021624 - Northern California Edition

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Volume 23 - No. 7 • 12 Pages

T he F ilipino A mericAn c ommuni Ty n ewspAper

1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136, Burlingame, CA 94010 • Tel: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253 • www.asianjournal.com

FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, SAN DIEGO, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

‘Mindanao secession no constitutional travesty’ DATELINE USA

by Catherine Valente

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

What were last year’s biggest scams?

ON Friday, February 9, the Federal Trade Commission released data showing that nationwide fraud losses topped $10 billion in 2023 — 14% more than 2022.

Nevertheless, the dramatic loss owes less to more reports than to more money being lost to each scam per these reports.

At an Ethnic Media Services briefing that morning, FTC officials discussed new trends in top scams, and why learning about and reporting scams is so crucial to protecting consumers.

Top scams of 2023 Last year’s $10 billion in reported losses, compared to $9 billion in 2022, was an all-time first, “but the number of reports we received in 2023 did not increase dramatically,” said Maria Mayo, Acting Associate Director for the Division of Consumer Response and Operations in the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection.

“One in four consumers reported losing money with a median loss of $500 per consumer,” she continued.

Research shows that less than 5% of u PAGE 3

ManilaTimes.net

FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte’s idea of an independent Mindanao is “not a travesty of the Constitution,” as it is “covered by the guarantee of freedom of speech or of expression,” his former top legal counsel Salvador Panelo said.

Panelo issued the statement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that calls for a separate Mindanao were “doomed to fail” for they were “anchored on a false premise.”

Panelo said that Marcos “has been swayed to adopt such [a] misplaced response.”

“It is amusing that the reaction to the opposition to the idea of the secession of Mindanao floated by PRRD (former President Duterte’s initials) has gone ballistic from over-reaction to the utterly absurd,” Panelo said.

“A forgotten idea that birthed 40 years ago owing to government’s neglect of Mindanao has been resurrected by PRRD evidently as a peripheral reaction to the discredited and graft-clothed people’s initiative surreptitiously initiated by power-hungry politicians,” he added.

The former Palace spokesman insisted that an idea of a Mindanao secession “can not be absolutely said to be doomed to fail,” saying that “any advocacy or a

Nikko Remigio: A proud Fil-Am on a Super Bowl team The Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver is set to make his Super Bowl debut by nimfa rueda Inquirer.net

Harvard’s first-ever Filipino classes foster cultural connection, community Beginning and intermediate courses were offered in the fall semester, with an advanced level added for spring “MABUHAY,” “kumusta,” “salamat,” and more Filipino words now echo through Harvard University’s halls.

Last fall, the Ivy League school took a significant stride in acknowledging the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Philippines and its community in the United States with the introduction of Filipino language courses.

As reported by The Harvard Gazette in their Feb. 7 article, these courses, spanning beginner and intermediate levels, have garnered enthusiastic participation from students eager to reconnect with the Filipino language at Harvard. The inclusion of these courses aligns with a broader initiative by the Harvard University Asia Center to enhance offerings in Southeast Asian stJames Robson, the William Fung Director of the Asia Center, u PAGE 3

concept must pass the crucible of a debate prior to the determination of its success or failure.”

“Espousing an idea, no matter how outrageous, the matter of secession is certainly not, cannot be a travesty of the Constitution. It is covered by the guarantee of freedom of speech or of expression,” Panelo said.

He said that what is violative of the Constitution “is the espousal of violence and intimidation of the people to bring the downfall of the government and the prevention of the enforcement of laws, as well as defying the constituted authorities.”

“Neither is such advocacy a crime of sedition, u PAGE 2

‘I DO’. About 271 couples exchange their vows during a mass wedding at Paco Park in Malate, Manila on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. The mass wedding, officiated by Reverend Redexter Abella, was organized by the city government of Manila.

PNA photo by Yancy Lim

LOS ANGELES – Among the hot topics leading up to the Super Bowl game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, tight end rookie Nikko Remigio.

Who is Nikko Remigio?

Remigio, 25, has been on the Kansas City Chiefs’ reserve/injured list since August last year and returned to the field in his first pro season at the Super Bowl.

He was born on Nov. 4, 1999 to a Filipino father and a half Black, half white mother.

Growing up Asian and Black American in a predominantly white neighborhood in Orange County, California, Remigio felt different and faced racism.

In an interview with Berkeley News, Remigio said the other kids wanted to touch his hair because it was long and “super curly.”

He was also told to stay out of the sun because his skin u PAGE 5

2 Chinese Navy ships spotted as US, PH make joint patrols in West PH Sea

by John eriC mendoza Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippine Navy observed the presence of two Chinese Navy vessels while U.S. and Philippine troops conducted joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea last Friday, February 9.

Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said Tuesday, February 13 that the two People’s Liberation Army (PLA)-Navy ships appeared to be monitoring the latest maritime cooperative activity (MCA) between Manila and Washington.

“There [was] the presence of two PLANavy ships [on] the horizon,” Trinidad disclosed during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Aside from the two Chinese vessels, there were no other “uninvited guests” during the U.S.-Philippines military exercise, he added. “[As for] uninvited guests, no maritime militia, no [Chinese] coast guard vessels were monitored.”

Trinidad did not further elaborate on the Juan Ponce Enrile, the former defense chief and Senate leader, says: “Whatever I did in all type of Chinese warship present in the area my years in government, as well as outside, I did them with full knowledge and complete planning.”

Inquirer.net photo by Lyn Rillon last Friday.

The second U.S.-PH MCA was conducted u PAGE 5

A LIFE IN HISTORY, AND NOT YET THE TWILIGHT

VP Sara Duterte says relationship Enrile says ‘no regrets, no with Pres. Marcos remains ‘okay’ mistakes,’ as he turns 100

Vice President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, February 12, said that she and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “are okay,” despite the hostility between her family and the president.

“We have no problem with each other, President Bongbong Marcos and I are doing good, we are okay in terms of our relationship both personal and working,” Duterte told reporters in Malaysia where she is set to attend a Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Council Malacañang file photo program as its president.

However, asked about her relationship with First Lady Liza Marcos, Duterte merely responded “I have no comment as of this time.”

Duterte also said that she and Marcos have not discussed the accusations made against him by her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, nor have they addressed her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s call for Marcos to step down.

The said accusations were made during a prayer rally in Davao City u PAGE 2

by melVin GasCon Inquirer.net

MANILA — On any given workday, this government lawyer dresses up for the office, pores over piles of paperwork, and attends meetings like any other ordinary worker.

Actually, he’s far from ordinary, having stayed in public life for six decades, with his own political highs and lows but never out for long, taking different shades but never really fading.

Until the twists and turns of

Philippine history put him back where he started: a seat in the president’s power circle.

But this time around, his office in Malacañang has an easy access to an elevator—as he requested—because his knees could no longer negotiate the Palace stairs.

“I could not walk the stairway of Malacañang anymore,” Juan Ponce Enrile told his recruiter back in 2022 when first offered the job.

At 100, the chief legal adviser u PAGE 4

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FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

From the Front Page

BELIEVE IT OR NOT. Lucky charms are among the bestsellers in Binondo, Manila on Chinese New Year, Saturday, February 10. Coupled with hard work, believers expect fortune, protection and success with these items.

PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

‘Mindanao secession no...

PAGE 1

which is rising tumultuously and publicly by means of violence or intimidation to prevent, among others, the promulgation and execution of laws and the exercise of the powers and duties of government officials,” he said.

“Nor is it [a] rebellion, which is rising publicly and taking arms against the government,” he added.

Panelo, a lawyer, said “a secession by an overwhelming majority of a part of a population and a territory of a country done peacefully is sanctioned by — and not prohibited by international law.”

This, he said, was exemplified by the secession of Singapore from Malaysia, Sukovo from Serbia and East Timor from Indonesia.

“The secession is anchored on the principle that the people have the right to self-determination.

They have the right to choose the kind of government they want, to choose the officials who will govern them and to determine their future,” he said.

Panelo also said the Constitution “enshrined the principle: Sovereignty resides in the people, and all authority emanates from them.”

“If the sovereign people of Mindanao opt to secede and establish its own state in a peaceful manner, it has that inherent right.

Such is premised on the principle of ‘Salud populi est supremacy lex’ (The welfare of the people is the supreme law),’” Panelo said.

“If it is the welfare of the people of Mindanao to create its own

republic for the reason that the present system does not work to their welfare, then they cannot be deprived of their right to selfdetermination,” he added.

Panelo said an idea “can not be crushed by threat or intimidation” as “it can only be supplanted by a better idea.”

“You do not crush an idea. You crush a rebellion or an uprising,” the former Palace spokesman said.

“The oppositors to the idea of a secession instead of lashing at the proponent should determine its whys and wherefores then provide the appropriate and effective response,” he added.

(Log on to www.manilatimes.net for the full statement of Salvador Panelo, former legal counsel of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, on Mindanao secession.) g

the policies of the current administration.

Sara, for her part, dismissed Baste’s call as “brotherly love” as she attributed Baste’s actions to the “despicable treatment” she’s been receiving from some allies of Marcos.

While the vice president has not specified who these allies were,

there has been a noticeable rift between her and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Sara herself previously acknowledged the alleged rift between her and Romualdez, stating that even she wonders why she is being “attacked” despite being the current administration’s ally. (Inquirer.net)

VP Sara Duterte says relationship with...

PAGE 1

where the former president said Marcos was on the government’s illegal drugs watchlist — which the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency later denied.

On the other hand, Davao City Mayor Sebastian or “Baste” in the same event also called on Marcos to resign as he criticized

Dateline USa

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024

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Harvard’s first-ever Filipino classes foster cultural... GoFundMe has become a health care utility PAGE 1

underscores that this initiative reflects Harvard’s commitment to fostering global understanding and engagement, particularly in regions of increasing economic importance and geopolitical influence.

Aligned with the varied backgrounds of its students, the courses have fostered dialogues on Filipino society, traditions and contemporary issues. Intermediate students, for example, engage in activities

such as reading news articles and sharing opinions, promoting a deeper understanding of Filipino culture and perspectives.

“It also acknowledges the contribution of the overseas Filipino workers, the migrants, and the growing Filipino diaspora in the world,” Preceptor Lady Aileen Orsal shares to the publication.

Hailing from Cavite, Orsal is among the instructors for this new language offering at Harvard.

Affectionately addressed as “ate”

(older sister) by her students, she emphasizes the impact of the courses, not only on the university and its students but also in highlighting the significance of language, notably one of the most widely spoken in the U.S. In a recent study, Tagalog emerged as the second most spoken language, following English and Spanish, in numerous U.S. cities. In Nevada, it stands as the predominant language spoken after English and Spanish.

(Hans Carbonilla/Inquirer.net)

PAGE 1 consumer fraud victims report at all.

The most common scam category was imposters “pretending to be a trusted entity like a business, a government agency, a family member or a romantic interest”; number two was online shopping and negative reviews; three was prizes and lotteries; four was investments; and five was business and job opportunities.

The most commonly reported form of imposter scams were business imposters, with $752 million in losses last year.

Per one example, Mayo said, “A consumer gets what appears to be a banking alert about fraudulent activity with their account and is given a number to call. The call is transferred to a fake U.S. Marshal who tells the consumer their money is in danger because of a money laundering scheme.

The consumer withdraws funds from their personal accounts and transfers them to a crypto wallet that the Marshal set up.”

Government imposter fraud was the second-most reported type of imposter scam — in fact, losses to FTC imposters skyrocketed from a median loss of $3,000 in 2019 to $7,000 in 2023.

While investment-related fraud was number four overall, it was the category where people reported the most losses: a total of $4.6 billion with a median loss of over $7,000 for these scams, which involve transferring money to people promising to teach them how to trade stocks.

For the first time ever, “email was the most reported contact method of scammers in 2023, Mayo said. “In 2022, text was number one, but before that phone calls were always number one.”

Nevertheless, people contacted by phone reported the highest median losses of $1,480, while those contacted through social media lost the most money overall, $1.4 billion.

Regarding common methods of payment, people who paid scammers by bank transfer reported losing $1.9 billion, while those who paid by cryptocurrency lost $1.4 billion.

AI scams The FTC is increasingly worried about scammers using artificial intelligence to “turbo-charge fraud” through impersonation, said Lois Greisman, Associate Director of the FTC Division of Marketing Practices.

For instance, the scammer would get a voice clip of the victim’s aunt from social media and clone it to call the victim, saying that the aunt has “been in a terrible car accident, they’re in the hospital, there’s no insurance information, so they need you to wire thousands of dollars for lifesaving surgery,” she explained.

Nor is AI limited to voice cloning scams, Greisman added, “but also seeping into scammers’ messages: “‘My crypto investment method works because I’ve trained the AI to beat the stock market’ — with all the hype around AI these days, that’s a very compelling claim to make.”

How, then, do you spot a scammer?

“One of the best ways is by what payment instrument they ask you to use,” said Greisman.

“If they’re insisting on payment by wire transfer, gift card, payment apps or crypto, that’s a huge bright red flag … because it gives scammers the greatest measure of anonymity, and the likelihood of law enforcement being able to trace and return the money is extremely difficult.”

Why consumer reporting matters Reporting scams like these to the FTC matters because the data helps nearly 3,000 state, federal, local law enforcement entities nationwide stop fraud, and because it helps prevention outreach, Greisman continued.

“When we see, for example, spikes in gift card scams, we reach out to the industry to see what they can be doing to curb abuse of cards,” she added.

“When we see text messaging becoming a frequent point of contact, we reach out to the telecommunications industry.”

People can now report frauds and bad business practices in their preferred language — and anonymously if they wish — by phone at 877-382-4357, or online in English or Spanish by going to reportfraud.ftc.gov or by emailing fraud@ftc.gov. Identity theft can be reported in one’s preferred language at 877-4384338, or in English or Spanish at identitytheft.gov.

“To help people spot and avoid scams and identity theft and talk about what they experience, we offer information at ftc.gov/ languages” in languages including Amharic, Arabic, simplified and traditional Chinese, French, Mam, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian and Vietnamese, added Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney at the FTC Division of Consumer & Business Education.

“While scammers are really good at what they do, knowledge is power, and the best thing we can do is try to share what we know about spotting scams,” she said. “When people report fraud, they can share as much or little as they want to. We’re interested in knowing what happened. We want to know the story.” (Selen Ozturk/Ethnic Media Services)

What were last year’s biggest...

by ElisabEth RosEnthal KFF Health News

GOFUNDME started as a crowdfunding site for underwriting “ideas and dreams,” and, as GoFundMe’s co-founders, Andrew Ballester and Brad Damphousse, once put it, “for life’s important moments.” In the early years, it funded honeymoon trips, graduation gifts, and church missions to overseas hospitals in need. Now GoFundMe has become a go-to platform for patients trying to escape medical billing nightmares.

One study found that, in 2020, the annual number of U.S. campaigns related to medical causes — about 200,000 — was 25 times the number of such campaigns on the site in 2011.

More than 500 current campaigns are dedicated to asking for financial help for treating people, mostly kids, who have spinal muscular atrophy, a neurodegenerative genetic condition. The recently approved gene therapy for young children with the condition, by the drugmaker Novartis, has a price tag of about $2.1 million for the single-dose treatment.

Perhaps the most damning aspect of this is that paying for expensive care with crowdfunding is no longer seen as unusual; instead, it is being normalized as part of the health system, like getting bloodwork done or waiting on hold for an appointment.

Need a heart transplant? Start a GoFundMe to get on the waiting list. Resorting to GoFundMe when faced with bills has become so accepted that, in some cases, patient advocates and hospital financial aid officers recommend crowdfunding as an alternative to being sent to collections. My inbox and the “Bill of the Month” project (a collaboration by KFF Health News and NPR) have become a kind of complaint desk for people who can’t afford their medical bills, and I’m gobsmacked every time a patient tells me they’ve been advised that GoFundMe is their best option.

GoFundMe acknowledges the reliance of patients on its platform.

Ari Romio, a spokesperson for the company, said that “medical expenses” is the most common category of fundraiser it hosts.

But she declined to say what proportion of campaigns are medically related, because people starting a campaign self-select the purpose of the fundraiser.

They might choose the family

or travel category, she said, if a child needs to go to a different state for treatment, for example.

So although the company has estimated in the past that roughly a third of the funds raised on the site are related to costs for illness or injury, that could be an undercount.

Andrea Coy of Fort Collins, Colorado, turned to GoFundMe in 2021 as a last resort after an air-ambulance bill tipped her family’s finances over the edge.

Sebastian, her son who was then a year old, had been admitted with pneumonia to a local hospital and then transferred urgently by helicopter to Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver when his oxygen levels dropped. REACH, the air-ambulance transport company that contracted with the hospital, was out-of-network and billed the family nearly $65,000 for the ride — more than $28,000 of which Coy’s insurer, UnitedHealthcare, paid. Even so, REACH continued sending Coy’s family bills for the balance, and later began regularly calling Coy to try to collect — enough so that she felt the company was harassing her, she told me.

Coy made calls to her company’s human resources department, REACH, and UnitedHealthcare for help in resolving the case.

She applied to various patient groups for financial assistance and was rejected again and again.

Eventually, she got the outstanding balance knocked down to $5,000, but even that was more than she could afford on top of the $12,000 the family owed out-of-pocket for Sebastian’s actual treatment.

That’s when a hospital financial aid officer suggested she try GoFundMe. But, as Coy said, “I’m not an influencer or anything like that,” so the appeal “offered only a bit of temporary relief — we’ve hit a wall.” They have gone deep into debt and hope to climb out of it.

In an emailed response, a spokesperson for REACH noted that they could not comment on a specific case because of patientprivacy laws, but that, if the ambulance ride occurred before the federal No Surprises Act went into effect, the bill was legal.

(That act protects patients from such air-ambulance bills and has been in force since Jan. 1, 2022.)

But the spokesperson added, “If a patient is experiencing a financial hardship, we work with them to find equitable solutions.”

What is “equitable” — and

whether that includes seeking an additional $5,000, beyond a $28,000 insurance payment, for transporting a sick child — is subjective, of course.

In many respects, research shows, GoFundMe tends to perpetuate socioeconomic disparities that already affect medical bills and debt. If you are famous or part of a circle of friends who have money, your crowdfunding campaign is much more likely to succeed than if you are middle-class or poor. When the family of the former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton started a fundraiser on another platform, *spotfund, for her recent stay in the intensive care unit while uninsured, nearly $460,000 in donations quickly poured in.

(Although Retton said she could not get affordable insurance because of a preexisting condition — dozens of orthopedic surgeries — the Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from refusing to cover people because of their medical history, or charging them abnormally high rates.)

And given the price of American health care, even the most robust fundraising can feel inadequate.

If you’re looking for help to pay for a $2 million drug, even tens of thousands can be a drop in the bucket.

Rob Solomon, CEO of GoFundMe from 2015 to March 2020, who in 2018 was named one of Time magazine’s 50 most influential people in health care, has said that he “would love nothing more than for ‘medical’ to not be a category on GoFundMe.” He told KFF Health News that “the system is terrible. It needs to be rethought and retooled.

Politicians are failing us. Health care companies are failing us.

Those are realities.”

Despite the noble ambitions of its original vision, however, GoFundMe is a privately held for-profit company. In 2015, the founders sold a majority stake to a venture-capital investor group led by Accel Partners and Technology Crossover Ventures.

And when I asked about medical bills being the most common reason for GoFundMe campaigns, the company’s current CEO, Tim Cadogan, sounded less critical than his predecessor of the health system, whose high prices and financial cruelty have arguably made his company famous.

“Our mission is to help people help each other,” he said. “We are u PAGE 5

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FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

Enrile says ‘no regrets, no mistakes...

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of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. might well be the world’s oldest government employee, one who has outlived the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Henry Kissinger, and KathNiel, based on memes circulating on social media.

On Wednesday, February 14, Juan Valentin Furagganan Ponce Enrile, so named because his birthday fell on Valentine’s Day, marked a full century of existence, still active in public service after a storied career that has spanned six decades.

Enrile sat down with the Inquirer on Saturday afternoon, February 10 at his residence in Dasmariñas Village in Makati City, one of the country’s most exclusive neighborhoods.

Wearing a tangerine shirt, he sat at the head of a white conference table and gamely replied to questions. His daughter, Katrina Ponce Enrile, administrator of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, sat on his right flank, taking down notes.

‘Tell me a country’ Enrile talked about his obsession with reading as a key secret to maintaining a sharp mind even at his advanced age.

“When I got out of the Senate in 2016, I did nothing except study all those books,” he said, pointing to a bookshelf that stood beside his desktop computer.

“I kept reading, so modesty aside—tell me a country and I will discuss it with you—its geography, strengths and weaknesses, its problems,” he said.

These days, Enrile is busy with finance books written by bestselling American author James Rickards, including “The Death of Money,” “The Big Drop” and “The New Case for Gold.”

Serving a Marcos again According to his house staff, Enrile loves regular morning walks around his grass lawn for his daily dose of sunshine.

Many thought Enrile would gradually fade into the sunset after he completed his tenure as Senate president in 2016. But he was plucked from retirement when Mr. Marcos assumed office as the country’s 17th president two years ago.

Enrile said he did not have to apply for his job, recalling one night in July 2022 when he got a call from then Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, who asked if he would be willing to join another Marcos Cabinet. He hesitated at first, he said, but eventually

decided that taking on another high-profile job was a no-brainer.

“I had nothing to do. It was only [for the chance] to be of service to the country again,” Enrile said.

In some ways, serving in Mr. Marcos’ Cabinet represents life coming full circle for Enrile, considered by some as a hero and others a villain during the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution that toppled the regime of the president’s late father and namesake.

1972 ‘ambush’ On Sept. 22, 1972, then Defense Secretary Enrile and his convoy were supposedly ambushed in Wack Wack Village in Mandaluyong City — an “event” that set the stage for the declaration of martial law by the older Marcos a day later.

It was only in 1986, when he and then Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos announced their revolt against the dictator, that Enrile said the ambush had been staged—an admission he repeated several times in other interviews through the years.

But in his book “Juan Ponce Enrile: A Memoir,” published in 2012, he revised his own history, claiming that the ambush had been real.

“This [staged ambush] is a lie that has gone around for far too long such that it has acquired acceptance as the truth…. This accusation is ridiculous and preposterous,” he wrote.

Despite that “sad episode,” Enrile said there was no bad blood between him and the Marcos family, as he had made sure of their safe exit from Malacañang at the end of that uprising.

“Many people misunderstood my relationship with this family; [Edsa People Power happened] because there was this junta already planning to take over the government,” he claimed, alluding to the bickering within Marcos’ inner circle at the time, which, he said, forced him to form his own group.

In the Senate Enrile continued as defense chief, this time under Marcos’ successor Corazon Aquino. But his increasing criticism of her government, amid the coup attempts that were linked to Enrile’s allies in the military, prompted her to fire him. Aquino would continue to deal with that threat until 1989.

By 1987, with the country under a new republic and constitution, Enrile threw his hat into

Dateline USa

the senatorial arena and led the Senate through its now historic chapters—some of these, proud moments for the chamber (the vote to remove the U.S. bases in 1991), others controversial (the impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada in 2000).

While he was senator, Enrile also ran for president in the general elections of 1998, but lost to Estrada.

His support for Estrada, who was impeached in 2000 and ousted the next year by another popular uprising, cost Enrile his reelection bid. But he returned to the Senate in 2004 and went on to complete two terms, becoming its oldest Senate president in 2008.

‘A very simple life’ In 2013, Enrile and two other senators were implicated in the pork barrel scam for allegedly funneling P172 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund to bogus nongovernment organizations. He was detained in 2014, but released on bail after a year.

He is still battling plunder charges in the Sandiganbayan.

Enrile said his struggles early in life, in his native province of Cagayan, steeled him for the difficult challenges ahead.

“I knew what it is to be poor, to be a lowly person, to be abused; I used to be called a bastard. I was a houseboy. I cooked, cleaned the asses of the children of my bosses, washed the clothes of my benefactors,” he said.

These days, on top of his salary, which he wouldn’t disclose as “it’s public record,” he sustains himself with a “little pension” from his daughter Katrina, who used to run the family’s Jaka Group of Companies.

But he doubts that the government will bestow on him the P100,000 cash incentive for 100-year-olds under the Centenarians Act, according to Katrina.

“My dad lives a very simple life.

He says he has enough T-shirts and is comfortable with his life as he has always been,” she said.

‘No perfect government’ Enrile said the infighting between the Marcos and Duterte families is par for the course.

“That’s normal; there’s no guarantee that everybody is good because even in heaven, you have Lucifer,” he said “The trouble with us is that we are thinking that there is a perfect government—there’s no such u PAGE 5

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

ASH WEDNESDAY. A Catholic priest puts ash on the forehead of a Catholic faithful during the observance of Ash Wednesday at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila on Wednesday, February 14, signifying the start of the Lenten season. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for reconciliation with God. PNA photo by Yancy Lim

Daly City is the first city in the nation to declare loneliness a public health crisis

DALY CITY – At its regular meeting on February 12, 2024, the City Council of the City of Daly City declared loneliness a public health crisis.

United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy has issued “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community,” which highlights the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection, emphasizing the significant impact on mental, physical, and societal health. Loneliness has a profound impact on health and is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It leads to poor health outcomes including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression, and a higher likelihood of premature death.

Dr. Hakan Ozcelik, Professor of Management for the College of Business at Sacramento State University shared that loneliness is an unpleasant emotional condition that creates psychological, physiological, physical, and sociological effects, causing people to behave in ways that are self-defeating.

National studies have identified that race and ethnicity can contribute to the effects of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection.

Further research underscores that older immigrants who relocate to another country are particularly susceptible to loneliness, attributed in part to shifts in language, cultural norms, social networks, and experiences of racism and/or discrimination. More than half of Daly City’s residents are foreign-born and almost 20% are 65 years or older.

Dr. Jei Africa, Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services for the County of San Mateo, confirmed that the diverse makeup of Daly City has left many residents prone to loneliness and commended the City Council for being the first city in San Mateo County to consider such an important declaration and invest efforts for the betterment of the community’s wellbeing.

Dr. Phaedra Bell, Education and Health Equity Specialist at the University of California San Francisco, recognized that city governments like Daly City can make a huge impact on social isolation and loneliness by calling attention to the issue.

Through Mayor Juslyn C. Manalo’s leadership recognizing that loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection exists in Daly City, the City Council unanimously adopted a resolution declaring loneliness a public health crisis.

“Daly City is a diverse commu-

Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo File photo/www.dalycity.org

nity and home to many residents who have come from all over the world,” said Mayor Juslyn C. Manalo. “We cannot ignore the statistics — loneliness exists in our city. Declaring loneliness [as] a public health crisis brings awareness and opens up new opportunities to collaborate and partner with the County, as well as local non-profit organizations.”

Daly City is committed to begin taking steps as a unified community to build stronger social connections by cultivating a culture of connection and fostering a culture that promotes positive everyday interactions and norms to enhance relationships.

(Daly City Release)

Tulungan na Hubugin ang Kinabukasan ng Inyong Komunidad!

Ang Contra Costa County Consortium, na kinabibilangan ng mga lungsod ng Antioch, Concord, Pittsburg, Walnut Creek, at ng County ng Contra Costa (bilang representasyon sa lahat ng iba pang mga bayan at lungsod sa Contra Costa), ay tumatanggap ng pederal na pondo para sa HOME, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), at Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) bawat taon. Sa loob ng limang taon, ang mga pondo na ito ay aabot sa higit na $50 milyon!

Iskedyul ng Pampublikong Pagpupulong • West County Lunes, Marso 18, 2024, 6:00 PM City of Richmond - City Council Chamber Room 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, mangyaring tawagan si Jaclyn Tummings sa numero (925) 655-2886.

Ang mga pederal na pondo na ito, na pinamamahalaan ng Kagawaran ng Pabahay at Pagpapaunlad ng Lungsod (HUD), ay maaaring gamitin upang magtayo ng bagong abot-kayang pabahay, ayusin ang mga bahay para sa mga mababa ang kita at senior na may-ari ng bahay, pagbutihin o itayo ang mga pasilidad ng publiko at mga parke, ayusin ang imprastruktura sa mga komunidad na mababa ang kita, magbigay ng training sa trabaho at tulong sa mga may-ari ng maliit na negosyo, magbigay ng iba’t ibang mga serbisyo para sa mga pamilyang ma mababa ang kita, mga indibidwal at mga taong walang tirahan, at marami pang iba!

• East County A) Huwebes, Marso 28, 2024, 6:30 PM City of Antioch – City Council Chambers 200 H Street, Antioch, CA 94509 Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, mangyaring tawagan si Andrea Mateo sa numero (925) 779-7000, ext 7037.

Bukod dito, siguraduhin na dumalo kayo sa isa sa mga pampublikong pagpupulong na gaganapin sa inyong lugar (tingnan sa ibaba). Ang inyong feedback ay bahagi ng proseso upang lumikha ng Consolidated Plan ng Consortium para sa paggamit ng mga pondo na natanggap mula sa pederal na Kagawaran ng Pabahay at Pagpapaunlad ng Lungsod (HUD).

Ang Konsorsiyum ay magbibigay ng mga makatarungang pasilidad para sa mga taong may kapansanan na nagplaplano na dumalo sa mga pulong na ito at nakipag-ugnayan sa mga nakasaad na kontak nang hindi bababa sa 24 oras bago ang pagpupulong.

B) Huwebes, Abril 04, 2024, 6:00 PM City of Brentwood – Community Center 35 Oak St, Brentwood, CA 94513; Room A/B Gusto naming marinig ang inyong mga boses... Tuwing limang taon, IKAW, Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, mangyaring tawagan ang iyong mga kaibigan, kapitbahay, at komunidad ay may pagkakataon si Daniel Davis sa numero (925) 655-2884. na tumulong sa pagkilala sa pinakamalalaking pangangailangan ng inyong komunidad at tukuyin kung paano gagastusin ang mga pondo upang • Central County matugunan ang mga pangangailangan na ito. Mangyaring maglaan ng ilang Huwebes, Marso 21, 2024, 6:30 PM sandali upang punan ang isang online na survey sa pamamagitan ng pagbisita City of Concord - City Council Chamber Room sa www.cccounty.us/conplan at pag-klik sa “Community Needs Survey.” Ang 1950 Parkside Drive, Concord survey na ito ay tatagal ng mga 20 minuto, kaya’t mangyaring maging handa Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, mangyaring tawagan upang bigyan ito ng maingat na pagpansin. si Leng Power sa numero (925) 603-5838.

Ang Konsorsiyum ay magbibigay ng tulong sa pagsasalin sa mga pulong na SALAMAT sa pagmamalasakit sa inyong komunidad sa pamamagitan ng ito para sa mga taong nakipag-ugnayan sa mga nakasaad na kontak nang pagbibigay ng feedback upang tulungang patnubayan ang pagpapondong hindi bababa sa 72 oras bago ang pagpupulong. pederal sa susunod na limang taon!!

Dateline USa

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2 Chinese Navy ships spotted as US, PH...

PAGE 1 last month while the first-ever joint patrol was held in November 2023, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The previous joint patrols of Manila and Washington also saw the presence of Chinese vessels and aircraft.

In November 2023, a Chinese Navy guided-missile frigate and a surveillance plane kept watch on the joint maritime patrol.

As a U.S. Navy Poseidon P-8A surveillance aircraft flew overhead while the Philippine Navy’s BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39) sailed with the U.S. Navy’s USS Gabrielle Giffords for a passing exercise, the PLA-Navy Jiangkai-II frigate and a Shaanxi Y-9 surveillance aircraft operated in the vicinity, as witnessed by INQUIRER.net and a few other Filipino journalists who were invited to observe the activity.

There were no aggressive

interactions from both sides, although the Jiangkai-II frigate came as close as 9.26 kilometers (5 nautical miles) from the USS Giffords.

Lt. Cmdr. Tim Cline, mission commander of the U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol aircraft said at that time that: “Nothing unusual. Both parties… conducted themselves safely and professionally and normally, which is what we’re always out here trying to do.”

“The objective [of our operations here] is to normalize activity and normalize interactions with each other,” he added.

On January 3, a Jiangkai-class Chinese frigate and a Chinese Luoyang-class destroyer also shadowed the second MCA of Manila and Washington in the West Philippine Sea. These PLA-Navy warships appeared while BRP Gregorio del Pilar, BRP Davao del Sur (LD602), and BRP Ramon Alcaraz

(PS-16), along with U.S. Navy destroyer USS Sterett (DDG- 104) were conducting their patrols.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar and the PLA-Navy’s Jiangkaiclass Chinese frigate exchanged radio challenges, but no other untoward incidents occurred during that time.

Beijing’ actions are in line with its assertion of sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the western section of Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

An international tribunal ruling in 2016, however, effectively dismissed this sweeping claim.

According to Article 57 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country has sovereign rights over its own EEZ, but other nations could still enjoy non-economic uses in other states’ EEZ such as freedom of navigation as well as the right of overflight. g

Enrile says ‘no regrets, no mistakes...

PAGE 4

thing,” he said.

Despite the controversies and scandals in his long career, Enrile said he has no regrets about decisions that have shaped the

country’s history, for good or ill: “Whatever I did in all my years in government, as well as outside, I did them with full knowledge and complete planning.”

“But one thing I can tell you:

I never ordered anybody to be killed. I don’t kill people, not even by any means. I charge them if I have to charge them but I never ordered,” he said, his voice rising. g

GoFundMe has become a health care...

PAGE 3 not, and cannot, be the solution to complex, systemic problems that are best solved with meaningful public policy.”

And that’s true. Despite the site’s hopeful vibe, most campaigns generate only a small fraction of the money owed. Most medical-expense campaigns in the U.S. fell short of their goal, and some raised little or no money, a 2017 study from the University of Washington found.

Campaigns made an average of about 40% of the target amount, and there is evidence that yields — measured as a percentage of their targets — have worsened over time.

Carol Justice, a recently retired civil servant and a longtime union member in Portland, Oregon, turned to GoFundMe because she faced a mammoth unexpected bill for bariatric surgery at Oregon Health & Science University.

She had expected to pay about $1,000, the amount left of her deductible, after her health insurer paid the $15,000 cap on the surgery. She didn’t

understand that a cap meant she would have to pay the difference if the hospital, which was innetwork, charged more.

And it did, leaving her with a bill of $18,000, to be paid all at once or in monthly $1,400 increments, which were “more than my mortgage,” she said. “I was facing filing for bankruptcy or losing my car and my house.”

She made numerous calls to the hospital’s financial aid office, many unanswered, and received only unfulfilled promises that “we’ll get back to you” about whether she qualified for help.

So, Justice said, her health coach — provided by the city of Portland — suggested starting a GoFundMe. The campaign yielded about $1,400, just one monthly payment, including $200 from the health coach and $100 from an aunt. She dutifully sent each donation directly to the hospital.

In an emailed response, the hospital system said that it couldn’t discuss individual cases but that “financial assistance information is readily available

for patients, and can be accessed at any point in a patient’s journey with OHSU. Starting in early 2019, OHSU worked to remove barriers for patients most in need by providing a quick screening for financial assistance that, if a certain threshold is met, awards financial assistance without requiring an application process.”

This tale has a happy-ish ending. In desperation, Justice went to the hospital and planted herself in the financial aid office, where she had a tearful meeting with a hospital representative who determined that — given her finances — she wouldn’t have to pay the bill.

“I’d been through the gamut and just cried,” she said. She said she would like to repay the people who donated to her GoFundMe campaign. But, so far, the hospital won’t give the $1,400 back.

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.

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024

Nikko Remigio: A proud Fil-Am on a...

PAGE 1 was getting too dark. There were more overt forms of racism, “like being called a nigger or a chink, and getting the slanted eyes gesture to my face,” he said.

Having a mixed-race identity also had its challenges. “It’s like you’re too Black for the white kids, and too white for the Black kids. And then, you’re not really Filipino because you’re only half,” he revealed.

Looking back now, Remigio realized he was learning how to deal with adversity and to “keep pushing through tough situations, knowing how to react in times of struggle and hardship.”

It was his desire for acceptance that got him interested in sports, where “you’re cherished and loved by everybody.” “It didn’t matter what race you were,” Remigio said. “It made you feel like you were just like everybody else – not different.”

Remigio’s Filipino father was born in Seattle, Washington and raised in Southern California.

His family is from Iloilo and Muntinlupa.

His mom, who is half Black and half white, is from Pontiac, Michigan. His parents met in

5

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Nikko Remigio, a proud Fil-Am, is set to make his Super Bowl debut.

Photo from Instagram/@nikkoremigio

Santa Ana, California, in 1988.

His parents divorced when Remigio was a young child, but they have maintained a good relationship.

“I really admire the morals they instilled in me,” he said. “They were always there if we were really struggling, but gave us the space to navigate challenges by ourselves in order to fully learn what we’re capable of, and who

we are.”

Remigio is proud of his heritage and representation is more important to him than winning games or making headlines.

“One of the big things not only for me — but I know for my dad and his sisters, and my grandma and grandpa — is just people being able to pronounce our last name the right way,” said Remigio (pronounced ruh-me-HEE’-oh). g

6

Features

OpiniOn

FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

Secessionist aspirations

AFTER initially ignoring the call for Mindanao secession aired by his predecessor, President Marcos said it was “anchored on a false premise” and is a “sheer constitutional travesty.” Any Mindanao secession is “doomed to fail,” the president said, as he reiterated that the national territory “will not be diminished, even by one square inch.”

He subsequently emphasized that a stronger Mindanao will mean a stronger Philippines. And a critical component of a stronger Mindanao, he said, is making the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao stronger. The BARMM sprung from secessionist aspirations of the group now in control of its government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, whose leaders have rejected the call of former President Rodrigo Duterte for Mindanao secession.

With the BARMM administration getting billions in funding from the national government, to do largely as it pleases under the autonomous arrangement, it would be counterproductive for the region to support any secessionist aspiration, especially one that springs from political warfare rather than from a genuine dream of carving out an independent state.

The MILF has been down the secessionist path for decades, along with the original separatist group, the Moro National Liberation Front. The MNLF forged a peace pact with the government and its leaders were given autonomous control

over the original ARMM. As MNLF chieftain Nur Misuari famously lamented, however, rebellion was easier than governance. He became enmeshed in corruption, and when his hold on power was threatened, he staged a mini rebellion that exacerbated the problems in Mindanao. The ARMM bred warlords led by the Ampatuans, who had the impunity to massacre 58 people in a single assault when their stranglehold on power was challenged.

Today the BARMM remains the poorest region in the country, with poverty incidence at 37.2 percent as of 2022. With the poverty are its concomitant elements: inadequate health care, malnutrition and undernutrition as well as undereducation. Armed violence remains high, keeping away tourists and investors who can be drivers of economic growth.

Transparency, accountability and good governance are critical in creating a stronger BARMM. But studies have shown a low capacity for effective governance among those in charge of the region. The regional leadership is given an

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

overly wide discretion, with little accountability, in the utilization of public funds, including those billions provided by the national government.

Poverty, underdevelopment and social injustice fuel desperation and drive people to take up

arms. If the BARMM goes the way of the ARMM, secession can be revived in the region. Preventing this from happening is the best way to ensure that aspirations for secession will be eliminated in Mindanao. (Philstar.com)

The world is watching: US election developments

Babe’s Eye View BaBe romualdez IN the coming months, close to 60 countries will be having elections, but none as consequential as the elections in the United States. Additionally, the world is going through a lot of challenges that continue to make it difficult for many countries to recover from the pandemic, among them climate change, the war in Ukraine, the escalating conflicts in the Middle East and tensions in the IndoPacific region.

The ongoing NATO drill dubbed as “Steadfast Defender 2024” – said to be the biggest NATO military exercises since the end of the Cold War – participated in by 31 NATO allies and Sweden involving 90,000 troops and personnel, over 1,100 combat vehicles as well as 50plus warships and over 81 air platforms, is raising concerns about the war in Ukraine spreading across Europe.

According to Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)

The Broader View Harry roque SO said the still-popular Rodrigo Duterte, who has unflinchingly faced and cheated death many times over. In our recent phone conversation, the former president divulged that the International Criminal Court will issue a warrant for his arrest anytime soon. As he has consistently vowed, Tatay Digong would only face charges related to the war on drugs campaign filed before the Philippine courts. He would seek death rather than have the foreign tribunal, with the complicity of local law enforcers, drag him to The Hague court.

First, it would constitute an illegal arrest. The ICC lost its jurisdiction over the drug war because the Philippines is no longer a State Party to the Rome Statute. The Court Prosecutor failed to trigger the Court’s jurisdiction before our withdrawal became effective on March 17, 2019. As contended by two Appellate Chamber judges, the Prosecutor can no longer open a preliminary investigation once the State’s withdrawal officially took effect.

Second, the octogenarian has

General Christopher Cavoli, Steadfast Defender 2024 will demonstrate the ability of the Alliance “to reinforce the EuroAtlantic area via trans-Atlantic movement of forces from North America.”

The exercises will test new defense plans and see how quickly U.S. forces could be deployed to reinforce their European allies in countries bordering Russia and the eastern flank of the alliance. The drills, which will continue until May, “will be a clear demonstration of our unity, our strength and our determination to protect each other, to protect our values and the rules-based international order,” General Cavoli said.

The Oct. 7 attack of the terrorist group Hamas against Israel and the consequent war in Gaza has also stoked fears that a full-scale war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah could spill over to the Middle East.

Many say that we are living in an increasingly “VUCA” world marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity – with 2024 set to be a historic, recordbreaking year because over 50

countries will be holding national elections that could affect the lives of over two billion voters across Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Experts say that among the consequential poll exercises are the ones in the UK, India, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Russia (although some critics claim this would be a mere “rubber stamp” activity) as well as the Taiwan elections held last January because of their potential global impact.

But the elections that people are closely watching would be the November 2024 presidential elections in the United States because the outcome would be of great consequence to the foreign policy of the U.S., which in turn could impact the situation in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region. Obviously, the big question right now in the minds of leaders and many people across the globe is – who is going to be the next president of the United States: will it still be Joe Biden, or will the world see a Trump 2.0?

To say that developments are heating up in the U.S.

political scene would be an understatement, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding the decision of the Colorado Supreme Court to disqualify former president Donald Trump from the state’s Republican primaries and remove his name from the primary ballot.

During the hearing that lasted for more than two hours, the justices – who come from both sides of the political spectrum – seemed doubtful of the legal authority of a state to disqualify candidates in a federal election by deciding who gets to appear on the ballot because of the possibility that this could lead to partisan decisions.

“I would expect that a goodly number of states will say, ‘Whoever the Democratic candidate is, you’re off the ballot’ and others, for the Republican candidate, ‘You’re off the ballot.’

And it’ll come down to just a handful of states that are going to decide the presidential election,” Chief Justice John Roberts put it, describing it to be a “pretty daunting consequence.”

Justice Elena Kagan was even

more blunt in her remarks: “Why should a single state get to decide who gets to be president of the United States?”

The justices also noted that “insurrection” is a broad term, and that the language in Section 3 of the 14th amendment which bars any “officer of the United States” who has taken an oath to support the Constitution but “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding public office, is “vague” as it did not specify the president or vice president in the long list of elected position that the section applies to.

The justices also indicated the opinion that Section 3 cannot be applied unless Congress enacts legislation first that would allow it.

Aside from Colorado, one other state that has disqualified the former president from the presidential primary ballot is Maine, with 15 more cases having been filed in various states that include New York, Texas and Virginia.

But regardless of who becomes president, we are pleased to have friends from both sides of the aisle,

continually working with them, making sure that the relationship that we have been able to sustain over the years remains strong not only in terms of security cooperation but particularly in the economic aspect.

In fact, we can expect more business activity with the United States in the coming months, such as the reinvigorated U.S.Philippines Society with a lot of new members composed of top American companies arriving next week. Next month, we will be expecting a large U.S. Presidential Trade Mission headed by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Without a doubt, I am extremely confident that our relationship with the United States will continue to thrive even beyond the November U.S. presidential elections. (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.

*** babeseyeview@gmail.com

Over his dead body lived – and continues to live – a full life. He has nothing to fear or lose at this point.

When I asked for his intel source, FPRRD refused to reveal it on the phone. Obviously, some groups are monitoring his activities. I do not doubt the veracity of the information since the former chief executive still has access to various intelligence reports. It also coincides with the story peddled by an anti-Duterte politician and a supposed complainant in the war on drugs case that the ICC would request the Philippine government for Digong’s arrest soon.

The Rome Statute states that once the Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC) determines probable cause, it can issue a warrant or summons for an accused to ensure the person’s appearance in the trial; the person does not obstruct the investigation or court proceedings; and prevent the person from continuing the commission of the crime (Article 58, Section 1).

I am grateful that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has stated they would not serve an arrest warrant to FPRRD according to the wishes of the ICC. This complies with the verbal directive of President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. to all Executive agencies to desist from cooperating with the ICC. On the

other hand, I am disappointed that Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra thinks there is no need for a memorandum circular vis-àvis the issue. With due respect to my fellow cabinet member under the Duterte administration, I believe that a verbal order carries less legal force. It can easily be superseded by another public pronouncement. I recall that in November, the chief executive suddenly backtracked from his original position of non-engagement with the ICC since assuming office in 2022.

Thankfully, PBBM clarified last month that the government will not lift a finger to help the Court investigation.

Under the best evidence rule, when the subject of inquiry is the contents of a document, no evidence shall be admissible other than the original written document itself. Under any circumstance, a presidential issuance would compel government agencies, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Bureau of Investigation, to disengage from an ICC-related proceeding.

Investigation & arrest In terms of a preliminary investigation, the ICC process differs from our local courts. In the Philippines, the investigation is considered a statutory right.

Under the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure, the accused has the right to participate in the probe and to examine the evidence submitted by the plaintiff. If the evidence is voluminous, the complainant must specify the evidence that will be used against the respondent. Upon receipt of the subpoena, the accused should file a counter-affidavit and that of his or her witnesses and other supporting documents within ten days.

In contrast, the ICC follows the European inquisitorial justice system, which prioritizes the expeditious resolution of a criminal case. The international Prosecutors can directly gather and collect evidence to buttress their case against suspected individuals who may have committed an atrocity crime within the Court’s jurisdiction.

They have the sole right to examine evidence and keep documents or information confidential. They have the prerogative to request the presence of persons under investigation, victims, and witnesses. Should they decide that the evidence at hand is sufficient, they may even forego directly questioning a person under investigation. They are also not obligated to notify individuals who will be charged

before the Pre-Trial Chamber.

Nonetheless, the Prosecutors are mandated to impartially and equally assess both incriminating and exonerating evidence when determining the criminal responsibility of an individual.

Persons under investigation, meanwhile, are not entitled to file a counter-affidavit. They are not allowed to access the evidence presented by accusers. However, the Statute protects their right against selfincrimination and the right to legal representation (Article 55).

They cannot be subjected to any form of duress like torture, or questioned in a language that they cannot fully understand and speak. While being investigated, they cannot be arbitrarily arrested or detained except on grounds established in the Statute. Prosecutors or national authorities requested by the Court shall extend the same rights to persons believed to have committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court.

Once the Pre-Trial Chamber decides favorably on the application and evidence submitted by the Prosecutor, it will issue an arrest warrant for the accused. Since the ICC does not have a police force, they must entirely rely on the law enforcement agencies of a

State Party. Article 59 stipulates that upon receipt of a request for provisional arrest or arrest and surrender, a member country must immediately apprehend the person according to its laws and the provisions of Part 9 (of the Statute).

If we apply it to the Philippine situation, the ICC request will go through the foreign affairs and justice departments. The latter agency will then cascade the arrest order to the PNP or NBI. They may even seek the help of the AFP. Can the ICC immediately and forcibly bring FPRRD to The Hague? The answer is no. The former president has the right to apply to the competent authority in the custodial State for interim release pending surrender (Article 59). The competent authority shall consider whether there are urgent and exceptional circumstances to justify interim release and whether necessary safeguards exist to ensure that the custodial State can fulfill its duty to surrender the person to the Court. Tatay Digong can also petition the Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus. (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.

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Dateline PhiliPPines

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024

7

Bill protecting OFW remittances hurdles House panel MANILA – The bill protecting the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) hurdled committee level at the House of Representatives.

During the hearing on Tuesday, February 13 the House Ways and Means Committee approved the substitute bill to House Bills 185, 1190, 2944, 3020, 4170, 4257, 4343, 4397 & 4469, or the proposed OFWs Remittance Protection Act. The bill provides for a 50 percent discount on OFW remittance fees imposed by banks and nonbank financial intermediaries.

In return, banks and other financial intermediaries will receive tax deductions equivalent to the discounts provided to OFWs. Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo said the original proposal included a provision limiting

the total annual tax deduction for these financial intermediaries to PHP24,000 per OFW. Salo noted that the House panel approved a motion to remove the proposed cap to further encourage OFWs to send their remittances.

“It is imperative that we lessen the cost incurred

by OFWs in their remittances, which account to a staggering USD36.1 billion or 8.9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product," Salo said.

The proposed law would also prevent these financial institutions from increasing remittance fees without prior consultation with the Department of Finance, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

Salo said this provision shields OFWs from unexpected fee increases. (PNA)

FDA chief open to medical marijuana as doctors warn of harm

by Gaea Katreena CabiCo Philstar.com

MANILA — The chief of the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday, February 13 that he is "very open" to the medical use of cannabis or marijuana, but doctors warned that the legalization of the substance could expose Filipinos to "unnecessary harm."

Last week, a joint panel of the House of Representatives approved a consolidated bill that seeks to make legal the medical use of marijuana, but without removing it from the country's list of dangerous drugs.

In a briefing Tuesday, FDA Director General Samuel Zacate expressed openness to the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

"Filipinos must have a wide range of therapeutic indications or drugs of choice.

So ako for the record [...] is very much open for marijuana as long as it has been streamlined and does not pose harm to the public," Zacate said.

Although open to considering medical marijuana, Zacate said the issue is still "subject to the wisdom of the legislative [branch]."

Under current regulations, the FDA has the authority to grant hospitals compassionate special permits for using unregistered medical products, including processed medical cannabis.

According to the United States National Institute on Drug Abuse,

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana "has proven medical benefits in particular formulations."

These medications are prescribed to patients undergoing chemotherapy, suffering from wasting syndrome due to AIDS, or experiencing neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis.

'Harmful' In a separate briefing, medical groups led by the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) opposed the proposed measures to legalize cannabis for any use other than those with medical value approved by the FDA. "Although there is variability in the experience on the harms of legalizing cannabis in various states or countries, there is a clear trend towards the harmful effects that outweigh the purported benefits," the PMA said in a statement read by neurologist Dr. Leonor Cabral-Lim. For the medical association, the proposed House measure is a "de facto bill for recreational marijuana."

"Cannabis used as a recreational drug, and used as medicine for unproven medical indications is a dangerous drug," it added.

PMA experts warned of potential negative impacts on brain development due to prenatal cannabis exposure. They also pointed out the increased vulnerability of young people to developing dependency on the substance.

"The legalization of cannabis is a step that could irreparably harm the social fabric of our nation by enabling easier access to marijuana for Filipino youth," the PMA said.

'Medical cannabis office' Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who chairs the House's dangerous drugs committee, said that the proposed legislation would not legalize marijuana as it will remain classified as a prohibited drug under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The bill also seeks to create a Medical Cannabis Office under the Department of Health, which will grant accreditation to doctors and other licenses for the medical use of cannabis.

Public health reform advocate Tony Leachon questioned adding the responsibility to the DOH. "The Department of Health is so overloaded with work. Why would you bring that to the DOH?" he said.

During his confirmation hearing as the DOH chief, Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said he was in favor of the legalization of medical marijuana.

When asked about Herbosa's stance on medical cannabis in September 2023, Leachon responded partly in Filipino: "If he approves medical cannabis, we don't know who else to turn to."

Thailand is set to urgently move a bill to ban the recreational use of cannabis after the kingdom decriminalized the substance in 2022. g

FIRST STEP. The Senate Committee on Science and Technology, chaired by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (left), approves the consolidated measures seeking to modernize the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology during the second hearing on Monday, Feb. 12, with Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol (upper right) as main resource person. Cayetano cited the importance of mapping public infrastructures along fault lines, checking lines of communication and increasing the agency’s staff through scholarship programs that would entice Filipino students to take up specific in-demand science courses such as hazard mapping.

PNA photos by Avito Dalan

Senate approves ‘Eddie Garcia’ bill

by Javier Joe ismael ManilaTimes.net

THE Senate approved on second reading Senate Bill (SB) 2505 or the proposed Eddie Garcia law on Monday, February 12.

Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, said that the bill aims to protect movie and television workers from abuse, extended working hours, harassment, hazardous working conditions and economic exploitation.

The measure was named after veteran actor Eddie Garcia, who died in 2019 after suffering a neck injury while shooting for a television series.

Under SB 2505, the industry worker shall be protected by their employers or principal in the workplace. Workers will be provided just wages, social security and welfare benefits, and insurance.

The worker and the employer or principal shall execute an agreement or an employment contract in a language or dialect understood by both parties.

The contract shall include the job position and status; job description; period of employment or service; details of compensation and other workers’ benefits including rate, method, and schedule of payment; authorized deductions, if any; hours of work and proportionate additional payment or overtime pay; board, lodging, and medical attention and workers’ grievance mechanism among others.

The normal work hours shall be eight hours a day, which can be extended to a maximum of 14 hours, exclusive of meal periods.

In no case shall the total number of work hours be more than 60 hours in a week except for those aged 60 and above who shall be allowed, under exceptional circumstances as defined by the

The measure was named after veteran actor Eddie Garcia, who died in 2019 after suffering a neck injury while shooting for a television series.

File photo

Tripartite Council, to work beyond eight hours but in no case exceeding 14 hours.

The bill also provides that the minimum wage rates of workers or independent contractors shall not be less than the applicable minimum wage in the region.

The employee shall also be entitled to social security and other benefits.

Work for minors shall be governed by Republic Act 9231, or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. g

FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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Glaiza de Castro on serial killings, feeling unsafe

Nadine Lustre gets reminded of own relationship with dad in ‘Roadkillers’

by Nathalie tomada

by Marinel Cruz

Philstar.com

Inquirer.net

WHEN actress Glaiza de Castro agreed to be part of Louie Ignacio’s horror-thriller “Slay Zone,” she also committed to wearing two very different hats: one as an actress, the other as a producer.

Glaiza said this meant that she was already involved in the process of creating her character, vlogger/social media influencer Veronica Ledesma or V. “When the project was first presented to me, it was just a concept. I only knew that it would be a thriller and that I would be working with Mamang Pokwang. My character was only at 10 percent in terms of development. She didn’t even have a name yet,” Glaiza told Inquirer Entertainment in a virtual interview from Korea where she is shooting a TV series.

“To make the story relevant, we tried to define her first in terms of her occupation. There are so many interesting personalities on social media these days. We see a lot about them, either real-life stories and news, or work-related posts. Like me, we sometimes work with brands so we have an image to protect.”

“This is why I said ‘yes’ to it. I liked the idea that I’m involved in the creative process. Of course, during the shoot, Direk Louie also had a lot of inserts in relation to my character and Mamang’s, so this is really a collaboration,” the actress added.

Glaiza then tried to explain what the story is about based on V’s perspective. “She regards the topic of the slay zone as a big platform for her as an influence.

She has many secrets. I don’t think she’s aware if she has already overcome her insecurities and has accepted her past. We can’t even be sure if Veronica assumed a new identity when she changed her name to V,” she said.

Big responsibility The film is set in a rural area called Pulang Araw, which is headed by the newly appointed police captain Corazon Fernandez (Pokwang) and is being promoted on social media by V. The

Glaiza de Castro

place suddenly turns into a slay zone when a series of killings happens. In the course of finding out the truth behind the murders, the lives of people close to them are endangered.

Being a coproducer of the film (under Wide International Film Productions) is not so different from what Glaiza does with her music, she pointed out.

“If we hear the word ‘producer,’ we think it entails a really big responsibility. It actually does.

I’m grateful that Wide has allowed me to be part of the creative process. I’m hoping that this will happen in all the projects that we will be making in the future. I’m given additional responsibilities and challenges, and another chance to explore beyond my capabilities as an actor. My work doesn’t just end in acting out my character. I’m excited about the possibilities of me being a member of both the creative and production teams,” she added.

Glaiza described her costar Pokwang as “a mom, a friend and a big sister on the set all rolled into one.” She recalled: “We stayed in one standby area so we became close. She’s very thoughtful. I appreciated all her simple gestures of kindness, of her making sure I’m comfortable. You see, we all look after each other during shoots, especially since what we’re doing is not comedy and a lot of our scenes require physical acting.

As you’ve seen in the trailer—it’s extremely bloody.”

Inquirer.net photo

Lost, scared As to whether or not the film attempts to make a statement on the idea that there could be serial killers in the Philippines, Glaiza said: “Wherever you go, be it in the Philippines or here in Korea, there will be a point in your stay when you’ll feel kind of unsafe. There was a time when, I tried to go to a particular restaurant that I was keen on trying on my own. I rode the subway and when I realized that I was already lost, I felt scared. I stepped out of the train even when I wasn’t supposed to because I suddenly felt claustrophobic. I don’t know what happened to me, but the feeling kind of reminded me of the Itaewon tragedy.”

She continued: “When I was already walking, a weird-looking man followed me and tried to catch my attention by talking to me. I couldn’t understand him, and so I thought I must have dropped something from my bag. I wasn’t sure if he had good intentions, but at that moment, I didn’t feel safe. As much as possible, don’t let your guard down,” she pointed out. “Of course, I also know that we shouldn’t be too quick to judge. Some people could have a chemical imbalance in their brains and are not aware of their medical condition. It’s also possible that they are unaware that what they’re doing is already wrong. It’s interesting to tackle topics like that. I’m sorry if that’s all I could say, at the risk of my explanation ending up being a huge spoiler.”

NADINE Lustre was reminded of her own relationship with her father when she filmed the action-thriller “Roadkillers.”

In the Studio Viva-produced series, Nadine takes on the role of Stacey Sunico, a daughter trying to make amends for the past trouble she caused her doting and forgiving mechanic father Nato (Bodjie Pascua). She later learns about her father’s clandestine life as henchman for a corrupt politician.

When her father falls gravely ill during COVID times, a desperate Stacey goes to extreme lengths to save him — but fails.

Now, she must face the ultimate challenge of fulfilling her father’s dying wish: to be buried next to her mother. However, someone knows the crime she has committed, leading Stacey down an even deadlier and more dangerous path as she will do whatever it takes to honor her father’s final request.

Apart from exploring the extent of what a child can do for a parent, even if it means bordering on the extreme and the criminal, the series highlights the unique relationship dynamics between a father and a daughter.

For one, it was Nato who taught Stacey how to drive and troubleshoot car problems — skills that would come in handy as the story progresses.

When Nadine was asked if she connected to her character on this aspect, the actress shared that there was indeed some common ground between her own upbringing and relationship with her father and those of her character.

“Nakakatawa yung sakin kasi nung napanood po ng dad ko yung ‘Roadkillers,’ sabi niya parang ako lang si Bodjie,” she began in response to The STAR’s question during the post-screening mediacon on Friday, February 9.

“Nung nag-shoot nga po kami with Tito Bodjie, talagang he reminds me of my dad like with everything, the jokes, the way he talks.

“And my dad is really a mechanic by profession. I also grew up really as a daddy’s girl, so I love tinkering with things, even the white out tape, even those of my classmates, I would fix.”

“Just because I was fascinated with my dad na mahilig and magaling siya magkumpuni ng mga stuff, like even the controller of a playstation, he can fix it. So, I grew up like that (looking up to my dad) exactly like how Stacey is.

“Although my dad, hindi naman siya henchman ng pulitiko (laughs), but just the same sobrang naaastigan din ako sa dad ko. So while we were shooting the whole series, every time I had an interaction or scene with Tito Bodjie, I remembered my dad.”

Though Nadine could nev-

Nadine Lustre leads the cast of Rae Red’s action-thriller series ‘Roadkillers,’ which starts streaming on Viva One on March 1.

Philstar.com photo

er imagine herself resorting to Stacey’s drastic decisions in the series, she could draw parallels between hers and her character’s traits.

She said, “I guess I am stubborn but not on that level because with Stacey, with the things she has done, she’s really on the extreme side… In a sense, I can also do everything for my family but not up to that extent.

“I also love Stacey because — sorry for the word — no BS siya. I believe that’s also the kind of person that I am. She’s, as in, dedma like wala siyang pakialam sa sarili niya kahit magmukha siyang madungis or anything. At some point, I’m also like that. I’m very simple. It’s just that now I’m very different because, you know, if I’m on work mode, iba talaga. But on a normal day, sobrang relax lang ako.

“And she’s very boyish, the same as me. And I guess… not necessarily as a daddy’s girl but as a family person. Because how Stacey was brought up, her environment kasi, her dad handles guns and cars because he’s a mechanic. So, I guess a bit similar although there were no guns when I was growing up, cars lang…

So, I was very… ‘cowboy.’ That’s how I can relate to Stacey.”

One thing that Nadine really enjoyed while doing this series was the action-packed scenes.

There were car chases, gun fights, some grappling and close action.

“I really love doing action.

Even with direk Rae, as soon as she told me about the project, of course, I would say yes because I’ve really wanted to do action for a long time,” she shared.

“With regards to preparation, I also underwent training in firing, assembling guns, and stunts.

We really had to rehearse (the stunts) especially because the environment, the conditions, as you can see in the scenes, are sandy,

there’s dirt, and it’s rocky, so it’s really very tricky. As much as possible, the director wanted the stunts to be realistic.

“At the end of the day, Stacey is not a superhero, she’s just a normal person. So it’s really a lot of that but I really enjoyed it a lot, especially the training.”

Nadine said she hopes to do more films with similar themes and tones in the future.

“More darker and grittier projects, I guess. It’s really just because my previous projects were mostly rom-com (romantic-comedy) and drama. So now, I’m at a point (in my career) where I want to explore different genres and I want to take on more challenging roles,” she said.

“Nakakatawa kasi may nabasa po akong article with the headline, ‘Nadine ayaw na mag-loveteam, gusto maging psychopath,’ (laughs). Yun naman po yung lagi kong sinasabi because it is very interesting, you know, like doing a role of a psychopath or a killer or someone who is deranged, just trying to figure out how this person’s mind works.”

She elaborated that she’s fond of going into the “intricate details” and studying people for characterization. Plus, she enjoys watching crime documentaries, horror and psychological thrillers.

“So, I want to dive into that and so far naman po, all of the projects or at least, I guess, the direction that I’m taking is really headed towards that,” she said.

She disclosed that her next project is the folklore horror film “Nokturno” with Mikhail Red, her director in “Deleter,” which won her the Best Actress award during the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival.

“So, I’m really, really excited to see what projects will be pitched to me. I’m so looking forward to it.”

Daniel Padilla thanks Kathryn Bernardo at ABS-CBN contract renewal Gabbi Garcia

Photo from Instagram/@gabbi Maymay Entrata

Photo from Instagram/@maymay

Gabbi Garcia and Maymay Entrata: PH’s next beauty queens?

by Ronnie CaRRasCo iii ManilaTimes.net

WHAT do Gabbi Garcia and Maymay Entrata have in common? Both are beauty queen materials.

Interviewed by some members of the entertainment media at separate events, both Gabbi and Maymay were asked if they have plans of joining national beauty pageants.

There’s no denying that Maymay is being groomed by former pageant hopefuls themselves and fellow celebrities that she has what it takes to clinch a major title, thus stand a chance to represent the country.

Maymay, however, isn’t keen on trying her luck: “It is not what

my heart so desires.”

The Kapamilya actress says she might rethink her decision though if her condition is met: “Remove the Q & A portion!”

Isn’t Maymay asking for the impossible? Isn’t she aware that this is one of the highly anticipated segments in any beauty contest — whether it be local, national or even barangay (village)?

A test that there’s more to physical beauty than meets the eye, why is Maymay scared of it when she seems she can nail it after all?

In stark contrast, joining beauty pageants has been Gabbi’s childhood dream.

But given her showbiz commitments, commercial endorsements and alike, “I don’t think I

can be able to squeeze it in my time table...but we’ll see!”

Without stressing the obvious, Gabbi’s problem lies in having too little time to achieve a big goal as opposed to Maymay’s with so much time but with too little “confidence.”

Has Maymay been browsing old editions of prestigious national pageants and is afraid she might turn out to be another Janina San Miguel who was a major disaster at the Q&A portion but nonetheless finished Binibing Pilipinas World 2008?

Or is Maymay simply taking a cue from our first ever Miss Universe Gloria Diaz to be oneself and not pretend to be someone that she is not?

I get it.

KAPAMILYA actor Daniel Padilla thanked former long-time on- and off-screen partner Kathryn Bernardo during his renewal of contract with ABS-CBN on Monday, February 12.

During his speech, Daniel said that their memories together will be forever in his heart.

“Siyempre hindi ko pwedeng kalimutan si Kathryn. Maraming maraming salamat Kathryn sa ating maraming taon na pinagsamahan,” Daniel said.

“You know, hinding-hindi mawawala sa puso ko ang magaganda nating memories at ang ating mga adventures at journeys na pinagsamahan. Thank you very much,” he added.

Daniel also expressed his gratitude to millions of KathNiel fans who supported their journey.

“At siyempre lalahatin ko na ang lahat ng KathNiel, maraming maraming salamat sa lahat ng taon ng pagmamahal at pagsasama natin. Hinding-hindi mawawala sa puso ko at sa aking

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, also known as the love team KathNiel ABS-CBN photo

memories, ang ating masasayang pinagsamahan,” he said.

“All good memories ang ating masasayang pinagsamahan. All good memories for me at walang walang makakatalo sa mga memories na ‘yon. And for me, wala pa ring fans club na makakatalo sa KathNiel. Sorry but it’s true,”

he added.

Earlier this month, Kathryn also renewed her contract with ABS-CBN after rumors emerged that she will sign with Maja Salvador’s Crown Artist Management or make a surprise move to GMA. (By Jan Milo Severo/Philstar.com)

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Features

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024

Consulate officials tour showroom of SF outdoor furniture maker with ties to PH SAN FRANCISCO – Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer met with the owners of innovative outdoor furniture maker Galanter and Jones and toured their showroom and facility in the city.

Galanter and Jones is a San Francisco-based furniture design and fabrication studio that has a manufacturing facility in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, Philippines.

Consul General Ferrer extended his appreciation to Galanter and Jones for the insightful visit. “We commend Galanter and Jones for their operations in the Philippines and the company’s commitment to quality, innovation, and socially responsible practices. We look forward to continued collaboration in promoting Philippine craftsmanship on the global market,” he said.

Madame Miriam Ferrer, Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona, Commissioner May Celynne Layug of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Silicon Valley, and Administrative Officer Genevieve Ferrer of the Philippine Center Management Board joined the facility tour, along with Consulate Economic Assistant Jennifer Sto. Domingo, and PTIC Trade Specialists Rosalie Say and Mylene Juan.

Founded by siblings Aaron and Miranda Jones in 2012, Galanter and Jones is known for its innovative approach to outdoor seating, particularly its pioneering line of heated outdoor furniture. Its commitment to quality and sustainability has earned the company ac-

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Robert Edward Ettlin (seated) and Miranda Jones (standing, extreme right) talk about the world-class craftsmanship of the heated furniture manufactured in their Dumaguete facility.

STUCK IN THE PHILIPPINES: MOMMY CONNIE RETURNS TO THE U.S. DESPITE PANDEMIC CHALLENGES AND AN EXPIRED GREEN CARD, ON A BRAND-NEW SUCCESS STORY ON CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY! Mommy Connie (center) is a green card holder (LPR) but returned to the Philippines in 2017 for a vacation. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, she was unable to return to the U.S. in time. The COVID-19 pandemic and an expired green card made it even more difficult to return at once. She had also petitioned her daughters, and those petitions could be in jeopardy if she “abandoned” her green card by overstaying outside the U.S. Her daughter, Dianne (left), consulted with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) after she watched an episode on Atty. Gurfinkel’s YouTube channel, U.S. Immigration TV Channel, where he discussed that there was hope for cases where green card holders were stuck in the Philippines due to COVID, and could not return. With the help of Atty. Gurfinkel, she was able to board her flight to New York and return to the U.S., where she was able to renew her green card and managed to keep the petitions for her other daughters alive. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, February 18 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement) Aaron Galanter of Galanter and Jones provides a site tour for Philippine Consulate General officials.

Stuck in the Philippines: Mommy Connie’s journey back to the US with the guidance of Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel on Citizen Pinoy this Sunday

guete City. The owners aim to maintain their high standards of production while also creating opportunities for their employees and families to achieve economic stability and prosper.

Catering to a diverse clientele, Galanter and Jones serves individual homeowners, interior IN 2017, Mommy Connie redesigners, landscape architects, turned to the Philippines for a and restaurateurs, among others. vacation and medical checkup.

(PCGSF Release) However, it was not until 2018 that she discovered her green card was missing. By the time it was found in 2019, it had already expired, leaving her stranded in the Philippines for an extended period, exacerbated by the global pandemic.

Concerns loomed over the potential classification of Mommy Connie's green card as “abandoned.” The expiration of her green card posed a threat to the petition for her other daughters, a process they had been patiently waiting for a decade.

Dianne, Mommy Connie's daughter, undertook extensive research to find a solution. Discovering the possibility of an SB-1 visa for residents who overstayed outside the U.S., the famConsul General Neil Ferrer, Madame Miriam Ferrer, Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona, and Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug, along with other ily attempted to secure an interconsular officials, meet with Galanter and Jones owners Aaron Jones (standing, left), Miranda Jones (standing, middle) and Robert Edward view at the U.S. Embassy, only to Etlin (standing, right) in San Francisco.

San Francisco PCG photos be thwarted by pandemic-related colades, with features in various publications like the New York Times and Architectural Digest.

Notable awards include the Best Outdoor Award at Dwell on Design in 2015 and the Furniture Innovation Award at San Francisco Design Week in 2018.

In 2019, Galanter and Jones expanded its operations to Southeast Asia by establishing Galanter and Jones Southeast Asia in Duma-

Dianne (left) researched all resources available to help her Mommy Connie (right) be able to return to the U.S. despite her expired green card.

closures.

In a stroke of fate, Dianne stumbled upon Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel's episode on his U.S. Immigration TV YouTube channel, offering hope to green card holders stuck abroad due to COVID-19.

After her initial consultation with Atty. Gurfinkel, Dianne felt that he was too expensive and decided to consult with three other lawyers, who told her that her mother’s case was hopeless.

Despite initial budget conPAGE 10

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Features

FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon

PH CONSUL GENERAL URGES FILIPINO AMERICAN COMMUNITY CLUB OF MONTEREY PENINSULA TO FOSTER UNITY AT INDUCTION RITES. As part of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco’s increased outreach efforts in Monterey County,Consul General Neil Ferrer led the induction of the new officers of the Filipino American Community Club of Monterey Peninsula at their community center in Marina, California on February 3, 2024. He was accompanied by Madame Miriam Ferrer and Vice Consul Adrian Baccay. In his remarks, Consul General Ferrerrecognized theclub’scontributions to American society since its humble beginnings in 1957, and encouraged its president Julie Mislang and the other new officers to foster unity and cooperation within the Fil-Am community in Monterey County. He also took the opportunity to apprise the club of the latest updates from the consulate, including its consular services and economic diplomacy work, as well as the upcoming 2024 Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour. San Francisco PCG photos

QUESTION: I owe a lot in back taxes. I’m constantly getting threatening letters from the IRS. This has become a big problem that I have no idea how to solve.

What can I do?

Answer: For what it’s worth, take some comfort in knowing that you are not alone. There are millions of Americans in similar situations, dealing with debt hanging over their heads and concerned about how it will affect their future.

The good news: You have many options. To fully understand and take advantage of your options, we urge you to see a qualified tax resolution professional. He or she will take a close look at your previous returns, looking for mistakes that may have resulted in an inflated tax debt amount. This process alone can substantially lower your IRS debt.

Once you and your qualified tax professional have analyzed your previous returns, the next step is to negotiate a resolution with the IRS. You will most likely be looking at one of two options – the Offer in Compromise or the Installment Agreement.

The Offer in Compromise was created for people who owe a substantial amount to the IRS but who, for whatever reason, are unable to pay off their tax debt, even over time. The Offer in Compromise allows taxpayers to negotiate a settlement amount that will take care of the entire tax debt once and for all. This settlement agreement can low-

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

Sooner or later, you need to face your IRS tax problems er the tax debt by a significant amount.

Unfortunately, the Offer in Compromise program is often misunderstood, partly because people see a lot of ads on TV and the internet promising them that they can simply settle their tax debt “for pennies on the dollar.”

They make it sound too easy.

Don’t be fooled. While this is true for people who qualify, what the advertisers don’t tell you is that this is based on a formula used by the IRS in determining eligibility. A lot of offers are rejected because they fail to consider the formula in making offers that stand no chance of acceptance from the time they are filed. Buyer beware. If it sounds too good to be true, maybe it is. Again, I am not saying that it doesn’t work. All I am saying is that what you should offer the IRS must be based on the IRS’s calculation of what is acceptable given your own unique circumstances.

If you do not qualify for the Offer in Compromise – and to do so you must be able to prove eligibility – then you may consider the Installment Agreement, which allows you to pay off your debt by making manageable monthly payments.

The IRS has different types of installment agreements depending on how much you owe, the value of your assets, your income, and how much time the IRS has to collect what you owe over the 10-year collection period imposed by law.

If you have no available equity in assets and your income is not sufficient to cover your monthly

living expenses, the IRS can also put you in uncollectible status.

That means that the IRS will not take any collection actions as long as you remain in this status and your financial circumstances do not change. Yes, the interest continues to run on the outstanding debt, but it could be a way to buy time. Example: Remember what I said about the 10-year collection statute? The IRS has 10 years to collect from the date of assessment. If you are close to the expiration of the 10-year period, being put in uncollectible status does not stop the running of the statute. So, it may be possible to remain in uncollectible status until the 10-year period expires. This could be one way of getting rid of your IRS tax problems.

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 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 Bulaon has been in private practice for 23 years and have helped more than 6,000 clients obtain debt relief. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-471-8273.

(Advertising Supplement)

ConGen Ferrer explores Open RAN technology, opportunities for PH with Bay Area company City of Santa Clara Parks and WALNUT CREEK – Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer met with Ike Ahmet Ilkgün Cark and Hakan Kavlak, founders and managing partners of KCCTech Innovative Solutions, at its headquarters and Open RAN Test and Integration Center Lab in Walnut Creek, California on February 1, 2024.

Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona, Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug, and Economic Assistant Jennifer Sto. Domingo also joined the visit.

KCCTech is one of the companies that actively participated in a sustainability roundtable organized by the consulate and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Silicon Valley with the Oakland Export Assistance Center of the U.S. Commercial Service-U.S. Department of Commerce and Northern California District Export Council (DEC), during the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Week in November 2023.

Consulate officials visited the headquarters that featured KCCTech’s Open RAN Testing and Integration Center Lab. The tour focused on KCCTech's 5G Private OpenRAN solutions, highlighting the streamlined setup, operation, testing, and analysis capabilities for multi-vendor configurations geared toward enhancing overall business efficiency.

The KCCTech team provided insights into the benefits of Open RAN, emphasizing its interoperability, enabling cost-effective upgrades and optimization, contributing to a more adaptable and agile telecom infrastructure, and supporting digital connectivity.

The KCCTech leadership introduced its Network in a Box (NiB). According to KCCTech, NiB is an innovative portable 5G stand-alone and private network solution that consolidates all nec-

PSYCHIC

Recreation mid-winter camps

Consul General Neil Ferrer, Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona, and Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug with KCCTech Innovative Solutions’ founders and managing partners Hakan Kavlak and Ike Ahmet Ilkgün Cark, and other company staff at the KCCTech headquarters in Walnut Creek, California.

San Francisco PCG photos

MID-WINTER Break is right around the corner! The City of Santa Clara Parks & Recreation Department will keep your kids active over break with two specialty camps! Are you a music maestro or a volleyball champ? Take your pick! Either way, you're in for an unforgettable experience that'll have you grinning from ear to ear! Camps start week of Feb.20.

Register now!

• Music Camp, Ages: 6-10 A perfect opportunity for your child to explore music this winter break. Camp is catered to all musical backgrounds, especially absolute beginners, along with a special opportunity for a final performance for parents and friends at the end of the week.

More information is available at https://anc. apm.activecommunities.com/santaclara/activity/ search/detail/23253?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true.

• Skyhawks Volleyball Camp (Outdoor), Ages: 9-12 Skyhawks Volleyball takes the energy and excitement of this great team sport and puts it all together into one funfilled program. All aspects of the game are taught through drills and exercises that focus on bumping, setting, spiking, hitting and serving. Camp is designed for the beginning to intermediate player.

More information is available at https://anc. apm.activecommunities.com/santaclara/activity/ search/detail/23528?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true.

Visit SantaClaraCA.gov/RecClasses for the Winter 2024 Activity Guide and to check out all the upcoming offerings.

For more information, contact the Community Recreation Center at PRCustomerServe@ SantaClaraCA.gov or call 408-615-3140. (City of Santa Clara Release)

Stuck in the Philippines: Mommy Connie’s...

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Hakan Kavlak (rightmost) and Ike Ahmet Ilkgün Cark (2nd from the right), founders and managing partners of KCCTech Innovative Solutions, provide a site tour for Philippine Consulate General officials.

essary hardware and software into a single unit. NiB's applications include providing a reliable private network for crucial information exchange among disaster responders and law enforcement officials.

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2016, KCCTech is a trailblazing tech startup that harnesses inno-

vation, expertise and interoperability through the Open RAN architecture. The company caters to wireless carriers and telecom operators, specializing in cutting-edge engineering services and technical expertise and aid digitization and connectivity efforts in the U.S. and abroad.

(PCGSF Release)

SERVICES

straints, Dianne eventually retained the services of Attorney Gurfinkel in February 2023. The family decided to have Mommy Connie fly to the U.S. with a stopover in Doha, Qatar, where she was not allowed to board in Doha.

On her second attempt via a direct flight with Philippine Airlines, she was not allowed to board due to her expired green card.

Attorney Gurfinkel tirelessly investigated the reasons behind the repeated denials. Convinced that there was no justifiable reason for the refusals, the family made another attempt in May 2023. This time, Mommy Connie successfully boarded a flight to New York, where she was allowed entry by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at JFK. Mommy Connie's perseverance paid off as she not only renewed her green card but also safeguarded the petition for her

Mommy Connie (extreme left) was able to return to the U.S. on her third try, with the help of leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel.

other daughters, providing an inspiring example of overcoming adversity in the pursuit of the American dream.

Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, February

SERVICES

18 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)

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024

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FEBRUARY 16-22, 2024 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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