022421 - Southern California Midweek Edition 3

February 24-26, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 15 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages

California lawmakers introduce measures to combat hate crimes $1.4 million allocated to track anti-Asian incidents

olence against members of the Asian American and Pacific IsAJPress lander (AAPI) community with California Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) speaks during a press conference at the state proposals to increase funding CALIFORNIA legislators this Capitol on Monday, February 22 to introduce AB 886, a measure to address the recent surge in hate and resources for victims. attacks with community-based solutions. He was joined by representatives of the Asian, Latino, week are seeking to address Through Assembly Bill 85 the recent surge of hate and viBlack, Jewish and LGBTQ legislative caucuses. Photo courtesy of Assembly Democratic Caucus

by CHRISTINA

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Filipina missing after hiking in Angeles National Forest A 60-year-old Filipina has been missing for nearly two weeks after she was last seen hiking in the Angeles National Forest during Valentine’s Day weekend.

Maria Loida Tice, a resident of Los Angeles County, was last seen on Saturday, February 13 between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.

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M. ORIEL

— a fiscal measure to provide more resources as part of the state’s pandemic response — Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) secured $1.4 million to help track and

collect data on anti-Asian hate incidents.

“The rise in hate incidents against Asian Americans during the pandemic is alarming.

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US tops 500K COVID deaths

by AJPRESS HALF a million people in the United States have lost their lives to the novel coronavirus.

According to a Reuters tally of public health data, the country logged more than 28 million COVID-19 cases and 500,264 fatalities on Monday, February 22.

The grim number of deaths “matches the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined,” the Associated Press reported.

The U.S. recorded an estimated 405,000 deaths in World War II, 58,000 in the Vietnam War and 36,000 in the Korean War. “These numbers are stunning,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said in a “Good Morning America” interview.

“If you look back historically, we’ve done worse than almost any other country and we’re a highly developed, rich country,” he added.

To mark the grim milestone, U.S. President Joe Biden held a sunset moment of silence and a candle-lighting ceremony at the White House. He also ordered the American flags lowered to half-staff on public buildings HALF A MILLION. U.S. President Joe Biden marked the grim milestone of 500,000 Americans killed by COVID-19 with the somber ceremony and grounds until February 26.

Slow coronavirus vaccine distribution highlights social disparities in health care Sara Duterte leads survey for president, VP

on Monday evening, February 22 at the White House. He was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff during the candle-lighting ceremony and a moment of silence.

White House photo

FOR many people in the United States, confirmation of the COVID-19 vaccine late last year was a beacon of hope and a signal for the end of the global nightmare.

But the rollout of both the Pfizer and Modern vaccines has left a lot to be desired, especially in Los Angeles County where cumulative COVID-19 deaths and positive cases have exceeded 20,000 and 1.18 million, respectively, as of Tuesday, Feb. 23 “The COVID-19 pandemic has shed so much light on the racial and disparities and the inequities of our systems of power that are largely divided along demographic lines,” said Myla Ramirez, a Filipina Ameri-

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by RED

MENDOZA ManilaTimes.net

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was the top choice for president and vice president in the noncommissioned survey conducted by Octa Research, the same group that tracks the country’s COVID-19 cases.

The group’s Tugon Ng Masa (Pulse of the Masses) survey conducted from January 26 to February 1, showed the mayor, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, leading the poll for president at 22%, with the highest support coming from Mindanao at 48% and from socioeconomic class D at 22% and class E at

24% She was followed by Sen. Mary Grace Poe at 13%; Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., both at 12%; Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso, 11%; Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, 6%; Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, 5%; and Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, 3%.

Marcos was the most preferred presidential candidate in the National Capital Region at 18% and in socioeconomic class ABC at 22%.

In the vice presidential survey, DuterteCarpio and Domagoso were in a statistical

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A streamer is displayed on a pedestrian overpass in Barangay Day-as, Cebu City on Monday, February 22.

Philstar.com photo

Philippines won’t ease Family takes legal action for death of Fil-Am Navy veteran who quarantine restrictions until vaccination begins died in Antioch police custody M. ORIEL AND RITCHEL MENDIOLA

THE Philippines will not be placed in the least restrictive quarantine tier until the government kicks off its national vaccine rollout, Malacañang said Monday, February 22.

“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte gave his directive to the Cabinet that the Philippines would not be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) unless there is a rollout of vaccines,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque u PAGE A3 said in a statement, adding that

the situation,” Isabella Collins, Quinto’s younger sister, said during a press conference on Thursday, February 19.

His family reported that his behavior changed after sustaining a head injury earlier last year, which led to him experiencing bouts of paranoia and anxiety.

When police arrived at the house, Quinto was holding onto his mother, Cassandra Quinto-Collins, and reportedly would not let go.

A cellphone video shot by Quinto-Collins — presented by the family’s attorney

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A FILIPINO American family in Antioch, California has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city arguing that their 30-yearold son died after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost five minutes.

Angelo Quinto, a Navy veteran who was born in the Philippines, was suffering a mental health crisis on the night of December 23, 2020, prompting his sister to call 911 for help.

But what transpired is renewing questions about whether police are equipped to respond to such episodes.

“I was just hoping they could deescalate

Duterte “gives higher premium to public health and safety.”

Roque also said that the president “wants vaccination to start the soonest possible time in order to ease the community quarantine.”

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go previously said that Duterte believes that easing the quarantine classification was not in the best interest of the country.

“No vaccine rollout, no MGCQ muna (as of now) — PRRD,” he said in a message to reporters.

Quoting the president, Go said Duterte’s “conscience” can’t

DIS

AJPress

DIS

Family members remember Angelo Quinto, a 30-year-old Navy veteran, as someone who enjoyed fishing, scuba diving and video games. Quinto died on Dec. 26, 2020, three days after a police officer reportedly knelt on his neck during a mental health episode.

Photo courtesy of Quinto family

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From the Front Page

California lawmakers introduce...

PAGE A1

But, we can’t solve a problem without knowing how big it is,” Ting, chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, said in a statement on Monday, February 22.

The funding will support the efforts of Stop AAPI Hate, an online reporting site started by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies department to gather incidents of xenophobia, racism and discrimination.

“New state funding allows the data gathering to continue, and the research will ultimately lead us to solutions that will make all communities safer,” Ting added.

The bill was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday as part of the Golden State Stimulus package.

From March, when Stop AAPI Hate was started, to the end of 2020, the center received over 2,808 firsthand accounts of anti-Asian hate, ranging from shunning to physical attacks. During the same period, 126 accounts involved Asian Americans over the age of 60.

California accounted for the highest number of reports with 43% or more than 1,200 inci-

dents.

However, community leaders and activists say that the number of incidents targeting AAPIs is underreported due to factors like language and cultural barriers that prevent victims from speaking up.

In the first two months of this year alone, several unprovoked attacks against AAPIs, particularly elderly individuals, have been documented in the Bay Area.

Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old immigrant from Thailand, died of injuries after being shoved to the ground during his morning walk in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco on January 28.

The 19-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder and elder abuse.

Another viral video shows an unidentified 91-year-old man pushed in Oakland’s Chinatown. The suspect, 28-yearold Yahya Muslim, was later arrested and accused of assaulting two other seniors that same day.

Incidents have also been recorded elsewhere, showing an alarming trend nationwide.

Noel Quintana, a 61-year-old Filipino man, was riding the New York subway on his way to work when he was slashed in the face by another passenger, requiring almost 100

stitches.

“Because of hate, our Asian American community has been yelled at, spat on, shoved down and beat up, punched in the face, slashed and disfigured, and murdered,” Assemblymember Rob Bonta (DAlameda) said during a press conference at the south steps of the state Capitol on Monday.

Bonta, the state’s first Filipino American legislator, recounted how the recent attacks reminded him of when his mother was shoved to the ground and robbed while leaving work years ago.

“I haven’t thought about that in a while. The surge in hate crimes has reopened old wounds and created new ones,” he said. “Our community is in pain. We’re hurting.

Many are scared and many like me are angry.”

Bonta blamed former President Donald Trump for using terms like “China virus” and “Kung flu” to describe the coronavirus, which has fueled the rise in incidents since the beginning of the pandemic.

The lawmaker was joined by representatives of the Asian, Latino, Black, Jewish and LGBTQ caucuses as they introduced several bills. Among the proposals include providPAGE A3

US tops 500K COVID...

PAGE A1 Bells also tolled at the National Cathedral in Washington to honor the lives lost.

“As a nation, we can’t accept such a cruel fate. We’ve been fighting this pandemic for so long. We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow,” said Biden.

He added, “We have to resist viewing each life as a statistic or a blur or on the news. We must do so to honor the dead, but equally important care for the living, those they left behind.”

Biden urged Americans to stay vigilant and follow safety protocols amid the pandemic.

“I ask all Americans to remember, remember those we lost and

those they left behind. I also ask us to act, to remain vigilant, to say socially distant, to mask up, to get vaccinated,” he said.

“We have to fight this together as one people, as the United States of America,” he added.

The president was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in marking a moment of silence in front of 500 candles representing the death toll.

In a separate tweet, Biden said: “500,000 lives lost to COVID-19.

It’s an unfathomable number, but each one represents a family that will never again be whole.

To those who have lost loved ones: I know no words can numb

the pain, but I hope you find some solace in knowing the nation grieves with you.”

The U.S. has reported more COVID-19 cases and deaths than any other country in the world.

However, average daily deaths and cases have plummeted in the past few weeks, as reported

by AP. The fatalities have fallen from more than 4,000 reported on some days in January to an average of fewer than 1,900 per day.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said that about 19.4 million Americans have been fully vaccinated as of Sunday, while more than 44.1 million Americans have received their first dose. n

DANGEROUS JOB. Workers use safety harnesses tied to scaffolding as they repaint a seven-story building on Regalado Avenue in Fairview, Quezon City on Tuesday, February 23. They have two weeks to finish the repainting of the exterior of the building.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

Sara Duterte leads survey for president...

PAGE A1 Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escutie at 14 and 11%, respectively, dero.

Support for Duterte-Carpio was followed by Pacquiao, Poe, Cayetano, Sotto, Marcos, Go and high in Mindanao at 23%. She

was also the top choice among all socioeconomic classes, while Domagoso was the top choice in Metro Manila at 15%. n

Filipina missing after hiking in...

PAGE A1 on the Heaton Flat trail toward the summit of Iron Mountain in the unincorporated Angels Crest area of the national forest, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said.

The mountain is considered one of the toughest hikes within the national forest.

The LASD’s Missing Persons Unit investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating her as her family is “very concerned about her well-being.”

Tice is described as a 5’4”, 130-pound Filipina with shoulder-length brown hair. She also wears glasses. Her last worn clothing is unknown.

Search and rescue teams from across Southern California were deployed to the area last week but no further information has been released.

Anyone with insight into Tice’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the LASD’s Missing Persons Unit at (323) 890-5500. n

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Family takes legal action for death of...

RIVER CLEANUP. Quezon City Task Force on Solid Waste Management, Riverways Cleaning Operations Group personnel collect trash and debris in a river in Project-3, Quezon City on Tuesday, February 23. The city government wants to ensure that waterways are cleared of debris and other waste materials.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

California lawmakers introduce...

PAGE A2 ing culturally sensitive support for victims, increasing training for law enforcement to document and collect data, and establishing a state government commission to monitor hate crimes.

Bonta’s bill, AB 886, seeks to fund community-based organizations that provide culturally competent mental health services for victims of hate violence and restorative justice programs, and to expand eligibility for victims of hate violence to access compensation funds even if they do not file a police report.

The measure also address prevention through “to proactively increase the likelihood that an individual who caused the harm would not do additional harm,” Bonta said.

Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) and David Chiu (D-San Francisco) also introduced AB 557, a bill that that would direct the state’s Department of Justice to establish a toll-free hotline and an online reporting system that would make it easier to report hate crimes and incidents.

Last week, House Democrats came together to denounce the attacks and pushed for more

action from the Department of Justice to prevent future incidents.

President Joe Biden on January 26 signed an executive order to combat xenophobia and racism against AAPIs, which includes a directive for the Department of Justice to expand the collection of data and public reporting of hate incidents.

While the order was welcomed, many AAPI organizations and advocates said the administration can take bolder action to stop the incidents and address other pandemicrelated issues the community is experiencing. ■

PAGE A1 on Thursday — shows him unresponsive on the floor after an officer pinned and subdued him with a knee to the back of his neck for nearly five minutes, while another officer held him by the legs.

The former sailor repeated, “Please don’t kill me,” as he lost consciousness. The video then shows a handcuffed Quinto turned onto his back with blood streaming out of his mouth.

“The most tragic part of this is the ‘George Floyd hold,’” said John Burris, a civil rights attorney representing the family. “On the way down he said, ‘Please don’t kill me’ and they muttered some words like ‘We’re not going to kill you,’ but in moments they had.”

Quinto never regained consciousness and was taken by an ambulance. He died at Sutter Delta Medical Center three days later.

The family has filed a wrongful death claim against the Antioch Police Department and is seeking answers after minimal information has been released.

The police department has not given an official cause of death and has not revealed the officers’ names and whether they were wearing body cameras at the scene.

Supporters and family rallied on Thursday for more humane treatment of people in mental distress, as well as for a ban on the controversial chokehold.

“This is wrongful death in the

Isabella Collins, Angelo Quinto’s younger sister, speaks during a press conference outside their Antioch, California home on Thursday, February 19.

sense that their conduct caused the death of this person. This was a healthy person before, and now his life is gone,” said Burris.

Family members remembered Quinto for his love of video games, fishing and scuba diving.

He was medically discharged from duty in 2019 because of a food allergy, the family told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Quinto’s sister said she has remorse about calling the police and that she hopes no one has to regret “doing what they think is the right thing.”

With Quinto gone, they are seeking justice and changes to the police department, such as the end of the knee-to-neck restraint used on Quinto as well as in other high-profile cases, such

as in the death of George Floyd last year.

“I want to bring him back, but if we can’t do that, we want justice in any way we can get it,” Collins said. “We want a new number to call, someone who can help us with mental health crises and other related domestic incidents.”

They also are calling for a mental health crisis response team that can respond to similar situations, and body cameras and dash cameras for police officers in the department.

The police department has not provided any new information regarding the case, as of press time. Meanwhile, the Contra Costa District Attorney is conducting an automatic and procedural investigation. ■

Philippines won’t ease quarantine restrictions...

PAGE A1 allow the MGCQ to happen because “something might go wrong.”

Both the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) proposed to place the country under MGCQ starting March 1.

Currently, the Philippines is preparing for the arrival of its first COVID-19 vaccines this month to start its national rollout program. The first vaccine jabs set to arrive in the country are from Pfizer-BioNTech through

the COVAX facility.

Backed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the assistance program was set up to ensure that the scramble for vaccines among rich countries did not leave poorer nations out in the cold and expects to deliver two to three billion doses this year.

However, the delivery of Pfizer jabs to the Philippines scheduled in February is facing a delay.

WHO representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe said that Pfizer has yet to submit an indemnification agreement before the delivery can start.

“What the Philippines signed

is the COVAX indemnification agreement. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for an indemnification agreement coming from the manufacturer, in this case it’s Pfizer-BioNTech,” he said at the televised public briefing on Thursday, February 18.

But Abeyasinghe assured that the COVAX facility is working closely with Pfizer to make sure that the pharmaceutical firm sends out the indemnification agreement.

To date, there are a total of 563,456 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with 12,094 fatalities and 522,874 recoveries. ■

Did you know you have safety and health protections from COVID-19 at work?

Workers in California have the RIGHT to: • Protection from safety and health hazards, including COVID-19 • Report an unsafe workplace • Refuse to work in an unsafe condition To file a confidential complaint about an unsafe workplace, contact your nearest Cal/OSHA district office. It is illegal for your employer to reduce your hours, fire you or otherwise retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Learn more about your RIGHTS and how to contact Cal/OSHA at dir.ca.gov/covid.

Your Actions Save Lives

Civil rights attorney John Burris, who is representing the Quinto family’s case against the city of Antioch, presents photos and a video from the incident on Dec. 23, 2020 during a press conference on Thursday, February 19.

Photos courtesy of John Burris Law Offices

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Survey: More women hold senior corporate roles in PH

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

SAFETY FIRST. Children play with old car tires by rolling them along Salvia Street at Saint Dominic Subdivision in Barangay Kaligayahan Novaliches, Fairview in Quezon City on Tuesday, February 23. Many children in the area use their spare time to play and catch the morning sunlight.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

No appointments needed to take COVID test in LA by aJPress LOS Angeles residents will no longer need an appointment to get a COVID-19 test at any cityrun site.

Starting this week, individuals can show up at any of city-run sites for a free test without needing to book a slot beforehand, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced on Thursday, February 18.

“You don’t need to set up an appointment. Just show up during normal hours of operation,” he said during a press briefing.

The city’s testing sites run from Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. They provide free COVID-19 testing to all county resides, regardless of insurance or immigration status.

While waiting in line, individuals can register for a test and will need to show insurance information or identification if they don’t have insurance.

While people wait in line, they’ll be able to register for test, and all they need to bring is their insurance information or identification if they don’t have insur-

ance.

People can still sign up for an appointment ahead of time. Appointments can be made at and a list of testing sites is available at corona-virus.la/covid-19-testing.

Testing sites are Edendale Library in Echo Park, Hansen Dam Recreational Center, Kedren Community Health Center, LA Union, Lincoln Park, Pierce College, and San Fernando Park.

The testing sites run by LA County, however, still require appointments beforehand, as of this writing. n

USCIS reverts to 2008 version of citizenship test by aJPress THE United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be reverting to the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test beginning March 1, 2021.

The agency on Dec. 1, 2020 revised the civics test as part of a decennial review and update but it “determined the 2020 civics test development process, content, testing procedures, and implementation schedule may inadvertently create potential barriers to the naturalization process,” according to a news release on Monday, Feb. 22.

The civics test is administered to applicants who apply

for U.S. citizenship through naturalization and is one of the statutory requirements for naturalizing. Applicants must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, principles, and form of government of the United States.

Applications who filed their application for naturalization on or after Dec. 1, 2020 and before March 1, 2021 will be given the option to take either the 2020 or 2008 tests.

The 2020 version of civic test asks applicants 20 questions from a list of 128 possible questions. Applicants are required to answer at least 12 of the 20 questions correctly to pass.

The 2020 test will be phased

out on April 19 for initial test takers. Meanwhile, those who file for naturalization after March 1 will take the 2008 test.

Those who take the 2008 test will need to study 100 questions about American government and history and must answer correctly six of the 10 questions (or 60%) to pass. All questions on the test are asked orally.

Applicants are given two opportunities to pass the naturalization test. If they fail any part of the naturalization test during the first interview, they will be retested only on the portion of the test that they failed failed, between 60 and 90 days from the date of the initial interview. n

THE Philippines has the most number of women holding senior leadership positions in mid-market businesses among 29 other economies, according to a new report.

Grant Thornton’s annual Women in Business report found that Filipino women hold 48% of senior corporate positions in the country, which is five points higher than the 43% in 2020 when 32 economies were surveyed.

In the Philippines, 100 midmarket businesses participated in the survey.

Globally, women have taken 31% of positions in senior management teams, surpassing the important 30% threshold, which research shows is the minimum representation needed to change decision-making processes.

All countries surveyed have surpassed the 30 percent threshold except for China (29%), the United Arab Emirates (26%), South Korea (18%) and Japan (15%).

Following the Philippines in the list are South Africa, India, Brazil, and Vietnam. Germany ranked 6th, followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria and Canada.

“Ranking first globally in terms of women in senior roles in the Philippines is an important milestone for businesses in the country, but not the end goal. Those businesses that want to reap the benefits of a better gender balance, must continue to take action to enable women to realize their ambitions,” said P&A Grant Thornton chair and CEO Marivic Españo in a statement.

She added, “Becoming the number one ranking country in terms of the proportion of women in senior management certainly does represent progress — having grown from 39 percent five years ago when we first started tracking this — but these gains can easily be lost.”

The survey found that the number of Filipino women in operational C-suite roles has been growing, with the proportion of

female chief executive officers up 16 percentage points to 38%, and female chief operating officers up four percentage points to 27%.

On the other hand, the proportion of female chief financial officers went down three percentage points to 35%.

In addition, 42% of the respondents said that the new working practices like remote work adapted in response to the pandemic will benefit women’s career trajectories long-term, despite potentially hindering factors which may be down to the flexibility that remote working offers.

Launched in 1992, the IBR provides insights into the views and expectations of around 10,000 businesses across 29 economies.

The 2021 survey was conducted from October to December 2020 through online and telephone interviews with chief executive officers, managing directors, chairperson or other senior executives from all industry sectors. n

Pope taps Tagle for yet another Vatican post

by WilliaM

depasupil ManilaTimes.net

POPE Francis has given former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle another position — as member of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), popularly known as the Vatican Central Bank.

APSA, which operates like a central bank or a treasury, oversees the Holy See’s assets, which include real estate holdings and other sovereign assets.

The office also administers payroll and operating expenses for Vatican City.

The office is currently headed

by Italian Bishop Nunzio Galantino. Also appointed to the body as member is Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

Pope Francis has recently brought under the control of APSA the financial investments and real estate holdings owned

Former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle

by the Secretariat of State — the central administration of the Vatican.

This is Tagle’s fourth position since he relinquished his post as archbishop of Manila after the Pope in December 2019 named the Filipino prelate as Rome’s new Prefect of the Con-

CBCP photo

gregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, a powerful Vatican office overseeing the church’s vast mission territories.

In May 2020, the pontiff elevated Tagle to the order of “cardinal bishops,” the highest rank within the College of Cardinals. n

SC postpones oral arguments on terror law by evelyn

MacaiRan Philstar.com

MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) has suspended today’s fourth oral arguments on the petition questioning the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (ATA) after some justices went on precautionary quarantine.

A source revealed that one of the high court’s justices tested positive for COVID-19. But while the magistrate’s subsequent tests showed a negative result, some justices decided on the side of caution to self-quarantine because of their interaction during sessions.

“Considering that some of the justices are on self-quarantine as a health precaution against COVID-19, you are hereby informed, per instruction of the Honorable Supreme Court, of the suspension

of the oral arguments scheduled on Feb. 23, 2021,” said SC Clerk of Court Edgar Aricheta.

The oral arguments, he added, will resume on March 2.

Last week, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said the high court was expecting to finish with the interpellation of seven lawyers representing the petitioners in today’s scheduled oral arguments. This would then allow the court to move on to the interpellation of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) that would represent the government officials-respondents in the 37 petitions.

So far, only seven of the 15 SC justices have finished their interpellation of the petitioners’ counsel. The eighth to interpellate is SC Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier who would continue with her questioning

in the next scheduled oral arguments.

“We never expected that a lot of us would like to ask a lot of questions… I understand that there are justices who would like to interpellate some of the counsel of petitioners. I hope that by Tuesday we will end the interpellation of petitioners, so the solicitor general can start the interpellation and also the statement before the court,” Peralta said.

The SC selected its former chief justice Reynato Puno and former associate justice Francis Jardeleza as amici curiae for the oral arguments.

The petitioners questioned the implementation of the ATA, claiming it is unconstitutional and violates several basic rights.

They asked to have the law declared null and void. n

Slow coronavirus vaccine distribution highlights...

PAGE A1 can nurse at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center.

Ramirez told the Asian Journal that there is very little data disaggregation related to who is getting the vaccine. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation only 23 states in the U.S. share disaggregated vaccination data categorized by race, which, according Ramirez, tells “us almost nothing” about which specific Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities are actually getting vaccinated.

“How many Filipinos are being vaccinated? Are Filipinos willing to get vaccinated? What about the other communities that fit under the Asian Pacific Islander umbrella, many members of which don’t speak English?” Ramirez pondered.

The language barriers, specifically, make it difficult for many patients — from both the massive Spanish-speaking communities and API, a community that consists of more than 50 unique languages — to receive health care in general, and COVID-19 assistance and treatment, specifically.

Adam Carbullido, director of policy and advocacy at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), said during a Feb. 12 press briefing with ethnic news

outlets that Congress should priority and implement more funding and resources for community-based organizations, which have largely been “in the frontline providing care and services when government and private institutions have fallen short.”

Carbullido said, “These clinics need more interpreters and materials translated into different languages. It is important to have providers on hand who can speak the patient’s language of choice.”

Referencing the recent spike in anti-Asian assaults and violence throughout the country, Carbullido acknowledged the fact that APIs are not as likely as other ethnic minorities to seek out mental health services.

Along with the generationslong stigma of mental health care among the API community, the lack of resources available to certain ethnic communities does nothing to help the communitywide emotional toil that the API community at large has endured throughout the pandemic.

“Patients report fear of seeking health and the care they need,” Carbullido added. “It is a true emotional trauma in Asian American communities and the mental health consequences will have long-standing complications for health.”

The Kaiser Family Founda-

tion vaccine monitor shared last week that there is a pattern of Black and Hispanic people getting vaccinated at low rates across the country. In Delaware, where Black individuals comprised of 24% of the infections, the Black community comprise of only 6% of all vaccinations.

Among the Latino community, only 6% have been vaccinated in Colorado despite infection rates exceeding 37% as of Tuesday; in Oregon, only 6% have been vaccinated with a steady 35% infection rate and in Texas, which is experiencing statewide panic over power outages and freezing temperatures, only 16% have received vaccinations even though Latinos comprise of almost half the state’s infections.

“This needs to be immediately corrected. We need a gigantic digital patient engagement project,” Dr. Daniel TurnerLloveras, MD said during the Feb. 12 briefing. “If we are to measure and quantify the disparity, it is very difficult to find a solution [in vaccine distribution].”

As of mid-February, LA County has administered 1,676,900 doses of the COVID vaccine.

Of that figure, 19.1% of Asian residents have received at least 1 dose of the vaccine. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

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PH asks UK and Germany for vaccines, offers nurses in return

by CAthrine

GonzAles Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is requesting the United Kingdom and Germany to provide the Philippines with COVID-19 vaccines in exchange for exemption from the 5,000 per year limit on deployment of Filipino nurses and other health care workers.

International Labor Affairs Bureau Director Alice Visperas said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has spoken with the UK ambassador to the Philippines regarding the deal.

Visperas said among the requests made by Bello to the UK government in exchange for the exemption on the deployment

cap are the renewal of the 2002 and 2003 bilateral labor agreements between the UK and the Philippines, as well as the provision of vaccines.

“Pangalawa, ‘yung hiling ni Secretary Bello na vaccine mula sa kanilang gobyerno ay mabigyan tayo dito sa Pilipinas lalonglalo na para sa ating mga OFWs (overseas Filipino workers),” she said in an online media forum on Monday as she enumerated the requests made by the Labor Secretary.

(The second request of Secretary Bello is the provision of vaccines from the UK government to the Philippines, especially for OFWs.) She added that the DOLE had requested the same from Ger-

many.

According to Visperas, Bello is considering exempting the two countries from the deployment cap if they will agree to the conditions set by the Philippine government.

She said that if the UK and Germany would grant the request of DOLE, the vaccines would go to OFWs who were already repatriated and those who are departing for jobs abroad.

Visperas also said no specific number of doses for the vaccines was mentioned, but added that the jabs may benefit around 600,000 OFWs since this is the number of overseas workers who were already repatriated or are again planning to leave the country. n

‘Delay in face-to-face classes worsens learning crisis’

QR CODE. Visitors stand at the mall’s entrance as they scan the QR code and fill-up the registration using their smartphones for the digital contact tracing platform application being implemented in some establishments at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City on Tuesday, February 23. The StaySafe.ph application was launched by the Philippine government in September 2020 as the official contact tracing program for the country’s Covid-19 response.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

pilot implementation of face-toface classes in low-risk areas. He cancelled it due to the threat of the more infectious United Kingdom variant of COVID-19.

College reopening The decision of President Duterte to defer the physical reopening of schools does not cover universities and colleges, according to Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman J. Prospero de Vera III. De Vera said the President’s decision would have no effect on the joint guidelines issued by the CHED and Department of Health (DOH) regarding the gradual reopening of colleges and universities for limited face-to-face classes.

He said Duterte’s decision to defer the reopening of schools covers only basic education.

On Feb. 10, the CHED and DOH issued a joint memorandum circular outlining the process for higher education institutions (HEIs) intending to hold limited face-to-face classes.

For the gradual reopening of universities, priority should be given to selected health-related degree programs regarded as vital in providing additional manpower support in the health system during the pandemic.

These include medicine, nursing, medical technology or medical laboratory science, physical therapy, midwifery and public health. (Cecille Suerte Felipe, Roel Pareño/Philstar.com)

House starts floor debates on removing ‘unintended anomalies’ in Constitution

MANILA — Further delay in the resumption of face-to-face classes would worsen the situation of the country’s education system and the economy, according to advocacy group Philippine Business for Education (PBEd).

The PBEd yesterday renewed its call for the government to open schools in areas where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is low, a day after President Duterte rejected the proposal while there is no vaccine rollout.

“Our country is already in a learning crisis, and the longer we wait for schools to open, the heavier the losses will be for the students and the economy,” PBEd executive director Love Basillote said. “We appeal to the government to find ways to open schools safely so that students can resume their learning.”

Like the President, Basillote said they also do not want to endanger the lives of students and teachers.

She stressed that the government was able to safely reopen the economy, with health protocols still in place.

“What is preventing us from safely reopening our schools? We have around three million students who have dropped out this year because they could not keep up with learning requirements,” Basillote said.

“With no alternatives left, we are abandoning a generation of young people. This has a grave impact on national development,”

she added.

Basillote said the Philippines could look at models of safe reopening of classes abroad, citing those informed by science and are limited to areas where the prevalence and transmission rates of COVID-19 are low.

She also cited the link between the country’s education sector and the economy, saying it is important to look at the issue from a bigger perspective.

“We cannot expect an economic expansion with our companies going under because they cannot find skilled workers,” she said, noting that students who have dropped out of school would find it difficult to find employment.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has yet to issue a statement on the President’s decision.

Earlier, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said she would provide Duterte with an update on the current situation to help him decide on whether to allow the pilot implementation of faceto-face classes in low risk areas.

Briones also cited a survey the DepEd conducted, which showed that more than 50 percent of students prefer face-to-face classes.

“We are the only one in Southeast Asia that has not yet implemented face-to-face classes,” she said, adding that their proposal would be limited and contextualized based on the situation in schools and communities.

Duterte previously allowed the

by Julie

Aurelio Inquirer.net

MANILA—Members of the House of Representatives on Monday, February 22 started floor debates on a bid to amend the 1987 Constitution and correct what proponents said was an “unintended anomaly” that restricted Philippine economic growth.

More than a month after the House committee on constitutional amendments began deliberations on Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 , committee chair and party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., of Ako Bicol, took to the floor to push for amending the Constitution to open up the Philippine economy to more foreign investors.

“It is about time that we correct the unintended anomaly by introducing this amendment that gives Philippine legislature the freedom to amend those time-bound laws that have been enshrined in the Philippine Constitution to the detriment of the common good of Filipinos now and in the future,” Garbin said in his sponsorship speech.

He said a “well-written Charter must not only safeguard

individual rights and organize the government but indicate how it may be amended to make it responsive to changing economic, social and political conditions.”

He said only five words had to be inserted in provisions of the Constitution that needed to be changed: “unless otherwise provided by law.”

This, he said, would “give the government enough flexibility to consider different circumstances prevailing at different stages our road to economic development before formulating policies that should be time-bound.”

Filed by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco in 2019, the resolution was approved last Feb. 2 by the House constitutional amendments panel to ease economic restrictions in the Charter, while retaining the ban on foreign ownership of land.

Members of the panel voted 64-3-3 to adopt the resolution, as Garbin said the House planned to approve it on final reading before going on recess on March 27.

The measure proposed that the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” be added to

the Charter’s Article No. 12 (national patrimony and economy), Article No. 14 (education, science and technology) and Article 16 (general provisions).

These, according to proponents, would ease restrictions in ownership and management of mass media, utilities, educational institutions, investments and capital for foreign investors.

Garbin said these “nationalist” provisions had “proven to be a bane rather than a boon for the country for they have restricted or discouraged the flow of foreign direct investments.”

“While these provisions may be very well-meaning and appear to favor the interests of Filipinos, over the long haul, the country and the common good of all Filipinos suffer,” he said.

“They believe in the need to amend the Constitution to eliminate these overly protective provisions to attract more foreign investments and to adopt policies to enable the country to compete more effectively in the global economy,” he said.

Garbin was joined in the u PAGE A7

A6 FEBRUARY 24-26, 2021 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPiniOn

Shuttered businesses

FeatUres

PASAY City expanded on Tuesday, February 23 from 34 to 55 the number of barangays under granular lockdown because of a surge in COVID cases. The Pasay government has also sent an SOS to the Department of Health amid fears that the city is facing a transmission of the coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom, which is said to be highly infectious.

One of the confirmed UK variant cases in the Philippines is a Pasay resident, a 46-year-old mother of a worker at the Metro Rail Transit-3 depot where a cluster of COVID-19 infections has been reported.

The growing problem in Pasay illustrates the continuing unpredictability of COVID-19. It also shows that President Duterte’s decision to maintain the quarantine status in Metro Manila and several other areas is sensible.

The President decided that without a vaccine rollout, areas under general community quarantine including Metro Manila could not be eased to the most lenient modified GCQ by March 1, as suggested by the National Economic and Development Authority. The President, apart from deferring the shift to MGCQ, also rejected proposals for limited face-to-face classes.

While some business leaders acknowledged the issues that were considered in the President’s

decision, they also expressed concern over the possibility that full economic reopening might have to wait until 2022. Last year, at least 119,596 registered businesses were forced to shut down, costing the government P7.767 billion in “forgone revenues,” the Bureau of Internal Revenue told the House of Representatives.

Apart from revenue losses from shuttered business enterprises, livelihoods in the informal economy have been decimated by the COVID pandemic. With the shift to MGCQ in Metro Manila, the country’s economic center, rejected by the President, NEDA is revisiting its 2021 target for gross domestic product growth, as analysts warn that recovery will be slow for the Philippines.

Protecting lives and reviving livelihoods will depend heavily on the start of mass COVID vaccination. Even President Duterte, according to nomic prognosis and the risks posed by the more Malacañang, is becoming impatient. The eco- infectious COVID variants should provide more

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

impetus for speeding up the vaccination rollout.

(Philstar.com)

Supreme Court ruling schools Trump: No president is above the law

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS DONALD TRUMP might have been “acquitted” by his powerhungry Republican minions in Congress twice after being impeached by the House of Representatives twice despite his abuse of power and obstruction of justice in 2020 and for inciting January 6 insurrection in the nation’s Capitol.

But the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that reminded Donald Trump that no one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law.

As the New York Times broke the news on Monday, February 22: “The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a last-ditch attempt by former President Donald J. Trump to shield his financial records, issuing a brief, unsigned order that ended Mr. Trump’s bitter 18-month battle to stop prosecutors in Manhattan from poring over his tax returns as they investigate possible financial crimes.

The court’s order was a decisive defeat for Mr. Trump, who had gone to extraordinary lengths to keep his tax returns and related documents secret, taking his case to the Supreme Court twice. There were no dissents noted.”

Yes, NO DISSENT. Not even from the justices he appointed to the highest court. These honorable justices did not betray their oath just to please Trump, who has demonstrated consistently his “quid pro quo” style of lead-

ership.

The Washington Post reported that the Supreme Court also “turned away Republican challenges to the presidential election results in Pennsylvania, refusing to take up a monthslong dispute over extending the deadline in that state for receiving mail-in ballots.”

The Post further reported: “It was part of a purge of sorts. The high court formally dismissed a range of suits filed

by Donald Trump and his allies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Arizona — all states won by Democrat Joe Biden. The court’s intent in most of those had been signaled when it refused to expedite consideration of them before Biden was inaugurated as president.

The case about deadlines for receiving mail-in ballots was different, though. Three justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch — said it deserved the court’s attention, even though the number of votes at issue would not call into question Biden’s victory.”

These are great signs that justice is still alive in the United States, and that more democratic institutions are doing their role of checks and balances and demanding accountability from former President Donald Trump, after his efforts to trample on our democracy to feed his insatiable greed for power, money and ego.

Now that Trump is no longer in power, he has lost the shield he had been desperately trying

to hold onto in order to protect himself from all the legal battles that await him, on both personal and political fronts.

Congress has also started hearings to investigate deeper into what led to the January 6 insurrection, make people accountable, and write legislation to prevent this tragedy from happening again.

Another reason to be optimistic that the rule of law will be upheld again pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution is President Joe Biden’s nomination of Merrick Garland to be the United States’ attorney general.

In his Senate confirmation hearing on Monday, February 22, Garland vowed “to keep politics out of the Justice Department and to fully prosecute the “heinous” crimes committed in the attack on the U.S. Capitol in the deadly riot on January 6,” CNN reported Garland was former President Barack Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court in 2016, but the Republican-led Senate never even got to have confirmation hearings for his nomination.

As the National Public Radio (NPR) chronicled: “Widely regarded as a moderate, Garland had been praised in the past by many Republicans, including influential senators such as Orrin Hatch of Utah.

But even before Obama had named Garland, and in fact only hours after Scalia’s death was announced, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared any appointment by the

sitting president to be null and void. He said the next Supreme Court justice should be chosen by the next president — to be elected later that year.”

Lo and behold! We knew what happened: The Senate Republicans went against their rationale that denied Garland any confirmation hearing. Instead, on September 25, 2020 — an election year — Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. The Republicans in Congress rushed the confirmation hearings despite the urgency of COVID-19 issues and on October 26, 2020, Barrett was confirmed.

The confirmation of Garland as attorney general means finally, after four years of having AGs whom Trump used as his own lawyer, we will have in Garland someone who will represent us, the American people.

“If confirmed, I will supervise the prosecution of white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol on January 6 — a heinous attack that sought to disrupt a cornerstone of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected government,” Garland says in his opening statement.

Garland “plans to stress that the role is meant to “serve the Rule of Law and to ensure equal justice under the law,” noting that July 2020 marked the 150th anniversary of the Justice Department’s founding in the aftermath of the Civil War and that its core mission was to se-

cure the civil rights promised by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. “The mission remains urgent because we do not yet have equal justice,” CNN quoted Garland in a report. “Communities of color and other minorities still face discrimination in housing, education, employment, and the criminal justice system.”

In his confirmation hearing, Merrick Garland assured Congress that he would remain independent of partisan influences if he is confirmed to the post.

“I do not regard myself as anything other than the lawyer for the people of the United States. I am not the President’s lawyer. I am the United States’ lawyer,” Garland said.

This is consistent with what Biden said he told Garland when announcing Garland’s nomination. “You won’t work for me.

You are not the president’s or the vice president’s lawyer.

Your loyalty is not to me. It’s to the law, the Constitution.”

As TIME reported, “Garland would oversee a wide-reaching department that has a hand in everything from the prosecution of rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 to the nation’s broken immigration system. He’s set to take over the Department at a particularly fraught moment, with a crisis in confidence about the DOJ’s impartiality spurred

by Donald Trump’s presidency and numerous hot-button political investigations underway, including one into the financial dealings of Biden’s son Hunter

and another into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe. How Garland navigates the tricky partisan environment could have huge consequences for public faith in the Department.”

We have seen how Trump’s AGs politicized and weaponized the position to serve him, in betrayal of the law and of the public trust accorded to him.

“I would like for the time that I’m in the Justice Department to turn down the volume on the way in which people view the department. That the Justice Department not be the center of partisan disagreement. That we return to the days when the department does its law enforcement and criminal justice policy, and that this is viewed in a bipartisan way,” Garland said in his closing remarks on Monday as reported by TIME. “I know these are divisive times.

I’m not naive. But I would like to do everything I can to have people believe that that’s what we’re doing.” *** 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.

*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

The lines between us

Commentary

How upcoming redistricting will shape Asian American communities for the next decade SONNI WAKNIN

AND ALEX

DE OCAMPO

IF there is one takeaway from the Presidential and Georgia Senate elections of 2020, it is the power of communities. Organizers all across the country, from the Navajo nation in Arizona to African American and Southeast Asian voters in Georgia, mobilized their communities to flex their political power and show that they will have their voices heard. While federal elections are two years away, those very communities — and your community — could be at stake this year because of redistricting.

From your county school board to your state legislative and Congressional districts, every ten years election district lines are redrawn through the redistricting process.Redistrict-

ing is how we ensure that, as population densities change, we maintain roughly equal populations in each district.

Using the decennial Census numbers, each state’s population is totalled and each state receives their Congressional district allotment. Additionally, the Census provides the population numbers to each state for their own state level district apportionment. From there the real challenge begins: drawing the districts.

District lines can be drawn by politicians, advisory commissions, or non-partisan citizen commissions. No matter who draws them, district lines determine resources, funding, and even what constitutes a neighborhood. More importantly, when lines are drawn without community input, ex-

isting neighborhoods or communities can be split up. That means that during redistricting your community could be put into a district with a community that has nothing in common with yours.

Take, for example, what happened in New York state in 2011. The Census had just been completed, and the state of New York had drawn new district lines. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), however, filed a complaint in a Brooklyn, NY federal court on behalf of four Asian American voters stating that the redistricted map that the state was proposing to adopt would have disenfranchised that area’s AAPI community.

The court sided with AALDEF, and an independent “Special Master” was designated to re-

draw the maps, using neighborhood maps, ethnic data, and a “unity map” from the plaintiffs, resulting in a district in the Queens neighborhood that was 40% Asian American. This district ultimately went on to elect Grace Meng to represent them in Congress, making her the first AAPI Congressmember from the state of New York.

District lines matter because representation matters.

So what can be done to keep communities together? In your area, local redistricting commissions will soon be hearing public testimony to inform how district lines are drawn.

This is your chance to make sure that your community is represented and stays intact.

Attend (or log on to) these meetings and give public comments about the importance of

your community and that you do not want it to be split up.

Organize your neighborhood and make sure that you let the redistricting commissioners know about the social and historic importance of where you live, and that you intend to keep it unified.

In 2021, we are all exhausted. From a pandemic that has kept us inside and isolated for a year, to a seemingly never ending Presidential and then Senatorial election, we all just want to relax. But the effects of redistricting are not like an election-- they will last for the next ten years and have far reaching consequences. So for the future of your community, take an active part in the redistricting process and make your voice heard. To learn more about redistricting in your community

and our work, go to https://latino.ucla.edu/votingrights, or visit FVEP at www.fvep.org. *** 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.

*** Sonni Waknin is the Managing Attorney and Voting Rights Counsel at the UCLA Voting Rights Project. Her legal scholarship has been published in The California Law Journal, UCLA Law Review Discourse, and the Northwestern University Law Review of Note.

*** Alex De Ocampo practices Philanthropic Advisement for a private family foundation.

In 2017, he was one of three co-founders of the Filipino Voter Empowerment Project which boosted voter turnout through direct voter contact and online/terrestrial media strategies.

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

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A7

De Lima lawyers want prosecution witness Capones charged in same drug case MANILA — Sen. Leila De Lima’s legal team is moving to implead inmate and prosecution witness Joel Capones as among the accused in the third drug case she is facing.

Lawyer Boni Tacardon, De Lima’s counsel, told reporters that they had filed a motion before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 265 to include Capones in the case as he had admitted that he participated in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.

“We filed a motion to include him (Capones), because if the ‘war on drugs’ of the government is genuine, then all of those involved in drugs should face cases. Why is it that Sen. De Lima is said to be the only one involved in drug trade inside Bilibid?” Tacardon told reporters after the hearing on Tuesday.

The conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading pending before the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256 is the third case against De Lima. She has since been acquitted in one, while trial continues in a second case pending before Branch 205.

Tacardon said the court filing is a separate action from their submission of letter to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Monday.

De Lima urged Guevarra to charge Capones and his 13 “mayores” or lieutenants in the Sigue Sigue Sputnik gang who had admitted to the court that they committed illegal drug trading within Bilibid from January to October 2014.

“The inaction of the [DOJ] in holding Mr. Capones to account for his self-confessed criminal acts, despite knowledge of his culpability, is a serious dereliction of duty and puts in question the seriousness of Duterte administration’s resolve in fighting crime and illegal drugs,” she said.

Guevarra confirmed the receipt of De Lima’s letter and said he will take the issue raised “under advisement.”

De Lima has also written to the Parole and Probation Administration, urging its board to consider a negative evaluation of Capones’s application for parole or clemency, if any.

“Surely, a convicted murderer

In this photo taken on Tuesday, February 23, Sen. Leila De Lima attends the trial of the third drug case she is facing at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 256.

Senate photo

who continued to commit the heinous crime of illegal drug trading inside the National Penitentiary evince an attitude in total contrast to that of remorse,” De Lima said.

Trial resumes On Wednesday afternoon, Capones took the witness stand before Branch 256.

Provincial prosecutor Ramoncito Ocampo said the inmate gave a “very clear” testimony that he remitted money to convict Jaybee Sebastian, who has since died, and that he saw the latter give money to Jad Dera, said to be the senator’s nephew but who later claimed to be a police asset instead.

“He delivered first the money to Jaybee Sebastian, P1.4 million, and then the good senator, [who was] then secretary. Jaybee Sebastian then gave money to Secretary De Lima. It was part of the testimony, according to the witness, they were celebrating the anniversary of Sigue Sigue commando gang,” he added.

The prosecutor however confirmed that Capones saw Sebastian show it to De Lima but “of course he does not know whether the secretary took it after he left.”

Ocampo also said Capones was “forced” to take part in drug trading. “He agreed, for survival, because it would have been difficult to not [work] with Sebastian when you are incarcerated inside the NBP,” the prosecutor added in a mix of English and Filipino.

The prosecutor said the de-

House starts floor debates...

PAGE A5 sponsorship by two of the lower chamber’s economists—Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, chair of the House ways and means committee, and Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo.

In his sponsorship speech, Salceda said “even a little trade and investment would be phenomenal catalysts for rapid development” for underdeveloped countries in what he said was a hyper globalized age.

“Instead, we have remained closed to foreign capital and skill and technology, despite our obvious national need for these development catalysts,” he said, adding that the Philippines is the most restrictive in Southeast Asian, except for manufacturing.

Salceda said he was optimistic that the Philippines will gain 6.6 million jobs “if we immediately follow” the resolution with “the right enabling laws.”

“But there is time, and there is an opportunity for us to catch up,” he said.

“As the economy grows, there remains immense foreign direct investment growth potential in the Philippines as we liberalize FDI,” Salceda said.

“I am convinced that we will very strongly bounce back after COVID-19. We will have an even bigger and more lasting recovery if FDIs can be part of our bounce back strategy,” he said.

He said he was “under no illusion” that the resolution “is a magic wand for all our problems.”

“But it is a necessary beginning,” Salceda said.

“The overwhelming evidence is that we made a mistake to hardcode our fears and paranoia into our Constitution,” he said.

“While we remained stubborn, our neighbors began to leapfrog us. The mature thing to do for a country like ours that has global ambitions is to grow up, acknowledge our misjudgment, and correct our mistake.

It is never too late to do the right thing,” Salceda added.

Quimbo, a member of the minority bloc, said she agreed with her colleagues, arguing that “there is no sufficient reason for why the Constitution must be decidedly against the liberalization of our economy, especially at times when protectionist policies are antithetical to our economic interests.”

“Promoting foreign investments can also immediately increase market competition, which has been shown around the world to benefit consumers by reducing prices, improving quality, and facilitating longterm innovation,” she said in her sponsorship speech.

She said efforts to ease economic restrictions in the Charter is “not to simply open the flood gates and allow foreign companies to crowd out our local businesses.”

“It is not a free pass. By including the phrase ‘unless otherwise provided by law,’ the measure provides flexibility to these economic provisions, but still allows the legislature to address the fear of some of our countrymen that we will be inundated with foreign businesses, to the detriment of local industry,” she said.

She said Congress should be given flexibility and leg room to “steer the economy according to the demands of the time.”

“It allows lawmakers to craft measures that can help the Philippine economy compete with its neighbors and promote growth, while also ensuring that appropriate protections are in place for local businesses,” Quimbo said.

“This ChaCha will give Congress the necessary leg room to respond to the needs of the modern world,” she said.

Quimbo added that opening up the economy to FDIs is not the only thing that the country must do to achieve economic growth and development, stressing the need to invest in infrastructure, eliminate corruption and red tape and ensure that the rule of law prevails.

“But the necessary first step is to remove the restrictive economic provisions in our Constitution, or else, we risk being left further behind,” she said.

The resolution, she added, “is not a sufficient condition for inclusive growth, but it is necessary to move forward.”

“This resolution is one necessary step towards the creation of a fairer and more dynamic business environment, one geared towards maximizing benefits for the Filipino people,” Quimbo said.

“Filipinos, not foreigners, will win in this proposal,” she added.

Supporting the resolution, she said, “is the rational choice that Congress ought to make to help our economy move forward.” n

livery of money happened on March 5, 2014, although Tacardon said Capones said it happened on March 5, 2015.

ABS-CBN News earlier reported that Sebastian, in his July 2020 affidavit, confessed that he facilitated the delivery of P5 million between De Lima and inmate Peter Co in November and another P5 million in December 2012.

However, in his October 2016 affidavit, Sebastian only mentioned giving De Lima P2 million in a paper bag in 2015, and another P8 million, through the senator’s then-aide Joenel Sanchez, the report added.

The report also said the prosecution had introduced to the court Sebastian’s affidavits. The inmate died in July due to COVID-19.

Asked if it is possible that the transaction with Capones was not included in Sebastian’s affidavit, Ocampo said: “Maybe because in all kinds of investigations, sometimes the person being investigated only answers or focuses on the topic that is subject of the inquiry.”

De Lima’s lawyer, Tacardon, meanwhile said Capones had “selective” memory during their cross-examination and said he could not remember other circumstances that could destroy his credibility.

The cross-examination of Capones, which ran for two hours on Wednesday, will continue on April 16. (Kristine Joy Patag/ Philstar.com)

JOGGING PARTNER. A woman, together with her pet Shih Tzu, runs around the cycling oval at the Neopolitan Business Park Leisure Center in Fairview, Quezon City on Tuesday, February 16. The new leisure park is popular for cycling, volleyball, jogging, or brisk walking.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

UK variant detected in 6 regions – DOH MANILA — Sixty-two confirmed cases of the UK variant of COVID19 have been detected in six regions.

Based on the data released by the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, February 23 23 cases of the 62 UK variant were recorded in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Eighteen were detected in Bontoc, Mountain Province, four in La Trinidad, Benguet and one in Sabangan, also in Mountain Province.

One case each was detected in Metro Manila, particularly in Pasay City; Tanauan, Batangas and San Mateo, Rizal in Calabarzon and Liloan, Cebu in Central Visayas.

The DOH said it is still validating the source of infection for the Liloan case who has a travel his-

tory in Metro Manila.

The agency’s epidemiology and surveillance unit has yet to determine if the source of infection is Cebu or Metro Manila.

The DOH said one case each of the UK variant was also detected in Impasugong, Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao; New Bataan and Compostela, both in Davao de Oro, and Davao City in Davao region.

Data shows that 30 cases are among returning overseas Filipinos while one is an “arriving foreign national.”

The DOH had earlier said there was no sufficient evidence to conclude a community transmission of the new variant in the country despite the detection of 62 cases.

It said the country has yet to achieve its target sample size

across all regions.

“We cannot make conclusions yet as to whether there is presence of B117 community transmission and the extent of transmission of B117 in the regions,” the DOH said, referring to the UK variant.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said their goal is to expand the genome sequencing capacity of the country to get a more accurate picture of the situation.

Duque said they hope to have genome sequencing facilities in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Genome sequencing is done primarily by the Philippine Genome Center, which processes 750 samples per run.

“We want to further enhance our bio-surveillance to know better the extent of the variants,” Duque said. (Philstar.com)

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9 books by Fil-Am authors to put on your 2021 reading list

by AJPress

L

ooking for your next quarantine read? Here is a roundup of several books — from fiction to food — by Filipino/a American authors that hit shelves in the new year or are slated to be released later in 2021.

Manila, his love affairs, and his discovery of writer and fellow revolutionary, Jose Rizal. The 19th-century story features footnotes from three fiercely quarrelsome and comic voices: a nationalist editor, a neo-Freudian psychoanalyst critic, and a translator, Mimi C. Magsalin.

“The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata” by Gina Apostol (Jan. 2021, Soho Press) Award-winning writer Gina Apostol’s novel “The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata” — for which she won her second Philippine National Book Award in 2010 — has been rereleased in the United States by Soho Press. It’s structured as a memoir by Raymundo Mata, a half-blind bookworm and revolutionary, who narrates his childhood, his education in

“Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice” by Dr. Kevin Nadal (Feb. 2021, Wiley) Dr. Kevin Nadal, a New

York-based psychology professor, queer activist and author, has published the second edition of “Filipino American Psychology,” a resource for understanding the mental health of the second largest Asian American group and fast-growing demographic.

From exploring cultural values to historic traumas, Nadal’s text is a must-read guide for working with the community and a conversation starter to help decrease mental health stigma across generations.

“With You” by Michelle Lopez Clark (March 2021,

Hawai’i and the influences that shape its culinary traditions in his forthcoming cookbook.

Simeon, the chef and owner of two restaurants in Maui, Mascot Books) shares 100 uncomplicated Michelle Lopez Clark, a psychotherapist from Southern recipes from wok-fried poke to charred huli-huli chicken while California, makes her debut providing poignant stories and as an author with a children’s picture book about the loving historical accounts. relationship with dogs. “With You” is a relatable story of rhymes and representation that promotes the value of fostering an emotional connection with children.

“Cook Real Hawai’i” by Sheldon Simeon (March 2021, Clarkson Potter) Two-time “Top Chef” finalist and three-time James Beard Award nominee Sheldon Simeon takes at-home cooks at any skill level on a tasteful journey through

“In a Book Club Far Away” by Tif Marcelo (April 2021, Gallery Books) Tif Marcelo, a former Army nurse turned best-selling author, offers a look into the dynamics of a military family with her latest novel, “In a Book Club Far Away.”

The story follows three Army wives who bond during a book club, but must later

overcome their differences when one of them is desperate for help.

“Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey” by Erin Entrada Kelly (May 2021, Greenwillow Books) Newbery Medal-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly is set to release an illustrated novel loosely based on her biracial identity as a Filipina American growing up in a small Louisiana town. “Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey” introduces readers to Marisol, an imaginative, yet cautious girl who learns how to overcome her fears. With witty humor and nuanced childhood friendships, it’s a must-read for early elementary grade students.

Continued on Page 2

World’s first all-civilian mission to space, entertainment Inspiration4, names second crew member seats on mission still available Toni sees Seve as ‘next Direk Paul’ Twotoremaining the general public until February 28

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 24, 2021

By iza iglesias ManilaTimes.net

MEMPHIS – Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission THE public has always been aware of to space, has announced its actress-host Toni Gonzaga’s successes second crew member, Hayley throughout her career. Besides a lengthy Arceneaux of Memphis, TN, a and impressive string of box-office hits 29-year-old physician assistant and top-rated TV shows to her name, at St. Jude Children’s Research she is also known for championing family Hospital® who was treated as values as supportive wife to husband and a child for bone cancer at St. film director Paul Soriano and loving mom Jude. Arceneaux joins Inspirato son Seve. But just like any parent, the tion4 mission commander Jared celebrity mom insists she has her fair share Isaacman. She will occupy the of challenging moments as the lady of the mission seat representing Hope. house, which she openly shared in her lat“It’s an incredible honor est digital interview with media. to join the Inspiration4 crew.

It may not look it, but according to This seat represents the hope Gonzaga, she always finds it difficult to that St. Jude gave me—and balance life as wife and mother with her continues to give families from career as a multi-media personality. She around the world, who, like had no choice but to set her priorities at me, find hope when they walk the onset and strive to keep them in their Just like any parents, Toni Gonzaga has also been through both cheerful and challengthrough the doors of St. Jude,” Continued on Page 4 ing moments in her familial journey.

Photo from Instagram/@severianoelliott said Arceneaux. “When I was just 10 years old, St. Jude gave me the opportunity to grow up.

Now I am fulfilling my dreams of working at the research hospital and traveling around the world.

It’s incredible to be a part of this mission that is not only raising crucial funds for the lifesaving work of St. Jude but also introducing new supporters to the mission.”

Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments [NYSE: FOUR] and an accomplished pilot, donated two of the four seats on Inspiration4 to St. Jude, including the seat filled by Arceneaux. The mission name Inspiration4 recognizes the four-person crew’s purpose – to send a humanitarian message of Chef Angela Dimayuga is set to release her debut cookbook “Filipinx” in October 2021.

Photo by Guang Xu possibility and inspire support for St. Jude – and represents the pillars of Leadership, Hope, Generosity and Prosperity.

“Assembling a unique and edly made their imprint on From Page 3 diverse crew whose personal hip hop. But in “Manifest stories and values will inspire Technique,” Mark R. Villegas people everywhere is at the — an assistant professor of heart of the Inspiration4 misAmerican studies at Franklin sion,” said Isaacman. “As I’ve & Marshall College — takes the genre’s significance to the spent time with Hayley in the earliest days of mission prep, Fil-Am community within the context of decolonization and she’s everything we want our team to represent – she’s interracial identity. ested in the world around her, “Filipinx Cookbook” by Angela Dimayuga (Oct. 2021, devoted to caring for others and hopeful for a better future Abrams) for all of us. She already inspires Chef Angela Dimayuga — a James Beard Award nom- me, and I’m certain she’ll inspire many others as they get to know inee for Rising Star Chef who “When Lola Visits” by her in the course of our mispreviously served as creative Michelle Sterling (May 2021, sion.” director of food and culture Katherine Tegen Books) Isaacman has committed to at the Standard hotels — will Inspired by childhood give $100 million to St. Jude release her debut cookbook summers with her lola (grandand is inviting everyone to join in time for Fil-Am History “Manifest Technique: Hip Month. “Filipinx” is filled mother) visiting from the him in support of St. Jude’s Hop, Empire, and Visionary Philippines, author Michelle multi-billion-dollar expansion with more than 100 deeply Filipino American Culture” Sterling and illustrator Aaron designed to accelerate repersonal dishes and stories

by Mark R. Villegas (July Asis come together for a search advancements and save that trace “how she learned 2021, University of Illinois children’s picture book that more children worldwide. The to cook from her mother Press) captures this special lola-apo in Southern California and From DJs to successful bond. Expect pages that bring became a classically trained artists like Apl.de.Ap of the the sights and senses as well chef of French cooking before Black Eyed Peas, Filipino as traditions that mark the finally learning to love to cook Filipino American experience. Americans have undoubtfood from the Philippines.”

9 books by Fil-Am authors to put...

Hayley Arceneaux of Memphis, TN, a 29-year-old physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® who was treated as a child for bone cancer at St. Jude, will be a crew member for Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space.

Photo courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

fundraising effort will continue through the mission launch later this year.

“It has been a personal honor to watch Hayley grow up and fulfill her dreams. As a patient, an intern at ALSAC, and then in the Pediatric Oncology Education program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she was always a rising star,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. “From the beginning, St. Jude has been at the forefront of innovation and inclusion, leading in cancer research, and treatment for some of the world’s sickest children regardless of race, ethnicity, or a family’s ability to pay, so that children like Hayley can live full, healthy and aweinspiring lives. She will be an incredible ambassador through this mission and inspiration to children fighting cancer and survivors worldwide.”

The mission is being targeted for the fourth quarter of this year. Arceneaux, Isaacman and the Inspiration4 crew will undergo commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, including a specific focus on orbital mechanics, operating in microgravity, zero gravity, and other forms of stress testing. They will receive emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial- and full-mission simulations. The mission will launch from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will be carefully moni-

tored at every step by SpaceX mission control as the spacecraft orbits the planet every 90 minutes along a customized flight path. Upon conclusion of the multi-day journey, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida.

The remaining two seats representing Generosity and Prosperity are available to the general public through February 28, with details available at the mission website, Inspiration4. com. The Generosity crew seat can be secured by a member of the public who enters for an opportunity to join the flight to space. The Prosperity seat is available to any deserving entrepreneur who utilizes the new Shift4Shop eCommerce platform to submit their idea and be selected by a panel of distinguished judges. The Shift4Shop platform is designed to empower entrepreneurs to build and grow successful eCommerce businesses.

To learn more about Inspiration4, how to support and potentially join this historic journey to space and the specific conditions of the promotions, visit Inspiration4.com and follow the mission on social media on Twitter (@inspiration4x), Facebook (@inspiration4mission), Instagram (@inspiration4) and YouTube (@Inspiration4) to receive the latest news on mission training and preparation.

Individuals who are interested in learning how to enter for an opportunity to secure one of the two seats still available should visit Inspiration4.com and review the Official Rules for the applicable promotion.

A ‘new life begins’ for John Lloyd after 4-year break from showbiz

By Marinel

Cruz

Inquirer.net

CONTROVERSIAL actor John Lloyd Cruz described his almost-four-year sabbatical from mainstream show biz as a “necessary pause.” He also said that his absence did not mean he actually stopped working.

The 37-year-old actor likewise said his being a father to actress Ellen Adarna’s son, Elias, felt like he was “given a new life.”

The elusive actor recently agreed to an interview with Rachel Arenas, chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board for the agency’s weekly online talk show titled “Uncut,” which streams every Friday afternoon on the MTRCB Facebook and YouTube channels.

While Arenas did not ask about Cruz and Adarna’s estranged relationship, which undoubtedly prompted his decision to take a leave of absence in 2017 from his being a contract artist of ABS-CBN, the MTRCB chair managed to make Cruz talk about his aspirations for Elias.

“My biggest dream for him?

For me, this is already big, but I’m sure his dreams will be so much bigger: I want him to be able to fulfill what his heart desires. If he wants to become an astronaut or simply a tambay (loiterer), I will support him. I guess that’s the only thing you can wish for your son or for anyone—that he would be able to do what he wants.”

Cruz also stressed that even though he was “not physically present,” he still felt he was working. The actor did not elaborate, but this could mean the film he shot for multiawarded indie filmmaker Lav Diaz titled “Servando Magdamag,” from a short story by Ricky Lee; or this could also mean the much-talked-about commercial he did for a shawarma brand; or

he claimed to still have a long list of people he wanted to collaborate with, “especially when I heard from a friend who has long been totally immersed in film and music about the potential of a lot of young artists we have today. This actually excites me. I don’t want to miss the chance [to be able to collaborate with them].”

Regrets? Cruz has none.

“There isn’t any, only lessons learned,” he stressed.

As to his plan of going back to the “usual grind” and John Lloyd Cruz Photo from Instagram/@johnlloydcruztm giving his time to show biz 100 percent, Cruz replied: “What is his cameo in Alvin Yapan’s pe‘usual’? What is ‘100 percent’? riod drama “Culion,” also from a The answer to these varies, script by Lee. especially since we are in a These days, John Lloyd is pandemic. I consider now as part of the creative team workthe perfect period to learn. The ing on a sitcom under Brightthings that did not work for me light Productions for TV5 that before, I want to be able to corwas supposed to air last Derect now that I am given another cember, but problems in casting chance,” he began. delayed its production.

“I want to know what else I “It had been a very necesshould improve on, especially in sary pause. It all boils down to terms of management. Whatevwhat I’ve learned while I was er the outcome would be, that’s doing things I needed to do in my 100 percent,” he added. order to fulfill my responsibili“Although we have to admit ties and obligations in life. In the that during these difficult times, end, it still felt like work,” Cruz we encounter a different set of explained. challenges. For example, we are “To be honest, how could trying to put up a sitcom, but you say ‘no’ to an opportunity we find it difficult to finish castto be with people like Lav Diaz ing. That’s the same problem and Ricky Lee?” said Cruz when I’ve experienced while trying to asked what made him agree to put up a film. We’ve long been star in “Servando Magdamag.” in the planning stage. It’s taking “Apart from the privilege to a while for us to begin actual work with them, before I agree work.” to a project, I would always ask Cruz turned metaphorical for the script, or in the case of when asked how he felt about ‘Servando Magdamag,’ it was his home network ABS-CBN’s in the form of a short story by failed bid to have its franchise Sir Ricky. It was a difficult read renewed. “I was surprised with in the beginning, but later I what happened. I questioned realized that I just couldn’t put why it happened during such a it down. I read the screenplay difficult time. My surprise led shortly after, and I must say that me to more questions. As I tried it’s the best one I’ve ever read in to answer them, I finally saw my life,” he declared. the bigger picture,” Cruz said.

As an actor, Cruz said he “I realized that [the issue] is not has nothing more to ask for. He merely one-dimensional. We has portrayed numerous roles need to understand that this is that challenged him. However, Continued on Page 4

Mutual fund basics Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA YEARS ago, I was searching for something to place a small amount of money that can yield a little growth if left alone for some time. A bank certificate of deposit, perhaps, I thought. But the yield was minuscule and hardly worth my time and effort. Then I understood slowly what investing was all about. No risk was involved in a CD and so the payoff was tiny.

In my previous work as a bushy-tailed researcher who dug for information in libraries and asked a lot of questions long before the information superhighway was built, I stumbled on the idea of investing using mutual funds.

Heck, I didn’t even want to use the word “investing” for I felt it was too big and pretentious for me for the amount of money I had. It was laughable. I was a young mom with children then and grappling with the challenges of the immigrant life in the US. It left me with very little time to think about investing. Also, I wasn’t interested in watching the ups and downs of the financial market day after day.

How dull to watch numbers when you can smell the flowers! It just wasn’t my schtick.

There was too much to learn and experience and so little time. So I hied off to read books on it instead and called a few companies. I bungled my way through.

Here’s what I have discovered in a nutshell. A mutual fund is an investment tool consisting of a portfolio of hundreds of stocks, bonds and other securities. It gives personal small investors like me and millions of others, access to the world of diversified portfolios at a low price (thus, the haystack reference in the Bogle quote).

In my case, I am also the poster child for the lazy doit-yourselfer who just wants to choose a winning horse, a thoroughbred like Secretariat, if possible, stay the course and forget about it most of the time, simply checking oc-

“Don’t look for the needle in the haystack.

Just buy the haystack.”

—John C. Bogle Founder, Vanguard casionally. That’s why I choose index funds for the most part.

Indexing and reinvesting is the way to go for people who really don’t have the time, the patience, the gumption and the persuasion to do a full dive.

There are load funds and no-load mutual funds. Guess where I was drawn to? Of course, no-load funds made sense for me. Load funds charge commissions which affect returns on the whole.

“Duh!” The down side? Most of the no load funds with excellent track records with a low expense ratio in a big mutual fund company require a bigger initial outlay. How much, you ask? At this time, $3000 on average to get in although there is a fund that requires only $1000 if buying a fund as a trust for minors, like children and grandchildren.

Let me explain. If you bought a load fund which is professionally managed and the return for the year is a whopping 10% and the load is 3%, then your net return is 7% on your investment for the year. Not bad, but if the return for the year is a negative 10%, you’re in the hole for 13%.

There are behemoth professionally staffed companies that offer mutual funds. The big names are Fidelity, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price among others. Don’t be intimidated.

You can get in for a thousand dollars if you want to test the waters. The big money, perhaps in trillions, in employersponsored retirement plans, 401k and others in the US are invested in mutual funds.

I studied John C. Bogle’s fiscal conservatism. Bogle is the Yoda of mutual fund investing. He founded Vanguard and shepherded the company for a long time. A stalwart fiscal conservative, he championed the cause of low expense funds. The lower the expense ratio of a fund, the happier he was for investors. It was a common sense strategy then as now, neither sleek nor sexy for wanna-be

hotshot investors. It was said that Bogle preferred woolen neckties rather than silk ties because they lasted longer and can be worn many times.

Sadly, he passed away fairly recently at 89 years old. The mutual fund investing world lost a true hero. God bless John C. Bogle.

Mutual funds have many varieties to choose from.

There are stock funds, bond funds, balanced funds, specialty sector funds, index funds and fairly recently, exchange traded funds (ETFs) that can be traded like stocks.

The choices can be overwhelming to a newbie but don’t be.

If you are in your twenties, thirties and forties, you have the benefit of time. Use it. The key is to choose wisely after much study, stay the course over time, monitor periodically. Have an exit strategy for how you will use the yield you will harvest when the time comes.

Some rich person once said that money is like manure, it stinks if left on a pile but used as fertilizer on tilled soil, can yield a rich harvest for a much greater good.

The stock or equity funds with higher risk factors can get stellar performance and heartbreaking losses too.

There are bond funds which yield far less stellar results or yields but are stodgy and reliable. They move in opposite directions. When the stock market is on the rise, the bond funds are dipping and vice versa. It’s like yin and yang.

The financial markets are always reflective of the fears and hopes of the investing world at any given time. The market is jittery and acts like a psycho. It gets jolted easily by political and economic rumblings and upheavals but try and stay above the fray. Tune out for your peace of mind.

If and when you go this route, you must be there for the long haul if you want to see real results that bless and Continued on Page 4

Do I have a community property interest in a house which my spouse acquired before our marriage?

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes GENERALLY, in California, property acquired by a spouse prior to marriage is considered separate property under family code section 770 while those acquired after marriage are considered community assets under family code section 760. How do you characterize real property purchased prior to marriage but with the mortgage principal paid down using community income or funds during the marriage?

The community in this situation acquires a pro tanto interest in the ratio that the payments on the purchase price made with community funds bear to the total payments on the purchase price and any appreciation should be apportioned accordingly. Marriage of Moore (1980) 28 C3d 366, 371, 373, 168 CR 662, 664, 665. Other expenses associated with the property are not considered in the calculation such as mortgage interest, taxes, and insurance. In essence, the real property would accumulate both a separate property and a community property component by the date of separation.

The appropriate remedy in this situation where separate property is subsequently paid with community funds is “apportionment.”

The process of apportioning between the separate and community property component is laid out in the Marriage of Marsden. In that case, the court determined the ratio or percentage in which the mortgage loan principal was reduced during the marriage and applied that percentage to the appreciation of the real property during the marriage.

The community property component would then consist of

the reduction in the mortgage loan principal during the marriage plus the portion of appreciation during the marriage applying the ratio discussed above.

In the Marriage of Marsden, the real property was purchased by the husband for $38,300 prior to the marriage. The original mortgage was $30,000. By the time the husband got married, the house was now worth $65,000 while the mortgage has gone down by $7,000. Both the appreciation of $26,700 and the mortgage reduction of $7,000 would be separate property since it occurred prior to marriage. Marriage of Madsen (1982) 130 CA3d 426, 181 CR 910.

During the marriage until the time of trial, the property has appreciated another $117,500 (property now valued at $182,500) while the mortgage has further declined by $9,200 up to the date of separation. The ratio at which community funds paid down the mortgage ($9,200) during the marriage to the original purchase price ($38,300) amounts to 24.02%. This percentage of the property appreciation during the marriage of $117,500 ($28,223.50) plus the reduction in mortgage balance during the marriage ($9,200) would constitute the community component of the real property. The rest was the husband’s separate property.

The husband in that case was awarded his separate property component of the real property plus one half of the community property component.

The Marsden apportionment method is also applicable to situations where a community real property is later transmuted into one spouse’s separate property through execution of a quit claim by the other spouse but is subsequently paid using community funds. Marriage of Broderick (1989) 209 CA3d 489, 257 CR 397. In litigation, the community interest in the situations

mentioned about is proven through expert witness testimony typically by a forensic CPA. Since California case law allows the creation of a community interest in real property acquired prior to marriage, one has to consider vehicles to protect themselves if you own property and you are contemplating of getting married. There are several ways of avoiding the creation of a community interest on your separate real property.

One, you can sign a prenuptial agreement. Two, the parties can execute a postnuptial agreement if the parties are already married. Three, the parties can execute a transmutation agreement with a waiver of any family code section 2640 reimbursement claim. If your divorce case involves complex issues of asset distribution, it is best to retain the representation of competent counsel. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association.

He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice.

LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw. com. Visit our website at Kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com.

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community 3 Regine admits singing over Nick Lachey because of his attitude The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 24, 2021

By Niña

V. GuNo

Inquirer.net

ASIA’S Songbird Regine Velasquez does not have to prove herself to anyone, but a flash of ego could get her riled up, she recently admitted in an interview.

The singer got candid about the time she upstaged American boy band singer Nick Lachey on the online show “Brightwin Ninangs” last Thursday, Feb. 18.

Velasquez recalled meeting the boy band 98 Degrees and confessed that she was unimpressed with Nick.

“Iyang si Nick Lachey, nuknukan ng yabang. Nuknukan ng yabang! (Nick Lachey has the biggest ego. The most huge ego!)” she exclaimed.

She described his bandmates Drew Lachey (Nick’s brother), Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre as “really cool.”

“Siyempre, medyo oriental ang hitsura ng lola mo so nagagandahan sila sa akin, di ba? Lumalandi-landi ng ganoon nang very light,” she recalled. “Iyong Nick Lachey, ang salbahe!”

(Of course, my features are kind of oriental so they found me attractive, right?

[They were] flirting with me a bit. But that Nick Lachey was rude!)

Velasquez was set to perform with them onstage and because she did not like Nick’s behavior, she decided she would outshine him.

“Biruin mo umpisa pa lang, nagmamagaling! Baklang ito.

Humanda ka sa akin, hindi ka na maririnig,” she quipped.

(Can you believe that from the start, he was showing off! This guy. You better prepare yourself, you will not be heard.)

Kinain ko talaga siya,” she declared. (I really upstaged him.)

“Nainis ako kasi parang, ‘Bakla, nasa country ka namin, ha. Huwag kang umarte-arte diyan,’” she added. (I got

annoyed. “You are in our country. Do not show give us that attitude.”)

Amused by her story, fans dug up her performance of “The Hardest Thing” with 98

Degrees from a 1999 episode of GMA variety show SOP. True enough, Velasquez was in full force as she belted over Nick and drowned his vocals out.

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Toni sees Seve as...

community The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 24, 2021

Mutual fund basics...

From Page 3 teach you wisdom over the long term. The stock market is not a casino although day traders treat it as such and not a few suffer greatly not only in their pocket books but also in the rise and fall of their blood pressure as they try to time the market. Be aware too that there are tax consequences when you sell or liquidate your funds. Beware of churning.

Consult a trusted expert.

There is a direct correlation between risk and return that one learns in investing.

The same is true of life. We learn to tamp down the niggling fears about the future.

We learn to stay the course with steely resolve specially when there is blood on the streets. And there will be. But the upside if we are faithful and give it time, can be worth

it. Good Luck! *** 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.

*** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

A ‘new life begins’ for John Lloyd...

From Page 2 how the world revolves these days.”

As the interview drew to a close, Cruz was asked to share his aspirations for the local entertainment industry. To this, he said: “I felt that [in my absence] so much time has passed, like one generation has passed.

EMPLOYMENT

Don’t get me wrong, I will not exchange what I’ve experienced ‘out of cinema’ for anything.

Hindi siya matatawaran. I wish that what I went through would also be experienced by others.”

Cruz explained further: “Having said that, I see that there’s still so much that we need to improve on, especially

in terms of how we protect the people, particularly the staff and crew, we work with in this industry. I wish we could find industry leaders who truly care for us; those who will collaborate with the government in order to come up with laws that would protect the TV and movie industries.”

EMPLOYMENT

From Page 2 proper order to be her possible best on and off the camera.

“When you know your priorities, somehow you [are guided by] a plan and your decisions [are made with] direction [whether] about work or family and of course with raising your child. I think it’s just a matter of setting your priorities straight, and I don’t there’s a mom who can perfectly balance everything because we always have so much on our plate,” related the 37-year-old.

“As long as you’re doing the best you can, as long as you see your child happy, healthy and having the best life that you can give him, I think that’s more than enough for us as mommies.

There’s need to compare yourself to other moms,” she added.

What matters most Relatable as ever, Gonzaga went on to talk about the challenges of raising a toddler at the height of last year’s coronavirus pandemic.

“The biggest challenge was not being able to go outside.

Because of the restrictions, Seve couldn’t go out and explore the

came up with this thing they do every night called ‘Reflection Time.’ He asks Seve, ‘What did you like the most about today?’ world like other children. But That really encourages him to looking back at the experience, talk more and converse, which I think it helped me change my really surprise and delight other perspective in a way and shift it members of our family.” toward a different light. I chose The toddler also seems very to look at it as a blessing rather interested in following his fathan a difficulty,” she shared. ther’s footsteps, intently watch“I truly treasure the memoing the noted director when he’s ries we built here inside our working on a story and even home. No matter how chaotic when trying out different angles. it is outside, as long as your kid “I see so much potential in still feels everything is ‘normal’ Seve! Even in the way he picks in the house, I don’t think he’ll up the phone to take pictures remember the gravity of the or videos of me which he sees situation. What he’ll remember with his dad,” Gonzaga excitis that mommy and daddy were edly narrated. “When we’re present 24/7 in the house and doing interviews at home, he that’s what matters to me.” really looks and helps out when Next Paul they’re putting up the lights and Still with more family time in other parts of production. in their hands as the pandemic continues to loom a year into the Parang sumusunod siya sa yapak ni Paul, ganu’n.” outbreak, Gonzaga is thrilled at Asked for the tried and how her four-year-old son keeps getting better in communicating tested advice she can give fellow toddler moms like her, Gonzaga with them and other members finally said, “Raising a child really of the household. takes a village as the old proverb “The biggest revelation in goes. Aside from me and Paul, this whole lockdown was how be open to help and advice from Seve was able to converse with your own moms and of course us straight. He can really carry the experts in nutrition and son a conversation now because on. That’s how we can be our we’re always home talking to him,” she chimed. “His dad also best for our kids.”

EMPLOYMENT

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 24, 2021

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