do so, the voluntary departure converts into a final deportation order. In the past, many were placed in deportation/removal, such as when they applied for political asylum, but their claim of persecution was denied, and they were placed in removal
ICE going after those with ‘voluntary departure’ proceedings. At the time of the hearing, they had no form of relief (or way to get a green card), and were facing certain deportation/removal. Rather than being “ordered” removed, they agreed to leave voluntarily, so a deportation order would not appear on the records. But they never left, and now ICE is going after them. While ICE states it is mostly targeting criminals with convictions, they also state that “ICE does not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All those in violation of immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the U.S.” In other words, everyone who accepted voluntary departure but didn’t leave, even if they have no crimes, could be subject to being picked up by ICE. If you accepted voluntary departure but never left, I would advise that you consult with an attorney who can evaluate your situation rather than trying to handle this on your own. In some cases, it could be possible to have your case reopened and/or even dismissed, provided you now have a form of relief or way to get a green card which at the time of your original re-
moval proceedings, you didn’t have. An attorney can evaluate your circumstance in light of applicable law and your chances of success. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Photo from Instagram/@cathygonzaga
big day, she has already chosen a gown. Gonzaga picked out Jinggoy Estrada (red) and Sylvia Sanchez (in yellow) with the other stars of the family drama the dress in Singapore with the help of her older sister Toni last January. The couple has also begun working on their dream home IT’S a story that many people, pened to my own family. My dad as they prepare for their life as especially with an OFW parent, is a seaman who got involved husband and wife. can relate to. I am referring to with another woman. He never Coming Home, directed by Ad- came back. Up to now, my sibolfo Alix Jr. From a screenplay lings and I can still feel the pain by Gina Marissa Tagasa, which that it caused us and our mom. is about an OFW (played by Jing- My role is exactly like my mom. goy Estrada) who is returned to In one scene, I tell my children, his wife (Sylvia Sanchez) by the ‘Kahit gaano kasama ang Tatay nurse-mistress (Ariella “Ara” ninyo, wala kayong karapatang Arida) that he met at a Qatar maging masama sa kanya dahil hospital. Tatay n’yo pa rin siya.’ If you ask Line-produced by ALV Films me if I have forgiven my father, for Maverick Films, the movie yes, I have forgiven him a long marks the first team-up of Syl- time ago, in 1992 pa.” (Asked via and Jinggoy who is playing if she would take back her husan OFW for the second time band if, supposing the same after Katas ng Saudi (2007) for thing happened to her in real which he won a FAMAS Best life, Sylvia said, “Yes, because I Actor award (the movie won love him very much.”). Best Picture). Present during Shaira: “I share the same the presscon were Jinggoy and experience. My dad is also a seaAriella together with three of the man. Same story with my family, actors playing the children — Ju- except the part na isinoli ang lian Estrada, Martin del Rosario Tatay.” (Asked if she’s hoping and Luis Hontiveros, with Shaira that this Christmas her father Diaz virtually joining from home would show up, Shaira said, and Sylvia from the locked-in set “Honestly, I’m not expecting it; of a Kapamilya project. ayokong ipalit. It’s up to my dad. Funfare asked them: What Besides, the situation is very of themselves did they see in complicated. I can’t decide by the story? myself, the whole family should Jinggoy (saying he didn’t discuss it... katanggap-tanggap pattern his character after pa ba siya, mapapatawad pa ba anybody he knew): “Sa dami siya?”). ng dinaanan ko sa buhay siguro Julian (Jinggoy’s own son): sapat na ‘yon para magampanan “I play the quiet son and that’s ko ng mabuti ang role ko. I drew me in real life, tahimik. All I can inspiration from my life experi- say is that my scenes with my ences.” dad were intense because I felt Sylvia: “The same story hap- na baka magalit siya if I commit-
Philstar.com photo
Sylvia: It’s the story of my family
ted a mistake.” Martin: “I can’t imagine it happening to my family. We are very close. But I think all families go through all kinds of trials, every member has his/her own problem. But at the end of the day, the members will realize na ang pamilya ay ang pinakaimportante sa lahat.” Luis: “I drew mostly from research. I want people to watch the movie because there’s a big revelation in the end. May malaking pagbabago.” Ariella (on who her “peg” was): “Wala akong kilala na naging mistress. All I did was watch movies featuring mistresses. But I do sympathize with Mercy, my character, because she would do anything for her family, para maitaguyod ang pamilya niya.” Asked if they are expecting any award, Jinggoy and Sylvia said no. Said Jinggoy, “When I do a movie, I concentrate on my performance and I don’t think of winning an award.” Sylvia agreed, “If you think of winning, it can distract from your performance,” adding how Jinggoy surprised her. “He’s known for action roles but in this movie, ibang-iba siya. Nagulat ako! I believe that if one is gifted, lalabas at lalabas kahit paano. And that’s what Jinggoy showed in this movie.” (Philstar. com)
Richard officially transfers to GMA By ian
Biong Inquirer.net
EVERYONE’S favorite “Ser Chief” Richard Yap is now officially the newest Kapuso artist. The GMA Artist Center took to Twitter just earlier today, Dec. 16, to tease the announcement of the actor’s addition to its roster of talents. Although Yap’s image was blurred in the announcement, fans were still able to figure out the identity of the actor as his features were still distinguishable. Further confirming the transfer, Yap actually tweeted “Thank you” to one fan who replied to GMA’s announcement, saying, “Yes! Sir Chief in The House!!” Yap is most famously known for his role as Richard “Sir Chief” Lim, the leading man to Jodi Sta. Maria’s Maya dela Rosa in ABS-CBN’s hit 2012 series “Be Careful with My Heart.” He is also well known for starring in the 2011 TV series “My Binondo Girl” alongside Kim Chiu. Yap last appeared in ABS-CBN’s “Kadenang Ginto”
Richard Yap
in 2018, alongside Dimples Romana and Beauty Gonzalez. Aside from acting, Yap also regularly posts vlogging content via his YouTube channel, simply called Richard Yap.
GMA photo
Just last October, actor Khalil Ramos also transferred from ABS-CBN to GMA, joining his girlfriend Gabbi Garcia among the network’s roster of young actors.
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Unemployed due to the pandemic? How bankruptcy can help Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon BANKRUPTCy has always been a last resort for people who are struggling with debts that they can no longer pay. Most people would do what they can on their own and will only consider doing it once they know they have run out of options. Unfortunately, by the time they get to the point of making the decision to file, a lot of them have also exhausted their savings and depleted their retirement plans in their efforts to avoid bankruptcy. I see this happen all the time. If you are one of the millions of people laid off due to the virus, bankruptcy can provide a muchneeded “lifeline” if you are unable to pay your bills. While we are facing uncertain times with no way of knowing when things can go back to the way they were before the pandemic, bankruptcy can give you a sense of control over your finances and help you stay afloat until the storm has passed. If you have lost your job due the virus, there is less or no money to pay the bills. A lot of people are
Pastor’s Notes
receiving EDD unemployment benefits, but it is often not even enough to pay for basic living expenses. So a lot of them have stopped paying their rent or mortgage payment hoping that after the eviction moratorium is over, they will be able to work out a repayment plan with their landlord or mortgage lender in order to prevent eviction or foreclosure. As I write this article, the second stimulus bill is still pending in Congress and it is not clear whether an agreement can be reached before the end of the year. With EDD benefits ending for a lot of people, the wait is nerve-wracking because people do not know how they are going to survive as the new year starts. While state and federal governments, as well as many creditors, have worked hard to provide safety nets in the form of payment forbearances, these are all temporary measures and short-term fixes. For that reason, it is best for you to have a plan B just in case it takes much longer than expected for you to be employed and regain your income. On thing you should NEVER do is to ignore creditors during this time. It is best to stay in touch with them and let them know about your financial hardship. If they agree to postpone your payments temporarily, get the agreement in writing to protect
Celebrating faith and love this Christmas and New Year
call “silver linings” of this pandemic: • Our families became closer. • We realized what is more imIT will be a different Christ- portant in life. • Our faith in God and our mas and New year’s celebration this year—one we never thought prayers strengthen us. • We learned crafts and hobabout in our generation. It will be Christmas and New year without bies that we never thought of dothe crowds at churches, malls, and ing before. • We developed a good prayer street corners. It will be Christmas and New year without big family life like the Holy Rosary and Divine Chaplet of Mercy’s daily recigatherings. The pandemic has affected ev- tation. • We saved money that we ery aspect of our lives. It will be a year a few months from now since would use for vacation. • Our faith-filled parishioners the global spread of COVID-19. A lot of things have changed in who come to brave coming to government, school, church, and daily Mass inspire us. • We reunited with old friends society at large. But we find comfort in what we and classmates through Zoom
ReveRend Rodel G. BAlAGtAs
yourself. Do not just stop making payments and assume that your creditors know what is going on. If you are a homeowner and have stopped paying your lender under a forbearance agreement, find out exactly how your lender will assist you in catching up on the missed payments after the forbearance period is over. If you have the financial resources to negotiate delinquent debts with creditors, that may be a way to avoid bankruptcy. But I suspect as I watch what is currently going on with this pandemic that for a lot of people, bankruptcy may be inevitable. I know that a lot of people have resorted to borrowing money and using their credit cards to pay for necessities. The other day, someone was just telling me how he has accumulated over $30,000 in debt since March after getting laid off due to the virus. What I am finding these days is that a lot of people who normally would not have qualified for bankruptcy before the pandemic due to high income are now eligible due to lack of or insufficient income. So, for these people, right now is the BEST TIME to file and get rid of their debts while they can. If they wait until they go back to work and make the same amount that they were making before, they may not qualify and be stuck PAGE B6
and social media. • We never thought that we could learn about technology. • We saved money from not paying for gas. • We were able to give financial help to people in dire need. We can think about more, but the deepest yet poignant reflection many of us have had these days is on death. We have become more aware of one’s mortality because we’re all vulnerable to getting ill. But many of us might have learned to accept death as an inevitable part of life. Cardinal Cantalamessa recently reminded us that Sister Death is a good old sister, recalling the words of St. Francis of Assisi.
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 19-22, 2020
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In loving memory of
Val Corcuera Angeles (February 4, 1966-December 14, 2020)
VAL Corcuera Angeles joined his Creator on December 14, 2020 after an undisclosed illness. He was 54. Born on February 4, 1966 in Quezon City, Philippines, Val immigrated to the United States in 1993 to join his family where they settled in the San Fernando Valley area. A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduate of the Gregorio Araneta University (De La Salle Araneta University) in March of 1988, Val had a deep fondness for animals of all shapes and sizes, and had dreamed of buying a ranch to care for horses and other pets. He worked for the Animal Control Department in Los Angeles County for 24 years, most recently as Senior Clerk Officer. At one point, Angeles was the highest-ranking Filipino American within the Department, an achievement he was proud of but which he rarely talked about with people he knew. According to his family, Val was a very joyous, friendly, kind, happy and generous person who loved his family and doted on his nephews and nieces. He extended help to his many, many friends and lived his life to the fullest. An avid traveler, Val enjoyed going on trips to countries like the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Iceland, Croatia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, the Czech Republic and more. Val had many friends around the world. He was an active member of the Rodeo Veterinary The Cardinal wrote: “Looking at life from the vantage of death is an extraordinary help to live well. Are you anguished by problems and difficulties? Walk ahead, set yourself in the right place: look at these things from your deathbed. How would you like to have behaved? How important would you hold things to be? Have you got any issue with someone? Look at things from your deathbed. What would you like to have done then: to have won or to have accepted humiliation? To have prevailed or forgiven?
Club of the Philippines, and attended reunions and gatherings with club members frequently. His friendly and outgoing personality even gained him more friends as he reconnected with old acquaintances and met new people through his work, travels and social circles. Val is survived by siblings Jessie & Evelyn Angeles and children Jaycee, Jason Ray, Jesselyn and Jasmine Mae; Emily Angeles and children Joshua and John Aaron; Elizabeth Angeles; Rommel & Editha (Angeles) Escobar; and nephews and niece Jazz & Nicole, Nina Cello & Peavey Nicolas; and The thought of death prevents us from getting attached to things, or from setting our hearts on our earthly dwelling, forgetting that ‘we have no lasting city’ on earth (Hb 13:14).” Friends, make this Christmas a beautiful celebration of faith, hope, and love despite the pandemic and its restrictions. Tell your family members and friends that you love them. Call friends, send them a note, support someone in need. Spread love, peace, and hope. As the old saying goes, live every day as if it is your last day to live. Have the heart of Mary, who
grand-nephews Keoni and Ninja Nicolas. A memorial service is being planned for Val Angeles at Crawford Mortuary (8717 Tampa Avenue, Northridge, CA 91324), with a date to be disclosed at a later time by the family. Those who wish to share their memories of Val and/or send condolences to the Angeles Family can visit www.crawfordmortuary. com, click on Obituaries, go to Obituary Listings, and click on the box which shows Val Angeles/December 14, 2020. The family deeply appreciates all your comfort and prayers. “pondered everything in her heart.” Live every day in the spirit of surrender to God’s will. Like Mary, let’s have the boldness of heart to say, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
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Year-end tax plan for December 2020 Should I create a will and a living Tax Tips Victor sy, cPA, mBA WHILE we advocated accelerating deductions and postponing income in prior year tax plans, we cannot apply these traditional tactics anymore. Both COVID and a change of the guards at the White House dictate that we alter these strategies this year. 1. Georgia on our minds Control of Senate If Democrats win both Georgia Senate seats, they would be able to enact their tax platform. That means higher taxes for higher earning taxpayers. If Republicans win either of the Georgia Senate seats, they will be able to block Biden’s tax proposals. Taxes will be higher but not as high. 2. This year is different End-of-year strategies are a little different this year because 2020 was different. Filing season was extended to July 15, 2020, COVID-19 pandemic led to quarantines. Work from home became the norm. Freeways became free and wild life enjoyed being wild before the human species took over. 3. Traditional planning won’t work this year The conventional year-end tax planning strategies won’t make sense this year. That old adage to defer income and accelerate deductions won’t work this year.
4. Accelerate income Instead of using the tried and proven strategy to defer income into next year, do the opposite - accelerate bonus and sales this year. Baliktad. You may be in a lower tax bracket this year, courtesy of lower tax rates and unemployment. 5. Defer deductions Where you typically accelerate paying deductible items in the current year, consider postponing deductions for next year when tax rates will be higher. Deductions will be more valuable then. 6. Capital gains President-elect Biden has proposed raising the capital gain rate from 20% to 39.6% for high earners. Consider selling in 2020 instead of 2021. 7. Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) RMD is suspended for 2020. Is this a good thing for you and me? Probably not. There’s a decent chance that you’re in a lower tax bracket this year, so why not take that RMD this year? Why postpone it to next year when tax rates will be higher? 8. Penalty for early distribution The 10% Penalty for early distribution (under age 59½) is waived if you or your spouse or dependents were diagnosed with COVID-19 or if you experienced adverse financial consequences of quarantine, furlough, lay-off, reduction of work, inability to work due to lack of child care or reduced hours of operating your business. 9. Charitable donations The Biden campaign platform
would limit itemized deductions to 28% (currently 37%) tax benefit for high earners. So, if you plan to make a charitable donation, do it this year. Besides, you also have an extra $300 of cash donation deduction on top of standard deduction. 10. Estate tax The Biden plan would reduce the gift and estate tax exemption to $3.5 million from the current $11.5 million. Consult your estate lawyer. 11. Step-up in basis of inherited assets This is the most cruel proposal of the incoming administration. I helped my clients save hundreds of thousands of dollars in estate taxes by stepping up bases at time of death. This would destroy the holy grail of estate plans. 12.Retroactive Effective Date: President-elect Biden’s proposed tax changes could be made retroactive to Jan. 1, 2021, even if passed toward the end of 2021. We hope not. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.� Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com.
DACA update
Tapat Sa Batas Atty. rheA sAmson NOONG Nobyembre 14, 2020, ang United States District Court ng Eastern District of New York ay nag-isyu ng Memorandum and Order sa patuloy na alitan tungkol sa Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program at ang mga aksyon at pagsisikap ng Trump administration na ipatigil ang DACA. Binigyan ng United States District Court ng order ang Trump administration na ibalik muli ang DACA. Alinsunod sa Order ng United
States District Court, inihayag ng USCIS na simula Disyembre 7, 2020, ito ay tatanggap ng mga susunod na applications mula sa DACA Dreamers: (1) first-time requests para sa deferred action sa ilalim ng DACA ayon sa DACA policy bago mag-Setyembre 5, 2017 at naayon sa Court Order noong Disyembre 4, 2020; (2) DACA renewal requests ayon sa DACA policy bago mag-Setyembre 5, 2017 at naaayon sa Court Order noong Disyembre 4, 2020 (3) applications for advance parole documents ayon sa DACA policy bago mag-Setyembre 5, 2017 at naaayon sa Court Order noong Disyembre 4, 2020. Maliban dito, alinsunod sa Court Order, ang US-
CIS ay: (1) mag-extend ng grant of deferred action mula isang taon hanggang dalawang taon; at (2) mag-extend ng employment authorization documents sa ilalim ng DACA mula isang taon hanggang dalawang taon. Ang first-time DACA request at renewal ng DACA ay maaaring ifile kung ang DACA Dreamer ay eligible sa ilalim ng initial 2012 DACA guidelines: (1) siya ay wala pang 31 taon gulang noong Hunyo 15, 2012; (2) siya ay dumating sa U.S. bago ang kanyang 16 taon kaarawan; (3) siya ay nananatiling nakatira sa U.S. mula Hunyo 15, 2007 hanggang sa kasalukuyan; (4) siya ay nasa U.S. noong Hunyo PAGE B6
The Great Warm Up: Fight Aging With Tea By Grace O
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ABOUT GRACE O
GRACE O is the creator of FoodTrients, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. She is the author of two award-winning cookbooks—The Age Gracefully Cookbook and The Age Beautifully Cookbook, which recently won Gourmand’s ‘Best in the World’ Award for Innovation. She is a fusion chef with a mission to deliver delicious recipes built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 20 years in the healthcare industry. Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more. Email us at info@FoodTrients.com
trust during this pandemic?
Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes THE COVID-19 Pandemic is a scary reality which affects everyone globally and has shut down the global economy. Individuals over 60 years old and individual that are immune compromised are more at risk of having serious complications with this virus. Individuals are dying all over the world in exponential numbers. Although we cannot completely control how our bodies and immune system would respond to this virus, we can prepare our finances and estate in case the worst happens to make sure our loved ones are properly provided for. Legally, there are several ways you can do this.
1. Create a Living Trust If you pass away with at least $166,250 in gross assets and you do not have a living trust (even if you have a will), your beneficiaries would have to open up a probate case before title to the assets can pass to them. When I say gross asset, I mean regardless of how much debt you owe on them. For example if you own a house valued at $350,000 at the time of your death, it does not matter that your mortgage balance is $300,000, a probate case has to be opened in order to pass title to that property. The same is true with other types of assets such as owning a business, a professional practice, bonds, equities, etc. This is a very low threshold to exceed specially in California where real estate prices, even after the economic crisis, remains in the upper end of the curve among the 50 states. Commencing a probate case is expensive and a very slow process. Someone qualified will
have to file a Petition with the probate court to have someone appointed as executor or administrator. The Petitioner’s attorney gets paid a statutory rate for attorney’s fees commencing with 4% of the gross estate. The probate referee will have to be paid for appraising the assets of the estate. If it is necessary to post bond, the premium on the bond would have to be paid as well. There is also the cost of administering the estate such as selling some of the assets to satisfy the estate’s obligations and to divide the estate according to the will or the intestate line of succession if there is no will. The entire process could take up years specially if certain beneficiaries and creditors file certain claims. The probate court file would be public record. On the other hand if you have a living trust, your estate can avoid the entire court system and court supervision. In certain situations, PAGE B6
The young, not so young and not so old need Chapter 7 debt relief for fresh start Debt Relief
Atty. LAwrence yAng THE young: Clients are in their late 20s, the epitome of youth. They have their whole life ahead of time. They married three years ago. Right after they got married, they spent all of their money to buy a retail business thinking that the business would flourish and provide their new family with financial security in the future. Their new family is indeed growing as wife is expecting their first baby early next year. But their business has turned into a losing money pit. Business was profitable in 2015 and 2016 with some profits, not much, less than $20,000 a year. But $20,000 a year of profits is still pretty good compared to a loss of even $10,000 a year. The problem with retail business is that once it starts losing money, it’s difficult to
turn it around into profit because retail business is basically stuck where it stands, or once the novelty of the business has passed, you’re looking at a loss every month. I am reminded of a client who set up a restaurant. The first year did great. Then after that, less and less people came to eat. He then changed it from sit down to buffet. It didn’t work either. So after one and a half years, he closed the business. Here, young clients are not restaurant owners but their retail business runs on almost the same principles as a restaurant. They depend on repeat customers. If these repeat-customers become less and less, then the business has no future. Seeing no future anymore for their business, young clients decided to stop operating and close it. Of course, the problem when you close the business is that the landlord will sue you for the rest of the lease payments. They calculated that they would owe the landlord about $100,000 of lease. And, the landlord has indeed sent them a letter demanding payment
for the rest of the lease. Why can the landlord do this? He can ask for the lease payments for the rest of the lease even if the business stops operating because by contract, the landlord expects to get a total amount of lease payments from tenant. For instance, in a fiveyear contract that terminates after the first month, the landlord can demand payment of 59 months for the rest of the lease contract because he expected 60 months of lease payments from the tenant. If the lease is $1,000 a month, 59 more months would be $59,000 that the landlord can demand the tenant to pay even if the tenant moves out on month no.1. It’s the same principle at work when you return a car with a car loan. The creditor can demand the rest of the car payments even if you gave back the car to the creditor. Of course, the creditor can sell the car, but if there is still a shortage, he can demand you pay him the unpaid balance after sale proceeds is received. So if you have a car loan on a brand new Mercedes PAGE B6
B DECEMBER 19-22, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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Protecting employees who Unemployed due to... take medications When a drug test may constitute disability discrimination
accommodation, the employer must know that such limitaProtecting tion exists. In general, it is the Employee responsibility of the employee to inform the employer that an & Consumer accommodation is needed. Rights If taking medications due to a disability or medical conAtty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. dition, the employee is better protected by obtaining a medical certification from MATTHEW Papuga worked their doctor. Their doctor may as a civil engineer for the City indicate that the drugs do not of San Diego for 28 years. In impair their ability to perform 2007, while skiing, he suffered their tasks. (California laws an injury that caused him to are highly protective of an undergo multiple back suremployee’s privacy. There are geries. He was on a 24-month very limited and specific situleave of absence from work. ations where California emEven after the surgeries, Paployers are allowed to require puga was rendered a partial or administer paraplegic. a drug test. Despite this, “Under California law and the Employers he decided to cannot simply keep working Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), drug test their rather than rean employee who is taking medication employees tire and collect whenever they disability payfor a disability is protected from want.) ments from the government. discrimination. Thus, if an employee’s In Papuga’s A few days drug test is positive for controlled case, it apafter he repears the emturned to substances but such substances are due to ployer abused work, Papuits right to rega’s supervimedication prescribed for a disability or quire a drug sor suggested medical condition, then this should not be test and used he was not results to “ok” and orused as a reason for failing the drug test.” the discriminate dered Papuga against the to submit to a drug test. The drug test came the Americans with Disabili- employee on the basis of his back positive for a controlled ties Act (ADA), an employee disability. Rather than proceed substance normally found in who is taking medication for to trial, the City of San Diego Valium. The employer fired a disability is protected from decided to settle the case and Papuga for supposedly failing discrimination. Thus, if an agreed to pay the employee a drug test. employee’s drug test is posi- $425,000 in damages. *** Papuga sued his employer tive for controlled substances for wrongful termination on but such substances are due The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. the basis of disability dis- to medication prescribed for a welcomes inquiries about this topic. crimination, among other disability or medical condition, All inquiries are confidential and at things. Papuga claimed that then this should not be used no-cost. You can contact the office the prescription medication as a reason for failing the drug at (818) 291-0088 or visit www. was prescribed by his doctors test. The employer may need joesayaslaw.com. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., for relief from pain and back to engage the employee in a Esq. is an experienced trial attorney spasms. His doctors had re- good faith interactive process who has successfully recovered leased him back to work, and to find out if the employee is wages and other monetary damages informed his employer that in need of reasonable accom- for thousands of employees and his medications would not modation. consumers. He was named Top Labor impair his ability to work. PaAn employer is required to & Employment Attorney in California puga contended that the drug make reasonable accommoda- by the Daily Journal, consistently test was ordered without any tion to the known physical or selected as Super Lawyer by the reasonable basis and was a mental limitations of an other- Los Angeles Magazine, and is a past pretextual reason for his fir- wise qualified employee with a Presidential Awardee for Outstanding ing. He argued that the real disability. However, before an Filipino Overseas.] reason the employer fired him employer can make such an (Advertising Supplement) was because of his disability. California law prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. The employer has a duty to provide reasonable accommodation to disabled employees to enable them to work despite their disability. Depending on the employee’s specific restrictions and the employer’s circumstances, an example of reasonable accommodation would be to make facilities accessible to and usable by disabled individuals; offer part-time or modified work schedules; or re-assignment to a vacant position. Under California law and
PAGE B3 in debt for a long time. The problem is that if these debts are now delinquent, they are now at risk of being sued by creditors and having their wages garnished. In many cases, TIMING IS CRUCIAL when filing bankruptcy and it is
best to consult with an experienced bankruptcy attorney who can assess the situation to see what is best. *** NOTE: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, I am offering free consultations BY PHONE to anyone who needs help in dealing with
Should I create a will...
PAGE B5 the process may also save you estate taxes which may be substantial if your assets exceed a certain threshold. Basically, you and/or your spouse can be named as the initial trustee of the trust while you are alive. The trustee is the person who manages the trust. This means you retain control of all your assets the same way as if you never had a trust. For revocable trusts, you can later on, at any time during your lifetime, revoke the entire trust if you change your mind. The assets held in your living trust will be managed by the trustee and distributed according to your directions without court supervision and involvement when you pass away. This can save your heirs time and money. Since the trust would not be under the direct management of the probate court, your assets and their value and your beneficiaries’ identities would not become a public record. Your heirs and beneficiaries would still have to be notified about the living trust and advised, among other things, of their right to obtain a copy of the trust. Having a trust is also beneficial in case you become incapacitated. The person you name as successor trustee can step up and manage the assets in your trust on your behalf.
2. Power of Attorney A power of attorney designates another individual the power to manage your financial affairs on your behalf. You can limit this power and define what the scope of the power you are giving your attorney in fact. A power of attorney is also revocable if you decide to cancel the power you have given this individual. By giving another person the power of attorney, you do not lose the power to manage your financial affairs. You can continue to make financial decisions on your own affairs. 3. Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare allows your to designate specific individual to have the power to make healthcare decisions on your behalf incase you no longer have the capacity to make decisions for yourself due to health conditions. You can define the scope of your agent’s authority. This is also revocable if you change your mind in the future. Your agent will have the authority to access and review your medical records and sign any authorization on your behalf. This is helpful incase you are unable to make healthcare decisions for yourself. 4. Last Will and Testament A Last Will and Testament allows your to designate how your
The young, not so young...
PAGE B5 Benz 300 with a five-year payment of $500 a month, the creditor expects to get a total of $35,000. If you return the car after the first month, he can sell the car, say for $20,000, and you would still owe creditor about $14,000. This happens because you bought it at retail, while the creditor sells it after repo at wholesale, which is 50% less than retail. Aside from $100,000 of lease liability, young clients also have about $40,000 of credit card debt. With Chapter 7, they get rid of $140,000 of debt at this stage in their young lives! It’s a fresh start without accumulated debt so these young clients can become productive again. Just like Walt Disney who filed for Chapter 7 twice when he was still young and right before he hit the right business of Disneyland, now a multibillion $ global company. That business started from a fresh start with two Chapter 7s for Mr. Disney! Maybe my young clients, after they get their fresh start, will become the next Jack Ma in the business of artificial intelligence, or the next Steve Jobs or next Bill Gates; or, the next Mr. Hershey of Hershey Chocolates, the world’s biggest chocolate business. He also filed for Chapter 7 when he was young to get a fresh start and went on to build his Her-
shey chocolates business! The not so young: The husband is 60 and the wife is 61. These clients are still young, but when compared to the young clients in their 20s, they are not so young. But physically if you look at them, they look maybe about 50. Don’t forget that the World Health Organization classifies the young as 17 to 65, and middle age starts at 66. Together they owe $50,000 of credit cards. They pay $1,500 minimum to keep the $50,000 current. For the last 10 years, they have paid $150,000 to keep these cards current, but today, they still owe the very same $50,000. The husband was self-employed as a contractor and made good money in home remodeling. But at 60, he says he doesn’t feel that strong anymore for the contracting business. The client says he’s now driving for Uber and makes about $2,500 a month net. The wife just retired and will be getting a pension of $1,000 a month. It’s definitely time to get rid of the $50,000 credit card debt with Chapter 7 for a fresh start at 60. With so much credit card debts, the client may not be able to drive safely for Uber as he keeps on thinking about how to pay the $1,500 a month to keep the $50,000 credit cards current. With a Chapter 7, no more $50,000
DACA update...
PAGE B5 12, 2012 at noong siya ay humingi ng unang DACA; (5) siya ay walang status noong Hunyo 15, 2012; (6) siya ay kasalukuyang nag-aaral, naka-graduate ng high school or nakakuha ng GED certificate; (7) siya ay walang felony conviction, walang conviction para sa significant misdemeanor, o conviction para sa tatlo o mahigit pang misdemeanor; at (8) siya ay hindi threat sa national security at safety. Maliban dito, ang DACA renewal ay maaaring gawin ng DACA Dreamer kung: (1) siya ay hindi umalis ng U.S. noong Agosto 15, 2012 (o pagkatapos ng petsang ito) na walang advance parole; (2) siya ay patuloy na nakatira sa US mula sa kanyang unang DACA application at approval; (3) siya ay walang felony conviction, walang conviction para sa significant misdemeanor, o conviction para sa tatlo o mahigit pang misdemeanor; at (4) siya ay hindi threat sa national security at safety. Ayon sa Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ito ay susunod sa Court Order habang ito ay epektibo. Subalit, ang DHS ay maaaring humingi ng relief mula sa Court Order. Kaya’t hinihikayat ang mga eligible DACA Dreamers na mag-file ng kanilang DACA applications at renewal. On November 14, 2020, the United States District Court of the Eastern District of New York issued a Memorandum and Order on the ongoing dispute over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Trump administration’s efforts to end it. The Court ordered the Trump administration to reinstate DACA. Pursuant to the Order of
the United States District Court, the USCIS stated that effective December 7, 2020, it will be accepting the following applications for DACA Dreamers: (1) first-time requests for consideration of deferred action under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) based on terms of DACA policy in effect prior to September 5, 2017 and in accordance with the Court’s Order dated December 4, 2020; (2) DACA renewal requests based on terms of DACA policy in effect prior to September 5, 2017 and in accordance with the Court’s Order dated December 4, 2020; (3) applications for advance parole documents based on terms of DACA policy in effect prior to September 5, 2017 and in accordance with the Court’s Order dated December 4, 2020. Also, pursuant to the Order, the USCIS will: (1) extend one-year grants of deferred action to two years; and (2) extend oneyear employment authorization documents under DACA to two years. A first-time request and request for renewal of DACA may be made if the DACA Dreamer meets the initial 2012 DACA guidelines: (1) he was under 31 years old as of June 15, 2012; (2) he came to the U.S. before reaching his 16th birthday; (3) he has continuously resided in the US since June 15, 2007 up to the present time; (4) He was present in the U.S. on June 12, 2012 and at the time of making his request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS; (5) he had no lawful status on June 15, 2012; (6) he is currently in school, has graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, has obtained a general education
their debt problems. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772 (Advertising Supplement)
assets will be distributed after you pass away. This allows you to customize how your estate will be divided and distributed. In the absence of a Will, you would pass away intestate and the probate court would simply follow the California intestate succession laws which are in the probate code. *** 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, APC 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) credit card debt!! The not so old: The client is 69. He owes only $10,000 of credit cards. He has a pension of $2,500 a month. His rent is $600/mo. He asks me if it’s worth doing a Chapter 7 to get rid of $10,000 of credit cards. I told him it sure is. He needs $300 - $400 minimum to keep the $10,000 current every month. That’s at least $4,000 a year spent to keep $10,000 current. In two years he would have spent $8,000 to keep $10,000 current, and still owe the same $10,000. Certainly, get rid of the $10,000 now with Chapter 7, and just save the $4,000 yearly. At 79, his credit is perfect again and there is no record of his bankruptcy anymore. So if you are young, not so young and not so old, or even if you are old, come see me for debt relief if accumulated debt is making you miserable and weighing you down. So, stop being a slave to debt, Get your freedom now! If you need debt relief, please 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 Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement) development (GED) certificate, or is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. Coast Guard; and (7) he has not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, three or more misdemeanors, and does not otherwise pose a threat to national security or safety. In addition to the above, DACA renewal may be made if the DACA Dreamer: (1) did not depart the U.S. on or after August 15, 2012 without advance parole; (2) has continuously resided in the U.S. since submission of the most recent DACA request that was approved; (3) has not been convicted of any felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three or more other demeanors; (4) does not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that it will comply with the Court Order while it remains in effect, but DHS may seek relief from the Court Order. Thus, eligible DACA Dreamers are encouraged to file their DACA applications and renewal. *** ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is the principal of SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C. She has been a member of the State Bar of California for over 15 years and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for over 20 years. Atty. Samson received her Legal Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She was a Professor for over 10 years, teaching Obligations and Contracts, Labor Laws and Social Legislation and Taxation Law. Atty Samson is the author of The Law on Obligations and Contracts (2016), Working with Labor Laws-Revised Edition (2014) and Working with Labor Laws (2005). SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C., 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Phone: (213) 381-5710; Email: info@ samsonlawfirmpc.com. (Advertising Supplement)
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 19-22, 2020
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B DECEMBER 19-22, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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