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September 28-30, 2016 Volume 26 - No. 78 • 3 Sections - 22 Pages
T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R
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Clinton, Trump square off in ďŹ rst debate Fiery discussion included jobs, race, nat’l security and scandals
by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
NEITHER Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton held back in their much-anticipated first presidential debate on Monday, September 26. Moderated by “NBC Nightly News� anchor Lester Holt, the debate explored topics like the economy, job creation, race relations amid police brutality and national security in the wake of attacks from the Islamic State (IS).
However, a great portion of the evening was spent discussing scandals which have dominated news coverage for this election cycle like the birther conspiracy, Trump’s tax returns and Clinton’s emails. The debate acted as a microcosm of the overall election race as both candidates were in full attack mode, each questioning the other’s qualifications for the presidency. The debate got particularly heated when the subject of physical fitness and endurance to main-
tain the presidency came up. “She doesn’t have the look. She doesn’t have the stamina,� Trump confidently declared. “I said she doesn’t have the stamina. And I don’t believe she does have the stamina. To be president of this country, you need tremendous stamina.� Clinton fired back, referencing her opponent’s lack of political experience. “As soon as he travels to 112 countries, negotiates a peace deal, a ceasefire, a release of dissidents and opening
of new opportunities in nations around the world, or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a Congressional committee — he can talk to me about stamina,� Clinton retorted. Mixed feelings Post-debate polls failed to come up with a clear consensus of a winner following the debate, and it was largely due to medium. Online-based polls show that Trump won, including Drudge Report which declared him the victor by 83 percent. He also won in
online surveys conducted by CNBC (67 percent) and TIME (55 percent). However, in polls conducted by more traditional means, Clinton came out on top. For example, one poll conducted by CNN indicated that Clinton won the debate with 62 percent of viewers, while only 27 percent believed Trump performed better. Moreover, Public Policy Polling prescreened participants who were willing to vote on a winner after
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5 Fil-Ams named to Trump’s APA advisory committee by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
AS the November election approaches, the campaign of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump formally announced its Asian Pacific American (APA) Advisory Committee in an effort to reach out to the fast-growing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) electorate. The formation of the committee was first introduced during an APA National Forum at the sidelines of the Republican National Conven-
tion last July, the Asian Journal previously reported. “The committee members will support and strengthen ties to each community and provide recommendations on how best to ensure AAPI voices are heard and included in the campaign,� said a release by the Trump campaign on Sunday, Sept. 25, a day ahead of the first presidential debate against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The 31-member committee — comprised of a mix of male and female elected, appointed and grass-
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Former U.S. Congressman Steve Austria of Ohio
USA
DATELINE California to expand ‘Asian American’ label
Boxing history’s longest reigning Filipino champ, Donnie “Ahasâ€? Nietes, adds the Wolrd Boxing Organization’s (WBO) inernational yweight title to his impressive list of accomplishments with the help of head trainer, Edmond Villamor (left) and other ALA boxing staff on Saturday, September 4 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Contributed photo by Jhay Oh Otamias / Philboxing.com
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Bill to examine AAPI health and education needs
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday, September 25 signed off on FilipinoAmerican Assemblymember Rob Bonta’s bill, which would require the state to include more Asian American subgroups into the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) labels. AB-1726 — also called the Accounting for Health and Education in API Demographics (AHEAD) — will require the California Department of Public Health (DPH) to disaggregate the data, which means breaking down the API groups into smaller subgroups for census surveys. The state would now be required to collect
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US to remain close PH friend, partner
Mark Toner
WASHINGTON – The United States has said it will remain a friend of the Philippines even as it seeks to pursue alliances or partnerships with China and Russia, two superpowers Washington sees as potential adversaries. “They’re a sovereign nation and we’re certainly not going to hold them back from
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Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes
Brunswick, Ohio Mayor Ron Falconi
AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal
AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel
Ron Villanueva, a member of the Herman Martir, a pastor in Texas Virginia House of Delegates
Filipino boxer Nietes wins 12 rounds and unanimous decision in flyweight debut by ERIC
ANTHONY LICAS AJPress
CARSON, Calif. — Filipino boxer Donnie “Ahas� Nietes dispelled any doubts about his viability as a flyweight by defeating former WBC champion Edgar Sosa to claim the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) title at the StubHub Center on Saturday, September 24. Nietes, who now holds a professional record of 39-1-4 (winloss-draw), earned the judges’ nod in all 12 rounds of the fight to win a unanimous 120-108
decision. His opponent seemed to play the aggressor in order to make up for lost rounds, especially later in the fight when Nietes managed to land devastating counterattacks. An overhand right from the first-time flyweight late in the tenth round visibly rattled Sosa. The more experienced fighter managed to avoid an extended trip to the canvas, but drops to a professional record of 52-10 after Saturday night. “Hindi ako nagmamadali na i-knockout si Sosa (I wasn’t in a hurry to knockout Sosa),� Nietes
told reporters and fight fans after the match. His decisive win was preceded by strong performances from Filipino boxers throughout the event’s main card. After earning a controversial victory from what turned out to be an accidental bumping of heads in his first fight against Juan “El Penita� Jimenez, �King� Arthur Villanueva came back to settle the score in spectacular fashion. Moments after escaping from the corner of the ring during the second round,
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Duterte: De Lima will be jailed for sure UN exec accepts invitation to by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
ALTHOUGH no formal case has yet been filed against Senator Leila De Lima, President Rodrigo Duterte is confident that his toughest critic will be put behind bars for her alleged involvement in illegal drug activities at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). “She (De Lima) will be jailed, that is for sure, because of testimonial evidence,� Duterte said on Monday, Sept. 26. During a recent House of Representatives probe session, several NBP drug convicts testified that De Lima received money in exchange for allowing illegal activities to
continue inside the prison when she was the justice secretary. De Lima, however, maintained that the accusations against her were not true, claiming that the House hearings on the NBP drug activities were set up by the president. She was ousted last week as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, after fellow senators asserted that she was too biased to continue the proceedings on the extrajudicial killings that reportedly occurred when Duterte was mayor of Davao. According to Duterte, cases against De
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probe summary killings in PH
ings that have occurred so far during his administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. A UNITED Nations (UN) rapAlthough the Philippine govporteur on Monday, September ernment has yet to issue a formal 26, expressed her intention to invitation, Agnes Callamard, UN come and investigate the alleged rapporteur on extrajudicial, sumsummary killings in the Philip- mary or arbitrary executions, pines. told Agence France-Presse that President Rodrigo Duterte last she would solicit one. week extended an invitation to “I welcome the reports recenthis international critics from ly (conveyed) through the media the UN and the European Union that the president and govern(EU) to come and probe the killu PAGE A3 by DANA
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From the Front Page
Clinton, Trump square off in first…
PAGE A1 t
the debate, and 51 percent declared Clinton the winner over Trump’s 41 percent. Additionally, it seems that each candidate won among members in their respective parties. The Republican National Committee (RNC) believed that its nominee held his own as a nonEstablishment candidate. “Donald Trump showed he is the only candidate in this race with the ideas to stimulate our economy, defeat radical Islamic terrorism, and keep our streets safe in every community,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement. “The American people deserve better than a dishonest career Washington politician defending a failed status quo, and Donald Trump showed tonight he is the only candidate with the big picture leadership our country needs.” However, Democrats everywhere think that Clinton won the debate, including Melissa Ramoso, national coordinator for Filipi-
no Americans for Hillary, who said that the debate “reaffirmed” Clinton’s qualifications as president. “I think Secretary Clinton made all her supporters very proud,” Ramoso told the Asian Journal after a debate watch party at Far Bar in Los Angeles. “It was clear that she dominated the debate and held her ground. She was factual, prepared and executed her answers well. She was not afraid to counter Mr. Trump’s claims without warrants.” Ramoso added: “She knew she was on the world’s stage, and it was her moment to show that she was prepared for the debate despite Mr. Trump criticizing her. She even stated, ‘I prepared to be President, and I think that’s a good thing.’” Grace Barrios, vice president of outreach for Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats (PALAD) and a Clinton delegate during the Democratic National Committee, also attended the watch party and agreed that Clinton’s performance underscored her
“clear plan” for the presidency, especially in terms of economic growth, education, national security among other issues. Barrios said that the former secretary of state’s performance also highlighted Trump’s shortcomings. “It was very clear that [Clinton] is in complete command of policy and the political will to implement it,” Barrios told the Asian Journal. “Having Donald Trump debate her showed us his lies, innuendoes including birtherism and his plans whenever he had one are not beneficial to many of average Americans. Last night strengthened, even more, my commitment to ensure we will have Secretary Hillary Clinton as our first woman president.” The watch party was hosted by AAPI for Hillary, California Democratic Party Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, API Caucus - California Young Democrats, Filipino Americans for Hillary - Southern California, Korean Americans for
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CENTENARIAN. President Rodrigo Duterte (right) kisses the forehead of 108-year-old Lourdes Marquez in ceremonies for the signing of rules implementing the Centenarians Act of 2016 at Malacañang’s Rizal Hall. The law grants a cash gift of P100,000 to persons who reach the century mark. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan
5 Fil-Ams named to Trump’s APA… PAGE A1 t
roots leaders who believe in the Republican nominee’s message to “Make America Great Again” — includes co-chairs Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo and Northern Mariana Islands Gov. Ralph Torres, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and Korean Americans for Trump founder Lisa Shin. Of that number, five are Filipino-Americans: former U.S. Congressman Steve Austria (ROhio); Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes; Brunswick, Ohio Mayor Ron Falconi; Ron Villanueva, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates; and Pastor
Herman Martir of Texas. Reyes, who is Filipino on his father’s side, spoke on behalf of the Trump campaign during the Presidential Election Forum hosted by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) in August. He highlighted the real estate billionaire’s views on issues like business regulations and immigration and even clarified the controversial Philippines as a “terrorist nation” remarks. “I think Filipinos need to educate themselves that Donald
Trump can truly make America great again,” Reyes told the Asian Journal at the party’s convention in July. Noting how the AAPI vote is crucial and could swing races, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has been trying to court the population, most notably with the launch of the Republican Leadership Initiative (RLI) in 2015 to train AAPI millennials to engage their communities on a grassroots level. “The diversity of Mr. Trump’s AAPI advisory council represents his commitment to the in-
doubt on Jaybee Sebastian’s supposed role as government asset when De Lima allowed Sebastian to remain at the NBP while the 19 other drug personalities were transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) detention facility in Manila, following a raid led by the senator in December 2014. According to the drug convicts who testified last week, this move allowed Sebastian to have control over the drug trades inside the prison.
“Why do you have an asset such as Jaybee Sebastian? Do you not trust the NBI, the military men, to have your own asset there?” Duterte said, demonstrating his line of questions against De Lima. He continued, “What was that asset? Was that a sexual asset or a source of information? And why do you have to meet after hours?” “Lowest and vilest” man “The president’s foul mouth
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Duterte: De Lima will be jailed for…
PAGE A1 t
Lima will be filed once the hearings were finished. He pointed out that there were “plenty” of non-bailable charges that can be filed in opposition to the senator. “She’s the one who should be worried. Those are serious charges. She should not adopt a nonchalant attitude about all of these things. I said she opened the portals of narco-politics to take hold in the national level,” Duterte said. The president also expressed
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From the Front Page
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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 28-30, 2016
A
UN exec…
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ment of the Philippines will invite a UN mission to investigate the alleged extrajudicial executions,” Callamard said. However, she added that she was seeking security guarantees for people she planned to speak with. “The date and scope of the fact-finding mission will be discussed and negotiated with the government, along with essential guarantees,” she said. Callamard noted that those would include “my freedom of movement and freedom of inquiry, and the assurance that those who cooperate with me will not be the object of reCENTENARIAN. President Rodrigo Duterte (right) kisses the forehead of 108-year-old Lourdes Marquez in ceremonies for the signing taliation, such as intimidation, of rules implementing the Centenarians Act of 2016 at Malacañang’s Rizal Hall. The law grants a cash gift of P100,000 to persons who threats, harassment or punishreach the century mark. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan ment.” According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), over 3,300 deaths linked to the administration’s “war on drugs” PAGE A1 t have been recorded from July 1 Villanueva caught Jimenez with to the third week of September. a fierce right cross as the chalThe list included both deaths lenger stepped around “King” in from legitimate police operaan attempt to deliver a blow of his tions and vigilante-style killings. own. International bodies such as That punch sent “El Penita” UN, EU, and the United States sprawling face first into the canhave expressed condemnation vas and drew a collective gasp of the killings. from fight fans in the arena. RefDuterte, however, insisted on eree Jimmy Cantu stopped the continuing the government’s fight as Jimenez, who now holds campaign against illegal drugs, a record of 22-11-0, struggled to stressing that his international find his legs, resulting in Villancritics should not meddle with ueva’s successful defense of his the country’s national affairs. WBO Asia-Pacific Bantamweight Open investigation title. The victor improved his reDuring the oath-taking of cord to 30-1-0. Malacañang Press Corps ofMeanwhile, Mark “Magnifico” ficials on Monday, Duterte adMagsayo handily defeated Ramiro mitted that there were indeed Robles, who was a late replaceextrajudicial killings in the ment on the fight lineup with a country. current professional record of However, he stressed that 13-6-1. Magsayo scored knockdowns in the second and seventh Fight fans leap to their seats after “King” Arthur Villanueva knocks out Juan, “El Penito” those incidents were not sanctioned by the government. rounds, but both fighters managed Jeminez on Saturday, September 24 at the StubHub Center “My government is not into to go the distance. After earning a the business of making mumunanimous decision, “Magnifico” mies,” the president pointretained his recently won WBO ed out, referring to the way featherweight title and his undedumped bodies were wrapped feated (15-0) professional record. in packaging tapes. Saturday’s matches showcased He also proposed an “open” the formidability of fighters comand “no-holds-barred” investiing out of the Philippines, and gation. signaled promise for the future of “I’m staking my life, my honFilipino boxing. Nietes had told or, the presidency. I have no ilmembers of the media that he lusions here,” Duterte said. wanted to explore heavier weight “They shouldn’t threaten me classes in pursuit of more illustrion extrajudicial killings, or else ous matchups. I will also demand that the Unit“Mate-test ko kung hanggang ed States of America and EU saan ang lakas ko dito sa 112 (pounds) (I’m testing my strength Donnie Nietes (left) blocks a right jab from Edgar Sosa (right) on Saturday, September 24 at be investigated alongside with AJPress photos by Eric Anthony Licas me. Because they have commitat 112 (pounds)),” Nietes said af- the StubHub Center ter his victory. in 12 years, proved on Saturday reckoned with in the flyweight di- ted far more injustice and have done horrific things.” n “Ahas,” who hasn’t lost a fight night that he will be a force to be vision. n
Filipino boxer Nietes wins 12 rounds…
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US sends air contingent to PH for bilateral training missions Air Contingent in the Philippines, the US Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Monday. THE US military deployed an “The purpose of the Air Conair contingent on Sunday to con- tingent is to promote increased duct bilateral training missions inter-operability between US and and integrate with units of their Filipino forces, and to further encounterparts in the Philippine hance security cooperation bemilitary. tween the allies,” the statement The US Air Force has deployed read. two C-130 Hercules aircraft and The first rotation of an air conapproximately 100 airmen from tingent at Clark Air Base was held the 347th Air Wing at Yokota Air last April 2016 after then Defense Base, Japan; and the 36th Con- Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and tingency Response Group from US Defense Secretary Ash Carter Andersen Air Force Base, Guam emphasized initiatives to reinto Mactan Ebuenito Air Base in force the partnership of the two Cebu for the third iteration of the countries. It consisted of A-10C
Thunderbolt IIs, HH-60G Pave Hawks and approximately 200 personnel from multiple Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) units. The second two-week iteration, meanwhile, was last June 15, with the deployment of EA-18G Growlers and Navy personnel. About 1,400 troops are also set to arrive next month to join their Filipino counterparts for bilateral military exercises in different areas in Luzon, the first large-scale joint military exercise since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office. The Philippines Amphibious Landing Exercise (Phiblex) is scheduled on October 4 to 12. n
its relationship with the Philippines in many areas of mutual interest including counterterrorism and economic development, he said. “With regard to them pursuing alliances or partnerships with China and Russia, they’re a sovereign nation and we’re certainly not going to hold them back from pursuing closer relations with either of those countries. And it’s not a zero-sum game,” he said. Asked if Duterte’s barbed remarks against President Barack Obama and the US government was what one would expect from an ally, Toner said: “We’re not deaf; we do hear what he says. And yet, I would just say that our
cooperation with the Philippine government remains strong and unabated so we continue to engage in close cooperation on a number of areas of interest. “We’re going to keep up that cooperation until we hear otherwise,” he added. Despite Duterte’s public pronouncements “we’ve not, though, seen anything with regard to our relations with the Philippines, that would indicate a shift, if you will, or a turning away. “And so US cooperation continues. I don’t know what to call it – a disconnect or what – but we continue to work with the Filipino government,” he said. (Jose Katigbak / Philstar.com)
by Frances
Mangosing Inquirer.net
US to remain close PH friend…
PAGE A1 t
pursuing closer relations with either of those countries,” State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said at a briefing on Monday. The United States can remain a close friend and partner of the Philippines despite President Duterte’s declaration of his intention to seek alliances or partnerships with China and Russia, Toner said. Toner said US ties with the Philippines are one of the most enduring bilateral relationships within the Asia-Pacific region and a cornerstone of stability for 70 years. Washington continues to work closely with and focus on
FUN DAY FOR TEACHERS. Teachers line up to attend the ‘Gabay Guro Grand Gathering’ at the Mall of Asia Arena. The event, which included entertainment and a raffle draw, was held in celebration of World Teachers’ Day. ManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo Jr.
California to expand ‘Asian American’… PAGE A1 t
data for Bangladeshi, Malaysian, Hmong, Indonesian, Pakistani, Taiwanese, Thai and other ethnicities which were not previously required to be included, as the Asian Journal previously reported. “The population of California is uniquely diverse, especially within the API community,” Bonta said in a statement. “There are more than 23 distinct communities within the Asian American population and 19
within the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population. AB 1726 will give us a clearer pathway to formulate policy focused on positive outcomes for our specific API communities.” If it lives up to its expectations, AB-1726 has the potential to create more initiatives that will solve the problems of the AAPI community. For example, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice - LA) found that 14 percent of Asian Americans do not have health insurance. But when comparing Korean Americans to Japanese Americans, the statistics differ significantly; about 27 percent of Korean Americans are uninsured while only 8 percent of Japanese Americans are uninsured. Asian Americans Advancing Justice – California (Advancing Justice – CA), a partnership of Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus and Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, applauded the legislation. “...[It] will have a positive impact on the overall health of the [Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI)] community in California,” the groups said in a statement. “By disaggregating data in DHP, state government officials can make more informed policy decisions on how best to serve our communities.” Before it was signed this week, AB-1726 was pushed by more than 80 API advocacy groups, including the Southeast
Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). “AB-1726 would allow the needs and assets of Southeast Asian American communities to be revealed when they have been concealed and rendered invisible for too long,” SEARAC Executive Director Quyen Dinh told NBC News last month. “In health, our communities also face tremendous unique health disparities from survivors of war and genocide.” The bill also has its share of critics, many of whom think that expanding the label will provide a competitive disadvantage for those applying to college. Last month, members of the API community rallied against the bill by holding a protest in front of the state Capitol as the State Legislature was voting on the bill. “I disagree with the way we finely divide the Asian community into specific subcategories when we don’t do the same thing to the other ethnic groups,” Lily Ding, a member of the Silicon Valley Chinese Association, told NBC News on Monday following the bill’s signing. According to an NBC report, AB-1726 extends to the DPH a decades-long law that requires other state agencies, boards and commissions to collect data from at least 11 AAPI communities. Bonta’s bill includes 10 more AAPI subgroups, creating a more inclusive data gathering process that coincides with the U.S. Census Bureau. (Klarize Medenilla / AJPress)
Clinton, Trump square off… PAGE A2 t
Hillary - Los Angeles and Korean American Democratic Committee. The groups will hold another debate watch party for the upcoming vice presidential debate on Tuesday, October 4, at Far
Bar. The party will also honor Joe Montano, a Filipino-American senior staffer to Sen. Tim Kaine, who passed away in July. Another debate party for the second presidential debate on Sunday, October 19 will also take place at Far Bar. n
5 Fil-Ams named to…
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terests of our entire AAPI community,” Fil-Am Ninio Fetalvo, a spokesman for the RNC, told the Asian Journal in an email. “Coupled with the RNC’s historic ground game efforts that have had a presence in AAPI communities across the country for the past three years, we are confident that Asian Americans will turn out for Mr. Trump and the Republican Party ticket on Election Day.” He added that the strength of the RNC’s outreach showed when AAPIs leaned more to the right during the 2014 midterm elections. Additional members of the committee will be added in the future, the Trump campaign said. The Clinton campaign shrugged off Trump’s attempt to convince AAPI voters to vote for him, noting that it has been engaging with the population since the former secretary of state launched her presidential bid. Earlier this year, her campaign released an AAPI fact sheet that outlined her plans to address various matters, ranging from reducing the visa backlog for Filipinos and fighting for comprehensive immigration reform. “Donald Trump’s last-ditch
effort to gain the AAPI vote by launching an Asian Pacific American Advisory Council with less than 50 days before the election is too little, too late. Hillary Clinton has had a career-long record of fighting for the best interests of the AAPI community, and has shown her commitment since the start of her campaign. Hillary Clinton has specifically laid out a comprehensive plan to tackle the issues that AAPIs care about. This November, we are confident that the AAPI vote will reflect the community’s overwhelming support for her,” Jason Tengco, AAPI outreach director of Clinton’s campaign, told the Asian Journal in an email. In May, nonpartisan groups APIAVote, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and AAPI Data released “Inclusion, Not Exclusion,” a voter survey examining the trends within the Asian American population. According to the findings, 31 percent of Filipinos reported a favorable view of the Republican Party, compared to 64 percent of Filipinos for the Democratic Party. Thirty-six percent of Filipinos responded that they are planning to vote for Clinton, while 11 percent for Trump. n
Duterte: De Lima will be…
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has again desecrated the hallowed grounds of Malacañan [Palace] with another round of his vile personal attacks against me,” De Lima said in a statement on Monday. The statement went on to say, “I cannot resist asking the president, what do you see in me that you find so sexual? Why is your mind so fixated on my sexual aspect? You are so obsessed with me. Why?”
Reacting against the latest tirades against her, De Lima called Duterte the “lowest and vilest” man. “The president is again going ballistic. I pity our president. May the Lord forgive him for his actions. All of a sudden, for me, he’s the lowest and the vilest man in the country because he is so uncouth,” the senator said. De Lima reiterated that all the evidence against her was fabricated. n
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Duterte eyes ‘open alliances’ with China, Russia
is not inclined to talk about military alliances, especially in dealing with the territorial disputes PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte in the South China Sea. said on Monday, Sept. 26, that “If America wants to go to war he is about “to cross the Rubi- about China Sea, he can have his con” with the United States as he day. I will not participate. I will seeks to forge closer economic not join a war that would only ties with China and Russia. destroy my country because we In a speech during the oath- are not really up to arms of the taking rites of the Malacañang Press Corps, the president said he had brought up the topic during a conversation with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held in Vientiane, Laos earlier this month. “We had a one-on-one meeting and I said, ‘I think I’m about to cross the Rubicon with the United States, at least for the six years [of my term],” Duterte relayed. “I will need your help in everything – trade, commerce – and I will open up.” He said he also plans to talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping about inviting Chinese businessmen to invest in the Philippines. “I have talked to Xi Jinping. I’m going to China. I will open up all avenues of trade and commerce. They can come in,” he said. Duterte, however, clarified that he is not totally breaking ties with the U.S. “Actually, I said I’m not really breaking ties, but we will open up alliances with China, and I had a good talk with Prime Minister Medvedev. He’s there waiting for my visit,” Duterte told reporters in a press briefing following the oath-taking rites. On Monday, Sept. 26, the Philippine peso dropped to its lowest since 2009, as foreign investors sold Philippine stocks for the 23rd straight day. According to economic analysts, this was led by Duterte’s outbursts against the U.S. and the United Nations, and by the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. “After China, I think I’ll go to Japan and I’ll go to Russia,” he continued. “Never mind about the ratings. I will open up the Philippines for them to do business alliance of trade and commerce.” Duterte also clarified that he by DaNa
siosoN AJPress
BOTTLED ART. Artists paint on huge bottles which will be displayed during the Venice Grand Canals Wine Festival to be held from October 1 to 9 this year. ManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo Jr.
Yasay: ‘PH not veering away from US’ by Nestor
Corrales Inquirer.net
THE Philippines is not “veering away” from the United States (US) despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that the country was “crossing the Rubicon” with its longtime ally, a Cabinet official said on Tuesday, September 27. “I don’t think he meant it in the context of veering away from our commitments with the United States, particularly agreements and treaties or with respect to the close and special relations with the US,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay said in a press briefing. Yasay said Duterte only wanted to take an independent foreign policy but would ensure that “amity with all nations is being complied with.” “He simply wants to undertake an independent foreign policy, where he would not overlook, that we are part of an international community and that the Constitution in fact mandates that we should carry on amity amongst all nations,” he said. Yasay assured that the Philippines and the US would continue to strengthen their relationships despite Duterte’s recent tirades
US President Barack Obama and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
against US President Barack Obama. He said the Philippines would not cut ties with its “traditional friendship with the United States in favor of China.” He dismissed this claim as “completely unfounded and not true.” He said the Philippines-US relations under the Duterte administration were discussed during his meeting with some members of the national security advisor of Obama at the White House last week. The Philippines’ claims in the disputed South China were also discussed, he said. “I hope that I had assuage their fears in this regard, the important thing is that as a result of this dis-
Inquirer.net photo
cussions, we have all agreed that this is now a matter that should give us the confidence and the opportunity to move forward insofar as strengthening our relationships are concerned,” he said. Yasay said he also met with US officials in Washington D.C. and explained to them the “true situation” in the Philippines. “They have to trust the institutions that we have in the Philippines. If they are simply basing their conclusions or apprehensions of the basis of unverified news reports that will not be fair to the Philippines. I hope that I had explained well and addressed the concerns that they have raised,” he said. n
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opposite side. Nothing will happen to us,” he added. The president also reiterated that he will not conduct joint patrols with other countries. Before his planned visits to China and Russia, Duterte will fly to Hanoi on Sept. 28 and 29 to enhance the country’s strategic partnership with Vietnam. n
A SEPTEMBER 28-30, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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Cantankerous
THE word on the street is that for the next six years, the Philippines will “cross the Rubicon” with the United States, an idiom which means to pass a point of no return. This was stated by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte to reporters on Monday, Sept. 26, wherein he recalled his previous meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos earlier this month. He also revealed that the Philippines could enter possible economic alliances with Russia and China, countries he called that are on the “other side of the ideological barrier.” “We had a one-on-one meeting and I said, ‘I think I’m about to cross the Rubicon with the United States, at least for the six years [of my term]. I will need your help in everything – trade, commerce – and I will open up,” Duterte said. However, Duterte clarified that the Philippines has no plans to cuts its ties with the U.S. Asked to explain what he meant with his “cross the Rubicon” remark, Duterte pointed out an apparent loophole in the defense agreement by the two countries. “There is an RP-U.S. Pact that was in the ‘50s. It says that an attack on the Philippines would be an attack of the United States. But in the United
States Constitution, it says that before a President can declare war, with anybody in defense of an ally, he has to go to Congress for permission to go to war. That’s the problem. So if Congress will not give him that authority, what will happen to us?” Duterte said. For his part, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. who just came back from his visit to the U.S., said that the president was just expressing his desire to pursue an independent foreign policy. “He was saying that to dramatize what he feels are the areas that would need further strengthening insofar as our relationship with the US is concerned,” Yasay said. For decades, the Philippines and the U.S. have maintained strong bilateral relations based on support for international security, joint strategic goals in the Asia Pacific, a mutual commitment to democratic values, and historical ties. Such immutable partnership has been strengthened for years by vibrant democracies that are committed to each other in strength and prosperity. The U.S. has always recognized the Philippines as an indispensable partner for upholding vital
Editorial
ManilaTimes.net photo
American interests in the region. The people between the two countries have also shared a tradition of working together from countering extremism, to strengthening economic ties and international security, and to fighting poverty and
creating opportunities for prosperity and growth. Unless both countries commit to the same goals, this enduring partnership will jeopardize the mutual political, economic and strategic benefits they have for their people. (AJPress)
An overwhelming majority of Filipinos in America do not support Duterte’s efforts to become more independent from the US SUPPORTERS may have praised Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for standing up against America in declaration that he is not a puppet of Uncle Sam and that his administration’s foreign policy is veering away from the United States. But as far as Fil-Ams are concerned, this is not a good idea. In the online viewer poll of The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America,” an overwhelming 92 percent of viewers who voted said they do not support Duterte’s efforts for the Philippines to become more independent from America. Only 8 percent believe Duterte is on the right track when he thinks the Philippines can do things on its own. They are encouraged by the belief that he is the first president who can truly assert the Philippines’ sovereignty as an independent nation This finding is understandable and even expected, considering the fact that these same viewers are kababayans who live and work in the United States, remitting their hard earned dollars to their family back in the Philippines, helping keep the Philippine economy afloat. Those who do not support Duterte’s policy believes the Philippines still needs the United States, especially in the light of the territorial dispute
against China’s “bullying” in the West Philippine Sea. The Fil-Am They also value all the help the Filipinos get from our long time Perspective ally especially during times of natural disaster, as well as the trade, investment and employment opportunities that kababayans back home enjoy as a result Gel SantoS-ReloS of the Philippines’ diplomatic and economic relations with America. As ABS-CBN News reported, if Duterte loosens the Philippines’ ties with the U.S., the Philippines could stand to lose about $1.3 billion in foreign direct investments, more than $150 million in development aid, and about $8.3 billion in goods that the Philippines exports to America every year. Recent headlines, however, make more kababayans in the U.S. worry. As Duterte strengthens his stand to distance the Philippines from the U.S., he has been “warming up” to China and Russia. Duterte has clarified that while he is “not yet ready to really break ties with the U.S., he said he “will open up alliances with China.” ABS-CBN News further reported that Duterte
also said that the country may need Russia’s help if the Philippines distances itself from the United States. “I’ve been talking with PM Medvedev. One-on-one kami. Walang nakaalam noon. I said, ‘I think I am about to cross the Rubicon between me and the U.S., at least for the six years. I would need your help and everything — trade, commerce. I will open up,” the president said. On top of these concerns is the fear of some kababayans of how Duterte’s belief, or non-belief of God, may affect how he stirs the Philippines from democratic to communist principles. “What if there is no God?” was the question Duterte posed during the oath-taking ceremony of Malacañang Press Corps officials on Monday, Sept. 26, with reference to his bid to revive capital punishment in the Philippines. “Ang mga tao sa Pilipinas hindi na naniniwala sa batas because fear is not there,” Duterte said in a report by ABS-CBN News and other media. “Hindi tumalab yung death penalty noon kasi hindi in-impose. One, because of the Catholic
church. Second, the bleeding hearts, because only God can kill. Ang problema niyan, I ask you, what if there is no God?” Duterte said. ABS-CBN News also quoted the president questioning God’s presence when women and children are raped and killed. “So, where is now God when a one-year-old baby, an 18-month-old baby is taken from the mother’s arms, brought under a jeep and raped and killed. So where is God?” Duterte said. I can hear Duterte’s supporters contend that this should not be an issue because there should be separation of powers between the State and Church, and that Duterte’s philosophical question and position should be respected and not taken against him. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you support Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s policy of distancing the Philippines from the United States and building stronger ties with China and Russia? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos
No Fil-Am plot to oust Duterte IT all started with a radio interview on Commentary Manila radio station DZRH on September 19, 2016 when Pres. Duterte’s C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Rodel RodiS Secretary Martin Andanar announced the news that Filipino Americans in New York were planning a coup against Pres. Duterte in January of 2017. This is how Andanar said he learned the news: “I was just talking to somebody in New York now who is also a member of the Cabinet – I won’t mention his name. But he also heard of the Fil-Ams in New York who are planning. They are hatching a plan to oust the President by January 2017. There is this kind of report. “ Andanar added that he even asked this unnamed official if he has evidence to prove it or if this is another hearsay. “It’s really about the evidence that you have, isn’t it? (If there is) you let me know (because) it is the concern for the government and it should be a concern for the nation because it’s a destabilization talk,” Andanar said he told the official. Although Andanar never identified the source of his news, there were only two cabinet officials who were in New York in that time period - Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Jr. and Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella. Two days after Andanar’s news, Secretary Yasay addressed the issue when he spoke at a Town Hall meeting with the Filipino-American community at the Philippine Consulate in New York. “I do not know whether those reports are true, I deny having said those things and I am sure Sec. Ernie Abella would
not say those things,” he said. So it appears the question is not whether Yasay or Abella can provide any evidence of the plot to Andanar but whether Andanar has any evidence that “a member of the cabinet” actually provided him with information about such a plot. Or did Andanar just make it up as a joke? According to Wikipedia, Andanar is “a former Filipino television news anchor, radio commentator, podcaster, audio blogger, voice-over artist and comedian.” Unless reading a teleprompter as a former television anchor qualifies one as a journalist, it does not appear that Andanar has the credentials to even understand what hearsay means. The lack of any evidence of this “FilAm plot” did not stop Andanar from further inflaming the issue in subsequent press conferences. Two days after the DZRH radio interview, Andanar announced from Malacanang Palace that the administration has already identified the people behind the supposed plot of Filipino Americans. “We have names. We know who you are,” he said. “We are aware of this and we have names, I’ve received names but I’m not going to mention it because, you know, I was also a journalist and we might be charged with libel,” Andanar said in a press briefing. According to the news reports, Andanar declined to provide any clue on the identities of the people who are allegedly plotting Duterte’s ouster because he said he did not want to be sued for libel. He insisted, however, that the information was provided by “credible sources.”
The difference between Duterte’s Secretary of Communications Martin Andanar and Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda Josef Goebbels is that the latter never claimed to be a “former journalist.” Goebbels famously said “It is the absolute right of the State to supervise the formation of public opinion.” It was Goebbels’ boss who famously said: “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” Andanar was undeterred by Yasay’s denial and persisted in his quest. “We have to confirm, we have to vet, but whatever they’re planning, just think twice because it is not lawful when you bring down a government. And rest assured that we will protect our president,” he said. Andanar has used unconfirmed hearsay reports about an imagined conspiracy to launch a witch hunt against Filipino Americans who are critical of the Duterte administration. He wants them to “think twice” about participating in any anti-Duterte demonstrations. It was intended to intimidate Duterte’s critics in the U.S. Perhaps Andanar did not imagine everything. I can confirm that there really were conversations by Filipino Americans in New York and in other parts of the U.S. about asking Pres. Duterte to resign. I know I am on Andanar’s black list because I participated in that teleconference. On September 8, 2016, Balitang America aired an interview with “Filipino American human rights lawyer” Ted Laguatan where he criticized Pres. Duterte for damaging the good relations of the Philippines with the US. “I’m sorry for him that he cannot control his mouth and his brain because it
gives us a bad image as a nation. It is unfitting because he is seen speaking like that against the world, against the leader of the United States, against Filipino interest. There’s only one solution. He should resign,” he said. The following week, on September 13, the U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance (USP4GG) led by Loida NicolasLewis from New York held a national teleconference to discuss Laguatan’s call for Duterte to resign. While there was support for the sentiment, there was also concern that it was not yet time for it and such a call would only be used by Duterte supporters to attack his critics. There was also a suggestion for US Pinoys to write a letter to Pres. Duterte to ask him to tone down his language and his attacks on the US, an ally supporting the Philippines claim to the West Philippine Sea. In the end, US Pinoys for Good Governance voted unanimously to support a resolution to buy a jet ski and donate it to Pres. Duterte to help him fulfil his campaign pledge to jet ski to the Scarborough Shoal to plant a Philippine flag on it in defiance of China’s efforts to transform it to an island fortress. So it is quite possible that someone heard about this US Pinoys’ teleconference and about discussions calling for Duterte to resign and word of it reached this unnamed cabinet official in New York who may have passed it on to Andanar. As anyone familiar with the perils of how a “broken telephone” works, the retelling of the conversion misstated the original call for Duterte to resign, to a call to impeach him, all the way down to a call to supporting a coup to oust him. The remaining mystery is the date. According to Andanar, the Fil Am con-
spirators are planning to stage their coup in January of 2017. As one who participated in that September 13 teleconference, I can confirm that no one suggested a specific date for Pres. Duterte to resign. But I think I know the source of the date Andanar is referring to. We should remember that in his campaign speeches, candidate Duterte repeatedly promised to resign if he is not able to solve the problems of crime and drugs in his first six months in office. Duterte said on January 20, 2016: “I will not ask for a (full) term…I ask for three to six months and I will finish them,” said Duterte, referring to criminals, drug lords, and corrupt public officials, during a symposium in Manila at the De La Salle University. Speaking on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, on September 19, 2016, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said of Duterte’s promise:“In the campaign, he categorically said that the drug problem would be solved in six months or he would step down. But of course he is not a man of one word. His words cannot be trusted and he gives a lot of excuses. He made the people believe.” Duterte assumed the presidency on June 30, 2016. Duterte’s self-imposed six month term will expire on December 30, 2016. So on January 1, 2017, Duterte will resign. This is not according to the Fil-Am conspirators, as Andanar alleges. This is according to Pres. Duterte himself. Mystery solved. (Send comments to Rodel50@gmail. com or mail them to the Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call 415.334.7800).
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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 28-30, 2016
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Honasan faces graft raps over ‘pork’ scam by MiChael
Punongbayan Philstar.com
FORMER ACTRESS FALLS IN DRUG BUST. Former sexy actress Sabrina M. was arrested in a drug bust in Quezon City. Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director Senior Supt. Guillermo Eleazar said Sabrina M, (Karen Salas Palasigui in real life), 36, was apprehended before midnight after a poseur buyer arranged to buy P6,000 worth of shabu in her residence at No.9 Pulangui Street, Napocor Village, Barangay Pasong Tamo. Also arrested during the operation were Erwin Suba San Martin, 29, and Edwin Locsin Coloma, 38. The two were caught in the act of sniffing shabu inside the former actress’s house. ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike De Juan
Duterte admits errors in ‘matrix’ by Catherine and
S. Valente llaneSCa t. Panti ManilaTimes.net
ARAYAT, Pampanga — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, Sept. 27, publicly apologized for mistakenly including three Pangasinan officials in his controversial “drug matrix,” and cleared them of links to the drug trade. Duterte on August 25 revealed a drug matrix linking Sen. Leila de Lima, a former Justice secretary, former Justice undersecretary Francisco Baraan 3rd and other officials to the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison. On Tuesday, over a month since the release of the matrix, the President said former Pangasinan governor and now Rep. Amado Espino, Baraan’s brother, dismissed Pangasinan provincial administrator Rafael Baraan, and Urbiztondo, Pangasinan board member Raul Sison were erroneously included in the matrix prepared by intelligence officials. “Insofar in the drugs, somehow we were negligent in the counterchecking. Espino, Sison, [Undersecretary] Baraan’s brother, I would like to apologize to you publicly. I am sorry,” Duterte said in a speech after inspecting the alleged “mega-shabu” laboratory here. The three officials were earlier mentioned by the President as having conspired with de Lima in the illicit drug trade inside the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City. In the drug matrix, Espino was said to have been tagged by Sison as “the richest politician in Northern Luzon.” Espino allegedly used Rafael Baraan to cover all his illegal activities.
The President said: “I cannot be perfect and sometimes you are correct when you say that life is never fair.” But he maintained that de Lima and former Justice undersecretary Francisco Baraan 3rd were involved in the drug trade. ‘True leader’ Espino, Pangasinan governor from 2007 to 2016, heaped praises on Duterte. “My family, friends and the people of Pangasinan would like to express our gratitude to the President for being a true leader and gentleman. He has my highest esteem for the courageous and bold statement of apology on clearing my name, Raffy Baraan and Raul Sison,” Espino said in a statement. “Let me reassure the President of my sincere and relentless support on his anti-drug and peace and order campaign which had always been my campaign message for the past six elections,” he added. Duterte and Espino were said to have met on August 30, with the President assuring the Pangasinan politician that the matrix would be revalidated. “I kept my silence for the past three weeks as I know beyond reasonable doubt that I am not guilty of this allegation. Although my family and the people of Pangasinan were saddened by this unprecedented accusation, we remained steadfast on our respect and high regard on the discretion of the President and relied completely on his promised revalidation,” Espino said. Espino is a member of Duterte’s political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan. Drugs, no; black sand, yes Duterte said he spent several nights studying the three offi-
cials’ connection with the Bilibid drug trade, but he said there was a gap that he could not explain. The three were likely the subject of rumors and hearsay, he said. Ronnie Dayan, the driver-bodyguard claimed by Duterte to have been de Lima’s lover and bagman, is a native of Urbiztondo. De Lima is also alleged to have bought property for Dayan in the Pangasinan town. Duterte however noted that Espino and Rafael Baraan were involved in a separate case involving illegal black sand mining at the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court. “If we talk about black-sand mining, there’s probable cause, but to stretch it further to involve them [in drugs], I studied it for several nights … I couldn’t see the connection, it is not really very clear to me,” he said. The President also said he, not the intelligence personnel who prepared the matrix, was fully responsible for the mistake since he was the one who released it to the public. He said he was willing to be charged in court. “But my answer to the judge would really be something like, ‘Nagkamali ako [I was mistaken]. I am sorry but I have to inform the people immediately so that they can take regard of their surroundings and prevent the contamination of drugs,’” Duterte said. “I’m willing to swallow my pride unlike the others, if I’m wrong. I have a dirty mouth but when I commit a mistake, it comes from the heart, I am very sorry,” he added. Duterte said he will publicly name more officials linked to drugs, mostly barangay (village) chairmen, mayors, governors and congressmen, once he comes back from his trip to Vietnam. n
Senate to end probe on killings
Davao death squad hit man Edgar Matobato has been kept on hold just in case there is a need to sumMANILA, Philippines — The mon him in the next hearings. Senate committee on justice and Matobato has appeared in two human rights will hold its last hearings, testifying that President hearings on the alleged extraju- Duterte ordered the killing of dicial killings of suspected drug thousands of individuals when he pushers on Oct. 3 to 5. was still mayor of Davao City. Sen. Richard Gordon, chair“I kept him on hold. I respect our man of the committee, said that colleagues here. Even if I think he the fifth hearing was supposed to is a bad witness, I’m keeping him be held today but the advisory for on hold,” Gordon said. resource persons from the PhilipTwenty-three individuals, inpine National Police (PNP) was issued late and so he had to defer this to a later date. He said that it was just coincidental that President Duterte was leaving for Vietnam on the same date as the hearing for a working visit. Gordon said that he is close to getting all the information he needs to come out with a committee report containing the proposed legislation on the issues involved. Gordon said that self-confessed by MarVin
Sy
Philstar.com
cluding active and retired members of the PNP were identified by Matobato as his colleagues in the DDS. The PNP personnel mentioned by Matobato were among those invited by the committee for its next hearing. Based on the agreement of the senators in the committee last week, the alleged DDS members would appear in the next hearing but only in an executive session. n
MANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales yesterday directed the filing of graft charges against Sen. Gregorio Honasan II for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel fund scam. Like senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile who were also tagged in the scam, Honasan would be indicted before the Sandiganbayan for alleged misuse of his priority development assistance fund (PDAF) allocations. The Office of the Ombudsman said Honasan allegedly gave P29.1 million to a questionable nongovernment organization (NGO) for the implementation of programs and projects that would benefit Muslim Filipinos in Metro Manila and Zambales. Based on its investigation, the Office of the Ombudsman found that in April 2012, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P30 million as part of the lawmaker’s PDAF to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) as im-
plementing agency. The money was intended to finance small and medium enterprises/livelihood projects for the benefit of Muslim Filipinos in the National Capital Region and Zambales. But documents showed that in June 2012, Honasan endorsed Focus Development Goals Foundation Inc. as NGO-partner without the benefit of compliance with procurement regulations. The Office of the Ombudsman also said the check dated May 30, 2012 and disbursement voucher approving the payment “were prepared by public respondents in favor of Focus even before the NGO was informed that it was found not qualified to undertake the project on June 4, 2012.” Results of the probe also showed that “the MOA was signed by the Office of Senator Honasan, NCMF and Focus and Honasan authorized the release of funds to Focus.” The Office of the Ombudsman said Honasan and his co-accused in the case facilitated and approved the payment in favor of Focus in two tranches totaling P29.1 million.
Among Honasan’s co-accused are political affairs/project coordinator chief Michael Benjamin and NCMF executives Mehol Sadain, Fedelina Aldanese, Galay Makalinggan, Sania Busran, Aurora Aragon-Mabang and Olga Galido. Also included in the complaints are Focus officers Giovanni Manuel Gaerlan and Salvador Gaerlan. Despite issuance of an order, Honasan allegedly failed to answer the accusations and submit his counter-affidavit during the investigation. Honasan denies charges Honasan said on Monday, Sept. 26 that he was saddened and surprised by the move of the ombudsman to recommend the filing of charges against him. When asked whether he believes he will be acquitted in the end, the senator said: “Yes, I’m sure the truth will come out.” He also lamented that his name is being besmirched by the case and it is now affecting his family. Once the charges are filed, Honasan would be the fourth senator to be charged for alleged misuse of PDAF. (With Paolo Romero)
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Peso slightly recovers but remains at seven-year low
at 48.35:$1. The total volume traded dropped to $568.1 million from MANILA — The peso on Tues- $758.5 million last Monday. day, Sept. 27 slightly recovered Bank of the Philippine Islands and gained eight centavos to associate economist Nicholas close at 48.17:$1 from Monday, Antonio T. Mapa noted that the Sept. 26’s, 48.25:$1. peso-dollar pair was trading The domestic currency, how- higher in the morning session, ever, remained at a seven-year averaging at 48.265:$1, as “suslow, still the weakest since Sept. tained foreign outflows which 15, 2009’s close of 48.335:$1. weighed on the Philippine Stock At the Philippine Dealing Exchange (down 0.98 percent) System, the peso hit an intra- dragged on the peso as well, day low of 48.405:$1 and a while corporate demand, given high of 48.18:$1 after opening u PAGE B2 by Ben
o. de Vera Inquirer.net
In a report, the IMF raised the gross domestic product (GDP) outlook for the Philippines to 6.4 percent instead of six percent this year and to 6.7 percent instead of 6.2 percent next year. Crissa Tenorio/CC BY-NC-ND In a report, the IMF raised the gross do- percent. by Lawrence agcaoiLi and
Peso-dollar exchange rate
Poshmark empowers the next generation of fashion retailers and entrepreneurs at PoshFest
LOS ANGELES — Poshmark, the largest social commerce marketplace for fashion where anyone can buy, sell and share their personal style, has announced its fourth annual conference, PoshFest, which brings together 300 female entrepreneurs from across the country to learn how to grow their fashion businesses. Poshmark has grown sixfold over the past two years, with one in every 50 women in the U.S. selling on the app, and is
a powerful shopping platform for anyone to run a successful boutique. The company is also a new channel for fashion brands to distribute inventory through it’s massive network of social sellers. To continue to blur the lines between online and offline shopping habits, Poshmark will bring its recently launched retail business to life during PoshFest on October 1-2 at Los Angeles’ California Market Center, steps away from the
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czeriza VaLencia Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — Multilateral lenders International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) both raised their economic growth forecasts for the Philippines this year and next, citing the country’s improved fundamentals and resiliency to external headwinds.
mestic product (GDP) outlook for the Philippines to 6.4 percent instead of six percent this year and to 6.7 percent instead of 6.2 percent next year. Meanwhile, in an update to its Asian Development Outlook 2016, Manila-based ADB similarly raised its GDP forecast for the Philippines to 6.4 percent this year from an earlier six percent. It also raised the 2017 growth projection to 6.1 percent from 6.2
The country’s economic managers expect GDP to expand between six to seven percent this year and 6.5 to 7.5 percent in 2017. “The outlook for the Philippine economy remains favorable despite external headwinds,” IMF said. IMF said the Philippine economy continued to perform strongly as GDP growth accelerated to seven percent in the second
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PH foreign policy risks ties with trading partners
that is sovereign from the United States, but observers see the President is pushing the PhilipA THINK tank on Monday, pines closer to China. Duterte had been castigating Sept. 26 said the foreign policy of the Duterte administration risks traditional international partners alienating its major economic and organizations of late but partners and creating an “unwel- speaking more pleasantly and coming” environment to foreign softly to China, which allegedly occupies Philippine territory illeinvestors. President Rodrigo Duterte had gally, unreasonably denying Filisaid that he would pursue an “in- pino fishermen access to fishing dependent” foreign policy, one waters, according to a ruling of a by MichaeL Joe
T. deLizo
ManilaTimes.net
United Nations arbitral tribunal. Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase-ADR Institute (ADRi) for Strategic and International Studies, said Duterte’s foreign policy seems to realign the Philippines’ friendship with other countries. “While the President’s mandate to define the country’s approach to foreign relations is unassailable, the administration should nevertheless reconsider
its strategy in terms of potentially alienating established economic and security partners. The Philippines should maintain its good relations with trusted friends and pursue constructive relations with all of its neighbors, in both word and deed,” Manhit added. The political analyst said a foreign policy should be guided by three principles. “First, a country’s approach
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From 6% to 6.4% this year: IMF, ADB…
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quarter from 6.8 percent in the first quarter, boosted mainly by election-related spending. This brought the GDP expansion to a three-year high 6.9 percent in the first half of the year from 5.5 percent in the same period last year and closer to the higher end of the six to seven percent target set by economic managers. “The Philippine economy has performed well in recent years with rising potential growth and strong macro fundamentals. Economic growth is supported by robust domestic demand and is broadly in line with potential while the outlook for inflation is well within the target band,” IMF said. However, the Washingtonbased multilateral lender noted underemployment and poverty rates have remained stubbornly high despite the sustained economic expansion. “The strong economic performance, however, has not yet fully benefited a wide range of the population. Poverty and in-
equality remain high. Poor infrastructure has constrained private investment and job creation. Public investment has risen but continues to be low due to weak implementation capacity, while progress has been made on fiscal transparency,” it said. Upside risks to growth include stronger domestic demand spurred by low commodity prices and further improvements in budget execution, IMF said. On the other hand, it pointed out downside risks include the lower growth in China, tighter global financial conditions, and a surge in global financial volatility that could lead to capital outflows. IMF said President Duterte has an opportunity to put the economy on a higher and more equitable growth path under its 10-point socioeconomic agenda. The Duterte administration raised the budget deficit ceiling to three percent of GDP instead of two percent of GDP as it intends to ramp up infrastructure spending to as much as five per-
cent of GDP. IMF added the country’s monetary policy setting are currently appropriate but the central bank should stand ready to tighten if there are signs of overheating or credit growth accelerating with inflationary pressures. ADB said the Philippines is performing better than expected on a surge of investment and strong expansion in consumption, prompting an increase in its growth forecast to 6.4 percent. “Vigorous economic growth is expected to continue through 2016, though at a more moderate pace in the second half as the impact of election spending fades,” said ADB. The bank said sustaining the Duterte administration’s economic reform agenda would be “vital to sustaining solid economic growth performance” specially when the country is in a position wherein risks form volatility on global financial markets are “cushioned by the improved macroeconomic fundamentals and a robust banking sector.” n
Peso slightly recovers but remains…
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the timing of the end-month, exacerbated the peso’s weakness.” “Towards the end of the session, traders booked gains from long-US dollar positions while some dealers remained wary of BSP’s possible presence in the foreign exchange market to smooth out the depreciation trend and weed out speculative trades,” Mapa added. For Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo, “right now, we see that negative market sentiment dominates the forex market in the Philippines.” “We see that the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals have never changed, they have remained stable and robust. But because of perceived risks which may not really be justified and continuing uncertainty about the unknown in the calculus of forex traders, they have embraced negative sentiment rather than focus on fundamentals. Not even the real interest rate differentials which are rather manageable could justify the sharp fall of the peso except the negative perception of the market,” Guinigundo said in a text message to reporters late Monday. On the other hand, Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno
told reporters on the sidelines of the Makati Business Club’s annual meeting Tuesday that he was not worried about the peso’s decline against the greenback, and was “comfortable” with the present forex level. “If you compare the depreciation of the peso relative to other currencies, it’s really not that bad. The weakening of the peso is the reflection of the strengthening of the dollar. And that is because of the possible [rate] adjustment of the Fed,” Diokno said. “Remember at one point, we hit 55:$1? And nothing happened to us,” he added. Also, Diokno noted that “the real winners here in the peso depreciation are overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) remittances, the families of OFWs and the exporters” who get more peso value for their dollars. “And, of course, the losers were those fond of imported goods,” Diokno pointed out. In a speech at the Philippine Investment Conference also on Tuesday, Monetary Board member Valentin A. Araneta said he thought that “rising interest rates in the US would be a good sign at this stage because it confirms that the world’s biggest economy and a major trading partner of the Philippines is robust and that by
raising the interest rates it means that the monetary authorities are confident of achieving their inflation targets.” “It also means increases in investment, output, revenues, employment and imports of goods and services from its trading partners. However, we know that adjustment shocks will have to be absorbed because of the huge amount of fickle portfolio capital sloshing around the global financial markets searching for yield, which will go back to the US markets if and when the interest rates there go up,” Valentin further explained. In the case of the Philippines, Valentin said the economy has displayed “strong fundamentals that position it well to weather stresses emanating from policy adjustments among its trading partners.” “The opportunities for growth and development are there beneath the noise. Look at the long term trend line amidst the diverging cyclical movements and even any black swan events. Secular growth as against the cyclical. Remember that we have enjoyed real growth even during the nadir of the great recession of 2008-2009,” Valentin noted. For the rest of the week, Me-
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Debt Relief Atty. LAwrence yAng CLIENT is a foreign company doing business with a California company since 2012. Client is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of a certain kind of equipment, which CA Company sells and distributes in the United States. Business was good reaching low-million dollar figures until - CA Company was sued; by a person whose relationship to the CA Company is not clear. But this plaintiff was able to get a judgment against the CA Company for $1.0M and proceeded to levy the bank accounts of the CA Company. The company appealed the judgment saying that the state court judgment was based on fake documents then filed a Chapter 11 case to shield itself from the judgment levy on its bank accounts so that it could continue operating. Client’s interest in the case is that client gave CA Company a credit line of $3.0M for trade financing of its shipments to the CA Company. When CA Company filed for Chapter 11, it owed client about $400K unpaid. Client continued to do business with CA Company despite it’s being on Chapter 11 and continued shipping it merchandise. The CA Company continued paying client until the trustee forced the conversion of
Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes THERE seems to be a misconception in the general public that you can only obtain a divorce in California if your spouse will sign the divorce papers. I get this question a lot from our family law clients. The fact is that California is a no fault state and you do not need your spouse’s signature in order to get a divorce. What is more important is being able to properly serve your spouse with the divorce petition and satisfy the jurisdictional requirement of the Court by showing that either you or your spouse resided in the State for at least 6 months prior to filing the petition and in the County for 3 months prior to filing the petition. When you file a divorce petition, you have to serve your spouse with the summons and petition. Your spouse then has 30 days to file a response after being served with a divorce petition. If your spouse fails to file and serve you with a response, you can file a request for default against your spouse after 30 days. You can also file a proposed judgment for the court to approve. The default procedure can be done even if there are issues of property division, custody, visitation, and support. However, the Court will still review your proposed
Community Journal
city’s famed fashion district. What is PoshFest? PoshFest is a fashion conference that brings together hundreds of stylish, entrepreneurial women for a weekend packed with inspirational speakers, educational panels and workshops, fun parties and networking opportunities. Attendees learn about fashion trends, success stories, and connect with peers. This year’s event kicks off with a State of the Posh Union from Poshmark’s CEO and founder, Manish Chandra, and a packed two-day agenda to inspire and educate women as they learn how to scale their businesses. Some sessions include: I Dream It, I Work Hard, I Grind ‘til I Own It: The Deets on Doubling Your Sales: Five successful Poshers spill all their secrets, outline their sales and marketing strategies and share what it takes to double sales on the platform. Data is the New Black: How to use data to inform business decisions and influence more sales. Trend Report LIVE: Live production of the company’s inhouse TV show, where women can discover and discuss current trends,brands and exclusive merchandising tips. Welcoming Brands to the Poshmark Community: A panel with brands currently on the platform, discussing the evolution
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Client files adversary against debtor for $370K Senior files chapter 7 to discharge $40K credit cards
the Chapter 11 case to Chapter 7. When the case was converted to Chapter 7, client was still owed $250K, and CA Company had not yet executed the transfer documents for a trademark that client had bought and paid for in the amount of $120K. So, we filed two claims against the Chapter 7 trustee. One claim was for $250K of unpaid merchandise, which we claimed was secured because there was a title retention agreement for unpaid merchandise, and a claim for ownership of the trademark, or $120K. A lot of litigation ensued between client and the Chapter 7 trustee, and the plaintiff who had a $1.0M judgment against the debtor. The Court eventually ruled in favor of client on the issue of the trademark ruling that since client had bought and paid for it, client owned the trademark. Trustee agreed to not challenge this, and considered it as a final disposition of that matter. So, the trustee transferred the trademark to client. However, the unpaid inventory is still at issue and the trial is next month. There are specific steps that a creditor can take to protect itself in bankruptcy. The first is to make sure that your claim is secured because secured creditors are treated differently from unsecured creditors. Secured creditors have priority over unsecured creditors in bankruptcy. If there is money left
in the bankruptcy estate, secured creditors get paid in full first; then, if there is money left, unsecured creditors share equally proportionately. The legal problem that normally surfaces a secured creditor is whether or not its claim is actually secured in the legal sense of the word. For instance, a mortgage that is signed by both parties but not recorded is not a secured debt. It is an unsecured debt. But if the mortgage is recorded, the mortgage becomes a secured debt. Even if there is a bankruptcy, the mortgage holder can ask permission from the Court to proceed with foreclosure on the property if the post-petition mortgage payments are not being made. So, in Chapter 13 if the post petition mortgage payment has not been made, the creditor can file a motion for relief from the automatic stay. This motion is normally heard in 30 days. If debtor does not pay the post petition default on or before the hearing date with certified funds, the Court will grant the relief motion and allow the creditor with State law foreclosure remedies. Next client is a 62. He still works as a radiology technician and makes about $70K a year. He is single and doesn’t own a house. He has several dependents: his sister and two nieces. He also sends money abroad to another sister who has a large
Can I obtain a divorce if my spouse refuses to sign? judgment and property division to make sure it conforms to the policy towards equal division of community property. Meaning, you have to propose a division of community property that is pretty much equal between the spouses. If your proposed property division is one sided such as distributing all community property to you and giving all the community debts to your spouse, the Court would probably not grant your judgment. The Court would probably set a hearing for you to explain why this is an equal division of community property. The only time you may need your spouse’s signature is if your spouse files a response to your divorce petition. This is called “contesting” the divorce. If your divorce is contested by your spouse, you can resolve the case either by “settlement” or by “trial.” However, you do not have to settle all the issues in the case at once. Under the concept of divisible divorce, you can settle some of the issues and set the other issues which you and your spouse cannot agree on for trial. Our office try to resolve cases through settlement because it is more cost effective and the parties are usually happier with the outcome. In that situation, the parties may avoid the cost and uncertainty of going to trial by executing what is called a stipulated judgment which is in essence an agreement as to all the issues in
the divorce case. For issues which you and your spouse cannot agree on, you will have to go through the litigation process which involves obtaining discovery, exchanging declarations of disclosures, and preparing the case for trial. Ultimately, you will obtain your divorce at trial in addition to adjudication of the distribution of community assets and debts amongst other issues. It is in the best interest of the party to retain the representation of competent counsel who will assert his or her rights under the family code. ***
of the fashion industry and the power of the Poshmark seller. PoshFest will also be the first debut of PoshMARKET, bringing the company’s innovative in-app Wholesale Marketplace to life where attendees can touch and feel select fashion brands that are currently selling through Poshmark’s massive network of social sellers. In addition, PoshFest will feature a fashion show with 15 brands available for wholesale purchase showcasing their designs on the runway. Reimagining the Retail Industry for Mobile to Power The Next Generation of Retailers Consumer shopping behavior has changed over the last several years, as shoppers increasingly opt for online platforms to discover and purchase fashion - creating a shift in retail, forcing companies to transition online. In order to recreate the personal connection of shopping that was lost in the shift towards e-commerce, Poshmark has prioritized social and commerce, to enable anyone to tap into the $500 billion U.S. fashion market and start a successful boutique from their mobile phone. Earlier this year, Poshmark launched its Wholesale Marketplace to connect brands directly to its highly engaged network of 1.5 million sellers. In addition, Poshmark launched Boutiques, a new way for shoppers to discover sellers stocking new merchan-
dise from indie brands in their boutiques. These new features have helped amplify sales for top sellers on the app, with some reaching six figures and garnering millions of followers. Combined, these innovations have fueled a new generation of retailers using their social influence to drive sales - curating over four million items daily, leading to a sale being made every few seconds on the app. “We have a massive, passionate community of users who are essentially rewriting the rules of the fashion industry,” said Poshmark founder and CEO Manish Chandra. “They are flocking to the platform en masse to grow as fashion entrepreneurs and we are continuing to support their growth by offering them more ways to be successful retailers - from innovations in social merchandising to new inventory sources. PoshFest is our biggest event of the year, where sellers can come together and connect with each other in person like they do in the app, helping one another realize and fulfill their fashion dreams.” Tickets to PoshFest are still available for sale at http://www. poshfest.poshmark.com. For more information about Poshmark, please visit www.poshmark.com and to download the Poshmark app for iOS and Android, visit the App Store or Google Play. n
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 has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@ gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. *** 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
Poshmark empowers the next…
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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 28-30, 2016
family because his brother in law does not work. In other words, client has a good heart and all his income is spent to care for his family. The choice now is there is a conflict between money that has to be sent to his sister abroad, or to pay for minimum payments on his $40K credit cards. He sends $1,200 a month to his sister abroad, while he also needs $1,200 a month to keep his $40K credit cards current. It’s hardly a choice is it? The right choice is to continue sending $1,200 a month to his sister with the large family because they have to continue having a roof over their heads and food to eat. Some of the money sent goes to the college education of his nieces and nephews, which is also good. On the other hand, $1,200 a month to keep $40K credit cards current is a luxury that client can no longer afford. He has paid it for at least ten years, which is a grand total of $144,000. $144K is more than enough to pay off $40K of credit cards, isn’t it? But that’s not how it works. After paying $144K for ten years, clients still owes the very same $40K of credit cards! It’s totally unfair. But who ever
as written by the 11 witnesses and their account of what happened is in the Bible! I mean, it’s just totally awesome and amazing. When Jesus resurrected He walked again among the living in Jerusalem and hundreds and thousands of people saw him again walking among them, when He already died! I mean, just think about it. It’s mind-boggling. Client decides to get a Chapter 7 discharge, then buy a house here after two years when his credit score is about 650. He’s still paying for a new car, so as long as he pays the car loan on time, his credit score should be over 600 by the second year. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” — John:14:6H *** 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 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite
Protecting your memories
by Andrew
PArAnAl, eSQ
COMEDIAN George Wallace was performing one night at the Flamingo Las Vegas when he approached an elderly lady in the audience. She stood up and he asked her a simple question, “Who are you here with tonight?” Perhaps it was the pressure of being in the spotlight (although she seemed to be enjoying herself), but her response was completely unintelligible. George Wallace laughed, placed his arm around her shoulder, and with a big smile said to her, “Just how long has it been since you lost your mind?” The lady playfully hit him, but the audience burst out in laughter. But, for the estimated 5 million families in America affected by Alzheimer’s Disease, losing one’s mind is not so funny. Many people find it hard to take the first steps toward diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. It is important to know that while there is no current cure for Alzheimer’s, life will not stop with the diagnosis. There are treatments and services that can make life better for everyone living with Alzheimer’s. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, a timely diagnosis will provide the following: 1. A helpful framework for understanding symptoms. Knowledge is power. Knowing that memory loss, confusion, difficulty with speaking and writing, and other symptoms are due to a brain disorder can aid in accepting these experiences when they happen and make them seem less mysterious and frightening. You can’t find the resources you need until you know what the problem is. 2. An opportunity to build the right medical team. Your health professionals will be a key resource in your life with Alzheimer’s. Early diagnosis will enable you to participate in choosing a medical team that is a good fit for you, with the right skills to treat your Alzheimer’s disease as well as any other health conditions you may have. 3. Access to existing medications. Several drugs are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically to treat Alzheimer symptoms. 4. An opportunity to participate in studies of experimen-
Andrew Paranal, ESQ
tal drugs or other treatments. More than 200 clinical studies are currently testing next-generation drugs, new approaches to care and support, and better strategies for diagnosis. Many of these studies seek to enroll participants in the earliest stages of the disease. If you are interested in getting involved in research, early diagnosis will maximize your chances of finding a study that might be right for you. 5. Access to programs and services. Your local Alzheimer’s Association, medical centers, area agencies on aging and other community organizations offer a wealth of information, care and support services for everyone living with Alzheimer’s. 6. Enhanced safety and security. Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia can affect a person’s ability to remember to take medications on schedule; to use household appliances; to drive a car or use public transportation; and numerous other day-to-day skills. Individuals may also become more vulnerable to telemarketers or financial scams. A diagnosis alerts those living with Alzheimer’s to watch for signs that additional coping strategies or assistance are needed to ensure safety. 7. An opportunity to plan for the future. Medical, financial and legal needs will change. At some point you may need to make different living arrangements. Early diagnosis enables you to think about your preferences on these important issues and communicate your wishes to family and friends, your medical team and your legal advisors. Talk to your doctor about
what treatment may be right for you or the person in your care. A medication’s effectiveness, and the side effects it may cause can vary from one person to the next. For one individual, one drug may be more effective but have greater side effects. For another person, the same drug may be less effective but have no side effects. Ask the doctor the following questions when you discuss any treatments. They will not address all treatment needs, but the answers to these questions will help you understand the options and make informed decisions. 1. What kind of assessment will you use to determine if the drug is effective? 2. How much time will pass before you will be able to assess the drug’s effectiveness? 3. How will you monitor for possible side effects? 4. What effects should we watch for at home? 5. When should we call you? 6. Is one treatment option more likely than another to interfere with medications for other conditions? 7. What are the concerns with stopping one drug treatment and beginning another? 8. At what stage of the disease would you consider it appropriate to stop using the drug? The routine test that physicians give to people they suspect may have Alzheimer’s disease is called the “SLUMS” examination. It’s a remarkably simple test and is given in its entirety below. Perhaps over the holidays, you can test your spouse or parent. In the event you or someone you know fails to pass, it may be time to go see your healthcare professional! *** Elder Law Services of California is proud to announce that attorney Andrew Paranal has joined its trust department. Mr. Paranal began his career in estate planning in 2013 and has since expanded into asset protection and Medi-Cal planning. He became interested in Elder Law after helping care for a family member who experienced a debilitating event. Mr. Paranal is excited to join an established law firm and hopes to educate his Filipino community about the tremendous benefits of proper estate planning.
PH foreign policy risks ties with…
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must defend the country’s fundamental interests. These include the security and integrity of our territory, the health of our economy and the protection of Filipino citizens abroad. Second, it must seek to achieve its goals while espousing national and universal values, such as upholding our commitments and complying with or enforcing international law. Third and important for a less developed country, it must strive for all of the above in the most efficient or least costly manner,” according to Manhit. He said in light of the three principles, independence alone is not sufficient for a sound foreign policy. Manhit surmised that the government’s 10-point economic agenda may be put at risk, given hiking rates this month and re- continue to intervene on top, but the current policy. PAGE B2 t trobank Research sees the peso leasing a dovish dot plot. Some it is yet to be seen if they will be “An unwelcoming atmosphere trading within the 47-48.5:$1 exhaustion is beginning to sur- firm at the current year’s high of in the Philippines could easily range, “with the BSP present to face however, as US dollar-peso 48:$1. Corporate demand is ex- dampen the country’s economsmoothen volatility.” pair has been stalling ahead of pected to continue this week,” ic relationships. In the United “The peso continues to un- 48:$1, with the offshore premium Metrobank Research said in a States, as elsewhere, private inderperform despite the Fed not dwindling as well. Agent banks note to clients. n vestors have reportedly grown
Peso slightly recovers but remains…
said that the world has to be fair? Instead of paying for credit cards, client could have bought a house instead, here or abroad so that the house can be used as a family home for his relatives. Client wants to continue working until forever. I can understand that. As long as one is healthy, one will feel the same even in the sixties, one still feels young. It’s all in the mind. I started counting backwards a long time ago. Truth be told, I don’t feel a day over 28 but that was a long time ago, yet it feels like that was only yesterday. So this is life. We are only here temporarily and only for a short period of time. To live for eternity in paradise, we have to believe in Jesus Christ who said that “I am the way, the truth and the light; No one gets to the Father, except through me.” That’s pretty simple and clear, isn’t it? If you don’t believe that the Bible is the word of God, consider this: It was written by 11 apostle of Jesus Christ who witnessed his death and resurrection from the dead.” Jesus said He would die for us, then He would resurrect on the third day, and that’s exactly what He did 2000 years ago
skittish about the Philippines’ prospects. The US economy is the Philippines’ largest source of private investment and second-largest export market after Japan,” he explained. “Unfortunately, in President Duterte’s case, the term ‘independent’ appears to be shorthand for pushing the United States away and pulling China closer. Although his spokesmen and secretaries would issue follow-up statements to clarify the President’s meaning, these do little to mask his sentiments on Philippines-US relationship,” Manhit said. The ADRi president said the country can pursue its independence without squandering its hard-earned, advantageous relationships with other countries. “The government’s new stance must be calibrated to ensure that it does not compromise the administration’s tenpoint plan and the Philippines’ overall economic security,” the think tank said. It added that the government’s warming up to China signals a
quick break from the US, which is unfortunate. “It is one thing for the administration to downplay the arbitral tribunal’s favorable ruling, out of a fear of possible retribution. It is another thing entirely to halt patrols with the United States and limit them to a minimal 12 nautical mile distance, far less than the full 200 nautical mile spread of the country’s exclusive economic zone,” ADRi said. “By taking such drastic steps, the administration gives the impression of swinging wildly and insincerely instead of taking smaller, but more meaningful steps toward friendly relations,” it added. Manhit said being careful with pronouncements and calibrating them with government actions will send a more meaningful signal not only to China, but also to all of the Philippines’ international partners. “Such care will help the President and his team achieve the Philippines’ foreign policy objectives,” he noted. n
B SEPTEMBER 28-30, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Part 2 of 2 parts)
LET’S do a reality check. So okay, your partner is the consummate slob and you have to pick up after him. He thinks he has a maid living with him for free. He has this maddening habit of not putting the toothpaste cap back on. That’s easy. Get one with a cap that snaps back on. The point is to find a way to work around an annoyance or when all else fails, accept the tiny irritations. With time and patience, things get easier. As you get older and hopefully, wiser, your eyes dim and your hearing goes for a reason. You become less critical as you see the bigger picture more clearly and the end game is within sight. You become aware of your own mortality. The point is that you can choose to look through the lens of kindness and forgiveness and instead see if he still has those itty bitty, wonderful things about him that attracted you to him in the first place. His sense of humor maybe or the way he still makes you laugh… Love is a two-way street. Note how you behave towards him. How do you look to him? Do you take the time and the effort to look va-va-voom and give him that look that can make his heartbeat race just a tad? Or did you let yourself go, letting gravity and the ravages of time run rough shod over your physical appearance? Put up a fight. There’s help out there. Or do you nag him to death for every little thing? Do you make him feel small with your smartass barbs? Or does he feel he can soar like an eagle when you are around him? Don’t buy into the modern concept of the throwaway or trade-up society that seems to imply you can change partners every five years or so. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. It may work for cars and appliances but falls flat for human relationships. Fix what can yet be fixed. Nurture what can grow into something beautiful. Eat humble pie, if you have to. There is no shame if you truly love. Ask a Higher Power to help you keep things whole. When you value your partner
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“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.”
— Jean Baptiste Massieu
and are mindful of him or her, it shows that you are grateful for his part in your life and that you are interested in going the distance and making the relationship work maybe even till life beyond death. Taking your husband, wife or partner for granted is the biggest cause of so many divorces these days. If alarming numbers are to be believed, half the population already live in Splitsville. There is a disproportionate number of single moms and single dads worldwide struggling with severely diminished finances and dealing with courtappointed visits. They juggle schedules, shuttling children in two locations and in cases of bitter, acrimonious divorces, compete for their children’s affections while complicating things further by starting up new relationships. All these are piled on top of broken, disappointed, cynical lives. They are left to deal with what I call the BIG D’s – the doldrums of doubt, darkness, disease, depression, desperation, dejection, disappointment, discouragement and disillusionment. You just wish you can DELETE all these ugly D’s from your life. Some go to the deep end. Sadly, tragically some of these cases end in death. Love has died. Nothing matters. Yet love, according to the “Desiderata” is as perennial as the grass. While there is life, hope springs eternal. Those who are not put off by a disastrous relationship think that the “right one” is just around the corner. Perhaps. But if they do not learn from their previous mistakes, they are doomed to repeat them. There’s that D again. They will cycle in and out of one disastrous relationship after the other. Single parenthood is no cakewalk in most cases. Ask around. Do not believe the distortion of truth in movies spun by Hollywood or this trend of celebrities adopting babies and the media glamorizing the lives of single parents. That is one tall tale of an ego on overdrive. There is no romantic or comedic element in going it alone. Single parenthood is more like the Theater of the Absurd. The honest truth:
there is little glamour or fun in single parenthood – in far too many cases, just an endless, harrowing tale of one struggle after the next. There are exceptions of course. Unless you made a foolish or tragic fatal choice or fate played a dirty trick on you and you ended up meeting and marrying the partner from hell. He or she could be a sociopath, a psychopath, a criminal, a user, a liar, a pervert, a druggie, a murderer, a serial philanderer or just unfit to live in this planet with another human being. Perhaps, the best way to happiness would be to love, appreciate and say “thank you” to the one you’re with every single day of your life together. And while you’re at it, blow a kiss to the heavens for making you a winner in the love lottery stakes sending you someone you love or can learn to love AND (THE BLESSING of all blessings) who loves you back! Love is not a 50-50 proposition. It’s not even giving 110% of yourself to the other. It sounds sentimental, sappy and old fashioned but whether you like it or not, it is giving of yourself without counting the cost. It is the pure, intrinsic nature of life’s greatest mystery - LOVE. Those couples buried six feet deep, side by side at Forest Lawn probably understood what love and devotion meant. Their souls may have fused. Their hearts in the life beyond beat as one. That is one story you can believe in. (Or if you’re in for a laugh and have a sly, dry, wicked sense of humor, you might say those savvy couples probably got a twofer from the cemetery plot sales rep! LOL ;) How to find THE ONE if you’re on the hunt? Or how can you make THE ONE realize that you’re THE ONE for him or her without beating him or her over the head? That is one story for yet another day. ***
Arlene Al-os, CPA, MBA NONRESIDENT Alien NRA tax withholding is applicable to U.S sourced income paid to foreign person and does not apply to payments made to U.S. persons. Foreign persons includes nonresident alien individual, foreign partnerships, foreign corporations, foreign estates, and foreign trusts. The tax generally must be withheld from the payment made to the foreign persons. If you are a withholding agent, you are responsible for withholding tax on payments made to a foreign person and is generally personally liable for any tax required to be withheld and is subject to penalties and interest for failure to withhold. What You Need to Know: • NRA withholding generally requires 30% withholding on payment of US sources income. • Income is subject to withholding if it is fixed or determinable annual or periodical (FDAP) income. These are: interest, alimony, dividends, royalties, pen-
Foreign person NRA tax withholding sions and annuities, original issue discount, and compensation for personal services. • Requires filing of Form 1042S to report payments subject to NRA withholding and file a tax return on Form 1042. • Payments to all foreign persons, including nonresident aliens, foreign entities and governments, could be subject to NRA withholding. • When to withhold: At the time you make payment to amount subject to withholding. • U.S. tax identification number TIN is generally requested from the payee by the withholding agent. • TIN can be: SSN, SS-5, ITIN, EIN. • Foreign person provides the withholding agent Form W-8 to claim for treaty benefits. • Form 1042-S information return reporting must be filed by every withholding agent to report payments to foreign persons for U.S source income even if there is no tax withheld or is exempt from tax under U.S. tax treaty. • A separate Form 1042-S is required for each type of income
that was paid to the foreign person but only one Form 1042 has to be filed consolidating all Form 1042-S recipient information. • The Forms 1042 and 1042-S must be filed by March 15 of the year following the calendar year in which the income subject to reporting was paid. • Form 1042 is a calendar year tax return. • If Form 1042-S is filed on paper it must be filed with Form 1042-T for transmitting purposes. • Where to file: All forms are filed with the IRS Center in Ogden Service Center, P.O. Box 409101, Ogden Utah 84409. In accordance with IRS Circular 230, this communication is not to be considered a “covered opinion” or other written tax advice and should not be relied upon for IRS audit, tax dispute, or any other purpose. *** Sy Al-os Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and ta x s e r v i ce s to i n d i v i d u a l s, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by
Vilma Posadas music studio presents 2016 Concert of Champions
AZUSA, CALIFORNIA, — A select group of budding young artists under the tutelage of the internationally renowned pianist and musical artist Vilma C. Posadas will showcase their talents in this year’s 2016 Concert of Champions on Sunday, October 2, 2016 at 2:30 pm (doors open at 2:00 pm) at the Munson Chapel, Azusa Pacific University, 901 East Alosta Ave., Azusa, CA 91702. The concert, to be emceed by Danny Fernandez, will be graced by distinguished guests and elected city officials from the City of Walnut among them, Mayor Pro Tem Mary Su and Former Mayor Tony Cartagena. Vilma has taught piano and organ champions of all ages who year after year have won various competitions nationwide. The 2016 CONCERT OF CHAMPINota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya ONS will showcase the musical is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, talents of twenty keyboard wizInc. To send comments, e-mail ards ages ranging from seven to monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc. adolescent years: Victoria Argucom do, Kenneth Dalan, Dario Rome-
ro, Jonathan Phan, Naomi Phan, Madison Bennett, Joshua Bennett, Andrea Florendo, Patrick Florendo, Raechel Dalan, Riley Dalan, Ryan Dalan, Karla Crelencia, Pauline Crelencia, Katherine Villacorta, Ethan Tungpalan, Chrizelle Tungpalan, William Go, Matthew Go, and Jamie Santos. Together they will present a concert with a repertoire that spans a wide range of music from light classics, jazz and contemporary music. In addition to these performances, there will be a special
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number by the consummate artist herself, Vilma C. Posadas. For more information please contact, Vilma Posadas Music Studio at (626) 715-5568 or visit our Facebook calendar at https://www.facebook.com/ events/313434295675388/ Vilma C. Posadas and 11 of her 20 featured artists in the 2016 Concert of Champions, posed for a group picture held during a previous concert at the Munson Chapel, Azusa Pacific University. n
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PeoPle & events
Filipino USPS retirees in Los Angeles celebrate 3rd anniversary reunion
IT is hard to believe it was the 3rd anniversary reunion for Filipino USPS retirees last September 17 in Chino Hills, California. Hosted by Romy and Tess Vidal, the group for retirees feels like a family. The number of retirees is increasing each year. It was such a great day to see their “former co-workers” again since 2013. They promised that they will
continue to share their usual fun and laughter for as long as their health allows them to. They all wanted to preserve their personal remembrances, reaections and appreciation for being a postal retiree in a historical context. It was wonderful to listen to the stories of what they remembered in their years of working as postal employees. Some stories
were ones that had never been told and perhaps there were a few that never should have been told, but it was all great fun. Led by Lito Borge with solid support from Romy Vidal, Tony Antonio, Tony Fajardo, Jaime Movida, Bayani Africa, Thomas de Jesus and Jesse Romero. They feel pleased and are excited to see more retirees in the coming years. n
“The Lovely Ladies” (L-R) Jessie Yoro, Susan Andrade, Tieda Daniels, Nerry Gloria, Digna Martinez, “Jaycee”, Esther Acosta, Gie Antonio, Elizabeth Regadio, Tess Vidal’s mommy Aurora, Tess Vidal and Mhabel Borge
(Sitting) Jun Santos, Faustino Caigoy, Ding Maragay, Blas Rivera, Renee Lamberte, Ed Arao, Ed Agcaoili, Romy Oriel, Romy Vidal, Domy Bautista, Lito Borge, Jesse Romero and (kneeling) Ed Acosta, Larry Geronca, Jim Cardona, Lito Regadio.
(Second row, L-R) Ed Agcaoili, Ding Maragay, Ed Acosta, Lito Borge, Jun Santos, Faustino Caigoy, Jaime Movida, Jesse Romero, Bayani Africa, Domy Bautista, Tony Antonio, Ed Arao, Rene Castillo, Blas Rivera, Romy Gloria, Romy Oriel, Tony Fajardo. (front, row, L-R) Larry Geronca, Thomas de Jesus, Romy’s granddaughter Jaycee, Esther Acosta, Digna Martinez, Tieda Darby, Susan Andrade, Jim Cardona, Lito Regadio, our host Romy Vidal. Not in picture : Angel Kilongen , Renee Lamberte and Joe Santos.
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 28-30, 2016
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B SEPTEMBER 28-30, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 28, 2016
ALOYSIUS | DELA EVA | KENNETH BARLIS
Different Journeys, Same Destination by Christina M. Oriel / AJPress
JuST like that, New York City Fashion Week is over. Along with it, the many side events, performances and shows that celebrate the city as one of the world’s top fashion destinations. And for every aspiring and emerging designer, there is that
Joseph Aloysius Montelibano
dream to stage a show during NYFW. Three Filipino designers from a diverse background found themselves in New York last week to celebrate their collections and showcase to the world their talent. Here are their stories. Calado: From Batangas to New York Aloysius, an accessible Filipino luxury brand, showcased the ‘calado’ lace through a runway presentation at the Philippine Consulate General in time for the recently-concluded New York Fashion Week. Calado is the almost-lost art of hand embroidery technique that is centuries-old and prac-
Joseph Montelibano focused his recent collection on the piña fabric with calado lace embroidery.
ticed usually in rural towns. The fabric of choice is the pina or the delicate hand-woven pineapple fiber. The designer behind Aloysius, Joseph Montelibano, got his inspiration for his S/S 2017 collection by the romanticized era of the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal. The 20-piece collection highlighted artisanal pieces of separates, cocktail dresses and ethereal evening and wedding gowns. With timeless silhouettes and rich yet refined embellishments, the Aloysius collection can best be described as simple and elegant. It is in the simplicity and cleanliness of the designs that get highlighted with fabric
AJPress Photo by Momar G. Visaya
like pina. “I’m so happy and relieved,” Joseph exclaimed moments after the show. “I’m so grateful to everyone that showed up and I am just so overwhelmed right now.” With a background in fabric, Joseph said he makes sure that he gets to have fun with it without sacrificing the tradition and the heritage. From the beadwork to the hand embroidery to making sure that the different characters of the pina fabric are shown – Joseph went into the minutest details as he prepared for the collection. “It’s a great fabric but it is sad that the calado embroidery is dying so this is the perfect moment for me to do this,” Joseph told the Asian Journal. Calado lace embroidery is a dying art form in the native heritage town of Taal, Batangas in the Philippines. Aloysius has taken the initiative to revive and reinvigorate it by raising funds to include calado hand embroidery elective subjects in public schools nationwide and produce workshops for private sectors worldwide. It was happenstance. Joseph was looking for a material that he could sink his teeth into and someone suggested that he look at Taal, Batangas. “Last year, I did Tinalak. This year, I wanted to do something different. I wanted it to be appealing and streamlined like New Yorkers. So I went to Taal and immersed with the hand embroiderers and the inspiration and artistic vision just flowed,” he shared. “My vision about Dr. Jose Rizal and the calado embroidery just clicked and I said, that’s what I was going to do.” The same collection will also be showcased at the upcoming
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Ninja Evangelista
International Bridal Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Asked about his dream for this collection, the designer paused and gave a thoughtful remark. “I wish that other design-
AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya
ers around the world would pick this up and consider this fabric. That is the whole thrust of this collection. It’s not just about me as a designer,” he said. Continued on Page 3
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Different Journeys...
From Page 2
Ninja: Born in Vienna, now London-based Folks, meet 31-year-old Ninja (pronounced in Vienna as Nina) Evangelista, an emerging Filipina accessories designer in London. Born to Filipino parents in Vienna, Ninja grew up in Austria but for the past six years, she has been calling London home. A passionate traveller, Ninja gets her inspiration from the places she visits and people she meets along the way. She is also inspired by art and architecture, along with the every day scenery she gets to experience in every country she gets to visit. Ninja has designed different bags for ladies, some they can use during the day and some during the evening. Her bags she said are the perfect accompaniment to every woman, whether she is out working or on a date or travelling the world. “It is a huge honor for us to be invited here. They only asked twelve emerging designers from all over the world to showcase here,” Ninja said. “New York is huge and I’ve always been inspired by the city’s people, culture and art, everything.” “New York women are always fashionable so I’d like them to take a look at our pieces and hopefully, something catches
their eye,” she remarked. Ninja’s brand Dela Eva is now one year old. Dela is from her mother’s last name Dela Cruz and Eva is from her father’s last name Evangelista. Both her parents come from the province of Bulacan and they moved to Austria more than 30 years ago. They now call New Jersey home. Working at an airline afforded her to travel the world at such a young age and once she felt she has gained enough experience, she decided to focus on what she really wanted: to become a designer. “Somehow I had always known that I’d be in fashion, I didn’t know then how but through the years, the dream began to take shape,” she said. Ninja’s bags can be considered as conversation pieces, and to say that her bags are not ordinary would be an understatement. Each one of her bags is unique in terms of design and there’s always a special detail added to it. Like the Pursa line with the bucket-bags’ unique opening and shape, or the handbags with loops on their handles. In fact, it has become a signature Dela Eva look – that combination of handbag or any of her accessories with an element of women’s wear. She has a belt that can be worn and it
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The Asian Journal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 28, 2016
Kenneth Barlis
would like there is an attached flowing skirt, or a veil, similar to what Filipino women wear when they go to church decades ago. And since inspiration comes wherever she is, Ninja makes sure that she has her sketchbook ready. She admits she already has the design in her head and sometimes it’s just a matter of putting those ideas into paper. “I am proud to say that we are totally hand-made in the United Kingdom and Italy,” Ninja said. “We work with highlytrained artisans in Milano and London, using materials from Paris, Vienna, Milan and I’m trying to get some materials from the Philippines as well like silk and lace.” Kenneth Barlis: From Zamboanga to USA The Art Hearts Fashion show at the recently concluded New York Fashion Week has become a leading platform for designers and artists to showcase their collections in a contemporary fashion week setting. This year, Kenneth Barlis, a 27-year-old Filipino-American designer from San Diego made his debut in New York. “Parang nangangapa pa ako in the beginning because I haven’t done anything in New York yet pero I just treated it like my other shows. It was a great experience. Every designer wants to showcase at New York Fashion Week,” Barlis said. Barlis brought his collection, which he said had a fairy tale base. It’s a little like his own story and how he got his designs on the runway. He said that in every show, he wants to tell a story. That night,
Photos courtesy of Kenneth Barlis
it was his story, his family’s story, that he wanted to share. “There’s a lot of colors, textures and patterns in my collections,” he said, sharing that as a Biology major in college, he was fascinated by the shapes and designs of things like bacteria. As a designer, he successfully translates these abstractions into eye-catching and visually appealing designs. While he used to do a lot of “unwearable” pieces or what he jokingly called “couture-couture-an” Kenneth decided to focus this collection on wearable pieces. By translating the couture into a wearable version, Kenneth said he prioritized the texture, details and cuts as he made sure girls and women can wear what he designed. “Being a young designer, I am taking that risk of telling my story to the people and showing my uniqueness as a Filipino,” he shared. Growing up in Mindanao, particularly in Zamboanga where there is a lot of Muslim influence, Kenneth grew up looking at bold colors and patterns. He moved to the United States when he was 14 years old. “Every season for me brings lessons and every show is dif-
ferent. What taught me to go the next level is to just continue doing what I do but learning in a way how to adjust to the audience and make my pieces more relatable to them,” Kenneth said. Kenneth’s S/S 2017 40-piece collection is a family affair for him since his family came out to support him all throughout the collection – from concept to execution, all of which took almost four months.
The people behind Art Hearts Fashion have been inviting Kenneth for the past two to three years to join them and back then, he felt that he wasn’t ready yet. “I didn’t want to say yes immediately even if I thought I wasn’t ready. The opportunity was there but I didn’t want to ruin it. Nagpahinog muna ako a little bit to develop myself more as a designer,” he shared. “This year, I knew I was ready.”
‘Ballad King’ Martin Nievera & ‘Siren of the Las Vegas Strip’ Lani Misalucha in a special ‘Masquerade’ Robina Padilla feels like a first time dad Halloween concert only at Pechanga Resort & Casino 4
features
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 28, 2016
by chRistina
aLpad ManilaTimes.net
oVeR the weekend, a photo of a smiling Robin Padilla and his wife Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla inside the ninoy Aquino International Airport greeted his half-a-million followers on Instagram. It was the day husband and wife carefully planned for and agreed upon. The day Rodriguez—who has had a couple of miscarriages since they wed in 2010, and now a delicate pregnancy—would fly to the US to be with her own family to give birth. It will be remembered that when the Padillas announced the gender of their baby early this month, they also revealed they decided on a US birth to
and operatic arias. A once in a Together, nievera and lifetime tandem of Misalucha will provide a primed talents-- famous blockbuster performance multi-awarded King of that is expected to delight ballad Martin nievera, patrons and guests at the and the ‘Siren of the Las famed Pechanga Resort & Vegas Strip’ Lani Miscasino in Temecula, califoralucha, will perform in a nia. Tickets are now on sale live concert at Pechanga from $125, $100, $78 and Resort & casino Theater $58 for an 8p.m. and 6p.m. on october 29 and 30. show time, and may be purMartin nievera chased at the Pechanga Box bagged ‘The Box office office, 877-711-2WIn (2946) entertainment Awards’ or www.Pechanga.com. ‘All for our baby girl,’ writes Mariel Rodriguez Padilla on her Instagram posts—her last photo, for now, for Best Male concert with husband Robin. Photo from instagram.com/marielTpadilla Performer of the Year Pechanga Resort & Casino on April 17, 2016, by ensure that advance technology side his US citizen wife when Pechanga Resort & their long awaited bundle of joy GMMSF, Inc. For 33 is readily available in case anycasino offers one of the years now, nievera finally arrives. thing untoward were to happen largest and most expansive resort/casino experi“I am still waiting for the ap- has been delighting his audience with not only to mother and daughter. ences anywhere in the United States. Voted the original Pinoy Music (oPM) but has interpreted proval of my visa,” he acknowlThe only catch in this setup number one casino in America by readers of numerous songs made famous by internationis that Padilla may not be beContinued on Page 5 USA ToDAY and rated a Four Diamond property ally-renowned singers. In late August, nievera by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort & casino launched a new album-- “ The Best of Martin provides an unparalleled getaway. offering more nievera---- Kahapon.... ngayon “ by Polyeast than 3,400 of the hottest slots, table games, recording. A Filipino singer, songwriter and acside was insisting on a DnA test world-class entertainment, 517 hotel rooms, tor, nievera garnered 18 platinum, five double to bring out the truth…and nothdining, spa and championship golf at Journey at platinum, three triple platinum and 1 quadruple ing but. “Time has vindicated Pechanga, Pechanga Resort & casino features a platinum albums in his entire career. Albie,” added Rina. destination that meets and exceeds the needs of nievera will sing back to back with ‘Asia’s To be fair, The Star texted Jaits guests and the community. Pechanga Resort & nightingale’ herself, Lani Misalucha, the first clyn for comment. no comment. casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Asian to headline a main showroom of the Las And neither did Andi say a word. Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, Vegas strip performing with Hawaii’s Society of Laarni also didn’t answer text call toll free 1-888-PecHAnGA or visit www. Seven at the Jubilee Theater of Bally’s. Misalucha messages. Same with Jake (now Pechanga.com. is a multi-faceted artist, whose rendition of songs in Singapore) who is smarting varies from pop, rock, jazz, soul rhythm and blues (Advertising Supplement) from a recent media war with Andi who dismissed him as a President Rodrigo Duterte signed Implementing Rules and Regulation of the Centenarians Act of 2016 at Albie Casiño non-talent (ouch!). the Malacañang Palace on Monday, Sept. 27. The Centenarian Act honors Filipinos who have reached 100 years old with a centenarian gift of Php100,000 and a letter of felicitation from the president. Asuncion Actually, as early as last But we have remained friends. Domingo Sadangsal (inset), one of the centenarians invited the president, will be 103 this coming March in an exclusive interview We have common friends. our November. with The Star before he went friends from way back are still back to Singapore, Jake kind of our friends now. What Andi and indirectly spilled the beans. I have in common is the love for Here’s part of that interview: traveling. The last time we travNow, to the crucial queseled was recently…to cebu.” tion: Are you the father of Are you a ninong of Andi’s Andi’s daughter? daughter? “Let’s put it this way…Since “no, I’m not.” Andi got pregnant, I have been Can she cry on your shoulsupportive of her. We have der? known each other since we were “If she wants to, why not?” in diapers because my mom is How do you treat Andi’s a good friend of her mom. May daughter? photos kami na naka-diaper “I treat her like my daughkami. I was in London when her ter.” daughter was born.” No need to read between Did you and Andi go the lines, right? steady? P.S. Had either Jake or Andi “Yes. Four to five years. told the truth, no issue could We broke up two years ago. have exploded.
Did Albie Casiño dodge a bullet? by Ricky Lo Philstar.com
DID Max eigenmann make a Freudian slip when she revealed on Good Times With Mo Twister last Thursday, Sept. 22 that…yes, indeed!...Jake ejercito is the biological father of ellie, the four-year-old daughter of Max’s half-sister Andi eigenmann? “Yes,” Max stressed to host Mo Twister, “he is the biological father. They did a test. Yeah, he’s the dad. They’re co-parenting. That’s why he always posts photos of my niece.” Thanks to Max for settling the nagging issue that has dented Albie’s budding career (but, thank heavens, he has successfully bounced back), caused a rift between Andi’s mom Jaclyn Jose and Jake’s mom Laarni enriquez (they used to be close friends), and hounded Jake all the way to Singapore where he’s taking his M.A. in Marketing. “Thank you!” was all that Albie posted on his Instagram. Asked by The Star for comment, Albie simply replied, “Relieved!” In a phone interview, Albie’s mom Rina admitted, “We knew about that all along but we kept silent.” That must be why Albie’s
Heart Evangelista takes her time by Tessa
Mauricioa-arriola ManilaTimes.net
AS multi-hyphenate Heart Evangelista renewed her contract with GMA Network at the beginning of the week, she was unable to avoid questions as to when she and husband Senator Chiz Escudero plan to have a baby. Since marrying the 46-yearold legislator in February 2015, Evangelista, 35, has gone full throttle in establishing a second career as Love Marie Ongpauco, the painter, with three sold-out one-woman shows to date, and a number of highly successful artistic collaborations in fashion and makeup. Through all these, she also managed to keep up her showbiz career as “Philippine TV’s Sweetheart” and completed two prime time series in the past year and a half via “Beautiful Strangers,” co-starring Lovi Poe), and the recently concluded “Juan Happy Love Story,” with Dennis Trillo. “We want to have a baby,” she said during an intimate roundtable with Entertainment editors on September 19, “but Chiz knows I’m a workaholic!” the ever candid celebrity laughed. “We’re moving into a new home by December—a house I’ve been building as my dream house—and there is a special
Heart Evangelista and Chiz Escudero
room there that will be for our baby,” she confirmed. That morning, however, according to Evangelista, she asked her husband as it hit her, “What if GMA gives me a new soap after I renew my contract today?” Thankfully, the “very mature” senator apparently took the possibility calmly, and simply said, “Then you work on your soap.” “He’s just so uncomplicated that way, but I also know he’s eager to start our family, so I’ll just have to say at this point, whichever comes first. Maybe in January or February, a baby or a soap, and we’ll take it from there.” Evangelista went on to say that much as she seems more
focused on her painting these days, she has come to value her showbiz career all the more for a couple of reasons. The first is based on practicality since working on a prime time series for a full television season allows her to devote her time to painting for the rest of the year financially. Secondly, acting gives her “a break from being me.” “On TV, I can be whoever I want to be so going to the set pretty much feels like a day off for me,” she explained. “I love to paint and I am going to explore even the business side of it all the more in the coming year, but I really can’t imagine myself not doing a telenovela at least once a year.” Gathering her thoughts she said of her diverse commitments, “I just love everything that I’m doing, and one project inspires me to do the next— whether it’s a new show for GMA or another exhibit. And really, even if it seems I hardly get any rest, I don’t feel tired at all. Like I said, I’m just super inspired.” Busyness indeed becomes Heart Evangelista, as she grows more beautiful with each new surprise she pulls from her talented sleeve. But what more if her next baby is neither for TV nor the canvas? No pressure, but what a sight that would probably be.
Robina Padilla feels like a first... From Page 4
edged. Life imitating art, Padilla’s situation is almost straight out of his 2005 movie La Visa Loca, where he played a taxi driver desperate for a US visa but unfortunately denied all the time. In reality, one of the most popular and successful actors in the business is unusually uncertain of obtaining visas to other countries because of his conviction for the possession of illegal firearms in 1994. Stripped of his civil rights, he has had to undergo lengthier and more complicated procedures when applying for travel permits, since his release from prison in 1998.
“I hope the friendly people of the US Embassy can hear me now. Mabait po ako, kita nyo lapis ang dala ko [I’m a good person, and I only have a pencil in my possession],” he teased with a chuckle. Should he be granted the visa in time for his wife’s delivery, Padilla said they might stay a couple of months in that country until their baby is strong enough for a long haul flight. Asked what other plans he has for his mother and child post birth. “I have so many plans for her [their daughter Isabella]. I missed my chance to really be with my other children but
this time, I will make sure that I’ll be there for my daughter all the way,” Padilla excitedly shared. His absence during the formative years of his children with ex-wife Liezl Sicangco, coupled with being witness to Rodriguez’ difficult pregnancy led the soon-to-be-dad again appreciate his former partner’s parenting efforts. As Padilla tries to prepare himself for the eventuality that he may not be able to be with his wife for the birth of Isabella—and two more months or so afterward—he is planning to devote his time on a meaning diversion via his advocacies.
features 5 Featured FPAC25 vendor: The Ensaymada Project The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 28, 2016
THE upcoming 25th anniversary of the Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture (FPAC) expected to be one of the highlight events of the Filipino community in Southern California. Filipinos look forward to FPAC’s cultural offerings and entertaining shows, which encapsulates the Filipino-American way of life. Regarded by many as the biggest Filipino cultural party in Los Angeles and SoCal, “FPAC25: Samu’t Sari Showcasing the Diverse Creative Tapestry of the FilAm Community” will take place on Saturday, Oct. 8 , at the Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles. Admission is FREE. The theme expresses diversity in terms of the Fil-Am artists’ contributions to the creative tapestry of Los Angeles. Aside from the art shows and performances, festivalgoers are also excited for the gastronomic fare that FPAC has to offer. And this year, one of the featured food vendors is The Ensaymada Project. Ensaymada is one of the most popular Filipino pastries found in almost any Pinoy bakeshop. It is a fluffy briochelike treat usually garnished with grated cheese, butter and sugar on top. The Ensaymada Project takes it one step further by
perfecting the craft and making the artisanal ensayamadas deliciously different. FilAm Arts social media guru Nicole Arca recently caught up with The Ensaymada Project’s founder and owner Chari Heredia-Reyes at the recently-concluded Smorgasburg LA. During a candid interview, HerediaReyes talked about all things ensaymada, and then some. FilAm Arts (FAA): How did you come up with the idea of the Ensaymada Project? Chari Heredia-Reyes: We usually know that it’s just cheese, and you want something homemade because
Ensaymadas are always homemade. So we created it. And the reason why it’s called the Ensaymada Project is because it’s always evolving - there’s always something new. It’s ongoing. FAA: Was ensaymada something you made often before you started EP? CHR: It’s something we made every Christmas. It’s a very tedious task, not something I can make everyday and it was a lot of preparations and I really don’t know how it became a staple everyday - it’s just a lot of work, year round. Continued on Page 6
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features
Moonlighting
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 28, 2016
Featured FPAC25 vendor: The Ensaymada Project
it, you know the distinct taste of the yeast - but then there’s a bit FAA: How do you come up of a twist to it, a light flavor. I say 80 percent because it’s 20 perwith all the flavors? cHR: You wanna keep it as a cent different and it’s not overtraditional as possible. You don’t powering or too sweet. [People] always buy a dozen, and if you wanna veer away too much. I turn them off with something always say it’s still 80 percent Ensaymada. When you bite into too sweet, they’ll never move by From Page 5
the dozen. But they do move by the dozens. FAA: You’ve been getting a lot of media attention! How does it feel? cHR: It’s so surreal. I never thought it would go this big - I was always hidden in the house, and peop le would come find me. I always wonder, How do you find me? I know it’s social media now. The power of tagging and hashtags. FAA: So is the official hashtag, #butterbuns? cHR: actually, it started off [like that]. It’s very hard to introduce the word “Ensaymada” so we used “butter bun first” - and once people got used to it, because it’s self-explanatory - “What is an Ensaymada?” It’s a butter bun! and then we gradually moved back to the original. FAA: What are you excited about for FPAC? cHR: I’ve never been there! and you know, I wanna see the faces and reactions of people when they see that there’s something more than the cheese ensaymada. and I’m going to create some surprises - introduce new flavors - and I hope you guys are just as welcoming! catch The Ensaymada Project, alongside numerous other Filipino caterers and restaurateurs at FPac! FPac is a free event; no admission is needed for entry. FPac is sponsored in part by the: national Endowment for the arts, california arts council, california council for Humanities, La county arts commission, city of La Department of cultural affairs, La city council District 13 councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, Toyota, McDonald’s, Western Union, aaRP, La-18, The Filipino channel / aBS-cBn, asian Journal (and others). For more information, please visit www.filamarts.org or call (213) 380-3722. For sponsorship and vendor opportunities, please email info@filamarts. org. (Advertising Supplement)
An evening at the opera
by Mylah de
leon
I can never quell a stir of fascination, dread and longing when the house lights dim and the curtain parts, but the enjoyment of an opera can begin, not with the rise of the curtains but with the first bars of the overture. To understand and enjoy the opera is the recognition of certain irreconcilable difference between it and the spoken drama. Some think that opera is a stepchild of the arts, a sort of mongrel offspring to ballet, music, drama and is not pure art form. The one which probably has less passion for it asks, why the opera? What causes one to fall in love with that sad strumpet in the first place when he might have chosen a good woman, painting, sculpture, poetry, or instrumental music? and if he wanted to suffer, what about films, which offer plenty of opportunities of exasperation for anyone with different ideas of art? Some say the opera is not a pure art form, since it rarely approaches the detached realism of drama. a play can be intellectual in the manner of George Bernard Shaw, Ibsen or T.S. Elliot. Opera remains emotional — with jubilant chorus, lugubrious pleadings, wild wailings, dolorous themes, melodic preludes and despair; which balms and caresses, torments and delights. no one in real life would pause to express his feelings in the lengthily soliloquies which are sometimes to high point operatic performances since they are profound and to the point. Operatic acting is different and only the most accomplished can make it convincing but over and above all these is the singing. Our very own Sol Malaki of La Opera has a glorious verse which improvises certain limita-
With Jonathan Badon and La Opera Tenor Sal Malaki
tion in movement and gestures. as declared by opera critics, opera survives because the librettists are known to create characters and the composer have to match it with his musical genius. Recall the dashing Don Giovanni, the resourceful Figaro. The marriage of Figaro makes us laugh and clap because, among others, it is so funny. It proves that reality was, above all, sad, even in its humor and extravaganza. In Verdi’s “La Traviata,” the woman gone astray is a classic product of her century and of a single country, France. We’re told you wouldn’t find her in London or Madrid. But she’s also a universal, of the misunderstood woman of easy virtue. The Magdalen Moll Flanders Doystorevsky’s Sonia, Tolstoy’s Malova, Satre’s Respectful Prostitute. In the temple of love that Violetta Valery our high successful cocotte of one special fallen woman, who has consumption within her frail chest, burning her up – allied to the passion that will inevitably devour her. a wasting disease beside which mere dissipation (wine and late hours), is harmless child’s play; her theme “flitting from joy to joy let me live for pleasure only.” Verdi wrote this in 1853, the first performance was a complete
failure, performed in modern costume which aroused the distaste of the audience. The leading tenor was hoarse, the soprano cast as Violetta was a fat prima donna, and when it was announced in the last act that the heroine was dying of consumption, the audience howled with laughter. It was next presented about a year later, putting back the period for 1850 and 1700, costumed accordingly. It was an outstanding success and since then, “La Traviata” has been a favorite of opera lovers, myself included. When opera is viewed within the scope of its own possibilities and lamentations, it becomes endlessly fascinating. It offers comedy, tragedy pageantry and romance in a repertoire that is almost inexhaustible. While no one likes all the novels you read, all the paintings you see, or the lecture one hears, traditional opinions about opera vary. Described as barrel organ music or it is for twittering coloratura, which was in self deprecating humor, how my late mother, who was a soprano, saw herself. Operas are never old, never time worn, in its power and splendor. *** E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@ aol.com
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 28, 2016
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 28, 2016
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