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Volume 24 - No. 28 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages
JULY 21-27, 2017 Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
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Palace on US report: PH gov’t uses DATELINE USA ‘whole system’ approach vs terrorism FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
PRESIDENT DUTERTE TELLS FIL-AM TOURISTS:
Be ‘ambassadors,’ share admin’s progress DAVAO CITY — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addressed about 200 FilipinoAmerican visitors in this city on Friday, July 14, urging them to be “ambassadors” bearing the message of change under his administration. Despite various travel advisories and the recent pronouncement of martial law in Mindanao, Fil-Ams from across the United States came to the Philippines this week for the 11th Ambassadors’ Tour, which highlighted attractions in Manila and Davao. “May you become Filipino ambassadors who shall carry a fresh perspective of the
by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
THE Philippine government is addressing terrorism threats seriously and has been expanding its anti-terror campaign by using a ‘whole systems’ approach, Malacañang said. Malacañang issued the statement on Thursday, July 20, following the release of a United States report claiming that the Philippines is
among the top five countries with the highest recorded number of terror attacks in 2016. The U.S. report came amid the ongoing firefight between the Philippine military and pro-Islamic State (IS) militants in Marawi City, Mindanao, which erupted two months ago. “What we are doing is we really confronting it, engaging the situation with the whole systems ap-
proach,” Philippine Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a press briefing. He then took note that the government has been fighting terrorism hand-in-hand with poverty — the problem he referred to as the root of terrorism. “We recognize that poverty in Mindanao and the sense of hopelessness it brings spawns terrorPresidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella PAGE A2 Inquirer.net photo
Despite criticism, Duterte still finds a role model in FVR by JENNIFER
ON some rare occasions, President Rodrigo Duterte can be soft toward his critics and their harsh remarks. Duterte, in his speech during former president Fidel Ramos’ book launching on Monday, July 17, said that he “accepts” the advice and “respect” the criticisms the former president throws against him. “I respect your criticism. I accept your advice and maybe I will mimic your role as president before,” PAGE A2
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Investigators seek man who gunned down wife of Filipino man Authorities announce $20,000 award for information about suspect ON Friday, June 2, a 45-year-old motel clerk was fatally shot during an attempted robbery in Monterey Park, according to local authorities. Xiuxia “Michelle” Chen was working the front desk of Ambassador Inn on 2720 Valley Blvd. when a masked man entered at 11 p.m. on June 2. He entered the motel pointing a handgun at her and demanding cash. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said that the man reached over the counter and shot the wife and mother of two once in the chest before running away from the scene. At a press conference held at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau office in Monterey Park on Tuesday, July 10, the sherPAGE A2
SORIANO
AJPress
MORALE BOOST. President Rodrigo Duterte visits troops engaged in the battle with Maute terrorists in Marawi City and gave out food packs and other assistance when he set foot at Camp Ranao on Thursday, July 20. The president’s visit, despite an ongoing gun battle near the camp, boosted the morale of the soldiers. Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante
President Rodrigo Duterte chats with former President Fidel V. Ramos during the launching of the latter’s book, ‘Make Change Work,’ at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Monday, July 17. Malacañang photo by Alfred Frias
Former US Secretary of State CA junks $2-billion claim of Marcos human rights victims visits PH, tells importance of sticking to ‘rule of law’ by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
by JENNIFER
THE Court of Appeals (CA) has junked the petition of a group seeking the enforcement of a 1995 United States district court decision awarding the supposed human rights victims during the term of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos of about $2 billion worth of compensation. In its July 7 decision, the CA’s 12th Division upheld the earlier decision of
SORIANO
AJPress
SPEAKING at a forum in Manila where she was invited, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright explains the value of abiding by the law to attract investors. Albright, who is also a bestselling author and a business leader, was invited to speak during the “Forum on Global Governance and World Economy” organized by ABS-CBN which was held in Pasay City on Wednesday, July 19. “One of the things that I think people need to understand in the Philippines (is) that investors do not want to go into a place where the rule of law is under question,” said Albright, 80, who runs a private investment firm. “Therefore government institutions and the rule of law are very important because despite the fact that investing in its nature is PAGE A3
Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) which dismissed the case seeking the enforcement of the foreign ruling. The petition was filed by a group led by retired Judge Priscilla Mijares, Former Human Rights Commission Chairman Loreta Ann Rosales, movie director Joel Lamangan, Hilda Narciso, and Mariano Dimaranan. The CA decision, penned by Associate Justice Normandie Pizarro, affirmed the
RTC’s decision which concluded that the ruling of the U.S. District Court in Hawaii was not binding because it lacks jurisdiction over the class suit docketed as Class Action No. MDL 840. “Rules of comity should not be made to prevail over our Constitution and we cannot allow foreign impositions to trample upon our sovereignty,” the CA stated. In its decision, the appellate court said PAGE A3
SALN of Duterte Cabinet released; Mark Villar is lone billionaire by NESTOR
CORRALES Inquirer.net
Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Philstar.com photo
PUBLIC Works Secretary Mark Villar is the lone billionaire in the Duterte Cabinet with a P1.409 billion net worth, his latest Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net worth (SALN) showed. Malacañang released on Thursday, July 20 SALNs of the Cabinet members of the Duterte administration. Villar had a net worth of P1.42 billion in assets and P14.5 million in liabilities as of December 2016. The secretary’s assets include at least
four condominiums and three lots with houses amounting to a total of P135 million. The remaining P1.29 billion in “other real and personal properties” were not specified. Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano is the poorest Cabinet official with a net worth of P273,692.58. Mariano did not declare any real property. His assets include his clothing of around P35,000 and cash in bank of P238,629.58. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is the second richest CabiPAGE A3
Public Works Secretary Mark Villar Inquirer.net photo
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JULY 21-27, 2017 • OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL
From the Front Page
Investigators seek man who gunned down... PAGE A1
iff’s department released new surveillance video and audio of the incident, where the suspect can be heard yelling at Chen, “Money. Money now.” Chen is heard to respond to the man, “Excuse me, I do not have any money for you,” opening the desk drawer to prove there was no cash.
He kept demanding money, thinking Chen was lying. He then threatened her, repeatedly asking her, “Do you want to die?” The video released by the detectives doesn’t show the shooting, but the motel owner found Chen wounded and called the police. She died at the scene. “This was, in our belief, a random act,” LA County Sheriff Department Det. Gary Sloan said
on Tuesday, addressing reporters. Detectives described the suspect as a man with a medium build with a stature between 5 feet 6 inches and 6 feet. He was seen wearing dark clothing, a dark hooded sweatshirt and one dark-colored glove. Chen’s husband of 23 years, Armando Escandor, delivered an emotional testimony, speaking about her as a wife and mother and pleading the public to assist in the case. “The way she loved us, the way she treated us. We really miss her,” Escandor remarked. “All I want is justice for my loving wife.” “Twenty-five years, taken just like that,” Escandor said, his voice cracking and tears welling up in eyes. Escandor and Chen married in 1994. Their son, Armando Escandor, Jr., was serving in the Navy overseas when his mother was shot and killed. Escandor, Jr. said the authorities are offering a $20,000 reward to anyone who has information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of the suspect. “My mother did not deserve this, not one bit,” Escandor Jr. told reporters, in an emotional plea to bring justice for his late mother. “So being able to know that this man, or the person responsible for this heinous crime was brought to justice, it would definitely take a weight off my heart.” Authorities are also requesting the public’s help in identifying a woman who they say spoke with Chen just before the incident. That same woman, believed to be a hotel guest, was also seen in another video leaving the hotel lobby seconds before the gunman entered. She is seen stopping and turning to look at the hotel lobby, as if she heard something, authorities said. Sloan said that the woman is not believed to be connected to the crime, but suggests that anyone who might recognize her to contact the police. The sheriff’s department is asking anyone with information about the shooting and the gunman to call the homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
KEY TO PEACE? Jesus Dureza, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Al-Hajj Murad, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, President Rodrigo Duterte and Ghadzali Jaafar, vice chairman of the MILF, hold a proposed draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law on Monday, July 17. Duterte has promised to establish a “Bangsamoro country” in a bid to bring peace to Mindanao, where government troops are battling the Islamic State-linked Maute group. Malacañang photo
Palace on US report: PH gov’t... PAGE A1
ism. It is for this reason that while we are fighting terrorism, we are also fighting poverty,” Abella said. Abella added that it is also the reason why Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved the Comprehensive Peace Roadmap, which aims to “provide peace and development by addressing the issue on the Bangsamoro.” Hundreds of peace agreements can be signed, however, “if those on the ground do not immediately feel the dividends of peace, those agreements will [not] be sustainable,” he continued. Earlier on Wednesday, July
19, the U.S. State Department released its “Country Reports on Terrorism 2016,” tagging Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, as countries with the highest occurrence of terror attacks last year. “Philippine military and police counterterrorism efforts kept up pressure on terrorist organizations, but were unable to prevent numerous attacks against government, public, and private facilities, primarily in central and western Mindanao,” the agency said. It cited several “notable incidents” in its report, which include the September bombing in Davao City’s night market, the
Abu Sayyaf terrorists’ beheading of several hostages in April and June, and the November siege of Butig town in Lanao del Sur by IS-linked fighters, among others. The agency also said that the government’s “focus” on Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs has “increased workload and operational tempo for security forces.” “Duterte’s focus on anti-narcotics and counterterrorism operations slowed progress towards shifting internal security functions from the Armed Forces of the Philippines to the Philippine National Police,” the report read. n
Despite criticism, Duterte still finds a... PAGE A1 Duterte said “You can continue criticizing me, sir,” the chief executive added. Ramos gave Duterte a t-shirt with the words, “Follow me,” the motto of Fort Benning in Georgia, where the former president finished his special military courses. “I will follow you, just like what the shirt says,” Duterte said. “Only difference is that, I am not a military man. But love of country, patas tayo, sir (we are just on the same level). I would say that I love my country as much as you do, and we are ready to die for this country,” he added. Ramos first lashed out at Duterte in October 2016 in light of the president’s first 100 days. Ramos criticized Duterte’s brutal war on drugs and tirades against the international community.
The former president’s latest negative remark about Duterte was during the Russia trip last May that aimed to “boost economic ties” between Russia and the Philippines. During the said trip, the president was accompanied by his economic team and cabinet officials. Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, some members of the Senate and the House, assistant secretaries and staff members also joined the presidential delegation to Russia. The former president said that the trip turned out to be a “junket” and that “some people should have stayed behind.” The Palace, in return, answered that it is important to have the “key members” of the president’s administration to accompany Duterte. Ramos played a role in convincing Duterte to run for the
presidency during the 2016 national elections. Duterte has ever since showed respect and trust towards Ramos, as manifested in different forms — through speeches, special assignments and as a “source” of information. During the president’s inaugural speech, he gave Ramos a special mention, saying, “President Fidel Ramos, sir, salamat po sa tulong mo (thank you for your help in) making me president.” In July, Duterte assigned Ramos to be the administration’s special envoy to negotiate talks with China regarding the controversial West Philippine Sea. In September, Duterte revealed that Ramos was one of his sources for his list of personalities linked to illegal drugs. However, Ramos denied giving such info to the president. n
Be ‘ambassadors,’ share admin’s... PAGE A1
new and improved Philippines when you go back to the United States,” Duterte said during the dinner reception held at the SMX Convention Center. The six-day Ambassadors’ Tour — which was organized by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Tourism Promotions Board, and Rajah Tours — brought Fil-Ams from Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Hawaii, and Guam to the country. Boasting the strides Davao City has made to shed its former murder capital label, Duterte told the visitors who experienced the city first-hand that he has intended to bring similar policies on a nationwide scale. It was a “no brainer” to have the president’s hometown as the host venue for this year’s Ambassadors’ Tour, Philippine Consul General in New York Ma. Theresa Dizon-de Vega said earlier this week, because “it is one of the premier cities in Asia” and to show the tourists “what a safe, clean, comfortable, and most of all, welcoming province Davao is.” The DOT is confident that it can continue to draw in foreigners and break the 5.9 million visitor total from last year. In the first quarter of 2017, a record number of 1.7 million visitors came to the country, DOT Undersecretary Kat de Castro said on Friday. As of May, the arrivals have reached 2.8 million. “We at the Department of Tourism believe that this a clear indication that the Philippines
remains to be a safe haven for residents and visitors alike,” she said. After his prepared speech, Duterte proceeded to address the audience for roughly an hour, overviewing his first year in office, including the war on drugs, the Marawi City crisis, and corruption in government. Referencing international news reports about the deaths associated with the Philippines’ crackdown on drugs, the president said he does “not enjoy the extrajudicial killing term.” “I do not relish killing people,” he declared, explaining that his threats to kill criminals have been misconstrued as actual actions. Duterte, who gained popularity during the election last year for his hardline rhetoric against crime, added, “Find me a law — wherever you come from — point out to me a law in your country and in my country, which says you cannot threaten a criminal from destroying your country.” Since taking office last June, some 9,400 homicide cases associated with the anti-illegal drug campaign have been recorded under the Duterte administration up until March, causing alarm from human rights groups around the world. The Philippine National Police (PNP) has argued that less than 2,000 have been killed in legitimate police operations He vowed that by the time his administration ends in five years, drugs and corruption will be at all-time lows. Echoing past speeches, the United States and former President Barack Obama were mentioned anew for the latter admin-
istration’s criticism of the way Duterte has been handling the illegal drug epidemic in the Philippines. “My duty is to preserve and defend the Filipino nation,” Duterte said. “Nobody should teach me how to do it.” He acknowledged that the U.S. has been helping the Armed Forces of the Philippines in its fight against the Islamic State(IS)inspired Maute group in Marawi City since the turmoil broke out in late May. “Let us give credit where credit is due,” the president said. Despite a move toward a more independent foreign policy and pursuing warmer ties with China and Russia, Duterte affirmed on Friday that he cannot enter into military alliances with other countries as it would violate the Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S. He said that he and China have discussed receiving P370 million worth of military equipment, as well as possible aid from Russia in the future. However, there would be no “attachment” to those exchanges. “Walang attachment diyan. Walang head of state, si Putin o si President Xi Jinping magsabi, ‘O, bigyan kita (There would be no attachment. Putin or Xi did not say ‘I will offer you this but you should be loyal’), said Duterte. With his unfiltered language in Friday’s speech, Duterte told the audience that “at least nakilala ninyo ako (you got to know me).” The president recently marked one year in office and is slated to deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24. (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)
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Dateline USa
PNP-PCRG’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY. Senator JV Ejercito troops the line with Chief Superintendent Gilbert Cruz in Camp Crame on Monday, July 17) as the PNP-Police Community Relations Group gave arrival honors to Ejercito as Guest Honor and Speaker in their 25th Anniversary celebration. Senate photo
CCSD hires 81 Filipino special education teachers LAS VEGAS — To address the critical teacher shortage, the Clark County School District (CCSD) hired dozens of special education teachers from the Philippines. This week, 81 Filipino special education teachers arrived in the district to help fill in the large number of empty teaching positions. According to district officials, the new Filipino educators could speak English, have prior experience teaching kids with special needs, have college degrees, and must also have master’s degrees in special education. Officials said they did push for
local recruitments but wasn’t able to fill in the spots, prompting them to search overseas. For newly hired Adrian Calabano, being far away from home may be challenging but he is more excited to meet his new students and make positive impact. “My goal here is to be able to cater to the students of special needs,” Calabano was quoted saying in a KSNV report. “In my case, students with autism. And I want to be able to greet them warmly. And I will represent the Philippines, so I will be able to share culture with them,” he
added. Calabano and the others were granted J-1 visas, a “non-immigrant visa for individuals approved to participate in work-and study-based exchange visitor programs.” Despite the addition of Filipino teachers, officials said the school district still has about 150 vacant positions for special needs teachers. It has been reported that there is a national shortage of special education teachers — not just in the district — for the 2016-2017 school year. (AJPress)
PH Science High team nabs 2nd place at int’l clean tech competition in NY STONY BROOK, New York – A team from the Philippine Science High School (Main Campus) grabbed second place in an international clean technology student competition held on July 14 at Stony Brook University. Teammates Philippe Bungabong, Justine Opulencia and Maded Batara III won the honor at the 2017 Clean Tech Challenge for their project, “Development of an Integrated Online System for the Regulation of Household Electricity Consumption.” The project was one of 10 finalists selected from 330 entries submitted by teams of over 700 students from 26 countries. An earlier version of the same project garnered the prize as the Most Innovative Research Project at the International Student Science Fair in Korea held in June. Advisers Joaquin Almirante
Philippe Gene Bungabong, Maded Batara III, and Justine Marcus Opulencia with fellow winners of the Clean Tech Competition 2017. Inquirer.net photo by Miggy Martija
and Ralph Hipolito accompanied the team. The Clean Tech Competition is a unique, worldwide research and design challenge for precollege youth. The program encourages scientific understanding of real-world issues and the integration of environmentally responsible energy sources. Each year, the Clean Tech Competition addresses an issue
that is grounded in core technological competency areas and focuses on the next great engineering challenges. The competition is designed to foster a deeper understanding of STEM- (science, technology, engineering, and math) related concepts, recognize outstanding talent and prepare the next generation of globally competitive innovators. (Inquirer.net)
CA junks $2-billion claim of Marcos... PAGE A1 the Hawaii court violated the right to due process of all the unnamed claimants as well as the respondent Marcos estate. It also noted that the 10 Filipino citizens who initiated MDL 840 failed to prove that they were “truly and legally authorized by the other purported claimants.” “In other words, each claimant in MDL 840 had a right, if any, only to the damage that such individual may have suffered, and not one of them had any right to or can claim any interest in the dam-
age or injury which another suffered. Hence, MDL 840 was not and should not have been brought as a class suit,” the CA said. The claimants, who filed the class suit before the U.S. district court on May 9, 1991, are Celsa Hilao, Josefina Hilao Forcadilla, Arturo Revilla, Jr., Rodolfo Benosa, Danila Fuente, Renato Pineda, Adora Faye de Vera, Domiciano Amparo, Christopher Sorio, and Jose Duran. “It boggles the mind how the final judgment could be enforced when the supposed claimants
were not even identified… it gave no opportunity for the Marcos Estate to confront each and every claimant,” the CA decision read. The CA further noted that the classification of the claimants into three categories—torture, summary execution and disappearance victims—cannot be joined into a class suit since “no two persons can suffer the same nature and degree of injury or damage.” “All told, the Final Judgment of the Hawaii Court, being null and void for want of jurisdiction, may not be enforced,” the CA said.
Former US Secretary of State visits PH...
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risky, it is better for countries themselves to make it less risky as possible,” she added. The former secretary also stressed other economic and governance factors a country could consider in order to “attract investors.” “The greatest thing a country can have is not oil, minerals... It’s a combination of first class bankers, professional bureaucrats.” “A country that runs its finances with transparency and accountability is going to attract investments,” she added. Albright, who throughout her diplomatic career wore pins and
brooches to indicate her mood or stand for certain international issues and personalities, was asked to describe what she would wear should she meet Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. “I think I’ll wear the pin of a very active man with a loudspeaker,” Albright replied, referring to president. The Philippines, which is currently led by a president who is known for defying the country’s rule of law was quoted to have said earlier that the rule of law is sometimes a “stupid proposition,” in the light of his brutal campaign against illegal drugs. At least 3,200 people were killed in serving the anti-drug
operations while thousands of people, some of them described by the authorities as “drug users,” have been killed by unknown attackers. An article by Inquirer on June 16, citing Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report, revealed that foreign investment pledges consistently went down during first three quarters of the Duterte administration. However, this is in contrast with the approved foreign investments which rose from “11.5 percent to P40.4 billion during the second quarter of 2016 as well as jumped 19.2 percent to P26 billion in the first quarter,” the Inquirer report said.
SALN of Duterte Cabinet released... PAGE A1
net official with a net worth of P351,859,283. The net worth of the other Cabinet members are: - Information and Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima — P304,961,439.91 - Secretary Arthur Tugade — P302 million - Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi — P163 million - Communications Secretary Martin Andanar — P152 million - Economic Secretary Ernesto Pernia — 105 million - Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano — P55 million - Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez — P50.5 million - Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo — P44.9 million - Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza
— P40 million - Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II — P37.6 million - Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol — P25.6 million - National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon — P22.3 million - Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno — P19.8 million - National Intelligence Coordinating Agency chief Alex Monteagudo — P16.5 million - Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III — P15.5 million - Local Government officerin-charge Catalino Cuy — P14.7 million - National Commission on Muslim Filipinos head Yasmin Lao — P13.9 million Acting head of Presidential Management Staff Ferdinand Cui
Jr. — P7.98 million - Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña — P75 million - Education Secretary Leonor Briones — P4.39 million - Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana — P3.7 million - Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo — P1.97 million - Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial — P1.2 million - National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Liza Maza — P273,629.58 The SALNs of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu were not available.
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JULY 21-27, 2017 • OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL
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US embassy warns citizens against traveling to Mindanao by Jennifer
Soriano
AJPress
Trainer Rodel Mayol (C) congratulates Recky Dulay as cutman Dr Ed de la Vega looks on.
Photos by Jhay Otamias
Golden Boy card shocker: Dulay stops Arboleda in 3 FIlIPIno super featherweight prospect Recky Dulay who climbed at lightweight to fight as a B-side against Golden Boy Promotions’s undefeated prospect Jaime arboleda of Panama, shocked everyone at The Forum in Inglewood, California on Saturday, July 15, when he knocked out arboleda in the 3rd round. The taller arboleda was hit by Dulay with a counter right cross who turned around and dropped like a sack of potato face first to the canvas. He tried to get up but his legs could not support him thus the referee waived off the contest. Time: 2:03 of the third round. Dulay improved his record to 10 wins with two losses while arboleda
absorbed his first loss and dropped to 10 wins and one loss. The arboleda-Dulay matchup was originally scheduled as one of the undercards of Golden Boy’s Fight Club event Friday at the Belasco Theatre in downtown los angeles but was transferred to the undercard of the Miguel Berchelt vs Takashi Miura WBC world super featherweight championship fight at The Forum perhaps to give a wider exposure to arboleda but instead showcased Dulay punching power. The Dulay victory continued neophyte Filipino trainer Rodel Mayol’s winning streak after he engineered other Filipino underdogs to victory. Mayol, the former two-time world
THE United States embassy in the Philippines issued a travel warning for the southern region of the Philippines, following terror threats to foreigners, including U.S. citizens. The U.S. embassy in Manila posted a travel advisory on their website on Tuesday, July 18, advising its citizens to halt “non-essential travel” to the city of Marawi, Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago including the southern Sulu Sea, due to continuing “terrorist threats, insurgent activities, and kidnappings.” “This area stretches from the southern tip of Palawan, along the coast of eastern Sabah, Malaysia and the islands of the Sulu archipelago, up to Zamboanga City, Mindanao,” the travel warning explained.
champion who now makes Freddie Roach’s Wildcard Gym in los angeles as his training ground, mentored aston Palicte to victory against undefeated Texan prospect oscar Cantu on Dec. 17, 2016; He trained Romero Duno to knock out another Golden Boy undefeated prospect Christian Gonzalez on March 10, 2017 that enticed Golden Boy to signup Duno; he was in the corner of Michael Farenas’s comeback knockout win against Martin angel Martinez of Mexico on June 1, 2017; and now this scintillating by Dino Maragay victory by Dulay against highly Philstar.com regarded Panamian arboleda. (By Dong Secuya/Philboxing.com, FREDDIE Roach is giving Manwith a report by Dr Ed de la Vega ny Pacquiao one more fight—the at ringside.) chance to avenge his loss to Jeff Horn. after that, it’s over for the Filipino icon. In a report by boxingscene. com, Roach said he does not see Pacquiao fighting beyond a rematch with Horn, who shocked the world with a decision win over his prized ward more than two weeks ago in Brisbane, aus-
It also advised U.S. citizens to “exercise extreme caution” when traveling to other areas of Mindanao. “Separatist and terrorist groups continue to attack and kidnap civilians, foreigners, political leaders, and Philippine security forces in Mindanao,” the post read. “There have been no reports of U.S. citizens in Mindanao targeted specifically for their nationality. However, general threats to U.S. citizens and other foreigners throughout Mindanao remain a concern,” it added. U.S. government personnel were also restricted to travel to Mindanao, according to the country’s State Department. However, if imperative, a U.S. government personnel may obtain “special authorization” before traveling to Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. “[The] U.S. Embassy [in] Manila received credible information
that terrorists planned to conduct kidnappings in Palawan, Cebu and Bohol provinces in 2017,” the advisory warned. The advisory, which replaces the Travel Warning dated December 20, 2016, cited similar threats that occurred in the Philippines starting September 2016 where terror groups facilitated a bomb explosion in Davao City which killed 14 and injured approximately 70 people. The incident led to the declaration of “State of national Emergency on account of lawless Violence in Mindanao.” Mindanao is currently under the 60-day martial law, which is set to expire this week. President Rodrigo Duterte has asked Congress to extend the martial rule until the end of the year. In an article by Reuters on Tuesday, it said more than 500 people were killed and at least 260,000 have been displaced due to the conflict.
Horn rematch will be Pacquiao’s last fight, Freddie Roach insists tralia. Pacquiao has a rematch clause against Horn and will likely exercise it. “I’ll accept [the scenario of] Manny fighting Horn once more because he wants the fight, but the end is near,” said Roach. The bespectacled trainer previously said that now would be the perfect time for Pacquiao to call it quits, but understands that the fighting senator wants to go out on a high note. That’s why Roach will give Pacquiao one more shot.
“If the fight [Pacquiao-Horn 2] is indeed done, it will be the last one so [Pacquiao] can dedicate himself to being a better politician,” he continued. as for Horn, who seized the WBo welterweight title from Pacquiao, Roach warned that superstardom still isn’t within the australian’s reach. “[Horn] fought dirty, he had a plan and it worked out well. now Bob arum wants to make him a star, but it will not happen beyond the next fight. We have the rematch.”
Trump’s use of PH law firm run by gov’t official raises conflicts of interest red flag DonalD and Ivanka Trump’s companies use a law firm managed by a Philippine government official, which poses the latest in a string of potential conflicts of interests due to the Trumps’ global business empire, the UK’s Guardian has reported. Elpidio C. Jamora Jr. is one of four named partners at the Filipino super featherweight prospect Recky Dulay who climbed at lightweight to fight as a B-side against Golden Boy Promotions’s undefeated Manila-based law office that prospect Jaime Arboleda of Panama, shocked everyone at The Forum in Inglewood, California on Saturday, July 15, when he knocked out acts as a representative to regArboleda in the 3rd round. ister trademarks for both the Trump organization and Ivanka Trump’s personal brand. Jamora is also the chairman of the Philippine national Construction Corporation (PnCC) the country’s largest stateowned and run construction company. By hiring a law firm managed by an important member of the Philippine government, Trump is vulnerable to charges of paying a foreign official to serve the
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interests of his private business, the Guardian argues. as an example, the Philippine government may try to delay or expedite Trump’s trademarks as a policy leverage, Jordan libowits from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, DC, told the newspaper. Ivanka Trump’s (she’s an assistant to the president) company, Ivanka Trump Marks llC, raised eyebrows after it was granted seven trademarks in China since her father rose to power. Three were granted on the same day Trump met the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. Trump has been using Jamora’s law firm since 2007. The firm reportedly represented his daughter Ivanka Trump, for three pending trademark applications for her fashion and accessories line in the Philippines since Trump was inaugurated.
“If she gets these [registrations] because of her position in government or relation to the president, that becomes a very serious issue,” said libowitz. He added that while Trump’s relationship to Jamora is “not a smoking gun, it’s a red flag.” The vast Trump corporation presents an unprecedented problem for US foreign policy. Trump has not liquidated his holdings or put them in a blind trust, as previous presidents have done, to avoid this problem. another potential conflict of interests: Trump is opening a Manila skyscraper built by developer Jose EB antonio, who was named as special trade envoy to Washington last year, making the US president’s family and a Philippine government appointee business partners. (Inquirer.net)
US envoy says PH gov’t remains committed to alliance by Dana
SioSon AJPress
THE Philippine government remains ‘committed’ to its longstanding alliance with the United States. Despite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s previous antagonistic statements against Washington, U.S. ambassador Sung Kim reiterated the country’s commitment to its longstanding ally in a recent interview. “My sense is that the Philippines’ government, starting with President Duterte, remains committed to the relationship. There’s mutual respect for the relationship and mutual appreciation for the importance of the relationship,” Kim told anC. Duterte has been constantly lashing out against the U.S. government for its supposed interference with Philippine affairs, particularly in his campaign against illegal drugs. He even chided former U.S. President Barack obama
and other Washington lawmakers in expletive-peppered speeches. He also launched the so-called Philippine independent foreign policy in pursuit of closer ties with Moscow and Beijing, and lessening of Manila’s dependency on Washington. While such issues raised questions on the true status of the relationship between the Philippines and U.S., Kim reaffirmed that nothing has changed between the two countries’ bilateral ties. “Whether it’s in the alliance management or the robust economic partnership, all of the good work that the U.S. agency for International Development is doing here, I don’t think anything has changed,” Kim said. Kim admitted that the U.S. remains concerned over the alleged violation of human rights linked to the drug war, but, likewise, acknowledged that the issue of narcotics is a “serious problem for the Philippines.”
“We do have concerns about some aspects of the anti-drug campaign, but at the same time, I want to make clear that we completely understand that there is a serious situation here involving illegal use of drugs, and that the government is right to focus on this important problem, very serious problem for the Philippines,” Kim said. Kim, who was named the ambassador to Manila a few months before Duterte assumed the presidency, said he met with the Filipino leader six times. He described their meetings as “very detailed, cordial, friendly, very substantive.” “They have been very, very cordial discussions. He has a very good sense of humor, so we enjoyed that. and of course, he and I were both prosecutors, so I think we have that common background which helps in discussing issues like law enforcement,” the ambassador added.
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READY FOR THE BIG DAY. A worker arranges the photographs of lawmakers at the House of Representatives as Congress prepares for the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 24. ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike De Juan
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D ateline PhiliPPines ‘We Want to go hoMe’
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Marawi residents say no to Duterte’s martial law extension in Mindanao by Dana
SioSon AJPress
For the affected Marawi residents, extending martial law means extending their adversities of being away from home. Thousands of Marawi residents had to stay in evacuation camps since the Maute extremist group launched an attack on the city two months ago, which prompted Philippine President rodrigo Duterte to impose military rule in the entire Mindanao under his Proclamation No. 216. Earlier this week, Duterte requested Congress to extend the proclamation until the end of the year, saying that the “existing rebellion in Mindanao” will “not be quelled completely” by its legal expiration on July 22. “It’s difficult on our part. We cannot go to Marawi anymore,” Jalal Dipatuan, 49, a Marawi resident staying in an evacuation center, told Inquirer. “It’s cold here in the evacuation center. Please, Mr. President, don’t extend martial law anymore, we want to go home,” said Asliah Bandrang, 34, another evacuee and mother of seven children. The House and the Senate are set to convene in a Special Joint Session this coming Saturday, July 22, to discuss the military rule’s possible extension. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier commented that Duterte’s request to extend mar-
CLOSED. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Danilo Lim looks on as a personne posts a closure sign at the gate of the DLTB Bus Station at the corner of EDSA and Timog Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday. Several bus terminals were padlocked for violating the MMDA’s “nose in, nose out” policy. ManilaTimes.net photo by Ismael De Juan
EU delegation in PH to check human rights situation by Dana
SioSon AJPress
FOOD RELIEF. An elderly woman receives food package and floor mat from a Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel who is assisting members of Cotabato City-based Al Balagh Foundation in the distribution of relief goods donated by Qatar government at the Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol in Marawi City. PNA photo by Talha Mangayao
tial law until December 31 of this year is likely to get approval from Congress without much difficulty. Senate President Koko Pimentel also expressed confidence that the Congress supermajority will approve Duterte’s extension request and area coverage, but its duration is likely to be questioned. In a statement on Wednesday, July 19, Vice President Leni robredo urged Congress to discuss the issue thoroughly.
“Pakinggan natin iyong dahilan kung bakit kailangan mag-extend (Let us listen to the reasons why it should be extended),” the vice president said. She went on to say, “Kung iga-grant ito, iga-grant dahil pinag-usapan nang maayos. Kung ide-deny naman, ide-deny siya kasi napag-usapan nang maayos (If it will be granted, it must be granted because it was discussed thoroughly. If it would be denied, it would be denied because it was discussed thoroughly).”
Aquino indictment petty, says Aguirre by Jennifer
Soriano
AJPress
JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said on Wednesday, July 19, that the ombudsman’s indictment against former president Benigno Aquino III over the botched Mamasapano operation in 2015 is “weak.” Last week, the ombudsman indicted Aquino for violation of the anti graft law and usurpation of authority for allowing his friend, suspended former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima and retired Special Action Force (SAF) chief Getulio Napeñast to play a role in carrying out the counterterrorism operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. “Masyadong maliit nga ‘yun (That’s too petty). As a matter of fact, we know that those are bailable cases with imprisonment of probably less than six years,” Aguirre told reporters. When asked what case or cases should be filed by the ombudsman against Aquino, Aguirre dismissed further commenting on the issue. “I have not read the resolution of the ombudsman. What I can only say is that by and large, the findings of fact of the ombudsman are accurate. But when it comes to application of these findings as to what cases really should be filed, I am not yet in the position to comment on that,” the Justice chief said. Napeñas, who was immediately dismissed following the ill-fated Jan. 25, 2015 operation, agreed with Aguirre, who was also his lawyer during the Senate inquiry into the Mamasapano carnage. In a chance interview on Wednesday Napenas said he heard that the case filed against him is weak. He further insisted that the former president should
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre
have provided support during the operation. “Yun ang pananagutan niya: Bakit ’di siya nag-provide ng tulong? Umaga hanggang hapon (That’s his liability: Why didn’t he provide help? From morning until afternoon),” Napeñas told reporters. The retired SAF chief, who is being blamed by Aquino for the Mamasapano debacle, previously denied the former president’s claims saying the operation has a blessing from him. Exchanges of text messages among the “key players” in the Mamasapano operation were already at the Senate, however, Napeñas said mobile phones did not undergo “forensic investigation.” The retired SAF chief said that if the Senate really wanted to uncover the truth behind the Mamasapano incident, lawmakers should ask the participation of the executives of telecommunications firms Smart
Inquirer.net photo
Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom through a subpoena. In previous interviews, the justice secretary claimed that Aquino and Purisima should be held responsible for the carnage of the SAF personnel, as Napeñas only submitted to the orders of his superior authority. The former president said on an interview on Tuesday, July 18, that Aguirre should “keep quiet” about the Mamasapano case because the justice secretary now holds a different position. “You (Aguirre) are in a position where you can influence so many different offices. And being the lawyer before [of Napeñas], now you are in a different role, ethically you should keep quiet which he said he will, and now he commented again on this,” Aquino said. Aside from the 44 SAF men, 18 Moro fighters and several civilians were also killed in the said incident.
PDP-Laban considers learning ideology, policy from China’s Communist Party by Jennifer
Soriano
AJPress
THE Philippines’ ruling political party is open to the possibility of learning new ideologies, policies — this time, from China’s sole governing party. Speaking before visiting Filipino journalists in Fujian province in China, Communist Party of China (CPC) officials said that in December 2016, the Philippines’ ruling political party PDPLaban entered into an agreement with CPC for its members to undergo “policy training” and to learn about the ways and ideology of the Chinese. “For instance, they want to know how the CPC was organized, how they make decisions, how they practice in the CPC, how they work,” a senior provincial official told reporters on Sunday, July 16. Pimentel and 24 members of the Philippine delegation were
in Fuzhou, the capital of the province, for the BrICS Political Parties, Think-tanks, and Civil Society organizations Forum 2017. A press release from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Pimentel and his delegation were invited by the CPC municipal committee in Xiamen. The delegation led by Pimentel reportedly met with Pei Jinjiang, other senior officials, a member of the standing committee of the CPC Fujian provincial committee and secretary of the CPC Xiamen municipal committee. “We enhance our relationship. We use imagination on how to do it. Wala namang nakalista na specific activities (There are no specific activities listed),” Pimentel said, referring to the December agreement with CPC. According to a rappler article, Pimentel said they needed to know more about the CPC’s
program, expressing interest into it. “We are still negotiating with them. We need more details about the program but we are very open to availing of it,” Pimentel reportedly said in a text message. He commended Fujians for doing a good job despite its background. “I am very impressed with [the] Fujian[s]. They are not at the center of the country politically or economically, but they still managed to do very well,” he said. The PDP-Laban president further expressed his interest in studying the good practices employed by the Fujian province. “I think that we should look closely at how they were able to develop their economy despite their distance from the capital Beijing, while at the same remaining environment-friendly,” he said.
TWELVE lawmakers from the European Union (EU) are in the Philippines to check the “political and human rights” situation in the country. Soraya Post, the EU delegation head, called their visit a “factsharing mission.” “We are very interested in the development of the situation of human rights in the Philippines. So we would like to have a meeting with different stakeholders in the Philippines,” Post told reporters on Tuesday, July 18. She cited the reported killings linked to Philippine President rodrigo Duterte’s controversial crackdown on narcotics, as well as his administration’s bid to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 9 years old. “So we want to speak about this, to discuss the development of the Philippines. But we wish also all the Philippines, the cities of the Philippines, good luck,” the lawmaker said. She went on to say, “It is our concern, it is the Filipinos’ concern, it’s the whole world’s concern. We live in a global society, so we have to share responsibility with what’s happening around the world.” Later on the same day, the delegation also visited Senator Leila de Lima in her detention cell at the Philippine National Police
Representatives from the European Parliament visit Senator Leila de Lima in detention. Photo from de Lima’s office
(PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame. “She (De Lima) seems very good and strong and we discussed her situation and she didn’t complain on the police in her detention, she said they’re taking care of her there. But she says that she would love to go to her family and she also would love to go to her work in the Senate,” Post said. De Lima, a fierce critic of Duterte, has been detained since last February over drug-related charges. In a statement, the senator said she is “deeply grateful” to the delegation for visiting her. “My guests looked into my condition as a ‘prisoner of conscience,’ deprived of liberty for defending human rights, opposing the brazen killings and flagrant violations of human
dignity in the wake of Duterte’s murderous war on drugs. I asserted before them my absolute innocence of the accusations against me,” she said. Earlier in March, the EU Parliament adopted a resolution calling for De Lima’s immediate release, urging Philippine authorities “to ensure a fair trial…to drop all politically motivated charges against her, and to end any further acts of harassment against her.” In the same resolution, the EU also said it “strongly condemns” the alleged spate of summary killings in connection with Duterte’s drug war. It further called on the Philippine government to “immediately carry out impartial and meaningful investigations into these extrajudicial killings and to prosecute and bring all perpetrators to justice.”
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OpiniOn
Commitment to peace
Features
FOR decades, the Philippines has been on a quest for lasting peace. While the country is spared from being left in turmoil, the lingering process also comes with debilitating consequences on the people and the environment in areas of conflict. There have been numerous attempts in peace and development interventions, but the country has yet to see one that guarantees a lasting solution. On Monday, July 17, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) turned over its draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to President Rodrigo Duterte, who promised to support it through the legislative process. “I commit to support my covenant with you that I will support and husband this instrument as it goes in the legislator for its consideration. And there will be no objections of the provisions of all that is consistent with the Constitution and the aspiration of the Moro people,” the president said during a ceremony at Malacañang. In return, Duterte assured Moro people that a Bangsamoro country will rise in Mindanao during his term. “This will be realized while preserving and strengthening the territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines,” Duterte added. Duterte described the BBL as a manifestation of the shared aspirations of the Philippine government and the Moro people for a peaceful, orderly and harmonious nation. “May this new entity be marked by good gover-
nance, equitable sharing of wealth and generation of revenue, and normalized, stable environment. We will achieve sustainable and inclusive peace and development in the Bangsamoro, Mindanao and the entire country,” Duterte said. Mohagher Iqbal, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief negotiator, echoed the president’s sentiments as he described the BBL as the “the menu for solidarity and unity of this country.” “If the Bangsamoro people are given the opportunity to rule itself and be given development, then they will succeed in this country,” Iqbal said. Meanwhile, Duterte hopes that his promise of autonomy for the Moro people will persuade Filipino Muslims to reject the Islamic State (IS) group. The president has already asked the Congress to extend his declaration of martial law in Mindanap as government forces still continue their operations to flush out IS-linked militants from Marawi City. As of July 17, the death toll in the Marawi crisis has reached 540, with at least 405 terrorists, 97 soldiers and 45 civilians killed. The BBL will go through a grueling process in cal will from all parties involved. The task is no doubt high, and expectations Congress before seeing its passage. This ambitious undertaking requires resoluteness and politi- from every Filipino and international spectator is
Editorial
The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS PRESIDENT Donald Trump loves to win and he just would never give up even after his campaign promise to “repeal and replace Obamacare on Day One” has collapsed many times over in the Republican-dominated House and Senate, despite going through several revisions and incarnations within his six months of presidency. After not being able to win enough support even among members of his own party to put the most recent “repeal and replace” Republican health care bill on the Senate floor for a vote, Trump and Senate Majority Floor Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to just repeal Obamacare and then come up with an accept-
Opinion
RicaRdo Saludo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is right. The case to be filed against his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales is bound to fail. Aquino can easily beat the charge of usurpation of authority in letting then-suspended Philippine National Police Chief Alan Purisima direct the botched January 2015 police commando raid in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. In his defense, Aquino can claim that he didn’t order his friend to exercise authority or issue orders. Rather, Purisima merely relayed presidential commands. So, no usurpation of authority, case dismissed. And no more charges allowed over the death of 44 PNP Special Action Force troopers. That a retired Supreme Court justice like Morales can come up with such a “silly” and easily beaten charge, as President Duterte said, makes many suspect that she was out to let Aquino off the hook. Of course, many who have followed how Morales has acted since Aquino named her to head the anti-graft Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) in July 2011, have long concluded that she favors him and his camp.
ManilaTimes.net photo
growing by the day. The tendency to transform the Philippines as a citadel of peace should be worth all trouble. (AJPress)
Trump declares ‘let Obamacare fail’ as Trumpcare collapses again able replacement bill within two years. But even this Plan B has collapsed even before any debate or votes could be done as four Republicans have signified their decisions to vote NO. Democrats have consistently and firmly declared that they would only work with Republicans to “repair” Obamacare and not to repeal it, which means to pass the bill, the party of Trump cannot afford to lose more than two votes. This desperate Plan B was considered, despite pledging many times during the campaign that he will push for a “repeal and replace” of Obamacare instead of just repealing it because he did not want “people dying in the streets.” But after realizing how difficult and complicated it is to repeal and/or replace Obamacare as he promised, Trump has now
repeatedly expressed his disappointment over the collapse of Trumpcare, and declared that it is time to “let Obamacare fail.” “I think we’re probably in that position where we’ll let Obamacare fail,” Trump said at the White House this week. “We’re not going to own it. I’m not going to own it. I can tell you, the Republicans are not going to own it.” Trump blamed the Democrats saying, “We have 52 people, we had no Democrat support. We had four ‘no’s…It would be nice to have Democrat support but really they’re obstructionist. They have no ideas. They have no thought process. All they want to do is obstruct government and obstruct, period.” Speaking from the White House on Tuesday, July 18, Trump said, “I am disappointed because for so many years I’ve
been hearing repeal, replace.” Then he pivoted to 2018 saying, “With only a very small majority, the Republicans in the House & Senate need more victories next year since Dems totally obstruct, no votes!” What Trump does not realize is that the health care issue is NOT all about politics. For Democrats and the few Republicans who stood their ground to fight against the bill that will repeal and replace Obamacare, it is about what will be good for their constituents. Health care, after all, is NOT a commodity. We are talking about something very personal — peoples’ health and lives. Doesn’t he consider the fact that lawmakers and local government officials also consider the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office which reports that with Trumpcare, more people will be
left uninsured compared to what will happen if Obamacare stays? That the poor and the hard-working middle class will be the ones most vulnerable while the richest of the rich will be rewarded with hefty tax credits? Doesn’t he realize that this Republican health care bill does not really have the approval and support of most Americans as revealed by polls after polls? And this sentiment is also shared even by Trump’s own voters. Just 12 percent of Americans living in the counties that fueled Donald Trump’s win in the 2016 presidential election support the Republican Party’s efforts on health care, as revealed by the results of the NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll of these “Trump counties.” How can Trump wash his hands and say he does not own this problem and just let Obam-
acare fail? Doesn’t he realize he is responsible for people who will lose their access to health care should this happen? Is he praying for this to happen so he can say he “won”? Why is he so obsessed with repealing Obamacare when he and the Republicans can work with Democrats to repair the bill and make it work better for the American people? Is it because this is a major legacy of the first African-American president and they just want to kill it as they did with other Obama initiatives to protect ordinary hardworking Americans? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https:// www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
The Ombudsman: Letting Aquino off the hook To cite some of the key roles Morales played in Aquino’s political schemes, she presented grossly inflated dollar deposits allegedly held by the late Chief Justice Renato Corona in his 2012 impeachment trial. When former President Gloria Arroyo was granted bail in a weak election case, Morales promptly filed a plunder charge to again detain the ailing grandmother sans bail, even if OMB lawyers found zero evidence of Arroyo or her co-accused pocketing state funds — a minimum requirement in plunder cases. People, of course, remember how Morales, then-Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, and thenCommission on Audit chairman Grace Tan targeted three opposition senators in pork barrel cases, but spared countless stalwarts in Aquino’s camp, who are only now being probed by current Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. Even as the Aquino regime wound down in its final years, Morales continued going after his adversaries. Her high-profile investigations of then-Vice President Jejomar Binay brought down the erstwhile election frontrunner. The largest malversation But the real value of Morales to Aquino and his ilk lies in her omissions: the scams she never investigated or prosecuted. From the largest spate of smuggling in Philippine history and probably the biggest
malversation in Asia ever, to the bloodiest debacle in the annals of the PNP, Morales missed gross violations of law so easy to spot, and even easier to probe and prosecute. If she only paid attention to even just one of those offenses, she would not have said about Aquino last December: “You have to give it to him. He is corrupt-free.” Take the P157-billion Disbursement Acceleration Program, probably the largest malversation in Philippine, if not Asian history. No less than Morales’s former Supreme Court colleagues unanimously declared in their July 2014 decision voiding DAP that based on “seven packets of evidence” its funds “were allocated to PAPs [programs and projects]not covered by any appropriations.” Last time we checked, officials who cause state funds to be spent in ways not covered by budgetary appropriations, commit malversation if expenditures benefited them, or technical malversation if money went to public use. To investigate, Morales should have given the list of DAP allotments, and asked Aquino and his Budget Secretary Florencio Abad to show which budget provisions authorized the spending. Yet Morales never did that. And when she finally released her DAP investigation in April, two years and 10 months after
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales
the Supreme Court ordered her to run after DAP’s “authors,” Abad was charged with — wait for it — usurpation of authority, and Aquino was declared guiltfree. The worst smuggling Turning to contraband, it soared to unprecedented levels under Aquino, trebling to $26.6 billion in 2014, from $7.9 billion five years before, based on International Monetary Fund trade data. Aquino could have prevented that smuggling surge by bringing Ramos-era Bureau of Cus-
Inquirer.net photo
toms commissioner Guillermo Parayno back to the BoC, where his sterling performance spurred the IMF to hire him as customs reform consultant. But Aquino named another BoC head, under whose watch some 2,500 cargo containers disappeared in 2011 while in transit between the Manila and Batangas ports — the biggest spate of smuggling in the country ever. Like DAP, that unprecedented flood of contraband could have been easily probed just by checking who kept releasing
containers after, say, 50 or 100 had gone missing. Grill those careless, if not conniving bureaucrats, and they will almost surely point to higher-ups masterminding the sleaze. Now, how hard is it to check a few hundred BoC release papers and query the signatories? Not much harder, surely, than asking the man who initialed fund release papers in seven packets of DAP evidence to show which budget stipulations authorized the disbursements. But Morales didn’t bother PAGE A7
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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OFW remittances increase to $2.3-B in May by Krissy
AguilAr AJPress
REMITTANCES from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) increased to $2.31 billion in May, maintaining monthly remittances above $2-billion level for 16 consecutive months. The Latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data shows a 5.5 percent rise from $2.188 billion a year ago, exceeding April’s $2.083 billion. Cash remittances from landbased OFWs had 6.2 percent rise of inflows amounting to $1.8 billion, while sea-based workers contributed three percent increase equivalent to $500 mil-
lion, said BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla in a statement. The primary contributors by country source came from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Canada and Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Remittances from January to May totaled $11.346 billion, 4.5 percent higher than last year’s first five months with $10.859 billion. During the five-month period, cash sent home by land-based OFWs as of end-May increased 5.9 percent year-on-year to $9 billion. Meanwhile, transfers from sea-based workers declined by 0.6 percent amounting to $2.3 billion.
The BSP said 80 percent of cash remittances for the first five months of the year came from US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, Japan, United Kingdom, Qatar, Kuwait, Canada and Germany. The central bank expects fullyear remittances to breach a new record-high $28 billion, about four percent more than last year’s $26.9-billion haul. Remittances continue to play a major role in the domestic expansion as it drives strong consumption that contributes to economic growth. Guaranteeing the supply of dollars in the system through cash remittances from OFWs protect the economy from external shocks.
Despite MNLF snubbing in BBL draft, Moro leaders express optimism SOME Mindanao leaders were in defense and even expressed their optimism despite the recent snubbing by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of its rival Moro group, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). On Monday, July 17, MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim did not mention MNLF as he acknowledged the different groups that helped in revising the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), a law which seeks to end conflict and poverty in Mindanao. According to the Manila Times, Datu Yusoph Boyog Mama of Masirikampo sa Marawi (traditional royal ruler of Marawi) said that the MILF and the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) are “on the right footing� with the revised BBL draft that reflects the “collective aspirations of the Bangsamoro people� towards
achieving their dreams. The traditional ruler of Marawi believes the MILF is fully aware of the essential role the MNLF played in the revised draft. “And although there was no personal acknowledgment of the MNLF chairman, I believe he [Murad] is highly cognizant of the important role the MNLF leadership can play through their shared cooperation,� Mama told The Manila Times. Tawi-Tawi Rep. Ruby Maquiso Sahali said however that there was a short mention of “MNLF brothers and sisters� at the beginning of Murad’s speech but no additional comments followed. Last week, MILF vice chairman Ghazali Jaafar was quoted to have said they are open to unification deals with the MNLF after the latter revealed its plan
to submit their own proposal to the President Rodrigo Duterte. Meanwhile, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza also announced last week that he does not object to MNLF’s own BBL draft proposal that could complement with that of the MILF. However, Dureza, reiterated that no two Bangsamoro government could exist “since both MNLF and MILF belong to one Bangsamoro people in one territory.� Citing a report by ABS-CBN, the MILF, which is the country’s largest Moro group, has agreed to revisions on the proposed law which seeks to create a new Bangsamoro territory in Mindanao “in an effort to gain support from another rebel faction.� (With reports from Jennifer Soriano/AJPress)
The Ombudsman: Letting Aquino...
PAGE A6 with all that. The bloodiest bungle For sure, investigating a bungled police commando raid with no paper trail is much harder than documentary sleuthing to uncover DAP and BoC anomalies. But even in this wireless, paperless age, there are electronic records, like cellphone logs of key players in the Mamasapano massacre. Suspended PNP Chief Purisima provided the Senate and
PNP investigations his SMS exchange with Aquino, which began early morning, purportedly stopped around 10 a.m., then resumed about 6 p.m. after all the SAF 44 were dead. Fellow columnist Rigoberto Tiglao doubted that Aquino and Purisima stopped texting for eight hours at the worst of the debacle. So, he urged the Senate to subpoena their texting logs, to see if the messaging continued all day. Morales didn’t look into the phone records, or invite Aquino
for questioning. Indeed, she never cared to interrogate those in the thick of the country’s worst malversation, smuggling and police carnage in years, if not ever. These inquiries were bound to fail. The previous Ombudsman was ousted for supposedly favoring the President who appointed her. Morales has done far, far worse. Thankfully, she steps down next July. Then Benigno Aquino III will finally face truth and justice. (ManilaTimes.net)
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NO TO MARTIAL LAW EXTENSION. Members of militant groups hold a rally in Mendiola, Manila to condemn President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to extend martial law in Mindanao until December. President Duterte has asked both chambers of Congress to convene and tackle the extension of martial law on Saturday, July 22. His May 23 declaration under Proclamation 216, which ends on July 22, was upheld by the Supreme Court in a majority vote. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan
Supt. Marcos, 18 others have yet to serve suspension, says PNP chief by Jennifer
soriAno
AJPress
THE alleged police-suspects for killing an accused drug lord and an inmate have not yet served their suspension orders, Philippine National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa revealed on Monday, July 17. Dela Rosa said Psupt. Marvin Marcos, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Eastern Visayas (CIDG-8) and his co-accused men filed their motion for reconsideration on the suspension order for their alleged involvement on the killing of Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa while they were out on bail. “So meantime, they are on duty status, since their leave of absence was automatically terminated when they posted bail bond,� the PNP chief explained. Dela Rosa added that Marcos is back at “full duty status� and that “he can be assigned anywhere.� A Manila Bulletin article on Friday, July 14 reported that Marcos has been named chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of Region 12, located in south-central Mindanao. Earlier, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Senate recommended that Marcos
Philippine National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa
and the18 other policemen shall be charged with murder. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has supervision over NBI downgraded the charges to homicide, further allowing the accused police officers to post bail. Last week, Dela Rosa announced the reinstatement of Marcos following the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to release the alleged suspects for killing the Albuera, Leyte mayor and an inmate, Raul Yap Following dela Rosa’s announcement, Senator Panfilo Lacson, who is also the chair of Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said he would conduct a hearing when the session resumes on
July 24. Espinosa and Yap were shot dead after they allegedly attempted to fire their guns to the policemen conducting a search warrant inside the Leyte SubProvincial Jail in Baybay City on November 5 of last year. Along with Marcos, the others who were similarly charged were Supt. Santi Noel Matira, Senior Insp. Fritz Blanco, Senior Insp. Doegracias Diaz,Insp Lucredito Candilosas, SPO4 Melvin Cayubit, PO3 Johnny IbaĂąez, SPO4 Juanito Duarte, PO1 Lloyd Ortigueza, PO1 Bhernard Orpilla, SPO2 Benjamin Dacallos, PO3 Norman Abellanosa, PO1 Jerlans Cabiyaan, PO1 Clixto Canillas Jr., SPO1 Mark Christian Cadilo, PO2 John Ruel Doculan and PO2 Jaime Dacsal.
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july 21-27, 2017 • OC/IE ASIAN jOuRNAl
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the asian journal entertainment magazine
july 21-27, 2017
may 30-june 5, 2014 www.asianjournal.com
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july 21-27, 2017
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Fil-Am tattoo artist Niño Lapid on his craft and meeting GSW’s Steph Curry by MAlou liwAnAg-Bledsoe/AJPress
The fever on the win of the Golden State Warriors (GSW) as this year’s NBA champions may have died down a bit, but one person — artist Nino Lapid — also made it to the news. Besides, his art has made it the GSW’s star player Steph Curry’s arm. Right after GSW’s win, Steph and his whole family celebrated by holding a tattoo party at his home, all done by Nino. A tattoo artist for Zebra Tattoo and Body Piercing in Walnut Creek, in the Bay Area for seven years now, Nino explained that he enjoys working with his bosses Moe and Siobhan Delfani. he also shared that being able to ink Curry and his family was “destiny.” “We had that call in the afternoon and the next thing you know it, we were there,” he said in an interview with the Asian Journal. “[My] initial reaction was I was shocked...jaw dropped, open mouth...eyes wide open. I had butterflies in my stomach on the way to their house,” Nino shared. “It was mixed emotions — excited and nervous at the same time. But it was an amazing experience.” It was indeed a surreal
experience for Nino, sharing that the Curry family were enjoying their win, dancing and just having a great time while he was doing their tattoos. “[Steph] Curry was trying to play a guitar,” he said, laughing. “They were very down-toearth. Some got lettering, mostly hebrew letters that are memorable to them.” Nino has been doing tattoos for 11 years now. he, however, said that he feels like he’s “always been an artist” all his life. “When I was a young kid, my grandfather ‘Daddy Pike’ would buy all my drawings for one peso. It made me believe in myself that I am a good artist. Until now I hold to it and I’m very grateful for that,” he said. Still, he considers himself as a “late bloomer” when it comes to doing art. Prior to moving to the United States in 2000, he was actually a pre-school and assistant special education
teacher in the Philippines. Since the media picked up the story of him inking the Curry family, Nino’s once quiet life has turned upside down. “The attention I got was from all over the world which is very insane,” he said. “People are hitting me up on Facebook and Instagram.” Not that he hasn’t known a lot about being with celebrities as he has tattooed some NFL
Stephen and wife Ayesha Curry get tattoos from Filipino artist Niño Lapid in photos posted to Instagram.
players like the Oakland Raiders in the past, as well as other local Bay Area personalities. he admits, however, that by far, “Curry is up there.” Also, his mother is the former Miss World 1973 1st runner up and actress, evangeline Pascual. however, Nino doesn’t put all that attention in his head. What is important to him is to continue honing his craft. “It was like 15 minutes of fame,” he said. “Learning the craft, it’s a never-ending process. You always try to better yourself...stay hungry.” happy to have made the Filipinos proud, Nino also believes that we should all stay connected. “ We all gathered to celebrate the Warriors victory despite our differences. Filipinos are like the Warriors team,” he shared. “We have a sense of community that drives us to stay connected. We are Filipinos — let’s love one another.” Follow Nino Lapid at www. mrzebra.com and on Instagram @ zappyzip.
Jinkee Pacquiao ponders KC Concepcion shares her journey to ‘Best Body Ever’ about the future of her family By Krissy
AguilAr
AJPress
by ricKy lo Philstar.com
AS far as Jinkee Pacquiao is concerned, it’s possible to stay as young as you can be. And, yes, “it’s possible” for Jinkee to convince her husband, Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao, to hang his gloves for good and good riddance!!!...after his recent loss to Australia’s Jeff horn by unanimous decision (reviewed with finality by an independent group authorized KC Concepcion Photo from her Instagram account by the World Boxing Organization follow,” she reminded her followers. (WBO) in what was touted as Dapat-Sy’s G-Force’s White Shirt Battle of Brisbane. Aside from getting in shape, Love dance classes. As far as Jinkee is concerned, she is also focused on being a Concepcion’s fitness routine it’s family first. She puts God and National Ambassador for United also includes hot yoga and pilates, her family above all else and has Nations’ World Food Programme a workout routine that improves made sure to give everything she (UNWFP). physical strength, flexibility and got on supporting Manny and By selling secondhand luxury posture. their children. items through her online shop, “each body is different. Get But Jinkee might get a KC’s Closet, she raises funds for to know yourself and understand polite “no” from Manny who is children’s school meals in Central what your body went through first determined to seek vindication. Mindanao. and helping it the right way will Last July 12, Manny posted this on his Twitter account: I love this sport and until the passion is gone, I will continue to fight for God, my family, my fans and my country. here’s an exclusive By JoAnnA estorque “I don’t filter what I say. Why For Lustre, what matters is that Conversation with Jinkee: AJPress This time after Horn, do you would I lie? This is me. If they don’t she has peace of mind with her think you can convince Manny to like it, then… but thank you to all NeGATIVe comments family and relatives. “I don’t hide retire? those who support me, of course,” outpoured on social media anything from them. For them, if “I am praying consistently that Nadine said. over Nadine Lustre’s vague I’m okay, we’re okay.” Manny will soon retire.” The actress asserted that she statement on news that she and Despite the issue, the actress Watching the fight in and James dislike dishonesty and boyfriend James Reid are already said she remains “unaffected.” She Brisbane (without Mommy secrecy, but pointed out that there also mentioned that it is normal living together. But the actress Dionisia and the kids) pareho maintained that she was just being are things that do not need to be to not please everyone and pa ang nararamdaman mo sa broadcasted. honest. continued by saying, “Life goes previous fights? on… Let’s just leave it at that.” “Yes, I always have the same The controversy rooted from feelings. Nervous and worried the recent video of an interview at the same time. Di ko naman with the actress while breaking maiaalis yun but more on prayer her silence on the live-in rumor for him that’s what I do when he with her boyfriend that went viral. fights.” She said, “I mean if that was true, Is it true that Manny can’t say so what? It’s not new anymore. There are younger couples who are no to a rematch because of an younger than me who... It’s already existing contract? “I don’t know yet about the normal. Come on, guys. It’s 2017.” rematch. I believe he can’t say no “Let’s all just be open-minded. to his opponent if he asks for a That’s what we needed now,” rematch.” Nadine answered when further Your family has more than asked on her advice to young and enough money, can’t you tell conservative supporters. Throwback to JaDine’s wedding scene in “On The Wings of Love.” Philstar.com photo
ACTReSS and host KC Concepcion share about going through weight loss struggle caused by recent events in her life. On her Instagram account, Concepcion said that suffering from dengue fever, pneumonia and chronic fatigue in the past two years made her “gain more weight.” Being sensitive to chemicals, supplements and sugar also added more challenge to her fitness journey. Nonetheless, the 32-year-old is determined to get her “best body ever” the natural way. “I’m focusing on that healthy #LifestyleChange with eating, exercise, resting, stress management and being good to your mind and body every single day!” she said. In her recent Instagram posts, she has been attending Georcelle
Nadine Lustre’s take on live-in issue with James Reid: ‘I don’t filter what I say’
The Pacquiao family: Manny and Jinkee with the kids Michael, Israel, Emmanuel Jr., Queen Elizabeth and Mary Divine Grace. Photo from Jinkee’s Instagram account
Manny to just enjoy life with you and the kids? “Yes. For me, gusto ko magretire na sya and enjoy life with his family and focus on being a senator.” How is Manny as a husband? “Manny is a very loving and caring husband.” And how is he as a father? “As a father, he always makes sure that we are well. he loves to hug and kiss them. even though he is so busy he still makes time to spend time with them, with us.” Your children are educated in exclusive schools, How do you and Manny keep up with them? “As parents, we mold them to become God-fearing. They are all very smart and lovable kids. We encourage them to read always the Bible and they love to do it! On my part, being a wife and mother is tough but I learned to be strong with everything that I’ve been through. And learned to have more patience and understanding. Most of all, I learned that to love and forgive is the key. have a biblical perspective and positive outlook in life. I learned to always pray to
God in everything! he answers prayers.” Don’t you and Manny spoil the kids? “No. When they make mistakes, we talk to them in a gentle manner and, of course, with love. We want them to be humble and God-fearing men and women when they grow up. If they are godly, it leads to riches, honor and life. We also teach them that God loves them so much no matter what. And that they should always be grateful for everything!” Any health regimen? “To maintain my healthy lifestyle, of course, first I must have a positive outlook in life, get the right perspective and always hope for the best. Renewing my mind by changing the way I think in life. To love God and people. Love and forgiveness is the key! And then everything follows. exercise four times a week, eat healthy foods, minus the sweets and soft drinks.” How do you see life with Manny if and when he agrees to retire? “Serving God and people.”
Solenn Heussaff commends Filipino soldiers after Marawi visit By Krissy
AguilAr AJPress
SOLENN Heussaff couldn’t help but be teary-eyed after she visited soldiers stationed in Marawi City. She said she didn’t know what to expect when she was invited by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to visit the Philippine Health Service Command in the war-stricken city. “As I went from bed to bed, I came across men who were smiling, but whose souls were crying out,” she said on her blog, Solenn.ph. The soldiers are currently battling the Maute group and other Islamic State (IS)-inspired militants who have brought violent attacks to the city. “My tears welled up and I felt my heart pounding in my throat as I held their hands one by one,” Heussaff said. The 32-year-old artist also
Solenn Heussaff
described the physical injuries of the soldiers who fought in the battle: “Many were missing a finger, a leg, an arm. Some of them were smiling through pain and some had smiles I couldn’t even see due to severe burns.”
Heussaff also described the experience as if being in a movie set because it’s a place “you cannot imagine to be real.” “We can’t say, I can imagine what you’re going through, because we can’t. We can’t say, Things will be fine, because their memories of what happened aren’t,” she lamented. The visit nor the blog post wasn’t for charity, but she urged people to acknowledge these unsung heroes by helping them and their families. “So whether you choose to give letters, food, clothes, or anything that can bring a smile to their face or hope in their hearts while they recover, please do give it,” she said. Her first-hand experience of meeting the wounded soldiers even inspired Heussaff to create a new art piece that she posted on her Instagram.
Fil-Am Angelica Hale earns Golden Buzzer on ‘America’s Got Talent’
july 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com
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Coldplay salutes US immigrants in new lyric video by Krissy AguilAr AJPress
BRITISH rock band Coldplay celebrates the contributions of immigrants to the United States in their new lyric video titled “Miracles (Someone Special),” which also features Big Sean. By JoAnnA EstorquE The video also showcases AJPress America’s long history of THE extraordinary voice of welcoming immigrants from all nine-year-old Filipina-American over the world. singer Angelica Hale continues to It features photographs of prevail on “America’s Got Talent” as immigrants arriving at New York she incredibly performed “Girl on City’s Ellis Island from 19th to 20th Fire,” convincing guest judge Chris century slowly coming in to life Hardwick to bestow her the coveted through a live photo effect. Golden Buzzer on Tuesday, July 18. Ellis Island is known as the The Golden Buzzer country’s busiest immigrant automatically advances inspection station from 1892 until contestants to the live shows, the 1954, being a gateway for over 12 later round of the contest. million immigrants to the United “I’m so blown away because States. you walk out and you’ve got these “My father said never give up, sneakers on, and you look like son,” the band’s frontman Chris Angelica Hale performing Alicia Keys’ “Girl On Fire” Photo courtesy of NBC Martin sings at the start of the song this adorable little child. And then for raising money for the hospitals. before mentioning famous icons impressed by the Fil-Am’s rendition you open your mouth and it’s like, I won’t forget my experience in my like Muhammad Ali, Mahatma of the Alica Keys’ hit. ‘How do those pipes fit in that hospital because that is kind of The child wonder first tiny body?’ You are unbelievable!” Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. like a centerpiece in my life,” Hale impressed the judges with her Hardwick said before pushing the They were born out of nothing, said in a video. astonishing performance of Andra Golden Buzzer. but eventually became some of the The experience she was Days’“Rise Up” on her audition. He continuously praised the most influential people in history. pertaining to was the bacterium She further amazed viewers with singer by saying, “Angelica, I feel The secret, as Martin sings, is that infection in her lungs that her kind heart for using her voice you’re the chosen one.” they are “not scared to be strong.” damaged her kidneys, requiring to sing on charity events. Aside from Hardwick, the Later, the song names other her to undergo a kidney “I wanted to become like rest of the judging panel, which inspiring figures such as Amelia transplant when she was just four Earheart, Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks includes Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi [popular singers], but instead of years old. doing it for something else, I did it Klum, and Simon Cowell were also and Mother Teresa.
“You’ve got bright in your brains and lightning in your veins, you’ll go higher than they’ve ever gone,” Martin sings at the chorus. Rapper Big Sean recalls the obstacles he faced while chasing his dreams and living in contemporary America such as overcoming financial debt and confronting the pressures of the society. “Prove it to them or you prove it to yourself, but honestly it’s better if you do it for yourself,” he raps. The song whispers some words of motivation, encouraging its audience to not only be like any of the great names mentioned, but exceed what they have reached. “Miracles (Someone Special)” is part of Coldplay’s new Kaleidoscope EP which also features “Hypnotised,”“All I Can Think About Is You,” the Brian Eno
collaboration “Aliens” and a remix of their collaborative hit with the Chainsmokers, “Something Just Like This.” Coldplay has long been active on including humanitarian causes in their tracks and this is the second song to raise social issues from the same five-track EP. Earlier this month, Coldplay released the track “Aliens” and its proceeds will support Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), a charity that rescues migrants in peril while trying to cross the Mediterranean. The five-track release follows the band’s 2015 LP “A Head Full of Dreams,” which the band had hinted could be its final full-length album. The band will be on the North American leg of their A Head Full Of Dreams Tour until November before heading to Brazil and Argentina.
july 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com
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DIRECTOR MIKHAIL RED’S BIRDSHOT
A gripping thriller highlights endangered Philippine eagle and society’s ills By MoMar
G. Visaya
AJPress
“Birdshot,” Filipino independent filmmaker Mikhail red’s second full-length film
feature, is on a roll in the filmfest circuit. Last year, the film triumphed at the tokyo Film Festival and gave red the Asian Future Award.
this year, it went back to Japan for the osaka Asian Film Festival as part of its new New Action! southeast Asia special Program. so far, “Birdshot” has been screened in about 15 film festivals across the globe. the film, screened last week at the Film society of Lincoln Center as the Centerpiece Film of the 16th New York Asian Film Festival, is a thriller that centers around two violent events that found an unlikely intersection as the film progressed. it stars veteran actors John Arcilla, Ku Aquino and Arnold reyes, along with a young teen actress Mary Joy Apostol making her film screen debut. NYAFF’s sweet 16 the NYAFF, North America’s leading festival of Asian cinema, showcased 57 feature films, and featured appearances by more than 20 international filmmakers and celebrity guests from mainland China, hong Kong, taiwan, south Korea, Japan, and southeast Asia. New to NYAFF in 2017 is the Main Competition section, featuring seven diverse works by first or second-time directors that are all having their North
Director Mikhail Red and actor Arnold Reyes pose with NYAFF officials Samuel Jamier (executive director) and Stephen Cremin (deputy director) at the red carpet, prior to the screening of Birdshot.
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American premieres at the festival. Competing are “Bad Genius” (thailand), “Birdshot” (Philippines), “A double Life” (Japan), “the Gangster’s daughter” (taiwan), “Kfc” (Vietnam), “Jane” (south Korea), and “With Prisoners” (hong Kong). “We were seeking a range of original films from young, first-time directors, films that represent the diversity of filmmaking from Asia, stories that say something both very local and specific to their countries of origin and something very universal: we hope we achieved at least some of this with our inaugural competition selection, which includes films from seven countries/cities in the region in a broad variety of genres,” NYAFF executive director samuel Jamier said. two other films from the Philippines made it to the lineup this year, “saving sally” and “Matangtubig (town in a Lake)”. “it’s important for us to champion new filmmaking from Asia, and the diversity of film made there at a time when other festivals in North America seem to be reducing the size of their Asian lineups,” Jamier added. Young blood the young director, Mikhail red started writing and directing short films when he was 15. At the age of 21, he made his first full-length feature film, rekorder, which went around the world to get screened in more than 10 film festivals. his first venture won him the Best New director award at the 2014 Vancouver international Film Festival along with other awards and accolades in Barcelona and Gwangju. “i’m really proud and thankful that New York Asian Film Festival invited our movie and has given us this platform to finally share this film with North American audiences. i hope people like our
Mikhail Red and Arnold Reyes
film,” red told the Asian Journal a few hours before the screening. red said that the idea of the film started when he saw a news article years ago about a father and son who shot and accidently killed an eagle. the man was eventually jailed for that but he insisted he was unaware that it was a crime. “it was tragic for the eagle, for the conservationists, even for the uneducated community members who live in the fringes of wilderness,” he shared. Mikhail came up with the script, which he co-wrote with his cousin in late 2014 when they won a grant from doha, Qatar. tBA, the production company behind the successful film heneral Luna, came on board when they saw that we had funding and the script had potential. the crew took their time since there were no deadlines or premiere requirements. it took them 23 days to shoot and six months for post-production. And when they were ready, they premiered at tokyo Film Festival. “Every time you’re in a film festival you are given a platform
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AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya
to share your story, your hard work with an international audience,” Mikhail said. “Just completing the film, it was a difficult film to make as it was almost ten times bigger than my first film, i had to parang jump off a cliff like bahala na, build your wings on the way down.” Twin plot “Birdshot” tells two parallel stories of two characters who start out very naïve and innocent and their characters progress and develop as they journey through in the film. then there are a couple of senior characters, who tell them that in order to survive the pecking order, they have to grow fangs and learn to become the predators. “i like morally ambiguous characters like that where the lines between the protagonists and antagonists are blurred. the film is like that, the characters are all victims in a way and are pitted against each other to survive this food chain of society and they have to navigate through a lot of moral decisions in almost like this minefield,” red shared. Continued on Page 6
Immigration bond hearings: What you need to know
Problem Solved Atty. Kelly O’Reilly EarliEr this year in January, President Trump signed executive orders designed to place greater focus on removal of certain immigrants that are in the country without permission. in February, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, John Kelly, issued memos detailing on how the President’s executive orders would be enforced. The memos expand the categories of people classified as “priorities for removal.” This expansion has led to increased arrests by immigration and Customs Enforcement (iCE). When a person is identified by iCE as an enforcement priority, they may be apprehended by iCE. Under most circumstances, the apprehended person then has the ability request an immigration bond hearing. an immigration bond is separate and distinct from a criminal bond, and must therefore be handled differently. Often times, when a person is in state custody for a criminal offense, they are informed that they have an “iCE hold.” This means that iCE intends to detain the person once they no longer in state custody. Once in iCE custody, the person can request to have an immigration bond hearing before an immigration judge. iCE does have the ability to grant bonds directly, but this is most often
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MOnette AdevA MAglAyA
left to the immigration judge to decide. it is imperative to retain the services of an experienced immigration lawyer to represent you in the bond hearing before the immigration judge. There, it will be the job of the detained person and their attorney to persuade the immigration judge that the detained person is neither a flight risk nor a danger to the public, and that they should therefore be granted bond and released from iCE custody. Much of the decision is a question of the immigration judge’s discretion. This means that the immigration judge weighs evidence in front of him or her to determine if bond should be granted. During the bond hearing, the immigration judge may ask the detained person, or their attorney, about family ties, employment, and past criminal history. any criminal history is viewed as a negative factor that is weighed against other positive factors. Positive and negative factors should be provided to the judge before the bond hearing in a thorough and organized brief. if there is criminal history, a key factor for a detained person and their attorney is to demonstrate rehabilitation by means of certificates showing participation in and/or completion of rehabilitation programs, letters in support of good moral character,
substance abuse counseling, and other similar evidence. in addition to rehabilitation evidence, any other evidence showing positive factors should be presented to the immigration judge. after all of these factors are considered by the immigration judge, a decision is made on whether or not bond should be granted. if bond is granted, the immigration judge will determine what the bond amount will be. The immigration bond hearing is often one of the most crucial steps taken at any point in a person’s immigration process. There is no better time to have an experienced immigration attorney’s representation. at Wilner & O’reilly, we specialize in all aspects of immigration law. if you or a loved one has an iCE hold, or is currently in iCE custody, reach out to one of our offices located in California, idaho, and Utah. ***
Kelly S. O’Reilly is a nationally known immigration expert and former immigration officer. He is a highly sought after speaker on immigration and employment compliance issues. Mr. O’Reilly serves as the current chair of the Riverside County Bar Association Immigration section and is a partner in the full-service immigration firm of the Wilner & O’Reilly where he provides free consultations. Mr. O’Reilly can be contacted at (714) 919-8880 and he welcomes email inquiries at kelly@ wilneroreilly.com.
Children just like you “The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy.” - Alfred North Whitehead
(1 of 2 parts)
(STORIES can teach, heal, entertain, remind and bring home a message with laser-like accuracy and oftentimes, with latent comment. They appeal to all ages. I like retelling the old classics and seeing how their lessons still apply to our lives today. Like organic botanicals from an older gene pool, these stories are pure, without manipulation or embellishments, and perhaps, are a good thing to chew on. Simple, organic, direct — these are the stories that hit home. The lessons are as good now as they were then. Here’s one of them.) long ago in the island of Crete, there lived a man named Daedalus, who was famed for his skills as an inventor. He worked for King Minos. Foremost among his many achievements was building the labyrinth in which the king kept the Minotaur, a fearsome, legendary beast which was half-man and half-bull that fed on human flesh. it was said that anyone who went into the labyrinth never came out of it
Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, Md, FACS, FPCS lOSing weight on a diet that is high in fat is dangerous for overall health. The risk of coronary heart disease has been found to be significantly higher among those individuals who stayed on a high protein red meat diet to lose weight. While these subjects became slimmer, their cholesterol levels were high, leading to a higher rate of heart attacks. The object of dieting is not only to maintain a normal weight but to be healthier all around. nothing beats abstinence from red meat and eggs (eating only fish, vegetable, fruit, high-fiber is healthier), combined with daily exercise, abstinence from tobacco, and disciplined alcohol intake is the best formula for maintaining good health. *** Persons getting a flu shot to prevent influenza may even experience an added benefit from it. Studies have shown that flu vaccination appears to be associated with a reduced risk of stroke, especially among those who are 60-75 years old. *** Soft drinks, in whatever form, cola or uncola, caffeinated of decaf, diet or regular, are all toxic to our body, especially to children. This beverage harms our Dna in the long run and increases the risk for the development of metabolic syndrome. There is no healthier substitute for fresh, filtered, clean water, which is also less expensive. *** Forget all old worries and past
again because of its complex, undecipherable winding walls and corridors. Daedalus was brilliant and this was a problem for the king. although Daedalus had been giving the king great and loyal service all his life, Minos was deeply insecure and feared that Daedalus who was wise, celebrated and ingenious would, one day challenge him to become king. as a preemptive move, Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son, icarus in a prison tower. The king underestimated Daedalus, for one dark night, father and son escaped from their prison tower. They found out however that it was well nigh impossible to escape the island with the paranoid King Minos sending out an all points bulletin to his mindless minions. Minos’ soldiers carefully searched every boat that left the island. Father and son took cover in a remote cave along the shore hidden from the watchful eyes
of Minos’ soldiers while Daedalus figured out a way to escape. Watching the seagulls for hours soaring and diving for food on the shore, Daedalus was struck with the idea of flight as an escape route. He caught one bird and studied the structure and form of its wings and after careful thought, decided to copy how a wing is made. He instructed icarus to catch seagulls and pluck their feathers. When there were enough feathers, he sewed them together and used melted wax to bind the feathers on a wooden framework. He created the contraption so skillfully that they looked like a giant replica of a bird’s wings. He customized two pairs of wings for himself and for his son, careful to take each of their individual body weights into consideration. But having wings was one thing, knowing how to use those wings to fly was another. So Daedalus strapped his wings Continued on Page 6
Medical pearls problems, if you want your blood pressure not to shoot up. it is a medical fact that recalling previous sad or morbid events, or emotional trauma, raises the blood pressure during the moment of recollection. if these spikes in blood pressure happen often, they could adversely affect the heart. all of us should let go of these painful experiences of the past and not dwell on them. life ahead of us is so precious we ought to leave our miserable baggage behind and have a more positive outlook, at the same time protect our heart. *** if you love tuna, which is a good fish, it is better to eat canned light tuna and not the giant albacore because its mercury content is much lower than fresh or frozen tuna. Short-lived and younger tuna is used for canning. giant fish in general have higher mercury content. *** You do not really have to run or jog for health. Brisk walking can lower the incidence of heart disease by 18%, as effectively as any of those more vigorous exercises, minus the injuries attendant to them. Minimal impact exercises are better for our joints. *** Oil of oregano: an “antibiotic”? it seems so, to a certain extent, anyway. it has been found that oil of oregano, which is used in salad dressing and for cooking, reduces harmful food pathogens. This oil has been found to inhibit E. Coli and listeria monocytogenes. *** Mustard is a popular condiment, used in a variety ways, especially with hotdogs. The
compound that imparts yellow color in mustard is curcumin, component of tumeric spice, and curcumin has been found to slow down the progression of cancer. all spices are potent antioxidant that lower the risk for cancer development. *** Vegetables of all colors and types reduce cancer risk and boost the immune system. also a cancer inhibitor is raspberry, actually all berries, because of their content, ellagic acid, a cancer-inhibitor. Make sur to wash vegetables, berries, and other fresh food items before consuming them to cleanse them of any contamination, bacteria, fungal, or chemicals. *** Which cooking oil is the best for us? Here is a list of the most commonly found ones on the grocery shelves, including the calories (Cal), fat contents in grams (F), saturated fat in grams (SF), cholesterol (Ch), per tablespoonful: Canola Cal-121, F-13.6, SF-1; Coconut Cal-118, F-13.6, SF-11.8; Corn Cal-121, F-13.6, SF-1.7; Olive Cal-119, F-13.5, SF-1.8; Peanut Cal-119, F- 13.5, SF- 2.3; Soybean 121, F- 13.6, SF-2.0; Palm Cal-121, F-13.6, SF-6.7. all of these have zero cholesterol and sodium. Virgin olive oil and canola have the lowest saturated fat content, and coconut, the highest. One coconut has about 1349 calories and 127.7 grams of fat, 113 saturated fats and 76 mg of sodium. Eating a lot of coconut oil or food items made of, or with, coconut, is not really healthy. Our choice for cooking oil is, of course, virgin olive oil, canola, second. *** Continued on Page 6
july 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com
Calendar of Events across
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Filipino Caucus Family Retreat in Lake Hughes, CA The Filipino Caucus of the California Pacific Annual Conference (CALPAC) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) is inviting its members to a family retreat to be held from July 21 to 23. The venue will be the scenic Oak Camps and Conference Center (18651 Pine Canyon Road, Lake Hughes, California). The Rev. Dr. Bener Agtarap, Associate General Secretary of the UMC Board of Discipleship Ministry will be the resource person and guest speaker during the three- day gathering to be marked with group discussions and fellowship. “Rekindling the Flame” will be the theme of this retreat. According to Rev. Nelson Castorillo, the Filipino Caucus president, the goal of the retreat is re-igniting and rekindling the symbolic flame representing the spirit and unity of this growing group of Filipino-American Methodists and hoping this type of gathering will reenergize and revitalize the Church. The Rosewood UMC, headed by Ding Lapus, is coordinating the event. He is assisted by Noribel Taguba, Vicky Ignacio, Dennis Mañacop, Auring Garcia, John Umaguing, Revs. Manny Predas and Lisa Santiago. Food and lodging for three days is $148 and $103 for children 7-12 years old. Check is payable to the Filipino Caucus, PO Box 10435, Glendale, CA 91209. For more information please call Rev. Nelson (909) 538-7606 or email at nelsonpreacher@gmail.com.
J u LY 2 2
Money Smart for Small Business in El Monte, CA Come to an introductory business course designed for newer business owners, selfemployed individuals, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Course topics include: startup planning, organizational types, risk management, credit reporting, business insurance, time & financial management, selling & succession planning, banking services for small businesses, recordkeeping, and tax & business planning. The curriculum is developed jointly by the FDIC and the SBA. It will be held on Saturday, July 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cathay Bank (9650 Flair Dr., El Monte, CA 91731). The fee is $20 payable to Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program (API SBP). Breakfast, lunch and course materials will be provided by Cathay Bank. There will be limited seating so advance registration is required. To register, please contact Colleen Seto at (213) 373-1605 or cseto@ltsc.org. Participants will be eligible for free business counseling by API SBP.
J u LY 29
The Filipino-Americans of Contra Costa County, Inc. hosts annual picnic in Hercules, CA The Filipino-Americans of Contra Costa County, Inc. (FACCC, Inc.) invites you to its annual potluck picnic on Saturday, July 29 at Foxboro Park in Hercules, CA. It will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring your favorite dish to share. FACCC, Inc. will provide barbecued beef, chicken, hot dogs and water. For any inquiries, call Chairperson Roy de Leon at (510) 5655465 or Vice Chair Joe Medrano at (510) 417-0585.
Spotlight on Vets in Van Nuys, CA Together with and under the leadership of Consul General Adelio Angelito Cruz, Mutch Carino of Maxx Promos is presenting a fundraiser show Spotlight on Vets, in support of the Filipino WWII Veterans. The benefit show was launched during a press conference that was hosted by Goldilocks Norwalk in Cerritos through the courtesy of Robert Yee and Ms. Jo Ann Kyle. The Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 was passed and was signed into law by President Obama on December 14, 2016. With this Act, our Filipino veterans will be honored by Congress with the Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) for their service and sacrifice during World War II. Spotlight on Vets aims to raise funds in order to purchase and award Congressional Gold Medal replicas in bronze to living veterans and posthumously to surviving family members. It will be held on July 29, 2017 Saturday 7:00pm at the Envision Center - 15055 Oxnard Street in Van Nuys, California. For tickets and sponsorship information, please call (626) 716-5442.
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Philippine Heritage Institute International hosts 11th Annual Youth Congress in Rosemead, CA “Spreading Our Wings Towards Unity” is the theme of the 11th Annual Youth Congress to be presented by the Philippine Heritage Institute International (PHII) on August 12, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Garvey Community Center, 9108 E. Garvey Ave., Rosemead, CA 91770, (626) 569-2212. The Congress hopes to rekindle interest in the youth movement and its role in nation-building. “Our vision,” said the late PHII founder Naomi Palma-Armada, “is to improve the quality of life affecting Filipino American communities through research, education and recognition with the youth as its main focus.” Her legacy lives on. Speakers at the Youth Congress are: Charlene Bugais, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, L.A.; Louinn Lota, Chaminade College Preparatory, Teacher/Program Director, Speech/Debate; Aries Mladinov, Office Manager, Olive Branch Counseling Centers; Faith Nishimura, Team Captain, Speech/Debate, Claremont High School; and Charmaine Villacisneros-Tusjakova, CEO, ‘Iskaster Media.’ Admission is free; lunch and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by July 31 to: Chair Vicky de Leon (818) 648-3493, Email: manvic13@yahoo.com; Pres. Josie E. de Jesus (714) 272-0300, Email: joestarisdejesus@gmail.com; Co-chair Anna A. Chickey, M.D. (562) 900-0379, Email: annachickeymd@yahoo.com, or Lydia V. Solis (626) 827-1036, Email: lvsolis@aol.com.
Au G u ST 1 3
University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) Induction Ball in Whittier, CA The Univeristy of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) will hold its Induction Ball on August 13, 2017 Sunday at the Double Tree by Hilton - Whittier on 7320 Greenleaf Avenue, Whittier, CA 90602. Mutch Carino will be inducted as President of UPAAGLA for 2017-2019, together with the newly elected officers composed of Ethel Rubio (President Elect), Nati Matitu (1st VP), Evelyn Andamo (2nd VP), Joy Angeles (Recording Secretary), Gil Guinto (Treasurer), Malette Lampino (Assitant Treasurer), Dick Cu (Auditor), Benny Uy (PRO) and Bobby Canseco (IT Officer). The 2017-2019 UPAAGLA Board of Directors are Ivy Manalang, Atty. Mary Lyn Sanga, Luisa Lansingan, Ellery Atienza, Mary Drees, Jess Espanola, Bob Shroder, Carina Slepian, Ivy Cosio-Bautista, Ellen Gomez, Tina Escueta Martin, Angie Alvarez and Relson Banas. The advisers of UPAAGLA are Dr. Arnel Joaquin, Vicky Gancayco, Jazmin Gaite, Alma Onrubia, Frank Mamaril, Doris Maligalig and Sonja Menor. Red carpet arrivals and No Host Cocktails begin at 6:00 p.m. Program and dinner start at 7:00 p.m. For tickets, sponsorships and souvenir program advertisements, please call Dick Cu (562) 547-0560.
SepTember 1-4
Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School international reunion in Las Vegas Come and celebrate with RMCHS alumni and guests for the third biannual international homecoming. Sing, dance, party, share precious memories and join the fun from Friday, September 1 to Monday, September 4 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino at 4500 W. Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89103. Join the golf tournament in the morning of Saturday, Sept. 2 and then wear your best (black and white) for a dinner dance later that evening. Make this event an opportunity to reunite with your own batchmates, watch a show, visit tourist spots, and stroll along the Las Vegas Strip. For more information, visit the RMCHS 2017 INTL REUNION Facebook page.
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26th annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture in Echo Park Save the date! The 26th annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) hosted by Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (FilAm ARTS) is back at Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, October 14. Expect a whole day filled with art exhibits, entertainment, and Fil-Am vendors. More details and special guests to be announced. For more information, please visit: http://www.filamarts.org/.
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july 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com
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Tony Award nominee Eva Noblezada impresses Vogue for slaying the red carpet ShE may not have gotten the 2017 Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical, but Fil-Am Eva Noblezada was complimented by Vogue.com as she slayed the red carpet with her stylish look. Wearing an elegant gown by Jonathan Simkhai, the 21-year-old theater actress was described to have the “best beauty looks” on the event held at Radio Music hall in New York last June 11. “Miss Saigon star Eva Noblezada, who reached for trace of luminous highlighter to indicate off her Tony-nominated cheekbones,” noticed by vogue.com. Eva has been playing the lead Eva Noblezada role Kim in the popular musical “Miss Saigon.” her experience, performer Bette Midler triumphed however, did not bring her to over her and Patti LuPone. what could have been her first her luck started when she Tony Award, as outstanding was only 17 and was chosen to
lead the London revival of “Miss Saigon” after a director discovered her extraordinary talent while she was performing at the National high School Musical Theatre Awards. And now, she’s proving her talent in Broadway. The Broadway production of “Miss Saigon” also received a nomination for Best Revival of a Musical. Eva performed a scene from this nominated play and aside from her look, she also enticed people with her wonderful performance as she sang “I’d Give My Life for You.” “Miss Saigon’s” original Kim, Lea Salonga, and co-star Jon Briones joined the event and introduce the cast who performed the scene with Eva. (With reports from Joanna Estorque/AJPress, Interkasyon)
Angelina, Joey Mead King bond with Caitlyn Jenner By iRis
VicEntE AJPress
STAR couple Angelina and Joey Mead King of TLC Asia’s “The Kings” reunited with Caitlyn Jenner during a recent dinner date in Malibu, California. Angelina, who came out as a transgender woman on an Instagram post last year, first met with fellow transwoman Caitlyn in November whom she calls as her “adviser”. “My adviser @caitlynjenner advising my wife @joeymeadking to allow me to keep on racing” Angelina’s caption reads. The video showed the couple with Caitlyn who told Joey to “let Angie just kinda be herself, she’ll be so much happier.” Angelina, formerly Ian Angelo, is a car enthusiast and businesswoman who married Filipino-Iranian TV personality Joey Mead in 2011. She later came out of the closet with the support of family and friends especially her wife who’s been there all throughout her transition. “You can’t stop a charging train. So you jump along. I’m
Angelina and Joey Mead King with Caitlyn Jenner Photo from Angelina’s Instagram account
going in for the ride. It’s going to be a roller coaster, but I’m going to ride it until the wheels fall off – because I have fought hard for our love. We’ve been together for ten years, and I’m not fazed by how Ian, Angie, my wife, my partner, my soulmate—all these titles—I’m not fazed by how you will look. Nothing. I don’t see it. I just see that I love you. And that’s how it’s always been” Joey’s earnest remark on her relationship
with husband, now wife Angie, in an exclusive tell-all with Rouge Magazine last year. Meanwhile, Caitlyn Jenner, previously Bruce, who stars in an E reality show “I am Cait,” is a former Olympian and father of famous celebrities Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Caitlyn, on her transition, appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair in 2015 and recently had her name and gender legally changed.
ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ʼn æIJįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíß߼æÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽIJĕ If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, email us the details (title, description, time & date, location, etc.) at info@asianjournalinc.com. And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event. To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice. The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.
Maine Mendoza graces cover of Dubai-based magazine by Elijah
RodERos
AJ Press
ThE Philippines’ Dubsmash queen and “Eat Bulaga!” host, Maine Mendoza lands on the cover of the premier issue of Rank Magazine online this month. Rank pays homage to the other half of the phenomenal “AlDub” love team, marking their 2nd anniversary in the industry that paved way for recordbreaking milestones both in social media and television. Dubai-based international designer, Michael Cinco proudly told the news on his Instagram post, “The phenomenal star MAINE MENDOZA @mainedcm graces the amazing cover of the premiere issue of RANK Magazine wearing a couture silver embroidered Michael Cinco dress.” Meanwhile, Leo Balante, editor of the online Rank, expressed their excitement for the issue via his Instagram(@mrleoblnt): #TamangPanahon is here and we are proud to present to you the premiere issue of Rank Magazine online with @ mainedcm. Two years after her historic thrust in front of the camera, @rankmagazine decodes the phenomenon that is #MaineMendoza—her surge to superstar status, the magnitude of her unexpected celebrity, and her continuing relationship with the adoring public. In an article by Interaksyon, Mendoza thanked her fans for the overwhelming support she’s been receiving since the beginning. “I never dreamed of being in this position. Everything happened so fast for me and Alden. I still could not fathom what people saw in me. It’s a question that I honestly still could
Maine Mendoza is this month’s cover girl of Dubai-based Rank Magazine.
not answer,” Maine said. The young superstar insists that the price of AlDub’s success is hard work. “Some people think that what we do is easy, that’s it’s all glitz and glamour and everything is very relaxed. But the truth is, there’s a lot of downside to being an artist, a celebrity,” she said. At the moment, the magazine’s website is currently offline for
further maintenance and fixes. The two-cover issue will also be including stories of Michael Cinco, fashion model and fitness enthusiast Tohid Ajdani, thespian Jay Gonzaga, and influencer Lharby Policarpio. Rank Magazine is a fashion magazine located based in Dubai, which also featured British supermodel Kate Moss and Spanish Muse, Bimba Bose.
A gripping thriller highlights... From Page 4 Peppered throughout that whole script is a lot of references to other true stories that happened in the Philippines, including his take on the infamous Maguindanao massacre. In essence, the film is a microcosm of what’s going on in the Philippine society. “I like making fictional plots more imaginative plots. I want the surface story to be something engaging even for a general audience. On the surface, “Birdshot” is a coming of age thriller with suspense elements but I’d like to smuggle in these extra layers that in a way, you earn as a viewer. Look closer and you get to see the sub-texts,” he said. Western feel When Mikhail was planning “Birdshot,” he wanted a western set in the Philippine environment. In that case, he succeeded in doing so because they have been getting feedbacks and reactions that the film is not the typical indie film from the Philippines. To complete the western look that he wanted, the team went to the Department of Agriculture and they explained their vision and pegs. The officials pointed to a map, which turned out to be Isabela, which is quite an interesting coincidence because as they found out later, the last of the Philippine eagle colonies in Luzon are found up there, in the Sierra Madre mountain range. “When you think of Filipino film, you imagine rice fields so we decided to use corn fields instead to get that almost western look, that this is a place in the Philippines hidden from most of us. It’s almost like this Garden of Eden in a way, somewhere in the mountains where there is still a colony of eagles left,” he said. The slow-burning thriller moves at a more dynamic pace as the characters go through their evolution. Mary Joy Apostol, the teen girls who plays Maya, delivers in a big way. Not quite a small feat considering that this is her first feature film. “We wanted a fresh face surrounded by a lot of skilled, veteran actors. We made an open call and we got about a hundred submissions. Nag shortlist kami and she landed the role because of the combination of her grace and ferocity,” he said. Arnold Reyes, who plays the role of Domingo, the rookie cop, is just thankful to be included in this film. “Mik is very young. When I finished watching the film, I said, ‘Gawa ba ito ng isang batang director? This is only his second feature but for me, ang lalim ng pinanggalingan niya,” he shared. “For us actors to be working with
a director like Mik, who knows what he wants, is a blessing for us. That makes our jobs easier.” Reyes explained that he attacks each role from scratch and with his role as Domingo, he wanted to show where his character was coming from, his inner struggles and how he faces his dilemmas to survive in the world that the director has created for them. “It’s a great experience to give justice to the role of Domingo. Working with Mik is one big learning process for me because his vision is something and he really knows what he’s doing. Masarap katrabaho ang mga young directors kasi ang fresh ng mga ideas nila,” he said. Listening to that, Mikhail added, “What’s interesting and impressive in what Arnold and the rest of the cast did was that they had this character arc that they transformed to someone else in the ending and you see the contrast there compared to their roots. We had to shoot the film not in sequence so I don’t know how they pulled that off emotionally where we shift from one scene to another and where they are on their arc.” At a young age, Mikhail has written, edited and directed six short films, all of which have been in competition and won awards at international film festivals. he has also participated in numerous film workshops and has been involved in several commercial and motion picture productions. Despite his credentials and pedigree, he still gets nervous sometimes specially when he is
working with industry veterans such as actor John Arcilla. “It is very intimidating for a young filmmaker like me to be working with a lot of experienced and seasoned actors and crew members such as our cinematographer and production designer who have been in the industry longer than me so they know a lot more,” he shared. As a young kid, Mikhail used to tag along his father, Cannes award-winning director Raymond Red during production shoots. Now, he is a man of his own character, travelling the world and telling the stories through his own films. Among his tips to young ones who may want to venture into filmmaking as a career? Listen to the elders in the industry, learn from them and use that knowledge to share and tell your stories. “It is also important that you are confident of your own voice and you know what you are doing. As long as you believe in your vision, they will see it and they will strike that balance of respect and knowing what you want,” he shared. he is now working on his third feature film entitled Neo Manila slated for QCinema this October. For the long-term, Red is working on funding and resources for an ambitious period project about Black Dahlia and its Philippine connection. And finally, next month, “Birdshot” – after screening in close to 20 film festivals by then, will be coming home to be shown nationwide in the Philippines.
Will Kim Chiu meet Justin Bieber at his concert in PH? By IrIs
VIcente AJPress
IT’S a fangirl-dream-cometrue moment for Kim Chiu after getting a special shout-out from no less than Justin Bieber himself during a recent Q&A session on his Instagram account. Bieber’s fans all over the world are now paying attention to the Filipina actress, who bears the name “chinitaprincess” on Instagram, for receiving a special mention from the “Biebs.” Chiu also gained international media’s attention—that got as far as Teen Vogue and InStyle Magazine—for gaining an exclusive acknowledgement from Bieber. “Chinita, I’ll see you in the Philippines” Bieber addressed the actress’s comment. A Belieber through and through, the actress could not contain her excitement that she even shared the recorded shoutout from Justin, on her Instagram account. “OK just had to post this “OMG” moment!!! check my stories for
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Claudine Barretto settles feud with siblings By Joanna
estorque AJPress
Justin Bieber
Kim Chiu
more fangirl moments with @ ilovekaye haha #BieberFever!!! hello @justinbieber,” her caption read. What are the odds of getting noticed by your idol in your lifetime? Chiu is definitely living the fangirl dream. With the popularity of Bieber, it’s pretty much a nobrainer how people would pay attention to anyone who gets linked to his name. Despite her fame, success and a massive following of her own (3.6 million followers on Instagram), she is still a full-pledged fangirl at heart. Chiu admits to also idolizing Taylor Swift (she was present in almost all
concerts in the Philippines) Ariana Grande, and Britney Spears among others. It isn’t the first time she has gotten the attention of international celebrities. In May, she also got noticed by famous sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian during their respective instagram live sessions. With Bieber’s Purpose World Tour in Manila on September, Kim Chiu’s presence on the said concert could be expected but in regards to the possible meeting of the two—that, we have yet to find out.
Medical pearls From Page 5 One can of beer, one 4-ounce glass of wine or one shot of whiskey reduced the incidence of heart attack, according to the American Cancer Society. The same benefit was found with ingesting 2, 3, or 6 drinks. But at one drink the cancer rate and over-all death rate was lower. At two drinks, the prevalence of cancer and death rate are the same as among non-drinkers, and both total death and heart death are lower. At 3 drinks, the cancer death rate is higher. At four drinks, total death and cancer death are both higher. *** Homocysteine is a substance within our body that is implicated in the development of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the artery), leading to blockages in the carotid (causing stroke) and coronary arteries (causing heart attack), including the aorta in the chest and abdomen (causing aneurysm/ rupture and bleeding), and arteries in the legs (causing gangrene). The Framingham studies showed that the more elevated the level of homocysteine in the patient, the higher the
july 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com
finding of blockages in carotid and coronary arteries. Those with low folate (folic acid) to metabolize the harmful homocysteine have 3 times higher risk of developing heart attack. Folic acid in B complex vitamin is prescribed to these patients. This substance is found in green leafy vegetables, like spinach, lettuce, chard, whole grains, yeast, peanuts, wheat germ and dry beans. *** Is genetic a more important factor than diet in the development of coronary heart disease/heart attack? Familial hyperlipidemia (super high serum cholesterol due to a genetic defect) is seen in one in 500 persons. Except for this type of individuals, and all “unhealthy habits” (smoking, inadequate, or lack of, daily exercise) remaining equal, diet is a very significant factor in the causation of coronary heart disease. It has been shown that even if the parents had coronary heart disease, the children did not necessarily develop the disease, if these offspring lived a healthier lifestyle than their elders. Keeping the cholesterol level low by
minimizing red meat and eggs intake, and concentrating on fish, vegetables, fruits, hi-fiber diet, coupled with abstinence from cigarettes, minimal alcohol use, doing daily exercises, properly treating high blood pressure and or diabetes, if present, is the best strategy to ward off coronary heart disease/heart attack and stroke. The caveat: simply because we cannot choose our parents, does not mean we are trapped in this genetic dilemma, and, therefore, are hopeless. Far from it. If we are disciplined enough to live a healthier lifestyle than our parents did, we can outsmart those particular defective genes they gave us. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com
AFTEr years of conflict, actress Claudine Barretto and siblings Joaquin ‘Jay-Jay’ Barretto and Michelle ‘Mitchi’ Barretto finally left their grudges in the past and reconciled last July 5. On Instagram, both Claudine and Joaquin “Jay-Jay” posted their photos together with Mitchie and their mother, Estrella ‘Inday’ Barreto. Claudine captioned the photo, “With my Mom, Mich and Brother JJ. I can live without a boyfriend [or] husband but I can’t live without JJ. I love him too much.” “I love my brother no matter what happened tapos na yun. realized I cannot live without him. I love you J. Always have and always will,” the actress commented on the same post. On the other hand, Jay-Jay posted an almost similar photo on his Instagram account and described it as “Bonding, dinner date with my two sisters.” The squabble of the Barretto clan started in 2013, the year Claudine and her estranged husband, raymart Santiago, started to fall apart. Santiago accused Claudine of allegedly using drugs, which was eventually affirmed by Gretchen. Mito, Jay-Jay, Mitchie and Marjorie
From Page 5
Claudine Barretto posted this photo on her Instagram account. In photo with her are sister Mich, brother Jay-jay and their mom Estrella.
sided with Gretchen and their brother-in-law. This confirmation of Gretchen and the combined forces of the five Barretto siblings outraged their mother. Out of the seven Barretto children, only Gia defended Claudine, aside from Inday and their father Miguel Barretto. However, it is finally time to bury the memories of this dispute and start a new life for the Barretto family. As expected, Instagram followers of Claudine were delighted as she reconciled with her siblings. “This is so touching
that you have reconcile with your brother. God bless you more. We hope and pray that you will have reconciliation with your Ate Gretchen. At the end of the day.. magkapatid pa rin kayo and life is too short,” commented by her follower. Unfortunately, right after putting an end to the disagreement with her siblings, Claudine started facing another fight. She filed a complaint against Peggy Enriquez, a netizen who described Quia, her newly adopted daughter, as “like batang lansangan” at the National Bureau of Investigation.
Children just like you
and still taking his cue from the seagulls on how to soar, swoop, dive and glide, he proceeded to learn how to fly so that the wings felt like a seamless part of his arms and his body. He studied wind currents, the waters of the sea and the heat of the sun. Having gained the skill, he proceeded to teach his son patiently. At first, Icarus stumbled and fell and when he got past the first few fumbles, the youth learned quickly, his lithe, svelte form seemingly destined for flight. He learned to fly like a bird, swooping and diving, gliding and circling about,
looking down below at the blue waters and their island prison, now a mere speck from above, and frolicking about overhead, chasing the seagulls and rolling in the clouds. Freedom was a heady drink. Icarus felt complete elation, knew the incredible lightness of being and tasted the sweet freedom of flight. Then came the day when Daedalus and Icarus were to fly out of Crete. The sun was up, and the wind was mild and Daedalus decided it was an auspicious day to make the great escape. Daedalus sat his son down and looked him in the eyes for serious pre-flight instructions
knowing that once in the air, there would be little chance for communication. “Pay attention, Icarus. Stick close behind me and watch your altitude. Fly too low and the sea with its moisture will make your wings too heavy. Fly too high and the heat of the sun will melt the wax in your wings. Take heed and stay close.” Icarus nodded agreement but he was far too excited and his mind was already in the sky. (To be continued …) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com
Town mates and Friends:
Please join us in celebration of our
508/ '*&45" TU '06/%*/( "//*7&34"3: 0' #"4$ JO -"4 7&("4 /&7"%" When: Saturday, October 7, 2017 Where: Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, 400 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 Prepaid Dinner Buffet ticket only: $65 per person Please make check payable to: Aludiya Lagmay-Ganzon 8119 Mary E Ellen Avenue, North Hollywood, California 91605 - or Priscilla Castaneto-Ruedas 6851 Dale Street Apartment # 16, Buena Park, California 90621
Nazario Perlas: Precy Castaneto- Ruedas: Lito Tambo: Ludy Lagmay-Ganzon: Mila Tadina: Josie Dolor Etrata: Mary Ann Arichea–Caunan:
nazario.perlas@yahoo.com pcruedas@yahoo.com lito.tambo@sbcglobal.net lganzon@gmail.com mrtadina@yahoo.com wilpenn@yahoo.com macaunan@ha.ucla.edu
*Discounted Room rates available at Gold Coast Hotel & Casino until September 3, 2017: Code: ABA2017
july 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com
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