NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
w w w. a s i a n
.com T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
Volume 15 - No. 45 • 3 Sections – 22 Pages
1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136, Burlingame, CA 94010 • Tel: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253 • www.asianjournal.com
N O V E MBE R 4 - 1 0 , 2 0 1 6
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
US stops sale of arms to PH over drug war DATELINE USA
Obamacare premiums to increase in 2017 FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
PREMIUMS for health care plans under President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will rise 22 percent for mid-level plans in 2017, according to a recent report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell defended the program and the premium hike on CNN, saying that controversial law — commonly known as Obamacare — has had a record of benefiting all Americans. “The Affordable Care Act was about three
u PAGE A3
by ERIC
ANTHONY LICAS AJPress
A SENIOR U.S. senator’s opposition to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody crackdown on crime has blocked the sale of 26,000 firearms to the Philippine National Police (PNP), according to a new report. Aides for Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland -- the most senior Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- told Reuters on Monday, October 31, that he would op-
u PAGE A3
“There is a right way to approach this issue … and a wrong way,” Cardin previously said on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, September 27. “President Duterte, in advocating and endorsing what amounts to mass murder, has chosen the wrong way.” He went on to say that the Duterte administration has refused to investigate alleged abuses and that if current trends continue, over 6,000 people could wind up as victims of extrajudicial killings by the end of the year. The senator has yet to issue a state-
ment regarding the terminated deal. In a statement released on Tuesday, November 1 Philippine Senator Panfilo Lascon called Cardin’s position “his opinion and nothing more,” according to ABS-CBN News. He said there were plenty of other countries that could probably offer the PNP a better deal. Duterte brushed off the impact of the deal’s cancellation even further on Tuesday evening. “Susmaryosep! … Is that all they
u PAGE A2
Palace confirms FVR resignation by CATHERINE
S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net
FBI may reopen Clinton email investigation as election tightens AFTER deciding not to press charges in September after its initial investigation on Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, the FBI announced that it is reviewing additional emails to see if it would reopen the case. On Friday, October 28, the FBI revealed that it found a number of Clinton’s email on the laptop of disgraced former New York congressman Anthony Weiner, husband of prominent Clinton aide Huma Abedin. They were uncovered during a separate FBI investigation on Weiner’s alleged illicit online interactions
pose the transaction. The announcement reportedly prompted the U.S. State Department to halt plans for the arms deal. In the past, Cardin had introduced legislation promoting cooperation between Philippine and American law enforcement agencies. However, reports of the growing death toll linked to the Duterte administration’s efforts to curb the Philippines’ illicit narcotics trade have driven Cardin to criticize what has been a violent war on drugs.
Former Pres. Fidel V. Ramos
MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, Nov. 1, confirmed that former President Fidel V. Ramos had resigned as the Philippines’ special envoy to China. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Ramos informed him that he has submitted his resignation letter but President Rodrigo Duterte is yet to accept or
reject it. “According to FVR, the letter has been submitted to the Office of the Executive Secretary, but it will be up to PRRD [Duterte] whether to accept it or not,” Abella told reporters in a text message. Ramos said he resigned because his job was over.
FINALLY HOME. Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay and other government officials welcomed five Filipino seafarers — Arnel Pregillana Balbero, Elmer Salvador Balbero, Ferdinand Jacinto Dalit, Akes Tiningal Edwas Jr. and Antonio Auxetero Libres Jr. — last Oct. 28 when arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after four years of being held hostage by Somali pirates. Photo by Rudy Santos/Philstar.com
u PAGE A3
Duterte breaks his Pacquiao arrives in vow to not curse again Las Vegas: ‘This is going to be a historic fight’ by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
EIGHT-division world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao received a warm welcome from fans upon his arrival in Las Vegas, a few days before his upcoming match with World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Jessie Vargas. “I’m very thankful for all my fans for all the support they’ve been giving me. And on November 5, I wanna be successful with a great win,” the Filipino champ said.
Pacquiao, who was also elected senator in May 2016, expressed his determination to make another record in boxing history as the first senator to win a world championship. “I’m so interested to win convincingly and get the belt because this is my first fight since being elected as senator,” he said. Pacquiao, 37, has a record of 58 wins in 66 fights. Meanwhile, Vargas, 27, has fought 28 times and only lost once in 2015. While the odds of the match
u PAGE A3
PACQUIAO VS. VARGAS. Eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao and World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas both arrive at the Wynn Las Vegas on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The two boxers will face off on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center. AJ Press photos by Robert Macabagdal
A FEW days after promising that he would stop cursing, President Rodrigo Duterte broke his vow. Duterte, known to usually use profane words in his speeches, earlier shared that he promised to God and to the Filipino people that he would avert himself from cursing. But the president returned to his old habit when he warned police officers to not engage themselves in illegal drugs. “Huwag kayong magkamali pumasok diyan. T*** i** tatapusin ko talaga kayo. Sinabi ko na sa inyo (Don’t make a mistake by entering into illegal drugs. S** of a b****, I will kill you. I’m telling you),” he expressed on Monday, October 31, in Davao City. Last week, Duterte said he vowed not to swear again after his encounter with God on his way back to the Philippines from his state visit in Japan.
President Rodrigo Duterte
“I was looking at the skies as I was coming over here. And... everybody was asleep snoring. A voice said that you know, ‘If you don’t stop, I will bring this
u PAGE A3
A
NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
From the Front Page
US stops sale of arms to PH over drug… PAGE A1 t
CEMETERY VIGIL. Illuminated only by candles, families start an overnight vigil near the place where their departed loved ones are buried on the eve of All Saints’ Day at Navotas City Public Cemetery. Photo by Raffy Lerma/Inquirer.net
can do to threaten me?” the President told reporters after visiting the tombs ahead of all souls day. “We have many air rifles here,” he said jokingly. In his statement, Lascon went on to say that “there is now more reason for our Department of National Defense to revive our self-reliance program so we can produce our own weapons and ammunition and other military hardware.” The cancelled deal and Senator Lascon’s comments come during a complicated moment in Philippine-U.S. relations. In recent weeks, President Rodrigo Duterte has made comments suggesting that the Philippines ought to cut, or at least scale back its longstanding ties with the United States. Despite unresolved territorial disputes with China, his administration has sought to build economic, diplomatic and security ties with the regional powerhouse and other countries
geographically closer to the Philippines. On Tuesday evening, Duterte told reporters that a Russian diplomat had previously told him to “come to Russia; we all have here anything you need,” according to the Inquirer. The shift in foreign policy follows the development of a tense atmosphere between the Duterte administration and Washington fuelled by U.S. condemnation of suspected human rights violations and the Philippine president’s provocative, expletive laden defense of his war on drugs. Figures released by the PNP place the death toll of the president’s initiative to exterminate the Philippines’ illegal drug trade at over 3,400 people as of the first week of October. About 1,400 were deemed the result of legitimate police operations while the remaining 2,000 cases were still unresolved. On Tuesday, Lascon said he has “yet to see an investigation
with the conclusion that massive and state-sanctioned human rights violations were committed under the present regime’s drive against illegal drugs.” However, one of the most vocal opponents of the Duterte administration, Senator Leila De Lima, said, in a statement released on Tuesday, that the State Department’s decision not to go through with the arms deal was a predictable reaction to significant concerns. She went on to call the administration’s pivot towards greater independence from America “hallow and bluster” that would alienate the Western power’s allies and cause friction throughout Southeast Asia. “This is just the start of what we will be reaping from the U.S. as result of the isolationist whirlwind this Administration has sown and continue to sow.” PNP officials said that, as of Tuesday, November 1, they had not yet received an official notice of the sale’s cancellation. n
Dateline USa
(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016
Obamacare premiums …
PAGE A1 t
REMEMBERING THE DEAD. President Rodrigo Duterte visits his parents’ resting place at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Davao City on November 1. He is accompanied by his youngest son Sebastian Duterte. Simeon Celi/ Presidential Photo
FBI may reopen Clinton email investigation as… with an underage girl. The bureau hasn’t officially announced a reinvestigation but is seeing if the emails are related to the bureau’s investigation into Clinton’s emails. The move shifts the election race, which had been leaning in Clinton’s favor amid favorable debate performances. Moreover, the infamous leaked audio of Trump in 2005, which pundits have said irreparably damaged his chances and ensured a Clinton win. Since news broke out in March 2015, the email scandal has been a roadblock for Clinton, and her opposers use it as a way to declare the broader message: she is not trustworthy. The email scandal has acted as a key influencer in how polls shift as Election Day nears, and different parties are accused of using the emails as leverage to shift the favor away from Clinton in the horserace. The controversial international whistleblowing organization WikiLeaks began publishing Clinton campaign manager John
Podesta’s emails on October 7 when Clinton’s lead increased by 2.7 to 4.7, according to the Washington Post. On Tuesday, November 1 an exchange between Podesta and Cheryl Mills, former counselor to the state department (under Clinton), showed that Podesta urged Clinton’s team to delete all the emails. Comey criticized Clinton called the move to reignite the case “unprecedented” since, historically, the FBI has avoided making moves that could potentially shift the election. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) criticized Comey, saying the announcement violates a law, known as the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits government officials from the executive government from engaging in political activity. “Your actions in recent months have demonstrated a disturbing double standard for the treatment of sensitive information, with what appears to be clear intent to aid one political party over another,” Reid said in a letter.
Manny Pacquiao trains ahead of Nov. 5 bout.
AJPress photo by Noel Ty
PAGE A1 t
Pacquiao arrives in Las Vegas…
PAGE A1 t
were 5-1 in favor of Pacquiao, some noted that the age difference between the two fighters could be a disadvantage for the Filipino champ. “Never underestimate the heart of a young, lion champion,” warned Dewey Cooper, Vargas’ trainer. However, Pacquiao’s coach, Freddie Roach, does not believe so. “I think it’s a disadvantage (for Vargas). He’s younger and he’s not experienced, and Manny... his level’s much higher than him. He’s never fought someone like him,” Roach pointed out. The Pacquiao-Vargas bout will
be held on Saturday, November 5, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. At the co-main event of Pacman’s comeback fight, Filipino boxer Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. will defend his WBO junior featherweight title against Jessie Magdaleno. “Happy ako na kasama ko siya, na kasabay ko siya sa fight. Gusto ko may mga Filipino na may kasama akong lalaban, hindi lang ako, para makapagdala ng karangalan sa bansa (I’m happy to fight alongside with him. I want to have fellow Filipinos fight with me, not just me alone, to bring honor to our country),” Pacquiao said. n
Palace confirms FVR…
PAGE A1 t
His resignation came a few days after the President’s visit to China. In a separate statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the government will still need Ramos’ “expertise and stature.” “It is not true that the former president can no longer have any role in our engagement with China. His stature and expertise are needed now, more than ever, to follow up what President Duterte accomplished during his recent visit to China,” Andanar said in a text message. Ramos recently criticized some of Duterte’s policy pronouncements. In his column published on Saturday, Oct. 29, Ramos cited Duterte’s stand not to honor the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which seeks to lower climate-warming emissions. The former president, who
convinced Duterte to run for president, earlier said the Philippines lost badly during the first 100 days of the administration. Ramos criticized Duterte for being too focused on his war on drugs, neglecting other social ills such as poverty. He also observed that policemen were not following the basic rule of shooting to disable crime suspects, but were instead shooting to kill even if their lives were not in danger. The former military and defense chief also called out Duterte on his anti-US foreign policy, including the President’s stand to end joint military exercises with its treaty ally. He also decried Duterte’s insults against UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, a former foreign minister of South Korea who helped Filipino veterans of the Korean war. Ramos was named special envoy to China in July. n
Duterte breaks his vow…
PAGE A1 t
plane down now.’ And I said, who is this?’ Of course, it’s God. Oh, OK. So, I promised God not to express slang, cuss words,” he related. But the president added in the same statement that there would still be a time when a vulgar language had to be used. “There is always a time, a time to be foul-mouthed. I don’t like
anybody reading my mind. It’s all calibrated, it’s always timing,” he said. During the past few months, President Duterte had directed foul words toward international leaders who criticized him, including United States President Barack Obama, the European Union, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. n
Recently, Comey was under fire when he said that the United States shouldn’t declare that Russia is “meddling” in the U.S. election, saying that it’s too close to Election Day, according to a former FBI official. The anonymous official told CNBC that many other government officials find it confusing that Comey is concerned with the timing of the election in the Russia case, but not in the Clinton/ Weiner/Abedin email probe. This instance catalyzed conspiracies that Comey is trying to
u PAGE A4
fundamental things — access, affordability and quality. It was about everybody, not just the uninsured,” she said on Wednesday, October 26. According to the report, the premium hike won’t affect 84 percent of Americans who receive help from government subsidies, which will also increase. Moreover, many Americans enrolled with Obamacare receive tax credits which can also help with premium costs. When Obamacare was first introduced, insurance companies were under-pricing premiums. Burwell said that the premium hikes reflect the need for insurers to adjust pricing based on data that is now available. However, critics say that the rising premiums harm those who pay the full cost of their health insurance with no help from the government. Larry Levitt, senior vice president for special initiatives at the Kaiser Family Foundation, said that Americans can expect a difficult enrollment period, which begins on November 1. “Consumers will be faced this year with not only big premium increases but also with a declining number of insurers participating, and that will lead to a tumultuous open enrollment period,” Levitt told Fox News. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) promised that Republican lawmakers are working to “replace it with realpatient-centered solutions that fit your needs and your budget,” he
said in a video on his website. A fervent opposer of Obamacare, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump went on Fox News on Tuesday, October 25 to respond to the premium hikes, saying the “disastrous” law needs “to be repealed and replaced.” “I can say that all of my employees are having a tremendous problem with Obamacare,” Trump said at a rally in Florida following the announcement of the premium increase. “What they’re going through with their healthcare is horrible because of Obamacare, so we’ll repeal it and replace it. However, Burwell reiterated that Obamacare has kept premiums in check for Americans who are covered through employers. “For the 150 million people who that have employer-based care,” she said, “what we know is that in the last six years they’ve seen five of the slowest years of growth in their premiums in history.” ACA and the Fil-Am community Approximately, 55 percent of Filipinos support Obamacare according to the Fall 2016 National Asian American Survey. Although Filipino approval ranks lower than Asian Americans as a whole — 60 percent of Asian Americans support the law — many see Obamacare as a benefit to the community. When the United States Supreme Court voted to uphold Obamacare, Filipino healthcare professionals saw it as a win for
A
their industry. “We expect the ACA, or Obamacare, to stimulate America’s demand for Filipino nurses, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists, speech pathologists and other healthcare workers,” Liberal Party Rep. Roman T. Romulo of Pasig City told the Business Mirror in June 2015. “A greater number of Americans will now have access to health care, especially hospitalization — thus creating new demand for such services,” Romulo added. “Simply put, the US hospital industry is bound to boom, and so will their demand for foreign staff.” The future of Obamacare Since it was put into effect in 2010, the law has provided income-based subsidies for Americans who select individual policies on healthcare.gov and state insurance markets. Since then, the law has helped reduce the uninsured rate to 9 percent, a historical low. Under the law, insurance companies are cannot deny insurance or charge more for individuals with pre-existing health concerns. In a speech delivered in Miami on Thursday, October 20, Obama addressed the benefits of the law. He referenced Americans by name who have been previously denied insurance and now have access to coverage through the law. He, however, acknowledged that the law will need improvements to better serve generations to come. “We have always known — and I have always said — for all
u PAGE A4
A
NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
Dateline USa
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
Ex-LA cop backs antidrug drive
by KriStine
FeliSSe Mangunay Inquirer.net
A RETIRED officer of the Los Angeles Police Department on Friday, Oct. 28, expressed support for the government’s antidrug campaign even as President Duterte launched his strongest tirade yet against the United States, calling Americans “bullies.” Scott Gilliam, who is in Manila to train members of the Manila Police District to become instructors in the local Drug Abuse Resistance Education (Dare) program, said Mr. Duterte’s efforts to rid the country of drugs was commendable. Gilliam, director for training of Dare America, fellow men-
KEEPING WITH TRADITION. A man climbs on tombs to light a candle on the tomb of a departed relative at the Karuhatan cemetery in Valenzuela City in Metro Manila. Photo by Rene H. Dilan/Manilatimes.net
White House: Duterte, Obama meeting at APEC possible by Dana
SioSon AJPress
THERE’S still a chance for a bilateral meeting between the presidents of the Philippines and the United States at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest suggested on Wednesday, October 26. Both the Philippines and the United States are members of APEC, which will have its economic leaders’ meeting on November 19-20 in Lima, Peru. According to Earnest, U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to attend the summit. “At this point, I don’t have details about the [U.S.] President’s schedule when he’s attending the APEC Summit. I don’t know how much time his schedule will allow for bilateral meetings on the sidelines -- presumably at least one or two,” Earnest said. However, Malacañang has yet to release an official statement regarding Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s attendance.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Barack Obama, right, during the gala dinner of ASEAN leaders and its Dialogue Partners at the ASEAN Summits in Vientiane, Laos.
Asked if the White House would be open to scheduling a meeting with the Philippines, Earnest answered: “It’s not one I’m prepared to rule out at this point. But we’ve ruled out previous meetings with President Duterte on short notice.” Last month, Obama called off his first scheduled meeting with Duterte during the Association of
Inquirer.net photo
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Vientiane, Laos. Describing the Philippine president as a ‘colorful guy,’ Obama scrapped the meeting after reports indicated that Duterte called him a “son of a b*tch.” “I always want to make sure that if I’m having a meeting, that it’s actually productive and we’re getting something done,” Obama said after the meeting was canceled. APEC, which has 21 member steps to improve it, and we can do countries around the world, aims PAGE A3 t the good that the Affordable Care even more, but only if we put aside “to create greater prosperity for Act is doing right now, for as big all the political rhetoric, all the the people of the region by proa step forward as it was, it’s still partisanship and be honest about moting balanced, inclusive, susjust a first step,” he said. what’s working, what needs fix- tainable, innovative and secure “Since we first signed the law, ing, and how we fix it,” he added. growth and by accelerating rewe’ve already taken a number of (Klarize Medenilla/AJ Press) gional economic integration.” n
Obamacare premiums to increase…
tor Jeffrey Smith and 10 other Dare instructors were invited to the country by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, chair of Dare Philippines. Dare is a comprehensive education program taught in thousands of schools in the United States and other countries “to address drugs, violence, bullying, Internet safety and other high-risk circumstances that today… are often a part of students’ lives.” In the Philippines, it is being implemented in Manila, where the focus is on drug issues. Drastic measures “Having the same mission, you have to look at that point when things are terrible in the
country. And sometimes drastic measures have to be taken to address drastic situations, or when things get beyond the point,” Gilliam said when sought for comment on the government’s antidrug drive. Smith said the fact that the President had made an attempt to stop drugs was a “tremendous effort.” “I know the President wants to cut down drugs in the Philippines. And I think that is very important,” Smith said. Gilliam said it was imperative for “something different” to be done. In a statement, Estrada said fighting the drug menace “is a fight for survival.” n
San Francisco cops to do community work in PH instead by Jun
nucuM Inquirer.net
SAN FRANCISCO — A Filipino American police group that started the now ended training exchange program between the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and the Philippine National police (PNP) will continue their service to civilian communities in the Philippines although they can no longer represent SFPD. In a phone interview with Inquirer.net, Lt. Eric Quema (ret.), second vice president of the Filipino American Law Enforcement Officers (FALEO) association, said the group intends to keep going to the Philippines to help out communities as it has done usually at the start of each year, while hoping “everything gets settled, as everything gets affect-
PNP officers and FALEO members mainly from the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) training in PNP camps in Manila. Photo by Eric Quema
ed by the controversy.” SFPD recently ended its longrunning exchange program with PNP over the Duterte administration’s controversial war on
drugs, which has featured extrajudicial killings of suspected drug addicts and pushers, which has reportedly killed more than 4,000 people. n
FBI may reopen Clinton email investigation as…
PAGE A3 t
protect Trump from the backlash he’s received for his ties with Russia, as Reid said in the same letter to Comey. “The double standard established by your actions is clear,” Reid said. “It has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government – a foreign interest openly hostile to the United States, which Trump praises at every opportunity. ‘
He added: “By contrast, as soon as you came into possession of the slightest innuendo related to Secretary Clinton, you rushed to publicize it in the most negative light possible.” A narrow race in the polls Consequently, several national polls indicate that Clinton’s oncecomfortable lead over Trump is dwindling just under a week before Election Day. RealClearPolitics averaged out six national polls — all of which were conducted between October 22-31 — and found that Clin-
ton leads by 2.2 points. A new poll from CNN reports that Clinton with a 5-point lead over her adversary, with the former secretary of state at 49 percent and Trump at 44 percent. However, an ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll illustrates a different story in which Trump has taken over the lead by one point, 46 to 45 percent, as of Tuesday morning. Just a week ago, Clinton boasted a 12-point lead in a previous ABC News/ Washington Post poll. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT TO PROTECT OUR KIDS
VOTE YES ON PROP 55!
Californians like you are taking the extra moment to vote YES on Prop 55. Here’s how:
1
FIND PROP 55 ON YOUR BALLOT
2
VOTE YES ON PROP 55!
Find Prop 55 in the “State Measures” section, after the candidate races.
Help Our Kids Thrive! Help stop $4 Billion in education cuts – with NO new taxes!
www.YesOn55.com Phone: 916-900-2855
Paid for by Yes on 55 - Californians for Budget Stability, Sponsored by Teachers, Health Care Providers, Doctors and Labor Organizations. Major funding by California Hospitals Committee on Issues, (CHCI) Sponsored by California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (CAHHS) and California Teachers Association/Issues PAC (committee).
(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016
Dateline PhiliPPines
A
Duterte calls on Filipino people to ‘heed not the temptations of temporal world’ by Dana
M. SioSon
AJPress
In his message for the Philippines’ observance of ‘Undas,’ President Rodrigo Duterte urged the Filipino people and his fellow government officials to “heed not the temptations of the temporal world.” Locally called ‘Undas,’ Filipinos commemorate the departed by visiting the tombs of their loved ones during All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, respectively every november 1 and 2. “Let us, rather, answer the call to be true servant-leaders; let us accumulate riches, not for ourselves, but for future generations and for the life that comes after,” Duterte said on Monday, October 31. The president remarked that these two events remind people that deeds are more important than material gains. “Truly, Christ was right in asking the question: ‘For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his own soul?’” the president said. Duterte also pointed out that “no amount of success, power, or
position can ever compensate for the greed and corruption of human character.” “With a keen appreciation for the immaterial treasures that bring us closer to God, let us continue to pursue an agenda for genuine change that will be for the best interest of our people,” he added. Like most Filipinos, the president visited the grave of his parents, Vicente and Soledad Duterte, on november 1 at the Davao Public and Roman Catholic Cemetery. “I hope that we cherish with fondness, love and gratitude the spiritual inheritance left by our ancestors and loved ones on their special day,” the president expressed. Last week, Duterte shared his encounter with God on his way back to the Philippines from his state visit in Japan. “I was looking at the skies as I was coming over here. And... everybody was asleep snoring. A voice said that you know, ‘If you don’t stop, I will bring this plane down now.’ And I said, who is this?’ Of course, it’s God. Oh, OK.
So, I promised God not to express slang, cuss words,” he related. Also observing ‘Undas’ in naga City, Vice President Leni Robredo said that she hoped the president will keep his promise of not cursing anymore. “Before, in Davao, no matter what President Duterte says the people of Davao will understand him. That is also my situation – before, even if I become careless with my words, my constituents here will understand me. But now that our audience is bigger, there are many people who might not be familiar with our character,” she said in an interview. She visited the grave of her late husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, at the Eternal Gardens in naga City on October SWAMPED. A local casts his fishing rod while stationed atop a tomb at the flooded public cemetery in Macabebe, Pampanga. Flooding 31. brought by heavy rains from typhoons Karen and Lawin could pose a problem for cemetery visitors ahead of the commemoration of All The vice president also said Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike De Juan that she and Duterte have maintained a respectable working relationship. “He treats me well. In fact, he swiftly granted some of my reby Paolo RoMeRo quests…Every time I report in against drugs are too loud to ig- Lima said. “This fight will not be Philstar.com the Cabinet meeting, he always nore,” De Lima said in a statement easy because we are up against MAnILA – Sen. Leila de Lima in observance of All Saints’ Day. agrees and he is very supportive,” the idea that it is fine to kill in the urged Filipinos to stand up Robredo said. She said together with her name of war against drugs.” against extrajudicial killings, say- mother and siblings, she visited She said the visit of the Un ing the “cries and pleas of the the grave of their father – former Special Rapporteur Agnes Callafamilies” of those who were killed elections commissioner Vicente mard to look into the extrajudicial in the government’s war against de Lima – to pray for his guid- killings is the people’s chance to itself, is the best deterrent to oth- drugs could not be ignored. ance in ending extrajudicial kill- proclaim: “We are standing our er would-be offenders,” Atienza She said the deaths of the ings in the country. ground for justice and truth until said. victims and the agonies of the The senator asked Filipinos to extrajudicial killings are finally He also denounced the death families they left behind should pray for “deliverance from fear put to rest.” penalty as “infected with econom- remind the people of the funda- and intimidation – and from the Earlier, the Philippine national ic prejudice and human error.” mental belief that “like you, I, sins that plague (the) country.” Police said of the casualty figure, In accordance with President too, am my brother’s keeper; I, “So, on this day, and all the over 1,700 were the result of poRodrigo Duterte’s wish to revive too, am my sister’s keeper.” days henceforth, let us do our lice operations, where suspected executions, Alvarez’s bill seeks to “The cries and pleas of the part to end these killings and drug personalities fought back, mete out death sentences to of- families of the 4,737 people who allow the mighty stream of the while the rest were “deaths unfenders convicted of drug felonies, perished in the government’s war rule of law and justice flow,” De der investigation.” murder, rape, robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, bribery, plunder, parricide, infanticide, destructive arson, piracy and treason. all Filipinos in Italy are safe after a magnitude-6.6 quake hit the Atienza prefers that the same by RoSette aDel the tremor, reported to be the mountainous area in central Italy Philstar.com offenses be punished with immost powerful in 16 years. that straddles Marche and Umprisonment for 40 years, or until MAnILA – The Department of According to DFA statistics, bria. Another earthquake was the convict reaches 70 years old, without the benefit of possible Foreign Affairs on Monday, Oct. Italy has the largest population of recorded in the same area on 31 reported that there were no overseas Filipinos in Western Eu- August 24 and left nearly 300 early release. Congress abolished the death Filipino casualties in the powerful rope. There are around 155,945 people dead. Almost 8,000 people have penalty in 2006 as a result of 6.6-intensity earthquake that jolted registered or documented Filipinos with valid permits to stay asked for assistance from Italy’s mounting flaws, including the norcia, Italy on Sunday, Oct. 30. In a statement, the DFA also and work in Italy based on Italian Civil Protection agency and are belated discovery of the wrongful being housed in hotels and shelexecution of Leo Echegaray. (Ma- assured the public that the Phil- Ministry of Interior records. ippine Embassy is making sure On Sunday, Philippine time, ters after the two quakes. nilaTimes.net)
De Lima urges Pinoys to oppose extrajudicial killings
Opposition to challenge death bill PRO-LIFE and human rights campaigners in the House of Representatives are determined to challenge Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s plan to have his bill bringing back the death penalty passed before the Christmas recess. “The Speaker has thrown down the gauntlet on the death penalty. We will put up a fight,” House senior deputy minority leader and Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza said on Tuesday, nov.1. “The death penalty is the absolute and irreparable deprivation of human rights. It flouts the natural and unassailable right to life,” Atienza added. “Congress cannot repeal the right to life of every human being, of every Filipino,” Atienza, former three-term mayor of Manila, said. He was responding to Alvarez’s plan for the House to approve on third and final reading the return of death sentences for heinous crimes before Congress adjourns
for the holidays. “As far as the House is concerned, we will approve it [the reinstatement of the death penalty]before the Christmas break,” Alvarez told reporters. The Speaker said the House would leave it up to the Department of Justice to specify the mode of putting convicts to death. The death penalty did not work before simply because only a handful of executions were actually carried out, Alvarez said. In reply, Atienza said, “There’s no point in performing another experiment on the death penalty that is bound to fail at the horrible sacrifice of more human lives.” He added that the country already experimented on the death penalty in the past, and it failed to deter crime. “The certainty of capture and punishment of criminals, regardless of the severity of the penalty
DFA: No Filipino casualties in powerful Italy quake
A
NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
Features
OpiniOn
Epiphany
NO more cussing. This was promised by President Rodrigo Duterte as he narrated how God has put a stop to his verbal rants upon his arrival from a state visit to Japan. “I was looking at the skies as I was coming over here. Everybody was asleep snoring. A voice said that you know ‘If you don’t stop, I will bring this plane down now,’” explained the president on Thursday, Oct. 27. The president -- who notorious for throwing expletives during his speeches and interviews -- described the experience as a moment of epiphany, saying that his promise to God is also a promise to the Filipino people. “And I said, who is this? Of course, it’s God. Oh, OK. So, I promised God not to express slang, cuss words,” he said. However, on Monday, Oct. 31, Duterte broke his no-curse promise. He warned policemen not to be involved into illegal drugs. “Huwag kayong magkamali pumasok diyan. T*** i** tatapusin ko talaga kayo. Sinabi ko na sa inyo (Never enter into illegal drugs. S** of a b****, I will kill you. I’m telling you),” he said. Despite his relapse, Duterte reminded his colleagues in the government and kababayans on Tuesday, Nov. 1, to shun greed and corruption, telling them that all things come to pass and that “deeds will outlast our mortal lives.”
“I, therefore, ask my fellow workers in government and the entire Filipino people to heed not the temptations of the temporal world,” he said. “Let us, rather, answer the call to be true servant leaders.” For Catholics and most Filipinos, November 1 and November 2, (All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day respectively) are two of the days where some of the oldest Christian traditions are displayed. All Saints’ Day, commonly known as “Undas or “todos los Santos” in the Philippines is the day the life and times of all the saints are remembered and celebrated. Observed as a holy day of obligation, faithful believers are led in prayers in honor of the holy men and women, including those not listed in the Church calendar. According to Church officials, this holiday “enriches the faith of all who observe it. When we honor the saints, we actually give glory to God.” All Souls’ Day is a time for solemn reunions and trips to visit and honor the resting sites of deceased loved ones, relatives and friends. Traditionally, this day is marked by offering of prayers, tance of spirituality over material possessions. “I hope that we cherish with fondness, love flowers, and lighting of candles. In his All Saints’ Day reflection, Duterte empha- and gratitude the spiritual inheritance left by our sized the teaching of Jesus Christ on the impor- ancestors and loved ones on their special day,”
Editorial
ManilaTImes.net photo
Duterte said. “May the nation receive the blessings of God as we exalt and emulate the holy men and women whose lives have inspired generations.” (AJPress)
Clinton or Trump: Who will you vote as the next US president? THERE is less than a week to go before America decides who will become the 45th president of the United States. Poll after poll has shown how much people want to have this civic exercise over and done with, given the toxicity this election cycle has been characterized with, not only by the campaigns of each major political party, but by their ardent supporters as well. As fear, hate and disgust of the nominee of the opposing party continue to motivate voters to head to the polls and exercise their right of suffrage, it is important for us to look at the big picture. This election is beyond policy and platform or the here and now. Whatever the outcome of the election is will become our legacy to the next generation; that is why we have to vote conscientiously, consistently with and following our very own moral compass in choosing the candidate whose message, vision, and example resonate with us. Surely we have two flawed candidates, but this should not stop us from discerning as to whom among them will lead our nation toward the direction we
- Democrat, Republiwant to take our kids to. can, independent - no Among the many The Fil-Am woman deserves to campaign speeches, be treated this way. First Lady Michelle Perspective None of us deserves Obama’s speech is a sothis kind of abuse. bering reminder about And I know it’s a this — that voting for campaign, but this the right candidate is isn’t about politics. our gift to our children. Gel sanTos-relos It’s about basic huLet me share with you excerpts from the First Lady’s speech man decency. It’s about right and that has moved me so much as she spoke wrong. And we simply cannot endure about allegations of Trump’s sense of this, or expose our children to this any entitlement in disrespecting, abusing longer - not for another minute, and let alone for four years. Now is the time for and sexually assaulting women. You may disagree with what Mrs. all of us to stand up and say enough is Obama said about the allegations enough. This has got to stop right now. Because consider this. If all of this is against Trump, finding flaws and critipainful to us as grown women, what do cisms against Clinton. That is a valid point, especially in you think this is doing to our children? light of the email controversies that What message are our little girls hearcontinue to hound the Clinton cam- ing about who they should look like, paign. But I am sharing this with you to how they should act? What lessons make a point about how consequential are they learning about their value as this election is, especially for our chil- professionals, as human beings, about their dreams and aspirations? dren and grandchildren: And how is this affecting men and “This is not politics as usual. This is disgraceful. It is intolerable. And it boys in this country? Because I can tell doesn’t matter what party you belong to you that the men in my life do not talk
THE sight of Filipino fishermen fishing again in Scarborough Shoal while the Chinese Coast Guard stays out of their hair is a welcome sign that PhilippineChinese relations are on the way back to normalcy following President Duterte’s four-day state visit to Beijing. The maritime dispute over the area remains, but the disputants are now able to reach out to each other without any unnecessary philippics or incident. This is a genuine first step to build upon. It is hoped that the two parties could now begin to work earnestly together toward a just and lasting settlement of their maritime territorial dispute according to international law. As important as looking after its newly recharged relations with China, the DU30 government must now try to improve its ties with the United States, which have taken a severe beating these last four months. DU30 has to scale down his anti-American rhetoric after President Barack Obama leaves the White House and a new president takes over on January 20, 2017. It would be most desirable if DU30 and Obama could patch up their disagreement when they meet at the APEC summit in Peru this month. This would be one way of ushering in a “new beginning”
how adults behave. This is not how decent human beings behave. And this is certainly not how someone who wants to be president of the United States behaves. Because let’s be very clear. Strong men - men who are truly role models don’t need to put down women to make themselves feel powerful. People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together. And that is what we need in our next president. We need someone who is a uniting force in this country. We need someone who will heal the wounds that divide us, someone who truly cares about us and our children, someone with strength and compassion to lead this country forward.” Whom ever you will be voting for, make sure you listen to that voice in your heart. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos
Human rights and human wrongs
Commentary
Francisco s. TaTad
about women like this. And I know that my family is not unusual. And to dismiss this as everyday locker-room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere. The men that you and I know don’t treat women this way. They are loving fathers who are sickened by the thought of their daughters being exposed to this kind of vicious language about women. They are husbands and brothers and sons who don’t tolerate women being treated and demeaned and disrespected. And like us, these men are worried about the impact this election is having on our boys who are looking for role models of what it means to be a man. In fact, someone recently told me a story about their six-year-old son who one day was watching the news- they were watching the news together. And the little boy, out of the blue, said: “I think Hillary Clinton will be president.” And his mom said: “Well, why do you say that?” And this little six-year-old said: “Because the other guy called someone a piggy, and you cannot be president if you call someone a piggy.” So even a six-year-old knows better. A six-year-old knows that this is not
for Philippine-US relations. The new US President would most certainly benefit from such a gesture, even though he or she may not take a drastically different view of the extrajudicial killings in DU30’s counter-narcotics war. Beyond Scarborough Whatever his or her position on the killings, the next US President may want to engage DU30 in a sober and elevated conversation that would allow them to see human rights and the rule of law as a global political ethos that allows no government to kill any individual without due process and claim that it is its own internal affair, which does not concern the rest of humanity. DU30 will have to admit that his use of foul language to respond to veiled criticisms from President Obama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the European Union has not absolved him or his government of the charge of violating the human rights of drug suspects, now numbering 4,000 plus. DU30’s accusation that US renegade policemen commit similar, if not worse crimes—by shooting to death black men who are already lying flat on the ground—-even if true, does not justify the killing of mere drug suspects by a government determined to eliminate drugs. Indeed, these crimes also happen in the US, but as soon as they happen, the assailant is hunted, arrested, prosecuted and punished, instead of being praised
and honored by higher authorities. So the crime situation there is not a copy of what it is here. But the root of DU30’s problem goes beyond what is visible to the police reporter or mortician——it goes deep into the recesses of the human mind and the human heart, and reveals our wretched understanding of what human rights are. What are human rights Human rights refer to the rights of man qua man, whether he is the citizen of a constitutional democracy or the subject of an absolute dictatorship. They are rights conferred upon him by his nature, as man, rather than by his political status as a citizen, or his social or economic status as a farmer, landlord, journalist or politician. But they do not exist in a cultural or institutional void, as Martin Rhonheimer, the professor of ethics and political philosophy at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, tells us. Rhonheimmer is a (for me, the) leading Christian philosopher of our day. So I will draw (plagiarize) heavily from his book, The Common Good of Constitutional Democracy, in this piece. Human rights, Rhonheimer writes, are the expression of a political culture that exists in a constitutional democracy—limited government based on democratic institutions of representations or ‘tamed democracy’. It is characterized by the following: “he ‘rule of law,’ that is, the
submission of governing power to the law; the guarantee of fundamental freedoms, along with security, autonomy, and individual responsibility, to all citizens; the impartiality of judges and justice, such that the rules established by law are respected (which are, above all, rules of procedure, such as the Latin adage nulla poena sine lege, or ‘no penalty without a law); parliamentary representation decided through elections, accompanied by universal suffrage and secret balloting; majority rule, along with protection of minorities; freedom of religion and a corresponding freedom from prejudice; the right to solidarity with others, exercised through a public authority according to the principle of subsidiarity, so that the support necessary to enjoy one’s rights, freedoms, and responsibility is available.” Christian origin Christian anthropology, the philosopher continues, has delivered to Western tradition the notion of man’s creation in the image of God. This tradition has fused with the legal tradition of Roman law, which in turn formed canon law, one of the sources of the modern notion of the sovereign state. But neither Christianity alone nor the Christian civilization of the Middle Ages has created what we might call a political culture of human rights. This we owe more to the sover-
eign modern state, whose essential function was to ensure peace and to make a shared life possible for individuals who were profoundly divided in terms of religion and ideology. This modern political ethos thus became—which was new— an ethos of peace. In the 16th century, it affirmed the primacy of peace and of the measures that secured it over the public recognition of moral and religious truth. This became the precursor of the ethos of liberty. The call for freedom rose against the abuse of power in the sovereign state, whose arbitrary power soon superseded individual rights and turned individuals into instruments of its own functioning. The liberal construction This led liberal constitutionalists to assert the priority of freedom and the rights of the individual over those of the state. Consequently, the economy organized by the state and for the state was overtaken by the idea that the wealth of nations consisted not in the accumulation of riches by the state, but in the work of individuals and in the free exchange of products on the market. The ethos of freedom and the sovereignty of law over power—the rule of law—-was thus institutionalized. But since liberal freedom did not result in freedom for everyone, a redistribution of liberty was needed, leading to an ethos of justice, which was also an ethos of equality and solidar-
ity, although qualified and not necessarily egalitarian. This profoundly shaped the modern conception of human rights. It transformed the language of rights into an institutionalized system of fundamental rights owed to each citizen, which translated into a network not only of rights but also of obligations and duties. Human rights thus became the ideology of the modern democratic constitutional state, in which power submits to law, the freedom of each individual is respected, participation in political affairs is guaranteed, and solidarity is enjoyed. Human rights instantiate moral criticism of the whole political world. It is against this standard that every constitutional state must stand up to the rest of the civilized world. No President of a constitutional republican and democratic state can say, “what I do to my people inside my country is solely and strictly my own sovereign business,” especially, if the government of that country had any role to play in the establishment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly at Palais de Chaillot in Paris on Dec. 10, 1948, or is a signatory to the 2002 multilateral treaty called the Rome Statute, which is the foundational and governing document of the International Criminal Court at the Hague. The ICC has jurisdiction over the crimes PAGE A8
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal. ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 Fax: (818) 502-0858 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com Northern California: 1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136 Burlingame, CA 94010 Tel.: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253 Las Vegas Sales Office: 3700 W. Desert Inn Road Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879
Manila Office: 2/F D&E Fort Palm Springs Cond. 30th St., Cor. 1st Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel.: (632) 856-4921 • 856-0397 Fax: (632) 856-1661 New York office: 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 Tel.: (212) 655-5426 • Fax (818) 502-0858 New Jersey office: 449 Hoboken Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07306 Tel.: (212) 655-5426. • Fax (818) 502-0858
ELIZABETH HILARIO SISON Chief Financial Officer JOSEPH PERALTA Vice President & General Manager Northern California Asian Journal MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor MALOU LIWANAG-BLEDSOE Editor-in-Chief Northern California Asian Journal GERMAN P. PALABYAB Advertising and Business Development Director
ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES Asian Journal Publitions, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publition by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases. Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applible law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation. Publition of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publition. Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, uses of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material. AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publition of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being ncellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republition of the correct advertisement. Under no circumstances shall Asian Publitions, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.
ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLITIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; the Orange County and Inland Empire Asian Journal, Northern lifornia Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern lifornia, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively. Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions. Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please ll the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or the Las Vegas Sales Office at (702) 792-6678 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com
Dateline PhiliPPines
(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016
Comelec now preparing for 2019 polls by Sheila
CriSoStomo Philstar.com
MANILA - Barely six months after the May 9 general elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is preparing for the midterm polls on May 13, 2019. Based on Resolution No. 10167 dated Oct. 28, the Comelec had set the resumption of voters’ registration for overseas absentee voting on Dec. 1. “The Commission fixes the registration period for overseas voting from Dec. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2018,” stated the resolution. The resolution, promulgated Oct. 25, shows that for OAV, the voter registration shall be from Dec. 4, 2017 to Dec. 30, 2017; and Jan. 2, 2018 to Sept. 29, 2018. Qualified to sign up as over-
seas voters are all citizens of the Philippines, who are abroad or will be abroad during the 30day voting period; at least 18 years old on election day; and are not otherwise disqualified by law. In Comelec Resolution No. 10166, on the other hand, the poll body had set the voters’ registration for local voters from Nov. 7, 2016 to April 29, 2017, from Mondays to Saturdays. Records showed there were 54.36 million voters in the May 9 elections, including 1.37 million Filipinos abroad. The Comelec had decided to resume the voters’ registration after the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls, which were supposed to be conducted, were moved to October 2017.
Women voters To allow more women to register as voters, the Comelec has urged local governments to open their respective day care centers when voter registration resumes on Nov. 7. In Resolution No. 10166, the Comelec said they want more women to participate in the elections so they hope that day care centers would be operational on this day. “In the conduct of registration, the Election Officers (EO) shall encourage the LGUs, through the Gender and Development Focal Point System Office, to open their day care centers during registration days, at no cost to the Commission,” the Comelec said. The poll body had also ordered the EOs to assist women carrying small children when they come to register.
Judge in Maguindanao massacre seeks promotion by edu
Punay
Philstar.com
MANILA – The Quezon City judge handling the Maguindanao massacre case is seeking promotion. Quezon City Regional Trial Court branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, who has been hearing the multiple murder case involving the killing of 58 people – including 32 journalists – on Nov. 23, 2009, is among the aspirants for upcoming vacancies in the Court of Appeals and Sandiganbayan. She has accepted nomination for the posts to be left by the retirement of Associate Justice Agnes Carpio in the CA on Dec. 1 and Associate Justice Jose Hernandez in the Sandiganbayan on Nov. 22. The judge sought promotion from the trial court to an appellate court after handling the case for nearly seven years. The trial is just halfway through. Since taking over the case in January 2010, Reyes has heard a total of 223 witnesses: 131 prosecution witnesses, 34 defense witnesses and 58 private complainants as of last August. Of the total 195 accused, 112 have been arraigned by the court under Reyes. The prosecution has also rested its case after filing five batches of formal offers of evidence against 105 accused, and the court has resolved the first batch involving nine accused. Defense lawyers of the accused
Quezon City Regional Trial Court branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, who has been hearing the multiple murder case involving the killing of 58 people – including 32 journalists – on Nov. 23, 2009, is among the aspirants for upcoming vacancies in the Court of Appeals and Sandiganbayan. Philstar.com file photo
led by the Ampatuan clan, on the other hand, have started presenting their defense last June. Earlier, Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno said she was hoping Reyes would finish hearing the case and not seek promotion soon. “I told her, Judge, please don’t leave the case yet,” the Supreme Court chief bared to reporters in an interview. “Her family is under watch. She has guards, even her children. It is not an easy life. So when you come face to face with a human being asking you if she doesn’t have any right to be promoted, isn’t that hard?” Sereno lamented. While the SC chief would have wanted Reyes to remain on the case in order to have a speedy resolution, she said she has to be fair with the judge. Last year, Reyes also applied and was shortlisted for a CA va-
cancy but was not appointed. Before Reyes took over, the case was raffled off to several judges but they inhibited from the case. Aside from her, other aspirants in the upcoming vacancies include fellow Quezon City RTC Judge Angelene Mary Quimpo-Sale, Makati RTC Judge Selma Alaras and Pasay City RTC Judge Eugenio de la Cruz. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has vowed resolution of the multiple murder case against the Ampatuans in the next six years – the same target that the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III had failed to achieve. “I believe that the conviction will come in the next few years. The case should be decided well within the six-year administration of President Duterte,” he said as the massacre marks its seventh anniversary later this month.
UNCOMMON SIGHT. Motorists enjoy a rare stressfree drive along EDSA on Monday, Oct. 31 as Metro Manila’s streets were devoid of traffic jams as city residents opted to observe All Saints’ Day in the provinces. ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada
Rody calls on Moros to embrace peace by John
unSon Philstar.com
COTABATO CITY – President Duterte urged Moros to embrace peace, which he promised to help foster in the troubled south through socio-economic and humanitarian interventions. Duterte aired his appeal to leaders from across the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) during his visit to Cotabato City to lead the launching of programs meant to address under-development in Moro communities and in poor areas in Administrative Regions 9, 10 and 12. The President promised to allocate more funds to address poverty in ARMM, which covers mainland provinces Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman assured Duterte of the regional government’s commitment to address socioeconomic and security concerns besetting the region’s culturally diverse communities. The local administration under Hataman has, in the past four years, invested some P10 billion in vital infrastructure, including roads, bridges and seaports in farflung areas in the five provinces in the autonomous region. Hataman said he and members of his Cabinet are grateful to Duterte for keeping his campaign promise to focus on helping the Moro sectors rise from the adverse
Duterte aired his appeal to leaders from across the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) during his visit to Cotabato City to lead the launching of programs meant to address under-development in Moro communities and in poor areas in Administrative Regions 9, 10 and 12. Philstar.com photo by John Unson
effects of conflicts and calamities. “I want incidence of hunger stopped,” Duterte told ARMM officials in a speech after the launching of Malacañang and ARMM’s bilateral anti-poverty programs in the autonomous region. The event was held at the 300seat Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex inside the 32-hectare ARMM compound in Cotabato City. Also present were Governors Jim Hataman of Basilan and Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao, Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Sandra Sema, Reps. Ruby Sahali of Tawi-Tawi and Monir Arbison of Sulu and Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi. Duterte called on Congress to put up a legislative framework for
a federal government, which he said is the easier means of achieving peace and development in predominantly Moro areas. “I will improve the Moro homeland in Mindanao during my term,” he said. He said it is important for the local communities to support his bid for a peaceful closure to the secessionist problem hounding the country’s south. Duterte said he has high regard for the welfare of the Moro people, owing to his having had an ethnic Maranaw grandmother. While it has been the biggest recipient of Japanese overseas development aid (ODA) for a long time, Mindanao still stands to benefit the most from Duterte’s recent official visit to Japan.
OMNI AT VINEYARD CROSSING New Townhome-Style Condos in Livermore MODEL HOME GRAND OPENING • FROM THE LOW $600s It’s the Grand Opening of the designer model homes at Omni at Vineyard Crossing. We’ve built four unique homes that showcase a variety of architectural features and stunning décor options. Located in a sought-after location in Livermore, Omni at Vineyard Crossing is the quintessential place to call home. Livermore is a thriving city, offering a vibrant art and cultural scene. Your new home at Omni at Vineyard Crossing will not only be close to a wonderful selection of award-winning wineries, but will also be situated near historic downtown Livermore, which has recently re-established itself as the city’s distinguished center for shopping, dining and entertainment.
A
Your morning commute will be made easier by the community’s convenient access to I-580 and the Livermore ACE train station. Your children will be able to play in the community parks and attend great schools within the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, including Arroyo Seco Elementary School, Jackson Avenue Elementary School, East Avenue Middle School and Livermore High School. Our new 3-story homes range from 1,707 to 2,154 square feet and offer up to 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. Visit this weekend and tour our beautiful model homes.
1300 Windswept Common, Unit #1, Livermore CA 94550
Broker Cooperation Welcome. ©2016 KB Home (KBH). School zoning is determined by and subject to change through the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District. KB Home does not guarantee placement at these schools. Visit http://www. livermoreschools.com/ for further information. No affiliation or sponsorship is intended or implied with ACE, and all trademarks are owned by the trademark owner. Plans, pricing, financing, terms, availability and specifications subject to change/prior sale without notice and may vary by neighborhood, lot location and home series. Buyer responsible for all taxes, insurance and other fees. Sq. footage is approximate. HOA applies. ARTIST’S CONCEPTION: Illustration may depict upgraded landscaping/options and may not represent lowest-priced homes. See sales counselor for details. KB Home Sales–Northern California Inc. (CA Real Estate License 01293543). SB-99175
A
NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
Dateline PhiliPPines
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
Senate to start Cha-Cha debates next year by Paolo
RomeRo Philstar.com
why ORGANIC? Organic products meet stringent standards Healthier for you & kids Organic food tastes better Organic farming respects natural resources Avoids pesticides & are artificial-fertilizer-free Non-GMO, no synthetic pesticides, no growth-promoting antibiotics There are many, many more reasons to go Organic. But in short: You’ll leave the world a better place than when you found it
MANILA - Senators will heed President Duterte’s call for speedier action on proposals to amend the Constitution to pave the way for a federal form of government, but will oppose any attempt to abolish the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said he sees the chamber starting discussions on Charter change, particularly on proposals for a shift to a federal form of government, early next year. He said he expects his colleagues to engage one another in heated debates on the issue. “What we can do is to either pass a resolution convening a constituent assembly (con-ass) or pass a law for a constitutional convention (con-con),” Sotto said in a telephone interview. Duterte said he is willing to step down from office as soon as the federal form of government is in place. He said such a form of government would allow regions to grow faster. “I give you my word, if the framework is already there, I will resign to give way to the new president,” Duterte said. Under a con-ass both the Senate and the House of Representatives convene as one body to write amendments to the Constitution. This mode is cheaper and is more convenient for proposing amendments.
A con-con is composed of elected delegates representing congressional districts and various sectors who will convene as a separate body to write the amendments. The con-con is expected to cost billions and its life will depend on how long the delegates will take to finish their work. Supporters, however, believe the con-con is less susceptible to influence by political parties. There are several bills pending before the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, chaired by Sen. Franklin Drilon, on Charter change. Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III is also pushing for the federal system but has vowed to defend the chamber from moves to have it abolished. He stressed the Senate would remain a “political firmament” even in a federal Philippines. “I assure you that although I am very happy to be remembered as the Centennial Senate President, I do not want to be remembered as the last Senate President,” Pimentel said in his speech at the 100th anniversary celebration of the chamber last month. Sotto said the con-ass resolution could be easily approved in the Senate if it would be stated in the measure that both chambers of Congress would be voting separately once the body is convened. The Constitution is silent on
whether the Senate and the House should vote separately or jointly in a con-ass. Senators fear congressmen, who number nearly 300, would outvote them. There are proposals in the House for a federal-parliamentary form of government where there will only be one legislature. “The bicameral system is appropriate for our country,” Sotto said. Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said a federal form of government must be clearly explained to Filipinos since it is a new idea for them. “If ever, massive information campaign has to start now,” Ejercito said. For Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, amending the Constitution to set the stage for federalism should be done through con-con. Deputy Speaker Gwen Garcia has moved for a con-ass through a resolution filed with the House committee on constitutional amendments. Reps. Albee Benitez of Negros Occidental and Vicente Veloso of Leyte endorsed the resolution. The committee led by southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado approved the resolution last Oct. 19 after a 32-7 vote with three abstentions. “The results of the voting show that the committee approves the concurrent resolution calling Congress as a constituent assembly for purposes of revising the Constitution,” Mercado announced.
Human rights and human...
PAGE A6 of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by individuals. Answering critics with right arguments Given this, accusations of extrajudicial killings in DU30’s drug war have to be met with firm efforts to show that no such killings are taking place, but that they are mere figments of the fertile imagination of critics. No need to defile the air and the media environment with saucy invectives and profane language. Incredible as it may seem, there are still some people who quote Scripture to proclaim that DU30 has nothing to do with the 4,000 or so drug suspects who have been killed without due process. One reader complains I was “insinuating” in my last column that DU30’s worst offense was not his cursing, which God allegedly asked him to stop dur-
ing their alleged conversation in midair, but his drug killing, which did not figure in his alleged locution. I’m sorry, I did not only insinuate, but rather restated boldly what DU30 himself had so proudly proclaimed several times. But apparently the poor fellow never heard about it at all. Now, if DU30 could assemble people like this into an army of apologists, then perhaps the entire narrative on the drug killings would change. Need for a balanced debate But I am more interested in seeing a more balanced debate on human rights between DU30 on the one hand and the US State Department, the EU and the UN on the other. He does not have to talk of lawless policemen killing blacks in the US or of Filipino Muslims being killed by US colonial troops during the Philippine-American war. He only has to talk of the millions of unborn
children being killed in their mothers’ wombs from Europe to the US, with the official blessings of the State, and of the efforts of the UN to compel developing countries to change their laws against abortion, in the name of LGBT rights. The trouble, however, is that despite DU30’s profuse protestations of wanting to pursue an “independent foreign policy” vis-a-vis the US, he and his harebrained advisers are bent on adopting Western-inspired population control measures that are meant to kill millions of Filipinos even before they are born and enter the illegal drugs trade. Thus, those who are spared from Police Chief Bato’s minions and vigilantes are certain to be vaporized by Secretary Hernia’s depopulation policies. DU30’s human rights woes principally spring from human wrongs—they are all self-inflicted. (ManilaTImes.net)
(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016
A
A10 NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
COMMUNITY
(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016
CJ
Journal
Eric r. WElsh and nancy MillEr
Changes to California criminal laws may help immigrants with convictions
A CRIMINAL conviction can have devastating consequences for a non-citizen. A conviction can trigger deportation from the United States or bar admission or naturalization. When the immigration laws do not provide relief, an immigrant with a conviction may need to challenge the conviction itself. Two recent developments in California have made it possible for some immigrants with criminal convictions to seek immigration relief or avoid disastrous consequences. The first was the enactment of section 18.5 of the California Penal Code. Section 18.5 defines a “misdemeanor” as an offense with a maximum sentence of 364 days (i.e., less than one year). For immigration purposes, this change can dramatically help immigrants convicted of minor offenses in a number of ways. For example, a noncitizen convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude within five years of admission is deportable, if the crime has a potential sentence of one year or more (regardless of the actual sentence). By reducing the maximum possible sentence to 364 days, a single California misdemeanor conviction will not result in deportability under this ground. In a previous article, we discussed an amendment to section 18.5 that made the revised definition of a “misdemeanor” apply retroactively, regardless of the date of conviction. Prior to that amendment, the “364” maximum only applied to misdemeanor convictions after 18.5 became effective (January 1, 2015). With the amendment, all misdemeanors are redefined to have maximum sentences of 364 days, regardless of the date of conviction. If a
person was actually sentenced to a term of 365 days, that person can now make an application to the Superior Court for a sentence modification. With the passage of section 18.5 and the recent amendment, many non-citizens may now avoid deportation or avail themselves of relief that was previously out of reach. The second major development is the passage of Proposition 47. Prop 47, also known as “The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act,” was enacted by popular vote on November 4, 2014. The Proposition by its nature acts retroactively: it created a process for persons who have completed a qualified felony sentence to apply to the Superior Court for reclassification of the crime as a misdemeanor. Only certain felony offenses qualify for reclassification, including: certain drug possession felonies, petty theft, receipt of stolen property, and forging bad checks. Any person convicted of a felony for those crimes can apply for misdemeanor reclassification, but must do so by November 4, 2017. The California Supreme Court is currently deciding a case involving the interplay between Prop 47 and guilty pleas. In the case before the court, a defendant named Morris Harris was charged with felony robbery, but prosecutors agreed to drop that charge in exchange for Harris’s agreement to plead guilty to felony theft with a sentence of six years in prison. When Prop 47 passed, Harris still had three years left on his sentence. He applied to reduce the crime to a misdemeanor and sought release from prison. Prosecutors
Your Immigration Solution
argued that if Harris’s conviction for theft is reduced, they should be allowed to re-try him for robbery. The court has not yet issued a decision, but at oral arguments earlier this month, the justices expressed a reluctance to reopen cases that were resolved with plea agreements. If the arguments are any indication, the court will likely uphold prior plea agreements, even if the crimes are reclassified as misdemeanors. With both of these developments, a noncitizen with a qualifying felony conviction can now seek to reclassify the conviction as a misdemeanor with a maximum possible sentence of 364 days. Crimes that once posed permanent bars or triggered deportability can now be reduced to offenses that either have no immigration consequences or are eligible for a waiver. Any noncitizen with a criminal record should consult a knowledgeable and experienced immigration attorney to see whether these developments or any other options exist to challenge the conviction or mitigate its consequences. ***
by Lawrence
agcaoiLi Philstar.com
SEATTLE — Philippine aviation officials are confident of maintaining the country’s safety aviation ratings with the US and Europe, a ranking official of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said. Capt. Manuel Antonio Tamayo, deputy director general of CAAP, said officials of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) are set to conduct an audit on the country’s aviation safety rating in
manpower. “Out of the eight, we are strong on the five. The five pulled us up. But what we want to do is bring up the three as well,” he said. These eight audit protocols include legislation, organization, licensing, operation, airworthiness, accident investigation, navigation services, and aerodromes. Tamayo explained CAAP is now training more personnel and is looking for ways to compete with the private sector so their
u PAGE CJ4
DOT hopeful on 6-M tourist arrivals target
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)
the middle of next year. “We are confident based on what’s going on. And we have so much time to improve,” he said. Tamayo said ICAO representatives visited the Philippines to conduct a pre-audit in September. The unit of the United Nations (UN) conducts an audit every two years. “They were here the other month to check on the status,” he said. Tamayo explained the team found weakness in three of the eight audit points particularly on
by Mary
grace Philstar.com
Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo
Padin
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is confident of hitting its six million international tourist arrivals target for 2016 with the expected influx of Chinese and Japanese tourists in the country. This came after Chinese and Japanese airlines expressed their
intent to open more international direct flights to destinations outside of Manila. “Definitely, we will surpass the target of six million (this 2016),” Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said in an interview. Teo’s recent visits to Beijing and Tokyo saw Chinese and Japanese airlines agreeing to mount direct flights to secondary gate-
u PAGE CJ3
CJ
Community Journal
NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
USCIS to increase fees by December
The CTV Files AurorA VegA-Buzon, esq. EFFECTIVE December 23, 2016, USCIS will increase its filing fees for applications and petitions for immigration and naturalization benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Thus, applications and petitions filed and/or mailed on or after December 23, 2016 must have the corresponding adjusted fees, or they will be rejected. USCIS says it was necessary to increase the fees – by an average of 21% – because the current fees do not recover the full costs of services they provide in adjudicating and deciding the applications and petitions. Fees for producing the green cards for new immigrants (Immigrant fees) and for biometrics (fingerprinting) remain the same. The following are the new fees for the following Immigration Benefit Requests (old fees are in parenthesis): G-1041 Genealogy Index
Search Request -- $65 ($20) G-1041A Genealogy Records Request (Copy from Microfilm) -- $65 ($20) G-1041A Genealogy Records Request (Copy from Textual Record) -- $65 ($20) I-90 Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card -- $455 ($365) I-102 Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document -- $445 ($330) I-129/129CW Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker -- $460 ($325) I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) -- $535 ($340) I-130 Petition for Alien Relative -- $535 ($420) I-131/I-131A Application for Travel Document -- $575 ($360) I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker -- $700 ($580) I-191 Application for Relief Under Former Section 212(c) of the INA -- $930 ($585) I-192 Application for Advance permission to Enter as Nonimmigrant -- $585/930 ($585) I-193 Application for Waiver
of Passport and/or Visa -- $585 ($585) I-212 Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. After Deportation or Removal -- $930 ($585) I-290B Notice of Appeal or Motion -- $675 ($630) I-360 Petition for Amerasian Widow(er) or Special Immigrant -- $435 ($405) I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status -- $1,140 ($985) I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (certan applicants under the age of 14 years) -- $750 ($635) I-526 Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur -- $3,675 ($1,500) I-539 Application to Extend/ Change Nonimmigrant Status -$370 ($290) I-600/600A Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative/Application for Advance Petition Processing of Orphan Petition -- $775 ($720) I-601 Application for Waiver of
u PAGE CJ3
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
Melting pot or salad bowl? The case for assimilation
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette ADeVA MAglAyA WITHOUT assimilation by every immigrant to its adoptive country through the generations, no nation can retain the structural integrity of the foundational values that created it in the first place. That nation’s collapse is not a matter of “if” but “when.” More simply put: Immigration without assimilation is nothing more than invasion. Two opposing forces on the issue of immigration are aligning. There could only be one of two ways. You are either for or against it. It was too hot to handle for previous administrations. Presently, the conscious non-enforcement of the laws in the books appears to be a longterm sinister agenda of seeding future electorate for one particular party. America has placed this divisive issue of immigration far too long in the back burner. Unchecked illegal immigration has reached critical mass and the time has come to confront this issue head on. For Election 2016, the sick American economy is still issue number one for a majority of voters. A debtor nation plagued with a serious job crisis with over 94 million workers unemployed and owing $20 trillion dollars ($10 trillion more in just the last 8 years or double the previous years) in debt is in no position
to wield its big stick in the global stage. America has lost its superpower status to other nations, notably Russia and China. There is a new sheriff in town wielding the big stick in dealing with ISIS and his name is Putin. There are serious doubts ex-KGB Vladimir Putin can be trusted as he has been itching for years to rebuild the lost glory of Russia on the world stage. However, to engage Russia over Syria just as the US had foolishly done in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, costing trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives lost over essentially nothing but the death of thousands and a mountain of debt, is certainly not in America’s best interest at this time when its economy is severely battered and the psyche of most Americans dealing with day-to-day existence, at an all time low. It is true what they say. Stupid is as stupid does. Stupidity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. Tied in closely with American economic woes is the issue of immigration. Whether deliberately or not, Donald J. Trump has
Health@Heart
Do you have bad breath?
PhiliP s. ChuA, MD, FACs, FPCs
WE ARE
HIRING Asian Journal Publications is now looking for:
Customer Sales and Service Representative Fax résumé to:
info@asianjournalinc.com
“Immigration without assimilation is nothing more than invasion.”
“ONE isolated incident of bad breath, like a first time thief who is caught, permanently tarnishes the reputation, and the condemnation sticks for life,” goes a common presumption. What is halitosis? Halitosis is the medical term for bad breath. Dental reports in the United States say there are about 65 million Americans who have bad breath. In the Philippines, as in other regions in Asia, the incidence, conservatively speaking, may be 75% or higher for the general population. This is a rough guesstimate, and the figure, of course, varies in different subgroups in the community. Halitosis, as a general rule, is less among those who live in the city, compared to rural areas, those who are more affluent, higher in socio-economic status, those who are more educated or professional, and those in the younger generation. Obviously, the financially handicapped could ill afford the luxury of toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, regular dental check-up and proper dental care. They may also be not as
well-nourished, and as healthy, as those who can afford. But realistically, just about anyone, in any profession or walk of life, may have annoying bad breath, persistently or occasionally. What causes halitosis? There are a variety of causes of bad breath. Eating food that causes foul breath (like garlic, onion, etc), poor dental hygiene, decayed tooth or infection of the gums or oral cavity, diseases like diabetes, esophageal diverticulum, esophageal reflux, sinusitis, emphysema, etc. But the commonest underlying cause is poor dental hygiene where care of the teeth and mouth is neglected. There are people who do not brush their teeth at all and go to bed at night with food particles stuck in between their teeth. They may gargle and rinse their mouth with water (or water and salt) after each meal, or even use mouthwash, but the food caught in between their teeth (especially meat and fish) rot and stink like dead animals on the street. This is putrefaction and the foul smelling odor is from the volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) produced by the decaying meat, which usually results in gram negative (anaerobic) bacterial infection (and more bad odor), and this makes for a vicious cycle.
yanked the issue of illegal immigration front and center. Anyone applying for the post of top dog must deal with it. It seems that Trump has tapped into an angry pulsating nerve of a YUGE swath of the American population. To the absolute dismay of both the Republican and Democratic parties, Trump’s message is resonating. Over the last 15 months since June last year, he seems to have morphed into the microphone for many Americans who have no voice and who are plainly sick and tired of political correctness spewed and enforced by mainstream media in the last few decades. It can no longer be business as usual for globalists and the elite of the New World Order who really don’t care about the welfare of the middle class. As an added attraction to the protracted front act of the primary election and nomination that precede every national election, Trump seems to instinctively know how to play the liberal media like a fiddle to the delight of many. After 2 national elections during which media played the role of an in-your-face partisan hack, majority view major net-
u PAGE CJ4
Does the tongue harbor bacteria? Yes, as a matter of fact, the tongue is a major culprit in the causation of bad breath. Bacteria hide in the furrows of the tongue, especially in the back (base) of the tongue. Hence, the regular use of tongue scraper or brushing all the way back to the base of the tongue (till you feel like gagging) at least twice a day is essential. What can be done for persistent halitosis? If proper daily oral hygiene is done and if there is no tooth decay or any infection in the mouth or throat, the bad breath may be coming from sinusitis, emphysema or from the stomach (as in esophageal reflex, where the controlling valve between the stomach and the food pipe is not closing --- airtight ---properly). A dental, or even medical, evaluation may be needed to ascertain the specific cause of this persistent halitosis. Can mouthwash eliminate bad breath? Mouthwash alone cannot do the trick. First, the food particles that can rot must be removed from in-between the teeth immediately after each meal (by dental flossing, since tooth pick alone will not do the job). Then, brush-
u PAGE CJ3
Business News
‘Clark the next economic hotspot for PH, Asia’ by Patrick
roxas ManilaTimes.net
CLARK FREEPORT — A top official of a logistics center expressed confidence Clark will soon emerge as the country’s growth center. Mark Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Global Gateway Development Corporation (GGDC), stressed this in his remarks during the topping-off ceremony for two towers inside the AeroPark Campus mixed-used facility, located inside the 177-hectare Global Gateway Logistics City (GGLC). “Once completed, the GGLC will generate more than 300,000 jobs and reinforce the status of Central Luzon as an emerging economic hotspot of the Philippines and the whole Asia,” Williams claimed. “And it will highlight the potential of the Philippine countryside as a catch-basin of the overflowing vibrancy of Metro Manila,” he added. About $100 million was initially invested in the project and an additional $250 million was secured for its completion. AeroPark Campus One West and Two West towers—both nearing completion—will add 45,000 square meters (sqm) of Grade A office space and 9,000 sqm of retail space in Clark Freeport, Williams noted. The two buildings represent the first phase of the multi-million dollar AeroPark Campus in the 177-hectare Global Gateway Logistics City in Clark. “With the addition of new highquality office space located in a well-designed master planned precinct within the Clark Freeport Zone and directly adjacent to the Clark International Airport, we foresee the Clark Freeport Zone emerging as a new office
and logistics hub for the Philippines,” Williams said. The two new buildings are LEED pre-certified gold and is targeted to become platinum, considering the construction adhered to international green standards. LEED refers to the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design international green building rating system. “GGDC is the same company that built The Medical City Clark’s 173-bed world-class medical center and the first locator in GGLC, a master-planned mixeduse aerotropolis that is the first of its kind in the country,” Williams noted. GGDC was originally founded by The Port Fund, a private equity fund managed by the Kuwaiti firm KGL Investment Company (KGLI), with Kuwaiti government entities and other GCC countries as lead investors. Williams said three more buildings would rise next year at the Aeropark Campus, just across The Medical City Clark. The five office buildings will be interconnected by walkways at the second floor, allowing for traffic-free pedestrian movement. Each building in the campus will have two floors of retail space to service the needs of people who
live in the new city. A part of the GGLC, the five office towers in the AeroPark Campus will have a combined gross floor area of 142,000 sqm. Once fully developed the 177-hectare, master planned logistics and business center of excellence will have 5.8 million sqm of floor space. The project, directly adjacent to Clark International Airport, boasts of superior, world-class infrastructure built according to internationally recognized standards and quality underground infrastructure (including pressurized water systems, electrical, telecommunications and fiber optic cabling, and oversized storm water drainage systems) that is unique in the country, Williams noted. “At full buildout, the City will create over 300,000 jobs translating to over $600 million in annual payroll,” he said. Williams said the topping-off ceremony manifests GGDC’s commitment to the full development of GGLC, envisioned to become the most modern city in Southeast Asia. GGDC has a lease on the property for a period of 50 years, with an option to renew for 25 years. n
Community Journal
(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com
CJ
Some issues and pitfalls in pursuing US citizenship
Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ (Part 2)
FOR many people, attaining US citizenship is the final step in achieving their “American Dream.” After getting a green card, they eagerly count off the years until they are finally eligible to apply for naturalization. However, for some people, applying for citizenship could cause problems, issues, and even being stripped of their green card and deported/removed. Applying for citizenship is not always a simple, straightforward task that a person should handle on their own. Instead, they may want to seek the advice or guidance of an attorney. Here are more issues or problems a person should consider before filing for naturalization: • Does the person meet the residency requirements, or were they outside the US for too long on too many occasions? For a person to be eligible for citizenship, the person should have lived in the US for a certain amount of time. For example, they could not have been outside the US on any single trip for one year or more, and the total time outside US, for all trips, should not have been more than 2-1/2 years. Many people treat their green card like a visitor’s visas, and stay outside the US for more than the allowable time. Some may even lie on the naturalization application, and put down they never left the US, or they do not disclose the full length of the trips, or back-date their arrivals/departures. However, USCIS checks with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which has the actual records of persons’ entries and exits. If the person lied about their absences from the US, they
could be denied naturalization, and possibly be stripped of their green card for having “abandoned” lawful permanent resident status. • If a person obtained a green card through marriage, did they truly live under the same roof with the citizen spouse? When a person obtains a green card through a spousal petition, the law requires that the marriage should be “bona fide” (meaning it’s not fixed), and it is expected that the couple lived together. If the person obtained a green card through the marriage, and later applies for citizenship, they may be questioned (again) about the marriage, and whether they actually lived under the same roof with the US citizen. This is especially true when a person is trying to get the three-year citizenship, which is based on being married to a US citizen and still living under the same roof with the citizen at the time of applying for naturalization. Some people never lived with the American, but put down the same address. They were able to get their green card and later apply for naturalization. DHS now has sophisticated computer programs and records, where they can search a person’s residences going back almost 30 years. The DHS may not have had such records when the person obtained a green card, but now DHS’s database has much more information in it, and it could raise issues or problems about the marriage, which would be uncovered when they apply for citizenship. • Does a person have a child who is eligible under the CSPA? There are cases that state a parent’s naturalizing after the child’s 21st birthday destroys the child’s age-out eligibility under the Child Status Protection Act
(CSPA). It could be possible for a child to be eligible for a green card, despite aging out (or turning 21 years of age), based on a mathematical formula. Once that child qualifies under the CSPA, their age is “locked in” forever, and they will be eligible for green card even if they are far above 21 years of age – except if the parent naturalizes after the child’s 21st birthday, thereby destroying the child’s CSPA eligibility. There are published cases where a child qualified under the CSPA, but their immigrant parent naturalized after the child’s 21st birthday. As you can see, there are so many issues that could come up in connection with a person’s eligibility for naturalization. If you have any questions about your past, or eligibility for naturalization, you should definitely seek the advice of an attorney before filing for naturalization. This is because once you file, and USCIS digs into your past, you may have dug a hole for yourself. *** 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)
Business News AS PESO GROWS WEAKER
Gov’t debt hits P6T in Sept by Mayvelin
U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net
THE outstanding debt of the national government hit the P6trillion mark in September, rising significantly from a year earlier and from August on the back of a sharp depreciation of the peso against the US dollar and other major reserve currencies. Data released over the weekend by Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed the national government’s outstanding debt climbed to P6.08 trillion in September from P5.93 trillion a year earlier, reflecting a 2.5 percent or P150.98 billion increase. Month-on-month, the debt level rose by 1.78 percent from P5.980 trillion. “The month-on-month change was attributed to the depreciation of the peso against the US dollar (a depreciation of almost P2.0) and third currencies that raised the peso value of the US dollar and third-currency denominated indebtedness by P86.91 billion and P2.39 billion, respectively,” the bureau said. As a result, net repayments amounting to P3.48 billion did not have much of an impact on the overall debt level, it added. Foreign borrowings in September were priced at P48.48 to a dollar, compared with P46.95 a year earlier, and P46.55 in August. The peso depreciated from 46.552 as of end-August to 48.482 as of end-September 2016. IHS Markit Asia-Pacific chief
economist Rajiv Biswas noted the depreciation in September was a key factor that pushed the external debt higher. “Therefore, a key risk factor for the fiscal management of the external debt will be the exchange rate outlook for the peso against the USD,” he said. With the US Fed expected to tighten policy rates in December and go for further tightening in 2017, the dollar could further appreciate against Asian currencies, including the peso. “Therefore there is a risk that the USD would appreciate further against the peso in the coming months, which could further increase the peso value of the external debt despite government plans to reduce the external debt by making net repayments,” he added. On the other hand, the local debt component rose by 0.5 percent year-on-year to P3.904 trillion. From August, the outstanding domestic obligations also rose by 0.5 percent, or P20.75
billion. The BTr attributed the monthon-month increase in local debt to the twin effects of P19.79 billion in government securities issued and an upward adjustment in the peso value of onshore dollar securities, amounting to P960 million because of the peso depreciation. Meanwhile, debt guaranteed by the national government expanded by 26.9 percent to P564.95 billion from P445.2 billion a year earlier. Month-onmonth, government-guaranteed debt picked up by 2 percent or P10.3 billion from P554.02 billion. “The adjustment is due to the combined effect of US dollar(P12.93 billion) and third currency adjustments (P3.27 billion) that increased the peso value of external guarantees, offsetting the effect of net redemptions on both domestic and external guarantees, amounting to P3.20 billion and P2.07 billion, respectively,” the BTr said. n
iting your dentist at least every 6 months will not only eliminate with Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide bad breath but lead to a healthier PAGE CJ2 t ing the teeth using toothpaste are impressively effective. dental and oral state. What are the dental problems (that contains fluoride and other Can mouth containing alcoingredients like Poly (methylvi- caused by bacteria? hol cause cancer? Besides bad breath, the other nylether) maleic acid coplymer Yes, according to a 1991 study and triclosan) for added tooth problems caused by germs in in the Journal of the American protection, is essential at least our mouth include cavities, gum Dental Association, which stated 3 times a day, after each meal. problems, plaques and tartar that mouthwashes “containing Mouthwash (with Stabilized formation. Therefore, the rou- more than 25% alcohol could Chlorine Dioxide) is an impres- tine regimen of dental flossing, increase the risk of oral and sive regimen that suppresses tongue-scraping, tooth-brushing, pharyngeal (throat) cancer by bad breath. A study made on 15 and gurgling (with mouthwash 50%”. Fortunately, most, if not mouthwashes showed that most that contain bacteria killing, and all, mouthwashes in the market masked the bad breath for a few plaque-and-tartar preventing in- today contain less than 15% minutes, only a few were still ef- gredients, like those with Stabi- alcohol. The safety of chlorine fective after a few hours. Those lized Chlorine Dioxide), and visu PAGE CJ5
Calendar of Events across
America
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS N OV E M B E R 5 - 6
Consular outreach in Orlando, Florida The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., in cooperation with the Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc. - Central Florida Chapter, the Filipino-American Association of Pensacola, Inc., and the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Miami, is pleased to announce that it will conduct a consular outreach mission in Orlando on Saturday and Sunday, October 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Services offered include: Philippine passport applications; legalization of documents (acknowledgment, authentication, etc.); and receipt of reports of birth, marriage and death; and administration of oath of allegiance for dual citizenship. For an appointment, please email consular@philippineusa. org and indicate “Orlando FL Outreach” in the subject line. In the body of the email, indicate the complete name(s) of the applicant(s) and the corresponding service(s) required by each application. The outreach will be held at Hilton Garden Inn Orlando at Seaworld, 6850 Westwood Blvd. Orlando, FL 32821.
Rising Tohoku Food Fair in Torrance, CA The Rising Tohoku Food Fair hosted by Mitsuwa Marketplace presents two full days of food and cultural festivities to celebrate the charms of the Tohoku region in Northeast Japan, which can be enjoyed by children and adults. In addition to presenting diverse and flavorful food products originating from the 6 prefectures of Tohoku, there will be a variety of paper craft activity workshops for families such as, coloring, origami, making hanagasa ornaments which can be used as fans, and writing wishes on tanzaku paper, in addition to city-specific dance performances and photo opportunities with city mascots. Mitsuwa Marketplace Torrance Store, 21515 Western Ave, Torrance, CA 90501. Fair hours are 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily. The full schedule of dance and festival presentations, crafts workshops, photo sessions with mascots and food fair can be found at: http://www.mitsuwa.com/locations/torrance For more information, call 310.782.0335.
“We have opened the door to greater cooperation and capacity building of the Philippines with China and Japan,” she said. Meanwhile, the DOT said Philippine Airlines and China Eastern Airlines are also eyeing flights to Davao. PAL area head for Mindanao Sales and Services Victor Suarez said the carrier is set to fly from Davao City to Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, via Cebu. Teo also disclosed that a Guangzhou-Clark charter flight may also be launched starting
Free Filipino American History photo exhibit, Nov. 6, Historic Filipinotown A free photo exhibit with attributions, sponsored by the book, Filipino American Experience: the Making of a Historic Cultural Monument” is slated for Sunday, Nov. 6th, from 12:00 to 2:30pm at the Filipino Disciples Christian Church, 301 North Union Ave., corner Court Street, Los Angeles, CA. 90026. Brief descriptions in English, Spanish and Tagalog will be shared by ten young leaders regarding each photo segment which represent the Filipino American experience in the establishment of Historic Filipinotown from the turn of the century to the turbulent 1960’s-70’s. The book chronicles the prominent role of the only historic, cultural landmark proclaimed by the City of Los Angeles in the city’s Historic Filipinotown. It depicts its contributions in the civic, spiritual and cultural advancement of the Filipino-American community in the Greater Los Angeles region. The first twelve arrivals with current college or high school enrollment I.D. will be awarded a copy of the coffee table book in landscape format and heavy glossy pages. Complimentary lunch will be served to all attendees hosted by the Filipino-American History Photo Gallery on site and the
N OV E M B E R 1 2
University of Baguio High School 40th anniversary in Chino Hills, CA Come join us in celebrating University of Baguio High School’s 40th Anniversary on Saturday, November 12 in Chino Hills, California. For more information please contact, Romy Vidal at (951) 733-7140.
Hyatt Baguio/Manila/Palawan Reunion in Las Vegas Former and current employees and guests of Hyatt Terraces Baguio, Hyatt Manila and Hyatt Palawan are having a dinner/dance reunion on November 12 in at the Hampton Inn Tropicana in Las Vegas. The address is 4975 Dean Martin Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89118. For more details, please send an email to: Beng Paraguas-Flores (Hyatt Terraces Baguio) at bengparaguasflores@gmail.com or Marian Nobleza (Hyatt Terraces Baguio) at minobleza@yahoo.com.
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
USCIS to increase fees by… PAGE CJ2 t
Ground of Excludability -- $930 ($585) I-601A Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver -- $630 ($585) I-612 Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement (Under Section 212(e) of the INA, as Amended) -- $930 ($585) I-687 Application for Status as a Temporary Resident under Section 245A of the Immigration and Nationality Act -- $1,130 ($1,130) December this year. I-690 Application for Waiver Data from the DOT showed that foreign tourist arrivals to the of Grounds of Inadmissibility -Philippines has breached its four $715 ($200) I-694 Notice of Appeal of Decimillion mark as of end-August sion -- $890 ($755) this year. I-698 Application to Adjust China was reported as the third largest source market of Status from Temporary to PerPhilippine tourism, with a total manent Resident (under Secinbound traffic of 484,567. It was tion 245A of the INA) -- $1,670 noted that China registered the ($1,020) I-751 Petition to Remove Conhighest growth in arrivals from January to August at 50.29 per- ditions on Residence -- $595 ($505) cent. I-765 Application for EmJapan was the fourth largest market during the period, with a ployment Authorization -- $410 ($380) total of 367,144 visitors. n
DOT hopeful on 6-M tourist arrivals…
ways, particularly Laoag, Cebu and Davao. Just recently, Japanese lowcost airline Vanilla Air, said it would start serving the TokyoCebu route on Dec. 25 this year. The carrier also reported its first flight in December has already been sold out. The DOT also signed an agreement with China Eastern Airlines to commence chartered flights for the Guangzhou-Laoag route. The charter flight will return to its operation on Nov. 1 and will be available twice a week.
PROVISIONAL WAIVER FOR CREWMEN DISPELS THE FEAR IN GOING TO MANILA FOR VISA PROCESSING — ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF ‘CITIZEN PINOY!’ Cindy was a crewman who jumped ship and had been a TNT for more than 10 years. After seeing a CITIZEN PINOY episode about another crewman who also jumped ship, Cindy and U.S. citizen husband, Tom decided to consult with leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel about her chances of legalizing. Through Atty. Gurfinkel’s help, Cindy’s Provisional Waiver was approved. She went back to the Philippines, was processed for her immigrant visa at the US Embassy in Manila, and returned to the US less than a month later as a legal permanent resident. Watch an encore episode on Provisional Waivers, which could benefit: (a) crewmen without 245(i): (b) those who entered the US without inspection(EWI) without 245(i); or (c) K-1 fiancees who did not marry their US petitioner, on ‘Citizen Pinoy’ – this Sunday, Nov. 6 at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.
N OV E M B E R 6
Do you have bad…
PAGE CJ1 t
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016
I-800/800A Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative/Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country -- $775 ($720) I-800A Supp. 3 Request for Action on Approved Form I-800A -$385 ($360) I-817 Application for Family Unity Benefits -- $600 ($435) I-824 Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition -- $465 ($405) I-829 Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions -- $3,750 ($3,750) I-910 Application for Civil Surgeon Designation -- $785 ($615) I-924 Application for Regional Center Designation Under the Immigrant Investor Program -$17,795 ($6,230) I-924A Annual Certification of Regional Center -- $3,035 ($0) I-929 Petition for Qualifying Family Member of a U-1 Immigrant -- $230 ($215) N-300 Application to File Declaration of Intention -- $270 ($250) N-336 Request for Hearing on
a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings -- $700 ($650) N-400 Application for Naturalization -- $640 ($595) N-470 Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes -- $355 ($330) N-565 Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document -- $555 ($345) N-600/N-600K application for Certificate of Citizenship -$1,170 ($600/550) USCIS Immigrant Fee -- $220 ($165) Biometric Services Fee -- $85 ($85) *** Atty. Aurora Vega-Buzon is a partner in Chua Tinsay & Vega, A Professional Legal Corporation (CTV) - a full service law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego 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 inperson or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (619) 955-6277; (415) 4958088; auvega@ctvattys.com (Advertising Supplement)
CJ
NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
The Metamorphosis
ErniE D. DElfin IT’S less than a week before the presidential election in the United States. This year’s election appears to be the worst and nastiest campaign that Americans have ever seen. There is so much filth and accusations of criminal wrongdoings, acts of immorality or breach of good manners and right conduct being hurled by each presidential candidate against each other that made millions of voters sick and tired of listening, reading or watching the news. I am glad that soon this political drama will be over, and we will hopefully go back to our normal lives — to work hard for our families, a better economy, a more peaceful world for our children and their children. It’s time to decide whom to vote for president for the next four years. I have no good choice among the four candidates: Democratic Hillary Clinton, Republican Donald Trump or the minor candidates Gary “Aleppo” Johnson (Libertarian Party) and Jill Stein (Green Party). So, many of us, tens of millions may be compelled to vote for the “lesser evil,” a rare predicament that is tormenting me to the very end. Clinton and Trump do not possess core values that I hold dear and close to my heart. Both candidates, I believe, have lied to hide their negative persona, or cover their countless sins of commission and omission. They have so much trustworthiness issues that demotivate many voters to vote for either one of them. Allow me to just cite a few reasons: Clinton: With so much smoke emitting from her acts of commission or omission, there must be fire (truth). She definitely has a serious flaw in her character as a leader as can be deduced from her thousands of deleted emails, cover ups on the Benghazi fiasco, and her opportunistic tendencies as Secretary of State to amass considerable amount of contributions towards their family foundation. Donors also discriminate in choosing their beneficiaries for their own selfish interests; whether business, economic, or political advantage. In the real world, there is such a practice of “Pay then Play.” The Clintons, even without any real business, have become
AUCTION
EMPLOYMENT
Community Journal
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
Melting pot or salad bowl? The case… Clinton or Trump: America is at a crossroad PAGE CJ2 t
wealthy after decades in politics. People in public service should not become mega-wealthy as their wealth could be attributed of “selling their influence” to the highest bidder. The above scenarios can become more magnified if and when Hillary Clinton becomes president. Trump: Using his power, wealth and status as a “star,” (producer-owner of “The Apprentice” and the Miss World pageant), Trump has effectively buried the old and dying Grand Old Party (Republican) of Lincoln, defeating 16 more “conservative” who may be better candidates than him. His crass, vulgar gutter language, now derisively described as his own (P…ygate, reminiscent of Watergate that caused the downfall of Pres. Nixon) mirrors the character and demeanor of a thug and opportunistic predator in the jungle. He is NO leader, much less a good role model for any American. His documented countless pronouncements show that he does not respect women, Hispanics, Blacks, Jews or Muslims and immigrants. He has mocked people of disabilities, imprisoned veterans, ugly women and housekeepers (although he needs them in his hotels!). Trump’s wealth grew taking “legal” (but not necessarily moral or ethical means like the bankruptcy laws) even bragging himself as a “smart” businessman. His bankrupt Trump University, Trump Airlines, Trump Casinos, and Trump Vodka legally evaded paying his creditors and unjustly impoverished others, like those unpaid vendors and suppliers that helped built his business empire. Other billionaires like who have social conscience like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs were never reported doing what he has done many times! The tough decision of who is the “lesser evil” between Clinton and Trump As a fiercely independent person, I believe the election of either Trump or Clinton will not substantially alter my economic well-being or my freedom and status as a senior citizen. However, I am much more concerned about the future of my children and the granddaughters. I have left the Republican Party and an Independent for almost 20 years
now. Hence, I have been voting not for the party but for the person who carries most of my own values and interests. There are so much negatives that I do not want in the person of Clinton such as her pro-abortion (aka pro-choice) stand, her flip-flopping on many issues, flimsy economic policies, some poor judgment on the Benghazi fiasco and too much social programs making more Americans lazier and dependent upon the government; and the prospects of making the Supreme Court very liberal. Nevertheless, I have reached the tough and painful decision with a heavy heart, to vote for Clinton because doing so is effectively voting against to be the next president. With a Trump presidency, the nation will be more divided and the hatred against the US by more nations will be magnified, making it less safe for Americans here and abroad. It will also widen the already wide gap between the one per centers (the mega millionaires and billionaires, like him) who pay less taxes in proportion of their income. The social and economic inequality will also grow from bad to worse. Clinton is closer to “democracy” (government of the people, by the people and for the people) while Trump represents “demagoguery” and the rich will become wealthier and the poor become poorer. Clinton is no angel and understandably could really be a “nasty or crooked” woman, but she is a lesser evil compared to the egomaniac Trump. My one vote for Clinton, with the millions of others like me, does not mean of my total embrace of her person as the best leader but rather more of a vote against Trump as the next president which will be worse for America and the world. Having read and listened to many Republican leaders like Speaker Paul Ryan, former President Bush (both father and son) and many others including dozens of military leaders, I tend to agree with their decision not to support Trump. May the Lord bless the United States of America at her serious crossroad in her 240-year history! *** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com Website: www.gkerc.org
EMPLOYMENT
works and big publishers as dishonest and completely untrustworthy. After all, there are only 6 companies that control American media. Media’s main purpose is not to just to earn a profit. It has become a tool for those who own it to protect their power over varied interests and maintain or enlarge their self interests on a global scale. There seems to be seething cold anger among the greater bulk of the population. Something tectonic is afoot. Major unpredictable shifts will take place. Professional life-long politicians who have made it their life’s work to keep running for office and serve the interests of those who bankroll their runs may be in for a rude awakening. Immigration, legal and illegal, is now a white hot issue. The time has come to confront this head-on. While it is true that immigration has always been a cornerstone of the foundation, structure and substance of this amazing country, recent historical events and the current state of the US as a debtor nation, need to be taken into serious consideration when dealing with immigration. An estimated 12 million immigrants or about 4% of the total American population of over 300 million are illegal. Some experts say that it could be far more massive than this lowball estimate. It is entirely possible that there might be an effective thinning out of the numbers among the 12 million, beginning with those who have committed crimes and/ or are gang members.
But the lousy economy, perhaps more than anything, is already causing natural attrition in the numbers, with jobs difficult to come by. This might be followed by a steep rise in deportation proceedings, a buttressing of border measures, the building of an impenetrable wall as Trump proposes it, a near paranoid check of the flow of goods and people in the ports and airports, a tightening of the screening process from source countries now made more possible by advanced monitoring and communications technology. While the laws are in the books and the personnel to enforce them are in place, the political will to wield the ax and deal with immigration problems once and for all, has been clearly absent. Big business that funds candidates has an agenda that runs completely opposed to the interests of the American public. These are globalist interests opposing national interests. Only one can win. At this point, it’s anybody’s guess how this will pan out. But drastic measures must be implemented effectively to address the issue in a much changed world where invasion is dangerously posing as legitimate immigration. There are increasingly strident advocates who seek to shut the doors of America to immigration with the argument that recent immigration has created, instead of the melting pot society, a salad bowl of disparate, disjointed ethnic groups unwilling and unable to assimilate into the main fabric of American life. Some compare current Ameri-
can society as a mosaic that appears to be whole but is essentially fragmented. They further claim the absence of a common purpose poses a threat to the unity and structural integrity of this country. To some extent, the argument is valid. Anti-immigrant groups reserve their biggest contempt and vitriol towards first generation immigrants who refuse to assimilate and in their view, come here to America to merely take what they can, identifying and exploiting the holes and flaws of a largely generous, humanitarian system. Tourism citizenship or the concept of “anchor babies” pertaining to pregnant women giving birth in the US just to get citizenship for their babies is now in sharp focus. Some countries like Britain and Australia may have already rescinded this privilege and plugged this loophole. After streamlining the system and enforcing the laws already in the books, immigration should be hinged to some degree, on meritocracy. It must continue as a tightly controlled, highly regulated way of attracting people, possibly the best and brightest from around the world, but perhaps more importantly, ONLY those with the ability and willingness of heart to assimilate and become part of a whole. The founding fathers envisioned America in 1776 clearly. E pluribus Unum. Out of many, ONE. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
PH confident of keeping safety aviation…
PAGE CJ1 t
employees would not be pirated. Likewise, he said they assured ICAO the programs undertaken by CAAP would continue despite the change in management after President Duterte took over last June 30 “We had to talk to them, In fact we had teleconference last week. They just wanted to know who we are and where we came from,” he said. Auditors, Tamayo said, are pushing for the establishment of an Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in line with the ICAO Convention and to comply with the European Union (EU). Furthermore, Tamayo said
CAAP Is also pursuing efforts to focus as regulator and not as operators of airports. “We should not be operators, we should be regulators,” he said. Representatives from the USFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have been visiting the Philippines to ensure the country’s compliance to aviation safety ratings Tamayo said FAA’s Jim Spillane is set to visit the Philippines on Nov. 7 to finalize a technical assistance program that would help maintain the country’s aviation security rating. The Philippines passed the aviation safety audit of ICAO
paving the way for the lifting of safety security concerns in February 2013. A few months later the European Commission lifted the ban imposed on flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) from entering the European airspace. Almost a year later, the USFAA upgraded the Philippines back to the Category 1 status allowing for PAL to mount more flights to the US. The country was downgraded by the US-FAA to Category 2 status in 2008 due to safety security concerns raised by ICAO thus prohibiting airlines from the Philippines to mount additional flights to the US. n
EMPLOYMENT
FOSTER HOMECARE
(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016
CJ
Fourth year enrollment for While shopping online, visit Social Security affordable health coverage now open SAN MATEO, Calif. — The 2017 enrollment period for Californians to sign up for affordable health insurance opened on Tuesday, November 1. Tens of thousands of San Mateo County residents are able to join over four million people who now have affordable health coverage through California’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Covered California, the State’s health insurance marketplace. Over 7,000 County residents successfully signed up for qualified health insurance plans at Covered California during the 2016 enrollment period, and over 18,000 people renewed their coverage. Medi-Cal, the State’s no cost health insurance available to those over 65 or with low incomes, takes applications yearround. More than 35,000 individuals enrolled in Medi-Cal and over 58,000 renewed their coverage between October 2015 and this September. As MediCal requires annual renewal, the Human Services Agency assists customers year-round in maintaining their benefits. “Given the high cost of living in San Mateo County, the availability of MediCal coverage is a key component in providing a safety net for our low-income or unemployed residents,” stated Iliana Rodriguez, San Mateo County Human Services Agency Director.
San Mateo County has made great strides in helping more people gain access to health coverage. Over the past year, almost all children in the local Healthy Kids program transitioned to full scope Medi-Cal coverage, providing care regardless of immigration status and able to see providers across the state. “Everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health insurance,” said Srija Srinivasan, San Mateo County Health System Interim Deputy Chief. “Having health insurance is one of the best things you can do for your health, by covering preventive services such as flu shots as well services to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes. Health insurance gives you peace of mind you will be covered when you need it most.” The County aims to make the enrollment process as simple as possible for residents and the estimated 7% of San Mateo County’s total population that is uninsured – whether they are completing the process on their own online, or with the help of an enrollment counselor by phone or in-person. The Health System supports a “no-wrongdoor” approach through which a single application is used to enroll an individual in the most appropriate health insurance coverage based on income and other criteria. Uninsured resi-
Do you have bad… PAGE CJ3 t
dioxide “has been confirmed by Richardson et al in an extensive study of the reaction of chlorine dioxide with water borne organics by the EPA (Environ. Sci. Technol., 1994;28:592).” How effective are breathfreshener, sprays and gums? If used as a part of the comprehensive regimen we have outlined here, these various forms of breath-fresheners could be of help, in between flossing, teeth brushing and rinsing with Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide mouthwash. Chewing parsley, cilantro, basil, or mint also helps maintain a fresh breath. In general, the incidence of halitosis is less among vegetarians. But the regimen must include all measures listed
dents tend to be located in “hot spots” across San Mateo County, including East Menlo Park, Redwood City, East Palo Alto, and North Fair Oaks. Outreach efforts will target these “hot spots” by partnering with trusted, community-based organizations to raise public awareness to connect county residents to health coverage. This year’s enrollment brings new insurer Oscar to San Mateo County residents as well as existing insurers Kaiser, Blue Shield, Anthem, Chinese Community Health Plan, and Health Net. Enrollment counselors are available to talk through the best cost and coverage with each plan and find the right one for each person and family. The deadline to renew or enroll in Covered California health insurance is January 31, 2017. To avoid any gaps in coverage or a tax penalty, you must enroll by December 15, 2016 so coverage will begin on January 1, 2017. A list of enrollment locations and times as well as the languages spoken at each center is available at www.smcgov. org/healthcoverage. Local inperson enrollment assistance is available by calling (650) 6162002 or 1 (800) 223-8383. San Mateo County residents can also enroll directly through Covered California’s website: www.CoveredCA.com. n
time you see your lover or a close friend, or relative, beg them to be above in order to be effective. brutally candid with you and tell Do people know they have you if you have bad breath. This bad breath? honesty will show them you care It is odd but most people with and are considerate. The revchronic halitosis do not know elation might even change your they have it. Their own sense of reputation and love life forever, smell is so conditioned to the bad for the better. breath in their mouth to the point *** that they do not even perceive Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac or know they have halitosis. And Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and their friends and relatives (in- chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to cluding most spouse) would not 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, even tell them, “to spare” them where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus the embarrassment (which ac- in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. tually leads to more widespread He is a Fellow of the American College of embarrassment because of the Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, persistence of this very offensive and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular but treatable problem, one which Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the can ruin one’s reputation, busi- Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) ness, and social life.) One trick to humanitarian foundation in the United States. find out is by licking your fore- For more data, visit philipSchua.com; Email: arm and smelling it. The next scalpelpen@gmail.com
“BLACK Friday” is the busiest shopping day of the year, with people lining up at midnight for deals as they begin the busy holiday shopping season. More people than ever are taking advantage of online holiday deals. “Cyber Monday” is the day internet-savvy people search for deals, all online. You’re smart, and you probably already know there’s more than one way to find value on the internet. For example, Social Security offers many online services to the public — and they’re free and secure! Doing business online with Social Security will also save time. The feeling of instant gratification is like clicking submit on that online shopping cart. Some of the most popular online services you’ll find at www. socialsecurity.gov. Each site is safe and secure. Need a replacement Social Security card? You may be able to request your replacement card without visiting a local Social Security office. Still working and wondering what future Social Security benefits you might receive? The online Social Security Statement is a smart service that is a hit with the millions of people who’ve used it. Your online Statement provides you with a record of your past earnings along with projected earnings for future years to give you estimates of future Social Security benefits. Do you already get Social Security benefits? You can use your online account to manage your benefits, such as starting or changing Direct Deposit, getting an instant proof of benefits letter, and much more. Just go to www. socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
The Retirement Estimator is another easy way to get an instant, personalized estimate of your future Social Security benefits. Just enter some basic information and the Estimator will use information on your Social Security record, along with what you input, to give you a benefit estimate on the spot. You can even experiment with different scenarios, such as changing your future earnings and retirement date. Check it out in English at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator or in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov/calculador. The online Retirement Application is the most convenient way to apply for Social Security retirement benefits. You can apply from the comfort of your home — it’s convenient and secure. In fact, you can apply online in as little as 15 minutes. In most cases, after you submit the application electronically, you’re done. There are no forms to sign and, usually, no documentation is required. Social Security will
process your application and contact you if any further information is needed. When you’re ready to retire, apply at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline. Business Services Online is our one-stop shop for small business owners. The site allows organizations and authorized people to conduct business with and submit confidential information to Social Security. Employers can use it to file W-2s for their employees the fast, convenient, and paperless way — online. Visit Business Services Online at www.socialsecurity.gov/bso. Social Security’s online services continually receive the highest customer satisfaction ratings in both the public and private sectors. Each site uses the highest security to keep your information safe. Learn more about all you can do online at Social Security on Cyber Monday, or any day, at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices. (Eric Phillips /Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Sacramento, CA)
Helen Esperanza Catubig August 18, 1946 – October 28, 2016
HELEN Esperanza Catubig, 70, passed away Friday at her home in Vallejo surrounded by her family. Visitation will be held 1-9 p.m. Thursday at Twin Chapels Mortuary, 1100 Tennessee St., Vallejo. Visitation will also be held 2-5 p.m. Friday with vigil services from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Friday at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, 3450 Tennessee St., Vallejo. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will immediately follow at All Souls Catholic Cemetery, 550 Glen Cove Rd., Vallejo. Arrangements entrusted to the direction and care of Twin Chapels Mortuary, Vallejo (707) 552-6696. www.TwinChapelsMortuary.com n
CJ
NOVEMBER 4-10, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
Friday, November 4, 2016
SF2
cover story The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - November 4, 2016
Joseph Lim’s ‘Half of My Life: The Testimony of a Father and His Special Needs Child’
A true story of unconditional love and unwavering faith by Malou liwanag-Bledsoe / AJPress ONE of the things that parents wish for is for their child to grow up normal and healthy. So when Joseph Lim and his wife first found out about their son Jordan’s autism, they were devastated, even though they had a feeling about it. “We noticed for some time that Jordan was behind his social development and his speech was delayed. But our fears were finally confirmed with the diagnosis of autism,” said Joseph in an e-mail interview with the Asian Journal. “But still, our hearts broke for him. For so many years he was misunderstood. I can only imagine how hard it must have been on him to be misjudged all this time but unable to speak up for himself.” With all the frustration, anger and pain in watching his son fight through the challenges as well as battling hard for Jordan’s services and care, Joseph decided to write a poem entitled, “Half My Life.” Years later, it grew into a biographical journal of Jordan and his family. “Being autistic, Jordan is not able to communicate effectively. He can speak fine, but cannot express his thoughts and feelings well. He can’t hold a lengthy conversation,” he said and then added, “And I can clearly see the frustration in his eyes and body language when he can’t get
Joseph with Jordan.
his point across properly. So with this book, I have the opportunity to speak for him. I can be his voice when he cannot speak for himself. I know my son better than most anyone else, and with this book I hope to do him justice.” Joseph shared that the challenges in writing the book was mainly emotional. There were positive experiences, but of course there were difficult ones. One thing that stands out for him was the chapter when he talked about Jordan’s diabetes. “Interestingly, when I first started writing my book, Jordan only had autism. But in the middle of writing it, he developed Type 1 diabetes. All of a sudden his health issues became more than just social and developmental, they are also physical. His life is at stake now. This added an entirely new level of difficulty to his challenges and a whole new dimension to his story that I needed to tell. “I recall numerous times during the editing process and even as I read through my book today when I had to take a break because it was too difficult.” Published by Christian Faith Publishing, “Half My Life: The Testimony of a Father and His Special Needs Child” is a vivid chronicle of the highlights and struggles one family experiences
Joseph and Jordan with the rest of their family
with a special child diagnosed with autism and diabetes. Despite the challenges, Joseph and the rest of the family consider Jordan to be one of their greatest blessings on earth. Joseph also acknowledges that although he lets all his children know that he will always be there for them, it was his wife who did majority of the legwork in dealing with Jordan’s autism. “...She took the bull by the horns,” he said. “She did the research, attended seminars, read books, talked to experts and other parents. Through her diligence motivated by her love, Jordan has several services provided to him.” It was also his wife who completely opened his eyes about the reality of Jordan’s condition. “She said, ‘You know what…If you can’t even try to understand your own son, then how can you expect others to?’ That statement whipped me back into place. Because I realized that if anything is to happen for Jordan’s benefit, and if anyone’s attitude is to improve towards him, then it has to begin with me. From that point forward, I would never misunderstand Jordan again, not intentionally. I already loved him as my son, but I became his biggest fan under all circumstances. Of course, ultimately, they turn to God for strength and guidance to push through all the challenges. “We don’t know what His purpose is in Jordan being the way he is, but we put our full trust in Him,” Joseph said. “ I realize that not everyone reading this may share the same religious beliefs as I have, or even believes in God. But I know that every family deals with their struggles their own way. And I’m just explaining the way that I dealt with mine; it’s through my faith in God.” Joseph wants to reach out and ask for people’s support by purchasing the book and spreading the word about it. Explaining that it’s not about him personally, but is actually for a good cause because a portion of the book sales goes to selected charities for autism, diabetes, and special kids. “(Certainly,) I want to reach the special ed
community – in particular, the families of other special needs children. To inspire them and let them know that they’re not alone in their struggle. I know every child is unique, every situation is different, and the dynamics of every family vary by household. But for the most part, I believe we can relate,” Joseph explained and then added, “After all, we share a common challenge in working through our children’s conditions, and we share a common desire to obtain the best services and benefits for them. And to the general public, I’m hoping that my book brings about greater awareness of special conditions, and compassion towards these awesome kids and their families.” At present, their family is working hard to prepare Jordan for the future. “ Jordan has many awesome qualities. He’s loving and friendly, he loves greeting people, he likes to read people’s name tags at stores, and he’s a stickler for schedule and routines. We plan to use these characteristics to get Jordan a viable job when he becomes an adult. He will still need full time supervision, but at least he’ll be working. We’re trying to get him to be as independent as possible even though we know he will need total care for the rest of his life. This is actually one of our biggest concerns. What will become of Jordan when my wife and I are no longer earth? Fortunately, my wonderful daughters have agreed to care for their brother when we’re gone. Furthermore, whoever they marry will need to love Jordan too. They can never mistreat him. If they truly love my daughters, they will also love my son. My daughters have agreed to find men who are willing to make that commitment, and I trust my girls completely.” “Half My Life: The Testimony of a Father and His Special Needs Child” is available at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, Kobo or Barnes and Noble. On social media: www.facebook.com/HalfMy-Life-The-Testimony-of-a-Father-and-His-Special-Needs-Child-619100761589405/?fref=ts.
entertainment SF3
Goodbye America, hello China
Some thoughts on Duterte’s ‘US separation’ announcement
By Monet
Lovi Poe gives love another shot by Lhar
Santiago ManilaTimes.net
Lu
I remember writing about Philippine President rodrigo Duterte several months ago when he won the presidential election. I may or may have not said something about being 100 percent in favor of everything he says but I definitely remember expressing my admiration of the latter’s love for his parents (as shown in a video of the president sobbing over his parents’ grave). As I wrote in that article, I noticed such sentimentality in the Philippine president. even his bold remarks show his emotional side and – as I’ve observed lately – his entire way of thinking. In a state visit to beijing, the Philippine president announced his military and economic “separation” from the United States. “America has lost now. I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow,” he told business leaders in beijing on Thursday, October 20. “And maybe I will also go to russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and russia. It’s the only way.” The strong statement could’ve been explained clearly but the president failed to provide details about how he’d break away from the United States or what it would mean for the Filipinos and the U.S. government. because of that, different reactions are coming from all sides – majority being more ‘opposed’ than in agreement. reports indicate that about 1,000 anti-U.S. protesters gathered outside the U.S. embassy in manila calling for the removal of U.S. troops from the southern island of mindanao. As the standoff escalated, the local police ran over protesters who were preparing to storm the embassy. As a result of this dramatic collapse in U.S.-Philippine relations, the next U.S. president will have his or her hands full with not only the rapidly escalation standoff between russia and the U.S.
The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – November 4, 2016
Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping and Pres. Rodrigo Duterte
in Syria, with mending relations with one of the oldest U.S. allies in the Pacific rim. In a different article, it was reported that U.S. officials stressed the long history of diplomatic, military and financial ties between the two countries. Neil Jerome morales of reuters wrote in his article: “Philippine President rodrigo Duterte said on Friday he was not severing ties with his country’s longtime ally the United States, but merely pursuing a more independent foreign policy by strengthening relations with China. A day after he provoked fresh diplomatic alarm by announcing his ‘separation’ from Washington, Duterte struck a more conciliatory tone as he arrived back in the Philippines after a four-day visit to beijing.” “It is not severance of ties. When you say severance of ties, you cut diplomatic relations. I cannot do that,” the Philippine leader told reporters at a midnight news conference in his southern home city of Davao. “It’s in the best interest of my countrymen to maintain that relationship.” The Philippine president clarified his comments on Friday and said that what he meant was that manila’s foreign policy need not always rely with Washington. “As in separation, what I was really saying was separation of foreign policy,” he said. “In the past, and until I became president, we always follow what the United States would give the cue,” he said. The White House had
responded to the “separation” speech by saying there had been “too many” troubling statements from Duterte recently. meanwhile, earlier officials in manila had a lot of explaining to do about the president’s controversial announcement. “In terms of economic (ties), we are not stopping trade, investment with America,” Trade minister ramon Lopez told CNN Philippines. He said the Philippines was “breaking being too much dependent on one side.” In the same interview, Duterte’s spokesman, ernesto Abella, said the president had been making a “restatement” of his bid to chart an independent foreign policy. Duterte wanted to “separate the nation from dependence on the U.S. and the West, and rebalance economic and military relations with Asian neighbors” like China, Japan and South Korea, Abella said in statement. As with most of what Duterte said in the past, misinterpretations have been thrown from different sectors. I think that is a given considering how the president seems to say something else but mean another. I believe it would help if he would provide more details whenever he announces something as bold as a ‘separation’ – especially when it involves international alliance – one that has been around for decades. Coming from someone who’s been living in the United States for sometime, it brings me more confusion than clarity Continued on Page SF5
LOvI Poe has no idea how her mother will react when the former actress rowena moran gets to see her hot and intimate scenes with Derek ramsay and Christopher De Leon in the upcoming sexy drama “The escort.” “I’m gonna cringe in my seat at the premiere night knowing that my mom’s watching me,” she laughingly told Showbuzz. “I just can’t imagine my mom thinking that her baby’s not a baby anymore!” Lovi insists, however, that she has nothing to be ashamed of with her scenes in the movie. even the most intimate ones, she explained, are not vulgar and she credits their director enzo Williams (“bonifacio Ang Unang Pangulo”) for it. “Direk enzo was very careful during our shoot, and he made sure the [bed]scenes were artistically done. We gave him our full trust because we know he’s that good, and we’re very proud of the finished product,” she added.
Lovi Poe
Lovi said the story of “The escort” justified the need to show skin, and she understood it was required of her from the beginning. Lovi has two men falling for her in the regal entertainment offering—Christopher, a rich and powerful man who hires her as an escort, and Derek, a former escort himself
and owner of the agency who thought he could never love again. In real life, however, Lovi who earlier broke up from a two-year relationship with rocco Nacino, is far from torn between two loves. It is clear she has moved on especially with a Filipino-French suitor Continued on Page SF4
JC De Vera wins Best Actor for gay role THIrTy-year-old AbS-CbN actor JC De vera won his very first acting plum when he bagged the best Actor award at the 2016 QCinema International Film Festival. He was singled out from the rest of the nominees for his portrayal of a closeted gay who finds himself in prison in the independent film “best. Partee. ever.” Directed by HF yambao, De vera gave a compelling performance of mikey—a young, discreet, gay man from the affluent class, who spends five years in a city jail while the courts hear his case for drug pushing. Inside prison, mikey makes a huge effort to Continued on Page SF4 JC De Vera clutches his trophy for his portrayal of a gay inmate in ‘Best. Partee. Ever.’
SF4
celebrityworld
The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - November 4, 2016
celebrity world By Ferdie Villar After almost two months of vacation (something she has never done before in her longstanding career), Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo is back to work. “Yes, 100 percent back na,” Sarah said in an interview with Push.com “Yung mindset ko is talagang energized, mas motivated to work even harder. Kasi dumarating din sa stage ng buhay natin na ano ba ‘yung purpose ko, bakit ko ba ito ginagawa, ano ba ‘yung kulang ko?” the singer-actress also said that she realized that she shouldn’t work for other people to please them. “’Yung main goal mo dapat is to share whatever you have. Kung ano ‘yung binigay sa ‘yo ng Panginoon, regardless kung magbunga siya ng konti or sangkatutak,” she excitedly shared and added, “Ang pinaka-importante is to glorify and honor Him sa kung ano ang ginagawa mo sa buhay mo.” for now, Sarah intends to focus on her singing and recording career, but there is a possibility of doing a movie as well. “I’d like to focus more sa music ko at i-promote ‘yung nakaraang album ko. Hindi ko talaga na-promote nang maayos. We are planning na talagang mailabas ‘yung magagandang tracks dito sa latest album ko,” she shared. Sarah is also preparing for her major concert, while getting ready for a special show for her album “the Great Unknown” which recently reached platinum. *** Congratulations to Lotlot de Leon on her Special Acting Citation given to her during the
Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo says she’s 100 percent back to work
Grand Knights of Columbus in Northern California Pat Ancheta will celebrate his birthday on Saturday, Nov. 12. Savor Filipino was recently presented by The Lifestyle Network, a premium cable channel by The Filipino Channel (TFC), and represented in the event by Ms. Olivia “Chinky” De Jesus, ABS-CBN North America Managing Director and Mr. Jun Del Rosario, AVP for Global Distribution.
Congratulations to Lotlot de Leon on her Special Acting Citation given to her during the All Lights India International Film Festival (which is part of the Indywood Film Carnival last Sept. 24-27 in Hyderabad, India.
All Lights India International film festival (which is part of the Indywood film Carnival last Sept. 24-27 in Hyderabad, India. Lotlot was cited for her role in the indie movie, “1st Sem,” which was made by first-time directors Dexter Hemedez and Allan Ibanez. the actress shared that she didn’t know she was nominated, adding that she thought it was only the directors who were considered for an award. the film was nominated in the International Competition for Debut Directors category. After directors Allan and Dexter were announced as winners, the hosts of the awards night explained that the board of jury decided to give Lotlot a special citation. It was the first time in the festival’s history to do this. “Hindi talaga ako makapaniwala,” Lotlot said. “Hindi ko kasi ine-expect.”
After almost two months of taking a break from showbiz, Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo now said that she is back to work 100 percent.
Handsome actor/singer Ariel Rivera is now with GMA 7 Kapuso playing the lead role in the teleserye, “Hahamakin ang Lahat,” opposite Eula Valdez and Snooky Serna.
*** there were two special guests during the birthday of James Yap’s Italian girlfriend, Michela Cazzola. Bimby, James’ son with Kris Aquino and his older brother Josh Aquino, attended the simple celebration, along with the couple’s new baby, MJ. In an Instagram post last Oct. 27, James thanked Bimby and Josh for being with them during the special occasion. “thank you Kuya Josh and
In this Instagram post by Kris Aquino a weeked ago shows her son Bimby meeting her half brother, MJ for the first time.
Kuya Bimb for celebrating tita Mic’s birthday with us,” he posted. According to Kris, it was Michela who personally invited Josh and Bimby to join them for her birthday celebration. It was only recently that Kris and Bimby went over to the
Kris Aquino’s sons Bimby and Josh were special guests at James Yap’s girlfriend, Michela Cazzola’s birthday recently. Also in picture is the couple’s new baby, MJ. (Photo from James Yap’s Instagram)
couple’s residence so that the latter can finally meet his new brother. In her Instagram post, Kris shared a picture of Bimby and MJ with the caption, “I reached out to James & asked if it would be okay for Bimb to meet his baby brother. I prayed a lot for
this day to arrive when we’d all be ready, because I just want what is best for my bunso. thank you James & Mic for graciously welcoming us into your home. Mic went out of her way to prepare carbonara for Bimb & to bake an Italian chocolate pie for our merienda.”
Imelda Schweighart in hot water Eula Valdez gives love another chance for controversial statements by Ricky
by Rosette
cAldeRon ManilaTimes.net
Adel
AWArD-winning actress eula Valdez revealed that she and her model-cum-actor boyfriend rocky Salumbides have parted ways for a month now. She admitted this to a few members of media at the launch of the new GMA Network “Afternoon Prime” offering Hahamakin Lahat, where she co-stars with Snooky Serna and Ariel rivera, together with young loveteam Joyce Ching and Kristoffer Martin. eula said never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that she and her partner
Philstar.com
IMeLDA Schweighart on Monday, Oct. 31 voluntarily resigned as Miss Philippinesearth. Organizers of Miss earth and Miss Philippines-earth, Carousel Productions, subsequently accepted Schweighart’s resignation. Schweighart’s resignation came after failing to win the Miss earth title and after her controversial statements. Miss ecuador Katherine espin was named Miss earth 2016 and Schweighart failed to make it to the top 16 last Saturday, Oct. 29. Soon after, a video posted by a netizen showing Schweighart approaching her supporters and criticizing the winner went viral. the Philippine candidate on Monday apologized for her statement, saying what she said was “unmindful.” She said she only meant to say the newly-crowned Miss earth 2016 had had cosmetic procedures done on parts of her body. “Hindi ko naman mini-mean na malait siya (espin). Actually, she said it herself na she underwent surgery but how I said it... I was so unmindful while I was saying it,” Schweighart said in a televised phone patch interview with CNN. “And If it’s a crime to tell the truth I’m sorry,” she said. Schweighart explained that she was talking to her supporters, with whom she is comfortable. She said a bystander took a video of her from afar and posted that online. Miss Philippines’ gown allegedly stolen the Philippine bet said the statement was supposed to be private. She, however, said she is not bitter but only offended, because her gown was “stolen”. “Akala ko lang they would understand but someone took a video from afar and post it online,” Schweighart said.
of eight years break up, as they never had any major conflicts. that’s why when eula felt something was not right she took the initiative to iron things out. She was the one who sought out her partner for a talk. She even consulted her kids and heard their thoughts about her relationship with rocky. Should she fight for their love? And her kids said yes. So, for the love of rocky, eula decided they deserve another chance at love. So is love indeed lovelier the second time around? “Most definitely,” the Gawad Urian best actress awardee for Dagitab declared.
Lovi Poe gives love... From Page SF3
Imelda Schweighart on Monday voluntarily quits as Miss Philippines-Earth.
“Honestly, I’m not bitter I’m just offended… Why? Because the gown I was supposed to wear was given to ecuador. I fitted the gown,” she said. Schweighart said the yellow gown worn by espin was taken from the Philippines’ cubicle since the designer failed to finish espin’s. Schweighart also said Miss earth-Guam let her borrow her own gown becayse she was left with nothing to wear. “It wasn’t explained to me at that time. It was just taken away from me, I have nothing to wear,” she said. A video of Schweighart wearing the controversial gown was also posted on her facebook page. Schweighart lamented that
she was being bashed for her comments. “Seriously, I wouldn’t be here in this industry if I have a bad attitude because I wouldn’t endure the pain if I am what they say I am,” she said. She stressed that she did not mean to offend Miss ecuador whom she does not know very well. Weeks before the pageant, Schweighart was also in hot water and drew flak after she likened President rodrigo Duterte to former German leader Adolf Hitler. “Oh my God! Our president is doing Hitler stuff here in the Philippines,” she said in a video with the contestant from Austria. that video also went viral.
named Chris Johnson in the midst. the actress doesn’t deny that she has grown fond of Chris who visited her for a few days just the other week. “I really appreciate that he exerts effort to please me. Imagine how he has to fly from the other side of the world just to see me. Sino ba naman ang hindi kikiligin?” talking more about the visit, she added, “We really
had fun. I really like how he’s truthful with whatever he feels. I also like the kind of attention he showered me with. I wish he could’ve stayed longer because he’s such a fun person to be with, but he had to go back to europe to work. Ako din naman, I have to work,” Lovi enthused. the daughter of the late King of Philippine Movies is indeed busy with a bustling career, as well as inspired for sure. Besides promoting “the escort,” she also continues to
tape for her top-rated prime time series on GMA Network, “Someone to Watch Over Me.” “We’re so overwhelmed with the show’s success not only in the ratings but from the good feedback as well,” Lovi enthused. “A lot of people have been congratulating not just me but my co-stars tom rodriguez, edu Manzano, and Max Collins because of the way the information about Alzheimer’s disease is being weaved into the very exciting story.”
JC De Vera wins Best Actor... From Page SF3 adapt to the culture and stratification among inmates, and eventually becomes “mayor” [ring leader] to a group of gay inmates called “Gang-da”. together, they thrive to survive the dangers of gang riots, the mundane, and the decay of human dignity. talking to the reporters at the festival’s awards night on October 18 at the Quezon City Interactive Museum, De Vera was ecstatic: “this is my first acting award, my first indie film and first gay role! All
of this was a surprise—very unexpected. I never thought I would reach a point [in my career] that I’d receive an acting award.” Despite the challenges of a gay role, De Vera shared he had no second thoughts in accepting first-time director Yambao’s offer. He admitted he was overwhelmed through the shoot, recalling, “All the hardships I encountered when we were shooting inside jail, the 30-second kiss—all of those paid off in the end.” elaborating on his experience, he added, “every part
of portraying Mikey was hard. I was struggling through the entire filming. It wasn’t comfortable in the Pampanga City Jail to start with, and then there were sensitive scenes I had to do for the first time.” Asked if “Best. Partee. ever.” signals his openness to more daring projects, De Vera replied, “I’m not so sure, but on the other hand I think I really have to take risky roles like this for the love of the craft and for my career. this [award]is the best experience that God has given me,” he ended. (ManilaTimes.net)
entertainment
PePe herrerA’S TrANSITIoN
how musician and theater stalwart became primetime TV’s favorite comic by ChriStian
akpad ManilaTimes.net
WheN he was in third grade, young Pepe herrera’s teacher asked him and the other boys in his class to lineup in front of the room. one by one, the teacher asked them to sing a line from Florante’s “Ako’y Isang Pinoy.” Not knowing what it was actually for, herrera—Jose Nicolas emmanuel herrera in real life—sang to his heart’s content until his teacher told him, “oK. You got it.” “At that moment, I thought, ‘Uy, it seems like I have something beautiful to share that’s why I was chosen.’ As it turned out, I would be singing that song for a play. As far as I could remember, I was the only child, among adult performers, in that production.” herrera recalled in an interview with The Manila Times. he loved the experience so much that auditions for his school’s choir and other school productions ensued. “It took off from there and I eventually fell in love with music,” herrera continued, reminiscing the time he realized he wanted to pursue the art. Currently a staple talent on primetime TV as Coco Martin’s reliable confidant and asset Benny in ABS-CBN’s FPJ’s “Ang Probinsyano,” not too many know how deeply rooted the 29year old is in music. For one, his innocent and pure love for the art led him to obtain a degree in Music education from University of Santo Tomas’ Conservatory of Music. he was also part of the university’s prestigious choral ensemble Coro Tomasino until he graduated in 2011. Moreover, the musically inclined herrera took a job as a grade school music teacher for a multiple intelligence international school while teaching drums and voice at Music Garden
Pepe Herrera
Manila. FPJ’s “Ang Probinsyano’s” regular viewers might also find it hard to connect the sometimes timid but extremely funny guy Benny with the high note-hitting opera singer in one persona. But truth be told, the musician turned primetime TV actor was indeed part of such operas as the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ “Die Fledermaus” (2009) and Lyropera’s “Carmen” (2012). From there, he went on to do plays inlcuding KAPI’s “hua Mulan” and Peta Theater’s “Pamana.” To be sure, theater fans will best remember the pre-”Probinsyano” herrera as Tolits in the hit original jukebox musical and one of the longest-running local productions, “rak of Aegis.” herrera essayed the role of the comic lover boy in 2014, and like his co-stars—Jerald Napoles, Kim Molina and Benj Manalo, among others—found himself in a different medium due to the musical’s popularity. “I still consider it as my biggest theater break. It was a very nice gateway. The play itself,
opened a lot of doors not for the cast but for the entertainment and more so in the theater world. I think after rak, a lot of production companies were inspired to do original jukebox musical,” herrera explained, citing Chuvachoo and Ako si Josephine as examples. The two musicals used Vehnee Saturno and Yeng Constantino’s songs respectively. Acting adjustments While his role as Tolits—and his natural comic side—might have prepared him to breathe life into another funny character, Benny, herrera admitted that he had to adjust his theater style when he crossed over to television. “It took me some time to adjust to the angles of the camera because in theater, as long as you are favoring the audience, you are on the right path. But in television, several cameras are in your front, back and side angles. You can’t really go amiss with the blocking,” herrera detailed. “Also, one of the reasons why I love Coco Martin is that he taught me how to pace my
SF5
The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - November 4, 2016
Julie Ann San Jose thrives by Lhar
Santiago ManilaTimes.net
No day-off. That’s how Julie Ann San Jose describes her work schedule these days, and she chooses it to be so. She tapes for her new soap “Pinulot Ka Lang Sa Lupa” with rumored boyfriend Benjamin Alves Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and rehearses for her upcoming concert with Christian Bautista, Julie Ann Meets Christian Tuesdays and Thursdays. Saturdays are set aside to practice her numbers for “Sunday Pinasaya,” which goes live the next day. “I’ve been used to this kind of schedule,” a thriving Julie Ann told “Showbuzz” over lunch in a Quezon City resto. “And it isn’t always like this all the time. There also days when I just stay at home and rest. It just so happens that I’ve got a concert and a series happening at the same time. And I’m not complaining because I love it when I’m busy, the workaholic that I am.” What particularly excites Julie Ann is her concert with acting. he particularly taught me how to level my energy in scenes as I had the tendency, most especially in comic ones, to maintain high emotion—like how I used to do in theater. I was delivering my lines as if I was always on the edge. he taught me to divide my lines in two parts, I can go really high on the first, and be subtle in delivering the second half,” the actor continued. From his new found fame, it looks like his adjustments paid off. Today, herrera enjoys recognition wherever he goes and people would call him by his character. But more than the popularity, herrera said he is thankful for the bond that the cast has formed on the set of Probinsyano. he also divulged that they are now gunning to bring
Julie Ann San Jose
Christian on November 11 at the Kia Theater. “I am really preparing for this. of course, it’s the Christian Bautista I’m sharing the stage with so I have to do good. I tell you, people who will see the concert will go home satisfied because the prod numbers are really big. Kakaiba siya,” she assured. As for her soap, people are almost the same cast on the big screen. While he cannot reveal the title just yet, herrera said they are halfway done shooting the movie with Martin and “Probinsyano” child stars onyok and Aura, among others. The Star Cinema production will be submitted for consideration to the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival this month, having experienced the different facets of singing and acting, The Manila Times finally asked what medium herrera—recognized as CineFilipino 2016’s Best Actor for his portrayal in the movie “Sakaling hindi Makarating”—is most comfortable with. “Theater, TV or film, live performances and engagements—I am oK doing whichever just as long as I perform,” herrera intimated in ending.
teasing Julie Ann that she is inspired whenever she comes to the set because of Benjamin. But Julie Ann just smiles at the topic of the actor. She admits they are very close and she considers him special. So are they together? “What you see is what you get!” she beamed.
Goodbye America... From Page SF3
and ‘independence’ to think that ‘breaking ties’ with the U.S. is the right course of action. I could be wrong but I’m convinced that I am NoT the only one who sees this as unnecessary. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning 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 allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com
SF6
The As ian Jour na l SF M A G A Z I NE - N ov em b e r 4 , 2 0 1 6
seafood city fpfc