031823 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

New CDC opioid guidelines: Too little, too late for chronic pain patients?

JESSICA Layman estimates she has called more than 150 doctors in the past few years in her search for someone to prescribe opioids for her chronic pain.

“A lot of them are straight-up insulting,” said the 40-year-old, who lives in Dallas. “They say things like ‘We don’t treat drug addicts.’”

Layman has tried a host of non-opioid treatments to help with the intense daily pain caused by double scoliosis, a collapsed spinal disc, and facet joint arthritis. But she said nothing worked as well as methadone, an opioid she has taken since 2013.

The latest phone calls came late last year, after her previous doctor shuttered his pain medicine practice, she said. She hopes her current doctor won’t do the same. “If

Asian teens say dating violence a taboo topic at home

CULTURE and language are among the barriers that prevent many Asian American teens from openly discussing dating violence with their parents.

When Angela Kim first fell in love at 16, teen dating violence was the last thing on her mind. Her boyfriend showered her with love, and she was infatuated with their whirlwind romance.

But then, she recalls, things suddenly started to change: Insults, manipulation tactics, and eventually physical violence escalated into a three-year-long abusive relationship.

“All these compliments started to turn into insults. And all of the great times we had together were now being overshadowed by his violent bursts of anger,” she recalls. “The signs of abuse, the signs of my relationship being unhealthy, were pretty quick in the relationship.”

Kim is not alone, nor are her experiences unique. According to Youth.gov, 69.5% of women, and 54% of men, reported experiencing intimate partner violence before

Marcos: PH needs ‘well-trained’ army

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants a “welltrained” military to deal with external threats that are becoming “more complicated and more difficult” as tensions continue to mount between Manila and Beijing over conflicting claims in the South China Sea.

Addressing the troops from the Army’s 9th Infantry Division (ID) in Camp Elias Angeles in Pili, Camarines Sur, on Thursday, the President said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) must prioritize its mission to guard the country’s maritime territory. He said guarding the contested waters, which are

Fitch says Asia-Paci c banks resilient to risks highlighted by US bank failures

RATINGS agency Fitch said on Thursday, March 16 that direct exposures to Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank among its portfolio of rated banks in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region appear limited.

Weaknesses that led to the failure of the two banks are among the factors already considered in the agency’s rating assessments for APAC banks, it said.

“We generally view securities portfolio valuation risks as manageable for APAC banks,” Fitch said, adding that exposures

tend to be the highest in India and Japan.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has sparked a crisis of confidence in the banking sector, leading to a run on deposits at a host of regional banks despite U.S. authorities rolling out emergency measures to shore up confidence.

Earlier on Thursday, S&P said the fallout from Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse may not lead to any rating actions on APAC banks as they are well placed to absorb potential contagion effects. – Reuters (ManilaTimes.net) �

Jollibee group sets record store expansion in 2023

by MIGUEL R. CAMUS Inquirer.net

JOLLIBEE Foods Corp. (JFC), the global fastfood conglomerate of billionaire Tony Tan Caktiong, is preparing its biggest store expansion push in 2023 after last year’s record openings helped fuel earnings past the prepandemic level.

JFC said in a stock exchange filing on Thursday, March 16 it was opening 550 to 600 new branches this year to sustain growth.

It launched 542 stores in 2022 — the company’s highest ever in its 45-year history.

This comes as the operator of some of the country’s biggest restaurant names such as Jollibee, Mang Inasal and Chowking as well as

Coffee Bean & Teal Leaf and Smashburger deepens its global and domestic presence.

On Thursday, JFC announced that net income last year jumped 26.4 percent to Php7.56 billion. This was 19.4 percent above its prepandemic net income of Php6.33 billion.

JFC, which ended 2022 with 6,480 stores, increased profitability amid a boom in restaurant sales after harsh pandemic restrictions were lifted and despite cost pressures and global supply chain disruptions that led to product shortages.

“Looking ahead, while we expect macroeconomic challenges to persist in 2023, we are confident that the JFC Group is resilient and wellpositioned to drive near-

term growth,” company CEO Ernest Tanmantiong said in a statement on Thursday.

“We have clear priorities on profitability while we continue to invest strategically to deliver long-term growth and value for our shareholders,” he added.

In 2022, systemwide sales surged 40.2 percent to Php296.82 billion while revenues expanded by 38 percent to Php211.9 billion.

Same store sale last year also grew 27 percent.

“Dine-in sales improved significantly driven by increased mobility due to easing of restrictions in markets where we operate,” the company said.

“Off-premise channels, particularly delivery showed continued resilience and we

expect sustained robust growth as we improve further our digital touchpoints,” it added.

Jollibee’s operating income last year grew 58.4 percent to Php9.9 billion. Margins also improved to 4.7 percent from 4.1 percent.

“Despite industry-wide headwinds, margins for the fourth quarter remained resilient due to pricing actions and cost management initiatives,” said JFC chief financial officer Richard Shin.

The company is expecting to sustain growth in 2023 with an added boost coming from the gradual reopening of China, where it maintains a significant presence.

It said on Thursday full-year systemwide sales this year

 PAGE A4

close to Camp Elias Angeles, is the 9th ID’s new mission.

The row between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea has been escalating, and Manila has filed numerous diplomatic protests against the intrusion of Chinese ships in its territorial waters.

Beijing claims about 80 percent of the strategic sea lane by virtue of “historical rights.”

In a meeting last January in Beijing, Marcos urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to establish a direct line with Manila to avoid “miscalculations and miscommunications” that could worsen the situation in the waterway.

 PAGE A2

MANILA — Filipino and American troops will sink a target vessel near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea when the two allies carry out next month their largest joint military exercise to date, a military official told the Inquirer on Tuesday, March 14.

The Philippines and the United States have ramped up defense cooperation under President Marcos in the face of China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea and its potential invasion of Taiwan and will put on their biggest exercise in history with the participation of 17,000 troops from both sides. This is nearly twice the 8,900 soldiers who joined last year.

The annual joint military exercises — called Balikatan” or “shoulder-to-shoulder” that will run from April 11 to 28 — will feature some 12,000 U.S. soldiers and 5,000 Filipino troops. Australia will send about a hundred soldiers, while like-minded countries will join as observers.

The activities will be held across Northern Luzon and the provinces of Palawan and Antique.

Philippines asks ICC to suspend ‘war on drugs’ probe

MANILA — The Philippine government has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to suspend its investigation into the killings under the Duterte administration’s bloody “war on drugs” and the alleged Davao Death Squad.

In its 51-page appeal, Manila, through the Office of the Solicitor General, also asked the tribunal’s Appeals Chamber to grant suspensive effect until the resolution of its latest submission and determine that the ICC prosecution is not authorized to

resume its probe.

The Philippine government reiterated the argument that the Hague-based court has no jurisdiction over the country.

Although the Philippines no longer recognizes the ICC after pulling out of the court in 2019, the tribunal still has jurisdiction over crimes committed while the country was a state party.

“The prosecution’s activities in furtherance of its investigations would lack any legal foundation and encroach on the sovereignty

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visits the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) 9th Infantry Division at Camp Elias Angeles and delivers a talk to troops on March 16, 2023. Photo from Presidential Communications Office by GAEA KATREENA CABICO Philstar.com

by FRANCES MANGOSING Inquirer.net

In this file photo taken on July 20, 2017, male residents are rounded up for verification after police officers conducted a large scale anti-drug raid at a slum community in Manila. AFP / Noel Celis

Marcos: PH needs ‘well-trained...

Despite the protests, Chinese vessels continued to sail inside the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), confronting naval and coast guard ships.

Last month, a Chinese vessel beamed a military-grade laser at a Philippine Coast Guard ship.

“What is becoming more complicated and more difficult are the external threats that we are facing,” Marcos said.

“We have to have a sophisticated and well-trained military, and I can say that we

A ‘Balikatan’ rst: PH-US drills to sink...

The anticipated sinking exercise of an old fishing vessel will be held some 22 kilometers (12 nautical miles) off Zambales, or about 185 km (100 nautical miles) from Panatag Shoal which China seized from the Philippines in 2012, according to Balikatan spokesperson Col. Michael Logico.

He said it would be conducted by the two countries for the first time as the forthcoming drills focus on “maritime defense, coastal defense and maritime domain awareness.”

“We will be sinking a target vessel using a combination of artillery naval gunfire and aviation weapons… We will be firing HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), our artillery … a combination of Philippine Air Force and U.S. Air Force rockets and bombs, and our frigates,” Logico said of the sinking exercise. The U.S. Army will also hold its first Patriot missile air-defense exercise in the country as part of a coastal defense live-fire exercise, Logico added.

Last year, the United States deployed the Patriot, which stands for “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept of Target,” as part of a mobilization exercise for the Balikatan drills. It was not used for live-fire training then.

Such a weapon system, touted as one of the world’s most advanced air defense systems, was provided by the United States to Ukraine to counter Russian

missile and drone attacks. It can track and shoot down incoming missiles and aircraft with a minimum flight time of less than nine seconds and can travel up to 70km to a target.

“This Balikatan seems to be designed to test operational concepts to enhance strategic deterrence posture of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea,”

Rommel Jude Ong, a former vice commander of the Philippine Navy, told the Inquirer

He said the large-scale deployment of American troops was a logistics exercise “to assess how it can rapidly deploy a large number of troops and equipment in theater.”

The sinking exercise would likewise test the Philippine Navy’s sea denial strategy, he said.

“It is premised on the idea that a land-based anti-ship missile can defend the country’s waters from any adversary’s naval shipping, even from a distance,” he pointed out.

Prelude to Balikatan

The use of the Patriot, meanwhile, would allow the AFP to understand “the need for an anti-air defense system which can protect our land and critical infrastructures from conventional ballistic threats,” Ong said.

When asked if the upcoming joint exercise could stir up China, Logico said: “We have the absolute, inalienable right to defend our territory. We are here to show that we are combat-

ready.”

The defense of the Philippine archipelago from potential foreign aggressors is also the focus of the ongoing joint drills between the armies of the Philippines and the United States.

About 3,000 soldiers from the Philippine Army and the US Army are taking part in the annual “Salaknib” (shield in Ilocano) Exercise, which was first held in 2014,

The Army, the Philippine military’s largest service branch, is shifting its focus to territorial defense from insurgency amid China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

“We will now be training on scenarios that would require us to work together to face adversaries from out of the country,” Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Monday, March 13 on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of Salaknib at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija province.

“We will focus on defense operations such as air defense and defense from the shorelines,” he added.

This year’s Salaknib considered a prelude to the Balikatan exercises, is being conducted in two phases across northern Luzon, including Fort Magsaysay, one of the first five agreed locations under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, a deal that gives the U.S. access to Philippine bases for joint training and prepositioning of equipment. 

have been working very hard to [achieve that goal],” he said.

The President reiterated his promise to upgrade the AFP’s defense capabilities.

“For a long while, hindi natin dini-develop ang capabilities ng ating mga military.

Nagkukulang tayo sa equipment (we had not developed the military’s capabilities. We lacked equipment),” he said.

Despite the shortcomings, Marcos said Filipino soldiers were capable and well-prepared and pledged that his administration

will support them.

“Nagbago na lahat ‘yan

(Things have changed). We in the civilian government are determined to make sure that when we ask you to do your duty, that then you are fully prepared, you are fully trained, and you are complete in the equipment that you need to fulfill that mission,” he said.

“I have always said that of all the sectors of society, it is only the military that has never let the Filipino [people] down,” the President said. 

Philippines asks ICC to...

of the Republic of the Philippines,” the appeal read.

“The resumption of the prosecution’s investigation pending resolution of this appeal would therefore defeat its very purpose and create an irreversible situation that could not be corrected,” it added.

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber in January granted the request of prosecutor Karim Khan to reopen the inquiry into killings related to the bloody “war on drugs” and the Davao Death Squad.

In February, the Philippines appealed the ICC’s decision to proceed with the preliminary investigation.

Government data show that over 6,000 people were killed in the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs.” Rights groups, however, say that up to 30,000 may have been killed.

Four grounds

The Philippines enumerated four grounds for the reversal of the ICC’s decision to reopen the inquiry into the “war on drugs” and the Davao Death Squad.

Manila claimed that the ICC’s PTC “erred in law in finding that the court could exercise its jurisdiction on the basis that the Philippines was a state party ‘at the time of the alleged crimes’ and that the ‘ensuing obligations’ of the Rome Statute remain applicable notwithstanding the Philippines withdrawal from the Statute.”

The government also said the PTC made an error in reversing the prosecution’s burden of proof in the context of Article 18 proceedings, which refer to preliminary rulings regarding admissibility.

“As the moving party, the prosecution bore the burden of proof to establish that the deferral request was not genuine in order for it to resume its investigations. The failure to apply the burden of proof on the proper party vitiates the entire analysis

in the impugned decision,” it said.

It also argued that the chamber “erroneously relied on the admissibility test for a concrete case.” For its fourth ground, the government also claimed that the PTC “erred in its failure to consider all Article 17 factors.” Article 17 of the Rome Statute enumerates issues of admissibility.

Article 17 (1) of the Rome Statute states that the ICC can declare that a case is inadmissible when the “case is being investigated or prosecuted by a State which has jurisdiction over it, unless the State is unwilling or unable to genuinely carry out the investigation or prosecution.”

Article 17 (2) states that the tribunal can also rule there is “unwillingness” by a State if the “proceedings were or are being undertaken or the national decision was made for the purpose of shielding the person concerned from criminal responsibility for crimes.”

Under Article 17 (3),” the Court shall consider whether, due to a total or substantial collapse or unavailability of its national judicial system, the State is unable to obtain the accused or the necessary evidence and testimony or otherwise unable to carry out its proceedings.”

Set up in 2002 to probe the world’s worst crimes, the ICC is a “court of last resort” that intervenes only when countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute offenders.

On Monday, March 13, a Navotas court found a former policeman guilty of killing teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” De Guzman during the “drug war”, a rare conviction for one of the campaign’s enforcers. The case — which took more than five years to resolve — is, however, only the second known murder conviction of police officers amid thousands of recorded cases of killings in “drug war” operations. �

New CDC opioid guidelines...

something should happen to him, there’s nowhere for me to go,” she said.

Layman is one of the millions in the U.S. living with chronic pain. Many have struggled to get opioid prescriptions written and filled since 2016 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention inspired laws cracking down on doctor and pharmacy practices. The CDC recently updated those recommendations to try to ease their impact, but doctors, patients, researchers, and advocates say the damage is done.

“We had a massive opioid problem that needed to be rectified,” said Antonio Ciaccia, president of 3 Axis Advisors, a consulting firm that analyzes prescription drug pricing. “But the federal crackdowns and guidelines have created collateral damage: patients left high and dry.”

Born of an effort to fight the nation’s overdose crisis, the guidance led to legal restrictions on doctors’ ability to prescribe painkillers. The recommendations left many patients grappling with the mental and physical health consequences of rapid dose tapering or abruptly stopping medication they’d been taking for years, which carries risks of withdrawal, depression, anxiety, and even suicide.

In November, the agency released new guidelines, encouraging physicians to focus on the individual needs of patients. While the guidelines still say opioids should not be the go-to option for pain, they ease recommendations about dose limits, which were widely viewed as hard rules in the CDC’s 2016 guidance. The new standards also warn doctors about risks associated with rapid dose changes after long-term use.

But some doctors worry the new recommendations will take a long time to make a meaningful change — and may be too little, too late for some patients. The reasons include a lack of coordination from other federal agencies, fear of legal consequences among providers, state policymakers hesitant to tweak laws, and widespread stigma surrounding opioid medication.

The 2016 guidelines for prescribing opioids to people with chronic pain filled a vacuum for state officials searching for solutions to the overdose crisis, said Dr. Pooja Lagisetty, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. The dozens of laws that states passed limiting how providers prescribe or dispense those medications, she said, had an effect: a decline in opioid

prescriptions even as overdoses continued to climb.

The first CDC guidelines “put everybody on notice,’’ said Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, chair of the American Medical Association’s Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force. Physicians reduced the number of opioid pills they prescribe after surgeries, he said. The 2022 revisions are “a dramatic change,” he said.

The human toll of the opioid crisis is hard to overstate. Opioid overdose deaths have risen steadily in the U.S. in the past two decades, with a spike early in the covid-19 pandemic. The CDC says illicit fentanyl has fueled a recent surge in overdose deaths.

Taking into account the perspective of chronic pain patients, the latest recommendations try to scale back some of the harms to people who had benefited from opioids but were cut off, said Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone, director of the Penn Medicine Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy.

“I hope we just continue to spread caution without spreading too much fear about never using opioids,” said Perrone, who helped craft the CDC’s latest recommendations.

Christopher Jones, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said the updated recommendations are not a regulatory mandate but only a tool to help doctors “make informed, person-centered decisions related to pain care.”

Multiple studies question whether opioids are the most effective way to treat chronic pain in the long term. But drug tapering is associated with deaths from overdose and suicide, with risk increasing the longer a person had been taking opioids, according to research by Dr. Stefan Kertesz, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

He said the new CDC guidance reflects “an extraordinary amount of input” from chronic pain patients and their doctors but doubts it will have much of an impact if the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Administration don’t change how they enforce federal laws.

The FDA approves new drugs and their reformulations, but the guidance it provides for how to start or wean patients could urge clinicians to do so with caution, Kertesz said. The DEA, which investigates physicians suspected of illegally prescribing opioids, declined to comment.

The DEA’s pursuit of doctors put Danny Elliott of Warner Robins, Georgia, in a horrible predicament, said his brother, Jim.

In 1991, Danny, a pharmaceutical company rep, suffered an electric shock. He

took pain medicine for the resulting brain injury for years until his doctor faced federal charges of illegally dispensing prescription opioids, Jim said.

Danny turned to doctors out of state — first in Texas and then in California. But Danny’s latest physician had his license suspended by the DEA last year, and he couldn’t find a new doctor who would prescribe those medications, Jim said.

Danny, 61, and his wife, Gretchen, 59, died by suicide in November. “I’m really frustrated and angry about pain patients being cut off,” Jim said.

Danny became an advocate against forced drug tapering before he died. Chronic pain patients who spoke with KHN pointed to his plight in calling for more access to opioid medications.

Even for people with prescriptions, it’s not always easy to get the drugs they need.

Pharmacy chains and drug wholesalers have settled lawsuits for billions of dollars over their alleged role in the opioid crisis. Some pharmacies have seen their opioid allocations limited or cut off, noted Ciaccia, with 3 Axis Advisors.

Rheba Smith, 61, of Atlanta, said that in December her pharmacy stopped filling her prescriptions for Percocet and MS Contin. She had taken those opioid medications for years to manage chronic pain after her iliac nerve was mistakenly cut during surgery, she said.

Smith said she visited nearly two dozen pharmacies in early January but could not find one that would fill her prescriptions. She finally found a local mailorder pharmacy that filled a onemonth supply of Percocet. But now that drug and MS Contin are not available, the pharmacy told her.

“It has been a horrible three months. I have been in terrible pain,” Smith said.

Many patients fear a future of constant pain. Layman thinks about the lengths she’d go to in order to get medication.

“Would you be willing to buy drugs off the street? Would you be willing to go to an addiction clinic and try to get pain treatment there? What are you willing to do to stay alive?” she said. “That is what it comes down to.”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. (By Sam Whitehead and Andy Miller/Kaiser Health News)

Filipina still coping with impact of unprovoked assault in Brooklyn

By CRISTINA DC PASTOR Inquirer.net

NEW YORK

– Three months before chef Cecille Lai and her son were attacked on March 2 by three car-riding youths in Queens, Milagros Dela Cruz Llamas, 70,  had an almost identical experience in Brooklyn.

On December 19, 2022, six days before Christmas, she was on the platform of York Street Station near the Brooklyn Bridge at around 8 p.m. She was preparing to take four flights of stairs to go up and walk to her employer’s apartment three blocks down. She walked past an empty police station booth when a “big black guy” pushed her as he passed by. He pushed her so hard Milagros – known as “Tita Miles” in the Filipino community in New York – was knocked down and landed on the station platform.   She was lucky to be carrying a backpack that cushioned her back and head from what could have been a perilous fall on the concrete platform.

“I was shaken, terribly shaken. I was trembling,” she said.

The man did not say anything and continued to walk away. There were people on the platform, waiting for the F Train, who witnessed what had happened. Milagros was grateful to two MTA women workers who came to her aid. They helped her going up the stairs as they  called 911. They stayed with her until 911 came. One of the women took a photo of the attacker as he was walking away and was able to capture only his back. Milagros said the MTA woman with the camera was also trembling,  fearful the man might return. Looking back, she suspected the man may have intended  to push her down the tracks. But she was lucky  there were train riders who served as barriers.

“The big black guy  shoved me so hard. He’s tall.  All I remember is his shiny jacket,”  she said when reached by The FilAm.

NYPD crime investigators arrived on the scene and took  her statement. Milagros declined to seek

Asian teens say dating violence...

the age of 24. As many as 76% of teens reported experiencing emotional and psychological abuse in relationships.

Today, Kim is turning her “pain into passion,” devoting her professional life to domestic violence prevention work at the LA County Department of Public Health and other community organizations. Many people she talks to, she says, do not understand the nature of abuse, and how abusers are able to keep victims under their control.

“I’ve heard questions like: ‘How do you stay with someone who hurts you like that?’” she says. “And my response has always been, an abuser is so incredibly good at changing your logic to the point where your reality is not your own anymore.”

Per activists, extensive social media usage amongst teens creates unrealistic pictures of what a ‘perfect’ romance is, and enables some manipulation tactics—such as forcing the victim to unfollow all other people of the same gender. Pop culture frequently romanticizes violence in films like 365 Days. Depictions of domestic violence are limited—often to White adult women suffering physical abuse—preventing teens from recognizing signs of abuse in their own lives. And most schools have minimal courses teaching students red and green flags in relationships, signs of abuse, and consent.

AsAmNews spoke to advocates and experts, including those on an Ethnic Media Services

panel featuring youth activists, to understand teen dating violence in the Asian American community, its signs, and how to ultimately prevent it.

These signs of abusive relationships are often not discussed in families or taught to youth, preventing victims from even recognizing that their relationship is abusive. And many other factors impact the prevalence of dating violence in teens specifically.

The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened these existing issues.

Armaan Sharma, a student activist from Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments (SAVE), observed that quarantine and isolation caused major increases in mental health issues and social media usage in teens, which changed the ways dating violence manifests.

“Just as COVID has been evolving with all its new variants, teen dating violence has as well,” he says. “We scrambled for a vaccine, so we should be scrambling for more prevention.”

An open and respectful dialogue on dating and relationships between parents and teens is key to keeping kids safe in their relationships, says Armaan Sharma.

Kim’s abuser, she said, used common abusive manipulation tactics to keep her entrapped in the relationship. These included “love bombing,” or showering the victim with overwhelming amounts of affection; controlling the victim through violence, anger, and jealousy; monopolizing the victim’s time, preventing them from maintaining (non-romantic) relationships with others; or insulting them.

The result is a total breakdown of the victim’s self-worth, selfesteem, and confidence.

“What people fail to understand is that manipulation tactics work. There’s a reason why coercion, intimidation, degradation all work in tandem… in an abusive relationship,” she says. These tactics culminate in a “cycle of domestic violence” that frequently keeps victims trapped in abusive relationships, she says. The cycle begins with a tension-building phrase, where the victim feels like they are walking on eggshells to prevent the abuser from becoming angry. But a violent incident inevitably happens. Afterward, however, the abuser will apologize and reconcile with the victim. This honeymoon phrase reminds the victim why they fell in love with the abuser; the abuser will also show remorse and accountability, such as giving gifts or promising to go to therapy. Instead, however, the cycle repeats.

As a result, the victim will continue to stay with the abuser, convinced that the violent incident was a one-off event. And even if the victim decided to leave, Kim says, they would face danger, as the abuser will try to keep them in the relationship.

Asian American teenagers face additional barriers to open discussions around dating, consent, and intimacy.

Many Asian American teenagers who are children of immigrants may find it especially difficult to report dating violence. They may feel especially pressured to succeed and show the positive parts of their life. The issues their parents faced coming to America seem to “outweigh” their own relationship issues.

Immigrant parents may also be unfamiliar with where to even report teen dating violence when it happens. And language differences can make it difficult for teens to even explain what’s going on.

“How do you translate terms like domestic violence or love bombing or gaslighting into this language? It’s hard,” Kim says. “It’s already such a sensitive

topic, and you don’t know how your parents are going to react.”

This lack of discussion is also prevalent among cultures with dating taboos, such as the South Asian community, says Sharma. He observes that though Indian parents in America are generally more open to dating, there is still a “lack of dialogue” about relationships and teen dating violence.

“Parents, especially South Asian parents, need to understand that dating is something that could potentially be inevitable,” says Sharma. “That’s where education about relationships and team dating violence comes in, because I’m sure parents would rather have…children in safe relationships rather than unsafe relationships.”

The broader environment of anti-Asian racism also plays a significant factor. East and Southeast Asian woman, for instance, are often hyper fetishized and viewed as submissive to violence and abuse.

However, the foundations for teen dating violence and abuse are also laid within the home. Many Asian elders don’t show intimacy or discuss romantic relationships at all. But Kim points out that domestic violence—especially against woman—is normalized and under-discussed. And when abusive tactics are viewed as a natural part of romantic relationships, they can be especially difficult to unlearn.

“A lot of women growing up seeing their own mothers get abused—they think it’s normal because they never leave,” says Kim.

“And so when you’re experiencing something (like an abusive relationship) yourself, you’re like, ‘this must be normal. This was what love is. This is what marriage is, what a relationship is.’ And a lot the onus of undoing harm… is put on women.”

All of those factors make it difficult to start essential dialogues around intimate partner violence. Kim says that the Asian American community is one of the most difficult for her to have conversations with. A central reason why was judgment: When she shared her story, for instance, it was often used as gossip or as an example of why children should avoid relationships or sex before marriage entirely.

“Instead of treating my story with compassion and care, you know, my story was this example of why not to engage in various behaviors,” she recalls.

Megan Tanahashi, Communications Director at the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, says teens understand the experiences of their peers better than adults, making them excellent advocates for violence prevention.

Advocates say that the key to combatting teen dating violence is prevention.

Parents play a critical role in intimate partner violence prevention efforts. Kim recommends that parents begin teaching children about healthy boundaries and consent as early as they can. Middle school is the ideal age to initiate conversations about relationships and intimacy. Doing so ensures that teens feel comfortable opening up to their parents about any harm they experience.

However, Kim stresses, parents are not the only trusted adults who can intervene in teen dating violence.

“It’s not just parents but it’s also other adults, educators, teachers, relatives, soccer coaches— all these people have a huge role to play because teen dating violence takes a village. It’s not the burden of the teenager to carry.”

Educators and schools are key to teaching youth about

 PAGE A7

Milagros Dela Cruz Llamas with son, Temi, who took her to the ER.

The subway stop where Deal Cruz Llamas was assaulted. Unsplash

Dateline PhiliPPines

Court allows Ressa to travel abroad

By Christian Crow Maghanoy ManilaTimes.net

THE Supreme Court has allowed Rappler’s chief executive officer (CEO) to travel abroad for several speaking engagements.

The court said that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate will travel from March 13 to April 1, 2023.

“In a Resolution dated March 6, 2023, the Court’s First Division resolved to grant the Fourth Motion for Permission to Travel Abroad of petitioner Ressa subject to certain conditions,” the ruling read.

Ressa was, among others, ordered to observe the subjudice rule and to refrain from making any comment on or discussing in public her libel case and other related matters.

Her permission to travel has a cash bond of P100,000, which she previously posted pursuant to an earlier resolution of the Court.

Moreover, Ressa was required

Rappler’s chief executive officer Maria Ressa. File Photo to transmit to the Supreme Court an advice in writing of her return to the country within five days from her arrival.

Ressa is scheduled to travel to Canada, France, South Korea and the United States.

The Court of Appeals (CA) in October 2022 upheld the

Marcos orders DND: Dismantle private armies

by John EriC MEndoza Inquirer.net

MANILA — Following the recent shooting attacks on local government officials, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of National Defense to dismantle private armies.

cyberlibel conviction of Ressa and former Rappler researcher Reynaldo Santos. The case stemmed from a 2012 article that Rappler published, which linked businessman Wilfredo Keng to human trafficking and drug smuggling. g

BI apologizes for lengthy interviews, says human trafficking of young workers on the rise

by Cristina Chi Philstar.com

MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration issued an apology

Thursday night, March 16 to a Filipino passenger who shared on social media that she missed her flight due to a lengthy screening process from

immigration personnel.

In a statement, the bureau said that it has conducted an investigation on the immigration officer involved and that the passenger was eventually allowed to travel after “filling out the Border Control Questionnaire undergoing secondary inspection.”

“We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused the Filipina passenger and other Filipino passengers,” the bureau said.

In a now-viral Tiktok video, Cham Tanteras shared the details of an incident that took place before her trip to Israel at

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On Friday, March 17 defense chief Carlito Galvez Jr. made the pronouncement during the 11th oversight committee meeting of the National Task Force for the Disbandment of Private Armed Groups held in Cotabato in Kidapawan City.

“More than ever, the fulfillment of our mandate is now made more urgent with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to ‘dismantle private armies and identify hotspots where local officials are being attacked’,” Galvez said, quoting the president.

For his part, Interior Secretary and the task force’s chairperson Benjamin Abalos said the Department of Interior and Local Government is willing to assist in freeing the

country from its “long-running gun culture.”

“As we journey towards freeing the Philippines from its long-running gun culture, rest assured that the DILG stands ready to render any necessary assistance for the attainment of our noble objective,” Abalos also said.

“Let us continue working together in tearing down the walls of divisiveness and animosity of partisan politics as we move towards giving

our kababayans the peaceful and thriving communities they deserve,” he added.

The order comes after a high-profile investigation began when Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and eight provincial staff and constituents were killed.  Sixteen others, including three provincial officials, were also wounded in a gun attack in the governor’s residence in Pamplona town on March 4.

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Filipina still coping with impact...

medical assistance. “I told 911 I could walk,  I’m OK. I just want my son to be there.”

Son, Temi, who works as a medical assistant, arrived not too long after and found his mom at her employer’s apartment three blocks away. “When I reached the apartment, I felt I didn’t have any bruises. The backpack protected my back and my head,” she said.

That same evening, Temi took her to the emergency room of Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital where Milagros has her medical records.

The CT Scan showed she suffered “mild fracture of sacrum,” a spine condition that has yet to fully heal.

“I felt achy all over after I was discharged but I had no bruises,” she said.

Asked if she thought the assault was triggered by the suspect’s anti-Asian sentiment, Milagros gave an  emphatic “yes.”

“That was the first thing that came to mind,” she said. “Look at me, I look Chinese, and I’m small,” she said. “My son said I look fragile.”

“When I was in the ER, I was thinking, Why me?” she said musing how an act of violence  was

committed against a woman who was simply on her way to work.  Then she remembered all the Filipino women who were similarly attacked under different circumstances — on the way to church, while riding a subway, coming out of a restaurant, leaving the Philippine Center.

Christmas dinner

Milagros made sure she had a normal Christmas with her family a week later. She cooked some Christmas dishes and tried to put on a cheerful face. “I cooked despite the aches I was feeling. The doctor said it’s best to be mobile.” When she was well enough, she called a couple of close friends to unburden.

It’s been three months and Milagros has not taken the subway since the incident. She now works for a new family in Gramercy; she is a baby nurse. Temi takes her to work and picks her up in the family car.

Her advice to women? “Vigilance. Anti-Asian hate is still very much around.” She offered this reminder to all women of her age. “I was targeted because I was Asian.”

Her assault remains an open case and is under investigation by the Brooklyn Transit Police. g

In this photo taken June 8, 2020, security personnel enforce the lockdown at the Bureau of Immigration office in Intramuros, Manila. The STAR / Edd Gumban

Defense chief Carlito Galvez Jr. speaking during the 11th oversight committee meeting of the National Task Force for the Disbandment of Private Armed Groups held in Cotabato in Kidapawan City.

Photo from the DND

Good news, bad news on cancer

THERE’S been good news and bad news recently about cancer in this country (Philippines). First, the good news: The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has announced that it has released to the Department of Health (DOH) Php500 million for the 2023 cancer assistance fund (CAF). The amount, said DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, is the government’s way of boosting the health and welfare of cancer-stricken Filipinos, to complement and supplement existing financial support mechanisms for various cancer care and control services that are not yet covered by the Philippine

Last year, the DBM released Php529.2 million for the CAF, of which the DOH utilized Php230.8 million. The balance of Php298.4 million may still be used until the end of the year, according to the DBM.

But this positive development is offset by news of an official filing of criminal and administrative complaints against seven health officials, including DOH OIC Maria Rosario Vergeire, for the alleged mismanagement of Php786 million meant for cancer care, plus the Php529 million for the CAF.

Dr. Clarito Cairo Jr., who used to head the DOH’s cancer control and prevention program, alleged that the DOH “sub-allotted” last year’s funding to fewer hospitals and supposedly purchased pricey medicines for cancer patients.

Given the scarcity of funds for health care, acute health care especially, the misuse or misallocation of whatever money is made available is shocking and criminal.

This bit of dismaying news, if true, is made worse by the fact that, according to University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital medical oncology fellow Dr. Kenneth Samala, there are only 300 oncologists or specialists in cancer

Roses and Thorns

THE world is watching Asia and, in my opinion, we Filipinos seem to be paying a little more interest in how developments around the globe will affect us –at the very least, in the next five years. While there is awareness, proper understanding still remains to be gained, especially among those who have not been fully informed about their own country’s security.

At a forum held at Romulo Cafe Makati last March 13, 2023, a select group of people watched the live broadcast of the new China Premier Li Qiang, who discussed China’s development goals in the near future. With this we can start to understand how we are doing

First things first

FRANCISCO S. TATAD

IN the beginning, many thought he would be like his father. As many others hoped he would be different. Now, nine months into his presidency, people can’t quite make up their minds about him.

What is Ferdinand Marcos

Jr.’s real personality? What are his most important personal and family values? How is his real work ethic? His real governing style? His “fighting faith,” as his father once put it? Is there nothing he will not do to achieve his goal? How does he see himself as a leader?

In his latest book, Leadership (Penguin Press, New York, 2022), the 99-year-old Henry Kissinger writes:

“Any society, whatever its political system, is perpetually in transit between a past that forms its memory and a vision of the future that inspires its evolution. Along this route, leadership is indispensable: decisions must be made, trust earned, promises kept, a way forward proposed. Within human institutions —states, religions, armies, companies, schools — leadership is needed

Health Insurance

treatment nationwide. These 300 specialists, most of them practicing in Metro Manila, are expected to serve a population of more than 100 million Filipinos.

Adding to the gravity of the situation is the fact that cancer, with 31,487 deaths recorded last year, is the third leading cause of death in the country, next to heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases (strokes). Cancer is also the second leading cause of death worldwide, with approximately 10 million mortalities (or nearly one in every six deaths) recorded in 2020. The most common cancers, according to the World Health Organization, are those of the lungs, breast, colon, rectum, and prostate. In the Philippines, 189 of every 100,000 Filipinos are affected by cancer, with four Filipinos dying of cancer every hour, or 96 cancer patients every day. Sadly, many Filipinos may die without even being diagnosed with cancer, or are diagnosed too late due to a lack of funds, treatment, or awareness.

There was an observation that government’s response to the growing number of cancer cases has been to build more hospitals or cancer centers. But the real need, Samala said, is to develop more

cancer experts and “get trainees who, after being trained, can go back to their communities and serve.”

Aileen Antolin of the Philippine Foundation for Breast Care Inc. echoed Samala’s views, noting that there is a need to train more experts, like oncologists and pathologists, to attend to the needs of cancer patients. “What I have observed is that the funding is usually being used to build infrastructure, although what should be highlighted is the need for manpower or experts … There is a cancer center, but there are no oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologic technologists, and mammography technologists. What happens is we just build structures, we acquire machines, but we lack experts (who can operate) the facility and equipment.” Indeed, of what use is a spankingnew, state-of-the-art facility without the experts and knowledgeable medical personnel to make use of it?

And what of the cancer patients themselves? Cancer is one of four epidemic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) or lifestyle-related illnesses. The others are cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and chronic respiratory disease. According to DOH, NCDs are now regarded as a massive “silent disaster” ravaging the country’s population. The death toll of NCDs has been compared to “two 747 planes packed with passengers colliding every day.” Risk factors have been identified as being linked to cancer, including tobacco use, an unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity, and harmful alcohol use. These may seem like common sense observations, but they call for discipline, temperance, and lifestyle changes. This is true not just for cancer but for most diseases leading to morbidity and mortality. This, too, is good news and bad news for all those concerned about their survival and quality of life. (Inquirer.net) (Philstar.com)

Philippines in the next ve years

and what we need in order to achieve the objectives of our country in a positive manner, as the Philippines stands to benefit more from working with China and the U.S. in various fields such as education, human development and technology. Amid external and geopolitical challenges, the new Premier is set to bring China to a more stable trajectory and, as the director of IDSI George Sy says, opportunities are coming multi directionally where Filipinos ought to be practical in replicating what the United States and China have achieved and, it goes without saying, that it doesn’t matter what country is leading the markets, it is still up to us to do our own homework in order to learn from everybody.

As explained by George, for one, the Chinese educational system is different from the American system. The latter, in

terms of individual training and innovation, is excellent, making people from around the world study there. However, there are two different technologies involved in the said countries and China has focused more on improving the quality of its education to train the majority of its people to contribute to national development, focusing more on STEM than politics or law, especially during the developmental stages of the nation. If one were to delve deeper into a few other details, some of the benefits gained from China that have somehow been downplayed are the roads that have made the country’s logistics viable once again as well as the arms given by China during the ISIS rebellion that prevented us from engaging in a war that could have lasted for years.

Former senator Kit Tatad explained, as a guest speaker in this forum, how he never liked the idea of choosing one side over another and that the best position (if one may call it that) should be in the middle where everyone pulls the forces together to advance peace. Back to education, Senator Kit recalled how, in the time of Mao Zedong, there were no Chinese people who studied in the likes of Oxford (for example) and that it was a conscious decision of the Chinese leadership to send scholars to the West to learn everything from them. Geopolitical analyst Sass Rogando Sasot, on the other hand, expressed in the same forum the ambiguity and lack of clarity on what is happening in our region and that critical security issues are not thoroughly discussed by mainstream media, including (my personal favorite)

His father’s son?

to help people reach from where they are to where they have never been and, sometimes, can scarcely imagine going. Without leadership, institutions drift, and nations court growing irrelevance and, ultimately, disaster.

“Leaders think and act at the intersection of two axes: the first, between the past and the future; the second, between the abiding values and aspirations of those they lead. Their first challenge is analysis, which begins with a realistic assessment of their society based on its history, mores and capacities. Then they must balance what they know, which is necessarily drawn from the past, with what they intuit about the future, which is inherently conjectural and uncertain. It is this intuitive grasp of direction that enables leaders to set objectives and lay down a strategy.

“For strategies to inspire the society, leaders must serve as educators — communicating objectives, assuaging doubts and rallying support. While the state possesses by definition the monopoly of force, reliance on coercion is a symptom of inadequate leadership; good leaders elicit in their people a wish to walk alongside them. They must also inspire an immediate entourage to

translate their thinking so that it bears upon the practical issues of the day. Such a dynamic surrounding team is the visible complement of a leader’s inner vitality; it provides support for the leader’s journey and ameliorates the dilemmas of decision. Leaders can be magnified — or diminished — by the qualities of those around them...

“Leadership is most essential during periods of transition, when values and institutions are losing their relevance, and the outlines of a worthy future are in controversy. In such times, leaders are called upon to think creatively and diagnostically: what are the sources of a society’s well-being? Of its decay? Which inheritances from the past should be preserved, and which adapted or discarded? Which objectives deserve commitment, and which prospects must be rejected no matter how tempting? And, at the extreme, is one’s society sufficiently vital and confident to tolerate sacrifice as a way station to a more fulfilling future?”

It is a big book (495 pages) and contains six large studies in world leadership: Germany’s Konrad Adenauer; France’s Charles de Gaulle; America’s

Richard Nixon; Egypt’s Anwar Sadat; Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew; and Britain’s Margaret Thatcher. Every word of it is a “must read” for anyone interested in leadership. But BBM has access to models beyond these. He has his own father to learn from, especially at this time.

At the height of the Vietnam war in October 1966, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson asked Marcos to host a summit meeting in Manila of the seven Vietnam war allies. These included Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt, South Korean President Park Chung Hee, New Zealand Prime Minister Keith Holyoke, Thai Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn, L B Johnson, Vietnamese Chairman Nguyen Van Thieu, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky, and of course, the host, Marcos.

After Johnson got the other allies to commit combat troops to Vietnam, he tried to bamboozle Marcos to do the same. He passed on to Marcos a small piece of paper with a note on it, but Marcos rolled it into a ball, put it inside an empty matchbox, and threw it inside the ashtray in front of the U.S. president. Johnson called on Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Defense Secretary Robert

history where China too has been colonized and occupied by foreign powers.

On this day we witnessed China’s newest Premier Li Qiang, a former party head of Shanghai who has been credited with bringing in Tesla’s biggest factory outside of the U.S. Hence, if we were to take a few lessons from China in the first quarter of 2023, perhaps it would be the stabilizing growth it has achieved in terms of their economy and, if we would look into the level of goals in terms of food security, I would pay attention to the way they boost the areas of culture, ecology and economy to promote rural revitalization.

So therefore, where does the Philippines stand? Where do we see ourselves in the next five years? Focusing on education alone, the Philippines seems to still largely lag behind in

reading, math and science, considering we’re one of the smartest people in the world. Friend to all enemy to none – a foreign policy that, to me, certainly equips our education system better as development focuses on advancement and peace rather than politics.

The Philippines, as the rest of the world knows, is indeed the pearl of the orient – what are we Filipinos ready to do then to preserve and advance as a nation, as a people with so much potential yet still much to learn? I suppose the key word is “learn” and we must be ready to do so by developing the areas we can firmly capitalize on. (Philstar.com) * * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Screengrab photo from RTVM Facebook

McNamara to say something to the allies, then concluded his remarks by saying that unless they all worked together they couldn’t beat the communists in Vietnam. Ultimately Marcos agreed to dispatch a contingent of civic action volunteers. This became known as Philcag, our non-combat troops in Tay Ninh.

Using Marcos Sr.’s example as a model, Marcos Jr. could have expressed support for U.S. “military operations other than war,” in lieu of U.S. operational sites under

our 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement inside Philippine military bases for use in a possible war with China on Taiwan. He could have avoided the restive populations of Isabela and Cagayan provinces who want no involvement in America’s future war.

* * *

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.

* * * fstatad@gmail.com

Live

SWS: 69% of 9.5M unvaccinated

Filipinos unwilling to get COVID-19 shot

MANILA — A survey conducted in December 2022 by private pollster Social Weather Stations revealed that 69% of the estimated 9.5 million adult Filipinos who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 still refuse to get the shot.

Only 12% of unvaccinated adults are willing to get the vaccine, some 50 million to up to over 60 million doses of which are expiring this month, according to testimony by the Department of Health during a Senate hearing last week.

The SWS said 57% of adults or 41.14 million are fully vaccinated, while 6% or 4.4 million have only received the first dose of the shot. Of them, 44% said they are unwilling to get a booster dose, while 32% said they are fine with getting it.

The pollster said 17% of adults or 12.4 million have received their third shot or the first booster, while 6% or 4.3 million got the fourth dose or the second booster.

Of those who have received their first booster, 55% said they are

Anti-vaccine protesters gather at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 to rail against government restrictions against those who have not received the shot against COVID-19. The STAR /

willing to get another shot, while 32% said they are unwilling.

The SWS conducted the survey through face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 and above. It did not say whether their survey staff asked for proof of vaccination during the interviews. The National COVID-19

Vaccination Dashboard shows that as of Thursday, March 16, a total of 179,046,847 doses have been administered. This includes 75,705,650 doses given for the first shot, 79,165,853 for the second shot and 24,176,344 for the booster dose. (By Xave Gregorio/Philstar.com)

Scammers took consumers for $8.8 billion in 2022

by PETER WHITE Ethnic Media Services

$3.8 BILLION in investment scams and $2.6 billion in impersonator scams topped the list. Most money lost through bank transfers and crypto currencies.

Ever get an email about an extended car warranty or a free gift from Home Depot? What about online service to flush out malware from your computer?

It’s hard to avoid these unsolicited offers. Fraudsters send texts, they call you on your phone, and sometimes use AI to mimic a relative’s voice who says they have an emergency and please send money.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says what you don’t know can be expensive. They received 2.4 million complaints last year compared to 2.9 million in 2021 but the total amount lost in 2022 was $2.6 billion more than in 2021.

“The dollar loss reported was staggering. Consumers reported that they lost more than $8.8 billion to fraudsters, the most ever reported,” say Maria Mayo, Associate Director for the Division of Consumer Response and Operations in the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC maintains a database of consumer fraud reports. Report a scam here.

“We know that fraud affects every community and that scammers are running their scam in the languages that people speak at home. And that’s why the FTC now has information in a dozen languages to help people spot and avoid these scams,” says   Cristina Miranda, Consumer Education Specialist with the FTC’s Education Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Scammers targeting ethnic communities

During an March 10 Ethnic Media Services briefing Miranda briefed reporters about how to protect against fraudsters. She

said that recent refugees and immigrants are frequent marks for scammers who use their native language to steal their money.

“We have a downloadable publication called Spotting, Avoiding and Reporting Scams: a Fraud Handbook. It helps people learn to spot some of the scams related to looking for a job, going through the immigration process, or just trying to figure out how things work in this country,” she said.

“Scammers are targeting ethnic communities and they speak your language. They target ethnic communities in unique ways,” says Rosario Mendez, an attorney with FTC’s Division of Consumer and Business Education Bureau of Consumer Protection.

The Latino community filed a higher percentage of reports relating to problems with banks and lenders, related to debt collection, auto issues, and also business opportunities.

“And we’ve had several cases related to bogus business opportunities, bogus work at home, specifically targeting Latinos. We know from our data analysis and from also our casework that business opportunity, moneymaking schemes, are also something that is impacting the Latino community.

In terms of the black community, the largest number of reports were about payday loan applications, and also student debt relief programs,” Mendez said.

An October 2021 FTC report, Serving Communities of Color, detailed the extent of fraud affecting ethnic communities and the FTC’s efforts to combat it.

Scams vary widely Mayo said a lot of people fell prey to get-rich-quick schemes last year and the average median loss per consumer was $5,000.

“Consumers reported losing money to investment scams more than any other type of scam, and the amount lost in

Marcos orders DND: Dismantle private...

Marcos has ordered the formation of a joint military and police task force to pursue the remaining suspects to the

killings of Degamo, according to Galvez.

To recall, Aparri, Cagayan vice mayor Rommel Alameda, Lanao del Sur Governor

2022 more than doubled what was lost in 2021. Consumers reported losing $3.8 billion in investment scams, most of which were lost to crypto currency scams. These scams often started on social media where consumers were enticed to invest in crypto currency in an attempt to make money. Consumers invested, and the scammers were so savvy that they often presented websites that actually showed how the consumer’s money had grown. But it was all fake,” Mayo said.

Con artists have not given up on romance scams, a staple in the field of fraud. These scams are aimed at older Americans who lost $139 million in 2020 up from $84 million in 2019. For the most part, scammers operate with impunity and many of them are based overseas. That makes it hard for them to be prosecuted. But sometimes they get caught.

One case involved an 87-yearold Holocaust survivor who was swindled out of his life savings by a Florida woman, Peaches Stergo. She was arrested January 25, 2023.

The FTC stopped a large-scale fraud of students enrolled at the University of Phoenix (UOP) and made them pay. The FTC is sending nearly $50 million in payments to more than 147,000 UOP students who may have been lured by allegedly deceptive advertisements.

The 2019 settlement also required UOP and its parent company, Apollo Education Group, to cancel $141 in student debt.

The FTC alleged UOP falsely touted its relationships and job opportunities with companies such as AT&T, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Twitter, and the American Red Cross. The FTC also alleged that UOP’s advertising gave the false impression that the online school worked with those companies to create job opportunities for its students and taailor its curriculum for such jobs. 

Asian teens say dating violence...

healthy—and abusive—relationships. But current curriculums rarely cover these skills. Sharma recalls that only one class in his high school covered relationships at all; Sex education classes usually focus on sexually transmitted diseases and related topics instead. As a result, youth may not be able to recognize signs of abusive relationships in themselves or their peers.

“Relationships are relevant to every single person. I couldn’t say the same about calculus,” Sharma says. “So while teaching about relationships may not fall into the conventional norms of schooling in America or let alone anywhere, those norms need to change.”

In the meantime, workshops like the “Building Healthy Relationships” training that Kim teaches in schools bridge that gap. “Building Healthy Relationships” covers red and green flags in relationships and teaches teens to recognize healthy and unhealthy behaviors. This allows them to not only recognize those flags in their own lives, but help their friends and peers as well.

A key part of the training, Kim says, is learning about consent and boundaries. Many teens don’t know that consent still exists even if they are in a relationship. As a result, they may feel pressured into doing things they are not comfortable with. But because consent isn’t taught in schools, Kim says, many teens she worked with did not learn these important facts until they attended the training.

“There’s this ideology where a lot of teenagers believe that if you’re in a relationship, you’re entitled to the other person’s body. And what they fail to realize is that even in a relationship, you have ownership over your own body,” she says. “Consent doesn’t just come freely.”

Education is not only important to prevent teens from entering violent relationships—but to prevent abusers from learning violent behavior in the first

BI apologizes for lengthy interviews...

the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in December 2022.

Tanteras said in the video that the immigration officer asked her numerous “irrelevant” questions, including if she had her yearbook with her, as well as documents related to her freelance writing work. She was also asked to write an “essay” about her work in Siargao. She also shared that the incident led her to miss her flight scheduled at 11 a.m. despite supposedly lining up for immigration at 6 a.m. She said she did not get a refund nor a rebooking for the missed flight.

The bureau explained that it has noted a rise in the number of young professionals –even “those with good travel records, gainfully employed

and are graduates of good schools” – being deceived by cryptocurrency scams abroad that advertise false promises of high salaries.

Scammers behind these false job advertisements have reportedly transported young Filipino professionals to Myanmar and other Asian countries and forced them to work under abuse.

“Victims have been promised a salary of 1,000 USD per month, but were forced to scam Westerners. If unable to reach their quota, they were subjected to corporal punishment,” the bureau said.

The bureau added that based on its monitoring, of the more than 32,000 Filipinos who deferred departure in 2022, 472 were “found to be victims of human trafficking or illegal recruitment” while

873 individuals misrepresented themselves or submitted fraudulent documents. Meanwhile, at least 10 were minors attempting to fly out for work.

“The BI is but one of the numerous agencies of the government tasked to combat trafficking. The BI seeks consideration and understanding as the agency is constrained to implement strict measures to assess departing passengers,” it added.

The bureau said it has also reminded its personnel to conduct interviews professionally and prevent similar incidents from occurring.

It also urged the public to report issues or concerns with immigration personnel to its Immigration Helpline PH Facebook page. 

place. Teen dating violence is often framed as a “cycle of violence” where hurt people hurt people in turn. But Kim says that rhetoric detracts from the responsibility of abusers—and the true causes of violent behavior.

According to her, a more accurate phrase is: “Violence is learned.”

“They see their parents being abusive, they see peers bullying each other, they see media representations of violence or domestic violence… and they learn that,” she adds. “And there might not be a lot of repercussions they see…so they take those behaviors and replicate that violence, that cycle on other people in their lives.”

The causes of teen dating violence are multifaceted—and so are the ways to prevent it. Aside from education, Sharma stresses the importance of investing in mental health care, and funding targeted programs—especially in underprioritized communities. However, he also points out that it’s critical for everyone—not only youth, or women, or people identifying as LGBT who are disproportionately affected by dating violence—to be involved in prevention efforts.

“We can’t just sit idly by and watch our youth get hurt by these platforms and say, ‘Oh, well, there’s nothing we can do about it now.’” he says. “No— there literally is. It’s called prevention.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or intimate partner violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be contacted by calling 1-800-799-7233, or texting “START” to 88788. The Hotline also offers education and support for youth aged 13 through 26. They can be contacted via livechat at www.loveisrespect.org , via phone at 1-866-331-9474, or by texting LOVEIS to 22522.

was originally published by AsAm

via Wikipedia Creative Commons. (By

Asian Journal WKND

Success story: A terminated case is reinstated and visa issued, on Citizen Pinoy this Sunday

JOSEPH was petitioned by his mother in 2007 and waited 12 long years for his Nanay Pilar’s petition to become current. Unfortunately, Joseph was in Zurich, Switzerland for work and was unable to attend his embassy interview in April 2019.

the

Embassy said Joseph failed to contact them within the allotted one-year period, and his file had now been destroyed.

‘Sneaky!’: Harry Styles responds to marriage proposal at 2023 Manila concert

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

MANILA — It’s been five years, three Grammy Awards, two albums, and one Album of the Year win, but Harry Styles has finally made it back to the Philippines.

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented Harry from bringing his “Love On Tour” much earlier, but the British singer eventually came around to make his third visit to the country — his second as a soloist.

The Philippine Arena was swarming with people in colorful outfits, ranging from clothes inspired by fruits and love, or simply in ‘fits that very much resembled Harry’s style.

Presented by Live Nation Philippines, the Manila leg of “Love On Tour” started promptly. At about the middle

Harry Styles at the Manila leg of his ‘Love On Tour’ concert in Philippine Arena on March 14, 2023. Live Nation Philippines via Facebook

of the night, Harry took another break for a sip and to read a few of the signs people in the VIP Standing area had brought, including one fan whose sign

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

ALESSANDRA de Rossi has promised her chemistry with Empoy Marquez has been taken to a higher level after reuniting for “Walang KaParis.”

CONSUMER GUIDE COMMUNITY MARKETPLACE

said she had just seen him at his Bangkok concert a few days earlier. He scolded one fan for

De Rossi and Marquez grew popular as the “AlEmpoy” tandem following the success of the 2017 independent rom-

by

Bernardo, who directs them again in this new film to be distributed by Prime Video.

“Walang KaParis” follows a Paris-based Filipino artist played by Marquez whose many past lovers do not compare to the mysterious muse of his paintings, until one day, a woman named Marie (de Rossi) appears and claims to be the subject of his work.

“Ibang AlEmpoy na kasi ‘to,

higher level na kami. ‘Di na cutesy-cutesy ng ‘Kita Kita’ na short-lived romance with a tragedy,” de Rossi told Philstar. com during a roundtable interview for the film. “Ito deep love na parang, ‘How the hell?’” — a response that had Marquez quipping he wanted to hail a tricycle. De Rossi also acknowledged that people grew fond of the

com “Kita Kita”

Sigrid Andrea

LEADING U.S. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL SUCCESSFULLY REINSTATES A TERMINATED CASE SUCCESS STORY IN AN ENCORE EPISODE

Success story: A terminated case...

new interview was scheduled in March 2022 and Joseph’s visa was issued, to the joy of Nanay Pilar who was finally reunited with her son after such a long time.

Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, March 19 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.

(Advertising Supplement)

‘President Nadine’ of her own company: Nadine launches new online businesses

by Dolly Dy-Zulueta Philstar.com

IF multi-awarded actress Nadine Lustre hasn’t been very visible in the limelight lately, it is because she is very busy building her online business, or, shall I say, businesses.

Called “President Nadine” by netizens for her meticulous and thoughtful approach to life, she now spends a lot of time making sure her online businesses, nadinelustre.store and bettyblooms.com, are running like well-oiled machines. Nadine has just launched her online stores on Shopboxo, which is a forever free and user-friendly app and web-based online store builder with integrated online payment, inventory management, order tracking, and delivery functions.

The newer of her two online ventures is nadinelustre.store, where her newly launched Luster perfume is available. It will carry new Luster products as they are introduced in the market. She also sells a selection of premium items from her own personal wardrobe in the store.

The other store, bettyblooms.com, is the “ tambayan ” for people who share Nadine’s passion for indoor plants. Visit the store to buy plants, accessories and other things that plants need, as well as a selection of lifestyle products hand-picked by Nadine herself. Since these two online stores are quite new, the actress-cum-

Nadine Lustre as an online entrepreneur Photo

Sushi & Sake keep festival season in full swing this spring at Pechanga Resort Casino

3rd Annual Pechanga Sushi & Sake Festival back by demand, benefits Habitat For Humanity Inland Valley

FESTIVAL season stays on a roll this spring at Pechanga Resort Casino. The Annual Pechanga Sushi & Sake Festival serves up the freshest catches and smooth sake inside the Summit Events Center on Saturday, April 8. The popular one-day event includes an afternoon filled with premium Japanese sake, house-made sushi by master Pechanga chefs, a silent auction and live music. Tickets are on sale and may be purchased at the Pechanga Box Office, by calling (877) 711-2946 or online at Pechanga.com. Proceeds from the event benefit Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley.

Four ticket levels are available:

• VIP – $160 and includes early entry at 11 a.m., sampling delectable sushi and several dessert items, more than 40 varieties of sake, eight types of beer and talk with sake makers, chefs and bid on silent auction items before general admission attendees.

Instagram/@nadine entrepreneur is very hands-on in both businesses. She has her mind set on making these online businesses successful ventures and is wasting no time in making this come true. She is thus thankful that she created her online ventures with Shopboxo because it offers solutions for her problems.

“It can be a bit difficult to handle an online business, but I’m glad Shopboxo is there to make things easier. It only takes a few minutes to set up your own store on the app, and the best part is it’s free,” said Nadine.

According to Shopboxo Chief Executive Officer Kaniyet Rayev, their app’s interface was designed intuitively to make it easy to use for online merchants.

“Uploading a product to an online store is as easy

as uploading a story on IG. Tracking orders in real-time is as simple as going through comments on Facebook. With Shopboxo, our aim is to give small players with big ideas a real shot at realizing their visions, which might otherwise be unattainable due to lack of funds or technical know-how.

Our aim is to finally make e-commerce the true equalizer it has always had the potential to be,” Rajev explained. Promising to be forever free, Shopboxo allows even nontechie online sellers to build their fully functional online stores in minutes, complete with visually appealing graphics. Store owners can receive payments directly from their stores via credit or debit cards, or e-wallets such as GCash or Maya, no more peer-

• Designated Driver VIP –$75 and allows early entry at 11 a.m., sampling just-sliced sushi, dessert items, bidding on silent auction items before general admission attendees, and enjoyment of live music.

• General Admission – $120 and includes entry at 1 p.m., sampling delectable sushi and several dessert items, more than 40 varieties of sake, eight types of beer, sampling the freshest sushi prepared by master Pechanga chefs, live music and bidding on silent auction items.

• Designated Driver – $75 and includes trying the freshest sushi prepared by master Pechanga chefs, enjoying dessert items, plus live music and bidding on silent auction items.

With one ticket, guests can taste more than 40 premium sakes (daiginjo, ginjo, junmai and sparkling) including many award-winning brands and styles from all over Japan and around the world. Pechanga chefs get rolled up in the festival as they prepare thousands of fresh sushi pieces to pair with the sake selections.

Chefs Kiyo Ikeda, head chef of Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar, Kok Che, executive sous chef of Pechanga’s Asian restaurants, and Andre Pinto, Pechanga Executive Chef, will be on hand to meet with guests, present them with fresh, made-on-site sushi, and share their expert suggestions for matching sushi with sake.

A traditional Japanese Taiko drummer, a Japanese guitarist and a “Koto” (Japanese harpist) will set the mood of the festival’s musical interludes for the festival. A silent auction also features sought after gifts such as art, vacation packages and more.

“There have been other sushi festivals around Southern California, but none that have had the staying power that Pechanga’s Sushi & Sake Festival has,” said Kiyo Ikeda, head chef of Umi Sushi & Oyster bar at Pechanga Resort Casino. “The fact our guests can enjoy amazing sushi, sake, have a great time and help charity while they’re doing that, it makes everyone feel

great about the whole event.”

The festival’s idea sprang from the popularity of beer and sake within Southern California, as well as the continued rise of sushi as a mainstay of soughtafter fare in America. The 2nd place win for Pechanga’s Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar in USA

Today’s Best Casino Restaurant readers’ poll in 2018 also helped cement the festival’s viability at the Temecula resort/casino.

Proceeds support Habitat For Humanity Inland Valley’s programs that provide housing to deserving individuals and families, and home repairs to senior citizens and those no longer able to do such work themselves.

The festival’s tasting menu and sake selections will be released soon.

Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the

Resort Casino

United States. Voted the best casino resort in the west by the readers of USA Today and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering 5,400 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 1,100 hotel rooms, dining, spa and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter @PechangaCasino. (Advertising Supplement)

Alessandra, Empoy leveling up their...

AlEmpoy tandem because she and Marquez are both simple individuals, and was certain the same would apply to their new film; although Marquez joked that he wasn’t actually part of the movie.

Bernardo also offered her input about reuniting the two, “Before kasi with ‘Kita Kita’... at that time first time magkakakilala and the script was really adjusted for them. This time it’s a level up from ‘Kita Kita,’ ‘yung acting nila, and they’re really portraying a different role.”

“I think ang kailangan, because we became very close already lalo na silang dalawa, is hindi magbest friend... kailangan i-unlearn nila ‘yun for the shoot,” Bernardo continued. “Kailangan ma-in love sa isa’t isa, and that’s really hard I think.”

In what has been their nth collaboration of any kind since “Kita Kita,” De Rossi said she and Marquez are still discovering more things about each other but would not divulge them, and directly at Marquez she said,”Di kita sisirain Empoy.” g

from

Leading

Photos provided by iGraphix/Pechanga

Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez, popularly known as ‘AlEmpoy’ Philstar.com photos

Julia spends ‘simple, quiet’ birthday in Denmark

by anne PaSaJol Inquirer.net

JULIA Barretto, who turned 26 on Friday, March 10, treated fans to a glimpse of her birthday celebration in Copenhagen, Denmark, with her boyfriend, actor Gerald Anderson.

Julia and Anderson visited attractions around the capital city, as seen on the actress’ Instagram page on Saturday, March 11.

“A simple and quiet celebration in one of the most beautiful cities… so grateful for this life,” she captioned her post. “Thank you everyone for sending your love.”

Aside from fans, Julia received birthday greetings from Anderson and her mom Marjorie, who described her daughter as a “beautiful person” inside and out.

“The rare people in your life that root for

you to achieve your goals, are more valuable than the goals themselves. Happy birthday,” Anderson addressed Julia while showing photos of them together. “I [love you].”

“In your young age of 26 you have already worked so much, accomplished so much, loved so much, hurt so much, endured so much, learned so much, grew so much and thru it all I proudly watched you from behind, because each year I see you stronger, more determined and wise,” Marjorie wrote. “I miss you today, but your happiness is mine. Happy Happy Birthday, Juli! Live your life to the fullest for me!”

Julia’s father, Dennis Padilla, also reached out and greeted the young actress two days before her birthday.

Prior to their trip to Denmark, Julia and Anderson traveled to Paris, France, where they celebrated the actor’s 34th birthday on March 7. g

Ogie responds to accusations he ‘makes up lies’ about Liza

by anne PaSaJol Inquirer.net

OGIE Diaz once again made clarifications on Liza Soberano’s statements about their former talent-manager relationship, and stressed that he never lied or made up stories against the actress.

In his vlog released on Wednesday, March 15, the comedian-talent manager first spoke about Soberano’s claim that she only initially got 30 percent from her talent fee, because Diaz’s commission was at 30 percent, his co-manager Tita Joni at 20 percent and Star Magic 10 percent.

Soberano, who said this during an earlier interview with Boy Abunda, noted that these eventually changed as her managers agreed to cuts, with Diaz getting 20 percent and her Tita Joni 15 percent.

Diaz dismissed this and said that Soberano was able to get 63 percent from her talent fee because he was only entitled to 20% commission, Star Magic 10 percent, and Tita Joni 7 percent, which Diaz said was the 10 percent of Soberano’s 70 percent. Diaz also pointed out that it was he who decided to reduce their fees and not her Tita Joni.

Diaz then talked about his supposed absence in Soberano’s tapings and photoshoots, explaining that he visited her, although not often, in her tapings. Diaz said he even flew

one of her projects.

Another issue that Diaz addressed was the claim he no longer received commission fees during the last two years of his contract with Soberano. He maintained he never said such a statement and confirmed he received a paycheck last month from Soberano’s endorsement.

“Wala ho akong sinabi na hindi na ako tumatanggap ng komisyon. Ang sinasabi ko po ay hindi na tumatanggap si Liza ng mga project dahil nga papunta na siya doon sa ibang direksyon,” he stated.

“Naghihintay na lang siya na matapos ang kontrata.”

(I did not say that I was no longer getting commission [in the last two years of our contract]. What I said is that Liza no longer

accepted projects because she was going in a different direction. She was just waiting for the contract to end.)

“‘Yun pang isa na I am making up lies. Anong lies? Wala akong lies,” he stressed. “Hindi tumagos sa puso ko [kasi] alam ko kung ano ‘yung sinasabi ko.” (Another [thing she said was that] I am making up lies. What lies? I said no lies. It did not affect me emotionally because I know what I said.)

Diaz then expressed the hope that Soberano will watch his videos for her to see firsthand that he is not saying things against her. He clarified that he is just responding to her statements because the public might interpret it as “admission” if he stays mum on the issue.

“Hindi ko siya siniraan. Hindi rin ako nagsabi na ungrateful

ka, ang sinabi ko lang [ay] ‘wag tayong makakalimot,’” he said. “‘Yun ang pinapaalala ko, na ‘wag tayong magsusunog ng tulay so be grateful.”

(I did not speak ill of her. I also did not say that you’re ungrateful, what I said is that we should not forget [our past]. That’s what I am reminding her, to not burn bridges and be grateful.)

Diaz expresses willingness to talk to Soberano

During his vlog, Diaz recalled that the last time he exchanged messages with the actress was in January during his birthday. He further said that he sent Soberano a message when she wiped clean her social media pages, but that he received no reply. Diaz then clarified that he only took matters publicly and spoke about it on his channel because he has been subjected to criticisms after Soberano released her “This Is Me” vlog.

“Hindi ako nag-iimbento. Hindi ako nagpo-produce ng lies. Hindi rin namin siya kinakawawa at hindi rin namin siya sinasabihan na walang utang na loob,” he emphasized. (I do not make up stories or produce lies. We are not tormenting her and we did not say that she’s ungrateful.)

Diaz admitted he was “triggered” to speak up when Soberano mentioned his kids during her interview with Abunda. He further said that he would never hurt his children

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Moira hailed a ‘living Barbie doll’ with new look

by Jan Milo Severo Inquirer.net

KAPAMILYA singer Moira Dela

Torre has been trending again for her body transformation.

In her Instagram account, Moira posted photos of herself with a new hairdo but without makeup.

“@zero1story_” she only captioned her post.

Fans of the hit songwriter commented on Moira’s post.

“Your beauty and aura radiates so much beauty and optimism,” a fan wrote.

“A living barbie dooooooll,” another commented.

“Everyone’s dream girl,” wrote another.

Earlier this month, Moira bared how she lost 60 lbs in one year and a month, as well as being cleared of Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalance and infertility in her Instagram post.

“One year and a month apart — from 180 lbs to 120 lbs — 60 lbs lighter and cleared of Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, estrogen dominance, and no longer infertile after two years of being declared to be? No exercise, no diet, no surgeries,” she wrote in her caption. She said she “secretly became bulimic for two years” back in 2020, a condition that left her “struggling mentally and physically.” g

‘President Nadine’ of her...

PAGE B2

to-peer transfers. Customers can arrange delivery in-store using any one of Shopboxo’s partners, such as Ninja Van, Lalamove and GrabExpress. Not even one year after its launch, the brand now

already powers 70,000 stores across different regions and industries. Its features — free of charge, user-friendly, efficient interface, and reliability— have made it the app of choice of online stores such as Nadine’s two stores. g

Kapamilya singer Moira Dela Torre Photo from Instagram/@

Julia Barretto Photo from Instagram/@juliabarretto

Liza Soberano, Ogie Diaz Photos from Facebook/Ogie Diaz, Instagram/@lizasoberano to New York using his own money to accompany the actress in

Ria on her relationship with Zanjoe: ‘There’s so much mutual respect, mutual admiration’

By HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

RIA Atayde was all praises for Zanjoe Marudo, whom she started dating in late 2022, saying he is the type of partner who makes her feel valued as a woman.

In an interview with TV reporter Bernadette Sembrano, Atayde briefly opened up about her relationship with Marudo on her YouTube channel, which was uploaded on Saturday, Mar. 4.

“I’m very happy right now. I’m in a relationship where I feel valued and where there’s so much mutual respect, mutual admiration,” she said, when asked about Sembrano about her personal life without naming the “Dirty Linen” star.

Sembrano then asked the actress why she opted to keep her romance with Marudo private. To recall, the couple’s relationship status was made public by Atayde’s mother Sylvia Sanchez in October 2022.

“I feel like because much of it is so public, just to protect it from people’s thoughts and intentions. Basta it’s nice to be happy,” she explained.

The “Viral Scandal” star admitted that she is actually unsure how her romance with Marudo began since they have been friends for “so long.”

“I actually don’t know [how we started],” she confessed, before bursting into laughter. “We’ve been friends kasi for so long. Basta it started around last year, and we made it official last year din, in 2022.”

However, the actress, who hinted that their relationship blossomed from friendship, did not disclose the exact date when she and Marudo started dating.

Atayde also expressed her support for her older brother Arjo, whom she sees as her best friend. The actor-politician is now engaged to actress-TV host Maine Mendoza since July 2022.

“Maine is so funny, so nice. I really appreciate her. She brought out the best in my brother. Like right now, I can say that he’s

Romnick accepts gay role because of script quality

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

ACTOR Romnick Sarmienta revealed that he accepted a gay role in the film “About Us But Not About Us” because of its quality script.

In a report by ABS-CBN, Romnick said he even got tearyeyed upon reading the script.

“They told me they wanted to do a project with two actors in a single location. Then I was advised, ‘Read the script.’ So I started reading. I finished the first read-through. I wanted to read it in a way that everything was fresh for me. I don’t preempt what the character would say. So I was going along for the ride while we were doing the first read,” he said.

through it.

The setting of the story is conversational. In a conversation, you usually don’t know what the person you’re talking to would say. Tatanggapin mo lang kung ano ang ibabato sa ‘yo, then try to react and respond,” he said.

“The way I understood my character, sometimes you want to do the right thing. You want to be a human being, but you get taken advantaged of like what happened to Eric. You get caught up in situations that every human being will find themselves in. You are either unable to express yourself fully or you are able to express yourself fully but is misunderstood. You also have moments when you have an agenda, but you can’t admit it to yourself,” he added.

ready [to get married]. Nice, ‘no,” she added.

During the interview, Sembrano also asked Atayde’s mother to share the characteristics of the person that the younger actress should date, although she noted that she’s “happy” for her daughter. “‘Yung mahal siya talaga bilang siya, ‘yung pagkatao ni Ria. Sabi nga ng daddy niya, ‘yung kaya siyang buhayin at pakainin, and maaalagaan siya. And isa lang takot ko, which I never received from [Ria’s] father in my life, bilang babae, ‘yung hindi siya sasaktan. Kasi kung sasaktan niya ang anak ko, hihilingin ko na lang na ibalik niya sa’min ang anak ko,” Sanchez said.

(The one who loves her as her own person, as Ria. Her father also said that her partner should be willing to give her a good life, feed her, and take care of her. I’m only scared of one thing, especially that I never received it from Ria’s father — and as a woman. I hope that he would not hurt her. Because if he ever hurts my daughter, I would beg him to return her to us instead.)

Despite their 10-year age gap, Atayde told the Inquirer in January 2023 that Marudo never made her feel uncomfortable about it.

“He is just from an older batch, but we’re both millennials. We get along really well. I laugh a lot [when I’m with him] and, for me, that’s the most important thing,” Atayde said. g

“There were some parts there that I didn’t expect and I caught myself getting teary-eyed reading some of the lines. I realized how good the piece was. Maganda siyang sabayan. As I was reading

it, in the first few pages, I get affected already. Maganda ang takbo ng story, ‘yung flow, ‘yung kwento, ‘yung batuhan ng lines,” he added. Romnick said he was challenged with his role but got

“I was told that my character was a professor and he’s gay. He gets caught up in this weird situation. But they didn’t tell me how the story was going to progress. I guess that helped.

“About Us But Not About Us” won best film in the Tallinn Film Festival in Estonia. Directed by Jun Lana, starring Romnick and Elijah Canlas, the film is an official entry in the first-ever Metro Manila Summer Film Festival. g

Have James Reid and Issa Pressman gone Instagram official?

By anne PaSaJol Inquirer.net

DID James Reid and Issa Pressman just confirm their relationship to the public?

This speculation arose among netizens after the pair attended the recent Harry Styles concert and appeared to have shown themselves holding hands.

Reid and Pressman gave a glimpse of their moments from the concert through their respective Instagram posts, which were both uploaded late night on Thursday, March 16.

The artists were seen singing along to Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar,” capturing photos of

each other while in the middle of the crowd, and taking a mirror selfie together, seemingly holding hands. Reid described the event as a “magical night” while thanking the luxury brand from which he got his outfit. Pressman also donned an ensemble from the same fashion house as stated in her caption, alongside “luv” and Styles’ Instagram handle.

It can be recalled that in 2020, Pressman was accused of being the third party and allegedly the reason behind the split of Reid and his ex-girlfriend, actress Nadine Lustre. While all the parties involved, including

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Ogie responds to accusations he ‘makes up lies’ about...

PAGE B3

and he hopes they will do the same, seemingly alluding to Soberano who he said he treats as his eldest child.

When asked if he was willing to talk to Soberano even after their public exchange of statements, Diaz answered, “Nanginginig pa ang lola mo na kausapin ka.” (I am trembling with eagerness to talk to you.)

“Ayoko naman tumawag sa kanya [kasi] baka hindi naman siya ready—’di ba sabi niya? Kung ready ka na, pwede mo na akong tawagan,” he told Soberano. “At hindi ko

sinisira, anak, ang pangalan mo.” (I don’t want to call her because she might not be ready—she said so herself, right? Whenever you’re ready, you can call me. And I’m not tarnishing your name, my child.)

Diaz further addressed Soberano and wished her well in her endeavors.

“Sana lahat ng palabas namin dito nung mga nakaraan ay napapanood mo at kung paano namin siya i-deliver para mas maramdaman mo na sincere kami do’n sa sinasabi namin na mahal kita, na ako ay nagmamalasakit sa ‘yo,” he said.

(I hope you watch all our recent videos and see how we delivered them, so you would feel that [I am] sincere when I said I love you and that I care for you.)

“‘Wag mong kakalimutan na nandito lang naman ako. Open ang akin communication lines, anak,” he added. “Anak ko ‘yan kaya feeling ko ay lilipad pa ‘yan ng napakataas…. Mahal kita, anak.”

(Do not forget that I’m just here. My communication lines are open for you, my child. [Liza] is my child and I feel that she will soar higher. I love you, my child.) g

Actor Romnick Sarmienta ABS-CBN photo

James Reid and Issa Pressman Photo from Instagram/@james, @pressmanissa

Ria Atayde Photo from Instagram/@

5 types of car insurance explained

Insurance Made Easy

Melody AveCillA

CAR insurance policies vary in what they cover. The state mandates certain types of coverage that you must have to legally get behind the wheel. However, the mandated minimum coverage may be far too low in some situations, such as being in a hit-and-run, in an accident with an uninsured driver, or if your car is damaged by a falling tree or fire. As a driver, it helps to understand the various types of auto insurance available, as you may decide to pay just a little more to gain a lot more protection.

• Liability: This is the coverage that will pay for the other party when you are responsible for a collision. This coverage comes with a limit the insurance company will pay if you are found to be responsible for a crash. You can increase the amount of liability coverage you have on your vehicle.

• Collision: This coverage replaces a damaged vehicle after an accident (no matter who caused the collision) and is required for drivers with financed or leased vehicles.

• Comprehensive: This type of coverage pays for damages to a vehicle caused by incidents other

than collisions, such as a tree falling on a vehicle, vandalism, theft, fire, and so on.

• Uninsured/Underinsured: A

shocking number of drivers operate vehicles without current auto insurance. If you are in the wrong place at the wrong time and in a collision with such a driver, you want to ensure you have this coverage in place. It pays out for vehicle damage and medical care. An underinsured driver may have only the minimum as required in the state, which does not cover your actual medical bills – this insurance could save the day.

• Rental Reimbursement: Your auto insurance may pay for a rental car for you to use when your vehicle is damaged in an accident. Knowing you will have transportation in this situation is essential.

Auto insurance policies –

what’s right for you?

You may be a very safe driver. However, even the most careful driver can run into trouble when sharing the road with a driver who is drunk, on drugs, speeding, distracted, or driving recklessly. As much as we hope to avoid car accidents, over a lifetime, they can happen. A collision can range from minor fender-benders to a serious crash. In addition, incidents involving theft, vandalism, or weather-related damage are fairly common.

Protect your vehicle and your family

Why not make sure your investment in your vehicle is

protected? For assistance in choosing the best auto insurance policy, get help from an insurance agent. You may be surprised to discover that adding extra coverage, such as uninsured/ underinsured driver coverage or comprehensive insurance, will increase the premiums but add a layer of protection for when the unexpected happens. If you have a teen driver, don’t scrimp on auto insurance. Young drivers, even well-trained, lack the extensive experience that results in being a good driver. Statistically, they are more likely to be involved in a collision.

* * * 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.

* * *

Melody Avecilla is an insurance expert. Her one-stop-shop agency has been a preferred go-to insurance resource for over a decade. She has a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount and earned her CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) designation at The American College. Her team has been voted best in the industry for years in a row. Fun fact about her. She has multiple patents for the world’s first retractable high heels. In between work, she hosts a global leadership podcast called “dreamers to leaders.” She’s takes a hyper focused approach in elevating customer experience in running her businesses. Insurance is her flag ship enterprise. (Advertising Supplement)

Ruru, Bianca find the right first project together

by Christina alpad ManilaTimes.net

RURU Madrid and Bianca Umali may have been dating for almost five years, but the two Kapuso homegrown artists who fell in love and got together for real have never played lovers on screen. But finally, the right project has arrived and is made more special a first-time collaboration between GMA Network and pan-regional overthe-top (OTT) video streaming service Viu.

At the series’ grand media conference, Madrid admitted that he and Umali preferred having separate sets because it meant the time they spent together on days off was really for each other.

“We never even talk about work, but with ‘The

Firing of employee who reported wage violations violated whistleblower retaliation law

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights

Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr

Q: MY co-workers and I have been having an issue getting our paychecks on time from our manager. Sometimes we would go more than a month without getting paid, which I know is illegal. When the Regional Manager—our manager’s boss—came to visit, I took the opportunity to let him know about the late paychecks. I thought he would help make sure that it doesn’t happen anymore.

Instead, he accused me of making trouble for the company and fired me. He didn’t even look into it; he just said that he’s known my manager for a long time and couldn’t believe what I said. Is there any protection in the law against my getting fired like that?

A: Yes, I believe you may have been the victim of unlawful whistleblower retaliation.

First of all, you are correct that not paying employees their wages for more than a month is against California law. Under Labor Code Section 204, employers are required to pay employees’ wages at least twice

a month, on regular paydays designated in advance. So when you complained about the late paychecks to the Regional Manager, you were complaining about violations of a California statute.

Under Labor Code Section 1102.5(b), it is unlawful for “an employer, or any person acting on behalf of the employer” to “retaliate against an employee for disclosing information…to a person with authority over the employee or another employee who has the authority to investigate,” about “violation[s] of [a] state or federal statute.”

That appears to be what happened in your situation.

To prevail on a claim for whistleblower retaliation, you must first show that it is more likely than not that your complaint about the late paychecks was “a contributing factor” to the decision to fire you. This is called the preponderance of evidence standard. If that is the case, your former employer then has to prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that they would have fired you even if you had never complained about the late paychecks.

The clear and convincing standard of proof required of the employer is a heavier burden than the preponderance standard that you as the

employee would have to meet.

Jurors take retaliation against employees seriously.

If you prevail on your claim for whistleblower retaliation, you may be awarded monetary compensation for lost wages and benefits, as well as for any emotional distress you suffered as a result of the unlawful retaliation. In addition, you can recover attorneys’ fees and litigation costs you may have incurred in successfully bringing a whistleblower retaliation claim.

* * * 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.

* * * The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www. joesayaslaw.com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine for 11 years, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.]

(Advertising Supplement)

Write One,’ we just couldn’t say no to it because we saw the story and how different it is from the ones we usually do,” he explained. The “Lolong” actor shared they initially found it challenging to work together, but once the cameras rolled, he simply felt fortunate to be able to see another side of Umali.

“I learned so much from her, and I saw with my eyes how talented an actress and professional she is. I’ll never get tired of working with her,” the actor added in Filipino. Meanwhile, Umali candidly said working with Madrid has pros and cons.

“[Working together] is hard because you’re both very comfortable with each other [then you] suddenly need to work as co-actors. We

Tito Sotto says ‘Eat Bulaga’ is ‘here to stay’ amid rebranding rumors

AMID talks of a revamp of “Eat Bulaga,” former Senator Tito Sotto said that the longest-running noontime show is “here to stay.”

Earlier this month, the show was rumored to be involved in internal conflicts where producer Tony Tuviera was being “kicked out” of the show — to which Sotto as well as fellow veteran hosts Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon have expressed their dismay, as alleged by columnist Cristy Fermin.

Tuviera is one of the owners of the production company Television and Production Exponents Inc. (TAPE), which handles “Eat Bulaga.” It was then alleged that the executive’s business partner, former Congressman Romy Jalosjos, is planning to remove the former from the company and take over

the noontime show.

Sotto, however, went on to confirm to broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez in a March 12 episode of her show “Korina Interviews,” that the show is “here to stay.”

“Oh, we’re there. ‘Eat Bulaga’ is there. Tito, Vic, and Joey, siguro ‘yung mga lumalabas na kwento at kung ano-ano, hindi ko na lang ia-address kasi anoano na ‘yung lumabas eh. Perhaps, the important thing to say is that Eat Bulaga is here to stay,” he said. (Oh, we’re there. “Eat Bulaga” is there. I choose to not address the rumors surrounding Tito, Vic, and Joey because a lot of stories have been made about

Clients fit into classic Chapter 7 profile & eligibility for honest debtors

Debt Relief

DIFFERENT clients have different financial and asset situations, which make them start thinking about getting rid of accumulated debt. Nobody starts with borrowing money with the intention of defaulting and not being able to pay back.

Certainly, in my over 30 years of practice in bankruptcy law, I have seen potential clients — not many actually, very few — who have deliberately perpetrated fraud by borrowing a lot of debt without any actual intent of paying back. But by and large, clients are referred to in bankruptcy law as “honest debtors.”

Bankruptcy law provides “honest debtors” with the opportunity to start fresh again in life without the burden of accumulated debt.

This is a very important right and privilege given to individuals in the U.S. to give every individual the chance to become productive people again without the burden of accumulated debt, with the caveat that this privilege is given only to an honest debtor.

Who is an honest debtor?

Let’s give an analogy. You live everyday without the intention of getting sick. But then everyone who is human actually does get sick once in a while. When you do get sick, then you need medication to get well. Say you’re perfectly healthy, enjoying life then, all of sudden, you get COVID-19 that’s so severe that you can’t breathe and you need to get intubated. Intubated means that since you can’t breathe on your own, a procedure that involves sticking a tube down your throat into your windpipe forces air in and out of your lungs using a ventilator. Our Latino brothers and sisters refer to this as the dreaded “El Turbo”.

Imagine your lungs to be a balloon and the ventilator forces air into the balloon then sucks it out again, air forced in, then sucked out continuously. Then, you’re given maybe a host of new medicine like Remdisivir to fight the inflammation in your organs and lungs. If the medical treatment works, then you eventually recover and you’re back to normal good health.

So the analogy is that you go through life living and enjoying life every day. You like to travel and eat. So year after year, you travel and tour a country that you haven’t been to before. You charge all the costs and expenses to your Visa and MasterCard. In year one, you owe $5,000; in year two, $10,000; in year three, $15,000; in year four, $20,000; in year five, $25,000; and in year six, $30,000.

In addition, you like to eat in restaurants, not even the high class ones like Mr. Chow, just the ordinary restaurants that serve good food. Every time you eat out, it costs $100. You eat out 3X a week. So in one month, your eating out costs you $1,200 a month, all of which you charge to your credit cards. Every year of eating out, you add $14,000 to your credit card debt. Do the math, in just six years of eating out costs you more than traveling abroad every year. Six years of eating out adds $80,000 to your credit card debt.

Therefore, in six years of enjoying life by traveling abroad and eating out, your total credit card debt is $30,000 plus $80,000; you now owe $110,000 just by enjoying life. Now you walk into my office and tell me you owe $110,000 of credit cards and you need $3,500 to keep them current every month. Your income before the pandemic hit was $100,000 a year. Your wife used to make $50,000 a year. With the pandemic, your income is reduced by half, and your wife lost her job. She’s been getting pandemic unemployment of $3,000 a month. You own a house and the mortgage is

Getting around the six month residency requirement to file a divorce in California

$2,000 a month. Your home equity is $350,000 because the fair market value of your house in LA is $750,000 and your mortgage balance is $400,000.

You pay $500 a month for a MB 350 2018 model with another two years to go.

So the question is are you an honest debtor? And the answer is YES, of course you are. Remember our analogy?

You were going through life enjoying each day of your life, but all of a sudden, you get hit with a serious case of COVID that requires the El turbo. Don’t tell me that it was your intention to get COVID all along. Of course, it’s certainly not true that it was your intention to get COVID all along.

The same is true with your accumulated credit card debt of $110,000. You were just enjoying your life traveling and eating out, not realizing that your debt was getting bigger every year, because that’s what those credit cards are designed for. It’s designed for a slow build up that prevents you from feeling the build up. Your income was good before the pandemic hit. Therefore, you’re exactly the honest debtor that bankruptcy law envisioned. You need a fresh start in life without the burden of accumulated debt of $110,000 that requires $3,500 a month to keep current.

In Chapter 7, you will keep your house, your car, all your other assets within applicable exemptions, even if your house equity is now $350,000, you keep it as you get rid of your $110,000 in credit card debt! That is a sweet deal, but absolutely necessary to give you a fresh start in life to make you productive again.

This is the reason why Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice. After his second fresh start without accumulated debt, his business, started becoming more and more successful until now, it’s a multi-billion dollar business worldwide!

This is also the reason why Milton Hershey filed for Chapter 7 once. After getting a fresh start without accumulated debt,

Barrister’s Corner

GENERALLY, you must have resided in California for at least six months in order to file a divorce in this case. Under Family Code Section 2320, a judgment of marriage dissolution (divorce) may not be entered unless one of the spouses has been a “resident” of California for six months and of the county where the proceeding is filed for three months immediately preceding the filing of the petition. This poses a problem for divorcing couples that has not resided in California for at least 6 months. Couples that moved to California from other states or other countries are faced with this problem because they cannot get divorced until they satisfy the residency requirements. Even a bigger problem is when they need immediate temporary orders from the California Court regarding child custody, child support, management and control of community businesses and property.

The solution for this type of problem is filing nullity or legal separation petition rather than his Hershey chocolate business became more and more successful until it became the multi-billion biggest chocolate business that is the biggest and most successful in the world!

In short, Mr. Disney and Mr. Hershey were both honest debtors, same as you and all my clients, all of whom are honest debtors.  So they get a fresh start in life without accumulated debt, keep all —if not most — of their assets so they become productive again. In fact, some of my previous clients are now millionaires after being given their fresh starts some time ago.  Another client also has $400,000 of equity in his house

a divorce and amending the petition later on to convert it to a divorce once the residency requirement has been met by one of the parties. Millar v. Millar. Unlike a divorce, there is no residency requirement to filing an Annulment or a legal separation.

The advantage of this strategy is you would immediately have access to the courts and can ask the court for immediate temporary orders needed to maintain the status quo or preserve the marital assets. If domestic violence is involved in the case, the domestic violence issue can be heard in the same court room by the same judge that would be hearing the divorce case. In addition, service on the legal separation petition (to be amended later to a divorce) will also start the clock on the six-month “waiting period” for finality of a judgment terminating marital status, optimizing the time-frame within which the parties will be legally restored to “single” status. As far as the county where to file the legal separation or nullity, venue is proper in the county where either party resided at the time the petition was filed pursuant to CCP 395(a).

Once the parties have satisfied the residency requirements, the Petition may be amended from legal separation to Dissolution without permission from the

and he owes $200,000 in credit cards. He used these cards to fund his business before the pandemic struck. His business is now dead in the water, and not able to recover. He needs a fresh start in life by wiping out the $200,000 of credit cards. He is also an honest debtor who deserves to become productive again. I have no doubt that with his determination he will become a millionaire in the near future after he gets rid of accumulated debt of $200,000. After becoming a millionaire, he will become a multimillionaire then, maybe just maybe, he may be so talented that he may even become a billionaire.

If you need debt relief, please

Court as long as notice is provided the opposing party under Marriage of Dick. The Petitioner would also be in a safer position if the intent to amend from legal separation/ nullity to a divorce is stated in the initial Petition.

* * *

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, P.C.  This article is not a solicitation..

* * * Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Board 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

set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally.

* * * Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone. There is absolutely no attorneyclient relationship established by reading this article.

* * * Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South, Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)

Ruru, Bianca find...

had to step back and see that what we’re doing is work,” the actress explained.

“But it soon becomes easy since you’re both comfortable with each other, and you can skip the awkward getting-toknow-each-other phase.”

Streaming over Viu Philippines starting March 18 and March 20 on GMA, GTV, Pinoy Hits, and I Heart Movies, “The Write One” follows the story of Liam (Madrid), a frustrated writer whose dream is to produce a TV series; and Joyce (Umali), an actress who gives up her budding showbiz career to be wife to Liam and

mother to their son Dex. When the love between Liam and Joyce is dimmed by the passing years, they both wonder what could have been had they not given up their individual dreams. At that crossroads, Liam stumbles upon an antique typewriter and finds himself writing – and magically making real – the revised story of his life.

In the alternate timeline, Liam is a creative manager of a film production company, while Joyce is the most-sought actress of her generation. Liam finds he is in a relationship with fashion icon Via (Mikee Quintos), while Joyce is wooed by Hans (Paul Sala), a lawyer who offers Joyce emotional and financial security.

Amid the confusion, Liam waits for destiny to take hold, hoping it will always bring those who are meant to be in the right place and making the right choice.

Incidentally, the series also marks the reunion project of senior actors Lotlot De Leon and Ramon Christopher, who play Liam’s parents. Completing the cast are established actors Mon Confiado, Alma Concepcion and Art Acuna, and Sparkle stars Kokoy De Santos, Royce Cabrera, Kaloy Tingcungco, Analyn Barro, Yvette Sanchez, and Euwenn Mikaell Aleta.

Tito Sotto says ‘Eat...

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the issue. Perhaps, the important thing to say is that “Eat Bulaga” is here to stay.) When asked by Sanchez on how long the show has lasted, the hostpolitician noted that “Eat Bulaga” is set to mark its 45th anniversary on July of this year.

“44 years. In July, it will be running for 45 years. The name ‘Eat Bulaga’ was coined by Joey, he owns it. The song was created by Vic, he owns it. So, ganoon talaga, and ako ‘yung manager (It’s really like that, and I’m the manager),” he said.

During the interview, Sotto was also asked about the longevity of the “Tito, Vic, and Joey” mass appeal in “Eat Bulaga,” and what made their tandem a hit among the Filipino masses.

“Siguro sa ‘Eat Bulaga,’ ang pulso namin kung ano ‘yung kagat sa tao, gusto nila, wala kaming portion na hindi gusto ng tao. Kapag may portion kami na gusto, hindi namin ipipilit kung mahina ang response. We try to feel the pulse of the people,” he said.

(I guess in “Eat Bulaga,” we try to listen to what the people want and what makes them tick. We don’t have any show portions that people don’t like. If ever there’s something that doesn’t seem to get the attention of the viewers, we’re not going to force our way. We try to feel the pulse of the people.)

Maggie Wilson says cyber-libel charges from camp of ex Vic Consunji’s new alleged partner junked

MANILA — Model Maggie Wilson revealed that a cyberlibel filed against her by Rachel Carrasco’s friend was junked.

In her Instagram story, Maggie said that she received a court order saying a cyber-libel case against her filed last year has been dismissed.

“I received an order from the court that Rachel Carrasco’s friend and business partner Patricia Kelly Parreño Librojo, who I have never met or spoken to, filed a baseless criminal cyber libel case against me in mid-2022 has been DISMISSED,” she said.

“It’s disgusting that she like others used our already overstretched Philippines court system to shamelessly harass and intimidate me and my family,” she added.

She took a swipe against Rachel and Patricia at the end of her statement.

“I guess these types of people are cut from the same cloth,” she said.

attacks” by Maggie.

“I make this statement to express once and for all my position regarding her systematic harassment and bullying of my family, friends, colleagues and of myself and Ms. Rachel Carrasco specifically,” Victor said.

Together for almost five years now, Ruru Madrid and Bianca Umali are turning their love from real to reel

Directed by King Marc Baco, The Write One is an original concept of Executive Producer Mark Anthony Norella. g

‘Sneaky!’: Harry Styles...

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attempting to propose to him, “Sneaky! We should get to know each other first. 2023 is the year we shoot our shot!”

Coincidentally, the last sign he read was from a woman named Michelle who said her boyfriend Jeff would propose to her right then and there if Harry did it with him.

Harry took up the challenge and invited Jeff to pick a song to propose to — he chose Harry’s first-ever single “Sign of the Times” and Harry obliged, even changing some of the lyrics to “Michelle is gonna marry Jeff.”

Jeff indeed proposed to Michelle and the crowd shared in the joyous moment. Harry promised he would sing “Sign of the Times” again later in the show, but for the meantime he asked everyone to dance for his next few songs.

“Manila thank you so much... mahal ko kayong lahat, maraming salamat Philippines, maraming salamat,” Harry said as he closed the main set, even greeting some people a happy birthday. g

Have James Reid and Issa...

Lustre, dismissed the allegations at the time, netizens brought up the issue once again after Reid and Pressman’s recent posts.

“‘Di ba merong balita dati na si Issa Pressman daw ang dahilan ng break up ni Jadine? Parang totoo ah,” one @sherrynedipity said via the comments section. (There was an issue before that Issa Pressman was the reason behind JaDine’s breakup, right? It seems like it’s true.)

“Time is the ultimate truth teller talaga! [Laughing out loud],” one @reginaaespiritu wrote.

“Nadine even defended the two of you before during the cheating allegations then this?

So disappointing,” an Instagram user that goes by the handle @ hallowrela commented.

“Nadine even defended the two of you before during the cheating allegations then this?

So disappointing,” an Instagram user that goes by the handle @ hallowrela commented.

“Bakit may pag-deny nang todo noon? [Please] lang,” user @katckijs said. (Why did you have to deny it before? Oh, please.)

Reid and Lustre confirmed their breakup in January 2020. The former couple said at the time that they had decided to focus on themselves and agreed that going their separate ways was best for them. g

Sotto appeared to have commented about the noontime show’s supposed rebranding on Instagram last March 3, where he shared a photo of himself with Tuviera. “Tito and Tony last night! Who says we’re splitting?” he said in the caption.

Tito, Vic, and Joey also caught the attention of netizens on the March 4 episode of “Eat Bulaga” where they performed the show’s theme song, known for its lyrics “Isang libo, isang tuwa, buong bansa, ‘Eat Bulaga.’” (By Hannah Mallorca/Inquirer.net)

Maggie’s ex-husband Victor Consunji broke his silence over his rift with his ex-wife last month.

The STAR reporter and columnist Iris Gonzales said that Victor broke his silence after “increased malicious online

“Up to this point, I have done my best to remain silent, resorting only to lawful remedies to answer unlawful acts maligned to tarnish our reputations and character. And while it is lamentable that Ms. Wilson has debased herself through social media posts and stories, it has always been my stance that this abhorrent behavior is underserving of my attention,” he added. (by Jan Milo Severo/Philstar.com)

Beauty queen-actress Maggie Wilson

Photo from Maggie Wilson via Instagram