050419 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

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MAY 4-7, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 34 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

USA

DATELINE Fil-Am suspect of thwarted terrorist attack lived a “quiet life” in Reseda FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Mark Steven Domingo’s younger brother speaks out, shocked at brother’s arrest FAMILY members and neighbors are still grappling with the recent arrest of a Filipino American Army veteran in Reseda, California who is suspected of plotting a terrorist attack in the Los Angeles area. In the quiet San Fernando Valley neighborhood, Mark Steven Domingo was arrested by the FBI on Friday, April 26 on suspicion of planning an attack last weekend in Long Beach as revenge for the recent terrorist shootings in New Zealand, the Asian Journal previously reported. u PAGE A4

Mark Steven Domingo, 26, a Fil-Am U.S. Army veteran was arrested on Friday, April 26 on suspicion of plotting a massive terrorist attack in the Los Angeles area. Photos courtesy of the FBI

Garcetti launches LA’s Green New Deal, setting ambitious environmental goals LOS ANGELES Mayor Eric Garcetti this week released the city’s Green New Deal, which creates a roadmap to confront the current issues revolving around climate change. Garcetti on Monday, April 29 spoke about the city’s sustainable future, which includes plans to tackle the climate emergency with accelerated targets and keep LA on track to be carbon neutral by 2050. “Politicians in Washington don’t have to look across the aisle in Congress to know what a Green New Deal is — they can look across the country, to Los Angeles,” said Garcetti. “With flames on our hillsides and floods in our streets, cities cannot wait another moment to u PAGE A5

Sustained economic growth, financial reforms cited for PH’s credit upgrade by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippines’ recent credit rating upgrade from Standard and Poor’s (S&P) is due to the economic reforms under the Duterte administration, Malacañang asserted on Thursday, May 2. S&P upgraded the Philippines’ credit rating to

BBB+ with a stable outlook, citing the country’s consistent growth, solid fiscal accounts, and the economy’s sound external settings. According to the company, it updated the country’s long-term rating to BBB+ from BBB to reflect the Philippines’ strong economic growth trajectory.

S&P also said it expects that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth will pick up to 6.3 percent this year after slowing down to 6.2 percent last year from 6.7 percent in 2017. “The stable outlook reflects our assumption that the Philippine economy will continue to achieve u PAGE A2

Palace ensures fight against fake news during World Press Freedom Day by NATHALIE

ROBLES

AJPress

PRESIDENTIAL Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar ensured the Filipinos that they will fight disinformation on Friday, May 3 as they commemorate the World Press Freedom Day. “Tayo naman po sa PCOO ay patuloy ang kampanya natin laban sa disinformation o pagpapakalat ng fake news sapagkat isa po ito sa sumisira sa malayang pamamahayag (We in the PCOO will continue our campaign against disinformation and the spreading of fake news because it is one of the disruptors of free press),” Andanar said in a statement. The PCOO secretary said the current administration continues to respect press freedom in the Philippines despite various allegations of attacks against the media by President Rodrigo Duterte himself. “Asahan niyo po na patuloy na irerespeto ng Duterte administration ang press freedom sa bansa taliwas sa mga alegasyon ng iilan (Rest assured that the Duterte u PAGE A2

NEW LAWYERS ANNOUNCED. Bar exams takers check the board in front of the Supreme Court to see if their names are in the list of passers. The Supreme Court (SC) has announced that the result of the 2018 Bar examination will be released on Friday, May 3. The passing rate for Bar Examinations 2018 is 22.07%, equivalent to 1,800 of the 8,158 examinees who took the Bar. Inquirer.net photos

No rule barring foreign Marcos victims get P77,500 each amid objection from gov’t journalists from entering PH by CHRIS

PANGANIBAN

Inquirer.net

BUTUAN CITY—At least 140 victims of torture, summary execution and enforced disappearance during the Marcos dictatorship or members of their families each received a check for P77,500 as part of the compensation awarded by a Hawaii district court, which ruled on a class action suit against the estate of Ferdinand Marcos. It was the third payout ordered by the court after Marcos was overthrown in 1986.

About 6,500 registered members of the class suit, or their duly appointed heirs, will each receive the peso equivalent of $1,500. The checks were to be distributed nationwide to the documented members, starting in Butuan City on Wednesday, May 1. These were personally handed over by American lawyer Robert Swift, who led the legal battle for victims of human rights violations. Imelda’s paintings In March, District Court Judge Manuel Real, who has presided over the Marcos litigation since 1990, approved a $13.75u PAGE A3

lines on the Issuance of Work and Employment Permits to Foreign Nationals with the DepartTHE Department of Labor ment of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of and Employment (DOLE) on Immigration (BI), and the Bureau Wednesday, May 1, clarified of Internal Revenue (BIR). that no rule from the new gov“Nothing in the guidelines ernment guidelines on issuing would state so that we are barworking permits to foreigners ring specific foreign journalist bars foreign journalists — espe- or foreign media outfit to come cially those critical of the Duterte into the Philippines and cover administration — from entering the events of the current adminthe Philippines. istration,” said Dominique Tutay, The statement came after director of the Bureau of Local DOLE signed the Joint Guideu PAGE A3 by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PH gov’t to tighten rules on work permits by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

A Chinese worker is seen at the construction site of the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge in Manila. The project is funded by loans from the Chinese government. Philstar.com photo by Russell Palma

THE Bureau of Immigration on Wednesday, May 1, announced that the government will tighten rules on issuing work permits for foreigners “to ensure that jobs that can be done by Filipinos will not be given to foreigners.” In a BI press release, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that the joint guidelines on the issuance of work and employment permits to foreign nationals have been signed by the bureau, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Justice. “We saw a rise in the num-

ber of foreign nationals in the previous years due to emerging industries such as the online gaming industry,” Morente said, in reference to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, where 138,001 foreign nationals are employed, according to data released by DOLE and BI. “Issues and challenges only appear now. This has never been a problem in the past because of the relatively smaller number of foreign nationals working in the Philippines then,” he added. In 2018, BI issued 83,670 special work permits which were valid for six months and allow foreigners to “render service” while on a tourist visa. Meanwhile, DOLE issued 54,241 Alien Employment Per-

mits — which are a requirement for 9(g) visas, a visa “for aliens employed in the country, with contracts usually lasting for one to three years.” BI said it will also require the alien applicant to show proof of tax payments. According to Morente, the new rules will not make it difficult for foreigners working or doing business in the Philippines to follow. “We have made it easier for foreign nationals to comply with our laws,” he said. “The procedures are simple, the process is now quicker, so there’s really no excuse for foreign nationals to not follow,” he added. u PAGE A2


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