032719 - Southern California Midweek Edition

March 27-29, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 22 • 2 Sections - 20 Pages

Drug situation has worsened – Duterte

by RALPH

VILLANUEVA ManilaTimes.net

THE drug situation in the country had worsened and law enforcers are close to giving up the fight, according to President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a speech during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipinas – Lakas ng Bayan campaign rally in Cagayan de Oro on Sunday night, March 24, Duterte said he would have nothing to be proud of if the camSEIZED DRUGS. Officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of paign against illegal drugs fail.

“Things have worsened. My Customs inspect a shabu shipment worth more than P1.8 billion seized in the Port of Manila.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Dj Diosina

USA

DATELINE Thousands gather to rally for 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in DTLA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

The 77-year-old senator from Vermont and mouthpiece for grassroots progressivism announced his second bid for presidency, stops by Los Angeles to rally supporters

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DUTERTE’S CHOICE. President Rodrigo Duterte raises the hands of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and other senatorial candidates at a campaign rally at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines in Cagayan de Oro City on Sunday, March 24.

Malacañang photo by Joey Dalumpines

Palace vows to protest Chinese mistreatment in Zambales if proven

by NATHALIE

ROBLES

AJPress

MALACAÑANG on Monday, March 25, vowed to protest any unjust actions of the Chinese Coast Guard if the complainants would present justifiable evidence to back their claim.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo responded to a video released by senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares explaining how the Filipino fishermen were mistreated by the Chinese Coast A group of fishermen from Subic town in Zambales province prepares their Guard, despite the Philippines’ provisions for a trip to Panatag Shoal, a rich fishing ground in the West jurisdiction in the area.

Philippine Sea that is being claimed by China.

“They have to show proof that Inquirer.net photo by Allan Macatuno

is being done now again because if it’s being done, certainly we will protest. We will not allow our countrymen to be subjected to that kind of harassment,” Panelo said as reported by The Philippine Star.

The six-minute video showed that the fishermen from Masinloc, Zambales would normally access the Scarborough or Panatag Shoal, a traditional fishing ground off the coast of Zambales.

However, the Chinese Coast Guard would reportedly seize their catch and drive them away

Palace: Michael Yang no longer Duterte’s economic adviser

VERMONT Sen. Bernie Sanders is running for president in the 2020 general election, and this time he has a leg up.

Where in 2016 he was the radical outsider, in 2020, Sanders is the veteran of the Democratic field of first-time candidates, and he has achieved name recognition and now stands

by NESTOR CORRALES as an A-List figure in Washington, giving him Inquirer.net the added benefit of fixing what went wrong four years ago.

MICHAEL Yang is no longer An area of improvement that Sanders and the economic adviser of Presihis team have already been tackling is pay- dent Rodrigo Duterte, Executive ing more early attention to voters in blue, del- Secretary Salvador Medialdea u PAGE A4 said on Tuesday, March 26.

“Mr. Michael Yang’s One Peso per annum contract expired on December 31, 2018,” Medialdea said in a text message.

In October 2018, Duterte denied Yang was his economic adviser.

But Presidential Spokesperson

Filipina granted asylum in Canada for sheltering Snowden in Hong Kong

FILIPINA Vanessa Rodel and her sevenyear-old daughter Keana were granted asylum by the Canadian government for helping Edward Snowden hide in Hong Kong after he exposed the United States global surveillance programs.

According to a non-profit organization For the Refugees, Rodel and her daughter arrived in Toronto on Monday, March 25, then traveled to Montreal on Tuesday, March 26, to settle there as private sector-sponsored refugees. “(Me) and Keana can have a real life, a real future in Canada. I’m so happy,” Rodel told Radio-Canada by phone before she boarded a plane to Toronto.

Rodel, a Philippine national, was among those who helped Snowden while he was on the run from the U.S. authorities. She hid Snowden in her apartment in 2013. She was under pressure from Hong Kong authorities to the point that they faced a risk of deportation to the Philippines.

For the Refugees reported that Rodel and her

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by EVELYN

MACAIRAN Philstar.com

THE fact that a complaint has been filed by former Philippine government officials against Chinese President Xi Jinping at the International Criminal Court (ICC) “clearly and unmistakably” shows that the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute that created the court is a “huge mistake,” oppositionist Sen. Leila de Lima said Monday, March 25.

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales recently filed a

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) knows that the death penalty is not the solution to the problem of illegal drugs.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the PhilippinesEpiscopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (CBCP-ECPPC) executive secretary Rudy Diamante said this Monday, March 25, as it urged PDEA to first look at other aspects of the criminal justice system before calling for the reimposition of the death penalty for drug smugglers.

He explained that the criminal justice system covers the filing of a case, apprehension of a suspect, court hearings and conviction before it reaches the penalty.

“The penalty is the last stage in the criminal justice system… so why do they want to (first make changes) with the penalty,” he noted.

PDEA officials have been batting for the restoration of the death penalty, citing the need for drug smugglers to be contained as they only continue with their illegal drug trade inside prison.

Diamante said the death penalty “has never been (the solution) and they know that… They know very well deep in their hearts, it is not the solution. Killing has never been the solution.”

Diamante said law enforcement agencies such as PDEA should focus on catching those involved in the illegal drug trade both at large and already behind bars by using intelligence funds.

The CBCP-ECPPC has been pushing for restorative justice and has long been against the death penalty.

Diamante lamented all their accomplishments toward restorative justice and improvement of prison conditions have been erased as the prisoners’ pleas are being repeated.

During the 44th anniversary of the CBCP-ECPPC yesterday, Diamante said one of the complaints that they heard from prisoners when they started their ad-

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Michael Yang

Inquirer.net photo

De Lima: PH withdrawal from ICC a ‘huge mistake’ Complaint against Xi Jinping proves it

by DAPHNE

GALVEZ Inquirer.net

DE LIMA FOR OTSO DIRETSO. A visibly cheery Senator Leila M. de Lima makes time to switch handsigns from her usual “D5” pose to the ‘Otso Diretso’ handsign to photographers and other members of the media earlier today after attending the continuation of trial on the illegal drug trading charges filed against her at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205.

Despite being unjustly detained for more than two years, De Lima continues to believe that the first step for “real” change to happen in the Philippines is by electing credible, honest and prepared leaders, such as candidates from the “Otso Diretso” slate.

Senate photo

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CBCP: Death penalty won’t curb drug crimes

Salvador Panelo later admitted that Yang was “just one of those advisers that the President consults on a particular matter.”

The dismissed deputy director for administration of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (DEG), Eduardo Acierto who surfaced on Sunday, March 24, after hiding, linked Yang and another Chinese national Allan Lim to the illegal drugs trade.

Acierto said he gave an intelligence report to Malacañang and the Philippine National Police

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from the Shoal despite having the territorial authority over the area since called Bajo de Masinloc.

The palace spokesman said that such mistreatment is not condoned by the administration.

He continued that he was not aware of any reported abuse of Chinese nationals banishing Filipino fishermen in the country’s waters.

Colmenares answered back at the administration’s stand on the said issue. In a radio interview with DZMM, he called out Malacañang’s failure to defend

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Filipina granted asylum in Canada...

PAGE A1 daughter were offered the asylum in January but it was kept strictly confidential so as not to compromise their safety and security.

Canadian lawyer Robert Tibbo, who served as Snowden and Rodel’s legal aid in Hong Kong applauded the asylum grant as he emphasized that “Canada did the right thing.”

Snowden expressed his gratitude to the North American coun-

try for the generosity it offered to Rodel who once saved his life by providing him a shelter when he was in hiding. In a a Twitter post, he said that “Canada can save all of them.”

“Thanks to all who, in Canada and across the world, made this possible. After so many years, the first of the families who helped me is free, and has a future. But the work is not over. With solidarity and compassion, Canada

From the Front Page

can save all of them,” Snowden said.

Snowden was a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee and a U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor.

He leaked highly classified documents that revealed the global surveillance programs run by the NSA in cooperation with Australia, Britain and Canada.

Snowden was charged in June 2013 in the United States with espionage and stealing state secrets. He now resides in Russia.

The National Post reported that along with Rodel, there are five other people who helped Snowden and also requested asylum but remain in Hong Kong awaiting a response.

When reporters asked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a comment, he declined, stating that it would be inappropriate to do so in “a situation regarding a specific case.” However, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland implicitly confirmed the report, telling reporters she had not personally intervened in the process.

Tribbo urged the prime minister to approve the asylum grant for the other refugees. He noted: “what Trudeau needs to do now is step forward and grant the others refugee status and bring them to Canada.”

Asked during a Washington visit whether the granting of asylum might harm U.S.-Canadian relations, Freeland told reporters that Ottawa based its decision on case-by-case considerations, not “geopolitical relations.” (Nathalie Robles/AJPress)

Palace: Michael Yang no longer...

HATS OFF. Graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy throw their hats in the air during the academy’s 40th commencement exercises in Silang, Cavite.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Gerard Seguia

Drug situation has worsened...

PAGE A1 policemen are at the brink of surrendering,” he said.

“In the end, we will be like Mexico. We will be controlled by drug cartels. The Sinaloa has already entered the country and that is why drugs are being thrown in the Pacific. The same is happening in the West,” he added.

He lamented that policemen are being killed in the drug war.

“I lost two of my policemen the

other day. And we are suffering losses in the drug war. That is why I said that if we will not be able to achieve that, my presidency would be a failure. I won’t have anything that I’ll be proud of,” he said.

Duterte said the government should do everything to kill all drug suspects.

“If these things do not end, we will achieve nothing. And so we have to finish this. We have no

other choice. We will really have to kill them all. I have no other choice,” he said.

The president earlier warned that his remaining three years would be the most dangerous for drug dealers.

“I have three years left. I will make it the most dangerous time of your lives, as a drug pusher, drug lord, or whatever son of a b----- you are. I will not let you go,” he said. n

De Lima: PH withdrawal from ICC...

PAGE A1 communication on behalf of Filipinos and the hundreds of thousands of Filipino fishermen “persecuted and injured” by China’s PAGE A1 island-building and occupation but said the president and for- of islands in the West Philippine mer PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa Sea. They pointed out that Xi Jinignored the report.

Malacañang photos showed ping committed those acts that Duterte was with Yang dur- against the fishermen before the ing the businessman’s visit to Philippines withdrew from the Malacañang and the president’s Rome Statute.

De Lima noted that before the visit to China in 2016.

But despite the drug link al- withdrawal the Philippines could legation against Yang, a Davao- raise any act of aggression, asbased businessman, Panelo said saults against humanity, and that for now, “unless you can other heinous crimes of internashow proof that he (Yang) is in- tional concern committed by a volved, the trust and confidence foreign power to the ICC. However, the senator said, this [of Duterte] remains.” n

was no longer the case after the withdrawal.

“With the effectivity of the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC on March 17, 2019, it now becomes doubtful if the Philippines can still go to the ICC to assail a foreign power’s acts of aggression committed after said withdrawal,” De Lima said in a dispatch from Camp Crame.

She noted that China’s acts of aggression that were raised by Del Rosario and Morales in their ICC communication “will not be the last to be committed by a foreign country or leader” against the Philippines.

“Unfortunately, any future act of aggression by any foreign country committed after March

17, 2019, can no longer be raised by the Philippines to the ICC because of its withdrawal from the Rome Statute,” she added.

The senator said that the country’s withdrawal from ICC “seems to have also benefitted foreign aggressors, to the detriment of the Philippines’ interest and national security.”

“Duterte’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute becomes nothing more than a self-serving act that also favored his Chinese patron, with the Philippines as the major loser,” De Lima said.

“In short, the grievously illadvised and arbitrary unilateral withdrawal from the Rome Statute was a colossal blunder,” she added. n

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Survey: Filipino food among least liked globally

by Faye

Orellana Inquirer.net

FIlIPINo cuisine is one of the least preferred across the world, according to an international survey conducted among 25,000 people in 24 countries.

The survey was conducted by YouGov, an international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm, headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Filipino cuisine has an average popularity around the world of 36 percent, placing it in the bottom four out of the 34 cuisines included in the study.

CLEANUP DRIVE. Members of the Bureau of Fire Protection collect garbage during the coastal cleanup held at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area.

ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

Palace vows to protest Chinese mistreatment...

PAGE A1 its countrymen against the harassment of the Chinese nationals.

“Instead na depensahan o alamin kung totoo ang nangyari para madepensahan ang mangingisda, ang sasabihin pa, walang proof, hindi totoo iyon, wala namang report (Instead of defending or finding out the truth to protect our fishermen, they said there’s no proof, it’s not true, there’s no report),” Colmenares said as reported by ABS-CBN News.

“Parang ang sini-serve nila ay ‘yung Chinese government, pinoproteksyunan kaysa sa sarili nating mga mangingisda (It seems that they’re serving, protecting the Chinese government instead of our own fishermen),” he added.

The senatorial candidate emphasized that a person’s testimony could be considered legitimate proof to back up a certain claim.

He also said that it is pointless for the fishermen to lie about their experiences since they would get nothing out of it.

“Ang testimonya ng isang witness ay proof, ebidensya. Hindi ko alam kung anong ebidensya na nire-require nila (The testimony of a witness is considered as proof, evidence. I don’t know what kind of evidence it is that they’re requiring),” the senatorial candidate defended.

“Bakit magsisinungaling ang mga mangingisda sa amin? Ano ang mahihita nila? Mga ordinary-

ong tao sila, takot lang nilang magsinungaling (Why would the fishermen lie to us? What would they gain? They’re just ordinary people who are afraid to lie),” Colmenares added.

Colmenares explained that the abuse endured by those fishermen should not be solely mentioned in passing. He urged the officials to come up with a solution to ensure that the fishermen’s lives and livelihood will be protected.

“This is one more proof of the harassment and we are willing to share it with them. The issue here is no longer about anything else, it’s the issue of helping our fisherfolks be protected and their livelihoods be protected,” he said in an interview with ABSCBN News Channel’s (ANC) “Early Edition.”

However, Masinloc Vice Mayor Daddy Enciso claimed that even the local government officials were not aware that such harassment exists among the fisherfolk. He further noted that it must be a remote incident.

“Wala po kaming napapansin na mga fisherman naming nagre-report sa munisipyo po.

So far, remote incident po iyan na nangyayari. Normal naman po ang mga fisherman sa amin (We have not noticed any fisherman reporting to our town hall.

So far, what happened was a remote incident. The situation of our fishermen is normal),” he said in a separate DZMM interview.

The palace spokesperson and chief legal counsel said that the administration can only protest to China regarding the fishermen issue despite the arbitral ruling that named the Philippines the country with the rightful claim in the area.

“May magagawa ba tayo eh sila ang may control as of now.

‘Di ba meron silang pwersa doon.

(What can we do when they are in control as of now. They have military forces there) We can only protest like any other country like Vietnam,” Panelo said in a press briefing.

“Has any arbitral ruling by this international court been enforced previously? Kung meron may pag-asa tayo, kung wala sa ngayon wala tayong magagawa so pag-usapan muna natin sa negotiation (If there is, we have hope. If there’s none all we can do is negotiate),” he added.

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio in July warned President Rodrigo Duterte to be careful with his remarks that could possibly waive the country’s rights to the area as ruled by the 2016 arbitral tribunal in Hague.

“If the president says ‘I am setting aside the ruling,’ the doctrine is that that binds the country if it is accepted by China. That declaration is a declaration against the interest of the state and it will bind that state because the president is the representative under international law,” Carpio said. n

Aside from having the biggest fans from the Philippines, 56 percent of Australians said that they like Filipino food.

In contrast, only 21 percent of the Japanese liked Filipino food. on the other hand, Filipinos are the most appreciative of international cuisine among the 24 nationals surveyed, according to Matthew Smith, lead data journalist of the group.

“An average of 67m percent of Filipinos who had tried any given cuisine said they liked it, with only five types of food being liked by fewer than half,” Smith said.

Pizza and pasta from Italy are the “world’s most popular” food with an average popularity of 84 percent across the 24 countries.

Smith also noted that the “biggest fans” of Italian food were Italians themselves with 99 percent of them enjoying their own cuisine. other nationals such as Spaniards and French also expressed their delight in eating Italian food — 94 percent and 92 percent respectively.

The least impressed by Italian food the Chinese nationals — with only 59 percent saying they liked the cuisine. n

Trump administration changes course, asks court to strike down aca

by Julie

rOvner Kaiser Health News

In a dramatic move that will have implications for the coming 2020 election, the Trump administration Monday night, March 25, reversed its previous position and asked a federal appeals court to strike down the entire the Affordable Care Act. The Justice Department said it now agrees with the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the law — a group of Republican attorneys general and governors.

In December, U.S. District Judge Reed o’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, agreed with the GoP plaintiffs, saying that because the 2017 tax law passed

by Congress eliminated the tax penalty for not having health insurance coverage, the rest of the health law is now unconstitutional.

A group of Democratic attorneys general, led by California’s Xavier Becerra, appealed that ruling to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The law remains in place while the case proceeds.

The Trump administration originally declined to accept the plaintiffs’ argument. Instead, officials argued that since the tax was now gone, the provisions of the law requiring insurance companies to sell to people with preexisting conditions and not charge them more should fall.

Now that position has changed.

“The Department of Justice has determined that the district court’s judgment should be affirmed,” said a terse letter from

Assistant Attorney General Joseph “Jody” Hunt to the appeals court handling the case.

That means the administration is now formally supporting elimination of the entire ACA. The Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on the change and referred all questions to the Justice Department.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the law to be repealed and replaced, but when Republicans controlled Congress they could not muster the necessary votes. Just last week, he lashed out at the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for failing to support that effort.

The government’s court filing came on the same day federal officials announced that more than 11 million people used the insurance marketplaces set up by the law to purchase policies this year. The Justice Department move also occurred hours before House Democrats were scheduled to unveil their proposal to shore up the health law — setting up another battle line for the 2020 contests.

But Democrats on Monday night were quick to challenge the latest action.

“While the Trump Administration broadens its monstrous ambitions from destroying protections for pre-existing conditions to tearing down every last benefit and protection the Affordable Care Act provides, Democrats are fiercely defending the law of the land and protecting all Americans’ health care,” said a statement from

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer blasted the move in comments on the Senate floor Tuesday morning. “In two short sentences, the Trump administration crystallized its position that the health care coverage enjoyed by nearly 20 million people, as well as the protections by tens of millions more with preexisting conditions, should be annihilated,” he said. lawyers who have been following the case call the administration’s actions more than unusual.

“Much as it may dislike the fact, the Trump administration has an obligation to defend acts of Congress,” wrote Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor and a former Justice Department attorney, in a blog post.

Invalidating the ACA could also have enormous effects on the entire health system. It would end not only the health exchanges, but also the expansion of the Medicaid program, numerous changes to Medicare and protections for people with employer-provided coverage.

“The act is now part of the plumbing of the health care system,” Bagley wrote. “Which means the Trump administration has now committed itself to a legal position that would inflict untold damage on the American public.”

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. n

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Lawmakers approve bill to shelter pets of the homeless SB 258 would create a grant program to encourage shelters to take in people experiencing homelessness who also have pets SACRAMENTO – Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg (DVan Nuys) announced Monday, March 25, that his bill to provide more shelter options for individuals experiencing homelessness and their pets cleared the Senate Human Services Committee.

SB 258 would allocate $5,000,000 in grants to be distributed to homeless shelters that provide shelter, food, and basic veterinary services to the pets of people experiencing homelessness.

According to Pets of the Home-

less, an estimated five to ten percent of the 3.5 million Americans that are experiencing homelessness have dogs or cats. Unfortunately, many of those individuals refuse housing and forego access to services because doing so may require them to abandon their pet. In Los Angeles, only six shelters out of 46 in the region allow pets onsite.

“Over two thirds of the homeless population in our state is unsheltered, and yet there are far too many empty beds in shelters across Los Angeles County each night because people don’t want

to leave their best friend on the street,” said Senator Hertzberg.

“This bill may be about pets, but in caring for pets, we are supporting both ends of the leash.

This is a common sense way to quickly help people get off the street.”

Senator Hertzberg was joined in the hearing by supporters Gina Knepp, the Manager of Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento, and Janet Hendrickson, President of Changing the Streets.

SB 258 next heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee. n

UN resolution calls for protection of rights, environment defenders

by Janice

Mateo Philstar.com

THE United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has approved a resolution calling for the protection of human rights defenders, including those working against degradation of the environment.

The 47-member body, which includes the Philippines, adopted without a vote the resolution during its 40th session in Geneva, Switzerland last week.

The UNHRC expressed grave concern at the situation of environmental human rights defenders around the world and condemned killings and all other human rights violations or abuses committed against them by state and non-state actors.

It noted the increasing rate of incidents that include genderbased violence, threats, harassment, intimidation, smear campaigns, criminalization, judicial harassment, forced eviction and displacement of environmental human rights defenders. It added that this is also true for the indigenous and women human rights defenders and human rights defenders who are addressing issues relating to land rights.

The human rights body underscored the need to develop protection mechanisms for environmental human rights defenders, taking into account the intersectional dimensions of violations against women human rights defenders, indigenous peoples,

Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Saturday, March 23 speaks to an estimated crowd of 15,000 in Downtown Los Angeles about his platform. Prior to the rally, he met with interfaith leaders at the Islamic Center of Southern California.

Thousands gather to rally for 2020 presidential...

PAGE A1

The 47-member body, which includes the Philippines, adopted without a vote the resolution during its 40th session in Geneva, Switzerland last week.

Philstar.com photo

rural and marginalized communities and persons belonging to minorities.

It stressed that human rights defenders must be ensured a safe and enabling environment to undertake their work free from hindrance and insecurity, in recognition of their important role to support states in fulfilling their obligations.

It also urged states to acknowledge, through public statements, policies, programs or laws, the important and legitimate role of human rights defenders in the promotion of all human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The UNHRC said states must respect, protect and fulfill human rights, including in all actions undertaken to address environmental challenges, in-

cluding the rights to life and to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

They must also promote a safe and enabling environment, as well as provide for effective remedies for human rights violations and abuses. “(The body) urges states to take concrete steps to prevent and put an end to arbitrary arrest and detention, including of human rights defenders, and in this regard strongly urges the release of persons detained or imprisoned, in violation of the obligations and commitments of states under international human rights law, for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms,” read the resolution. n

egate-rich states, namely California where the self-declared Democratic socialist held three rallies over the weekend: San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles rally, held on a cloudy afternoon on Saturday, March 23 in downtown LA’s Grand Park, an estimated crowd of 15,000 supporters gathered to rally for Sanders.

At 77, he’s the oldest candidate, but his base is young. The largest demographic at the rally by far were young, college-aged voters, with a large chunk of those supporters being people of color and members of the LGBT+ community.

Touting similar platform issues — free public college tuition, reforming the criminal justice system and introducing more climate change initiatives — Sanders speaks to the growing faction of young, liberal Americans who believe in taxing the richest of the rich to provide a more even keel for individuals and families who have been cheated by the system.

Sanders’ first presidential campaign was primarily colored by providing an alternative to the old guard of Establishment Democrats. This time around, it’s de facto mission statement is taking down President Donald Trump.

“As president of the United States, I will not have kind words to say about authoritarian leaders around the world who espouse bigotry and hatred,” Sanders told the diverse crowd of supporters. “Together we will make the United States the leader of the world in the fight for democracy and human rights.”

Sanders officially announced candidacy on February 21 with the message, “Not me. Us,” a signal to Sanders’ mission for inclusion and unity.

“Like everyone in the United

States Congress, I have an enormous ego,” Sanders quips to the crowd. “So, it’s nice to hear you say my name over and over again in your chants. But let me be clear. This is not about me.

It is about us. No one singular person, even the President of the United States, can ever do it alone.”

Sanders promised that if he’s elected, he’ll work to enforce campaign finance laws (Sanders is known for refusing corporate and PAC donations to his campaign), fighting income inequality, upholding undocumented immigrants’ rights and providing quality healthcare and holding Big Pharma accountable for the inflating price of medication.

“The goal of healthcare is to provide quality care to all, not to have insurance companies make billions a year for our sickness. There are 30 million Americans with no health insurance and much more who are underinsured,” Sanders said, adding that he plans to work toward federally-funded singlepayer health care.

Second time’s a charm The news of Sanders’ opting for a second go at the presidency was a shock to a lot of Americans, many of whom have raised the question of Sanders’ age.

Upon walking up to Grand Park for the rally on a breezy, overcast Saturday afternoon, it was clear it wasn’t going to be a meager turnout. The stage was held adjacent to the LA County Grand Jury building, yet the line for attendees stretched out two blocks on Temple in between Hill and Broadway.

Overflow sections of the rally were imposed on the steps of City Hall and on the northern block of Grand Park near Grand Avenue, likely making this Sanders’ largest rally of his 2020 campaign.

“It’s really a testament to how

influential he is,” a KoreanAmerican student named Jennifer Hong told the Asian Journal, gesturing to the colorful sea of supporters. “I mean, look at everyone who is here. It’s so varied and diverse. You don’t see this [in] other candidates’ bases.”

24-year-old Fil-Am Jennifer Jose voted for Sanders in 2016 and told the Asian Journal she was “thrilled” upon learning Sanders would be running again.

Holding up a “Bernie 2016” sign with the “16” replaced with a “20”, Jose said, “It’s like a dream come true. When he lost in the primaries [in 2016], I was devastated. He was the first actual politician I believed in and I’m so happy it’s happening again.”

In the United States, it’s become standard operating procedure to kick start a presidential campaign a year and a half before the actual election. The 2016 election period lasted a whopping 597 days.

As this story is being written, there will be 588 days until Nov. 3, 2020 and the number of Democrats looking to unseat Trump — 17 confirmed so far — continues to grow. Among the more name brand candidates include Sanders’ colleagues in the Senate: Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey.

Other notable names in the race include former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, Texas and U.S. Rep Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.

Although we’re just at the start of the election — as of press time, there are 587 days left until Election Day 2020 — early polls suggest that Sanders is comfortably in second place behind former VP Joe Biden, who hasn’t confirmed whether or not he will be running in 2020.

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

Vermont Senator and 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Saturday, March 23 made a stop in Los Angeles where he gave a speech at a rally in Grand Park.

AJPress photos by Klarize Medenilla

CBCP: Death penalty won’t curb...

PAGE A1 vocacy to provide help in 1975 was that some of them felt they were being treated like “animals” and not as “humans.” “(The situation) has been reversed. For example, the observance of due process, they no longer pass through the due process, they just pick up (people) and put them in jails,” Diamante said.

The prisoners are also reportedly allocated P60 daily food allowance only and have limited conjugal visits.

The jails have likewise become more congested.

“When we started there were only 40,000 prisoners nationwide, now there are about 180,000 prisoners. There is about 600 percent congestion and we have not yet counted those in the military camps,” the CBCP official said.

In the past years, Diamante said only few prisoners were given absolute pardon.

Meanwhile, Diamante said that while the CBCP would not be endorsing candidates for

the coming elections, members of the ECPPC would be giving their individual support to some senatorial candidates such as Chel Diokno and former solicitor general Florin Hilbay of the Otso Diretso opposition slate.

He said that he would be supporting Diokno and Hilbay because they are against the restoration of death penalty.

“No, we don’t campaign as CBCP but individually we can.

We will really work hard (in campaigning for them),” he added. n

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A

Dateline PhiliPPines

Sara blasts Leila over ‘honesty’ Palace: Miriam Santiago’s election as ICC judge void

by Catherine

Valente ManilaTimes.net

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday, March 25, blasted detained senator Leila de Lima in the latest episode of the outspoken first daughter’s verbal tussle with the opposition over the issue of honesty among senate candidates.

Duterte-Carpio, President Rodrigo Duterte’s eldest daughter, called de Lima “dumb” for supposedly failing to comprehend her argument that the Constitution did not list “honesty” among the requirements for candidates, and pointed out that the senator was in detention for drug-related charges.

De Lima, earlier this month, said disregard for honesty was “damning” and told DuterteCarpio that she, along with Malacañang spokesman Salvador Panelo, “represent what is wrong and how things could be worse for our government.”

In response, Duterte-Carpio said: “If I am an example of what is wrong and what could be worse for our government, you just described yourself as well. You are the worst because you are intelligent and dumb all in one head.”

“You are the only person from the Black Hole who said it right, dapat ang botante ang nagsasabi kung ano ang hinahanap niya

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

sa kandidato (It should be the voters who will decide on what qualities they are looking for in candidates). But you are dumb as well, for attacking me without reading the entire transcription of my statement and comprehending what I said,” she said in an open letter.

Black Hole is Duterte-Carpio’s choice label for the eight-man senatorial slate of the opposition dubbed “Otso Diretso” (“Straight Eight”).

“You are a senator — honesty about your involvement in the illegal drugs business under scrutiny by the courts — how about you make a law adding honesty as a requirement for all Filipinos before they can run for public office,” Duterte-Carpio, who heads the pro-administration regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, said.

“Maybe then you can save the government from yourself, Inday Sara, Leni, Digong, Panelo, Alejano, Hilbay, and all the de Limas of the universe,” she added, referring to Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, President Duterte, Panelo, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano and former solicitor general Florin Hilbay.

Robredo leads the opposition, while Alejano and Hilbay are Otso Diretso candidates.

De Lima has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Cra-

ManilaTimes.net photo

me, Quezon City since February 2017, as she is on trial for her alleged involvement in the drug trade inside the national penitentiary when she was Justice secretary of the administration of President Benigno Aquino 3rd.

De Lima has maintained that the charges were trumped up to silence her opposition to the president’s bloody war on drugs.

Opposition candidates ‘liars’ In her open letter, DuterteCarpio insisted that honesty was not a requirement to be an election candidate, and that senatorial bets of the opposition could not set the standards.

“Ang sabi ko, hindi ang opposition ang magsasabi kung ano dapat ang isang kandidato at hindi issue ang honesty dahil hindi `yan requirement para ka maging kandidato (What I said was it will not be the opposition that will say what a candidate should be, and that honesty was really not a requirement for any candidate),” Duterte-Carpio said.

“Therefore, Black Hole candidates, who are themselves liars, should not attack a candidate in that manner. I used the same argument on the issue of a college degree or inclusion in the narcolist,” she added.

The narcolist refers to President Duterte’s list of elected officials allegedly involved in drugs.

Duterte-Carpio has accused Alejano of lying when he said that Hugpong candidate Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, former special assistant to the president, used government funds to pay for campaign shirts placed inside the kits distributed during a national convention of elected village officials in February.

Hilbay, the Aquino government’s solicitor general, has also been accused of misrepresenting his role in the Philippines’ arbitration case against China over the dispute over South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

Earlier this month, DuterteCarpio dared Otso Diretso bets to debate with her, but the opposition candidates said they would only engage with senatorial candidates. n

by Darryl John

esguerra

Inquirer.net

MANILA — The election of the late Senator Miriam DefensorSantiago as judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was “void” as the country was never part of the international tribunal, Malacañang said on Monday, March 25.

“If the position is we’ve never been a state party, then logically it is void unless the international court says it is not,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“That’s a legal issue. As far as we are concerned, they never assumed jurisdiction over us. As far as they are concerned, they assumed jurisdiction because there was a treaty,” he added.

The Philippines officially pulled out of the ICC on March 17.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Malacañang claimed that the country was never an official member-state of the tribunal, citing the government’s failure

The late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago

to publish its ratification of the Rome Statute — the treaty that created the ICC — in the Official Gazette.

In 2011, Santiago became the first Filipino and first Asian from a developing country to be elected as ICC judge. She stepped down from the post in 2014, citing health reasons. Two years later, she died after battling lung cancer.

Currently, former University of

Inquirer.net photo

the Philippines law college dean Raul Pangalangan sits as an ICC judge.

Asked why the Philippine’s has yet to pull out the appointment of Pangalangan, Panelo said it’s not up to the government to decide.

“We don’t have to pull out anybody if the position is we never was under the jurisdiction of the court, then it behooves whoever is there to do something for himself,” he said. n

A6 MARCH 27-29, 2019 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Honesty issue needs thoughtful presentation, not caricature

FEATURES

LEST Filipino voters are misled into thinking that honesty does not matter in our public service, let it be told that the issue has been raised, discussed and dismissed in the current election campaign.

The give-and-take between opposing camps and candidates on the issue has not been enlightening.

It is simply grotesque for anyone to assert that honesty does not matter in our public life, or that honesty does not or should not figure in the candidates’ qualifications for office or citizens’ evaluation of their worthiness.

Stated simply, honesty is a fundamental requirement in our public service. The central premise is that public officials are obligated to render honest judgment, to work hard and efficiently, and to maximize the benefits of government to all citizens.

We rightly associate the virtue of honesty with a person’s character. According to Francis Fukuyama, author of the book, Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity, honesty is one of the social virtues vital to prosperity.

Significantly, a source book and guide that we use from time to time at The Manila Times carries the title, Honest Government, An Ethics Guide to Public Service.

Sure, honesty is often misused as a platitude.

Yet, there is no way this splendid virtue is going to go out of fashion.

It must be pointed out here that there is a criti-

cal difference between campaigning for public office and wielding the responsibilities of public office. The candidate and the officeholder have different responsibilities.

Strictures on conduct that we reserve for actual officeholders in the public payroll are not normally applied in the case of candidates. There are clear ethical guidelines for both elected public officials and regular civil servants, according to the book Honest Government.

That said, there are also some rules for candidates and campaigning, which the Commission on Elections is mandated to enforce. Campaign rules are totally different from the rules governing actual public service. Among these campaign rules are limits concerning spending and advertising.

Honest Government has listed some useful guidelines for candidates. Current candidates in the coming elections will do well to bear them in mind.

For instance, there is a rule of fairness in campaigning for public office. Unfair tactics are sometimes employed to blacken the image and reputation of rival candidates. Unfair campaign tactics are generally unacceptable.

Honest Government provides a useful guideline on this: “Campaigning is unfair if it contains

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

allegations that are untrue, defamatory, misleading to a reasonable person, or irrelevant to the legitimate qualifications for the office sought or to issues about which the electorate is legitimately concerned.”

Finally, we relay to the reader a wise parting word from Honest Government: “Campaigning should not cloud the issues by raising questions about an opponent that are not

relevant to his or her qualifications or judgment.”

There is a campaign version of the Golden Rule: “How would you feel if your opponent made a similar attack against you? If the answer is ‘terrible,’ then the attack is unfair.”

Candidates will do better by meeting for debates that explore in-depth issues and test their thinking and problem-solving abilities rather than let them show off superficial skills. (ManilaTimes.net)

FACT CHECK: Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not exonerate Trump for obstruction of justice, his appointed attorney general did

MAKE THE FULL MUELLER REPORT PUBLIC! Disclose all documents and evidence to the American people. This was what Congress voted on in a rare display of unanimous bipartisanship, 420-0, in the spirit of transparency and accountability to the American people.

This has been what an overwhelming majority of American people are demanding as evidenced by all poll results.

Now, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked the resolution that called for the Mueller report to be released publicly, a complete 180-degree turnaround.

What ever happened to the 420-0 vote in Congress before the Special Counsel submitted his report to the Office of the Attorney General?

Didn’t Trump claim that he directed the Republicans in Congress to vote ‘YES’ to making the Mueller report public because he has NOTHING to hide?

Why the change of heart? What are the Republicans in Congress and President Trump and his cohorts hiding? What are they so afraid of?

Could it be because they know, as explicitly written by Special Counsel Robert Mueller himself in the report submitted to the Department of Justice that Trump has NOT been exonerated — NOT cleared of the obstruction of justice allegation against him?

FACT: It was Trump’s political appointee Attorney General William Barr who made the conclusion to exonerate Trump for obstruction of justice, and NOT Special Counsel Robert Mueller. It was Barr, who made public about his stand discred-

iting the obstruction of justice allegation against the president The Fil-Am BEFORE he was appointed to Perspective the position by Trump.

Let us backtrack a little to look at the big picture.

Mueller, a long-time Republican and highly esteemed for his integrity and service to the GEL SANTOS-RELOS country as a veteran and a law enforcement officer, was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey because of the Russia probe [Trump’s own confession].

Why the Deputy AG? Because Trump’s thenappointed Attorney General Jeff Sessions had to recuse himself out of delicadeza from anything related to the probe because of previous statements he made about the issue.

This angered Trump so much and he kept saying up to the end when he fired Sessions, and replaced him with acting AG Matt Whitaker, that had he known Sessions would recuse himself, he would not have appointed him AG. Why was Trump mad? Because he expected his appointees to be loyal to him and to protect him, despite the DOJ and the AG being mandated by the Constitution to be an independent law enforcement branch of the government despite being under the executive department, and the Attorney General to be the attorney of the American people, and not of the president, nor of the Office of the President.

Whittaker was appointed acting AG when Trump

fired Sessions, bypassing ranks of succession in the DOJ only because Whittaker publicly stated in writing and TV interviews that he thought a sitting president should NOT be indicted.

Bingo! And this man had not disappointed Trump and acted exactly how Trump wanted him to do — to report to the president about everything Mueller, in contradiction to the independence the Office of the AG had to uphold.

Fast forward to the present: Trump appointed Barr, who now cleared the president of the obstruction of justice allegation against him, fulfilling exactly the role Trump wanted him to play when he appointed him to be AG. The Mueller probe confirmed Russia’s assault on our democracy, and uncovered crimes committed by members of the Trump campaign, including ties and communications with Russia and other foreign agents - both reported, unreported, and lied about.

However, the evidence gathered by the probe did not meet the “beyond reasonable doubt” requirement to prove members of the campaign knowingly coordinated with Russia in its interference in the 2016 election.

BUT LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD - Mueller did NOT EXONERATE Trump in obstruction of justice. Trump NEVER sat down for an interview with the Special Counsel for fear he could perjure himself with all the web of lies he has created. But the evidence found by Mueller was sufficient enough

for him not to clear Trump of the crime of obstruction of justice - a sign that a further probe needs to be done, beyond the mandate given to him as Special Counsel.

After all, that was how the Mueller probe started: concerns about Trump’s firing of then FBI Director James Comey, concerns about possible obstruction of justice. This ran parallel with the DOJ counter-intelligence probe of security threats of Russia interfering in our elections.

Trump gloated and repeated more lies he was exonerated by Mueller. He was not. Yet instead of criticizing Russia for its assault in our democracy and instead of apologizing to the American people for defending and agreeing with Putin over our own intelligence community, Trump again chose to demonize the Democrats, the “deep state,” and all his political foes.

Congress has to do its job in getting to the bottom of this issue.

RELEASE THE FULL MUELLER REPORT. Make all evidence and documents public and make the American people find out the truth and decide.

We, the people, paid for this probe. We deserve transparency. We deserve accountability from the government. We are obligated to fight for this democracy — the government of the people, by the people, for the people!! *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos

Senators who can say ‘no’ to Duterte

Newsstand

JOHN NERY WITH seven weeks before the 2019 midterm elections, opposition candidates continue to face daunting odds — but I wouldn’t go so far as to say, as a friend who took part in many campaigns before has said, that they are irrelevant.

Recent history has proven yet again that many, if not most politicians, are loyal mainly to their own interests; they will change parties, or switch sides, if their self-interests are on the line. Note, for instance, that the Liberal Party won a large plurality (almost 42 percent) of the congressional seats in the 2016 elections; candidate Rodrigo Duterte had very short campaign coattails. Once the extent of his victory was clear, however, many newly elected or reelected politicians were overcome by,

shall we say, a sudden clarity of mind. In the country’s election casino, the first rule has always been to get a seat at the table.

What the office-holder does after is up to him, or her.

High stakes. If the administration wins a real supermajority in the Senate in the second half of President Duterte’s elected term, I am certain it will mean that Vice President Leni Robredo will be impeached on made-up charges; that the Constitution will be revised, and not through a constitutional convention but through the houses of Congress convening as a constituent assembly; that onerous treaties with China will be concurred in; and that Sen. Leila de Lima, already the target of dirty tactics, will be expelled from the Senate.

By real supermajority, I mean a total of 16 senators will form a voting bloc that will consent to and concede every major demand of the President’s. We

have a supermajority in the 17th Congress, but in name only; the main reason the administration resorted at the last hour to the patently unconstitutional quo warranto proceeding against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was the administration could not be sure it had at least 16 votes for impeachment. With the likes of Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa, Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Francis Tolentino and Imee Marcos in the Senate, the administration will be enjoying the advantage of a new arithmetic.

(Incidentally, a member of Congress can be expelled or suspended by a two-thirds vote of all the members. De Lima, who is detained under manifestly unjust circumstances, would not even be able to vote for herself, if a resolution for expulsion were to be put to the vote.)

As it is, the prospects of the opposition candidates, includ-

ing Neri Colmenares and labor’s Leody de Guzman, remain forbidding. But all is not lost.

Trillanes template. The first time Sen. Sonny Trillanes ran for office, he did so from his jail cell. His unlikely, late-breakout victory is the main source of hope for opposition candidates not surnamed Roxas or Aquino.

In January 2007, four months before the elections, Trillanes was still well out of striking range. His awareness level was a relatively robust 46 percent in the Pulse Asia poll, but his voting preference rating was less than a tenth of that, at 4.2 percent. In a race with 12 seats at stake, he was running anywhere between 38th and 57th place.

There was no Pulse Asia survey for February; in the March 2007 poll, Trillanes moved up significantly, to 23rd and 24th place, with a voting preference rate twice as high as the last: 9.9 percent.

In early April, his numbers improved even further: now ranking 20-22, he had 17.1 percent of prospective voters saying they would vote for him, almost double the number in March.

Two weeks later, and about two weeks before the elections, Pulse Asia ran another survey.

Trillanes was now in 16th to 20th place, with a voting preference rating of 22 percent.

On election day, Pulse Asia’s exit poll showed that Trillanes, on the back of a 35.4 voting preference rating, had broken into the top 12, placing somewhere between 8th and 12th.

The official results bore the surveys out; he won the 11th seat, with 11.2 million votes.

Word of caution. To be sure, Trillanes was the beneficiary of an opposition wave. The president at the time, Gloria Arroyo, was facing a legitimacy crisis and was hobbled by dismal ratings; her disapproval ratings were higher than her approval

ratings.

Eight of the 12 winning candidates for the Senate were opposition (although it took Koko Pimentel a few years to take his seat). Five of the first six winners were leaders of the opposition; only two represented Arroyo’s administration; two ran as independents.

What works. Comparing the January 2019 and February 2019 Pulse Asia polls, we can see that there is some volatility in the Senate rankings.

Most interesting is the drop in Imee Marcos’ vote-for number, from 41.2 percent to 36. This suggests to me that negative campaigning works. Pimentel dropped about 10, Jinggoy over 11 percentage points. Even Lapid and Revilla are down.

The Senate candidates who can say No to President Duterte don’t only need to make themselves better known; they need to say No to other Senate candidates, too. (Inquirer.net)

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Bongbong Marcos asks SC for technical exam of Mindanao votes

by TeTch

Torres-Tupas Inquirer.net

MANILA — The camp of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, March 26, asked the Supreme Court, acting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), to conduct a technical examination of votes in several areas in Mindanao.

Marcos through his lawyer George Garcia reiterated his request that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should submit its findings on the technical examination of the election returns (ERs) and election day computerized voters’ list that were initially conducted in Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.

The former senator reiterated the urgency to examine the remaining precincts in the said provinces, citing massive election fraud.

“It is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Tribunal to direct the Voters’ Identification Division of the Comelec to conduct

a technical examination on the signatures and or thumbprints appearing on the Voters’ Registration Records (VRR) and the Election Day Computerized Voters’ List with Voters’ Records (EDCVL) of the entire 2, 756 protested clustered precincts of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan in connection with the May 9, 2016 national and local elections,” Marcos said.

A technical examination involves the comparison of signatures and thumbprints of voters in the VRR as against the EDCVL. He also asked the PET to subpoena relevant documents and investigation chairpersons and members of the Board of Election Inspectors in the said provinces, and to order the poll body to produce and submit the questioned documents dated June 5, 2018 and other relevant documents involving the technical examination conducted on the VRRs as against the EDCVLs of 508 established precincts in the

said provinces during the 2016 polls.

But the camp of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, in a motion last January, opposed Marcos’s plea saying it went against the rules of the PET prohibiting the introduction of additional clustered precincts outside of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

Robredo, through her lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, was referring to a directive issued by the Tribunal on Aug. 29, 2017, which confined the initial determination of grounds for protests to the revision and reception of evidence in the three provinces — Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental — that Marcos claimed best exemplified instances of fraud or irregularities in the 2016 polls.

On Monday night, March 25, Marcos attended a brief program staged by his supporters outside of the SC compound in Manila to commemorate the 1,000th day of the filing of his electoral protest. n

Arroyo not backing anyone in Speaker race SHE has no horse in the race for the next leader of the House.

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo refused to be drawn into endorsing any of the two candidates who separately received the backing of President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

“I don’t want to comment on the next Congress because I am not going to be a part of it,” the former President told reporters in Bacolod City.

Mayor Duterte, leader of the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago who helped orchestrate the coup staged by Arroyo last year against the previous Speaker, Pantaleon Alvarez, endorsed different congressional candidates as the next Speaker in two election campaign rallies last week.

On March 19 in Tacloban City, she introduced former Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez as the next Speaker. But the next day, she gave a similar introduction to Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco in Tagbilaran City.

President’s supporters The mayor later said she was supporting “all those who are

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

supportive of the president.”

Romualdez is president of Arroyo’s former party, LakasChristian Muslim Democrats, and the nephew of Rep. Imelda Marcos, widow of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Velasco, on the other hand, is close to President Duterte and the rumored candidate of Arroyo’s current party, the ruling Partido Demokratiko PilipinoLakas ng Bayan.

Other candidates have emerged in the speakership race, including former Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who is seeking the seat of

Inquirer.net photo

Taguig-Pateros in the House, and Representatives Ronaldo Zamora of San Juan City, Lucy Torres-Gomez of Leyte, Alex Advincula and Abraham Tolentino of Cavite, and Federico Sandoval II of Malabon City.

Arroyo reiterated her previous denials that she was keen to accept a new post in the Duterte administration once her term was over.

“I’m going to continue writing my memoirs. As to [what I’ll be doing] I’ve never given it much thought yet on what I’ll do to stay busy,” she said. (DJ Yap/Inquirer.net)

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCh 27-29, 2019

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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

P22 billion taxes uncollected yearly Eastern Europe seen as new from foreign POGO workers — DOF market for agricultural products

“There are still gaps in the numbers and we need to close those gaps. In our computations, there is at least P22 billion a year not being collected in the income taxes from these Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations workers who could possibly exceed 100,000 in number,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said.

Philstar.com file photo

by Mary

Grace Philstar.com

Padin

THE government may be losing P22.5 billion in uncollected income taxes a year from foreign nationals employed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs), the Department of Finance (DOF) said Monday, March 25.

During a meeting with the interagency task force formed to monitor POGO workers, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said there may be more than 100,000 foreign POGO employees in the country who remain unmonitored, and may not be paying the proper income taxes.

“There are still gaps in the numbers and we need to close those gaps. In our computations, there is at least P22 billion a year not being collected in the income taxes from these POGO workers who could possibly exceed 100,000 in number,” Dominguez said.

Based on estimates, Internal Revenue deputy commissioner Arnel Guballa said there are an average of 515 foreign workers employed per POGO service provider, which leaves about 103,000 aliens working in the industry.

Guballa said the BIR also came across a newspaper report in China stating that foreign workers in POGOs receive an average of 10,000 yuan, equivalent to about

$1,500 or P78,000, a month.

Dominguez said with an average income tax rate of 25 percent, an estimated P18,750 a month may be uncollected by the BIR from each foreign worker, translating to roughly P22.5 billion a year in foregone income tax revenues.

This rough computation does not yet include allowances and other fringe benefits, which are also taxable, Dominguez said.

Considering these figures, Dominguez said there is a need to fasttrack the completion of the list of foreign POGO workers in the country being consolidated by the task force.

“We have to go after these guys because they are not paying taxes,” Dominguez said. “If we do not have (a list), how can the BIR do its job, which is to collect taxes from everybody so that we are being fair to all Filipinos who are paying their taxes?”

“We hope that everybody will be 100 percent cooperative here so that these guys can get their taxes collected,” he said.

Members of the interagency task force, for their part, committed to submit the completed list to Dominguez in their next meeting this Friday, March 29.

Meanwhile, the task force also informed Dominguez that foreign POGO workers might also be present in special economic zones

(SEZs) in the country, including the Aurora Special Economic Zone and Freeport (APECO), which is allowed to operate online gaming operations in Makati City.

With the government still lacking a clear picture of all gambling operations in the country, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who leads the interagency task force, along with Labor Assistant Secretary Benjo Benavidez, secretary Raul Lambino of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), Securities and Exchange Commissioner Javey Paul Francisco, and Bureau of Immigration (BI) deputy commissioner Tobias Javier suggested various measures.

They said the BI, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

(PAGCOR), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the special economic zones should consolidate a list of gaming firms and foreign employees in these areas.

Before being issued with an alien employment permit, it was suggested that foreign workers should first register with the BIR and get their Taxpayer Identification Numbers.

They said POGOs who have initially registered their operations as business process outsourcing should be required to amend their articles of incorporation to retain their licenses to operate. n

“Among our products to be showcased are coconut, especially green young coconuts and coconut water, mango, banana, pineapple, canned tuna, bottled sardines and premium coffee and cacao,” said Piñol, who is currently in Belarus.

Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban by loUise

MaUreen Philstar.com

siMeon

THE Philippines plans to enter new export markets for various agricultural products, with greater focus on the East European region, particularly Belarus.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the Philippines hopes to join the Bel-Agro Festival, one of the world’s biggest agricultural exposition participated by nearly 20 countries in Eastern Europe.

“Among our products to be showcased are coconut, especially green young coconuts and coconut water, mango, banana, pineapple, canned tuna, bottled sardines and premium coffee and cacao,” said Piñol, who is currently in Belarus.

“Belarus Deputy Minister Ivan

Smilhin said the Philippines would have to undertake a promotional campaign for its products, especially coconut because it is a new commodity to the Eastern European consumers who have been using sunflowers and olive oil,” he added.

The Philippines started its aggressive marketing campaign in the Eastern European Union, which has a 180-million population, with engagements with the Belarus Agriculture Ministry and officials of a leading supermarket chain.

The mission aims to open up a new market for the country’s coconut products, including mangoes, bananas, pineapple and fish.

“We will be participating in the Bel-Agro, the entry of Belarus tractors into the country and the

initial shipment of mango, canned pineapple, canned tuna and the display of coconut products in one of the stores of Euro-Opt, a leading supermarket chain here,” Piñol said.

While Belarus only has a population of 10 million, it is considered the gateway to the rest of the Eastern European market.

The Philippines will also introduce fresh tuna, canned and bottled sardines, dried fish, bananas, pineapple, coffee and cacao, finest abaca handicrafts and other products.

This will be the biggest participation by the Philippines in an Eastern European Agricultural Expo since President Duterte started engaging with Russia and the other countries of the former Soviet Union. n

BSP: Virtual currency ATMs must be registered

by Mayvelin

U. caraballo Manilatimes.net

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)-supervised financial institutions need to register automated teller machines (ATMs) that offer virtual currencies, a senior central bank official said.

In March 14 memorandum, BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier said that “operators of ATM that allow purchase or exchange of VCs (for example, bitcoin) or other devices with similar functionality and capability, are considered VCEs (virtual currency exchanges) and should register with the BSP.” The reminder is pursuant to BSP Circular 944 that refers to VCEs as any entity that offers services or engages in activities that provide for the conversion or exchange of fiat currency to VCs or vice versa.

A virtual currency is any type of digital unit that is used as a medium of exchange or a form of digitally stored value created by agreement within a community of users.

Circular 944 also provides detailed rules and regulations governing the registration, operations and reporting obligations of VCEs in the Philippines.

“As registered VCEs, they should comply with anti-money laundering/terrorist financing

BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier.

laws and regulations, ensure sufficient and appropriate controls and governance framework are adopted to manage the associate technology and other operational risks, and put in place adequate consumer protection and customer support, among others,” Fona-

BSP FB page

cier stressed.

Seven VCEs — Fyntegrate Inc., ZyBi Tech Inc., Betur Inc., Rebittance Inc., BloomSolutions, ETranss and Virtual Currency Philippines Inc. — have so far been allowed to operate in the country by the BSP. n

Officials want more Chinese investments in PH by daxiM

l. lUcas

Inquirer.net

THE economic managers of President Duterte want more Chinese capital to participate in the Philippine economy, especially in key infrastructure projects that the current administration has made the cornerstone of its growth policies.

“Our partnership with China has never been stronger, and it can only be strengthened if the Chinese companies—both stateowned and private—come to the Philippines and invest,” Bases Conversion Development Authority president and CEO Vivencio Dizon told potential investors.

In particular, the BCDA chief pointed out that the central business district currently rising in Clark, Pampanga, would be an attractive destination for Chinese money.

The call for more investments from China was made by key Cabinet members last week during the Philippine Economic Briefing in Beijing attended by an estimated 500 businessmen. The economic team led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III was joined

by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa

Guinigundo and Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, among others.

“Like China, the Philippines is well positioned for growth,” Dominguez said, pointing to the country’s “strong fiscal position” that has paved the way for the government to invest in an ambitious infrastructure program that works in concert with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. “The Philippines, with a fast-growing economy and business-friendly tax reforms, is perfect for investment.”

“We look forward to a seamless network for the flow of goods, the exchange of best practices and boundless cooperation in the coming years,” Dominguez said.

For his part, Villar talked about the importance of “Build Build Build” as more than just a goal: “This is the golden age of infrastructure; our goal is not just to build—it is to sustainably build.

We are united in our goals and resilient in our resolve to pursue ‘Build Build Build’.”

Other Philippine officials who joined the roadshow were Department of Budget and Management OIC Secretary Janet Abuel, National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon, National Economic and Development Authority Undersecretary Jonathan Uy and Assistant

Secretary Carlos Abad Santos, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago L. Sta. Romana was represented by Commercial Counselor Glenn Peñaranda.

The officials discussed the Philippines’ economic performance and outlook, presented the long list of infrastructure development projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program, inviting investors to do business in the country and take advantage of the economy’s growth.

In recent years, the Philippines has been among the fastest-growing economies in the region and the world, registering above 6 percent growth in gross domestic product for the past 15 consecutive quarters as of the fourth quarter of 2018.

Robust economic growth comes with other positive indicators, including a stable fiscal position, ample foreign exchange reserves, a normalizing inflation outlook and a growing young and skilled population. This is matched by rising investments, increased government spending in education and health services and a stable financial and banking system. n

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 27, 2019

This Filipina-American engineer makes it easy for you to binge-watch Netflix BY

CHRISTINA M. ORIEL AJPRESS

“J

UST one more episode” — it’s something we whisper to ourselves to resist ending a Netflix binge-watch, despite the clock ticking or other responsibilities calling.

There are several factors that allow us to succumb to the continuous entertainment on the platform, from captivating content to no interruptions from advertisements. But perhaps a component we take for granted as viewers is how smooth and buffer-free the video experience is, whether viewing on a TV, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

The next time you’re on the video streaming service, think of (and thank) Filipina-American engineer Anne Aaron, the director of video algorithms at Netflix, whose job it is to ensure that your video is delivered at the best quality using the least amount of bandwidth possible.

“You don’t even notice. You are just engaged in the story and don’t have to think about, let’s say the rebuffering or whether the picture is blurry,” Aaron tells the Asian Journal in a recent interview. “We worry about that for you. If you don’t have to think about this, that means we’re doing our job correctly.”

Growing up in the Philippines, Aaron quips that she was a “math and science nerd” who determined early on that she wanted to be in that realm of study. She was accepted to Philippine Science High School in Quezon City, which is the top school in the country offering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

That led to Ateneo de Manila University for college, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1998 and another in computer engineering the year after.

Aaron vividly remembers an image compression class that captivated her because of how math contributed to the visual aspect. “You had to do some programming, you had to do some math,” she says. “But at the end of it all, you would see the picture and it was so visual.

You could see the product of your work.”

Knowing that she didn’t want to “join a multinational company” in the Philippines, which was a conventional route for other family members, she asked herself: “Do I move to Silicon Valley?”

Born and raised in the Philippines, Anne Aaron came to California in 2000 to pursue a masterʼs degree and doctorate in electrical engineering at Stanford University.

As director of video algorithms at Netflix, Aaron oversees a team of 16 software engineers and researchers who make sure that the video streaming is delivered smoothly without using too much data.

Photos courtesy of Netflix

She would go on to Stanford University for master’s — under the Stanford Graduate Fellowship — and doctorate degrees, both in electrical engineering.

During this time, she received the AT&T Asia Pacific Leadership Award and C.V. Starr Southeast Asian Fellowship.

“I tried out a bunch of research groups at Stanford and ended up in video because… it’s abstract, it’s sentiment, but at the end of the day, it’s something you can enjoy with your eyes. It delivers entertainment so it resonated with me,” Aaron recalls.

After Stanford, she dove into video streaming companies in the area, such as Modulus Video and Dyyno, before a position as a senior software engineer for Cisco’s FlipShare Video desktop software.

Seizing opportunities Aaron initially received an offer to join Netflix in 2009, but decided to go elsewhere.

Another opportunity came two years later in 2011, which she accepted as a senior software engineer. “My boss still teases me that I should’ve accepted the offer in 2009,” she says.

“I started as an individual contributor, as an engineer. But the good thing about Netflix is that even if as an engineer, as an individual contributor, you can lead projects yourself and you can drive projects,” she recalls.

“That’s how it started. I led a big project that went across teams.

It was very technical but also needed a lot of coordination because it had a big impact through our current members.”

Three years later, she moved to manager of video algorithms and then her current role as director of the team in 2016.

At the company’s Los Gatos headquarters, Aaron is at the helm of a 16-person team comprised of software engineers and researchers who focus on video

encoding and experiment and tailor algorithms based on the type of content so that it’s presented at optimal speed and visuals.

“The fun part of my day is really brainstorming with them — finding a problem in our space.

How do we reduce the bits more or this algorithm doesn’t work well for this particular content so trying to brainstorm and find why it’s not working well for that particular content,” she says.

“The types of problems are here’s a video clip, how could we reduce the bit rate or the bandwidth, while still maintaining good quality.”

The Netflix culture memo, which emphasizes freedom, responsibility, and trust in the work and feedback from colleagues, is part of what Aaron says has shaped her leadership style and creativity to spearhead projects.

There aren’t “a lot of rules and processes because we have trust in our colleagues to do the right thing,” she says. “That’s why I like it here.”

About 80 percent of her direct reports also hold doctorate degrees and are very technical, but as the director, she has to balance that with the business strategy and well-being of the team.

“I think my team knows that I am someone they can trust and they can trust that I am looking at both the business aspect but also people’s well-being personally as well as career-wise,” she says. “[It’s] a balance with…the empathy for the team because people have to be happy to feel fulfilled to be at their most productive best.”

At the end of December 2018, Netflix released “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,” an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure film under the science fiction series. Available in 28 languages, it was the first hands-on release for the adult demographic in which they could make choices at various points throughout the film that would shape the storyline.

It was one of the recent major projects in which Aaron’s team contributed to. “‘Bandersnatch’ was a cross-team effort

A still from “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,” an interactive film released by Netflix in December 2018 that allows users to choose their own adventure and affect the storyline. Various departments at the company, including the video algorithms team, contributed to the delivery of the film.

Whether you stream on a TV, laptop, tablet or gaming console, Netflixʼs video algorithms team works to ensure that the experience is buffer-free.

all from creating the content to delivering it seamlessly to our members,” she says.

“It’s a very seamless experience and part of the seamlessness is in how you prepare the video stream — you have to put in points in the video where you can easily switch, but the viewer can’t notice the switch,” she describes. “So my team, as partly coding, producing this video stream had to do a lot of work to adapt how we did the encoding so the switching points were seamless.”

But one of the video algorithm team’s on-going efforts Aaron boasts about is reducing the bandwidth needed to stream any type of content anywhere in the world, especially in areas that may have limits to data and connectivity like the Philippines.

“Say you want to watch one episode of ‘Stranger Things.’ In the past, typically if you wanted to have decent quality for that show, that would require you one megabit per second,” she explains. “That’s quite a lot of data and for some places in the world, where you have some fixed data caps, like the Philippines where you have prepaid data, you have to pay a certain amount for four gigabytes of data, that would limit the number of hours of Netflix you can watch.”

Her team goes in to encode each video file and see how to reduce each bit rate and the required amount of data to watch one hour of video for example, while still maintaining the picture quality.

“Ultimately what that means is that, for the same, prepaid data card that someone has out there in the emerging markets, you can just watch more Netflix and the picture is still going to be more enjoyable,” she says.

Another feature she helped carry out was the Smart Downloads, which enables members to download a film or TV series on the Netflix app and watch it without internet connection.

“It’s not necessarily big features that make [Netflix] great — I mean ‘Bandersnatch’ was good and Smart Downloads were good features — but it’s also the small iterations to just make it better bit by bit that makes people stick to the service,” Aaron argues.

There are over 300 streaming video services available today, according to Deloitte’s digital media trends survey released earlier this month. Apple announced that it would jump into the already crowded market and have its own TV and movie streaming service as well.

Despite this, with now 139 million subscribers across 190 countries — 58.5 million in the United States — Netflix continues to be the leading provider in the subscription video on demand space. In 2017, its 117.6 million subscribers watched 140 million hours of content per day, which was estimated around 71 minutes per user.

“People like having the control that they can watch whenever they want to on whatever device…,” Aaron says. “Netflix is going to be here to stay, as long as we build a good service, build a good product and build good content.”

Technicality aside, Netflix’s offerings, especially its original

As a team leader at Netflix, Aaron says she upholds the culture memo, which emphasizes freedom and responsibility among colleagues.

titles, continue to bring members in.

As for Aaron’s recommendations? She confesses that teen dramas are her “guilty pleasures.” “I know I’m not in high school, but I do really like ‘Sex Education’ and ‘Elite,’” she says.

Other favorites include “BoJack Horseman,” which she watches with her husband and “One Day at a Time,” which “tackles serious topics like immigration and gay rights and shows powerful women, so it’s relatable.”

“There are a lot of good recommendations,” she says.

“There’s a personalized experience for you. We can look at your case and recommend things you may like watching.

That’s a big part of the experience, the personalization.”

A ‘powerful’ female engineer The Filipina-American engineer landed the No. 32 spot on Business Insider’s “43 Most Powerful Female Engineers of 2017” — alongside a roster of extraordinary women from companies like Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and SpaceX. Aaron was also named in Forbes’ inaugural “The World’s Top 50 Women in Tech” list in 2018 who are “three generations of forward-thinking technologists leading more than a dozen tech sectors across the globe,” the publication wrote.

“When people think about tech, it’s usually not my gender-country-of-origin-face that comes to mind,” Aaron wrote in a Twitter post last November in response to the Forbeslist. “I’m thrilled to have my photo as the first on the list (“AAron”), and be an example to Filipina girls out there. Yes, we belong in tech.”

With almost two decades in Silicon Valley, Aaron has noticed a shift in the conversations around females in the industry.

It’s progress, but she doesn’t think “anyone has cracked it” yet.

“In the past, it’s just been taken as a default. At Stanford, in the whole electrical engineering department, I think there was like eight to 10 of us. We accepted this. At least now I appreciate that all the big companies are talking…about making the workplace more inclusive to women,” Aaron says.

An anecdote she has candidly shared from earlier in her career was when she applied for an engineering position at another big tech company but instead was offered a project manager position.

“They talk about impostor syndrome and figuring about whether you belong but I just tried to forget that I was the only woman in the room,” she says. “Once in a while, I would notice...but right now, I’m glad that there’s more visibility on this topic and everyone is talking about how do we change the environment to encourage more women to join and also to encourage women not to leave.”

She identifies that one of the

big problems to tackle is retention and how to prevent women from leaving these engineering roles. In her eight years at Netflix, Aaron says that mentors and managers have validated her role and contributions, particularly as an engineer whose work can traditionally go unnoticed.

In a #WITBragDay tweet, Aaron wrote, “When you watch #Netflix: picture doesn’t suck, and is actually awesome, because of the team I lead (& my code).”

“The good thing is that the people around me — my managers and leaders — recognize that. The one advice is to be in a place where you really trust your leaders and they appreciate you,” she says. “Find working environments where you can be with people that can recognize your impact.”

David Ronca, director of encoding technologies at Netflix and Aaron’s manager, shares for this interview that she’s “incredibly smart, unafraid to take risks, and has very good business sense.”

“Her team has been responsible for pioneering new video technologies, and with these innovations, members can enjoy Netflix on their cellphone almost anywhere in the world without worrying about bandwidth or data caps. Anne is an exemplary role model both inside and outside the walls of Netflix,” he adds.

With the same encouragement and inclusivity, Aaron extends the same to her own team.

“If all managers and all leaders are conscious about it and you try to make your own team more inclusive, I think that’s going to have a ripple effect so I’m happy right now starting from being the only woman on my team,” she says. “Now I have about 30 percent women, which I think will encourage more women and more diversity, not just from a gender perspective but from a country of origin.”

In addition to lauding women’s accomplishments in STEM, Aaron’s background adds another layer as a Filipina and immigrant to which she says she feels “a bit of responsibility” given her visibility in the community.

Aaron — together with FASTER, a network for Fil-Ams in the Silicon Valley tech community — spearheaded a “Filipinos in tech” event at the Netflix headquarters in mid-March as a way to meet other Fil-Ams in the industry since she doesn’t on a daily basis.

“I feel fortunate, but also at the same time, I do think about that, like what about my background has brought me here because...compared to the other Filipinas I know back in the Philippines, they’re as hardworking but I think there’s just a lack of opportunity,” Aaron says. “How can I help in bringing more opportunity to other Filipinas who are as smart and as hardworking or as passionate in technology as me?” ■

Filipino dance group beats Belgium team in ‘The Duels’ of ‘World of Dance’

entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 27, 2019

‘Aeta representation in ‘MMK’ episode questioned

by NiÑa

V. GuNo

Inquirer.net

Filipino dance group VPeepz

Photo screengrabbed from Youtube/NBC World of Dance

by Krissy

aGuilar Inquirer.net

YOUNG Filipino dance group VPeepz has smashed the competitors from the Belgium Battle Droids during “The Duels� of the American dance competition “World of Dance.�

VPeepz, composed of dancers from 11 to 16 years old, beat Battle Droids from Belgium with their dance routine of Eve’s “Tambourine.� “Your precision is literally dancing with one brain. Eve-

rybody doing the exact same thing at the exact same time.

Top notch,� Judge Ne-Yo said after their performance.

Judge Jennifer Lopez praised how clean their performance was and said it was exactly what she looks for. “That was a thing that stood out the most. I was like, is it perfectly clean every single step right now? And you guys were hitting it so hard, and that’s what I look for too. I was like, can you keep up the intensity? And you guys absolutely did,� Lopez

said.

While judge Derek Hough pointed out a minor mishap in their routine, he said, “Overall, you all did your thing, you all did it.�

VPeepz received an average score of 92 while Battle Droids received 90, advancing the former to the competition’s next round called “The Cut.�

The third season of “World of Dance� premiered last February 26, 2019. The winner of the competition will receive a grand prize of one million dollars. n

AN upcoming episode of “Maalaala Mo Kaya� is seeing a debate resurface — that of using makeup to darken actors’ skins so they could play a role.

An episode featuring the life story of Aeta beauty queen Judith Manap airs on Saturday, March 30, with actress Maymay Entrata in the lead role.

When Entrata announced the story on her social media accounts on Sunday, March 24, Twitter users criticized the darkened skin tones of the cast. “This is black face, appropriating the local Aeta community.

Local artists, especially as role models to young and impressionable fans, should know better,� said netizen Jessica Nicole (@itsjessmehoney) on Sunday. “MMK has always been Inquirer.net file photo problematic in casting roles but it’s more saddening when artists Others called for ABS-CBN Cabalic of the movie “Paglipay�.

As the debate heated, acdon’t say no to these roles,� she to cast Aeta actors, citing actors pointed out. such as Joan dela Cruz and Garry Continued on Page 5

‘Angels in America’: Tackling ‘Mystified’ brings ‘Encantadia’s’ women back to life HIV anew at critical time in PH

by NiKa

roque Manilatimes.net

by iza iGlesias Manilatimes.net

FOR TV buffs, the first show to definitely come to mind at the mention of the word “fantaserye� is the mother of all Filipino fantasy series, “Encantadia.�

A proudly original production of GMA Network in 2005, the highly successful concept aired 160 episodes before taking a bow, while a promising reboot gathered a new generation cast in 2017 with an even bigger total of 218 episodes.

This year, a single major production hopes to thrill Encantadia fans one more time as entertainment streaming service iFlix ventures into their very first full length Filipino movie project, and with the fantaserye’s original cast all in!

Yes. Encantadia’s women — Diana Zubiri, Karylle, Iza Calzado and Sunshine Dizon — are reunit-

‘Encantadia’s’ Sang’gres Karylle, Iza Calzado, Sunshine Dizon and Diana Zubiri are back together in ‘Mystified.’ Photo courtesy of iFlix

ed as the beautiful and powerful According to iFlix CounSangg’res in iFlix’s upcoming of- try Manger Sherwin dela Cruz, fering, “Mystified.� The movie is their team had begun meeting ready for streaming by March 29.

Continued on Page 6

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To kick off its 20th year on stage, Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group mounts the Manila production of “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches� anew with some of the most critically acclaimed actors of a generation.

An updated and groundbreaking masterpiece to challenge a phenomenal cast, it stars Art AcuĂąa as Roy Cohn, Pinky Amador as the Angel, Angeli Bayani as Harper Pitt, Topper Fabregas as Prior Walter, Cherie Gil as Hannah Pitt, Nelsito Gomez as Louis Ironson, Andoy Ranay as Belize, and Markki Stroem as Joe Pitt.

The first part of Tony Kushner’s epic set in 1980s New York City, zooms in on the lives of two couples. Prior Walter is aban-

doned by his lover, Louis, when he contracts the AIDS virus, while a closeted gay lawyer named Joe Pitt struggles with his marriage to his pill-popping wife, Harper.

Fate brings these four troubled characters together as they explore the questions on love, justice, identity and change.

Among the 20th century’s defining works of dramatic art, the play has the the most number of Tony nominations and broke records with 10 wins, including Best Play and Best Revival of a Play. It also won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, proving how Kushner’s work remains potent and relevant as concerns as when it premiered on Broadway over 25 years ago. “Angels in America is about life and hope in the face of death and despair; and about our interconnectedness as a community and how we need to find a

way to discuss our differences by finding common ground,� director Bobby Garcia, who also directed the play in Manila back in 1995, stated in a video message during a press conference.

Timely staging According to the cast, the staging of Angels is very timely with the need for the new generation to understand a disease that is on the rise in the Philippines. “We learned more about what HIV- AIDS is. What we want to do now is to prevent its spread as opposed to keeping it hidden and taboo as it was in the ‘80s,�

Stroem shared.

Gomez agreed in saying “Today, you can live a normal life with HIV and AIDS as long as you get yourself tested. There are pills that you can take. It will still be in your system but won’t be Continued on Page 6

entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 27, 2019

Kidlat Tahimik: I’m not anti-Hollywood

by Marinel

r. Cruz

Inquirer.net

DON’T be intimidated by that national artist title. I’m still your National Tatay.�

This was what filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik told a group of young Baguio-based artists, who came

to Manila with him to attend and perform at the recognition night that the Dutch Embassy hosted for him on March 16.

Kidlat flew to the Netherlands in December to accept the prestigious Prince Claus Award, which is given to “extraordinary people active in the cultural field

in areas where cultural expression faces challenges.�

Not so long ago, in October 2018, Kidlat was conferred the Order of National Artist by President Duterte in a ceremony at the MalacaĂąang Palace. “I’ve always been responsible to my community, to the next generation, and even now.

The fact that I’m a national artist means more people will want to listen to me now, even those who are nonartistic,â€? Kidlat told the Inquirer. “At the same time, I also have a responsibility. I have to be more consistent with what I say ‌ and with my actions.â€?

Donning his signature bahag at the event, Kidlat added: “A lot of people who become directors or doctors turn to nostalgia.

Some of them take their title too seriously, then their ego takes over. I’ve always been somebody who easily gets along with young people, maybe because I treat my children as barkada.�

At the party held at the Bellas Artes in Makati City, Dutch Ambassador Saskia de Lang and Prince Claus Award program coordinator Fariba Derakhshani handed a plaque of recognition to the man who is often referred to as “the Father of Philippine Independent Cinema.�

Also present were Kidlat’s wife Katrin, fellow indie filmmakers Rox Lee, Khavn dela Cruz, Raya Martin, Treb Monteras, Jet Leyco, Sari Dalena and Keith Sicat, as well as producers Moira Lang, Achinette Villamor and Kristine Kintana, and National Committee on Cinema Chair Teddy Co. “I have been trying to stay indie for 42 years now. Because of that, I’m not able to tell stories like I would like to tell them—with super cameras and superstars.

Maybe it’s a blessing not to have those because I am able to find unique ways to tell my stories,�

Kidlat said when asked about the importance of receiving the Prince Claus Award. “Because of this uniqueness, I get recognized by the Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) or receive the Prince Claus Award and the Fukuoka Prize, and even the National Artist Award. It’s a good Continued on Page 6

‘It’s ok to be not ok’: DJ Sanya Smith opens up on battle with anxiety, depression

DJ Sanya Smith

Photo from Instagram/@sanyasmith007

by Cory

Cepeda Inquirer.net

DJ Sanya Smith, the other half of dynamic duo The Zombettes and daughter of the late Filipino rock icon Joey “Pepe�

Smith, has opened up about her battle with depression and anxiety.

Smith took to social media recently where she openly shared to her friends and fans that she was self-admitted into a mental ward last December 2018. “January 24, 2019, I was released. Days later I learned the news of my father passing,�

Smith wrote via Instagram on March 24. “And on the day of his burial, I found out someone dear

to me also passed. It was a rough road but I’m healing.�

Her dad, Pepe, was 71 years old when he died in the early morning of Jan. 28.

Smith further shared she finally freed herself from the wristbands connecting her to the mental ward last March 11 as she goes through her healing. In a video she shared in her post, she can be seen cutting off the wristbands with a pair of scissors. “I’m not ashamed to admit any of this. Some of you already know that I have been battling depression and anxiety for many years now,� she added. “I tried to handle it in my own ways, but it wasn’t enough. I had to seek professional help.�

2 PH series make it to New York website’s top 10 buzzed-about list

Kyline Alcantara and Therese Malvar of ‘Inagaw na Bituin’

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She also said she has no regrets admitting herself to a mental ward, as it was the day she finally took her life back. And with friends and loved ones rallying behind her, Smith knew she was not alone in her journey.

She gave words of encouragement to those who may also be struggling with themselves, saying it is okay not to be okay sometimes. “It took me a long time to decide to post this or not but I want this to be a safe space for myself and those who also struggle with themselves,� she said. “Know that it is ok to not not be ok sometimes and that it’s also totally ok to ask for help. You are not alone.� n

GMA photos

CONGRATULATIONS are in order for a promising pair of GMA Network dramas, “Kara Mia� and “Inagaw na Bituin,� for making waves around the globe and earning two spots on The Social Wit List’s Top 10 Most Buzzed About New Shows Worldwide in the last month.

The original productions were the only entries from the Philippines and Southeast Asia that made it to the list.

This Top 10 on the Social Wit List is released by New York-based international media business news website WorldScreen.com based on the number of tweets and posts measured during the shows’ premieres. In their respective pilot dates in February, Kara Mia hit the second spot while Inagaw na Bituin ranked sixth among the shows from across the globe.

Kara Mia, a fantasy-drama series headlined by Barbie Forteza and Mika dela Cruz, gained at least 29,000 tweets.

According to the site, viewers applauded the show’s #RemarkableSpecialEffects, #GreatPerformanceByTheMainActresses and their representation of #FilipinoFolkloreOnScreen, which were the buzz words that resonated with social media users. Even before its premiere, netizens and viewers were already curious about the series’ unusual premise which generBarbie Forteza and Mika Deal Cruz of ‘Karamia’ ated viral posts online.

On the other hand, GMA’s and Therese Malvar garnered #InterestingStory, #ExcitingEpmusical-drama Inagaw na Bi- at least 21,000 tweets with isode, and #ALotofSuspense. tuin starring Kyline Alcantara hashtags such as #GreatCast, (ManilaTimes.net) n

Billy Crawford calls Gary V his ‘idol’

entertainment Miss Universe PH queens Shamcey Supsup, Janine Tugonon reunite in NY The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 27, 2019

Billy Crawford and Gary V. are among the three judges of ‘World of Dance Philippines’ alongside actress Maja Salvador.

Photo from Twitter/@WODABSCBN

SINGER-actor Billy Crawford says it’s because of Gary Valenciano, his fellow judge in the reality talent search “World of Dance Philippines,” that he is still in show business now.

“Kuya Gary knows this,” Billy tells the Inquirer. “I re-

member being 4 and a half years old and being at Music Museum at the time. I saw him wearing baggy pants and sporting an Afro hairdo. That was the moment I realized that I wanted to be like him.”

Billy adds: “Through Kuya

Gary, and because of his influences—Michael Jackson, James Brown, Elvis Presley and all those great performers—I learned to love singing and dancing. He is really my idol.” (Marinel Cruz/Inquirer. net) n

‘Aeta representation in ‘MMK’...

From Page 3 tor Juan Miguel Severo gave his two cents on the issue via Twitter, March 25. “Sobrang daming layers ng isyu ng paggamit ng ‘blackface’ ng ‘MMK’ at hindi siya matutugunan at masosolusyunan ng simpleng ‘Cast aetas for aeta roles! (There are so many layers to the issue of the use of “blackface” in “MMK” and it will not be solved with a simple “cast Aetas for Aeta roles.)’”

Severo pointed out that the casting choice was done to “reach more people” and that the show has good intentions in telling the story of an indigenous person.

However, he wondered, “Can

an industry (e.g. local showbiz) that perpetuates the notion that white skin is superior really be a reliable teller of stories involving dark-skinned folks?”

Severo noted that Aetas face other challenges and that an acting career may not be their priority. He asked, “Do they even have the ‘luxury’ to dream about building an acting career when they’re being displaced?”

He also quoted a Twitter thread of one @dardarjinx, who said there was a difference in how local “corporate media” portray indigenous people versus the United States which has a history of mocking black people with the use of blackface.

“Blackface” in the American context is not the same as painting a person with black makeup, he said.

He also said that asking for visibility of Aeta actors onscreen was not enough and that audiences should demand for “genuine and politically-correct” depictions of Aetas.

Actress Mara Lopez shared a picture on Instagram of Manap posing with her and Entrata while they were in their full dark makeup.

Meanwhile, Entrata’s fans have continued to express support for her, with many promising to watch the episode despite the backlash. n

Shamcey Supsup and Janine Tugonon

by Cory

Cepeda Inquirer.net

BEAUTY queens Shamcey Supsup and Janine Tugonon recently reunited for a muchneeded catch-up when the former flew to New York City with husband, businessman Lloyd Lee. Supsup was 4th runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant back in 2011, while Tugonon placed 1st runner-up a year later in 2012.

Supsup took to social media where she posted a photo of her and Tugonon meeting up in the city.

“Thanks for taking the time to meet us @tugononjanine,” wrote Supsup via Instagram on March 24. “Na-miss ka namin!

Photo from Instagram/@supsupshamcey

Diba? (We missed you! Right?) @isabellamanjon @diannenecio @mjlastimosa.”

Supsup tagged her Binibining Pilipinas 2011 batchmates Dianne Necio and Manjon, who represented the country in Miss International and Miss Tourism International, respectively. She also mentioned Miss Universe Philippines 2014 MJ Lastimosa, another good friend of theirs.

The queens expressed their love and support for each other, as Tugonon told Supsup she is willing to meet her anytime.

“Of course,” she wrote.

“Anytime. Next time uli (again) hehe.”

Tugonon, in the past, also reunited with Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and

toured San Francisco California together.

Days before catching up with Tugonon, Supsup went out and about New York City with her husband.

Being an architect board topnotcher, Supsup could not help but admire the architecture of The Oculus at the World Trade Center in Manhattan.

The landmark was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, one of Supsup’s favorite architects.

The pair also went to the Brooklyn Bridge overlooking the scenic East River where they took turns posing for pictures.

“Didn’t mind walking in this chilly weather to see this view,” she said. n

6

entertainment

‘Angels in America’: Tackling...

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 27, 2019

‘Mystified’ brings ‘Encantadia’s’...

From Page 3 with Encantadia’s fab four as early as 2016, expressing to the Sangg’res their desire to bring the fantaserye to the new generation.

“We’ve been collaborating with [original Encantadia director] Mark [Reyes] and the Sangg’res from three years ago to come up with the best way to engage a new fanbase for the franchise via streaming. And with iFlix’s aim to give viewers what they want to see, we combined all the ideas together and arrived at the story of ‘Mystified’,” the executive recalled at the movie’s press launch.

Quickly following up dela Cruz’s introduction, Reyes declared, “And what you will see is a more cutting-edge production that will revive the magic of these four actresses on screen.”

Elaborating on the plot, Reyes said Mystified will see Zubiri, Karylle, Calzado and Dizon in a story that takes place both in the fantasy world and modern day situations. And unlike the original series where the Sang’gres relied on gems and weapons of old, the movie will see their innate powers as sorceresses.

Advertisements “Happily, the four girls were all in on the concept because they’ve also wanted a reunion project for a long time now. At first, I didn’t think it would hap-

pen because they’re now involved in different networks. That was when they proposed, ‘Why not make a film?” Reyes continued.

“And that was when I thought of setting up Sang’gre Productions to make this happen.”

Emotional reunion According to Encantadia’s women, reuniting on the set of Mystified turned out to be emotional for all four of them.

“I cried on our first day when I saw all of us wearing our costumes, and when they saw me crying, they all started crying too!” Dizon confessed laughing.

“It was very nostalgic and a very special moment for all of us because it’s always been our dream to have a reunion project.

“I think that besides Mystified reuniting all of us in a project, we were emotional because we also realized that we’ve all been through so much since Encantadia,” offered Calzado. “Nag kanya-kanya kami ng landas and life took us to different places but here we were again, doing the one thing we know best—to share our energy on set with one another.”

Zubiri in turn said she simply missed her gal pals.

“Actually, matagal ko silang hindi nakasama so ako yung pinaka naka-miss sa kanila,” she declared, adding that she has been spending more time tending to her business rather than

her acting career lately. “So you can imagine na sobrang excited ako makasama silang tatlo ulit at umarte.”

Karylle, who is of course is the most musical among Sang’gres, finally shared she is all the happier she can express her joy to be reunited with her friends in Mystified’s theme song, “Simula.”

“The song is about us in real life but also it also runs parallel to our roles in the movie. Basically, it’s about how we’ve found ourselves while staying connected to one another,” she related.

Green and go Thankfully, realizing Mystified was a smooth sailing process for everyone involved, most especially in casting Zubiri, Karylle, Calzado and Dizon. There were no conflicts with their existing network contracts in appearing on iFlix so they were all given permission to do the movie without a hitch.

Reyes further said it helped that Mystified is neither a longterm series nor a strict remake of the movie on the side of GMA Network.

And once production started, the cast and crew — who were also mostly from the original Encantadia — just fell into step with one another making for a truly happy and creative reunion.

“Even if we had to endure fight and stunt trainings!” the girl chimed cheekily in ending. n

From Page 3 able to pass it anymore to anyone so it won’t be contagious.

“It’s important to know about this because there’s still a lot of stigma especially in the Philippines, and a big part of that is also because of religion, which makes people scared to talk about the condition. But not just gay people can get it anymore — men can get it, women can get it, everyone can get it.”

And sadly as other countries control the incidence of the disease, as of December 2018, the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) records 32 new cases of HIV and AIDS a day in the country. The highest incidence is among those in the age range of 25 to 34 with 27,000 people infected last year.

“What we learned is how ignorant the people were at the time the play was written and so what comes with that is ignorance. Calling it a gay plague, dividing a community, politics — so it becomes so divisive because it hit one sector of society where the conservatives did not like to acknowledge that it existed. How this ignorance was used as a weapon against this community towards the other people who do not know anything about it,” Amador noted.

“Until now, hindi pa din natatanggal yung stigma. Sasabihin nila, ‘Ayaw kitang hawakan, baka mahawa ako sa ‘yo.’

‘Bakla ka kaya kay may AIDS,’

Pinky Amador

or ‘Babae kang nagbebenta ng katawan kaya ka may AIDS.’ Ngayon, meron nang mga support groups we need to help end that stigma,” she said.

Lastly, Gil recalled that even if the play was based on the premise of AIDS which now people are already aware of and that many know how to deal with the problem, it still basically led people more into the idea of mortality and with everything that Kushner put into this play such as politically, socially or humilitarily.

“I think it is very relevant being that the world has come to a place where there is more confusion beyond AIDS, there’s more of the human plague in fact that has hit our own inner societies in the world, not just in America. And this would basically lead us hopefully to a place where we could all ask the ques-

tion, where are we going from here? What kind of changes do we want to make? And because it speaks about life itself, we all wonder about what truly matters. Not only that, it brings us to religion, or to our beliefs. What else do we hold on to at the end of the day,” Gil shared.

“So for me, personally, as I listen to these words everyday, I don’t think I will ever become the same person I was yesterday. I’ve arrived to a place where I may be hitting the third chapter of my life. I’d like to say and a lot of it has awakened many questions as to how I would like to spend each and every moment of my life. So it is relevant in that very core, regardless of what your beliefs are religiously, politically or even emotionally — it’s covering everything,” she ended. n

Nelsito Gomez and Topper Fabregas

Markki Stroem and Cherie Gril

Kidlat Tahimik: I’m not...

Kidlat Tahimik

From Page 4 pat on the back.”

“It’s flattering,” the director added. “I felt it was not only for me, but also for those who have been neglected because of colonization. We have neglected the wisdom of the tribal people. They have become a big part of my storytelling. It would be such a waste if our young people will not hear about Inabyan (wind goddess of the Cordillera) and would just watch ‘Wonder Woman’ and all these Marilyn Monroes.”

Kidlat, however, clarified that he did not want Filipinos to “totally shun Hollywood. If only our filmmakers knew about the great stories about our grandparents.

We should not be ashamed that we come from a group of ‘indiegenius’ people.”

Asked for his advice to the industry in general, the National Tatay replied: “I’m not anti-Hollywood, per se. I just want to say that there are many stories that are not being told because most of us need to adhere to formula.

“We’re copying our mentors from Hollywood. What happens is that we create stereotypes that are not even possible for us to emulate. As a result, stories about Inabyan, Bernardo Carpio and Macling Dulag are not being shown on film. We’re stuck with the illusory superheroes that are

Inquirer.net file photo

just made for profit.”

“We have a choice,” Kidlat declared. “They may be limited because producers are only interested in profit, but we can make reasonable profit and still support an industry, as long as we have a wide range of stories to offer.”

He then recalled a conversation with award-winning screenwriter Ricky Lee during one of the latter’s seminars. “I asked him if he was already able to show his best scripts to Mother Lily (Monteverde, Regal Films producer), and he said they are now at the bottom of his trunk. He probably knows that the industry will not show these films—that’s the sad part. Maybe one day, more indie directors will become the Trojan horses and help change the industry.”

In the end, Kidlat admitted he had his work cut out for him as a multiawarded film icon.

“These awards encourage me to continue planting seeds; and the best way to do this is to closely work with young filmmakers, artists and writers.

“The goal is to open their eyes and show them new perspectives, to make them realize that young audiences are waiting to see different stories. Let’s make those enlightening stories.” n

Eligible debtors should seek BK relief

SOMETIMES debtors cannot decide whether they should seek debt relief through Chapter 7 wipeout of all dischargeable debts or consolidation and reorganization through a Chapter 13. They usually ask me what they should do in their financial situation.

I know after handling thousands of bankruptcy cases in the last 30 years, debtors are often depressed about their lives because of the heavy burden of accumulated debt.

The worst-case scenario was my client many years ago who killed himself a week before we filed his case. It was unfortunate that he took his own life because he left behind a wife and two minor children and a successful professional career. He was enjoying a gross income of $500K annually from his profession but had borrowed money to set up a business that initially did well.

Since the business was doing well, he borrowed more money to expand the business, including putting up his house for collateral for the business loans.

When the economy slowed down, his business started losing money. He then resorted to borrowing more money to cover the business loss for 18 months.

His business was losing $10,000 a month.

After financing losses for 18 months, he came to see me for bankruptcy relief. He looked pretty calm when I interviewed him. How many times must I say it, “YOU OWE YOUR CREDITORS MONEY, YOU DO NOT OWE THEM YOUR LIFE!” Don’t even dare think of killing yourself to get out of debt. Death does not extinguish debt. When a person dies, there is an estate of the deceased that is created in a probate case. Creditors of the deceased can file in their claims in the probate case. So, if you owe too much debt now, you should look at your financial problems objectively. You should choose the solution that best serves your needs. You should seek to protect your own interest and future. You should not succumb to the pressure of differing opinions from friends or relatives.

For instance, I had one client who decided to withdraw her Chapter 7 petition because her sister did not approve of it. The client had a mountain of debt, which she absolutely had no way of paying unless she could work four jobs, and she was three months behind in her mortgage payments.

Objectively speaking, the right solution for her was a Chapter 7 to wipe out $80K of credit card debt and use the money saved from not having to pay $80K of credit cards to update her house payments. Without credit card payments, she would save

Debt Relief

ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG $2,400 a month. She would have paid off her mortgage arrears in three months. She would have obtained a fresh start without the burden of accumulated debt.

Instead, she wanted to make her sister happy and chose not to protect her own interest, her own future. She was not thinking clearly. After six months she returned to me saying that she wanted to go through with her Chapter 7 case because her house was already foreclosed and she still owed the second trust deed holder was still calling her to collect $50,000 of the second mortgage even though she no longer owned the house, and the $80,000 of credit cards are calling her night and day.

Eligible debtors should consider the following objective reason to seek bankruptcy relief: 1. Based on debtor’s net income and expense analysis, the debtor has no ability to pay off his or her unsecured debts. In other words, even if debtor’s intention is to pay off debt, realistically speaking, the debtor cannot pay off debts over a reasonable period of time. This means that the debtor will be locked in permanent indebtedness, a slave of debt! Therefore, correctly, the debtor should find a legal way of getting out of debt as soon as possible. Here in America, bankruptcy is the legal way of getting out of debt and becoming productive again while you keep most if not all of your assets including your house, cars, retirement accounts etc. The right to bankruptcy is guaranteed by the constitution and even Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice before Mickey Mouse and Disneyland became successful. If Mr. Disney did not obtain a fresh start twice before, we would have no Disneyland to enjoy today.

2. Too much debt destroys the household’s ability to save and invest money to secure the family’s future. If the debtor makes $5,000 a month but has to pay out all of the $5,000 for monthly overhead and to make minimum payments on credit card debt of say, $30,000, the debtor is living a hand to mouth existence.

The debtor saves nothing and invests nothing year in and year out. With accumulated debt, you condemn yourself to Sisyphean existence. I don’t mean you become a sissy. You become like Sisyphus, the king of Corinth who was punished for his deceitfulness by the Greek gods (who are of course false gods), to roll an

immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it come back to hit him, repeating this action for eternity.

So your “Sisyphean existence” means a laborious and futile existence. By the time that debtor realizes that he has worked for 20 years without nothing saved and invested, it will be too late because, by that time, the debtor will be pushing 60. Most people save and invest money whilst in their 20s to 50s. Debtors who have too much debt, unfortunately, are robbed of the ability to save and invest for decades.

Thus, a smart person who has too much debt but wants to save and invest must immediately correct the debt situation or else he or she will get old poor.

The last thing a senior wants to have at retirement is debt.

If you service $30,000 of credit card debt for 20 years, you would have paid your credit card masters $240,000 and still owe the same $30,000 when you retire at 66. If you got rid of these cards with Chapter 7 at the age of 46, you would have invested $240,000 starting at $12,000 a year and growing at $12,000 a year. Properly invested, you could have $400,000 saved when you retire at 66 and zero debt.

Even if you made the mistake of carrying these cards into retirement, you must get rid of them now because now you depend on social security, which is just enough to cover basic monthly necessities. Whether you are 40 or 60 or 70, you must get rid of credit cards now and become productive again!

3. Re-establishment of credit can start immediately. Debtors are able to begin re-establishing credit by paying their car and housing loans timely. Debtors will be able to get new credit cards soon after they obtain the discharge. There are banks that give new credit cards to debtors who have completed their bankruptcy because these debtors are actually very good credit risks. They still have a good income, have no more debt, and are now more careful in their financial affairs. BK filers qualify to buy houses again on the second or third year after BK filing if they have been paying their new loans on time. Buying a new car is no problem. On the day of the discharge, you can bring your discharge order to the car dealer. You can get a car loan at higher interest. *** 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 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

(Advertising Supplement)

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

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

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

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

In the Marriage of Marsden, the real property was purchased by the husband for $38,300 prior to the marriage. The original mortgage was $30,000. By

Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES the time the husband got married, the house was now worth $65,000 while the mortgage has gone down by $7,000. Both the appreciation of $26,700 and the mortgage reduction of $7,000 would be separate property since it occurred prior to marriage.

Marriage of Madsen (1982) 130 CA3d 426, 181 CR 910.

During the marriage until the time of trial, the property has appreciated another $117,500 (property now valued at $182,500) while the mortgage has further declined by $9,200 up to the date of separation.

The ratio at which community funds paid down the mortgage ($9,200) during the marriage to the original purchase price ($38,300) amounts to 24.02%.

This percentage of the property appreciation during the marriage of $117,500 ($28,223.50) plus the reduction in mortgage balance during the marriage ($9,200) would constitute the community component of the real property. The rest was the husband’s separate property.

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

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

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

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

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

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail “mailto:kenneth@kenreyeslaw. com” kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

community 7 The bucket list

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 27, 2019

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA (Continued from last week …)

You hope that a smattering of beautiful memories, yours as well as of those you leave behind, are indelibly marked in a few hearts and minds for a generation or two — strong enough to move them to bring you flowers on your gravesite long after you’re gone.

If your life were to be compressed to a 60-second video, you hope that the awful parts were edited out and landed on the cutting room floor permanently deleted.

The saddest thing about a life is to be forgotten as though you never lived.

But what seems clear is that this phase of life which may be aptly called the pre-departure stage before the final journey should still be filled with purpose. Without a goal, we tend to be rudderless, aimless blobs floating in an ocean of nothingness. There is no force to push or pull us into a port of call. Without a plan, we hit the doldrums.

Without a reason to get up in the morning and seize the day, our body and soul tend to wither away. Such is our nature as human beings. When the purpose that drove our lives for decades, such as the family’s well-being or any other purpose, is gone, we tend to lose our bearings and we begin to drift.

Suddenly, no one needs us. No one calls except those darn polling, marketing and political calls asking for donations. UGH!!! No one seems to care. Our sense of

Grazing in the grass

(11th of a series - Conclusion 1 of 2 parts)

“ …The saddest thing about a life is to be forgotten as though you never lived...” self worth dissipates and is gone with the wind.

But it does not have to be.

If there is anything we learned about life in the trenches, we don’t surrender without a fight.

We can harness what we made of ourselves and put our life skills to good use. In short, we adapt to our circumstances or go extinct like the dodo bird.

So how does one repurpose one’s life? One way is to set a new goal. In hitting the bullseye, experts in darts and archery advise to set your aim just a tad higher.

The concept probably works the same way in achieving one’s goal during this stage of life. Set a goal bigger than one’s self.

A goal bigger than one’s self could be spending time reading to young ones in the library or bringing hot lunch and the Holy Eucharist to the elderly and homebound, or bringing joy to wherever and whomever may appreciate the gesture and spread the cheer in a ripple effect. Or we can write letters of encouragement to those who live in darkness.

Get savvy with social media skills and engage in battle. Your 2 cents worth, if reinvested and repeated by like-minded people of light, can resonate and capture minds and hearts and amount to great value over time. We can engage in symbolic or actual skir-

Calendar of Events across

mishes and battles that abound on earth where there is a perpetual struggle between good and evil where you know without a doubt that good and light will always prevail. There is always a call for devout prayer warriors who spend their lives in silence and in deep prayer and meditation.

I have observed with fascination that those who welcome retirement years with a zestful purpose bigger than themselves and their needs seem the happiest.

The dividend is that they enjoy longer, healthier lives. They seem to have found a way to circumvent the laws of nature for the time being staving off the body’s time clock as long as possible.

The argument they give to their Maker is that their lives are still useful to do His will. Those passionate about living may even pray to God and beg: “Will you Lord, pretty, pretty please let me hang on for dear life just a little while longer? Let me come home when I’m good and ready without unduly burdening my loved ones and, more importantly, until you say it is time.”

Next week: Another idea to consider for The Bucket List … *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS MARCH 30

Philippine Medical Society of Northern California installation of officers in Foster City, CA The Philippine Medical Society of Northern California will hold its 47th anniversary and installation of officers for 2019-2021 at the Crowne Plaza in Foster City, CA on Saturday, March 30. For sponsorship information, please contact Dr. Clementina Manio at drtina0427@gmail. com or visit https://www.pmsnc.org/.

United Bicolandia Los Angeles induction in Montebello, CA United Bicolandia Los Angeles will hold its 45th Anniversary and Induction Ceremony at Quiet Cannon in Montebello, CA on Saturday, March 30. For tickets and sponsorship information, please contact Lanie Berrei at lanieberrei@hotmail.com or (818) 281-3169.

City of San Fernando, La Union Association-USA ball in Brea, CA The City of San Fernando, La Union Association-USA will hold its 29th Fiesta Ball — “A Reunion to Remember” — on Saturday, March 30 at the Embassy Suites (900 East Birch Street) in Brea, CA. It will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 12 midnight. For more details, you may contact ball chairman Noel Nabua at (949) 323-3873 / nsnabua@gmail.com; outgoing president Samuel Chee at (909) 662-7501 / samnlynnndchamp@yahoo.com; incoming president Vicky Neri at (562) 394-6293 / vickybneri@gmail.com; and director Vangie So at (626) 485-3110 / vangieso@ aol.com.

APRIL 7

Ryan, Ryan! The Maestro and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers in Glendale, CA Recently proclaimed National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab’s works will be showcased on Sunday, April 7 at the John Wayne Performing Arts Center (1440 E Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205) at 6 p.m. by his multi-talented singing group, the Ryan Cayabyab Singers joined by some local artists like Mon David, Annie Nepomuceno, Louie Reyes and many more. Come and hear how his work that spans five decades has made an indelible impact on Filipino culture. Copresented by Philippine Patrons of the Arts USA, a 501 (c) 3 organization that brings exemplary Filipino Artists to U.S. stages. For ticket information ($35-$125) visit www.philpatrons.org and to learn about other tour stops in Las Vegas (April 7), San Diego (April 12) and Seattle (April 14).

APRIL 13

2nd annual Filipino mental health well-being summit in LA The 2nd annual Filipino mental health well-being summit will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at The Center of Cathedral Plaza (555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012). In partnership with the LA County of Department of Mental Health, registration begins on March 11. This is a FREE event for all. Breakfast and lunch included with registration.

Please email FilipinoWellBeing@Gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/FilipinoWellBeing for more updates.

A P R I L 22

West Ranch Music Masters Tournament in Valencia, CA West Ranch High School’s Instrumental Music Program is excited to announce their inaugural Golf Tournament fundraiser to be held on Monday, April 22 at The Oaks Club at Valencia, CA. Check-in and breakfast starts at 10 a.m. with a 12 p.m. shotgun start. The $125 per player fee includes: 18 holes of golf, use of golf cart, practice facilities, lunch and dinner. There will be an optional Mulligan and Magic Putt package for purchase. Additionally, a wide array of silent auction and raffle baskets will be available. The awards dinner will be served starting at 5pm and will feature students performing live jazz music. For those who wish to attend only the dinner and award festivities, the cost is $50. All proceeds go directly to support the West Ranch High School Music Program. To register for the tournament or for more information contact Jean Conway at westranchband@gmail.com or visit westranchmusic.com. Deadline to register is on April 11.

A P R I L 25 -28

Philippine Nurses Association of America - North Central Regional Conference in Columbus, Ohio The Philippine Nurses Association - Central Ohio will hold a regional conference from April 25 to 28 at the Embassy Suites (2886 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio). For more information, please visit http://www.mypnaa.org/.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

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community The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 27, 2019

COFACC’s Franchising & Retail Trade Conference a success CERRITOS, CA – The Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce aka COFACC unveiled its first annual Franchising & Retail Trade Conference (FRTC 2019), which began on February 15, at the Sheraton Hotel in Cerritos, CA, and concluded with a Google Office Tour in Irvine, CA, on February 19.

Besides the Memorandum of Understanding signed by SD Officer Dawn Gilbert (see photo), another MOU was signed between COFACC and Southern California Edison represented by Mr. Michael Herrera, SD & Inclusion Manager and Gerry Palon, COFACC President.

“The program on opening day was a huge success,” said Palon, “starting with the plenary session with key government officials, followed by round table discussion among the industry’s successful franchising and retail executives.

EMPLOYMENT

This was followed by breakout workshop sessions and B2B speed networking sessions in the afternoon,” he added. “To cap conference, several MOUs were signed between COFACC and its new strategic partners (e.g. PRA, PFA, NDC/NAAC) ushering the start of a bigger role COFACC has to play in the development of the Fil-Am business community.”

The other activities of FRTC were the induction of the founders of COFACC, an invitational golf tournament at the Anaheim Hills Golf Course, and the Google office tour in Irvine, CA, as part of the educational tour arranged by COFACC for its visiting delegates from the Philippines.

The conference was a starstudded event with the Office of Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti represented by the Mayor’s Deputy Miguel Sangalang, who delivered his keynote speech. He

was preceded by Honorary Consul General Adelio S. Cruz of the Republic of the Philippines and known speakers in the private sector led by Faith Bautista of the National Diversity Coalition and others from the National Asian American Coalition organizations.

The Philippine delegation was led by the World Retail Congress Ambassador for Asia Pacific Lorenzo “Enchong” Formoso and his colleagues from the Philippine Retail Association Chairman Roberto “Bobby” Claudio, and from the Philippine Franchise Association Vice Chairman Chris Lim. The 2019 Franchising and Retail Trade Conference was a great experience for the attending delegates to hear directly from internationally known industry speakers who shared their rich experiences and gave updates

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Photo shows the signing of MOU between COFACC and Frontier Communications, Inc. represented by Dawn Gilbert, SD Officer and Gerry Palon for COFACC, witnessed by members of the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce.

on the latest trends and developments and best practices in the global franchising & retail industries.

The Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce, Inc. is a nonprofit organization incorporated on May 24, 2018, as a 501c6 under the not for profit laws of California. It was founded by fifteen (15) Filipino-American business entrepreneurs repre-

senting six of the biggest Filipino American Chambers of Commerce in the country; namely, the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACC GLA), Filipino American Chamber of Commerce South Los Angeles Area (FACC SLAA), Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Tri-County (FACCTri County), Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Holly-

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wood (FACC-HO), Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County (FACC-OC) and the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of San Diego (FACC-SD).

COFACC’s office is located at 5121 Van Nuys Blvd. Suite 205, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 and boasts of 1,000+ business owner members all over Southern California. n

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 27, 2019

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 27, 2019