081419 - Southern California Midweek Edition

August 14-16, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 63 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages

Philippines should not choose between US and China – Robredo

by GABRIEL

PABICO Inquirer.net

Vice President Leni Robredo Photo from the Office of the Vice President

DATELINE

LALU

THE Philippines should not pick between China and the United States since “friendship with both countries would be beneficial” to the country, Vice President Leni Robredo said Tuesday, August 13.

Interviewed on Bloomberg TV, Robredo said: “I don’t believe that the Philippines should choose between the U.S. and China, in the sense that friendship with both countries would be beneficial to the Philippines.”

Robredo, however, also said that she understands President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to rebuild ties FEAST OF SACRIFICE. Thousands of Muslim faithful gather at the Rizal Park to join the congregational prayer in observance of Eid’l-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) on Sunday, August 11. Eid’l Adha is one of the two major feasts of Islam, the other being Eid’l Fitr. President Duterte has declared with China.

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USA

With race and hate crimes on the rise, Ileto family calls on Asian American inclusion in conversations

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. ManilaTImes.net photo

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday, August 12, said he amended the restriction on marine survey ships to include China, explaining that granting exception to one country “will automatically lift ban universally” and will “invite bribes.”

In a tweet, he said: “I banned marine survey ships, amending restriction to France and Japan by adding China. To pick and choose invites

swered that he wanted to see the “academic qualifications of the UP guys looking for a cruise.”

“UP had taken initiative of organizing MSR projects but also got banned because we invited foreign scientists or asked to use foreign ships. We end up losing opportunities for tech transfer and experience,” Batongbacal said.

Locsin responded by saying he would not allow “PoliSigh and the rest of that mushy crap.”

The exchange came following

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“Dapat ‘di nila tatanggapin kung masyado naman malaki (They should not accept it if the gift is too big),” he added.

On Friday, August 9, Duterte told policemen that he does not consider accepting gifts as a form of bribery.

“Basta kung bigyan kayo, eh tanggapin ninyo (If they give you a gift, accept it). It is not bribery because — it cannot be bribery because it is allowed by law,” he said.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde, meanwhile, assured everyone that police officers would not accept gifts with strings attached.

“Sa batas natin ‘yung insignificant ‘yung FIGHTING DENGUE. A government personnel scoops up garbage at the Estero de San Miguel

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in Quiapo, Manila. Local government units have started cleaning canals, creeks and other possible breeding sites of mosquitoes to curb the spread of dengue.

ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

Palace will not meddle in de Lima’s plea Dengue cases now over 160,000

by AJPRESS

THE Trump administration has focused a lot on actions to curb illegal immigration in the last two years, but new regulation changes released on Monday, August 12 may have a dramatic effect on immigrants seeking legal permanent residency or U.S. citizenship.

Set to go into effect in mid-October, the new rule essentially expands who may be considered a “public charge” — a term used since 1996 to describe an individual likely to become “primarily dependent” on the government through public cash assistance or long-term institutionalized care funded by the government.

Whether one is a public charge determines whether one can become a legal permanent resident.

Through the expanded definition, visa and green card applicants who have accessed

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suspicion of favoritism. Will universalize the ban. Period. Granting exception to one country will automatically lift ban universally. Exceptions invite bribes.”

Locsin’s statement was in response to presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo saying that there is nothing wrong with seeking U.S. assistance in monitoring the country’s EEZ. When asked in a tweet by maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal if Philippine maritime scientific research was allowed, Locsin an-

Palace defends Duterte’s stand on police officers getting gifts

AUGUST 10, 1999 was a hot day. It was a Tuesday, and Filipino American letter carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS) Joseph Ileto — who originally had the day off

by RITCHEL MENDIOLA — was called into work to cover for a fellow AJPress mailman.

While on route delivering the mail in MALACAÑANG on Monday, August 13, Chatsworth, at the nearby North Valley Jew- defended President Rodrigo Duterte’s stance ish Community Center in Granada Hills, a on police officers accepting gifts given out of white supremacist walked into the center’s gratitude or generosity.

According to presidential spokesperson u PAGE A3 Salvador Panelo, police officers can accept gifts of “nominal value” for as long as these are not “excessive.”

“What is important is hindi yun binigay (that is not given) in anticipation of a favor coming from the recipient or in exchange of a favor from the recipient which is a police officer,” Panelo told the media.

New rule change may affect millions of legal residents seeking citizenship or permanent residency

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Locsin bans Chinese marine survey ships

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Filipino postal worker Joseph Ileto remembered 20 years after killing

August 12, Monday, a regular holiday across the country in observance of the Muslim feast.

PRESIDENTIAL spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Monday, August 12, said Malacañang will not meddle in the request of detained Sen. Leila de Lima for the court to allow her to visit her ailing 86-year-old mother in Camarines Sur. “Well ever since, the president has not interfered with any case involving anybody. He never interfered. So the discretion lies always on the court,” he said.

“We will never interfere with whatever cases there are pending before the courts,” the spokesman added.

Sen. Leila de Lima

Senate photo

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with more than 720 deaths – DOH

by DAPHNE

GALVEZ Inquirer.net

July 27.

Western Visayas had the most number of dengue cases at THE number of recorded den- 27,765 with 126 deaths, followed gue cases in the country has by Calabarzon with 19,732 cases climbed to over 160,000 with and 69 deaths. more than 700 deaths, the DeThe DOH said the following partment of Health (DOH) re- 10 regions have exceeded the vealed Tuesday, August 13. threshold for a dengue epidemIn the latest report of the DOH’s ic: epidemiology bureau, a total of -Calabarzon 167,607 dengue cases were re-Mimaropa corded from January 1 to July 27, -Bicol Region with 720 deaths.

-Western Visayas The DOH also noted 12,880 -Central Visayas cases were recorded in only a -Eastern Visayas week’s period from July 21 to u PAGE A4

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Palace defends Duterte’s stand...

PAGE A1 value gaya po ng mga pagkain na consumable na maliit na bagay.

Pero ‘yun pong malalaking bagay lalo na kapag may kapalit na pabor, bawal na bawal po ‘yan (Under the law, policemen could accept those with insignificant value like food and other small things.

But significant gifts, especially in exchange of favors, are not allowed),� he said Monday on radio DZMM.

“Gifts are a small matter�

Sen. Ronald “Bato� dela Rosa, for his part, admitted that he had accepted gifts before as a PNP official in defense of Duterte’s remarks. “The president is a practical person and I’m practical, too. I admit I received (gifts) before,� he said during an interview with radio station DZBB. According to him, the issues being raised against Duterte were

From the Front Page

a “small matter to be paid attention to.� “Gifts are a small matter. It’s happening anywhere, everywhere. It’s in our culture,� Dela Rosa said.

The former PNP official recalled that he had been given food and equipment by families he helped while he was serving in Davao City. “What was I to do? Tell them that we’ll not eat (their food) because it’s forbidden? I’d be a hypocrite if I say that I did not accept,� Dela Rosa said. “Those (gifts) were not asked by the police, they’re voluntarily given to help the work of the police, why should we not accept (them)?� he added.

However, Dela Rosa warned PNP officials to exercise caution in accepting gifts as they may have strings attached or may conflict with their duties.

Consequences Sen. Francis Pangilinan pointed out that Duterte’s permission for police officers to accept gifts will only make them “more abusive and corrupt.�

On Sunday, August 8, he said that if Duterte’s order will be followed, “there will come a time when policemen will not act if there is no grease and the police will only side with the rich who can afford a lot of grease.�

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde said on Monday that said that any gift was prohibited “lalo na kapag may kapalit na pabor,� (especially when it’s in exchange for a favor). “Meron po tayong sinusunod na code of ethical standard ng ating public officials and employees yun po ang sinusunod natin, baka po magkamisinterpretation and ating kapulisan (We are following the code of ethical standard for public officials and employees, that is what we are following, our police may misinterpret it),� Albayalde said in a radio interview on dzMM. He added that the president may be referring to gifts with “insignificant� value, such as food.

Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, which prohibits public officials and employees to “solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties.�n

CLEANUP DRIVE. Filipino and Korean students conduct a cleanup drive along 17th Ave. in Barangay Socorro, Quezon City on Sunday, August 11. The group, identified as ASEZ, is hoping their acts would encourage others to maintain cleanliness and to also boost the barangay’s vision to build “Zero Crime Street� community. ASEZ is a group of university student volunteers from the Church of God, who act to solve practical problems around the world.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

Philippines should not choose...

PAGE A1 Bilateral relations between the Philippines and China have been strained after the Aquino administration brought Manila’s maritime dispute with Beijing at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands, which in July 2016 invalidated China’s nine-dash line that covers almost the entire South China Sea including the West Philippine Sea. But Robredo clarified that what she finds unacceptable was the Duterte administration’s apparent inability to draw the line between friendship and protecting the country’s territorial interests. “What I don’t understand is why there is no clear line between, you know, giving up our sovereignty,� she said. “We can maintain economic relations with them but there should be a very clean and clear line as far as protecting our territories is concerned and preserving our sovereignty.�

When asked whether the Philippines is selling itself out to China, Robredo answered: “Yes,

because of the way our administration is responding to threats to our territories and threats to our sovereignty. For many years now, China has been occupying many of the territories where we have staked our claim on.�

Duterte has opted to set aside the PCA ruling in dealing with China and instead fostered warm ties with the Asian superpower in exchange for economic deals.

Duterte has also been trumpeting that his administration would implement “independent foreign policy� that is less dependent on the U.S. Aside from China, Duterte has also established cozier relations with Russia.

RAdministration critics, however, saw Duterte’s dealings with China as mere subservience to Beijing citing the administration’s predilection to Chinese loans and Chinese-based contractors for the government’s infrastructure projects like the proposed Kaliwa Dam, EstrellaPantaleon bridge rehabilitation, and the Chico River Pump project, among others.

Duterte has also been criti-

cized for his administration’s seemingly spineless stance on several sovereignty issues, including the continued militarization of disputed territories in the South China Sea and the presence of Chinese fishing vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

But Malacaùang said last week that Duterte plans to bring up the July 2016 arbitral ruling with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visits China later this month. Duterte’s scheduled trip to China this August would be his fifth since assuming the presidency.

For Robredo, this move would be “a big development.� “I think that’s a big development in the sense that we have, people have been prodding him to do that already in his previous meetings with the Chinese officials, and he has been saying there would be time for that,�

Robredo stressed. “So the question now is, I think everyone is waiting with bated breath, what will happen in that meeting,� she added. n

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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 14-16, 2019

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New rule change may affect millions of legal...

PAGE A1 benefits like food stamps, housing vouchers, or most forms of Medicaid, may be denied a green card or entry into the U.S. Under the “totality of the circumstances” aspect of the new rule, factors like health, family status, assets, resources and financial status, and education are further among the considerations that may deem an individual to be a public charge.

Exempt from the change are asylum-seekers and refugees.

For supporters, the new rule is a way to modernize the familybased immigration system and save taxpayers billions of dollars.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli said during a White House briefing that the expandEddie Flores, Pat Kwoh, Carmina Ileto, Lilian Ileto, Advancing Justice-LA founder Stewart Kwoh, Deena Ileto, Agustin Herrera and Ismael ed definition would encourage Ileto attend a commemoration dinner and vigil on Friday, August 9 for the 20th death anniversary of Joseph Ileto, who was killed by a white and ensure “self reliance and supremacist while on his postal route on August 10, 1999.

Photos by Fiona Diec/Advancing Justice - Los Angeles self sufficiency for those seeking to come to or stay in the United States.”

“Our current law, which is generations old, recognizes that PAGE A1 some new arrivals to our country lobby and fired 70 shots using a need the help of their family and semi-automatic weapon, woundcommunity,” said Cuccinelli. “It ing five people including three requires some of those who seek children.

The shooter, Buford O. Furrow of Lacey, Washington, then fled the scene. He made his way to where Ileto was a few miles away and approached the mailman to ask him to mail a letter for him. As Ileto agreed, Furrow took out a handgun and fatally shot Ileto nine times in a murder that Furrow later confessed was racially-motivated. (He said he thought Ileto was Latino or Asian.)

Furrow later turned himself into the FBI in Las Vegas and is serving two life terms plus 110 The Ileto family and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles host a candle-lit vigil in front of the Joseph Ileto mural on Friday, August 9. years without the possibility of And for the last 20 years, the permeate, the family’s mission parole. The proceeding’s judge told Furrow, “Your actions were family has sought to cultivate a to push for the Asian American a stark and brutal reminder that legacy for their fallen brother to community to stand up against make sure his untimely death racism and to be a part of the bigotry is alive, if not well.” conversation has never been The aftermath of the shoot- didn’t go in vain.

The Ileto family has spent the more relevant. ing was a wake up call to many “When my brother was killed, state and federal lawmakers and last two decades ensuring that signaled a national push for gun the murder of their son, kuya the description of him was just control. Additionally, the shoot- and tito never be forgotten, a postal worker, not of his heriing prompted the need to com- building his legacy into some- tage and the main reason he was thing greater than themselves. killed was the color of his skin, bat anti-Semitism and racism.

But what gets left out of the They’ve attended marches, and I just thought that was an narrative is the one casualty of spoken at schools. met with nu- insult to him as a Filipino Amerthe shooting. At the time of his merous advocacy groups and ican and to our family as Asian death, Ileto was 39 years old. He lobbied to lawmakers all in the Americans and to our whole was the eldest son of Lilian Ileto, name of common sense gun community,” Ismael “Ish” Ileto, Ileto’s younger brother, told the and while working for the USPS, control and combating racism.

And as the amplification of Asian Journal on Friday, August he was also studying engineerreactionary rhetoric on race 9. ing at Cal Poly Pomona.

Continuing the conversation and immigration continues to PAGE A5

Filipino postal worker Joseph Ileto remembered...

to live and remain in the United States, to have a sponsor who will be financially responsible for them.”

But critics of the expanded definition say that the new rule was made to punish immigrant families and will result in many families having to choose between maintaining immigration status or meeting basic needs like food.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, called the policy racist and said it prioritizes wealthy immigrants.

“Public benefits are essential to helping families stay healthy and thrive. Weighting the likelihood of future benefit use, along with discriminatory factors such as English proficiency is unjust,” Advancing Justice said in a statement.

“The administration has intentionally sought to scare immigrants and their families from using public benefits,” it added.

Since the rule change was proposed in October of 2018, over 13% of immigrant adults have reportedly dropped their use of public benefits out of fear of potentially losing their chances at

becoming green card status, according to Advancing Justice.

Heng Lam Foong, senior policy manager with the Health Access Project at Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, told the Asian Journal last October that about 3.8 million Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrants relied on some form of public benefit to make ends meet.

Many at the time saw the thenproposed change as a potential public health crisis in that many legal immigrants would similarly find themselves choosing to skip medical appointments in fear that they’d risk endangering their immigration status.

“This could affect our most vulnerable residents: the disabled, seniors, and children. Sacrificing care would lead to worsening medical conditions in which patients could end up in emergency rooms or at health care centers that do not receive federal funds,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis said in a statement on Tuesday.

Asked whether the policy unfairly targeted lower-income immigrants, Cuccinelli responded: “We certainly expect people of

u PAGE A4

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Educating the educators: US provides training to Biñan English teachers

by Christia

MariE Inquirer.net

ANTI-TERRORISM BILL. Senator Panfilo Lacson (2nd from right), chairperson of the Senate Committee of National Defense & Security and Finance, says he would rather push for a stronger anti-terrorism measure that would address the radicalization of students, especially minors during the public hearing on Senate Nos. 6, 21 and 630 or the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Amending R.A No. 9372, at the Senate in Pasay City on Tuesday, August 13. Also in photo are Senators Francis Tolentino, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa; ATC-Program Management Center Exec. Director Florentino Manalastas Jr., Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces Chief of Staff, General Benjamin R. Madrigal Jr.; Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Ano, Information and Communications Secretary Gregorio Honasan, and representatives from government agencies.

PNA photos by Avito C. Dalan)

House to pass bill creating OFW department next month

by Edu

Punay Philstar.com

THE House of Representatives yesterday vowed to pass next month the proposed measure to create a new department that would cater to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda said the commitment was made during the mini Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting at Malacañang last week.

“Two weeks before we go into plenary on Oct. 5, that bill should be passed already along with other priority revenue measures,” added Salceda who chairs the House ways and means committee.

The proposed measure is among the top priorities of the 18th Congress in response to the legislative agenda set by President Duterte during his State of the Nation Address last month.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Bonafide Recruiters for OFWs’ Advancement and Development (ABROAD), the largest group of recruitment agencies in the country that handles over one million OFWs, called for the immediate passage of House Bill No. 2 and Senate Bill 202, which both seek to create the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers (DOFW).

The House bill is co-authored

by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and by Deputy Speaker and presidential son Paolo Duterte, while

Sen. Christopher Go authored the Senate version.

ABROAD co-convenor Mary Cecile Francisco said the measure is necessary to ensure the welfare and protection of OFWs as well as their access to government services.

“Many of our countrymen continue to seek employment abroad in order to help their families, and the discussions leading to the creation of a DOFW will allow all the stakeholders involved – OFWs, placement and recruitment agencies, legislators, policymakers, NGOs, civil society groups and the government offices involved in OFW deployment – to sit down and find ways to better protect the interests of our OFWs,” she added.

The group, which has over 500 member agencies, vowed to support the measure and will continue to be the “government’s partner in nation-building, especially during times of economic downturn.”

It also promised to be the first line of defense in ensuring that the OFW rights and welfare are protected.

The DOFW is expected to consolidate and harmonize the services for OFWs, which are currently served by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO),

and the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Under the bill, the DOFW will be funded with P5 billion to address the needs of regular and irregular OFWs in distress, and those returning to the Philippines. Its secretary will be assisted by six undersecretaries: administration and finance, foreign employment, reintegration and social services, overseas Filipinos, assistance to overseas Filipinos in distress, and international labor affairs.

It also seeks to create an Emergency Response and Action Center Unit that will operate a 24/7 call center and a media and social media monitoring center to respond to the emergency needs of Filipinos overseas, the OFWs and their families wherever they may be.

The House leadership has already committed to prioritize this measure and pass it within this month.

As of September last year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed at least 2.3 million OFWs. The foreign remittances and money that went through channels outside of the international banking system drive the growth of the country’s consumer-led economy with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) pegging OFW remittances at $32.21 billion last year. n

raMos

ENGLISH teachers from Biñan, Laguna took on the role of students during a series of workshops aim to further equip them with modern and collaborative teaching methods.

More than a hundred teachers, divided into four batches, participated in a series of workshops hosted by the Regional English Language Office of the United States Embassy in Manila, which started on July 29 and lasted until Friday, August 9.

There’s a large group of us in the United States who go out to provide english language training and we do the training based upon the needs of the local community,” Amy Christensen, an English teacher at the Central New Mexico Community College, told INQUIRER.net in an interview during one of the series of workshops held in Alabang.

Christensen, who led the training workshops, is a participant in the U.S. Department of State’s English Language Specialist Program promoting professional development of English teachers.

“Most of the activities that I’m doing are collaborative activities and activities that promote active learning in the classroom. I think everybody in the world is moving from kind of a teachercentered lecture style classroom to more where the students are the focus and they’re more actively involved in their own learning,” she further said.

Interactive learning Patrick James Pelicano, an

English teacher from the Biñan Secondary School of Applied Academics and one of the participants, said the series of trainings helped them learn “how to include and involve students in the learning landscape.”

“As English teachers here in the Philippines, we encounter different problems in teaching english to the students, specifically grammar and reading. So with this seminar, we are able to get different insights on how to teach different lessons in an easy way, in the most dynamic [and] most active way that the teachers could do,” he said.

“Dati kasi, ‘pag nagtuturo ang mga teachers, kami lang ang nasa harap, kami lang ang magsasalita, kami lang ang gagawa, so ang workshop na ‘to, they taught us how to include and involve students in the learning landscape. So instead of us giving all the instruction, giving all the insights, we let them (students) be involved in the learning and let them think and be independent in their own way,” he further explained.

According to the embassy’s Regional English Language Officer, Harold Samuels, the goal of the training program was “to help the students” acquire the highest quality of education through training the teachers themselves.

“We want to provide the most current, the highest level of training for teachers because ultimately that will be reflected in the way they teach and so we work with teachers because our real goal is to provide the highest quality of education for the students,” Samuels said in a

separate interview.

“What we try to do is to build on what the teachers already know,” he added.

Christensen expressed hoped that what the teachers had learned throughout the course of the training program would be reflected once they go back to their own classrooms.

“So far I’ve heard some pretty good feedback that they’ve liked what I’ve been presenting [and] that they’ll actually be able to use these activities in their classroom so they’re not just theory and you know research, and that they’re actually implementable in the classroom,” she said.

“So what I’m hoping [is that] the teachers will go back to their school…and be able to implement these activities that we’ve been practicing in the workshop with their students,” she added.

Samuels, meanwhile, noted that this program has reached teachers from different parts of the country as well.

“We’ve done this program not only for Biñan teachers but also teachers from Bataan, from Cavite, from Pangasinan and also from Metro Manila.

We have other program which is for full academic year, for 10 months. We’ve had our trainers work with teachers in Iloilo…and we’re sending another teacher to Tacloban. So we try to reach as many different regions as we possibly can,” he said.

“We’ll try to reach as many regions as we can and we’re just moving step by step from one region to another,” he added. n

New rule change may affect millions of legal...

PAGE A3 any income to be able to stand on their own two feet, so if people are not able to be self-sufficient, then this negative factor is going to bear very heavily against them in a decision about whether they’ll be able to become a legal permanent resident.”

He then suggested that the “totality of circumstances” test made it so lack of self-sufficiency

wasn’t the main deciding factor on whether one would be able to become a legal permanent resident.

“A poor person can be prepared to be self-sufficient; many have been, through the history of this country. So let’s not look at that as the be-all and end-all. It’s not the deciding factor, which is why we continue to use the totality of circumstances test,” said

Cuccinelli.

Legal action is expected, especially by those who see the rule change as discriminatory. Solis said that LA County Counsel is currently analyzing the rule and will be making recommendations to possibly join legal action.

“LA County will continue to defend, protect, and fight for its most vulnerable residents,” said Solis. (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)

Dengue cases now over 160,000 with more...

PAGE A1 -Zamboanga Peninsula -Northern Mindanao -Soccsksargen -Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Meanwhile, Ilocos Region and the National Capital Region have already surpassed the threshold for a dengue alert, the DOH said.

Moreover, the DOH said the age group most affected by dengue is around five to nine years old, accounting for 22.8 percent of the cases or 38,268.

The same age group recorded the most number of deaths, with 292 cases or 42 percent.

The DOH recommended that regions must localize areas with

clustering, high attack rates, and case facility ration for the prioritization of response.

The agency earlier declared a national dengue epidemic as the cases of the mosquito-borne disease continue to increase.

A health official also said the number of dengue cases may surge further by October. n

Palace will not meddle in...

PAGE A1 De Lima has filed before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court an urgent motion for furlough to visit her mother Norma Magistrado De Lima on August 15 or sooner.

The detained senator pleaded in her motion for “the utmost

kind consideration of the Honorable Court, as a daughter who wants to be able to see and, perhaps, hold her mother close for the last time.”

Additionally, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go told reporters via text message that President Rodrigo Duterte would have “no

Locsin bans Chinese marine...

PAGE A1 reports that two Chinese ships were recently seen operating in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

According to Ryan Martinson, an assistant professor at the Chi-

na Maritime Studies Institute of the U.S. Naval War College, Chinese oceanographic survey ships Zhanjian and Dong Fang Hong 3 were seen in the Philippines’ EEZ this week conducting marine scientific research.

objection if the courts allow Sen. Leila de Lima to see her mother.”

De Lima is one of Duterte’s staunchest critics. She is currently detained for drug charges at the Philippine National Police custodial center inside Camp Crame in Quezon City. n

He said that the Zhanjian has been operating in the Philippines’ EEZ since Saturday, August 10; while Dong Fang Hong 3 was spotted near northern Luzon on Wednesday, August 7. n

Governor Newsom announces climate...

PAGE A3 2017. Oil and gas refineries and hydrogen production were responsible for one-third of those emissions. The rest came mostly from oil and gas extraction, cement plants, glass manufacturers and large food processors.

Agriculture Livestock emit more than 50 percent of the methane in California. Methane has up to 25 times the heat-trapping capacity of CO2 and is the most common short-lived climate pollutant (super pollutant) in the state.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is implementing programs that include incentivizing dairy manure digesters to reduce emissions from industrial dairies by replacing open waste lagoons. The digesters enable dairy operators to capture manure methane and either use it for onsite power generation or inject this renewable natural gas into a pipeline for use as transportation fuel.

Though some dairy methane emissions have declined, small annual increases in overall methane emissions have continued.

Therefore, California has gone beyond just dairy digesters.

CARB has adopted a regulation to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas production, processing and storage facilities, as well

as regulating methane emissions from landfills and emissions of hydrofluorocarbons from commercial refrigeration equipment.

Super pollutants Emissions continued to rise from other super pollutants, such as refrigerants used in automobile, commercial and residential air conditioners, as well as methane. This group of gases captures heat at many times the level of carbon dioxide, the most common climate pollutant.

Super pollutants provide an opportunity, too. They reach the atmosphere in small amounts compared to CO2, but because they can have such a dramatic warming impact, reducing them can provide a proportionately larger benefit in the short term, giving us additional time to control the sources of carbon dioxide.

Background The state GHG Emissions Inventory compiles data on GHG emissions, including carbon dioxide and climate super pollutants. The inventory helps to track emissions across all major sectors of the economy. Due to the schedules of various government agencies that supply data needed for estimating GHG emissions, the GHG inventory is generally updated 18 months after the end of each calendar year.

AB 32 set a GHG reduction target of a return to 1990 levels by 2020. The state reached that goal in 2016. Senate Bill 32, signed into law in 2016, set a 2030 emissions reduction target 40 percent below 1990 levels. The state currently reduces GHG emissions through an integrated set of regulations and programs designed to address sources from every sector, including the cap-and-trade program, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and the zeroemission vehicle (ZEV) program.

California’s long-term goal is to become carbon neutral by 2045 following an Executive Order issued by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and passage of Senate Bill 100 in 2018. In order to keep the rise in global average temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, scientists agree that emissions and sinks of carbon emission must be net zero by the second half of the century.

More information on the trends in California GHG emissions are found in the Trends in Emissions and Other Indicators report at https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/ cc/inventory/pubs/reports/2000_ 2016/ghg_inventory_trends_0016.pdf. n

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D ateline PhiliPPines Spread of fake news ‘more insidious’ in 2019 elections — report

by Ian

nIcolas cIgaral Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines saw a “more insidious and camouflaged” proliferation of socalled “fake news” during the 2019 midterm polls than in 2016, a new study found, increasing the urgency for reforms to purge disinformation campaigns that could threaten democracies.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies took most of the 12 Senate seats available during the May polls, strengthening his clout in Congress and signaling strong public support for the firebrand leader.

According to a report published last week by academic blog New Mandala, the distribution of fake news had evolved into “undercover operations” targeting small groups of potential voters while staying undetected by fact-checkers and content moderators.

The researchers said micro-influencers — or social media personalities who lack mainstream fame — were “weaponized” during the 2019 polls by taking advantage of their “more authentic and trustworthy” image and their “small yet intensely dedicated fol-

lowers.”

The report said that since macro-influencers have already been placed in the spotlight and shamed in congressional probes, micro-influencers were tapped

by PR strategists for digital political campaigns aimed at small groups.

“What micro-influencers lack in broader reach, they gain in maneuverability and ‘contrived authenticity,’” read the report authored by professors Jonathan Ong of University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ross Tapsell Australian National University and Nicole Curato of University of Canberra.

“This makes it easier for them to infiltrate organic communities and evade public monitoring,” it added.

The proliferation of false news has been widely seen by experts as a major global threat with its ability to manipulate elections and imperil democracies.

Known as the world’s social media capital, the Philippines has been called “patient zero” by one Facebook executive amid the growing number of fake news peddlers in the country.

Bloomberg in 2017 reported

that Facebook’s “political team” allegedly trained the camp of then-presidential candidate Duterte on how to maximize the platform for a campaign.

Last year, Facebook started blocking websites that are suspected of promoting false information in the country. Some of the banned domains support Duterte.

In the same report, New Mandala qualified that disinformation tactics in the Philippines are “fast-evolving, creative, and increasingly undetectable.”

“Even in the best of circumstances, regulation on content moderation, among others, can only do so much to anticipate innovations of digital underground operations designed precisely to circumvent existing rules. The challenge, therefore, is broader and more systemic,” it said.

“Avenues for reform need to take more seriously the enabling environment for disinformation to thrive, from the vulnerabilities of digital workers that drive them to join underground operations to the ethics of the advertising industry that allows unscrupulous practices unchecked,” it added. n

Filipino postal worker Joseph Ileto remembered...

PAGE A3 The younger Ileto and other family members were present at a commemorative dinner for the late postal worker hosted

by Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, which has provided the Iletos legal and emotional support since 1999.

Shortly after Joseph Ileto’s death, the Ileto family attended an event hosted at the Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills for the signing of five new state gun control bills. In attendance of this highly-publicized event were then-Governor Gray Davis, police chiefs from every county in California and numerous state and city officials.

State officials talked about what happened and the bills they’re signing into law and that if these laws had been put in place earlier, it could have made a difference at the North Valley Jewish Center, full stop. Nothing about Ileto, the only casualty in the incident, was mentioned.

Not even his name.

“We were invited to this event and we had front row seats, and the Jewish American representatives were on the other side of the aisle but they only mentioned what might have happened with the Jewish community center,” Ismael Ileto said.

And as the event concluded and people were filing out of the auditorium, Gov. Davis quickly mentioned, “Oh, by the way the Ileto family is here.” And that’s not the first time that’s happened. Ismael Ileto recalled an event at the Museum of Tolerance, a live radio-broadcasted discussion on the Aug. 10 shooting and racially-charged violence.

“I wasn’t up there [on the stage], and it was only the Jewish community representatives.

They started talking about the shooting again, and nothing about my brother. And they all know that this is connected to Joseph who was killed by the same guy, yet there was no mention [of Joseph],” Ismael Ileto said.

He added, “Here we are and getting killed and harmed and yet the mainstream media is not recognizing who we are. It gave us a feeling of we don’t count.

That’s what fuels us to speak out.”

But as Filipino Americans, as soon as they began speaking out, attending gun control marches and vocalizing the need to end racially-charged violence, the Iletos found themselves in a precarious situation. They soon started receiving hate mail and death threats from white supremacists, causing the family to move homes.

For years, they lamented the

erasure of the Filipino American and Asian American community when it comes to issues of race and hate crimes, both of which are typically associated with other communities like blacks, Arabs and Latinos.

Pushing for Asian American and Filipino American inclusion on these issues has, to this day, been proven to be difficult, but that hasn’t slowed the family down yet.

“But then I was told that my skin wasn’t dark enough to know what racism is, but yet we had a white supremacist in our life telling us to go back home because we took up their schools and took up their jobs and we don’t belong here, so it made us want to speak out more,” Deena Ileto, Ismael’s wife, said.

“You know, our families teach us, ‘don’t say anything, don’t speak because we’ll look like troublemakers and they’ll retaliate or do something against us,’ but it made us want to work harder to reach out to the communities and students to build a stronger and safer community for everyone because it’s happening more and more,” she said.

The family has bestowed an acronymically-named title for their cause and fight for Joseph Ileto’s legacy: Join Our Struggle, Educate and Prevent Hate, Instill Love, Equality and Tolerance for Others.

Ileto’s 20-year anniversary of his death comes a week after a 21-year-old white nationalist targeting Mexicans shot and killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. Since Ileto’s tragic murder, there have been countless incidents of gun violence, mass shootings and hate crimes that have propped up, targeting a wide variety of different communities.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2017 a majority of reported hate crimes were motivated by race, ethnicity and ancestry of the targets (58%).

And the number of those crimes increased — in 2016, there were 3,489 incidents and in 2017, there were 4,131.

Speaking at the dinner, the mother Lilian Ileto shared the lifelong struggle of losing her son and the pain and fear it’s brought to her and the Ileto family. But she also noted the necessity to keeping up the fight against gun violence and hate crimes, and encouraged the Asian American community stand in solidarity with them.

“Although our family lost our beloved Joseph to a senseless hate crime, we do not want any other family to suffer a similar loss,” the mother said. “That is why every year, on the anniversary of his death, we speak out

The 20th death anniversary of Filipino postal worker Joseph Ileto was marked with a candlelight vigil and performances by local community artists on Friday, August 9 at Advancing Justice - Los Angeles.

Photo by Fiona Diec/Advancing Justice - Los Angeles

to remind the community that we all must work together to overcome prejudice, intolerance and hate.” (Klarize Medenilla/ AJPress)

A

PH a hotspot for fake drugs? Recto seeks Senate probe

by Bernadette

tamayo ManilaTimes.net

SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto has filed a resolution prodding the Senate to investigate a United Nations report that the Philippines has became a hotspot for fake medicines.

The 2019 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime titled Transnational Organized Crime in Southeast Asia: Evolution, Growth and Impact said the Philippines has the “highest incidence” of fake medicines in Southeast Asia.

The report depicted the Philippines as “a hotspot for knockoff drugs.”

Recto said the report is alarming because it claims that from 2014 to 2017, fake medicines, mostly from Pakistan, India and China, entered the Philippines through an illicit trade network.

“On top of this is the reported market penetration of locallymanufactured counterfeit overthe-counter medicines,” Recto said.

He said government should unmask which of “these misbranded, spurious, fake, and falselylabeled drugs” have entered the market and duped Filipinos.

“In 2018, no less than President [Rodrigo] Duterte described the availability of counterfeited paracetamol brands in the country as a growing threat and ordered the arrest of their makers and sellers,” Recto said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto

He said if reports are true that fake medicines are sold cheap in sari-sari (neighborhood) stores, “then they are victimizing the poor who often have to borrow money to buy medicines or cost-cut by buying doses lower than what the doctor has prescribed.”

Recto said the trade in fake medicines was “a large scale swindle of the cruelest kind, as their victims are of the illusion that they are taking authentic medicines that will cure them “and not something made of flour.”

Recto said the staggering amount of money Filipinos spend yearly for medicines and pharmaceutical preparations should prod the government to protect their health, safety and money.

He noted that about P187 bil-

ManilaTImes.net photo

lion, or half of the P372.8 billion “out-of-pocket” health expenditures of Filipino families in 2017 went to pharmacies.

“Households buy half a billion pesos worth of drugs a day. Hindi pa kasama ang binibili ng mga pribadong ospital, gobyerno at insurance companies na nasa bilyun-bilyong piso din ang halaga taun-taon (This does not include those being bought yearly by private hospitals, government, and insurance companies that are worth billions of pesos),” he said.

Recto said the Senate investigation’s aim “is to know the gravity of the problem and formulate remedial measures that will strengthen the capacity of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and all law enforcement agencies to defeat this problem. n

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OPINION

Modern slavery IF the government wants evidence of worker abuse, the surveillance video footage provides graphic proof: a Chinese, handcuffed to window grills, managed to loosen the grills from the wall. He slipped out through the opening in what clearly looked like an attempt to escape.

But he was still handcuffed to the iron grills. Either he deliberately jumped from the sixth floor, or the weight of the grills sent him plummeting down to the ground. He died hours later in a hospital.

Authorities are still investigating who handcuffed Yang Kang to the grills, and the circumstances that brought him to the building in Pamplona, Las Piñas where he was illegally detained. Initial police investigation indicated that the 27-year-old information technology employee wanted to leave his job, but his Chinese employer reportedly demanded that he first pay the money advanced for his recruitment.

The Chinese embassy, in a strongly worded statement last week, decried the working environment akin to “modern slavery” under which many of their citizens toil in the Philippines, most of them in the online gaming industry whose principal clients are Chinese. The embassy said some of the workers have also suffered kidnapping, torture and even murder.

Government officials have given assurance that

FEATURES

protection will be given to Chinese and other foreigners working in the Philippines. The Chinese reportedly secure tourist visas upon arrival in this country before working for Philippine offshore gaming operations or POGOs. It is not clear if Yang Kang worked for a POGO. Whether he was recruited by a Chinese or Filipino, however, the government must address one point raised by the Chinese embassy in its statement: Chinese laws make it illegal for their citizens to engage in all forms of gambling including online, whether in their country or overseas, and whether as operator, bet caller or player. Under Chinese laws, all Chinese employed in POGO establishments are working illegally.

The embassy said Beijing is cracking down not only on gambling, whether at home or offshore, but also on the money laundering that illegal earnings engender. Part of the gambling earnings, the embassy noted, could be laundered through real estate and other assets.

While protecting all foreigners from “modern slavery,” the Philippine government also cannot afford to be complicit in activities considered to be criminal in another country. The Chinese embassy statement calls for a review of the Philippine policy on POGOs. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Trump could heal wounds and win the trust of the American people after mass shootings — if he would do these things

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS LISTEN, MR. PRESIDENT. The people of the grieving communities of El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio are speaking up.

For the first time just listen to their pleas instead of being obsessed with crowd sizes, ratings, getting more publicity mileage than your political foes, and cheap photo-ops like when you used a baby who just lost both his parents in the mass shooting as a prop while you were grinning while showing off a thumbs up.

You inspired the gunman to massacre the victims in El Paso because of your hateful rhetoric demonizing immigrants and scaring people of a “Hispanic invasion” and “infestation”.

This is not about the issue of illegal immigration anymore. After all, your own wife Melania came to the United States and worked as an undocumented immigrant. After all, her parents were able to obtain their legal papers through what you call as “chain migration” because they happen to be the first

lady’s parents and do not qualify under the merit-based policy the Trump administration has been pushing, instead of the familybased petitions.

Listen, President Donald J. Trump, to the people who have lost their parents, children, spouse, friends and neighbors to mass shooting not only in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio but all over the country.

Listen to the American people living in fear that their communities may be targeted next by a deranged trigger happy shooter who has a lot of hate in his/her heart, especially those who emulate you and follow your suggestions by virtue of the power of the Office of the President of the United States.

I have been listening to many grieving people of El Paso, public officials and politicians and these steps are what they hope you would do to heal wounds, regain their trust and help solve the mass shooting epidemic in the United States: 1. OWN UP to your share of culpability in the mass shooting.

Your hateful words and demonization of immigrants have been

dividing this nation that is built by immigrants. Your vilification of people of color, with different religions and nations of origin, and asylum seekers running from the violence of their own countries to save their children — they have become vulnerable to the people who listen to you and those who have anti-immigrant sentiments. These shooters do NOT differentiate between documented and undocumented immigrants. They will hurt and kill those who do not look like them, especially true during the rise of violence and hate crimes perpetrated by white nationalists, domestic terrorists and white supremacists.

2. APOLOGIZE to the American people for your words and actions that have betrayed the dignity and honor of the Office of the President and the provisions of the Constitution of the United States of America that prohibit discrimination. Your hateful and divisive rhetoric does NOT unify or inspire people. On the contrary, they bring out the worst from the American people.

After issuing a sincere apology,

Questions for Ambassador Zhao

Commentary

YEN MAKABENTA THE British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made a telling comment while recounting her experience in dealing with Chinese leaders during her visit to China. She wrote: “The Chinese never mince words in their own public statements, but they expect everyone else to do so.”

I thought of her words as I tried to comprehend the amazingly rude response of Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua to President Duterte’s announcement that he would bring up the the Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the Philippine dispute with China over the South China Sea (SCS) when he meets with President Xi Jinping in Beijing later this month.

As if to warn our President off the subject, Ambassador Zhao declared: “Beijing’s position on the arbitration has been clear since it was filed before the Hague-based international tribunal.

“When the result of the arbitration came out, we also expressed that we will not accept it and we will not recognize it and that position has not changed and it will not be changed,” Zhao told reporters on Friday.

Zhao then suggested that China, despite its position on the matter, has magnanimously agreed to

continue working with the Philippines on enhancing friendship and cooperation.

“The differences over the South China Sea only constitutes 1 percent of our overall relationship,” the Chinese envoy added.

Duterte’s vow With equal attentiveness, Ambassador Zhao would do well to consider the spirit and context in which the arbitral ruling will be raised.

Duterte made the announcement in a speech at the mass oath-taking of newly elected officers of the Federation of FilipinoChinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. last Tuesday. ‘’Yung arbitral ruling pag-uusapan natin ‘yan. That’s why I’m going to China.” (We will talk about the ruling. That’s why I’m going to China.)

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo elaborated that the President would raise the arbitral ruling when he discusses a proposed 60-40 sharing with China in a planned joint oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea. Zhao’s remarks, coming as they did following weeks of Filipinos’ indignation and furious agitation for a stronger response to the sinking of a Filipino fishing boat

by Chinese vessels, and perceived Chinese bullying, deserve a fitting response.

It will not do to diplomatically set them aside and put them in the back burner.

As one journalist who has been

monitoring the South China Sea issue for some time now, I want to pose the following few questions to Zhao in response to his remarks: 1: Does China recognize and respect the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Republic of the Philippines, as this is defined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), to which China is also a signatory?

2: Does China claim parts of the Philippine EEZ, in line with its claim over the entire South China Sea? What is the basis for this sweeping territorial claim?

3: Does China also claim sovereign rights to exploit the resources in the Philippine EEZ? If so, on what basis?

4: Why has China never apologized for the sinking of the Filipino fishing boat at the Reed (Recto) Bank,which is inside the Philippine EEZ? 5: Why has China massed its vessels around Pag-asa Island, which is sovereign Philippine territory? Does China also include it in its sweeping claim over the waterway?

6: China has its own exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under Unclos. How does China understand the word “exclusive”?

The good ambassador does not mince words in asserting China’s position on the Hague arbitral ruling.

Stop mincing words Our government should similarly not mince words in asserting

CHANGE, Mr. President, and live up to the honor and dignity of the office you are holding.

Our Founding Fathers stipulated the “The Want, Will, and Hopes of the People” of America in the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The Constitution, meanwhile says, as paraphrased: “The Fifth Amendment has an explicit requirement that the Federal Government not deprive individuals of ‘life, liberty, or property,’ without due process of the law and an implicit guarantee that each person receive equal protection of the laws.”

“The Fourteenth Amendment explicitly prohibits states from violating an individual’s rights of due process and equal protection. Equal protection limits the State and Federal governments’ power to discriminate in their employment practices by treating em-

ployees, former employees, or job applicants unequally because of membership in a group, like a race, religion or sex. Due process protection requires that employees have a fair procedural process before they are terminated if the termination is related to a “liberty,” like the right to free speech, or a property interest.”

(FindUSlaw.com) 3. TELL CONGRESS Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that it is OK to debate and vote on the bipartisan gun control law passed by the House, supported by both Democrats and a few Republicans.

This will NOT take away guns from people as the powerful and rich gun lobby group National Rifle Association has been misleading people about using scare tactics.

The legislation will just implement a common-sense regulation that will make sure guns will not go to the hands of mentally ill and criminal people, that the purchase, ownership, and continued ownership and use of guns will have to go through a stringent process. Also, assault rifles and

high capacity magazines are weapons intended to be used in war zones, not by civilians. Ban these for civilian use.

These dangerous and powerful weapons have killed so many people in a few seconds in the mass shootings. We do not need those to fulfill the Second Amendment rights to protect ourselves.

It is about time President Trump and the Republicans in Congress serve the interests and well being of the American people they have sworn to serve and protect, and not bow down to the National Rifle Association that has been contributing millions and millions of dollars to their campaigns.

Can and will you do this, President Donald Trump, and be a true leader worthy of the honor of the Office of the President of the United States? ***

national rights over our EEZ, and in rejecting all Chinese intrusions and bullying inside the zone.

It’s time we take the gloves off in assessing and responding to China’s behavior in the SCS. We should start talking publicly about the abuses committed by China in the SCS against rival claimants to parts of the waterway.

It is good that President Duterte has directly accused China of deliberately delaying the approval of the proposed Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, by subverting discussions at the Asean summit.

It is indeed our national policy to do business with China as a valued and friendly neighbor, in the same way that we do business with other countries, including the United States. But this friendly policy does not include kowtowing to China’s wishes.

There was a time in the distant past when China’s relations with its neighbors required obeisance to her wishes. In the present century, our countries are sovereign over their own affairs and in their relationships.

Fence-mending exercise In an article last Saturday (August 10), the South China Morning Post reported that China is seeking to repair ties with the Philippines after the angry backlash over the sinking of the Filipino fishing boat.

Laura Zhou of the SCMP wrote: “Observers said the visit could be a fence-mending exercise after the incident, in which a Chinese trawler was accused of ramming the other ship before it fled the

scene, leaving 22 Filipino fishermen in the sea until a passing Vietnamese boat came to the rescue.

“The incident triggered a strong backlash in the Philippines, and opposition politicians demanded a stronger response to China’s increasingly assertive stance after years of increasingly warm ties under Duterte.

“The visit to Beijing will be Duterte’s fifth as president and he said he would use it to address all South China Sea issues, including the 2016 ruling that rejected China’s claim to the waters.

“The decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016 triggered a serious diplomatic crisis until Duterte, who came to power a month before the ruling was delivered, visited Beijing and said he would ‘set aside’ the ruling.”

Kang Lin, director of the Hainan Institute for Regional Development and Governance, as quoted

by Zhou, said: “The ruling could be a reasonable political tool for Duterte as he is halfway through his six-year term and is now under intense pressure over tensions with China in the South China Sea.” Ambassador Zhao’s statement in Manila harkens to an old and different view of the issue. It seeks to douse cold water on Duterte’s plan to raise the arbitral ruling during his meeting with Xi. If the object of Zhao’s harsh words was to stop all discussion, they should intensify even more our President’s resolve to discuss all issues during his visit to

China.

Significantly, Xu Liping, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Center for Southeast Asian Studies, as again quoted by Zhou, says intense domestic pressure prompted by the ship’s sinking could be an ‘urgent factor’ behind Duterte’s upcoming visit to China, the second since April.

Xu said in Zhou’s article: “The two sides will try to avoid any misunderstandings and miscalculations over the South China Sea issues … as Duterte is now facing enormous political pressure. “‘This can hardly be fully resolved by Duterte alone and a joint effort with China is also needed to ensure negative sentiment [against China] does not grow.’

“Beijing has tried to play down the collision between the two vessels, with the Chinese embassy in Manila insisting that the Chinese ship had tried to rescue the fishermen but fled after being ‘suddenly besieged by seven or eight Filipino fishing boats.’

“Xu said Beijing may also want to review its way of handling the crisis, which had ‘a big room for improvement.’ “‘There was no apology nor explanation from the Chinese side and that’s why there has been deep negativity towards China,’ Xu said.”

The state and prospects of China-Philippine relations look much better when you set aside the illconsidered words of Ambassador Zhao. I hope my questions will merit a response from him. (ManilaTimes.net)

Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

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

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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 14-16, 2019

BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

A

DOF eyes 5-year revenue of P397.4B Economists see below 2% inflation in Aug or Sept from sin products with further tax hikes

by Lawrence

agcaoiLi Philstar.com

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III

by Ben

o. de Inquirer.net

Vera

IF passed into law, the Department of Finance’s proposal to further jack up excise taxes on heated tobacco, vapes and alcohol products will yield a higher incremental revenue for the government of P397.4 billion during a five-year period.

DOF estimates showed that Republic Act No. 11346 signed

by President Duterte last month would generate only P128.9 billion in incremental five-year tax revenue from the higher levy on cigarettes and excise taxes on heated tobacco and vapor products.

However, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the new taxes on e-cigarettes under RA 11346 were “too low.”

As such, the DOF had proposed to charge heated tobacco and ‘vapes’ the same excise tax rates as those slapped on regular cigarettes beginning next year.

Under RA 11346, the government expects to collect additional revenue of P15.5 billion in revenue next year; P22.6 billion in 2021; P26.6 billion in 2022; P32.6 billion in 2023 and P31.6 billion in 2024.

For the period 2020 to 2024, incremental revenue from higher cigarette excise taxes will total P125.9 billion; from heated tobacco products, P200 million; and from vapes, P2.8 billion.

Under RA 11346, the excise tax on cigarettes will be increased from P35 per pack to P45 in 2020; P50 in 2021; P55 in 2022, and P60 in 2023, to be followed by a 5-percent annual indexation from 2024 onward.

Heated tobacco products will be slapped an excise tax of P10 a pack starting Jan. 1, 2020, to be followed by yearly hikes of 5 percent starting 2021.

As for vapor products, individual cartridges, refills, pods or containers of their liquid solu-

Inquirer.net file photo

tions will be slapped tax of P10 per 10 mL, or a larger P50 on top of P10 per additional 10 mL for those being sold in volumes higher than 50 mL in 2020.

Under the new proposal, the DOF wanted vapes to be slapped a tax of P45 per mL in 2020, to be followed by P5 additional per pack per year similar to ordinary cigarettes.

According to the DOF’s estimates, the further increase in ecigarette excise taxes will generate P19.5 billion more in the next five years—P3.2 billion next year, P3.6 billion in 2021, P3.9 billion in 2022, P4.3 billion in 2023, and P4.5 billion in 2024.

Also, the DOF and the Department of Health (DOH) were pushing for higher alcohol tax.

The joint DOF-DOH proposal provided for an increase in the specific tax per liter of fermented liquors to P40 in 2020, P45 in 2021, P50 in 2022, P55 in 2023, to be followed by a 10-percent yearly indexation from 2024 onward.

The DOF also wanted to apply the same tax rates of fermented liquor on alcopops—flavored alcoholic drinks popular among the youth.

For distilled spirits, the joint DOF-DOH proposal was to raise the ad valorem tax to 25 percent next year from 20 percent at present, while also jacking up the specific tax per proof liter from P23.4 currently to P40 next year, P45 in 2021, P50 in 2022, P55 in 2023, and 10-percent indexation each year starting 2024.

Sparkling wines and champagnes will be slapped a specific tax of P348 (for P500 net retail price or less than 750-mL volume capacity) and P974 (for more than P500 per bottle of 750-mL volume) per liter next year, to be followed by 10-percent indexation every year from 2021 onward.

In the case of still wines and carbonated wines, the proposal

Narrow PH budget deficit seen in 2019

by MayVeLin

U. caraBaLLo ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine government is likely to post a narrow fiscal deficit this year because of the delayed approval of the 2019 national budget, Moody’s Investor Service said.

“We expect the fiscal deficit to narrow significantly to around 2 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) in 2019 before widening to 3.0 percent of GDP in 2020, largely reflecting the negative impact of the budgetary delay earlier this year amid continued revenue increases,” the global debt watcher said in a report released late last week.

Moody’s outlook for the budget deficit is lower than the 3.2 percent of GDP programmed by the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee.

The latest projection is lower than last year’s actual budget deficit of 3.3 percent of GDP. A dispute between Congress’ two chambers over alleged insertions resulted in the four-and-ahalf-month delay of the passage of this year’s budget. 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.

“Moreover, there was a prohibition on the construction of public works and the disbursement of public funds in the 45-day period prior to the midterm elections held in May,” Moody’s added.

As a result, the credit rater noted that non-interest expenditure declined 1.9 percent year-on-year in the first six months of 2019, as compared with the strong 21.9 percent expansion over the same period in 2018.

It also mentioned that the fiscal balance in the first half of 2019 totaled P42.6 billion given buoyant revenue growth.

“Although the government has formulated aggressive catch-up plans for spending in the second half of the year, it is unlikely to fully execute its budget,” Moody’s also pointed out.

The country’s economic managers earlier set a “catch-up plan” that set an infrastructure spending target of P792.97 billion for the second to fourth quarters after actual infrastructure spending reached P207.2 billion in the first.

The Department of Finance has also reported that infrastructure spending during the first half of the year only reached P311.4 billion as against the programmed allocation of P392.9 billion, or an underspending of P81.5 billion.

Nevertheless, Moody’s stressed that in light of the budget delay, the validity of the appropriations for infrastructure spending in the 2019 budget have been extended to the end of 2020.

“As such, we expect the residual spending on infrastructure approved in the 2019 budget to combine with the appropriations in the upcoming 2020 budget to lead to a significantly larger fiscal expansion next year,” it said. n

was to levy P42 per liter for those with 14-percent alcohol or less, and P84 for those with more than 14-percent alcohol content, after which a similar 10-percent yearly indexation will be implemented beginning 2021. n

ECONOMISTS see inflation easing below two percent within the third quarter, giving the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) more room to ease the country’s monetary policy stance to boost the slowing economy.

Chidu Narayanan, economist for Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, said inflation is expected to further drop below two percent in August and September after easing to a 31-month low of 2.4 percent in July from 2.7 percent in June.

“We expect inflation to drop below two percent in August-September, in line with our view from the beginning of the year, helping push average inflation in 2019 down to 2.7 percent. A combination of lower food prices, lower oil prices, and a high base effect will help contain inflation,” Narayanan said.

Inflation averaged 3.3 percent in the first seven months of the year after accelerating to 5.2 percent in 2018 from 2.9 percent in 2017 and exceeding the BSP’s two to four percent target due to elevated oil and food prices as well as weak peso.

HSBC economist Noelan Arbis

said inflation is expected to continue to drop below the BSP’s two to four percent target range in September.

“Headline inflation continues to cool as expected, and it is likely to drop further in the months ahead.

The contribution of food, alcoholic drinks, and tobacco prices to headline prices are their lowest levels in nearly three years, which is a sharp reversal from last year’s trend,” Arbis said.

Meanwhile, Arbis said core inflation remains largely stable, while oil prices continue its downward trajectory.

“We expect headline inflation to average three percent in 2019, factoring in possible upside surprises during the typhoon season.

It is worth noting that El Niño, which transpired in the first half of the year, risks stronger typhoons in the second half,” Arbis said.

However, Arbis said inflation is clearly on a downswing and poses a high risk of averaging well below three percent by year-end.

“Our current trajectory indicates that headline inflation is tracking to average 2.7 percent for 2019 barring any significant shock to food prices due to inclement weather,” Arbis said.

Lindsey Ice, economists at Barcelona-based FocusEconomics,

A vendor arranges vegetables at the Paco Market in Manila. Last month’s inflation continued to decelerate because of reduced food and fuel prices which would allow the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to resume slashing interest rates.

Manilatimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

said the think tank has lowered its inflation forecast for 2019 at three percent this year before accelerating to 3.3 percent in 2020.

Maysita Crystallin, economist for the Philippines and Indonesia at DBS, said inflation would continue to ease, giving space for monetary policy easing.

“Inflation is likely to remain on the back burner this year, providing space for more monetary easing,” Crystallin said. n

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - August 14, 2019

In Netflix’s “Happy Jail,” Fil-Am filmmaker Michele Josue shows Cebu jail is more than viral dancing inmates by

fulfillment being behind the scenes. Then I applied to film school at Emerson and it goes hired an ex-convict as a manon from there. I discovered agement consultant. documentary many, many years What was intended to be later. a documentary on the dancAJ: How did you land on ing program evolved into “an in-depth, humanistic document documentaries as your form of storytelling? of the complexities of life at MJ: It’s really interesting CPDRC,” Josue said. because I went to film school in In a recent interview with the ‘90s. There was such a good the Asian Journal, the Filipina wave of films back then, espeAmerican filmmaker walks us cially independently speaking through the filming process — just really well-written films. and shares hopes it will bring [Quentin] Tarantino was coming more nuanced Filipino and FilAm stories to a global platform up and I thought that was going to be my avenue. Through a job like Netflix.

I got doing short documentaries Asian Journal (AJ): What for schools and universities, like were some influences growing up that led you to become branded content, I realized for me, I loved connecting to real a filmmaker? people, being open and listenMichele Josue (MJ): My ing to them. I found that real parents are from the Philippeople and real stories were pines… a very small town in just so much more fascinatNegros [Occidental] called ing and layered than anything Sagay City. My mom got a job I could write. I feel that was at the International Monetary something I enjoyed and found Fund in D.C. so she came over to the states in her 20s and my satisfying.

AJ: After “Matt Shepard dad followed. They wanted is a Friend of Mine,” what was to start a new life. We were next in finding another story born and [lived in] Maryland. and developing ‘Happy Jail’ Through my mom’s work, I based on the viral video in got the opportunity to study 2007? abroad at an international MJ: Both of these stories boarding school in Switzerland and it was there where my love were happening at the same time, at least for me. I wanted of art, story and theater took to make “Matt Shepard is a place…A foundational part of Friend of Mine” when I was our curriculum at that school ready and I had the blessing of was learning about the arts Matt’s family. That was around and seeing important works 2007, which was when the viral in museums…I started writing YouTube video of “Thriller” my own plays and casting my friends in them and that’s when came out. I found that equally compelling but I wanted to I discovered I had a lot more focus on Matt Shepard. When I felt that could truly stand on its own legs, I switched focus to the dancing inmates. It was something that stuck with me even through the whole “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” filming period. I saw the video and was so fascinated by it and had so many questions. How was it possible that the inmates were able to dance so joyfully and [be] united together within this jail system? I knew I would go back to that as soon as I was Photo courtesy of Netflix ready.

Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

WHILE the Philippine island of Cebu boasts some of the best beaches in the country, it has also gained international attention for its jail that features dancing as a recreational activity for inmates.

Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), a maximum security prison, made headlines in 2007 after a video of around 1,500 inmates dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” went viral.

Twelve years later, that original video has reached 58.5 million views. Visitors have also flocked to the jail to watch the inmates dance live; at one point, monthly performances were open to the public.

But beyond the choreography, what actually goes on inside the prison? Filipina American filmmaker Michele Josue had the same question, which led to the creation of “Happy Jail,” a five-part documentary series premiering globally on Netflix on Wednesday, August 14.

After finishing the documentary “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” — which won the Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Special Class Special” in 2016 as well as 10 Best Documentary and Audience Choice Awards globally — Josue shifted gears to the Cebu jail and spent three years filming there. In that time, the Philippine government ushered in a new administration and CPDRC faced scrutiny when it

Emmy Award-winning filmaker Michele Josue Photo courtesy of Netflix

AJ: What the process in terms of planning out how you would film and get access to the Cebu jail as well as to local politicians and public figures?

MJ: The first step was having to see [the jail] with my own two eyes. It’s one thing to see it on YouTube, but another to actually be there in person and see if this is really a worthy endeavor. I went to the Philippines with my family in the summer of 2014 and saw [the inmates] dance this beautiful, 45-minute Michael Jackson medley and I got goosebumps.

I was looking at different inmates in the crowd and seeing their faces…so happy to be performing, to hear the music and to be moving like that was when I knew that yes, this is something I indeed wanted to do and explore but it was only a few years later when I could devote the amount of time it needed.

We took a spec trip to the jail in 2016 and tried to get the lay of the land. It wasn’t like a methodically thought-out process. It was more of we took it very slowly over many years.

We started this project as more straightforward on the dancing inmates and that program but because of the timing and what was happening at the jail, it just grew bigger and things kept unfolding. As a whole team, we pivoted and followed the action wherever that led us. That took us to speaking with the local government officials and just doing whatever we could to follow the story. It was more of a long, organic process than something that was plotted out ahead of time.

AJ: Was there any pushback or any challenges during the production?

MJ: Surprisingly no! That still blows my mind. They were very welcoming and they let us have full access to the jail. We tried to be as low-key as possible and I very strongly believe in building trust and rapport on camera, as well as off-camera.

We were there at the right time, or the wrong time, depending on how you look at it.

“Happy Jail” features the famous dancing program at Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) in Cebu, Philippines.

Photo courtesy of Netflix They trusted us so there really

Ai-Ai says ‘Thank You’

“Happy Jail” by Filipina American filmmaker Michele Josue is a five-part docu-series available globally on Netflix.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

wasn’t any pushback. It was just when the jail was changing and the administration was changing when we were starting to feel that from a production standpoint so access was not as open by the end of our show’s narrative.

AJ: How did Netflix get involved to have “Happy Jail” as a five-part series versus a full-on documentary?

MJ: Our conversations with Netflix happened pretty early on, which was amazing. Our executive producer Joe Amodei has a very good relationship with Netflix so when we started filming, Joe brought this to their attention in the early days and it was something that piqued their interest…Netflix [is] an amazing, powerful platform…[with] some of the boldest stories out there so we thought this would be a perfect home for “Happy Jail.”

AJ: The Netflix catalog has the popular series “Orange Is The New Black” and they’ve done documentaries on prisons around the world. Where does “Happy Jail” fit into Netflix’s offerings and what can we learn as viewers about the Philippine jail system and even Filipino culture?

MJ: We’re at the forefront of that movement, in my opinion. Netflix is wonderful in that it’s so diverse both within their stories and their cultural offerings. Netflix is around the world and our show will be available in 190 countries…The world is interested in what’s happening on the other side of the globe.

There are so many amazing filmmakers and storytellers from the Philippines and we’re starting to get our stories out there and we’re starting to tell it the way we want it to be told.

It’s awesome to have a champion in Netflix which understands that and can provide those stories to international audiences.

AJ: At the end of the day, what is the call to action after watching “Happy Jail?”

MJ: “Happy Jail” is an extraordinary story and one that we definitely don’t see in the mainstream. The inmates are some of the most vulnerable people in society without a voice. I’m proud of “Happy Jail” providing them that platform. There are people suffering, communities suffering and “Happy Jail” puts a human face to that. But there’s also this inspirational element to it as well that I think is a touchpoint for Filipinos all around the world that they understand we are able to find joy, happiness and hope in the face of incredible challenges and hardships. That is what “Happy Jail” does very well. The world is better served recognizing that.

Also representation — just showing people that this is happening and making them aware and connecting to it on a human level so that it may resonate deeply and that they may want to get more educated and see what can be done. Just think about these things in a more empathic way. Ultimately that’s our job as storytellers to Continued on Page 4

Rhian sharpens her comedic skills

by riCky

CalderOn ManilaTimes.net

TRUST Comedy Queen Ai-Ai delas Alas to come up with the catchiest titles for her movie, the latest one being “And Ai, Thank You.” Directed by Joven Tan, Ai plays a celebrity in the film with a glam team at her disposal.

“I look really good in this movie. Maganda ako palagi rito kasi nga artista ako di’ba?” she said in her trademark funny woman way.

She describes her character though as “salbahe,” which basically means bad, but one that will see a transformation in the end.

“Her experiences made her tough. She went through a lot that’s why she became somehow bad, pero siyempre may bawi rin sa ending,” Ai asserted.

The comedian can naturally relate to the role as a celebrity herself who has gone through her fair share of trials and tribulations. Looking back at her life at this point, however, all she feels — just like the title of her movie — is gratitude. She is grateful she still has a thriving career and that producers continue to trust her.

“I also never forget to thank God for all the blessings He has given me. I wouldn’t be able to achieve success if I didn’t have a strong faith in God,” the devout Catholic added.

She jokes that had social media been around during her early years in showbiz, she wouldn’t have lasted three

Rhian Ramos is back in Manila after taking acting courses in New York.

by Mj

MarfOri ManilaTimes.net

Ai Ai delas Alas

decades in the industry. “Baka nalaos siguro ako agad kung may social media na at that time because of all the controversies I’ve been through.”

As some of her fans may know, Ai-Ai is doing several movies this year because she

Manilatimes.net file photo

wants to take a break in 2020 to try and have a baby with husband Gerald Sibayan.

Joining her in And Ai, “Thank You” are fellow comedians Rufa Mae Quinto, Kakai Bautista, Dennis Padilla and Joey Paras among many others.

RHIAN Ramos may be returning to primetime via GMA Network’s upcoming drama series “Love Of My Life,” but she tells The Times it’s pretty ironic she’s doing tearjerkers.

“Honestly when I was young and not in showbiz yet, I grew up watching shows like ‘Saturday Night Live!’ and I thought one day I’d grow up and be a comedienne. So I don’t know how

it happened, naging dramatic actor ako,” she gave a hearty laugh.

Comedy is actually the reason why Rhian had been missing in action for more than four months in the spotlight.

“I studied Improvisational Comedy in New York. At least I’m still trying to keep the dream alive by going there and learning more about it.”

Rhian in fact extended her stay in the Big Apple for almost two months after completing her

Photo from Instagram/@whianwamos

course so she could attend the red carpet premiere of her latest film “Empty By Design,” which won Best International Feature Film at the SOHO Film Festival as.

“I’m so proud to be a part of that movie mainly because tatlo lang kaming Filipino in it — me, Karla Humphries and Dante Basco. The others were actors from Hollywood, and what sets this film apart is how the foreign actors portrayed Filipino roles! I guess it resonated well with so many audiences in the U.S.”

‘To be a better man’: Gerald remains positive amid controversy

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

DESPITE the ongoing controversy on his split with actress Bea Alonzo, Kapamilya actor Gerald Anderson shared he remains positive in life, saying his goal is to become a better man.

In an interview with the press during the Skechers Performance Run 2019 on Sunday, August 11, Gerald said that he has no choice but to have a positive outlook in life.

“Sa daming negativity, alangan namang pati ako maging nega rin. The only way to fight negativity is being positive.

Thinking positive vibes and doing something positive also.

Siyempre ang daming negative energy, but if you channel it the right way, may magagawa kang mabuti. So ayon ‘yung goal ko, to come out a better man and a better person,” Gerald told Philstar.com.

He, however, admitted that he is still affected by the latest brouhaha involving his former girlfriend Bea and “Between Maybes” co-star Julia Barretto.

“Siyempre but more than me ‘yung mga tao sa paligid ko, ‘yung mga mahal ko sa buhay, ‘yung pamilya ko, ‘yun ang mas masakit eh. Kasi kung ako lang parang okay lang sanay naman na ko. Pero mahirap ‘pag ‘yung pamilya mo. That’s the power of social media, pwede siyang maging kakampi mo, pwede siyang maging

BB guest-stars in Netflix series ‘Glow’ by ryan

arcadio Inquirer.net

Gerald Anderson

weapon so we have to use it in a right way,” Gerald said.

He said he is hopeful that he will learn more from the controversy since he believes that challenges are always there for him to become a better person.

Kakai has mastered the art of ‘ghosting’ by ricky lo Philstar.com

DID you know that long before the word “ghosting” became a part of the millennial vocabulary, comedienne Kakai Bautista has already been practicing it? (By now, you should know that “ghosting” means you simply disappear from the life of somebody, whether a loved one or what, just a like a ghost.)

“I’ve never been ‘ghosted’,” Kakai proudly told Funfare, at the risk of making bashers’ eyebrows soar to high heavens, during an interview after the presscon for And Ai, Thank You!, the Ai-Ai delas Alas starrer directed by Joven Tan which is opening nationwide starting tomorrow, Aug. 14. “I jump the gun on them, so ako ang nanggo-‘ghost’.”

Kakai’s “ghosting” targets could be a crush, a friend whom she has stopped trusting or just anybody who crosses her path.

“I pretend that they don’t exist,” she said. “Ganoon kasimple. I can be a stalker sa men but the moment I feel na hindi na okey, inuunahan ko na…you know, bye! Who you? As a friend, I am selosa and possessive, and I can be controlling. May pagka-maldita ako, hahaha!!!”

Happily, Kakai doesn’t meddle in the Bea-Gerald-Julia brouhaha unlike the legions of sawsaweros and sawsaweras who have nothing better to do or are being afflicted with the KSP (Kulang Sa Pansin) virus.

Loveless for more than seven years now, Kakai admitted having been affected by the bashing she got for being (feeling?) close to Thai actor Mario Maurer when they did the 2012 rom-com “Suddenly, It’s Magic” (with Erich Gonzales). She was accused of being ilusyonada.

“I almost quit, kasi sobra ang bashing na ginawa sa akin.”

All she said was Mario was a friend, and there was nothing romantic between them, so what’s wrong with that?

Suspected to have been behind the bashing were some people around Mario.

“Hindi ganoon si Mario,” insisted Kakai. “I know him to be nice and friendly; mabait siya.

As far as I am concerned, friend ko pa rin siya.”

The same bashing happened when Kakai and Ahron Villena’s friendship (also nothing romantic) was played up on social media.

“Some people mistake my sweetness for something else but I have learned not to be affected by criticism,” Kakai was firm, not minding even if some people make fun of her physical appearance and tag her a Gilagid Diva. Fine with her. In fact, she uses that “title” to advantage.

Besides “And Ai, Thank You!”, Kakai is also in two movies currently showing, “Family History” and “Hello, Love, Goodbye”. She’s also in the cast of the hit musical “Rak of Aegis” which is on its seventh extended run at the PETA

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - August 7, 2019

KaKai Bautista

Theater until Sept. 29.

It was while in high school in Los Baños, Laguna, when Kakai realized that she wanted to be in theater.

“I asked my mom’s permission to attend an acting workshop pero ayaw niya. In college, again I asked her permission to audition pero ayaw pa rin niya. She said that there was no money in theater. Kaya tumakas ako papuntang Maynila. It was Frannie Zamora who brought me to Manila. Hayun, sa theater din ang bagsak ko. That’s life.

Kahit iwas ka nang iwas if something is destined for you, it will come…lalapit at lalapit sa’yo.”

At Gantimpala Theater (under Tony Espejo), Kakai was an apprentice, part of whose assignment was to mop the floor, clean the dishes and sew/repair costumes. Every apprentice goes through that.

Soon, she began appearing in productions initially as part of the crowd.

Her most memorable experience was serving as wardrobe assistant for Lea Salonga during the staging of They’re Playing Our Song (with Singaporean actors Michael Lee and Chris Pang as Lea’s leading men). At that time, Lea had just done a successful performance as the first Kim in Miss Saigon.

“Naturally,” recalled Kakai, “I was star struck. Lea is very humble. She doesn’t make you feel that she’s a big star. She knew that I wanted to sing, na mahilig ako kumanta. Lagi ko siyang kinakantahan habang inaayos ang costume niya, although I didn’t know if she noticed it. One time, she heard me singing On The Wings of Love and she said, ‘You can sing!’ That was it!”

After playing teeny-weeny roles (part of the crowd, etc.), Kakai got her break in Sino Ka Ba, Jose Rizal? and then in Alikabok, both produced by Celeste Legaspi. It didn’t take long before she crossed over to television and movies.

The breadwinner in the family (her mom and four siblings), Kakai has proven her mom wrong.

So how does her mom feel about her now?

“Kapag may challenge na dumarating sa buhay mo, laging may natututunan tayo. Ang importante ‘don, we learned something from all of this,” he said.

BB Gandanghari gueststarred in a recent episode of the Netflix comedy series “Glow”, about women’s professional wrestling.

“I am grateful and thankful to be a part of this super successful show, GLOW!” Gandanghari said in her Instagram post on Monday, August 12.

She portrayed the role of Patricia, as seen in her series of photos in said post. Patricia is a fortune teller who shares a scene with Ruth Wilder (played

by Alison Brie), a main character in the production.

Gandanghari appeared in the eighth episode of the program’s third season entitled “Keep Ridin’”. Guest stars included veteran Hollywood actress Geena Davis (“Thelma and Louise”, “The Fly”, “A League of Their Own”.)

“Booking a job is always exciting but booking your favorite show brings the excitement to an entirely different level,” she stated.

She also took the time to thank her fans who were surprised at seeing her in the series. She then thanked The Brogan Agency for helping her get the role.

Prior to appearing in the said show, Gandanghari had

BB Gandanghari

faced challenges in the United States. In January 2018, she admitted to facing discrimination as a transgender woman when applying for jobs.

Gandanghari legally became a woman after her petition to change her name and gender was approved by the Superior Court of California back in 2016.

Previously, her younger

brother Robin Padilla revealed that Gandanghari was trying to make ends meet by being an Uber driver, but gave the assurance that she was doing well.

Gandanghari’s latest showbiz project in the Philippines was starring in the 2015 TV series “21⁄2 Daddies” alongside her brothers Robin and Rommel Padilla.

4

entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - August 14, 2019

Miguel, a celeb for most of his life, accepts ‘need to evolve’

by OlIver

M. PuluMbarIt Inquirer.net

NOTHING stays the same in show business, especially if you’ve seen yourself grow

Maine not pressured after success of Kathryn-Alden movie

alongside your actor, friends and viewers. This is especially true for former child star Miguel Tanfelix, who entered the biz 15 years ago.

“Everything changes—peo-

Miguel Tanfelix

ple’s preferences, the genres of the shows that producers give you,” Miguel told the Inquirer in Filipino. “You need to evolve because you can’t show the same thing over and over to the audience.”

The 20-year-old actor is currently starring in “Sahaya,” a GMA 7 series that he finds rewarding for different reasons.

“This is the transition of my career, from teen roles to more mature roles, which I’ll be taking on more in the future. Ahmad, my character, is very serious,” said Miguel of the role, a young Badjao man smitten with the title character Sahaya, played by Bianca Umali.

The handsome actor, who also sang the show’s closing theme “Baleleng,” added: “In terms of knowledge in acting, I’m learning a lot from our director, Zig Dulay.”

Working with Bianca again is a breeze, said Miguel, who also starred with her in “Banal,” a horror film released last May. According to the actor, he would welcome opportunities to grow out of the “BiGuel” love team, whether it’s a solo starrer or a pairing with others, since there is an industry trend of shuffling onscreen partners for film projects.

“I’m happy with the love team because there are things that I achieve through my teamwork with Bianca. But I’m open and willing to do individual projects, kasi it’s also part of growing as an artist.”

Maine Mendoza

by Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

ROMANTIC drama “Hello, Love, Goodbye” is officially a box office hit. On Monday, August 12, Star Cinema announced that the Kathryn Bernardo-Alden Richards starrer has raked in over P500 million at the box office, and is still going cha-ching as it goes into its third domestic week and prominently screens in key cities around the globe.

Besides its commercial success, the Cathy Garcia-Molina movie — which follows the love story of OFWs Joy and Ethan in Hong Kong amid the complicated lives and issues Filipino immigrants and domestic helpers often face — also serves as a case study for the industry on the huge potential of mixing up talents from rival networks what with ABS-CBN’s Bernardo and GMA Network’s Richards reigniting the movie-goer’s interest in Filipino films. For take note, “Hello, Love, Goodbye (HLG)” continues to be shown on multiple screens within a single cinema complex even as it goes into its third week tomorrow. It may not have conquered all cinema screens like the “Avengers” movies do, but it’s a very encouraging turning point.

Another crossover Happily, the entertainment beat can report that another network crossover will unfold on the big screen after “HLG” with the other half of Richards’ GMA Network and “Eat Bulaga” loveteam “AlDub” starring in a movie with a long-time ABS-CBN actor.

Young movie company Black Sheep Productions announced in late June that Maine Mendoza and Carlo Aquino have agreed to pair up in a romantic-drama titled “Isa Pa With Feelings.” Directed

by Prime Cruz, early production notes simply describe the movie as “a story of two broken people who find each other.”

With its date of release still to be announced, both Mendoza and Aquino have eagerly talked about their project whenever they come across

interviews with showbiz press.

The Manila Times ran a story on Aquino’s upcoming concert last week where he talked about working with Mendoza, while a few days later, the paper also met with the leading lady during her contract renewal for feminine product Betadine Fresh Bliss.

Likewise, Mendoza expressed excitement over the crossover project.

“Excited na po ako makatrabaho si Carlo sa set. Nagkakasama na po kami sa mga workshops ngayon and mas nakikilala na din namin yung isa’t-isa,” YouTube’s erstwhile Dubsmash Queen-turned-major celebrity imparted. “Nakakatuwa kasi parang magkakasundo kami, feeling ko we won’t have a hard time making this film,” she added, sheepishly admitting on the side she actually had a childhood crush on her new leading man.

“Wala pa kaming target release date pero masaya kasi I will get to work with new people. Exciting kasi yung lumalawak yung mundo mo sa showbiz.”

No pressure Naturally, the question that followed was whether Mendoza feels any pressure over the record-breaking success of crossover precursor “HLB”.

Confidently, the noontime show and sitcom star replied, “Honestly, walang pressure.

Hindi naman ako producer so ang concern ko lang talaga is sana makagawa kami ng magandang pelikula para yung quality ang mag-ma-matter.

“Hindi ko naman ine-expect na maging blockbuster yung film namin or anything pero gusto ko lang talaga na makadeliver kami ni Carlo at magustuhan ng tao yung magagawa namin.

“Never kasi naging big deal sa akin yung kikitain ng pelikula or kung saan mapupunta yung pelikula. Parang ako ang gusto ko lang is to make sure na makagawa kami lahat ng pelikula na magiging proud kami dahil maganda siya, at dahil nagawa namin yung story with an execution na maayos.”

Just like Richards, the 24-

year-old star expressed interest to do more projects outside the AlDub love team and GMA Network talents. She even said she’d like to look beyond ABSCBN actors and simply work with as many different talents as possible.

“Kahit hindi naman po Kapamilya actors, kung sino man pong mga aktor at aktres na pwede pong makatrabaho kasi siyempre mas mabuti kung lumawak yung mundo natin at marami pa tayong magawang pelikula.”

AlDub will stay All the same, with the various career directions she and Richards are taking, Mendoza assures AlDub fans that their team up is not going end.

“Nandiyan pa din naman po ang AlDub dahil every day naman kami sa Eat Bulaga and wala namang announcement na pinaghihiwalay kami or anything. Pero siyempre, ang nangyayari sa career ko ngayon, I consider it refreshed because nag-gro-grow din ako as a person, as a host, as an actress and as a celebrity.

“Kasi tulad ng sinasabi ko, hindi kasi tayo pwede mag-stay lang sa isang place, because at a certain point in our life, kailangan natin mag-grow and mag-move forward.”

“I just hope na sana marami pa kamin matutunan sa iba’tibang bagay. Tungkol sa buhay, tungkol sa industriya, basta life in general. Kasi marami pa kaming pagdadaanan in the future so sana marami din kaming mabaon na leksyon sa buhay na magagamit namin sa pagtanda namin,” Mendoza elaborated.

In ending, Mendoza graciously reiterated her support for Richards’ movie with Bernardo.

“Congrats sa kanila ni Kathryn. Panoorin niyo po sila dahil maganda yung pelikula. Kahit hindi ko pa po napapanood nakwento na sa akin ang pelikula at nakita ko naman ang trailer so maganda talaga siya.

“And sana po kapag lumabas na ang Isa Pa With Feelings, sana panoorin po ninyo but for now, yung “Hello, Love, Goodbye” po muna ang panoorin nating lahat.”

In Netflix’s “Happy Jail,” Fil-Am...

From Page 2 provide that opportunity for people to step into other people’s shoes that they may not normally get to relate to at all.

AJ: Without giving too much away, are there any particular moments/scenes within the episodes that continue to resonate with you?

MJ: Absolutely! It’s really hard to answer that without giving it away for sure. But I’ll say one funny thing, anytime we went to start filming for the day…we’d have maybe a 30minute drive up to the mountain to the jail and we’d talk as a crew about what we would prepare for and what we were going to film. But we always knew that as soon as we got there, things would change.

It reminds me of an episode in “The Simpsons,” how an episode starts one way and then it pivots and becomes about something else. I take that with me, just how the pace is so fast and it kept me on my toes.

There are so many moments I can pinpoint to throughout the show where I could say, “Oh yeah, that was totally unexpected,” especially at the end

of episode 3 — we did not see that happening. A lot of dances were wonderful and I’ll always take that with me.

AJ: “Happy Jail” drops on August 14 and the organization FilAm Arts is holding a community screening in Los Angeles for it the day after.

What else can we expect from you and any other projects you’re working on in the future?

MJ: I’m not quite sure as we’re kind of taking it day by day. I’m an independent filmmaker through and through and I’ve never worked at this level where something I’ve created is going to be seen or available around the globe simultaneously…It’s very overwhelming so I’m trying to be as open and as grateful to the opportunity as I can. I would love to do more ‘Happy Jails’ as possible. I see there are endless amounts of fascinating stories coming out of the Philippines and especially with the dancing inmates.

I do hope to create more stories that amplify the Filipino and Filipino American experience but other than that, I am hoping for the best for the show

and I hope it helps other shows like it come to light as well.

AJ: What have you learned about yourself as a filmmaker through this and any advice for aspiring storytellers?

MJ: I think it’s the same lessons that keep repeating itself to me over and over throughout my career. You always have to be a champion for yourself and not expect someone else to come in and be that superman or superwoman for you.

No one is going to be a bigger advocate for yourself and your voice than you. So knowing and leaning into that is always my ultimate lesson.

It’s really what you put into the project. I’m passionate, tenacious and hardworking and I think that comes across in my work. I would say to anyone to just know it’s not easy but it’s worth it and you do have to have that passion and drive. In the end, it really, really is worth it and it’s important what we do…for people to see stories like this because otherwise, they won’t know about it.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Client with $300K credit cards successfully passes US trustee exam THIS client case is unusual.

She is young at 28 and owes about $300,000 of credit cards.

She used these cards to fund a “gift card” business. What’s a “gift card” business? There are many people who cannot qualify for credit to purchase items like iPhones, TVs, personal computers, and other big-ticket items but they want to buy them nevertheless.

The client comes into the picture by providing the financing to buy these items. How does she provide the financing? She uses her credit cards to purchase gift cards. These gift cards are then sold to the buyer who wants to buy the TV. In between the ultimate buyer and the client, there are several layers of marketing or distributors of the gift cards. There is one main distributor who is in contact with several wholesalers. These wholesalers are the ones in contact with the ultimate buyers.

The client adds a margin to her credit card costs. The marketers and distributors also add big margins to their costs. The marketers and distributors collect the money from the ultimate buyers, and turn over the collec-

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes IN a divorce proceeding, people sometimes have a misconception that the only assets or properties that have to disclose assets and properties situated in California. Even worst, sometimes parties even think that since an asset or property is situated in a different country or state, that property is not community property and not subject to division in California family court. One has to understand the general community property presumption in California. Property acquired before marriage is the acquiring spouse’s separate property, as is property obtained during marriage that can be traced to a premarital acquisition. Family.

Code. 770(a). Rents, issues and profits” of separate property are separate property. All property acquired during marriage and

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng tions to the main distributor. The main distributor turns over all the collections to the client who uses the collections to pay back her credit cards.

The client makes money, the main distributor makes money, the marketers and distributors make money, and the ultimate buyer is then able to acquire the merchandise they want.

This business model has a lot of weaknesses, but it’s a legitimate business enterprise. This is a critical issue in Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases. If credit cards are used to fund a business, the transaction is no longer a consumer debt. The transaction becomes a business debt. $300,000 used for consumer debt is a big deal and may be used by the U.S. Trustee as grounds to dismiss the Chapter 7 case. But $300,000 used for business debt is another

ballgame because business debt is not a consumer debt! This distinction makes all the difference in Chapter 7 cases. It’s the difference between black and white, or night and day.

If a debtor used $300,000 of credit cards to travel the world, buy a Porsche SUV, and other personal stuff, the U.S. Trustee can dismiss his case by motion to the court based on the argument that the $300,000 from the debtor is primarily consumer debt. That has been bankruptcy law even under the old law, which was replaced by the new bankruptcy code in 2005.

If the client had used the $300,000 for consumer purchases, then her case would not see the light of day. It would be subject of a motion to dismiss by the U.S. Trustee.

In this case, the client used all of the $300,000 to finance a business. Of course, given that a large number of credit cards used, we expected the U.S. Trustee to conduct a thorough examination and investigation.

At the 341A, the U.S. Trustee showed up and asked the client a lot of questions about the naContinued on Page 6

Disclosure and characterization of overseas assets in divorce “ Parties to a divorce case have a duty to provide full and accurate disclosure of all assets and debts including those in other states and other countries.” before separation, other than by gift or inheritance, is presumptively community property. Family Code 760, 771(a), 772; Marriage of Bonds (2000) 24 C4th 1, 12, 99 CR2d 252, 258; Marriage of Lehman (1998) 18 C4th 169, 177, 74 CR2d 825, 828.

Pursuant to Family Code.

760, community personal or real property is consistently defined no matter where situated. Family Code §760 defines “Community property” as “Except as otherwise provided by statute, all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in this

state is community property.”

As such, out-of-state community property is community property for all purposes, including intraspousal management and control fiduciary obligations. It does not matter if the property is located in another state or another country.

For the same reason, the parties to a divorce case is required to disclose all property, separate and community, including those outside the state. During the marriage, the parties’ fiduciary duties require full and accurate disclosure of true and full information affecting comContinued on Page 6

community

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - August 14, 2019

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAgLAyA MOST memorable life stories that stand out and become etched in the human collective consciousness are products of oft-repeated re-writes and skilled editing.

If you’ve been given the chance to restart a new life after you’ve gone through some life-changing, miraculous experience, such as surviving a horrific accident when everyone else perished, or finding yourself inexplicably healed from a deadly disease, then you’ll know what it feels to be given a reprieve, a fresh slate, a clean paper.

This is what the Greeks call a tabula rasa, on which you can begin writing your new story. Or if you use a computer, click on a new blank document and chase the cursor as memories of things past come alive like a rushing stream of consciousness and take shape through the written word.

How does one use this new lease on life?

Most people lucky enough to be given a second chance, will quickly realize that this new lease can just be an extra few months or years, and in the most blessed scenarios, a decade or two. Each day beyond that critical turning point is a bonus, every single moment, a gift.

Sometimes, God mercifully knocks some sense into us through drastic means by throwing us a curve ball to bring us down a few notches. When we are down on our knees, we have no choice but to look above and beyond our own petty, selfish concerns and total self-involvement in order to grasp the concept of our own mortality and to know that we are here on earth for just a little while — essentially for a purpose.

Human beings were not created to merely consume resources or take up space. Consider the fearsome dinosaurs. Grazing the earth for millions of years, that is essentially what they did — consumed resources and took up space. Not by intelligence but by sheer size and numbers, they had dominion over all other species for millions of years, until one day, as scientists try to explain

Rewriting your own story their extinction, a rogue asteroid about 7 miles long, possibly got unhinged off its orbit in the asteroid belt, hit the earth with such impact, setting off a series of volcanic eruptions that covered the atmosphere with ash far above the stratosphere, so that sunlight could not penetrate through the haze for years, killing off the plant life, upsetting and destroying the food chain balance and effectively starving and wiping the dinosaurs off the face of the earth 65 million years ago.

Here is earth’s tabula rasa story — starting on a clean slate, a new lease on life. When the reptiles died, mammals, of which we are classified under, began their ascent. Human beings with purpose came to be.

Yet each man’s purpose is nebulous and not always obvious. Purpose does not come as clear as

“ A useless life is an early death.”

— Goethe the light of day. We have to seek it out. Either by choice or circumstance, some exceptional ones find their purpose early enough and proceed to fulfill it.

But the great majority of people on the bell curve don’t have the nose to sense their true north.

Most of us of the garden variety meander about our lives trying different things until we finally stumble upon it by trial and error.

The annals of history are rife with such stories.

St. Paul nourished the beginnings of the early Christian church through his numerous travels. But he didn’t start out that way. He was just as passionate about persecuting Christians before he was tapped from above to a complete conversion, a 360 degree change of heart.

Edwin Hubble, the great astronomer who lived in the nineteen twenties and for whom the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is named for his outstanding achievements in expanding our view of the universe, tried different things before finding out what he was meant to do.

In college, Hubble played championship basketball and even tried boxing. After fighting in World War I, he studied law, tried lawyering for a year and obviously didn’t like it. Something must have happened because he went back to college to study astronomy and finally found his footing and his purpose in life.

That’s what most of us do. We try different lives, put on different hats, multitask like crazy, until one day, by God’s grace, we find the one true thing that matches heaven’s purpose. Here’s one caveat though: just don’t run out of time. No one wants to leave with unfinished business.

If our stations in life allow us the luxury of choice, then more than likely, we will be meandering too and trying different things before coming on board to the ship that will likely bring us to the port of our purpose.

We don’t really have to wait for something dramatic, traumatic or tragic to happen to get us on track to finding that purpose.

But do go to the right source.

Nix the harebrained ideas coming from most of the media about what that purpose might be.

When it comes to things that matter, most of the mainstream media has proven itself to be unworthy of trust. They lie like hell’s minions. Media is no longer just for profit. These days, media has morphed into a diabolical tool to push an agenda of evil intent particularly among the young, the naïve and the foolish.

Tune out of the external world and go deep within. If you pray hard enough and long enough and live in the silence for a little while, chances are, you’ll find it, whatever IT may be.

You can then begin rewriting your own story on a new document page. AND if the stars are in alignment when you were born, perhaps, conclude the last chapter of your life story with that much sought-after ending that says, “ AND ( supply your name here) lived happily ever after……” *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

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people & events The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - August 14, 2019

Client with $300K credit cards successfully...

From Page 5 ture of the business. UST asked what happened to the main distributor. The UST also asked why the client did not sue the main distributor and the marketers and smaller distributors to collect the money. The UST asked why she went into this business in the first place. Many other questions were asked to probe the veracity of the client’s testimony about the business use of her credit cards.

Before the start of the hearing, the UST asked me if the client was willing to sign documents, which authorized the UST to obtain all of her credit card statements directly from the credit card companies. I said sure. I gave the documents to the client who signed all the authorizations and I gave it back to the UST. After the hearing, the UST asked for copies of all evidence supporting the client’s claim that the $300,000 was used for business. The client produced the following evidence: 1) Text through we chat between client and main distributor where orders for gift cards are placed in the hundreds and client confirms the availability of gift cards to meet his demands, 2) Receipts from retailers for iTunes gift cards, staples, etc. hundreds of receipts,

3) Pictures of inventory purchased and sold through the Internet.

Client’s declaration under penalty of perjury was made explaining how the business was conducted and using the foregoing as exhibits.

Apparently, the client had entered into this transaction with the main distributor twice before for $100,000 each time and there were no problems in

“ The client adds a margin to her credit card costs.”

2015 and 2017. These two successful jaunts encouraged her to get into the business a third time. Unfortunately, the third time failed as collections became slower and slower. It was not possible to sue the end-users as all of them were contacted through the internet with no physical addresses.

The hearing was continued for two months. During these two months, the client gathered her evidence and we presented them to the UST to prove that the client really did use the $300,000 credit cards for busi-

ness. Thus, the $300,000 was not consumer debt but business debt.

The deadline for the UST to file a motion to dismiss based on findings that the client did not qualify for discharge expired on August 2. The UST did not file the motion. This means that the UST is satisfied that the $300,000 was used for business debt and there was no ground to dismiss the case.

The client will be getting her discharge in due time and she is now on the way to a fresh start in life without $300,000 of credit card debt! The bankruptcy court will wipe out all her $300,000 credit cards. Thanks be to God! God knows she needs a fresh start with no debt. Imagine being burdened by $300,000 of credit card debt that never goes away. Nobody needs that kind of pressure and problem in life.

If you need debt relief, set an appointment. I will analyze your case personally. *** awrence 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)

BJMP holds seminar in Calamba, Laguna THE Philippine Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) has successfully launched its first in-house professional Security and Control seminar held at the BJMP Regional Training Center in Barangay Turbina, Calamba, Laguna. Through meticulous planning initiated by Gen. Efren A. Nemeno, DPA, TLPE, Jail Superintendent and Regional Director of the Jail Bureau, he and his staff, including Atty. Reynaldo A. Paguirigan Jr., Jail Chief Inspector and Jail Warden himself, invited F. Fred Argosino, a retired senior law enforcement officer from California, and Adjunct Professor in criminal justice from West Wood Colleges (now Platt Colleges), as the resource speaker. It was an 8 hour session structured to discuss issues in jail management and control as well as officers’ safety, to mention a few. At the conclusion of the seminar, the BJMP officers consisting of all the jail wardens within the CALABARZON region were awarded certificates of completion for their participation. When asked when he started this idea of holding this type of seminar or workshop, and invite a resource speaker, Gen. Nemeno never hesitated in saying that “it has always been my desire to ensure that the

officers working with me or under my supervision, are afforded quality training and education. And what better way to do that than to invite law enforcement professionals and experienced resource speakers, or people I know, who by their law enforcement background, can properly train our officers. I thanked Prof. Fred Argosino for his positive response by traveling from California to share with us his time and his law enforcement expertise, pro bono.”

Argosino was accompanied to the BJMP facility by Atty. Jun Paredes, an immigration attorney

and a fellow brother in masonry.

Upon his return to California, Argosino on the other hand said, “I did not mind the travel and the time spent, it was all worth it. Being with them (BJMP officers and wardens) gave me a new sense of admiration. I was used to training PNP officers and criminology students in the Philippines, but the collective and enthusiastic desire for knowledge by these officers is commendable. They ought to be recognized also for the good job they are currently doing in protecting the public and the community.

City of Alhambra Farmers Market 35th anniversary celebration

Disclosure and characterization of overseas...

From Page 5 munity property transactions.

FamilyCode. 721(b), 1100(e). In addition,disclosure duties arise upon separation in anticipation of dissolution, nullity or legal separation. The post-separation disclosure duties extend to all assets and liabilities in which either party has or may have an interest or obligation, regardless of community or separate property characterization, and to current earnings, accumulations and expenses. These duties “arise without reference to any wrongdoing.” Family Code. 721(b), 2100(c), 2102(a)(1); Marriage of Feldman (2007) 153 CA4th 1470, 1475–1476, 64 CR3d 29, 33; Marriage of Brewer & Federici (2001) 93 CA4th 1334, 1342– 1344, 113 CR2d 849, 854–855.

Parties to a divorce case has a

EMPLOYMENT

duty to provide full and accurate disclosure of all assets and debts including those in other states and other countries. Failure to disclose could result to certain legal consequences to the nondisclosing parties including sanctions and attorney’s fees. If you are contemplating a divorce and you own assets and properties outside the state or country, its best to retain the representation of an experience family law attorney. *** 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

COME join the Alhambra Certified Farmers Market to celebrate its 35th Anniversary. The farmers market will host a celebration that will feature a variety of family friendly activities including face painting and balloon animals, arts and crafts, a jumper and obstacle

course, and cake and punch (while supplies last). The event is free to attend and it’s also a chance to pick up some fresh produce and other delicious foods.

In addition, the Alhambra Farmers Market is going bagless. Starting on August 18, 2019, vendors

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

at the Farmers Market will no longer be providing single use plastic bags. So be sure to bring your own bag in the future. For any additional questions regarding the Farmers Market please call 626570-5081, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE -August 7, 2019

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - August 14, 2019

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