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CA rejects Yasay appointment as foreign secretary by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
Perfecto Yasay Jr.
DATELINE
Philstar.com photo
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
US State Dept. human rights report cites Duterte’s drug war
IN its annual report on human rights, the United States State Department took note of the “sharp increase� of killings and police impunity in the Philippines in connection with President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war against illegal drugs. Released on Friday, March 3, the report cited more than 6,000 suspected drug dealers and users killed both by the police and unknown vigilantes since Duterte took office in July of last year. Since then, he has vowed to fulfill his campaign promise to eliminate illegal drug activities in the country within six months. The report also mentioned the killing of Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa in his prison cell by Philippine National Police (PNP) officers during the execution of a search warrant
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Fil-Am co-founder of Snapchat worth $4 billion as company enters stock market Robert “Bobby� Murphy named one of the youngest billionaires in the world
THE introduction of the smartphone in the mid-2000s and the genesis of the start-up business culture ushered in a new wave of entrepreneurs who are making billions through technological innovations. One of those billionaires is Filipino-American Robert “Bobby� Murphy, who, along with business partner and best friend Evan Spiegel, founded Snapchat, a popular photo and video-sharing social media platform. On Thursday, March 2, a little under six years since Snapchat first launched, the company entered the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). According to Forbes, Murphy and
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THE Philippine Commission on Appointments (CA) rejected on Wednesday, March 8 the nomination of Perfecto Yasay Jr. as the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary. Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the CA foreign affairs committee, said the 15 members of the committee present in the caucus unanimously voted to reject Yasay’s ad interim appointment for being a U.S. citizen and for not telling the
truth before the Commission. During the first confirmation hearing on February 22, Yasay denied that he became a U.S. citizen when asked by Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato about his citizenship. Under oath, Yasay also claimed that he “never held any American passport,� saying that the U.S. government had rendered him “not qualified to become a U.S. citizen� in January 1987. But in an interview with ANC on Monday, March 6, Yasay was asked if he never had an American
Pres. Trump releases revised travel ban executive order
passport, to which the foreign secretary replied: “I had an American passport, but that has already been returned together with my naturalization certificate.� “I do not understand why he can admit it in a TV station and cannot admit it before this honorable commission,� Sato said. Sato also cited a document handed by Yasay himself which shows that he was granted U.S. citizenship on Nov. 26, 1986. During the hearing on Wednesday, Yasay admitted that he became a U.S. citizen in 1986. He apolo-
gized for “inadvertently� misleading the commission regarding the status of his citizenship, “Let me quickly apologize for having inadvertently misled the commission on this matter. It has never been my intention to deceive this commission about this citizenship status. Simply put, I did not lose my status as a Filipino,� he said. Yasay pointed out that he was referring to a Rappler report when he first denied having a passport. “When I denied having an American passport, I denied the allega-
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Iraq removed from the list of banned countries by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
AFTER a federal court shut down his controversial travel ban last month, President Donald Trump on Monday, March 6 signed a new executive order that will impose a 90-day travel ban from six Muslim-majority nations: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The much narrower travel ban, Executive Order 13780, also includes a 120-day suspension of the refugee program, which also will not accept more than 50,000 refugees per year. The Obama administration had set the limit at 110,000 per year. “Under these authorities, I determined that, for a brief period of 90 days, while existing screening and vetting procedures were under review, the entry into the United States of certain [individuals] from the seven identified countries — each afflicted by terrorism in a manner that compromised the ability of the United States to rely on normal decision-making procedures about travel to the United States — would be detrimental to the interests of the United States,� read the executive order, which was released on Monday. Notably, Iraq was removed as one of the previ-
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NO VICTORY. Members of various groups opposed to the passage of the death penalty bill hold a rally in front of the House of Representatives as lawmakers voted on the measure on Tuesday, March 7. Manilatimes.net photo by Ruy L. Martinez
LascaĂąas admits to killing ‘almost 200’ people for death squad ing 1989, it’s almost 200),â€? the former policeman answered. LascaĂąas testified that the DDS was responsible for the deaths of Duterte’s critics, citing part-time radio commentator Davao City director Felicisimo Cunanan, Jr., broadcaster Jun Pala, and a certain Fred Sotto, among others.
During the hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs on MonALLEGED Davao Death Squad day, March 6, Senator Grace (DDS) leader and retired SPO3 Poe asked LascaĂąas about the Arturo LascaĂąas has claimed that number of people he personally he killed ‘almost 200’ individuals killed. under the orders of Philippine “Kung sa DDS lang po, start President Rodrigo Duterte, who with 1989, sabihin nalang natin was then the city’s mayor. almost 200 (With the DDS, start-
by AJPRESS
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American TV show slammed for ‘highly negative’ portrayal of PH president by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL AND DANA SIOSON AJPress
A screenshot of the “Madam Secretary� episode, which will air on Sunday, March 12. Photo courtesy of CBS
AN upcoming episode of American television series “Madam Secretary� includes the depiction of a Filipino president – and Filipino officials in the U.S. and the Philippines are not too pleased with it. The trailer for the episode entitled “Break in Diplomacy� shows fictional Philippine President Datu Andrada (played
by Joel de la Fuente) clad in a barong and is seen to be making sexual advances toward the lead character, U.S. Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (played by TÊa Leoni), during a private meeting to discuss an Asia-Pacific territory treaty. The meeting’s setting is suggested to be inside Malacaùang, as several items, such as a Philippine flag and seal of the Office of the President, are shown in the clip. In response to the inappro-
priate move, McCord punches Andrada in the face and bloodies his nose. She then tells her husband (played by Tim Daly), “I clobbered a world leader instead of saving a major regional agreement.� The episode, which is slated to air on Sunday, March 12, has prompted the Philippine Embassy in Washington to respond. In a statement dated Monday, March 6, the embassy called on CBS Corporation to take “neces-
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Pacquiao ‘very offended’ at Trillanes’ spiritual renewal remarks In a privilege speech on Wednesday, March 8, Pacquiao stressed that while senators have the right SENATOR Manny Pacquiao ad- to express their opinions on issues, mitted that he took offense at Sena- Trillanes should not give Senate a tor Antonio Trillanes IV’s earlier “bad name.â€? “As senators, we do not impose remarks against solons who questioned the “spiritual renewalâ€? of our morals on our resource peralleged Davao Death Squad (DDS) sons. And for the record, I am not leader and retired SPO3 Arturo Las- imposing my morals on SPO3 LascaĂąas. I was just offended with the caĂąas. by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
Senator Manny Pacquiao
statement of my colleague, Senator Trillanes,â€? Pacquiao said. Without mentioning names, Trillanes earlier hit senators who questioned LascaĂąas’ decision to testify against President Rodrigo Duterte after experiencing “spiritual renewal,â€? LascaĂąas, during a Senate probe on the extrajudicial killings (EJK)
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From the Front Page
CA rejects Yasay appointment as foreign… PAGE A1 t
United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim and Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenza along with senior government officials visited the USS Carl Vinson at sea on Saturday, March 4. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is on a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet-led initiative to extend the command and control functions of U.S. 3rd Fleet. U.S Navy aircraft carrier strike groups have patrolled the Indo-Asia-Pacific regularly and routinely for more than 70 years. U.S. Navy photo
Pres. Trump releases revised travel… PAGE A1 t
ously-banned countries, the executive order calling the country a “special case,” acknowledging the Islamic State’s (IS) influence in the region but trusting the “cooperative relationship” between U.S. military forces and the Iraqi government. “Nevertheless, the close cooperative relationship between the United States and the democratically elected Iraqi government, the strong United States diplomatic presence in Iraq, the significant presence of United States forces in Iraq, and Iraq’s commitment to combat ISIS justify different treatment for Iraq,” the order read. The original travel ban affected all immigrants — including permanent residents of the U.S. — from the banned countries. The revised order exempts those who currently hold visas and those who held visas at the time the first ban was imposed. As it stands the ban only applies to “foreign nationals of the designated countries who are outside the United States on the effective date of this order, did not have a valid visa at 5:00 p.m., eastern standard time on January 27, 2017 and do not have a valid visa on the effective date of this
order.” Another change in the revised order states that allows current visa holders who would’ve been affected by the previous order to apply for waivers. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found the previous ban unconstitutional because it violated the right to due process; in other words, the ban didn’t give sufficient time for those affected by the ban to respond or seek legal assistance. The administration argues that this executive order — called “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” — will effectively keep out individuals who may pose a threat to the country. However, critics argue that the statistics don’t support the claims the administration is making regarding the supposed national security risk of refugees and individuals from these nations. As the Asian Journal previously reported, a recent study by bipartisan think tank New America showed that 84 percent jihadist terrorist attacks that transpired on American soil compared to those of non-residents and individuals of unknown statuses, who comprise 16 percent of all jihadist terrorist attacks. Former 2016 presidential
hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) expressed his contempt for the travel ban — which has been commonly referred to as a “Muslim ban” — in a statement released on Monday, calling the order “racist” and ineffective in maintaining national security. “This ban is a racist and antiIslamic attempt to divide us up. A president who respected our traditions of religious freedom would not have resorted to hateful, anti-Islamic rhetoric to justify a ban on travel from six mostly Muslim countries,” Sanders wrote. “This isn’t about keeping America safe. A president responsible for keeping our citizens safe would not hand over ideological ammunition to terrorists seeking new recruits to kill Americans.” Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) also condemned the travel ban for wrongly targeting “the most vulnerable and voiceless in our society — refugees and immigrants.” “Make no mistake: this ban does not keep us safe,” Harris wrote in an email urging her supporters to co-sponsor a bill she authored to guarantee legal assistance for refugees targeted by the Trump administration. “It puts American lives at risk
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tions that came out in media, particularly in Rappler, that I was issued a US passport in 2006 bearing the number that Congresswoman Sato had mentioned, which I do not have any personal knowledge about, and I said that consistently.” Yasay said. Yasay further explained that he said his U.S. citizenship was null and void because the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act “provides that anyone who has preconceived intent to abandon his residency at the time of application is disqualified to that grant.” “He (Yasay) was not telling the truth because he was not being forthright in the question and answer portion of the two hearings we conducted. We decided to re-
ject his ad interim appointment,” Lacson said. The senator added, “The best evidence is the records. If records contradict what you are saying even when you’re under oath then your testimony won’t bear weight against the records.” Lacson also took note that the CA’S decision reject Yasay also showed that commission “cannot be a rubber stamp of the executive department.” Yasay is Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s first cabinet official whose appointment was rejected by the Commission. Based on CA rules, Duterte cannot reappoint Yasay. “Let this be a reminder to everyone present in this hall that by definition, an oath is a solemn declaration, accompanied by a swearing to God, or a revered
person or thing, that one’s statement is true, or that one will be bound to a promise,” the senator added. The commission earlier warned that Yasay may be held liable for perjury if it is proven that he lied under oath by claiming he was never an American citizen. According to Lacson, Yasay has to vacate his office immediately, following the CA rejection. “Because he (Yasay) was just rejected, so he will have to vacate his position. And the President (Duterte) should appoint someone even in an acting capacity… to take over his place,” Lacson told reporters. Meanwhile, DFA spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose assured that that the CA’s decision will not hamper the department’s activities. n
Lascañas admits to killing ‘almost…
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He recounted that he was paid by Duterte up to P50,000 for each killing, depending on the target. He added that he also received P100,000 a month as an allowance for taking part in the squad’s operations. “To my understanding, po, is contract killing po ito (to my understanding, it is contract killing),” Lascañas said. The cop also claimed that Duterte commanded the squad to bomb Davao mosques in 1993 to retaliate the bombing of San Pedro Cathedral, as well as the murder of a dance instructor to avenge Duterte’s sister. Lascañas’ revelations contradict his former testimony during a Senate probe on the extrajudicial killings (EJK) last year in which he dismissed the existence of the DDS, saying the claims were mere “media hype.” His denial came after self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato testified last October that Duterte directed the group to carry out the killings in Davao City. Matobato pointed out that Lascañas was the supposed “team leader” of the death squad, which the latter then denied. Lascañas explained that he previously gave a false testimony under the orders of Sonny Buenaventura to “deny everything.” The cop added that he fears for the lives of his family.
DAVAO DEATH SQUAD INQUIRY. Retired SPO3 Arthur Lascañas, the self-proclaimed member of the Davao Death Squad, testifies at the Senate inquiry headed by Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday, March 6 at the Plenary Hall of the Senate Building in Pasay City. Lascañas faced the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which, for six hours, mainly probed his knowledge of the DDS, the existence of which he had denied under oath last year. He claims that the president, then mayor, and his son took part in killings in Davao City. Lascañas also said that Philippine National Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, then Davao City police chief, was aware of the DDS operations but had no actual involvement in them. Senate photo by Avito Dalan
However, he said he decided to recant his earlier testimony after experiencing a “spiritual renewal.” “Hindi ko kayang dalhin sa libingan ko itong dark evil secrets ng buhay (I can’t carry these dark, evil secrets in my grave)… yung utos ni mayor (mayor’s orders)…his campaign against criminality and drugs,” Lascañas
remarked. During the hearing on Monday, Senator Manny Pacquiao moved to cite Lascañas in contempt for latter’s recanting of a previous testimony. Pacquiao, however, withdrew after Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senator Risa Hontiveros objected to his motion. n
Ordinansa blg. 3148 para sa Pagrepaso ng Renta, Pagpapatatag ng Renta, at mga Limitasyon sa mga Pagpapaalis ng Lungsod ng Alameda
Alamin ang inyong mga karapatan. Dumalo sa isang Talakayang Pang-impormasyon. Mga Petsa ng mga Darating na Talakayan: Ika-16 ng Marso, 2017 sa 2:30-3:30 PM Ika-30 ng Marso, 2017 sa 6:30-7:30 PM Ika-13 ng Abril, 2017 sa 2:30-3:30 PM Ika-27 ng Abril, 2017 sa 6:30-7:30 PM Tawagan ang Tagapangasiwa ng Programa ng Ordinansa blg. 3148 para sa Pagpapatatag ng Renta ng Lungsod ng Alameda ngayon! Telepono: 510-747-4346 Email: rrac@alamedahsg.org Website: Alamedarentprogram.org Bisitahin ang alamedarentprogram.org para sa karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa mga lokasyon at upang magparehistro para sa isang talakayan!
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From the Front Page
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 10-16, 2017
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American TV show slammed for ‘highly… PAGE A1 t
STUDY NOW, PAY LATER ACT OF 2017. A “Study Now Pay Later Act of 2017” program mandating all private higher education institutions (PHEIs) to let poor students get a degree and pay when they land in a job when they graduate got a push from Baguio lawmaker Marques Go in the House of Representatives. The house bill will allow any Filipino citizen enrolled in any degree program at any private higher education institutions and whose family income does not exceed P300,000 per annum to pay the tuition when the beneficiary has been gainfully employed. Philstar.com/File photo
Fil-Am co-founder of Snapchat worth $4 billion…
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Spiegel are now worth about $4 billion each, which is $1 billion more than what Facebook valued them in 2013 when it unsuccessfully tried to buy Snapchat. Murphy, 28, acts as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Snap Inc. (the parent company created in 2016 that includes Snapchat, Spectacles and the Bitmoji app), in charge of the scientific and technology side of the company. Described as a friendly, laidback guy, Murphy makes the magic happen behind the scenes, authoring the app’s code even to this day. Where Murphy is considered the “brains” of the company, Spiegel, 26, is considered the face of the company, akin to Apple’s Steve Jobs and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. “It’s often a case where the other person appreciates the fact that they can be unknown, stay behind the scenes and walk around without being noticed,” Ryan Jacob of Jacob Asset Management told the Los Angeles Times. “Some can’t believe it, but believe me, there’s a lot of people who enjoy that.” Murphy is the son of a Filipina
mother, Rosie L. Go-Murphy, and Richard Murphy, Jr., who has English, Scottish and Irish descent. Murphy was born in Berkeley, California and attended Catholic school before attending Stanford University, where he graduated in 2010 with a degree in mathematical and computational science. In college, Murphy met Spiegel at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house and became instant friends. In an interview with Forbes that both he and Spiegel were not “cool”, so they “tried to build things to be cool.” After a failed attempt at working on a startup called Future Freshman, a website designed to assist prospective college students with advice for college, Spiegel approached Murphy to create something new. Murphy was the one who created an image-sharing app in which images disappear after they’ve been viewed called Picaboo; this became the foundation for what is now known as Snapchat. In just over five years, Snapchat has grown into one of the most prominent social media platforms in the world. As of February 2017, there are about 160 million daily active users on
Pacquiao ‘very offended’ at… PAGE A1 t
last year, dismissed the existence of the DDS, saying the accusations were mere “media hype.” But Lascañas recently recanted his earlier testimony and claimed that then-mayor Duterte ordered killings through the so-called death squad. “The questions that they (senators) are raising about spiritual renewal that happened before, that is subject to their interpretations. The point is, the man’s (Lascañas) life change. After experiencing spiritual renewal, he stopped killing. That’s a big departure from his previous life,” Trillanes said in Filipino during an interview. Trillanes then hit his colleagues by saying that those “who claimed to have a spiritual renewal” did not make them
saints. “Let’s not impose our morals as if we’re [saints],” Trillanes suggested. Pacquiao, in response, pointed out that because no one is a real saint “we all commit sins.” “For the record, I did not become a saint after my spiritual renewal,” Pacquiao remarked, adding that he was “very offended” by Trillanes’ remark because it made his Christianity look “fake.” Trillanes then apologized to Pacquiao, clarifying that he was not referring to any particular senator. “Let me apologize to Senator Pacquiao if he was offended by the statements I made to the media but let me assure you, it was not my intention,” Trillanes said. n
Snapchat, sending about 2.5 billion Snaps every day, surpassing Twitter in daily usage. According to a report by The Washington Post, Snaps — the company behind Snapchat — is currently trading at nearly $26/ share, boosting its market cap to just shy of $30 billion when it officially debuted on the NYSE on Thursday. Murphy maintains a low profile and currently lives in Venice, California just a few blocks away from Snapchat’s headquarters. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
sary corrective actions,” following a “highly negative depiction” of the supposed Philippine president. The “highly negative portrayal” of the Filipino president not only casts doubt on the respectability of the Office of the Philippine President but also “denigrates the way our nation navigates foreign affairs,” the embassy wrote. Though the show is a work of fiction, the plot lines tend to draw parallels to current events. “It is, therefore, inevitable that its depiction of world leaders will have an impact on how its audience views the real personages and the countries they represent,” the statement added. Leading up to the president election last year, then-candidate Duterte came under fire for joking about the gang-rape of an Australian missionary in the late 80s while he was mayor of Davao City. His remark, loosely translated in English, suggested that he “should have been first.” He was also criticized for catcalling a female journalist and for groping females on the campaign trail. As president, he has also been vocal about distancing the Philippines from its decades-long alliance with the United States in favor of a more independent foreign policy. He had made a string of anti-U.S. remarks during former President Barack Obama’s term for the administration’s concern for the extrajudicial killings and human rights violations associated with the Philippine government’s war on drugs. The embassy’s statement went on to allege that the portrayal “tarnishes the Philippines’ longstanding advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality.” On the embassy’s Facebook page, some netizens wrote that the depiction was mild compared to the reality. “If you don’t wanna be embarrassed, then how about not being embarrassing? Have you looked at our president and the things his administration has done to the country? That portrayal was too kind. That complaint was lodged so swiftly. How about complaining against China encroaching on our territories?” one commenter said. “And please do not
Fictional PH President Datu Andrada
Photo courtesy of CBS
drag the name of the Filipino people into it as your bargaining chip. It’s such a transparent attempt to elicit sympathy. Your only real concern here is your need to save face. And that’s just pathetic.” Another commented, “Um, you do know that our president remains unapologetic for his misogynistic remarks and actions, right? There is no respectability in the office left for the show to tarnish.” Asked if Duterte found the trailer insulting, Philippine Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said: “Well, they engage in something that they would like to -- It’s their business. It’s their craft. You cannot deny them their craft. Their taste, perhaps.” He also told reporters on Tuesday, March 7 that the CBS show is “confusing their images.” “I think they are projecting something that they really would like to say about their own situation,” the spokesperson said. “Really, I think they should use a fictional U.S. president.” n
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New Report: Major CA insurers do almost no business with minority-owned firms People of color own nearly half of CA businesses but get only 3 percent of contracts
OAKLAND, Calif. – In the most diverse state in America, the 10 largest insurers do shockingly little business with suppliers owned by people of color according to a new report to be released March 13 by The Greenlining Institute. Insurers buy huge amounts of goods and services in California – over $23 billion in 2014 alone – but the largest firms did barely over three percent of their contracting with businesses owned by people of color. “Insurance is a huge economic force in California, one that all of us have to deal with,” said Greenlining Institute Diversity and Inclusion Director Danielle Beavers. “That these companies do just three percent of their contracting with minority-owned businesses – in a state where people of color own nearly half of all businesses – is just pathetic.” For Supplier Diversity report: California’s insurance companies
shirk Contracting with Minorities, Greenlining reviewed reports filed with the state Department of Insurance for 2014 by the 10 largest insurers, including household names such as State Farm and GEICO. Key findings include: • Under a law known as AB 53, insurers that collect over $100 million in premiums in California must report their spending with businesses owned by minorities, women, disabled veterans, and LGBTQ individuals. In 2014, 226 companies filed such reports. • These 226 companies spent a total of $23.44 billion in California, of which minority businesses received $729 million in contracts, just 3.11 percent. • The 10 largest insurers showed huge variations in their contracting with minority business enterprises, ranging from just $302,326 at Prudential to MetLife’s $38.58 million. State Farm, which bought over $618
million in goods and services in California, purchased less than two percent of that total from minority business enterprises. • Spending with different racial/ethnic groups also showed massive variations. Of the $105 million the top 10 insurers spent with minority business enterprises, just half of one percent ($604,020) went to African American businesses, while nearly 60 percent ($62.55 million) was spent with Asian American firms. • Current data collection has large gaps. For example, half of the top 10 insurers do not track their total procurement within California, leaving it impossible to know what share of contracts went to minority business enterprises. • Because AB 53 sunsets in 2019, the legislature must act to make this data collection permanent, and to close gaps in the data being collected. n
BRP MALAPASCUA. The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday, March 7, formally commissioned BRP Malapascua (MRRV-403), the third new multi-role response vessel from Japan, into the Coast Guard. The 44-meter BRP Malapascua was built by Japan Marine United Corporation in Yokohama, Japan. DOTr/Twitter photo
Post office branch named in honor of slain Fil-Am San Diego police officer SAN FRANCISCO — A post office in Chula Vista, California was named in honor of a Filipino American San Diego police officer who was shot and killed during a pedestrian stop last summer. The post office at 830 Kuhn Drive in Chula Vista became the Jonathan “J.D.” De Guzman Post Office Building during a morning ceremony. Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego proposed the name change, and then-President Barack Obama signed it into law. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman told the crowd, San Diego Police Officer Jonathan “JD” De which included the slain officer’s Guzman. SDPD
family members, that De Guzman would be remembered for “the sacrifice he made for our city and for our country and for our community that he loved so dearly,” De Guzman was shot five times on July 28 during a late-night pedestrian stop. His partner, Officer Wade Irwin, also was seriously wounded but was able to return fire, critically wounding their alleged assailant, ex-convict Jesse Michael Gomez. Gomez, 56, has recovered and remains jailed on $5 million bail while awaiting trial. He could face the death penalty if convicted. (Inquirer.net)
US State Dept. human rights report cites…
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on November 5, 2016. “There were numerous reports that the PNP committed arbitrary or unlawful killings in connection with a government-directed campaign against illegal drugs. Killings of activists, judicial officials, local government leaders, and journalists by unknown assailants and antigovernment insurgents continued,” the report said. Apart from the extrajudicial killings, the U.S. State Department also cited other human rights problems in the Philippines, including: official corruption and abuse of power; torture and abuse of prisoners and detainees by security forces; security force harassment of political activists, including threats of violence against human rights activists; warrantless arrests; and lengthy pretrial detentions, among others. Regarding the freedom of the press in the Philippines, the State Department said that “the independent media” was capable of airing “a wide variety of views without restriction.” The report, however, claimed
that Filipino journalists “faced harassment and threats of violence, including from politicians and government authorities critical of their reporting.” “In April then candidate Duterte drew widespread criticism after he told the media that journalists should enjoy no special protections and could be ‘assassinated’ if they were ‘corrupt’ and took money from politicians,” it said. Sought for comments, Malacañang said that Duterte “has ordered the appropriate law enforcement institutions to take decisive legal steps to ensure accountability.” “We will arrest, investigate, prosecute and punish the scalawags in uniform, while also pursuing reform in these institutions so that they can more effectively conduct this noble crusade,” Philippine Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement. Abella also stressed that deaths perpetrated by vigilantes should “not be confused with the government’s war on illegal drugs” and that the Duterte administration has been consistent
with condemning extrajudicial killings and is “firmly committed to upholding human rights.” “The [Philippine] government will not shirk from its duty to protect the Filipino people, and ensure that they have a secure, peaceful and bountiful future. We hope the international community will support us in this effort,” he added. In several instances last year, Duterte lambasted the U.S. under former President Barack Obama for the latter’s alleged interference with the Philippine government’s crackdown against illegal drugs. Duterte’s fiery speeches, however, have seemingly toned down when new U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office in January. “He [Trump] understood the way we are handling it and I said that there’s nothing wrong in protecting a country. It was a bit very encouraging in the sense that I supposed that what he really wanted to say was that, ‘we would be the last to interfere in the affairs of your own country,’” Duterte previously said in December. (AJPress)
Pres. Trump releases revised travel… PAGE A2 t
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while isolating the Muslim community at a time when we need to address the threat of homegrown extremism,” she added. “No matter the changes, this executive action remains immoral and fundamentally un-American.” The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) released a statement expressing its solidarity with FilAm organizations and leaders across the country. “Diversity is the cornerstone of democracy,” said Brendan Flores, NaFFAA National Chairman. “We reaffirm our commitment to creating dialogue and serving as a voice for the Filipino American community on key policy issues. In light of the new executive order, NaFFAA will continue to work with Filipino American leaders across the country to raise awareness around our community’s immigrant and legal rights.” Following the original order, NaFFAA’s National Council for Government Relations and Legislative Affairs has been engaging with Filipino American leaders and closely monitoring policy changes. As a result, NaFFAA has committed to hosting “Know Your Rights” Immigration Forums to raise awareness around immigrant rights and legal services for the community. “Despite minor changes to the ban, the executive order will continue to have an adverse impact on immigrant communities,” said NaFFAA Executive Director Jason Tengco. “NaFFAA embraces the contributions of immigrants, and speaks out against the Administration’s anti-Muslim and anti-refugee rhetoric. Rather than excluding others, we should strive to promote a vision of our
President Donald Trump
country that fosters and welcomes diversity at all levels.” Legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice - LA), which has been strongly against Trump’s immigration policies, denounced the order. “The latest executive order is just as dangerous and unconstitutional as the administration’s first attempt at implementing a Muslim ban,” Christopher Lapinig, Skadden Fellow at Advancing Justice - LA, told the Asian Journal. “After federal courts across the country roundly rejected the first travel ban, the administration has made small tweaks to the ban’s provisions, hoping that this iteration will survive judicial review. I am hopeful that the courts will see through this ruse and strike down the
new order as illegal.” However, the Trump administration affirms its stance that the executive order is necessary for the nation’s security. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson believes that the ban “will bolster the security of the United States and her allies.” “To our allies and partners around the world: Please understand this order is part of our ongoing efforts to eliminate vulnerabilities that radical Islamist terrorists can and will exploit for destructive ends,” Tillerson said in a speech on Monday. “The State Department will coordinate with other federal agencies and implement these temporary restrictions in an orderly manner. Our embassies and consulates around the world will play an important role in making sure our nation is as secure it can be.” n
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Dela Rosa asks Church: Trust PNP by Fernan
Marasigan Manilatimes.net
BEFORE criticizing the government’s war on drugs, members of the Catholic Church should join the renewed anti-narcotics drive to see for themselves what is really happening on the ground, the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief said on Tuesday, March 7. Director General Ronald dela Rosa made the challenge a day after Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo junked the PNP chief’s invitation for the religious sector to join “Oplan: Tokhang Part 2-Oplan: Double Barrel, Reloaded,” which was relaunched on Monday, March 6. Still, dela Rosa appealed to leaders of the Catholic Church to trust and have faith in the PNP and help the national police force in the campaign against illegal drugs. Pabillo described the invitation as propaganda and that the PNP would just use the religious sect to its advantage in its tokhang (knock and plead) operations. Dela Rosa told reporters at the sidelines of the turnover of 50 patrol cars to the PNP at Camp Karingal in Quezon City that the presence of priests, pastors or imam (Muslim religious leaders) would give more credence to such operations. He, however, said that one
EJK PROBE RESUMES. Senators led by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (extreme left), chair of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, take turns in fielding questions to retired Senior Police Officer 3 Arturo Lascañas on his alleged involvement with the Davao Death Squad during a hearing on Monday, March 6. Also in photo (from left to right) are Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III and Senators Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao. Senate photo by Albert Calvelo
TOKHANG 2.0. The head of the new Drug Enforcement Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Sr. Supt. Graciano Jaylo (center), talks to the press after being introduced by PNP Chief Ronald de la Rosa (left). The PNP on Monday re-launched its drug war under ‘Oplan Tokhang Part 2’ and ‘Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded.’ ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez
reason why the PNP wants to be accompanied by members of the Catholic Church is that drug suspects also believe in God. Since the Church has been criticizing the government and its war on drugs, according to dela Rosa, its members should join the drive to see for themselves how Oplan: Double Barrel, Reloaded will be carried out. He disclosed that he is planning make the rounds of dioceses to seek an audience with religious leaders to reiterate and explain to them the PNP’s invitation. “I will try to arrange for a meeting. I had been told that I
should visit some dioceses. Although I am a Roman Catholic, I do not really know the organizational structure of the Catholic Church,” the PNP chief said. During introduction of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, through which the new operation plan would be implemented, dela Rosa promised “less bloody, if not bloodless” operations as every police sting should be coordinated not only with barangay (village) officials but also with the dioceses, which will represent the religious sector that has been complaining about allegedly rampant drug-related killings.
Malacañang confirms bribe try on Duterte but mum on details by audrey
Morallo Philstar.com
MANILA - Malacañang claimed that there was an attempt to influence the president financially but declined to give details on the bribery attempt. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella told reporters on Tuesday, March 7 that there was an attempt to “influence financially” President Rodrigo Duterte but that the president declined. When asked if it was true that the chief executive “berated” lawmakers from Mindanao who allegedly made the offer on behalf of the owner of a company, Abella said that the president did not be-
rate them and just said that there was an attempt to bribe him. “Actually that’s really a matter of Cabinet conversation. He was not berating Mindanao politicians. He was simply saying that in time past, there was an attempt to influence him financially,” the Palace spokesperson said. The presidential spokesperson also declined to identify who offered the president the bribe. In response to a query about the identity of the person or company that supposedly made the offer, Abella said: “I think that should be better kept. It was because he was not making a big statement. It was being discussed within the
Cabinet.” He said that it would be better to allow due process to take its course. Abella also refused to confirm or deny if the company involved in the bribery attempt was Mighty Corporation which is currently entangled in legal woes following the seizure of billions worth of fake cigarettes in five warehouses in Pampanga. “I don’t have any opinions regarding the matter. Some things were discussed in the Cabinet and it’s best to leave it there for the moment,” Abella said. He said that the public should just wait for the Department of Justice to do its work.
Ombudsman finds ex-Budget chief Abad liable over DAP
MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted former Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad over the allegedly unlawful implementation of the Disbursement Acceleration Program. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found probable cause to charge Abad with violation of Article 239, or the Usurpation of Legislative Powers, of the Revised Penal Code after he allegedly unlawfully issued National Budget Circular (NBC) No. 541 carrying out the implementation of DAP involving P72 billion. The NBC No. 541 authorized the withdrawal of unobligated allotments of agencies with low levels of obligations as of June 30, 2012. The ombudsman ruled that Abad was guilty of Simple Misconduct and ordered him suspended for three months. Since Abad stepped down at the end of President Benigno Aquino III’s term, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to his salary for three months. Based on the investigation of the ombudsman, Abad unlawfully intruded on the powers of Congress by effectively modifying the provisions on savings in the General Appropriations Act of 2012 when he issued NBC No. 541. “NBC No. 541 provided the principal bases for the withdrawal of unobligated allotments which were declared as savings and used to fund PAPs (programs, activities and projects) under the DAP.
The issuance of this circular is an act of usurpation. This is contrary to law,” Morales said. In 2014, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the following acts committed in pursuance of the DAP: • Withdrawal of unobligated allotments from the implementing agencies; and the declaration of the withdrawn unobligated allotments and unreleased appropriations as savings prior to the end of the fiscal year without complying with the statutory definition of savings contained in the GAA; • The cross-border transfers of the savings of the Executive to augment the appropriations of other offices outside the executive. The Article 239 of the Revised Penal Code also stated that the penalties of “prision correccional” in its minimum period, temporary special disqualification, shall be imposed upon an executive or judicial officer who shall intrude upon the powers of the legislative branch of government, either by making general rules or regulations beyond the scope of his authority, or by attempting to repeal a law or suspending the execution thereof. DAP cases against Abad stemmed from the complaint filed by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary-genral Renato Reyes, Benjamin Valbuena, Dante LA Jimenez, Mae Paner, Antonio Flores, Gloria Arellano and Bonifacio Carmona, Jr. In an official statement, Abad
said he respects the ombudsman’s decision. He also said that he welcomed the dropping of graft, corruption and technical malversation complaints against him. Abad said the ombudsman’s decision shows he did not benefit from the implementation of the DAP. “It is as I have always said: Although the DAP was ruled as partly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court itself acknowledged that the program helped boost the country’s economy when it was most needed,” he also said. He said he is consulting his lawyers on what to do next and that he is “looking forward to the quick and fair resolution of this matter.” In June 2016, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Abad said they are ready for criminal charges that might be filed against them in connection with the controversial DAP. Abad said he and Aquino, who appointed him to the Cabinet post, analyzed DAP to its “tiniest detail.” He explained that there was no bad faith on their part in undertaking the economic stimulus program despite SC ruling that four practices under it were unconstitutional. “We are prepared for any case arising out of it,” Abad previously said in a television interview. “The Supreme Court itself declared that DAP benefited the economy and the country. It accelerated economic growth in 2012 and 2013,” he added. (Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)
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March 10-16, 2017 • NOrcaL aSIaN JOUrNaL
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OpiniOn
Exonerated
Features
DESPITE her predicament, a defiant Senator Leila De Lima denounced the recent move by government prosecutors to prohibit all parties from discussing the senator’s cases in public. “I refuse to be gagged. Gagging me would be a violation of my rights. They cannot continue violating my rights. I shall continue to speak up on issues that matter,” De Lima said in a handwritten letter from her detention cell. De Lima was thrown behind bars at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame for her alleged violation of several provisions of the Comprehensive Dangerous Act of 2002 for the narcotics trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). The former justice secretary is accused of receiving money from drug lords who had been conducting drug trafficking at the national penitentiary. Believing these are dubious charges as a plot to silence critics of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, De Lima vowed that not even a gag order can silence her. “Such reinforces my belief that the things being done to me, especially my detention, are primarily aimed at stifling my criticisms against this murderous and vindictive President. I repeat—I cannot be silenced,” she added. As soon as she took a stand against the alleged rising cases of extra-judicial killings in the country,
De Lima put a target on her back. She knew it—that being jailed for it was the ultimate price she had to pay. “While I’m psychologically prepared for this, my whole being cries out for truth and justice. My heart also bleeds for all other victims of injustice- those who were falsely accused and now cramped in severely congested jails,” De Lima said in an earlier letter she wrote to her family, De Lima reached out to her loved ones and supporters. The embattled senator has amassed political enemies since she was assigned as justice secretary in the previous administration. Now that they have managed to put her behind bars, others are resurfacing as if to add another nail in her coffin. On Monday, March 6, Janet Lim-Napoles, the mastermind behind the multibillion Philippine Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam, accused De Lima of attempting to extort money from her in exchange for not re-opening the serious illegal detention case she was facing. Napoles maintained that she never detained her second cousin and former right-hand man Benhur Luy, the government’s star witness in the pork scam cases.
Editorial
Napoles is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City while facing multiple plunder and graft cases in connection with her alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam. They say the truth will set anyone free. Will De
ManilaTimes.net photo
Lima’s “truth” afford her the constitutional freedom she deserves or will it bury her with further legal consequences? To help preserve the structure our constitution, let us allow due process to take its course. (AJPress)
Trump accuses Obama of wiretapping him during the election without any evidence: Another conspiracy theory to deflect issues? AMID the growing support for a bipartisan and independent investigation to find out if there was/is collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign before, during and after the 2016 presidential elections, President Donald Trump woke up on the early morning of Saturday, March 4 to fire a barrage of tweets to accuse his predecessor, President Barack Obama, of wiretapping his phone in the Trump Tower. Trump tweeted at 6:35 a.m. EST: “Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!” At 7:04 a.m. EST, he followed with this bombastic tweet: “How low has President Obama gone to tap my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!” Even his own cabinet and White House staff were blindsided by these tweets, unable to explain any basis for these toxic accusations against Pres. Obama. Sources from the White House, however, revealed that they had not seen Trump be
Commentary
RiGobeRto D. tiGlao I AM starting to think that because of his obsession to take down President Duterte, which he calculates would be his big feat that could catapult him to the presidency someday, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and his Yellow allies have lost touch with reality. Trillanes has become so deluded that his plot would succeed that he believes that the accusations against Duterte by an admitted serial* murderer, ex-police sergeant Arthur Lascañas whom he brought to the Senate, would spark so much outrage against the President, that he would be toppled soon. Indeed, Trillanes has never really cured himself of such fantasies that he could lead revolutions, which was obvious in his two stupidities during President Arroyo’s time, when he thought his takeover of two Makati hotels (Oakwood in 2003 and Manila Peninsula in 2007) would spark EDSA-type of revolutions. (In both cases, his gang quickly surrendered at first sight of armored personnel carriers approaching to crush them.) In his TV interview with a rabidly anti-Duterte talk show host after the Senate hearing, Trillanes claimed that Lascañas’ accusations would lead to the President’s ouster through impeachment in just two months. In his wishful, yet handicapped, thinking, Trillanes thinks he can replicate what happened to Presi-
tapping as the Russian this angry and frustrated alleged interference following the releases The Fil-Am in the U.S. election of news reports exposwas being investigating more of people in Perspective ed, even though they Trump camp who had themselves could not met with the top Russian substantiate Trump’s Ambassador secretly, accusations against before, during and after Obama. the election. Those indi- Gel SantoS-ReloS The media, Demoviduals include National Security Adviser Michael Flynn who has crats, and even some moderate Repubresigned; his Attorney General Jeff Ses- licans have been demanding for the pressions (one of Trump’s surrogates during ident’s basis before any taxpayer-funded the campaign) who lied under oath about investigations are done, especially in the his two meetings with the Russian Am- light of FBI Director James Comey asking bassador; his own son-in-law and senior the Department of Justice to publicly reject Trump’s allegations that Obama oradviser, Jared Kushner, among others. All of the recent exposes were deemed dered then President-elect Trump to be to have grabbed the headlines from what wiretapped, and U.S. House Intelligence Trump thought was his victorious mo- Committee Chairman Devin Nunes sayment delivering a “Presidential” speech ing he had seen no evidence to support to the joint session of Congress on Febru- Trump’s allegations. Obama’s former spokesperson Josh ary 28. Press Secretary Sean Spicer and other Earnest likewise refuted Trump’s claim, White House staff had been defending the arguing that the president has no authoripresident, saying that there should be a ty to unilaterally order wiretapping of any congressional investigation on this wire- private citizen. The courts, however, may
give such order if there is probable cause that such private citizen may be involved in a crime. Trump reportedly got the information of such alleged wiretapping by Obama from the alt-right Breitbart News, yet he did not consult the FBI and U.S. intelligence about this. If there is indeed real evidence to back up his accusations against Obama, why wouldn’t Trump release it? His tweets declaratively state that such wiretapping, in fact, happened, but where is his proof? As political experts explain, Trump is the president and he has the authority to declassify records to prove his allegations so long as the declassification of such record would not compromise national security. Could this be another chapter of Trump’s growing list of conspiracy theories which had not been substantiated and proven to be true? He had started the “birther” conspiracy theory that Obama was not born in Hawaii but in Kenya and was therefore not eligible to be President of the United States. He stated as a fact
that there was massive cheating during the 2016 election and that about 3 million “illegals,” voted which would explain why he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. Trump also said he believes Obama has been orchestrating all the protest rallies against him to deligitimize his presidency. He had also been spreading the accusation that mainstream news media that are critical of him and his policies are “fake news” and are out there to undermine his Presidency, etc. COULD IT ALSO BE that this is Trump’s clever scheming ploy to deflect the focus on the alleged Russia-Trump camp collusion, which is now under investigation, and to rally his base and keep their loyalty by once again making the narrative against the first black president of the United States? *** 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
Yellow lunacy: A serial killer* will provoke outrage vs Duterte?
dent Estrada in 2000, against whom public outrage built up after his friend and accomplice in graft, Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson, exposed the details of his corruption involving jueteng and the tobacco taxes. The attempt at creating an Erap scenario was indeed obvious to Senator J.V. Ejercito who remarked in jest during the Senate hearing that he felt a sense of déjà vu, in that the same cast of characters—the FLAG lawyers—that helped oust his father in 2000 have suddenly emerged. Indeed, why would a group of lawyers dedicated to providing free legal service to the poor and the oppressed suddenly devote their resources to help a professional assassin who had earned millions of pesos from murdering people? Are they thinking it is another episode for them to help oust a President for the second time? Or has past President Benigno Aquino III managed to convince them to join the plot through FLAG member Alex Padilla, who was his peace negotiator with the communists and his Philhealth president? ‘Spiritual renewal’ How on earth could Trillanes and the Yellow Cult think that Lascañas could damage severely Duterte’s popularity and political base, that he could inspire other members of the alleged Davao Death Squad to come out and not only bolster his accusation but even add to it? But who in his right mind would believe that Lascañas had, as he claimed, a “spiritual renewal” that prodded him “to clean his conscience” and expose Duterte’s complicity in the killings in Davao
when he was mayor, when the Senate hearing in which he declared under oath the President’s innocence was in October last year, which was after his religious encounter in 2015? His tale of the Devil appearing to him—whether in a dream or in his waking hours he wasn’t clear—was so obviously, a work of bad fiction. The more credible, and obvious explanation would be that he turned against Duterte, probably because of money, when the President could not or would not help him in four business deals he was involved in that required government support. The biggest of these was a franchise in the Cavite and Batangas provinces—known to be lucrative areas for jueteng—for his Davao cronies to operate a so-called Small Town Lottery, which the PCSO authorizes but which has been used as cover for the illegal, popular numbers game. Why am I so presumptuous as to claim that he turned against Duterte probably because of money? Because this is a person who has, by his own admission under oath, killed at least 200 human beings since 1989 – for money, the biggest loot of which, according to him, was his group’s murder of notorious broadcaster Jun Pala for P3 million. Do you think he would testify against the President just to “clear his conscience”? Watching Lascañas on TV in the Senate hearing sent shivers down my spine. Even if just on TV, this is the first time I’ve watched a murderer, who killed at least 200 human beings by himself or with others. I
thought serial killers like Hannibal Lecter and the Zodiac murderer in movies could never exist in real life. Yet Lascañas killed even more people than Lecter or the Zodiac killer! Asked by Senator Grace Poe how many people he has killed, he said “about 200 maybe even 300,” without batting an eyelash, and showing no remorse at all in any way, like eyes getting misty. By his own admission. he says he even ordered his two brothers killed, and he doesn’t even say if Duterte or his superior ordered it. By my count from his testimony, he alleged only about 20 of his “kills” to have been under Duterte’s direct orders to him and his group. What were the reasons for killing the other 180 people? He himself admitted that his group of killers later became paid assassins. Enjoy killing? Senator Sonny Angara asked him, shocking people in the Senate hall: “Masarap bang pumatay?”, which could be loosely translated as “Do you enjoy killing people?” Most listeners would have expected him to just say something like, “No, but it was my job.” Instead he answered in the affirmative, even revealing that one of his motives, aside from money, would be that it boosted his ego. “A policeman known to have killed and is a killer gets respect, even by his superiors, who consider him a Class A policeman,” he testified without batting an eyelash. How many murderers in the world—excluding genocides and soldiers—in the modern period have been reported to have killed at least 200 people? Wikipedia
A KILLER’S STARE: Left, Lascañas; right, apparently, his patron, Trillanes.
reports only two: A Colombian accused of killing 300 people, mostly street children in the 1990s and another Latin American dubbed “Monster of the Andes” accused of killing over 300 young women in the 1970s. Lascañas is a monster that has no place in our society at all, yet whom Trillanes and the Yellow Cult brought to the halls of Senate, to boast there that he killed over 200 people—and has gotten away with it. He even managed to get his P3 million government pension, which has been denied in many cases to state employees found to have violated some regulation, such as failure to liquidate a few thousand pesos. Senator Manny Pacquiao moved, but withdrew, a motion to cite Lascañas in contempt for admitting to have lied to the Senate in 2015. A more responsible Senate would instead have passed a resolution condemning Lascañas as an admitted serial killer, and asked in the strongest possible
terms the police and the justice department to prosecute and throw him into the worst prison in the country. Yet, Trillanes, the Yellow Cult, and unnamed “priests” thought this monster would inspire a revolution to topple Duterte? What were they thinking? *(Is Lascañas a mass or a serial killer? An article in the prestigious Psychology Today magazine explains: “A mass murderer kills at least four people in a single incident and in a specific location, while a serial killer tends to keep killing over a period of days or weeks, and at different locales. The magazine however noted: “As more research was devoted to serial murder, some experts reserved the definition exclusively for sexually compelled offenders, while others included nonsexual goals such as financial gain.” That would put Lascañas who explained the huge income he got from his kills, as a serial killer.) (ManilaTimes.net)
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PRRD holds a meeting with former House Speaker Jose De Venecia and Pangasinan Rep. Gina De Venecia
President Rodrigo Duterte listens to Pangasinan 4th District Representative Gina De Venecia and former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. during a meeting at the Study Room in Malacañan Palace on March 7, 2017. Presidential Photo by Toto Lozano
President Rodrigo Duterte holds a meeting with House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III at the Orchid Room in Malacañan Palace on March 7, 2017.
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President Rodrigo Duterte poses for a photo with former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Pangasinan 4th District Representative Gina de Venecia during a meeting at the Study Room in Malacañan Palace on March 7, 2017.
President Rodrigo Duterte poses for a photo with former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. following a meeting at the Study Room in in Malacañan Palace on March 7, 2017.
President Rodrigo Duterte listens to former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Pangasinan 4th District Representative Gina De Venecia during a meeting at the Study Room in Malacañan Palace on March 7, 2017. Presidential photos by Richard Madelo
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BEN LOVEMAN AND NANCY MILLER
Keeping your place in line: Challenging unlawful termination of visa petitions
THIS week we take a break from our recent focus on the new policies of the Trump Administration to look at a problem that has plagued thousands of wouldbe immigrants for decades. The practice of revocation of immigration visa petitions by Department of State and USCIS has resulted in many family members losing the chance to immigrate to the United States after waiting for decades for their visa to be available. The infuriating part of this story is that many of these revocations are probably unlawful. The good news is that there is a way to challenge unlawful revocations. Reeves, Miller, Zhang & Diza has been successful in obtaining reinstatement of revoked petitions. Before turning to the methods to attack revocations it is useful to see this problem in the larger context of the U.S. immigration system. The U.S. system allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to file immigrant visa petitions on behalf of certain relatives. However, there is a cap on the number of visas that can be issued each year; this number is divided amongst the various categories of applicants and then subject to fixed caps for each country. Each year many more petitions are approved than there are visas available and so a long line, stretching decades in some cases, has developed. A person’s place in the line is determined by the date that the petition was filed which is known as the priority date. When a visa cannot be issued immediately upon approval of the petition, the petition gets stored by Department of State (DOS) at a central repository. Whenever a visa becomes available, DOS is supposed to notify the beneficiary of the petition. The applicant then has one-year to respond and notify the authorities that they
are interested in pursuing their visa. Where the applicant does not reply, DOS takes the position that it can terminate the visa petition which results in revocation of the petition and, most importantly, loss of the priority date. A person who has waited patiently for many years in hopes of immigrating to the United State to be reunited with their families can find themselves without a petition and needing to start over in the waiting process - assuming they don’t just give up out of frustration or despair. It is tempting to see this situation as being the fault of the potential immigrant because they failed to act. In many cases the situation arises because the notification was not properly sent. Other times, the problem arises where the beneficiary sends the government notification of change of address but such change is not properly noted. However, whether or not the notification is sent or is received, the law may not actually allow authorities to revoke a petition simply because a person fails to respond. More simply put, despite the government’s practice of revoking petitions and sending people to the back of the decades-long line, there is likely no legal authority for such revocations. Now the good news. There is a way to seek reinstatement of revoked petitions. The first route to request reinstatement from Department of State. It will be necessary to provide an explanation for why the potential immigrant did not respond to the notification and did pursue their visa when the notification was sent. This route can prove successful where it is pursued shortly after revocation and occasionally under other circumstances. However, where significant time has passed the only way to seek reinstatement may be to challenge
Your Immigration Solution
the revocation in federal court. There are generally two options for challenging revocations in court. The first would be to argue that the Department of State failed to send the required notification. Of course the potential immigrant who never received a notification may not know if notification was even sent. But an experienced immigration attorney will know how to address this issue. Where notification was properly sent the next argument will be to challenge the practice itself as unlawful. There is strong authority to suggest that there is no legal authority for the practice of revocation of visa petitions in this type of case. While no Court has had occasion to make a ruling on this issue, when RMZD attorneys have raised the argument, it has often resulted in an agreement between the government and RMZD attorneys to reinstate the visa. The bottom line is this. You and your loved ones should not have to wait in line twice based on erroneous or unlawful revocation of a visa petition. If your visa petition was revoked for alleged failure to respond to notification, you should consult a knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer as soon as possible to see what can be done. *** Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Manila. For more Information please call (800) 7958009 or visit www.rreeves.com. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 10-16, 2017
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MARCH 10-16, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
The CTV Files Atty. LiLLi B. BAcuLi WHAT is happening? On January 27, 2017, the President signed the Executive Order entitled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” (Executive Order 13769) This Executive Order issued a 90-day travel ban on immigrants and non-immigrants from designated countries, a 120-day ban on U.S. refugee program, and an indefinite suspension of Syrian refugee admissions, among other things. On March 6, 2017, Executive Order 13769 was revoked and replaced by a new Executive Order entitled Executive Order Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States. Okay, so what? What does all this have to do with me? Many of those who read this article are of Southeast-Asian descent, and therefore the travel ban of January 27 and more recently March 6, 2017 had and continue to have zero effect on their lives. However, with all the focus on the travel
Community Journal
New enforcement memorandum by DHS Secretary John Kelly ban, non-citizens have missed important portions of the January 27 Executive Order that do have significant effect to their situations. The New Enforcement Memorandum of February 20, 2017. On February 20, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly issued a Memorandum to implement the Executive Order 13769. Per this memorandum, “all existing conflicting directives, memoranda, or field guidance regarding the enforcement of immigration laws and priorities for removal are hereby immediately rescinded, including but not limited to, the November 20, 2014 memoranda entitled “Policies for the Apprehension, Detention and Removal of Undocumented Immigrants,” and “Secure Communities.”’ The memo excludes the June 15, 2012 memorandum entitled “Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children” more popularly known as DACA.
Pursuant to this new memorandum of the DHS’s enforcement priorities, “the Department will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement.” Non-citizen aliens (including lawful permanent residents or “green card” holders) are removable if they: • Have been convicted of any criminal offense; • Have been charged with any criminal offense that has not been resolved; • Have committed acts which constitute a chargeable criminal offense; • Have engaged in fraud or willful misrepresentation in connection with any official matter before a governmental agency; • Have abused any program related to receipt of public benefits; • Are subject to a final order of removal but have not complied with their legal obligation to depart the United States; or
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette ADevA MAgLAyA (Part 2 of 2)
I HAVE discovered gardening to be a quiet, solitary pursuit somewhat fit for hermits and loners — unglamorous, unexciting, backbreaking, time consuming, manual, icky, down in the dirt labor that was certainly not meant for immediate gratification. So, why do it at all? I don’t really know. Must be borderline idiocy. Of course, I speak only for myself. For one thing, it teaches you the patience of Job and the virtue of humility. I have failed more than succeeded and am still working on it. But as time passed, I have been encouraged by modest results. I became synchronized with the seasons and their gentle nuances. I took baby steps and was off and running at one point I could call most plants by name these days and seem to instinctively know what to do when a problem arises. If things don’t work on my own accord, I seek help. I still am a failure u PAGE CJ3 with azaleas. Azaleas have been dying on my shift so I am staying away from them. I suspect it has something to do with the amount of light and too much water that has drenched the soil because of an unusually wetter, longer winter season. I said goodbye too to a beautiful sago palm that must have suf-
Health@Heart PhiLiP S. chuA, MD, FAcS, FPcS WHILE colon cancer rates have been going down among the elderly (55 and older) since the 1980s, they are increasing among those in their 20s and 30s. This was the recent alarming finding of a US cancer registry, which reviewed nearly half a million color-rectal cancers diagnosed between 1974 and 2013, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and in the March 1, 2017 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The research shows that for colon cancers, a rate increase of 2.4 percent annually was noted for those in their 20s and 1.0 percent among those in their 30s. For rectal cancers, the yearly increase was even higher, 3.2 percent. In general, the study also found that there was an increase in the rate among adults in their 40s and early 50s, but not as bad. This report revealed an alarming retrogression in our battle against colorectal cancers: “that young adults’ colorectal cancer risk is now similar to that of adults born around 1890.” The investigators pointed out that high obesity rates the past several decades “may play a role in this generation.Obesity increases the risk for all types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases, like high blood pressure,
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
Tweaking the lessons learned from the garden “My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.”
— Claude Monet, speaking of his garden at Giverny
fered root rot. Farewell too to a French lavender bush that gave me so much fragrance. The garden gets a lot of shade being in a Northwest orientation so I am quite alright with the fact that I will never have roses which I would love to have but can’t. Believe me, I tried. So I just admire them in my neighbors’ gardens with a southeast orientation. My journey to self-discovery has been made easier by understanding the process of nature, the seasons and the nature of things: of why a seed no matter how good cannot grow in a certain type of soil; or how a young tree cannot grow in the shadow of a mighty oak; or of how much light a plant needs to burst with flowers, of the impeccable timing and the cycle of the seasons that are in God’s perfect divine order like a well rehearsed dance or a Beethoven symphony; of why you must resist moving a plant from a place where it is growing so well to another place simply to satisfy a whim or a feng shui decorating principle; when and where to prune, of knowing when to water
by sticking a finger in the soil or noting the droop of the leaves; or the merits of clay pots and plastic pots; of when to re-pot or top dress; even how to propagate. The most important lesson perhaps is learning when to leave well enough alone and letting go; of accepting death as part of life. I make it a point to take pictures when the flowers are in full bloom, knowing that no matter how pretty they are, their beauty is fleeting. I am left with images and memories just like the photos on the wall and in the albums recording one’s family life. Once the children leave to be on their own, you hope the memories in those photos sustain you for the long term. The irony of it all is that the more I know, the more I realize how little I know. I guess that is the paradox of all lifelong learning. I now appreciate more clearly the delicate balance on which our planet depends for it to sustain life — of how vastly critical it is for everyone to do their part
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Colon cancer rising among young people heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. The authors suggest: “Adherence to guideline-recommended screening initiation should be emphasized and initiation before age 50 years should be reconsidered.” When CBS World News announced on February 11, 2009 that “Philippine Icon Cory Aquino Has Colon Cancer,” we wrote that “if President Cory’s cancer was diagnosed early through the recommended screening, she would have been alive today and the history of the Philippines would have been different.” What is colon cancer? Colon (large intestines) and rectum (reservoir for feces) are the terminal parts of the digestive system. Cancer of the colon and rectum, or colo-rectal cancer, is the rapid uncontrolled growth of abnormal and very aggressive cells that multiply without order, causing a tumor that are malignant that destroy organs around it. The cancerous cells travel (metastasize) through the blood and lymph channels to distant parts of the body, like the liver, bones, brain, etc., ultimately killing its victim. How prevalent is colon cancer? Colorectal cancer ranks the second most leading cancer deaths (51,370 a year) for both men and women in the U.S., with about 142,570 patients diagnosed annually. It claims
more lives than AIDS and breast cancer combined. In the Philippines, at least 8,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed yearly, “and steadily increasing,” according to the Philippine Cancer Society. Are meat-eaters more prone to colorectal cancer? It appears to be so, because colorectal cancer is found more prevalent in populations that low-fiber diets that are high in animal proteins, fats, and refined carbohydrates. The incidence of colorectal cancer and other forms of cancers is indeed high among those who eat red meat (pork, beef, etc.) compared to those who regularly eat high fiber diets (vegetables, fruits, wheat, bran, etc. and fish, instead of red meat. What are the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer? The person may not have symptoms at all. It could be so subtle, like fatigue and anemia. Blood in the stool (black or bloody red stools) is one common sign. The others include change in the bowel habits, diarrhea or constipation, stools more slender or flatter than usual, stomach discomfort, bloating, fullness, abdominal cramps, frequent gas pains, unexplained weight loss, a sensation that the rectum does not empty completely. Not all these symptoms and signs need to be present, or necessary, to suspect possible presence
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PG&E opens $1M grant program to support local Climate Change Resilience Planning SANFRANCISCO, Calif.— In 2016 alone, more than 5,700 wildfires burned across the state of California according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. And despite record rain this winter, climate change is expected to increase the number of large wildfires as well as the length of the wildfire season in California. To help Californian communities meet this challenge, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) launched its Better Together Resilient Communities grant program on Wednesday, March 1. Through the program, PG&E will invest $1 million over five years – or $200,000 per year – in shareholder-funded grants to help communities better prepare for, withstand, and recover from extreme events and other risks related to climate change. This year, the company is calling for proposals that will build healthy and resilient forests and watersheds to help communities prevent and prepare for increasing wildfire risk. “At PG&E, we believe adapting to the reality of climate change must include helping our communities to become more resilient to its many potential effects, such as the risk of wildfires. One way to do that is to work closely with our local partners, as well as those at the state and federal level, to support the best and most innovative ideas -- with a particular focus on those who live in highly vulnerable areas,” said Geisha Williams, CEO and President of PG&E Corporation. PG&E will award two grants of
$100,000 through a competitive process. A panel of community and sustainability leaders, including the League of California Cities and members of PG&E’s Sustainability Advisory Council will play an advisory role with the program. Strategies and solutions resulting from the grants will be made publicly available to help all communities, and encourage local and regional partnerships. “Climate change is having extreme effects on our planet, and the state of California is facing increasing weather-related risks, including more frequent and more intense wildfires. I applaud PG&E for partnering with vulnerable communities on this science-based climate change resilience initiative. This new grant program will help Californians prepare for a future with more wildfires and other impacts from a changing climate,” said Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of the California Academy of Sciences and member of PG&E’s Sustainability Advisory Council. “We’re delighted to see PG&E taking this leadership role in helping protect California’s communities from wildfire. As we work to ensure a safe, sustainable environment for our firefighters, their families, and our communities, it is essential to gain a better understanding of how to reduce the risks climate change and wildfires pose to lives and property,” said Lou Paulson, President, California Professional Firefighters. “Extreme weather and climate change are threatening
the safety of communities across central and northern California. With wildfire and other risks increasing to historic levels, we must generate innovative, collaborative solutions to succeed. We applaud PG&E for offering a program that focuses on these risks and encourages the collaboration needed to keep our communities safe now and in the years to come,” said Tom Trott, general manager of Twain Harte Community Services District. Grant criteria and eligibility Grant proposals will be assessed according to the following criteria: • Partnerships: the extent to which the proposal reflects a collaborative effort among multiple organizations • Replicability: the extent to which the proposal identifies how others can learn from and adopt the resulting strategies and solutions • Assistance to disadvantaged communities: the extent to which the proposal addresses the identified needs of disadvantaged communities • Measurable impact: the extent to which the proposal includes practical, measurable and innovative ways to address community needs and climate risks To be eligible, applicants must be a governmental organization, educational institution or 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All applicants must include a local government within PG&E’s service area as a partner. Learn more about the grants and how to apply at pge.com/resiliencegrants. n
(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com
Community Journal
Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ
Green card holder ordered removed for voting in US election
ON February 13, 2017, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (which is one level below the US Supreme Court), upheld the deportation/removal of a green card holder because she registered to vote and voted in a US election. This issue came up when she applied for naturalization. When asked by the court whether she was the “kind of person” DHS wanted to remove from the United States (she was married to a US citizen, had three US citizen children, and had otherwise led a productive and unblemished life in the US), DHS replied “yes”, and would not even consider exercising prosecutorial discretion. In that case, this person had lived in the US for three years, when she applied for a driver’s license. When filling out the forms, she showed her green card, but she also checked a box on the form claiming to be a US citizen. The form at the DMV also contained a box asking if the person wanted to register to vote. The DMV clerk also asked her whether she wanted to register to vote, and she asked, “Am I supposed to?”, to which the clerk replied, “It’s up to you.” She then checked the box, was duly registered, and voted twice in federal elections. When applying for citizenship, there were several questions on the N-400 form, asking about whether the person ever claimed
to be a US citizen, registered to vote, or voted in US elections. She honestly responded, which led to her being placed in removal/deportation proceedings. (Please note DHS can also check the database of the registrar of voters, to find out if the person ever registered to vote, even if they answer “no” to the N-400 Citizenship Form). The Seventh Circuit pointed out immigration law is clear: noncitizens are forbidden from registering to vote or voting in federal elections. The person tried to argue she was confused or misled by the DMV clerk, when the clerk said, “It’s up to you”, whether she wanted to register to vote. The court said she should have known the law, and now must bear the consequences. In other words, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Many people mistakenly register to vote out of confusion or ignorance of the law. For example, they may completely fill out a form at the DMV, which includes a section about registering to vote. Other times, there are people standing outside supermarkets, with clipboards, asking if the person wants to register to vote. They neglect to advise the person they must be a US citizen. When they get the postcard from the registrar of voters, they then think they have permission or it’s okay to vote. However, as you can see, there can be devastating consequences. This is especially
Immigration Corner
true with the current Trump administration, where the president continually claims that “millions” of people voted illegally. Many people who have immigration issues or problems often are “caught” when applying for naturalization. Had this woman never applied for citizenship, her violation may not have come to the attention of the authorities. That is why I advise, especially with the current Trump administration, you seek the advice and guidance of an attorney, because you may inadvertently “rock the boat”, and find yourself in removal proceedings for doing something you did not even realize was wrong. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
They cannot just put you on a plane back to your home country Know your rights and what to do when ICE knocks – ‘Citizen Pinoy!’ PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s strict mandate of enforcing immigration laws (to potentially include immigration raids across the U.S.) has left many people scared and anxious. On this Sunday’s episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy,’ leading U.S.
immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel provides wise advice and recommendations on what to do, and how to conduct one’s self, when agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) knock on your door.
Be sure to tune in and equip yourself with relevant information and good-to-know pointers on a brand-new episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy’ –– on Sunday 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
New enforcement memorandum… PAGE CJ2 t
• In the judgment of an immigration officer, otherwise pose a risk to public safety or national security. I have previously written about criminal bars to DACA and the negative consequences of even a misdemeanor conviction. It has never been more important for non-citizens, including longtime lawful permanent residents, to understand what the new enforcement memorandum means for them. “Just a misdemeanor” in state criminal court will make a non-citizen deportable. Just being charged, and not even convicted, will make a non-citizen deportable. Commission of acts – even if you have not been officially charged, arraigned, or convicted, will make you deportable. Therefore, if you are a noncitizen and you find yourself in criminal court, even for “just a
misdemeanor” it is important to tell your criminal attorney or the public defender that you are not a U.S. citizen, and that you cannot do a run-of-the-mill plea bargain without first considering how it will affect your legal status in the United States. More importantly, it is important to consult with an experienced, and licensed immigration attorney who has significant experience in deportation, as not all immigration attorneys have the same knowledge and expertise. If you are reading this article, chances are you yourself are a non-citizen. If you or anyone you know is a non-citizen undocumented immigrant, or non-citizen lawful permanent resident and you fall in to any of the categories above, it is important to consult with an experienced and licensed immigration attorney who will be able to guide you
through the options available to you under evolving U.S. immigration laws. Google is no substitute for a licensed, experienced, immigration attorney. Know your rights, and know your options, and be wary of notarios and those who are not licensed to practice law. ***
Atty. Lilli Berbano Baculi is an associate attorney with Chua Tinsay & Vega, A Professional Legal Corporation (CTV) - a full service law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and Philippines. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (619) 955-6277; (415) 4958088; (916) 449-3923; lbaculi@ctvattys. com. For general information visit www. chuatinsayvega.com.
Tweaking the lessons learned from the… PAGE CJ2 t
to ensure that life continues, specially that of human life. But I do reject the rabid, unhinged proponents of climate change (global warming, global cooling) whose real agenda is a political and economic windfall for its billionaire backers. It is sheer hubris and madness to pretend to usurp the laws of nature to push a duplicitous agenda.
One can see life’s longing for itself in the perennial grass that grows. There is great wisdom in gardening. If you dig in the garden long enough, you will find an infinite variety of the parallel laws that govern all life with unsurpassed clarity. Gardening, if you stick with it long enough, is a metaphor for human life itself. Gardening has taught me a zen-like passive skill of enjoying
quiet solitude, of observing what works and what won’t, of doing what needs to get done with very little struggle and ultimately, of accepting and of simply letting go when all I have done is all I can do. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
Colon cancer rising among young… PAGE CJ2 t
colorectal cancer. Any one of these, if persistent, should alert one to seek medical help. When should colonoscopy be done? Looking at your stools every time you defecate is fundamental. If there is a change in the color, consistency, and shape of your stools, or if you see red blood in your stools, or if is black, report this to your physician, since blood in the stools is one of the earliest signs of colon cancer, no matter how young. He/ she may order a test for occult blood even if the color of your stool is normal, which is recommended annually for those 50 and older, together with flexible fiber-optic colonoscopy every 3 to 5 years. These are life-saving test and procedures, great gifts of medical science, which each of us should take advantage of. If colon cancer is in the family history, screening must be done even before 40. How can we prevent cancer? Cancer in general is caused, in almost all cases, by what we eat and drink, what we breathe in,
what we apply to our body, what we expose ourselves to in our environment, by our personal behavior, and to some extent by our individual genetic predisposition. As far as our genes are concerned, we did not choose them, but we can choose to protect our DNA from harm every day of our life through healthy lifestyle and behavior. Here are some basic guides: (1) Minimize or avoid eating red meat. Instead, have a regular diet of fish, lots of vegetables, nuts, whole grains, some fruits, and partake rice, bread, and other carbohydrates in moderation. For those who are overweight, abstaining from rice, soft drinks, cakes, ice cream, and other sweets is most effective in preventing obesity, which is a risk factor for cancer. Soft drinks are all hazardous to health as they increase the risk for Metabolic Syndrome. (2) Do daily physical exercises, which is a magic bullet against diabetes, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. They also improve stamina, agility, mental health, and even sexual performance. (3) Take daily multivitamins and
minerals if not eating properly, but avoid mega-doses as they are toxic to the body. (4) Listen to your body, and consult your physician promptly for any health concerns, and do not put off any recommended laboratory tests and procedures, like stool exam, colonoscopy, etc., since early detection can save lives. (5) Stay away from tobacco and from secondhand smoke, which is even more toxic. (6) If you enjoy alcoholic drinks, imbibe in moderation, preferably with dinner; excess alcohol increases the risk for cancer, burns the liver and cooks the brain. (7) Overall, live and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. *** 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
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 10-16, 2017
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WHAT TO DO WHEN IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) KNOCKS AT YOUR DOOR, ON A BRAND NEW EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Many people are terrified and uncertain about their future in the U.S. because of President Trump’s “enforcement priorities”, and whether they may be targeted for removal/deportation. Leading U.S. immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel ICHAEL provides useful tips and guidance on what you need to know and what to do when ICE comes to your home or work, on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC.
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CAAMFEST35 in San Francisco & Oakland Come to the 35th anniversary of CAAMFest from March 9-19 and immerse yourself in expansive and diverse programs celebrating the best in Asian American film, music and food. The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. The annual CAAMFest is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films. It presents approximately 125 works in San Francisco and Oakland over the course of 11 days. Tickets can be purchased online or in person. For more information, please visit http://caamfest.com.
MARCH 11
Filipino American Chamber of Commerce-SouthBay Los Angeles area hosts annual gala The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce - SouthBay Los Angeles Area will have its annual induction of board members and fundraising gala on Saturday, March 11 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. It will be held at the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Airport (5985 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045). Donation is $60 and a portion of the proceeds will go towards FACC-SLAA’s scholarship project.
CSFLU to hold dinner-dance in Brea, CA The City of San Fernando La Union Association (CSFLU) will hold its annual dinnerdance at the Embassy Suites in Brea, CA on March 11. Music will be provided by Willie Manacsa & The Midnight Motion Band. For more information, please call Vangie So, president of the association at (626) 485-3110.
Whitney High School’s 30th annual Pilipino Culture Night in Cerritos, CA Whitney High School’s Club Kaibigan invites you to attend “Ang Ating Salaysay (Our Story),” the 30th annual Pilipino Cultural Night on Saturday, March 11. The matinee show is at 2 p.m. ($12 / ticket), with the evening performance at 6:30 p.m. ($15 / ticket). The show will be held at the high school’s Mac Auditorium (16800 Shoemaker Ave., Cerritos, CA 90703). Any questions can be directed to clubkaibigan@gmail.com.
“Walk for Wishes” in Las Vegas Powered by wish families, volunteers, donors, and friends, Walk For Wishes is a nationwide Make-A-Wish fundraiser celebrating thousands of wishes that have already been granted, while raising funds for future wishes. Proceeds from this event help fund wishes that bring life-changing joy and hope to children battling life-threatening medical conditions in our community. On Saturday, March 11, Make-A-Wish® Southern Nevada partners with Caesars Foundation to present its 16th annual Walk for Wishes. Registration opens at 7 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 8:00 a.m. The 5K Run will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the 1 mile walk at 8:35 a.m. It will be held at Town Square Las Vegas at 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. South (northwest corner of Town Square Blvd. and North St.), Las Vegas, NV 89119.
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Consular outreach mission in Phoenix, AZ A team from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles will conduct a Consular Outreach Mission in Phoenix, Arizona on March 11 and 12. It will be held at Halo Halo Kitchen (3553 W. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85051) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m by appointment and completed documents only. Please email arizona.consularoutreach@gmail.com with submissions and applications before March 3. No walk-in applicants will be accepted. The following consular services will be rendered: renewal and/or first-time applications for electronic passport ($60 processing fee + $24 mailing fee). New passports will be released to the applicant by mail twelve (12) weeks from March 15, 2017. No lost passport applications will be accepted; Applications for the retention and re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship pursuant to the Dual Citizenship Law ($50 processing fee). Oath taking will be scheduled on the same day for qualified applicants. Applicants are advised to wear appropriate clothing for the occasion; Applications for report of marriage & birth ($25 processing fee + $7 mailing fee); and registration for overseas voting for the 2019 national elections for senators and party list representatives. Fees must be paid in person at the scheduled appointment. Only cash, postal money order or cashier’s checks are accepted. Personal checks will not be accepted. For more information, please visit http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/. A final list of all applicants will confirmed appointment schedules will be posted on the website by March 8.
MARCH 18
Free vision screenings & walk for sight in San Fernando, CA On Saturday, March 18, the Lions Club event Lions Eyes Across America will be having free vision screenings and a “Walk For Sight” at San Fernando Recreation Park (208 Park Ave, San Fernando, CA 91340). Registration is at 9 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m. Donate your old eyeglasses and hearing aids. Gather family and friends to support low vision resources throughout Los Angeles. The $15 registration includes a 2017 Lion Eyes T-Shirt. Contact Vangie Tabberrah at (818) 399-7965 or csvangie.tabb@gmail.com.
FASO’s “Swing the Night Away” in Glendale, CA Swing the night away with Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) on Saturday, March 18 at the Glendale Hilton! Bring your dancing shoes for an evening of swing, two-step, rumba, cha-cha, tango and waltz! Dance Instructors will be available on the floor. You can feel free to sit back, relax and enjoy the music! No host cocktails at 6:00 p.m, with dinner at 7:00 p.m. Tickets (dinner included) are $125. You can also contact Arlene Ferrolino (213) 248-9850, Bob Shroder (818) 395-8936 or JL Garcia (310) 936-2988 for tickets and sponsorship opportunities information. FASO is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Proceeds will be used to sustain the orchestra, and to fund its education and outreach programs. More information is available on the FASO website at http://www. fasofoundation.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
CJ
MARCH 10-16, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
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Business News
PH ready to ‘future-proof’ dev’t goals by Czeriza
ValenCia Philstar.com
More airlines use Clark for strategic expansion MANILA, Philippines — Local and foreign airline companies have started to use Clark International Airport to boost their strategic expansion, a top Clark investor noted. Mark Williams, chief executive officer of Global Gateway Development Corp. (GGDC), said the simultaneous expansion of airline companies at Clark is a clear indication of robust growth and strong demand in Central and Northern Luzon. Officials of Clark International Airport Corp. are holding talks with more airlines to connect the premier airport north of Manila to different parts of the country, Asia and even North America. CIAC president Alexander Cauguiran said the airport operator is currently in talks with
air carriers on possible air connection between Clark and North America. He said Clark has a huge market potential consisting of travelers coming from Northern Luzon, Cagayan Valley Region, Central Luzon, and the northern part of Metro Manila or CAMANAVA area (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela). Together, these areas have a combined population of 24.2 million. “Clark ought to be the most logical and practical airport of choice of the people from the northern and central parts of Luzon,” Cauguiran said. CIAC’s master development plan includes developing a new passenger terminal with an 8million-passenger capacity. The Duterte administration plans to
construct another terminal by 2019 or before President Duterte steps down from office. Studies point to the strong growth in the number of passengers in Clark, with the increase in flights. In its report, CIAC seeks to maximize in the next two to three years the existing terminal with a capacity of 4.2 million passengers annually. The goal of decongesting Metro Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport is on track to being achieved with more airlines mounting flights from the Clark International Airport, according to Philippine Airlines executives. Clark now hosts international and domestic flights of PAL, including daily flights to Caticlan, Cebu and Davao. n
Tax reform to shield Philippines from global slowdown - DOF by MayVelin
U. Caraballo The Manila Times
THE Department of Financeproposed comprehensive tax reform package (CTRP) is seen making the Philippines immune from the adverse impact of slower global growth. This was the response of government economic managers when asked during a hearing on Monday by the House Committee on Ways and Means on tax reform how the CTRP would help the Philippines cope with the impact of the economic slowdown in China. Agence France-Presse report-
EMPLOYMENT
ed that China has warned that its economy faces severe challenges, signaling a further deceleration as it trimmed the 2017 GDP growth target to “around 6.5 percent.” The economy is already growing at its slowest rate in more than a quarter of a century and the latest target is lower than the 6.5 percent to 7 percent set last year. Full-year growth in 2016 came in at 6.7 percent, the weakest since 1990, it added. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd said the Philippines is not as reliance to exports compared with Indonesia, Vietnam and China, that is why the
government will use the CTRP to stimulate the local economy so that the Philippines will be “immune” from developments in the global economic arena. “Tax reform package is our immunization against the slowdown in the world economy. We use the funds to accelerate our infrastructure, which will create jobs and will make our economy more competitive,” he said. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the Philippine economy is not export-driven but domestic-demand driven. “With this, spending by government or by households will
EMPLOYMENT
MANILA, Philippines — With a more stable economy, the Philippine government should now focus on “future-proofing” programs such as improvement of living standards and of skills for the long-term, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said. In the last Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, NEDA said the Philippines is “no longer weighed down by an unmanageable fiscal deficit” and is “more secure in its political legitimacy.” It also said strong macroeconomic fundamentals have protected the country against disruptions caused by natural calamities and weakness in the global economy. “The larger fiscal space created has enabled government to support the provision of public goods and services, stimulate private ventures, finance social programs to reduce poverty, and widen economic opportunities for the citizenry,” the agency said. But future-proofing the economy has not been at the forefront of national conversation because past administrations were more preoccupied with stabilizing the economy and political situation, NEDA said. The six-year electoral cycle also imposes a short term development planning that coincides with the term of elected officials. “Plans and programs are often arbitrarily terminated and replaced to suit the preferences
of incumbents to the detriment of continuity,” NEDA said. The agency said the focus should now be on improving living standards in line with economic growth since this entails long-term planning because of the amount of time and effort it takes to address social problems. “It is important to have a longterm perspective because securing the means for improving people’s lives, which ought to be the metric for gauging economic progress, is not a one-off event. Many of the problems requiring government action involve a combination of social, economic, and institutional processes that take years to produce the desired results. This endeavor requires sustained effort and persistence,” it said. As the world economy changes and the country struggles to keep abreast of developments, NEDA said the country needs to equip the youth with the skills necessary for survival in the
world’s increasingly technologydriven and knowledge-intensive economy. “The world is constantly changing. As problems are solved, new ones emerge. The rate at which current knowledge becomes obsolete is also increasing,” it said. “How are Filipino businesses preparing to compete with the rest of the region and the world? What types of skills will be required and where will they come from? These forward-looking questions above have not been at the center of the national conversation,” it said. The new PDP is the first medium term economic blueprint to be anchored on a 25-year vision of transforming the country into a predominantly middle-class society with a per capita income of $5,000 by 2022 and by 2040, enjoying secure and comfortable lives free from financial hardship and having the time and resources to enjoy leisure. n
strengthen domestic demand and that would shield us against the unfavorable winds in the global economy,” he said. Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno said tax reform is one of the things that the Philippines should undertake in order to make the economy competitive and make the country an attractive place to invest in. “Tax reform is long overdue,”he said. The proposed CTRP will allow the government to build or improve 44,000 kilometers of national and local roads, construct more local hospitals and improve existing ones, attain 100 percent PhilHealth coverage, and achieve the ideal teacher-to-student and
student-to-classroom ratios for the benefit of the country’s future workforce, Dominguez claimed. Some P48 billion will be earmarked for targeted transfer programs for low-income groups and other vulnerable sectors to shield them from the initial impact of the CTRP, he said. Package One of the CTRP is outlined in House Bill 4774. It seeks to lower personal income tax rates for 99 percent of the country’s taxpayers while expanding the value-added tax (VAT) base and adjusting the rates for consumption taxes such as the excise tax on petroleum products and automobiles, among other revenue-enhancing measures. VAT exemptions for
seniors and persons with disabilities will be retained under the bill. “This is the tax package that will enable us to reshape our economic growth to make it more inclusive. It is the tax reform package that will bring us to the irreversible path towards being a high-income economy in one generation and bring down our poverty rate to a mere 14 percent by 2022,” Dominguez added. “This is our economy’s golden moment. If we fail to seize it, the conjuncture of opportunities will pass us and we will betray our people. We cannot afford to lose because of indecision or because we failed to act boldly,” he added. n
EMPLOYMENT
PSYCHIC
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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 10-16, 2017
CJ
East Bay Regional Park District closes 2016 at nearly 121,000 acres IN 2016, the East Bay Regional Park District purchased or leased 1,040 acres of open space and parklands for a year-end total of 120,931 acres – and optioned another 364.95 acres. In doing so, EBRPD continues its commitment to protect significant biological, recreational, and historic resources; clean up park boundaries; and provide public access and trail connections throughout the Park District. Land acquisitions and leases include: 1. The 26.87-acre donation of property at Hayward Shoreline which will be incorporated into the adjacent Resource Protected Area for the preservation and enhancement of salt marsh harvest mouse habitat and ultimately become part of a larger wetland restoration project. 2. The purchase of a 20-acre inholding at Point Pinole’s Dotson Family Marsh* in Richmond which will enhance the District’s marsh restoration and public access project while protecting the property from future development. (*formerly called Breuner Marsh) 3. The purchase of the 10acre Patterson Ranch “church parcels” property at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, one of the few remaining tracts of the
historic Patterson Ranch still under ownership by the Patterson family that will serve to extend the eastern boundary of Coyote Hills and preserve the contiguous open space stretching west from Ardenwood Boulevard and Paseo Padre Parkway. 4. The purchase of three properties in partnership with the East Contra Costa Habitat Conservancy using both State and Federal grant funds, providing opportunities to protect habitat, seasonal drainages and associated special-status plant and animal species and develop possible trail connections to other open space: (a) The purchase of the 646-acre Nunn property north of Brentwood in the Delta Access Regional Recreation Area. (b) The purchase of the 76.5-acre Hanson Ranch property north of Marsh Creek Road in East Contra Costa County from previous owners Save Mount Diablo. (c) The purchase of the nearly 200acre Coehlo Machado property at Vasco Hills Regional Preserve with additional grant funding provided by NextEra. 5. The acceptance of a 4.88acre trail easement at MESP near the Albany Bulb from Golden Gate Fields Land Holdings LLC as part of a settlement agreement related to a condemnation action, helping to close a significant gap
in the San Francisco Bay Trail. 6. The conveyance of 28.5 acres of property at Coyote Hills to the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, which will allow the ACFCD to widen an important flood control channel and construct a 47-acre wetland mitigation project on a portion of the recently acquired historic Patterson Ranch property, possibly also including public trail access. 7. The continuation of our lease of nearly 20 acres of property at the former Oakland Army Base south of the Bay Bridge take-off which positions the Park District to acquire said property once the Department of the Army completes its environmental mitigation via an approved Public Benefit Conveyance. 8. The acquisition of a 1,056 square-foot parcel (0.0242 acres) off Tidewater Avenue at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland from Arkansas Bandag Corp allowing for improved access and security measures for the both the public and Park District staff. 9. The acceptance of 0.14 acres of trail and drainage easements from the City of Pinole and the lease of 12.83 acres of property from the State Lands Commission along the San Pablo Bay Shoreline, serving as the first
steps to the closure of the Bay Trail gap in this area in support of the installation of a grade-separated bridge. 10. The acceptance of 50 acres from Suncrest Homes 26, LLC and successor Antioch Land Holdings, LLC at Black Diamond Mines preventing development of an approved 50-unit housing subdivision; the donation to the Regional Parks Foundation is expected to be valued at around $3.5 million. 11. The exchange and purchase of trail easements along the Burton Ridge area of the Calaveras Ridge Trail serving to secure portions of the remaining right of way necessary to extend the Calaveras Ridge Regional Trail into Las Trampas Wilderness Regional Preserve in San Ramon. 12. The acceptance of a 1.32acre lease from Caltrans at Ardenwood (Fremont) in support of the District-wide fiber optics placement project. The Park District has optioned 364.95 acres scheduled to close escrow in 2017. These include: 1. The acceptance, pending completion of due diligence, of 43 acres of the Oakland Inner Harbor Tidal Canal from the Army Corp of Engineers helping to close several gaps in the SF Bay Trail in this area.
2. The exercise of option in partnership with the State Department of Parks and Recreation Habitat Conservation Fund grant program of the historic 191.45acre Moller Ranch property at the main Somersville Road entrance to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch, preserving riparian habitat and associated historic structures. 3. The option of three properties in partnership with the East Contra Costa Habitat Conservancy using both State and Federal grant funds, providing opportunities to protect habitat, seasonal
drainages and associated special-status plant and animal species and develop possible trail connections to other open space: (a) The option of the 10.5-acre Nortonville property located near the western entrance to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. (b) The option of the 80-acre Campos/Fitzpatrick property at Byron Vernal Pools. (c) The option of the 40-acre Roddy Home Ranch within the future Deer Valley Regional Park. Additional purchases will be announced once they are complete. n
When is a good time to start receiving Social Security benefits ENJOYING a comfortable retirement is everyone’s dream. For over 80 years, Social Security has been helping people realize those dreams, assisting people through life’s journey with a variety of benefits. It’s up to you as to when you can start retirement benefits. You could start them a little earlier or wait until your “full retirement age.” There are benefits to either decision, pun intended. Full retirement age refers to the age when a person can receive their Social Security benefits without any reduction, even if they are still working part or full time. In other words, you don’t actually need to stop working to get your full benefits. For people who attain age 62 in 2017 (i.e., those born between January 2, 1955 and January 1, 1956), full retirement age is 66 and two months. Full retirement age was age 65 for many years. However, due to a law passed by Congress in 1983, it has been gradually increasing, beginning with people born in 1938 or later, until it reaches 67 for people born after 1959. You can learn more about the full retirement age and find out how to look up your own at www.socialsecurity.gov/planners/retire/retirechart.html. You can start receiving Social Security benefits
as early as age 62 or any time after that. The longer you wait, the higher your monthly benefit will be, although it stops increasing at age 70. Your monthly benefits will be reduced permanently if
you start them any time before your full retirement age. For example, if you start receiving benefits in 2017 at age 62, your monthly benefit amount will be reduced permanently by about 26 percent. On the other hand, if you wait to start receiving your benefits until after your full retirement age, then your monthly benefit will be higher. The amount of this increase is two-thirds of one percent for each month –– or eight percent for each year –– that you delay receiving them until you reach age 70. The choices you make may affect any benefit your spouse or children can receive on your record, too. If you receive benefits early, it may reduce their potential benefit, as well
as yours. You need to be as informed as possible when making any decision about receiving Social Security benefits. Read the publication When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10147.pdf. If you decide to receive benefits before you reach full retirement age, you should also understand how continuing to work can affect your benefits. Social Security may withhold or reduce your benefits if your annual earnings exceed a certain amount. However, for every month benefits are withheld, it increases your future benefits. That’s because at your full retirement age Social Security will recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for the months in which benefits were reduced or withheld due to your excess earnings. In effect, it’s as if you hadn’t filed for those months. You can learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov/ planners/retire/whileworking.html. Social Security’s mission is to secure your today and tomorrow. Helping you make the right retirement decisions is vital. You can learn more by visiting our Retirement Planner at www.socialsecurity. gov/planners/retire n
CJ
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cover story The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 10, 2017
Dr. Amado Gabriel Esteban: Promoting participation in higher education and lifelong learning By Christina
BY this summer, Chicago’s DePaul University will welcome its new president, Dr. Amado Gabriel Esteban. The Filipino academic leader will become the first non-ordained president in DePaul’s 119-year history — considered the largest Catholic university in the United States — when he assumes office on July 1. The new post shouldn’t be too much of a leap for Esteban, who has held the same position at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey since 2011, where he has overseen the development of new schools, ensured that the institution has stayed financially robust, and promoted its academic profile. In a recent interview with the Asian Journal since his appointment was announced, Esteban shared his vision and goals for DePaul and why learning is a lifelong pursuit. Journey to higher education Esteban, who was born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines, never intended to pursue a career in higher education. Growing up — and it’s a familiar scenario for many Filipinos — he thought he would follow his father’s footsteps as a doctor. The draw to teaching must have
M. Oriel /aJpress
come from seeing the elder Esteban spend the latter part of his life as a professor at University of the Philippines (UP) School of Medicine. Esteban went on to earn a bachelor of science in mathematics and an MBA from UP, where he met Josephine King, who would become his wife. He was the first Philippine recipient of the Fujitsu Asian Scholarship, which brought him to Chaminade University in Hawaii for a master’s degree in Japanese business studies. He returned to the Philippines for a few years to work in the private sector at a bank and then in consumer goods at San Miguel Corp. “When you grow up in the Philippines, everyone at some point hopes that they’re given an opportunity to study overseas, whether it be in Japan, the UK, or the U.S.,” he told the Asian Journal, adding that scholarships and fellowships helped him and his wife study abroad. The Estebans migrated to the United States, where Josephine obtained her MBA from the University of California, Riverside, while he was working toward a doctorate in business administration at the University
Esteban is photographed in the Cortelyou Commons on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus Photo courtesy of DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief
Esteban with his wife Josephine. Photo courtesy of DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief
Esteban’s presidential investiture on Octobeer 14, 2011.
of California, Irvine. “We’ve been blessed, being at the right place at the right time, having people who mentored us throughout my academic career who made sure I gave 150 percent effort in everything I do,” he said. “It paid off in the long haul.” After completing his doctorate program, Esteban was hired as a marketing professor at the University of Houston-Victoria in Texas. He planned to work in academe for five years at most before returning to the private sector. However, opportunities at various institutions across the country arose. The Esteban family then moved to Arkansas, where he was a professor and associate vice president of academic affairs at Arkansas Tech. Eventually, he transferred to the University of Central Arkansas, also as a professor, before being named the dean of the College of Business. “When I was asked to become an administrator was when I thought that maybe this was the career path that’s being unveiled to me, so to speak,” he said, adding “so that’s the path I ended up taking.”
President of Seton Hall University He was once again uprooted and settled in New Jersey in 2007 when he became a provost at Seton Hall University, the oldest Roman Catholic diocesan university in the country and one of the largest. He was appointed interim president in late 2010, a capacity he served for six months before being formally named president. He became the first lay person to lead the Catholic university — which has a population of 10,000 students, over 900 faculty members and 1,800 employees — after its board of trustees created an exception that presidents must be priests. Esteban reflected on Seton Hall’s growth over the past seven years, as well as the changes he’s seen in himself as a leader and educator. A lot of his time as president, he said, was spent listening to the voices on campus, whether they’re students, faculty or staff administrators in order to create a “vision for [what] the institution could look like in 10-15 years.” As for accomplishments under his tenure that he’s particularly proud of, Esteban listed a few, yet humbly acknowledged
Esteban with Ban Ki-Moon at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations World Leaders Forum. Photos courtesy of Seton Hall University
that they were not solely his own doing. “In terms of contributions, it’s actually a group effort so it’s hard to point to one thing because we’ve accomplished a lot as a university. For example, if you look at the academic profile of our students, since I was asked to oversee enrollment management in 2009, our SAT scores have gone up over 100 points and 35 percent of our freshmen are in the top 10 percent of their [graduating] class,” he boasted, adding that the student population has become more diverse in terms of ethnicity and also admission to first-generation students. In 2015, Seton Hall unveiled the new College of Communication and the Arts. It also developed a new health and medical sciences campus, which was done in partnership with Hackensack Meridian Health, that will house the School of Medicine and the College of Nursing and
School of Health and Medical Sciences. In 2018, the university will welcome the first class at the medical school. Further, the university invested nearly $150 million in campus infrastructure in the last five years, resulting in “zero deferred maintenance,” he said. (The deferred maintenance had reached $36 million in his first few years with the university.) In a recent release, it boasted that fundraising has reached all-time highs, with $40 million raised in the last year and a half alone. “There are a lot of those tangible things, but to me, the biggest change has been in the culture on campus and the perception outside the university. Seton Hall has always been a great national university and now more people are hearing about that story and internally, I think there’s been a shift in the culture because we’ve been able to do Continued on Page SF4
Meet the outstanding couple for The Beautiful Life Celebration 2017: Mr. and Mrs. Reynaldo & Nora Diego By Monet
Lu
As the saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun.” In that case, Rey and Nora Diego’s marriage of 51 years flew by like a blur. They both still yearn for each other’s company, treat each other as best friends, and both are grateful that they’ve spent almost every day of these 51 years together. Yet, they are also realistic in the knowledge that although their marriage appears smooth to outsiders, they know that it was the daily compromises and ups and downs that led them to where they are today. I had the pleasure of bonding with the couple and their daughter, Dr. Loraine Diego, while on a Mediterranean cruise last summer. I learned Rey served 22 years in the U.s. Navy, then later worked at the V.A. Hospital in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Nora was a midwife in the Philippines, then became an LVN in the U.s. After I learned of their “colorful” love story, I came up with the following three tips to a successful marriage. Tip #1: “Don’t just fall for ‘love at first sight.’ Love beyond what the eyes can see. On initial appearance, they are the typical “opposites attract.” she is talkative, loud, fun-loving, spontaneous; whereas he rarely smiles, rarely talks, rarely mingles, and rarely leaves the house. When Rey first met Nora that fateful day over 51 years ago, Rey was immediately smitten. But there was a small hitch: she was dating his younger brother, Roger, with whom she was “barkada” with for over 10 years. Rey had already been in the U.s. Navy for a few years, and was in Manila on vacation, looking for a possible wife. Of course, Roger was in total objection to this, but as time went on, the attraction between Rey and Nora could not be denied. One trait that both
entertainment SF3 The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – March 10, 2017
Piolo and the ‘father-son’ movie he’s always wanted by Tessa
Mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes.net
Rey and Nora shared was they both wanted to live “abroad”, even though that was not a popular notion at that time. But if you were to ask Nora nowadays about choosing between the two brothers, she will tell you, without a doubt, that she knows that she married the right brother. she says that their love is way “beyond looks.” Nora continues, “Rey may not be as fair-skinned like me or tall and mestizo like his brother, but it was beyond his physical features that made me attracted to him. It was the way he treated me and everyone I love. He is very thoughtful, loving, and down-toearth.” Tip #2: Are you in a longdistance relationship? Don’t just survive it, savor it! soon after their wedding in November 1965, Nora joined Rey in the U.s. During Rey’s Navy career, they moved every three years to diverse locations like Nantucket Island, Massachusetts; south Carolina; Florida, Guam, seattle, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and eventually moved back to the Philippines for a few years as well. Wherever Rey was stationed, Nora was able to find employment as a nurse or as a medical
MULTI-AWARDED actor Piolo Pascual is excited to hit the big screen again with a very special project. Titled, “Northern Lights”—after the hemisphere’s phenomenon Aurora Borealis, which enchant the skies in 11-year cycles—the once in a lifetime movie is set in Alaska as a very touching tale of the bond between father and son. “Paborito ko kasi yung ‘Pursuit of Happyness’ ni Will smith before, and I’ve long been looking for a concept na puwede i-play up [the relationship] between a father and a son,” related Pascual at the grand secretary. They forged a simple press conference of the Regal yet comfortable life, just the two Entertainment, star Cinema and of them, without the help of spring Films co-production. relatives, and there were hardly A father himself to teen any kabayans around. And they actor Iñigo Pascual, Philippine witnessed world history firsthand show business’ “Ultimate Lead— they met the Kennedy family ing Man” felt especially drawn while in Nantucket, lived in the to the screenplay of Onay sales, deep south during Civil Rights where he portrays an OFW who Movement, and were in the had moved to Alaska when his Philippines during the turbulent girlfriend was pregnant back last years of the Marcos era, in the Philippines. Fulfilling his including EDsA I. promise to come back for her, Nora relays a story that he finds her with another man, while she was a newlywed in shattering his notion of love and Nantucket, Rey insisted that she relationships. had to learn how to drive. she Years later, Pascual’s characargued back “Why don’t you ter learns that his ex-girlfriend want to drive me? Don’t you is dying and is sending their son love me?” Rey answered, “You Charlie Jr. (Raikko Mateo) to need to learn how to drive, dear, live with him in Alaska. Father because there are times when I meets son for the first time, and will be away on the ship. Then while they find it difficult to conyou will be left behind alone nect, their hearts and lives are with the children.” Now, she changed forever. is so glad she listened to her “When I got wind of the husband because you can hardly project, I instantly felt [somekeep her home now! thing] personal because it’s not Tip #3: Learn to count the [exactly] what I went through “blessings in disguise” and with my son, pero sabi ko, cherish them medyo malapit sa situation ko As mentioned before, Nora from before,” the 40-year-old was dating Rey’s brother, Roger. father continued. “The same Rey asked Roger’s permissituation is also common to sion to court Nora, to which many Filipinos nowadays—yung Roger sternly declined. As Rey mga nalalayo rin sa mga pamilya Continued on Page SF4 nila. so sabi ko, I just want to
Piolo Pascual returns to the big screen with ‘Northern Lights’
Child star Mateo plays Pascual’s estranged son in the movie
do something real, something more relatable to the audience, kaya nung ipinitch sa akin, and even when I got the script, napakatotoo niya.” It will be recalled that Pascual also had Iñigo with a former girlfriend. The boy lived with his mom in California, UsA, until finally settling in the Philippines with his dad to pursue a career in showbiz. “I met Iñigo from the very start when I was in the states and he was already turning one when I left for the Philippines. Baby pa [siya noon], ngayon puwede nang magka-baby,” joked the ever-youthful dad. “Nowadays, magkasama kami palagi, and even at work every sunday on ‘AsAP.’ Mas nakabuti yung pag-uwi niya dito kasi nakakasama ko siya, nagagabayan ko.” Proud of his 19-year-old, Pascual continued, “I thought at the start it might be hard for him to come home, especially to be in the same business as his dad because you can’t avoid comparisons. But what’s good about it, my son’s really talented. He’s creating his own path, and he has his own niche. I’m very proud of him kasi masipag na bata saka mabait.” Besides the father-and-son
theme, “Northern Lights,” whose tagline very appropriately is “A Journey to Love,” also delves into romance between Pascual and newcomer Yen santos, whose character is tasked to bring his son to him in Alaska. Asked how he found working with a first timer in the movies, Pascual replied, “It’s fun to work with people for the first time [with whom] you share the same passion. Si Direk, Raikko and Yen are also like that. I also believe she has very distinct appearance—very raw—ang ganda niya and mahal siya ng camera.” Meanwhile, the showbiz ALister also took the opportunity to announce at the “Northern Lights” news conference that he has been appointed as an ambassador of the Optical Media Board. The OMB is the government agency in charge of protecting the entertainment industry from piracy. “My role as an ambassador is to create awareness for the OMB’s battle cry which is antipiracy in TV, music and cinema,” he explained. “I find it a privilege to be given this position because it’s an opportunity to use your celebrity status for the right reason.”
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celebrityworld The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 10, 2017
celebrity world By Ferdie Villar
THE Queen of All Media Kris Aquino has confirmed her TV comeback but only with one special about cooking and traveling and not a regular show on the Kapuso channel, GMA 7. Back ‘where I belong’ as she puts it, Kris started her career in GMA 7 as co-host of the talk show “Startalk” with Lolit Solis and Boy Abunda (who is now her current manager with whom she later transferred to the Kapamilya Network). Since she not a contract star of the netwok, Kris is a blocktimer for a two-hour show that might be aired on GMA 7’s SNBO (Sunday Night Box Office) slot. She is now co-managed by Antonio P. Tuviera (Mr. T), head of APT Entertainment which is not officially connected to GMA and which handles Kris’ “digital content.” *** Popstar Princess Sarah Geronimo will return to “The Voice Teens” this year and she’s excited to be a mentor in the
popular singing competition. She shared she wants to help aspiring singers, but that at that start, there was an enormous pressure to prove herself. “Para sa lahat ng mga aspiring singers na katulad ko na pinagdaanan ko din yun, this is for them. Of course nung umpisa naging bahagi ako ng show dahil sa kanila pero may pressure to prove myself,” Sarah said in an interview with Push. com.ph. “Everybody sinu-scrutinize, ‘Si Sarah may [kakayahan] ba yan mag-coach?’ ganyan, ganyan. Na-pressure din ako pero this time ayoko masyado ma-pressure dun. Siyempre hindi mo matatanggal yun,” As for what she is looking for in a singer, Sarah said that she wants someone with originality, someone with a new sound. “Gusto ko talaga makahanap ng may originality, yung hindi takot maging iba. Sa klase kasi ng kupetisyon like ‘The Voice,’ it’s not about the song pero malak-
Tall, dark and handsome actor Mikael Daez is the lead star of the newest primetime teleserye on GMA 7 entitled, “Legally Blind” with actress
Kris Aquino confirms TV comeback with new show
Popstar Princess Sarah Geronimo is back to
ing factor din yung song choice,” mentoring as a coach on this season’s “The Voice she said and then added, “Lagi Teens.” ninyong naririnig [yan] pero totoo eh. Kailangan maganda yung kanta, may impact and at the same time, I’m sure mag-a-agree din yung mga fellow coaches natin na si coach Bamboo, coach Lea (Salonga) at coach Sharon (Cuneta) na i-explore naman natin yung musicality ng isang artist.”
Queen of All Media Kris Aquino goes back to ‘where she belongs’ via a two-hour special about cooking and traveling on the Kapuso channel, GMA 7.
Handsome actor Gerald Anderson will be celebrating his birthday on Thursday, March 16.
San Francisco Host Lions Club will sponsor a Guys and Gals dine and dance on Saturday, March 18 at Buri Buri Community Center at 33 Arroyo Drive in San Francisco at 7 p.m. Shown in photo are (L-R) former president Pat Ancheta, event coordinators Henry Lasat, Dr. Jun Valera and other organizers.
She admitted that though her parents were strict on her training, Sarah said it was all for her own good. “Medyo (strict sila). Pero gusto ko rin talaga. Nung maliit ako talagang ako yung babangon para mag-practice, manuod ng mga music videos, mga concerts sa videos,” she added. Sarah also shared that when the time comes when she has
Young actress Julia Montes will be celebrating her birthday on Sunday, March 19.
Former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz will celebrate her birthday on Friday, March 10.
her own kids, she would guide them but acknowledge what they really want. Adding that it is important to be aware that she is not dictating on her kid to be able to see his or her personality and passion. She also believes that there should always be a balance in
the relationship of a child going after his or her dreams and being a stage parent. “Kasi minsan bata pa lang alam na nila yung gusto nila. Para sa akin pag naging magulang ako, as early as possible, suportahan ko na siya kung ano yung gusto niya,” she said.
Dr. Amado Gabriel Esteban... From Page SF2 a lot of things in the midst of the recession,” Esteban said. Selected to lead The search to find the 12th president for DePaul was a fivemonth, international process, following the resignation of Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider last summer, who had been head of the university since 2004. In early February of this year, the university’s board of trustees voted unanimously in favor of the 55-year-old Filipino, regarding him as someone who aligns with the core principles of the Catholic institution. He was formally announced as the next president on February 16. “What appealed to me were Saint Vincent [DePaul], the saint of charity, and the university’s mission to help the poor, marginalized and immigrant populations, which are some things very near and dear to our hearts,” Esteban shared. Part of the motivation of moving to the Windy City is to be closer to his only child, Ysabella, an alumna of Seton Hall who is a medical resident at the University of Chicago. “It’s very a humbling experience that I’ve been selected. My wife and I were just overwhelmed by the reception we received at DePaul when we were introduced,” Esteban shared, referring to a special welcoming ceremony on the Chicago
someone has to make a decision. If that’s me who has to make a decision, then I’ll explain why. I campus he attended last week. also understand that as you move “But, there’s a tinge of sadness up the hierarchy, at some point, because Seton Hall has been it’s going to be me that has to home for 10 years.” make the final call and the willingHe said he hopes to be ness to do that is important.” remembered at Seton Hall as a As of this writing, Esteban’s “collaborative decision maker” replacement at Seton Hall has yet who listened and considered all to be named, but he notes that sides. the university has been on a roll “To me, what is fascinating in terms of achieving its some of is the number of individuals I’ve met, like alumni of Seton Hall for the goals he outlined early in the presidency. He intends to close example, who start off by saying out this current school year with ‘If not for Seton Hall, I wouldn’t have been able to go to college.’ helping the transition process and making sure the pendThat shows you the power of ing projects are on course for education — how higher ed can completion. transform the lives of individuDiversity in higher education als,” he said. Esteban is currently one As with starting any other job, of three Filipinos serving as a “it’s about setting priorities” and getting a feel of the culture of the president of an American higher education institution, alongside unfamiliar environment through Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw listening and talking to the different members of the university. of St. John’s University in New York and Lori Adrian of Coastline He intends to bring that type of Community College, which has leadership and way of handling campuses in Orange County, academic affairs to DePaul. “Every place I’ve been to, I’ve California. A 2013 study by the Ameritold people to learn to set their can Council on Education found priorities. I tell students to find that Asian Americans comprised out what theirs are — whether it’s family, friends, Church or your only 1.4 percent of presidents at four-year institutions and 2.2 faith, try to live by them. It also means finding your passion. That percent of other senior-level administrators. would make your life a whole He has been a champion for lot easier. As a leader, one thing Asian American Pacific Islander you’ll find about me is that I will (AAPI) representation in educalisten, I will ask questions and tion, through his work as foundencourage people to give me ing board member and vice feedback,” he said. “But at the end of the day, Continued on Page SF5
Meet the outstanding couple for The Beautiful Life... From Page SF3 and Nora’s friendship grew, the distance and “sama ng loob” between the brothers likewise grew. Rey and Nora soon realized that they were becoming serious with each other and started planning for marriage. Roger was totally against this, but fate would soon sadly intervene. Roger was a pilot in the Philippine Air Force. While on duty doing pilot exercises in Batangas, his plane tragically crashed. He’s currently buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. While his passing was a sad time for the family, it did finally open the way for the wedding to take place. Rey asked for Nora’s hand in marriage from her parents before he flew
back to the USA few months later, he returned to Manila for their wedding, and a few months after that, she joined him in the U.S. Fast forward to their 50th wedding anniversary, they had a humble celebration at Max’s Restaurant in Glendale, California. This was because they had their wedding reception at Max’s Restaurant in Quezon City 50 years prior. They then had two cruises gifted to them by their two children — their son and daughter-in-law brought them on a Mexican Riviera Cruise and their daughter brought them on a Mediterranean cruise. I asked Tita Nora what’s their secret, she replied: “Whenever there is any dis-
agreement, kailangan talaga isa sa inyo ang magbibigay. You take turns willing to make amends, to keep the peace. Huwag magsabay ng init ng ulo. Rey and I are very careful with our words when we are mad because we don’t want to regret that we did not mean, while we were angry. And the couple that laughs together, stays together.” *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or
entertainment
Robin Nievera: Tunesmith on a dare by Tinnie
esguerra Philstar.com
RaRe is the artist who dares. In this day and age, where success is gauged by the number of virtual likes and hits, it takes a great deal of courage and conviction to buck trends, shake up the status quo and take the road less traveled. Robin Nievera is one such artist. Rather than riding the coattails of his famous kin, he pitched his musical tent on totally unfamiliar and shaky terrain, driven by his deep-seated yearning to find his own sound and nurture his unique musical voice. It’s a move that has left many music fans scratching their heads in disbelief. Here is a guy who could’ve milked the same triedand-tested pop star formula dry, but chose instead to shed himself of all the trappings of stereotype and clichéd commercial success. Now older and wiser, Robin summons even more guts as he issues a challenge to fellow artists and musicians with his latest release aptly titled “Dare.” He explains, “My inspirations for ‘Dare’ are musicians and singers who write music but are never listened to or completely ignored. everyone wants to make it as a songwriter, but everyone says, ‘That won’t work, it’s not masa enough, or not mainstream enough.’ Or my favorite, ‘We don’t have a budget for that kind of recording.’ “The reason I produced all my songs in my bedroom is to show that you don’t need a fancy studio. You don’t need fancy chords or instruments. You just need to believe in what you write. Stop relying on what worked in other
Now older and wiser, Robin summons even more guts as he issues a challenge to fellow artists and musicians with his latest release aptly titled “Dare.”
countries. ‘Dare’ was meant for songwriters and producers who feel ignored and underappreciated.” True enough, “Dare’s “carrier singles, “No More Light” and “Love and War,” echo his artistic struggles for the past five years. He confesses, “It’s based on my feelings about my career as a musician/singer/producer for the past five years. I sing about how much I have struggled and if I should give up on this career. I saw it fitting to write these singles because of the irony, that I make a comeback singing songs about my frustrations.” While his previous works betray the strong influences of such artists as Dave Matthews, John Mayer and Jason Mraz with their eclectic fusion of blues, rock, folk and grassroots music, Robin’s lat-
Dr. Amado Gabriel Esteban... From Page SF4 chairman of the aaPI association of Colleges and Universities — which advocates on behalf of minority-serving institutions that have a significant population of aaPI students — and a board member of the aaPI Research in education Commission and the asian Pacific americans in Higher education. Though esteban said he would like to see more Filipinos and Filipino americans ascend the ranks of academia, he reminded that they must possess the passion to take on such
leadership roles. “as you move up in higher education,” he said, “one realizes that these are 24/7 jobs. You have to have a willingness to serve. You basically put everyone else ahead of yourself. But it can also be very rewarding to be able to have the impact on the lives of the people you serve.” even if esteban never saw himself in higher education before, he now says that this is the field he will continue to be in until he retires. “If at some point it’s time for me to move on, then I’ll just
est work finds him experimenting with a fresh musical palette. Robin elaborates, “I try to take a different approach with every album I make. “Dare” is the album that’s the easiest to listen to. I usually write my songs on a guitar, and they usually turn out to be very riff-heavy. For “Dare,” I wrote the songs on a keyboard first, to make my chords easier to listen and sing to. I also used a lot of Pad sounds to give some of the songs a drone-y sound.” He adds, “I think ‘Dare’ will be the ‘poppiest’ I will ever get with my music. I like music that makes me think. So, the next album I’ll do, I’m gonna go all-out with music I write my way. If I ever do a pop song/album, it will be for an artist that asks me for his/her help.” Thankfully, Robin has found his kindred spirit in R ’n B royalty Jay-R, himself a staunch OPM crusader and record producer whose label is fast becoming the haven of tenacious indie artists. Robin says, “I’ve been through a number of labels and teams that couldn’t live up to their promises. I totally understood why. I’m not a marketable artist. I like doing my own thing. With Jay, I like what he was doing. He gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and helped me in areas I wasn’t good with. Just like Jay-R, Robin finds himself aligned with their common vision to be more proactive in creating original music. “I think we have the same mission. everyone needs to be more proactive if you wanna be in the music scene. It’s going to take more of that original music to make an impact. and that’s what will happen next,” he says. go back and teach full-time, which would be a great way to complete by academic career,” he said. With debates surrounding the rising costs of higher education and billions of dollars in student debt here, he said that affordability must be a goal governments and academic institution must work toward. “There are individual benefits of a college education, but I think those are outweighed by the benefits to society as a whole,” he said. “I think governments — state and federal — have to step up to the plate. In higher ed, we have to do our fair share of making sure that the
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The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 10, 2017
Ivory Aquino stars in new US series about LGBT rights by ricky Lo Philstar.com
“I FINaLLY feel complete.” That’s how Ivory aquino is quoted in the title of a feature story in a recent issue of People magazine which notes that “former President Corazon aquino is her aunt.” The star “When We Rise,” the aBC new series about LGBT rights, reveals to People that she’s transgender, just like real-life transgender activist Cecilia Chung whom Ivory portrays in the TV series. The quotation that opens this story refers to how Ivory felt following a surgery that turned her into the woman that she had always felt she is. She was 26 at the time. according to the People story written by Patrick Gomez, “Ivory was ready to face death for the chance to become the woman she knew she was inside,” back in 2005 when Ivory went under the knife in Thailand. She recalled, “I walked out on the balcony, looked out at the ocean and was at peace that I might not wake up…If it was my time to go, at least I’d go as a woman,” only to wake up six hours later holding her mom’s hand, assuring herself that “I can
Philippine-born transgender Ivory Aquino, who stars in the When We Rise (about LGBT rights), featured twice in People magazine (left and below) which notes that ‘former President Corazon Aquino is her aunt.’
handle whatever life throws at me now because I’m a woman. I finally feel complete.” as a woman (and while keeping her transition private), costs incurred are consistent with Ivory auditioned for acting what we’re trying to achieve.” roles in the US, only to come However, even if pursuout after she bagged a role in ing higher education is not for “When We Rise.” everyone, esteban emphasized “I didn’t think there’d that the spark for learning must ever be roles for me because be kept burning. I was transgender,” Ivory told “For our entire lives, we should spend learning, whether People, admitting that she it’s formal or informal. We have began hormone therapy at to try continually to enrich our16 and started to dress as a selves through learning different woman when she was a college and new things,” he said. “The freshman at Berklee College of world is becoming more and Music in Boston. more competitive and I think it’s an earlier shorter feature, up to us to make sure that we People noted that as a child, continue to be competitive in our Ivory dreamed of being an work. I know it can be difficult actor but she never imagined at times, but it’s something we should do.” that there were roles for a
transgender girl like her, thus she decided to be a singer. She was quoted by People as saying, “With androgynous figures like David Bowie, I thought I could do music without thinking about gender.” Then, after the reconstructive surgery, Ivory said, “My first thought was ‘I can act.’” Born in the Philippines, Ivory didn’t mention anything about her family background in the People story. Before “When We Rise,” Ivory played Juliet, her dream role, in the stage play Romeo and Juliet in New York in 2005. “I want to show trans kids that it’s possible for them to have full, meaningful lives doing what they love,” Ivory told People. “I’m proof.”
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