JUNE 11-14, 2022 Volume 32 - No. 46 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages
DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
California officials call for more funding for Asian-language teachers
CA Attorney General Rob Bonta advances to Nov. general election by AJPress
CALIFORNIA Attorney General Rob Bonta is DESPITE the growing Asian community in advancing to the general election in November after California and nationwide, the Golden State being the top vote-getter in the state’s primary on does not have enough accredited Asian- Tuesday, June 7. language teachers and instructors, statewide officials say. For the 2020-2021 school year, almost 1,200 accreditations for bilingual instructors were confirmed by the California Dept. of Education (CDOE), but only 93 of those accreditations were for Asian-language instructors. California lawmakers and community leaders are calling for a one-time $5 million funding package to address what they described as a shortage in accredited Asianlanguage teachers. Advocates for the Asian American community say that this shortage of dualimmersion language instructors puts immigrant children — who could learn English simultaneously with their native language — at a disadvantage. “We must address the shortage of accredited u PAGE A5
COVID cases increase at LA County skilled nursing facilities anew WITH high rates of transmission across Los Angeles County, positive cases and outbreaks are increasing at skilled nursing facilities, the public health department reported on Friday, June 10. For the week ending May 29, skilled nursing facilities reported 114 new cases among residents and 205 new cases among staff. This represents a 443% and 439% increase in new cases, respectively, when compared to one month ago when there were 21 new cases among residents and 38 new cases among staff for the week ending April 23. Additionally, the number of outbreaks per week in Skilled Nursing Facilities increased sharply in the past week to 40 new outbreaks during the seven days ending June 7, returning the Early Alert Signal to high. Public Health is working closely with Skilled Nursing Facilities to respond and mitigate the outbreaks. As a reminder, an outbreak is declared at a nursing facility when there is one resident case. Skilled nursing facilities continue to maintain enhanced protective measures, including indoor masking and testing
Bonta, who was appointed to the top post in 2021, was the only Democrat in the primary race and received 57% of the vote (1,819,199) as of June 8, according to the Associated Press. “Thank you, California! Humbled by this strong vote of confidence and the resounding message
delivered by voters,” Bonta wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “Tonight, we celebrate — and tomorrow, we get back to work to fight back against the right wing attacks on our values and fundamental rights. Onward to November.” u PAGE A2
Fil-Am candidate for LA city controller Kenneth Mejia advances to run-off election If elected, Mejia would become the first Filipino elected official in the city of LA by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
FOLLOWING the 2022 primary election, Kenneth Mejia, the ambitious grassroots candidate for Los Angeles city controller, advanced to the November runoff against Councilmember Paul Koretz, making him one step closer to becoming the first Filipino elected official in the city of LA’s history. Mejia, 31, is a certified public accountant (CPA) with 11 years of experience in accounting and auditing, which he says will give him a technical edge to becoming controller, which, essentially, is a city’s top auditor. ‘KALAYAAN 2022.’ Soldiers hold an oversized Philippine flag for the raising of flag in preparation for the 124th Independence Day celebration In an email sent to the Asian Journal, Mejia — who on Friday, June 10. This year’s Independence Day celebration theme is “Pagsuong sa Hamon ng Panibagong Bukas (Brave the challenges of had been leading among the field of candidates — a new tomorrow).” PNA photo by Joey O. Razon u PAGE A4
US highlights alliance in courtesy call on Locsin, Marcos MANILA — The United States’ Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman paid a courtesy call on president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Thursday, June 9. According to U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price, Sherman and Marcos Jr. highlighted the importance of the bilateral alliance in the context of ensuring security and prosperity within the region and the world. Price added that the discussion also emphasized "the importance of fostering respect for human rights and rule of law in the Philippines."
"The President-elect and Deputy Secretary agreed on the importance of partnering together to strengthen our economies, including the importance of public-private partnerships, clean energy and our digital economy," he said. Sherman and Marcos Jr. also tackled possible opportunities for both countries enhance bilateral relations. In a separate statement, Price said Sherman also congratulated Locsin for his run as the country's top diplomat during U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Photo from Twitter @DeputySecState President Rodrigo Duterte's administration. Marcos Jr. "Deputy Secretary Sherman conveyed u PAGE A4
Bongbong Marcos can enter US With Padilla’s election to Senate, is it due to diplomatic immunity - envoy time to talk about federalism again?
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by Christia
Marie Inquirer.net
by angeliCa
Y. Yang
Philstar.com
Robin Padilla
MANILA — Actor Robin Padilla's election to the Senate and his potential assignment as chair of the committee on constitutional amendments may revive a push for federalism that lost steam during the Duterte administration. In an interview after the May 9 election, Padilla said he believes that Filipinos voted for him because his platform geared toward charter change and federalism. "Iyan siguro ang yakap ng ating taumbayan kaya siguro ako nangunguna (I think that is what the people want, that is why I am leading)," Padilla, who received the most votes in the senatorial race, said. While it is good to discuss options about Philstar.com photo
reforms and changes, University of the Philippines (UP) political scientist Maria Ela Atienza says that more ground work should be done to help the public understand the current system of governance. She said the country might not be ready for the shift to federalism, which would involve the sharing of powers between two levels of government— national or federal, and the states or regional. In a unitary system— the system in place in the Philippines — the central government makes nearly all of the policies and decisions. In a federal system, the central government has limited powers, as state governments can handle local affairs based on the political desires of their constituents, according to German u PAGE A4
raMos
PRESIDENT-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would be “welcome” to the United States given his diplomatic immunity as a head of state, a top Washington diplomat pointed out on Thursday, June 9. “The fact is, when you’re a head of state, you have immunity in all circumstances and are welcome to the United States in your official role,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters in a roundtable discussion in Pasay City when asked on the matter. Before this, she capped off a day of meetings with Philippine
officials, including Marcos Jr. and outgoing Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. “When someone is the head of state, they have [diplomatic] immunity and would be welcome to the United States,” Sherman added. In 2012, a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit handed down a contempt judgment against Marcos Jr., his mother Imelda, and the estate of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. for violating an injunction that barred them from dissipating assets of the estate. The contempt order came after the Marcoses entered into
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