061020 - Southern California Midweek Edition

June 10-12, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 45 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages

Anti-terror bill sent to Palace for Duterte’s signature

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

A COPY of the controversial anti-terrorism bill has been sent to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang confirmed on Tuesday, June 9.

Earlier that day, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that he and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano have already signed the proposed bill. “[Cayetano] signed last night.

Sending it to PRRD [President Rodrigo Duterte] this morning,” he said.

Sotto added that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office received a digital copy of the bill through e-mail.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the president has 30 days to act on the legislation or else the bill will lapse into law 30 days after receipt.

“We have a 30-day period to review, either to veto or to sign the bill. Otherwise, kung wala

DATELINE

the Human Security Act of 2007, grants any law enforcer the right to arrest and detain without warrant “a person suspected of committing any of the acts” punishable under the measure for 14 calendar days, extendable by 10 days. The suspected “terrorist” can also be placed under surveillance for 60 days, extendable by up to 30 more days, by the police or the military.

Acts punishable under HB No. 6875 include: • Engaging in acts intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person, or endangers a person’s life; • Engaging in acts intended to cause extensive damage or destruction to a government or Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque public facility, public place, or Philstar.com photo private property; pong aksyon ang presidente (if • Engaging in acts intended the president does not act on it), to cause extensive interference it will become law,” Roque said with, damage, or destruction to after he confirmed the news in a critical infrastructure; virtual press briefing.

• Developing, manufacturing, LOUD AND CLEAR. Clamor for the junking of the terror bill is building up on social media after the huge gathering by hundreds of protesters on the The Anti-Terrorism Act of possessing, acquiring, transport- campus of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, despite assurances from Malacañang and Congress that it’s peppered with safeguards 2020, which seeks to strengthen Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande u PAGE A2 against violation of human rights.

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

LA County urges protesters to get tested for COVID-19

AS protests continue to draw large crowds of individuals across Los Angeles County, officials are urging participants to get tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

“We’re still in the midst of a pandemic,” county public health director Barbara Ferrer said on Monday, June 8. “COVID-19 remains easy to transmit… Every single social interaction that happens outside your household comes with risk to both the people who interact.”

The county is advising protesters to selfquarantine for two weeks and monitor symp-

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Community members celebrate Filipino resilience during COVID-19 pandemic 2020 has proven to be a year when the primordial demand for human connection and empathy is at an all time high. Even though recent divisive events and brutalities upset efforts to reach unity in the era of physical distancing, communities like the Filipino American community aim to bridge cultural gaps, particularly in the world of mental health.

Every Friday of the month of May, the Los Angeles-based Filipino American non-profit organization Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) hosted a weekly webinar series called “Filipino Fridays,” which discussed a variety of issues related to mental health, leadership and the importance of community strength in midst of economic, political and emotional precarity.

In the U.S., May is observed as both Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, a coupling that is

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Weathering two storms at once: Managing a revolution in a pandemic

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

There’s no getting around it: times are tough on all fronts.

The current appraisal of law enforcement as we know it that is forcing the United States to redefine law, order and justice continues to permeate local, state and even federal bureaucracies in a way that prior Black Lives Matter-centered protests haven’t before.

Like all consequential political

movements, this revolution is comprehensive.

But the other battle that 2020 found itself in, the COVID-19 pandemic, persists in the background, rendering an arduous global theater that requires careful attention and cautious methodology: a virus doesn’t take days off for revolution.

That being said, the two storms the world has found itself in has opened up the door for a bevy of health problems.

As Dr. Tung Nguyen of the Univer-

sity of California, San Francisco put it in a press briefing on Friday, June 5, these tumultuous times remind “us that the morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 include a worsening of other health problems due to competing priorities.”

At the press briefing — which was hosted by Ethnic Media Services and focused on the two-pronged crisis centered mainly in the U.S. — experts discussed the myriad of ways in which the protests, police brutality and civil unrest are contributing to

the mounting health crisis.

“The underlying causes of health disparities are the social determinants of health, and they include poverty, education, environment and health care access,” Nguyen continued, equating racism to physical viral infections that cause detriment to the body and mind. “We know that racism is often thought to be one of these determinants as well because we know that chronic exposure to racism causes the body to change

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DFA pays tribute to overseas Philippine Independence Day Filipinos on Migrant Workers’ Day festivities go virtual this year

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday, June 7, honored Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) through a music video in celebration of Migrant Workers’ Day. “We honor today the selfless sacrifice of our over 10 million kababayans abroad and their contribution to our national development,” said Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola.

“Under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, the DFA assures you that it will continue to promote and protect the interest of overseas Filipino workers around the world,” she added.

The music video, uploaded on the DFA’s official YouTube channel, featured frontliner OFWs, ranging from health workers to supermarket staff, and even peacekeepers from various countries in the world.

“With the song, ‘Superhero’ sung by artist Jed Madela in the background, the mu-

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by AJPRESS FRIDAY, June 12 marks the 122nd Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence.

Instead of the annual in-person commemorations, from parades to galas in Filipino American communities across the United States, celebrations of “Araw ng Kalayaan” are going virtual this year due to the pandemic.

This year’s Independence Day celebration, bearing the theme “Kalayaan 2020: Tungo sa Bansang Malaya, Nagtutulungan, at Ligtas (Freedom 2020: Towards a Free, United, and Safe Nation), will be marked with a virtual flagraising ceremony by all of the Philippine Diplomatic Missions in the U.S. on Friday at 3 p.m.

(PST) on the Philippine Embassy in Washington’s Facebook page

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Accounts pretending to be Filipino users pop up on Facebook

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THOUSANDS of fake accounts that clone the profiles of students from the top universities in the Philippines surfaced on Facebook over the weekend.

The University of the Philippines urged its students, alumni, and faculty members to check Facebook for profiles made without their consent.

“The University of the Philippines System has received reports that fake or dummy Facebook accounts have been created for UP students, officials, and alumni. We urge the members of the UP community to A fake account made for Facebook user Julie Rod. The check their names and accounts and user has reported the account to Facebook and it has to make the proper report to the data yet to be removed. Photo courtesy of Julie Rodillas

protection officer of Facebook,” the UP System said in its public advisory.

The university’s Office of the Student Regent, in a separate statement, also said: “We express our utmost alarm since these accounts are suspected to cause harm or spread false information. It would be best if we all stay informed and vigilant. We are hoping that this is a glitch in the system only and can be resolved as soon as possible. However, let it be clear that we will not tolerate any misleading content posted on any account that will endanger our students.”

The University Data Protection Office at Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas, as well as

De La Salle University issued statements on the issue, advising their members to be cautious and vigilant.

The social media giant said it will investigate the multiple reports of fake profiles created on its platform.

“We’re investigating reports of suspicious activity on our platform and taking action on any accounts that we find to be in violation of our policies,” Facebook said in a statement to Rappler.

The National Privacy Commission, for its part, said it is already looking into the large-scale faking of Facebook accounts.

“We’re already looking into it. I have already coordinated with Face-

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A June 10-12, 2020 • SoCal ASIAn JOuRnAL

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Anti-terror bill sent to...

PAGE A1 ing, supplying or using weapons; and • Releasing of dangerous substances, or causing fire, floods or explosions.

Any person who will propose, incite, conspire, participate in the planning, training, preparation, and facilitation of a terrorist act, as well as those who will provide material support to terrorists, and recruit members for a terrorist organization, will also be penalized by life imprisonment without the benefit of parole.

Meanwhile, anyone who treatens to commit terrorism, and those who propose any terroristic acts or incite others to commit terrorism will suffer imprisonment of 12 years.

This goes the same for anyone who voluntarily and knowingly joins any organization, association or group of persons knowing that such is a terrorist organization.

The bill has been receiving a lot of flak for its broad definition

of what constitutes as “terrorism.”

Netizens comprised of youth, progressive, and human rights groups have trended the hashtag #JunkTerrorBill and started petitions and appeals to veto the measure.

The Concerned Lawyers for Civil Liberties last week argued that the bill gives the government almost free rein in determining who are suspected terrorists.

“Even ordinary citizens airing their grievances against [the] government on social media may fall within its ambit,” it said.

“The general tone of the bill supports secret surveillance — the courts are required to be informed of such surveillance, but only upon [the] filing of charges before the prosecutor.

In short, subjects of surveillance and ‘suspected’ persons will have already been hauled to jail before they are made aware of actions against them,” it added.

Meanwhile, Human Rights

From the Front Page

Watch sounded alarm over the bill providing an “overbroad definition of terrorism.”

“The Anti-Terrorism Act is a human rights disaster in the making,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The law will open the door to arbitrary arrests and long prison sentences for people or representatives of organizations that have displeased the president.”

Several House lawmakers have also withdrawn their ‘yes’ votes for the anti-terror bill, with Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman and Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate even urging Cayetano not to sign the bill yet.

Roque, for his part, reiterated that the bill will have safeguards against human rights abuses.

“There are safeguards po. Unang-una, kinakailangan po may (First, it is necessary to have a) judicial declaration to be classified as a terrorist group,” he said. n

Philippine Independence Day festivities go...

PAGE A1 (facebook.com/PHinUSA).

“As we reflect on the significance of this year’s celebration, it is equally important to recognize the various ways and opportunities by which we can rally our communities to support and uplift one another during this unprecedented time of crisis,” Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said in a statement.

The occasion will also be a way to pay tribute to the Filipino and Filipino American front-liners, from doctors, nurses, medical professionals and essential workers, providing care and services amid COVID-19.

These individuals are “making tremendous sacrifices for our health and safety in the Philippines, the United States and in the Caribbean. May we draw inspiration from them as we move forward through this difficult time with the resiliency, dedication, and heart that Filipinos are known for,” the ambassador added.

Friday’s event will also feature performances by Broadway Barkada’s Ester Barroso-Guerzon and Roy Flores.

The Fil-Am community in New York, which annually mounts a parade and festival along Madison Avenue, is shifting its event

online as well with virtual performances by guest artists on Friday through the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc.’s Facebook page (facebook.com/PIDCIOfficial/Live) In the Philippines, Independence Day is observed with a day off from work and classes. Meanwhile, the celebration across the United States traditionally takes form in parades and festivals filled with Filipino food vendors, performances, and parades.

A quick history lesson on Philippine Independence Day traces back over a century ago when the Philippines — after four centuries under Spain’s rule — declared independence on June 12, 1898.

But as many historians and Filipinos point out, June 12 didn’t mark the true liberation for the Philippines as the country in less than a year found itself under United States rule.

Upon losing the war with the U.S., Spain gave the Philippines to the U.S. as part of the 1989 Treaty of Paris Agreement. The Philippines thus became a U.S. territory with the PhilippineAmerican War beginning a year after.

It took years for the Philippines to gain independence from the U.S. Sometime during the Philip-

pine-American War, U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt declared victory over the Philippines ironically on the fourth of July in 1902.

After giving into the pressure of granting the Philippines independence and proclaiming amnesty between the two countries, William Howard Taft was elected as president and decided to put a halt on granting the Philippines independence.

Despite being defeated in 1912

by President Woodrow Wilson, who favored Philippine independence, plans for a sovereign Philippines weren’t made until the mid-1930s.

After one last set back due to World War II and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, the Philippines was finally declared independent on July 4, 1946 through the Treaty of Manila.

For 15 years, the Philippines celebrated its independence annually on July 4 until in 1962 when Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal officially changed the date back to June 12.

Now nearly 60 years later, Filipinos in the U.S. continue to honor Philippine Independence Day, with the younger members of today’s Fil-Am generation making their own meanings out of the holiday. n

Nguyen also noted that tracking incidents like this help to inform community education, policing and mental health programs that can help combat the specific discrimination that the Asian American community is facing right now.

“Fighting hate isn’t just about education, though that’s a big part of it. It’s about knowing that these incidents happen [and] just because we’ve only had a couple hundred [reported] incidents happen doesn’t mean that only a couple hundred incidents actually happened,” Nguyen said, acknowledging the Asian American community’s hesitance to reach out to law enforcement.

A key part of mental health management in a modern, capitalist world involves the economy, and while the overall American economy is experiencing an upturn, the financial state for many Filipino Americans remains at risk.

Nguyen praised the Board of Supervisors’ implementation of the eviction moratorium which, for the 88 cities in LA County, allowed for renters to skip rent if their finances were affected by the pandemic and prevented “more people from falling into homelessness.”

In the LA proper, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell of the 13th District shared that his office was currently working on a reprioritization of funding, allocating $2 million from public infrastructure projects to be split evenly between renters protection programs and small business relief.

He also shared that an unspecified portion of the $100 million the city received from the federal CARES Act would be allocated to rent subsidies for low-income residents, adding that he plans to allocate $2 million toward cultural enrichment events and programs like the Lotus Festival and Filipino events for the 13th District.

“It’s okay that even during a pandemic --- when we know there’s lots of suffering and lots of precautions that we all must take --- we take a breath and celebrate what we have,” O’Farrell shared.

Among the industries hurt most by the pandemic, the non-profit sector continues to experience its own financial quandaries. Organizations like SIPA, which are fuelled by in-person community events and programs, have had to adjust to the virtual workworm to adhere to physical distancing measures.

But the Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF), which has served as an alternate source of funding for API nonprofits since 1990, exceeded its May fundraising goal and raised $190,000 from 1,500 unique donors to fund nonprofits

like SIPA. According to APCF program manager Christine Lee, almost 70% of the organizations it oversees said that their operating budgets had been negatively impacted by the pandemic, and roughly 40% said that they had not received funding during the crisis.

“This is something that is very concerning to us because we know that after this [pandemic] is all over, we’re talking about recovery, and we have to wonder if our nonprofits like SIPA are equipped to serve our communities,” Lee shared, adding that the APCF has been collaborating with philanthropists to ensure funding to these community nonprofits.

The Filipino American community relies on leadership that represents it and vows to look at issues with an intercultural lens.

And the quickest way to achieve that is to have a city government that reflects the constituency’s demographic makeup.

Filipina American Jessica Caloza, Board of Public Works Commissioner for the City of LA, shared that despite budget cuts that are plaguing many of the city’s departments, her mission to ensure that the Filipino American voice is included in city issues hasn’t steadied.

“One of the greatest privileges I have in serving the city is being your first Filipino American Commissioner on the Board of Public Works, and that holds especially true in May for APA Heritage Month,” Caloza said. “These stories and struggles that you uplift, not just in May but really everyday, help inform the work that we do at City Hall so that we are better policymakers, that we create better programs that really help address the needs that you all bring to light, and that is so critically important for us. We need your work and advocacy so that we can do our jobs.”

Caloza acknowledged the charitable work of Filipino small businesses in supporting frontliners of the COVID-19 pandemic, like the food donation projects from The Park’s Finest and HiFi Kitchen.

Despite the difficulties of the current situation, these businesses continue to provide for the community while adjusting and adapting to the ever changing economy, she said.

“I think that what you’re all proving to be true right now, is that we will get out of this stronger, and we will get out of this smarter and more resilient,” Caloza said. “One thing I hope you take away from this is that we continue to really serve each other as a community and your struggles are our struggles.”

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

Community members celebrate Filipino resilience...

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PAGE A1 befitting to discuss and unravel the deep stigmas held strongly by the Asian American community.

The final “Filipino Friday” meeting on May 29 — called Bridging Our Journey — brought together leaders in the Fil-Am community in LA as well as local officials in a robust conversation about the dire need for mental health awareness in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has sparked anti-Asian sentiments across the country and the world.

“Bridging our unique personalities and also our unique traditional values in Asian American culture, and to share it among our residents who really need it [is really important] because those are some of the gaps that they see needs to be filled and that we at SIPA want to see,” said John Swing, community economic development program manager for SIPA. Among the most pressing issues affecting the collective mental health of the Asian American community includes the complex crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic which, for the Asian American community, is multilayered.

Not only are Asian Americans fighting to stay healthy and avoid contracting the virus like the rest of the world, but they are also fighting a new wave of racism and discrimination related to the virus while ensuring their financial livelihoods are secured.

Since the middle of March when COVID-19 catalyzed widespread safer-at-home orders, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Committee (A3PCON) has reported more than 1,500 incidents of hate directed toward the Asian American community through its hate crime tracker, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

The LA County Commission on Human Relations also reported a surge in hate crimes and incidents targeting the Asian American community, announcing more than 100 reports of hate incidents related to the pandemic from February to April.

Hoang Nguyen, the field deputy for LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, said during the SIPA webinar that through the county hotline 2-1-1, which is dedicated to reporting hate crimes, the county was able to direct victims to the “appropriate resources and referrals.”

A small minority of the incidents reported to the county and A3PCON include violence, but a majority of them include verbal attacks and microaggressions like derogatory remarks and slurs as well as accusations of being infected with the virus. (The connection of the latter references the virus’ origin in Wuhan, China.)

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Weathering two storms at once: Managing...

PAGE A1 adversely through the release of stress hormones and neurotransmitters.”

The racism, in this case, involves the disturbing pattern of police using brute, fatal force against unarmed Black individuals. The recent killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd have catalyzed protests across the world, forcing governments to reckon with the deeply-rooted racism that continues to pulse through agencies designed to protect the public.

Besides the known damaging effects of systemic racism and bias, the protests themselves have also brought forth new health concerns. Recently, health experts like Nguyen have advised against the use of tear gas, which police squads across the country have been throwing at protesters to quell the demonstrations.

A 22-year-old woman in Ohio died on May 28 from exposure to tear gas and pepper spray “discharged by police” at a protest two days before, the woman’s father told the local coroner’s office, according to a New York Post report.

There have been 1.8 million infections and more than 107,000 deaths related to the COVID-19 virus in the U.S. as of Tuesday, June 9. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those numbers are expected to skyrocket as more and more parts of the country begin re-opening and protests continue without following social distance guidelines.

Following those variables, the CDC predicts between 118,000 to 243,000 deaths by June 27, before most vaccines will be ready to advance to testing phases. Currently, there are 17 vaccines for the COVID-19 virus undergoing human trials, including an early vaccine called Moderna, which is expected to the third phase of testing before health experts determine its efficacy.

But Nguyen noted that testing for the Moderna vaccine isn’t expected until well into July.

Nguyen noted that the COVID19 pandemic has put into sharp relief the existing impairments in the American health care system, brought on by politics that inhibit the possibility of an equitable system of care.

“In my view, [the pandemic]

has severely stressed all our dysfunctional systems — the health, economic, legal and political — to their limits and broke them,” Nguyen remarked.

“We can no longer pretend that they are good enough, and they were never good enough except for those of us who enjoy [the] privilege.”

The construct of racism that has infiltrated institutions, bureaucracies and everyday encounters is all-encompassing.

You can’t talk about unemployment, poor education, food insecurity and climate change without bringing up racial disparities and the disproportionality of black and brown Americans to suffer from these flawed systems, Nguyen said.

“Racism is a disease and police brutality is a disease vector, much like the job of a physician and in public health interventionists are the same: control the vectors and eradicate the disease,” Nguyen said.

Eradicating a disease like racism, to most people, feels like a fool’s errand. Racism as a social construct has been around since the beginning of civilization, and although contemporary society can largely agree that racism is bad, pinpointing the finer ways that racism seeps into nearly every space of modern life has become more muddled.

In national public health and safety crises, empathy plays an enormous role, but when these crises largely target the Black community, empathy isn’t guaranteed, according to Jody D. Armour, the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at the University of Southern California.

As a professor specializing in racial injustice, Armour discussed the phenomenon of ingroup empathy bias wherein the care and empathy directed towards one group isn’t directed to other groups of society.

Armour referenced the lack of urgency among health and disaster agencies regarding Hurricane Katrina. It took days for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond to the majority-Black communities that found their homes destroyed and lives in danger, but instances like 9/11 triggered “a panic of empathy” and immediate relief.

“It happens on a neuronal level and it’s not even conscious a lot of the time, but the bottom line is we have relative indiffer-

ence to the suffering of those who don’t belong to our ingroup,” Armour explained.

In addition to supplementing the immediate courses of action that activists are advocating for — reallocating police budgets to homelessness, education and other public services that directly benefit lower-income communities of color — comprehensive cultural reckoning and undoing have to occur at the community level first.

The Asian American community isn’t detached from the conversation of systemic antiBlack racism.

John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, stressed the importance of standing up for the Black American community as Asians, a group that has “not always stood up for the African American community in this cause.”

As the Asian Journal has extensively written, news coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic has fomented racism and discrimination targeted at the Asian American community.

Microaggressions, bullying, Zoom bombs and in some cases violence has plagued the community, kickstarting many social media campaigns by Asian Americans to bring awareness to the issue and to come up with solutions to mitigate anti-Asian sentiments.

That being said, it would be at odds to ignore the current and ongoing fight to end police brutality, and Asian Americans who’ve previously neglected to stand with the Black community should now show solidarity, Yang said.

“That has to change,” Yang said. He referenced Tou Thao, the Hmong-American officer who stood by and didn’t intervene with the officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck as he died, and how Thao’s behavior highlights the flawed racial dynamics within the Asian American community. (Thao was later charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.)

“We recognize that there is racism within our own community and that we recognize that is part of systemic racism, so part of the solution is having those hard conversations with our own community,” Yang shared. n

RICE ASSISTANCE. Around 3,200 sacks of rice from Nueva Ecija, were delivered at the Pasay City Hall on Tuesday, June 9. These were purchased by the city government for its continuing support to poor residents affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Accounts pretending to be Filipino users...

PAGE A1 book regarding this, and they are also investigating it on their end,” said NPC commissioner Raymund Liboro.

He also noted that this is the first time they have encountered such a phenomenon.

“We don’t know the extent, and we don’t know how it is happening,” Liboro said.

“While the extent of these incidents are not yet fully determined at this time, we have been receiving reports from different sectors, mostly coming from academic institutions,” he added.

The Department of Justice is also set to investigate the matter, according to department spokesperson Markk Perete.

The DOJ’s investigation shall cover “all angles,” including state agents, he said.

“Suffice it to state that at this

point, all possible angles and leads will be pursued,” Perete said.

Malacañang, meanwhile, urged the people behind the cloning of Facebook accounts to stop their illegal activity.

“Ilegal po ‘yan at humanap po kayo ng mas mabuting gagawin (That is illegal. Look for a more useful activity),” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday, June 8.

“Our privacy commission is investigating the matter and I think the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) is also investigating this matter because the creation of fake accounts is specially prohibited and penalized by the cybercrime act,” he added.

Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, computer-related identity theft or the intentional acquisition, use, misuse,

transfer, possession, alteration or deletion of identifying information belonging to another without right is prohibited.

Any person found guilty is subjected to imprisonment of six years and a day to 12 years or a fine of at least P200,000.

Should anyone find any fake accounts with their name, they can report the accounts by doing the following: 1. On the accounts of suspected clones, tap the icon with three dots beside the “Message” option under the Cover Photo; 2. Select the “Find Support or Report Profile” option which opens a pop-up menu with onscreen instructions; 3. Tag the profile as “Fake account;” 4. Click “Next” and select “Done” in the following window. n

LA County urges protesters to get tested...

PAGE A1

toms. Should symptoms start to appear, individuals are encouraged to get tested.

“Being part of a protest is really no different than having an exposure at an indoor mall or even at a restaurant or at the beach. In all of these sites,” Ferrer said.

On Tuesday, June 9, the public health department confirmed 56 new deaths and 1,225 new cases of COVID-19.

Thirty-eight people who died were over the age of 65 years

old, 15 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 to 40 years old. Forty-four people had underlying health conditions including 33 people over the age of 65 years old, 10 people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and one person between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach.

To date, the county has identified 65,822 positive cases and

2,707 deaths. Of those who died, 93% had underlying health conditions, while 18% were of Asian descent.

Officials also cautioned the public as restrictions begin to ease, such as the reopening of restaurants, hair salons and beaches.

Over 1.9 million Americans have been infected and 110,000 have died nationwide, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, 22 states continue seeing an uptick in coronavirus cases. (AJPress)

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World Bank sees PH poverty worsening in COVID-19 recession

by Ben

o. de Vera Inquirer.net

RECESSION in the Philippines was likely to lead to worsening poverty and a delay by two years in the country’s bid to become an upper middle class country, according to World Bank (WB) analysts.

WB projected Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) to enter negative territory with a 1.9 percent contraction this year largely as a result of the COVID19 pandemic and lockdowns that ground the economy to a halt.

WB said a swift transition to a digital economy could help in Philippine recovery post-pandemic.

Rong Qian, at an online press conference on Tuesday (June 9), said WB sees a “deeper” decline in GDP in the second quarter of the year—the height of one of the most restrictive pandemic lockdowns in the region.

As the economy gradually emerges from a lockdown, GDP was still expected to shrink yearon-year in the third quarter, before “muted” growth by the fourth quarter, Qian said.

The recession will result in an “increase in poverty in 2020,” Qian said, although he could not estimate by how much given the

extent of uncertainty brought by the pandemic.

Qian said the World Bank estimated a potential increase in poverty rate by 3.3 percentage points as a result of a lockdown that erases at least two months’ worth of income.

She, however, said that some measures that the Philippines took could offset the possible worsening of poverty.

These included cash dole outs to poor families and displaced workers and wage subsidies for small businesses.

As of 2018, nationwide poverty rate stood at 16.7 percent.

Once the Philippine economy recovers in the next two years, “poverty can decrease again,” Qian said.

GDP was expected by the World Bank to revert to growth next year, estimated at 6.2 percent.

The government target was to slash poverty rate to 11 percent by 2022, the year President Rodrigo Duterte steps down.

This year’s recession will also delay the Philippines’ transition to upper middle-income country status, likely by two years, Qian said.

The Washington-based WB defined an upper middle-income country as having per capita

income of between $3,956 and $12,235.

The latest data on the World Bank’s website showed that the Philippines had a per capita gross national income (GNI) of $3,830 in 2018, which classifies it as a lower middle income country.

In 2018, the Philippines should have had already moved up to upper middle-income status but a delay in approval of the national budget by a Congress bickering over funds that its members could pocket slowed growth to an eight-year low of 6 percent.

Amid the pandemic, GNI declined by 0.6 percent year-onyear during the first quarter of this year.

The possible delay in climbing to upper middle-income country status, however, may benefit the Philippines at a time when it borrowed more from multilateral lenders and bilateral development partners to replenish funds for COVID-19 response.

If the Philippines becomes an upper middle-income country this year, it will lose by 2022 the access to preferential interest rates from its bilateral partners and other lending institutions.

Qian said to usher in recovery, a “digital infrastructure will play a critical role.” n

Governor Andrew Cuomo rides a 7 train from Court Square, 23rd Street station to Grand Central.

Photo from the Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo

New York City enters Phase 1 of reopening

by MoMar

G. Visaya

AJPress

AFTER nearly three months of lockdown coupled with the highest coronavirus death toll in the United States, New York City began Phase 1 of a four-part reopening plan on Monday, June 8, which also marked Day 100 since the first COVID-19 case in the cit “Why are we reopening? Because these numbers say we can.

It’s no guess. There’s no ideology. Based on the numbers, we can reopen. We are doing more tests than any state in the United States,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“We’re doing more tests than any country on the globe per capita.

That’s why I have confidence saying to 19 million people that we can do this.”

The numbers that Cuomo mentioned refer to the number of tests (at least 58,000 per day) done across the state, averaging 1.2% positive, the lowest level recorded since March 16.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city has successfully flattened the curve and chalked up hardwon progress against the virus as he urged New Yorkers.

“Let’s hold onto it. Let’s build on it,” he said.

New York City was placed under a stay–at–home order on March 22 to arrest the further spread of the virus. As long as there is no spike in cases, the reopening will move to the next phase, which inWORK IN ‘NEW NORMAL’. Delivery personnel unload bottles of soft drinks at a bakery shop in Scout Ybardolaza Street, Quezon City on Monday, cludes outdoor dining, salons and June 8. Wearing of face masks and safe physical distancing are among health standards set by the government in allowing the resumption barbershops, among others. of operations of businesses and some establishments amid the general community quarantine.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler The city has been the epicenter of the crisis with 205,000 people infected and 22,000 lives lost since the pandemic began.

About 400,000 people were expected to be back in the city to return to their offices and places of work. City officials have set restrictions designed to protect employees and workers from being infected with the virus.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy lifted the stay–at–home order put in place last March. The state’s re-

opening plan is moving forward to its second stage, which means that nonessential retail will be able to allow customers inside as early as next week.

Murphy said that New Jersey’s record of newly infected people and deaths in recent weeks have vastly improved since the order was issued on March 21.

More than 12,300 people have died and more than 164,700 have been infected in New Jersey, the second most affected state after New York. The empire state continues to be the epicenter of the outbreak in the country with more than 379,500 confirmed cases and 30,458 deaths so far.

At his regular media briefing on Tuesday, June 9, Murphy asked residents to continue to be responsible and safe as more businesses set reopening dates.

“When you do go out, please continue to wear face coverings and keep a social distance from others, whenever possible,” he said.

Stores previously deemed nonessential have been cleared to reopen for delivery and curbside pickup, similar to the set up of restaurants operating across the city.

Construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade have also received the go-ahead to resume work.

Plenty of stores, particularly in midtown Manhattan, are still boarded up after looters ransacked several retailers in Soho and Upper East Side.

“This is the place where it was going to be the hardest to make a comeback, and yet New York City is so strong and resilient, we are making that comeback,” de Blasio said.

Louis Bayla is thankful that the city has set parameters for reopening. A chef at Little Park, a restaurant in Tribeca, Bayla is grateful for the tremendous amount of support from the community but he is also a bit wary.

“It is nerve-wracking since

New York has been a bit of a war zone. It is great that we are protesting for positive changes but I worry about a second wave,” Bayla told the Asian Journal. “We are also on edge with looters and vandals.”

He believes that the restaurant and hospitality industries in the city can learn a thing or two from the rest of the country as far as reopening is concerned, like Florida and Georgia.

“We can learn from their mistakes and be better,” he said.

Among the retail businesses authorized to reopen for curbside and in-store pick up are the following: clothing stores, direct selling establishments, electronics and appliance stores, furniture and home furnishing stores, florists, general merchandise stores, health and personal care stores, jewelry, luggage, and leather goods stores, sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument and bookstores and other miscellaneous store retailers The MTA has put in place a 13point action plan to ensure safe reopening. Hand sanitizers are now available in subway stations, which will continue to be sanitized overnight along with the trains and buses.

There will also be floor markings, directional arrows and new signage to help with social distancing. The updated rules will be posted in stations and face coverings will be mandatory, although anyone not wearing a mask in mass transit will be provided one.

“Not only are we back, but we went from the worst situation in the nation - frankly, one of the worst situations on the globe to not only flattening the curve, but to bending the curve,” said Cuomo, who took a ride on the 7 train from Court Square in Queens to Grand Central. “The city now has to prove that it really knows what it’s doing, that it can still be a dense city like New York and yet figure this out.” n

Filipina and her husband missing in southern California VICTORVILLE, California — The Victorville Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing couple who vanished after dropping off their children nearly a week ago.

Devin Capitulo, a Filipina American, and her Hispanic husband, Oscar Mendoza, both 30 years old, were reported missing on Monday, June 1, 2020.

They have not been seen or heard from since Saturday, May 30 when Oscar dropped their children off with a family member, officials said.

According a news release from the sheriff’s department, “Devin and Oscar are both employed full time and neither of them have reported to work or contacted their supervisors, nor have they made any attempt to contact family, friends or their children.”

Family and friends said this is unusual behavior for the couple as they are responsible and very involved parents, according Victor Valley News.

Detectives searched the couples Victorville home and found nothing suspicious or any information that would lead them to Devin or Oscar.

Devin is a Filipino/White female, 5’5”, 145 lbs., brown hair, brown eyes / Several tattoos – ‘Melanie’ on neck, mural on left arm, LB on ankle.

Oscar is a Latino male, 5’3”,

Devin Capitulo and her husband, Oscar Mendoza, have been missing for twor weeks.

Photo courtesy of Victorville Sheriff Department

175 lbs., shaved head, mustache / Unknown tattoos on left arm and wrist.

According to a post on Facebook, the children were dropped off at a home in Lynwood, California and the vehicle was found abandoned in San Diego.

Anyone with information re-

garding their whereabouts is urged to contact the Victorville Station, Detective Rob Hoag at (760)241-2911 or Sheriff’s dispatch at (760)956-5001. Callers can remain anonymous and contact WeTip at 800-78-CRIME or www.wetip.com.

(Inquirer. net)

DFA pays tribute to overseas Filipinos...

PAGE A1 sic video highlights the heroism and selflessness of the OFWs who chose to be away from their families to work in a foreign country in order to give them a better life, especially at this time of a pandemic as the song lyrics go, they are — more than a superhero,” the agency said.

It added that the photos and video clips included in the tribute video were submitted by the DFA’s foreign service posts that

coordinated with the Filipino communities in their jurisdictions.

As of December 2019, the DFA estimated that there are over 10 million Filipinos overseas, of which three million are temporary migrants or OFWs. The Asia and the Pacific region and the Middle East account for 87% of the total number of OFWs. Currently, the DFA is facilitating the repatriation of distressed

Filipinos from all over the world.

As of June 5, the agency has repatriated a total of 35,411 overseas Filipinos.

“The DFA is always ready to assist Filipinos all over the world through its Foreign Service Posts. OFWs in distress are reminded to contact the nearest Embassies or Consulates General in their area or get in touch with the DFA Office of Migrant Workers’ Affairs,” the agency said. n

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A

Palace says return to MECQ possible if coronavirus cases rise that will require 75 percent of their workforce. Only those that are not allowed to operate like Malacañang on Tuesday, gaming and leisure industries June 9, said that the government will remain closed. It is necesre-enforce a modified enhanced sary that we study it carefully,” community quarantine in Metro Manila if the number of individuals infected with the novel coronavirus (cOVID-19) continues to increases.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque noted that quarantine classifications of areas are flexible and subject to change depending on the data of confirmed cOVID-19 cases. “all the decisions of the IaTF (Inter-agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases), whether or not to graduate to the next regime, in the case of Metro Manila to MgcQ (modified general community quarantine), is always dependent on data. We will look at the case doubling rate, we will look at the critical care capacity,” he said.

“If it [number of infected persons] increases, of course, there is a possibility that we won’t graduate to the next phase...If the trend continues, either we will remain under gcQ (general community quarantine) or we may go back to MEcQ,” he added.

Roque also said that Metro Manila and cebu city will have to be reviewed very carefully.

Interior Secretary Eduardo año echoed Roque’s sentiments.

“For me it’s still a 50-50 chance, there is a possibility but we need to see the data and tomorrow (Wednesday), there is a presentation of data analytics. although there is an increase in the number of cases, it remains manageable. It is still within the limit because our hospitals have enough capacity and they are not full,” año said in Filipino.

He also pointed out that downgrading Metro Manila’s quarantine status to MgcQ would be “dangerous.”

“That’s scary, because if you are now under MgcQ, you would open up all the transportation, all the businesses will open but

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

PRECAUTION. Several large posters are placed inside the Farmers Market in Cubao, Quezon City on Tuesday, June 9. The posters remind the public about safety health measures being implemented during COVID-19 pandemic such as the wearing of face mask and observing safe physical distancing.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Suspension of VFA termination lauded

by JavieR

J. isMael ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine ambassadors’ Foundation Inc. (PaFI) welcomed the Philippine government’s decision to suspend the termination of the Visiting Forces agreement (VFa) with the United States, saying it provides the opportunity to reappraise the country’s defense alliance with its long-time ally in the light of recent developments in regional security.

“The suspension reflects a positive trend in our continuing evaluation of our relations with our allies, partners and friends.

It is part of a fundamental reappraisal of the Philippines’ strategic posture in the region as reflected in the national Security Policy 2017-2022,” PaFI said in a statement.

“This decision will help strengthen the asean (associa-

tion of Southeast asian nations) collective approach to achieve peace, stability and progress in the region,” the statement further states.

On June 1, the Philippine government notified the US Embassy in the Philippines of its decision to suspend termination of the VFa. In a letter, the Department of Foreign affairs (DFa) informed the embassy that the Philippine government is suspending, for at least six months, the abrogation of the VFa. Foreign affairs Secretary Teodoro locsin Jr. made the diplomatic note public over Twitter where he said the suspension of the scrapping of the military accord was “upon the President’s instruction.” “[I]n light of political and other developments in the region, the termination of the agreement

between the government of the Republic of the Philippine and the government of the United States of america Regarding the Treatment of United United States Forces Visiting the Philippines contained in note no. 200463 dated 11 February 2020 is hereby suspended,” the letter attached to locsin’s tweet read. locsin sent the formal notice of termination to the US Embassy on February 11, from which began the 180-day countdown to the official end of the VFa. The VFa was ratified in 1999, eight years after the Philippines closed all US military bases in 1991, to once more allow largescale US military presence in the country.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the termination of the VFa after the US visa of his political ally, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, was canceled. n

‘Blended’ SONA a possibility blended learning, we will also have a blended SOna (if we have blended learning, we will a “BlEnDED” State of the also have a blended SOna),” nation address (SOna) looms Palace spokesman Harry as a possibility when President Roque Jr. said In a briefing on Rodrigo Duterte delivers his Monday when asked how the speech before congress on July President would deliver the 27. address.

“That’s being discussed. community quarantines conI think kung meron tayong tinue to be imposed in the counby Reina leanne

tolentino ManilaTimes.net

try amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Metro Manila, where the Senate and the House of Representatives are located, is under a general community quarantine until June 15.

The Senate and the House convene for their regular session on the fourth Monday of July every year. n

PH cited by Forbes as among 7 potential post-COVID major tourist destinations

by Rosette

adel

Philstar.com

ManIla — a contributor of Forbes.com recently listed Philippines as among the seven countries which could become a major tourist destination in a post-cOVID world.

The country joins Ethiopia, Iran, Myanmar (Burma), georgia, Slovenia and Tunisia, in the travel feature “Rising Stars In Travel” written by Jared Ranahan published May 31 on Forbes. com.

“With roughly 7,500 islands to choose from, this massive archipelago has something to offer for even the most finicky of tourists,” Ranahan wrote.

In his feature, Ranahan shared that tourists can enjoy a “deep immersion into the mainstream Filipino culture” in Manila and Quezon city.

“Those planning to lounge on the sandy shores should head to Visayas, the country’s central archipelago, where island destina-

tions like Palawan and Boracay offer some of the nation’s finest white sand beaches, as well as countless opportunities to spot some of the endemic plant and animal species of the Philippines,” he also cited.

The Department of Tourism, for its part, welcomed the latest tourism-related citation.

“We are pleased to have received this bit of good news, especially after our industry had been hit hard by the global health pandemic,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.

She added that international recognition like this, “especially by a well-respected publication like Forbes, in this post-cOVID19 world will go a long way in helping the Philippine tourism industry get back on its feet.”

On Tuesday, Puyat said the international arrivals declined by 62.21% between January to May this year with only 1,318,719 foreign visitors compared to last year’s 3,489,270 due to the travel

This March 13, 2020 photo shows the white beaches that welcome tourists in Boracay.

ban imposed amid the cOVID-19 pandemic.

She said that all visas were removed since March 22 so there were “zero arrivals” in april and May. Puyat also said the total inbound revenue for January to april also decreased by 60.56% or an estimated P81.05 billion revenue compared to the previous year’s P205.50 billion revenue recorded in the same period last year.

Despite this, the tourism chief said it would reopen the tourism in the country “slowly but surely.”

“With the public’s health and safety in mind, we are preparing our tourism sites in areas now under the Modified general community Quarantine for their gradual reopening for domestic tourism,” Puyat said.

In January, american news website HuffPost listed El nido as one of the the top destinations desired by travelers for solo trips and “safe” stay for 2020. n

Philstar.com photo by Rosette Adel

año explained. as of writing, there are now 22,992 confirmed cases of cOVID-19 in the country, with 1,017 fatalities and 4,736 recoveries. n

A6 JUNE 10-12, 2020 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

A continuing trade AMID the pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte is again fulminating against the priority targets of his administration: drug dealers. In his address to the nation last week, the President reiterated his promise to kill drug traffickers.

The statement was prompted by a series of shabu busts conducted by law enforcers even amid various levels of lockdowns imposed nationwide to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. A day before the President’s warning, a police raid on a house in Marilao, Bulacan led to the confiscation of 756 kilos of shabu valued at P5.1 billion.

Perhaps the COVID-19 quarantine and the consequent widespread loss of livelihoods made the illegal but highly lucrative drug trade more attractive. Despite the President’s reiteration of his warning, police on Saturday afternoon seized another 36 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P244.8 million in Tambo, Parañaque. Chinese suspect Jin Long Cai and his Filipino companion Danny Apiga were shot dead in the sting.

Where do such massive amounts of prohibited drugs come from? Methamphetamine hydrochloride can be manufactured in home laboratories, but the precursor drugs need to be imported. The biggest

source of both precursors and finished shabu has been China.

The former head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Aaron Aquino, had openly lamented that one of the weakest links in the war on illegal drugs is the Bureau of Customs. Aquino had pointed to the biggest drug hauls of the PDEA, with the contraband brought in right through the country’s ports. Either BOC personnel are sleeping on the job or are in cahoots with the drug traffickers. Authorities must find out, and determine if any crooked officials may be involved in the continuing shabu trafficking operations.

Authorities must also tighten screening of the entry of Chinese nationals, who for some time have enjoyed the privilege of obtaining tourist visas on arrival in the Philippines and then disappearing from the state’s radar. Even their own government is looking for Chinese lawbreakers, wherever they may be in the world.

The illegal drug trade is hugely profitable, and traffickers rarely take a rest. With law enforcers busy enforcing quarantine rules, the traffickers should not be allowed to take advantage of the pandemic to grow their business. (Philstar.com)

FEATURES

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Dear Filipinos in America: It is time to let go of fanaticism and call out Trump for betraying his oath to the Constitution

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS PRO-LIFE. Anti-abortion. Antiillegal immigration. Rule of law.

Conservatism. Christian faith and values. Lower taxes. Fiscal responsibility.

These are the core issues close to our hearts as Filipinos in America, making many kababayans lean Republican instead of the prochoice, more inclusive, more tolerant and progressive Democratic Party.

In the many presidential debates I moderated for The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America,” I heard how these fundamental reasons have compelled Filipinos in America, especially those who have been here for decades, to vote for whoever is the Republican nominee.

For more than a decade, I have witnessed how Fil-Ams of different political affiliations and principles have agreed to disagree and remained respectful of each other’s differing opinions and made a deliberate decision to remain friends despite the political divide.

Those who were in the middle, unaffiliated, and independent had a hard time deciding because almost always, the nominees were all of good character and personal integrity, that the factors they had to consider would just be the platform offered by each nominee and their party.

Sure there were a few “personalan”, digging some dirt against the opposing party and nominee, but the engagement of kababayans with each other was generally civil and courteous…until Donald Trump ran for President in 2016.

From then on, the engagement, even among Filipinos in America, became vile, toxic, divisive and destructive.

I do not know which of Trump’s attributes caused these qualities and attracted some kababayans to

be blindly loyal to him — the self-professed billionaire reality show star who loved “firing people”; the self-absorbed man who would pretend to be a different person who would personally call reporters from media outlets to reveal juicy stories as “Trump’s publicist”; the white, rich, powerful businessman who is so obsessed with Barack Obama, so much that he would fabricate conspiracy theories that the first African American president of the United States was not really born in America but in Kenya or Indonesia, raising doubts in the hearts and minds of people who, like him, were not ready to accept that Black people can also be president.

Probably the rise of social media also factored in, because for the first time, we have witnessed the immense power of technology in sharing their comments online, hiding behind a different name or alias, posting comments without thinking of the content and the tone of their rhetoric.

We have been taken aback by how different social media platforms could also be used to spread fake news stories by questionable news organizations and paid trolls whose objective was to destroy political opponents no matter what the cost.

Perhaps, this toxicity is spreading like a virus because of the man who takes pride in modeling this kind of behavior and rhetoric. Sadly, not only the people who adore him as his loyal fans emulate him. The party of Lincoln, Reagan and Bush is now likewise hijacked by Trump, and those in the executive and legislative branches who wanted to hold on to power by riding in Trump’s popularity abandoned the very conservative values that used to define the GOP (Grand Old Party).

“The presidency does not

change a person but reveals his true character”, paraphrasing Former First Lady Michelle Obama. For three years — issue after issue — we have seen Trump dig deeper into a bottomless pit, and sadly, he is pulling the nation and the American people in his quagmire.

His unbridled, unhinged and irresponsible use of the power Office of the President and the bully pulpit that goes with the office without regard to the truth and facts to destroy people, American institutions, news organizations, businesses and industries critical of him and against his personal agenda; his inhumane treatment of immigrants, especially people of color — both undocumented and documented, including refugees; his betrayal of public trust as revealed by the Mueller report, his pro-rich anti-poor economic policies that have made the leagues of billionaires and millionaires become richer as ordinary hard-working Americans become poorer without decent living wages and social services meant to be the equalizer for them to rise higher; to the way he handled the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing his political agenda over the safety of the American people, denying facts and science, using religion in his reality show presidency — these are but a few examples.

And now this, the heartless killing of another Black man in the hands of the police just ignited the anger of Black people, people of color and their supporters. Individuals around the country are risking their lives amid a pandemic to protest against racism, racial injustice, police brutality and Trump’s fanning the flame of division in response to this crisis.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Donald Trump has betrayed the American people and the oath he took when he was sworn in as presi-

dent — to defend and protect the Constitution and be the president of ALL Americans.

Do not take my word or opinion for it. Listen to leaders of his own party who are out there in a limb protecting the conservative values of principles of their party.

Listen to Constitutional scholars, listen to historians, open your eyes to how his actions betray his promises, and how his rhetoric betrays his own claim.

Read this piece written and signed by 89 former defense officials, published by the Washington Post on June 5, 2020: President Trump continues to use inflammatory language as many Americans protest the unlawful death of George Floyd and the unjust treatment of black Americans by our justice system.

As the protests have grown, so has the intensity of the president’s rhetoric. He has gone so far as to make a shocking promise: to send active-duty members of the U.S. military to “dominate” protesters in cities throughout the country — with or without the consent of local mayors or state governors.

On Monday, the president previewed his approach on the streets of Washington. He had 1,600 troops from around the country transported to the D.C. area, and placed them on alert, as an unnamed Pentagon official put it, “to ensure faster employment if necessary.” As part of the show of force that Trump demanded, military helicopters made low-level passes over peaceful protesters — a military tactic sometimes used to disperse enemy combatants — scattering debris and broken glass among the crowd. He also had a force, including members of the National Guard and federal officers, that used flash-bang grenades, pepper spray and, according to eyewitness accounts, rubber bullets to drive lawful protesters, as well as members of

the media and clergy, away from the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church. All so he could hold a politically motivated photo op there with members of his team, including, inappropriately, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Looting and violence are unacceptable acts, and perpetrators should be arrested and duly tried under the law. But as Monday’s actions near the White House demonstrated, those committing such acts are largely on the margins of the vast majority of predominantly peaceful protests.

While several past presidents have called on our armed services to provide additional aid to law enforcement in times of national crisis — among them Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson — these presidents used the military to protect the rights of Americans, not to violate them.

As former leaders in the Defense Department — civilian and military, Republican, Democrat and independent — we all took an oath upon assuming office “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” as did the president and all members of the military, a fact that Gen. Milley pointed out in a recent memorandum to members of the armed forces. We are alarmed at how the president is betraying this oath by threatening to order members of the U.S. military to violate the rights of their fellow Americans.

President Trump has given governors a stark choice: either end the protests that continue to demand equal justice under our laws, or expect that he will send active-duty military units into their states. While the Insurrection Act gives the president the legal authority to do so, this authority has been invoked only in the most extreme conditions

when state or local authorities were overwhelmed and were unable to safeguard the rule of law.

Historically, as Secretary Esper has pointed out, it has rightly been seen as a tool of last resort.

Beyond being unnecessary, using our military to quell protests across the country would also be unwise. This is not the mission our armed forces signed up for: They signed up to fight our nation’s enemies and to secure — not infringe upon — the rights and freedoms of their fellow Americans. In addition, putting our servicemen and women in the middle of politically charged domestic unrest risks undermining the apolitical nature of the military that is so essential to our democracy. It also risks diminishing Americans’ trust in our military — and thus America’s security — for years to come.

As defense leaders who share a deep commitment to the Constitution, to freedom and justice for all Americans, and to the extraordinary men and women who volunteer to serve and protect our nation, we call on the president to immediately end his plans to send active-duty military personnel into cities as agents of law enforcement, or to employ them or any another military or police forces in ways that undermine the constitutional rights of Americans. The members of our military are always ready to serve in our nation’s defense. But they must never be used to violate the rights of those they are sworn to protect. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community.

You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

How a Filipino American immigrant unlearned racism that the pool was dirty and dangerous.

Commentary I’m ashamed to think about this now, because it’s despicable – but this was the level of thinking we had when we first immigrated into America. We were conditioned to think of Blacks as JON MELEGRITO inferior through American media in the Philippines. It took me a I WILL confess that I’ve had while to understand that this type anti-Black sentiments. I don’t of thinking had no place. I had to make any excuses. When we educate and unlearn myself to first moved to Washington DC, liberate from racism. we moved into an apartment that This painful process of unwas predominantly Black. It was learning happens when you in the ‘60s and we just got mar- study history. The author Carlos ried. And there was a swimming Bulosan wrote about Filipinos pool in our apartment and I told being treated like dogs in the my wife not to go because a lot past in America. And now you of Blacks go there. We thought compare that to Black communi-

ties – the way they are mistreated and unjustly regarded, especially in light of Black Lives Matter.

There are a lot of commonalities between Filipinos and African Americans.

I have two granddaughters.

In my old age, I find that if I do anything worthwhile for the rest of my life, it’s to dedicate myself to making sure that they inherit a world where there is social justice and that there’s a good relationship among races. After all, the struggle of Black communities for justice and equality is also our struggle, and it is part of the American story.

This story was originally published in 2016 via AARP x NextDayBetter storytelling campaign.

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNe 10-12, 2020

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Officials visiting Pag-asa Island greeted with Fisherfolk group slams ‘undermined’ ‘Welcome to China, Vietnam’ text messages safety, security in West Philippine Sea

by Gabriel

Pabico Inquirer.net

lalu

MANILA – Government officials and other visitors who went to the Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) area received an unexpected greeting in their mobile phones after it switched to roaming mode.

Text messages sent by one of the country’s cellular and data service providers showed a “Welcome to China” and a “Welcome to Vietnam” greeting — messages that travelers are supposed to receive once they set foot in a foreign land.

Among those who received the message are members of the media and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who went to the island for the inauguration of a beaching ramp which would aid in the delivery of materials

used to repair the island.

Other top military officials were also present during the event, including Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Felimon Santos Jr., Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Vice Admiral Giovanni Bacordo, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes, Army Chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay and newly installed AFP Western Command chief Lt. Gen. Erickson Gloria.

Apparently, the visitors received the message because of a weak local signal in the area, while the gadgets may have picked up signals from another country’s cell sites.

Pag-asa sits inside the Kalayaan Island Group, a cluster of small islands that is claimed by the Philippines. It forms part of the Spratly Islands, which has been disputed by countries in

the WPS region, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and China.

The said island is part of the municipality of Kalayaan, which is under the jurisdiction of the Palawan provincial government.

Pag-asa is currently under repair, with the Philippine Navy’s ship finally being able to dock at the newly constructed port last May 13.

Currently, the Philippines is locked in a dispute with other countries but mainly China, over control of the West Philippine Sea, called by Beijing as the South China Sea. However, the two governments’ stance has been more cordial in the past few years, with President Rodrigo Duterte opting to pursue an independent foreign policy instead of engaging the Asian superpower. n

Pacquiao denies talking about presidential run

by Josef

ramos ManilaTimes.net

PHILIPPINE Senator “Manny” Pacquiao on Monday denied to have confided to Top Rank Boxing promoter Bob Arum regarding his supposed plans to run for president of the Philippines in the upcoming 2022 elections.

“As far as I know, we never talked about politics. The last time we talked on Zoom, Bob discussed possible fight schedules, but never about politics.

Our discussion was all about boxing,” said the eight-division world boxing champion.

“Hindi panahon ng politika ngayon. Sa dami ng problema ng bansa, ang kailangan natin ay pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan para maibsan ang paghihirap ng ating mga kababayan (This is not the time for politics. The country has so much problems, what we need is unity and cooperation in order to mitigate the difficulties of our countrymen),” Pacquiao stressed.

“Kailangan natin pagkakaisa.

Let’s unite para matulungan ang mga kababayan natin. Ang daming walang trabaho ngayon lalo na ang ating mga OFWs. Kailangan po ng ating bansa ngayon ay hindi politika (We need to unite. Let’s unite so we can help our countrymen. Many have lost

MANILA — A fisherfolk group on Tuesday criticized President Rodrigo Duterte’s silence on Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea. In a statement released on the anniversary of the Reed Bank incident, where a Chinese vessel rammed into Filipino fishing boat Gem-Ver, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) demanded justice for the Filipino fishermen.

“President Duterte’s silence on Chinese aggression of our waters is a criminal neglect and treason to the national sovereignty and patrimony. It failed to protect the Filipino fisherfolk against Chinese harassment and bullying of Filipino fisherfolks,” Pamalakaya National Chairperson Fernando Hicap said.

The group recalled how the Chinese vessel abandoned 22 Filipino fishermen floating at sea after their fishing boat sank. The fishermen were later on rescued by a Vietnamese fishing vessel passing through the area.

While the owner of the Chinese boat had apologized for the allision, Hicap pointed out that not a single perpetrator has been held to account.

“The socio-economic lives of the 22 affected fishermen didn’t return to normal since then.

Worst, China is still present in our territorial waters triggering fear and intimidation among the Filipino fishers,” Hicap said.

Pamalakaya also lamented how the owner of Gem-Ver,

Fishing families demand justice not only for the 22 fishermen, whose livelihood didn’t return to normal since the hit-and-run incident, but to all thee Filipino fishers affected by Chinese aggression of West Philippine Sea. Photo courtesy of Pamalakaya

which hails from Mindoro Occidental, spent arounf P2 million for the repair of the boat.

The vessel returned to fishing in November last year but was destroyed due to typhoon Ursula in December.

The Pamalakaya chair said the Duterte administration must be held accountable for “compromising” the country’s maritime zone to China in exchange for foreign loans and investments.

The group accused Duterte of “betrayal to Filipino fisherfolk and treason to the national sovereignty.”

“It failed to protect the Filipino fisherfolk against Chinese harassment and bullying of Filipino fisherfolks. We can’t still fish in peace in the West Philippine Sea,” Hicap said.

“Our safety and security in the

traditional fishing grounds have been undermined, as the Duterte government adopted the surrender policy to the aggressors,” he added.

Hicap also noted that China has constructed research stations on Fiery Cross and Subi Reefs, two of its “big three” islands in the Spratlys.

Beijing also earlier announced the establishment of two districts in the South China Sea, which the Philippine government protested as ot overlaps with the country’s maritime claims in the West Philippine Sea. These developments occurred while the rest of the world is busy in containing the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which first emerged in China’s Wuhan City late last year. (Philstar.com)

Charge cybercriminals, NBI urged

Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao

their jobs, especially overseas Filipino workers. Politics is not what we need now),” the senator emphasized.

Pacquiao issued the statement after Arum was reported to have claimed that the senator discussed his plan to run for president in 2022. “I did a Zoom tele-

HOUSE Committee on Public Information Vice Chairman and Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate and file criminal charges against individuals who were behind the “wide-scale and rampant creation” of fake Facebook acPhoto from Instagram/@pacquiaomanny counts.

He said cybercriminals must phone call with him and he said, be unmasked.

‘Bob, I’m gonna run in 2022.

“The identities of their fiAnd when I win, I want you there nanciers and clients should be at my inauguration.’” exposed. Cyberattack victims Pacquiao went on record a year suspect trolls and hackers are ago to say he does not plan to run at work, doing these seemingly for president in 2022. Instead, he coordinated cybercrimes,” he declared that he wants to form added. his own political party. n “Victims must be vigilant

against the dark figures lurking in the cyberspace who steal their identities and try to sow fear,” Salo continued.

The lawmaker called on Facebook to conduct its own investigation and “to immediately inform the public about its findings in order to de-escalate the tension among netizens.”

“As one of the biggest technology company in the world, Facebook must come up with a stricter mechanism that will facilitate the checking of fake accounts and their immediate removal, even absent any report,” he said.

Salo added that those who crated fake accounts must be

held liable for computer-related identity theft.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday encouraged social media users to report fake accounts using their names.

“Active naman tayo sa social media monitoring (We have been active in social media monitoring),” PNP chief Archie Francisco Gamboa said.

He added that the PNP’s AntiCybercrime Group (ACG) is ready to act on the complaints.

If users found something suspicious on social media platforms such as Facebook, they should immediately report it to the PNP-ACG, Gamboa said.

(ManilaTimes.net)

A June 10-12, 2020 • SoCal ASIAn JOuRnAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

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cover story T h e A si an Jour nal MDW K M A G A Z I NE - J une 10, 20 2 0

Reflecting on husband’s death, Pinay weather anchor Maria Quiban Whitesell releases guide to grief and healing by

Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

A YEAR after Maria Quiban Whitesell’s husband Sean died of glioblastoma, a friend mailed her a book containing all the email updates she sent during the 18 months he battled the aggressive form of brain cancer.

“It spurred the memory and promise that Sean and I made to each other, which was to write the story,” Quiban Whitesell told the Asian Journal.

“That’s really how it began and I thought I needed to go back and write so it’s been a couple of years in the making.”

Nearly five years since her husband’s death, Quiban Whitesell, an Emmy Awardwinning weather anchor and meteorologist for FOX11 in Los Angeles, released “You Can’t Do It Alone: A Widow’s Journey Through Loss, Grief and Life After” this week.

A mix of a memoir and guidebook, the latest release offers insight for families and caregivers as they care for loved ones with terminal diseases and make preparations for life after.

“I wanted to share my story and if that could help someone, then that could help heal my heart,” Quiban Whitesell said. “When I went through this in the beginning, there were very few resources. When you search brain cancer and glioblastoma, a lot of information comes up, but there weren’t any real, or as many, personal stories.”

Based on personal notes, journal entries and emails to her support system, the Filipina American news personality provides an intimate and raw look into her family’s handling of the diagnosis and death of a loved one, while putting on a brave face to deliver weather updates to millions of views each day and creating a life with a young son afterward. At the end of each chapter, co-writer Lauren Schneider, a licensed clinical social worker, offers universal lessons on acceptance, grief and healing.

“When you are going through the kind of crisis that I went through, and for many people facing a terminal or any devastating disease, the last thing you want to do is sit down and read a very long clinical book,” Quiban Whitesell said.

Quiban Whitesell begins by detailing how she met her late husband Sean — a television show writer and producer — and the family they started together with a son named Gus. After noticing behavioral changes, Sean went in for check-ups that revealed a diagnosis for glioblastoma in June 2014.

Following the news, the couple was faced with having to communicate the diagnosis and treatment plan to their friends and family, especially to their son who was 3 years old at the time. Schneider suggests avoiding euphemisms, such as lost, passed or went to sleep, and to communicate in age-appropriate language for the child to grasp. The family was upfront with telling Gus about Sean’s cancer diagnosis, while making sure to not confuse it with terminology like “sick” or “not feeling well” that could be used for less serious conditions also.

In the subsequent chapters, Quiban Whitesell writes about the resources that helped her and the family, such as finding a support group of other spouses experiencing the same disease (called the “Seven Samurai”, as well as what she wished she knew about balancing work, caregiving and parenting. In the 18 months, the Whitesell family got to a point where they “chose joy” and built memories in the remaining time together.

“I decided to take six weeks off and we were going to create new memories for us and try to prioritize that time with our son,” she said. “We went on a couple of vacations, experienced Disneyland, and concerts. We did a lot of things

Front cover of “You Can’t Do It Alone”

Copy of Sean Whitesell’s MRI scans that showed tumors in his brain.

Maria and Gus visit Sean’s grave in Los Angeles

Maria Quiban Whitsell holds a copy of her new book, “You Can’t Do It Alone: A Widow’s Journey Through Loss, Grief, and Life After,” released on June 9 by Hachette Books.

Maria and Sean Whitesell with their son Gus

Maria and Sean with their families during their wedding

Maria (center) with her Filipino side of the family

and found as much joy as we could have each day. It wasn’t always positive all the time. It was hard to get to that point but it was a choice we both made together. We were going to choose to be happy and live for the moment.”

The book ends with Quiban Whitesell talking about life moving on as a widow — from the condolences to questions about dating and the possibility of remarriage — and how she’s honoring her late husband by using her platform to bring awareness to the form brain cancer and the lack of a cure.

“But perhaps the fact that I am still here — ready for whatever the future holds, reaching out for help when I need it, and finding strength in the memories of love that make me who I am — gives you a ray of light on your journey. I hope you know that you too, will never be alone,” she writes.

Here are excerpts from Quiban Whitesell’s interview with the Asian Journal, edited for length and clarity.

On Filipino culture: “I am so thankful for the love and care the nurses, who were all Filipino, gave Sean and our whole family. It really makes me tear up because it speaks to our culture. Without them, I don’t even think Sean would have lived as long as he did because they really cared for him and for all of us and would even bring us Filipino food.

Sean and I had talked about going to the Philippines to show him where I was born and where my family was from.

I was remiss to show him that part of my life and history.”

On communication: “It was important to set the tone for everyone. I always deferred to Sean on how he felt about the decisions that we were facing and together as a couple and as a family, we decided what we needed to do and everyone else supported us around that.

Communication and honesty

are key. We were very careful to be very sensitive to one another and our needs and desires. I think that was one of the reasons why I wrote those email updates every month, sometimes twice a month, to keep everyone in the loop.

They wanted to know what’s going on.”

On dealing with the diagnosis as a public figure: “That was a challenge having to put on a smile every day because part of my job is to bring you the good news. On days, where I didn’t feel like smiling, it was a bigger challenge but inevitably, I was able to do it through compartmentalizing what’s in front of me. I was able to leave caregiver Maria at the door. The real smiles came through because I have a job that I love and enjoy and I have people that I work with who are funny and are incredibly loving and supportive.”

On self-care: “Our family therapist always tries to remind me about that. She’ll ask, ‘What did you do for yourself today? So I will try to schedule playdates, as I like to call them with Gus, with some of my friends and try to get my nails done. That’s sort of an inexpensive but satisfying way to get away for a couple of hours and try to take some care of myself that way. Luckily, I have friends and family who will drag me out of the house and get me to have fun.”

On meeting former Vice President Joe Biden: “I remember that Sunday vividly in February 2016. It was a particularly difficult morning and I was praying and asking God to help heal my heart. I just kept repeating Sean’s name in my head and asking him for a sign.

There was a commotion at the back of the church and the priest announced that we had a very special visitor that day and there was our Vice President Joe Biden. I knew that his son had just passed away a few months before from the same

Maria and her son Gus met former Vice President Joe Biden in February 2016 when he was a special guest at their church in Los Angeles.

disease that Sean did. I needed to go and say hello to him. I started crying and told him we had something in common. He changed his demeanor right away. He was so connected and present and wanted to make sure he told Gus and myself that he understood what we were going through. He just gave me so much comfort by telling me that things were going to be okay and eventually, better for us.”

On faith and spirituality: “One of the reasons why I fell in love with Sean was that he had a very strong faith. He was a better Catholic than me, that’s for sure. He brought me back to the church in a way and we still have a very special relationship with our church.

We’re still talking to priests who have brought us comfort even if they don’t have all the answers. There are many occasions where I can tell you that Sean is still here with us.”

On keeping memories alive: “We were fortunate that Sean was able to write some stories for Gus that he can look back on when he’s older.

Amid Sean’s diagnosis, the couple prioritized “choosing joy” and spending time as much time together They’re little nuggets of advice as a family.

Photos courtesy of Maria Quiban Whitesell from his dad, which I hope he

will find value in a little bit later.

Gus is amazingly funny and curious and even though he probably looks more like me, he acts a lot like his father. We talk to daddy all the time. Sean is always with us. We continue to live our lives the way Sean would have wanted us to and so we always honor and remember him, but we also live for ourselves and finding our future and happiness.”

On grieving during a pandemic: “I really feel for those families who are unable to be with their loved ones. Some of the things that I think will resonate with them is this powerlessness that we had through our whole process. Many people now who are suffering through the pandemic have this feeling of this lack of control or just helplessness. What I say to [them] is, ‘You are stronger than you think you are. I can tell you that when faced with the most challenging crises in your life, just know that you can get through it too…You have a village there for you so seek out and find them.’ Even through this time when we are physically apart, technology can help us find a support system.”

Maymay bares ‘worst critic’ in her 4 years in showbiz

By MarInel

Cruz

Inquirer.net

“I ONCE saw myself acting on TV, and I felt embarrassed.

It was obvious, even to me, that I was merely faking it,” said young star Maymay Entrata when asked to recall at what point in her four-year show biz career did she begin to take acting seriously.

This was when she played support to the tandem of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla in the 2017 fantasy-adventure series, “La Luna Sangre.”

She confessed: “I looked like a still photograph there. As an audience, I didn’t feel anything from the Maymay I saw.”

The 23-year-old actress added: “I felt lost, so kinapalan ko na ang mukha ko. I approached management to say I wanted to attend an acting workshop.”

Maymay recently attended an online panel discussion, titled “Actor’s Cue,” along with fellow ABS-CBN artists Kathryn, Maja Salvador and Dimples Romana.

The chat was part of the “#ExtendTheLove” fundraiser for displaced film workers, organized by film and TV director Adolf Alix Jr. With proper training in acting, Maymay, whose entry in show biz was via the reality show “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB),” said she bravely took on other roles soon after. Since then, she has been featured in three episodes of the drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya,” a teleserye titled “Hiwaga ng Kambat,” and three big-screen projects, “Da One That Ghost Away,”

MIlo severo Philstar.com

“KAYONG mga Chinese ang reason why people are dying! Pinakalat nyo ang virus sa buong mundo!”

Such anti-Chinese remarks are just some of the racist comments Filipino-Chinese actors like Richard Juan had to endure during the ongoing novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-

T h e As ian Jou r n al MDWK MAGAZ IN E - Ju n e 1 0 , 2 0 2 0

Jo Koy to make movie with Steven Spielberg

By Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

Maymay Entrata

“Fantastica” and “Hello, Love, Goodbye.”

“I realized that it was important for an actor to prepare before going to the set. That’s why I invested my mind, emotions and money on learning acting,” she pointed out. “I started in a reality show. Back then, I thought that after the contest, I’d simply go back to the province (Cagayan de Oro).

I was fine with the house and lot, as well as the P1 million that I won from the show. But when I stepped out of the PBB House, I was shocked. I was given so many blessings that felt too overwhelming.”

“I didn’t know how to han-

FILIPINO American standup comic Joseph Glenn Herbert, known professionally as Jo Koy, revealed Tuesday, June 9 he is set to work with legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg in a movie based on his real life experiences.

Two production companies—Spielberg’s own Amblin Partners and Dan Lin’s Rideback—have teamed up to roll out the comedy movie.

“I signed a deal with Steven Spielberg’s company.

[He] watched my last special ‘Comin’ In Hot ‘and then he gave me a deal for a movie, Photo from Instagram/@maymay so get ready for that. We’re writing the script now,” Jo dle them at first. I kept hearing Koy, whose jokes are mostly people say that I should just focused on how to raise a milembrace it because not many lennial and the intricacies of are given this unique opportuFilipino traditions, disclosed nity,” she added. in a Zoom interview with The Maymay said she would Manila Times Entertainment continue to learn from people and other members of the she has worked with.

Philippine press.

“Back then, I didn’t know “Steven’s 100 percent how to manage my emotions. I on board. We just signed thought I would just memorize my lines, throw them in front of the deal maybe a couple of the camera, then I’m done,” she months ago. So yeah, be on the lookout. I’m doing a said, adding that her perspecmovie called ‘Easter Sunday’ tive changed when she began which is an idea I pitched observing her Ate Kathryn on and it’s going to showcase the “La Luna Sangre” set. more Filipino actors and more “There’s this one scene Filipino stories, and we’re when she was supposed to Continued on Page 4 going to get this in as many movie theaters as we can,” he continued.

“Just know Steven Spielberg is on it and so is Dan Lin. These two powerhouses are going to back this for us for I’m very proud to put it out there.”

In the meantime, his start of the pandemic since upcoming comedy special the virus reportedly originat“Jo Koy: In His Elements” will ed from China. premiere globally on Netflix “At first, I got really on June 12 (Manila time). bothered kasi I’m not used to The show, which was partly getting hate. Racism is one shot in Manila, the comedian of the biggest things that I hate and I’ve always been very celebrates his heritage with jokes about life as a Filipinooutspoken about it. S’yempre American while zooming in on kasi I’m Chinese by blood Filipino culture. aka where my ancestors are Jo Koy further used the from, but we’ve also absorbed opportunity spotlight other Continued on Page 4

Richard speaks up on racist comments vs ‘Chinoys’

By Jan

entertainment

19) pandemic.

“I got a bunch of messages like this especially in March when the coronavirus got a lot more serious here in Philippines,” Richard shared in an exclusive interview with Philstar.com.

He confessed that at first, he was bothered by such hateful comments. The “Love Thy Woman” actor said he first received racist remarks at the

Fil-Am comedian Jo Koy

Filipino-American performers by featuring break dancer Ronnie, Grammy-winning producer !llmind, singer/ songwriter Inigo Pascual, and fellow comedians Andrew Lopez, Joey Guila and Andrew Orolfo.

Jokoy, 49 — recepient of the “Stand-Up Comedian Of The Year” in 2018’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal — has had four highly-rated and successful comedy specials on Comedy Central and Netflix.

Before then, his website also notes he broke the record for the most tickets sold by a single artist in 2017 with 23,000 tickets and 11 sold-out shows at The Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu. The feat soon had the Honolulu mayor proclaim

Photo from Instagram/@jokoy

November 24 “Jo Koy Day.” The comedian carried on with his record breaking streak by being the only comedian to sell out six shows at The Warfield in San Francisco. He then broke the attendance record at Club Regent Event Centre in Winnipeg with four sold-out shows.

In 2019, Koy sold-out five shows at the San Diego Civic Theatre, now on record most as the consecutive sold-out shows for a comedian. He also recently became the only comedian to sell more than 17,000 tickets, over 30 shows (in a single year) at the Brea Improv. The same year, the comedian hit No. 1 on the Billboard Charts for his standup comedy album, “Live From Seattle.”

entertainment Maymay bares ‘worst...

T h e A s ian Jour nal MDW K M A G A Z I NE - J une 10, 2 0 2 0

From Page 3 cast a longing look at our lola and cry quietly. After one take, she was called by our director to check if she was already OK with it. I was surprised when she asked for another take because, for me, that was already fine,” said Maymay.

She then recalled feeling

starstruck with Daniel and totally losing her composure when she was asked to do a scene with him.

“He’s my brother in the series. In the scene, we were about to go to sleep, and he was supposed to kiss me on the forehead,” she said. “I just couldn’t contain myself because

I could still remember the people I bumped into in all the mall shows I went, just to see him.

I couldn’t grasp the idea that I was already working with him. It didn’t help that he said, ‘Relax, Maymay. Ako lang ito!’”

She said she also had a hard time doing the kidnapping scene with the program’s villain, Richard Gutierrez.

“My kidnapper was so goodlooking! It was hard to show the needed emotion. I would just stare at his face. It was funny because our director told me, ‘Maymay you have to set aside your personal feelings because you’re working.’”

The set of the film, “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” also served as a training ground for Maymay.

“I was afraid of Direk Cathy (Garcia-Molina) at first. People advised me to ask questions from her if there was anything that I didn’t understand about my character. I was happy that I got to discuss with her my character’s issues and the emotions that I needed to give. I realized how important it was to have a good relationship with my director, coactors and the production team. If I feel comfortable and safe, I’m more open.”

These days, Maymay said she is her own worst critic. “I used to overthink things, especially when I was just starting. I worry about not being able to give the right emotion, about not understanding my character correctly. When I see myself on TV, I would watch closely to check if I’m consistent in my portrayal.”

Maymay said she has yet to take on a role that’s different from her own personality. “Like me, they’re all simple, cheerful and very probinsyana. If I get offered a role that would be too difficult, I will just have to recall what Ate Maja told me when I once visited her in her dressing room.

“She said, ‘It’s easy to shift emotions when you know everything there is to know about your character.’ In my workshops, I learned the importance of character analysis—is she rich or poor? How does she view herself and the world? That’s what I always bring with me when I take on a new role.”

Pechanga Resort Casino opens with limited operations ON Monday, June 1 at 12 p.m., Pechanga Resort Casino, located just outside of Temecula, CA, reopened to the public. The West Coast’s largest casino/resort closed March 16 after a decision by Pechanga Tribal leaders was made to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Pechanga Resort Casino opened with limited operations as the facility opens in a phased, incremental approach.

On June 1, guests lined up earlier than 8 a.m. while also maintaining at least six feet of physical distance before entering the main doors after having their temperatures screened. Only half of Pechanga’s slot machines (approximately 2,500) are available to guests with every other game switched on. Table games offer fewer gaming seats and guests will see plexiglass safety shields between them, other players and the dealer. Five of Pechanga’s 13 restaurants, as well as three stations within the six dining options at its food court, are open with limited capacity to serve guests.

“The health and safety of our guests, team members and community is and has always been our number one priority at Pechanga,” said Jared Munoa, President of the Pechanga Development Corporation. “The casino and resort looks and operates differently than we did only a few months ago. All of the new procedures and restrictions all direct back to best practices for safety and well-being.”

“I am so glad to be back at Pechanga. Win, lose or draw, I love it. It’s like my Disneyland for adults,” said Betty Davison who drove from Los Angeles to come to Pechanga Resort Casino on June 1.

Pechanga Resort Casino’s environmental services department worked though the temporary closure to deep clean and disinfect every area of the resort and casino multiple times. This includes but is not limited to hotel rooms, lobbies, restaurants and kitchens, slot machines, table games, entrances and exits, elevators and escalators, restrooms, door handles, handrails, ATMs, kiosks, counters and more.

The following are some of the main differences guests will see, as well as safety rules Pechanga guests must follow when visiting during its initial opening phases:

Sign outside of one of Pechanga’s entrances reminds guests about temperature protocols – Pechanga guest has temperature scanned before going inside on June 1.

• Smoking not permitted inside for initial reopening phase.

• Guests will pass through a temperature screening kiosk at one of four available entrances.

• Face coverings will be required.

• Every other slot machine will be in use to allow for proper physical distancing.

• Reduced number of table games. Plexiglass safety shields at games in use.

• Approximately 50% of normal seating capacity at restaurants initially open.

• Six feet of physical distance between each guest required where line queuing is needed.

• No concerts or major events to be held in the nearterm.

All shows that were scheduled for performance at Pechanga Resort Casino for June 2020 have been postponed. All previously booked concerts for June will be rescheduled with artists and their management for dates beyond 2020 as calendar and artist availability allows.

Pechanga’s hotel is currently accepting reservations for July 1 and beyond, though

it is currently not open.

Pechanga Bingo and Poker, Spa Pechanga, The Cove pool complex, Eagle’s Nest Nightclub, and the Pechanga Comedy Club remain closed during this initial opening phase.

Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Voted the number one casino in the country by USA Today and rated a Four Diamond property

by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering more than 5,000 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 1,090 hotel rooms, dining, spa and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 7112946 or visit www.Pechanga. com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebookand on Twitter @PechangaCasino.

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Xian congratulates Kim over ‘Bawal Lumabas’ success: ‘Keep rising, keep loving’

By Ian

BIong Inquirer.net

ACTOR Xian Lim showed his support to reel-and-real-life partner Kim Chiu over the success of her “Bawal Lumabas” song, which the latter recently performed live via the Wish Bus. Chiu’s song was inspired by

her “Bawal Lumabas” statement that became viral during an online protest last month in support of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.

“Congrats @chinitaprincess [Chiu]. Bashers can dwell on their own misery and type anonymously throughout their lifetime. Naysayers will never come close to having a good

heart like yours,” Lim said via Instagram Stories yesterday, June 8.

“Keep rising. Keep Loving,” the doting boyfriend added.

Chiu’s performance of her song on the Wish Bus got mixed reactions from netizens, with its YouTube video garnering over 205,000 likes Continued on Page 5

Richard speaks up on racist...

From Page 3 the Filipino culture and also see ourselves as Filipino na din,” the former “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate said.

“Especially with the Black Lives Matter movement, many people in the Philippines do not realize that this is not just a movement for the US; it’s not just the battle between Black and White in the US. In fact, it’s a whole war against racism, globally. Racism is prevalent everywhere in the world and we need to solve this problem.

It may take generations, but we will get there I know. What we need to always remember is that at the end of the day, there’s only one race… and that’s the human race.”

Despite receiving racist comments, the Kapamilya actor donated personal protective equipment (PPEs) and face masks for COVID-19 medical frontliners and advocates for mass testing.

Richard started to donate PPEs at the beginning of the quarantine period in Metro Manila.

“I started quite early, perhaps on the week that they announced the Enhanced Community Quarantine for Metro Manila. It was brought to my attention via social media na kulang talaga mga personal

Filipino Chinese actor Richard Juan

protective equipment para sa frontliners natin,” he said.

“Since I grew up in Hong Kong, I actually have a couple of connections there kaya I called my supplier there agad (who I got N95 face masks from during the Taal eruption) to see what supplies they had.

I really wanted to focus on the protecting/supporting the frontliners kasi sila talaga ‘yung mga nagririsk their lives for the wellbeing of our country. And if I am not mistaken, we have one of the highest infections rate among the healthcare

Photo from Instagram/@richardjuan

workers around the region,” he explained.

Some of the hospitals Richard already donated to included Philippine General Hospital, East Avenue Medical Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, Rizal Medical Center, Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, Ospital Ng Maynila, Quirino Medical Centre, Sta. Ana Hospital and UERM Memorial Hospital.

Apart from helping medical frontliners, Richard said he’s always been an advocate for youth empowerment.

Continued on Page 5

What is a postnuptial agreement?

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes A postnuptiAl agreement is a contract between you and your spouse entered into after you get married resolving issues in your marriage. it is similar to a prenuptial agreement except it occurs after your marriage. For couples that get married without a prenuptial agreement, it is not too late to have an agreement dealing with issues of property division, management of finances, spousal support, division of a business that takes effect in case of a divorce. You can enter into a postnuptial agreement even if the marriage is going well. people grow and change over time.

You can never predict if your relationship with your spouse will stay the same in the future. in a way, it is a form of planning to cover the contingency in case the marriage does not work out in the future. if you are the spouse who is the primary breadwinner such as a Registered nurse, a physician, or other professional, California community property law provides for a 50% interest to your spouse for any income earned by you during the marriage and any property acquired by you and your spouse during the marriage. Basically, your spouse has a one-half interest in your salary, earnings, and any assets you acquired during the marriage even if it was you who sweated to earn that money and even if a particular asset or bank account is under your name alone. this 50/50 division can be changed even

after the marriage by ways of a postnuptial agreement.

What issues can be resolved in advance through a postnuptial agreement? You can agree on how a business or a professional practice is to be divided in case of a divorce. through the postnuptial agreement, the division does not have to be 50/50. the agreement can provide that the business will be awarded to one spouse alone or it can provide a certain amount of buyout to the other spouse. there is a lot of flexibility as to how you want to structure this.

You can also provide for how real property is to be divided such as a house or rental property. typically, a house purchased during the marriage is community property to be divided equally. A house purchased before the marriage is separate property but if there was a mortgage or refinancing during the marriage and the monthly mortgage payment is paid from earnings during the marriage, there could be a community interest in that separate property house which entitles your spouse to a portion of the house. this confusion can be squared away and clarified in a postnuptial agreement. You can provide for who gets the house and what buy out , if any, your spouse will get in case of a divorce. spousal support can also be addressed in the postnuptial agreement. A common provisions is to agree to a certain amount of spousal support which varies depending on how long the marriage was at the time the parties divorce. it is also possible to waive spousal support altogether.

However, such waiver of support will be scrutinized as to unconscionability at the time of the divorce. other issues that can

be resolved in a postnuptial agreement are division of debts and credit cards, ownership of a life insurance policy, beneficiaries to a life insurance policy, and who gets the family pet. since the postnuptial agreement is the first issue that can be attacked in a divorce case, it is best that each party be represented by their own attorney in negotiating the agreement. in that case, there is less likelihood that the postnuptial agreement will be found invalid since you can argue that there was no undue influence since both parties were represented by counsel.

Having a postnuptial is definitely beneficial in minimizing the uncertainty in the future pertaining to your marriage and finances. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

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

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

He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

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tainties pa,” he said. “i’ve always been a strong advocate for youth development and youth empowerment and have worked with a couple of charities in the last couple years such as sos Village philippines, play, learn and serve and Bahay Aruga — but due

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T h e As ian Jou r n al MDWK MAGAZ IN E - Ju n e 1 0 , 2 0 2 0

Forbes features Hyun Bin’s endorsement of Pinoy brand tHE latest campaign of smart Communications inc. featuring south Korean superstar Hyun Bin landed on the international edition of Forbes magazine online.

According to Forbes.com, “Hyun Bin has been popular in the philippines since 2005, when a local tV network aired a tagalog-dubbed version of the romantic comedy My lovely sam soon.”

His appeal in the country, as stated by Forbes, is often referred to as the “Hyun Bin phenomenon.” the actor’s popularity shot to even greater heights after the release of “Crash landing on You.” this led smart Communications to recruit Hyun Bin for an ad campaign shot in seoul, south Korea in the middle of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (CoViD-19) crisis. in the ad, Hyun Bin can be seen driving a sports car and zooming through the city streets, “alluding to the blazing

‘Crash Landing on You’ star Hyun Bin Photo courtesy of Smart Communications

speeds by which Filipinos can enjoy their daily dose of entertainment via smart.”

Jane Jimenez Basas, senior Vice president and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at smart, said: “the ‘Hyun Bin phenomenon’ is pretty much due to digital technology. Filipinos have developed the craze because they are able to stream Hyun Bin’s k-dramas and films, read the buzz online, share their

excitement with their friends and get to interact with their favorite k-stars online.” the article added that Hyun Bin was pleased that smart offered him a way to connect with his Filipino fans, who he thinks are “the warmest fans in the world.”

Forbes is a global media company, which focuses on business, technology, investing, leadership and lifestyle. it is known the world over for its annual list of billionaires across the world. this is the first time for smart Communications to be featured on Forbes through publicityAsia, the agency tapped by the Manny pangilinan-led company to handle international media relations for the ad campaign. publicityAsia was previously the agency of penshoppe, and is known for their work in foreign celebrity acquisition and highprofile commercial campaigns.

(Philstar.com)

Xian congratulates Kim over...

From Page 4 and more than 565,000 dislikes since its posting on June 5. it has currently been viewed over 6.3 million times. the live performance also earned the number one spots on Youtube’s trending list and Myx’s pinoy Myx countdown. it also boasts a “record-breaking” one million views in seven hours, according to Wish 107.5.

Chiu’s “Bawal lumabas”-inspired merchandise has meanwhile recently been sold out — the proceeds of which will be donated to families in need amid the CoViD-19 pandemic, and for supporting the mass testing initiative.

“Classmates!!!!! #Bawalto the current situation, i might lumabasMerch oFFiCiAllY put my efforts first on supporting people who are affected by solD out this morning!!! [n]ever thought this shirt for a CoViD-19 — but we’ll see.”

Richard and his drama series cause will be a success in less than [two] weeks,” Chiu said on with Kim Chiu and Xian lim, instagram on June 7. “love thy Woman,” will return “[M]alaki po ang matutuon air on the new Kapamilya long nito sa mga pamilyang baChannel starting June 15.

Richard speaks up on racist...

From Page 4 “CoViD-19 won’t just end when we lift ECQ, so there will still a lot of things i will consider for my next philanthropic activities. the economy has been severely affected and sobrang dami nawalaaan ng trabaho — kaya sobrang daming uncer-

entertainment

Kim Chiu and Xian Lim

wal paring lumabas and donation for mass testing! i will keep you posted on further updates.

[A]gain maraming maraming salamat,” she added.

(This will be very helpful to the families who still cannot go out and for the donation going toward the mass testing initiative! I will keep you posted on further updates. Again, thank

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Photo from Instagram/@xianlimm

you very much.)

Chiu’s viral dance video to her said song has recently drawn controversy after others accused her of taking the video along EDsA. the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, however, has already accepted Chiu’s explanation that it was filmed at a parking lot, not at the main thoroughfare.

T h e A s ian Jour nal M D W K M A G A Z I NE - J une 10, 2 0 2 0

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