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w w w. a s i a n Volume 24 - No. 19 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages

.com T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R

MAY 19-25, 2017 Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

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PH rejects $278.7-M EU grants ‘with conditions’ Palace: Refusal of aid attests PH independence by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

THE Philippine government has stopped accepting aid “with conditions” from the European Union (EU) to attest to the independence of the Philippines as a nation, Malacañang said on Thursday, May 18. According to Philippine Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, the Duterte administra-

tion has decided to reject new EU grants to “prevent” the latter from “interfering” with the internal affairs of the Philippines. “To enable them not to interfere with our internal affairs. We’re supposed to be an independent nation,” Medialdea told reporters. This could mean a loss of about €250 million or $278.73 million worth of grants, which are mostly allocated to peace

USA

DATELINE Fil-Am teen killed in car crash after prom FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Mother sustains non-life threatening injuries

A FILIPINOAmerican teenage girl was killed in a car crash in the Bay Area on Sunday morning, May 14, as she and her mother were on their way home from senior prom. At around 2:30 a.m., 18-year-old Shane Alexis Marcelino of Fremont, California was riding in the passenger’s Filipino-American Shane Alexis seat of black Toyota Marcelino, 18, of Fremont, California Yaris driven by her was killed in a car crash on Sunday mother, Maria. Just a morning, May 14, on her way home few blocks from the from senior prom. Marcelinos’ home, Photo from Marcelino’s GoFundMe page created by Noah Dela Rosa

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Outside Washington, a more powerful immigrant rights movement emerges SAN FRANCISCO – Immigrant rights advocates say that despite the cloud of fear hanging over communities in the first 100 days of the Trump administration, there is also a growing and increasingly organized resistance. “We are seeing an increase in the number of people apprehended for removal,” Melissa Chua, immigration director of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), told reporters on a national press call organized by New America Media and Ready California. “It’s not just growing infrastructure [for future deportations]…we’re seeing it in reality.” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made 21,362 arrests from January 20 to March 13 of this year, a third more than during the same period in 2016, according to numbers requested by The Washington Post. PAGE A2

processes in Mindanao, according to EU Ambassador Franz Jessen. “The amount possibly concerned by the new decision is 250 million euro plus. For this year the amount affected could be 100 million euro,” the ambassador said. Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, however, clarified that the Philippine government would PAGE A2

Alex Tizon, the author behind ‘My Family’s Slave’ ON TUESDAY night, May 16, in the Philippines, American magazine The Atlantic shared the story “My Family’s Slave”. Less than 24 hours later, the story received thousands of shares on Facebook alone. Alex Tizon, a Filipino-American award-winning journalist, beautifully wove the stoAuthor and investigative journalist ry of a harrowing Alex Tizon. Image: Website/University of Oregon, reality: his family School of Journalism and Communication had kept a slave their entire lives. He tells the tale of Eudocia Tomas Pulido called “Lola” by his family, her life intertwined with his mother’s who inherited Lola from her father. She was the family’s dark, dirty secret, a modern-day slave in the land of the free. The article drew mixed reactions, with some labeling him complicit to the abuse of Lola—how was it allowed to go on for so long? Others acknowledged that the story was neither about glorification nor justification, but to give Lola the voice she was made to feel she never deserved. Tizon was only 57 when he died of natural causes March this year. In an editor’s note on Tizon, The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg shared that his death was all the more made painful by the irony that on the same day, March 24, they intended to tell him that Lola’s story would be the magazine’s PAGE A3

SENATE BILLIONAIRES. Senator Manny Pacquiao, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Works, greets resource persons before the start of the Senate inquiry, Tuesday, May 16, 2017, on the April 18, 2017 Carranglan, Nueva Ecija bus crash. Based on their recent statements of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN), Pacquiao and Sen. Cynthia Villar (inset, left) are the richest members of the Senate while Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (inset, right) is the poorest.

SALN BARES SENATE’S BILLIONAIRES, MILLIONAIRES

Villar, Pacquiao are wealthiest; Trillanes poorest by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

THERE are now two billionaires in the Philippine Senate, with boxer-Senator Manny Pacquiao joining Senator Cynthia Villar in the top spot. Based on the 24 senators’ 2016 statements of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN), Villar is richest member, with

a net worth sans liabilities of P3.6 billion as of December 31, 2016. Villar’s wealth increased from P3.5 billion as of June last year. She is the wife of former senator Manuel Villar, who is included in Forbes’ 2017 list of wealthiest Filipinos. Coming in as the second wealthiest member of the Sen-

ate is Pacquiao, who declared a total of P3 billion net worth, with P350.6 million in liabilities and P3.4 billion in assets. In his SALN, Pacquiao declared that most of his earnings came from his international boxing matches and endorsements. Among his biggest registered assets include “cash, jewelry, PAGE A2

Ombudsman to block moves to make Napoles state witness by AJPRESS

THE Office of the Ombudsman will block any moves to turn Janet Lim Napoles into a state witness in the planned reinvestigation of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), according to Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales. “As far as the prosecution is concerned, [Napoles] is one of the principal alleged malefactors. Certainly the OSP (Office of the Special Prosecutor) will block any attempt to make her

state witness,” Morales told reporters on Tuesday, May 16. Last week, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will conduct a new investigation into the PDAF, also referred to as the pork barrel scam. Napoles, the supposed mastermind of the operation, is being considered as a state witness. While the DOJ has discretion to conduct a new probe into the PAGE A2 Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales

CA approves Cayetano appointment as new Dept. of Foreign Affairs chief by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (right) is congratulated by Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo after a Commission on Appointments panel approved his nomination as DFA secretary on Wednesday, May 17. Inquirer.net photo by Maila Ager

THE Commission on Appointments (CA) has approved the nomination of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as the new chief of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Cayetano’s appointment met no opposition from the members of the CA committee on foreign affairs led by Senator Panfilo Lacson. His nomination was approved in less than five minutes before he could even deliver his opening

statement on Wednesday morning, May 17 — which, according to Lacson, is likely the “shortest confirmation hearing of a Cabinet Secretary.” The CA committee referred Cayetano’s confirmation to the plenary in the afternoon. It also approved the motion to confirm his nomination without objection. Cayetano’s approval came a week after President Rodrigo Duterte announced his nomination on May 10, after the oneyear appointment ban on losing

candidates in the May 2016 elections ended. Thanking the CA for the “swift and painless” confirmation, Cayetano reiterated that he will do his best as the new DFA chief. “I will make a commitment to you today that I will do my best na hindi po kayo mapahiya (to not embarrass you),” Cayetano said, who is now deemed resigned as a senator. Even as the chief diplomat, Cayetano, who was also Duterte’s vice-presidential running mate in PAGE A2

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From the Front Page

PH rejects $278.7-M EU grants... PAGE A1 only refuse new grants from EU which “impose certain conditionalities that will interfere with the way we handle things, that we consider objectionable.” “These grants pertain to particular projects or programs that have the potential of affecting the autonomy of the country,” Abella

said in a media briefing. He also clarified that the Philippines would still accept development assistance which are given unconditionally. “We’ll take it on a case to case basis. We can accept or respectfully decline that which we find objectionable,” he said. Existing development assis-

European Union Ambassador Franz Jessen earlier said that the Philippine government has informed them that they will no longer accept grants from the economic bloc.

tance from EU will not be nullified either, he added. “In other words, if it’s already accepted, we will assume that—we will assume that that can continue unless further specified.” According to Abella, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Department of Finance (DOF) not to accept grants from the EU “that may allow it to interfere with the internal policies” of the country. The DOF made the recommendation after EU “recently” offered a conditional grant that seemingly affects the Philippines’ internal affairs, he said. Abella, however, refused to specify the grant, explaining that it was a “delicate matter.” Likewise, Abella underscored that the Philippine government “reserves the right to accept loans and grants that help attain its objectives of promoting economic development inclusiveness and reducing poverty, attaining peace within its borders and with its neighbors, and fostering a law-abiding society.” “It also reserves the right to respectfully decline offers that do not achieve these goals and offers that allow foreigners to interfere with the conduct of its internal affairs,” he added. Duterte previously dared the EU, along with the United States and other critics, to pull out their assistance from the Philippines amid criticisms against his administration’s drug war, and alleged human rights violation and summary killings related to the campaign.

FIGHTING THE OMBUDSMAN. Dante Jimenez (second, left) founding chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, joins families of the police commandos slain in Mamasapano, Maguindano in calling for the resignation on Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

Villar, Pacquiao are wealthiest...

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and other personal properties.” Excluding Villar and Pacquiao, the rest of the Senate members are millionaires. Ranking as the Senate member with the least wealth is Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, with a net worth amounting to P6.5 million – P16 million assets and P9.5 million liabilities. Trillanes replaced Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero at the bottom of the list. Escudero now is the second poorest with only a P6.6 million net worth. Coming in third as among the poorest is Senator Leila de Lima. She declared a total of P6.6 million, P9.8 million, and P3.18 of net worth, assets, and liabilities respectively. Next to Pacquiao on the other side of the list is Senate Presi-

dent Pro Tempore Ralph Recto. He stated a total of P522.6 million net worth. He was followed by Senator Juan Edgardo Angara with P123.9 million net worth. Meanwhile, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri declared P121.8 million in his latest SALN. He was followed in the list by Sherwin Gatchalian, P92.1 million; Grace Poe, P88.5 million; Franklin Drilon, P82.5 million; and JV Ejercito, P79.1 million. Senators Richard Gordon, Nancy Binay, and Vicente Sotto III stated a P66.9 million, P60.5 million, and P63.8 million total of net worth, respectively. Senators Loren Legarda’s net worth amounts to P40.9 million, followed by Panfilo Lacson, P38.7 million; Paolo “Bam” Aquino, P33.9 million; Aquilino Pimentel III, P17.7 million; and Risa Hon-

tiveros, P16.3 million. The other remaining Senators – Alan Peter Cayetano, Joel Villanueva, Gregorio Honasan, and Francis Pangilinan have net worths amounting to P24.1 million, P21.5 million, P21.3 million, and P9.3 million, respectively. Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman released President Rodrigo Duterte’s SALN. Duterte declared a net worth of P27.43 million as of December 2016, which went up by over P3 million from P24.08 million as of June of last year when he assumed the presidency. Unlike Duterte, Vice President Leni Robredo’s net worth decreased by more than P2 million after six months in office – from P11 million in June 2016 to P8.88 by December of the same year.

CA approves Cayetano appointment... PAGE A1

the previous elections, maintained that he would defend the chief executive from critics. Cayetano, however, noted that he would take into consideration his new position by using “more diplomatic language” when speaking, especially before the international community. “I will continue to speak for the President, I will continue to speak pag inutusan ng (if ordered by the) President, I will continue to speak kung sa tingin ko necessary (if I think it is necessary) but not

in the political manner that was available to me when I was in the Senate,” he told reporters in a chance interview. Cayetano replaces Undersecretary Enrique Manalo, who was assigned as the acting foreign secretary after the CA rejected the ad interim appointment of Perfecto Yasay Jr. over citizenship issues. Revealing his plan as the new Foreign Affairs secretary, Cayetano earlier said the department would prioritize the welfare, protection and comfort of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

He assured that all the DFA officials would “not have their own agenda or their own foreign policy,” adding that they would “all work hard together to implement the foreign policy of the Philippines.” He also promised to “keep building bridges” with other countries while maintaining good relationships with allies. Likewise, Cayetano vowed to refrain from using “microphone diplomacy” and instead leave the public communications to the spokesperson.

Ombudsman to block moves... PAGE A1 PDAF case, Morales maintained that it is her office, not the DOJ, which has the final say on whether or not to recommend Napoles as a state witness. “It is the OSP which will consider whether or not [Napoles] will be a state witness and it’s going to be the court who will finally approve whether or not she is going to be state witness,” Morales clarified. “We don’t find her (Napoles) to be a candidate for being state witness,” she added. Last week, Napoles’s lawyer, Stephen David, said he has met with Aguirre to discuss the possibility of turning her into a state witness. David said they requested the DOJ to give Napoles “proper security” if the proposition passes, adding that she is ready to name “higher” officials involved in the multi-billion peso scam. Sought for comments on the reported “exploratory talks” between the DOJ and Napoles’s camp, Morales responded: “I’m not bothered at all. We are confident of our position.” In 2014, Morales indicted Na-

Janet Lim-Napoles

poles of plunder, malversation, graft and direct bribery charges in connection with the scam. Her office denied Napoles’s request to become a state witness, saying that the latter is the “most guilty.” Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, and Juan Ponce Enrile were also charged alongside Napoles in connection with the anomaly. Enrile is currently out on bail, while the other two remain incarcerated. “We are not bothered, we’re

not concerned at all by whatever they say about whether or not there is a pending agreement or what is modus vivendi between Napoles and the DOJ,” Morales told reporters. The Ombudsman also maintained that her office is not bound by the DOJ’s findings. “I don’t know what the DOJ wants to reinvestigate, whether they want to reinvestigate cases filed in court or reinvestigate cases already investigated by us. It’s up to them if they wish to reinvestigate,” Morales said. She went on to say, “But as I said, we are not bound by any findings over cases over which the Ombudsman has the final authority to determine whether or not there is probable cause.” Also on Tuesday, Napoles was transferred to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BMJP) at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City after the Court of Appeals acquitted her serious illegal detention case filed by whistleblower Benhur Luy. She was previously detained at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong.

Outside Washington, a more powerful... PAGE A1 The figures include 5,441 noncitizens with no criminal record, double the number during the same time last year. The statistics reflect a shift in priorities from the Obama administration, which sought to prioritize certain criminals and recent arrivals for deportation. Under Trump, the deportation priorities have expanded so much that they can be used to target almost any undocumented immigrant. Immigrant and refugee rights advocates say the effect on immigrant communities is palpable. Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), described it as “one of the most horrendous periods in American history for immigrant families.” “What we’re seeing,” explained Salas, “is just a harsher way by which DHS [the Department of Homeland Security] is dealing with all matters of immigration, especially when it comes

to stays of removal or requests for relief.” Over 38 percent of the individuals detained in the Feb. 9 ICE raids in Southern California, for example, had only minor infractions, many of them from years ago, according to Salas. “The other thing that we’re seeing,” she said, “is that they’re being harsher when it comes to individuals who had … stays of removal. “ICE enforcement is going back and making decisions about those cases,” Salas explained. “Instead of continuing their stays of removal, they’re challenging their stays of removal, their administrative closure.” Since taking office, Trump has signed executive orders that call for “sweeping changes on immigration,” said Chua of IRC, adding, however, that “many of these proposed changes face some real, significant hurdles.” Some, like the construction of a border wall, can’t be implemented without funding. Others

have been blocked by the courts, including the administration’s attempt to withhold federal funds from so-called sanctuary cities; and both versions of Trump’s “travel ban,” which aimed to curtail travel from certain predominantly Muslim countries and lower the number of refugees allowed admission into the United States. “While many of the changes proposed by the administration may threaten refugees, immigrants and their families,” said Chua, “there still exist some real barriers to implementation, offering some real avenues of hope for immigrant communities.” Advocates say many of these signs of hope lie outside of Washington. “The immigrant rights movement is getting more organized, more powerful,” said Salas, pointing to local and state efforts that seek to protect the rights of immigrants across the country. “What is incredible is the many PAGE A4

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Dateline USa

May 19 is Hepatitis Testing Day: Get tested for Hepatitis B IN May, medical experts and community advocates in the United States and across the globe will join forces to mark Hepatitis Testing Day, and to raise awareness of a disease that affects as many as two million Americans: chronic hepatitis B. While anyone can contract hepatitis B (hep B), people of Asian descent bear the heaviest burden, representing nearly three-quarters of individuals affected worldwide. Here in the United States, up to one million Asian Americans have hep B—‚that’s half of all cases in the country. But what exactly is hep B, and why is it such a threat to our community? Hep B is caused by a virus that is transmitted via blood and other bodily fluids. Hep B can be managed, and the disease can be prevented—but if left untreated, the complications of hep B can potentially be life threatening. First-generation Asian Americans from China, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, India and the Philippines are at particularly high risk for hep B due to low rates of infant vaccination

against the disease in these countries. In fact, most Asian Americans who have hep B contracted it during childbirth from their mothers. That’s why tragically, in this community, it is common to see multiple members of the same family affected by hep B. Despite its high incidence rate in Asian communities, as many as two out of three Asian Americans who have chronic hep B do not know they are infected. That is because hep B does not always cause noticeable symptoms. Chronic hep B can slowly damage the liver over time, increasing the risk of serious liver disease. As Asian immigrants are projected to be the largest immigrant population in the country over the next 40 years, the need to call attention to this so-called “silent” disease is more critical than ever. The good news is that hep B can easily be detected with a quick and simple blood test. Everyone should talk to their doctor about getting tested—especially if you are of Asian descent. If you test negative for hep B, there is a safe and effective vaccine that can prevent hep

B, and it is widely available in the United States. If you test positive for hep B, talk to your doctor about whether treatment would be appropriate for you. Regular screenings to monitor the health of your liver are very important, and there are treatments that may potentially lower the amount of virus and decrease the risk of further damage to the liver—some are just one pill a day. So on Hepatitis Testing Day on May 19, join millions of Asians here in the United States and around the globe and get tested for hepatitis B. Visit hepBsmart.com for information about chronic hepatitis B, and to learn about the documentary film short BE ABOUT IT, sponsored by Gilead Sciences, which chronicles the lives of two Asian Americans, Alan and AJ, as they battle chronic hepatitis B, and how their families cope with the impact of this potentially life-threatening disease. The film aims to educate, inspire and ultimately dispel myths about hepatitis B. BE ABOUT IT is subtitled in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese, and community screening kits are now available. n

WASHINGTON, D.C. — “While ASEAN celebrates its 50th Founding Anniversary, we also look at the milestone we have reached with the 40th Anniversary of its Partnership with the United States. It is an open and strategic partnership that aims to forge a common path towards a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Asia-Pacific region,” remarked Mr. Patrick Chuasoto, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Philippine Embassy, at the launch of ASEAN Matters for America/America Matters for ASEAN on Tuesday, May 16 at the Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. ASEAN Matters for America/ America Matters for ASEAN is a publication and web resource “for credible and nonpartisan information, graphics, analysis, and news at the national, state, and local level on U.S.-Southeast Asia interactions.” It is a joint project by the East-West Center, US-ASEAN Business Council and ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. The publication offers information on the flow of trade and

investments, and travel and tourism between ASEAN and the US. It also highlights the vibrant people-to-people ties between the two sides, as evidenced by the large number of ASEAN-Americans in the US, educational exchanges, and sister partnerships. The Philippines, as Chair of ASEAN for 2017, seeks to enhance and leverage ASEAN’s relationship with the US in pursuit of the six thematic priorities that currently guide its Chairmanship. “These themes frame the substantial issues that we wish to address – putting the interests of the peoples of ASEAN at the center of its work; high quality of life; enhancing an environment that is conducive to business; prioritizing health and improved nutrition; promoting peaceful co-existence; advancing work on maritime security; highlighting connectivity and innovation; building a disasterresilient region; and strengthening ASEAN’s work and standing in the international arena,” said Mr. Chuasoto.

“The Philippines is fully committed to developing a peoplecentered ASEAN. Thus, we attach great importance to socio-cultural and educational exchanges among the peoples of ASEAN and the United States that support this goal,” he added. Mr. Chuasoto further stressed this point by citing the fact that of all ASEAN countries, the Philippines has the most sister city relationships with the United States at 61. There is presently 92 sister cities and sister state or sister county connections between ASEAN countries and the US. In his remarks, Mr. Chuasoto also highlighted the progress that the Philippines has made as ASEAN Chair, such as consolidating the members’ consensus in combating violent extremism, attaining maritime security and cooperation, and pursuing an innovation-led growth agenda. ASEAN Matters for America/ America Matters for ASEAN is available for download at http:// www. asiamattersforamerica. org/ asean. n

PH reaffirms commitment to peoplecentered ASEAN at ‘ASEAN Matters for America/America Matters for ASEAN’ launch

Alex Tizon, the author behind... PAGE A1 June 2017 cover story. “Alex did not know that we would be putting his piece on the cover of this issue; he died the day we made that decision, before we had a chance to tell him,” Goldberg wrote. “His death, quite obviously, could have derailed publication of what turned out to be his final story, but his family, led by Melissa and his siblings, worked with us during this uniquely trying time to make publication possible.” It was the last he would tell—in fact, it was still due for fact-checking, according to a report in The Seattle Times—in a lifetime spent on what The New York Times describes as “deeply reported articles” of people on the fringes. Born in Manila on October 30, 1959, Tomas Alexander Tizon migrated to the United States with his family and their slave when he was five. His mother, Leticia Asuncion and father, Francisco Tizon, had to borrow money to move the family to Los Angeles. They also lived in Seattle and the South Bronx, and then finally settled in Oregon. Tizon took up political science at the University of Oregon in college and then pursued a master’s degree in journalism in Stanford University. In 1986, he joined The Seattle Times. As an investigative journalist, he focused on “exposing untold stories of marginalized communities.” During his 17year stint at the paper, along with two other journalists, he received the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for uncovering corruption in a housing program intended for Native Americans which led to government reforms. From 2003 to 2008, he was Seattle bureau chief at the Los Angeles Times. He also lived in Manila for two years on a Knight International Journalism Fellowship where he documented government efforts to eliminate poverty in the country’s five poorest provinces. In 2011, he began teaching journalism at the University of Oregon and also worked as a

The magazine cover of The Atlantic’s June 2017 issue with the controversial cover story “My Family’s Slave.”

freelance writer. He contributed to U.S. national publications such as The Atlantic. During his life, he struggled with his identity as an AsianAmerican, which he detailed in the 2014 memoir “Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self”. It is described by The New York Times as “a selflacerating examination of the complexities, humiliations, and small victories of Asian men trying to adjust to life in America.” One such revelation was his attempts to be whiter and taller as a child. Colleagues, friends and family revered and loved Tizon. An introverted man, he was known to be a “deep listener” and could turn the smallest, simplest stories into an insightful reflection on humanity. Lori Matsukawa, a KING 5

news anchor in Seattle, said, “Alex was gracious and kind… but as a reporter he was like a dog with a bone.” She also described his contribution to Filipino-Americans, stating that “he also took pride in carrying on the legacy of Filipino-American journalists and activists in the Pacific Northwest. We all learned what was important to the Filipino-American community through Alex.” He was survived by his wife, Melissa Quiason, two daughters, Maya and Dylan, and eight siblings. “My Family’s Slave” was six years in the making, something he struggled with, according to his wife. After his death, she and his siblings assisted in its publishing. Quiason said, “This was his ultimate story.” (Niña Guño/ Inquirer.net)

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Outside Washington, a more powerful... PAGE A2

cities and schools defending immigrants,” she said. On May 1, she noted, about 30,000 people marched in the streets of Los Angeles to defend the rights of immigrants. “California is moving forward a different vision, a different agenda,” said Salas. The state legislature has proposed various bills that seek to defend immigrants’ rights, from Senate Bill 54 (the California Values Act), introduced by Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), which would prevent state and local resources from being used to cooperate with deportations, to Senate Bill 6, by NEW MTRCB BOARD MEMBER. Actress and civic leader Tessie Villarama (second from left) takes her oath as member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) before MTRCB chief Rachel Arenas. Villarama’s husband, former Bulacan Rep. Willie Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, which would provide funding for Villarama (left) and former Bataan Rep. Herminia Roman (right) serve as witnesses. legal services for immigrants facing deportation. By contrast, Texas’ state legislature is moving further to the right on immigration. Texas Republicans just passed Senate Bill 4, a new law signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, which threatens AT a time when many teens law enforcement with jail time if are looking forward to a summer they don’t cooperate with federal break from high school, 16-yearimmigration authorities. old Ethan Villarama will graduate “In the mid-90s, California from California State University, looked a lot like Texas does toLos Angeles and prepare to enter day,” said Salas, when California a rigorous Ph.D. program in the voters passed Prop 187. That fall. ballot measure helped get its Villarama is the youngest supporter, Republican Gov. Pete member of the University’s Class Wilson, elected. But it led to an of 2017. even bigger backlash against the On May 20, he will receive a GOP in the state, and is largely bachelor of science in physics credited with the mobilization of with magna cum laude honors.

16-year-old Fil-Am student to enter Ph.D. physics program

He is planning to attend the University of California, San Diego in the fall to earn a doctoral degree in physics. “I am excited to begin my doctoral education at UC San Diego, so I can become a full-fledge scientist doing work in the top of my field,” said Villarama. “I’m grateful for the many opportunities for independent, self-learning, as well as the supportive faculty in the Physics department and at Cal State LA.” Villarama enrolled at Cal State LA when he was 11-years-old through the Early Entrance Program. The program, which accepts highly gifted students as young as 11-years-old, is administered by the University’s Honors College. Villarama is part of Cal State LA’s Minority Opportunities in Research (MORE) programs, which prepare talented students of color for careers in science, mathematics and engineering. The programs are funded by the

migration attorney they can call in case of an emergency. Most importantly, Guzman said, individuals should know that they have certain rights under the U.S. Constitution, regardless of their immigration status. These include the right to remain silent, the right to not open the door to agents without a warrant signed by a judge, the right to speak to a lawyer and make a phone call, and to not sign anything they don’t understand or that isn’t true. “Thousands of community outreach workers are spanning their communities, delivering Know Your Rights presentations,” said Salas of CHIRLA. From helping eligible immigrants become citizens and register to vote, to protesting in the streets and supporting legal challenges in the courts, she said, immigrant rights advocates have been able to “make a statement in these very difficult days.” (Elena Shore/ New America Media)

Fil-Am teen killed in car crash...

Ethan Villarama

National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the American Chemical Society. A Pasadena, California resident, Villarama conducted research in the laboratories of Cal State LA Professor William Taylor and Professor Susan Terebey. In summer 2016, Villarama participated in a highly competitive internship at the prestigious European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. For nine intensive weeks, he joined scientists and researchers on the ATLAS experiment. ATLAS is a particle physics experiment at CERN that is searching for new discoveries in the head-on collisions of protons of

Latino voters who have changed the face of California politics. “Our community [in California] became engaged,” Salas said. Texas, which has the nation’s second-largest Latino population after California, could see a similar backlash. “What we’re seeing in Texas is the same kind of mobilization,” she said. Meanwhile, immigrant rights advocates are helping their communities stay informed. “There are many families that are afraid,” said Adriana Guzman, immigrant outreach coordinator with Faith in Action Bay Area. “Our message to them is that there are steps they can take right now.” Guzman said she is encouraging individuals to talk to a trusted legal services provider to see if they qualify for immigration relief, to make a family preparedness plan, including who will take care of children if something happens to their parents, and to carry the number of a trusted im-

extraordinarily high energy. Researchers are using the world’s largest, most powerful particle accelerator known as the Large Hadron Collider. The project is coordinated by the CSU-wide Nuclear and Particle Physics Consortium with support from the National Science Foundation. CERN is one of the world’s largest and most respected laboratories for scientific research. Villarama says the opportunity allowed him to meet leading scientists in the field and visit Europe for the first time. “This was the best opportunity to learn about the latest research in high energy physics,” he says. “This experience definitely prepared me for graduate school and a future career as a research professor.”

PAGE A1 the Yaris attempted to make a left-hand turn, when it collided with a blue Chevy Malibu traveling in the opposite direction, according to various reports. Marcelino was pronounced dead at the scene, while Maria, 39, was rushed to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver and passenger of the Malibu, who are in their 20s, also suffered minor injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals. The Fil-Am teen was an honor student at James Logan High Marcelino’s mother, Maria, who was driving the School and would have graduat- vehicle, suffered injuries but is expected to ed in June. She played the flute in survive. Photo shows Maria and Shane during a the school band and was involved senior night celebration for the marching band, wherein the latter played the flute. with the youth ministry program Photo from Marcelino’s GoFundMe page at her church, CBS said. created by Noah Dela Rosa According to the school’s newspaper, she was “beloved by for the people around her.” her classmates and was always a “She was a wonderful young source of happiness and support lady,” John Mattos, a spokes-

man for the New Haven Unified School District, told NBC Bay Area. “She was in band and got great grades taking AP and college prep classes, and students really liked her.” No arrests have been made, local police said. Investigators are looking into whether alcohol or speeding played a role in the fatal collision. “It looks like they were traveling at a pretty good rate of speed,” Fremont Fire Department Battalion Chief Richard Dickinson said, adding that “it was heavy impact. Major damage.” A GoFundMe page has been made to raise funds for Marcelino’s funeral costs, as well as her mother’s medical bills: https:// www.gofundme.com/dk4vmfuneral-expenses-and-medical-bills. (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

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Dateline PMarcos hiliPPines asks Supreme Court to designate hearing officers for poll protest, hasten proceedings by Dana

SioSon AJPress

JALOSJOS TAKES OATH AS CA MEMBER. Senate President and Commission on Appointments (CA) Chairman Aquilino Pimentel III (right) administers the oath of office to Zamboanga del Norte 1st District Representative Seth Frederick Jalosjos (middle) during the CA’s plenary session on Wednesday, May 17. Also in photo is San Juan City Representative and CA Vice Chairman Ronaldo Zamora (left). Senate photo

China refuses comment on reported reclamation halt in Scarborough by Patricia LourDeS Philstar.com

Viray

mANILA — Days before the inaugural meeting of the bilateral consultation mechanism between the Philippines and China, Beijing refused to comment on the reported halt of land reclamation activities in Scarborough or Panatag Shoal. The Chinese Foreign ministry stressed that Beijing’s position on issues surrounding the shoal in the disputed South China Sea is consistent and clear. “Whatever we choose to do or not to do is within our own sovereignty. China will properly deal with relevant issues,” Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a press briefing Wednesday, may 17. Hua made the statement after being asked to comment on reports that China would not conduct land reclamation activities on Scarborough Shoal in the next 12 months. The Philippines and China are enjoying a sound momentum in developing bilateral relations, Hua said. “The two countries are on the track of implementing the consensus reached between the

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying holds a regular press briefing in Beijing.

two leaders on upholding good neighborliness and friendship, properly handling disputes and working together for common development,” the spokesperson said. Located 120 nautical miles from Zambales, Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de masinloc is a traditional common fishing ground. Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio earlier warned that Beijing is likely to start building military facilities on the shoal as part of their strategy in countering the United States. “Scarborough Shoal guards the exit to the Pacific because the Chinese submarines, nuclear-armed submarines are based

in Hainan (Island) and if they fire their missiles in the South China Sea, those missiles will not reach the US because the range is only about 7,500 kilometers,” Carpio said in a television interview a few weeks ago. Scarborough Shoal may be the last feature in the Spratly Islands that Beijing will reclaim and build into an artificial island to house air and naval base, the SC magistrate said. “If they reclaim it, it will be like their reclamation in mischief reef where they have a runway, they have a harbor for warships and their warships from there can go to the Bashi Channel to protect their outlet to the Pacific,” Carpio said.

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Former Senator and defeated vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” marcos Jr. urged anew the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential electoral Tribunal (PeT), to speed up the proceedings in his election protest against Vice President Leni robredo. In a seven-page urgent motion dated may 12, marcos asked the SC to designate at least three hearing commissioners who will assist the Tribunal during the upcoming preliminary conference. According to marcos, the designating of three commissioners will help in attaining “an orderly, simplified and expeditious disposition of this electoral contest, considering that there are three causes of action raised in this election protest.” Among the causes of actions marcos raised in his protest include the alleged flawed automated election system (AeS), and the failure of elections in several provinces in mindanao. He also raised the unauthorized introduction by Smartmatic’s marlon Garcia of a new hash code into the Transparency Server on the day of the elections. Insisting that PeT should take marcos’ allegations, his camp underscored that the protest is “not only for the benefit of the winner, but for the sake of public interest.” “In a long line of decided cases, this honorable tribunal has consistently ruled that an election case, unlike an ordinary action, is imbued with public interest,” marcos said. marcos argued that his protest “involves not only the adjudication of the private interests of rival candidates, but also the paramount need of dispelling the uncertainty which beclouds the real choice of the electorate.” “Public interest demands that this electoral controversy be resolved with dispatch to determine once and for all the genuine choice of the electorate for the contested position,” he added. In the may 2016 vice presidential election, robredo won the position with only around 263,000 votes more than marcos. marcos stressed that it is “neither

Former Senator and defeated vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos

fair nor just to keep in office for an uncertain period one whose right to it is under suspicion.” He also accused robredo of intentionally delaying the election protest. robredo’s camp, for its part, claimed that marcos’ recent motion is “premature and impractical.” “This is very premature. We have not yet even held our preliminary conference where the issues to be resolved by the Presidential electoral Tribunal (PeT) will be defined,” robredo’s election lawyer, romulo macalintal, said in a statement on Wednesday, may 17. “And now, marcos is again pre-

empting the action of the PeT on this matter,” he added. The preliminary conference is slated on June 21, 2017. Last month, marcos paid the initial P36 million of the P66.2 million required for the proceedings of his election protest. He questioned 39,221 clustered precincts which are composed of total 132,446 established precincts. robredo, meanwhile, has paid P8 million as first installment of the total P15.5-million fee for her counterprotest. She contested 8,042 clustered precincts equivalent to 31,278 established precincts.

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Determined

“SUFFICIENT in form but insufficient in substance,” the House of Representatives’ justice committee declared on Monday, May 15, as it formally dismissed the impeachment complaint filed against Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. A Philippine president is immune from lawsuits while in office, but he can be removed from office through impeachment. According to the Supreme Court, “form” refers to an impeachment complaint’s technical details following established methods, while “substance” refers to material allegations, of whether or not there is a cause for impeachment. A substance is sufficient if there is a detailed statement of facts constituting the offense charged. The impeachment complaint, filed by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, accused the president of violating the Constitution by having a hand in the killings linked to the war on drugs and treason in his conferral with China on matters of maritime domain. Alejano accused the members of the panel of ceding their independence, neglecting their responsibility as duly-elected representatives of the people and railroading the process to jettison his complaint. He is now considering going to an international court to hold Duterte accountable for his impeachment complaints. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Alejano called on his colleagues in Congress

and the Filipino people to stand up against the rising number of deaths brought upon by the government’s war on the drugs. He warned that if the president is not stopped he will someday turn into a dictator. Back from his recent business trips to Cambodia, Hong Kong and China, Duterte dared Alejano and his other critics to “go ahead” with bringing a case against him to the ICC. “They are free to do it. This is a democracy,” Duterte said. A complaint against Duterte and 11 others was already filed by self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) hitman Edgar Matobato before the ICC last April 24. In his 77-page complaint, lawyer Jude Josue Sabio cited the “continuing mass murder” in the country as shown by the thousands of Filipinos killed in the government’s anti-criminality and anti-drug campaigns that began when Duterte was still mayor of Davao City and continues now that he is the country’s chief executive. However, filing a case against the president before the ICC will only be a futile attempt. “The ICC, or any other court or tribunal here or elsewhere, has no business or jurisdiction in the removal in office of President Duterte or any impeachable officer as such is the sole power of the Congress of the Philippines,” House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas explained to ABSCBN News.

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS “HE is a good guy. I hope you can let this go,” was what President Donald Trump told his sacked FBI Director James Comey. This was documented by Comey in a contemporaneous memo he wrote on February 14, 2017, to document the details of their one-on-one meeting after Trump asked VP Mike Pence and Attorney General Jeff Ses-

Commentary

antonio ContReRaS WE now live in a period of inauthenticity and contradictions. We have a sitting vice president who prides herself in being familiar with the world of the marginalized, which she lovingly refers to as the “laylayan,” yet seem to have been surprised that malnutrition is prevalent among the poor, to the point that she is amazed at its “uniqueness.” In her debut as a host of a public service radio program, Leni Robredo used the words “nakamamangha” and “katangi-tangi” to describe her experience of coming face to face with the poor and malnourished. This makes you wonder what took her so long to be familiar with a sector of the population that she brandished as her constituency. And in so doing, Leni Robredo has painted herself as inauthentic. And then you have the impeachment complaint filed by Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano against President Rodrigo Duterte, which was quickly dismissed by the House committee on justice on the ground that it was insufficient in substance. The committee’s basis for such a conclusion was the failure of Alejano to show that he had personal knowledge of the acts for which he was accusing the President. Alejano, as it turned out, depended on media reports, such as those by Rappler and ABS-CBN, for his complaint. To

ManilaTimes.net photo

There are far more ills in the country that warrant much more attention and resources. Duterte bears these problems as he inherits the shortcomings and wrongdoings of his predecessors. The dilemma comes with the title, the people

voted for him to have. The distinction as the country’s “president” does not compensate for the responsibilities his job entails, and the incorrigible stigma of not meeting the Filipinos’ expectations—administration after administration. (AJPress)

Did Trump commit an impeachable offense when he asked FBI Director Comey to drop the Flynn investigation? sions following their meeting on national security issues. Comey wrote memoranda after meetings with Trump that made him feel appalled, which he shared in confidence with select colleagues in the FBI. This was characteristic of Comey even during the Bush years. It’s a bombshell that may be deemed as obstruction of justice: to be asked by the president of the United States to drop the investigation into his own campaign which involved

his friend Michael Flynn’s conversation with Russia to ease sanctions Pres. Obama imposed on the country for interfering in the 2016 presidential election. This was reported by the New York Times on Tuesday, May 16, a week after Comey was fired by Trump, the details of which were corroborated by CNN’s reporting through interviews with officials in the FBI who were privy to this turn of events. Zooming out to look at the

big picture, Trump explained that Comey was fired because he has lost in his leadership of the FBI. Despite Trump’s “request”, Comey proceeded with the investigation of the president’s campaign alleged collusion with Russia in interfering with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The Trump administration has denied the story -- on the same day that news broke about Trump divulging classified information to Russia during his

meeting with the Russian Prime Minister and Envoy in the Oval Office. Trump threatened Comey with a “tape” before he fired him, which lawmakers said Trump should turn over to Congress. What Trump did not know was that Comey had been writing those contemporaneous memos that could be material evidence if a case against Trump moves forward. Would Trump bring out the “tape” he tweeted about to support his

side of the story? Expect testimony under oath as this will surely be the subject of investigation. Did Trump abuse his executive power? Is he guilty of “obstruction of justice”? ” *** 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

Inauthenticity and contradictions make matters worse, he failed to back his allegations with authenticated documentary evidence. This is just symptomatic of how the authenticity of traditional media has been diminished. Instead of providing a stable warrant to provide basis for an allegation, news reports have been dismissed as insufficient to provide substance to it. The Nixon Watergate scandal was exposed through investigative journalism, at a time that investigative journalists were seen as bearers of truth and facts. Now, Rappler and its cohorts have, through their own conduct, practically diminished the power of journalism to bear witness to truth and facts. It is easy to blame the internet as the cause of the decline in the power of traditional mass media. But on the contrary, mass media would have been an effective way to neutralize the tendency of social media to propagate fakery had it been authentic to its ethic of fairness and neutrality. And when traditional media became active players in partisan politics, as propagators of propaganda lines and practitioners of public relations masquerading as journalism, people migrated to social media as their sources of information. Thus, it could be said that it is not the excesses of social media that caused the decline of traditional media. Instead, it is the shortcomings of traditional media that fueled the rise of social media. Again, what we see is a problem of inauthenticity.

Yet, inauthenticity is not a problem just of Leni Robredo, or of traditional media. It is a problem that infects ordinary people as we live our everyday lives. And examples will show that inauthenticity leads to contradictions. You have advocates of women’s rights, who deplore as misogyny the manner in which the case of Sen. Leila de Lima has been handled by government, while in the same breath protesting the appointment of Mocha Uson as an assistant secretary on the basis of her being a sex celebrity. People who carried #EveryWoman hashtags in their FB profiles posted, liked and shared posts that slut-shamed Mocha. Several students and alumni of my university went on overdrive when a woman who defended Mocha Uson claimed that she was an alumna, even going to the extent of threatening to sue the pretender. Some students and alumni who disliked my politics, and who probably do not have an appreciation of academic freedom, and of how universities operate, demanded that I be censured, to the extent that some threatened to initiate an online petition to have me ousted from La Salle. Yet these very same people who think that the exercise of a political choice that runs counter to their biases is a blot to the name of La Salle are silent on the continuing appropriation by a political analyst of their alma mater as his institutional affiliation despite having been separated from it, perhaps because they agree with his politics.

Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary C. Alejano files an impeachment complaint against Pres. Rodrigo Duterte at the Office of the Secretary-General, House of Representatives last March 16. Inquirer.net photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta

We have leaders of organizations who claim to work for social concerns and action, and are at the forefront of fighting for human rights and against the evils of the Marcoses and of martial law, but have abused their power and violated their workers’ rights. We have people who purport to be scholars that propagate knowledge on good governance, that counts as one of its tenets the ethos of transparency, yet fail to

be transparent in their dealings and actuations. We have people who are experts in elections, and theorize about democratic processes, yet have gone against what they preach by helping politicians undermine the process, if not being involved more directly in sustaining traditional political practices that privilege politicking over transparent electoral processes. There are more examples that show inauthenticity as the domi-

nant modality in how we exercise power. And you come to the realization that to be authentic is now a rare gift. Many people blame social media for causing an epidemic of inauthenticity and fakery. But lest we forget, inauthenticity is already a problem that infects our body politic, and social media has just given it a new domain to thrive. (ManilaTimes. net)

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal. ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

ELIZABETH HILARIO SISON Chief Financial Officer

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DOJ withdraws drug case vs Marcelino, alleged accomplice by Rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

IMPEACHMENT FILED. Two Marcos loyalists—lawyer Oliver Lozano and broadcaster Melchor Chavez—and the Impeach Leni Movement filed separate impeachment complaints against Robredo for alleged betrayal of public trust in connection with a video message she sent to a United Nations side event where she criticized the administration’s war on drugs. Philstar.com photo

No endorsers yet of impeach raps vs VP, ombudsman by

Ghio onG Philstar.com

MANILA - The impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo has yet to be endorsed at the House of Representatives, justice committee chairman Reynaldo Umali said. Umali also said the impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has not been filed and that there were also no endorsers for it so far. Any Filipino citizen may initiate an impeachment complaint but the document must be endorsed by a lawmaker for it to be considered filed at the House. Asked during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum in Manila if Robredo’s impeachment could be tackled soon, Umali, who represents Oriental Mindoro, just said “not yet.” Two Marcos loyalists—lawyer Oliver Lozano and broadcaster Melchor Chavez—and the Impeach Leni Movement filed separate impeachment complaints against Robredo for alleged betrayal of public trust in connection with a video message she sent to a United Nations side event where she criticized the administration’s war on drugs. Meanwhile, the Volunteers

Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) said it would file an impeachment complaint against Morales for dispensing “selective justice” and inordinate delays in the resolution of cases filed before the anti-graft body. Umali said the same rules used in the impeachment complaint against President Duterte would prevail in the cases against Robredo and Morales. He said the House justice committee would look into the form, substance and probable cause of the impeachment complaints. When his committee tackled the impeachment complaint against Duterte last Monday, Umali said they had to hold marathon hearings that resulted in its finding that the documents attached to the complaint were neither well-documented nor certified. They also had an hour-long executive session before they found that the complaint was insufficient in substance. “The decision really comes from each member of the committee,” Umali noted. Voting 42-0, the committee members junked the complaint against Duterte on charges that he amassed ill-gotten wealth, ordered the killing of thousands in the course of his war on

drugs and failed to defend the country’s sovereign rights and territorial claims when he reportedly allowed Chinese presence in Benham Rise. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who was the first to threaten Robredo with impeachment also because of the UN video, said no endorsement for the impeachment complaints against Robredo and Morales should be expected anytime soon because lawmakers are still studying the contents. According to the Speaker, the earliest time the public may expect an endorsement will be in August. This is because the 17th Congress will take a break starting June 3 and resume session sometime in August. Also, Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles accused lawyers Bruce Rivera and Trixie Cruz-Angeles of the Impeach Leni Movement of including his name as co-complainant, messenger or endorser in the impeachment complaint against Robredo allegedly without his consent. The VACC claimed in a press conference at least 30 lawmakers were willing to endorse the impeachment complaint against Morales. The group said the complaint would be “rolling” very soon.

MANILA—The Department of Justice on Thursday, May 18 ordered the withdrawal of the drug case against Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino and his Chinese companion. The 13-page resolution signed by DOJ Undersecretary Deo Marco is once again clearing Marcelino and his alleged accomplice, Yan Yi Shou alias Randy from their case after determining that they sufficiently proved that they were just performing their lawful duty in a drug raid operation. “Lt. Col. Marcelino and Yan Yi Shou have sufficiently proven that they were in performance of a lawful duty when they were chanced upon by the PNP and PDEA joint team, thereby negating the evidence of the complainants-appellees purportedly establishing that they are probably involve in the manufacture of illegal drugs, conspiracy in the manufacture thereof or illegal possession of the same,” the resolution read. The two suspects were previously cleared from the case on June 21 after Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva recommended its dismissal over insufficiency of evidence. However, in September 2016, the DOJ

is GRANTED. The Resolution dated September 15, 2016 of Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Q. Suarez, as approved by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony D. Fadullon, is hereby REVERSED AND SET ASIDE, and the Resolution dated May 23, 2016 of Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore M. Villanueva is hereby AFFIRMED,” the resolution read. “Correspondingly, the City Prosecutor of Manila is directed to MOVE FOR THE WITHDRAWAL of the Information in Criminal Case No. 16328515,” it added. Marcelino and Yan were Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino raises his nabbed last January 2016 in a hands after being released on bail from the suspected drug laboratory in Philippine National Police Custodial Center at Manila for allegedly possessing Camp Crame in this file photo. 76,697.7 grams or P380 milreversed the June 21 resolution. lion worth of shabu. They were Assistant State Prosecutor Al- charged with violating Sections exander Suarez earlier said there 11 and 26 of the Republic Act is reasonable ground to charge 9165 or the Comprehensive DanMarcelino and Yan guilty. He gerous Drugs Act of 2002. added that the information of the RA 9165 pertains to the manucharges of illegal drugs filed was facturing and possession and approved by Senior Deputy State conspiracy in the manufacturing Prosecutor Richard Anthony of illegal drugs. Fadullon. Last January, DOJ prosecutors The latest DOJ resolution pro- asked the Manila Regional Trial mulgated last Wednesday, May Court to issue a hold departure 17 reversed the one issued on order against Marcelino. He September 21. then voluntary surrendered be“Wherefore, premises con- fore the Armed Forces of the sidered, the Petition for Review Philippines.

‘Bato’ challenges police scalawags to shootout by emmAnuel

tupAs

Philstar.com

MANILA - As another policeman was implicated in the illegal drugs trade, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa challenged other police scalawags to a shootout. Dela Rosa issued the challenge after he confronted a police officer from Teresa, Rizal who was caught with 100 grams of shabu worth P300,000 at his house last Tuesday. Police Officer 1 Fernan Manimbo, 33, was arrested at around 1 a.m. in Barangay Bagumbayan in Teresa. Dela Rosa expressed frustration that despite his repeated warnings, there are still police officers involved in illegal activities. “I’m already tired of appealing. My message to those policemen involved in illegal drugs is just to

fight,” Dela Rosa said. “You shoot it out with your fellow police officers who will arrest you so once and for all let’s settle the score,” he added. Dela Rosa also ordered the immediate relief of Teresa police chief Senior Insp. Richard Ganalon for command responsibility as part of their internal cleansing program. “We recognize his efforts in the anti-drug campaign but he was unlucky because one member of his drug enforcement team is peddling shabu,” said Dela Rosa. Dela Rosa confronted Manimbo, now detained at the police station on charges of violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Manimbo is among 43 prisoners at the detention cell, which has a capacity of 15. “You shouldn’t be ashamed if you have not committed any

wrongdoing. Are you not afraid of me?” Dela Rosa told Manimbo. Manimbo denied that he was involved in illegal drugs and claimed the shabu recovered from his house does not belong to him. Dela Rosa, however, was not buying his alibi. Manimbo was a member of the police station’s drug enforcement team for about a month when he was arrested and has been under the Rizal Police’s drug watch list. Based on intelligence information investigators have gathered, Dela Rosa said Manimbo is connected to convicted drug lord Amin Boratong. “It appears that he is connected with the drug lord who is still in jail,” said Dela Rosa. The Pasig regional trial court convicted Boratong for operating the shabu tiangge in Pasig and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

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Know your people, Know your roots: Celebrating Asian pacific American Heritage Month by Klarize Medenilla/aJPress

T

o honor the extensive and often overlooked achievements of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community, the United States designated the month of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM). Just as the U.S. celebrates Black History Month in February, members of Congress in 1977 decided to introduce resolutions to designate a period in which to celebrate the rich history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. It started off in 1979 when Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week was celebrated during the first ten days in May. Presidents in the 1980s then continued that tradition until 1990, when then-President George H.W. Bush signed a new law which expanded the observance to the entire month; then in 1992, the U.S. officially began observing Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in May. Soon after Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month was established, Congressman Norman Y. Mineta (DCalifornia) in 1994 founded the Congressional Asian Pacific

American Caucus (CAPAC), a caucus made up of Congress members who were of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to advocate for the APA community. According to the official legislation that established the caucus, CAPAC is designed “to ensure that legislation passed by the United States Congress, to the greatest extent possible, provides for the full participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and reflects the concerns and needs of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.” It was important to designate the month of May because it coincides with the first wave of Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843; the month also commemorates the construction of the first transcontinental railroad— which was built largely on the labor of Chinese

immigrants—on May 10, 1869. Designating a month honoring the APA community was a huge step in recognizing the historic achievements and celebrating the cultures within the community. The APA community—as detailed in the resolution— encompasses all nationalities, cultures and ethnic populations in the Asia continent as well as the Pacific Islands; altogether, that includes hundreds of unique cultures. “Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the many achievements and contributions that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made to our nation,” Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-California) said in a statement released earlier this month. “From the Chinese railroad workers who helped to build our first transcontinental railroad, to trailblazers like Dalip

Singh Saund, the first Asian American ever elected to the U.S. Congress, to visionaries like Patsy Mink, a fierce champion for women’s rights who helped to pass Title IX legislation – AAPIs have played an integral role in contributing to the vibrancy of our country.” APAs who have made great strides in entertainment and pop culture have also been commemorated in various ways this month. Earlier in May, IDENTITY LA, a concert commemorating the community, returned to Los Angeles to celebrate the work of APA artists and creatives, to inspire young artists in the community to chase their dreams and to share the Asian American identity with folks of all heritages. “It’s to show [our] pride as being Asian American because we’re not guests in this country,” LA Councilmember David Ryu

Illustration by Kendrick Tan/AJPress

Photo from Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund

LA kicks off APA Heritage Month celeberation LoS ANGELES kicked off Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month on Saturday, May 6 with IDENTITY LA, a concert and celebration on the steps of City Hall. Hosted by Councilmember David Ryu and the International Secret Agents, the free public concert drew over 5,000 attendees and highlighted APA history and the population’s contributions to the various facets of the city. Korean RnB artist, DEAN headlined the festival alongside his futuristic underground crew, Club Eskimo. Folk Pop group, Us the Duo, and special guest, producer/electronic music artist Giraffage also entertained the crowd. The rest of the evening featured a mix of hip-hop, R&B, and pop artists of Korean, Filipino, Taiwanese, Japanese, South Asian, and Pacific Islander heritage. These performances from fanfavorites, Starro (soulection), Year of the ox, Kronika (soulection), Doctors&Engineers, Tenelle, Saay, and Dj Zo celebrate APA’s dynamic culture in the heart of Los Angeles. The festival also honored

Us The Duo

Councilmember David Ryu

several individuals and groups “that make up the vibrant cultural identity of the Los Angeles region, arts, activism, leadership, youth [and] digital,”

DEAN

told the Asian Journal earlier this month. “This is our country and we’ve helped build this country. It’s to empower the younger generations. It’s also not to only celebrate amongst ourselves but share our culture with our neighbors who are not Asian American because we draw strength from diversity, and it’s only when we learn about each other’s differences that we grow

SCE celebrates business, community partnerships at APA Heritage Month event

SoUTHERN California Edison (SCE) held its 12th annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) celebration on Thursday, May 4, during which it awarded business and community partners for their contributions to Far East Movement and Wong Fu Productions energy efficiency and the greater Asian American community. The three awards given honored Diamond Wipes International, Inc., a disposable wet wipes manufacturer based in Chino, California, with the energy efficiency participation award; the Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP), a non-profit organization, with the community partnership award; and Red Kite Business Advisors, a marketing consulting firm, with the diverse business enterprise award. AJPress photos by Mark Xavier Bautista The event was emcee’d by Bill Imada, chairman and chief Ryu’s office said. The awardees Presented to a Group connectivity officer of IW Group, this year were: or Individual for Artistic Inc. Awareness through Arts & Achievements that have entertainment Award: the Cast and Crew of the film “GooK”

SAAY

Contributed to Positive Social + Community Change for the Asian Pacific American Community. • Digital pioneer Award: Jenn Im Presented to a Group or Individual for their Pioneering Contributions in Positively Elevating the Asian Pacific American Community through Digital Media. • Activism Award: taz Ahmed & Zahra noorbakhsh of #GoodMuslimBadMuslim Presented to a Group or individual for their Contributions in Empowering the Asian Pacific American Community through Activism + Education. • Community Growth Award: epIC: empowering pacific Islander Communities Presented to a Non-Profit organization for their work at Empowering the Asian Pacific American Community through Activism + Education. • lA youth Award: Alex siv Presented to an LA Based Youth (18 or younger) for their work in Empowering the Asian Pacific American Community through Activism + Education.

stronger together.” Throughout the month of May, all branches of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) are hosting special events for Asian/Pacific American Heritage month like film screenings, calligraphy lessons, Japanese tea ceremonies, Bollywood nights and professional panels. For a calendar list of events, visit http://www.lapl.org./

Kevin Payne, CEO of Southern California Edison (SCE).

Ryan Patel, a global executive who has worked at startups to publicly traded companies and is an expert in scaling businesses worldwide, served as the keynote speaker. He recently served as the vice president of global Continued on Page 3

Ryan Patel, a global executive, was the event’s keynote speaker.

Red Kite Business Advisors

Bill Imada of IW Group served as the emcee. AJPress photos by Mark Xavier Bautista

Caroline Choi, senior vice president of regulatory affairs at SCE.

Darren Criss all set to play Versace’s Filipino killer

by Olivia Estrada Inquirer.net

ExcitEmEnt builds up as we get more glimpses into the production of “Versace: American crime Story.” A point of interest is how Darren criss is playing Andrew cunanan, the Filipino-American serial killer who shot Gianni Versace on the steps of his house in miami Beach. Ryan murphy, producer of the show, gave a sneak peak of Darren as Andrew. One must note that Andrew was a gigolo who craved for attention and the limelight. Darren is with Andrew Greenfield in this photo, whose role in the show has yet to be revealed. According to Vanity Fair, Gianni and Andrew had a connection before the murder. “they had come in contact in a San Francisco nightclub, colossus, in 1990; Versace was in town because he had designed costumes for the San Francisco Opera. that night, October 21, an eyewitness recalls, cunanan was smugly pleased that Versace seemed to recognize him,” the report said. it also detailed how

may 19-25, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Brillante mendoza to teach cannes fest directors about Filipino culture by dEni rOsE BErnardO Philstar.com

In ‘Versace: American Crime Story’, Darren Criss plays Andrew Cunanan, the Filipino-American serial killer who shot Gianni Versace.

Andrew “gushed over” meeting the fashion designer and how it was unclear how and when Gianni met him before recognizing him. Before Gianni’s murder, Andrew had aleady been on a killing spree, landing him in the most Wanted list of the F.B.i. Apart from this, we also recently got to see Penelope cruz donning platinum-blonde locks along with sleek and sexy ensembles as she takes on the role of Donatella Versace. Edgar Ramirez, who will play

Gianni Versace, also dropped a few photos from the set which feature the lavish italian taste of the designer. Ricky martin, who will play Gianni’s partner Antonio D’Amico, gives a more candid glimpse of the cast together. “Versace: American crime Story” along with “Katrina: American crime Story” are both lined up for 2018, following up the successful debut of the series which re-told the story of the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

SCE celebrates business, community... From Page 2

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inStitut Français, France’s film institute that promotes heritage films like those shown in the prestigious cannes Film Festival, invited Filipino filmmaker Brillante mendoza to mentor new and upcoming directors in cannes Festival. “i got the invitation a month ago. it’s overwhelming because these are not new filmmakers, but young filmmakers developing a project,” the Filipino cannes Festival Best Director winner told the press on Wednesday, may 17 during the launch of his movie made for tV5, “Panata.” “i’m looking forward to also learn from them and to working with them and collaborate with them, and also to share our culture and stories with them,” mendoza added. According to him, before he joined cannes with his 2007 film, “Foster child,” the world’s filmmakers thought of Filipino films as “melodramatic.” “‘Foster child’ is not melodrama, but documentarylike, more of real-life approach, so cannes had a different perspective of Philippine cinema, so they became interested with what we’re doing here in the Philippines,” he explained of what could have been the cause why

cannes invited him as mentor. He pointed out that filmmakers abroad are also curious on how Filipino directors like him can churn out worldclass, award-winning projects like “Kinatay,” which won him the Best Director stint in cannes in 2009, despite a limited budget and shooting time. “Dahil sanay na tayo sa hirap at sa mga nangyayari sa paligid natin, both natural and unnatural, kaya kailangan natin mag-pursige,” he said. Brillante is also known for mixing big name actors with independent ones, a technique he also employs in his monthly movies made for tV5. He assured that though he already have several awards to his name, including Best Film for “Lola” in the 6th Dubai international Film Festival, he will still work with independent artists because as a director once told him, “masarap katrabaho ‘yung mga indie actors kasi wala silang ibang gusto kundi umarte lang.” He took note of a student, who is only in his 20s, who has been among the only 10 selected to compete in the short film category of cannes last year. the last time a Filipino was able to do so was when Raymond Red became the first, and so far the only Filipino to win the Palme d’Or

development for Pinkberry. “At one point, someone said ‘you can’t do this’ or maybe… it comes to who’s in the room, [their] ethnicity and age...,” Patel said. “i don’t get caught up in ‘i was the only person in the room that was of this decent…i looked at it as an opportunity to prove to myself and everyone else that my ideas were good no matter what it was.” He shared the importance of diversity, gender equality and philanthropy within businesses. He added, “i look at heritage months as two things: the celebration of the past — it’s really important to learn from those who have done this, the pioneers — but i’m also here to tell you that don’t take this month for granted. it’s also [about] the future, how are you going to lead the next AJPress photos by Mark Xavier Bautista generation?” Actors and “I Can Do That!” co-stars Daniel Matsunaga and Arci Munoz

Brillante Mendoza will serve as “Parrain” or “Godfather” of the upcoming La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde during the Cannes International Film Festival.

award at the cannes in 2000, for his short film, “Anino.” Brillante was nominated in Palme d’Or for his 2008 film, “Serbis,” starring coco martin. He was also nominated for the award for “Kinatay” in 2009. instead of being threatened by new and younger filmmakers, he is actually happy to share what he knows. “Mas maraming natututo, mas maganda kasi i’m wishing to grow the audience for indie filmmakers,” he enthused. “At ‘di dapat ipagdamot ang binigay sa’tin ng Diyos. Dapat talaga ipamahagi s’ya.”

Daniel Matsunaga has his eyes on Arci Muñoz

Diamond Wipes

Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics

ActOR Daniel matsunaga is not sure if he is ready to love again, but if that happens, is fellow “i can Do that!” star Arci muñoz the first in line? “i’m focusing on my work, but you’ll never know. my heart is open!” Daniel told reporters in a group interview following his launch as Avon Philippines’ first male celebrity endorser for intimate apparel. “People are linking us right now. Bagay ba kami?” Daniel asked reporters if he and Arci look good together. He admitted that he is hoping for an opportunity to do a new soap opera with Arci. He said he is getting a lot of proposals for movies, but now, he enjoys being with Arci on the set of “i can Do that!” they are expected to become closer Continued on Page 4

Comedian-cum-talent manager Ogie Diaz writes a book Talking business at Daniel Padilla’s party may 19-25, 2017

www.asianjournal.com

4

by Ronnie

CaRRasCo ManilaTimes.net

Teen King Daniel Padilla was pleasantly surprised when his mom Karla and ABS-CBn executives hatched an advance celebration at Manila House, Bonifacio Global City two days before his 22nd birthday. Guests were comprised of family, friends, showbiz movers and media colleagues, who enjoyed the spectacular view overlooking the city’s night lights, amid an overflow of food, drinks and non-stop music provided by a live acoustic band. Spotted at the party were ABS-CBn bosses Charo SantosConcio, Cory Vidanes, and Carlo Katigbak; Vice Ganda; lovey-dovey couple James Yap and Michela Cazzola; and of course, the better half of the trendsetting Kathniel loveteam, Kathryn Bernardo. Former San Juan Vice Mayor and former DLSU cager Francis Zamora also felt equally at home in the presence of

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COMeDiAn and talent manager Ogie Diaz has taken a break off his dual work to fulfill a long-cherished dream of writing a book. Albeit untitled, Ogie told Vignettes that the “128-page mustread book” bears his mantra in life, “every gising is a blessing.” “Yun na rin ang subtitle dahil yan naman ang pinauso kong motto. The Lord wakes us up to a new morning because we all have our mission in life.” Tracing his roots to the crowded Vice Ganda, Keri Zamora, Francis Zamora, Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, James Yap, Michela Cazzola street of Loreto in Manila, it was where he figured out a way to help and high-profile personalities longtime showbiz friends and his family rise above their daily will converge for good food, fellow cagers including Yap, hand-to-mouth existence. Helping drinks and music. whose son MJ is Zamora’s his parents to make both ends Their other business godson. meet, Ogie—who only completed partners include PBA stars Greatly excited about high school—would vend James Yap and Marc Pingris, an impending business former PBA cager and San Juan cigarettes on foot (called “takatak” partnership with the Teen King, councilor Paul Artadi, superstar in street jargon) and banana-cue Zamora also disclosed that DJ Ace Ramos, chef Kel Zaguirre from a bilao. Padilla and Vice Ganda will Broken down into significant and Ayala Land premier be his partners in District 8, a chapters, his book is rich in colorful, senior manager Charlton Yu. gastropub opening soon in San vividly written anecdotes about (ManilaTimes.net) Juan where celebrities, athletes his painstaking struggles as well as his memorable encounters with different types of people, celebrities included. “Siyempre, hindi naman sobrang madrama, there’s always a witty ending to every story which actually took place and not a figment of my imagination. Pero by Deni Rose BeRnaRDo ang pinaka-favorite chapter ko is Police” and appeared on Philstar.com about my mom and my raising my Showtime’s “Pride Comedy own family despite being gay.” Jam,” as well as in TV series like HOLLYWOOD — Celebrated What inspired him to pen his “2 Broke Girls,” “Mulaney” and Filipino actress Kris Aquino own book? “Ground Floor.” He was also in might have not yet confirmed “First of all, noon ko pa ilusyon the regular panel of “Chelsea being an official cast member of sumulat ng libro. Kasi, nung araw, Lately.” the upcoming Warner Brothers Currently, nico stars as Mateo panakaw lang akong nagbabasa adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s sa national Bookstore, Alemar’s, on nBC’s “Superstore” comedy bestselling novel, “Crazy Rich Merriam Webster at Corona series. He has also made flicks Asians,” but Filipinos need not Bookstore. Yung Goodwill Bookstore such as “The Clapper” with ed fret because they now have Helms and Amanda Seyfried and lang ang hindi ko napuntahan, dahil a sure representative in the “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.” upcoming Hollywood film. “Crazy Rich Asians” has nico Santos, a Filipinostarted filming and will be shot American comedian born in Malaysia and Singapore. The and raised in the Philippines From Page 3 Filipino-American comedian Nico Santos. Jon M. Chu-directed movie according to Superstore-nbc. when they go on a working tour in Twitter/Nico Santos is based on Kwan’s romantic wikia.com, has been officially new York next month. declared a part of the “Crazy Rich began doing stand-up comedy in comedy revolving around the “i leave everything on God’s lives of new Yorker Rachel Chu, Asians” cast headlined by Henry San Francisco. Due to his quirky hands. Arci is a beautiful girl. Golding, Constance Wu, Gemma impersonations and sarcastic wit, played by Wu, and her longtime She’s very smart, she’s very nice. Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina he immediately became a fixture boyfriend nick Young, portrayed We have this same show right by Golding, as they attend the and Ken Jeong. in the local comedy scene. now. We spend a lot of time wedding of Young’s best friend Living in California “by way Since then, he has written together. You’ll never know,” said in Singapore. of Portland, Oregon,” Santos scripts for e! network’s “Fashion Daniel, who won a local football

Filipino-American actor officially joins ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ cast

Ogie Diaz (rightmost) with his wife and four sweet daughters.

first attempt ko pa lang buklatin ang libro ay sinita na ako ng guwardiya, kaya sa iba na lang ako nakikibuklat,” Ogie, in his usual funny stance, jested. His many years in active showbiz column writing—later on replaced by more lucrative careers in acting and talent management— have essentially prepared him to pursue his goal. “Sabi ko, why not? Marunong naman akong magsulat at magkuwento. Yung pagiging bangka ko sa mga kuwentuhan, ba’t hindi ko isalin sa libro? Saka ang daming naaaliw sa mga ipinu-post ko sa Facebook, kaya sila rin naman ang nagtulak to write a book.” Admittedly, bringing the book to fruition didn’t come as a piece of cake. “Sa totoo lang, the hardest part, eh, kung paano aayusin yung mga istorya ko. Sinimulan ko ito noon pang 2011 at ngayong 2017 lang matutupad, six years in the making! At least, bago man lang ako rayumahin, nagawa ko na ang ilusyon ko to publish my own book. Thanks to Pio Mallari for the cover design and illustrations, and Maita Martinez for helping me fix all the necessary publishing

requirements.” Underneath writing a book though lies an advocacy which Ogie has seriously taken upon himself and continues to support all these years. “Nag-iisip kasi ako ng puwedeng pagkunan namin ng funds for breast cancer patients and survivors ng Philippine Foundation for Breast Care, inc.,” revealed Ogie who sits in the board of trustees and has been an active member for eight years now. “Ang nakakalungkot, the number of patients is increasing in great numbers but we’re not getting as many donors. So, when you buy this book (priced at P199), nakatulong ka na rin sa mga pasyente.” With a target release by the end of July, Ogie simply wants his readers to enjoy his book, “i want them smiling kasi kahit yung mga photos dun, pag-iisipan pa namin if they’re worthy of space. Ayokong mandaya sa pages na puro pictures, baka magmukhang coloring book. i promise hindi ito boring. More than the wit and humor, may puso ang libro ko. For a cause.”

Daniel Matsunaga has his eyes on...

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

tournament that allows him and his team to represent the Philippines in a football match in Brazil. if there is a woman in his life he treasures the most, it is his mom, Geralda. “My mom, she’s the best person in the world. i wouldn’t be here if not because of her.

SERVICES

everything she taught me since i was a kid, since i left Brazil when i was 15 years old, at that age, you don’t leave your parents and go living by yourself if you don’t trust them…My parents, they’re the best people in the world. Their hearts are so true, so Godly. My mom taught me everything,” he said. (Philstar.com)

may 19-25, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Problem Solved

The Trump administration on sanctuary cities

funding. During President Trump’s first week of office he signed an Generally, a sanctuary city is executive order to strengthen viewed as a place where individuals border security and immigration law enforcement and to punish without lawful immigration status “sanctuary cities” who do not may reside without undue fear cooperate with federal agencies. of targeted raids, harassment California and many other states and mass deportation. So-called decided to push back against sanctuary cities do not provide the Trump administration’s immunity to those residing in the changes to immigration policy U.S. without status. anyone who resides in the United States without by further limiting cooperation with the federal government authorization is at some risk of in immigration matters. U.S. deportation. Designation as a sanctuary city attorney General Jeff Sessions has made concrete threats means that state funded agencies within those cities, including police to eliminate funding for the Department of Justice in sanctuary and Sheriff’s departments, will not cities. Withholding funding to always assist federal agencies with California’s Justice Department immigration law enforcement. can have devastating impact Some California sheriff and police on our first responders, courts, departments have refused to hold counterterrorism, and our undocumented individuals within crime-fighting and community their facilities while they await ICe development services. detention and removal. States The city of Seattle, Washington are within their rights to refuse (also labeled a sanctuary city) compliance with requests from federal agencies. California is under has sued President Trump and no legal obligation to detain illegal his administration, arguing that the treats to strip billions of immigrants only because a federal dollars of federal funding from agency has made such request. “sanctuary cities” is illegal and However, failure to cooperate unconstitutional. Seattle argues with the federal government may that it is not illegal to refuse to have repercussions. President hold undocumented immigrants Trump has warned that states that in detention simply upon request protect undocumented residents from the federal government. by refusing to assist I.C.e. or other federal agencies may forfeit federal Because it is not illegal, President

Atty. RichARd M. WilneR And tAliA dRAke

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA

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Trump and attorney General Session’s threats to withhold over 4 billion dollars of federal funding from those states violates the Constitution’s Spending Clause. The city of lansing, Michigan on the other hand, voted to rescind its sanctuary city designation and now refers to itself as a “welcoming city.” While the outcome of this President Trump vs. Sanctuary City battle remains uncertain, one thing is for sure: it has never been legal to be illegal in america. ***

Richard M. Wilner is a founding member of Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC and is Board Certified by the State Bar of California as a Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law. He is admitted to practice law in the State of California and before the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California, the Northern District of Texas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Talia Drake is an Associate Attorney at the Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC Headquarters. She is admitted to the State Bar of California, the Supreme Court of California, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Eastern District Court of California. Talia is a member of the American Bar Association, Los Angeles Bar Association, Long Beach Bar Association, and Orange County Bar Association.

Making time for the things that matter

Carpe diem! Seize the day! - Horace to overcompensate and stretch themselves to give their children the advantage they themselves did not have. Some push their children onto too many activities to give them an edge for the outside world at some future date. as promising as these activities may seem, one needs to achieve a sense of balance and understand if the tendency to do so is a personal response to a sense of insecurity. It could be that parents are merely sublimating their inadequacies and imposing these on the lives of their own children. It is not necessary to enlist children in each and every activity that promises to give them an edge. Spending real time with children and kicking back can yield even more tangible results in improved relationships and a better quality of family life. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

FOr a steadily increasing number of people who are intent on finding meaning in life—time has eclipsed money in importance. In america as in anywhere else on earth where time is equated with money, there is a tendency to trade each hour for the relentless pursuit of the trappings of an economically successful life. What we do has become what we are. and yet, the truth of the matter is that not all our hours are billable. For immigrant parents with younger children, one of the best things to give of yourself is having more free, unscheduled, unencumbered time with them so that you can make yourself available to them, without having to put them on schedule as though accommodating them in your already crowded appointment book. In the eighties and nineties of the past century, the idea of “quality time” meant that since there was only a limited amount of time to spend with children, a busy parent

“squeezed” as much as could be squeezed out of spending an hour or two or an afternoon with his children once in a great while. While spending limited quality time was definitely better than being an absentee parent altogether, there is still no substitute for spending real“quantity time” with children, even if it means merely hanging out with them. There is a vast array of things that children are offered to learn outside of school—activities that by themselves are intended to prime and prepare them for success in their adult lives, to make them more intelligent, more artistic, more poised with greater self-esteem, more athletic and basically more well-rounded supposedly to be able to compete in the real world. The focus of these activities is on the future rather than the present moment. Try not to rob them of the joy of the moment in the name of the future. Well-meaning but basically misguided immigrant parents tend

Health@Heart

National smoking ban

PhiliP S. chuA, Md, FAcS, FPcS HealTHJUSTICe Philippines, a vigilant think tank and advocacy group with legal expertise in tobacco control and health promotion and a Bloomberg awardee for Global Tobacco Control, sent out a press release on May 12, 2017 praising “Davao City Vices regulation Unit for its strict enforcement of smoking ban and apprehension of 4,487 violators since its formation last month.” “We commend the local government of Davao City and its Vices regulation Unit for strictly enforcing the provisions of its pertinent local ordinances and national and international laws banning smoking in public spaces. Davao City has been recognized by no less than the World Health Organization for its landmark tobacco control ordinance, and since then it has continued setting a sterling example in crafting and implementing tobacco control measures for cities across the country and the whole world to emulate,” said Mary ann FernandezMendoza, president and trustee of HealthJustice. “We hope that President Duterte will soon sign the ‘smokefree’ executive Order that will not only strengthen the enforcement of existing smoking bans, but also direct local governments to pattern their anti-smoking ordinances after that of Davao, which includes a ‘no smoking indoors’ policy,” she added. *** Cebu in the 1990s, expanding on its existing ban on smoking

Providing a smoking area within the same building with one ventilation system is like designating a urinating area in a swimming pool. in public establishments then, proposed its laudable goal to make Cebu city a smoke-free city by year 2006. I was among its staunchest supporter and stated then that achieving this would earn Cebu the enviable distinction of being one of the healthiest cities and tourist spots in the world. Unfortunately, wisdom, health, and medical science were no match to the power of money and political correctness. I remember that there were some brainless city legislators who wanted to amend the ordinance to allow smoking after 9:00 P.M. and for the creation of smoking areas in shopping malls, restaurants, etc. Did these obviously ignorant officials think that active and passive smoking would only cause cancers, cardiovascular illnesses, and lung diseases before 9:00 P.M., and that smoking after 9 PM would be safe? Did they honestly think that the smoking areas (within a building) will prevent the 4000 harmful (200 of them cancer-causing) chemicals in tobacco smoke from getting into the ventilation system and expose and hurt everyone in the premises, including non-smokers and children? What in this issue was nOT clear? I bet even the kids in the kindergarten can see how ludicrous these proposed amendments are. Unless the designated room is air-tight and totally excluded from the main building (of shopping malls, restaurants, stores,

hospitals, public libraries, theaters, the workplace, etc.), and has a ventilation system of its own, it would be ineffective and useless. Providing a smoking area within the same building with one ventilation system is like designating a urinating area in a swimming pool. This is the same scientific and medical principle why the smoking ban in commercial airplanes also includes the toilets, besides all the cabins and the cockpit. a simple common sense. The issue is crystal clear. Smoking and second hand-smoking or passive smoking maim and kill millions in countries around the world, the Philippines included. Spraying poison in the air, as in passive smoking, adversely affect everyone in the area. The simplest, totally cost-free, and medically effective solution is to allow smoking Only outside of, and a distance from, public buildings. What could be more obvious? a national smoking ban, while unpopular and controversial, would provide an immeasurable boost to people’s and the nation’s health. While I abhor smoking and inhaling secondhand tobacco smoke for health reasons, I defend the right of smokers to smoke. That is their constitutional right…so long as the exercise of that right does not offend or hurt the people around them and infringe upon the rights of others. after all, Continued on Page 6

Calendar of Events across

America

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AMBOY presents ULAM dinner in LA AMBOY presents a special night on Friday, May 19 with a six course dinner presented by Filipino chefs who will each make one course using their culinary technique and cultural background. Guests in attendance will also receive a VIP ticket to the preview of ULAM – a Filipino food documentary, showing at the Million Dollar Theatre on Saturday May 20th. It will be held at the second floor of Far East Plaza (727 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012) at 5:30 p.m., 8 p.m., and 10 p.m. It is $75 per guest (includes a ticket to ULAM screening). To book online, please visit www.universe.com/amboydinnernight or email eatatamboy@ gmail.com for any inquiries.

M AY 2 0

Carlos Bulosan book club in LA The Echo Park Branch Library* of the LA Public Library system will host the launching of the Carlos Bulosan Book Club (CBBC) organized by Friends of the Echo Park Library (friendsechopark.org) on Saturday, May 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The first book will be “America is in the Heart” by Carlos Bulosan. The moderators will be James Castillo, Dr. Enrique dela Cruz, Vicky Perez & Jaime Geaga. The CBBC’s mission is to provide a forum to explore and learn about the Filipino-American immigrant experience as reflected through Fil-Am literature. It will be held at the Echo Park Library Community Room (1410 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026). To RSVP or for more info, please contact James Castillo at (626) 241-7010 or admin@friendsechopark.org.

M AY 2 1

Filipino Medical Program hosts mini health fair in Bergenfield, NJ Holy Name Medical Center’s Filipino Medical Program will take part in a mini health fair on Sunday, May 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church - Conlon Hall at 19 North William Street, Bergenfield, NJ. For more information, please call the FMP at (201) 833-3355 or email lavarro@holyname.org.

M AY 26

AMBOY presents lechon festival in LA AMBOY presents a Lechon festival on Friday, May 26 where six different chefs will compete and be given the chance to show their version of our beloved lechon. All attendees and judges will get the chance to taste each chef’s representation and get to vote for the best version of lechon in Los Angeles based on flavor, originality, plating and crunchiness. VIP guests and judges will have additional courses made by each chef competing for the grand prizes. It is $75 for VIP (entrance at 6 p.m.) and $50 for GA (entrance at 7 p.m.). It will be held at the second floor of Far East Plaza (727 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012). To book online, please visit www.universe.com/amboylechonfestival or email eatatamboy@ gmail.com for any inquiries.

M AY 28

Global gathering of Bulacan High School and Marcelo H. del Pilar High School in Rosemead, CA Graduates of Bulacan High School and Marcelo H. del Pilar High School of Malolos, Bulacan will hold their first ever global gathering on Sunday, May 28 at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Rosemead, California. Please call up any of the following for more details: Rosario “Charito” Aldaba Gabriel (Class ‘66), Tel. No. (818)-982-1165; Lourdes Ople Smith (Class ’64) Tel. No. (310)-662-1948; Gerry “German” Torres, Jr. (Class ’66) Tel. No. (818)-646-3286. You can also visit the website at www.mhpnhs-maa.com.

Filipino Medical Program hosts community health screening in Jersey City Holy Name Medical Center’s Filipino Medical Program will have a health screening from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 28 at the Santacruzan Festival at St. Mary’s Church on 254 2nd St, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302. For more information, please call the FMP at (201) 833-3355 or email lavarro@holyname.org.

June 3

5th annual Kalayaan Parade in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown The 5th Kalayaan Parade in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown will be held on Saturday, June 3, beginning at 9 a.m. to celebrate the 119th Philippine Independence Day. LA Councilmember Mitch O’ Farrell of District 13 will be the guest speaker of the program. The assembly area is in front of the Silverlake Medical Center (SLMC) at Temple Street at 8:00 a.m. The parade starts at 9:00 a.m. and will end at the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) compound. For more information please call Art at (213) 318-9065 or visit www.jfavusa.org.

Kalayaan Incorporated’s Philippine Independence Gala Night in Garden Grove, CA Kalayaan Incorporated Southern California, with the cooperation of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, invites you to its Gala Night in commemoration of the 119th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on Saturday, June 3. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orange County (11999 Harbor Blvd. Garden Grove, California 92840). Doors open at 5 p.m. with the program beginning at 6:15 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. It is $75 / per ticket (pre-paid). Attire is formal/barong/Filipinana. For more information, please visit https://www.kalayaanincorporatedsocal.com/.

Walk for Mom in Teaneck, NJ The Filipino Medical Program invites members of the Filipino-American community to Holy Name Medical Center’s Walk for Mom, a breast cancer awareness walkathon on Saturday, June 3. Participate in a fun-filled celebration including music, snacks, prizes, FREE T-shirts and other exciting events. It will be held at 718 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ (south parking lot), with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m. The walk begins at 10:30 a.m. and is 1.5 miles. Suggested donation is $10. Proceeds fund free mammogram screenings for up to 100 women. For more information, please call (201) 833-3336 or email walkformom@ holyname.org.

June 11

Filipino Medical Program hosts community health screening in Passaic, NJ Holy Name Medical Center’s Filipino Medical Program will have a health screening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 11 at the Philippine Independence Day Festival in Passaic, New Jersey. It will be held at 3rd Ward Park, 350 Passaic Ave (cor. Van Houten), Passaic, NJ 07055. For more information, please call the FMP at (201) 833-3355 or email lavarro@ holyname.org.

June 17

FASO to hold gala benefit in Los Angeles The Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO), the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside of the Philippines, will hold “A Night of Symphony,” its first ever gala benefit dinner on Saturday, June 17 at the majestic estate of Hollywood legend Mary Pickford in Hancock Park, Los Angeles. The special evening will honor FASO’s first Excellence in Music awardees and distinguished contributors to the pioneering orchestra’s mission and objectives. The names of the honorees will be announced soon. Filipino chefs who are part of the movement that’s making Pinoy cuisine a worldwide sensation will prepare the sumptuous dinner. The exciting gala, sponsored by Bank of Hope, Pacific Western Bank and Silver Saddle Ranch & Club, will feature two parts. There will be a meet and greet for a limited number of guests, starting at 4:00 p.m., with a guest of honor, the awardees and other distinguished guests. The second part will be the main event – awards program and dinner – which will begin at 5:30 p.m. For inquiries, contact FASO board members Rocio Nuyda, the gala’s chairperson at 818-602-3214 or rocio@msn.com, or Jose Luis Garcia at 310-936-2988 or jl.garcia@aol.com. More details are also available at www.fasogala.org.

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

may 19-25, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

6

Gary V opens his 2017 international tour in North America FRESH from the commercial and critical success of his two-night benefit Valentine concert, Love In Motion at Shangri-La at The Fort, Gary Valenciano gears up for the very first leg of his 2017 international tour, which is set to happen in North America beginning this May. Gary’s 2017 international tour is in line with his 34th anniversary in the business as one of the most successful and prolific singersongwriters in the Philippine music industry. The North American tour of Gary kicks off on May 27 at M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada with online star and Philippine recording artist Katrina Velarde as his special guest. Gary will then perform at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula on June 3 with special guests singer-songwriter, Philippine fashion icon, and it-girl Kiana Valenciano and Katrina Velarde. The tour will culminate on June 10 at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, LA County with guests Kiana Valenciano, Katrina Velarde, and popular singer-actor Sam Concepcion. For the past 34 years, Gary has been a shining beacon of hope as he has released some of the most inspiring songs and videos and has been the National Ambassador of UNICEF for 18 years now. He has produced some of the best concerts and an impressive array of multi-platinum albums that gave the world hits that have become the soundtrack of an entire generation of music aficionados making him one of the most powerful and influential performers in the history of the Philippine entertainment industry. Gary has also consistently filled major venues not only in the Philippines but the world over as well. With an impressive 3.3 million followers on Twitter, 664,000 on Facebook and 234,000 on Instagram he is slowly penetrating the millennial generation through the content he continues to create. Gary never fails to receive welldeserved standing ovations for his concerts as he constantly stuns his fans with his amazing dancing

skills and vocal gymnastics which have proven that he indeed is a living miracle despite 39 years of having Type 1 diabetes. In the Philippines, Gary is seen regularly on ABS-CBN as one of the flagship artists of its longest running Sunday musical variety show” ASAP.” Gary has also concluded his stint as one of the jurors of the toprating international franchise Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids. He was likewise a judge in the “X Factor Philippines” and a host of “Twist and Shout.” His recent compilation albums “Gaya Ng Dati” which gathered his top Tagalog hits and Gold a collection of 50 of his English recordings both released by Universal Records are favorites of music buyers. GV @ Primetime released by Star Music is a sampling of the greatest theme songs that he recorded for some of ABSCBN’s phenomenally successful primetime soap operas including his rendition of the theme song of smash hit soap opera, Ang Probinsiyano – “Wag Ka Nang Umiyak,” which spawned video memes that went viral online. The songs are available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and other online stores. With Mon Faustino as musical director, fans could look forward to an amazing show that is jam-packed with Gary’s greatest hits and special surprises that will surely ignite excitement that only Mr. Pure Energy could deliver. The North American tour of Gary will be followed by a series of provincial shows in key cities in the Philippines, in Asia, and a second North American tour in the United States and Canada. Gary will also have a special show in Viridian Event Center in Utah on June 12. For more information check wee.garv.com and like Gary Valenciano Official on Facebook and follow @GaryValenciano1 on Twitter and @garyvalenciano on Instagram. (Advertising Supplement)

Kiana Valenciano & Sam Concepcion join Gary V’s 2017 US Tour

KIANA Valenciano and Sam Concepcion are set to appear as Gary Valenciano’s special guests in his upcoming 2017 US Tour beginning this May. Kiana is set to perform with Gary on June 3 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula with Katrina Velarde and once again in the culminating leg of Gary’s 2017 US Tour, this time with Sam Concepcion and Katrina Velarde at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, LA County on June 10. Kiana Valenciano is currently soaring with 149,000 Instagram followers, and a string of brands she has been made an ambassador of such as Australian cosmetic brand BYS Philippines, Adidas, Fuji Films, SM Parisian Bags and Shoes. This popular digital influencer recently released two hit singles – “Circles” and “Does She Know.” As soon as she opened her eyes, Kiana was destined to make ripples in the music industry – the same field that was instrumental in building the legacy of her parents. With a clan of artists behind her there is no way Kiana could escape her destiny as a musical artist. Both of her grandmothers are singers. Her mother used to sing in the band Music and Magic in the early 80s. Her brothers Paolo and Gab have also made their individual marks in the entertainment industry and it is just natural for Kiana to follow suit. In fact, she started in the field of recording at the age of six and was rewarded for her effort with the Awit Award’s Best Christmas Recording and Best Child Recording Artist Awards for the song “Once Again It’s Christmas,” a composition of Gary V, who also performed the song with her. This was the beginning of the evolution of a talent that was preserved and now is ready to be unleashed. As she entered her teens, she was able to further showcase her innate talent on TV shows like “The X Factor Philippines,”“Showtime,” and “ASAP.” She was also able to share the limelight with Maestro

Ryan Cayabyab and the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra. She was chosen in 2014 as 89.9 Magic’s Most Promising Female Artist. She took a few months off in 2015 to take some special courses in Fashion Design at the prestigious art school, Central Saint Martins in London. The blogosphere also became her platform as she was chosen as Candy Magazine’s Reader’s Choice as Favorite Blogger for 2015 with her www.kianavee.com platform. Her journey in the field of music reached greater heights when she bagged the Most Promising New Female Singer of Magic 89.9 for the song “With You,” a duet with her dad which he wrote for her older brother Paolo’s wedding and which was the title of the best inspirational album for the Catholic Mass Media Awards last year. In 2015, she bagged the Awit Award’s Best New Female Recording Artist trophy for “Dear Heart,” a finalist in the 2014 Philpop Songwriting competition. Sam on the other hand, is a popular singer, dancer, actor, VJ, and host. In the span of his spectacular 15-year career, he has come out with five successful studio albums, and he was featured in several soundtracks including the Asian soundtrack of the international blockbuster animated flick “Kung Fu Panda.” His duet with Tippy Dossantos “Dati” has generated a staggering 40 million views on YouTube. Sam has also appeared on some of ABS-CBN top-rating shows such as “ASAP,”“Maalala Mo Kaya,”“Your Face Sounds Familiar” season 2, and the hit drama series “You’re My Home.” In movies, he headlined such blockbuster hits such as “Cinco” and “Way Back Home” under Star Cinema as well as the cult classic “I Do Bidoo Bidoo: Heto nAPO Sila.” Gary’s 2017 international tour is in line with his 34th anniversary in the business as one of the most successful and prolific singersongwriters in the Philippine music industry. With Mon Faustino as musical director, fans could look

Kiana Valenciano

Sam Concepcion

forward to an amazing show that will be jam-packed with Gary’s greatest hits and a bunch of special surprises that will surely ignite excitement that only Mr. Pure Energy could deliver. The North American tour of Gary will be followed by a series of provincial shows in key cities in the Philippines, in Asia, and a second North American tour in the United States and Canada. Gary will also have a special show in Viridian Event Center in Utah on June 12. For more information check his website www.garyv.com and like Gary Valenciano Official on Facebook and follow @ GaryValenciano1 on Twitter, and follow @garyvalenciano on Instgaram; follow @kianavee on Twitter and Instagram, and like Kiana Valenciano Official on Facebook; and follow @ sam_concepcion on Twitter and Instagram and like Sam Concepcion Official on Facebook. (Advertising Supplement)

Filipina tattoo artist featured in New York Times waiting for Coco Martin by

Deni Rose BeRnaRDo Philstar.com

NEW YORK — Coco Martin’s onscreen girlfriend, Yassi Pressman, and rumored real-life lady love, Julia Montes, now have another challenger vying for the actor’s heart. A Filipina tribal tattoo artist featured in The New York Times (NYT) on Monday, May 15 revealed that she is still waiting for a visit from her biggest celebrity crush, Coco Martin. In a lengthy article written by Aurora Almendral, Maria Fang-od Oggay, a ritual tattoo artist from the Butbut tribe of the Kalinga ethnic group of northern Philippines, confessed that she is fond of the “Ang Probinsyano” leading man and yearns to meet him soon. For now, according to the article, the centenarian “contents herself with a life-size cardboard cutout” of the soap opera action star. Titled “At 100 or So, She Keeps

‘Ang Probinsyana’ and ‘Ang Probinsyano’ Kalinga ritual tattoo artist Maria Fang-od Oggay (left, photo from Looloo Insights) wishes to meet Filipino action star Coco Martin (right, file photo).

a Philippine Tattoo Tradition Alive,” the article expounds on Oggay’s lifestyle and heritage as a tattoo artist sought after by tourists from as far as Mexico and Slovenia. In the article, Fang-od, as she was called, has been repeatedly referred to as a “Ms.” The NYT story says Ms. Fang-od belongs to the last generation bearing a full set of traditional tattoos and is one of the few who

remember how they were done. As such, she was also featured in the 2009 documentary series, “Tattoo Hunter,” by American anthropologist, Dr. Lars Krutak. For Fang-od’s contribution to cultural preservation, maybe Martin, who is also single, could squeeze in some time to visit her in her mountain village of Buscalan, with the hope that Julia and Yassi would not mind.

National smoking ban

From Page 5 non-smokers have rights too: not to be exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke. Where there is a conflict, the right of the nonsmoker prevails. This is an accepted legal tenet. What is secondhand smoke? Secondhand smoke is the fume that one involuntarily inhales after someone who smokes exhales it (called mainstream smokes), or the fume that goes directly to the atmosphere from the burning tobacco (cigarette, pipe or cigar) called side stream smoke. When non-smokers breathe in these smokes or fumes from other people’s cigarettes, cigars or pipes, this is involuntarily inhalation called passive smoking. As stated earlier, tobacco smoke contains about 4000 chemicals, 200 of them known poisons and carcinogens. Smoking around people is similar to spraying known poison gases into the atmosphere, victimizing and posing even greater health hazards to non-smokers. Does passive smoking cause cancer? Yes, active and passive smoking cause cancers, besides bronchitis,

premature births, smaller babies with higher risk for impaired mental development, respiratory illnesses among children, emphysema, heart attack, and stroke. In the United States, cancer victims of smoking, and family members of smokers who died from cigarette-related illness, have sued cigarette manufacturing companies, and have won millions in awards. While they vehemently denied it before, cigarette companies today have admitted in public that tobacco causes cancers and other lung illnesses. The courts have likewise ruled in a similar fashion in favor of victims of passive smoking (as in the airline stewardess’ case). In 1986, the Surgeon General of the United States reported that involuntary (passive) smoking can cause lung cancer in healthy non-smokers. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now classified secondhand smoke as a known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). If we, as a people and as a nation, are really serious in eliminating all the smoking-related killer diseases that snuff out more

than 240 lives a day, yes, a day, not a month, causing the loss of loved ones and family devastation, promulgating a national smoking ban truly makes sense. But don’t hold your breath. History shows that majority of our elected politicians, leaders we voted for to protect us, do not have balls and the wisdom and the will to eliminate this vicious serial killer amidst us. The illnesses and deaths from tobacco far exceed the morbidity and mortality from illegal drugs. Let’s see if President Rodrigo R. Duterte can extinguish this political insanity that is holding the people’s health hostage. *** 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. For more data, visit philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

may 19-25, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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