062619 - Southern California Midweek Edition

June 26-28, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 49 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages

Duterte apologizes to Filipino fi shermen, seeks DATELINE USA Trump delays ICE raids joint investigation into Recto Bank incident two weeks unless FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

Congress finds solution

OVER the weekend, President Donald Trump cancelled the massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids of undocumented immigrants that were scheduled for Sunday, June 23.

Trump’s reversal came hours before the planned raids, which were scheduled in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City and San Francisco.

The raids were meant to target roughly 2,000 undocumented immigrants who have already been ordered to be deported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the illegal immigration removal process (Deportation) for two weeks to see if Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border. If not, Deportations start!” the president tweeted on Saturday.

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US lauds Philippines for anti-trafficking campaign THE United States’ Department of State has acknowledged the contribution of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the campaign against human trafficking that enabled the Philippines to retain for the fourth consecutive year its Tier 1 rating in the U.S. government’s human trafficking index for 2019.

“The Government of the Philippines fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period; therefore the Philippines remained on Tier 1,” the report said.

A Tier 1 rating means the Philippine government continues to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts to combat human trafficking.

The Philippines joins 32 others nations in the Tier 1 ranking, which include the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Israel, South Korea and France, among others.

In its recently released 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP), the U.S. State Department cited the BI Travel Control and Enforcement Unit for its efforts to combat human trafficking, which deferred the departure of 24,753 passengers due to incomplete or missing travel documents or mis-

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Members of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) hold a protest rally on Monday, June 24 in Manila to denounce what they call President Rodrigo Duterte’s “insulting” remarks that the sinking of the Philippine fishing boat by a Chinese trawler at Recto Bank was just a “little maritime incident.”

Inquirer.net photo by Earvin Perias

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, June 24 apologized to the 22 Filipino fishermen involved in the Recto Bank event with a Chinese vessel, but downplayed it as a “maritime incident.”

“Well I’m sorry but that’s how it is. It is a maritime incident. Little in the sense that there was no confrontation, there was no bloody violence,” Duterte told reporters in Mandaluyong City.

The president added that it was not enough to justify sending troops to the scene.

“Di kung gusto mo na gumanti doon…(If you want vengeance). That is not a reason to go to any military exercise there. Pag ginawa mo ‘yan, giyera ‘yan (If you do that, that’s

war). So I’m sorry if ‘yun ang feeling nila (that’s what they feel),” he said.

Last week, Duterte responded to those who criticized his soft stance by saying that he was not afraid of China but did not want to enter an armed conflict with the country.

“Hindi ako takot sa China. Takot ako na baka walang kalaban-laban tayo at baka tayo ang maubos (I’m not afraid of China. I am afraid that we might turn out to be helpless and just get wiped out),” he said on Thursday, June 20.

Conflicting stories from both the Philippine and Chinese governments about the June 9 Recto Bank incident have been released.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said a Chinese vessel hit and eventually sunk the boat carrying 22 Filipino fishermen

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UN rights chief closely monitoring Philippine human rights situation

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE number of deaths associated with the Philippine government’s anti-drug campaign continue to be a concern for the United Nations’ human rights body, its chief revealed at the Human Rights Council on Monday, June 24.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, in her opening statement at the 41st session of the Human Rights Council, expressed concern over the “extraordinarily high number of deaths” and “persis- United Nations High Commistent reports of extrajudicial sioner for Human Rights Michelle Photo from UN.org killings” since Philippine Bachelet President Rodrigo Duterte took office on June 30, 2016.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) recently revealed that 6,600 “drug personalities” have been killed in law enforcement operations since Duterte assumed his post until May 31, 2019. However, human rights watchdogs estimate more than 27,000 deaths have occurred since June 2016.

It also announced that 240,565 drug personalities were arrested in 153,276 police operations nationwide with 1,283,409 surrendering in the same period.

“Even the officially confirmed number of 5,425

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BIMP-EAGA LEADERS. President Rodrigo R. Duterte poses with leaders from the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines - East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) during the 13th BIMP-EAGA Summit at The Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday, June 23. Duterte called for the establishment of a facilitation center within BIMP-EAGA that would make the sub-regional cooperation bloc “more responsive and resilient in view of the dynamism within the region.”

Malacañang photo by Simeon Celi Jr.

Following Eddie Garcia’s death, lawmakers propose bill to protect actors at work the bill’s proponent, said the proposal will be called the “EdPARTY-LIST lawmakers in the die Garcia Law,” or the Actors’ Philippine House of Represen- Occupational Safety and Health tatives will be filing a bill next Standard Bill. month that seeks workplace Romero said this is his way of safety protocols for television putting a bigger meaning to his and movie productions to avoid late stepfather’s death. accidents similar to the one that “I expect more than 100 of my led to the death of multi-awarded fellow legislators to cosign the veteran actor Eddie Garcia. bill with me. And [I] likewise ex1-Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, pect the Senate, through [Senate

by AJPRESS

President Vicente] ‘Tito’ Sotto, to do the counterpart bill,” he added.

Romero explained that the bill will be “a means to safeguard the welfare and well being of all actors working in the television and/or in the movie industries.”

The Eddie Garcia Bill will provide: 1. Mandatory actors and production insurance; 2. Specif-

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Philippine Sen. Hontiveros speaks about maritime incident, political activism during visit with LA Fil-Am community

by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

CARSON, Calif. — Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros met with local Filipino Americans at the city’s Civic Center on Sunday, June 23 to share updates on the recent midterm elections and answer questions.

Her visit came after she voiced concerns last week over the possibility of a joint Philippine-China investigation of the recent maritime mishap in which a Chinese vessel collided with 22 Filipino fishermen aboard their wooden fishing boats in the disputed Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros held a town hall meeting with the Filipino American community in Carson, California South China Sea. on Sunday, June 23.

AJPress photo by Rae Ann Varona

The incident sparked outrage after the Chinese fishermen left the Filipino crew sinking in open waters. The 22 Filipino crewmen were later rescued by a passing Vietnam vessel.

Many have criticized Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte — a proponent of a joint investigation — for not taking the collision more seriously.

On Sunday, Hontiveros opened up her talk by describing the “hit-andrun” maritime incident as a “perfect metaphor for the state of affairs in the Philippines.”

“Those 22 Filipino fishers are the Filipino people first victimized by the

brute aggression of stronger forces and then made to suffer further from the callousness of those who should have come to their aid the hit-andrun,” said Hontiveros.

“How can you do a joint investigation with a country that made up this fantastic fib that seven or eight of our low-lying bamboo and wooden vessels swarmed and were harassing high steel reinforced Chinese vessel and that it accidentally bumped one of them causing it to sink, but then they were afraid to rescue our fishermen because we would harass them

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A June 26-28, 2019 • SoCal ASIAn JOuRnAL

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From the Front Page

UN rights chief closely monitoring Philippine...

PAGE A1 deaths would be a matter of most serious concern for any country,” Bachelet said.

The Philippine government, for its part, reiterated that extrajudicial killings are not state policy and that law enforcement operations are done according to due process. It also said it recognizes and upholds human

rights; allegations of abuse are merely attempts at smearing the reputation of the Duterte administration.

Taking action UN special rapporteurs have called for the UN Human Rights Council to launch an independent probe into the deterioration of human rights in the Philippines as well as take action on

the alleged attacks on human rights defenders and independent watchdog institutions.

Bachelet, who welcomed the special rapporteurs’ call for a probe, said: “There should also be comprehensive and transparent information from the authorities on the circumstances around the deaths and investigations related to allegations of violations. These could dispel any false allegations and help regain trust for the authorities.”

However, the Philippines said the call was made “in bad faith by parties who want to undermine domestic processes and spread disinformation, on the basis of one-sided reports coming from questionable sources.”

According to the Palace, the special rapporteurs were “foreign propagandists masquerading as human rights protectors.”

In response, Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo this week said that one or two of them have “tried this [tack] using some gullible if not biased local and foreign media sowing the seeds of negative force and perpetuating them.”

“They used the art of continuing miscommunication to clothe them with believability,” he added.

‘Not too late’ Bachelet noted how human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, priests and others who have spoken out against the administration’s policies have been threatened by government officials.

“This creates a very real risk of violence against them, and undermines rule of law, as well as the right to freedom of expression,” she said.

But according to the Human Rights Watch, it is not yet too late for the UN member states to prevent killings in the Philippines.

“UN member states stood by while thousands were killed, but it’s not too late for them to act to prevent the killing of thousands more,” said Laila Matar, HRW deputy director for the UN, in a statement on Monday.

“When the council convenes in Geneva today, they have an opportunity to do just that—by urgently establishing an international investigation,” she added. n

ORIENTATION. Newly-elected Senators (from left) Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Imee Marcos and Francis Tolentino attend an orientation seminar at the Philippine Senate Tuesday, June 25, to familiarize themselves with the institution’s organizational structure.

Senate photo by Joseph Vidal

Duterte apologizes to Filipino fishermen...

PAGE A1 in the open sea.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy claimed that around seven or eight Filipino fishing boats “besieged” the Chinese vessel, which presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo raised doubts about.

Panelo in an interview with CNN Philippines said, “First of all, how can that be? [That] they will be besieged, when the boat was hit and the Filipino fishermen were clinging onto the almost submerged boat. So it’s unclear – their imagination.”

He continued, “For one, there is only one vessel. But I understand they were 19 boats, 19

fishermen’s boats. There was a mother vessel, but there were 19 spread out there. So, my question is: is that what they were referring to?” he said.

Number two, if that’s what you’re saying, is that valid enough [to] justify to leave the fisherman in distress? That’s the next question.”

Citing Article 98 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Panelo pointed out that any fishing vessel should rescue “a vessel in distress or passengers needing help, and if does not endanger yourselves.”

According to the Palace official, the Chinese vessel’s aban-

donment of the Filipino fishermen was “condemnable.”

“It’s condemnable. Because human decency should make you help someone in distress. If you hit someone and you’re in the water, why wouldn’t you help them?” Panelo said.

The spokesperson earlier said that Duterte was seeking a joint investigation into the incident.

“A joint and impartial investigation will not only promote the expedient resolution of the issue, it will also be in accordance with international law...which places paramount emphasis on the use of peaceful means to resolve international disputes,” Panelo said. n

Following Eddie Garcia’s death, lawmakers...

PAGE A1 ic working hours for a) below 18 years old, b) 18-59 years old and c) 60 years old and above (senior citizen); 3. Medical and safety procedures on the production set and within its area of responsibility; 4. Mandatory installation of safety officers within its area of responsibility; 5. Emergency standards and procedures; and 6. Penalties and liabilities for violation.

Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy previously announced that the Partylist Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCFI) would nominate Garcia for National Artist.

“The man and his legacy stand for what is beautiful and true about Philippine art, specifically in film and television,” she said.

The proposal, instituting workplace safety protocols in television and movie production, will be called the “Eddie Garcia Law,” or the Actors’ Occupational Safety and Health Standard Bill, according to the proponent, Rep. Mikee Romero (inset) of 1-Pacman party list.

Inquirer.net photos

Garcia on June 8 tripped on cable wires while taping a scene for his upcoming GMA-7 television series in Tondo, Manila. He

remained in a coma for nearly two weeks before he died on June 20 at the age of 90. n

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Dateline USa

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNe 26-28, 2019

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PH loses P68.5-B annually to illegal fishing - USAid THE Philippines loses nearly P68.5 billion annually to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, according to U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Environment Office chief John Edgar.

The United Nations also said that the Philippines’ fish production is on the decline due to competition from China and Vietnam.

Approximately 60 percent of Filipinos live in coastal zones and depend on coastal resources for their livelihood.

These resources are threatened by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) loses nearly P68.5 billion a year to these harmful fishing practices.

WATER FESTIVAL. Despite the scarcity of water being experienced in Metro Manila, thousands of San Juan City residents participate in the “Basaan Two million people who depend Watercade” along Pinaglabanan St. on Monday, June 24. The dousing of water from fire trucks and water guns remains the most popular activity on fisheries for food and income in the “Wattah Wattah San Juan Festival 2019” held in honor of the city’s patron saint, St. John the Baptist.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon stand to benefit from the United

States and the Philippines’ P1.3billion Fish Right project.

The U.S. government, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture’s BFAR, launched last year the Fish Right project.

The five-year USAID project focuses on addressing biodiversity threats, improving marine ecosystem governance and increasing the number and weight of fish in the Calamianes Island group, Visayan seas and South Negros.

The partnership is expected to benefit two million people who depend on these resources for food and income.

Agriculture Undersecretary and BFAR director Eduardo Gongona reiterated the Philippine government’s commitment to marine protection and sustainable fisheries.

Since the 1990s, USAID has supported the Philippine govern-

ment’s marine and biodiversity conservation efforts. This partnership has resulted in a 24 percent increase in fish biomass – or the number and size of fish – in target regions.

To build on this success and face the continued challenges of overfishing, the USAID Fish Right project aims to increase fish biomass and strengthen management of more than 2.5 million hectares of marine area.

(With a report from Pia Lee-Brago/Philstar.com)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY IFB Trump delays ICE raids two weeks unless Congress... US lauds Philippines for anti-trafficking... NO. PO783R-20 PROVISION OF WOOD TIES

PAGE A1 Democrats have been urging the White House to cancel or delay the raids since the Trump administration began considering deporting migrant families last month. Mayors, governors and other public officials have been calling on the Trump Administration to halt the raids, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (DCA) who made a last-ditch effort on Saturday to get the president to reverse the order.

“Tomorrow is Sunday, and as many people of faith attend religious services, the President has ordered heartless raids,” Pelosi wrote on Saturday. “It is my hope that before Sunday, leaders of the faith-based community and other organizations that respect the dignity and worth of people

will call upon the President to stop this brutal action that will tear families apart and inject terror into our communities.”

Pelosi also denounced the president’s original order for mass deportations for lacking “distinction between a status violation and committing a serious crime.”

Trump said that he’ll delay the raids for two weeks or until Congress compromises on a solution for the U.S. asylum claims program at the border.

On the chances that Congress could arrive at a consensus, Trump said, “[It] probably won’t happen but worth a try. Two weeks and big Deportation begins!”

Many of the cities listed that are so-called “sanctuary cities”

like Los Angeles have denounced the raids and offered support to at-risk families.

“No Angeleno should ever have to fear being snatched from their home or separated from their loved ones — we are doing everything we can to provide immigrant families with info and support,” LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

In a separate statement, the LA Police Department said it would not participate or help enforce ICE’s deportation efforts or inquiries.

Those who have deportation orders or are at-risk of being detained by federal immigration officials are encouraged to seek legal advice on how to move forward. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

Philippine Sen. Hontiveros speaks about maritime...

PAGE A1 again?” asked Hontiveros, adding that the video footage “put the lies to rest.”

“How can you expect another government, which lied about the incident at the outset, to be an honest broker at the table and to really search for the truth and seek to make reparation for the incident?” she continued. “Let them do their own investigation.”

Hontiveros’ visit also came a month after the 2019 midterm election, which she described as

a “critical turning point” in the Philippine political landscape.

Hontiveros — who was elected to the Senate in 2016 — also voiced concern on the outlook of the Philippines under the current administration.

“The systematic deliberate targeted assault on Democracy by the administration was set in motion far long before that,” said Hontiveros.

Since Duterte’s election in 2016, critics have accused his administration of actively silencing his political opponents.

In 2017, Senator Leila De Lima — an outspoken critic of Duterte — was jailed on charges of being linked to drug trade while serving as justice secretary. Critics of the administration argue that charges were based solely on the testimonies of convicted drug lords.

Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was removed from the country’s highest court last year on grounds that she allegedly failed to fully disclose her wealth from years preceding her PAGE A4

PAGE A1 representation.

It added that the BI also referred 286 potential cases of suspected trafficking to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Task Force for further investigation, identified 286 potential victims of trafficking and arrested nine suspected traffickers.

The BI also stopped 199 foreign registered sex offenders from entering the country last year.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente urged BI personnel in different ports to “remain vigilant as there is no sign that these human trafficking syndicates who prey on the poor, including minors, will stop their nefarious activities.”

BI Port Operations Division (POD) chief Grifton Medina said the TIP report would “inspire and motivate POD personnel manning the ports to sustain their efforts in fighting human trafficking.”

Medina added that more than 10,000 travelers were stopped from leaving the country from January to April this year, mostly for having incomplete travel papers and questionable purpose in going abroad.

The U.S. report also lauded the efforts of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), which, it said, investigated 278 cases of

alleged illegal recruitment and recommended 123 cases for filing in the courts.

The Philippine government reported 11 convictions, compared to eight convictions in 2017 out of 309 investigations.

The POEA filed 1,432 administrative charges against licensed recruitment agencies for fraudulent deployment or exorbitant fees, resulting in the cancellation of licenses of 40 agencies.

The POEA also reviewed 30 bilateral and multilateral labor agreements with other countries, and signed two multilateral and nine bilateral agreements aimed at preventing trafficking and reducing the vulnerability of overseas Filipino workers.

But the same report pointed out that while the Philippine government meets the minimum standards, “it did not vigorously investigate and prosecute officials allegedly involved in trafficking crimes, consistently criminally prosecute labor traffickers, or increase the availability of specialized protection and assistance services for child victims of sex trafficking or services for male victims.”

It added that access to mental health services, employment training and job placement for survivors also remained inadequate.. (William Depasupil/ManilaTimes.net)

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking Bids for the Provision of Wood Ties. The maximum dollar value for the contract will be for a total not-to-exceed amount of $10,000,000.00.

Bid documents may be obtained via download by visiting SCRRA’s website at http://www.metrolinktrains. com/agency/page/title/doing business. Vendors must register for no fee on the website in order to download the documents.

There will be a pre-bid conference held on June 27, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. To participate in telephone conference, please dial (213) 452-0499, Bridge #: 1034, Pin #: 5859. Only electronic bids will be accepted.

The contracts to be awarded will be funded in part by grants under the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transportation Administration and is subject to a DBE Participation Goal of 3%.

For further information contact: Melissa Cousart, Contract and Compliance Administrator at 213.452.0207 or email Cousartm@scrra.net.

6/26/19 CNS-3267591# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

A June 26-28, 2019 • SoCal ASIAn JOuRnAL

Dateline USa

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US: Hainan’s maritime militia China’s most professional

by Pia Lee-Brago Philstar.com

FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS. Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation members demonstrate their skills during LAKAD PARA ATLETA 2019 Olympic Day with the theme:” Unity and Transformation Through Sports” at the University of the Philippines College of Science Oval at UP Diliman Quezon City. The event also launched the walk to support the country’s Paralympic movement.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Gunman kills Filipino in San Francisco Bay Area freeway MaTTHeW Rios, a 30-year-old Filipino american, was driving on his way home Monday night, June 17, while speaking on the phone with his girlfriend. He told her he was afraid that he was being followed. He was dead a few minutes later. someone shot Rios in his car on interstate 680 in Milpitas, in one of six highway shootings in the san Francisco Bay area within a week and a half. at this time police are considering these as unrelated shootings.

The California Highway Patrol found Rio unresponsive in his gray Toyota Camry in the center median. His mother, Madonna simmons, is calling for justice for her only son.

Hainan’s maritime militia is China’s most professional and receives extensive subsidies to encourage frequent operations in the spratly islands, according to the latest United states Department of Defense annual Report to Congress.

The People’s armed Forces Maritime Militia (PaFMM) is a subset of China’s national militia, an armed reserve force of civilians available for mobilization. Militia units organize around towns, villages, urban sub-districts and enterprises and vary widely in composition and mission. in the south China sea, the PaFMM plays a major role in coercive activities to achieve China’s political goals without fighting, part of a broader Chinese military theory that sees confrontational operations short of war as an effective means of accomplishing political objectives, according to the report.

The Hainan provincial government, adjacent to the south China sea, ordered the building of 84

large militia fishing vessels with reinforced hulls and ammunition storage, which the militia received by the end of 2016, along with extensive subsidies to encourage frequent operations in the spratly islands, according to the 2019 Military and security Developments involving the People’s Republic of China.

“This particular PaFMM unit is also China’s most professional. its forces are paid salaries independent of any clear commercial fishing responsibilities and recruited from recently separated veterans,” the report said.

The militia has played significant roles in a number of military campaigns and coercive incidents over the years, including the 2009 harassment of the Usns impeccable conducting normal operations, the 2012 scarborough Reef standoff, the 2014 Haiyang shiyou-981 oil rig standoff and a large incursion in waters near the senkakus in 2016. a large number of PaFMM vessels train with and assist the People’s Liberation army navy and the China Coast Guard in tasks

such as safeguarding maritime claims, surveillance and reconnaissance, fisheries protection, logistic support, and search and rescue.

“The government subsidizes various local and provincial commercial organizations to operate militia vessels to perform ‘official’ missions on an ad hoc basis outside of their regular civilian commercial activities,” the report said.

Gregory Poling, director of Washington-based think tank asia Maritime Transparency initiative and a fellow with the southeast asia Program at the Center for strategic and international studies, said the Chinese fishing vessel that sank a Philippine boat and left the 22 crew to the elements is the “inevitable result of Beijing deputizing hundreds of fishing boats as a militia force.”

The incident, according to Poling, will happen again because there are hundreds of Chinese state-directed militia vessels in the spratlys, but Beijing should not be allowed to hide that fact. n

Philippine Sen. Hontiveros speaks about maritime...

PAGE A3 appointment in 2012. Proceedings to oust such public officials can only be ousted by impeachment, according to the Philippine constitution.

Former senator antonio Freeway shooting victim Matthew Rios with his mother, Madonna Simmons.

GoFundMe photo Trillanes currently faces a numOn Wednesday night, June with City of Milpitas”) for in- ber of cases including for rebel19, Mayor Rich Tran offered formation leading to the arrest lion, inciting to sedition, and has a $10,000 reward (“non-tax- and conviction of Rios’ killer. a libel charge against him. payer money, not associated (Inquirer.net) and it hasn’t only been poli-

ticians. Rappler CeO and cofounder Maria Ressa, caught international headlines when she was first arrested and charged for a “cyber libel” lawsuit. Human rights groups saw it as a move against free press in the country.

Hontiveros herself currently has a pending criminal case against her for allegedly kidnapping obstruction of justice, and wiretapping.

“The weaponization of the law isn’t just to suppress the enemies of the state, a spineless judiciary is also used to rubber-stamp executive decisions,” said Hontiveros.

Central to Duterte’s presidency has been his administration’s ongoing war on drugs which Hontiveros said has been “creating a mythical enemy” and “false divisions.” an official count by the Philippine Drug enforcement agency records over 5,000 deaths resulting from the drug war, but human rights groups claim the toll to be nearly 20,000 extrajudicial killings. They argue that killings are targeted at the urban poor instead of focusing on finding kingpin drug dealers.

“How did he manage to get us Filinios to acquiesce? By demonizing drug users by lumping drug users and drug traffickers together,” said Hontiveros.

On the broader relationship between the Philippines and the U.s., Hontiveros highlighted how the Beijing government has for years been in violation of the Philippines’ environmental laws and the south China sea ruling of the Hague Tribunal which ruled in favor of the Philippines. she characterized the relationship between the Philippine and China government as not being one between equals. “[Duterte’s] relationship with the Chinese government or with Xi Jinping is that of Xi Jinping being the padrone [master] with similar attitudes of obedience and acquiescence even when the padrone has wronged you.

There’s this irrational belief that the padrone will make it up to you somehow, sometime in the whatever future. so it’s not a relationship,” said Hontiveros, emphasizing that issues are not with the Chinese people, but the Chinese government.

“Our government must stand as equals with all others in the region,” added Hontiveros. in relation to the illegal drug trade, Hontiveros pointed to China as being the biggest source of drugs.

“How come they keep on getting smuggled in and while suspected small users and pushers keep getting killed? There’s some hypocrisy going on there,” said Hontiveros.

Making reference again to the maritime incident, Hontiveros said, “This ship will not sink.”

Political polarization, social media, and youth involvement With nine major political parties in the Philippines, political polarization is nothing new to the country where political alliances and party-switching are common. in the most recent midterm elections that took place in May, the Philippines Commission on elections proclaimed 12 new senators — nine of who have openly allied with the Duterte administration including former national police chief Ronald dela Rosa, and Duterte’s former mayoral personal aide Bong Go. With three independent senators including re-elected senator Grace Poe, no opposition senators were among the legislative winners in the 2019 midterm elections — a loss that last happened 80 years ago.

“The polarization has to be recognized for what it is — it’s part of where we are right now.

We recognize it as a problematic

Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros held a town hall meeting with the Filipino American community in Carson, California on Sunday, June 23.

AJPress photo by Rae Ann Varona

characteristic of where we are right now,” Hontiveros responded to the Asian Journal.

Hontiveros highlighted the role of social media in today’s political landscape, which despite being a place for sharing voices and opinions has also been used for propaganda. “it’s an original Democratic space for us. no matter the difficulties, we must never surrender it to censorship,” said Hontiveros. she continued, “There are of course those on all sides who truly believe in whatever they believe in, but there are also those who are employed and there are also those who are not even human beings but bots and their own algorithms.”

Hontiveros also encouraged people to refrain from insulting and labeling others.

“Maybe it’s time to review if these are really the terms of engagement that will bring us forward,” said Hontiveros.

Being a former journalist, she also discussed the problem of fake news and the need for factbased debates.

“We cannot concede the social media space. We have to win it back for facts and for debate based on facts,” said Hontiveros.

But she also encouraged people to talk more with each other and to ask questions that matter offline.

Touching on youth involvement, Hontiveros said that young people too have increasingly felt the effects of polarization.

“Young people haven’t been spared the polarization of this ‘us versus them’ [mentality], especially with their access to social media,” continued Hontiveros. “not only have citizens been warned against but have been set upon each other.” “i think young people either have gotten caught up in or have gotten so turned off. some of them just unplug from political discourses because maybe if they haven’t articulated it, we can sense it,” she added. as a message to young people, she expressed hope for Filipino and Fil-am youth to “fall in love again with citizenship” and being engaged with the government.

“Hang in there. Let us hear your voice come out and show us the shape of your involvement in day-to-day affairs,” said Hontiveros. n

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Del Rosario: DFA cannot cancel diplomatic passports

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

REVOKING all courtesy diplomatic passports issued to previous foreign affairs chiefs and diplomats would be unlawful, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said Monday, June 24.

Del Rosario, who was carrying a diplomatic passport, was barred from entering Hong Kong and was detained for almost six hours at the airport last week.

“I was carrying a diplomatic passport and a diplomatic passport must be respected because it carries the seal of the Republic if the Philippines so to discredit the bearer is to discredit the republic,” Del Rosario told CNN Philippines’ “The Source.”

Following the deportation of Del Rosario from the semiautonomous Chinese territory, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it would be issuing an order canceling all courtesy diplomatic passports.

Citing Republic Act 8239 or the Philippine Passport Act of 1996, Del Rosario said the DFA could not cancel all courtesy diplomatic passports.

“The DFA department order, which will cancel the country’s

passport of former [Secretary of Foreign Affairs] and ambassadors... cannot prevail over a passport act which is a law passed by Congress,” he said.

Under Section 3(g) of RA 8239, ambassadors are defined as those “who have been appointed as chiefs of mission and have served as Ambassador Extraordinary of Plenipotentiary.”

Del Rosario added that foreign affairs secretaries also serve as the country’s top ambassador and not only as a Cabinet secretary.

The Philippine Passport Act also states that Cabinet secretaries, as well as undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the DFA are entitled to diplomatic passports and are imbued with diplomatic status.

“The game changer is we now know that what they are doing is not consistent with the law and we’re pointing it out to them. We did not realize that there was this coverage in the passport act,” Del Rosario said.

The former top diplomat added that DFA officials themselves would question the cancellation of diplomatic passports as well.

Del Rosario also questioned the move of the DFA to cancel all diplomatic passports following the incident in Hong Kong.

“Instead of fully investigating what the Philippine should be doing to respond to this disrespect they are instead distracting the public by canceling the diplomatic passports for those who have been carrying them,” Del Rosario said.

The former DFA chief also lamented how the Philippine government is handling the situation.

“I’m a little irked at the manner in which our protector, our government is handling this. You have a Secretary (Salvador) Panelo who the first thing he says is ‘maybe it was misused’ ... How can I misuse that passport?” the former top diplomat said.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier raised the possibility that Del Rosario may have misused his diplomatic passport as his Hong Kong trip was not sanctioned by the government.

Panelo pointed out that Del Rosario’s trip was private in nature and was not related to the government nor foreign service.

Philippine Consul General in Hong Kong Antonio Morales, meanwhile, said immigration authorities did not give a clear reason why Del Rosario was denied entry to Hong Kong. n

VP on ‘boba’ statement: I don’t engage in rude conversations

Robredo also defended her earlier statement where she called Locsin’s order to cancel the diplomatic passports of former officials and envoys as a knee-jerk reaction of the administration.

Photo by Office of the Vice President

by HeLen

FLores Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo shrugged off on Monday, June 24, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.’s boba or stupid remark, saying she does not engage in exchanging insults.

Robredo said she read Locsin’s tweets after receiving several calls Monday night.

“Ever since I don’t engage in rude conversations. It would not make me a lesser person if I do so. The people know what is right and wrong, that’s why I won’t pay attention to it,” the Vice President said in an interview in her hometown Naga City.

She also defended her earlier statement where she called Locsin’s order to cancel the diplomatic passports of former officials and envoys as a knee-jerk reaction of the administration.

She cited Republic Act 8239, which allows the provision of diplomatic passports to former officials of the government, in-

cluding former presidents, former vice presidents and former ambassadors.

She said the law also allows cancellation of diplomatic passports only based on the following circumstances: if the holder is convicted of a criminal offense, the holder is considered fugitive from justice and if the acquisition of the passport is fraudulent or tampered.

“These (diplomatic passports) were cancelled, right? But I don’t think the basis of the cancellation is one of the three,” she said.

She noted the provision of diplomatic passports is not discretionary and that former officials and diplomats were not given the chance to defend themselves from the cancellation.

“All these elements were not present when the cancellation was made. So I said, the (government) should not be reckless as we have a law that must be followed,” she added.

Locsin decided to cancel the diplomatic passports of all ex-Philippine officials and diplomats after

former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario was barred from entering Hong Kong last week.

Del Rosario, who was holding a diplomatic passport, said Hong Kong airport authorities violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Robredo said she is used to be at the receiving end of unfair accusations and insults. But when asked if she accepts Locsin’s apology, she said there are more important things to address.

“The main issue here is that the rights of our fishermen were violated,” she said, referring to the 22 Filipino crew of a fishing boat, which was allegedly rammed by a Chinese vessel in the West Philippine Sea on June 9.

‘Colorful language’ Malacañang said on Monday that Locsin’s colorful language has not affected his competence and his work. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo lauded the country’s top diplomat for apologizing to Robredo. (With Alexis Romero, Pia Lee-Brago, Paolo Romero, Jess Diaz) n

SC clears graft raps vs Enrile, other Marcos cronies

by Kristine Joy

Philstar.com

Patag

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has affirmed the junking of graft raps against cronies of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos over a P108-million alleged behest loan granted by the Philippine National Bank to a sugar milling company.

The SC’s Second Division dismissed the Presidential Commission on Good Government’s petition for certiorari assailing the Office of the Ombudsman’s Dec. 29, 2006 ruling, which the ombudsman also upheld on April 21, 2009, due to lack of merit.

The PCGG is the agency created to recover Marcos ill-gotten wealth.

‘Behest loan’ Central to the petition is the account of Tolong Sugar Milling Company with the Philippine National Bank. PCGG said its Technical Working Group found that the PNB granted the company “a stand-by irrevocable unconfirmed letter of credit in the amount of USD 27,793,123.45 to cover importation of sugar machinery and equipment.”

The TWG, said PCGG, reported that at the time of TSMCI’s incorporation: • it only subscribed capital stock amounting to P2 million but only P500,000 was paid up; • it only had P10 million as capitalization; • that the lands appraised by the PNB Dumaguete Branch was appraised at P22,350 only;

• and that the two parcels of land were not titled or registered to the sugar milling company.

“The PCGG claimed that the TWG’s findings show that TSMCI’s account was a behest loan,” the ruling read.

The Office of the Ombudsman, however, cleared the respondents in the case due to lack of probable cause.

The following former PNB directors were named as respondents in the PCGG complaint: • Former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile • Roberto Benedicto • Antonio Diaz • Ismael Reinoso • Simeon Miranda • Renato Tayag • Juan Trivinio • Cesar Virata • Jose Macario Laurel IV • Jose Leido The Ombudsman also cleared the following from criminal liabilities: • Rafael Perez, former PNB Dumaguete branch manager • Felicisimo Gonzalo, former PNB Dumaguete branch manager • Ramon Escafio, executive of Tolong Sugar Milling Company Inc. • Herminio Teves, executive of TSMCI • Evelina Teves, executive of TSMCI • Lorenzo Teves, executive of TSMCI • Catalino Noel, executive of TSMCI • Lamberto Macias, executive

of TSMCI The SC ruling The PCGG argued that “there was no dispute” that the former PNB directors took part in the approval of the questioned loan.

The agency stressed that the PNB Board should not have approved the loan as “the two tracts of land offered as security were not registered in the name of the borrower, thus, TSMCI could not have validly constituted the mortgage thereon.”

But the SC said the ombudsman did not commit grave abuse of discretion when it rejected the PCGG complaint.

The SC stressed that the public prosecutor has the power to determine the existence of probable cause in the complaint.

“A careful review of the subject complaint-affidavit would reveal that the PCGG failed to sufficiently allege the elements of... RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act),” the ruling read.

The high court also stressed: “The PCGG merely highlighted the alleged scandalous disproportion of the assets and collateral offered by TMSCI with the amount of the loan without even stating the alleged acts committed by the respondents which constituted or exhibited manifest partiality, evident bad faith or inexcusable negligence.”

Associate Justice Jose Reyes Jr. wrote the ruling. Concurring were Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa and Amy Lazaro-Javier. n

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 26-28, 2019

A

Duque faces plunder, graft complaint over PhilHealth by eLizabetH

MarceLo Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Parents of 10 deceased children suspected as victims of the Dengvaxia vaccine have filed a criminal complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. The complaint filed on June 21, however, is based on Duque’s alleged illegal financial interest in his family firm doing business with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Assisted by lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office, the complainants charged Duque with violations of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, as well as of plunder as defined and penalized under RA 7080 or the Plunder Law. The complainants said Duque, even after his appointment as health secretary in November 2017, continues to hold sub-

stantial shares of stocks with his family-owned company Educational and Medical Development Corp. (EMDC).

The complainants said that based on the corporation’s 2018 general information sheet with the Securities and Exchange Comission, Duque owns 13,268 shares of EMDC amounting to P13.268 million, representing one-eighth of the P61.535-million total paid-up capital of the firm.

The complainants said by virtue of his position as head of the Department of Health, Duque is also an ex-officio chairman of PhilHealth.

They said PhilHealth entered into a lease contract with EMDC in 2018 for the company’s 2,051.40-square-meter building to serve as PhilHealth’s regional office for Region 1.

The complainants said a review of the contract shows that PhilHealth shall lease the EMDC building for P529,261.20 a month. They said PhilHealth even made an advance security deposit of P1.105 million to EMDC. “Apparently, respondent Dr.

Duque III has upheld his personal interest over the interest of the public. Public officials and employees are enjoined not to have any financial or material interest, directly or indirectly, in any transaction requiring the approval of their office,” the complainants said, citing Section 7 of RA 6713.

They said even Duque’s brother, Gonzalo, had admitted in a radio interview on June 21 that their family owns the EMDC building being leased by PhilHealth, although the lease contract was entered into more than 20 years ago.

The complainants alleged that Duque has the “propensity to utilize his position” to gain benefits for his family and friends, claiming that he is also linked to the owner of WellMed Dialysis Center Bryan Christopher Sy, who is supposedly his godson.

WellMed is involved in the P154-billion ghost dialysis scam.

The complainants also hit Duque for allegedly failing to extend medical assistance to the children administered with the Dengvaxia vaccine. n

A6 JUNE 26-28, 2019 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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

OPINION

No progress

FEATURES

THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been calling for restraint and peaceful resolution of maritime regional conflicts for ages. ASEAN should do more to actually see restraint in aggressive activities to stake maritime claims in disputed waters.

ASEAN has had a regional agreement in place with China since 2002 on maintaining the status quo in the South China Sea. Probably because that deal is legally nonbinding, however, it did not stop Beijing from constructing and fortifying artificial islands on seven reefs in disputed waters. The areas, now with missile defense systems, include Panganiban or Mischief Reef off Palawan in the West Philippine Sea, over which the Philippines has been awarded sovereign rights by the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

In the latest ASEAN leaders’ summit in the Thai capital Bangkok, the regional bloc has again called for self-restraint and peaceful resolution of maritime disputes. The statement was issued amid the latest incident in regional waters: the sinking of a Filipino fishing boat after it was hit by a Chinese vessel on June 9 near Recto or Reed Bank, one of three areas over which the Philippines was awarded sovereign rights by the arbitral court. Beijing had refused to participate in the arbitration.

At the same time, ASEAN again renewed its commitment to work with Beijing on a non-aggression Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to prevent serious armed encounters in disputed waters. These talks

have been going for an eternity, with no agreement so far even on its area of coverage.

For the past decades, thanks in large part to ASEAN, Southeast Asia has been one of the most peaceful regions in the world, despite the diverse political systems and cultures of the grouping’s member states. Progress has been slow in certain areas such as economic integration, but the initiative is moving along.

Where the grouping has made no progress is in supporting its members in maritime disputes. In this issue, which is critical for sustaining the peaceful environment needed for regional prosperity, ASEAN needs to speak with a clearer, louder voice.

(Philstar.com)

Editorial

Demand and Supply BOO CHANCO THE initial reactions of Foreign Secretary Teddyboy Locsin and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana were correct. The facts were not all in yet, but both Cabinet members were ready to give our fishermen the benefit of the doubt.

Unfortunately, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi joined the fray and started casting doubts on the story of our fishermen. It seems Piñol and Cusi were trying very hard to appease China.

President Duterte himself was quiet for a while, but eventually tipped the discussions to give the Chinese the benefit of the doubt.

He talked about not having the means to go to war against China, but no one is talking about going to war anyway. Just come out in defense of our defenseless fishermen.

I do not understand why the administration is always so worried about displeasing China. I have covered the diplomatic beat and in the course of my career, participated in preparations for diplomatic meetings. There are always things like public postures and backroom agreements.

Mr. Duterte and his minions could have come out strongly in support of our fishermen. At the same time, our ambassador

PeaceMaker FORMER SPEAKER JOSE C. DE VENECIA, JR. THERE are two most difficult, complex, but not impossible opportunities for peace-making in the Korean Peninsula and in the Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict on both sides of the Persian Gulf — or Arab Gulf to the Arabs — in the Middle East.

In the case of the inter-Korean and US-North Korean conflicts, the South Koreans led by President Moon Jae-in and North Koreans led by Kim Jong-un, grandson of North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung, left to themselves, could move more expeditiously to a difficult but not impossible geopolitical settlement, which could perhaps include the following: • North Korean and South Korean troops withdrawal from the areas of tension in the 38thParallel and leave the Panmunjom area as a genuine neutral zone bereft of armed troops from both sides and could even be a credible, mutually designated site to host peace and unification parleys, with permanent conference and support facilities.

• The American troops below the 38th Parallel and around Seoul could consider eventually disengaging from the South upon the establishment of a confirmed durable peace with the North, the foreseeable establishment of two divided but peaceful trading Korean states, until at some

Sad reactions

in Beijing should have been in touch with the Foreign Ministry to explain why the President must make a strong stand, but assuring the Chinese government that official ties are not involved.

The Chinese government would have understood. The last thing they want is for the incident to escalate in a way that puts their loyal ally, Rodrigo Duterte, in a very difficult situation with his own people.

Sure… just words… but in diplomacy those words count… prevent situations from deteriorating into a crisis.

But our own government went on an overdrive to force our fishermen to change their story, despite the corroboration made by the captain of the Vietnamese fishing vessel.

The editorial of the Philippine Daily Inquirer recounts what happened next: “The most basic response the Philippines could have offered the Vietnamese for their compassionate gesture was a simple ‘Thank you.’ How hard is it for the Duterte administration to do that—to reach out to the Vietnamese government and, through it, to formally thank the Vietnamese seafarers who saved our fishermen from their ordeal?

“Instead, in a bizarre, contemptible turn of events, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol made a big to-do about the Vietnamese being in the area illegally, poaching inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and so whatever thanks they deserved

had to be given begrudgingly: ‘Salamat sa mga Vietnamese sa pagtulong pero you are not supposed to be there, but thank God you were there. That was an illegal act that was actually providential.’

“What appalling ungraciousness, and a most shameful stain on a country that, until lately, prided itself on its friendliness and sense of goodwill toward other nations.” I might add, it makes every right-thinking Filipino feel embarrassed such ingratitude came from a high official.

So the incident elicited reactions that divided the Filipinos along political partisan lines: pro Duterte and anti Duterte. We needed a reaction that was pro Filipino.

It also revealed the sentiments of some people. It was disappointing to find out that the president of the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Henry Lim Bon Liong considered himself as having two fathers, Philippines and China.

The Chinoy entrepreneur was quoted by journalist Tina Arceo Dumlao as saying he hopes the “unfortunate mishap” will not adversely affect diplomatic relations between China, and the Philippines, which he refers to as his “two fathers”, being FilipinoChinese.

Mr. Lim is probably Philippine-born and should no longer have divided loyalty between the country of his forefathers and presumably, his own. I have many Chinoy friends and they

The Filipino crewmen of fishing boat F/B GemVir 1 who were involved in the collision incident near Reed Bank.

are militantly pro Filipino on issues involving China.

Perhaps Mr. Lim and the federation he heads can clarify how they stand because when push comes to shove, we expect them to be pushing and shoving for the Philippines.

No one wants a war with China.

But that doesn’t mean we should not forcefully express our feelings in defense of our national interests. Let us take inspiration from the millions of Hong Kong marchers in fighting for their seemingly impossible objective.

The Reed Bank incident revealed we are not a nation, we

have no national feelings, no national pride. This can explain why nations like Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea easily overtook us in the economic front.

There is truth in the observations of James Fallows back in 1987 when the EDSA euphoria was still fresh and much could have been done, but we failed.

“Filipinos pride themselves on their lifelong loyalty to family, schoolmates, compadres, members of the same tribe, residents of the same barangay…

“Because the boundaries of decent treatment are limited to the family or tribe, they exclude

Philstar.com file photo

at least 90 percent of the people in the country. And because of this fragmentation—this lack of nationalism—people treat each other worse in the Philippines than in any other Asian country I have seen.”

No wonder our officials had no hesitation in throwing our fishermen overboard because their story doesn’t jive with what the administration wants to believe.

Neither Cusi nor Piñol felt any obligation towards folks not in their social and political circles.

Duterte, on the other hand, probably just feels obligated to China. ■

Possibilities for peace-making in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula point both Koreas agree to unite like the two Vietnams or the two Germanys.

• Both sides could in the meantime exchange inter-Korean visits, especially among South Koreans with relatives in the North and North Koreans with relatives in the South, initiate the beginnings of limited North-South talks, and eventually even allow third-country tourists to visit Pyongyang in the North, which could lead to much larger numbers among Southerners and Northerners; • Pending a North-South political settlement, both sides could agree not only on visits by tourists of various nations but by businessmen and traders of both sides and their joint-venture partners from third countries that would lead to an immediate mushrooming of commercial trade in the region. Then both sides could eventually agree on a common railways system from Pusan in the south across the 38th Parallel, all the way to Pyongyang and the North Korean-Chinese border and agree on large-scale exchanges of inter-Korean trade.

The railway could later cross to Russia and on to Europe.

• Most important, with the increasing volume of inter-Korean trade and rapid exchange of visits, the US and North Korean governments could work on modalities for finally ending the Korean War, and conversion of their troops to police duties.

• Eventual phasing out of the North Korean nuclear weapons and withdrawal of US troops,

weaponry, and facilities. This will be the subject of intricate, difficult negotiations and will most likely be long drawn-out and could take several years, but if there is mutual goodwill, this could lead to a final settlement and conclusion.

Obviously, these issues and arguments are easier said than done but if there is sincere, mutual goodwill and give-and-take, a final settlement is definitely possible. *** In the Middle East, US President Donald Trump is correct in not allowing his militant and prowar advisers to dictate policy.

Instead, he could encourage opportunities for difficult but not impossible geo-political discussions leading to settlement in the area.

We would perhaps humbly suggest that the worrying fearsome conflict in the Persian Gulf (to the Persians) or Arab Gulf (to the Arabs) could lead to destruction of industrial facilities in cities and towns and modern infrastructure on both sides of the Gulf built patiently over the years, and indeed at incredible cost from their petroleum riches.

To simplify the basics of the conflict, let us simply state that the Muslim world had been divided since the earliest days of Islam between the Sunnis, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Shiites, led by Iran, in a sense like the Catholics and Protestants of old Europe who had bitter, violent, and bloody wars for centuries.

Perhaps the time has now ome for well-meaning leaders from the UN and respected leaders from other nations and religious groups to encourage and initiate the beginnings of a peaceful inter-religious dialogue among the deeply divided Muslim Shiites and Sunnis, which would lead Iran and Saudi political and military leaders to take note and realize that these suicidal conflicts could devastate their countries with casualties in large numbers and could even involve weapons of mass destruction.

We might suggest that the UN secretary general could perhaps make a quiet visit to the capitals of Tehran and Riyadh, visit the Sunni mosques in Riyadh and the Shiite mosques in Tehran, and strongly propose the advisability and scenario of a Sunni-Shiite conference in Geneva or Paris or New York, initially attended by most capable Sunni-Shiite religious leaders and eventually by their highest political-religious leaders.

This will quickly bring a new dimension and perhaps a sobering effect on the tension-filled crisis in the Persian-Arab Gulf which in the last few days involved dangerous attacks on ships or oil tankers in the Gulf, assaults on oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia, and violent clashes in Yemen, long a site of large-scale clashes, and recently tensions and sporadic flare-ups in Syria and Israel.

We do not see immediate solutions but could appreciate the beginnings of perhaps of a serious,

sensible, and peaceful dialogue among the Sunnis and Shiites. *** We wish to thank Deputy Chairman Petr Tolstoy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for their invitation for us to speak at the international forum on “Development of Parliamentarism” to be held in Moscow on July 1-2, 2019.

We are reminded of Leo Tolstoy, one of the greatest writers of all time not only in Russia but in the world.

The State Duma is Russia’s Lower House or House of Representatives, while its Upper House or Senate is called the Federation Council.

The Moscow parliamentary conference seeks to provide legislative response to global issues, particularly in the areas of peace, security, human development, and climate change and environmental protection. It will be participated in by lawmakers, scholars, experts, and leaders of civil society around the world.

Regretfully, we told our friend, the able Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev that we would have wanted to participate in such an important and distinguished gathering, having been privileged to spend 23 years of our life as a parliamentarian and for 14 years as speaker five times of the House of Representatives, but could not do so as we had earlier accepted an invitation from Asian and Filipino communities in the US during the same period.

We were also privileged to have led several parliamentary organizations in Asia and the global community.

We co-founded the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), now composed of more than 40 parliaments in Asia, with Sen. Mushahid Hussain Sayed of Pakistan, to create what we envisioned to be the beginnings of a still distant Asian Parliament. We had transferred the APA headquarters from Manila to Tehran to bring APA into an Asia-wide organization, instead of limited to East Asia, and to help bring Iran into the mainstream.

We also served as president of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP), forerunner of APA, and twice president of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO). We also helped transform AIPO into the now AIPA or ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and established an AIPA Secretariat based in Jakarta.

Currently, we serve as cochairman, with former 30-year US Congressman Dan Burton, of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), representing parliamentarians from the various continents around the world.

We are honored to mention these because we believe with persistent and constructive exchanges, parliamentarians play a crucial role in building stable, secure, peaceful, and progressive fraternities in the global community. ■

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

Dateline PhiliPPines

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 26-28, 2019

BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

A

Moody’s keeps stable outlook for PH banks Hackers change tactic, target small amounts from bank accounts

by Lawrence

agcaoiLi Philstar.com

People line up at different automated teller machines inside a mall in Makati City.

by MayveLin

U. carabaLLo

ManilaTimes.net

MOODY’S Investors Service retained its stable outlook for Philippine banks, as it believes that the country’s robust economic growth would continue to support asset quality at current strong levels. “Our outlook for the Philippine banking system over the next 12 [to] 18 months is stable,� the credit ratings agency announced in its “Banking System Outlook� report released on Thursday, June 20.

With a growth forecast of 6 percent for the country this year, Moody’s said the Philippines’ economic expansion rate “will remain among the highest in Asia, underpinned by robust domestic consumption and an expansionary fiscal policy, despite a budget delay and an export slowdown due to a weakening of global economic growth.�

It added that private consumption, which contributed 68.5 percent of the country’s real gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, would continue to be supported

Manilatimes.net photo by Justine Ruth Bitancor

by the country’s young population and remittances from overseas Filipinos.

The debt watcher also expects government spending to rebound following the signing of the delayed 2019 national budget in mid-April.

A dispute between the Senate and the House of Representatives over alleged insertions resulted in the four-and-a-half-month delay in the budget’s passage. This forced the government to run on last year’s budget, limiting it to spend for items detailed in the 2018 outlay and not on programs and projects supposed to be implemented this year.

This put total national government spending in January to March — which include expenditures for infrastructure and capital outlay, maintenance, personnel services and subsidies — at P778 billion, up 0.8 percent or P6 billion from the amount in the same period last year.

That said, Moody’s added that “banks will be able to maintain strong asset quality despite increases in interest rates, because economic conditions are healthy

and [the] financial performance of Philippine corporates, which account for the bulk of loans in the system, remains strong.�

It highlighted that the country’s corporates continue to have sufficient income buffers to fully absorb the impact of higher interest rates or a slowdown in revenue growth.

Moody’s recalled that listed companies’ interest coverage ratio has declined due to interest-rate increases, but it still remained high at more than five times in 2018.

It noted, however, that a key risk for banks’ asset quality is that their loans are heavily concentrated on a small number of conglomerates. “Further, the country’s largest business groups own and control some of the top domestic banks, so a default by a conglomerate can lead to failure of a major bank along with other businesses of the group,� Moody’s said.

While stressing that the likelihood of such an event is low, it warned that its impact on the banking system would be significant if it happened. n

mandatory retirement age next month—said lower crude oil prices and a stronger local currency were considered by the Monetary Board when it decided to reduce the inflation forecast during its meeting last Thursday, June 20. “In May, we assumed a $68.90 per barrel for 2019 and $67.10 for 2020,� Guinigundo said. “In [Thursday’s] meeting, there was a reduction in the assumption from $68.90 per barrel to $64.56.�

The central bank also now expects the average price of Dubai crude to drop to $61.35 per barrel next year.

Petroleum prices play a significant role in the domestic inflation rate, as it affects the production cost of goods and services and the transportation fares paid by consumers.

Guinigundo said that, apart from the expected moderation in fuel prices over the near term,

the Philippine economy would also be able to reap the benefits of a stronger peso vis-a-vis other international currencies. “For 2019, we expect the peso to be around P52.01 [to $1], and for 2020, some appreciation to around P51.50,� he said. Previous to Thursday’s meeting, the Monetary Board held an exchange rate assumption of P52.06 for 2019 and P51.78 for 2020.

Guinigundo said the policy making body also considered the lower actual inflation for May, the lower economic growth rate in the first quarter of the year, the decrease in electricity rates distributed by Manila Electric Co. and the lower prices of selected food products.

He noted Congress’ recent move to impose a 40-percent tariff on some imported meat products was effectively overturned by an executive fiat that restored the tariff rate to 5 percent. n

BSP cuts inflation forecasts on cheaper fuel, stronger peso

by DaxiM

L. LUcas

Inquirer.net

THE central bank expects the Philippine economy to enjoy lower inflation this year and next year amid an expected decline in average petroleum prices globally and an appreciation of the peso that will improve the buying power of importers.

In a press briefing, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the monetary regulator was expecting inflation rate for 2019 to come in at an average of 2.7 percent, revising the 2.9 percent forecast set just last month.

The forecast for the range of increase of prices of basic goods and services for 2020 was also cut slightly to 3 percent, from the previous expectation of a 3.1percent average.

The outgoing central bank deputy chief—who will reach

FRAUDSTER are shifting to other methods and techniques to illegally retrieve card information from unsuspecting individuals in light of the measures undertaken by the industry and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for consumer protection.

There have been an increase in BIN (bank identification number) attacks targeting savings and even payroll accounts of unsuspecting bank clients.

Antonio Moncupa, vice chairman and chief executive officer of East West Banking Corp., said several banks have been targeted by this new method of skimming accounts using e-commerce sites such as Google and iTunes. “Bank identification numbers are being attacked, hitting some other banks the last few weeks. It is not a hack as they don’t get into the bank system but rather, they use some algorithm,� Moncupa said.

Moncupa said the fraudsters are targeting small amounts so that no

one-time password is needed. “By the way, we are now addressing that,� Moncupa said.

Under the scheme, fraudsters use the internet to access software, allowing them to generate new card numbers from an existing good one. These numbers are in sequence order within the same card bank identification number that are tested at merchants’ internet sites.

The numbers that prove to be successful are then used at different internet-based merchant sites to find a “hit.�

According to Moncupa, as a result of the new scheme, e-commerce transactions in the future could become less convenient as safeguards would have to be put in place. “Unfortunately that will mean some e-commerce sight will become less convenient,� Moncupa said.

Union Bank of the Philippines president Edwin Bautista told The STAR the bank’s anti-fraud system is capable of two defensive approaches against BIN attacks.

“BIN attacks using algorithms is countered by software engineering,� Bautista said.

The Aboitiz-led bank check attack patterns by looking at number of transactions across a narrow range of cards over a short time period and at the same time has a predictive algorithm that flags probing, testing, and hitting patterns done from external sources. n “In addition, we employ a randomizer algorithm in generating card numbers so that it is not possible to guess CVV, card number and expiry dates given one or two known variables,� Bautista said.

BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier said the regulator is now looking into the matter.

As early as 2017, the BSP issued Circular 958 on the adoption of multi-factor authentication techniques for sensitive communications and high risk transactions due to the increasing propensity and sophistication of cyber-attacks involving fund transfers, payments, and other transactions via online channels. n

Visa tightens payments security in the Philippines

by Lawrence

agcaoiLi Philstar.com

GLOBAL leader digital payments provider Visa has outlined a robust approach for strengthening payments security in the country over the next three years.

Dan Wolbert, Visa country manager for the Philippines and Guam, said payment security has always been a key pillar of focus for the company.

The launch of its Future of Security Roadmap for the Philippines shows the company’s commitment to ensure that security moves at the speed of innovation through collaborations with industry stakeholders, merchants, policy makers, law enforcement and accountholders. “We believe it is a shared responsibility among financial institutions, merchants, consumers and the government to secure

the commerce ecosystem. We acknowledge the need for risk and security of payments to evolve with the changing payment landscape so that we can stay ahead of these technological advancements,� Wolbert said.

The roadmap focuses on a number of key initiatives enabling security to evolve at the same pace as the technologies changing the way we pay.

These security initiatives include evaluating data by removing sensitive data from the ecosystem and making stolen account details invalid, protecting data by implementing safeguards to protect personal data as well as account details, and harnessing data by identifying potential fraud before it occurs and increasing confidence in approving genuine transactions.

Another initiative is empowering accountholders, third party

providers and merchants to play an active role in payment security. “Our commitment is to build trust and confidence among our clients, consumers and merchants in the payments ecosystem so that the country can embark on this digital and cashless journey,�

Wolbert said.

On top of the existing payment security solutions, Visa advocates the adoption of tokenization and 3-D Secure 2.0, a new standard for e-commerce, which can add peace of mind for consumers and help merchants increase their sales.

Tokenization helps to eliminate sensitive data, so the 16-digit number on the card would not be stored anywhere by the merchant, bank or payment gateway. This will help to reduce fraud rates on eCommerce in the same way EMV chip has limited fraud in the faceto-face environment.n

PAL shelves US, European expansion plans by richMonD

MercUrio Philstar.com

FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is shelving plans to expand its U.S. network as well as ambitions for multiple European routes due to challenges in operating long haul flights, according to think tank CAPA-Centre for Aviation.

CAPA said PAL is considering suspending services to London Heathrow and replace it with a Paris flight instead. “PAL was previously considering launching Paris or other destinations in continental Europe (such as Rome or Frankfurt), while maintaining London. The new plan is to replace London with Paris using the same A350 now used for London, and not to grow the airline’s European network beyond one destination,� the think tank said.

CAPA said London is the carrier’s least profitable long haul route and has struggled since it was launched in November 2013, with losses mounting despite efforts to improve the route’s performance through changes implemented in schedule, frequency, and aircraft.

Meanwhile, PAL has also dropped plans to expand its U.S. network after previously considering launching services from Manila to Chicago, Houston, San Diego or Seattle, as well as poten-

tially resuming Cebu to Los Angeles route which it briefly served in 2016 and 2017. “The original plan was to add at least one and possibly two U.S. destinations — as well as a second European destination — after all six A350s were delivered. However, PAL has decided instead to focus on its existing North American network of five destinations, recognizing that any new long haul route would be challenging,� CAPA said.

According to CAPA, PAL’s North American operation has historically been profitable given that Los Angeles and San Francisco have huge Filipino communities and the carrier is the only nonstop competitor in these markets.

However, the think tank said one-stop competition has intensified in recent years in the North America-Philippines market which has affected the airline’s yields and profitability.

CAPA said PAL recognizes that it cannot maintain the current year-round schedule of 52 weekly one-ay flights to continental North America which is why it is reducing its North America schedule to 39 weekly one-way flights from mid-September to mid-November.

PAL is looking to restore its full North America schedule in December to January 2020, but is planning another set of sea-

sonal reductions for February and March next year, according to CAPA. Nonetheless, CAPA sees the carrier’s move to suspend London and shelve the launch of new US destinations as “a sensible initial move by PAL as it tries to restore profitability.�

It said “a sensible subsequent move� is for PAL to drop Europe entirely by not moving forward with Paris when London is terminated, reduce U.S. capacity, and cut its long haul fleet by not replacing its two oldest 777-300ERs as they are returned.

While Paris may seem like a better option than London, particularly if PAL can secure feed, Paris will likely not be profitable.

The Philippines-Europe market is extremely competitive, due to aggressive competition from the Gulf carriers and from other Asian airlines. PAL is best off retreating from Europe entirely,� it said. “Competition in the Philippines-North America market is not about to ease. Asian carriers continue to pursue expansion in North America and will continue to rely on the Philippines for providing filler traffic, despite the low yields,� CAPA said.

PAL currently operates six long haul routes or those over 10 hours, and these are Manila to London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver. n

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 26, 2019

Fil-Am model Geena Rocero rewrites Playboy’s history as its first transgender API Playmate

by MoMar

FIVE years ago, Filipina American model Geena Rocero made a very public confession and came out of her closet in a TED Talk in Vancouver.

“The world makes you something that you’re not — but you know inside what you are,” she proclaimed.

She pointed at a picture of a boy dressed in a traditional Filipino folk dance garb and said that the boy was actually her. In less than 10 minutes, Rocero shared her journey from a pageant contestant in Manila during her teens, moving to the United States in 2005 and getting surgery in Thailand at the age of 19.

This week, Rocero officially became the first transgender Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Playboy Playmate, appearing as the centerfold of the magazine’s Gender & Sexuality issue.

“I am incredibly honored and excited, it is history making. I remember growing up in the Philippines seeing Caroline (Tula) Cossey on Playboy in the 1990s and thinking that I wanted to be like her when I grew up,” she said during the ‘Behind the Lens’ press brunch at the Playboy Playhouse on Thursday, June 20 in New York. “Here I am now, I am a part of the Playboy family. I’m on cloud nine right now.”

Cossey posed for Playboy in 1991 for a solo pictorial and

G. Visaya/AJPress

became the magazine’s first transgender women model.

“It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. To be a part of the family, to be associated with such an iconic and progressive brand is such a big honor for me,” Rocero said.

She added, “As the first trans Asian Pacific Islander Playmate, I feel that I’m making it possible for someone to reach for their biggest dreams just like the people who came before me. I also hope that for anyone who’s

The shoot happened in Costa Rica last April where the Playboy team and Rocero spent four days “playing around on the beach barely wearing anything.”

Last week, the magazine’s official Instagram account (@ Playboy), with 7.4 million followers, introduced Geena as an August 2019 Playmate and the post has generated almost 59,000 likes and about 250 comments.

“It was just about feeling myself, feeling confident, sensual and loved and I could

beauty pageants on national television.

“We spoke English in the Philippines, but when I moved to the United States at 17 and started hanging out with other teenagers, it was a totally different culture,” she explained.

She also shared her hidden talent of making “swimsuits out of natural materials, whether it’s leaves or fruits” and her love of cooking Filipino and Italian food. “Of course, I can make a mean chicken adobo with my eyes closed,” she said.

Rocero is shining a light on trans women and she is just thankful that the offer to do this fell on her lap like manna from heaven.

“If feminism doesn’t include the journey and spectrum of trans womanhood, I don’t want to be part of it. I’m an advocate for transfeminism!” she wrote.

She plans to use this new platform to be more visible and continue fighting for trans rights. Since her viral TED talk in 2014, she cofounded Gender Proud, a media production company that tells stories about the global transgender community.

“Trans people are human beings who deserve respect, they need to be affirmed and celebrated. It is so important to talk about these issues, especially since we are celebrating 50 years of Stonewall Pride,” she told the audience at the talk on Thursday. “It is a great reminder about where we have been and the absolute certainty why we still have so much to do, especially for my trans sisters, particularly the African American, my black trans sisters who are being killed in epic proportions.”

This month alone, five trans women of color have been reported killed, bringing the number to 10 this year.

“Let’s look at those figures and remind ourselves why we need to be more vocal about this and there should be more media reports about it and it affects everybody, their families and their communities,” she added.

Looking at the print copy of Playboy with her photos for the first time was quite a surreal experience for Rocero.

Even with the magazine in her hand, there was a moment where she could not believe her eyes.

“I have to speak about Caroline Tula Cossey because that was so critical for me.

What a full circle moment, I was this young trans girl living in Manila and dreaming of one

“I also hope that for anyone who’s been deemed ‘other’ to know that what makes you different, is your power, especially the unapologetic expression of your sexuality, gender and the value of your unique perspective.” been deemed ‘other’ to know that what makes you different, is your power, especially the unapologetic expression of your sexuality, gender and the value of your unique perspective.”

Incredibly confident with her own skin, Rocero upped her Pilates training and practice and worked out whenever her schedule permitted because she knew she’d be working with highly qualified photographers and an incredible group of people from Playboy.

not have asked for a better place to shoot,” she said. “The beautiful beach reminded me of the Philippines, this one is by the forest which spills onto the beach, which was very lush.”

The Playboy team welcomed, confirmed and celebrated her, something that Rocero said she will cherish for the rest of her life.

In the Gender & Sexuality issue, Rocero wrote about her “strict Catholic upbringing in the Philippines” and being inspired by seeing transgender

Geena Rocero moderates a panel of Playboy photographers and their experiences working with the magazine. AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

Cherie emotional on first Urian win by ricky

calderon ManilaTimes.net

VIVA contract star Nadine Lustre failed to savor her winning moment as Gawad Urian Best Actress for “Never Not Love You” as she was absent at the awards night at the UP Film Institute.

She was taping for a reality show in Bulacan and she was not granted permission to attend the 42nd Gawad Urian rites. The award was her first from the Manunuri, the esteemed critics’ group.

She earlier triumphed at the Young Critics Circle (which named her Best Performer) and at the Famas where she was voted Best Actress.

With her win in Urian, Nadine is hailed as the Best Actress of her generation. She is also the second youngest winner at the Urian as Best Actress at 23. Nora Aunor won her first Urian Award in 1976, also at 23.

Meanwhile, Best Supporting Actress winner Cherie Gil became emotional in her speech after she was named Best Supporting Actress for Mike de Leon’s comeback film “Citizen Jake.”

Cherie, who co-hosted the awards night with Manunuri

Fil-Am model and transgender advocate Geena Rocero poses at the “Behind the Lens” event at the Playboy Playhouse on Thursday, June 20 in New York City. AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

day becoming a model like Caroline and to now, be the one hopefully giving that inspiration to young trans girls, not just in the Philippines but all over the world,” she said, wearing a big smile on her face. “Their identities matter, they should pursue who they are. There’s nothing wrong with them, just keep being themselves.”

Playboy Magazine featured its first transgender Playmate, French model Ines Rau, back in 2017.

“I never thought this day would come,” Rocero said.

“When I did TEDTalks, it was a significant moment in my life to free myself and express myself truly in the most authentic way and so many opportunities have been given to me after that.”

More than just baring her

Photo from Instagram/@geenarocero

body, Rocero also bared her soul.

“There’s nothing more powerful than being comfortable in your own skin. There are criticisms saying that it is sexualizing the body. No, it is about ownership of your sexuality. What is more powerful than us human beings in our most natural state of being.

We were all born naked,” she said.

For her critics and bashers, Rocero shrugged and said she’d rather focus on her advocacies than think about what others think of her.

“They will always have their opinion. For me, this is a moment of celebration and I know I am surrounded by people who love and celebrate me. When one wins in our community, everybody wins,” she said.

Enchong, over 1,800 kids break Guinness world record for largest swimming lesson by ryan

arcadio Inquirer.net

Cherie Gil

member Butch Francisco, is a first time winner at the Urian although she had already received several nominations.

Butch even said some of the Cherie’s relatives won the Gawad Urian ahead of her like her brothers Michael de Mesa and Mark Gil, her nephew Sid Lucero and niece Max Eigenmann, just to name a few.

What made her triumph even more memorable was the fact she was also celebrating her birthday.

In her speech, she said it

ENCHONG Dee took part in a successful attempt to break the Guinness world record for the largest swimming lesson in a single venue.

The 30-year-old actor and swimmer joined around 1,800 children in the attempt, in a waterpark in Clark, Pampanga, as per his Instagram post last Thursday, June 20.

“Today, we broke the Guinness world record for GMA photo the most number of Children is the dream of every actor being taught basic swimming to win an Urian award. In her skills and water safety in one excitement, Cherie forgot day,” Dee said. to dedicate her award to In a separate post by Aqua her parents Eddie Mesa and Planet — the venue for the Rosemarie Gil. record-breaking event — they Winning the Best Support- revealed the specific number ing Actor was Joel Lamangan of people that participated in for “School Service.” Direk the attempt.

Joel crossed over to acting A total of 1,819 people and this was his first acting had joined the swimming award from the Manunuri. He lesson at the waterpark, was Urian Best Director winbeating the current Guinness ner for the “The Flor Contem- World Record for the largest placion Story” starring Nora swimming lesson in a single Aunor. venue. The record has been

Enchong Dee with some kids who attended his swimming lesson.

Photo from Instagram/@mr_enchongdee

officially held by a waterpark in Florida, United States, with 1,308 participants on June 20, 2014.

The waterpark still awaits the confirmation of the World Waterpark Association (WWA) and Guinness World Records for the attempt to beat the existing world record.

Dee was part of the Philippine national swimming team and has participated in the Southeast Asian Games and 2006 Asian Games. His latest showbiz projects include starring in different episodes of “Maalala Mo Kaya” and in the 2018 TV drama series “The Blood Sisters”.

Fil-Am authors and scholars to hold book talk on June 29

PHILIPPINE Expressions Bookshop — one of two bookstores in the United States dedicated to Filipino literature — is presenting another series of Book Talks on Saturday, June 29 with five Fil-Am scholars and authors as participants.

The event will be held at their venue, 479 West Sixth St., Suite 105, at the Historic Arts District, San Pedro from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

According to Linda NietesLittle, founder and owner of the bookshop, “It will be a great occasion to meet Filipino American scholars and authors who have brought honor to our community. I hope the community will support them with their presence. If we do not do it now, when else can we show our appreciation for their talents? Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa? And if we, as a community, do not, who else do you think will do it? At kung hindi tayo, sino pa?”

Dr. Anthony Ocampo and Grace Talusan will be in Conversation on Race and Immigration as part of the program. Ocampo is an assistant professor of sociology at Cal Poly Pomona and his area of studies focuses on race, immigration, and LGBTQ issues. A Ford Foundation Fellow, he is the author of “The Latinos of Asia: How Filipino Americans Break the Rules of Race” and has recently been featured on NPR Morning Edition. He is currently working on his second book, “To Be Brown and Gay in LA”, which chronicles the lives of gay men of color from immigrant families. A native Los Angelino, he is a graduate of Stanford University where he finished his Bachelor of Arts in 2003 and his Masters of Arts degree in 2004. In 2006, he received another master’s degree from UCLA and a doctorate degree in 2011.

Talusan was born in the Philippines and raised in New England. She graduated from Tufts University and the MFA Program in Writing at UC Irvine. She is the recipient of a U.S. Fulbright Fellowship to the Philippines and an Artist Fellowship Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Talusan teaches at Grub Street and Tufts. Her first book, “The Body Papers: A memoir,” won the 2017 Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing.

Deborah Francisco Doug-

las will present her debut memoir, “Somewhere in the Middle: A journey to the Philippines in search of roots, belonging, and identity.” Half Filipino but raised in an American household, Douglas had always longed to know more about her Filipino heritage.

So in 2011-2014, when she was coincidentally assigned to the Philippines as a Peace Corps Volunteer to work on community development and youth outreach programs, she set out on a journey of selfdiscovery, travel, and adventure. Filled with warmth and humor, the book captures the simple joys found in ordinary moments and in the people we share our lives with, shedding new light on what it truly means to find the place where you belong. This memoir offers inspiration for all those yearning to discover who they are and their ancestral roots.

Now living in San Diego, she is the creator and editor of the Filipino American Lifestyle blog “Halo-Halo, Mix-Mix.” Belen Loreto Grand is a best-selling author and life coach to Filipino families. She is the voice for thousands of nurses from the Philippines and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) bound to family and duty to assist their relatives back home financially.

In “Family Matters: Making the Right Financial Decision for Your Filipino Family”, she shares a system of living that empowers, opens the flow of money, and reduces drama and trauma. She draws on the Law of Attraction, the Kabbalah, and more, to inspire readers to care for themselves and attract abundance.

Albert Samaha is an investigative reporter at BuzzFeed

News, a professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and author of “Never Ran, Never Will: Boyhood and Football in a Changing American Inner City,” which was a finalist for the 2019 PEN/ESPN Literary Sports Writing Award and winner of the New York Society Library’s 2019 Hornblower Award. His story on a narcotics unit in Mississippi led to a police captain’s resignation in 2015, his story on a Bronx murder helped get a wrongfully convicted man freed from prison in 2017, and his 2018 story on a teenager who accused two NYPD detectives of rape led six states to pass bills strengthening their police sexual misconduct laws. His story on why Filipinos turned to an authoritarian president was selected into The Best American Travel Writing 2018. His forthcoming book, “Concepcion,” chronicles his family’s immigration to the U.S. He lives in New York City, and is a grandnephew of the late Caridad Vallangca.

Vallangca of San Francisco was the author of two books on Filipino Americans: “The Second Wave: Pinay & Pinoy/1945-1960” and “The Third Wave: Quo Vadis” which covers the Filipino immigration from 1961 to 1980.

This event is part of the bookshop’s ongoing community outreach program. The bookshop was established in 1984 and is dedicated to Filipino Americans in search of their roots. The bookshop accepts orders for signed copies of the authors’ books. Call (310) 548-8148, email info@ philippinebookshop.com or visit www.philippinebookshop. com.

Eddie named Urian Best Actor two days before death ManilaTimes.net

FOR his role in the movie “ML” as a retired Metrocom colonel suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, veteran actor Eddie Garcia was named Best Actor by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino in the 2019 Gawad Urian two days before his passing.

The awards were held on June 18 at the University of the Philippines (UP) Film Institute.

“ML” was an entry to the 14th

Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival in August 2018 and won the actor the same honors.

It had a commercial run in November of the same year.

Garcia, 90, who was comatose since June 8 when the Urian was held, following an accident on the set of a TV series won over Tony Labrusca, who played the role of the student he tortured in the movie; Christian Bables in “Signal Rock;” Dingdong Dantes in “Sid And Aya: Not A Love Story;” Victor Neri in “A Short History Of A

Few Bad Things;” Carlo Aquino in “Meet Me At St. Gallen;” Dante Rivero in “Kung Paano Hinihintay Ang Dapithapon;” Ketchup Eusebio in “Mamang;” and Miyuki Kamimura in “Tanabata’s Wife.”

He was nominated for the the same category for his role in “Hintayan Ng Langit.”

In 2000, Garcia won his first Gawad Urian also as Best Actor for the movie “Deathrow” then honored by the critics circle with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

Liza still in therapy for finger injury by ronnie

CArrAsCo ManilaTimes.net

iii

ONLY when his hands are full does The Times never get to catch talent manager-cumcomedian Ogie Diaz online.

But almost in perpetuity, Ogie pops out at the drop of a hat whenever we bug him on Facebook Messenger most especially on his career-related concerns.

Showbiz circles know too well that Ogie is synonymous with one of ABS-CBN’s prized

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 26, 2019

Ian: ‘Music colors my world’ MAuriCio-ArriolA ManilaTimes.net

ManilaTimes.net photo

Custodio

by tessA

Eddie Garcia

by Arlo

entertainment

gems Liza Soberano, his ward, who’s still in the U.S. for treatment of her injured finger.

Curious about her condition, we requested Ogie to give us Liza’s latest medical bulletin (since we know that his recent trip to Los Angeles had a lot to do with looking after the young actress).

For all her fans to know, Liza is still being monitored after a new antibiotic has been administered through her PICC line.

To make us better under-

stand what it meant, Ogie tagged a series of photos showing a patient (not exactly Liza) whose either arm is inserted with PICC (for peripherally inserted central catheter), a long, soft and flexible tube used to give fluids, medications and nutrients, and/or take blood samples for testing.

However, the PICC will have to remain attached to the patient for several weeks or months.

“But God willing, Liza will Continued on Page 4

JUST over a year since he found the courage to reveal his musical side with a major concert, Ian Veneracion — one of the day’s most noted dramatic actors — is at it again and raring to go.

Since bursting into showbiz as a child star in the ‘80s [via Joey de Leon’s iconic sitcom “Joey and Son”], Veneracion had hidden his talent for playing classical piano and guitar, composing and singing but nurtured and savored music every day of his life.

“Music has always been part of my life but career-wise, acting came first and I concentrated on being an actor. I didn’t want to do the allaround talent type of thing. It was that simple,” he told The Times in a previous interview.

Having proven himself a worthy actor both on television and the movies, Veneracion, now 44, decided last year his fans and the industry would be kinder to him, and forgiving even, if his attempt at singing publicly went south.

Happily, April 2018’s “Ian in Three Acts” became such a success that the rest of the year saw the actor in show after show, not just on the home front but even in Canada and all over North America.

“I can’t even put to words the feeling I had at the end of that first concert — hindi mo na mauulit yun eh,” the handsome mestizo recalled for the The Times.

“Natatakot ka na baka hindi mo matawid and when I did, ang sarap ng feeling at hindi naman ako inatake sa puso,” he added laughing.

Based on audience reaction, Veneracion didn’t just survive the big reveal that he is a singer and musician too, but he actually aced it, proven now more than ever that his major concert for 2019 has no less than OPM royalty, singersongwriter Ogie Alcasid as producer.

“This one’s called ‘Ian: In Color,’ and to have Ogie and [his wife] Regine [Velasquez]

Ian Veneracion

behind it… It’s a validation that I should continue to share my music. Imagine, sila yung tinitingala sa OPM and they’re producing my show and both guesting in it? I feel really good about it,” he said gratefully.

Music moods Now a legitimate concert performer, Veneracion is all the more eager to whip out his diverse musicality in “Ian: In Color.”

“The concert’s title is ‘In Color’ because it will show how I try to play songs in a different light evoking different kinds of moods; different kinds of shades. I guess you can liken it to flavors of ice cream — you pick a particular flavor depending on your mood right?” he chuckled again.

And unlike his first concert, which was staged in a huge venue, this two-night performance will have a totally different approach at the Music Museum.

“Naturally it will be more intimate, hence more interactive. Plus the arrangements of the songs are something I would describe as musically more playful.”

Unaffected and effective His musical influences, while diverse, are what Ven-

Photo from Instagram/@ianveneracion1

eracion would describe as “old school.”

“There’s Sting, U2, Eric Clapton, The Eagles, Peter Frampton and Fra Lippo Lippi to name a few, but of course, I’ll be singing the songs with my own interpretation and making them my own.

Otherwise, what’s the point?

If I try to sound like them, the audience might as well listen to the originals, di’ba?”

To give the cozy huddle at the New Order Urban Lounge Bar in Ortigas [where this interview took place] taste of what he means, Veneracion casually picked up an acoustic guitar, and sans a microphone or any other equipment, strummed the chords to “Baby, I Love Your Way” singing both unaffectedly and effectively.

His voice is honest — relaxed, purely his own, and soulful and passionate.

“I sing because I really enjoy live performances. At the risk of sounding mayabang, it’s not about the money. Whether it’s in front of a big crowd or just jamming with friends, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I can’t psychologically survive without music. Just like in other art forms, music is its own reward,” he ended.

Rappler chief Maria Ressa honored in new Madonna music video

entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 26, 2019

New resistance-themed video tackles global social justice issues

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

Celebrity couple Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli at the 2018 ABS-CBN Ball.

MADONNA’S music video for her new single “I Rise” features footage of Maria Ressa, the fearless Rappler founder who has been jailed and faces several charges in the Philippines.

Ressa, whose criticism of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte propelled her to international acclaim, is one of the Philstar.com photo by Kat Leandicho several social justice activists and movements featured in Madonna’s music video, which was made in partnership with TIME Studios. Around the 1:30 mark is footage of Ressa answering press questions following her arrest as well as Filipinos holding up “De“I really commend (his) volunteerism. ‘Yong pinapakita fend press freedom!” signs in niya is a manifestation that his protest.

The music video also shows sense of patriotism is napakReuters journalists Wa Lone ataas,” the major general said. and Kyaw Soe Oo who were Last April, the 29-year-old jailed for 511 days for their actor has officially joined the Philippine Army as a reservist. exposes on the Myanmar military’s brutal atrocities. They He cited his love for the country as the reason for join- along with Ressa were named among TIME’s “Persons of the ing the Army.

Year” as journalists fighting for Stills from Madonna’s “I Rise” music video show Rappler chief Maria Ressa answering journalists’ “I officially joined the Philquestions following an arrest and Filipinos protesting the state of press freedom in the Philippines. truth. ippine ARMY today because I In addition to the journalsexual abuse and assault in Black Lives Matters activists, love my country. I would like ists representing press freesurvivors from the Parkland the era of #MeToo and first to thank the people that have shooting, advocates for responders to natural disasbeen very supportive. Exciting dom, the social justice-laden video featured footage of LGBTQ equality, survivors of ters. times ahead,” Matteo said.

Sarah supports Matteo’s scout ranger training

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

SARAH Geronimo has recently paid her boyfriend Matteo Guidicelli a visit at Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan, where the latter is currently undergoing training as a scout ranger.

Photos of Sarah visiting Matteo in the camp have circulated online, but there was no indication on the exact date of the pop star’s visit.

The photos show the couple with Matteo’s parents,

younger brother and sister.

According to an ABS-CBN News report, Matteo is the only reservist who asked to be enlisted in the leadership development course.

“This started few months ago when he visited us then he asked what is a scout ranger...

He is really interested and asked if he can join the training,” said Brig. Gen. Wilson Gonzales, commander of 1st Scout Ranger Regiment.

Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana also lauded Matteo for his initiative to undergo training.

Liza Soberano

Photo from Instagram/@lizasoberano

Liza still in therapy...

From Page 3 come home this July. But it still depends on her surgeon (the one administering the catheter),” Ogie told The Times, thinking that the medical procedure must have been performed weeks ago.

While we failed to ask him when Liza would be back to work — as she’s set to star in another reunion teleserye with Enrique Gil on ABS-CBN and a film under Star Cinema — or maybe these plans may have to wait in the wings until the young actress will have fully

recovered.

The Times couldn’t help but vividly recall the message of an English poem titled “Invictus” recited back in fourth grade.

Its poet William Ernest Henley wrote it while at the hospital for treatment of his bone tuberculosis.

The poem, which ends with “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul,” might help Liza realize that in her spiritual strength lies her triumph against all odds. Of course, next to the One up there.

community 5

Love as the center of gravity

PAUL, aka Saul of Tarsus, lived more than two thousand years ago. He had something to say about what does matter in life.

He spoke about a special kind of love that in Greek is called Agape (ah-gah-pay).

Agape is unconditional love, a kind of love that has no agenda or motivations, a kind of love that is exemplified in God sending His only Son, a kind of love that if emulated by humans, sets us apart from all of God’s creatures, makes us a little closer to the angels and truly created in God’s own image and likeness.

But Paul didn’t start out as a defender of the Christian faith.

He was, in fact, an avid persecutor feared by early Christians. As a Jew and a Pharisee who was also an educated man and a class above because he was a Roman citizen, he used everything in his power and position to quash the growth of the church persecuting the members of the then budding Christian church.

Saul was his Jewish name.

Paul was his Roman name. Paul stood by watching the cloaks of the stone throwers, tacitly approving the stoning of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Paul was a young, rising brilliant star of his time eager to make his mark in the Judaic tradition. At first, Paul was hot and bothered by the intensity of the love and fervency of the Apostles and early believers.

This start-up movement was a threat to his career track and his Judaic core belief system. Paul thought he was going to make it his life’s work to eliminate Christ’s early followers and eradicate what Christ himself has started.

If murder and mayhem were the tools to get it done, he was going to use them.

But God had other plans for Paul. On his way to Damascus on a mission to arrest and persecute Christians, a blinding light shone on him. He fell off his horse while Jesus’ voice is heard asking him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” This dramatic, miraculous conversion when he temporarily became blind was a critical juncture for the Christian church.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit who suffused his entire being when the scales of his blindness fell off his eyes, Paul’s teachings and writings have an eternal shelf life true today, as it was then, and will be for much of human history.

Amid troubled times, read the gospels. Also, you just might dis-

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA cover the exquisite beauty, range and depth of human emotions made known to God, contained in the Psalms, all 150 of them.

And then read Paul. You’ll be surprised at the clarity and current relevance of many of his writings to today’s unfolding history. He has a wealth of wisdom to share with anyone seeking meaning in a confusing world seemingly bent on self-immolation.

In a swirling fast-paced technological world full of self–love,

of the Turning,” which is based on the Blessed Mother Mary’s “Magnificat,” it is when the church is at its most vulnerable when the forces of heaven align to defend itself and go on the offensive in subtle yet dramatic ways. The blood of early Christians spawned the rise of the early Church. History does repeat itself.

Marriage as a bedrock institution between man and a woman is in serious danger, as man-made laws masquerading as civil liberties, are enacted to challenge it, all in the name of political correctness. Strong family units built on LOVE are so essential in creating strong societies from the ground up. Each generation builds upon and learns from the ones that came before it.

The passage below is a favorite among couples and wedding planners and for good reason. These words are more than the pretty, superficial veneer of rituals in weddings.

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 13, are words to live by telling us what really matters as he did then to members of the early church who were probably just as lost, confused and disconcerted as most of us probably are.

“Set your hearts on the greater gifts. I will show you the way which surpasses all the others. If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give everything I have to feed the poor and hand over my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind.

Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.

Love never fails. … And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

“All you need is love.”

—Lennon-McCartney vanity, illusions and artifice that only tend to distort and act as centrifugal forces pushing God away as the center of our lives, Paul’s directives make absolute sense. His words have the power to keep us all centered, as they were intended to be, not on ourselves, but on God. Ironically, it’s like being in the eye of the storm where there is peace while swirling forces rage about in the periphery.

This one below, if etched in many hearts and minds and lived out in our daily rounds through thoughts and more specifically in even the tiniest of actions, particularly in couples, already married or planning marriage in the foreseeable future, could remarkably bring down the alarming rate of break-ups and a whole universe of heartaches among couples.

This has the power to preserve FAMILIES, the last best hope of humanity on steroids.

These days, the very structure and integrity of the family unit are heavily assaulted from many fronts with popular culture, Hollyweird, media and the internet leading the charge at a time when the church is weakened by internal abuses and scandals and when persecutions of Christians around the world are at a terrifying, alarming rate and intensity.

Fear not. Let not our hearts be troubled. As history will bear and as written in the song, “Canticle

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 26, 2019

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes FOR most families, their 401K retirement plan from work is the second largest asset an average family holds (second only to their family residence). How is this treated in a divorce proceeding in California which is a community property state? It depends on how it is characterized whether separate property, community property, or part separate and part community.

If all your contribution to your 401k plan made prior to the marriage or after separation, then your 401k plan will be characterized as your separate property. In a divorce, your separate property 401k plan will not be

How will your 401K retirement plan be divided in a divorce case?

“If all your contribution to your 401k plan made prior to the marriage or after separation, then your 401k plan will be characterized as your separate property. “ divided and will be awarded 100% to you.

On the other hand if all your contribution to your 401k plan was made during the marriage, then the retirement plan will be characterized as community property. Marriage is the period from date of marriage to date of separation. This means your 401k retirement plan will be di-

vided 50/50 between you and your spouse. Since 401k retirement plan is subject to ERISA, a QDRO is necessary to divide the plan. A QDRO is a Qualified Domestic Relations Order prepared by your attorney filing with the Court subject to the retirement plan administrator’s approval.

Once the QDRO is approved Continued on Page 6

Ex-businessman with commercial lease judgment of $100K seeks Chapter 7 relief THE client is 50, divorced, and used to own a business that had a commercial lease for retail space. He operated the business for 10 years. On the 11th year, sales started to plunge for an unknown reason such that the debtor could no longer pay the commercial lease of his retail space.

He still had two years of lease to go at $4,000 per month. So for 24 months, he owed close to $100,000 of the commercial lease. But since his business was not even able to generate enough sales to cover rent, he had to close shop and get his stuff out of the building. He cleaned out the space, thinking that if the landlord could easily rent it out, he would not sue him for unpaid rent of two years.

Unfortunately, the landlord sued the client for unpaid rent of $100,000. Eventually, the landlord got a judgment for $100,000 against the client. But the client now is an ordinary employee making $4,000 a month of salary. There is a notice of a bank levy on his bank accounts for $100,000, and a notice of wage garnishment on his sal-

Debt Relief

Atty. lAwrence yAng ary for $100,000! In addition to this significant liability, the client owes $20,000 of credit card debt.

With a bank levy on his accounts and the prospect of losing 25 percent of his salary to wage garnishment for the unpaid commercial lease of his old business that no longer exists, the client decides to seek Chapter 7 relief.

What will Chapter 7 do for him?

With Chapter 7, he can keep all of his assets, and he can discharge or get rid of the $100,000 judgment, dissolve the bank levy and dissolve the wage garnishment. He can also wipe out the $20,000 of credit card debt. In other words, he can get a fresh start in life and be productive again. He can leave his old life behind him and forget about the $100,000 he owes his landlord as well as his $20,000 of credit

cards.

His credit score will improve yearly. At the end of this year, he will be close to 600. In year two, he will score 640, in year 3, 680, and on year 7, he will cross 730. In year 10, there will be no record of his Chapter 7 and his credit score will be over 800.

Best of all, he can look forward to retiring by having the ability to start saving money now and not having to worry about paying a $100,000 judgment of $20,000 of credit cards. He will be able to get new credit cards in year one because there are credit card companies that specialize in giving credit to people who have just filed bankruptcy. They are indeed good credit risks because they cannot file another Chapter 7 for eight years.

Seniors seek Chapter 7 discharge of $50K credit cards The next client is 66. He stopped working last year and now gets social security of $1,200 and a pension of $800.

His wife is 68 and collects social security of $900. So they have $2,900 a month of social security and pension.

Continued on Page 6

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people & events

Ex-businessman with commercial lease ...

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 26, 2019

How will your 401K retirement plan be...

From Page 5 by the plan and signed by the Court, the QDRO is sent back to the plan which implements the division of the 401k plan. Half of the community interest in the 401k plan will be transferred to a new account set up under the non-employee spouses’ name.

This division of the 401k plan is not a taxable event and will not have any tax consequence since the non-employee spouses’ portion will simply be transferred to another tax deferred account under the non-employee spouse’s name.

It gets more challenging when the contributions to your 401k plan occurred partly before marriage and partly during marriage. In that situation, an apportionment would have to be made between separate property and community property.

Your spouse will be entitled to half the community interest in your 401k plan. The community portion of the 401k plan gets to share in its pro-rata share of

EMPLOYMENT

investment gains and income of the 401k plan and not just the original contributions. As stated previously, the non-employee spouse’s half of the community interest in the plan will be divided via a QDRO. If your divorce case is resolved by settlement rather than trial, it is also possible to negotiate that your entire 401k retirement plan be awarded 100% to in exchange for either a cash buy out to your spouse or offering your spouse other assets in exchange for your spouse’s half of the community interest in the 401k plan. In that scenario, there will be no need to divide your 401k plan with a QDRO. The divorce judgment would simply award the entire plan to you with a corresponding asset awarded to your spouse. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

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

This article is not intended to cover all

the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010.

Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail “mailto: kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com” kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

EMPLOYMENT

From Page 5 They don’t own a house so they rent for $800. Medicare standard and part D gets a portion of their income but they don’t have to pay for prescription drugs anymore as part D covers all of their medication.

They are both in good health so that’s pretty good. The only problem is that they both owe a total of $50,000 of credit cards.

They need $1,500 a month of minimum payments to keep these cards current, and all of the cards are still current. Their son helps them pay for the cards.

What a waste of money!

Credit card minimum payments eat up more than 50% of their retirement income! “BAD” as Pres. Trump would tweet. In fact, “Bigly-Bad!!” What can Chapter 7 do for them?

Chapter 7 will wipe out all of their $50,000 of credit card debt, thus saving them the headache of paying out $1,500 a month to keep these cards current. This saves them $18,000 a year. In three years, they save almost $60,000. What can they do with $60K of savings? Well, they can invest it in equities and maybe get a decent return of 6% a year.

“No matter what your age is right now, if you have accumulated debt that has become burdensome for you and your family, seriously consider wiping out your debt now than waiting for five more or 10 more years when you retire. “ That’s an income of $3,600 a year, or $300 a month of extra money to spend. That’s not too bad considering they are just starting to save money now.

If they filed for Chapter 7 10 years ago, they would have at least $200,000 now saved up and giving them $1,000 a month of income. Or, they can travel the world with their savings and additional income.

No matter what your age is right now, if you have accumulated debt that has become burdensome for you and your family, seriously consider wiping out your debt now than waiting for

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

five more or 10 more years when you retire. You will save a lot of money by getting rid of your accumulated now than later.

If you need debt relief, set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

(Advertising Supplement)

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 26, 2019

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE -June 26, 2019