020324 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

FEBRUARY 3-6, 2024 Volume 34 - No. 10 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

US assures the Philippines of ‘unwavering support’ in strengthening economy

by BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO ManilaTimes.net

TRADITION. People check out the boxes of “tikoy” sold at a stall along Ongpin Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila on Thursday, Feb. 1. Serving the sticky rice cake is a Chinese New Year tradition as its sticky consistency symbolizes a healthy bond among family members. This year’s Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 10.

PNA photo by Yancy Lim

DATELINE

USA

MANILA — The United States assured the Philippines of its "unwavering" support for Manila's economic resilience and supply chain diversification, said U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment Jose Fernandez.

Fernandez recently embarked on a 10-day trip to Vietnam, the Philippines, and South Korea to discuss ways to strengthen U.S.’ economic cooperation in the Indo-

Pacific region.

"In the Philippines we assured our partners of our unwavering support for the Philippines' economic resilience and supply chain diversification," Fernandez said on Thursday, February 1 in an online briefing.

"We also focused on expanding our already strong trade relations and investment opportunities in many areas. And one new area that we spent some time on is on critical nickels," he said.

"The Philippines is interested

in exploring opportunities in the critical mineral sector," Fernandez said.

He added, "One of the things that we talked about is how we establish a closer, working relationship with the mineral security partnership in order to allow potential projects in the Philippines not just in nickel but in cobalt and in copper [as well]."

When asked whether the U.S. is interested to forge a critical minerals agreement with the Philippines similar to  PAGE A2

Pres. Marcos insists ‘Uniteam’ remains intact despite word war with Dutertes

MANILA — The so-called “Uniteam” coalition is to come together for the good [of] the country,” still intact and functional, President Ferdinand Marcos Marcos said.

“And that is still there. It is still vibrant. It is still Jr. said after signs of cracks in his alliance with the working, and we will continue,” he added.

Dutertes emerged.

The president also said that Sara will retain her post Marcos maintained that his relationship with Vice President Sara Duterte is “exactly the same” even after as the country’s education chief.

The Marcoses and the Dutertes formed an alliance he and his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, engaged in ahead of the 2022 elections. Since then, however, their a war of words.

“If you remember ‘Uniteam’ is not just one party or relationship has seemingly fractured ahead of next President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. maintained that his relationship with Vice LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County President Sara Duterte is “exactly the same” even after he and his predecessor, Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) two parties or three parties. It’s the unification of all year’s midterm polls and the 2028 presidential race.

Malacañang photo  PAGE A1 Rodrigo Duterte, engaged in a war of words.

Dean C. Logan announced the mailing of Vote political, hopefully all political forces in the Philippines

by Mail (VBM) ballots to all registered voters for the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election.

Voters can track their ballot every step of the way with the Where’s My Ballot?tool – a free subscription that sends automatic notifications by text, email, or voicemail on the

by MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

by ELIZABETH MARCELO status of the ballot.

Philstar.com Philstar.com There are multiple easy return options available: MANILA — Accused of involvement in extrajudicial MANILA — Saying her family • Return by mail, no postage required killings by a former police officer, Vice President has suffered enough for decades, • Use one of 400+ Ballot Drop Box locations Sara Duterte has dared her accuser to sue her as she Sen. Imee Marcos said she would across Los Angeles County denied the allegation, which she branded as part of a never let anyone – including her • Drop off at a local Vote Center beginning “script” prepared by her political enemies. cousin, Speaker Martin RomualFebruary 24.

“According to this self-proclaimed witness, I was dez – spoil her family’s redempinvolved in the Oplan Tokhang of the Davao Death tion through his “deceptive” way  PAGE A2 Squad and the several incidents of extrajudicial of pushing for Charter change. killings (EJKs) in Davao. This script is new,” Duterte In an interview over ANC, Marsaid, referring to police officer Arturo Lascañas, in a cos dismissed claims that her video statement posted on her Facebook account on word war with Romualdez over Vice President Sara Duterte Photo from Thursday, February 1. the latest Charter change move Facebook/@MayorIndaySaraDuterteOfficial  PAGE A2 was just a “family squabble.”

“This is no mere family squabBECOMING a U.S. citizen is about to get ble. We’re talking about the Remore expensive, reports the Spanish-language public and the Constitution, and Senator Imee Marcos Philstar.com photo outlet La Opinión, with USCIS announcing the heart and soul of democracy a 5 percent increase in fees for processing here in our country,” Marcos Malacañang, the senator and naturalization applications. said. older sister to the President said The increase, scheduled to take effect April She accused her cousin of she would not allow their family’s 1, will raise the current fee by $35 bringing the their family’s second chance to go to waste. maritime expert Ray Powell, when he said squandering

by NESTOR CORRALES total to $760. Though, per USCIS, reduced fees Inquirer.net last week that China has deployed at least chances of redemption after the “We are the most fortunate will be available to low-income families.

50 maritime militia ships at Panganiban people power revolt that chased family on earth. We really fought This is the first fee increase since 2016.

MANILA — The Philippine Navy has ahead of another resupply mission to them into exile in February 1986. hard for this second chance 36 In a statement, USCIS Dir. Ur Jaddou said Marcos said she finds it “iron- years since we were exiled. Perspotted about 15 to 25 warships near Ayungin Shoal. the increase was intended to offset rising ic” that she is defending the “vin- haps this is the last chance for ‘Consistent’ presence Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, some 37 operational costs at the agency, which, she China seized control of Panganiban Reef dictive” 1987 Constitution that my family to redeem itself,” Markilometers southeast of Ayungin (Second said, receives little federal funding and is Thomas) Shoal where a grounded World in 1995 and has since developed it into a was crafted after the downfall of cos said. “Family ties no longer reliant on service fees. her father.

War II-era warship serves as a Philippine military base. have anything to do with this.”

“For the first time in more than seven years, “Whoever is pushing for this – Chinese warships were spotted around outpost.

Marcos on Tuesday, January USCIS is updating our fees to better meet the Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Ayungin in November and December last whether a blood relative or not – 30 led the Senate electoral reneeds of our agency, allowing us to provide newly appointed Navy spokesperson for year, but only two to five were seen at that I would oppose it,” Marcos said. forms committee inquiry into more timely decisions to those we serve,” The senator, in the interview, allegations of irregularity in the the West Philippine Sea (WPS), also said time.

Jaddou said. “Despite years of inadequate Then early this month, two Chinese recalled her family’s struggles latest push by the People’s Iniabout 200 Chinese maritime militia vessels, funding, the USCIS workforce has made great including 10 to 15 China Coast Guard Navy warships were seen already within after her father’s ouster and their tiative for Modernization and strides in customer service, reducing backlogs, (CCG) ships, were also spotted in the West the waters of western Luzon, as they exile to Hawaii.

Reform Action (PIRMA) to gathimplementing new processes and programs, Now that her brother – and Philippine Sea. This is higher than the figure cited by U.S.  PAGE A3  PAGE A2 their father’s namesake – is in  PAGE A3 FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

LA County begins sending vote by mail ballots for the 2024 presidential primary election

Sara denies involvement Imee won’t let anyone squander in Tokhang, death squad Marcoses’ redemption

USCIS to raise naturalization fees

More Chinese warships, maritime militia in West Philippine Sea

A2 FEBRUARY 3-6, 2024 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Sara denies involvement in Tokhang...

PAGE A1

my election as vice president.

And now I am already one of the accused before the International Criminal Court,” Duterte said.

“Aside from the timing, it is clear that there is a move to drag my name in this issue, for me to become an accused in the ICC [investigation],” she added.

Duterte, however, maintained her earlier position that the ICC has no right to meddle in the country’s local judicial affairs.

“The insistence of the ICC to meddle with our judiciary is an assault on our sovereignty. This is an insult to our dignity as Filipinos and our honor as the Philippine nation,” she said.

“There is no debate about it.

To the witness and the people surrounding him, go on and file a murder case against me, but here in the Philippines,” Duterte said.

Proceed with inquiry Sen. Bong Go, also linked to the extrajudicial killings by Lascañas, denied receiving orders from the former president to kill drug offenders and other criminals.

“Never did former President Duterte give me an illegal order,” he said.

“Personally, I’ve never possessed or seen such (murder) list in my whole life.

I will never do anything illegal or follow illegal orders from anyone,” he added.

He called Lascañas’ statement

“rehashed” and without proof.

“Nothing was proven, there was no proof,” he maintained.

If there is truth to Lascañas’ accusation, Go said people would have been charged by now.

“Their style stinks. It’s mudslinging meant to make them look clean,” Go said, referring to their critics.

“I’m focused on my job as senator, and I have no other purpose in life but to help and serve my fellow Filipinos,” he said.

“I hope we focus on promoting the interest of our countrymen instead of politicking and destroying others,” he added.

A counsel of the victims of the war on drugs said Duterte should allow the ICC to proceed with its investigation.

“The best solution to their dilemma and desperation actually is to allow the ICC to investigate and to formally register their denials in the court to allow the truth to be properly ventilated, and to pay genuine respect to the victims of the gravest indignities during their time in power,” lawyer Kristina Conti told The Star.

“Vice President Sara Duterte seems to be desperately grasping at straws now as allegations against her related to the Davao Death Squad and ‘war on drugs’ are surfacing.

But echoing her father’s faulty logic about the ICC investigation as an attack on sovereignty and the Filipino’s ‘dignity’ fails to convince,” Conti said.

“She was and is a ranking official who should have known, would have known about the killings and yet, did nothing. And why is she only speaking now? At the least, her inaction and silence as human rights violations rampaged and reigned in Davao and nationwide are indications of support and hallmarks of an enabling environment,” Conti added.

The Dutertes have denied the existence of death squads in Davao.

“We hope both Dutertes, both lawyers, stop skewing the crime that is being imputed: In a remote video interview with the media from an undisclosed location, police officer Arturo crimes against humanity are Lascañas accused the vice president and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, of widespread, systematic killings masterminding the execution of around 10,000 people in Davao City. and inhumane acts. Murder pales Philstar.com file photo in comparison,” she said. 

“In those years that I served as vice mayor and mayor of Davao City, my name was never linked to such issue,” she pointed out.

On Wednesday, January 31 in a remote video interview with the media from an undisclosed location, Lascañas accused the vice president and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, of masterminding the execution of around 10,000 people in Davao City.

Lascañas said Sara Duterte was the one who came up with the idea of “Oplan Tokhang” when she was Davao City mayor in 2012.

He said Duterte had instructed then Davao City police chief, now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, to kidnap and bury drug suspects, so these would be reported as cases of missing persons instead of killings.

Lascañas also claimed the former president was running shabu laboratories in Davao City. Rodrigo Duterte had earlier denied the allegations.

The vice president questioned the timing of Lascañas’ interview, saying it could be a desperate attempt to link her to EJKs and her father’s war on drugs amid the ongoing investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“All of a sudden, there is a witness against me following

BAYONG-ALL-YOU-CAN. Senate Pro Tempore Loren Legarda (left) puts sweetcorn in a native basket, locally known as bayong, during the launch of the bayong-all-you-can at the Senate in Pasay City on Thursday, February 1. The program involves giving the beneficiaries a basket they can fill with vegetables, sourced from farmers from northern Luzon provinces and Batangas through the non-profit organization Rural Rising Philippines (RuRi).

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

US assures the Philippines of...

PAGE A1 what it entered into with Japan, Fernandez said, "We did not talk about a critical minerals agreement," But the U.S. official said he had long discussions on critical minerals with concerned sectors in the Philippines.

"The Philippines is, after Indonesia, has the largest reserves of nickel in the world. And that's

an opportunity. It also matches what we have been trying to do," he said.

"It's part of diversifying our supply chains. One of those instruments is the mineral security partnership that I have spent a lot of time working on," Fernandez said. This is made up of 13 countries plus the European Union, he said.

"It's an agreement for all of us to

work together, to share information about projects, share investment opportunities, financing opportunities, work on recycling and to do all of these by following the highest environmental, social and governance principles," he said.

"That's an opportunity and I discussed that with my colleagues and several ministries in the Philippines," Fernandez said. 

LA County begins sending vote by mail...

PAGE A1 In a Presidential Primary Election, the political party preference a voter selected when they last registered to vote determines which Presidential candidates appear on the ballot.

Voters registered with No Party Preference (NPP) will receive a nonpartisan ballot without the Presidential contest.

NPP voters who want to vote for a Presidential candidate must

complete a few additional steps to receive their preferred ballot.

Full information and request details are available at LAVOTE. GOV/Crossover.

This election has a long ballot with many contests and candidates. Voters should review the instructions carefully and remember to sign and date the Return Envelope before submitting their ballot.

Eligible voters who have not

registered and want to vote by mail must register to vote by February 20, 2024, to be mailed a ballot.

The RR/CC provides translated election materials in 18 different languages. Voters can request to receive their materials in their preferred language by returning the Language Request Form on the back of the Sample Ballot Book, or by calling (800) 8152666, option 3. 

More Chinese warships, maritime militia...

PAGE A1

shadowed Philippine and U.S. Navy warships conducting drills off Cabra Island in Occidental Mindoro.

“Every now and then they get deployed all over the South China Sea,” Trinidad said at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.

“So a lot of these are under the [Chinese Navy’s] South Sea Fleet.

It’s their gray ships.”

He noted, however, that their presence is “really not alarming in terms of the numbers,” adding that the number of Chinese ships deployed to Philippine waters has been “consistent throughout the past years.”

He also said: “It is difficult to give you the exact number [of Chinese ships] at an exact point of time.” “[F]or the warships and the coast guard vessels, over the past, I would say, 8 to 10 years, the number has been fairly constant,” he said of the 15 to 25 warships and 10 to 15 CCG ships now seen at Panganiban.

Trinidad said “the escalation in the numbers” of Chinese ships began with the deployment of more militia vessels. “[W]hat we are really concerned about is their actions towards our own troops,” he said. “Of course, we will always look out for the welfare of troops on the contested waters.”

Chester Cabalza, president of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, said the Chinese Navy is known for its tortoise formation at sea.

“That means they always deploy their vessels and warships during peacetime… as a shield and first line of defense in times of conflict,” he told the Inquirer.

Cabalza suggested that the

Navy and Coast Guard “should also deploy a stand-by Philippine armada to safeguard our islands and other maritime features.”

“It is just fair to maintain those floating and parked vessels in our own internal waters without doing any commotion to antagonize the Chinese Navy and militia,” he said.

“That’s the reason that we have to increase bigger and faster ships to counter any eventuality,” he added.

He explained that this was not to escalate tensions “but to stage a strong presence in our own maritime domains.”

‘Balikatan’ near Taiwan Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced a “bigger” joint exercise between Philippine and American troops scheduled in April.

This year’s “Balikatan” drills would have “more challenges” and “more complexity,” and would include training in cyberspace and information warfare, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in the same press briefing with Trinidad.

“Aside from kinetic activities and litoral airspace and land space, we will also be doing exercises in the nonphysical domain such as cyberspace and information warfare,” she added.

The locations for the joint drills have yet to be determined. But Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Fernyl Buca said the AFP is considering the provincial capital of Basco in Batanes and uninhabited Mavulis, the northernmost of the Batanes islands which is some 250 km from Taiwan.

Beijing regards the selfgoverning island as a renegade province. Last year its embassy

in Manila expressed its objection to the establishment of sites in northern Luzon under the Philippines’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States.

The AFP said on Monday it is considering the country’s islands facing Taiwan as potential sites for the Balikatan drills.

Airdrop of supplies Padilla also said the airdrop of supplies to troops at Ayungin Shoal is now part of the AFP’s “operational mix.”

There had been suggestions since last year to deliver the supplies by air, but after repeated efforts by Chinese ships to block resupply missions to Philippine troops posted at the BRP Sierra Madre, the ship grounded at the shoal.

In August last year, the AFP’s Western Command said it was considering all options.

Padilla reiterated that position in a press briefing, but declined to elaborate on the details of the operation.

Nevertheless, the airborne mission has been accomplished, a senior military officer told defense reporters on condition of anonymity.

Trinidad also affirmed the government’s position that providing support by air or ship at Ayungin Shoal is “our constitutional mandate,” after China had claimed that its coast guard had not attempted to block the airdrop of supplies.

‘Necessary repairs’ The monthly rotation and resupply (Rore) mission by sea was last conducted in December.

A Rore mission scheduled on Jan. 20 and 21 was postponed because the resupply boat Unaizah Mae 1 needed repairs, Padilla said. 

The Philippine Navy has spotted about 15 to 25 warships near Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, some 37 kilometers southeast of Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal where a grounded World War II-era warship serves as a Philippine outpost.

Inquirer.net file photo

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 3-6, 2024 A3

In immigration debate, a ‘fight Imee won’t let anyone squander Marcoses’... over who gets to be an American’ PAGE A1

by PETER WHITE Ethnic Media Services

AS more people cross the border, anti-immigrant stances are inflaming U.S. politics, with few long-term proposals more comprehensive than closing the border.

At a Friday, January 26 EMS briefing, immigration experts discussed the political consequences of these proposals in light of the current antiimmigrant electoral cycle, long-term problems with an increasingly politicized asylum system and local responses to high numbers of migrants.

Washington and the border The ongoing bipartisan Senate debate around restricting immigration along the country’s Mexican border — particularly around parole, which allows migrants to live and work in the U.S. temporarily without visas — is happening in the context of debates around a bill to fund aid for Israel, Taiwan and particularly Ukraine, said Angela Kelley, chief advisor of Policy and Partnerships for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (AIC).

Given that supporting Ukraine “to effectively push back on Putin’s intentions” is a Democrat priority, many Republicans echoing former President Trump — like House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson — are threatening to regard the Senate’s compromise as “dead on arrival” and withhold Ukraine aid if Democrats oppose certain immigration limitations, she continued.

The most significant limitation regards the authority of parole, which President Biden has used for generally two-year increments “to bring in people including Afghans, Ukrainians, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans for humanitarian reasons,” and which many other migrants at the border get through the U.S. Customs app CBP One “as a legal pathway, as opposed to using a smuggler,” Kelley said.

Another limitation regards the negotiation of a “trigger” to close the border to migrants seeking asylum if there are more than a certain maximum — especially

relevant given that President Biden, in an attempt to salvage the ongoing Congress deal, said he’d “shut down the border” if given the ability.

“30 years ago, if the Border Patrol had encountered 4,000 people, that would have been a five alarm fire. Now we’re seeing 10,000 or 11,000 per day … because smuggling networks have increased and more people — 52% of migrants — are coming from other parts of the world beyond Mexico or Central America,” she added. “Our policies are grossly inadequate to handle these numbers.”

A ‘perfect storm’ “Democrats are not comfortable with immigration as a complex policy issue,” Kelly said. “Meanwhile, Republicans have a simpler soundbite — ‘Biden’s borders are out of control, everybody’s coming in.’

A better balance of compassion and control requires changes to our asylum system … and that requires us putting people in Congress who won’t use this issue as a political football.”

This week, the House Republican response to unprecedented migration takes the form of a markup hearing to discuss impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the grounds that he defied Federal immigration laws by allowing millions to enter the U.S. illegally. A formal vote against him — which could come as soon as next week — would make him the second U.S. Cabinet official to be impeached in history, and the first in 150 years.

In this electoral year, immigration is more political than ever in a “perfect storm” intensified by unprecedented migration from destabilized governments and economies abroad, and by 30 years of largely GOP-blocked attempts to update the U.S. immigration system, said Vanessa Cardenas, executive director of Washington, D.C.based immigrant rights nonprofit America’s Voice.

“We saw in 2016 and 2020 what we’re seeing again, when Trump told Speaker Johnson to make no deal with the Senate: immigration is the GOP’s silver bullet. They’re not interested in solutions, but using it to

anger and mobilize their base … Of course, Americans are worried about the border, but when presented with actual policies, most embrace America as a nation of immigrants,” she continued.

Most Americans, for example, support DACA, while three out of four say undocumented immigrants should be able to stay in the U.S. legally if certain requirements are met.

“When the Trump administration, on the other hand, passed policies that did not fix the problem — like the Muslim ban, separating families at the border and rhetoric around mass incarceration — Americans broadly rejected it,” Cardenas said. “They want a compassionate legal system … but in the absence of reform, the other side fills the void with narratives of invasion … This goes beyond immigration. This is a debate about who gets to be an American.”

While lack of resources to adequately support all migrants “is a fundamental issue in our country,” she added, “those who are crying foul against immigrants should then be fighting for housing, health care and labor rights. Immigrants improve our economies and vitalize our communities …

Rather than using migration to pit Americans against each other, we should empower them to be part of the solution.”

Meeting migrants on the ground Although the numbers have been unprecedented, migrants themselves are nothing new in a major city so close to the border as LA, said Lupita Martinez, regional policy manager for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).

Since the COVID-response asylum restriction Title 42 was lifted last May, “we’ve been receiving buses on an over 20-hour-long ride from Texas,” she said.

Only 3% of arrivals to LA stay there, however; top cities for asylum seekers with sponsors include San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose.

“We’re now at bus 39, and have been collaborating with the city, county and aid organizations through LA  PAGE A4

er public support – through signature drive – for Congress to convene as a constituent assembly or con-ass. The con-ass envisioned by congressmen would have Congress voting jointly on proposed amendments. The Senate opposed the joint vote, as it would certainly dissolve its 24 member-votes.

At the hearing, Marcos presented pictures of a meeting at the speaker’s house with PIRMA officials, to prove that her cousin bankrolled the campaign and mobilized lawmakers to gather signatures in the districts.

The launch of the “deceptive” people’s initiative, meanwhile, has also sparked concerns among Catholic prelates, with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issuing a pastoral statement questioning the motives of proponents.

“We are concerned about the reports of signatures gathered across the country for a so-called People’s Initiative. Many could sign for various reasons, but it is clear that their signing is not the result of a careful study and discussion,” CBCP president and Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said.

“It seems that this People’s Initiative was initiated by a few public servants and not truly from the initiative of ordinary citizens.

If that is the case, it involves deception and disregard for our true and free participation in the democratic process of our country,” he said.

“Our prayer is that we will not sign or agree to any petition without careful discernment, discussion, and prayer. Let us not allow such deceptive systems to continue, encouraging those who continuously exploit our nation. Truly, this is not good,” he added. The prelate also reminded the people that what they’re giving PI proponents is “not a simple signature.”

“By signing, you are giving our lawmakers the power to change our Constitution. The discussion may focus on economic aspects, but even senators acknowledge the possibility of broader changes if this People’s Initiative succeeds,” he pointed out.

David said that contrary to PI proponents’ claim that Charter change is meant to address economic concerns, “many economists and sociologists point out that our Constitution is not the real hindrance to our progress.”

Group backs BBM’s call to stop people’s initiative Leaders and members of the Christian-Muslim Democratic Coalition (CMDC) on Thursday, February 1 expressed support to President Marcos’ call to stop the people’s initiative as it would only cause the disintegration of the country.

CMDC secretary general Bobby Brillante said real people’s initiative comes from the people and not from politicians.

“We join the President in calling the House of Representatives to stop the move,” said Brillante during the group’s consultative assembly in Taguig City.

“When we say people’s initiative, the people themselves rising together and asking for constitutional amendments but what is needed is the people agreeing, what kind of amendments are these,” he added.

The group pointed out that the President should be given time to fulfill his promises during the campaign.

The CMDC boasts of eight million members and admitted that they helped former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 and the Bongbong Marcos-Sara Duterte ticket in 2022. 

Pres. Marcos insists ‘Uniteam’ remains...

PAGE A1

On Sunday, January 28, former President Duterte launched a tirade against Marcos over a campaign to change the Constitution. He accused his successor of being a “drug addict” without evidence and of trying to amend the Constitution to extend his term.

The Duterte patriarch also

warned Marcos that pursuing charter change could lead to his ouster, similar to what happened to his dictator father.

Marcos struck back at his predecessor, suggesting the former leader’s use of fentanyl had taken a toll on his health.

Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, the vice president’s brother, also called for Marcos’

resignation over the weekend.

In a statement Monday, January 29, Sara said her brother did it out of “brotherly love, coupled [with] the common sentiment that I do not deserve the despicable treatment that I am receiving from some sectors within the circle of the president.” (Gaea Katreena Cabico/Philstar.com with reports from Agence France-Presse)

USCIS to raise naturalization...

PAGE A1

and advocating for fairness, integrity and respect for all those we serve.”

The move has been criticized by advocacy groups including The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), which noted that given recent inflation woes and ongoing economic uncertainty raising fees could put an additional burden on families already struggling to make ends meet.

“Any fee increase raises the barriers to naturalization for many applicants,” said Arturo Vargas,

executive director of NALEO. “We recognize that USCIS has made progress in addressing barriers to naturalization, but given the current economic environment and other factors, the increase represents an additional hurdle to the many challenges faced by lawful permanent residents (LPRs) on their path to U.S. citizenship, especially for lowincome residents.”

Because the new USCIS fees would allow for a lower cost of naturalization through an online process, Vargas urged that the process be improved.

“While the USCIS final fee rule retains and codifies the existing fee waiver eligibility requirements, we urge the agency to make the naturalization application form available online,” he expounded. “We appreciate that USCIS has established a lower filing fee for online applicants ($710) than for paper applicants, but those who apply for a fee waiver or request a reduced fee cannot file online, which prevents them from accessing the lower online application fee.” (Ethnic Media Services)

problem DEALING WITH INSURANCE CLAIMS? We’ll take it.*

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How fringe anti-science views infiltrated mainstream politics — and what it means in 2024

by AMY MAXMEN KFF Health News

RATES of routine childhood vaccination hit a 10-year low in 2023. That, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, puts about 250,000 kindergartners at risk for measles, which often leads to hospitalization and can cause death. In recent weeks, an infant and two young children have been hospitalized amid an ongoing measles outbreak in Philadelphia that spread to a day care center.

It’s a dangerous shift driven by a critical mass of people who now reject decades of science backing the safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccines. State by state, they’ve persuaded legislators and courts to more easily allow children to enter kindergarten without vaccines, citing religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs.

Growing vaccine hesitancy is just a small part of a broader rejection of scientific expertise that could have consequences ranging from disease outbreaks to reduced funding for research that leads to new treatments. “The term ‘infodemic’ implies random junk, but that’s wrong,” said Peter Hotez, a vaccine researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. “This is an organized political movement, and the health and science sectors don’t know what to do.”

Changing views among Republicans have steered the relaxation of childhood vaccine requirements, according to the Pew Research Center. Whereas nearly 80% of Republicans supported the rules in 2019, fewer than 60% do today.

Democrats have held steady, with about 85% supporting.

Mississippi, which once boasted the nation’s highest rates of childhood vaccination, began allowing religious exemptions last summer. Another leader in vaccination, West Virginia, is moving to do the same.

An anti-science movement picked up pace as Republican and Democratic perspectives on science diverged during the pandemic. Whereas 70% of Republicans said that science has a mostly positive impact on society in 2019, less than half felt that way in a November poll from Pew. With presidential candidates lending airtime to anti-vaccine messages and members of

Congress maligning scientists and pandemic-era public health policies, the partisan rift will likely widen in the run-up to November’s elections.

Dorit Reiss, a vaccine policy researcher at the University of California Law San Francisco, draws parallels between today’s backlash against public health and the early days of climate change denial. Both issues progressed from nonpartisan, fringe movements to the mainstream once they appealed to conservatives and libertarians, who traditionally seek to limit government regulation. “Even if people weren’t anti-vaccine to start with,” Reiss said, “they move that way when the argument fits.”

Even certain actors are the same. In the late ’90s and early 2000s, a libertarian think tank, the American Institute for Economic Research, undermined climate scientists with reports that questioned global warming. The same institute issued a statement early in the pandemic, grandly called the “Great Barrington Declaration.” It argued against measures to curb the disease and advised everyone — except the most vulnerable — to go about their lives as usual, regardless of the risk of infection. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, directorgeneral of the World Health Organization, warned that such an approach would overwhelm health systems and put millions more at risk of disability and death from covid. “Allowing a dangerous virus that we don’t fully understand to run free is simply unethical,” he said.

Another group, the National Federation of Independent Business, has fought regulatory measures to curb climate change for over a decade. It moved on to vaccines in 2022 when it won a Supreme Court case that overturned a government effort to temporarily require employers to mandate that workers either be vaccinated against covid or wear a face mask and test on a regular basis. Around 1,000 to 3,000 covid deaths would have been averted in 2022 had the court upheld the rule, one study estimates.

Politically charged pushback may become better funded and more organized if public health becomes a political flashpoint in the lead-up to the presidential election. In the first few days

of 2024, Florida’s surgeon general, appointed by Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, called for a halt to use of mRNA covid vaccines as he echoed DeSantis’ incorrect statement that the shots have “not been proven to be safe and effective.” And vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent, announced that his campaign communications would be led by Del Bigtree, the executive director of one of the most well-heeled anti-vaccine organizations in the nation and host of a conspiratorial talk show.

Bigtree posted a letter on the day of the announcement rife with misinformation, such as a baseless rumor that covid vaccines make people more prone to infection.

He and Kennedy frequently pair health misinformation with terms that appeal to anti-government ideologies like “medical freedom” and “religious freedom.”

A product of a Democratic dynasty, Kennedy’s appeal appears to be stronger among Republicans, a Politico analysis found. DeSantis said he would consider nominating Kennedy to run the FDA, which approves drugs and vaccines, or the CDC, which advises on vaccines and other public health measures.

Another Republican candidate for president, Vivek Ramaswamy, vowed to gut the CDC should he win.

Today’s anti-science movement found its footing in the months before the 2020 elections, as primarily Republican politicians rallied support from constituents who resented pandemic measures like masking and the closure of businesses, churches, and schools. Then-President Donald Trump, for example, mocked Joe Biden for wearing a mask at the presidential debate in September 2020. Democrats fueled the politicization of public health, too, by blaming Republican leaders for the country’s soaring death rates, rather than decrying systemic issues that rendered the U.S. vulnerable, such as underfunded health departments and severe economic inequality that put some groups at far higher risk than others. Just before Election Day, a Democratic-led congressional subcommittee released a report that called the Trump administration’s  PAGE A7

FREED. About 267 sea turtle hatchlings are released from the eight-hectare biodiversity Aboitiz Cleanergy Park in Sitio Punta Dumalag, Matina Aplaya, Davao City on Thursday, Feb. 1. Since 2014, about 8,719 hatchlings have been released from the park.

PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.

Filipino American in North Las Vegas charged over neighbor’s shooting A FILIPINO American woman is facing murder charges in Nevada over the shooting of her neighbors in December.

Police said 36-year-old Joe Junio opened fire on her neighbors Nicholas and Sarah Davi in the Alianta community in North Las Vegas.

Junio is in police custody at the Clark County Detention Center.

The Davi couple had two children, aged 15 and 12, who witnessed the horrific incident.

Police say the shooter lived next door to the Davi family. The motive for the shooting was established as a long-standing dispute over the Homeowners Association rules.

It was known that the Davi family had filed for a temporary protection order against Junio after she repeatedly threatened them.

The shooting was partially captured on video by Davi's

15-year-old daughter, who was recording as they were leaving their driveway.

The video showed Junio driving past them, and parking next to their car. She then rolled down the window and stared at them.

It also showed that Nicholas confronted her and asked her to leave them alone. But Junio responded by pulling out a gun and shooting him. She then turned the gun on Sarah and fired another shot.

The police arrived shortly after and arrested Junio at her townhome.

She admitted to shooting Nicholas Davi and was initially taken to the North Las Vegas Community Correctional Center before being transferred to the facility in Clark County.

Junio is facing open murder and attempted murder charges, as well as child endangerment, and

Joe Junio

Photo courtesy of North Las Vegas Police Department

discharging a firearm at a vehicle.

She is scheduled to appear in court on March 8.

North Las Vegas police are still investigating the case and are asking anyone with information to come forward. (Bev Llorente/ TFC News)

In immigration debate, a ‘fight over who...

PAGE A3

Welcomes Collective to receive new arrivals with care” including medical attention, translation services, basic needs like food, water and hygiene supplies, and — for those staying in LA — city orientation, housing and benefits case management, school enrollment and mental health support.

“When we talk about immigration, we talk about numbers, but on the ground they’re more than that,” said Martinez. “I remember meeting a mother and two children less than five years old, whose father had drowned in the river on the way with them. How can you say — no, we’re not going to help you, when you know you can?”

“We can’t talk about the numbers behind immigration as a policy issue without also talking about the violence and poverty behind it,” she added.

“When you’re facing it on the ground, the issue turns into one around what it means to integrate someone new, how you can help them contribute to your community.” 

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Imee Marcos to reach out to Dutertes

by BERNADETTE TAMAYO ManilaTimes.net

SEN. Maria Imelda Josefa "Imee" Marcos said she will reach out to the Dutertes to salvage the UniTeam amid reports that it was being wracked by internal wrangling.

The UniTeam, short for Unity Team, is the election alliance forged by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte in 2002.

The partnership resulted in runaway victories for Marcos as president and Duterte as vice president.

On Thursday, February 1, Senator Marcos said she plans to have a dialogue with former president Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Duterte when she goes to Davao City on Friday.

In Davao, Marcos, chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms, will continue hearings on reports that bribery, deception and other illegal activities were involved in collecting signatures for the people's initiative (PI) to pursue Charter change (Cha-cha).

The committee began its inquiry last January 30.

"That was my entire purpose to go to Davao, [to] attempt to speak to the Dutertes and of course with VP (Vice President [Sara]) Inday [Duterte] whom I haven't seen for a bit," she said.

"Let me be candid. I will

do anything to salvage the UniTeam," Marcos said in a television interview on Thursday.

"It's very hard for me to accept that it would be ruined in little over a year. Remember, I am also apparently the author of the UniTeam," she said.

The senator said Sara Duterte has revealed that "I brought her in and convinced her to be the running mate of my brother."

"It's very, very clear that my effort was simply to try and patch things up because to my mind the principles continue to work with each other very happily except when interference from so many other pressures, influences, and other politicians come in. That's the problem," she said.

Marcos added: "I think saying that the Dutertes are now one against the Marcos administration is oversimplifying things a little bit."

Sara Duterte "has already issued a statement saying that she is grateful to the president for his support and continues to abide by the eight-point agenda," she said.

The senator also raised the need to pass a law establishing the legal framework for people's initiative.

In its decision on the case of Santiago vs Commission on Elections, the Supreme Court noted that the Initiative and Referendum Act (Republic Act 6736) is silent on people's

initiative as a method for Charter change.

"Why don't we first make a law? Let's hammer together, craft, debate until we get a law and thereafter produce this people's initiative that is properly done," Marcos said.

She said the issue will be addressed next week during deliberations on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6 which aims to amend the "restrictive" economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

On February 5, Sen. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara will lead a Senate subcommittee that will tackle RBH 6.

Marcos said she envisioned a PI that includes consultation with the people and addresses issues that resonate with their concerns.

During the January 30 hearing, People's Initiative for Reform, Modernization and Action (Pirma) convenor Noel Oñate confirmed that Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and other congressmen helped Pirma gather signatures to push for Cha-cha.

On January 23, all 24 senators signed a manifesto denouncing what they said was a House attempt to violate the Constitution through people's initiative.

They opposed a suggested amendment requiring joint voting in a constituent assembly. 

Senator Dela Rosa: Lascañas out to ‘eliminate’ Duterte family, allies MANILA – Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Friday, February 2 condemned the latest accusations of retired police officer Arturo Lascañas against him, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, and other Duterte family members.

In an interview in Davao City, Dela Rosa recalled that Lascañas has been giving different testimonies since he appeared before the Senate years ago.

"Yung sinasabi niya ngayon na bago na naman niyang version na dinadawit niya si Inday Sara sa sinasabi niyang Tokhang, magpapaputol ako ng leeg.

Papaputol ako ng leeg kaagad kung ma-prove niya yan na si Sara nasa likuran niyan (What he is saying now which is a new version implicating Inday Sara in Tokhang, I will immediately let someone cut my throat if he can prove that Sara is behind that)," dela Rosa said.

The senator believes that Lascañas and the people behind him are just trying to discredit the Duterte family and their allies.

"The people behind him are trying to eliminate the Duterte family and Duterte allies. That's one thing very clear," he added.

The top cop turned legislator, who was also included in the submitted testimony of Lascañas to the International Criminal Court, said he already knows the people behind Lascañas and will reveal their identities "in due time."

Dela Rosa is in Davao City to attend the second inquiry of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms on alleged irregularities in the recent people's initiative attempt.

Lascañas, a former Davao Death Squad, has linked the Dutertes to drug war-related killings. (PNA)

EVERYDAY LIFE. This life-size statue of a boy using a smartphone is one of several found along Scout Tobias in Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City on Wednesday, Jan 31. Several sculptures adorn the streets of the village, depicting scenes of everyday life, such as a “taho” vendor selling the morning staple.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Duterte-appointed ex-AFP chief urges Filipinos: Reject calls for Mindanao secession

by IAN LAQUI Philstar.com

MANILA — Carlito Galvez Jr., presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation and unity on Friday, February 2 urged Filipinos to reject any movement calling for an independent Mindanao to separate from the Philippines.

Galvez issued a statement days after former President Rodrigo Duterte put forward the idea of a Mindanao secession from the Philippines through a people’s initiative signature campaign.

“Let us therefore turn away from any call or movement that aims to destabilize our beloved nation, especially to separate Mindanao from the rest of the country,” Galvez said in a statement.

Galvez was appointed as the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in 2018 during Duterte’s presidency.

He was also first appointed in his current post as presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation and unity in the same year and was reappointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2023.

The former AFP chief slammed the idea of Mindanao secession as it is unconstitutional.

“For one, this call for separation is anathema to the letter and spirit of the Philippine Constitution, which is the bulwark of our nation’s identity as a people,” Galvez said.

This was earlier pointed out by former Senator Panfilo Lacson, citing the constitutional provision defining the national territory of the Philippines.

Galvez also noted that the country is already reaping the rewards of the comprehensive peace process, inclusive of the Bangsamoro autonomy.

In 2018, Duterte signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law which established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The initiative, according to Galvez, has successfully concluded decades of armed conflict in Mindanao, with former members of revolutionary groups actively contributing to nation-building.

“We cannot afford to go back to square one. We must learn our lessons from the past and apply these to all aspects of our life as peace-loving citizens,” Galvez said.

According to the former president, the secession

movement, which will “not be a bloody one,” would be headed by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao del Norte).

The calls for the secession of Mindanao, however, have also been opposed by leaders of BARMM, saying that they will continue to adhere with the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro "towards the right to selfdetermination."

“We, therefore, urge everyone to help protect the gains of the peace processes. Let us continue to support the current administration and allow peace and civility to reign over the affairs of our land,” BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim said in a statement on Friday.

On Thursday, Representative Raoul Manuel of Kabataan Partylist suggested that former President Duterte might be advocating for Mindanao's secession to evade the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC, in 2023, gave the green light to resume its investigation into Duterte's "war on drugs" during his tenure as president and earlier, as the mayor of Davao City. 

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FEATURES

OPINION

Trust deficit

EVEN President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has acknowledged that the latest people’s initiative to amend the Constitution has become so politicized it is no longer looking like a viable route to lift economic restrictions in the Charter.

It remains to be seen whether his statement will be heeded by those pushing the people’s initiative, which seeks joint voting by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Charter changes.

Because that’s over 300 House members against just 24 senators, it effectively marginalizes the Senate in any move to amend the basic law of the land. Some senators have alleged that the House wants not just economic reforms but a shift to a parliamentary system of government where there will be no Senate.

Last week, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri had quoted President Marcos as saying he no longer wanted the people’s initiative. But on the same day, the People’s Initiative for Reform, Modernization and Action announced it would push ahead with its signature campaign for the PI. The Commission on Elections also announced it was suspending all proceedings related to the PI, but clarified it could not order a private group like PIRMA to stop its signature gathering.

At the Senate last Tuesday, January 30, the lead convenor of PIRMA admitted before a panel led by Sen. Imee Marcos that their group received advice and assistance from congressmen led by her cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez. The speaker has been accused by his opponents of wanting to sit as prime minister in a parliamentary system.

Romualdez, who had previously denied any involvement in the PI, said he served as “facilitator” of democratic processes.

The people’s initiative is seen as a speedy path to amending certain provisions in the Constitution. Legal experts, among them retired Supreme Court Justices Antonio Carpio and Adolfo Azcuna, have stressed that the initiative can be used only for minor changes and not for political reforms that will require a full rewriting of the Charter.

Previous attempts at a people’s initiative were dogged by public trust issues and the results were invalidated by the Supreme Court. The trust deficit is widest in the latest PI campaign, amid accusations that House members are behind the initiative and public funds are being misused to deceive people into signing the PIRMA sheets for the PI. On Wednesday, January 31, the Comelec urged PI proponents to retrieve the signature sheets they have submitted, amid the indefinite suspension of all PI-related proceedings in the poll body.

The Senate has not completely junked economic

Editorial

Sketches

ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN AS of Thursday, February 1, the UniTeam tandem remained intact, although the unity was hanging by a flimsy thread.

Vice President Sara Duterte has said she is not resigning as education secretary, and the opinions of her father and brothers against the Marcoses are their own.

In Vietnam last Monday, January 29, President Marcos said his ties with VP Sara, his designated government caretaker in his absence, were “exactly the same” and she would stay on in the Department of Education.

A day, however, is a long time in Philippine politics.

On Wednesday, January 31, a former Davao City cop told journalists in a videoconference that Sara Duterte, when she was mayor of Davao City, was in fact the brains behind “Oplan Tokhang” in 2012.

Arturo Lascañas, who claims to have served as the lead hitman in the Davao Death Squad, said

Moving Into High Gear

MICHAEL LIM UBAC CAN good old journalism thrive in the modern internet era? The larger question is: why should we care?

In 2021, at the height of the proliferation of fake news, deepfake videos, and conspiracy theories like “plandemic,” United States journalists Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel revised “The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect” for the fourth time. The authors, who have worked for The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, respectively, defined journalism as “storytelling with a purpose.”

“The Elements of Journalism,” first published in 2001, asked whether journalism can sustain in the 21st century “the purpose that forged it in the three and a half centuries that came before.”

New Models of Journalism.

The answer, dear reader, is a resounding yes but only if journalists continue to abide by the rigors of the more traditional journalism of verification

then mayor Sara had ordered Ronald dela Rosa, at the time the police chief of Davao City, to implement Tokhang while her brother Paolo Duterte was running a drug smuggling ring.

Lascañas alleged that he gave “Pulong” Duterte and Dela Rosa a weekly payola of P150,000 and P50,000, respectively.

Lascañas claimed mayor Sara could be even more brutal than her father, whose Oplan Tokhang during his presidency led to the killing of thousands of drug suspects who allegedly resisted arrest or nanlaban.

In Inday Sara’s case, Lascañas claimed, she told Bato dela Rosa to simply kidnap drug suspects and bury them, instead of shooting them dead, so these would be reported as missing person cases and there would be fewer questions from the media.

Targets for execution, Lascañas alleged, were trailed through their home addresses and vehicle details provided by the local chief of the Land Transportation Office, who followed the orders of Rodrigo Duterte’s loyal aideturned-senator Bong Go. Lascañas claimed Sara sometimes had target practice

ManilaTimes.net photo

Charter change, but the effort isn’t helped by statements from some congressmen that PI would stop only if the Senate proceeds with Cha-cha.

That struck some senators as blackmail. If the

people’s initiative is truly meant to pave the way for economic reforms that will make the country more attractive to investments, it is now having the opposite effect. (Philstar.com)

‘Tokhang’ brains?

near the victims’ mass graves at the Laud Quarry, together with her father’s Chinese adviser Michael Yang, the alleged facilitator of the anomalous multibillion-peso COVID supply deal awarded to Pharmally Pharmaceuticals at the height of the pandemic. * * * Fearing for his life, Lascañas fled the country in 2017. In 2021, he submitted a 186-page affidavit to the International Criminal Court for its pre-trial investigation, detailing the operations of the Davao Death Squad. The Dutertes have consistently denied the existence of the DDS. Lascañas also accused Rodrigo Duterte of maintaining shabu laboratories, one of which was disguised as a fish canning factory, and of keeping a collection of about 1,000 mostly unlicensed guns. Many were gifts from accused child sex trafficker Apollo Quiboloy, who allegedly brought in guns, parts and ammunition on his private jet.

The former president, who has accused President Marcos of being a cocaine addict, denied

maintaining the shabu labs, and admitted he had a large collection of guns, but all of them licensed. Such gun collections are legal, Duterte said – which isn’t exactly true, since there are limits to the number of guns and firepower allowed for civilians.

Maybe former presidents are exempted from the limits.

The Dutertes and their supporters have been denigrating Lascañas’ stories since he provided testimony about the Davao killings.

VP Sara is not the only one wondering why Lascañas has re-emerged (he also gave a long interview late last year) and implicated her for the first time.

“Bago ang script na ito (This is a new script),” the VP said on Thursday.

She did not mention that Lascañas talked to journalists amid the exchange of accusations between her father and BBM about each other’s alleged drug abuse.

It also comes on the heels of unconfirmed reports that ICC members were in the Philippines late last year for an informal gathering of evidence and testimonies on the drug deaths

when Duterte was president and, earlier, when he was swapping posts with his daughter as Davao mayor and vice mayor.

The ICC, responding to questions from Filipino journalists on whether it had sent personnel to the Philippines last year, would only say that it would give justice to victims of extrajudicial killings. * * * Could Marcos 2.0 have anything to do with Lascañas’ recent interviews?

Whether or not this is true, certain quarters are hoping that the ongoing feud between the Marcos-Romualdez clans and the Dutertes will pave the way for accountability in the brutal war on drugs, and that the thousands who were victims of extrajudicial killings (EJK) might yet get justice.

Some folks are also hoping that the whole truth might yet come out regarding a Customs broker’s testimony before the Senate that Pulong Duterte and a so-called Davao Group were behind the smuggling of tons of prohibited drugs into the country during the Duterte presidency.

Pulong resigned as Davao vice

mayor amid the testimony of broker Mark Taguba (remember him?) that tended to link Pulong to drug deals. Taguba, through a lawyer, later apologized to Pulong.

In 2018, Pulong was cleared by the ombudsman together with VP Sara’s husband Manases Carpio of involvement in the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of shabu through the Bureau of Customs.

On the political front, those who might be using the EJK issue and the drug war against the VP and her father should remember that Rodrigo Duterte actually promised in his bid for the presidency that he would use his brutal tactics in Davao against criminals to eradicate the drug scourge nationwide in six months.

Duterte campaigned on a platform of “kill, kill, kill.”

He won the presidency by a landslide. And he maintained his popularity all the way to his last day in office. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

Journalism of verification in the internet era (accuracy, context, objectivity, and completeness) over what Kovach and Rosenstiel described as the new journalism of assertion, affirmation, and aggregation.

A journalism of assertion produces news in a “constant stream of raw components” like breaking news, live blogs, and livestream; affirmation is represented by talk shows that merely affirm preconceptions or biases of certain groups; and aggregation is epitomized by Google’s aggregation of content within its online reach, netizens sharing posts made by others without much verification, and emergence of b/vloggers.

The process of verification is both slow and tedious. But is it still achievable in an internetconnected age where speed and convenience are valued over accuracy and completeness?

A digitally interconnected media environment, however, is susceptible to manipulation by purveyors of fake news or half-truths since “the public and sometimes even journalists themselves are passing along work they cannot possibly vouch for … and that we accept this now without a second thought,” Kovach and Rosenstiel astutely noted.

It thus behooves upon the reading public to demand good journalism from journalists—and those presenting themselves as such—because the “burden of verification has been passed incrementally from the news deliverer to the consumer,” the authors warned.

Chaff from the grain. The veracity of anything you find on the web is largely up to you, dear reader. You must separate the chaff from the grain yourself because Google, Facebook, and X, for instance, don’t do it for you.

On the contrary, they rely on an algorithm that works in such a way that it can track your online activities, endlessly feeding you with similar content from your previous websites’ visits, page views, and clicks.

Instead of giving you the big picture of the burning issues of the day, this computerized algorithm further solidifies your own confirmation bias by serving news and information that suit your worldview and interests.

The computer-directed siloing of individuals increases online sales, but it also divides society into different ideological camps instead of fostering understanding and compassion among us all.

Good old journalism has a built-in safety valve against the destructive effects of falsehoods and half-truths through a process of verification that uses paper trail, alternative voices, and crowdsourcing of information that can dig deeper into the root causes of a problem or issue, deliberately going beyond official pronouncements. Readers should demand more from journalists, not less, regardless of the 24/7 access provided by Google and social media platforms.

Readers should not be satisfied with stories that lack freshness and context. You should also be careful when reading reports that are obviously propaganda materials and one-sided, with the news organization taking its sweet time to get the other side, if at all.

‘Original Sin.’ We are now in a “world in which an initial error in reporting or editing or interpretation can turn into a kind of original sin that influences us forever,” Kovach and Rosenstiel likewise warned.

According to them, the purpose—the underlying function of journalism and the service it must provide for the public—has not changed: journalists’ first

Unsplash.com photo by John Schnobrich

obligation is to the truth, which will set us free from ignorance and manipulation. Journalists, however imperfect they are, speak to the prevailing culture, taking into account both the good and the bad aspects of it.

This column, “Moving Into High Gear,” takes inspiration from the notion that our country is in a race or journey to achieving excellence. We, Filipinos, should raise the bar in whatever context we find ourselves in instead of slacking while our Southeast Asian neighbors are accelerating their investments in human and social

capital as if it were a matter of life and death.

Every Thursday, this column will offer a nuanced assessment of select issues that matter to the Filipino nation, without any fear or favor. Expect alternative viewpoints to be given space here.

(Inquirer.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** lim.mike04@gmail.com

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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Philippines expects good harvest, adequate supply of onions in 2024 MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is taking steps to improve the production of quality onions in the country, including partnering with local government units in undertaking information awareness and training programs.

In a news release on Friday, February 2, the DA reported that surprise visits to production areas in Bongabon and Rizal, Nueva Ecija have been conducted by its officials to observe the ongoing harvest and discuss ways to assist onion farmers.

These officials include Assistant Secretaries Arnel de Mesa, Danny Atayde, and Genevieve Guevarra, together with Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI)Director Glenn Panganiban, and Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service Director Junibert De Sagun.

They all agreed that regular monitoring of onion farms could immediately address any production challenges that may affect the quality and volume of harvest.

"Let us practice early reporting and monitoring of unusual events in the farms,” Guevarra said during a recent meeting with onion growers and members of the Provincial and Municipal Agriculture Office.

The government is ready to support the industry to ensure that farmers maximize productivity to increase their income, she added.

Meantime, Panganiban noted that the DA, through BPI, will provide a technical support program to onion farmers and agricultural extension workers to equip industry stakeholders with effective tools and knowledge in managing the production areas.

"We will also assist onion growers of Nueva Ecija in securing a Philippine Good Agricultural Practices certificate to enable them to access more markets,” he said.

The BPI will hold training programs on Integrated Pest Management, efficient use of biocontrol agents, and judicious use of farm inputs, including fertilizer and pesticides

in addition to the regular information campaign carried out by the Regional Crop Protection Center.

The DA also committed to establishing more storage facilities not only for onion but for other high-value crops as well.

Nueva Ecija is a major grower of onions in Central Luzon with more than 10,500 hectares planted to the white bulb.

The volume of production throughout the country for 2024 is projected at more than 300,000 metric tons.

De Mesa said the DA is expecting positive onion production for this year as the presence of "harabas" or fall army worm has slightly affected yield.

"With the pro-active efforts of the national and local government, the effect is considered negligible,” he added.

The provincial agriculture office has reported that only eight percent of the total production area was affected.

(PNA)

CBCP warns of deception in people’s initiative on charter change

by GAEA KATREENA CABICO Philstar.com

MANILA — The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has raised concerns about the alleged lack of informed consent and potential deception in gathering signatures for the people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution.

In a statement Wednesday, January 31, the CBCP President Pablo Virgilio David questioned the legitimacy of the people’s initiative, suggesting it was primarily driven by “a few public servants and not truly the initiative of ordinary citizens.”

“Many could sign for various reasons, but it is clear that their signing is not the result of a careful study and discussion,” said David, who also serves as the bishop of Kalookan.

“If that is the case, it involves deception and disregard for our

true and free participation in the democratic process of our country. Is that good?” he added.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has indefinitely stopped all its duties related to the people’s initiative, noting the need to review and enhance provisions in its rules to avoid confusion and misinterpretation of law.

The poll body had received signature forms from municipalities and cities across the country for the people’s initiative, a mechanism that empowers people to propose amendments to the Constitution.

Despite the suspension of proceedings related to the people’s initiative, the CBCP urged the public to not be complacent “as there may be other attempts for this charter change.”

“Our prayer is that we will not sign or agree to any petition without careful discernment, discussion, and prayer. Let us

not allow such deceptive systems to continue, encouraging those who continuously exploit our nation,” David said.

The petition being circulated for people's initiative seeks to allow members of Congress to jointly vote on the proposed amendments in a constitutional assembly, giving the House of Representatives an advantage as they outnumber the 24-member Senate.

Sen. Imee Marcos, who leads the upper chamber’s committee on electoral reforms, conducted a hearing this week on the alleged vote-buying practices of the individuals behind the people’s initiative campaign.

While House Speaker Martin Romualdez has denied involvement in the initiative, Marcos claimed that he orchestrated the campaign and offered a P20 million reward for each legislative district that secures enough signatures. 

SWAMPED. Houses in Purok 2, Barangay Matina Gravahan in Davao City are still immersed in knee-deep flood waters as of 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1. About 1,500 individuals took temporary shelter at the University of Mindanao - Matina Campus due to the floods brought by inclement weather.

PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.

How fringe anti-science views infiltrated...

PAGE A5 pandemic response “among the worst failures of leadership in American history.”

Republicans launched a subcommittee investigation into the pandemic that sharply criticizes scientific institutions and scientists once seen as nonpartisan. On Jan. 8 and 9, the group questioned Anthony Fauci, a leading infectious disease researcher who has advised both Republican and Democratic presidents. Without evidence, committee member Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) accused Fauci of supporting research that created the coronavirus in order to push vaccines: “He belongs in jail for that,” Greene, a vaccine skeptic, said. “This is like a, more of an evil version of science.”

Taking a cue from environmental advocacy groups that have tried to fight strategic and monied efforts to block energy regulations, Hotez and other researchers say public health needs supporters knowledgeable in legal and political arenas. Such groups might combat policies that limit public health power, advise lawmakers, and provide legal counsel to scientists who are harassed or called before Congress in politically charged hearings. Other initiatives aim to present the scientific consensus clearly to avoid both-sidesism, in which the media presents opposing viewpoints as equal when, in fact, the majority of researchers and bulk of evidence

point in one direction. Oil and tobacco companies used this tactic effectively to seed doubt about the science linking their industries to harm.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, said the scientific community must improve its communication.

Expertise, alone, is insufficient when people mistrust the experts’ motives.

Indeed, nearly 40% of Republicans report little to no confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interest.

In a study published last year, Jamieson and colleagues identified attributes the public values beyond expertise, including transparency about unknowns and self-correction.

Researchers might have better managed expectations around covid vaccines, for example, by emphasizing that the protection conferred by most vaccines is less than 100% and wanes over time, requiring additional shots, Jamieson said. And when the initial covid vaccine trials demonstrated that the shots drastically curbed hospitalization and death but revealed little about infections, public health officials might have been more open about their uncertainty.

As a result, many people felt betrayed when covid vaccines only moderately reduced the risk of infection. “We were

promised that the vaccine would stop transmission, only to find out that wasn’t completely true, and America noticed,” said Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chair of the Republican-led coronavirus subcommittee, at a July hearing.

Jamieson also advises repetition. It’s a technique expertly deployed by those who promote misinformation, which perhaps explains why the number of people who believe the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin treats covid more than doubled over the past two years — despite persistent evidence to the contrary. In November, the drug got another shoutout at a hearing where congressional Republicans alleged that the Biden administration and science agencies had censored public health information.

Hotez, author of a new book on the rise of the anti-science movement, fears the worst.

“Mistrust in science is going to accelerate,” he said.

And traditional efforts to combat misinformation, such as debunking, may prove ineffective.

“It’s very problematic,” Jamieson said, “when the sources we turn to for corrective knowledge have been discredited.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

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Saturday, FEBRUARY 3, 2024

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Leading US immigration attorney reflects on the immigration story of his parents on this Sunday’s Citizen Pinoy ATTORNEY Michael J. Gurfinkel has solved many immigration problems and helped countless families be reunited. Unknown to many, this leading U.S. immigration attorney also has his own immigration story to tell.

Atty. Gurfinkel’s father, Sam, was a Holocaust survivor during WWII. Sam was only nine years old when Adolph Hitler’s Nazi army rounded up almost all the Jews in his homeland, Poland.

He had witnessed the cruelty and the mass murders in the gas chambers and had even seen how the Nazis had killed his own father, mother, and his eight siblings, leaving him the sole survivor of such a large family. Sam was able to escape death by fleeing to the forest, where he eventually joined a Jewish partisan unit that fought against the Nazis.

Wedding photo of Sam (left) and Renee (right) Gurfinkel.

Across the English Channel is the city of Liverpool, England, where Atty. Gurfinkel’s mother, Renee, lived in fear and hid in air raid shelters – for Liverpool also suffered from heavy and continuous bombings from German enemy planes.

When WWII ended, both Sam and Renee set sail to go to America, believing that there

At Atty. Gurfinkel’s (3rd from left, in a brown suit) bar mitzvah.

were brighter opportunities for them there.

Fate had the couple meet in California, and after a series of dates, they tied the knot in 1951. Together, they started weaving their American dream with much hard work and persistent hope. Sam held three jobs, working from dawn to dark, while Renee raised their 3 children and ran their egg ranch in Baldwin Park, California.

Sam and Renee Gurfinkel shared the same dreams and beliefs as many Filipino families still do at present – that hard work, perseverance, and a hopeful attitude would bring them the realization of their American Dream. They firmly believed that education for their children was the most important thing to work for.

It is no wonder then that Atty.

Michael Gurfinkel feels for and understands those individuals PAGE B2

IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY HAS HIS OWN IMMIGRATION STORY TO SHARE. Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel’s (right) compassion for immigrants and their dreams runs deep, because his father Sam (left) and his mother, Renee (center) were both immigrants and WWII survivors. Sam was a Holocaust survivor from Poland, and Renee endured endless German bombings in England. Both dreamt of coming to America to live their American Dream, just like Attorney Gurfinkel’s Filipino clients dream the same dream today. Atty. Gurfinkel also takes this chance to offer a tribute and express gratitude for the sacrifices of his mother, Renee, who recently passed on. Watch this special episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, February 4 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

Nadine Lustre reacts to love team breakups following KathNiel, KimXi splits

by Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

ACTRESS Nadine Lustre gave her thoughts on the recent breakups of high-profile love teams and celebrity pairings.

At the launch of OPPO Reno11 5G and the OPPO Reno11 Pro 5G in Taguig on Thursday, February 1, Philstar.com asked Nadine about her opinion of love teams breaking up, having previously been part of one herself.

Nadine was initially paired

with “Pinoy Big Brother” and fellow artist James Reid, dating for nearly four years before officially calling it quits in early 2020.

James is now dating Issa Pressman, one of the artists under his Careless label, while Nadine is in a relationship with French-Filipino entrepreneur Christophe Bariou.

“I guess just because I’ve been out of that situation for a while na, I do understand that a lot of PAGE B2 Nadine Lustre Photo from Instagram/@nadine

B2 FEBRUARY 3-6, 2024 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Aiko Melendez’s advice to fellow celeb who Enrique Gil says he, Liza Soberano still together refused her collab offer: ‘Stay humble’

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

ACTOR Enrique Gil confirmed that he and girlfriend Liza Soberano are still in a relationship.

In his interview with “TV Patrol,” to promote his comeback movie “I Am Not Big Bird,” reporter Gretchen Fullido asked Enrique: “So, tinatanong nga ng lahat, kayo pa ba [Liza]?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re happy.

We’re just really busy,” Enrique answered.

“I think we just realized na, in life, parang we shouldn’t always be centered around each other.

We can do more, grow more, achieve more. And it just makes us better,” he added.

Enrique’s film will be shown in cinemas on February 14. Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano Philstar.com photo When asked who will be his date, Enrique said it’s his “For Valentine’s, it’s gonna be Frankenstein.’ But hopefully, mother because Liza will be in my mom,” he said. if she gets back in time, she the U.S. to promote her own “Sadly, Liza is going said she was gonna go and film “Lisa Frankenstein.” to be in the U.S. for ‘Lisa support me,” he added. g

by JeSSica ann evangeliSta Inquirer.net

AIKO Melendez extended an advice on social media about keeping one’s feet on the ground after a fellow celebrity reportedly refused her collaboration offer to do a vlog together.

On Thursday, Feb. 1, the actress took to Facebook to lament about someone who she used to work with and rejected her invitation to collaborate on a YouTube vlog.

“Nakakaloka kung sino pa ‘yung mga pinakasikat na vlogger ‘yun pa ang napaka humble, at willing mag collab. Kagaya ni Agassi Ching napaka bait nila ng mom niya. Samantala itong artista na naka work ko dati, minessage ko baka pwede mag collab kami, after so many attempts of messages, sumagot na sorry po di ako nakikipag collab po,” she complained.

The current Quezon City councilor underscored that she had hoped her invitation would be welcomed, given their shared work history.

“Understandable naman kung busy siya kasi pareho naman kami busy and sumubok lang naman ako. Kasi kala ko friends kami since naka work ko na siya dati, ending barado tablado ako.

Ok lang hihi. Baka naman busy talaga siya. Mas busy pa siya [kay] Biden,” said the actress.

In the comment section of her post, Melendez gave advice to the person involved, highlighting the importance of humility in a world where noting is permanent, especially fame.

“Ang payo ko sa kanya. Ang kasikatan ng tao all temporary. Stay humble. Kung ano ang taas ng narating mo dapat siyang baba ng paa mo na nakatapak sa lupa. Kasi maliit lang ang mundo at bilog ito,” she noted.

Melendez’s post gathered curiosity, and a few guesses poured in on who could be the name behind the seemingly blind item. The personality that was mentioned most was vlogger-actress Alex Gonzaga.

Aiko Melendez

Photo from Instagram/@aikomelendez

However, Melendez said that it isn’t Gonzaga but a man whose name has the letter “O” in it.

In a separate post, Melendez said she will try to understand the person, noting that she is still willing to do a collaboration if ever their paths cross again.

“So my bad if I assumed, but on the contrary iintindihin ko nalang siya bilang mas nakakabata siya sa akin, bagets pa si O na lalaki. My Youtube channel is still open for you kasi ganyan kami mga artista na seniors wala personalan sa amin.

Mas naniniwala pa din ako na maliit ang mundong ginagalawan naten magkikita at magkikita tayo,” concluded the actress. g

Cristine Reyes confirms annulment from Ali Khatibi, open to marrying Marco Gumabao

by KriStofer Purnell Philstar.com

ACTRESS Cristine Reyes confirmed her marriage with mixed martial artist Ali Khatibi is already annulled, nearly five years since they separated.

Cristine and her current boyfriend Marco Gumabao appeared on the February 1 episode of “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” where they talked about their relationship.

Towards the end of the show, Boy asked if Cristine and Marco have begun talking about marriage; Marco replied in the affirmative, while Cristine was quietly sitting beside him with a smile on her face.

“Basta ang usapan namin is ‘yung future together. The details, konti-konti, pero the long [run], napag-uusapan namin,” Marco said, which Cristine agreed.

Boy initially whispered his follow-up question.

The host repeated the question out loud, asking if Cristine’s marriage has been annulled. The actress said she has already been annulled for over a year now.

“Hindi ko naman siya in-announce. It’s nothing I Marco Gumabao and Cristine Reyes should celebrate,” Cristine explained.

Photo from Instagram/@gumabaomarco Cristine and Ali got married in 2016 but separated three years later. The couple has a Amarah will turn nine years old on February 8, daughter named Amarah, born in February 2015. three days after Cristine’s 35th birthday. g

Edgar Mortiz is going standards for new album TV director, producer, actor and teen idol of the 70’s Edgar Mortiz is back in the recording scene after decades of being away in the limelight.

His brand new album “Goin’ Standard” is a collection of his personal favorite songs, either originated or popularized by the great Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank

Sinatra.

Direk Bobot, as his industry colleagues call him, says “Goin’ Standard” is a passion project brewing in his mind and heart for years already.

It is something that he promised himself to do before he turns 70 years old, and time feels right to fulfill his music dream

Edgar Mortiz’s ‘Goin’ Standard’ album is a collection of his personal favorite songs.

this year. It is his gift to himself, and to family and friends.

Delight in the eight-track album with Mortiz’s smooth vocals that remain true to form.

He promises to take listeners down memory lane with songs such as “You And Me (We Wanted It All),” “How Do You Keep The Music Playing,” “Somewhere In Your Heart” and “All My Tomorrows” among others.

“Goin’ Standard” is released

by Curve Entertainment Inc. It is now available in vinyl format which can be ordered exclusively at Backspacer Records, located at 2F D’Ace Plaza, United St. corner Brixton St., Kapitolyo, Pasig City. The album will also be available soon on all digital streaming platforms worldwide.

(ManilaTimes.net)

Nadine Lustre reacts to love team...

PAGE B1 things change [over] time,” Nadine said. “Hindi naman puwede forever ‘yung mga bagay.”

The actress also told Philstar.com, “I mean it happens, it’s inevitable.”

Recent, celebrity breakups include Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, Kim Chiu and Xian Lim, Jericho Rosales and Kim Jones, and rumors continue to spread that Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Labhati have also split up. g

Leading US immigration attorney...

PAGE B1 and families who consult with him – because his parents, Sam and Renee, were immigrants themselves, and shared the same “American Dream” over 70 years ago.

Atty. Gurfinkel also takes this chance to offer a tribute and express gratitude for the sacrifices of his mother, Renee, who recently passed on.

Watch this special episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, February 4 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/ Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.

(Advertising Supplement)

Atty. Gurfinkel with his mother, Renee.

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Angelu de Leon shares forgiveness MSEUF Alumni Association of CA hosts quotes after Claudine Barretto remark grand reunion in LV in summer 2024

By JAN MILO SEVERO Philstar.com

PASIG City councilor Angelu de Leon shared a cryptic post after Claudine Barretto revealed her tiff with her.

In her Instagram (IG) story, Angelu posted quotes regarding forgiveness.

As published on Instagram, Angelu shared, “FORGIVENESS IS GRACE GRANTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE SPIRITFILLED KNOW WHAT IT IS TO FORGIVE FASTER THAN OTHERS CAN APOLOGIZE.” In another post, Angelu wrote, “DO THE NEW YOU.” “Let us not become weary in doing good,” she added.

At Gladys Reyes and Christopher Roxas’ recent 20th wedding anniversary Actress and Pasig City Councilor Angelu de celebration, Claudine and Leon Philstar.com photo Gladys’ conversation on the

stage went viral.

“Game ka ba doon, Clau?

Game ka ba doon kung matutuloy ang reunion project natin with Juday and Angelu?” Gladys asked Claudine.

Gladys referred to Judy Ann Santos, or also fondly called Juday, their contemporary from the 1990s. The three were reportedly tapped to do a reunion project. All three of them were among the popular young stars of ABS-CBN in the 1990s, while Angelu was identified with GMA-7.

“No, no, no. Hindi. Ikaw lang, at ako, at si Juday. Walang Angelu,” Claudine answered.

“Huh? Talaga ba?” Gladys replied.

“Oo. Bakit sinali mo ‘yun?”

Claudine added. 

THE Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation (MSEUF) Alumni Association of California will be hosting a MSEUF Grand Reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada from Thursday, August 29 to Sunday, September 1.

The highlight of this grand reunion will be a dinner/dance on August 31. The venue will be the South Point Hotel and Casino (9777 Las Vegas Blvd.) where rooms have been blocked for alumni

and guests attending the momentous occasion.

For hotel reservations, please mention the group name “MSEUF Class Reunion” when calling toll-free (866-791-7626) or via the hotel’s direct line (702-797-8961). The group code when reserving online is MSE0829. Deadline to reserve rooms is by August 8, 2024.

For additional information, please contact the following: Rolando “Butch” Villarama, (916) 600-

Angel on her secret to ageless beauty

By CHARMIE JOY PAGULONG Philstar.com

ANGEL Aquino still looks gorgeous even in her 50s. The mom of two attributes her timeless beauty to her mother’s genes and self-care.

“Thank you to my mom, I think, to my parents. I guess a lot of it is genes also, but of course, I try to take good care of myself and good care of my skin para naman matagal ako, to last in this industry,” she told The STAR during the “ender to remember” finale mediacon of ABS-CBN’s hit primetime series “Senior High.”

She portrays the mother of Andrea Brillantes’ Sky and Luna in the just-concluded show.

“Although sometimes there are stuff that you know you can’t really control like mga conditions like right now I’m developing vitiligo but I just hope na mahandle ko siya ng maayos.”

The actress, who is more of a homebody, is fond of taking care of her dogs at home. “So yun ang nagpapasaya sa akin. It’s like I gave birth again and I have like babies again. They are my source of joy now,” she shared.

“Kasi kaka-isang taon pa lang nila. And I was never really a hands-on pet owner until these

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Angel Aquino attributes her ageless beauty to her mother’s genes and self-care. Angel at the red carpet of ‘ender to remember’ finale mediacon of ABS-CBN’s hit primetime series ‘Senior High.’

Philstar.com photo

dogs came along. So, now I start my day. They wake me up and we sleep together on the bed kahit malalaki silang apat, silang huskies but kasama ko silang matulog,” she furthered.

This year, she plans to put up a business or something that she can fall back on. “Because you know I’m not getting any

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younger,” she maintained. “Sana maka-create ako ng other source of income that I can rely on.

So that whenever there are no projects, at least I have something that’s working for me.”

Since the Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, she was also asked about her opinion and thoughts on love.

“It’s not my favorite day,” she said with a laugh. “Kasi ang traffic. You celebrate something that should be celebrated every day, eh. There really shouldn’t be a Valentine’s Day because love should be celebrated every day.”

But the lesson that she could share about love is that it shouldn’t be difficult. In her words, “Love shouldn’t be hard.

Just take things in stride when you’re in love, you don’t have to be hard on yourself or hard on the other person. Don’t sweat the small stuff. That’s what I learned in terms of relationship.”

When it comes to relationship role models, she acknowledged that it’s difficult to maintain a relationship, especially when the pair is in the same industry, but mentioned a few couples as her relationship pegs.

“Madami, especially in showbiz (relationship role models) ‘cause PAGE B5

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Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque

Photos from Instagram/@dominicroque

Bea Alonzo says no exact plans yet on wedding with Dominic Roque due to busy schedules

By JESSICA ANN EVANGELISTA Inquirer.net

BEA Alonzo said they have no concrete wedding plans yet as she and fiancé Dominic Roque are both still busy with their respective schedules.

During a product launch on Thursday, Feb. 1, the “One More Chance” actress was asked about their wedding’s exact date and guest list, but she said that nothing had been decided yet.

“Wala pa. I cannot tell you because we haven’t really prepared anything yet,” she said.

Alonzo noted, though, that the planning is underway while she and Roque attend to their separate work schedules.

“We’re getting there but also we’re very busy. I’m about to start a teleserye. Meron pang ibang projects na I can’t tell you yet which will happen this year,” shared the actress.

The Kapuso actress was also asked about the construction of their house, and she said people would know when she posts about it.

“Wala pa rin. Alam niyo malalaman niyo ‘yan since pinopost ko naman sa Instagram at vinovlog ko naman siya,” she said.

Last month, Roque first opened up about the wedding plans, saying that Alonzo is more hands-on with the preparations and that the list of godparents is not finalized yet, although Kathryn Bernardo is

sure to be on the list, while her former boyfriend Daniel Padilla is excluded.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the “Four Sisters and a Wedding” star shared that it’s Roque who always has something on his sleeves for such occasions, while noting they would probably be working on that day.

“None yet, but it’s always him naman who plans. Iniisip ko nga parang taping day namin ‘yan,” she said.

Alonzo also shared the biggest lesson she learned on love so far, saying, “You cannot give what you do not have. You have to be full as a person. You have to know yourself better.

You have to love yourself before you give love to others.” 

B4 FEBRUARY 3-6, 2024 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Ruby Ruiz on ‘pivotal’ scene with Nicole Kidman in new HK-set series

by Marinel Cruz Inquirer.net

WHEN the series “Expats” premiered in New York City recently, its director Lulu Wang chose to screen Episode 5, which she described as the series’ “penultimate episode” because it is the “most complete” and is dedicated to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong.

This was according to Ruby Ruiz, who plays Essie, a nanny to the family of architect-turnedexpat’s wife Margaret (played

by Nicole Kidman). Ruby walked the red carpet, made the rounds of interviews with the Hollywood press, and attended the premiere held on Jan. 23 at the Museum of Modern Art, no less.

The 96-minute episode talks about the lives of OFWs living in Hong Kong. “They followed our trail during one Sunday,” Ruby said of her character and Puri, played by Amelyn Pardenilla.

“They showed what domestic helpers in Hong Kong do during their days off. The episode also showed our relationship with our employers. It’s actually a standalone episode. Even if you fail to watch the whole series, that particular episode is the most complete,” explained Ruby in an interview with Inquirer Entertainment the day after she arrived in Manila.

“Lulu also chose that episode because ‘Expats’ shouldn’t only speak with the voice of the expats, but also of other people involved in their lives, primarily the domestic helpers who serve them. Without the domestic helpers, there will be no expats—we’re talking about their privileges. In Hong Kong— as it is here in the Philippines— they have nannies, helpers and, sometimes, even chauffeurs.”

Reduced responsibilities Ruby added: “That episode also expounds on the personal conflict of Margaret. It highlights her dilemma as a mother because the moment she stepped into Hong Kong as an expat’s wife, her responsibilities as a mother were also reduced, especially since Essie is so efficient and loving.

“The Filipino nanny cooks for the children, brings them to school, and even puts the youngest to bed. She is really

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At the “Expats” after-party, hanging out with costars

like a surrogate mom. In part, Margaret struggles to find her worth as a mother. She and Essie get into a very emotional scene where Margaret confesses to her nanny how she feels,” Ruby recalled.The six-episode series is currently streaming on Prime Video.

While it was clear that the dedication and sacrifices of OFWs were highlighted in the series, we had to ask Ruby if she thought that the Filipino as an artist was celebrated as well.

She hesitated to answer at first, but eventually relented: “I don’t think the answer should come from me. I’m actually an acting coach myself, so admittedly, there were times when I felt like I should have done better.

But based on my observation, after the screening and during the after-party, everybody was congratulating me. They said, ‘You did great, Ruby!’ Lulu herself described me as ‘the heart and soul of the entire series.’ I don’t want to sound too conceited, that’s why I tell those who have interviewed me that we Filipinos still have a long way to go in terms of acting.”

‘More authentic’ Ruby described her scene with Nicole in Episode 5 as “pivotal.”

She explained: “This was when the audience at the premiere clapped for me. I remember back when we were shooting it, everyone was so nervous because it was going to determine if they cast the right actor for Essie, which took them ages to find.

Modesty aside, I think I did it well. During my actual off-days, I spent time with real-life OFWs in Hong Kong. I had to do this to be more authentic. And so, if your question is whether or not,

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Photo from Facebook/Ruby Ruiz

as an actor, I am able to bring authenticity to my role, then my answer is ‘yes.’”

Ruby stayed at the posh Crosby Hotel in Soho. Prior to the big event, she attended a three-hour training via Zoom on how to address the media. “We were told of the things we should highlight. In the beginning, I thought, ‘Grabe naman sila!’ But in the end, I was grateful for the workshop because facing the foreign press was really intense.

After my 12th interview, I swear to you, I already ran out of English words to say,” she said laughing.

Ruby, who wore a black beaded Paul Cabral gown to the red carpet, also had her own hair stylist and make-up artist. “I picked Liz Olivier to do my makeup, but not after first looking her up on Instagram. I wanted to know if she ever had any Asian clients and discovered that she did Michelle Yeoh’s make-up, too. I had wanted to experience the same powder brush she used on Michelle—maybe her luck will rub off on me, too,” Ruby said, laughing.

“Corey Tuttle did my hair. I told him to do something that would match my dress, and so he created a classic Hollywood look for me. I’m glad I picked him, he was super gentle. He pampered me really well,” she recalled. “For my dress, I didn’t want it to be flashy. I wanted to match my look to my role a little bit. I wanted to represent a very simple Filipino actress who can be glammed up.”

Ruby was undoubtedly beautiful and glamorous that night, as seen in these pictures she sent to Inquirer Entertainment, straight from her own cellphone gallery. g

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The blessings of Barrister’s Corner Catholic education Pastor’s Notes ReveRend Rodel G. BalaGtas THERE’S an old story about a priest celebrating his 50th Anniversary of Ordination. For this occasion, he had invited his personal friend, Richard, to come and recite his favorite Psalm, Psalm 23. His friend agreed to do this on the condition that the priest would also recite it after him.

At the appointed time, Richard stood and proclaimed the popular psalm with such oratorical mastery that the congregation immediately applauded. Then, this humble pastor stood up and began to recite the beloved Psalm from his heart. After he had finished his not-so-professional recitation, the congregation was in awe, and some were moved to tears. Someone in the front pew leaned over to Richard and asked him, “Why did people applaud you loudly, but were silently moved by the pastor?”

Richard replied, “Because I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd.”

“I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd.” These words, my friends, convey the vision and mission of Catholic education. Our aim goes beyond providing excellent academic formation and a safe place to study. We aspire to guide our children to not only acquire knowledge about Jesus and his teachings but also to cultivate a deep and intimate relationship with God, Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We seek to foster children who become true friends of Jesus, capable of sharing their faith with others.

I ask you then to recognize the transformative power that lies within the heart of Catholic education. For when children embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ and invite Him into their lives, they are equipped with a resilience that empowers them to triumph over the relentless challenges of our world. It is through the

authority of Jesus that they find the strength to resist the snares that seek to destroy their souls—temptations that lure them towards empty pursuits of popularity, wealth, fleeting pleasures, and the corrosive grip of illegal drugs. By embracing Jesus’ authority, we empower them to love unconditionally, forgive wholeheartedly, persevere in their studies, and embody attributes of patience and kindness.

However, let us not forget that as parents, teachers, and mentors, the mantle of responsibility rests firmly on our shoulders. It is our duty to lead by example and live out our Christian faith in words and actions. This necessitates sacrificial acts such as praying fervently with our children, engaging in deep and meaningful conversations centered around our Christian beliefs, and consistently reinforcing the values that emphasize the significance of love, family, friendships, and selfless service to others.

It is through the authentic embodiment of our faith, grounded in the teachings of the Gospel, that we create an environment of unwavering love, acceptance, and affirmation within our homes and schools—a nurturing haven where our children can thrive.

I ask you to join me in embracing the mission of Catholic education with unwavering determination.

Together, let us nurture and guide our children, providing them with an education that not only broadens their minds but enriches their souls. Through this shared endeavor, we enable our children to radiate compassion, morality, and resilience — a luminous force that will positively impact our world in ways we cannot yet comprehend. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.

Navigating the child custody move away process in California

atty. Kenneth URsUa Reyes

THE high cost of living in California and over regulation has made a lot of parents evaluate whether to move out of state. The most common states that people move to are Texas, Arizona, Nevada, or Florida where the cost of living is lower and taxes are less or nonexistent. However, if a parent with shared custody wants to move away with the children, they must follow a specific legal process to ensure the move is in the child’s best interests.

The move has to be allowed by the court through a court order because it will affect the non-moving parent’s custody/ visitation rights. A parent cannot simply decide to move with the children without a court order.

With the distance between the parents, the existing custody and visitation orders will no longer work out.

If a child custody order is in effect, the moving parent must notify the other parent that they intend to move, and oftentimes, they must often bring a request to modify the child custody and visitation order to court.

The parent planning to move must provide written notice to the other parent at least 45 days before the intended move date. The notice should include the new address and contact information, the reason for the move, the proposed new custody and visitation arrangements.

The parents can try to reach an agreement on the move and the new custody/visitation schedule can be tuned into a court order by signing a stipulation and order for the move away containing the new custody/visitation orders. This

would be the best case scenario where the parents are working together on deciding whether the child gets to move with the other parent and what the new custody schedule is going to be.

If the parents cannot agree, the moving parent must file a Request for Order (RFO) to relocate with the court. The RFO should explain the reasons for the move and how it is in the child’s best interests. The Court will set a hearing on the move away request. Often, the Family Court in Los Angeles would order a Parenting Plan Assessment (PPA2) in which a custody evaluator will evaluate the facts of your case and make a recommendation to the Court whether to allow the move away and what the new custody/ visitation order is going to be.

The parties will have a chance to examine the evaluator in court and present their own witnesses.

The legal analysis in a moveaway situation depend on the current custody arrangement.

A parent with sole physical custody of a child has the presumptive right to change the child’s residence, subject to the court’s ability to prevent a relocation that would “prejudice the rights or welfare” of the child, pursuant to Family Code 7501, which states: (a) A parent entitled to the custody of a child has a right to change the residence of the child, subject to the power of the court to restrain a removal that would prejudice the rights or welfare of the child. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to affirm the decision in In re Marriage of Burgess (1996) 13 Cal.4th 25, and to declare that ruling to be the public policy and law of this state. Moreover, under California child custody

law the custodial parent does not have to show that the move is “necessary,” assuming the parent is moving in good faith.

(See Marriage of Burgess (1996) 13 Cal.4th 25).

The non-custodial parent can then challenge the relocation by requesting a custody modification based on a showing of changed circumstances and detriment to the child.

As discussed in Burgess, the non-custodial parent must show a substantial change in circumstances rendering it “essential or expedient for the welfare of the children” that there be a custody change.

Family courts are given the widest discretion to fashion orders and make determinations under these circumstances because each case is unique and these orders determine where, and with whom, minor children will live based on the La Musga factors. The LaMusga Court provided California family judges with a roadmap for deciding whether to modify a custody order in light of a parent’s proposal to change the residence of the child. The following is a checklist of the LaMusga factors family courts will consider: • The Child’s Interest in Stability and Continuity in the Custodial Arrangement.

• A Significant Change in Circumstances.

• The Distance of the Move.

• The Age of the Child.

• The Social Impact of the Move on the Child.

• The Impact on the Child’s Education.

• The Child’s Relationship with Both Parents.

• The Relationship Between Parents.

• The Wishes of the Child.

• The Reason for the Move.

• The Extent to Which the Parents are Currently Sharing Custody.

Move-aways are generally “all or nothing” matters, since there is very little middle ground when one parent proposes to move the child to another state and the other parent is requesting the opposite.

The distance becomes a real limitation in crafting a custody arrangement that would be in the best interest of the child. This process can be complicated thus parties are best served having experienced and highly skilled legal representation. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APC This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010.

Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

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Angel on her secret to ageless beauty...

PAGE B3 it’s hard to keep a relationship, especially if you are in the same industry lalo na kung showbiz, mahirap to keep your relationship together but there were those that work,” she said and cited the likes of Carmina Villarroel and Zoren Legaspi, Desiree del Valle and Boom Labrusca, and Sylvia Sanchez and Art Atayde. “It blows my mind how very much in love they are still with each other.

Meanwhile, she was able to relate with her character Tanya in the “Senior High” series in the way how she protects her family. “I think that’s every mom’s role and the goal is to protect her family, her children,” she offered.

She likewise enjoyed doing scenes with Andrea, especially the heavy ones. Angel described the latter as “very giving” as a coactor. “So we feed off each other’s emotions,

kung ano yung binibigay niya, tatanggapin ko lang yun and sana may nabigay din ako sa kanya.”

“So every time we do scenes, because we know na mabigat halos siguro mga 95 percent of our scenes are heavy, we do prepare ourselves for that. And we know that we can rely on each other to salo and support one another,” she added. “(It was) happy working with everyone (on set).” g

B6 FEBRUARY 3-6, 2024 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon A NOTICE of Federal Tax Lien (NFTL) is a public record filed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with the County Recorder where you live. When the IRS wants to enforce delinquent taxes against you, there are various mechanisms that the government can use to achieve that goal. This is one of them.

Technically, the IRS has a “secret lien” the moment that taxes are assessed, but this is between you and the IRS, and the public doesn’t know about it yet. But when the IRS makes the lien public by recording it, it puts creditors and everyone on notice that the government has a lien or a secured interest against your property. In other words, it tells everyone that you have an unpaid federal tax debt. Of course, filing the lien is not something that the IRS just does without prior attempts to collect. If you have received several collection notices and do nothing, this is the next step by the IRS to force you to pay. In other words, federal tax lien can be avoided by paying the tax in full before they are filed. But this is not always possible, especially

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When the IRS files a federal tax lien

if you owe a large amount.

The federal tax lien could have negative effect on your finances and your credit. Until the underlying tax debt is resolved, it would be difficult to remove the lien. By having a lien on your property, it would also be very difficult, if not impossible, for you to purchase a home, refinance your mortgage, and purchase things on credit. While the credit bureaus stopped reporting tax lien information on your credit report in 2018, the IRS still makes tax liens a matter of public information. If lenders, landlords and employers find out about the lien, they may use that negative information against you if you are applying for a loan, a house or apartment rental, or a job.

If you have just received a notice of federal tax lien, the notice will tell you that you can generally apply for a “Collection Due Process” hearing where you can have your side of the story heard and possibly dispute the validity of the tax lien. And if the hearing does not work out in your favor, you can also typically have another chance to do so in tax court. However, the request for such a hearing needs to be filed in a timely manner. Read the letter carefully as it will tell you exactly how much time you have.

Now, you may ask: What are my options in resolving the federal tax lien once I get the notice from the IRS? Of course, you can always pay the full amount of the tax debt and resolve it quickly. That’s a no-brainer. But what if you cannot afford to pay the full amount?

If you qualify for an Offer in Compromise, you will be able to settle the outstanding debt for less than full amount. If the IRS accepts your offer, the lien will be released. Whether or not you qualify for this program will depend on your income, the value of your assets, and the amount of time remaining under the IRS 10-year collection statute. The IRS uses a specific formula to determine eligibility and requires very detailed financial disclosures.

Another method is to ask for an installment agreement that allows you to pay off what you owe over time. If you abide by the terms of the agreement, the IRS may release the lien.

In some cases where the only way to pay what you owe is to refinance your property, the IRS may allow you to subordinate their tax lien to your new loan so that you can access the equity in your property to pay the IRS. All of the above is general information and my purpose is

to simply provide you a quick overview of options that may be available. The tax lien is one of the most serious collection tactics used by the IRS because it gives the government rights to all your assets until they collect every penny that you owe.

Therefore, DO NOT ignore the notice under any circumstances as doing so may cause you to lose legal rights that you perhaps didn’t even know existed.

If you owe the IRS, the State, EDD or State Board of Equalization, my office can help you find the best solution to resolve your tax liability. You will never have to speak with the IRS again. I will review your case and help you make the best decision for yourself and your family. ***

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray J. Bulaon has successfully helped over 6,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-471-8272.

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Gladys Reyes’ advice to son Christophe about joining show biz

by Marinel cruz Inquirer.net

“THAT’S when you realize that every moment counts,” said actress Gladys Reyes, who admitted to feeling sad that while she and husband Christopher Roxas are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary, a lot of couples in show biz have chosen to part ways for good.

“Uso nga ang hiwalayan.

This is why we really chose to celebrate our anniversary.

Life is unpredictable. You’re not sure of what will happen later. Christopher and I were boyfriend-girlfriend for 11 years before we got married. The news of all these couples breaking up also made me think: if we didn’t decide to get married on our 11th

“Thank God, we ended up getting married. For the record, neither did I force Christopher to propose to me nor give him an ultimatum,” Gladys said, laughing. “Our only regret was not having children early on in our relationship.”

Gladys said she couldn’t remember them having any major fights, except for when they were much younger and didn’t talk for a month and a half.

“When we were already married, we would quarrel in the morning, but would eventually make up at Christopher Roxas (left) and Gladys Reyes (fifth from left) with their kids Grant, Christophe, the end of the day. This is normal Gavin and Aquisha Photo by Marinel Cruz for those who have been married for a long time. Pero pagsapit ng year, is it also possible for us to party at Glass Garden Events gabi, naiiba ang ihip ng hangin. I not end up together? There’s also Place in Pasig City that she hosted don’t know, it must be my charm! this thing called overfamiliarity,” for their eldest, Christophe, who When we go to sleep, I make Gladys told reporters during a turned 18 this month.

PAGE B7

Catriona Gray approves of senior citizens joining Miss Universe Philippines

by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

CATRIONA Gray expressed her support for senior citizens joining Miss Universe Philippines, saying pageantry gives women an avenue to be “unapologetic” in going after their dreams.

Interviewed by entertainment journalist MJ Felipe, Gray said that pageantry is a “wonderful” platform for women to share “different stories,” when asked about Joyce Peñas Cubales, a 69-year-old fashion designer joining the Miss Universe Philippines-Quezon City (MUPHQC) pageant.

“I always loved the different stories that come through the platform of pageantry whether it’s the trans community advocate or in showing the age is just a number,” she said. “As a woman, I feel like age is usually used to limit us and our potential. There are terms always thrown at women that your biological clock is ticking or your time is running out.”

While Gray understood the concerns of some pageant fans regarding senior citizens joining pageants, she noted that there’s nothing wrong with women “representing” their respective communities.

“To see a woman who’s unapologetic going after her dream and it may not look like something we haven’t seen before but why not? She’s enjoying herself, she’s representing her community, and that’s a great thing,” she said.

“I understand [the concerns] in a way. Pageantry is a sport and many things are considered [to be] traditional. So as the rules are starting to be lifted, I can understand why the anger in some people and why it rubs them off the wrong way,” she continued.

The former beauty queen also pointed out that pageants are meant to be a “platform” for candidates to represent themselves and what they stand for. “It gives women the platform to represent something, the community or themselves.”

“Not just beautiful women who

Catriona Gray.

Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray

are fit and are walking onstage.

That’s not what pageantry is for me,” she continued. “All of the forward movements that the organization is doing is something I support and I’m happy for. But I understand people who have a traditional sense where, ‘Oh, you just want a fashion show with [good-looking] women.’”

When asked if the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) is open to such changes, Gray hoped the organization would open its doors to the “forward movements” as well.

“Why not? I love the platform of pageantry. It’s showing what a woman’s potential can be, and hopefully, they’re open to considering some of the forward movements that we’re seeing in other pageant systems so let’s see,” she said.

Gray was crowned as Miss Universe Philippines 2018 when its license was still under the helm of the BPCI. She eventually bagged the coveted Miss Universe title in the same year.

Cubales made headlines after she was announced as one of the candidates for MUPH-QC which came after the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) lifted the age restrictions for candidates in September 2023.

Before the move, the MUO only allowed candidates aged between 18 and 28 to be part of the global tilt. g

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Maja, Rambo expecting baby girl

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

Gladys Reyes

Photo by Marinel Cruz

Gladys Reyes’...

PAGE B6 sure to wear something that will awaken his senses,” Gladys quipped.

Making an effort “Seriously, though,” the 46-year-old actress continued.

“Intimacy in married couples is important. You have to keep the fire burning, as they say. The two of you should make that effort. When the day ends, it’s not healthy to just sleep facing opposite each other. You should also find time to go on a date or a staycation. Before, I would feel guilty for doing this, so I would bring our kids along. As they grew older, I realized that they will all live their own lives eventually, and Christopher and I will be left to ourselves. That’s reality. The two of us have to build a solid relationship as early as now.”

This was also why the couple went on a European holiday recently. They traveled to London, Amsterdam, Prague and Austria. “I was so excited because it was my first time to go to these places. I’m grateful to my sister-in-law, who allowed us to join their trip. I told her, ‘Ilista mo na lang ha?’” Gladys quipped.

“Christophe was supposed to join us, but he backed out because of an accounting exam.

He got so disappointed when the school announced at the last minute that the test can be done online. On the other hand, I was so impressed because he gave up the trip for school.”

This is why Gladys will return to London with Christophe in May, she said. “He saw us taking pictures on Abbey Road, and he is the Beatles fan from among us.

Fortunately, there are Filipinos there who are requesting to see me. Let’s bring ‘Gladys’ Night’ to London, shall we?” she said, laughing.

Not worried When asked to react to the idea of her eventually becoming a grandmother, Gladys said: “I don’t mind it that Christophe has a girlfriend. We all wish for inspiration, but I also saw how much he values school, even though he has extracurricular activities and enjoys making music so much. He is also into jujitsu. I’m not worried because I know he grew up with a family that has a solid and secure

ACTRESS Maja Salvador and husband Rambo Nuñez are having a baby girl.

In a gender reveal video posted on their respective Instagram accounts, the couple said that the gender of their baby is not important.

“Kahit ano, at least dragon siya,” Maja said, referring to the Chinese Zodiac sign. This year is the Year of the Wood Dragon, which actually begins on February 10.

“Ako, kahit ano,” Rambo added.

foundation.”

She continued: “What I can only do is pray for his safety because I cannot guard him 24/7. This is also why, even though I sleep late, I make sure to wake up at 7 a.m. to pray with the kids before they go to school. As the mom, I constantly remind Christophe to always be responsible. This is because [when he eventually gets a girl pregnant] there’s no turning back. He can’t say anything bad about us as his parents because, even though we’re childhood sweethearts, our parents really guarded us. It took a while before they allowed me to go out on dates with Christopher. Also— and I’ve always been open about this—it was only after we got married that we slept together.” Julia Barretto and Aga Muhlach Photo courtesy of Viva Artists Agency Thankfully, Glady said, Christophe is growing up to be a responsible big brother to his three siblings—Aquisha, Grant and Gavin. “I noticed that he would think hard first before doing something. Also, kids of this generation are more careeroriented. They prefer to raise a family at a later age. I’m also happy that he is doing well in school as an HRM student. I guess he wanted to be like his parents who are restaurateurs.”

As a birthday surprise to Christophe, ABS-CBN Music executives Roxy Liquigan and Jonathan Manalo attended the party to announce that the teener will be signing up as one of their talents. “Christophe has already visited them in ABS-CBN and made them listen to the songs he composed. As parents, we agreed to sign him up because the company promised to adjust to Christophe’s school schedule.

For the moment, hosting and making music are fine.”

Gladys said she would also like to return to school and finish her mass communications course this 2024. “I’d like to walk the talk. I want to show my kids that when you’re educated, people will not look down on you. I have no more wish for material things.

I’m not into luxury bags and shoes—people change fashion preferences too quickly, anyway.

I guess Christopher and I will just save up for the renovation of our house. We both don’t want to leave it because it seems to give us good luck.” g

Later on, they opened a box filled with pink confetti, which signals that their baby is a girl.

Maja announced her pregnancy last December.

The couple tied the knot in Bali, Indonesia in July 2023.

Prior to that, the couple had an intimate civil wedding in Manila last February 2023.

Maja and Rambo got engaged in April 2022. The actress confirmed that she and Rambo got back together in March 2019. The couple first dated in Maja Salvador with her baby bump and her is husband Rambo Nuñez.

Photo from Instagram/@maja 2010. g

Julia says May-December film with Aga ‘challenging’ JULIA Barretto is aware of the mixed reactions toward her and Aga Muhlach’s film, which revolves around a May-December romance between a music professor and a choir protege, as she stressed it was not made to “normalize” anything inappropriate.

Barretto addressed the concerns regarding the upcoming movie “Ikaw Pa Rin ang Pipiliin Ko” at a press conference, and emphasized that she wouldn’t agree to do the film with Muhlach if it sends the “wrong message.”

“We’re wishing that people will be welcome to it and are open to it. Just as in real life, people can be understanding about it especially since we’re talking about two adults. I understand the feedback and concerns. I see it all,” she said.

The actress also explained the meaning of her Instagram post last Jan. 26 where she appealed to the public to give the film a chance. “Nobody is invalidating the concern but at the same time, we wouldn’t have been on board if we knew that the film would send the wrong message to people.”

She also noted that the storyline is meant to show a “unique kind of love” which also happens in real life: “We will not do this kind of film to normalize anything. I think when we tell love stories through film, we’re not trying to normalize anything.”

“We’re not trying to advocate anything. We’re storytellers. Again, we wouldn’t have done this production if we knew this would send the wrong message in any way,” she continued. (by Hannah Mallorca/Inquirer.net)

B8 FEBRUARY 3-6, 2024 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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