Filipino American family mourns...

and develop a “roadmap for defense modernization”.

On Wednesday, January 18, President Marcos expressed renewed concern over the South China Sea including tense interactions between U.S. and Chinese warships in the area.

“If something goes wrong here we are going to suffer,” Marcos said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

During his 2016-2022 presidency, Duterte repeatedly made public his doubts that the United States would come to the aid of the Philippines in the event of armed conflict with China, despite their defense pact.

He worked to build ties with Beijing to bring in trade and investment, while setting aside the territorial dispute.

Kritenbrink reiterated Friday what he called “America’s ironclad commitment to the security of the Republic of the Philippines”. (Philstar.com with reports from AFP)

“Overnight, we became unwilling members of a community who has to mourn the loss of our loved ones due to gun violence. We are left frustrated, stuck with this vicious cycle,” the family said.

The family also shared what Alvero was like, describing him as “a loving father, a dedicated son and brother, a grandfather who loved his three granddaughters fiercely, an uncle who loved his nieces and nephews like his own.”

The family noted his love for dancing and community, describing Alvero as “the life of any party”; the shooting had taken place during a Lunar New Year celebration at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio.

“Most importantly, please remember that Valentino is more than just a headline or a news story,” the family affirmed. “He loved people and hearing about their lives and in return, he shared his own stories with so much gusto and enthusiasm that you couldn’t help but listen and laugh along with him.”

The family added that Alvero was a devout Catholic and asked fellow Catholics to pray for him by his baptismal name, Valentino Marcos Alvero. Stated in Kwan’s post, Alvero “was a faithful servant of God and we know he would want the world to lift his family in prayer more than anything.”

Following the events in Monterey Park and the confirmation of a Filipino victim, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles said in an official statement that it is ready to help out in whatever way they can in the aftermath of the tragedy.

“Our prayers go out to the families of the victims and we mourn with them during this lunar new year festival, which is supposed to be a time of gathering and celebration,” the consulate’s office said on Tuesday, January 24.

They added, “The Consulate General understands his family’s desire for privacy and space during this time of unimaginable difficulty. Nevertheless, we are ready to assist them in whatever possible way should they reach out for any help we could give.”

In addition to Alvero, the LA coroner’s office confirmed the identities of three other Star

Ballroom victims: 65-year-old My Nhan, 63-year-old Lilian Li, and 57-year-old Xiujuan Yu. These three were three of the six women who were killed.

Nhan’s family said in a statement that Nhan was an enthusiastic dancer whose kindness radiated.

“Unfairly, Saturday was her last dance. We are starting the Lunar New Year broken. We never imagined her life would end so suddenly,” Nhan’s family shared.

The LA Coroner’s Office released the identities of the remaining victims: Lilian Li, 63; Diana Tom, 70; Chia Yau, 77; Yu Kao, 72; Hong Jian, 62; Muoi Ung, 68; Wen Yu, 64.

The investigation into “why” ensues

As of Tuesday, Los Angeles County officials are working alongside local police departments in the investigation of the shooting, which authorities confirmed was carried out by a lone 72-year-old Asian man named Huu Can Tran.

Like Alvero, all the victims who passed away were over 50 years old.

“What drove a madman to do this? We don’t know, but we intend to find out,” said LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press briefing. After the massacre, Tran had driven to neighboring Alhambra, to another dance hall where he reportedly planned a second shooting.

But at the second location, an employee named Brandon Tsay wrestled with the shooter and was able to take Tran’s modified 9 mm submachine gun-style semi- automatic weapon away from him before Tran fled the scene, officials said.

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom met with Tsay, whose grandparents founded the dance hall.

“This remarkable young man who, without hesitation [and] though with moments of fear, took it upon himself to save countless lives — who knows how many lives he saved,” Newsom said of Tsay.

Tsay told reporters that while he’s proud of his actions, he noted that he wanted the focus to be on the victims and their families.

“Some of these people I know personally. They come to our studio. It’s a tight-knit community and I hope they can heal from this tragic event,” Tsay said.

Law enforcement said that the day after the shooting, Tran was found in a Torrance parking lot in a white van, dead from a selfinflicted gunshot.

The legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice of Southern California joined other Asian American advocacy groups in raising funds to support the Monterey Park victims.

The GoFundMe is seeking $750,000 and so far has raised $503,293. The coalition running the fundraiser said that 100% of the funds would be distributed to the victims and their families.

While this fundraiser is legitimate, California Attorney General Rob Bonta — who is Filipino American — warned Californians against fraudulent