052219 - Southern California Midweek Edition

May 22-24, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 39 • 2 Sections - 20 Pages

USA

DATELINE Democrats criticize Trump’s new immigration plan that would slash family-based petitioning FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

California Sen. Kamala Harris denounces the perceived “hierarchies” of immigrants the plan would impose

Palace: The president is in good health, will inform public if sick Malacañang laughs off rumors about Duterte’s condition

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

MALACAÑANG on Monday, May 20, insisted that President Rodrigo Duterte was actually in good health, saying that he merely laughed off rumors he

was confined in the hospital.

According to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s voice was “very strong” and “upbeat” when they discussed the rumors about the president’s condition over the phone on Sunday,

May 19.

“He (Duterte) was there in Bahay Pagbabago, signing papers. I talked to him yesterday (Sunday), his voice was very strong. He just laughed it off,” Panelo

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Pangilinan quits as Liberal Party president after Otso Diretso defeat

AS reported by the Asian Journal last week, the Trump administration unveiled its new immigration plan that focuses on curbing the influx of new immigrants by way of a more restrictive “merit-based” system.

In an uncharacteristically softer tone, Trump addressed the growing problem with the country’s current immigration program, notMINORITY Sen. Franing that “we want immigrants coming in [and] cis Kiko Pangilinan we cherish an open door, but a big proportion on Tuesday, May 21, of those immigrants should come in through announced he has remerit and skill.” signed as president of Through this plan, nearly 4 million people the Liberal Party, saying would be wiped out of the waiting list for a “he was taking full regreen card, a process that could take decades. sponsibility” for the deMore than a quarter of those people are of feat of opposition bets Asian descent, and nearly 314,000 of those are in the Senate race.

Filipinos, according to State Department stats.

In a statement, Pan“Trump’s immigration plan would hurt gilinan said he handed Filipino immigrants, who rely heavily on the In a statement, Pangilinan said he family-based visas that Trump wants to slash. handed his letter of resignation to his letter of resignation u PAGE A4 LP chairperson Vice President Leni to Vice President Leni Robredo, who is also the Robredo.

Philstar.com file photo by Party chairperson.

Quezon City 6th DisGeremy Pintolo trict Rep. Kit Belmonte also resigned as LP secretary general, said Pangilinan.

“As campaign manager for the Otso Diretso slate, I

US-China trade war could spill over to South China Sea

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THE PRESIDENT BACK AT WORK. President Rodrigo Duterte receives the credentials of Thailand’s Ambassador to the Philippines Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng during a ceremony at the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, May 21.

Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante

WASHINGTON – The trade war between the United States and China is raising the possibility that tensions could extend beyond trade and affect other areas of contention between them including the South China Sea, analysts here warned.

The warning came as guided-missile destroyer USS Preble on Monday, May 20, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal to “challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law,” said a U.S. 7th Fleet spokesman.

It was the second time in the past week that a U.S. warship sailed near Panatag, which Filipinos also call Bajo de Masinloc.

The Coast Guard cutter Bertholf and two Philippine Coast Guard vessels practiced search-and-rescue operations on May 14 near Panatag, the U.S. Navy said.

Since the start of the year, the U.S .Navy is reported to have conducted four freedom of navigation exercises near disputed islands Teachers celebrate on Monday, May 20, after handing over ballot boxes containing election returns from Compostela Senators Cynthia Villar

Final, official count: Villar in 1st, Binay in 12th of Senate race

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Valley and Davao City to the Commission on Elections sitting as the National Board of Canvassers at the PICC in Pasay and Nancy Binay City, exactly a week after the midterm elections.

Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande Senare photos

by DAPHNE

GALVEZ, DARRYL JOHN ESGUERRA Inquirer.net

MANILA — Re-electionist Sen. Cynthia Villar topped the 2019 senatorial race dominated by administrationbacked candidates as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) finished the counting of all votes for the midterm elections.

The Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), finished the tally of the certificates of canvass (COC) early Wednesday, May 22, more than a week after the polling on May 13.

In the complete and official tally, Villar, who was endorsed by the administration Hugpong ng Pagbabago party (HNP), got a total of 25,283,727 votes.

Villar has a 3,253,939-vote lead over re-electionist Grace Poe, who, running as an independent candidate, garnered 22,029,788 votes.

On third is former Special Assistant to the Presi-

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Morales back in Manila after Police chief: 27 ‘narco-politicians’ won polls being refused entry to Hong Kong

by AJPRESS

by NEIL

ARWIN MERCADO

Inquirer.net

FORMER Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales arrived in the Philippines Tuesday night, May 21, after being denied entry to Hong Kong.

Morales and her family flew back to Manila via Philippine Airlines flight PR 307. They were supposed to have a vacation there, but decided to all come home after immigration officers did not allow the ex-Ombudsman to enter Hong Kong.

In an earlier interview with INQUIRER.net, Morales’ lawyer, Anne Marie Corominas, said the former Ombudsman barred from entering that county for being a “security threat.”

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Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde announced on Monday, May 20, that 27 politicians on President Rodrigo Duterte’s “narco-list” won in the recent 2019 midterm elections.

“Out of 47 na nasa narcolist: 37 ang tumakbo, 27 and nanalo (Out of the 47 individuals in the narcolist: 37 ran for a position, 27 won a seat),” the police chief said as reported by The Manila Times.

“We are in close coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), especially in gathering evidence against narco politicians,” Albayalde added as reported

by The Philippine Star.

However, the data gathered by the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group displayed a slightly different outcome. The media network Philstar.com photo reported that there were 46 local officials named

on the list — with 36 who ran for various local positions, 26 of whom won.

The research group indicated that the winners in the narco list include 18 mayors, three vice mayors, two congressmen, one vice governor, one provincial board member, and one councilor. Albayalde claimed that some were from Central Luzon and the Southern Tagalog.

The network identified the political alliances of the said officials namely PDP-LABAN (6), National People’s Coalition (6), Nacionalista Party (6), National Unity Party (2), LAKAS (2), Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (1) while the rest ran as independent.

Despite the victory of the said candidates in the recently concluded local elections, the police chief remained adamant on filing “administrative and criminal” cases against should there be ample proof of their involvement in the illegal drug trade.

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From the Front Page

US-China trade war could spill over to...

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in the South China Sea, most of which is claimed by Beijing even as China and the United States continue trade talks aimed at easing the escalating tariffs each country has imposed on the other.

The Washington Post said the United States for years has

relied on economic interdependence with China as a stabilizing force in their ties, with business between the two nations forming a so-called ballast in U.S.China affairs.

But as their trade dispute escalates and damages economic ties, “there is reduced incentive for stability and restraint in

Washington when it comes to China,” it said.

President Donald Trump was the first to impose tariffs on Chinese goods to reduce America’s massive trade deficit with China.

He escalated the tariffs progressively to punish the Chinese for forcing U.S. and foreign businesses to hand over their priced technology in exchange for access to local markets. China has retaliated every step of the way.

The Chinese foreign ministry said Preble’s sailing near Panatag was trespassing and clearly an “unpopular” move.

“In disregard of the regional countries’ shared aspiration for peace and stability in the South China Sea, the U.S. has been disrupting regional peace and stability time and again under the pretext of ‘freedom of navigation and overflight,’” said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang at a press conference in Beijing.

“Such action is unpopular. We strongly urge the U.S. to stop such provocation lest it should harm China-U.S. relations and regional peace and stability,” he said.

He added that China would continue to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. “I have to stress again that the trespass of U.S. warship is a violation of China’s sovereignty. It undermines peace, security and good order in the relevant waters. China firmly opposes such move,” Lu said.

Fight for sovereignty In Manila, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the administration will assert the country’s sovereignty in case Beijing pushes through with its fishing ban in the West Philippine Sea. “The policy of the government will always be consistent with its policy that it will assert its sovereignty over the areas claimed to be its own. So, it will always pursue that line,” Panelo said when asked for the government’s response if China extends the ban to waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

The fishing ban – which began on May 1 – is until Aug. 16.

Asked if he finds the ban obPAGE A4

CLEANUP CONTINUES. Personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways continue dredging work in Manila Bay, which has become cleaner after weeks of cleanup.

ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

Palace: The president is in good...

PAGE A1 said at a press briefing.

“He never mentioned anything (about illnesses). But from the sound of his voice, he was very upbeat,” he added.

Rumors surfaced on Sunday about the president being confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan — the same hospital where he underwent an endoscopy last year — and that the hospital was on “code blue,” which refers to a patient suffering from cardiopulmonary arrest.

Malacañang denied the rumors; however, Panelo said Duterte neither confirmed nor denied that he went to the hospital. “[The president] said he neither confirmed nor denied [that he

went to the hospital]. You draw your own conclusions,” he said.

“To him, it’s not a serious matter. Because if it’s serious, he always tells the public about it.

Remember, he tells you when he is sick, or if he went to [see] the doctor,” he added.

The Palace expressed gratitude over the public’s concern for the president’s health and assured everyone once again that it would let them know of any serious developments on Duterte’s well-being.

“Let me assure the nation that if there is anything wrong with the president’s health serious enough to be of our concern, he will tell us,” Panelo said.

‘Right to privacy under the

Constitution’ According to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, the Constitution only required the Chief Executive to disclose any serious illness.

“If the illness is not serious enough to affect the discharge of his official functions, the president has no duty to inform anyone. Like any citizen, the president enjoys the right to privacy under the Constitution,” he said on Monday.

The president resurfaced in public on Tuesday, May 21, after a week of absence. He welcomed Thailand’s Ambassador-Designate to the Philippines Vasin Tuangprateesaeng who presented his credentials at Malacanang. n

Morales back in Manila after...

PAGE A1 But according to officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Morales was eventually allowed to enter Hong Kong hours after she was held at the Hong Kong International Airport, but she and her family still opted to return to Manila.

“Former Ombudsman CarpioMorales arrived in HK via PAL at 12:20 p.m. While her four com-

panions — a daughter, son-inlaw, and two grandkids — were admitted, she was refused entry with airport officials saying only ‘this is an instruction’,” DFA Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. said in a Twitter post.

In March, Morales and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario filed a complaint against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International

Criminal Court over “atrocious actions of Chinese officials in the South China Sea and within Philippine territory.”

The complaint — technically called a communication — was filed by Morales and Del Rosario on behalf of fishermen who were “persecuted and injured” by aggressive island-building and occupation of China in the West Philippine Sea. n

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PNP to int’l critics: See drug war for yourself Slams Netflix show’s negative portrayal of PH

‘YOSI KADIRI’ IS BACK. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (2nd from left) and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez (2nd from right) do the “fist pose” with the “Yosi Kadiri” mascot in a joint press conference on sin tax at the Department of Finance office in Manila. “Yosi Kadiri” was first launched in the 1990s in support of the anti-smoking campaign during the term of the late former health secretary and senator Juan Flavier.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Final, official count: Villar in 1st, Binay in...

PAGE A1 dent Christopher “Bong” Go, who ran under the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-lakas ng Bayan (PDP-laban). Go got 20,657,702 votes, followed by hnP-endorsed Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, who got 19,789,019 votes.

Trailing Cayetano is former Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, another PDP-laban candidate, who got 19,004,225 votes, followed by hnP-endorsed re-electionist Sonny Angara, who finished sixth with 18,161,862 votes.

Actor lito lapid clinched his Senate comeback with 16,965,464 votes, ahead of ilocos norte Gov. imee Marcos, another hnP candidate, who secured the eighth spot with

15,882,628, votes.

PDP-laban candidate Francis Tolentino, former presidential political adviser, made it in the ninth place with 15,510,026 votes, with party-mate re-electionist Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel iii trailing with 14,668,665 votes.

Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. also made a successful Senate return as he placed 11th with 14,624,445 votes, while hnP-backed re-electionist nancy Binay completed the socalled Magic 12 after garnering 14,504,936 votes.

Sitting outside the winning circle are re-electionists JV ejercito and Bam Aquino, with 14,313,727 votes, and 14,114,923 votes, respectively.

On Tuesday, the Comelec wait-

ed for the arrival of the final two Certificates of Canvass (COCs) from Saudia Arabia and Washington DC in the United States, which were left unaccounted for due to the late transmission of results.

The poll body canvassed the Saudi COC at noon on Tuesday, May 21, but it only received the COC from the U.S. after waiting for more than 11 hours.

The poll body wrapped up the canvassing of votes exactly a week after it convened to officially tally votes from the May 13 midterm elections.

The Comelec had earlier expected to proclaim winning Senators and party-lists on Tuesday.

But the delay in the arrival of the COCs prompted the poll body to reschedule it for Wednesday. n

Pangilinan quits as Liberal Party president...

PAGE A1 was unable to ensure our victory in the elections and i therefore assume full responsibility for the outcome and hold myself primarily accountable for this defeat,” Pangilinan said, adding his resignation will be effective June 30, 2019.

Partial tally of votes showed nine of President Rodrigo Duterte’s chosen senatorial candidates made it to the so-called “Magic 12.” Meanwhile, opposition candidates, most of whom already accepted defeat, are struggling to gain a seat.

Rejected in a statement, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, Rodredo’s spokesperson, said the vice president rejected Panglinan and Belmonte’s resignation.

“Much work remains to be done, and they will do it, together,” Gutierrez said.

As of writing, the Commission on elections has not proclaimed the winning senators.

Analysts at Fitch Solution had expected Duterte’s allies to sweep the Senate race, given that the liberal Party has been “weakened considerably.”

“The once-dominant opposition liberal Party has been weakened considerably following the defection of dozens of its members to the ruling PDPlaban party, and is struggling to even field a 12-person roster, according to Vice President leni Robredo,” they said in a Sept. 10, 2018 commentary. experts say the results of the midterm polls could bode well for policy continuity during Duterte’s remaining term, but could also weigh on the system of checks and balances in the country. (Philstar.com)

PhiliPPine national Police (PnP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde on Monday, May 20, came to President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense, urging the Philippine government’s international critics to visit the country and see for themselves the peace and order and the drug war being enforced here.

This is after American comedian hasan Minhaj presented “erroneous narratives” about Duterte and Philippine politics in the May 12 episode of political-satire show “Patriot Act” aired on netflix.

“This is the very reason why our country is being portrayed as a chaotic place. That’s why we challenge these people to come here to our country and see for themselves the situation on the peace and order and the war on drugs here,” Albayalde said in a press briefing at the national police headquarters at Camp Crame.

According to him, this portrayal of the country is “unfair to the administration and to those working in the country.”

Albayalde also said that it causes “misinterpretation” and “misconception” of the Philippines to people abroad.

Malacañang earlier slammed hasan as well as the episode which had the comedian criticizing Duterte’s war against drugs and expressing his thoughts on the President’s senatorial candidates.

“We find it desperate that, on the eve of the Philippine midterm elections, the vociferous detractors of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte would use an American

PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde

comedy show, aired on netflix, to demonize the Chief executive and his government in its episode entitled ‘Brazil, Corruption and the Rainforest’ before the global audience,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement on Tuesday, May 14.

“Mr. hasan Minhaj, an American comedian and host, maliciously implied that President Duterte is an ‘autocrat’ who ‘every so often goes on a killing spree,’” Andanar added. “he cited an exaggerated figure — 27,000, which is way higher than the official figure — to besmirch the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.”

According to him, there are about 5,050 drug personalities who died during the 115,435 anti-drug operations from July 2016 to november 2018 based on government data. he also cited Philippine na-

Police chief: 27 ‘narco-politicians’...

PAGE A1 Department of the interior and local Government (DilG) Secretary eduardo Año said that the election results reflected the lack of voter maturity in far-flung areas.

“Voters in far-flung areas are not mature yet. it is now my job to ensure that these government officials will do their jobs in accordance with the mandate of the local Government Code,” the interior Secretary said.

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon said that the “massive, flagrant and scandalous vote buying in areas” where the al-

leged narco politicians won must be further investigated by the officials responsible for matters regarding elections.

“While vote buying may have become commonplace to some people, the inordinate, flagrant and scandalous vote buying in areas where the narco politicians won must be investigated,” Gordon said in a statement.

Among those government agencies were Commission on elections (Comelec), the AntiMoney laundering Council, Bureau of internal Revenue (BiR), national Bureau of investigation (nBi) and the PnP. n

Inquirer.net photo

tional Police’s (PnP) report which detailed that “a large number of deaths were done by the hands of vigilantes due to the rivalry between drug gangs.”

Andanar mentioned the government’s rehabilitation programs, as well, saying there were about 303,533 individuals who graduated from these rehabilitation programs since PAGE A4

ANG PANREHIYONG AWTORIDAD SA RILES NG TIMOG CALIFORNIA (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY, SCRRA) PAUNAWA SA PAMPUBLIKONG PAGDINIG FY2019-20 TAUNANG BADYET Ang Panrehiyong Awtoridad sa Riles ng Timog California (SCRRA) na nagpapatakbo ng commuter rail system ng Metrolink ay magkakaroon ng Pampublikong Pagdinig hinggil sa pagpapatibay ng ipinanukala nitong Taunang Badyet para sa Taon ng Pananalapi 2019-20. Ang pagdinig na ito ay nasa agenda ng Pagpupulong ng Lupon ng SCRRA sa: Hunyo 28, 2019 sa 10:00 ng umaga.

Sa Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board Room na matatagpuan sa: One Gateway Plaza,3rd Floor Los Angeles, CA 90012 Ang mga kopya ng ipinanukalang Taunang Badyet ng FY2019-20 ay makikita sa pampublikong inspeksyon Lunes hanggang Biyernes, mula 8:00 ng umaga hanggang 5:00 ng hapon sa tanggapan ng SCRRA, 900 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90017 June 12 hanggang Hunyo 28, 2019, at sa electronic na format ng aming website sa www.metrolinktrains.com CNS-3254499#

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Unicef to PH Congress: Strengthen Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act

by Katrina

Hallare Inquirer.net

The United Nations’ Children’s Fund (Unicef) urged Congress to strengthen Republic Act (RA) 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act as the Senate will debate to lower the minimum age of criminal liability on Monday, May 20.

“Do not to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility,” Unicef said in a statement.

“Congress must support the full implementation the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.” Unicef said that on the 13th

anniversary of the Juvenile Justice Act, it reminded the people that “all children must be treated with dignity and accorded their inalienable rights with utmost respect and protection.”

According to RA 9344, it promotes a child-friendly justice system focused on rehabilitation and restoration rather than punishment.

“The law makes it clear – without a doubt – that there is a need for a separate juvenile justice system where detention is the last resort,” Unicef said.

“The erring child must be rehabilitated and reintegrated into

society if the child must take responsibility for his or her action and mend the broken relationship with the community and the victim.”

It also pointed out that lowering the minimum age of criminal liability is not the answer, saying: “ putting children in prison or detaining them will only cause more harm to the child and to the community.”

“We call on the government to work with child rights defenders and strengthen the juvenile justice system for the sake of all Filipino children,” Unicef said. n

PNP to int’l critics: See drug war...

PAGE A3

Duterte assumed presidency in 2016.

“We express outrage that such erroneous narratives, obviously peddled by anti-Duterte haters and trolls, would find their way to the gullible TV host and his comedy show and unwittingly parrot these falsehoods to an audience unaware of the real score in the Philippines,” he said.

“The Philippines, like the USA, is a country where democracy is vibrant and the will of the people reigns supreme. Ulti-

mately, it is the Filipino people who will choose their own set of leaders and we simply have to respect the results of the elections,” Andanar added, referring to hasan’s criticism against Duterte’s endorsement of some senatorial candidates.

The Palace official explained that the results of the midterm elections meant that the Filipinos still favored Duterte.

“The president called on the public to vote for those who support his measures to uplift people from poverty and have a

stable, comfortable, and peaceful life that they deserve. he also called on the public to dismiss black propaganda against the administration amid the midterm elections,” Andanar said.

“The preliminary results of the nationwide polls affirmed that the public indeed heeded the president’s call. This proves that the voting population continues to believe in the genuine reforms advocated by the candidates endorsed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” he added. n

Democrats criticize Trump’s new immigration plan that...

PAGE A1 Filipino Americans stand with the more than 30,000 Filipinos waiting to be reunited with their families — some for as long as 23 years,” Western Regional Press Secretary & Director of AAPI Media at the DNC John Santos said in a statement sent to the Asian Journal. “Instead of continuing to push his xenophobic immigration policies, Trump should join Democrats in working to fix our broken immigration system.”

Democrats on The hill also condemned the president’s plan, including 2020 presidential hopeful Sen. Kamala harris of California, who is half Indian.

“We cannot allow people to start parsing and pointing fingers and creating hierarchies among immigrants,” harris said at a meeting with AAPI leaders in Las Vegas. “The beauty of the tradition of our country has been to say, when you walk through the

door, you are equal.”

Other elements of the proposal include doubling down on the border wall construction, regulating the flow of lower-wage workers as a way to protect Americans’ incomes and limit the asylum system. Some of those qualified immigrants who would be fit within the merit-based system include laborers for important American industries, The proposal does not address any pathway to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, commonly known as DReAMers. house Speaker Nancy Pelosi also criticized the proposal as one of “the worst” of Trump’s immigration policy proposals, noting that the plan has little chance of making it through the house.

“The White house has repackaged the worst of its past failed immigration plans: green-

lighting the Administration’s barbaric family detention policies, reviving the president’s ineffective and wasteful wall, completely abandoning our patriotic and determined DReAMers and gutting our asylum and refugee protections” Pelosi said in a statement.

Pelosi also scrutinized the proposal’s mandate that would cut family reunification programs, questioning what the president defines as an immigrant with “merit.”

“It is really a condescending word. They’re saying family is without merit?” Pelosi told reporters last week. “Certainly we want to attract the best to our country, and that includes many people from many parts of society. So we’ll see what values are reflected there. We’ve only heard titles like merit, which is non-merit. It means merit in the eyes of Donald Trump.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

CLEAN AND GREEN. Teachers, parents and volunteers from Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. plant seedlings at a garden at the Pateros Elementary School as part of “Brigada Eskwela”. Aside from cleaning schools and repairing school equipment, the initiative also highlights environmental protection by growing plants in school gardens.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

US-China trade war could spill over to...

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jectionable, Panelo also said, “draw your conclusion, that’s against the sovereignty – that’s our position.”

“In other words, we will always be consistent. But I will leave that to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs to make a direct statement on that,” he said.

Clam poachers back But security is not the only issue bedeviling the South China Sea. Washington-based think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), in a report, said Chinese clam harvesting vessels are back in disputed waters – with Beijing’s blessings.

Citing images taken in the last six months, AMTI said China’s “most destructive boats have returned to the South China Sea in force” after a sharp drop in giant clam harvesting activities from 2016 to 2018.

“These fleets, which typically include dozens of small fishing vessels accompanied by a handful of larger ‘motherships,’ destroy vast swaths of coral reef in order to extract endangered giant clams,” the AMTI reported.

The clams are transported back to hainan province where they fetch thousands of dollars each in a thriving market for jewelry and statuary, it said.

Since late 2018, satellite imagery has shown these fleets

operating frequently at Panatag Shoal and throughout the Paracels, including in the Bombay Reef area, the think tank said.

The AMTI said the return of the Chinese poachers to Panatag Shoal remains a particularly sensitive issue between the Philippines and China as the reef was already extensively damaged by the earlier phase of clam harvesting up to 2016.

“But (satellite) imagery from December 2018 reveals the return of a large number of clam boats. A comparison of imagery from December and March also reveals new scarring on the reef from recent extraction,” the report stated.

Satellite images taken in March appear to show large piles of extracted clams tagged and deposited across the reef for later collection by the Chinese poachers.

The claim piles, visible as irregular white spots scattered around the reef, were not present in previous images.

New poaching method The common method employed by poachers involve anchoring their boats and then dragging the reinforced propellers of their outboard motors across the reef surface to break up the coral, allowing the clams to be easily lifted out while sending sediment drifting

throughout nearby waters.

“The ecological results were devastating and, as a result, in July 2016 the arbitral tribunal that ruled on a case brought against Beijing by Manila found that China had violated its obligations under international law to protect the marine environment,” the AMTI said.

Despite the clear and serious ecological destruction caused by the clam-harvesting vessels, Chinese coast guard ships were not taking any action against the poachers, it said.

While the AMTI has not found clear evidence of new clam harvesting in other parts of the South China Sea, imagery taken last April 7 showed Chinese maritime militia vessels were clustering around Philippine-occupied Kota (Loaita) Island and Melchora Aquino (Loita) Cay. “That suggests that for every clam harvesting operation that is documented in the South China Sea, others will go unnoticed. But with tens of thousands of acres of reef surface already damaged or destroyed and fish stocks teetering on the brink of collapse, the effects of this wanton destruction of the marine environment will be felt across the region,” the think tank warned. (Jose Katigbak, Pia Lee-Brago, Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez/Philstar.com)

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Dateline PhiliPPines

A

No shakeup at Senate once 18th Congress opens

by Bernadette

tamayo ManilaTimes.net

A bulldozer levels up the garbage at Capas Tarlac Landfill in Capas, Tarlac under the management of Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation which allegedly were the garbage coming from Canada was dumped.

Philstar.com photo by Ernie PeĂąaredondo

Canada trash to sail ‘sooner than later’ — Palace

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

The remaining containers of garbage from Canada will soon sail back to the North American country, MalacaĂąang said Tuesday, May 21. hundreds of containers of waste were illegally dumped in the Philippines between 2013 and 2014. At least 69 containers are still in the country.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said a private shipping company will take the trash back to Canada.

“The [Department of Foreign Affairs] issued a statement that the Canadian government has already directed a shipping company to get the trash back and, according to them, it will be sooner than later,� Panelo said in a press briefing.

Last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. recalled Philippine diplomats after Canada missed the deadline to take back the containers of trash. “At midnight last night, letters for the recall of our ambassador and consuls to Canada went out.

They are expected here in a day

or so. Canada missed the May 15 deadline,� Locsin tweeted on May 15.

The Philippines’ top diplomat said the country will maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until the garbage issue is resolved. “When the president speaks as he did to the extent of ‘declaring war on Canada’ for its garbage here, he is to be taken seriously and not metaphorically; at least I do because I do not think I know better than he does. Some of his officials do,� Locsin said in a separate tweet. n

emmanuel “Manny� Pacquiao. of Senate President Sotto.�

Asked whether the incomNo one expressed interest in ing legislators had committed the top Senate spot, he added.

The Leadership of the Sen- to support his leadership, Sotto Zubiri said Sotto and Recate will not change hands when replied: “Well, that was how I to conducted preliminary meeta new set of legislators — over- gauged it because Manny Pac- ings with emerging blocs to diswhelmingly allied to President quaio was doing all the talking. cuss committee chairmanships.

Rodrigo Duterte — takes office he was the one who said we still These are the Partido Dein July, incumbents claimed on wanted to support the leadership PAGE A7 Monday, May 20.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Sen. Vicente Sotto III would remain president of the chamber following discussions with several senators-elect. “[L]ooks like 99.999 percent,�

Recto said.

Sotto, Recto and Zubiri met with former presidential aide Christopher Lawrence “Bong�

Go, former Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato� de la Rosa, former Metro Manila Development Authority chief Francis Tolentino and former senator Ramon “Bong� Revilla — all expected to be proclaimed winners Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto 3rd talks with Senators Ralph Recto and Joel Villanueva ManilaTimes.net photo by Gerard Seguia — at a dinner hosted by Sen. before session resumed on Monday, May 20.

DND, NSA looking into Huawei ban — Palace MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte will wait for any recommendation from the Department of National Defense (DND) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) on the matter of Chinese telecom giant huawei.

U.S. President Donald Trump banned U.S. companies from engaging with foreign companies believed to threaten their national security.

Following Trump’s declaration amid a trade war with China, U.S. internet giant Google, which powers Android mobile operating system, decided to cut ties with huawei.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the concerned government agencies are looking into the Chinese

telecom giant. “I suppose the Department of National Defense, as well as the National Security Adviser. are studying that matter and the president will be waiting for whatever recommendation they have on that,� Panelo said on Tuesday, May 21.

Local telecom operators PLDT and Globe Telecom assured Filipino users that their huawei devices “will continue to function normally� after the U.S. ban.

PLDT and its subsidiary Smart said it will work with huawei in addressing concerns for future software updates. “In light of the recent trade ban of the United States government on huawei products,

PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. wish to assure its customers who have availed of huawei handsets and devices via its official channels that said products will continue to function normally on the PLDTSmart network,� PLDT said in a statement released Monday.

Globe Telecom, on the other hand, said it has received assurances from huawei that it will continue to provide security updates to its device users using the network. “We wish to assure our customers that the current situation at huawei will not impact its network services,� Globe said in a statement. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com with reports from AFP)

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A6 MAY 22-24, 2019 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Senate independence

FEATURES

A COOPERATIVE Congress means smooth sailing for a president’s legislative agenda. Every chief executive wants allies in Congress — the more, the better. Cooperation between the executive and legislative branches, however, is possible without Congress turning into a rubberstamp of Malacañang.

This is what people are hoping for as administration candidates look poised to dominate the Magic 12 winning circle in the senatorial race. Public concerns have been fueled by the behavior of the pro-administration super majority in the House of Representatives – a chamber that critics describe as a Malacañang rubberstamp. The Senate in the outgoing Congress has been perceived as a bulwark against the loss of independence of the legislature. Will this change with the incoming team?

President Duterte is assured of the complete support of at least two of the candidates in the Magic 12. But most of those in the winning circle have found it necessary to issue statements reassuring the public that they would maintain their independence, and would not be remiss in providing the system of checks and balances that

is indispensable in a healthy democracy.

Midway through his presidency, Benigno Aquino III also saw members of his coalition team bagging nine slots in the Magic 12. But throughout the second half of the Aquino administration, the nine largely upheld the reputation of senators as independent republics.

Congressional independence does not mean being an obstructionist; there are many projects and programs of the executive branch that deserve support from the legislature. But lawmakers are expected to draw the line between this kind of cooperation and being a Malacañang rubberstamp.

Most of the candidates in the Magic 12 are promising to show this type of independence.

The nation will be watching, and will be holding them to their promise. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Dear Fil-Ams, did we miss the chance to make a difference in the Philippine midterm elections?

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS SUPPORTERS of President Rodrigo Duterte, either from the Philippines or here in America, have always been up in arms in defending the president, fighting against any form of dissent or nonsupport among Filipinos in America who openly criticize the Duterte administration.

Legitimate factual news has been dismissed as “fake news,” despite videos and actual interviews of protesters and manon-the-street interviews of kababayans who remain vigilant in following the news back home. This midterm election was no different.

However, such vigilance and advocacy seem to have fallen

short to make a real difference in the outcome of the midterm election in the Philippines. This is not because there are no protests or criticism of Duterte and his style of governance in the Philippines, but because of the disappointing turnout of votes among eligible Filipino voters in America. We failed to use the legitimate and consequential platform to make our voices heard.

As ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” reported on Tuesday, May 21, all Certificates of Canvas (COCs) have been transmitted to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in the Philippines.

The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. clarified in a

statement that the causes of the delayed transmission of COCs, which had hindered the proclamation of winners in both the senatorial and party-list elections, were the four malfunctioning SD cards coming from San Francisco and Los Angeles. Finally, the last replacement card for LA coming in was processed on Monday and all SD cards had been physically delivered to the Embassy on Monday night.

The Embassy also revealed that out of the 228,470 registered voters in the United States, only 39,511 actually voted. This means the dismal turnout was only 17.29 percent.

Looking at the glass half-full, this is an improvement in voter

participation compared to the 2013 midterm elections, when the turnout among registered Fil-Am voters was at 10.55 percent.

Think of it, the more than 200,000 registered voters among Filipinos in America could have made a difference in a close election — if only all Fil-Ams exercised their right to vote.

We can blame voter disenfranchisement due to lost ballots, or the inadequate election information campaign to help eligible voters to cast their ballot, or even alleged election irregularities. These are all valid concerns that the Comelec and the Department of Foreign Affairs should look into.

However, these are just parts

of the problem. The bigger part of the problem is our own accountability as Filipinos living in America. Have we taken a more pro-active role to make sure we vote? Have we chosen to be dual citizens so we can be eligible to participate in Philippine elections? Have we informed the Philippine Consulate of any changes in our address? Have we inquired when we could expect to get our ballots, and if they have our current address? Have we been more aggressive and pressing for information campaign from our Embassy and Consular offices?

While many of us have been very vocal about our thoughts and prescriptions in helping solve what we deem to be prob-

lems in the Philippines online, not enough have translated this advocacy to the platform that truly matters in making a difference: the ballot box.

Hopefully, this midterm election will serve as a wake-up call for us all. It does NOT matter who we support or who we are up against. What matters is that we VOTE, because, at the end of the day, this vote and its strength in numbers will effect real change, not Facebook posts or tweets. *** 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

Trump is correct in the Middle East and Korean Peninsula but future atill uncertain, RP polls and ICAPP initiatives

PeaceMaker FORMER SPEAKER JOSE C. DE VENECIA, JR. U.S. President Donald Trump is correct in rejecting the option to engage in war with Iran and to instead pursue the peaceful diplomatic route. He met with Swiss President Ueli Maurer whose nation has served as liaison between the U.S. and Iran which do not have diplomatic relations.

Apparently ignoring some of his White House advisers pushing for outright conflict with Iran, he has opened the door fornegotiations with Tehran, after his apparent earlier mistake of withdrawing the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 that in hindsight had at least kept the peace until now.

We are reminded of Trump’s recent efforts towards peace in Northeast Asia and his meeting in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un which at least broke ground and is now paving the way for a likely but still most difficult long-drawn peaceful settlement in the Korean peninsula.

We have been to the Middle East on both sides of the Persian (Arab) Gulf in the last year, long after undertaking several economic development projects in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a pioneering entrepreneur in the 1970s, operating the ports of Jeddah and Jubail as a prime contractor on both sides of the Arabian peninsula, drilling for oil in Ajman in the UAE, hospital projects, roads and housing in Iraq and Kuwait, that led to the employment of millions of Filipinos in the Middle East up to today.

We must congratulate President

Trump for not heeding some of the advisers urging military conflict with Iran and instead indicating he is open to talks with the Iranian leadership.

As we have pointed out repeatedly a full-scale war on both sides of the Persian (Arab) Gulf involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait,Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and most likely including Israel in a wide-ranging Middle East conflict would be disastrous and wreck much of the great economic and industrial gains in the region, painfully achieved over the years. *** We wish to congratulate the winners of our recently-concluded May 13 Philippine elections. To those who won and others who did not make it, may we quote the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy when he lost the 1976 Democratic Party’s presidential nomination to Jimmy Carter, the “Peanut Farmer from Georgia,”whobecame a great president. Kennedy said “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”

Indeed, when one throws his hat into the political ring, he should be prepared to lose, as ultimately, it is the people who decide a politician’s fate in the elections.

As a politician for many years, having won the Speakership five times, the first in Asia, indeed we have fought many political battles, where we won some and lost some, including the Presidency in 1998, where we came out second in the field of ten.

As a public servant, we have eye-witnessed, even taken part, in ephocal events in our country’s life. We have known up-close, men and women who have shaped our country’s destiny for good or ill.

We also initiated laws and programs that have become landmarks and game-changers in our country’s economic history.

We are most proud of our historic Dollar Remittance Program that killed the dollar black market and that now earns the Philippines some $30-billion a year; the Bases Conversion Law; and the BuildOperate-Transfer (BOT) Law. The game-changer Bases Conversion Law has turned the former American military bases on Luzon Island—the biggest of them being Clark Airfield and Subic Naval Base, Baguio’s Camp John Hay and La Union’s Camp Wallace and Poro Point—into thriving export zones and free ports with extensive employment potential.

Under one composite legislation, the initiative also converted the Filipino military camp Fort Bonifacio into the now booming satellite city, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and the old Nichols Air Base into the now Resorts World Manila.

We were also privileged with others to author the landmark B-O-T (Build-Operate-Transfer) Law, which has become a model for the other developing countries and the formula for “Private-Public Partnerships.” In the Philippines the law has made possible private investments and publicprivate partnerships in infrastructure projectsvalued in excess of $30 billion as early as the mid-

1990’s.

Now at age 82, we are also proud that as a 30-year-old Minister and Economic and Press Counselor at the Philippine Embassy in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam during the Vietnam War, we conceived of, designed, and implemented the historic Dollar Remittance Program for the Philippine overseas workers, which now raises more than $35-billion a year for the Philippines, continuously saving the Philippine economy during recurrent crises, from the major 1970 devaluation through the dark years of Martial Law, through the Asian financial crisis, and the impeachment and coup attempts during the Estrada and Arroyo years, and which program has become a modelfor many Third World countries.

We are most grateful to our beloved constituents in Pangasinan, my colleagues in the House of Representatives and counterparts in the Senate, and the Filipino people for giving us the privilege to serve our country as Congressman in the 7th and 8th Congresses, then as Speaker of the House of Representatives five-times, during the 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Congresses. My wife Gina, who also served for two terms, and we are proud of our son Congressman Christopher who won a second congressional term last week. *** Our International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), which we founded and launched in Manila in September 2000, is postponing to a later date this year the Special Workshop on Media

which we initially scheduled on June 13-15, 2019 in Vladivostok, Russia.

We received a letter recently from Sen. Andrey Klimov, Vice Chairman of ICAPP and Deputy Secretary General for International Relations of the ruling United Russia Party, requesting us to postpone the ICAPP media conference as Moscow has scheduled an urgent meeting of the General Council of the United Russia Party to be presided by its Chairman, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

The ICAPP Special Workshop on Media, which was supposed to be hosted by Sen. Klimov and United Russia Party in the Russian Far East, is under the auspices of the ICAPP Media Forum, one of our subsidiary groups in ICAPP. We are happy to note that the current Co-Chairman of the ICAPP Media Forum is the Philippines’ Roger Oriel, a veteran journalist and publisher of the Asian Journal, which is circulated in various cities in the U.S. including separate editions in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York. He is also the publisher of Balikbayan magazine.

We are also proud that the former Co-Chair of the ICAPP Media Forum is also a Filipino, the respected writer and Philippine Star columnist Carmen Pedrosa, whose late husband Alberto Pedrosa was our Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg.

Besides the ICAPP Media Forum, the other subsidiary groups of ICAPP are the ICAPP Youth Wing, ICAPP Women’s Wing, ICAPP-COPPPAL (Asian-Latin

American) Business Council, ICAPP Program for Disasters Assistance (IPDA), Asia-Europe Political Forum (AEPF), and the Asian Cultural Council (ACC). The AEPF just met in Colombo, Sri Lanka last month and ACC was launched in Siem Reap, Cambodia last January.

We also have a working partnership with the Latin American and Caribbean political parties under COPPPAL or Association of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean; African political partiesunder CAPP (Council of African Political Parties); and a number of European political parties.

We in ICAPP are initiating a working partnership with the U.S. political parties, the Democratic Party and Republican Party, which we hope will eventually lead to a globalorganization of political parties.

The ICAPP has offices in Manila and Seoul, where the Secretariat is based, now led by Secretary General Park Ro-byug, formerly Korean Ambassador to Moscow, who succeeded Chung Eui-yong, now the able South Korean National Security Adviser under President Moon Jae-in who has been active recently in promoting talks with North Korea.

The ICAPP represents some 350 ruling, opposition, and independent political parties from 52 countries in Asia.

This columnist is the Founding Chairman and Chairman of its 39-member Standing Committee since 2000 and we are scheduling ICAPP’s 20th Anniversary in Manila in November 2020. ■

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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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • MAy 22-24, 2019

Senate not likely to pass tax bills

by Bernadette

tamayo ManilaTimes.net

THE Senate is not inclined to pass in the last three weeks of the 17th Congress any tax measure or bills that require deep study and long debates, some lawmakers said on Monday, May 20.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the chamber would maximize the remaining nine session days to pass measures of national importance.

The Senate resumed session

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri

on Monday after a three-month break for the midterm elections.

It will adjourn sine die on June 7 and will be back on July 22 for the opening of the 18th Congress.

Recto said that based on the caucus of the majority bloc, the Senate would no longer have time to approve the federalism or Charter change, revival of death penalty, and imposition of additional taxes.

“Walang pag-asa ang Chacha (Cha-cha has no chance to be passed). [There was] no discussion on death penalty. I’m against [the passage of] any tax-

es in the next nine days,” he said in a chance interview after their caucus.

Asked about the chances of the proposed bill increasing tobacco tax from P60 to P70 per pack, Recto said, “no taxes.”

“Iyung mga major issues na ‘yan, future Congress na ‘yan (Major issues like that must be tackled in the next Congress).We just elected new senators right?

So my personal position is that all major issues [should be discussed in the] next Congress,” he said.

Zubiri said “there is a lukewarm support” for the passage of the sin tax.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, one of the authors of the bill increasing tobacco tax, was hopeful the Senate could pass the measure before it adjourns on June 7.

“The nine session days left for Congress is the best opportunity to pass this bill. All we need is to convince the majority of the senators to support the passage of the measure,” he said in a news conference.

Aside from Gatchalian, Senators Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito filed separate measures ManilaTimes.net photo increasing tobacco tax. n

ANG PANREHIYONG AWTORIDAD SA RILES NG TIMOG CALIFORNIA (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY, SCRRA) PAALALA SA PAMPUBLIKONG PAGDINIG / PAALALA SA MGA PAGBABAGO SA MGA PATAKARAN NG TITLE VI

Former vice president Jejomar Binay

Philstar.com file photo

Binay ready to reveal ‘facts’in loss to rival MANILA — Former vice president Jejomar Binay believes he has not fallen out of favor with the voters in Makati.

The camp of Binay made the statement after he lost in his bid to represent the city’s first district against former acting mayor Romulo Peña.

“We will reveal facts, data and evidence that would show why the election result does not reflect the true will of the voters of my district at the proper time,” Binay said.

He maintained that the outcome of the midterm polls was

contrary to the pre-election surveys conducted by independent and reputable firms from September 2018 to April 2019.

“The surveys showed that I would win by a considerable margin over my closest opponent,” Binay said.

He said the results of the elections also contradicted the endorsements he received from the religious group Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and other sectoral groups in Makati.

The INC is known for voting as a bloc.

Binay lost to Peña by almost 6,000 votes. The former vice president garnered 65,229 votes.

Peña got 71,035 votes. n

It will also receive P2 billion—fund sourced from the in- PAGE A5 come of the Philippine Amuse- mokratiko Pilipino, composed ment and Gaming Corporation of Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel and the Bases Conversion and III, Pacquiao, Go, dela Rosa and Development Authority—for Tolentino; the “seatmates” comfive years after the law’s effec- prising Sherwin Gatchalian, Joel tivity.

Villanueva, Richard Gordon, MaThe bill was introduced by ria Lourdes Nancy Binay, Juan Senate President Vicente Sotto Edgardo “Sonny” Angara and III and Sens. Aquino, Loren Le- Zubiri; the “macho” composed garda and Sonny Angara. of Panfilo Lacson, Manuel “Lito” The House of Representatives Lapid, Mary Grace Poe-Llamanpassed House Bill 8541 or the zares and Sotto; the Naciona“Philippine Space Development lista Party with Cynthia Villar, Act” last December.

Imelda The two versions will next Josefa “Imee” Marcos and Pigo to the bicameral conference lar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano and committee for consolidation be- Recto; and Lakas’ Revilla. fore approval by President Ro“So far, the discussion is to redrigo Duterte. n tain Senator Sotto for SP (Senate President) and myself as majority leader and Recto as SP Pro Tempore. Status quo,” Zubiri said. tions.”

He said there would be minor If passed into law, the bill would committee chairmanship changestablish a mandatory two-year es as Francis “Chiz” Escudero, basic ROTC program for all se- Gregorio Honasan 2nd, Loren nior high school students.

Legarda and Antonio Trillanes ROTC became optional in 4th would bow out on June 7.

2002. (ManilaTimes.net) “We initially discussed the eq-

uity of the incumbent rule. So if you have [been leading] that committee it will not be taken away from you if you still wish to remain with your committee,” Zubiri said.

“There’s a lot of jockeying for posts like [chairmanships for] finance, justice, blue ribbon.

But Sen. Richard Gordon is well protected by the equity of the incumbent in those committees,” he said.

Zubiri said the finance committee headed by Legarda would be given to Angara. “Almost all were unanimous with Senator Angara [to lead it]. I believe he will be giving up ways and means [committee].”

He said Go wanted to chair the committee on health while dela Rosa sought to head the public order and dangerous drugs panel currently handled by Lacson.

“Sen. Lacson was gracious enough to give it to [dela Rosa],” Zubiri said.

Lacson in turn will head the national defense panel that is currently held by Honasan. n

by Ghio

onG Philstar.com

Creation of Philippine Space Agency gets Senate nod No shakeup at Senate once...

by Gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

CaBiCo

MANILA — The Philippines may soon have its own space agency following the unanimous approval of the Senate.

The upper chamber passed Senate Bill 1983, which seeks to establish a space development policy and create a Philippine Space Agency, during the resumption of sessions Monday.

The proposed law is expected to serve as the Philippines’ strategic roadmap for space development and propel the country to be space capable in the next decade.

Sen. Bam Aquino, who spon-

sored the bill, also said the launching of a space program in the country would improve disaster management through satellite monitoring. It is also seen to enhance production and profitability of agribusiness, help conserve and preserve the environment, and improve urban planning and communication networks.

Under the bill, the PhilSA office and its research facilities will be housed in at least 30 hectares of land within the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga and Tarlac.

Its initial funding of P1 billion will be taken from the current fiscal year’s appropriation of the Office of the President.

House passes bill making ROTC mandatory THE House of Representatives has approved on final reading the bill making the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program mandatory for Grades 11 and 12.

House Bill (HB) 8961 got the

vote of 167 lawmakers.

Under HB 8961, “[t]he conduct of military training under the ROTC shall apply to all students in Grades 11 and 12 in all senior high schools in public and private educational institu-

A

Ang Panrehiyong Awtoridad sa Riles ng Timog California (SCRRA) ay magtipun-tipon para sa isang pampublikong pagdinig sa Pagpupulong ng mga Lupon ng Mga Direktor, sa Biyernes, Hunyo 14, 2019. Tuwing tatlong taon, iniutos ng Federal Transit Administration (FTA) sa Metrolink na i-update ang Report na Triennial ng Title VI. Ang Metrolink ay naglalayong lumikha ng mga oportunidad para maisama at makipag-ugnayan sa komunidad sa pamamagitan ng pag-imbita sa publiko upang repasuhin at magbigay ng feedbacksa mga pagbabago sa mga patakaran ng Title VI, Pampublikong Paglahok at Mga Outreach na Plano sa Limitadong Kasanayan sa Ingles na bumubuo sa Report na Triennial ng Title VI .

Ang pampublikong pagdinig ay malilista sa agenda ng Pagpupulong ng Lupon ng mga Direktor ng SCRRA sa: Biyernes, Hunyo 14, 2019 sa 10:00 ng umaga.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO) One Gateway Plaza, 3rd Floor Board Room Los Angeles, CA 90012 Ang impormasyon tungkol sa mga pagbabago sa patakaran sa Title VI ay makikita para sa pampublikong inspeksyon sa website ng Metrolink sa www.metrolinktrains.com o sa punong tanggapan ng SCRRA, na matatagpuan sa 900 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1500 Los Angeles, CA 90017 sa regular na oras ng tanggapan sa Lunes hanggang Biyernes, mula 8 ng umaga hanggang 4 ng hapon. Ang mga komento at mungkahi ay maaaring isumite ng pasalita o nakasulat sa pampublikong pagdinig, o i-post nang maaga sa pampublikong pagdinig sa pamamagitan ng pag-click sa “eComment “Opsyon upang magsumite ng isang instant electronic comment sa www.metrolinktrains.com/ecomments, o sa pamamagitan ng koreo kung natanggap nang maaga sa pampublikong pagdinig na naka-atensyon sa Metrolink Fares sa punong tanggapan ng SCRRA, o i-fax sa atensyon ng Metrolink Fares bago ang pagdinig sa (213) 452-0421. Ang lahat ng mga komento ng publiko, anuman ang paraan ng komunikasyon, ay dapat naisumite at natanggap nang hindi lalampas sa Hunyo 7, 2019. Ang bagay na ito ay maaaring ipagpatuloy ng Lupon sa ibang pagkakataon o petsa na sila lamang ang magpapasiya.

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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

DoF: Govt willing to end cigarette industry Economic cluster to review spending target by mary

grace Philstar.com

Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd (far left), Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd (far right) and an unidentified woman pose with the “Yosi Kadiri” (Yucky Cigarette) mascot at the Department of Finance on May 17.

Manilatimes.net photo by Enrique Agcaoili by angeLica

BaLLesteros ManilaTimes.net

THE government is willing to terminate the cigarette industry and face revenue losses if that is what it takes to get more people to stop smoking, according to the Department of Finance (DoF).

On the sidelines of the press briefing on sin taxes last Friday, May 17, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd said ending the sector was “what we want.”

He emphasized, however, that although revenues from cigarettes would fall, “it will never be zero revenue.”

“What [we] want to do is to reduce consumption, because actually, the more you smoke, the less healthy you are. So actually if [people] smoke less, [fewer of them] will be requiring healthcare, right?” the Finance chief said.

“I was talking to a Singaporean [on Thursday, May 16], and he said, You know, your cigarettes here are very good, very cheap,’ while in Singapore, P500 ang isang pack (Each pack of cigarettes cost P500 each). We should

tax it that much,” he added.

Dominguez’s remarks came as he and Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd expressed their support for the passage of Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao’s Senate Bill 1599, which aims to increase taxes on tobacco products to P60 a pack and by 9 percent annually thereafter in a bid to curb the number of smokers in the country, as well as raise duties on alcohol to P40 per liter.

The taxes collected will be used to fund the government’s Universal Health Care program, which needs P258 billion in funds to be fully implemented by 2020.

Without the sin-tax hike, the government will be short of P63 billion, as it would only be able to raise P195 billion through its current sources of funding: the national budget, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., and the Philippine Charity and Sweepstakes Office.

Without adjusting current sin taxes to at least the rates proposed

by Pacquiao, Dominguez said the cumulative funding gap by 2024 would reach P426 billion.

On what would happen to tobacco farmers if the measure is enacted, Dominguez said: “If you are not producing a good product, you should not do it.”

“You can plant corn [seeds], you can plant vegetables. I have [been to tobacco areas] and [they are] actually good land. It can be used for many other things — corn, sorghum, fruits, trees.

Those are better products,” he added.

Also, the government was considering taxing “heat-not-burn” cigarettes, which the Lucio Tanled conglomerate LT Group Inc. plans to bring into the country.

According to Dominguez, he received on Thursday a letter from an undisclosed tobacco company for the importation of these cigarettes.

“We are in conversation with the DoH on how to handle this.

There are several ways to handle this, and we are still figuring out exactly what would be the most appropriate way,” he said.

“But definitely I think there will be regulation and taxation involved,” the Finance chief added. n

PaDin

THE Duterte cabinet’s Economic Development Cluster (EDC) is set to review this week the government’s spending target to determine if it is still achievable given the delay in the passage of the 2019 budget, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.

In an interview last Friday, May 17, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the DOF would convene the EDC to discuss whether line agencies, particularly the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) would still be able to spend as targeted this year.

“We are going to discuss again next week with the EDC exactly what we have to do, what are really the new targets,” Dominguez said.

The national government has an expenditure program of P3.78 trillion this year, equivalent to 19.4 percent of gross domestic product. In the first quarter of the year, actual disbursements reached P778 billion, only 0.8 percent up from the P772 billion recorded a year ago.

Economic managers estimate that there was underspending of P1 billion per day or as much as P90 billion in the first quarter, with the government forced to operate under a reenacted budget.

The finance chief, however, said the government is not yet conceding that there would be underspending for the rest of the year.

“We are not conceding that yet, we are just saying what is needed and I have to talk to the DOTr and DPWH and see if they can still do it,” he said.

Dominguez once said that implementing catch up measures to meet the spending program may be tough for the government con-

In an interview last Friday, May 17, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the DOF would convene the EDC to discuss whether line agencies, particularly the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) would still be able to spend as targeted this year.

Philstar.com photo by Miguel de Guzman

sidering many factors, including the weather and labor costs.

“You know, I’m telling you that catch-up is a myth. I’ll tell you what happens, people who have not been in operations don’t realize that when you try to catch up it costs you more, you will pay overtime, so the same road you’re going to build will cost more,” Dominguez told reporters.

“I’ll tell you something else, when you are rushing you will make more mistakes. I’ve experienced that when we were in the banana business, when you’re trying to rush planting or opening new areas. It’s better to do it in a deliberate way. Plus on top of all of that, there’s the weather to contend with,” he added.

As such, the finance chief called on line agencies to assess their capability to fast-track the implementation of projects this year, in such a way that these would be no additional costs.

“I mean don’t do it foolishly just for the sake of spending. You have to do it in a rational way and that won’t cost us more or whatever. So it’s really a different problem,” he said.

The finance chief said the EDC

meeting will also determine whether or not the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) would need to review the country’s deficit ceiling this year.

“We have to look at the physical targets first and then we will go with the DBCC to look at the deficit target,” Dominguez said.

For this year, the government’s fiscal deficit is capped at 3.2 percent of GDP, higher than last year’s ceiling of three percent.

This translates to a nominal deficit figure of P631.5 billion. For the first three months of 2019, deficit narrowed to P90.2 billion, or 2.1 percent of GDP. Considering spending requirements, the finance secretary said the DOF would also need to discuss with a Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) if the government would still proceed with the planned Samurai bond offering later this year.

“I have to talk to Leah because our expenditures really went down,” he said, referring to National Treasurer Rosalia De Leon.

“We still have enough time for the Samurai bond, the plan is still in August.” n

Philippines now in longest dollar inflow winning streak since 2013 Four-month BOP surplus at $4.2B

by Daxim

L. Lucas

Inquirer.net

NET dollar inflows into the Philippine economy surged to their highest level in almost six years due to a trifecta of substantial remittances from overseas Filipino workers, and a surge of both short- and long-term investments into the country.

More importantly, the strong performance of the country’s balance of payments (BOP) — the aggregate net value of all transactions for goods and services with the rest of the world — in the first four months of the year marks the longest streak of foreign currency inflows outdoing outflows since 2014.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the BOP position for the January–April 2019 period posted a surplus of $4.27 billion. This represents a turnaround from the $1.5-billion BOP deficit recorded in the first four months of 2018.

“The surplus may be attributed partly to remittance inflows from overseas Filipinos and net inflows of foreign portfolio investments

during the first quarter of the year, and net inflows of foreign direct investments in first two months of 2019,” the central bank said.

The turnaround is significant in light of the end-2018 record of a net outflow of $2.3 billion from the local economy caused the by country’s yawning trade gap with other nations as the Duterte administration buys more goods and services from overseas to accelerate its infrastructure buildup.

The last time the Philippines ended a year with a balance of payments surplus was the $5 billion in net inflows recorded in 2013.

For April alone, the country’s overall balance of payments position posted a surplus of $467 million, marking a reversal from the $270-million deficit recorded in the same month last year.

The central bank said that April inflows stemmed mainly from the BSP’s foreign exchange operations and income from its investments abroad, and the national government’s net foreign currency deposits. These were offset partially, however, by the payments made by the government for its foreign exchange obligations dur-

ing the month in review.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said the country would likely see months more of surpluses with the external position less vulnerable in 2019.

Going forward, the Philippines will also see heavier reliance on the financial account even as the current account remains in deficit, he said.

“Meanwhile, we also expect the current account to narrow, on sustained growth in overseas Filipino remittances and business process outsourcing receipts which are seen to counter a slightly narrower trade deficit on the back of slowing imports with capital goods seeing only single-digit growth of late,” he added.

The latest BOP position reflected the final gross international reserves level of $83.88 billion as of end-April 2019. At this level, the GIR is equivalent to 7.4 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. It is also equal to 5 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 3.5 times based on residual maturity. n

As economy slows, another rate cut looms — DBS

by Lawrence

agcaoiLi Philstar.com

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) appears inclined to trim interest rates by 50 basis points this year as it unwinds its monetary tightening.

Masyita Crystallin, economist for the Philippines and Indonesia at DBS Bank, said the slower growth momentum and easing inflation have provided room for the central bank to unwind last year’s monetary tightening with a combination of both policy rate cut and the reduction of the reserve requirement ratio (RRR).

“We think a cumulative of 50 basis points this year is likely,” Crystallin said.

The Philippines posted its slowest gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 5.6 percent in the first quarter from the revised 6.3 percent in the fourth quarter.

She said the low growth was mainly due to the 2019 budget approval delay which also included a P95.3 billion cut in infrastructure spending as well as weak exports.

Crystallin said budget delay and infrastructure spending cut could impact negatively on growth as the economy has relied on public investment as the main

Masyita Crystallin, economist for the Philippines and Indonesia at DBS Bank.

driver of growth. In addition, this year’s El Niño and power outage also affected growth especially on agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

Although budget delay was mainly to blame for the lackluster growth, she said the impact of weakening trade balance to growth could not be ignored with the trade deficit widening further to $3.1 billion.

On the other hand, she added inflation has eased significantly so far this year and is likely to continue despite the El Niño weather condition and higher oil prices.

“Domestic demand might be more subdued than most expected as the impact of delayed

budget and lower exports has outweighed the impact of lower inflation rate. We think inflation would ease further this year as domestic demand remains soft and food price are stable. These two factors combined might outweigh the impact of higher oil price,” Crystallin said.

Despite the expected rate cuts, the economist said the policy rate of the Philippines at 4.25 percent by the end of the year would still be higher than its peers.

Analysts are expecting the peso to weaken against the U.S. dollar after the BSP has turned dovish.

“Our response to that argument is that peso doesn’t have to and in fact, we expect the Philippine peso to continue to outperform emerging market Asia currencies. Fundamentally, peso’s drivers are also more idiosyncratic or domestic-driven. If inflation continues to moderate and stabilize within BSP’s two to four percent target range, we don’t see a strong case for significant peso depreciation,” Crystallin said.

Markets seem to be reacting quite positively to the impending easing as BSP is not expected to fully unwind 2018 rate hikes.

Additionally, easing could help to offset the drag that has come from the budget. n

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 22, 2019

Joan Almedilla, AJ Rafael, Jules Aurora among Fil-Am cast of East West Players’ take on “Mamma Mia!”

By Christina M. Oriel / AJPress AUDIENCES will have the time of their lives watching the latest production of “Mamma Mia!” in Los Angeles, featuring a predominantly Filipino American cast.

This rendition of the beloved jukebox musical comes from East West Players (EWP), the nation’s longest-running professional theater of color and largest creator of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) performance work in the country.

The two-hour musical, directed by Producing Artistic Director Snehal Desai, musical direction by Marc Macalintal and choreography by Preston Mui, officially opened on May 16 and will run until June 9.

The casting calls started in January and (unintentionally) resulted in actors of Filipino descent filling 12 out of 17 roles, including stage veteran Joan Almedilla, singer/songwriter AJ Rafael and pop and R&B singer Jules Aurora.

“It is a production often diversely cast but rarely has it been performed with all of the principal roles, and in our case, the entire company being artists of color,” Desai writes in the program.

“Mamma Mia!” rounds out EWP’s 53rd anniversary season themed “Culture Shock” to highlight narratives that go against the status quo.

“It’s at East West Players, where I’ve been able to stretch my acting abilities because all the projects have been so different, whether they’re plays, musicals, comedies, or one-night shows,” Almedilla shared with the Asian Journal about her excitement to join another show with the organization.

Taking Swedish pop group ABBA’s timeless hits, “Mamma Mia!” — with music and lyrics

by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and book by Catherine Johnson — tells the story of 20-year-old Sophie Sheridan (Korean American Grace Yoo) in search of her biological father.

She invites three men, Sam Carmichael (Alan Ariano), Harry Bright (Danny Bernardo) and Bill Austin (Michael Palma), to the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi for her wedding based off clues from her mother Donna’s (Almedilla) diary.

Immediately in “Honey, Honey,” sung by bright-eyed and curious Sophie and her bridesmaids Lisa (Jules Aurora) and Ali (Nicole Santiago), the musical starts off in an energetic beat, making you itch to sing and dance along.

We get introduced to Donna, who in “Money, Money, Money” vulnerably expresses her exhaustion of running the island hotel solo for the past 20 years, as well as her best friends, “lone wolf” Rosie Mulligan (Elvira Barjau) and thrice divorcée Tanya Chesham-Leigh (Anthea Neri) who are in town for the wedding.

Almedilla — who was last on the EWP stage in “Criers of Hire” and was recently Lady Thiang in the Broadway national tour of the “The King And I” — takes on the strong-willed, layered character of Donna who must fight the tensions of letting her daughter go and reminders of her past life and loves.

“Donna is very much dedicated to raising her child and making sure she has a strong mind and strong view,” Almedilla said. “As a mom myself, you want to raise your child for the world. That’s what I identify with her. She has a lot of energy and is trying to live a good life, but she must also learn the art of letting go.”

Act I features the ABBA tunes we’ve hummed along to for so long, from “Thank You For the Music” — which establishes a relationship among Sophie and her possible dads — and “Chiquitita” and “Dancing Queen,” which show Donna, Rosie and Tanya’s everlasting sisterhood as “Donna and the Dynamos.”

Along the way, the plot

(L-R) Elvira Barjau, Joan Almedilla, and Anthea Neri star in East West Players’ production of Mamma Mia!, directed by Snehal Desai.

thickens as Sam, Harry and Bill discover the real reason they were invited to the island and each grapple with the possibility of having an adult daughter, while the impending wedding stirs a rush of emotions among the various characters.

What makes EWP’s staging of “Mamma Mia!” spectacular beyond the cast itself is the culturally relevant details, from a surprise Filipino dance (no spoilers here!) to Sophie and her friends toting red fans during “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” to the male characters clad in barongs during the wedding scene.

“We’re literally breathing new life into this production that’s been done time and time again because you don’t see an Asian Sophie or an Asian Donna,” Yoo shared with the Asian Journal. “It’s very empowering for the audiences to see our spin on the story because what you see is a reflection.

You’re seeing representation and that’s why the crowd goes wild when you see our sprinkles of Asian culture.”

For those who have seen the movie or Broadway staging, this performance of “Mamma Mia” shows that you don’t have to alter the script or song lyrics to make it more fitting to a particular group.

“When we were told there was going to be a Filipino touch to the show, we thought, ‘Are we allowed to do that?’ I thought it was a brilliant idea because why not? It’s been done so many times and it can’t just be a robotic, traditional show. If you’re allowed to, then go ahead and make it your own culture,” Almedilla said, adding that the music and story fit the Filipino slant because entertainment is so ingrained in the culture.

In “Thank You for the Music,” for example, Yoo’s Sophie continues to sing the original lyric, “I’ve been so lucky, I am the girl with golden hair.”

“What East West is really great about is bringing all the Asian cultures together, so it’s very much told through the Asian American experience. All of the choices Snehal made show that you don’t have to change any of the text,” Bernardo said. “‘Thank you for the Music’ is one of my favorite numbers as the message of the song is so beautiful.

It shows the importance of art in your life. I learned how to play guitar for this song, so it’s an extra moment of pride for me.”

Act II begins with the aftermath of pre-wedding festivities — everything happening on the island starts to haunt Sophie in fever dream-like number “Under Attack” while Donna and Sam

The cast of East West Players’ production of Mamma Mia!, directed by Snehal Desai.

revisit their relationship in “SOS.” Popular Fil-Am singer AJ Rafael as Pepper shows his singing and acting chops in a steamy scene alongside Neri in “Does Your Mother Know.”

“Getting into the role was tough because Pepper is usually done by an acrobatic person who can do the splits. The director let me play along and almost be myself,” Rafael told the Asian Journal following the opening night performance. “The choreographer helped me shape the role into my take on it and I lost the pressure that I was putting on myself.”

Neri, whose credits include “Next to Normal” and “Here Lies Love,” added that she wanted to add “depth” to her role as Tanya. “I wanted to bring depth to her as a woman who’s trying to find love, has a lot of money. I played around with that and didn’t want her to be a flat character that has funny lines, but she’s a human and wants to connect and has girlfriends who have her back,” she said.

In “Slipping Through My Fingers,” Donna and Sophie have one last intimate mother-daughter moment as the wedding nears. For Almedilla, performing that song gives a “lump in your throat kind of discomfort,” she said.

“That song just hits me... and it’s emotional. I don’t know how I’m able to get through that every night,” Almedilla said. “It’s very raw and it keeps me on my toes to not sit and be comfortable. But then I love it so much because that’s when you see [Donna’s] vulnerability.”

Fil-Ams also part of the cast are Kevin Trinio Perdido as Eddie, Ala Tiatia as Father Alexandrios, and Steven Agdeppa and Edelyn Okano in the ensemble.

“I also love the Fil-Am spin East West [Players] puts on the

Photos by Steven Lam

(L-R) Jules Aurora, Grace Yoo, Dekontee Tucrkile, AJ Rafael, Max Torrez, Steven Agdeppa, Nicole Santiago, Joan Almedilla, Elvira Barjau, Ala Tiatia, Edelyn Okano, Anthea Neri, Kevin Perdido, and Andrew Ge in East West Players’ production of Mamma Mia!, directed by Snehal Desai.

(L-R) Alan Ariano, Michael Palma, and Danny Bernardo in East West Players’ production of Mamma Mia!, directed by Snehal Desai.

show — it makes it so personal and relatable. There are a lot of elements that remind me of my family and upbringing,” Aurora said. “I think that’s what makes it show unique and special especially for the Filipino community.”

Though the story ends with “I Have a Dream” as Sophie and Sky (Max Torres) venture off, the encore numbers of “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo” will invite audience participation and encourage everyone to let loose and dance after sitting for two hours.

“Bring your entire family and laugh, cry and have a great time together. You’re

going to sing, dance and feel something, whether it’s remembering your childhood growing up in the Philippines or here in America. There’s that longing to belong. This is a great place to connect through the music of ABBA and the stories that remind us of our parents’ sacrifices,” Almedilla said.

Mamma Mia! at East West Players runs until June 9 at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center of the Arts in Little Tokyo with shows from Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m. plus 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at www.eastwestplayers.org.

Winwyn on rumored boyfriend Alden: Anyone can fall for him by allan

POliCarPiO

Inquirer.net

HE’S kind, a good person.

He’s charming and is sweet to everyone. I think anyone can fall for him.”

That was how Winwyn Marquez described her rumored boyfriend Alden Richards.

Winwyn and Alden have known each other since working together in the 2012 series “One True Love,” and have since become close friends.

So, when rumors linking them together surfaced seemingly out of nowhere, the actress couldn’t help but feel amused and bemused.

“I just laughed it off. I was surprised—saan nanggaling ’yun?” she told reporters at a press conference of the upcoming afternoon soap “Dahil sa Pag-Ibig,” which started airing yesterday. “And the funny thing is that some of the things I have seen come with these elaborate

stories worthy of Wattpad … in fairness!”

Showbiz kibitzers started wondering about the real score between the GMA 7 celebs, after Winwyn was spotted attending the opening of Alden’s new fast-food franchise branch in Biñan, Laguna, last month.

“I was invited—nabigyan lang ng malisya, they gave it a different meaning … It seems like everyone gets linked to him!” she said.

To be honest, Winwyn admitted, being asked such questions “feels weird,” because she considers Alden a good friend she has no qualms confiding in.

“We talk about personal stuff. We like or comment on each other’s posts on Instagram.

I can ask him for advice and he listens; it’s not all joke time,” she said.

Prodded if she thinks there’s a chance that she and Alden may end up being attracted to each other, Winwyn said she’s

happy being single at the moment.

The 27-year-old beauty queen, who broke up with actor Mark Herras early this year after three years of dating, is relishing her time as a single woman.

“I had been in a romantic relationship for the past nine years. Prior to Mark, I was with a nonshowbiz guy,” said Winwyn, who maintained that she and Mark were still friends, although they haven’t been in touch for a while.

This time, Winwyn stressed, it’s all about treating and focusing on herself. “I will go to Korea and Japan soon. I’m rediscovering the joys of traveling alone or with friends,” she said.

Winwyn, who bagged the 2017 Reina Hispanoamericano title, is still unsure about trying her luck in Binibining Pilipinas.

Show biz is her priority, she said.

“I’m not thinking about that yet. I want to stay focused on work; I don’t want any distrac-

tions. I will host a new show called ‘Glow Up’ on GMA News TV and I have ‘Dahil,’ which is heavy drama,” said Winwyn, who plays Portia in the “love, betrayal and vengeancethemed” series, directed by Ricky Davao.

“My character appears to be a villain, but she’s actually more complex—she’s neither black nor white,” she pointed out.

Meanwhile, Winwyn said she’s having mixed emotions about her brothers Vandolph’s and Jeremy Marquez’s contrasting fates in the recent elections: Vandolph won as Parañaque City councilor; Jeremy lost his bid for the vice mayoral seat in the same city.

“I’m sad because I wasn’t able to go up the stage [during the campaign season], because of my busy schedule. But they’re understanding … I pray that Jeremy’s OK. He’s a strong person and I hope he bounces back eventually,” she related.

Winwyn Marquez and Alden Richards

Photo from Instagram/@wynmarquez

entertainment

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 22, 2019

!NTI AGING IS JUST NOT CORRECTING BUT PREVENTING FUTURE DAMAGE TOO

-$ 3KIN #ONSULTS 3PECIALIZED -$ 3ERVICES \ !NTI !GING -EDICINE Daniel Padilla and James Reid

Photo from Instagram/@vivaartistsagency

Daniel, James tease first project together

by KRISSY

AGUILAR

Inquirer.net

DANIEL Padilla and James Reid are teaming up for the first time in an “actionpacked� project.

The two actors announced their upcoming collaboration in “Doble Hataw� which is set for release on Friday, May 24. “Tara, samahan niyo kami on-set ng unang project ko kasama si James Reid.

Lalabas na ang #DobleHataw ngayong Friday, pero sa

ngayon, panoorin niyo ‘to!�

Padilla said. “So thrilled to finally be able to work with Daniel on a project this big and actionpacked! Excited na rin ba kayo para sa #DobleHataw?

Watch this!� Reid said.

In the clip, the two discussed their working experience together and gave hints on what the project is about. “Sobrang cool. Masaya.

Siyempre first time ko din makasama si James. Sobrang chill lang. Masaya and ‘yung

buong production, super chill, mabilis magtrabaho, masaya,� Padilla said.

Meanwhile, Reid said: “Siguro ‘yung action, the drifting, driving the cars, that’s definite the coolest part of the shoot.�

Padilla and Reid are the other halves of two of the country’s most famous love teams. Padilla is one-half of “KathNiel� with girlfriend Kathryn Bernardo, while Reid is the other half of “JaDine� with girlfriend Nadine Lustre.

4EEN !CNE 4REATMENTS \ 3URGICAL #OSMETIC $ERMATOLOGY 3KIN #ANCER 3CREENINGS 2EMOVAL -INIMALLY )NVASIVE .ON SURGICAL 4HREAD ,IFT -).4 .ON SURGICAL #HIN ) #HEEK ) \ .OSE ) 5NDER %YE !UGMENTATION \ .ON SURGICAL .ON 3URGICAL "UTT ,IFT #ELLFINA§ \ :/§ 0EELS \ "OTOX§ \ &ILLERS \ &ACIALS \ :/§ 3KIN (EALTH 0RODUCTS 0ROTOCOLS

Maris bares real score with IĂąigo, thoughts on love team

by KRISSY

AGUILAR Inquirer.net

SINGER-actress and former “Pinoy Big Brotherâ€? housemate Maris Racal got candid during a press conference on Tuesday, May 21, about her relationship with singer IĂąigo Pascual. “Kinlarify naman namin ni IĂąigo na never naman naging kami and sinabi naman namin in front of them na hindi naman

kami,� Racal said. “Ngayon lang talaga. Siguro ayaw lang namin na sobrang ma-visible like together as a love team kasi syempre meron din kaming tinatahak na gusto.�

Racal and Pascual are collectively called “MarNigo� by their fans.

Racal pointed out how both of them had been pursuing different career paths as of the moment: “Iba-iba kami ng

gusto. Siya, music, international.

Ako, acting and then writing.� “So ayaw lang namin na sobrang ‘yung mga tao sa paligid namin, hindi mapaghiwalay ‘yung idea of us together. Kasi mahihirapan din kami, like how will we grow?� Racal said. “So the more na mas kayo, kayo, kayo. Hindi na mawawala sa isip nila.�

The 21-year-old singer-acContinued on Page 6

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Philippine Ballet Theatre presents “Filipino Masterpieces” and “Serye at Sayaw” in Los Angeles

entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 22, 2019

Mark Dacascos as Zero and Asia Kate Dillion as The Adjudicator in “John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum”

Photo by Niko Tavernise

Fil-Am martial arts maestro Mark Dacascos talks going from smaller projects to the box office-breaking “John Wick: Chapter 3”

“Professionally, this is certainly a highlight of my career.”

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

NOT-SO-SPOILER alert: “John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum” has a lot of fight scenes.

On its face, the third installment of the wildly popular film franchise seems like your garden variety action film about assassins. But John Wick 3 proves itself to go beyond purely escapist entertainment and opts to showcase the best in martial artistry and the craft of stunt acting to the highest degree.

Among those in the talented and diverse cast is Filipino American actor and decorated martial artist Mark Dacascos (“Cradle to the Grave,” “Iron Chef America”), who plays Zero, the principal villain to Keanu Reeves’ John Wick, a fearsome and skilled assassin.

Although Dacascos — who is also part Japanese, Chinese and Irish — boasts a 30+ year

Fil-Am Mark Dacascos as Zero in “John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum,” which came out on Friday, May 17.

career acting in a variety of films showcasing his extensive

expertise in martial arts (his father was renowned martial arts instructor Al Dacascos and from ages 7 to 18, Mark Dacascos won multiple championships in karate and kung fu), Dacascos told the Asian Journal that John Wick 3 was his biggest break to date.

“Professionally, this is certainly a highlight of my career and it’s so interesting to wake up to friends and family members texting you about how your film is No. 1 in America. I mean, unless you’re someone like Keanu Reeves, when does that ever happen for an actor?” Dacascos said, laughing.

Dacascos was cast late in the project, noting a days-long turnaround time from when he was approached to when he stepped foot on set.

“I’ve had the smallest amount of prep time for the biggest project I’ve been a part of,” Dacascos explained.

“I got a text from Chad [Stahelski, director of the John Continued on Page 6

THE Los Angeles audience will be in for a treat as the Philippine Ballet Theatre dancers perform critically acclaimed pieces from their original Filipino repertoire.

“Filipino Masterpieces” features two of three acts of the ballet “Mantones de Manila” by the late, esteemed choreographer, Tony Fabella: “Sa Sala” and “Sa Entablado.”

A tribute to the pantheon of Philippine dance, each of the acts pays homage to different aspects of Tony Fabella’s dance influences, which run the gamut from classical to Philippine folk dance.

In performances which have been choreographed to occur at a genteel, upper-class receiving room for guests (“Sa sala”) and onstage (“Sa entablado”), both acts use the medium of dance to portray a nostalgic visualization of different customs and traditions during the turn of the 20th century, Noteworthy are the costumes, originally designed and made by Fabella himself, and now updated to accommodate the passing of the years.

Lavish gowns and tutus recall an opulent Spanish-Philippine era, each one accented by the “manton,” a beautifully embroidered shawl worn by the cultured ladies of an era long gone, but still wielding its influence in modern Filipiniana dress and demeanor.

“Serye at Sayaw” provides interesting vignettes behind the scenes into the world of dance and the life of Marguerite, a dancer. It chronicles the intimate and triumphant story of a girl who gave up her childhood in pursuit of the prestigious title of prima ballerina, and who only much later discovered the price she has to heed the call of her passion, the loves of her life, and her art.

This ballet portrays the sacrifices, internal conflicts and contrasting traits of a dancer. It is a story of courage and tenacity, of remembering loss and regret, of the highs and lows of following one’s passion, and unbelievable de-

votion – to her art and to those whom she loved.

Adding flair and panache even during the intermission is an exhibit of Filipiniana fashion by designer Cora Manimbo and exquisite, filigree jewelry by Oscar Atendido.

Bold. Brave. Beautiful. Philippine Ballet Theatre brings Filipino heritage front and center in Los Angeles during this one-day event!

This event is produced

by One Global Management Company, Inc., in cooperation

with Asian Journal, Balikbayan Magazine, Pageantry Global, and Asian Commodities Corporation.

Philippine Ballet Theatre’s Los Angeles debut will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. at Church of Scientology of the Valley Auditorium (11455 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood CA 91601). Ticket Prices are $75 / $50 / $25. For tickets and sponsorships, please call Trini Foliente at (818) 455-2132 or Rosie Chua at (818) 859-3108.

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 22, 2019

entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 22, 2019

Fil-Am martial arts maestro Mark...

From Page 4 Wick franchise] on a Sunday night, talked with him on Monday, flew from LA to New York on Tuesday, prepped on Wednesday and started filming on Thursday.”

But the brief preparation time was actually a blessing in

disguise for Dacascos, noting the “unforgettable” experience he had working with the cast and crew.

“To be able to work with such a high-level, experienced and accomplished cast was just phenomenal, and I mean every actor that Chad had on

board I’m a fan of, so I’m happy about how things turned out because that all could have been quite overwhelming had I had time to process it,” Dacascos said.

As of press time, “John Wick 3” has amassed $93.3 million worldwide. It debuted to $57 million making it the first film to beat “Avengers: Endgame” at the top of the box office. And just like its first two installments, it has been met with high regard from critics and fans alike.

At the start of “John Wick 3” (released Friday, May 17), Wick finds himself “excommunicado” from the assassin society The High Table, who has placed a $14 million bounty on his head.

As Wick fights his way through some of the world’s most deadly assassins, Zero, the odd, yet formidable mercenary formerly for The High Table, is hired by an adjudicator from the High Table to hunt down Wick as well as those who have aided him on this international goose chase.

Throughout the 131minute thrill ride, viewers are treated to some of the most creative and expansive combat scenes seen yet in the John Wick franchise.

Stahelski’s stunt production company 87eleven Action Design provided the choreography and coordinated the sequencing for the film and were “extremely collaborative and open-hearted.”

“He’s a highly accomplished stuntman and extremely proficient at different martial arts, and that was a huge advantage,” Dacascos said of Stahelski. “He knows how to bridge the gap between what works in real life and what looks good on camera, and it really shows when you see the film, and everyone just approached every sequence with the actors in mind and it was such a joy.”

This week, production of “John Wick 4” was announced, set for a 2021 release. “John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum” is in theaters now.

Filipino Garage Party attendees enjoy Filipino food and party culture at The Standard Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.

AJPress photos by Rae Ann Varona

Los Angeles residents get a taste of Filipino food and party culture

by Rae

ann VaRona AJPress

HUNDREDS of Angelenos made their way up to the rooftop of The Standard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, May 18 to get a taste of Filipino food and drinks at the Los Angeles Times’ “Filipino Garage Party.”

The event was curated and put together by Angela Dimayuga, former executive chef at Mission Chinese and current Creative Director of Food and Culture at Standard International, who was inspired by the “garage parties” her family would host in the 1990s.

The party featured dishes from some of the best Filipino chefs in the U.S., including Los Angeles’ own Chad Valencia of LASA and Russell Victorioso of Cafe Birdie, and James Beard Award-winning chef Tom Cunanan of the acclaimed Bad Saint in Washington, D.C. Also adding to the plate was renowned Negrense chef JP Anglo of the Philippines’ Sarsá.

Despite the event taking place at one of LA’s hottest hangout spots instead of an actual family garage, attendees were given a meal that resembled one they’d likely find at a Filipino party.

Each person received a full box consisting of pancit palabok inspired by the recipe of Dimayuga’s own grandmother, Filipino-style macaroni salad, flavorful adobong sitaw, crunchy lumpiang Shanghai, juicy and sweet lechon with a piece of crispy skin, tender adobong baka on white rice, and a side of sour sinigang soup.

For dessert was a light Maja de Ube topped with whipped cream and pinipig — giving people of a taste of classic Filipino desserts, maja blanca and ube. Passing out the food were servers wearing yellow and white long sleeve tees designed by New York City-based Fil-Am artist Michelle Guintu.

Rounding up the party was a game table featuring a mahjong set, music, Philippine flags, seats by the pool, and of course Filipino-inspired drinks.

In addition to an included can of Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza, partygoers had choices of ordering any of the three special drinks made especially for the event at the bar. A favorite was the specialty cocktail made of salty kalamansi coconut spritz, hibiscus salt, vodka, garnished with a fresh pandan leaf. Other choices were the “Muralita” made of Mural Aqua Fresca Cerveza mixed with tequila and lime, and bottles of Philippine-produced San Miguel Beer.

Filipino Garage Party was one of the 200 events part of the month-long festival of The Los Angeles Times’ Food Bowl that celebrates Los Angeles’ diverse food scene.

Pancit palabok, Filipino-style macaroni salad, adobong sitaw, lumpiang Shanghai, lechon, and adobong baka at the Los Angeles Times Food Bowl’s Filipino Garage Party in Downtown Los Angeles.

Filipino Garage Party specialty cocktail of salty kalamansi coconut spritz, hibiscus salt, and vodka, garnished with a fresh pandan leaf.

Filipino-produced San Miguel beer among choices of drinks.

The Filipino Garage Party was one of the 200 events for this year’s month long Los Angeles Times Food Bowl.

Maja de Ube topped with whipped cream and pinipig for dessert.

Servers wearing event shirts designed by New York City-based Fil-Am artist Michelle Guintu.

Maris bares real score with...

From Page 3 tress admitted there had been changes over the past year, but she reiterated their desire to focus on their solo careers.

“Siguro like may changes na lang over one year kasi this time last year, love team, dami namin ganap together. Ngayon kasi, yun nga yung sa first answer ko kanina na iba iba kami ng gusto.

Iba yung gusto niya, iba ang gusto ko, let’s just accept this,” she said.

Racal also asked their fans to simply support what they release and reminded them not to be “invested” on the idea of having a relationship.

“Ang masasabi ko na lang dyan, sana ‘yung nagsu-support sa’min, support niyo na lang po ‘yung kung ano ‘yung ilalabas namin kasi kung magiging masyadong invested sila about sa relationship. You know, people change and then maraming

Iñigo Pascual and Maris Racal

natural changes na nangyayari.

So dapat kelangan nakaka-keep ka sa ganyan. Don’t get stuck sa idea na ganon,” she said.

Racal recently released a collaboration with Original

Photo from Instagram/@inigopascual

Pilipino Music (OPM) icon Rico Blanco titled “Abot Langit,” while Pascual released a song with Chinese-Australian Youtube star Wengie titled “Mr. Nice Guy.”

Whatever happened to ‘happily ever after’?

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

There is an onslaught of overwhelming assaults that come in all forms from just everywhere, facilitated by the startling phenomenon of social media and the ease of anything going viral through the internet. This warped, perverse world we live in today seems to delight in mischief and mayhem.

Against this gloomy global backdrop, what is good and true appear to be defenseless against unseen forces that doom personal struggles: relationship problems, self-esteem issues, financial problems, addictions, physical and mental illnesses and other ills too many to mention.

The result - there seems to be far too many lonely, alienated people these days. The suicidal stage is the most dreaded period of such a state of mind, when intense loneliness descends to a deep vortex of hopelessness and darkness. Suicide signals the end of a futile human struggle.

There is available help — a sliver of hope. Psychotherapy and the safe and judicious use of antidepressants can help keep deep

(Part 2 of 3) depression at bay. That may very today’s world, has ordained exorwell be. But one cannot help but cism official Catholic practice.

The greatest lie perpetrated by think that there has to be a better way when an alarming percentage the devil during modern times is of those who take antidepressants to make people believe that evil still throw in the towel and end it does not exist. It does. People lulled by a false sense of security in all.

In simpler times, if you can call believing they are not in the sights and label adversity by name, you of that sinister, unseen force, have can figure out simple ways of de- become like the dodo, fat sitting feating it. Yet now because of the ducks for evil, unwary and often caught off guard when tested.

The dodo is gone because it did not recognize the predators that wanted to kill it. In the spiritual realm, it has always been the battle for the human soul — good versus evil. The battle complexity of the world we live is raging. Sadly, many are none in, we don’t call people lonely. the wiser.

With beheadings, stonings and We call them depressed. They are diagnosed with bipolar disorder, widespread Christian persecution schizophrenia, paranoia, obses- in the Middle East and Africa by sive-compulsive disorder, and a radical elements of Islam, and in whole dizzying lexicon of mental the home front of western civilization, the pervasive liberalism diseases.

Two thousand years ago, our that mocks Christian morality and ancestors called the whole gamut values by touting political correctof mental diseases and bizarre ness, the world is back to 1 AD all behavior, possession by the devil. over again. This is history repeating One is no longer in charge of itself — a throwback to two thouone’s soul but has been overpow- sand years ago when the blood of ered by a sinister, evil force. The martyrs flowed, and Nero fiddled while Rome burned. soul is its habitat.

This is the present social and Pope Francis, fully aware and deeply concerned about what is cultural canvass that engenders going on in the spiritual realm in PAGE B9

“Suicide, contrary to the lyrics of a popular song, is never painless.”

Debt Relief

ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG THE first client is 48, married, and has a good job that pays $80,000 a year. His wife makes another $40,000 a year. Together, they make $120,000 gross a year.

They have 3 children aged 5 to 12. The wife has no credit card debt, but the client has about $30,000 of credit cards left unpaid. According to him, he has been paying $800 a month to a debt consolidator out of state for one year. However, the $800 a month is proving to be too much of a burden. He asked if he qualified for Chapter 7 fresh start without any payments to wipe out the $30,000.

The problem it appears is not really his gross household income of $120,000. He does have enough qualifying expenses under the means test that could make him eligible for Chapter 7. The issue is that they own a house with a net equity of $200,000. Since their homestead exemption is $100,000 of equity, he has $100,000 of nonexempt equity. Hence, under the Chapter 7 liquidation analysis comparison, the $30,000 of credit cards would get paid in full if he were to file a Chapter 7 because the Chapter 7 trustee could very well sell his house, give him $100,000 of cash to pay him for his homestead exemption, and use the rest of the $100,000 to pay the $30,000 of credit cards in full and to pay le-

Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES IN the absence of a premarital agreement, the general community property presumption under California family code section 760 controls which provides “ ….all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in this state is community property.” Family Code 760.

This becomes a problem if you are the spouse that has the substantially higher income or the one who accumulates the majority of the assets during the marriage.

You are called in family law lingo “the in spouse.” The other spouse (or in our lingo also called the “out spouse” gets a half interest on everything accumulated during the marriage even if the asset is under your name alone or it was accumulated solely due to your sweat and hard work. The out spouse, who stayed at home most of the marriage, gets a one half interest on all the accumulations during the marriage under California community property law. For example, if you opened a savings account during the marriage under your name alone for which you religiously and diligently stash away 25% of your earnings during the marriage while your spouse blows away his/her salary during the marriage, your spouse still gets a half interest in the money you saved in your savings account. Another example would be if you purchase a piece of real property during the marriage under “your name alone” and have your spouse sign a “quit claim” deed, your spouse may still have a claim for a half interest in your real property. Another example would be if you owned a business prior to marriage, but due to your hard work, long hours of labor, and efforts, the business grew exponentially during the marriage,

Young clients seek Chapter 13 relief for different reasons gal and administrative costs of the trustee which is quite substantial.

I represented a client as a creditor in a Chapter 11, which subsequently converted to Chapter 7. At the time of conversion to Chapter 7, the bankrupt debtor had $400,000 of cash in the bank.

That’s right, close to half a million dollars in cash was available for distribution.

My client’s unsecured claim was $300,000. The trustee sided with another major creditor who challenged my client’s claim saying, “The entire $300,000 had been paid off by debtor prior to filing for bankruptcy.” This claim was certainly absurd. The client had an open account relationship with the debtor and had at the high point shipped debtor over $2 million of merchandise on credit. The debtor paid $1.7 million, and left $300,000 unpaid.

We defended the adversary complaint and won. The court judgment after the trial was for the client for $300,000. After another year of trustee proceedings, the $400,000 was down to, would you believe, $15,000. My client got a distribution of $5,000 on their unsecured claim of $300,000.

In this case, the young client’s option is not Chapter 7, but Chapter 13. In Chapter 13, the trustee has no power to sell debtor’s house.

And, the debtor can dismiss his Chapter 13 case at any time, for any reason. Whereas, a Chapter 7

case, once filed is very difficult to dismiss. In Chapter 13, he would be paying $500 a month for 60 months to pay the $30,000 in full without interest, while protecting his house from judgment liens arising from the $30,000. Still, $500,000 a month is, guaranteed to get rid of the $30,000 and guaranteed to stop all collection efforts by lawsuits by creditors. This is absolute peace of mind. No more creditor harassment immediately.

Unlike, consolidation through a third party, his payments may just be funding the consolidator’s retirement account or the guy’s vacation house in the Mediterranean, and indeed, there is no protection against creditor lawsuits as some of them may opt to just garnish debtor’s wages instead of agreeing to freely accept monthly payments.

A Chapter 13 is consolidation by the bankruptcy court. The courtappointed trustee will not run away with his monthly payments. He can sleep soundly with the thought that his payments are being distributed by the trustee, and assured with the guarantee that the court’s injunction order will stop all creditor collection efforts, including lawsuits, letters and phone calls and wage garnishments and bank levies. All collection efforts are stopped immediately by court order. This is the peace of mind and order out of chaos guaranteed by law.

The second client is 45. He PAGE B8

Do I need a premarital agreement before getting married? your spouse may still have a claim for an interest in the business.

Signing a premarital agreement may serve as added protection to the future “in spouse” and a hurdle for the future “out spouse” by avoiding or altering the applicability of California community property law to assets 1) already owned by each and 2) to property and income to be acquired or earned during their marriage.

Marriage of Dawley (1976) 17 C3d 342, 349, 131 CR 3, 7; Marriage of Grinius (1985) 166 CA3d 1179, 1186, 212 CR 803, 807 Premarital agreements may validly provide that the earnings and accumulations of each party during marriage will remain that party’s separate property, free of any claims, community property or otherwise, of the other party. Marriage of Dawley, supra, 17 C3d at 350, 131 CR at 8; Cheney v. City & County of San Francisco Employees Retirement System (1936) 7 C2d 565, 569, 61 P2d 754, 756. Premarital agreements may also serve to preserve a person’s estate for his or her heirs, free of the other party’s inheritance claims. Estate of Wamack (1955) 137 CA2d 112, 115, 289 P2d 871, 872.

Pursuant to Family Code 1612(c ),“ Parties to a premarital agreement may contract with respect to all of the following:(1) The rights and obligations of each of the parties in any of the property of either or both of them when ever and wherever acquired or located. (2) The right to buy, sell, use, transfer, exchange, abandon, lease, consume, expend, assign, create a security interest in, mortgage, encumber, dispose of, or otherwise manage and control property.(3) The disposition of property upon separation, marital dissolution, death, or the occurrence or nonoccurrence of any other event.(4)

The making of a will, trust, or other arrangement to carry out the provisions of the agreement.(5) The ownership rights in and disposition of the death benefit from a life insurance policy.(6) The choice of law governing the construction of the agreement.(7) Any other matter, including their personal rights and obligations, not in violation of public policy or a statute imposing a criminal penalty. However, the right of a child to support may not be adversely affected. Family Code 1612(b).

Premarital agreements that are entered into voluntarily by parties who are each represented by independent counsel and aware of the effect of the agreement, a post 1985 premarital waiver of post dissolution support does not offend contemporary public policy and is not per se unenforceable.

Marriage of Pendleton & Fireman (2000) 24 C4th 39, 53–54, 99 CR2d 278, 288–289; Marriage of Facter (2013) 212 CA4th 967, 981, 152 CR3d 79, 90.

Under both the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act and prior law, the spouse claiming the agreement is invalid or not enforceable bears the burden of proof on that allegation. Family Code. 1615(a); Marriage of Bonds, supra, 24 C4th at 27, 99 CR2d at 269; Marriage of Iverson (1992) 11 CA4th 1495, 1502, 15 CR2d 70, 74–75; However, the UPAA (as amended effective 1/1/02) deems that a premarital agreement was not executed voluntarily unless the court makes five prescribed findings provided for under Family Code. 1615(c) (1) The party against whom enforcement is sought was represented by independent legal counsel at the time of signing the agreement or after being advised to seek indePAGE B8

community 7 The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 22, 2019

Calendar of Events across

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 M AY 22 - J U N E 29

“Tagolilong: Hidden in Plain Sight” exhibit in San Pedro, CA An interactive homage to Indigenous California Habitat will be on exhibit from May 22 to June 29, 2019. Created by LA-based artists-collaborators, champoy and Sarita Doe, it will open on Saturday, May 18th, 2019 from 3:00pm-6:00pm at Pinta*Dos Philippine Art Gallery which is located at 479 W Sixth Street, Suite 108, Historic Arts District, San Pedro, CA 90731.

Tagolilong: Hidden in Plain Sight will be the sixth exhibit at Pinta*Dos Gallery since it was inaugurated in June 2017. The Gallery is open from Wednesday to Friday, 3:00pm to 6:00pm except on First Thursdays when it is open until 8pm. It is also open by appointment. For further information, email Linda Nietes-Little, Founder of the gallery at info@pintadosgallery.com Also visit their website: http://www.pintadosgallery.com , facebook and instagram pages.

M AY 25

Marist School Marikina to celebrate 55th anniversary in Buena Park, CA Marist Alumni Abroad, coordinated by Arthur ‘Jojo’ P. Armada ‘77, invites alumni, family and friends, and the public who are interested, to the 55th anniversary grand reunion of the Marist School Marikina, to be held on Saturday, May 25, at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel (7675 Crescent Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620). The event’s theme is “Celebrating Our Marist Life...The Legacy Continues,” hosted by Marist Alumni Abroad. Dinner and dance: 6 pm to 11 pm; donation: $55/pax (per person). Contact person is overall chair Jojo P. Armada at (626) 216-3529 or email: armadaarthur@yahoo.com.

M AY 25 -26

Bulacan high schools reunite in Rosemead, CA The 2019 Global Gathering of Marcelo H. Del Pilar High School (MHPHS) of Malolos, Bulacan will be held on May 25-26, 2019 at the Double Tree Hotel in Rosemead, CA. For further information, please contact any of the following: Lourdes Ople-Smith at lourdesosmith@gmail. com / (310) 662-1948; Charito Aldaba-Gabriel at chato_gabriel1019@yahoo.com / (818) 6536047; Leni Flor Cruz-Florentino at lenflorcruz529@yahoo.com / (818) 282-0928; Tristan Zafra at tristan@trisoftco.com / (714) 686-3345; Gerry Torres, Jr. at gerrytorres50@gmail.com / (213) 249-1633; and Perfecto T. Martin at perfecto.martin@gmail.com. Souvenir Program please con-

JUNE 1

7th Historic Filipinotown Kalayaan Parade and Festival in LA The UST Medical Alumni Association of SoCal will have its 25th year anniversary ball on Wednesday, June 29 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County (11999 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840). Mass begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner reception at 7:30 p.m. Part of the proceeds will benefit the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and Hospital on Wheels. Tickets are $110 for premier and $90 for regular. Please RSVP by June 1 to Marilou Dichoso, MD at (310) 3871632.

Kalayaan Incorporated’s annual Philippine Independence Day gala in LA Kalayaan Incorporated invites the community to its celebration of the 121st Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on Saturday, June 1, 2019, at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel (5855 W. Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA). Kalayaan is extremely proud to have Honorable Risa Hontiveros, an incumbent senator who assumed office on June 30, 2016, as the grand gala’s guest of honor and speaker. For tickets to the Gala Night, please contact Annie Cuevas-Lim, Kalayaan President at (213) 447-7078. For more information, contact KI PROs Violet Mislang at vmislang@gmail.com or Lady Hope Robillos at lhopepr@yahoo.com.

Diva2Diva concert in Arcadia, CA The JIR Foundation enthusiastically presents Diva2Diva on Saturday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Arcadia Performing Arts Center (188 Campus Drive, Arcadia, California 91007). The concert will feature Kuh Ledesma, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Mitch Valdes and Nanette Inventor. Ticket prices are $145, $100, $75, $60 and $50. Call or text (818) 726-6333 or (818) 612-4500 or visit ladiva2. eventbrite.com.

JUNE 2

PeDRO tees off with The Filipino Channel Unity Cup Los Angeles TThe Philippine Disaster Relief Organization (PeDRO), in partnership with The Filipino Channel, will have its charity golf tournament on Sunday, June 2, 2019, at the Westridge Golf Club, 1400 S. La Habra Hills Drive, La Habra, CA 90631. The 2019 TFC Unity Cup Los Angeles tournament is an expansion leg of the TFC Unity Cup in the Bay Area, Northern California. Proceeds of the golf tournament will be for the benefit of ABS-CBN Foundation International, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit that serves as the public service arm of TFC. Check-in time starts at 12 p.m. Tee Time starts promptly at 1:00 p.m. Registration fee of $125 includes Cart, Range Balls, Raffle Prizes and Buffet Dinner. Late registration fee of $135.00 takes effect May 20 through May 26, 2019, subject to space availability. For more information, contact PeDRO President Benito Miranda at (310) 600-5675 and Event Chairperson/Treasurer Joey Cruz at (310) 938-4907.

Or contact PeDRO at gopedrosports@yahoo.com. Visit http://www.gopedro.org and https:// www.facebook.com/PeDRORelief.

J U N E 22

Fiesta ng Calamba in Carson, CA The Association of Calambeños of Southern California invites everyone to the Fiesta ng Calamba, St John the Baptist Feast Day on Saturday, June 22. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Veterans Sports Complex (22400 Moneta Ave., Carson, CA 90745). For more information, please contact Ed Lim at (949) 285-1403 or connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/groups/Calambenos/ or the website: www.acasca.org.

J U N E 24 -28

SIPA’s Filipino Summer Program in LA Happening from June 24-28, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans’ (SIPA) Filipino Summer Program is a fun, week-long experience that enriches, educates, and engages youth about the Filipino Culture! Youth will get to learn more about Filipino food, language, dance, arts, and music! Children ages 6-13 are able to participate, while older youth can volunteer. The program will be held at SIPA (3200 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Drop-offs and pick-ups are at the SIPA parking lot at Dillion St. and Temple St. Each day is $30 for the first child. Every additional child will be $3 less a day (e.g., the second child will be $27/day, the third child would cost $24/day, and so on). If your family cannot fully afford the cost of SIPA’s Filipino Summer Program, the FEE CAN BE LOWERED depending on the financial situation. Families can pay by cash, credit/debit card (2.75% fee), Venmo (1% fee), or check!If interested, contact Maria Carmel Valendez by phone at 213-382-1819 ext. 107 or email at mvalendez@esipa.org.

J U N E 29

UST Medical Alumni Association of SoCal anniversary ball in Garden Grove, CA The UST Medical Alumni Association of SoCal will have its 25th year anniversary ball on Wednesday, June 29 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County (11999 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840). Mass begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner reception at 7:30 p.m. Part of the proceeds will benefit the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and Hospital on Wheels. Tickets are $110 for premier and $90 for regular. Please RSVP by June 1 to Marilou Dichoso, MD at (310) 3871632.

J U LY 4 - 6

International reunion of the Society of Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines Ex-Employees & Representatives in Las Vegas Join the first annual international reunion of the Society of Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines Ex-Employees & Representatives (SOBER) to be held on July 4-6, 2019 at Stratosphere Hotel Las Vegas, Nevada. There will be a dinner-dance, induction of officers and a fun weekend of activities! For more information, contact Ben (818) 447-1411, Osang (213) 446-7209 or Rollie Agonoy (818) 806-5446.

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

8

Do I need a premarital agreement...

community

pendent legal counsel, expressly waived, in a separate writing, representation by independent leyears to pay off the $20,000 in 60 gal counsel. (2) The party against monthly installments. Her monthly whom enforcement is sought had payments to the trustee will be not less than seven calendar days about $350. She wants to do it im- between the time that party was mediately so she can forget about first presented with the agreement making payments to several differ- and advised to seek independent ent creditors and just paying the legal counsel and the time the minimum. She also wants to stop agreement was signed. (3) The party against whom enforcement all the creditor phone calls.

In addition, the stress caused by is sought, if unrepresented by leher divorce is a little bit much for gal counsel, was fully informed of her to handle with creditor prob- the terms and basic effect of the lems. Getting rid of creditor calls agreement as well as the rights and collection efforts will give her and obligations he or she was givat least a lot less stress on the finan- ing up by signing the agreement, and was proficient in the language cial side.

If you need debt relief, set an ap- in which the explanation of the pointment to see me. I will analyze party’s rights was conducted and in which the agreement was writyour case personally. ten. The explanation of the rights *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in and obligations relinquished shall bankruptcy, business, real estate and be memorialized in writing and civil litigation and has successfully delivered to the party prior to represented more than five thousand signing the agreement. The unclients in California. Please call Angie, represented party shall, on or beBarbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for fore the signing of the premarital an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, agreement, execute a document Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, declaring that he or she received the information required by this Alhambra, CA 91803.

(Advertising Supplement) paragraph and indicating who

provided that information.(4) The agreement and the writings executed pursuant to paragraphs(1) and (3) were not executed under duress, fraud, or undue influence, and the parties did not lack capacity to enter into the agreement.(5) Any other factors the court deems relevant. In addition, the parties are required to provide each other with full disclosure of all material financial information.

A premarital agreement may be unenforceable if found to be unconscionable when it was executed and the requisite disclosures were lacking and not waived Additionally, a spousal support provision in a premarital agreement executed under the UPAA, whether before or after January 1, 2002, is not enforceable if found to be unconscionable at the time of enforcement. Family Code 1612(c). If you are the higher earning spouse and have assets to protect, it is important to seek the representation of experienced counsel in drafting a premarital agreement to make sure that all statutory requirement are met which increases the likelihood that your premarital agreement will be deemed enforceable when attacked in court in case of a divorce.

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 22, 2019

Young clients seek Chapter 13 relief...

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is single. He owns a house with $300,000 of equity. But he doesn’t owe any credit cards or unsecured debt. The client went back to his country of origin to attend the funeral of his father. After the funeral, he decided to stay there for some time. I guess he was having a good time visiting friends whom he had not seen for 20 years, and lost track of time.

While he was there, he forgot to pay the first and second mortgage on his house. When he came back, he realized that he had $10,000 of arrears in his first mortgage because the bank would no longer accept his cur rent mortgage payment. The bank returned his current mortgage payment to him and said they would not accept the payment because his arrears were too big. After a week, the second mortgage creditor sent him a notice of auction sale for the end of this month saying that the entire mortgage of $30,000 had come due.

This is a slam-dunk case for

EMPLOYMENT

Chapter 13. Chapter 13 will immediately stop the foreclosure of his house by the second mortgagee.

And Chapter 13 will give him five years to pay off the arrears on the first, as well as the entire $30,000 of the second mortgage, the entirety of which has come due.

Chapter 13 will protect the debtor’s house from foreclosure, and give him enough time to cure the default on the first and the second mortgage. There’s no problem on the income side, the debtor is selfemployed with several sources of income that give him a monthly net of $6,000. That’s good enough.

Reminder: Even if you go abroad, don’t forget to pay your mortgages!

The third client is 43. She is going through a divorce and owes $20,000 of credit cards, and other unsecured debt. She doesn’t own a house. She cannot file a Chapter 7 because her last bankruptcy filing was five years ago when she discharged $50,000 of cards.

The only choice now is Chapter 13 where she will be given five

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FOR RENT

FOR SALE

*** 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)

Mother’s Day in Historic Filipinotown: A huge success EMOTIONS ran high when over 100 mothers dressed in their Filipiniana attire were honored to celebrate Mother’s Day in Historic Filipinotown last Friday, May 10, with guests led by Vice Consul Dyan Pastrana and GAD officer Aurea Bahjin of the Consulate General of the Philippines in Los Angeles.

In her inspirational talk, Pastrana revealed she grew up without a mother, thus had to help take care of her siblings. It was not until she became a mother herself that she realized the sacrifices of a mother especially when her own child got hospitalized in the ICU. Witnessing several mothers like her being shattered to see their child seriously sick and suffering, gave her an added opportunity to appreciate motherhood.

The Tribute to All Mothers started with an invocation by singing Ama Namin led by spouses Cres Go who also was the emcee and Rosito (Loloy) Go, co-chair of the sounds & music committee; rendition of national anthems by Tess Nones for Star Spangled Banner and Lupang Hinirang by Lily Tabafunda, respectively; followed by welcome remarks by Fidji Victoriano, Operations Director of SIPA, one of the collaborating organizations of the event.

Blessing of the mothers by Rev. Geo Sargent; pinning of corsage by children to their moms who were both present at the event; and dedication of his poem, “Alay sa Ina,” composed

by Eusebio “Bing” San Diego.

Depicting a Philippine courtship through the cultural presentation of Igorot Dance entertained the guests by dancers Juliet Arevalo, Luz Rondilla, Esther Bermudez, Fely Benitez and Elizabeth Magtoto, choreographer and activity director of Everlasting CBAS. Bernadette Pasion and Alicia De Aragon of the TLC Family Caregiver Foundation, one of the collaborating organizations under the leadership of Dr. Veronico Agatep, led the closing song You Raised Me Up. Also present to support the occasion were Rosalie Caratao, Trini Foliente, Cora Aragon Soriano, incoming president and VP of LA Philippine Women’s Club, respectively, collaborators of the event.

Over-all coordinator Perla Santos asked the mothers if they would support MOTHER Movement’s endeavor to gather 1,000 signatures — to which an approbation was received in unison — asking legislators to re-file the 20-year-old MOTHER Bill in the Philippines. The advocacy seeks to mandate that self-defense awareness be included as part of schools’ PE curriculum among others.

Based on the principle that self-defense is an instinct that needs to be developed, the mission of the Movement is to teach everyone to be able to defend themselves in the event of im-

Some of the mothers who attended the event pose for a souvenir picture.

The Igorot dancers pose with Vice Consul Dyan Pastrana (standing center) and FASGI Exec. Director Yey Coronel (standing at right).

minent danger. Its vision: intentionally inflicted crimes, including bullying, human trafficking, sexual harassment, and others will be a thing of the past.

Santos, who is the Movement’s founder, requested the guidance of, and support from Vice Consul Pastrana to be the envoy to hand-carry the important documentation.

Santos thanked the guests including Malou Villacisneros of Pilipino Workers Center, Ludi Santos Martin and Dionesia Domingo of the Santa Ignacia So. CA Asso. (SISA); the LA Seniors Society led by Gloria Resurreccion; president Dr. Arturo Flores of Knights of Rizal; Lina Navarro; Gigi Valiente Romy Borje, mothers in the neighborhood including participants from various CBAS in the community.

The organizers thank the committees and volunteers who made the event a huge success, including those who donated substantial prizes for the social bingo games, major raffles and giveaways; Registration: Prim Barlahan, Zeny Sta. Catalina and Lucy Ginete; Games by Ely Cabungcal assisted by Yolly de la Rosa; Food by Benny Velasco, Lilia Fos, Marie Domingo, Irene Dungo, Leony Labang, Major door prizes comprised of electronics and various kitchen appliances were donated by Noli Reyes; Physical arrangements Maria Valendez and John Swing; Decorations by Mercedes Kruze, Beth San Diego; sponsors: 2nd Century CBAS, the Filipino Family Caregiver Support Group, Yey Coronel of FASGI; Atomy; Music by Buddy and Letty Reyes; and Asian Journal, the media sponsor.

Vice Consul Dyan Pastrana delivers her inspirational message.

Whatever happened...

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hopelessness and darkness in the souls of many individuals today.

There are far too many news of suicide these days and its horrible spawn, murder-suicide.

Consider the recent case of that deranged, suicidal Germanwings pilot who planned and deliberately slammed a planeload of passengers against an Alpine mountain, causing the death of 149 people.

Who can forget about that despondent Malaysian Airlines pilot who may have caused the death of others by murder suicide? Efforts at recovery have been fruitless so far — the plane and its victims probably lost in the deep bowels of the Indian Ocean.

And then there are the twisted beliefs of suicide bombers seeking martyrdom. They think they will go to paradise and be rewarded with seventy-two virgins for their atrocity. There are religious leaders intolerant of other beliefs, who incite their followers

to eradicate Christians and Christian nations. Who can explain evil incarnate?

There is news of suicide that hits you harder because you personally know the person who took his own life. By all accounts, he has led a good life but unknown to all, was going through overwhelming personal struggles, wallowing in darkness and despair and simply gave up.

In many cases, those in their immediate family orbit say, they never saw it coming and will be left wondering WHY. Suicide, contrary to the lyrics of a popular song, is never painless. Those left behind who will have to pick up the pieces deal with the heavy pall of gloom and guilt that descends on them for a long time.

(Conclusion in next week’s issue …) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

The fun-filled day also served as the venue for health education about breast cancer prevention from the Asian Pacific Health Care Venture.

people & events 9 The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 22, 2019

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE -May 22, 2019