061419 - New York & New Jersey

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JUNE 14-20, 2019 Volume 12 - No. 34 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

On Independence Day, Duterte asks Filipinos DATELINE USA US Embassy in Manila to realize a ‘truly independent Philippines’ FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

to assume ‘limited’ services of USCIS

THE United States Embassy in the Philippines has assured the public that citizenship and immigration-related services will continue despite the upcoming closure of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field office in Manila.

In a Twitter post on Tuesday, June 11, the U.S. Embassy said it “will assume responsibility for certain limited services previously provided by the Manila USCIS field office.”

“All other services will be transitioned to electronic processing or performed domestically in the United States,” it added.

No change in visa processing “There will be no change in visa processing at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.

Immigrant and non-immigrant visa will continue to be processed at the Embassy,” the embassy said.

Further, the embassy assured that its office, including its consular section, will remain open.

For those planning to file an I-130 petition for a family member, the embassy advised that such petitions must be filed by mail with the USCIS lockbox facility in Chicago, Illinois.

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte urged the Filipino people to commit to building a “truly independent Philippines” as the country marks the 121st year of its independence on Wednesday,

June 12.

In his message, Duterte recalled the sacrifices of our nation’s heroes and asked the Filipino people to build on their contributions and realize their

dream for our country.

“The tree of liberty blossomed on these lands because it was nourished by the sweat and blood of our patriots, heroes and martyrs,” Duterte said.

“Let us commit ourselves to ensure that their sacrifices have not been in vain and that their dream of a truly independent Philippines—whose people live

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Palace: PH may cut ties with China over Recto Bank collision

by CATHERINE

VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine government will not hesitate to cut diplomatic ties with China if the collision between its vessel and the Filipino fishing boat off Recto Bank in the Palace spokesperson Salvador West Philippine Panelo Inquirer.net photo Sea (South China Sea) was done intentionally, Malacañang said on Thursday, June 13.

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Independence Day CELEBRATION. President Rodrigo Duterte pays his respects to the monument of Jose Abad Santos on the sidelines of the 121st Philippine Independence Day celebration at the 6th Infantry Battalion Grounds in Malabang, Lanao del Sur on Wednesday, June 12.

Malacañang photo by Toto Lozano

PhilHealth chief, board members resign Duterte: I have completely

by GLEE JALEA ManilaTimes.net

EXECUTIVE officers and board members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) have filed their courtesy resignations following alleged fraudulent activities and other issues hounding the health insurance firm.

Roy Ferrer, acting President and Chief Executive Officer, tendered his resignation effective on Tuesday night, June 11, PhilHealth deputy spokesperson Rey Baleña told The WellMed Dialysis Center owner Bryan Sy was brought to the Manila Times.

Baleña confirmed that aside from Department of Justice for an inquest on June 11.

Philstar.com photo by Edu Punay Ferrer, board members Jack Arroyo,

elected Local Chief Executive; Rex Maria Mendoza, Independent Director of the Monetary Board; Hildegardes Dineros, Representative of the Informal Economy Sector; Roberto Salvador, Formal Economy Sector; Joan Cristine Reina Liban-Lareza, Health Care Provider Sector; and Former PhilHealth chief Celestina dela Serna of the Filipino Overseas Workers Sector had also quit their posts.

“Our Office of the Chair of the PhilHealth Board confirms that Dr. Ferrer and all six board members tendered their resignation on June 11,” Baleña said, noting that the courtesy resignation of the officials were directly

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lost trust in PH media

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, June 8, said that the media has lost his trust after journalists went for his family following the narcotics trade allegations.

He also said that he would be choosy in granting media interviews from now on because of it.

“Hindi na ako nagpapainterview ha. Choosy ako,

choosy... (I don’t grant interviews anymore. I am choosy).

I have completely lost trust in Philippine media,” Duterte told religious leader Apollo Quiboloy in an interview aired on Sonshine TV. “After all the trash that you have read, all of you. Even your child is accused of being a drug lord,” he added, referring to the allegations made by self-confessed former drug syndicate member

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From the Front Page

Duterte: I have completely lost trust in...

PAGE 1

“Bikoy” about his daughter Veronica.

Peter Joemel Advincula, the man who claimed to be “Bikoy,” has recanted his statements as well as apologized for linking the Duterte family to illegal drugs.

Duterte also made accusations about some media practitioners being paid hacks.

“They are the ones who can write and they are the ones who can, you know, invent or do something outside of journalistic practices,” he said.

“Outright extortion. There are a lot of them. As you have noticed in the matrix, the one involving Bikoy. Bikoy has retracted his statements.

But the people know it’s not true,” he added.

Duterte was referring to the matrix released by Malacañang last April that tagged several media entities like Rappler, Vera Files and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and lawyers group National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers to a supposed plot to oust

Duterte.

“Never mind about the criticism. With regard to the media, the matrix, all of them are paid hacks, believe me,” Duterte stated.

He also claimed that Ellen Tordesillas, Vera Files president and veteran journalist, has been asking for money from her sources due to her cancer.

“Tagal na ‘yan sige pang hingi-hingi kasi may sakit daw siya – cancer. Hanggang ngayon, buhay pa rin (She has been asking for money because she has cancer.

Until now, she is alive). So maybe tonight, we can pray together to pray for ano...

Para hindi na maghingi (so she won’t beg anymore),” Duterte said.

“When we pray, you pray for help for her recovery. But my prayer would be different. And you know, what you are thinking, probably that you’d pay – you’d pray would be exactly the opposite of that and that is my fervent... prayer,” he added.

Tordesillas, for her part,

said she no longer has cancer and never asked for money from other people.

“While I was undergoing treatment in 2003, I did not ask money from other people. The one who helped me was Jake Macasaet, the late publisher of Ang Pahayagang Malaya, where I used to work,” said Tordesillas in a statement.

According to her, two senators had written the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to credit the cost of her hospital room to their Priority Development Assistance Fund without her asking for it.

“They did not give me cash,” she clarified.

Tordesillas also said that she donated the cash given to her by the two senators to the PGH Medical Foundation, which helps poor patients.

She added that she sent her donation receipts to the two politicians for proof.

“I always include the country in my prayers. I hope the truth will prevail in each one of us, including President Duterte,” Tordesillas said. n

Vice President Leni Robredo led the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremony in celebration of the 121st Philippine Independence Day, held at the Rizal Monument in Manila on Wednesday, June 12. Robredo was joined by outgoing Manila Mayor Joseph EjercitoEstrada and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Salvador Mison.

Photo from the Office of the Vice President

On Independence Day, Duterte asks...

PAGE 1 freely in a secure, stable and prosperous society—will be achieved within our lifetimes,” he added.

Robredo: We bear the responsibility to build a better society Vice President Leni Robredo, in her Independence Day message, noted the pivotal moment when the Filipino people “chose to follow our fate.”

“In pushing for this interest, we took on the responsibility to create a society that is free, just and humane. A society where every Filipino has an opportunity to live in prosperity and peace,” she said in Filipino.

Robredo led the Independence Day ceremonies at the Luneta Park, early Wednesday morning.

“To this day, each of us bears this responsibility. This is what those who came before us fought for, and this is the duty we accept: To ensure that we will live in a Philippines where each of our countrymen can elevate themselves,” Robredo added.

The vice president also reminded Filipinos that our commemoration of Philippine Independence could show our strength as a united people.

“May we draw strength from this day to face the challenges our nation has. May

this event invoke in us a deep love for our country, and remind each of us of what we can do with helping each other,” she added.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, for his part, said that the commemoration of our independence is a reminder that the winning of our country’s freedom was fraught with challenges.

“It is upon us to nurture the struggles of our heroes who lit the fire toward an independent nation. We should plant, plant, plant—food, trees and seeds of love of country for the survival of our people, our future and our planet,” he added. (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.com)

Palace: PH may cut ties with China over...

PAGE 1

Speaking to reporters, Palace spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the actions of the Chinese fishing vessel that put 22 Filipino fishermen at risk could be considered an “act of aggression” if it was “intentional.”

“We will cut off diplomatic relations, iyan ang mga unang ginaggawa kapag merong mga aggressive acts (that’s the first thing to do where there are aggressive acts),” Panelo said during a press briefing.

“Mag-diplomatic protest ka. Kung hindi ka kuntento sa paliwanag nila at nakita nating talagang sinadya, ibang usapan na ‘yun (You file a diplomatic protest then if you are not content with their explanation and it was

found to be an intentional act, then it’s another matter),” he said.

Panelo said it was not beyond the realm of possibility for the Duterte government to cut off diplomatic ties with China, as he noted how President Rodrigo Duterte responded to the smuggled garbage from Canada.

“Given the steps undertaken by the president on Canada’s trash issue, that’s more likely… baka mas severe pa.

Hindi natin alam (maybe even more severe. We don’t know), we’ll leave it to the president,” the Palace official said.

“Our responses will always be calibrated, depende sa degree.

But definitely, we will not allow ourselves to be assaulted,

to be bullied, to be subject of such barbaric, uncivilized, and outrageous actions from any source,” he said.

Philippine vessel F/B GIMVER1 was anchored near the Recto Bank when it was hit by the Chinese ship on Sunday night.

The Chinese ship left the scene in what military likened to a “hit-and-run.” The 22 fishermen abandoned by the Chinese vessel were later rescued by a Vietnam-flagged ship.

The Philippine government, according to Panelo, has filed a diplomatic protest against China over the incident.

“May diplomatic protest pa lang (There’s already a diplomatic protest). We’re waiting for a response,” he said. n

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Dateline USa

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Pacquiao enters Forbes 100 richest athletes in 2019

TORAH SCROLL. Rabbi Eliyahu Azaria (in black suit), shows Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle (left), the Torah Scroll brought from Israel, the holiest book in Judaism that contains the entire text of the Old Testament during his visit to the Great Synagogue of the Jewish community in the Philippines on Tuesday, June 11 in Makati City. Tagle visited the Great Synagogue in the Philippines as part of the 25th anniversary of Israel-Vatican ties.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

US to launch new program to fight extremism in PH A nEW program focused on thwarting efforts by Muslim extremists to recruit and mobilize followers in the south of the Philippines were discussed

by U.S. and Philippine officials this week.

According to U.S. Assistant Secretary Denise natali of the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict & Stabilization Operations on Tuesday, June 4, the three-year program involves helping local officials identify issues that foster extremism and find ways to address them.

Filipino troops were aided

by American and Australian surveillance aircraft to quell the disastrous 2017 siege by hundreds of mostly local militants in southern Marawi City, where the commercial and residential center remains in ruins and off-limits to the public.

Philippine officials say surviving militants have maintained their efforts to recruit new followers and plot new attacks despite the militants’ defeat.

More than 1,100 militants were killed while hundreds of thousands of residents were displaced in the five-month siege in the mosque-studded city, renewing fears that the

Islamic State group was stepping up collaboration with local jihadists to establish a foothold in the region.

“We are focusing on how to prevent further and future incidences of violent extremism and radicalization from occurring so that we don’t have another Marawi ever again,” said natali at a news conference.

She added that both the U.S. State Department and the Philippine government are finalizing the program details to help provincial governments and non-government groups design and enforce effective projects to counter extremism.

Highlighting the importance of basing such projects on facts and evidence instead of assumptions, natali cited a five-month survey commissioned by the U.S. last year in four southern Muslim provinces showing which issues were helping spark extremism and radicalization the most.

The survey revealed that while some people may support local jihadists, there was significantly lower support for foreign militant groups like the Islamic State group and the Al Qaeda militant network.

According to natali, religious

intolerance, dire economic conditions and exposure to violence spark extremism more than religion.

“It’s not about religion; it is about living conditions. There is an economic component to this,” she said.

She added that there was strong public support for the government’s effort to combat extremism, as shown in the survey.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., the Philippines has been one of Washington’s strongest Asian allies in the fight against terrorism.

President Rodrigo Duterte, for his part, has said that he wanted U.S. counterterrorism forces out of the southern Philippines while he fixed the country’s relations with China after assuming the presidency in 2016.

However, the Philippine military has maintained robust U.S. relations. More than 100 U.S. military counterterrorism advisers and personnel remain in the southern Mindanao region to help Filipino forces battling extremists on a string of impoverished islands. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

PhilHealth chief, board members...

PAGE 1 addressed to Malacañang and had not reached the Corporate Communications Department immediately.

“It is up to the Malacañang now if they will accept the resignation,” he added.

On Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte met with the

PhilHealth officials for a “clean slate absent [of] any taint of irregularity in rendering services.”

PhilHealth had filed 28 administrative cases against WellMed Dialysis and Laboratory Center in Quezon City for allegedly conducting a fraud scheme against the health in-

surance firm by issuing claims on behalf of their dead patients as far back as 2016.

Even before the meeting, PhilHealth noted that the officials were willing to step down in line with Duterte’s recommendation of an overhaul of the firm’s leadership and staffing. n

SEn. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao is the only Filipino to appear in the 100 highestpaid athletes of 2019, in a list released by Forbes magazine.

Placing 92nd, Pacquiao was paid US$26 million this year (US$24 million in winnings and US$2 million in commercial endorsements).

Pacquiao is preparing for his next fight against Keith Thurman, which will take place in Las Vegas, nevada on July 20.

He had actively campaigned for candidates under President Rodrigo Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAn) for the 2019 midterm elections.

The top 10 highest-paid athletes of 2019 were: 1. Lionel Messi ($127 million), Football 2. Cristiano Ronaldo ($109 million), Football 3. neymar ($105 million), Football 4. Canelo Alvarez ($94 million), Boxing 5. Roger Federer ($93.4 million), Tennis 6. Russell Wilson ($89.5

million), national Football League (nFL) 7. Aaron Rodgers ($89.3 million), nFL 8. LeBron James ($89 million), nBA 9. Stephen Curry ($79.8 million), nBA 10. Kevin Durant ($65.4 million), nBA In 2017, Forbes also

named Pacquiao as among the 25 highest-paid athletes of all-time, ranked 20th, with career earnings of US$510 million. He joined the ranks of nBA great Michael Jordan ($1.85 billion) and star golfers Tiger Woods($1.7 billion) and Arnold Palmer ($1.4 billion) in the list. (Aric John Sy Cua/ ManilaTimes.net)

Manny Pacquiao

Photo from Instagram/@mannypacquiao

WHO: Sexually transmitted diseases affect 1 million daily

director for Universal Health Coverage and the Life-Course at the WHO. Salama added that this should serve as a wake-up call for a concerted effort to ensure “everyone, everywhere can access the services they need to prevent and treat these debilitating diseases.”

The research also showed that among men and women aged 15 to 49, there were 127 million new cases of chlamydia in 2016; 87 million with gonorrhea; 6.3 million with syphilis and 156 million with trichomoniasis.

According to the WHO, STIs have a profound impact on the health of adults and children.

“If untreated, they can lead to serious and chronic health effects that include neurological and cardiovascular disease, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirths and increased risk of HIV. They are also associated with significant levels of stigma and domestic vioBased on new data published online by the WHO, these one million cases involved lence,” the WHO said. (Sheila people aged 15 to 49.

Philstar.com file photo Crisostomo/Philstar.com)

WITH more than one million individuals contracting sexually transmitted infections (STI) every day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the diseases remain a persistent and endemic health threat across the globe.

Based on new data published online by the WHO,

these one million cases involved people aged 15 to 49.

Annually, more than 376 million new cases of four infections — chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and syphilis — are documented.

“We’re seeing a concerning lack of progress in stopping the spread of STI worldwide,” noted Peter Salama, executive

US Embassy in Manila to assume ‘limited’...

PAGE 1 Earlier, the USCIS announced a permanent closure of its Manila office effective July 5.

The visa-granting agency no longer accepted petitions

and applications for family visa, foreign adoptions and citizenship since May 31.

Those previously assisted by the USCIS Manila Field Office were advised to comply with the new filing

instructions posted on the agency’s website at https:// www.uscis.gov/about-us/ find-uscis-office/international-offices/philippines-uscismanila-field-office. (Christina Marie Ramos/Inquirer.net)

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OPINION

FEATURES

A work in progress THE country marks the 121st Independence Day today with the administration professing to pursue an independent foreign policy, with the Philippines a friend to all and enemy of none, as President Rodrigo Duterte puts it.

A critical component of national independence is the capability for self-defense, and the freedom to form alliances based on values that are so cherished by the citizenry that these are enshrined in the Constitution.

Another component is freedom from poverty, which the founders of the Philippine Republic had aspired for when they declared the capability of Filipinos for self-rule during ceremonies in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898, announcing independence from Spanish colonial rule.

Some countries in Asia have done a better job of nurturing their independence from colonial powers. Within just half a century, they have succeeded in attaining impressive economic progress, repaying external debts and forming alliances without losing their sovereignty or territory, and without compromising the values that

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they hold dear.

The Philippines has achieved much since declaring independence from Spain and gaining political independence from the United States in 1946. But the aspirations for the country of those who fought for independence have yet to be fully attained.

Too many Filipinos still live below the poverty line. In terms of economic prosperity and many human development indicators, the country is the laggard among the five original members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Even countries that are small in size work for strength in self-defense. The Philippines, on the other hand, cannot even enforce on its own a ruling of a United Nations-backed international arbitration court, which awarded the country sovereign rights over several areas in the West Philippine Sea, among them the Chinese-occupied Panganiban or Mischief Reef off Palawan.

Over a century after declaring independence, the country remains heavily dependent on various forms of foreign assistance. Attaining full independence is a work in progress. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

What we need to know about impeaching Trump The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS IMPEACHMENT, according to President Donald Trump, is a dirty word and it does not have anything to do with him. This, despite the growing clamor among Americans to remove Trump from office using this process stipulated in the U.S. Constitution as a way to make government officials who hold positions of

public trust accountable to the people.

Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitutions reads: “The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

The House of Representatives has been accorded by the Constitution the sole power to impeach an official, while it makes the Senate the sole court for impeachment trials.

While the power of impeachment is limited to removal

from office but also provides for a removed officer to be disqualified from holding future office. Fines and potential jail time for crimes committed while in office are left to civil courts.

According to the U.S. House of Representatives website, “impeachment comes from British constitutional history.

The process evolved from the 14th century as a way for parliament to hold the king’s ministers accountable for their public actions. Impeachment, as Alexander Hamilton of New York explained in Federalist 65, varies from civil or crimiPAGE 10

Philstar.com photo

Commentary

Who is winning big in the supply chain shift from the Sino-US trade war?

on $110 billion worth of U.S. exports to China.

Meanwhile, President HENRY CHAN Donald Trump subjected the Chinese telecommunications SINCE the imposition of behemoth, Huawei, to “entity 25 percent tariff on $34 bil- list” restrictions on May 16 lion worth of Chinese exports and repeatedly talked about to the United States last July, imposing 25 percent tariff on the trade dispute between the the remaining $300 billion two countries has escalated Chinese exports to the U.S. The Chinese government, further, and today Chinese exports to the U.S. valued at at the same time, established $250 billion are subject to 25 an “unreliable entity list” on May 31, targeted against any percent import duties.

In retaliation, China has foreign companies hurting also imposed tariffs ranging legitimate Chinese commerfrom 5 percent to 25 percent cial interest. It subsequently

released a white paper on its position on the Sino-U.S. trade negotiations on June 2.

China is the largest merchandise trading partner of the U.S. In 2018, its bilateral goods trade with the U.S. amounted to $660 billion, based on a U.S. Census report. China exported products valued at $540 billion and imported $120 billion worth of goods from the U.S. The Americans calculated their bilateral trade deficit at $420 billion, but the Chinese countered that the actual gap PAGE 10

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

Duterte blasts ‘evil’ party-list system Down to 2 candidates for Speaker, but Duterte keeps them guessing

by Darryl John

EsguErra

Inquirer.net

MANILA—”This party-list (system), that’s one evil.”

President Rodrigo Duterte issued the scathing remark on Wednesday, June 12, as he lamented the entry of millionaires in Congress through the party-list system, impairing its mandate to provide representation for the marginalized sectors.

“Everyone involved there are the rich,” Duterte pointed out after the oath-taking of newly elected officials of Cagayan de Oro City.

“The rich people fund the party-lists. They are named after laborers but the people behind it are the millionaires.

So they stay in power there.”

The party-list system was enacted in 1995 to provide the marginalized and underrepresented sectors a voice in

Congress.

The party-list system, however, has long been criticized for supposedly being utilized as a political vehicle.

According to election watchdog group Kontra Daya, nearly half of the party-list groups that participated in the May midterm elections have ties with political dynasties, represent special business interests or are marred with questionable advocacies. n

Imelda urges Sandigan to reject evidence on artworks

by ElizabEth

MarcElo Philstar.com

FORMER first lady and outgoing Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos has asked the Sandiganbayan to reject several documentary exhibits presented by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) over a decades-long trial of a civil forfeiture case that seeks to recover about 200 artworks allegedly amassed during her late husband’s dictatorship.

In a 125-page opposition paper filed last month, Mrs. Marcos and her daughter Irene Marcos-Araneta, through their lawyer Maria Frances Marfil, said the court’s Special First Division must deny the admissibility as evidence of several documents offered by the PCGG, including the list of artworks that supposedly remain missing as well the lists of paintings discovered at Goldenberg and Teus mansions in San Miguel, Manila and at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, and those discovered abroad.

The Marcoses said the lists presented by the PCGG were just mere photocopies, without the presentation of the original ones, which the commission supposedly created in the 1980s.

Furthermore, the defense said the lists do not indicate the dates when the artworks were supposedly acquired, making the documents irrelevant in proving that these were acquired during the Marcoses’ incumbencies as public officers.

The Marcoses also objected to the admissibility of the compact disc (CD) containing the photographs and video footage of the supposed ocular inspection of the Goldenberg Mansion, as well as news reports showing the

In a 125-page opposition paper filed last month, Mrs. Marcos and her daughter Irene Marcos-Araneta, through their lawyer Maria Frances Marfil, said the court’s Special First Division must deny the admissibility as evidence of several documents offered by the PCGG, including the list of artworks that supposedly remain missing as well the lists of paintings discovered at Goldenberg and Teus mansions in San Miguel, Manila and at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, and those discovered abroad.

Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas

paintings being displayed by Mrs. Marcos herself.

The Marcoses said the persons who took the photos and videos were never presented in court, in violation of the Supreme Court ruling that a competent witness must testify on the authenticity of videos and photographs being presented as evidence.

“No photographer or any other competent witness testified to its exactness and accuracy. Thus, these photographs and videos were not properly presented and authenticated before this Court under the Rules for Electronic Evidence,” the Marcoses’ opposition paper read.

The defendants also objected to the admissibility of photocopies of letters of correspondence in the early 1980s between Mrs. Marcos and her late husband Ferdinand Marcos with American businessmen Armand Hammer and Richard Lynch of Hammer Galleries in New York.

“Respondents deny the authenticity of the said ex-

hibits. No justification was made why the originals could not be presented before the Sandiganbayan,” the Marcos paper read.

It was in December last year when the PCGG, represented by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), was able to finish the presentation of evidence against the Marcoses in connection with a forfeiture case docketed as Civil Case No. 0141 filed in 1991.

Among the items that the PCGG sought to be forfeited in favor of the government were 152 paintings in the U.S. with an estimated value of $11.84 million, 27 paintings and sculptures discovered at the sequestered Metropolitan Museum of Manila with an assessed value of $548,445 and 12 paintings by American artist Anna Mary “Grandma Moses” Robertson said to have been purchased at around $372,000.

Early this year, the OSG informed the Sandiganbayan that three of the paintings PAGE 10

by DJ

yap anD MElvin gascon Inquirer.net

MANILA — The 54-strong party-list bloc has narrowed down its pick for the next Speaker to two candidates —Representatives-elect Martin Romualdez of Leyte and Lord Allan Velasco of Marinduque — who have shown they are “truly serious” and sincere, according to leaders of the coalition.

In a statement on Tuesday, June 11, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Rep. Jericho “Koko” Nograles said the prevailing sentiment within the bloc, after meeting four of the five rivals for the post, was to select the one with strong connections to party-list groups.

“This will be a tough decision to make because both of them are close to our hearts but we will definitely choose the Speaker who can treat us justly and fairly,” he said.

Velasco, a member of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDPLaban), is rumored to be the personal favorite of President Duterte’s daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, while Romualdez is the president of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats.

“I observed that our party list congressmen are one in the belief that under a Velasco or a Romualdez speakership, we will be treated fairly and the concerns of our constituents will be heard and respected,” Nograles said.

The group’s president, 1Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, said his group had no official position yet, though he confirmed that the members were now divided between the two camps.

“We hear the sentiments of Koko Nograles and the rest of the party list membership. From what we hear, there is truth to what he says,” Romero said in a

text message to the Inquirer.

The group had met with Velasco and Romualdez, as well as incoming Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano of the Nacionalista Party and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of PDP-Laban.

Former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez missed two opportunities to meet the party list members and would no longer be considered, Romero said.

The new Speaker will be chosen in an election at the opening of the 18th Congress on July 22.

Surprise visit While the party list bloc has narrowed down its choices for Speaker, President Rodrigo Duterte has kept members of Congress guessing about his personal pick just weeks before the opening of the new Congress.

At dawn on Monday, the President made a surprise visit to inspect the flight delays at PAGE 8

June 14-20, 2019 • neW YORK AnD neW JeRSeY ASIAn JOuRnAL

Dateline PhiliPPines

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

MANGO VARIETIES. Different varieties of Philippine mangoes are being sold at the Department of Agriculture (DA) central office in Quezon City as part of the launching of the Metro Marketing Program for Philippine mangoes on Monday, June 10. DA Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said a workshop will be conducted next week for mango growers and producers to address issues such as lowering the minimum residue level, lessening of production cost, and better techniques in mango production.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

House freezes ABS-CBN franchise bill, firm takes movies to China market

by Jess

Diaz Philstar.com

MANILA — The House of Representatives has frozen the bill, which seeks to renew the legislative franchise of broadcasting giant ABS-CBN Corp. The franchise expires in nine months or on March 20, 2020.

Without a franchise renewal, the radio-television network may have to close shop.

There are speculations that the Lopez-owned broadcasting firm is strengthening its online service in preparation for that possibility.

The Committee on Legislative Franchises, where House Bill 4349 bill had been pending since November 2016, did not submit a report on it before the outgoing 17th Congress adjourned its third and last regular session on Tuesday, June 11.

This means that the renewal measure would have to be re-filed in the 18th Congress, which convenes on July 22.

A key member of the legislative franchises committee said no action on any bill seeking to renew the ABSCBN franchise would be taken as long as President Duterte has complaints against the Lombard By The Bay is a joint venture development project between Premier Asia Pacific Real Estate and Development Corp. and Omnicor Industrial Estate & Realty Center, Inc.

network.

“They have to thresh out and resolve their issues with the President. That’s the key to get the bill moving,” said the lawmaker, who did not want to be named.

Duterte has repeatedly criticized ABS-CBN for allegedly refusing to run his advertisement during the 2016 election campaign and showing instead an ad critical of him which his staunch critic, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, paid for.

In November last year, he said he would object to the station’s franchise renewal.

The President has criticized not only the Lopez network but also other media organizations critical of him as well.

House Bill 4349 was filed

by Nueva Ecija Rep. Micaela Violago on Nov. 10, 2016.

Violago urged the House to approve the measure “in acknowledgment of ABS-CBN’s accomplishments…and to ensure the uninterrupted and improved delivery of its services to the Filipino people.”

Unlike ABS-CBN, the legislative franchises of its rivals have already been renewed.

Meanwhile, Filipino movies produced by ABS-CBN will be shown in China for the

first time via Phoenix Movie Channel.

ABS-CBN signed a milestone deal with Phoenix Satellite Television, an entertainment group that offers channels with Mandarin and Cantonese-language content.

Under the agreement, a total of 16 ABS-CBN titles will premiere starting September on the Phoenix Movie Channel, including some of its popular drama and romanticcomedy movies.

The company announced in April its entry in Turkey after signing a deal with content production company Limon Yapim for the adaptation of one of its crime suspense drama shows.

In March, Indonesian television network MNCTV began airing its own version of ABSCBN’s noontime show “It’s Showtime.”

The deal is ABS-CBN’s first non-narrative format franchise buy by a foreign company and solidifies its position as a reliable content provider in the international arena.

ABS-CBN programs are currently present in over 50 territories all over the world, selling over 50,000 hours of content worldwide. n

Down to 2 candidates for Speaker, but Duterte...

PAGE 7 Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), along with Romualdez.

While declining to interpret it as an endorsement, outgoing House Minority Leader Danilo

Suarez said the President tagging along Romualdez is “a good gesture.”

Before heading to Naia on Monday, sources overheard the President addressing Romualdez as “Mr. Speaker” while they

were together at the wake of Sendeng Loo Gaisano at Forbes Park in Makati City.

“But you know the President, he likes to fool around,” said a source, who declined to be named. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 14-20, 2019

10

June 14-20, 2019 • neW YORK AnD neW JeRSeY ASIAn JOuRnAL

Imelda urges Sandigan to reject evidence...

PAGE 7

covered by Civil Case No. 0141 were sold at auction in New York City in November last year for more than $3 million.

The OSG said the paintings were sold by the auction house Christie’s by virtue of an order from a New York court.

Claimants 1081, a group composed of over 9,000 human rights victims during

martial law, and the PCGG are both claimants in a civil case pending before the US Federal Court in New York City which seeks to recover about 200 pieces of paintings and other artworks allegedly purchased using public funds during the 20year rule of the late dictator Marcos.

The artworks, however, are also subject of a pending forfeiture case at the Sandigan-

bayan Special First Division.

In 2014, the Special First Division had awarded in favor of the government the jewelry collection of the Marcoses with assessed value of $110,055 to $153,089. The collection was also part of Civil Case No. 0141.

The jewelry were discovered at Malacañang when the Marcos family fled to Hawaii after the 1986 People Power revolt. n

military arena. A clear majority of analysts now subscribe to the view of a protracted impasse over the trade issue and the likelihood of a solution may come only when both sides are hurt significantly, which at this point is not seen happening.

The Asian supply chain that the American importers have established is now moving out of China. American importers are moving in several fronts to mitigate the sudden disruption of the Asian supply chain center around China built up over the last 20 years.

They are busy rewriting contracts to make it easier to pass the tariffs on to customers, shift supply chains out of China where possible, redesign products to avoid Chinese components where they are not present. And with U.S. unemployment hitting a 50-year low, reshoring back to the U.S. is technically not feasible. The beneficiaries of the current impasse are those nations to which Chinese production relocates.

In the first four months of 2019, Chinese exports to the U.S. dropped 13 percent from their 2018 levels, while the vital beneficiary of manufacturing relocation, Vietnam, increased its exports to the U.S. by 40 percent from a year earlier. The Chinese products that showed a decline in shipment matched those of Vietnam shipments that increased.

The Japanese investment bank, Nomura, released a report on the impact of the shifting out of China of the Asian supply chain. It estimated that Vietnam would be the biggest winner in the shift, as its gross domestic product has grown by almost 8 percent as a result of the migration in production. The report also expects Taiwan will benefit from the relocation of many of its manufacturers back to the island, and Malaysia is likewise expected to benefit, though to a lesser

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

Duterte: I deeply regret running for president

by Ian

nIcolas cIgaral Philstar.com

MANILA — Nearly three years into his presidency, President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, June 12, said he regretted his decision to run for the highest position in the country and warned his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, from joining the presidential race.

Speaking in his native Visayan dialect before newly-elected local government officials in Cagayan De Oro City, Duterte said he had lost interest in degree.

The reconfiguration of the his job, adding that he told Asian supply chain is a multi- Sara not to run for president year process, and the oppor- because she would be “disretunities it offers to developing spected” by critics.

“I lost my enthusiasm to Southeast Asian countries is once in a lifetime. The Philip- work. Actually, I deeply regretpines missed the first wave of ted it. I regretted my decision Japanese factory relocation to run for president,” Duterte in the 1980s to Southeast said.

“That is why when people Asia; it should not miss the next one coming this time speculated Inday to run for president, I told her, ‘Don’t do around.

Participating actively in the supply chain will not only boost economic growth and mitigate the unemployment and underemployment PAGE 5 problem, but it also allows nal courts in that it strictly the building up of human involves the “misconduct of resources in manufacturing public men, or in other words and catapults the country to from the abuse or violation of the next level of industrializa- some public trust.” tion. The Asian success story The House of Representafrom Japan to China all attest tives History, Art and Archives to this model of development, website further explained that and their histories all point to “Individual state constitutions the importance of govern- had provided for impeachment policy in their country’s ment for “maladministration” participation in the supply or “corruption” before the chain. (ManilaTimes.net) U.S. Constitution was writHenry Chan is an interna- ten. And the founders, feartionally recognized develop- ing the potential for abuse of ment economist based in executive power, considered Singapore. He is also a senior impeachment so important visiting research fellow at the that they made it part of the Cambodia Institute for Co- Constitution even before they operation and Peace and ad- defined the contours of the junct research fellow at IDSI. presidency.”

His primary research interest The History Channel outincludes global economic lines the impeachment prodevelopment, Asean-China cess, noting that “impeachrelations and the Fourth In- ment doesn’t refer to the dustrial Revolution. removal of an elected official IDSI (Integrated Develop- from office, but rather the iniment Studies Institute) pro- tial step in removing that ofmotes productive, multidi- ficial.” mensional perspectives that The impeachment process: are pro-development. It works “The process includes the with a global network of orga- filing of formal charges, which nizations and businessmen, at the federal level is perscholars, government offi- formed by the U.S. House of cials, media, institutions and Representatives, and the reuniversities. Its advocacies sulting trial, which is conducthave resulted in significant ed by the U.S. Senate. In the changes to the agenda and House of Representatives, an decisions made by organiza- individual representative can tions, government and legis- initiate impeachment by introlators. IDSI welcomes logical ducing a bill, or the House can feedback and possible oppor- begin proceedings by passing tunities for working together a resolution. A simple majority with compatible frameworks. of votes is enough to pass one (idsicenter@gmail.com) or more articles of impeach-

Who is winning big in the supply chain shift...

PAGE 5 was smaller. The Chinese argued that a good portion of their exports consisted of products of the global supply chain of U.S. importers and transshipment via Hong Kong that regularly run about $100 billion in profit, retained by importers in Hong Kong. The Chinese calculated the U.S. goods trade surplus at $324 billion.

The U.S. importers procured parts from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan into China and use the country as the final assembly point for products exported to the U.S. The combined trade deficit that China runs against these three places amounted to $257 billion in 2018, not far from the $324 billion trade surplus with the U.S. quoted by the Chinese. A detailed examination of the goods involved in the Sino-U.S. trade and the trade among the four East Asian countries confirmed the story of the global supply chain, particularly in electronics products. The Asian supply chain run by multinationals and American importers is a good explanation for the persistently high Chinese trade surplus with the U.S. As the U.S. initiated this round of the trade war, and China is on the responding side, any meaningful resolution of the trade war lies more in a softening of the U.S. position and President Trump is the deciding factor in any resumption of talks. He is facing reelection in 2020, and the likelihood of a resolution of the trade war diminishes as the November 2020 election gets closer.

The speed of deterioration of the relationship between the two giants is unprecedented in modern history, and many analysts think the dispute has gone beyond the trade imbalance, unfair trade practices and intellectual property protection. The trade arguments are seen to have spilled over into security, ideology and the

Dateline PhiliPPines

President Rodrigo Duterte

it, ‘Day. You will not be able to control it. They will disrespect you, those sons of b******,” he added.

“Then there are people like Trillanes, the politicians who are not doing anything.

They are the rogue soldiers,” he continued, referring to his vocal critic Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. Analysts say Sara, who played a crucial role in the

Philstar.com file photo

victory of administration bets in the May senatorial polls, is emerging as a strong presidential contender to succeed his father.

The 74-year-old Duterte had denied accusations he was seeking a way to stay in power beyond the end of his term in 2022 through his plan to introduce federalism, and repeatedly floated the possibility of ceding power early. n

What we need to know about... ment on to the Senate for trial.

The Senate then acts as courtroom, jury and judge, except in presidential impeachment trials, during which the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court acts as judge. A twothirds majority of the Senate is required to convict, and the penalty is usually removal from office, and sometimes disqualification from holding any future offices.”

CONGRESS now has an obligation and the power to make Trump accountable after the revelations of the Mueller report, detailing at least 10 instances the president may have abused his power with corrupt intent in obstructing justice. These are on top of the cases already filed in the judiciary involving campaign finance law violations of Individual Number One (Trump), cases against the Trump administration, corporations, foundations, and the transition team. Mueller has explained that the only reason why charges had not been filed against Trump was because of a Department of Justice policy prohibiting the indictment of a sitting president.

But even the Democrats who now have leadership in the House of Representatives are divided, with the more progressive members pushing for impeachment, while the old guards including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi choosing to slow down for political

reasons.

But nobody is above the law, not even the president of the United States.

The History Channel chronicled how “some framers of the Constitution were opposed to the impeachment clause, because having the legislative branch sit in judgment over the executive might compromise the separation of powers they sought to establish between the three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial.”

“However, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, who would later serve in the House of Representatives and as Vice President under James Madison, noted, ‘A good magistrate will not fear [impeachments].

A bad one ought to be kept in fear of them.’”

Yes, President Donald Trump. No wonder you have been stonewalling all investigations because you fear the truth will come out. Otherwise, why even violate the oversight function of Congress as mandated by the Constitution?

Actions have consequences.

Not even running for a second term will save you from your own self. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.

Relos

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 14-20, 2019

COMMUNITY Journal

11

US Embassy still open, despite USCIS Manila field office closure Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ RECENTLY, the USCIS announced it will be closing its Manila field office. This has created a lot of confusion and panic among Filipinos. Some people are asking that with the closure, how can they now apply for a visitor’s visa? Are K-1

(fiancĂŠ) visas still available?

What’s going to happen with their immigrant visa interview that was already scheduled?

To be clear, the closure of the USCIS field office in Manila will have no effect on the U.S. Embassy or its functions and operation. It will continue to provide its regular services, including processing applications for visitor visas, other non-immigrant visas, immigrant visas, passport services for U.S. citizens, etc.

The USCIS is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The U.S. Embassy is

part of the Department of State (DOS). They are two separate governmental agencies. Historically, the USCIS field office in Manila had handled various USCIS functions, such as accepting family-based petitions on behalf of U.S. citizens residing in the Philippines.

Previously, if a person needed a fraud waiver, they might also file it with the Manila field office. However, most of the Manila field office’s functions were transferred stateside, and were being handled and processed within the U.S., PAGE 12

What is the fastest way to bring a 42-year-old special child to the US?

Get the answer this Sunday and more on ‘Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot’ “CITIZEN Pinoy,� the most popular immigration program on television, just completed several episodes of “Your Tanong, My Sagot� with Kapamilya in Skokie, Illinois.

This Sunday, get the answers to questions from the first batch of attendees.

Leading U.S. immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel

answers to questions such as “Is it possible for a U.S. citizen to petition her mother who has married twice, even if her first marriage was not annulled? A person was already given an SSN and work authorization, but their case was denied due to their non-reply on the Request For Evidence (RFE). Is there still hope for this case?�

IS THERE A WAY TO EXPEDITE THE PETITION FOR A 42-YEAR-OLD SPECIAL CHILD SINCE HER GRANDMOTHER WHO USED TO CARE FOR HER HAS ALREADY PASSED ON? THIS QUESTION AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED ON “CITIZEN PINOY: YOUR TANONG, MY SAGOT!�

The first batch of Kapamilya who came to the “Citizen Pinoy� taping in Illinois have their questions answered this Sunday. Find out if the petition for a married son, that has dragged on for 15 years, can be expedited since he is needed by his aging parents to care for them. Can a U.S. citizen petition her mother who has married twice, but her first marriage has not yet been annulled?

Get answers to these questions and more on a brand new episode of “Citizen Pinoy� this Sunday at 6:15 p.m. PST/EST (9:15 p.m.

EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

These and more questions will be answered.

Watch an all-new edition of the information-packed, public service program on television — “Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot� — on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. PST/EST (9:15 p.m. EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

PTAA President Jose C. Clemente III calls on Consul General in New York

NEW YORK – Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) President Jose C. Clemente III paid a courtesy call on Consul General Claro S. Cristobal on June 6 at the Philippine Center.

Consul General Cristobal and Mr. Clemente discussed the recently signed Republic Act No. 11262 (amending Republic Act No. 9593), which extends the authority of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to grant incentives to tourism enterprises until 31 December 2029. Among the incentives that TIEZA may grant tourism enterprises include income six-year tax holidays, a five percent preferential tax on gross income, exemption on all taxes and duties on imported capital equipment, as well as exemption of transport equipment and spare parts from tariffs and duties.

Mr. Clemente is also the President of Rajah Tours Philippines, the official partner of the Consulate for the Very Important Pinoy (2019 Ambassadors’ Tour) which will be held on 14-21 July 2019. Thirty (30) Fil-Ams from New York area will join the tour.

Also present during the meeting was Consul Arman R. Talbo, Post’s Economic Officer. n

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Consul General Claro S. Cristobal (right) and Consul Arman R. Talbo (left) welcome Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) President Jose C. Clemente III to the Philippine Consulate.

Photo by NYPCG

12

Community Journal

June 14-20, 2019 • neW YORK AnD neW JeRSeY ASIAn JOuRnAL

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette aDeva Maglaya EMMA looked down at the busy huddle in the operating room. She was floating, hovering above the doctors and nurses in their blood spattered scrub suits while working on someone. They were desperately trying to bring a patient back to life. Emma took a closer look. “Why that’s me,” she thought.

The doctors were trying to bring her back from the brink.

Her vital signs were weakening. If the monitor flat lined, Emma knew she would be gone for good. There seems to be a thin silver thread that still anchors her to her body but the physical life force is ebbing away fast. She remembered being in a car accident. Emma was only 42.

“Go back,” she seemed to hear someone tell her but there was no sound. Emma felt so light, so free. She hadn’t felt this wonderful in a long time.

A feeling of wellbeing was engulfing her. She was in a tunnel and a white speck of light glowed at the end. There was a being of light in the distance.

She began moving towards it.

Suddenly, she felt the grief of her husband and her two young children weighing down on her. She caught a glimpse of them in the hospital waiting room. Matt, the younger one, has his face pressed against the windowpane staring out through the glass at the pouring rain. Her heart was filled with love for them. They still need her. “Go back. It’s not yet time,” she seemed to hear the gentle voice once more although there was no one and there was no sound. And Emma did. She heard one of the doctors say to her, “Welcome back.”

NDE: Near death experience Back from the brink

Emma knew her life, what remained of it, was never going to be the same again. Emma is only one of several millions the world over who have come back from the edge of death, having gone through what is called NDE or Near Death Experience.

Are you afraid of death? I am. I suppose so do most of humankind through most of history.

In Greek mythology, the Fates represented by 3 women named, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos determined a person’s destiny upon birth. Clotho is the spinner who spins the thread of life and Lachesis is the measurer who chooses a man’s lot in life and how long it is to be. Atropos is the most dreaded one. It is she who decided how and when a man is to die, using her large, sharp, unrelenting scissors to cut off the thread of life. No one, not even the Gods at Olympus trifled with her.

Should we fear death? Stories abound that tell of those who have gone through NDE that strongly indicate that there is grace in dying. There is strong evidence of life beyond death and that the act of dying is transitioning into that life.

In almost all cases of NDE, people relate of feeling weightless, floating and hovering above looking down at their own bodies and even seeing how doctors, nurses and technicians struggle to bring them back from the brink.

They are literally hanging on by a thread. It is an out of body experience and that there exists a thin silver iridescent cord that still connects them to their own bodies. If that cord is cut, it means that they are now truly physically dead and that they will continue on to the afterlife with no more chance of coming back to their

previous physical life.

Many of those who have gone though NDE report that there is that feeling of being drawn into a tunnel. There is the presence of a strong, white, comforting light at the end of it. The light appears small and as they progress through the tunnel, it becomes a strong being of light filled with love and compassion.

Many report of meeting deceased relatives. Many go through a flashback of powerful memories like a review of their life, both good and bad.

Above all, there seems to be an overwhelming feeling of release from all the constraints of their physical lives.

For some, the decision to return is theirs to make. For others, the decision has already been made that their time to die hasn’t come yet and that they must go back.

An unfinished business or a strong emotional attachment can make some go back and resume living.

The impact of NDE is life changing. Documentation for those who have been declared clinically dead and have come back to resume living shows that those who have seen a glimpse of life beyond death undergo profound changes.

Many have changed their view of life for the better. Some have a better appreciation of life becoming more kind, compassionate and considerate of others.

For others, there is a renewed sense of purpose and a reordering of life’s priorities.

Some have even gone on to develop a sense of spirituality convinced that their new lease on life tells them that they were made for something more.

But not all stories of NDE are the same. It seems that for some on the dark side, the PAGE 15

they are applying for. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York.

All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and reenactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

COINED by dietician Dawn Jackson Blatner in her 2009 book, Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life, the flexitarian diet is a one that encourages mostly plantbased dishes while allowing some meat and other animal products in moderation. This is more flexible than fully vegetarian or vegan diets. While it is healthy, it also reduces its negative environmental impact of unrestricted meat diets, as agriculture is responsible for about 25 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Sample guideline for flexitarian diet: For beginners: 6-8 meatless meals in 21 total meals each week; Advanced: 9-14 meatless meals in 21 total meals per week; and, Expert: 15 or more meatless meals in 21 total meals per week.

In a large 10-year study presented at the American Heart Association convention in 2015, flexitarian diet was found to reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke in more than 250,000 Europeans.

Those who ate at least 70 percent of plant-based foods had a 20-percent lower risk from cardiac disease. Since eating vegetables also reduces the risk for cancers, especially of the colon and rectum, flexitarian diet is certainly a delightful option for those who could not stay away from red meat.

Surreptitious gadgets It is scary to know that thieves can easily “steal” the electronic signal that opens your car door and garage doors. This is a situation where wonderful advances in science is used in a criminal way to victimize fellow human beings.

A “gadget” could be purchased today which capture, copy, and save the “sound signal” when you press your car or garage door opener, while a prediction, warranty, guarantee or the thief lurks around nearby, legal advice regarding the outcome unbeknownst to you. When of your legal matter. No attorneyyou leave your car or garage, client relationship is, or shall be, the perpetrator uses the gadestablished with any reader. get and breaks in to your car WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com or home and steal all he/she Fo l l o w u s o n Fa c e b o o k . wants. For years now, my com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @ wife, Farida, and I, never used GurfinkelLaw our remote car door opener.

Call Toll free to schedule a We have been unlocking and consultation for anywhere in the locking our door the old fashUS: ion way, manually. It is now a 1-866-487-3465 habit. For the garage door, we (866) – GURFINKEL turn off the electrical switch at Four offices to serve you: night, or when we leave for a LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ vacation, exiting through the NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES front door. Of course, cellular

US Embassy still open, despite USCIS...

PAGE 11 such as filing at the Chicago lockbox, etc. Therefore, with the reduction of workload, USCIS decided, perhaps for budgetary reasons, to close their Manila field office.

To summarize, the U.S. Embassy remains open and will continue to handle the processing and issuance of visas, U.S. passport services, etc. This means people can still apply for a visitor’s visa, other non-immigrant visas, immigrant visas, and U.S. passports at the U.S. Embassy, provided they are eligible for the benefit

Health@Heart

(Advertising Supplement)

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Flexitarian diet home security alarm system, including wireless Ring Doorbell system and/or CCTV help secure homes.

Another surreptitious “gadget,” a Radio-frequency ID Reader (RFID Reader) could reportedly enable a thief to steal your credit card data by merely coming very close to you. The data are instantaneously loaded to a computer or a cellphone. The “reader” is similar to the bar code reader at stores’ checkout counters or the scanners at the airport when boarding a flight.

Criminals no longer have to steal your wallet or runaway with ladies’ purses. The thieves are now high tech and sophisticated. They now steal by electronic pickpocketing.

The victims only discover what happened when they receive their credit card statement from their bank, or a notice from the government that someone tried to use their passport.

ATM skimming is popular fraud. There was a time when thieves simply attached a small camera by the ATM units to videotape credit card data, including the PIN. Today, they want a much larger loot, so they get data from dozens of credit cards and consolidate them to be able to make much larger withdrawals.

What I have done to protect my credit cards, driver’s license, and passport was to improvise. It is easy to do. Get two business cards, or cut two pieces of cardboard no thicker than your credit card. Put the two pieces end to end, with ¼ of an inch space between them, on top of a foot of aluminum foil. Roll-wrap them “as one” in 3 layers of aluminum foil all around them, providing six layers of protection on either side. The credit cards and driver’s license, will be sandwiched between these two when they are put back in the wallet or purse. Do the same for the passport. Simple, practically free, and effective.

There are now vendors selling RFID protector sleeves or wallets on the internet. Some of them use aluminum foil, others, thin metals, like stainless steel sheets.

The government and banks are now well aware of electronic fraud and are finding ways to foil crooks. Hackers and scammers can also gain access to your personal data in your laptop when you connect to the internet in public places. The gravest tragedy is identity theft, which could ruin one’s life.

Here are some helpful

tips: If you have RFID credit cards, driver’s license, passport, etc., buy RFID shields or improvise RFID blockers using aluminum foil; Each family member using the same credit card account must inform the others as to their purchases, amount and date; Thoroughly check your monthly credit card statements and ATM account; or, call the customer service number printed at the back of the credit card to obtain purchases and balance updates; When you get a call from “your bank,” get the name and position of the caller and say you would call back later. Dial the customer service number at the back of the credit card to confirm.

Power off the garage door opener, especially at night or before going out of town. With the electrical switch off, the remote opener will not work; It is more secure not to use remote control to unlock or lock the car; Do not open and immediately trash all emails sent by people you do not recognize, no matter how tempting the subject might be; When you receive an email from a familiar name telling you a sob story of being robbed of his wallet, stranded overseas peniless, and requesting you to send money, call and talk to your friend or relative to confirm. Chances are this is a fraudulent email, using a familiar email address to victimize you; Never give out your username or PIN or password, or key code to anyone, even if the call is from “your bank.” Bank personnel and online vendor clerks are prohibited from asking for such confidential data.

When you receive an email which states you won in a lottery, or millions of dollars are awaiting transfer to your bank account, trash it right away.

Do not even send a reply, otherwise you will only be giving them, and confirming, your email address.

When emailing, it is more secure for everyone concerned to use the BCC, instead of the Send or CC when typing down the email address(es) of your contact(s).

Facebook, Tweeter, and other social network sites are dangerous sites to post private matters and personal data.

They are not secure sites.

Constant awareness, vigilance, carefulness, and common sense are the most efPAGE 15

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people events arts culture entertainment

ESQUIRE MAGAZINE’S BEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA 2018

Karenderya’s journey and how a national magazine played a major part in it BY

MOMAR G. VISAYA/ AJPRESS

KARENDERYA, a Filipinoinspired restaurant, opened its doors in the suburban village of Nyack in July 2017.

Last November, the fast casual restaurant was named in Esquire Magazine’s Best New Restaurants in America 2018 list.

According to Esquire, “In the future, we pray, thousands of small towns in America will have Filipino restaurants as excellent as this one, with adobo pork belly braised to crispy meltiness atop garlic rice, and shrimp aswim in a coconut broth that tastes like French cream, and a cassava-jackfruit cake that comes across like a

Pork ribs sinigang

cobbler in which the topping and the filling have magically merged, and a smart beer list that highlights the best of Hudson Valley breweries.”

The owners, Paolo Garcia Mendoza and Cheryl Baun, were beyond thrilled.

“That was completely crazy, totally unexpected,” Cheryl said, remembering the moment. “It was a validation, not that we needed one because we’ve known that this food is good all along. Not our food in particular but Filipino food in general. It feels like a win for our culture and for Filipino food.”

Indeed, chalk it up as a major win.

Business tripled, quadrupled even as people began to flock to Karenderya to see what the fuss was about. How could this small gem of an eatery in Nyack nab a place in the esteemed magazine’s Best New Restaurants in America list?

But first we asked them, how did it happen?

Jeff Gordinier, the food and drinks editor of Esquire, is a local in the area and he went to the restaurant.

“I recognized when he first came in because I follow him on Instagram,” Cheryl recalled.

“He did introduce himself, he

Bicol express

Shrimp adobo

Kare-kare

The husband and wife team of Cheryl Baun and Paolo Mendoza AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya

A delightful spread at Karenderya: P.E.I. Mussels in San Miguel Beer broth, bamboo shoots, ginger and grape tomatoes; pan-seared asparagus with sour cream bagoong dressing and lumpiang shanghai.

when it came out,” she remarked. “It’s still so hard to believe.”

They were expecting a restaurant listing, or maybe even a part of a feature on Hudson Valley restaurants. What they did not expect at all was their Karenderya being named as one of the Best New Restaurants in America for 2018.

“It’s a big deal, a huge deal.

Isipin mo, hindi lang New York City, or Hudson Valley ang coverage, hindi lang east coast.

It’s the whole America!,” Paolo exclaimed.

After Esquire “We see more Filipinos now that we have gotten some attention,” Cheryl said smiling.

“It almost seems like it is more validation for the Filipinos who might have been skeptical.”

The restaurant’s clientele has always been very diverse, from locals who were not familiar with the food at first, to regulars who come from the neighborhood, to day trippers from New York and New Jersey who make the drive during the weekends.

Growing roots More than two years ago, Cheryl and Paolo decided to AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya open a space in Nyack, a vil-

was a very friendly guy and we started chatting. The restaurant wasn’t busy at the time so we talked about the food and it was a nice conversation.”

That was the end of it, or so she thought. Here was a nice guy with his family eating our food.

“It never occurred to us that he would ever write about us.

The best that I hoped for was maybe he would post something on Instagram. I would have been so happy with that,” Cheryl shared.

A few months later, the magazine contacted them for a possible feature.

“That was a huge shock

One of their bestsellers is the pork ribs adobo, served here with a boiled egg and achara.

lage in Rockland County that is about 20 miles north of Manhattan. Paolo as the chef would be in charge of the kitchen while Cheryl would handle some of the business and management side, including building a strong community-based presence for their restaurant.

Cheryl grew up in the Rockland County area while Paolo grew up in Pasay City, Manila.

“We chose this town because it is a very artsy town. We knew that if we were to open a restaurant, it would be here in Nyack.

Parang ito yung Brooklyn ng Rockland County,” they said.

They chose the name as homage to the Filipino carinderia, which are market or roadside eateries in the Philippines.

Calamansi juice with basil seeds

The couple saw that opening a Filipino restaurant in the area is an opportunity for them “to share our food, but more than that, we want it to be a gatherPAGE 15

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Bb. Pilipinas Int’l Patch Magtanong Karenderya’s journey and how a... shares bar exam tips

by HannaH

Mallorca Inquirer.net

BINIBINING Pilipinas International 2019 Bea Patricia “Patch” Magtanong, who happens to be a lawyer, answered queries from those wondering about how she prepared for the bar examinations.

Magtanong shared a list of readings and resources via Instagram Stories on Thursday, June 13. She also expressed openness to answering more bar-related questions.

“Happy bar review season!

Been getting questions about the references I used,” the beauty queen said. “I generally only used one reviewer, did two reads, made notes in index cards to go over during preweek, plus read the codals.

Good luck!!”

Magtanong was among the passers of the 2018 bar exams before she was crowned in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant on June 9.

The beauty queen earned her law degree from the University of the Philippines last Binibining Pilipinas International 2019 Bea Patricia Magtanong year. n

Photo from Instagram/@patchmag

Eddie Garcia might be taken off life support by ricky lo Philstar.com

MORE than 96 hours after the accident on the Tondo set of a GMA 7 soap last Saturday noon, Eddie Garcia has remained comatose and is dramatically deteriorating even if he has been on life support machine at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Makati Medical Center (MCC) where he was transferred early on Sunday morning, June 9, from the Mary Johnston Hospital.

Eddie and co-stars playing cops, among them Jestoni Alarcon and Romnick Sarmenta, were shooting a gunfight scene against goons. In the ABS-CBN series “FPJ’s Ang Probisyano,” Eddie’s role as mafia head Don Emilio is mostly “sedentary” so he isn’t made to move a lot.

At MCC, Eddie was placed under a 48-hour “critical observation” and The Star sources said that as of press time, he was unresponsive, practically brain dead, even if his heart continues to function normally. His condition was described as “Glasgow coma, the lowest rate.”

“He was declared DOA (Dead On Arrival) at the first hospital,” said Eddie’s long-time partner of 33 years Lillibeth Romero who was talking to The Star about the tragic incident for the first time. “I learned that when he stumbled on a cable wire and hit his head on the pavement, he broke his spinal cord. It was the ‘freakest’ of accidents that could have been prevented.”

During the confusion at Mary Johnston, Lillibeth’s son Nikki Romero was swamped with inquiries about what really happened and said it could have been a heart attack, which was later corrected after doctors at Mary Johnston checked Eddie and said he didn’t suffer a heart attack at all. GMA 7 sources issued what was purported to be

Eddie Garcia with Lillibeth Romero, his partner of 33 years, during a showbiz affair.

Philstar.com photo by Ver Paulino

an “official family statement” based on what Nikki said, only to clarify in a succeeding statement that it was investigating what really happened despite a graphic video clip that went viral only minutes after the accident.

“Eddie was revived at Mary Johnston and moved to Makati Med where my uncle, Dr. Enrique Lagman, confirmed that he suffered neither a heart attack nor an aneurism,” added Lillibeth who has booked a room so she could watch over Eddie and entertain visiting friend and relatives. “I was asked if I wanted to have Eddie resuscitated but I bided my time.

I might make a decision this afternoon.”

Although she said that she was not blaming anybody for the accident and was even thanking the people who lifted (the unconscious) Eddie from the pavement and carried him to a passing cab, Lillibeth said that (the GMA 7) management should have assigned a medic or a standby vehicle on the set.

She was saddened by the fact that nobody from GMA 7 was “manning the set” and noted that some of those who helped Eddie had no shirt on, obviously

bystanders.

“I was told that the accident happened on the third shoot of the same scene from another angle,” related Lillibeth, “and they should have checked the condition of the street and if cable wires were scattered all around. It was an accident that could have been prevented.”

As of Thursday afternoon, June 13, Lillibeth hadn’t talked with the GMA 7 management yet.

Lillibeth recalled that Eddie left home at 5 o’clock that Saturday morning after a breakfast of cereals and bananas.

“He reminded the maid to wake him up at 4 o’clock. At the breakfast table, I even kidded him, ‘Uy, you will be the earliest to arrive on the set again ha. He was never late, always the first to arrive on the set, always prepared for the day’s shoot.”

A few hours later, according to Lillibeth, she called Eddie’s driver and bodyguard to check if Eddie was waiting for a “take” at a comfortable place. It was so hot and the shoot was done outdoors on Vitas St. in Tondo.

“I rest assured when they told me that Eddie was in an air-conditioned tent.”

Lillibeth revealed that Eddie was in the pink of health since they undergo executive checkup once every three months.

“His blood pressure and blood sugar were normal,” said Lillibeth, “and he even campaigned (for a party list) in last May 13 elections, staying under the oppressive sun for hours. I was with him, prepared with towels, drinks and sandwiches.

So I was devastated when I saw that accident on the video clip.

And it had to happen in line of work! I saw the video only once and I don’t want to see it again.”

Asked if she felt any premonition, Lillibeth said no. n

PAGE 14 ing place.”

That is how Karenderya has been in the past year, a place where people would come in and have a full experience, eat well, enjoy the food and feel the welcoming space. It is a place where couples can have drinks and still bring their kids, they can eat and linger if they want while the kids play in one corner.

“We serve the food that we love. If you’re Filipino and you look at our menu, you’d see a lot of things that are familiar.

Occasionally, you’ll see some things with a twist,” Cheryl said.

On their menu are silog bowls, from the traditional tapa and longganisa to chicken tocino and pork ribs adobo. For first timers who are not familiar with Filipino food, these dishes can be served as a sandwich and they will get the same full Filipino flavors.

Paolo previously worked in fine dining restaurants and he knew that when he opened his own, it would be relaxed, casual and comfortable place for everyone to enjoy, including families with small children.

He insists on serving some

traditional dishes and mixes it up with his creations. An example of this would be their pork ribs sinigang. It does not look like sinigang at all but when you taste it, all the flavors of the dish are there.

His secret for the dish? No sinigang mixes, he uses tamarind puree, which makes the broth a little darker. He sears off the meat as well, which gives it the dark brown color and more flavor.

“I have to give props to Cendrillon because they were the first ones to do this. I don’t want to use the word elevate.

Sila yung pioneers ng modern Filipino cuisine,” Paolo said.

Karenderya is Paolo’s first Asian restaurant. He previously worked in restaurants that focused on French and new American cuisine and his last job was a sous chef at Roost, a restaurant in Rockland. He also interned at Tabla, owned

by Floyd Cardoz.

When he started studying culinary arts at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in 2003, Cendrillon was the only Filipino restaurant in the city and as early as then, Paolo has dreamt of opening his own Filipino place some day.

Years later, Maharlika and Jeepney opened and people started talking about Filipino food. He knew the timing was good. He quit his job and they opened Karenderya.

Two years in and the couple are working extra hard to keep the restaurant running. They know that it is a tough business, and they are prepared.

The couple is thankful that Esquire played a major role in their journey so far and made things a tad easier for them.

From “getting work permits, paper work, food cost and providing high quality dishes to handling staff and customers,” Cheryl and Paolo’s hands are full, facing day to day operational challenges.

“People ask us ‘when are you opening in this place or that place’ and we don’t really think of it that way. We just try to think of how to make this the best that it can be. You can always make something better.

Our guess our dream for this restaurant is to just be the best in that, and make sure that people have a great experience from the moment they walk through the door and the time they leave,” Cheryl said. n

PAGE 12 fective anti-fraud, anti-theft “tools” we have at our disposal. A bit of “healthy paranoia” might also keep us more on our toes.

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow

of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

Flexitarian diet

***

NDE: Near death experience

PAGE 12 experience is totally different.

Some report of the presence of a dark void and all the chillingly cold, negative, consuming energies of such emotions as seething anger, loathing and arrogance swirling about in a thick, dark, putrid cloud, the complete antithesis of the typical NDE experience of light.

This story is more like horror.

Just as there are good people and bad people, the nature of the near death experience seems to be a direct and proportionate result of the collective, aggregate choices each one makes through life.

Remember the movie Ghost?

The merciless murderer Willie, was on his way to commit another contract murder, when he is confronted by the invisible energy of the spooky, rampaging spirit of Sam whom he murdered earlier for money. He suddenly flees and in his haste, is run over by a car and dies

on the spot. The murderer’s spirit rises from his body as he realizes he is dead. His soul, however, is instantly shackled and suctioned off screaming into the void by howling, hooded, dark, macabre, misshapen creatures rising like toxic fumes and disappearing just as suddenly from the sewers of New York City. That is, perhaps, a glimpse of what it must be like to truly die and go to hell.

When the other kind of NDE happens, some report that there is no concept of space or time at all. There is neither beginning nor end.

Communication with beings of light or deceased relatives who may accompany the dying is telepathic. There is no sound and no need for words.

Many of those who have nearly died and allowed to come back to live out the rest of their lives express a reluc-

tance to return to their previous physical lives. But there was a strong pull, a tug from their earthly life that made them do a U-turn, at least for the time being.

What is stunning is this.

Nearly all those who have had an encounter with death and did come back to resume their lives claim they no longer fear death. The fear of death is no more. Death for them has become a door one must pass to enter a more beautiful, enticing reality full of love and mercy.

What most have learned from their brush with death is startlingly simple. LOVE, they profess, is the most important thing in this earthly life — giving it, accepting it and learning from it. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

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